A/N: Listen to Beast's Fiction (orchestra ver.) near the end. Just a suggestion^^ I listened to it when I wrote it, and it matches the mood very well.

~~~~~

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Taemin said through quick, shuddering breaths.

“Of course you can, Taemin,” IU reassured him, rubbing his arm soothingly.

“No…no…what if I mess everything up? What if I- I fall or something?” Taemin fidgeted nervously in his chair, glancing up at IU with panic-stricken eyes.

IU kneeled down in front of him and took his hands in her own, “Minho will be with you,” she stated simply.

Taemin nodded but still did not look reassured, “Where’s Key? Do you know?”

IU shook her head, “I haven’t seen him. I’m assuming he’s out there, helping prepare for the ceremony.”

“But he promised he would be here with me,” Taemin said weakly. He had come to rely heavily on Key, and he was lost without him. Key had promised to help him get ready for the wedding, but since he had not shown up, IU had taken up the job. It didn’t take much to prepare for the first ceremony. IU had left his hair down, simple and straight. She did not put any makeup on him at all, and he wore a simple white dress. The top half was thick and uncomfortable, a corset he assumed to accommodate for his lack of bust. It was a swallow-tailed dress, with the bottom layer being a shorter skirt that stopped mid-thigh, and the back of it flowing behind him. The long sleeves and top layer of the skirt were sheer, almost see-through.

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation, and Taemin’s head turned just in time to see Minho walking in the door, wearing simple white robes.

He jumped up immediately, running into the Prince’s arms, and every part of him seemed to relax. “Minho,” he sighed.

Minho chuckled and embraced the boy in return. “Are you ready?”

Taemin pulled away, turning around to glance at IU. She nodded her head, giving him an encouraging smile. He turned back to Minho and took a deep breath, “Yes,” he smiled timidly.

The walk to the exit was a long one. When they reached the doors, Taemin stared at the large amount of guards in amazement. There must have been twenty of them at least. He didn’t quite understand why they were necessary until he glimpsed outside.

The entire Kingdom seemed to be present, the huge crowd leading all the way to the temple. The crowd was split down the middle, obviously an area cleared for them to walk through.

Minho gave his hand a squeeze, noticing the distressed expression on his lovers face. Taemin gave him a timid smile in return.

The doors were pushed open, and the moment the crowd saw Minho and Taemin step out of the palace, they erupted into cheers. The guards surrounded them as they made their way down the steps, and into the animated crowd.

The crowd’s screams were deafening, and Taemin did his best to not cringe. He stared straight forward, smiling softly as he gripped at Minho’s hand for comfort. Knowing that the Prince was next to him eased his nerves immensely.

They reached the temple after what seemed like hours to Taemin. The royal family and the council were all present, applauding politely when Minho and Taemin entered the temple.

Minho was surprised to see the Queen’s chair empty, along with Byungchol’s. He wasn’t quite sure if that was a good or bad thing, but he brushed off the thought quickly. He would focus on nothing but Taemin today, and if trouble came, he would be ready.

He led Taemin up the stairs, to the raised platform where the large basin of purified water rested. He could feel Taemin’s hand shaking in his own as they stepped into the water, and he sent the boy a gentle smile for comfort.

They stopped in the middle of the small pool, the water only reaching their waists. Taemin looked up at him anxiously, and Minho could see the questions swimming in his eyes.

Minho his hair, slowly reaching down to brush his cheek lightly. The smile gradually grew on Taemin’s face, and Minho felt his heart swell. He didn’t think it was possible to ever feel this happy, but he had been proven wrong by this boy. This boy that he had never planned to love, but was so eternally grateful that he was given the chance to love. Nothing else mattered at that moment; not the Kingdom, nor his title, nor the judgment of everyone else. He could only see Taemin.

Minho dipped his index and middle fingers in the water, ready to perform the quick ritual. He knew quite well how the simple ceremony worked. He only had to be sure his fingers were coated with purified water and touch certain points of Taemin’s body, “blessing” him with the water. But as he looked down at his fingers, he thought of a more intimate way to go about the ceremony.

He touched his fingers to his lips, the water dripping from his mouth. Taemin stared at him with wide eyes as he brought the boy’s right hand to his face, kissing his palm. He proceeded to kiss the inside of his elbow, then his shoulder. He heard Taemin’s sharp intake of breath as he reached the shoulder, and Minho smiled at the sight of his pink-tinted cheeks.

Minho wasn’t sure how something so simple and innocent could be so sensual, but it was. The warmth of Taemin’s skin against his lips was simply wonderful.

Taemin’s skin erupted in goosebumps, and he let out a shaky sigh, the sensation of the simple kisses sending shivers up his spine.

Minho pressed his lips to the soft skin of Taemin’s left palm, and continued up his arm once again, until he reached his face. He closed his eyes, placing a kiss to the boy’s forehead. He opened them to see Taemin’s blinding, slightly embarrassed smile.  “I love you,” Minho mouthed to him.

“I love you too,” Taemin mouthed silently in return.

Minho dipped his fingers in the water, and brought them to his lips again, before he leaned down to place a kiss on Taemin’s chest. He rested his hands on Taemin’s hips, and the boy wrapped his arms around Minho’s neck in return. He lifted his face and finally kissed Taemin on the lips, soft and innocent.

The crowd erupted in applause, and the couple suddenly remembered that they were in fact, not alone.

Minho paid them no mind, simply pulling away from the kiss to lean his forehead against Taemin’s, “Are you ready for the official ceremony? That was only half of it you know.”

Taemin giggled, tangling his fingers in Minho’s hair, “Of course I am. As long as I have you beside me.”

“Out of the way!”

Minho turned his head abruptly at the familiar voice, and his skin crawled as he spotted the Queen. She was approaching the platform fast, Byungchol behind her, followed by at least ten guards. He felt Taemin stiffen in his arms, and he stepped in front of the boy, pushing him behind his back. He cursed silently when he realized he had no weapons on him at all.

Yunho stood up, eyes blazing, “What is the meaning of this, Sujung? This is a purification ceremony, and you march in here with guards!?”

Sujung stopped just as she reached the staircase, glancing over at her husband, “There is a terrible scandal taking place, and I only wish to reveal it before your son makes the mistake of marrying this filthy liar.” She wasted no time in climbing up the stairs, her guards close behind her.

 Minho tensed, and glanced around the room for any kind of help. ‘Where are Jonghyun and Key when I need them most!?’

“Taemin, I want you to run. Now,” he whispered furiously.

The grip the boy had on the back of his robes tightened, “What? No! Not without you!”

“Taemin, please-!”

Minho stiffened when he saw the Queen’s guards were only a few feet away. He had no weapons, so he used the only thing he did have. He threw a punch at the first guard that stepped into the water. He could hear sounds of shock from the crowd as the fight ensued, and Taemin called his name from behind him.

“This is nonsense! Back away from them!” Minho heard his father yell.

“Stop!” Sujung’s commanded.  The guards ceased their fighting, and Minho froze, still in a fighting stance. “I do not wish to fight. I simply want to expose the truth before a horrible mistake is made.”

“What is so important that you have to interrupt a wedding to do this?” Yunho asked fiercely.

“I need to expose her for what she truly is,” she answered, pointing to Taemin.

Taemin blanched. 'She knows'

He gripped Minho's arm tightly, trembling at the thought of what she would do.

“Let her speak, Your Highness!” A member of the council suggested. A chorus of agreements followed, the council demanding to let the Queen speak. Yunho had no choice but to comply, “Proceed,” he said regrettably. “But do not harm them.”

“Father!” Minho protested. Two guards grabbed him by the arms, and dragged him away from Taemin, struggling and screaming in rage.

Sujung stepped forward into the water, and Taemin took a step back on instinct. She wasted no time, and grabbed him by the arm, her nails digging into his skin. He held back a whimper, but could not hide the fear in his eyes. Sujung leaned toward him, and his breath caught in his throat when her lips brushed against his ear. “Take the dress off,” she whispered.

“What!?” he exclaimed, pulling back to stare at her with wide eyes.

“Take. It. Off.”

Taemin only stared at her with his mouth agape, before he finally got the courage to say something, “How did you…find out?” he asked weakly.

“Key was reluctant to give me any information, but it turned out that I did not need him to. I only had to threaten Key, and Jonghyun spilled all your little secrets.”

“What!? Where are they? What have you done to them!?” Taemin was almost in tears. All this time, he had thought Key was simply resting. He never fathomed the idea that the Queen may have gotten to him.

“I would be more worried about myself at the moment, if I were you. Now…take off the dress or I will do it for you! Show everyone what you have been hiding!”

“My Queen! Demanding a young girl to remove her clothes before a crowd is absurd!” Someone from the council had spoken up against Sujung, but she simply ignored him.  When Taemin made no move to listen to her demands, she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of the water. Taemin could hear Minho thrashing around behind him, still restrained. “Don’t do this, Sujung! You will regret it!”

Sujung turned around to face the Prince, with a smug smile on her face, “Oh no…I think you will regret taking in this piece of trash.”

She threw Taemin to the floor and he cried out in pain when he landed on his stomach. She climbed over him, and he struggled, but she held him still as best she could with one hand. With the other hand, she pulled out a small dagger, earning surprised murmurs from the crowd. Minho was screaming threats at her, to which she paid no attention to.

‘It’s over. I knew this wouldn’t end well. I had hoped…hoped that Minho and I could just be happy together…but it’s really over.’

Sujung cut the ribbons down the middle of the corset, loosening the dress. She grabbed him by the hair, and he gasped in pain, reaching back to pull at the hand. When she lifted him from the floor, she tore at the dress, ripping it off of him slowly.

“No!” he cried, when the dress was torn completely off. There was an audible gasp from the crowd when as they took in the sight of Taemin’s very bare, very flat chest. The Queen decided that wasn’t quite enough to humiliate and expose him, so she went as far as to tear off the rest of his clothing. She released the grip she had on his hair, and he fell to the floor, tears streaming down his face. He lowered his head, cheeks flushed in humiliation. Screams of outrage could be heard from the council, and Taemin cringed at every insult he heard. “Disgusting!” “Traitor!” “Liar!”

Taemin didn’t dare look at the King, nor Minho, who’s yells were drowned out by the noise of the crowd. “Taemin! I will get you out of this mess, I swear to you!” He heard the Prince promise. Taemin wanted so badly to believe him, but he wasn’t sure he could.

“Execute the conniving little bastard!” A council member yelled. Everyone cheered in agreement, and Taemin froze in fear.

“SILENCE!” Yunho’s demanded. The shouts slowly died down, until they were reduced to complete silence. The air was solemn when he spoke again. “There is no choice but to execute this boy for his deception,” Taemin’s heart dropped at his words. He knew that if Yunho could do nothing, there was no hope for him. “But it is tradition that we give him three days to repent.”

“Fair enough, Your Highness,” the Queen smiled smugly. “Take that filth to the dungeon to rot for three days!”

The council cheered, as two guards lifted Taemin from the floor and took him down the steps. He was dragged through the crowd, stumbling as he tried to keep up, and crying silently. Even when he reached the crowd outside, people were yelling threats at him, spitting at him, and throwing things his way.

“Please…please stop…,” he whimpered. He had never felt so weak and pathetic. Even when he had been bullied back at home, he did not hesitate to stand up to his bullies. But with the shame and embarrassment clouding his heart, he couldn’t find the strength to protest. With an entire Kingdom against him, what could he do?

Minho had tried to get to Taemin once the guards had released him, but he lost sight of the boy as he blended into the crowd. “Stop! This is my fault! I made him do this! You must release him!” He shouted fruitlessly. He ran down the steps, and into the crowd, where he pushed through countless people. Tears of frustration built up in his eyes as he searched desperately for Taemin, but did not find him.

“Damn!” He gave up after he could no longer push his way out of the over-crowded temple. He stood still as everyone pushed past him, knocking into his shoulders, and almost pushing him to the ground.

He knew what he had to do now. There was no other choice at this point. He would not let Taemin die, no matter what the cost.

~~~~~

Taemin was brought to a cell, as promised. They managed to have a little decency, and gave him a ratty old tunic to change into. It was two sizes too big, but it covered him at least.

He sat against the wall, his arms wrapped around his legs and his face buried in his knees. He didn’t bother to look up when the Queen spoke. “I told you not to mess with me, little boy.”

He winced when the door of the cell was slammed.

He wasn’t sure how much time passed, whether it be hours or days, but he knew that his death was growing closer. He only felt numb now. He did not want to accept that he would die, that he would never be with Minho again. So he didn’t. He focused on his intense hunger to distract him from his thoughts. The burning pain his stomach got worse with each hour that passed. They gave him no food or water while he was in there, and no one even passed by the cell.

He could feel himself growing weak, barely able to even lift his limbs, and for the first time in two days, he cried. He cried harder than he had ever cried. He screamed and sobbed until he had no energy left.

He did not remember falling asleep, but the sound of the heavy cell door opening woke him up. He tried to open his eyes, but the light that flooded in was blinding.

“Taemin…,” he heard a deep, familiar voice say his name, and he thought he was dreaming. He tried to say something, but his voice was weak and raspy.

“Oh god… Taeminnie,” he felt gentle hands lifting him into a sitting position, and he almost smiled at the familiar touch. He managed to open his eyes just enough to see Minho distressed face. “Here. Drink,” the Prince said, holding a glass of water to his lips. He drank it greedily, relishing every last drop.

“Minho hyung,” he managed to whisper.

“I’m so sorry, Taemin,” he pulled the boy closer, brushing the dirty hair from his forehead. “this is all my fault,” it sounded as though he might cry, and just the thought made Taemin worried. “I wish I could have come sooner, but they wouldn’t let me out of my room. My father helped me get to you, finally. I wish I could let you eat, but there is no time for that. I’m getting you out of here.”

The finality in Minho’s voice scared him. A part of him was relieved to get out of the cell, but another part of him dreaded what Minho might be ensuing. “Where?” He asked weakly.

“Don’t worry about it, love.” Minho placed one of his hands under his knees and the other around his shoulder, and lifted him gently. “We don’t have much time. My father managed to distract everyone so I could get you out.”

Taemin was in and out of consciousness as Minho snuck him out of the palace. He caught glimpses of the garden, and he realized that Minho was going into the woods, “No…,” he protested, but Minho didn’t seem to hear him.

It wasn’t until he saw Onew waiting for them by the lake that he knew exactly what was going on.

He could hear the priest muttering something as he read from a large book. He didn’t even look up when they arrived. The lake was beginning to stir, and Taemin could swear he saw a faint light coming from the bottom.

“Please,” Taemin cried, clutching at Minho’s shirt. “Don’t make me go. You can’t…you can’t…”

Minho lowered to the ground in front of the lake, pulling the boy onto his lap, “I don’t have a choice, Taemin,” he said, voice trembling. “It’s the right thing to do. It’s the only way.” He could feel Taemin shaking with sobs, and he let a few tears slip. Just the thought of living in a world without Taemin left him feeling…empty. But seeing Taemin lying in that cell, dirty and starving, was the last he could take. He knew he should have sent Taemin back long ago. Maybe he wouldn’t have suffered so much?

‘My love only seemed to have hurt him.’

The lake was glowing now, sloshing around and splashing them, and Minho knew he had run out of time.

He stood up, Taemin still protesting in his arms, and walked as close as he could without falling into the water. He lowered Taemin onto his own feet, and held him steady. Taemin immediately wrapped his arms around the Prince’s neck, holding him as tight as he could. “Please, Minho. We can run away from here together. We can think of something. Please…please don’t make me go.” Taemin sobbed into his neck.

“I love you, Taemin. Don’t ever forget that,” he whispered into the boy’s ear, tears running freely down his cheeks.

He pulled away to look at Taemin one last time, taking in the gorgeous features, trying to imprint every feature into his memory; from his plump lips to his blue eyes, full cheeks, and his cute nose.

He wiped the dirt and tears from the boy’s cheeks, and Taemin brought his own hand up to rest on Minho’s. “Keep this with you always,” the Prince said, pointing at the sapphire necklace.

Taemin nodded, lips trembling as he tried fruitlessly to hold back more tears. He knew he didn’t have a choice. He didn’t want to accept it, but deep down, he knew he had to go. He would not say goodbye though. Because goodbye meant forever. ”I love you, Minho hyung.”

And he let himself fall back into the water, and be engulfed by the bright light.

~~~~~

A/N: One chapter left you guys ;~;

I hope I made you all cry with this chapter (that sounds so mean but I feel so accomplished when I make my readers cry lol)

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I surprisingly did not have much trouble with it x) Emotional es are my favortie things to write♥

I would have had it up a lot sooner if I hadn't been so busy last week. I'll try my best to get the last chapter up within a week, hopefully sooner.

One last thing