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“Um, your highness? The rebels have broken through.”
Sehun inhaled sharply, a wide grin breaking out on his face. He stood up quickly, striding across the room to grab his sword and attached it to his belt almost enthusiastically. “That’s
great
, Jongin,” the prince said, patting his bodyguard on the back before practically skipping out the door.
“Your highness, I don’t think that’s such a good idea—” Jongin exclaimed, but Sehun was already out the door. After some thought, he hurried out after the prince.
With his bodyguard in tow, Sehun was confident that he would be able to join the rebel cause and score himself a hot rebel lover. He didn’t see much of his father anyways, so he assumed he did something tragically bad to invoke the wrath of his people—whatever it was, his father practically guaranteed him a handsome rebel prince that would whisk him away. After being away in his cousin’s kingdom (he was a short little guy that went by the name of Kyungsoo) for the past six months, he needed some action, and fast.
“I wonder why Father didn’t tell me we were in danger of a rebel attack,” he said thoughtfully, strutting down the palace halls. The sounds of swords clashing got louder as he hurried down flights of stairs. “This is the most fun I’ve had in my life!”
Jongin gulped nervously. “I’m sure his majesty had his reasons, but I don’t think we should be going down there. You’re the perfect hostage to take for ransom,” he said reasonably, hoping that the brat didn’t get himself stabbed in the process.
“That’s sexy,” he said to himself, much to the dismay of his bodyguard. “My rebel prince will save me, fear not Jongin!”
“I don’t think it’s supposed to work like that…”
The palace’s first floor was an utter mess, rebels and royal guards alike fighting aggressively with swords drawn. However, it seemed like most of the royal regiment had fled, leaving the rebels to trash whatever they could. Sehun looked like he won the lottery.
Musing to himself, he slowly approached the rebels, hands up in surrender. “I wonder which one is the hottest—I don’t want to hook up with a cute one only to find a cuter one. Hey you! Which one of you is the best looking?”
A few of them stopped fighting to look at them, but to Sehun’s dismay, they were average-looking at best. Besides, it wasn’t long before one of the smarter ones realized who Sehun actually was.
“You fools,” he shouted. “That’s the crown prince! Get him!”
Immediately, some of the guards lunged towards the advancing rebels in a vain attempt to protect Sehun. At this point, everyone had their swords drawn. It was too late—Jongin and Sehun were hopelessly surrounded by at least a dozen rebels. Worst case scenario, they would be killed. Best case scenario, they would be taken to another place for ransom. Perhaps dying would be preferable to babysitting Sehun…
The remaining guards, along with Jongin and Sehun, were quickly tied up and led out of the palace, surrounded by rebels. At least they wouldn’t be gutted in their own home; Sehun’s father probably fled hours before to leave everyone to fend for themselves.
At this point
, Jongin thought darkly,
who cared about his majesty? They were prisoners of war!
His years of training had to be worth something. They were all tied up, hands behind their backs. From all sides, rebels flanked them but did not bother touching them. It was quite a surprise, as Jongin had always been told that it was a death (or at least torture) sentence when caught in such a way. Their weapons had been confiscated.
After a while—a few villages had been pillaged—they had blindfolds thrown on their heads. Sehun weakly swore that his father would hear about their treason, earning him a few kicks to the shins before he shut up. From what Jongin could tell, they were being loaded onto a stolen carriage. No one would suspect a royal carriage with curtained windows.
The trip went on for what seemed like hours. He struggled to undo his bonds, but they eventually loosened up to the point where he could comfortably shift around. The rebels had decided to have no one in the carriage itself, so Jongin risked a few whispers.
“Alright your highness, where are you,” he hissed.
“They threw me on the floor. It smells like feet.”
The guards didn’t get paid enough to have such a bratty prince in line to the throne, but whatever. Before anyone could retort, Sehun continued. “I saw a really cute guy before they threw this sack over my head. He had the prettiest eyes—”
“Shut up,” went someone on the outside. The group decided to remain silent, and the trip continued. Might as well see what the rebels had in store for them. When the carriage finally stopped, Jongin winced at the sudden light that shone through the blindfold. Everyone was roughly hauled out.
The room that they were led into had a strangely fragrant scent—roses, perhaps—and there was an immediate air of luxury. It was almost as if Sehun knew exactly where they were because he had to start being obnoxious all over again. Jongin almost died of embarrassment. He wouldn’t have been surprised if they just killed everyone on the spot.
“I’ve been here before,” he started telling everyone. “I don’t remember when, but just you wait!”
Again, he was told to shut up. After entering a room that crackled merrily with a fireplace, they were forced on their knees. Jongin swore under his breath when his blindfold was taken off. Oh, he knew where they were alright. And apparently, Sehun knew it too.
“Really Chanyeol?”
“It’s Your Grace to you,” the young duke drawled, circling them. This all made sense, everything that’s happened in the kingdom in the past year! “Take the others away. I’d like to speak with just Sehun.”
For the millionth time today, he was being dragged away. He had to put up a fight. Sharply elbowing the two guys that went to apprehend him, he slammed his body in Chanyeol’s general direction. It all made sense; no wonder that side of the kingdom avoided any rebel pillaging. At first, it seemed like dumb luck. After the fifth attack, the sinking suspicion that Chanyeol had something to do with it became too much of a reality. This confirmed everything.
Chanyeol frowned. “This isn’t really the way to greet an old friend.”
“This isn’t really the way to treat your kingdom either. Where is your loyalty to his majesty,” Jongin snarled as his captors caught up to him. He was still kicking and screaming when they took him out of the room. Closing the door behind him, Chanyeol wheeled on Sehun, who had taken it upon himself to pick one of the chairs in the parlor.
“You know why you’re here. Your father owes me. Big time.”
Sehun shrugged casually. He hadn’t met this guy more than a few times, and never had he been alone with him. It was only natural that he was more focused on his looked than whatever bone he had to pick with the King. Chanyeol was good-looking. “That’s your problem. I haven’t seen my father in months.”
And it was true. His Majesty had more or less been absent in Sehun’s life. They hadn’t spoken face-to-face since Sehun visited Kyungsoo’s half a year ago. He wasn’t satisfied with that answer.
“Doesn’t change the fact that he owes me something.”
Sehun was more focused on Chanyeol’s looks than trying to help him get payback on his father. “You have lovely hair.”
His countenance shifted to one of confusion—he probably was just dumb, so Stockholm syndrome probably wasn’t it—before shifting back to coolness. “If you didn’t know, your father borrowed a large sum of money from me. He has refused to pay it back.”
“Listen, I’m not the treasurer or anything,” Sehun said. “I haven’t even been in town for the past six months! And by the way, your chairs are ugly.”
Chanyeol’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
Oh, so he’s DUMB dumb. For his information, his chairs were expensive. He would not be insulted in his own home like this.
With a snap of his fingers, a guard burst into the room, waiting for Chanyeol’s command. He quickly left and returned a few moments later with a beat-up Jongin. “Since you’re not cooperating, maybe he will get you to.”
This wasn’t exactly the hot rebel leader fantasy Sehun wanted, and blood was definitely hard to wash out of carpet. A knife was at Jongin’s throat. He was quickly realizing the severity of the situation (mostly because Chanyeol was the only cute rebel he had seen and he definitely hadn’t been nice so far. Oh, and Jongin looked like he was pretty… tired.)
“What do you even want me to do,” he sighed. “You already trashed my house and my bodyguard is going to die if your guy doesn’t let him go.”
Thankfully, he was beginning to show a shred of reason. Chanyeol was confident that he was going to get what he wanted. “I want you to make him see reason. His people are starving while he grows richer. My loan to him has gone unpaid.”
“So… you’re going to let me go?”
Just as he thought Sehun was understanding this whole ransom thing, he had to go on and pull those stupid one-liners. “No. What kind of prince are you? You’re going to write a letter to your father and I’m keeping you for ransom until some change happens around here.”
Immediately, the prince’s bottom lip jutted out in a deep pout. He wasn’t free to go
and
the hot rebel clearly had no intention on being his lover.
“Fine.”
Chanyeol waved a hand at his guard, and Jongin collapsed on the floor, gasping for dear life. “Take his
royal highness
—” he said this with an air of disgust “—to his room. And my dear Jongin. We have a lot of catching up to do.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As Sehun was led away, a guard pulled Jongin upright, pushing him onto a chair. He blinked rapidly, struggling to stay conscious. The fight he had put up earned him a black eye and more bruises than he could count.
“We live different lives now, Chan. I have nothing to say to you.”
Chanyeol whined. “Come on, Jongin. We used to be so close. We used to have so. Much. Fun.”
Wincing, Jongin dabbed the corner of his lip. He was bleeding. “My loyalty lies with his majesty and his royal highness. That was the oath I swore when I joined the royal guard."
He hadn’t seen his ex in years, and Chanyeol was sorely disappointed by the lack of reaction Jongin gave him. At one point, he too had been in line to become a guard. Memories of his adolescence flooded in his mind—the training, the stolen kisses, the promotion.
Jongin was right. They did live different lives. Ever since the King’s life was saved and Chanyeol was whisked away into nobility, Jongin had shut him out of his life. It clearly was for the best, because his ex was apparently the leader of the rebel forces within the kingdom. He didn’t need to associate himself with that, and he planned to make that clear to Chanyeol.
“You’ve really changed.”
“No shit.”
Frowning, Chanyeol yanked Jongin by the hair, forcing him to look at him. “It’s a real shame. You’re still the same pretty boy, even when you’re all beaten up.”
He swatted his hand away almost lazily. Chanyeol and his same old tactics—his cocky attitude clearly hadn’t changed since the last time they spoke. If anything, his ego had inflated tenfold. Defiance blazed in his eyes. Nobility or not, he had no respect for him.
“My people will see you to your room. I’m not a barbarian, after all,” he said with a dismissive wave. “If you don’t mind, I have a prince to corrupt and demand a ransom for.”
Jongin was too tired and frustrated to protest. That brat knew better than to let a rebel do something dumb to him, and he knew for a fact that he kept at least one blade on his body at all times. With a heavy sigh, he allowed himself to be led out of the room into another wing in the estate, although not without some shin-kicking. Besides, it was pretty obvious that the King wasn’t going to pay any ransom amount. He had no idea why Chanyeol even bothered.
Chanyeol remained in the parlor for several more minutes, musing to himself.
The fool hadn’t changed. He’s over me, but lovesick for that bratty little prince. It shows so clearly.
So when Chanyeol went to get Sehun to write the ransom letter, he had to make a move. He strode into the guest room without knocking, much to his surprise. Sehun yelped, instinctively covering his chest for some reason. It took him a second for him to recognize who it was.
“Oh. It’s you. What could a rebel leader possibly want with little old me,” Sehun sighed.
“You’re going to write a ransom letter for me. Request half of the royal treasury and tell them that you will escape unharmed if your father meets my demands,” he replied coolly. “By the way, you’re pretty cute when you’re surprised.”
Alright, forget the ransom letter thing. Sehun’s ears immediately turned a brilliant red as he sputtered out some words before nodding curtly. He did not expect the whole hot rebel fantasy to walk straight into his life, and this was the best thing that’s happened to him since letting himself get kidnapped. Now that Jongin wasn’t in any mortal danger or anything, he would be flirting with danger himself. And god, Chanyeol was a sin. He patted himself down for a fountain pen before looking at him expectantly for a piece of paper.
“In the desk drawer on the left.”
“Thanks.”
He scribbled a hasty note addressed to his father, and after a few revisions, the final draft was on the way to what remained of the palace. Surely the king would somehow hear of the kidnapping of his son. Even if he didn’t, Chanyeol wasn’t being a dick to him at the moment so it was a win-win. Sehun never cared for his father much anyway. He was a bastard child, after all—but it’s not like anyone had to know that. Not even the late queen.
Chanyeol casually leaned on the desk after the letter was written. “Say, are you into guys? You’ve been ogling me ever since you got here.”
“That’s not true.”
Which was funny, because Sehun’s eyes didn’t seem to travel upwards. In fact, they went south. Chanyeol couldn’t help but chuckle a little. “You didn’t answer the question.”
There was a slight pause. “What’s it to you?”
“You’re a bit cute, that’s all. It’s lonely being the only guy around here. It’s not like I can fuck the guards, you know. It would be bad news,” he said. “I already learned that in my youth. I was young, foolish—”
The next thing anyone knew, they were both on the bed. Chanyeol had to admit to himself, it was a lot easier than he thought. He doubted Sehun had seen anyone’s dick besides his own anyway, so one thing led to another quickly. Oh, Jongin was going to get a kick out of this!
When they finally got a reply from the newly repaired palace several weeks later, Sehun realized that he hadn't seen Jongin since he was led away. Not that he didn’t care about him, but when one was with Chanyeol nearly all hours of the day, it was kind of hard to remember him.
The king’s answer was a big, fat no. Essentially, he told them to suck it, as he swore that he knew that his son was away at their summer estate. Little did he know, defected servants in the palace forged Sehun’s handwriting. The rebels had much bigger plans than the royal treasury, especially now that they had Sehun on their side. It was rather obvious that the king didn’t keep too many close tabs on his son.
Chanyeol figured that it was time for the prince and his bodyguard to reunite. He had brainwashed him after all. It was a natural charm. He decided dinner would be a civil place.
He sat down at the head of the table—obviously—while the two sat on opposite ends. Jongin snuck suspicious glances at him throughout the dinner, and Sehun clearly was attempting small talk. “Did he give you a good room? Please tell me you weren't like. Tortured or anything. I was
so
worried.”
To be completely honest, he hadn’t thought much of him, but still. This was his bodyguard of several years after all. Jongin took some hesitant spoonfuls of soup. “Yeah, but solitary confinement sucks. Chan—are those other guys even alive?”
“Yeah.”
Well that was awkward. He went on. “You’re alright, though. I think I’d die if I failed my job.”
“Yeah. Of course I’m fine, Jongin! Chanyeol has been taking
great
care of me,” he said a little too suggestively. Jongin couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at that. A twinge of jealousy coursed through his body, which he attempted to play off.
“That’s… cool.”
Suddenly, the doors burst open. A harried guard—he had lovely eyes, so he must have been the guy Sehun described when they first got kidnapped—ran inside. He caught his breath for a moment.
“Your Grace, news from the p-palace.” The young man struggled to catch his breath.
Chanyeol’s eyebrows furrowed, but his lips curled into a small grin. “What is it, Luhan?”
“T-the king. He’s been poisoned.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
All eyes flickered briefly to Sehun, who clearly needed another moment to comprehend what just happened. His expression was dumbfounded, and he was clearly struggling to put two and two together. Jongin didn’t miss the victorious glint in Chanyeol’s eyes.
There was a long moment of silence before Sehun finally gasped. “You mean, he’s dead? Like kicked the bucket dead?”
“Yes, your highness. He was poisoned this afternoon,” Luhan said quickly. “I came as fast as I could. Forgive my intrusion.”
“It’s quite alright, Luhan. You may go.” Chanyeol seemed pleased with his report and dismissed him. Jongin was putting two and two together by the second, and he was about to open his mouth to confront Chanyeol when he was rudely interrupted.
“I know what you’re thinking, Jongin. I’ll have you executed in a heartbeat. I’ve been planning this for far too long for you to ruin my plans now!” He exclaimed. “Sehun is going to be the king. You don’t realize how much bigger this is than the two of us. The kingdom will be turned completely around. The people will finally get the treatment they deserve.”
Tch. The road to hell was paved with good intentions anyway. He seriously doubted that he was telling the complete truth anyway.
“My loyalty still remains to his royal highness,” he growled.
“Good. We have a coronation to plan now. I have my eyes and ears in the palace and plenty of alibis for Sehun here. Everything is set in place.”
This plan was more complex than Jongin had initially expected. He had heard of a plot to get a ransom, but straight up assassination came as a surprise to him. Worse yet, he had sworn his life to protect the young heir, and given that he was hopelessly in love with him, he wasn’t going to desert him anytime soon. Not with that giant moron leering over his shoulder at all hours of the day. He had been cut out of the equation at this point.
Besides, how intimate were they even? Chanyeol stopped bothering to use titles, and he could only assume the worst had happened between the two of them. Oh, he knew exactly what Chanyeol did alright. He had done the same thing with him before. His years of pining went down the chamberpot.
Keep it professional. No matter your feelings, his life comes first. You must protect him.
He couldn’t expose this plot and endanger Sehun. Not after all they’ve been through.
They returned to the palace soon enough. Strangely, it was silent despite everything nasty Jongin had to say to Chanyeol. It was a busy month prepping for Sehun’s coronation, and Jongin couldn’t help but feel continuous pangs of jealousy whenever Chanyeol and Sehun were together. It seemed like they were always together, and it was as if the palace had been let in on a secret that he hadn’t known before. Everyone seemed to avoid him. He’s known him longer, how
dare
he take away—
“Hey. Are you okay?”
Sehun tugged at the sleeves of his burgundy tunic uncomfortably. He was slightly preoccupied with the whole coronation business, but he couldn’t miss the anxious and concerned expression on Jongin’s face. They made eye contact.
“Yeah.”
“Alright then.”
He looked so good in that stupid getup, elaborate cape and all. Sehun never bothered with most of the royal garb he was expected to wear. He carried himself differently, even addressing Jongin coldly at times. It was as if they were strangers. After all, he was just his bodyguard.
He followed closely behind him as Sehun made his way to the main hall. In a few minutes, Sehun would be crowned the King of Elyxion. Things would be different between them. He bitterly remembered the way Chanyeol treated him after being promoted to Duke. Surely Sehun would pull the same rug from under his feet, especially since they had been spending so much time together.
The hall was the most elaborate that he had seen it since his arrival at the palace. Clearly, they spared no expense in getting the place ready. Everything had been scrubbed neatly, and bejeweled chandeliers hung from the ceiling. A terrible, sick feeling rose in Jongin’s throat. There was no turning back now; the rebels’ puppet would be on the throne soon. He quickly swallowed his pride, unable to look anywhere but his own feet.
Once Sehun entered the room, the ceremony began. Jongin knew much about palace tradition, but he had never witnessed a coronation with his very own eyes before. The crowd quickly cleared into a path, revealing a sparkling throne.
Chanyeol stood behind it. He looked at him expectantly, daring him to make a move out of the line. He had predicted where his loyalties would lie, and he was correct. Jongin wouldn’t dare expose the rebels in fear of endangering Sehun.
He hadn’t even realized how far along the ceremony had gone. Lost in his own thoughts, he supposed. Tch. Letting his guard down wasn’t a smart move. Chanyeol wasn’t the only person in the room with his own agenda. Despite Sehun maturing in the past few months, there were many far wiser than he who had plans for the kingdom too.
“—I promise to uphold the ideals of this kingdom, and work for a greater future—”
A few more lines, and that blasted crown would be sitting on his pretty little head. Jongin was more than bitter—let’s just say that. He could feel Chanyeol’s satisfied smirk burn through his skull.
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
“—I will maintain justice and equality. My actions will be in the best interests of the common people and this kingdom—”
The whole room held its breath.
“I now declare myself King of Elyxion.”
There was a slight bit of applause, customary afterall. Jongin felt tears welling up in his eyes. After these weeks of restrained emotion, he was finally cracking. No, he couldn’t do it here. Not in front of everyone. He had to be strong for Sehun, and for himself.
Everyone murmured, “Long live the king… “
Jongin mustered up the courage to utter the last part as Sehun gently placed the glittering diamond crown on top of his head. He struggled to swallow.
“Long may he reign.”