.forty nine.

-

  "I felt what I had never felt before."

-

Minji stayed in their bedroom, covers hugged tightly around herself as she cried herself to sleep. She was unable to for what felt like hours, but eventually she was so tired out that she welcomed the thought of sleep to take over her. She felt so lonely, the bed was much bigger and colder without her husband. What was worse was that she had the same nightmare again, but this time her husband was not around to offer her comfort. The warmth of his embraces was something she quickly missed. 

She woke up the next morning to the sound of the maids knocking on her bedroom door and she jumped slightly. Her hands reached to her right, momentarily forgetting, but she was quickly met with the painful reminder that he wasn't there with her. "Prince Eun, may we come in?" They asked, and Minji sat up in bed, once again pulling the covers around herself for protection.

She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice sounded rough and hoarse at first. When she tried again after clearing her throat, she said, "Yes. You may come in." 

As they pushed the door open and entered the room, they were all met with surprise at what they say. Around the room were articles of her sleeping gown laying around. The sheets were clumped up and messy. Underneath them was the general's daughter, but she was alone. The prince was nowhere to be found. Minji could feel the burn of their eyes on her and dropped her head in embarrassment. She was there, exposed, all alone. Though it was something that was the least of her worries at the moment, she knew people would talk. Everyone at the palace would soon find out what had happened between her and her husband.

The maids quietly helped Minji get washed up and changed into her clothes for the day. Minji bit down on her lip as they finished up, uttering a question for them. "Do you know...where my husband is?" She asked, hoping to go find him as soon as they were to leave the room.

She would try to talk to him and apologize for hurting his feelings. 

The maid that was helping her did not have an answer. It was one of the other maids who was near the back that replied. "We searched the house for the tenth prince, and he is not here. It seems he slept in the guest bedroom, but left early this morning." She informed her. They were all confused as to where he was and they were wondering what had happened between them for her to leave his wife alone in the house, especially with her condition. 

Minji felt her heart drop. He was so hurt that he didn't want to be in the same house as her. But she knew exactly where he went. The only place he would probably go was to his brother Han's house. 

Once the service was done helping her get dressed, they went about the house doing their other chores. But Minji informed them that she would be out. The head maid offered to have one of the others walk her to her destination, since Eun wasn't around to help her. But Minji assured them that she didn't need his help. She had walked to Han and Soon Deok's house dozens of times and knew she wouldn't get lost. With a determination to go find her husband, she left the house by herself, her hands stuck out in front of her to prevent her from bumping into anything.

-

Eun had been at his younger brother's house from very early that morning. He hadn't even waited for the sun to rise when he got dressed back in his white silky sleeping robe and walked the ten minute distance to where they lived on his grandfather's property. 

He had knocked on the door a few times and waited for him to come answer it, when Han finally opened it, he had a sword in hand ready to fight off any intruders as it was very early in the morning, his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. His expression and demeanor relaxed significantly when he saw it was only his older brother Eun. He looked both ways and became confused when he didn't see Hak Soon with him. Eun and Hak Soon were inseparable ever since they had gotten married. Eun only lived and breathed for her. 

"What are you doing here so early, hyung?" He asked one question and then added another. "Where is Hak Soon?" 

He quickly noticed the sadness reflected on his face and he immediately knew it had everything to do with his wife. Perhaps they had gotten into an argument. But ever since getting married, the pair never argued. Everything seemed to be perfect between them. 

Eun heaved a sigh before speaking. "Can I talk to you about it?"

"Sure. Come on in." Han was quick to respond. He stood aside and allowed his older brother into the house. When he closed the door they walked the small path to the living room where they could sit and talk. 

On their way there, they passed the bedroom, and both boys were startled when someone jumped out at them. It was Soon Deok holding a sword of her own. She held it close to Han's chest, but quickly gasped and dropped it when she realized it was only them and that she had nearly sliced through her husband. Her heart started racing madly when she caught a glimpse of the other person in their house too. Prince Wang Eun, her sister's husband, who she still had feelings for.

"When you took long to come back I thought something bad happened to you." She said to her husband, and he took her hand in his, giving it a light squeeze.

"My brother and I will be in the living room talking." He explained to her gently, his voice always soft and gentle with her. "Go back to bed, jagi." 

The general's other daughter nodded her head slowly, but her eyes lingered on the tenth prince a little longer than she intended. Not only did Eun notice it and look away awkwardly, but his brother Han noticed it and felt a prick in his chest. But he would say nothing of it to either of them. He had known from the start that Soon Deok did not love him, and yet he still decided to marry her. It was a similar situation with his brother Eun and Soon Deok's sister Hak Soon. She was in love with Jung, and was going to marry him. But the king had forced her to marry Eun instead. 

Soon Deok kissed her husband on the cheek before returning to their bedroom, and then Han led Eun into the living room. They sat down on some pillows by the coffee table in the room. Han remained quiet, waiting for his brother to start telling him what was wrong. It had always been like that. Growing up, Han was like the older brother in their relationship even though it was the other way around. 

"She gave herself to me last night." Eun started, not able to find the right words in the moment. 

A wide grin spread across Han's lips and he dropped a hand on his brother's shoulder heavily. "Is that why you're so upset? This is a good thing. Congratulations."

Instead of replying to his brother's words, Eun continued explaining what had happened between he and his wife. "Brother, I felt what I had never felt before. I thought we really had something, even though my mind was telling me that she was still in love with Jung-ah. My heart set all of its hopes on her." He paused when his voice began to break and Han knew it was serious. His brother was truly heart broken. He was sure by the way that there was no childishness in his voice. He sounded absolutely serious and like a boy his age. He had matured so much since marrying the general's daughter. The innocent tenth prince was hardly there anymore within him. "My heart never imagined it would hurt without her love, but when she confirmed it to me...She doesn't love me, she couldn't say it back. She only married me out of pity."

Han was left speechless, all he could think to do was to pull his brother in for a hug, and when he did, the tears started spilling from Eun's eyes. In the other room, Soon Deok could hear his crying, but she hadn't been able to hear what they were talking about. She wanted to offer him comfort as well. But as his brother's wife, she thought it was best to stay away and suppress her true feelings. 

-

Minji made it to her sister's house twenty minutes later, by that time Eun had been long gone. His brother invited him to stay for breakfast, but Eun assured him that he would eat at home. But instead of going to his house, he headed for the palace. The guards and servants stared at him with confusion as they saw him in his sleeping robe. 

He was looking for one person and walked to the other house on the property where Queen Yoo lived with her two loved sons--Yo and Jung. So wasn't allowed to sleep there and instead stayed in the main palace, in the tower with Ji Mong. The guards informed the tenth prince that they needed to announce his presence to the fourteenth prince and asked him to wait outside. Eun did as he was asked and waited for his younger brother.

It took a few minutes for him to emerge, but when he finally did, he regarded his brother with a glare. They both mutually glared at each other. 

"What are you doing here? What do you want?" Jung wondered, crossing his arms over his chest. He thought that Eun was probably there to dangle his marriage to Hak Soon in his face. He wished so badly that his brother was no longer around so that maybe he could be able to marry the general's daughter as was originally planned. 

The general's daughter was nowhere to be found, and Jung wondered where she was, momentarily worried about her as he knew that she could not see. 

"Where's Hak Soon?" The fourteenth prince asked.

The question made jealously bubble within the tenth prince. Jung still loved her, and what was more painful was that she loved him back. Why couldn't she just understand that she was with Eun now and he would give her all the love that she needed? Why couldn't she love him back? Was he really that unlovable? 

"She's back home." Eun replied, and then continued to speak. His words were a reproach. "It seems that you were right all along. She does not love me, and will not love me."

A smile formed on Jung's lips before he could do anything to stop himself. "Did she tell you that?"

Eun was so tempted to wipe the smile off his brother's face. Just like he had never felt so good until getting married with Hak Soon, he had never felt so upset and angry until that moment. His brother was glad that Hak Soon didn't love him. If that wasn't a betrayal at its finest, then he didn't know what was. But then again, Eun thought, maybe he deserved his brother doing that. He had been the same when he took the woman that his brother loved and forced her to get married to him. It was just coming around to spite him. 

The tenth prince's hand balled into a fist and he charged at his brother. Jung grabbed his older brother's wrist and pinned it to his side right before his fist collided with his face. 

"What are you doing?" Jung asked.

"You took her from me." Eun said through gritted teeth and tear soaked eyes.

"No." Jung gave a shake of his head, immediately correcting him. "You took her from me. Me beating you up, as much as I would like it, would solve nothing. You don't know how to fight, it wouldn't be fair."

At least he had some sort of consideration for his brother.

He could have fought him, and easily won. But a part of him knew that it was wrong. And he also knew that doing so wouldn't return Hak Soon to him.

-

another update for you all.

i really hope you like it. i am feeling so inspired and have so much more drama planned. so please stay tuned for that. for now is only heartbreak, so please bear with me.

i also might write for my handeok wic today. but im not sure. it depends on if i have time to do so.

question of the day: was jung right to not fight eun? he would have flattened him out like a pancake. what about soon deok? she still loves eun and it can open up a chance for them. like i said, idk what will happen yet. still planning future stuff. would you like it if soon deok left han and tried to enamor eun? she has liked him from the start. but han has loved her from the start as well. and eun loves minji now. but jung loves her too.

-clary