The Second Story

 

The next day, Jonghwa wore a grayish clothes while lining up in the entrance of the palace. There was a lot of other boys who were similar age as Jonghwa who was getting accepted to go inside the palace. There was boys who were wearing luxurious clothes as the silk on their clothes looked like it would cost a fortune whilst the others were wearing ragged clothes. Jonghwa sighed, and as he turned his head towards the back, he saw Daewon who had his eyes on him from afar. He smiled towards Daewon so he wouldn't worry.

"Hm... go through."

Infront of the entrance was Jaeho who was wearing a bright colourful clothes. With his sheath he checked the boys over and over carefully, top to bottom. 

"Are you a ?"

Do they also ask that? Jonghwa tried to calm himself down as he was nervous the moment he was lining up. 

"Hm... no use."

When Jaeho said that, the boy who got refused to go inside flushed his face from embarrassment.

"Do you know who I am!!! I am the -"

Jaeho rolled his eyes, as he got bored of the boy shouting at him that he took the sword out of his sheath and pointed towards him.

"... I don't care who you are. The only thing I care about is protecting the King. Well... I guess you are one of those boys, who the old ladies brought in."
"W-what?! How dare you!"
"Next."

Jaeho coldly called out for the next person, and two soldiers came and dragged the boy out of the line. The boy who was infront of Jonghwa went inside the palace, and with the shaking heart he stood infront of Jaeho. He checked Jonghwa here and there, and the boredness in his face was now changed to an odd experession.

"What is your name."
"Excuse me?"
"I am asking your name."
"... my name is Lee Jonghwa."
"Lee Jonghwa... okay, age."
"... I'm not twenty yet... I am still at an early age..."
"Are you a ?"

Jaeho's face turned mischieviously and was back to being playful. Jonghwa was taken back at the question but then he dared to stare into Jaeho's eyes.

"I never had any experience with a woman, nor with a man."
"... is that so?"
"Yes."
"Hm..."

'Go through.' Jaeho made a gesture and the soldiers made way for Jonghwa, before he walked inside the palace, he turned back to give the last glance at Daewon which he nodded towards him and disappeared from the crowd. When Jonghwa got inside the palace, the boy who was wearing a purple silked clothes walked towards him.

"Follow me."

Jonghwa nodded as he followed the boy. He looked around and saw that all of the other boys who got in the palace were following the same person who was wearing the same clothes. The place where they arrived was the five bathtub that was made out of wood. The boys who took everyone there, took a step aside as Heojun walked in and looked at each and one of them.

"Take their clothes off."

As soon as Heojun said that, the boy walked towards Jonghwa. As soon as he touched his body, he pushed the boy away and with that movement Heojun had his eyes on Jonghwa which also made him look straight back at Heojun.

"... what is it?"
"Isn't this a conjolement."

Heojun who looked very tired, walked towards Jonghwa.

"Did you just say that this is a conjolement?"
"Yes."
"You, do you know where you are right now."

Jonghwa nodded his head.

"Yes, this is the King's palace. All of the boys who got accepted to go inside the palace have to meet the King soon. Ofcourse, there will be someone who clean themselves before they came here, but."

Heojun had his eyes on Jonghwa.

"There will be people who didn't clean themselves... plus, the King is unpredictable. If something goes wrong, then everyone might get killed. So... don't you think it is the right thing to do what we say."

He then tapped Jonghwa's shoulders twice.

"If you don't want to, then leave."

Jonghwa bit his lower lips when he heard Heojun telling him to leave. I have to hold my anger in... I have to stay in this palace... Jonghwa slowly had his hand on his clothes and took a deep breath.

 

*

 

Jonghwa was wearing a light blue silked clothes, and was standing next to all the other boys who was there. The people were busy setting up for the party for the King, and Jonghwa was just following their movements with his eyes. The other side there was the maid dressed in pink and one of the maids there was crying.

"... hey... don't cry..."
"I want to go home."

All the maids went towards her and tried to cheer her up, but then one of the maid screamed out.

"Hey, you."

All the attention went to the maids.

"... do you want all of us to die, because of you?"

When she said that the maid who was crying tried to hold her tears.

"You know about the King, If you don't want to do it, then leave this palace right now."

The maid who spat the words at her, stood straight looking at the front. Jonghwa who didn't understand the situation, looked at the boy next to him and asked.

"... what does that mean?"
"Huh?"
"... what happens if... you make the King angry..."
"I guess you are not from this country."
"What?"
"You didn't hear about the King called the King of blood?"

Jonghwa still didn't seem to understand what this was about, about the King of blood and all the other things that happened in this palace. Before he can ask more, the instruments started to play as the door opened widely as Heojun and Jaeho walked inside. There was also Kyungtak who was covered in all white, including his face covered in a white hat walking next to the King. There the King sat on his throne and the party started. Without a word Jonghwa stared at the King. Fair skin with black hair, he was sitting on the throne without an expression.

I can smell the blood coming from him... Jonghwa's hand was trembling, he tried to hide it as he held his hands together and lowered his head.

It hasn't been long that the party has begun when the door opened widely as someone came rushing in wearing a green silked clothes. The King did a gesture and the maids who was playing the instruments stopped the music. The man stood infront of the King. Jonghwa who kept his head down, looked up to see what was going on. The man was shaking from the fear. The King stood up from the throne and walked towards the man. As soon as the King was infront of him, the man kneeled down and stuck his head on the floor.

"I-I'm sorry, your highness... I-I was..."
"... Kim Joohyun."
"Yes... your highness."
"Why did you come now."
"... that is..."
"Don't make any excuses and tell me the truth."

Joohyun couldn't say anything at all which made the King squat infront of him.

"Joohyun... you know that I am impatient..."

Joohyun's silk clothes were untied. The King got hold of his clothes, and slightly opened to see his collarbone which had a red mark. The King's face stiffened, as he stood up from the spot and took the sword out from his sheath.

"Y-your  highness..."

The King, pointed the sword towards Joohyun.

"... who were you with."
"I-I'm innocent... your highness."
"... I am asking who you were with."
"... I'm sorry, your highness."

Without a word, the King cut his head off. At that moment all the maids and the boys standing there screamed in horror and all the soldiers, ministers, just closed their eyes. The King wiped the blood on his face.

"... get rid of him."

He spoke to one of his guards as he walked back to his throne and sat there and like nothing happened he made a gesture to start the music again. The maids were playing the instruments with their shaking hands while Jonghwa looked at the King shocked.

How could he just sit there like nothing happened... he just... killed a person... how could he... what is he thinking about...

 

*

 

The party was so quiet and peaceful. The King was only drinking the liquor that the maids poured, while the other maids dressed in pink were dancing to the music. The maids face was so pale. On his left side was Heojun and Jaeho and on his right was Kyungtak. Everyone looked at the empty spot where Joohyun was suppose to be standing at. The King who has noticed the looks on their eyes, gave them the coldest glare. He then made a gesture to stop the music and stood up from his throne and then everyone lowered their heads.

"... the party is so boring."

The King smiled towards everyone who was at the party.

"... so now I will ask you a question."

King called for Heojun, and he walked towards him.

"Yes, your highness."
"What is my name."
"Y-Your highness..."
"I asked what my name was."

Heojun lowered his head.

"You are the King of..."
"I am..."

The King turned his head to face Heojun.

"Asking what my name was."
"I'm sorry, your highness."

The King shook his head, and took the sword out of Heojun's sheath. He made Heojun to go back to his spot and walked towards the soldiers. Then he pointed the sword towards one of the soldiers and asked.

"You."
"Y-yes, your highness."
"What is my name?"
"... I'm sorry, your highness."

King looked at everyone and started to laugh out loud.

"What are you all scared of? Is it so hard to... say my name?"

'Hm...' then the King turned to see the new maids and the boys and walked towards them with a smirk.

"... okay, from now on. If any of you can say my name... I will let all of you live... but if no one can say my name... then you will all die."

As soon as the King said that, all the boys and the maids started to shake from the fear. Then he had his eyes on this one maid.

"You."

The maid who got chosen, look left and right to see if the King was calling her then met eyes with him. Then she kneeled down towards the King.

"What is my name."
"I-I'm sorry, your highness."
"I asked what my name was."

When the King asked her with his deep cold voice, she started to cry out loud asking for forgiveness. He made a face and shook his head. Jonghwa just kept staring at him, his face looked more codler than he saw from afar. The King who has noticed that someone was staring at him, met eyes with Jonghwa. Even though Jonghwa met eyes with the King, he didn't look away. The King's face changed when he saw Jonghwa.

"You, over there."

The King pointed his sword towards Jonghwa who he looked at the sword then back to the King. 

"... what is my name."

With the question that the King asked, all the attention was on Jonghwa because their life was depending on him. Heojun shook his head when he saw Jonghwa which Jaeho caught that.

"What's wrong?"
"He is troublesome."

Jaeho tilted his head, and looked back at Jonghwa.

"Ah- him? I know him too, he looks cute."

Kyungtak who heard Heojun and Jaeho's conversation slightly put his hat up, to see who they were talking about and stiffened his face as he put his hat down. Jonghwa was just staring into the King's eyes without a word which made the King laugh again.

"I will not give you anymore time, if you don't say my name. I will kill you first."

He put the sword up, getting ready to strike his head. Jonghwa gulped and opened his mouth.

"Kim..."

The King put his sword down.

"... Kim...?"
"Your name is Kim Sangbae."

The King stared into Jonghwa's eyes for a long time. Sangbae lowered his face and chuckled which later became a laugh that the atmosphere became more colder than before. Sangbae then turned around and faced his people, he looked at Heojun which he immediately walked towards him. Sangbae gave Heojun's sword back and faced back towards Jonghwa again.

"... what is your name."
"... my name is Jonghwa."
"... Jonghwa?"
"Yes... your highness."

Sangbae walked towards his throne in deep thought and turned to face Jonghwa again. His face was uncertain. But then he smiled and sat on his throne. Then he made a gesture towards Jonghwa who made a blank expression and then quickly walked towards Sangbae and kneeled on the floor.

"... I will give you a chance."
"..?"
"Saying the King's name is a big mistake that you will get killed as an punishment."
"..."
"But... since I asked you, that will not become a problem... I won't make you my slave... but will give you a better position... look at me."

When Sangbae said that, Jonghwa looked up at his face.

"... you will have to stay with me tonight."

That word made Jonghwa have a lot in mind.

"If I get to sleep first, I will give you the spot over there... as my guard."
"... if I sleep first..."
"If you sleep first?"

Sangbae who locked his eyes onto Jonghwa gave him the widest smile and spoke to him coldly.

"... you won't be able to open your eyes again... how is that. Will you do it?"

 

 

 

 

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