a super junior fanfic about the purpose of power

characters: leeteuk, kyuhyun, most of sj and sj-m in supporting roles
ship: none
genre: friendship, drama, angst
themes: royalty au, rebellion au, roman à clef lite
setting: unspecified kingdom; provinces radiate out of a capital city, which has a fortified castle in the center

---

A knock on the door startles Leeteuk from his reading of the financial report Shindong had prepared for him. Not even the ever-convivial Treasury Advisor can make accounts payable summaries an interesting read (though he certainly does try), so Leeteuk welcomes the distraction. He calls out to allow the guest into his private study.

The door opens to reveal Kyuhyun, who barely spares the time to bow before launching into a harried plea. "My liege, I must speak with you at once about a matter of utmost importance."

Leeteuk sighs, but his eyes betray his farcical annoyance. "It's always, 'Leeteuk, help.' Never 'Leeteuk, hello'; never 'Leeteuk, how are you?'"

Kyuhyun rolls his eyes; but when he sits in one of the couches across from Leeteuk's desk, the stressed line of his shoulders softens into the boyish curve that belies his position as the youngest to have ever held an office in the king's court. "Of course, my apologies. What would you like to talk about first — the weather? The 'sorry excuse for gamja-jeon' the chef made for breakfast this morning? … Golf?"

Leeteuk waves away Kyuhyun's teasing with a chuckle. "It's fine. You don't need to pretend to care about my opinions."

"Says the king," Kyuhyun retorts with a raised eyebrow, but he quickly moves on. "I want to introduce an idea to you. As it is not related to the judiciary, I still have much research to conduct before I present you with a formal proposal, but I wanted to first understand what you'd need to know in order to be swayed."

Leeteuk nods even as he takes a sip of his tea, which Kyuhyun takes as a signal to continue. "I was speaking with Heechul; and though he maintains our foreign relations are positive, he did not disagree that they could be healthier. Other kingdoms tend to forget who and where we are until such a point that we reach out to them for diplomatic relations. They even forget they're trading with us until we stamp our insignia on the page; that's not right!

"To that end: I think our ambassador program needs refreshing, starting with an increased staff of envoys who are better trained in external customs. It is my understanding that we cannot employ additional staff, but I have an idea. If we redistrict and make our provinces cover more acreage, the leftover officials and personnel can be retrained for international affairs.

"Once we establish ourselves better, we can launch a more aggressive external relations strategy. Not by much, I'm thinking stipendiary exchange student programs at first; but if it works, we can expand. Larger trade deals, more markets, and who knows what else! No one is fired, no one is hired, our global branding improves, and the kingdom profits."

Leeteuk's face during Kyuhyun's impassioned spiel is inscrutable, but that doesn't faze the Justice Advisor at all. He has only served on the court for half a decade, but it doesn't take long to discern that Leeteuk is a very diligent decision maker. The king's mind is probably astir with ramifications Kyuhyun couldn't ever consider, both positive and negative. He simply sits back and waits for the invariable onslaught of questions Leeteuk will pose after his deliberation. Kyuhyun knows he won't have all the answers tonight, but there is time for that. Rome wasn't built in a day; yet as it stands, it's looking like a very good idea to build Rome.

Finally Leeteuk takes his gaze away from middle distance and regards Kyuhyun with a resolved, though not unkind, expression. "That's a very noble mental exercise, Kyuhyun. I encourage your interdisciplinary interests and appreciate where they lead. However, I would not like to entertain a proposal on this project."

Kyuhyun isn't aware that he is holding his breath until his chest hurts, but even a reestablished supply of oxygen does not quell the ache. It does, however, force him to begin thinking.

He must have misheard. "Pardon me, your majesty; but did you say you don't wish to receive my proposal?"

"That is correct."

The ache turns into a sharp sting. "Wouldn't you like to ask any clarifying or probing questions before you decide that?" he asks, not-so-subtly urging Leeteuk to reconsider.

"I would not, no."

Kyuhyun's tenuous grasp on cordiality snaps. "You're not even going to ask Eunhyuk what he thinks?!" He cannot help but raise his voice, and it is by Leeteuk's grace and the goodwill forged through their years of working together that he is in no danger of facing the gallows for such insubordination.

"I require no advice from the Chief Advisor on this matter."

Kyuhyun is sputtering now, confused and overwhelmed and furious and—though he will not identify this until later—embarrassed. Leeteuk's calm demeanor seems to be chiseled from marble, so pale and immobile it is, which exacerbates Kyuhyun's stress.

With what remains of his dignity yet without another word, Kyuhyun exits the study. He does not bother to close the door behind him for he knows he would slam it instead, and not even he could get away with two flagrant displays of disrespect against the king in one evening.

He seethes. His idea is good, goddammit. If Leeteuk had bothered inquiring—had bothered reacting at all—Kyuhyun just knows he would have been able to convince the royal. But instead of voicing his concerns and opening up a dialogue, Leeteuk discarded Kyuhyun's idea like he did with the morning's gamja-jeon.

How can Leeteuk entrust him as the final arbiter of justice for the worst and most complicated cases in the kingdom but reject his plan without debate?!

If he knew what was good for this country, Leeteuk would listen to Kyuhyun. In fact, Kyuhyun could run this country better than he can.

His angry march abruptly comes up short. Well, there's a thought.

---

The staff stands to attention as soon as Leeteuk and Eunhyuk walk into the court room. The king has an impassive face, but everyone can feel his stress and angry disappointment regardless. He settles into his seat at the circular table, and everyone follows suit except for Eunhyuk, who stands at his place beside Leeteuk, pen and tablet poised to begin.

"I don't suppose any of you have good news for me, do you?" Leeteuk begins wearily.

The men in the room exchange furtive glances, each hoping the other has something to offer their king. When it is clear none did, Leeteuk sighs and asks Eunhyuk to proceed with the agenda.

"Unfortunately, the opposition has once again refused our request for council. It seems they are adamant against negotiation or compromise."

The room's dismal energy dims even further at the news. It brings them one step closer to the worst case scenario.

"Did they offer any other response?" Shindong asks, and eyebrows raise at the way Eunhyuk shifts his weight, as if to stall.

"They, um, threatened to kill the next messenger that arrives with a related request."

"Like hell, they will!" Heechul exclaims, and the rest of the room clamours with similar outbursts in Eunhyuk's direction. The Chief Advisor cannot help but empathise with how their own messenger must have felt at the opposition's camp.

Leeteuk silently raises his hand, and the advisors quiet down. "So it seems that we must stop campaigning for a treaty of some sort. That is certainly disappointing, but it can no longer be helped. This frees us, in a way. With a peaceful alternative out of the question, there is no need to hold back."

The advisors share disconcerted glances with each other, each coming to the same realisation at their own pace. The situation keeps getting worse and worse.

Leeteuk asks Eunhyuk to continue, and he points to Henry. As the Education Advisor, Henry doesn't naturally have spheres of influence that were helpful in wartime planning; so he became something of a catch-all advisor, managing whatever logistics to which the others couldn't already tend. One such responsibility is to oversee training of new army recruits. "Our supplies are okay for now, but the blacksmiths warn they're running out of steel. We're getting a steady stream of volunteers to fight thanks to the promised upfront stipend, but we won't have anything to train them with unless they already have their own weapons and armour. The former, maybe; but the latter is very unlikely."

Leeteuk's eyebrows furrow as he thinks. "Post a notice asking our people to volunteer whatever metals they are willing to part with," he says at last. "Put in the announcement that the metal is merely on loan. Eunhyuk will appraise the donations' worth as they arrive and will oversee cataloguing for postbellum reparations." Even before Leeteuk opens his mouth, Eunhyuk begins writing in his notebook, as if he figured out exactly what solution Leeteuk would come up with at the same time the king did. Two-plus decades of working with the same person will do that to a man. "Hopefully that will tide us over until the next steel shipment comes."

"That might be a while," Henry admits hesitantly. "The roads that serve the capital have fallen into major disrepair. Large or heavy shipments aren't making it any closer than a day's trip away."

.

(In an airy tent in the countryside, Kyuhyun and his advisors have their own meeting. "Status report. Sungmin?" Kyuhyun begins.

"You were right. The road-smiths were very amenable to the idea that they could slack off during their maintenance checks and activities, and they have taken it a bit too far."

"Just far enough for us! Excellent, excellent.")

.

Leeteuk looks over to the Foreign Relations and Trade Advisor with desperate eyes. "Heechul?"

The man shakes his head regretfully. "Our allies to the east and south aren't willing to get involved if they themselves aren't at risk, even if it's just supplying raw materials. The north didn't even bother sending a response."

"Could we pay them?" Leeteuk asks aloud, but the question is clearly meant for Shindong, who grimaces. "Between essential activities and the upfront soldier stipend, gold is a bit tight. I'm still trying to coordinate collection since tax season is technically in session; but without a Commerce Advisor, I have less visibility on whether we're actually earning all the taxes which we're due."

.

("Moving on. Siwon?"

"Some more businesses at the perimeters took on your offer for priority vendor status in future trade deals in exchange for funding our campaign."

"Fantastic. Mi, tell your farmers that our forces will be wanting potatoes and venison for rations.")

.

Leeteuk's eyes close with a quiet resignation, and Eunhyuk blows a puff of air through his cheeks. "Kyuhyun picked a hell of a time to start a civil war."

It is the first time any of them have been brave enough to say the man's name or the word 'war' out loud. That's exactly what this is, of course; but they all were hoping it wouldn't have to come to this, and they wince in a reminder of what they lost. The court room where they used to spend hours upon hours both working and goofing around is six chairs emptier. The advisors had split cleanly in half between the two warring parties, and their absence is palpable.

"We'll reunite, one way or another," Leeteuk comments with finality.

"If we do, it'll be on their terms, I'm afraid," Kangin finally speaks up, and Leeteuk does not like the sound of that. "Our strategy to stage decisive ambushes in order to drive them closer to the capital district isn't working as well as we'd hoped. Every time we come upon a location of one of their camps, they've already moved."

.

(Yesung finishes his report, and Kyuhyun giggles evilly. "God, I love having the Espionage Advisor on my side.")

.

The court room is silent at that, all of them knowing their best chance at overpowering the insurrection was with consolidated forces. Forcing Leeteuk to spread out, as the plan seemed to be, would stretch this war for far longer than anyone wished.

It's not looking very good for the incumbents.

.

(Kyuhyun dismisses the meeting, but the others loiter in the tent after he leaves.

Sungmin is the first one to break the silence. "Is it just me, or does it look like we actually stand a chance of succeeding? … Oh, don't look at me like that. Just because I believe in the guy doesn't implicitly mean this would end in our favour."

"Sungmin's got a point," Mi admits. "I may have defected, but it was more out of respect for my friendship with him than anything else."

"Let's face it. With the meagre and inferior resources he had at his disposal, a lesser man would have been caught and executed by now… And we would have shortly followed." Ryeowook has served as Leeteuk's Public Health and Development Advisor for years. He had seen his fair share of treason before, but never from someone as high up as on the king's court.

"Well, it is Kyuhyun," Yesung points out. "If someone were going to make something out of nothing, it would be him."

"Leeteuk did that, too," Siwon murmurs, saying their king's name for the first time since the rebellion began in earnest. In his mind, he isn't just supporting Kyuhyun; he's abandoning Leeteuk, and that guilt still hasn't settled for him.

The entire room quiets at the reminder, wondering what exactly it takes and means to be king.)

---

There may be a war going on, but there is still a kingdom to run. Leeteuk has Eunhyuk to help with internal affairs and Kangin with the army; but at the end of the day, it still comes down to him. All of it still comes down to him.

Being the king has always been hard, but never has it hurt him as much as it does now: now that Kangin has reported a loss of control over a necessary river harbor, now that his handpicked court of most trusted advisors is split in half, now that someone he loves hates the way he has been running the kingdom so much that the only solution seemed to be staging the first civil war since before Leeteuk's great-grandfather came into power.

Not for the first time, Leeteuk wonders if he should abdicate of his own volition.

"I should have known I'd find you here."

Leeteuk turns away from the open window to see Heechul, of all people, walking down the corridor towards him. As always, the other man is dressed more like a jester than like someone third in line for the throne, but he's also the one who taught Leeteuk that appearances aren't always what they seem.

Heechul stops a metre away from him and turns to lean on the waist-high windowsill, taking in the scenery Leeteuk had been admiring before he came.

Well, 'admiring' is too active of a description for Leeteuk's blank stares while he mused, but Heechul gets it. Sometimes a familiar view is exactly the kind of comfort one needs when thinking about uncomfortable things. The cityscape of the capital nestled between forests to the west, the sea to the east, and mountains in the distance is one Leeteuk could never forget even in senility.

"If I were aware I was being sought, perhaps we could have found each other," Leeteuk rejoins as he returns his gaze outwards.

"And that's why you're the king. You meet people where they're at, you prioritise compromise, and you always have the end goal in mind."

"Am I correct in suspecting that is the introduction into the greater reason why you've been trying to find me?"

Heechul is silent for a moment, and he doesn't speak again until a distant skein of birds flies east out of their field of vision. "I'm sorry."

The unexpected apology makes Leeteuk whip his head around, just to be met with Heechul's 90-degree bow. He quickly places a hand on the Foreign Relations and Trade Advisor's shoulder to disrupt prolonged self-debasement. "Whatever for?!"

"We both know why Kyuhyun is doing this. He had an idea he thought was great, and his pride was hurt when you didn't pursue it immediately."

'I was speaking with Heechul; and though he maintains…' A sample of a thread of conversation flits through Leeteuk's mind, and he understands how Heechul could possibly have gleaned Kyuhyun's motivations.

"Did he tell you about it, then?"

"No," Heechul says while shaking his head, "but based on the questions he was asking, I could hazard a guess. I should have just told him right then and there why you'd never go for it. I may have been able to stop this whole mess."

"Heechul, this is not your fault."

"If there were something I could have done to stop something terrible from happening, and I didn't do it, is it not my fault?"

"It's not your fault when perhaps something terrible was bound to happen all along, and you just happened to be related to the way in which it manifested. As you said, we both know Kyuhyun. I'm personally surprised it took so long for his and my ideologies to come to a head… I just would never have imagined a civil war even in my nightmares."

Leeteuk goes quiet after that, and Heechul watches how the king seems to age several years before his eyes. "It's not your fault either, you know."

Leeteuk shakes his head. "But it is. The whole point of a king is not having someone to lead, but someone to blame. I know that."

"So… what? We behead you and herald in the traitor as our new leader?"

"I was thinking something a little less gruesome than that," Leeteuk muses without humour. It takes Heechul a second for the horrible implication to set in.

"You can't be serious."

Instead of answering him directly, Leeteuk asks him, "You said you knew why I'd never have gone for Kyuhyun's plan. What did you think my reasoning was?"

Heechul's anxiety-laden tension hasn't yet dissipated from his frame, but he forces himself to switch gears as Leeteuk had done. "Redistricting to fewer provinces would have made it harder to capture the nuances and needs of the kingdom's communities. Knowing you, the only thing that's stopping us from having more is that the resulting decreased efficiency would have the opposite effect and make it harder for us to answer to our subjects."

Leeteuk smiles as if Heechul had brought him his favourite cup of tea during a long night of reviewing records, then nods.

"I love this kingdom, Heechul," he says plainly. "The treason hurts me, more than I expected it would, but the war? That hurts everyone. Without a peace treaty as a viable option, abdicating the throne seems to be the course of action that will spare the most lives."

Heechul, like everyone else who stayed on Leeteuk's court, believes in him and his judgement. They would follow him into battle with no hesitation… but to willingly follow him into defeat?

"You know I will respect and support any decision you make," Heechul begins quietly, "but I want you to consider this as well: if Kyuhyun were in your shoes, would ceding ever cross his mind?"

Heechul holds Leeteuk's gaze for only a moment longer. Feeling like there is nothing left to say, Heechul turns and leaves Leeteuk as he had found him. Outside, the sun begins to set over the kingdom, and the window is positioned to perfectly allow the golden hour to grace the king's pensive face as he stares after his retreating friend.

---

Swords clang and wood splinters in an unholy symphony of battle, and the entirety of the capital city is its unwilling audience.

Kyuhyun's forces had begun their attack in the wee hours before dawn, catching the city unaware if not vulnerable. After dealing with the first small squadron that happened to catch them, they split up and took back streets to prolong the point of detection as they snuck towards the city center where the castle was sited. It ended up being quite meaningless: the kingdom's army was waiting for them outside the ramparts and wasted no time in elevating the conflict.

It is early afternoon now, and they still have not yet broken into the courtyard.

Kyuhyun knows the capital is Leeteuk-leaned, but not even Yesung's formidable insight could account for the passion with which the numerous foot soldiers defended their king. The battles and skirmishes they waged in the provinces were hard-won, to be sure, but nothing compared to this.

The advisors on his side are some of the most intelligent and clever individuals in the entire kingdom, but experienced generals they are not. In close quarters and against soldiers who were probably trained by Kangin himself, their best is barely good enough. Kyuhyun had done all he could to prepare them with certain strategies before they marched on the capital, but he cannot mitigate against every strategic disaster in real time. He has his own squadron to lead, after all.

This is surely the greatest test of their revolution. Whatever happens today, it will be the beginning of the end.

Finally, the wrought iron gates that serve as the main entrance through the enceinte collapse—their chance to breach the castle. Though more forces are waiting for them inside, Kyuhyun's soldiers force them further inwards to prevent the gate from becoming a bottleneck.

It is at this point that Kyuhyun abandons his role as general and becomes something more like a spy. He slinks through the fray, disposing of and incapacitating opposition as he moves towards his destination. He spots Ryeowook scurrying around and administering first aid as he can, and he even sees others from Leeteuk's court in the thick of the fight, but he has other concerns now.

He enters the castle through an unguarded servants' entrance and begins his search. He passes through whole wings of the place and doesn't find what he's looking for until a chance glance into the main atrium, where the castle would receive dignitaries and nobility for conferences and galas.

"I didn't expect to find you here," Kyuhyun announces his presence. It is poor form to initiate a fight by striking an opponent with his back turned to you.

"It is customary for the king to await esteemed guests in the main atrium," the opponent answers. His voice is steady and his stance is relaxed, but the gentle clinking of his suit of armour as he turns to meet Kyuhyun reminds them both that he is prepared for what comes next. "Anything less would be disrespectful."

Kyuhyun draws his sword. "I hope you've left nuggets of wisdom like that in a book for me someplace. I'll need it when I become king."

Leeteuk's answering smile is wistful, and it unnerves him. "You've always been a diligent learner."

Something about that comment strikes Kyuhyun as condescending. In an instant, all of the rage and resentment he's built up against the man before him relish in the chance to be unleashed. He charges forward with a roar.

Kyuhyun will be the first to acknowledge his formal education years saw him spend more time with his books than with his sword, which is why he spent much of the last few months dutifully preparing for this very confrontation. As heir apparent and, later, king, Leeteuk would have studied swordsmanship basically his entire life, and Kyuhyun needed as much practise as he could get.

With the hour of demonstration upon him, he is frustrated to find his opponent not nearly as engaged as he expected.

"Why aren't you fighting me?!" he growls after a failed lunge makes him stumble far out of Leeteuk's range and vulnerable to an attack from behind. He scrambles upright as quickly as possible, but Leeteuk is just standing there, waiting for Kyuhyun's next strike. If it weren't for the other's own laboured breathing, Kyuhyun would liken Leeteuk's sudden devotion to pacifism with a predator tiring out its prey.

"I never wanted to fight you, Kyuhyun," Leeteuk says with sad eyes, and Kyuhyun's frustration rips from his throat like a physical thing. In his emotion, the downward swing lands wide, but he is able to use his momentum to spin around and try again. Leeteuk has to actually lift his weapon in order to block the strike, and the crossed swords become a physical manifestation of their motionless tension.

Even with Kyuhyun's hate-filled eyes boring into his, Leeteuk takes the opportunity to ask the question on his mind ever since he woke up to the news that Kyuhyun and half of his court of trusted advisors stole away into the night with designs on Leeteuk's crown. "Why couldn't we have negotiated a peace treaty?"

Kyuhyun bares his teeth as he uses his sword to push Leeteuk away, and the two circle each other warily in the new space between them. If he wants to goad Leeteuk into battle, there is only one thing to which the king will respond. "You disrespected me in your study, you disrespected me with your messengers instead of meeting me yourself, and you disrespect me now by refusing combat! If you want to keep the right to rule the kingdom, then fight me for it."

If possible, Leeteuk's face, now painted with realisation, looks even more regretful; and Kyuhyun vows to give him a real reason to be sorry.

When Kyuhyun strikes again, Leeteuk actually parries, an easy twist of his wrist that almost knocks the blade clean out of Kyuhyun's hand. Kyuhyun barely has time to be shocked at how quickly he almost lost until he has to twirl out of the way of an incoming lunge, missing his flank by centimetres.

The fight for the throne finally begins in earnest.

Clangs of metal against metal ring out in the empty hall, interspersed with grunts and stomps and cries of pain. Despite how much more difficult the fight became, Kyuhyun is glad to at least be taken seriously as an adversary.

"If this war had been initiated by anyone else, it wouldn't have gotten this far," Leeteuk comments between harsh breaths for air. A well-placed kick to his chest makes him lose it all, and he stumbles into a column.

"Can't underestimate me now, can you, my liege?" Kyuhyun taunts as he approaches. Leeteuk ducks just in time to avoid Kyuhyun's next blow, and he pops up to Kyuhyun's side with a look of pity. "Oh, Kyuhyun, I never did."

As if to prove it, Leeteuk finally launches an offensive, punctuating his slashes with his words. "You're resourceful and ambitious, detail oriented and cunning—"

"—I'm not you. Flattery doesn't distract me.—"

"—but you also act alone."

Leeteuk catches Kyuhyun by surprise in more ways than one, and Kyuhyun finds himself backed against a wall. Leeteuk's next attack is verbal. "You have so much support, yet you don't rely on anyone."

"What could have possibly given you that idea? My team was with me every step of the way," Kyuhyun spits.

Leeteuk gestures around with his nondominant hand, his only indication of awareness that they are still in the middle of combat. "Where are they now? You could have taken me on two, three, even forty against one; but you didn't."

"I don't see your legions of supporters filling up the room."

"I'm never alone," Leeteuk maintains with a hard set to his brow.

Kyuhyun allows himself to snort at the cliched line before forcing Leeteuk back into battle. "I didn't come here for unsolicited opinions from my auntie at the family dinner."

"If you usurp this throne, this sovereignty will be no better than a dictatorship!" Leeteuk continues even as he takes the defensive.

"Can't be all that worse from the kangaroo court you're leading," Kyuhyun retorts as he tries for a feint. He telegraphs too clearly, so Leeteuk easily deflects.

"I'm not defending the throne because I want to keep it, Kyuhyun. I'm fighting you now because I suspect you're doing this for the wrong reasons. Do you actually love this country, or have you incited this civil war just to avenge your hurt pride?"

"Of course I love this country!" Kyuhyun roars as he blocks off Leeteuk's next attack with a slash of his own sword, and the recoil from the colliding metal forces them both to stumble back from each other.

Leeteuk meets Kyuhyun's gaze even though their helmets have fallen slightly askew. "Tell me, then, Kyuhyun, what would you give up to save it?"

"I wouldn't have to give up anything! I know what I'm doing; I have all along! If you had just listened to me in the first place, we might have even avoided this entire war."

Leeteuk tsks. "You cannot guilt-trip someone whose duty it is to take responsibility for his kingdom's wars, Kyuhyun. Though, if you succeed… to the victor go the spoils."

"I think you forget: winners write the history books." And they jump back into action.

"So now we can add libel to your crimes of treason and violence. Have you ever stopped to consider why your first instinct was insurrection instead of inquiry, Kyuhyun?"

"Stop saying my name like that!"

"What kind of a king who cares about his people charges first with his sword instead of his pen?"

"The kind who isn't afraid to fight for what he believes in!"

Kyuhyun's rage makes him sloppy. Leeteuk takes the hit to his shoulder in order to draw Kyuhyun closer; and with the pommel of his sword, he lands a blunt force hit on Kyuhyun's back. The other sprawls on the floor and doesn't efficiently use his momentum to recover.

Time and activity seem to slow down as Leeteuk's combat acumen instantly recognises this moment as the perfect chance to turn the tide of the fight in his favour, if not completely end it right here and now. He could aim for the exposed back of Kyuhyun's knee—but he might slice too deeply or the wrong way, and Kyuhyun would bleed out. He could cut at the dominant wrist—but how will Kyuhyun be able to make a living for himself after imprisonment if he cannot work or write? He could—

The world zooms back into its standard pace, and his moment passes.

Leeteuk isn't just fighting Kyuhyun; he's also fighting his own reluctance to truly incapacitate Kyuhyun, borne out of an optimism that the conflict doesn't need to end with a losing party.

Alas, he's never been good at fending off two opponents at once.

"And what of you?" Kyuhyun challenges as he takes advantage of his position on the ground to sweep Leeteuk's legs. The other snaps back to attention just in time to jump and avoid it, but he doesn't land solidly. "You, who is faced with the greatest threat to his sovereignty the kingdom has ever seen and still bears no killing instinct; who merely catches his opponent at swordpoint instead and prattles on in what has to be academia's least effective lecture! How this kingdom survived as long as it did under your pathetic rule, I'll never understand; but the time for talk is over."

Leeteuk doesn't get the chance to right his precarious balance under Kyuhyun's barrage of unrefined yet unrelenting attacks. When Kyuhyun aims for his head, he can't duck quickly enough. The blow hits his temple and knocks him straight to the ground. His helmet rattles as it rolls away, and he doesn't even have the wherewithal to consider trying to reach for it before Kyuhyun's heavy boot plants itself firmly on the center of his chest.

Kyuhyun is right, of course. At best, Leeteuk's goal during this battle was never worse than disarming, and certainly not death. His optimism that he might be able to reunite his court if only he could meet Kyuhyun face to face ended up being his downfall.

Looking into the new king's eyes with earnestness and no small amount of fear, Leeteuk tries to convince the other one last time. "No matter what you think of me; until you shift your priorities towards our people, you will never be ready for the throne."

Kyuhyun sneers in Leeteuk's face, tired of the other's sanctimonious preaching. "I'll be the judge of that."

He drives his sword through Leeteuk's neck.