A Duel of Hearts

“Something’s going on” Dongwoo said. “Yeah?” Sungjong sounded only mildly interested as he continued brushing Gyepi’s side. “With Hoya and that Kim Myungsoo of yours”, Dongwoo specified, finally gaining Sungjong’s attention.”What about them?” he pried with narrowed eyes. “Um… They swore me not to tell you about this but I think it’s for the best if-“, Dongwoo fidgeted under Sungjong’s stare. “For heaven’s sake, spit it out!” Sungjong urged him on.

“They are dueling.” Dongwoo laughed, like the whole thing was just a joke. “They are WHAT NOW?!” Sungjong cried out. “Whatever are they dueling for?” he asked, though he had a pretty good idea. “If I gathered right, they’re doing it to decide who gets to have you. Or thereabouts” Dongwoo shrugged.

“By any chance… You didn’t tell Hoya about what I told you? The thing with Myungsoo” Sungjong eyed Dongwoo suspiciously. “It might have slipped my mouth…” Dongwoo shrunk considerably. Sungjong was already halfway across the room, pulling on his jacket. “Take me there. Immediately.”

Sungjong had witnessed Hoya’s diligent sword-training since they were young; he knew that the man’s skills were no joke.

Myungsoo would get butchered.

Sungjong sped up his steps at the thought, ignoring Dongwoo’s complaints. They could hear the fight before they saw it; the unnerving sound of swords clashing together. When they arrived at the old training grounds where the duel took place, Sungjong was shocked to see not one but two bloodstained men.

Myungsoo and Hoya were engaged in a hypnotizing dance; circling each other, dipping down, retreating and diving forward in a perfect choreography. And to Sungjong’s surprise, Myungsoo seemed to be holding up pretty well. He dodged the general’s stabs and slashes at a pace Sungjong’s untrained eyes could hardly keep up with, and even retaliated with the ferocity of a wild animal, a side of the prince Sungjong had never seen before.

But he was hurt, it was obvious from the way he kept trying not to put weight on his left foot, and the red slits on his white linen shirt. With blood streaming out of his abdomen, Hoya was in only slightly better shape.

This was going way too far, Sungjong concluded and decided that it was time for him to step in. “Stop it you idiots, before someone gets killed!” he yelled and ran towards the two fighters. They were frozen still with swords still glued together.

“What am I, an object?!” Sungjong asked with his arms raised and face twitched to a perfect picture of annoyance. Hoya snapped out of his battle mode immediately and looked at Sungjong with a startled expression. “You can kill each other for all I care!” Sungjong huffed, hands resting on his hips. ‘He looks like an enraged housewife. All he’s missing is a ladle.’ Hoya thought and was suddenly very glad Sungjong didn’t read minds, too.

“No, you’ve got it all wrong. I only had your best in mind-” Sungjong raised an angry eyebrow at Hoya’s words. The general kept pleading for Sungjong’s forgiveness rather pathetically, until Myungsoo intervened. “What are you doing? He just gave us permission to continue.” he pointed out, only to be cut off by Sungjong’s fiery glare. Suddenly the dirt under his feet seemed like the most interesting thing on the planet, as Myungsoo wisely avoided Sungjong’s scowl.

“I want you two to explain to me right now why you would do such a stupid thing. I mean, I can understand Myungsoo doing this since he doesn’t really seem to think things through most of the time, but why even you, Howon-hyung?” Sungjong asked. He was now standing in the middle of the battlefield, piercing both men in turn with his chestnut eyes. Myungsoo didn’t even dare to look offended by Sungjong’s words.

Hoya took in a deep breath. “I can’t allow him to just come and take you to some faraway place against your will and do god knows what to­­—I mean, my moral won’t allow it” he held his ground. “Do what?! I just want to take him with me to live in a palace and give him all the things he could ever hope for.” Myungsoo groaned.

Sungjong closed his eyelids for a bit longer than was necessary. “Listen now. The both of you.” he began and turned towards Myungsoo; “I haven’t even decided anything yet, don’t you think this is going way too far? And you”, he turned towards the general “I don’t even know what to say. If I leave, I’ll leave out of my own free will. And you are not my dad!” Hoya flinched at the last sentence.

“I’d put down the swords if I were you” Dongwoo commented from the sidelines. Myungsoo and Hoya exchanged a look that screamed; we’re not settled yet, but sheathed their blades anyway. Sungjong released a breath he didn’t know he was holding, and started looking considerably less hostile and more worried.

“Come here, the both of you. Let me have a look at your wounds.” Sungjong called. Dongwoo came closer as well, with; “I’m a doctor, aren’t I?”

Myungsoo’s thigh was definitely a nauseating sight when he rolled up his pants. The cut was opened up like an eye. An eye with bloody tears flowing from it all the way to his ankle. Hoya’s cut was more like a puncture wound. Sungjong bit the inside of his mouth, trying to overcome his disgust. “Which one is worse?” he asked Dongwoo. “You are thinking of healing them, aren’t you?” Dongwoo said. Sungjong took of his jacket without bothering to answer. “Don’t you remember what happened last time?” Dongwoo tried to reason. “Which one?” Sungjong demanded again. Dongwoo sighed; “Hoya’s cut is much deeper and could have wounded internal organs.” Sungjong nodded, ignored Hoya’s; “I’m fine, really” and determinedly moved his hands aside.

Dongwoo observed Sungjong’s face for the telltale signs of fainting while putting pressure on Myungsoo’s leg. He shook his head sligtly for Hoya to see, when Sungjong's face started to turn a sickly gray color. Hoya forced Sungjong’s hands away from his abdomen. "But its not ready yet" Sungjong oposed. “It’ll heal on its own now, don’t worry” Hoya said. Sungjong gave up; he felt too tired for words to come out.

Sungjong tried to gather his thoughts as he sat next to Myungsoo on the ground. He refused to listen to the three individual voices opposing to what he was about to do, and placed his slightly trembling hands over Myungsoo’s bleeding thigh. He smiled at the prince and reached inside himself to gather the last rays of sunshine...