THE ROYAL RIFTS

The Crown Prince arrived at the stately home of Gaesungseong palace where the King awaited his son's presence.

"His Royal Highness, The Crown Prince Gyeongjeong." Mr. Oh the Head eunuch announced.

"Let him in." King Gwangyang said.

Mr. Oh bowed as the doors of the King's private Hall were opened.

The Crown Prince walked in and bowed to his father.

"Father." He said.

"Don't bother." The King said ,"and you are very much aware what it is that I am going to ask of you." he added.

The Crown Prince bowed his head.

"It is a matter of national concern, the fact that you can not make it in this marriage and it has become clear that sooner or later it shall fall apart." King Gwangyang said.

"Aren't you supposed to be consoling me father, I just lost my son." Prince Gyeongjeong said.

"Every one will someday lose a son if they don't die before them and my fear is that your wife's possibility of giving birth again is very slim.

Three times of unsuccessful delivery it is having a toll on the Crown Princess' mental state and I doubt she can ably give birth to another child.

If she even possibly does we can not be sure that she will properly take care of the future King and possible heir to the throne." King Gwangyang replied.

"Father." Prince Gyeongjeong said somehow feeling remorse and regret over having the conversation with his father.

He couldn't possibly do what the King was about to ask, he knew better than anyone else that his father was a political strategist.

"You need to get a concubine, it might help settle the score for your marriage and also motivate your wife to deliver even soon

At least she will keep on trying." King Gwangyang said.

"Father, shouldn't we give it some time and thought, let us wait for this entire situation to simmer down.

Right now I mourn my child and I am not going to simply find someone else because you are asking me to do so.

It makes me look like an emotionless person." Prince Gyeongjeong said.

"A King isn't supposed to show off his emotions and who cares, it is understandable and you of all people know it very well that above all things is the throne.

That throne is something you must protect both with your life and your dignity." King Gwangyang said.

"I am not asking father." Prince Gyeongjeong said.

"Nor am I." The King replied.

"I don't care father whether you want your concubine or not but my say is first and it is final, if you can not wait for me to conclude my son's funeral rituals, then leave it to me." The Crown Prince said.

"You're unbelievable." The King said.

"But I shall give you time to mourn and if after that you haven't found a suitable concubine then in that case I shall be the one to find one for you." The King said.

He stood up from his seat, walked around the table and left the Crown Prince there looking at him disappear.

The moment that the King stepped outside, he caught sight of his younger son the Grand Prince Gyeongseongmun.

"Father." The Grand Prince said as he bowed his head.

"Your brother still has a lot to learn before he can be King, he shouldn't louse around with you so it is best you let him fix his love life and marriage.

Your's is the duty of protecting him, something that he can certainly not do himself." The King said.

He then continued and left the Grand Prince there who turned around to see his brother standing in the direction where their father had come from.

He could see how miserable his brother was and often sympathized with him given that he had a very great responsibility on his shoulders.

"Brother." Prince Gyeongseongmun said as the Crown Prince walked up close to him.

"Tell me then exactly what it is, do you care about me and my feelings or do you obey and work for our father?" Prince Gyeongjeong asked.

"He is just worried about you and he cares about the both of us as well." Prince Gyeongseongmun replied.

"Cares for us, huh, he only cares about himself, what is best for everyone else, not you, not me, just everyone else." Prince Gyeongjeong said.

"He loves us in ways that we can not imagine, he has no ill intentions, it's just that may be he doesn't know how to show us that love." Prince Gyeongseongmun said.

"You trust him that much, more than me, the only love I ever felt throughout my life is the love of my mother and you my brother.

He was never a good father to me, of course he might have showered you with all the love in the world but I can't even make my own decisions because not once, not twice but always I'll be just his pride while you his joy.

There's no truth more or less to that and you still defend him." Prince Gyeongjeong said.

"But he has seen more, he knows more, one day you'll be King and he is doing everything in his power to ensure that you shall always be protected and prepared for the worst." Prince Gyeongseongmun said.

"Then go ahead and turn against me like he has asked you, stay away and I shall forget that I have a brother but remember this.

I don't expect you to try and understand my life because after all, it isn't for you to understand, this life isn't for all and you can never fit in my shoes.

If ever I become King, I won't have to be the brute, the controller that my father is, I would have to be the King that this country, the King that this our heavenly Kingdom loves and will always need.

I ask you brother even when it may seem very insolent of me, you can either stand against father and be with me, or you can stand by father and be against me." The Crown Prince Gyeongjeong said.

At once with his servants walking behind, he was escorted and he left for his own Cheoncheugung palace as the Grand Prince watched.

His eyes fixed on the back of his brother he recalled every single word that he had just heard from him.

"Why do all the people I want to bring closer to myself keep drifting even further apart." The Grand Prince asked himself in thought as he pulled out the halved Jade pendant and looked at it as well.

He remembered the eyes, those sparkling and Crystal eyes he'd looked into a moment ago, they had given him a warmth like no other and be was already starting to fathom a series of complicated feelings.

Then was his brother, the person that he had loved most throughout his shift of years from infancy to teenagehood .

He was the one person that had been there for him for so long, long enough to know the things he wanted and hated, his likes and dislikes and to understand and take care of him like any other big brother would do or even better.

"Forgive me Gyeongjeong." The Crown Prince first whispered.

"Forgive me the more father." He added confidently.

"I can not turn my back on the people who have given up so much to protect me and similarly the very people that I care about." Prince Gyeongseongmun concluded.

He then put back the halved Jade pendant into his clothes and then headed off in the opposite direction to the Southern side of the palace where he lived.

"Young Master, what happened?" Mr. Song asked.

"Nothing, only father's Coachman noticed me, father might have really been in a rush." Seunghyeonjeong replied.

"That's a relief young Master and I am certain that you must be very tired after the very long ride." Mr. Song said.

"It's nothing much, I need some time alone." Seunghyeonjeong said.

"Nevertheless, I shall have some snacks prepared for you." Mr. Song said.

"Thank you." Seunghyeonjeong replied as the old man kowtowed and then walked out of the room closing the doors behind himself.

Seunghyeonjeong sat down and relaxed on a stool.

He was facing all his books but there was nothing he dared to read, there wasn't even a single book that he dared to open.

"What is happening to me?" Seunghyeonjeong asked himself as he got one of the mirrors and looked at himself in it.

He recalled him.

He recalled the Grand Prince Gyeongseongmun who acted strangely a couple of hours ago outside the city.

He recalled the man he had happened to misunderstand not so long ago and he also recalled the man that had saved his life but he'd only punched him in the face.

"His actions were a clear indicator that he spelt out disaster." Seunghyeonjeong thought to himself.

"But I struck the Grand Prince, could he have noticed me?" Seunghyeonjeong asked himself.

"He must have." The young boy was quick to conclude as his mind started pondering what it was that he could certainly do.

Mr. Song barged in to the room and Seunghyeonjeong who was absent minded was frightened to the extent of standing up.

"Young Master." Mr. Song called out of deep concern for him.

"Mr. Song." Seunghyeonjeong trying to maintain a casual tone said but his stutter betrayed him.

"Something is wrong." Mr. Song said.

"I am worried about Shin Ji, I haven't seen him in a while ever since I got here." Seunghyeonjeong replied.

It looked believable enough an excuse and judging from the look on Mr. Song's face, he was buying it.

"You are growing old very, very soon and I understand if that you are in absolute need of some help at the moment since you are busy." Mr. Song said.

"If my closest servant isn't here with me I am worried that my security could be compromised along with his." Seunghyeonjeong said.

"Don't worry young Master, Shin Ji went to the market so I shall tell him to come here right away when he is back." Mr. Song said.

"Thank you." Seunghyeonjeong said.

"You're welcome." Mr. Song replied as he bowed his head and then walked out of the room once again

Seunghyeonjeong had managed to calm down and he got a hold of his halved Jade pendant that he had kept so long a secret from his father.

"There are times that I still wish and hope that someday your other lost half would come back to me." Seunghyeonjeong whispered as he embraced the pendant and put it in his chest.

He held it so tightly and let his mind wander away.

He was uncertain of very many things at the moment and the most being why his memory of the Grand Prince sparked up in him a series of feelings not even himself with all his wisdom and knowledge he could explain.

"His highness, the Crown Prince is here your Highness." one of the maids announced to the Crown Princess who was distressed and seated in her room.

She was wearing an all white attire which indicated her mourning for her late child and upon hearing the maid she stood up.

"Where is he?" She demanded immediately.

"He is still walking in the courtyard and headed to his room." The maid replied.

At once the Crown Princess hurried out of the room.

"Mama." The maid yelled after her as they went outside.

The Crown Princess walked until eventually she came face to face with her husband while shedding tears.

"Your Highness." The Crown Princess said as she bowed her head.

"Leave us alone." The Crown Prince ordered all the other servants who bowed their heads.

"Yes your Highness." They said and they walked away leaving the two standing under one of the peach trees in the courtyard.

The Crown Princess then stood upright.

"Forgive me your Highness, I failed you, I failed the third time again." The Crown Princess apologized.

"It is no one's fault, we are not the gods to decide the fate of every other human being, nor are we the gods to grant life to the dead.

I don't hold you responsible for anything, whatever it really was that happened, I still believe that we have a chance." The Crown Prince said.

"Forgive me, may be it is all because of my bad luck at marriage but you should reconsider that this is hurting every one else." The Crown Princess said.

"Don't blame yourself for anything else that happened." The Crown Prince said.

"But your father is right and you need to have a child at least for the very best of this country, one day you'll become King and you shall need a son and an heir to keep your name and save the throne.

I shall happily welcome the person who can give you that gift and that pride that I can not give you as of now but please I don't want to see you hurting." The Crown Princess said.

"So you are also taking father's side, do you even know what it is that you are asking of me?" The Crown Prince asked.

"Please, for the good of all at least." The Crown Princess said.

"You are married to me and not to my father." The Crown Prince said.

"You are also married to this Kingdom and it is your duty, whatever you decide it doesn't really matter if it's about me but it matters if it's about the Kingdom and this land you can not be so selfish." The Crown Princess said.

"I am mourning my son." The Crown Prince said.

"He was also mine but do you think that I don't hurt, I don't care whose child I hold in my hands but as long as it is your child, your flesh and blood then that alone is enough for me." The Crown Princess said.

The Crown Prince was so devasted as he looked at his wife.

"Even after all this, you are like everyone else?" The Crown Prince asked.

The Crown Princess Incheon kept quiet and bowed his head.

"You won't have a say in my relationships and I shall not have this talk nor do I want to hear of it, if it is a concubine that you need then you shall have one.

I'll certainly make sure that I have no regrets about my decision and my decision is final." The Crown Prince said as he walked past his wife and left her standing right there.

She was the very last hope that he had but if she'd gladly give him away to someone else, there was no need to feel remorse over seconding her to someone else.

The very first thought that came to the Crown Prince's mind concerning who his concubine would be was that very charming young and dignified boy he'd met from the clothing store the previous day.