Travel Through Time

Travel Through Time Chapter 57

   I uncover the extra arrows and put them where they can be reached.   I see Un is in the large tree that towers over the Princes palace in the front courtyard.  I look back and see the guards running and vaulting over walls.  Some are running over the roofs.   I hear the first arrow being shot and concentrate on the side gate and wall.  I take two out that try coming over the wall, we keep taking them out as they can only come in by twos through the gate, they try and come over the wall.  We now have support there are more in the big tree Un is in and there is another in the tree Second is in. They have also taken positions on all buildings.  I reach back I have no more arrows so use the arrows beside me.  We keep fighting until we have no more arrows. "Stay here" the Prince orders as he jumps from the roof and a number of the guards run forward with their swords.  I keep watch and see them cutting down the solders.   I see the Prince fighting and he seems to be doing well.   I see Un joining in and as I watch I see a solder creep past the main fighting and looking around.  He spots the Prince and runs towards his back I run along the top of the roof and throw my knife as hard as I can.   It sinks into the back of his neck and he falls down.   I crouch low on the roof and keep my eyes open.  I see Second fighting two and throw another knife.  It makes the man I hit in his arm drop his sword and Second swings his sword upwards and slices through his neck.  He kicks out and surprises the other one then brings his sword around and down cutting the other one down.  He pulls out my knife and sticks it in his belt.  I see the Prince corner a solder and cut him down.  I look around and see there is just two solders standing now.  I see a branch move just on the other side of the wall. "Second left high" I call he takes my knife from his belt and flicks the knife out with his wrist.   I see it disappear into the trees, and then a body flails down to the ground a guard runs out.  Then walks back in, I scan the tree line for any unusual movements.  The Prince comes back and looks up to me "thank you, for having my back" "always" I tell him.  I walk down the slope of the roof. "Ready?" I ask he nods and I jump he catches me and kisses me.  The guards start moving the bodies away.   "Tell them to search them" I suggest.  The Prince puts me down, "do you get the feeling that there is an even bigger threat out there?" he asks.  I nod "yes, they are hiding in the shadows.   I don't think he knows yet that we captured all the ministers.  I think they hoped to course trouble at the training grounds so the guards wouldn't have come to our rescue.  They hadn't banked on me being down there.  Have them search the Westerners buildings here in the palace and then tonight we will send word that the King has given an important job to them and they won't be home.  We can then sneak out and search their studies.  If we search all of them at the same time, we can be back in the palace before anyone knows we left" I answer. "I'll go and report to the King" he says.  "Go and speak in the middle of his garden far away from the servants, just to be safe" I add.  He kisses me again and he and Un leave.  Ri-na comes back and looks me up and down "I'm good, thank you for the extra arrows they came in handy" I thank her. "Your welcome your Majesty, I have news from my friend" she tells me.  I lead her down to the pond "someone tried to enter the palace, saying he had to see minister Bak immediately as he didn't have a pass, he wasn't allowed in.  One of the servants that was coming back into the palace got a good look at him.  She said he has a big house on the east side of town and it has gates with two giant snakes on it" she reports.  I hug her too me "thank you, you've just added the unknown piece to the puzzle.  I know who it is" I take her arm as we walk back to my room.  I go inside and write a note.  "Second" I call he comes and stands by the open door "yes, your Majesty?" "Is there one of the guards that you trust fully?" I ask.  "My brother and Un" I nod "there not here though" I say as I think of the best way to get the message to the Prince and King.  "My brother is on his way over.  They should be here" he tells me.   Ri-na walks to the hall doors and opens them Keon-hi is just walking up to them.  "There's a lot of dead bodies piled on carts out there" she says to Ri-na. "Your majesty Lady Keon-hi is here" I smile and she walks in looking me up and down.  "I'm not hurt, don't worry" I assure her.   "Thank goodness" she takes my hand "what happened, they weren't target practice?" she looks shocked for a moment.   I laugh "thanks, I'm not that bad" I tell her.  "Sorry my head took me on a little ride for a moment" I smile "Second can you give this to Fifth and tell him to find the King or the Prince and give him this letter please" I instruct.  He bows "yes, your Majesty" I turn back to Keon-hi "Sorry for taking your guard away it shouldn't take long" I apologise.  We sit "what's with all the bodies, you'd think there had been a mini war" she asks.  "Well I suppose there was really.  They had been sent for the Prince and I. Thankfully backup arrived just in time" I tell her.  "You could write a book with everything that's happened to you.  I was told today by one of the maids that when you first entered the palace you nearly died from being pushed from a cliff!" she exclaims.  "Yes, that wasn't nice.  You've seen the scars on my back?" I say.  "I've seen this little scar somewhere on your lower back.  Is there more?" she asks.  "I have another one that cuts across the midsection of my back as well as the arrow scar now" I explain.  "I didn't notice sorry" I smile at her "don't be sorry, I'm happy that my back doesn't look like a map of Joseon" she chuckles "the oils you gave me are helping my scars fade, which now I'm engaged I'm really happy about."  She looks around the room before she continues and moves a little closer.  "What are we allowed to do now we are engaged?" she wants to know.   "By do?" I query.  "You know hold hands, kiss?" she clarifies.  I tilt my head "what do you want to do?" I wonder.  "Well, I want to kiss, and not just those quick touches.  I want to be kissed like you and the Prince kiss.  When I see that my stomach goes all funny" she tells me.   I wonder just how much I should tell her she is just 15 but some girls are already married by then.  "Well, I don't need to tell you how to do that then" I smile.  "Are your lips just fused together, because I'm sure I saw the Prince stick his tongue in your mouth and you didn't seem to mind" she adds.  "When have we kissed like that in front of you?" I want to know. "All the time" she responds. "Really?" I can't believe it but when I think about it, we do show our affection.   I just hadn't thought it had been to that extent. "Sorry" I apologise "oh no, don't apologise its another way to learn.  I think Un growing up in the palace hasn't seen or done a lot of that" she admits.  "Well once you've gotten use to the hand holding and taken it to the kissing or arms around each other.  You can always initiate it" I tell her.  "I can? Even though I'm not his wife yet?" she asks surprised.  "Yes, it's not just the men who have needs you know?  We do too some times ours are greater as we have to line the nest as it were" I say with a nod.  "Why do we have to line the nest? What is that?" she questions.  I think before saying anything I pick up my writing brush and paper stir some ink and then draw the female reproductive organs. "These are called ovaries and they hold the eggs that Un will fertilise.  Every month an egg travels down these tubes and waits in this nest.  I tell her if the egg is not fertilised, the blood that has stuck to the nest will fall away and you have your monthly bleeding.  If it is fertilised, the egg makes a nice home for its self in the blood that lines your nest.  Well for us to create the best nest we get these needs that a man needs to fore fill.  I helps us produce the eggs and also makes the ovaries holding the egg push one out" I stop as I think if I need to go in to any more detail. "So that is why we kiss because it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling?" Keon-hi says. "It's a start" I answer. "I've wanted him to kiss me like the Prince kisses you" she says dreamily.  I look at her starry-eyed look and smile.  I bend closer to her "when you go for a walk tonight, stop and admire the moon or stars.  Then turn and smile up at Un if he goes to move away pull him back by his hand.  Stand on your tiptoes and press your lips to his.  Then open your mouth a little and run your tongue over his bottom lip.   He should take over from there" I advice.  She claps her hands "I will tonight" she assures me.  "Dab a little lily oil or magnolia oil on your neck.   It helps men over come their shyness" I tell her.  The door opens and the Prince walks in, I grab the drawing from the table and shove it in a draw.  "Did you get my note?" I ask.   "Yes, I'm back because the guards are coming here and we will co-ordinate a plan from here" he replies.  "Oh! I forgot Un will probably not be around till later" I say.   "He is going to stay here and see to things here" the Prince explains.   "Sorry, Keon-hi but we need to plan for tonight" the Prince apologises. "It's alright your Majesty, I will see you tomorrow" she tells me I get up and give her a hug.  "Is Fifth back?" I ask the Prince he nods.  Keon-hi bows and skips to the door then stops and looks back "I bite my lips when I have a lot to think about, any remedies for that?" I nod "rose oil and goose fat" I walk to my shelf and pick up a small pot. "I made some the other day" I say.  She kisses my cheek "you're the best" and then skips down the hall.  I turn around to see the Prince looking at my drawing.  "What is this?" he asks I walk to him and look at it.  "Your holding it upside down" I tell him.  He turns it and looks at it blankly.  "Have you never read medical books?" I ask. "No, I don't want to be a doctor" he answers. "Well neither do I but I've read a few as I wanted to get to know the basics, that is a drawing of the female reproductive system."  He looks at it more clearly "how do you know that?" he asks.  I read a book that I doctor wrote that carries out examinations on the dead.  This is the part that your penis goes into and when you come your sperm swim up into here where my egg should be waiting.  They meet join and the fertilised egg makes a home in the lining of this area and that's where the baby grows.  All this muscle can expand and grow with the baby" I explain.  "What are these things?" he points to the ovaries and Fallopian tubes.  "This is a kind of production unit that creates the eggs that wait inhere, then they push one out every month.  Some times more than one comes out and you get twins" I finish.  "Wow! Fascinating and just think our little bean is already in there growing" he strokes my stomach.  "We have time for a nap if you want, we are going to be up late tonight" the Prince suggests.  I agree and just take my outer clothes off and lay down on the bed and close my eyes. The Prince goes to the front courtyard to instruct the men and talk things over with Un.  I manage to sleep for a little while and then when I wake dusk is just turning to night.  I get up and dress in male black clothes.   I tie my hair up in the male top knot, I check my knives are all there and pick my bow and arrows up and place them over my shoulder. "Second" I call I hear him land in the garden so open the door.   I see the Prince practising his knife throwing.  "Has everything been arranged?" I ask him he bows "yes, your Majesty" I pat him on the shoulder as I pass and walk up to the Prince.  He throws another knife and then straightens and turns to me. "I don't know if I like these new knives as they always land just to the right of centre" he tells me. "Try throwing it like this" I take the other knife from his hand.  Then stand with my body angled a little away from the target bend my elbow in towards my chest then snap it out again and release the knife.  It hits the target beside the knife the Prince just threw but in the centre of the target.  I point to another target and he takes a knife, angles his body a little and follows my demonstration.  The knife slices through the air and hits the target right in the centre.  I high five him "the knives you have, the handle is a little too heavy for it to fly true when its spinning through the air.  If you throw if without the spin it becomes a real weapon that will hit it's target 9 times out of 10" I tell him.   "I was thinking of having some stars made for you as I think they would suit you very well.  They are light weight and you can in corrupt them easily into belts, upper arm wraps, thigh belts.  They can also be hidden inside your boots or shoes" I explain. "Stars?" he queries.  "Yes, thin pieces of metal that have four sharpen points like a star" I spread my legs and hold out my arms. "The four points, I point to my arms and legs, are very sharp and spins when thrown, so you can imagine the damage they can course" I answer.  "Wow!" is all he says "I have four knives in my trunk that can interlock with each other, they fly further distances if you need to hit a running target" I finish.  "What time do we head out?" He pulls a map out from his belt, "we have 8 teams of four, team 1 will search here, team 2 here, 3 here, we will search here, 5 here, 6 here, 7 here, and 8 here.  We will be heading out soon.  I stayed out here, otherwise I would of, climbed into bed with you and fallen asleep.  We will all wait for the pig gong and then search the houses. Two will go in, two will keep look out. Three short whistles will alert of anyone passing, if the threat is of being found one of the lookouts will sing loudly and drunkenly" he informs me.  He gets his knives places them back in their slots at his back, picks his bow and arrow up puts them over his shoulder and then picks his sword up. "For a search we sure are carrying a lot of killing power" I mumble.  "Better be safe than sorry, you know the house we'll be searching" he warns.  As we pass through my room, I grab an oil, and my acupuncture kit and push them up my sleeve.  We walk out to the front courtyard where the guards are waiting also dressed in back.  "We are going to exist over the wall as the side gate is being watched, please be careful and stay safe" the Prince instructs.  "Can I add that if the rooms you have to search have someone sleeping in them and they are about to wake up or you don't want to take the chance of them waking up.  Stiffen two fingers like this and hit them in the side of the neck here" I demonstrate "they will stay asleep or go back to sleep and will be non the wiser" I add.  They nod and the Prince turns to Un "strike on the Pig gong."  We head out and silently jump over the wall further away from the side gate.