Remembrance

A sinister smile spread across Man-Ju's face as he realized he had struck Young-Sik. He attempted to withdraw his sword, but it remained lodged in place. Despite the blood oozing from his hands, Young-Sik held onto the blade with fierce determination.

Man-Ju turned towards Jin-Ri to mock her and let her know he was the better man. His face, however, turned ashen as he was met with a blade that plunged deep into his chest. He let go of his sword, and Young-Sik fell to the floor. Jin-Ri pulled out the weapon she used to stab Man-Ju and quickly turned to her prince. Man-Ju took a few steps back, turned around to face the throne, dropped to his knees, and fell face-first at the foot of the King's pedestal, lifeless, his hands just out of reach of the pedestal.

"Yong? Yong?" Jin-Ri continuously called her prince's name, and Young-Sik turned his eyes toward her. "I want you to look at me, just keep your eyes on me, okay? Don't you dare close your eyes," She instructed him, while tears streamed down her face.

Ripping a part of her skirt, she waited for Min-Jae's signal. Min-Jae grabbed hold of the handle and, with one quick pull, he freed the sword. Young-Sik gave a soft moan, and Jin-Ri quickly covered the wound with her ripped skirt, putting pressure on it.

"You can make it through this, you're one tough bastard," Min-Jae exclaimed, encouraging his brother to hold on. He took over, putting pressure on Young-Sik's wounds. Young-Sik did not reply, he just stared at Jin-Ri while she cradled him. His breathing was becoming rapid, raspy, and shallow.

Kwan and Mun-He arrived at the courtroom only to find Ha-Rin and Young-Ju crying by the door. Kwan slowly entered the room and saw his liege being tended to by Jin-Ri and Min-Jae as he lay on the floor bleeding profusely. "Your Highness...Yong" He called the prince, his best friend, by his name.

Mun-He covered her lips with her hands, and she stood frozen by the door, unable to go near her dear friend.

Yeng, along with the Guiong envoy, soon arrived, and when she saw Young-Sik's condition, she ran back out, determined to get help for the prince.

Young-Sik's hand trembled as he reached out, yearning to caress Jin-Ri's face. Yet, before he could bridge the distance, his hand fell helplessly to the ground, his eyes fluttering shut, and his head slumped against her arms. Jin-Ri, upon witnessing her beloved prince so still, drew him closer, only to feel his head droop back again. For a haunting moment, she could only gaze at Young-Sik's motionless body.

"Yong?" she whispered, her voice barely a breath, gently shaking him in a desperate attempt to awaken him. "Yong?" she called again, her tone rising with urgency as she shook him more forcefully. When silence met her, please, she repeated his name, her desperation growing with each cry, "YONG! YONG! PLEASE WAKE UP! Don't leave me..." She clutched her motionless prince tightly, her cries echoing with unbearable grief and despair.

Min-Jae collapsed onto the floor, overwhelmed by grief as tears streamed down his face, his gaze fixed on the bodies of his two brothers, taken from him in a single, cruel moment. Ha-Rin knelt beside him, and together they formed a tight embrace, their hearts heavy with shared despair.

Mun-He and Kwan found solace in each other's arms, drawing strength from their bond amidst the darkness that surrounded them.

Yeng returned at last, accompanied by the royal physician, who hurried to the prince's side, desperately searching for any sign of life—breath, pulse, or the faintest heartbeat—but found only silence.

The Guiong envoy did not come near the grieving family. He just stood a few feet away, bearing witness to the end of Prince Young-Sik

Three weeks later

In the courtroom, King Seo-Joon passed judgment on Minister Gi, Lee Eri, and the other ministers who pledged support to the late Minister Lim. Led by Captain Gi, the houses of the ministers involved in the plot to take the throne were raided by palace soldiers. They were able to recover and secure documents tying Minister Gi to the uprising that caused the death of former Queen Min-Ah and Princess Yoo-Na

More documents were uncovered that proved he was the mastermind of the tax frauds in the province of Gyong, the kidnapping and selling of children to Aranese pirates. Ledgers detailing his purchase of Guiong weapons that he later sold to the Aranese. There were also ledgers for selling the Aranese supplies during the Aranese invasion. And a copy of the letter he made to Xun Ju with instructions that he must detain and force Prince Young-Sik into a violent altercation to ignite a war between the two countries.

The defendants all wore white garments, were bound with black ropes, and knelt in front of the King.

Min-Jae rose to proclaim his decision. "All defendants will lose their wealth and rank." He elaborated, "The ministers shall be dispatched to the salt mines, where they will spend their remaining years. Their families will not be enslaved but given work on the royal fields."

"With the documents collected by the late prince and by your admission, Lee Eri, you are found guilty of murdering King Seo-Jun and contributing to the deaths of Queen Min-Ah and Princess Yoo-Na. You are hereby sentenced to death!" King Seo-Joon declared. Lee Eri began to shed tears of guilt and remorse "However..." Lee Eri, quickly lifted her head "Because of your help in providing information about Gi Un-Tak and Lim Do-Yun and most importantly the promise made to you by the late prince, you are hereby sentenced to toil and labor in the royal fields" Lee Eri, sobbed bowing her head to the King for sparing her life.

The King then addressed the crimes of Minister Gi. "Gi Un-Tak, you have been convicted of insurrection and rebellion on two occasions. You are guilty of participating in the murders of the Late King Seo-Jun, Queen Min-Ah, Princess Yoo-Na, and Ministers Shin, Im, and Go. The documents in your residence proved that you collaborated and aided the Aranese invaders. The documents also proved that you schemed with a Guiong soldier to provoke the two nations into war. Your danger to society is far too great for you to be kept alive. Therefore, you are sentenced to death by poisoning!"

While the Eri and other ministers all teared up and bowed to the King, thanking him for sparing their lives, Gi Un-Tak began to snicker and chuckle. When the guards picked him up, he laughed hysterically and continued to do so as he was dragged away.

Eunuch Ahn approached King Seo-Joon. "Your Highness, the tribute to Prince Young-Sik is about to begin, they are just waiting for your presence," He whispered to him

"Inform the Queen I will be there shortly, along with the Guiong envoy," he instructed the eunuch

Eunuch Ahn bowed to the King and hurriedly went to the court grounds to inform Queen Ha-Rin. Min-Jae gestured to the envoy to join him on his way to the courtyard. While they traipsed to their destination, the envoy spoke his mind, "I am surprised that you invited me to witness the tribute to the late prince, Your Highness, your cousin Empress Pai, I understand, but not my presence," He expressed to Min-Jae.

"You were there when my two brothers died, I just want the emperor to see the events of our nation through a single point of view. My cousin is here to mourn our family's loss and not as an envoy," Min-Jae explained

The envoy nodded his head. "A simple yet wise move, Your Highness," The envoy exclaimed to Min-Jae. "I shall inform the emperor that the one who colluded with Xun Ju to stir our nations into war has been sentenced to death and that Chiongsun is a strong ally nation that can handle their affairs well."

"Thank you for seeing that our nations should be allies and not enemies," King Min-Jae said, recognizing the envoy's efforts to establish peace.

When King Seo-Joon, his entourage, and the envoy arrived at the courtyard, they took their seats to allow Queen Ha-Rin to begin the tribute for Prince Young-Sik. The sun shone brightly, and a gentle breeze blew through the courtyard. The Queen stood up and elegantly made her way to the pedestal.

"Today, we unite in remembrance of our esteemed prince and defender, Kim Young-Sik." She stated, "The prince dedicated his life to ensuring that we, the people of Chiongsun, could flourish in freedom and plenty—not only shielded from the horrors of war and insurgency but also liberated from the chains of corruption, poverty, and sickness." Her eyes then fell upon the representatives from Gyong, Haan, and the courageous soldiers who fought valiantly at his side.

"We all stood as witnesses to his unwavering acts of generosity, compassion, valor, and strength. If he were here with us today, I am certain he would humbly insist that no gratitude is necessary, no accolades or celebrations in his name. He would likely chuckle and say, "Don't wake me up till tomorrow."

The audience erupted in laughter at the Queen's playful remark. "Yet, the reality is that he seldom finds rest, rarely pauses, and never fully enjoys his meals. His time is consumed with the pursuit of mastering his skills, the sharpening of his intellect, and the gathering of wisdom. He understands that the dangers facing his people are relentless, and he must remain ever watchful."

"I summoned King Kim Seo-Joon, the prince's brother, alongside Empress Pai Shen, their esteemed cousin, to partake in the solemn ceremony of the prince's relic." The King and Empress gracefully approached the Queen at the heart of the gathering. A eunuch appeared, rushing despite having a left-sided limp. He held a black box high, his bowed head concealed beneath its weight.

With reverence, King Seo-Joon opened the box to reveal the prince's gleaming white sword. He lifted the sword and presented it to Empress Pai, stating, "As the King of Chiongsun and kin of the departed prince, I bestow this sword as a gesture of gratitude for Guiong's acknowledgment of the prince's unwavering commitment to peace."

Empress Pai graciously accepted the sword, replying, "As the Empress of Guiong and a relative of the late prince, I receive this emblem of gratitude for Prince Young-Sik's dedication to fostering enduring peace." She gently returned the sword to the box.

As Empress Pai prepared to close the box, the eunuch hastily intervened, but she chose to overlook his eagerness. The trio bowed in mutual respect, and the Empress cast a subtle glance at the limping eunuch, who retreated with the box, his arms still extended, concealing his head bowed.

Empress Pai leaned over to Queen Ha-Rin. "Where is that girl he was always with? Does she not want to attend the tribute ceremony for the prince?"

The Queen replied with a sad voice, "She suffered the most with his death; she does not want to be reminded that he is gone from her life forever. The King and I decided to honor her request and let her mourn for the love she lost on her way," Ha-Rin explained to the empress. Empress Pai nodded, understanding perfectly well how it is to lose a loved one.

At that very moment, Jin-Ri, Yeng, Mun-He, and Kwan found themselves seated by the tranquil shores of the palace lake, their eyes fixed on Princess Young-Ju as she frolicked in the water with her court maidens. "It's hard to believe that the little jasmine girl from the market is destined to be heir to the throne," Yeng remarked, her mind drifting back to the days when she would see Young-Ju weaving jasmine garlands.

"I can't believe that the face I once used to smash pots belongs to the prince, let alone that he was the love of my life," Jin-Ri reminisced, a hint of longing in her voice.

"I know you miss him," Mun-He inquired gently, concern etched on her face. "Are you going to be okay?" she pressed on.

"If you'd like, we can delay our trip until... well, until you feel better," Kwan suggested, his tone filled with care.

"What? And spoil your time together? No, you should go as planned; I'll manage just fine," Jin-Ri reassured her friends. "Besides, Kwan only has sixty days of leave; it would be a shame to waste it," she added. "You know, there's something that's been on my mind," she said unexpectedly.

"What is it?" Mun-He inquired, intrigued by the problem that lingered in Jin-Ri's mind.

"It's the Cherry Blossom. I'm concerned about leaving it in her hands," Jin-Ri remarked, gesturing with her thumb toward Yeng.

"Excuse me, I'm right here!" Yeng interjected, a hint of indignation in her voice. "And I'm an excellent manager! I've successfully overseen the Cherry Blossom whenever Madame Hu is away," she defended herself.

"Really? The longest Mun-He has been gone is just two nights. I'd be amazed if you could mess it up quickly. We're talking about a whole sixty days here," Jin-Ri retorted.

"Alright, I think we had enough fun at Yeng's expense," Kwan expressed while stifling his laughter

Mun-He pats Jin-Ri on the shoulders. "If you're that worried, you can watch over her every night."