The King Pregnant

The sky above Gyeongbokgung Palace was shrouded in gray clouds. The somber atmosphere seemed to reflect the heavy burden weighing on the young King of Joseon. Inside the main hall, the king sat on his throne, his body slightly hunched forward. Sweat dripped from his temples, his face was pale, and his breathing was labored.  

A blood-red royal robe embroidered with golden dragons draped his body, which was unlike its usual state. His stomach was swollen, visibly protruding beneath the thick fabric—a fact that no one outside the palace walls could be allowed to know. He was pregnant, and this miracle growing within him had to remain a secret.  

King Haejoon had been carrying this immense secret for months. Within the grand palace, rife with political intrigue and spies, only a handful of trusted individuals knew that their king—a man who stood tall and majestic upon the throne of Joseon—was carrying a child. This secret was not merely about reputation; it was a matter of the kingdom’s stability. If word spread that the king was pregnant, the nobility might see it as a disgrace, the people might panic, and political rivals could use it as a weapon to overthrow him.  

And so, Haejoon endured his pregnancy in silence. He avoided the scrutinizing gazes of his ministers, concealed the changes in his body with looser robes, and often secluded himself under the guise of spiritual contemplation. Yet, as the months passed, his belly grew larger, his body weakened, and every night, he battled back pain, pelvic cramps, and the increasingly active movements of the baby within him.  

That day, the pain he had been suppressing since the night before grew unbearable. The first contraction had struck at dawn—a deep, rolling wave of agony from his lower abdomen to his spine, jolting him awake with ragged breaths. But he refused to rest. That day, there was an important council meeting with his ministers. He could not postpone it, for they were discussing military strategies and a major trade agreement that would determine Joseon’s future.  

He donned his royal robes as usual, holding his breath as his attendants helped him stand. His heavy belly was supported by a specially crafted brace sewn by his most trusted handmaiden. Every step through the palace halls was its own torment. He felt an immense pressure below his stomach—the baby’s head descending, pressing against his pelvis, making him feel as though his body might split apart at any moment.  

In the council chamber, Haejoon sat with his back straight. His hands gripped the arms of his throne tightly with each new wave of contractions. His face remained composed, his voice steady as he delivered his judgments—yet cold sweat trickled from his temples, seeping beneath the weight of his golden crown. Not a single minister realized that as they debated the kingdom’s defenses, their king was fighting excruciating pain, barely able to breathe as the child within him pushed its way out.  

But the pain soon became unbearable.  

As the ministers finally took their leave and exited the hall, Haejoon waited until their footsteps faded down the corridor before his body finally gave way. He staggered forward, one hand clutching the edge of the table while the other pressed against his tightening abdomen. His breaths came in sharp, ragged gasps—his chest rising and falling in a chaotic rhythm.  

The pain returned, fiercer than before. The muscles beneath his belly clenched, and he felt something pressing deep within him. “Aaaahh…!” he groaned, a hoarse, suffering sound finally escaping his lips.  

From the corner of the room, hurried footsteps approached. Captain Seo, his trusted guard who had long known his secret, knelt before the king, his face pale with worry.  

“Your Majesty,” he said in a trembling, hushed voice, “Your body can wait no longer. The contractions are too close. We must get you to your private chambers now before anyone sees…”  

Haejoon bit his lip, his tear-blurred eyes meeting his guard’s. In his gaze was shame, fear, and pain he could no longer hide.  

“I… I think the baby’s head is already crowning…” he whispered between choked breaths. He bent forward, gripping the sides of his hard, heavy belly. A firm bulge pressed against his pelvis, pushing downward, and every time he tried to straighten, he felt as though something was about to tear free from his body.  

Captain Seo wasted no time. Swiftly, he took the king’s arm, helping the trembling man to his feet. As King Haejoon stood, a small puddle formed beneath his robe. His waters had begun to break, a sign that time was running out.  

Haejoon let out a long, shuddering breath, gritting his teeth against another wave of pain. “Please… don’t let anyone see me like this,” he whispered, barely audible.  

Captain Seo nodded quickly. “I swear it, Your Majesty. No one will know. I will protect you… even if it costs me my life.”  

Carefully, they moved through a hidden passage behind the palace walls, known only to a select few. Every step was a struggle. King Haejoon had to stop with each contraction, his body doubling over as he clutched the wall, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Sweat soaked his back, and his undergarments grew damp as fluid continued to seep out.  

When they finally reached the secluded private chamber deep in the eastern wing of the palace, an elderly physician and two handmaidens were waiting. Without a word, they helped the king remove his royal robes, revealing his sweat-drenched, bare body and the heavy, taut belly that had been hidden beneath.  

“I can’t… hold on any longer…” Haejoon murmured, his damp eyes flickering toward the bed.  

Captain Seo gripped his hand tightly. “You are not alone, Your Majesty. We are here for you. You’ve endured so much already… now it’s time to welcome your child into the world.”  

Captain Seo swiftly lifted the king’s body with reverence. The trusted palace attendants sprang into action, sealing off the corridors to ensure no prying eyes could witness what was happening. Slowly, they carried the king to his hidden private quarters deep within the palace complex.  

Once inside, the physician and two loyal handmaidens were ready. Haejoon was laid upon a wide bed draped in clean white sheets. His royal robes were removed, replaced with loose, pale undergarments. Yet his belly was so large and taut that the fabric barely covered him.  

His breaths came in ragged gasps. The pain arrived in relentless waves, like a storm shaking his body from within. He writhed, letting out soft moans before stifling a scream. Both hands clutched the bedsheets tightly, twisting the soft fabric into deep creases.  

“Everything is progressing well, Your Majesty,” the physician said calmly. “The baby’s head is in the right position. You must follow the rhythm. When the urge comes… take a deep breath and push.”  

Haejoon nodded, though his face was twisted in agony. His body was drenched in sweat, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he bit down on a cloth to muffle his cries.  

Hour after hour passed. The handmaidens continuously wiped his face with warm towels, replacing the sheets beneath him that had been soaked with amniotic fluid. Everyone in the room understood how unnatural this situation was, yet none dared speak more than necessary. Only the sound of the king’s breathing, his stifled cries, and the physician’s calm instructions filled the room.  

Sweat beaded on his forehead, dripping down his temples and soaking the pillow beneath his head. King Haejoon gripped the sheets tightly, his hands trembling with each new contraction.  

“Aaahh…!” he groaned, louder this time. A muffled cry, laced with anguish and fear, echoed through the private chamber.  

“Your Majesty… breathe… take a long breath… follow me…” the elderly physician soothed, trying to calm the nation’s leader as he battled pain no king should ever have to endure.  

His usually poised and graceful body was now drenched in sweat, curled on the bed as his swollen belly heaved violently with each contraction. He felt an overwhelming pressure below his stomach, an instinctive urge that made his body shudder—not from fear, but from the primal force taking over.  

“I… I can’t hold back anymore…” Haejoon rasped, his voice breaking. He bit his lower lip, stifling the scream threatening to burst from his throat.  

“Your Majesty,” said the handmaiden near his head, wiping his sweat, “You’ve been so brave… the baby is almost here.”  

Captain Seo stood in the corner, his face pale but his eyes fixed on the king. Guilt gnawed at him as he watched his sovereign suffer like this. In his heart, he wished he could bear the pain instead. But all he could do was stand guard, ensuring no one entered, and keep this secret safe.  

Suddenly, King Haejoon arched his back, his body convulsing. “Aaarrgghh!!” he screamed. His waters broke with a soft but unmistakable sound. The handmaidens hurried to change the sheets beneath him.  

“Your Majesty… it’s time to push,” the physician said firmly but gently. “With all your strength… help your baby out…”  

Haejoon turned weakly, his eyes glistening with tears. “I’m scared… I can’t…”  

Captain Seo, hearing this, immediately stepped forward. He knelt beside the bed, taking the king’s hand. “Your Majesty… You’ve faced wars and threats of betrayal. This… this is not defeat. This is birth. The throne of Joseon rests in your hands. But today, the throne does not matter. Today, your life—and your child’s—come first.”  

Haejoon’s eyes fluttered shut, tears spilling from the corners. With a heavy breath, he began to push. Once. Twice. Thrice. His cries filled the room, mingling with groans and screams that wrenched the heart.  

“Again, Your Majesty! The baby is so close!” the physician urged.  

Haejoon’s hand tightened around Captain Seo’s. He pushed with all his remaining strength, his body trembling, his hips lifting slightly from the bed. A burning sensation between his legs nearly made him pass out, but the voices around him called him back.  

When the greatest urge came, Haejoon’s body tensed. He let out a guttural roar, his body lifting slightly from the bed. Heat and pressure surged through his lower half, like fire burning from within. The handmaidens clutched his hands tightly, lending him their strength.  

“Come, Your Majesty. One more time… push!”  

With the last of his strength, King Haejoon pushed. The world around him blurred. All he felt was the unbearable pressure in his pelvis, the sensation of his body splitting in two. Yet beneath it all, he heard a sound—the cry of a newborn baby.  

The physician smiled broadly. “A baby boy, healthy and strong.”  

The infant’s first cry echoed through the chamber, filling the room with undeniable wonder. A handmaiden quickly wrapped the baby in soft cloth and placed him beside his father.  

Haejoon gazed at his son with tear-filled eyes. All the pain he had just endured vanished in an instant. He lifted a trembling hand, gently touching the baby’s cheek. The child grimaced, his eyes still tightly shut, yet his tiny hand gripped Haejoon’s finger with surprising strength.  

Tears spilled from the king’s eyes.  

The handmaidens and the physician bowed deeply, aware they were witnessing something sacred. Not just the birth of a child, but the dawn of new hope for the kingdom of Joseon.  

Yet deep in his heart, Haejoon knew this was only the beginning. His secret would not remain hidden forever. Sooner or later, the world would know that the King of Joseon had given birth. And when that day came, there would be questions, rejection, perhaps even betrayal.  

But for that night, he chose not to think of any of that. He only wanted to hold his child, feel the warmth of that tiny body, and finally let his exhausted body rest.