Azalea [KookV]

17. Kyo, Raiko, Kija

 Park Seojoon, the oldest prince of the nine-tailed fox clan suddenly stood up. "I didn't steal it, I found it. And all this time I kept the book."

All princes were shocked to hear Seojoon's words, especially his younger siblings. They were in disbelief that all this time Tsutsuji book was in the hands of their brother.

Seojoon smirked. "Your Majesty, I've read the entire book. Isn't there something you have to say? You said that the way to become king is to get Azalea. You're right about that. But why did you lie by saying that the only way to getting Azalea is by marrying her or him? You even lied saying that we would die if we forced a marriage with Azalea? Why didn't you say the truth?"

*****

"Guards, take Prince Seojoon to the dungeon. As your punishment, I will hold you there for a month." the king ordered.

"Your Majesty, the King. You can't punish me, I didn't steal the book. And it isn't a crime to read Tsutsuji book. It's you who is guilty of hiding the truth from us." Seojoon resisted from the Royal Guards' grip.

"Your mistake wasn't returning Tsutsuji book to me. And read it without the King's permission is also a crime. If it wasn't for me having this emergency meeting, you might still not admit it. Luckily I only imprisoned you for a month."

"Guards, make sure he is treated like other prisoners. Don't give him special treatment." added the king. Prince Seojoon shouted hysterically as the guards dragged him to the dungeon. "Jung Hoseok, help me." He shouted.

Hoseok, as one who served the prince of the nine-tailed fox clan, automatically moved closer to saving his master. But Park Hyungsik held him back. "Don't help him, it's an order."

Hoseok hesitated, his two Princes gave different orders. According to the rules, he will obey whoever gave the order first, so he ignored Hyungsik's commands and approached Seojoon who was still struggling.

"Jung Hoseok, stay away." this time Jimin roared.

Suddenly Bogum standing in front of him. "Seojoon Hyung did give orders first, but three other princes gave the same orders. He is guilty and deserves punishment. Stay away."

Finally, Hoseok could only look at his oldest prince who was dragged farther by the guards.

"What exactly are you hiding from us, Grandfather?" Yoongi didn't expect that his grandfather had been hiding something. It's okay for him to hide that from other clans' prince. But he is his grandson, his flesh and blood, the prince of his clan. How can the King hide something from him? Especially something that so important.

"Tsutsuji book is a book that is thousands of years old. It's a book containing the writings of the previous kings, from the first king to the last king before me, about how they got Azalea. It also has all the information about Azaleas and the history about us. The book disappeared three months after I became King. Because of my carelessness, the book was lost. Up till now, I was still searching where Tsutsuji book was, never imagined that the book is in the hands of the nine-tailed fox clan's oldest prince. About what Prince Seojoon said, is not wrong, but also not entirely true."

"We sincerely hope that Your Majesty deigns to convey the truth to us," said Bogum. The prince who is considered by the King has the best personality and manners among the other princes, even his grandson.

"In the past, when I was a prince, what I know is the same as what you now know. That to be a King, the only way is that the prince must marry Azalea. And if the prince forces the Azalea to marry him, then he will die. That was what His Majesty, King Park Tae Joon - the king before me, had said. And I believed those words, so I married the Azalea. I continued to believe those words, until the day I succeeded to become a king. I received the Tsutsuji book which is an ancestral legacy that will be given to the new King. From that book, I know that what I have believed so far isn't one hundred per cent truth. At that time I felt deceived, but after I read the book again, I can understand why King Park Tae Joon did that. After considering everything, I decided to do the same with what he did before."