The entire palace was a breathing chaos.

Every servant, despite the rank, had been on the run since the special task force announced that the Prince was missing. All senses launched at its peak. Eyes like lions, ears like tigers, and noses like wolves—adjusted for a single purpose. Rooms were meticulously inspected, from the lowest storage up to the royal chambers and offices on the third levels of each pavilion. No matter how small, no matter how dark, no matter how filthy—they had no escape from the bright sheet of yellow lamp lights encapsulating the whole palace. Tunnels and all secret passages (known to a few) were thoroughly examined.

History has indeed repeated itself. Same instance, but different stakes. Upgraded levels of emotions and accountability. The same horror that happened eight years ago transmogrified into a grimmer case. As what has been prophesied, no marriage would mean a lack of counterattack against the union of the second and fourth star of the Taeyanggye. The waning of the moon marked the outset of the kingdom's unimaginable destruction.

Rumbling footsteps savaged the courtyard. Non-stop to and fro marches, scurries, and sprints of the hwarangs, guards, and even the court ladies—all reporting to Jae Joong and Dae Wong as they stood in the middle of the wide quadrangle, waiting for good news.

No signs of Sae Joo. Anywhere.

Multiple units of hwarangs had searched outside the palace, through all passageways possible. Using their torches, they fought the dark, bone-chilling woods and called the Prince's name. They risked their lives, journeyed through the thick shaves of ice terrains, and looked at places with high possibilities of fatality. Ravines, dried rivers, caves, and even up the snow-enveloped trees and beneath the pit holes.

Some clans traced the courtesans and through their mistresses, they found them in different places—technically houses—either dancing, singing, painting or simply having deep conversations with noblemen.

All of them shared the same answers: We have no idea.

The whole incident was like searching a needle through a mountain of haystacks. It felt like the whole universe had conspired to hide a person who vanished without a trace.

Or was there?

When Shun and his three other comrades were back on the palace, they saw hwarangdos dashing towards the King, the iron ornaments in their armors clanking. The leaders bowed and formed a semi-circle before the King and his right hand.

First to report: The purple ivy leader with cold sweats assembling on top of his forehead. "Sire, we searched through the eastern forest. No signs of the Prince.

Then the Red Dragons. "Your Majesty, my men are still on the hunt in Ojin Hill and Myeongsong Valley. But so far, nothing positive yet."

Came the turn of the Indigo Beast. "I've divided my men and tasked them to trace the entertainers. Some of them were on the Noble Village. I regret to inform you that we got no clues from them."

Dae Wong groaned and rubbed his temple, "Alright. Continue your search and report any progress as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir!" the leaders responded in unison and bolted.

Shun and his colleagues advanced towards the King and bowed, making their presence known. Dae Wong's face creased. "I suppose all of you have good news."

"I'm afraid none, Your Lordship," answered Shun, turning his head.

"Go. And don't return until you find the Prince. Of all people responsible, you're the one who should have kept a keen eye on him. You knew that there would be a drinking party. One of you should've had the initiative to tell us so that we could send more men to secure the area. That person could be you, Shun since you are his bodyguard. So all these skills that you've shown us were just a part of a big bravado, but in reality, you have failed to execute your job well."

Stifled by the toxic comments of the minister, Shun bit his lips and kept his head down. He prayed. A serious and heavy one, not for him to remain in his position, which every nangdo has been watching like a flock of vultures, but for the safety of his family. If the King suddenly spat his hasty and firm judgment like an aggressive snake, only the Heavens could shelter them. And that was what he feared the most.

With a humble tone, he willingly admitted his mistakes and shortcomings, cautious not to anger the gentle giant. "I am not worthy, Your Majesty. Please forgive this useless servant of yours."

Jae Joong grimaced, shook his head, and hissed. "I find that senseless. You could do nothing with that mere apology. We have to find the Prince first. Then my judgment follows. Who to punish or who to spare. The least you could do is to get out of my sight. Do your jobs and never dare disappoint me again."

Shun and his colleagues raised their heads as a sign of commitment and gratitude for the second chance. "We will do our best, Your Majesty."

When they left, the King solicited advice from Dae Wong—a much-appreciated one. His rationality was on the brink of collapse, and a simple validation could unclog chunks of dirt from his capricious mind.

"Based on what I've told you, do you believe that Sae Joo has colluded with other people to do this or shall we consider this as a case of abduction?"

Dae Wong puffed an uncertain sigh. "I could not answer that, Your Majesty. As of now, we need more clues to uncover this mystery. If I could be honest with you, I wish it was the second one. Although that may seem as negative, I hope he was abducted this time."

"Certainly. I'm afraid I can't save him anymore if it was the first. The council will be enraged, and I can understand that. By the time Jin Ri discovers that her wedding is off, Jung Ho can use his daughter's pain and anger to convince all of you to punish Sae Joo."

"Even without his daughter, Jung Ho has always waited for an opportunity to strip you of an heir. In effect, he will be your immediate successor. If that happens, you have to be very careful, Your Majesty."

"I should not let that happen."

"Unless..." Dae Wong stirred a new cup.

"Unless what?" flouted Jae Joong. "This is not the right time to talk about my dead son."

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I just can't get the idea out of my mind. What if Sae Joo wants to find his brother and make him the Crown Prince, thinking that it would be the best for Silla."

"He made a promise to me! That once I help Balhae, he shall renew his life and focus on his duty. He's been doing his job quite well. To see that compassion and concern for people not under our sleeves is quite impressive. You can never find another one like my son in a thousand years."

"I rested my opinion, Your Majesty. I see that the Prince is a visionary. He thinks way ahead of his time. His passion and dedication of saving everyone from his destiny have reached its deadly peak."

"Your inference would not be possible. Let's assume that Sae Yoo is alive, that Sae Joo wants to find him, give him his position..." Jae Joong's fingers trembled, trying to shove his point down Dae Wong's throat. "Sae Joo knows it's going to be a nail in a bed. Our people would not accept it."

"He probably knows what to do. They were born with a similar fate. I believe nothing in this world can break the curse, but the two of them. This omen channeled and chained to them with their blood. It fuels their destinies as time goes by. Making small steps—scaffolds as they grow closer to the accomplishments of their prophecies. How do you break the curse? You break the chain."

Jae Joong flinched and gasped. Those frivolous words triggered his steaming blood. "Nonsense! Sae Joo won't do that to himself!" He roared. "There's no known cure to that curse. It will happen no matter how hard we stop it. That's why I've been honing him to be good at everything to lessen the damage."

"I know, Sire. I've seen him grow and improve like a real man. But at the end of the day, it still depends on how he assessed himself. Perhaps he didn't appreciate the lightness and the goodness he could bring to everyone. He deemed his whole existence as a plague that would wipe out the entire population. He wanted a perfect world for his beloved nation. As of the curse, he chose to bring it with him."

"I am not hearing more of this!" Jae Joong harrumphed and crossed his arms in disappointment.

Another batch of hwarangdos came rushing in. Yellow Tigers, led by Jun Pyeong, Vermillion Snakes, and the Green Turtles.

"Reports?" started Dae Wong.

"We were assigned up north, Sire. We've got nothing so far," said the snake leader.

The wiring inside the King's head detonated as he exploded in a shrill caterwaul. "You shouldn't have wasted my time if you would just rub into my nose the sickening details of your dire incompetence! Dare not to show your faces unless you find the Prince or any tracks of him at the very least!"

Amid the recoiling sheep shone a feisty beast. The leader of the Green Turtles disclosed a piece of crucial information that hooked everyone's interest. "Your Majesty, the moment we received the news, we swarmed to that den where the Prince spent his last hours before his disappearance. Thankfully, with enough accumulation of fallen snow, we've managed to trace their foot marks. Same sizes of satin slippers. Females. But one picked our attention. We discovered footsteps of larger boots near the spot of the courtesans'. We assume it belongs to a male person. We studied it, and it seems like... uh..."

Jae Joong's throat twiddled, his voice caged from its shrunk dungeon. The light of truth was approaching him with an unsteady speed, yet he chose to turn around and shut its way in. "So... what are you trying to imply?"

"I have no right to jump into conclusions, Sire."

Jae Joong's iris turned black as his face lost its color, his voice declining. "I command you. Speak. What is it? Don't be afraid."

"Uh, I think it belongs to the Pr—"

Despite the evident direct path of the hwarangdo's assumption, Jae Joong cut him, shading himself with a shadow of lies. His lips twisted to a grin, his blue face warped from reality, his goggled eyes tumefied from their sacs. He snapped his fingers and raised his arm like it was pulled by an invisible ventriloquist. "That's it! It could be one of them, right? Bring me the Prince's special security."

A pack of nails dropped and drilled the hwarangdos' feet to the ground. Even Dae Wong froze from his position with the sudden outburst of the King's command. The minister wanted to confirm first, before thinking that the King had lost one of his screws. "What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

"I said... Bring me his security! Now!" He expelled a raging fire on everyone's faces. A dragon who was about to destroy the whole village.

~~•~~

Everyone has acted like wizards or detectives, formulating their theories on how the Prince disappeared. All had reasonable guesses. Valid points derived from the analysis of the Prince's psyche, the pressure of the situation, and solidly, the dust of clues presented by the investigating teams.

These circumstances opened the portal of the cave of memories, back in that pleasure den, not more than two hours ago.

During the last minutes of the party, after Sae Joo sealed a kiss on Shun's face, when all the nangdos were back in their posts and heard nothing but the deafening silence, Sae Joo put his arm on his waist, wiped his lips, and studied the wasted courtesans as he threw a mischievous smirk. "Perfect. This is exactly like what I've imagined."

Now, this was the part where Shun's presumption came into the picture. Yes! The Prince could not have done everything alone. The headmistress of the courtesans, an aging, stylish woman, hiding behind a tame rabbit, guzzled her wine as she leaned her elbow on the disastrous table. "What are we going to do next, Your Highness?"

"Where is she?"

"Right there." The headmistress referred to a young woman on the floor, beside a wine barrel, exactly above the flickering lamp, sleeping face down with a wine cup barely clinging on her hands. "I made sure that she's the one who almost shares the same body structure and height as yours."

"And her family?"

"Nothing I could remember. She was sold to me when she was five. Does that make me her family?"

"Good. Now strip her."

Sae Joo reversed and looked away. The headmistress shrugged as she got no response from her question. After all, she was not paid to be the Prince's friend. She crouched next to her dead to the world apprentice and undressed her. Starting from the yellow pig mask, she moved all the way down from the unpinning of the cheap ornaments, unlacing her pink hanbok and skirt, and stealing the pink satin slippers. Sae Joo heard a few grunts and soft rustle of the cloth against the skin.

A couple of minutes passed by. The old mistress handed the clothes to him.

"Ready for your next order, my handsome Prince."

"Turn around," he ordered, voice stiff as an oak trunk.

"Alright."

Sae Joo began undressing. He piled his robe, cloak, belt, golden accessories, and leather boots on the floor. The only thing left with him was the necklace given by his father and a piece of white underwear. He paused and took a deep breath. His forced cold attitude flung up the straw roof as the warmth of his clothes deserted his bare, lean body. He stared at the walls, calculating and weighing the domino effect of his decision.

At the core of all the complications was one single aspiration. The drive of the complex-layered plan associated with the darkest methods. I need to do this for the better good. They don't deserve me. These people shouldn't suffer the curse from their leader. I promise you all. I shall perish from this nation and bring a suitable Prince for you.

Then the plan resumed. He put on the dress, tied the skirt, pinned the hair ornaments on his head, and fitted the slippers. For the final touch, he wore his mask. He became the impostor of his impostor. He called the headmistress, and the old woman almost stumbled in surprise.

"How do I look?" his hands biting the seams.

"Daebak!"

"Shh!" He threw a glance at the door, checking for possible responses.

She covered her mouth and tapered her voice. "Your body and style scream elegance, Your Highness. It's perfect. Just don't talk."

"Of course, I know that." He hurled his clothes to the old lady, his topknot and jewelry thumped on the wooden floor. "Dress her, I mean him," chuckled Sae Joo.

"Right away, Royal Princess... Oops!"

Everything was set as they moved with the second phase of the plan. The headmistress woke her drunk pets and assembled them based on their clothes' color. Instructing fuddled females was just as worse as ordering toddlers. Thus, she established a buddy system. Those who could talk clearly should assist their loaded fellows. Compared to the wild lionesses in estrus they were a while ago, they morphed into dizzy, out-of-tune nightingales. Small groans, soft moans, which were all fortunately controllable.

Sae Joo had infiltrated the group with his cover, binding himself to a plump woman in an orange cat mask.

"Alright, ladies. Let's leave the sleeping Prince in peace. We have done a great job of entertaining him. Now let's go home and be wild in our beds!" The headmistress laughed and stole a gaze at Sae Joo who nodded in a signal.

"Follow my lead, darlings!"

She opened the door and there awaited the vigilant task force. Sae Joo saw Shun asking the headmistress where they were going.

Cleared.

Although his best friend was convinced, he did not consider that particular moment as part of his success. A kick of regret smote his chest as he noticed Shun's genuine concern towards him, through the small orifice of his mask. A slit of thin lines dedicated to his deceitful eyes. His heart fell to his stomach and burned as he walked past through him. His bodyguard's eyes evanesced with uncertainty and worry. That anytime, he could barge inside to check and save him from the poison of his madness.

As a sign of regret and the last bid of farewell to the only man he trusted and loved, he caressed his lips with his fingers. I'm sorry, Shun.

The courtesans moved in their separate ways. Sae Joo and the headmistress stopped in the middle of the lonely, white woods. Depilated skinny trees showered with thick layers of snow surrounded them. No sign of moving life. All animals were in their deepest dreams. A perfect place to end a deal.

"Here's the last payment." Sae Joo gave a pouch full of gold and a piece of paper. "I've arranged your trip. All details are inside. Get out of Seorabeol and never let your shadow be seen by any palace official."

"What about my little girl, Your Highness?"

"Don't worry about her. She'll be fine. She has the truth with her. Once they discovered what happened, they would never lay a finger on her."

"How sure are you?"

"She would be as good as trash. She'd be released in no time and could return to her normal life. Just give her a part of her compensation."

"Certainly. It was a pleasure doing business with you."

"Leave."

The mistress bowed her head and left the masked pig. Without enough protective clothes, he shivered from the harsh pinch of the wind, tingling down to his bones. He rubbed his palms together and blew a hot breath, insulating himself from the unyielding winter. He craned his head forward, then looked to his left and right, as if he was waiting for someone.

Few good minutes died, and he heard soft footsteps hurdled by the snow caps. As the sound moved closer from behind, he pulled a dagger from his pocket and unsheathed it, ready to attack just in case.

In no time, he heard sharp collisions of big palms, rejoicing in his success. He turned around and aimed the weapon, but he suddenly frosted from his stand and dropped his defense. The hilt burying under the thick white.

"Why are you here? You're not the one whom I expected." 

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