Abhorrent Islands

"None of the princesses or queens of the other lands find him agreeable, and if they do, he does not find them to be," The Second Advisor sighed. "We are running out of options."

"Well," The Youngest and Eleventh Advisor spoke. "We do have some royal families from the islands of the ocean that have yet t-"

"We will not contaminate the royal bloodline with those whose skin color is as dark as the trees in our forest! How dare you even bring it up." The Head Advisor scowled.

"That is exactly why we disposed of all those letters from them, they can never touch the throne as long as we are alive." The Tenth Advisor spoke.

"You continue to overstep boundaries and you will pay for it one day." The Eighth Advisor warned. "The king alone is to decline invitations and messages from others, not you, not me, or any one of us for that matter."

"You are correct my pupil," The Head Advisor smiled. "We do not answer for the king unless asked, but as his trusted Advisors our responsibility is to do what is best for him when he is not sure."

"Even if that means to kill someone," He continued, the Eighth and Eleventh Advisor shook their heads in disgust. "When that messenger boy comes back with the final message from that disgraceful island, he will be tried for stealing, and by sunrise tomorrow he will be dead."

The Eighth Advisor began to grind his teeth in fury, "If you are going to say that an island is a disgrace because of their dark skin, then were not your parents and grandparents dark-skinned too? Because of working in the fields?"

"Watch your tongue," The Tenth Advisor scolded. "Who are you to question him?"

The Eleventh Advisor unknowingly chuckled as he took a sip of his tea, "And who are you to question him? Are you not the Tenth, Advisor? I would think he would have more say as the Eighth Advisor than you do, no?"

Baffled, the Tenth Advisor turned to the Head, waiting for him to reprimand the young one. But the Head Advisor gave a small smile to the Eleventh and Eighth Advisors. He knew better than to continue picking an argument with them, for the King favored them more than anyone else besides his guards.

"You both have always shown to be one of the most compassionate and true of my people. So I will overlook your insensitive and blinded comments for these abhorrent islands."

"It is the island of Jamaica, not abhorrent." The Youngest advisor corrected with annoyance. "You keep making that disgusting statement about the skin color of Jamaicans, a statement full of ignorance! So besides that what exactly about Jamaicans is a disgrace?"

The advisors laughed out loud, "Let's start from the easiest of reasons, the name of the people is ridiculous! They couldn't have made a better name. I mean their country rhymes with American." The Tenth advisor snickered. "That's how weak they are, they copy other countries' names to look powerful."

"Yet didn't you name your beloved son after me." A deep and cold voice rang through the room.

The laughs in the room silenced and the smiles on everyone's faces dropped, except for The Eighth and Eleventh Advisor, for the first time that day, they cracked a smile.

Their King had arrived...

Everyone quickly sat on their knees and bowed, "Welcome your Majesty. And may you live for a lifetime and into the next one."

The king chuckled, "Your sweet words won't make me overlook your sour remarks."

Slowly the king pulled a blue letter out of his sleeve, and looked back out to the door he had entered, a few seconds later and a boy came walking in, a boy with tears in his eyes.

"Are these the men that you've been delivering the letters to?" The king asked.

The boy remained silent and looked down at his feet, wet droplets forming on the ground.

The king cocked his eyebrow in surprise as he turned to his advisors, "You've scared the boy so bad he won't even respond to his king."

This comment alone earned a sob from the young boy, whose hands shook in fear. The boy knew that whether he spoke or not he would die. None of the advisors said anything as the boy continued to look at the ground.

With a smile, the king walked to the table that was full of food and drinks.

"You eat as if you are celebrating," The king said as he sat down between the Eighth and Tenth Advisors. He turned to the Eighth advisor, "What exactly are we celebrating?"

The Eighth Advisor cackled inwardly, he was going to have fun with this, "I do not know why we were called to this room or why we celebrate. Both the Eleventh Advisor and I did not think it was right to have such a fine feast when we are both in a drought and famine..." He then turned to the Head Advisor. "If you don't mind me asking master, why are we here?"

The Head Advisors' head swelled with anger he knew the boy was being bashful, never once had the Eighth advisor ever called him master. Not once.

"My apologies your Majesty," The Head Advisor began. "I thought to celebrate with the advisors because of all the hard work our kingdom has accomplished. But I will make sure that my family and servants pay back everything that we have recklessly used."

The King chortled and turned to the Tenth Advisor, "Do you personally think you got much accomplished this year? Did not the people sacrifice much more time and energy this year?"

The Tenth Advisor opened his hooded eyes so wide that it looked like his eyeballs would fall out. "I'm sorry your majesty?"

The King smiled, "Do you think you got much accomplished this year why you should celebrate? And not the people of this kingdom?"

The Tenth Advisor's palms began to sweat, "I-I think t-there is much we could improve in my King, for example, we should've put together a festival for everyone and not just ourselves. That was very selfish on our part."

All the advisors including the messenger grimaced at his honest answer, they were in trouble.

The King chuckled and stood up, "Minsoo..." The Head Advisor paled at hearing his name. "I'm waiting for you to explain this situation."

"What s-situation?" Minsoo stuttered.

The King cocked his head to the side with a frown, "If I repeat myself to any of you again, I will personally behead you all."

Minsoo frantically nodded his head with a newfound understanding.

"Let's try this again, why is my messenger delivering messages to you and not to me?"

"I mean no disrespect, but are we not to check the messages you receive in case of danger?" The Third Advisor said. "You do remember how your grandfather died because of the poisonous love notes he received."

The Kings grandfather died at the young age of 22 when he received a letter from one of his soon-to-be concubines. The concubine worked for the rebels of the city and had dusted a poisonous yet fragrant powder on the tips of note. By the time the former King found out he would die three days later.

However, the present king knew this letter was not poisoned at all. He was rather annoyed the advisor reminded him of such a sad event, it almost seemed like a threat.

The King humorlessly laughed, "Are none of you going to tell me the truth? Are you all going to mock me to my face? And with my grandfather's death at that?"

At seeing how his Head Advisor would get them killed, the youngest advisor cleared his throat. "For several weeks, Your Majesty, messages from princesses and queens have been delivered to us and not directly to you. Of course, I was not aware of the recipient of these letters until today."

The King patted the Eleventh's Advisor's head, "Jangsu, I know it is not you who did this, and neither is it Daru, so why do you take the blame?" On hearing this the Eighth and Eleventh Advisor smiled, their king was truly all-knowing.

"So for those reasons you may leave, however, head to my chambers we need to have a word," The King Finished finished rather sternly.

Daru and Jangsu slightly frowned before bowing their heads and quickly leaving the room. They would not complain about whatever punishment was in store, it was at least better than the fate of the rest of the other advisors.

As the doors closed behind them, the rest of the advisors knew their fate was sealed.

They were going to die.

"Minsoo, you've lied to me and all you other humans sat here and watched, and even participated," The King chuckled as he walked around the table with his hands behind his back. "So I'm going to tell you what I know and you fill me in, alright?"

No one uttered a word, "Alright then." The King clapped.

"I was tipped off a few weeks ago that my messenger was brought to your chambers Minsoo, which also so happened to be another celebration for something. Do remind what that was about as well? You seem to have a fascination with celebrations."

"It was my daughter's coming-of-age get-together, and I wanted to invite the boy..."

In a flash of an eye, Minsoo's head was slammed against the mahogany table, and within seconds his head was laying in a small puddle of blood.

All the advisors in the room got onto their knees, and rubbed their hands together in a pleading manner, in a united voice they said, "Please be more lenient with our Head, Your Majesty."

The King could only scoff, "Minsoo, you have many loyal friends, and they have quite the humor too."

When Minsoo finally was able to catch his breath, he croaked, "Please have mercy on me."

The King moved his hand from Minsoos head and wiped the blood on Minsoo's hanbok. "Fine, I'll continue with my report, but it would be wise for you to refrain from any more lies."

Minsoo couldn't even nod or lift his head from the table so he mumbled, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"The day my messenger gave you the first letter of many letters to arrive from the foreigner royal families, a dear friend of yours came to my chambers and confessed." The King said. "And I was both shocked and proud he did so."

Minsoo didn't know what to say and neither did any of the other advisors for the King was right, the night his daughter and her friends celebrated her coming of age, all the advisors met together, but in a separate part of the home. But who could've told?

The Head advisor began to think, it couldn't have been the maids or servants for they were all sent away after serving his daughter and her friends, and his wife had left for a visit to her mother's city.

So he looked back to his King with what he thought was a calm and neutral look, but the King saw through it. He knew Minsoo was more than nervous.

"Tell me," The King said as he continued to walk around the room. "Were all the advisors in this room a part of this scheme?"

All the advisors bowed their heads again and in unison said, "Forgive us for our trespasses we only wish to please the king."

The King shook his head in amusement before turning to the Head Advisor. "These men are so loyal to its almost annoying."

"But we are only loyal to you," The advisors said together.

"What did I say about lying?" The King stilled with his movements. "I do not like it."

"But it is true," The Fourth Advisor said rather quickly as he sat up.

"Yes," Another Advisor agreed. "We would die for you before we die for our wives."

The King sighed, "You truly lie like the devil himself. So let me bring you, someone who told me the truth, actually, they told me the truth about you all."

"He may come," The King said aloud.

The double doors to the room opened and gasps sounded throughout the room as someone walked in.

Minsoo, whose head was still laying on the table and facing the opposite way quickly turned his head, despite the severe pain and nausea he felt. He wanted to know who could've betrayed him, and how he would punish them severely.

But as Minsoo saw the person walk further into the room, the light from the moon unveiled the traitor, and Minsoo's lips began to quiver and his throat became dry as sandpaper.

There in front of him stood his youngest son staring at the king with an expressionless face.

"Is this the man who has been stealing and hiding letters from me?"

"Yes," Minsoo's son said.

"Is this the man the messenger has been talking to frequently?"

"Yes, your majesty," The son said.

"Last question why are you telling me this?" The king asked the son as he looked towards one of the most disgusting Head Advisors he had met in his life.

The son looked at his father in disgust as well, before walking to the messenger boy and hugging him, "Because not only is my father lying to you my king, but he plans to kill my brother and me."

All the Advisors turned to Minsoo in shock, none of them knowing the relationship between the messenger boy and him.

"So are you saying that's your blood brother?" The king asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes," The older son said. "And he wants to kill my brother and me because we caused the death of our mother."

Before the king could comfort the brothers, another person walked into the room. The king looked at this person with a smug look, "I didn't think you would come."

Minsoo's sons turned their eyes to the newcomer only to cry out in surprise and hug the newcomer.

"I would do anything to see my father fall." The newcomer smirked.

Minsoo stared into the newcomer's eyes before crying, "My eldest son is alive!"

The eldest son laughed humorlessly, "Alive? Why are you crying with joy, when you were the one who set me up to die?" Another gasp echoed through the room. "I think it would be wise for you, Head Advisor, to refrain from calling me son, but as the Ninth advisor."

Rather alarmed by this new revelation the Fourth Advisor arose shakily. "That's impossible! The Ninth Advisor was granted the position as an advisor from his late father, however, he was never to be seen for he was bedridden and unable to speak."

The Ninth Advisor smirked before turning to his younger siblings, "Head home I will be there soon."

"But you will go into hiding again." His siblings whined.

"No I will not, you have my word." Both boys watched their brother before nodding their heads and leaving together.

"Now," The Ninth Advisor clapped, focusing his full attention back on the men in front of him. "What you say is all true! You see, I am not related to the head advisor as my younger siblings are, and I did have both grave injuries and health, but now, after many years I can stand strong and upright. And I am here to fulfill my role as an advisor to the King."

The King walked over to his trusted advisor with a smile, "Well Do Joon shall we start with your first assignment? "

"Yes, my king. Yes, we shall."

Suddenly all the candles in the room went out and swords were unsheathed, the only sounds that came next were slices cutting through the air and hollow screams.