"where were you yesterday night?"

these definitely weren't the first words donghyuck imagined he would be hearing right after opening his eyes. and more precisely, these were the exact words he was wishing to avoid considering how the previous night had been for him – even more if they came from his father, which they did.

"s-sorry...?" the tanned male mumbled, sitting up on his mattress as he rubbed his eyes, allowing them to adjust to the luminosity in the room and fall on his father, sitting on a wodden chair a few feet away from his mattress, staring right at the younger boy.

"you came back late." the man declared. "later than usual."

"huh..."

"where were you?" the father repeated his question, his eyes never leaving donghyuck.

donghyuck gulped down the lump that had started forming in his throat, flashes of the previous night appearing in front of his eyes as he tried to come up with the most believable lie.

"i-i was working at the restaurant." he stuttered, hoping with all of his heart that the ladies he usually worked with had covered him and that his father wasn't aware that he missed a day of work.

"i know you were at some point. where else would you have been around dinner time?" the man snorted, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. these words somehow reassured donghyuck, knowing that his father wasn't suspicious of anything. "i'm asking after the restaurant. where were you?"

okay, now, donghyuck needed to find an answer to that. and a plausible one that is.

"i-i stayed behind a bit." he lied. "h-helped with kitchen stuff and everything... the restaurant was much busier than usual yesterday, so we had a bit of work."

donghyuck's father frowned, inspecting his son's face carefully for a few seconds before humming. "are you sure of yourself?" he asked, his tone defiant.

the boy couldn't help but gulp again, hoping that his lying skills had improved since when he was younger. "i-i am." he let out in a low voice.

"you don't seem so sure." sangkyu pointed out with an eyebrow raised.

"i am." donghyuck was quick to readjust his tone. "i stayed in the kitchen longer yesterday night."

his father then nodded, approving his son's words and making donghyuck relax for a second. however, his next words were enough to stress donghyuck out once again.

"tell me about the royal palace." the older man simply said, his eyes focusing back on his son.

a wave of panic went through donghyuck's body. why would his father talk about the royal palace? was he aware that donghyuck lied to him and that he was in fact staying at the royal palace yesterday evening? could it be that he was trying to trap donghyuck and give him a harsh scolding?

"t-the r-royal palace...?" donghyuck repeated the words nervously.  "w-what about it...?"

"you've been there a few times already, haven't you?" sangkyu raised a brow again. "i remember you asking me to go there a couple afternoons to observe them. did you lie to me and never go?"

"oh, no, no!" donghyuck immediately shook his head. "i did go. a couple times. i did." he assured.

"good. now, can you tell me what you heard there?" his father questioned. "can you repeat to me out loud the things they might have said that only prove how low they think of us and how badly they need to be gotten rid of?"

donghyuck tugged at his bottom lip with his teeth, nibbling at the rosy skin for a few seconds, pretending to think about what he could say. the truth is, he didn't need to think deeper about it, the words that had been spat at him were still loud and clear in his mind. he wasn't even sure there would be a possibility for him to ever forget about them. they had been spat with so much disdain and hate that they were now imprinted in donghyuck's brain forever.

"i overheard the queen speaking." donghyuck said in a low voice, head lowered in what appeared to be shame.

"and what horrors did she say?" sangkyu inquired. "don't be scared to tell me. i know they are awful. i know all of the atrocities they say on us."

"why would you need me to tell you, then?" donghyuck lifted his head slightly, looking into his father's eyes.

"because hearing those words must have been hurtful, but repeating them will allow you to understand their depth and make you realise what we are fighting for."

donghyuck stayed silent for a few seconds.

"so, tell me what she said, donghyuck." his father insisted.

and his father was right.

hearing those words the night before, as they were sharing a delicious meal, didn't happen to be donghyuck's favourite part of the day. he had suddenly felt the urge to cry and disappear, feeling ashamed to be sitting around the table when someone was badmouthing him so badly. he may have tried his best to keep his composure, to make it seem like he didn't mind those words, but actually, they had hurt him really bad. however, the pain they had caused donghyuck to endure seemed minor compared to the pain he felt now, repeating those words in his head again as he was about to voice them out.

"s-she mentioned that... we weren't what she was proud of." donghyuck spoke the first words with difficulty, their meaning somehow causing something to ache in his heart.

"what else did she say?" sangkyu's piercing gaze hadn't left donghyuck. for a moment, it even seemed like he wanted donghyuck to be hurt, to revive those memories and never forget about them.

"she said that she would gladly get rid of us. that we were useless, living in filth and dirt, just like animals." donghyuck continued speaking, unable to lift his head to look at his father now that the first tears had started to gather in his eyes. "she insisted that she was ashamed that we were part of aes, and that we were better off dead."

sangkyu stayed silent for a few seconds after his son stopped talking, wondering if he had anything else to add or if he had covered everything. and when donghyuck didn't start speaking again, he broke the silence.

"can you understand now?" he asked in a calm voice. "they hate us. they don't want us here. they're pretending that they care, sending us food, making them appear as our saviours, but they are nothing but rotten pieces of shit, scared of what we could do if we decided to hate them back."

donghyuck sniffed, his hand reaching for his cheeks to wipe off the tears that had now started to cascade down there. he hadn't realised speaking those words out loud would hurt him so bad. he thought that he had done his grief of that moment the night before, and that it wouldn't affect him so bad today. but how wrong of his to assume that.

his father was right again. it seemed like he always was.

"see, donghyuck?" the adult asked, catching the attention of his son who allowed himself to look up at his parental figure with tearful eyes. "i had told you how bad they were, how awful they thought of us, and how badly they deserve to die."

the tanned male stayed silent, letting his mind process his father's words.

"we need to get rid of them. we need to get rid of all of those royals, to break free and build something that benefits us instead of them." donghyuck's father continued speaking. "they deserve to die suffering, to understand what they made us endure all this time when we were at their mercy."

it was hard for donghyuck to go against his father's words. his point was valid, and the ache in his chest could only encourage him to nod at his father's words.

after all of the atrocities the queen had said, after everything she had spat at donghyuck's face shamelessly, not aware of who he really was, after she badmouthed what composed her own kingdom in a way that wasn't human... donghyuck could only admit that his father's proposition was tempting. they needed to get back at the royals, to make them understand the misery in which they made the peasants live. they deserved to be put off their throne and taught how the real life was. they deserved an uprising from the people, one that eradicated them forever and freed the rest of the kingdom.

donghyuck couldn't believe he had been so doubtful of his father's words at first.

his own father, who had always know what was better for donghyuck, who had always been a perfect leader, who had this will for faith and justice, who had lost his wife because of royals... donghyuck couldn't understand why he had felt the need to understand why royals were so bad instead of just drinking his father's words and trusting him...

the past night had been the perfect evidence that donghyuck needed to understand what his father meant. that royals were bad, that they didn't care about them, that they hated them, and that they would gladly get rid of them, without a care in the world. the queen's words had been clear as day, spat without a filter or a feature of speech to hinder the truth. they were raw and violent, the same way royals thought of peasants.

"do you understand now, donghyuck?" sangkyu repeated, meeting eyes with his son. "we need to do something. we need to avenge our people and get rid of the royals. all of them."

the words almost slipped out of donghyuck mouth. the tanned male almost let out the words his father wanted him to speak out so bad. something like 'i understand' or 'i want to get rid of them'. but they never did...

half a second before he voiced those out, an image of a certain prince flashed in his mind, his gummy smile lighting up donghyuck's whole world. mark, the future king of aes. and well, this vague souvenir of his prevented him to approve of his father's words.

not all royals were like the queen was. some were careful, gentle, thoughtful, and even caring. and those definitely didn't disrespect peasants as much as the queen did.

perhaps it was donghyuck's sensitivity and hatred for violence that pushed him to find bits of memories that would prove him that they didn't need to eradicate all royals. he wasn't exactly sure, but all he could think about then was everything he had lived by mark's side during his many afternoons at the royal palace.

their first encounter which hadn't been the smoothest... the time they spent in the kitchen, donghyuck cooking and mark eating... their strolls across the palace, discovering the magnificent maze of corridors in which mark lived... the afternoon they spent together, shopping and having fun...

mark wasn't like his mother. he had expressed it clearly the night before.

donghyuck had tried explaining to him that it was okay, that it was the way things had to be, but mark had insisted that they didn't have to be that way, that he was willing to change them. this gave hope. a slight bit of hope that maybe, everything would change. there was not too much time left before mark actually became the king of aes, and this would mean great changes. so, they couldn't get rid of royals, not now, not when they were at the verge of a new era.

"w-what if the future king isn't like that...?"

the words came out as a whisper, donghyuck's eyes looking everywhere but at his father as he let them out.

"sorry?" sangkyu questioned, not having heard what his son had suggested.

"w-what if things change soon?" donghyuck rephrased his words. "the new king will be crowned soon. he could change everything."

donghyuck's father couldn't help but snort loudly. "donghyuck. that's not how things are."

"but what if...?" the younger repeated. "things could change."

"the future king will be the same as the previous rulers of the kingdom. there is no doubt about that."sangkyu spoke sternly.

donghyuck had to bit on his lips not to say something stupid that would give in what he spent his afternoons at the royal palace doing.

it was hard, because donghyuck knew that it was false. he knew that mark was not like the past rulers. mark was considerate and caring, he was always curious about donghyuck and his life, and he was willing to help and improve their condition. donghyuck knew it, mark had repeated those words to him countless times.

"you don't know him, you have no right to say that." donghyuck ended up saying, not being able to keep the words in longer.

"i don't need to know him to know how awful his reign will be to us." donghyuck father spat.

"you can't say that! it's inconsiderate!" the younger male raised his voice slightly, speaking with his heart.

"and how would you be more legitimate saying such things than i am?" his father retorted, the words coming out more violent than donghyuck's.

"that's because- "

"you aren't!" sangkyu yelled, cutting donghyuck's words before he could even say something that he would have regretted. "you're just a child donghyuck, you know nothing! you don't know about everything we do, about our spying in the palace, about what we hear and what we see! trust me, donghyuck, the future king deserves to rot in hell with his mother and all of the other royals!"

♕

donghyuck wasn't sure he had made the right choice when he had decided to run away from his problems, but what he was indeed sure about is that he wouldn't have been able to stay longer in front of his father.

after his father's outburst, it hadn't taken long for donghyuck to start crying again, tears cascading down his cheeks at a rapid pace and refusing to stop. knowing better than staying in front of the reason of his tears, donghyuck had escaped from his father's grip, slipped between his fingers and rushed out of their house, crossing the village he lived in as fast as he could until he reached the familiar piece of land that they called the non-royal cemetery. he was fully sobbing by then, his tears having wetted the top of his shirt and reducing his capacity to see drastically. nevertheless, he was so familiar with this place that he didn't need to look at where he was going to find the right tomb.

the tanned male let himself fall on the floor, sitting in a crossed-legs position as he buried his face in his hands, allowing to sob loudly without a shame in the world. he let the tears flow out for long minutes, taking ravaged breaths between his ugly sobs as his father's words rang in his ears endlessly.

his father was always right, and he always knew what was best for donghyuck, but somehow, this time, he didn't want to believe it. he'd rather stick to his own version of the facts, to his belief that mark wasn't as bad as other royals and that he could even help them.

the sun had almost risen to the highest point when the brunette finally managed to come to his senses, the only traces of his crying left being the tears on his cheeks and his clothes that the sun had started to dry.

"mom..." the tanned male murmured; his voice raspy from the sobbing as he gently traced the golden bracelet on his left wrist. "i am sorry to come in this state, but... i couldn't stay with dad longer..."

the boy took a deep sigh, his eyes focusing on the flowers that were still placed on top of the ground, right above where his mother was buried.

"i-i know dad knows what is best for me, for the people... but, i don't know... i feel like this time, he is mistaken..." another sigh left donghyuck's lips. "he... he says that all royals are the same and that we should get rid of them... and... and i know that. everybody says it, and when i visited the palace, i even heard the queen saying such mean things but... b-but..." the boy paused for a few seconds, choosing his words wisely. "b-but i don't think the future king will be like that..."

a gush of wind came from donghyuck's left, causing his hair to fly around his head, making them slightly messy. he believed that this was a sign from the skies above that his mother was listening to him, trying to comfort him just like she would have lifted her hand to caress donghyuck's cheek.

"actually..." donghyuck eyes the tomb for long seconds, debating what would be his next words. "mom, i know that you trust dad with your life, but... but i also know that you make the brightest decisions and that you will know how to side with the most reasonable of us..."

the tanned male gulped, taking his time to find the right words to tell his mother, knowing that it might not be what she would want to hear from him.

"do you remember mark?" donghyuck asked. "i talked about him a few times. i talk about him a lot, actually... he's... well, he's someone that seems to genuinely care for me, and to always be considerate and... he's a good man, a very good one." the boy continued, letting out a small chuckle at the remembrance of his and mark's interactions. "he truly is perfect, just like i told you the other time... i mean, i see him as perfect, but... he might not be perfect in everybody's mind... and that..."donghyuck took a few deep breaths, closing his eyes for a while before allowing himself to reopen them and look directly at the ground, where his mother was buried "t-that is because h-he is the future king of aes."

he waited for long seconds, expecting something, a sign that she was listening to him. perhaps a gush of wind, the roaring of thunder or even a light rain, anything that would hint donghyuck what his mother thought of those words.

but a minute passed, and nothing occurred. donghyuck was still unmoving, sitting under the scorching sun without a sign from nature.

the boy couldn't help but sigh. "i would understand that you are mad at me, mom... we're antiroyalists, and... and i became friends with the future king..." he said. "but i promise you mark is different from other royals. you must know already, from everything i told you about. he is really careful and loving and amazing. he always tells me that he wants to change things, that he doesn't want me to keep living like that. and... and i believe in him. i believe he could change things."

there was another silence for a while. one that donghyuck broke again not long after. "this is what dad and i fought about. he doesn't think that mark will make things change. he thinks mark is like other royals. but i know he isn't. i know mark. he wants things to change for the better. and he will make them change." donghyuck assured. "dad is right, some royals are bad, and deserve nothing but to suffer for making us live through misery, but... b-but not all of them... n-not mark..."

and this time, the gush of wind that followed definitely felt like the gentle caress of his mother's hand, as if she had accepted her son's words and decided to side with him on this battle.