Chapter Ten

Love!. 

The word love is sentimental.

Love is always patient and kind. It's never jealous nor merciless. Love is never boastful or conceited. It's that feeling that makes a person stay up all night. Fighting for your love sometimes leads to turning your back on those who love you- This is the fact of Hwanung. 

Hwanung is a son born to Sang-je from another goddess. He wasn't known to many people as Sang-je son because of his resilient nature.

Surprisingly he fell in love with his stepsister, Dalnim and because of this he and his father were never in a good relationship with each other because Sang-je forbidd him to be with his sister. But Hwanung didn't care whether he was in a good relationship with his father or not. All that matters to him is his love. He is ready to do anything and everything for Dalnim.

It was a selfless love.

~~~

The cold bloated sky roared accompanied with a clap of thunder.

In a chamber on the northern side of the heavenly royal palace. The candle light placed on the hallway flicked like it was on the verge of losing its light. 

In his dim light quiet room Hwanung sat on a chair inside the inner chamber. His eyes that are round like a puppy had lost focus as he stared at the torch light in front of him that aided the candle light. His finger drew a line on the table with an expression of deep thought, and like always his thoughts were occupied with that one person.

The person that bloomed his heart like a flower with love, smile, happiness…. And that person is none other than Dalnim. Dalnim might be his half sister but she is the woman he loved; the only woman that makes his heart beat faster. 

The Gods were against him when they learned of his love for his sister and since then Hwanug has been banned from attending the Royal meeting. His decision didn't matter and he was considered useless to Sang-je and the remaining Gods. But that didn't freck Hwanung, he was determined to have Dalnim as his lover. No matter what obstacles had to be overcome, she must become the woman that will bear his children. No matter the sacrifice he must make.

Instinctively, he turned to the door when he felt the presence of a person and almost immediately a young man dressed in black attire with a long old looking stick in his hand walked inside the room.

The man bowed his head when he came to a stop in front of Hwanung. "Milord"

"Hyeonmu'' Hwanung called his name so effortlessly, barely in a whisper. His eyes still glued to the candle light in front of him.

"At your service Milord" Hyeonmu replied monotonously, his head lowered to the ground.

Hyeonmu is one of Hwanung followers, more like his shadow. His true self is a black turtle snake but he has the ability to shift into a human being. None of the Gods know about the existence of Hyeonmu except for Sang-je but he can only be seen by Hwanung. 

Hyeonmu wasn't the only shadow of Hwanung, there are other three followers of his but Hwanung never summoned them unless it's a critical matter.

The other three shadows are Baekho, cheongnyong, and jujak. Their real self was white tiger, blue dragon and Phoenix. These followers were also crafted into an object like Hyeonmu. 

Hyeonmu's object was a long blackstick, Baekho was a white metal tiger head, and Cheong yong was blue metal tablet but Jujak, the red orbs had long been missing and despite the intense search for her, she hasn't been found yet.

Though Hwanung was banned from attending the Royal meeting, Hyeonmu had always been there to give him the details of what happened in the meeting and today wasn't any different as he came to report to his master.

"Milord. Princess Dalnim was presently in the throne room. She was ban from speaking or uttering a words"

As those words fell to Hwanung ear, his whole body stiffened. Numerous emotions flooded his eyes, making him clenched his fist furiously; his knuckle turning white. His nail nearly cut into his skin as his fingertips drew up blood. 

Hwanung doesn't want to know about the Dalnim offense but still, what offense could she have committed to warrant their father incurring such punishment on her. 

She could die!.

The man had always been selfish. He only cares about his throne, and Gods. He never considered his children and none of them had felt his love as a parent's love to children.

First he had banished his elder brother down to earth, as well as laid a heavy curse on him. Not that he was worried for Haemosu because he had selfishly hoped that when his brother was out of the kingdom then their father would transfer all favour he shower on Haemosu on him to him but that didn't happen, their relationship rather worsened.

And this time around, he decided to make Dalnim more miserable. The young lady had never enjoyed his favour for once and now he decided to punish her with Mungnib

How dare he do that. There is a limit that must not be crossed even for a punishment.

Silence reigned for a second but what seemed like an hour before Hwanung stood from his seat. He raised his cold eyes to meet Hyeonmu. "I am going to the throne room. You will come with me"

"As you wish Milord" Hyeonmu bow courteously.

As he walked elegantly out of the room, his white robe and widened sleeve swept the floor.

~~~

Dalnim was still standing rigidly inside the throne room. Her breathe was steady, as she puffed out air from her mouth continuously.  All color drained from her face like a ghost.

The two guards behind her are still standing at alert to strike her with punishment light but since Dalnim hadn't disobeyed the king's order, they were left them hanging. But the guards couldn't help but exchange a curious look with each other.

Not moving or talking might seem simple but that only easy if only they aren't inside the throne room and this wasn't a mungnib. 

The throne room cohabitates with the seal of each Gods and each seal exhibits the energy of the Gods. Those whose seals aren't included like the servants of the kingdom, the seal feeds on their energy and they could only regain back another energy through their body movement like talking, moving or any other physical activities. 

And if this activity isn't taken into place by them, they would die. This is also the reason why most of the servants were banned from coming any closer to the throne room. The unfortunate one who couldn't escape was the guards assigned to the throne room.

But Dalnim looking totally un disturbed made the guards wonder if her seal was also inside the throne room. But the truth is Dalnim was having an inwardly fight with an internal heat crimping inside her stomach.

She might look unfazed outside but the energy emitting from the seal of the Gods is suffocating her. Her own seal wasn't included therefore she was affected by the energy. She had the urge to escape the heat by saying a word or moving a step but knowing the punishment light (Tadun)awaited her if she did so, left more arching pain in her stomach.

The punishment light!...If a lash should land on a servant , it without a doubt leads to death. But if it should land on her who is a goddess she wouldn't die but it will leave an everlasting scar on her body and a great torrent of energy of 100 years will be cut off from her energy. It will also take a long time for her to recover.

That's the power of punishment light (Tadun).

"Milord! Milord, forgive my imprudence but you can't enter!" 

Dalnim heard the voice of a guard outside and what followed was some hasty footsteps coming into the throne room and the footsteps halted very close to Dalnim. 

Dalnim figures out the person must have been stopped again by the guards behind her. As she couldn't keep her curiosity locked any longer, she turned back but before she could catch a glimpse of who was behind her, an excruciating pain strike her back.

She had been hit with the Tadun by one of the guards

Dalnim's knee grew weak instantly and she fell to the ground. She grunted in pain and her whole body curled up in agony. Blood gushed out from the deep cut on her back. Beads of sweat gathered on forehead and she coughed convulsively dissipating her core of energy and her torrent of energy worth 100 years was disappearing even then.

Since she was already on the floor, she was finally able to see the person behind her and it turned out to be Hwanung. Her eyes widened in surprise, contradicting her pain. She doesn't expect to see Hwanung because she knew he was banned from entering the throne room. Hwanung gasped at the moment  Dalnim got struk with Tadun. His breathing drastically changed as his mouth refused to open

Meanwhile the guard who landed the Tadun on Dalnim was also groaning in pain on the floor. No one knows what happened but a sword out of nowhere thrust into the guard's chest. Unknown to them, the sword came from Hyeonmu. Actually the long stick in Hyeonmu's hand can change into anything his guardian wants, so Hyeonmu command the stick to turned into a sword and struck the guard's heart.

Before Dalnim could realize what happening, she was laying in Hwanung warm arm. Her white dress was soaked in blood and every muscle in her body twitched in agony. It was so painful that she almost couldn't breathe.

Knowing that she won't be recovering from this anytime soon, she had to handover her mission over to someone else. Her mission is all about protecting Haemosu and clearing his name. She needed someone she could trust. 

There is only one name that came to her mind right now. That's Hwanung!. And since they were also brothers she doubts that he will reject her pleas.

"Hwanung" Dalnim began, her voice thick with emotion. 

"Help me"

The urgency in her voice had Hwanung at alert. He replied hurriedly "Anything. I am ready to do anything for you"

Dalnim's brow deepened as she continued, it was clear the pain was becoming unbearable with every passing second "Haemosu. I need you to look over him for the meantime. You might be his younger brother but now is the time he needs us because specifically he was now a little inferior boy."

Hwanung eyes dropped as he gritted his teeth. it hurt to know that Dalnim care this much for their brother.

Guilty was driving Dalnim mad. Realizing time wasn't on her side, and she was slipping away, she hurriedly brings her hand for Hwanung to seal the promise. "Promise me you will do as I say and help Haemosu" 

Trying not to think much into it Hwanung took her hand "Yes I promise you"

Dalnim smiles out her tears and sighed in relief. Slowly she settles down into Hwanung embrace and falls asleep.