WHO SHOULD I CROWN?

Later at night in the palace, the king had a lot of things traveling in his mind thinking of what and what not to do, but the pillar of his thoughts is who to pick as the crown prince. For the past twenty years, he hadn't bring himself to decide on who to be the crown prince.

Despite the fact that princes were born the same day but different time. Their mothers have raised them to be enemies to each other. Both of them urge and thirst for power. But the king hesitates to name either of them the crown prince.

"Ja won." The king calls on his head eunuch.

"Yes your majesty." Ja won enters and bows. "Your majesty, it's is getting late. I think you should retire to your bed chambers now."

"I need you to give some advice. What do you think I should do? Who should I crown? Yeoning or Gwang Jae?" The king asks.

"Your majesty, I have no right to say anything about that." Ja won whispers.

"Ja won." The king looks at his eunuch. "I am not asking you as a king, I am asking you as the little boy you raised with love."

"Your majesty." Jawon whispers. "You are a king, you must take certain decisions yourself without asking other people's opinion."

"You are experienced and exposed than I am, I don't want to bring calamity to the Royal lineage."

"Your majesty, who do you think is more qualified to be a king? Who do you think has qualities of a king?" Ja won asks.

"Prince Yeoning." The king whispers. "He has it all, but the nation will be in unrest if i crown him when the queen has a son."

"Are you doing it for yourself or the sake of the nation when you later pass on to your ancestors?" Ja won asks again.

"For the sake of the nation." The king replies.

"Your majesty, your sons are both greedy and in urge for power."

"What? Both of them are greedy?" The king asks.

"Yes." Ja won nods. "But prince Yeoning is a little bit better and considerate."

"Why do you say so Ja won?"

"Both of them wants the crown, no one is ready to forsake the crown for the well being of the nation or the people." Ja won sighs. "Both of them want power."

"Ja won, what are you driving at? Tell me this instant. You know the princes are being controlled by their moms."

"The queen is controlling prince Gwang Jae but Suk-bin isn't controlling her son."

"What?" The king asks.

"Yes, your majesty." Ja won nods. "He already has the qualities of a man. He always follows his heart, but one thing is, if he marries lord Jang's daughter and become the crown prince through that means, this nation will go through disaster."

"So, you are telling me to make sure that prince Yeoning mustn't become crown prince using his wife to be?" The kings asks.

"Yes, your majesty." Ja won nods again. "Thus, you have to make your choice before the marriage your majesty."

"I still can't seem to come to a conclusion yet, Ja won. It is so difficult, I don't want any of my sons to live the kind of life I live right now. I call myself the King but I can't do as I wish. All I want is for my children to be happy with who they really love." The king whispers almost crying.

"Prince Yeoning will soon get married to who he loves, but I want you to know he would be leaving the palace after that. The queen and her people might use that as an opportunity to attack him."

"The queen is ambitious not stupid." The king sighs. "She dares not lay a finger on my son for any reason."

"Your majesty." Ja won calls. "Whoever you pick, it will cause an uproar, a serious one. Lots of lives will be lost. But make sure whoever it is you choose is worth the uproar. Again, no matter what it takes, protect your sons."

The king looks at Ja won and looks around his chambers for a while, he has been running away from this decision for a very long time, it's time he accepts it. "Ja won! Send words to every necessary person, the princes are both getting married. Paste the posters, the mothers of the princes shroud be in charge of selecting their own future daughter-in-law."

"Yes, your majesty." Ja won bows and walks out.

***************

Lord Jang turns again for the seventh time and takes a peep at his wife who is sleeping peacefully and so beautifully. "How come she is sleeping so peacefully in this kind of weather." He murmurs to himself and gently removes her duvet and tries to loosen her blouse but she stops him by holding his hands. "Why are you stopping me?"

"Not today honey." Bai whispers.

Lord Jang notices his wife doesn't look happy. He lays on the bed and faces the ceiling just as she is doing. "What is wrong with you?"

"I can't believe my daughter is going to get married so soon."

"It seems like a dream to me too, but what can we do? We can't reject both princes, she has to marry one of them."

"I think I I should send word to my father very soon." Bai whispers and exhales deeply. "We should find a girl for Hae Jae too."

"Let Hae Jae be, he is yet to find who he likes. When the time is right, he would find someone he loves and everything will work out perfectly." Lord Jang smiles and looks at his wife. "Just like how I found you years ago."

Bai looks at him too and returns the smile. "The memories are still fresh in my head."

"Honey!" Lord Jang calls.

"Yes." Bai answers too with a smile.

"Should we make another baby?" Lord Jang loosens her blouse and she didn't stop him.