The Queen sat at her tea table, emanating an intimidating aura weighing down on the soldiers kneeling before her. It was yet another empty report of Himchan's whereabouts. She dismissed the men with a wave of her hand. Perhaps it was a good thing that Himchan could not be found, or else he would have lost his life. She placed a finger on her temple and closed her eyes, easing the headache.

Not long before the soldiers left, one of the palace maids rushed in and announced Himchan's return. The Queen widened her eyes in shock. She thought she had heard wrongly. She stood up from her chair and strode off briskly, lifting her long gown. Her body maids followed her like a bunch of frantic birds holding up her long dress dutifully. The Queen found that she could not share the joy of Himchan's return with the maid who rushed in, but she had to. She put up a facade of a hopeful smile but her lips quivered with fear-- of what, she did not know-- and her heart pumped with a rush that felt like hostility.

She burst into the grand hall. The royal family were already gathered around the long awaited man, even the guards and servants were curious. It seemed like she was the last one to arrive. Their old parents were embracing Himchan who was wearing poor commoner's clothes, rough and tattered. Himchan's clothes were shabby, rough and tattered even compared to the servants in the palace. The Queen joined in the others, asking of Himchan's wellness and embracing her brother but Himchan did not feel warmth in his sister's arms, only a trembling chill and anger.

The King arrived last. The others stepped back and bowed in his presence. From that, Himchan realised Yongguk has become King from the last five years he went missing. The King ordered for a celebration, a subtle smile on his face. Himchan declined politely, asking for a quiet resting period after he had returned from a rough trip. The King agreed silently with a nod and ordered for everyone to keep mum about Himchan's return according to the man's request. They all agreed to put off the celebration until next month.

Amongst the tears of joy and excited chattering, there was a distance between Himchan and Yongguk that no one saw except for the two of them, and Himchan's sister. Himchan felt the coldness from Yongguk in scorching contrast with the rest's enthusiastic welcome. His parents shed tears and even his sister cared to watch him with wet eyes. Even if it were fake, Himchan had hoped for Yongguk to at least pretend. The glaring distance Yongguk placed between them seemed awkwardly intentional in Himchan's eyes and he knew his sister felt clearly. There was something wrong.

Himchan returned to his room alone. He needed some time alone. After all, he did not return with utmost joy. He came back with the weight of an awful truth and motive. His room was well kept, tidy and neat; It was as if he never left except that his room had only outdated photographs of his family. He had been missing from the family portrait for five years. There were already children in the family. The claw of jealousy scratched him again as he remembered the portrait he had seen in the hallway. It was portrait of the King and the Queen with their young children. But all Himchan saw were strangers. 

He sat down on his bed, deep in his own thoughts. He was still bothered by Yongguk's detachment. Just then, a servant came to his door with a message that the King was requesting for his presence. Himchan nodded immediately. The King must have something to say to him, finally.

He came to the same old office, only newly furnished and painted. He noticed the vacated surroundings except for a lone figure standing in the balcony. The moonlight casted a silver outline on the side Yongguk's matured face. It made the affection in Himchan's chest shiver in restrain. 

Himchan addressed Yongguk as "Your Highness" and Yongguk returned the greeting with a cold laugh. He turned around and looked at Himchan straight in the eye. Yongguk stared at him with a stoney solemness but Himchan saw through the front and found anger in the man's dark eyes. 

"Yongguk..." Himchan called his lover's name, hoping to seek solace in his arms once more to shatter the wall he had put up between the two of them. Yet, Yongguk only answered bitterly, "Am I not 'Your highness' anymore?" Himchan froze in his steps at Yongguk's hostility. He had thought there would at least be somebody to rely on upon his return, but even Yongguk seemed like a different person.

Yongguk slipped into his silence once more. That was the first time Himchan seen Yongguk in such a dark mood. Himchan only knew Yongguk to be a gentle person but that night, the dark of his eyes brewed with such fierce intensity, Himchan felt afraid. 

"Why did you return?" Yongguk's voice was low and masked with an air of brewing anger. "Have you not decided to leave this place once and for all?"

Himchan opened his mouth but found nothing to say. He was shocked that Yongguk knew so clearly of his motive. He was even more taken aback by the intensity of Yongguk's emotions. Yongguk never lost control of his emotions. Even when he was upset, it was only a slight tip of his momentum. He was calm and bearing like the vast sea. The only time Yongguk showed such fierce feelings was when they confessed at the lake that fateful night. Himchan never thought that Yongguk would use such intensity in his anger for him. He never thought Yongguk would be so affected by his leaving.

"Yongguk," Himchan found his tongue after a while. "I had my reasons."

"And so, you abandoned me. You abandoned us." Yongguk spoke more calmly than before, seeming to have found control of himself. "And if I were not to summon you, you were deciding not to talk to me again?"

"No! That's not true!" Himchan exclaimed, despite knowing that somebody might hear them.

Yongguk looked away, fatigue and sadness in his eyes. It made Himchan's heart ache. He shifted up towards Yongguk, touching the man on the shoulder. His hand found Yongguk's face quickly, gently with his thumb. 

"I'm sorry. I thought you would have been better without me. I thought you would be happier with a proper family and children of your own without a third person in your marriage." Himchan managed with his explanation in between sobs even though he pretended there were no tears streaming down his face. 

Yongguk had wanted to put up a hard resolve before the man who left him but he could not help but soften at Himchan's tears. It was as if they were back to the time when they were both young and innocent, when whatever was between them was not yet tainted by the rest of the world. But then, they stood before one another each shouldering weights from people that did not matter to them, refraining themselves from embracing who was important to them.

Himchan cried like a child, like when he was only the shy and reserved boy Yongguk fell in love with at first. He grabbed Himchan's hand on his face and jerked the man into a kiss, crashing their lips together fiercely and passionately. Himchan, overwhelmed by Yongguk relented and responded with the same feelings. But when Yongguk's hands tore at Himchan's clothes, the other man tried to shove him away to no avail.

"What if we got found out!" Himchan squeaked.

"I've asked them to leave... But I wouldn't care either way." Afraid that Himchan might say more, Yongguk silenced him with his own lips.

The aggressive and intensity of Yongguk's love was shocking, frightening even. But it reminded Himchan dearly that under the calm and composed exterior of this man lies somebody that loved him with the fury of a storm.