Chapter 1

The luxury of this celebration could only be envied. Prince Wang Han — the man long-awaited and so beloved by all in the kingdom — finally was giving a feast on his return from service and entry into suzerainty in his dominions. The Prince had something to impress anyone — he was brave, decent, reasonable and wise beyond his years. Well, the ladies could add his beauty and charm to the list ­­­­.

Today's jeongjae was very special. The palace would be filled with a merry crowd. The magnificent dresses of the beauties rustled with their linings, glasses rang everywhere, music flowed and laughter was heard. It promised to be the biggest event of the year — no one had ever given a feast on such a grand scale, no one had each hall so magnificently and tastefully decorated — everywhere luxurious carved vases full of fragrant freshly cut flowers, ribbons and antique decorations; no one has ever invited such eminent musicians; no one had ever prepared such a variety of treats — the tables were bursting with dishes — local delicacies, drinks, fruits, some fancy overseas dishes — and all this for the sake of a pleasant pastime of several hundred guests dressed in the latest fashion, ready to celebrate the return of Prince Wang Han, to taste the differences and dance from the heart.

With approximately the same intentions, the family of King Li-en and their daughter Heonui came to the celebration. Already elderly King Li-en deeply respected Wang Han for his military merits and cold and rational management. The Queen, a noble woman with strong Neo-Confucianist ideals, having an understanding in all public affairs, saw in the host of the feast a potential groom for her daughter, who returned to the kingdom after living with the Queen's friends in China. Young Heonui absorbed all the subtleties and manners of Chinese everyday life. Her speech abounded in all sorts of Chinese words, and she knew hanja really well (even though she kept it a strict secret), her manner of dressing set the tone throughout the district as "Chinese" and, therefore, the most beautiful, and her manner of behaving in society was copied even by older ladies. Her long, toe-length, dark brown hair was always pulled up in intricate hairstyles, fluffy eyelashes framed her emerald-coloured eyes, beetroot juice (the secret of Chinese gungnyeo) made her lips scarlet and defiant. Every now and then, she appeared in society with various innovations up her sleeve, and all the ladies tried to acquire at least some semblance of all those lovely little things that the young fashionista Li-en owned.

Only today, Heonui appeared at the palace obviously not of her own free will — plans for marriage were not at all in her dreams. Wang Han was, without a doubt, a most handsome lot and already in absentia, as it were, in love with her, only now Heonui dreamed of a candidate more subtle, of romantic nature, not prone to military adventures, in which the lady saw the root of all evil. She dreamed of a poet or a musician or, at least, a wandering artist — if only his nature was far from soldier's glory. In these views, young Heonui differed from most of the beauties of the kingdom, who dream of brave warriors, cavaliers on horseback, governors and archers who always hit the target.

"Oh, what a posh celebration, indeed!" the voice of the Oh Sa Yan, who now and then bowed to all the suitable acquaintances, pulled Heonui out of the world of dreams.

"I just cannot stand still! When will Prince Wang Han come out to the guests and honour us with his presence?!" sighed Ah Eun Hi, still quite a young court lady.

"Oh, ladies, it would be better never!" Heonui muttered in despair, also bowing politely to the familiar guests of high society who showed up from every corner. "I do not have the strength to withstand all this pressure! Lord, give me strength!"

"Heonui! Heonui! You will, my Lady! Just think — he is the most enviable groom! All the young ladies of the kingdom are crying in the pillow! Me including!" sighed Mimi, Heonui's favourite household helper from the Li-en family retinue.

"Oh, honey, what are you, really!" Heonui laughed, covering her snow-white teeth with a hand in an openwork glove. "As if you did not listen all night long to my dreams of princes with soft hearts! I thought I aged you with my sighs!"

Heonui looked out the window — how beautiful nature was! At any time of the day, only nature could, without making any effort, bewitch any beholder. Only such real things, created by Heaven, could always delight in their existence alone. Only humans, although coming from the same Heavens, were supposed to make a lot of effort to see their own beauty, because, over time, opinions and understandings destroyed everything that was primordial, pure and that was before a part of this very nature.

Heonui, blinking frequently to return from her mental flight, lightly slapped her cheeks and sighed.

"I agree with Mimi, I must tell!" Ah Eun Hi nodded dreamily, examining her embroidered fan with wonderful shiny feathers. "I am ready to surrender to Wang Han to be torn to pieces, but only now his heart seems to be beating for you, Your Royal Highness…"

"Ay, please, Ah Eun Hi! Where are your manners, dear?" Heonui waved her hand, rolling her eyes shamefacedly. "Wang Han, I know, is too proud to condescend to love anyone!"

"I would not make such assumptions, kind lady." The velvety voice of Wang Han, who silently approached the young ladies, made them all jump up in place and, bowing, timidly step aside, and Heonui's cheeks blazed with fire.

"Your Highness…" A stunned Heonui made a slight bow. She felt that blood rushed to her face; she was all on fire. There was whispering around her, making her blush even more in the presence of the young Prince. Her eyes searched helplessly for support, and her hands trembled nervously. She lowered her gaze.

"So, I am incapable of love, you say?" He raised an eyebrow in anticipation of an explanation. "Why is that?"

"Your Highness, I..." Heonui was at a loss for words. And how did he show up at such a moment! she reproached herself with the thought that her tongue was not her friend at all.

"I can assure you that this is far from the truth. Just looking at you made my heart beat wildly." The Prince smiled faintly. "But I suppose that's not enough for the Princess. What are you looking for, then?"

Heonui finally raised her eyes to Wang Han. He really was good-looking — tall, stately, with fiery curly hair shimmering with copper. Blue eyes burned with a spark, and a smile revealed white teeth.

"Your—" she began, but the Prince interrupted her.

"Please, you may call me by name."

Everyone who heard gasped and whispered. Heonui cleared her throat.

"Wang…Han… I did not mean to offend you. I was—"

He laughed merrily.

"—just talking to the ladies! I understand. We all say whatnot in small talk. This is necessary to fill the air with impressions that we do really care about each other. Or that we are certainly happy to be in this society at all times. But I suppose you, dear Li-en, are not having much fun here today, are you? I have spoken to your father just now and have been watching you. Your Royal Highness figure says with all its guts that it wants to be at least where, but not at this magnificent feast."

With each word of Wang Han, Heonui blushed more and more. There was truth in his words, but to even nod in confirmation would be an insult to His Grace. Not knowing how to behave in the conversation, she only looked around helplessly.

Suddenly, she saw a figure in the window.

Among the rustling branches, in the semi-darkness of the garden, a man wandered. He was clearly not from the nobility — his clothes were all grey, akin to the earth, on which he nervously stepped back and forth, obviously mumbling something under his breath, because even from such a distance, the lady could see a distinct and passionate movement of his lips, as if he reciting poetry or arguing frantically with someone. But he was alone, all alone. The moon, rising early in the twilight sky, illuminated his silhouette, casting strange shadows on the path. The man and Heonui made eye contact.

She started.

"...and now, these manners..." Wang Han interrupted the monologue, not a word of which Princess listened to anymore, and looked anxiously at her. "What is it, Lady Li-en?"

"Downstairs, there is a man."

"Excuse me?"

"I want to go down to him."

"What? No! Heonui! Heonui, please!"

But Heonui was already bypassing the crowd and walking away from the Prince, carefully and apologetically pushing the astonished those present. As soon as she left the hall, her step quickened, and now, she was already jumping over several steps of the palace's serpentine staircases, and after a few moments, she was outside. She seemed to be controlled by an unknown force.

Mimi sighed heavily and covered her face with her hands, watching Wang Han, whose face expressed genuine pain.