Why flowers wither {Completed}

My queen or my lady?

The King's POV.

"Your Majesty, Ahn Ji ae's father has been blatantly kneeling and pleading in front of this court to have mercy on his daughter's life, what should we do?" the head Eunuch reported.

"Let him be"

"Your Majesty, shouldn't he receive a few strokes to remind him of the mercy your Majesty has already bestowed on him?"
"How can he.."

"Escort him home"

"We will do so" he complied.

"Her Majesty is entering"
'It will only be natural that my lady doesn't have the patience to ask me later about what happened or what is happening'

Flash back.

I made entry to the dim room Ji ae was staying.

"You have made your choice it is time i made mine don't you think?"
I began.

"I will accept any punishment"

"The punishment i have for you is living the rest of your life like you longer exist"
"I forbid you from getting married again, i forbid you from having a life and i also forbid you from making entrance to the capital, reflect away and quietly"

"Your Majesty"
'Seeing her will only remind me of him, i hope we never cross paths again'
She began to cry, kneeling to the ground.
"No, your Majesty"
"Your Majesty should just execute me to appease your Majesty's anger"
"And if your Majesty is doing this to have mercy on me...for me mercy is putting me to death, because..because i can't bear to live away from your Majesty"
"But if your Majesty really means to punish me in this way then i will..will accept it"
'She doesn't think of how executing her will be for me'
Without much thought i went down to squat beside her.

"If you can't bear to live away from me then why did you do it?"
"Why did you have to do that to a baby who knows nothing of this world and hurt the people around you? Because Yeon woo..no one knows when she will be fine again.."
"Since you lost children of your own you ought to know how it feels"

"I lost my mind, i really lost my mind"

"My lady that i know has so much innocence, you are a lot of the time quiet silly and you are soft too, i would have never expected this of you"

"Your Majesty should never forgive me"

"The child...even not for you he can still pass away from another reason, it was his fate, even though this doesn't change you were wrong i hope you don't suffer too much from it"
"You are right, i mean to put you in anguish.. but not too much anguish"
'Punishing her doesn't mean she has to suffer from a heart disease or something incurable for as long as she lives'

"If you say things like this, how i am going leave.. how..how?"
Her eyes were a light shade of red, she squeezed them shut letting the tears fall.
'I should go before....'
I raised myself up to exit.

"Your Majesty"
"Your Majesty wait"
"May i pay my last respects to your Majesty?"
Kneeling, she crossed her hands and placed her forehead to the ground in front of me, she stood up and went down again sniffling sobs in between.
When she went down for the third time i realised she intended to keep kowtowing for as long as i am here.

"I will leave my lady"
I took the first two steps to the door when i heard her rush to hold my arm.

"Your Majesty I..."
"I..."
Her eyes carried so many emotions, she held my gaze which was something she rarely does and scanned my face slowly.
"Goodbye...Your Majesty"

End of flash back.

"You are here my Queen"
She walked calmly to sit on the throne sit beside me.
'Seeing that she is composed, does she already know?'

"Your Majesty"
I turned a smile to her, the folds of her hair look usually fine and smooth but her ear was a light shade of red.
'She shouldn't have stood out in the cold for a long time'

"Yes, your Majesty"

"What is going on?"

"All of you should step outside" i said to the attendants present.

"Are the old men carrying Ji ae's body the Commander and In ho?"

"You saw them?"

"Yes"

"I faked her execution, i am sorry i couldn't tell you, i wanted everyone to act accordingly"

"Still, your Majesty should have told me, you gave me a fright"

"Why?"

"We have been peaceful advisers to each other for the past few years, i wouldn't like to see her die in front of me"
"I wonder why your Majesty is even asking?"

"You have never said much about her, i was curious"

"Is your Majesty okay?"
She said her voice full of concern.

"I should be the one asking, is my lady okay?"
"You should stay indoors more often"

"It is still early..but i will do as your Majesty suggests"
"And i think your Majesty just called me..Puyi (my wife or my lady)"

"Because it was a question meant for my lady not Wang hu(my Queen)"

"I see"
She smiled lightly.