Whoo! I'm actually doing this so many days earlier and that's really exciting:P

Yeon Woo came back and shushed a worried Seol, before pulling her into her old room. She told Seol that she had fainted once again, just like how she did when she first ate the pill that ignited her powers, but Seol stammered and said she wasn't there when it happened. Yeon Woo looked at her, and drilled her further.

Seol tried to keep to the lie that she joined Nok Young after she escaped from the family that she was sold to,

but Yeon Woo looked at her and dealt out the blow, "I saw it very clearly. The day when I was dug out from my grave, you were standing by a side waiting." Seol's eyes widened. Ooohhh I like this Yeon Woo. 

Great Dowager was really shocked to hear that Yeon Woo survived the ritual and lamented that she was too troublesome for her own good, or she could be a really great shaman that she could keep by her side. When asked if Yeon Woo was sent to Hwal In Seo (the Infirmary House), the professor stammered and finally admitted that Yeon Woo had requested to return to Celestial Halls to pray for the evil spirit.

Yeon Woo told the professor that If she wasn't allowed to do so, everyone would be involved in the spirit's revenge. Smart. I'm starting to see the young Yeon Woo again! 

Seol begged for forgiveness but Yeon Woo hurried her for answers, saying that this wasn't the time to discuss about forgiveness. She told Seol to tell her everything that she knew, and learnt that her father and Nok Young gave her the medicine that would fake her death. 

She asked then, if this meant her father knew she was alive, and while I repeated NOOO in my heart, Seol, who was probably fed the wrong version of things, said yes and that her father did so to save the name of the family. Ouch.

Yeon Woo started getting suspicious of all the right things and asked out loud about the timing that she got her illness, if she really got an illness caused by demons, why did the country's shaman save her life, if what she supposed were her powers were actually her memories, then what illness did she get in reality? Seol suggested for Yeon Woo to ask Nok Young for the truth, but Yeon Woo stopped her, saying that they should trust no one. Whoo way to go Yeon Woo, I like how you are thinking right now(:

Hwon learnt that Nok Young happened to be in the mountains for prayers and that she wouldn't be back for a few days. 

Who else loves this side view of Hwon's!

Hwon got suspicious of the impeccable timing that Nok Young was gone from the palace and felt that it couldn't be a coincidence. Feeling really frustrated, he got up for a walk and ran into Bo Kyung who invited him to her chambers for tea. Hwon adopted his usual demeanour at first, saying that he already had his tea and was ready to continue his walk, when he turned around and invited Bo Kyung to join him. Bo Kyung's face blossomed into a smile.

I find that I don't actually hate Bo Kyung. I find her quite pitiful at times actually. 

The two of them walked a little, and Hwon ended up in front of the Hidden Moon Halls. He stared at it wistfully while Bo Kyung noticed his expression.

He jerked back to reality when Bo Kyung called his name a few times, and after he turned to her, she told him that just like how he's the sun and she's the moon, and they would protect each other from their positions, she would wait for the day he accepted her. These words brought to mind a particular memory, yes, that one of Hwon giving Yeon Woo the hairpin…and Yeon Woo was looking at the hairpin at that exact moment. As the memory folded out, we came back to the present where Hwon saw Yeon Woo, should she have been the Queen.

Aww!!! And he broke out into a smile.

But this is all the more heartbreaking because he's only looking at Bo Kyung, and at the same time, Yeon Woo clutched the hairpin tightly to her chest and cried. 

You know what, I'm really curious to know how Yeon Woo feels about the fact that Hwon wasn't lying when he said Yeon Woo would be the only Crown Princess in his heart…since she saw for herself how much Hwon loved her, and evidently even got jealous of herself. 

Seol entered the room, but decked in female's clothes this time round, and wow!

Yeon Woo praised her looks and reminded her to go to Hwal In Seo after she finished the task that she had entrusted. Woon got the orders to call the guards in front of Yang Myung's house away, and Yang Myung dropped sarcastic comments. Woon tried to clear things up, saying that Hwon finally managed to convince the courts to take away his house arrest, but Yang Myung continued to be bitter, "Oh what divine grace that is." Woon followed Yang Myung into his house and tried to stop him from leaving. They both knew that he would be going to Hwal In Seo to look for Wol, and Yang Myung was angry.

He told Woon that Wol didn't belong to Hwon, and yes that might be the case for Yeon Woo but not for Wol. Hwon merely liked Wol as a figment of Yeon Woo, but he, he purely liked Wol, "And so you should see her as mine, not as the majesty's." Woon reminded him that he's still a Prince but Yang Myung reiterated that the only thing he had which Hwon didn't, was the freedom of dropping his title any time he wanted. Okayy, I don't really like Yang Myung right now, at least at this point in time. 

The person in charge over at Hwal In Seo was really unconcerned about the missing Wol, and Yang Myung got agitated. Then, a man came running in because his daughter was out of breath and if she didn't see a doctor soon, she would lose her life. The (inhuman, shall I add) person shrugged it off, much to Yang Myung's disgust.

Wol was finally brought to Hwal In Seo, and on the way into the main house, she watched many sick people suffering and poor people feeding on food that was barely enough. She reached the main house, and to her surprise, there was Yang Myung, giving instructions rapidly to the man, and the nurse. As the two ran off to get what he wanted, Yang Myung looked up and with a start, noticed Yeon Woo looking at him.

He concentrated on the task at hand though, and managed to save the girl's life. He stayed for dinner, and Yeon Woo asked when he knew the knowledge of healing people. He answered that his teacher got all of his students to study the healing books, so everyone in his batch should know a little of medicine. Yeon Woo's eyes welled up at the mention of her father, and commented that his teacher was a really kind person.

Yang Myung nodded and said with nostalgia that his teacher gave him the love of a father when he had none, was the guide in his mental and philosophical minds, and treated not just him, The Prince, but everyone else equally and fairly. Yeon Woo tried hard to contain her tears. He left Hwal In Seo and Yeon Woo walked him out. He told her that he merely came to check on her because he was worried when he had heard that she was lost.

But now that she's all fine, and he had seen her ugly face (hahahaha), he would not come again.

Of course, what will be the fun in that right:/ so we got to have a bunch of nurses who came running out requesting for him to pop by more often since he provided the medical aid that none of them could. Yang Myung laughed and joked to Yeon Woo that his popularity was so strong where ever he went. Yeon Woo commented silently that to be jovial was more like Yang Myung's character.

Yeah I like you this way better too, Yang Myung. Woon watched quietly from a side. 

Hwon asked about Yeon Woo's well-being and observed Woon's hesitation when he asked about Yang Myung. He told Woon that he's not very good at lying, and that his eyes had betrayed him. 

"Is hyung-nim with her right now?" Sighhh. 

Kyu Tae entered Hwon's chambers at the same time that Woon left, and Woon discerned that the one of the ministers was spying on them. That minister reported back to Minister Yoon and minions (oops, couldn't resist). While they discussed how smart Hwon was in fabricating a reason for Kyu Tae to be investigating the death of the ex-attendant of the late King, and that there could be another investigation that was under going, Minister Yoon said to himself that Hwon must be investigating the case eight years ago. 

Oh my, why are they all so smart in this show?

Kyu Tae reported to Hwon that he didn't manage to uncover any more leads, and Hwon suddenly had a flash of inspiration — check out the ex-attendant of Yeon Woo. Woon entered to tell them that Minister Yoon&Minions had found them out, and Hwon reminded Kyu Tae to take care of himself. Kyu Tae replied that even though he's not as good as Woon, he should be able to protect himself. BUT, what's this show without a little twist? Turns out the task Yeon Woo entrusted to Seol was the exact same thing — find her ex-attendant, which Seol did and learnt that Princess, who had looked very down, had visited Yeon Woo the night she was ill but left after hearing about her condition. 

Kyu Tae walked past Seol without the two of them realising anything. I mean, of course they don't realise that a connection exists between them, but argh. He found it suspicious that the door of the ex-attendant's house was open and barely managed to ward off an attack by an assassin. The assassins escaped and he found the ex-attendant dead in the her house. Hwon was enraged to hear that yet another innocent life was gone. He told Kyu Tae that he could back out now if he wanted, but Kyu Tae replied that his life was pledged to Hwon. Hwon was immensely pleased and told him that these events proved that a well and alive enemy definitely prowled his sides. 

Hwon soon ran into Minister Yoon.

Minister Yoon shared about this book that he just found, and in between the lines, he insinuated that Hwon should stop digging where he shouldn't be. Hwon replied, also between the lines, that he would continue to do so, and Minister Yoon dropped another warning, before commenting silently that if Hwon didn't stop now, his life would be in greater danger. Hwon knew what the Minister meant but didn't back down.

I love how the two of them always spar with meanings that are hidden between the lines. Oh right, and I also love how Kim Soo Hyun can act nuances really, really well!

One of the nurses told Yeon Woo to collect the medicine and warned her not to seduce anyone else when she's doing that. After she left, Seol offered to collect for her, but Yeon Woo told her that she needed to follow her to this place — her father's grave. As she recalled the times that she spent with her father, her tears started flowing and she kept calling her father.

Yeom, his mother, Princess and her attendant climbed up the hill and Princess revealed that they would be going to her father-in-law's place. She stumbled and Yeom was concerned for her, but she said that it's her duty to accompany them to his father's grave. Yeom was very grateful but she reminded him that they were husband and wife. He held out a hand for her to grab but she told him that he should be helping his mother instead. They reached the grave, and Yeom observed that someone had been there recently. Princess remarked that it could be Yang Myung, and went to take the offerings from the attendant. 

Yeom joined his mother in front of his father's grave, where his mother collapsed in wails as she told him the truth — his father didn't die from an illness; he committed suicide. After falling ill with guilt, he had killed himself when Yeom and the Princess had married, as if his last wish was granted. Princess heard this and dropped the offerings in shock. Now she would feel even more guilty! The camera swivelled to show that Yeon Woo was standing outside the wall, and she heard all of this. She stuffed her fingers into her mouth to prevent her from sobbing out loud. 

As Seol and her walked down the hill, she blamed herself for being so naive as a child that she had believed her death meant that everyone else could be alive. She said that she should have begged for mercy and pleaded to keep her life. Seol tried to tell her it's not her fault, and that she could still tell her mother that she's alive, but Yeon Woo kept her stand — there must be a reason why Seol had to keep that secret for eight years. In order to protect her family and Hwon, "Heo Yeon Woo….

must continue to be dead…"

A group of shamans entered the main palace because the Great Dowager wanted them to deal with the cries in the Hidden Moon Halls. Hello, woman, is there a need to deal with the evil spirits again when the 'evil spirit' herself was supposedly sucked into Wol's body? Bo Kyung ran into these shamans and caught sight of the shaman that she thought was the talisman to ward off Hwon's evil spirits. She scolded the shaman for being in the palace when she should be in Hwal In Seo and was stunned to realise that this shaman was the talisman for their consummation. The shaman for warding off of evil spirits, was Shaman Wol who was now in Hwal In Seo. Bo Kyung's eyes widened at the name, and after she got back to her chambers, she instructed for Wol to be brought to her quietly. 

That's good, I can't wait for the confrontation. 

Yeon Woo returned to Hwal In Seo with a really dejected expression and absent-mindedly caught something that flew her way — a stick that represented a ball. Yang Myung declared that since she had caught his ball, she's now his opponent and had to play the game. She ignored him at first, but he got the kids to pull her into the game, and soon Yeon Woo was thoroughly engaged. Each time though, Yang Myung and his team of children won, and as they changed sides, Yang Myung hit her forehead and reached out for the stick…but Yeon Woo refused to let go. They started fighting playfully for the stick and all was fine and funny, till….Yang Myung turned his head and saw Hwon and Woon watching. 

Yeon Woo noticed the change in Yang Myung's expression, and turned to look, but Yang Myung grabbed her for a hug, and refused to budge. AH HWON, my heart breaks for you right now. Hwon stared at them for a few more seconds but Yang Myung stood his ground, as if in a dare, and Hwon turned to leave. Yang Myung released his grip on Yeon Woo and told her that he merely grabbed her because it looked like she was going to fall from fighting for the stick. Yeah right. 

Okay, I feel bad for Yang Myung too. I like Yang Myung when he's all jovial and nice, and it just seems a little more hopeful for him that he could be with Wol. In fact, he has an advantage over Hwon when Wol's in Hwal In Seo because he, as he proudly declared so many times, has the freedom to move around. And if it wasn't for the fact that Yeon Woo got her memories back, and that I love Hwon so much, I might have wished that Wol developed feelings for Yang Myung while she was in Hwal In Seo.

…But no. Yeon Woo's place is with Hwon(:  

Hwon walked off in stormy silence and told Woon not to say a single thing. The game was finally over at night, and after the children left, Yang Myung asked if Yeon Woo felt better. She thanked him, for indeed, her heart felt a little lighter, and Yang Myung asked jokingly if it wasn't because she had played with him, and not the kids. He picked up a stone from the ground and was going to use it for a game the next day, but Yeon Woo said that it's too pretty and asked to use it as a Burden Stone, where she could confide all her troubles in it. Yang Myung passed it to her as a present, and she left, after the nurse came out to hurry her. 

Nok Young finally returned and heard that Hwon was looking urgently for her. She noticed Seol who was back in female's clothes but didn't pass any comments. (Even though her expression seems to let on something else.) Yeon Woo prayed for her father to look after her and an attendant came to tell her that the Queen wanted to meet her. Yeon Woo's eyes widened. On the way back, Yang Myung reminisced and suddenly realised — he was the one who gave the 13-year old Yeon Woo a Burden Stone. He recalled how Yeon Woo fought playfully with him earlier, and his eyes widened as he made the connection. Before he could go any further, Hwon's voice broke the moment.

They went for a cup of tea, which of course, didn't take place under a usual 'cup of tea' 's jovial mood. Hwon reminded Yang Myung that he shouldn't be with Wol.

But Yang Myung replied, "How could I leave it be, when I watch the woman I love be in such a distressing situation?" Fine, poking at Hwon again. He reiterated (for the nth time) that he could put down his identity as a Prince, and Hwon asked if he's going to defy a royal order. Yang Myung shouted, "Your Majesty!" and Hwon shouted in reply, "Hyung-nim!"

Bo Kyung bit her nails in anxiety and scratched the other hand on her clothes. I worry for her nails, and I worry for her mental state of mind. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Bo Kyung ended up being mentally unstable! She composed herself very quickly though, when she heard that Shaman Wol was here. Yeon Woo entered the chambers, sank into a bow, and when she raised her head… Bo Kyung's smirk melted into a frown.

And Yeon Woo looked back at her, almost with a smile in her eyes. 

-the end-

I love the complications that are brought up in this episode, but I really hope that they clear it up in a good way! There's obviously going to be some hate between Yeon Woo and Nok Young, especially when Yeon Woo found out that Nok Young lied to everyone, and basically indirectly caused her father's death. 

So now for a tiny little rant that I don't expect everyone to agree with. I can't sympathise with Yang Myung but I can with Hwon. I was confused initially that I didn't fall in love with the second lead, which is reallyyy weird, because by nature, I can't help but fall in love with them. It's nothing I could control. So why didn't I fall in love with Yang Myung? And I realised why in this episode. He's a really deep character, granted, with many sides, and I actually feel that he's torturing himself just by being the bitter Yang Myung. He thought/we thought that he's tired of being the nice, jovial Yang Myung and that he's going to start living for himself, hence the more 'selfish' and angsty him…but I personally feel that he didn't like the selfish side of him either, and would subconsciously rather return back to his normal self. This struggle for a dominant personality, for a balance between expectations and reality is really interesting.

But I can't love a bitter lead. I can't love a lead that keeps fighting with the male lead. Call me weird, but basically I love second leads because of how they simply want the girl to be happy, and they will wish that she ends up with the male lead and be blissful rather than be with them and be unhappy. But I can't fault Yang Myung for taking an active role in wooing Wol, just that I don't like it, and it's the same how some people don't like Hwon for how passive he is. I feel that Hwon is a character with his own dilemmas too. As a King, there's only so much he could do and he could say…and apparent to all of us but Yang Myung, he really loves his hyung-nim a lot…

I can't wait to see Yeon Woo have a face-off with Bo Kyung. That will be extremely exciting to watch — should-be Queen who gained back all her memories looking at fake-Queen-who-took-her-rightful-place. 

<3thoughtsramble

Episode 16 Recap of The Moon That Embraces The Sun here: http://thoughtsramble.livejournal.com/100974.html