Chapter 179: Seon-Ho/Seo Yeon

It was a real shame that we all had to return home eventually, but it had to happen. My children who were usually so well-behaved couldn't help sulk; Hana cried her little heart out and it took ages for me to calm her down. Hyuk wasn't one for dramatics but he spent every single waking moment with his cousins until it was time to leave. They were all hiding their tears from us but it wasn't working. I couldn't help but feel put out, they were not usually upset about anything. They were content with the life I provided them; noble with us and just ordinary kids when they were with my wife's family and they loved it. We all had to really promise them that we would start coming here a lot more. My children were well-respected in their social circles and even studied with the Prince and Princes now. But they were at the age where they were wild and free, and I desperately wanted them to savour every moment of their childhood, something I didn't have. I looked at my children, the children my father couldn't even compare with my older half-brother, the one he strived for and I thanked Buddha that I had made the right choice chasing Yeon. I looked at her fondly in the carriage as she held my son in her lap who was still trying to conceal his tears in her neck. He wasn't usually the affectionate type but that didn't stop my wife from holding him every chance she got behind my back so I wouldn't notice. But in truth, I was just as guilty as she was.

My boy was old enough to start being his own man, but I couldn't help but to hold him in his sleep sometimes, take in his scent and stroke his hair, wondering what on earth I had done to deserve such an intelligent, diligent filial son when I was everything but. He was already so much more intelligent and capable than both me and his uncle at his age. I was glad I listened to Yeon, I just needed to give him some space, something my father never learnt and sure enough he surprised me, far more than I was expecting. He even surpassed his fellow peers who were all from the royal family; he gave me face and allowed me to stand tall; rewarding him was well worth it. He wasn't even spoilt by nature, which was a huge relief for all of us. Hana was a different story however but she was a girl so I let her get away with it. In fact; she was more than capable than other boys her age, so she was well justified in her spoilt behaviour which wasn't too overbearing thank goodness.

We all couldn't stop looking through the windows of the carriage, wondering whaler lives would have been like if we had stayed put. It was a life I was craving myself once this mess with the Palace was over. Hwi just had to put in a little more work with the Prince before we could take him down and I could retire; thanks to my spoils in the last war I had more wealth than even I needed, so I could support my family for the next 10 years, or even 20 if we lived in her father's village. I could even use the funds to help repair the village much quicker than the general deadline we had set. My children were still moping around; Hana had fallen asleep on my shoulder with tears in her eyes as I laid her aside on the seat; she was just like Yeon, bright, creative but normally kept to herself so we were glad that she made more friends this time. I took Hyuk away from my wife's lap as I didn't want him to crush her pregnant belly. She smiled at me warmly and commented on how close I was bonding with our son and how happy she was about it. We were both anxious over this issues with the way my father...reared me. i kept him as close to me as I could instead of putting him down next to his sister. Looking back at this holiday, this was the happiest I had seen both of them, especially Hyuk. I think that the highlight of it all was when he ran straight to me whilst I was working on the school and tried to hide himself in my chest shyly for the first time as he was trying to avoid a very pretty girl who couldn't stop staring at him. I had never seen my boy blush before so it was a real sight to see. We all teased him for the rest of the holiday but whenever he came across her I was always the first one he came running to and he always buried himself in me...and I loved it. And as for Hana well...she discovers makeup a little to early for my liking.

I really did love my son a lot; a lot more than I could have imagined, he was more than what I had asked for. He taught me what it meant to be a father and I loved him for it; it was something else I strived to be, a lot more than some poxy army general it turns out. I looked over at the small bump that was my next son hiding under her clothes and I couldn't wait for him to come out. I had such plans for him, just like the twins who actually achieved them on their own willingly rather than have me coerce them into anything just like my father...and speaking of my father, I knew I had to tell them about him sooner or later since Hyuk hadn't stopped asking me about him. I was dreading it but I had my wife to help me thank goodness. I didn't want to talk about it at all and I tried to distract them with them with their upcoming birthdays. They were both going to turn 9 soon and they couldn't stop going on about it and drooping not-so-subtle hints about the gifts they wanted from everyone. Hyuk wanted me to take him to the palace and the militia camp more already and Hana demanded that I built a house in her grandfather's village otherwise she threatened to run away there and live with her uncle Hwi. I couldn't help but laugh as she stomped her little foot and shuffled to her room with her arms crossed up to her chest just like my wife used to when she was little.

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My man was finally happy and content and so were my children. He came over to me after we got home and just held me for a long time after out twins had made their pets threats to us about running away from home to live with my brother. We could only laugh at them as they started unloading all of their early birthday presents that everybody couldn't help but spoil them with before we all ate and rested. He placed his hands on my belly that was only a little swollen and told me how much he loved me, how thankful he was for me and how much he couldn't wait to retire to my father's village. Grateful tears couldn't stop spilling from my eyes; it wasn't an easy marriage at all from the start and he did everything in his power to make sure I was aware that I could not function without him. He paraded me around when he wanted, took me everywhere without my consent and had me when he wanted. I didn't have much of a say in anything apart from how I ran the household that he threw me into. But he only softened when I gave him the family he craved, the attention and affection he had been withheld from his entire life and worked hard to show him new options in life that he could take.

He was a good general, a fantastic husband and uncle and the best choice of husband for me, I really couldn't imagine my life without him. I wrapped my arms around him and got a much affection out of him as I could before our children made fun of us and moaned about how we were so touchy we were compared to other parents as they tried to break us apart and pull us all into the family bed together.

Life continued like this for a while; birthdays, holidays, my son and nephews were personally called into the palace by the King who was impressed by their act of bravery with the way they handled Chun-Ae. They were now allowed to train alongside the Prince's although they had formed a little gang on their own. They were completely inseparable since the moment they could talk and we were so relieved of their friendship, and even Hana had gotten closer to her cousins since she was the only girl who was alone with the princes and I didn't like it at all. I couldn't forget our ill-treatment at the palace and my heart dropped everyday my baby girl walked out of that door. She was becoming more and more like me everyday but she was still way too young. Her father, on the other hand had gotten ore neurotic that myself despite his horrid job of hiding it. He had all of our children watched and for the first time I wasn't angry about it. All I had to do was wait for my baby to be born; thankfully he didn't swell up to the size my twins were at full term and he kicked me at every chance he got, telling me he was ready to come out just as I was for him to be born.