Sun starts to set
Sounds of sword being sharpen are heard in one the guest chamber of Gyeongbukgung Palace. The noise belong from a sword called Eclipse, colored in grey-black and red ripples through the steel, with the red almost as dark as the grey. Its scabbard glitters gold and is decorated with a row of owl's heads and smoldering red rubies.The pommel has a golden owl's head with ruby eyes that shine like two red stars. Jungeun did this menial task meticulously,its uncounted for how many time she did this ever since she received Eclipse when she was seventeen,during her rites of adulthood ceremony. She kept this blade sharp even though she never use it for battle,only when she commands her troops and during court. In actual combat herself,she wields a katana and wakizashi given to her from Tozaki.
These sounds of sword sharpen bring her comfort and calm her restless heart. As to why,she’s not entirely sure herself. Familiarity perhaps? Her mother,Jungah has kept this sword sharp ever since the previous owner,Governor of North Jeolla Kim Jongun died in battle against his father during the conquest. Her mother always stressing that strength alone could protect and bring about the survival of anyone. Thus she never dislike or hate the High King,Jungah simply sees it as a simple matter of the strong overcomes the weak and after soundly defeated by the High King herself,accepts her faith as one who’s defeated by the strong. Now her only goal in life was to make sure her daughters doesn’t share the same fate as her. Something she felt proud of when she succeeded in raising Jungeun to become what she is today,famed by the name Crimson Owl due to her white cloak that she wore during her first military campaign,the pacification of United Order rebellion. That said white cloak of her turned to blood red after the decisive battle ended,giving her the nickname that she was famous for. And shortly after,she’s elected as Commander of Owl’s Roost. The youngest Commander ever chosen.
Jungeun is always her mother’s favorite,unlike Jungsoon that prefer to spend many of her childhood and time in Sectarian Temple learning hollow words of lesser men as her mother called the sermon of Sectarian Priest. Jungeun always interested in martial arts herself. Ignited by many tales of chivalry of old knights and swordsmans of the past.
She was tutored by Tozaki back when she was merely a little girl of seven. She endured hellish training in swordsmanship under the samurai that formerly served the Hosokawa clan back in Kyushu. Tozaki was banished from the Isles when he refuse to follow his liege to death as tradition dictates, after his liege lord is defeated soundly in battle. Jungeun finds it utterly romantic and ironic,a honorable swordsman banished and hunted by his peers just because he refuse a illogical tradition,it’s a shame killing a talented swordsman just for the sake of so-called undying loyalty and she always ponder within herself just how many other wasted talents and way of swordsmanship lost for the sake of it. Tozaki taught her the style of swordsmanship that he called ‘Way of Two Heavens Clashing’ or he prefer to called it the ‘technique to simply cutting down one's opponent using two weapons’,the katana and wakizashi, contrary to the more traditional method of wielding the katana two-handed like some samurai do.
Loyalty huh..to whom. Jungeun ponder
To my liege? To my half-sisters whom i loved dearly? Although she rarely shows her affection towards her half-sisters,in Jungeun’s own awkward way,she love them. Yerim and Jinsol and Jiwoo especially but she tried to loved them all equally as expected of a sibling,albeit only half. To father? To mother? That utter pain of choices.
She experienced the hardship of torn loyalty for the first time during the previous gathering at the Great Hall. On one side,she was relieved. She doesn’t need to confront Jiwoo and her bannermen by force. On the other hand,she’ll be at the receiving end of her elder sister’s wrath and so she did. Not long after leaving the hall,Jungsoon berates her in front of other Northern Jeollan nobles and a handful of others before angrily departing home,back to her temples.
Jungeun could cut her down in various ways imaginable but duty and loyalty prevents her to do so. Upon reminded by it,the sounds of sharpened steel ringing louder.
“i think the sword is sharp enough? It’s a pretty thing,it’ll be a waste to damage it.” deep in her thoughts,Jungeun didn’t realize Jiwoo stand behind her,slightly arching forward near Jungeun’s right ear.
“Thing?! This thing here is my House’s ancestral sword.” Jungeun said,half spook by Jiwoo’s sudden appearance.
“give it some respect..you sneaky little..”
“ehey..you never changed do you..always deep in thought all alone. Its make you easier to sneak upon” Jiwoo said while returning to normal posture,standing with an annoying grin that Jungeun couldn’t bear to hate.
“might as well give Chaewon a note,i could be a good Venomwrangler assassin. My sneak game is at its peak”
Jungeun then put the Eclipse back into the scabbard. Thank the gods i didn’t accidentally slice Jiwoo’s head off with this
“why you’re here?”
“just wanna meet my dear half-sister that’s all” Jiwoo then sat beside Jungeun
“it’s not what you came here for...and call me unnie for god’s sake. I’m older than you”
“yikes and i thought Siwoo is the crankiest men alive. I’m the same age as you”
“i’m older than you,8 months older. You ought to call me unnie,you disrespectful brat.”
“all right then,unnie....” Jiwoo said with respectful yet with distinct playful defiance in her tone.
After that,Jiwoo paused for a brief moment and serious looks was painted on her face.
“just wanted to say, thank you..for your understanding..back then..with the priest business”
“thank father for that. I’ve done no part in resolving it. and be more careful next time. Your trusting nature seldom comes with wisdom. Its always what you’re lacking for.”
“and sorry...i gave Jungsoon-unnie a reason to berates you back then. I know you never liked it when you’re ending up looking weak in front of anyone.”
“Jungsoon is just a childish zealot,prone to fits of anger. Pay no mind to it. and stop frowning would you? It makes your face looks fatter and rounder” as Jungeun saw Jiwoo staring down in regret and wraught with guilt,while Jungeun trying in her own way to cheer Jiwoo up.
Jungeun let out a laugh after unable to hold it, seeing the pityful state of this half-sister of her. Being all doom and gloom was not Jiwoo’s nature at all hence why she found the humor in it. Jungeun then wrap her right hand awkwardly around Jiwoo’s shoulder with occasional pat,to gave her assurance that no enmity exist between them. I’m just following my liege’s order. Is what Jungeun would like to say next,but,Jungeun will loathe it if Jiwoo then follows up with more question like what if Jungsoon ordered you to cross swords with my bannermen, would you do it? that question will tear Jungeun’s apart. To where she must put her duty and loyalty first. For all that was lacking in Jiwoo,one thing Jungeun knew that she care for her bannermen deeply and will do everything it takes to kept them safe and alive.
“so..father gave us three directives back then. where you and your bannermen will be?” Jiwoo thankfully didn’t ask the question that Jungeun dread in her mind
“North.”
“to subdue Nuer..wachi?
“Nuerhachi.”
“yeah that’s the one. Well,that makes the two of us then...so..euh..Commander,any tips? This is my first military campaign after all”
“relax, you and your bannermen will likely to be in charge of supplies and guarding said supply lines alongside Heejin’s men. We’ll do the battle,alongside the northerners.”
“wow...look at you being excited..so this is the fearless Crimson Owl people talked about.”
“fearless? No. to tell you the truth i’m scared too,The same as you. If i’m not,Then i’m a fool,bigger fool than you. All the singers and stories told about any war or battle are not entirely true. There’s no glory,just carnage. I’ve seen it myself once. Father seen it a hundred perhaps a thousand times. That’s why he never do anything like these ever again when he become King,he knew the cost and will only resort to all-out battle if he needs to. Now a new threat looming at the northern border. father may tried to sent envoy and emissaries to Nuerhachi. But i doubt they will return with good news or with their lives. The nomads wants lands,fertile lands,Our lands. And we’ll never gave it to them for free.” Jungeun grip Eclipse tightly and her hands shaking in fear. Jungeun wish that Jiwoo sees it shaking out of anger. I’m sorry Jiwoo i’m not as tough as you thought.
Sudden surge of warmth overwhelmed Jungeun. Jiwoo wrapped herself upon Jungeun,bringing forth comfort and stopped her shaking hand.
“well..as fellow fools,we must stick together then.” Her head firmly planted in Jungeun’s shoulder.
“i am truly envious of that carefree attitude of yours”
“you got that right. I gave care for free..for anyone who needs it. all they need is ask”
“is that so? well..thank you Jiwoo,for your care.”
“no,Thank you. I knew you didn’t like to be seen as weakling in front of anyone. But here you are baring your weakness in front of me. that means you’d think of me as someone that is near and dear to you.... So, thank You. Jungeun-unnie”.
This silly kid,she reads me like a book