The 14th prince took a deep breath as he made his way to Queen Yoo’s quarters. As he stood outside waiting to be announced, he wondered how this would go. It had been several weeks since their visit to Wook hyungnim’s residence, where they all but forced Yeon Hwa to surrender. Jung was thankful that So hyungnim no longer had to worry about her, but he knew that they still had another person to worry about: their mother.

To be honest, he had been avoiding this confrontation for awhile now. Although he grew up never thinking anything ill of his mother, he knew that she favored him most out of all her children. It was safe to say that she coddled him, keeping him blind to all the dangers that were in the world. Yo hyungnim on the other hand, was always constantly pressured to do her bidding in order to ascend the throne, and So hyungnim was forever shunned by her because of his scar. He never understood this, and while his older brothers suffered under their mother, he was the only one reaping the benefits of her love.

He didn’t think it was an issue being favored when he was younger, but now that he was older, he saw the error of her ways. It was finally time that he put to rest his questions once and for all, and end her schemes permanently.

After he was announced, Jung walked into the drawing room where his mother waited with a large smile.

“Jung Ah, why have you taken so long to visit this mother of yours? I have been wondering when I would see you again!”

Eomoni smiled as she leaned forward slightly to speak to So hyungnim. Jung could see the nervousness on So hyungnim’s face as he sat next to him. 

“How nice is it to see your bare face. You now have the king’s trust and I am proud of that. I have waited so long for a day like this, so let’s forget the past.”

After Yo gave them the sign to start eating, Jung turned towards So and said shyly.

“This is my first time eating with you, So hyungnim!”

So turned and smiled amiably at his younger brother, and Jung felt any nervousness melt away. There was no way the rumors about his second eldest brother were true.

“I was already in Shin Ju when you were born.”

“We should forget the past mistakes and see each other often as brothers,” Yo said with a smile.

“Yes, Yo hyungnim!” Jung responded before he turned again to smile at So. So returned the smile and Jung felt that the rest of the night would be fine. But how wrong he was.

Jung smiled stiffly as he gave her a bow before he sat down across from her. He poured some tea for his mother first before pouring himself a cup. She smiled as he finished before picking a pastry and setting it on his plate.

“Here you are, Jung Ah. These were your favorites when you were young. Is it still the same now?”

Eomoni picked up a piece of meat and placed it on top of the rice in So hyungnim’s bowl. 

“You liked meat very much when you were young.”

Jung had just taken a bit of his own rice when he heard coughing from his right and turned to see So hyungnim clear his throat before speaking, mouth still full of rice.

“I still like it very much…”

Jung looked down at the sweet pastry on his plate and smiled tightly. 

“Yes, eomoni.”

“Well then, eat up. This mother is happy to see her son again.”

Jung picked up the pastry and popped it into his mouth, chewing but not tasting anything of the sweetness. He picked up the cup of tea and gulped it down, washing away the pastry. He glanced up to see his mother smiling broadly as she watched him before taking a sip of her own tea. His mother was always like this when she saw him, but today it was especially hard to bear on his end. Maybe it was because of what he was about to do.

“Is it to your tastes, Jung Ah? Should I send for more?”

“This is fine, eomoni. I do not eat sweets often these days so this much is enough.”

“Are they not feeding you well at the borders? My poor son has suffered so much!”

Jung looked up to see his mother frowning slightly, displeased at a mere matter of him not having pastries at the border. He almost laughed at the absurdity of it. This was such a small matter when compared to how his brothers lived their entire lives under her reign.

“I am not the one who has suffered, eomoni…”

“What are you talking about, Jung Ah?”

“Do you remember the first time you invited So hyungnim to eat with us?”

Jung poured his mother some more tea before doing the same for himself. He looked up to see the frown deepen on his mother’s face before he picked up his own cup to take a sip.

“Why are you bringing him up? You know how that upsets me, Jung Ah.”

“I think he was the one who suffered the most out of all of us. Do you remember how happy he was to eat with us? I was even happy because it was my first time eating with him!”

Jung remembered how So hyungnim had nearly choked on his food when eomoni placed a piece of meat on his rice. A gesture Jung had received so often, and something so trivial, must have made So hyungnim happy for the first time in his life. Unfortunately, his mother was only putting up an act in an attempt to gain his trust.

As the youngest at the table, it was Jung’s responsibility to pour tea for those older than him. He carefully poured tea and gave it first to his mother, then Yo hyungnim, and finally So hyungnim, before he poured a cup for himself.

“You are taking on Yo’s job. You have much to learn,” eomoni advised So hyungnim before Yo hyungnim added:

“I will have to leave Songak. It is best to learn from the crown prince.”

“I will do that,” So hyungnim said and Jung was excited to know that he would be seeing his second brother more often. Perhaps they would be able to train together.

“Then you will have many opportunities to see the crown prince. There will be times when it will just be the two of you.”

What was Yo hyungnim saying? Jung looked at him first before hearing So hyungnim ask in disbelief.

“What?”

Jung could see the look of realization appear on So hyungnim’s face before it morphed into one of bleak resolution.

“Of course, there was something you wanted from me…”

What was he talking about? Jung turned his head to look at eomoni, and the words she spoke made his heart nearly stop.

“Kill the crown prince. That wouldn’t be the first time you killed for me. Will you do it?”

Jung couldn’t help but speak up to help So hyungnim. Why were they doing this to him? They had barely finished dinner and yet they were talking about such unsettling topics. Killing the crown prince? What kind of joke was that?

“Eomoni, you shouldn’t say such things, even as a joke!”

“His star was cursed, so he had to be sent away. I don’t like you associating yourself with him...what if your star changes too?”

“Whether or not my star changes is of no concern for me, eomoni. I wonder why you shun him so? He has been the perfect brother these past few years. How different it would have been if our father did not send him away?”

His mother reached over to grasp his arm, a worried look on her face now.

“Jung Ah, you should avoid him when you can. You never know when he will turn on you!”

“Is that what you really want?” So hyungnim asked.

“I want it,” eomoni said simply.

“Then I will do that. After I do, I will sit on the throne.”

“What?” Jung heard eomoni say before a frown began to form on her face. He had never heard her tone like this before. 

“You want a son of yours to become king. It should not matter if it is me. Once I am on the throne, I will not harm Yo hyungnim or Jung.”

So hyungnim betraying him? That would never happen. His brother had been nothing short of loyal ever since he returned to the palace, even at the risk of his own pride!

“Do you also remember this, eomoni? During that same dinner, you asked him to kill the crown prince.”

“Why are you bringing up the past? You know it does not matter anymore.”

“I never knew how cruel you could be, eomoni. To be honest, calling you that now makes me feel strange.”

“What….are you talking about?”

“I never realized you could threaten your own son’s life. That is how So hyungnim received his scar, isn’t it? If he hadn’t received the scar, he would have had to pay with his life. But you didn’t care about that, did you? You only cared to send away a reminder of your mistake.”

The blood slowly drained out of his mother’s face, and Jung knew what he spoke of was no rumor.

“And to think a rumor I heard years ago was true! But what’s more, you were the one to send poison to the crown prince a few years back. And because of that, So hyungnim drank it in his stead.”

His mother set down her cup noisily, her hands now shaking and a look of horror crossing her face, but still Jung continued.

“And did you know, eomoni? He was doing it all for you! He might have saved the crown prince in the process, but you forced him into a corner. All because you wanted Yo hyungnim to take the throne. But things didn’t end up that way, did it?”

He could now see the look of fear enter his mother’s face. Did she finally realize the consequences of her actions?

“J...Jung Ah, please listen to me. I did it for your sake! I had to make sure you would be protected!”

“Ah, I suppose something did come out of it. So hyungnim gained the favor of Paeha, and now he is the crown prince. He will protect me now, but that doesn’t make you happy, does it eomoni? I wonder why?”

His mother stood up now and went over to his side, grasping his arm with both of her hands, her fingers digging into his forearm.

“Wang So is crazy! He will do all it takes to make sure no one will stop him, and that includes you! Do you think he will protect you when he ascends the throne? He will kill you off, just like everyone else!”

“Why do you call him like that, eonomni? Is he not your son?”

“He is no son of mine,” Queen Yoo said in a harsh voice.

Jung felt a chill down his back, and he slowly untucked his mother’s grip from his arm before he stood up. She looked up at him in shock as he stepped away from her.

“If So hyungnim is not your son, then I must not be your son either.”

“Jung Ah, how can you say this to me? I am your mother, of course you are my son!”

“I could ask the same of you, eomoni. How could you do this to your sons? Why have you tried to turn us on each other?”

So hyungnim stood up, and he smiled grimly.

“The food I had here today was not bad. Still, you should eat with your family. Please do not call me here again,” he said coldly before storming off. Jung was confused, why was eomoni doing this to them? He saw her simply take another sip of her tea.

“As I thought, it is too difficult to reconcile with him,” Yo hyungnim said before taking in the scent of the tea and taking a sip himself. “We will have to cut off ties.”

Jung could no longer handle it and slammed his cup down. How could they even drink tea in this situation?!

“You are all too much! You ask him to murder a person at a family dinner?If you were going to raise us as enemies, why did you give birth to us eomoni?!”

A threatening look could soon be seen on his mother’s face, and she stood up in anger, her voice venomous.

“What did that wolf tell you? What did he do to turn you on your own mother?”

Jung couldn’t help it and laughed humorlessly. 

“So hyungnim never told me anything. He has not spoken an ill word of you since the day I met him. I found out about it myself from Paeha: he was the one who saved So hyungnim the night you scarred him. Paeha was also the one who told me that So hyungnim sacrificed himself to drink poison in order to save you, and by extension Paeha as well.”

Jung had turned his back on his mother, but he turned around to address her full on.

“But you know what else, I found out eomoni? You were the one behind those assassins years ago during the spiritual rites. You also tried to kill the crown prince that day, but So found out and he protected you yet again.”

“He murdered an entire temple of monks, and you are saying he protected me?!”

Although he had found out on his own, hearing his mother confirm it was shocking. But still, that was what his brother had to do in order to protect their mother.

“That was what he did, didn’t he? He was forced to do that, and if he had gone a moment later, the crown prince and Ji Mong would have found out, costing you your life. But even then you did not learn your lesson. I found out recently you tried to poison Soo hyungsoonim.”

“Jung Ah, how could you accuse me of that?!”

“And on top of that, you are sponsoring yet another temple of those monks, the same ones you sent to So hyungnim’s quarters weeks ago. Why are you so intent on hurting So hyungnim?”

“Jung Ah, please listen to me! You have mistaken me!”

“I have evidence of course. Don’t worry, Soo hyungsoonim is obviously fine, and So hyungnim didn’t kill anyone this time, if that’s what you’re worried about. The monks will probably be executed by the royal guards though.”

His mother dropped to the floor, gasping in shock at his harsh words, and he had to look at her emotionlessly as she did so. 

“I don’t know what you thought you could achieve by joining forces with Yeon Hwa again, but you chose wrongly eomoni. You should have embraced So hyungnim when he would allow it. It is too late for you now.”

“J..Jung Ah….you cannot do this to me…”

“It is not me that is doing this to you, eomoni. You brought it upon yourself. Surprisingly, So hyungnim is protecting you again. You will not be persecuted, so long as you step back from now on. You will no longer have any hand on who ascends the throne. If you sit quietly, you will survive to your old age as a dowager queen. But if you do not, I cannot guarantee your life.”

Jung walked towards the door before he paused and turned his head towards his mother once more, not fully looking at her.

“These are my last words of advice to you as your son, eomoni: reflect upon your actions as you live in grandeur inside this palace. Time will only tell if your sons forgive you.”

And with those words, Jung left Queen Yoo’s quarters. He would later on receive many requests to have him come visit her, but he refused them all. 

It wasn’t to say that this process didn’t hurt Jung as well. He had a very amiable relationship with his mother up until these recent years, and to turn his back on her made his heart hurt. Was everything in his childhood a lie? He didn’t know what to think anymore.

But what he did know was that So hyungnim was someone who did not deserve any of eomoni’s ire. He was simply someone caught in her greed for the throne. Despite all the hardships she put him through, he still returned as a son who was so willing to lay his life on the line for her. Whether this was her fate or not, Jung had no idea. They could only move forward from now on, and if it meant he had to turn his back on her, so be it.