the chocolate box | bts oneshots

03 ; plum blossoms pt. 2

It was a day unlike any other for her.

After three days of kneeling before the royal court as a form of protest, Consort Han's health was quickly dwindling down. Besides, winter had just passed and the snow had only just melted away. The air was still freezing cold.

"Your Majesty! Seohwa will not leave until justice is served!" Her determined voice could be heard through the thin wooden doors of the court.

Regardless, the King did not care. Or rather he could not care.

He turns to look at the Queen who's kneeling down before his throne. His expectant eyes lay on her pitiful figure, waiting for any sort of explanation from her.

"Your Majesty, you must believe me! As the Queen and mother of this nation, I have no reason to commit such an evil deed! Doing something like this would be a disservice to you and to the nation, I know better than that. Coming here personally to explain to you today shows my sincerity and innocence. Your Majesty, please be wise!" Once she finishes, she immediately crumples down into a kowtow.

The King understood every hidden agenda in the Queen's words in that instance. 

People always think the King is unaware of what goes on in the inner palace, and they couldn't be more wrong. He is the King, he is the son of the heavens, the dragon from the sky. He has eyes everywhere. He must know everything in order to survive. Hence, he isn't unaware. Instead, he chooses to turn a blind eye. 

The King knows the Queen is aware of what she has done, and she also knows that the King has no choice but to look past her act.

As he gazes to his left, he sees the Queen's father looking at him silently. He gazes to his right and Consort Han's grandfather is looking at him too. However, there is a stark difference in the two. Although Consort Han's grandfather can be considered high up in the ranks, his position is still lower than the Queen's father.

The way the latter is looking at him is almost as if he's reminding him about the power of their Sunheung Ahn clan, and the King knows he cannot afford to offend them.

Consort Han will have to be wronged this time.

"I understand. You can leave now." The King sighs deeply as he dismisses the Queen with a flick of his hand. Then with a loud voice, he commands, "Let Consort Han in."

The Queen slowly lifts herself from the position before gracefully stepping through the royal court's entrance. Just a few meters away, Consort Han just received news of the King's command. For the first time in three days, she felt even the slightest twinge of hope blooming in her heart. 

Consort Han looks towards the opened doors of the royal court and the well-dressed lady exiting from it. She bites down on her chapped lips as she tries her best to stand up. However, her body is too frail to support itself and she falls hard onto the ground with a muffled thud. Just then, the Queen, who finally walked far enough to get a good look at Consort Han, smirks mockingly at the woman laying weakly on the ground.

She stops beside the consort. Her eyes peer down on the pale woman who looks like all hints of life has been drained from her. Consort Han's deathly complexion only added on to the Queen's joy. With a condescending sneer, she turns away from the consort victoriously. Judging from her haughty behaviour, Consort Han knew that the King would not be able to help her this time. Yet again is he yielding another step to the Sunheung Ahn clan.

Regardless, Consort Han wanted to believe in the King for once. 

As such, she allowed for her servant to help her up before she entered the royal court. All eyes are on her as she carefully limps nearer to the King. Days of kneeling has bruised her knees and left her legs numb, but that will not stop her.