Hwatu

Chapter 5

Song Hye Kyo as Princess Chaewon.  Hope you like this chapter. Comment/vote/follow is much appreciated!:)  Thank you to all those who still read this!

When Su Dong showed up for the princess’ lesson, he noticed the screen was gone and she was nowhere in the room.  “W-what’s going on?” he inquired to the palace maid that had led him into the room.

Bowing, she answered, “The princess asks that you wait here patiently.  She will be right with you.”  She then exited the room.

A puzzled look passed over his face.  What could she possibly be planning?  Suddenly, a door opened in lovely attire dressed in pastel colors and more trinkets adorned in her hair than usual.  When the princess saw him, her face brightened with dimples giving her a very innocent appearance.  It was a look about her that certainly painted naive upon her youthful, impressionable features.   Princess Chaewon was someone who knew no hardship and did not know how cruel the world could be sometimes.

“Teacher!” she exclaimed with a glee practically skipping over towards him.  She grabbed his hand and practically dragged him to her garden where a shadow play was set up for their enjoyment.  They sat down amongst the well kept garden as the flowers graced them with their beauty.  Turning to Su Dong, she said, “Omamama said that we could have a day of rest from our studies and enjoy a bit of entertainment.”  Su Dong smiled at his pupil.   

Clapping her hands, Princess Chaewon ordered the commencement of the play.  A musician played upon his flute a sad melody while the performers produced creative images with their hands.  Su Dong thoroughly enjoyed the princess’ presentation.  About half way through the performance, he snuck a glance at the princess who was smiling like a little child.  In a way, she was still very much like a child.  He wondered if he really did love her.  Love...the very word was such a strange word.  Love was a word that only existed in people’s fantasy.  A word that everyone wanted to experience, but in a day and age when it was almost non-existent.

Su Dong wondered if over time he would come to love her.  He certainly liked her well enough.  Princess Chaewon was far from being mature and very child-like.  During his study days, he gradually became a man from very young, drilled by his father, the Prime Minister, to work hard for everything and aim for what he desired.  Since becoming a teacher at the Jong Hak, he never really had much of a desire for anything, perhaps the only desire he only had was to take it easy. His duties mostly encompassed teaching the princesses. Perhaps being the Prince Consort would provide a much easier, laid back path than the one his father wanted him to pursue.  

After the play, the couple enjoyed tea and snacks under lovely a blossoming cherry tree.  They mostly made small talk as Princess Chaewon was not used to carrying on a deep conversation which was Su Dong’s personal preferred exchange.

“Now what is it that you have called me over for?” Prime Minister Kim inquired as he took a sip of his tea offered by his friend Grand Prince Yushin.

Yushin set his lips in a grim line.  “Fortunate news or not as how you may perceive, I have received word from Suk-ui that she is with child.”

The Prime Minister almost dropped his cup in bewilderment.  “With child?” 

“Yes,” he stated matter-of-factly.

“The King’s?”

“Mine.”

“Yours?!”

“Yes.”

“I’ve told you, Yushin, that you were being too careless!” Prime Minister Kim voice rumbled.