Night Prince

Royal Confrontation

In the early morning, the servants and maidens were going about their usual duties when a loud slam interrupted the peacefulness of the day. Those who happened to be in the corridors where Prince Ri was currently storming down, jumped out of the way for the raging prince.

Did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Why was his royal highness this mad?

Little did they know, a royal confrontation was waiting to happen. One that would change the course of the future once again for their country.

The king and queen were chatting amiably about the morning in the throne room when the door slammed open with a loud bang. Queen Yoon Hee was so startled that her hand flew to her chest. 

Blood pressure spiked up, the queen was suddenly feeling faint by the rude interruption to their morning. That was until she saw her son walking up to them, pure fury evident on his face.

On the other hand, King Choong Ryeol stood up angrily, enraged by his son's lack of manners. Surely they taught him better than that. "What do you think you're doing?!"

What they did not expect was for the prince to slam a book onto the table, one that was too familiar to the king. Fixing his father with a steely gaze, it was clear that the prince was too lost in his rage to listen to any voice of reason.

"Adeul, what's this?" The queen finally recovered from her shock.

Gently, soft frail hands reached out to touch Jeong's Hyeok's arm as a mother attempted to calm her child. She knew deep down, her Jeong Hyeok was still in there. He was always the sweet child. One who was born with a gentle spirit.

But of course, the death of their loved ones did quite a number on the royal family and Ri Jeong Hyeok became a shell of a man he used to be. Sadly, he became angrier and less forgiving towards himself than he was before.

"Why don't we ask his royal majesty." Prince Ri spat out, his eyes never leaving that of his father's in their mini stare-off.

"Yeobo-"

"It's the royal book." The king crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"You recognise it." Ri Jeong Hyeok stated evenly.

"Of course I do! It's the king's duty to write it." The king responded indignantly.

"Then explain this, your royal majesty. Did you mean to write that the princess is only missing?" Ri Jeong Hyeok pointed at the one section in the book that has been haunting him the whole night.

Ever since Seri showed him the book, he has been mulling over its implications. Cho Hee could potentially be alive and his father, the king, the author of this very book knew about it. 

Why did he lie?

It was why he was enraged.

Why would his father hide this from them? Why were they bowing down to their graves every single year if he wasn't even sure if she was really dead?

A sharp gasp escaped the queen's lips, breaking the silence that fell between them at the bomb Ri Jeong Hyeok dropped on them. Widened eyes met his, and for the first time in Ri Jeong Hyeok's life, he watched as his father stumbled over his words.

"What-I...Why were you even reading this?" The king spluttered out.

"Does that really matter? You're the one who left the book in the royal library. Anyone would have found out if they wished to." Prince Ri continued glaring at his father, waiting for his explanation.

"Yeobo, Cho Hee is alive?" The queen asked shakily, her eyes already brimming with tears from the revelation.

All this time, they have been hiding away in the castle when their daughter was out there? Why did her husband lie about her death?