"Thunder strikes at the doom step ,
There lies the numb limbs.
Could it have been better?
Should they have hugged tighter the last time before their fate went bitter?
Would there have been a happy ending?..."
Recites the Princess of Gwacheon.
"Your highness, could it have been?" The maiden asks as she tilts her head.
The Princess stares in oblivion.
"It could have? Maybe... I don't know. " Nari's voice comes out weak and low. She looks down towards her feet.
"It's so heartwarming that you have his highness, the crown Prince as your husband, your highness. " The other maiden smiles endearingly, swaying side to side. "He's the most genuine sacred bone in the entire Daegu. I'm sure he'll take good care of your highness. "
"But wouldn't it be hard to like- to share such a husband?" Another maiden muffled giggles and elbows to the first one.
Nari hears them but remains nonchalant.
"Let her highness rest. Get up, you girls !" The court lady glares at the maidens.
"Your highness, please call us whenever you need us. And rest well. "
The ladies bow to the Princess and leave her chambers hurriedly afraid of the fuming court lady.
They were talking about Yuna earlier. Nari knows. And it isn't a good thing that her husband spends more time with his mistress than his newly wed wife. She knew the question would arise about her not being able to interest him even for a few days into their marriage. He ran away like a cockroach to her the moment he heard she took ill.
"Isn't she a physician herself? Why can't she take her own medicines and herbs to get well?" Raya, the Princess's maiden scrawl. The Princess seems frustrated with anger. But she at the same time liked the idea of them, her and the Prince not having sex yet.
Although, she takes offense to her pride when people mock her about the uncertainty of her place in Daegu behind her back. " Your highness pardon me but you need to do something about this bitch. Today two of them taunted you on your face. The next one will be even worse, I'm afraid."
Nari gets up from her bed and grabs her robes, pulling them over her bare shoulders as she walks out of her chambers. "Stay here and look out for me." She commands her maiden. It surprisingly is empty in the hallway.
"Is someone from high status dead? " she chuckles to herself excitedly.
She takes the knife from her inner garments and tugs it under her waist belt. She pulls the robes over her head to hide herself. There she observes her soundings and finds no one around. No guard, no maiden.
It seemed suspicious to her but she walked towards Yuna's chambers anyway. She takes the poorly concreted side of the path which seemed more secure for a sneaky way to pursue.
A dim lantern is hanging on the ceiling near the entrance gate which according to Soora is a chamber allotted to the physicians. She walks closer and hears the voice that has been haunting her reality. The Crown Prince is in conflict with Yuna. Nari can't hide her displeaseness as she hears her wedded husband talk so caringly to her. She now knows how to deal with these two idiots. She won't be a subject to their one act play of romance. She'll secure her place no matter whatever way she has to take.
Next morning, the Princess takes a walk around the palace. She's gazing towards the lake as she stands there for a while now. She hears the guards announce the Crown Prince, Min Yoongi's arrival and command to clear the way for him. She stands there unfazed. Raya looks at her worried but then bows low for the Prince.
Min Yoongi strides forward towards where the Princess is standing. He halts just beside her. He clears his throat to draw her attention. She looks at him with pensive expressions and turns again towards the still water of the calming lake. Yoongi strikes a conversation trying to make her speak.
' The view of the lake is even more beautiful in the daylight, isn't it?" Yoongi tries to laugh air-ly but quickly shuts up observing the Princess not breathing towards him. He quickly remarks, "It's a nice weather day. Don't you think so?" Even though there is turmoil within his chest the Prince tries again. Just now they were on the same page or at least better than before. Why is she so distant that before, when they were ready to draw each other's blood out?
He hears a faint "Hmm' from her. This is enough for him to stay positive and lead the conversation.
"Princess, I want to apologize for last night. It was so that Yuna wasn't feeling well and there wasn't anyone helping her. So I-"
"Okay."
"Huh?"
She looks at him with cold eyes. "Understood." She adds, "I understand how your highness would need to take care of everyone around him. He'd be the first person to arrive and save who he loves and stride forward to make sure his people are well."
Before the Prince could react she looks around, then bows her head and turns her heels leaving him dumbfounded.
Nothing could have prepared Yoongi for the reaction he received from the Princess. He stands there watching her go. It somehow feels like he is at the fault and would to a grave mistake to stop her from going away. So, he lets her go to somewhere she might get peace. Something that is very rare in this empire and especially in this Royal Palace.
He turns and looks towards the lake asking himself what might have intrigued her to stay and cast such admirable gazes over the small water body , unlike his unwanted presence which automatically disgusted her and pushed her away.
He wonders and a wild guess passes in his mind -- did she anyhow , perhaps, seen him with Yuna, being the cause of her jealousy? But shouldn't she already expect that to happen? That's how years after years, monarchies followed the rules. Many men have a string of lovers along side their wife consorts. That's how things have been... Shouldn't she compromise that much for her husband? For her family, for her father, for her brothers , and for their Kingdoms' welfare, and for the good of the people of their Kingdom, shouldn't she just learn to cooperate and compromise?
Yoonigi's father, Kyung has had multiple concubines. Yoongi's mother had to tolerate concubines his father came with in every victory is gained. It's a celebration and a gift to himself, he used to say. Yoongi had seen his mother accepting the fact that she'll have to share her husband with other ladies and yet deleiver her duties as a Queen and a wife till her last breath. Which wasn't too far.
One of the concubines was a spy of one of the then enemy kingdoms, Gwancheon. Being on the mission to kill his father but failed because of Yoongi's mother knowingly stepped between her and his father and took the shot of a venomous arrow meant to attack his father. She had sacrificed her life for her husband. That's how a wife should be. A self-sacrificing and compassionate lady of a high morals.
The Princess will soon start to learn the royal etiquettes and will learn that a man has greater things to do so they might need to have multiple ladies to warm his bed and keep him entertained. Good thing, right now, the Princess has to only cooperate with Yuna. Nari is still young and naive, she has a complex personality, but with time she'll learn how to control herself around people and try to impress the rulers. To prove her worthiness to become the future Queen of Daegu. She also would need to learn how to make sacrifices for the sake of compelling by her duties. And stick to the role a married woman should be like.
And the first thing she needs to secure is her position.
" I must confront her about the marriage consummation." Yoongi decides to pay her a visit tonight.
_____
Nari strides through the hallway and waits outside Kyung's chambers. She approaches and asks the Royal Secretariat to announce the King of Deagu of her presence and let him know that you are here to discuss a very important subject that confidentially only be discussed with the King.
Kyung is irritated with his pacing thoughts about the declaration of peace treaty with the Kingdom of Gwancheon. He is more pressed about the daily struggle with Busan and the recent unexpected counter attacks from the pirates who are untraceable. They come and loot his Kingdom and just vanish in the thin air. He throws all the documents' slack of collection of recent survey conducted to know more about the notorious pirates, on the ground with frustration and raging anger.
Meanwhile his Royal Secretariat walks in his chambers and approaches the shattered glass and scattered pages on the ground. Kyung receives Nari's request to an audience. He stops between his curses and listens to the Secretariat. It would be about the breaking off of the marriage, he knows. So let it be!
" Be prepared for a war. Let known to the Warlord to be ready for a civil and an external war." Commands the King.
The Princess passes the threshold of her patience and starts to chew on her lips, tapping her feet on the ground in her chambers.
"Greetings, you highness..." Nari halt her movements and looks up towards the door as it slides open.
"Your highness is requested to meet his majesty, the King, in accord to his audience." Says the Royal Secretariat.
"R-Right now?" The Princess undesirably stutters.
-
"As per the request of the Princess of Gwancheon, Kim Nari, the audience is called to discuss the matter only I can hear?" Kyung looks towards where the Princess is standing with unreadable expressions.
Nari bows the King of Deagu and then the audience.
" Why isn't Min Yoongi accompanying you, Princess?" Kyung shift in his throne to sit more comfortably and tries to peer through your intentions.
" I didn't inform him about this meeting as the core subject of the matter I want to discuss is my husband, your majesty." The Princess moves forward, now standing straight with the posture of that of a noble lady who has been given years of training to present in formal meetings like this. Presenting in front of a ruler isn't new for the Princess, Kyung reads. In fact, she is well versed with the courtroom etiquettes. Kyung subpresses his amused smile because he is yet to know the reason for the Princess's request and also given the judgement of the other day he expected her to be more timid and responsible yet she had the guts to act irrational. He swears if it weren't for the peace treaty, he would have punished severely.
" I want to personally thank your majesty for being so considerate and understanding with me, just like a father would. Never did I feel like I'm not at home. " Kyung twists his moustaches and smiles arrogantly. " But something I should keep in my mind is to never be the irresponsible and immature self of mine. I want to by stand my duties as a monarch and also as the wife consort of your son, his highness." Kyung's eyes shine. You take a pause and draw a heavy, defeated breath, " But I fear I might not be able to do so because of unwanted hinderance."
"Unwanted hinderance?" Kyung frowns. A scrawl latches his every word. What is daring to come between one of the main treaties? What is standing between his victory? Who dares to challenge him?
"Yes, your majesty!" The Princess still stands there with unwavering confidence. " It's a person standing against your will and a undoubtable threat to your throne. "
" Who dares to go against me?" Kyung thunders and stands up from his throne at the mention of the throne.
"You son himself, your majesty. I was suspicious it is the mistress of his highness, your majesty but I fear that he would be the cause of this kingdom falling apart and so will our marriage and the Royal declaration of peace treaty between Deagu and my father's kingdom."
"Are you aware of whom you are daring to blame on? He is the future King of this kingdom!"
"Yes, your majesty. I beg your pardon for what I'm going to say now. And please, spare me a chance to explain myself." The Princess replies confidently.
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(A/N)
Hello everyone, it's been really long since you last heard from me! I had to prioritise my health condition, which took me quite a lot of time. I'm still recovering. But since I missed writing so much, I'm updating this episode. I want to complete this book as soon as possible and be done with the story for you. I may not be a frequent updater but I'll try my best to deliver my work with quality.
(behind the scene) Yes, the main story has started now and this was the exact idea that popped in my mind before I thought to make it a book.
Also, to let you know that although my books are meant to have a happy ending, I'll be making this as similar as historical events. So, it might be triggering for many people. But I want my work to be as honest as possible. I hope you forgive me if I hurt your feelings with my writing style, but it's important for me to be true to my creation as a growing writer.
Thank you for your patience! 'Caz I'll be needing a lot of it from you people.
If you can then drop a Vote and a Comment- It'll keep me motivated!
I hope you have a good day/night!
I hope you know that you are loved :)