Ch. 13 or Sorry I Vanished

Song Bird

Jongin turns over on his ondol and stares into the darkness of his room, trying not to dwell on the disappointment laying heavy in his stomach.

 

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“How long will you be gone?”

 

“Ten days or so? Can’t be gone too long, can we? Oh, I do hate traveling when the weather starts to get cold, but it should be a little warmer down south. Really, Jongin, it’s such a shame you can’t come. I can’t even imagine living my entire life and never seeing the ocean. They say salt water cures anything, you know?”

 

Jongin smiles fondly at the queen as she speaks animatedly about her upcoming trip to visit some distant relatives in the South. King Minseok was making final preparations with Prime Minister Park, an elderly member of the previous King’s court and a trusted advisor to Minseok since he was a child.

 

“I’ll remember that, My Lady, for the next time anything ails me. I-“ He hesitated a moment, getting the Queen’s attention enough that she turns away from packing Dasom’s accessories into a travel bag, under the mink’s curious supervision. The young carpenter smiles in surrender at her inquisitive look.

“The palace will be lonely without your dazzling presence.”

“Sweet Jongin-ah,” she says and pinches his cheek. “Save your flattery for that mysterious sweetheart of yours. Besides, I know that mine is not the company you enjoy most around here.” 

Jongin smiles awkwardly as he turns away from her playful glance. 

 

It had been a few days since the performance in the main hall, and the King’s relatives that had come to visit had already returned to their homes. Since then, Jongin had so thrown himself into his work that he’d barely spent time with anyone other than the queen, and even then they had met only seldom.

 

The morning after the performance, Jongin had gone to breakfast as normal to find Baekhyun smiling devilishly at him from the table. 

 

“Well, well, well” he’d said, “I was surprised to see you join the party last night Jongin-ssi. Were you there, perhaps, on a special invitation?”

 

Jongin had tried not to look at Sehun as he answered, “Lady Chen asked me to join as an apology for being so preoccupied recently. Excuse me, but I’m actually late to meet her.”

 

Since then he’d made it a point to eat and work exclusively from his room. The queen had worriedly questioned his behavior at first, but he excused himself by saying it was an artist’s quirk of his not to move spaces once he started carving in earnest. She’d looked doubtful but had not pushed the matter further. 

 

Now he follows her down the outdoor hall that connected the main building of the palace to the front courtyard. Dasom peeked at the carpenter from the Queen’s shoulder and she distractedly mumbled to herself, balancing several bags in her hands. Jongin had offered to carry some for her but she’d only scoffed loudly in dismissal. The paved path ended abruptly and dirt and gravel crunched under his feet as they stepped onto the wide front courtyard. A group of smartly dressed guards and horses milled around, servants preparing luggage and a palanquin for the King and Queen. Jongin hesitated for a moment as he glanced nervously around at the people in the group. 

 

“I think I will say my goodbyes to you here, My Lady, as I don’t want to distract you amidst your final preparations.” 

 

The queen turns to face him, startling Dasom on her shoulder, and opens to respond but she’s interrupted by a louder voice from behind her. 

 

“My love! Fashionably late as always.”

“A Queen is never late, my dear.”

“Of course not, we are all just much too early.”

 

King Minseok places an arm around his wife as he walks up behind her and they exchange a look of such sincere fondness, Jongin almost feels like he’s interrupting something private. He wonders if he should just bow and leave but then he catches the King’s eye and freezes in his spot.

Since the performance, Jongin had not seen the King at all. Though that wasn’t very unusual considering their paths seldom crossed in the first place, now there is something unfamiliar in the King’s gaze as he looks at Jongin. The vague pleasantness that had characterized their previous interactions seemed to be gone, replaced now by a cold consideration. Jongin swallows heavily and has to fight the desire to look away under the king’s appraisal. 

 

“Jongin-sii” he says flatly, “How kind of you to accompany my wife. I must admit, this friendship between you has almost made me jealous.”

“Minseok-ah…” Lady Chen starts to say but is silenced by a look from her husband.

 

“How did you enjoy the performance Wednesday evening? I was surprised to see you join us, though I guess it makes sense considering your… close relationship with our Kyungsoo. His voice is quite the spectacle, wouldn’t you agree?” 

 

The tone made it sound like a rohotircal question but the King’s lingering gaze made it obvious he was waiting for a response. 

 

“It was… more than I could ever have expected.”

 

A shadow seems to pass over the King’s face, followed by a lop-sided smile.

 

“Indeed. Listen, Jongin, I know how hard you have been working and my wife could not be more pleased with your progress. But I was thinking, with your muse gone, there’s not much point of keeping you trapped here in the palace. I could have it arranged to move your carving things back to your home, and you could finish this project there, perhaps? From what I’ve heard, you two are more or less done with the planning. Or…?”

 

His voice trails off as his gaze investigates Jongin’s face and the young carpenter flounders under the attention.

 

“That’s…”

“I don’t think I would be comfortable with Jongin-ah taking my robes and most expensive hair piece out of the palace. Of course, I trust you endlessly, Jongin-dear, but I like to know where all my things are. You know how it is, My Lord.”

 

Jongin doesn’t know what he would have responded to the king, but he feels relieved by the Queen’s interruption. He’s not sure, though, if the relief is due to being able to stay in the castle or just from being saved from responding to the obviously strained king. He’s so caught up in the frenzy of his own thoughts it takes him a moment to process the influence of Lady Chen’s words on the king. She had never called him ‘My Lord’ before, at least not that Jongin had ever heard. 

King Minsoek definitely noticed the unusual reference, if his raised brow was anything to go by. Jongin had never seen the two monarchs look at each other with anything but high regard and affection, so the charged gaze between them now has the younger man shrinking even further into himself. King Minseok clears his throat and breaks the gaze first.

 

“I… did not think of that. You’re very right, my dear. And it would be unfair to ask Jongin to relocate his work as it gets bigger. As usual, you are one step ahead, My Queen.”

 

The firm arm he has kept around the queen’s shoulder throughout the conversation slips loosely around her waist and the atmosphere around them relaxes slightly. King Minseok signals for two attendants to approach and take his wife’s things. One of them reaches for Dasom but the little creature hisses, having wound tightly around its mistress’ neck during the encounter with her husband. The queen moves as if to wave them off, but King Minseok speaks quietly into her ear, urging her to prepare to leave. She looks like she’ll argue for a moment but thinks better of it when she meets Jongin’s anxious gaze.

 

“Take care, Jongin-ah. We will see each other soon.”

“Ten days or so, My Lady,” he tries to joke and smiles. He knows the expression does not reach his eyes.

 

 

“Jongin-ssi,” the king begins again as soon as the Lady is out of ear shot. The young carpenter is almost scared to face his king, but Minseok is looking at the ground with his brow furrowed.

“I did not mean… to make you feel unwelcome in any way.” He looks up so suddenly Jongin has to catch his breath to keep from flinching. 

“You are a special guest in my home.” They gaze at each other in silence as a cicada sounds from somewhere over the palace wall. Jongin is vaguely surprised to hear one so late in the season. 

 

“But I hope that you will also feel free to return to your home as you please while we are away. I am sure you miss the presence of your family.”

 

He moves as if to walk away, then changes his mind and turns a tight circle. Jongin watches the way the king’s bright red hanbok gets caught between his legs at the rapid movement. 

 

He begins with a stoic expression, “I, myself, find that it is better to keep professional and personal pursuits… separate.” There is clear intent in the gaze leveled at Jongin this time. “Stay well, Jongin-ssi.”

 

 

 

Jongin stands in the empty courtyard until lunchtime, contemplating the prints the King’s riding boots had made in the gravel as he’d walked away. 

 

 

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Baekhyun is waiting in his room when he gets back. He slides the door aggressively closed behind Jongin as the carpenter steps into the dimly-lit room. The tension that had been trapped in his gut since seeing the king and queen away escape in an admittedly unmanly cry he was immediately embarrassed about. 

Baekhyun doesn’t seem worried about teasing Jongin today, though.

 

“What’s the matter with you recently?”

“Can’t I catch a break?!” Jongin exclaims, maybe louder than necessary.

“You’ve had a break! It’s almost a week now that you haven’t even looked in his direction.”

“Who’s-“

 

The angel-faced attendant’s look of disgust has Jongin snapping his mouth shut. 

 

“You haven’t been sitting with us at meals, you slink like a thief through the hallways and you steer clear of the gardens unless the Queen is with you. Well, mommy’s not here for you to hide under her skirts anymore!”

“What the heck, Baekhyun?”

“You know what I’m trying to say, Jongin! After weeks of following Kyungsoo around like a puppy, don’t think you can just pull away without without hearing about it!”

 

The carpenter is stunned by the direct accusation. 

 

“You’re… not being very subtle anymore, are you.”

“I obviously can’t trust a weak-minded fool like you to be doing the leg-work. Now, tell me, what’s going on with you?”

“I’m not weak-minded! I’ve just been… confused.”

“Confused about what?! More than ten years you blindly loved someone after only knowing half their face! And now, I’ve set everything up for you on a silver platter and you're confused?”

 

Jongin feels his face heat and he turns away from the overly blunt attendant. He’d always suspected Baekhyun was at least suspicious about his feelings, but to have them thrown back in his face in all their fickleness was more than his compromised state could take. 

 

“You don’t understand what I’m going through! All these years, I thought Kyungsoo and I were… He’s just not everything I thought he was. This isn’t even any of your business, Baekhyun.”

 

“I’m going to kill you.”

 

Before the attendant can launch himself at the tanned carpenter, fingers curled into talons to fulfill his promise, the sound of the screen door opening startles the two into stillness. The room is flooded with late afternoon light from the corridor, outlining the figure at the door in shadows and obscuring their face. 

 

“I think I am too old now,” begins a voice that has Jongin’s pulse racing, “to have my battles fought for me. But I am always grateful for your support, my friend.”

 

Kyungsoo settles a hand on his attendant’s shoulder as he steps into the dark room, leaving the light of the corridor behind. Jongin doesn’t miss the irony in how the scene resembles the first time he first truly met the lord. Just like then, all he can do is gaze at Kyungsoo’s mouth from the floor as thick lips from around words.

 

“Jongin, we need to talk.”

 

 

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I'm sorry for taking so long to update. Between grad school and work, life got a little overwhelming. I really apprecaite all of the people who subscribe to this story and look forward to updates. I hope you will stay with me until the end of this journey. Thank you for reading.

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Diraunnie #1
Chapter 14: Waaah, i love this story. I just found it, and finished reading all the chapters. I love the way you describe the things, I love your writing style, I got so emotional when jongin was confessing his love to kyungsoo. 💕💕💕💕💕 It is a great story, will wait for the next update.
Rikasan #2
Chapter 11: O_O O_O O_O Why is he trying to keep Jongin away from Kyungsoo?? What secretive matters was Kyungsoo discussing...poor Jongin, he was so eager to go see Soo after his day away. :-(
Kd1288 #3
Chapter 11: It's getting interesting with each chapter. The king has bad intentions for Kyungsoo.
sabra114
#4
Chapter 11: What the ?? I'm having suspicions here
Rikasan #5
Chapter 10: Awwwwww Kyungsoo gave Baekhyun the day off so that he'd have an excuse to invite Jongin *sob* so cute!!
Kd1288 #6
Chapter 9: This story is getting interesting by each chapter. Please update soon.
Kd1288 #7
Chapter 3: This story turned out so beautiful already! Great world building. Perfect mix of history and fantasy. Great chemistry between Kaisoo and that too without one dialogue. ???
Rikasan #8
Chapter 8: THEY ARE SO CUTE *swoon* Baekhyun is the real MVP here, though, can we get him a round of applause?
Rikasan #9
Chapter 6: This story is so wonderful so far!! I love the combination of historical and magic/fantasy! Looking forward to future chapters :-)
donutk9 #10
This is soooo good. Thanks for updating and I can't wait for the next chapter.