Just about the right timing, with the light of torches serving as the guide in the dark, the palanquin started to move. There were two carts, covered with a white cloth, at the back, while hwarangs escorted the front and back. Chil Yook secretly followed the palanquin. Upon reaching the forest, he became more careful and vigilant. His movements became more precise and calculated. Chil Yook hid in shallow pits covered with dead leaves, leaned at the back of an old-hoary tree, camouflaged on thick bushes, and to everything that could cover him. The important thing was that he should never lose the palanquin.

With every step of the Queen's companions came with alertness and vigilance.

Wait, why are they going that way? It is the way of going to Daeya.

The place rang a bell in Chil Yook's mind. Correct, that is where the hometown of the Queen is. She is planning to deliver to babies to her home.

In the middle of their trip on the forest, a hwarang at the back of the carriage felt something strange, like they were somehow being followed. He turned around and saw nothing. Then, he turned his head to both his left and his right. "Wait, stop! I think we are being tailed." Everyone was alerted even Chil Yook, who was in a small pit with dead putrid foliage. He prepared himself and placed his left hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to pull it anytime they would launch an attack. He was determined to kill all the hwarangs, if necessary, just to take the twins back to the palace. Some hwarangs unsheathed their swords and surrounded the Queen's palanquin while some scattered around to find who could be following them.

Silence fell.

The wind's howl and the orchestra of moving leaves and branches were the only sounds heard in the forest. The nurses and the royal maids were all nervous inside the palanquin. All hwarangs were careful with their movements, and their senses were fully heightened, just for them not to miss any movements even breaths. Just as when a hwarang was about to go where Chil Yook was hiding, a loud scream from the palanquin was heard. Opening the palanquin window, a nurse shouted. "Everyone! Faster! The Queen is suffering from pain again. We need to make it to their house quickly." All people were alerted. The hwarangs sheathed their swords and returned quickly to their positions, continuing their journey towards the Queen's house, this time in a faster way.

~~•~~

Meanwhile, in the palace, Lady Min went out the Prime Minister's pavilion to get some tea leaves. She walked past two royal maids holding a tray with a teapot and two cups. She paused, sniffing a familiar scent. Chamomile...Why are they... Her eyes grew large, darting sideways.

Yes! It is a medicine to reduce the pain of labor. But I thought the Queen is... She gasped.

Oh no! It's a trap. I need to report this quickly.

She ran quickly back to the Prime Minister's chambers, but the ladies-in-waiting told her that the Prime Minister went out, leaving no details.

In fact, the Prime Minister went to the King's pavilion carrying a pile of scrolls. The court ladies exchanged chatters upon seeing the Prime Minister wearing a white ceremonial robe, which looked like the King's robe during the eclipse ceremony. His robe dragged and rustled on the floor. Upon arriving at the King's chamber doors, he scanned the ladies-in-waiting, whose mouths were agape, seeing him.

"Announce me!" He raised a brow, deriding the lady-in-waiting. The poor attendant nodded awkwardly.

"Sire, the Prime..." She was interrupted as the Prime Minister barged into the door, giving her a ridiculed grin.

Disrupted from his seat, the King scanned the Prime Minister and dug his nails into his palm upon seeing his attire. Jae Joong glowered, "You shameless... How dare you ridicule my position as the Head of the Ceremony Rites?"

Arranging the pile of scrolls on the King's table, Jung Ho's eyes widened, and he smirked.

"What is this?"

Jae Joong grabbed one scroll and opened it. After reading, he stared at Jung Ho and smiled, remembering what Dae Wong had said a while ago.

~~•~~

"Sire, it is time."

The King nodded.

"I am certain that the Prime Minister will make a way for him to be the Head of Ceremony Rites," Dae Wong worried.

"Yes, that is what I am worried about. He will try everything to get it. I am afraid that after that, he would be just a few steps away from my throne."

"No, Your Majesty." The minister shook his head and smiled.

"Why?"

"You will have your heir. The Crown Princes..." he paused. "No, I mean the Crown Prince will save us."

Dae Wong continued, "I am sure the people, with the help of the governors, will submit their petitions for him to become the Head of the Ceremony Rites. That is a bad thing, yes, because he can have the control to all of the people; whatever he says will likely to be believed because he is carrying the Heaven's name."

"I am against this! It needs to be talked about at a council meeting. This needs to have a unanimous vote. You will not agree with this, will you?"

Dae Wong did not respond, giving the King a short, cold glance.

"Will you?... Answer me!"

"I have to, Sire. We have to. You may think that this is an advantage for him, but no. Like what I said, you will have your heir. The future Crown Prince will serve as a huge barrier for him to steal the throne. As long as there will be a Crown Prince, your throne is safe... We need to do this, Sire. If that is what the people want, we will give it to them. In that way, they will forget the issue, and you can recover slowly from this whole mess. If not, rebellion might arise and we do not want that to happen."

The King breathed heavily, speechless.

"That is why I am telling you, Sire. We need to proceed to the last part of our plan and that is to make sure that the twin princes will be born safely and only one of them must be acknowledged as the Crown Prince."

~~•~~

"Why are you smiling, Sire?" Jung Ho asked.

"Nothing," Jae Joong replied, rolling the scroll and putting it back on the pile.

Jung Ho frowned and exchanged a burning gaze for a few seconds with his older brother. It seemed like they were talking to each other with their minds.

What is your deal, Sire?

Jung Ho, you will never be the king.

Breaking the awkward silence, Jae Joong stood and spoke, "All right. I must say... I think I should agree with these people. I think I should hand over to you the Ceremony of Rites. We will talk about this tomorrow at the council meeting. It is late already. Take your rest."

Jung Ho bowed his head a bit and smirked. "Yes, Your Majesty. I will see you tomorrow."

He turned around and walked out of the King's chamber. With numerous thoughts bombarding his evil mind, he stopped before the steps going down the courtyard, simply uttering the words, "The twins", and he smiled mysteriously.

While he was walking continuously on the palace grounds, he was interrupted as he saw Lady Min running quickly towards him. He flinched with what he saw. It was not the usual image of his elderly royal matron. She was panting as beads of sweat ran through her entire body while being absorbed by her purple robe.

"What is it? Why were you running?"

Lady Min paused and composed herself. She fixed her hair and clip a strand at the back of her ears. "My Lord, the Queen is here in the palace. I knew it. Chil Yook has been tricked!"

"Is that so?" his voice sounded in doubt, but his eyes were definitely laughing at Lady Min.

"My Lord?"

Jung Ho scoffed. "I know... I know."

As a matter of fact, Lady Min was not totally surprised by his reaction. She knew that her Lord was always unpredictable, but what amazed her was the fact that he always thinks one step ahead and possibly could not be deceived. Is he a God or something? The same thoughts kept ringing in her mind.

"I know it was a trick. It was a low and cowardly plan. The moment Chil Yook described the Queen's appearance, I knew something is not right."

"Why did you let him follow them, Sire?"

"Just watch. I have something for you to do." Jung Ho raised a brow and continued walking.

~~•~~

After almost an hour of travel, the Queen's palanquin arrived at their destination. It was a small wooden house in the woods; bungalow type with thatched hay roof and sliding doors; an ordinary house, which did not look like a royal's property. While hiding behind a tree a few meters away, Chil Yook saw the Queen descended from the palanquin, being assisted by the nurses. When she finally entered the house, a royal nurse signaled the hwarangs to unload the cards. Finished, they scattered around the house to guard it against any unexpected encounters.

This is it? This is where she is going to deliver the twins? He realized that maybe the Queen did not want attention that was why she did not choose to give birth at her personal house. Not more than ten minutes later, he heard a loud scream inside the house.

"Your Grace, push! I can see the head already," a nurse screamed. After a couple of screams and wails, a loud cry of a baby was heard. "It is a boy, Your Grace."

Feeling the right timing and signal, he unsheathed his sword and ran towards the hwarangs quickly like a shot of a thunderbolt. The hwarangs were alerted and drew their swords, standing in a fighting position. A group of five dashed and surrounded him. Circling in place, he pointed his sword to the surrounding circle of hwarangs. His eyes darted to the hwarangs, breathing heavily. When he twitched his sword, the hwarangs attacked simultaneously and Chil Yook crouched down, blocking their swords. The loud clanking sound of the swords echoed in the woods. He mustered his strength and push his sword up causing others to drop theirs, clamoring on the ground. When the hwarangs lost their momentum, Chil Yook jumped at the back of one hwarang for support, leaped, and slit their throats in a matter of seconds. Blood squirted to his face and body like a spring fountain. Whirling his sword, he dashed towards the next wave. Unlike the first wave, this wave of hwarangs attacked individually. He blocked each of their attacks, whirled, dodging their swords, kicked them and slit their bodies until he successfully outnumbered the hwarangs.

Panting heavily, he twitched his head and spun his sword leaving blood trails on the ground. With full confidence, he smirked, walked towards the door and slid it.

"What?"

He found nothing but a big blank room, lit by yellow lamps, with two doors on left and right. He slowly walked towards the center, wondering what was happening. The sound of the two sliding doors opening distracted him, leaving him dumbfounded. He was surprised to see a group of hwarangs pointing crossbows at him, one group on the left and one group on the right. Gritting his teeth, he looked around as beads of sweats came out from his face, dropping on the wooden floor. Despite realizing that he was surrounded, he still pointed his sword while moving in circles in place.

"So now, what?" a familiar voice struck his ears. His eyes widened in disbelief when he saw Dae Wong came out behind the hwarangs together with an unknown woman wearing a white robe with the black hat. His eyes narrowed in fury, realizing he has been tricked.

"Arrest him!" the minister smirked.

__________

NOTES:

Daeya (대야) - a fictional suburb located in the eastern part of Seorabeol.