Smack!
Joon Wo's face flew sideways from the impact of the slap that came crashing down on his face. Red marks are already starting to form on his pale cheeks in place of Lady Soo's fingers.
He didn't know how this happened or when it happened, all he remembers is the sound of hurrying footsteps outside his door and along with it the sound of the doors being open harshly then, this.
She was yelling too loudly and it all sounded incomprehensible to Joon Wo's ears. She was too loud.
"You dare lay finger on my son!" she yelled. Finally, Joon Wo has caught up with what was happening.
Simply put, the little brat Dong Hyun went to complain to his mother about the humiliation that he faced in the arena. So that is what you meant by making me pay? Joon Wo whispered under his breath.
"Lady Soo, it was a duel and it was a fair fight." Joon Wo said trying to hide his anger that was starting to grow in him as he started to comprehend the situation.
"Fair!" she said landing another slap on the other cheek making the two sides even. "You call bruising my son fair!"
Okay, now he lost his temper. But what can he do?! Was he going to slap her back? Or pierce her heart with the sword that hung on the wall as decoration?
Either way, they were not options that he could choose from now.
He felt humiliated. His dignity, shattered. Ego, crushed. Taking a look around them seeing the audience of servants and clansmen all around him, some with shocked faces others with amusement.
Joon Wo's face was now flaming with anger that the red marks were no longer visible. He glared at the Lady in front with him with a killer's gaze making sure that his intentions were clear in his eyes.
"H-how dare you g-glare at me!" she stuttered, token aback from the figure in front of her wondering how a boy can give a glare like that.
"My Lady," Joon Wo said, "You've just lied your hands on the 2nd prince who is the next in line after the crown prince. Not only once but, twice." He won't allow himself to cower in front of all these people. These people needed someone to beat some sense into them.
If they forgot who they are dealing with, he will remind them and he will do it the hard way.
Lady Soo was silent not knowing what to say thinking that she might have taken this too far. If words of this were to reach His Majesty's ears, the consequences won't be pleasant.
"I might now be an adopted child of the Wangs but I'm still the 2nd prince and I won't tolerate any more disrespect." He hissed not taking his eyes off her.
Trembling with anger and resent, Lady Soo turned on her heels and walking out of the room followed by her pathetic little son who was looking at his defeated mother and the servants.
Joon Wo slammed the door shut behind them, for a moment there he forgot his age. He talked back to an adult and never once stuttered.
He could feel the adrenalin running his veins with anger. He won't let this none sense slid.
He walked to his desk and starting writing a letter to his mother Queen Eun Ae, if he could send a letter to the king himself, he would have already done that.
He wrote and wrote. He wrote how Lady Soo who was the wife to the leader of the Wang clan dared to smack him twice and how humiliated he is here. Even didn't ask to come back to the palace because he knew that is never an option, all he asked for was his mother to take an action against this mess.
He can't live here like this.
And just as he was going to get up from his seat, he remembered his brothers, so he sat back down and begin to write for them as well. Of course, he didn't mention any of the hardships that he was seeing here, it was a useless to have them worry about him as well.
That's when his mind remembered Tari. He was dealing with too much bullshit here that he forgot about her and the only way to send a letter overseas is from the capital.
He sighed at the reminder and wrote for them to relay his news to Nefertari in Kemet as he can't from here.
He folded the letters and called for a maid to come and send them and she did as she was told. He stood from his chair and allowed himself to fall on the bed with a loud thud.
He felt the anger begin to sip away from him as he allowed his mind to wonder to the memories that are going to be forever in his head. How much he missed those days is unexplainable by words.
The image of his first meeting with Tari as she was standing in her silk dress that reached just above her knees with the golden belt that held it firm against her tiny waist, all this under the falling pastel pink petals made the painting complete.
He didn't notice how his mouth curved up in a smile as he lay on the bed with his arms spread on either side of him and he slowly drifted to sleep dreaming of the stary night that they witnessed together.
~~~~
"What none sense!" Queen Eun Ae said as she held the letter in her hand. "That woman has finally lost her wits."
She was indeed shocked at the information in the letter but, there was nothing much she could do. One wrong move and everything the king is planning for will go down the drain.
They needed the alliance with the Wang or civil war will break out but more importantly, she needed to keep her son's image as a peacekeeper.
"Send him to keep acting like he did and not to write me anymore of this mess, there isn't anything I can do for him. He should bear with it." She said to her head maid as she tossed the letter to God knows where.
"Another letter came along Your Majesty." The maid held out the letter with both hands not raising her eyes to meet with her Queen's.
"Another one?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, it's for the princes."
The Queen ticked her tongue in annoyance. "How many times do I've to tell that boy to keep his distance." She said taking the letter and ripped it to pieces without reading its contents.
"Tell the princes that a letter came from their brother stating that he doesn't want to be bothered by their letters anymore and he doesn't want to hear from them." The Queen said, "Prevent any letters from him to reach the princes."
She was going to cut whatever bond was between them, the more attached he is to those kids the harder it is for him to reach his goal, her goal to be precise.
After all, once the crown prince becomes king…
The first thing he does is get rid of all threats surrounding his throne. Starting off with killing all his blood related brothers.
It is something that has been done for many years and will still be done for many more years because the human greed to keep what he has and get even more will never end.
~~~~
A few days passed before Joon Wo got his reply from the Queen. His hands tightening gradually on the paper causing it to disfigure.
She was turning her back on him…
"She threw me here for her sake…" He mumbled in anger. "She threw me here and now telling me to deal with them my way!" He almost yelled in his room, sitting all alone after another tiresome day and of course his main source of pain never seized to annoy him.
How sweet of her to mention how displeased she is with Lady Soo's action to state right after that that he should take care of it in his own way.
Joon Wo was no longer aware of the reason for his anger. Was it the crises that he is dealing with here? Or his mother for throwing him away like trash?
He crumbled the letter in his fist and threw it in anger. He closed his eyes trying to calm down his nerves to be slapped again with the reality that his brothers didn't reply to his message.
"They must be busy with their lessons…" he tried to give them an excuse. He didn't want to add another reason for his misery, he already had enough and he didn't think he could deal with any more misfortunes for the time being.
He took a couple of deep breaths before opening his eyes again and said…
"She wants me to deal with it on my own? Then that is what I'm going to do."