In a bygone era, where the kingdoms of East Asia shimmered like scattered pearls upon a vast emerald carpet, there lay an ancient realm guarded by history, generation after generation. In this land, stories were not merely written in ink; they were woven behind the walls of palatial manors that overlooked the majestic Royal Palace.
The residence of Minister 'Chul' was not merely the home of a statesman; it was a sanctuary for two souls bound by a covenant deeper than sisterhood: Li Yan and Li Fan. Their mother had departed when Li Yan was but eight years old, leaving behind a four-year-old child named Li Fan.
On that bitter, cold night, Li Yan's tears dried, transforming instead into a shield. Gazing at her younger sister, she vowed to be the sun that rises in her darkest night. Li Yan did not merely sew garments; with every silken thread, she stitched a sense of security to ward off the cold desolation of orphanhood from her sister.
Her skilled fingertips embroidered flowers onto the hems of Li Fan's robes, ensuring the child would never feel forgotten or that her clothes were as tattered as her small heart. Every prick of the needle was a silent promise: the world would never break this little one as long as Li Yan drew breath.
The aroma of the sweets Li Yan prepared surpassed the sweetness of any delicacy served at the King's table. It was not merely food; it was an antidote to the bitterness of loss in her sister's mouth. With every bite, she wiped away the sting of grief from Li Fan's heart, planting in its stead the certainty that their home remained warm.
As evening fell and silence draped over the corners of the Joseon Kingdom, a different kind of magic would begin. Li Yan did not settle for merely tucking her sister in; she conjured worlds of imagination, weaving tales by candlelight of warrior princesses and knights whom time could never defeat. She would pat her warm hand on the little girl's shoulder in a rhythmic beat, much like a heartbeat, until Li Fan drifted into a deep slumber.
Only then would she lie beside her, like a royal guard who never wavered, her eyes watching the little one's breath to repel the nightmares of the night. In those years, Li Yan was not just an elder sister; she embodied every role that death had stolen from them. She was the mother who embraced, the physician who healed both scratches and hearts, and the sanctuary whose doors never closed.
The Lotus and the Royal Destiny
Years drifted by like flickers of light, and Li Yan's womanhood blossomed like a rare lotus in a royal pond. Her serene beauty became the talk of every gathering, and suitors swarmed at Minister Chul's door, seeking her hand. Yet, her heart remained a fortress, locked with a single key named Li Fan. She rejected the most precious gifts and the highest of positions, choosing instead to remain a protective shadow for her sister a roof that shielded her from the winters of life.
Suddenly, the foundations of the kingdom trembled with a royal decree that shook every heart: "Crown Prince Xu Fu is searching for a bride." A stern command was issued, summoning every noble maiden who had reached the age of fourteen to undergo the palace trials. Despite her refusals and pleas, her father, the Minister, forced her to go, coveting an honor that Li Yan saw only as a noose one that would uproot her from her very soul.
There, behind the high, merciless walls, Li Yan fought a war of a different kind: she was trying, with all her cunning, to lose. She deliberately showed indifference, gave lackluster answers, and tried to appear faded amidst the glitter of the other candidates, longing only to return to the embrace of her home and the warmth of her little sister.
However, the Queen Mother's eyes were sharper than any performance. She was not searching for polished features, but for a "soul" capable of carrying the crown of a kingdom steeped in blood. The Queen observed Li Yan as she treated the servants with innate grace and saw how she soothed the anxiety of her rivals with tender words and a motherly heart. The Queen found no wisdom that matched hers, making her pass one trial after another despite her best efforts to fail.
Then, the drums rolled, and the thunderbolt was struck: Li Yan was declared the future bride of the Crown Prince.
A Covenant of Shadows Behind Golden Bars
Behind the towering palace walls that eclipsed the very sunlight, a legendary celebration unfolded. Drums thundered, and the entire kingdom cheered for the new bride. Yet, beneath the heavy silk robes and golden ornaments that weighed like mountains, Li Yan's heart bled. In the shimmer of gold, she saw nothing but the bars of an eternal prison, severing her from her other half.
On the wedding night, under the flickering candlelight, Li Yan wept with a bitterness that shook the very soul of Prince Xu Fu. These were not the tears of a frightened bride, but the lament of a soul torn from its body. When the Prince unused to seeing anything but submission in a woman's eyes approached and asked the secret of the sorrow that had extinguished the palace's joy, she spoke with a piercing honesty:
"Of what use is a throne, Your Highness, if my only sister spends this night in the cold, without the embrace she has known since childhood?"
That night, something occurred that historians never recorded. The heart of the warrior prince softened, and he made a secret vow that would defy the very sanctity of the palace for her sake:
"Dry your tears, Li Yan... From this night forth, once every month when the guards slumber and no eye can see, I shall be your guide and your guardian, so you may return to your sister's arms."
Thus, Li Yan began to lead a double life. In public, she was the dignified Princess before whom the palace trembled; in secret, she was the tender sister reclaiming the warmth of her soul. As days turned into years, this covenant was crowned by the birth of the young Crown Prince, Di Lan.
Under the mounting weight of royal responsibility, the Princess found no sanctuary but to summon her sister, Li Fan, to live with her within the walls. With their presence, the cold palace corridors transformed into a paradise of intimacy, and the young prince grew up cherished between two hearts that nothing could set apart.
The Covenant of the Cradle and Generations
Within those vast corridors that were once desolate, Li Fan found more than just security; she found a destiny awaiting her. She met the Royal Tutor, a young man who combined a sharp intellect that dazzled minds with a nobility of character that captured hearts. It was as if the palace, which had once torn the two sisters away, had finally decided to grant them stability. With Minister Chul's blessing, they were wed, becoming new pillars filling the palace with life and warmth.
Two years later, as spring blossomed across the courtyards of Joseon, the sisters' lives were brightened by a new beauty. Li Fan gave birth to a daughter of exquisite grace, as if her features were carved from moonlight. In the height of their joy, her aunt, Queen Li Yan, chose for her a name befitting a rare jewel: Jo-ri.
In that still moment of time, as young Di Lan played innocently beside his cousin's cradle touching her tiny hand as if recognizing his other half the sisters' eyes met in a silence more profound than the words of kings. A new covenant was taking shape on the horizon, where hearts whispered before lips could speak:
"Let their destiny be together companions on the path, and guardians of love... just as our destiny has always been."