Outside of Kyungsoo's own study stood not only the guard that came with him, but also a tall and handsome man he hadn’t seen before who explained that he had been sent to protect him, eliciting a defensive response from Hongbin, who claimed he was already doing the job.

“I have permission from my superior to fill in for this duty” spoke the slightly shorter man.

“Well, I have orders from General Kim himself, to fill in for this duty” the new guard countered.

“Well that’s decided then” Kyungsoo intervened with a clap “Where do I find general Kim?” he asked the newcomer who gave him an empty look before nodding and taking off in an unknown direction and followed suit, Hongbin walking close behind him; but in the way, the trio stumbled upon King Jongin who had been on his way to fetch his daughter and fiancé for an afternoon snack out in the garden.

“Kyungsoo, just who I wanted to find. Where are you off to?” he asked, confused by the pair of guards beside him. He was, for the time being, a foreign prince, once he married into the Kim royal family he’d have an entourage of course, like Jongin has his own and Soojung had in her time, but it seemed a bit premature to him.

“I’m off to meet your brother, prince Jongdae. I was mistakenly assigned a second guard that I don’t believe I need” he explained, making the tan male frown.

“Kyungsoo, that man” he said, pointing to Hongbin “wasn’t assigned to you, he’s the one that should leave, and you should keep the one that my brother personally assigned to you, there must be a reason if he did”

”And I don’t doubt his judgment, but I’d rather keep Hongbin” he said, causing the man to hide a proud smile.

“Why the preference? I’m sure whatever-his-name-is is better, if my brother thinks so” Jongin countered.

“Well, I believe they are both equally capable, and on a matter of principles, I believe Hongbin is more fitting” the shorter one defended.

“What principles?” the monarch asked, confused.

“Hongbin is here on his own will. He went off on his own initiative and asked permission to be by my side. Leo was simply ordered to” he explained, Hongbin nodded his head understandingly, internally happy that he was being appreciated, but Jongin just frowned deeper.

“His will? Will can be fickle, Kyungsoo, I’d feel more at ease if there’s someone assigned to you caring for your safety” the tan male argued, uncaring of those around them, sneakily listening in on the rare encounter.

“That’s the thing, Jongin, he doesn’t care” he said, surprising all that were standing around, sneakily paying their full attention to the conversation while they pretended to go about their jobs “He was told to do it, and I trust that he will, but not because he wants to”

“Nobody’s pressing a knife to his neck, he’s here because he wants to as well” Jongin disagreed.

“Your people don’t know hunger like mine do, Jongin, you don’t know what it’s like to not even have enough to feed the service. But that also means you’ll never know the feeling that surges in one’s chest seeing them work still with a smile on their face; because they’re not there for the gold, the gold stopped coming after the war was lost, they’re there because they want to be, they’re grateful and loyal. I want my food to be made with love, the floors cleaned by maids who take pride in the way it shines and my safety in the hands of a man who will cry if I die. I wasn’t taught to be the kind of wealthy king that can pay them, but the kind and benevolent one whom they’d want to serve” he finished confidently before attempting to step around Jongin to continue in his search for the youngest prince. He could see some of the maids with watery eyes, clearly moved, but he hadn’t given his speech to move anyone, it was a conviction he truly believed in. True kingdoms are built on loyalty.

“King Do” the shy voice of Leo sounded before he could make even a second step “there’s… no need to go find the general” he said, and Kyungsoo opened his mouth to protest but he wasn’t finished “I, I, I want to be by your side too, your highness” he stuttered  “I do care and… I’ll cry” he said, using Kyungsoo’s own words. The short one smiled and approached him.

“Even so, I still think two guards is too much for now. I’m sure you can devise some shift schedule, that way you can both rest” he offered, to which the both nodded.

“Go rest up, and see us in four hours” Leo offered, and the other agreed, bowing before he left.Kyungsoo then turned around to face the still speechless King.

“What was it that you wanted from me, Jongin?” he asked casually, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“Ah! Yes… afternoon snack, uhm, as a family” he vaguely explained, but Kyungsoo understood and let out an excited chirp.

“Great! I’ll go fetch the princess” he announced.

“I’ll be in the garden”

“Then we’ll meet you there” the shorter promises with a smile before turning to walk away the way he’d come.

Not long later the trio sat in the garden, sipping tea and eating small snacks. Yeoreum would continuously point out everything she saw moving, be it a cricket, a butterfly or even a squirrel. Kyungsoo would tell her what it was and tell her any random fact he knew of the animal, she would giggle and sometimes even try to chase them down. Kyungsoo told her about his pinned butterfly collection, but the girl didn’t have as much of a mature understanding of the cycle of life, she didn’t agree with his justification and decided that she wanted a collection of living butterflies. Kyungsoo looked up to Jongin, who had silently watched the pair interact with a content smile. The taller one nodded his agreement and Kyungsoo promised he’d work on filling up a greenhouse with different species of butterflies and other insects, and tons of colorful flowers.

“She’s warmed up to you a lot” Jongin took the chance to comment while the little princess ran around the garden.

“Yes” Kyungsoo replied dreamily, eyes glued to his pretty niece “She didn’t get to see much of me when Soojung was alive, so I thought she might take longer to open up to me, but we get along really well”

“Yes, I can see that. I’m glad…”  he was forced to keep shut when the girl ran back to them and hopped on his lap, showing them the small ladybug she had managed to catch.

“It is getting late, running around outside in this cold can’t be good for her” Kyungsoo advised a little later, standing up and gesturing for Yeoreum to hold his hand as he would take her back to her room.

“Kyungsoo” the king called before he began walking away “please come to my room afterwards” he requested and the other nodded simply before going his way.

Once in the king’s room, after having tucked in the princess, leaving it up to her nanny to read her a story that he himself picked up, he stood in front of his husband to be, not knowing what to expect from the sudden summon.

“Take a seat” Jongin offered, pointing to the chairs that were facing each other on both sides of a low tea table, Leo closing the double doors from the outside to give the pair privacy.

“What did you need to tell me?”

“I wanted to apologize to you” he began.

“I already forgave you, Jong-”

“Not just for that” he interrupted “For everything. In these few weeks I’ve been showing you a side of me that I know you don’t like, and I’m sorry. But Kyungsoo you must understand where I come from, as a king, there’s a mask I must wear” he explained, causing the other to harden his expression.

“Why?” he asked “Why must you pretend to be something you’re not?”

“A kingdom needs a firm king to protect it, if I want them to respect me, to believe in me, I have to be tough” he explained with a somber expression.

“That’s not it” the shorter disagreed “firmness isn’t toughness, to be firm you have to be true to your word and loyal to your convictions, act as you speak and enforce the law as it is written. It doesn’t mean you have to be harsh and unforgiving” he finished, giving the other a pleading look, begging with his eyes that he please understand.

“If I’m too soft they won’t take me seriously, they might rebel” he countered, but the other shook his head.

“If your people end up rebelling against you, then you’ve been doing a terrible job of caring for them. But that won’t be the case, now, will it?” he questioned with a raised brow.

“Fine” he caved in with a sigh, knowing avoiding a coup was much more complex than taking good care of his subjects, but not wanting to argue further with his still inexperienced spouse “I’ll try” he pseudo compromised but it was enough to put a smile on Kyungsoo.

“Good enough, I guess I’ll go now” he said before motioning to stand up, but Jongin held him.

“Why do you always flee in a rush after we’ve talked?” he questioned, confused.

“This is the second time it has happened, I wouldn’t call that “always”” he joked, but Jongin wasn’t amused.

“Does it make you uncomfortable to be alone with me?” he asked, hiding the discomfort the idea brought him.

“It doesn’t, Jongin, we’ve known one another for ages, how could it?”  he replied with a question, sounding oddly defensive.

“The Jongin from ages ago wasn’t your husband to be. Does that... make you uncomfortable?” he asked, but Kyungsoo never answered.

The big day finally arrived, and he had yet to answer.

The bride’s dress was gorgeous, perhaps excessive compared to the sobriety of the décor, a sparsely decorated grand hall, crowded even by royal wedding standarts. It was, after all, the joining of not two but three powerful kingdoms.

Kyungsoo’s own attire was also attention grabbing, much more than Jongin’s, an insinuation on the seamstress’ part that he was the bride of the equation, but he took it in stride, accepting what everyone thought of him in that union and smiled through the veiled quips and critiques hiding behind compliments, humoring the nobles only when he absolutely had to, and otherwise keeping to himself, gravitating towards the familiarity of prince Joonmyeon while both their spouses dealt with the guests much more elegantly than they could.

Choi Seohyun was content going around chatting with the nobles, Jongin not so much; he kept glancing back to the place where his now husband stood, perhaps too close – in his opinion – to the incapacitated prince. He was happy that the two were friendly with each other, knowing that having friends in the castle would do his husband good and who better than his own brother? But the smallest part of him, deep inside for some irrational reason simply didn’t like seeing them so close, talking so casually.

“I didn’t know those two were close” a voice spoke to him, a random noble out of many, one he couldn’t care less about but had to smile for “It even seems as if those two were the ones getting married today, look at their clothes” the man commented.

“It was a mistake on the seamstress’ part” he answered like a recorded message with the same excuse he had told every person who came to him telling him the same thing. If one more person comes to him saying they looked like the newly wedded couple of the night, he’ll start believing it.

But then the night ended and Kyungsoo was dutifully back at his side to send all the guests home and then it was time to head to their sleeping quarters. Jongin turned to walk to his room without a word, not mad a Kyungsoo – what for? – but oddly upset over the entire situation.

The shorter took one step to follow before doubt halted his way. Follow him where? To his room?

It was a marriage of convenience, they weren’t in love and there was no rush – no biological way – to produce an heir, so for their wedding night, there were no expectations. But the uncertainty just made Kyungsoo that much more anxious. He wasn’t stupid, he knew that despite his gender and Jongin’s reassurances, he was the “bride” of the equation, solely because Jongin had already been King, had he not been, it would have been a vaguer roleplay, but as things were, he was expected to behave as a bride, he knew that, he saw it in the squinted eyes of the matrons, heard it in the whispering of some of the older maids.

He should sit to his side at the table – like a queen would –, he should care for the staff, dress to please the eyes, speak in soft tones, words always polite.

So as the bride that he isn’t, but knows he’ll be treated as… What's his duty to Jongin on their wedding night?

The servants answer the question for him when, after the last farewells to the guests, he is guided to a bed chamber that isn’t Jongin’s.

They won’t be sharing a room.

They aren’t even in the same wing of the palace!

Jongin doesn’t even like men, what was he even thinking?!

He watches a pair of maids undo the bed for him, then they bow and leave but he is still not alone. A woman much older than the young service girls who just left his room, still stands there waiting for some sort of cue to speak. He nods in her direction and she calls in two male servants that he hadn’t known were waiting outside the door. They both carry heavy boxes that he later realizes are his clothes.

“Is this room to your liking, King Do?” she asks, he snorts.

“Could have asked before having the maids prepare the bed and the servants move those heavy boxes inside” he chastised. Kyungsoo was a gifted diplomat; sharp and knowledgeable, he always knew what to say to tame enemies and secure allies, but rude servants were different, he doesn’t need to be diplomatic and he won’t be. The old woman was clearly trying to manipulate him in her own way, she was expecting that he passively accepted the room to save them the trouble of getting a new room ready for him. And while Kyungsoo is very considerate of his servants back at home and would have accepted whatever to spare them the extra work, he won’t sit with his head down in front of people who think less of him, who judge him for being a “male bride”.

The woman gaped, offended, but said nothing, couldn’t say anything.

“Any room is fine, it doesn’t make a difference to me, but next time there’s a decision that concerns me, don’t make it on your own” he told her before gesturing to the men to organize his belongings in the wardrobe. The woman bit her tongue, bowed and left.

Far away, in the other wing of the palace, King Kim was left waiting.