Jade stepped through the palace gates, his left shoulder wrapped tightly in a bloodstained strap, the arrow wound beneath it still fresh. His steps were steady, but the tension in his jaw betrayed the pain he was enduring.
Genie, walking beside him, gently took his arm, her brow furrowed with worry. She didn't speak, but her grip was firm—anchoring him, guiding him to the palace.
Despite the late hour, the palace courtyard was alive with flickering lanterns and murmured concern.
As Genie and Jade appeared at the entrance, court ladies and royal officials who had come to greet the returning princess froze in shock at the sight of Jade's injured form.
Moonsen and Han Son, who had been waiting near the gates, rushed forward as soon as they caught sight of them. Genie's personal attendants followed close behind, their faces pale with alarm.
"Your Highness! Captain Jade!" Han Son called out, eyes wide. "What happened?"
Moonsen's gaze instinctively scanned Genie from head to toe, his breath catching until he confirmed she was unharmed. Only then did the tension in his shoulders ease.
Among the gathered officials stood Ju Tak and his entourage. The moment he laid eyes on Jade's condition, Ju Tak's expression shifted—subtle, but trained. He feigned alarm with practiced ease.
"Your Highness! Captain Jade!" he echoed, voice laced with artificial concern. "What on earth happened?"
Lady Han hurried to Genie's side, looking from Genie to Jade. Before she could speak, Genie fixed Ju Tak with a sharp, piercing gaze—just for a breath—and then turned her attention to Lady Han.
"Lady Han," she said firmly, "escort the General to the royal physician. Immediately."
"Yes, Your Highness."
With support from the court ladies and royal guards, Jade began his slow walk toward the infirmary. Genie remained still, watching him go, then offered him a small, steady nod. It said what she didn't need to speak.
'I'll take care of the rest. Don't worry, Jade.'
Jade glanced over his shoulder, reluctant to look away from her. Even as he was led down the hall, he kept turning, needing to see her—just once more.
Genie then turned to the King's eunuch.
"Inform His Majesty at once. Request that he convene the meeting at the grand assembly hall as soon as possible. All royal officials must be present."
"Yes, Your Highness," the eunuch said without hesitation, bowing before disappearing down the corridor toward the King's chambers.
At her command, Ju Tak's composure faltered for the briefest moment. He recovered quickly, but something in his eyes betrayed the fear crawling beneath his calm.
'No... it can't be…'
The thought clawed through his mind like a whisper in the dark.
Genie lifted her gaze skyward. The first hints of light were cresting along the horizon.
'A new day is beginning,' she thought. 'And everything will change.'
Genie stepped into the King's private chamber.
King Gen lay propped up in his bed, his skin pallid, his breath shallow. His once-commanding figure had shrunk with illness, and now, he seemed almost swallowed by the layers of embroidered silk covering his frame. A violent cough racked his body, and when it subsided, he turned to her with a faint, weary smile.
"Genie, my child," he rasped, voice cracked with age and sickness.
Genie sat beside him, gently taking his hand. Her eyes were filled with both warmth and worry as she looked at the man who had once seemed unshakable.
"Father," she said softly, "I'm back."
A flicker of pride lit King Gen's face.
"I've heard of your victories. Both fronts... secured. Then it's done. No more trials. God, our Heavenly Father, has chosen you. You will be the next king."
But Genie's expression did not soften. There was something else—something unresolved—in her gaze.
"Father… there's something I must say. About what happened on our return to the palace."
King Gen furrowed his brow, concern rising.
"Speak, my child..."
"Jade saved me again," Genie said quietly. "We were ambushed. Assassins. He took an arrow for me."
The King's eyes widened in alarm.
"Dear heavens… Is Jade all right?"
Genie gave a small, reassuring smile.
"Yes. Thankfully. He's with the royal physician now."
King Gen exhaled slowly, a deep sigh of relief escaping his frail chest.
"Thank our Lord... Jade has always been loyal beyond measure. He deserves far more than this kingdom has given him."
Then his eyes narrowed.
"Do you know who sent them?"
Genie's smile faded. She gave a solemn nod.
"Yes, Father. We were able to trace their origin."
The King's voice dropped to a whisper, heavy with dread. "I pray it's not who I think..."
Genie looked straight into his eyes, her voice steady. "I'm afraid it is."
A long silence settled over the room before the King spoke again, his voice hoarse with disbelief.
"So... Ju Tak... Ju Tak sent those assassins?"
"Yes, Father."
King Gen closed his eyes with sorrow.
Seeing the sorrow etched deep into her father's face, Genie's voice softened.
"Father," she said gently, "do you remember what you once told me? That the one who would ascend the throne must have the loyalty of the royal officials?"
King Gen turned his tired eyes toward her and nodded slowly. "Of course. Without their allegiance, a ruler stands alone."
She gave a small nod. "Though I have secured final victory through winning the first two trials—on both fronts—many of the royal officials still pledge silent loyalty to Ju Tak."
The King's expression darkened, his lips pressing into a grim line.
"I know," he murmured, regret heavy in his voice. "Their hearts are slow to shift. Some have followed Ju Tak for years."
Genie straightened her posture, her tone now firm, deliberate. "But I've found a way, Father. A way to bring all the royal officials under my banner."
At this, King Gen blinked, startled. His trembling hand reached for hers, his strength faded but his curiosity alive.
"What is it?" he asked, voice faint but urgent.
Genie didn't answer right away. She simply smiled—calmly, knowingly. Then she rose to her feet, her royal robes cascading around her like waves of twilight silk. The golden light from the latticed windows bathed her face, casting her in an ethereal glow as she stepped toward the foot of the empty throne.
The King remained seated, bound by illness, but his eyes never left her. For the first time, he truly saw not just his daughter—but the ruler she had become.
She stood tall, her hands clasped behind her back, her chin lifted with quiet resolve.
"Father, please summon the royal officials to the grand assembly hall right now," Genie said with calm determination, her voice steady but urgent.
King Gen, still weak but moved by her resolve, looked at her with a mixture of pride and concern. Though illness dulled his strength, he could feel the weight of the moment—his daughter stepping fully into the light of leadership.
He gave a small nod.
"Very well… I will have them summoned. It is time."
All the royal officials and royal guards in the grand assembly hall bowed their heads in unison as Princess Genie entered, the sweep of her robes echoing softly across the polished marble floor. Though the crown had yet to grace her head, an undeniable majesty clung to her presence—an aura not inherited, but earned.
She ascended the platform just below the empty throne, her gaze sweeping across the gathered ministers like a tide that could not be resisted. One by one, they raised their eyes, awaiting the words of the princess who had returned victorious.
Genie's voice rang clear across the hall, composed but edged with steel.
"Before the coronation," she began, "an unfortunate event has occurred."
A quiet murmur rippled through the crowd, confusion blooming into tension.
"On my journey back from securing the final victory in the royal succession contest," she continued, "I was attacked. An assassin attempted to take my life."
Gasps filled the chamber. Ministers glanced at one another, stunned, disbelief etched on many faces. All but a few.
In a corner of the room, Ju Tak and his faction feigned alarm, their carefully rehearsed expressions of shock a shade too polished. Ju Man, Ju Tak's father and the venerable Minister of Land, stepped forward with feigned concern.
"It is a mercy of the heavens that Your Highness has returned safely," he said, bowing low. "May we give thanks for your protection."
Ju Tak and his allies followed suit, dipping their heads in solemn obedience.
But Genie was not finished.
"There is something more," she said, her voice rising. "Something even more fortunate."
She paused, letting the silence thicken around her like storm clouds gathering on the horizon.
"I have brought the assassin here with me."
The entire chamber froze.
Ju Tak's breath caught in his throat. His body stiffened. A flicker of panic crossed the faces of his companions.
"Bring him in," Genie commanded.
At once, the great doors creaked open. Royal guards stepped through in formation, surrounding a lone, shackled figure. The assassin, battered but conscious, walked with his head held high. His face remained impassive, but his eyes searched the crowd—and then locked with Ju Tak's.