2. No scars allowed

That night, Hana sat in her room, behind a closed door and only her shadow was seen leaning against the paper walls. Sitting down on the floor, behind her table, she was contemplating her encounter with Lee Sun. Hana knew everything about him since she was a little girl. She adored this prince even if she had never seen his face. Not even from far away.

Today was her first time to lay her eyes on the man about whose beauty was going all around the nation. All maidens were dreaming to see him or marry him. His imposing posture, sublime features and skills were making even the married women dream with a sigh. It was also well known for his arrogant personality and cruel attitude towards everyone. He would not bear anyone to go against his will. Nobody. Moreover, since his father, the late king, passed away, he took over the kingdom and ruled it with an iron fist.

All these were legends about Lee Sun. Stories that circulated around the country and court from people who pretended that they had met him. Which is almost impossible. The new king was rare to be seen. His life was dictated by his status and he was raised to be a cold man whose main care would be the wellbeing of his country. He was a king and in this position there is no feeling, no emotion.

Love was a foreign word to him. A king cannot be soft and impressed by tears or mere sweet words. "Happiness makes a man weak!", his father used to say. He never allowed him to be weak or cry or any other form of emotion that wouldn't be suitable for a man. The late king was harsh and treated his first son more as one of his soldiers. His words were orders.

His mother, the Queen, wasn't much different from his father. She entered the court with an arranged marriage to fulfill her filial duty towards her father. The marriage was giving her status and nothing more. Love was a thing not allowed. She had to be the queen and nothing more. The mother of the country and the mother of the future king. She had to give a son, an heir. This was her first and main responsibility.

And the next queen has to do the same.

Lee Sun knew he had to choose a future queen and a young lady suitable to be the mother of the future king. The nation needed stability and an inheritor would bring the insurance that the country is safe and the royal family's lineage wouldn't be spoiled.

It is required form him to marry after one year from the funeral of the late king after the mourning would end. His father died the previous year, in October. His mother started to rush him in finding a suitable maiden and making all the preparations for the upcoming wedding.

The lady who would become the royal consort had to meet specific conditions. Starting with her family status and her body features, she had to be perfect in every way. She must be a virgin young lady, from a good, high ranked family. A future queen should be clean, untouched and pure in all the way. She had to have dignity and high morals. She should not have been seen with any many, other than her family's men, or with any random man. Most importantly, a future wife of a king has the responsibility to give birth to the son of sun, who has to be healthy and born without any flaws. This is why the girl who would marry the king shouldn't have any health problems at all, should be beautiful and not have any visible or unknown issues regarding her mind or body. A future queen is not allowed to have even the tiniest scar or any birth signs on the body.

Hana was thinking about how rude and cold Lee Sun was towards her. She knew that he was not filtering his thoughts, but she didn't expect him to be this way when meeting her.

"My lady, how are you feeling? ", said Nara entering the sliding door.

Hana raised her eyes and threw a sharp and angry look at her. After today's encounter she started to understand why her mother was so aware of Nara's presence around her. All the unpleasant experiences with Lee Sun were caused by Nara.

"Yes, I would like to rest now," she said with a stare.

"Very well, young lady! I will help you change and prepare the bedding..."

"NO! I will change by myself. I want to be alone, Nara.", raised her tone Hana.

Nara saw the cold stare and furious mine and left the room excusing herself and wishing a good night.

While outside the room, she could hear a scream and objects crashing being thrown around. Raising her eyes, Nara looked and saw a clear moon and sparkling night sky.

"Mother, I think I did something wrong."

The next morning, Lady Jang entered the room of her daughter to find her laying on the floor, without bedding and still wearing her updo and her clothes from the day before. Expensive ceramic decorations were cracked on the floor. Books and any kind of object that is supposed to be laid on a shelf were chaotically spread all over the place. Obviously, her mother noticed that she must have fallen asleep crying as shades of makeup were mixed up making her face look dirty. She knows that her precious and only daughter must've been distraught by the incident and the unpleasant welcoming of Lee Sun. And this made Lady Jang mad, as well. She could bear to see the apple of her eye in such a state of mind and appearance.

"Hana, dear...Hana? Do you hear me? Wake up, my love.", said Lady Jang while taking her head in her arms and caressing her daughter's face.

Hana opened her puffy eyes, still red after a night of crying and throwing things all around the room. She saw her mother above her, arranging her messy hair.

"Mother...", she cried.

"What happened to Hana dear? What is all this about? What made you so upset?"

Hana's eyes got instantly teary and hugged her mother, burying out crying.

"Why was he so cold, mother? He didn't like me? "tried to speak Hana while sobbing loudly.

"No, Hana. It's not that he did not like you. It was just a very unfortunate encounter. We were not ready to meet him and he didn't expect us to be there. It's not your fault, my dear. Don't drain yourself over his attitude. You know very well the stories about him. Also, it seemed that the queen had a quarrel with him beforehand. It's not because of you my angel", comforted Lady Jang.

In the same moment, Nara entered the room and met the cold stare of the lady of the house.

"Where have you been, you, ungrateful and arrogant girl?"shouted Lady Jang, still holding her daughter whose face was buried onto her chest. "Couldn't you hear how upset our young lady was last night. How could you not be either her or come to tell me? "she added.

Nara felt ashamed and put her head down apologetically.

"I apologize, my lady. I wanted to stay with her but she asked me to leave her alone...",Nara responded, rubbing her hand nervously.

"How dare you respond? And what do you mean she asked to leave her alone? You do not have any mind, you lousy girl?",yelled Lady Jang pushing Hana away and standing up. "I had mercy on you and agreed to keep you in my house; I feed and clothe you and this is how you repay me!? I knew you were no good for this house and for being around my daughter. If it wasn't Minister Jang, you would be in this house not even for a day. You are as dumb as your shameless mother was. Get out of my sight! I don't want to see you for the rest of the day, you useless thing!",yelled Lady Jang while bedding her tall figure over Nara.

Lady Jang turned around to check again on her daughter and give all her comfort to that sobbing girl hidden under layers of pink silky skirts.

"And it's all because of her and her clumsiness...she ruined your appearance in front of the king and UGH! How she reminds me of her mother with everything she does. Even her face is the same.", added Lady Jang. She took Hana in her arms and wiped her tears. "Enough, Hana. I won't allow anyone to make you sad again. Let's get you washed up and change your clothes. I will do whatever it takes to make you meet the King and become the queen of this country. Whatever it takes!

Hana looked in her mother's eyes and then down to her hand, saying with disbelief: "Are you that confident mother? You know the rules and the standards very well. Do you not know that I might not get past the selection because of the...."

"Nothing will stop you from being the future queen, Hana!", cut fast Lady Jang.

"Mother, I mean ...you know...the court and the selection and...you know that there aren't any scars allowed on the body of the future queen." cried Hana putting her hand over her left breast.

"If there is a will, there is a way, my dear. I know the rules and I know how the selection is going. Look at me and trust me when I say that I will do whatever so you will be the queen. Now, I want you to get yourself together and put in your head that you are already the queen and there is no other girl in this country that can compete with you. You have all that it takes to be [art of the royal family. The Mother-Queen has already given her blessing and showed that she wants you to be part of the selection. If we have her support, it is like we have already won. We just have to do whatever it is up to us to make you meet the criteria of the court. Everything is possible, Hana.", said Lady Jang, full of motivation.

"Even to remove a birthmark, mother!?", asked Hana.

"YES, even that.", confirmed her mother.

Chapter end