Chapter Forty-three: Resolution

6 days later , the chaos seems to have died down except in certain places where danger still lurked.

A young man sat down on a rocking chair positioned near his pond . His shoulders stooped so low it seems to be dropping down on the ground. He gazed into the pond distractedly. The events of the last few days playing in his mind over and over again.

In his hunched state, he let his tears flow freely without restrictions. A man watching him secretly from the shadows used his handkerchief to dab at the corner of his eyes and in a hurting voice mumbled his title "Your highness"

The chief eunuch that is still healing from the bruises inflicted on him by the disciplinary department by the order of the empress has been stalking the royal highness. According to him, his pain is incomparable to the hurts and broken heart his highness is dealing with.

Yes, they were whipped and some was sent out of the palace. The empress burnt down the bandit's place where her son was found and demoted the officers that detained her son.

The prime minister using his guile tongue convinced the empress that he helped eradicate a future problem and cunningly brought his daughter's existence to her notice. He also advised her to push back the crown princess selection to at least the next two years instead of that year in order to let him forget about the girl completely.

Therefore instead of being punished, he was promoted instead as the empress advisor .

An argument that erupted between his highness and his royal brother made him comprehend what had happened to him.

He had cried secretly on his behalf when he found out that the crown prince wasn't joking about the girl. He had thought it was just a young boy's normal fling that he would get tired of until he found his highness clutching his chest with one hand while using his other hand to suppress his mouth from shouting out in pain. He had thought it would end there until his highness voice rumbled with the sentence "Yoona, please forgive me"

3 days ago when his highness had accepted to wake up, he sought for his brother immediately . The empress that usually disapproved of his presence welcomed the development without any hassle. She personally sent her personal maid to assist him get into the palace without any hitch .

The royal prince had hurried into the palace to see his younger brother and find out what had really happened to him that made the empress seek for him personally unlike her usual self.

Well the visit ended in a bad note as he had stormed back to his home anger etched on his face . Who knew that his younger brother would make an outrageous request of abdicating the crown prince throne to him.

He had come as requested and jokingly asked his brother which woman had broken his heart. The crown prince looked at him with a sad eyes and even him was shocked to discover that his wild guess was really a truth.

The crown prince narrated every single thing that happened and he understood that whoever that girl was, held a very high and special place in his brother's heart that no one would climb.

But the story took a twist when the crown prince boldly said he would abdicate the throne. Before he could understand what he really meant by that ,a sound of something falling down was heard and they both turned towards the direction of the sound to find the empress mother standing at the door paled beyond comparison, her knuckles bulged out threatening to explode and spilled food and broken chinaware was lying at her foot.

"Crown prince! are you crazy?" she wanted to tear her son's mouth for the first time in life for uttering such an abominable sentence.

"Everything l have worked for , the reason I have lived this far is to make sure that seat is yours forever".

The crown prince with flaring nostril, puffing chest and gruntled voice shouted at his mother that the seat was originally his brother's own not his .

The empress glared at both of them and made to rush out when the prince's voice made her freeze.

"Crown prince! who told you I ever wanted that position? How dare you try to push that burden to me" his chest started heaving roughly due to anger but he continued "Your highness, l will never take that seat even if you put a sword to my neck " and he meant it.

The empress sauntered out of the place with a subtle smile that was short-lived.

The prince stormed out after her but before he left, he turned around and left a word of advice for him.

"Your highness ... think about what really made you to lose her , it's not because you are the crown prince... it's because you are a powerless prince that relies on the empress's power" with that he stormed out not daring to look back before he did something he would regret later.

Well, the advice hit him hard and he suddenly woke up. His brother is right. It's time to build some powers for himself. He looked at the door his brother left from and said thank you. He swore never to lose anything or anyone he cherishes again due to his powerlessness, but occasionally he trails off just like now he is sitting hunched down and lost in his thoughts.

__________________

At the Kim's residence, their situation has not yet improved as Yoona was still in coma.

Doctors from all over the country had been employed to take a look at her condition and wake her up.

They all had the same conclusion... Everything depends on her will.

Her mother has lost her own will to live. If Yoona doesn't wake up, she will join her too.

The father is not doing so well too but at least he is composed unlike the mother.

Her elder brother jae-hyuk came back to their house immediately he received the letter his father sent him. He had been away on a tour to acquire knowledge across the country for the past one month. Receiving his first letter from home ,he was so happy he tore it open but almost collapsed when he read the content.

A simple but devastating letter ..."Tragedy struck. Yoona in coma, signed father"

He rushed out and ordered his guard to prepare the horses, they are returning to the capital.

The whole Kim family branch had shown concern in one way or the other. They had been told what happened but the identity of the boy was withheld.

The grandfather was also heartbroken that he asked his old friend who used to be a palace physician to treat his grandchild as a favor but he also said same thing the others had been saying.

Kim chang-min, Yoona's father sought for the help of the shaman that had predicted this tragedy. The shaman took a look at her and shook her head.

"My lord , l will tell you the truth. I see the shadow of death around her..." she was interrupted by father Kim's question of how it can be averted and she continued "To take is to give"

The man looked at her and asked her not to speak in riddles and she smiled.

"My lord , it's quite simple. For a life to be given, one must be taken"

He asked her if there is a way he would exchange his life for hers and she laughed... "My lord , l have no authority over that . I only say what I see and see what I'm shown"

On her way out , she bowed and told him that Yoona is the only one that will make the decision to live or die but if by chance she lives, she has many battles to conquer and many hurdles to cross. After saying that, she left.