All The King's 'Men'

“You know, I can take you away, far away from here,”

Tracing the outline of his body, sweat glistening under the faint light that luminous night guided in. His voice smooth, melting into the darkness as he breathes cool air into the man’s bare chest.

“Whatever gave you the idea that I ever wanted to leave?”

He mocked, lightly tapping the man’s chin who was comfortably sprawled next to him.

“Because this is not the way to live,”

Hyunseung, the beautiful singer. Secret lover of his majesty’s most loyal knight, Junhyung. Coveting the ire of his queen and the admiration of her son. Hyunseung, the court singer. The king’s personal songster… songstress.

More fittingly, the king’s .

Picked from the life of a street performer, wandering the streets of the capital. Holding on to a false hope of one fated meeting. Gambling his life away, if only to see that young man he had loved. That same young man plucked from innocence, trained in the barracks of hell to become a king’s guard, long believed to be dead, the same reason why Hyunseung had resigned to his fate.

Singing in the courts of King Doojoon, singing a mockery of his majesty’s old self, waiting to be executed so as to die and finally be in the arms of his beloved. But the king had found a peculiar fondness for the man. Ordering him to be picked up, cleaned, bathed and dressed in the same luxurious robes that his queen wears. Finally, seeing him like a freshly plucked fruit, sinking his teeth unto them, claiming what he thought was still chaste.

“Then what is? You speak like you have been in the nobler fields,”

He hasn’t. No, has never. Taken away from his home, taken away the very morning they had made love, killing away any notion they had of happiness, of freedom, tucking his beautiful lover away, to hide him from the eyes of the greedy lords. They would ravish him, he knows, and so he volunteers himself, to be a slave, but they had no interest in his ‘innocence’, they found him impressive for his skills. He had little use to be a , but he was of all greatness to be a soldier.

The royal lapdog. The king’s most trusted knight.

Paid by numerous lords to take the king’s life, but soon finds himself more sympathetic to the lonely king. Gaining his confidence and later on becomes his knight, and the only man he ever trusts. But the realization was too cruel. The realization that the king has taken not only the riches of the whole kingdom, but he has also taken the knight’s only precious treasure.

Junhyung never had a thing for the cries of the flesh. He never consumes for the lust. The first and last time he has done it was for love. And he intends to go home to him, one day, and they will live with that same love. No matter how numerous the came, beautiful, beautiful young ones – gifts from the king and his son, even the advances of the queen, she who calls for his death if he does not succumb, he cares very little, because there was no one but him.

Then there was that realization, when he hears that one lonely song among the quarters. The king’s new favorite singer, and his favorite companion, the one that the queen had come to hate the most, is the same man he calls his own.

“We can leave, I have gathered enough, a quiet life by the seaside, like how you have always dreamt it, isn’t that your wish?” he was serious.

Of course, a life but the quiet beach. It didn’t actually matter where they would go, he muses. So long as the knight was with him.

It meant a lot, this dream. This one dream that he has held onto, during the coldest nights of his waking days.

Now, he has a chance to live it, this life he wishes – theirs for the taken. But that one joy, it may mean their lives. Or maybe just the knight’s. Maybe just his.

Hyunseung placed his head on the man’s chest, drawing small circles among the scars that Junhyung had. The small scars and the still healing wounds were testaments to the cruel life they had both lead. They lead dangerous lives. The knight dancing with blades and flames, and the singer, evading the ire of his queen and the advances of all the king’s men.

Doojoon is a kind king to those he fancies. He had showered him luxuries that could feed nations, to make up for the nights he had taken him against his will. He had dressed him in robes that could take the envy of gods and goddesses, to compensate for the days he feels soiled. He has given him jewels that could buy lives – a fair trade he thinks, for the singer’s life whom he has claimed as his own. He ‘cares’ for him, he says, because he fancies him. He fancies him not only for lust, but for his songs, and his warmth. Doojoon feels safe in his company, whilst Hyunseung fears for the lives of many, including his.

The king cares very little for the life of others, he is only sympathetic to those he has use of. And to those few people he has use of, he takes no betrayal lightly. Countless times had the singer seen heads roll, some by the king’s own hand, others by Junhyung’s own. What is there to a quiet short life in the seaside if it will mean Junhyung’s life?

“I would rather not dance with flames,” he says calmly, masking the tears that are forming. He retains the mask of indifference, trying to show that the harsh days has strengthened him – fashioned a cold, hard, marble out of him. But he knows he fails miserably every time, as Junhyung looks at him, and understands.

“Don’t we already?” he responds, looking at him, and finally – closing the gap between their faces.

That one kiss – that started it all, and maybe, one to end it all.

He raises himself from the sheets. It was the middle of the night, but there are dawns when there are alarms and the king will surely ask for him. He calmly dresses like a routine, as he covers his beautiful singer in the same sheets that he had been in.

Let’s run away from here.

His eyes plead, it was another night of uncertainty for all the king’s men. And he was sure they will lead the same nights, and the same mornings, whilst they stay in this beautiful cage.

“Would you not rather live life to the fullest?”

“At its shortest? No, you know he will seek for our death,”

“Yes, let’s live life to the fullest, even at its shortest, than to live it longest whilst trembling in fear – and in agony for all the dreams unfulfilled,”

He keeps silent. How many times have they spoken of such grand dreams? Stuck in drawing, in imagining things that he feels will never see the light of day. But Junhyung seems determined now, more than ever, as he walks slowly – languidly to the door.

All the king’s men will search for us, and will have our heads.

He owns all of them.

But not us, I guess.

“Could you fetch the lord’s basket from the shed?” he says, as he rises from the comforts of the bed himself.

“What for?” he inquires.

“I would like to collect seashells come daylight,”

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Note: I’ve been toying with this idea for a while : )