MY CROWN PRINCE | JEON JUNGKOOK

Episode 13: The Queen's Dilemma

News of the royal marriage spread swiftly through the kingdom, filling the air with whispers and excitement, as both the palace and the people braced for what was to come. But beneath the veil of celebration, where silk gowns and bright smiles concealed the weight of expectation, a storm quietly brewed within the queen's chambers.Princess Sooyeon sat on the edge of her bed, her body trembling from the force of her sobs. Her face was swollen from hours of crying, bloodshot eyes staring unseeingly at the floor. Her once carefully arranged hair now hung in tangled strands, mirroring the turmoil churning in her heart. The room around her reflected the chaos within: dark, disheveled, heavy with grief.The door creaked open, and a figure entered—a presence that commanded the space, silencing the storm within Sooyeon. Queen Soojin, regal and sharp, stood at the threshold, her gaze unyielding, like the steel of a blade. Without a word, she dismissed the eunuchs standing nearby, and they obeyed her silent command, vanishing from the room without a sound."Sooyeon-ah," Queen Soojin's voice called out, a mixture of concern and authority threading through the syllables. "What is this? Why are you like this?"Sooyeon barely lifted her head, her face twisted in agony. In a fit of rage, she shoved her mother away, laughing bitterly as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Go away! Go away, you liar! You're not my mother!" Her voice cracked, trembled, and broke like a fragile thing.Queen Soojin's heart clenched at her daughter's words, but she didn't step back. She rushed forward instead, cupping Sooyeon's tear-streaked face, her own eyes wide with panic. "Mianhe, Sooyeon-ah," she whispered, her voice soft but laced with guilt. "It was your father's decision. Please understand."But Sooyeon, consumed by the depth of her grief, shoved her mother's hands away and collapsed into a heap of sobs. "Eomma, you promised me!" she cried, her voice raw with desperation. "You promised you would make him mine. Kim Taehyung! But now he's going to marry someone else, and I'm being forced to marry that old king of Goguryeo! I can't do it, Eomma! I'll die... I'll destroy everything! I can't live without him! I can't marry him!" Her words were a shattered cry, each syllable a knife in her chest.Queen Soojin stood frozen, her heart breaking at the sight of her daughter's pain. She longed to make it right, but she knew, with a sinking heaviness, that the situation was already beyond her control. Without a word, she turned and left the room, the weight of the storm inside her pressing down on her shoulders.---Later, in the dimly lit silence of her private chambers, Queen Soojin sat with her face hard, set in grim determination. Her brother, a trusted advisor to King Kyung Si, stood beside her, his brow furrowed in concern as he watched her carefully."Soojin-ah," he began, his voice gentle but laced with warning. "I can't watch her suffer like this."Queen Soojin's gaze remained distant, her mind already working through the possibilities. "She's in so much pain," she replied softly, the words tasting bitter on her tongue.Her brother, concern etched deeply into his face, shook his head. "Soojin-ah, you can't go against the king's orders. You cannot arrange a marriage between your daughter and the son of Jin Hyuk. Taehyung is already promised to another, and the King of Goguryeo will not take kindly to such defiance."A sly smirk tugged at the corners of Queen Soojin's lips, sharp as a dagger. "Do you not know me, Oraboni?" she said, her voice thick with a quiet edge of threat. "I can do whatever I want. This time, my daughter is in trouble, and I will not let her suffer."Her brother's worry deepened. "And what exactly do you plan to do?"Queen Soojin didn't answer right away. Her thoughts swirled with silent calculations, the air in the room growing colder as she considered her next move. The quiet hum of the palace was the only sound, as if even the walls held their breath in anticipation of what would come next.---Elsewhere in the palace, Kim Taehyung stood before his father, Jin Hyuk. The elder man sat behind his desk, his expression grave, as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. His brow furrowed, lips pressed tightly together, revealing the silent conflict that he, too, bore."Aboji," Taehyung greeted with a respectful bow, his voice soft yet firm.Jin Hyuk let out a heavy sigh, weary eyes locking with his son's. "Taehyung, I have something to tell you. Queen Soojin called me today and insisted that I arrange your marriage with Princess Sooyeon. She said if I refuse, there will be consequences."Taehyung's expression hardened, and his hands clenched at his sides, the raw fury in his gaze betraying the calm exterior he tried to maintain. "I won't do it, Aboji," he said, his voice cutting through the heavy silence like a blade. "I don't love Princess Sooyeon. I love Mina. I want to marry her. Please, tell Queen Soojin I will not marry her daughter. I don't care about the consequences."Jin Hyuk nodded, his face a mixture of pride and sorrow. "I understand, son. I will speak to the king about this matter."The silence that followed was thick, heavy, laden with the weight of the decision that had been made. After a long pause, Jin Hyuk gave his son a final, serious glance. "You may go now."Taehyung bowed deeply once more, his heart heavy, before he turned and left the room, his mind racing with the knowledge that this decision would lead to a future he wasn't prepared for.---As Taehyung wandered the palace halls, his mind still reeling from his conversation with his father, a soft voice broke through his thoughts. "Taehyung, are you alright?"Mina's eyes were filled with concern as she stepped forward, her gentle presence a contrast to the storm inside him. Taehyung smiled, though the unease in his eyes betrayed his calm exterior. "Ne, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."But Mina, ever perceptive, saw the cracks in his facade. She said nothing, instead choosing to remain silent, trusting that when Taehyung was ready, he would confide in her. She could wait—she always had.---In the royal court, the tension was thick as King Kyung Si's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. "Eunuch Joon! I want Queen Soojin here now!"The eunuch bowed hastily, his footsteps echoing through the empty halls as he hurried to fulfill the king's command.Moments later, Queen Soojin entered the royal chamber, her eyes downcast in respectful submission. She bowed deeply before the king, the weight of her actions pressing on her shoulders like a heavy stone.King Kyung Si's gaze was cold as ice, his expression unreadable. The room held its breath as the queen stood there, awaiting his verdict, her heart pounding with the knowledge that this moment would define the path ahead. The silence stretched on, thick with unspoken words and the inevitable clash of wills.---**End of Episode 13.**