Chapter 1: Seon-Ho

Cold. I was always cold in my father's mansion. And hungry. He said I was too plump as a kid so he had the servants half my food allowances. It was never enough so I was always hungry when I went to bed and I couldn't sleep because it was always cold. Things weren't like that for my brother, however; the older legitimate one, and the only one I had. My half brother would still take his time to play with me when he could and I was grateful as I had no one else to play with. No one liked me for being illegitimate, and the son of a slave who was also a nobleman's concubine. But he didn't love my mother, even though she was the only one who loved me. And she never loved him which was strange to me at first; I thought all parents loved each other. But as soon as I met him..and he denied my existence that's when I realised I didn't need someone like him in my life even though he was my father. I just needed my mother. So no one took notice of me, and when they did I got bullied....a lot. Until one day when I was 9 years old and a bunch of older boys were chasing me down the street. I was going to be beaten up again...until another boy started throwing rocks at them to scare them off; eventually catching one straight in the face. They all tried turning on him but when they recognised him and who his father was they all began to run away. I was still bloody and bruised in my torn clothes but he still approached me with a warm smile on his face and stretched his hand out. This was Seo-Hwi; the son of the greatest swordsman of Goreyo, Son-Gom.

This was a boy that everyone avoided getting on the wrong side of; his father's missions for the royal family were legendary. I was in awe of why he was helping me and I couldn't really speak until he rolled his eyes and grabbed my arm before pulling me up "are you slow or something?" He asked me sarcastically but he was still smiling at me. All I could do was smile back at him rather awkwardly before he started dragging me to his place "it's ok. Come with me and I'll let you borrow my clothes. I know your mother sews all your stuff for you. You're lucky; I lost my mother a long time ago so I don't remember what it's like to have one. You're all skin and bones by the way. My father will feed you before you go home. Take some food for your family as well". He was still dragging me to his place but I stopped dead at his gate. I was too shy to meet his father, especially in the state I was in. He just rolled his eyes again and pulled me in so hard I nearly fell over. But before I could say anything I spotted a giant of a man on his table outside with a really pretty girl in his lap reading to him; they were laughing and he kept holding the girl quite close to him. It took me aback a little; I wasn't used to seeing a man affectionate with his own children, especially a man of his looks and reputation. I figured the must be Seo-Yeon; Hwi's sister. And the man she was sitting on….

"Who have you brought this time son?" His voice boomed across the whole courtyard without once looking up. "Father! How did you know? You didn't even look at me when I walked in! You're just with Yeonie as always" he grumbled. Still without looking up at his son he took his sword scabbard and hit his son lightly on the head "Hwi, don't start this nonsense again. I love all my children equally. It's just that....fathers and sons are different from fathers and daughters that's all" he chuckled deeply, amused at his own son's petty jealousy. Yeon then got up from her father's lap and ran into the house without taking notice of me, as I thought. I couldn't help but feel a little sad at this for some reason. Seo-Gom looked up at us finally, took a good look at me and ordered me to come closer. I was so scared and awkward I nearly wet myself. Hwi rolled his eyes again for the third time "what's with you, seriously" as he grabbed my arm once again and pulled me towards his father. I had no idea what to expect until...until he took my tiny hands into his. "You're Nam-Jeon's boy, right? And Ae-Ri?" I looked at him in shock before looking at the floor with tears in my eyes. This was the first time I had heard anyone address my mother by her actual name instead of the other awful names people called her. He just looked at me for a while again before asking me what happened. I finally mustered some courage before being able to speak and I told him everything. He just looked at me again wistfully before Yeon came running out again " Oraboni, have some of this cake our neighbour made for us" she handed her brother a piece so devotionally I almost cried at her warmth. She was going to eat her piece until she finally looked at me....but...she didn't look at me the way everyone else did, like I was dirt that dared to live. She looked at me with such clear eyes I almost took a few steps backwards. She walked up to me and really properly looked at me...before she smiled at me. My first smile from anyone, never mind a girl. She then took my hand away from her father's and gave me her slice of cake. My eyes widened in shock before I felt a little awkward and tried to give it back but she just kept smiling at me and told me it was ok, that there was more in the kitchen and that she would have her piece later. I couldn't help it, I devoured the cake as soon as I could as I was always hungry after eating with my mother. Seo-Gom just laughed at this before she looked at me again "I've filled up the bath for you. Take one before you go home; Hwi, give him one of your clothes". Seo-Gom just laughed at this and embraced his daughter, giving her a kiss on the cheek before using her inside as it was getting late. Seo-Gom then took me by the hand as did Hwi and they lead me to the bath.

My bruises stung a lot I was not going to lie, but it was my first time having such a warm bath. But I didn't dare to linger. After I bathed I immediately got changed and tried to leave but Yeon caught me. I really didn't know how to react to her always looking and smiling at me as she did; I couldn't return her gaze for some reason. She took me by the hand and lead me to the dining table where Hwi and his father had already started eating; he was talking to him about he handled the bullies. When they saw me, Hwi also got up and guided me to the table whilst Yeon carried my bowl to me and placed it in front of me. She then sat next to her father who gave her a little kiss and looked at her fondly for a while before he went back to his food. When I was finished, Seo-Gom packed some food for my mother and some gold coins. I looked at him startled but he bent down and told me to pass on a message to her; that her old friend Seo-Gom was always around to help. With the first genuine smile on my face, Hwi walked me back home and I had my first sincere friendly conversation with someone. But with the events that would occur not long after that...I could only reconnect with the Seo's after their father was framed and punished to be boiled alive in a cauldron in the town square...where they were orphaned and Yeon had an epileptic fit out of nowhere. And when my father denied Hwi's desperate plea to bury his father, I snuck out and helped him...and I never forgot them. In fact, all 3 of us were pretty inseparable from then on...

Yes; I had to sacrifice Hwi to live up to my mother's promise of overthrowing my own father and turn this rotten country into a place where everyone is equal despite their birthrights. Being an illegitimate child in the Goryeo dynasty in Korea from a man who worked in the emperors' horse stables and worked his way up the social hierarchy and to a servant who later became his concubine made my life cruel and unforgiving. But at least I had Seo-Hwi and his sister Yeon, even though they were pretty much demoted to ghost status after their father's death; the greatest swordsman in Goryeo. But I had to take her in myself after my father discovered that Hwi had found out that he had rigged the military exam in my favour; a fact I was unaware of until later on and I had to send him to the army before my father found a way to kill him. And it must have been a very confusing and hard time for her but at least her memory loss ensured her survival; even if it was by the people who caused that very fatal epilepsy fit she had that caused her to lose her memories in the first place.