Hwarang: Past Memories

Chapter 10: Arrows

In the kingdom of Baekje:

A band of seemingly ragtag bandits had finally been captured by the royal guards. To anyone who saw them, they seemed unimportant and nothing more than a band of thieves. But as they were secretly dragged into the palace, those attending the now King of the kingdom knew better...

King Chang now sat on the throne. 

He was no longer the ruthless crown prince but had sole authority over the happenings of his kingdom... and he still held a grudge on the kingdom of Silla from several years ago. 

Maybe that's why he had knowingly let several groups of thieves run amuck in Silla. Either way, he was calculated; the thieves were to be dummies really, sent there to collect information for him on Silla's unmasked king and his annoying Hwarang. And this recent band seemed to have promising information for him...

Their groans filled the air as they were carelessly thrown at the foot of the throne. There sat the king, currently being fanned by two women on either side. His eyes were sharp and his face held no expression. 

The men before him trembled in fear, bowing immediately as best they could in chains.

The King dismissed the guards with a simple gesture of the hand and turned his attention back to the messy men before him. 

"You will tell me of Silla's Hwarang. I have no doubt you encountered them and they stupidly let you all go as a show of mercy." His voice echoed in the chamber. 

The men whimpered before one with a bandaged arm spoke up, "Two of them thwarted us, your majesty..." He spoke softly, head hung low. 

Another looked at him before also chiming in, "T-There was also a woman..." 

The King turned in attention, "A woman with the Hwarang?" He asked.

The men looked at each other unsure, "Uh, we don't know your grace. She... she wore noble clothing but well... she had excellent shot," He said looking at the one with a bandage who moved to cover his hand in embarrassment. 

The King looked at them a moment before laughing, "A True Bone woman attacked you? Well isn't that just humiliating."

He thought back to his last encounter with Silla's Hwarang. They had another woman with them besides the princess back then as well, but she certainly didn't seem capable enough to fire an arrow, much less wound a man. It wasn't unheard of exactly for women to be trained, particularly women of nobility and blood. The thought however amused him deeply. Who was this likely True Bone woman around the Hwarang? Was she someone of value to them and their king?

"Tell me more about this woman."

-

I was hesitant at best when Yeo-wool asked me to come by the Hwarang compound and bring him some food Auntie made. 

"Ah Yu-ri please, the food there is... tolerable, but a strong, beautiful man like me needs food prepared with love," He had said with a pout. 

I sighed grumpily. He was lucky I loved him. I didn't want to be anywhere near that area. I knew that was where I could potentially run into Soo-ho again and I had successfully avoided him for a while now since our last emotional encounter occurred. 

My face still burned with embarrassment when I thought of it, but I also felt a strange sense of peace that I at least got to confront those feelings and put them to rest with the one I held them toward. 

That still didn't mean I wanted to run into him anytime soon. Or at all. 

The gates of the Hwarang compound came into view and I looked around at the large red and gold gates of the entrance.