Hwarang : A Different Narrative

Episode 4

Raina wiped the sweat from her brow as she documented the quantity of herbs when she heard footsteps.

"Come out and receive the Queen's order!"

On hearing this, she stilled, wondering whether the Queen found out about her when Seonu appeared from his room and walked up to the royal messenger.

Raina turned around as she listened to the conversation, wondering what the Queen was up to.

As soon as the messenger left, she rounded on Seonu.

"The Queen threatened you didn't she? Are you going to join Hwarang? As the Queen's dog?"

Seonu's face was impassive to all the questions. Just then the familiar voice of her father was heard.

"Leave the poor boy alone. He and I need to have a talk."

Smiling at his shocked daughter, Master Ahnji ushered Seonu into his room and shut the door.

As time passed, Raina found herself wondering what they were talking about so seriously.

'How was she supposed to protect Aro's brother if he joined Hwarang?'

Just then the door opened and she stopped pacing. Her father gestured for Raina to enter the room. Standing next to Seonu, Raina's mind whirled with possible theories as to what they had been discussing when her father broke the silence. "Raina, help your brother and teach him what he needs to know as a Hwarang. I'll leave you to it." Clapping his hand on her shoulder in an encouraging manner, Master Ahnji left the room.

Turning on Seonu who was playing with a dice, she asked "Do you know how to read?"

"I can read everything on this dice."

Glancing close at it Raina realised that it described ways to beat people up."

"Do you honestly think that being able to read ways to beat people is enough for a Hwarang, let alone the Queen's Hwarang? Just answer me this. How many characters do you think there are in the world?"

At this the dice fell out of his hand as he hesitantly replied.

"200?"

"Wonderful."

Standing up she pulled Seonu to his feet and dragged him out of the room and seated him on the table outside. Then she brought some spare parchment from her room along with writing utensils and placed them in front of him. Ignoring his inquisitive gaze, she wrote his name in big letters. "Right. This is your name. Try writing it." She urged him and watched as he awkwardly held the brush and attempted to write.

Feeling impatient she took hold of his hand, corrected the position of the brush and slowly wrote out his name, both her hands guiding his. Feeling satisfied at the result, she leaned in yet again to write when she heard a sound. The sound of something similar to a drum. Unaware that she was still holding onto his hand she tilted her head to the direction where she heard the sound not realising that she was in Seonu's personal space.

Edging closer and closer to the sound, unware that Seonu was edging away from her and they both were nearing the edge of the bench, she was surprised when she felt herself falling onto a body. Staring at Seonu who was underneath her, desperately trying not to laugh out loud, she realised that when they had fallen, Seonu had accidentally drawn a line under her nose with the brush in his hand. Knowing that she probably had a mustache, she glared at him in mock anger.

"Think this is funny do you? Just wait." With that she scrambled to feet, dipped the spare brush in the liquid charcoal and turned to the man who was still lying on the ground.