…………Chapter 24 ……….

(In The Crown Prince’s Absence Pt 1 of 2)

Two and a half months had gone by since The Crown had died and their son and his spouse disappeared. The palace wasn’t its usual chipper self. Solemn, the servants never smiled: mourning and heartbroken over the loss of their beloved King and Queen and worried to death over the mysterious absence of The Crown Prince and Prince Taemin.  But they couldn’t talk about it for Lord Leeteuk would be outraged at the mention of Prince Jinki’s name. No one dare utter a word aloud in his presences in fear he would jail them. He had already imprisoned a few men of court who speculated foul play: the General and the Royal doctor just to name a few of the prisoners….

The night Heechul had ran away to Emerald Fields to dump the poisoned bodies of the two princes and their friends, Lord Leeteuk had entered the King’s chambers. Happily waiting for the King and Queen’s transformation, Leeteuk was sitting at the foot of the bed watching them sleep and writhe in torment.

Leeteuk hadn’t even thought of what to do about the two witnesses in the room once they turned to mice. He more than likely would just kill them. But luckily for him he wouldn’t have to deal with the doctor or the matriarch’s maiden seeing mice for things for the King and Queen were taking a dreadful turn for the worse…

The poison had been circulated through their bodies and had begun manipulating their cells faster than before. With every passing seconded it was taking a heavier toll on the Royal couple; the normal pace of a man’s heart is 72 beats per minute but a mouse’s is 670. They struggled painfully to keep up to breathe. To live… The King and his wife suddenly started breathing heavier once again; every cell, each bone and organ, with every fiber of their being aching in anguish from trying to morph. The King to his side: doubling over in agony; The King griped his stomach and groaned…Enjoying their suffering Leeteuk tried to control his wicked smile and feigned concern. “Get them a cold cloth” He ordered to the Queen’s maiden and the Royal Physician as they moaned and groaned drenched in perspiration.

The pain was too much for the King it had awoken him briefly; needing her comfort he quickly shot his hand to his wife’s. It was too much, excruciating for the Queen she had gone completely unconscious.  The poison surged through their bodies as their hearts pumped the poison faster and faster; the two women franticly tried to do something to help; the doctor checked the racing pulse of the king once again…

His ribcage cracked as his body tried to shrink into a rodent’s; a rib punctured his left lung. With an inhuman heart rate speeding beyond his control and his chest constricting and his lungs filling up with blood the king’s chest heaved heavily as he let out a painful gurgling groan…. The King panted quickly, then in shorter jagged breathes as his chest tightened more and more he gasped for air. Fingers tangled with his wife’s The King let out a shaky staggered last breath as his heart burst: his soul instantly taken home to the ancestors in heaven. Seconds later, the Queen’s heart, tired of running rampant, stopped abruptly; The Queen gasped sharply, there was a pause then a strangled exhale releasing her body of her last breathes: setting her soul free.  The beloved royal couple had entered the heavens the same way they reigned: Together.

In the end they simply couldn’t cope with the transformation; The Crown ceased in movement; their bodies finally free of many long hours of intolerably pain; their chests calm and unmoving. The physician and the maiden froze for a moment in shock. The doctor quickly flung her head down upon the king’s listening in vain for a heartbeat that was no longer there.  The maiden stared at her with tears blurring her vision and a quivering chin; she pleaded with her teary eyes to the doctor, begging silently to say it isn’t so. But sadly it was; the physician looked up from his chest and with a small sad nod the physician confirmed they had indeed passed away. The doctor’s tears finally unleashed, the maiden’s tears came streaming down as she laid her head down on the Queen’s arm bawling at the Kingdom’s loss. 

Everything had happened so fast; within the hour of the kidnap of the two princes, the King and Queen had passed into the afterlife and Leeteuk couldn’t have been happier. But after a few moments he forced a tear from his eye just in time before the doctor and the maiden looked at him. The doctor wiped at her eyes and stated “We must inform King Jinki what has happened to his parents.” The loyal maiden lifted her head slowly; she kept her eyes on her female monarch and added softly as she sniffled. “And…Queen Taemin.” The maiden brushed the late Queen’s hair off her sweaty forehead then kissed the queen softly upon her forehead. She then whispered to herself “It’s been an honor serving you, your highness.” As the doctor came around the bed to comfort the maiden, who had spent her entire life dedicated to the Queen, Leeteuk spoke.

“He is sick. We should wait till morning.”

The royal Physician scrunched up her brows in confusion. “He has to know. This is highly important; it cannot wait my Lord.”

“He is contagious, remember? Him and his little friends.”

She came out of her hug with the queen’s servant and stood up. “I haven’t gotten sick. I will go inform him while you inform the court. This cannot wait till morning.” The doctor looked to the maiden whom was still sitting in grief on the floor and had returned her head to the Queen’s arm. “Unnie, Please make the King and Queen presentable the best you can before the court comes. I’ll be back to help as soon as I fetch King Jinki and his spouse.” She knelt down and rubbed her back “Unnie?” she said softly.

Lifting her head up again, the maiden sniffled and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “I’ll be ok. Yes, I will clean them up and dress them, Doctor-nim.”

“Wake the entire court?” he didn’t mean to say that aloud. He had to control himself.

Shocked, both woman shot him a look “The King has died! Yes wake them!” The doctor ordered

He bowed his head slightly “I’m sorry. What was I thinking? Must be lack of sleep and I must be in shock at their sudden passing. Yes, yes of course I will wake and inform the court.” Leeteuk had no choice but to walk out and do what he was told to remain unsuspicious.

………………………..

Holding a lantern to light her way through the night the physician knocked on the Crown Prince’s doors. She heard nothing and naturally assumed they were sleeping.  She slid open the doors slowly “Prince Jinki” She whispered into the darkness of the building. She stumbled on the bedding of pillows and cushions the group had been lying on in the middle of the floor. “oof” She looked down and lowered her light to see what she tripped over. She squatted down; there were clothes strewn about over the cushions and blankets. “Princes’ Lee?” She saw Minho’s sword lying near the wall and his black and blue guard attire thrown to the side. There was what looked to be animal claw marks scratched into the grain of the wooden floor. She started panting heavily with nervous scared energy as she took in her surroundings. Kibum’s gat was next to the table in the corner on the floor and the string of beads were torn off the brim and his posh pink robes crumpled up and hanging off a wooden chest near the wall under the window. “Chief Choi? Official Kim-nim?”   She stood up and lifted her light. Tables were turned over, some with broken legs. Jinki’s porcelain blue and white antique water jug was shattered on the ground in millions of pieces. She gasped “Prince Jinki, Prince Taemin?” She quickly ran to the back section of the room, and into the room that contained his bed.  The couple’s pearl aqua robes were lying on the floor in a tangled heap, the smaller hanbok was torn. Jinki’s wardrobe was knocked over and the door was hanging off its hinge. Signs of the struggle clearly everywhere, she began to weep. Bending down, she picked up the royal hanboks off the ground. She gasped seeing blood on the floor beneath the clothes; not sure if it came from them or their assailant.  “What happened? omo. Help! Help!”

She ran out of the chambers and back in the king’s quarters finding the Queen’s lady alone in the room.  “Maiden, something has happened to King Jinki and his friends! Th-there was a mess. The Crown Prince building is destroyed.” Shocked and confused at what she saw, she shook; her fingers trembled as they touched her lips. 

The maiden quickly moved towards her and took the lantern from her and set it down. “What? Where is King Jinki? Is he ok? I must fetch his personal maiden for him.”

 “What is going on? Our king passes away and our crown prince gets attacked and is missing. Who has done this? I do not think the king’s death was an accident. They were..they were all missing; The prince’s advisor and Performer Kim..and Prince Taeminah….. Chief Choi’s weapon and his clothes..the only thing left of them is their belongs and they were trashed. It appears there was a fight and the things were damaged in the fight; the room was utterly a mess. There was…blood. Someone attacked their highnesses and their friends. They were sick who would harm sickly men, let alone a royal?”

The maiden’s mouth was a gape as she listened intently and could only utter softly the first thing that came to mind. “Lord Leeteuk?”

The royal doctor nooded. “He didn’t cry at the Crown’s passing. He showed no emotions. He seemed annoyed when I called Jinki-nim, King. He didn’t want to wake the court.” She paused as they tried to take in everything that happened and figure out what to do about it. “I think they were poisoned, it would explain why only the seven of them got sick and no one else.”

The Queen’s maiden questioned “But what if he didn’t do it? He was here.” They started preparing the King and Queen to look presentable again while they finished their discussion.

As the Physician straighten the tangled sheets, and covered their chests she answered “Yes, but not the whole time. He left for a while he could have harmed King Jinki and the others then returned back to this room.”

“What could he have done with them? You don’t think he’d kill our Princes do you?” The maiden held back tears as she wiped the sweat from the late King and Queen. “Oh gosh I hope not. I have cared for the Queen and her family my whole life; I can’t lose her and her son in the same day. I won’t be able to bare it.”

“I’m not sure where they could be. I think they are alive. I have to believe it, you must too. We will figure this out, unnie. I promise. I loved the royal family too.” They shared a small smile of comfort then the doctor added. “I also think Leeteuk must have had someone to help him. How could one man take 5 grown men by himself? I am most positive he had help. It was probably that Heechul. He is a creep and disrespectful. He’d do anything his lord asked of him.”

“Did you say there was blood?”

The doctor answered sadly “Yes.”

The maiden tried to think positive “Well, Maybe its Leeteuk’s blood. Maybe Chief Choi hurt him while protecting them.”

“Good point. We have to see if he has a wound somewhere on his person, then we’ll have proof.”

“We must find our new King’s and their three friends.” They had finished fixing up the King and Queen and their conversation just in time, for Leeteuk and a few officials of court walked into the King’s Chamber’s to pay their respects.

Lee Sooman, the King’s advisor knelt down next to the bed and touched the king’s cold hand as silent tears slipped down his cheek. “Rest well, Jeonha (majesty).  I’ll take good care of King Jinki for you.” He wiped his eyes and looked up to the doctor. “Where is our new King? Is he still ill?”

“He and Queen Taemin -”

“King, His official title will be King Taemin.” The advisor corrected her politely as he sniffled sadly.

“They were ill. I don’t know if they are still ill. I’d assume so though. I fear they might get worse like the King and Queen did; I fear they might die as well if they get sicker like the Crown.  We need to find them. I went to King Jinki’s room but he wasn’t there. There were signs of a violent struggle. I think he has been kidnapped. I think someone has taken advantage of the Crown being sick and they took it upon themselves to kidnap their son.  King Taemin, Offical Kim, Performer Kim Jonghyun, and General Choi’s son, Minho. They are missing as well. They apparently went back to his room to quarantine themselves together. I must speak with King Jinki’s personal maiden; she might have been the last one to see them. General Choi must start a search to find them as soon as possible.”

Leeteuk spoke up, which got a strange look from everyone especially the two women “I don’t think General Choi should lead the investigation. His son is involved and that might cloud his judgment in finding them.”

The advisor raised his brow. “On the contrary if anything it would only aid him. Where there is King Jinki, his son Minho will also be there. To find one you find them both. And not only that, General is very professional, I do not doubt his judgment; The King never did either. There for neither shall you in this moment of crisis.”….The advisor stood up. “I’ll inform General Choi and the Royal SHINee Army of what has transpired and their disappearance, and then I will inform Professor Kim of his son’s disappearance. Please can you go to the guest chambers and let Magistrate Lee and his wife know what has happened while I tell the others.” he asked of the doctor.

“Yes of course.” She bowed then made sure to lock eyes with Leeteuk and said firmly. “After everyone has been told, you all need to come to the medical building so I may examine you. I’d like to see if any of you have symptoms of the illness.”

They nodded and agreed to be examined since they all had been in the room during the day when the seven were sick.

..…

After the men left the chambers she turned quickly to the Queen’s maiden. “Find King Jinki’s maid. See what you can find out, if she knows anything before General Choi interviewers her.”

“Neh, I’m on it.” she turned around and faced the bed and bowed to the late royals and vowed “I will help find your son, your highnesses. I will not let you down.” Afterward she hugged the doctor and left quickly.

………………

The queen’s maiden found Jinki’s asleep in her servant’s quarters. She woke her and brought her to Jinki’s chambers. They opened the doors and Jinki’s maid gasped at the sight for she wasn’t prepared. “What happened? I was here a little after midnight; they were all sleeping on the floor in the middle of the common area. I bathed their sweaty skin and I even joked with them. I teased his highness. Where is my Prince Jinki?” She cried and sat down next to where the prince had laid, she picked up his light weight hanbok. “They had changed clothes because they had gotten too hot. The kind prince had let them borrow his clothes….Why are their clothes here? Are they now? I don’t’ understand; Did they make them strip before they kidnapped them? How humiliating for them.” She held Jinki’s robes to her chest and wept. “Who would do this to him? Too them?” 

The queen’s maid knelt down next to her and rubbed her back. “The royal doctor told me about what she saw in here and asked me to bring you to show you. We need to know if you are sure you didn’t see anyone else around when you left 2 hours ago.”

“There was no one.”

“There’s something else, she said there is blood on the floor near the bed. Either they are hurt or they hurt the person that attacked them.”  The queen’s maiden got up and walked to the bedroom and the maiden followed.

Jinki’s maiden gasped “They tore Prince Taeminah’s royal robes.” The maiden whimpered as she saw his aqua fabric frayed and spilt up the sleeve. “My poor princes, they were so ill. and kidnapped and possibly bleeding? Who is this evil?” She sobbed.

The queen’s maiden questioned “So they weren’t bleeding when you left? I’m only asking to be sure.”

“No.” Jinki’s maiden wiped her wet lashes. “I must tell Jonghyun’s parents. I know his mother very well. I’ll go bring the news to her right away.” She stood up then she gasped. “ Omo, Prince Taeminah’s parents! Taemin is their only child. Have you told them?” 

“Not yet, I will after this.” They hugged each other. “This is horrible. And when we find them we’ll have to tell Prince Jinki that his parents are dead. I don’t think I can tell my prince. It’s breaking my heart.”

“We are their loyal servants. We take care of them; he will need you now more than ever. General Choi will find them and you can help King Jinki through his grief when he comes home. We have to be strong.”

“King” Jinki’s maiden sniffled, hearing that title for the first time brought up a lot of emotions; tears threatened to fall again. Just then the doors to The Crown Prince’s chambers slid open and in walked General Choi and a few of his men. The women turned and nodded greeting them. The woman showed them around the room and pointed things out to him and in the midst of conversation he saw his son’s uniform on the floor. The women became quiet; He bent over and picked up his son’s sword. “Minhoah” he breathed. Narrowing his brows, he squared his shoulders and looked up and stated firmly “I need to speak with Lord Leeteuk and his advisor Kim Heechul immediately.” He ordered to one of the guards before continuing surveying the chamber; the guard left to find them.

Walking closer to him the queen’s maiden asked “You suspect Lord Leeteuk has something to do with this?”

 “Two months before the wedding, when they made the public royal statement they were to wed, The Crown Prince asked my son and I to keep the King safe and guard him well from Leeteuk. Thus I think Leeteuk has something to do with this. We did our best but looks like I failed his highness”

“Oh yes, I remember” Jinki’s maiden chimed in. “Advisor Kibum told me about it. The day he and your son came found me guarding the entrance to the private gardens while the two princes were in there reading. They said he had threatened Kibum to advise the Prince not to marry Master Taemin.”

The queen’s maiden spoke up as well “The Queen’s doctor thinks it’s him too. He gave her attitude earlier when she called prince Jinki, King Jinki. There is blood on the floor near the bed and the table; she is going to check him to see if he is wounded under the ruse of evaluating his health to see if he is sick as well like the seven of them. We also think he poisoned them to make them weak enough to capture the crown prince or possibly kill him. Maybe he did mean to kill them; I mean he might have since the result of the poisons killed King Jinki’s parents.”

While they conversed he inspected his surroundings as he maneuvered around the room, he saw the groves in the wood that Jonghyun and Kibum’s claws left behind in their struggle protecting the royals; Not knowing why they were there he ran his fingertips over the scratch marks on the floor as he replied in agreement. “I think we are on the right track here. Poison, to do it right under our watchful eye.  That sick bastard. Poison is a cowardice method; of course it’d be the way he’d choose…” He tilted his head as he viewed the heap of clothing “And why are their clothes still here?” He touched each of the five hanboks that were lying rumpled in the area of the pillows. He groaned under his breath and stood back up and stated “We will question him and his advisor, those two are always together. He’d have to know something. We’ll need proof as soon as possible.  I’ll speak with the Royal Physician, if I find anything out I’ll tell her and she may inform you for I know The Royal family trusted you both. If you ladies see anything please tell me.” He sighed and then asked of Jinki’s maiden “May you please inform my wife of our son’s kidnap while I deal with this situation.” She smiled softly “Yes General.” 

As the long exhausting and eventful night was nearing its close they bowed and agreed; As the sun was dawning they walked across the huge palace grounds, separating ways to notify the parents of the missing men of their absence and the death of the Crown; General Choi went in search of Lord Leeteuk as the royal army continued their search for the two missing Kings and the three men. 

*shyly whispers* please upvote