"are you sure you're okay, mark?" the brunette asked, eyes peeking above the pan he was previously focused on, preparing something to eat for the future king.

The royal looked up into donghyuck's eyes, blinking a few times but keeping his mouth shut. donghyuck wasn't even sure he had heard him speaking in the first place.

"you seem... distracted." the peasant pointed out, eyes never leaving the other male despite the crackling sound that came from the food signalling that it was starting to be a bit too much cooked.

thankfully for donghyuck – and for the almost burnt food – something flicked in mark's eyes, as if he suddenly had woken up from the dazed state he was in. with a quick shake of his head, the royal stood up and walked in the cooking area to stand next to donghyuck who back to focusing on the ingredients burning in the pan.

"i'm just a bit tired, i guess. nothing too dramatic." mark assured once he was next to donghyuck, leaning against the counter as donghyuck's eyes flicked between the food and him.

"you should go rest, then. i can leave if you'd like. i don't want to disturb- "

"no." mark cut him firmly. "there's no need to leave."

"but if you're tired then i should- "

"i don't want you to leave." mark continued, this time locking eyes with donghyuck. the peasant noticed a glint of desperation in them, as if despite the use of 'want' mark was meant to say that he 'needed' donghyuck there.

the tanned male's cheeks took a rosy colour at the heartfelt confession, but mark believed this sudden flush was due to the heat of the food that donghyuck had just taken away from the stove.

"i-if you don't want me to leave, then i won't." donghyuck assured, making the food slide in a plate that he had previously pulled out – he knew what each and every cupboard in the kitchen contained by now, and he was familiar with which type of utensil and dinnerware to use for each type of food he prepared.

a small smile etched on mark's face. "thank you." he mumbled.

"of course." donghyuck discarded the pan towards the sink before approaching mark with the plate, stopping by one of the nearby drawers to pull out a silver fork and spoon. "here, hope it will help you feel better." he added, placing the plate in front of the royal.

mark flashed donghyuck another sincere smile before looking down at the plate that had been served for him, his stomach rumbling at the sole sight of the tasty food donghyuck had prepared. he didn't wait a second to grab the fork and dig into the dish, lifting a few pieces of vegetables and opening his mouth wide to fit the fork inside. but well, the fork never got the time to reach anywhere near his face as the double doors of the kitchen slammed open, revealing the regent queen of aes.

"mark!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening when she caught the sight of her son standing in the middle of the kitchen. lucky for them, donghyuck had had right the time to duck down and hide from the queen's sight before her eyes could catch him.

"m-mother?" mark stuttered, putting the fork back in the plate and giving a quick glance to donghyuck. "w-what are you doing here?"

"a servant told me they had seen you heading to the kitchen. are you hungry now? you didn't eat at all during lunch."

a slight wave of panic ran through mark as his mother approached the counter behind which he was – and most importantly, behind which donghyuck was hiding. the royal stepped forward in the direction of his mother, stopping at the counter so that him and her were face to face and that they were separated by the counter on which laid the food donghyuck had cooked.

the young peasant was croutching by mark's side, pressed between his legs and the cupboards on which the counter had been built, still hidden from the hawk eyes of the queen.

"y-yeah, i felt like eating now." mark explained, following his mother's eyes only to realise she was staring curiously at the plate that was sitting in front of him.

"what's that?" she questioned. "which servant cooked that for you?"

"h-huh..." mark looked down at the food, as if it was magically going to give him something plausible to answer – it didn't.

"mark, you know..." she stopped herself, looking around for a second before leaning over the counter slightly to whisper. "you know we can't be certain anymore... we can't be certain we can trust them..."

"i know, mother." mark nodded, the way he dropped his voice hiding a hint of sadness. "i just... i just wanted to eat and... and i cooked myself this... i didn't want a servant to be there with me."

the regent queen blinked before having her eyes flicking between the plate of food and her son's eyes. "oh..." she let out. "you cooked this? for yourself?"

mark gulped, wondering if he had been stupid to say he had been the one to cook because she would know it was a lie. "y-yeah...?"

"no wonder it doesn't look like we have the servants usually prepare." the queen commented, keeping her eyes on the dish a bit longer before looking at her son expectantly. "can i taste?"

it was mark's turn to blink in confusion for a second before he realised that his mother was dead serious. "h-huh, sure..."

the future king handed his mother the silver fork, staring at her as she lifted a bit of food to her mouth, her eyes closing to taste 'her son's' dish.

"mmh..." she hummed, her eyes opening wide to look at her son. "it's delicious."

mark stared at her frozen on his spot as she took another forkful of the dish and ate it, letting out another small whine of satisfaction.

"i didn't know you could cook." she announced after she had swallowed. "my little gem has been gifted."

mark offered her a shy smile. "y-yeah..."

"your father would have been so happy to taste this... i'm sure he would have loved it."

the queen's sentence left space for a long and tense silence, and even pressed against mark's legs, donghyuck felt the royal's body stiffen considerably at the mention of his deceased father.

mark didn't answer, he stayed still, his body perhaps slightly leaning forward and gluing itself to donghyuck's as the tanned male let one of his hands rub the side of his leg to show support to the hurt king.

"i-i'm sorry... i-i didn't mean to mention him..." the queen stated after a while, her voice less sure than it previously was.

"it's fine." mark replied. "it's okay. i'm okay."

"my little gem..."

"i swear, i'm okay." mark insisted, keeping his eyes straight in his mother's before looking back down at the dish donghyuck had prepared for him. "i should eat. it's going to get cold."

"you should." the regent queen nodded. "i'll leave you alone, if you'd like."

"i'd appreciate it." mark was quick to reply.

"alright." donghyuck heard the queen moving. "don't hesitate to come to me if you need to, alright?"

"of course, mother." the young royal spoke, barely above a whisper.

donghyuck waited for a few seconds, and once he was sure that the kitchen doors were closed again with the regent queen on the other side of them, he dared pushing mark away slightly and rising up to his feet to be eye-level with the future king.

"mark?" the brunette called, making mark turn around to look at him with a closed face.

the peasant didn't waste a second to push himself against mark, locking the royal in a tight embrace as he placed his chin on the boy's shoulder.

"i-i'm sorry..." donghyuck mumbled, his embrace tightening on the other.

mark let out a deep breath, completely leaning against the younger male, as if hugging him had the power of discarding him of all of his worries and problems – because it was perhaps the case; mark had never felt as good as when he was in donghyuck's company, and there was no time in his life when he was able to let his mind run free as easily as when he was with the peasant.

"thank you for being here, donghyuck..." mark replied, his face pressing into donghyuck's hair.

the boys stayed in that position for a while until mark's stomach decided to make others aware of him, rumbling so loud even donghyuck heard it.

"s-sorry..." the royal smiled sheepishly. "i should probably eat your dish."

"yeah." donghyuck nodded, letting mark untangle his limbs from his and turn around to face the plate of food donghyuck had lovingly prepared upon the future king's request.

mark's stomach didn't suffer for much longer as the royal took a bite of the food, having a similar reaction as his mother as his tastebuds got immersed in waves of savoury flavours.

"mmh... tastes so good..." mark muttered right before he shoved another forkful in his mouth.

donghyuck waited in silence for a while, looking with a bright smile as mark dug through his dish, finishing it in a record time and not leaving the slightest crumb left in the plate once he was done.

"you know?" mark spoke after finishing everything. "we learnt something very valuable today."

"really?" what?" the brunette questioned with a brow raised.

"my mother approves your cooking." the royal stated, looking into donghyuck's eyes for a second before he grabbed the empty plate and discarded it in one of the sinks.

the words had donghyuck's heart somehow missing a beat as he recalled what the regent queen had said a while ago. it was true that she had seemed to love the dish donghyuck had prepared. and it seemed like she would have eaten more if it wasn't for mark needing to eat.

actually, he wasn't exactly sure of that considering at that moment, his mind was focused on another thing she had previously said which had donghyuck utterly confised.

"can i ask you a question?" the peasant caught the royal's attention again.

"sure." mark replied with a smile.

"what did the queen mean when she said you couldn't be certain if you could still trust the servants?" the tanned male repeated the royal's words, hoping that mark would be able to enlighten him on what they meant.

however, he was met with another long silence, and a quick dismissal.

"it's nothing important, don't worry." mark shook his head. "let's head to the dojo. i want to play fighting."

♕

"i'll find you..."

the words were oh-too-familiar now, after almost a week of repeating them like a mantra each time the piece of golden jewellery came into sight. the bracelet and the sugar pot full of arsenic were now in mark's room, the royal having never brought them back to his mother after she left them here when she had told mark the truth.

the royal was standing in front of the cabinet, eyes boring holes into the metal as the words of his mother rang in his ears.

it was as if each time he was there, looking at his father's sugar bowl and at this killer's bracelet, he could hear it all again, the awful words that had made him conscious of what had really happened, of the way the people of aes has decided of the fate of their ruler, of the way his father had been mercilessly killed in his own palace.

"i'll find you..."

the words couldn't stop leaving his mouth. they were haunting him, day and night, each time he saw the slightest golden glint around himself. he couldn't get rid of them and his will to crush the one who had done that. oh, there was nothing more than he hoped than to cross paths with this assassin and to give them back what they deserved. and if he was never able to cross paths with them, he sincerely hoped that karma would have them and make their life a misery for what they did to mark.

and after repeating those words a few more times and finally migrating towards his bed, it took a while for mark to fall asleep. tonight again, his hatred and anger boiled inside him too much to the point it prevented him to close his eyes and let his body rest.

♕

a few days after almost being busted by the queen in the kitchen, donghyuck and mark had decided that it would be less risky for them to stay far from the palace for a while – well, mark had, and donghyuck had only approved, the only thing he was sure about being that he wanted to stay with mark.

as soon as donghyuck had stepped a foot inside the castle through the usual back door, mark had dragged him across the corridors, straight to the stables where mark's horse – argenti if donghyuck could remember properly – was already geared for a walk.

"where are we going?" donghyuck had asked innocently as mark was pulling him up on the horse's back, similarly to what he had done when the two of them had headed to wonders alley.

"to the lake. it's further in the earths." mark explained, passing his arms around donghyuck's waist once the boy was sat in front of him and allowing him to reach for the reins.

"the lake?" donghyuck repeated, somehow taken aback by the sudden announcement. "but why?"

"because it's getting warm and i'd be happy to enjoy the fresh water."

the reason seemed convincing enough for donghyuck who didn't ask further and let mark kick argenti's sides to have him galloping away.

the ride to the lake took around half an hour, but donghyuck didn't feel like it was too long, the peasant as mesmerised as he usually was by the wonders of the nature surrounding them. they crossed a forest and a few glades, the green leaves pleasantly tickling donghyuck's legs as the horse passed through the bushes and groves that had grown with the early-summer sun. and when they finally reached the lake, donghyuck let out an astonished gasp, feeling like he had somehow landed in a fairy tale.

the lake wasn't too big, its surface shaded by bright green weeping willows which left space for the sun to warm up the water each time a breeze came by. on the right ride, there were a few rocks between which a waterfall poured clear water right into the lake, the sound of the splashing creating an appeasing atmosphere when paired with the whistling of the birds.

"as usual, mesmerised by the slightest things..." mark chuckled, pulling on the reins and causing argentis to stop a few metres away from the water.

"this is nothing like what you usually show me..." donghyuck retorted immediately, his eyes still scanning the whole landscape, the bright green grass, the transparent water and the silvery glints of the run rays against the surface of the water.

"how so?" mark questioned, hopping off argenti and attaching the reins around a tree to keep him around.

"well... the palace is full of riches and royal things, so, it's impressive for me because i could never be able to hold such luxury..." donghyuck explained, still straddling the horse. "then, wonders alley was incredible because it was something new, something i don't have access to as a peasant living in aes..." he continued, eyes following a bird that let himself fall from its branch to take a quick dip into the water of the lake and fly back onto his branch again. "but this... this is nature... i should know nature... i shouldn't be amazed by nature... and yet you showed me a piece of aes' nature that got me completely amazed..."

mark couldn't help but chuckle again at donghyuck's words, loving the boy's interpretation of the world.

"well, i shouldn't be so amazed by you every time, sunshine, and yet, here i am..." mark replied simply, eyes on donghyuck as the tanned male flushed beet red at those words, unable to keep looking at the royal.

"m-m-mark!" the brunette whined, hiding his blushing cheeks behind his hands.

"what now?" the royal raised a teasing brow, absolutely addicted to the effect he had on the peasant. "can't blame a man for stating the truth."

donghyuck's cheeks became a few shades redder, mark wasn't even sure it was possible to have cheeks this red, but at the same time, he used not to be sure it was possible to be as beautiful as donghyuck, so let's say that the peasant kept pushing the limits of mark's possibilities.

"will you come down now? or would you rather spend the whole afternoon on argenti?" mark inquired, holding his hand out for donghyuck to take so that he could help him down the horse.

"w-well..." donghyuck stuttered, wondering for a second if staying on argenti the whole afternoon could prevent embarrassing himself in front of the royal. but well, it wouldn't be nice for argenti who had nothing to do with donghyuck's impossibility to act normal when mark was around, so it wouldn't be fair to him to stay seated on his back all afternoon long. "i-i'll come down..."

"good." mark smiled as donghyuck placed a delicate hand in mark's before passing his leg over argenti's back and sliding down the saddle, landing on the grass right in front of mark. in the process of him getting off the horse, mark's hands had wrapped around the tanned male's waist just in time to help him down and not hurt his ankles upon landing. quite the gentleman-like gesture people would say, and well, it inevitably had donghyuck blushing again.

donghyuck and mark now being off the horse, it didn't take long for the two of them to peel off their clothes, leaving themselves in only their briefs, and to jump in the clear water of the lake to cool off their bodies from the early-summer heat.

the two boys spent the next hour or so playing in the shallow water, splashing each other and laughing from the bottom of their hearts in a way that was both relieving and liberating. for long moments, nothing mattered except for the two boys' joy and excitement, neither of them able to remember who they really were.

it was as if mark was no longer the king, and donghyuck no longer a peasant. as if mark's father hadn't been assassinated and as if donghyuck didn't have to be careful about the time not to miss his shift at the restaurant. no, for a while it was just them and their carelessness, enjoying their time together and hoping that it lasted forever.

but forever isn't something actually happening. it never is.

by the middle of the afternoon, the two boys were exhausted, and their wishes to play in the clear water of the lake forever soon got replaced by a need to nap or at least to rest.

mark dragged donghyuck out of the water by their interlaced hands, taking a few steps in the grass before letting himself drop down to the floor, first in a seated position and then in a lying one.

"come lie with me." the royal pulled on the peasant's hand to drag him down along with him.

"we're only wearing our briefs, the grass will make our skin itchy." donghyuck whined, letting himself get down on his knees by mark's side so that mark's hand that was interlaced with his wasn't held at a weird angle.

"just lie down on me, then."

the tanned male stayed frozen on his spot for a few seconds, wondering if he had hallucinated or if he truly had heard mark suggesting that he laid down on top of him.

but oh well, when mark realised that donghyuck wouldn't be moving so soon and that he pulled him down right on top of him, donghyuck finally understood that he hadn't hallucinated.

"mark! i'm squishing you!" the peasant was quick to argue, trying to wiggle out of mark's embrace, only to be pulled back down.

"stop spitting nonsense." mark rolled his eyes. "you're as light as a bird."

after a few more seconds of struggling against mark, donghyuck understood that the royal wouldn't let him get away from him, and so, he decided to just accept his fate and settle comfortably on top of the future king's body.

donghyuck laid down perfectly on top of mark, their legs entangled allowing the grass to tickle the side of donghyuck's feet, their stomachs and bare chests pressed together but not to the point it cut their breathings, and donghyuck's head resting on mark's collarbone so that his face could be nestled in the crook of the boy's neck. the position was oddly comfortable, their bodies still wet from their dip in the lake but the beads of water slowly slipping away from their smooth skins because of the sun rays that hit them from between the few branches of the surrounding trees.

they were at peace; there was no better way to describe what they felt in this instant.

at peace with the environment surrounding them, at peace with each other, at peace with themselves, just at peace. and there was no better feeling in the world right now than feeling 'at peace', both for the son of an assassinated king and for the son of an anti-monarchist.

"donghyuck?" mark broke the silence that had taken over them, his voice barely disturbing the surrounding noises of the pouring of the waterfall, of the whistling of the birds and of the rustling of the leaves moving because of the summer breeze.

the tanned male was quick to push himself up at the mention of his name, looking down at the boy on top of who he was lying. "am i hurting you? i'll just lay on the grass and- "

"no, come back down here." mark was quick to protest, one of his arms wrapping around donghyuck's waist to pull him back down, and the other hand reaching for the boy's nape so that he could nestle his face back in the crook of his neck, where donghyuck's breaths tickled his skin so blissfully. "that's not what i wanted to say."

"oh..." donghyuck mumbled, pressing his blushing face harder into mark's neck, hoping that the older boy wouldn't notice his embarrassment – again.

mark chuckled. "i can feel you blushing, sunshine." he informed, very aware of donghyuck's face radiating heat after his previous move.

"w-well, i-i can't help it..." donghyuck groaned. "y-you keep m-making me s-shy..."

"i'm not complaining." mark felt like he needed to specify. "i love it when you blush. it makes you look cute. not that you're not usually cute. you always are. but you're cuter when you blush so- "

"ugh..." donghyuck let out a long groan, his face even redder if possible. "stop it... my heart can't take it anymore... it's going to explode..."

mark found himself chuckling again at this complain from the peasant, his hand that was on donghyuck's nape reaching for the base of the boy's hair and caressing it lightly.

"mine is going to explode too if you keep being so perfect..." the royal whispered, turning his head to the side so that he could speak right in donghyuck's ear – a part of his body which wasn't red yet but whose colour now rivalled that of a ripe strawberry.

donghyuck's heart rate sped up considerably at those words, the brunette wondering if it was physically possible for him to keep himself alive with such a rapid heartbeat. he didn't exactly get an answer to his question, but found out that it was perhaps something normal when he focused on mark's heartbeat that he could faintly feel against his chest and which was just as rapid as his own – and perhaps even synchronised.

"your heart is beating so fast..." donghyuck breathed out, a smile taking over his lips in pride as he somehow realised that he may be the reason of it.

"so is yours." mark replied simply, taking a deep breath as his eyes fluttered close.

silence took over the two boys again, their erratic heartbeats taking a while to come back to a normal rhythm, but eventually doing so. they stayed in that comfortable position, mark lying on his back on the grass, and donghyuck on his stomach on top of him, both wearing nothing but their briefs and letting the sunlight warm them up after a dip in the lake. they breathed in and out calmly, letting the noises of the nature surrounding them lull them into a dazed state that would soon be sleep – but not yet, not until mark had let out those words he had been meaning to let out for a few days now.

"donghyuck?" he mumbled, voice barely above a whisper and eyes staying close.

the boy's response came out as a half-awake hum.

"do you think it is possible that i love you already...?"

mark's body tensed slightly after he spoke those words, scared of the reaction that could come from the boy atop of him. but it seemed once again like he had worried for nothing as everything that came out of donghyuck was a small huff.

"why wouldn't it be?" his voice was muffled because his face was still nestled in mark's neck. "i do love you already..." he added with a slight wiggle of his body, as if he was trying to snuggle a bit closer to mark.

the royal gladly accepted the invitation to pull the younger closer as he exhaled a long breath, a wave of relief taking over his whole body and helping him relax considerably.

"i do love you already too." mark breathed out. "i am certain i do."

and that's all it took for the two lovers to doze off in a peaceful sleep, bodies almost bare on top of each other, by the lakeside and under the early-summer sun.

♕

"where were you yesterday?"

donghyuck blinked a few times, turning around to face his father who had just asked this question.

where was he the day before? well... he may or may not have spent the afternoon with the future king of aes, taking a dip in the lake, confessing their love for each other and then napping on top of each other. all in all, a normal afternoon for a peasant like donghyuck – very normal indeed.

"at the restaurant, like every day." the brunette used the easy escape. "why?"

"you have a sunburn." sangkyu pointed out, his hand motioning to the top of donghyuck's shoulder blades that were visible under the collar of his shirt – clothes didn't fit for peasants, they were used and re-used and so, always ran too big or too small, and there was no way donghyuck could wear a close-fitting shirt over his sunburns.

the tanned male did the only thing he though rational in this situation, that is proving his father wrong. in a quick movement, donghyuck slapped his hand over his shoulder and slightly over his back, holding in a wince as if his life depended on it. "i don't." he replied, internally screaming at the pain and now regretting napping on his stomach with his back and shoulders bare for the sun to mark.

"where did you catch this sunburn?" donghyuck's father saw right through his lie – well, he mostly saw the bright red skin of donghyuck's shoulders.

"i don't know..." donghyuck sighed, knowing that there was no use pretending like his back wasn't actually on fire. but well, there was still a use pretending like he didn't catch it napping with the future king of aes. "i just went to see mom's grave for a while." he added, hoping that this would ease in the lie.

his father only looked at him with a brow raised. "shirtless?" he questioned. "is that a way to greet your dead mother?"

"no!" donghyuck immediately shook his head. "i was wearing clothes."

"then where did you catch this sunburn, donghyuck?" sangkyu insisted again, staring at his son with a frown.

donghyuck gulped. there was no way in hell anything near the truth would escape his mouth. "i-i don't know."

his father snorted. "you sure don't." he tsked. "anyway, myunghae and i are leaving for a few days tomorrow as i told you. we are going to visit the other villages of aes, try to find other resistants that would want to fight monarchy by our side. you remember that, right?"

"mmh." donghyuck hummed, offering his father a small nod.

"i'm counting on you to behave here, alright?"

the tanned male foulght the urge to roll his eyes. as if he was still a child needing his father to tell him to behave for him to do so. he could take care of himself; he didn't need to constantly be under the surveillance of his father. "of course." donghyuck nodded.

"if you're good, i'll teach you what i promised."

this time, donghyuck stayed silent. his mind still resonated a couple things like how he didn't need his father watching over his every move like when he was younger or how he could deal with his problems on his own, but they soon dissipated as he understood what his father was referring to.

he meant teaching donghyuck how to be like him. someone with a strong mind, that had daring values and beliefs and that wasn't scared of other's opinions about them. someone who fought for what was right for him and who lead his group of friends like it was the only thing that mattered.

donghyuck had always admired his father, not only as a parental figure, but also as the leader of the anti-royalist movement on lands where royals were nothing but worshipped. he had always looked up to him and wanted to be like him.

but well, now that he thought about it, things might be a bit different.

what about his daily visits to the royal palace? what about his afternoons with mark, the future king of aes? what about their growing relationship and their hopes to grow even closer?

would he be able to stand in a room with his father for hours, hearing him explain how bad royals really were when the only thing he would be looking forward to would be the moment he'd be able to run back in the arms of the very royal his father wanted to get rid of? and what if his father decided to teach him this during the time between donghyuck's shifts, when donghyuck usually met mark?

"you still want that, don't you?" sangkyu inquired, looking at donghyuck with a brow raised considering the lack of response to his previous offer. "your mother would be so proud of you..."

these last words had donghyuck's eyes snapping open and his heartbeat accelerating instantly, as if they were sufficient to make anything valid – because to him, they were.

somehow, in this instant, donghyuck kind of felt like a monster for being so dubious of his father and what he wanted to teach him. his father had always been there for him despite his duties, he had always taken care of him and ensured he was safe and happy. he had always cared for donghyuck even though it had been pretty hard for him after his wife's death. he had been able to live through it and get out from it perhaps stronger and more determined to accomplish his goals; not only in his name, but also in the name of the woman whom he had had a son with, a woman who shared his thoughts and his heart but whose liver had had the best of her.

donghyuck loved his mother dearly. he was aware of the void in his life ever since she left them, but he tried his best to fill it with something else. he still visited his grave often, ensuring to give her the love she deserved and to keep her up to date with his life. he'd do anything to bring her back, but he knew that this wasn't possible. hence, he'd do even more to make her proud, to have her looking at him from above, and be delighted of the person he became.

your mother would be so proud of you.

of course, she was. this was what she had always wanted; for her son to take the sides of his father she loved the most. and this value, anti-royalism, was something they shared, something they fought for together; so, at some point, if he wanted to make her proud, he would need to follow her steps and his father's steps and learn from his father about what made him so unique.

"i still want you to teach me." the words were out of donghyuck's mouth before he could think of it, looking at his father dead in the eye.

the man flashed his son a smile, his hand reaching for the boy's shoulder to pat it proudly. the gesture had donghyuck wincing again, the sunburn getting the best of him and reminding him of the little adventure he had with who was supposed to be his family's enemy.

"i'll teach you how to be like me when i'll be back, then." sangkyu stated. "a good leader, able to gather people who fight for the right cause."

♕

it felt almost natural now for the peasant to slip inside the royal palace through the back door, his hand immediately finding the future king's for their fingers to intertwine and for the royal to pull him inside towards – most of the time – the kitchen or – less frequently – any other place he would want to be.

the tanned male giggled silently as mark dragged him across the familiar corridors, taking a few late turns and almost colliding with the walls because his focus was more on the peasant than on his surroundings.

"how's your back today?" the royal questioned as he dodged a wall by a close call. "did the ointment i put yesterday help?"

"yes, it's much better." donghyuck admitted. it had been five days now that donghyuck had caught these sunburns, and he was happy to feel that they were slowly disappearing and allowing him to wear shirts without wincing each time the fabric got caught in his peeling skin.

"i'm happy to hear that." mark smiled sincerely. "i still can't believe you hid it from me."

donghyuck lowered his head in shyness, offering mark a sheepish smile. he recalled how he had kept his burns under silence the three days following their afternoon at the lake, feeling too ashamed for having caught a sunburn to admit it out loud to the royal. he was a peasant, he lived in the lands, directly under the sun, and as mark had rightfully stated it during their first encounter, his skin was tanned, revealing where he truly came from. and yet, how had he been able to catch such a bad sunburn when his skin was supposed to be able to resist to the intensity of the sun rays?

"it's not that dramatic, come on..." the tanned male rolled his eyes. "it would have healed with time anyway."

"but i don't want you suffering." mark mumbled, looking into donghyuck's eyes as he kept dragging him across the endless corridor that would lead them to the kitchens.

the peasant looked back at the royal with nothing but softness in his eyes, the corners of his lips curving upwards at the heartfelt words pronounced by mark. on his side, the future king had a similar look on, his heartbeat increasing slightly as he stared at the tanned beauty whose hand he held, silently muttering to himself that he wouldn't let him go for anything in the world because he was perhaps the only thing that had managed to make him happy despite everything he had learnt.

and well, travelling across a corridor without looking at where they were going, it was inevitable that they would collide with a wall at some point. except that what mark collided with first definitely wasn't a wall.

"mark lee!"

the future king of aes took a step back in horror, shielding donghyuck's from his mother's eyes as she looked back at the two of them with fire in her eyes.

"m-mother!" the royal stuttered out, his grip on donghyuck's hand tightening.

"i knew you were lying to me." the regent queen spat, her eyes flicking between the two boys. "i knew that moron from lumen didn't have a nephew from the southern kingdoms!"

"h-he's not the king of lumen's nephew, but he's the son of- "

"i know you're lying to me, mark!" the queen didn't even let mark finish his sentence. "i know that nothing is royal about this boy! i know that he's a peasant from our land that sneaks in every afternoon through the palace's back door!"

mark stayed frozen in stupor. donghyuck was in a similar state of shock behind him, their hands holding so tight onto each other that their knuckles had turned white and that blood couldn't flow in their fingers anymore.

"m-mother, i-i can explain- "

"there's no use explaining anything, mark." the queen spoke sternly, glaring at her son before rising her head and diverting her eyes to the tanned male behind her son who wanted nothing more than to disappear. "leave this palace. and never dare coming back."

leaving was the last thing donghyuck actually wanted. he was always so happy heading to the palace to see mark in the first place that he couldn't think of a time when he didn't have this to look forward to. and yet, as the queen of aes was directly talking to him, her words laced with venom as if she was ready to get rid of donghyuck right there and right now, donghyuck felt like he had to unclasp his hand from mark's grip and leave the royal palace.

with a gulp, the peasant lowered his gaze, his fingers detaching from mark's slowly as they slipped away from his hand. he took a first hasty step backwards, keeping his head low and trying to contain his emotions; then a second, and as he was about to take a third one, his hand got caged in mark's again and he was pulled back by the royal's side.

"he's not leaving." mark replied, tone firm and eyes fierce, now daring to talk back to his mother.

"mark, you don't have a say in this." his mother tackled back immediately.

"i want him here, mother." the royal continued arguing.

"he's a peasant, mark! if we cannot trust our servants anymore, we definitely can't trust him!" the queen yelled, her face a dark shade of red. "he could be here to kill you, mark!"

donghyuck's eyes shot open at those words, their gravity somehow acting as a strong hand wrapping around his throat and constricting the flow of oxygen.

he could be here to kill you.

well, it wasn't the case. donghyuck wasn't here to kill mark – despite the fact his father wouldn't be displeased by the idea, him being the head of the anti-royalist movement, that same movement that had celebrated the king's death so joyfully years ago.

"we love each other!" mark screamed back at his mother, face equally red. "of course, he'd never try to kill me!"

it wasn't exactly the moment to be emotional and lovey-dovey, but mark's words – spoken so loud and clear, in front of the regent queen of aes – had somehow managed to make donghyuck's hear miss a bit. this confession was nothing like the one they had whispered to each other days prior, their voices unheard among the sounds of the nature. this confession was blaring and explicit, spat at the queen's face like it was something well-known. and somehow, hearing the future king of aes shouting his love for a peasant at the queen had donghyuck feel all giddy inside – as much as this was inappropriate for this exact moment.

the queen let out a disgraceful snort at her son's words. "you love each other..." she repeated, another snort slipping past her lips. "you don't know anything about love, mark. stop being so blind and get away from him!"

donghyuck knew better than let those things escalate into something he wouldn't want to be part of. leaving mark's side was the last thing he wanted, he knew it, it would hurt very badly and he would blame himself for long... but in this moment, with the regent queen in such a fury at the sight of them, donghyuck knew that his best bet was to let go of the boy's hand and to disappear from their sights.

"m-mark..." the tanned male mumbled loud enough for just mark to hear as he detangled their fingers. "i-i should leave..."

"no, you shouldn't." mark protested, immediately grabbing donghyuck's hand firmly to prevent him from escaping.

"yes, he should." the queen spoke sternly again, eyes piercing through donghyuck. "leave and never come back."

"he's not leaving and that's final!" the vein on the side of mark's neck got visible as he yelled at his mother, taking a daring step forward. "i am the future king of aes. and i want him to stay, so according to the royal orders, he has to listen to me!"

the queen snorted again. "you may be the future king but i am the current regent queen, and the royal orders state that he is under my commands." she tacked back on the same tone as her son. "so, the peasant listens to my orders." she added before looking at donghyuck again, her gaze meaner that it had ever been. "now, leave this palace and never dare coming back!"

donghyuck flinched at her tone, the scream that left her mouth being so deafening that it could have broken a glass. and he knew better than to protest right now.

all cards were on the table, and the regent queen herself had mentioned the royal orders to make him leave. mark sure was about to become king, but he was still only a prince, and so, if donghyuck had to follow one's orders, it was the regent queen's.

the tanned male peeled his hand off mark's for the third time, but for once, mark didn't reach back to him to glue him back to his side. donghyuck took a step abck, then a second, a third and he turned around, now walking away from the two royals towards the backdoor.

"donghyuck!" mark exclaimed, attempting to turn around and go back to donghyuck's side. but his mother was faster than he was, and before he could step away, she grabbed the pans of his robes and pulled him back by her own side.

"no, you stay here and we have a conversation."