A Game of Masks Chapter 1
Title: A Game of Masks
Pairings: Super Junior Members + OCs
Rating: PG-13 for violence
Notes: Character death, Medieval/Fantasy AU, occasional crack
Summary: Magic, intrigue and secrets abound in and around the king's court. While everyone has something to hide, some have more than others. Who has the biggest secret and will it end up tearing the kingdom apart?
Chapter 1
The king sat immobile on his throne, an ever-present impassive expression on his face. Before him stood a cross-section of humanity. The poor, the uneducated and the illiterate stood before him, waiting to have their petitions heard. On either side of the commoners sat the nobility. The majority of them were bored wives who came to laugh and make fun of the petitioners as a way to pass the time and alleviate their boredom. Of course there were those upwardly mobile lords and ladies who hoped to improve their rank by somehow gaining the king’s attention and his favor. These folks were easily spotted as they moved around the group of commoners pretending to offer their support, condolences or best wishes as the situation required. Flanking the dais and circling the perimeter of the room was the Royal Guard - an in-between class. While their station was above that of a commoner or simple guardsman they were still beneath the notice of the elite that filled the court.
Silently King Kangin sat, staring at his subjects before him. Without a change in expression his eyes cut over to the queen sitting to his left. Mentally, he sighed. Even after three years of marriage to Queen Jagroop he still couldn’t understand his mother and grandmother’s choice of a marriage partner. Yes, he had a formidable and rough personality. And it was true that an alliance through marriage to the kingdom of Hashbutan was a very wise decision, especially since a high percentage of his kingdom’s imports came from there. Granted, the Hashbutani king did not have much choice in which daughter to wed as Jagroop was the only female out of fifteen children. But why did it have to be her? Or more specifically, why did she have to be the way she is?
As if she could feel her husband’s eyes on her, Queen Jagroop turned and smiled. Three years of an arranged marriage and somewhat harsh treatment hadn’t killed the flutter she felt in her heart every time she looked at Kangin. His tall and regal bearing, noble looking brow and broad shoulders made her feel proud to be his wife and queen. On the extremely few occasions Kangin had actually smiled Jagroop became weak in the knees as his cheeks bunched up and his eyes became crescent moons. His whole face and aura changed in those brief moments. It was these rare treasures that Jagroop held onto tightly, using them as a shield against all the other unpleasantness in her life.
Kangin did not bother to return her smile; instead he turned his head in order to take inventory of his queen’s ensemble for the day. Once again, she has dressed in a tunic and leggings, albeit ones of rich velvet and brocade, with a jeweled belt around her waist. Any curves that would have announced Jagroop as a woman were hidden by the clothing that was at least two sizes too large for her. Lacking any make-up or jewelry beyond her wedding band, it would be easy for the queen to be mistaken as a young man or even a teenage boy. The only feminine attribute Jagroop possessed was her long flowing hair. When let down from its permanent bun, her silky black locks hung below the small of her back. Kangin considered this her only saving grace. The thought that he hoped their children’s hair would favor their mother’s came to him unbidden. He immediately rejected the idea. Although he knew how important it was for him to produce an heir there was a limit to how far Kangin would allow his mother to dictate his life. Perhaps I can get an heir.... Kangin quickly banished the dangerous thought. If they even suspected he knew that secret his life would be over.
Nearby, the chatelaine cleared his throat and called for quiet. Once all talking had stopped, he then announced that the king would begin to hear the day’s petitions. Kangin turned his face from his wife and looked at the first poor soul in line. Forcing himself to look interested Kangin said “You may speak.”
Several days’ travel outside of the castle a young man stood frowning at the pile of wood before him. “You want me to do what?” Ryeowook asked. His master patiently answered “I would like you to set the sticks on fire so that we may prepare our noon meal.” The doubtful look didn’t leave the apprentice’s face, even as he turned to face the pile once more.
“Concentrate. Remember to focus your mind only on the task at hand. Let all the distractions fade from your consciousness,” whispered Wizard Yesung. As Ryeowook relaxed, closing his ears to the sounds around him, he felt the familiar tingle in his fingers that signified his drawing on Power. Slowly, he allowed Suju Power to build in his body and compressed it into a thin line in preparation for sending it out to the wood. Burn, burn, burn the youth silently chanted. All of a sudden his concentration was broken by the screech of an annoyed cat. In that moment Ryeowook’s focus shifted from the wood pile to the cat; without realizing it he released Suju Power along with his breath. As a result the cat burst into flames as it streaked past. Without batting an eyelash, Yesung called upon Power to put out the fire. “No damage done, barely any fur is singed,” remarked the master. Priscilla, the poor maligned cat, obviously didn’t agree, as evidenced by her raised fur, laid-back ears and high pitched hissing, the majority of which was directed towards the apprentice.
Ashamed and embarrassed, Ryeowook blushed while stammering out his apologies. Yesung comforted his charge as best he could. Without turning around he called out “Viveka! Please tell me you did not intentionally pull Priscilla’s tail so as to disturb our lesson.” A young woman walked around the corner of the cottage, her hazel eyes open wide in a “who me?” kind of expression. Her pixie cut and the large bow that adorned her head gave her an even more innocent looking appearance. “Master Yesung, how could you think such a thing of me?” Viveka asked. “I would never harm poor Priscilla by pulling her tail,” she declared while batting her eyelashes. Her master just stared at her and said “Harumpf”; he wasn’t fooled by her innocent routine. He knew she had a penchant for pulling pranks, especially at inopportune moments. More than likely she was telling the truth. Viveka may not have pulled the cat’s tail but perhaps she had swatted Priscilla’s behind or tried to step on her. Regardless, he was quite sure his assistant had something to do with this near “cat”astrophe.
Turning back to Ryeowook the wizard said, “Well, we’ve had bigger fish in a pickle barrel before, so don’t worry yourself.” His apprentice and his assistant didn’t bother to ask what he meant; by now both were used to his random comments. Requests for an explanation only led to more confusion and often a long discourse on some unrelated topic. For the three hundred and twenty-fourth time since becoming a wizard’s apprentice Ryeowook had to ask why his master had to be one of the weirdest people on the planet. A small sigh escaped from his lips before he could stop himself. Yesung quickly slanted his eyes over to look at his apprentice but said nothing.
Even if Ryeowook thoroughly hated Yesung, he would not have been able to avoid becoming his apprentice. At the age of fourteen when puberty started his body took on the characteristics that marked him as a wizard - one who could use magic. Over the course of a week, young Ryeowook’s hair turned from jet black to white and his beautiful brown eyes changed to vibrant purple. There was no use in him or his parents denying his special abilities. Even if they wanted to, the loss of several acres of fertile pastureland to fire the first time Ryeowook accidentally used Power prevented anyone from turning a blind eye. Because of that incident, fire caused Ryeowook to be nervous and uneasy. Within hours of the blaze being extinguished the young wizard was shipped off to train with the only master wizard within a fortnight’s journey - Master Yesung.
Since the end of The Twenty Years’ War, nearly one hundred and fifty years ago, few men, and even fewer women, were able to touch and channel the magical essence residing in the planet - Suju Power. No one was quite sure how or why the streams of Power suddenly dried up. Or why the few wizards who were still able to touch Suju could barely channel enough to make a ball roll down the street. This was a grievous blow to people who were used to making an entire hill move on their command. Perhaps the reason for the loss was because magic users had pushed the limits of their own abilities and of Suju itself in an effort to finally win the war once and for all. Maybe the planet had had enough of humans sucking Power from it in ever increasing amounts and therefore shut down all but the tiniest of Power channels. So for Yesung to draw as much Power as he did made him quite rare among a rare breed. Even with the craziness and odd behavior, Ryeowook was lucky indeed to train under one of the most powerful wizards alive. Comforted by this fact Ryeowook straightened his shoulders and said “I’m ready to try again.” Looking pleased, the master nodded and they both turned to the pile of wood again. Happy to be forgotten for the moment, Viveka skipped back to the cottage and the chores that awaited her there. Happily dreaming about stealing some time to practice her lute if she finished up quickly, she sat down a large saucer of cream for a certain cat.
The man fumed as he angrily paced back and forth across his sitting room. Every few minutes he stopped to listen, frowned even deeper and then returned to his cadence. A black cloud seemed to form over his head as his mood continued to darken. After fifteen minutes of fruitless waiting, he shouted for a servant. Before the young woman could kneel before him, he commanded that the guest come to the sitting room NOW. Trembling with fear, the servant girl hurried out of the room to do his bidding. It was the third time a servant had been sent with a summons this morning. After another twenty minutes of waiting and the sending of two more servants, Earl Kyuhyun had just about reached the end of his limited patience. Even though it was unheard of for someone in his position to deign to go to a guest’s suite, he was on the verge of doing so when the erstwhile visitor showed up.
“Lord Shindong, may I remind you that you are here at my discretion and as such should answer my summons immediately,” Kyuhyun roared. “If you cannot abide by the rules and conventions of the nobility, then perhaps you should return to the life from which you came,” he snarled. Unperturbed by the earl’s words or the thunderous look upon his face, Shindong merely laughed, clapping his arm around the younger man’s shoulders. “My dear Earl, surely you cannot condemn me for partaking in the myriad of enjoyments you have so thoughtfully provided for me, your most humble servant,” he replied and wiggled his eyebrows in a most suggestive manner. Laughing again, he plopped down in a downy stuffed chair to hear why he had been summoned repeatedly and insistently. Kyuhyun stared at the lord for a moment, trying to decide if he was really that thick skinned or if he was being patronizing and condescending. After a moment’s deliberation, Kyuhyun realized he didn’t care since Shindong was finally here. He would, however, take note of this incident. If the man before him dared to show such disrespect again he could be sure of losing much more than just his lordly title.
Settling himself in a chair, Kyuhyun fixed a piercing gaze on the older man and waited. After several moments of silence and no words from Shindong were forthcoming, the earl abruptly asked, “Well??” His guest turned to him with a quizzical look. He had been busy asking a servant for some wine and cheese and hadn’t noticed that anything was expected of him. Glaring at his guest, Kyuhyun repeated his question. “Well, what?” Shindong replied. As Kyuhyun’s eyebrows shot up nearly into his hairline and his face became more ominous the lord said, “Oh yes, yes, that matter.” Still agitated, Kyuhyun waited for an answer. “Hmmm....I took the information you gave me, sketchy as it was. Honestly, it wasn’t a lot to go on. Do you know what kind of turn over rate the castle has, in addition to deaths from illness and injury? It is simply amazing that anyone living in court for any length of time could manage to have the same attendant for a six-month, let alone twenty-five years.” The gentleman’s musing was interrupted by the arrival of a servant bearing the requested spirit and food. After placing the items on the table and asking if they required anything further, she was dismissed from the room.
“That is all well and good, but what were you able to find out?” Kyuhyun hissed. Shindong took his time nibbling the fine Normarian cheese and downing a goblet of red wine. By this point in time the earl’s frustration was almost palpable. Realizing he had pushed Kyuhyun as far as he dared, Shindong smiled and said, “It may not be much, but I did learn something. Within the royal household at that time there were several maids who were favorites of the queen but have since mysteriously disappeared.” Kyuhyun thought about this piece of information for a moment before saying, “That certainly is not much, especially after almost a month’s worth of investigation.” Shindong laughed and replied, “I agree with you wholeheartedly, Sir. If that tidbit were all I had to offer, I wouldn’t bother being here.” Deciding to prolong the moment, he stopped to refill his goblet and take a few more pieces of cheese. Holding the wine to his nose, the lord inhaled deeply of its bouquet. “This is from a special vineyard on the Isle of Syla, is it not?” he asked. Kyuhyun, however, would not be distracted from the topic at hand. “And?” the earl ground out between his teeth. Smiling brightly, Shindong answered, “And I happened to get the names of some of them, including the villages their families are from.”
It wasn’t as much as Kyuhyun had hoped for; however, it was a start. The secrets of the royal family were notoriously difficult, if not impossible, to ferret out. Relaxing his face and pouring his guest another cup of wine he said, “I thank you, my friend, for helping me in this manner. That is more information than I have been able to ascertain in quite some time.” Laughing loudly, Shindong replied, “What are friends for, if not to help each other out? I’m just glad that I can be of service to you.” Taking a somewhat inebriated bow, he silently thought Once I’m done helping, we’ll see how you repay me. Returning to his chair he proposed a toast to the earl and his good fortune. Afterwards, the two chatted about inconsequential things until they were summoned for lunch by a servant.
Kyuhyun’s POV
During our carefree chat my mind raced. Do the missing servants have any significance or is it purely a red herring? Is it possible that the rumor I overheard so many years ago is actually true? Since that time, the one who whispered and the one who was whispered to have died. Officially, it was accidents that claimed their lives but I have serious doubts about that. In this world there is little that is coincidence. Many years of political scheming have taught me that, especially when dealing with royals. This guy Shindong may be useful after all; I just have to keep him on a short leash. Not being born into the nobility doesn’t give him the right to act as he does. If he continues on flaunting his lack of decorum I may just have to remove him. But for now, I’ll keep him. At least he’s a jovial and pleasant enough fellow; if he were too ambitious then he wouldn’t be useful. He has his title and respectability now, so he’s content. I must remember to introduce him at my next dinner party as payment for his services; a little ego-stroking never hurt and it may benefit me even more. Yes, I’ll make sure to sit him and his wife near the head of the table. Not too high, lest he think himself more important than he is and offend the other lords. Smiling, the both of us adjourned to the dining room to take our meal.
Pairings: Super Junior Members + OCs
Rating: PG-13 for violence
Notes: Character death, Medieval/Fantasy AU, occasional crack
Summary: Magic, intrigue and secrets abound in and around the king's court. While everyone has something to hide, some have more than others. Who has the biggest secret and will it end up tearing the kingdom apart?
Chapter 1
The king sat immobile on his throne, an ever-present impassive expression on his face. Before him stood a cross-section of humanity. The poor, the uneducated and the illiterate stood before him, waiting to have their petitions heard. On either side of the commoners sat the nobility. The majority of them were bored wives who came to laugh and make fun of the petitioners as a way to pass the time and alleviate their boredom. Of course there were those upwardly mobile lords and ladies who hoped to improve their rank by somehow gaining the king’s attention and his favor. These folks were easily spotted as they moved around the group of commoners pretending to offer their support, condolences or best wishes as the situation required. Flanking the dais and circling the perimeter of the room was the Royal Guard - an in-between class. While their station was above that of a commoner or simple guardsman they were still beneath the notice of the elite that filled the court.
Silently King Kangin sat, staring at his subjects before him. Without a change in expression his eyes cut over to the queen sitting to his left. Mentally, he sighed. Even after three years of marriage to Queen Jagroop he still couldn’t understand his mother and grandmother’s choice of a marriage partner. Yes, he had a formidable and rough personality. And it was true that an alliance through marriage to the kingdom of Hashbutan was a very wise decision, especially since a high percentage of his kingdom’s imports came from there. Granted, the Hashbutani king did not have much choice in which daughter to wed as Jagroop was the only female out of fifteen children. But why did it have to be her? Or more specifically, why did she have to be the way she is?
As if she could feel her husband’s eyes on her, Queen Jagroop turned and smiled. Three years of an arranged marriage and somewhat harsh treatment hadn’t killed the flutter she felt in her heart every time she looked at Kangin. His tall and regal bearing, noble looking brow and broad shoulders made her feel proud to be his wife and queen. On the extremely few occasions Kangin had actually smiled Jagroop became weak in the knees as his cheeks bunched up and his eyes became crescent moons. His whole face and aura changed in those brief moments. It was these rare treasures that Jagroop held onto tightly, using them as a shield against all the other unpleasantness in her life.
Kangin did not bother to return her smile; instead he turned his head in order to take inventory of his queen’s ensemble for the day. Once again, she has dressed in a tunic and leggings, albeit ones of rich velvet and brocade, with a jeweled belt around her waist. Any curves that would have announced Jagroop as a woman were hidden by the clothing that was at least two sizes too large for her. Lacking any make-up or jewelry beyond her wedding band, it would be easy for the queen to be mistaken as a young man or even a teenage boy. The only feminine attribute Jagroop possessed was her long flowing hair. When let down from its permanent bun, her silky black locks hung below the small of her back. Kangin considered this her only saving grace. The thought that he hoped their children’s hair would favor their mother’s came to him unbidden. He immediately rejected the idea. Although he knew how important it was for him to produce an heir there was a limit to how far Kangin would allow his mother to dictate his life. Perhaps I can get an heir.... Kangin quickly banished the dangerous thought. If they even suspected he knew that secret his life would be over.
Nearby, the chatelaine cleared his throat and called for quiet. Once all talking had stopped, he then announced that the king would begin to hear the day’s petitions. Kangin turned his face from his wife and looked at the first poor soul in line. Forcing himself to look interested Kangin said “You may speak.”
Several days’ travel outside of the castle a young man stood frowning at the pile of wood before him. “You want me to do what?” Ryeowook asked. His master patiently answered “I would like you to set the sticks on fire so that we may prepare our noon meal.” The doubtful look didn’t leave the apprentice’s face, even as he turned to face the pile once more.
“Concentrate. Remember to focus your mind only on the task at hand. Let all the distractions fade from your consciousness,” whispered Wizard Yesung. As Ryeowook relaxed, closing his ears to the sounds around him, he felt the familiar tingle in his fingers that signified his drawing on Power. Slowly, he allowed Suju Power to build in his body and compressed it into a thin line in preparation for sending it out to the wood. Burn, burn, burn the youth silently chanted. All of a sudden his concentration was broken by the screech of an annoyed cat. In that moment Ryeowook’s focus shifted from the wood pile to the cat; without realizing it he released Suju Power along with his breath. As a result the cat burst into flames as it streaked past. Without batting an eyelash, Yesung called upon Power to put out the fire. “No damage done, barely any fur is singed,” remarked the master. Priscilla, the poor maligned cat, obviously didn’t agree, as evidenced by her raised fur, laid-back ears and high pitched hissing, the majority of which was directed towards the apprentice.
Ashamed and embarrassed, Ryeowook blushed while stammering out his apologies. Yesung comforted his charge as best he could. Without turning around he called out “Viveka! Please tell me you did not intentionally pull Priscilla’s tail so as to disturb our lesson.” A young woman walked around the corner of the cottage, her hazel eyes open wide in a “who me?” kind of expression. Her pixie cut and the large bow that adorned her head gave her an even more innocent looking appearance. “Master Yesung, how could you think such a thing of me?” Viveka asked. “I would never harm poor Priscilla by pulling her tail,” she declared while batting her eyelashes. Her master just stared at her and said “Harumpf”; he wasn’t fooled by her innocent routine. He knew she had a penchant for pulling pranks, especially at inopportune moments. More than likely she was telling the truth. Viveka may not have pulled the cat’s tail but perhaps she had swatted Priscilla’s behind or tried to step on her. Regardless, he was quite sure his assistant had something to do with this near “cat”astrophe.
Turning back to Ryeowook the wizard said, “Well, we’ve had bigger fish in a pickle barrel before, so don’t worry yourself.” His apprentice and his assistant didn’t bother to ask what he meant; by now both were used to his random comments. Requests for an explanation only led to more confusion and often a long discourse on some unrelated topic. For the three hundred and twenty-fourth time since becoming a wizard’s apprentice Ryeowook had to ask why his master had to be one of the weirdest people on the planet. A small sigh escaped from his lips before he could stop himself. Yesung quickly slanted his eyes over to look at his apprentice but said nothing.
Even if Ryeowook thoroughly hated Yesung, he would not have been able to avoid becoming his apprentice. At the age of fourteen when puberty started his body took on the characteristics that marked him as a wizard - one who could use magic. Over the course of a week, young Ryeowook’s hair turned from jet black to white and his beautiful brown eyes changed to vibrant purple. There was no use in him or his parents denying his special abilities. Even if they wanted to, the loss of several acres of fertile pastureland to fire the first time Ryeowook accidentally used Power prevented anyone from turning a blind eye. Because of that incident, fire caused Ryeowook to be nervous and uneasy. Within hours of the blaze being extinguished the young wizard was shipped off to train with the only master wizard within a fortnight’s journey - Master Yesung.
Since the end of The Twenty Years’ War, nearly one hundred and fifty years ago, few men, and even fewer women, were able to touch and channel the magical essence residing in the planet - Suju Power. No one was quite sure how or why the streams of Power suddenly dried up. Or why the few wizards who were still able to touch Suju could barely channel enough to make a ball roll down the street. This was a grievous blow to people who were used to making an entire hill move on their command. Perhaps the reason for the loss was because magic users had pushed the limits of their own abilities and of Suju itself in an effort to finally win the war once and for all. Maybe the planet had had enough of humans sucking Power from it in ever increasing amounts and therefore shut down all but the tiniest of Power channels. So for Yesung to draw as much Power as he did made him quite rare among a rare breed. Even with the craziness and odd behavior, Ryeowook was lucky indeed to train under one of the most powerful wizards alive. Comforted by this fact Ryeowook straightened his shoulders and said “I’m ready to try again.” Looking pleased, the master nodded and they both turned to the pile of wood again. Happy to be forgotten for the moment, Viveka skipped back to the cottage and the chores that awaited her there. Happily dreaming about stealing some time to practice her lute if she finished up quickly, she sat down a large saucer of cream for a certain cat.
The man fumed as he angrily paced back and forth across his sitting room. Every few minutes he stopped to listen, frowned even deeper and then returned to his cadence. A black cloud seemed to form over his head as his mood continued to darken. After fifteen minutes of fruitless waiting, he shouted for a servant. Before the young woman could kneel before him, he commanded that the guest come to the sitting room NOW. Trembling with fear, the servant girl hurried out of the room to do his bidding. It was the third time a servant had been sent with a summons this morning. After another twenty minutes of waiting and the sending of two more servants, Earl Kyuhyun had just about reached the end of his limited patience. Even though it was unheard of for someone in his position to deign to go to a guest’s suite, he was on the verge of doing so when the erstwhile visitor showed up.
“Lord Shindong, may I remind you that you are here at my discretion and as such should answer my summons immediately,” Kyuhyun roared. “If you cannot abide by the rules and conventions of the nobility, then perhaps you should return to the life from which you came,” he snarled. Unperturbed by the earl’s words or the thunderous look upon his face, Shindong merely laughed, clapping his arm around the younger man’s shoulders. “My dear Earl, surely you cannot condemn me for partaking in the myriad of enjoyments you have so thoughtfully provided for me, your most humble servant,” he replied and wiggled his eyebrows in a most suggestive manner. Laughing again, he plopped down in a downy stuffed chair to hear why he had been summoned repeatedly and insistently. Kyuhyun stared at the lord for a moment, trying to decide if he was really that thick skinned or if he was being patronizing and condescending. After a moment’s deliberation, Kyuhyun realized he didn’t care since Shindong was finally here. He would, however, take note of this incident. If the man before him dared to show such disrespect again he could be sure of losing much more than just his lordly title.
Settling himself in a chair, Kyuhyun fixed a piercing gaze on the older man and waited. After several moments of silence and no words from Shindong were forthcoming, the earl abruptly asked, “Well??” His guest turned to him with a quizzical look. He had been busy asking a servant for some wine and cheese and hadn’t noticed that anything was expected of him. Glaring at his guest, Kyuhyun repeated his question. “Well, what?” Shindong replied. As Kyuhyun’s eyebrows shot up nearly into his hairline and his face became more ominous the lord said, “Oh yes, yes, that matter.” Still agitated, Kyuhyun waited for an answer. “Hmmm....I took the information you gave me, sketchy as it was. Honestly, it wasn’t a lot to go on. Do you know what kind of turn over rate the castle has, in addition to deaths from illness and injury? It is simply amazing that anyone living in court for any length of time could manage to have the same attendant for a six-month, let alone twenty-five years.” The gentleman’s musing was interrupted by the arrival of a servant bearing the requested spirit and food. After placing the items on the table and asking if they required anything further, she was dismissed from the room.
“That is all well and good, but what were you able to find out?” Kyuhyun hissed. Shindong took his time nibbling the fine Normarian cheese and downing a goblet of red wine. By this point in time the earl’s frustration was almost palpable. Realizing he had pushed Kyuhyun as far as he dared, Shindong smiled and said, “It may not be much, but I did learn something. Within the royal household at that time there were several maids who were favorites of the queen but have since mysteriously disappeared.” Kyuhyun thought about this piece of information for a moment before saying, “That certainly is not much, especially after almost a month’s worth of investigation.” Shindong laughed and replied, “I agree with you wholeheartedly, Sir. If that tidbit were all I had to offer, I wouldn’t bother being here.” Deciding to prolong the moment, he stopped to refill his goblet and take a few more pieces of cheese. Holding the wine to his nose, the lord inhaled deeply of its bouquet. “This is from a special vineyard on the Isle of Syla, is it not?” he asked. Kyuhyun, however, would not be distracted from the topic at hand. “And?” the earl ground out between his teeth. Smiling brightly, Shindong answered, “And I happened to get the names of some of them, including the villages their families are from.”
It wasn’t as much as Kyuhyun had hoped for; however, it was a start. The secrets of the royal family were notoriously difficult, if not impossible, to ferret out. Relaxing his face and pouring his guest another cup of wine he said, “I thank you, my friend, for helping me in this manner. That is more information than I have been able to ascertain in quite some time.” Laughing loudly, Shindong replied, “What are friends for, if not to help each other out? I’m just glad that I can be of service to you.” Taking a somewhat inebriated bow, he silently thought Once I’m done helping, we’ll see how you repay me. Returning to his chair he proposed a toast to the earl and his good fortune. Afterwards, the two chatted about inconsequential things until they were summoned for lunch by a servant.
Kyuhyun’s POV
During our carefree chat my mind raced. Do the missing servants have any significance or is it purely a red herring? Is it possible that the rumor I overheard so many years ago is actually true? Since that time, the one who whispered and the one who was whispered to have died. Officially, it was accidents that claimed their lives but I have serious doubts about that. In this world there is little that is coincidence. Many years of political scheming have taught me that, especially when dealing with royals. This guy Shindong may be useful after all; I just have to keep him on a short leash. Not being born into the nobility doesn’t give him the right to act as he does. If he continues on flaunting his lack of decorum I may just have to remove him. But for now, I’ll keep him. At least he’s a jovial and pleasant enough fellow; if he were too ambitious then he wouldn’t be useful. He has his title and respectability now, so he’s content. I must remember to introduce him at my next dinner party as payment for his services; a little ego-stroking never hurt and it may benefit me even more. Yes, I’ll make sure to sit him and his wife near the head of the table. Not too high, lest he think himself more important than he is and offend the other lords. Smiling, the both of us adjourned to the dining room to take our meal.