"It's not that, your Highness," one minister interjected nervously. "We just believe that the contributions of the late prince should not be forgotten."
Man-Ju descended from his throne and moved closer to the minister. "Who decided to send the prince to lead the charge?"
The minister bowed his head in fear. "It was your decision, your Highness," he answered, his voice barely above a whisper.
With a confident hand on the minister's shoulder, Man-Ju declared, "Exactly! I decided to send the prince into battle, so all the glory of winning the war belongs to me... don't you think so, Minister?" He squeezed the minister's shoulder burying his thumb, making his point clear.
The Minister wracked with pain, fell to his knees, his face a mask of despair. "Yes, Your Highness, you are right. You are the victor of the war. Please forgive my earlier misjudgment."
Man-Ju let go and turned to the assembled crowd, his voice ringing out. "Does anyone here doubt that I won the war just because I didn't take up arms like Young-Sik?"
As the King droned on with his absurd claims, Jin-Ri felt her anger boil over. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, and a tear fell for the prince. "It was Yong who won the war! It was Yong who defeated those invaders! It was Yong who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country!" she raged in her mind.
King Man-Ju opened the discussion about the estate left by the prince. "The throne will now handle all of the prince's estate and wealth and I will handle it the way I see fit"
Minister Lim stepped forward "The ministers and councilors do not object on that matter, your Highness" he was about to go back to his spot, but turned to the King to ask a question "Your Highness, what will the throne do with the late prince's possessions?"
Man-Ju grinned "It will be liquidated and given to the left-wing ministers as a reward for exemplary services to the throne" he declared with glee
The left-wing ministers all clapped their hands at what the King decreed, while the right-wing ministers just shook their heads, unable to believe what the throne decided to do. Jin-Ri in her anger ran out of the room sobbing, she could no longer take how the King decided to honor Prince Young-Sik's memory and sacrifices.
She burst out of the courtroom, catching the other court maidens off guard. She sprinted through the courtyard, her thoughts a chaotic mess of the prince, and kept running until she reached Prince Young-Sik's mansion. She ascended the stairs to the prince's room. Inside, she wept uncontrollably, gripping her chest as the agony of Young-Sik's memory being sullied by the throne overwhelmed her. She let out a cry of torment before crumpling to her knees.
Jin-Ri could not tell how long she had been lost in her thoughts, but as she rose and turned to the window, she saw the sun retreating beneath the horizon. With the prince's sword firmly in her grasp, she raced toward the western gates. Climbing the stairs to the ramparts, she looked out over the vast expanse, her mind drifting back to the day the prince had marched his army away nearly a year ago.
"He is never going to return" a voice from behind her said, spinning around he saw the King and his entourage approaching her. Despite seething with anger for the King, she clenched her lips tightly and bowed respectfully.
"As you can see, everything that Young-Sik has is now mine. I will erase his name from the annals of history for betraying me" He then leaned over to the court maiden "You would be wise to do the same and align yourself with me"
Jin-Ri stood on the precipice of despair, her tears a silent testament to her inner conflict, her anger clawing at her resolve. "Don't do it, Jin-Ri. If you surrender to this rage, you will forsake the prince and the ideals he fought for," she admonished herself, the sorrow of her predicament weighing heavily on her soul.
She stood there, watching the King hum a joyous tune as he walked away. With a heavy heart, she turned to the west and murmured, "Forgive me, dear prince, for my cowardice; I could not stand up for your honor." A sudden chill caressed her cheek, and she noticed the first snowflakes drifting down from above. Biting her lips, she bid farewell to Young-Sik, "It is time for me to leave; without you, this place holds no meaning for me."
Atop the ramparts of the western gates, Jin-Ri stood, her heart heavy as she whispered to Young-Sik, "Farewell, my prince. Until death unites us once more." With a sorrowful heart, she turned to embrace a life devoid of his presence. Yet, an inexplicable force compelled her to turn around and glance back. She was looking for something but she did not know what. Then her gaze was drawn to a distant shape.
It began as a mere shadow, a dark blur against the horizon. Jin-Ri squinted, desperate to sharpen her vision. As clarity washed over her, her heart thundered in her chest. The figure slowly took shape; it was a man in tattered clothes. Although his face was obscured by a straw hat, he seemed oddly familiar.
Jin-Ri watched as the mystery man continued to walk with authority and grace through the busy streets, the people parting as if giving way for him. Then the man stopped, she held her breath when the man removed his straw hat.
The man was disheveled and filthy, his torn boots barely covered his feet, the cold wind blowing through the thin fabrics of his clothes. His arms were covered by dirt and scars.
Jin-Ri observed the man from head to toe, he looked nothing like her prince, but something had drawn her to him, something almost akin to longing. The man then raised his head towards her revealing the beloved face of Prince Young-Sik. A gasp escaped her lips as her hands flew to her mouth, tears of joy cascading down her cheeks. In an instant, she raced down the path and out the western gates, yearning to be reunited with the man who filled her heart with longing.
As Jin-Ri drew closer to Young-Sik, her heart raced, and she instinctively slowed her steps until they stood mere arm's length apart.
They stood frozen, their eyes locked in a moment that felt eternal, neither daring to break the stillness. Overcome with emotion, Jin-Ri gently loosened the white cloth from her back, revealing the stunning sword that had once belonged to Young-Sik. With a few steps and a shaky hand, she offered it back to him, a symbol of their shared past.
Young-Sik took the sword, his heart heavy as he gazed at it before letting it slip from his fingers to the ground. He moved toward Jin-Ri, the woman who had given him the courage to face the fiercest battles and the drive and desire to live. "I can't believe it took me this long to return, I'm sorry you must have been so worried," he said softly, his voice laced with genuine affection.
She nodded to what Young-Sik said and with trembling hands, she reached up to gently touch his cheeks, searching for the warmth that would reassure her this moment was real and not just a fleeting dream. A soft gasp escaped her lips, her heart swelling with joy and relief as it tightened within her. When Young-Sik felt her tender caress, he instinctively held her hands, placing a soft kiss upon them.
The gentle sound of wind chimes resonated in his mind, accompanied by the soft swaying of falling leaves in the winter breeze. Young-Sik moved closer to the woman he had promised to love, the one whose memory had given him the strength to endure even in his darkest moments. Tears of joy filled his eyes as he stood mere inches away from the woman he loved.
He opened his arms wide, eager to pull the court maiden into a tender embrace, but then the unexpected struck him like a lightning bolt. The sweet sound of the windchimes was drowned by the harsh crash of glass shattering, and the gentle rustle of leaves turned into a booming thunder. Instead of the warm embrace he longed for, he was met with the sharp slap of her palm against his cheek.
"What just happened?" he asked, breathless from the whirlwind of emotions with Jin-Ri.
Jin-Ri began to sob heavily "Ten months, three weeks, and five days!" Jin-Ri declared; her voice thick with feeling.
"What do you mean?" Young-Sik replied, his brow knitted in confusion.
"Ten months, three weeks, and five days!" she insisted, her fists gently pounding against his chest. "That's how long you left alone, that's how long I waited without even a single word from you" She continued her assault on the prince. "Through all that time, I thanked the heavens whenever I received news that you were safe. That's all I cared about, that you were safe!"
"Wait...wait, Jin-Ri that hurts!" Young-Sik faced his shoulder towards her and raised his arm to shield himself from the court maiden's vicious assault
"That's how long I've worried about you," she continued, hitting his shoulders and arms. "That's how long I've prayed for your safety," she added, giving a light kick to his shin. "That's how long I've missed you, how long I've longed for you!"
The prince hopped on one leg, cradling the other that Jin-Ri had struck. With fierce determination, she pressed on, her voice trembling with emotion. "How could you let me suffer through the agony of...of your death? Do you have any idea how many tears I shed? The pain I felt, convinced I would never hold you in my arms again?"
Before she could say another word, Young-Sik pulled her close and kissed her tenderly. Tears of joy streamed down her cheeks as she melted into the kiss, finally feeling the warmth of her prince back in her life. She lifted her arms to wrap it around Young-Sik's neck in a tight embrace.
After a while, she pulled back from their embrace, and Jin-Ri looked deeply into Young-Sik's eyes. "I love you... that's what I was meant to say."
Young-Sik's heart raced as he responded, "I love you. I wanted to share that with you before I left, but the opportunity never came."
The two embraced tightly "I will never let you leave without me by your side ever again" Jin-Ri promised the prince.
Young-Sik with a smile replied "I will never take a single step anywhere without you by my side"
The two smiled as their foreheads touched. Young-Sik picked up his sword and holding Jin-Ri's hand, he led her through the western gates.
The guards were left utterly stunned as they witnessed the prince striding through the gates, hand in hand with a beaming Jin-Ri. One guard, breaking free from his astonishment, sprinted up the ramparts, frantically ringing the warning bell and bellowing, "THE PRINCE IS ALIVE! PRINCE YOUNG-SIK HAS RETURNED TO US!"
From a distance, the King turned sharply at the sound of the warning bell, his pulse quickening with each toll. His eyes widened in shock as he spotted Young-Sik confidently marching across the royal grounds. A storm of emotions erupted within him, his hands quaking with a chaotic mix of rage, disbelief, and an icy grip of fear.