Forbidden: Part 2
Title: Forbidden
Pairing: YunJae
Rating: PG
Length: Part 2/? (It's a LONG short story)
Summary: Jae is concerned about the attention his sister is receiving from a dangerous man but he isn't in any position to take care of it himself so he turns to the king. However, the King, Jung Yunho, presents unforeseen complications...
A/N: Loosely based on/inspired by the Korean movie "Frozen Flower." If you haven't seen it, you definitely should but make sure you watch the uncensored version, ie, not the Youtube vers. There's a lot of graphic sex (almost pornographic TBH) but it's actually a powerful & important part of the overall story.
Jaejoong did return to King Yunho’s chambers the following day. And the next day, and the day after that. Every day, the king placed a new tome in his lap and while he read, Yunho would brush his hair. He didn’t know why and still wondered about it, at least for the first week. As time passed, however, it just became a part of his routine. The guards were used to him now and they bowed respectfully when he approached, immediately opening the doors to grant him entrance. The inner guards would step out, shutting the doors behind them. The king would smile and say his name in welcome. He would bow before rising, then take his seat beside the king.
It was all very neat and uncomplicated.
The king had also kept his word. About two weeks after Jae’s initial meeting with the king, when he was starting to become a little impatient because Minister Lee was still finding ways to interact with JiHye no matter how she went out of her way to avoid him, the Minister suddenly upped and left the palace. After days passed and he didn’t return, Jae was finally able to relax. The king never mentioned it and he wasn’t bold enough to ask but he’d heard through the gossip mill that the king had sent the Minister on some kind of special mission. The Minister had argued that any soldier or the Chief of the soldiers could have done it but the king had impressed upon him the urgency of whatever he’d asked so the Minister had finally agreed, albeit grudgingly.
A month had passed since and all was still peaceful in Jae’s world. JiHye was happy now that she didn’t have to worry about the Minister dogging her footsteps. She had even taken a liking to a young soldier, the youngest son of the Chief State Councilor. He was a bashful boy who blushed at her every word which, being the devil she was, only encouraged her to say the most ridiculous things. Needless to say, whenever he was around her, he always bore a striking resemblance to a tomato. Jae thought they were very cute together. Perhaps she’d be getting that betrothal she so badly wanted sooner than she thought.
Jae smiled at the thought. He’d like that for her.
“You’re very distracted today, Jae,” the king suddenly spoke from behind him.
He’d been so lost in thought that he didn’t realize that he’d stopped reading or that the king’s hand had stilled in his hair. Heat flamed in his cheeks.
“What put that smile on your face?” the king inquired.
He can see me?, Jae wondered, but as soon as he’d thought it, the reflection staring back at him reminded him of the mirror that he faced. It had been there the second day when he’d returned. He’d wondered if perhaps the king didn’t trust him or if he wanted to ensure that Jae wasn’t making faces at him while he read, or something to that effect, but, again, they were questions he’d never given voice to.
“I’m sorry, your majesty,” he murmured, bowing his head in shame.
The king chuckled and Jae felt the smooth sweep of the brush through his hair. “I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve said that to me since you began coming here.”
Jae felt a blush sweep across his cheeks and at the king’s laugh, he knew he’d seen it.
“I like to think we’ve a certain level of friendship between us. Don’t we?”
Did they? Were they friends? Jae nodded. “Yes, sire.”
“Care to share your thoughts?”
Where to begin?
“I was just thinking about JiHye,” Jae began slowly. “She’s been spending time with a young soldier lately and she seems to be very happy. She no longer seems worried or fearful like she had been…before.” He stopped, wondering if he should’ve mentioned the boy or referenced the Minister. It was still early in JiHye’s courtship to alert the king of it and he had yet to thank the king for his aid in dealing with the Minister.
“Ahh, TaeHun you mean? The Chief State Councilor’s youngest son?”
Jae gasped in surprise and the king laughed.
“I don’t ordinarily get involved in my people’s private lives,” the king admitted, “but since you alerted me to the situation with Minister Lee and since I’d decided I’d been remiss in my duty towards you two, I’ve been keeping a closer eye on things.”
Jae’s eyes widened. Was the king having them watched?
Reading him easily, the king shook his head. “I’m not spying on you, you needn’t worry about that. I’ve simply asked your sister’s maids to keep a look out for anything out of the ordinary and to make sure she’s never alone outside of her chambers. When young Mr. Park started showing an interest in her, I was duly informed. As for you…”
Jae stiffened, waiting for the axe to drop.
Meeting his eyes in the mirror, the king placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. “No, there’s no one watching you. I’d like to think that if there’s anything you need my assistance with, you’d come to me, just like you did for JiHye. After all… We’re friends now, aren’t we?”
Friends… Jae had no real conception of the term. JiHye was his only friend but she was also his sister so he didn’t really consider her a friend as such.
How did you get to be seventeen years old without a single friend, Jaejoong?, he asked himself. You’re even more pitiful than you know.
“We are, aren’t we?” the king urged.
Jae nodded slowly. “Yes, sire.” He wasn’t exactly sure what the definition of ‘friend’ was or what it meant to the king but since the king was the one he spent the most time with, besides JiHye, he supposed they had to be something to each other now. Right? Relationships were so confusing…he didn’t really understand any of it.
Another downside to the solitary existence you lead…
The king resumed his brushing. “You and I are two peas in a pod, Jaejoong,” the king said softly. “We’re both surrounded by people yet completely alone in our own worlds.”
Jae nodded. He could agree with that. He knew he was a loner but he’d never considered how it felt or what exactly it meant to be king. Did the king not have friends? And why not? He seemed like a good man. He was nice to the twins in any event. Perhaps the fact that he was so young alienated him from his cabinet, which was made up of men his dead father’s age and older. That and the fact that, until the previous king’s death, King Yunho hadn’t actually lived in his own kingdom.
Jae felt a stab of sympathy for him. He was probably even more lonely than Jae was. At least he had the Queen. Although, Jae had to admit that he rarely saw them together. Only for official functions and banquets. And they lived on opposite ends of the palace. How exactly did that work?
“But we have each other now,” the king added. “That’s something at least.”
Jae nodded.
Yes. Yes, it was…
A week later, Jae was walking across the Western gardens, admiring the perfume of flowers and the brightly colored birds that flit to and fro. He was on his way to the king’s chambers for their afternoon session. He was still confused about the situation, not really understanding why the king made him visit every day and especially puzzled about why he brushed his hair. It just wasn’t something two men did. But he admitted that, over time, he’d come to look forward to their meetings. Little by little, he was learning more and more about the man behind the title.
He hadn’t realized it at first but the books the king gave him to read, the stories he’d written, were actually about himself. They were tales that spanned his entire life: from the child he’d been when he was sent to the neighboring kingdom for training, to when he’d returned to take his rightful place on the throne and everything in between. As he read about the king’s loneliness in his new home, a home that had never truly been a home since he was an outsider, Jae felt an answering cord within himself. He’d lived his entire life in the kingdom of his birth but without a family, a real family, it had never felt like home to him. They’d had caretakers who were nice enough but there was no mother and father, no extended family since neither of their parents had had siblings. The caretakers had had their own families, who they returned to at the end of the day. Jae and JiHye were just a job.
Jae always marveled at the fact that it didn’t seem to affect JiHye. There were times in her life when she’d longed for a mother, of course, particularly when it came to feminine issues, but otherwise, she seemed nonplussed. Jae supposed that it was because she had friends and those friends and their families were like a substitute family to her. He, on the other hand, had always had a hard time bonding with people and had thought it best to keep to himself in the end. He wondered if there had been times when people had tried to reach out to him, to embrace him, and he just hadn’t seen the signs. He was smart in all things intellectual but when it came to human nature and emotions, he was like a fish out of water. He just couldn’t wrap his mind around it.
Shaking himself out of his reverie, he stepped onto the corridor and was passing the kitchen when he heard, “The pig is back. It was so nice having a break from him too, but I guess he couldn’t stay gone forever.”
He froze. They couldn’t be talking about who he thought they were, could they? The king wouldn’t allow the Minister to return so soon, right?
Jae stayed put and listened a little longer but the women moved onto another topic. Forcing his feet to move, he continued down the corridor, his steps slow and halting. He couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. He looked to the sky, then at the nearby sundial. He was already late and if he went across to the Eastern wing where the women were housed, he’d be even later.
But he couldn’t shake the uneasiness he felt.
Deciding that it was better to take whatever punishment the king meted out, he ran back the direction he’d come, making short work of crossing the gardens. He was rounding a corner when he collided with a kitchen helper holding a basket of fresh fruit.
“I’m so sorry,” he apologized, hurriedly picking up the fruit.
“No, it was my fault for not looking where I was going,” the older woman replied, although her eyes said otherwise.
Jae smiled slightly, bowing to the woman when her basket was once again filled to the brim. He saw the chill in her eyes thaw and his smile widened. He may have been clueless about human nature and what not but he wasn’t blind. He knew that he had some effect on people. He saw it with JiHye all the time and since they had exactly the same face, he figured it was just par for the course.
“Again, I do apologize for the inconvenience, madam.”
The woman smiled. “It’s okay. Don’t let me keep you any longer.” She stepped aside and with another curt bow, he dashed past her.
He ran across the courtyard but paused at the bottom of the stairs to the outer entrance of the women’s wing. There were guards posted outside since the Queen did live there after all. If he went in running wildly, they would detain him immediately.
Carefully, he gained the steps and nodded to them. “I’m here to see my sister.”
He’d visited her many times before and their closeness was common knowledge so he wasn’t expecting any trouble.
They nodded to him and he walked calmly, but swiftly, through and down the hallway until he was around the corner. Then he started running again.
As he rounded the last turn to the hall leading to his sister’s chamber, he ran into a woman for the second time that day. Grabbing her by the arms to keep her from toppling over, he stepped back, an apology on the tip of his tongue, when he looked down and realized who it was.
His sister’s maid.
His heart immediately sank to the pit of his stomach.
“My lord!” the girl shrieked, her eyes wide with fright, cheeks tear-stained. Her fingers curled into his robes, clinging.
Jae’s eyes swung up and when he saw the two guards posted outside his sister’s room, he knew.
Seeing red, he set the girl aside and started to walk past her but she grabbed his arm.
“I’m sorry,” she rushed, tears spilling from her eyes again. “I wanted to inform his majesty immediately but they said…they said they’d have me charged with stealing or something worse and the only job I’d be able to get is in a whorehouse, and that’s if the king doesn’t sentence me to death.”
Jae tugged at his arm but she held on.
“I have no family, my lord, no one to fight for me if they accuse me of such lies. Please, forgive me,” she begged.
Jae’s eyes flashed but through his anger, he felt pity. She was just another victim, like they were. He hated the land he loved so much at times…
“Go alert the king,” he ordered, prying her hand off his arm. He gave her a gentle push around the corridor, before turning back to his intended destination.
The guards were watching him now, their expressions sullen yet arrogant at the same time. He knew they were confident that there was no way he’d get through them. He didn’t let their size daunt him. He would save his sister, one way or another.
“Let me through,” he demanded.
“Or what?” the one on the left challenged.
“Are you going to run to the king and tell on us?” the one on the right joined in.
Jae’s cheeks burned in fury.
The one on the right laughed obscenely. “He’s so pretty when he blushes,” he taunted. “Must be why the king keeps him around.”
“How many shades of red do you think he can turn?” the other one pondered rudely.
“Don’t know,” he shrugged. An ugly grin spread across his lips as he continued, “But I bet the king does.”
It was the last straw. Without thinking of the repercussions, Jae swung his fist and punched the guard on the left in the eye. The vibration from the impact sang all the way down to his elbow and up to his shoulder. While that guard clutched his eye in pain, the guard on the right made a move to grab him. He dodged and swung a leg out, successfully landing a blow to his shin. As he crumpled to his knees, Jae pushed him aside and threw the doors opened. What lay before him had him frozen in shock, his breath stuck in his chest.
The Minister of War was on his knees at the foot of JiHye’s bed between her spread legs, most of his upper body hidden by the volume of satin skirt that he was under. His sister’s skirt.
A siren went off in his head and as Jae prepared to charge, a hand grabbed at him. He spun around, arm swinging, and punched the “left” guard in his other eye. This time, he barely felt the pain that spread up his arm. As soon as the guard’s hand dropped, he ran across the room and lunged at the Minister. He grabbed him by the back of his robes and dragged him out from under JiHye’s skirt. He came up sputtering, lips gleaming wet. Jae didn’t wait for him to speak, he just struck out, his fist landing on the Minister’s square chin.
The Minister didn’t wait for him to strike again, however. He was on his feet in a split second, his hand wrapping around the closed fist that came swinging at him again. He was a big man and with his size came power, which Jae painfully registered when the Minister squeezed the bones of his small hand with all his might.
“I warned you before, boy. Choose your opponents carefully.”
“Stay away from my sister,” he grunted through the pain.
Minister Lee laughed, a loud guffaw that reverberated around the room. “And why should I, when she was enjoying herself as much as I was?” He glanced over his shoulder at JiHye. “Isn’t that so my dear?”
JiHye jumped up from the bed, where she’d been frozen with fear, and ran from the room. As she passed them, Jae saw the tears on her cheeks and shame in her eyes and his anger grew to such a level that he felt like he might explode.
He gathered his strength and tore his arm free, immediately preparing to strike again, but a hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. He turned in time to see an upraised fist flying in his direction and he braced himself for it but it never came.
“No,” Minister Lee commanded in a voice that brook no argument. “Not the face. Too obvious, it will draw too much attention. He’s so pretty too, let’s not disfigure him,” he added with a nasty smirk. “No, I’ve something better in mind, something that will teach him a lesson once and for all. Hold him down.”
The guards each grabbed an arm and dragged him to the bed. They pushed him face down so that he was bent over the foot of the bed and held his arms down on either side so that he couldn’t raise himself up.
Jae was smart enough to feel a moment’s fear. He knew Minister Lee wouldn’t kill him but the man was full of his own importance and that was a danger in and of itself. In his mind, there were clearly no boundaries that he couldn’t cross and that could mean disaster for Jae.
He turned his head sideways and, out of the corner of his eye, saw Minister Lee removing the tie from his waist. Jae’s heart sped up. What the hell was the man going to do?
Seeing the panic in his eyes, Minister Lee laughed. “Oh, dear. You have quite the dirty mind, boy. Look at this,” he instructed, holding out the tie he’d removed.
Jae focused on it and it was then that he realized that it was a satin sash like most men wore but some kind of coil made from a material he’d never seen. Whatever it was, it shone.
“Fascinating, isn’t it?” Minister Lee said conversationally. “Do let me know how it feels.” With that, he raised his hand and snapped it downward.
Jae closed his eyes and waited for the blow to land.
Yunho looked out the window, then at the door for what felt like the millionth time. In the almost two months that he’d been coming, Jae had never been late before. It worried him. Had something happened? But if it had, wouldn’t he have known? He knew everyone was aware of his fondness for the boy, for both of the twins, though he tried to keep his feelings for Jae under wraps as best he could. It wasn’t always easy. Sometimes, when Jae would be reading, he could see it in his eyes in his reflection in the mirror and he wondered if Jae ever did too. If he did, he never said anything. But then again, he wouldn’t. Jae rarely spoke unless he spoke to him first.
It bothered him. He wanted Jae to trust him, to really think of him as a friend and be comfortable with him, but he was starting to doubt whether it was possible. His position, who he was, was too much of an obstacle between them. And that was just on the surface. His feelings for Jae, the confused emotions that twisted him up inside, would be an even bigger obstacle. Jae was innocent and naïve. He didn’t know the ways of the world, much less the ways of the flesh. It was simply impossible.
Sighing, he looked out of the window again, then back to the closed door of his chambers. He couldn’t wait any longer.
Climbing to his feet, he approached the doors. The guards bowed and opened the doors for him.
“Follow me,” he ordered. He cast a glance at the guards outside of the door. “All of you.”
The first slash stung and tears immediately sprung to his eyes but he didn’t cry out, didn’t make a sound. He wouldn’t give the bastard the satisfaction.
“Feel free to cry if you need to,” Minister Lee said graciously. “I imagine this must be tough for one as…delicate as yourself.”
Jae’s eyes narrowed, the anger welling up inside of him again. He wouldn’t cry, he promised. He’d bite off his tongue before he made a peep.
The second stroke tore through the back of his robes and sliced his skin. He bit his lip so hard to keep from whimpering that he drew blood.
“Hmm…” the Minister mused, “you’re a lot stronger than I gave you credit for. I can’t say the same for your sister, though. She was putty in my hands and wet in my…”
Jae struggled against the hands that restrained him, his eyes unseeing, blinded by the murderous rage that filled him.
“Need a little more medicine, do we?” Minister Lee taunted before he raised his arm for the third lash.
The coil intersected with one of the previous strokes and pain exploded throughout Jae’s body. He couldn’t stop his body from jerking, though he bit into the bed linen to make sure he stayed silent, while tears streamed down his face.
“And one more for the road…”
“Release him!”
Jae gasped, his tears instantly drying up. He recognized the voice immediately but he’d never heard it so furious. It had always been gentle and kind when it spoke to him.
Yunho stopped several feet from the scene on the bed. He was torn between wanting to wrench Jae away and cart him off to safety and grabbing one of his men’s swords and sinking it deep into the Minister’s heart, neither of which was acceptable behavior for a king. So he stayed where he was and forced his voice to stay level.
“Now,” he growled.
Minister Lee’s guards glanced at their boss, which further infuriated Yunho because as the king his word was gospel, before releasing Jae at the Minister’s nod.
Yunho nodded to his guards and two of them rushed to Jae while the Minister strode over to Yunho.
“I’m sorry you had to walk in on such an…unsightly scene, your majesty,” Minister Lee said, not sounding the least bit sorry. “The young lad over-stepped his boundaries and I felt it my civic duty to correct him.”
Yunho’s expression hardened. “Last I checked, I was king. If there’s any disciplining to be done, it will be deemed so and administered by me.”
Minister Lee bowed his head dutifully. “My apologies sire. I had no idea you’d taken such an interest in your people. It appears much has changed in my absence.”
“I haven’t but these two are wards of the kingdom, thus their welfare falls under my personal jurisdiction.” His eyes narrowed. “Think of them as my children, if you will.”
“Yes, sire. I suggest you keep that in mind as well.” With a curt bow, the Minister turned and exited the room, his guards at his heels.
Yunho froze at his words. The meaning behind them was clear. Had his secret been found out? How would the Minister know when he’d only just returned? Yunho knew he had enemies but he didn’t know just how closely he was being watched. He’d have to be even more careful from now on.
“Your majesty?” one of the guards prompted when he didn’t move for a couple of minutes.
Snapping himself out of it, he glanced at Jae, who was now sprawled lifelessly on the back of one of the other guards. He was pale and his eyes were closed but there was the faintest sheen of moisture on his cheeks, remnants of his tears. He lowered his eyes to Jae’s back and his heart clenched painfully. He couldn’t clearly see the scores in his skin but he couldn’t miss the tears in the fabric and the blood that stained the light blue material.
Oh Jae…
“Take him to my chambers,” he ordered, following behind the guards as they led the procession.
Part III
Pairing: YunJae
Rating: PG
Length: Part 2/? (It's a LONG short story)
Summary: Jae is concerned about the attention his sister is receiving from a dangerous man but he isn't in any position to take care of it himself so he turns to the king. However, the King, Jung Yunho, presents unforeseen complications...
A/N: Loosely based on/inspired by the Korean movie "Frozen Flower." If you haven't seen it, you definitely should but make sure you watch the uncensored version, ie, not the Youtube vers. There's a lot of graphic sex (almost pornographic TBH) but it's actually a powerful & important part of the overall story.
Jaejoong did return to King Yunho’s chambers the following day. And the next day, and the day after that. Every day, the king placed a new tome in his lap and while he read, Yunho would brush his hair. He didn’t know why and still wondered about it, at least for the first week. As time passed, however, it just became a part of his routine. The guards were used to him now and they bowed respectfully when he approached, immediately opening the doors to grant him entrance. The inner guards would step out, shutting the doors behind them. The king would smile and say his name in welcome. He would bow before rising, then take his seat beside the king.
It was all very neat and uncomplicated.
The king had also kept his word. About two weeks after Jae’s initial meeting with the king, when he was starting to become a little impatient because Minister Lee was still finding ways to interact with JiHye no matter how she went out of her way to avoid him, the Minister suddenly upped and left the palace. After days passed and he didn’t return, Jae was finally able to relax. The king never mentioned it and he wasn’t bold enough to ask but he’d heard through the gossip mill that the king had sent the Minister on some kind of special mission. The Minister had argued that any soldier or the Chief of the soldiers could have done it but the king had impressed upon him the urgency of whatever he’d asked so the Minister had finally agreed, albeit grudgingly.
A month had passed since and all was still peaceful in Jae’s world. JiHye was happy now that she didn’t have to worry about the Minister dogging her footsteps. She had even taken a liking to a young soldier, the youngest son of the Chief State Councilor. He was a bashful boy who blushed at her every word which, being the devil she was, only encouraged her to say the most ridiculous things. Needless to say, whenever he was around her, he always bore a striking resemblance to a tomato. Jae thought they were very cute together. Perhaps she’d be getting that betrothal she so badly wanted sooner than she thought.
Jae smiled at the thought. He’d like that for her.
“You’re very distracted today, Jae,” the king suddenly spoke from behind him.
He’d been so lost in thought that he didn’t realize that he’d stopped reading or that the king’s hand had stilled in his hair. Heat flamed in his cheeks.
“What put that smile on your face?” the king inquired.
He can see me?, Jae wondered, but as soon as he’d thought it, the reflection staring back at him reminded him of the mirror that he faced. It had been there the second day when he’d returned. He’d wondered if perhaps the king didn’t trust him or if he wanted to ensure that Jae wasn’t making faces at him while he read, or something to that effect, but, again, they were questions he’d never given voice to.
“I’m sorry, your majesty,” he murmured, bowing his head in shame.
The king chuckled and Jae felt the smooth sweep of the brush through his hair. “I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve said that to me since you began coming here.”
Jae felt a blush sweep across his cheeks and at the king’s laugh, he knew he’d seen it.
“I like to think we’ve a certain level of friendship between us. Don’t we?”
Did they? Were they friends? Jae nodded. “Yes, sire.”
“Care to share your thoughts?”
Where to begin?
“I was just thinking about JiHye,” Jae began slowly. “She’s been spending time with a young soldier lately and she seems to be very happy. She no longer seems worried or fearful like she had been…before.” He stopped, wondering if he should’ve mentioned the boy or referenced the Minister. It was still early in JiHye’s courtship to alert the king of it and he had yet to thank the king for his aid in dealing with the Minister.
“Ahh, TaeHun you mean? The Chief State Councilor’s youngest son?”
Jae gasped in surprise and the king laughed.
“I don’t ordinarily get involved in my people’s private lives,” the king admitted, “but since you alerted me to the situation with Minister Lee and since I’d decided I’d been remiss in my duty towards you two, I’ve been keeping a closer eye on things.”
Jae’s eyes widened. Was the king having them watched?
Reading him easily, the king shook his head. “I’m not spying on you, you needn’t worry about that. I’ve simply asked your sister’s maids to keep a look out for anything out of the ordinary and to make sure she’s never alone outside of her chambers. When young Mr. Park started showing an interest in her, I was duly informed. As for you…”
Jae stiffened, waiting for the axe to drop.
Meeting his eyes in the mirror, the king placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. “No, there’s no one watching you. I’d like to think that if there’s anything you need my assistance with, you’d come to me, just like you did for JiHye. After all… We’re friends now, aren’t we?”
Friends… Jae had no real conception of the term. JiHye was his only friend but she was also his sister so he didn’t really consider her a friend as such.
How did you get to be seventeen years old without a single friend, Jaejoong?, he asked himself. You’re even more pitiful than you know.
“We are, aren’t we?” the king urged.
Jae nodded slowly. “Yes, sire.” He wasn’t exactly sure what the definition of ‘friend’ was or what it meant to the king but since the king was the one he spent the most time with, besides JiHye, he supposed they had to be something to each other now. Right? Relationships were so confusing…he didn’t really understand any of it.
Another downside to the solitary existence you lead…
The king resumed his brushing. “You and I are two peas in a pod, Jaejoong,” the king said softly. “We’re both surrounded by people yet completely alone in our own worlds.”
Jae nodded. He could agree with that. He knew he was a loner but he’d never considered how it felt or what exactly it meant to be king. Did the king not have friends? And why not? He seemed like a good man. He was nice to the twins in any event. Perhaps the fact that he was so young alienated him from his cabinet, which was made up of men his dead father’s age and older. That and the fact that, until the previous king’s death, King Yunho hadn’t actually lived in his own kingdom.
Jae felt a stab of sympathy for him. He was probably even more lonely than Jae was. At least he had the Queen. Although, Jae had to admit that he rarely saw them together. Only for official functions and banquets. And they lived on opposite ends of the palace. How exactly did that work?
“But we have each other now,” the king added. “That’s something at least.”
Jae nodded.
Yes. Yes, it was…
A week later, Jae was walking across the Western gardens, admiring the perfume of flowers and the brightly colored birds that flit to and fro. He was on his way to the king’s chambers for their afternoon session. He was still confused about the situation, not really understanding why the king made him visit every day and especially puzzled about why he brushed his hair. It just wasn’t something two men did. But he admitted that, over time, he’d come to look forward to their meetings. Little by little, he was learning more and more about the man behind the title.
He hadn’t realized it at first but the books the king gave him to read, the stories he’d written, were actually about himself. They were tales that spanned his entire life: from the child he’d been when he was sent to the neighboring kingdom for training, to when he’d returned to take his rightful place on the throne and everything in between. As he read about the king’s loneliness in his new home, a home that had never truly been a home since he was an outsider, Jae felt an answering cord within himself. He’d lived his entire life in the kingdom of his birth but without a family, a real family, it had never felt like home to him. They’d had caretakers who were nice enough but there was no mother and father, no extended family since neither of their parents had had siblings. The caretakers had had their own families, who they returned to at the end of the day. Jae and JiHye were just a job.
Jae always marveled at the fact that it didn’t seem to affect JiHye. There were times in her life when she’d longed for a mother, of course, particularly when it came to feminine issues, but otherwise, she seemed nonplussed. Jae supposed that it was because she had friends and those friends and their families were like a substitute family to her. He, on the other hand, had always had a hard time bonding with people and had thought it best to keep to himself in the end. He wondered if there had been times when people had tried to reach out to him, to embrace him, and he just hadn’t seen the signs. He was smart in all things intellectual but when it came to human nature and emotions, he was like a fish out of water. He just couldn’t wrap his mind around it.
Shaking himself out of his reverie, he stepped onto the corridor and was passing the kitchen when he heard, “The pig is back. It was so nice having a break from him too, but I guess he couldn’t stay gone forever.”
He froze. They couldn’t be talking about who he thought they were, could they? The king wouldn’t allow the Minister to return so soon, right?
Jae stayed put and listened a little longer but the women moved onto another topic. Forcing his feet to move, he continued down the corridor, his steps slow and halting. He couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. He looked to the sky, then at the nearby sundial. He was already late and if he went across to the Eastern wing where the women were housed, he’d be even later.
But he couldn’t shake the uneasiness he felt.
Deciding that it was better to take whatever punishment the king meted out, he ran back the direction he’d come, making short work of crossing the gardens. He was rounding a corner when he collided with a kitchen helper holding a basket of fresh fruit.
“I’m so sorry,” he apologized, hurriedly picking up the fruit.
“No, it was my fault for not looking where I was going,” the older woman replied, although her eyes said otherwise.
Jae smiled slightly, bowing to the woman when her basket was once again filled to the brim. He saw the chill in her eyes thaw and his smile widened. He may have been clueless about human nature and what not but he wasn’t blind. He knew that he had some effect on people. He saw it with JiHye all the time and since they had exactly the same face, he figured it was just par for the course.
“Again, I do apologize for the inconvenience, madam.”
The woman smiled. “It’s okay. Don’t let me keep you any longer.” She stepped aside and with another curt bow, he dashed past her.
He ran across the courtyard but paused at the bottom of the stairs to the outer entrance of the women’s wing. There were guards posted outside since the Queen did live there after all. If he went in running wildly, they would detain him immediately.
Carefully, he gained the steps and nodded to them. “I’m here to see my sister.”
He’d visited her many times before and their closeness was common knowledge so he wasn’t expecting any trouble.
They nodded to him and he walked calmly, but swiftly, through and down the hallway until he was around the corner. Then he started running again.
As he rounded the last turn to the hall leading to his sister’s chamber, he ran into a woman for the second time that day. Grabbing her by the arms to keep her from toppling over, he stepped back, an apology on the tip of his tongue, when he looked down and realized who it was.
His sister’s maid.
His heart immediately sank to the pit of his stomach.
“My lord!” the girl shrieked, her eyes wide with fright, cheeks tear-stained. Her fingers curled into his robes, clinging.
Jae’s eyes swung up and when he saw the two guards posted outside his sister’s room, he knew.
Seeing red, he set the girl aside and started to walk past her but she grabbed his arm.
“I’m sorry,” she rushed, tears spilling from her eyes again. “I wanted to inform his majesty immediately but they said…they said they’d have me charged with stealing or something worse and the only job I’d be able to get is in a whorehouse, and that’s if the king doesn’t sentence me to death.”
Jae tugged at his arm but she held on.
“I have no family, my lord, no one to fight for me if they accuse me of such lies. Please, forgive me,” she begged.
Jae’s eyes flashed but through his anger, he felt pity. She was just another victim, like they were. He hated the land he loved so much at times…
“Go alert the king,” he ordered, prying her hand off his arm. He gave her a gentle push around the corridor, before turning back to his intended destination.
The guards were watching him now, their expressions sullen yet arrogant at the same time. He knew they were confident that there was no way he’d get through them. He didn’t let their size daunt him. He would save his sister, one way or another.
“Let me through,” he demanded.
“Or what?” the one on the left challenged.
“Are you going to run to the king and tell on us?” the one on the right joined in.
Jae’s cheeks burned in fury.
The one on the right laughed obscenely. “He’s so pretty when he blushes,” he taunted. “Must be why the king keeps him around.”
“How many shades of red do you think he can turn?” the other one pondered rudely.
“Don’t know,” he shrugged. An ugly grin spread across his lips as he continued, “But I bet the king does.”
It was the last straw. Without thinking of the repercussions, Jae swung his fist and punched the guard on the left in the eye. The vibration from the impact sang all the way down to his elbow and up to his shoulder. While that guard clutched his eye in pain, the guard on the right made a move to grab him. He dodged and swung a leg out, successfully landing a blow to his shin. As he crumpled to his knees, Jae pushed him aside and threw the doors opened. What lay before him had him frozen in shock, his breath stuck in his chest.
The Minister of War was on his knees at the foot of JiHye’s bed between her spread legs, most of his upper body hidden by the volume of satin skirt that he was under. His sister’s skirt.
A siren went off in his head and as Jae prepared to charge, a hand grabbed at him. He spun around, arm swinging, and punched the “left” guard in his other eye. This time, he barely felt the pain that spread up his arm. As soon as the guard’s hand dropped, he ran across the room and lunged at the Minister. He grabbed him by the back of his robes and dragged him out from under JiHye’s skirt. He came up sputtering, lips gleaming wet. Jae didn’t wait for him to speak, he just struck out, his fist landing on the Minister’s square chin.
The Minister didn’t wait for him to strike again, however. He was on his feet in a split second, his hand wrapping around the closed fist that came swinging at him again. He was a big man and with his size came power, which Jae painfully registered when the Minister squeezed the bones of his small hand with all his might.
“I warned you before, boy. Choose your opponents carefully.”
“Stay away from my sister,” he grunted through the pain.
Minister Lee laughed, a loud guffaw that reverberated around the room. “And why should I, when she was enjoying herself as much as I was?” He glanced over his shoulder at JiHye. “Isn’t that so my dear?”
JiHye jumped up from the bed, where she’d been frozen with fear, and ran from the room. As she passed them, Jae saw the tears on her cheeks and shame in her eyes and his anger grew to such a level that he felt like he might explode.
He gathered his strength and tore his arm free, immediately preparing to strike again, but a hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. He turned in time to see an upraised fist flying in his direction and he braced himself for it but it never came.
“No,” Minister Lee commanded in a voice that brook no argument. “Not the face. Too obvious, it will draw too much attention. He’s so pretty too, let’s not disfigure him,” he added with a nasty smirk. “No, I’ve something better in mind, something that will teach him a lesson once and for all. Hold him down.”
The guards each grabbed an arm and dragged him to the bed. They pushed him face down so that he was bent over the foot of the bed and held his arms down on either side so that he couldn’t raise himself up.
Jae was smart enough to feel a moment’s fear. He knew Minister Lee wouldn’t kill him but the man was full of his own importance and that was a danger in and of itself. In his mind, there were clearly no boundaries that he couldn’t cross and that could mean disaster for Jae.
He turned his head sideways and, out of the corner of his eye, saw Minister Lee removing the tie from his waist. Jae’s heart sped up. What the hell was the man going to do?
Seeing the panic in his eyes, Minister Lee laughed. “Oh, dear. You have quite the dirty mind, boy. Look at this,” he instructed, holding out the tie he’d removed.
Jae focused on it and it was then that he realized that it was a satin sash like most men wore but some kind of coil made from a material he’d never seen. Whatever it was, it shone.
“Fascinating, isn’t it?” Minister Lee said conversationally. “Do let me know how it feels.” With that, he raised his hand and snapped it downward.
Jae closed his eyes and waited for the blow to land.
Yunho looked out the window, then at the door for what felt like the millionth time. In the almost two months that he’d been coming, Jae had never been late before. It worried him. Had something happened? But if it had, wouldn’t he have known? He knew everyone was aware of his fondness for the boy, for both of the twins, though he tried to keep his feelings for Jae under wraps as best he could. It wasn’t always easy. Sometimes, when Jae would be reading, he could see it in his eyes in his reflection in the mirror and he wondered if Jae ever did too. If he did, he never said anything. But then again, he wouldn’t. Jae rarely spoke unless he spoke to him first.
It bothered him. He wanted Jae to trust him, to really think of him as a friend and be comfortable with him, but he was starting to doubt whether it was possible. His position, who he was, was too much of an obstacle between them. And that was just on the surface. His feelings for Jae, the confused emotions that twisted him up inside, would be an even bigger obstacle. Jae was innocent and naïve. He didn’t know the ways of the world, much less the ways of the flesh. It was simply impossible.
Sighing, he looked out of the window again, then back to the closed door of his chambers. He couldn’t wait any longer.
Climbing to his feet, he approached the doors. The guards bowed and opened the doors for him.
“Follow me,” he ordered. He cast a glance at the guards outside of the door. “All of you.”
The first slash stung and tears immediately sprung to his eyes but he didn’t cry out, didn’t make a sound. He wouldn’t give the bastard the satisfaction.
“Feel free to cry if you need to,” Minister Lee said graciously. “I imagine this must be tough for one as…delicate as yourself.”
Jae’s eyes narrowed, the anger welling up inside of him again. He wouldn’t cry, he promised. He’d bite off his tongue before he made a peep.
The second stroke tore through the back of his robes and sliced his skin. He bit his lip so hard to keep from whimpering that he drew blood.
“Hmm…” the Minister mused, “you’re a lot stronger than I gave you credit for. I can’t say the same for your sister, though. She was putty in my hands and wet in my…”
Jae struggled against the hands that restrained him, his eyes unseeing, blinded by the murderous rage that filled him.
“Need a little more medicine, do we?” Minister Lee taunted before he raised his arm for the third lash.
The coil intersected with one of the previous strokes and pain exploded throughout Jae’s body. He couldn’t stop his body from jerking, though he bit into the bed linen to make sure he stayed silent, while tears streamed down his face.
“And one more for the road…”
“Release him!”
Jae gasped, his tears instantly drying up. He recognized the voice immediately but he’d never heard it so furious. It had always been gentle and kind when it spoke to him.
Yunho stopped several feet from the scene on the bed. He was torn between wanting to wrench Jae away and cart him off to safety and grabbing one of his men’s swords and sinking it deep into the Minister’s heart, neither of which was acceptable behavior for a king. So he stayed where he was and forced his voice to stay level.
“Now,” he growled.
Minister Lee’s guards glanced at their boss, which further infuriated Yunho because as the king his word was gospel, before releasing Jae at the Minister’s nod.
Yunho nodded to his guards and two of them rushed to Jae while the Minister strode over to Yunho.
“I’m sorry you had to walk in on such an…unsightly scene, your majesty,” Minister Lee said, not sounding the least bit sorry. “The young lad over-stepped his boundaries and I felt it my civic duty to correct him.”
Yunho’s expression hardened. “Last I checked, I was king. If there’s any disciplining to be done, it will be deemed so and administered by me.”
Minister Lee bowed his head dutifully. “My apologies sire. I had no idea you’d taken such an interest in your people. It appears much has changed in my absence.”
“I haven’t but these two are wards of the kingdom, thus their welfare falls under my personal jurisdiction.” His eyes narrowed. “Think of them as my children, if you will.”
“Yes, sire. I suggest you keep that in mind as well.” With a curt bow, the Minister turned and exited the room, his guards at his heels.
Yunho froze at his words. The meaning behind them was clear. Had his secret been found out? How would the Minister know when he’d only just returned? Yunho knew he had enemies but he didn’t know just how closely he was being watched. He’d have to be even more careful from now on.
“Your majesty?” one of the guards prompted when he didn’t move for a couple of minutes.
Snapping himself out of it, he glanced at Jae, who was now sprawled lifelessly on the back of one of the other guards. He was pale and his eyes were closed but there was the faintest sheen of moisture on his cheeks, remnants of his tears. He lowered his eyes to Jae’s back and his heart clenched painfully. He couldn’t clearly see the scores in his skin but he couldn’t miss the tears in the fabric and the blood that stained the light blue material.
Oh Jae…
“Take him to my chambers,” he ordered, following behind the guards as they led the procession.
Part III