Brand of the Desert

Imperial bloodline

It had been half a month since the smoke of battle over the gates of the central capital had completely cleared. Thanks to that, the imperial attendants had enough time to erase every trace of rebellion and every wound. The heavy, suffocating smell of charred wood that had filled the vast great halls, along with the traces of ash from the battlefield, was finally purified completely, and in its place there gradually spread the crisp, cool sweetness of autumn wind drifting gently through the long corridors of the imperial palace. The immense, magnificent banquet hall had been fully restored, and the smooth black-jade floor had been scrubbed and washed clean until it gleamed and flashed like dark glass beneath the newly lit hundreds of white silk lanterns. The surviving nobles of the court and ministers of the city factions stood packed in lines along the vermilion pillars, bowing their heads deeply in absolute, trembling awe, because they knew full well who held the life and death of this entire empire, and the great power of rule, in their hands.

Behind the high seat's raised platform, the massive wooden lattice doors let out a low, heavy reverberation and slid open.

I stepped firmly onto the high platform, my posture completely steady and unshaken, chin lifted. Thanks to the past half month of complete rest in the secluded inner chambers as I recovered from the physical aftereffects of childbirth, it felt as though my body had finally regained its solid center. I was wearing the most splendid and magnificent imperial hanbok ceremonial robe in this dynasty—a heavy, structured robe dyed the deepest crimson and gold silk. The elaborate silk panels flowed broadly and flexibly, completely swallowing the movements of my slight frame. As I firmly took my place at the center of the court, the sustained texture of every light, quiet breath I exhaled was steady, and my expression remained fixed behind the mask of the monarch's complete, impenetrable cold majesty.

Hyunjin walked out right beside me, his tall, massive frame completely dominating the entire space in the span of a single heartbeat. Today he was fully dressed in a clean, heavy gold robe that bore no trace of the supreme emperor it represented, and a huge crown rested securely atop his long black hair. In his sharp, dark eyes, which instantly crushed the whispers and restless movements of the ministers below into suffocating silence, there glimmered the absolute authority of a cold, fearsome ruler.

But the only real gaze the entire imperial court was fixed on was anchored firmly in the space within his arms.

Held tightly against the broad, ironclad expanse of his chest was our daughter, born only half a month ago—our new princess, Yunseo. Wrapped perfectly in layers of soft white imperial silk cloth, the baby slept peacefully amid the heavy silence of the great hall, as if completely ignoring the sea of huge, venomous gazes from the nobles looking down at her. Hyunjin was holding the baby with an unbelievably meticulous and careful tenderness, and the sight of his large fingers, once sweeping across the battlefield, lightly smoothing and adjusting the edges of the cloth around her made a striking, gentle contrast to his fierce, towering martial majesty.

He strode directly to the edge of the raised seat platform and cast a fierce, unblinking gaze down at the line of ministers kneeling and prostrating themselves.

"The rebel factions have been completely purged, and the right of succession to this imperial throne is absolute." Hyunjin commanded loudly. His tone was sharp and even, heavy with the undeniable, frightening authority that left the entire court breathless. As he subtly shifted his center of gravity and pressed his sturdy shoulder closer to mine, our bodies were once again perfectly bound together beneath the bright lantern light. "Look properly at Empress Chaewon, who is here. Her brilliant and incisive strategy led my shield troops out of the flames themselves and saved this capital. And look properly upon your new princess, the most brilliant and blessed omen of this dynasty."

He paused for a moment, and in his dark eyes as they looked down at the baby's face, a vast wave of fierce, overwhelming pride suddenly rippled through, and his gaze sank into softness. Then he swept his eyes fiercely back over the ministers' heads.

"The empire's sacred bloodline has now been firmly sealed." Hyunjin declared formally, and his deep, rich voice resonated magnificently all the way to the edges of the fortress walls, shaking everything in all directions. "Kneel before the empire's great future."

Like a single enormous human barrier, hundreds of ministers and elite shield troops all at once flattened themselves belly-down onto the black-jade flooring and collapsed completely into the earth, and the obedient, overwhelming cries of long live that they let out filled the great hall with a deafening roar, forever sealing our perfect victory.

Hyunjin turned his head slightly toward me, and beneath the heavy crown, an unbelievably gentle and tender smile softly awoke across his handsome face. He lowered a large hand that had been empty beneath the broad sleeve fabric, then slipped his warm, long fingers firmly between mine on the platform to tightly join our hands together, making us one. His grip was steady, an anchor, and the fingertips of his hand, joined to mine as if giving the order to hold on, were trembling ever so slightly from a wave of complete devotion. We stood there sharing each other's quick, breathless pulse, and the entire empire laid beneath our feet was now completely safe, with not a single trace left behind.