My chaptersplan.doc says to warn for anti-climactic fights. So I will. Anti-climactic fights ahead. You’ve been warned.

Chapter 31 – Nine Years of Planning

“How long are we going to wait?” Hakyeon grumbles.

Leo meows.

“I know it’s my plan but it’s taking so long.”

They needed to wait until the king and Suhee were in different parts of the palace because Hakyeon was certain he couldn’t take them both on at once. He still remembers the complete and utter shock of finding out the king was a sorcerer only three years ago. He still remembers every word in the angry letter he wrote to Minho demanding why he hadn’t been told. He remembers the insincere apology from Minho and the much more sincere apology from Jaehwan because he’d honestly thought Hakyeon knew.

They’d left home and arrived at the palace at four in the morning, mostly so they could scout the place and try make a plan but so far all Hakyeon had been able to come up with was ‘separate them and take them out one at a time’.

With a groan Hakyeon shifts into a slightly more comfortable position and goes back to waiting. He kind of hates that King Jihun and Suhee choose that moment to leave the king’s chambers.

“Let’s follow them,” he says to Leo.

With everything going on Jaehwan can’t believe Minho has assigned him to following Suhee. Because she acts as both the king’s magic advisor and body guard these days, her room was in the king’s chambers. Unfortunately for Jaehwan it was probably the most magically protected place in the palace and he wasn’t going to risk trying to get inside.

King Jihun always rises early and today is no different. By quarter-to-six the pair is in the king’s office to discuss the current state of the war and – these days – what to do about Minho.

“We can’t kill him off in secret,” Suhee states. “It would be too suspicious. He has too many contacts.”

Which was one point of concern. What exactly was the prince planning? How many people were involved?

The king ponders Suhee’s words. “Minji never received as much training as Minho but I’m sure she’s capable of being the heir. She’s not as popular with the public either but that can easily be changed when she has more opportunities to go out and make appearances.”

He didn’t really ever plan on not being king so having an heir wasn’t really his concern. What concerned him was the appearance of the kingdom and how the public perceived them. He didn’t want to do anything that would result in an uprising, not when nearly the entire army was on the front lines.

“So how are we going to deal with the prince then?” Suhee questions. “If we can’t do it in secret?”

King Jihun considers the options for a second and in the end decides on the easiest and fastest option. “Charge him with treason and execute him, like his mother. There’s no way to disprove a claim like that.”

Jaehwan is almost in a state of panic but he forces himself to stay hidden in the walls and listen a little longer. The heightened-hearing spell he’d cast is starting to be a bit of a strain but he doubles his efforts in maintaining it and continues to listen.

“Should I have that done today, sir?” Suhee asks.

“Yes. Put him in a holding cell and have a public execution in the afternoon. Make sure he’s guarded at all times.”

“Yes, sir.”

For a moment they’re silent and Jaehwan considers if this is the time to leave but then the king begins talking again.

“Have you sent Yeongsik after Hakyeon yet?”

Jaehwan freezes.

“I’m sending him directly after this, sir. I had to remove all of the spells protecting the teleportation potion.”

“Go now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Jaehwan is already heading for Minho’s room before Suhee even leaves the king’s office. If he’d continued to use the heightened-hearing spell he would have been aware of Suhee walking along the other side of the wall, matching his pace perfectly with a pleased grin.

I’ll deal with him after I send of Yeongsik, she thinks, turning down a different hallway to the guard.

“Oh?” Hakyeon yawns, watching Suhee finally leave the king’s office.

Admittedly they’d only been in there for forty minutes but Hakyeon had gotten bored. He could have listened in but he didn’t really want to cast another spell on top of the invisibility and silencing spells he already had going on both him and Leo.

King Jihun also exits the office but heads in the opposite direction and Hakyeon claps. “Finally. Took them long enough. Let’s follow him first.”

Leo meows.

“Minho!” Jaehwan cries as he shakes the prince awake.

Frankly the prince hadn’t really had much in the way of sleep for the past few days. The sudden increased workload and the anticipation that something was going to happen soon had sleep avoiding him.

“You have to leave!” the guard says, still shaking him. “Get up.”

“Leave?” Minho mumbles, sitting up.

“I just overheard your father and Suhee talking. They’re planning to execute you!”

That is more than enough to get Minho out of bed. He’s dressed and has all of the important documents he needs in two bags in less than ten minutes. Once he’s ready they leave, walking as casually as they can through hallways.

The few guards scattered around do nothing to stop them and they think they’re in the clear until they walk into the entrance hall and find Suhee waiting for them.

While Hakyeon had known there would be less guards than before, he was still surprised that there wasn’t even one in the dining hall while the king ate or stationed outside the door. Without pause he and Leo walk in.

Minji, who had been picking at her breakfast, is the first to spot him. “Hakyeon!” she cries.

The king is on his feet in an instant. “Hakyeon.”

Hakyeon had always liked the princess. She was nice enough and good at her studies but back when she was a teen she’d been easy to manipulate and that had made Hakyeon wary of getting too close to her lest the king suddenly take interest in his daughter. Right now, it looked like he finally had.

King Jihun’s eyes fall to land on Leo and an eyebrow twitches. “Is that my Anyethi?” he asks.

Hakyeon scowls. “No. He doesn’t belong to anybody.”

The king scoffs. “He’s nothing but an ingredient to be owned.”

“He’s a person.”

“Not in this country.”

“Well it’s a good thing this country is going to change soon,” Hakyeon says, trying to remain calm.

“Hah,” the king barks. “That’s Minho’s plan is it? Pathetic. Luckily he won’t be a problem after today.”

King Jihun’s words cause alarm bells to ring in Hakyeon’s head. They could only mean one thing and without pausing Hakyeon looks down at Leo.

“Go find Minho.”

Leo meows and in less than a second he’s teleported away. Hakyeon can’t help the bitter grin on his face when he pulls out a small vial of milky brown potion. Ravi had been making the teleportation potion for years to teleport sorcerers back home after their encounters with Hakyeon. But this had been the original reason Hakyeon had taught him the spell, so that one day down the line he’d be able to use it in his fight against Suhee, and now the king.

King Jihun’s face is just as bitter as he watches Hakyeon drink the potion. He’s attacking before Hakyeon has even swallowed.