The Royal Debt

~ 11 ~ His Repentance

Empire of Hanyang, the tenth year of Emperor Jeon's reign.

In the dimly lit prison deep in the palace, a tall man in a bloody night robe lay on his side in a pool of blood.

Blood slowly dripped off the stab wound on his side to the ground in tiny little drops. That was strangely audible to him.

The dark red blood followed the patterns of the stone floor as they left through his stab wound.

The sword with a golden handle, a dragon with ruby eyes embedded in it, is piercing his side peaked out, the ruby eyes of the dragon sparkled when a sliver of light reflected on it.

The sword was the only thing keeping him from completely bleeding out and dying. No matter the pain he felt, Jeon Jeongguk tried to breathe as slowly as possible to regulate the loss of Blood and the throbbing pain at his side.

Tears ran down from his eyes; he could barely see through the right eye now. He shivered as the cold winter breeze blew through the room. The ground under him was nearly ice cold not that his captors cared.

The makeshift fireplace opposite his cell was made from a cast iron pot that the guards had set up and was the only thing keeping the chill away. The two soldiers guarding his cell stood hands stretched close to the fire.

The prison was always cold no matter the weather because of its strategic location. The entire room would be as cold as a cold room if not for the makeshift fireplace.

The fireplace would never have been set if he was the only one in the room. Since his captors had no intention of keeping him alive.

He coiled his body, careful not to put pressure on his injuries, which was impossible.

That slight movement put pressure on his smaller injuries, he hissed and gnashed his teeth at the sharp pain he felt.

Two chatty guards stood outside his prison cell, both wishing to be anywhere else but in here. the older guard, a bulky average-height man with a receding hairline slapped his partner's shoulder as a low-ranking eunuch walked in with their lunch.

"Buddy, our lunch is here", the older guard said to his partner moving to the small table by the wall opposite the prison cell.

The eunuch placed the old food box on the table and glanced over his shoulder at Jeon Jeongguk.

"Tsk tsk, who knew that a once powerful Emperor like him would one day become like this".

The older guard glanced at Jeon Jeongguk and chuckled, "Don't feel sorry for him buddy, he brought it on himself." He picked up a piece of meat and took a big bite, chewing loudly.

The younger guard who was munching on a meat bun just looked at the dying man in the prison cell and sighed.

"We are so unlucky, why do we have to be the guards left here to watch him? I don't know why they kept him here, why not get rid of him? Why keep him here only to torture him to the brink of death and then leave him? Her majesty is a ruthless woman".

"Does she even qualify to be called human", the eunuch replied.

The younger guard turned to Jeon Jeongguk and sighed, "This poor man, he was so enamored with her. He does not deserve to be betrayed, honestly compared to General Hong. He is more deserving of the throne".

"Hush now", The older guard and eunuch both said in unison.

They glanced at the entrance at the door in fear, "someone might hear you!" the eunuch whispered holding his index finger to his lips.