When the sole heir to the kingdom refused to become King, political conflict within the palace began.
Accusations of slander, treason, bloodshed--all were done to get rid of the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince's plan for survival did not include fa...
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All those years serving as the commander of the second squad in the palace, other than the punishment hall, for you, the second most gruesome place was probably the prison. However, no matter how much you hated the place, when the duty came, you had no other choice but to go there.
Baekje's prison located a few distance away from the main palace, guarded by hundreds of soldiers--which you always thought they were far colder than the ones in the palace. The colorless building surrounded by nothing but invincible clouds of sorrow. It's not rare to hear the cries of the prisoners begging to be given a second chance. It wasn't a new thing for you, yet it always able to send a shiver down your spine.
"Darn it." You whispered to yourself after tripping for the nth times. Walking on the uneven rough surface is never easy with your hanbok.
It's quite painful to notice the drastic changes in the way people treat you. No one seemed to care enough to slow down for even one second. Instead, you felt someone pushes your shoulder to rush you. Not even the person you've known for ages, Seungcheol, who're walking in front of you.
"You'll stay here until the Crown Prince return." Seungcheol said after he pushed the door opened, revealing how shabby the prison room was.
Never in your life did you think that a reunion with a place you hated would turn into the day you were thrown behind bars.
As you took one step forward, you stopped just as you were about to pass Seungcheol, "I don't know what did I do wrong that suddenly everyone was against me. You, of all people..."
You grew silent as you looked down at your trembling chained hands. It's true that you are afraid of what might happen to you. However, the fear is not as big as the fear of thinking about what situation is happening and what truth will be revealed in the future.
"..Nevermind." You added as you finally walked inside the prison.
You should've already expected how the atmosphere behind the bars were far more oppressive. The moment you heard the door being locked, you could see yourself already on the verge of mental collapse. A wave of mixed feelings overwhelmed you--confused, hurt, scared, worried, furious. The only comfort you can find inside was by looking up--looking out at the small bared window.
"Prepare to set off, we'll catch up with the Crown Prince." Seungcheol ordered, telling his soldiers to leave.
Separated by rusty bars, Seungcheol remained silent. He ordered his soldiers to leave to buy some time to talk, yet for the first time in a long time, he remembered the feeling of being a coward. He stared at your back as he knew you wouldn't turn towards him after what he did.
"I'll see what I can do to preserve your father's dignity."
"You saying that, sounds like you've admitted what they accused my father of." You murmured weakly, barely enough for Seungcheol to hear with your back still facing him, "You, out of all people, who've known him since we were just kids who could only beg for a piece of candy."
