Final
Majestic love
Last year should be recorded as a notable year for all the citizens of the Holy Empire of Northern Lights. During that year, there was not one, not two, but three royal marriages happened within the royal line of the empire. The crowned prince, His Highness Prince Kangin of Northern Lights, had taken the hand of the first daughter of the Grand Archduke of Elfwood on the beginning of spring that year and married her according to the law of God and men. Then after, His Highness Prince Sungmin of Northern Lights had finally vowed his entire life to His Lordship Cho Kyuhyun from Aries. And following the event, the first princess of the Holy Empire of Northern Lights, Amber, entered her married life thus made the third and last royal marriages to happen within that memorable year.
“Why is it that the princesses from your family are barely...showing?” Kyuhyun paused while thinking for the right word to use. There are still a lot of things he still does not know about this kingdom but with the help of Sungmin, he is slowly learning some things step by step.
“Well, father keeps them away from the scrutinizing eyes of the people. They are considered gems ad treasures so father takes care of them more than us anyways.” Sungmin said with mirth, any traces of jealousy is far by gone.
“But,” Kyuhyun started. “You are in line for the crown, aren’t you-“ Kyuhyun wasn’t able to finish what he’s going to say next because the book that Sungmin is trying to reach on the topmost shelf fell on his head. Kyuhyun could have rushed over and quickly gather his Sungmin to his arms if not for the comical way that it happened.
“Yah, why are you laughing?” Sungmin stomped his feet in annoyance and pouted his anger out.
“You are cute you know that?” Kyuhyun just shook his head before going to where Sungmin is currently slumped on the carpeted floor as he nursed his head which is very unlikely and unsophisticatedly for a prince.
“During war, we got the army and the princesses are left with their Knights.” Sungmin tried answering his husband’s question while Kyuhyun continues to flatten out the strands of his hair that got dishevelled when the book fell on his head. “That is why father wanted them to be out from people’s eyes in the very first place, you don’t get to see them, only during grand balls.
Sungmin continued while Kyuhyun just listens.
“And father spoils me the most so....”
Sungmin pulled out a chair near the giant window and began browsing the books he got for his afternoon reading time.
“Because you’re a brat.”
And Kyuhyun finished it for him with a quick kiss on his nose.
+++
There was something bothering his heart. There was turmoil within his mind that seemed unable to be calmed down. For while the year, was a memorable year for the royal marriages that took place within said year, the year that proceeded then should also be remembered for the birth of little princes to the Northern Lights royal lineage.
March of the following year marked the birth of the first son to the crowned prince of Northern Lights, His Highness Prince Kangin of Northern Lights. The whole empire celebrated the news. The wave of happiness spread over the land, and it was only multiplied when on July, Her Highness Princess Amber also safely delivered her firstborn son. 'Three weddings last year, two births this year, surely, there will be a great victory next year', the people of the empire used to say as they partied and celebrated in happiness.
Sungmin also took part in the celebration. He cherished the birth of his nephews. He was happy for his siblings especially for his Kangin hyung who had faced a lot of challenges during the war. At the time that they got the victory, Sungmin felt grateful that the line to the throne of The Holy Empire of Northern Lights was secure. Yet he also felt an undeniable sadness in him as he thought of a certain thing.
'Three weddings last year, two births this year…'
It was the truth, he mused solemnly. For even though there were three weddings during the previous year, there would be no more than two births for the present year. For no matter how much he loved Kyuhyun, there were still things he was unable to give him. For even though he knew that Kyuhyun would surely make a great father, he knew that Kyuhyun would never be one in his lifetime.
He was Kyuhyun's spouse, he had taken his hand, vowed his entire life to him. There was nothing he would not do for his Kyuhyun, but Sungmin knew he would never be able to give him one very essential thing. He would never be able to give him children to continue his family line. And it was that thing that had been bothering him non-stop lately. And he knew he was not the only one who had been thinking over the matter.
For royals, the matter of successor to the family line was an essential matter. Sungmin knew that he had been living his life in a royal court to know the way of politics. It was a perfectly politically valid thing in the law of Northern Lights for royalty to declare a divorce under the reason that the partner was unable to produce any heir. So he was not really surprised when the whispers and half concealed rumours started to reach his ears regarding his very apparent inability to produce any heir to the line of Cho. In the Northern mainland, it was not so intense since the well-being of a royal lineage from another country was not really something the Northern monarch put their greatest interest on. Moreover his high status in the Northern society provided him a strong barrier from any ill rumours to be spoken about him. But whenever he was in Aries, it was a different matter altogether.
And that time, it was getting worse.
Because instead of hushed whispering, he heard a full conversation.
Because instead of sideway comments, he heard a full confrontation.
And though the conversation was not for his ears and the confrontation was not directed at him, he could not help but hear since the doors were thin and it was so easy to hear any conversation conducted within a closed room.
He was inside the Cho estate that time, visiting his dear father-in-law and doing his obligation as Kyuhyun's spouse to visit his mother's grave on the anniversary of her death. And like every time he visited Aries, Sungmin could hear the whispers following him, could feel the disapproving eyes of the nobilities landing on him, could see their sneers directed at him.
He knew they were not really happy with his union with Kyuhyun due to many factors. He knew they were envious toward his father-in-law for he now had such a good relationship with the Northern royals after the marriage. He knew some of them resented him for they had planned to wed their daughter to Kyuhyun instead. He knew some of them still felt it was erted for two men to marry. He knew some of them viewed him as worthless considering he would never able to produce any heir.
So many reasons, indeed, and some could be seen as reasonable while others were plain ridiculous. But Sungmin knew that he was a royal prince of Northern Lights. He had his dignity to uphold. So upon receiving such treatment, he would only keep his posture straight and behaved like what his father dictated him. He knew he should never get himself affected by those rumours. He knew he was above getting pissed by some envious politicians trying to sully his name.
Yet he also knew that the things those so-called envious politicians said behind his back were true, in a way or another. And even though he had already vowed never to let those people get the satisfaction to see him crushed by their ill natured sideway comments, it still gave him enough reason to feel affronted. It stood to reason, then, why he suddenly felt so grim when he overheard yet another comment about him when he was about to see his spouse.
He was halfway to knock on the door when a stray piece of conversation reached his ears, making his hand stilled and his heart skipped a beat.
"…what is so wrong in taking a mistress?" the voice from within the room said. "It is reasonable considering that you would not get any children from that consort of yours."
"For how many times do I have to repeat myself?" Kyuhyun's voice replied, sounding so tense and heavily laden with emotion. "Sungmin is my lawfully wedded spouse, and I will be loyal to him."
"This has nothing to do with loyalty. We do not ask you to divorce him. This is a profitable union for Aries in any case. Naturally we would not want to ruin it," a second voice said.
"I married Sungmin because I love him, not because I want to gain profit from our marriage."
"Yet love alone would not bring you any heir to your family," the first voice continued. "Please think over your family's well-being and not only your personal desires, Lord Cho, think about your father and your ancestors."
"As far as I know, my father has nothing to complain about my marriage life," Kyuhyun's cold voice replied.
"Lord Hyunjoong is old, and he does not at all times know what was best for his household."
"Gentlemen, I order you to refrain yourself from insulting the head of the Cho household!"
"We would not have to insult him if you are not so unwilling to take our proposals and just take a mistress already, an Arian mistress who can give you some heirs to your household."
"Oh, so in the end it's all back to that matter, right? Tell me, Lord Youngmin, after all these years are you still unable to find any suitor who could stand the idea of marrying your daughter and therefore keep pushing her into a marriage with me?"
"I will not have you insulting my daughter…"
"And I will not have you insulting my spouse!"
At that point, Sungmin felt he had heard enough. Bracing himself, he let his knuckles drop against the hard wooden frame of the door. He knocked three times and all voices ceased from within the room. Silence reigned in the air until he could hear Kyuhyun's voice, biding him to enter.
Upon entering the room, Sungmin noticed many things at once. He noticed that it was indeed Lord Youngmin and his adjutant who accompanied Kyuhyun in the room that time. He noticed how Kyuhyun's lips suddenly formed a thin line. He noticed how Lord Youngmin suddenly looked a bit shamefaced as if he was afraid that the entire conversation was overheard by him. He noticed the tense atmosphere in the room, and he acknowledged its existence as he walked to Kyuhyun's direction.
"Milord," he addres
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