The entire ministers manage to find themselves quiet, maybe because of the authority in her voice. They stare at her for a moment.
"Without Suk-bin, you all are nothing but dead meats, one after the other, the queen and her supporters will either get rid of you, make you loose everything, kill you, or exile you."
"We are all aware of that." A minister whispers with a bit of fear in his voice.
"So," Ok Jung hits the sword on the floor and rest her elbows on it, making daring eye contacts with the old men. "You have two choices, accept me and work with me to escape your death, or reject me and loose everything you have ever worked for." She rises back to her normal position. "I will give you some minutes to think about it."
The ministers clear their throats and whisper to one another, considering the choices they have at hand.
Lord Shim clears his throat loudly and says. "What can we do to get out of this mess?"
"Yeoning!" She calls sternly.
The prince walks in with both hands behind him.
"Your highness." The ministers call with a bow.
"I don't have much to say, Suk-bin her majesty needs our help and we must do all it takes to save her. We can escape all of it if you do your part well."
*****************
"So, has she left the palace?" The king asks his right hand man.
"She is on her way to pay her respect to you before leaving the palace."
He sighs sadly, "I hope I don't end up regretting this action of mine."
"You made the decision, I think you should be ready to take responsibilities."
"Your majesty! Your majesty!!" A court lady calls running in.
"Where are your manners?!" Jawon cautions.
"What is wrong with you?" The king asks calmly.
"Prince Yeoning his highness was poisoned."
The king stands furiously, "what did you just say? Who was poisoned?"
"He suddenly started coughing out blood while eating this morning."
"Did you taste the food for poisoning?" Jawon asks too.
"Yes." She nods. "And the silver turned black."
"My son." The king whispers trembling. "Nothing must happen to my son." He runs out of his chambers.
***************
By the time he gets to the prince's chambers, his mistress was already anxiously sitting with the physician tending to their son. He hesitates for a while but then summon courage and walks in. "Is he responding to treatments?" Everyone bows to him. "Drop all the formalities and just treat him."
"Yes." The physician bows.
"How is he? Is he responding well to the treatment?" He asks again.
"Thankfully, we got here in time before the poison travelled too far in him. He should be fine after taking the concoctions I will prepare for him."
"I will get to the root of this, who ever did this will surely pay." The king whispers beneath his breath and faces his mistress. "He is going to be fine."
Suk-bin looks at him with resentment, she swallows the heavy spit in her throat and just bows. "I am afraid I can't leave the palace without my son."
"Let's talk about this elsewhere."
*************
"You wish to take the prince outside the palace with you?" The king asks again to be sure he heard right as he stares at the fish pond.
"I had even barely left the palace that my son was poisoned, I can't afford him to loose him too, just as how I lost his older brothers to some monsters."
The king turns to her as he felt the sting of the word 'monsters'. "Change your attire."
"To what?"
"The Royal noble consort's attire." He sighs. "I will never allow you take my son away from me, but I can allow you watch over him here and protect him."
"I insist on leaving the palace, with my son."
"Still?"
"Yes." She nods. "I already lost the only thing that kept me moving in the palace, this place is not safe for me anymore."
"Sulhee."
"Please let me go, you have ruined my life enough already." She whispers looking at the king straight in the eye.
"Don't be like this." He whispers.
"How many more damage do you intend on causing in my life before you stop?" she blinks her eyes, looks away and smiles bitterly. "Yes, you are right. I am no different the queen. I am greedy as well."
"What are you talking about?"
"Years back, I met a man who told me he had a deal for me." she has turns her eyes to the king again. "He told me to seduce a noble man and he would pay me well."
"The man was Jawon?" The king asks agains.
"At first I was after the money he mentioned alone." she continues ignoring the question. "But after I got to know about your true identity, my greed grew deeper. I wanted to live a good life that has to do with eating good foods, wearing nice dresses and hair pins." she exgales sharply. "The honest truth was that I wanted get rid of my life as an ordinary palace maid."
"Why haven't you ever mentioned this to be before? You were used as a tool to soothe my pains and burdens."
"I choose that path for myself, so I should be ready to take any responsibilities that comes with it."
"Return back to your chambers for now, I believe we have a lot of things to discuss as soon as Yeoning regains consciousness."
"Your majesty." Jawon cuts in with a bow. "The southern ministers are protesting."
"Protesting? On what?" Asks Suk-bin.
"They all wish to find out who poisoned the prince, but they are already accusing the Queen and her supporters."
"What? Accusing the queen of poisoning a prince of this nation?!" The king asks flaring up.
"Yes, your majesty."
"What is going on? Why are the ministers fighting for me? Didn't they turn their backs at me already? Could it be that Ok Jung already found a way to convince them?" Suk-bin asks In her mind.