When Peony Blooms #AMBW

Chapter 6: "Whispers of Betrayal's Temptation"

The king was reading a letter of some sort, when Prime Minister Kim stepped into the King's chambers, bearing a tray with teacups. He carefully set down the tray on a nearby table and poured two cups of tea for the King and himself.

" Jeoha... The crown prince has still not yet met with the crown princess." Prime Minister Kim stated as he pours tea for the king. The King paused with his cup halfway to his lips, deep in thought. After a moment, he spoke. "Has it reached the Crown Princess's ears yet? About So-ra."

Minister Kim frowned, not understanding what he meant. "I don't think I understand," he said cautiously.

The King sighed heavily and explained, "The reason So-ra is one of my concubines is because she and my son were heavily in love." The king began... " I believe he might be doing this to spite me."

Minister Kim stood in shock, his face twisting with disbelief. "Jeoha...The Crown Princess must be feeling exhausted at this point; many events have led until now. Tomorrow they are to have a ceremony and it is essential for a proper heir that she feels at ease."

The king stayed quiet, lifting his arm for silence, motioning Minister Kim to leave. He uttered quietly, "We shall discuss this further later".

Once the Prime Minister had left, the King glanced back down at the letter as he reread its damning words: "I know Prime Minister Kim was having an affair with the Queen, and the crown prince is not your son". Regret pooled into the crevices of the King's dark eyes as he watched the once-trusted man slowly disappear from view. His heart and mind were heavy with doubt and trepidation.

Moments later, the refined Consort Ji-Yun gracefully stepped into the chamber. Her hanbok of imperial red rustled in a gentle wave as she walked towards the king and bowed deeply. She then rose to wrap her delicate arms around his shoulders, "What troubles you?" she asked, trying to peek at what he was reading, he was gazing with a look of concern that seemed to probe beyond what he was reading.

The King took the letter he had been studying and hastily tucked it away within the pages of a book that he placed on the shelf. "Nothing at all my love," he declared as he spun around, he turned his gaze upon the consort, pulling her closer, while he stripped off his hanbok and enveloped her in his arms, planting soft kisses on her cheeks, eliciting soft laughter from her though her eyes still lingered upon the shelf.

As they explored each other's bodies, the touch of the consort's soft skin against his own was too intoxicating, and he found himself losing control. For a moment, the King forgot about all of his worries and concerns, lost in the pleasure of the moment.

But they were interrupted by a sudden knock at the door. The king reluctantly let go of his consort and called out, "Enter."

It was one of his guards, who bowed deeply upon entering. "Jeoha, the Crown Prince requests an audience with you."

The King sighed and stepped away from the consort, gesturing to her with his eyes to leave. She scoffed in disbelief and walked out of the room, meeting the gaze of the crown prince as he stood outside watching her walk away in disgust.

The Crown Prince entered the room and bowed respectfully to his father before speaking in a low voice "One would think you are glad Eomamma died, father," the crown prince said coldly.

The King's palm smashed into the Crown Prince's face, sending a spray of blood across his cheek. Ignoring the trickle of blood at his lip, the young man looked his father in the eye and scoffed, wiping it with his thumb.

"I deserve your respect," The King spat, his voice shaking with rage. "You have spent your life cowering away from the duty that is yours to undertake yet you still dare to speak to me this way?"