.fifty four.

-

"Born on that same day are not one, but two stars. But there is more. One of them shines much brighter than the other. One of them has the star of a king."  

-

As soon as Yo left them alone at the table, Eun's strong exterior crumbled and he was once again vulnerable in front of Minji. His boyish face contorted into a look of pure pain and he started to cry out, holding his injured hand in his good one, giving it a shake as though to ease his pain. His dark eyes assessed the damage and he noticed his knuckles were starting to bruise from the impact. But it was expected, Yo knew how to fight and had a strong exterior while Eun was softened by his inability to truly defend himself. There were tears stinging his eyes, but he held them in because he didn't want anyone else to see him cry, except for maybe his wife. But they were in the palace and he knew anyone might see them.

Minji felt blindly for him until her hands found his, her fingers ghosting over his injured hand and he winced in pain at her touch. "Are you hurt, love?" She jutted out her lower lip into a pout, worrying for him.

He nodded his head, and replied to her question. "Just a little bit." 

Eun was trying to downplay what it really was. But he could not deny that the pain was excruciating. He just didn't want her to worry, or to feel bad that he was injured because he didn't regret it one bit. He knew that if presented the opportunity, he would gladly take a swing at his older brother again for disrespecting his wife. 

"Let's hurry back home so that I can make you feel better. Okay?" She said in a low voice. Her words taking on more meanings than just one. Sure, she would wrap a bandage around his hand and made sure he wasn't in any physical pain. But she would also make good on her promise to give him that extra special thing that he liked so much. He had kept his promise to be good after all, even though he ended up fighting with his brother. But that had taken place after the party. Minji was satisfied with what she could get, especially when he had fought his brother to defend her honor.

Her husband eagerly nodded his head and they went home together, thankfully not running into anyone they knew other than a few servants. They returned back to his grandfather's land, where their house had been built, and Minji asked the maids to help her use some herbs to numb the pain, and then to wrap his hand in a bandage to put some pressure on the injury. She then dismissed them after once again telling them her signature phrase--I will personally take care of my husbands needs. Whenever she said that, the service knew what was going to take place between then and Eun knew it as well. 

After their intimate moment together they both went to sleep in each other's arms and hoped to forget the events of that day. 

-

As months started to go by, Minji's baby bump started to grow and become more visible. She and Eun stopped going to the palace again, as Eun didn't want his brothers to touch her or even so much as look at her. Whenever there was an important ceremony he would go there alone and ask for Minji to wait for him at their house. He would ask the maids to take good care of her and not let anyone but Soon Deok, Han, or her family in the house. Minji didn't mind, although she didn't really feel comfortable letting him go there all on his own. She thought he was still a little boy. An eighteen year old who was still vulnerable to the ill intentions of his family members at the palace. The only ones there who truly cared about him were So and Baek-ah. The latter now visited them frequently and played music for his older brother and Minji. 

Eun had just gotten back from the palace and Minji was waiting for them in her bedroom. By now she was six months along and the doctor told her she was in good health, as was her baby. Eun had talked to Minji about bringing Ji Mong to read the skies. According to the tenth prince, just by doing that, he would be able to know the gender of the baby, and many other things. But Minji wanted it to be a surprise. In the present time in Korea people were always obsessed with finding out the gender of a baby beforehand.

She didn't mind waiting and being surprised. 

The general's daughter was sat on heer bed with a wooden box placed on her lap. Her mother had brought it for her, as only clothes had been moved into the house when she moved in with Eun. It was tradition for a bride to leave everything else behind, as she would get all new things when married to her husband. Her husband, however, was able to retain all things he had when he was single. Eun had been able to bring his box of toys into the house, despite his mother begging him not to. 

Even without her sight, she already knew what was in the box. It was her birthday presents from when she turned fifteen almost a year back. By this time in her life spent in Goryeo, it wouldn't be too long before her sixteenth birthday and Eun's nineteenth. She was already starting to plan with the maids how everything would be set up, and she wanted it to be a surprise. 

Inside the box was the hair pin Jung got her, a silver hair brush Yeonh Hwa gifted her, scented soaps from Hajin, a silver hand mirror from Baek-ah, among other things. But the one item that really caught her attention was a silk ball with a tiny bell attached to one end. It was Eun's present for her when she turned fifteen, and she also remembered what the person at the toy shop told her and Jung when Jung had gotten one for her month's prior. If a boy gives one of these to the girl he likes, then she will fall in love with him. Jung had given one to her first, and Eun had given one to her second. If the legend really worked like that man said, then which of the two would come true?

Eun caught her holding the ball in her hands as she entered the room. "Is that your birthday present from last year?" He asked her, a grin forming on his lips. He was pleasantly surprised that she still had it, considering they weren't exactly on good terms when he gave it to her.

She nodded her head slowly, feeling the soft material in her fingers. "My mother brought over this stuff. She said that out of all I had left behind, I should have this with me."

Eun went to one of the drawers by the side of their bed and opened it, producing an item of his own. He held it in his hand like it was a precious object and went to sit next to her on the bed. Placing it in her hand, he explained, "I still keep this item too." He confessed, and as her fingers dances across the wooden material, she realized that it was a slingshot. But not just any slingshot. It was the one she had given him for his eighteenth birthday. "Property of the Shrimp Prince." He read off it in amusement.

Minji felt her face go red. "Let's not remember the cringe moments in our lives. But Eunnie--" She wondered, holding the silk ball up for him to see. "Did you know what this silk ball meant when you bought it for me?" She couldn't help but feel hopeful as she waited for his answer.

He didn't even think about it as he replied. "The merchant told me there was this old Chinese legend where if you gave it to the girl you liked, she would fall in love with you. But I thought nothing of it at the time. Now I think that it is real, but I think it worked in reverse." He let out a slight chuckle, remembering how the two didn't use to get along at all. Now he was absolutely devoted to her, and couldn't think of his life without her.

Minji grinned, again unable to contain her emotions. He somehow had that ability to make her smile now. Maybe it was all that time they were spending together. "I grew on you, your majesty."

"I guess you did." He sighed.

-

On another occasion that he went to the palace, he told his wife he was going for some kind of family gathering and that she shouldn't wait or worry for him. But he was actually there to see Ji Mong, the King's trusted astronomer. His curiosity was getting the best of him, and he wanted to know the details about his baby with Park Hak Soon. He wanted to know everything, from his gender to his personality traits, and everything else Ji Mong could find. He would still respect her decision though and would not mention anything that he knew to her. If Minji wanted it to be a surprise, he would let it be a surprise for her.

The astronomer smiled at the sight of him, since he hadn't seen him in a long time. Eun hardly came by the palace anymore, and when he did, he would find any opportunity to leave as soon as possible. It was getting dark outside, but Eun knew it was the perfect time for star gazing. 

When Eun arrived at the palace without a family driven motive, one of the guards informed his older brother Yo. The third prince had been keeping a close eye on his younger brother and his wife, trying to find a good time to strike and teach him a lesson for what they did to him. Now that Eun was in the palace, Yo had quickly left his room and followed him up to the tower where Ji Mong spent his time. Yo was puzzled as to why he was there. Then again, he told himself, his wife was expecting a child and he probably wanted to know what was in store for them. Yo wanted to know that information as well, since it could turn out to benefit him later on.

"Prince Eun." Ji Mong greeted him with a bow of his head.

"Ji Mong," Eun replied rather breathless after having climbed the endless stairs that led up to the tower. Still, his determination and his curiosity were undeterred. "I come to you with some very important questions about my baby."

"What do you want to know?" Ji Mong asked, his eyes already beginning to subtly scan the horizons. From where they stood, they could see out towards the balcony and up at the stars, but Ji Mong knew they needed to get closer if they wanted a proper reading. It was nothing a couple of minutes out on the balcony couldn't fix. 

"Tell me everything." The tenth prince replied.

The astronomer led the tenth prince out towards the balcony and took a few minutes to study what he saw in the skies. He searched for the baby's star, in the sector of the night sky that represented the month in which the baby was expected to be born. He was surprised and raised an eyebrow when he saw something that caught his eye. Eun noticed the change in his facial expression, quickly trying to get the information out of him.

"What do you see?" Eun asked.

"Born on that same day are not one, but two stars." Ji Mong began to explain, and Eun's eyes widened. From outside the room, Yo was listening in, and making sure to remember all the information. "But there is more." The astronomer continued, "One of them shines much brighter than the other. One of them has the star of a king."

Ji Mong knew what that meant to anyone in the palace who might hear that information, especially if that information were to make its way back to the king himself. It was unheard of that the tenth prince should have a spawn a child which would be born with the star of a king, it was utterly impossible. They were too far in the royal bloodline to even get a chance at the throne. Yet it was there, written in the stars. But this information alone would be enough to see prince Eun and his family as a threat, and Ji Mong knew it.

No one else could find out of what they had talked that night, or what Ji Mong saw.

Not if the tenth prince wanted to continue to live.

-

guys, you know me. 

i love drama. so this isn't the only bit of drama y'all are gonna get. what does this even mean though? the star of a king? yo didn't have the star of a king, yet he snaked his way into the throne. so it could mean anything. doesn't necessarily mean anyone will live or die. 

just putting that information out there. 

qotd: do you think eun really planned that? giving minji that silk ball, knowing about that old legend, so that she would fall in love with him?

also, i kinda wanna do a q&a with the characters of this story once the story is over. so start thinking of questions you want answered and let me know in the comments. thank you for the support!

-clary