The Untold Story

S3.41_Trapped

Chapter 41

Soo's trembling voice held an unmistakable fear. The source, however, was unknown to others besides the Dowager. On Soo's left was her sister, staring at her with narrowed eyes and the emperor who was knitting his brows and the usual indifferent expression. The atmosphere in the court was deadly heavy, no one dared to make a sound but all waited with bated breath.

"I..." swallowing hard Soo tried to conceal the trembling voice which threatened to break at any moment.

"I conspired against the princess of Silla to take over the throne."

At the end of her sentence, the wall of silence broke. One minister after another stared at her with widened eyes while some requesting the emperor to give his sentence as they went to their knee while begging.

The old men fell to their knees one after, standing back was only the prideful Dowager and the baffled Yeonhwa. Sitting on the throne was the emperor, his expression stiffened as a statue who didn't have a single drop of blood in his body. The wicked smile graced the Dowager's lips - as if she could tell her son was drowning in agony hidden behind the facade he was putting up - like she had gotten the result she had longed for.

The emperor arose from the dragon and descended the small stairs. He passed the kneeling ministers, ignored the baffled Yeonhwa on his way. The Dowager was expecting him coming, she was waiting for the moment her son would rush to save his wife from her, but to the Dowager's surprise, he didn't stop in front of Soo but walked towards Seol.

The emperor kneeled on one knee lowered his back till his eyes were on the same level as Seol. With one glance he could tell that she wasn't his wife. Yet, in the eye of everyone, he was studying her up and down as if trying to figure out who she was.

Seol was returning the emperor's eyes with an intense gaze. She didn't understand why he was observing her as if he didn't know she was the fake one. For a moment she was doubting if the emperor loved her sister as much as her sister did. If so why was he looking at her?

"You have suffered a lot,"  The emperor spoke, his eyes changed to a soft gaze. "My dear consort." At the end of his sentence, the emperor placed his fingers on Seol's cheeks, caressing her soft skin with a gaze of a husband longing for his consort.

Yeonhwa couldn't believe her eyes and Soo couldn't believe her ears. The Dowager was beyond words and couldn't hide her astonishment.

"Your majesty what are you-" The Dowager couldn't finish her sentence as she broke into a hysterical case of dumbfoundedness.

If she stuck to her nature Seol would have protested loudly, but the emperor sudden changes of eyes were sending her secretive signals to remain quite. That was only when Seol realized that the man did have a brain and that her sister wasn't a complete fool. With a last glance at Seol the emperor again arose. He turned at the dowager who was turning red as the leaves at fall.

"Thanks to princess Yeonhwa, I united with the consort while the Dowager brought in the abductor of my wife." After long a smile was visible on the emperor's statue expression.

As a blooming flower Yeonhwa suddenly lit up, while the Dowager was as a withering flower on fire. Although Yeonhwa would be fooled by her deceiving self, the dowager knew otherwise and so did Soo. 

Soo knew the emperor was trying to turn the cards against the Dowager to make his mother swallow her own medicine. He was trying to clear Soo's name and putting the rightful blame on her sister. The upcoming obvious clear. All left was switching the identical twins and nobody would have the slightest doubt.

"How can his majesty be sure that the person I caught is not the true consort?" The Dowager spoke with controlled anger.

"Is royal mother saying I can't even recognize my one wife?"

"If you really could tell right from wrong then you wouldn't have been fooled when the imposter pretended to be the consort in the first place!"

The emperor pulled a lopsided grin as he said the following words. In anger the lost her calm and was already putting herself in a dangerous position.

"An imposter entered the palace?"

"When did that happen?"

"Then the person who entered wasn't the real consort?!"

"How did the Dowager knew that an imposter fooled the Emperor? Why didn't the Dowager report it to the court if she knew a fake person was pretending to be the consort?"

"How did the Dowager knew about this?"

"Empress Dowager, we believe you own us an explanation."

Soon the court arose with million questionings and only then did the Dowager realize that she had fallen for the emperor's trap.

Every eye in the court was pointing at the dowager, the bewildered woman who didn't know where to look.

Bastard! She mentally cursed at the emperor as she couldn't bluntly glare at him as her heart desired. She knew she was doomed. All because she couldn't hold back her temper for a second.

The head minister waved his hand, signaling the guards to grab the dowager.

"What is this supposed to mean?!" The Dowager protested as the guards on both sides grabbed her arms.

Seeing the Dowager being captured, Soo felt a rush of relief. A heavy burden was lifted from her shoulder. Even if there was a revolt, Soo doubted that Yoo would go against the emperor, if the dowager was in Wang So's hands. The Dowager could impossibly escape this time.

"Your majesty,"  One of the ministers spoke after the Dowager was dragged away.

"Putting aside the incident of Dowager, we must deal with the case of the consort," the careful tone send a chill down Soo's spine. From the tone of the minister, she could tell it wasn't any good.

"Men! Grab the Consort and the imposter!"

At once the emperor turned his flaming glare at the minister who just spoke those words.

"What do you think you are doing?" The emperor's voice held a murderous intent.

"Although we want to believe his majesty's judgment, these subject's can't ignore the Dowager's words. An imposer had once entered the palace and with her cunning witchcraft fooling the emperor. Even his majesty couldn't tell the real consort apart from the fake one, at this moment too... we can't be sure who is the real one and who is not."

"So what do you suggest?" The emperor asked.

"The expense of making the wrong choice could lead to fatal consequences. Freeing the wrong person could bring the downfall to the nation.

"At this point, we are left with no choice than...

Executing them both."

A/N: I was a bit freaked out when wattpad removed this story the other days. That was a terrible experience...