“Your highness,” The royal guard rushed into the room, and both Hyukjae and Donghae looked up from the documents they had been studying.

“Your presence is required.”

“What happened?” The prince asked. The servant and him had spent the entire day going through the documents, and had almost reached a conclusion to their discussion.

“Some important documents have been stolen.”

“What?” The prince stood up to leave.

“He has to come as well.” The guard said, and Hyukjae frowned.

Donghae froze, and he felt his heart sink at the look Hyukjae gave him.

“Various documents have been stolen. This could spell trouble for the nation if it has fallen into the hands of the enemy.” One of Hyukjae’s oldest advisors knelt before him, and Hyukjae felt his hand shaking.

It couldn’t be. It couldn’t be him.

And even though a part of him knew, there was doubt in him as well.

With the eyes of the court on him, he had to do what was expected of the soon-to-be-king.

“Lock him up. The questioning will proceed tomorrow.”

Their eyes met as Donghae was dragged away by the guards, and Hyukjae looked away.

-

Donghae sighed as the chains around his wrists and ankles rattled with every movement, staring blankly ahead as he sat on the cold, hard ground.

It was extremely cold that night, much colder than the warmth of his tiny room that he had gotten used to.

He supposed that it was meant to have come to this. It was probably a jealous servant or lady who plotted this to get him into trouble, but knowing how this palace worked, nothing would save him.

He didn’t want to die though, he thought to himself. It wasn’t even him who did it.

He sighed again, burying his face into his hands.

He recalled the look of hesitation in the prince’s eyes. He could only hope for now.

“Lee Donghae.” A harsh voice broke the silence. Donghae looked up, teeth chattering from the cold.

Before he could react, he was being forcefully dragged out from the cell, and he could feel the skin on his knees tearing from the rough floor scraping against his skin.

He was pushed into another room, and he gulped at the sight of several ropes and knives in front of him.

“Why did you steal the documents?” Donghae frowned. Why was he being questioned that night?

“The prince said that I’ll be questioned tomorrow-” He gasped as a harsh slap landed on his face, and he could feel blood dripping down from the cut that had formed.

“Know your place, servant.” The man sneered, but Donghae remained defiant.

“Answer me.”

When Donghae remained silent, he felt the agonising sting from the rope that had been brought upon his shivering body. The rope continued to tear his skin apart, and he could feel blood seeping out from his wounds, staining his shirt.

The guard smirked, throwing the rope to the ground, satisfied at the bloodied and battered body lying on the ground.

Donghae smiled bitterly, staring blankly ahead as he was dragged from the room and thrown back into his cold jail cell.

The wounds on his body were painful. But to be doubted by the one person he trusted with all his heart… It hurt even more.

-

Donghae knelt in front of the prince, shivering at the penetrating gaze on him.

Hyukjae frowned upon seeing the multiple wounds on Donghae’s face.

“Who touched him?” Silence fell over the room.

“Answer me, Donghae.”

“The prison guards… They said you ordered them to question me.” Donghae looked away.

“And who said anyone could do that? My only order was to lock him up.” The prince spoke, and obvious anger could be heard in his voice.

“Bring the guards here.”

Moments later, the guards were brought in, sent kneeling in front of the prince.

“For going against my orders, these guards will be executed.” The room of people began murmuring. “Know that my words will be the law from now on.”

Donghae looked at the prince, and for the first time, he saw the coldness that everyone spoke of.

It was scary. How someone who was so warm could also be so cold and unforgiving. Donghae was grateful that he had gotten to experience warmth and kindness from the man in front of him. Would he ever be able to experience those feelings again?

The prince was gazing back at him. Donghae couldn’t understand what was going on through the prince’s mind, and why he was speaking up for him despite being the one ordering him to be locked up.

“Take them away. I want to begin the questioning.”

Donghae could feel his hands shaking, possibly from the ache of being tied up and probably due to the fear he was feeling at the moment. He searched the prince’s eyes, hoping to see a glimpse of warmth within.

“At noon yesterday, the palace maids found the chambers where the documents are kept broken into. More than ten of then were stolen.” The prince paused, surveying the servant’s expression.

“Was it you?”

The words rang loud and clear, and although Donghae knew he did not do it, all the evidence was pointing towards him.

At noon yesterday, the prince had headed for a meeting with some officials that Donghae was not allowed to follow along to.

Donghae had headed back to his room for the afternoon, doing the usual chores of cleaning the prince’s room and tending to the garden. But he had no one to speak up for him as a witness.

“I didn’t do it, Prince Hyukjae.”

Donghae could see the conflicted expression in the prince’s eyes.

“Don’t make me punish you, Donghae.” Donghae shuddered at that, but he could see the pain in the prince’s eyes that he was trying to hide.

“I didn’t do it.” Donghae spoke up firmly again.

The prince opened his mouth, but was interrupted by a palace guard.

“Your highness, I am sorry to interrupt, but I’m afraid there has been another theft in the palace that needs your immediate attention.” The prince rose immediately.

“We will continue tomorrow.”

As Donghae was dragged out of the room, his eyes met with the prince who was right beside him. He looked away immediately, feeling himself being pulled away harshly by the prison guards.

Hyukjae frowned as he watched Donghae being harshly dragged away, and he stepped out of the room as well.

There were not many people left outside, and Hyukjae walked towards the servant.

“Watch out!” There was a sudden shout, and a frantic scramble as a masked man charged towards the prince with a knife in hand. The guards rushed to the prince, but Donghae was faster.

Before the knife could reach the prince, Donghae had stepped in front of him, crying out as he felt the knife plunge into his stomach.

He sank to the floor, gasping out in pain as he felt warm arms catching him from falling.

“Donghae!” All he could hear were cries and shouts, and a familiar scent and warmth that embraced him as he fell into the darkness.