Your Divine Grace {NamJin}

nine

Surrounding the regent king and his council were the faces and actions of kings past, their souls embedded in the subdued colors of the paintings on the screens. Complete silence hung in wisps around the screens, holding still so not to stir the tensions that zoomed at lightning speed. A hand twitched, an eyelash batted, a smirk etched in the most pompous face among the seven sitting around a polished mahogany table.

"Your Majesty, you called us here"--

Yejun reached across the table to whip his hand once over Doyoung's face, clapping it over his cheek and leaving a red mark where his hand used to be.

The boy fell silent.

"What did you"--

"Forgive him, Your Majesty. He has a problem with speaking out of turn. He knows not what he does."

"There's no crime to forgive. He was simply asking a question."

Yejun pulled himself back down at the table, smoothing over his robe and straightening his posture.

"...now then, His Divine Grace left some unfinished business for us that needs to be attended to."

"Understood, Your Majesty," the unharmed five chanted, almost completely ignoring their silent partner, still up to his chin in humiliation at a suddenly lonely corner of the table.

"First order. Before the attempted coup, His Grace had arranged for a meeting with the head of the Myago Clan in order to seal an alliance and prevent disaster, should the circumstances evolve."

"Myago? Up north?" Baekyeol asked, as if Seokjin were crazy. "That's where the Silcho came from, no?"

"You are right."

"Why would we ally with them? They're nothing but a bunch of bloodthirsty freaks!" Yejun laughed hollowly.

"I'm sure His Grace has his reasons"--

"So he never told you why?"

"N-No -- I'm j-just a noble, I wouldn't be involved with"--

"Ah, so he didn't tell you..." Yejun nodded, placing a finger on his chin as if he were contemplating a thought. "Well I had just assumed, since you're so involved with him, he'd tell you everything."

"Yejun--..." Seokjin trailed off, unable to find words to hit back with.

"Seems like Namjoon's concubine has fallen silent."

Seokjin popped out of place like the belly of a frog making deep croaks. In an instant, he was no longer calmly seated at the table, but standing with a sword in his hands, holding the cold metal blade to Yejun's throat.

"I don't believe you," Seokjin began, looking down on him in shame. "Your mouth runs like Han River, yet five minutes ago you paid your subordinate the price for talking out of turn. Hypocrite!"

Doyoung looked up at Seokjin with hopeful eyes.

"I could kill you right here for abusing another person and speaking about me in the way you did just now. However, I am not a bloodthirsty freak"-- upon saying so, he looked at Baekyeol -- "and I have good judgement, so I'll give you a pass. Next time..." he stopped, grabbing the sword and stabbing the table with it.

"I won't be the one to do it, but someone will end your pathetic existence."

At that, he calmed himself down and sat in his original position.

"T-The Myago..." Doyoung began, mumbling to whoever would listen. "They were at war with the Silcho. They lost to them, and the Silcho came here to conquer. When His Majesty executed the Silcho months ago...the Myago felt indebted to us. That's why they want to work together."

"How do you know?"

"The woman who attempted the coup was Sil Chomin's mistress. She also carried a ring with the Myago family seal. She wanted revenge on those who killed her lover."

"Then we're in deep water," the third "kid" chimed in. "She might've been a family member."

"Highly unlikely, since the only female family member of the Myago is the wife of the head of the clan herself. Plus she began official business with His Grace the day Sil Chomin died. Probably a servant? A court lady, at worst. We're in no trouble at all."

"Doyoung, I'd like you to come with me up north to see Myago Ryeoju. You seem to know much about them, and I'd like to learn more from you. Is that alright?" Seokjin asked, placing gentle eyes on his figure.

"O-Of course, Your Majesty," Doyoung said, bowing towards Seokjin and looking down at his lap, no longer humiliated, but humble by his own accord.

"That will be all for today. You are all dismissed."

One by one, the Elder Council got up and walked single file out of the room, expressionless and stone-faced as they had entered. Before leaving, however, Doyoung stopped at the threshold of the screen door.

"Y-Your Majesty?"

"Yes, Doyoung?" Seokjin said, looking up at the young man dressed in burgundy and gold.

"...thank you for choosing me for the mission."

Seokjin responded with a happy smile, leaning his head to the right at the slightest degree. That smile meant something to both Doyoung and Seokjin; it began a bond between the two men filled with inexplicable joy and the unique embodiment of brotherhood, continuing for as long as memory and their bodies could serve them.

As long as men could breathe, and eyes could see, so long lived that moment, and it gave life everlasting.