"Your Majesty, would you care to explain?" King Man-Ju asked, eager to uncover the truth behind the commotion.
The Dowager Queen stepped forward, ready to clarify her actions. "Your Highness, a grave injustice has been done to this young lady," she stated, gently holding Jin-Ri's hand, which took her by surprise. "She was wrongfully accused by this wicked old woman, simply because she never had the opportunity to serve you, Your Highness."
Dowager Queen Eri gestured to a soldier, who promptly handed something to the King. "It's the identification plaque of this old lady!" Jin-Ri exclaimed.
"You're correct, court maiden. It seems you forgot to return it, and she neglected to ask for it back. My court ladies discovered it in your quarters, which supports your assertion that she instructed you to visit the Queen's chamber," Queen Eri clarified.
"Yet that doesn't prove she didn't take my necklace," Queen Ji-Hye retorted.
"That's precisely why we were astonished to find the necklace concealed among your Lady-In-Waiting's belongings," Queen Eri shot back, catching everyone off guard, especially Queen Ji-Hye.
"I couldn't care less about this worthless piece of trash, but this is to remind that upstart of her place and to assert that I am the one true Queen of Chiongsun," she muttered to herself.
With a fierce glare, King Man-Ju confronted the old lady. "You will tell the truth, or you will be executed! Did the Queen Mother speak the truth?" Queen Ji-Hye slowly rose, stepping back from her Lady-In-Waiting.
"Your Majesty?" the old woman stammered, her heart racing as the young Queen moved away. Addressing the King, she quickly denied the claim. "No, Your Highness, it was she who stole the dragon pin!" she mistakenly said in her fear and confusion.
"LIAR! You accused her of stealing a necklace, not a pin!" In a fit of anger, King Man-Ju unsheathed a soldier's sword, aiming its sharp point at the old woman's throat. "I am tired of your lies! Speak the truth now, or you will die!" he ordered.
"Your Highness, please don't!" Jin-Ri cried out, her voice filled with urgency. The old woman turned her eyes toward Queen Ji-Hye, silently pleading for her to intervene.
"Why are you staring at me? I never asked you to do anything like this," Queen Ji-Hye exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief as the old woman recoiled in shock as if she had been scalded.
"Your Highness, please have mercy! I only followed orders!" the old woman pleaded desperately.
"LIAR!" the King bellowed, raising his sword high.
"Your Highness, no! Please, spare her!" Jin-Ri cried out, but her words fell on deaf ears. King Man-Ju brought the sword down, striking the old woman fatally.
Once the deed was done, he turned to Jin-Ri, expecting to see her reveling in the act of vengeance. Instead, he found her hands clasped over her mouth, her eyes wide with terror, trembling in shock.
Disappointment clouded the King's heart as he realized Jin-Ri did not value his actions. In a moment of anger, he hurled the sword to the ground and marched away, leaving the scene behind. Dowager Queen Eri, feeling she had made her point, followed suit. Queen Ji-Hye, overwhelmed with sorrow after the death of her Lady-in-Waiting, shed tears but chose to leave as well. This left Jin-Ri alone with the two soldiers. "Can you help me carry her?" she asked the soldiers.
"We'll go get a cart," they assured her, heading off to find a way to transport the old woman's body. Eventually, it was just Jin-Ri who remained, keeping watch over the lifeless form. To her, the woman was no longer the one who had framed her; she was merely an old woman who had lost her life to the treacherous royal family. "Your Highness, where are you? We need you" she exclaimed as she cradled the dead old woman
With ten months of warfare behind them, the Aranese forces are succumbing to the pressures of dwindling supplies and significant troop losses from ambushes, hunger, and disease. Young-Sik and his courageous soldiers are advancing, forcing the enemy to retreat. The invaders, having abandoned numerous bases, now find themselves cornered at their last stronghold, shrouded by the tropical forest on the southwestern coast. Prince Young-Sik, Captain Gi, and a unit of soldiers stealthily converge on this final position, moving silently along the tree line, ready to strike.
Captain Gi caught the eye of Prince Young-Sik, gesturing towards a cluster of Aranese soldiers. "Your Highness, observe the coastline; those invaders are busy loading large crates," he declared, pointing emphatically.
The prince acknowledged the captain's observation with a nod. He swiftly signaled the troops stationed to the east and west to commence their infiltration of the enemy base. As the soldiers launched their assault, Prince Young-Sik and his contingent dashed from their concealed positions, charging into the fray. Amidst the chaos, the last of the enemy generals stood resolute, taking down several Chiongsun soldiers before the prince charged forward to confront him.
"I am General Kito, your skills with the sword has become legendary, Prince of Chiongsun," the general proclaimed, introducing himself with fierce pride.
"General, this battle has reached its conclusion; victory is ours. Surrender your weapon, and I assure you that you and your men will be treated with honor and dignity. We will ensure your safe return to Aranes," Young-Sik vowed, seeking to prevent further bloodshed.
"I know that as a prince, your word is your bond and you will see that your prisoners are treated well, but forgive me your Highness, but only the battles are lost." The general said as he lifted his Kanebo club, preparing himself for a fight "I know for a fact, that a man of honor such as yourself, will not relinquish his weapon as long as you draw breath and the fight for your country is still not over"
Prince Young-Sik pulled out his sword, adapting a reverse-blade out grip, understanding the words and the heart of the enemy general "Your gallantry touched my heart, in another time or another world I would have cherished learning from a warrior like you" The prince said to the enemy general with all the respect he could
The two fighters remained still, their forms locked in anticipation, ready to engage in a fateful duel. They ignored the cacophony of warfare surrounding them, their minds fixated on the imminent clash. With a sudden burst of energy, they charged; General Kito swung his club with lethal intent, aiming to crush the prince beneath its weight. Young-Sik, ever the strategist, drew his blade back, poised for a decisive strike.
Their voices roared like thunder as they closed in on one another. The encounter was a blur, a flash of violence. It concluded with a singular, devastating blow. Blood spurted from General Kito's neck; his voice was choked by the crimson tide that filled his throat. He crumpled to the ground, face down in the sand, defeated.
With the battle's end, the prince slid his sword back into its sheath. At that moment, a string of thunderous roars erupted from the depths of the keep. "Hurry inside!" he ordered, waving his hand to rally his men. They dashed toward the source of the booming, their hearts pounding with urgency.
As they arrived at the rear of the keep, a line of Aranese soldiers stood resolute, brandishing long black rods aimed menacingly at the advancing Chiongsun forces. Prince Young-Sik witnessed the rods unleash a bright flash, followed by a deafening roar, and without a moment's hesitation, he veered to the right, seeking refuge behind a cluster of tropical trees. Glancing back, he took in the grim sight of fallen and wounded comrades. "What in the name of the Creator was that?" he muttered, bewildered by the sheer might of those ominous rods.
Peering cautiously from his cover, he observed the soldiers inserting something into the mouths of their weapons. Seizing the moment, he sprinted toward his foes, who were just finishing their grim preparations. With lethal intent, they aimed their rods at him. Young-Sik, relying on his agility, zigzagged through the chaos, making it a challenge for his adversaries to find their mark. He pressed on, evading the thunderous blasts that echoed around him.
As the Aranese soldiers began to ready their arms, the prince seized the moment and charged headlong into the fray. With a swift and decisive blow, he cut through the throats of his foes. The remaining Chiongsun soldiers emerged from their concealment, drawn by the sight of the lethal weapons. The prince inspected one closely, his eyes narrowing at the inscriptions. "Guiong letters?" he mused.
"Your Highness!" Captain Gi bellowed, urgency in his voice. "They've loaded those arms onto that sailing vessel!"