The Pheasant, that fell from the Sky || Hwarang

- 32 -

Yeseul was nervous. Yeowool had picked her up at the Palace and now they were close to their destination. She was so nervous she didn't know what to do, so she mustered Yeowool. He wore a dark blue hanbok and half of his hair in a bun. He looked handsome as always. Yeseul herself wore a hanbok consisting of a beige jeogori and a rusty red-orangy coloured chima. Nervously she tried to find a position for her hands. Her eyes landed on Yeowool's face again. His expression revealed he was nervous as well.

Through a big gate, guarded by two guards, they entered the residence of Princess Yoongmyeong, Yeowool's mother. Two days ago, Yeowool had told Yeseul he wanted to introduce her to his mother and asked if she wanted to. She had agreed. They had already met at the coronation celebration and the princess had left an impressive impression on Yeseul. She seemed elegant and calm. Furthermore, Yeowool had told Yeseul he was sure his mother would like her and Yeseul really hoped he was right. She was nervous to be introduced as his lover. Even more than she has been when she had introduced Yeowool to her own parents.

The residence they now walked through was bigger than Yeseul had imagined. After crossing the first stone courtyard, they walked through a second gate into another courtyard. Small flower beds, with a noticeable variety of hibiscus bushes, were placed along the stone and sand paths and a hand full of maids and servants made their ways across the courtyard. Now, what Yeseul suspected to be, the main building was right in front of them. A lady, maybe around 30 years old, waited in front of it.

»Master- no, Hwarang Yeowool«, the lady greeted the handsome young warrior next to Yeseul, »Your mother is already waiting inside, let me bring you to her.« Yeseul wasn't sure what she should do, so she bowed and kept her head low.

»Court Lady Kang, yes, let's do that«, he answered. They followed Lady Kang inside. She brought them into a big room, on its end a table with a cushion on the floor in front of it was placed. On the other side of the table sat Princess Yoongmyeong dressed in a dark green hanbok and read in a book. Unintentionally Yeseul held her breath.

»Mum!«, Yeowool said loudly in a happy voice. The princess looked up and a smile formed on her face, the same smile as Yeowool.

»Yeowool, my son!«, she exclaimed happily and put aside her book. Yeseul followed Yeowool closely to the table. While the Court Lady sat down on a cushion on the side, Yeowool sat down on the cushion in front of the table. For a moment Yeseul was left flustered, which Yeowool noticed but before he could say anything, she just sat down on the floor just a step diagonally behind the Hwarang. She didn't dare to look at the princess, so she kept her head low and her eyes on the floor.

»Yeowool, how often did I tell you that you can't keep bringing in new maids and servants. I thought this ended two, or was it three, years ago«, Princess Yoongmyeong scolded her son, but it didn't sound angry but more amused, »We're running out of space, if you keep doing that.« Surprisingly the princess's behaviour was different from the last time Yeseul had met her. She still sounded and was elegant, but she talked more freely and was livelier than at the coronation.

»Mum, it's-"

»Oh, aren't you the Miss from the coronation celebration?« Yeseul was surprised to be asked a question so early. It took her in a very short moment to answer.

»Yes, I am.«

»What was your name again? Miss...«, the Princess asked.

»Miss Yeseul«, Yeseul answered.

»And what do you want to work here? Why did Hwarang Yeowool bring you here? What did he tell you?«, she kept asking. Yeseul could understand the thought process of the princess, after all, why else would Yeowool bring someone with him. But it stung her a little.