WHEN THE FATE CAME

Chapter 1 Fate

It was a sunny day in autumn, and a group of young girls sought shelter from the sun under a canopy. With a red ribbon tying back her hair, Deokim read aloud from a book.

"After Pyeongguk returned from the war, he fell terribly sick and took medicine day and night. The prince called upon a famous doctor, who examined Pyeongguk's pulse and said that while the illness was not severe, something was very strange. The prince asked..."

The little court ladies were captivated by the story, leaning in to listen.

"Pyeongguk's pulse shows he is not a man!"

The girls gasped and clung to each other in terror, as if they were hearing a ghost story.

"After some reflection, the prince concluded that Pyeongguk was likely a woman. He reasoned that someone who wasn't a man wouldn't have fought in battle. Pyeongguk's pale complexion and fine features had caused suspicion, so the prince ordered that nobody disclose this information."

The girls were excited, eager to hear more. Suddenly, Deokim closed the book and sat on it.

"What's going on? Pyeongguk is pretending to be a man?"

The children clamored with questions, and the tallest among them, a girl with a large build named Bokyeon, was ready to throw a punch if she didn't get an answer.

"This is torture! Why aren't you reading?"

"Can't you see? You have to pay a fee," the girl sitting across from Bokyeon taunted, sticking out her tongue. Her face was as white as an egg with peach rosy lips. Not only were they seated in opposite directions, but her facial features were also opposite from Bokyeon's own.

"Kyunghee, do you think you know everything?" Bokyeon challenged.

"I know more than you," Kyunghee retorted.

The attention of everyone at the table was suddenly focused on Deokim, who remained silent with her eyes rolling. Kyunghee's assumption seemed to have been correct.

"Again? So soon! We have to pay another five cents!" There were groans of disappointment all around the table.

Deokim calmly put her book down on her lap and smoothed out her dress. "Don't hate me. I'm just reading a book."

It was clear that Deokim had honed her bargaining skills over a long period of time. It might not be fair, but anyone who felt sorry for her would inevitably give in to her demands.

Bokyeon tried to grab Deokim's arm, but her efforts were fruitless.

"I surrender! I surrender! All we have to do is pay the fee, right?"

Bokyeon's lead was followed by everyone else at the table as they rummaged through their sleeves, pulling out coins and knick-knacks to offer as payment. Deokim held out her hand to accept the items, unable to conceal the satisfaction on her face.

"Don't you think you're going a bit overboard? You're like Jeon Ki-soo," Kyunghee remarked as she reluctantly paid her fee

"At first, you read the entire story, but now you're doing this to us every five pages," she complained.

"Kyunghee, you must be jealous," Bokyeon teased. "If I want, I can read it, too! It's not in Chinese characters, it's in Korean!"

"Then by all means, read it yourself," Kyunghee shot back.

Bokyeon was testing Kyunghee's nerves. Kyunghee went flaming. Bokyeon got up and hid behind Younghee.

"Both of you should keep quiet. If you're fighting, we'll get caught again." Younghee said with discomfort.

"That's right. Last time when I got caught, I received 100 lashes on my legs." Deokim added, "Kyunghee, if you want to leave, I can refund your money."

Everyone turned their eyes on Kyunghee. Although she was very angry, she still wanted to listen to the story. She sat herself down again. She doesn't know why. Even if it's the same book, Deokim makes it heaps more fun than reading it herself. She tried to convince herself.

Deokim made a light smile and started turning the page again.

8

"On the other hand, Pyeongguk's started to recover from his illness. He thought, they've already examined my pulse, so they must have found out....."

Unfortunately, the reading was interrupted again.

"Hey, Lady Seo is coming!"

All the kids started screaming. They all stood up looking lost. If they get caught putting their work aside and gathering with other kids, it means death. However, they were all too late. There wasn't any time to escape. Lady Seo from the East Palace arrived and grabbed one of the children.

"No wonder the palace is so quiet. So you're all gathering in here!"

If they were to get caught, it was better to be caught by Lady Seo who has a light heart.

Seriously speaking, Lady Seo wasn't a scary senior court lady. The kids looked at each other and they pushed Deokim forward. Deokim pretended to be clueless but she received all the money. She had no choice but to come forward.

"My Lady, we're just gathering to read a book together."

Lady Seo raised her eyebrows.

Since Deokim arrived in the palace, She shared a room with Lady Seo. She was Deokim's mentor. Even so, it doesn't mean that Deokim could take control over Lady Seo.

Deokim was a child full of curiosity. She has big round eyes and peach rosy cheeks. She was very cute. Her only weakness was, every now and then, she would run around like an unleashed pony.

Not long ago, among the dust in the storage, she found the <Legend of Hong Kye- wol> and she went fully immersed into her character. It was a popular fiction story for women at the time. It was a story of a heroic woman who dressed herself as a man to fight in the war. Deokim started to impersonate Hong Kye-wol. She even asked other children to join in. She was playful. A few years ago, she was into reading <Legend of Lady Park>. She started to do rituals like Lady Park and of course, she got caught.

"So it's the legs again today?"

All Deokim could only shook her head and hugged her book on her chest.

8

"Aigoo... That's enough. I don't even have time to punish children today." Lady Seo sighed.

"Today is a mourning day in the palace. Everyone is very busy. It's a sorrowful day so please don't cause anymore troubles. You can all go back."

A royal consort in the palace passed away a few days ago. Upon Lady Seo's instructions, the little maids started to leave. Deokim tried to hide herself among the other kids but was caught by Lady Seo. She grabbed the back of Deokim's neck.

"Follow me. Stop playing games with me!"

Lady Seo took Deokim along the path used by the servants. She started nagging, "Please grow up a little" or "If you do this again, you will be kicked out of the palace." The same sentences that Deokim already memorised.

"Why did I end up with an apprentice full of great ideas?"

In between all the nagging, someone suddenly appeared.

"Lady Seo! What are you doing here?"

An old court lady finally caught up with them. She was trying to catch her breath.

"I heard that the crown prince will start the 'Crying Ceremony' soon (a ceremony with singing for the deceased). You should go as soon as possible!"

"What's the time now?" Lady Seo dropped Deokim's hand immediately.

"Please go back and wait for me. I will be grateful if you can just return without causing anymore trouble"

Lady Seo turned around and ran off immediately. Followed by the old court lady trying hard to catch up with her.

It was fortunate for Deokim to miss the danger she was about to face. Lady Seo has a kind heart. Deokim thought, I will make up for her later and her anger will disappear. If I do well, I might not get lashings on my legs again.

Feeling relaxed was just temporary. Immediately, new challenge awaits Deokim.

Lady Seo took her on a short cut and left her behind in an unfamiliar place. She was in the forest with some hidden paths behind the palace. Ever since she entered the palace, besides the East Palace, she has never walked alone without a senior court lady. She was lost.

It was a terrible situation to get lost inside the big palace. They said it was a busy day so she couldn't see one soul walking pass.

In between buildings looking so similar, her legs were tired from all the walking. She decided to pick one building and see if that she could find her way out. Randomly, she picked a building that was exceptionally quiet. The wind blew and came along a strange smell. It wasn't a pleasant smell. She took a look around and couldn't see anyone in the building. Deokim took her shoes off and left them at the doorstep.

She walked through long corridor and the smell became stronger. At the end of the corridor, the doors were slightly open. Through the door gap, she saw a yellow candle inside. It caught her attention and she went into the room. All the windows were closed in the room. It was dark. It was a big contrast to the summer they were enjoying outside with a fresh breeze. In the middle of the room, there was something big in the shape of a box.

It was a coffin.

Deokim finally realised. This must be the palace for the deceased royal consort. She looked around quietly. In the middle of summer, to preserve the body, they made an ice bed for the deceased. She realised the smell came from the dead body. She felt her goosebumps.

The coffin wasn't covered yet. Deokim stood on her tiptoes and looked over. An old woman with her eyes closed. She thought her face was very pale but she also has eyes, noses and mouth just like her.

"Are you here to pay your respect?"

A voice came through in the darkness. It scared Deokim. She thought, the ghost is coming. She turned around and found someone sitting in the dark corner.

It was an old man with wrinkles all over his face and forehead wearing a long beard. In the dark, she couldn't see his face but she could see him wearing a robe made with red silk and golden embroidery.

Are you the King?"

The old King smiled.

Deokim was never taught what to do when she sees the King. She opened her mouth wide and looked at the King. He had double eyelids and a long nose that sat firmly with his deep dragon eyes. There was a sense of stubbornness on his face but if you look from another angle, you could see his handsome features. He was as pretty as a woman.

"She was very pretty when she was young." The old King stood next to Deokim and looked at the woman inside the coffin.

"The first time I saw her, I was surprised and almost suffocated." The King's eyes were full of affection.

"I never thought she would be the one to leave before me. After all the years spent together, I don't know how to say my goodbye." He started crying like a child.

"This person is leaving me but I cannot follow her. I want to be at her funeral but as the King, I am not allowed to follow my consort's coffin. We lived together closely for forty years. She gave birth to our six children. This is heartless."

"You're the King. You can do

anything?"

The King laughed at

himself. "If you find out how many things a king couldn't do, you will be surprised."

Looking very exhausted, he sat in front of the coffin. He didn't even use a seating mat. He sat straight on the floor.

"Little child, you look smart."

Surprisingly, the king patted on his knees to signal Deokim to sit down on his lap. Feeling impolite, Deokim shook her head.

"Ai... Quickly!"

She once heard about how the princesses used to sit on the king's lap when they were children.

At the end, Deokim sat on the King's lap as instructed. His old legs were thin and bones were sticking out. The King put his hand on Deokim's waist to secure her sitting position.

"When is your birthday?"

"I was born in the year of Kye-yu"

"You must be very young when you got separated from your parents. When did you enter the palace?"

"This is my second year in the palace."

"So you entered in the year of Im-oh." The King raised his eyebrows. Something seemed to bother him.

"Why did you become a court lady?"

"If I become a court lady, I can support my brothers' living."

"It seems like you are not from an official's family."

"I am an in-between. My mother passed away while giving birth to my youngest brother. My father who worked for the government with no official ranking also passed away. It's difficult to support our living but it's getting better now."

Deokim then shared her stories about her lazy eldest brother Wan, her gentle second brother Sik and her crying youngest brother Heub.

"It's good to hear that you became a court lady because of your brothers." The King said with cloudy eyes.

"I had an amazing daughter just like you. She looked just like her mother. She was a beautiful child. She followed me with whatever I did. When I finished my day's work, she would come and hug me with her pretty smile. I thought she was just a little child but she grew up really quickly and got married."

With his sorrowful face, he looked at the deceased consort. He must be talking about their daughter.

"You can't see her often?"

"The last I saw her was a very long time ago." A tear rolled down his sorrowful face.

"To see my princess, I left my work behind and went to visit her private residence. However, she doesn't understand her father's heart. In the days of her beautiful youth, she went to the underworld."

In the world where it was common to have death of children and sick people, it would still be painful for any father to remember their lost children.

"The nightmares are scary. I kept dreaming of my princess still around your age sitting on my lap. Suddenly, a person wearing black appeared and took her away. I often woke up from this dream with my ears still hearing her cries... Royal Father... Royal Father..."

Suddenly, the King wiped the tears off his face. "Having a long life is also a crime."

Deokim was feeling very uncomfortable on his lap and tried to move around.

"So, how is your life in the palace?" The King realised he spoke too much and tried to change the topic.

"At the beginning, I was very scared but after a while, I think it's fun. I get to learn lots of words and I get to read lots of books."

Deokim showed the King her copy of <Legend of Hong Kye-wol> that she was reading to her friends.

"Isn't this beautiful font from the palace? I want to learn how to write nicely. I will work hard on it. I will use this skill wisely like the senior court ladies."

They looked at a page with very neat writing. It doesn't look easy at all to learn how to write like this. Every stroke showed the long endured writing practice from the calligrapher. It was the beautiful writing that makes it easy for the reader to read. Even if the writing looks beautiful, all the court ladies were taught to write the same font as the standard. Your own writing style and personalities should be wiped out.

the ste

When Deokim's mother was still alive, whenever the topic of court ladies came up, she would get mad.

She used to work in a medical house that looks after old court ladies. She knew very well all the cruel treatments that the court ladies had experienced.

After reading <The Tale of Queen Inhyeon>, Deokim wanted to become a court lady. She told her mother how she wanted to write like court ladies. Immediately, she was scolded and was told to never become a court lady. She even forced Deokim into a pinky promise. Until the day soil covered her mother's eyes, she could never become a court lady. The promise broke apart on the day when Deokim's mother died while giving birth to her brother. Her mother returned to soil.

"She also had beautiful writing. Her transcribing was done nicely." The King smiled.

"She used to be a court lady just like you."

"They said a court lady can never get married?" Deokim asked.

The King mumbled his answer and said it was still possible to marry the King.

"Ah! Anyway, seems like you've been studying hard?"

"It would be nice if I can write my own novel. I want to write a book." With this thought, Deokim felt proud.

"But the Teachers said there are many things we shouldn't be doing. I can't write too much and I am not allowed to let the other kids read it."

"If a girl knows too much, her fate will become more dangerous." The King tried to comfort Deokim like a grandfather. He smiled.

"It's the same for our Crown Prince. Even when he gets sick, he won't put his books down. I need to beg him to rest and eat properly."

The King looked at Deokim's face.

"Hang on, the Crown Prince was born in the year of Im-sin. He will be well matched with you." There was a sense of possibility in his eyes.

"I am also a court lady from the East Palace." Deokim looked at the King with her naive face. She changed the topic.

"Your Majesty, why are you here alone?"

"To make everyone look for me on purpose." The King joked with a happy face.

"I am thinking of a proper title for this person."

Not everyone gets a proper title. A title was only given to the consorts who entered the palace through the selection process. They came from reputable families. As for the consorts coming from a court lady, they will not be given any title until they give birth to a King. With this consort, her son, the Crown Prince passed away two years ago. Her grandson is now the new Crown Prince. It would be controversial to give her a proper title.

"She did a lot for me.... Nevermind!" The King tried to convince himself but his eyes were showing guilt and anger.

"Have you decided?"

"She was righteous. I am thinking 'righteousness' "

Then, the King whispered in Deokim's ear, "This is the first time, I am telling someone about this. Maybe it was fate that you have with her that brought you here today at this time."

To a little court lady, what he just said was very meaningful but also very scary.

"You better go. The eunuch will come looking for me soon. To see me like this, they might have mistaken you."

Deokim jumped right up from his lap.

"But what is your name?" The King asked with a gentle voice.

"My surname is Seong."

The

The King repeated her name a few times and nodded his head. The encounter with the King was like a dream for Deokim. While she dashed off to make her escape, the King stared blankly at his deceased consort.

Approaching the end of an era, the King lowered his shoulders.

On the same night, Lady Seo returned at sunset.

"Ah! What have you done this time?" Lady Seo was giving Deokim some death stares.

"I didn't do anything." Deokim tried to pretend.

Lady Seo took out a sack. "The Head of Eunuch said this is for you. His Majesty granted you this. What's this? How did you get to know His Majesty?"

Inside the sack were four books sewn neatly with black threads. The title reads <Model of Female>. They were lecture books on women's living principles, including how to be a good daughter and how to be a good wife. They were books written for the wives of government officials. Deokim looked at the books. From the outside to the inside, it was all stamped with a red seal.

While reading the words on the red seal, Deokim's heart sank. It was the seal from the consort who would be buried in the cold soil tonight. After reading the first chapter, the impact on her was even greater. These books were not books collected by a royal consort. They were personally written by her. Just like the King said, her writing was beautiful. Her words were neat and they flow through smoothly.

To a little mere court lady, these books were too precious.

"Hang on, did you hear the noise?" Lady Seo grabbed Deokim's shoulder.

Far away came the sound of the flute. It was mournful sound of the flute.

"I think the deceased consort is leaving the palace. Let's go and take a look."

Stepping outside, it was as bright as day time. It was a night with no curfew for the people in the palace. Many were down on their knees crying and saying their farewell.

Lady Seo went on her knees. She pushed down Deokim to kneel with her.

"She was a good person. She even personally prepared breakfast for the Crown Prince." Lady Seo wiped tears off with her sleeve.

The deceased consort went further and

further away.

At the same time, someone walked past with a fire torch. A small flame of fire fell on the ground. No matter what, the small flame tried to fight for its survival and stayed for a while. Until someone walked passed with black shoes and stepped over the small flame.

The once burning flame tried its best to survive but now disappeared without a trace.

TO BE CONTINUED....