Part 1

Kingdom of Enav

 

Everybody knew who Prince Kai was. Even the people who didn’t live in the same country as the prince, had heard of the young boy. He was handsome and a flirt, resulting in his universal reputation, which wasn’t a good one. He was known as a cold, heartless teenager who took advantage of his title as Prince of Enav. Although that was thought to be true, Prince Kai was a fabricated person… A scheme created by his mother, the Queen, so he was known all over the world. Behind all of the stone cold makeup that caked the boy’s face, there was a normal teenager who wanted nothing more than to be able to go to a baseball game and eat popcorn with his friends. But that was the problem, he didn’t have friends.

    Well, maybe one, but to Kai, he barely counted. Kai thought it was embarrassing that his only friend was his knight. The knight was stationed outside of Kai’s room every hour of the day, looking over him and protecting him. Although it probably wasn’t true, Kai believed that he didn’t need protection, so he treated the knight more like a friend.

    Wrapped up in the expensive blankets, the Prince twisted and turned in a nightmare. His head was burning and sweat dripped from his face and back. Letting out a strangled scream, the knight snapped up and opened the door. He jogged over to the wriggling man and shook him awake.

    “Kai!” The knight called, trying his hardest to wake the prince from his nightmare.

    “Oh God,” he shot upright and looked around, alert.

    “It was only a dream,” The protector whispered, rubbing Kai’s sweaty back.

    Kai sighed. “Thank you, Suho,” he said before dismissing the boy with a tiny smile.

    “Oh, Kai,” The knight peaked his head back into the room. “The Queen is expecting you for breakfast in twenty minutes.” And with that, the knight left Kai alone to his sweat and tear soaked sheets.

    He rubbed his face and eyes before peeling off his wet shirt and sweatpants. He decided that a shower wouldn’t hurt, so he scrubbed himself with the soap before putting on a pair of leggings and a tunic.

    Rushing down to the dining hall, he spotted Suho on the way out and shyly smiled at him before running off. Suho was the only person that Kai could really trust and it felt really good to finally have someone on his side for once.

    He peered through the gigantic glass doors at the dining table that took up more than half the room. Although his mother was the only person seated at the table, her aura still filled the entire room.

The Queen was a small woman. She had thin brown hair and a frail body. Kai had a burning hatred for the woman who created the false persona for him. She was always so stuck and and controlling. The prince hated it. He entered the room and took the seat at the opposite head of the table. They didn’t interact at all and the atmosphere was thick and awkward.

The food was placed on the table but Kai simply grabbed a piece of bread before eating it quickly and walking out, leaving his mother alone. He took a stroll around the castle, looking for anything to occupy his bored mind.

“Your highness!” He heard the call and his head snapped around at the noise. One of the Knights ran up to him, holding a rolled piece of paper. “This is from The Queen,” the boy announced with a bow before leaving Kai alone.

The prince stalked off back to his chamber, curious about what the roll held.

Suho nodded curtly at Kai when he walked back into his room, opening the paper. It read:

 

“Son,

I address you in need of a favor. I desperately need your help in completing a task. It includes you befriending the prince of a neighboring kingdom. Please come and see me in my chamber as soon as you read these for I have important information to tell you.  

-Queen of Enav”

 

    Kai sighed. He hated when his mother asked for favors, which usually resulted in bad outcomes but either way, he made his way to her chamber.

    The door was closed, but the knight outside the room bowed and let him enter immediately. The door was closed behind him and he peered around the chamber but nobody was to be found.

    “Hello?” He called out, unfamiliar with the room, only having been in there once or twice in his lifetime. He searched through the purple walls but found nothing.

    Then, the bathroom door opened, revealing his mother in a large robe, wiping her face. “Ah, hello Kai.” She whispered, her voice sounding hoarse. “I would like to talk to you more about the letter I had delivered to you.”

    Kai nodded, unsure of how to act. He didn’t know if he should treat her like the queen, or treat her like a mother. The feeling made his stomach churn and he hated it.

    “Well, I’m just going to come out and say it,” She announced and Kai waited and listened patiently. “We are going to take over the Kingdom of Aleah.” She took a pause. “And you’re going to help me.”

    Kai was stunned into silence for a few moments before squeaking out a single syllable word. “How?”

    “Like said in the letter, I would like you to befriend the young prince of Aleah and get inside information about the kingdom.” She explained like it was the easiest plan in the world.

    Kai fought an internal battle but it ended with a short nod of his head and a look of approvement. He was used to those kinds of things.

    “Thank you, Kai.” She smiled softly. “There is a ball tonight with the Kingdom of Kelbeck, so  please be ready by the nineteenth hour.”

The prince nodded again before being dismissed. Only seconds from approaching his room he saw the knight stationed outside his room and his stomach clenched. Without speaking a word, he pulled Suho into his chamber. He slumped down onto the bed and Suho looked at him with worry.

    “Are you okay, your highness?” Suho asked and the prince just groaned. With that lack of an answer, Suho just sat down next to Kai and put a hand on his shoulder, comforting him.

    “Ugh,” Kai let out again and the knight just rubbed his back until the prince was calm, and with that, the knight left the room. Kai stood up and stripped out of his clothes, walking around the chamber for a few moments, tired of the restricting clothes he was to wear.

    Eventually, he put on a tight black suit and paged the stylists into his room. They greeted him with smiles, but they were hollow and cold. He sat in the chair as they plucked, painted and prepared his face and body. After a long while of prepping, Kai was finally ready for the ball and he put on his stone cold facade.

    He made his way to the ballroom, passing many people from Kelbeck on his way. He finally made it and the room was full of people dancing and eating and talking. He walked in his his chin up and chest pushed out. As the doors were opening in front of him, a loud beat pumped through the room, coming from the speakers occupying the room and everybody turned and stared. He smirked cockily as he entered and girls gaped.

    His heart hurt when he acted that way but his face showed no signs of the discomfort. He saw his mother grimly smile at him from her throne and he felt like crumpling into a pile ash.

    People thought he was untouchable and unapproachable and that made Kai feel sick. Everything that happened in that damn castle caused him pain and he was tired of it… but it wasn’t like he had a choice so he dealt with it.

    The night carried on, no one approaching the prince except for the King and Queen of Kelbeck who introduced themselves before leaving him just as quickly as they arrived.

    As Kai walked back to his room, he felt heavy. Simply heavy and tired. Without giving Suho a single look his went back into his room and striped off his clothes, leaving him in a pair of boxers before he fell asleep on the floor of the bathroom.

    “Kai, are you okay?” The prince heard a distant yell, but as he blinked his eyes slowly, his vision full of a bright light. After a few seconds of blinking, he recognized the bathroom ceiling and Suho’s voice. He shot upright again and turned around, confused as to why he was on the floor.

    “Are you okay?” Suho asked again and Kai nodded slowly before his emotions caught up with him.

    Soon, his nodding turned into sobbing and Suho held him in a hug, whispering encouraging words into his ear.

    And for once, Kai let it all out. He sobbed and sobbed into Suho’s arms, letting go for the first time in his life.

    

    

Part 2

Kingdom of Aleah

 

When the prince woke up, the entire castle was silent, and his head was pounding. He sat himself up, throwing the covers off of his burning body. Taking a deep breath, the young prince wiped the sweat off of his forehead. Swallowing deeply, his throat burned.

. He thought. If that damn servant got me sick again...

Rolling his eyes, he changed his clothes and paged a servant into his room so he could get some relief from the terrible headache with a dosage of medicine.

Quickly enough, the medicine was left at his door and he was swallowing it down with a gulp of water.

The life of a prince was quite boring so to busy himself, the boy would ride horses. He adopted the hobby at a young age and it he had never quite grown out of it. Throwing on riding gear, he ran out to the stables behind the castle and saddled up. He took his favorite stallion, Minnie, and rode out into the woods.

The wind met his face and he briefly shut his eyes to bask in the morning sun. The birds chirped and he let himself relax. Being the prince of Aleah was a tough job and it felt great to let go. Riding was the only time he felt that and he dreaded having to return to the castle.

****

 

He had no idea how long he had been riding, but the sun was further up on the sky, signifying that it was some time in the afternoon.

“Time to turn back, Min,” He announced to the horse, his voice coming out scratchy.

Steering the horse sideways, he got stuck on a tree branch. “Hold on,” the prince called, pulling the horse back as the branch scratched across his face.

The white animal made a loud noise and started bucking all over the place. “Stop!” The boy screamed, his face bleeding from the branch. He held on to the reigns with his life and tried to calm the horse but it refused to listen. It continued its jumping until the small prince was launched off the back of animal, landing in a heap. The horse took off, leaving the prince alone, bleeding and injured.

“Agh,” he let out a shout as he felt the pain in his wrist. Huffing, he laid down in the dirt. “Help!” He screamed, but due to his sore throat, it come out more like a purr and he doubted anybody could hear him. Looking down his body, he was met with torn clothes, bloody gashes, and an arm twisted in the wrong direction. At the sight, he shrieked and started yelling again.

“Someone, help please!”

His prayers were answered as he heard the sound of distant voices.

“Help!” He called louder, hoping to catch the attention of whoever was near.

“Hello?” He heard the voice, closer to him now.

“Help me!”

“Hey calm down,” he now saw who the voice belonged to. “Oh ,” the tan boy muttered when he saw the arm that was twisted around. “Okay,” he breathed deeply. “Uh,” He searched his brain for some kind of plan. “Come here,” he offered a hand and the small boy grabbed his hand with his uninjured arm and his body screamed in pain.

Grimacing, he was lifted up onto the back of the tall boy’s horse.

“What’s your name?” The injured boy asked, curiosity taking over him.

“Jongin,” he answered. “You?”

“Uh, Prince Kyungsoo of Aleah,” he said shyly, trying to ignore the pain in his arm.

“Wow, so formal,” the other laughed. “Nice to finally meet you, Kyungsoo.” He smiled but it didn’t really reach his eyes.  

Jongin hopped onto the horse and galloped off, speeding up his pace to get Kyungsoo to safety as soon as possible.

Hopping off the horse, he held his hands out for Kyungsoo. Before they even made it through the palace doors, there were nurses running to Kyungsoo’s side.

Being whisked through the halls, the small prince saw one of the tapestries hung on the wall. He recognized the family crest immediately.

Am I really in Enav? A thought came to his head but another took it’s spot just a second later. That means that boy prince was Prince Kai…

Without thinking much more, there was a needle pressed into his neck and he fell asleep soundly.

 

    Part 3

Kingdom of Enav

 

Prince Kyungsoo blinked his eyes wearily and peered around the large chamber where he was rested. It was definitely previously occupied and the small boy was curious as to who owned the room. Looking around, the door opened and he was greeted with a nurse who smiled kindly.

    “Nice to see you awake, your majesty,” she greeted and the memories flew back into the prince’s head.

    Looking down his body, he took in the cast on his left arm and bandages on his bare legs. He was clad in a pair of boxer briefs and he suddenly became very shy under the nurse’s eye.

    Clearing his throat, he scratchily let out a sentence. “Am I in Enav?”

    “Yes, your highness. Do you remember what happened?” She asked, checking his bandages for blood.

    “Yeah, I think,” Kyungsoo winced when the nurse moved his arm. “I fell off my horse?”

    She nodded with a sad smile. “Anyway, we talked to your father and he showed no rush in getting back to your palace and he actually encouraged your stay for a little while.”

    “Why?” The prince asked, raising his eyebrow. He was surprised by that, considering his father barely let him leave the castle to go to the movies, and he was letting him stay in Enav for who knows how long? Weird.

    “I’m afraid I don’t know, your highness, but get some rest for now.”

    “Wait,” Kyungsoo called out. “Can you please send in, um, Prince Kai?” He asked, curious as to if Prince Kai was the boy who had helped him in the woods.

    Minutes later, his theory was proven correct when the familiar tan boy walked into the room.

“Hey are you okay?” were the first words that left the boy’s mouth.

“Uh, yea I guess,” Kyungsoo answered before knitting his eyebrows together. “Are you prince Kai?”

Without answering, the handsome man nodded with an embarrassed look.

“Didn't you say your name was Jongin?” Kyungsoo wondered.

“I, uh, my real name is Jongin.” He explained. “Can you please call me Jongin.”

Kyungsoo gave him a weird look but agreed.

 

*****

Jongin was completely smitten.

Kyungsoo was easily the most beautiful person he had every seen in his entire life. Small, pale body, sweet face, huge eyes. The younger was simply starstruck.

When he heard the cries of help in the woods, he almost completely ignored them, but his conscious compelled him to check it out. At first the only thing he felt was complete terror, seeing an injured person in a ball in the middle of the woods. But it has subsided once he heard the boy talk.

Meeting the beautiful boy, he felt his heart rise into his throat... He had the same reaction when he found out who he was.

The Prince of Aleah.

The Prince of the kingdom his mother wanted to take over.

The Prince he had to destroy.

Although the thoughts he had churned his stomach, he pushed them aside as he talked to the injured Prince lying in his bed. He was unsure of how to treat him. Should he be friendly? Or should he be Kai? His mother did say that she wanted them to be friends… pushing the door open, he disregarded his thoughts and acted as naturally as he could.

When he walked in he saw the prince. He was scarcely clad in a pair of black boxer briefs and Jongin fought the urge to blush over the sight of the beautiful boy, spread out on the bed, milky skin on display for everyone. He suddenly felt possessive and dreaded the nurse coming back in and seeing the boy exposed like he was.

“Uh, do you wanna... uh,” Jongin stuttered, gesturing towards the blanket nestled at the bottom of the bed.

Without answering, Kyungsoo’s pale face turned pink and he hastily covered himself with the fabric.

“So, uh, what were you doing in the woods?” Jongin chuckled nervously, trying to act friendly, although he was not very good at because he had such a lack of experience.

“Riding my horse,” Kyungsoo simply answered, his heart squeezing as he thought about Minnie and where she was.

Kyungsoo was very reluctant when it came to making friends, so he wasn’t sure how to treat Prince Kai either..

“Oh,” Kai whispered, the conversation coming to an abrupt end. It was silent for a few minutes before Kai stood up, pushed by the awkwardness that surrounded the room. “I have to go, I, um, guess I’ll see you in a bit for dinner,” the Prince said. “I mean, if you feel up to going, dammit, I don’t know, like, if you’re arm feels okay, damn.” Kai mentally facepalmed and treid to make a quick escape, only to be tripped up by the chair that he didn’t see. Falling backward, he let out a loud screech. Once he landed square on his , he just sat there, his eyes closed and face burning in embarrassment.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” He heard the small prince say and he held his head in shame.

“Yea…”

Kyungsoo let out a ringing laugh that had Kai’s heart racing. “That was so funny,” Kyungsoo squeaked out between loud laughs. Hearing the sweet melody of his laugh, Kai let out a small, embarrassed smile before opening his eyes and letting out a laugh as well.

And that’s how it began… Kyungsoo lying in Jongin’s bed with a broken arm and Kai crumpled on the floor with pink cheeks, both of them laughing crazily.   

 

Part 4

Kingdom of Enav

 

“So this is my knight, Suho,” Jongin introduced.

“Your majesty,” Suho bowed at ninety degrees with a nice smile on his face. It joyed Suho to see Jongin making a new friend, but he was clueless as to what the plan was.

“Nice to meet you,” Kyungsoo said sweetly before Suho was dismissed with a flick of Jongin’s hand.

Once again, it was just the two boys all alone in Jongin’s room.

Since Kyungsoo’s last stay, it had been cleaned and the theme had been changed from purple to gold.

The chandelier was creating gold shadows across the entire room and the bedspread was no longer royal purple, but instead, a glittering gold which reflected the sunlighting, making the room look as if it was glowing.

It had been three weeks since the last time Kyungsoo was in the room and he inwardly chuckled at the incident that happened the previous time. His cast was still on his arm, but otherwise, his injuries had healed nicely. Although it pained him to think about it, Minnie was still missing.

While Kyungsoo had mostly light hearted thoughts, the only things that floated through Jongin’s head were words of praise from his mother. She was overly proud of Jongin’s luck in finding the Prince of Aleah in the woods and befriending him. As Kai looked at the innocent prince in front of him, his throat bubbled with acid. He didn’t want to hurt the boy, but his mother’s orders were precise, and he couldn’t let her down.

“Kai, I have a question for you,” Kyungsoo shyly said, pulling the prince’s attention over to him.

“Jongin please,” he said simply, drawing a nod from the other. “What is it?”

“Why, uh, why are you nice to me?” Kyungsoo squeaked out, unsure of how to ask the question.

“What do you mean?” Kai questioned, his eyebrows knitting together.

“Well, I’ve just heard, uh, bad things about you.”

Jongin chuckled shortly, but it lacked humor. Turning towards the small boy, he put on a mocking smirk. “Hasn’t anyone told you not to believe everything you hear?”

 

*****

Kyungsoo just wanted to go home. Although the castle he called home was almost as bad...

For an unknown reason, Jongin had flipped some sort of switch and it made Kyungsoo unbelievable uncomfortable. The tan boy was acting rude and mean and it made the smaller upset.

“What do you mean you’ve never had soy sauce crab? I can’t believe you’re a prince,” Kai rolled his eyes.

The small prince swallowed hardly and ignored the tears that pricked in his eyes. He kept to himself for a reason, and as soon as he opened up to the idea of having a friend, it came and bit him in the .

“And you said you didn’t know what croquet is. What a joke,” Kai huffed out a laugh.

“Kai, I have to go now,” Kyungsoo rushed, purposely using the name Kai in hopes of pissing him off, but instead, the latter stayed silent. “I’m serious, where the hell is the exit. I’m done with this ,” Kyungsoo threw his arms up when Kai ignored him again. “Whatever,” the boy whispered with a roll of his eyes. Walking down the corridor, he found a servant and asked for directions out of the ornate castle.  

As the beautiful boy walked out, Kai just stood in his spot and let him leave because that’s all he’s ever known.

“What are you doing?” He heard the familiar voice behind him.

“I don’t know.”

“You just crushed his feelings,” he said softly.

“I know, Suho,” Kai said, still not turning to face the knight.

“Why?”

Kai just shook his head and closed his eyes. “I’m not sure.”

 

Kingdom of Aleah

Kyungsoo sat at his desk with a notebook and a pen, shaking vigorously. He wrote down all he could think about, but the words would just get smudged by his own tears as they fell in pools from his eyes.

“God,” He cried out, crumpling up the paper and moving his hands up to his hair, pulling the dark brown locks out. The tears and snot flowed from his face as he thrashed around. He let out a loud shout, but the servants knew better than to bother him.

‘I can’t do this anymore,” He cried, standing up and walking slowly over to the bathroom, his legs shaking.  

He let out a strangled cry as he took his razor from the shower and crushed it with his foot. Taking out of of the blades he smiled at it sadly. Shaking his head slowly, he pulled up his sweatshirt and made a large vertical cut in the forearm that didn’t occupy the cast.

“Oh ,” Kyungsoo muttered, the blood seeping out of his skin. Feeling lightheaded he sat down on the toilet seat as the scarlet liquid poured over his arm.

“Your majesty,” He heard a knock at his door, but he was too far gone to answer or acknowledge the person knocking.

“Ah it,” the noise came and it made Kyungsoo’s head pound. The door was pulled from the wall and light poured into the bathroom where the small boy was curled up in a ball in the bathtub, blood covering the surface of the white porcelain.

“Holy !” He heard the scream and he saw the tan skin. But then it was all gone…

Everything.

 

Part 5

Kingdom of Aleah

 

Kyungsoo twisted and turned uncomfortably in the bed, his head pounding. Letting a groan slip out of his mouth, he gradually woke up. Once his eyes fully opened, he felt the pressure of bandages on his wrist and his face started to burn in shame.

“Ah hell, Kyungsoo,” he was startled when he heard the voice next to him. Shifting uncomfortably, he made eye contact with the tanned male who was softly holding his hand.

He didn’t say anything but his face burned. He couldn’t even kill himself… what an embarrassment.

He let a tear slip out of his puffy eye and Jongin reached out to stop it before it fell down his face.

No words were spoken, but Jongin’s movements were full of apology and Kyungsoo’s were full of… well.. a lot of things. Confusion, sadness, despair, and… want. He wanted a happy life, he wanted a life that wasn’t full of worry. Worry that people weren’t who they said they were and worry that he would never be good enough. The life of a prince was supposed to be easy, but it wasn’t. And of all people, Kyungsoo knew that firsthand.

“Why’d you do it, Kyungsoo?” Jongin said quietly, playing with the boy’s palm.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Kai. It wasn’t you.” Kyungsoo’s first words were bitter and Jongin’s felt his heart drop at the sentence.

“Why would that be flattering?” The prince shot back.

    Kyungsoo just slowly shook his head and then turned to look straight into Jongin’s eyes. “You’re a prince too, Kai. You know why I did it.”

    Jongin just nodded softly, completely understanding the boy, but it didn’t stop the tears that threatened to surface. The boy that he was sitting next to just tried to kill himself. And Jongin wasn’t stupid. He knew he had something to do with it.

    “I’m sorry, Kyungsoo,” Jongin whispered, a tear forming in his eye and rolling down his cheek.

    And so they just sat there, both silently crying, but none of them interfering with each other. Once Jongin was tired of hearing Kyungsoo’s smile whimpers, he grabbed the wrapped arm again and pressed a kiss to the hand which shook when it moved.

    “I want to make you a happy prince,” The taller sheepishly admitted, looking up at the small prince.

    Kyungsoo chuckled unhumorous. “I dare you.”

    “Okay,” Jongin nodded with a determined look. “I will.”

 

****

“Where are you taking me?” the elder whined as Jongin dragged him throughout the castle.

“I talked to your father,” he said. “I’m taking you out.”

“Out?” Kyungsoo asked with a confused look.

Jongin just smiled with a fake mischievous look. “Let’s go, hyung.”

“Hyung?” Kyungsoo chuckled.

“Yeah. You’re older than me right?” Jongin asked while weaving through the palace before they were outside.

“Mhmm,” Kyungsoo muttered.

A lot had changed in the weeks that had passed, and well, they had changed for the better. Kyungsoo and Jongin spent every moment they could together, which honestly, was less than both of them had hoped but they relied on one another. All was well.

“What are we doing out here?”

“It’s a surprise!” Jongin exclaimed with a childish smile. He led the smaller through the courtyard and through the garden until they made it to the stables.

“I don’t want to go in there,” Kyungsoo shook his head, dragging his feet in the dirt.

“Come on, hyung, trust me.”

And so he did. Kyungsoo followed Jongin into the stables where dozens of different horses stayed, but the stall where Minnie usually stayed was unoccupied which made Kyungsoo’s heart hurt.

“Stay here,” Jongin ordered, the elder complying.

He disappeared and reappeared a few seconds later, a very familiar horse in tow.

“Oh my god!” Kyungsoo yelled. “Minnie!” He cried, running over to the white stallion. He gave the animal a hug, the horse neighing in response. “Where’d you find him?” Kyungsoo asked, his face shining.

“Running around the woods,” the blonde answered, watching in awe as Kyungsoo hugged the horses tight to his body. The sight was so precious.

“Let’s go,” Jongin smiled, hauling Kyungsoo onto the back of the horse, Jongin hopping on in front of him, grabbing the reigns and steering them out into the fields behind the castle. The smaller wrapped his arms around Jongin’s torso, making the younger’s breath hitch. Everything the elder did made the tall prince blush slightly.

They galloped around and every so often, Kyungsoo would let out a shout of glee and Jongin once again felt his eyes get wet.

He was so used to things being so complicated but with Kyungsoo, everything made sense and he yearned for the feeling all of the time. The elder tried his best to hide his feelings for Jongin but with every one of the horse’s gallops, the feelings threatened to surface.

They rode around for a while until Minnie started to peter out and they stopped in a meadow, miles from anything.

“We could scream right now and no one would hear us,” Kyungsoo observed, looking around at the green grass that stretched on for what seemed like forever.

“It’s peaceful, isn’t it?”

“Sure,” Kyungsoo laughed. “And a little unsettling.”

Ignoring the boy’s usual pessimism Jongin started talking. “Sit down with me,” He offered and they sat on the grass as Minnie ate the green all around them. Jongin leaned over towards the boy and grabbed his arm, pulling the sleeve up and he was greeted with a sickly red cut, stretching multiple inches down his arm. It had been close to four weeks since the incident and Kyungsoo didn’t show any signs of retrogressing, but Jongin still worried. Looking at the forming scar, Jongin leaned down and kissed it, one inch at a time. The action made Kyungsoo blush but he didn’t say anything as Jongin pressed kisses all over his injured wrist. And for the other arm, the cast was long gone, leaving his bone brittle but useable.

“Am I making you happier?” Jongin smiled against the boy’s skin before pulling back and looking into his eyes.

“Close,” Kyungsoo laughed and Jongin cocked his head to the side in a questioning manner. “I’ll be happy once you buy me some soy sauce crab that you are so adamant about.”

 

Part 6

Kingdom of Enav

 

“Jongin, let go!” Kyungsoo whined, chuckling. “My hand is sweaty!”

“Hmm?” Jongin pretended to think. “I don’t care.” The prince shrugged, his face lighting up as he continued holding Kyungsoo’s small, pale hand.

“What if someone sees?” Kyungsoo worried.

Jongin smiled. “Let them see.”

They were quiet again and Jongin led the small boy around the gardens before he found a small bench where they sat down.

“Wow,” Kyungsoo whispered.

“What is it?” Jongin asked, looking into the boy’s eyes which were lit up with excitement.

“It’s just so beautiful,” He said in awe and Jongin smiled.

“You’re beautiful,” The taller couldn’t stop himself from saying the cheesy sentence.

“Jongin!” Kyungsoo blushed and slapped him on the chest. “You’re being too loud! Whisper.”

Jongin smirked. “I don’t care who hears.” He laughed. “DO KYUNGSOO IS BEAUTIFUL!” He yelled loudly between small chuckles.

“Oh my God!” The elder squeaked, his cheeks and ears turning red as he hid inside of Jongin’s jacket. “Shut up!” He squealed which coaxed another laugh out of the younger.

“What? It’s true,” He shrugged nonchalantly and Kyungsoo burned with flattery and embarrassment.

“Wait!” Kyungsoo perked up. “Look at that!” Jongin followed the boy’s pointing out to a field which was lit up with what seemed like thousands of fireflies.

Jongin had to admit it… it was unbelievable gorgeous. The field was covered in high grasses which had to be up to Kyungsoo’s head and they were glowing with lightning bugs.

Not saying a word, Jongin pulled Kyungsoo up and dragged him into the field. “What are you-” Kyungsoo’s words were cut short as Jongin started running with the younger in tow.

The wind whistled through their ears as they dodged the high grasses and ran for what seemed like miles. In the dead center, there was a small barren spot where Jongin finally stopped.

“God,” Kyungsoo breathed, his chest heaving up and down. “What the hell are we doing?”

“Look,” Jongin said simply, pointing around them. Before, Kyungsoo was struggling to catch his breath, but at the sight, it was completely stolen from him. They were in the middle of the grasses, the large spikes of plants grew all around them, giving the illusion of caving in as fireflies floated all around, lighting up the sky.

They looked around in silence, no words needed.

“You know,” Kyungsoo stated, still looking at his surroundings. “Fireflies light up to warn predators. The yellow color is poisonous so they light up to show that they are deadly.” Kyungsoo finally turned towards Jongin. “I find it so fascinating how beautiful we think they are, and all they’re doing is trying to stay alive.”

“Come here,” Jongin ordered, beckoning Kyungsoo with a finger.

With much protest, Jongin finally got Kyungsoo to sit on his lap. With the smaller’s legs spread over Jongin’s thighs, he faced the tan prince while straddling him.

“Kyungsoo, I don’t know a lot about love. Hell, I barely know anything about friendship, but I know that I have feelings for you. I don’t know how to explain it but it’s like my brain is so jumbled up but as soon as I see you, everything clears up. I know that’s cheesy and you hate cheesy things but I don’t know what else to say.” Jongin huffed but continued. “I’ve barely known you for two months, one of which, we were not on the greatest terms. But I know what I feel and I hope you understand me.” It was quiet for a few moments before the elder spoke up.

“I’m in love with you, Kim Jongin.” Kyungsoo muttered making Jongin’s eyes light up.

Without answering, they leaned into each other, their lips meeting in a cautious kiss. “I think I love you too, Do Kyungsoo.” Jongin muttered, separating their lips for a mere second before they met again in a more heated liplock. Kyungsoo was still straddling Jongin’s lap and he pushed up onto his knees as he kissed the prince, threading his fingers through his dark brown hair.

“Mmmm, Kyungsoo,” Jongin groaned as he shoved his tongue into the other’s mouth. After a few moments, Kyungsoo moved away from the kiss.   

“That’s enough for now,” Kyungsoo chuckled, standing up. He put out his hand for Jongin to grab and he did without hesitation.

“God, this has been such a crazy night,” Jongin groaned as they walked back through the grasses with their hands linked.

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo agreed, his head pounding with the weight of the words that were just exchanged but he ignored the possible repercussions and for once, let himself be happy.

They took their time walking back, watching the fireflies.

“Kyungsoo,” Jongin whispered, pulling the boy to a stop. “You tried to kill yourself.” He stated simply.

“I don’t want to talk about this again.” He whispered, attempting to walk forwards only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

“No, Kyungsoo, it’s been a month and we haven't talked about it. I just confessed my love for you and it’s not my fault for worrying.”

“Worrying? Jongin, I’m not going to do it again.”

“How can I believe you?” Jongin said, drawing an eyeroll from Kyungsoo. “I’m not trying to offend you, I’m just trying to ease my nerves. Kyungsoo, you tried to kill yourself. And coming from someone who had feelings for you, I’m just trying to make sure you don’t do it again.”

Hearing the explanation, Kyungsoo softened a bit. “Okay, okay.” He said.

“I love you,” He heard the tan boy whisper and his cheeks turned red.

“I-” Kyungsoo stuttered. “I love you too.”   

 

Part 7

Kingdom of Enav

 

“Kai, I am very proud of you for inviting Kyungsoo over the other day,” the queen praised and it made Kai swell with pride. “Did you get any information?”

“No, your highness. Not yet.” Kai smiled sheepishly.

“Soon please,” the woman asked and Kai nodded.

Anything for the kingdom.

 

Kai adjusted his tie once more before checking his appearance in the mirror: slicked up hair, light black eyeliner, black suit. Kai was dressed for a ball. He was anticipating the party ever since his mother announced it the previous night. He was excited to see Kyungsoo again. It had only been a day since they confessed to each other, but Kai wanted to see Kyungsoo all the time. He would never get tired of him.

Taking a deep breath, Kai left his room, smiling at Suho as the door was opened for him. Although the prince had been pretty occupied of the late, he really missed having conversations with Suho. He wanted to tell him everything that was going on, but it was just too risky. If anyone found out that he was in love with the Prince of Aleah, he could easily be disowned by his mother. The fact scared him, but as soon as he saw Kyungsoo, all of the frightening thoughts went away.

The small boy was dressed in a traditional tuxedo across the ballroom leaning on one of the tables with his elbow. His eyes were lined with a thin line of charcoal, bringing out the beautiful features on his face. Kai’s heart rate accelerated when he saw the man and he fought the urge to run over and kiss him silly. Instead, he put on a scowl and pretended to be pissed at everything, as usual.

It had always been hard for Kai to keep of his facade, but with Kyungsoo just a few meters away, it seemed almost impossible. Not able to control himself much longer, he walked over to Kyungsoo who was sat down with his father, the King.

“Your highness,” Kai bowed at the two men, grabbing their attention. They both stood up and bowed at the prince before sitting back down at the small crystal table and inviting Kai to sit with them. He awkwardly accepted the offer. He looked up, hoping to meet Kyungsoo’s eyes and he did. He was expecting some small smile from him, or even a raise of the eyebrows, but instead, he was met with cold eyes and a frown. Furrowing his eyebrows, Kai ignored the peculiar behavior and started a conversation with the King.

“Nice to see you, Sir,” He said and the king met his eyes.

“You too, son,” he smiled. “Are you the boy who helped Kyungsoo in the woods?” The large man asked and Jongin nodded with a smile. “And the one there the day he-”

“Yes,” Kyungsoo cut him off. “That was him.”

“You and Kyungsoo seem very close,” the king observed, unaware of the tension in the room.

“Yes,” Kai said, not breaking eye contact with the smaller boy across from him. “Very close.”

 

****

 

“What the was that, Kyungsoo?” Jongin yelled as soon as they were out of earshot of other people.

“What?”

“You know what I’m talking about,” the younger rolled his eyes, slamming his bedroom door shut as soon as they both entered.

Kyungsoo stayed silent and Jongin got mad.

“You’re pissing me off.”

“What Jongin?” Kyungsoo let it out, yelling loudly. “I was scared! I have no idea how I should act around you! What if my dad caught on? Jongin, he could disown me.” He yelled, throwing his fists in the air.

“I’m scared too!” Kai exclaimed back. “We’re ing princes! Of different castles! We shouldn’t even be friends and I’m in love with you and I’m scared! But you should’ve let me know how you were gonna act because I was being ripped apart all night,” Jongin cried.

“I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo whispered, looking down. He didn’t get what the big deal was but he just huffed quietly. “I’m going to go,” Kyungsoo announced and before Kai could make out a word, the boy was out the door.   

 

****

 

Prince Kai sat silently at the table, waiting for the queen to arrive. Servants stocked the table with all kinds of food, surrounding Jongin. There was chicken, potatoes, duck, noodles and everything in between. He felt bad because he knew neither him or his mother would eat any of it.

    When he saw his frail mother enter the dining hall, he quickly stood up and bowed graciously.

    “Please,” The Queen gestured. “Sit down.”

    With a silent nod of his head, the prince sat back down.

    “Jongin,” the woman started, sitting across from him. “I would like to talk to you about our plan with Aleah.” Jongin swallowed the lump in his throat as he thought about the small prince of Aleah. “I saw you talking to the King and Prince last night. How did that go?”

    “I, uh,” Kai stuttered, trying his best not to think about Kyungsoo. “Good, I guess.” He paused. “The prince, he’s, uh, nice.”

    “Yes,” she smiled. “He’s a sweet boy. How about we invite him over for dinner tonight. You could get to know him better and if you’re friendly enough, you could get some information.”

    “Okay.” The prince answered with his head down.

    “Great! Then it’s settled. Be ready by the seventeenth hour.”

    The prince nodded and stayed at the table long after the Queen had left. Sitting all alone, he felt anxiety rise in his throat. He felt so stupid. He was acting like a lovesick teenager and he hated himself for it.

    “Come on Kai,” He said to himself. “Grow the hell up.”

Walking back to his chamber, he stopped Suho on his way. “Please come with me.” Kai whispered and Suho followed diligently behind him. The entered the prince’s bedroom and Jongin sat down on his bed. Unsure of how to act, the knight just stood awkwardly in front of the door. “Come in, Suho,” Kai chuckled and the knight followed his voice inside. Gesturing for the knight to sit next to him, both boys settled into the bed.

“Suho,” Jongin started and they turned to look at each other. “Do you ever sleep?”

Suho let out a small chuckle. “Sometimes.” He answered. “When you go out out something, I try to rest but that’s about it.”  

“That’s terrible.” The prince sympathized.

“I’m used to it now,” Suho shrugged but contrary to his words, his eyes drooped as he spoke.

“I want you to sleep now.” Jongin said, getting out of the bed and pulling a blanket out of the large closet.

“No, Kai, I’m working.”

“I want you to get some rest,” Jongin said then smiled. “And that’s an order.”

 

With Suho sleeping soundly, Kai left the room and searched for something to occupy him. Pacing around the grand castle, the prince found himself outside in the garden. There was an abundance of flowers growing from every surface. Roses, daisies, tulips and orchids colorfully claimed their areas throughout the garden. He leaned down to sniff one of the roses, only to be met with a thorn ripping the skin on his cheek. Letting out a long string of profanities, he jumped back from the flowers with a scowl. The boy lifted his hand up to his injured face. He felt the blood on his fingers and he walked back into the house, trying to ignore the stinging feeling on his skin.

“Your majesty,” he heard a shriek from on of the nurses. “You’re injured!”

“I’m fine,” Kai groaned, walking to his chamber. He wasn’t exactly sure why the small instance bothered him so much. Forgetting about Suho, he stormed into his room, waking the knight up with a start.

Hopping out of bed, Suho looked disoriented as he wiped his eyes. “I’m so sorry your majesty,” Suho did a deep bow, hiding his face from the prince.

Kai’s heart dropped. Was that how people viewed him? Were they always so scared of him? His eyebrows furrowed and he frowned. “Suho, it’s fine,” the prince breathed out.

Without saying anything else, Jongin walked across the room and pulled Suho by the arm back onto the bed. Lying down together, they were silent. The only sound was their heartbeats as Kai laid with his head on the other man’s chest. Kai wrapped himself around the knight. The prince intertwined their legs and wrapped his arms around the servant.

Kai sighed and closed his eyes. “Go back to sleep now, Suho. I give you permission.”  

 

Kai was stuck in his familiar monotonous routine. The stylists did his hair and makeup while he picked out an outfit for that night. Kyungsoo was arriving for dinner and Jongin wanted to look damn good. He dressed himself in a black suit, paired with a black undershirt and black shoes. Looking in the mirror, he struggled with his appearance. He wanted to change his look. Calling the stylists back into his room, he explained his dilemma. Giving a mischievous smile, the women went to work.

Just a few minutes after the stylists finished, the prince was paged by one of the servants. Walking with his chest out, he held his head high. He saw everyone gathered at the table, including the King of Aleah and the small Kyungsoo. The prince looked even smaller at the ornate dining table. Honestly, he looked worse than Kai had ever seen. He was even thinner than usual and he had large bags under his eyes. Although the sight hurt Jongin’s heart, he still held his head high as the door was opened in front of him.

The king stood up as Kai arrived but he was the only one. The queen remained sitting and Kyungsoo only shot a look at Kai. Kyungsoo’s eyes were cold but they were full of hurt.

The youngest moved toward the table and sat next to his mother.

“Son,” the queen greeted. “I like your hair color now.” She smiled. “White suits you well.”

“Thank you, your highness.” Kai answered. “and welcome King Do and Prince Kyungsoo.”

“Nice to see you again, Prince Kai.” The king greeted and the boy smiled back.

“You too, your majesty.”

    Kai fiddled with his smooth hair while avoiding eye contact with the Prince. As they sat in awkward silence, food started piling around them. They all filled their plates and ate in more silence. The night was nothing short of awkward.

 

    “Holy , Kyungsoo,” Jongin growled into the other’s mouth. The elder pushed Kai against the wall, pushing his tongue further into the prince’s mouth. Kyungsoo d Jongin and the latter whimpered. “What are you doing to me?” He cried as the grinded against each other.

    “Kai,” Kyungsoo moaned. “Your hair is so ing y.”

    They ended up on the bed eventually, Kyungsoo straddling the younger’s hips, their mouths still intact.

    Kai finally separated their faces to take a deep breath. “You make me crazy.”

    Kyungsoo moved off of the prince’s lap and curled into his side. “You make me happy.”

 

Part 8

Kingdom of Aleah

 

    Kyungsoo lied in bed, waiting for a servant to call him. He knew his father would want to talk to him after the previous night and he patiently awaited the call.

    Sun was streaming into the open windows and the drapes were blowing around the room, making the chamber seem magical. The sun reflected off of the golden decoration in his room and illuminated the prince’s face. A knock at his door pulled him out of his thoughts.

    “Your majesty, you have a visitor.” He heard a servant’s voice. With a quirked eyebrow, Kyungsoo threw himself out of bed and sleepily opened the chamber door. At the entrance, there was a knight standing next to a very vibrant looking Jongin. His newly white hair was pushed off of his head aided with some gel. His smile was bright and he was dressed in a simple sweatshirt and black skinny jeans.

    “Oh hi, come on in,” Kyungsoo moved out of the doorway and the taller walked into the room. “I wish you told me you were coming over,” Kyungsoo whined. “I didn’t have time to get ready.”

    “You look fine, hyung.” Jongin laughed, sitting down on the edge of Kyungsoo’s unmade bed.

    “Nooo,” the elder cried. “My face is swollen.” Kyungsoo said, covering his eyes with his hands.

    “Come here,” the younger chuckled, pulling Kyungsoo wrists away from his face and moving his onto his lap.

    “You’re so cute,” Jongin cooed, pressing kisses to the prince’s “swollen” face.

    “Jongin,” he whined trying to shy away from the kiss attack. Although he tried to dodge the sloppy kisses, they continued down his neck until there were hickeys being to the sensitive skin near his collarbone. Finally stopping, the younger laughed and set the boy back onto his feet.

    “I’m taking you out to town,” he announced suddenly. “I’ll be waiting at the entrance in a half hour.” Jongin demanded, and without another word, he walked out of the room.

    

 

Jongin’s face lit up in a huge smile when he saw Kyungsoo walking towards the entrance with his head down and a blush littering his cheeks. The smaller prince was dressed in a simple sweatshirt and a pair of dark colored jeans. Jongin’s heart swelled at the sight, having never seen Kyungsoo in such casual clothing.

“Ready?” Jongin asked and Kyungsoo nodded back, his face still wearing a deep blush. They walked out of the castle and out front was a clean black car waiting to pick them up. They both climbed into the back seat and sat in quiet for the entire ride.

It had been around fifteen minutes before Kyungsoo spoke up. “Jongin,” He said quietly. “Where are we going?”

Jongin chuckled, turning to face the prince. “It’s a secret, silly.”

“Fine,” Kyungsoo huffed, faking annoyance.

“Cute,” Jongin muttered, leaning over to press a kiss to other boy’s mouth. They both blushed and the car stopped abruptly.

The driver opened the door for them and Kyungsoo’s face lit up in a smile when he saw here they were. The building was huge and movie posters covered the front wall. There was a huge sign hanging from the top that read “ELIMS MOVIE THEATRE”. They stepped out of the car and started walking towards the entrance. Noticing that the theatre was mostly empty, Kyungsoo felt comfortable reaching out to grab Jongin’s sweaty hand. Chuckling, the walked together until they stopped in line to buy tickets.

Looking up at the ticket sale board, Kyungsoo started jumping up and down, shaking Jongin’s entire body by his hand. “I can’t believe you brought me to a movie theatre!” He squealed, his face bright like the sun.

Not uttering a word, Jongin smiled and kissed the prince on his forehead.

“Can we see that one?” The elder asked like a child, pointing up to the poster.

Jongin emitted a world stopping smile and agreed without a second of protest. They bought the tickets and got in line for food. Squeezing the elder’s hand to get his attention, the taller prince whispered into the boy’s ear. “Don’t fill up on too much, I’m going to bring you to dinner too.”

Looking up at him, Kyungsoo frowned. “Why are you doing so much? If you told me, I could have split the money or something.”

“Are you insane?” Jongin laughed. “I’m taking you on a date, why would you pay?”

Kyungsoo chuckled shortly and shrugged his shoulders.

“Next!” The cashier called them and they ordered their food quickly once they realized the movie was going to start very shortly. Running down the long corridor hand in hand, the boys laughed like crazy as they heard their movie starting. Popcorn was flying everywhere from the box Kyungsoo was holding but he didn’t pay any mind as they goofed off. Finally making it into the theatre, the opening credits had just started and the sighed in relief but they turning into more gasps because they had just ran all the way across the building.

The feeling they shared was indescribable. It was like a million pounds were lifted off their shoulders and they could then fly above the clouds. They wished the feeling could last forever.

 

Part 9

Kim Jongin:

11 December

The first time I told Kyungsoo I loved him in that field a month ago, I’m not sure I was being completely truthful. I wasn’t in love. I was infatuated. And rightfully so, he’s a handsome man, but I wasn’t feeling love. I was just feeling. That simple fact makes a lot of sense because I didn’t know what love ever felt like. I was confused at the thoughts and feelings I had. So, I made the guess that it was love. I was wrong.

I know very well now that I made that mistake.

Because now I know what love really feels like.

I’m sorry I’m not so great with words but I will try my best to explain how I feel.

I will start off simply: It the best and most dangerous feeling I’ve ever felt. It’s almost like the sun breaking out of the clouds and covering me in an almost tangible warmth. But there is always the possibility of getting burned. The scariest thing is though, I’m more than willing to get burned for Soo.

He is the most amazing thing ever. He understand what I’m going through and no one else ever has. He’s gorgeous and perfect and I can’t get enough.

I’ve been watching him carefully though. I’m afraid to say things sometimes because I’m afraid he might go off the deep end like last time. We will work out the chinks though. Everything will be okay. I know it.

-Jongin

 

All of the servants were bustling around the dining room as Prince Kai walked in. “What’s going on?” He asked one of the workers.

She turned for just a second before bowing deeply. “Your highness,” her voice was soft, broken. “The King and Prince of Aleah are coming for a banquet tonight.”

“Is everything okay?” Kai asked. “You sound sad.”

The woman visibly tensed and crumbled all at once. She was probably around his own mother’s age, if not, a bit younger. “My, my son was taken away.” She stuttered, a single tear falling down her cheek.

Jongin’s heart clenched. “Why? What happened?” Kai had never asked a servant personal questions like this.

She bit her chapped lip. “I’m not sure,” she cried and without a word, Kai walked away and stood at the head of the table where the servants were setting up food.

“Excuse me!” He yelled and in milliseconds, all eyes were on him and the room fell silent. There was a collective bow towards the royalty. “I would like all of you, to go find an empty chamber in the west wing of the castle and rest for the night,” Kai continued. “You are welcome to all of the food in the kitchen and whatever recreational activity you would like. You will resume work when I decide so, I will make an announcement at the given time.” He took a deep breath, overpowered by his heart. “I’m sorry I never get to thank you all, but thank you for all you do, please enjoy your night!”

Everyone was silent and frozen. Until the same woman spoke up. “Your majesty, are you serious?”

“Yes, of course.”

The sight of all the faces brightening in the room made Jongin’s heart soar. Nothing had ever made him feel that good. He wasn’t sure what came over him, but that woman’s tears set something off in his brain and heart.

Reality coming back, Jongin started bustling around by himself as he finished preparing the table. It was done in just a little while and he set off to get himself for the banquet which would start any minute.

There was something freeing about doing his own makeup and choosing his own outfit. Jongin was happy.

As he entered the dining hall, his mother was just arriving as well. “Ah, Kai, I’m glad you made it,’ she said and her son just nodded and sat down. He was excited to see Kyungsoo but he knew how hard it would be to restrain himself. It would be a long night.

 

*****

Prince Kai ran out to the garden behind the castle, holding a candle, which was the only source of light in the black night. Although it was hard to see much, he could sense the presence that loomed throughout the garden. He turned and smiled. “You made it,” He whispered, his eyes crinkling in a smile.

“I missed you too much,”  the boy whispered back, and his voice wavered. Finally walking into the light of the candle, his eyes shone with unshed tears and Prince Kai reached out to the boy in surprise. Holding him in a hug, the boy cried and Kai pulled back slowly. “What is it? What happened?”

“I’m sorry, Kai. I’m so sorry.” Kai gave a confused and shocked look.

“What? What is it?” Kai searched the boys face for any signs of answers.

The boy didn’t say anything but just cried.

And that was when Kai heard the helicopters.

“Kyungsoo,” Jongin fought to keep his voice calm. “What did you do?”

The elder sobbed uncontrollably.

“Soo, what the did you do?”

The helicopters surfaced over the tree line and Jongin could see the Aleah emblem and he knew far too well what was happening.

“Kyungsoo!” Jongin screamed but his ears couldn’t function correctly. “What the !” He yelled, running away as fast as he could, leaving the boy crumpled, caving in on himself with his actions.

Kai ran faster than he thought he could until he reached his room.
    “Suho, Oh my god,” Kai couldn’t breathe. He was sobbing, screaming, completely feral.

“Kai, what, what happened?”

“Aleah!” He gasped. “They're here to take over, get help, help,” Kai choked on air.

“,” Suho yelled, running off and Kai was left on the floor as the last few minutes sunk in.

Jongin wasn’t one to give up. Catching his breath and clenching his teeth, he stood up and turned his feeling into absolute anger. His eyes narrowed and his muscles flexed. He had to protect the kingdom. He had no choice.

He quickly got changed into his armor and by the time he left his chamber, all chaos had broken out. People were sprinting all over the place, knights were preparing and herds of people ran to the Prince.

“Prince Kai, we are evacuating you and the Queen, please come with us.”

“Not a way in hell,” he pushed through them and started jogging towards the weaponry room. No one followed.

He grabbed a sword and a bow and arrow. There was noise of chaos outside the door and Kai calmed himself before opening it.He was met with a bloody fight.

Aleah soldiers were huge and definitely not going easy on the knights. Kai let out a prayer for Suho and put the rest of his brain away before jumping into the heat of the battle.

The clash of swords on swords filled his ears and he took his own out before he was met with multiple soldiers in his face.

Not a second was spared before Kai started going at them. His blood was surging as he fought them off. A cut to the chest there, a slashed throat there, a bashed in head. The sight was gross but Kai kept going. He had to continue. A second of distraction could have him dead.

“!” His hand was sliced by a sharp sword and blood pooled around his sword handle. Not even a second later, he was switching hands and slicing the throat of the soldier who cut him. It was ruthless.

He dodged people as he made it out the front door. There were dozens of soldiers from each side lying dead in the front of the castle and Kai swallowed the bile in his throat. There was no one out there.

Did they all go inside? The thought was disregarded as he heard footsteps running through the woods. He readied his sword.

“Prince Kai! It’s me!” Suho screamed, holding up his hands, empty of a sword. “Listen to me!” Suho yelled as he got closer. “This isn’t Kyungsoo’s doing,” Suho slowed down as he got closer. “You have to get to the bridge about a few miles down,” He rushed. “Trust me! Go Now!” He yelled as more Aleah soldiers emerged from another transport helicopter.

“I have to fight!” Kai yelled.

“Believe me,” Suho’s voice got quiet, barely audible. “You already are.”  A Pause. “Go! Quick!”

    The prince listened, sprinting towards the familiar bridge. He had made it eventually, out of breath and there was no one there.

    “Suho, what the- Holy !” Kai screamed again, his voice hoarse.

 

There he was.

Little Kyungsoo, floating face down in the cold river.

 

“No, no, no, no, no,” Jongin repeated like a mantra, throwing his sword and diving into the freezing water.

His throat filled with water but he swam against the current. His tears mixed with the cold liquid around him.

He lifted the familiar body and threw him over his shoulder. “No, no, no, no, no please God no.”

He put the frail boy down on the grass at the base of the river. His skin was pale as a sheet of paper and his lips a ghostly blue. The sight repulsed the other boy, and he pushed the contents of his dinner back up his throat as he retched onto the ground behind him.

“God, why?” He was wrecked.

“Please, please,” he begged as he started chest compressions on his lover. He was far from emotionally stable as he attempted to bring life back into Kyungsoo but he didn’t stop for a second.

30 compressions, 2 breaths, compressions, breaths. Nothing was happening.

The time went on, maybe three full minutes at attempting to resuscitate his boy.

Kai slumped down, exhausted as he laid his head down on the thin chest of Kyungsoo. There was something there, Jongin tried to convince himself. The faintest of heartbeats. He continued on.

Compressions, breaths, compressions, breaths.

A horrible, horrible hacking filled the air as Kyungsoo attempted to rid his lungs of the water that polluted the organ. He gasped and gasped, choking up the liquid.

“,” Jongin collapsed onto the ground and passed out, leaving behind all thoughts of his castle. He lost consciousness to the sound of Kyungsoo’s coughing.

It was a beautiful sound.

 

They both woke up, lying on the soaked ground next to the river. Kai’s hand was scabbed over and Kyungsoo was breathing normally. Jongin tried to convince himself that everything was okay. But he knew better.

“Kyungsoo,” he whispered. The elder shifted in his sleep and reluctantly rose up, staring at Jongin.

They didn’t say anything.

Jongin spoke first. “Why’d you do it?”

There was silence. “I didn’t”

“Kyungsoo,”

“No, I really didn’t,” his voice shook. “None of it. I promise you.”

“How can I trust you?” Jongin’s voice cracked.

“You just have to. It was my father. It was his plan all along. I’m so sorry,” he started to cry. “I didn’t know until a few days ago and I tried to stop him, I promise.” He was sobbing by then. “He tried to kill me, Jong. He just threw me in the river and left me. You have to trust me.” He paused. “I love you,” he gasped through his sobs. “I wouldn’t do this I swear.”

Jongin didn’t say anything.

Instead, he pulled the boy onto his lap and their tears mixed together and seeped into the ground. The emotion was slamming into jongin like a tidal wave. They were powerful and bone crushing. He didn’t know if he could take it.

 

****

The light was too bright to be comfortable and Jongin squinted his eyes. While turning over in his bed, his hands searched for the body occupying the other side. He found it within seconds. Instinctively, Kyungsoo curled into Jongin’s side, at his bed shirt.

 

It had been three weeks since Aleah had tried to take over the kingdom and honestly, for once, everything was going well. The people of each kingdom united into one alliance and were now under the same rule.

The King, Kyungsoo’s father was killed in the battle and despite all that happened, Kyungsoo was still mourning his death. And for the Queen of Enav, she was missing. No one had any idea where she went but, at that point, it didn’t matter at all.

The inauguration was next week.

Joint power, Kyungsoo and Jongin, both kings of the same Kingdom. The name was still under dispute but a huge contender was “Gaurdian Kingdom” named after the one and only Suho.

Suho was still well, suffering from a major concussion and a deep cut in the leg and wrist but he was recovering quickly. And he was greatly opposed to the new kingdom name, but the thought still made his heart swell.

Life was a weird thing. This beautiful kingdom thrived after catastrophe and the rulers thrived after heartbreak. Things were weird like that, but somehow, everything worked out.

“Good morning, lovely,” Kyungsoo rasped in Jongin’s arms as he pawed at his swollen eyes.

“Mmmm, morning, Soo.” Jongin ran his hands through Kyungsoo’s raven hair. “How’d you sleep?”

The elder grunted as he stretched his back. His shirt lifted up, revealing the pale, plushy flesh on his abdomen.

“Good,” he smiled strikingly and leaned up to give his fiance a kiss on the lips. They did have to get married to rule the kingdom together, after all.

They kissed as the son rose. Jongin rubbed his hands up and down the fleshy thighs that were straddling his hips and Kyungsoo had his hands rooted in the younger’s hair. The kiss was passionate and loving but no where near rushed or . They had their whole life for that, they just wanted to really feel each other. Every part, emotionally, mentally and physically.  

There was a knock at the door.

“Hello?” Jongin broke away from the kiss to answer while Kyungsoo still straddled him, a smile on his bare face. It was probably his food. They still had workers, but Jongin payed every single one, and quite well to be honest.

“Your breakfast is ready.”

“Thank you. You can just leave it out there for now.”

“Okay, thank you, your majesty.”

Kyungsoo chuckled and turned over so he was curled into Jongin’s side again. The younger leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Kyungsoo’s neck.

Kyungsoo beamed up at the tan prince, and soon to be King.

“I love you.” Jongin sighed into his fiance’s neck.

“And I love you…” He chuckled sweetly… “your Majesty”