Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Her phoenix hairpin look dazzling under the moonlight, her lips sometimes curl and draw a sweet smile while her delicate fingers are dancing through the strings. Her mind take a trip to her memories line, leaving her precious son in boredom .
This melody again. " 'Moonlight Melody' isn't it?" He thought.
"Do you know there's a story behind this melody?" His mom soft voice wakes him up from his thought.
This melody have a tale? This is the first time he heard about this.Despite his mother talents, he has always been hearing his mother playing this song, only this song. He knows there're many melodies played to tell tales among folk but no other musicians would play this song other than his mother. His almond eyes are glistening, filled with curiosity.
" please tell me the tale!!! "
...................
Back when the tiger used to smoke, there's a prince who blessed with musical talent by heaven. It's being said no other people in the world could play gayageum as good as him other than the late queen dowager. One day when he strolls around the place he's beguiled by a mysterious euphonic tune. The sound of gayageum was coming from an infamous old pavilion rumoured to be haunted. However, his curiosity brings his leg to the Lotus Pavilion. And there he saw the rumoured ghosts sitting gloriously under the white moonshine surrounded by lotus.
The moonlight guides her pale hand to pluck the silk string, echoing the melodious melody throughout the lake. The perfectly mirrored moon is distorted by the gush of wind, blowing her jade black lock that been hiding her delicate face from him. Indeed a ghost can kill. The prince forgot how to breathe at the sight of the beautiful ghost. She took his breath away.
Seasons past and it's been the last full moon of the year. Whether its the warm summer night, chilly fall nor the frozen cold winter, she always there, only on the full moon. She plays many tunes but his favourite is the tune he never heard anyone but her play, the 'Moonlight Melody' he heard she called it. She always plays it, while looking eternal just like a moon goddess itself, gracing his ear with sweet tunes of gayageum. Nothing change since he saw her for the first time, surrounded by the lotus sweet fragrance on the fated spring night.
On the 13th full moon since the first time the prince saw the beautiful ghost, he come forward to meet her. Unfortunately, the so-called ghosts are scared by the prince bold spirit. No matter what, the man in front of her is still the prince of the nation. She didn't dare to even spare a glance on the child of heaven. His sharp dragon eyes sent a shiver through her body, but her eyes betray her and bring a fatal effect to her heart. That flower jade face of him is too beautiful it successfully charms her.
The ghost falls in love with the prince at the first sight. So is the prince, he falls in love with a ghost in the late grand queen dowager pavilion. That night filled with their light conversation and pleasant laughter that echoes harmoniously with the gayageum. Their love bloom like the lotus under the moonlight. But the night didn't last too long, soon enough the sun greets them.
Sadly, that was the last time the prince heard the 'Moonlight Melody'.
The little boy totally drowns in the story, the tragic end of the story is too much for his soft pure heart to take.
"No don't tell me it's the end of the story!"
....................
The rushing footstep fills the corridor and causes a slight commotion. He's getting late. He has been too focused on work he didn't realise it's already past dinner time. But a king is a man of his words, he doesn't want to make them wait any longer. His arrival is about to be announced but stopped by the loud whining from his son.
"No don't tell me it's the end of the story!"
"What happens to them why the ghost stop coming? "
His cute little voice is getting clear as he slowly comes closer, hoping his arrival won't disturb the mother and son storytime.
"The prince must be sad" he adds, his pouty lips expressing his empathy for the prince in the tale.
This tale sound familiar for some reason. In fact, Yoongi sure he knows this tale a little bit too well. And that of course not the end of the story.
Indeed the prince is sad, he waited for the ghost every month. As he brings his step closer he continued the story, feeding the curiosity that about to change to tantrums.
Even he knows the ghost only appears on the full moon, his longing makes him spend thousands of nights alone in the pavilion. He keeps waiting, hoping maybe one day the ghost would appear as her favourite gayageum is getting dull and covered in dust.
"Father you know this story too ?" His clear eyes show how shocked he is. This poor little boy can't help but feel slightly betrayed.
"Why no one tells me this tale ?! Please tell me more father!!!!" too immersed in the tale, he even forgot to greet his father and went straight to his arm.
....................
With his blessed talent, the prince tries to play the same tune he been hearing from the ghost to ease his loneliness. But he can't seem to play the same exact tune he has been yearning to hear. However, on his 19th birthday when he's named as the crown prince, he finally heard the exact tune he heard 3 years ago. He has been told that the girl who was performing is the only daughter of a renowned general. The youngest child of the minister of war. And she is performing upon his mother, the queen request.
The laughter from his parents fill the quiet night and bring warmth to his heart. But the boy is still confused with the plot of the tale.
" I don't understand what so funny? What happened?" His little fingers are scratching his tilted head.
"Turn out she's no ghost !" Seungwan exclaims while trying to hold her laugh.
"The ghost that the prince falls in love with is actually a daughter of a minister, a beautiful noble lady, living and breathing." His dad warm hand pat his head as he slowly explained.
Just like the prince, she born with talent and a love for music. There's no one opposing her love for music, but she hides her talent and forgets her love for music on her own because she's burden with everyone expectations for her as a 'martial arts princess', his father continued.
And one day when she accompanied her father to the palace she found an isolated pavilion and beautiful mahogany gayageum engraved with golden lotus. There, she realises her love for music will never fade and there she falls in love with a handsome prince who thought she merely was a ghost. He watches her mother caress the gayageum on her lap that somehow share the same features as the gayageum in the tale while continuing her story.
But, later she was sent to her hometown with her mother to take care of her sick grandmother. Leaving her love for the prince and her favourite gayageum in the cold lotus pavilion without any word.
"The rest is the story, written in this tale " a deep breath of relief can be heard from the boy.
"At least they meet each other again," he said while yawning, the cold night makes him sleepy. "I hope they can enjoy every full moon together like us. "
"And be happy forever " the sincere words he mumbled under his breath bring the brightest smile to the royal couple.
The night sky is darker as the cloud hides the moonshine. Wrapped in his father embrace, his eyes are getting heavy, totally drowsy. He barely heard his parents voice before a peck on his cheeks from both of his parents sent him to sleep.
"We wish for the same things for us too, my prince"
