CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

The next morning, the whole city celebrated, the women cooked, the children danced around the streets and sang of Baek-Hyun's praises. The market women and men spoke all morning long of the brave foreigner, some had their unscrupulous opinion about her, but most supported her. everyone feasted in the land but Baek-Hyun threw a special feast for the heads. They had a great banquet. Young-Jae was present with the other lieutenants and Chi-Mae too. Lady Ki served tea but she joined the banquet. Of course Man-Chun was present Baek-Hyun invited some of the surviving Lieutenants in Gi and they did honour the invitation. "I want to use this moment to thank Emperor Young-Jae of Hak-Kun kingdom and all his lieutenants, I thank General Chi-Mae of Hak-Kun Kingdom, and all other lieutenants who are present here today. We all had a long day yesterday, the great battle has been worn and I couldn't have done it without everyone here, we are indebted to you Emperor Young-Jae for your benevolence, for not abandoning us in times of our greatest needs, I say that you may ask from us anything that you so much desire and that you will have". Baek-Hyun was scared but she did well. Man-Chun prepared her speech and she nodded to him after saying them, "You have don't well Baek-Hyun, we do not seem to be in need of anything for now but we will surely call on you if we need anything, cheers to victory". Young-Jae said with a smile and Baek-Hyun stared at Chi-Mae and smiled, she had flickers of tears at the corner of her eyes but she held it in when he smiled back at her.

After the feast, Young-Jae departed with his men and Baek-Hyun said goodbye with a hundred change of clothes, fifty horses, fifty camels, hundred shillings of gold and a carriage. He had asked her not to but she insisted under Man-Chun's supervision. She had a lot to learn about politics, she knew. Chi-Mae chose to return later, it seemed he didn't understand the handwriting on the wall for he was head over heels in love that he forgot that it comes with its own price. He helped her in passing orders and giving instructions about what needed to be done, he did see the reality of things in the as time went on but he ignored it with great snob. It was only in the evening that Baek-Hyun was free, somehow, she knew what Chi-Mae was going to talk about and she had dodged the conversation the whole day and it was dawn on her she couldn't run from it any longer, she had to face the harsh reality of being realistic. "Baek-Hyun, congratulations on your success, I see you have realised your dreams. Man-Chun is a really good representative in lieu of you. I do not mean to make a choice for you of course not, it's your choice to make". Baek-Hyun listened patiently for the nail to be hit on the head. "all you ever wanted was to save your family, now you have done that, saved Ji-Seok, conquered an entire Empire and given them a new home and in addition to your successes, you took the head of your oppressor. It's time to go home, to Hak-Kun and stay together for ever don't you think?". His hands were on her face and she wasn't even staring at his face as he spoke. "You promised to return with me to Hak-Kun where we can start a new life together, Lady Bong Cha and Moon look forward to your return". Chi-Mae didn't know if he sounded desperate but he didn't intend to, he was proud of her and all her achievements but she belonged to him and not to anyone else. "Chi-Mae…" Baek-Hyun didn't know what to say, she searched her head for words to say to him but it seemed she had forgotten how to speak. All that was in her head was the conversation she had with Man-Chun earlier that day. The throne was now empty with no one to fill it except the last prince and the prince wasn't interested in royalty not to mention leadership. Man-Chun had told her about how the people worshipped her for her bravery and for saving them from their oppressive king and yes, she had a new and better dream, she didn't want to be a warrior, she wanted to be a warrior Empress. But she had preferred to speak to the last prince and hear his opinion but later that day, they received a terrible report that the last prince had drowned himself. He left a six words letter saying – I have nothing to live for – Baek-Hyun felt terrible, she knew what the boy was feeling like, she understood his feelings but what she couldn't understand was how much her sister cried. She knew she had never cried before when anyone died so she couldn't console her. She gave the boy's corpse a befitting last rite just as her sister demanded. Though she was sad, she would rather pretend she wasn't. "Baek-Hyun, will you go back with me?". Chi-Mae asked and she stared at him. "Chi-Mae, I want to go back with you, you know I do, I love you and I will always do, but you see, I have struggled so hard to be where I am right now, I have freed my people from the clutches of Emperor Woong and I can't possibly leave them without a leader right now, I told you… you know I have wanted to be an Empress right? How will that happen if I follow you back to Hak-Kun?". Chi-Mae's hands weakened and it fell off her face. "Chi-Mae please, I want to go back with you but I'm… I'm afraid… I… I can't". Chi-Mae stared at her blankly, that was the second time in a row he had tears in his eyes. "Baek-Hyun… you promise, you…". he was going to say more but she held his hands so harshly. "Chi-Mae please don't make this harder than it already is. I am so close to my dreams, I can't possibly look past it right now, Chi please understand, please". Chi-Mae stared at her for a while hoping she would smile at him and say it was just a joke but she didn't say it, she was crying bitterly on her own and she wouldn't even stare at his face. He turned to walk away hoping she would rush to him and say it was a prank, or at least make him understand why she couldn't swim past a little pool for him when he had swim an ocean for her. He walked slowly so that she would catch up with him and explain more but she didn't, she stood on the same spot and cried. He closed his eyes and wished she would call out to him and ask him to understand but she didn't until he was out of sight, she didn't call out to him. Baek-Hyun sobbed in there for a while until Man-Chun came to tell her that it was time for her swearing into power. It was Baek-Hyun and she wasn't weak, in a jiffy, she had switch back to the normal Baek-Hyun. "Keep a serious face always". Man-Chun told her and she nodded and positioned her serious face. That night after she returned to her chamber, she took her time and cried, her eyes swelled, she had no sleep at all and Chi-Mae was all over her mind. She remembered all the time they had spent together, from the first time she met him, to the first last time they met. She knew he didn't deserve what was happening to him so she stood at midnight and she wrote different letters for different people. One was for Moon, and Aya, and Lady Bong Cha, and the last one was for Chi-Mae. In the letters, she hoped to visit all of them soon. She left her chamber and gave it to the guard at the door and she asked him to give it to U-Jin. U-Jin got the letters right on time, he ensured Chi-Mae didn't see them as he put them in the heart of his cloak. He knew something had happened between Chi-Mae and Baek-Hyun, everyone that knew how they were was aware something had happened. Baek-Hyun stood in the window of her chamber and looked down, there, Chi-Mae and U-Jin, they rode away, they were leaving, returning to Hak-Kun and he was without her. She remembered that in the letter, she had wished that he had true love.

Chi-Mae on the other hand wondered if all they shared meant nothing to Baek-Hyun, he wondered if he wasn't good enough, tears didn't stop rolling down his eyes as he dashed away but he felt the wind blow against his skin and dry his tears. He stopped a while later when he had gone out of their walls and he stared back at where he came from. Baek-Hyun's tower stood tall above all other houses. He knew she deserved better life, painless life that would make her wake up to happiness daily and if being the Empress would make her happy, he was willing to go away so she would be happy. She had done enough for him when she pulled him out of his dangerous void. "Congratulations". He whispered into the breeze and it took his voice to one of the houses in the city instead.

It was the morning time when the sun was shining brightly in the sky that Baek-Hyun slept properly. The maids knocked until they were tired so they summoned Lady Ki and when she got there, she opened the door and found Baek-Hyun sleeping peacefully. She turned away and went her way.

By the time Young-Jae and his men reached, Hak-Kun celebrated and when Lady Bong Cha asked him, all he said was "Baek-Hyun won the battle". Lady Bong Cha remained silent and a smile creeped to her face and she turned to Aya. "What about Chi-Mae?". Aya asked and Young-Jae nodded. "He's on his way". "Baek-Hyun has made great successes and I hope you get somewhere close to her one day". Young-Jae said to Aya and walked on. Aya was shocked that her brother could say that to her, she turned to lady Bong Cha and then she walked away as well.

Man-Chun was promoted to the position of the personal Advisor to Baek-Hyun. Lady Ki was made to stop serving as a court lady and Baek-Hyun honoured her as the Queen Mother. Of course, Hana lived as Princess and the worthy Ji-Seok soldiers were each given different appointments in the palace. Baek-Hyun woke up that morning, she felt different, like she had conquered because she had. She was high spirited as she summoned Man-Chun's presence. "What are the opinions of the strong holds about me?". She asked looking serious like he had told her to be. "most of them are speechless but the most influential three speaks bad". Baek-Hyun nodded and then she turned to him. "the most influential three I see, pass my order to them; the heads amongst them must come here before five days and bow to their new Empress and tell them that they do not want to defile my orders". Man-Chun smiled and nodded but he hid the smile then he fell on his knee. "Your wish is my command your highness". He said with his head bent low. "Do not ever bow to me again, never. I am here because of all of you and you all deserve the glory of my achievement as well".

Chi-Mae rode on his horse in great speed to the abandoned temple. He stared at the stone offering one after the other before he finally looked at Baek-Hyun's stone offering. He walked to it and knelt before it and then he removed a flower from the heart of his armour and he placed it on the stone. "I wish the heavens will keep her safe and I will see her again one day". He had sealed his heart and refused to be miserable because he knew Baek-Hyun's decision was favourable to them both and he would support her if he truly loved her. He smiled as he remembered all the time they spent together from the first time they met till the time they parted. He remembered when she had told him that all she needed was water, but when he gave her water, she passed out without drinking any. He remembered when she made him succumb to her wish and drink the concoction that was meant for her just to prove that it wasn't poisoned, when he kissed her, when she finally kissed him back, he remembered when he tugged her into bed to sleep. He remembered everything.

Baek-Hyun was dressed fully as the Empress that she was, she stood tall and she looked as serious as seriousness itself. Everything was going as planned the three most influential strong hold heads where in the capital. She walked elegantly into the throne room with Man-Chun behind her. When she was closer to the golden throne with tiny ruby designs, she stopped and she stared at the seat, she exhaled deeply and then she climbed the steps with more confidence in the next step than the last until she reached the royal throne, then she sat down with jaunt. That seat was hers, she fought for it and she owned it, she had the right to sit there and lead the nation. Man-Chun fell on his knees with his face on the earth "Live long your highness, live long your highness, live long your highness, your reign shall never cease". He said and Baek-Hyun nodded once. "Rise". She said and she rose. "Your highness, the heads from the three strongholds are have come to see you". the door keeper announced from outside the throne room. The three men were shocked to indeed see a woman seated on that throne. They were confused and mesmerized, yet they surprised. They looked at each other as they walked in and stood before Baek-Hyun. She stared at them questionably and they got the message, they all fell on their knees with the face on the earth. "Long Live Empress Baek-Hyun, Long Live Empress Baek-Hyun, Long Live Empress Baek-Hyun, your reign shall never cease". The Empress stared at them with satisfaction. "You may rise". The Empress said!