[fic] SuperJunior - "Painted as Opposites" (4/?)
Title: Painted as Opposites [Chapter 4]
Author: phasera
Pairing: Siwon/Donghae
Summary: (AU) Loosely inspired by the k-drama Princess Hours.
Chapters: o1 | o2 | o3 | o4 | o5 | o6 | o7 | o8 | o9 | 10 | #
Note: This story is incomplete, and I will not be working on it anytime soon. I appreciate the readers who still enjoy this story, and I'm sorry I cannot promise you a conclusion.
------------------------Chapter 4------------------------
Siwon stared through the tinted windows of the car, chin propped in his hand. After a minute, his gaze slipped down to the cell phone held loosely in his other hand, where re-read the mail he'd just received from Hankyung. It was short but affectionate, like hundreds of other messages sent on the hundreds of days before this.
You look better when you smile, the message said. It's an old joke between the two of them: that when he's alone, Siwon's mouth will default into a frown. Hankyung has told the Prince a dozen times or more that he's too serious for his own good. Half the time, Siwon had even been inclined to believe him.
The phone beeped, light flashing to signal a new message had been received, and Siwon pressed the button to read it.
Siwon, forgive me.
Siwon's breath suddenly felt heavy in his lungs. He moved his head, his shoulders turning in, unconsciously hunching over the phone as he stared the words on the screen. Slowly, as if moving underwater, his thumb hit the key to send a reply, typing out his answer.
Nothing to forgive...
He hesitated, finger hovering over the Send button. He should say more-apologize, perhaps, for overreacting that morning. Ask Hankyung if he was well, if he'd eaten. Instead, somehow Siwon's thoughts turned to the eavesdropping boy whom Siwon had caught spying in the stairwell.
It was strange, he couldn't remember ever being more furious or humiliated in his life than he had been in that moment; but by the time the encounter had been over, Siwon had forgiven the boy so easily.
The voice of the chauffeur came from the front of the car, interrupting Siwon's thoughts. "We’ve almost arrived, your Highness." Outside, the prince could see the tall gates of the palace looming towards them.
Home, sweet home. Yesung had already called to inform him of his schedule as he'd left the college: dinner with their Majesties and-if the search had yielded results-with his soon-to-be bride. Exhaling, Siwon leaned back into his seat, head falling against the headrest. It had been a long day, and it was still far from over.
Siwon glanced back down to his phone with its unsent reply still shining black and white on the screen. Carefully, he slid the phone into its closed position, and then thumbed the power key until it turned off.
*
When Siwon had changed out of his school clothes, he met his parents in the east banquet hall, one of the more sumptuously decorated rooms in the palace that was usually reserved for receiving foreign dignitaries and other important guests.
"Siwon," his mother greeted him, actually rising from her seat to clasp his hands, and he knew then that the Queen hadn't relented once from worrying about him since the announcement from that morning. It relieved some of the pressure that had been clamping down on his chest-a small fraction of it, anyway. He bent to kiss her cheek.
"We have been discussing the matter of the betrothal," she told him, concern creasing lines at the corners of hers eyes and mouth. Siwon had never seen his mother show her age so obviously before, and it made his heart ache.
"If you require more time to think things over, your father and I can speak to your grandfather on your behalf." The queen glanced back toward her husband, who was sitting stoically in his place at the head of the table. "Surely, this subject needs more than a day of consideration?”
Prince Siwon glanced between both his parents, and shook his head. "That won't be necessary," he said, quietly and firmly, pulling his hands from the queen's to reach into his pocket. He brought out the ring, and on the intake of one breath, he slipped it onto his left hand. "I'm more than happy to act in the service of upholding our family's honor," he said-and when he saw the relief flash through his mother's eyes, for a minute he almost believed it.
Looking to the king, Siwon saw his father nod in approval, a slow and stately acknowledgement. The queen looped her arm through her son's and walked with him to the table, where the servants had already laid out settings for their normal family dinner, plus one. Siwon sat in his chair, eyes sliding away from that extra placement, smoothing down the front of his shirt and pretending he didn't feel the slight quaking of his hand.
"You might be interested to see this, Siwon," his mother told him, sliding an aged ivory envelope towards him across the tablecloth. "Your grandfather's aides brought it over from his suite earlier today. Apparently he's kept up a correspondence with that friend of his throughout the years."
Siwon picked up the envelope, curiosity warring with reluctance as he shook out its contents: a single folded sheet of paper, worn almost soft with use, as if it had been handled and read many times before.
"This was the most recent letter he had from Lee Junghoon-from last spring, I believe it was," she explained. Opening the note, Siwon was momentarily startled as a picture slipped from the letter into his lap. "Ah yes, there's a photo, too. I thought you might like the chance to see the girl before Yesung and Kyuhyun brought her here tonight."
Siwon lifted the photo and did his best to look at it with completely objective detachment. Within seconds, however, his eyes were locked onto the image, his fingers gone numb and his mind ringing with utter shock and disbelief.
The photo itself wasn't very remarkable. The shot was obviously candid, its subject looking vastly amused by something or someone not in the picture. The person's arms were held up as if warding that something away, while messy brown locks of hair tumbled down around a perfectly open and amiable face. Siwon stared at the photo for over a minute, hoping that if he blinked, that face might somehow rearrange, become different.
The queen's anxious voice interrupted his daze. "I thought her to be quite pretty, don't you agree?" Siwon must have made an odd noise, because she hurried on, "With proper tutoring and mentorship, I'm sure she'll have learned all the graces of a princess in no time at all. There's no reason we couldn't shape her into your ideal partner."
With deliberate and careful movements, the prince set the picture down next to his napkin. For some reason he was finding it extremely difficult to keep from bursting out laughing, which was very unlike him; besides, he didn't find the situation funny in the least. He might have desperately hoped all this was some sort elaborate joke his parents were having at his expense-but that conclusion was impossible. The King and Queen never joked about anything.
He cleared his throat, sitting back in his chair. "Not quite. There is one reason, Mother," he told her, speaking to her plans.
"What's that, dear?"
"This photo is of a boy," Siwon said, his hand spread on the table, one finger tapping the glossy surface of the picture in question.
"What?" the queen immediate reached for it, holding it up for examination. "A boy? Siwon, what do you mean?"
"I mean, the person in the photo is male. I've met him, even-we go to school together. His name is Lee Donghae."
Looking gravely concerned, his father spoke for the first time. "Siwon, are you sure of this?"
The queen waved one hand in a dismissive gesture, but the prince saw the worry lines were back on her face. "Oh, surely it is some mistake, then. The photo of the granddaughter must have been misplaced somewhere."
Siwon wished he could believe that. But in the next moment the debate was rendered moot. Yesung arrived at the banquet hall's entrance, pausing and bowing to the royal family.
"Majesties," he intoned, solemn-faced. "I have brought the grandchild of Lee Junghoon, as you have requested." Siwon's breath caught, stomach dropping to the floor. There was a world of difference between looking at a photo and being suddenly confronted by the reality of a bizarre and unreal situation.
The Queen's cheer sounded a bit forced, though gracious enough, "Thank you, Yesung. You may show the girl in."
Yesung was fidgeting, and he never fidgeted. He also never stalled, but that was exactly what he seemed to be doing. "My Lady, there's a certain matter you should be made aware of. . ." he began, but the Queen shook her head dismissively, the ornaments in her traditional wig chiming with soft sounds.
"Whatever it is, let us discuss it together, so the poor child isn't kept waiting in the hallway," she said.
Yesung bowed, and left. He returned a minute later, dragging another person with him. The new young man looked green to the gills, sweating like he was about to be sent up for execution. "Hi," the boy said, waving shyly, looking like he might bolt from the room at any sudden loud noises. "I'm Lee Donghae," he introduced himself, bowing awkwardly when Yesung poked him in the ribs.
"Oh my," the Queen said, staring. The King said nothing.
The Prince's first thought was, incongruously enough, that Yesung ought to have had the sense to change the boy into a more appropriate set of clothes before bringing him for an introduction. Donghae still wore the outfit Siwon had seen him in that morning-baggy cargo pants, faded cotton t-shirt, and long-sleeved flannel shirt; all of these liberally spattered with paint, no doubt from the incident with the mural. He hadn't even combed his hair, only pulled it back into a short ponytail from which many strands were already escaping. Siwon's parents had probably never seen someone so messy-looking in their entire lives.
Siwon rose from his seat, looking steadily at the other boy. "Welcome to the Palace," he said, since no one else seemed inclined to offer the polite greeting. It was a bit eerie, the sudden calm that overcame him. He felt distinctly removed from the situation, as if all this were happening to someone else, as if he were merely there as an observer. In the back of his mind, the Prince wondered if he might be in shock.
As soon as the Prince had spoken to him, Donghae looked even more awkward. His eyes flitted continually from the Prince's face to the rest of the room, as if he were a hummingbird, unable to settle. "Thanks," he said, staring around at all the lavish furnishings with a bit of awe. "This place is really. . . I mean, you have a beautiful home," he said, tugging on the hem of his shirt. "Oh, your Majesties," he tacked on swiftly, after Yesung had elbowed him.
Silence reigned in the room for a very long, very uncomfortable minute. During that time, Donghae at last met and held the Prince's gaze. To Siwon's surprise, the other boy looked distinctly miserable in that moment, his soft brown eyes darkening and an uncharacteristic frown tugging down the corners of his mouth.
For the first time all day, it occurred to Siwon to realize that this betrothal wasn't just something that was being done to just to him-another life besides his own was involved.
Before he could fully process that thought, Yesung's assistant aide, Kyuhyun, stepped into the room. "If I may borrow your guest, Majesties," he said formally, bowing as he entered, "The elder King Choi has requested a short meeting with the grandson of Lee Junghoon."
Far from looking more nervous, as Siwon had expected, the other boy turned to Kyuhyun with a curious expression. "Really? He wants to see me?"
"Yes, so come along," Kyuhyun said, steering Donghae towards the door by his elbow, stopping at the open entrance. "By your leave, Majesties," the junior aide said, bowing to the King and Queen. A bit belatedly, the Queen nodded her head, granting permission.
As they left, Donghae turned around, waving over his shoulder, "It was very nice to meet you," he called cheerfully, and then the two were lost to sight.
"Oh, Siwon," the Queen sighed, after a minute had passed. "I hardly know what to say," she began, reaching out to him.
Siwon removed his gaze from the empty doorway, smoothly returning to his seat. "There's nothing to be said, Mother," he told her, taking the crisp white napkin from his table setting and unfolding it into his lap. "However the situation has changed, we must still abide by our honor, must we not?"
The Queen looked to her husband in wordless appeal. "Indeed, we must," the King pronounced at last, with a heavy air of finality.
Unseen in his lap, the Prince's hands clenched over his knees, then slowly uncurled. Raising his arm, the Prince signaled, and the servants who had waiting by discreetly at once began serving the royal family their meal.
------------------------------------------------------
Donghae felt a bit like an owl after the first five minutes, craning his neck to impossible angles and degrees while trying to take in all the scenery as Kyuhyun briskly escorted him through the Palace. For all his effort, Donghae was left with only a few fleeting impressions that remained in his mind, accompanying the turmoil of excitement, anxiety, and other feelings that seemed to be tugging him in a hundred directions at once. He remembered soaring pillars of crimson, elaborate ink-style paintings, statues of jade and gold.
But more than anything else, he remembered the expression of naked terror that had been on the Prince's face in the moment when Donghae had walked into the room. It had only been there for an instant, and the Prince had immediately controlled himself-but he had been the first thing Donghae had looked to, and so he'd caught it.
Considering how terrified Donghae still felt about all this, seeing fear in Prince Siwon shouldn't have been so surprising; but try as he might, Donghae couldn't forget it.
"Nearly there," Kyuhyun informed him, glancing back, and Donghae forcibly returned his attention to his surroundings and where they were walking. The Palace grounds were massive, with dozens of buildings and hundreds of rooms-though most were being either preserved as historical monuments or left in disuse. Yesung and Kyuhyun had taken it upon themselves to try and inform Donghae of as much as possible on the trip over from the retirement home, but he still had a million questions.
One thing he definitely didn't understand was the passage of the royal succession. History teachers had gone over it before in many of Donghae's classes, but trying to keep track of all the lineages and levels of the monarchy had always made his head hurt. Five years ago was when King Choi's first son-Siwon's uncle-had suddenly died, and during the mourning period the elder King Choi's health had rapidly declined. After that, the elder King Choi had retired, so to speak, and left the responsibilities of ruling to his second son, Siwon's father. Leaving Siwon himself to take up the title of Crown Prince.
"So what does that make me?" Donghae had asked, mostly as a joke. Yesung had glowered a bit, obviously feeling that now wasn't a time for jokes. "As yet undetermined,” the aide had finally answered, like Donghae was some clueless college freshman who didn't have any idea what to do with himself.
Alright, so in a lot of ways, it was a fairly appropriate metaphor.
"This is it," Kyuhyun said, stopping in a hallway that to Donghae looked exactly like a dozen others. The younger aide opened a set of double doors and quickly ushered Donghae through them, into what he could only assume was the elder King Choi's suite of rooms. Kyuhyun walked him through a living area towards the bedrooms beyond, leaning into Donghae to offer some last-minute advice in a hushed voice. "Be respectful, but never obsequious-he hates that. Be yourself, but don't be too informal in your speech. Most importantly, be honest-he can smell a lie from miles away, trust me."
"He sounds like my grandfather," Donghae whispered back, smiling faintly.
The younger aide rolled his eyes, "Of course-how else do you think they got along so well?"
"Oh, right."
"Now, any questions?"
"Yeah. What's obsequious?"
"It's-no, never mind. Just go, he's waiting to meet you."
Donghae had time for one last deep breath-then, with a helpful shove from Kyuhyun, he was standing alone at the bedside of the elder King.
The old man slowly opened his eyes, turning to peer in their direction. He looked quite frail, surrounded by a mass of blankets and pillows on the oversized bed. But still, the weight of intellect was still present in his gaze, lending him at least the shadow of his former rank and dignity.
"My Lord," the assistant aide announced, bowing in the man's presence, and belatedly Donghae followed suit. "I have brought the grandson of Lee Junghoon to see you."
Elder King Choi was watching him shrewdly now. Donghae felt he ought to say something, but had no idea what. "Hi," he said, feeling lame. "It's nice to finally meet you. My grandpa told me a lot about you." Everything except the most important part, Donghae added to himself, both irritated and amused. Like the part where you guys set up your grandkids to get married.
The old King's mouth twitched once, and Donghae realized his thoughts were probably as transparent to this man as glass. He flushed a little in embarrassment, but grinned. The two grandfathers really must have been thick as thieves, back in the day.
"Come closer, boy, and let me have a good look at you," the elder King commanded, slowly patting a spot on the edge of the bedclothes. His voice was as rough and crusty as gravel, but still retained enough imperiousness to prompt immediate obedience from Donghae, who sat where directed.
A minute passed where the old King simply stared at him with those piercing dark eyes, and Donghae uncomfortably felt every smudge, tear, splatter, and tangle existing on his skin, his clothes, and in his hair.
After an indeterminable amount of time, the elder King Choi at last lifted an arm to pat Donghae's hand where it rested against the bedspread. "You'll do," the old man chuckled mysteriously.
Feeling as if he'd just been weighed at the gates of the Underworld, Donghae could only stare back, utterly baffled. "Do for what, sir?" he blurted, too curious to worry whether or not he was being blunt. This caused the old man's eyes to twinkle, in exactly the same mischievous and smug way as Grandpa Lee's eyes would sometimes.
"Do for Siwon," the elder King answered, and Donghae forgot to breathe for a moment. Did that mean, then. . . could it be possible that the betrothal would still be on? Even though he was a boy?
It wasn't at all what he'd been expecting to hear. Donghae chewed on his lower lip and lowered his gaze, for once utterly at a loss for words. The same weird misery that he'd felt before when looking at the Prince came back, sinking into the pit of his stomach. But the last thing the Prince wants is some stranger messing up his life right now. I'll only get in his way.
"You're exactly what my grandson needs, I can see it," the King told him, solemn then, causing Donghae to look up. Again, it was if the old man had read Donghae's thoughts. "You'll be able to help him. . . help him the way Junghoon did for me, all those years ago," he concluded with satisfaction.
"Sir, if I can ask. . . what did my Grandfather do?" Donghae said, while his heart thudded painfully and inexplicably against his ribcage. The elder King Choi nodded, his gaze looking back into some distance Donghae couldn't see.
"He saved my life," the King said quietly, and smiled.
***
Donghae followed Kyuhyun back towards the dining room in something of a daze. He could hardly believe all this was happening, but he'd already pinched himself on the arm several times, and nothing had changed-no visions dissolving into mist, no waking up at home to laugh it off as bad ramyun. No, this definitely wasn't a dream-but it certainly was the most surreal experience he'd ever had in his life.
They stopped at the entrance so Kyuhyun could once more announce his presence. To his surprise and embarrassment, all three members of the royal family rose from their seats-in perfect unison, no less-and looked at him. Donghae stood there for a moment, feeling extremely uncomfortable, and suddenly realized they were looking at him expectantly. Especially the Prince. Siwon's expression was as composed as usual, but Donghae could feel the weight of the other boy's gaze like heat from the sun pressing against his skin.
Oh, shit. Was Donghae supposed to be the one to break the news that they would be stuck with him as an in-law for the rest of their days?
Well, as Grandpa Lee would say: Deliver bad news with a smile, and maybe you won't get shot for it.
Screwing up his courage, Donghae managed the smile, though it felt tentative as a candle flame, ready to flicker out on a breeze. He hesitated, struggling to find the right words, to say something they themselves would consider appropriate for the situation. "I. . . I would be honored to be accepted into your family," he told them slowly, and bowed, feeling stiff and unsure of himself.
The silence following this pronouncement was profound. They stared at him, and Donghae stared back, wide-eyed like a deer caught in headlights.
Then, to his utter humiliation, he sneezed. "Excuse me," he mumbled into his sleeve of his arm, which he'd instinctively covered his mouth with. At least he'd been able to do that much.
But it had had the effect of breaking the stalemate. The Queen came around the table towards him, the silk of her brightly-colored hanbok swishing softly. Then, with the graciousness only capable of the truly noble and well-bred, she took Donghae's stained and paint-spattered hands in her own immaculately groomed ones. "And we are honored to welcome you, Lee Donghae," she told him smoothly, with no trace of irony in her tone.
Prince Siwon came up to stand next to his mother, and was looking down at their clasped hands. "Your ring," the Prince said after a minute, startling Donghae. My ring? He looked down at it. Oh, that was the gift from King Choi, wasn't it?
The Queen released him, and Donghae held out his right hand, displaying the ring in question. "This?"
The Prince raised his left hand, and Donghae could see the answering glint of silver there. Matched rings? They’ve got to be kidding me.
However, any and all sarcastic thoughts left Donghae's mind when the Prince took his hands, his slender and graceful fingers removing Donghae's ring from his right hand and replacing it on his left. "You were wearing it in the wrong place," the Prince explained calmly, standing back with an inscrutable expression.
Donghae's body reminded him that oxygen was a necessary thing, and he breathed again, drawing air into his deprived lungs. So, what did that gesture mean? Was the Prince demonstrating that he was okay with the decision? That he, too, accepted Donghae? Or was he merely a perfectionist who didn't like things being out of place?
Donghae's stomach was fluttering madly, his heartbeat elevated-and all the Prince had done was hold hands with him for five seconds.
Reminding himself to never again go without eight hours of sleep or three square meals in a day, as it obviously had unwanted effects on his body, Donghae stuffed his hands into his pockets to hide his sudden shivering.
Upon doing so, his fingers encountered an object in his pocket that he'd placed there earlier. "Oh," he exclaimed, and fished out a yellowed document, holding it out for the Prince. "I almost forgot-your grandfather asked me to bring you this."
Thoughtful frown in place, the Prince opened the document to read it. Curiosity overcoming him, Donghae couldn't help but sneak a peek. "What's with all the Chinese characters?" Donghae asked, when he was unable to decipher a single word.
"Chinese was the language of scholars, in ancient times," Siwon replied absently, eyes still scanning over the page. Frowning, he moved to stand next to the King. "Father, you'll be able to translate this more quickly than I could."
The King read the document in silence, his face as unrevealing and as stoic as his son's could be. "Well," he said at last, breaking the expectant silence. "It's certainly clever, I will give your Grandfather that," the King said, and handed the paper back to his son. Donghae thought he could detect the faintest traces of amusement in the King's deep baritone.
"What does it say, my Lord?" the Queen asked anxiously, placing one hand on her husband's arm.
"It's a historical record of a very old ceremonial ritual," the King informed them. "One that hasn't been performed in over a century-I doubt none but a handful of scholars would be familiar with it."
Donghae had to refrain from bouncing on the tips of his toes with impatience. Could no one in this family just go straight to the point?
Apparently the Prince was also impatient for the answer, because he'd gone back to reading the document, attempting his own translation. Donghae saw his mouth moving silently, shaping the sounds of the characters that composed the page's title. Suddenly the Prince's brows shot up to his forehead in genuine surprise. "The Oath of Brotherhood?" he read, looking swiftly to his father for confirmation, who nodded.
"Oh my," the Queen said, looking between her husband and her son. "I take it this is the alternative my father-in-law is suggesting for Siwon and his. . ." she glanced over to Donghae, hesitating over an appropriate term. "His suitor?"
Donghae's eyes widened. "Oh. . . like blood-brothers, or something?"
The King was the one who answered him, speaking directly to Donghae for the first time all night. "Similar, young man, but very ancient and formal. The oath was like a vow of fealty once sworn between lords and their vassals, or even between a military commander and his soldiers."
Confused, Donghae frowned, and looked to the Prince. "But I'm not a soldier or a-a vassal-thing. How can we do the same ritual?"
"I suppose we'll have to improvise a little," the Prince said, giving a signal to the servants at the doors. "But I certainly think we could make this work for our particular situation."
Oh, right, Donghae remembered, flushing slightly. The betrothal contract. He looked down to the ring now sitting with unnatural heaviness on his left hand, and understanding suddenly dawned on him. It's a marriage--that's what they mean; this must be a marriage, but for two men.
Yesung and Kyuhyun entered the room, answering to the Prince's beckoning. The two bowed in unison, like a matched pair-and if Donghae hadn't been so busy trying to not have a panic attack, he might have thought them cute.
"Yes, your Highness?" Yesung prompted, and was given the aged document by the Prince.
"I need you both to research the ritual described here as thoroughly as possible, and have all the arrangements necessary to performing it ready by the end of the week," the Prince directed, and the young aide tipped his head in acknowledgement.
The Prince continued, gesturing to indicate Donghae, "This one will also be in your care," Shooting a glance in Donghae's direction, Prince Siwon apparently decided to change his original instructions, instead saying-somewhat pessimistically, Donghae thought- "Just. . . do what you can with him."
Donghae tried not to feel indignant; especially when the two aides looked over and sized him up with troubled expressions, as if he were some sort of bizarre creature they'd never encountered before.
"Of course, your Highness," Kyuhyun answered smoothly.
That's when Donghae's stomach chose to rumble loudly, forcibly reminding him that he hadn't eaten since lunch-and also, that the universe hated him, and wished him to be as mortified as humanly possible within the space of twenty-four hours.
He clamped his hands over his abdomen, as if that could muffle the sound; luckily for him, the Queen smiled magnanimously, taking it in stride. "Why don't we all finish eating dinner, before our young guest expires of hunger."
Smiling gratefully, Donghae sat in the chair she indicated for him; from there, he proceeded to have his first meal in the company of the royal family.
Really, he decided, broadcasting his thoughts out to the cosmos and whatever entities might be listening, all while trying not to slurp his soup. Reality can snap back to normal any time now, please.
***
After the dinner, during which the King, Queen, and Prince politely made no mention of the few times Donghae had forgotten to chew with his mouth closed, Yesung and Kyuhyun reappeared to escort him to yet another destination within the Palace.
"Here's where you'll be staying for the time being," Kyuhyun said, flipping some hidden light switch, causing the area to be illuminated by gentle silver lights placed at ground level amongst greenery and along stone paths.
To Donghae's surprise, they were standing in some sort of open courtyard flanked by glass walls, which flared out into a veranda that overlooked a large expanse of the Palace grounds. A small marble fountain occupied the center of the courtyard, providing soothing background noise with the trickling sound of water.
"Wait," he said, looking between the two aides, "I'm not going home?"
Yesung sniffed, and gave him a withering look. "The Palace is your home now."
Unable to come up with a reply to that, Donghae bit his lip and looked around once more, trying to identify any comfortable resting areas. This was weird. He'd had no idea that nobles slept in gardens.
He didn't want to seem ungrateful or rude, but-"Excuse me," he said, trying not to sound plaintive, "What if it rains?"
Yesung sighed and looked heavenward, as if begging patience. "This whole area is the Prince's wing of the Palace," he explained, gesturing with one arm. "Those rooms to the right are his personal quarters; to the left, those will be your own rooms. This courtyard is a common area between them."
At that, Donghae finally saw that the glass walls had doors in them, and low-level lights just barely gave the hint of furnishings inside. "Oh," was all he said, blushing at his mistake. Then he thought of something else. "What about all my stuff-can I go get it? And I have to tell my roommates what's happened to me."
Kyuhyun answered with a shake of his head, "Everything you need, we'll provide for you. However, if there are any personal items from your apartment that you can't be without, make a list and I will retrieve them for you."
"And because the King and Queen have expressed the desire to keep this matter from the media until the announcement on the day of the Prince's birthday celebration, you can't tell any of your friends where you are or what you're doing," Yesung commanded, adding a stern glare for emphasis.
Donghae was unhappy about it, but he could understand their point of view. "Alright, if I have to." Plus, he wasn't to sure how to break it to Sungmin and Hyukjae that he was about to enter into a quasi-gay marriage with the Crown Prince, anyway.
The two aides finished the short tour of Donghae's suite, turning on more lights and even laying out a set of pajamas for him to wear to sleep. Donghae was relieved to see there were long damask curtains that could be spread across the floor-to-ceiling windows that made up the wall which faced the courtyard.
"Anything else you need?" Kyuhyun asked politely, when they were done.
Donghae scratched his arm, flaking away a particularly itchy patch of dried paint. "Umm. . .. a bath?"
Donghae thought the younger aide might have muttered, "Good choice," as he nodded acknowledgement, but Donghae chose to overlook it. See, he was acting noble already.
***
Clean at last and clad in the new pajamas, Donghae perched on the edge of the ridiculously-sized bed in his rooms, frowning down at his cellphone. The battery was almost gone-he'd have to remember to ask Kyuhyun to pick up the charger for him.
Though he'd much prefer to go out and get his stuff on his own, the two aides had made it pretty much crystal clear that Donghae was stuck here in this fishbowl of a room till the ceremony was over and the media circus had calmed down in the aftermath. Supposedly, he couldn't even go out onto the grounds where the paparazzi might catch glimpses of him. Supposedly, dire consequences would arise if he strayed-though Yesung had been a bit vague on that point.
Donghae had been here for only a few hours, and already he felt stifled.
Glancing through the windows that doubled as walls, Donghae saw through the night-darkened courtyard that the lights were on in the Prince's rooms, though the curtains had been drawn closed for privacy. They'd been like that since Donghae had gotten back from washing up.
Well, Donghae rationalized, maybe the Prince just didn't want people staring at him while he tried to sleep. Maybe he drooled on his pillow.
Donghae sighed and looked back down to his lap, fidgeting with the frayed end of his fish-shaped phone-strap. Alright, he'd stalled long enough. Taking a breath in preparation, Donghae picked up his phone and hit the button to call his roommates.
Sungmin answered after the first ring, in a screech that echoed loudly enough to cause Donghae to wince away from the phone. "DONGHAE?"
"Hi, yeah, it's-"
"Where the hell are you? We were about to call the police-" Sungmin continued, still yelling, but was interrupted by Hyukjae's voice in the background.
"Is that Donghae? Did he fall asleep on the bus again?"
"No, I didn't-"
"Hey, I just wanted to say, that Sungmin ate all your dinner," Hyukjae's voice was suddenly much clearer; he must have moved to listen in at Sungmin's shoulder.
"You lying-" Donghae heard the unmistakable sound of Sungmin punching Hyukjae in the ribs. "He was the one who ate all the food. Lying jerk."
"It's okay, I ate already," Donghae reassured them.
"Seriously, Hae, where are you?"
"Actually, about that," Donghae began, tone already apologetic. "I can't really tell you where I am. And I'm not going to be able to come back home for a few weeks, I think."
"Oh my god, Hae-did you get abducted? Did someone kidnap you? I knew this would happen someday-"
"What? No," Donghae said, then reconsidered slightly, remembering Yesung and Kyuhyun showing up to fetch him from Grandpa Lee's. "Well, kind of. I'm staying here by my own choice, though."
"He's got Stockholm syndrome, oh my god," Hyukjae whimpered.
"Would you guys just calm down?" Donghae exclaimed, exasperated. "It's nothing like that-I'm fine, okay? The truth is. . ." he hesitated, then took a breath and confessed all in one rush, "The truth is. . . I'm kind of getting married this weekend and it's a huge secret so I'm sorry but I can't tell you who it's with or where I'm staying right now."
Over the phone, there was a long, ominous pause. Then-
"You're getting WHAT?"
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© 2008
| Next chapter >> |
a/n: thanks as always to meiface for the speedy beta and the words of encouragement.
6/01/2010 - this chapter is the edited and reposted version of the original.
Author: phasera
Pairing: Siwon/Donghae
Summary: (AU) Loosely inspired by the k-drama Princess Hours.
Chapters: o1 | o2 | o3 | o4 | o5 | o6 | o7 | o8 | o9 | 10 | #
Note: This story is incomplete, and I will not be working on it anytime soon. I appreciate the readers who still enjoy this story, and I'm sorry I cannot promise you a conclusion.
------------------------Chapter 4------------------------
Siwon stared through the tinted windows of the car, chin propped in his hand. After a minute, his gaze slipped down to the cell phone held loosely in his other hand, where re-read the mail he'd just received from Hankyung. It was short but affectionate, like hundreds of other messages sent on the hundreds of days before this.
You look better when you smile, the message said. It's an old joke between the two of them: that when he's alone, Siwon's mouth will default into a frown. Hankyung has told the Prince a dozen times or more that he's too serious for his own good. Half the time, Siwon had even been inclined to believe him.
The phone beeped, light flashing to signal a new message had been received, and Siwon pressed the button to read it.
Siwon, forgive me.
Siwon's breath suddenly felt heavy in his lungs. He moved his head, his shoulders turning in, unconsciously hunching over the phone as he stared the words on the screen. Slowly, as if moving underwater, his thumb hit the key to send a reply, typing out his answer.
Nothing to forgive...
He hesitated, finger hovering over the Send button. He should say more-apologize, perhaps, for overreacting that morning. Ask Hankyung if he was well, if he'd eaten. Instead, somehow Siwon's thoughts turned to the eavesdropping boy whom Siwon had caught spying in the stairwell.
It was strange, he couldn't remember ever being more furious or humiliated in his life than he had been in that moment; but by the time the encounter had been over, Siwon had forgiven the boy so easily.
The voice of the chauffeur came from the front of the car, interrupting Siwon's thoughts. "We’ve almost arrived, your Highness." Outside, the prince could see the tall gates of the palace looming towards them.
Home, sweet home. Yesung had already called to inform him of his schedule as he'd left the college: dinner with their Majesties and-if the search had yielded results-with his soon-to-be bride. Exhaling, Siwon leaned back into his seat, head falling against the headrest. It had been a long day, and it was still far from over.
Siwon glanced back down to his phone with its unsent reply still shining black and white on the screen. Carefully, he slid the phone into its closed position, and then thumbed the power key until it turned off.
*
When Siwon had changed out of his school clothes, he met his parents in the east banquet hall, one of the more sumptuously decorated rooms in the palace that was usually reserved for receiving foreign dignitaries and other important guests.
"Siwon," his mother greeted him, actually rising from her seat to clasp his hands, and he knew then that the Queen hadn't relented once from worrying about him since the announcement from that morning. It relieved some of the pressure that had been clamping down on his chest-a small fraction of it, anyway. He bent to kiss her cheek.
"We have been discussing the matter of the betrothal," she told him, concern creasing lines at the corners of hers eyes and mouth. Siwon had never seen his mother show her age so obviously before, and it made his heart ache.
"If you require more time to think things over, your father and I can speak to your grandfather on your behalf." The queen glanced back toward her husband, who was sitting stoically in his place at the head of the table. "Surely, this subject needs more than a day of consideration?”
Prince Siwon glanced between both his parents, and shook his head. "That won't be necessary," he said, quietly and firmly, pulling his hands from the queen's to reach into his pocket. He brought out the ring, and on the intake of one breath, he slipped it onto his left hand. "I'm more than happy to act in the service of upholding our family's honor," he said-and when he saw the relief flash through his mother's eyes, for a minute he almost believed it.
Looking to the king, Siwon saw his father nod in approval, a slow and stately acknowledgement. The queen looped her arm through her son's and walked with him to the table, where the servants had already laid out settings for their normal family dinner, plus one. Siwon sat in his chair, eyes sliding away from that extra placement, smoothing down the front of his shirt and pretending he didn't feel the slight quaking of his hand.
"You might be interested to see this, Siwon," his mother told him, sliding an aged ivory envelope towards him across the tablecloth. "Your grandfather's aides brought it over from his suite earlier today. Apparently he's kept up a correspondence with that friend of his throughout the years."
Siwon picked up the envelope, curiosity warring with reluctance as he shook out its contents: a single folded sheet of paper, worn almost soft with use, as if it had been handled and read many times before.
"This was the most recent letter he had from Lee Junghoon-from last spring, I believe it was," she explained. Opening the note, Siwon was momentarily startled as a picture slipped from the letter into his lap. "Ah yes, there's a photo, too. I thought you might like the chance to see the girl before Yesung and Kyuhyun brought her here tonight."
Siwon lifted the photo and did his best to look at it with completely objective detachment. Within seconds, however, his eyes were locked onto the image, his fingers gone numb and his mind ringing with utter shock and disbelief.
The photo itself wasn't very remarkable. The shot was obviously candid, its subject looking vastly amused by something or someone not in the picture. The person's arms were held up as if warding that something away, while messy brown locks of hair tumbled down around a perfectly open and amiable face. Siwon stared at the photo for over a minute, hoping that if he blinked, that face might somehow rearrange, become different.
The queen's anxious voice interrupted his daze. "I thought her to be quite pretty, don't you agree?" Siwon must have made an odd noise, because she hurried on, "With proper tutoring and mentorship, I'm sure she'll have learned all the graces of a princess in no time at all. There's no reason we couldn't shape her into your ideal partner."
With deliberate and careful movements, the prince set the picture down next to his napkin. For some reason he was finding it extremely difficult to keep from bursting out laughing, which was very unlike him; besides, he didn't find the situation funny in the least. He might have desperately hoped all this was some sort elaborate joke his parents were having at his expense-but that conclusion was impossible. The King and Queen never joked about anything.
He cleared his throat, sitting back in his chair. "Not quite. There is one reason, Mother," he told her, speaking to her plans.
"What's that, dear?"
"This photo is of a boy," Siwon said, his hand spread on the table, one finger tapping the glossy surface of the picture in question.
"What?" the queen immediate reached for it, holding it up for examination. "A boy? Siwon, what do you mean?"
"I mean, the person in the photo is male. I've met him, even-we go to school together. His name is Lee Donghae."
Looking gravely concerned, his father spoke for the first time. "Siwon, are you sure of this?"
The queen waved one hand in a dismissive gesture, but the prince saw the worry lines were back on her face. "Oh, surely it is some mistake, then. The photo of the granddaughter must have been misplaced somewhere."
Siwon wished he could believe that. But in the next moment the debate was rendered moot. Yesung arrived at the banquet hall's entrance, pausing and bowing to the royal family.
"Majesties," he intoned, solemn-faced. "I have brought the grandchild of Lee Junghoon, as you have requested." Siwon's breath caught, stomach dropping to the floor. There was a world of difference between looking at a photo and being suddenly confronted by the reality of a bizarre and unreal situation.
The Queen's cheer sounded a bit forced, though gracious enough, "Thank you, Yesung. You may show the girl in."
Yesung was fidgeting, and he never fidgeted. He also never stalled, but that was exactly what he seemed to be doing. "My Lady, there's a certain matter you should be made aware of. . ." he began, but the Queen shook her head dismissively, the ornaments in her traditional wig chiming with soft sounds.
"Whatever it is, let us discuss it together, so the poor child isn't kept waiting in the hallway," she said.
Yesung bowed, and left. He returned a minute later, dragging another person with him. The new young man looked green to the gills, sweating like he was about to be sent up for execution. "Hi," the boy said, waving shyly, looking like he might bolt from the room at any sudden loud noises. "I'm Lee Donghae," he introduced himself, bowing awkwardly when Yesung poked him in the ribs.
"Oh my," the Queen said, staring. The King said nothing.
The Prince's first thought was, incongruously enough, that Yesung ought to have had the sense to change the boy into a more appropriate set of clothes before bringing him for an introduction. Donghae still wore the outfit Siwon had seen him in that morning-baggy cargo pants, faded cotton t-shirt, and long-sleeved flannel shirt; all of these liberally spattered with paint, no doubt from the incident with the mural. He hadn't even combed his hair, only pulled it back into a short ponytail from which many strands were already escaping. Siwon's parents had probably never seen someone so messy-looking in their entire lives.
Siwon rose from his seat, looking steadily at the other boy. "Welcome to the Palace," he said, since no one else seemed inclined to offer the polite greeting. It was a bit eerie, the sudden calm that overcame him. He felt distinctly removed from the situation, as if all this were happening to someone else, as if he were merely there as an observer. In the back of his mind, the Prince wondered if he might be in shock.
As soon as the Prince had spoken to him, Donghae looked even more awkward. His eyes flitted continually from the Prince's face to the rest of the room, as if he were a hummingbird, unable to settle. "Thanks," he said, staring around at all the lavish furnishings with a bit of awe. "This place is really. . . I mean, you have a beautiful home," he said, tugging on the hem of his shirt. "Oh, your Majesties," he tacked on swiftly, after Yesung had elbowed him.
Silence reigned in the room for a very long, very uncomfortable minute. During that time, Donghae at last met and held the Prince's gaze. To Siwon's surprise, the other boy looked distinctly miserable in that moment, his soft brown eyes darkening and an uncharacteristic frown tugging down the corners of his mouth.
For the first time all day, it occurred to Siwon to realize that this betrothal wasn't just something that was being done to just to him-another life besides his own was involved.
Before he could fully process that thought, Yesung's assistant aide, Kyuhyun, stepped into the room. "If I may borrow your guest, Majesties," he said formally, bowing as he entered, "The elder King Choi has requested a short meeting with the grandson of Lee Junghoon."
Far from looking more nervous, as Siwon had expected, the other boy turned to Kyuhyun with a curious expression. "Really? He wants to see me?"
"Yes, so come along," Kyuhyun said, steering Donghae towards the door by his elbow, stopping at the open entrance. "By your leave, Majesties," the junior aide said, bowing to the King and Queen. A bit belatedly, the Queen nodded her head, granting permission.
As they left, Donghae turned around, waving over his shoulder, "It was very nice to meet you," he called cheerfully, and then the two were lost to sight.
"Oh, Siwon," the Queen sighed, after a minute had passed. "I hardly know what to say," she began, reaching out to him.
Siwon removed his gaze from the empty doorway, smoothly returning to his seat. "There's nothing to be said, Mother," he told her, taking the crisp white napkin from his table setting and unfolding it into his lap. "However the situation has changed, we must still abide by our honor, must we not?"
The Queen looked to her husband in wordless appeal. "Indeed, we must," the King pronounced at last, with a heavy air of finality.
Unseen in his lap, the Prince's hands clenched over his knees, then slowly uncurled. Raising his arm, the Prince signaled, and the servants who had waiting by discreetly at once began serving the royal family their meal.
------------------------------------------------------
Donghae felt a bit like an owl after the first five minutes, craning his neck to impossible angles and degrees while trying to take in all the scenery as Kyuhyun briskly escorted him through the Palace. For all his effort, Donghae was left with only a few fleeting impressions that remained in his mind, accompanying the turmoil of excitement, anxiety, and other feelings that seemed to be tugging him in a hundred directions at once. He remembered soaring pillars of crimson, elaborate ink-style paintings, statues of jade and gold.
But more than anything else, he remembered the expression of naked terror that had been on the Prince's face in the moment when Donghae had walked into the room. It had only been there for an instant, and the Prince had immediately controlled himself-but he had been the first thing Donghae had looked to, and so he'd caught it.
Considering how terrified Donghae still felt about all this, seeing fear in Prince Siwon shouldn't have been so surprising; but try as he might, Donghae couldn't forget it.
"Nearly there," Kyuhyun informed him, glancing back, and Donghae forcibly returned his attention to his surroundings and where they were walking. The Palace grounds were massive, with dozens of buildings and hundreds of rooms-though most were being either preserved as historical monuments or left in disuse. Yesung and Kyuhyun had taken it upon themselves to try and inform Donghae of as much as possible on the trip over from the retirement home, but he still had a million questions.
One thing he definitely didn't understand was the passage of the royal succession. History teachers had gone over it before in many of Donghae's classes, but trying to keep track of all the lineages and levels of the monarchy had always made his head hurt. Five years ago was when King Choi's first son-Siwon's uncle-had suddenly died, and during the mourning period the elder King Choi's health had rapidly declined. After that, the elder King Choi had retired, so to speak, and left the responsibilities of ruling to his second son, Siwon's father. Leaving Siwon himself to take up the title of Crown Prince.
"So what does that make me?" Donghae had asked, mostly as a joke. Yesung had glowered a bit, obviously feeling that now wasn't a time for jokes. "As yet undetermined,” the aide had finally answered, like Donghae was some clueless college freshman who didn't have any idea what to do with himself.
Alright, so in a lot of ways, it was a fairly appropriate metaphor.
"This is it," Kyuhyun said, stopping in a hallway that to Donghae looked exactly like a dozen others. The younger aide opened a set of double doors and quickly ushered Donghae through them, into what he could only assume was the elder King Choi's suite of rooms. Kyuhyun walked him through a living area towards the bedrooms beyond, leaning into Donghae to offer some last-minute advice in a hushed voice. "Be respectful, but never obsequious-he hates that. Be yourself, but don't be too informal in your speech. Most importantly, be honest-he can smell a lie from miles away, trust me."
"He sounds like my grandfather," Donghae whispered back, smiling faintly.
The younger aide rolled his eyes, "Of course-how else do you think they got along so well?"
"Oh, right."
"Now, any questions?"
"Yeah. What's obsequious?"
"It's-no, never mind. Just go, he's waiting to meet you."
Donghae had time for one last deep breath-then, with a helpful shove from Kyuhyun, he was standing alone at the bedside of the elder King.
The old man slowly opened his eyes, turning to peer in their direction. He looked quite frail, surrounded by a mass of blankets and pillows on the oversized bed. But still, the weight of intellect was still present in his gaze, lending him at least the shadow of his former rank and dignity.
"My Lord," the assistant aide announced, bowing in the man's presence, and belatedly Donghae followed suit. "I have brought the grandson of Lee Junghoon to see you."
Elder King Choi was watching him shrewdly now. Donghae felt he ought to say something, but had no idea what. "Hi," he said, feeling lame. "It's nice to finally meet you. My grandpa told me a lot about you." Everything except the most important part, Donghae added to himself, both irritated and amused. Like the part where you guys set up your grandkids to get married.
The old King's mouth twitched once, and Donghae realized his thoughts were probably as transparent to this man as glass. He flushed a little in embarrassment, but grinned. The two grandfathers really must have been thick as thieves, back in the day.
"Come closer, boy, and let me have a good look at you," the elder King commanded, slowly patting a spot on the edge of the bedclothes. His voice was as rough and crusty as gravel, but still retained enough imperiousness to prompt immediate obedience from Donghae, who sat where directed.
A minute passed where the old King simply stared at him with those piercing dark eyes, and Donghae uncomfortably felt every smudge, tear, splatter, and tangle existing on his skin, his clothes, and in his hair.
After an indeterminable amount of time, the elder King Choi at last lifted an arm to pat Donghae's hand where it rested against the bedspread. "You'll do," the old man chuckled mysteriously.
Feeling as if he'd just been weighed at the gates of the Underworld, Donghae could only stare back, utterly baffled. "Do for what, sir?" he blurted, too curious to worry whether or not he was being blunt. This caused the old man's eyes to twinkle, in exactly the same mischievous and smug way as Grandpa Lee's eyes would sometimes.
"Do for Siwon," the elder King answered, and Donghae forgot to breathe for a moment. Did that mean, then. . . could it be possible that the betrothal would still be on? Even though he was a boy?
It wasn't at all what he'd been expecting to hear. Donghae chewed on his lower lip and lowered his gaze, for once utterly at a loss for words. The same weird misery that he'd felt before when looking at the Prince came back, sinking into the pit of his stomach. But the last thing the Prince wants is some stranger messing up his life right now. I'll only get in his way.
"You're exactly what my grandson needs, I can see it," the King told him, solemn then, causing Donghae to look up. Again, it was if the old man had read Donghae's thoughts. "You'll be able to help him. . . help him the way Junghoon did for me, all those years ago," he concluded with satisfaction.
"Sir, if I can ask. . . what did my Grandfather do?" Donghae said, while his heart thudded painfully and inexplicably against his ribcage. The elder King Choi nodded, his gaze looking back into some distance Donghae couldn't see.
"He saved my life," the King said quietly, and smiled.
***
Donghae followed Kyuhyun back towards the dining room in something of a daze. He could hardly believe all this was happening, but he'd already pinched himself on the arm several times, and nothing had changed-no visions dissolving into mist, no waking up at home to laugh it off as bad ramyun. No, this definitely wasn't a dream-but it certainly was the most surreal experience he'd ever had in his life.
They stopped at the entrance so Kyuhyun could once more announce his presence. To his surprise and embarrassment, all three members of the royal family rose from their seats-in perfect unison, no less-and looked at him. Donghae stood there for a moment, feeling extremely uncomfortable, and suddenly realized they were looking at him expectantly. Especially the Prince. Siwon's expression was as composed as usual, but Donghae could feel the weight of the other boy's gaze like heat from the sun pressing against his skin.
Oh, shit. Was Donghae supposed to be the one to break the news that they would be stuck with him as an in-law for the rest of their days?
Well, as Grandpa Lee would say: Deliver bad news with a smile, and maybe you won't get shot for it.
Screwing up his courage, Donghae managed the smile, though it felt tentative as a candle flame, ready to flicker out on a breeze. He hesitated, struggling to find the right words, to say something they themselves would consider appropriate for the situation. "I. . . I would be honored to be accepted into your family," he told them slowly, and bowed, feeling stiff and unsure of himself.
The silence following this pronouncement was profound. They stared at him, and Donghae stared back, wide-eyed like a deer caught in headlights.
Then, to his utter humiliation, he sneezed. "Excuse me," he mumbled into his sleeve of his arm, which he'd instinctively covered his mouth with. At least he'd been able to do that much.
But it had had the effect of breaking the stalemate. The Queen came around the table towards him, the silk of her brightly-colored hanbok swishing softly. Then, with the graciousness only capable of the truly noble and well-bred, she took Donghae's stained and paint-spattered hands in her own immaculately groomed ones. "And we are honored to welcome you, Lee Donghae," she told him smoothly, with no trace of irony in her tone.
Prince Siwon came up to stand next to his mother, and was looking down at their clasped hands. "Your ring," the Prince said after a minute, startling Donghae. My ring? He looked down at it. Oh, that was the gift from King Choi, wasn't it?
The Queen released him, and Donghae held out his right hand, displaying the ring in question. "This?"
The Prince raised his left hand, and Donghae could see the answering glint of silver there. Matched rings? They’ve got to be kidding me.
However, any and all sarcastic thoughts left Donghae's mind when the Prince took his hands, his slender and graceful fingers removing Donghae's ring from his right hand and replacing it on his left. "You were wearing it in the wrong place," the Prince explained calmly, standing back with an inscrutable expression.
Donghae's body reminded him that oxygen was a necessary thing, and he breathed again, drawing air into his deprived lungs. So, what did that gesture mean? Was the Prince demonstrating that he was okay with the decision? That he, too, accepted Donghae? Or was he merely a perfectionist who didn't like things being out of place?
Donghae's stomach was fluttering madly, his heartbeat elevated-and all the Prince had done was hold hands with him for five seconds.
Reminding himself to never again go without eight hours of sleep or three square meals in a day, as it obviously had unwanted effects on his body, Donghae stuffed his hands into his pockets to hide his sudden shivering.
Upon doing so, his fingers encountered an object in his pocket that he'd placed there earlier. "Oh," he exclaimed, and fished out a yellowed document, holding it out for the Prince. "I almost forgot-your grandfather asked me to bring you this."
Thoughtful frown in place, the Prince opened the document to read it. Curiosity overcoming him, Donghae couldn't help but sneak a peek. "What's with all the Chinese characters?" Donghae asked, when he was unable to decipher a single word.
"Chinese was the language of scholars, in ancient times," Siwon replied absently, eyes still scanning over the page. Frowning, he moved to stand next to the King. "Father, you'll be able to translate this more quickly than I could."
The King read the document in silence, his face as unrevealing and as stoic as his son's could be. "Well," he said at last, breaking the expectant silence. "It's certainly clever, I will give your Grandfather that," the King said, and handed the paper back to his son. Donghae thought he could detect the faintest traces of amusement in the King's deep baritone.
"What does it say, my Lord?" the Queen asked anxiously, placing one hand on her husband's arm.
"It's a historical record of a very old ceremonial ritual," the King informed them. "One that hasn't been performed in over a century-I doubt none but a handful of scholars would be familiar with it."
Donghae had to refrain from bouncing on the tips of his toes with impatience. Could no one in this family just go straight to the point?
Apparently the Prince was also impatient for the answer, because he'd gone back to reading the document, attempting his own translation. Donghae saw his mouth moving silently, shaping the sounds of the characters that composed the page's title. Suddenly the Prince's brows shot up to his forehead in genuine surprise. "The Oath of Brotherhood?" he read, looking swiftly to his father for confirmation, who nodded.
"Oh my," the Queen said, looking between her husband and her son. "I take it this is the alternative my father-in-law is suggesting for Siwon and his. . ." she glanced over to Donghae, hesitating over an appropriate term. "His suitor?"
Donghae's eyes widened. "Oh. . . like blood-brothers, or something?"
The King was the one who answered him, speaking directly to Donghae for the first time all night. "Similar, young man, but very ancient and formal. The oath was like a vow of fealty once sworn between lords and their vassals, or even between a military commander and his soldiers."
Confused, Donghae frowned, and looked to the Prince. "But I'm not a soldier or a-a vassal-thing. How can we do the same ritual?"
"I suppose we'll have to improvise a little," the Prince said, giving a signal to the servants at the doors. "But I certainly think we could make this work for our particular situation."
Oh, right, Donghae remembered, flushing slightly. The betrothal contract. He looked down to the ring now sitting with unnatural heaviness on his left hand, and understanding suddenly dawned on him. It's a marriage--that's what they mean; this must be a marriage, but for two men.
Yesung and Kyuhyun entered the room, answering to the Prince's beckoning. The two bowed in unison, like a matched pair-and if Donghae hadn't been so busy trying to not have a panic attack, he might have thought them cute.
"Yes, your Highness?" Yesung prompted, and was given the aged document by the Prince.
"I need you both to research the ritual described here as thoroughly as possible, and have all the arrangements necessary to performing it ready by the end of the week," the Prince directed, and the young aide tipped his head in acknowledgement.
The Prince continued, gesturing to indicate Donghae, "This one will also be in your care," Shooting a glance in Donghae's direction, Prince Siwon apparently decided to change his original instructions, instead saying-somewhat pessimistically, Donghae thought- "Just. . . do what you can with him."
Donghae tried not to feel indignant; especially when the two aides looked over and sized him up with troubled expressions, as if he were some sort of bizarre creature they'd never encountered before.
"Of course, your Highness," Kyuhyun answered smoothly.
That's when Donghae's stomach chose to rumble loudly, forcibly reminding him that he hadn't eaten since lunch-and also, that the universe hated him, and wished him to be as mortified as humanly possible within the space of twenty-four hours.
He clamped his hands over his abdomen, as if that could muffle the sound; luckily for him, the Queen smiled magnanimously, taking it in stride. "Why don't we all finish eating dinner, before our young guest expires of hunger."
Smiling gratefully, Donghae sat in the chair she indicated for him; from there, he proceeded to have his first meal in the company of the royal family.
Really, he decided, broadcasting his thoughts out to the cosmos and whatever entities might be listening, all while trying not to slurp his soup. Reality can snap back to normal any time now, please.
***
After the dinner, during which the King, Queen, and Prince politely made no mention of the few times Donghae had forgotten to chew with his mouth closed, Yesung and Kyuhyun reappeared to escort him to yet another destination within the Palace.
"Here's where you'll be staying for the time being," Kyuhyun said, flipping some hidden light switch, causing the area to be illuminated by gentle silver lights placed at ground level amongst greenery and along stone paths.
To Donghae's surprise, they were standing in some sort of open courtyard flanked by glass walls, which flared out into a veranda that overlooked a large expanse of the Palace grounds. A small marble fountain occupied the center of the courtyard, providing soothing background noise with the trickling sound of water.
"Wait," he said, looking between the two aides, "I'm not going home?"
Yesung sniffed, and gave him a withering look. "The Palace is your home now."
Unable to come up with a reply to that, Donghae bit his lip and looked around once more, trying to identify any comfortable resting areas. This was weird. He'd had no idea that nobles slept in gardens.
He didn't want to seem ungrateful or rude, but-"Excuse me," he said, trying not to sound plaintive, "What if it rains?"
Yesung sighed and looked heavenward, as if begging patience. "This whole area is the Prince's wing of the Palace," he explained, gesturing with one arm. "Those rooms to the right are his personal quarters; to the left, those will be your own rooms. This courtyard is a common area between them."
At that, Donghae finally saw that the glass walls had doors in them, and low-level lights just barely gave the hint of furnishings inside. "Oh," was all he said, blushing at his mistake. Then he thought of something else. "What about all my stuff-can I go get it? And I have to tell my roommates what's happened to me."
Kyuhyun answered with a shake of his head, "Everything you need, we'll provide for you. However, if there are any personal items from your apartment that you can't be without, make a list and I will retrieve them for you."
"And because the King and Queen have expressed the desire to keep this matter from the media until the announcement on the day of the Prince's birthday celebration, you can't tell any of your friends where you are or what you're doing," Yesung commanded, adding a stern glare for emphasis.
Donghae was unhappy about it, but he could understand their point of view. "Alright, if I have to." Plus, he wasn't to sure how to break it to Sungmin and Hyukjae that he was about to enter into a quasi-gay marriage with the Crown Prince, anyway.
The two aides finished the short tour of Donghae's suite, turning on more lights and even laying out a set of pajamas for him to wear to sleep. Donghae was relieved to see there were long damask curtains that could be spread across the floor-to-ceiling windows that made up the wall which faced the courtyard.
"Anything else you need?" Kyuhyun asked politely, when they were done.
Donghae scratched his arm, flaking away a particularly itchy patch of dried paint. "Umm. . .. a bath?"
Donghae thought the younger aide might have muttered, "Good choice," as he nodded acknowledgement, but Donghae chose to overlook it. See, he was acting noble already.
***
Clean at last and clad in the new pajamas, Donghae perched on the edge of the ridiculously-sized bed in his rooms, frowning down at his cellphone. The battery was almost gone-he'd have to remember to ask Kyuhyun to pick up the charger for him.
Though he'd much prefer to go out and get his stuff on his own, the two aides had made it pretty much crystal clear that Donghae was stuck here in this fishbowl of a room till the ceremony was over and the media circus had calmed down in the aftermath. Supposedly, he couldn't even go out onto the grounds where the paparazzi might catch glimpses of him. Supposedly, dire consequences would arise if he strayed-though Yesung had been a bit vague on that point.
Donghae had been here for only a few hours, and already he felt stifled.
Glancing through the windows that doubled as walls, Donghae saw through the night-darkened courtyard that the lights were on in the Prince's rooms, though the curtains had been drawn closed for privacy. They'd been like that since Donghae had gotten back from washing up.
Well, Donghae rationalized, maybe the Prince just didn't want people staring at him while he tried to sleep. Maybe he drooled on his pillow.
Donghae sighed and looked back down to his lap, fidgeting with the frayed end of his fish-shaped phone-strap. Alright, he'd stalled long enough. Taking a breath in preparation, Donghae picked up his phone and hit the button to call his roommates.
Sungmin answered after the first ring, in a screech that echoed loudly enough to cause Donghae to wince away from the phone. "DONGHAE?"
"Hi, yeah, it's-"
"Where the hell are you? We were about to call the police-" Sungmin continued, still yelling, but was interrupted by Hyukjae's voice in the background.
"Is that Donghae? Did he fall asleep on the bus again?"
"No, I didn't-"
"Hey, I just wanted to say, that Sungmin ate all your dinner," Hyukjae's voice was suddenly much clearer; he must have moved to listen in at Sungmin's shoulder.
"You lying-" Donghae heard the unmistakable sound of Sungmin punching Hyukjae in the ribs. "He was the one who ate all the food. Lying jerk."
"It's okay, I ate already," Donghae reassured them.
"Seriously, Hae, where are you?"
"Actually, about that," Donghae began, tone already apologetic. "I can't really tell you where I am. And I'm not going to be able to come back home for a few weeks, I think."
"Oh my god, Hae-did you get abducted? Did someone kidnap you? I knew this would happen someday-"
"What? No," Donghae said, then reconsidered slightly, remembering Yesung and Kyuhyun showing up to fetch him from Grandpa Lee's. "Well, kind of. I'm staying here by my own choice, though."
"He's got Stockholm syndrome, oh my god," Hyukjae whimpered.
"Would you guys just calm down?" Donghae exclaimed, exasperated. "It's nothing like that-I'm fine, okay? The truth is. . ." he hesitated, then took a breath and confessed all in one rush, "The truth is. . . I'm kind of getting married this weekend and it's a huge secret so I'm sorry but I can't tell you who it's with or where I'm staying right now."
Over the phone, there was a long, ominous pause. Then-
"You're getting WHAT?"
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© 2008
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a/n: thanks as always to meiface for the speedy beta and the words of encouragement.
6/01/2010 - this chapter is the edited and reposted version of the original.