The palace

Chapter 32 part 1

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The bright  sunlight didn't lighten up his gloomy mood. Since dawn break, he had been up and dressed early, walking in the cold alone. Everything seemed desolate, lonely and empty, just like his heart.
Eunuch Kim looked at the emperor and sighed.  He knew something had gone wrong with lady Ki but he had neither courage nor power to ask so he could only feel in his heart.

The emperor stopped in front of the Northern palace, Cheonchu palace where the empress resided.  He forgot how long it had been since he visited,  should be about the time when the crown prince moved out of the palace, to his own western palace. He heard laughter and claps so he stepped closer and looked.

The crown prince was seated, laughing and clapping and the other servants were all smiling too. A faint drum sound and a zither accompanied their mood and noise. Looking inside deeper, he saw the empress dressed lightly. She was dancing for the crown prince, laughing and her hair let down.

He watched her, dancing freely while standing for long with no move to either go in or walk away that eunuch Kim took the initiative to announce.

"His majesty, the emperor"

Everything seized and the crown prince jumped off his seat, running towards his father, ignoring his mother's and servants' calls.

"Jin!"

"Your highness"

The emperor bent and scooped him in his arms.

"Your majesty, did you see my mother dance?  Would you like to see? Mother please dance for his majesty and I. Your majesty please say you want to see her dance"

The crown prince sang, pulling his father's hands and jumping,  oblivious of the look his parents were giving each other.

"Take the crown prince to play. Welcome your majesty"

The empress spoke, all emotions draining from her face, the same monotonous and empty look back.
The emperor felt his heart ache. He looked from son to mother and could only feel his heart break more.

He looked at the woman who had devoted her life to him, either willingly or not, she has no choice but to commit herself, forsaking all other desires.  She had given him a son, lived a quiet life and gave no reason for him not to love her but as they say,

You can't teach your heart whom to love.

"Let the crown prince go. Jin, father will come study with you later okay?. Play the drums, I want to see you dance, my empress"

Having earned a promise, the crown prince set off happily without a further argument and ther servants shifted backwards, even the players of the instruments went a bit far.

"Will your majesty like to hear me play a song instead?"

He looked at her and her eyes were pleading. He nodded and sat down, she changed and got a zither. She took a deep breathe, fixed her eyes on him and began to play gently as she sang melodiously.

It's okay, for my tears
As long as you don't see
It's okay for my cries
As long as you don't hear
But this heart keeps aching
This wretched heart hurts,
As I watch you drifting away
And I can only push you away further.
Maybe, in the next life
I will run away from you
Avoid you, try to not see you
Or maybe,
This wretched heart will still find you
It's okay to break
As long as you don't know
It's okay to die
As long as you're alive
But I still love you
Still love you
This wretched heart still loves
So no matter what,
It's okay.

Her eyes were dry and her face blank when she stopped singing and dropped the zither.

She slowly poured the tea and served it to him. He took it from her and swallowed silently.  Silence engulfed the room as both of them were avoiding each other's eyes. He took the kettle and poured her a cup. She stretched her hand to take it and their hands brushed a bit, he felt the warmth of her fingers against the coldness of his.

"Do you... do you blame me?"

He asked before chuckling and silently musing to himself.

"What a stupid question to ask. You must blame me. Even I blame me"

She dropped the tea gently and looked at him.

"I have never blamed your majesty. Your majesty has given me luxurious clothes, expensive jewelries, plenty servants at disposal, lots of good food, so many gardens to admire, lots of different paints to draw and above all, your majesty gave me Jin and a title, the honorable title of the mother of this nation even though I am unworthy. To blame your majesty, wouldn't it be selfish and ungrateful of me?"

He stared at her and pushed the table seperating them. He moved closer to her and took her hands. She stared at their entwined fingers, and then the tears began to drop.

Drip
Drip
Drip

One after the other, they kept falling until they began to flood. Slowly and gently, he pulled her towards him, and his arms encircled her. His shouoder gardually felt a wetness but then, she wasn't the only crying.

Sneak peek at pt 2

Somewhere a bit far, a faint sad tune could be heard coming from a residence, Lady Ki's residence.

She wore white garments and sat outside in the cold, playing a sad tune while tears streamed down her face.

Myo mi walked close to her, also dressed in white.

"Your highness, it has been delivered to the emperor's desk. He will see it by the morning once he returns from the empress' s palace"

Nyang nodded, even though her heart ached. It is good for him to start letting go, making it easier for her to let go too. As she played, she couldn't help but to question her fate. How is it that all of the men she has felt different towards, at the end she still has to let them go?

The door was roughly pushed open and the guards were a bit stunned in seeing everyone dressed in white before regaining their composure.

"Lady Ki is under arrest for high treason. Arrest her immediately"

She stood up and walked without a fight.

It is time...

So I decided to show a little bit of at least cuddle if not love moment between the emperor and the empress. You know, in this life, we all come across those people who have done everything for us and yet, we are unable to love or let them go. Arrrggghhh.
There will be a bad mood chapter after this, the part 2 and I wanted to give the moment seperate. Hope you enjoy. Just remember, this whole book is unedited and the part 2 won't be long.
Please check out my other books.
Stay Tuned
#Afnan.