Please forgive any error, I had to quickly upload this before I leave the area where internet was available :(

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“He will surely tell the king Nara” Kim hissed. He and his son had gone to pay their respects to her when they saw Jiyong--the supposedly dead Jiyong, sitting by her side. On their approach, he quickly excused himself and ran outside.

“He wouldn’t….”

“I raised no fool Nara”. He did, he raised Jong Il, the fool of a son who couldn’t do anything right, so he reached out and struck his eldest son across the face.

“ABUJI”!! Jong Il cried out, nursing his burning skin; he was also shocked by Jiyong’s presence-no one had ever lived after being impaled by his blade, and he clearly saw the boy fall off a cliff that had rocks on the bottom. “I sliced him with my blade, and kicked him off a cliff, abuji you know my blade can kill an army with just a slice” he complained on top of his voice, while Nara was filled with disgust; her family had no value for human life, “STOP NOW”! She quickly cried out.

“If any harm comes to Jiyong, I will personally tell the king and order your execution” She was serious, it was over a decade ago that she loved her father and her brothers and clung to their every word, but as she grew older-she got to know the real them. “Orabonni may be a fool” she tore her eyes away from her brother who was still nursing his face “But I know you aren’t, you know I would do it... STAY AWAY FROM HIM”

Jong Il rose up furiously, “How insolent, threatening your....” Nara rose up and quickly struck him on the other side of his face “HOW DARE YOU TALK DOWN TO THE QUEEN”. It was the first time she exercised her roll as queen before her family, and it felt good. Even after she entered the palace, they still found a way to make her their puppet but not anymore, now she had Jiyong back, and if they refused to be by her side, Jiyong would be by her side.

“Why are you still standing”? Kim hissed at his son again “Give your apologies to the queen” and Jong Il quickly did. “Your highness, forgive your father. I promise no physical harm will come from me or any of your brothers to the boy” he bowed lightly.

“Physical.... what does that mean”?

Kim smiled. For the first time in a long time, Nara displayed that she had him in her when she struck her elder brother, but she was definitely no match for him. He had dedicated his whole life to make her queen, and he was not ready to stop “I mean, sometimes things happen to people which put them in certain positions” Hi smiled widened, “I should leave you now, so you can play with your long lost friend” He rose up, bowed and walked out, Jong Il behind him. He was about to curse at the air when he saw the boy pacing back and fort, Who is he Kim thought deeply as he watched the boy What fate does he have that he even survives poison

Jiyong was scared, and he did nothing to hide it; no one could protect him this time. After living with Nara for years, he had come to know her father’s true colors; the man was smart, manipulative, and evil. “Jiyong-shi” Think of the devil, he heard Nara’s father calling for him. “Nari” he quickly bowed, his heart thumping so vigorously that if felt like it was about to rip out of his chest.

“I understand that you have been through a lot”. The constant smile on his face was what scared Jiyong most, “And I hear my son here is the cause of that…. my deepest condolences”

“No....nothing to worry about Nari, it was all a big misunder...”

“Tell me boy” The man moved closer “I know you must have dodged the rocks in the water, but how did you rid yourself of the poison”? Sweat dripped from Jiyong’s forehead.

“Jiyong-ah, come with me” Nara ordered, she was standing in front of her door.   “NOW”!

“I should have killed you that day you tried to defy me in front of your uncle’s store” Kim whispered as Jiyong walked passed him to Nara.

As he approached Nara, she grabbed his hand and quickly pulled him inside her chambers, and the maiden guard’s slid it shut. “Jiyong, are you okay.... you look pale” she was worried.

“I am fine” He lied; he was far from okay. He was never going to be okay, but he wasn’t going to live in fear. “I am fine” he smiled.

“Good” Nara smiled a while until her smiled turned into a pout “I heard it from orabonni’s mouth again...what he did to you” she was crying, “I am so sorry Jiyong... what you went through” How Jiyong forgave her was beyond her but she didn’t question it.

“Nara, I am fine” Jiyong smiled and her hair, he felt worse for her. One of Nara’s palace maid told him everything Nara had been through in the past six months and his heart broke for her; not only did she feel like she caused the death of her only friend, she lost the child she never knew she had, and the kingdom hated her because of her father. “Nara I’m here huh”, he said as he placed her head on his thigh’s and her hair, “No more crying”.

“Jiyong... please don’t refuse the king” He heard her say, making him remember the night before when Seunghyun bowed. He clutched his heart, as he fought the urge to run into Seunghyun’s warms hands for the nth time. There were too many reasons why he couldn’t, and too many people he had to protect; he had promised himself to Kwon, Seunghyun was king, and Nara was his wife.

                                                       ***

       Three days quickly passed since Jiyong had safely returned home, and three days had passed since Seunghyun bowed for the first time ever to anyone only to have the person pick up their heel, and he was beyond frustrated. His life before Jiyong was a blur, as Jiyong was in his every breath now.

“Your highness, Kwon is outside” Jong In announced.

“Tell him he’s fired”! Seunghyun barked. He also hadn’t seen Kwon since the night Kwon told him to take care of Jiyong. He sent for him countless times but Kwon refused So much for being by my side

“Forgive me your highness” Kwon appeared at the door, head bowed down. “I needed a little time to myself...I did not want to hate you”

Seunghyun shot off his seat “HATE ME”?!

“Yes your highness” Kwon’s head was still bowed, “I was torn between my love for Jiyong and my loyalty towards you at first, then I realized that Jiyong bore no feelings of the sort for me so I decided to give him to you... but it wasn’t easy. I felt hateful towards you, like I did when I first met you”

He gave Jiyong to me “... I don’t want you giving up easily, you...”

“I never fight a lost battle your highness” Kwon finally stood upright, “In the eighteen years I’ve spent with him, he has never once looked at me the way he looks at you”

Seunghyun desperately wanted to believe, but he knew better “I bowed to him”

Kwon was shocked.

“I bowed to him and he ran away from me”

So that’s why his faced turned red every time I ask if he has seen the king Kwon thought before bursting into laughter

“Glad to know that my pain causes you so much joy” Seunghyun was irritated, “Are you sure you do not hate me anymore”?

“He loves you your highness” Kwon smiled. Getting over his feelings for Jiyong was easy because it was his way of protecting him, which was what he always wanted to do. “He is scared, and he thinks he has to protect you” He knew how Jiyong thinks; so many times Jiyong had gotten into trouble with some noble and decided to stay away from him to protect him, “Hyungnim...do not be seen with me, they will hurt you” Jiyong said millions of times, but he always ended up going after the noble and took the punishment for Jiyong.

“Why would he protect me.... what is he protecting me from, I am King”!

“Exactly, a king who was not liked until recently”

“That is stupid, kings always have men or women as concubines. That is no reason for them to hate me”.

“Yes but what about an heir... you barely ever visit the queen, and if Jiyong stays by your side, you never will”. It was a fact that scared Kwon more than anything. Nara was still going to have to be by Seunghyun’s side if he was going to continue his bloodline. Jiyong is strong but not that strong; he would never admit it but Seunghyun visiting Nara’s chambers a couple of nights a week just might hurt him.

“Then one of the other prince’s in the palace or their offspring would become king” Seunghyun said without thinking, making Kwon gasp; Seunghyun kept surprising him with his selflessness when it came to Jiyong.

“And what would you do should Jiyong become pregnant”? Men who were not careful, or who did not drink the infertility herb often got pregnant and two things usually happened; either they chose to kill the baby while during the early stages, or they carry the baby until it was time for the baby to come, and then they die from blood loss during childbirth. For men to have the child, their stomach would have to be opened to take the child out after nine months. Unlike China and other kingdoms, they hadn’t found a way of closing the stomach back without the men dying in the process. “You would have to choose between your heir and Jiyong, and killing the heir to the king is treason, and Jiyong would never drink the infertility herb”

“It is not treason when the king order’s it”

“Your....”

“Why are we even talking about this” Seunghyun finally loosened up. Bottom line was, he would easily give up the throne for Jiyong. “There is a feast tonight, and the hand of the King of China is to be attending” He quickly changed the topic. Being strong allies with China was the one thing his father strived for.

“Yes, I have positioned my men for the night. A few will him here from the ship”

“Nothing can go wrong Kwon... The western party are going to try sabotaging this event to drag my name through the mud” Seunghyun said as he walked back to his reading table. “So you have been performing your duties...it’s just me you didn’t want to see”

“Yes your highness” Kwon bowed.

“How could both you and Jiyong be so stubborn” Seunghyun rolled his eyes. “Kwon-ah” he continued after a while, “I would hate for this to come between us, I...”

“I promise it would not...not anymore” Kwon smiled reassuringly. He meant it.

The feast was magnificent. Everyone, regardless of his or her class was invited, and food and drinks were in abundance. There were shows of fire, water, even puppets. “Your highness, you have to stop staring at him so much” Jong In whispered to him a few times when he was caught gawking at Jiyong. By god was he beautiful; he was dressed in black and gold unlike the maids he stood beside. By the looks of it, he was deeply enjoying the show as he laughed often, even tapping a few maids and pointing, why can’t you just come to me Jiyong-ah. Kwon appeared by his side to give him updates about the security level of the feast, and then gone to Jiyong’s side as they shared jokes, which made him jealous; Jiyong was so open to Kwon but so closed to him. Why am I even king?

“Just ask him to marry you already” Nara turned in his direction, a smile on her face. “If you are going to steal glances from him, you might as well marry him so you don’t have to do that”

“Nara” A sudden chill went through his body. Guilt. He had been pining over the boy for so long that he hadn’t given a thought to his queen

“I know” She patted the back of his hands, “I gave him the go ahead but... I think it’s time I left it up to you”

“I...” He was cut off when the music suddenly stopped as one of the men from China approached him with an open box.

“Dried peached from China, for long life and prosperity” The man offered the box, as translators announced what was said to the crowd. “Please eat”. Seunghyun hated dried peaches but refusing to eat meant that he did not trust them so he picked one up, reluctantly.

                                                                                                                          ***

Jiyong was well aware of Seunghyun’s eyes all night; it was the reason he chose to invest all his attention on the shows, and as impressive as they were, they couldn’t get his mind off Seunghyun. Two men appeared beside him as he watched the man from China offer Seunghyun peaches But he hates dried peaches Jiyong thought as he remembered how Seunghyun refused to eat them when they crashed a wedding together.

“Does sir know”? One of the men asked the other, he spoke mandarin, a language Jiyong knew all too well.

“No he doesn’t”

“Good. The king just needs to take one bite and our work here is done” The other smirked. The blood drained of Jiyong’s face.

“STOP”! Jiyong screamed at the top of his lungs, as Seunghyun was about to place one in his mouth. “YOUR HIGHNESS, THE PEACHES ARE POISONED” The two men were about to run when Jiyong pointed at them “STOP THEM”!

The feast quickly went from merry to solemn, as the two traitors where on their knees before Seunghyun, with blades close to their necks, also with the Chinese official who offered the dried peaches.

“I invite you to a feast in my kingdom, and you try to have me killed before my people”! Seunghyun yelled, his voice resonated through the crowd.

“I DID NO SUCH THING” The noble Chinese man barked.

“LIES”!

“He is telling the truth your highness” Jiyong bowed, whispers could be heard from the crowd. “I heard them say that he didn’t know. They set him up” he proceeded to speak to the noble from China. Jiyong’s affluent madarin surprised everyone, including Kwon. “They are his workers” he turned to address the king “They were the ones who dried the fruit”.

“We did no such thing” The Joseon looking traitor finally spoke.

“Eat it then” Seunghyun ordered, and when they both refused and finally came clean, they were carried away to prison to be tortured.

Everyone was sent home with the name, Jiyong on his or her lips; they sang him praises as they left.

“Thank you for sparing my life” The Chinese official spoke. They were taking a walk through the palace. “I am sure the king, my brother will want to be allies with a merciful king such as yourself”. The man smiled.

“The king’s brother”?

“Yes, my mother was a concubine” The man smiled as they walked together, “About the boy who spared my life....” Seunghyun’s guards went back up, “I was wondering if I could take him back with me, as I have grown quite fond of his braveness”

Seunghyun cleared his throat, “Jiyong is someone I plan on marrying”

“OH” the man bowed, “Forgive me your highness”

You are not even allowed to think about him, he is mine “It is fine” he smiled stiffly.

After an night evening of overflowing questions from both Kwon and Nara, Jiyong decided to go to his uncle’s house to sleep. It hurt him a little that Seunghyun never sent for him. 

He wanted to see Bit Na but a guard dressed a commoner had been following his every footstep since the morning after his arrival at the palace, so he constantly wrote to her. “JIYONG”!!!!!! His uncle barged in. “They have sent for you”

Thinking Nara’s father was summoning him, Jiyong shot up from his bed and reached for the window, “I was not here”

“What do you think you are doing” he uncle was perplexed, “The king sent a palanquin, and maids, and fine things for you”.

“What”? He stopped, one leg already out the window.

“The king wants you, you fool” His uncle ushered him back into the house, and pulled him outside where maids holding fine clothes, and men holding the palanquin were bowing. Jiyong examined the clothes that were being offered to him; they were those usually worn by the ‘Suk won’, a royal concubine of the king.

                                      ***

“YOU CANNOT MARRY A SLAVE YOUR HIGHNESS” Kim of the western party cried out as they were in court, and the other western ministers chimed in.

“A SLAVE”? Seunghyun laughed bitterly. “He was someone who saved my life in front of the people, you saw it yourselves. Even the people have been singing him praises”

“That does not excuse the circumstance of his birth your highness” Another western minister bowed. “His birth is unknown”

“WHAT DOES THAT MATTER? He is a person”

“But the queen” Kim bowed this time, “She is still without an heir, it is too early to take a concubine”.

Seunghyun’s blood boiled over whenever Kim spoke, the man continually tried to test his patience, “The queen herself blessed this union” Seunghyun smiled when he saw the shock on the man’s face.

“Then we bless the union” The members of the Northern party chimed as they bowed earning evil glances from the ministers of the western party. There was and always will be tension between the Northern and western parties, which Seunghyun always used to his advantage.

Seunghyun walked away proudly from the meeting, he was sure Jiyong would be backed by the members of the Northern party since they disliked Kim and his men as much as he did. “Did the palanquin I order for the boy return”? He asked Jong In when he stepped out.

“Your highness” Jong In bowed sadly which usually meant bad news.

“He refused, didn’t he” Seunghyun’s shoulders fell, I should have sent for him last night; I never should have let him leave palace.

“They said he ran away, and he couldn’t be found”. And just like that Seunghyun realized his deepest fear; Jiyong leaving again.

“GET KWON, AND GET ME MY HORSE. GET MY MEN....”

“That wouldn’t be necessary” Kwon got down from his horse, out of breath “I know where he is”

“ Where”?

“He is by the lake...take my horse”, and Seunghyun did, and rode away without a word.

“You are letting him go by himself”? Jong In asked, worried.

“The only thing that can hurt him now is his own heart” Kwon smiled.

Jiyong was still by the lake when Seunghyun arrived, “Jiyong” he called out.

“Your highness” Jiyong bowed, shocked by Seunghyun’s appearance. “How….”

“How long will you continue to refuse me Jiyong-ah, I don’t think I can take any more of your rejection”

“Seunghyun” The name flew out of Jiyong’s mouth before he could stop himself, “You cannot love me.. I..”

“I will ask you this just once” Seunghyun moved closer, and took Jiyong by the wrist “Do you love me… that love in which you speak so boldly of…. Do you in the slightest bit ...feel that way about me”?

“More than anything” Tears poured out of Jiyong’s eyes; it was hard restraining himself from running into Seunghyun’s arms. "I was so scared when you almost ate poison yesterday"

“Jiyong I love you, why do you doubt my love for you”? Seunghyun tightened his grip around Jiyong’s wrist, tears threatening to pour out. “When you left my entire world came crashing down... I felt less of a man” Seunghyun knelt, clutching Jiyong’s legs, “I couldn’t protect you” The tears poured out.  He knew, after all the commotion the previous night, his guards from him a woman called Bit Na. She was the one who was reportedly seen with Jiyong on a boat from China, and she told him all he knew; from how she saw him falling off a cliff, to how he was poisoned, to losing his memory for six months. “Jiyong please don’t refuse me anymore”

Unable to support himself anymore, Jiyong knelt to meet Seunghyun’s gaze “Can I”? He wiped tears off his eyes, “Can I really love you? I want to protect you...I don’t want the people to hate you, but I want to be selfish with you, I want to be by your side”

Seunghyun smiled at the confession, he wiped the tears from Jiyong’s eyes “Aish, I am in love with a pabo”

“Pabo”?

“How exactly were you protecting me when you leave me longing for you every time, and my heart was about to stop” Seunghyun complained.

Jiyong’s eyes filled with tears, tears of joy, “Do not cry, my love” The simple request made tears fall out of Jiyong’s eyes faster. “Jiyong-ah”, Seunghyun traced a tear to his chin before wiping it away with his thumb. “Please don’t cry” Seunghyun leaned closer, and closer, until his lips touched Jiyong’s, soft at first, his breath fanning Jiyong’s face. This is how it’s supposed to feel, Seunghyun thought as he reached for Jiyong, and eased him against his body. More. He deepened the kiss without a care in the world who saw them, all that mattered was that Jiyong loved him, and was responding to his kisses. He broke apart for a moment and examined the boy before him; his eyes were closed, breath hitched cheeks red, and his lips were swollen “You are mine Jiyong” He said before crashing his lips down on Jiyong’s.