SULHEE

The king sits on his chair already dressed in his mourning attire and tears flows uncontrollably out his eyes. His mother's death is what he least expected. Originally, he planned to only send her to the temple for a very short period of time and reinstate her later but his poor mother couldn't see that. She didn't see further that what's in front of her. "What have I done to myself? I lost my mom and woman just the same time. I should have overlooked and turned deaf ears to all those men said. Now, I will be the loneliest man on earth." He whispers and tears flows down his eyes.

"Your majesty, it is i Jawon. May I come in?" He asks.

The king quickly wipe off his tears and orders. "Come in!"

Ja won walks in and bows. "Your majesty, why have you refused to eat or drink anything?You have been here sitting and brooding all day."

"How do you expect me to eat or drink when I lost my mom? Do you think she will ever forgive me for the things I did to her?"

"Your majesty, all these things weren't your fault, you tried your possible best to be a very loyal son but still you had to carry out your duties as the king."

The king exhales deeply and says. "I do not think I was a loyal son, immediately Sulhee stepped into my life I changed towards my mom entirely. I no longer do all she asks, I challenge her authority as the queen dowager and my mother. I stopped seeking political advices from her and stopped following her advices." He exhales deeply again. "I guess that was where her hatred for Sulhee heated up. I caused the rivalry between them."

"Your majesty, you caused no rivalry." Ja won says sternly. "The only thing Sulhee did was to open your eyes to the things the deceased queen dowager blinded your eyes to. Have you forgotten that your deceased mother practically ruled the nation and you were just a figure head then before Sulhee came into the picture?"

The king shakes his head. "How can I ever forget that?"

"Can you also remember what she did to the southern ministers that sided with her rival, Lady Cho before she was finally casted out the palace?"

"No need to remind of the terrible things my mom did, I remember it all. Even how she uses the Royal coffers to her own advantages and almost put the royal treasury in serious debt and ruin. I can still mention how she demanded for extra taxes from the poor merchants in the city just to get herself a very expensive jewel from Ming."

"There is something your mom did that I purposely kept secret from you." Jawon whispers.

"What is that?"

"Your mom stopped your charity offering to the poor and slaves for a whole year behind you and she diverted the money to her own pockets."

The king bangs the table in annoyance. "What? My mom did what?"

"If you don't believe me, then you can ask the queen her majesty, she knows every single thing your mom did."

"But how come I didn't get to know about these things?"

"You haven't started going on undercover then." Ja Won clears his throat. "The under cover outings opened you eyes and ears to see and hear the things that no minister will ever report to you."

"Have your sit." The king offers stretching forth his hand.

"Yes your majesty." Ja won bows and sit.

"I remember the first time I saw Sulhee, she was dancing and singing one of my favorite songs alone in a very quiet place that I have never been to in the palace." He pauses and looks at his head eunuch. "You told me that day you wanted us to go for a walk in the palace and made me walk through those paths I am not familiar with, and there was Sulhee, singing and dancing to my favorite song. Was it a coincidence that she happens to be singing my favorite song just when I was about to pass or did someone close to me manage to put that all up?"

Ja won smiles and says. "That would have been a secret I wanted to take to my grave, but as it is I guess I have to spill the truth already then."

"You are behind Sulhee?" The king asks again looking very anxious.

"Your majesty, I raised you and I know you have never for once loved the queen her majesty and you were under a lot of pressure when she couldn't provide an heir on time. So I took it up on myself and decided to look for a pretty and innocent lady that could just soothe you for a night alone, and fortunately, you both fell deeply in love with each other. I know you are not the type of man that fancies women a lot, so I told her to sing and dance to your favorite song."

"How come you kept this from me this long Ja won?" The king asks almost crying. "I just thought of the incident now, and I happen to be right."

"Forgive me your majesty." Ja won apologizes with a bow.

"So what do you suggest I do to her now?" The king asks.

"I have no say on that your majesty, you are the king. You have all rights to give any orders on anyone in the nation."

"The fact that Sulhee is wrong will never change. She used that letter to turn my back on my mother and now I lost her."

"As you are thinking of the nation, keep an eye on the queen too. Apparently, she is more dangerous than we imagined." Ja won whispers changing the topic.

"The queen is no trouble. The only thing that kept her moving was the queen dowager, now that she is gone, I guess the queen will be very calm and quiet."