If the essence of consistency would be brought out, say the sense of nullity and nothingness, one could say that Jung Ho's trip was nearly comparable with what had happened at Dae Wong's or Jae Joong's—maybe even with Sae Joo's. The life in the palace was strangely quiet, disturbingly peaceful, inappropriately serene. Without Jung Ho, a big part of the palace was taken out (momentarily). A large puzzle piece thrown out under the riverbed. People continued their daily routine, but then again, it felt like something was missing. The short-lived peace and quiet were perceived as something dreadful. An eye in a storm.

Jung Ho came back three days later. No extravagant entrance, just plain acknowledgment of his return. Just like a professional officer, he immediately went back to his office and started work. Everything sailed smoothly. The deployment of hwarangs to Dokdo Island was a huge success. It only took a week until all batches of hwarangs from different provinces were able to complete the target number for enhanced security. So far, so good! No attacks, no sightings of any Tang shipping vessels.

Just like what he had planned, he opted to stay calm and think deeply about the situation. Perhaps it was better if his enemies would think that he was consistently getting boring and laid-back every single day. That actually happened. Days had passed, and the palace continued to be quiet as if no presence of Jung Ho was detected. It was as if a story had reached its denouement stage where the protagonist had won and would be starting a new life, a new arc.

Days became weeks. Weeks turned to months. People started to doubt Jung Ho's leadership qualities. Several palace officers and noblemen started making connections with each other, talking about what had happened with the Prime Minister. Some expressed their skepticism, convincing others to not underestimate Jung Ho's capability. Some, however, expressed their joy and sense of relief. No more blackmailing, controlling, calculating, manipulative big man who acts like a king.

Jung Min felt the same way as the noblemen. He kept on wondering what had happened to his father ever since he came back from his trip from Myeongju. Every time he would ask, the Prime Minister would just reply, "I am fine. Never worry. Nothing has changed." Evidently, nothing had really changed (in terms of the quality of work). Jung Ho remained to be as helpful as always to the common folk who needed help. Like his promise fifteen years ago, during the eclipse fiasco, he exerted efforts on solving some problems of commoners, with the approval of Jae Joong and the council of course. Water and food supply problems? He personally talked to governors of the province concerned and ordered them to make researches regarding the root cause of the problems. He demanded action, he commanded for results.

Not only with the political aspects, but Jung Ho focused also on the religious aspects of his duties. Being the Head of the Ceremonial Rites, he regularly went to the shrine and did some rituals, for the prosperity of the nation. He worked closely with Lady Seol Ji, a fine and talented Head Priestess, who was never involved in any political rifts, unlike her predecessor, Lady Jang.

Dae Wong, on the other hand, still continued with his plan. He made Shun turn into a clockwork bodyguard. The young boy remained beside Sae Joo, almost every time, to the point that he had never noticed the swaying hands of time. Should he request to go home to visit his father, he would be allowed to do so. Their father and son moments was short yet full of meaning and happiness. Chil Yook and Dae Wong rarely had a meeting. When they have had, it was always pre-planned, brief, and calculated. Every time Dae Wong left the palace, he always sensed that someone was following him, or as if a thousand eyes were observing his move. That feeling was never proven. He never caught someone stalking him despite all the tricks he used to say, evade or lose the possible spies. Despite never having a personal conversation, the two had been engaged to letter writing (as if they were lovers from different clans forbidden to love each other). Dae Wong would send messengers to bring short and detailed letters to Chil Yook. Say, codes only the two of them understood, anagrams too. The former Grand Marshall would respond, and the letter would be sent back to Dae Wong.

The almost same process had continued for months—and for years.

[EIGHT YEARS LATER]

Just like the normal routine for the past years, Sae Joo was doing his training with the Yellow Tigers. Time had been a witness on how the Prince changed for the better. The physique was almost the same; he did not gain too much muscle. He became taller and most especially, his bubbly face had become a bit manly. A bit—in a way that whenever he would stroll outside the palace, women of different age would surely crane their heads towards him. Shun was always beside him. A tall, stark, robust man he had become. They were partners-in-crime! Their relationship blossomed beautifully alongside the autumn flowers. Sae Joo had invested so much feelings for Shun. It could be trust, admiration, adoration, and some might say... love. Watching how they interact with each other, a normal colleague could testify that Shun had somehow reciprocated those feelings.

Definitely, there would always be a wall between them. A vertical, intangible wall. A barrier separating a Seonggol from a commoner. For Sae Joo, that barrier had been destroyed a long time ago, ever since Shun had proven himself. But of course, some things were not possible for Shun. He had no power to shut off that barrier between them. He adores Sae Joo, yes. He trusts Sae Joo, no question about that. But the level of affection that he could give (evidently... or obviously as seen from other people especially nobles and royals) would not be as passionate as Sae Joo's.

Sae Joo was proud, Shun was not loud.

A round baritone voice echoed around the barracks. It was Jun Pyeong, the hwarangdo calling out each one of them. "Attention!" The trainees positioned themselves accordingly in a rock hard stance.

"The last part of our training for today is about developing a very useful skill in times of war... care and love for your co-hwarangs. Follow me outside, and I shall explain the full details."

The hwarangs went out of their training ground—to the prairie. Sweet scent of autumn breeze. Golden yellow vibrant colors of the grass dancing in the wind, under the shy, faint ray of light from the morning sun.

"Now, I need you to select a partner," commanded Jun Pyeong.

As usual, it was Sae Joo and Shun. The indestructible tandem!

"I have arranged a single-line track for you. Starting from this tree up to the Sokrang Waterfalls, you need to carry your pair. The method of carrying depends on you. Just remember the goal: carry your pair from here to there. When you reached the waterfalls, you'll see a rack of flaglets, pick one, switch with your pair, and go back here. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Now get ready. Carry your pairs, and when I say go, you go."

Jun Pyeong started roaming around, inspecting his subordinates. Shun volunteered to carry Sae Joo for the first round, then vice versa. The Prince clasped his hands around Shun's neck and jumped, wrapping his thighs around his waist.

"Am I heavy?" asked Sae Joo.

"Yes. What did you eat this morning?"

"Three loaves of bread."

"Liar! I felt like carrying three sacks of rice." laughed Shun.

Sae Joo prodded Shun's shoulder, "Aw—you exaggerated fool!"

"He-heh and that's why you like me."

"Shut your mouth, Jun Pyeong-rang is coming."

With a careful inspection, making sure that his men were on the same pace. Jun Pyeong signaled, "Go!"

Shun bolted down the grassy terrain, a force to be reckoned with. His body was on fire, his spirit was unrelenting, as if he was in a true war scene, carrying a wounded soldier. Contrary to his joke that Sae Joo was heavy, surprisingly, he managed to carry the Prince with his strong body and well-trained arms. They passed through the deep woods, leaping dead logs, dodging vines and tendrils, jumping above bushes. Run run run! Jump jump jump!

Then there was a beautiful, hidden lake surrounded by trees and big rock formations. A waterfall, as tall as one pavilion on their right, a rack of yellow flaglets on their left. Loud and heavy sound of water pouring down into the plunge pool. Even the loudest wail of despair would be oversung by the pleasant harmony of the waters. Never changing, continuous, very fluid. Crystal-clear water full of life (water striders leaping, small bugs hopping from floating leaves, trying to survive).

Sae Joo jumped down from Shun's back, "Shall we switch?"

"Are you sure you can carry me?" Shun flexed an arm and pointed it to the Prince.

"A blunt statement of mockery, I suppose."

"No, I'm just quite concerned about you..." he looked above the hard rock of the falls and grinned, "I have an idea. Come with me."

"Shun, we need to go back!"

"This won't take much time, come with me."

"Alright. Where?"

"There... on top, then we'll jump."

"Are you out of your mind? You do know that I'm terrified of swimming, don't you? This is ridiculous. Let us just go back. Look! Our co-nangdos are switching already. I am not going to do a hundred push-ups. I've had enough!"

"Isn't that great? Doing push-ups is exercise. What you need is exercise." Shun chortled. "—But on the serious note, Sae Joo, don't you think it's time to confront your fear, you know— crush it and make sure it won't relapse, instead of avoiding it like years back?... Well, honestly, I do not intend to offend you or mock you, but I think... as a twenty-three-year-old Prince, you should have learned how to swim."

Sae Joo's frowning face turned into a pale, worried one. A gradient of color across. "You're right." he paced down the wet, muddy ground, thinking about his friend's advice. "Many people know that weakness of mine. They might use it against me." he looked at the top of the waterfalls. A swallow before a word, "So, how do we do this?"

A stretch of smile crossed across Shun's face, happy for Sae Joo's decision to help himself—not only as a personal bodyguard, a co-nangdo, but most especially, as a friend. Through the years, he had seen Sae Joo's journey becoming a better heir each and every day. Small, baby steps... that was how Shun would describe it. The process was slow, but one thing that made him adore Sae Joo was his perseverance. He may have felt tired and lost, losing hope, uncertain about the outcomes of his actions, but at the end of the day, he kept on moving forward. That being said, Sae Joo was just a normal human being, with a big dream.

"Shun, are you listening? How do we do this?"

"Oh, my apologies. Well, follow me to that rock there. We shall climb that and jump. Worry not because I could see that the plunge pool is not that deep. Besides, I'm with you. I'll never leave you."

"Let's do it."

The two made their way up the hard rock—the top of the waterfalls. Slippery, mossy track with rocks and their razor-sharp edges. A single scratch could be direful (at least for Sae Joo and his sensitive skin—no, no, he was a trainee for years—sure he could manage). Fantastic view of the forest enthralled Sae Joo as if he was a bird at the top of the canopy. He felt like he could do anything, that everything is possible... that he was invincible and could defeat his fear faster with the aid of his friend (his best friend) so reliable.

Shun offered his hand and smiled, "I told you, I'm here. Take my hand." Their hands touched, fingers clasping each other.

"At the count of three, we'll jump... Ready?"

"One."

"Two."

"Three! Woo-hoo-hoooo!"

A dark world in Sae Joo's point of view. His sight was numb, shut off by the lid of his eyes. All he could sense was Shun's ecstatic squeal, the force of the air pulling them down, and eventually, the pressure of the water embracing him. Splash!

Then there was light—his eyes opened. Shun was playfully smiling in front of him, bubbles popping out from his mouth. He helped the shaking Prince resurface while gripping at his hands tightly.

Oh, no! Sae Joo was panting, gasping for air—his hands quivering in fear. "Dare not leave my hands!"

"Relax. You're doing great. I'll never let go. Just don't squirm, and we'll be safe..."

Sae Joo's grip tightened as every second passed, the ice-cold water nipping his entire body, seeping through his every nerve.

"See? I knew you could do it. Now, I'll teach you how to swim."

"One step at a time, Shun. We have plenty of time to do that. For now, let's just go back. It's an achievement already that I've jumped that high. Jun Pyeong-rang is waiting."

Pouting his lips, Shun could not do anything but submit with the Prince's orders. They swam back to lakeside, ran to the flaglets, and switched. Compared to Shun's performance, Sae Joo's speed, consistency, and strength were below him for a couple of folds. At times, the two would stumble, Sae Joo's knees faltering in response with Shun's weight. But that did not stop him, he stood up, carried Shun, and walked. Wobbly but surely. The salty combination of the freshwater soaked into his body and sweat running down his pores fluttered through the wind, wrinkling their noses as they laughed.

At last! They made it. A round of applause to the last pair. Everyone laughed at them for being soaked and wet, and of course because they would be having the infamous punishment. Push-ups, a hundred times, under the moody weather like a pregnant woman (cool breeze of the wind, parching heat of the sun)

Sae Joo's tongue stuck out from his mouth; he was panting again like a dog as he and his friend went back to their barracks. Two hours had passed quickly. 'Once upon a nangdo' story was over; the trainee was a Prince again. Sae Joo dashed into the well, sucking water down to his throat, while Shun went inside the barracks to change his clothes.

Thirst quenched? Check! He sat straight into a bench, resting his numbed arms and overworked legs. Then all of a sudden, he saw Jung Min passing by. The older cousin peeked by the wall and entered the compound. " Good morning, Your Highness."

"Jung Min-hyung, what a surprise... seeing a nobleman like you stroll around the area—alone..."

"Just doing my regular exercise routine: jogging into the woods. I like doing dangerous things. It excites me." he scans Sae Joo's wet body and smiled, "You're enjoying the company of the nangdos, I suppose."

"Of course. They're the best. Sit please."

"Hmm. Perhaps this enjoyment of yours won't spark an unfair advantage with the other hwarang clans."

Sae Joo stood, brows raised in insult, "Minister Jung Min, where are we going with this? Are you saying that—"

"Why don't you start training with me?"

It was pretty obvious that Sae Joo was displeased with that abrupt statement. Jung Min's thin lips, sophisticatedly wrapped with thin mustache and beard made the Prince more cynical about his suggestions. Despite his devoutly-furnished body and that face... the epitome of a sexual God (seductive, expressive, hormone-triggering), Sae Joo could not help but scowl at his cousin. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Why not? You're too attached with your nangdos? How touching."

Lips trembling in an unusual combination of uncertainty, trepidation, and irritation—all clouded up in Sae Joo's head. He did not want to talk back to his cousin, but he left him with no choice. Matter fact, the Prince could accept personal insults—that he is weak, that he acts like a girl—Heavens! That did not matter to him. He could shove it down his throat like a bitter pill. Just one tiny thing: never, ever insult his craft, his profession, his work ethic, or he would snap.

"I resent your tone, Minister Jung Min. I can't remember a law saying that someone your rank could talk like that to a Seonggol. My personal attachment with the Yellow Tigers during my daily two-hour training does not affect the way I treat the other hwarang clans during formal assemblages. I remain fair and square as a Hwarang leader, and no moments of joy or enjoyment with my colleagues' company is going to change that."

Jung Min was silenced, his brow raised high, staring at the Prince. He bowed his head as an act of surrender and turned around, but when he was about to reach the gate, he heard a loud yell from the barracks.

"Give it back!"

He turned back, curious. Sae Joo recognized the voice. It was Shun, and it seemed like he was arguing with a co-nangdo.

"I'm warning you. Give it back or I'll break your neck."

"Why are you so angry? I'm just taking a look at his majestic, antique thing."

"Hey, you two! Keep it down. Jun Pyeong-rang might hear you!"

In a leap of seconds, there was a sudden loud bang by the floor. The two ran inside the barracks, shocked to see a nangdo on the floor writhing and screaming in pain. Shun was standing before him, eyes as hot as volcanic lava in a hard glare.

"What happened here?" asked Jung Min.

The other nangdos shocked and scared, could not say a single word while sitting like babies on their beds. "Again, what happened here?"

"It was Shun! He twisted Su Jong's arm and pushed him." a nangdo blurted.

"What? Is it true, Shun? Why would you do that? Boys, help him!" Sae Joo asked.

Four nangdos helped their colleague, cautious not to worsen his situation. They carried him and placed him on his bed. Meanwhile, the culprit did not answer, he just avoided Sae Joo's eyes and took a few steps back.

Jung Min put in, "Your silence means that you don't have an unacceptable explanation for what you did. You're Prince Sae Joo's bodyguard, aren't you? Clearly, this is a huge disrespect to the hwarangs. You weren't even scared, even though you are aware that your Hwarang leader, Prince Sae Joo, is just outside. Is it because you are too comfortable with him?"

Even though it was hurtful for Sae Joo to reprimand a friend, he still did so, to show his honor and dignity—to stand up for his words: that he was fair and square. He was ready to take the case to the next level, just preparing his thoughts for subtle yet convicting words. But then he noticed a red headband inside Shun's fist. The Prince stared on it, and he finally had a grasp on what possibly happened.

"Shun, is that the reason why you did that—the headband?"

A nod as an answer. Jung Min meddled (again!), "What is so special in that headband that you had to do that to your colleague? Can I see that?"

Shun acted like he did not hear anything. But eventually, he gave in. Maybe he realized the grave consequences he could face (demerits... what if Dae Wong knew about this? What would happen to his father? Wrong move... Bad idea!)

He gave the headband to Jung Min. The sneering man surveyed it until he saw the falcon insignia. A strong current of electricity bolted to his entire body. A theater play on his head, blurry, jumping scenes very quickly. The main highlight: his most traumatic childhood experience. Escaping his room, witnessing Chil Yook's trial, and Lady Seo, his most precious court attendant, leaving his side. The sneer was flushed away, and he almost lost his balance. Good thing, Sae Joo had a pretty quick reflex. He grabbed his arm and asked, "Is everything alright? You look pale."

"What? Oh... I'm fine." Jung Min breathed heavily, his heart beating erratically. He gazed at Shun and asked, "Wh-where did you get this?"

"It's mine, Your Lordship."

"What do you mean this is yours? How did you get this?"

"It's from my father."

__________