adorn

chapter 15

yedam was up all night, waiting for the sun to rise, looking for doyoung tirelessly. due to lack of sleep, too much stress, and worry, hyunsuk found him in shambles on the lawn, for this was the place doyoung loved the most to loll on the long mornings, talking to the awoken sun.

"have you... found him...?" he mumbled, his throat dried, lips shrivelled.

hyunsuk only shook his head but the motion although the light was enough to make him dizzy.

"I got you water yedam-ah... we have to remain strong for our brother."

yedam thanked the other, taking the glass of water to his wobbly hands. this liquid has never felt so nutritional, suddenly water tasted better than the grandest meal ever presented to the boy brought up in the imposing palace.

"I wanted to go to dungeons. the sun is up now, I have to go."

water worked like a remedy, alleviating all of the previous nuisances. yedam stood up, probably a little too hastily for he almost tumbled back down, but he stabled himself. yet his foot hovered in the air when hyunsuk's words pierced through him like a spear.

"if you want to see this boy, he isn't down there. an hour earlier I saw the guards taking him to..." the crown prince got tongue-tied upon spotting tears huddling in his brother's eyes."yedam-ah." he sounded concerned, put his hand on the other's arm, squeezed it in a gentle manner. "who is this boy to you?"

yedam started shaking his head, the accidental tears that had fallen scattered in all directions.

"I will tell you I promise, I won't hide anything anymore, just say where did they take him?"

hyunsuk wiped one of the salty tears off his brother's cheek. his youngest brother ran away, the older one fell in love. what will happen next? he understood how he failed as a hyung. he decided to be the crown prince, the father's son before a brother, an arm to rely on, a resort to rest and let out burdens. he mouthed a silent, but sincere "forgive me" and decided to end yedam's agonizing anticipation.

"throne room. he might be with father now."

"with who?!" yedam's voice went up uncontrollably, turning into a screech.

not to waste any second, the boy rushed to the palace, within the time an eye couldn't gauge he got lost from hyunsuk's sight. the crown prince crouched down, hid his face in his palms, crying bitterly.

"I failed you both, doyoung, yedam, I failed to protect you, forgive me, please forgive me..."

he begged, his forehead now pressed against the grass with morning dew, the droplets wetting his bangs, the tears soaking his cheeks.

at this moment, a hand guided him to look up. someone's fingers were gentle but sure at what they wanted to do, so hyunsuk complied with the order given by an unknown soul. as the crown prince, it was a disgrace. deprived of his dignity, on his knees, wailing, giving consent to someone to show dominance, implying that the crown prince will dance to someone's melody.

but this melody was a ballad, a love poem, a hidden confession. the thumb which stroked hyunsuk's face had a ruby caged in a golden ring, the index finger owned two golden ones with shapes of star constellation, the middle finger had sapphire, the ring finger as if to show a connection to the name was adorned with the amount of four thin white gold rings each representing the element of the world – water, fire, earth, and wind, and lastly, the pink finger had on a gift, never taken off for four years.

hyunsuk had the same one on his palm. a promise that one day they will discard every single fraction of gold on their hands, leaving only this one, proudly holding hands. disowning every worthless component which suffocates them in this cruel world where crown and position matters more than happiness.

"they did it before us, hyunsuk-ah," yoshinori whispered, leaning his forehead on hyunsuk's.

the coolness of the other's skin was tangible but he didn't back away. he lifted his hand, his fingers carefully sinking into his loved boy's hair. the older calmed down, the tears stopped falling, he was now breathing in the air released from yoshinori's lungs.

"they eloped together, my dear. they found courage in their love and did it. did what we couldn't four years ago."

the crown on the young king's was awry before, now slipped down, touching hyunsuk's top of the head. their foreheads still connected.

yoshinori had to carry this priceless burden, a sign of grandeur and slavery each day, but from now on he won't be alone. with the distinct ping, the crown marked the other king, the one with his knees stained from the muddy ground, the one with his bangs damp, the one with his eyes closed, the one who committed himself to the ones he loved.

// ✧ //