The Cruel Prince

BROTHERLY CONVERSATION

Quiet footsteps entered the bright patio located on the east wing of the palace. It was a serene room overlooking the grand view of the garden. The room was accessible only to the royals. Prince Jungjae asked to meet with Prince Jian in private to voice out his concern.

He strolled forward leaving his guards at the hallway while he closed the door. There was to be nobody else in the room except him and his brother. He soon found Prince Jian lounged casually with his feet propped up, enjoying the marvelous scenery. There's a pot of tea sitting on the tray beside him, and based from weak steam curling out from it, Prince Jungjae assumed his brother had been waiting for him for a while.

Prince Jian pressed his lip on the cup held on his hand and took a soundless sip, while Prince Jungjae stopped and hovered just behind where his older brother sat.

"What's so important that you have to call me here for a private meeting?" Asked Prince Jian in his silent voice.

Prince Jungjae sucked a steadying breath. He doesn't know how else to bring up his concern without stepping over the boundary of his brother's personal affair, but having witnessed Ying Yue earlier that day baffled him. "Your wife, brother. I can't help but notice she now possessed skills that does not make sense to me."

Prince Jian laid his cup back on the table and groaned. He shares the same concern with his brother, but surprised with the fact that Prince Jungjae would approach him about Ying Yue at all.

"What is it, you're trying to say?"

Prince Jungjae quietly strolled around so he can see his brother's face before he speak again.

Jian kept the steady stream of his gaze on the view before him, his face was like stone, hard and unreadable.

"Do you realized a skill like hers takes more than decades to master? There's no way a mere human could simply harness such ability in a few years. You and I were trained in all forms of martial arts ever since we learned how to walk! Not only by regular masters, but with the most capable masters the nation! But she..." Prince Jungjae took another steadying breath. "...she managed to equip herself with strength and swiftness even us took our lifetime to master."

Prince Jian glanced at his brother. "Your concern had not gone unnoticed, Jungjae. Trust me, I've been considering it. She tried my life a week ago and failed. I knew she was Fei Hung, I never lost track of her. I've always had people following her. I made sure she survived, give her food and shelter when she needed it. My spies reported everything back to me. I thought none of this made sense either, I don't know how she got her strength out of nowhere. 

I thought it was time to lure her in the palace, so I made it easy for her to break in. I knew she hated me and probably wanted to kill me, and I was right. She probably would have killed me too if Lord Chua wasn't there. I asked him to be with me that night because I knew Ying Yue might come around."

"So, you're saying she's that fame warrior for real?" Prince Jungjae's voice dipped in to a crawling whisper. "How can you even throw her out in the first place? You just sent her out there to suffer. The things you do does not make sense to me."

"The things I do were to protect my people and those ones that are important. The less people who knows what she meant to me, the better. It's better that way, she's safer. The palace is a dangerous place, brother."

Prince Jungjae took a sharp inhale, focusing on his brother.

"Have you ever been forced to be cruel to protect what's important?" Asked Jian.

"Yes." Responded Wang Jungjae.

"Then you can understand. We have enemies, and they're all over the place. They're inside and outside the palace. I cannot trust anyone, not even my own family."

Prince Jungjae snorted, insulted. Anger rippled in his heating blood, he tried to get a hold of himself curling his fists to his side. "You may not trust me, but I have no intention of harming you, brother. Do you realize how father would react if something were to happen to his first born? He'll probably hang me if I were to betray you! And he'll probably wipe out mother's entire clan during his rage."

Prince Jian offered a sinister smile. "That's good then, you're aware of the consequences."

Jungjae shuddered, then shrugged, dismissing the conversation. "What of Ying Yue, then?"

"There is more to her than she's letting on. I don't know how she became that way. There must be something my spies missed and I need to find out what it is." Prince Jian picked his tea back up taking another savoring sip.

"Is that why you brought her back to the palace?"

"Yes. I need to keep an eye on her and I need to keep her close."

"Have you checked her for any abnormal marks in her body?"

"Don't you think I already made sure I did?"

Jian can very well remember bounding her fractured ribs, he made sure he did then, though the darkness in the room made it impossible to see clearly.

"But, if you're asking if I slept with her, the answer is no."

Prince Jungjae made a sour face, he would rather not hear about his brother's obvious lack of sex life. He grinned. "Your lack of sex life is hardly my concern, brother."

Jian roared in laugher, "now, what else do you need to know, younger brother? Because I'm an open book! Ask me anything and I'll gladly tell you!" He leaned back and stretched. His wide grin childish and arrogant.

"No, thanks. I think I got all I needed to know." Jungjae turned around and stalked silently out of the room.