Chapter Text
II. THE ROYAL FAMILY
938AD
Manwoldae Palace, Songak
He returned to the palace 3 years later, and while he was physically bowing to the king and replying to his questions, his mind was on the now 7-year-old girl, his half-sister. And as soon as the king allowed him to leave, he marched right into the Damiwon, frightening the 10th Prince who was playing with his toys.
“Where is Princess Wang Soo?” he asked one of the passing court ladies, who looked up at the 13-year-old and stuttered, “Her Highness…is..is..at the..the..pavilion outside of..of…the Damiwon.” He nodded at the court lady, who bowed and all but ran away. He rolled his eyes at that and left the Damiwon in search of his little sister. He found her with his younger brother Baek ah, both of them laughing over something. He tried to ignore the pang of jealousy he felt at that, ‘Of course she has other friends apart from you, you return to the palace once every two-three years.’
Baek ah was the first one to notice him, “Hyungnim!” He got up and bowed, Soo looked up at him and smiled widely, even from the distance he could see her eyes sparkle, “So-orabeoni!” she exclaimed as she ran towards him, clutching her chima tightly in her hands, to make sure she does not trip on it. Soo wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly and So felt as though everything was right in the world. She beamed at him brightly and Wang So could not help but return the smile. The 13th Prince stood where Wang Soo had left him, surprised at the smile on his brother’s face. He had heard only rumors of the mask on his face and his cruelty, he had not believed them because rumors were just that, rumors. But then again, every rumor did have a hint of truth to it and he was Queen Yoo’s son, so he learned to be wary of his 4th brother, but seeing his brother being like this with Soo did quell the doubts he had in his mind a slight bit.
So took Soo in his arms and spun her around, the sound of Soo laughing freely feeling like music to his ears. Baek ah watched on, shocked at what he was seeing. He never did expect that his 4th brother was this close to his youngest sister.
“How are you orabeoni?” The 7-year-old asked her brother, who mussed up her hair and admitted, “I have been fine, although, the long days of travel have worn me out.”
Soo frowned and pulled So towards the Damiwon, “Eomoni can make you mint tea, she gave me mint tea when I was feeling tired after playing with Eun-orabeoni and Jung-orabeoni.”
The 4th Prince pouted and Baek ah’s eyes widened further, “But I’m tired because I rushed to Songak. I was so excited as to what my little sister had prepared for me.” Soo’s face brightened up at that and she could not help but giggle, “This time, I prepared a proper gift for you!” she exclaimed.
It was when his 4th brother grinned at their younger sister and carried her on his back to the place where she had prepared his gift that Baek ah decided that all those scary rumors about his elder brother were not true at all. He could see how his little sister hero-worshipped their brother, so he could not be that bad.
“Wait for me!” Baek ah yelled and ran behind the Princess and the 4th Prince, who were in their own world as all three of them made their way to the pavilion near Lake Dongji.
Baek ah silently watched as Wang So answered all the questions Soo had for him about the past three years that he had not visited the palace. He noticed that even his 4th brother looked surprised when Soo had asked if the 4th Prince was happy or if he ate well.
Baek ah was surprised to see that the pavilion was filled with court ladies bringing in tea and pastries. He looked at Wang Soo questioningly, who had just been put down by her elder brother. “Eomoni must have found out that orabeoni returned to Songak.” She explained.
“Thank you!” Soo smiled at all the court ladies in gratitude as they left the pavilion after bringing in oil and honey pastries and loose-leaf tea. She pulled her 4th brother by his hand towards a table in the center of the pavilion which had two navy blue ornate boxes on it. The Princess placed them in the 4th Prince’s hands and sat down in one of the seats placed. She finally looked at her 13th brother and said, “Baek ah-orabeoni, sit down and have the pastries and tea.” Wang So turned around and nodded at his younger brother. Baek ah and So sat down in front of Soo.
So looked at Soo questioningly, “How did you know that I enjoy these pastries and tea?” Soo grinned, “I asked abeoji about it so that I could prepare something special for you.” So felt warm when he realized that his father knew about his likes and dislikes.
Noticing Soo’s expectant stare, So decided to open the boxes before eating. He took the smaller box first and opened it to find a navy-blue ring, the Hanja characters of his name was engraved on the inside of the ring. He looked up to see Soo looking extremely excited, “Orabeoni open the other box!” she exclaimed. Wang So fondly smiled at his little sister and opened the bigger box. A beautiful hairpin and a hairband was there, he looked up at Soo in surprise.
“Well many men here wear the hairband and they put the hairpin through it, so I thought it would suit you too.” Soo sheepishly told, Wang So smiled brightly as he replied, “Thank you Soo-ya, I love the presents that you’ve gifted me.”
“Really?!” Soo exclaimed, looking extremely pleased with herself and when So nodded in affirmative, the girl hopped off her seat and hugged her elder brother tightly. Wang So grinned and lifted the 7-year-old girl up and placed her on his seat, next to him. He looked up to see his stunned half brother and hesitantly smiled at him, “You may eat, you do not have to wait for me to start.”
‘I am going to be close to So-hyungnim too’ Baek ah decided as he bowed his head in reply, “Thank you hyungnim!” and began eating the snacks on the table.
The summer quickly passed amidst Soo’s giggles, Baek ah’s awful jokes and So’s fond exasperation at the antics of his younger siblings. The entire palace watched on as the three siblings quickly developed a close bond. After hearing about Queen Consort Sinmyeongsunseong not meeting her own son, Royal Consort Oh took it upon herself to take care of the 4th prince.
“You three spend too much time outside.” The Royal Consort chided as the three children entered Damiwon Palace. She noticed how the 4th Prince was breathing heavily, concerned she went to the young prince. She bent down and looked over him for any injuries. She tenderly placed her hand on his right cheek, “Are you hurt? Did you fall down anywhere, Your Highness?” she asked the boy, whose eyes widened at the concern in the consort’s voice.
“No..no…I just..carried..Baek ah and Soo-ya back..” He stuttered, surprised, and confused at what was going on. Royal Consort Oh got up and glared at Soo and Baek ah before knocking on both their heads, “Your brother is only older to the both of you by 4-6 years, you should not tire him like this.” She chided both the children who apologetically looked at their elder brother as they apologized at the same time,
“I am sorry hyungnim.”
“I am sorry orabeoni.”
Wang So smiled at Royal Consort Oh and both of his younger siblings before saying, “It is alright Gwibi Mama, I did it because I wanted to. It is not their fault.” The concubine’s gaze softened at that as she said, “You must be tired, I have prepared lunch to be served here, all three of you can eat and tell me all about what you have been up to.” She smiled at the kids and gestured for them to follow her to one of the tearooms.
“Your eomoni is going to eat with us?” So asked Soo nervously, she nodded with a smile, “Eomoni and I almost always eat together, it is fun that way. Why? Does Queen Sinmyeonsunseong not eat with you?” she curiously looked at him, before he could reply, Baek ah said, “My eomoni, Queen Shinseong and I often eat together.”
So’s face slightly fell at that. After he had been adopted to the Shinju Kang Clan, his mother had never called him for a meal with her, but his siblings enjoyed meals with their mothers all the time. He could not help feel jealous. His siblings who got the attention of their parents easily. He wondered how it would feel to dine with his mother. Silently sighing, he pulled the distracted kids along with him and followed the court lady.
The trio entered the tearoom set by Royal Consort Oh to find huge platters of food.
“Make yourselves comfortable.” Royal Consort Oh smiled softly before seating herself at the head of the table. Baek ah and Soo at either side of the royal woman and So sat on Soo’s left. She smiled at him brightly before looking at her platter.
“Thank you for the food!” All of them chorused and began eating.
So watched on as Soo began to talk animatedly about how the three of them were running around, trying to catch each other in the gardens. Royal Consort Oh listened on to her daughter’s tales fondly. So could not help but wish that he could do that too. That he could rush into his mother’s arms and she would look at him fondly as he told her how his day has been. Royal Consort Oh looked at the sullen 4th Prince from the corner of her eye. She could see that he was upset by something.
“Your Highness, Do you like meat?” She interrupted her daughter with a question to the 4th Prince, who looked up from his plate in surprise. He hesitantly nodded in reply to the question. Royal Consort Oh smiled at the prince and placed a piece of meat on top of the bowl of rice in front of the 4th Prince. His eyes bulged out even more as he took in her gesture.
“Tha..thank you, Royal Consort Oh” He stammered. The Royal Consort smiled at the young prince. The 4th Prince allowed a small smile to form on his face as he continued with his meal.
Later on, once the royal siblings had left, Royal Consort Oh called one of her senior court ladies and instructed her, “Whenever I ask you to invite Princess Wang Soo for a meal, an invite should also be sent Prince Wang So.” The court lady nodded and bowed.
It was obvious to the court lady that the prince was lacking a mother figure in his life, so she decided to take care of him as though he was her own son. While she was initially put off with him being so close to her Soo being Queen Yoo’s son, she now knew that he was nothing like his birth mother. With the woman neglecting him badly, it would only be right for her to take care of her daughter’s favorite brother.
939AD
Wolf Den, Shinju
Wang So could barely breathe with how exhausted and wounded he was, he had spent the whole night fighting, fighting with wolves in a wolf den. The biggest one in all of Shinju.
The Kang Lord had left him in there to die, but So had refused to accept that at his fate, so he fought. He burned down his favorite tree, the one he would talk to whenever he was feeling lonely. He burned it down and used it to fight the wolves. They clawed at him, tried to bite him but he continued to fend them off.
The battle he was fighting was of life and death, and he would not lose this battle, because to lose this battle would be to die. He will live, and he will see the disappointment on the faces of the members of the Kang Clan and relish in it.
He was the son of the founder of this country, he was the 4th son of King Taejo, he was the 4th prince of this land and the heavens be damned he refused to die like this. He would survive and thrive. He fought and fought and fought, but the wolves kept on coming. It was as though there were thousands of them in this mountain.
His limbs and chest hurt and he was bleeding everywhere. Just as a thought of giving up pierced his mind, a memory of his departure from Songak came to his head.
Wang Soo hugged her elder brother tightly, as though she did not want to let him go, away from Songak, away from the palace, away from her.
“I will be back soon Soo-ya, don’t worry.” So whispered reassuringly as he pulled back from the hug. She looked at him with tears in her eyes as she choked out, “You..promise..you’ll be..back, orabeoni?”
The eyes of the royal guards, Royal Consort Oh, Crown Prince, and the 13th Prince softened as they saw the sweet exchange between the royal siblings.
“I promise I will be back, alright? Do not cry now and smile widely.” Soo smiled through her tears and nodded her head.
He wanted to see that smile again. Wang Soo who always smiled so brightly for me. He promised her he would see her again, he refused to break that promise. With that, he faced the wolf coming at him head-on. The Wolf howled in agony as he burned it with the log of wood in his hand that was lit up with fire. Wang So’s eyes burned in rage and agony as he kicked the wolf away and turned around to see if any other wolves were coming to fight him, but to his surprise, he found none. He let himself fall down and rest for a minute.
He took a couple of deep breathes in and picked up up the burning wooden log in his hand, looking around to find a way out of this hell of a place. He got up and moved, the dark forest coming alive with the burning glow of the fire in his hand.
It was then that he heard the sound of someone calling him, “Your Highness! Are you there?!” immediately, another voice followed, this one he recognized, “Your Highness! 4th Prince Wang So! Where are you?!” Lord Kang called out. ‘They have come to find my corpse, mauled by wild wolves’ he thought as he walked towards the sounds of the people.
So could not even yell back with how dry his throat was, so he settled to run towards the noises instead.
“Your Highness!” Lord Kang said and looked completely shocked and displeased when the 4th Prince himself showed up in front of him, baring his teeth at the Kang Lord. His nephews and men were standing behind him as the prince made his way down to them.
“You…have…failed….I…still….live..” So rasped out and glared at the man in front of him, rage all over his face.
939AD
Manwoldae Palace, Songak
Royal Consort Oh looked shocked at what she had heard from the court ladies, who were shivering in fear. She turned to look at them and slowly repeated what they had said, “The 4th Prince, hunted all the wolves in Shinju, ruthlessly.”
“Yes Gwibi Mama,” They said and continued to look at the Royal Consort, who looked like she was going to kill someone, “Is Pyeha in the courtroom?” She finally asked after a couple of moments, one of her senior court ladies nodded in response. Royal Consort Oh raised her head and walked towards court, her silk robes trailing behind her.
The court ladies looked at each other in fear as the Royal Consort climbed the steps of Cheondeokjeon. It was known that the royal women were not supposed to interrupt the court proceedings, yet here their lady was. The Royal guards stationed outside looked nervous as they opened the doors to the entrance to Cheondeokjeon. She entered and walked straight towards the door which led to the throne room.
She looked at the eunuchs positioned outside the room and told, “Announce me.” They both looked at each other hesitantly before saying, “Gwibi Mama, Pyeha is holding court at the moment-”
“Announce. Me.” She repeated as she clenched her jaw and the eunuchs realized it would not do well to enrage the Royal Consort further.
“HER HIGHNESS, GWIBI MAMA, ROYAL CONSORT OH IS ENTERING!” The doors opened and the Royal Consort marched into the throne room. Most of the men at court flinched when the saw the pure murder and rage burning in her eyes.
“I would like to speak to you Pyeha.” She said after she bowed in front of the king. The King sighed, knowing why the Royal Consort had barged in, “Court dismissed.” He announced and all the ministers at court all but ran outside.
“Bring him back to Songak.” Royal Consort Oh ordered, seeing no response from him, “Bring the 4th Prince back to Songak!” She raised her voice, glaring at King Taejo.
“HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, JEONHA, THE CROWN PRINCE IS ENTERING!” Eunuchs announced and the Crown Prince entered, looking as angry as Royal Consort.
“You have to bring So back to Songak. He has suffered too much and for too long, for a crime he did not even commit.” He told his father, tears of anger and anguish burning in his eyes.
“Silence! Both of you! You both know that I cannot do anything about it. He cannot come back to Songak.” The King grounded out from his seat on the throne.
“Did you not hear the rumor that the Kangs have been spreading? That he hunted all the wolves in Shinju for entertainment. Do you know what I understand from that? The Kangs shoved him inside the biggest wolf den in all of Shinju and let him be mauled by the wolves. It is a miracle that he is alive, a testament to his resolve. He must have spent the night fighting the wolves. How can you not do anything?! How can you not do anything to the Shinju Kangs who have done this to your son?!” Oh Soo Yoon shouted, anger at how the boy was treated.
The Crown Prince nodded in agreement, “Pyeha, you know that he was treated just as a hostage. He is a prince of the blood, he is my younger brother and I refuse to see him suffer anymore. Bring him back from Shinju. I cannot watch him hurt like this anymore.”
“You have already failed in your duties as a father by destroying his childhood, do not fail in your duties as king, and protect him Pyeha.” Crown Prince Mu went on his knees and bowed. The Royal Consort joined him.
King Taejo’s heart ached when he heard his eldest son say that he had failed in his duties as a father. He knew what the Shinju Kangs did was not right, and they would have to be punished for it, but he could not do it publicly. He rubbed his head and told his beloved and son, “I will send Grand General Park to take the 4th Prince from Shinju and to the borders where the 4th Prince will learn martial arts from Grand General Park. Taxes will be tripled on the Shinju Kangs for the next 6 years.”
“Great is your benevolence, Pyeha!” Royal Consort Oh and Crown Prince Mu had breathed in relief.
The King of Goryeo looked down and told, “Princess Soo is not to hear about what happened to the 4th Prince from anyone.”