“Why? Is there something wrong? Are you sick?”

I shook my head and continued to stare off into the distance. Over and over again I tried to convince myself that what I had said was the right thing to do. Of course I wanted to live here with the king and start over again, but my family, his mother, all give me reason to turn back and leave.

“Talk to me Chanyeol, please,” the king pleads.

“Your majesty I-“

“Drop the honorifics,” he growls.

The anger, the betrayal, all of his deepest emotions surfaced to the brim of his eyes. His overflowing wave of fury made its way to the front of his face, and I was the source.

“Your majesty,” I whisper.

“I said stop!” he shouts. I clamber back at the echo of his out burst, and widen my eyes. Never have I seen this side of the king, nor do I wish anyone else had. He quickly realizes what he has done and makes his way over to me. When he approaches, he reaches out to grasp my hand. I unconsciously snap my hand back as I witness the shock in the king’s face. “Stop,” I state.

The king looks up at me, forehead creased in the middle, wounded by my actions.

“Stop what? Stop begging? Stop touching you? Stop loving you? What do you want?”

“Just please, stop,” I say.

“We were doing so well,” the king whispers. “These past few days have been unlike any I have ever lived. You make me young, giddy, and hopeful. When you left me the first time, I told myself that if you ever did that again, I wouldn’t let you go. So here I am, standing before you, begging for you to stay.”

How could I deny this man his happiness? How can I be so selfish and desert him when I’m the only one he confides in?

“You run. You run when the going gets tough, and I cannot blame you for doing so, but is our love not to fight for?” Baekhyun questions.

“I’m overwhelmed”

“How so?”

“With everything,” I whisper.

The king looks off into the distance as if thinking of everything and anything that comes to mind. Deep down, I knew I didn’t want to return home, but something inside told me it was the right thing to do. The pleasure, the pain, all of it comes from the king, and I cannot help but love both.

“You don’t want this your majesty,” I stated. “All of this planning and taking the next step, is all in your head”

“When we first met, you told me you would teach me what love is”

I froze in my tracks. Hearing the words I uttered not so long ago sounded so foreign to me. Perhaps because what the king and I have is not love, but lust. In a matter of days he has asked me to come and live with him. Start a whole new life with him, but I cannot. Our future, his kingdom, all rests in the hands of him, and I would just be a blunder. No matter how much I have fallen for the king, the burden of living with a mistake is too much to bear with.

“You majesty, those were lustful words,” I mutter.

“Words I want to live by, words I wish to hear again,” he says.

How would our worlds change if we were to live in a palace together? Being unmarried and joined in the same abode would surely cause a stir within the kingdom. So far, every inch of me is screaming to run, run back to the village and never look back. Hide someplace where the king, or his guards, will ever be able to find my family or me.

But how?

I have fallen in love with a man that I am unable to be with. A man with demons and desires that go beyond what any man can dream of. His majesty is a mysterious creature that dwells in the past, and foresees the future in such vivid light. The plans he has for his kingdom, the plans he has for himself, are too much for a simple village boy to comprehend.

Going back to my village would mean fighting for the next meal, wondering when life would get better. With the king, I can forget all the sorrows of my past life, and regain hope with my new one. Leaving my family and the people who cared for me is such an easy thing to do. A simple turn of the shoulder, and they are forgotten.

If only life were that simple!

“Your majesty, an urgent message has just been sent from the palace,” the guard states.

Both of us are rushed to the carriage. This time, the ride seems bumpy and unsecure. I find myself doubting our safe arrival as the carriage dips and leans. The uneasiness in the king’s eyes is evident. Deep down, his mother is all he has, the only family he can turn to and call his own. I, on the other hand, am just a simple being enjoying the ravishing lifestyle of his majesty. Oh, how I wish I could only think that way. I am so much more than that. I am the king’s safety, his bright morning sun, his midafternoon hew, and most importantly, his evening rendezvous.

I am incapable of leaving this man alone, he needs me, just as much as I need him.

“Wait for me in the library, I will accompany you shortly,” the king whispers in my ear as he makes his way into his study.

I walk down a massive hallway and into the library. By the loud snoring in the corner, I am suddenly aware that I am not alone. A boy just barely aged is slumped down on the floor with a book that covers his tiny face. I stare at the sight in front of me and wonder if I should stir this boy awake. In the end, I settle for lifting the book off of his face.

Beautiful. His ivory skin is untouched which brings about an angel like quality within him. He opens his eyes and I am greeted with the brown orbs that shine in the sun.

“Don’t mind me, I was just on my way out,” the boy stammers.

I find myself wanting to get to know this lonely soul, so I reach out to grab his hand.

“Stay a while,” I suggest.

He gives me a wary look, and reluctantly sits down on one of the many velvet covered chairs.

“What brings you in the library?” I ask.

The boy looks down at his lap, unable to look me in the eye. A couple of days with the king and I am already unapproachable.

“I come in here to read,” muttered the boy. “I have the king’s permission if that is what concerns you”

“What is your name?”

“Sehun. Oh Sehun,” he states.

I reach my hand out to meet his, but he does not return the favor. I figure he is a boy raised on no manners. I retract my hand and take a good look at the boy. From the way his clothes hand too loose and the way he is unkept, I come to the conclusion that he is a farm hand. Such youthful eyes are sunken deep within the hollows of his head, and his alabaster skin is tainted with the burden of tomorrow. Instead, his yearning for knowledge is all he has in this corrupt world.

“My name is Park Chanyeol,” I say.

Once again, he looks down at his lap and fidgets with his fingers. A boy with so much knowledge is unconfident about the world. Perhaps the only world he ever wants to be apart of is in his books.

“Tell me, why do you read so many books?”

“For my brother,” he says.

“For your bother?” I question.

“Yes,” he starts “ I have an older brother named Luhan who was taken from my family at a young age. I do not remember what he looks like, but by reading, I feel as though his memory lives on through books”

Just then, a loud rumbling noise sounded from the entrance of the library. The door had been opened for the king, and before I could turn to speak to Sehun again, he was out the door. There were still so many questions I wanted to ask, but never got the chance to. Internally, I cursed the king for interrupting at such a horrible time, but at the same time, he looked as if he had come back from battle, so I did not press the matter further.

“I see you’ve met Sehun,” the king points out.

I give him a nod and look down at one of the many books. I was curious as to what the king was summoned for, but I dared not ask for fear of bad news.

“He seems convinced that by reading these books he will find his brother,” I say.

“I have been trying for years to track down his brother, but have failed. I told him some time ago that I would find him,” the king states “But he is no where to be seen”

I tremble at the thought of the king spending countless hours trying to find a boy who he does not even know. It warms my heart at a time when my body felt so cold.

“Enough about Sehun, lets talk about us—about what happened today down at the field,” he pleads.

Something in the back of my mind reappeared. The time when the king was begging me to come back to the palace. I remember seeing him small and frail looking outside the window, waiting.

“There is nothing to speak about, I want to return to my family”

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Hi lovely readers! I'm back! So I've been trying really hard to advertise this story, but I always lose out on the bids. But fear not, I will keep trying! 

Sorry it took me so long to update, I've been mentally preparing myself for college life and what not.

Oh and for further clarification, Sehun is around 15-16 years old in the story, and his older brother Luhan is around 18-19. Their characters will appear again in the story along with KRIS, so please keep reading!

Your comments, votes, and subscriptions are always appreciated enjoy!