empress || hwarang

beautiful phoenix,

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Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, months turned to years. It has been years since King Jinheung and Empress Hae-nim have seen each other.

Jinheung would hear news about Hae-nim from Lu, who he has been in contact since the day he was crowned King of Silla. He was happy that she has been healthy and well. He was proud that she managed to rule the Sun Empire alone. He was relieved that she never loved any man after him.

Hae-nim would hear news about Jinheung from Sun Woo, who she has been in contact after Jinheung's coronation. She was happy that Sun Woo was there for him to rely on. She was proud that he became the king he wanted to be. She was relieved that he never loved any woman after her.

Within those years that the King of Silla and the Empress of China haven't seen each other, they watched from afar as they became the rulers they were destined and fated to be. There were several hardships and huge obstacles in the way, but they managed to overcome them with their most trusted friends and subjects.

King Jinheung has Sun Woo and the Hwarang while Empress Hae-nim has Liwen, Hui and Lu with the FengHuang Army.

Empress Hae-nim, who has her white mask with a phoenix embroidered on the side covering her face, climbed up the stairs of Wolseong Palace of Silla with Liwen, Hui and Lu following behind her. The doors of the palace opened as the Hwarang and the Ministers of Silla went down on their knees and bowed deeply.

"Her Imperial Majesty has arrived!"

Hae-nim walked past the Hwarang and the Ministers towards the man she hasn't seen in years.

"Hae-nim of the Sun. Empress of China!"

The Hwarang slightly lifted their heads up to take a look at Hae-nim and couldn't help but smile. Their mysterious yet kind physician was the Hidden Empress of China, the same woman who treated them like an equal, despite the fact she was considered a powerful woman, and took great care of them inside the Hwarang House.

Hae-nim stood in front of Jinheung and bowed to him. Liwen, Hui and Lu made eye contact with the Hwarang and gestured their heads towards the door. The Hwarang nodded in understanding and turned to bow to Jinheung and Hae-nim before ushering the Ministers out of the room, leaving the two childhood friends alone.

A single tear escaped from Jinheung's eyes as soon as he saw Hae-nim entered the throne room of Wolseong Palace. He angrily stood up as he glared at her.

"You! How dare you? How dare you just stand there without a word after leaving me as soon as I was crowned King?!"

Hae-nim remained silent as she looked down, while Jinheung slowly walked towards her.

"How dare you hurt me like this?"

Jinheung's tears ran down his face as he stood in front of Hae-nim.

"Do you not know how much I missed you?"

Hae-nim looked up at Jinheung as he ripped off the mask on her face.

"How cruel can you be, Hae-nim? You have tortured me the worst way possible."

Hae-nim could feel her guilt as she held back her tears and forced out a smile. "How have you been, Jinheung? You are not the Faceless King anymore, and I am not the Hidden Empress. We finally got what we wanted." she said, trying to sound happy but failed.

Jinheung scowled as he clenched his fists in anger. "Did you just hear yourself?" he asked in disbelief and shakes his head. "We did not. You are trying to sound happy, and your smile is fake. Stop lying to yourself, Hae-nim!"

Hae-nim let out a light laugh and smiled sarcastically as she nodded in agreement. "You are right, we did not. I am forcing myself to be happy and smile like always, but I cannot lie about how I feel." she mumbled sadly and sighed heavily. "Even though how much we want it to happen, Jinheung, you and I both know we cannot."

Jinheung looked furious as he grabbed Hae-nim's face and pressed his lips on hers with his eyes close. Hae-nim's unshed tears finally fell as she closed her eyes, feeling the soft lips of the man she loves on hers. Jinheung wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him as tears continued to fall down his face.

Jinheung slightly pulled away and placed his forehead on Hae-nim's. "Answer me, Hae-nim. How can we stop these feelings just because we are not allowed to love each other?"

Hae-nim's tears continued to fall as she forced out a smile. "What is right for us is not always the best for everyone, Jinheung."

Jinheung and Hae-nim truly love each other, yet circumstances didn't permit them to be together. They were fated to be rulers and chose to endure the great pain of heartbreak as they worry over their country and their people, just as they should be.

Whenever someone would ask Jinheung who he would choose between Hae-nim and Silla, he would choose the woman he loves without hesitation. He would choose her over and over again until people would get tired of asking. He will never stop thinking of her, caring for her, supporting her, and loving her.

"That moment when my heart knew Hae-nim was the one, I knew one day I would throw everything away just to have her. I was willing to exchange Silla, my people, and the throne just to be with her."

Hae-nim's heart and mind would never meet. Both were in conflict with each other, making her choose between her desires and duties. Her desires to be with the person she loves, and her duties as a ruler and to her country and her people. However, she grew up inside the Forbidden City surrounded with adults, which forced her to become one and make her own decisions. She chose mind over heart, sacrificing her own happiness for the happiness of many.

"There were so many times when I had to choose between Jinheung and China, and I could not choose. However, when I realized I needed to choose for both of us, I chose China. I had to choose what was best for everyone."

With a melancholic smile and a broken heart, the Faceless King and the Hidden Empress continue to love each other from afar.

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"Maybe in another world, another life, we were meant for a happy ending. but not here, not this time."