Promise- Minsung

Chapter Twenty Four

Jisung's eyes flashed as he approached, but the young prince said nothing. Instead he sat down quietly and stared right ahead of him.

Yongbok glanced back at his cousin, before turning to Min-hyung. "Hyung... have you noticed something up with Jisung?"

Right. He hadn't been able to really talk with Yongbok since he had left. And with Yongbok being tailed by Changbin all afternoon, it wasn't like their talk would have been private even if they had been able to speak to each other.

"It's Prince Jisung," Min-hyung murmured under his breath. "He's been going after Minho since he found out."

"Really?" Yongbok looked back at Jisung who was wearing a look of interesting features. "I didn't really get to know him but from what I saw he didn't seem like one to do that."

"I didn't think he was either," Min-hyung shook his head attempting to clear his thoughts. "It seems as though we were both wrong. And now, Minho is paying for it."

"Have you told your older brother?"

"Which one?"

Yongbok gave him a look. "King Minhyuk. Have you told him? He isn't going to bring Minho home, is he?"

"He can't. The agreement is already sealed and they must get married now."

Yongbok sat back and thought for a moment. Changbin, who had sat down on Yongbok's other side, leaned in. "Is there something bothering you?"

Yongbok stared at him for a moment, before looking away. "No, it's fine. It's... family matters."

Changbin hesitated, before nodding. "Okay. Let me know if I can do anything to help."

And still the young prince looked back at his cousin sitting next to the one he would marry in less than a month, not speaking to each other as they faced forward, barley blinking. This was going to be a long journey for Minho. Yongbok twisted in his seat. He just hoped Minho didn't do anything stupid.

~oOo~

"Long live the Crown Prince!" The court masters bowed as Crown Prince Han Jisung made his way to his throne and sat down on the hard, bare surface.

"You may sit," he told them as he adjusted the robes hanging around his waist. "If you are here to tell me what I already know, don't bother. It is not in my control."

The masters glanced among themselves. "But, Your Highness," one tentatively murmured. "Surely... we can think of some way-"

"Even if you were to tell me that my subjects will hate and loathe me, I will lose the support of all our neighboring countries, or even that I would be killed, there is nothing I can do," his eyes seemed to flashed red with anger. "Unless you are telling me to go back on the command of my late father, there is no way around this, I have already checked."

"Why don't we just marry Princess Jeongyeon again?" murmured one.

"My cousin," Jisung broke in. "Is already married and is currently pregnant with the first Han royalty that has been born in decades. She is not fit, nor will she ever be, to marry Prince Minho in my place, so that is enough!"

The master bowed.

"Is there anything else that you intend on telling me before I leave?" Jisung hissed, looking among the old men pressed to the floor.

"Your Highness," the oldest of the men stood from the ground and bowed. "There is one more thing."

"And what would that be?"