Forbidden: A Tale Untold (JenLisa)

Part 5 - Adversary

Never in Princess Gyeeonghwa's life have she ever seen something like it. The whole procession seems otherworldly. She seems unaffected from the outside, cold as ice, as per usual on occasions like this, although deep inside all she wanted to do was raved with her fellow siblings. She palpitated, signaling the excitement she felt for what she just experienced. True, they received plenty of retinues and tributaries from other kingdoms, however this was by far the most enthralling of them all. It was like folktale stories told by Dae sanggung, their governess.

Everything Princess Gyeeonghwa have seen was spectacular, more so the foreign princess. She was like the walking, talking deity herself. Tall and muscular with broad shoulders, she looks the kind of knight whom could swept you off your feet with just one look.

The palace's court main hall was in full swing for that night. The Goryeo Kingdom hall was rectangular in design, similar to the Chinese types of palaces court halls. Goryeo Kingdom as of late was highly influenced by both the Chinese and the Mongols architectural and customs.

King Gongyang and his royal consort, Sunbi were sitting at the head of the court, with a table full of feast in front of them. The crowned prince, Prince Wang Seok, was sitting at their right hand side with his own table, and on their left seated all three of their lovely blooming flowers, the princesses of Goryeo Kingdom. The royal tables were perched higher than the rest, signifying their importance as the ruler of the kingdom.

The tables of the ministers and guest were on the left and right side of the king, facing the middle hall which functioned as a performance stage for the entertainer and the likes. The Ayutthayan princess' table was closes to the king, on the right side of the hall, as they were the main guest for the night. The cat-eyed princess found it hard to take her eyes off the breathtaking Siamese princess who seem oblivious to the stares she gets from people all around her.

"Stop staring, you'd burn a hole through the princess' head from the amount of stare you're giving." Whispered Princess Suknyeong, teasing her younger sister. Princess Gyeeonghwa elbowed her eldest sister.

"I'm not staring." She whispered back, flushed as to be caught in the act.

"Sure, and I'm a carpenter." Suknyeong snickered.

"What's that got anything to do with this?" Gyeeonghwa replied exasperatedly.

"Stop it you two, abamama and eomamama will hear you." Hushed Princess Jeongshin, warning both of her elder sisters.

That stopped the bickering duo. Princess Gyeeonghwa averted her eyes everywhere, wary that others may caught her staring at the Siamese princess as well. She saw Commander Yi Bang-won looking at her, just at the table slightly below theirs, and when the son of the minister knew he was noticed, he gave a kind smile towards her. He was a childhood friend of the royal children and was close to Princess Gyeeonghwa. She returned the gesture and averted her attention towards the variety of food in front of her, not wanting to give the wrong idea towards her friend.

The commander grounded his teeth, as he was aware where the attention of his beloved princess truly lies. For he had been observing the princess from the beginning of the feast up until that second and have been aware that his beloved had been fascinated with the foreigner. He diverted his attention towards the newcomer. She was indeed a beauty, however she exuded masculinity that he loathed. A woman should not be wielding swords. A woman's place was beside her husband, princess or not. Her job was to take care of her family, not sticking her nose on men's affairs. He couldn't wait to teach the young Ayutthaya Kingdom the right principle of men and women.