1 The Curse

Her breath was hoarse. The chains tying her tiny frame were heavy and she could feel them cutting through her pale skin. The burden of those chains would have broken down anyone physically. Yet, she stood there with arrogance in her eyes and pride in her heart.

Everyone looked at her with contempt but she did not care. She reveled in their hatred for her. And most of all...she hated that man standing in front of her. Shrouded in the finest gown with a crown of gold on his head, the young Emperor stood there, staring down at her like a hawk. His face held no pity nor any sort of recognition for her. Instead, he looked down on her as if she was trash.

Her lips curled into a smile. "What happened, dear husband of mine?" she sneered. "Are you not going to acknowledge your wife?"

"Wang Shina!" he thundered. "The crimes you stand accused of are grave and unforgivable. This is your last chance to repent. Repent and confess to your crimes so that we can spare your life and family at least!"

"Family?" she questioned harshly. She, the Empress of the country, stood there in an old white garb. They took away her fine jewelry and her expensive clothes only to replace them with this white rug. They thought it would wither her down, make her somber. Little did they know, they could rip off her clothes but not her pride.

"What family?" she asked in a sarcastic tone. "The family which sold me to you? The family which only used me as a tool to gain power and favor in your eyes? They're not my family!"

The Emperor stared at her in disbelief. Even after her crimes were exposed, she dared not to ask for forgiveness.

"Wang Shina…" There was a hint of sadness and regret in his voice. "Very well then. If you do not want to ask for forgiveness, then we will start the trial."

"My Emperor!" A young woman in her twenties stepped forward to bow down. "My Emperor, please have mercy for my sister!"

"Wang Shuri," the Emperor called her. "That woman killed your son. Our son. Do you really want to ask for her forgiveness?"

"Emperor," Shuri said with tears in her eyes. "My sister may have done many evil deeds but I know in my heart she is not capable of something so heinous! It must be a mistake!"

One of the ministers in the court spoke up. "I, too, believe that the Empress may have been framed, sire," Jang Pyojin said. "There is no evidence! She may have been present at the late Crown Prince's chambers but what if the child was dead prior to her arrival there?"

The Emperor opened his mouth to speak but Shina's erratic laughter sent a chill down everyone's spine. The Empress was laughing at them like a maniac.

"How naive of you to think that!" she scoffed. "You really think I am innocent? Me?"

She burst into another fit of giggles.

"Sister!" Shuri exclaimed. "That's not true! You're lying!"

"Stop calling me sister!" Shina snapped. "You're a concubine of that man over there. I have no sister. We were never sisters! It was I who killed your child! I watched as I throttled the life out of him. That brat was-"

*SMACK*

A loud slap echoed throughout the whole court. A woman in fine noble clothing stepped forward to hit her hard across the cheek.

Wang Shina spat out blood and glared at the woman in front of her. "Mistress Kang," she grinned. "Or should I say, the concubine of my late father?"

Kang Sooji clenched her fingers into a fist. "I may not have given birth to you," she whispered. "But you were always like my own child-"

Shina spat at her. Sooji did not react as the spit hit her face.

"Shina!" The Emperor roared at her. "Apologize to Concubine Wang's mother!"

But Shina glared at the woman. The woman she hated with the bottom of her heart. "Don't kid around by calling yourself my mother," she threatened. "I have only one mother."

Shina was sure that the Emperor would not give her a death sentence. Her mother was politically influential and with the impending war, the Emperor could not risk losing such an important asset. After all, her mother's family provided him with military weapons and food supply. Moreover, the diplomatic ties her mother held with other kingdoms was crucial in getting allies. She was safe and her mother would protect her.

Sooji looked at her step daughter. A hint of sadness flashed through her eyes but Shina did not care. She only loved her own mother. This woman took away everything her mother held dear. She hated her.

"I pray that one day you will be on the path of repentance," Sooji lamented. She turned around to face the Emperor.

"My lord," she bowed down. "I may be low of status. But death is too kind for her. The crime she has committed requires a punishment worse than death."

The Emperor considered her words. "You are right," he finally said. "Her punishment should be much worse. Which is why, I have summoned Shaman Yi."

A loud murmur spread through the court.

"Emperor, if I may," Prime Minister Lee Kwang stepped forward. "The Empress may have done a heinous crime but her family stature and her mother's reach is very high. If we punish her, we may lose important allies."

The Emperor took a deep breath before looking at Shina's scornful eyes. He was used to her hatred. Their marriage was only a ploy; it remained unconsummated because the Empress held no love for him. Her ambition and ego hurt the people around him. All this time, he kept a blind eye to her schemes.

But everything changed when she killed his son. He could not forgive her.

"Wang Shina," the Emperor said. "Your mother had visited the court last night. She requested to give you the strictest punishment. She broke off all ties with you for your crimes."

His words sent a rupple of shock through her. For once, her pride was beginning to crumble.

"No…" she whispered. "You lie! You're a liar Kang Seyoung!"

The outrage against her grew. "You dare to call the Emperor by his name!" one of the ministers shouted angrily.

"Blasphemy!"

"Insolent woman!"

"Death to her!"

But the Emperor held up his hand. Immediately, everyone fell silent. "Wang Shina," he said in a flat tone, devoid of any emotions. "You leave us with no choice. Shaman Yi! Come in."

The gigantic door behind them began to open. An old man in his sixties walked in. He wore red kimono with a skull bracelet around his neck. He carried a large bamboo stick with bells on it and his face was painted in white stripes.

He took slow steps forward. His appearance was ghastly and everyone present looked at him in disdain. They did not look favorably upon the shabby man and yet, he is known to be the most powerful shaman in the country. His divine powers were rumored to be from the gods themselves.

The Empress did not flinch at the sight of the filthy man and stood her ground.

"Is she the one?" the shaman asked. "Your pride gives out a foul stench. Your soul is tainted by your evil deeds."

"And you stink of fraud," Shina claimed.

The shaman sighed. "You are about to live a very ugly life," he commented, raising his stick. He pointed it to her and murmured an enchantment.

For a few moments, nothing happened.

"Is that all you can do?" Shina sneered. "Such a frau-"

Suddenly her chest constricted. She gasped to breathe as she toppled over in pain. Her hands began to tremble violently as she felt something from within her trying to explode out of her.

"Wha...what…" she gasped. The pain became worse and to her horror, her hands began to age. Her long black hair was turning white.

"You will turn into an old woman during the day," the Shaman said quietly. "And at night, you will return to your true form. This cycle will continue forever. You wanted to live alone all your life. Now you will never die! You will keep on living this cursed existence. You will see people around you live their life to the fullest and die before you. But you...you will not die. You will beg for death but it will not come! That is your punishment."

Shina let out another scream. The onlookers watched on as her beautiful face began to age rapidly. The Emperor kept a poker face as he watched his wife turn into a horrendous monster right before his eyes. He finally turned away to leave.

The last thing Shina saw was his retreating back...

.....

AUTHOR'S NOTE: THOSE OF YOU THINKING THAT SHE DIDN'T KILL THE KID, YOU'RE MISTAKEN. SHE DID KILL THE KID. 

I'm out lol