One Year

The Fall Of The House Of Wang (2)

The guards leads Chunhua to her father and makes her kneel down next to him. She struggles within the confines of the rope, but when she figures she can't escape, she begins to cry and plead.

"Please, Brother Ryu." Chunhua says as she cries harder. "There must be an misunderstanding. Chunhua has not done anything wrong."

"Chunhua." Minister Roland warned.

"But Chunhua really didn't!" She said. Her beautiful crying face looked perfect, even when she cried. She had a face that could cause men to give in to her demands. A face that could cause a city to fall. "Chunhua is innocent. Brother Ryu, you must find the real culprit you must find justice for Chunhua."

"Chunhua!" Minister Roland shouted. "We've had this conversation already! You must address the King as King Ryu."

"Father! Brother Ryu will always be Brother Ryu to Chunhua. No matter what position he has, Brother Ryu will always be Brother Ryu to Chunhua." She cried out pitifully over and over.

"Silence." Ryu shouted. His eyes narrowed down at them as anger raged through him. "Still not admitting your crime?"

"Chunhua is innocent. Father is innocent." Chunhua cried softly as she bent forward bowing to him.

"Bring them in." Ryu ordered.

From the side door two women are being led inside the room. Both of them had black bags over their heads so no one knew who they were. One woman was badly beaten and tortured, she had to have the guards help her walk, while the other woman looked to be a favored maid. Her clothes were of better quality than a standard maid and she too seemed like she was beaten up.

"Let them see." Ryu orders his men as they quickly took off the black bag over their face.

It was then that Roland's face became frozen. He recognizes the two girls. The first, is his daughter's favorite maid, Lorena. The second, is his daughter's best friend and disciple sister, Ning. Ning has visited his home on several occasions and she had dinner with his family. His door was always open to hosting Master Teacher Tsuyoi's disciples.

"We know everything." Ryu told everyone there. "The two of them confessed to their crimes and all the evidence we need to punish you and your family for your crimes against this crown. Lorena and Lady Ning will die quickly with little to no pain. But you, Chunhua, you will die after you apologize to Lady Mia's parents for causing Lady Mia's death. Then you will beg Lady Mia for forgiveness, before you die a slow death in front of her. Your blood will wash away her sorrow. Your blood will be the justice this King seeks for Lady Mia, Concubine of the First Rank."

Chunhua's head snaps up hearing the announcement. She had not heard of King Ryu's decree to make Mia his concubine.  She was too busy celebrating early of Siri's death.

"You made that mousey bitch your Concubine! A First Rank Concubine? How could you? How could you consider her a First Rank Concubine? What qualifications does she have to become your First Rank Concubine? What about Chunhua?" Chunhua cried out as she begins to go into a downward spiral. "Chunhua has loved Brother Ryu since Chunhua was five years old. Chunhua has waited for Brother Ryu to make Chunhua his wife for so long. Why hasn't Brother Ryu asked for Chunhua's hand in marriage? Why is Chunhua not favored by Brother Ryu when Chunhua has done everything for Brother Ryu."

"What did you do for this King?" Ryu asked with an indifferent mask on his face.

"Brother Ryu was forced into marriage with that whore by King Cai. Brother Ryu didn't want to get married. Brother Ryu was forced into it. Brother Ryu couldn't say no to the decree. So Chunhua made sure that Brother Ryu would live a life of happiness with the woman Brother Ryu chooses." Chunhua said desperately. "Brother Ryu, Chunhua asked Disciple Sisiter Ning to help you as well. Disciple Sister Ning only wanted you to be happy as well, so she came to help Chunhua."

"How?" Ryu asked coldly, but Chunhua did not notice it. She was lost within her own mind.

"By killing that whore who sits next to you." Chunhua spits out as she glares at Siri. "That whore is the reason why Brother Ryu is not happy. Why Brother Ryu does not take women into Brother's Back Palace. Why Brother Ryu has no baby dragons. If Brother Ryu looks at Chunhua, Chunhua will give Brother Ryu baby dragons, befitting our names and stations. They will be strong. They will rule Yukah Kingdom well, just like their Father. If Brother Ryu makes Chunhua his Concubine, Chunhua will ensure Brother Ryu's happiness. Chunhua knows everything about Brother Ryu. Knows how to only make Brother Ryu happy."

Roland wanted to slap his daughter in her face a long time ago. Wanted to slap her into reality and lock her inside her room. Her unhealthy thoughts about King Ryu and her has infected her with madness. How did his talented and beautiful daughter turn out this way?

Ryu turned to the two girls and stared at them. "Tell the court your involvement."

The guards made them kneel and Lorena, Chunhua's maid confessed first.

"M-my Lady Chunhua has always love King Ryu. Would do anything for King Ryu. Would move mountains, part seas, travel the world, for King Ryu. As long as this servant has served Lady Chunhua, my lady has always and only thought about King Ryu." Lorena said as tears begins to fall down her face. "She only did what she did to ensure King Ryu's happiness. She only did it because she wanted to stand beside King Ryu."

"What did she do?" Ryu asked.

"She-she..." Lorena looked at her Lady before confessing their crimes. "My Lady convinced Lady Ning of King Ryu's unhappiness. Said King Ryu was stuck in a loveless, unhappy, poisonous marriage to Queen Siri and King Ryu couldn't get out of it. Said King Ryu asked my Lady for help to get rid of Queen Siri so he could start marrying brides to fill up the Back Palace so a baby dragon could be born. My Lady convinced Lady Ning to assassinate Queen Siri. My Lady told her that King Ryu would make the both of them his concubine, if they helped the King get rid of Queen Siri."

The hall was quiet the whole time, but when Lorena's last sentence was finished, everyone began to shout their displeasure. How could those young ladies be so insidious? To assume the King's will and thoughts as their own. How delusional! How malevolent of them!

"Minister Roland is this how you raise your daughter!?!"

"Minister Roland this the exact example of spare the rod, spoil the child!"

"Minister Roland, do you not have control over your own household that this calamity occurred!"

"Minister Roland, how are you going to apologize to Minister Bovi and make up for the lost of his daughter!"

"Minister Roland, do you deny that you did not know the delusions your daughter have with King Roland?"

All the Ministers and Generals there began to talk all at once, throwing blame on Minister Roland.

"Silence!" Ryu shouted. "Lorena and Lady Ning, for your involvement in the attempted assassination against my Queen. Instant death."

Before everyone, without prior notice, and to everyone's surprise, the guards who stood behind the two ladies have already pulled out their swords and in one quick fluid motion, their head was chopped off. The spray of blood made everyone jump back as the lifeless body falls forward, staining the floor red.

"As for Minister Roland, 3 generations of your family will be exterminated. Not even your Wang side branches will survive. Not even a single chicken." Ryu told him.

"No." Roland whispered. The noble Wang bloodline would end as if they never existed. His own daughter caused his entire family to disappear from history. Before he could plead for his life, his head was rolling on the ground. He too was given a quick death.

"As for you, Lady Chunhua. I believe you have an apology to say to Minister Bovi." Ryu ordered her.