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hyunjin won't even fight back. the sword limp in his left hand while his right is offering the flower that kevin gave him that first day.
kevin's sword falls to the floor with a clatter. how could he kill hyunjin. really? it felt like killing his other half. he may have been trained since birth to protect his kingdom, kill the north prince and unite the land, but after what they've been through....
the first day they met, kevin was under disguise. posing as hyungseo, which wasn't even completely a lie, he caught the eye of the prince. which while that was his whole mission, he hadn't thought would be so easy.
a flower was plucked quickly from a nearby garden. the owner tending the flowers not even noticing kevin's quick hand.
a smile curved on his lips as he approached hyunjin. "for you, your highness." the words felt foreign to his tongue. he was used to getting addressed as that, not being the one doing the addressing. "it would go lovely with your cape."
the signature red cape thrown over a shoulder. if kevin hadn't seen portraits of hyunjin, the red cape embellished with fine expensive embroidery would be a tell tale sign.
it should be easy enough to just take a the sword hanging at his waist and strike. he stops though. there's something in those eyes that he doesn't want to snuff out. it's this same unknown force that when he sees someone else with the same thought as him, assassinate, that he does pull out his sword and block the attack.
in a strange turn of events, he saves the very life he was sent to kill.
the guards quickly apprehend the culprit of the obvious attack. kevin locks eyes again with hyunjin. it's not a long stare but it feels like ages until kevin is the one who breaks contact.
"im glad you're safe."
"are you injuried?"
his instinct is to say no, cause he's really not. the mission lingers in the back of his mind though. this could be a chance to get closer and somewhere more secluded with more time so pretty eyes can't stop him.
"maybe you should check me privately to make sure?" it's forward and very flirty, but hey, he did just save the life of a crowned prince and he's on a mission. he's allowed to flirt shamelessly.....
hyunjin laughs. it's short, but it's magical. like an fairy blessed him at birth to have the most beautiful laugh. there is stories of faries giving such gifts. it's not a stretch and it's a better answer than kevin really likes the sound of his laugh.
"im afraid im busy with other matters. i'll see to it that someone takes care of you. and in honor of saving me, you may dine with me tonight."
close enough. kevin can take that. there's several ways he could kill over dinner, he'll just need some time to prepare.
except when hyunjin sent someone to care for him, it wasn't just an injury. he was examined head to toe for any injuries, once deemed safe, whisked away to a tailor to get clean clothes that weren't travel worn.
he almost feels like he's home in the expensive fabric around his body. at least he isn't given a cape. he's not sure they're his style. blue suits him just as well. it doesn't have as fine embellishments, but it reeks of money. guess that's the treatment you get saving a life.
kevin avoids personal questions from the servants. he doesn't want to expose himself and loose his only chance.
the dinner comes quickly. a feast is laid out on the table, but only two placemats for food. it's a waste on them. if the opportunity arises, kevin will ask for the rest of the food be donated to the needy.
but then what is he saying. if he fulfills his mission there will be no prince to give this food away.
"hope your day wasn't too dangerous without me." he greets, hyunjin smiles back.
"positively boring without someone trying to murder me."
the dinner goes not surprisingly well. at the end of the meal he brings up the leftover food. "you know we barely touched any of this, you should give it to the poor."
"of course. it goes home to my servants and their families. the excess after goes to the rest of the castle village."
that....was unexpected. the intel kevin was fed since he was small was that the north kingdom was savage, full of malice. it's why he had to unite the kingdoms under his rule.
"that's so sexy of you." is all kevin replies with. the flirting hasn't stopped for a single moment. if anything it's grown. hyunjin reciprocating every word and gesture.
it's not surprising they end up in bed together after. it is surprising that kevin doesn't leave at the first opportunity. he stays, falling asleep with hyunjin in his arms.
he wakes up early the next morning.
now is his chance. the sword is right there. he could do it and make his advisors happy. they were the ones who taught him that there would be prosperity with the land united as one underneath his rule.
....he can't bring himself to do it.
hyunjin is sleeping soundly. soft snores leave his mouth....kevin really can't bring himself to do it.
instead he slips out from the bed, finds parchment and ink. he quickly writes a note saying he had to continue on his travels but wishes hyunjin a well and a happy kingdom.
he just doesn't see malice he grew up hearing about. maybe the previous king was, but this prince....he would make a good ruler with time. perhaps down the line if he would ever forgive...a treaty could be forged between the kingdoms.
with all the training he's grown up with, he leaves the kingdom without a single trace.
-
he's in for a berating when he returns to his own kingdom. the advisors condemning him that he couldn't do such a simple task. he lied and said it was a lot harder to get to the prince and his defenses are too good so he needs more time to plan.
as kevin goes about his own royal duties, he can't get hyunjin's laugh out of his head. it keeps repeating, he can barely pay attention to meetings. they drone on and he simply wishes to go back to that night.
"your highness!" an advisor's voice cuts through the scene in his mind. kevin snaps to attention. "could you please pay attention! the northern kingdom will be holding a royal masked ball and is inviting you. it's a perfect opportunity to murder hyunjin then."
he's caught in his own lie. he can't say that the prince would recognize him, that would imply he got close enough to do the deed. so the lie continues. maybe he'll see about getting a mask. remaining more anonymous. it wouldn't be hard considering how he never got portraits of himself.
"yes, of course...have the tailors make me something eye catching. blue maybe." he didn't say blue cause he loved the contrasting colours between himself and hyunjin.... and there his mind was back on hyunjin.
he's not sure how he'll explain himself when he sees the other. hey im a prince from the rival kingdom i lied to you....... that's not going to go over well.... not that it should matter. it really shouldn't. he has a mission.
what even is his mission though? hyunjin seemed wonderful in the short time they spent together. he doesn't want to think that his advisors, the people sworn to guide him in the correct direction, would lie. they're older with more life experiences....but at the same time.....it doesn't feel right.
he can't think about that though. he has to think of his people and kingdom. if uniting the kingdoms will bring prosperity, then he'll do what he can.
when he's given his outfit it just brings back more memories of that day. the jacket is embellished with white embroidery and jewelry with some matching down his pants.
he takes a look at himself in the mirror. he wonders if he'll get hyunjin's attention again like that day so long ago. what has it been? nearly a season? it felt so long and yet short at the same time.
"you look amazing your royal highness." his servant pulls him out of his thoughts of hyunjin and he offers a warm smile.
"you did well. thank you."
"you seem deep in thought. someone on your mind?" kevin didn't think he was being so obvious. the surprise must show on his face. "you have the same look i have when i think about my wife." the servant adds. her lips curling into a knowing smile. "whoever it is, is very lucky. i must be going to prepare your dinner."
with that she leaves and he's left with even more thoughts.
-
chanhee is his stand in but also his closest confidant. kevin confides in him about everything that happened while he was gone.
"i know the advisors are wise, but i don't see the danger they talk about in hyunjin." he laments. with it being just him and chanhee in the hallway he doesn't even try to hide his confusion and anxiety about the ball and what could happen there.
he knows if he's not the one to assassinate hyunjin, someone else will. he doesn't know what it is, maybe he's too close to the situation now but it doesn't feel right.
"i know you may not want to hear this…" chanhee is choosing his words carefully and softly. "the advisors might be lying. they could be manipulating you."
"maybe." he doesn't want to accept that. these are men who have cared for him and his kingdom since he was young. they served his father before him and when he takes the crown in a few months they'll serve him.
"something to think about, but sire, know that i support you through all of this." chanhee smiles softly and that helps ease the nerves in kevin. just having someone on his side was nice.
-
the ball is in five days. kevin is nearly to the north kingdom. they're resting for a short time when a party of bandits comes along.
kevin draws his sword. they can't know who he his. he's dressed in common clothes, not wanting to be recognized and taken for ransom on the journey. chanhee, his standee for such events who's dressed like a prince, is surrounded by bandits.
it's quite a good thing too when flashes of red appear. all he sees is blond hair and a flowing red cape to get him distracted. hyunjin is right there and he's coming towards him and he looks furious.
hyunjin knows kevin's lie; he knows everything. this was payback for lying and abandoning him. he's almost waiting for the sharp pain but it never comes. instead he hears the clang of swords clashing above him. hyunjin's double swords met with a bandit's.... right in front of kevin.
the bandit was going for him. hyunjin stopped it. "fancy seeing you again." he calls over his shoulder to kevin before quickly striking the bandit down.
with the rest of his entourage coming through the trees, the bandits flee hyunjin and his knights. kevin doesn't even realize he fell back until the cape is flicked past his sight is replaced by a welcoming hand.
"i hope you've stayed safer than this on your travels. i was consoling myself of your absence that you knew how to fight, but now i'm not so sure." there's a friendly smile on his face. the anger completely gone.......was the anger really at a bandit that was about to chop his head off?
"i was distracted by your beauty." he winks, hoping to hide the hum of anxiety in his bones. his advisors and servants are around checking up on each other. he can't give away that he knows hyunjin and he can't give away that he's actually a prince of a rival kingdom.
hyunjin laughs, that beautiful laugh that makes kevin's heart skip a beat. "you haven't changed. i'll catch up to you later. i can't be rude to your kingdom."
he goes to chanhee who thankfully is unharmed. chanhee shares a quick look with kevin before plastering on a smile and looking as elegant as a prince should when greeting another.
"thank you for your assistance." chanhee bows in respect and hyunjin returns. "we made it unharmed thanks to you."
the advisors look annoyed just being close to hyunjin. an outsider looking at them wouldn't be able to tell. kevin could, he could feel the sickly sweet fake respect toward hyunjin.
kevin liked to think his advisors wouldn't try something with so many guards surrounding them, but he kept an eye on hyunjin's back anyway as he pretended to be guarding chanhee instead.
at one point hyunjin leans to whisper to chanhee and chanhee laughs and whispers back causing hyunjin to laugh too…... there's….. there's a flash of jealousy in his heart; he wants to be the one making hyunjin laugh.
-
at the kingdom kevin keeps himself busy to avoid both his advisors and hyunjin, it almost works. he avoids his advisors, but hyunjin is more stubborn than he thought. it's the morning before the ball.
"stop for a moment!" kevin freezes hearing his voice and slowly turns back. "i talked to chanhee. you're free of your duties for the day. come with me."
chanhee…... that traitor. ( and somewhere in the castle chanhee is aggressively sneezing, he knows someone is bad mouthing him. )
a smile curves on kevin's lips, he can't help it and he can't reject hyunjin. it would be like telling an excited puppy no. "you missed me that much?" he jokes.
hyunjin doesn't answer and instead links his hand with kevin's. his other hand is holding a picnic basket….this was so planned. "c'mon, you left so suddenly last time i wasn't able to take you to my favourite place."
that's how kevin finds himself being led out to a hill overlooking the castle and village.
"you looking forward to the ball?" he asks as hyunjin sets everything up. kevin tries to help but hyunjin insists he do it on his own.
"hm, will you be there?"
"yes."
"then yes. make sure you save a dance for me." hyunjin winks. it causes kevin's heart to flutter.
"now who's being flirty." hyunjin just smiles as he finishes then motions for kevin to sit. "you really didn't have to do all this."
"well….you can pay me back by telling me about your travels." kevin was so caught in a lie. he doesn't have any recent travel tales besides the whole failed attempt of assassination.
he thinks on how he can get his way out of this and it's not a lie, but it's not entirely the truth. he tells tales of his past adventures. the times where he accidentally fell into a fairy circle and almost danced until he died until one fairy took pity on him. the times he ran into some goblins.
all the adventures and quests his advisors sent him on as training to be a great king. but now he's not so sure that they have his best intentions at heart.
"you're so well traveled. i wish i could say the same." kevin could hear the wanderlust in hyunjin's voice. the urge to grab his hands and ask him to runaway with him is so strong.
"maybe one day you can see the world. we could see it together." he didn't mean to add that last part. he didn't . it just came out, he couldn't control his voice or his heart.
there was that laugh again. "maybe i'll take you up on that sometime. once i get settled as king and the kingdom can handle itself for a few weeks without me."
that's if kevin doesn't assassinate him. with every passing moment he's more and more unsure about his mission.
pushing those thoughts aside the rest of the picnic goes lovely. kevin is really falling and falling hard.
-
the ball is that night. kevin is dressed in fine clothes. blue with embellished white jewelys and embroidery he looks princely. the mask is a beautiful sliver one with a butterfly wing detail covering one side. he looks like a royal prince.
tonight he won't be able to hide that he an opposing prince. tonight his advisors expect him to kill hyunjin.
they pull him aside. reminding him of his mission, saying to take hyunjin into the castle gardens, there's a gazebo, isolated, perfect for the kill. kevin's heart is filled with unease but he nods along.
as he enters the ball he's well aware of his advisors eyes following his every move
he also can feel hyunjin's gaze. it's on him as soon as he walked in... like hyunjin was waiting for him. it's not hard to find hyunjin either, the red cape around one arm a dead giveaway.
it's both obvious and not that hyunjin is making his way towards kevin. he stops to greet his guests and chat but there's a distinct path he's going.
kevin makes his way to chanhee who's dressed in white. he looks absolutely princely. between the two of them it'd be hard to tell who's the real prince of the southern kingdom.
chanhee leans to whisper in kevin's ear. "he's looking for you. go get him tiger." and chanhee, the bastard, shoves him right into hyunjin's arms.
the warmth has his heart aflutter. his breath is taken away. lips are brushing against his ear. "meet me in the gardens at midnight." and then hyunjin is gone, off to another noble happily chatting like he hadn't made kevin's heart stop.
chanhee is laughing. kevin can't hear it, hyunjin's voice the only thing he can hear, but he can see chanhee's shoulders shaking. the bastard.
the wait for midnight is excruciating. anxiety is thrumming through his body. he can't do this. he can't kill hyunjin with his smile that could rival sunshine. he's not as bad as he was led to believe, peace could be achieved without murder.
he wants to confide in chanhee….but he knows the other will say to follow his instinct. he should, he really should. but it's not so easy to shed off years of lies.
as the clock strikes, kevin feels himself going towards the gazebo. he doesn't want to go. he wants to run away, forget all about that pretty smile.
hyunjin is there, looking ethereal. the moonlight and light from the castle shines upon them in this corner of the world. hyunjin's holding something behind his back. for a second kevin honestly hopes it's a knife. he hopes that somehow hyunjin caught wind of the assassination plot and was going to take him out first…..but then nothing in way hyunjin has acted has felt anything less then genuine.
"hi." hyunjin breathes. the sword feels heavy at kevin's side. "so, you're not who you say you are…."
he knows.
"prince hyungseo. or do you prefer kevin?"
a laugh.
"you could've told me you know. i don't bite." another laugh. he doesn't know. kevin's voice is lost. he can't muster up the will to say anything. "don't look so empty. i'm not mad."
he feels it coming before he sees the glistening silver of a throwing knife. he draws his sword and blocks it. the knife clattering to the ground.
seems that hyunjin noticed it as well as his sword is also drawn. there's confliction dancing across his eyes. he looks from kevin to the knife then back. the sword goes limp in his hand and his other hand is pulling out the same type of flower that kevin gave him all that time ago.
"guards!" kevin yells. he's blowing his cover….he'll probably be executed along with his advisors…. but hyunjin will be safe.
within ten minutes he's surrounded by guards while his advisors are rounded up for attempting to assassinate the prince. hyunjin still has the flower in his hand, but his expression is unreadable.
-
kevin sits in the dungeons. he's waiting for hyunjin's decision. his advisors have yelled his ear off for the betrayal, but kevin can't bring himself to care. if he wanted to get into schematics, he is uniting the kingdoms. hyunjin could take over his kingdom.
chanhee is nowhere to be seen. kevin hopes he's alright. he wasn't involved in any of this and kevin will die defending him if he has to.
time goes on. one by one the advisors are taken away and not returned. they must be saving him for last. it's what he would do in hyunjin's place.
finally, it's not a guard that comes to get kevin. it's chanhee. he stares down kevin, the disappointment clear on his face. until it gives way to a smile. "i better get a promotion." he says as he unlocks the cell.
kevin is frozen. he stays frozen as chanhee unlocks the cuffs. doesn't move until chanhee hits him in the shoulder. "god! i'm waiting. promote me. i smoothed everything over... well, mostly. the advisors……" he trails off with a shrug.
"is hyunjin okay?" is all kevin can ask.
"oh i'm fine. a bit pissed, but you can fix that." hyunjin's voice sounds through the cell. he's leaning in the doorway. "give chanhee that promotion."
kevin nods so quickly. not that he wouldn't already give chanhee a promotion after everything he's done. but hyunjin is there. in front of him. alive.
hyunjin sighs, but it's not a bad sigh. it's more of a why are you like this? sigh. he pushes himself off the doorway to walk over and hold out a hand to help kevin up.
"we do have much to discuss. i want to learn the real you, and maybe we can still unite the kingdom in a different way." he winks and kevin just pulls him into a tight hug.
apologies are spilling from his lips faster than he can think. he's going a mile a minute until hyunjin kisses his forehead. that makes him freeze. "let's not talk in a dungeon. it's smelly and i hate being down here."
he and hyunjin spend the next two weeks talking and creating a plan to unite the kingdoms that may or may not include marriage. as well as the promotion chanhee wanted that would make him second in command when kevin takes hyunjin on adventures to far off places and meeting magical creatures.