[Hierarchies] 3/?
Title: Hierarchies
Chapter: 3/?
Rating: PG
Genre: Ancient Korea!AU, Drama, Angst, eventual Romance
Pairings: SiHan, more to come
Characters: Sungmin, Kyuhyun, Zhoumi, Ryeowook, Donghae, Henry. [Featuring: Siwon, Hankyung, Leeteuk]
Summary: Donghae continues hiding his feelings, his placement lost in the midst of the palace. Zhoumi slowly adjusts to his new life, bitter streaks of homesick coating the miracle in front of him.
Previous:
Prologue , One- Luminous , Two- Darkness
“Donghae, why are you limping?” Sungmin dabbed the tip of his calligraphy brush into the stone disk, coating the bristles with the dark, elegant ink. He rotated it slightly in his right hand, coating the other side as he held up his long purple sleeve with his left hand and continued with his calligraphy.
“Nothing, Prince, it is nothing worthy of your concern.” Donghae continued rotating the stone tablet, grinding the black brick for more ink.
“Did you hurt yourself?”
“No, of course not, prince.” Donghae gently placed down the stone cylinder, setting the tip with ink inclined on the disk.
“Don’t call me that. You just seem like you’re in a lot of pain lately.”
“No. Prince, I am fine. See?” Donghae jumped up and landed lightly on his feet, a radiant smile on his face before his face contorted with pain. He fell to his knees, his left arm pressed firmly against his heel and the other supporting his body weight, otherwise collision would have been inevitable.
“Donghae, why didn’t you tell me?” Sungmin dropped the calligraphy brush onto the scroll, droplets of ink ruining the elegant words inscribed neatly into columns. “Donghae.”
Donghae tightened his grip on the swollen heel; his pain silencing his ability to talk as he softly grazed the blotchy red flesh had mixes of grotesque purples and blues, likely from his blood vessels, before he whimpered again, louder. His face contorting in pain as Sungmin called for another servant to get the doctor.
“Why do you never tell me these things?” Sungmin sighed as he helped Donghae over to a chair. “It’s like I’m not even a friend to you.”
“I know what I am, my prince.” A hand tangled into the seams of his robe, crinkling the fabric and tugging it up to further expose the swelling.
“If you say you are my servant, I am going to twist your other ankle and it will not be pretty.”
“I am a servant. It is the truth.” Donghae replied softly and Sungmin felt his body stiffen, likely to brace himself for the pain. Sungmin sighed and slowly removed his shoe, much to Donghae’s protest about how inappropriate it is for a Prince to remove a servant’s shoe.
“If you keep talking, I’m seriously going to twist your other ankle.” Sungmin stared down at Donghae until he closed his mouth, protests silenced. “We grew up playing together, and you were never my servant, okay?”
~ ж ~ ж ~ ж ~ ж ~ж ~ ж ~
Zhoumi inhaled a deep breath and puffed out the breath, his eyelids fluttering lightly as faint beams of light illuminated his retina. The morning had been chilly, but during the afternoons the sun warmed up the room, making it a lot more comfortable.
The whole feeling of being inside the palace, resting in peace, seemed surreal. His wounds were healing rapidly, thanks to Prince Sungmin and his hospitality. The prince had dropped by for the last two days, making sure that things were comfortable and appropriate for him. The whole concept of peace seemed so far away, tucked somewhere in his memories that Zhoumi almost forgot the feeling. It felt like he was never accustomed to this feeling of peace.
After their parents died, there was no peace in his life, in his brother’s life. They were left to fend for themselves, Henry and himself. Then that bastard Siwon came and took them under his wing, promising shelter and warmth, and they met Hankyung, who was also travelling with Siwon.
“What’s the matter?” Ryeowook put down his chopsticks and stared deeply at Zhoumi, who was lost in thought, his chopsticks hanging in mid air.
“N-nothing.” Zhoumi smiled and Ryeowook returned the friendly gesture.
And suddenly now, things miraculously got better.
Ryeowook routinely brought him food, culinary delights that Zhoumi had never tasted back in his home country. During the first few meals, it was awkward between the two of them, Ryeowook patiently waiting for him to finish the meal so he could take the dishes away. The silence urged Zhoumi to eat faster, so that he wasn’t being a burden for him.
“No, it’s okay. Take your time.” Ryeowook ushered every time he dropped a piece of potato. “I’m not in a rush.”
“Ryeowook, are you in here?” Loud, impatient tapping echoed inside the normally vacant room. Zhoumi looked at Ryeowook in horror as Ryeowook assured him with a nodding smile, signaling that everything was okay.
“Prince Kyuhyun, please slow down.” A high pitched female voice came after Kyuhyun’s whiny tone.
“Prince, I’m in here.” Ryeowook immediately went over and opened the door, the younger prince stumbling into the room. The girl trailing Kyuhyun finally caught up and almost tripped walking through the doors.
“Ryeowook, why are you in here?” Kyuhyun pouted and looked around the dusty room. “I want you to make me your crab dumplings, and and those little spinach things like last time. And I’m bored whenever you’re not around.”
“Oh, it’s you.” Kyuhyun sneered and looked at Ryeowook again, flailing arms and sparkling eyes making him look even younger than he really was. “Ryeowook, can you go make them now?”
“Yes, Prince. I will go do that right now.” It was hard to believe that this guy was brother to Prince Sungmin. He was loud, rude, and inconsiderate, paling in comparison to Prince Sungmin.
“Thanks, Ryeowook!!” Kyuhyun stretched his arms and yawned sleepily. He rubbed his left eye sleepily before shifting awkwardly in his chair. “Why are you looking at me?”
Zhoumi snapped out of his trance.
“You do know it’s impolite to stare, but it’s okay because I didn’t expect much from you anyways.” Ryeowook smiled and shrugged his shoulders while stacking the dishes. Zhoumi held his silence, his eyes gazing at the patch of carpet a meter away from his bed.
“Prince Kyuhyun, why don’t I bring the food to you in the South Pagoda, you can enjoy the food there, and right now it’s not very hot there.” Ryeowook proposed as he wiped off the table. “It would be perfect for a tea time snack!”
“Great idea Ryeowook. You know me so well.” Kyuhyun beamed and began retracing his path out of the guest room. “You make my life so much better.”
“Of course, Prince. I’ve been attending you for eight years.” Ryeowook politely replied back as Kyuhyun was already out the door. Ryeowook skipped out to make sure the younger prince had left before he walked back to Zhoumi.
“E-Eight years?”
“Yep, ever since we were little kids, Donghae and I have been caring for Prince Sungmin and Prince Kyuhyun.” Ryeowook chirped and lifted up the black tray with his hands.
“Prince Sungmin treats us as a friend more than as an attendant. Well, I need to go prepare the things for him before he throws another tantrum. I’ll see you tomorrow, Zhoumi.”
Zhoumi nodded and his room was suddenly silent again, a symphony of echoing earlier conversations dancing in the air. The happy chirps from Ryeowook’s higher pitched voice and warm concerns from Prince Sungmin’s deeper voice.
If only it was Henry here... Zhoumi started crying, his thoughts fluttering back to Hankyung and Henry. If only Prince Sungmin had bought Henry, Henry wouldn’t have to suffer right now, wherever he was. Henry would be warm and fed with warm food, Henry would be the one that is safe. Henry wouldn’t be the one living a life of pain and terror.
Where are you, Henry-ah...
~ ж ~ ж ~ ж ~ ж ~ж ~ ж ~
“Hy-hyung...” Henry whispered as Hankyung held a hand to his lip, asking for silence. Henry traced a hand up towards Hankyung’s thin cheek, pressing his cold fingers against his heated flesh.
The room reeked of sweat and that pungent odour from those nightly rituals. Again, that Siwon man wanted Henry but Hankyung threw himself in for Henry, offering his mouth and body for the night.
“Han-kyung, I don’t even know you.” Henry started wailing, soft whimpers slowly diffused away by Hankyung’s warm touch, small creeks of tears dusted away by Hankyung’s fingers. “Why are you protecting me?”
“Shhhh. It’s okay, Henry.” Hankyung wrapped his arms around Henry, their body heat acting as a blanket of much needed warmth for one another, caressing their battered bodies. Comfort was out of the question, but at least they had each other.
“Hyung...” Henry whimpered before falling asleep leaning against Hankyung, wondering where Zhoumi went.
Chapter: 3/?
Rating: PG
Genre: Ancient Korea!AU, Drama, Angst, eventual Romance
Pairings: SiHan, more to come
Characters: Sungmin, Kyuhyun, Zhoumi, Ryeowook, Donghae, Henry. [Featuring: Siwon, Hankyung, Leeteuk]
Summary: Donghae continues hiding his feelings, his placement lost in the midst of the palace. Zhoumi slowly adjusts to his new life, bitter streaks of homesick coating the miracle in front of him.
Previous:
Prologue , One- Luminous , Two- Darkness
“Donghae, why are you limping?” Sungmin dabbed the tip of his calligraphy brush into the stone disk, coating the bristles with the dark, elegant ink. He rotated it slightly in his right hand, coating the other side as he held up his long purple sleeve with his left hand and continued with his calligraphy.
“Nothing, Prince, it is nothing worthy of your concern.” Donghae continued rotating the stone tablet, grinding the black brick for more ink.
“Did you hurt yourself?”
“No, of course not, prince.” Donghae gently placed down the stone cylinder, setting the tip with ink inclined on the disk.
“Don’t call me that. You just seem like you’re in a lot of pain lately.”
“No. Prince, I am fine. See?” Donghae jumped up and landed lightly on his feet, a radiant smile on his face before his face contorted with pain. He fell to his knees, his left arm pressed firmly against his heel and the other supporting his body weight, otherwise collision would have been inevitable.
“Donghae, why didn’t you tell me?” Sungmin dropped the calligraphy brush onto the scroll, droplets of ink ruining the elegant words inscribed neatly into columns. “Donghae.”
Donghae tightened his grip on the swollen heel; his pain silencing his ability to talk as he softly grazed the blotchy red flesh had mixes of grotesque purples and blues, likely from his blood vessels, before he whimpered again, louder. His face contorting in pain as Sungmin called for another servant to get the doctor.
“Why do you never tell me these things?” Sungmin sighed as he helped Donghae over to a chair. “It’s like I’m not even a friend to you.”
“I know what I am, my prince.” A hand tangled into the seams of his robe, crinkling the fabric and tugging it up to further expose the swelling.
“If you say you are my servant, I am going to twist your other ankle and it will not be pretty.”
“I am a servant. It is the truth.” Donghae replied softly and Sungmin felt his body stiffen, likely to brace himself for the pain. Sungmin sighed and slowly removed his shoe, much to Donghae’s protest about how inappropriate it is for a Prince to remove a servant’s shoe.
“If you keep talking, I’m seriously going to twist your other ankle.” Sungmin stared down at Donghae until he closed his mouth, protests silenced. “We grew up playing together, and you were never my servant, okay?”
~ ж ~ ж ~ ж ~ ж ~ж ~ ж ~
Zhoumi inhaled a deep breath and puffed out the breath, his eyelids fluttering lightly as faint beams of light illuminated his retina. The morning had been chilly, but during the afternoons the sun warmed up the room, making it a lot more comfortable.
The whole feeling of being inside the palace, resting in peace, seemed surreal. His wounds were healing rapidly, thanks to Prince Sungmin and his hospitality. The prince had dropped by for the last two days, making sure that things were comfortable and appropriate for him. The whole concept of peace seemed so far away, tucked somewhere in his memories that Zhoumi almost forgot the feeling. It felt like he was never accustomed to this feeling of peace.
After their parents died, there was no peace in his life, in his brother’s life. They were left to fend for themselves, Henry and himself. Then that bastard Siwon came and took them under his wing, promising shelter and warmth, and they met Hankyung, who was also travelling with Siwon.
“What’s the matter?” Ryeowook put down his chopsticks and stared deeply at Zhoumi, who was lost in thought, his chopsticks hanging in mid air.
“N-nothing.” Zhoumi smiled and Ryeowook returned the friendly gesture.
And suddenly now, things miraculously got better.
Ryeowook routinely brought him food, culinary delights that Zhoumi had never tasted back in his home country. During the first few meals, it was awkward between the two of them, Ryeowook patiently waiting for him to finish the meal so he could take the dishes away. The silence urged Zhoumi to eat faster, so that he wasn’t being a burden for him.
“No, it’s okay. Take your time.” Ryeowook ushered every time he dropped a piece of potato. “I’m not in a rush.”
“Ryeowook, are you in here?” Loud, impatient tapping echoed inside the normally vacant room. Zhoumi looked at Ryeowook in horror as Ryeowook assured him with a nodding smile, signaling that everything was okay.
“Prince Kyuhyun, please slow down.” A high pitched female voice came after Kyuhyun’s whiny tone.
“Prince, I’m in here.” Ryeowook immediately went over and opened the door, the younger prince stumbling into the room. The girl trailing Kyuhyun finally caught up and almost tripped walking through the doors.
“Ryeowook, why are you in here?” Kyuhyun pouted and looked around the dusty room. “I want you to make me your crab dumplings, and and those little spinach things like last time. And I’m bored whenever you’re not around.”
“Oh, it’s you.” Kyuhyun sneered and looked at Ryeowook again, flailing arms and sparkling eyes making him look even younger than he really was. “Ryeowook, can you go make them now?”
“Yes, Prince. I will go do that right now.” It was hard to believe that this guy was brother to Prince Sungmin. He was loud, rude, and inconsiderate, paling in comparison to Prince Sungmin.
“Thanks, Ryeowook!!” Kyuhyun stretched his arms and yawned sleepily. He rubbed his left eye sleepily before shifting awkwardly in his chair. “Why are you looking at me?”
Zhoumi snapped out of his trance.
“You do know it’s impolite to stare, but it’s okay because I didn’t expect much from you anyways.” Ryeowook smiled and shrugged his shoulders while stacking the dishes. Zhoumi held his silence, his eyes gazing at the patch of carpet a meter away from his bed.
“Prince Kyuhyun, why don’t I bring the food to you in the South Pagoda, you can enjoy the food there, and right now it’s not very hot there.” Ryeowook proposed as he wiped off the table. “It would be perfect for a tea time snack!”
“Great idea Ryeowook. You know me so well.” Kyuhyun beamed and began retracing his path out of the guest room. “You make my life so much better.”
“Of course, Prince. I’ve been attending you for eight years.” Ryeowook politely replied back as Kyuhyun was already out the door. Ryeowook skipped out to make sure the younger prince had left before he walked back to Zhoumi.
“E-Eight years?”
“Yep, ever since we were little kids, Donghae and I have been caring for Prince Sungmin and Prince Kyuhyun.” Ryeowook chirped and lifted up the black tray with his hands.
“Prince Sungmin treats us as a friend more than as an attendant. Well, I need to go prepare the things for him before he throws another tantrum. I’ll see you tomorrow, Zhoumi.”
Zhoumi nodded and his room was suddenly silent again, a symphony of echoing earlier conversations dancing in the air. The happy chirps from Ryeowook’s higher pitched voice and warm concerns from Prince Sungmin’s deeper voice.
If only it was Henry here... Zhoumi started crying, his thoughts fluttering back to Hankyung and Henry. If only Prince Sungmin had bought Henry, Henry wouldn’t have to suffer right now, wherever he was. Henry would be warm and fed with warm food, Henry would be the one that is safe. Henry wouldn’t be the one living a life of pain and terror.
Where are you, Henry-ah...
~ ж ~ ж ~ ж ~ ж ~ж ~ ж ~
“Hy-hyung...” Henry whispered as Hankyung held a hand to his lip, asking for silence. Henry traced a hand up towards Hankyung’s thin cheek, pressing his cold fingers against his heated flesh.
The room reeked of sweat and that pungent odour from those nightly rituals. Again, that Siwon man wanted Henry but Hankyung threw himself in for Henry, offering his mouth and body for the night.
“Han-kyung, I don’t even know you.” Henry started wailing, soft whimpers slowly diffused away by Hankyung’s warm touch, small creeks of tears dusted away by Hankyung’s fingers. “Why are you protecting me?”
“Shhhh. It’s okay, Henry.” Hankyung wrapped his arms around Henry, their body heat acting as a blanket of much needed warmth for one another, caressing their battered bodies. Comfort was out of the question, but at least they had each other.
“Hyung...” Henry whimpered before falling asleep leaning against Hankyung, wondering where Zhoumi went.