In a kingdom torn by power struggles and political intrigue, Jieun, the rightful heir to the throne of the East, finds herself sidelined as her brother, Jungwon, takes control. Determined to reclaim her birthright, Jieun seeks alliances and forms a...
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AND NOT HALF A YEAR AFTER THEIR MOTHER DIED, JIHO FELT AS IF HE WAS GOING TO FOLLOW SHORTLY. He was dying. There was no doubting it. The last few months had taken a great toll on his physical body, and it was as though the grief that he was keeping inside was starting to tear away at his very flesh, at his bones. That it was so soon after his mother's death was all too cruel a joke, and yet there was no one to be mad at - he was dying, and his mother was dead.
The gods had played him a cruel one, and he didn't dare question their divine motives.
Jiho knew he did not have much time left ━ he could feel his life slowly leaving him ━ and he wanted to spend that last bit with his family. Especially with his sister, who he knew would also be devastated at the news, but who he wanted to make sure knew that she would be okay.
Sitting on the bed inside his own quarters, dying, watching his life slowly slip away from him was beyond infuriating. It was not fair, he decided. Just how much did his family have to lose in the span of one year? He should have been leading this nation - not dying in his own bed, without a mother.
He sighed heavily, his eyes searching the room for any kind of distraction.
'Little dove? You will be okay after I'm gone, won't you?' he asked, hoping for reassurance from his only sister.
She shook her head. In the beginning, Jieun could not stop crying at the sight of him, but now, she had slowly grown to accept his fate. Instead of praying for his survival, she prayed for him to have an easy departure.
Jiho was silent as his sister shook her head, her eyes wet with tears. He fought the urge to cry himself, knowing that to do so would only leave the whole situation worse than it had already been made. He needed to be strong, to be a comfort to his family in his last days.
'Oh, sister,' he whispered, reaching out and taking her hand. He squeezed it gently, hoping that she would not let herself be too overwhelmed by the grief that he knew was about to overwhelm them all. Not that his father or younger brother had been particularly close as of late.
King Jaeho had drowned himself in work to distract himself from the grief of his wife, and possible death of his own son. Council meetings became regular for the realm would need a new heir if Jiho was to die. Jungwon, having always admired their father and been closer to him than the rest of his siblings, followed his lead.
