Kingdom AU

Sundae + GDae + ToDae

It was the thirty second woman the King had been married to, but it was also the thirty second woman the grand vizir had to to the prison for the execution. The grand vizir gritted his teeth when he was called to the main chamber, afraid that the news of him delaying the execution arrived to the King.

Carefully, the grand vizir opened the first door that led to the alley towards the second door. The way to the chamber had eight doors, and in every doors it had two guards who surrender their life to the King. Even he’s the grand vizir, he also had to be examined first before going to the main chamber. Along the way to meet the king, his mind wandered.

Since the crowned king decided to marry, he always killed the woman the day after they spent the night together. At first, Youngbae just kept silent as it was the king’s prerogative to do whatever he liked to his wife. But then he wanted to marry again after Youngbae told the executioner to kill the woman. Then, the day after the king had new wife. But he ordered Youngbae again to kill the woman in the morning, saying that the woman didn’t satisfy him.

At the third wife, the grand vizir asked the woman why she had to be executed, but the woman said that the king only ordered her to entertain him, without her being touched or whatsoever. The third woman was bewildered and did nothing but staring at the king. So, being executed was kind of unfair for her.

It continued, and after the fifteenth woman Youngbae couldn’t hid his confusion. As far as he knew, the women were the best choices Youngbae could get. They came from the noble family and of course, beautiful. From the sixteenth woman, the confused man trying to get a gisaeng for the king to be entertained, but then he wanted the woman to be killed again.

Bad rumors started to spread to the kingdom, saying that the king was a crazy man, but then the kingdom was growing despite the craziness. The people were in a good condition where and there was no obvious gap between the poor and the rich. After the seventeenth was executed, the noble families were trying to hide their daughters, afraid to be chosen as the wife.

Sometimes, Youngbae felt bad, but he had to find another woman for the king. So he started to find someone from another kingdom, selling lies that they would be given a good life if they married the king. But eventually he gave up. He would never knew why the king wasn’t satisfied with the women.

“Your Highness. I, Dong Youngbae, come to your chamber as what you ordered me.”

“Come in,”

Youngbae lowered down his sight when he slid the door. The kind was sitting behind a table while staring at the wall blankly.

“Do you know why I asked you to come to here?”

“No, Your Highness,” Youngbae bowed to the king.”

Youngbae lied. He knew very well why he was summoned to the main chamber. Beside the delayed execution, third night had passed without a woman in the main chamber. He failed to find one and he was ready to be punished.

The king stared to his grand vizir. To be honest, it’s not Youngbae’s job as the grand vizir to be ordered. It was the king’s eunuch’s job, but then the king said that he needed Youngbae to do the task as he had broader knowledge to the noble families. The time seemed to pass slowly in Youngbae’s head because the king only stared at him without saying anything. The grand vizir believed that the king knew his lie and could kill him anytime.

The king stood up, walked towards the painting of the palace garden. Even though he lowered his head, Youngbae could take a glance; he saw the king smiled at the painting. Or so he thought.

“Bring me Daesung,” the king said with a stern voice.

“I beg your pardon, Your Highness. Did I hear it wrong?”

“No. Bring me Daesung,” he repeated.

Kang Daesung or as the king called, Daesung, was the best graduate for the civil servant test just one month ago. He was Youngbae’s half-brother and one thing that worried Youngbae so much was Daesung’s fiancé, the General Choi Seunghyun. The king hadn’t known the fact, yet. He couldn’t let Daesung fell into king’s hand, because there’s no way out from there.

“Dong Youngbae, do you hear me?”

The pain in his head became severe that Youngbae fell on his knees. Bowing to the king, he begged for his brother’s life.

“Your Highness, please spare Daesung. I will bring you another woman, but please, not Kang Daesung. He’s my dearest brother who takes care of our mother. You have promi