I'm surprised Wang So and Hae Soo have a daughter. What a twist. This is what I could imagine the story of Wang So and his daughter.

She met him when she was six. It was the anniversary of her mother's death. Her father said he often met her mother at the praying tower and so they went. She bumped at him, he was tall, when she saw his eyes, sharp and deep, she quickly reacted as she was hurting her head. The man crouched down and asked her who she was. And then, her father called her and she quickly hid behind him. At the time, she didn't understand why her father had to kneel in front of the man and the man looked at her before turning away.

Not long after that, her father took her into a big place called the palace. Her father said this was where the king lived. That day, she met again with the man, sitting on the throne and with her six year old mind, she understood the man she met the days before was the king of the country. The man smiled when their eyes met and she smiled back.

She didn't come to the palace for months after that. When she was having her 7th birthday, the king's messengers came to her house, they said they were ordered by the king to give birthday presents for her. She only saw her father looked at her with sad eyes when he received all the presents on behalf of hers.

She met him again on the anniversary day of her mother's death, still at the praying tower. This time she bowed to him and greeted him. The king smiled and caressed her cheek, saying she just looked like her mother. The king and her father didn't say much and later that day, she found out her father was the king's brother, which made her the king's niece. She blinked when she found out.

Her father took her to the palace weeks after the anniversary, saying the king wanted to see her. When they met, the king only stared at her for a long time before rose from the throne and approached her. She quickly ducked her head, a habit he learned from his father. But, to her surprise, the king said, "You don't need to hide your face in front of me." With surprise blinks, she lifted her head to meet the king's eyes and saw the loving eyes stared back at her. She smiled and said her gratitude.

Years after, she grew up and her father said she resembled her mother as the years go by. She visited the palace now and then, sometimes her father took her and often when the king requested it. Every year the king always give her birthday present, never missed and never late. She was not six years old girl anymore. She was curious why the king seemed to pay more attention to her rather than his own children. During her visit to the palace, she never met the Queen, but she heard stories. She knew about the princes and princesses; one of them didn't even live to see another day for he died when he was born; she was one of them too, but she never thought she was the one who would follow the rules of being royal family.

To her surprise, the king was very warm and playful person. He liked to joke with her and asked her about how she lived with her father. He took her one day to the praying tower, without her father, and suddenly asked her, "Does your father tell you about your mother?"

She smiled wistfully. "Yes, Your Majesty. My father said she was beautiful and kind, and I resemble her so much."

The king only smiled back. "That is true. Very true. And does your father tell you I know your mother?"

She blinked. "No, not that I recall, Your Majesty."

He nodded and gave her playful grin. "Well, it's the story for another time, then."

When she asked her father later on about it, he only smiled and caressed her hair while saying, "Someday you will find out. I'm surprised he holds himself for years to do so."

At the age of 13, she grew up into a beautiful young lady. The king took her again to the praying tower and to the place where she met him for the first time.

"Your mother was a very lively person. She had the princes, my brothers' best interest, at heart. She has special place in my heart until now," he said.

She looked at the king's face. Years went by, he was older, aged, the country knew him as a wise and good king, but could be strict to those who didn't follow his rules. But, the same thing didn't change was his expression whenever he spoke about her mother. She could feel the tender and longing.

"I guess you knew her very well, Your Majesty."

The king smiled. "Yes, I did. There are a lot of things I want to say to her before she passed away. That's why this is my favorite place. I can feel her presence and I can speak to her freely."

Again, she couldn't place the tender feelings the king had for her mother until she turned 15. She slowly began to understand the feelings between man and woman, not that she experienced herself, not yet, she just knew. And with that, she understood the king must have loved her mother. When she visited the palace on her own, the king took her again to the praying tower, their favorite place.

"You become a beautiful lady now and you're on the age for marriage. But, don't worry, I won't marry you to any random man. I know how you live outside the palace. The royal rules are not for you. That's why I will only marry you to the man that you love."

She looked at the king closely and asked the question she had been curious since she understood about love.

"Do you love my mother, Your Majesty?"

The king's eyes turned sad before answering her question with heartbroken voice, "Yes, I do."

A year later, when she turned 16, on her birthday, the king requested her presence in the palace. The praying tower was the witness of their bonding as family, as for today, the king gave her a hairpin.

"Happy birthday," he said.

She smiled and took the hairpin before bowing slightly, "Thank you, Your Majesty. You always give me birthday present ever since we met. You are very kind."

The king gave her a warm smile. "Let me put the hairpin for you."

She blinked when the king took back the hairpin and put it on her hair. She could feel he caressed another hairpin she always wearing, her mother's hairpin.

"This hairpin...I gave it to your mother years ago."

She went silent. She had always feel there was something behind all the caring the king gave her. Was it because of her mother?

With all the courage, she asked, "Why do you care so much about me, Your Majesty? I'm just your niece. You have the Crown Prince and princesses."

The king looked at her and smiled wistfully. "I always think whether or not I tell you about your mother and I. I even think I should just keep the truth until I die, but every time I see you, I just can't. You are the precious thing your mother left for me."

She froze. Her heart thumped loudly. "Your Majesty..."

He stared at her with those sharp eyes. "You are not my niece. You are my daughter."

She was shocked.

She lost her balance, but the king caught her. When she could stand again, she tried to look back at the king and he watched her reaction.

"Surprised?" he asked her playfully.

She gave a shaky laugh. "I don't know, Your Majesty, but, when I had to remember the first we met, I felt a connection with you. I thought it was only a family thing, for my father is your brother, but now, I know it's much deeper."

He smiled with twinkle in his eyes. "You are naive. The perceptive side probably comes from me."

She laughed again.

The king held her shoulders. "It's your decision now. I'm not going to push you to acknowledge me, but I prefer you to keep it between you, me, and your father. I don't want any other people to know. Your mother asked me and your father not to burden you with anything related to the palace and I will honor that. You can call me your father when we are alone if you want it too."

She smiled genuinely. "Yes, Your Majesty." She couldn't call him her father yet.

When she told her father about it, he only smiled while saying, "Now you know the truth. Just like the king said, it's your decision."

She looked at the man who she considered her father as long as she known and then, hugged him. "You always be my father. No matter what, even if I'm the king's daughter."

Her father chuckled and caressed her head. "You are very kind. Just like your mother."

She didn't visit the palace for months. She heard whispers the king was busy with the country since one of the clans was trying to rebel against him. On the anniversary of her mother's death, she visited the praying tower alone. She was surprised to see the king. He turned when he saw her and gave her the same loving smile.

This time she knew how to call him.

She bowed slightly. "Father."

And she would never forget the king's face at the moment.

When she turned 21, she found her love. The man she loved was the son of the governor. Her king father specifically asked her soon to be husband to the palace to meet him. Later on, the king granted their wedding.

After she got married, she rarely visited the palace since she had husband and children on her own. She only met the king on the anniversary of her mother's death. The king was not the same man as she met him at six years old. She saw time finally took a toll on him. He looked tired and at one time she had to bring him back to the palace for he couldn't walk on his own. She almost slipped calling the king her father when they were entering the palace before he told her to keep quiet and addressed him as His Majesty. Holding back her tears, she let her father leaned on her before the palace doctors took him away. She stared at Cheondeokjeon, the place where the king lived, she knew his time was short.

When she turned 26, she was surprised when a messenger from the palace asked for her presence because the king requested it. With clenching heart, she went to the palace and met with the Queen and the king's children. They all stared at her while she gave them a respective bow. Without another word, she quickly went in and saw the king on the bed. His eyes were staring at the ceiling and slowly turned his head when she was approaching.

His eyes turned bright. "Hae Soo?"

She smiled sadly. She knew the king thought she was her mother and she knew the king's time was almost up. She knelled next to the bed.

"No, Father. It's me, your daughter. Don't talk too much. You need to rest," she said in soothing voice.

The king's eyes brimmed with tears and slowly caressed her cheek. "I feel so guilty for your mother. I broke her heart and left her. I even couldn't say goodbye. Thank you for accepting me as your father."

She also couldn't hold back her tears. "Father, please..."

"The hairpin your mother gave you...can I have it?"

She took a deep breath and slowly raised her hand to her head, pulled her red hairpin and gave it to the king.

"Thank you. I know I've never been a good father to you, but thank you for letting me love you as your father. I wish you have a happy life, happier than your mother and I ever had."

One tear fell.

"Thank you, Father."

The king looked again at her. "If I meet your mother again in the next life, I will tell her I love her, how beautiful you are and you are the precious thing she has given to me."

She was sobbing.

The king smiled weakly. "You are...my person."

The light dimmed from his eyes before finally he closed his eyes, clutching the hairpin on his hand. She hugged her father's body while crying and the minister stated Gwangjong had passed away.

Today, she visited the praying tower on the anniversary of Gwangjong's death. Gwangjong's oldest son, her half-sibling, Wang Ju, took the throne as Gyeongjong. She clasped her hand together, closing her eyes, and gave the silent prayer for the late king and her mother so they could reunite in the next life and had the love they missed before.

History might not recognized her.

For she always be the king's daughter.

History related:

Gwangjong died at the age of 51. His oldest son, Wang Ju, took the throne as Gyeongjong and ruled only for 6 years. His other son, Hyohwa, died prematurely. He had three other princesses, one of them was Queen Mundeok who was married to Wang Chi (Wook's son).