87-A Failed Coup

Uk's team march in silence. They took their position swiftly, waiting for a good time to launch an attack.

"Let's hope everything is fine inside the palace..." said Asura.

***

"Jang Bin! What's the meaning of all this?!" Wangbi Ki sternly asked. Jang Bin glared at Myung Yu. She poke the tip of the knife against her neck.

"I'm the one who poisoned jeoha mama..."

Everyone in the room gasped. They look at each other in disbelief.

"How could you do that?! Jeoha mama loves you more than anyone in this world!" Wang Ki smacked the handle of his chair.

"I don't need his love. I just used him as a stepstone to gain the throne. All of this had been planned before I became his concubine. All I need is a person who can help me execute the plan. Manora jaga's orabeonim is the best candidate," Jang Bin shamelessly admitted.

"What about daegum? Are you the one who sent the assassin team to kill him?!" asked Wang Ki furiously.

Jang Bin nodded. "Just pay up the money to your guards, and they will be your dog. Easy..." she sneered. "Look how weak your people are, jeonha mama..."

Wang Ki grit his teeth out of frustration. He glared at the the Head Commander of The Royal Guards who shrunk in scare on his spot. "I trust you for nothing!"

"We can solve this in a peaceful way, jeonha mama. Just hand the throne to Saturn. I'll promise that I'll give you a mercy. All of you," Jang Bin smirked.

"That won't do, Jang Bin. How can you fight alone? The whole room is against you now," said Min Jun.

The woman snickered. Suddenly, she flicked the knife away from her, grab Athea with her forearm and stole the knife from Myung Yu before holding Athea as a hostage.

"Manora jaga!" Wangbi Ki screamed as she was about to charge forward but Wang Ki halted her at once.

All of the sudden, the royal guards point their weapon towards the royal family. They circulate the room, ready for the next order.

"You should've hand me the throne when I'm being nice to you, jeonha. But you refused, and look at this!" Jang Bin's loud scream echoed across the hall.

Min Jun and Soo Young exchange looks. In the blink of eye, they lean their back against each other. Their small troop had been circulated by the traitors from the Sapphire. So, looks like the intervention was failed.

"You crazy bitch!" Soo Young spit fired Jang Bin. From her spot, Indra created a space between her and Jang Bin by his sword. His small unit had surrounding the crazy concubine, but they won't dare taking action without any order from Indra.

"Jang Bin! How dare you making a ruckus at this sacred ceremony!" One of the royal council member stood up from his chair. Unfortunately, at the blink of an eye, he slammed onto the table with an arrow pierced on his chest. The hall shaken with scream as Jang Bin smirked with satisfaction.

"Anyone else who wanna challenge me?! Come on! One more step and I'll kill her!" Jang Bin went berserk. She was indeed intoxicated with power.

"What should we do now?" Soo Young whispered at Min Jun. "If we make a stealth move, she'll kill manora. And her guards may harm your parents!"

Min Jun sighed. He looked at Wang Ki and Wangbi Ki from his spot. They two were shivered in horror, but luckily the head eunuch and two other trusted guards firmly guard them.

"Let's just pray for help... I guess..."

***

Asura sliced the last remaining army who tried to stab him during a duel. For a moment, the frontliner squad had been move in discreet after a revelation made by Uk. They all were Saturn's army who took over the guards while they were busy with thr funeral preparation.

"Better have a good strategy before you decide for a coup, Your Highness..." said Uk, his eyes glare at Saturn. He had been caught along with his unit while trying to infiltrate the palace. Sun An's unit was indeed faster than everyone else. They manage to find them even before the frontliner unit moved closer to the ground of the palace.

"Now, let's meet your destiny..." Uk instructed the guard to drag Saturn and his armies inside.

***

"Since your beloved jeonha mama refused to give up the throne, everyone in this hall shall die!" said Jang Bin. She firmly held Athea; knife slowly sunk into her neck.

"Don't be stupid, Jang Bin! If you attack us, there's no guarantee there won't be any retribution!" Min Jun replied.

"There will never gonna happen, because I swear that I will kill each and every person; I won't spare the children as well..."

"No! Please not my princesses!" Athea yelped as she tried to wiggle her way to escape from Jang Bin. The knife sunk even more deep into her skin, creating a long cut where blood ooze out from it.

"Omeonim!" both of the princesses cry as the guard held them down.

"Think carefully, jeonha mama... Are you gonna lose your throne, or your family?" asked Jang Bin.

Wang Ki stared at his granddaughters. The wailing felt like a stab through his chest.

"Jeonha mama! Don't listen to her! She'll kill us no matter what! If you die, we'll have to accept a ruthless ruler like her! Back and forth, we'll die no matter what!" said Athea. Between her breath, she gathered her courage to stand up. Staring at her princesses; the only possession that she had in this world. The one and only.

There's no way she will let them live in such a cruel world!

With a determination possessed in her, Athea suddenly knocked her elbow against Jang Bin's abdomen, causing her to yelp in pain. Athea struggled to win over the knife for her. They both hustle a bit, causing a commotion in the hall. Jang Bin managed to swing her hand in a full swing and unconsciously planted the sharp blade into Athea's stomach.

"Omeonim!" from her spot, Athea could heard her two princesses scream for her. But, she failed to feel anything on her body. Her mind went blank and all she could see was a vague image of everyone who ran towards her. Her body slowly slide down, slamming the cold floor motionlessly.

"Jang Bin! What did you do?!" Myung Yu screamed at the woman. Her face was in deep shock. She threw away the bloody knife, stepping away from Athea and Myung Yu.

"Guards! Detain Jang Bin! Now!" Wang Ki ordered. The royal guards were trying to approach her, but they, too, were held by the guards from the Sapphire who already betrayed the kingdom.

"That's what you get when you try to fight me!" Jang Bin sneered. "I swear, no one will come out from this room alive! Even though you manage to, my army is waiting outside. By hook, or by crook, all of you will die!" she lifted her head proudly, then laid her sight on Wang Ki.

"You better hand over the throne to Saturn. They're no way out anymore, jeonha mama..."

The king went bleak. His eyes waver, looking at his family and all of his subject who perhaps count on him by now.

"Perhaps you're the one who should surrender yourself, Jang Bin..."

A voice from behind as someone was open the door to the main hall summoned the attention. A body staggered in front of the entrance as he stumbled lifeless in front of everyone.

"Your so-called wang is dead now. So did all of your army... Ah, your guards too!" Asura smirked, standing tall next to Uk– both in their army uniform– facing the crowd along with their frontliner and observation unit.

Soon, all of the Sapphire guards were detained by the royal army– lead by Sun An, one by one was getting caught in silence. Jang Bin tried to escape but was being held by Indra's unit.

"It's over, Jang Bin..." Min Jun uttered. As he was about to approach her, Jang Bin grabbed the knife from the floor.

"I rather die than get punished by all of you!"

With no mercy, she slid her neck with the knife. The hall screamed in horror as they witness the fall of Seja's favorite concubine.

Then, everything went silent.