The Edge Of Forever

40| royal hues

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

4o

r o y a l  h u e s : 왕실의 빛깔

GORYEO, SONGDO, 1220

ALL OF US, UNDER ONE SKY, the same stars and one constellation were souls full of pride and happiness.

"Long live the King! Long live the King!" 

And all the subjects fell in prostration, bowing down multiple times to wish well for the King. The very King who had led an entire army to defeat the barbarians for good, who continuously fended off the Mongolians attacks and who looked after the people of Goryeo as much as the land. 

 "This is all so fancy." From beside me, my husband commented on all the people gathered before the gates of the Palace who thanked the King on the day of his return to the Palace. 

"This is what you worked so hard for." I reassured, smiling. 

"We all worked so hard, the living and the dead." He corrected me through the loud noises of prayers and chants. 

He raised his hands to acknowledge all the well-wishes and then gesturing to the retinue surrounding us, we headed back inside the Palace gates, our short meeting of gratitude to the people over.

My mind drifted off into a silent prayer for all those who sacrifice their blood for the land. "Our blood is never cheap. Be it a lowly butcher or grand minister, we shall honor the death of our fallen warriors."

"Indeed we shall."

Once we were back in, the decorated Palace ensnared me. The fresh scent of wood sage lingered in the air and bathed around my skin- of victory and glory, loss and honour and most of all, pride. 

"It feels as though tonight sleep will come to me with peace." The King sighed in relief. 

I turned to him, smiling lightly. "I pray it does." 

And surely my prayer will be accepted. After countless nights of terror in the court rooms, worrying over the borders that had been attacked, it was time for this nation to prosper again. 

"My young King!" 

We stopped and turned to our left where the call of Queen Dowager Wondeok came through. She walked forward as quickly as she could and bowed her head to her son, pleasure glimmering in her eyes.

"Queen mother, I believe I am pass the age of being your young King." Wang Cheol noted with a chuckle. 

"Indeed you have been a King for six years but you are at the height of your youth and you will always be my young son." She replied pointedly, laughing along with her response. 

The wind blew through us, pecking our skin with kisses like the touch of feathers. It matched our joy and gave its own testimony to our happiness with low whistles around us. 

"Our young Princess is extremely delighted about your return, she cannot wait to see you at the celebrations this afternoon." Great Queen Wondeok filled in.

The King had only left for four months of the total battle that lasted ten months, but those four months were enough to drive all living souls in the Palace mad as the five year old Princess had banished any hollowness within the Palace with her ongoing cries about her Father.