Denial

Sung Joon looked at Sung Hoon but couldn't give an answer back. Of course he had thought of that. He had the queen a few times but every time she explained that it was too far away and the king couldn't just drop everything to come see him.

Doubt shrouded Sung Joon's mind. He didn't want to believe anything Sung Hoon told him but there were a lot of unanswered questions. There was one thing he was sure of. "Mother is not Intersex! I'm the child of..." 

"You know what, when we return to the palace, I'll ask Elder Young to do a few tests. I'll prove to you that I'm not lying." Sung Hoon looked at Sung Joon until the latter looked away. "This might hurt and I'm not telling you because I'm selfless."

"The hate and anger you have towards me is because the queen has told you to hate me since I took away the crown but that is not true. I'm doing this so I can govern the Kingdom in peace. After you hear the whole story. I hope you can leave this anger behind."

Sung Hoon let out a sad sigh before standing up. "We'll leave tomorrow. Go back to your room and think about what I have told you. I hope that you'll get a good night's sleep." Sung Hoon stood up and took Jinwoon's hand. Together they walked out the door.

A few seconds later two guards walked in and took Sung Joon to his room. Ka Ha also left to find a room to sleep in. They were all tired. Sung Hoon wanted to talk with Jinwoon about what had happened but when they found a room with a bed, they both crashed. 

They all woke up late in the afternoon. The guards led the queen, Sung Joon and the four sentries out of the house. Ki Ha had left a few hours before to get a carriage for the queen and Sung Joon. Jinwoon wanted to ride with Sung Hoon. 

When Ki Ha arrived, they finally left for the palace. Compared to the days it took to find Jinwoon, it took them around nine hours to come back to the palace. Elder Young was the only one waiting for them. "Welcome back." Young smiled at Jinwoon.

"Send the queen back to her residences." Sung Hoon turned to the queen. "If you try to escape, the guards have permission to kill you." The queen's eyes turned big. "You won't!" Sung Hoon brows went up. "After what you did. I can."

"Sung Joon, come with me." Young did a double take. "Sung Joon... Is that?" The other nodded. Young looked at the queen before turning away. Sung Joon looked at the queen's retreating back. "C... Will I see her again?" 

Sung Hoon shrugged. "It all depends on herself." Sung Joon's lips started to tremble again but he didn't cry out or anything. He hung his head down and followed them, away from his mother. "Elder Young, could you help us with some tests?"

Young looked interested. "I've told Sung Joon about his birth." Young stumbled. "Why?!" "Well, the queen has told him that he is the first born and that I've taken the throne away from him." Young had an annoyed look on his face.

"I told the king it was a bad idea to have the queen raise him." Young looked at Sung Joon. "You'll have to tell me everything and I mean everything your mother has told you. Do you understand?" Young dark face made Sung Joon shiver. "Yes, sir."

They returned to Sung Hoon's house. The others went upstairs to clean up, while Young took Sung Joon to the sitting room. "Now tell me everything." Young gave Sung Joon a soft smile but it didn't reach his eyes. Sung Joon swallowed hard before telling Young about his very lonely childhood. 

He remembered that he was raised by a nanny and the queen would come once or twice a month until he was six. After that the only people he saw after that were tutors and trainers. Sung Joon had no other friends.

The queen forbade him from playing with the village children. The tutors and trainers never stayed after teaching him.  He tried to befriend the sentries but they avoided him. So all his life he has always been alone. 

Young knew straight away why the queen had isolated Sung Joon. With no friends his age or any form of socialisation, she had made him dependent on her. That's why he believed everything she said. 

Young felt bad for Sung Joon. He and Sung Hoon were actually raised the same. Luckily Sung Hoon had Ki Ha by his side but Sung Joon was all alone. After a while Jinwoon and Sung Hoon returned. Ki Ha came down a few minutes after them but he moved straight to the kitchen.

"Young, could you help me test Sung Joon?" Young crook his head. "What for?" "Sung Joon doesn't believe a word he told him." Young dreaded Sung Hoon's words. "Y... You told him?" Sung Hoon nodded. "Why would you do that?" 

Sung Hoon scratched his head, feeling embarrassed. "The queen was cussing at my father and ...." Young's disbelieving face made him stop explaining. "You're not young anymore! How can you still lass out like a small child."

Sung Hoon hung his head. Young was right but the queen had rubbed him wrong. "I know but..." Young put his hand up. "What is done is done." He turned back towards Sung Joon. "So this blockhead explains everything." 

Sung Joon had a smug look on his face and he didn't answer. Young took out his devices and scanned Sung Joon. "Put your finger on this button." Sung Joon hesitated before putting his finger on the black button. He felt a sharp prick and saw a drop of blood enter the device.

Young pressed some buttons before turning the device towards Sung Joon. "The machine took your blood to compare it with everybody in the royal families. As you can see you are related to the queen and the princess." 

"The king and Sung Hoon are not included." Sung Joon saw the screen and saw the name of the queen and the princesses. He saw the number hundred behind the queen and the rest were fifty. "Has Sung Hoon explained how you came to be?" Sung Joon was staring at the screen. 

"Y... You could... This is no." Sung Hoon leaned over and put his finger on the black button. Young pressed a few buttons and showed Sung Joon the screen. "As you can see. The queen is not included in Sung Hoon's test."

Sung Joon saw that again the princess but also the king. behind the princesses it showed just twenty-five, while the king had fifty behind his name. Sung Joon was shaking his head. "This is not right." He stood up looking at them in anger.

"Mom... Mother has never lied to me! You want me to believe that you're the real heir!" Sung Joon pointed at Sung Hoon with wild eyes. Sung Hoon's shoulders fell. He knew it would be hard for Sung Joon to believe him but he had held some hope. 

Sung Hoon turned to Young. "What now?" Young flicked his head. "Now you ask!" Jinwoon had been quietly looking at Sung Joon. "Sung Joon, aren't you hungry? Why not go to the kitchen?" The other looked at him in confusion. "Go on." Jinwoon pointed toward the kitchen.

Sung Joon shook his head. "I'm not hungry." Jinwoon shrugged. "Then sit down and calm down." He stood up and walked towards the kitchen. Sung Hoon followed him. "What was that about?" Sung Hoon whispered. 

"I just got an idea. We need him to hear the truth from the queen. He'll never believe us. She has been telling these stories for years. Do you think that two days will make you think otherwise?" Sung Hoon shook his head. "But how do you want to do that?"

Jinwoon bit his lower lip. "I need food. I haven't eaten for two days. It's a miracle that I'm still standing." Sung Hoon laughed. "Then let's eat until we're full." When they entered the kitchen the servants all greeted Jinwoon with a big smile. "Glad to see you safe and well." 

Jinwoon smiled at them and sat down. Ki Ha was bent over a plate and was shoveling the food in his mouth. "Ki Ha nim! Chew!" Binna looked at Ki Ha in despair. "There is enough!" Ki Ha looked up with his cheeks full of food. "It's just too good." 

Jinwoon and Sung Hoon sat at the table, While Chang Min plated their food. "Ki Ha, can you help us?" Ki Ha looked up. "What?" Sung Hoon scowled. "Don't eat with your mouth full." Ki Ha sneered at him. "Just tell me what you want.

"We want the queen to tell Sung Joon the truth." Ki Ha frowned. "She'll never do that. You know that too." Sung Hoon nodded. "What if we fool her? What if we can make her tell everything for Sung Joon to hear." Ki Ha's eyes turned bright. 

"That is going to be a tough thing to do but give me some time. I'm sure I can think of something."