Chapter 10

King-In-Waiting
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The sound of his heels tapping on the marble tiles is what keeps Ten awake despite the dullness of his surroundings. He’s been pacing back and forth outside the boardroom doors, skipping along the cracks in between the tiles to keep himself conscious. It’s been at least seven hours since he’d heard of the Emperor’s passing, but just the thought of it still makes his hands shake. He hasn’t had any sleep the entire night, opting to stay outside the boardroom awaiting an update of whatever form. The silence in the hallways is more than overbearing, growing hands and arms that entrap him in its hold. The huge oak doors are too thick to allow any form of sound to bleed out of its massive form. Ten can only wish that someone would come out of the room, but he hasn’t had any luck since he’s gotten there.

 

Like an answer to his silent prayer, the doors finally open a few minutes later, an exhausted creak echoing lightly in the hall as Taeyong steps out of the room.

 

“Taeyong.” Ten’s hands are balled up on his sides, his knuckles turning white. The dark circles under the mun nai’s eyes are glaring at him, and he can’t help but feel worried.

 

“Ten,” Taeyong greets weakly, ducking his head a little while he rests his hands on the Prince’s shoulders. “What are you still doing here? You should go to bed.”

 

Ten’s eyebrows furrow and he feels instantly upset. The royal council, the King and his trusted advisers included, had kept their meeting behind closed doors since the announcement of the recent casualties at the Jung Empire. While Ten understands that he has no business meddling with their country’s political affairs and war talks given that the Prince is not a member of the royal council, he feels equally responsible for the major shift that is about to happen inevitably among their alliances, more importantly now that he has lost a friend.

 

Taeyong rubs his palms on Ten’s arms, its warmth doing nothing to alleviate the heavy weight in his heart. “Please, Ten. Get some rest. The meeting’s far from over and—”

 

“I want to be a part of it. I want to hear what’s going on.” He knows he’s being stubborn, but Ten needs to hear it for himself. He refuses to believe he’s dead. “I don’t understand why I’m not allowed to know what is happening in the war when I had just lost someone—” Ten chokes before he could even finish his sentence. His eyes are dry despite the redness around its pupils, but his heart feels like it’s burying itself on its own six feet under. His sadness is drowning him from the inside and he’s scared for when he will finally give in and wallow in his grief.

 

“I promise I will go to you and tell you everything as soon as this meeting is adjourned. But right now, I need you in your best shape.”

 

Ten looks up and Taeyong’s eyes are burning with a mix of exhaustion and regret. The silver paint on his eyes has been carelessly rubbed off, leaving a bit of gray, and his white silk robe is wrinkled along the arms. Ten sighs, his shoulders sagging in defeat.

 

The mun nai reaches out this time, the roughness of Taeyong’s worn fingers comforting Ten’s cheeks as he holds his face. “Please don’t make me worry about you too.”

 

Ten can feel his heart swelling and shrinking all at the same time. Now that Taeyong’s more comfortable to touch him when no one else is around, each touch, each contact of skin-to-skin, leaves an invisible burn in his soul and it leaves him craving for more like it’s never enough. He wants Taeyong to hold him just a little bit longer each time he’s near, and he doesn’t know what that means. He doesn’t know what they are.

 

The huge doors to the boardroom open again, a light gust of warm wind leaking through the cracks and Arthit steps out of the room, a hand poised on his thick gray beard while he shakes his head.

 

“Uncle Arthit!” Ten cries, surprising the old man. He smiles weakly at the prince, his face seemingly older with more lines wrinkling it at every corner. “Please tell me what’s going on. I need to know.”

 

Arthit stares at Ten’s hands as his fingers curl around the former’s arm. Taeyong bows at the King’s brother in greeting, and Arthit nods lightly in response. “Have you been waiting here since last night?” Arthit finally speaks, his brows forming a single line.

 

Ten nods. “I heard about the unfortunate passing of the Emperor and…” Ten can’t even will himself to say his name. “Is it true?” Please tell me it’s not.

 

Arthit’s hand is heavily calloused but it comforts Ten nonetheless. “I’m so sorry, Your Royal Highness.”

 

Ten hangs his head in between his shoulders, the flavour of metal spreading on his tongue when he sinks his teeth in his lips, blood squirting into his mouth.

 

Lord Punyaa steps out of the room this time, several scrolls of parchment tucked underneath his arm while he pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Your Royal Highness,” the adviser bows at Ten as five other nobles walk out of the room behind him. “I was just about to go to your room. The King would like a word with you.”

 

Ten can almost hear his heart bursting inside his chest. He needs to know what is happening. “Lord Taeyong, wait for me here,” Ten orders, moving past the huge oak doors before closing them behind him in a quick thump.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Lord Somchai bends low before the King inside the room. He holds the of his sword around his waist and almost runs into Ten at the door. “My apologies, Your Royal Highness,” the adviser topples over his words before scurrying past the exit. The oak doors close with a mighty thud, and from this angle, Ten can see the dust settling on the thick round table at the heart of the room.

 

There is a small chandelier in the low ceiling of the boardroom, a huge round table made of cherry wood stands in the middle of the space with ten chairs around it. A thick brown fur supports the table from underneath, and a few paintings of past kings hang around the mighty walls. Ten’s only been in this room twice, both of which were times he’d rather erase from his memory.

 

“Ten,” the King calls, from the far centre of the table, a bleak shadow covering his eyes. “Come here, my son.”

 

Ten does what he’s told, feet pacing towards the King, barely breathing through the fusty, stale air. The King pulls him into a hug as soon as he gets to him, knocking the air out of his lungs while his strong arms wrap around his smaller frame. Ten can feel the sorrow and anguish bleeding out of his father’s arms like a plague, and he rubs a hand on his back to comfort him, although he’s mostly also trying to comfort himself.

 

“I’m so sorry for not seeing it. As your King, I have failed Siam.”

 

The room seems so much darker now that grief is starting to occupy its vacant spaces. Ten shakes his head, “It wasn’t your fault, father. An alliance can only do so much.”

 

“There was an unknown attack at the Jung Empire late last night. Most of the people in the palace were already asleep, but soldiers were still alert around the gates.” The King’s face looks much older in this light, with anguish-stricken lines etched all over his face and hands. “It was a clear act of betrayal.”

 

Ten can feel his heart sinking in his feet. “Who betrayed their empire?”

 

“Apparently, the Moon Dynasty already had an alliance with China even before the betrothal. Their men have long since gained access to the Jung Empire and since the merging of the two dynasties, the soldiers fighting for the Moon Dynasty have also been in and out of the palace’s walls. They knew all their tactics, and they knew their movements and when they are the weakest for attack.”

 

Ten shakes his head in disbelief.

 

 “Emperor Jung was murdered by the General of the Moon Dynasty, and it was by the order of their King. By the time their men had arrived in his room, he was already dead.”

 

“But Jaehyun—”

 

“Prince Jaehyun was with Prince Taeil in the other room. Clearly, they didn’t know about the attack. By the time they heard all the commotion, the Emperor was already dead. Jaehyun killed the General with his own sword.”

 

“And Taeil?”

 

The King pauses this time, taking in a long steady breath as he sinks into his chair. Ten takes the seat right next to him, the piercing silence drowning them inside the dim room. “Taeil also didn’t know about the attack. He was used by his father, the King, for his own personal ambitions to rule both dynasties and take over whatever’s left of the Jung Empire. Things escalated quickly and King Moon barged into the same room right after the Emperor was killed. I guess he wasn’t expecting to see his son there.”

 

Ten covers his mouth with his hands. He knows what’s about to come.

 

“King Moon tried to kill Prince Jaehyun, but Taeil came between them and got killed. It was only then when the rest of the troops came and beheaded the King. Prince Jaehyun killed every last one of the soldiers who pledged their swords in loyalty and protection of the Moon Dynasty, and right now, that is where we stand.”

 

The air in Ten’s lungs feels dreadfully thin, his breathing becoming more of a chore than a means of survival. “You mentioned China… does that mean—”

 

“They are the enemy,” the King finishes for Ten. “Our enemy.”

 

“But,” Ten pauses, his forehead creasing in concern. “They have a huge army.”

 

“Bigger than ours, yes. But we’ve sworn alliance to the Jung Empire for years, and we will do what we can to fight them.”

 

“Siam—”

 

“Siam is also at risk for attack, Ten,” the King concludes, his voice sounding more hurt that resilient. “If we don’t strengthen our borders and fortify our alliances, the enemy will come for us soon too. The enemy also has access to our military plans, which we’ve yet to know how and why. This is why their timing is so precise. We are the Jung Empire’s strongest ally and they knew that the Grand Palace was preoccupied with the grand ball last night. There is an enemy amongst us, and this is why I need you to be extra careful.”

 

Ten can almost hear his insides crumbling from the intensity of his father’s stare.

 

“The attack at Johnny’s party was a mutiny formed from the lower ranks that were armed by the Moon Dynasty. They were also backed by the same enemy, which explains why they knew how to get past our tight security. Ten,” the grip of the King on Ten’s wrist is tense and alarming. “I trust that you can take care of yourself, but I need you to be more vigilant. I need you to be careful who you trust.”

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Aphroditaetennic #1
Comeback again
kimhyoyeon231 #2
Chapter 5: I almost forgot to re-read this masterpiece this year U w U
Aphroditaetennic #3
Chapter 3: Re-read this for 100 times
exoneo_are_my_joy #4
Chapter 30: I love this so much, everything's perfect, all are perfect. My favorite TaeTen au🤧💚
jenthusiaste
#5
❤️❤️
Osekop12 #6
Congrats on the feature!!
airamillenim
#7
Chapter 31: I read this like for the nth already. And I'm not even kidding. I JUST LOVE HOW WELL WRITTEN THIS IS 😭 I MISS THEM AGAIN 💔
Pxten31 #8
Chapter 31: This story really captures my attention in every stage- like needing to know why the character might have thought or felt this way or that way.
I was so moved at the profoundness of the protagonists development, individually and their relationship as a couple.
Not cliched development I would say.
Unpredictable where the events will turn. There was more pain than joy, and I love this level of angst. It was as an emotional train-wreck at appropriate times. How the protagonists relationship was unavoidable/fated and still quite convincing. I love this theme of love and war; I find it scarce in taeten-fics (maybe I have no luck yet finding similar suggestion in Twitter/ArchiveOfOO..hope i can find more). Love the theme of "fated-to-be-together" and "part of something world changing/a great purpose", which is important and compelling for passionate readers! Thanks for writing this and gracing us with your talent.
zanilou #9
Chapter 31: Just wanted to say that I really, really, really enjoyed reading this story! It was well-written and emotional and kept me guessing. I loved the mix of angst, adventure, mystery and romance. Thank you so much for sharing this. I can't believe you are insecure about your writing because this was just a pleasure to read. I've been reading fanfiction for years and although there have been many great ones, there are few that stick with me and I'll remember; this is one of them. Loved how you wrote this and incorporated the members of NCT so well. The only struggle now is finding another story that compares to this one! <3 Again thank you so much for sharing! What a ride!
vPoinsettia
#10
Chapter 1: I've just started reading and I'm already soft for them