Sakura's Petals
Wounded
A few days later, the healthy Hwa Ryong returns to his job, studying with the Queen. Now, the Queen no longer scolded him or gave him duties. Now, unlike before, the Queen was more silent and looked at Hwa Ryong with a pouncing gaze when Hwa Ryong accidentally made a mistake. This doesn't fix things. The atmosphere between Hwa Ryong and the Queen was getting colder. However, Hwa Ryong did not dare to say anything.
However, the palace did not consist of walls. Dayang and the palace eunuchs were busy gossiping in their spare time regarding the discord between the Queen and the Crown Princess. The name of the Crown Princess also began to be a material teasing. Either as a brash daughter-in-law or a soon-to-be-dismissed son-in-law or other worse teasing. Often the ladies-in-waiting talked and made fun of Hwa Ryong in front of himself. Hwa Ryong, who heard that, could only sigh and keep his sorrow in his heart.
THE CROWN PRINCESS'S RESIDENCE HALL
“Go to the temple?” hwa Ryong, happy.
“Iya, in the coming days, the royal family will go to the temple together to ask for blessings against us, the new royal couple.” replied the Crown Prince.
Hwa Ryong smiled widely. He missed the atmosphere outside the palace. Seeing and feeling it for a while will certainly be able to treat his longing.
“Are you so depressed at the palace that going to the temple for a few hours just feels so happy?”
Hwa Ryong gasped. “No, I was just so happy to see the world outside the palace that I felt like I had left for so long, Oppa.” replied Hwa Ryong, honestly. Although he was aware, that there was another reason behind his happiness, which was because on that day he did not need to meet the Queen who always thought of him as a bug.
“I'm sorry, because I'm not an ordinary person who can make you free to travel everywhere.”
Hwa Ryong smiled, amused. “Oppa is so funny. I don't mind at all. Oppa being a trader in the market, I don't mind. Oppa being the guardian of the nobles, I don't mind. Oppa being a beggar on the street I don't mind, although to be honest, I can't imagine it.”
The Crown Prince laughed. “Your mind is so creative.”
The days passed until the day Hwa Ryong had been waiting for arrived.
“Your smile looks so beautiful today, Your Majesty.” Dayang Noh said, to Hwa Ryong.
“Really?” ask Hwa Ryong, shy. He stared at himself in the glass, justifying his pink dangui rope and tidying his silver white chima.
“Sadly, the new Crown Prince will leave an hour after the royal women's entourage departs from the palace. So that you cannot immediately show Your beauty to Your Majesty. Your Highness the Crown Prince, I'm sure will definitely gasp in amazement at you.”
Hwa Ryong blushed in embarrassment, while continuing to improve his appearance.
THE TEMPORARY RESIDENCE OF PRINCE YUNTI
“What is Your Highness sure will do this?”
“I have to make sure whoever hurts Hwa Ryong, even if she's the Queen, gets her reward. How could he make Hwa Ryong suffer in the palace? I have to avenge his deeds and make sure he gets his reward.”
“You have the bandits ready?”
“Ya, Your Highness.”
“Make sure they don't hurt Hwa Ryong in the least, do you understand?”
“Ready, Your Highness.”
Yunti laughed loudly. “Good.”
THE JOURNEY TO THE TEMPLE
The Queen and the Crown Princess marched through the markets and streets of the city. People kneeled on the ground, paying their respects. Every now and then, there were some people who stole glances towards the Crown Princess' palanquin, curious as to what the figure of the Crown Princess who was reportedly so loved by the Crown Prince was. But, before being able to see the Crown Princess's face, the bodyguards had reprimanded and warned them to bow down.
The Queen's and the Crown Princess' palanquin, accompanied by several chariots of equipment, dozens of horsemen, and hundreds of ladies and guards, arrived in the forest, the border between the capital and the temple right at noon.
Hwa Ryong, who was sitting inside her sign, was busy reading the Crown Princess's textbook that the Queen had given her to study. He was just about to turn the page, when then he felt his sign stop walking.
The queen immediately came down from her sign, assisted by Dayang Kim. As soon as the Queen comes down, Dayang Kim exclaims, “We will rest here for half an hour.”
Dayang Kim's words were greeted with a sigh of relief by the bodyguards and the ladies-in-waiting around the stretcher. They must be very tired, thought Hwa Ryong. Hwa Ryong decided to come down when his eyes caught a beautiful lake view outside the stretcher.
“What Does Your Majesty want to drink or enjoy a small banquet?” tawang Dayang Noh's.
Hwa Ryong nodded. “No, thank you. You can rest. I'm sure you're tired, Dayang Noh.”
“Good, Your Highness.”
“Your Highness, where are you going?”
“Let me alone.”
Dayang Kim, the Head of the Queen's Dayang, could only obey and wait from afar.
Hwa Ryong saw that from a distance. He thought this was the right opportunity to build a good relationship with the Queen. Hwa Ryong calls Dayang Noh. “Please get me some snacks and a cup of tea. I'll bring it to Uhmamama.”
As soon as Dayang Noh came, Hwa Ryong immediately took over his tramp and walked towards the path the Queen passed. His actions made Dayang Kim speak up. “Im sorry servant, Mama. But Her Majesty the Queen is not wanting to be disturbed.”
“I know. Let me take the punishment.”
“But..”.
Hwa Ryong had walked past him before Dayang Kim finished speaking, leaving Dayang Noh and Dayang Kim anxious.
When the Crown Princess arrived near the Queen, the Queen was sitting on one of the large rocks near the lake. The queen stared at the lake fixedly, daydreaming.
“Uhmamama.” Call Hwa Ryong.
The queen gasped in surprise. “You! Who told you to come here?”
“I'm sorry for your brash son-in-law, Uhmamama. I just want to present this to Your Majesty. A cup of tea and a few mouthfuls of snacks will definitely ease Your Majesty's tiredness.”
Queen's speechless. “You can put it there. Now, go.”
The Crown Princess nodded, understanding. “Good, Your Highness.”
As the Crown Princess was about to place the tray of food onto the stone not far from the stone the Queen occupied, she could see a flash of light from within the bushes. He closed his eyes, astonished. And how surprised, when he knew that it was an arrow that was now being directed towards the Queen.
In the next seconds, like a dream, things happened so quickly. Hwa Ryong runs towards the Queen, throws her body protecting the Queen, pulls the Queen away, and drags the Queen away.
Hwa Ryong and the Queen with a stride fluttered between the heavy dangui, ran away from the pursuing bandits from behind. Shortly after, the royal guard saw the bandits. They rush to protect the Queen and Hwa Ryong. Meanwhile, the palace ladies, busy carrying the Queen and the Crown Princess, stayed away and hid behind the bushes.
Hwa Ryong who continued to hold the Queen's hand, looked at the Queen worriedly. “What Is Your Highness alright?” he asked, slowly, as soon as they managed to hide to safety.
The queen, who had never experienced anything like this in her life, half-shivering, nodded. “I'm fine.”
“Good.” said Hwa Ryong, sincere. Following that, the sound of gasp from Dayang Kim, who was not far from them.
“Gosh, what should we do, Your Majesty? The arms of Her Highness the Crown Princess were bloody and injured quite large. Is Your Majesty alright?”
Hwa Ryong immediately turned his gaze towards his arm, whose pink dangui jeogori was turning wet red. He seemed to have just woken up and started grimacing.
“Are you okay?”
Hwa Ryong looked at her in-laws who were now looking at her worriedly. “I'm fine, Mama. Just by making sure you are not injured in the slightest, a wound like this will not mean anything.” he said, slowly, while occasionally grimacing.
The Queen, suddenly, swiftly, cradled her chimanya inner workings and tied them to the Crown Princess' arm. “Command the guards to immediately find the healer before heading to the temple.”, the Queen said, to Dayang Kim.
“Good, Your Highness.”
Half an hour later, the battle between the bandits and the palace guards ended with the palace guards as the victors. The royal party did not have time to rest, when the Queen then ordered to leave again immediately, to treat the Crown Princess.
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" Evil is powerless, if the good are unafraid. "
- Ronald Reagan's
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