The Prince’s Ultimatum

“Honey… Are you all set to go?” Youngjae’s mother stuck her head into the prince’s room to see it mostly emptied of possessions, the only decorations now being the bags that littered the floor.

                “Yeah, I’m done,” Youngjae sighed as he took a last sweeping glance around to make sure he hadn’t missed anything.  Truth be told, he had packed and handed over everything he needed to Daehyun last night for safe keeping.  These bags would simply be discarded once they reached Goguryeo.  Youngjae was a little saddened about leaving behind all the possessions he had accumulated- they’d had to pack light- but also knew that he’d get over it soon enough.

                “Tomorrow’s a big day, huh.”  The queen pulled her son into a hug, sniffling and trying to hold back tears.  Youngjae stayed stiff in his mother’s arms.  While he knew that starting tonight he’d never see her again, he also blamed the fact that he even needed to run away on her.  Finally he came to a compromise and returned the hug half-heartedly.  “I’m really sorry that we put you into this position, but I promise it’ll be alright.”  Youngjae nodded and made to move back.

                “Let’s go, everyone’s waiting.” 

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                “Ah!  You’re finally here!” Queen Bang raced to the front entrance way and pulled Youngjae into a tight hug once he exited the carriage.  “Yongguk’s been so anxious waiting for your arrival.  Oh! I’m just so excited about tomorrow!  Aren’t you?”  She grabbed Youngjae’s cheeks in her hands and squeezed them.  Junhong and Jongup rolled their eyes while Daehyun glared daggers at the woman.

                “And you three,” she turned a much colder glance upon the other three boys.  “Go put the bags inside the doorway.  Our servants will take them from there.  And please make sure not to step inside this time.”  With a huff she was dragging Youngjae away, his parents following solemnly behind.

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                “Attention!  Attention!”  King Bang clinked his glass for everyone’s attention as he stood at the head of the dining table.   All of the diners ceased their murmuring and eating immediately, turning to him.  “Tonight we prepare for a very momentous occasion.  Tomorrow our sons, Yongguk and Youngjae, will be united in matrimony.  That also means that not only our sons, but our families and our countries as well, will finally be one.”  The king smiled down at the Yoos who did their best to return the expression.  “We know that you will miss your son dearly as he comes to live with us, but we assure you that he will be well taken care of.  In order to show our gratitude for Youngjae joining our family, we have prepared some gifts.”

                “Oh my God.  How much longer are we gonna have to stand here?  I’m ready to goooooooooo,” Junhong groaned quietly to his two friends beside him.  All of the servants were placed in the back of the dining hall, waiting for a time when they might be needed.

                “Just a little while longer,” Jongup shot back through closed teeth, “And then we’ll never have to put up with this again.”

                Daehyun’s stomach was in knots as he watched Youngjae unwrap his endless gifts of jewelry, clothing, art and other knick knacks.  He was already nervous about everything going to plan, and he couldn’t help but worry over whether Youngjae would start experiencing cold feet.  The boy seemed so at home at the dining table, eating and drinking lavish foods and wines.  And even though he hated the provider of the gifts, it didn’t stop his face from lighting up every time he unwrapped a new expensive present.  Daehyun prayed to whatever gods may be listening that tonight would go off without a hitch.

                “And I know it’s unfortunate that you can’t take your honeymoon now, but if you wait a few months, our new vacation home in Ulsan will be finished and you two boys can take as much time there as you like,” Yongguk’s mother smiled.

                “Ah, the King of Ulsan allowed you to build a summer home there?” King Yoo enquired.

                “With a little persuasion he lets us do anything we want,” King Bang answered and he and his wife laughed again.  The Yoos shifted uncomfortably in their seats, well aware of what persuasion meant and hoping that it would never be used on them now that they were passing over Youngjae.

                “Well, I think it’s time to retire,” King Bang announced.  “Tomorrow is a very busy day and everyone should get their rest.  Youngjae, tonight you’ll be sleeping in the guest room and then tomorrow you can move into Yongguk’s room.”  Yongguk shot Youngjae a satisfied grin, but it didn’t faze him in the slightest.  He had no intentions of being here tomorrow.  “Good night, everyone!”

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                “Ok, the coast looks clear,” Youngjae mumbled to himself as he stuck his head out of the guest room door.  Daehyun had told him to leave the room at exactly 12:45.  Though they hadn’t had a lot of time to observe the guard patterns, from what they had seen earlier that day, they calculated this to be the time when the coast would be the clearest. 

              Youngjae left the room dressed in a simple travelling outfit and dark overcoat, hoping to conceal himself in the shadows.  He made his way swiftly, but quietly, down the hall, careful of the sounds of his footsteps.  He wound down the large staircase, uttering thanks when he noticed that the hallway was clear.  He crossed the main entry hall and placed his hand on the handle to the large door.

          “It’s a bit late for a midnight stroll, don’t you think?”  Youngjae jumped and spun around at the sound of the amused voice booming through the hall.  His eyes focused in on a dark corner and Yongguk emerged from the shadows, a smug grin plastered on his face.

            “W-what are you doing down here?” Youngjae’s heart started beating a mile a minute.  He had been so close…

              “Just waiting for your escape attempt.”  Yongguk stopped in front of him.

             “Why?  Are you going to try and stop me?” Youngjae puffed his chest out, trying to appear brave and tough, even though his insides and limbs felt like jelly.

             “Of course not.  I’m just here to bid you farewell,” Yongguk gave a mock salute and Youngjae raised an eyebrow.

            “O-oh?  That’s it?  You don’t care if I leave?”

            “It’s way too much effort for me to force you to stay.  I’d have to drag you, probably kicking and screaming, upstairs and lock you in your room, then make sure you don’t escape again and, I’m sorry but, you’re really just not worth the effort.  So if you want to leave, by all means do.  Safe travels.”  He gave a wave but Youngjae continued to stare in doubt.  Yongguk was really going to let him walk out of here?  Everything in his being was yelling at him that something wasn’t right, but he ignored it. 

           “Thanks then, I guess.  Goodbye.”  He turned and had just placed his hand on the door handle once more when Yongguk’s voice stopped him again.

            “I’ll just have to find another plaything to keep me amused.  Say, Daehyun has those three, cute, little sisters, doesn’t he?”  Youngjae’s body froze.  “The youngest one is, what?  9?”  Yongguk’s voice lost its playful tone and turned dark.  “How much do you think it’d take for her to break?  How long do you think I could play with her before I’d have to dump her body in the Han River and move on to my next plaything?  Maybe, Junhong’s younger brother?” 

            Youngjae spun around and eyed the older prince in disgust.  “You sick bastard.  You wouldn’t dare…”

            “Youngjae, Youngjae, Youngjae.  You should know me well enough by now.  I’m not kind to many people, but I’m feeling generous today, so I’ll give you a choice.  You can run away with your boyfriend and live happily-ever-after while I take my pent up energy out on your cute, little country.  Or you can willingly stay here with me and, as long as you do what I say, I’ll leave everyone alone.”

            Silence hung heavy in the air as Youngjae continued to stare at Yongguk in horror.  His whole plan had come shattering down around him.  He would rather die than stay here with Yongguk, but he could never stand back and let something so awful happen to the families of his loved ones.  He’d never be able to live happily as long as he was tormented by the guilt of doing something so selfish.

            “Fine,” he growled.  His voice was so low that he could barely hear it himself.

             “What was that?” Yongguk smiled.  “I didn’t quite catch it.”

           “FINE!” Youngjae shouted, his voice echoing through the empty entrance hall.  “I’ll stay.  But you promise that you won’t lay a hand on the people in Baekje?”

             “I promise.”

             “And by ‘you’, I don’t just mean you, Yongguk.  I mean everyone associated with you.  No one from Goguryeo is EVER to even so much as look at them.  Is that understood?”

          Yongguk let out an amused chuckle.  “You sure do cover your bases, don’t you?  Smart kid. That’s why I like you.”  He gave the younger boy a wink but received no reaction.  “Well, we should seal the deal, shouldn’t we?”

          “What do you mean?” Youngjae asked.

          “A kiss.”

         “Fine, whatever,” Youngjae huffed, closing his eyes and waiting.

          “No, no, that’s boring.  I’ve already kissed you.  This time you have to come kiss me.”  Youngjae wanted to hurl at the thought but suppressed the feeling and stepped forward until he was standing directly in front of the taller boy.  “And then once you’ve done that, you should probably go outside and tell your boyfriend that you’re breaking up.  Obviously you should leave me out of it.  I don’t want to worry about him coming to kill me in my sleep for wooing you and stealing you away.”

           “Fine,” Youngjae growled, teeth gritted and fists balled as he raised himself up to Yongguk’s face level.  “Let’s just get this over with.”

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               “What in the world is taking him so long?” Junhong huffed as the three boys waited for the prince out in the woods.  They had four horses saddled and loaded lightly with luggage.  Daehyun looked around, desperate for any sign of his approaching lover.

            “Do you think he got caught up somewhere?  Maybe he had to wait for guards to leave… or… what if he got caught?” Jongup whispered, voice starting to shake with worry.

            “I’ll go check on him,” Daehyun stated, stepping away from the pair.  “You two wait here until I come back.  Got it?”

         “Be careful.  Don’t let anyone catch you,” Junhong warned as the knight disappeared through the trees.

            “Dammit, Youngjae, where are you?” Daehyun cursed under his breath as he approached the castle, head whipping from side to side as he searched for any sign of the younger boy.  “Come on…”  He found himself in front of the castle and ducked down underneath a window, trying to peer in.

        “There he is,” he sighed in relief once he saw his boyfriend’s face.  But the relief quickly died when he noticed who Youngjae was standing directly in front of.  “, , .”  He made to rush into the castle and rescue Youngjae but something caught his eye.  Just then Youngjae was rising up on his toes, face to face with Yongguk, so close their noses were almost touching.  And then… No… no… he had to be seeing things.  Youngjae’s lips were descending upon Yongguk’s.  His Youngjae was kissing Bang Yongguk.  He felt his heart stop in his chest and for a moment thought that he might pass out.

          “No no no no no.  There has to be some explanation for this.  This can’t be happening.”  The sound of the large wooden opening broke through his thoughts and he rushed around to the staircase.

        “Daehyun!” Youngjae gasped in surprise when his boyfriend came bounding up the stairs, seemingly out of nowhere.

          “W-what have you been doing?  Where have you been?” Daehyun tried to keep his voice steady as he questioned the younger boy.  “Come on.  We need to go.”  He went to grab Youngjae’s hand.  But, much to his surprise, Youngjae jerked his hand back and stepped away.  The younger kept his head down and refused to look at the teen in front of him.

         “I… I’m not going,” Youngjae tried to make his voice strong, but knew he had failed.

         “What do you mean you’re not going?  Come on, we don’t have time for this.  We need to go.”  Daehyun made to grab for Youngjae again but was promptly shoved away.

          “I SAID I’M NOT GOING!” Youngjae shouted towards the ground.  He knew that if he looked up and met Daehyun’s eyes that he’d never be able to keep up his act without breaking down and crying.  And then everyone would be in danger.

             “Youngjae…what’s going on?”  Daehyun’s heart was beating uncontrollably in his chest as he tried to search the younger’s face, but he couldn’t see anything.

          “I’ve decided to stay.  I don’t want to go anymore.”

          “Why?! We had everything figured out!”

         “Because….Because I don’t want to live like some filthy peasant!”

          Youngjae’s words struck a wound in Daehyun.  This was something that had always been sensitive for him, and a big reason that he had kept his true feelings buried for so long.  Being raised in the castle but not being a royal had made him very aware of his place in the “system” and he had long convinced himself that he would never be good enough for Youngjae.  That he should leave him alone so as not to taint him and bring him down to his own level.  He had just gotten over it, but now hearing it from Youngjae’s own mouth was a bit for him to handle.

         “It’s just not right.  I’m a prince. I belong here.  And I’d rather live here with someone like Yongguk than living like some commoner with you.”

         “Youngjae… you don’t mean that…” Daehyun whispered as he made his way one last time toward the teen but was stopped by a very sharp slap to his face.

            “I do mean it.  I just didn’t realize it until now.  I could never be happy with someone like you.  So… get out of here and leave me alone.”  Daehyun turned his head and finally managed to catch a quick glimpse of Youngjae’s eyes before he averted them.  They were tearing and deeply in pain.

           “Youngjae-“

            “Goodbye, Daehyun.”  Youngjae cut the older boy off before he could say anything else, spinning on his heel and bolting for the wooden door.  Once inside he pulled it closed behind him before falling against it, his tears finally escaping.

           “Good job.  I almost bought it myself.”  He glared up at the atrociously pleased man in front of him.

          “Go to hell,” he growled as he lifted himself off the ground.  “I’m going back to my room.  Don’t you dare come bother me.”

          “Sweet dreams, my prince,” Yongguk cooed at him, but Youngjae hurried up the stairs without looking back.

          “Wu Fan, Suho.  Get out here.”  Yongguk’s voice instantly took on an authoritative tone and two boys stepped out from the shadows on the other side of the entrance hall.

           “Yes, Your Majesty?”  They both bowed.

           “Get your men and guard the doors to all the entryways and Youngjae’s room.  If anyone gets in or out of any of them, I’ll have you all executed.  Understood?”

            “Yes, sir.”

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            “Daehyun! What’s wrong?” Junhong leapt forward to support Daehyun as the older knight stumbled into their hiding place.  “Where’s Youngjae?”

           “He wants to stay…” Daehyun barely managed to breathe out.  He didn’t want to admit it.  He didn’t want to think it was true.

          “What do you mean, he wants to stay?!” Junhong snapped, shaking the older boy.

           “I mean, he told me that he hates me and that he wants to stay here with that sick bastard and …. And…”

            “And what?”

           “He kissed him.”

           “Yongguk kissed Youngjae?” Jongup asked.

          “No.  Youngjae kissed Yongguk.”  Daehyun could barely get the words out of his gritted teeth.  The image kept replaying itself in his mind- Youngjae leaning up, pressing his lips against Yongguk’s.  The lips that were supposed to be all his.  All sensible thoughts left his mind as a feral scream left his mouth.

           “Daehyun!  Daehyun hyung!  Calm down!”  Daehyun focused all his attention on the pain ripping through his fist as he slammed it over and over again into the tree in front of him, hoping it would help him ignore the unbearable pain in his chest. 

          Jongup tightly wrapped his arms around his hyung’s torso, pulling him back and to the ground.  He had him pinned as Daehyun lashed out savagely, shouting to be let go.

          “Not until you calm down!” Jongup yelled.  He was almost unseated, Daehyun’s adrenaline making him as strong as his buff comrade, but Jongup kept his grip firm.  Daehyun finally stopped struggling and Jongup let him go.

         “Hyung…what are we going to do?  Something has to be going on.  This doesn’t make any sense…” Junhong whined as his mind tried to run through all the possible explanations.  “We need to try and talk to him.”

           “Hyung, what about Jiho’s men?  What if they’re waiting for us?” Jongup added.    Daehyun’s mind was in a haze as he tried to comprehend everything.

            “I’ll… I’ll ride to go meet them….” He said weakly.  All of his energy had been expelled in his earlier struggle.  He turned to mount his horse.

            “No, hyung.  You’re in no state.  Plus, you should be the one to talk to Youngjae.  I’ll go.  If I leave now I should make it to the first checkpoint and back before anyone notices.  I’ll tell them the plan has been…delayed for the time being.  You two talk to Youngjae.”  Jongup mounted his horse.  “Cover for me if I’m not back in time.”

          “Be careful, hyung,” Junhong whispered.  Jongup nodded and took off.   “Ok, and we’ll go and talk to Youngjae, ok?” Junhong kept his voice low and calm as he rubbed circles in Daehyun’s back in an attempt to soothe him.  Daehyun nodded.  He had to pray that they could get to the bottom of whatever was happening.

             They s through the forest, taking more caution as the bright lights from the castle started to illuminate their surroundings.  “, it looks like they’ve posted guards on the doors again,” Junhong cursed once they were in viewing distance.  “Maybe we should try the servants’ door?”

          “Oh that won’t do you much good.  We have guards placed there as well.”  Daehyun and Junhong both jumped at the voices behind them. They whipped around and found themselves face to face with the guards from their first visit, Baekho and Aaron.  The other two guards’ swords were drawn and pointed directly at their throats.

           “What are you two doing wandering around so late?  Don’t you want to be nice and rested for the wedding tomorrow?” Baekho smirked and grabbed Daehyun, Aaron taking Junhong.

          “Get off me!” Daehyun growled, attempting to break free but the sword blade against his throat made him stop.

         “Don’t make this worse for yourselves,” Aaron growled, manhandling Junhong and forcing him to march forward.  They reached the servants’ quarters and were lead to a small, damp room before being unceremoniously thrown on to the floor. 

          “We have orders to kill you if you try to escape,” Baekho warned.  “And I promise, it would only make our night that much more enjoyable.”  He slammed the door shut and the two boys on the floor heard a resounding click as it was locked.

         “Daehyun hyung… what are we going to do?”

          “I… I don’t know…”

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Author’s note:

Please don’t kill me! *ducks and hides*

Yongguk has made his reappearance.  Mwahahahaha.

And thankfully my job is really super free right now so I have lots of writing time to get out all my DaeJae feels instead of actually working (which is why I got this chapter up in 24 hours.  I had already written most of it at work yesterday).

Even if it’s not fluffy, I hope you guys still enjoyed it!  But I'll just go ahead and warn you: Don't expect fluff for a while (<_<)

Until next time~

<3 Dani

P.S. Thank you for all your fabulous comments!  My readers are fabulous :)  Also, because of a recent wave of subs and upvotes I've decided that whenever the subs reach 100 or upvotes reach 10 (whichever comes first) I'll pick a subscriber and you can request any one shot you want and I'll write it and post it :)  So, fighting!