Dropping her cup Jinkyong only managed to turn her head away from the table as opened expelling the rest of her tea on the floor. Choking after the vomiting she weakly called out for her lady in waiting.

“Soyeon!”

 Soyeon arrived abruptly and almost slipped in her socks. She bowed to her lady before realising what had happened. “Oh dear,” she grabbed one of the napkins from the table and started to dab Jinkyong’s face. “My lady you don’t appear to be well. This isn’t the first time you haven’t been able to keep down your food.”

Jinkyong fell back against the floor lying face towards the ceiling. “Why can’t death just take its toll? I’m so tired and my s are so sore it’s like someone was trying to massage them—“

“Ah my lady,” Soyeon’s face was alarmed. “Did you not have your monthly flow yet?” Jinkyong shook her head. Soyeon suddenly scrambled to her feet. “I need to get the royal physician.”

“Why what for?” Jinkyong asked starting to become worried. When Soyeon did not respond Jinkyong forced herself upright. Staring at the table she looked at the sweets and other dried fruits.

“Can’t I have something with beef I really want beef,” she murmured to herself.

The physician came and examined her with the cautious eye of Soyeon and the queen mother’s advisor who was head of the ladies in waiting keeping things in check.

He finished and started to pack away his tools. “Well, what is wrong with me?!”

The physician made a rather false smile. “You’re fine your majesty. You just need some rest.”

“Tell us what is wrong with her!” The queen mother’s advisor snapped. “We know she has the same symptoms of—“

The physician suddenly became very anxious. “I can’t say it without the king finding out…”

Jinkyong felt a bitter taste in . “What do I have the symptoms of?”

He coughed and answered unable to face any of the women present. “She’s around two weeks pregnant.”

Jinkyong almost looked as if she was about to throw up. Soyeon grabbed her by the shoulders to keep her upright. Her grandmother’s advisor left the room swiftly. Jinkyong gently nudged Soyeon away. Although she was still in shock she had to make sure her lady in waiting saw the physician off.

“I’ll stay here and wait for your return.” She told her and clung to the table with one hand as the pair bowed and departed. Her whole body started shaking in the terror of the truth. She was going to be a mother; she was going to have a child.

Instead of joy emitting from her there was a twisted grief at the turn of events. Her eyes teared up and she struggled not to sob from the force of emotions.

The king summoned Jinkyong to visit him in his quarters along with his wife the queen in attendance. Jinkyong almost lied to say that she was sick but the chances were that his highness already knew. Word could travel fast around the palace.

The king wasn’t wearing his official red robe but rather the gold one without the hat. “Have a seat.” His tone did not sound inviting to his daughter who slowly made herself with difficulty. The queen eyed her husband but he didn’t see it.

“There have been loose words floating around the palace like a swarm of bees that speak of your current condition. Are these words correct or have they been falsely conceived?”

Jinkyong shuddered inwards when he mentioned ‘conceived’. “The…They have not been false.”

Her mother’s face started to fall. “So you are pregnant? So you’ve conceived out of the union of a husband?”

She tried to speak except the rising in his voice gave his presence more to tremble at. “Tell me who is he?” He growled. “WHO IS THE FATHER?!”

Jinkyong didn’t have to think. There was a moment when the realisation sunk in and it could be seen in her eyes. Afraid he spotted such a gaze she hung her head low, forcing the edge of her tongue to rest between her jaws.

“Tell me who it is!” He had lowered the volume in his voice. “Tell me who this man is that brought my daughter to his cursed bed?!”

She was shaking like from before. The king finally grew tired of her silence. “Away from me,” he demanded sweeping a hand across the air like he was trying to knock something off a table. Jinkyong had to have Soyeon come and help her up, fear had bound her almost lame.

Changsun hit Sanghyun lightly in the back with the tip of his spear. Sanghyun lifted his head in a jolt and cut his snore short. “Ah yes sir,” he said bowing, “thank you for your kind words sir.”

“What have you been doing?” Changsun said with a smile. “Practicing your response to the general’s praise?”

“Ah did I fall asleep again?” Sanghyun rolled his shoulders and then bent his neck side to side releasing slight cracks from the tension. “Why does it always happen?”

“You aren’t used to being up on your feet for so long.”

“How come you manage to stay awake at this late time?”

“You forget that I cannot sleep properly.” Sanghyun remembered and then nodded in sympathy to his friend. They flinched at the sound of footsteps and started to move forwards when Changsun saw who was walking. “Ah it’s just the pair taking over our position.” The other guards and the pair bowed to each other as Changsun and Sanghyun left.

“Do you think the execution will be public?”

“Shh do not speak so loudly.”

The first guard spoke again sounding indignant. “It doesn’t matter, I’m sure they already know about the princess.”

Changsun and Sanghyun’s feet slowed as they continued to listen. “Do you think they know she has been exposed to sleeping with a man outside of marriage or that she is now carrying that person’s bastard child?”

Sanghyun glanced at Changsun. He hinted with his head that they kept on walking so the other guards couldn’t hear their conversation. “Do you think Seungho and Jinkyong…?”

“I know so,” Changsun said almost regrettably. “We both know that Jinkyong would not choose any other man over him.”

Sanghyun nodded. “We have to warn him.”

Changsun disagreed to a point. “Yes but we need to warn Byunghee first. Besides he may know where to find the father of the bastard child.”

And I’m back after a long hiatus (not really) thanks for waiting everyone and are we shocked?