Yao

Chapter 5

Prince Yeon strikes his sword through the spy's heart.

"When will someone give me the damn answer?" A maid pours chrysanthemum wine into his glass.

"Your majesty," a soldier walks into Prince Yeon's palace, "The Concubine wants to see you."

"Mother?" The prince drinks from the glass. The maid pours again.

"Yes, your majesty."

"Right now?"

"Yes, your majesty."

***

"My dear son," the Concubine approaches her son as Prince Yeon enters the room.

"What is it that you want to talk to me about, Mother?"

"Can't I just see my son without a reason?" The Concubine takes him to the tea table and motions for him to sit down.

Before Prince Yeon sits down, a basket of arrows catches his eyes. Somehow he finds the arrows familiar.

"Mother, you always send someone to get me when you want to talk about the throne." Prince Yeon says with a look of helplessness.

"Ha ha ha. That is true, my son," the Concubine laughs, "You truly are my son."

"So?"

"Well, you know how the folk are saying Tan will be a tyrant when he becomes the Emperor, do you? Especially after that woman's death, he became more crazy at killing whoever he despised. Honestly I am not surprised that he would become this mad killer because he always has a temper."

"And?"

"And now that Prince Qin killed himself, it is easier for you to make your father crown you the next Emperor."

"Mother, we talked about this. I don't want to be Emperor. I mean, if I need to, then I'm fine with doing so. But Brother Tan is the oldest and most likely to be crowned the next Emperor since he has been preparing for it since he was a baby. I have no intention of fighting him."

"Yeon! Mother begs of you! Think for your future!" the Concubine cries. "Being born the second child already puts you at a disadvantage, not to mention your mother is only a Concubine."

"Mother, please."

"Now you have one less competitor, and your eldest brother is called a tyrant by the commonwealth. As long as you work a little harder, people will want you to become the next Emperor. When these voices reach the ears of your father and the ministers, you will have a good chance of being crowned!"

"I don't want the power, you do, Mother. Everything you ever done 'for me' is in fact for yourself! You want power, and I just want to live a happy life, playing with swords and drinking."

"Stop drinking, you alcoholic! You've been drinking more than you used to after Yao died! Don't you have any idea about the amount of time and effort I have put into planning everything to help you eliminate anyone who will be in your path of being Emperor!" The Concubine covers her mouth.

"Mother," Prince Yeon is stunned, thinking about the words and the reaction his mother just had. "What do you mean by 'eliminating anyone in my path'?" He suddenly turns to where the basket of arrows is in the room. He approaches the arrows and grabs one for a closer look – it's the arrows that went through the dancer's heart.

"Mother," Prince Yeon waves the arrow to the Concubine. "Did you kill the dancer?"

The Concubine doesn't answer.

"Are you the mastermind behind Yao's murder?" Prince Yeon stares at his mother. She remains silent.

"It's you! It is you!" Prince Yeon screams. "Why? Why would you do that!"

"Son," the Concubine finally speaks. "I did it all for you."

"All for me?" Prince Yeon scoffs. "How is it for me! Did I ask you to kill her? Why did you kill her!"

"Because she is the only child of your uncle! We all know that whoever marries her will be crowned the next Emperor! I even had to poison your uncle to prevent him from one day he might want to take over the throne!"

"Wha... You even killed her father! Are you out of your mind, Mother!"

The Concubine scoffs, "Does it even matter? She was still engaged to Tan, which gives you no chance of being crowned as the next Emperor. She is in love with Qin, which is another zero chance for you to be crowned as the next Emperor because if she actually gets to marry Qin, he might then be crowned as the next Emperor!"

"She was in love with Qin?"

"You didn't know?" The Concubine stands up, slowly approaching her son.

"No? No! No I don't!" Prince Yeon feels a little sick.

"Well, now you know."

"But I loved her, too. You know that, Mother. How could you murder the woman that I love?"

"My dear," the Concubine reaches out her hands and touches Prince Yeon's shoulders. "Once you are the Emperor, you can have as many ladies in your harem. Besides, you're too young, you don't know what love really is. Yao is just a sacrifice for your bright future."

"No! What on earth are you thinking!" Prince Yeon takes a step back to escape his mother's touch. "How could you be so pathological!"

"Son–"

"No! Get away from me!" Prince Yeon yells. "How could you do this to me! I never asked for the throne. Never thought about it either. The woman I love didn't love me back, and was murdered by my mother who says it's all for my best?"

Perhaps it was the wine that catalyzed his emotions, and he just learned that his mother had betrayed him. Prince Yeon starts to laugh in madness.

"This is so unfair." He keeps repeating this sentence. "This is so unfair."

Prince Yeon stares at the arrow in his hands, looks at the Concubine, and then stabs himself in his neck with the arrow.

"My son!" the Concubine cries, pulling the arrow out of the neck. "Get the imperial doctor! Now!"

Tears are running down the prince's cheeks, mixing with the blood on the floor.

"This is so unfair," the prince says weakly, his last words.