“No, of course not, but you miss my point,” she said.
He held up a hand, stopping her words. “I think I do understand you,” he said. “You do not believe you are worth anyone’s sacrifice.”
Kira’s lips snapped shut.
“Young one, you must trust in your own self-worth. You must love yourself and respect who you are,” he said. “Only then will you recognize your true value—that which lies in the heart of you.”
It wasn’t that Kira hated herself or devalued her own worth. Perhaps it was more accurate to say that she valued others more than she valued herself.
She heaved a sigh. “I know my worth,” she said.
“Do you really?” he asked. “For I fear that there will be more danger and heartache ahead for you. And you must stay strong, no matter how difficult it proves to be. No matter how beaten down you feel, you must not give up. Rely on your strengths and have faith in yourself. No one else can do that but you.”
He was silent as he stared gravely at her, his eyes sorrowful. “I wish I could keep you from the suffering that you will endure. But I have faith in you, Musado. If only you will have faith in yourself.”
“I will try my best,” she said.
“That is all I can hope for,” he answered. “Now let us go someplace safe where the prince can rest for the night.”
The Dragon King led them farther into the forest, where they came upon an ancient shrine.
“We will rest here for the night,” said the Dragon King. “Tomorrow I shall fly you to the mainland.”
Kira heard Jaewon whisper to Taejo in confusion, “How is he going to fly us anywhere?”
Inside, the shrine was old, dusty, and covered with cobwebs. With a clap of King Dang’s hands, the shrine instantly shimmered into its original beauty. The gold statues sparkled and candles lit the room in brilliance. At the far end of the shrine, there was a large table surrounded with luxurious cushions.
“Come, sit,” the Dragon King said. “You must be hungry.”
They sat on plush cushions on the carpeted floor and watched as plates and utensils appeared on the table. On each plate was a small, steaming-hot white towel. Taejo unraveled it quickly and wiped down his hands, face, and neck. By the time he was done, the towel was black with dirt. Kira wiped her hands, enjoying the heat. Gom didn’t want to touch his, but reluctantly acquiesced at Kira’s insistence. She wiped the little dokkaebi’s face and hands off, using both her towel and Gom’s to get the worst of the dirt off.
“You might as well give up,” Jaewon whispered. “The only way he’ll get clean is a bath. A long hot bath!”
King Dang clapped his hands twice and unseen hands brought out platters of food, fruit, and drink. The aroma was tantalizing. What looked like an entire roasted pig drifted by Kira’s nose, causing her mouth to instantly salivate. Beautiful, thinly sliced layers of raw fish were laid over slivers of cucumbers. Hot pots, still bubbling with spicy stews, and noodle dishes mixed with beef and vegetables landed right in front of Kira. Seasoned bean sprouts, marinated spinach, vinegary pieces of julienned radish, and pickled cabbage surrounded the main dishes.
Gom grunted happily when several large meaty bones appeared on his plate.
Kira watched as Taejo dived into a stewed chicken dish that was fragrant with ginseng and ginger.
“Take it easy,” Kira said to him. “Has it been a while since you’ve eaten? You don’t want to upset your stomach.”
Finishing off his bite, Taejo breathed a sigh of contentment. “Fulang only let the monks come up once a day. It was just one meal and I had to share it with Gom. It was never enough for both of us.”
With that pronouncement, he dived back into his food. Before Kira could admonish him again, another platter filled with braised short ribs, potatoes, radishes, and carrots was placed in front of her. Spotting the potatoes, Kira’s eyes lit up. She remembered how much Jaewon loved them. Spearing several potatoes with her silver chopsticks, Kira placed them on Jaewon’s plate. His gleeful expression made her laugh as he downed them in two bites. She placed more potatoes on his plate along with a hefty serving of the short ribs and then served herself.
The first bite of the short ribs melted in her mouth and caused Kira to close her eyes in rapture. This was the best food she’d ever eaten in her entire life.
“Your Majesty, this is delicious,” Kira exclaimed. Jaewon and Taejo nodded, with mouths too full to speak. Gom was happily gnawing on his bones.
The Dragon King smiled, eating his food with elegant refinement. “It’s been so long since I’ve had a good meal,” he said. “I’d forgotten how good human food is.”