Gwi Owns the Night, Part I

23

HR enters throne room. Gwi is sitting on his throne.

HYE-RYUNG
You called for me Your Highness?

GWI
You may sit on the side as you did before. You are here to observe another meeting with my ministers. This time your father will be here but he will not risk provoking you. Be silent and listen.

HYE-RYUNG
Yes sire.

HR goes to sit down and waits patiently. Four men are announced and enter – PM, the inspector and secretary from before and another new man, standing behind again, who seems to be an assistant to the group. The men notice HR but only address Gwi.

GWI
Let's please keep this short and to the point gentlemen. I'm sure we all have more pleasant things we'd rather be attending to.

Gwi grins and looks at HR who lowers her head. She's more embarrassed/angry that Gwi's remark has made her father smirk at her.

GWI (CONT'D)
Chief Inspector first please, as I assume you have little to update.

CHIEF INSPECTOR
Yes, Your Highness. Since having your servants to help us in nightly patrols, we continue to have no difficulty with roaming corpses. Your men are skilled, quick, and discreet. They are currently training some of our members who we are taking more closely under our wing and will be returned to you within the deadline, as expected.

GWI
Good. Prime Minister? Chief Royal Secretary? Anything from your end?

PRIME MINISTER
There have been some rumours regarding a planned uprising from the Soron faction. The details vary, but ultimately it seems they hope to assassinate the top leaders, namely the three of us and our closest allies. We have increased our personal protection and are lying low as much as possible as well as providing more security at any group meetings or discussions.

GWI
If you have names of the assassins and can give me location details, we can easily make them disappear, as normal.

PRIME MINISTER
Yes, sire. We hope to have more specifics soon. I'm afraid one of our moles was discovered and killed recently so there is a slight lag in our intelligence. We have recently had someone new placed within his same team and are working to rectify the situation.

CHIEF INSPECTOR
We have also increased our nightly patrols in the relevant neighbourhoods and have posted men on surveillance.

GWI
In the meantime, do all stay safe.
(grins)
I'd hate to have to find someone new to fill your positions. Anything more that needs attention?

PRIME MINISTER
No sire. Thank you.

GWI
Good day gentlemen.

All men bow and exit.

GWI
(looks to HR)
You can come out now. Rather tiresome, isn't it? I feel bored on your behalf.

HYE-RYUNG
May I sit Your Highness?

Gwi gestures his assent in front of him. HR sits on the top stair and takes a breath to start but cuts herself off. After a pause, Gwi guesses the issue.

GWI
It seems the prime minister would quite like it if I were taking more advantage of you than I am, which feels like a rather new low.

HYE-RYUNG
(eyes glittering with anger)
Yes, he probably thinks he should get some extra perks.
(puts her head down)

GWI
That would be like him. Fortunately though, the only one getting any perks out of that arrangement would be me. His abandoning you was fully paid for a decade ago.

HYE-RYUNG
(picks her head back up to change subject)
Your Majesty, I don't understand where the extra men come from to provide additional security for this group privately. Didn't the chief inspector say he had fewer men earlier this year? Who will be doing the extra patrolling and the surveillance? And what of the areas where they normally patrol?

GWI
(chuckles)
Yes, this is one of the curious things about how money and resources work with powerful people. It can at times be difficult to find what you need for the people when looking to solve problems, and yet somehow, for officials like the prime minister there is always more than enough within the budget when a need crops up.

HYE-RYUNG
The more I see them the less I like them. Maybe if they went against my father, I would like them more. Is that ungenerous of me?

GWI
I think most people would call that sensible. But, of course, I am the one who has put and is keeping them in their places. So really, I would think you should hate me firstly.

HYE-RYUNG
You're not on their side though. And you don't like them. Do you?

GWI
Like them? My dear, I don't like anyone. People are a rotten bunch.

HYE-RYUNG
(puts her head down, saddened)
Yes, sire. May I go now?

GWI
Yes, of course.

HYE-RYUNG
Thank you for inviting me to observe.

GWI
(watches her leave, rubs a hand over his face, to himself)
Not anyone Hye-ryung-a.