Two Kingdoms | Park Sunghoon

37

Screech.

The blood curdling scream echoed through the castle, the sound waves rippling in all the way from outside the kingdom.

The hysterically fear-stricken Queen's knees shook intensely, her face pale and lifeless resembling a corpse.

She  slapped herself into reality, re-gaining her sense of responsibility, Aeri got to her feet once more clenching tightly onto her sword hanging to her right hip and clenching her teeth. With her little to none willpower, she pushed through and looked out the window.

Gripping onto the wall for support, her tears fell once more despite thinking she had cried all of them out already. Saebom's army. Heading in from the fountain, the exact place the secret passage was located. That's when she knew for certain she was betrayed by her lover: the man she was to marry one day, the man she  unwrapped her deepest wounds for. Her body stung, her sword calling her begging to be unsheathed and quenched with the blood of those who wronged her.

If that wasn't enough to harm her delicate soul, the sight of Sunghoon's army charging alongside Saebom obliterated the broken pieces of her heart. The gut wrenching pain in her chest only worsening, she recalled her dear fiancé's words,

"Of course my army will assist you, is that even a question?"

She looked back at his genuine smile. The way he held her tight, comforting her every time she needed someone. Every time she needed him. It was like he grew up knowing her, knowing her every need and term of affection. The way he never asked what was wrong or asked if she was okay, he knew when something was wrong immediately and engulfed her into his embrace, knowing that was all she needed until she could muster the courage to open up.

"Your Grace! What now?" Daeho's panicked voice came from behind causing her to jump slightly.

"Keep doing what you're doing with the army. Protect the Kingdom. At all costs even if the cost is your life or the entire army," she instructed, tremors evident in her voice. "Let me prepare myself. Do not look for me, I will be with you in a moment." She breathed, rushing towards her bed chamber.

Spiralling down the corridor, her headache worsened. The feeling of spears poking at her brain troubled her greatly, affecting her every nerve. As she turned the corner to her bedroom, servants stampeded her way, paying no heed to who was in front of them. Until the Queen noticed her aide, Sang-ah.

"Your Majesty! Stay away! They have infiltrated your room! Please, stay away and protect yourself." Sang-ah collapsed to the ground, holding onto Aeri's legs sobbing uncontrollably. That was when the fazed woman noticed the wound on her arm, blood gushing out dripping onto the ground.

"Sang-ah... your arm-" Aeri was cut off by the servants once more rubbing out, including Sang-ah.

Coming to her senses, Aeri could hear the cries of Saebom's soldiers not far from her current position. She immediately turned around, quickening her pace and headed to the tallest minaret of the kingdom.

Looking down once again, she felt that little willpower slip out of her custody like water pouring from a pitcher. In that short time span, the kingdom's grounds and buildings painted with blood and decapitated heads. The screeches and pleas of mercy rung loud and clear through the air, every individual voice being heard; even more so the desperation to live.

Although, Aeri was unknowingly disappointed by not having spotted Sunghoon. The woman attempted to gaslight herself into believing he cowardly sat this fight out and is out drinking in celebration with his asshole of a father. Yet the love she still magically had for him thought he was out there with death on his doorstep protecting her castle.

Homes crushed and children crying for their innocent parents. Saebom truly spared no mercy, killing anyone in sight whether adult or child. Innocent or armed. Inside or Outside. They were ending the entirety of life inside the walls of Silla, clean sweep.

Then arose a feeling she had never felt before. Not revenge, nor rage, nor betrayal. It made her experience all three of these emotions, twice as strong as before. However they did not make her feel powerful, rather she felt weak and insecure. For what she was feeling was none other than defeat.

"Curse you Park Sunghoon." She clenched her teeth, punching the wall as she slammed her head alongside her fist, tears streaming down like a faucet.