Rise of Silla

3.5 the beginning

Namjoon focus

The sight of the main gate of Daejeon palace was a sight to behold. The reports had not been lying about the heads decorating the lantern sticks. When they were close enough, Namjoon could see the rusty sprinkle on the dusty street below and smell the faint rotten stench of death. The cold had conserved the heads well, but it was not enough to stop them from withering. No wonder, no one was walking on this street. It was disgusting.

"YOU ARE?" a soldier in full armor shouted from the balustrade of the huge gate, looking down upon their small convoy.

Namjoon was fuming. Who dared to speak from above with a king? How arrogant were those soldiers to disrespect him like this?

"I am Kim Namjoon of Silla and I came to see Hwon Hye," he replied with barely repressed irritation in his voice.

Silence was his answer and he looked up again only to find the balustrade empty. "What kind of etiquette is this?" he asked Yoongi who was sitting on the horse next to him.

"What have you been expecting?" his friend replied lazily, his words forming small clouds in front of his mouth.

"Some curtesy has never hurt anyone," Namjoon growled.

"They must be stupid to greet someone who wants to end them," the advisor noted.

"How would they know I came for that? I could as well come to greet the new king," Namjoon retorted.

The shorthaired gave him a risen eyebrow for an answer, and Namjoon had to admit that this idea sounded stupid. Jungkook knew how he did things and that he could never tolerate a reign like this. The palace of Daejeon most likely had a good idea of what they came for.

The gate opened and allowed a soldier to slip through the small gap. It was the one who had spoken from above. "Emperor Kim, excuse the rudeness. We have to be cautious in these times," he apologized with a bow. Namjoon felt slightly appeased by the gesture. So, they were not total brutes.

When the soldier lifted his head, his eyes seemed to look at Namjoon with interest and a hint of veneration. But Namjoon must be imagining that.

"Pleased to meet you, officer San," Yoongi said next to him, catching the attention of the man who had greeted them.

The officer seemed confused for a moment. "I will inform our leader of your arrival," he then excused himself and the huge palace doors fell close again.

"How do you know his name?" Namjoon wanted to know.

"I guessed," his friend replied bored.

Namjoon nodded slowly. He could not quite believe that someone could guess this accurately, but his advisor had no reason to lie to him. Now that he thought about it, there were not many names to choose from. Woo, Heo, San, and Ahn were the names of the four officers who had rebelled.

Officer San took his time. Namjoon huffed annoyed. "Who lets their guests wait outside the walls?" he murmured toward Yoongi.

The few pedestrians who were not scared of coming here were looking at them strangely while they stood in front of the gate like children who had been told off. It was embarrassing.

"Someone who had numerous assassins sent after his head," was the reply of his comrade, accompanied by a gesture at the heads that swung in the sharp wind above them.

Namjoon felt himself growing pitiful at the explanation although he did not want to. He must not feel sorry for Jungkook after what the man had done. Yes, he brought peace to the south, but it was a rotten and bloody peace which Namjoon was not willing to uphold. It was a peace bought with the lives of innocent people, and it would cause innocent people harm if it continued like this.