[Series]Frozen Flower - Super Junior Version
Title : Frozen Flower - Super Junior Version, First Scroll
Author : freedomthisway
Rating : PG-13 for now.
Character/Pairing : Heechul, Siwon, Sungmin / SiChul, SiMin
Word Count : 4085 words for this chapter.
Genre : Epic-sized (?) Historical AU, Angst
Summary : Kim Heechul was an Emperor. A special force called Soldiers of Flowers was formed to protect the Emperor’s safety with all costs. Choi Siwon was its Chief. A tragic and cruel plot filled with betrayal was ensued in the midst of a fight for the Throne.
Author's Note : I watched Frozen Flower without a subtitle, is enchanted by it nonetheless (and no, it’s not because Jo In Sung looked totally edible in it, mind you), and this plot bunny came to disturb my life. Hope you’ll enjoy it.
And yes, you may curse me because I still have two ongoing series, yet here I am with a new one. I know I deserve your loath or maybe some love?, I really do. ^^;
This one is beta-ed by my cute and kind little dongsaeng, Nay a.k.a hunni23. ^___^
FIRST SCROLL - the beginning of the end
“HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, PRINCE HEECHUL IS ENTERING THE ROOM.”
The beautifully carved door swung open at the guards’ call. The prince stepped in cautiously, fully aware of his father standing behind him, urging him silently to just go in and take a look.
Right there, in the middle of the room were rows of young boys. All were lined up and bowing deeply towards him. And the young prince stared in awe.
Those boys were the finest he had ever seen. And he had seen many.
An old man stepped forward from somewhere to the side. His long white beard almost touched the ground as he bowed, spouting long praises for his health and wellbeing.
Jung Geun Sook was one of the famous nine Great Generals of Hwang Jeum palace. Every man serving the kingdom under his command did not dare to talk back to him, even just one word. Not if they wanted to keep their heads intact.
He was one of the bravest and most fierce Commanders, but Heechul just gave him an impatient look. It was good for the old man because he caught it fast.
Geun Sook’s robe was flapping as his hand swung around in one quick move, gesturing grandly at those boys as if he was displaying a work of art. “Your Royal Highness, I humbly present you; The Soldiers of Flowers.” His voice was confident and everyone could tell how much self-satisfaction he got from his tone. “These 36 boys were selected and gathered from all across the kingdom, from when they were all still just a baby. Some of them were handed over to me by their own parents, knowing that only a grandeur destiny would await their sons by doing so. And all their life, they were raised, trained, and educated to become the toughest and finest soldiers for a single purpose. A purpose that has been drilled by blood, sweat and tears so many years that it has become the only thing matters in their life.”
Heechul could hear the blood rushing in his ear. Even though he had known of it for so long, his voice was still trembling slightly as he asked, “And what purpose would it be?”
Felt encouraged, Geun Sook’s body was shaking. The old man could barely hold in the excitement coursing through him, knowing entirely that his hard work for almost 12 years would finally be acknowledged and appreciated. And an appreciation from an emperor would be nothing but gifts and honors that were too good for this world. His smile was wide as he bowed once again. “It is, of course, to protect your life and be by your side forever no matter what, Your Royal Highness.”
The rest of people in the room, were holding their breath at the Prince’s sudden lack of expression, fearing that this would be another thing the Prince disliked, just like many things had been before. It was no secret in the palace that Prince Heechul -The Emperor’s Heir- was so hard to please. And he wasn’t the kind of person who was known to take disappointment lightly either.
Five minutes had passed; still the Prince just stood there, eyes scanning those lines of boys with an unreadable expression. Jung Geun Sook swallowed nervously; anxiety and fear were starting to crawl into his head. Desperate, he turned his gaze back, a bead of sweat trickling over his forehead as his eyes searched in the midst of the so called ‘Soldiers of Flowers’.
“Siwon-ah,” He barked to one of the boys. The one he was looking for, his last hope in order to win the Prince’s favor. “Quickly step ahead and give your greetings to the Prince.”
One of the boys swiftly moved forward, his steps were graceful and swift, but there was great sense of strength flowing out of his movement. He finally stood in front of Heechul, bowing as deeply as he could and then lifting his head to look at the line just beneath the Prince’s eyes. The rest of the people suddenly got into great unison, understanding as to why The Great General Jung Geun Sook looked like he was putting so much hope on this boy.
The boy was probably the most handsome young man in the country. His toned skin was flawless, but even in his young age, it had already been rippling with muscles formed perfectly on his body.
“Long live for you, Your Royal Highness. My name is Choi Siwon. And from now on, if you wish it, I will live only for you, my Prince.” His voice was deep and full of respect, Heechul’s eyes trained on him as he went down on his knees.
Another tense moment passed and everyone was almost sure it’d soon be the end of Jung Geun Sook’s life, because if this boy couldn’t satisfy the Prince, then no one else could.
But the next second, Jung Geun Sook’s heart was filled with relief, because right then, Heechul smiled widely at the boy and said, “I like you. I expect you to keep to your word then.”
Siwon’s face lit up at those words and it was everyone else’s turn to take a relieved breath silently.
Heechul turned his gaze to Geun Sook and nodded. “You did well, General.” And then he turned around and walked out of the room, the people all lowering their heads behind him.
Bowing deeply to his father, Heechul then proceeded to leave.
Jung Geun Sook glanced up at the Emperor and as he saw his approving stare a moment before he also left, the General knew that all those gifts and honors beyond this world, were definitely in his grasp now.
---00o00---
Ten Years Later
Heechul was sleeping soundly inside his arms. Siwon reached down to fix the silk blanket covering their bare bodies. Today was the day of Royal Meeting and as usual it left the young Emperor worn out and torn open. Those mindless and corrupt Ministers, never wasted a single chance to slip hidden critics in their sucking up reports and in the end, they’d all smile victoriously at the knowledge that the Emperor Kim Heechul, would once again leave the meeting with more burden than anyone could bear on his shoulders.
In times like these, Heechul would always call him out to his Royal bedroom. As Siwon poured him another shot of the Kingdom’s best wine, the young Emperor would cuss and curse and try his best not to lose control and breaking down.
The whole Royal cuisine was served for dinner on a big round table in front of them, but Heechul wouldn’t touch it even for just one bite. Instead, in the midst of his drunken rambling, he would grab Siwon’s robe, pull him up to stand and kiss him hard. Siwon then would return the kiss just like how Heechul preferred it: harder, and yet it could always make the Emperor calm down.
One of them would unconsciously pull the other, inch by inch closer to the bed, until finally both of them toppled down together onto the silk sheets, proceeding to feed their deepest carnal desire until both of them were sated, or -on days like today-until Heechul was.
Siwon couldn’t really explain how things had become the way they had. What it was that’d started this dynamic relationship they both had.
All Siwon knew was that ever since that morning he had met Heechul for the first time, he had embraced the fact that from that day on, that he was officially a part of the Kingdom’s special force who was willing to -and most likely would- die for the young Prince standing before him. Even since he and the other Soldiers of Flowers were still too young to hold a sword, they had been told and sworn over and over again to protect and to dedicate their whole life to him, The Emperor’s Heir.
Heechul’s father, the former Emperor, had his own Soldiers of Flowers too. Every Prince who was destined to be the next man to sit on the Royal Throne had one. An Emperor would have tons of enemies. It was inevitable. When a man was holding the ultimate power in his hands, many would want to take it over from him. And the Soldiers of Flowers was a legendary force that was a symbol of the best protection a Kingdom can give to guarantee its Emperor’s safety.
That was why the soldiers were taken away from their parents’ side, ever since they were still a baby. They were trained to stick onto the Emperor like a second skin, watching over him constantly and gifted with the skills to kill anyone, who was considered as a threat for him. And for that, they would spend their whole life by his side. A special dorm was set up next to his Royal Chamber. The Emperor would never go anywhere without them. They would always be the only people who could stand or sit the closest to him. And therefore, it was granted that the Emperor would be so dependent on them and would consider them as the closest people he could ever get in his life.
Amongst them, the one who would get the most privileges -privileges who were even more than those given to the Emperor’s Queen- was the Chief of the Soldiers of Flowers. And the honor went to him: Choi Siwon.
It only took a few months for Heechul to need Siwon like he needs the air to breathe. They spent so much time together, that when at one point Heechul asked him to occasionally sleep in his bed and on that one night he made Siwon do things to him that were more than just sleeping, Siwon did it without even a single hesitation.
It was not that it was uncommon.
An Emperor was free to choose his lovers -whether it was man or women was never the problem- and who could be more suitable to accompany him on his bed other than the man he had grown to trust with his life?
There had never been a single word of love traded between the two. As far as Siwon could tell, he did this out of devotion. And as far as he could guess, Heechul did this out of loneliness.
An Emperor’s life was tough. Most people would disagree for they did not know, but Siwon could safely say that Heechul’s life was pitiable and inhumane. Despite all the fortune and power he had in his grasp, Heechul’s life was a living curse. It was a life where everyone would see him from a certain distance. Even his father and mother were never there for him, for they were far too busy with all the Royal Duties burdened on them. Heechul was used to getting everything he wanted except for those things he actually desired.
In a similar situation, commoners could try to get rid of the loneliness by trying to make friends, approaching other people, joining a circle of society where they would be accepted simply for who they were.
But Heechul was never a mere commoner. He was not even a member of Royal family. He was the epitome of Royalty itself. And for that, he couldn’t carelessly put his trust to anything or anyone. Or, simply said, he couldn’t trust anyone other than himself and his Soldiers of Flowers.
Siwon understood that. He wasn’t at first, but the second Heechul’s eyes grew larger in joy at Siwon’s oath to be on his side forever, understanding came to Siwon bit by bit.
But lately, Heechul scared him sometimes. The way Heechul acted when Siwon was or wasn’t around him and the length of influence Siwon had over Heechul was scaring him.
Even The Queen and the Concubines were all giving him sharp stares in every chance they got. Because everyone knew the count of times Heechul had asked him into his room, was way more than the times Heechul had spent with his women added together.
It was getting too much and Siwon wasn’t sure if he was ready for something that much.
He would, of course, sooner or later. It was his destiny after all. But Siwon had given up so much of himself to fulfill this destiny that he kind of felt an objection to give up even more. He already had his peace to the fact that he had forgotten his own parents’ faces, his own home, his whole past life, save for his name.
He was the Chief of Soldiers of Flowers and it was his place to be beside Heechul forever.
But if there were things that were beyond this --things that he often saw in an old man’s gaze to his wife or those who made one of his men were willing to crawl a few feet of the ground from where he fell onto after he was slashed deeply across the chest with enemy’s sword, just so he could reach him and ask him to give the bloody letter in his grasp to a woman before he finally died on his lap-- Siwon really didn’t want to let those things go and pass him.
He cared for Heechul, a lot and never once he regretted the times they had spent together. Fate made it that Heechul had become the center of his life and the sole reason for his existence. But Siwon would have been too naïve to think that love had anything to do with what happened between him and his Emperor.
And that was another thing that scared him. If one day someone came and made Siwon feel like nothing he had ever felt with Heechul before, Siwon feared of what he would do, and how much it would change his life. He didn’t even dare to imagine what Heechul would do.
Lying there with Heechul’s warmth by his side, Siwon just hoped that he would die without having a chance to know the answer.
---00o00---
Siwon was watching with a frown on his forehead as Heechul gulped another shot of his wine.
There was no Royal Meeting today and Heechul had spent the whole day with him. Therefore it was weird to see his Emperor in such state of distress. But Heechul’s mood had turned gloomy ever since one of the Royal Eunuchs came a few hours ago and announced that Prince Sungmin, one of Heechul’s step brothers, would arrive to the palace tomorrow.
“My Prince, is there something bothering you?” Siwon carefully asked. Reluctantly but obediently, he poured another shot of wine into Heechul’s empty cup.
Heechul said nothing, just gulped down the contents inside the cup. But finally, he sighed and stood up, moving to sit in front of the great mirror in the center of the room.
“Siwon-ah.” He said with a tired voice. “Come and comb my hair for me.”
Siwon quickly stood up and came over, took his place behind Heechul and reached over for a tusk comb on the table beside him. It was one of Siwon’s favorite activities with Heechul and Siwon knew it was one of the Emperor’s too. The silken feel of Heechul’s long black hair between his fingers was intoxicating and each time, Siwon could feel an overwhelming intimacy between them without even having to say a single word.
For a long time, no one said a thing and the room was filled with a calming silence. Siwon was savoring the moment between he and the emperor and he could sense that Heechul was doing the same.
“I believe you’ve never met my brother, Prince Sungmin, before?” Heechul suddenly spoke, his eyes gazing into Siwon’s deeply through the mirror’s reflection.
“No, I haven’t, my Prince.” Siwon answered truthfully.
He had been living inside the palace for 23 years. He knew all the members of Royal Family by heart, yet he had never seen or known a Prince named Sungmin. He only had heard about him.
Royal Maidens could always be found gathered in some secluded corner in the palace, trading rumors and gossips amongst themselves, and by chance Siwon heard a story of Sungmin, who was the son of former Emperor’s first Concubine that was cast away from the palace. She had such a strong ambition to make his son become the Heir of The Throne. Knowing that the Emperor’s love for her was more than his love for his Queen, she was trying to set up plans, some were wicked ones, in order to bring her obsession into reality. But the Queen at that time caught up with her plan, and immediately ordered the Palace’s Guards to throw her and her son out of the Palace and onto the street. The former Emperor couldn’t do anything about it since the treachery was brought up with solid proof and the Queen threatened to kill herself if he ever stood in her way of getting rid of the back-stabbing Concubine.
The Kingdom was thrown into crisis at that time, and to save it from further ruckus, the Emperor decided to step back from the conflict. But still, his love for the beautiful Concubine wasn’t letting him just stand aside and do absolutely nothing. He secretly made arrangements for her and her son to live in a small palace near the kingdom’s border, one where no members of the Royal Family had visited for a long time, and then to assign some of his trusted Eunuchs and Maidens to serve two of them. He gave them enough money to live a long leisured life, and he ordered the rest of people in Hwang Jeum palace to never visit the small palace anymore.
It didn’t take long until The Queen figured out about this, but in the end she decided to do nothing about it. The wicked Concubine had left the main palace after all and it meant that nobody would sabotage her son, Prince Heechul’s path to ascend the Throne.
But it turned out that after the Concubine’s death, his son was returning to the main palace. Sungmin still hadn’t lost his status as one of the Princes --the former Emperor, for some sentimental reason had made sure of that-- therefore nobody could deny his intention to move back. Not even Heechul as the new Emperor.
Siwon still couldn’t decide if Sungmin’s return would be a good or a bad thing. He had never met the out casted Prince and he was never a person who judged people before he knew them. But Heechul clearly wasn’t overjoyed by the idea, so Siwon knew he had to double his awareness.
“Before my mother finally banned Sungmin and his mother from the palace, I had been living with Sungmin for twelve years. We’re of quite the same age, and I was born only a few days earlier than him.” Heechul’s words pulled Siwon out of his lines of thought. “Ever since he knew how to glare, he had been hating me. I was the Heir, yet his mother kept telling him that it should have been his destiny to become the next Emperor. He always thought of me as the one who got in his way. And every single day, all we did was fight over petty things, driving our father crazy with our continuous drive to top each other. And what’s funny was the fact that we were even. Nobody could ever tell who was going to win in each of our competitions for he was as good as I, in everything.”
Heechul’s eyes were darkened as he spilled the story and Siwon tenderly treaded the tip of his fingers over Heechul’s scalp, trying to keep the Emperor’s emotions down. Heechul sighed in pleasure and closed his eyes at that.
“I believe it wasn’t a bad feeling to find a person who could match up to our skill. Don’t you agree, my Prince?” Siwon said, carefully pulling up a strand of hair to give him deeper access into Heechul’s much thicker hair.
Heechul’s eyes flicked open at Siwon’s words. “… You seem to be under the assumption that deep down I was enjoying those times I spent competing with Sungmin.” His tone was sharp and so cold that Siwon was taken aback by it. “Trust me, Siwon-ah. It wasn’t the case.”
Siwon watched the way Heechul’s face scrunching up with an expression so dark that it made Siwon’s heart twinge with fear. That expression was usually reserved for criminals and traitors who were brought upon him, but now his Emperor put it on for someone else who was nothing less than his own step brother.
It’s… a little disturbing.
His Emperor is not a saint. He’s selfish and he won’t listen to anyone aside from himself and the very few people he’d confided in. Siwon was one of them, but still in many occasions, his Emperor would take nobody else’s consideration other than his own in making a decision.
It wasn’t Heechul’s fault, really. It was just the way he had been brought up. Ever since he was a child, he was taught that his words would and always be absolute. And to make it worse, given that he had grown up as an Heir, he had turned into this cynical and lonely person who found it hard to trust any other people. And it had made his personality become one that was difficult to deal with.
But still, his sense of responsibilities for his people, for the well being of his entire Kingdom, was something that couldn’t be questioned by anyone. Up until now, Siwon knew that all he did in his position as Emperor was dedicated solely for the greater good. And to keep that reputation in the midst of the corrupted lines of Ministry who seemed to always look for a chance to create an advantage for themselves was a tricky thing to do. But his Emperor bore with it, no matter how much backstabbing he got in his way of being justice.
That was why; to think that a man named Sungmin could cause his Emperor to have this kind of ugly expression over his face was something alarming. Siwon was now totally curious to meet this long lost brother of Heechul's.
“Then,” Siwon carefully slipped a hairpin into Heechul’s hair. “Would you mind telling me about what you think is the case here, my Prince?”
Heechul grew silent; his eyes following Siwon’s hands treading through his silken hair. But Siwon didn’t push any further. He simply waited.
“Have you ever got a chill when somebody is looking at you?” Heechul’s answer finally came out in a low voice. “Whenever Sungmin looked into my eyes, it always made me shiver. There was unimaginable hatred that seemed to be reserved only for me inside his gaze. He never told me in words and I could only guess his reasons, but being with him in one room always made me feel uneasy. I kept thinking that I might have done something wrong, but that wasn’t it. In each of our battles to compete against each other, I had to be extra careful and gave out all of my abilities, because if I didn’t, I truly believed I would’ve been killed by him. It’s not like I wanted to, Siwon-ah. But in the end, all of it made me bear the same hatred for him. … And fear. And that’s what makes it worse because I’ve never been scared of anyone before aside from him.”
Siwon could feel Heechul’s body slightly tremble as he was telling him, and his heart was squeezed painfully at the fragility in Heechul’s voice. He was about to say something to divert the conversation, but all of a sudden Heechul’s strong grip was on his hand.
“I know people think I have a lot in life, Siwon-ah.” Heechul turned to look at him and Siwon almost looked away at the sight of sadness inside his Emperor’s eyes. “But I really don’t have much, and I have to work hard to keep what’s mine. And now that Sungmin returns, I’m so afraid he’ll try to take them away from me…”
Siwon didn’t let Heechul finish what he was going to say. Instead he quickly pulled his Emperor tight into his embrace, loosening it only after Heechul’s body had stopped shaking.
TBC
PS: This story is dedicated for my two lovely beta-readers, Carey a.k.a renichifreak and Robyn a.k.a duosbabygirl, who have been supporting me through all this time. You’re both my angel, srsly.
And I know that you are going through a tough time in your RL right now, Carey.
Robyn was also sick the last time I talked to her through email. T____________T
As lame as it is, as a useless friend, this story is all I can humbly offer to try and help making you both feel better. Even if Sichul or Simin aren’t your OTP I hope you can still enjoy the overall story. Thank you and I truly wish both of you all happiness in the world.
Author : freedomthisway
Rating : PG-13 for now.
Character/Pairing : Heechul, Siwon, Sungmin / SiChul, SiMin
Word Count : 4085 words for this chapter.
Genre : Epic-sized (?) Historical AU, Angst
Summary : Kim Heechul was an Emperor. A special force called Soldiers of Flowers was formed to protect the Emperor’s safety with all costs. Choi Siwon was its Chief. A tragic and cruel plot filled with betrayal was ensued in the midst of a fight for the Throne.
Author's Note : I watched Frozen Flower without a subtitle, is enchanted by it nonetheless (and no, it’s not because Jo In Sung looked totally edible in it, mind you), and this plot bunny came to disturb my life. Hope you’ll enjoy it.
And yes, you may curse me because I still have two ongoing series, yet here I am with a new one. I know I deserve your loath or maybe some love?, I really do. ^^;
This one is beta-ed by my cute and kind little dongsaeng, Nay a.k.a hunni23. ^___^
FIRST SCROLL - the beginning of the end
“HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, PRINCE HEECHUL IS ENTERING THE ROOM.”
The beautifully carved door swung open at the guards’ call. The prince stepped in cautiously, fully aware of his father standing behind him, urging him silently to just go in and take a look.
Right there, in the middle of the room were rows of young boys. All were lined up and bowing deeply towards him. And the young prince stared in awe.
Those boys were the finest he had ever seen. And he had seen many.
An old man stepped forward from somewhere to the side. His long white beard almost touched the ground as he bowed, spouting long praises for his health and wellbeing.
Jung Geun Sook was one of the famous nine Great Generals of Hwang Jeum palace. Every man serving the kingdom under his command did not dare to talk back to him, even just one word. Not if they wanted to keep their heads intact.
He was one of the bravest and most fierce Commanders, but Heechul just gave him an impatient look. It was good for the old man because he caught it fast.
Geun Sook’s robe was flapping as his hand swung around in one quick move, gesturing grandly at those boys as if he was displaying a work of art. “Your Royal Highness, I humbly present you; The Soldiers of Flowers.” His voice was confident and everyone could tell how much self-satisfaction he got from his tone. “These 36 boys were selected and gathered from all across the kingdom, from when they were all still just a baby. Some of them were handed over to me by their own parents, knowing that only a grandeur destiny would await their sons by doing so. And all their life, they were raised, trained, and educated to become the toughest and finest soldiers for a single purpose. A purpose that has been drilled by blood, sweat and tears so many years that it has become the only thing matters in their life.”
Heechul could hear the blood rushing in his ear. Even though he had known of it for so long, his voice was still trembling slightly as he asked, “And what purpose would it be?”
Felt encouraged, Geun Sook’s body was shaking. The old man could barely hold in the excitement coursing through him, knowing entirely that his hard work for almost 12 years would finally be acknowledged and appreciated. And an appreciation from an emperor would be nothing but gifts and honors that were too good for this world. His smile was wide as he bowed once again. “It is, of course, to protect your life and be by your side forever no matter what, Your Royal Highness.”
The rest of people in the room, were holding their breath at the Prince’s sudden lack of expression, fearing that this would be another thing the Prince disliked, just like many things had been before. It was no secret in the palace that Prince Heechul -The Emperor’s Heir- was so hard to please. And he wasn’t the kind of person who was known to take disappointment lightly either.
Five minutes had passed; still the Prince just stood there, eyes scanning those lines of boys with an unreadable expression. Jung Geun Sook swallowed nervously; anxiety and fear were starting to crawl into his head. Desperate, he turned his gaze back, a bead of sweat trickling over his forehead as his eyes searched in the midst of the so called ‘Soldiers of Flowers’.
“Siwon-ah,” He barked to one of the boys. The one he was looking for, his last hope in order to win the Prince’s favor. “Quickly step ahead and give your greetings to the Prince.”
One of the boys swiftly moved forward, his steps were graceful and swift, but there was great sense of strength flowing out of his movement. He finally stood in front of Heechul, bowing as deeply as he could and then lifting his head to look at the line just beneath the Prince’s eyes. The rest of the people suddenly got into great unison, understanding as to why The Great General Jung Geun Sook looked like he was putting so much hope on this boy.
The boy was probably the most handsome young man in the country. His toned skin was flawless, but even in his young age, it had already been rippling with muscles formed perfectly on his body.
“Long live for you, Your Royal Highness. My name is Choi Siwon. And from now on, if you wish it, I will live only for you, my Prince.” His voice was deep and full of respect, Heechul’s eyes trained on him as he went down on his knees.
Another tense moment passed and everyone was almost sure it’d soon be the end of Jung Geun Sook’s life, because if this boy couldn’t satisfy the Prince, then no one else could.
But the next second, Jung Geun Sook’s heart was filled with relief, because right then, Heechul smiled widely at the boy and said, “I like you. I expect you to keep to your word then.”
Siwon’s face lit up at those words and it was everyone else’s turn to take a relieved breath silently.
Heechul turned his gaze to Geun Sook and nodded. “You did well, General.” And then he turned around and walked out of the room, the people all lowering their heads behind him.
Bowing deeply to his father, Heechul then proceeded to leave.
Jung Geun Sook glanced up at the Emperor and as he saw his approving stare a moment before he also left, the General knew that all those gifts and honors beyond this world, were definitely in his grasp now.
---00o00---
Ten Years Later
Heechul was sleeping soundly inside his arms. Siwon reached down to fix the silk blanket covering their bare bodies. Today was the day of Royal Meeting and as usual it left the young Emperor worn out and torn open. Those mindless and corrupt Ministers, never wasted a single chance to slip hidden critics in their sucking up reports and in the end, they’d all smile victoriously at the knowledge that the Emperor Kim Heechul, would once again leave the meeting with more burden than anyone could bear on his shoulders.
In times like these, Heechul would always call him out to his Royal bedroom. As Siwon poured him another shot of the Kingdom’s best wine, the young Emperor would cuss and curse and try his best not to lose control and breaking down.
The whole Royal cuisine was served for dinner on a big round table in front of them, but Heechul wouldn’t touch it even for just one bite. Instead, in the midst of his drunken rambling, he would grab Siwon’s robe, pull him up to stand and kiss him hard. Siwon then would return the kiss just like how Heechul preferred it: harder, and yet it could always make the Emperor calm down.
One of them would unconsciously pull the other, inch by inch closer to the bed, until finally both of them toppled down together onto the silk sheets, proceeding to feed their deepest carnal desire until both of them were sated, or -on days like today-until Heechul was.
Siwon couldn’t really explain how things had become the way they had. What it was that’d started this dynamic relationship they both had.
All Siwon knew was that ever since that morning he had met Heechul for the first time, he had embraced the fact that from that day on, that he was officially a part of the Kingdom’s special force who was willing to -and most likely would- die for the young Prince standing before him. Even since he and the other Soldiers of Flowers were still too young to hold a sword, they had been told and sworn over and over again to protect and to dedicate their whole life to him, The Emperor’s Heir.
Heechul’s father, the former Emperor, had his own Soldiers of Flowers too. Every Prince who was destined to be the next man to sit on the Royal Throne had one. An Emperor would have tons of enemies. It was inevitable. When a man was holding the ultimate power in his hands, many would want to take it over from him. And the Soldiers of Flowers was a legendary force that was a symbol of the best protection a Kingdom can give to guarantee its Emperor’s safety.
That was why the soldiers were taken away from their parents’ side, ever since they were still a baby. They were trained to stick onto the Emperor like a second skin, watching over him constantly and gifted with the skills to kill anyone, who was considered as a threat for him. And for that, they would spend their whole life by his side. A special dorm was set up next to his Royal Chamber. The Emperor would never go anywhere without them. They would always be the only people who could stand or sit the closest to him. And therefore, it was granted that the Emperor would be so dependent on them and would consider them as the closest people he could ever get in his life.
Amongst them, the one who would get the most privileges -privileges who were even more than those given to the Emperor’s Queen- was the Chief of the Soldiers of Flowers. And the honor went to him: Choi Siwon.
It only took a few months for Heechul to need Siwon like he needs the air to breathe. They spent so much time together, that when at one point Heechul asked him to occasionally sleep in his bed and on that one night he made Siwon do things to him that were more than just sleeping, Siwon did it without even a single hesitation.
It was not that it was uncommon.
An Emperor was free to choose his lovers -whether it was man or women was never the problem- and who could be more suitable to accompany him on his bed other than the man he had grown to trust with his life?
There had never been a single word of love traded between the two. As far as Siwon could tell, he did this out of devotion. And as far as he could guess, Heechul did this out of loneliness.
An Emperor’s life was tough. Most people would disagree for they did not know, but Siwon could safely say that Heechul’s life was pitiable and inhumane. Despite all the fortune and power he had in his grasp, Heechul’s life was a living curse. It was a life where everyone would see him from a certain distance. Even his father and mother were never there for him, for they were far too busy with all the Royal Duties burdened on them. Heechul was used to getting everything he wanted except for those things he actually desired.
In a similar situation, commoners could try to get rid of the loneliness by trying to make friends, approaching other people, joining a circle of society where they would be accepted simply for who they were.
But Heechul was never a mere commoner. He was not even a member of Royal family. He was the epitome of Royalty itself. And for that, he couldn’t carelessly put his trust to anything or anyone. Or, simply said, he couldn’t trust anyone other than himself and his Soldiers of Flowers.
Siwon understood that. He wasn’t at first, but the second Heechul’s eyes grew larger in joy at Siwon’s oath to be on his side forever, understanding came to Siwon bit by bit.
But lately, Heechul scared him sometimes. The way Heechul acted when Siwon was or wasn’t around him and the length of influence Siwon had over Heechul was scaring him.
Even The Queen and the Concubines were all giving him sharp stares in every chance they got. Because everyone knew the count of times Heechul had asked him into his room, was way more than the times Heechul had spent with his women added together.
It was getting too much and Siwon wasn’t sure if he was ready for something that much.
He would, of course, sooner or later. It was his destiny after all. But Siwon had given up so much of himself to fulfill this destiny that he kind of felt an objection to give up even more. He already had his peace to the fact that he had forgotten his own parents’ faces, his own home, his whole past life, save for his name.
He was the Chief of Soldiers of Flowers and it was his place to be beside Heechul forever.
But if there were things that were beyond this --things that he often saw in an old man’s gaze to his wife or those who made one of his men were willing to crawl a few feet of the ground from where he fell onto after he was slashed deeply across the chest with enemy’s sword, just so he could reach him and ask him to give the bloody letter in his grasp to a woman before he finally died on his lap-- Siwon really didn’t want to let those things go and pass him.
He cared for Heechul, a lot and never once he regretted the times they had spent together. Fate made it that Heechul had become the center of his life and the sole reason for his existence. But Siwon would have been too naïve to think that love had anything to do with what happened between him and his Emperor.
And that was another thing that scared him. If one day someone came and made Siwon feel like nothing he had ever felt with Heechul before, Siwon feared of what he would do, and how much it would change his life. He didn’t even dare to imagine what Heechul would do.
Lying there with Heechul’s warmth by his side, Siwon just hoped that he would die without having a chance to know the answer.
---00o00---
Siwon was watching with a frown on his forehead as Heechul gulped another shot of his wine.
There was no Royal Meeting today and Heechul had spent the whole day with him. Therefore it was weird to see his Emperor in such state of distress. But Heechul’s mood had turned gloomy ever since one of the Royal Eunuchs came a few hours ago and announced that Prince Sungmin, one of Heechul’s step brothers, would arrive to the palace tomorrow.
“My Prince, is there something bothering you?” Siwon carefully asked. Reluctantly but obediently, he poured another shot of wine into Heechul’s empty cup.
Heechul said nothing, just gulped down the contents inside the cup. But finally, he sighed and stood up, moving to sit in front of the great mirror in the center of the room.
“Siwon-ah.” He said with a tired voice. “Come and comb my hair for me.”
Siwon quickly stood up and came over, took his place behind Heechul and reached over for a tusk comb on the table beside him. It was one of Siwon’s favorite activities with Heechul and Siwon knew it was one of the Emperor’s too. The silken feel of Heechul’s long black hair between his fingers was intoxicating and each time, Siwon could feel an overwhelming intimacy between them without even having to say a single word.
For a long time, no one said a thing and the room was filled with a calming silence. Siwon was savoring the moment between he and the emperor and he could sense that Heechul was doing the same.
“I believe you’ve never met my brother, Prince Sungmin, before?” Heechul suddenly spoke, his eyes gazing into Siwon’s deeply through the mirror’s reflection.
“No, I haven’t, my Prince.” Siwon answered truthfully.
He had been living inside the palace for 23 years. He knew all the members of Royal Family by heart, yet he had never seen or known a Prince named Sungmin. He only had heard about him.
Royal Maidens could always be found gathered in some secluded corner in the palace, trading rumors and gossips amongst themselves, and by chance Siwon heard a story of Sungmin, who was the son of former Emperor’s first Concubine that was cast away from the palace. She had such a strong ambition to make his son become the Heir of The Throne. Knowing that the Emperor’s love for her was more than his love for his Queen, she was trying to set up plans, some were wicked ones, in order to bring her obsession into reality. But the Queen at that time caught up with her plan, and immediately ordered the Palace’s Guards to throw her and her son out of the Palace and onto the street. The former Emperor couldn’t do anything about it since the treachery was brought up with solid proof and the Queen threatened to kill herself if he ever stood in her way of getting rid of the back-stabbing Concubine.
The Kingdom was thrown into crisis at that time, and to save it from further ruckus, the Emperor decided to step back from the conflict. But still, his love for the beautiful Concubine wasn’t letting him just stand aside and do absolutely nothing. He secretly made arrangements for her and her son to live in a small palace near the kingdom’s border, one where no members of the Royal Family had visited for a long time, and then to assign some of his trusted Eunuchs and Maidens to serve two of them. He gave them enough money to live a long leisured life, and he ordered the rest of people in Hwang Jeum palace to never visit the small palace anymore.
It didn’t take long until The Queen figured out about this, but in the end she decided to do nothing about it. The wicked Concubine had left the main palace after all and it meant that nobody would sabotage her son, Prince Heechul’s path to ascend the Throne.
But it turned out that after the Concubine’s death, his son was returning to the main palace. Sungmin still hadn’t lost his status as one of the Princes --the former Emperor, for some sentimental reason had made sure of that-- therefore nobody could deny his intention to move back. Not even Heechul as the new Emperor.
Siwon still couldn’t decide if Sungmin’s return would be a good or a bad thing. He had never met the out casted Prince and he was never a person who judged people before he knew them. But Heechul clearly wasn’t overjoyed by the idea, so Siwon knew he had to double his awareness.
“Before my mother finally banned Sungmin and his mother from the palace, I had been living with Sungmin for twelve years. We’re of quite the same age, and I was born only a few days earlier than him.” Heechul’s words pulled Siwon out of his lines of thought. “Ever since he knew how to glare, he had been hating me. I was the Heir, yet his mother kept telling him that it should have been his destiny to become the next Emperor. He always thought of me as the one who got in his way. And every single day, all we did was fight over petty things, driving our father crazy with our continuous drive to top each other. And what’s funny was the fact that we were even. Nobody could ever tell who was going to win in each of our competitions for he was as good as I, in everything.”
Heechul’s eyes were darkened as he spilled the story and Siwon tenderly treaded the tip of his fingers over Heechul’s scalp, trying to keep the Emperor’s emotions down. Heechul sighed in pleasure and closed his eyes at that.
“I believe it wasn’t a bad feeling to find a person who could match up to our skill. Don’t you agree, my Prince?” Siwon said, carefully pulling up a strand of hair to give him deeper access into Heechul’s much thicker hair.
Heechul’s eyes flicked open at Siwon’s words. “… You seem to be under the assumption that deep down I was enjoying those times I spent competing with Sungmin.” His tone was sharp and so cold that Siwon was taken aback by it. “Trust me, Siwon-ah. It wasn’t the case.”
Siwon watched the way Heechul’s face scrunching up with an expression so dark that it made Siwon’s heart twinge with fear. That expression was usually reserved for criminals and traitors who were brought upon him, but now his Emperor put it on for someone else who was nothing less than his own step brother.
It’s… a little disturbing.
His Emperor is not a saint. He’s selfish and he won’t listen to anyone aside from himself and the very few people he’d confided in. Siwon was one of them, but still in many occasions, his Emperor would take nobody else’s consideration other than his own in making a decision.
It wasn’t Heechul’s fault, really. It was just the way he had been brought up. Ever since he was a child, he was taught that his words would and always be absolute. And to make it worse, given that he had grown up as an Heir, he had turned into this cynical and lonely person who found it hard to trust any other people. And it had made his personality become one that was difficult to deal with.
But still, his sense of responsibilities for his people, for the well being of his entire Kingdom, was something that couldn’t be questioned by anyone. Up until now, Siwon knew that all he did in his position as Emperor was dedicated solely for the greater good. And to keep that reputation in the midst of the corrupted lines of Ministry who seemed to always look for a chance to create an advantage for themselves was a tricky thing to do. But his Emperor bore with it, no matter how much backstabbing he got in his way of being justice.
That was why; to think that a man named Sungmin could cause his Emperor to have this kind of ugly expression over his face was something alarming. Siwon was now totally curious to meet this long lost brother of Heechul's.
“Then,” Siwon carefully slipped a hairpin into Heechul’s hair. “Would you mind telling me about what you think is the case here, my Prince?”
Heechul grew silent; his eyes following Siwon’s hands treading through his silken hair. But Siwon didn’t push any further. He simply waited.
“Have you ever got a chill when somebody is looking at you?” Heechul’s answer finally came out in a low voice. “Whenever Sungmin looked into my eyes, it always made me shiver. There was unimaginable hatred that seemed to be reserved only for me inside his gaze. He never told me in words and I could only guess his reasons, but being with him in one room always made me feel uneasy. I kept thinking that I might have done something wrong, but that wasn’t it. In each of our battles to compete against each other, I had to be extra careful and gave out all of my abilities, because if I didn’t, I truly believed I would’ve been killed by him. It’s not like I wanted to, Siwon-ah. But in the end, all of it made me bear the same hatred for him. … And fear. And that’s what makes it worse because I’ve never been scared of anyone before aside from him.”
Siwon could feel Heechul’s body slightly tremble as he was telling him, and his heart was squeezed painfully at the fragility in Heechul’s voice. He was about to say something to divert the conversation, but all of a sudden Heechul’s strong grip was on his hand.
“I know people think I have a lot in life, Siwon-ah.” Heechul turned to look at him and Siwon almost looked away at the sight of sadness inside his Emperor’s eyes. “But I really don’t have much, and I have to work hard to keep what’s mine. And now that Sungmin returns, I’m so afraid he’ll try to take them away from me…”
Siwon didn’t let Heechul finish what he was going to say. Instead he quickly pulled his Emperor tight into his embrace, loosening it only after Heechul’s body had stopped shaking.
TBC
PS: This story is dedicated for my two lovely beta-readers, Carey a.k.a renichifreak and Robyn a.k.a duosbabygirl, who have been supporting me through all this time. You’re both my angel, srsly.
And I know that you are going through a tough time in your RL right now, Carey.
Robyn was also sick the last time I talked to her through email. T____________T
As lame as it is, as a useless friend, this story is all I can humbly offer to try and help making you both feel better. Even if Sichul or Simin aren’t your OTP I hope you can still enjoy the overall story. Thank you and I truly wish both of you all happiness in the world.