All set! Out in the brain-freezing winter afternoon (mid-day? —as if it was easy to tell—Sun, Your Majesty, hello? Where are you?), Jung Min ascended his red, unembellished one-man palanquin. Tailing him were five bigger carriages full of raw, freshly mined iron ores. Roughly, around a ton in gross weight altogether. The last batch of the kind donation. Most of the iron ores had been delivered to the ships, moored in the northern region of the kingdom. This amount of minerals would probably be Balhae's foot of the ladder to end civil wars and group protests. Sae Joo's words a few hours ago popped out in his mind. "This shall be the start of a new era." He had an accurate point though. Jung Min's expedition would be the start of the new timeline between the two kingdoms. The end of the feud; the start of the truce. Two bloodlines of different classes would join forces and come together as one.

They started moving, traveling in a straight line with almost constant speed. He closed the maroon curtains and picked out a war book—tactics on how to defeat... women. Although he was considered by many as the charismatic, chiseled young man of the post-Jung Ho generation, he has never had a moment—even once—sleeping with a woman. Not because he did not like women and liked men more but perhaps he just did not see the value in it. What was intercourse without love? Without the vision to procreate life? Another reason: he was too much inundated with self-improvement, his pride, his definition of manhood. Never in his life had he felt the need (the desire) of a woman's touch or gaze. If it came, then thank you! If not, then alright. Why chase it?

Skimming the book, he slowly felt the lull of the cheesy words. Poetic in structure, but very tacky in context. Chapter One: The Art of Getting Attention Using Your Eyes. I don't need this. Even if I don't look at them, I always capture their attention. The subtitle itself made him want to hurl. It cramped his stomach, his arm hairs raising in repugnance. He rolled his eyes and continued scanning up to the last chapter. The Art of Letting Go. A frown sketched across his face as he thought, Letting go? Why would people even bother studying this? If it is over—if love is gone, then go—Simple!

Jung Min let out a sigh and closed the book. "Well, I guess I have a week to study this."

He grabbed a hot cocoa drink served on his small table. As he took a sip, his main goal walked through his mind. Donate the minerals and marry the Princess. No more, no less. His father must be jumping and prancing in joy as he left, for he had agreed to tie the knot with someone whom he has yet to know.

How about Sae Joo, he wondered.

"What did he sacrifice just for his father to agree with this deal?"

Sae Joo was a mosquito bite in the most remote, inaccessible area of his back, away from all of his appendages. He wanted to ignore it but the itch was too strong. He needed to scratch the nasty bite until the sensation subsided. Surely, it needed attention from his chaotic mind. Vicious thoughts leaped on his visions. He could not imagine how the Prince had been managing to endure all the emotional tortures. The curses that spat out of his mouth while lamenting over the chains of despair. The blue tears of pain every night when he was alone in his chambers in the dark. The woes, the suppressed moans—all fueling his self-despise and the desire to end everything on his own in an instant. Marrying Jin Ri was not worse enough. Now, an unknown deal to close the negotiations in helping the neighboring nation required a blistering sacrifice. It must have been too heavy. The King surely would not change his mind if the propositions were not eye-sparkling.

A sting of disgust rolled along his body—for himself, for hating his little cousin before. He was too insensitive, focusing only on his selfish goal before—to survive the waves of the palace. He realized that not only was he inconsiderate of others' feelings, but he was clouded by his jealousy as well. Jin Ri was right at some point; he was a self-righteous hypocrite who wanted to save himself from humiliation. Sae Joo had the same aspiration as him, but he had a different method. While the Prince was swimming and drowning into the big water, he was surfing and playing through the crests and troughs of the waves.

Shameful, despicable! he thought.

When he came back, he would set up things the way they should have been. He would use his additional power to do something meaningful, not just for himself but also for the benefit of everyone. He hoped that he could do it. He could do it... He could... He. Help.

~~•~~

The long journey had tested his endurance physically and mentally. When they had reached the docks on the other side of the Taebaek Mountains, between the boundary of Silla and Balhae, the guards prepared for the transfer to the ships. There were about five in total. All ships were about the size of a three-story pavilion, each with two sets of rectangular sails, a dragon head sculpture in front, and a flag of Silla at the back.

Final count: ten tons of iron ores!

Snowballs of different sizes and consistencies showered from the gray skies. Some had piled up and covered the sandy shores. Jung Min opened the door and strolled down the white tracks; furs from his maroon jacket swayed like electrocuted birds. His leather boots struggled to take steps, making him look like a plodding turtle.

As he was walking up the ramp, into his chambers, the sun fell from the horizon as seen from the ship balcony. Darkness took over like a burglar sneaking out of its victim's bungalow. A cold breeze with speed like an escaping fugitive smacked their faces, warning them of a worse tantrum. He heard his men shouting from behind.

"Secure our master!" "Hurry up everyone! A blizzard is coming!"

He turned to his men. "When you're done, go to your stations and warm yourselves."

"Yes, Sir!" all servants answered in unison, louder than a speech choir.

Finally, when everything was settled, when the last box of stuff was transported, a guard untied the ship from the post—two or three more pulled up the anchor—and they started navigating.

The ocean was surprisingly pacific. A few blows from up north, interspersed with ice flakes, hailed their noble presence. One false assumption saved their time though. Unlike his first trip to Balhae, this time, it only took him around four days to reach the capital. The city was colder than he expected. That adjective could be an understatement. It was freezing! His toenails almost died under his warm socks and boots. Strands of his hair had dried out; some had fallen from his scalp despite the protection from his black wool hat.

He strolled down the white courtyard, seeing many high-government officials. Purple silk uniforms topped with red fuzzy jackets. An old official, probably their leader, came closer and greeted, "Thank you for coming, Lord Jung Min."

The rest of them followed and greeted him in unison. "Welcome, Lord Jung Min."

"Come inside. The Queen is waiting for you."

Following the leader to the second floor, while ambling down the terrace, he scanned the courtyard through the spaces of the balusters. Only the warmest eyes, filled with hope and gratitude. People of different ages gathered and spread the kindest words to their hero.

The leader opened the hall door and announced, "Lord Jung Min has arrived."

It was the greatest opening sequence he has ever seen. His feet floated into the air as if he was gliding and not walking down the purple carpet. From the front door, all the way to the Queen's throne, the whole hall, filled with people of different ranks, dipping their heads in a bow and paying respects to him, appeared as an entire ensemble cast. He persuaded himself not to be overwhelmed by the growing attention as if he was a deity. After all, it was not his sole credit. It was a team effort. He was a physical diplomat but Sae Joo was the decider, the mobilizer of the entire mission.

Queen Songyeon paced down from her throne and welcomed him with the brightest smile. "Lord Jung Min. Your presence means everything, not just in the palace, but also in the whole kingdom. You are our savior!"

His cheeks turned red, receiving the warm words of compliment. He faced the swarming crowd and took the opportunity to speak. "No words can express how thankful I am for this moment. I am aware of the gap between Silla and Balhae, but I believe that no righteous, innocent citizens must be trapped between the two opposing giant forces. After all, we are placed by the Heavens, through our bloodline, to lead and protect our people."

The leader of the council member, the one who fetched him, led a chant of praise. "Hail, Lord Jung Min! Hail!"

"Hail!"

"Long live!"

It was roaring; the sound inside the hall would be enough to pin down even the largest mammal in the world. When the chants had subsided, he took another chance to give proper merit to the other person who made his heroic status possible. "People of Balhae, hear me. I wish to take this time to inform you that this mission would not be possible if not for one person. He was the one who persuaded our King to open the doors and to reach out to each one of you. Prince Sae Joo of Silla. I want you to remember that name. If he would be King, who knows what good could happen between our kingdoms?"

The crowd fell silent. Even their breaths paused from wafting to the dry air. Despite the quietness for a moment, it was obvious that the people appreciated the Prince's efforts. Matter of fact, they also wished to see him and thank him personally. An awkward moment indeed. The high-ranking kingdom officials were all faceless, even the Queen herself.

Jung Min cleared the atmosphere in an instant, swerving to a new topic. "Alright. So may I know how I could process these iron ores?"

Songyeon answered breezily, "You don't need to bother yourself, Lord Jung Min. My daughter has prepared all the necessary things needed for those minerals to be distributed to the provinces. She's currently outside, discussing with the provincial heads."

"You mean—"

"Yes. Have you met my first-born daughter? Princess Kang Hee."

Jung Min paused, his eyebrows folded into a subtle frown. "Ah... Yes. I think I saw her before when I first came here." He thought, First-born. I thought she was an only child of the Queen.

All of a sudden, the Queen ordered all court ladies to serve food and drinks to everyone. A party has commenced. People cleared the center and gave way to the performances of courtesans and the soldiers as they enjoyed their warm food and hot drinks.

~~•~~

When the party was over, Songyeon personally assisted Jung Min to his chambers. She ordered green tea to the court attendants, their magenta robes rustling on the floor.

"I know you're tired from your journey. I hope you appreciated our preliminary token of appreciation. Stay here and take your well-deserved rest," said Songyeon.

Jung Min studied his room. It was no different compared to his chambers, design-wise. Same types of furniture. Big, cozy bed with a blue bed sheet, surrounded by four periwinkle velvet sheets. Cerulean curtains covering the window panes. A fireplace, complete with different sets of charcoals (circles, rectangles, tubular)—the auburn fire flickering and dancing like an ecstatic party-goer, spreading off heat around. Mighty and holy structure of Buddha statues made of gold on top of his small maroon-varnished closet. Last, but not least, the center table covered with aquamarine silk cloth—the most common piece in every room, with a porcelain teapot and crystal wine glasses.

The young man offered a seat, which the Queen gladly accepted.

"Your Majesty, thank you very much for this room. I feel at home," chortled Jung Min.

"My pleasure. I hope you could excuse my bluntness from the first time we met. I never should've judged you."

"It's alright, Your Majesty. I completely understand."

She smirked. "I wish to extend my services to your Crown Prince as well."

"You could absolutely do that, Your Majesty. He'd love it, for sure. When I came back, I would tell him that you like to see him."

Songyeon smiled, flattered with Jung Min's sweet remarks. "You seem to be fond of him. Sadly, I don't hear anything yet about the Prince."

Gelled on his seat, Jung Min forced a bright beam. Though he was not exactly 'fond' of the Prince, he also did not wish him any bad luck. He did in the past though. The fingers of karma must be pointing at him as it laughed. He tried to conceal his stunned face and responded, "He's my cousin after all. He could be stubborn and naive at times. Weak, for a sexist's dictionary... But I guarantee you—he's a good person. In fact, I was surprised that he had all those iron ores prepared in secret. He knew he could convince our King in exchange for a deal that I know nothing about. Kind-hearted and young. Two things that I envy about him."

"It's as if you don't have those two qualities. You're kind-hearted and young too. Plus, you are extremely handsome. Those traits are more than enough to make a lady swoon," she teased.

Jung Min raised an eyebrow, not in an uncouth way, but because he was baffled. Me—kind-hearted? Really?

"I don't know what to say, Your Majesty."

"Well, I have something to say. I don't know the degree of your relationship with your father—to the point that he would use you as a pawn to get what he wants. I know your Prime Minister Jung Ho. I know him down to the bone. I am also aware of why he wants you to marry into our family."

Jung Min bowed his head, ashamed to be a representative of his clan again. "Allow me to apologize for my father."

"You don't have to. Your father wants to be King, and I don't want you to be pushed at the end of the cliff because of your father's selfish aspirations... We can still call it off. In all fairness, it was the Prince who made this deal possible."

"The wedding? No, Your Majesty. I have already decided. I will marry your daughter. You don't have to worry about me taking over the throne. I know that this would not happen if there was no scarcity in your natural resources. You had no choice. Who would ever wish that this issue would eventually become a nationwide threat? Please think of this as a business or an act. When the deal is over, when everything comes at peace, I would abdicate my position. This marriage is not my coronation. You have my word, Your Majesty."

"Regret is the only emotion that sticks with you through the years. It's a dormant life form, which wears a mask, fooling you that you've totally moved on. But in reality, you still have a lot of questions, a lot of what-ifs, wondering what could have happened. Don't waste your prime years being held hostage by your father. Do what makes you happy."

Touched by the guidance coming from the Queen's sincere lips, a piece of advice from a mother figure, Jung Min's lower lip turned red as he bit it in a subdued smile. "I appreciate your advice, Your Majesty. However, it is I who decided to walk into this path. You have signed a deal with Silla. Tarnishing your upright reputation would compromise your credibility, and I'm afraid the future relationship of the two kingdoms as well."

"If this is what you truly want, then fine. I only wanted to give up an option to get out. Your future as a man is what concerns me... You are indeed different from your father. I am glad that you see things differently than him."

Jung Min bowed. "Your kind words flutter my heart, Your Majesty."

"I've talked too much. You should be resting by now. Tomorrow morning, I will formally introduce you to my daughter and the nobles for the discussion of your nuptials. I have to go. Please rest, Lord Jung Min." she stood, ambled towards the door, and left.

~~•~~

For some reason, the young man did not get a good night's sleep despite the ideal conditions of his room. Two reasons. Number one: he missed the palace; the foreign air could not hush his body rhythms to sleep. Two: the possible images of his upcoming wedding buzzed around his ears (also in his cerebrum) the whole time. He pictured the beautiful bride, face touched and crafted by the Goddess of innocence, walking perfectly with a warm smile, in her traditional wedding dress, while he waits like a clown in an awkward stance—his stomach burning and sweat dripping profusely—yes, a winter sweat, colder than ice and incredibly dewy. The symbolic dances of the two kingdoms, colorful silk sheets with great cryptic meaning, the solemnity of the ambiance, tranquility of people acting like still images in a stage play, while his ileum screams for help.

It was wonderful how he managed to direct and block all those scenes inside his head. Sequence per sequence. Bad to good to sweet, and everything would turn ugly in a snap. Cut! Cut! Next possibility: action!

Because of terrific imagination, he could be the master of his theater, only if he was not an important man of Silla. Not only that, the price he paid for staying up late was a dark circular bag dangling beneath his eyelids. Was he a handsome man or a pretty owl?

He groaned from his bed as he fought the lethargic powers brought by the semi-warm, semi-cold wind. An announcement from the outside shattered his frozen igloo. "Lord Jung Min, the Queen wants you to come to the Grand Hall."

Fixing his grumpy face, his default expression every time he had a bad sleep, he hit back with a slightly peeved mumble, his voice dropped down to the second octave. "Coming."

He went straight to the hall. Déjà vu. He thought, How many more of these?

Once he was inside, the atmosphere from yesterday's event was different. It was placid; a scene from the Holy Scriptures where people were waiting for their sacrifice. Lesser people, only those purple-clothed who had the privilege to see such an event. He made his way to the Queen's throne. Songyeon's golden tiara shone brightly on top of her braided charcoal hair, her white robe and carmine furry jacket swathing her elegant curves.

Jung Min dunked his head and honored everyone's presence.

"Lord Jung Min of Silla, we are pleased to announce you that as of this moment, your noble act is being transmitted to the provinces, and in no time will bring joyous moments to the local families. As an extension of our gratitude, we are more elated that you will be a part of this nation's royal family. Allow us to introduce you our Princess."

The wooden door opened; a pretty, slender woman whose almond eyes dazzled him and electrocuted his sleep-deprived soul strolled down the purple carpet, like in a slow-motion frame. Though she was alluring, Jung Min could not help but wonder. "Huh?"

As the woman paused beside Jung Min to pay respects to her mother, Songyeon cut in.

"Lord Jung Min, allow me to formally present you, my second-born daughter, our most cherished treasure, Princess Eun Soo."

__________