the silence burned in the air against taemin’s skin. minho had said that he would be safe & now that the threat from the princes was no more perhaps he would be. he was too afraid to ask before but he has his answer now, yet turning back to where his master stood behind him he was unsettled to see the way minho was watching him. he began to step towards him, to continue what they had been in the midst of when his brother had arrived.

“stop.” the command was cold & abrupt & he froze in his steps. “we have much to discuss.”

“yes, my lord.”

“speak plainly, taemin,” minho said as he crossed his arms over his chest. “there is too much to be said to wrap our words up in formalities.”

“yes my...” taemin paused, unnerved by his name being spoken again. “yes.”

“jinki.” taemin flinched, the name so foreign on his master’s tongue. “was he your mate or your slave?”

“slave,” taemin answered slowly, “a gift when i came of age.”

“ah. you loved him?” the words cut like a twist of a knife & he wished then for the blade he had thrown into his brother’s chest: it would have hurt far less.

“yes.” his voice was a whisper in the air between them.

“you believe he loved you?”

“i...” he hadn’t been with minho nearly as long as jinki had been with him & he had treated jinki in a far more affectionate & familiar manner than minho had treated him. he understood now, however, how many complications lay in the relationship between a slave & their master. even if jinki had loved him what would it mean when ultimately it would not have mattered if he hadn’t: he still would belong to taemin. “i do not know.”

“that is the burden of the holder, never knowing the true thoughts of the ones who share our beds. too much to lose for them to risk the truth.”

“he had no reason to fear me,” he replied defensively, “i was kind.”

“you gave him to your brother.”

“to protect him.”

“you would not have done so otherwise?”

“no.”

“then now you understand our relationship.”

“...you have been protecting me.”

“a master has a responsibility to their slave.”

“slaves are to serve their masters.” minho shifted & his eyes narrowed.

“but you are not a slave are you? a ‘royal ’ as jonghyun said.” taemin stared at him, angry at both himself & his master.

“how long have you known?”

“since jonghyun told me.”

“how long had you suspected?”

“i knew you were a trap from the moment jonghyun sent you to me.”

“but you kept me.”

“i kept you safe.” his look was pointed & taemin doesn’t understand, his head shaking in confusion. “from the moment i saw you,” minho continued, “i knew that you were disposable to him. i didn’t know what he intended for you, but i knew you needed to be protected.

“that is why your days are spent with eunsook. she may seem gentle but if it were allowed she would be commander of us all. had i not battled her myself i would have thought gwiboon allowed her to win just for the sake of being on her back looking up.” he chuckled. “while that may be a motive on her behalf it is not one on mine & more than once i have found myself beneath her foot. eunsook lee was the only person in this kingdom i could entrust your care to. the only one who would keep your secrets & mine & be able to protect you if harm came.”

“thank you.”

“i told you before: do not thank me.” taemin nodded silently as master & slave each watched the other.

“what will you do with me now?”

“what does one do with a prince without a crown?” taemin bristled.

“i am a slave. i fled the guards in the field, i carry the mark on my wrist, & i have lain in your bed beneath you.” he caught the flinch across minho’s brow & pressed forward. “you have accepted me as your slave & as such you have, by your own words, a responsibility to me. i have no expectations from you except the same care i have received since i arrived. i will lie in your bed & please you with my body. you are my master & i will serve you.”

“would you really choose to stay with me?”

“yes.” taemin’s response was quick, unhesitating.

“why?”

“because you have kept me safe. & you have never lied to me.”

“we have barely spoken.”

“yes. but we have spoken. & you have never lied to me.”

“nor did i treat you well.” another flicker. only this time it was guilt.

“you have never raised a hand to me,” taemin replied in confusion.

“nor did i ask permission.”

“for what?”

“for anything, taemin.” he was still watching minho confused.

“i do not understand.”

“did you take jinki the first night you were given him without a word spoken between you?”

“no.”

“yet i took you.” realization crept through taemin’s mind & he suddenly understood.

“i came of my own free will. the choice was mine & i made it willingly.”

“but i had no certainty of that.”

“yes you did. you would not have had me otherwise.”

“you believe that?”

“yes.”

“how can you be so sure?”

“i initiated our first time together. you said that i was ‘bold’.”

“yes.” minho still did not seem convinced. “you assume i knew you to act without constraint.”

“you asked me to stay in your bed. long after you had had me. there was no reason for it not to be a command. yet you asked me & you told me that i was safe to decline. you have always protected me.” he took a step forward, a short one, a slice into the chasm between their feet. “if you had not shown interest in me the prince would have known & there is no telling what would have become of me. if you think you require my forgiveness you have it but i do not believe you have committed any transgression.”

“where do we go from here?”

“nowhere. we remain.”

“that’s what princess junghee said as well.” taemin’s eyes widened in surprise.

“what?”

“she seems to think you should remain in my care.”

“she knows? but her brother...”

“i could not keep a prince in my bed without notifying the princess. it is not well-known that the king is ill & will not see another anniversary of his birth. the future queen should know that she can trust the commander of her guards.”

“& she...agrees?”

“as long as your life remains as it has been, yes.”

“oh.”

“i do not.”

“what do you mean?”

“our relationship cannot continue.” taemin pressed his fingers into his palms & grit his teeth.

“why are you so adamant to make me leave?”

“that is not what i have said.”

“then what?”

“i cannot continue to be master to a slave who is proficient enough with a blade to cut a man down at six paces but can so easily be taken by a simple staff. you must learn to fight.” taemin narrowed his eyes as he watched the faintest twitch of a smile on minho’s lips. he was too worn now to hope for more.

“then...you will let me stay?”

“yes.”

“good.” he began to speak words of thanks again, held on his tongue by the recollection of minho’s repudiation. eunsook would be pleased, he thought. his own lips twitched as he brazenly said, “i would miss eunsook too much if i were sent away.” to his relief minho burst out laughing & he couldn’t help but smile himself.