Haneul and Chief Keme were sitting in a luxurious carriage. In front of them rode four hundred mages and Sukh on horseback. Behind the carriage followed five thousand soldiers.
The maid poured two cups of water, one for Haneul and the other for Chief Keme. Haneul lifted the curtain on the window. He called, "Great Grand General, come here."
Sukh turned his horse and rode beside the carriage. Haneul handed Sukh the cup of water. Sukh took the cup, drank from it, then returned to the front of the carriage.
Chief Keme watched as the maid refilled the cup, and Haneul drank from the same cup that Sukh had just used. He remarked, "Many people said that His Majesty treated General Bayarmaa very well. I saw with my own eyes today that I no longer doubt their words."
Haneul smiled. "Because he treats us very well. We just repay his kindness to us." Haneul took a sip of water and put the cup on the table. "When we lost power within the courts, everyone abandoned us. Sukh was the only one who was always by our side in those dark days. He didn't abandon us when we were in trouble, so no matter what happens in the future, we will not abandon him."
"Did His Majesty ever ask General Bayarmaa why he is so loyal to His Majesty?" Chief Keme inquired.
Haneul looked at Chief Keme. "No, we never asked him. Even if we asked him, he wouldn't tell us the truth."
"Without asking, does His Majesty have complete confidence in General Bayarmaa?" Chief Keme pressed.
"We trust him with our lives and the lives of our people," Haneul stated firmly.
"I once asked General Bayarmaa why he is so loyal to His Majesty," Chief Keme revealed.
Haneul suddenly became excited. "Oh," he asked hastily. "What did General Bayarmaa say?"
Chief Keme said with a smile, "He said, his loyalty to His Majesty starts with a bowl of rice."
Haneul could not remember which bowl of rice Sukh was referring to. Over the years, he had cooked countless dishes for Sukh. He smiled and said, "Oh… we don't remember."
"Sometimes what is worthless to one person can be priceless to another," Chief Keme observed.
Haneul looked at Sukh's back and sighed. "We have to agree with Chief Keme on this point," he said with a laugh.
As the carriage drove through the beautiful forest, Chief Keme continued to observe Haneul's expressions towards Sukh.
When the group of soldiers and mages arrived at the southern border, the soldiers greeted them. Haneul, Sukh, and the Imperial Guard rested around the southern border camp while Chief Keme and the mages prepared to create the magical river.
Chief Keme continued to observe Haneul's attitude towards Sukh. After a day of observation, Chief Keme finally understood why the capital was only a day's walk away from the southern border.
"Chief Keme, how long do the mages need to pray?" Haneul asked.
"Seven days," Chief Keme replied. "After the seventh day, the river will flow from west to east. During these seven days, we can only wait for the mages to finish their work."
"So, this outpost is safe if it is left unattended?" Haneul inquired.
"After seven days, the thousand sentry posts by the river can be moved to the bases in the east or west," Chief Keme explained.
"I'll discuss with the other generals and transfer the soldiers to the West Camp and East Camp," Haneul decided.
"General Bayarmaa," Chief Keme said, "come and talk to me after His Majesty finishes his patrol."
Sukh nodded.
Sukh accompanied Haneul, discussing matters with the generals and captains all day long. It was already late at night when Sukh knocked on the wooden pole twice before entering Chief Keme's tent. "Chief," he said, standing by the door.
Chief Keme smiled at Sukh. "General, please come in and sit down."
Sukh walked into the room and asked, "Chief, what do you need?"
Chief Keme smiled. "I just want to chat with you." He poured Sukh a cup of water. "Come and sit." Sukh walked to the table and sat opposite Chief Keme. "Are you in a hurry?"
"No," Sukh replied.
Chief Keme looked at Sukh. "His Majesty likes you very much."
"His Majesty and I have known each other since childhood," Sukh said. "So, he is more considerate to me than anyone else."
"His Majesty told me that you were there when he had nothing, and you did not abandon him," Chief Keme continued. "So, no matter what happens next, he will not abandon you."
"I am a loyal servant to the court, and it is my duty to protect His Majesty," Sukh stated. He sighed and looked at Chief Keme. "Chief, I want to talk to you about Zuni and my marriage."
"Speak freely," Chief Keme invited.
"Back then, I promised you that I would marry Zuni as my wife when she became an adult, and His Majesty has already issued an announcement, but…" Sukh hesitated.
"But you love other people," Chief Keme finished for him, his gaze perceptive.
"I don't think it's fair to Zuni," Sukh admitted. "I'm afraid I'll let her down."
"I finally understand why you delayed marrying Zuni until now," Chief Keme said, a sigh escaping him.
Sukh sighed again. "I'm sorry, I broke my promise to you, but I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will not do anything that will harm the Kakungga Tribe. I know the reason why you are afraid. You are afraid that once His Majesty takes the throne, His Majesty will treat your people badly, but as you can see, His Majesty has never treated anyone badly."
Chief Keme sighed. "I suspect it's because the elders have long foreseen that if our tribe serves any kingdom, it will be our end. You somehow convinced me to participate in the conquest of His Majesty's kingdom. His Majesty has proved he is very kind to everyone who lives in his land. Over the years, I have witnessed different races living equally in this magnificent kingdom, and I am very happy that our tribe has become a part of Tanzang history." He looked at Sukh. "Is there anything about Zuni that will convince you to change your mind and marry her?"
"I care about Zuni, but as a sister, not a lover," Sukh explained. "I extended our marriage because I didn't think it was fair for her to marry me, and I knew full well she wouldn't be happy."
Without asking Sukh to tell him who his lover was, Chief Keme had a good idea of who that person might be. Chief Keme asked bluntly, "His Majesty has great affection towards you. Do you feel the same?"
Sukh's heart trembled suddenly; his hidden secret had been exposed. "Yes," Sukh replied with a trembling voice. "I… feel the same."
"Just because of that bowl of rice?" Chief Keme asked softly.
Sukh nodded. "Although it's a bowl of rice, when the person who received it is at the end of his road, that bowl of rice is worth more than a pot of gold."
Chief Keme smiled. "It would be nice if we met sooner… I would take you as my son with no hesitation."
"Now, you can still treat me as your son," Sukh offered, "I will not refuse."
"Sukh," Haneul said, standing at the door, watching Sukh and Chief Keme. "Time for dinner."
Chief Keme stood up. "Your Majesty."
"We came to take General Bayarmaa to eat," Haneul said, looking at Sukh, then at Chief Keme. "What are the two of you talking about?"
"Your Majesty," Chief Keme replied with a smile, "we are talking about my adoption of my adopted son."
Haneul smiled brightly at Chief Keme. "Oh… who is the lucky one?"
Chief Keme smiled. "General Bayarmaa."
Hearing Sukh's name, Haneul suddenly became happy. If Sukh became Chief Keme's adopted son, that meant he didn't have to marry Zuni. Haneul smiled broadly. "You want to adopt General Bayarmaa as your adopted son?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, if His Majesty agrees," Chief Keme confirmed.
"What about the marriage we announced?" Haneul asked, a hint of eagerness in his voice.
"I dare ask Your Highness to take back the imperial decree," Chief Keme requested.
"We'll see what we can do," Haneul said, barely concealing his delight.
Early in the morning, Sukh woke up in Haneul's arms. While sleeping with Haneul, his body was as sore as ever. Although his body ached from lips to toes, his heart was full of happiness that could not be expressed in words. He loved the sound of Haneul's soft breathing. He liked the way Haneul's breaths touched his forehead.
Haneul suddenly kissed Sukh's forehead and asked, "You like to look at me so much, can you really replace this handsome face with the face of a woman?"
"I have my reasons," Sukh replied.
Haneul frowned. "Don't be angry in the morning." His arms around Sukh tightened. "Although I announced your marriage in court, you can still refuse. What is your reason for not refusing this proposal?"
"I can't," Sukh said simply.
"Why? Or do you really like Chief Keme's daughter?" Haneul pressed, a hint of jealousy in his voice.
"How could I?" Sukh scoffed gently. "I will not like another person more than I like you."
Haneul pinned Sukh beneath him and started kissing him. "We've never enjoyed having sex with anyone like we've enjoyed having sex with you." His hand slid across Sukh's member and down towards Sukh's back door.
Sukh quickly stopped Haneul's hand. "You haven't had enough? We've done it five times… although you still have energy, my bottom is sore."
Haneul smiled and continued to slide his hand down. "Odd numbers are unlucky numbers, even for sex. I prefer even numbers." He pushed his fingers in deeper.
"Who said that…" Sukh moaned softly.
Haneul smiled and kissed Sukh's lips. "I said that…" he whispered. "My beloved general, it seems you are ready."