The gentle but skillful picking of the lyre filled the hall with enchanting music. Before the emperor, a unit of fifteen maidens twirled around with graceful movements as they danced to the melody, their long silk sleeves flowing freely around their slender forms. The blush of their cheeks and the crimson of their lips complemented their rose-pink dresses, and if Sanghyuk was paying any attention, he would have thought that they resembled the delicate petals that blossomed in spring.

But he wasn't paying the royal dancers any attention.

He absentmindedly lifted his cup to his lips and took a sip of his tea, his eyes fixed on the ground below their feet. The entrancing melody drowned out the soft murmurs of palace maids and officials around him, but he knew exactly what they were conversing about.

"It's been a month." The voices were laced with as much caution as there was scepticism. "His Majesty never seems to take any interest in women."

"Even with the most charming royal dancers before Him, that gaze of His does not reveal a single hint of lust."

Sanghyuk bit his lip, but kept his eyes fixed on the ground. He knew his subjects were right. What makes a king without even a single member in his harem? He was beginning to crumble under the pressure of the talk around the palace.

He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath, letting the music take over the conversation that he no longer wanted to hear. Even if he didn't enjoy a single moment of the performance that had been prepared for him, he could at least appear to appreciate the delightful music.

But why did it have to be him? 

Under the intense scrutiny of the people, being a king was nowhere as rewarding as many would have envisioned it to be.

The music didn't seem to be ending. He opened his eyes and let out a soft sigh - subtle enough for no one else to notice - and raised his arm, motioning for the maids to refill his cup. He leaned back in his seat and glanced briefly at the pool of dancers still moving gracefully to the beat. Their long silk dresses swept the floor with beauty, and their slender fingers moved about elegantly as they lifted their hands to their chins. They flashed him a captivating smile before twirling around in their spots. 

Sanghyuk scanned their faces. His eyebrows shot up.

He sat back up immediately, just as his clothing barely brushed the back of his seat. He blinked twice and craned his neck, letting his jaw fall a little lower.

The officials let out a small gasp, but Sanghyuk was too stupefied to bother. As the maid offered him a newly-filled cup, he waved his hand to dismiss it. He gestured for her to come a little closer and whispered something in her ear.

 

-------

 

The group of officials sniggered to themselves as they strolled out of the hall.

"Seems like somebody still caught His eye, after all."

"Is she new? Hakyeon never mentioned anything about expanding the royal dancing team."

One of the men shrugged. "First time performing and called up to meet the emperor already? Must really be something."

"But don't you think His Majesty has quite a peculiar taste?"

"Yeah. Those large eyes and delicate features? Definitely gorgeous assets. Don't get me wrong though - the face's really stunning and all - but I thought her shoulders were pretty big..." another frowned. "What an unpolished trait to have for a maiden. Don't know what Hakyeon was thinking."

The officials scoffed and bit their lips to stifle their laughter.

"But wait - don't you think she looks a little familiar...?"

 

-------

 

Sanghyuk paced about with his hands behind his back. He gritted his teeth tightly and bit his lip, turning around for the fifth time to face the maiden knelt before him. 

He spun back around again just before their eyes met, biting his lips harder in a struggle to keep himself from laughing.

"What the 's gotten into you." He forced his eyebrows into a deep frown and relaxed his cheeks, hoping the corners of his upturned lips would fall back down.

She played with her long hair that flowed down her shoulders and looked back at him with her doe-like eyes, her lips forming a small pout.

"I don't know what Your Majesty is talking about." Her tone carried with it an unnatural feminine pitch.

"Stop talking to me in that voice!" Sanghyuk snapped, finally whipping his head around. He let his voice fall to a soft whisper. "What the do you think you are doing, Lee Hongbin!"

Hongbin gingerly rose from his knees and edged closer to Sanghyuk. He twirled around in his spot and landed gracefully on his feet.

"Just wanted to see you," he grinned, his red-stained lips glistening as he smoothed his silk sleeve. He battered his eyelashes as he stared endearingly at Sanghyuk. "How did you find my performance, Your Majesty?" 

"I said. Stop. It," Sanghyuk cast Hongbin a stern glare, his eyes dark and his face grim, at which Hongbin stopped fluttering his eyelids. He scanned Hongbin's pink outfit from head to toe, opening his mouth but struggled to say anything. He shook his head in disbelief. "If...If anyone had recognised you, you'd be done for!"

Hongbin kept silent and hung his head low, his rosy eyelids staring back at Sanghyuk as though the emperor was already not overwhelmed by his comical appearance.

"Weren't you a prideful man, Hongbin?" Sanghyuk scoffed. He narrowed his eyes at Hongbin's foundation-coated skin. "Where's all of your dignity?"

Hongbin bit his lip and stared back at the emperor. "Says the king who decided to live like a slave for me," he mumbled quietly, his voice returned to a low grumble.

"You- " Sanghyuk felt his ears flush. He crossed his arms. "You have no right to talk to me like that."

"I just wanted to see you." Hongbin lifted his arm and wiped his lipstick off with the back of his hand, and then carefully removed the dangling jewellery from his earlobes. "I said I wouldn't give up."

Sanghyuk let his gaze fall to the ground. "You're becoming more absurd by the day, marquis."

"Well, I can't help that you keep refusing to see me."

"There's no reason for me to see you."

"No reason...not at all? You've even banned me from  attending the Imperial Court," Hongbin snapped. "You're interfering with my official duties, Your Majesty."

Sanghyuk shook his head. "You think that after all your glaring impudence I would just sit in silence?" He let out a long sigh. "If I continued to tolerate your unacceptable behaviour, marquis, if I didn't even begin to do anything to assert my authority...rumours would have flown about the palace. Everyone would be talking about the king's preferential treatment towards the West Marquis."

Hongbin bit his lip. "You're afraid of your own subjects."

"I'm not."

"You don't want anyone to know about us."

Sanghyuk felt his blood boil. "I have to be accountable to my people, marquis. There are a lot of expectations to live up to. You have been showing me a lot of disrespect lately and that is a fact." He turned his back to Hongbin. "Please stop doing stupid things that endanger your status in the palace, Hongbin. Are you not even the least bit worried about being seen...like this?"

"That's all you care about," Hongbin muttered quietly. "You're only concerned with how my actions implicate you."

"You're implicating yourself!"

Hongbin shrugged. "All I know is that you can't suppress your feelings forever, Sanghyuk."

"I don't know what you're talking about. The feelings that you speak of have never existed." 

Hongbin cocked his head. "You- "

"Whatever you're thinking, Hongbin," Sanghyuk spat between clenched teeth. "Please stop it because it's not acceptable...not acceptable between two men."

"That's what you want to believe."

Sanghyuk did not answer. He threw Hongbin a dark glare, taking in the the ridiculousness of the way he was dressed up. He did not admit it, but Hongbin pulled off that look better than he would have expected. 

It was something he did not truly know whether to laugh or cry about.

"Are you done here? Because I am," he said dryly. He glanced around the empty hall furtively before stalking past Hongbin and heading for the main entrance. If Hongbin could have made it past Hakyeon, he would surely have his own ways to leave the hall undetected - and Sanghyuk did not wish to know how.

"I'll let you return to the court only when you finally learn to start leaving me alone, marquis." His words were loud and clear despite the distance that had grown between their feet.

Hongbin felt his heart sink lower than it had already been. He watched Sanghyuk's retreating heels with eyes that had begun to water, but he knew it wasn't just because they stung from the powder around his lids.

Why did he have to be like this?

Sanghyuk lifted his foot and stepped out of the hall. He jumped in shock as he beheld the figure who was already stationed by the gates, greeting him with a bow.

His heart dropped. He was certain he had ordered everyone to leave.

The man lifted his head and glanced back at Sanghyuk with a small smile on his lips. "Your Majesty."

Sanghyuk gulped. "S-second Brother."