Major spoilers for Hotel Del Luna. (Spoiler warning 2/2; final warning for spoilers for the ending)
The woman was escorted into the throne hall in the night, where she was faced with the king, the queen, several palace officials, and... him. With two royal guards close behind, she made her way to the centre of the lavishly decorated hall and kneeled on the red carpet which led up to the throne.
"Speak, joculator," boomed one palace official, who stood to the king's right.
"Your Majesty, I didn't do anything. I swear." She bowed over her knees until her face was mere inches from the carpet.
"You wench!" the official yelled. "You dare deny accusations against you by a trusted palace official? Have you no shame?"
"I'm innocent," the woman said before moving up. "Lord Choe personally offered me this job after he saw me perform in the village. After my performances in the palace, he would make advances and I would reject these advances. I had no part in this, Your Majesty."
"The insolence!" Lord Choe, who was among the palace officials present in the hall, bellowed. "Your Majesty, this concubine, this traitor, nay, this scum!" The King turned to look at the Lord, disdain in his eyes. "Not only should she be thrown into the dungeon for unlawful seduction, she should have her lips sewn so as to stop her insubordinate fibs, her-"
"That is quite enough," King Yangsuk stopped the Lord's rant, lifting a palm which silenced him in an instant. His tone was as cold and steely as his red eyes, as they regarded the woman bowed before him. "What is your name, joculator?"
"Park Chaeyoung, Your Majesty."
The hall fell into a contemplative silence for what were gruelling hours to Chaeyoung. However, she found herself preferring the silence once the king spoke up.
"Have her executed at sundown."
Chaeyoung's heart sank into her stomach. She looked up at the king, eyes widened. "But Your Majesty-"
"Any more from your filthy mouth and I will have your entire family slaughtered like pigs."
"I don't have any fami-"
"Throw her in the dungeon and have her ready," the king ordered the guards, her pleas falling on deaf ears.
~
"Mother!" Jennie yelled, tears streaming down her face. Her words, however, did not even carry in the stale air of the dungeon cell.
The palace guard responsible for her mother's torment lifted the whip in the air once more. Jennie's stomach twisted into knots as the sickening crack reached her ears. Her mother lay with her face pressing into the cold stone floor, hands tied in front of her chest, exposing her back. Her back that was gashed and bloodied from the actions of the guard.
"Why?" her mother managed weakly before coughing out blood. "Why must you do this?"
"It is His Majesty's order." Emotionless, the guard brought the whip down once more. "If only your daughter hadn't been such a filthy concubine."
"I did nothing!" Jennie yelled, though once more her words were inaudible to either of them.
"My daughter," her mother coughed out, "would never-"
"Silence, peasant! How dare you question the rule of King Yangsuk?"
Teeth stained with blood, her mother managed a laugh, which elicited an enraged glare from the guard. "Oh, but that's far from what I heard while you sheep were dragging me down here."
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The Next Life (다음 생에 만날래)
Fanfiction"You found me once, you can find me again." - Jisoo x Male Reader - Jang Y/N never had much to call his own in life, but two things: his best friend Wendy, and his ability to see ghosts. When both of those things combine, and he ends up tagging alon...
