23 The one that seeks help

A loud knock rang the ears of the sleeping second imperial princess Ye Beom. She blinked repeatedly as she adjust her sight with the overwhelming rays of the sunlight, coming from the barred up windows. The knocking continues;

"Your highness, it is I, Wangyu." He introduced himself as he refrained from knocking.

The princess gets up on her bed, and runs her hand in her disheveled hair.

Rustles... Rustles...

The sound of that her hand made as she runs her hands into her hair to gently comb it. She yawned and stretched her body. As Ye Beom is still sitting on her bed while still half asleep, another knock was heard;

"Your Highness... Your Highness, this is Wangyu... I have brought you a breakfast." Wangyu paused in the middle of his sentence, thinking if he was disturbing the princess or was it necessary for him to even bother calling the princess for her meal.

"You may leave it on the door step." Ye Beom rubbed her eyes.

"As you command, Your Highness." He replied. Then he gently puts down the tray of breakfast in front of the door.

When Ye Beom was fully awake, she stared at the door.

'He is still standing in front of the door. What is he doing? It has been awhile already. Waiting for me to open up the door?' Princess Ye Beom sighed. She walked towards the door but hesitated to open it.

"Didn't I told you that I don't need you to—." Shocked with the sight that she first saw when she opened the door, she collapsed on to the cold floor. "Hahh.. hah.." She huffed as she trembled in fear.

There was a body with its head off, pinned into the door with the ssaurabi*. Blood covered the doorsteps of the palace. When she looked around more, there was two more dead bodies. One laying on the ground and the one was on its knees as the sword that pierced his neck was pinned down to the ground.

[*ssaurabi is a korean sword.]

'What happened here?' She huffed and huffed, as if she was hyperventilating. An overwhelming stench of blood made her crinkle her nose. She immediately covers her nose and mouth as she felt throwing up.

"Princess." Muttered by a voice familiar to her. She did not budge as she was too terrified. "Your Highness..." He paused as he kneeled in front of Ye Beom. "It is I, Wangyu."

'Ah... so it was you.' Though was comforted that the man in front of her was someone she knows, but the fact that that man had killed those three men, all at once, still made her tremble in fear.

"We must flee, I had send a word to my mistress, Her Highness Shinrae, about this possible attack. They are quite bold to attack us at daylight. They must be desperate enough to do this." He explained.

Ye Beom looked up at him with a tearful eye. "Tell me... Where are we off to... And explain me what is happening when we get there."

"Yes, Your Highness. His Highness, consort Taejoo, must be waiting for us." Wangyu said as he stand up and offered the second princess a hand.

"Tae...joo, is?' She asked reluctantly as she grabbed Wangyu's hand.

Wangyu just nodded as a response, then he gently pulled the princess to stand up. "Your Highness must ride this horse. He will head to where the consort is." Wangyu imparted as he gave the leash of the horse to the princess.

"And you?" The princess consulted.

"I must meet with the vice captain Rowon. After that, the first princess shall decide if I am to follow you, your highness." Wangyu answered, keeping a straight face.

Ye Beom kept silent for a moment as she does not know what else was to say. She mounted he horse. 'I should keep going now, right? Yeah I think I should keep going now.' She thought as her grip on the leash tightened.

"Wangyu, thank you." The princess said before leaving.

Wangyu just followed the second princess a stare as she departs.

Meanwhile, as the horse that Ye Beom is riding, galloped towards the location where Taejoo is, her mind keeps on lingering to the horror that she felt from earlier. How every inch of her body trembled in fear.

'But... what was that all about? Is someone really planning on assassinating me?' Her eyebrows furrowed.

'The stench of blood... is still lingering into my nose. I want to puke. Aghh...'

RUSTLEEEESSSS.... RUSTLEEEESSSS...

Something along the bushes, not too far away from her, moved and was about the same speed with hers. 'What was that? No, no, no, I need to go faster.'

The determined princess whipped the horse. The horse ran faster than before, but the thing that Ye Beom suspect's to be following her kept up the same phase.

'It's catching up to me. I need to go faster.'

Desperate to escape from the one trailing after her, she continuously whipped the horse.

"NEEEEIIIIGHHHH!!!!"The horse became more skittish as it sensed that its horseman was unfocused and was anxious.

"No! Ye Beom!" Ah that voice... I know that voice. She thought to herself. "Stop on your track Ye Beom!" And just when Ye Beom was about to pull the rein of the horse, it throwed her already as it goes wild and stomped on the ground.

'Ah... I'm... falling...?' At that moment, Ye Beom's heart beat so fast that she thought it almost stopped. Chills was sent running to her whole body as she came into realization of what was waiting for her.

'...Cliff. There's a cliff.'

Her eyes started to pour; "Huh?"

The only word that came out from her mouth as she stared at the person that is running into her. Time froze when their eyes met. It was the consort.

"No..." They both whispered to themselves, as they were reaching for each other's hand. One seeking for help, and one that was too late for a split of second to grasp the seeker's hand.

WHOOOSHHHH....

"No..." Taejoo faltered with teary eyes. "No... no... Ye Beom..." He held his right hand up and stared at it blankly. "She... she was about to my grasp. How did it...Aghhh.. Haaahh Haah Hah..." He panted in between of his words.

"ARRRRGHHHHHH DAMMIT!!! DAMMIT!! DAMN IT ALL!!!" He shouted as he helplessly fall onto his knees on the ground at the edge of the cliff. "Damn it. Damn it! I'm so.... FUCKING USELESS! ARGHH!!" Yet he shout once again with all his might with his hatred to himself.

"Taejoo, what are you still doing here? Wangyu and I heard a..... Huh? Two horses? Did you met with Ye Beom already?"

'It must be Shinrae.' He thought to himself as he turned around to face the third princess.

"You look pathetic... what happened here?" The nervous princess Shinrae dismounted the horse. "Hey, Taejoo, say... why do you look so pathetic right now?" She asked as her eyes started to roam the surrounding and there, her knees suddenly went weak.

"The cliff... it is not what I think it is, right?" She gasped.

Taejoo was at loss of words, but his silence was the exact answer to the first princess's question.

"Oh... Oh dear.." She huffed and huffed. "Ye Beom..." She cried.

Taejoo looked away at the wailing princess, and stared at the cliff where his wife fell.