Changmin was awoken just as Anor shone her first light. He smiled slightly as he heard the sounds of birds chirping. They sound joyful, as if to celebrate the new break of yet another dawn even with the darkness looming on their doorstep. He turned to his side, and was faced with a sight of his Consort soundly sleep with his eyes opened.

Junsu was beautiful. His beauty was not in the common term, for Changmin had seen other Elves with more physical beauty and fairer faces than Junsu. But in Changmin’s mind, Junsu was the most beautiful elf in every sense. His Consort was brave, selfless, kind, and the most generous soul on Arda. He might not be the strongest warrior, or the wisest advisor, but he loved Changmin. And for the young king, it was more than enough. 

The King watched, as dawn turned into morn. In short while there would be a knock at the door. A servant would wake them and Changmin needed to do his duties as a King. But he would like to savor this moment, when the whole Ardamelted into only him and his Consort. A time when they could take less care of the darkness, a time when everything was not impossible. 

As Anor rose higher, the awareness in his Consort’s eyes also grew. Changmin continued to watch as Junsu took a deep breath before sighing. His gaze then turned towards Changmin who felt his heart beat faster as he saw his Consort smiled. “Good morning,” he heard him whispered.

Changmin could not stop the smile blossoming on his face. He turned to his side and propped himself on his elbow so that he could face the other clearer. “Good morning.” He traced a finger on his Consort’s smooth cheek. 

“Are you not going to kiss me?” 

The King smiled at the other’s cheekiness. He did not mind, for he knew it meant that Junsu was being comfortable with him at last. Leaning down, he granted his Consort’s wish and kissed him. Their lips met and his Consort tasted so soft, so pure, so beautiful that Changmin felt he could kiss him forever.

What began as mere touching between two lips, soon grew into something more. Neither of them was experienced, but the Valar seemed to be guiding them, for they knew exactly what the other wanted. Changmin parted his own lips and traced that of his Consort’s, asking for permission in which Junsu easily granted. 

At that moment, the King made a decision: he would bed his Consort tonight.

-----


It was easier to say than done though, for as the day passed by, Changmin only grew worried. The last (and first, he deeply regretted) time Changmin bed his Consort, he had left him unsatisfied. He might have even hurt him that night. And Changmin, being the fool that he was, chose not to care. 

He knew what was expected of him of course, he had seen literatures and read the scripts. However it did not ease his mind. He needed a guidance, from someone who was experienced, and fortunately he knew just such an elf. His best friend, Lord Jaejoong from the House of Golden Flower, was notorious for his skills in bed.

And so Changmin sought out his childhood friend, and he found him in the barracks. The guards bowed as the King passed by them. Changmin merely nodded at the guards, for he was determined to speak with his friend. He watched as Lord Jaejoong finished talking to one of his men and smiled at him. 

“It is rare to see you at the barracks. Do you wish to spar?”

“I need to speak with you, for a matter of most importance.”

Lord Jaejoong frowned. Changmin could see his best friend sheathed his sword and gave instructions to one of the senior guards to continue the practice. Once he was sure that Lord Jaejoong would follow him out, Changmin walked fast and led them back to a secluded area in the Royal Garden, where he knew there was no one who could hear them speak. The guards were posted at the entrance, and as Changmin slipped behind a tree, he saw them stood guard.

Now that they both were well beyond the reach of other elves, Changmin bit his lip. How to ask this to his best friend? He did not wish to be seen as an inexperienced, however the truth that must be. At times like these, Changmin hated his young age.

“What is it that you wish to speak of?” Lord Jaejoong asked.

Changmin drew a long breath, for he knew that there was no turning back now. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “How do you know what to do when you are…in bed?”

For a moment the Lord from the House of Golden Flower seemed confused. Then, a realization dawned on Lord Jaejoong’s face and soon Changmin found himself under an amused look from his friend. The tone Lord Jaejoong used was that of enjoyment. “Is this your matter of importance? You wish to bed your Consort tonight?” 

A blush appeared on the King’s young face. Then he heard a bright laughter from his friend, and Changmin scowled. He let Lord Jaejoong laughed for few moments more, and finally the Lord from the House of Golden Flower was done. “You have not bed him on your wedding night? Or were you too drunk to remember?”

“I’ve bed him that night, but it was not…enjoyable for him. Oh for Valar’s sake Jaejoong, please stop laughing.”

His best friend seemed find it hard to contain his laugher. And then Lord Jaejoong cleared his throat, a bright smile still on his face. “Forgive me, my friend. But I must tell you that I did not expect this when you spoke a matter of most importance. However I do apologize again. Now, what is it that you wish to know?” 

Just at that moment, a commotion was heard at the entrance of the Royal Garden. A guard ran across and quickly made his way to the King. A worried look on his face as he shouted, “My King! The Lords from the House of Harp have committed suicide!”

Lord Jaejoong was the first one who reacted.“What? How?!” It was unthinkable for prisoners to commit suicide in their cell. Every prisoner must relinquish their weapons. Every single food was tested beforehand, to make sure there was no poison in it. Moreover they had just pardoned the two Lords but yesterday, to exile them instead of executing them. Such an act of forgiveness would surely be a relief for the two Lords. But clearly they thought otherwise, for they both now committed suicide. 

The guard who broke the news then explained. “The prison guard came in to bring food and he found the two Lords dead. It seemed that Lord Seunghyun was strangled by Lord Dongwook, for his neck was bruised. And Lord Dongwook then hung himself using his robes and prison bars.”

“Where are they now? Is it certain that they are dead?” Lord Jaejoong asked.

“Yes my Lord, the healers have been summoned and they have confirmed it to be so.”

The Lord from the House of Golden Flower thought of it for a moment. This was unexpected, but it might just work in their favor. There had been few concerns when the King pardoned the two guilty Lords. Exile seemed generous, but it did not vanquish the worry that the two Lords might go to Kingdom of Kuveth and seek for pardon there. They were deep in Cardonna’s council; they might point out the weaknesses in The Great Kingdom’s army. 

However now the two Lords were dead. Be that of coincidence, or by the grace of the Valar, Lord Jaejoong felt it was fortunate, no matter how unkind it might seem. But what would the King say? The King had thought exile was an act of generosity and it took a great deal of him to make that exile.

Lord Jaejoong glanced towards his best friend, and was startled to see that the King did not seem surprise. In fact, he looked as if he was relieved. The relaxed shoulders, the calm posture, not a hint of surprise or shocked. 

“Tell the House of Harp of this news and asked the healers to prepare the bodies. They are still Lords from one of the Five Noble Houses, and they will be buried with honor, regardless of what they have done,” commanded the King. 

The guard then nodded and bowed. Lord Jaejoong watched him go, and asked the King. “What will happen to the House of Harp?” 

“They will appoint the distant cousin of Lord Dongwook to be the new Lord. I heard this cousin is still very young, but he is an elf with many talents, including sword skill and bow. Of course, the most important thing is that he has lived far from Lord Dongwook’s influence and by no means can speak of evil.”

Lord Jaejoong nodded. It was wise of the King not to punish the whole House of Harp. They would need every elf available if they were to go in a war with the Dark Kingdom of Kuveth. Words had travelled far and wide that the Orcs now numbered tens of thousands. Trolls and Wargs were amongst them, and they now had ventured closer than ever toGondolin. They had even made stronghold across the river, made of stones and fires. 

In no time they would attack, and Gondolin would be the first line of defense. If Gondolin fall, then it was only a matter of time before the dark creatures stormed towards Ered Luin, for the mithril mine worth more than thousands of men. It provided an army with the best armor and weapon. And it was the Great Kingdom of Cardonna’s advantage against the Kingdom of Kuveth. Every warrior in Cardonna had his armor and weapon made with mithril. No steel could pierce it, no other metal was stronger.

With the war so close at their door, Cardonna would need every elf to fight their best, the House of Harp included. Although their two Lords were now dead, from what Yunho had reported, it seemed that they still have a great deal of loyalty towards the Kingdom. The King’s decision to exile Lord Dongwook and Lord Seunghyun was seen as an act of mercy, rare for a King who had been poisoned. The act of treason committed by the two Lords brought a shame towards the House of Harp.

And suddenly Lord Jaejoong realized. This had been the King’s plan all along. He had no intention of releasing the two Lords, of letting them to go free. 

From the beginning of his coronation day, he knew that he would not have the House of Harp’s loyalty as long as the two Lords were still alive. And so the King had carefully formed the plan. He had himself poisoned, for a reason none other than to prove the two Lords’ communication with the Dark Kingdom of Kuveth and it had succeeded. The two lords were proven guilty. 

But surely some members from the House of Harp had thought very highly of Lord Dongwook, he was their lord after all, and the King was to take no chance in that. He had pardoned the two Lords, chose a life of exile for them rather than executions to show the people, including the House of Harp, that was a generous and wise King. He had predicted that the two Lords would commit suicide and now that they did, all the House of Harp would find no fault in the King’s decision. They would merely think that the two Lords could not face such decision, and chose death instead. 

The King would be seen as an even wiser ruler, one that had pardoned his subjects, even though they had committed treasons. It would place the King in different light, even to those from the House of Harp, for now their two Lords were not executed, they chose their own deaths.

Lord Jaejoong was amazed by how intelligent his King was. The King was three, four steps ahead from everyone, and he did not hesitate to go with his plan. “You knew this would happen. You’ve planned for it to happen,” Lord Jaejoong noted with amazement. “You knew they would commit suicide and you’ve planned everything from the beginning. The whole act of poisoning yourself had this suicide as final goal.”

Changmin then shrugged. “They are lords, used to live well and in luxury. They pride would be hurt if they were to face exile. There was nothing worse for warriors such as themselves than to be banished. They would prefer deaths.”

Lord Jaejoong chuckled. And to think that an elf with such an intelligence would face difficulty in bedroom. The young King from the Great Kingdom of Cardonna was surely a wonder. And the King’s Consort Junsu, was a fortunate elf to have the King as his husband.



-End of Chapter Sixteen-


Glossary:
Valar = gods
Arda = time/earth
Anor= sun