"Minho yelled at me this morning at breakfast" Taemin said quietly, his head was down and he was staring at the cup of tea in his palms. It's became his new habit coming at nights to be with Yuri, she took care of him and listened to his heart and he have done the same, she became his best friend, his only friend.

"… I thought we were fine, we stopped fighting after that night but he became very irritated lately and this morning he burst at me and I don’t even know what have done. It was humiliating, the butler just came in with the trays as he started to yell at me, he looked at me with pity in his eyes as he set the food on the table after Minho stormed out"

Yuri reached her hand over the table and held his, trying to comfort him. Taemin raised his gaze at her, his eyes were teary "I don’t know what to do…"

"You should talk to him…ask him what happened"

Taemin in a breath and nodded "I guess you right- Yuri!? Are you alright?!" he cried out suddenly and jumped from his seat when he saw the young maid flinching, he hurried to her side and looked worried, she grabbed his hand and placed it wide on her belly, smiling at him "The baby kicked"

Wave of relief washed his body when he realized his friend was fine and gasped when he felt a kick "whoa!!!" his eyes bulged and he looked at her "that's… just… whoa!!!"

"I'm sorry" Yuri said for ruing his confessions moment "it's happening a lot but never when there are people around"

"You must be exciting, soon the baby will be born" he said with a huge smile, his bad mood disappeared.  

"It's exciting but a little scary too…"

"Don’t worry, you'll be fine, you and your husband would raise the baby together, and if you'll allow me I'd love to come and visit, hav you decided already if you'll stay at the palace?"

"I'll stay, I have nowhere else to go…and the rest of the maids would probably help me to raise the baby"

Taemin frowned "the maids? What about your husband?"

Yuri looked at him and her smile changed into sadness "I'm not married"

"Oh…how about the father then…?"

Yuri shook her head "there is no father, he doesn't know"

"Why? You should tell him, you can't raise a baby on your own…!"

"I can't tell him"

"Are you afraid of telling him? Is that it?"

"No-"

"I can help you tell him!" Taemin cut her off, his hand rubbed her belly with concern for the unborn child "you have to tell him…he have to know"

"No he's not"

"Yes he have to, he'll want to know he's having a baby!" Taemin kept preaching. 

"I don’t think the prince would want to know he's having a child with the maid!!!" Yuri burst and suddenly everything became painfully quiet, Taemin looked at her with wide eyes and his hand let go of her belly.  

"What?" his voice barely sounded.

"I'm sorry Taemin…" Yuri said and palmed , tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks "I'm so sorry…"  

"Minho?" he asked with a small voice, he couldn’t believe what he just heard.  

"…it was before you two got married…I swear"

"W-why haven't you told him? Or me…?"

"How could I tell? I would lose my job and then how would I raise a baby?"

Taemin's lower lip trembled "but… he has to know…it's…his baby"

"I won't matter to him, I'm just one of the maids he got into his bed out of boredom"  

"But he got you pregnant, it has to matter, you have to tell him, I'll tell him if you're afraid, I can help you!"

"Taemin…" she said desperately "Please don’t…don’t get me into troubles"

"But…"

"Taemin, please, I'm begging of you"

He looked deeply into her eyes and his heart sank in his chest "I'll help you, with the baby, you won't do it all by yourself"

Yuri smiled softly at him "why aren’t you mad?"

"Mad?" he asked frowning.

"I just told you that prince Minho is the father, he's your husband and I kept it as a secret from you"

Taemin placed his hands back on her belly and rubbed gently, he couldn’t straight his eyes at her "you're my friend and I know my husband's…ual temper"

"I was…I never done anything like that before" she said quietly " the other maids and the assistants- they all said I'll be lucky if he'll call me to his bed but I didn’t felt like that" she confessed to him, making him look at her "I wanted my first time to be with someone I love, the one I'll marry with"

Taemin needed air, he couldn’t breathe, her words echoed in his head reminded him his first time "so…why have you done it?" he asked. 

"I was afraid to say no to the heir of the throne" she shrugged.

"I say no to him all the time" Taemin said with a smile, making her chuckle.

"I'm sorry for not telling you, please forgive me"

Taemin nodded and hugged her tightly and tapped a kiss on her cheek, surprising her with his gesture before he got to his feet "don’t worry about a thing"

Yuri watched him as he walked out of the workers area, she inhaled deeply and rubbed her belly "you're special boy Taemin…" she mumbled toward him but he was already out of hearing sight. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On his way to the room Taemin saw two workers talking, they bowed when they saw him passing by before they continued their conversation, he could hear they were talking about the king's condition and it made him frown.

Minho wasn’t in the room when he opened the door, he waited for hours for him to come and eventually fell asleep.

It was before the dawn when he heard the door opened and woke up, Minho walked in looking tired and disturbed.

"Minho?" he said quietly and sat in bed.

"Go back to sleep" his husband said with a cold tone.

Taemin frowned "are you ok?"

No answer.

Getting out of bed he got closer to Minho who changed his clothes into a comfortable pajama "where were you?"

He still said nothing.

"Minho…is everything alright? I heard the workers talking about the king-" his husband's angry face made him shut and take a step back.

"Go back to sleep!" Minho hissed and pointed at the bed.

"What happened -?" Taemin sounded hurt.

"APPA IS SICK! OK?!" Minho's roar echoed around the room, he panted harshly and looked at the boy "NOW GO BACK TO SLEEP AND DON’T BOTHER ME"

Taemin looked at him and gulped, he bitten his lip and raised his hand to his aching heart, it was pounding so fast he thought it would burst out of his chest, his husband walked around the room like an animal in a cage and it made him feel helpless, he never saw him like that.

"Minho…" he mumbled and in one brave movement he got closer to him, wrapping his arms around his waist he hugged him tightly, his cheek pressed against his back. Minho froze in his grip before he let out a shaky breath and placed his hands over Taemin's, for once he allowed himself to shatter in front of the boy and let his tears roll down his cheeks "he's going to die" he said quietly "He said I'll be the next king but I can't…I'm not good as he"

Taemin raised his head and spun his husband to face him "you're good" he mumbled and held the flap of his suit "you'd be a good king, I know that"

Minho looked deeply into Taemin's chocolate eyes and cupped his cheeks, he saw honesty and comfort in him, the boy held his arms and angled his head to kiss him. Taemin's kiss was desperate and urged, like he was trying to the fears out of his bones, Minho let go of his cheeks and slid his hands all the way down to hold underneath his thighs, pulling him to his arms he carried him to the bed.

All on four Taemin held the sheets tightly and buried his face into the pillows, his cries of pain swallowed to it when his husband released his frustration roughly into his .

When Minho fell asleep he curled himself into a ball by his side, even if he was sore from the way Minho treated his body he couldn’t be mad at him.

He the features of his face softly, even in his sleep Minho looked worried, he wanted to take his fears away.

"I love you…" he whispered into the silence that surrounded the room- knowing he won't hear him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Things didn’t get any better, the king condition only got worst and Taemin barely saw Minho during the days…and the night, his husband spent all of his time by his father's sickbed. In those rare times he came back to their room he usually burst out on him for minor things, usually Taemin shut his mouth and let him burst knowing it was because all of the stress he felt but tonight when Minho burst out on him he couldn’t hold his tongue anymore.   

"You're shaming me!" Minho growled at him, he looked dangerous "my personal assistant saw you at the workers area, do you even know how it's looks when someone of the royal family walks around there?! Not to mention drinking tea with the maid!!!"

Taemin clenched his jaw, warm tears of anger spilled from his eyes, his husband scolded him like he was five years old.

"…on top of all the things I have on my mind, I need to take care of you too?!"

"She's my friend!" Taemin screamed "she's my only friend in this ing place!"

Minho's eyes blazed fire "watch your mouth when you're talking to me. You won't see her again" he hissed dangerously "do you understand?!"

"I'm not asking you're permission!"

"It's an order!"

"You can't order me!"

Minho fisted his hands to his sides pushing his urged to hit the boy "if I'll hear from my assistant once again that you were there…"

"What you're going to do? Punish me?" Taemin said angrily "do you want to take the only good that left for me in here, my only friend? Do you want me to be lonelier than I already am? Do you want to give me more reasons to HATE YOU?"

Minho stormed out of the room, he knew he'll lose his temper if he'll stay and do something he'll regret.

Now as he left him, Taemin was running through the corridors to the workers area, desperate to find Yuri, at the moment he saw his friend he threw himself into her comforting hug and sobbed. She didn’t asked him what happened, there was no need to, for the passed few weeks Taemin cried a lot because of his fights with Minho, she rocked him and his hair calmly until his tears had dried.

"I'm tired of…him" Taemin said sniffing as he wiped his eyes, he got free from her hug and looked at her "what if he'll be like that forever? Like a monster!"

"Taemin-ah…" she said with a soft smile "I truly believe things would be fine, he'll be good to you he just need things to calm. The coronation is next week and he'll be the new king- with that come a lot of responsibility. The king is…dying, on top of all it's his father, it must be really hard for him to know that soon they'll say goodbye"

Taemin in a shaky breath, he knew she was right but it didn’t cure the pain that grew in his chest.

"…prince Minho loves you, he just a little -"

"He doesn't love me" Taemin cut her off.

"He does, we all see it in his eyes when he looks at you, all of the workers sees how much he cares for you, just give it time I know things would work out for you two. Go back to your room and take a good night sleep, don’t bother yourself anymore, tomorrow is a new day and things would look differently"

Taemin nodded weakly and kissed her cheek "thank you for listening to me all the time, for being my friend in need" he mumbled before he made his way back to his room.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As the days passed by Minho became more and more impossible, Taemin tried his best to be good and avoid the fights with his husband but it seems like Minho was looking for those fights to relieve his stress.

As every night, Taemin made his way from the workers area to their room, he found the door opened and Minho was standing by the window with his back to him, his expression sealed as he looked outside. He turned at the moment he walked into the room and gave him unreadable look before returning his gaze to the window.

"You went to the workers area again?" Minho asked with a low tone, Taemin didn’t bother answering as he took off his clothes and changed into a pajama.

"You went to see that maid again, didn’t you?"

He remained silently.

"…are you fooling around with her?" he asked and when he got no answer he turned from the window to face the boy who just pushed his hands through the pajama sleeves ignoring him, he looked tired and a little pale, for a moment Minho wanted to cradle him in his arms but instead he just raised his voice "ANSWER ME!"

Taemin gave him an exhausted look as he shook his head weakly.

"I told you to stay away from the workers area, didn’t I?!"

"Please leave me alone…" Taemin's voice barely sounded.

"...I ordered you not to!"

"MINHO PLEASE… stop doing this to me, I haven't done anything bad" Taemin begged, raising his voice "she's my friend"  

"She's a maid!"

"Yes, well, she's also a human and the only person around here that nice to me…unlike you" he said and fixed the blankets so he could crawl into the bed.

Minho took few steps closer to him and held his wrist tightly stopping him from do so.

"Let go…" Taemin said and pulled his hand "you hurting me, Minho…ahh…let go!"

"After the coronation…" Minho said harshly, angry at the boy "you're free to go, we'll get divorce and you'll be free to go back to your parents, I'll take care of all the arrangements, you don’t even need to come to the ceremony tomorrow"

Taemin's eyes bulged and he stopped pulling his hand "W-what?"

"You won't suffer anymore with the one that you hate…"Minho said and threw his hand, he was angry and frustrated as he walked out of the room.

"Minho, what-?" Taemin stood shocked and looked at his husband as he walked away, his heart pounded fast against his ribs and a huge lump stuck in his throat, he couldn't hear anything over the rush of blood in his ears, suddenly he felt numb, paralyzed and pain held his body, tears blurred his vision and every breath he tried to take hurt his lungs. His husband didn’t turned back to look at him as he collapsed on the floor and sobbed loudly.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I knocked few times but prince Taemin didn’t answered, it's weird, I heard him crying, usually he just asking us to go away, this time he said nothing"  

To the mention of his name Yuri raised her head and looked at the two maids who talked as they walked into the kitchen.

"Should I throw it?" the one asked the other as she raised the tray of food a little higher so she could see what it contained, however she couldn’t get an answer because Yuri was already at her feet and grabbed the tray from her hands, she ignored the questioning look she got as she left the kitchen.

"Prince Taemin?" Yuri said respectfully as she knocked on the door "it’s me… "When he didn’t answered her she opened the door and peeped in, he was sitting on the sofa by the window hugging his knees to his chest, small hiccups and harsh breaths filled the room as he tried to calm himself, his eyes looked at the wall in front of him blankly.

Closing the door behind her she got closer to him "Taemin-ah…" her voice was soft and he turned to look at her.

"Noona…" he said miserably and his tears renewed.

Yuri left the tray on the little table by the sofa and sat by his side, he rested his head at the crook of her shoulder and let her his hair calmly while he sobbed, his arm hugged her big belly and his whole body shook.

"What happened? Did you two fought again?" she asked quietly.

"…Minho wants to get divorce" Taemin said between his sobs, making her stop his hair, she held his shoulders and made him raise himself from her so she could look into his eyes "what?"

Taemin wiped his eyes as he repeated his words "Minho wants to get divorce, tomorrow, after his coronation"

"But, that’s… it’s…"  

"I don’t even know why I'm crying, this is what I wanted, right? So why I'm so sad about it?"

"You love him…don’t you?" she asked quietly.

"I don’t. I was being forced to marry him, I don’t love him. I'm too young for him, he's older then me in five years and he doesn't understand me at all, we're fighting all the time…he's trying to boss me, it’s can't be…love, right?"

"The way he act when he's around you, the way he looks at you, it's love!"

"If he loved me…he wouldn’t have said I don’t have to come to the coronation ceremony tomorrow…"

Yuri looked confused "he told you that?"

Taemin nodded.

"But he needs you to be there…he needs you by his side, now more than ever"

"He's not, he said-"

"No matter what he said!" she cut him off "he'll need you there to support him, you're his husband"

"Tomorrow I won't be…he don’t want me anymore" he in a deep shaky breath he looked at Yuri with teary eyes "what should I do now?" he asked.

"I think you should go to the ceremony despite what he said, but…it's your choice to make"

"I don’t know…"

She leaned to kiss his forehead "you love him…I know that, no matter what you're going to say, you love him, stop lying to yourself. You need to clear your thoughts and calm now" 

Taemin sighed and placed his hands on Yuri's big belly "Noona…"

"Humm?"

"Thank you for… being here"

Yuri smiled and cupped his cheek "anytime you'll need"

Suddenly Taemin's face changed with a little smile "the baby is moving"

"I believe the baby worried about you too, just like me"

"Don’t worry about me"

"How can I not? You haven’t been eating your dinner and you're crying yourself to exhaustion"

"I'm not hungry that’s all"

"You have to eat" she said and got up from the sofa, she went to bring the tray from the table where she have left it and sat back by his side, placing the tray on her lap she cut the bread with her hands "it's still hot, the cook baked it not so long ago. You want butter with it?"

Taemin his lips, his stomach growled and he nodded.

"…there is grilled beef too" she said as she put butter on the hot bread, it melted and filled the room with delicious smell "please eat"

Taemin took the bread from her hand and leaned to kiss her cheek, he rubbed her belly fondly before he took a bite into his mouth.

"After you'll finish, you should take a warm bath and get some rest"

He nodded and watched her as she got up, she place the tray by his side and leaned to kiss his forehead "I'll go now, I'll come tomorrow morning to see how are you"

The loneliness surrounded him at the moment she left the room and so his appetite disappeared , he wished Minho was there, he wished he haven’t said those words and he wished he knew what to do.

Letting go of the food he got up from the sofa and got into bed, it was cold without Minho by his side, he curled himself into a ball and closed his eyes just so he could spend the rest of the night tossing around.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Red puffy eyes could barely opened, not so long ago Taemin finally fell asleep and now the sun filled the room with painful light, his body shook as he tried to sit in bed, he looked around, alone again.  

Small knock on the door sounded and Yuri walked in with a tray in her hands "good morning Taemin-ah…" she said softly as she placed it on his night dresser.

"Noona…" he said sleepily and shifted so she could sit by his side.

Her delicate hand touched his forehead and then cupped his cheek gently "you look sick…but you're not warm"

"I feel sick"

"I believe you tossed all night long"

Taemin nodded.

"I made you some tea" she said and leaned to take the cup from the tray, Taemin took it and sipped slowly "I brought you some pastries too" she said and took a little bun "butter? Jam? Honey?"

"I'm not hungry"

"Taemin-ah… you have to eat something"

"Later, I promise"   

Yuri sighed and grabbed his hand, holding it tightly "have you decided?"

Taemin shook his head "no…I don’t know what to do…" he mumbled and placed the cup of tea on the night dresser.

"I'm sure your heart would make the right choice"

Taemin smiled sadly as he watched her getting up from his side, she let go of his hand and made her way to the closet, when she came back she held his suit, the one that been made especially for the coronation ceremony, she placed it on the bed to his feet and leaned closer to him to kiss his forehead.

"I have to go, if you'll need me just send someone to call me"

"Thank you Noona…" Taemin said weakly and reached his hand to her belly before she left him alone.

Looking at the suit his vision blurred, his eyes filled with tears, his heart ached in his chest, soft whimpers escaped his lips as he buried his head in his palms mumbling his husband's name miserably.