Slowly, the princess was walking up the aisle, dragging her incredibly long train behind her. She was wearing a beautiful and luxurious dress, sewn skillfully by the most talented craftsmen in the kingdom. The princess was very beautiful, with her perfect skin, her black hair and her pretty face. And to Jinki’s knowledge, she was also very nice. Everyone had been green with envy when they had heard Jinki had won her hand in marriage. There is no one more beautiful and more intelligent than her ! His father - the king - had said. He was right. She represented everything a man would want.

And yet… The closer she got, the more Jinki’s heart clenched in his chest.

He sent a quick glance towards the king, who was standing a few feet away, and the latter nodded at him, a satisfied smirk on his lips.

Jinki was trapped. He had always been, since the moment he was born.

The princess continued to come closer, but Jinki was not paying much attention. His eyes were scanning the crowd, desperately searching for the only person he wanted to see, but to no avail.

Once she reached him, the bride stopped. She smiled weakly at Jinki, but he did not have the heart to smile back. He knew it could fall back on him later, he knew the princess had nothing to do with it and he should not be angry at her… But even if he wanted to, he would not have been able to smile that night.

They both kneeled before the altar silently, and the priest began the ceremony that would bind them together for eternity.

Later that night, Jinki abandoned his wife and sneaked out of the room without looking back. He ignored the guards who shared a knowing look when they saw the future king run away in the middle of the night. What they thought mattered little to Jinki. No matter that they would report his every move to his father later. The only thing that mattered now was to see him.

And so he walked at a quick pace - almost running - in the darkness of the cold castle, without stopping, until he reached his destination. Once he reached the old wooden door, he stopped for a moment. He hesitated for a second, then opened the door and sneaked into the room. In the darkness, he could barely make out the silhouette of the sleeping man lying on the bed. He closed the door slowly and the silhouette sat up, having obviously heard the creak of the wooden door and the sound of his steps on the floor. He walked to the bed to sit on it and lit up the candle standing on the bedside table. The person sitting next to him lied back down and Jinki took the opportunity to stare at him in the candlelight.

He was as beautiful as the first day he had seen him. His soft white skin reminded him of china, his ebony black hair resembled a raven’s feathers, his lips were heart-shaped, and his feline eyes… His eyes, usually shining with mischief, had been reddened by shedding too many tears.

Jinki felt his heart sink at the sight. He raised his hand to caress his lover’s hair.

“What brings you here, Your Majesty ?”

Jinki smiled when he heard Kibum addressing him by his title. No matter how many times he had told him not to respect the etiquette, his lover still stubbornly refused.

“When will you finally call me by my name ?”

“It is most inappropriate to join your lover’s bed on your wedding night.”

Jinki smiled once again and leaned over his lover.

“And scolding the future king is just as inappropriate.”

They were both used to teasing each other.

Usually, Jinki would make a sarcastic comment to tease Kibum, and the other would retort with a witty comment in a mischievous tone. His lover was as sly as a fox, he always had an answer for everything. But not that day. Not at that moment. They both needed time, both needed time for things to be right again.

If things would ever be right again.

Kibum remained silent and when Jinki leaned in to kiss him, he turned away.

“The princess and you, did you… Did you…”

Kibum obviously struggled to ask the question and it broke Jinki’s heart.

“No.”

“Oh.” He answered, the relief obvious in his voice.

Jinki had not touched the princess, he could not. He would have to, eventually. The king had been very clear. Jinki could keep seeing Kibum if he wished to. The king would turn a blind eye to ‘this abomination, that monstrous sin defying the sacred laws of nature’ that was sleeping with another man, but at the sole condition that it would not interfere with the kingdom’s affairs. If Jinki and his wife did not produce an heir, the king would have Kibum executed.

And so he was a prisoner, like a rabbit in a hunter’s trap. He had no choice, he knew that. And deep down, he knew that his lover knew that all too much as well. But the truth was too much to accept. And so, as if saying it out loud would make things worse, they both decided to keep quiet.

Silence was hanging over their heads, like a sword of Damocles.

He slipped under the covers and wrapped his arms around Kibum. The latter turned to face him, his cat-like eyes staring at him. Jinki would have given everything up if it meant he could be with Kibum freely. Everything. Even his title.

He tightened his hold on Kibum and buried his head in the crook of his neck. Kibum’s hands clenched his shirt and Jinki closed his eyes. The warmth of his lover’s body against his own was soothing him, just like his presence. The sole fact of knowing Kibum was there, in his arms, was giving him hope again.

Lulled by his lover’s breathing, the future king fell in a deep slumber.

The young king had sneaked out of the castle, out of the cold stone walls suffocating him.

All of that hypocrisy he had to bear, all of the etiquette he had to respect, all of the responsibilities that prevented him to be who he wanted to be… He wanted to run away from all of this ! He had thought about it time and time again, and on that day, he had finally done it. He was out of these walls, finally free… Even if it only was for a few hours.

He walked to the nearest village, determined, and found a tavern. He came closer and stared at it for a while before entering the shabby place. The tavern looked old and could seem unpleasant at first sight, but it was so different from what Jinki was used to seeing ! He hesitated only for a short instant before walking in and sitting at a table.

He started looking around him curiously, not hesitating to turn his head to the left, to the right or even to turn around completely to look at the whole room. The tavern looked as shabby on the inside than on the outside, and yet, Jinki smiled. He needed to enjoy these few hours of freedom, because he knew very well it would not be so easy to get out next time. The guards were everywhere, and the future king was to stay safe inside the castle. Jinki had been careful not to be recognized and had borrowed one of his servants’ clothes to pass off as a random peasant. So when two travellers walked right past him, sending him threatening glares when they noticed him staring, they did not even know who he really was.

“What can I get ya ?”

Jinki jumped when he heard someone’s voice so close to him and sharply turned around to look at the young man surprisingly. He completely froze when his eyes fell on the other.

An angel.

That boy had to be an angel. His face seemed tired but his smile was so bright he seemed to light up the whole tavern. His black hair were the same color as raven’s feathers and his eyes were feline-like. His eyes shone with a mischievous look, but there was something innocent, pure to his smile. Jinki lost himself in the young man’s breathtaking features and the latter waved his hand before his eyes.

“Are you okay there ?” The boy asked, chuckling. “You’ve been smiling like an idiot for a while now, it’s gettin’ embarrassing.”

“I-I…”

Jinki had never stuttered in front of anyone before. His father had always told him a king was to have an impeccable speech and be well-spoken. One of a king’s greatest qualities was to be a gifted orator. But right there, in front of that boy, Jinki was left completely speechless.

“I see someone’s not a talker… Call me if you want somethin’, alright ?”

The young man walked away to serve another table, where two people were sat. Jinki’s eyes followed him. He was wearing simple clothes, like a peasant’s. His hair was all over the place and his hands seemed dirty and coarse, probably due to his work in the tavern. Jinki sometimes forgot that every man, woman and child in the kingdom were not as rich as he was, which was one of the other reasons why he had decided to sneak out of the castle. It was so easy for a king to forget about his subjects’ living conditions.

Jinki could feel something snap inside of him at the thought of that young man, so gorgeous and yet so poor, living in these conditions. He would never have thought to discover such a treasure in a tavern as shabby as this one. That boy… could not live in a place like this. He would not allow it.

After he was done serving the others, the young man came back to Jinki and frowned when he saw the new expression on his face.

“Bring me a drink.”

The young man complied and came back to him quickly, putting a cup on the table. He was about to leave when Jinki grabbed his wrist. The young man just sighed, like he had been in a situation like this before, and Jinki felt his heart sink.

“You should not be here, this is not a place for you.”

“Oh ? And where should I live then ?” The boy asked, amused.

“In a castle, with the other treasures.”

The boy rolled his eyes and chuckled. His laugh sounded like music to Jinki’s ears.

“Only Nobles live in castles, I don’t think they’d want a poor peasant like me to live with ‘em.”

“You would be surprised.”

“You must be really stupid to think that. Nobles only care about themselves, no matter how hard the people work or live in places like this one.”

Jinki smiled. No one had ever dared call him an idiot, but that boy had already insulted him twice in a few minutes only. He wondered how that boy would react if he found out who he really was…

Jinki let go out him and the latter sat beside him on the bench, probably thinking Jinki was harmless. It was undeniable that he had never been very intimidating physically, on the contrary, actually. They started talking for a moment, but they were quickly interrupted by the tavern’s owner who called the boy.

“I’m generous enough to give ya food and a place to sleep, so get off your and get to work !” The man said coldly.

He was fat and lazy, and spent most of his time sleeping on a chair near the front door. His clothes and skin reeked of alcohol and Jinki struggled not to wince at the stench. He did not seem very honest or nice. The feline-eyed boy was rather thin and Jinki doubted very much that the man was as generous he claimed he was. The latter turned to Jinki.

“If you like his company so much, you’ll have to pay for him.”

The young man did not react to the implied meaning and it made Jinki’s blood boil. He was about to stand up to the man when the latter walked away. He was chuckling sinisterly and Jinki could hear him mumble ‘like you could afford that kind of service…’.

Jinki remained sitting for a moment, staring down at the table, concerned. The young man stayed quiet. Jinki abruptly stood up and grabbed him by the shoulders.

“What is your name ?”

The feline-eyed boy stared at him questioningly.

“Kibum.”

“Kibum.” He repeated, serious. “Leave with me.”

The boy’s eyes widened. He stared at Jinki in disbelief, as if the other had lost his mind. He burst out laughing and took a step back. Jinki stood his ground and Kibum stopped laughing when he noticed the determined look in his eyes.

“Why would I leave with someone I just met ?”

“I already told you. You do not belong here. Someone as beautiful as you should never have to live in these conditions.”

Kibum looked surprised, as if he had never heard someone compliment him before, and Jinki thought it would be impossible for such a gorgeous creature never to have received compliments.

“Oh. And where are ya gonna take me then ? In a castle ?” He asked mockingly.

“Yes.”

Jinki grabbed a gold coin out of his purse and put it on the table, next to his cup. Kibum stiffened. He was aware that no peasant could own a gold coin. Jinki turned to him before leaving to say :

“Think about this. I shall come back.”

He went out of the tavern to go back to the back, without looking back. That night, he dreamed of a boy with hair as black as the night and cat-like eyes.

He had gone back to the tavern with difficulty. When his father had discovered he had run away one afternoon, he had ordered a few guards to follow him constantly.

He was sitting at the same table than the first time he had visited the tavern, and Kibum had walked to him angrily.”You Nobles,” he had said, furious, “you all think you can buy everything with money, but you can’t buy me !”.

Jinki went back to the castle alone that night.

Trying to convince Kibum to leave with him turned out to be more difficult a task than he had thought. The young man had a strong personality and was very independent. He had even several times refused to serve Jinki or talk to him. Jinki then spent the night or the afternoon watching him serve other travellers, while Kibum glared at him every chance he could. He had even dropped a cup of wine on him once. On purpose.

When he noticed acting cold and mean to Jinki did nothing, Kibum had calmed down and had accepted to talk to him. They were both sitting at the usual table, talking about nothing and everything, but mostly about their own lives.

Jinki had learned that Kibum hated nobles, but he had been very surprised by the young man’s gentle smile and humble personality. And with time, his heart had started to warm up to Jinki.

Jinki would always find new clever ways of leaving the castle, even for a few hours. Slowly, months after months, Jinki had found himself falling in love with the stubborn pretty boy with feline eyes. The more they saw each other, the deeper his feelings grew.

And then one day, Jinki gave Kibum an ultimatum.

He knew the king would discover his secret soon. It was only a matter of days before he did. They were running out of time.

That night, Jinki had taken Kibum’s hand in his and had slipped a signet ring onto his finger. His signet ring. The one on which the royal seal was engraved. Only members of the royal family owned that seal. And when Kibum had seen it, he had been unable to move or speak. That ring was the most precious thing he had ever been given. Kibum was sure even his own life was less important than that ring.

“Come to the castle, come before tomorrow night.”

They both knew what that meant. Jinki would not ask him again. And so, without looking back, Jinki had left the tavern that night...

Never to come back.

Jinki opened his eyes slowly, awakened by the sunlight through the heavy curtains. He felt Kibum stir in his arms and he held him tighter. He stared at his lover’s features. It had always been one of his favorite things to do…

Kibum’s cat-like eyes were a bit swollen, probably because of all the tears he had shed. Jinki felt his heart sink at the sight. But he could not fight the smile from etching his lips. He cupped Kibum’s cheek and the soft skin with his thumb.

That dream he had dreamed… No, that memory. He had dreamed of a memory.

Jinki glanced at his signet ring and smiled when he remembered the day he had given it to Kibum. He had been so sure ! And he had been right to be. The next day, Kibum had walked to the castle’s gates with his ring, and had never left since. It was to that day that Kibum had started to address him by his title.

The dream he had dreamed had given Jinki a renewed hope.

They would overcome the situation. He did not know precisely how, but he was sure of it.

No matter Jinki was officially married to the princess.

His heart would always be married to Kibum.

THE END