Chapter 3: The Fragile Peace
The arrival of the Northern scroll felt like a heavy fog rolling into the palace.
It was dampening the lighthearted atmosphere i usually cultivated.
Within days the Mazuhin kingdom was a hive of activity. Servants scrubbed floors that were already spotless..
And the kitchens smelled of exotic spices meant to impress a foreign palate.
Youngjin, However, felt like a ghost in his own home. He sat by the window of the library, Staring out at the training grounds.
Down below, Jaeta was leading the younger knights through drills.
His movements were sharper than usual—aggressive as i observed.
Every strike of his wooden practice sword against a shield echoed like a crack of thunder.
"He's going to break someone's arm at this rate,"
Youngjin muttered, resting his chin on his palm. What am i even doing today.. I can't even do anything but stare.
"Qwit, do you agree that Jaeta's gonna break someone's arm a this point?"
Qwit chirped in agreement, fluttering from the Prince's shoulder to the windowsill.
Youngjin reached out to stroke the Qwit's feathers.
My bird was the cutest creature to ever exist in my life..
But my mind was on the upcoming feast.
I was expected to wear his most formal robes—heavy.
And even worse.. suffocating things encrusted with jewels.
Worser. Sit beside a woman i had never met.
What's my life as a King anyway..
The Silent Protector
That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon,
I've found myself wandering toward the armory.
He knew he shouldn't seek Jaeta out.
it only made the "what ifs" louder in my own head.
I hate this, i hate this.. I HATE THIS.
But MY anxiety was a physical weight, and Jaeta was the only one who knew how to lift it.
Youngjin got up and trys to find Jaeta..
After a few moments, I've found him sitting on a bench, wiping sweat from his brow with a rough towel.
The armory was dim, lit only by a few flickering torches.
"The Princess arrives tomorrow,"
Youngjin said softly, leaning against the doorframe.
Jaeta didn't look up. and just kept his own gaze down.
"I heard. The whole palace won't stop talking about her beauty. They say her hair is like spun silk and her eyes are like the Northern seas."
"Do you care about that?"
Youngjin asked, stepping closer
"Her beauty?"
Jaeta finally looked up. His eyes were dark, unreadable.
"My opinion doesn't matter, Your Highness."
[Pause]
"I am here to ensure her safety, and yours. Whether she is a beauty or a beast changes nothing about my blade."
Youngjin bit his lip. The coldness in Jaeta's voice hurt more than the headache ever had.
"You're being formal again. I hate it when you're formal."
Before I could even stutter out another sentence Jaeta just.. cutted me off.
"And I hate it when you're reckless,"
Jaeta countered, standing up. He stepped into Youngjin's personal space.
the scent of metal and sweat surrounding the Prince.
"You're going to marry her, aren't you? For the kingdom?"
"I don't know,"
Youngjin whispered, looking up at him.
"I'm the 'weak' Prince, remember?"
"Maybe they think a strong Princess is what I need to balance me out."
Jaeta reached out, his hand hovering near Youngjin's face before he pulled it back, clenching it into a fist.
"You aren't weak."
"You're just... gentle. There's a difference."
A night between the storm.
The silence that followed was thick with things unsaid.
Jaeta wanted to scream that no Princess would ever understand the way Youngjin worried about his bird or the way his eyes lit up when he solved a riddle.
He wanted to say that the Northern Kingdom didn't deserve him.
Instead, he cleared his throat.
"Go to sleep, Your highness."
"You have a long day of playing the charming suitor tomorrow."
"Jaeta..."
"Go,"
Jaeta insisted, his voice cracking just a fraction.
Youngjin turned and walked away, My heart was aching.
I didn't see Jaeta sink back onto the bench burying his face in his hands.
[Jaeta's perspective]
Jaeta stayed there for hours.
haunted by the image of Youngjin standing at the altar with someone else.
He realized then that his respect for the Prince had long since mutated into something far more dangerous.
It was a devotion that bordered on obsession..
a quiet fire that threatened to burn down the very walls he was sworn to protect.
"Fuck.. This is dangerous for me."
I couldn't help but fall for the Prince i've protected with all my might.
You will be mine, Youngjin.
With out of all my respect for you
You will be mine.
With that Jaeta stood up and went to change out of the knight out.
The arrival.
The next morning, the horns signaled the approach of the Northern carriage.
Youngjin stood at the top of the palace steps, flanked by his father and a row of guards.
I thought with every thought of my might left..
Don't cry like a pathetic baby, Youngjin..
You're a prince.
D..Don't cry.
[Youngjin's Zuyn thoughts were scrambled.]
Jaeta stood directly behind him his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
He looked every bit the stoic Knight, but his eyes were fixed on the back of Youngjin's neck.
The carriage door opened. A woman stepped out, draped in furs and shimmering silver silks.
Princess Mina was indeed beautiful, but as she looked up at the palace, her gaze was calculating.
She approached the steps and curtsied.
"Prince Youngjin,"
she said, her voice like ice.
"I have heard much of your... unique charms."
Youngjin offered a polite smile, though it didn't reach his eyes.
This was hell, this was PAIN. for me.
I'm not straight, I'm a homosexual.. I don't want to marry a woman i've never wanted to marry.
"Welcome to Mazuhin, Princess."
I led her inside, his hand briefly brushed against Jaeta's arm. m
It was a momentary contact
but it felt like a jolt of electricity.
Jaeta watched them go,
His heart feeling like it was being squeezed by an iron gauntlet.
The game had begun, and the stakes were higher than any kingdom.
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