.eighty two.

-

"I will be loyal to you, if you make me your queen."

-

Jung was sat atop the hill that over looked the tenth prince's home on one of his visits back from his military service. Nowadays he had been discharged and given free days more often per request of his mother. She had begged Yo for him to give Jung more time off. But that wasn't what Jung wanted. He liked his time in the military. It kept him distracted. When he was back home, he more often remembered Park Hak Soon and he felt a prick in his chest. A deep heart ache that just didn't seem to go away whenever he went home. 

Yo had been king for a few days now and had changed many of the laws that Mu had put into place during his reign. Mu had signed for more humane conditions for the slaves that had been taken as prisoners of the war. But Yo had abolished that law, and declared that those people were not citizens of Goryeo, and therefore could not even be considered human beings. He was accompanied by Princess Jangmi, and he was telling her everything that was going on with the third prince. She had noticed how the fourteenth prince appeared as though something were bothering him, and he didn't hesitate before telling her the truth when she asked him about it.

"My brother has taken over the throne of our country." Jung said with a sigh. But he didn't even seem like he was happy about it. Though, he didn't even need to mention it to her. News like that traveled so quickly around Goryeo that everyone knew already. It also didn't help that Yo had organized for a big party in the palace to announce his coronation. He had brought in musicians, beautiful women, and all the nobles were there to celebrate. Jung had been there, forced to pretend like he was having a good time, while his brother dangled the crown in everyone's faces.

The princess widened her eyes at the news. There were rumors floating around there was going to be an uprising. Now that she was hearing it from Jung, and that she heard it had actually happened, she knew that the rumors were true. The nobles and even the citizens of the country were unhappy with the way that Wang Mu was running it as king. Most people wanted either Wang Wook, who was very intelligent, or Wang So who was skilled in military training to take over. As they saw it, the first prince was weak and did not know what he was doing when it came to running the country. He had only been first choice by birth right, and because his father had wanted it that way before his passing.

When she said nothing and only sat there in her surprise, Jung continued, "He has offered me Hak Soon in exchange for my loyalty to him."

That was another thing that surprised Jangmi. But the thought crossed her mind that the prince had probably no doubt accepted the terms. He was still head over heels in love with the general's daughter and on several occasions had told her that he would do anything to have her. But this was a very real possibility and the tenth prince was his brother after all. Taking his wife and his family from him would have been something terribly cruel. It was exactly what Jangmi was trying to do. But then again, she was merely an outsider to him, and Wang Jung was his brother.

"Will you do it though?" She wondered. "Will you be loyal to him?" 

He looked ahead onto the property. Eun and Minji had been outside with the children, enjoying the warm spring day. Now they had gone back inside per Minji's request. Jinki couldn't be out in the sun too long because of his health. Also, since the twins were already four years old, Eun had gotten a tutor for them to start learning how to read and write. Minji sometimes had Jinki sit in during a few of the lessons, so that he could have something to do and distract himself. Their youngest daughter was but a few months old and required the care of her mother for most of the day. 

Jung seemed conflicted at least, that he had such an opportunity to get the woman he wanted, but at the same time to separate a family and hurt his brother's feelings. Then there was the fact that neither of them would probably accept it without a fight. Then there was the possibility that they would be punished for it and Jung's efforts would turn out to be for nothing. When he finally replied to her question, he said, "I have to. He also said that if I didn't, he would kill her. I would die if something happened to Hak Soon. She's my entire life."

Their conversation had been brief that afternoon, as Jung was to meet with his mother for lunch. But Jangmi already had the thought placed in her mind. If Jung was to agree to help Yo get to the throne in exchange for Park Hak Soon, then that meant that the tenth prince would be left alone. He would need a new wife to keep him company and that was where Jangmi could come in. It was a win for everyone--Yo would get the throne, Jung would get Hak Soon, and she would get Eun. It was what she had been wanting for several years now and her life of comfort and luxury would begin. 

She could only hope that she could go to the palace and meet with him, and then she would ask a favor of him, in exchange for her own loyalty, and the loyalty of her people.

-

Yeon Hwa was a bit surprised and suspicious when she was summoned to a random cabin in the woods by the guards of Queen Yoo. In the days that had passed, she heard that Yo had taken over the palace and crowned himself king. He had killed their eldest brother Mu to get the throne. But he had not summoned the other princess yet to assert his authority over them and officially crown himself king. There had merely been a big party at the palace with the nobles, who were there to support him

The princess thought that maybe this was the way that she would die, as she had always been kind of hostile to the queen. But it had been the queen's own fault. She was always putting Yeon Hwa's mother down and treating her as if she were less. They were both queens, their rank was the same. But Queen Yo had gotten Queen Hwangbo kicked out of the palace. 

Long ago, both queens lived in the palace together with the king and were seen as equals. Yeon Hwa remembers living in the same place as her father and brothers as a child. But that changed when Queen Yoo became jealous of her. She had always been jealous if the king had any special attention towards any woman. At the time, Court Lady Oh had been expecting a child. Everyone in the palace knew that her child would be the king's new favorite after Wang Mu. Queen Yoo didn't like that and instead killed two birds with one stone. She had poisoned the court lady and made her have a miscarriage, then blamed it all on Queen Hwangbo. The king had been very upset and didn't leave his bedroom in mourning for days.

When he finally emerged, he had been filled with resentment towards the second queen. Her punishment would be to be kicked out of the palace. He had a house built for her nearby, for her and her two children. But he said he never wanted to see her in the palace again. For years, Yeon Hwa and Wook were looked down upon by the other nobles. It had only been up until recently when the king decided to forgive his second queen and allowed her to visit the palace once more--when Wook married Lady Hae to be precise. 

Yeon Hwa would never forgive the queen for it.

As the door to the cabin opened, they found Wang Yo sitting at a table in the middle of the room. In the back was a bed, as well as a shelf with some books. The cabin looked lived in, and she thought he had probably been hiding out there the whole time that everyone thought he was dead. 

He smiled at their surprise, dressed in expensive robes, and the crown adorning his head. It served to send a chill down her spine, the same reaction that Jung had. Both siblings knew that Yo was too smart to perish so easily. But it was almost impossible that he would still be alive. From what they had heard, he had fallen off a cliff to his death when he chose to die rather than to be spared by the fourth prince. 

The new king invited them both to sit and they did so hesitantly. 

"I've called you here today because I have a proposition for you." Yo began without beating around the bush. It was the way he always preferred to speak, bluntly and straight to the point. He often grew bored when people gave them the runaround.

Yeon Hwa's breath caught in her throat.

If he had a proposition for them, then it certainly wasn't for anything good. The third prince continued explaining. "Now that I have become king, I need the loyalties of poweful families by my side. Jung has already promised his loyalty to me, so has Won. But I need eyes in the inside, and I know both of you can go to the palace undetected. I will need people to inform me of everything that goes on in the palace." He said, and she wondered for a moment just for how long he had been planning all of this. Perhaps, it dawned on her, he had planned this all from the beginning. From the very moment in which he was caught and seen as a traitor when Wook refused to help him the first time. Perhaps he knew he would not have the throne then and faked his death precisely for this moment. But then, what assured him that Wook would actually help him this time? There was no guarantee. "Pledge your loyalty to me and I assure you I will make sure you live comfortable lives as long as I am king."

Yeon Hwa was still in shock, but Wook didn't seem to think about it for too long. With a nod, the eighth prince promised. "I will pledge my loyalty to you, as long as you make sure my mother and my sister are always safe from any harm."

Yo nodded in agreement. "I would have nothing less." Looking to Yeon Hwa and hoping to convince her, he added, "If you pledge your loyalty to me, I promise to make you my Queen."

The princess's eyes widened at that, and there was a thought of greed that crossed her mind. The thought of being the Queen of Goryeo. But that could not be because he was already married and his first wife would be rightfully Queen. He would have to legally divorce her and marry Yeon Hwa if she wanted to be Queen. Yeon Hwa chewed on her bottom lip nervously. Yo was manipulative and deceiving. He could very well have been lying just to get her loyalty. But it was all talk until she could see some action. 

Noticing her hesitance, he assured. "You don't have to worry about my first wife. I would have no problem leaving her for you."

Yeon Hwa paused for a moment before finally speaking. "I will be loyal to you, if you make me your queen."

-

this chapter is a bit shorted, but also because this one if also filler. i think the action was going to start in this chapter, but by the time i got to the action stuff, the chapter was too long already. so i had to cut it off.

i hope you're all enjoying the story thought.

it means a lot to me when you all read and comment and support me. i will try to post another chapter tonight before i go to bed. if not, i will post an update tomorrow. 

the countdown to the end of the story is already starting, guys. 

only eighteen chapters left.

-clary