He had seen everything. He had heard everything. 

So, Sandy's story was true...

He inched forward as much as he could without being noticed by the three occupants of the room. He paced the rate of his breathing, counting to three before he inhaled and exhaled. He hadn't expected visitors today, especially his second brother, Jiyong. Seunghyun hadn't seen him since he was last fortified in that tower by some sorceress he'd crossed, which caused him to doubt if the man standing next to Daesung was really Jiyong. The brother he knew of fancied the trendiest clothing as much as he loved beautiful women, so when he saw Jiyong dressed in the dullest tunic known to man with a female warrior at his side, Seunghyun wondered if he was seeing things. He had also surmised that the woman wrapped in his arms was Sandy's so called friend, and his suspicions were proven correct when she tearfully launched herself at Sandy's still figure.

Seunghyun was so thoroughly enraptured by the trio's conversation that he nearly took a stumble in his retreat when his two younger brothers were about to exit the room for a private discussion. He tried to be covert as he escaped back down the darkened hallway, but he was certain that one of them had spotted him. Never in the past several months had he been caught like this. Running away like a coward, terrified to be seen by his own family members.

After winding through a few corridors, Seunghyun hurled past his doorway and heaved his massive wooden door shut, firmly slamming the slat in place. It was almost like routine ever since Sandy had gotten hurt.

Seunghyun flashed back to the aftermath of the incident when he was hastily whisked away from the central hall and back into his own bed chamber. He recalled being in a daze at the time, unaware of how he had been transported from one room to another. Numbed to his guards' pesterings about whether he was harmed or not, he sank onto his bedspread, ignoring their every word.

To make matters worse, his council bombarded his sanctuary as well, buzzing around him with similar questions before moving into a debate about certain tactics for damage control. All thanked the heavens for the fortuitous decision that the prince had cleared the hall of his court, leaving only the guards and servants to worry about. It would be easy to keep the soldiers mum on the issue, and, if they threatened the servants enough, they would be subdued too. Another brought up the matter of Daesung's return to which one favored locking him up again. The hum grew louder as more and more of the men agreed to maintain a pretense of peace and deocorum until Seunghyun erupted in fury.

"I can't take it anymore! Leave me alone!" He screamed at the astonished men.

Too stunned to move at the prince's outbreak, the council and guards only shuffled their feet directionlessly. To add fuel to the fire, the royal shaman, Lee Sungjong, barged into the crowded bedroom, asking if it was true that a girl was slain. No one would answer or even look the man in the eye. In fact, the councilmen and guards took a few steps back from the shaman, wary of his presence. It was common knowledge that there was hatred between the two parties, but the political group tolerated the single man since they feared the spiritual unknown.

"I'm assuming by the silence that it is true." Shaman Lee whirled around in his circle. "And if you men think that covering up this death is the ideal solution, you are most certainly incorrect. The spirits do not like it when they have been cheated. I strongly advise that everyone, including the kingdom, dawn white clothing in order to placate her soul as it would be the right thing to do."

"What are we to say to the public?" A heavyset man in his mid-fifties exclaimed. "Should we just tell them that we murdered a girl who was only asking for justice for the former prince? And, while we're at it, let's confess that we have princes with inhuman powers too!"

Sungjong shook his head. "We can spare them the gory details, but I still say honesty is the best route. If the people know that even their own government can make mistakes, admit to it, and be able to fix it, employing terror tactics won't be needed, and harmony can exist among everyone."

"Then they will want to know why she was harmed. Have you got an explanation up your sleeve for that too, Lee?" Another councilmen who sported a trimmed beard denounced.

He slightly faltered. "Well, Daesung isn't exactly a major problem to be dealt with at the moment. It appears that he is more concerned with the girl than with seizing his throne back. Perhaps it is best to just leave him alone to his own devices..."

"ALL OF YOU, GET OUT!" Seunghyun repeated for the final time. His mind was drowning in a relentless red sea that seemed to never want to release its iron-like grip on him. He felt as if he were in the center of a whirlpool, and the words of everyone were swirling by at a lightning pace. He clamped his hands to his ears and continued screaming until all the intruders left his room and closed the door, leaving him to wallow in his thoughts alone.

I-I just need to sleep. Let my mind rest, and everything will return back to normal tomorrow.

Only his eyes wouldn't completely close because he saw Sandy collapsing to the floor in her own puddle of blood and Daesung blaming him each time. One night of "sleep" soon morphed into days and weeks. Seunghyun couldn't stomach much either since anything that traveled down his throat eventually got emptied out. His gullet simply refused the sustenance, especially after the servants brought in the pomegranite seeds. He had scooped a handful from the dainty bowl, planning to swallow them in moderate sized gulps, until he saw the ruby colored stains etched on his palm. He spent the rest of that night scrubbing his hands until the crimson stains disappeared. The same could be said for red wine. The mere sight of it set his mind on edge and his heart pounding within seconds. The instant one of the kitchen maids poured a dollop into the crystal glass cup, he knocked it out of her hand and sent her back to the kitchen with a tray full of shattered shards. 

Apprehensive at the prince's deteriorating condition, the council had sent in the royal physician, Kim Seokjin, in an attempt to cure the young man. After an hour of inspecting and questioning the prince inside his bed chambers, Seokjin exited and greeted the councilmen outside with grim news. He couldn't diagnose Seunghyun with any physical illness other than the fact that he was dehydrated and rapidly losing weight from not eating much but assessed that it was more of a dilemma with their lordship's mentality instead.

"He's gone into an extended period of shock." Seokjin stated while shaking his head.

"How long will this last?" The leader of the council tightly wrang his aged hands. "Is there anything that can help him get well? The court is getting restless." 

"I'm afraid that all I can do at the moment is to prescribe him a drought to sleep at nights since he's been plagued by nightmares and flashbacks of the incident. He needs to consume more nutrients, so I recommend incorporating ginseng, honey, or ginger to his meals. I also encouraged Prince Seunghyun to try doing daily walks around the castle for some fresh air in order to get out of his room more often."

"Is that it?" 

Seokjin slightly cowered back at the disbelief underlying the councilmen's tone, but he vigourously nodded. "Body-wise, yes. I don't think he is mentally capable of returning to his duties right now. The prince simply isn't here with us because he is haunted by the past. Sadly, only he can pull himself out of this mess. Let him battle with h