24 An Impostor?
"You!! What have you done?! What have you.. why?" Shinrae hit Taejoo.
"I'm sorry." Was all Taejoo can utter.
"Why didn't you saved her? You were the most excellent warrior of the entire nation. How could you not saved her?!"
"I... I'm sorry." Still, he was looking down on the ground.
"SHE WAS YOUR WIFE!!!" Princess Shinrae yelled with an enraged expression. "Your were so close to her... yet... yet." She slumped onto the ground, her eyes swarming in tears.
'How noisy.' he thought to his self, as he walks away.
"And where do you think you're going?" Princess Shinrae asked with a disgusted look on her face. "What are you looking at that cliff?"
"I'll go down." Taejoo replied with a hoarse voice. After that he went to his horse and opened the bag that was hanging on the saddle.
Shinrae scoffed. "Down? Where? Don't tell me-- Hey! Are you insane?!" Yell the princess, when she saw her younger sister's husband tying the rope to the tree and then to his waist.
"Captain! You can't do this!" Wangyu interrupted as he yanked the Taejoo's wrist.
"I'm going down there." Taejoo said without a care.
"Captain! You can't! It's too dangerous!" Wangyu exclaimed.
"I said, I'm. Going. Down. That. Cliff." He emphasized.
"Captain..." The worried Wangyu held Taejoo's wrist tighter.
"Let go." Taejoo replied coldly.
"I apologize captain, but you can't do this!" Wangyu said, raising his voice.
"Out of the way." Taejoo glared at Wangyu menacingly, but he didn't bulge. "Didn't you hear? Move aside." He gawped. A threatening, and deadly stare it is, that made Wangyu flinched.
Wangyu's brows pulled together because of the petty actions of his Captain.
"Move aside I said!!--" The irritated Taejoo yelled.
SLAP!
Wangyu's eyes widened taking a step back. Speechless of what just happened, he just stared at Taejoo with his dazed-widened eyes.
"STOP IT ALREADY!... YOU STUPID FAGGOT! YOU RECKLESS FOOL!" Princess Shinrae panted as her chest heaves right after. Tears still rolling down her face, and her eyes and nose in the shade of crimson red.
Taejoo held his reddened right cheek, staring blankly at princess Shinrae.
"CAN YOU THINK MORE PROPERLY?! HOW DO YOU PLAN ON GOING DOWN THAT CLIFF, HUH?! USING THAT USELESS SCANTY ROPE?!! HA! YOU MAY NOT EVEN REACH HALF OF THE CLIFF USING 'THAT'?!" Shinrae scoffed, her lips arching up in grimace.
SLAP! Another slap has landed on Taejoo's cheek.
Taejoo gave Shinrae a raging yet, a questioning stare, then he asked; "And... what was that for?"
"That is for waking you up to your senses." She paused. Her forehead creased. "I assume you're in your senses now, perhaps?"
"..." Taejoo remained silent as he took in the sight of the cliff.
'You're not the only one who lost someone dear. How bold of you to act like that in front of me. Ye Beom is my dear younger sister. Pathetic.' Shinrae thought as she bored her eyes to Taejoo.
"For now, we... ah, Wangyu, you mark this area. we will go back here before the dawn comes. Rather, you and Jinhu." She commanded.
'Yes, Your Highness." Replied Wangyu.
"I'll go too." Taejoo in daze said.
"Don't act so rashly. It would be better if you just stay at your chamber this night, or at hers'. That way, they wouldn't suspect us when they start patrolling the area to find Ye Beom." Shinrae explained.
"I don't think--"
"Her Highness is right, captain." Wangyu agreed to the princess as he cuts Taejoo off.
"Sighs. Did you just cut me off?" The irritated Taejoo scratched his brows.
"This subject apologizes." Wangyu bowed.
"Yeah, yeah... What I was about to say was that. There is no need for you to tell me that. However, i shall send my vice-captain Rowon in my place." He said.
"Hmm. Then that will do." Agreed the princess.
"Now that all is settled, we must head back and part our ways." Consort Taejoo suggested as he looks around the forest.
First princess nodded as she walks towards her horse, with Wangyu assisting her. She hopped, and mounted the horse. Shinrae pulled the rein of the horse, then it started to walk slowly, but it stopped when she yanked the rein once again. She looks back at Taejoo.
"Taejoo..." Shinrae paused. "We will find her. And once we find her... either of what may be he outcome... she'll definitely be fine." A sad smile appeared on Her Highness's face, before she left along with Wangyu.
WHOOOOOSH...
The sound of the wind, and the bristle of the dried leaves onto the ground, made his heart sank even deeper as he stared vacantly at the deep dark cliff.
When suddenly, a smiled fades in slowly to his lips. He took a deep sigh. "Soon... very soon. I'll follow you Ye Beom. And we will meet again." A smile grew bigger, but a tear shone in his eyes.
"This time, I will never... ever, make the same mistake for the third time. I will make this, our last.
I'm sorry for always failing you."
It was nearing sunset when he came back to the Imperial Palace.
"YOUR HIGHNESS!!!! PRINCE CONSORT TAEJOOOOO!!!!!!" An eardrum damaging shout welcomed him first.
"Ahhh! My ears! Eunuch Byun Yeul, you can't just shout like that. Ah really, my ears!" Taejoo complained as he rub the back of his ears.
"But consoooort!! You won't believe what just happened!!!" Eunuch Byun Yeul nagged.
Taejoo's eyes widened. Heart beats faster. 'Have they found out?'
"But first, we must head to the Emperor's throne hall." He panicked.
"The throne hall? Why there? You mean-- Do you mean, inside?" Taejoo asked.
"No your Highness. Rather, the Emperor has something to announce along with Her Majesty the Empress, outside the throne hall." Eunuch Byun Yeul replied.
"And who are the requested audiences of this announcement?" The suspecting Taejoo asked. His eyebrows furrowing.
"The Imperial Family, and the servants within the inner court of the Imperial Palace, your highness." Eunuch Byun Yeul nervously answered.
Taejoo only nodded, then he followed the Eunuch to the throne hall.
CHATTER... CHATTER... CHATTER...
"YOUR MAJESTY! YOU CANNOT LIFT THE VERDICT TOWARDS THE SECOND IMPERIAL PRINCESS JUST BECAUSE OF A WHIM, YOUR MAJESTY!!" Yell the official in blue uniform.
'He must be from the Imperial Investigation Bur-- Wait... The second imperial princess? Lift the verdict?' The confused consort's eyebrows snapped together.
"Eunuch?!" He asked in bewilderment.
"Consort, I will explain everything when we get to the designated seats for the Imperial family members."
"No, that will not do." He looked around as the commotion continues. "Explain it as we head there." Taejoo demanded.
"I understand, Your Highness." Eunuch Byun Yeul sighed before continuing. "Earlier, this morning, someone planned to assassinate the second imperial princess... I-it was like a bloodbath outside the cold palace. Three dead body was found there. We assumed that the guard that time had successfully secured the princess's safety, but that guard was nowhere to be found for quite a while now. We first heard this matter to the servant that was to collect the dish tray, that time." He paused.
"Please go first your highness..." Eunuch offered Taejoo to go up the stairs first. Nearing the seat for him. "...So what happened next was we immediately reported it to His Majesty. His Majesty send out a search party right after hearing the news. But then..."
"But then, what?' Impatiently, Taejoo asked.
"But then, Her Majesty, the Empress came in a hurry along with her subordinates, also along with Her Majesty was one of her most honorable warrior in her army... was carrying the unconscious second Imperial princess." Byun Yeul ended.
"Did you say, Ye Beom? My wife?!" He exclaimed.
"Your Highness, please lower your voice. Yes, Her Highness Ye Beom it was."
"How... did that... Exactly what time was it when they came to the Emperor's throne hall?" Taejoo asked.
"It was at noon, your highness. Base in the reading of time through sundial's, the shadow was in front of me, so it must be... 12 o'clock."
*Sundial is the use of shadow or the edge of shadow as an indictor of time.
'Noon?! Then... it can't be. If it was noon, then I'm certain that, it was the exact time I went acting out like a complete moron. Then again, just who in the world was the Ye Beom that the Empress brought? An impostor? ...No. The Empress knows better than anyone that the Emperor will not be fooled by such a petty act. Then... does this has anything to do with OUR DOINGS?'
