"I am saying that maybe she is just a front. Maybe it is the Prime Minister that really controls all the religious affairs. I think she is a fraud—a puppet! Perhaps your brother wants to control the kingdom indirectly using the mandate of the Heavens. Considering that it plays a large role in our different actions and beliefs, we have no choice but to abide by the Head Priestess' words," Dae Wong firmly claimed.

The King's eyes widened, and his jaws dropped. The long contained agony in his mind about the Prime Minister's affairs finally made sense. "I do not want to jump to conclusions, but I did see your point," he said after a long pause.

Closing his eyes for a brief moment, Jae Joong breathed heavily. He suddenly felt sheepish for being too blind and stupid for the past years, but what made his feelings worse was the fact that all his doubts made sense when there were only two days before a major ceremony. Dae Wong consoled and encouraged the weary king to be positive. He felt a bit sorry for him, but he knew that what he did was right, because the King deserved to know the truth.

"If I could just read the stars and communicate directly to the Heavens just like her, I would do this prediction all by myself." Jae Joong groaned.

"I know Sire, but it is the law. The Head Priestess does the rituals, and the king shall relay the mandate of the Heavens."

The worried ruler shook his head slowly, rubbing his forehead.

"Sire, it is not yet too late. Now that your brother will arrive today from his two months trip in Tang, we can now finally confirm these allegations that we have. We can now discover if they are really working with each other."

"How?"

Dae Wong grinned.

"I have an idea." 

Giving its way to the inevitable arrival of the dark, the light coming from the sun kissed the skies its last goodbye. As the last of the light dipped behind the horizon, a crimson palanquin and several carts entered through the palace gates, scattering servants and courtiers alike as the caravan pushed inside and finally stopped in the Prime Minister's grand pavilion. The old palace matron, Lady Min, grandly shoved aside the curtains of the palanquin and began instructing her servants to unload the carts, which contained an array of vases, silk, swords, crossbows and more items from the Tang Empire.

"Prime Minister Jung Ho is coming down! Prepare!"

Every servant fell in line on the sides of the hallway inside the pavilion while waiting for an important person to arrive. Stepping his left buckled boots first, the nobleman descended from his palanquin, lifted his chin and swaggered coldly towards the courtyard. He wore a silk robe and a purple cloak which dragged to the floor as he walked. His body was sturdy as a palace pillar crafted by the Heavens using a magical chisel. Each strand of his ebony hair was meticulously crafted into a topknot supported by a golden pin. His small, pointed nose complemented the sharpness of his perfectly angular jaws. Among all his physical features, it was his eyes that outperformed them all. His bewitching chestnut eyes transcended every person's soul, capable of reading their thoughts and emotions.

He was the Sangdaedeung, the Prime Minister of Silla and the leader of all Hwarang, the kingdom's military. Some people considered him as a demigod due to his flawless physical appearance, but underneath his bewitching looks lay a dark, ruthless beast. These darker rumors were whispered by the servants only in the quietest of corners—that the Prime Minister was magic, that he drank baby's blood to maintain his youth, that he envied the King.

Everyone bowed down their heads as the Prime Minister strode down the pavilion hallway. He looked straight with a sharp look in his eyes. Nobody dared to steal a glance at any parts of his body as he walked because his every move made their hearts skipped a beat.

Then he paused.

The servants' hearts throbbed like a horse galloping to escape a ferocious tiger. The Prime Minister turned around.

"I wish to see my wife," he announced.

Lady Min bowed her head and ordered the servants to organize their Lord's things in his chamber. The Prime Minister left his pavilion, and the frozen servants felt truly unloaded.

~~•~~

Jung Ho strode into his wife's pavilion, her-lady-in-waiting barely announcing his presence before he entered her chambers, sent guards and court ladies bowing and scattering out of his way.

"My Lord, what brings you here?" his wife murmured, etching a smile onto her rosy lips.

"Dear, are you not even going to ask how I was?"

With a zealous look, Jung Ho sat on his wife's bed and rhapsodized about everything that happened to him in Tang. His face even brightened when he caressed his wife's swollen belly.

"Jin Ri, I cannot wait to see you," he cooed, fingers dancing across his wife's skin as he addressed his unborn daughter. "I promise that you will be a fine lady, and you will get whatever your heart desires."

His wife smiled upon hearing such a lovely name, Jin Ri. Few moments had passed until they get through talking. Jung Ho bid goodbye and went back to his pavilion.

~~•~~

When Jung Ho finally had reached his bedchamber, he slid the wooden doors open, entering with relief as a weight fell from his shoulders, and he could relax at last. The inside was dimly lit, with a few candles and weakly glowing red lamps. He carefully inspected each piece of furniture on his way to the bed, runnings his fingers over the round table in the center, the dragon and pigeon centerpieces, his dragon-carved wooden closet, and the expensive ceramics from Tang that had cost a fortune to import. He smiled with exhaustion as he reached his bed at last and slipped his fingers through the sheer black veil and drew it back to expose the pillow and blanket covered bed. With a grateful sight, he sat and lay back, stroking the silk bed sheets and inhaling the gentle fragrance from the orchid-scented candles.

"Nowhere in this entire world beats home."

After a minute, he sat up and continued to admire and inspect his furniture. As he inventoried the second to last piece, one of his ladies-in-waiting announced a visitor on the door. He rolled his eyes. "Enter."

The door slid open, and a tall, hideous man walked inside. He wore a fitted long-sleeved robe with a leather vest, while his pants hugged his strong thighs and legs. His most prominent feature, however, was the diagonal scar running down the left side of his face. He bowed, the bronze-coated dragon on his red headband flashing in the candlelight. The symbol meant he was a Gukseon, or Grand Marshal, and the second in command of the Hwarang.

"Chil Yook, it was good to see you again. So tell me, how was the King while I was gone?" Jung Ho asked.

"The King has been very preoccupied these past weeks. It was all about his prediction about the upcoming solar eclipse," Chil Yook reported.

"So, what is his prediction then? When will this solar eclipse occur? Do you know the exact information?"

Chil Yook cleared his throat before continuing, "Well... According to Minister Hoon, the King proclaimed in the council meeting that the solar eclipse will not occur this year."

The Prime Minister's eyes widened, and he burst out into a guffaw. "Idiot! What made him say that?"

"Apparently, Lady Jang had observed the changes in the star patterns this year. According to her, it affected the cycle of the solar eclipse. To cut it short, the changes in the star patterns in the Taeyanggye caused the alteration in the cycle."

Jung Ho scoffed, his eyes deriding Chil Yook.

Chil Yook continued, "I do not know the specific explanations, My Lord. My apologies."

Shrugging off what Chil Yook said, the proud prime minister started bragging about the more advanced technology of the Tang Empire. He even ridiculed the King and the present technologies of Silla regarding agriculture, astrology, and medicine.

"If I were king, this kingdom will savor the things that Tang enjoys."

"What is your plan, My Lord?" Chil Yook asked.

The Prime Minister grinned. "Let the King experience one of the biggest mistakes of his life. This will weaken his position in no time."

Jung Ho lounged back in his bed. "Now, do you still have any reports?"

"I guess my next news will make you very interested." Chil Yook left a mysterious smile.

~~•~~

The next morning, the King, along with Dae Wong went to Mount Toham where the Temple of the Priestess was located. Mount Toham was a small mountain on the eastern side of the kingdom, about four hours by palanquin. The temple itself was modest by palace standards, only a three-tiered Chinese-inspired pagoda, but the monks and minor priestesses surrounding the building for the King's arrival made it grander.

Dae Wong descended the royal palanquin first. Three monks stepped forwards, and the minister said, "His Majesty would have a word with the Head Priestess."

The monks bowed, but before they could reply, the King stepped down from the palanquin, and they dropped to the ground. "Sire, what a pleasant surprise!" one said.

Jae Joong lifted a brow. "You heard the minister. I want a word with the Head Priestess."

"I will check her inside, Sire. Please wait here."

The monk went inside the temple. After a few moments, he came back and talked to the King.

"My apologies, Sire. Unfortunately, the Head Priestess could not be disturbed, because she is currently doing her sacred prayers inside."

Pursing his lips into a thin line, Jae Joong's eyes narrowed. "All right. I will wait for her in my palanquin. Call my attention if she is finished." The monk dipped his head in a bow, and the annoyed king walked back to his palanquin.

In the palanquin, Jae Joong expressed his sentiments regarding this idea Dae Wong had suggested. "All right, just like what we had planned yesterday... In order for me to confirm everything about this eclipse prediction, I should learn how she does it. For the past eras, I know that the kings should not meddle personally with any of the priestess' affairs, but I truly want the ceremony to be just perfect for the next day."

"I sincerely apologize, Your Majesty if I cannot really trust her fully. I am just more worried considering that the Queen is also bearing twins," Dae Wong said.

Jae Joong was truly regretful of this late plan. He was really daunted before to do anything because people might think that he was trying to dip his fingers with the priestesses' business. But as the saying goes, "A late plan is still a hundred times better than not giving a try," he had made a decision. He would try to find out and clarify everything that Lady Jang does even it was a bit late already.

Dae Wong smiled and agreed with the King. "Sire, the separation of state and religious affairs was clear. According to the law, the king shall not meddle with the formal rituals of the Head Priestess. You will not require her to do a formal ritual. You are just going to clarify things... As you can see, this was what Minister Yeol, Yoo Min and I kept telling you way before—to reconsider your claim and to make sure with everything about this eclipse. We should not let her exploit Science!"

Jae Joong frowned at his short sermon, "Stop bringing up the past. I was too foolish and afraid before... Anyway, after everything is settled here, monitor Lady Jang and report to me all suspicious actions," the King ordered.

~~•~~

When Lady Jang got out of the temple, a nangdo went to the King's palanquin and reported that the Head Priestess was through. The King and the minister stepped down the palanquin as Lady Jang apologized for making them wait.

"I want to know how you make your predictions. What do you use to predict the eclipse properly? You have mentioned that you have devised your own ways, but I have not seen any of them," Jae Joong demanded.

Lady Jang gulped. "I use rituals, Sire," she answered. The skeptical king crossed his arms and looked askance to her. "Err... and almanacs too—for calculations!" she continued. She bit her lip and looked down feeling sheepish, her eyes darting sideways as her mind raced. What is wrong with the King? Why is he asking these questions out of nowhere? Does he doubt me now? How could that...

The King ordered her to show him all the equipment that she used. Lady Jang's face paled, and she just wanted to vanish instantly from the King's sight. Her mind quickly processed any excuse that she could mention to the King.

Squinted his eyes, Jae Joong imagined what his most trusted right hand kept saying. Dae Wong is right. What are you hiding, Lady Jang?

Jae Joong gave a brief smirk at the Head Priestess. Lady Jang composed herself, trying to appear outwardly calm because she did not want to look too nervous in front of the King. "Sire, forgive me for saying this, but I do not think you can meddle with the holy business of the temple. I am sorry but I cannot," she said softly, bowing her head.

"Know this. This is not about me, trusting you or not. I just need assurance of an accurate prediction. I would be at peace if I could understand the technical things you have mentioned before."

Lady Jang threw a quick glance at him. The King continued, "I know the law regarding the separation of religious affairs and the government. You do not need to do a formal ritual. All I want is merely transparency and enlightenment."

At the pressure, Lady Jang ran out of excuses at last. With a sigh, she waved her arm toward the temple. "As you insist, Your Majesty."

She mentioned that she is only taking the King, and not Dae Wong or any of his people to her sanctuary, where she conducted her prayers and performed her rituals for predictions, deep in the bowels of the temple far into the mountain. The room was small, dimly-lit, and had a small altar at one end, surrounded by sculptures of dragons and phoenixes, book-filled tables and other religious equipment. On the floor in front of the altar was a painted red circle surrounded by light pink veils. It was where the Head Priestess prayed.

__________

NOTES:

Sangdaedeung (상대등) - Prime Minister or the leader of the noble council of Silla.

Hwarang (화랑) - an elite group of men who were trained to be soldiers and royal guards. It was lead by the Prime Minister in general and followed by the Grand Marshal. After the Grand Marshal, the Chief Officers or Pungwolju (풍월주) were assigned to lead a certain Hwarang clan. In that time, there were fourteen hwarang clans in Silla which were led by a Hwarangdo (화랑도). These Hwarangdos were the ones responsible to train the Nangdo (낭도) or simply the trainees every day.

Gukseon (국선) - Grand Marshal of Hwarangs.

Mount Toham (토함) - a small mountain on the eastern side of Silla Kingdom where temples were mostly located.