He wanted to wake her up, but then Empress Pai arrived to see Jin-Ri's condition. "How is she, Young-Sik?" she asked, worried about the court maiden's condition.
The prince stood up and bowed to his cousin. "She's alright, she's sleeping because of the shock, the wound itself was not serious," he explained. "What brings you here? The emperor must be looking for you."
"I'm only here in passing and to tell you something. Captain Xun Ju has detained your party in the mansion. He said he won't let any of you leave unless you give her to him." She walked over to the slumbering court maiden. "I don't know who this girl is, but I hope she is worth the trouble you are having right now," the Empress said, lamenting the situation her younger cousin landed in, all because of a simple court maiden.
Young-Sik ran his hand over her hair. "She is more than that, cousin." Turning to the empress, he asked, "How are my people?"
"Do not worry; they are unharmed. Though they could not leave the confines of the mansion, they are taken care of upon my order," Empress Pai assured the prince. "How do you plan to get out of this with your people?" she asked the prince.
"I don't know, I've never been held hostage before by a love-sick Guiong captain who has the hots for my woman," Young-Sik nonchalantly explained. "That mansion doesn't happen to have any secret passages, does it?"
"I'm afraid not," the Empress replied. "I heard, though, that Xun will challenge you to a battle of honor. Whoever wins gets a wish that the emperor is duty-bound to grant." She explained to the prince, "It is a battle to the death, cousin, so I ask you again, is she worth your life?"
"How good a warrior is Xun?" Young-Sik inquired about his opponent; curiosity was running through his mind rather than worry.
"He is one of the best, if not the best amongst our swordsmen," Pai said without beating around the bush. "Use this knowledge to your advantage, cousin, and be careful tomorrow." With those words, Empress Pai left the infirmary and headed back to her residence.
After his cousin left, Young-Sik sat back down and watched over Jin-Ri. The sun was already up in the blue skies when Jin-Ri came to. The prince quickly got up from his chair leaned over and kissed her "How are you? Does it hurt?"
Jin-Ri sat up and looked over her shoulder. "Aside from sudden movements, I feel well...thanks for treating me." She then extended both her arms and pulled Young-Sik into an embrace. "Why did you refuse the offer? A hundred years of peace alone was worth it."
The prince stared deeply into her eyes. "If I abandon you, if I can't save you, the woman I love...How can I save anyone else?"
Jin-Ri smiled at what the prince said, "Now you're stuck with me." She pulled the prince closer and in an eerie yet funny voice said, "Forever."
"What a lovely sight. I certainly hope you are sterner than that when your master is dead and you belong to me!" A voice said from outside the infirmary. The couple looked at the door, where the voice was coming from, and saw Xun Ju in full battle gear leaning on the door frame.
"Dead? Yours? Yong, what is he talking about?" Jin-Ri asked fearfully, confused about what was happening
The prince stood up straight and moved in front of Jin-Ri as if to shield her from something. "He has our people confined in the mansion unless I duel with him...to the death."
"What?" Jin-Ri glared at Xun Ju. "You are despicable, I hope you rot in hell!" she cursed at the man
Xun Ju's expression became serious after hearing what Jin-Ri told him "Watch your tongue woman, I will be your new master before noontime, I suggest you start to forget your prince, he will be nothing but a corpse soon" Xun Ju then shifted his sights at the prince "Be ready to die a slow and painful death, I will be waiting at the courtyard" He then left the infirmary and headed straight to the courtyard.
"Can you walk? We need to go to the others," Young-Sik asked Jin-Ri, to which she nodded. Young-Sik supported Jin-Ri as she got out of bed, and they then also left the infirmary and headed back to the mansion.
The Guiong soldiers allowed the couple to go inside the mansion. Inside, they saw their soldiers standing guard at all possible entrances, while the court maidens were all huddled in the middle of the large receiving area.
"Your Highness! Lady Jin-Ri!" Kwan greeted them, his voice laced with relief and joy. "We feared the worst when the two of you did not return." He then noticed the blood on the sleeves and bandages on Jin-Ri's shoulder. "You're wounded, Lady Jin-Ri, are you alright?"
"I am fine, Captain Gi." Young-Sik helped Jin-Ri sit down ."Don't worry about me, please help the prince prepare," she requested of Kwan
"Prepare? Prepare for what?" Kwan asked, confused and unaware of the events unfolding.
"No, I will go alone, stay and protect them, Captain Gi. Should something happen to me, find a way out of here and get our people back home!" Young-Sik instructed the still-bewildered Kwan. He followed the prince around asking what the matter was. When he saw the prince grab his weapon, things became clearer.
"Your Highness, who and why are you fighting?" Kwan asked, blocking the prince's way
"The who is not important, as to why? It is for all your freedoms." He gently brushed Kwan aside and headed straight to the door. Before exiting, he looked at Jin-Ri. "I'll be back, do not worry too much," he assured her. Upon exiting the mansion, two lines of Guiong soldiers flanked the prince's sides and escorted him towards the courtyard.
Kwan attempted to follow the prince but was blocked by the Guiong guards. Kwan worriedly followed the prince with his eyes. When they turned to a corner and were no longer visible, he murmured to himself, "Please heavenly beings watch over our princ.e"
When Young-Sik and his escorts arrived at the courtyard, the sun was up, and Xun Ju was already waiting. The prince looked around at the large square-like arena the soldiers formed by lining up and holding their large shields in front of them. When he stepped inside, the soldiers who escorted him also lined up to form a wall sealing the square arena. Out of curiosity, he tried to walk toward the soldiers, but he stopped when the wall of soldiers raised and aimed their weapons at him.
"They will only allow one man to leave, and that is the winner, the last man alive," Xun Ju explained, his voice dripping with confidence. But Young-Sik was undeterred, he continued to scan the standing soldiers, looking for a weak point.
They then heard a trumpet sound, announcing the arrival of the Emperor and Empress. Everyone faced the emperor's palace at the same time, waiting for him to emerge. Young-Sik did not immediately face the same direction; only when the emperor emerged did he look in that direction to give a bow.
"*Duelists*" The emperor called out "*The two of you will now participate in a tradition older than the Guiong empire itself...the battle for honor*" He glanced at both combatants "*State your wishes, and whoever is still alive at the end of the duel will have that wish granted*" The Emperor promised the two fighters.
Pointing his sword at the prince, Xun Ju states his wish "*I want his woman Hong Jin-Ri to be my chamber slave*" The cocky captain then grinned and roared at Young-Sik
"*Safe passage for my entire entourage and especially Hon Jin-Ri back to Chiongsun, no conditions, no strings attached...safe passage back home for all of us, no one gets left behind for any reason, all of us goes home unharmed*" Young-Sik confidently and eloquently said, stating his wish to the emperor.
"*Having heard your wishes, it will be granted should you emerge triumphant from this duel to the death.*" The Emperor raised his hand, Xun Ju pulled out his sword, gripped it with two hands, and raised it at eye level by the hilt. Young-Sik, on the other hand, stood straight, the sheathed sword held by his left hand, he turned to his left so that his right shoulder was facing his opponent.
The emperor lowered his raised hand, signaling the duelists to fight. Xun Ju charged at the prince, his sword raised high, ready to deal a fatal strike. At the last possible moment, Young-Sik lowered his stance and dashed towards his opponent. Drawing his sword from its sheath and transitioning it to a left horizontal strike, it finds its target, drawing first blood.
The two fighters stopped some distance from each other. Xun Ju placed his hand over his left side to asses the wound, he then looked at his palm with a thin streak of blood. He then laughed out loud, and even the emperor snickered when he saw the result of Young-Sik's attack.
"*If that is the best the Chiong prince has to offer, this will be a boring duel*" He laughed, pointing out to the Empress her cousin's lack of skill.
Xun Ju showed the thin blood streak on his palm to the prince. "I guess rumors of your immense skills were greatly exaggerated." He pointed the tip of his sword at Young-Sik. "Rumors of my greater skill and how I toyed with you will send a wave of fear all over Chiongsun." He then assumed the same stance: "I will celebrate my victory tonight by ravaging Jin-Ri over and over and over again!"