Take me home | Seongjoong

A Little Rebellion

Seonghwa stood in the grand throne room of the palace, his heart pounding in his chest as he faced the man he had feared for so long. The King—his father—sat on the ornate throne at the far end of the room, his presence commanding and cold. The hall, once a place Seonghwa had known as a boy, now felt foreign, suffocating with the weight of power and punishment.

The King's eyes bore into Seonghwa, full of disdain, as he slowly rose from his seat. "So," the King began, his voice low and dangerous, "the runaway prince returns. After humiliating this family. After disgracing this kingdom."

Seonghwa felt the old fear rising within him but pushed it down. He had made his choice when he fled the palace—he had found a new life, a new purpose beyond these walls. But standing before his father now, those old fears threatened to suffocate him.

"You've always been weak, Seonghwa," the King spat, stepping down from the throne, his heavy robes dragging across the floor. "Running away from your duties. From your responsibilities. From me." He stopped just a few feet from Seonghwa, his eyes narrowing. "Did you really think you could just escape your destiny? That you could abandon your family, your crown?"

Seonghwa's jaw tightened, his fists clenched at his sides. "I didn't ask for any of this."

The King sneered, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "You don't ask for the crown, boy. You're born to it. And you're here to obey." He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "You are nothing without me. Without this kingdom. And you will do exactly what I tell you to do. Do you understand?"

Seonghwa's pulse pounded in his ears, but he held his ground. The fear that had once ruled him was quickly being replaced by a fierce, burning anger. The King's words, his threats, only fueled Seonghwa's determination. He had spent his whole life bending to his father's will, living in fear of disappointing him, of being seen as weak.

But not anymore.

"I understand," Seonghwa said, his voice steady but defiant. "I understand that I don't belong here. And I will never be what you want me to be."

For a brief moment, the King's expression faltered, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. Then, without warning, he raised his hand and struck Seonghwa across the face, the force of the blow sending him stumbling back a step.

"You will obey me," the King snarled, his voice full of fury. "You will fall in line. You will act like a prince, or I will make sure that your pirate friends suffer for your rebellion."

Seonghwa's cheek throbbed where his father had struck him, but the pain only solidified his resolve. He would not be broken by the King's threats. He had already made his choice. He had already found his family—his true family—out on the sea.

The King turned away from him, waving his hand dismissively. "Take him away. He's not to leave the palace grounds until I say so."

Seonghwa was escorted back to his chambers by the guards, but the fire in his chest only grew stronger. The more his father tried to control him, the more determined Seonghwa became to resist. He wouldn't bend. He wouldn't break.

***

Days passed, and with every passing hour, Seonghwa's resolve hardened. He began to rebel in small, almost childish ways at first. Refusing to leave his room for family dinners became a routine act of defiance. One evening, after ignoring several summonses, two guards were sent to drag him out by force. He fought them the entire way, pulling against their grip, refusing to sit at the table with the royal family. His father, seated at the head, watched in silence, but the tension between them was palpable.

On another occasion, Seonghwa tore up the expensive clothes they had forced him into—ripping the silks and fine fabrics to shreds before throwing them on the floor. Imkwan had slapped him across the face for that, the sting of the blow echoing the King's previous punishment. Seonghwa hadn't cared. Each time they tried to force him to conform, he found new ways to defy them, no matter the consequences.