Secret of the Two Kings (89 CHAPTERS - ON HOLD)

제 84 부

When the cheers subsided, Jae Joong announced the next part of the program. The time for the appreciation of traditional entertainment art. The first performers turned the whole palace upside-down. A group of mixed hwarangs carried out their month-long rehearsed stunts, which not only included the usual kicks and bricks, but also their swords, knives, and the star of their performance—fire! Within the ten-minute routine, the audience held their breaths, watching them form the tallest pyramid, men tossing and rolling themselves mid-air. Then hurl knives to one another as if there was a war, and swing, spin, and whirl ropes with blazing fires for their final act. Applause! Woo-hoo! Beat that, they said.

As the emotions and blood pressures were heightened, the next entertainers, which consisted of hwarangs and courtesans, staged an emotional and heart-warming tableau of the journey of life. From the typical boy meets girl that escalated to marriage, then the ever-harrowing yet electrifying process of giving birth (which was done behind the big rectangular satin cloths, manipulating people's eyes with shadow movements. Fantastic!), nurturing the young, and up to the part where the son needed to go to the war and serve the King. The secret to the effective deliverance lay not only with the acting and graceful body movements but also with the accompaniment of the riveting musical ensemble. The throbbing drums when the scene was suspenseful (dugudum-dugudum), the poetic, silvery, harmonies of the flutes and harps when everything seemed to be tranquil, and the mischievous banters of the chimes when the whole sequence was comedic. At the end of the performance, as they bowed before the spectators, no one dared to raise an arm and clap. Pure cries and sobs. Hu-hu-hu. Somehow, it brought back the viewers' wonderful memories with either of their late mothers, fathers, or children. A good reminder that they would see each other again one fine day.

It took some time before the next performers rushed to the center because the entire crowd was literally flooded with tears. Moving on, when all were ready, the musicians stole their hearts with the whimsical polyphony of their instruments. Starting with the thunders of the Buk drums, scholars, sons of nobles, marched to their arena and performed with their string instruments. For that allowed five minutes, the honored audience indulged into the depths of another refreshing universe, their feet fleeting and floating into the cottony clouds. All had smiles on their faces.

Last, but definitely, not the least (oh, cliche), the bearer of all the pressures tossed by the preceding performers. A troupe of beautiful, elegant masked courtesans, dressed in bright pink hanboks, hairs tied into an ornate bun on top of their heads, enhanced by glimmering hair ornaments, paraded to the center and bowed before the Prince and the Princess. Upon the first strum of the geomungo, the ladies danced like cranes, circling freely. Their long, wide sleeves rustled in the cool wind. Spring fountains pranced and pirouetted, epitomizing the term grace to its maximum. They formed complex formations like flowers, trees, and even animals with flair and passion (though this sequence was mostly appreciated by the hwarangs posted on balconies).

After the last performance, the courtesans curtsied, and the crowd went crazy. Screams, howls, and even whistles.

Jae Joong seized the moment, ending the acts formally. "Thank you! Thank you, everyone! Now it is my utmost regret to inform you that that was the last act for tonight, for the Prince and the Princess shall take separate ways until the hour of their nuptials. In the meantime, more food will be served and you could roam freely around the art exhibits. Good night, everyone!"

As the river of people branched to different paths, another loud bang of the drum caught their attention. They stopped on their tracks and turned around, only to find out a swarm of masked courtesans buzzing around the Prince, throwing their hands into the air, vocalizing like mountain fairies. All were shocked, but more confused—or dazzled. Was that another act? Jae Joong called the Prince's special hwarangs, who were standing below the dais.