The Heroine's Light (ON HOLD)

Chapter 3 - The Promise of a Child

"Chae-Yeon! Can you be a dear and help me with the laundry?"

An elderly lady asked as a young woman came into view with food and blankets. She tied back as much of her short hair as she could and smiled at her grandmother.

"I'll have it out to dry in no time granny." Chae-Yeon replied cheerfully.

After she had finished putting out the clean washing, night had fallen. Letting out a breath of air, Chae-Yeon proceeded to the kitchen to prepare dinner. After she finished eating her meal, she collected her grandmother's plate including hers and left it in the tub to soak for the remainder of the evening. Feeling a sudden wave of fatigue, Chae-Yeon lay down in her bed and fell asleep quietly.

* * *

An image of a handsome man with long red hair alike the dawn, dressed in silk attire appeared before Chae-Yeon. Greeting her with a smile, the man told the woman what would become a part of her future. The vision of a babe in the arms of her mother filled Chae-Yeon's mind.

'You have been promised with a child. A child who will be reborn as a living source of hope and light in the darkness of your world today. You already know her name. Guide her to be the person she was born to be. Teach her the unlimited knowledge you possess. Raise her as if she were truly your own flesh and blood. This is your task as the bearer of King Hiryuu's child. She must awaken from her eternal slumber and fulfil the oath she has given.'

* * *

The following morning, Chae-Yeon awoke in a daze, unsure if what she dreamt was real or her imagination. As she stood up, she unconsciously placed a hand on her abdomen and felt a small bump. Feeling a sense of excitement, Chae-Yeon rushed to tell her grandmother the good news.

"Granny! I'm with a child!"

Chae-Yeon's grandmother stared at her in shock at the sudden news. Many thoughts gathered in her mind as the young woman grasped their hands together.

"A god visited me in my dreams last night. He said I was promised with a child who will be reborn to bring light into our world. My task is to raise the child with knowledge and understanding of our world as if she were my own. Grandmother, I am to bear King Hiryuu's child. God told me 'She must awaken from her eternal slumber and fulfil the oath she has given'."

Chae-Yeon's grandmother praised her and called for a celebration within the village. After many months, Chae-Yeon felt she was almost ready to give birth to the child inside her, considering her belly grew to the size of a watermelon. Most days she would be seen resting on a chair as she repaired clothing that needed to be mended. The day had come when Chae-Yeon awoke with a pain in her lower abdomen. She was going into labour. Her grandmother had urgently called some of the women to assist in the childbirth.

Countless hours of endless screams and rushing in and out of the room soon came to an abrupt stop, the small cry of a newborn baby replacing the silence. Chae-Yeon nursed the babe in her arms as she wrapped the cream cloth around its small body. All the women were ushered out of the room once they gathered up the dirty bedsheets to allow some peace and quiet for the tired couple. Chae-Yeon remembered the words which were spoken about the child's name. A name that means 'purity'.

"Welcome to the world, little Sook."

* * *