The Phoenix Outside Of The Walls

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I woke up to the sound crashing and shouting. Who on earth dares to make a scene in front of my place??? I sat up irritated; I already had a hard time sleeping, woke up in the middle of the night because of a dream, and then I can't go back to sleep.

Great just a great way to start my day with shouts and crashes. They better have a great reason for being this loud. Not just because the sun's up means they can be this loud and boisterous in the morning. I stood up and opened the door, the maids outside my door were shocked when I walked passed them and towards the main entrance. They tried stopping me since I wasn't wearing anything presentable. One of them fetched me one of my overcoats and placed it on top of my clothes.

"You better have a good reason for making a scene in front of my palace!" I shouted as I opened the door. I saw the guards flinch slighty, they rarely ever hear or see me this angry. I came face to face with Sook Joo Gun and Dong Yul Gun looking both scared and guilty. I can see they were trying to hide something behind them. My anger subsided, they're young, the young makes mistakes.

"What are you two doing? What are you hiding behind you?" I asked gently. Sook Joo was wearing a whitish blue dopo, topped with a light blue jeonbok while Dong Yul was wearing a blue dopo that was topped with a cyan jeonbok. Both had the usual white baji under, and the traditional white beoseongat and black taesahye adorned their feet.

"Hyuk-Oh nunim, we.... Ummm..... We were...." Sook Joo was looking down and fidgeting. He was by estimation around 5 feet 2 inches tall given a few more years he would be taller than me. His hair was in a ttaeheun meori and the remains were being hept out of his face by a light blue cloth tied around his forehead, which showed all his features : His slightly round shaped eyes that were double lidded, you could see the innocence through them, his mid-high bridge, narrow and round nose tip , a small mouth with a moderate size of lips and a round face complimented all these. By the way his lips were quivering gave away that he was terrified of what I may do.

"Hyuk-Oh nunim, we did not mean to cause a scene. It was my fault, don't punish Sook Joo awoo. He's young and didn't know better." Dong Yul said as he raised his head. He was 5 feet 8 inches tall which would make me tilt my head if we were close, good thing I was a meter away from them. We mostly have the same features with the lips and nose. The difference where the eyes, Dong Yul's eyes were more chinky and small with single eye lids and his face shape was more of oval than round. His hair was in the same style as Sook Joo only difference was the cloth around his forehead dark blue cloth.

"I did not ask whose fault was it." I said calmly. I leaned to the left trying to see what was behind them, all I saw was a white small triangular peice. "I asked what were the two of you doing and what is behind you. I just want to know, I am not mad at you. Slightly irritated but not mad, just tell me honestly what happened."

They both looked at one another. Dong Yul nudged Sook Joo to tell me what happened himself. How on earth is he going to survive in the palace if he is like this.

"I was thinking of visiting you since you weren't feeling well yesterday. I decided to bring you a bowl of Samgyetang, I asked eomanim and Sanjeong Kim what dish can help with fever they both recommended this. I accidentally tripped and..." His words trailed as he stepped aside to show me the broken bowl with spilled remains of the soup.

"You did not have too. You could have asked any of the naesojobang to do that. You should be studying, not worrying about me. Thank you for worrying I am already feeling better. Now go attend to your studies before Abamama finds out and start to think you have neglected them. " They both bowed and turned around to walk back where they came from. I turned and said to one of jimil to prepare my clothes for today, breakfast and to clean up the mess.

I walked back into my residence, back into the room and waited for them to ready everything. My bed was already made, they brought in my clothes and assisted me into them. It was a light violet chima with 2 patrones of golden flowers across the bottom and the lower mid part, topped with a lilac dangui that had golden patterns on the sleeves, collar, and the lower part in the front with a golden lotus embroidered on it on the center. They fixed my hair into kwimit meori, with a baetssi daenggi that had a white flower on top a of a small circular cloth on the top of my head, a gold dwikkoji that had patterns of flowers making one flower pinned on the left side of my hair and a Jebiburi daenggi at the tip.

After assisting me, they exited the room and those that brought my breakfast entered. They brought two round tables, one for side dishes and one for the main dishes, others brought trays of food. They placed the tables in front of me, then one by one put the dishes down; kongnamul bab, galbi, and oi naengguk on the first table while moo saengchae kimchi, gaji namul, seasoned kelp, and oi muchim on the other. They left after preparing my meal, they know I can't enjoy the food with them watching.

Images of the incident awhile ago replays in my mind as I eat. Sook Joo does not know how the palace works, he gets blinded by the fact that we are related. If he keeps on being naive and innocent, he'll end up 6 feet underground wrapped around a p sheet. Though hopefully everyone treats him as a precious little jem as he is the youngest.

I called them again when I finished my meal. I was contemplating if I should do embroidery again or should I go out. I decided to go out and go to the kyujanngak I nee new reading materials, I can ask any one to get me a book but I also need to stretch and walk around.

I stepped out with around 20 gungnyeos from my residence. I inhaled the cool air, snow had melted a month ago and the trees were staring to produce leaves again. I could here the chirps of the birds that were returning, for once the palace seemed peaceful and quiet.

"Hyuk-Oh eonni." The person who called me stopped in front of me, bowing as she did so. "Its a good to see you walking out and not locking yourself in your residence as always."

Just when the palace seemed peaceful it gets shattered. She was wearing wearing a light pink chima with one patrones of flowers across the bottom, topped with a cream colored dangui with golden patterns of a flower on it. Her hair was fixed into kwimit meori too, with a baetssi daenggi that had a two red flowers on top of a circular green cloth on the top of her head, and a sliver dwikkoji that had a butterfly on it on the right side of her hair. Her eyes were down-turned ones, it gave her this innocent look that was never there to begin with. Her face shape which was diamond like, kind of gave her this 'I-am-on-top' aura, which she always had fun rubbing in.

"Haeun ongju. " Emphasising on the fact that I am the legitimate daughter had her jaw tensing. Though she smiled to hide that. "I just thought that staying indoors would allow you to walk freely outside as it seems you can't do as you please with me strutting around the palace."

She gestured those following her to leave and I did the same, I would not want to embarrass her in front of the servants. When they all left her smile withered, it was my turn to smile as her façade was gone.

"Just so you know my mother is the queen now. That means we have almost the same position in this palace." She pridefully said. For someone who is younger she's forgetting to show respect.

"And it still does not change the fact that you are a child to the second wife." I calmly said. She hates it when ever I rub to her face that she is still a concubines daughter. We used to have a good relationship until she started to feel entitled. "Kindly remember even though we have, as you said, 'almost' the same position. Mine will always be higher than yours as I am still older than you."

If she was about to rebut, she was cut when we heard someone calling us.

"Hyuk-Oh, Haeun. There you are!" someone shouted which caused the two of us to turn and look at that direction.

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Unfamiliar words

Gun- prince

dopo-a type of long sleeved overcoat

jeonbok- a type of sleeveless long vest

baji - pants

beoseongat - socks

taesahye-shoes

awoo- younger sibling

Samgyetang- chicken soup

eomanim- mother

Sanjeong- who nurses the princesses and princes

naesojobang- people who serve and prepare food

jimil- people waiting on the royal family

chima- the skirt part of the hanbok

kwimit meori-

baetssi daenggi-

dwikkoji -

Jebiburi daenggi-

gungnyeo- palace women serving the royal family

eonni- how a younger girl address an older girl

ongju- princess (illegitimate daughter of the king)