"Your Majesty, we cannot hold the borders any longer without reinforcements." Minister Jang's voice was sharp, slicing through the tense atmosphere in the council chamber.
Appa sat rigid on his throne, his face pale, but his eyes still burned with authority. "Reinforcements? With what funds? Have you forgotten the treasury bleeds from this war?"
Minister Jang bowed his head, but his jaw tightened. "If we do not act, the Buyeo forces will reach the capital within weeks."
"Then find a solution that does not bankrupt the kingdom!" Appa's fist struck the armrest of his throne, his frustration palpable.
"Perhaps the crown prince could intervene," Minister Choi suggested, glancing at Seok Hoon. "His leadership has always inspired the troops."
Seok Hoon, seated to Appa's right, inclined his head modestly. "I am ready to serve, Father. As always."
I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed. "And what exactly will you inspire them to do, hyung? Fight without weapons? Starve without rations? Or perhaps you'll conjure an army out of thin air?"
"Min Soo," Appa growled, warning in his tone.
"I'm simply stating the obvious," I said, refusing to lower my voice. "You can't win a war with morale alone."
"You can't win it with cowardice, either," Seok Hoon shot back, his calm mask slipping.
"Enough!" Appa's voice rang out, silencing the room. He pointed a trembling finger at me. "You speak as if you have the answers, Min Soo. If you are so wise, perhaps you should lead the next council meeting."
I stood, my chair scraping loudly against the stone floor. "Perhaps I will, Appa. Though it seems this court is more interested in infighting than in saving the kingdom."
---
Later, as the council dispersed, I felt a hand on my arm. Hyejin, her expression guarded, pulled me aside.
"Do you always have to provoke him?" she asked quietly.
"He provokes himself," I replied. "I'm just the unfortunate mirror."
"Be careful, Min Soo," she said, her voice low. "There are too many eyes watching you. And not all of them are kind."
---
The corridors buzzed with whispers that evening. The tension in the air was suffocating.
"I heard Minister Jang met with emissaries from Baekje," one servant murmured to another as I passed.
"And Minister Choi has been spending an awful lot of time in the queen's chambers," the other replied.
I quickened my pace, the fragments of conversation leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
---
"Min Soo." Seok Hoon's voice stopped me in my tracks. He emerged from the shadows, his expression unreadable.
"Hyung," I greeted him coolly.
"Do you enjoy making enemies?" he asked, stepping closer.
"Depends on the enemy," I said. "Why? Are you volunteering?"
He sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. "This isn't a game, little brother. The counselors are dividing, the queen is plotting, and Appa is..." He hesitated.
"Fading," I finished for him. "You don't have to pretend with me, hyung. We both see it."
"Which is why we need to stand together," he said, his tone earnest.
I laughed bitterly. "Stand together? Since when have we ever done that?"
"I'm serious, Min Soo," he insisted. "If we don't unite, the throne will fall to whoever can manipulate the most puppets."
"And you think I want the throne?" I asked, my voice rising. "You can have it, hyung. All of it—the power, the responsibility, the endless bloodshed. I never asked for any of this."
"Then stop acting like a spoiled child and start thinking about the kingdom," he snapped.
Before I could respond, a courtier ran up, panting. "Your Highnesses, the king—he's collapsed!"
---
The royal physicians crowded around Appa's bed, their faces grim. The room was eerily silent, save for the faint rasp of his labored breathing.
"The council meeting..." he croaked, his voice barely audible.
"It can wait, Your Majesty," the chief physician said gently.
"No," Appa insisted, his gaze flickering to me and Seok Hoon. "The kingdom... cannot wait."
Seok Hoon knelt beside the bed, taking Appa's hand. "Rest, Appa. We'll handle it."
"Will you?" Appa's gaze shifted to me, his eyes narrowing. "Or will you squander what generations have built?"
I stepped forward, meeting his gaze without flinching. "I will do what is right. For the kingdom."
"Words," he muttered, closing his eyes. "Empty words."
---
The council reconvened the next morning, the king's absence casting a long shadow over the proceedings.
Minister Jang rose, his expression grave. "With the king indisposed, the responsibility falls to the crown prince."
"Seok Hoon is capable," Minister Choi said, his voice slick with false sincerity. "But perhaps Prince Min Soo could assist. After all, his... insights are invaluable."
"Are you suggesting a co-regency?" General Kwon asked, his tone sharp.
"Only until the king recovers," Choi replied smoothly.
"This is absurd," Seok Hoon said, his composure slipping. "We don't need more division."
"Division is inevitable," I said, standing. "Especially when everyone in this room is more concerned with their own power than with the kingdom's survival."
"Mind your tongue, Prince Min Soo," Choi said, his smile icy.
"Or what?" I challenged, stepping closer. "You'll whisper behind my back, as you always do?"
"Enough!" Hyejin's voice cut through the tension. She stood at the entrance, her face pale. "The king's life hangs by a thread, and this is how you honor him?"
The room fell silent, guilt and resentment mingling in the air.
---
As the meeting adjourned, Seok Hoon caught up to me.
"You have a talent for making enemies," he said.
"So you keep telling me," I replied.
He shook his head. "Be careful, little brother. The next dagger might not be aimed at Appa."
His words lingered as we stepped into the courtyard, where a courier arrived with dire news: the Buyeo forces had breached the eastern defenses, and the capital was now within reach.