Blessed Moon: The King's Seer

by L. S Bethel

  “Let’s us open our borders back up for trade on both sides. For so many years we’ve broken off our mutual trading. It’s left us both lacking in one aspect or another. I know it is hard for you all to maintain your homes and structures with your limited amount of lumber and stone. I also know steel is in short supply here. We can begin once more providing each other with things we need and grow stronger together as we had before.”

  Queen Prija’s expression did not change. She played with the armrest of her throne while staring at them. “This is not a small request,” she said.

  “No, it is not, but it can change things for the better for each of us,” stated Kang-Dae.

  “You speak of renewing our relationship. Did you know back in those days, a request such as this demanded a show of strength to demonstrate the resolve of the one making the requests?”

  “I recall my father telling of the tradition,” Kang-Dae responded cautiously.

  “The requester had a choice between performing a series of tasks or facing an opponent of the sitting king or queen’s choice. If they failed at either task, their request would be denied, and they would be required to offer tribute. I think this would be a good way to re-open negotiations between us.”

  ‘Is she serious?’ Serenity thought.

  “You do?” Kang-Dae asked.

  “Yes, an act of goodwill between nations. The people would love to see it. If you are as genuine in your offer as you appear, I am sure you will succeed.”

  ‘Was this woman trying to set them up?’ The entire offer sound disingenuous to Serenity. Maybe she was still holding a grudge for her family’s sake. Serenity didn’t want Kang-Dae to agree but she knew he would, not being someone who backed down, especially if it was for his country.

  “If that is what you wish, I will agree,” Kang-Dae declared.

  “Wonderful. We will have the match two days from now,” Queen Prija announced. She stood and every attendant took a knee. “I hope you will not feel confined to these walls during your stay. Our home is a lovely and lively place. You should go out and enjoy it.” Her tone stayed the same, never shifting or changing inflection. Kang-Dae bowed his head and Serenity did the same. The queen walked down the steps. Kang-Dae swung Serenity over to his side as she passed. The woman never broke her stride or looked their way as she made her way to the door. Everyone followed behind her in a single file line spanning the length of the room which almost made Serenity laugh. The last to leave, Kang-Dae took Serenity’s hand in his as he led them out. From his grip, she could tell he was tense. This was not the way they expected things to go.

  ***

  Jung-Soo looked over each man before him. All of them were sporting an injury or wound “How many were there?” he questioned.

  “At least fifty, sir. They came out of nowhere. We didn’t hear them until they were right on us. They must have been waiting for us.”

  It was a story he’d heard before. That made two transports of food stolen by bandits in the past week. Soldiers reported traveling on the road to drop off provisions for civilians only to be attacked before they could reach their destination. Both times men’s lives were lost, and the food was taken. The way the survivors described their fighting style and weapons, Jung-Soo doubted they were ordinary bandits. That was not the most disturbing thing. As more and more houses began to involve themselves in charity, there were many carts of food leaving the palace regularly, off to different parts of the nation to help those in need. Both parties that had been targeted so far were organized by Serenity herself. With it only being two attacks, Jung-Soo wanted to wait before he drew any conclusions, but he didn’t like how it was looking. It seemed she was specifically being targeted, but to what end? With both her and Kang-Dae off in Kah-Mah, Serenity had placed him in charge of her project. He needed to figure this out and soon.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  The weapon in his hands was not one he was familiar with. The curved blade at the end of the staff was of a unique design. They dressed him in their outfits which were lighter than what he was used to. He felt a bit more exposed but at least his speed wouldn’t be affected. His feet were bare allowing him to feel the sand on the ground. The arena was a not so large circle. There was a large chair raised up for the Queen and few benches for Serenity and Amir and other important guests, while everyone else was forced to sit on the grass. Kang-Dae’s gaze drifted to Serenity, who was sitting next to the Queen. He could see her performing her habit of nervously playing with their hands even from a distance, causing him to smile to himself. He wasn't foolish enough to believe this would be an easy victory. Queen Prija's goal was for him to lose. His opponent would be skilled. He would have to be more defensive than offensive at first to gauge his fighting style. It will give him a better advantage. Xian needed him to win so he would. The small crowd began to shout as the military leader Su entered the circle. Su had been the one who met them at the dock. Kang-Dae wasn't surprised. Queen Prija clearly trusted him with her military forces. She wouldn't have put him up to the task if she didn't have confidence in him. This was a delicate situation. He needed to win but given Queen Prija and the people’s low opinion of Xian already, he couldn't make things worse either. Su grabbed his weapon, a bladed staff, and took his stance directly in front of Kang-Dae. The people grew silent. Kang-Dae tightened his grip on his weapon. A shout echoed through the air and Su was suddenly coming at him. ‘I guess we’ve begun.’

  Serenity tensed as Su charged at Kang-Dae with a yell. Kang-Dae was fast dodging him while keeping him in his sights. The man was not deterred and quickly spun around aiming his staff right at Kang-Dae's head. Kang-Dae used his weapon to take the brunt of the hit. Su immediately swung again at his torso but Kang-Dae managed to jump back just in time. Su was relentless, attacking nonstop but Kang-Dae managed to block every hit. Serenity was beginning to feel sick. This was not like those sparring sessions between him and Jung-Soo. Though neither man appeared to hold back against one another, they were never this brutal. Serenity noticed Kang-Dae wasn't attacking nearly as much as he usually did. In fact, he had not attempted one hit yet. ‘Maybe he has a plan,’ she thought. She glanced at Queen Prija whose expression gave nothing away. She appeared neither nervous nor confident. Serenity thought she should probably be doing the same, but she was way too anxious to fake it.

  Su swung at his head once more and Kang-Dae dodged it. Su looked to be getting frustrated and from the way he was panting, he was getting tired as well. Before Kang-Dae could use it to his advantage, he noticed a change in Su's demeanor. Something in his eyes changed and his body relaxed. He looked as if he were going to take a step back, but Kang-Dae didn't let his guard down. When Su came forward once more with his arms raised, Kang-Dae immediately raised his staff to block only for Su to slide his staff behind Kang-Dae’s. He pulled with such force that Kang-Dae’s strong hold on his staff was used against him and Su was able to toss him over his shoulder onto the ground. Momentarily stunned, Kang-Dae was unable to block the swift hit to his head with the blunt end of Su’s staff. The pain was immediate and intense, but the dizziness and disorientation was worse. He struggled to get his bearings but before he could, he saw the staff coming for him again. He was able to roll out of the way but as he struggled to get up, a kick to his stomach sent him back to the ground. Kang-Dae coughed out his pain as he struggled to breathe. Showing no mercy, Su slammed staff into Kang-Dae’s stomach that had yet to recover from his previous blow. Aching and coughing, Kang-Dae turned to his side trying to relieve his pain and avoid another hit. He felt Su kicking his back and Kang-Dae grunted. With a move too fast for Kang-Dae to notice, Su sliced at Kang-Dae’s chest cutting into his flesh. Kang-Dae held in his cry of pain and tried to get up but was soon kicked over onto his back once more. Su stood above him and began to press his blade into his fresh wound. With a hiss Kang-Dae gripped the base of the staff, trying to keep the blade from sinking further. “Yield,” Su demanded. “Protect what little honor you have
.”

  ‘No honor, disgraceful, liar,’ words that had been tormenting him for weeks reemerged with a vengeance only now he could not shut them out. ‘Dishonorable! Vow breaker! Liar!’ The roar sounded through the air was almost inhuman. He didn’t even realize it came from him.

  It was only Amir’s strong hand on Serenity's shoulders that kept her from jumping to her feet and demanding the fight be stopped. Watching Kang-Dae being thrown caused her anxiety to spike. Watching him so ruthlessly kicked while he was down had her wanting to run out into the arena herself, to hell with their rules. Amir, fortunately, had predicted her reaction and intervened quickly. She wanted to call out to Kang-Dae, tell him to surrender but she stopped herself. She knew enough about Xianian culture to know that he would feel ashamed by such an act, so she bit her tongue. A sound rang out from the center of the circle that scared her. It was primal, frightful, and the fact that it came from Kang-Dae made it all the more disturbing. Su looked to be just as disturbed because he faltered just enough for it to be noticeable. Kang-Dae’s hands tightened around the base of the spear. Using all his strength he pushed it upward causing the staff to hit Su right in the chin. He stumbled back with the yelp. Kang-Dae moved so fast it shocked Serenity when he was suddenly in front of Su striking him right in the throat. Su staggered back clutching at his throat gagging and gasping out. Serenity wanted to feel relief that Kang-Dae now had the upper hand but the look on his face gave her pause. He looked, different, cold, merciless. As Su tried to recover, Kang-Dae snatched the staff from his hands and swept his legs out from underneath him. Su fell backward reaching out helplessly for something to hold onto only to grasp the air. The same way Su had stood ruthlessly above Kang-Dae, now Kang-Dae did the same. He tossed the staff to the side and stared down at Su with such contempt. Serenity had no idea where it came from. Kneeling, Kang-Dae delivered a blow to Su's nose that was so strong and brutal Serenity could've sworn she heard the bone crack even from the distance. After the second hit, she didn't need to guess whether it was broken. The wet sound of his fists hitting the already demolish appendage would haunt her. But even worse than the sounds, was the look on Kang-Dae’s face. The weird mixture of hatred and detachment as he continued to pulverize Su’s face was hard to look at.

  Queen Prija shouted a word in her language that echoed throughout the arena. Kang-Dae stopped mid-strike, his fist bloody. He slowly stood and backed away. The anger was still there but he appeared to be containing it.

  “This kind of brutality is not tolerated in Kah Mah.” Serenity glared at her.

  “You were the one who insisted on this fight. I didn't see you talking about brutality when it was my husband on the ground.” Although Serenity had been appalled by Kang-Dae’s behavior she would not let this woman portray him as a ruthless brute when this whole thing was her idea. The Queen returned Serenity’s harsh stare before giving an order to her men. Guards came out and helped Su up. Serenity hated the way everyone's looking at Kang-Dae like he was a monster. This would not help their cause at all.

  ***

  Jae-Hwa twirled gracefully about the floor, her long sleeves flowing in the breeze. The dancers circled her, in their light blue dresses, before separating into two lines. She walked the path between them while covering her face with her decorated fan. Keeping her face covered, she moved to the left allowing her arm to move to the music. She spun around, successfully switching the fan to her other hand, and repeated the same move to the right. She slowly lowered it to reveal her eyes while bending forward slightly. Applause sounded around her as the ladies watching expressed their approval. Jae-Hwa smiled graciously as she bowed.

  “Beautiful Lady Gi. You will dazzle everyone at the celebration,” Lady Song praised.

  “Thank you. I’ve been practicing for months.” And she had, although originally, she’d been hoping to catch the attention of the King. She wasn’t sure that would be possible with that woman always at his side. “It should be a wonderful evening.”

  “I heard the queen has been helping you plan.” Jae-Hwa purposely shifted her eyes.

  “Yes, she has. She’s been very kind to offer her assistance, even though she doesn’t know much about planning an event such as this.”

  “She hasn’t caused any issues has she?” One of the women asked.

  “Oh no, no, of course not. The Queen is very willing. It’s just,” Jae-Hwa paused allowing her smile to dim somewhat. “As someone with her background, she’s not very familiar with our traditions. Sometimes I feel she doesn’t understand the importance of them. It’s not her fault of course. Her culture is so different from ours. How could she understand?”

  “As a queen, she should make time to. After all, if she has the title, she has to embody it, and that includes adhering to the people,” Lady Song spoke up looking indignant on Jae-Hwa’s behalf.

  “I’m sure it’s difficult for her, being so far from home,” Jae-Hwa said in a weak attempt to defend her.

  “Where is her home? I don’t think I’ve ever heard where she’s from,” Lady Pei asked.

  “I haven’t either. Strange, isn’t it?” questioned Lady Song.

  “Very. There are so many questionable lands out there. Who knows what kind of place she hails from?”

  “Do not be so suspicious. I’m sure the king wouldn’t have taken her as a queen if he didn’t trust her,” Jae-Hwa insisted.

  “I’m not so sure. Those foreign women are good at seducing men and getting them to do whatever they want while secretly using them,” Lady Pei spoke. “You know Lord Ji married a woman from Banal and she convinced him to send his entire fortune to her family back in her country. After that, she went to visit them and never came back. He was devasted.” Jae-Hwa laughed off all their conjecture, but inside she was patting herself on the back.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Kang-Dae hissed as the cloth came into contact with his wound. Serenity winced in sympathy and gently blew on it hoping to relieve the sting. She wrapped it up as best she could. He wanted to have Mehdi do it but with Kang-Dae still fuming from the fight, she thought it best not to subject the kindhearted medic to that. Kang-Dae cursed in Xianian. “She wanted this. She wanted to make us look like the enemy.”

  “She’s not the one who had a fit of “roid rage” and almost beat a man to death.” Kang-Dae raised his brow, not understanding the reference but she didn’t bother explaining. “You knew this was going to be a hard sell. The last thing we need is for them to have another reason to distrust us.”

  “Was I meant to just take it?”

  “No, but you didn’t need to go that far. You’ve been less brutal to men who were trying to kill you. I don’t understand what made you so angry.”

  Kang-Dae looked away. H knew he had overreacted and risked destroying their possible alliance with Queen Prija. At that moment, however, he could think of nothing but silencing that voice, and Su had become his chosen target. The rage he felt had been blinding. He’d never experienced anything like it before. It had disturbed him as much as it had Serenity.

  “We need to return. We cannot waste any more time here while Katsuo roams our lands.”

  “Yeah, that’s kind of the reason why we came, to get help with that?” Serenity reminded him.

  “Why are you only angry with me?” he asked not liking how she was only blaming him.

  “I’m not,” she asserted. “I hated seeing you get hurt, but it’s not about us.”

  He was silent for a few seconds before he finally released a sigh. She was right, and he knew it. He took her hand in his. “I am sorry. I let my pride get in the way of our goal. It was foolish.” Serenity squeezed his hand.

  “You know, I’m not the only one you need to apologize to.” Kang-Dae groaned.

  “I should have just killed him.” Serenity slapped him on the shoulder.

  “I think you are much more violent than I am.” The second hit was on his head.

  “Ow!”

  ***

 
The next day, both husband and wife entered the main hall with their heads high. Despite their current situation they refused to look weak. Making their way up to the throne, they stopped at the steps. As one, they bowed respectfully.

  Kang-Dae spoke first, “I wish to offer my regrets and apologies for my behavior. It was inexcusable as a guest and a king.” He turned to Su, who was glaring at him from behind his wrapped battered face. “I apologize to you for my actions that day. For the grievances I’ve caused, I offer myself as penance for my deeds. Whatever you want of me you shall have it.”

  Just as Su looked as though he were about to spit out words Serenity knew would not be of forgiveness, Queen Prija interrupted. “That will not be necessary. As your queen pointed out, it was a match that I set in motion. I must take some responsibility as well.” Uncertainty crossed both Serenity and Kang-Dae’s faces. “Our customs are not yours, neither are our expectations or morals.” From the corner of her eye, Serenity could see Kang-Dae’s jaw clench at her passive-aggressive dig. “We should not expect those from other lands to adhere to the same conduct and principles as us. After all, there were reasons why we parted ways in the past.” Serenity did not like where this was going and neither did Kang-Dae because he began to speak.