Chapter Text
“Their Majesties The King And Queen of the Great Kingdom of Hanseong and the rest of the royal family are very please to announce that Her Majesty is expecting their first child.”
It is a known fact to everyone that the king and queen’s first born male child brings luck to the Kingdom. He is the heir to the crown, the protector of their family name’s honor. And most importantly, he’s bound to follow the footsteps of his father and eventually become the King in the next few years, when he’s old enough to rule an entire empire.
The crown prince is a sign of prosperity, hope, wealth, health, and the overall economic and political success of a kingdom. That was what everyone got excited for when the palace announced the Queen’s pregnancy.
Even before the coming of the prince, the kingdom’s fortune teller would never leave the King's side as he would give constant updates on the birth of the one and only heir to the crown.
It was a constant "The prince will bring peace between the four kingdoms." and "He will live a successful life with his future spouse." until one time, the sunlight that seemed to brighten up the whole kingdom from the news turned into a clouded sky that rumbles with lightning and thunder.
"The crown prince will live a prosperous life if and only if," the old, trusted fortune teller of the whole kingdom had said and cleared his throat, "He will be able to come out from the Queen's womb on the 10th. The number signifies the first full moon of the year, the ideal time for any of the children of the higher class to be born in order to live a harmonious and successful life."
The King glanced at the court lady beside him, his hard look enough for the lady to cower and bow in fear as she updated the King about the Queen's condition.
"The Queen has been in constant pain since the dawn, Your Majesty," the court lady informed. The King clenched and unclenched his hands, his mind running miles with the scenarios playing in his head. They've got about twelve more hours before the 10th of the month.
"And what would my son suffer with if he can't make it in the 10th?" The King's voice wavered, eyes never leaving the old man bowing in front of him.
"I wouldn't dare to speak any misfortunes that the crown prince may encounter-"
"Speak now!" The King's voice boomed around the room, the council, the Lords, and even the royal guards outside flinched at his tone.
"Your Majesty, the crown prince will suffer from a series of misfortune that not even me or the best shamans can stop. The only way for him to get out of such tribulation is to accept the fate given to him by the Goddess." The old man bowed even closer to the ground, his face almost printed on the floor as he cannot face the King for the revelation he just said.
“You want my son to surrender to the Goddess because you said so!? We cannot accept that fate!”
“Help may come eventually but the crown prince will have to suffer alone.”
The King wanted the truth.
The truth that the crown prince, the future king of the Kingdom, might not be able to live the comfortable life his parents wanted for him.
The news about the new prince born two minutes before the 10th of the month on a half moon was passed around the palace.
The royal family had then ignored the fortune teller's words, and now dubbed him as a fraud.
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Youngho of the Great Kingdom of Hanseong.
Despite being born on the 9th on a half moon, the young prince was nothing but intelligent and overall healthy. He was far from what the fortune teller had told the whole palace 24 years ago. He wasn't sickly, he wasn't under a threat made by the other kingdoms, he wasn't anything the old man had predicted.
He was as successful as his parents expected him to be even before he was born.
He succeeds in everything he does, may it be in archery, horseback riding, dueling, finance, or even fooling his eunuch and sneaking out of the palace.
It is never his intention to stress his eunuch as premature white hair won't look good on his rather young friend since he was 12 years old. He just feels suffocated to be prisoned inside the golden gates of the palace- to be in under the hundreds of eyes of people around him monitoring his every moves, hoping to find one fault in this supposed to be ill-fated prince.
A walk around the city is what he needs, after all.
"This kid is seriously trying to get me killed!"
The crown prince, Youngho, snickers from his spot behind the pillar leading to the king's concubine's part of the palace. A few royal guards saw him, attempts to announce his presence to the concubine and her son who are probably nearby, but Youngho quickly puts a finger over his lips.
He can't afford to let anyone know of his plan to sneak out for the third time this week.
The royal guards bowed, shutting their mouths as per the prince's request. When he sees his eunuch walking away from his spot, he takes it as a chance to run across the garden and past the guards guarding the exit.
"Crown Prince Youngho! Come back here!" He sees his eunuch running behind him, waving what seems to be a scroll of whatever poetry he was supposed to learn that afternoon.
"Moon Taeil, I promise to be back before the sun sets!" He screams back, a hand holding his hat in place as he disappears to the heart of the city. He’s thankful that Taeil is a slow runner and wouldn't dare to report the incident to the royal family.
Because doing so would also means he gets to be punished as well for not keeping an eye on the prince.
"Being your eunuch is a curse. I was put here to be your guide, not your babysitter!" Moon Taeil, the third great grandson of the best eunuch the kingdom has ever had, had once screamed one day when Youngho almost gave him a heart attack for disappearing for almost a day.
Youngho shakes his head, adjusts his hat and blends in with the crowd. It’s quite interesting for him that he can easily blend in with them and be another person that isn’t the prince, since none of the outsiders know what he looks like. The royal family is so particular about their identities that they had decided to reveal the future ruler’s face on the day of the crowning ceremony, the very day when the king would step down from his position and let his only heir rule.
Youngho is thankful, really, as he gets to study and mingle with his subordinates.
His feet then brought him to the market, a place where he can freely study his people. The whole place seems to be in a very lively state as people from every class of the society fill every nook and cranny of the market. The children were running around with their toys as their parents call out their names, actors performing some drama about the royal family that doesn’t really bother him anymore, laborers and a drunk man wobbling his way to a store almost bumping into him as they carry sacks after sacks of crops, and the vendors were enthusiastically trying to entice the passers-by to buy their products.
He stops in the middle of the crowd, taking in the sight he has grown accustomed to. The palace is dull and suffocating whereas the market screams the real life of his future subordinates. He loves being surrounded by his people, away from the King and Queen and his eunuch Moon Taeil's nagging.
His eyes stop to look at a small store on his right with a young looking boy staring back at him with a mischievous smile. He raises an eyebrow to ask what the boy is looking at only to be motioned by the boy's finger to come closer. Youngho looks around to make sure he was the one being summoned, and quietly chuckles at the fact that the boy just called the crown prince to come over with the tip of his finger.
This is what he really loves about blending in with the crowd- the fact that he can pretend to be someone other than from the royal family.
If it were the other members of the royal family, the young boy would be imprisoned and punished in a heartbeat.
He moves closer, and closer, until he's face to face with a boy with a smile that makes his eyes look like crescent moons. "I believe you've summoned me to be here."
"Oh, why yes, you look like someone who can afford my goods!" He smiles and then uncovers the products he's selling, revealing dozens of bracelets, rings, and necklaces of various colors. It was of low quality, a total opposite of what he’s used to see, but beautiful nonetheless.
"It's dangerous to make such assumptions, young man," Youngho comments, his hands folding behind him.
"With that expensive looking jeogeori and silk pants, I'm more than sure you can afford everything from my display," says the young boy with a huge, playful smile. He's brave enough to look at him up and down, studying the rather expensive clothes Youngho is wearing.
It wasn't that much, actually, as he's wearing a green jeogeori made by the best sewers in the kingdom, with a golden dragon embroidered in front of it. The hat he's wearing is even made of a different kind of material, gifted to him by the royal family from the east kingdom. The silk pants stood out from the crowd, clearly the kind that even the finest stores in market can't afford to buy and sell because it wasn't found anywhere but the royal store.
Okay, probably his clothes were too much.
He'll make sure to ask Taeil for a new pair when he comes back just so he wouldn't catch anyone's attention like he's now.
"Say, what do fine men like you do for a living?" The boy leans on the wood that contains his products, a rather curious look present on his face.
"What do you think?"
"You can't answer a question with a question, sir."
"I just did. Now, what do you say is the best product you can offer to me?" Youngho walks closer to the display, hands still neatly folded behind him.
The boy's face lights up at the question and stands straighter. "Oh! Here's a jade ring. Suitable for every fair young lady in the kingdom. I know you'd be able to have her hand in marriage if you give this jade to her." Youngho snorts.
Marriage. As if.
"What if I want to buy it for a boy, then? Is it still suitable for them?" He questions, a hint of playfulness present in his face and voice. The boy looks caught off guard and clears his throat.
Even he surprised himself as that topic is something the palace isn't ready to talk about. Only Taeil knows about it, and he plans to make it stay like that.
"I mean, it suits everyone, to be honest. You can buy this for your lady, or boy, or friend, or mother, I don't care. Just please buy this one," Youngho laughs. He nearly feels sorry for surprising the boy like that.
"How much is this?"
"It's cheap! It's as cheap as that one small sack of potatoes old lady Jung is selling!" The boy points at the product beside his small store. "If you buy this jade, you'd be able to make the boy you're courting say yes-"
Smack.
The young boy flinches and cries in pain when a small pouch of coins gets smacked across the back of his head. A man who looks around Youngho's age emerges from the back of the store who looks quite similar to the boy, fair-skinned despite the dirt covering his face, tall, and beautiful.
Youngho clears his throat.
"How many times have I told you to never talk to customers when you've got nothing else to do! You speak absolute nonsense causing us to lose another money! I also told you to wait for me after I unload the rest of the cart, didn't I?" The man reprimands, teeth gritting as he repeatedly smacks the boy's arms with the pouch. The two boys continue screaming at each other and he takes the opportunity to properly look at the man.
Dirt was indeed all over his skin, his clothes and hair. He is obviously also a physical laborer, if the cuts and bruises on his hands and arms were any indication, in contrast to the young boy who looks rather clean with his dull white clothes and pants. But despite everything, he can still see the beauty that this man holds.
Breathtaking.
"I apologize for my brother's behavior, young master," the man repeatedly bows and pulls his brother's head down with him. "Jeno, you apologize!"
"I didn't do anything!" He hears the boy, Jeno, hisses.
"Your brother's right. He didn't say anything to offend me," Youngho reassures, a smile present on his face. The man looks up to him and bows once again. He then pushes Jeno out of the store, saying something like "take the rest of the carts with you" before sighing and regaining his composure.
"I apologize once again for whatever nonsense my brother had said to you before I came here," he says with an apologetic, gummy smile. Youngho reciprocates the action and watches the man wiping the sweat (and dirt) off his forehead. "Is there anything from my product that caught your attention, young master?"
"Young master." Youngho repeats which sounds foreign in his ears. It's his first time being called like with such title.
"Yes, young master."
"What gives you the assumption that I am a young master?" He questions rather playfully but the man seems to take it the wrong way. The man only widens his eyes as if he realized he somewhat offended the expensive looking man in front of him.
What if he's actually a master? Or a Lord? Or the son of the head of the Royal Guards? Or part of the royal family?
The prince could practically hear the man's thoughts. "I apologize for offending you in any way, my Lord. I'm begging you to please punish me for being disrespectful!"
The man nearly bangs his head on the wooden display as he gets down to his knees and bows even though the prince can't see him from his position outside the store.
“It is wrong of me to assume your status and call you young master when you’re obviously of the Lord status!” He exclaims, still bowing on the ground.
"Such excessive apology is not needed. I promise you I'm in no way offended. Just call me Youngho, if you must."
"Thank you for your mercy, Sir Youngho." The man stands up, not looking at his eyes.
Youngho takes his eyes off the man and points at the jade ring Jeno first showed, hoping he could shift the topic since the man in front of him is starting to look uncomfortable. "Now, that jade ring. Believe me, your brother was able to entice me to buy it."
"Oh, a pretty choice! This is one of the few popular jewelries people always look for in my store! It doesn't cost that much but its charm never fails to succeed."
Youngho wasn't here to buy jewelry from a ragged store in the middle of the crowded market. He was supposed to roam around, and get absorbed by the reality of his kingdom but instead he's here, almost getting swayed by this vendor to buy the ring he absolutely doesn't need.
But there's something about the man that stops him from refusing to buy it. It's probably the gummy smile that lightens up his dirt-stained face, or the way he looks at his products like he just birthed them, or probably his sweet voice that sounds like he could definitely sing a lullaby and put him into sleep.
Youngho doesn't know and he's too tired to dig deeper.
“Sir Youngho,” the man starts, “I heard from my brother that you are courting someone. Do you perhaps need help with it? I can offer you my pieces of advice so you could get whoever you want with my jewelries.”
Youngho lets out a quiet laugh, strangely finding the man’s hesitation rather adorable. “I apologize for creating a misunderstanding. I am not courting someone. Your brother just made an assumption that I am and that the jade ring is perfect for my lady. I was just trying to make sure if its charm’s still going to be effective if I court a boy.”
It’s refreshing for Youngho to talk about something he’s only comfortable of sharing with Taeil. The topic is not as taboo as anyone thinks but as the prince, the future ruler of the kingdom, he’s expected to marry a young lady, a princess from the nearby kingdom, or a daughter of an aristocrat, and produce an heir.
The concern about marriage and heirs were already brought up in multiple gatherings but Youngho is always quick to dodge the question. He’s still young, he reasons, there’s so much more to discover and explore in his kingdom!
The man smiles. “Oh, my jewelries have never failed to succeed, sir Youngho.”
He raises a finger to tell the man to give him a moment and then proceeds to feel around his pants, hoping the golden coin pouch Taeil had given him as a gift for his birthday would be there so he could purchase the jewelry. When he feels nothing but a crumpled page of the journal he had read earlier this morning in his pocket, he turns to the man and exhales.
“It seems like my coin pouch is not with me."
The jade ring that was in front of him, carefully laid out by the man's stretched arms, is immediately hidden behind him with a wary look. He watches the man look at him through squinted eyes.
“I swear to the goddess that I had the pouch with me earlier,” the prince whispers mostly to himself.
"Suspicious."
Youngho couldn't hide the chuckle that escaped from his lips. Sure, he understands the man's wariness. He did ask for the details and its price but can't even purchase it because his coin pouch is missing.
Suspicious, indeed.
"I apologize for being an inconvenience. It was not my intention to take up much of your time for nothing," he slightly tips his upper body down, genuinely apologetic for being clumsy enough for forgetting to take the pouch that was sitting on his bed before he sneaked out.
"It's all right, sir Youngho," the man says as he puts the ring back with the rest of the jewelries on the display. "Not everyone has good taste in jewelries."
Youngho knows he wasn't supposed to hear the last statement since it was murmured under his breath. He raises a brow at the statement, seeing that the man just assumed he didn't buy the ring not because he doesn't have the money, but because it wasn't to his liking. Fascination was clear in the crown prince's eyes, moving closer and closer to the store (to the man), his torso making contact with the wooden display.
"Believe me when I say I have the best eyes when it comes to looking for the best gems anyone could offer in this kingdom," he smiles at the man. It's true in a sense. The royal jewellers had entrusted him to pick the gems suitable for the throne they redesigned for the Seo Family's half a millennium years in service.
He received nothing but praises at his exquisite taste. Even the Queen and the concubine said so.
"Then your eyes aren't suitable for these jewelries. You can't look for anything here that can match your standards."
The prince stares at the man, the latter's big, doe eyes staring back at him with curiosity.
"I just did. I'm looking at that gem right now."
The man's face was undoubtedly reddening like an overly ripe tomato after hearing the prince's bold statement. Even Youngho can't believe he just said that to someone he just met no longer than 15 minutes ago. Moon Taeil would definitely smack him with a scroll for breaking protocol if he was here.
He knows he doesn't have much time to roam around the whole place if he wants to get back to the palace in one piece (before his eunuch can get a hold of him and beat him to a pulp) so with a slight tip of his body to the man in front of him, he smiles at him one more time and said, "It was nice to meet you..."
"Dongyoung. Kim Dongyoung."
"It was nice to meet you here, Dongyoung. I hope to see you next time. I'll make sure to bring my coin pouch with me."
“I’ll wait for you, then.”
He had promised Taeil that this would be the last time he's going to sneak out of his quarters for the week. But seeing Dongyoung's eyes following his figure as he heads back to the part of the market closer to the secret entrance to the palace, he decides that sneaking out one more time tomorrow won't hurt anyone.
Besides, promises were meant to be broken, right?
"I have to let you know that I can see you from up here, Moon Taeil," he glances at his side, his peripheral view noticing his eunuch trying to discreetly hide behind a tree but his hat and purple pants gave him away. Youngho’s standing by the cliff, dangerously close to the edge, but the scenery in front of him makes everything worth it.
"I apologize for following you here without your permission, Your Highness. I was instructed by the head eunuch to make sure you're safe," Moon Taeil moves away from the tree and drops to his knee to bow down and pay respect to the crown prince.
"Moon Taeil, I've asked you a million times to call me Youngho when we're not around the elders," the prince sighs as he turns around to watch the older stand up and hesitantly looks up to him.
“It is not appropriate for someone from the lower rank to address you or any from the royal family with your first name, Your Highness. If The Majesties were to hear me, they’d have my head in a golden plate to be eaten by the Queen’s pet.”
“I said, when we’re not around the elders. And I consider you as my friend therefore, the rank you’re talking about is nonsense to me,” Youngho sighs and watches the older shake his head.
"Fine. But if someone ever hears me calling you Youngho, whether or not by accident, I’m dragging you to the pits of the underworld with me," Taeil threatens as he crosses his arms with a disapproving look thrown into Youngho’s direction.
“That is if I won’t drag you there first,” Youngho counters and then rolls his eyes. “And you seriously thought you were slick enough to follow me here. I could literally see you following me. There’s a reason why you were trained to be an eunuch rather than a soldier, Taeil.”
“I really despise you, Seo Youngho.”
“If you weren’t my best friend, I would’ve slit your throat with my wooden waster.”
“But you wouldn’t.”
“Luckily.”
Taeil tips his hat at him with a smile. "I'll leave you and your thoughts for a while, Youngho. I'll be back so we can return to the palace together."
And with that, his most favourite eunuch in the entire palace walks away until he disappeared into the forest back to the center of the city. He faces the scene in front of him again and inhales the fresh air that his body's been yearning to have since the last day he went out, which was a week ago.
He stands near the edge of the cliff and looks down at the forest hundreds of feet below him. Finally, after a week of meetings with the council and royal officials about the existing drought in the whole kingdom, he now has the time to temporarily escape reality and just be one with nature.
"Standing close to the cliff is dangerous, sir." A voice on his left breaks him out of his reverie. "Just a few days ago, someone jumped from this very spot and fortunately, or let's say unfortunately for him, he survived and only suffered from broken legs, ribs and arms."
The prince squints his eyes, trying to see and make sure his eyes aren’t fooling him right now because right in front of him, standing a few meters away from his spot, is the very man who he can't stop thinking about since last week.
"You." The prince swears he knows how to speak.
"Oh, the young Lord!" The man seems to recognize him as his eyes widen in amusement. "You're not trying to jump, are you?"
"No, definitely not. And have I already told you to call me by my name? The title Lord sounds stranger," Youngho smiles.
"Youngho, yes. Sir Youngho, I apologize for being disrespectful." The prince sighs. Sir Youngho will do.
"No need to apologize,” Youngho faces the scenery in front again, his head becoming more peaceful than ever before, after seeing the man’s face.
Kim Dongyoung.
It was a pity that he wasn’t able to meet with Dongyoung the day after their first meeting. He was able to sneak out of the palace once again, with Taeil secretly threatening to report him to the Queen, but Dongyoung or his brother were nowhere to be seen in the ragged store. Instead, an old woman was there selling sweet potatoes and carrots.
He returned for the next two days only to find the same old woman in the store. He just wanted to see the man again, and maybe spend more time together, but good luck was unfortunately not on his side.
He glances back at Dongyoung and marvel at the sight in front of him. Now that he’s much closer to him, without the wooden display separating the two, he can now clearly see Dongyoung’s feature. He is tall, but not as tall as him, and his soiled robes are now replaced by a rather clean grey robe, matched with a white cloth wrapped around his foreead to keep his neatly tied long, black hair out of his eyes. The cuts and bruises on his arms are still present, but it’s not as bad as it looked last week.
Kim Dongyoung is still beautiful like how he remembered him to be.
“Not to be rude for asking you this but may I know what you’re doing here?” he hears Dongyoung asking from beside him, too close from him. He can even feel the cloth of Dongyoung’s robe touching his hands. “This has been my hideout for quite a while and no one except that man who jumped off the cliff knows about this.”
The prince doesn’t even know how his feet brought him here when he decided to take a stroll to nowhere in particular. “I don’t even know how I got here. Do you mind if I share this spot with you?”
“No, it’s even an honor to have you here,” he glances at Dongyoung and notices the small dimple near the corners of his mouth as he subtly smiles at nothing in particular. The prince’s eyes trace the smooth skin on the man’s face, free from dirt, his long nose, and sharp jawline that his hands itch to touch. The prince can’t understand how such beautiful creature exist in this world, as someone who has such beauty should be wearing a golden robe and pants, and be sprayed with the finest fragrance only the royal family can afford to buy and use.
The feeling of taking in Dongyoung back to the palace and bathe him in rose water and spoil him until he get’s tired of it spreads across the prince’s chest. He doesn’t quiet understand why he also suddenly feels like taking care of him.
“How’s the gem doing this fine afternoon?”
Dongyoung almost forgot how to properly breathe. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Youngho glances at him with a smile. “I thought we already established the fact that you are a gem? My gem?”
“We did?”
“Ah, I apologize for being unclear in the beginning. I called you a gem last week, as I should as you look as beautiful and expensive as the blue tourmaline I’ve seen that day, and I would like to know how you’re doing in this fine day?” Youngho honest to goddess doesn’t know where the boldness come from. But if he gets to see a flushed Kim Dongyoung trying to avoid his eyes, he wouldn’t hesitate to do it again and again.
“I would appreciate it if you stop saying things like that.”
Youngho’s smile falters. “Does it make you uncomfortable? I apologize, Dongyoung,” he bows and he can see Dongyoung his hands in panic.
“It’s not like that, I swear!” he starts before averting his eyes away from the prince, hoping he would get to change the topic. “I just don’t want to get used being called that. But everything’s fine. I’m fine. I was able to sold my jewelries in the nearby town, and I managed to help Jeno get his first job in a household,” Dongyoung smiles and tilts his head to the side, “What about you?”
“My father was being an old piss again but nothing unmanageable,” he answers vaguely and glances at the man. “I visited the store the day after our first meeting but you were nowhere to be found. I even brought my coin pouch to buy the jade ring.”
Dongyoung purses his lips and asks, “Only to buy the ring?”
“No. Mainly to see you again,” the prince’s chest warms at the beautiful sight of Dongyoung smiling, eyes looking at the forest below them.
“I apologize. I was not able to pay the rent for the store so the owner kicked us out and I went to the nearby town to sell it instead. I visited the market for a few times, hoping to see you again, but I guess our paths were not meant to cross each other last week.”
The prince hums. “But still meant to meet each other again nonetheless.”
“You are quite right. I’m glad to see you again, Sir Youngho.”
“I’m glad to see you too, Dongyoung.” The prince was about to spend time just staring at the man when his attention was immediately caught by something on Dongyoung’s neck.
“That scar,” Youngho points to the one on the other’s neck. “What happened to that?”
The man’s finger instantly flies to touch it. “Ah. Servants like me get these scars from our work.”
Youngho tilts his head, urging the man to continue. “And, it was my fault. I accidentally broke Young Lady Choi’s favourite set of tea cups a month ago. I was cleaning her room when her female servant quietly entered the room with the set so when she suddenly spoke, I got startled, accidentally knocked over her servant and the set got dropped to the floor. I was immediately punished that night and got kicked out of the household.”
Youngho faces him completely, a frown now gracing his face. “Punished? What punishment?”
“I got the typical punishment. All I remembered that night was being punched on my stomach. Everything else was a blur, but I woke up with a broken rib, busted lips, a huge cut on my left eyebrow, and this huge slash on my neck.” The way Dongyoung narrates the whole thing sparks the anger bubbling inside Youngho. It was as if it was a very normal occurrence for him to get punished, like being punch to death was nothing but a normal thing for servants like him.
“Are you referring to the only daughter of the Choi Household?” Youngho faintly remembers the head of the Choi Household during one of the Palace’s monthly gathering of businessmen, Lords, Heads of rich households, and Royal Officials.
“I am. Do you know them?” Dongyoung sounds so innocent and the prince has the urge to keep the Choi’s in his agenda for the next month’s gathering. His fists balled unconsciously as he plans to teach the whole household a lesson for punishing his Dongyoung like that.
The crown prince isn’t one to use his power to get what he wants, but after hearing what Dongyoung just told him, being punished for accidentally knocking over a godforsaken tea cups, he wants nothing but forget the rules he set for himself and give his Dongyoung the justice he deserves.
His Dongyoung. Youngho dismisses the thought.
“Something like that,” Youngho exhales. He watches Dongyoung walk towards the huge oak tree a good few meters from their previous spot, the tree where his eunuch hid earlier. He follows the man and both of them sat under the shade of the cool tree.
“Such punishments normally exist for people like us. The servants. My family has served many families for centuries which makes us the only household people get servants from. We were born to be this way, to serve people, to become who we are today,” Dongyoung closes his eyes as he rests his head on the trunk. “I’m working hard to break the tradition our ancestors put us into. I’m even trying hard to keep Jeno away from this line of work by training him to do labor, farming, or even delivering goods to households. While I on the other hand, am trying to give it a try in the jewelry business.”
“I’m sorry you have to go through all that.”
“It’s alright. It’s not your fault. Things are getting better now.” Dongyoung looks peaceful letting the wind brush the hair out of his eyes. “It’s not what I really dreamed of, but it’s absolutely the biggest step to achieve my goals.”
Not only is Dongyoung effortlessly beautiful on the outside, he also has a heart of gold who doesn’t deserve all the misfortune happening to his life. “You look like someone with a big dream.”
Dongyoung opens one eye to take a peek at him. “What does someone with a big dream even look like?”
“Someone like you. Radiating, full of hope, has a golden heart, beautiful.” The prince swears to all the Goddesses that the bitter swelling he’s feeling in his chest quickly disappeared when Dongyoung looks up to him through his long lashes with a subtle smile, his pinkish skin glowing under the afternoon glow.
“I just want to make the people I love live comfortably. And see them smile.” Dongyoung nods. “Yes, to see them smile and happy. That’s my absolute dream.”
“That’s a big dream, actually. Not everyone can make people happy.” Youngho twists his body to face the man, elbows bumping each other, so close that he could almost take a sniff of the faint vanilla scent lingering in the air.
This time, it’s Dongyoung staring at him directly in the eyes. It was the first proper moment for them to look each other in the eyes. It’s as if the slimmer man was studying him, his features, his overall being that still seems to be a mystery to him.
“I’m sorry for being too bold but you’re the most beautiful person I’ve seen in my entire life.”
The crown prince, for the first time in his life, finds himself speechless. He was taught by the greatest teachers how to answer dangerous political questions asked by the council and royal officials so as to avoid internal conflict, was taught how to make a decision when faced with an urgent situation on behalf of his father, was taught on what to say during the annual meeting of the rulers of the surrounding countries.
Taeil even taught him arts, poetry, numbers, everything there is to know to be an intellectual. But this. No one taught him how to respond when someone as beautiful as Kim Dongyoung, whom he met a week ago, tells him that he’s one.
That he’s beautiful.
Youngho can’t believe he’s feeling breathless by a simple compliment by a man he just met.
“And I’m even more sorry for asking you this one big request but,” he watches Dongyoung’s eyes staring at his lips. He’s suddenly conscious at the attention his lips is getting, so he bits his bottom lip, absolutely clueless on what to do next. “Can I kiss you?”
The prince is even more speechless. His mind was screaming all the affirmatives but his body is still. He doesn’t know what to do. Should he say yes and wait for Dongyoung to lean in? Or should he initiate it?
It’s the question he immediately has an answer to.
And stupidly, without uttering any words, the crown prince nods his head as a reply.
Luckily for the crown prince, Dongyoung seems to get the internal conflict he’s having in his head as the latter tugs on the hem of his yellow robe, slowly pulling his body towards him. Their faces were inches away from each other, lips testing the distance by brushing each other’s bottom lips.
And all at once, Youngho captures Dongyoung’s lips with his. Caging him in, breathing in the remaining vanilla scent his nose could smell. They are still, lips unmoving, as if standing in and observing an unfamiliar territory.
The prince feels a sudden boldness as he moves his lips against the servant’s, placing his own hand behind the latter’s neck to keep him in place while the other on his waist- and for them to find a much comfortable position.
Dongyoung tastes sweet and warm, reminding Youngho of the sweets Taeil gets him every after their study sessions. The soft lips were intoxicating, as if the prince can’t get enough of its taste.
He feels Dongyoung’s small hands holding into his arms, fisting the fabric while his lips work wonders. He feels warm all over his body and for a second, when he feels like his lungs aren’t getting enough oxygen from all the kissing, he pulled away with a soft suck on the smaller’s bottom lip.
“Yes, you can.”
Dongyoung lets out a soft laugh and steals a peck on the taller one’s soft, plump lips.
Dongyoung is simply beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful.
“Youngho? Are you still here? We need to go back now,” the prince can hear Taeil’s faint voice calling for him nearby.
If there’s something his eunuch is extremely good at, except for poetry and arts, it’s getting on his nerves and ruining every good moments he’s ever had.
“That was my friend calling,” Youngho says and he retracts himself from Dongyoung so he could stand up and probably go their separate ways again.
“Before you go and leave me again, I’m going to gift you this jade ring. I know it’s not much and is of lower quality compared to what you usually get, but accept this as a sign of gratefulness for having to meet a person like you, Youngho,” Dongyoung takes the ring from his pocket and shoves it to the prince.
“Youngho? Are you even there? Oh goddess! Youngho is missing! I should send the roy-“
“I’m on my way there, Moon Taeil! Just give me a second!” he yells from behind the tree and admires Dongyoung one last time. “Same time, same place. I can’t promise to meet you here again tomorrow but let this be our place. Let’s meet each other here again.”
The prince leans in to plant a kiss on Dongyoung’s lips once again. “Wait for me.”
“I’ll wait for you, Youngho.”
And he’s gone to where his eunuch is standing, a good few meters away from the two men. He was sure Taeil was far enough from them, but the widened eyes and accusing finger told him otherwise.
“You-“
“No questions, Moon Taeil. Lead the way before I cut off your tongue.”
9 days.
It’s been nine days since the last time he and Dongyoung saw each other. It’s not that they haven’t met after the first kiss they shared, in fact, they met multiple times a week after that. The cliff became their thing, meeting each other and talking about anything under the sun (except for the fact that Youngho is the crown prince of the kingdom).
They have an unspoken agreement to keep everything a secret and Youngho’s grateful enough that Dongyoung understands him and his unspoken request to not ask about his family or status any further.
The two of them can’t tell anyone, not even Dongyoung’s brother or friends but Youngho made an exemption for Taeil because his eunuch’s the only one who could help him meet his lover at the cliff. Same time, same place.
He sometimes feels sorry for putting his eunuch in such a tough situation, making excuses for him when he’s out too long.
“The royal highness isn’t feeling well.”
“The royal highness requests to have a private walk in the Dowager’s garden.”
“The royal highness asked for everyone to leave the premise for he’s experiencing a severe headache.”
And when the physicians come running to the prince’s quarters because oh goodness gracious! The royal highness is unwell! Taeil would stammer out another excuse just so he could drive everyone out and wouldn’t see the empty bed of the prince in the middle.
Taeil and Youngho even almost got caught when Prince Jaehyun, his half-brother, went to the quarters to invite the other prince for their weekly sword fight and saw no one but Taeil napping inside.
“Prince Jaehyun! Prince Youngho went out for a walk in Queen Mira’s sunflower field!”
“Taeil, I came from the field not a moment ago. Youngho was nowhere to be found,” Prince Jaehyun says flatly.
It was impressive how Taeil still managed to spurt out another lie just to save the prince from trouble.
The prince swore to give Taeil’s younger brother a position inside the palace for being such a lifesaver.
“Youngho, I am a friend first before I am a eunuch.” Taeil had once said.
It’s been nine days since the last time he and Dongyoung saw each other but it’s also been nine days since the council started this prolonged meeting about the drought the kingdom’s experiencing.
“Your majesty, the families in the east are starving as the crops that fed them aren’t growing. We need to do something to prevent a bigger problem from arriving!” someone from the council says.
“The drought has been punishing the farmers for months. The central have been delivering help for them but it’s still not enough,” another one from the back continues.
“Your majesty,” one of the officials sitting in front of Youngho bows to the king, “It has been reported to me that a lady and her child died due to starvation. It’s one of the few reports of deaths from the east.”
“How many reported deaths were there?” His half-brother who is sitting on the other side of the king, Prince Jaehyun, asks.
“More than thirteen, your highness.”
Youngho looks at his father from his throne on the left and the latter spoke. “Myeongbok, what do you say is the reason why the drought is happening? We’ve done all the necessary rituals every year. What more did the goddess want and how we do solve this drought?”
The council was quiet as they wait for the old shaman to say the answer.
“A human sacrifice,” the shaman says from his spot beside the general. “The goddess was unsatisfied by the rituals the kingdom’s been practicing. The pig blood and the dozen of sheep aren’t enough for her. She wants more. She wants a human, your majesty.”
Whispers broke out. The room is noisy, a mix of protest at the ridiculous request and agreements that a change must happen in order for the problem to completely stop. The king looks like he’s in deep thought so Youngho asks, “What human is she looking for?”
“The goddess doesn’t discriminate. She wants anyone as long as it’s human, your royal highness,” the shaman bows.
“The life of every people in Hanseong is precious. Such request contradicts with our mission to protect every living being that inhabits our kingdom. We should not easily give up on what the goddess wants and decide to sacrifice a human on a whim.”
“But your royal highness, isn’t what you want contradicts with our mission, too? If we don’t offer one life, dozens of innocent lives would be sacrificed, all because we didn’t follow what the goddess want,” the shaman replies, head still almost planted on the floor as a sign of respect. The court room breaks out into another argument, the officials fighting back and forth on what the royal heads should do to solve the problems.
“How about we sacrifice those who don’t deserve to live?” Prince Jaehyun asks, fingers carefully tracing the intricate design of the armrest of the throne he’s sitting on.
“I’m afraid I do not get what you mean, your royal highness,” Myeongbok replies.
“The prisoners. The criminals. Those who do not deserve a second chance.”
It’s another crucial time for the palace once again. One wrong move could harm the rest of their subordinates. The prince goes silent, his mind running in a mile while trying to assess the situation.
Who are they going to sacrifice for the ritual?
The court room talked, and talked, and talked. Youngho’s head is spinning from staying inside the room for more than two hours without a break. Even Moon Taeil who’s standing below the platform the royal family is sitting on can be seen secretly yawning behind his robes, eyes watering from the boredom and sleepiness.
“Lord Lee, look into the profiles of the possible candidates for the ritual. They should come from our prisons as suggested by Prince Jaehyun. Report to me the list by next week and by then, the offering would be performed by Shaman Myeongbok,” the King raises his hands and tips his head, “For now, the session will be put to an end. Everyone is dismissed.”
Despite the dismissal of the King, the royal officials stay rooted to their spot while they talk to each other. The exchange of opinions and solutions were only put to an end when they heard a voice outside apologizing for interrupting the gathering and announcing the request of the head lady of the Choi household for the council to attend to her concern.
Rude, but the prince sighs in relief for he can now go back to his quarter and stretch the aches away from his back.
“It is I, Lady Deoksoon of the Choi Family, urgently asking the council’s help to punish the criminals who robbed my daughter at the market a moment ago. The offenders were immediately captured by my people and I am here to ask for your assistance to help me punish the wrongdoers,” an old lady says when the doors opened. Her servants are standing behind her along with who seem to be their guards.
The Choi Family is one of the most influential families in the whole kingdom. They almost always get what they want so it’s safe to assume that whatever punishment she might like to give to the criminals will be followed.
Everyone is walking towards the grounds to see what the commotion was all about but Youngho couldn’t be bothered anymore.
When the king nods his head to the old lady, the royal guards (about five of them) pulls two figures with them into the grounds. All the criminals’ hands were tied together behind their backs, the thick rope painfully digging into their skin that Youngho can see blood dripping from where it is tied around when one of them turn to their side.
The guards continue to drag the almost lifeless bodies further and pushes them hard, scraping their knees and collapsing to the ground, when the king raises his hand.
The crown prince sighs. He wants to escape once again and let the officials deal with Lady Choi.
He should head back to his quarters because his head is pounding harder and the sight of blood is making him dizzy.
“Taeil, prepare the baths and the lavender essence. I’d like to relax-“ He stops when he sees Taeil staring hardly at something, his body freezing on his spot as if the ghost of his grandmother appeared in front of him.
“Your royal highness, I greatly apologize for being extremely rude but I think your presence here is much needed than in your quarters. I believe this is something you would like to get involved in.”
Youngho sighs without another thought.
His eunuch is right. He should be there and watch how they usually deal with the old lady who acts like she’s part of the royal family just because she is rich and is cousins with the King’s financial advisor.
He ignores the tensed figure of his eunuch and heads to stand beside the King, feeling defeated.
He couldn’t catch up to whatever they were talking about and only watches the guards repeatedly kicking, and punching, and hitting the back of the criminals’ head with their hilt.
“Speak! How much did you steal from the young lady’s pouch!?” A guard screams and grabs the hair of the man on the right, revealing his face that was covered with dried blood.
That face.
Youngho feels his body going cold at the sight of the almost lifeless man in front of him. His hands start to uncontrollably shake.
No, it can’t be.
“I said I didn’t steal anything!” he spits but he gets kicked in the face instead.
The voice, even through the pain and anger he hears in that voice, he knows who it’s from. Youngho spent days listening to it through poetries and lullabies. There’s no way it was his Kim Dongyoung getting beaten up to a pulp right in front of him.
“I didn’t steal anything! I was wrongly accused!”
“Liar!” Lady Choi screams and a guard pulls the man up by his hair while the other threw a punch to his side.
“Let the man speak!” Youngho orders with venom in his voice. His blooding is boiling from anger, disappointment, and embarrassment because he’s watching his lover being accused of something he’s sure Dongyoung can’t and wouldn’t do.
“Prince Youngho, a criminal like him doesn’t deserve to be heard. He needs to get punished.” Youngho stops the urge to punch his half-brother instead. The king on the other hand watches the exchange, as if giving his sons the full consent to solve whatever Lady Choi’s problem is.
Dongyoung then looks up to him from his position, eyes blurred by tears streaming down his face. “Your Highness! Please believe me! I didn’t steal the pouch! I would never in my life do that!”
“If the man won’t admit to his fault, we will punish his brother on his behalf,” Prince Jaehyun announces.
“No! Please! Don’t touch Jeno! You can punch me, cut my hands off or even kill me! Just don’t touch Jeno! He didn’t do anything!”
It was then he noticed the figure of the younger boy slouched beside the accused. Jeno’s cries can be heard by everyone as he gets dragged by another guard towards the prison. Dongyoung struggles in the hands of the guard keeping him in place as he attempted to run to his brother’s aid.
“Please don’t touch him! I’m begging you!”
“Enough of this ridiculousness!” Youngho exclaims. The guards stopped dragging Jeno while Dongyoung continues to cry on the ground. “No one is getting punished tonight. We will run an investigation to fairly point out who actually stole Lady Choi’s coin pouch.”
Youngho is seething from anger. The sight of Dongyoung almost dying on the ground sends a tight punch in his guts.
“If the investigation says you wrongly accused these men, I will not hesitate to behead every single one of you here.”
“But Prince Youngho-“
“Bring the men at the back right in this instance. They will stay here until the investigation is done.”
He wants to run to Dongyoung and hug him, but he can’t. Not now. Not when he’s in front everyone as the Crown Prince Youngho of the Kingdom of Hanseong. He can feel Dongyoung’s eyes looking at him but he looks away when they get pulled to where they were supposed to stay.
“Everyone is dismissed as per the King’s request. The investigation will start shortly,” Prince Jaehyun says.
“Youngho, I’ll take care of Kim Dongyoung on your behalf,” Moon Taeil bows when they were both back inside the prince’s quarters.
The prince finds himself sneaking out of his quarters one night. After the stunt Lady Choi pulled, he’s nothing but always on edge knowing that Jeno and his Dongyoung is probably starving in their cells. He had requested Taeil to send the two of them food but he’s yet to check their conditions.
Youngho unlocks the dark cell and sits beside the weak figure by the corner, the defeaning silence lingering around the place.
Youngho isn’t sure how Moon Taeil managed to clear the whole place, but he’s extremely grateful for the whole thing.
“You are a prince,” was the first thing Dongyoung says, hands on his lap as his eyes stare at the prince’s figure.
“That I am,” Youngho says, head tilting to get a clearer look on Dongyoung’s face, with his right hand brushing the hair out of the latter’s eyes. “I’m sorry for not being truthful. I was just protecting the both of us.”
“You are Prince Youngho, the heir to the throne,” Dongyoung continues, but it’s mostly him speaking all his realizations.
“I’m sorry, Dongyoung. I’m sorry I didn’t do anything yesterday.”
“Do you think this will work?”
“What will work?”
“Us. You being the crown prince with me as a prisoner.”
“We can make this work. I promise you that. And I’m sorry for putting you in this situation. This is my fault-“
Dongyoung grabs his hand and smiles. “Youngho, it’s fine. In fact, you saved Jeno and I’s lives. If it weren’t for you, we would’ve been headless by now,” Dongyoung manages to say with a hint of humour.
Youngho wants to weep when Dongyoung still managed to joke around. He’s surprised he wasn’t mad or getting crazy for making him look like a fool.
“Aren’t you angry at me for hiding a secret? For not telling you that I’m a prince?”
“Honestly? No. I’m not angry.”
“Not even one bit? I deserve to get beaten up for keeping a huge secret from you.”
Dongyoung looks at him, an arm now wrapped around his knees. “Youngho, I like you enough to forgive you even before you apologize.”
The prince carefully pulls Dongyoung’s head and rest it on his shoulder. “I like you too, my love. Please remember that.”
Dongyoung reaches out for this left hand and gives it a light squeeze. “I didn’t do it. I could never do it, Youngho. Please believe me.”
“I believe you, Dongyoung. I believe you.”
Prince Youngho slaps the tea cup away from him offered by the court lady on his right when he heard what his half-brother suggested in one of their usual council meeting. The officials below the platform flinched at the sound of the cup hitting the ground and the yelp of the court lady.
“I apologize, your royal highness!” the lady cries as she drops to her knees but the prince pays her no heed.
“Prince Jaehyun, I believe what you said doesn’t make any sense,” he says through gritted teeth, “What do you mean by ‘push through with the ritual’ while I’m away?”
Prince Jaehyun glances at him from his spot, eyebrow jerking at the other prince subtly and squares his shoulders to recompose himself. “I’ve consulted Shaman Myeongbok about the whole process and the goddess wants only one representative from the royal family for the ritual and pray to her.”
The older prince is about to argue when Prince Jaehyun continues, “The king is not feeling well as of this moment, and it is already known by the whole palace that you are scheduled to attend a drill with the army on the boarders for three days starting tomorrow.” Youngho definitely does not like where the conversation is going and as much as he wants to lunge at his half-brother, he still have to mind the eyes of the officials eyeing him from his sudden outburst. “And as your brother, I am very much willing to administer the ritual with Shaman Myeongbok on behalf of your royal highness Prince Youngho and King Taejo .”
Prince Youngho doesn’t understand why his heart is palpitating, his whole body slowly going cold at the other prince’s explanation. If it weren’t for such unspecified feeling, he would’ve been thankful for Jaehyun’s initiative. But right now, when it was the younger prince who suggested they sacrifice one prisoner knowing that his lover Kim Dongyoung is one of the possible candidates, he feel’s extremely uneasy and afraid that his nightmares would come true.
Knowing his half-brother, he knows that the younger has something up his sleeves.
Youngho exhales. “Lord Lee, I would like to know who the best candidate for the ritual is.” The said lord rises from his seat and bows.
“Your royal highness, after the consultation I had with Shaman Inhyuk, it has come to my conclusion that the prisoner from the east, Chae Hyungwon, is the best candidate as he doesn’t only look pure for the goddess, he also comes from a family of farmers. The goddess will definitely like him.”
The prince stops the urge to collapse from joy when he doesn’t hear Dongyoung’s name.
“I appreciate the information, Lord Lee.”
“As per the King’s request, we will still have to think who the final candidate will be but I can assure everyone that Chae Hyungwon will be the priority,” Prince Jaehyun announces.
The prisoner might be the priority but Youngho suddenly feels something that made him want to cancel the drill and make sure his Dongyoung is safe from the ritual. The decision is still not final, so the temporary joy might be cut short.
When the meeting ended and the two princes were already in the garden where they usually split up to go to their respective quarters, Prince Jaehyun stops from his spot and is followed by Prince Youngho.
“I do not know what you are protecting from this whole ordeal Prince Youngho, but I can assure you that I will do nothing but the best for our Kingdom. I won’t ever disappoint you, brother.”
You already disappoint me in many ways, Jaehyun.
Later that night, he finds himself in Dongyoung’s cell yet again. The latter is getting thinner and paler, and the prince fears it might be from starvation or torture, but Taeil had assure him that Dongyoung stays in his cell all day and eats his food. It is probably because of the fact that his only joy and freedom have been sucked out of him by the palace.
He wastes no time and tells Dongyoung about his upcoming drill starting tomorrow. The prince won’t be here for two days and two nights to visit him at night and make sure he’s getting enough rest, food, and affection.
“Do you really have to go?” Dongyoung asks, his head comfortably resting on Youngho’s lap. He closes his eyes when the older runs his fingers through the former’s dry hair.
“I have to, my love. The king is still not feeling well and the drill needs the assistance of an official royalty- the king, a princess or a prince. Basically anyone that has the authority to direct the whole army in case there will be an unforeseen attack in the borders that might lead to a war,” Youngho explains, his hand playing with Dongyoung’s hair while the other his resting on the latter’s chest.
“Jaehyun may be a prince but he’s the son of a concubine so he’s definitely not qualified. So that only means I am the only royalty that is qualified and available,” he continues.
Dongyoung sighs, a pout barely noticeable present on his face. “I will miss you.”
“I will miss you, too. But it’s just for a few days.”
“You’ll come back to me again, right?” Youngho’s chest aches for a reason.
“Dongyoung, I’ll be back the second the drill is over. I’ll go wherever you are, and this time, I will make sure you’d get out of here.”
The man smiles. “Do you definitely promise to come back to me?”
“Definitely,” Youngho holds Dongyoung’s hands. “I promise you that.”
A promise was indeed made that night.
His teachers, even his eunuch Moon Taeil, had taught him how to contain his emotions in whatever circumstances he’s in. May it be the sudden death of a family member, the king’s order to find him another concubine, a sudden arranged marriage with the neighboring kingdom if it deemed fit for the two’s peace and harmony, or the declaration of war by the south kingdom.
He was taught how to be calm and composed, to seek for further information so he could make a conclusion or solution, and make an appropriate action afterwards. He was taught these simple steps to help him become the future ruler who doesn’t let his feelings get in the way.
It’s relatively easy, really.
But no one taught him how to react to this.
He may have learned how to properly act like a royalty, like a prince- or like how he’s expected to act as the future ruler of the kingdom. He had learned everything there is to know on how to be the type of ruler everyone would be comfortable to praise.
When Donghyuck, Moon Taeil’s younger brother, came running into where the prince and the whole army are resting in the borders to inform him that Kim Dongyoung has been taken by the royal guards for the ritual, Youngho jumps up from his place and immediately heads to where his Dongyoung is.
Kim Dongyoung. Ritual. Mountain. Goddess. Those were enough to send Youngho’s world spinning. The breath was knocked out of his lungs, and he nearly collapsed while on his way to the mountain where the ritual is happening.
He doesn’t know what the process for the human sacrifice is but he’s hoping Kim Dongyoung is still alive.
Fuck.
“ Your Royal Highness Crown Prince Youngho. My brother sent me to inform you that Kim Dongyoung has been chosen for the ritual.”
He feels angry, agitated, sorrowful, disappointed. He wants to run his sword down Jaehyun’s throat, or have both his feet tied together and get dragged by a horse, or have him killed by his own hands. He wants to run to where Dongyoung is, to immediately bring his body to where he is in just a snap of his finger. He wants to rescue him. He wants to make him feel safe after numerous hardships he’d suffered in this lifetime.
“Prince Jaehyun had announced earlier this morning that the performing of the ritual will happen today.”
He knows his half-brother’s behind this whole thing. Chae Hyungwon, he wants to fucking laugh.
The soldiers who were with him were caught off guard by the prince’s sudden outburst that it took them a few realizations before they took their horses and followed the prince. But unfortunately for them, the prince was too quick, like he was trying to catch a deadline, and they lost sight of him.
“The ritual will still happen at the mountain of the Goddess.”
Fortunately for Youngho, even through his heavy breathing and blurry vision due to the tears streaming down his face, he still manages to get the correct direction.
It took him an hour, or an hour and a half, before he jumps off from his horse and runs his way to the location Donghyuck described earlier.
“Tenth oak tree from the second row. He’s tied into it with a golden robe facing the west, where the sun sets.” Donghyuck had described.
Youngho wastes no time and counts the trees starting from where he is.
First, second...sixth, seventh...ninth, tenth!
He grabs his sword and cuts through the thick golden ropes wrapped around Dongyoung in a heartbeat.
The man drops to the ground when he’s free from the thick, golden rope that was wrapped tightly around his whole body like some type of knots the soldiers learn when handling hostages. The marks are visible from his fair, clean skin and will undoubtedly leave bruises on the next day.
Dongyoung is dressed in a golden robe with a labyrinthine pattern of what seemed like a cobra made out of ruby red thread. His long black hair, which was usually tied in a know with a dirty cloth wrapped around his forehead, was left to fall on his back.
The man even smelled like lavender with a mix of citrusy scent. He was obviously pampered for the ritual and Youngho’s blood boiled even more.
“Prince Youngho,” Dongyoung calls weakly when he falls in the prince’s arms.
“Dongyoung, it’s me. I came to save you from this,” He cradles his weak body and looks around to spot anyone from the palace that could be lurking around to guard Dongyoung. The coast is clear, apparently, and he takes the chance to examine the servant.
“Did they harm you while I’m away? Did they hurt you? I’m sorry I had to leave you and couldn’t protect you from my brother,” he kisses his temples.
“I was scared. I’m scared. They told me I was going to be the human sacrifice before taking Jeno away from me. I don’t know where my brother is. I don’t know where they took him. I’m going to die today or tomorrow or until the day my body will give up. And my brother’s going to be alone. I won’t be able to save him from your palace-“
“Dongyoung, listen, no one is going to die today, or tomorrow. I won’t let anyone do that to you,” he grabs the smaller man’s face and stares at him with earnest eyes. “I will get you out of here.”
The servant nods his head and both of them stood up from the ground. Youngho isn’t sure how he will explain it to the palace, on why he has Dongyoung back in his quarters, but none of that matters when the latter is currently shaking from fear, confusion, and mostly exhaustion from the mental and physical torture he’s experiencing.
All he has in mind right now is to keep Dongyoung safe.
He feels the man’s knees wobble and he clutches at his arms to steady him. Youngho’s head snaps to his left when he hears footsteps coming towards their direction. Dongyoung grips Youngho’s arm in fear, and the prince quickly hides the man on his back and holds on to his sword for dear life.
“I-I think they are your soldiers,” the man whispers. “I h-heard Prince Jaehyun telling them to guard the place after a few hours of leaving me alone for the goddess to see me.”
Youngho spins around to hold Dongyoung’s hands. “Dongyoung, I want you to listen to me and my orders this time. Go to the nearest river and wait by the bank across the tule tree. Hide somewhere while I deal with this here.”
“Prince Youngho, no, I won’t leave without you. We have to go back together and I-“
“It’s more safe for you to wait by the river. I have to deal with this alone or else they’ll take you away from me again,” he kisses Dongyoung on the lips and slightly pushes him away to the river’s direction. “I promise to go to you and we’ll go back together.”
With one last stare at each other’s eyes, there’s a shift in the servants eyes before he nods and runs off to the river’s direction.
The anger bubbling inside the prince’s body resurfaces as the familiar faces of the kingdom’s soldiers come into view. There are approximately ten of them, all cautiously moving forward on their horses.
“Who dared to tie Dongyoung into that tree?” he starts.
“Prince Youngho-“
“Who among you here took him here and tie him to that tree!?” he can’t stop himself from screaming, chest heaving in and out like a madman. “You dared to push through with the ritual without my approval. You dared to lay a finger on Kim Dongyoung!”
A soldier on his left answers, “With all due respect Your royal highness, we have come to an agreement to continue without your presence. It is only right to do this as soon as possible so-“
“How dare you! All of you! Don’t you ever touch Dongyoung. After I know who took him here and tied him to that tree like an animal, I won’t hesitate to behead every single one of you and your family!” he exclaims, his free hand clenched into a fist that shakes in anger. He knows he’s spurting nonsense but his judgment is clouded by anger.
Another soldier moves forward. “But your royal highness, more people will die from the drought. More people were reportedly dying because of it.”
“Prince Jaehyun’s order to specifically choose Kim Dongyoung among the candidates were immediately approved by everyone in the council. Now that the ritual is interrupted, the only way for the goddess to accept the offering is to kill the human with a sword within the next 3 days.” Another one continues.
Prince Youngho’s head is spinning, chest tightening in an alarming way that makes him want to just lash out and curse his half-brother and the goddess for everything that is happening.
He can’t be selfish since he’s the crown prince, the one who’s bound to save the people, but he knows there’s another solution for this.
He knows he won’t let anyone take Kim Dongyoung away from him.
“I’m ordering everyone to go back and inform the palace that the ritual will be put on hold until further notice,” he clutches the sword and watches everyone hesitantly leaving before running off to where he instructed Dongyoung to hide.
The order might be against what the council has approved, but a prince is a prince. The prince’s order is more important than that of the council or Prince Jaehyun.
He wastes no time in running like his life depends on it. Dongyoung is waiting for him- tired, scared, hungry, traumatised. His heart is pounding so hard he feels he might collapse any minute from now. But he has to stop his body from feeling week, not now that a sword is waiting to be planted in Dongyoung’s body anytime soon by his people.
When he arrived, he can see the servant’s figure crouching by the foot of the tule tree, a hand resting on the ground to keep him stable while the other is clutching onto something. He has his back on the prince, and what the latter failed to notice at first glance was the sword stabbed through his stomach.
The prince notices the pool of blood on the ground and he feels all the living daylights leave his body.
“Dongyoung!” he’s careful not move Dongyoung’s body that much as he stares at the tip of the royal sword peeking through his back.
“P-prince Jaehyun...”
That bastard. That Jung Jaehyun bastard!
The other prince knew about the other way to finish the ritual. Of course, he did!
He outsmarted Youngho, and the thought of his goddamned half-brother pushing the sword all the way into his weak, defenseless body has Youngho shaking in pain, anger, and most importantly guilt.
Guilt for leaving him alone in this goddamned forest.
Youngho is shaking. He can still save the servant. If he can just carry him back to the palace, he can still save Dongyoung’s life.
“...P-prince Jaehyun just-“ he coughs up blood and his body falls forward and into Youngho’s arms.
No. No, Kim Dongyoung please.
“No, Dongyoung. Look at me. Keep your eyes open, stare at me and never let your eyes close,” Youngho cradles his body. “Dongyoung, listen please. Don’t close your eyes.”
Dongyoung’s lips pales, his body writhing in pain with every small move he makes while staring up at Prince Youngho’s figure.
Dongyoung’s frail fingers touched his cheeks, caressing it like it is the last thing he would be able to touch in this lifetime. The prince feels his chest explode from all the pain he’s feeling.
No, he can’t leave me. Not like this.
“Prince Youngho, thank you for showing up in my life. I wouldn’t be able to feel this kind of happiness if it weren’t for you. Thank you.”
“No, Dongyoung, you are not allowed to talk like that. We are going back to the palace and I’ll punish-“
“Your royal highness, the ritual is a success. Your people will thank you for this.”
“Kim Dongyoung, stop talking like this is your final time. This isn’t. We’re going back to the palace.”
“Be a good prince, Youngho. I’m sorry and thank you.”
Prince Youngho cries, and cries, and cries.
The lifeless body of the once lively, smart-mouthed servant against his own. Everything is too sudden. He barely had time to completely show Dongyoung how thankful he is to have him in his life, to turn his once stagnant life upside down.
Everything is too sudden. He was not able to tell Dongyoung how much he loves him.
He still wanted to spend all his time with Kim Dongyoung. But it seemed like the universe, or perhaps the goddess, wants him to suffer.
Youngho stares at the gray sky above him, eyes looking everywhere as if trying to look for the goddess that put him and Dongyoung in this state.
“Is this what you want!? He’s already gone! What more do you want now!?” Youngho screams, expecting an answer but got nothing in return. Instead, he hears footsteps coming to their direction. But it wasn’t coming from one direction, it’s everywhere.
His left, right, then hears it coming from behind him. Youngho holds Dongyoung’s body closer to him and the footsteps stop into a halt.
“Is he dead yet?” Prince Youngho hears someone sitting on a branch from the nearby tree say.
“Ten, what the hell,” someone answers from the opposite side, actions similar to the first one. He can’t quite figure out what the two look like as his eyes are still blurring from all the tears.
“Who are you!?” the prince asks.
“I apologize for being insensitive,” the first one apologizes but he knows it wasn’t meant for him.
“What are you two doing here? Who sent you here!?” he continues. The two disappear from the tree and the next thing he notices is them hovering over him. Despite the close distance between him and the two men, he still couldn’t make out their faces, as if his eyes were intentionally blurring the figures.
“Kun, I think it’s time to do it.”
“It’s up to you, Ten.”
“What are you two trying to do-“
Youngho feels a warm hand on his head, like how a monk would do when someone asks for his guidance. He wants to move away his head away from the hand, but it was impossible to do so. It’s as if he’s charmed to stay glued on his spot, body unmoving with only his mind screaming nonsense.
What is happening?
“Your Royal Highness Crown Prince Seo Youngho of the Kingdom of Hanseong managed to offend the Goddess because of his actions,” the voice (Ten’s, he recognized), answers. “I would’ve told you more about this but you’re running out of time.”
Youngho’s running out of time.
“We’re really sorry, your royal highness. But I hope you appreciate this special gift given to you by the goddess,” the other voice says.
He feels something warm enveloping his whole being with his eyes involuntarily closing from its sensation. It’s as if his body is on fire, like someone lit him up and burn his insides.
The last thing the prince remembered was the words of Dongyoung playing inside his said over and over again.
I’m sorry and thank you.