The autumn sky was as dark as the hollow that hovered his head, stars nowhere to be sighted. The moon casts down splinters of Solomon-gold, making the small pond in front of the prince crests sparkle like elf lights. In that moment of momentary silent, the prince was on his legs, sitting himself against the grass beside the pond, eyes staring ahead of the small movement that the two butterfly koi fishes made. His robes spread around him like a linen, midnight blue with gold linings to represent his house, a small detail that brought warm to his dear heart during those hard days where he misses his parents and home.

His knight stood there, bearing the silence that both the night and their prince were bearing. No matter how much the young price tried to be tranquil about the whole order, the knight knows the fear that was slowly creeping in the prince’s head. 

“You have done a great job,” the prince spokes after quite some while, fingers now drowning in the deep water. The black Koi swam closer, circling the prince’s whole hands in a small circle. The knight keeps mums. “It’s a shame that we need to part this way,” the prince continues. There were sadness and disappointment traced in the prince’s gentle voice, admitting his emotions to be exposed. Maybe there were no used in hiding things that were obvious to the eyes anymore. For that night should be the last.

“I didn’t wish for us to part this way.“ Jongin confessed . The knight’s eyes light up in coming protest but what have years done good if the prince couldn’t see it coming. The prince pulls up his palm, “Don’t bother to say otherwise.”

“Jongin-“ the knight jumped in, faces hardened in anger. The prince looked away,  probably couldn’t handle the pained and the anger that mars across his knight, his best friend, his hyung.

Jongin  tried to shuffle for a smile, but in all honestly, he was disappointed. Betrayed was long gone, passed the anger and the disbelieve when the Royal court had come to their final decisions. Thoroughly, Jongin would have asked the minister of the court to do more closer inspections, but he didn’t. He had kept his voice silence, eyes bored a hole on the person who sat on the throne. The chaos that were caused by their people who had come to witness the trial was shunned deaf to the prince. The noble’s men and women’s shouting foul languages, beckoning for the court to take back the punishment were slowly becoming a void in his head as Jongin blinks, willing himself to be strong. The king didn’t even budge. And it pained him more than the thought of him getting beheaded for a false accusation of treason toward the crown.

And tonight, was his last day, before he will be punished right after the first dawn break through the horizon. Somehow, he was feeling more nostalgic that he could bargain, sitting there, dressed in his favorite robe, beaming under the moonlight with his favorite hyung. So, he gently pulls the older male to sits beside him, “Those butterfly koi,” he points out as the squire eyebrows knitted together. “Are my father’s first very present for me and Sehun,”

“I know,” Kyungsoo solemnly agreed. And Jongin laughed, out of his nature, “You must remember what he said about these lovely fishes then?”

Kyungsoo nods, eyes slowly trailing after the black and white butterfly koi that were swimming around each other. “That they represent you and Sehun-.”

“And if I die, one of the Koi will die too.” Jongin finished the sentences.

The both keep their words for couple of beats, when Jongin’s sigh resonates through the lonely night. Kyungsoo watched as the prince get up on his feet and start walking toward the flower gardens. Initially, he followed suit without shooting the prince any questions.

Jongin turned toward Kyungsoo, “I’m going to miss all of these.”  

The prince trailed the flowers petal that blossomed in the gardens, eyes sorrowed. His fate had been decided unfairly. Jongin couldn’t even do anything to change the mind of the court. Treason against the crown? He bitterly chuckles, as he cradles the white Freesia in his palm, caressing the bells of flower that had grown over time under his care.

“I know I’ve no right to question your action, my prince, as I’m merely your knight.” Kyungsoo bids, eyes watching every movement that the prince’s made through the corner of his vision. “But, as your Hyung, do you suppose I should just stand there tomorrow and watch you die over all these false accusations? Treason?” Kyungsoo scoffs, eyes starting to get watery when his emotions get a hold of his being. His figure was trembling so hard that it was a shame, that he should be the strongest amongst the two.

“Are they foolish? You’re the King’s spouse. You’re promised to him and the crown too. Why would you plot something against something that are yours?”

Jongin stops, heaving a deep breath. Then, he turned toward the speaking male, lips curved into a small smile, “Power made you do stupid things. Jealousy clouded your sanity to think wisely. And, love,” Jongin picks a stem of the purple Hyacinth and walked closer toward Kyungsoo. “make you do implausible things to others. Especially a love of a mother toward her son.”

He placed the flower inside Kyungsoo’s grip, turning his back against his knight, “I’m tired. Tomorrow is a long day. It’s better for us both to rest.”

It was hard, to turn his back against his knight and to speak of tomorrow like tomorrow is not the last day he will be able to walk down the castle. During the entire retreat to his chamber, Kyungsoo didn’t even said anything else. And Jongin respected that.  

Soon as they arrived in front of the chamber, Jongin silently bids his hyung the last farewell, smiling through the night as the knight nods his head, face hardened. Maybe Jongin should be grateful. At least, he got to spend the last day in his chamber, instead of being locked in the dungeon. At least he got to bid farewells peacefully and write to his parents of the news.  

That night, Jongin spend his night arranging the last bouquet of flowers for his spouse, tears flowing as they drip on the flowers, down to his clean bedsheet. “I’m sorry that you won’t be able to see this world, love,” he whispers, hands caressing his abdomen as he lulls himself to bed.

Words must have been spread.

Why shouldn’t it be? Everyone must have known of the news of his execution for it looked like the whole kingdom was there. The sky was dark that morning, and Jongin had wished that it was a nice day. He didn’t wish to die in horrible weather, sky crying over his little fate. But it doesn’t matter now.

The king and the Dowager Queen were already there, standing at the platform with the executioner. The Dowager Queen’s niece was also there. But Jongin was too exhausted to bother about it anymore. He keeps his head hung low, mumbling prayers after prayers toward the Gods up there to ease everything today. He was scared. There was no one that aren’t afraid of death and he was not an exception.

He was dawned in white clothes, head to top. The small crown that was adorned on his head