The Lecherous Prince and His Playmate [BL]

Youxia stood outside the burial tomb dedicated to the royals looking at her hands that were flooding with rain drops. The sounds of the procession was numb to her ears.

Looking up at the sky that was grey mourning the loss of a royal member.

Tears streamed down her cheeks from her red eyes as she looked around aimlessly. To her left there was nothing and when she looked right, its as though everything was dark.

Turning on her heels, she aimlessly made her way back into the tomb where consort Kwon’s crying wailed the loudest. Begging and pleading with her husband, who stood in place unable to fathom how his child could have just died—the cause of her death was known.

Poison.

An undetectable poison, but who and how?

Everyone was questioned, but thank you to the begging of her, the princess. No one was killed and her father’s wrath was stuck in the void.

Walking over to her grandfather, she took his hand in his and tugged him down.

Wu Yong looked at her with pity. Youxia had lost her best friend, her little sister.

As he knelt down beside her, she looked at her brother, who was next to the emperor, standing with tears in his eyes as he watched the consort wail.

She didn’t have her father around, nor the baby that was born. They weren’t allowed near the tombs in case they would inherit death.

“Nothing will happen to me, right? Nothing can happen?”

“What do you mean?” he asked her.

“I’ll—I’ll marry him, but not now, when I’m ready.”

The surrounding people heard her, including the crown prince. He looked at his sister, confused, but everyone knew what she meant. The royal counsellors beside the old emperor gave their approval when Wu Yong looked at him.

Looking at his grandchild, he asked, “What happened?”

“I asked you before what would happen if I committed treason.”

Wu Yong’s eyes widened. Pulling her to him, he asked her, “What did you do?”

She forced herself out of his hold and made her way forward. She looked at her brother, who was staring at her with a frown as she pushed past the adults.

Making her way to her father, she looked up at him and saw that his expression was blank. His eyes almost looked hollow, as if he was not here.

Walking past him, she walked up to Consort Kwon and knelt down beside her in front of Yerim’s body, holding her head.

Consort Kwon looked at her but was too weak to push this child away. She wanted no one near her daughter because one of these people killed her.

Reaching for Yerim’s hand, she picked it up and held it. Looking down at her hand, she rubbed it and mumbled, “You’re making a noise.”

Consort Kwon went silent and looked at her, “Wh—what did you say?”

Looking at her, Youxia said with a frown, “You’re making a noise. How will my sister rest if you make this noise?”

Consort Kwon pushed her away screaming, “Get away! Get away.”

Changling stepped forward. He wanted to get Youxia out of the Consorts way, worried that she might do something to her. She was upset that nothing was done to avenge her child.

Sitting on the ground, Youxia looked at her, “At this rate you’ll die too. How else will you avenge my sister?”

Consort Kwon looked at her, confused, and so did her father. The others here, too, were worried and confused.

She stood up, dusting her white robe off, and looked at her. “Why are you so confused?”

“What are you going on about?”

“Youxia, stop this. This isn’t the time for your antics,” Changling said.

Looking at her father, she wondered why he wasn’t there for her father. He hadn’t seen the baby yet because Yerim was so sick. Her father told her that he suspected that their son was Wulin’s child and went into detail about everything with her, so now she had some understanding of their whole situation.

Looking at Consort Kwon, who was back in her thoughts now that her husband had controlled his daughter, she suddenly said, “I know why she’s dead.”

Wu Yong tensed where he was. He looked at the eunuch at his side and whispered something.

“What are you talking about? Why would you know this?” Changling asked her as his body grew tense.

Focussing her attention on the woman that was now looking at her, she said, “Yerim would have been alive if it wasn’t for you.”

Focussed on the girl, Ae Cha asked, “What are you going on about? What did I do? Are you saying that I am the one who killed her?”

Youxia’s sad expression became wretched. The smile on her was wasn’t one of happiness, it was one of anger, close to derangement. Her eyes widened as the veins appeared on her face and neck.

Staring at the woman before her, she said, “That’s right. Didn’t you tell the Empress you were going to kill me and my father? Now look who is dead and you’re next.”

Haeun gasped from where she was standing. Chushan stared at her daughter-in-law and asked, “Is that true?”

Looking at her mother-in-law, she immediately felt a chill go down her spine. She looked down, shaking in her skin. Her heart thundered in her chest.

“I asked you a question!” Chushan hissed.

Youxia was focussed on the woman in front of her, not moving in her place. The way she looked at the consort was menacing—if looks could kill, she would have been dead already.

“Youxia!” Changling yelled. His voice echoed, shattering everyone’s souls.

Her gaze peeled from the consort reluctantly. As she stared at her father, she asked in a voice no one recognised, “Yes, father?”

“Did you kill your sister?” He asked.

Youxia started breathing heavily as her gaze moved to her sister’s peaceful sleeping body. A tear slid out of her eye, soaking into her robe.

Memories of their time together flashed through her mind, making the guilt come forward. Opening her mouth speaking, “You’re pathetic, really. If the citizens knew you were this spineless, you wouldn’t be the Crown Princess.”

“Don’t get your hopes up! You will never replace me, no matter how hard you try to. I am warning you, Kwon Ae Cha, stay away from Youxian and Princess Youxia—you’ll end up dead just like those two.”

“If you think I’m scared of him, you must not know me. My father is a general and I am well taught. I can easily fare off against him, and there’s nothing to be afraid of. It is my luck that he has turned mad and killed that fellow.”

“He might kill you.”

“What was his name again? Wulin? I heard he was one of His Highness’s best men. He trained under him too and was left in charge of protecting Youxian when you ruined their relationship. And now look, who knows, Youxian might have to die. He will be a problem in the future for me and you. What if he decides one day to kill His Highness—the kingdom will be without an emperor!”

“How dare you utter those treacherous words! Youxian will never kill his highness. He loves him more than you ever will!”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, sister. You may be the crown princess, but your seat isn’t secured. I can get rid of you and Youxian. That brat of his and take everything of yours. Be careful how you treat me too, your days are numbered, my dear princess.”

“Goodnight, your highness. Make sure you sleep with one eye open.”

Youxia said those words in voices that weren’t her, almost mocking the two women as she spoke, a conversation that sound too real but impossible.

Changling looked at his wife, who was still on her knees, and could see that the words Youxia spoke were troubling her. He looked at the crown princess and saw that she was trembling.

He looked back at his daughter and could see that she wasn’t in her right mind—Youxia reminded him so much of himself and Youxian.

Thinking about Youxian, he recalled the physician’s words telling him that the boy who was born was his child, baring his birthmark.

“Arrest the three of them,” he ordered in a defeated voice.

Ae Cha looked at her husband, asking, “You don’t believe her, do you?”

He regarded his wife, then looked at the crown princess, asking, “Is it true?”

Haeun knew better than to lie to him. Her son was next in line and she did everything to not ruin it for him. Getting to her knees, she begged, “Your majesty, please for Princess Youxia.”

Tian Cao looked at his sister, who was lying on the ground, then at his sister, who he loved dearly. She went so far as to kill her sibling because one of the wives were greedy. What more is she capable of if you double crossed her?

He but just the thought of her being locked up in a jail cell? He couldn’t allow this!

Looking at the officials behind him, he said, “You heard the Emperor arrest them.”

Youxia looked over at him and saw that he was looking at her. She knew he heard her when she spoke to their grandfather—it wasn’t her only way out of trouble, but it was the easiest of all her options.

“You didn’t have to go as far as killing her to get your way. What you did is unforgiveable Youxia,” Changling said in a broken voice.

Looking at him, she said, “I don’t need you to forgive me, father. I don’t care about your forgiveness. Hate me if you must—this is a warning to you and everyone here. As long as I am alive, no one that I love will get hurt.”

“You speak those words, yet you killed the sister you love and spent time with almost every day!” Ae Cha screeched.

Youxia smiled menacingly at her and saying, “Don’t accuse me of something that I didn’t do. Didn’t you see, mother? Your daughter is still breathing.”

“What?” she asked confused and looked down. She stared at Yerim’s body for a good while, then placed her head against her chest. She listened, then her eyes widened. She sat up and called to her child, but she wasn’t responding.

Changling knelt down, moving Ae Cha out of the way and placed his ear against her chest, listening. He heard a heartbeat, but it was slow. His eyes widened, then he looked at his daughter and saw she was staring at him.

“What did you do?”

Narrowing her eyes at him, she shook her head then turned around walking away, but when she got to the door, Chushan grabbed her by the arm and yanked her to face her. Looking at her grandchild, she shook her head, saying, “Stay put. You need to explain what you did, how you did it, and why you did this.”

“I know.”