Jung Min paused and turned back at the door, thinking about the private discussion between his father and the Balhae Queen. He knew his old buddy. A man who was always one step ahead, a person fed by his towering pride and blinding self-idolatry. Remembering Jae Joong's most essential piece of advice not to anger the Queen, Jung Min's paranoid self could not help but worry about the way his father solve the problem. He could not be at peace, flares of regrets burning on his chest. He wanted to go back, storm inside, and insist to be involved. But something was holding him back: Queen Songyeon herself.

A light feeling caressed him the moment their eyes met. Something strange, but good strange. He knew she was a good person. But also, part of him was unsettled. Something he could not pinpoint specifically. Her irises were brown but her pupils were icy blue. A pinch of honey in a dark chocolate pool. Instead of being more concerned about his father's unusual and unexpected tactics, he was more troubled about the Queen. He had yet to know—more about her personality. She was crazy decisive. But to what extent? Guilt boggled his mind; it was like he left two big, unstoppable boulders crashing and destroying each other.

He walked back to the door, his hands a few inches away from pushing it but he retracted. What is wrong with you, Jung Min? he thought. Conscious about the ladies-in-waiting gawking at him awkwardly, he strode away, down to the first floor, and out of the pavilion. The waiting nangdos and palanquin escorts bowed at him.

"Don't follow me. I'm just going to take a walk," he ordered.

His deep heavy breaths climbed up to his throat, some to his nostrils as he stomped heavily on the cobbled courtyard, head down. "What are you thinking, father? What are you doing?"

"Don't anger her... Just don't—"

He was not able to finish his statement as a dark shadow overcast the view of his path. He raised his head and saw a grand red palanquin escorted by a number of Balhae soldiers, that stopped right in front of him. The door opened, and he saw a fine, beautiful woman in an elegant blue robe and skirt came down. Her braided loops and dangling silky hair glistened under the afternoon skies. A small tiara and golden hair ornaments officially claimed her high-status in the palace.

"Are you the Silla delegate?" her firm, round voice washed the anxious man's dark thoughts.

"Y-ye-yes. To what honor do I owe this serendipitous conversation with a beautiful woman in a wonderful palanquin?"

The woman scoffed and made a wide, faux smile, her teeth were white as a paper. "I've heard that men from Silla were smug awful talkers. Guess you're an exception."

"I'm not an exception because those rumors are not true." Jung Min's eyes, sparked in a slow interest, paired with his thin smile.

She squinted, eyebrows suddenly showing contempt (a quick turn of emotions). "Now they're not."

The spark blacked out, a short circuit between the two sets of eyes. Jung Min's bright face dimmed once again in an instant. His dark eyes resorted to a frown. "Excuse me?"

"Why are you even here strolling here in the courtyard?"

Another insult and Jung Min's blood pressure might rocket to outer space. His lips thinned out as he walked closer to the woman. "A piece of advice, agassi. If you're on the wrong side, I guess it's better if you humble your tone a little bit, especially when talking to the offended party." the stress on the penultimate word made the woman grit her teeth.

"Tone it down? For what? So that you can have total control over us?"

"I didn't say that. I'm sorry but you're misunderstanding things. I was just walking here silently to get some air because the Queen has requested to have a private talk with our Prime Minister. I hope that answers your question.

Her stiff face loosened up in a crocodile smile. "Your father had a reputation."

The Prosecution Head's eyes widened when Jung Ho was abruptly brought out to the conversation. He had to play it cool. "I hope his name didn't do anything to tarnish our kingdom's mighty reputation."

She motioned forward and encircled Jung Min, scanning him from head to toe. "Powerful, intelligent, conniving, manipulative. Aren't you all like that? Aren't you yet satisfied that you have conquered our ancestral lands to spread your peninsular influence? What do you think are Her Majesty and your father talking right now? What terms and conditions do you think your father proposes to lure our Queen?"

Jung Min sucked his teeth; a fire of glare targeted the unknown woman who just crossed her line. There it was—word arrows! "Hey! First of all, I am not like my father nor my ancestors! I have nothing to do with the Unification of the Three Kingdoms. Don't act as if we're the ones who have sinned against you. Your nobleman was involved in that huge organization, exploiting one of our natural resources. I believe that we have the right to express our own conditions to solve the problem. Stop playing the victim here, because clearly, you are not!"

Speechless with Silla man's explosive lectures and tirades, the woman sent her final glower and turned back to the palanquin. Jung Min suddenly felt sorry about the thorns of his words; it reflected on her eyes during the last seconds of their eye contact. Shame and fear.

Jung Min followed her, trying to reach out and explain his point in a better way. But before he could come closer, one the woman's escort respectfully advised him to back off. "Mister, please leave the Princess alone."

"Princess?" the curious man stepped back, his eyes blinking swiftly as watched the Balhae Princess climb her palanquin.

"Wait!"

The Princess paused and turned to him while her feet was at the elevated platform, her fragile metal eyes gazing at him from a distance. For a few seconds, her intensified pain channeled straight to Jung Min's eyes like a strong electric current. An ounce of regret struck him inside. He should have analyzed her situation first, where she was coming from. He should have opened himself more and not let the stupid comparison between him and his father cloud his judgment. That was what a real, dignified man should do (for him).

He just watched as the caravan moved, standing motionless on the concrete courtyard. He shook his head and rubbed his forehead after a sigh.

~~•~~

The interior of the palanquin seemed like a typical royal carriage. Owned by a female royal, pink and purple served as the main motifs, enhanced by the crystal-white colors of the ceramics and the reddish-brown hue of the mini-furniture. But aside from the expensive materials things, the glamour, and elegance, a priceless treasure lay inside. Unbeknownst to the outside people, there was another occupant silently sitting at the expensive, exquisite chairs. A young woman in her early twenties , whose features were hardly recognizable because of her Jang-ot outerwear covering her head down to her toes. Only a glimpse of her white delicate wrist skin peeked outside all coverings.

The Princess sat beside the covered woman. She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting off the upcoming flow of tears. She clenched her fist and pummeled her thighs, her breath racing like she was in a triathlon.

"Eonni, what happened?" the covered woman asked, her soft, velvety voice muffled into the air.

"Nothing." the Princess sniffed, wiping her lower eyelids.

"You can tell me anything. If it's too heavy, if it's too suffocating, if it's too exhausting, I'm here. I'll listen."

With her defense finally breached, the Princess sobbed and hugged the woman. Feeling the warmth of the sister's embrace, she finally felt unchained—free to express and unload it all, cry it all, with no fear of being judged and reprimanded. The embrace transformed sobs into wails. Loud and grieving. Cry, cry, cry. Tears just fell down incessantly.

The younger sister rubbed the Princess's back, as she let her go through her breakdown continuously. It was a long, tiring, heavy release of suppressed emotions, triggered by a zillion of complicated issues and problems. Finally, after quite some time with her stress reliever, her comforter, her shoulder from the other body, the Princess ceased from crying. She sniffed, wiping her tears (not only in the eyes; her nose cried too).

"Thank you for always being there for me, Eun Soo. I can't imagine doing all these things without you."

"It's the least that I can do for you... and for Her Majesty." she dipped her head slowly.

The Princess's forehead puckered and cupped her sister's face, "No, Eun Soo. It's not the least. What you're doing is actually great. You are my support. You've got this hands that no one in the whole world has..." she pressed Eun Soo's hands gently and touched her sister's upper veil but the younger sister resisted. "Please don't, eonni."

"Why? It's just the two of us here. You are hidden from the crowd, not from your own family. You have at least the right to be free here in private."

"But Her Majesty would be furious."

"If she knew," the corner of the Princess's lips moved up. "Come on!"

"Alright. But just for a short moment." Eun Soo sighed, and she started unveiling the wrap of secrecy starting from her head. As the black veil got untied and fell shortly into the palanquin floor, she unwrapped her whole big pink cloak and rested it beside her. The true hidden beauty of the younger sister was exposed. Only the inanimate objects were lucky enough to witness such true treasure from the Heavens.

Since she was hidden from all the malicious and contemptuous eyes of the world, it was expected that her skin was as pale as a marble slate, even clearer than her white robe. Skin like a transparent river, where the vessels of life could be clearly noticed. Her eyes gleamed with pure innocence, and her lips spoke only the sweetest words. Contrary to her sister, her physical strength was brittle as a plate. Her soft body was used to get pampered by servants, carrying her every time she would move outside her chamber sanctuary. Her legs were the strong biceps of the guards. Her hands were the court ladies, patiently attending her needs.

The sun was almost a stranger. The veil and the cloak were her closest allies. She was never allowed to share her beauty and grace to anyone. It was a curse and a blessing at the same time. Songyeon explained that it was for her own good because she was born dead and just miraculously cried after she was placed in a casket, a few minutes before her burial. People never had solid proof of her existence; their curious exchange of gossip made her famous as the 'Hidden Healing Princess'. They thought of her as their luck and charm.

Every time there would be calamities or even minor problems, people would request the Queen to bring Eun Soo to their lands. As benevolent as she was, Songyeon would approve. She would share her daughter with their people. But not her face, not her body—only the slightest sight of her hands. The small palanquin window would open, and there—the sacred woman would wave her tiny little fingers into the air. Days would go by, and miracles would rush by. All her life, she was perceived as an amulet in human form, a precious stone, a sacred gem—a thing!

But unfortunately, Eun Soo's blessed hands seemed to have lost its magic. It has been days since she was traveling all around the Northern Regions, but iron ores still preferred playing hide-and-seek with them. It made Eun Soo depressed, alone, and helpless. She felt like her purpose in life suddenly ran out. More of her, it was her older sister who experienced the cannonading feeling of being useless. She was the one who regularly talked directly to people. The one who received tirades, rants, and harsh criticisms. Eun Soo was like a legend, a spiritual healer only, while the Princess was a real person who felt the squeeze and the pressure from the people, council, and their Queen mother.

Seeing the face of Eun Soo relaxed the elder Princess. She was still in awe even though she knew what her younger sister looked like. "You are so beautiful!"

Eun Soo's cheeks blushed, her small lips formed a demure smile. "Thank you, eonni. But this beauty is useless if our people are struggling."

"Look, don't blame yourself. This is just a phase. A trial to test our love and care for the people. How long can we endure, and what are the things that we're willing to sacrifice to help. That's what a true ruler is."

"I believe in you. I know you can be a great ruler. You're the only person who doesn't give up even though all has seemed to doubt you."

"Your words mean so much to me... but I can't. I can't become a ruler."

"Why not?" Eun Soo's brows furrowed, waiting for her sister's response.

"Just... I just..."

The palanquin suddenly put into a stop, they felt it dropping slowly into the ground. "We're here!" the Princess's face brightened as if nothing had happened, as if she did not stutter, thinking an excuse for her sister to believe.

~~•~~

Exchanging cold glances at each other must had been hard for two people who had a terrible, yet fascinating mutual understanding. A rough estimate of half feet, a distance only skins apart but seemed like a thousand worlds away. Songyeon's holdfast stare clamped into Jung Ho, while the Prime Minister scrutinized the skeptical Queen.

"Your Majesty, before I start getting conscious about my face, would you mind telling me your insights about my offer?" Jung Ho smirked.

Songyeon burst into a guffaw. Then her eyebrows snapped together, and her lips contorted into a lopsided shaky grin. "I mean, please forgive my loss of decorum. I... I just find your proposition funny."

Jung Ho lifted his brow, cursing the Queen internally. "So you find the possibility of your people dying funny."

Traces from the Queen's laugh disappeared, her eyebrows slowly knitting. "How am I going to make sure that this proposition would be fair and square? I know you, Jung Ho. You don't know the meaning of equality."

"Silla will be just, Your Majesty. My offer may sound absurd but admit it or not, it will solve your problem right away. Don't you want those precious iron ores?"

Songyeon's eyes twitched, her lips and fingers shaking. Jung Ho leaned backward, hands playing with the wine cup. "Do you seriously think that Yamato could help you? They badly need those iron ores as well. Consider the distance also. How often can they supply? How long will they supply? Did they even send a confirmation letter already back to you?"

A warm breath pumped through the Queen's nostrils in a heavy exhale. "I'll think about it."

"How long can your people wait?"

"A week," she answered firmly.

"How many do you think have been dead by then? The protest movements, riots, you know..." Jung Ho's eyes widened. "... murders!"

"Impudent!"

"I'm reminding you of the possibilities. You're a ruler. You know what people are like. They are the scariest. They praise your name if everything is well, and curses and blames you if everything goes wrong. I'm actually saving you from the latter. So please think carefully, Your Majesty."

"Three days."

"Hmm, your call. Send me a letter after three days for your final decision. I should get going." Jung Ho stood and bowed before the Queen who was half-immobilized at her chair, thinking deeply about his deal. As he was heading to the door, he paused and turned back.

"It has been truly refreshing talking to you... Songyeon." 

__________

NOTES:

Jang-ot (장옷) - an outwear worn by Ancient Korean women to cover their faces and bodies. Sometimes, it is even partnered with a huge hat and a dark-colored veil.