Chapter 7 Lovers crossing paths.

It was at this same time, that the Queen's party was crossing the West Gate Bridge, on foot. Why was she crossing the bridge on foot?

It was because she had left in such a hurry that there had been no time to prepare a horse or a palanquin.

The way she walked was unlike someone who was from the palace, it was so fast that it made her escorts extremely nervous.

The King sits with Jang Bin and Gung Choi, where there three Woodalchi in the front and three Woodalchi in the back.

Four of the Mugakshis are moving and forming a camp, except Jang Bin who stood keeping guard by the King.

The women all wear long clothes with headgear, no identification, hiding their weapons. Head Court Lady Choi Sang had advised that a smaller number might be better for stealth.

Court Lady Choi rationalize all these decisions internally and quietly takes the on the responsibility of being the lead guard.

She is aware that Seo Choi Young gave notice to Geumgun, and she strategies that he has not properly reported to the King.

Lady Choi does not know what happened and does not understand why her Queen is putting so much effort into this latest action.

She steals a glance at the Queen next to her, she wears a dark purple robe with matching headgear. She notices that at first glance that the Queen next to her seems to be coldly looking straight ahead and thinks,

The spirit of determination is not for that guy, then what kind of heart is this strong? What is the reason that has the Queen rushing urgently?

In fact, the Queen herself cannot really understand her feelings, all she knows that she cannot stay still as it feels like a fire is ablaze inside her, making her want to go to the place where the King was and not to Ki-Cheol's house.

She recalls vividly how she had said with her own mouth in front of the King that she would never seek him out again and how the King had not responded to declaration.

It had made it seem at the time that there would never be a time in the future that she would be called to present her person to him. It had seemed that she might be forgotten just like that. So, this is what she resorted to.

Uiseon and the captain are now both at Ki-Cheol's house, she knows that the King will be asked to hand them both over to his rival.

She will not let him that that she the princess of Yuan will look down on him and if necessary, she will use the influence of her birth father the King of Wei, to make Ki-Cheol submit.

The determination to grant him a trade of benefits, just so that she can get them both back, she will do anything she can.

The outcome of taking those two back to the palace, the King will at least have said something, even if what he says will be in angry, she thinks how she will at least see his eyes.

She thinks that she is willing to even hear his cold words, just so that he will talk to her. The thought of it makes her feel so pathetic that she cannot stand it. It is already too late to rethink this strategy just to get her Kings attention.

It was too late to give up, if there had ever been a time to give up would have been earlier that day, when her father, King Wi, had called on the prince of Goryeo to the palace saying, "You know that I need to see with my own eyes what kind of person he is."

Disobeying her father's orders to never leave her room, she had hidden in the outer palace, wanting to, if possible, observe from afar, wishing that she could talk to him.

She had wanted to make him smile again, and she came with the poetry, that she specially prepared for the occasion.

The recollection appears on her face brighter than the full moon as it takes over her entire face. The sight makes Lady Choi say, "Mama."

The interruption of her recollection makes her come to her senses to see that the group was entering the low street, which is crowded with people that delays her progress.

The Queen had no choice but to continue to walk even though her progress is slowed down. The group make their distance smaller moving closer to the Queen with Lady Choi directly in front of the Queen scanning the area they make their way along to see if there is anything unusual.

She scans the movements of the merchants who are moving their stalls and their products into the stores, and she is always glancing at the rooftops of the houses on both sides of the street.

She notices when there is one part of the roof is flashing and tries to make out if it is if someone's hidden weapon that is making the sunlight reflect of it and asks Jang Bin to confirm whether he can identify what she is seeing asking, "Does there seem to be something there?" Do not miss it.

Jang Bin also seems to have seen something, "There does seem to be something there." The Queen brings her eyebrows together hearing their interaction, "What do you mean there is something?"

Lady Choi answers, "They are moving." Even before Lady Choi's could finished what she was saying, the Waltz gang made their appearance.

The men in the uniform are blocking the road seems to number is about ten people and Jang Bin looks behind him, they look familiar to him as they hold their weapons in preparation to attack.

At the sight of these weapons being held in hands in a way that is in preparation to attack. Jang Bin takes out his fan from his sleeve to open hold in preparation to defend the Queen and moves closer to Lady Choi, to say, "Looking at the weapon, it is not just a normal sword."

Lady Choi says, "It seems so." As she then pulls aside the outer cloak, she wears to protect her from the elements to reveal the sword she wears at her waist, to then pull it out ready to use.

The Queen asks nervously, "Are they bandits?" However, the men dressed as gangsters did not ask for anything or show off.

They stood not saying a word, to suddenly launch into their attack all at once. Jang Bin sensing when they were about to move says to the Queen in a low voice that only she can hear, "Forgive me."

He then wraps the Queen with one arm an positioned himself in front of her so that he is replaces himself as the prime target that they hit.

At the same time, instructions from the Head Court Lady were given to the other female guards that double as maids, "Chilbangjin." The mugakshi quickly surrounded the Queen to tighten her protection.

Mugak City's unique formation that defends the seven defences without any way of getting to the Queen. It was Lady Choi Sang slapped the butt of a nearby horse and made it move forward pulling the cart to which it is still connected.

The horse with the cart ran forward making those who stood in their way to scatter to get out the way leaving one lone attacker standing there alone.

The Queen's party started running, to take the opportunity to move into the gap provided to make their way a bit further.

Jang Bin runs while protecting the Queen and Lady Choi Sang stays vigilant, as she leads the head of the circle.

The Mugakshi who occupied the territory mercilessly cut down those who caught them, however, as soon as the Queen's party's left the street. 

Another group of men blocked their way from the front, while behind another group blocked them, and on either side many more men rush in to surround them from both sides.

Jang Bin could see from their movements, their attack had a precedence and a direction and that they were not just a bunch of gangsters who jump at their target.

Instead that the way they move their hands and feet it is apparent that have been trained in the art of warfare tactics.

The seven mugakshi chosen by Lady Choi Sang are from among the elite part of the mugakshi and makes short work of the approaching enemies to cut down or make them retreat without fail.

Unfortunately, the Queen's party is outnumbered by their opponents, which makes Lady Choi to sharply give the following instructions: "Sambowonbang!"

At that moment, the seven Mugakshi loosened their belts and each lowering their swords to slightly expand their circle by taking here steps in each direction.

Each belt is turned to the side where it has a sharp edge that when held at either end to the maximum length it has then to be tightened in the hands protected with the cloth to then be wrapped around their palms and up their wrists. 

The belts have an iron string that has been stitched on the leather and twisted enables to make an iron rope that can be used to defend themselves and protect their Queen. 

They have formed a large circle where the backs of their hands have no distance between them and the women that surround their queen, which makes the belt connected by the Mugaski form a large circle to focus on defence rather than attack.

The effectiveness of this tactic becomes obvious when someone tries to enter the circle of the belt, the belt is used to parry the sword they carry to wrap around it to block it to then catch the hand that holds it and then uses the momentum to cut the owners neck with their own sword.

The circle created by Mugaksi is fixed, instead of constantly turning left or right they keep their steps steady as they walk, ready for any type of attack.

One of the men jumped into the air with a shout as he started moving and disrupting the silence that has surrounded the area, as they try to enter the circle.

The belts rise in reaction to the sudden movement as one wraps his arms to stop the sword being wielded as another wraps the belt around his ankles to make him trip and fall.

Before he can even get to his feet, the sword of Lady Choi came from the outside to cut his neck so that it spits apart to instantly kill him.

The circles made by Mugakshi are not fixed as circles as it depended on the situation that their attackers' movements and the situation, they are confronted with that depends on who and how many are needed to effectively deal with them.

The Head Court Lady Choi's single sword performs both offense and defence move as it follows the will of its single master to assist when necessary, during an attack.

It enables the circle to kill their attackers in an instant and injuring five or six others before they are also killed.

In the centre of the circle is Sun Jang Bin is positioned as if embracing her Queen, which makes one of the men in the group attempt to throw a dagger aimed at her to fly through the circle of the magakshi, which makes Jang Bin to quickly strike the dagger away with his fan, glancing at the Queen.

The Queen not used to be in such a confronting situation is unable to draw her own sword, despite on insisting, when she was younger to learn swordsmanship, which had explained that it was being done as joke that the palace's patronage let her do it.

She could easily have pulled out her sharp sword and put it in harm's way to the allies in front and behind her.

The Queen does not want to be an obstacle to the people who are doing their all to protect her, so that she can do what she had wanted to do when she left the palace.

At that moment, the Queen made a sound without realizing it, reacting to the effect that those who protect her on those that attack in front of her.

One of the mugakshi that was present attacked three people at once, their abdomens are split open, blood sprays out as their intestines spill out of their bodies.

Even though Runa was injured she rejoined the Mugakshi to enter the circle, to then thrust her sword into the neck of the man who was trying to hit her and pushed the man with her sword, which makes her move outside the circle to collapse.

Although they eventually lost, the diameter of the circle that protects the Queen decreases as one Mugaksi was missing.

It makes Lady Choi Sang moves in all directions to fill gaps and assist in the offense and defence of the Queen as they make their progress.

The Queen was almost cut on her thigh, when one of the Mugaski intervened, to push her sword forward to sink it into the attacker's chest and then kicked that attacker in the stomach to then pull it out and then look at the surrounding roofs to see archers bows pulled ready as they perched on both sides of the street, thinking 'Not good...…. Not good at all.'

Prince Geum, who was guarding the palace gate, who had received the command of the King, went to report to his superior, but that superior was not the King.

The information was given to Jo Il-shin and Jo Il-shin personally told the King, who said he would do it, but delayed it on purpose again.

Jo Il-shin is the river where the King is responsible for carrying a heavy body to safety, Gonseongjeon, the people he had planted in the Queen's residence, were able to tell him of what had transpired in detail.

He had allowed so much time to be wasted that by the time when the King had heard of the news, the Queen had left the palace.

The Kings reaction when he, had heard the news from Jo Il-sin, could not believe it at first asking, "The Queen has left the palace, to go to Deokseong Buwongun's house. How?"

The words leave a sour taste in his mouth after they are uttered realising that the highest palace, the eel that heads it and the people next to that eel are the greatest.

He had tried to stop her, but he could not break her stubbornness, leaving him alone without seeking permission to leave.

The Kings says, "I will go too…" but is interrupted by Jo Il-shin before he could finish speaking, as the King was already moving towards the entrance. Chung Seok blocked the King's path saying, "Majesty." The King asks, "Did you hear?"

He answers, "I heard." The King states, "I have to bring her. The Queen is in danger." However, Chung Seok did not get out of the way of the King saying, "I will send the kids to get her for you."

The King tries to protest, "But...…" Chung Seok responds simply, "I cannot go without attending your Highness, if you are going to leave the palace. I will be able to do it if you do not leave the protection of the palace." 

The King then grabs Chung Seok's arm and surprised him, "You go yourself. Go and make sure to bring him back alive."

The King's voice trembled so much that Chung Seok wondered if the King would cry, the look, makes him feel scared, "I will give you full authority. I will allow you to tie her hands and feet, even if you have drag her down, to make her come to the front of my eyes."

Even after Chung Seok ran away, the King looked at him like a man who had lost his mind. The King was standing watching when Jo Il-shin approaches cautiously and calls the King, "Your majesty." But the King has his mind wandering elsewhere.

The King is recalling that day, the King Wei had called on him unexpectedly only to provide an explaination as to the reason why he had arrived at the palace, on his arrival.

The King had not known what was going on, when unexpectedly he had heard Jo Il-shin talking excitedly with some other officials in the waiting room that he had learned the whole story, "This is an opportunity. The King of Wei is thinking of giving you, his daughter."

It could have been a chance for the Prince of Goryeo to succeed to the throne of Goryeo. After all there is only two ways the Goryeo throne could be succeeded by him over his older brother.

Chunghye one was when the young King died in exile everyone had expected that the older brother would be the next king.

However, the royal family of Won gave birth to Heun (Bae), the eldest son of King Chunghye, who then abdicated the throne and his son of a Goryeo woman.

Who was Princess Yeokryeonjinban, who was the princess of the soul meaning he had died four years after becoming King Chungmok.

After King Chungmok died, another chance came, the Goryeo's subjects all elected him as King and the order of succession to the throne was given to him King Chunghye.

However, just before his return trip to Goryeo, from Yuan the emperor was capricious, and he had a illegitimate son with Gyeongchanggun, and had to abdicate the throne.

Causing most of the subjects who followed him at that time abandoned Jo Il-shin who was left with only a few subjects.

They did not want to throw it away leverage they could get to enthrone the King of their choice, " There is no chance. Unless you marry the princess of Yuan, you will never again inherit the throne.

The then Prince of Goreyo says, "So, no matter what, today, I need captured the heart of King Wei and marry his daughter, Gong? Jo Il-shin answer, "Yes. Receive the Lord."

While his subjects were urgently pleading with him, he stood up without a word, to leave his place feeling extremely distraught.

Since he had been taken hostage to the Yuan Dynasty at a young age, he has been hiding living like a turtle and his only dream is to return to his own country of Goryeo, without the ties of being a son-in-law of Yuan.

All he wants is for Goryeo to be a country in which a King is not appointed or deposed by an outside entity. Where its people do not have to sacrifice their hard work to pay the tribute demanded by Yuan.

His dream is that the people of Goryeo will trust and rely on the King, and the King who is called the King, by people who are not ashamed of the country or of themselves.

The rapid growth in the power of the continent is reflected in the growth of the Red Turban Red Army which shakes the confidence of Yuan from the west.

He had witnessed all the cracks in the pillars and beams after having live in Yuan for ten years, his only way to reject this cycle was to become King.

The idea was that one must first become a King, and to become a King one must have one is will.The time to become King, has presented itself but do I have the will to use the door presented which is also become a son-in law to Yuan.

He remembers how he had walked around the palace garden feeling dizzy and it was not until he heard Andochi drew his attention by calling for him, which had him going to exit the side door to avoid, to enter another door to just wanting to be alone.

The room that he had entered wanting to be alone for a while there seemed to be another person already sitting alone at a table that looked at him with startled eyes. He notices as his eyes adjust it seems to be a woman.

She seemed to be wearing bouillon-patterned clothe that seems to be flashy and identified her as a noblewoman from Yuan she also had shades under her eyes.

What he could not see her face clearly, but her eyes were so big and clear. He felt his heart sink just from that sight of those eyes.

So, to calm the startled woman, he seeks a way to excuse him using the words of Win with, "Please do not be surprised. I will just hide for a moment, so I will pretend to be someone who does not exist. Think about it, I will be out soon."

The look in her eyes was so intense that he could not look at her for much longer and stood to turn away from her.

Outside the door, he hears Andochi passing by, looking for Daegunmama and calling out to her. He waited for Andochi's footsteps to go away and opened the door, that is when she speaks in a clear Goryeo language, "Are you not you the Grand Prince of Gangneung?"

The question in a language not normally spoken in the Yuan kingdom makes him turn towards her with surprise and delight wondering, 'Is she a Goryeo woman?'

The joy he felt towards the end of the Goryeo Dynasty was so deep, that he throws caution to the wind and wondered, 'Is she perhaps the woman who was dragged into this tribute procession?'

He had heard that a tribute procession arrived from Goryeo a few days ago and amongst them were women from Goryeo noble families.

Among Yuan nobles, it was customary to take a Goryeo woman as a concubine. The higher the Goryeo family you have, the more likely you are to sleep in a circle, she thought her status as a god was higher, and here she was dragged like that by force

He had overheard the women's stories, he felt embarrassed and did not know what to do, how funny it was that I did not know.

Since she is a daughter of a Goryeo noble family, she must have heard the story of Grand Prince Gangneung.

Andochi could be heard calling for Daegunmama from outside and wonders how she knew who that was and feeling him feel his face hot, "I am sorry."

She looks at him surprise at his words; his eyes are drawn to her eyes as he steps closer to be right in front of her as she continues to look at him frozen.

He continues to talk in earnest, "You are in trouble, and women like you are humiliated, because those above cannot change their minds, the people below, I can not handle being called a great general.

She did not respond to his words, which made him uncomfortable in the heart which makes him apologise to her mentally, 'I am sorry if I even say one word of resentment to you." 

He then suddenly her asked, "Do you want to go back? Do you want to go back to our land, Goryeo?"

She did not answer it makes him wonder if she did not answer because she did not believe him. He wonders if she is thinking whether he meant it or not, because he could not tell her heart with just by her eyes,

She went to remove the veil with from her eyes, but he grabbed her by the wrist, which took her by surprise, and she did not take away her hand. 

Her acceptance encourages him to say, "Let us go." To then he pulled her wrist, to make her stand without resistance and he led the way as she is drawn along with him.

It was the first time that, he enjoyed and found fun in the companionship of someone else, as hey make their escape together.

His aim is to take the Goreyo woman with him and the sooner the King of Yuan finds out the better as he will make it work.

He could just see the other man's shock as he came to make him to see if it is a plausible to make him a son-in-law, instead he thinks it was exhilarating anticipating the rumours spread that he had run off with a woman.

If he loses, there will be no Kings of Yuan who want to make him the son-in-law of Yuan. He turned around and see her eyes were looking closely at him.

From the beginning, the gaze of the woman did not avoid or look away from the man that led her out of the room as he says to her, "Now I will take you with me and get out of this palace.

If you get caught, you will be taken away, so we will hide here and there to avoid detection. Can you follow me?"

After hesitating for a moment, she nodded, he then comforts her with, "Do not be afraid, for I will not let go of your hand."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, making him wonder if she was smiling, but then he notices how her eyes return to normal and she nods in thanks.

So, he slipped his hand around her waist and held her hand with his other hand, noticing how soft they were that it seemed that they had no bones in them.

Afraid that she will slip from his grasp he squeezes her hand, and she responds by grabbing on to the hand that squeezes with all her strength.

The feeling fills him with an unknown joy as he then opens the door to encourage her with, "Come with me. Let us go." The Queen is brought to the present when another Mugakshi collapses injured to the ground. 

The Queen feels like she is crazy, because of the reality of her decision has made it clear that she was being unreasonable, which has forced them to accompany her to protect her, at all costs which results in them falling, bleeding, injured or killed.

She is not even a woman from Goryeo, she just happened to bcome Queen of Goryeo and now is responsible for harming the people of Goryeo like this.

It makes her think of how disgusted and sick the King will be when he finds out what she has done. It makes her want to cry out loud, if only there were no other eyes to witness her breakdown she would be collapsed on the ground crying.

Of the seven Mugakshi, one has already died, two have died and one is suffering from a severe injury.

The Chilbangjin of Mugak City has now reached its peak and the Queen's party is unable to continue their journey without allowing the enemy to invade.

One of the belts that formed a circle was cut by the enemy's sword and a gap has been successfully made.

Lady Choi Sang rushes in like the wind in that direction, to deal with two men at once that have moved to take advantage of the gap created.

She is using dual swords that she has never used before, there is a longer sword in her right hand, which she uses to block the enemy's swords, while the left hand stretches to the ground holding the short sword to cut the heel ligament (Achillies tendon) on one of the men on the other side.

Choi Sang-gung, who was moving, saw the sword of another man who was trying to crawl to the right.

So, she moves on the spot using little steps to rotate herself quickly as she holds the sword over her head that still blocks the other sword to then bounce the other man off with the force of his own movement.

However, she knew that no matter how much the lightning-quick divine law of the Supreme Court was used, she could not stop all the enemies flooding into the room.

One of her men breaches the circle by jumping into the gap from behind her and has his sword aimed straight at the Queen to stab her.

Jang Bin reacts automatically without asking for permission, he embraces the Queen and blocks the sword with his fan. The fan blocks the sword, as another sword from their party stabs at the vein in the man's wrist.

It was the skill of her swordsman who surpassed the average skills, of the attackers which makes it so easy to defeat them.

Jang Bin held the Queen with his left arm and used only his right hand, to fight so hard that they are barely able to make any progress.

Moreover, Jang Bin like Lady Choi has also noticed the archers on both roofs, where it is clear how they are positioned and seemed to be settled waiting on instructions, that they have been there for a while.

It makes him wonder, 'why they are not attacking yet.' Before he could finish that thought, suddenly from somewhere a whistle suddenly pierces the air.

It becomes apparent that it was a signal, as the archers fired their arrows in unison. Lady Choi gives a sharp instruction, "Salbang!"

Mugakshi, which were scattered in a circle, gathered together to tightly protect the Queen who is in the centre with Jang Bing.

The Mugakshi parry and deflect the arrows aimed at their Queen as they block her bodily from their aim.

But not every arrow can be deflected or cut off from its direction with a sword. I an attempt to protect their Queen the Mugaksi put them in the aim of the arrows, so it kills them instead of their Queen.

Mugaksi's blocked the Queen's right side as an arrow that flew in their direction to be thwarted by a Mugaksi that switched her sword from the right hand to her left had and blocked it as it approached the front of the Queen.

Meanwhile, another arrow was fired to the group it is aimed at and the Queen who could not stand it any longer and tried to jump in front of her.

All she wanted to do was to shout, 'STOP IT! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM! YOU CAN DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES IF YOU KNOW WHO I AM AND STILL ATTACK ME!!!'

The Queen wanted to shout like that, but Jang Bin's strong arms wrapped around the Queen, to stop her from moving and he then spreads out his fan to hid them from sight as he looks into the Queen's face.

It was then when one of the arrows aimed at her den was deflected and a sudden dull scream could be heard from the roof.

Next, one by one, the archers on the roof tumbled down and because of the bloody fight between the queen and her party, people went into hiding and it became empty, because the bullies rode their horses at full speed through the streets.

A third of the entire crew of the Woodalchi seemed to have been dispatched. They have ridden and run, shooting arrows at the archers on the roof at the same time.

The Woodalchis, with the same momentum as they were running, attacked the two poles and then divided into columns, the front column led the queen's party on both sides and they split up and attack the men on the ground, until they go away.

The other half of the Woodalchis' jump from a galloping horse and lands on the roof of the palace, chasing the numbers of the enemies in an instant turned the tide and everyone on the roof had been quickly chased off.

They jumped to the ground, where they got caught up with those who blocked the Queen'w way were chasing, started to run away. Seon Chung-seok gives instructions loudly, "Catch him alive! Just kill him halfway!"

It was the sound of another whistle pierces the air, with Woodall in pursuit when someone among the Chi shouts, "What are those?"

Just in front of the men being chased away, with the Woodall in pursuit, when only a dozen of steps away again, a group of men appeared.

The chairperson who was in command of the Cheadles raised his hand and made his men stop, when those who newly appeared were all wearing masks while they were holding a steel bow in their hand saying, "It is flesh."

The Woodalchis took out their shields from their backs preparing for the attack, while arrows are fired simultaneously from the other side.

But the way those arrows were fired it became apparent that they were not aimed at Woodalchi, but rained down on the men that were fleeing.

The action made their co-ordinated attack collapse and they scattered to escape via both sides of the alley. Chung Seok commands the Woodalchi, "Catch!"

The command mobilises, the rest of the Woodalchis to follow those who were already running after the enemies.

Chung Seok turn over the fallen men and takes his hand away in surprise, as it seems that the arrows that pierce the body seem to be poisonous, as when they breathe foam bubbles that come out of their mouth of those who are stuck, that is how those who attacked the Queen's party looked like that as they die like that in front of me.

Chung Seok did not dare to ask the queen directly, so he asked Palace Choi, "Are you okay?" However, the Queen answers first, "These kids are hurt."

The Queen stood upright and looked at the wounded Mugaksi who had been struck down and before they knew it there was, Jang Bin was sitting down next to them and examining her details.

Jang Bang then looks behind him at the Queen using the distance between them to see if she had been injured in anyway and finds that he can see none.

Her eyes though showed how much her heart hurt, as they normally portray how cool, calm, yet bright she is. 

But now they reflect the intensity of how her body is shaking helplessly at the evidence of the people who protected her lie on the ground injured or dead.

Jang Bin tells Chung Seok, "Take them first and go back. I will take care of these children." Chung-seok carefully calls the attention of his Queen, "Queen Mama."

The Queen then looks back at him and opens her mouth to say something when Chung Seok understands the unasked question of the Queen who cannot conclude her words and answers, "Your Majesty…His Majesty has sent me with express command to bring you to him."

The Queen says, "There's a place I was going to go." Chung Seok says steadfast, "He told me to bring you right away."

The Queen says firmly, "The sacrifice of these children cannot be in vain. Get out of my way, so that I can go and save them. I will finish what I set out to do."

The Queen moves to walk past him, and Chung Seok stands in his way to say, "Your Majesty has given me full authority, to bring you by force if necessary. Please do not let it come to that and return with me. Please without me resorting to force."

The Queen's heart burns black, why is he always like that. He insists to keep them separate and it is how he has always enforced it in a way that the closer she attempted to get to him the more he hurt her.

The more she had tried to make up for it, the more she ended up digging into the wound. No matter what she does, she cannot make him happy.

That day, when he took her hand and had led her, she had thought it had been the end of a long wait.

It had been like something of a dream when he heard him shouting, to then be pulled aside, hid her in a room and they then hid behind furniture, folding screens that were not being used right away.

Until they reached a small room where things were stored and filtered windows covered with paper, so that the sunlight that made it through in to bathe the room and the person with a soft light, making his face appear more delicate than she had imagined.

I let go of his hand as if I was angry, but he didn't go any further away as he listened to the sounds outside.

She remembers how his face as a young man was different to that of the one that stands in front of her. This man was thinner than he was as a boy and had more sharp angles.

When he looks at her with those deep dark eyes that have long eyelashes and tips that belonged more on a woman than on a man, the vision of his beautiful face made her heart flutter.

She also remembers how his hand held her hand was different from the day she remembered. His hand had grown significantly, and his joints had become thicker.

Even if he had let go of her hand, she would have remembered the differences in how his hand held hers and she could hear his breathing that was so clear.

Her heart was pounding uncontrollably, when he put his finger on her lips, to indicated her to be quiet and it made her fully aware of how her heart had sounded in her ears. 

She was afraid of here heart being heard, she held her breath to quieten it. The action started to make her feel dizzy, she heard the footsteps that passed outside the door, but soon faded to become quiet.

It was then he looked back at her and grinned, making her feel like she lost all touch with reality. The feeling became worse when he laughed, before just like before, he spoke to her in his breathless voice which is indescribable, that was soft, "If you want to laugh, you can laugh."

She also asked under her breath, using Goryeo's language which over the years it was a language that she had learned and been taught by her teacher and friends from Goryeo, "What are you crying about? The so-called prince and great general of a country are in a hurry like this. Are you not running away, like a rat dressed up? Please forgive me. Look at how you are hiding, it makes me want to laugh aloud." She takes a breath to muster up her courage to ask as his laughter faded, "May I ask what you are avoiding?" He answers, "...I'm trying a lousy trick."

She had looked at him because she did not understand, and he smiled bitterly as he then says, "People tell me to marry a woman from Yuan, they have asked to be her son-in-law. Even my people under me are like that. What if use it?"

She asked, barely able to make a sound. "Do you not like it?" He answers, "I plan to become the King of Goryeo. The King of Goryeo is Yuan's son-in-law. Do you know what it means to be that? You have to bow down, crawl away when called, and kick when you are kicked out you are still required to bow to them. It means everything. If I, the King, do this, my people must also do the same. What on earth is their fault? Is it a sin to be born in the wrong country? Is it a sin to serve a poor King? How can a king treat his people like that…"

He, who had raised her voice, stopped, and looked back at her, as she had put her hand on his arm, making her realise that she had acted without thought to comfort him. She hurriedly took it away while he quickly looked away to ignore her gaze.

She asked felt compelled to ask with her trembling heart, "Is the other person the princess of this palace?"

He answers, "Yes." She then asks him, "Have you ever met her?" He answers, "There is no face-to-face meeting."

She answers, "Did you not even have a one-sided meal?" He then answers, "It does not exist." And he continued: "Even if we met, I do not remember the woman in the circle."

She could not believe it, so she just watched, in an instant hit the coldness in my eyes. He walks a few steps away, seeming getting lost in deep thoughts, then he slowly turned towards her to ask, "May I ask which family you belong to?"

She could not answer his question which makes him say, "No. Any family does not matter. What I said earlier. Do you remember? I am trying a terrible trick right now."

She could not answer and then he says, "I am the second son of King Chungsuk, and my name is Wanggi. I am powerless. The prince of Ra and has been living here as a hostage for the past ten years, is this what I ask for." He then says, "Will you marry me?"

She still could not say anything, as the inside of his head turned white, as he then says, "I do not know if I should marry the Yuan's girl, as it is the only way I can become King.

But you, a Koryoin, are like me. Will you be my first wife? My mother was also Korean, and she was my father's first wife.

The woman in the circle who came in after, rose to prominence, but her father only spared her mother all her life.

This is my poor trick, it will also be the same, at least in my heart. It is a trick of wanting to take root in Goryeo. Do you understand?"

He must have felt sorry for her, as seems to be frozen and not moving at all, so he came to stand at such a close distance and that it seems like our breaths are mixing, looking earnestly into her eyes to ask, "I wish you were next to me. With those eyes, I always hope you watch over it. Just like now, I am complaining in Goryeo language. I hope you listen to me when I do this and hold my hand when I lose my composure. Once it settles in my heart, Yuan's bitch will be that person for the rest of my life. I will not let you get close to Lee."

At that moment, she felt like a cry welled up deep in my heart and flowed from my throat. She barely swallowed the sound, with the tears that had not come out, as she knew that they would flow without being able to stop.

He looked at her in confusion and spoke sweetly to her, "I surprised you." Chung Seok ran to Gangan-an to tell the King and found himself there, when he saw the King's party coming in a hurry.

The King looked at Chung Seok, who had stopped where he stood head bowed as he reports, "The Queen Mother is safe. We have brought her to the temple."

When he said this, the King passed by Chung Seok without a word and continued on his way walking quickly, while his Eunuch Andochi and other officials, which then has he King's bodyguard joins them.

Chung Seok is so diligent that he dealt with the bullies are rushing after him and even took the time to report it.

There were sacrifices made by Mugak City people, as it seems that those who attacked were those who received formal training, which is the opinion of Lady Choi Sang. 

They had captured him alive and track him down, to appear, commit murder and destruction and where he was killed by an assassin. 

Chung Seok chased after the assassin. It seemed like I had prepared an escape route in advance, but I could not find one. That is when the King suddenly stops and everyone stops, "Did you say you were sorry?"

Chung Seok hesitated, and the King became even more angry, "Why is this a temple? Should I thank you when you come to me and apologize. Did you try everything... That is...I did not hear a word of excuse while escorting you to the palace is it. Is not there something that was said?"

Chung Seok say, "I was told that His Majesty the Lord is concerned and waiting...Then..." The King sauus, "There is no way that is possible… just say…That cannot be possible."

The King laughed in bewilderment and turned around the way you came, he walked as fast as he came, the attendants started to cry internally at the pace he sets as they follow from behind him in a line.

Suddenly, the King comes to a stop making all those who follow him suddenly stop to bump into each other avoiding bumping into the King.

The King raised his hand and made everyone around him take a few steps back, then he motioned to Chung Seok to come closer to say low to him, "They were sent to Deokseong Buwongun?"

Chung Seok says, "I cannot think of any other place." The King says, "I guess it is hard to guess whether they committed murder or destruction."

The King says to the Queen, "You truly are someone who has nothing to fear. How dare you become the Queen of a country."

The Queen says, "I will stop doing it." The King answers, "It is a simple thing to say." The Queen says, "Daesang and Uiseon, any other news?"

The King answers, "It is said that there was a big fight at Buwon-gun's house. There were many injured. Nearby doctors were called in, and countless bodies were brought out." 

The King is worried when he hears that it is a corpse, "There is no way those soldiers will harm you. Lieutenant. Although you are a very cunning man, our leader has excellent martial arts skills... But...you cannot come out yet."

As she continues, the anxiety on Chung-seok's face grows, "Let us release more people. Find out the situation inside Buwon-gun's house." Chung Seok says, "I will do it." The King shook his head and said, "No. I will wait."

In the first place, Choi Young went alone, to confront the head of the Buwongun and there has been no unwelcome news yet, that means that there are avenues.

The King is secretly relieved just because Choi Young fought, he had been worried that he would serve others as the captain might be disappointed in the King and Ki-Cheol was not the King

The fact that he had fought the other man meant that Choi Young had no intention in serving other.

The King had seen too much in that time and those that are willing to flatter him today might be willing to turn their backs on them him overnight.

The more people were thought to not exist, the crueller they were when they turned around.

The Kings thoughts were even more miserable, when he suddenly stops to redirect his thinking there is no way that would happen with Choi Young.

The King starts walking towards Gonseonjeon automatically, before he knew it he was turning towards the Kings quarters. He suddenly stops at the doorway, laughing out loud as he feels sorry for himself.

The King notices how the guards look at other as his entourage mummers behind him, it makes him more aware how his every move is watched by others, even if their eyes are not looking his way.

He continues to walk to enter the Kings Chambers remembering how he had cried in that small room in the palace of the King Wei that day in front of the person he had led. 

Remembering how he had thought that it would not be so bad with that person beside him. The burning he feels in his heart to make him wonder, 'what did I do wrong?' The King hears Andochi calling from outside the room we were hiding in together,

I heard Andochi calling from the room we were hiding in together, "My man is calling me. I need to get his help...…. Would you please wait?"

She had her head down so the King could not see her eyes as he says, "Let us talk about it longer. First, we have to get out of here. So Ini, please be patient."

He had told me to wait again, opened the door, and left to hear his footsteps getting further away. The King called after Andochi and he came running as if he was about to fall, his anxiousness for some reason made my heart ache, "I need you to make a way."

When he returned home, she was not in the room, where was she? Only her face was veiled, so he did not know what she looked like to even start looking from her.

Even the Queen had sent a messenger, for who he was looking for, after searching for long time for her even after a month after she came from Goryeo.

Andochi had sent someone to the tribute procession to inquire and visited King Wei's palace. A Goryeo translator who was said to have studied with him was brought in and asked everyone plausible who the prince of Goryeo who had identified only her face and voice, which he had only seen her eyes, eyes that had never seen like that again, on any other woman before, except for her.

He had met her for a moment, but she was a woman he had broken up with. How could he be so in love with a woman who he does not know? She was embarrassed because she was being penetrated so deeply, but she couldn't help it.

She lay down, her eyes, which were looking straight ahead, became clearer and clearer. She remembered her hand on his arm vividly, the voice, which seemed slurred and cautious, seemed to be heard in my ears as he stared in his eyes. She was startled when she woke up because my her eyes were full of water.

The night she woke up like that, she sighed with regret, wanting to dream a little more. If she had been longer, she would have seen him a little longer, she asked herself hundreds of times.

Why did she just leave? What did he do wrong? The sense of loss was so great that it became cruel, what is so great about me? Did you not like it?

So, when the marriage story with the King of Wei's daughter progressed, he had no reason for opposition. 

He just thought, 'If you have to do it anyway, quickly. Let us get it done. Because of things like being a woman and getting married, my time is wasted.

I was grumpy and didn't want to waste any more time. On the first night of the wedding, I saw the bride sitting under a red lantern.

At that time, I felt a little sorry. Dressed in red and wearing a red veil. It covered her entire face, he is a man who has made a covenant for his whole life, and he until then, not a single word had been said and, in the future, too.

He had no intention of mixing words, when she sat in front of the drinking table and you pour alcohol into a glass and drink it all.

Until then, the bride did not move, and he did not even make a sound, when he heard the bell, he was tired from the wedding ceremony.

The spacious bridal room prepared in the palace was full of colourful decorations and, beyond the red curtain, there was a bed covered with gold bedding.

The sight makes him wonder, 'Will I be able to sleep well?' He had forgotten about the bride sitting like that on the bed. He takes off his outer wear, which he drops to the floor and the walks towards the bed.

At that time, the fluttering of the clothes hit him as the fall behind him, that is when the bride stands up, making him feel irritated which he tries to ignore, the bride who wears a cotton cloth.

The prince of Goryeo takes his clothes off as he looks at the small white face that was revealed beneath the veil curious.

Since there was no instruction, he turns away and was about to get up onto the bed, when something about those eyes made him stop.

He turns to look at those eyes again and he could not believe it when he saw them again. The sight of those eyes makes him hold his breath; he knows those eyes that are looking at him.

It makes him wonder, 'could it be possible.' It makes him ask without knowing it in the language of Goryeo, "Have you seen me?" 

The silence that follows is palpable. It makes him feel tired and depressed, the candlelight is feeling dizzy that make him sigh in tiredness. 

It is then that she opens her mouth to say in the Goryeo Language with the voice that he remembers well, "Do you remember me now?"

Even though he heard it clearly, he could not believe it, so he asks her, "Could it be that you were the Goryeo woman who was with me that day…?"

The woman answers simply, "She was not a Goryeo woman." He says as if realising something, "She was the daughter of the King of Wei." She answers, "That's right."

He stepped back, feeling an unbearable anger rising in him, which made him clench his hands into fists. His anger is so great that it makes her scared that she would be harmed. 

He is barely containing the anger which makes his voice crack at how he controls it to ask, "That day... was it a coincidence? That we met?"

She seems to hesitate for a moment, before she answers, "No. I heard you were coming and went to meet you." He then asks her, "Was it her father's instructions? What kind of person is he?" 

She then answers, "No. It was my idea." He then asks, "Do you remember what I said that day?" she answers, "I remember." He then asks, "Have you ever seen me before?"

He then asks her, "Please continue to remember every word of mine, spoken that day." There was no answer which seems to suggest that the answer is yes. It makes him wonder 'How can that be possible?'  So, he then says, "Because I meant it."

He then proceeded to just open the door and walked out leave the room, he finds himself glancing back to look at those big eyes, which reflected a helplessness as he lets the heavy wooden door swing shut to obscure her appearance.

After everything is closed, he looks at the door wondering, 'Why do you, why do you have eyes like that?' The thought makes him feel frustrated with himself and the situation he finds himself in and he kicks the door that now separates the newly wedded couple.