Chapter 37 Red Winter Part 3

In Haneul's private courtyard, Haneul is sitting there staring at the borders of Tanzang on the map. He frowned, trying with a heavy heart to figure out what he should do to secure his borders. After receiving the news from Sukh, he became restless. Just when he was about to lose hope, Keme approached Haneul.

Keme greeted Haneul with a smile and looked at what Haneul was staring at the table. "What is His Majesty looking at," Keme asked.

Haneul said, "I'm thinking about what I should do to protect the borders from other kingdoms." He stood up and walked towards Keme. "Chief, come...help me see what we can do to protect the kingdom's borders."

Keme went to the small jade table and sat opposite Haneul. He said, "Your majesty, there are many small stations on the border of our borders, and no matter how many invaders there are, they will not be able to break through our strong defense line."

Haneul sighed and said, "I know, but…"

Keme said, "But Your Majesty is still worried?"

Keme asked, "What kind of news did General Bayarmaa bring to worry His Majesty?"

Haneul looked at Keme and said, "General Bayarmaa has news from my spies in other kingdoms that they are preparing to join forces to overthrow me. If so, what does Chief Keme suggest I should do?"

Keme looked at the map and said, "If Your Majesty is willing to sacrifice some land, I think I can let the mages create something to protect Tanzang."

Haneul asked surprisingly, "What advice does Chief Keme suggest?"

Keme puts his finger on the southern border of Tanzang and sweeps his finger across the map. "This will be a new frontier to protect His Majesty and the people of Tanzang. I will let the mages create a magical river to protect this kingdom." He pointed to both ends of the river. "All his majesty has to do is establish two military bases in the presence of the river and at the end of the river."

Haneul asked, "What if the invaders decide to invade us by ship?"

Keme looked at Haneul and laughed, "They will wander forever in the magical river." He looked at Haneul. "However, since the mages will borrow the pure energy of the land in this land, everything beyond the river will become a desert. But your majesty need not worry; although Tanzang is isolated from other kingdoms, we are protected by the magical river, and the magical river will provide the citizens of Tanzang with a steady stream of water and fish."

Haneul looked at the map and murmured, "To be able to get, first we must give."

Keme said, "That's the law of nature, but if His Majesty has not yet come to a conclusion, we still have time to wait."

Haneul said, "I've decided. Summon your mages and start preparing to create the magical river. I will summon the troops to return."

Keme said, "I will speak to the mages to see what else they can do besides what I have suggested to His Majesty, and I will let His Majesty know immediately."

Haneul smiled at Keme and said, "I feel safer with you by my side."

Keme said, "You should thank general Bayarmaa, who persuaded me to follow His Majesty. I will take my leave first." He got up and was about to leave when he suddenly turned and knelt in front of Haneul. "Your Majesty, I forgot why I came here in the first place."

Haneul smiled and said, "Chief Keme, please do speak freely."

Keme said, "Back then when General Bayarmaa came to invite us to join His Majesty, he and I made a promise."

Haneul asked, "Oh, what kind of promise?"

Keme said, "General Bayarmaa had promised that once the kingdom boarders is secured, he would marry my daughter when she came of age."

Haneul clenched his hands into fists and held them tightly. "He did, huh?" Haneul said, looking at Keme sullenly. "Interesting...he forgot to mention his and your promise to me." He stood up and walked towards Keme. "Does your daughter agree to the marriage?"

Keme said, "She did...she chose General Bayarmaa."

Haneul said sarcastically, "When we order the troops back, we should announce this important news at the court, and prepare a royal wedding for your daughter and general Bayarmaa."

Keme smiled and bowed before Haneul. He said happily, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Haneul went down and grabbed Keme's right arm and lifted him up. "After everything you've done for us, this is the smallest thing we can do for you," he said, smiling at Keme.

Haneul looked at Keme's back angrily, watching Keme walk away. "Man," he said frantically. "Pass the King's decree to General Bayarmaa to return to the palace immediately. If he is not in the capital before sunset the day after tomorrow, we will execute the Bayarmaa family member one by one every hour that he is not in the capital."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Haneul slammed his fist on the jade table hard. Although his knuckles were bleeding, he didn't feel any pain, because his anger had already occupied his mind.

Sukh stood alone, watching the sunset on the red horizon, holding a small purple stone tied with a red string in his hand.

(Memory)

As the rain poured down and the road turned to mud, Haneul lay on the ground and refused to get up.

Sukh knelt beside Haneul and said, "Your Majesty, please stand up. We must move on."

Haneul closed his eyes and said, "You go on without me. I can't walk anymore. My legs are shaking so badly that I can't take another step."

Sukh said, "If you stop walking, you're going to die."

Haneul turned to his left side and said, "So be it. It's better if I die. I'm tired of running. I won't take another step."

Sukh grabbed Haneul's hand and pulled him up to sit on the road. He took Haneul's hand to his back.

Haneul asked, "What are you doing?"

Sukh said, "If you can't take another step with your own feet, then I'll take those steps for you."

Haneul pulled his hand away from Sukh. "I won't ride on your back." He looked down at the ground and found that the water under Sukh's left foot was red. He looked up at Sukh's left leg, and found that the red color was coming from his left leg. Sukh's leg must have been injured when they fled the palace. He exerted all his strength and stood up slowly. He walked up to Sukh. "Come on, I'll carry you on my back."

Sukh refused and said, "It's inappropriate for His Majesty to carry me. I can still walk."

Haneul said angrily, "If you still regard me as the King of Tanzang, stop being stubborn and climb on my back." Haneul turned around and found that Sukh was still standing behind without any movement. He squatted down in front of Sukh and grabbed Sukh's legs. He stood up and put Sukh on his back.

Sukh said, "I thought His Majesty couldn't walk anymore."

Haneul said, "Don't call me Your Majesty anymore, we are not in the palace anymore. Just call me by my name."

Sukh said, "But Your Majesty is still a royal and one day you can go back and take back what is rightfully yours."

Haneul said, "I don't think about it now."

Sukh asked, "What is His Majesty thinking?"

Haneul said, "Why did you only catch one rabbit. If you can catch more rabbits, we can have breakfast this morning."

Sukh looked down at the ground and saw the drops of blood dripping from his leg to the ground. "Forgive me, I can't catch more," he said.

(Memory end)

"General, the king's personal servant is here," said a soldier. "He sent the emperor's decree, asking you to return to the capital immediately."

Sukh looked at the orange sun and said, "Go back first. I'll come when the sun goes down."

"But..." The soldier backed away slowly.

A moment later, the palace servant walked behind Sukh. The servant said, "Great Grand General Bayarmaa, His Majesty ordered you to return."

Sukh sighed and asked, "What is the message?"

The palace servant slowly opened the bamboo scroll and said, "To Great Grand General Bayarmaa, I, the Tenth King of Tanzang order you to return to the capital immediately Tomorrow morning, if you have not entered the capital, we will execute a Bayarmaa every hour. End of the royal decree."

Sukh asked, "What was the king's reaction when he issued this decree?"

The servant said, "Great Grand General when His Majesty made the decree, he was furious. Before leaving the city, His Majesty pulled me aside and asked me to tell the lord. This time His Majesty will do what he said."

Sukh asked, "What are His Majesty exact words?"

The servant said, "I'm afraid of offending his lord."

Sukh said, "Speak."

The palace servant said, "Tell him, the more time he spends hiding from me in the south, the less time an Bayarmaa will have. He could refuse to come, but he would be the downfall of the Bayarmaa family." He paused, studying Sukh's expression. "I don't know what Chief Keme said to His Majesty, which suddenly made His Majesty furious and demanded that Your Excellency return to the capital immediately."

Sukh knows that no secret can be kept forever. Sighing, "Go back and tell His Majesty, I will go back after I dispatch the soldiers."

"So, this is how you reject our decree," Haneul said angrily. The palace servant fell to his knees, and Sukh quickly turned around to see Haneul glaring at him. "We should never have let you leave our side in the first place."