The physical exhaustion was making Sanghyuk drowsy, his bed promising a good night’s sleep and remedy for his aching joints, so he let out a contented sigh and pressed what he planned to be the last kiss of the night to a patch of warm, smooth skin by his head.

“Taekwoon wants to attack the Western Kingdom when the Lotus Moon rises,” the whisper came from close, hot breath hitting Sanghyuk's forehead.

“Jaehwan,” he said—a warning of sorts, though he knew well enough Jaehwan would not take it as one.

“It brings him luck, he says,” Jaehwan went on, turning around in the bed, a hand sliding up on Sanghyuk's bare torso to his arm, and from there, to the back of his head to get lost in his tousled hair. Jaehwan crept upwards a little, holding Sanghyuk's head against his chest the way he knew Sanghyuk liked it—Sanghyuk smiled into the rose and lavender scented skin. “He believes he couldn’t have been victorious on the Northern Territories if it had not been for the Lotus Moon that time.”

“Jaehwan,” Sanghyuk murmured, this time lower, but Jaehwan only continued.

“He wishes to negotiate about it with you in two days’ time, but he will convince you, no matter what it takes. That is what he told me, at least…”

“Jaehwan,” Sanghyuk said, pulling away, so his face wouldn’t be buried into Jaehwan's chest anymore, but the hand remained in his hair, fingertips massaging his scalp while Jaehwan looked at him with his eyes sparkling in the candlelight, full lips curling into a playful smile. “I did not send for you to spend the night in my bedchamber in order to talk with you about country matters,” Sanghyuk huffed when Jaehwan's smile turned wider, showing white teeth in the crooked smile Sanghyuk loved to see so much; he took Jaehwan's arm and pressed it down above his head, spreading the boy out under him as he hovered over his body. “And I certainly do not want to think of Taekwoon when I am in bed with you.”

“I wonder why,” Jaehwan replied, eyebrows raised and eyes never leaving Sanghyuk's. He bit his lower lip like he wanted to suppress his laughter, and it only made Sanghyuk's blood boil more as Jaehwan went on, “Taekwoon is rather good-looking, it’s not a sin to think of him when you are in bed with someone else,” his smile turned ever more devilish as he whispered, “Your Majesty.”

“I hope you liked your dinner tonight, because that was your last,” Sanghyuk grumbled, and when Jaehwan started laughing, he tightened his grip on Jaehwan's wrist, taking the other one into his other hand and straddling his waist, ultimately trapping Jaehwan underneath him.

“Mercy, Your Majesty,” Jaehwan laughed, drawing out the last two words—the words Sanghyuk heard a million times a day, but when they left Jaehwan's pink lips at night, they excited him more than anything.

“I told you to stop sleeping with Taekwoon,” Sanghyuk snapped, slamming Jaehwan's wrists into the sheets for emphasis. “Do you want to die?”

“You wouldn’t kill me,” Jaehwan grinned, arching his back as much as he could under Sanghyuk's weight, showing off pale skin peppered with dark bruises and red scratches, his ribs forming waves on his torso, the column of his neck asking for more bites. Sanghyuk swallowed thickly. “You won’t kill me as long as you can have me.”

Sanghyuk wanted nothing more than to end Jaehwan then and there, just like he had felt the night before and three nights before that; two hands on his throat would have done the work and he wouldn’t even have to arrange the beheading. He could have killed Jaehwan and no one could have punished or condemned him for it. He was the emperor of the Eastern Empire and Jaehwan was a secretary who was easy to replace.

Jaehwan was nothing but a subject of his, blessed with a beautiful body and an even more beautiful voice, and cursed with a sharp wit and charming personality that Sanghyuk hated at least as much as he loved. He loved falling asleep in Jaehwan's arms and he loved waking up with Jaehwan's back flush against his chest; he loved the scent of wild flowers in Jaehwan's silk-like hair, and the rose and lavender on his velvety skin; he loved to hear Jaehwan's laughter and see his eyes when they were still too sleepy to stay open for a long time. He hated that he loved all of these.

Sanghyuk bent down to mouth a trail up from Jaehwan's chest to his neck and jaw, the annoying cackles Jaehwan was letting out following each move of his lips until they found Jaehwan's, his smile palpable as he pressed a short kiss on his mouth.

“Who do you belong to?” Sanghyuk asked quietly, lips catching on Jaehwan's.

“I am a humble servant of the Eastern— ah!” half of Jaehwan's yell died out in his throat when Sanghyuk grinded down in his lap.

“Who do you belong to?” Sanghyuk asked again, sinking his teeth briefly into Jaehwan's lower lip before allowing him to answer.

“I belong to you,” Jaehwan said, trying to kiss Sanghyuk properly, but Sanghyuk grinded down again, making Jaehwan in a breath sharply before whispering into Sanghyuk's mouth, “Your Majesty.”