.fifty seven.

It was weeks before Minji was allowed out of bed rest, and in that time, she taught Eun how to feed the children, how to hold them properly, and how to change their clothes. They spent every moment together, with the tenth prince completely forgetting about wanting to play and be childish. Seeing two tiny little human beings in his arms filled him with a happiness unimaginable. It was even more so because they were a part of him and the person he most loved in this world--his wife. Now he had two new people to share his happiness with.

By the time Minji was able to walk about the house, the young couple received a letter from none other than the King himself. One of the maids had handed it off to Eun, as it was from his father after all, but he had told the servant not to tell Minji about it. The servant bowed her head and headed out of the room, but ran into Minji who was quick to question what the letter was about. "You said his majesty has sent us a letter? Do you know what it was for?" She asked, and she felt the servant tense before her.

"I do not know, m'lady." She bowed and scurried out of the room.

Minji entered to find her husband reading the letter. She could not see him with furrowed eyebrows reading the words on the page, but she could sense by the tension in the room that it was nothing good involved, especially if it had to do with the king. The eighteen year old looked up to see her enter the room and all his hostilities towards his father melted away. He would soon be turning nineteen, as she was sixteen now, but it seemed like more than two years had passed since the two met. Eun was infinitely more mature now, and would do anything to shield his wife from any harm. He closed the small distance to greet her and he pulled her into his arms, making sure to be extra gentle with her. Ever since she had given birth, she was frail and weak. The doctor said it would take months of taking care of herself to get back to normal.

She got on her tiptoes to place her lips on his. "What are you reading, love?" 

He raised an eyebrow at her in suspicion. "How did you know I was reading something?"

Minji replied simply, hoping that if she was truthful with him about everything, he would be the same with her as well. "I heard one of the maids talking to you about it. And I also heard how you told her not to tell me what this was about. What are you hiding from me?" Now she jutted her lower lip out into a pout in an attempt to soften him up. Perhaps he would crack and tell her what he was hiding.

Wang Eun heaved a sigh, eyes averting her soft face. "I'm not hiding anything." 

He wanted to surrender to her pleas, but he didn't want her to know about the letter. He was positive that if she knew, she would insist on doing what she thought was the right thing--something he disagreed with. He didn't want to take his beloved back to that place where she would be mistreated for something she didn't do. Even the servants there didn't treat her equally, likely as an order from the king. Whenever they went over for breakfast, she was always served last, and the food on her plate looked like nothing more than table scraps. It filled him with anger, but she always stopped him before he could raise his voice and complain about it.

"Then why won't you tell me what the letter says?" She asked him, continuing to insist.

There was a back and forth of him denying there was even a letter, and her insisting that she wanted to know what he was hiding. When he finally gave in, he also told her why he was trying so hard to keep the new from her. 

"When a prince has children, there's this stupid ceremony done in the private baths with a priest, the king, and Ji Mong present. My brothers and the queens will be there too." He explained, not very comfortable with the idea of taking his family to what he thought of as the lion's den. "The priest will take them and offer them to the heavens, and douse their heads from the water in the baths. Its stupid and we don't have to go." He insisted, crumpling up the letter in his hand.

Minji did exactly what he thought she would. "Eun if this is important for your family we have to do it. They already don't like me and I don't want them to think I'm the one who doesn't want to go."

He quickly gave a shake of his head. "I will write a letter saying we want nothing to do with them."

"You can't do that!" Her eyes widened. 

His family already didn't like her. She didn't want them to do the same to their children. She wanted them to be surrounded by people who loved them. As it was, right now they hardly left their house because there weren't many people in their lives that Eun wanted to be around. They saw Han and Soon Deok every day. They saw her family and his mother's family. But if the king didn't like her, she at least wanted him to like her children, not because they were hers, but because they were Eun's.

"We won't go, jagi, and that's final." He declared, tossing the piece of paper into a corner of the room and crossing his hands over his chest. 

-

"I can't believe you're making us go to this pointless ceremony." The tenth prince sulked on the carriage ride out to the palace. Minji, as well as Eun and the children who were already three months old were dressed in their best outfits. Minji was fidgeting with Soo Hyun's outfit, while Eun held Eun Bi in his arms. He wanted so badly to direct the driver and beg them to return them to their home. 

Eun's mother, and even Minji's parents thought it wasn't a very good idea to be going. But Soon Deok and Han assured that they would be there to make sure nothing went wrong.

"Love," Minji started with the smallest smile on her lips. "They're your family. You must have at least some confidence in them. These are people you grew up around, and people you know since you were a child."

He heaved a heavy sigh, feeling a bit bad that he didn't trust them. His own wife trusted them more than he did. "Because I know them I know that this is a mistake. Brothers So, Baek-ah, and Wook are passable. They don't hate me. But Yo and Won have always been terrible brothers. And Jung-ah..." He saw the way the name triggered her to wince because it had just been so long since she'd last seen him. Up until now, he had not done anything to get in between her marriage with Eun. But he had promised her that she would be by his side again. Initially, it would have been something she may have welcomed, as long as Eun wasn't hurt in the process. Now she was perfectly happy with her husband. "Jung-ah has hated me since the moment you and I became engaged. It will make him livid to see us together and happy."

It was about twenty minutes before the carriage stopped and they were helped out by the palace guards. Ji Mong came out to greet them and lead them to the private baths where the ceremony would take place. Everyone was already there waiting for them.

Something that she heard him tell Eun sent a shiver down her spine. "You shouldn't have come, your majesty." The astronomer was also certain that nothing good would come from that invitation to the palace. "This is all but a friendly invitation. They want you to think they want to meet the newest addition to the family. But really, all they want is to scope out their competition." The competition to the throne, Minji thought. Her son, through impossible circumstances, would be king one day. People like Yo and his mother were bent on stopping that from happening. It was until that moment that Minji considered going back home. 

But they were already there, and had already been spotted by Queen Yoo, who hurried over to greet them with what sounded like over enthusiasm. But it all sounded faked to Minji. 

"The tenth prince and his lovely wife." She said, pulling one and then the other in for a hug. Looking to the two children, she added, "And these must be the newest additions to the royal family. Are they well? Are they healthy and strong?" Minji tried to hold Soo Hyun as far from her reach as possible. She shielded his head and his face from her prying eyes. The way she pretended to be so nice when she clearly wasn't made Minji feel on edge.

The general's daughter gave an uncomfortable nod of her head. "They are well."

"But so small and fragile still." Queen Yoo commented.

"They are perfect." Eun shot her a glare.

The Queen left them alone and quickly disappeared into the palace. Ji Mong led them inside as well, but without so much of a hurry as the queen was displaying. 

They were taken into the private baths where they were once again swarmed by people. First Baek-ah and Yeon Hwa who were there to congratulate them with hugs and smiles. Minji was still not used to the fact that Yeon Hwa could smile, or be nice to someone. Next was Wook who congratulated them and whispered to Minji that Hajin sent her love and support as well. She was still working in the palace as a servant of the royal family. So bid a quiet congratulations to his younger brother, and last were Won and Yo. Eun felt himself stiffen as his brother approach them, and he stood in front of Minji and Soo Hyun to shield them. He had beckoned Soon Deok who was nearby, and handed his little Eun Bi off to her. 

"Congratulations Eun," Yo started without much enthusiasm. His gaze fell upon Minji and the little boy in her arms with disdain. "It seems you have done well."

Without even having heard the news about their baby having the star of a king, Yo already saw the child as his direct competition. Yo had mostly brothers, and their competition for the throne was the current one. But he also thought about the future, about his direct bloodline having the throne. Mu had two daughters, Yo also had daughters, the rest of his brothers had no children yet, at least not the ones eligible for the throne. Eun was the first of them to have a son, and it made Yo's blood boil. Of the next generation, Eun's bloodline would be first to the throne. The son of a tenth prince, since the princes previous to him had no sons.

"Thank you." Eun replied coldly. He knew his brother didn't mean those words.

The king was the last to congratulate him, and he was all smiles. His first male grandchild. In a world where strength and power were everything, being male was most important if one wanted to succeed. The king didn't think about future turmoils, they would solve that later. For now, he was over the moon to be seeing his first male grandchild in his life time. 

"You have done well, my son." He pulled the tenth prince in for a hug. Eun stood there stiffly, still not enthusiastic about seeing his father because of the way his wife was treated.

"Thank you, your majesty." Eun replied quietly.

When the king pulled away from him, oblivious to Eun's current dislike for him, he gestured to Ji Mong and the priest who were present. 

"Let the ceremony begin. I have no doubt that this moment will go down in history--our first male heir of this generation has been born." He said with a prideful grin. He was also oblivious to Minji's flinches at his words, or the narrow eyed glares Queen Yoo and Prince Yo were shooting at the little boy in his mother's arms. It was their deepest desire for that child to not continue living.

-

it has been about two months since i last updated this story. 

that's a very long time. but i still feel really inspired and highly motivated with this story. so please expect more updates. thank you all to those who still read and support this. i know it has been too long.

its just that i have spent a lot of time out with my friends. especially because i have a crush on someone and have been trying to get his attention.

but i will try to update more often.

thank you all again. have a wonderful day!

-clary