.sixty two.

-

"The tenth prince's carriage fell into a ditch on the way back from the palace. Prince Yo says that his brother has passed."

-

Though Minji and Eun tried to keep the news of their third child a secret, things got around quickly in Goryeo. She was nearly three months along when his brothers and father found out in the palace. Some of his siblings were happy for him, and even the king was happy, all smiles as he asked his tenth son if the rumors were true about him and his wife having another child. He loved Eun, he hated Minji, but he loved the thought of having numerous grand children, especially if they were boys. 

He had been summoned by his older brother Wang Yo, who informed him that there was going to be an important announcement given out to the family at breakfast that morning. But Eun thought it was more of an ambush when the king surprised him with the question out of nowhere.

Eun tensed at the question for many reasons--because he knew Yo would be watching and with his older brother knowing of the new arrival, it could mean something dangerous for both Hak Soon and the child. Also because he didn't feel happy about the child himself. His wife was getting weaker and weaker with each passing day, but she took care of herself with all of her will and strength. She wanted the baby to live and her doctor informed her that though there was a high risk of him being sickly and even perhaps not surviving his first few months, she was trying her hardest to help him. In the process though, that child was draining her life force and she was hardly able to get out of bed these days.

The tenth prince even feared that he would hurt her when they got intimate, and refrained from doing so as much as possible. 

With no other choice but to confirm the king's suspicions, Eun gave a slow nod of his head, lacking enthusiasm. "Yes, your majesty. My wife is bearing me another child." He felt a lump in his throat as he thought about it because there was a strong chance he was only having her for the next few months. There was a chance she would not make it out of that pregnancy alive. 

The king eyed him with confusion. "Why don't you seem happy about it?"

Eun sucked in a breath and stayed silent for the better of a couple of minutes. When the words finally made their way out of his mouth, his eyes were pooled up with tears. "Because that thing is killing her. A monster who is selfish enough to kill his own mother is no child of mine. I don't want that child, but Hak Soon protects him with her life."

The king seemed disinterested in Eun's worries, if only because they were about Hak Soon, and he still considered her a traitor. Eun glanced at his youngest brother Wang Jung to gauge his reaction. There was worry reflected on his face and emotional pain because he still loved Park Hak Soon. Both princes became enraged by the king's words. "To me it makes no difference whether that girl lives or dies. What is most important is that your child is healthy and safe. Her own weakness is probably the reason she is withering away like you said."

Eun quickly rose from his chair, startling the other people sat at the table. "I don't know why I'm even here. Brother Yo summoned me saying you had something important to tell me, yet here he are, having breakfast while my wife is at home ill. She needs me." His emotions came spilling out into the tense atmosphere of their little breakfast reunion. Everyone watched him silently, for no one dared to defy and talk back to the king. But the tenth prince was done with it. He was always talking bad about Eun's wife. "If you cared so much about me, you would appreciate my wife. She is my whole life, and it makes me angry when people say bad things about her."

"She betrayed you." The king tried to reason with him. "She doesn't deserve you. Doesn't even deserve to breathe the same air as you. She's not even fit to bear your children. I told you I could bring you a second wife--"

"And I said no." The tenth prince raised his voice slightly. He was tired of repeating to his father that he didn't want anyone else. The king didn't listen to him anyway. "I don't need another wife. All I need is Hak Soon and our children. If I got over what she supposedly did, why can't you? Its my life, not yours."

He was beyond angry and appalled that his family was so horrible like that. He even doubted if the king was doing all of that for him, or was he just doing it to make himself look good in the eyes of the people. Eun didn't care what anyone thought as long as he had Hak Soon by his side, and now he was losing her too. It was too much stress and grief for his heart to handle. What was worse was that he couldn't even talk to her about it because she wanted that child to live. He couldn't tell her how bad he wanted her to give the child up. They could always have more. But like he had told her, he could not replace her.

When the king said nothing to him, Eun excused himself. "I should go. Please do not invite me to breakfast anymore. I will not be coming by again."

He went out to the front gates and took a few minutes to cool off before he walked up to one of the guards and asked to summon a carriage to take him back home. The guard nodded and scurried off towards the stables to get a carriage ready. Eun stood off to the side while he waited for what seemed like an eternal amount of time. He could not wait to get out of the palace and never return. 

-

Yo had instructed the guards to retain Eun at the palace as long as possible after he excuse himself from breakfast and went by horseback to Eun and Minji's house. When he arrived there, he had told the guards that he was there to see his younger brother Han, and they quickly let him inside. He was a prince after all, and the older brother to the two princes who lived there, Wang Han and Wang Eun. They didn't question the third prince as he left his horse with them and entered the property.

Then he got his plan into action. He walked up to the house belonging to Eun and Minji, a small cottage a ways distance from the main house and the other little cottage on the property. It was nice and secluded, and perfect for the tenth prince and his wife who didn't want to be bothered. It was also perfect for Wang Yo to put his plan into action.

He knocked on the door and one of the maids answered, her expression was one of palpable fear as she drank in the appearance of the intimidating third prince. Before the maid could even say anything or greet him, he let himself into the house and stood in the living room. The maid closed the door behind him and bowed to him out of both fear and respect. "Your majesty, if you are looking for your brother the tenth prince, he is out right now. Only his wife, Lady Hak Soon is in right now. But she is ill and has strict orders to remain in bed rest."

Yo rolled his eyes at the mention of her name and title. Lady Hak Soon.

To him, she was nothing than a smart little whore who had managed to seduce two young princes and make them fight over her. So much that they no longer got along. They didn't even talk to each other anymore. All for some girl who wasn't even worth the expensive clothes she was dressed in on a day to day basis. She was just the general's daughter, no one of utter importance. Yet his brothers acted as though she were the greatest thing to ever happen to them. 

Yo had never felt like that about a woman and he thought it was dumb to like someone that much.

"I'm not here to see either of them." He announced rather calmly, he turned away from her and a sly smile formed on his lips as he informed her why he was there. It was all lies, of course, but he was playing the part well. A convincing role of a worried older brother. "I'm just here to inform that there was a terrible accident while my brother was returning home by carriage from the palace."

The maid was only silent, listening intently. 

"It seems his carriage has fallen into a ditch, and my brother has passed away." The words left his lips so fluidly and convincingly that he was even surprised at himself. But he had been raised from a young age to lie in order to get what he wanted. 

The maid's expression dropped into a frown. "Lady Hak Soon will be crushed when we tell her, and with her delicate pregnancy--"

Yo interrupted her with a fake look of sadness on his face. He knew it was a sadness he would never feel for Eun. "It is best that you tell her as soon as possible, and not have her find out when he no longer comes home."

The maid nodded her head and the third prince quickly left the house, retreating back to the palace by horse. The maid went over to tell the others of the news and she and another maid stood by the door to Minji's room when they started whispering. "The third prince says that the sooner Lady Park knows, the better." Minji was only half asleep, but her eyes fluttered open at full attention when she heard that they were talking about her. "The tenth prince's carriage fell into a ditch on the way back from the palace. Prince Yo says that his brother has passed, but maybe he's just injured. Still his wife will worry when he doesn't come back tonight."

"Are you going to tell her?" The other maid asked, biting down on her lip.

None of them wanted to be the ones to deliver the bad news. But it was already too late because Minji had heard them and there were tears streaming from her eyes. Her heart had sunk into her chest and she felt like her entire world had crumbled around her. Her husband, her prince, had gone to the palace to see his family and would not be returning. She heard them walk away soon after, not noticing that she was inside, distraught. Neither of them came in to give her the news.

She gathered the little strength she had left in her body and pushed herself out of bed. She was only three months along, and yet she felt like she had no energy. She hugged her hands around her barely bulging belly and dragged her feet across the floor to leave the room. It had to be a dream, she told herself, it had to. Maybe she had heard wrong or she was dreaming when she heard them talking about her husband. 

Minji made it through the hallway and through the house without being seen by any of the maids, not that she was trying to hide from them at all. She wanted to run into them to ask them about her husband. But none of them were around. It was as though they had disappeared into thin air. But with the tenth prince gone and his wife in bed rest, they didn't have much to do around the house. There was probably the maid that took care of the twins, but Minji didn't want the toddlers to hear her crying desperately over the apparent death of her husband.

Their house was perched above a heating system of rocks to keep them warm in the winter, and there was a wooden step to get down to the ground. Normally Minji didn't need help getting down to the grass. But this time she was stressed, her body tired and heavy. She didn't even think as she stepped onto the wooden block step that was supposed to be there to catch her feet. She didn't know that Yo had moved it when he left the house and with the missed step, she was sent tumbling down onto the grass.

She was able to catch herself on her hands and knees, but the pain of the impact knocked the air out of her and made her feel a sharp pin prick in her stomach. She cried out in pain and wrapped her arms around her baby bump tightly before losing consciousness.

-

why do i keep posting dramatic ass chapters?

im such a novelera. but its fine because that's what makes stories interesting tbh. but anyway, question of the day: do you think yo actually did something to hurt eun? or do you think he just went and said that to send minji into a worry that could possibly kill her child?

i mean, he's capable of both. but i will let you all speculate what really happened. let me know what you all think.

thank you for reading.

-clary