Chapter Text
The people around him were tense, it wasn't anything new to Minkyun. But something about it felt different—felt off.
Whenever he had asked Hyojin about it, the knight stated that nothing appeared to be different in his eyes. He carried out his duties as always, his passive attitude staying non-changing. Rather, he had gone back to his old self as if their promise in the woods hadn’t existed. Minkyun knew that Hyojin did it for the sake of not letting other people know, but he had hoped that they could stay a bit more casual in their day-to-day life within the castle.
Minkyun had skipped breakfast. His parents didn’t like it much, but they often let it slide on weekends, letting Minkyun doze off for a bit longer.
He had just woken up to stroll along the building when he heard two maids whispering in the hallway in front of his room.
“Do you think he found a replacement already?”
“But they seemed just fine yesterday…”
“They do know how they’re supposed to act in front of others. I wonder what happened.”
“Me too. Maybe Sir Hyojin’s friend knows about it, what was his name again, Changyun?”
Minkyun furrowed his eyebrows. What were they talking about? Who is supposed to be replaced? And what do Hyojin and Changyun have to do with that? Confused, Minkyun waited for the two women to pass and their voices to become faded before he left his room. Maybe Hyojin knew what they were talking about.
At times, the castle was too big to navigate, but usually Minkyun knew where to find the people he needed, so he made his way through all the halls and rooms Hyojin could be in. He walked along the long corridors, listening closely if he could hear Hyojin anywhere. But he hadn’t expected seeing Hyojin together with his father around the corner, seemingly disagreeing on something. Minkyun had often heard rumours about Hyojin and his father not getting along perfectly fine, but with his father having been promoted to the General on an outside base, they didn’t come across each other all too much. Minkyun had his own dislike towards the older man, but he never cared to express them, not seeing any benefit in it as long as he did his assigned work.
“General Kim, Sir Hyojin, surprising to meet you two here,” Minkyun greeted, quickly getting the attention of both as they stopped talking.
“Your Royal Highness,” the General greeted as he bowed shortly, Hyojin mimicking the movement. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. You keep growing.”
Minkyun brought himself to smile for the hopefully short time of their conversation. “It has been quite some time since we last spoke after all. I hope everything is going well at the base.”
“Of course. I have only come by to bring the reports to Your Majesty, and have a short talk with my son.”
“Ah, is that so? Sorry for interrupting you, then.”
“Please, don’t be. We just finished our conversation,” the General said and bowed once more before walking down the long hallway.
Once he was out of sight, Hyojin seemed to relax a bit again.
“Is everything all right?” Minkyun kept his voice low in case more people were around.
With a soft sigh, Hyojin straightened his back. “Yes. Of course.”
Short answers were the most common from Hyojin, but something in his voice made it quite obvious to Minkyun that something wasn’t like it should be. He already knew that Hyojin would turn nervous in the presence of the General, being his son brought a lot of pressure and expectations on Hyojin, which he needed to try and fulfil to his best possibilities. Minkyun wanted to ask and make sure; show Hyojin that he could rely on him as a friend also. But there could be an eager ear around any corner, making it hard for both of them to properly talk without possible damage to their title.
“When would your schedule have a free spot?” Minkyun asked instead, hoping to be able to have a proper conversation in his room after the day ended.
One of Hyojin’s eyebrow lifted in unsure interest. “Most likely late, I have to attend some additional units of training.”
Minkyun nodded shortly. Even though he had initially hoped that by taking Hyojin as his personal knight, he could have the other by his side more often, it ended with Hyojin simply having additional separate training. A few times already Minkyun had tried to argue with his father and the knight in charge of the training sessions that Hyojin should stay closer by Minkyun’s side at any time. But in return, he was always told that the country and the surrounding nations were at peace and that no attacks needed to be feared, thus they had Hyojin train a lot more to master his new position quickly. It made Minkyun feel regretful about his decision, though on some occasions, he was able to use the same exact reason to spend more time with Hyojin after all.
“All right. Another time, then.”
“Is there anything you need, Your Royal Highness?” Hyojin asked nonetheless.
“No, nothing of immediate importance,” Minkyun answered. “Do let me know if your schedule clears up somewhere in the following days. I’d like to talk to you.”
“Of course, Your Royal Highness,” Hyojin agreed and bowed slightly. “I shall get to my duty now.”
“Of course, take care.”
It felt like Hyojin was avoiding him. Every time they spoke, Hyojin cut off their conversation by having to go somewhere. And oddly enough, the General stayed for longer than expected. Of course, it made Minkyun wonder if he was the reason Hyojin was constantly out and about for duties others would usually get called to. It only took a few days for Hyojin to look worn out and annoyed, his façade slipped more and more often when eyes weren't turned his way. He was ripped out of his usual routine and work, and it tugged at his patience. All while General Kim seemed to have an unusual joyful glint in his eyes whenever he spotted Minkyun.
“Let Sir Hyojin come to my chamber at once,” Minkyun said to a passing maid. She seemed surprised at his rough voice and doubled her steps down the hall to pass the order.
The entire situation annoyed Minkyun, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it.
It merely took a few minutes before there was a knock on the door. Unlike usual, Minkyun went over to the door to open it, pulling Hyojin in by the wrist once he confirmed it was indeed him.
Hyojin was obviously confused, if not concerned. “Is everything alright, Your Royal Highness?” he asked when the door fell shut.
Minkyun didn't reply immediately. He scanned Hyojin properly from head to toe, studying his face maybe a bit too long for that matter, and let out a sigh. “Yes…mostly.”
“What did you summon me for?”
Again, Minkyun stayed quiet first. He hadn't thought of even a semblance of an excuse. He just wanted to check up on Hyojin in private and give him at least the slightest break from whatever was happening. He carefully lifted his free hand to Hyojin's cheek, running his thumb over the prominent dark circle under Hyojin's eye.
Hyojin’s stare was still lingering with concern, waiting for an answer of explanation.
“I'm worried about you,” Minkyun admitted.
“What for? There is nothing to be worried about, Your—”
“You haven't been resting recently. You're never on breaks.” Minkyun shook his head. “What is the General asking of you?”
An expression of guilt washed over Hyojin's face for just a split second. So at least Minkyun was right in it being the General's doing.
“He just has me undergo some extra training,” Hyojin said but his eyes moved away from Minkyun's.
When he's exhausted he's worse at lying.
“You trained your whole life, Hyojin. You stand directly under the General. There isn't more to train,” Minkyun argued.
“I know…”
“Then what is all of this about?”
Hyojin fell silent. His eyes wandered everywhere through the room as if he was searching for the answer himself, before facing Minkyun with a sad glint in his eyes. “The General and the King have been talking about making me the second in command. Taking me from the position of your personal knight.”
“What?” It took a few seconds for the information to fully reach Minkyun. “Why? What is the reason for that?”
“They say this position is a waste.”
Minkyun felt his stomach drop in anger. “I will go talk to father—”
“Don't. You shouldn't have received this information in the first place,” Hyojin told him.
“And what else am I supposed to do? Sit and wait until they take you away? You're my knight, I should have a say in all of this.”
“I'm sorry,” Hyojin said, only then wriggling his wrist out of Minkyun's hold. “If you'd excuse me.” He didn't wait for Minkyun to dismiss him. He turned around and left, posture faltered and eyes glued to the ground.
Minkyun needed to find a way to get General Kim away from the castle again.
He let a few days pass. At night he laid awake, listening to every step to see if he could hear Hyojin’s. With Hyojin’s position as Minkyun’s personal knight, he had received a bedroom directly next to Minkyun’s—a door connecting the two rooms directly in case anything were to ever happen. The only reason Hyojin ever used the door would be to open Minkyun’s curtains early in the morning when he first got up. Usually, Minkyun was still asleep when he did so, but sometimes, when Minkyun got up early, he would get to see the amusing sight of Hyojin not fully ready for the day yet.
However, recently, Minkyun hadn’t heard Hyojin even near the rooms at night. Minkyun’s curtains would be open in the morning, but Hyojin never went to bed when Minkyun was still awake. So Minkyun decided to wait until he would hear Hyojin’s steps enter the neighbouring room, because he started to wonder if Hyojin was getting any rest at all.
A few hours after dawn had passed, and apart from a few maids, the steps died down on the hallways. But no trace of the knight. It was maybe after the moon had passed its highest point when steps appeared on the hallway. They were slow, almost dragging, even, and stopped in front of the door. Seconds passed until the door was finally opened and quietly closed.
Minkyun wanted to get up and check up on Hyojin. But he didn’t.
At breakfast with his parents, Minkyun had thought of an idea to confront his father without directly mentioning that he actually had the full information. So he only needed to find a moment where he could talk to his father alone.
Wherever the King was, the General wasn't far. Only during meals the man didn't seem to stick around. Minkyun didn't want to hold that talk in front of his mother, but it seemed like his last option.
He had been poking around in his food a while as he thought of a way to start the conversation.
“Father?”
The eyes of both his parents landed on him.
“Why is it that General Kim is still here? He said he only needed to deliver some reports. Shouldn't he return to his position at the base?”
His father seemed surprised by what was said, and he pondered for a few moments. “You're right. The General has been here for an unusually long amount of time.”
Minkyun couldn't help but nod in agreement. “I know we are at peace with the surrounding kingdoms, but shouldn't we still make sure that our fronts are always at the ready?”
“Yes, yes, you're right,” the King said. “I will ask him if he has any more important matters and will send him back to his position.”
Hearing those words, Minkyun had to force himself not to smile. So far, it went in his favour. The only thing left to hope was that the General will not see the matter as important enough to argue with the King. And once he would be gone, Minkyun was certain his father would forget about all of that.
Minkyun could be calm for the rest of the day. He hoped that the General would depart by the next morning so Hyojin would get some peace of mind again.
By the time night came, Minkyun hadn’t seen his knight. He wanted to talk to Hyojin when he would come by the chambers, but the hallways remained filled with only careful and light-weight steps of the maids. Annoyed, he sat on his bed. He had already changed into his nightgown, so he wasn’t all too keen on running through the hallways to look for Hyojin.
He got up and walked over to the door to go onto his balcony. Once the glass gave free way for the cold night air, the sound of wood hitting wood carried to Minkyun’s ears. Confused on who would be training at such an hour, Minkyun let his eyes wander over the field beneath his balcony. Quickly, he found two figures and one of the wooden training dummies in the middle of the field. He could make out Hyojin easily, the wooden sword in his hands hitting his opponent again and again. The General, standing next to him, watched every single move with intense eyes. Alongside them, there were a few broken swords on a pile and it made Minkyun wonder just how long the General had been taunting Hyojin. The General kept saying things, but too softly for Minkyun to hear, so for a bit, he hid in the shadows, watching them quietly. He was sure that they should finish up soon, it was late after all. And still hoping that the General would depart the next day, he was certain that the man would want to get some rest before his journey.
Indeed, after a few minutes, the General left the field. But Hyojin stayed behind.
Waiting for the knight to put away his things and leave too, Minkyun watched him further. But instead of packing up, Hyojin continued his training, hitting the wooden dummy again and again with precise and practised moves.
“Hyojin,” Minkyun called once he made sure the General was out of hearing distance.
Hyojin’s head shot up, quickly finding Minkyun's eyes with a questioning expression.
“Come by my room once you're done,” Minkyun said.
There was a certain hesitation in Hyojin‘s gesture, but he nodded.
Minkyun stepped back into the shadows, but kept watching Hyojin. He wasn't sure if Hyojin would see him there, his observation skills were better than the General's, but Hyojin didn't look up again. Minkyun watched every move ever so closely, every swing, every stab, everything was executed perfectly.
Wood split and Hyojin let the broken sword fall to the ground. Hyojin's expression was blank, not even tired or exhausted, but he collected all the equipment and started packing it up.
Knowing it shouldn't take much longer, Minkyun slipped back into his room, closing the balcony door silently. He went over to his door, waiting for soft steps that would never truly die down in the castle. When he heard some come close enough, he opened the door, surprising the maid at such a late hour.
“Sorry for the trouble, but could you bring me some tea?” he asked.
“But of course, no trouble at all,” the maid nodded, changing whatever route she was taking before to one that got her to the kitchen.
It only took a few minutes, most of it probably having been the walk, when the maid gently knocked on the door, pushing it open slightly.
“Thank you,” Minkyun smiled and took the saucer into his own hand. “And good night.”
The maid bowed in a short motion and let the door fall close behind her again.
Minkyun set the cup on his bedside table and sat down again. He only needed to wait for Hyojin.
A knock.
Minkyun stood up and before he could even think about saying a word he already turned the doorknob.
“Come, take a seat,” Minkyun told him, pulling him into the room and pushing him to sit on the bed.
“Is everything alright? Did something happen?” Hyojin asked as he tried to understand the situation, but he stayed perplexed. Even more so when Minkyun handed him the tea. “Your Royal Highness?”
Minkyun sat down next to him. “Everything is just fine. Take a break and drink some tea.”
It was clear that Hyojin was still confused, but he set the cup to his lips. His body relaxed a bit with the input of the sweetened drink, but his eyes still spoke of worry.
“I talked to my father,” Minkyun said. “He will send the General back as soon as possible.”
Hyojin set the cup down. He looked conflicted. “Thank you,” he said quietly. He probably didn't want to show how relieved he was, but he didn't hold it back fully anymore. He stared down to his cup but Minkyun still took in every single detail of his expression.
Carefully, Minkyun pushed some strands of hair behind Hyojin's ear.
Hyojin’s eyes followed the movement of Minkyun's arm, falling onto his face when the hand remained at the side of his head.
“Can you turn this way?” Minkyun asked. He waited for Hyojin to look at him before lifting his free hand to the other side of Hyojin's head. “Promise me something.”
Hyojin nodded slowly.
“Don't leave me.”
“I'll never leave you.”
“I need you.”
“I am yours.”
They were the same words they had spoken years ago, when Hyojin first pledged his loyalty to Minkyun personally, but this time it felt different, more intimate.
Minkyun closed the space between them, their lips meeting shortly, tenderly.
When he backed off, there was uncertainty in Hyojin‘s eyes, almost fear. “Your Royal Highness, what are you—”
Shaking his head, Minkyun cut him off. “Please, don't put up the knight front now,” Minkyun asked, running his thumb over Hyojin's lips.
“But if you do this…”
“Then what?”
“I'll give in to what I shouldn't.”
“And what would be so bad about that?”
“I wouldn't know what to do.”
Minkyun couldn't help but smile. Hyojin felt so small and fragile when he was honest. “Just do what your heart tells you.”
Taking a deep breath, Hyojin closed his eyes. When he opened them again, there was a bit more determination. He leaned more into Minkyun’s space again and connected their lips once more. His movement was careful and a bit rigid, but Minkyun didn’t hesitate to return the soft gesture, moving his lips against Hyojin’s as he pulled him a bit closer.
Minkyun let his hands fall from Hyojin’s cheeks and pushed him softly down to the bed. “Stay the night,” Minkyun asked when they parted again.
“I don’t think I should,” Hyojin mumbled.
“But you could,” Minkyun said with a pout, but he knew that he should be satisfied with where they got already. “Would you at least stay until I have fallen asleep?”
“Sure, if that’s what you want,” Hyojin nodded, but his eyes darted towards Minkyun’s hands on his shoulders, holding him down.
Minkyun let go of the other and gave enough space to sit up. “Go and change, then. I’ll be waiting.”
Hyojin nodded and got up. He only took a few minutes, if even that much before he was standing in the doorway between their two bedrooms, changed into his sleepwear.
With a smile Minkyun patted the space next to him.
“Is this really okay?” Hyojin asked as he stepped closer.
“Of course it is,” Minkyun said. “If I say it’s okay, then it is.”
Hyojin still seemed not fully convinced, but he stepped closer, close enough for Minkyun to grab him by the wrist and pull him onto the mattress.
“Come, now, it’s late.”
Finally, Hyojin gave in, sitting down properly onto the bed next to Minkyun. And even though he was a bit flustered, he didn’t back away when Minkyun took a hold of his hand, intertwining their fingers.
“Good night, Hyojin,” Minkyun whispered, giving him a short kiss on the back of his hand.
“Good night,” Hyojin returned, “Minkyun.”