Chapter 3 The Verdict!

"First Prince Taeyang. By order of His Imperial Majesty, open the door."

Taeyang rose up slowly and walked over to the door. Behind him, he could feel his friends holding their breath.

"Your Highness. Open the door immediately." The voice repeated again.

He pulled it open.

Six soldiers filled the corridor. Behind them stood a senior court eunuch with hands folded before him, he gave the Prince a short bow, before nodding at the soldiers who didn't even bother to offer any pleasantries. The moment they received the signal, two of them seized Taeyang's arms.

"What are you doing?" Baekho surged forward. "Get your hands off him!"

One of the soldiers turned and leveled a spear at Baekho's chest. "Stay back."

"Baekho." Taeyang's voice was sharp. "Don't."

"But—"

"Stay here. All of you. I'll handle this." He looked at Soohyun, then Yohan. "Don't get involved."

They wanted to. He could make out that much from their faces. But the spears were real, and the soldiers were not palace guards playing at authority. These were the Emperor's men. They had the power to do whatever they wanted.

Soohyun pulled Baekho back. Yohan's hand was on his knife, but he didn't draw it. They watched as the soldiers dragged Taeyang into the corridor. The last thing Taeyang saw before they turned the corner was the three of them standing in his doorway, helpless.

The once silence palace was already fully awake, servants pressed themselves against the walls as the soldiers marched Taeyang past. And even a cluster of junior ministers rushed curiously after them as the soldiers pulled him towards the throne room.

"Where are you taking me?" Taeyang demanded.

"We're going to the Imperial Chambers."

"But I haven't done anything wrong, right?"

The soldier didn't answer. None of them did. They just kept marching.

They passed through the eastern corridor and into the outer courtyard near the Sunmaso garrison.

That was when he saw his stepbrother, Junho, standing near the garrison gate, deep in conversation with the Sunmaso patrol commander. The same commander who had led the response to the workshop fire. Junho was nodding at something the man was saying, his posture casually relaxed, Like he had all the time in the world at his disposal.

He looked up and saw Taeyang.

A slow and deliberate smile spread over Junho's face as he took in his brother.

"Well." He began stepping away from the commander he had been talking to and positioning himself directly in Taeyang's path. The soldiers hesitated, they knew better than to shove past a prince. "This is a pleasant surprise. I was just discussing the workshop fire with Commander Hwang here. He's been telling me about the investigation."

Taeyang said nothing.

"You see I have contributed immensely in helping the Summaso patrol guards hunt down the proprietor of that awful fire.”Junho continued in a light and conversational tone. "I found a very distinctive royal insignia right in front of the workshop, who could have thought you'd be so careless brother?”

He asked with a pause, savoring the moment.

The color had totally drained out of Taeyang's face as he stared at his brother.

“Junho, you—"

Junho's smile widened. "I told everyone the truth the moment I picked that ring up. I knew it was yours.” He stepped closer, dropping his voice so only Taeyang could hear. "I'm sure you can't screw your way out of this one, brother. You should be more careful next time."

Taeyang's fists clenched. "You—"

"Hahaha.” Junho stepped back, raising his voice again for the benefit of the soldiers. "It's my duty as a loyal subject of the empire. I'm sure Father will be grateful for my assistance."

The soldiers pulled Taeyang forward. Junho didn't try to stop them this time. He simply stepped aside and watched them pass.

"Good luck in there," he called after them. "You're going to need it."

Taeyang didn't look back. But Junho's smile burned into his back all the way to the throne room.

Where the doors were already open, looming ahead like hungry mouths ready to devour him. The soldiers marched him through them without slowing down.

The court was already assembled with The Elders in the front rows, and other Ministers lining the sides.

Emperor Sunjong sat on a throne high above all and holding the entire room silent.

The soldiers released Taeyang at the center of the room. He stumbled forward, caught himself, and straightened. His bow was stiff almost mechanical. "Your Imperial Majesty."

An elder made to step forward from the ranks, but the Emperor waved the elder back and locked eyes on his son, wearing an unreadable expression.

"Where were you tonight?" He finally asked, his voice as cold as steel

"I w-was outside." Taeyang stuttered

"Where?"

"Outside the palace." He couldn't bring himself to say more.

The Emperor rose from the throne. Each step down from the dais echoed through the chamber. Taeyang's heart slammed against his ribs as his father descended, step by step, until he stood two feet away. Close enough to see the hard set of his jaw.

He gestured. A eunuch stepped forward, carrying a tray, which Taeyang discovered immediately with a sudden jolt of terror contained his insignia.

The one he had misplaced. The very same insignia Junho had just told him about.

His heartbeat doubled.

"The Sunmaso patrol recovered this from the workshop that was mysteriously set on fire earlier tonight." The Emperor said quietly, almost gentle. "Do you mind explaining why your ring was found in the ashes of the workshop?"

Taeyang stared at the ring and swallowed uneasily. His knees buckled.

"I did it." He said quietly, lowering his gaze. He sank to the floor, both hands pressed against the cold stone. "I was the one who started the fire. I wanted to make a sword. I went there last night, and I made a mistake, and the fire— I'm sorry. Father, I'm sorry."

"Explain yourself."

"I just wanted to make something." His voice cracked. "I've been watching the blacksmiths for weeks. I thought I could do it myself. I thought if I could just make one thing with my own hands, then maybe—" He pressed his forehead to the stone. "It was an accident. The fire was an accident. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

An elder stepped forward before the Emperor could respond. His voice was clipped, precise, each word a hammer strike. "We have lost three months of sword production and even Craftsmen instruments dating to the empire's founding, everything has been reduced to ash because of your recklessness_”

He was still speaking when a second elder joined in. "The Sunmaso patrol resources have been depleted trying to combat the fire. Three districts were disrupted. We even had to evacuate Civilians from their homes."

The accusations piled on top of each other and in no time the atmosphere turned noisy filling the chamber to a crescendo.

Taeyang stayed on his knees, head bowed with his hands flat against the floor.

He didn't dare say anything else, except plead sorry.

The voices overlapped and more accusations flew over the room — and then, suddenly, it stopped. An older elder stepped forward and stood beside the Emperor. He spoke with unhurried authority.

"The empire cannot sustain conduct that threatens its military foundations from within its own palace. The court has spoken with one voice." He paused. The silence was absolute. "We request that His Imperial Majesty act accordingly."

Taeyang looked up. His eyes went from the elder to his father and then back again.

“We request that His Imperial Majesty act accordingly!” An elder from somewhere in the rear chirped and soon enough, the entire court was chanting the same sentence over and over again.

Fear and dread seized Taeyang as he knelt there. Quivering.

The Emperor's jaw tightened.

For the briefest moment, his gaze lingered on his son.

Then he looked away, shaking his head resignedly.

"First Prince Taeyang. By the authority of this throne and in response to the unanimous counsel of this court — your titles are hereby stripped. Your privileges as First Prince of Goryeo are revoked with immediate effect. You are to vacate your chambers in Cheonggung by morning and are not to return without imperial summons."

Taeyang gasped, eyes wide with shock.

"Father?"

But The Emperor had already turned his back. Signaling he was done and had made his decision.

"Father!" Taeyang cried. "Father, please—"

The Emperor walked on like he hadn't even heard him call.

The older elder looked down at Taeyang with a sneer and haughty, triumphant look in his eyes.

Taeyang stared back at him, with helpless pleading eyes. They held each other's gaze for a split second before the elder said coldly, flatly. "Escort him out.”

Strong, firm hands seized Taeyang arms immediately and hauled him up, but his eyes stayed consciously locked on the elder, his plea for “Father” dying in his throat.