"Your Highness the Crown Prince! Please forgive my stupid son's vulgar mouth!"
My father's voice and expressions were equally filled with graveness. The person I had unknowingly insulted was none other other than the Crown Prince, Ki Jongmu. Or better known under the nickname the Demon of the Palace.
Rumours had it that he was cruel and twisted. He was the sharp blade besides the king, doing all the dirty work no one else wants to do. He was once tasked with executing the whole family of a traitor and he did so without hesitation. He spared no women nor children. Some say he even had a bloodthirsty grin while doing so.
There were many such rumours throughout the whole kingdom. One may not know all the great heroes and sages but everyone knew of Ki Jongmu and that if you crossed paths with him you would probably end up dead.
For such a man to have arrived at their family home, it was frankly speaking, half a death sentence. Not a good thing at all.
I recovered from my shock and finally also kneeled down. "Your Highness, please forgive me!" I bowed deeply so that my head touched the ground. What I had just done was a serious crime, insulting royalty could in some cases end in banishment or even death.
The Prince fell silent for a long time before approaching me. I sensed him just standing before me and staring intently. Cold sweat ran down my back.
"Lift your head." His voice was deep but soothing. Even though it was layered in coldness it sounded pleasant to the ear. I subconsciously relaxed a bit.
As he ordered I lifted my head and looked at him. This time I saw his face more clearly. It was beautiful as if sculptureed with the finest jade by the gods.
His snake like eyes looked intimidating. They were staring me down. He was tall. Very tall. I would have to look up at him even if I stood on feet.
"Hah." He let out a chuckle as if amused by me. I unconsciously raised my left brow and frowned.
It was only then that I noticed him wearing make up. Red drawn lips and glittering eyeshadow. It strangely suited him and highlighted his delicate features without making him look overly feminine.
"Is my face to your liking?" Ki Jongmu voice still held amusement.
At those words I finally snapped out of the trance and panicked a bit. "Forgive me for staring. You are just so... handsome." Fuck it. Why did I say that. Something must be wrong with my head. To think only about his looks. He must think me a joke. Iimmediately regretted my words.
Jongmu chuckled once again. He was laughing quite a lot. Then he returned to a neutral expression and just stared at me. My father beside me was painfully poking my waist with his finger to remind me not to say anymore nonsense.
After a while he put on a smile. He approached my father and helped him to stand up. He also beckoned everyone else but me to stop kneeling. It was humiliating. My face flushed red in shame.
"Lord Beak, do not worry it was Indeed rude of me to visit on such a short notice. I will overlook today's happening as I can see your Clan's sincerity." Jongmu then smiled broadly and snapped with his fingers.
Maids and servants appeared from behind him with countless boxes in their hands. "Here is a little thoughtful gesture from my part. Please accept them."
As my father saw the countless gifts presented he finally began to relax. Everyone else also breathed a sigh of relief. If he brought presents than they wouldn't die tonight.
My father accepted the gifts with a wide smile and motioned to our servants to show Ki Jongmu to his seat.
The only problem was that I was still kneeling in the midst of the banquet hall. Noticing this my sister looked helplessly at our father. But my father just shook his head. He couldn't risk angering the Crown Prince.
Just when I thought I would have to spend the whole banquet on the ground kneeling, steps halted Infront of me. It was Jongmu once again. He lifted my flushed face with his index finger and smirked. "Young Master Baek's face is also to my liking."
He then grabbed me under the arms and lifted my whole body up. That's when I truly realised how tall he really was. I froze at his unexpected actions.
When I stably stood on my two feet, he let go of me. "Young Master, it seems like we're quite fated.We even sit next to each other."
The way he said it was clearly mocking me. He was blatantly making fun of me. That must have been it else I couldn't explain the strange glint of laughter grossing his eyes.
My flushed face didn't calm down but this time it wasn't from embarrassment but anger.
When finally everyone including me and the prince sat down on our seats, the banquet started. My father shamelessly flattered that rude jerk of a prince the whole duration of the banquet.
When things slowly began to come to an end, the prince finally mentioned the reason for his arrival.
"Lord Baek. Actually I've come here with an request. A very important one I might add to it."
My father turned serious this time. His hazy bright smiling face turned attentive. "Please speak freely, Your Highness. It would be an honour for the Baek Clan to be if assistance to you."
Jongmu nodded as if satisfied by those words. "As you know I am well past marriage age, yet I haven't a wife yet." He stopped for a while as if choosing the right words."To be honest. There's a good reason for why I am not married yet. It's because I have a fated mark on my skin." He pulled up his sleeve, showing the star symbol marked on his forearm.
At those words I and the others widened our eyes in surprise. Having a fated mark meant that one was destined to another person.
For this reason the fated mark was also called the Lovers kiss.
This myth dates to the old ages. It is said that the farmer girl Sun-ok one day reached enlightenment after seeing the statue of the white tiger in the forest. She became a supreme martial artist and began to teach the village's people.
Now great, strong, beautiful and admirable Sun-ok became one of the most respected in the village. Yet she felt lonely. She possessed wisdom and strength like no other , so there was no one that could match with her. She felt like she didn't belong anywhere.
So every night Sun-ok would look up to the sky and pray to the stars. "Great Heroes, Sages and Gods. Please send me someone like minded. Please send someone that can understand me, that doesn't fear me. Send me someone bound heart to heart, soul with soul.".
Then one day a young scholar named Kwan arrived in the village. He was tall and handsome. His eloquence, virtue and strong mind were all impressive and Sun-ok fell in love with him.
After years of studying Kwan proposed marriage to Sun-ok. "I will go to the capital to become an official! Then I will return and marry you.". So Sun-ok waited and waited but the scholar never returned. Later she found out that he had died, he had drowned to death.
Sorrowful she cried every night, praying to meet her beloved in the next life once again. The gods favoured her and fulfilled her wish. The next day Sun-ok woke up with a mark on her body.
The gods spoke to her. "You shall be bound heart to heart, soul with soul. Find his reincarnation, you and him share this mark, if you have found the right one, it will bloom into a flower."
That's how the myth went. Very few people had this mark. Some saw it as blessing, romantic even and some as an shackle, a hassle.
Especially for nobles it was nothing good. If they were lucky their fated partner was a good match from another prestigious clan or at least rich in wealth. But if they were less fortunate their partner could be an commoner. It would ruin their reputation and standing in society. Family also were reluctant to marry their sons and daughters into a family with of marked individuals.
Marriage were something often political and all about alliances. Love seldom was reason for it. Beak Hana and Seong Jubok were exceptions not the the norm.
That's why many family's keept the fact that one of their child was marked hidden. For people part of the imperial family this was even more the case. So for Jongmu to have just simply revealed such information was strange. If by fate his partner was from a respectable noble family all would be good and it could even turn to be a great love story recorded in the books for later generations to read. But if it is no good match or the person happens to be an commonor the person was as good as dead.
The prince's intentions were easy to guess, making it all the more horrifying. Does he genuinely wants us to help him find them!
And just as I expected, Jongmu spoke the words I desperately didn't want to hear. "As you know. Having such a mark is quite the hassle." He spoke slowly, pronouncing each syllable clearly. "Finding them myself would alarm too many people,making it awkward. So I'm here today to request the Beak Clam for a person."
At the Prince's words my father, sister, Jubok and I immidiantly cuppd our hands polity. "Of course we will accept!" My father accepted willingly. "Who is it that you want for this task? I presume that you have somone in mind as you came all the way here.".
Although it was still unfortunate for our clan to be chosen, it wasn't overly strange either. The Baek Clan aside from being a business family also had also produced decent martial artist in each generation. Especially when it comes to tracking and illusion related skills which the Baek Clan was famous for.
"I do indeed have somone in mind. It's someone I'm quite fated with.". The prince spoke in his usual well enuauced tone. He lifted the cup in his right and hand drank a sip. His manners were perfect, he made even simple movements look elegant.
"I came here to borrow your son, The Young Master Beak Hwi.".
Silence. My father's smiling face couldn't be maintained. His lips twitching slightly. "....Hwi? Him? W-..." My father hold himself back from cussing. "Your Highnesse, frankly speaking, my son's quite useless. His fighting skills are just so-so and his tracking skills even worse.".
At those words I couldn't help but to snap my head that frozen onto Jongmu to my father with speechlessness. That was pure slander. My tracking skills were superb, the best of the best. It was a field I excelled even beating my sister.
But I held back. I knew father was doing this for my own good. I just lowered my head as if ashamed and kept quiet.
My sister and Jongmu who sat opposite from me smirked. Jongmu even eyes seemed to convey mockery. He was clearly having the time of his life seeing me in a tight spot.
"Oh? Lord Baek you must be joking. I have only heard people praising your son's abilities. He's very well-known."
My father deflect his words with a smile and an uncomfortable silence. He swallowed the wine in his mouths. "They are just some pretty tricks, no real abilities and flattery is always exaggerated."
It was now obvious that my father was rejecting the specific request for his son to be the one doing the task. The atmosphere turned tense once again. Not that it was truly calm from the very beginning on.
"You must be joking." The Prince amicable expressions turned cooled. "I regret but I have to insist.".This time Jongmu's voice had more force behind it."My father...also hopes for the Young Master's assistance."It was now clearly an imperial order not a simple request from a prince.
This time my father cupped his hands and bowed. "We dare not object!"
Having to bow now too it was annoying. I had never bowed so much to anyone. It felt uncomfortable. Especially as no one for even a second aksed for my opinion. The subject of the conversation concerned me yet I wasn't allowed to take part in it.
"No need to bow. We are here to enioy fine wine and food, after all."
Jongmu's words reliefed everyone. No one was showing it outwardly but they were afraid of him. He was after all some rumoured to have a bad temper that lead to blood to be spilled left and right.
He now turned to me. Smiling beautifully. It was a truly charming smile. His eyes curved like the moon and shined like the stars. Striking.
"You Master Jongmu." His index finger touched my chin, raising my lowered head slightly. His thumb almost touched my lips. "I'm truly delighted to have you by my side...in quest of finding my fated partner."
I just gulped nervously. His gaze and the way he spoke was somewhat strange. It was gaze so intense, I felt as if was going tone devoured.
"The pleasure is mine." I wanted to lower my head but he was still holding my head up with his index finger. So I could only lower my eyes.
"Quite nice to the touch." The prince spoke so quietly only I could hear it. His hands wandered from my chin to my cheeks as if cupping them before letting go of me.