Kira reached over to tug at his hair, marveling at how tall he’d grown. “He’s been eating nonstop since we got here. And he’s gotten so tall. Sunim and I are busy trying to sew him some new clothes from the fabric that the monks left behind.”
Kwan raised an eyebrow. “Will you be sewing him some monk’s robes then and shaving his head?”
“No, don’t be silly! Sunim found a whole chest full of silk cloth. He thinks it was a donation that the monks didn’t have time to sell,” Kira said.
“Oh, so you are going to deck him out in fancy robes and make us carry him around in a palanquin?”
Elbowing Kwan, she stopped his teasing with a hard look. “We are making him a black uniform,” she said.
“It’s like yours and Noona’s!” Taejo piped in with a grin.
Kwan became serious and bowed his head. “A fitting uniform for you, my prince.”
Suddenly, he straightened, his face turning hard.
“It’s good to see you again,” Jaewon said, as he approached them. “I’m glad to see you are healed from your wounds.”
Kwan nodded abruptly, staring at Jaewon with a suspicious look. He studied first Jaewon and then Kira, as if he sensed some change between them.
“Tell me everything that happened on the island,” he demanded. “Everything!” He stepped right up to Jaewon’s face as he continued to eye him in an intimidating fashion.
Jaewon threw up his hands and stepped away. “I think I will let your sister answer that question,” he said easily.
“No, that’s a talk we can have in private later,” Kira said. They engaged in a battle of wills, the two Kang siblings trying to outstare the other, until eventually Kwan backed down.
With a last nasty look at Jaewon, Kwan said, “I need to talk with Kira, our cousin, and Major Pak anyway.”
Brother Woojin hurried over to hustle Jaewon out. “Then let us leave you to talk,” he said, pushing Jaewon out the door, a grinning Seung following close after them. Kira caught Taejo’s impish grin.
“It’s going to be so fun now that your brother is here,” Taejo whispered.
“Not for Kim Jaewon,” she replied.
“That’s why it’s going to be fun,” he said.
“Wait a minute—I thought you promised to help him,” Kira said.
“And I will,” he said. “But if he can’t stand up to your brother, then he doesn’t deserve you.”
For a moment, Kira was speechless. He was no longer her little cousin. He’d grown into a worthy man.
“That’s something my father would have said.” Pride coursed through her as she studied him. “He would be so proud of you.”
“We have heard that the daimyo is near Nosong, the Kudara capital, amassing a tremendous army against us,” Kwan said. “Our spies tell us that Yamato fleets have been sailing around Tamna Island and landing at Mulhay at the very southeastern tip of the peninsula. We’ve always known that Kudara had joined forces with the Yamato, but now we must take the fight to them. We must once and for all drive them off our land. The Iron Army goes to war against Kudara! All the forces are heading for Nosong.”
“Do we have enough men?” she asked.
Kwan nodded. “Much has happened. Our brother has been very busy. The Tongey prince, Prince Namhoe, has been given back his army, as well as some Iron Army troops. They make up the Fourth Division and Namhoe will command it. All other forces have rallied under our brother’s command. Even General Kim.”
Kira blinked to hear the general’s name. He had tried to kill her when she was unable to save King Eojin. It was because of him that Kira had had to sneak out of Hansong. “Should I be worried about him?” she asked.
“He swore that if you saved the prince from the dragon and brought him home safely, then he would pledge his full support to our brother.”
Kira was skeptical. General Kim was not someone she could ever trust. He’d gone slightly insane after King Eojin’s death and she feared for his mental state.
Her brother noticed her expression. “I don’t like it any better than you do, but we need every soldier for this coming battle. Even the rebel forces are coming together under our brother’s command. They’ve been combined with General Kim’s army and now form the Fifth Division. Our brother believes that what everyone now needs is to see the Musado and the prince at his side.”
“I’m ready,” Taejo said.
Kwan gave an approving nod. “We are going to march on Nosong. But all our forces will rendezvous in Muju. Kyoung is heading there with the First Division and a combined Hansong and saulabi army will make up the Second Division. The Third and Fourth Divisions will head into Asan from Hansong, about one hundred and forty li north of Nosong. Our spies say Asan is deserted. All the enemy forces retreated south.”
“What about General Kim?” Kira asked.
“His men have been cleaning out the southern shores of Jinhan and Kaya but are setting their course for Kudara as we speak. They will head straight to Nosong.”