b a e k h y u n

Sehun was whining again, he noticed. It wasn't new. Ever since Baekhyun demanded for Sehun to take part in the kingdom's affairs, the twenty year old had been giving everyone a hard time.

"Sehun," Baekhyun said in an even tone, "shut up." The words left his lips so casually that one would think they were not to be taken seriously. But with one look at his face, anyone could see that Prince Baekhyun was no longer tolerating his youngest brother's actions. "Diplomacy is important. Especially in a time like this."

Tensions had been on the rise ever since a nomadic clan began to attack kingdoms. At the rate of the attacks, it wasn't long until the clan would reach Exodus. Baekhyun knew enough about the clan to know that their numbers were growing by the hour, and if an attack came against Exodus, there would be no telling the amount of bloodshed that would take place. 

"Junmyeon, review the details of the meeting with Sehun," Baekhyun ordered. "We leave in an hour. I want him ready by then." 

Junmyeon suppressed a sigh. Leave it to his luck to be left with babysitting the youngest prince. "Yes, Prince Baekhyun."

Baekhyun rose from his seat, and everyone in the room rose as well to bow to him. He left the conference room, followed by a string of servants who were waiting on his beck and call. 

It had been several years since he began working in proxy of the king. His father fell ill after the death of the queen, and was now holding onto life on a thread of string. The fate of the king was shielded from the kingdom for so long. Outside of the palace walls, no one knew that it was their prince who was ruling everything. 

"Hyung," came a deep voice. 

Baekhyun paused and looked to his right to see Kyungsoo resting on a windowsill in the corridor. He was peering outside, his eyes focusing on something in the distance. 

"I received news from General Park." 

Every muscle in Baekhyun's body tensed, and his breath got caught in his throat. 

Kyungsoo extended out his arm, revealing an envelope in his hand. "There has been progression on the western boarder. Many victims from the latest attack have requested for asylum."

Baekhyun nodded stiffly and took the envelope with his trembling fingers. "You know what to do, Kyungsoo."

Unlike Sehun, Kyungsoo performed his duties without complaint, and he performed them well. He was always the better of the three, Baekhyun inwardly admitted. He would have been the most suitable for the throne, had it not been for his lack of desire for leadership and his shy personality. Kyungsoo openly expressed his want for a quiet and peaceful life before. Baekhyun was more than happy to grant him that life. 

"Hyung, there's something else." Kyungsoo stood, his eyes darkening as he prepared himself to break the news to his older brother. "Father has requested for your presence. It's in regards to the meeting today. There seems to be a change in plans."

"What kind of change?"

Kyungsoo looked at the servants, but Baekhyun got the message. Whatever the news was, it was too delicate to be said in front of unreliable crowd. 

"Very well then," Baekhyun said. "Take your leave, then. I expect a report on the western boarder by nightfall."

They parted ways, with Baekhyun walking towards the king's chambers and Kyungsoo to his office. Baekhyun clutched the letter in his hand tightly, as if he was afraid that it would disappear. He tucked it away in his pocket before entering his father's room. He dismissed all the servants and made sure the door was closed before doing anything else. Eavesdropping would not bode well for whatever topic the king needed to discuss.

The smell of disinfectant and incense sticks filled the air. It was an unfortunate mix that burned Baekhyun's nose as he approached the man that laid in the large bed. The king was barely conscious it seemed. His cloudy eyes were staring blankly at the ceiling, and his skin was an odd tint of green. 

When Baekhyun stood by his father's side, he wasn't sure if his father was even aware of his presence. Slowly, Baekhyun reached out to hold the king's hand, which felt like ice against his palm. 

"Father," Baekhyun said softly. 

The king's eyes flickered, just for a second. "My dear son," he croaked out. He paused for a minute of two before speaking again. "My son, did I tell you how I met your mother?" 

Baekhyun furrowed his eyebrows together. "No, father. You never did." Why was he mentioning this now?

"It was an arrangement of our parents," the king revealed. "I was against it of course. Your mother was as well. But we knew we had a duty to our kingdoms, so we followed through with the arrangement. Overtime, we fell in love." The king's lips twitched. "She was so beautiful," he murmured.

Baekhyun felt his chest hurt at the mentioning of his mother. It had been so long since anyone had talked about her. The king had refused to discuss her death, and had banned the mentioning of her name in the palace walls. But it seemed like today, he was all for talking about the past. 

"Our marriage was the best thing we could have done for this kingdom," the king stated. He began to cough. Baekhyun rushed to hand him the glass of water on his nightstand. After a few moments of hacking, the king returned to his unmoving state. "The war is coming soon, my son. We will need our allies to provide strength."

Baekhyun wasn't sure where his father was going with all of this. One moment he was talking about the deceased queen, and the next, he was talking about the war. 

"I have sent word to King Yixing of Exact, requesting for the unification of our kingdoms through a marriage." 

What?

"He has agreed. There will be a meeting to discuss the matter in three days time."

Baekhyun couldn't breathe. He couldn't believe his ears.

"For the good of the kingdom, Baekhyun, you must do this. Do you understand?"

He did understand. He understood that Exodus was not in stable condition with the war approaching. With the marriage, both kingdoms would merge, granting Exodus a prominent ruler as well as a large standing army. 

But he didn't understand at the same time. Why was King Yixing agreeing to such a thing? Why was this marriage such a sudden advancement? 

"Prepare for the meeting now. You have much to go over before then. Send Sehun to the meeting today alone."

The letter in his pocket felt heavy suddenly. Baekhyun felt his heart clench tightly. 

"Yes, father," he murmured, before leaving. 

Baekhyun left for his own room, his legs moving of their own accord, taking long strides. He was vaguely aware of his servants scurrying to follow behind, but paid no attention to them. By the time he reached his bedroom, he was slightly out of breath. 

He closed the door, locking out his servants, before sitting on the edge of his bed. His hand pulled out the envelope that was weighing on him, and tore it open quickly. He fumbled as he unfolded the letter, caught up in his own nervousness. His eyes scanned the paper, taking in each and every scribbled character. 

Dear Prince Baekhyun,

I write to inform you that due to the dire need of my presence at the western boarder, my visit to the palace must be canceled. I apologize for any inconvenience, and will accept any punishment deemed fit. Your Highness, I would also like to inform you that I miss and love my home. You must understand that under different circumstances, I would have returned long before this letter would have even written. Again, I apologize.

Sincerely, 
General Park Chanyeol

Baekhyun knew what Chanyeol had really meant in his letter. He knew that what Chanyeol wanted to say was:

Dear Baekhyun,

The western boarder is too dangerous to be left alone. I'm so sorry, but I can't come back. I miss you, and I love you. Please wait for my return. I'll make it up to you. I'm so sorry, Baek, but I have no choice. Please understand. 

Love, 
Chanyeol

"Chanyeol," Baekhyun whispered under his breath. "What am I supposed to do?"