Chapter Two: The Shadow of Mourning
1134 Words
The dawn after King Hyeon's death arrived without warmth.
A thick gray mist blanketed the capital of Goryeong, swallowing the palace walls and muting the cries of the mourning bells. Across the kingdom, every household hung white cloth from their doors. Markets were closed. Temples burned incense through the night. Farmers laid down their tools and bowed toward the royal palace.
Their king was dead.
Yet inside Cheongun Palace, grief had already begun to give way to suspicion.
Prince Joon stood alone on the eastern palace balcony, staring at the snow-covered mountains beyond the capital. The cold wind tugged at his dark robes, but he barely noticed it.
His father's final words echoed relentlessly in his mind.
"Trust... neither... of..."
Neither of whom?
Neither brother?
Neither minister?
Neither general?
The unfinished sentence tormented him more than the king's death itself.
A soft voice interrupted his thoughts.
"My prince."
Captain Han Min, commander of the Royal Guards, knelt respectfully behind him.
"The council has gathered."
Joon nodded without turning.
"Has every gate been searched?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"Nothing."
"No footprints beyond the palace walls. No signs of forced escape."
Joon slowly faced him.
"Then whoever stole the decree is still inside these walls."
Captain Han lowered his eyes.
"That is also my conclusion."
Across the palace, Prince Seo walked through the Hall of Records, where royal scribes worked in silence despite the mourning period.
Unlike his brother, Seo believed grief clouded judgment.
Someone had stolen the Royal Succession Decree at the exact moment the king was dying.
That timing was no coincidence.
He stopped before an elderly librarian named Master Yul, a man who had served three generations of kings.
"You guarded the Royal Archive for twenty-seven years."
"I did, Your Highness."
"Tell me something."
The old man hesitated.
"When was the Crimson Chamber last opened?"
Master Yul swallowed.
"Three nights ago."
Seo's eyes narrowed.
"Who entered?"
"The king..."
"...Prime Minister Choi..."
"...and General Kang."
Seo remained silent.
Only three people.
Yet the decree had disappeared.
Someone was lying.
The Grand Council assembled before noon.
Inside the Hall of Heavenly Judgment sat every influential noble, minister, military commander, and scholar in the kingdom.
White mourning banners hung from every pillar.
At the center rested the empty Dragon Throne.
Covered in white silk.
No king sat upon it.
Prime Minister Choi rose first.
"According to royal law..."
"The kingdom cannot remain without a ruler."
Murmurs spread across the hall.
"The succession decree has vanished."
"Therefore..."
"Until it is recovered..."
"We must appoint a temporary Regent."
Several ministers immediately agreed.
Prince Joon stepped forward.
"My father has not yet been buried."
"To speak of replacing him before his funeral dishonors his memory."
Many officials nodded.
But others exchanged uneasy glances.
Then Prince Seo spoke.
"My brother speaks from the heart."
"I speak from necessity."
Silence returned.
"Our neighboring kingdoms have already heard of Father's death."
"They will not wait."
"If we appear divided..."
"They will invade."
The hall fell quiet.
He was right.
The northern tribes had attacked weaker kingdoms before.
The southern empire had long coveted Goryeong's fertile valleys.
Without a king...
War was inevitable.
Prime Minister Choi smiled faintly.
"Then perhaps Prince Seo should serve as Regent."
Instantly, several ministers objected.
Others supported the idea.
Voices rose.
Accusations flew across the chamber.
The kingdom's unity was unraveling before the king had even been laid to rest.
General Kang slammed his fist against the floor.
"Enough!"
The enormous commander stood.
His scarred face silenced the room.
"If the princes continue arguing..."
"Our enemies will celebrate."
He looked toward both brothers.
"There is only one solution."
Prince Joon frowned.
"What solution?"
"Recover the Royal Succession Decree."
Prince Seo folded his arms.
"And how do you suggest we do that?"
General Kang smiled.
"Whoever finds it first..."
"...proves worthy of the throne."
The chamber exploded with whispers.
Some ministers approved.
Others feared the consequences.
Prince Joon immediately understood the danger.
This was no search.
It was a contest.
One designed to pit brother against brother.
Seo also understood.
Yet he simply smiled.
"I accept."
Joon stared at him.
"You agreed too quickly."
Seo answered calmly.
"Because I intend to win."
That evening...
Snow continued falling across the palace roofs.
Far beneath the palace, inside abandoned tunnels forgotten by history...
The Black Dragon Society gathered.
Dozens of masked figures knelt before their mysterious leader.
On a stone altar rested the stolen crimson chest.
The leader opened it slowly.
Inside lay the Royal Succession Decree.
Still sealed.
Untouched.
One assassin stepped forward.
"Master..."
"Shall we read it?"
The leader shook his head.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because the truth is more dangerous than ignorance."
The assassin frowned.
"I don't understand."
The leader chuckled.
"If the decree reveals the rightful heir..."
"...our plans end."
"But if both princes remain uncertain..."
"They will destroy each other."
He closed the chest.
"Keep it hidden."
"No one opens it."
Elsewhere...
Lady Hana returned to the palace under cover of darkness.
Few people recognized her.
Officially, she was merely a court historian.
Secretly...
She served as the kingdom's most trusted royal investigator.
King Hyeon himself had recruited her years earlier.
Only one person besides the late king knew her true identity.
She entered the king's private study.
Everything remained untouched.
Until she noticed something strange.
One bookshelf stood slightly away from the wall.
She pushed it.
A hidden passage opened.
Inside was a tiny chamber no larger than a closet.
There sat a wooden table.
A single candle.
And...
A folded piece of silk.
Her heartbeat quickened.
She unfolded it carefully.
Written in the king's own handwriting were only seven words.
"Beware the dragon that guards the throne."
Nothing more.
No signature.
No explanation.
Just those seven words.
Suddenly...
Footsteps echoed outside.
Someone was coming.
Lady Hana quickly extinguished the candle and slipped behind a curtain.
The hidden door creaked open.
Prime Minister Choi entered alone.
He walked directly toward the table.
Looking around to ensure he was alone, he whispered,
"Your Majesty..."
"I hope you took the truth with you."
Lady Hana's eyes widened.
He knew about the secret room.
Before she could think further, another voice echoed from the entrance.
"You shouldn't speak to ghosts."
General Kang stepped into the chamber.
The two most powerful men in Goryeong stared at one another.
Neither looked surprised to see the other.
Prime Minister Choi smiled coldly.
"So..."
"You found this place too."
General Kang rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"The question is..."
"...what else have you found?"
Hidden behind the curtain, Lady Hana barely dared to breathe.
She had just uncovered something far more dangerous than a stolen decree.
The kingdom's most powerful men were keeping secrets from everyone—including the princes.
And somewhere in the darkness, someone was listening to them all.
- Writer
