"Do I look good?" Sung Hoon turned to Ki Ha for the nth time. Ki Ha had stopped answering. The two of them were waiting in the throne room. They would be picked up by Young and the ministers for the crown.
Sung Hoon was wearing a royal red gown for the crowning. He would change in the bridal blue after the crowning. "Is Jinwoon also ready?" Ki Ha sighed with frustration. Sung Hood sounded like a broken record. "Can't wait for this to be over." Ki Ha mumbled while glaring at his friend.
Sung Hoon glared back at Ki Ha. "You just wait. You'll be just like me on your own wedding day." Ki Ha scoffed. "Never!" Sung Hoon gave him a blank stare. "I'm planning on never getting married." Sung Hoon burst out laughing.
"You think your father will let you stay single for life. What a joke! You're the eldest son!" Ki Ha pulled a face. "Who cares, my father has many other sons. I'm not going to be heir. You know that as well." Sung Hoon brows went up.
"I wonder if your father has the same opinion as you." Ki Ha coughed before looking away. "He will soon." Sung Hoon didn't look impressed. "I love to see that." The door opened before Ki Ha could rebuke. "Prince Sung Hoon. Ready to go?" Young was standing in the opening with a big smile.
Sung Hoon first let out a deep breath before walking behind Young. Ki Ha walked 3 steps behind. They left the throne room and walked out. The whole Inner and Outer court were waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
When Sung Hoon walked down the stairs all the people bowed. Sung Hoon took a quick glance but didn't see Jinwoon. A slight frown came over his face. There was a palanquin waiting for him. Young opened the door. Sung Hoon's face lit up when he looked inside.
Jinwoon was sitting inside with a blue veil covering his head. "Hello." Sung Hoon sat across from him with a big smile but his smile fell. "I thought you would be waiting at the ceremony hall?" Sung Hoon tried to take his hand but Jinwoon pulled away from him.
Before the palanquin could take off, Sung Hoon threw the door open. He grabbed Jinwoon by his arm and yanked him out. Sung Hoon heard a gasp. He slowly got out of the palanquin and stood in front of the person on the ground.
"Ki Ha. Go see if Jinwoon is alright." Ki Ha looked confused at the person on the floor. Sung Hoon walked over, while the person tried to crawl away. Sung Hoon grabbed the veil and jerked it off the person's head. Everybody frowned when they saw an unknown woman.
People were asking each other who the lady was. "Isn't she the Queen's chambermaid? Ugh... What's her name again? Yeon Min Jung? Yes! That is it! What is she doing here?" Young turned and yelled at some guards.
"You four go with Lord Ki! You three go back to the Princess's and the Queen's residences. Find the Princes." Ki Ha and the guard took off in different directions. Sung Hoon knew that the queen would do something but he had never expected this.
Sung Hoon's face was a thunderstorm while looking at Yeon Min Jung. "Where is Princess Jinwoon?" His calm voice made everybody feel a shiver down their spine. Min Jung kneeled down. "I... I don't know. I swear! The Queen told me to get in. I just did what I was told."
Sung Hoon looked at the trembling chambermaid. There were many other guards. "You two take her to the Holding Building. Min Jung's eyes grew big. She tried to stand and run away but the guard quickly caught her and dragged her away. While she was screaming her innocence.
The Inner and Outer court became restless. This was unheard off. "The Queen kidnapped the Princes? Why? Shh! We don't know what's going on. But I... Has anybody seen the Queen today?" There were all kinds of whispers but nobody really knew what was going on.
After a while Ki Ha and the four guards came running back. "The Princess wasn't in or near the ceremony room." Ki Ha told Sung Hoon and Young. "The Queen wouldn't ... I mean, she's just trying to delay the crowning and the wedding right?"
Sung Hoon didn't say anything. He was waiting for the other guards to return. Thirty minutes laters the guards who left for Sung Hoon's back reported first. "According to your head maid and chef. They helped Princess Jinwoon into a palanquin around an hour ago."
The guards explained that it was one of the royal palanquins. While they were reporting the guards that went to the queen's also arrived. They were also empty handed. "The Queen is not in her chambers and even the head maid and head eunuch don't know where she is."
Everybody was shocked. "Has the Queen gone mad?" One of the ministers asked out loud. "Gather all the guards. We have to find the Queen and the Princess immediately!" Sung Hoon looked at the guards. Who bowed and left in threes and twos. They spread over the palace compound.
"Prince Sung Hoon, don't worry, we'll help look for the Princess and the Queen." The ministers quickly took off to gather their own guards. The ministers were all thinking the same. 'If I can find them first, the prince will reward me!'
Sung Hoon desperately turned to look at Young and Ki Ha. "What now?" Young walked over and gently tapped on his back. "Let's see what Yeon Min Jung can tell us. Ki Ha, go and get the riding animals ready. We might need them." Ki Ha nodded before running back to Sung Hoon's.
Young, Sung Hoon and four guards walked behind the throne room. There was a small path that led to a black building. Compared to the other buildings at the palace this one was small. There was a large black door that opened to a large courtyard with cells.
The building was the royal jail. Not many people are sent here and the few that are new come out alive. Min Jung was tied to a chair and two rods between her legs. There were two men standing either side of the rods.
Min Jung was pale. When she saw Sung Hoon, she started to tremble. "I swear! The queen gave me the dress and told me to sit in the palanquin. She didn't say anything else." Sung Hoon didn't look impressed. "Where is the Queen now?"
Min Jung shook her head. Sung Hoon's face was full of anger. He gave the two men a nod. The two men pressed down on either side of the rods, slowly dislocating her leg bones. Yeon Min Jung screamed in pain. After a few minutes, Sung Hoon told them to stop.
Min Jung was gasping for air. "I'll ask one more time. Where is the queen?" Min Jung started to cry. She'll kill me?! Please." Sung Hoon frowned. "And I won't?" Min Jung's tears dried up after Sung Hoon's words. "B... But I didn't... I didn't..."
"You can choose. You tell me where the queen is and I'll reconsider killing you or you keep your mouth shut and I will definitely kill you. If you believe that the queen won't kill you after this is all over. Then you're really naïve."
Min Jung started to cry again. "I... I don't want... I don't want to... Please, don't kill me." Sung Hoon lost his cool. He didn't have time for this. Sung Hoon stormed to Min Jung's side and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Tell me where the queen is."
Min Jung screamed when she felt Sung Hoon pressing in her collarbone. "She... She left for the Summer palace." Sung Hoon cursed. The Summer Palace is about a day away from here. "When did she leave?" Min Jung was blinking away the pain. "She left about an hour and a half ago."
"An hour before they took Jinwoon." Sung Hoon turned and rushed out of the Holding Building. Young and the guards followed him back to the throne room. Ki Ha and two riding animals were waiting for him.
"You four of you are coming with us. Saddle up." Sung Hoon told the guards. They didn't say a word before rushing toward the stables. It would take them at least twenty minutes to arrive and get their animals ready.
Twenty too long. Sung Hoon was pacing up and down. He wanted to leave the moment the guards arrived. Ki Ha curiously looked at him. "The queen is at the Summer Palace. She left not long ago." Ki Ha shook her head. "What is she planning to do?" Sing Hoon shrugged.
"I have no idea but that doesn't matter. If we leave now we might be able to cache up with them both." "Shouldn't we wait for more guards?" Sung Hoon heard the hoofs of riding animals. He didn't reply, instead he got on his animal.
He turned to Young. "Elder Young, can you inform the other guards and the minister's where we are going?" Young nodded. Before the guards had reached him, Sung Hoon had already taken off. "Good Luck!" Young yelled but the other couldn't hear him.