The Rebel Prince [COMPLETED]

by %uhoh%

Forewords

Chef Kim JaeJoong is just an ordinary guy, doing an ordinary job. Okay, his new boss might be a gorgeous future king, but JaeJoong's determined to stay professional.....isn't he?

As the second son, jet-setting playboy Prince Yunho of Korea never thought he would be king. But to save his country, Yunho reluctantly puts his wild days behind him. It's only when he meets shy, beautiful chef JaeJoong that he begins to learn the real meaning of duty, honor and.....love. The mischievous prince has one last act of rebellion in store. He's going to promote this common chef.....to princess!
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A/N: I decided to repost this fic and finish it for all my readers out there that I left hanging......sorry about that. Also, thanks to the lovely Zane at dreality.co.nr for my poster and background!

Chapter 1

Thank you to all who have commented on my story......I am hoping to repost the first two chapters I had up, at least, today if possible.
Anyway, hope you like........
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Jet lag.....maybe he could blame it on that.
Or maybe on the general state of simmering anger he'd been in since he'd been told life as he knew it was over and he was to submit meekly to living his brother's life instead.
That might have thrown his aim off.
Whatever.
He'd missed the shot and he'd hit the young man by mistake.
And that was when everything began to spin out of control.
Prince Yunho wasn't used to missing a shot...he had an arm like a rocker launcher and had once even been urged to join his country's Olympic water-polo team.
He'd never injured anyone with a shot before....except other players in the generally rough play of the game he loved.
But he seemed to have the reverse Midas curse these days...everything he touched went bad.
For a fraction of a heart-stopping second, he was afraid he'd killed the man.
Key, one of the young footmen who'd been playing the game of water polo with him, said as much, swimming over to the side of the indoor castle pool behind him.
"He looks like he's dead. Muerta," he added for good measure.
"He's not dead," Yunho corrected sharply, though his nerves were still jumping from that momentary fear.
Vaulting out of the pool, he kicked the still-bouncing water-polo ball out fo the way and crouched over the man, shaking away the water that dripped from his sleek body.
"Is he breathing?" Key asked with interest, climbing out of the pool as well. "Wow. He went down like a rag doll."
Yunho didn't bother answering.
The man seemed to be unconscious.
Not a good sign.
"Hello," he tried, touching the man's shoulder. "Are you all right?"
There was no response.
He put two fingers to the pulse at the man's neck, glad to find it strong, then noted his chest move.
He was breathing, but he looked so pale and vulnerable lying there in his destroyed cutoff jeans and black tank top.
Yunho wanted to gather him up and get him off the cold floor.
But he probably shouldn't move him.
Had the man hit his head on the tile?
Maybe he was in shock.
Snagging a large towel someone had hung on hte railing, Yunho draped it over him and bit back frustration.
Why the hell wasn't he moving?
And why the hell couldn't Yunho remember more of his decade-old life-saving classes?
It was obviously time to recruit someone who knew what he was doing.
"Go get the doctor," he ordered as the two others who'd been in the pool with them came up, shivering and dripping water everywhere.
"You mean Siwon?" Key asked hesitantly.
Yunho looked up at the three young men who were staring at him blankly.
"Of course I mean Siwon. Get him. Now."
The three of them looked surprised, but they jerked into action, hurrying off.
He felt a fleeting sense of satisfaction that he'd managed to conjure up a tone of command.
That was something he was going to have to do often and better if he was really going to end up as the king of Korea.....if this really wasn't just a bad dream he was going to wake up from and laugh at.
Korea.....the crazy little country that knew him as Jung Yunho, prince of Korea and second son of King Alec and Queen Ha Na, both deceased.
And now that his older brother Ji Hoon had abdicated the throne, Yunho was crown prince and heir apparent.
If he actually let them do this to him.
He looked down at the young man he'd decked and swore softly, his heart doing a quick stutter.
He HAD to be okay.
If the man was seriously injured.....
"I'm not dead," he murmured suddenly, though his eyes didn't open.
Yunho's heart lurched in relief.
He could talk.
'Thank God', Yunho said silently, but aloud he was less reverential.
"Then why are you pretending?" he asked, not really keeping the exasperation from his voice.
"I'm not pretending," the man said drowsily. "I'm resting."
Sitting back on his heels, Yunho stared at the man.
"Strange place for a sudden nap," he noted dryly.
The man opened large coal black eyes at that, eyes that widened at the sight of Yunho's bare, muscular chest, jerked up to meet his gaze, then quickly snapped shut again.
"Too much, too soon," the man muttered softly, snuggling down under the towel as if he were holding the world at bay.
His words were barely audible and Yunho frowned.
The man wasn't making any sense.
"What was that?" Yunho asked sharply.
The man didn't respond.
He was lying so still Yunho could almost believe he'd imagined him talking a moment before.
He wanted to run his hands over the man, looking for injuries, but was fairly sure he wouldn't accept that without protest.
And Yunho couldn't blame him.
After all, if he found an injury, what was he going to do about it?
Better to wait for Siwon, who was supposed to know what he was doing in this arena.
At least the man's color was returning.
He was beginning to look less like an accident victim and more like a perfectly healthy young man.
No visible signs of harm.
So why was he just lying there?
Yunho'd never seen the man before, but he assumed he worked here in the castle....and as he hadn't been around lately, he no longer knew all the stagg.
The man was beautiful.
Not Yunho's type though.
Not at all.
"Listen, you're going to have to communicate with me," he ordered firmly. "I've got to know if you're badly hurt."
The man stirred.
"Hurt?"
Opening his eyes again, he risked another quick look in Yunho's direction, his face scrunched up in bewilderment.
Then he looked around as though he'd forgotten where he was.
"Wait a minute. Where am I? What happened?"
He didn't remember?
That seemed odd.
Despite the man's claim to be resting, he'd obviously been stunned.
Yunho supposed a blow to the head could knock the memory center for a loop....but hopefully it was just temporary.
"You're at the indoor castle swimming pool where you very inconviently placed yourself in the path of a stray water-polo ball," he told the man lightly. "Next time, I advise you to duck."
The man's gaze settled on Yunho and he narrowed his eyes supiciously.
"I see," he said, his hand going to his head, probing for lumps. "And who threw this stray ball?"
Yunho ignored the sudden unaccustomed flash of guilt.
"To tell you the truth, I guess I did."
The man blinked as though trying to figure something out and Yunho realized his mind still wasn't really clear.
"Were you aiming at me?" he asked, his voice slightly slurred.
Yunho's mouth twisted.
"If I'd been aiming at you, the ball wouldn't have bounced first."
The look of bewilderment deepened and he quickly added, "No, of course I wasn't aiming at you. I was trying to shoot around a defender and the shot got away from me."
"So it was an accident."
"Of course."
The man nodded and closed his eyes again.
"Actually, it feels so good to just lie here," he murmured drowsily. "I'm so-o-o tired. I haven't slept for days."
Neither had Yunho, for that matter.
Ever since he'd been told to wrap up his affairs and head back to Korea to prepare for his own coronation, sleep had been elusive at best.
He'd flown to Chadae, the ancient city where his ancestral castle stood, only a couple of hours before.
Hitching a ride on a friend's private jet had allowed him to arrive unheralded and given him the time to unwind with a short water-polo game before facing his uncle and the rest of the council.
"What's your name?" he asked the man gruffly.
"JaeJoong. Kim JaeJoong."
He was peeking at Yunho from beneath thick eyelashes.
Yunho stared right back at him.
"Do you work here at the castle?"
"Sort of. I'm a chef. But I just arrived last night."
Key came skidding back into the pool area as he spoke adn Yunho noticed he closed his eyes more tightly instead of looking up to see what was going on.
He still seemed to want to ward off reality.
Yunho wondered what he was afraid of.
"Hey, U-Know," Key cried, calling Yunho by the nickname often used for him. He was grinning and motioning toward the scene he saw, with JaeJoong still stretched out before the prince. "This is just like Sleeping Beauty. Maybe all he needs is a kiss from...."
Yunho shot him a quelling look before he'd finished that sentence and cut him off with a demand.
"Where's the doctor?"
Key stopped short and shrugged.
"We can't find him."
Yunho thought for a moment.
"Have you checked the stables?"
"No, we-"
"Try the stables. You can call down there from the hall phone."
"Okay." Key paused, looking down at JaeJoong, then grinned and made a kissing motion, but Yunho shot him a murderous look that had him hurrying away again.
He turned back to the limp figure on the shiny tile.
JaeJoong's breathing seemed a bit shallow to him.
"Are you falling asleep?" he asked him, incredulous.
"Just a little," JaeJoong murmured softly. "I'm so sleepy. Just let me sleep."
Staring down at him, Yunho wasn't sure if he was annoyed or amused.
"I don't think you should that. You should probably keep talking."
"I don't want to talk. You talk." JaeJoong pulled the towel up around his shoulders, then opened one eye just a bit to look at Yunho. "Tell me a story," he suggested sleepily. "I'll bet you're good at that. You're the type."
Yunho looked at him sharply, wondering if the man was more aware than he'd thought.
Maybe he was being thin-skinned, but JaeJoong's comment sounded like derision to him.
"I think I resent that."
JaeJoong shrugged.
"It's a free country."
"Korea?" Yunho muttered cynically. "What gives you that idea?"
JaeJoong didn't answer but Yunho hadn't meant him to.
He had mixed feelings about his native country.
A love-hate relationship of sorts.
Korea was his home and now his legacy.
But it was also a place that had deeply damaged too many in his family....a place where his father had died under suspicious circumstances.
A place that now wanted him as king.
"When are you going to start?" JaeJoong asked.
Yunho turned, looking down at him.
"Start what?"
"Telling stories."
Yunho stared at JaeJoong, wondering if the man was always this strange or if he'd caused it.
"Do you seriously expect me to sit here and tell you stories?"
"Sure. Why not? We're in a castle, aren't we? Fairy tales would seem to be in order."
"Have you been drinking?" Yunho asked suddenly as the possibility occured to him.
"Just the cooking sherry," JaeJoong shot back, then giggled. "Only kidding. No, I haven't been drinking. But I'm feeling kind of...I don't know....kind of punchy." He gazed at Yunho through squinted eyelids. "Can getting hit on the head make you punchy?"
Yunho shrugged.
"We'll ask Siwon when he gets here. If he ever gets here."
JaeJoong frowned, shading his eyes as he looked up at Yunho.
"Who is Siwon?"
"The castle medical man."
JaeJoong winced, then yawned.
"I don't need the doctor. I just need a better place to sleep."
"And I'm pretty sure I'm going to need a good stiff drink myself before this is over," Yunho muttered. "I might even settle for the cooking sherry. I've settled for worse."
He sank back against a post and tried to get comfortable on the hard floor.
Every sound in the high-ceilinged pool area echoed against the walls, every lap of water against tile, every drip, giving the place an eerie, spooky feel.
Yunho supposed he could dispel that with the sound of his own voice, but he didn't want to do that.
There was no way in hell he was going to tell JaeJoong a story.
He might go as far as to give him a nudge with his foot if he seemed to be drifting off.
Other than that,they would wait for Siwon.

Chapter 2

JaeJoong was racing through a thick forest, dodging trees.
That shimmering white vision he'd just barely glimpsed had to be a unicorn.
He had to find it.
There!
Wasn't that it?
He ran faster.
You had to be clever to catch a unicorn and now he was tiring, his breath searing his throat.
Just a little further.
It had to be there.
Just beyond that huge raged trunk....his feet were like stones and the unicorn's hot breath was on his neck and....
Only it wasn't that at all, it was a strong male hand on his shoulder and it felt divine.
He looked up.
It was that tall, handsome man, again, the one with the incredible tan and the muscles that curled and swelled like waves on a Mediterranean sea.
Was he still dreaming?
The man was really too good to be true.
His face was strong, his features even, and he had teh most beautiful golden eyes JaeJoong'd ever seen.
His hair was naturally dark but the ends had been bleached out by the sun, giving him a sort of golden halo effect.
That, along with the bronze tan, gave mute testimony to a life spent outdoors....either doing manual labor or lazing about at seaside resorts.
JaeJoong had a feeling he knew which it might be.
The man was the sort women called "hot" and for the first time in his life JaeJoong thought he really understood what that meant.
The man's touch left tingles behind.
He wanted to have that feeling again.
Men like this never paid much attention to those like JaeJoong, but he supposed this one was only trying to be nice since he'd been the one to knock him down.
What would it be like to slip into the man's arms and hold that beautiful body close to his?
Just thinking of it made his pulse begin to beat a rhythm at the base of his throat.
The man was looking at him strangely.
He had a moment of quick panic....could he read his mind?
No, probably not.
But why did he keep waking JaeJoong up?
He was so tired and it was so hot and humid in this place and he only wanted to close his eyes and let the world go away.
But there was someone else here now.
He was testing JaeJoong out, checking for injuries.
His touch didn't have the same electric charge as the other one, but it had a certain confident comfort to it and he didn't protest as the man examined just about everything there was to examine on him.
"Good lotz, U-Know," the new man was saying, teasing. "I'd heard you were losing it. But I didn't know you'd gotten to the point of having to knock someone down and drag him off just to get a date."
JaeJoong had to struggle to open his eyes and see who the newcomer was.
But he was worth the effort....a dark-haired, handsome man in riding clothes, bearing a small black bag and looking down at JaeJoong kindly.
"I didn't knock him down," the even more handsome man who'd been staying with JaeJoong all this time and whose name seemed to be U-Know was saying defensively. "Well, not exactly..."
"I heard he got hit by a water-polo ball," the new man said, slipping a blood-pressure cuff up JaeJoong's arm and starting to pump. "A water-polo ball that you threw. I'd call that a knock-down."
"We've already established the guilt in this situation," U-Know responded acerbically. "But the motives were pure."
He leaned toward JaeJoong.
"JaeJoong,this irritating man is Dr. Choi Siwon. He'll get to the bottom of this 'resting' business." He nodded toward the doctor. "Siwon, this is Kim JaeJoong. He can't seem to stop sleeping. Maybe you can find out why."
"Kim JaeJoong, ay? Pretty name." Siwon smiled at JaeJoong. "Pretty name for a pretty guy." He released the pressure and began to take JaeJoong's pulse. "What do you do here at the castle, JaeJoong?"
JaeJoong blinked at him, then closed his eyes and searched his mind.
The facts seemed to have slipped away.
What WAS he doing here, anyway?
"He says he's a chef." U-Know answered for him. "I didn't know we were hiring chefs. But then, I don't know much about what's going on here these days."
"Yes, I was surprised to see you back so soon," the doctor said as he pulled the cuff back off again and took out his stethoscope. "Raring to go, I imagine."
U-Know gave a short, humorless laugh.
"Hardly that."
"Something told me you might not be compeletly enthusiastic with the changes around here. But I assume you will do what's expected of you. Right?"
The silence that followed seemed ripe with an emotion JaeJoong couldn't understand, but it did seem to spur his memory.
"I've been hired for a special job," he said suddenly and in a surprisingly loud voice.
He smiled.
What a relief to have that information back where he could retrieve it.
He needed to wake up.
He HAD to wake up.
It was his first day on this job and he couldn't afford to blow it.
He had to get himself together, enforce some self-discipline.
But his eyelids were so heavy.
Struggling, he opened his eyes and turned so that he could see them both.
"The coronation celebration dinners," he added. "I'm here to plan for the big event."
"Oh. That."
He noted the two men give each other a meaningful look tu he couldn't imagine why and he went on.
"I came, actually, to meet the prince. You know, the one who's going to be crowned?" He thought for a moment, then brightened. "Prince Yunho. That's his name. And now they tell me he won't be here until the weekend."
"They told me the same thing," the doctor said with a grin JaeJoong didn't think he was awake enough to analyze.
"Never trust anything 'they' tell you," U-Know offered cynically.
He wasn't grinning but he caught JaeJoong's eye and gave him a significant look, too.
He had no idea why, and he frowned at him.
"They told me Jessica was coming as well," Siwon said with studied disinterest. "Any truth to that rumor?"
"Could be," U-Know replied. "I haven't talked to her."
JaeJoong was helf sitting now, while Dr Siwon checked out his breathing, thumping his chest and listening intently.
The entire situation felt so odd and the cavernous space with the lapping of the water in the background only made it more so.
He was in a castle, sitting beside an indoor swimming pool and being carefully examined by two of the most attractive men he'd ever seen.
It was enough to turn anyone's head.
But he had to keep his right where it was.
He had a job to do.
He had to keep reminding himself of that.
"So what's he like, anyway?" he asked them.
They both stared at him.
"Who?" they said at the same time.
"The prince."
"Ah." Siwon laughed softly as he put away his stethoscope. "The CROWN prince, now."
"The prince?" U-Know chimed in, eyes shining with what JaeJoong took as amusement. "He's a fine fellow. One of the best you'll ever meet. The toast of the nation."
Siwon snorted, but U-Know went on.
"I'm sure songs will be written about him soon," he said in a tone JaeJoong thought might be a bit sarcastic, though he wasn't certain he was reading him right. "Stories told, legends taken down. After all, he comes from a long line of kings, and he fits the part, if you ask me. Tall as an Alpine cedar, honest as a cloistered nun, strong as a...as a..."
"A blue ox?" Siwon put in helpfully.
U-Know gave him a baleful look.
"Strong as a nothern wind, sharp as a..."
"Serpent's tooth," Siwon interjected. "And just as yellow."
He leaned toward JaeJoong earnestly.
"Don't listen to U-Know. Truth be told, the prince is an ugly bloke. His eyes are small and evil and much too close together for comfort. And he's got bad breath and he's a bit of a drooler, if you know what I mean."
"Really?" JaeJoong was pretty sure he wasn't being serious. Despite the fact his mind was still full of cotton, he was alert enough to know when his leg was being pulled. "I'd heard he was quite handsome."
"Who told you that?" U-Know asked with interest.
But Siwon waved it away.
"They always say that about royalty. You know the media. Always trying to hype their main product. They give royals attributes they don't deserve, just to make them more interesting to the public."
JaeJoong frowned.
"I don't know if that's true," His face cleared. "Oh, you're teasing. I know he's very handsome. I don't think I've ever seen pictures myself....I don't really follow the society pages. But I've heard it from others, people who pay attention to these things. I'm sure he's quite good-looking."
"Well, don't you believe it," the doctor said cheerfully as he packed away his instruments. "I know him personally. Lazy layabout, that's what he is. Never done a day's worth of work in his life. Always off on some yacht in the Mediterranean or the Caribbean."
"Isn't that pretty much the way they all are, those royals?" JaeJoong asked him, looking for confirmation. "At least, from what I hear."
U-Know scowled but Siwon nodded wisely.
"Over-endowed libido, under-endowed intellect," he noted. "That's our boy, the prince. Take my word for it."
U-Know's head swung around at that and his mouth opened in protest.
"Yah!"
"Yes, my dear," Siwon droned on. "Centuries of inbreeding." He made a face. "Leaves them a little bewildered, you know. You'll catch a glimpse of one now and then wandering mournfully about the castle like a lost sheep."
"That does it," U-Know said, springing lightly to his feet and lunging for the doctor. "You're going into the pool."
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A/N: So, to my new readers, what do you think so far? To my readers from before, please be patient with me, I hope to update at least two chapters a day for this story. Thank you! And please leave a comment, no silent readers please.

Chapter 3

Okay, so today, I'm posting the chapter three and four I had up earlier, and then tomorrow, I start in uncharted territory :lol:
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JaeJoong gasped, feeling dizzy.
He was used to verbal rages between people.
They happened all the time in his very volatile family.
But physical confrontation were different.
Were these two very large men actually going to fight?
U-Know's body seemed to be a symphony of muscles all working together taking a form a Greek statue would have envied.
His legs looked like steel and his arms bulged in places JaeJoong hadn't known he like to see bulges.
And the sense he got of things barely covered by that tiny black swimsuit made him blush and suddenly, to his surprise, he had to catch his breath.
But he couldn't tear his gaze away.
U-Know was just so beautiful.
The only flaw seemed to be a long ridged scar from just beneath his ribs down toward his hip-bone, as though a knife had.....
JaeJoong shuddered, not wanting to think what might have made it.
And at the same moment U-Know grimaced and seemed to clutch at the scar area.
Siwon stopped wrestling immediately.
"That still bothering you?" he asked, frowning.
U-Know shrugged, straightening slowly.
"It grabs now and then. Mostly it's okay," he said dismissively. "It doesn't stop me from doing much."
Still, it was obvious that the so-called fight was truly over.
"You ought to get the scar tissue massaged periodically," Siwon told him. "It's probably building up calcium deposits. A little massage with Vitamin E should help break it down again."
U-Know nodded, rubbing the scar with his hand as thought that were relieving pain.
"If it hadn't been for this, you'd be in the pool by now," he said, threatening his friend mockingly.
Siwon grinned and turned to JaeJoong.
"It's touching how protective he is of the prince," he explained to him as he held off the other man's by now half-hearted attack. "I'm afraid I take a more realistic view."
"Your view of everything will be quite damp if you keep it up," U-Know warned him. "You got off easy this time."
Siwon didn't look particularly chastened, but he did glance at the pool, then grinned at his friend.
"Okay, you win. No more about the prince. I've got doctor stuff to do. Let me talk to the young gentleman, if you please."
U-Know let him go with some reluctance, glared at him a moment longer, then stood back and made a sweeping bow.
"Be my guest."
JaeJoong sighed with relief as Siwon stepped around U-Know rather gingerly, then smiled at his patient.
Even thought their entire battle had had the choreographed look of something they had done many times before, probably beginning in childhood, JaeJoong was glad it was over.
And he was glad it was Siwon who was coming to his side.
There was something nice and comforting about the doctor.
JaeJoong was pretty sure he was going to like him.
U-Know, on the other hand, was beginning to make JaeJoong feel distinctly uncomfortable.
There was something sharp and edgy about him.
He was nice to look at, but in a hard, scary way that disturbed JaeJoong.
His golden eyes seemed to see too much to scorn much of what he saw.
His full, beautifully defined lips seemed to stretch more often in disdain than in smiling.
There was a ruthless, wild quality in him, something JaeJoong'd first noticed when he was wrestling with Siwon.
JaeJoong suddenly thought of what U-Know reminded him of....an untamed horse, a stallion that was beautiful to watch, but frightening to get too close to.
"Well, JaeJoong, your vital signs seem normal. You've got a lump on your scalp. I assume it marks the spot where you hit the ground rather than where the ball hit you. Either way, it's a rather simple scalp trauma and you've sustained a bit of a concussion. You'll need to be checked on over the next twenty-four hours."
JaeJoong nodded.
That seemed to fit with his pictured of what was going on here.
"I don't see anything especially serious. However, your lethargic reaction is a bit troubling. Before making a diagnosis, I always like to ask the patient himself what he thinks has brought something like this on. What do you think might have caused it?"
JaeJoong shrugged.
"Overwork, I guess. Lack of sleep. Stress."
Siwon frowned.
"What are you doing that might be causing all this stress?"
That was an easy one.
Ever since JaeJoong'd been offered this contract, he'd been obsessed with every detail, working as hard as he ever had in his life to make sure he came through and didn't embarrass himself, his restaurant, or.....most of all.....his father.
And there was more, of course.
It had been a crazy winter so far, with his beloved grandfather William dying in September.
Because of strained relations with his own father and a schizophrenic connection with his mother, JaeJoong'd clung to the older man at times, soaking up his love and responding in kind.
His death had been natural, but a sorrowful one for his huge extended family.
His sad funeral had been a sort of reunion for the remaining Kim clan, conjuring up all sorts of emotions that had been papered over for years.
With so much going on, sometimes JaeJoong felt as though he were running at full scream level without the sound.
But he couldn't tell Siwon all that.
Much easier to keep it simple.
"My job," he said, nodding confidently. "I've been staying up late preparing for this special assignment for weeks now. I work all day as a chef at a restaurant in London and study half the night. Then when I finally do go to bed, my heart is still racing like a hamster on his little wheel running faster and faster. I don't seem to be able to slow down again."
"So the more tired you get, the less you sleep."
"It seems that way."
"Yet you had no trouble falling asleep on this hard tile floor."
JaeJoong crinkled his nose, thinking.
"It was...pleasant. Sort of like taking a vacation from real life, lying here with my eyes closed." He managed a weak smile. "I started to think a little temporary coma might be nice."
Siwon shook his head.
"No comas. You might start liking them too much."
He was right.
JaeJoong needed to get back into reality.
Gathering all his strength, he sat up fully.
"Hey, take it easy," Siwon said, reaching out to steady him.
And there it was again, that deep, provocative tingle that made JaeJoong gasp.
The man's hands were like magic.
Black magic.
There was something in his touch that tempted JaeJoong to curl himself up into the man's arms, inviting more, but he stopped himself quickly, hoping the other hadn't noticed his reaction....or his automatic recoil once he'd realized what was happening.
"I'm fine, really." He looked up into his face, then away again quickly. "Just...just a little woozy."
Siwon nodded, thinking for a moment.
"I don't want to give you anything....no pills, no shots. In my experience, things like that often create more new problems while hardly dealing with the old ones. I leave the drugs to last resort." He paused. "What I would like is for you to take a nice long nap," he said at last, his gaze becoming penetrating.
"I'd like that too," JaeJoong said, feeling a little as though he might cry if he didn't watch it. Emotions were bubbling inside him and he didn't have the strength to try and sort them out as yet. "But I can't. I've got to get back to work. I just went off for a walk to find a cooler place than the kitchen for a bit. I'm sure they all wonder what on earth happened to me. Especially the housekeeper."
"I'll let them know." Siwon started to help JaeJoong to his feet. "I'm going to take you to your room. Doctor's orders."
U-Know rose as well.
"I'll come too."
JaeJoong started to shake his head, horrified, but Siwon beat him to it.
"No, you don't. You can't wander around the castle in your swimsuit like you do on your yachts. There are sensibilities to be considered. Maids will be fainting in the halls."
"That's ridiculous."
But Siwon was serious.
"U-Know, you're not who you used to be. You have a new position and you've got to maintain some decorum."
JaeJoong wasn't sure what they were talking about, but he knew he wanted to get away from U-Know and his cool gaze as soon as possible.
He could tell U-Know was bristling.
"So now you're ordering me around?" he said coldly to his friend.
Siwon nodded.
"I'm sure you'll give me this much leeway," he said softly. "For old times' sake."
U-Know stared at him for a long moment, then shrugged and turned to JaeJoong.
"Where's your room?" he asked him.
JaeJoong's eyes widened.
"I have no idea. I get lost every time I turn a corner in this place."
"How are you going to find it again if you don't know where it is?"
"Someone will tell us," Siwon said.
"It's very high up," JaeJoong added, trying to be helpful. "A nice room. The sort of place that feels like if they locked me in and I grew my hair long....."
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel?" U-Know's look of irritation stung. "There you go with the fairy tales again." His gaze raked over JaeJoong. "All right, go with Siwon. I'll check on you later."
"U-Know...."Siwon began in a warning tone.
"You can keep your opinions to yourself," U-Know ordered, giving his fried a look that registered something close to disgust. "You don't have to worry. He's clearly not my type at all."
Siwon made a scoffing sound in his throat.
"He's human, isn't he?" he said, softly, plainly not meaning the comment for JaeJoong to hear.
But he'd heard it al right, and his mind had cleared enough to know that he wanted to avoid a room visit from this man at all costs.
"You don't need to worry about me," he said quickly, stepping a bit closer to Siwon. "The doctor will handle it."
U-Know stared at him and he realized he'd been a little too obvious in his anxiety.
No emotion showed in his eyes, but JaeJoong could feel his hostility.
"As you wish," he said evenly. "Goodbye, Kim JaeJoong."
Reaching out, he took JaeJoong's hand and bent from the waist to brush his fingers to his lips.
"Until we meet again."
He left JaeJoong breathless but at least he was gone.
"What did he do that for?" he asked Siwon as they started toward the castle elevator.
His hand was tingling and he rubbed it against his shorts.
"He likes to keep us all on our toes by doing the unexpected," Siwon told him cheerfully.
'He'd certainly fulfilled that image today', JaeJoong thought with some irritation.
"You're the castle physician," he said to the doctor. "What does U-Know do?"
"U-Know?" Siwon chuckled. "You might say U-Know is a servant to us all."
JaeJoong frowned, wishing he could really get rid of all the cobwebs so he could understand better what was going on around him.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"All in due time, my dear. All in due time."

Chapter 4

JaeJoong was lost.
Again.
"They should hand out maps at the door of this place," he muttered in frustration as he hurried down one hall and then up another, hoping to see something familiar.....anything at all.
It would also have helped if there had been someone to ask for directions, but the halls he went racing down were empty.
Maybe he was lost in a ghost castle.
But he knew better.
It had only been a half-hour before that he'd had a visit from Park Jung Ah, the castle housekeeper.
"Well, he's done it again," she'd said as she breezed into JaeJoong's room.
She seemed harried and overworked but managed to keep a friendly look on her face, which was more than most of the staff had welcomed JaeJoong with.
"Who's done what?" JaeJoong asked, reaching for his white uniform, anxious to show that he was ready to join in after having been AWOL for so long.
He'd had a wonderful long nap and was feeling very much himself again.
Dr Siwon had been to check on him and had been pleased with his condition.
So things were looking up.
"The prince, of course. Prince Yunho." The housekeeper put a hand up to smooth down the curls of her dark brown hair. "He's here, crept in on us unannounced. The level of service for dinner will have to be raised. It won't just be the duke and the duchess. It will be the prince as well." She began counting out diners on her fingers. "And the Italian ambassador, so they tell me, along with his wife and sister. The chancellor of the treasury, the minister of defense and his wife. And of course, Yoochun, the old duke's son, and....let's see..."
"The prince is here?"
"Yes, he's here. And us being so shorthanded. So the chef tells me." The housekeeper looked at JaeJoong speculatively. "I know it's not what you're here for but you might as well pitch in. After all, you need to get the lay of the land and see how things are done around here. So...do you mind working with Chef Kyung?"
"No. No, of course not."
"You look a little tired," Jung Ah said. "And Dr Siwon filled me in on your situation. Sure you're up to this?"
JaeJoong forced a smile.
"Oh, absolutely."
"How are you getting on?" Jung Ah asked, looking him over a bit more closely.
JaeJoong sighed inwardly and in his mind said, 'Horribly, you're the only staff member that has been polite or acted decently toward me'.
"Quite fine, thank you."
"Wonderful. Then I'll tell Chef Kyung that you're willing."
"Dae."
Willing, surely.
But able?
That remained to be seen.
He turned a corner and there it was.
The ancient elevator.
Sighing with relief, he hurried up and pushed the button.
The elevator lumbered toward him with much creaking and clashing of metal against metal, giving him qualms.
And then the doors slid open.
"Oh, no!"
The reaction slipped out before he could stop it, for there stood the very man he most wanted to avoid seeing again.
He didn't look any happier to see JaeJoong.
"Well, come on, get on board," he said gruffly. "I won't bite." One eyebrow rose. "Though I might nibble a little," he added, mostly to amuse himself.
But JaeJoong wasn't paying attention to what he was saying.
He was staring at him, taking in the black uniform he was wearing, with gold braid and glistening badges decorating the sleeves, epaulettes, and upright collar.
Ribbons and medals covered the breast of the short, fitted jacket.
A gold-encrusted sabre hung at his side.
And suddenly it was clear to JaeJoong who this man really was.
He gulped wordlessly.
Reaching out, the man took his elbow and pulled him aboard.
The doors slid closed.
And finally JaeJoong found his tongue.
"You...you're the prince."
He nodded, barely glancing at JaeJoong.
"Yes. Of course."
JaeJoong raised a hand and covered his mouth for a moment.
"I should have known."
"Of course you should have. I don't know why you didn't." Yunho punched the ground-floor button to get the elevator moving again, then turned to look down at JaeJoong. "A relatively bright five-year-old child would have tumbled to the truth right away."
JaeJoong's shock faded as his indignation at his tone asserted itself.
He might be the prince, but he was still just as annoying as he had been earlier that day.
"A relatively bright five-year-old child without a bump on the head from a badly thrown water-polo ball, maybe," JaeJoong said defensively. He wasn't feeling woozy any longer and he wasn't about to let this man bully him, now matter how royal he was. "I was unconscious half the time."
"And just clueless the other half, I guess," Yunho said, looking bemused.
The arrogance of the man was really galling.
"I suppose you think your 'royalness' is so obvious it sort of shimmers around you for all to see?" JaeJoong challenged. "Or, better yet, oozes form your pores like.....like sweat on a hot day?"
"Something like that," Yunho acknowledged calmly. "Most people tumble to it pretty quickly. In fact, it's hard to hide even when I want to avoid dealing with it."
"Poor baby," JaeJoong said, still resent his manner. "I guess that works better with injured people who are half asleep." Looking at him, JaeJoong felt a strange emotion he couldn't identify. It was as though he wanted to prove something to him, but he wasn't sure what. "And anyway, you know you did your best to fool me," he added.
Yunho's brows knit together as though he really didn't know what he was talking about.
"I didn't do a thing."
"You told me your name was U-Know."
"It is." Yunho shrugged. "I have a lot of names. Some of them are too rude to be spoken to my face, I'm sure." He glanced at JaeJoong sideways, his hand on the hilt of his sabre. "Perhaps you're contemplating one of those right now."
'You bet I am'.
That was what JaeJoong would like to say.
But it suddenly occurred to him that he was supposed to be working for this man.
If he wanted to keep the job of coronation chef, maybe he'd better keep his opinions to himself.
So he clamped his mouth shut, took a deep breath, and look away, trying hard to calm down.
The elevator ground to a halt and the doors slid open laboriously.
JaeJoong moved a step forward, hoping to make his escape, but Yunho's hand shot out again and caught his elbow.
"Wait a minute. YOU'RE someone," he said, as though that thought had just presented itself to him.
"That's a rare ability for insight you have there, Your Highness," JaeJoong snapped before he could stop himself.
And then he winced.
He was going to have to do better than tat if he was going to keep this relationship on an even keel.
But Yunho was ignoring his dig.
Nodding, he stared at JaeJoong with a speculative gleam in his golden eyes.
"I've been looking for a woman, but you'll do."
JaeJoong blanched, stiffening.
"I'll do for what?"
Yunho made a head gesture in a direction JaeJoong knew was opposite of where he was going and his grip tightened on his elbow.
"Come with me," he said abruptly, making it an order.
JaeJoong dug in his heels, thinking fast.
He didn't much like orders.
"Wait! I can't. I have to get to the kitchen."
"Not yet. I need you."
"You what?" JaeJoong's breathless gasp of surprise was soft, but he knew Yunho'd heard it.
"I need you," Yunho said firmly. "Oh, don't look so shocked. I'm not planning to throw you into the hay and have my way with you. I need you for something a bit more mundane than that."
JaeJoong felt color rushing to his cheeks and he silently begged it to stop.
The likelihood the prince would have any carnal interest in him was remote at best.
To have him think he was hysterical defending his virtue was humiliating.
"Well, what if I don't want to go with you?" JaeJoong said in hopes of deflecting Yunho's attention from his blush.
"Too bad."
"Bwoh?"
Amusement sparkled in Yunho's eyes.
He certainly was enjoying this.
And that made JaeJoong more determined to resist him.
"I'm the prince, remember? And we're in the castle. My orders take precedence. It's that old pesky divine rights thing."
JaeJoong's jaw jutted out.
Despite his embarrassment, he couldn't let that pass.
"Over my free will? Never!"
Exasperation filled Yunho's face.
"Hey, call out the historians. Someone will write a book about you and your courageous principles." His eyes glittered sardonically. "But in the meantime, Kim JaeJoong, you're coming with me."
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A/N: To my new readers: Hope you like it so far, for my readers from before: Tomorrow I start with the new chapters, I know ya'll have been dying for :). Please leave a comment!

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Chapter 5

Okay, hi, sorry I haven't updated today yet, but I had to work the day shift. Urgh! It's murder when you're usually a graveyard crew like me, anyway just got off work and picked up my poster and background from dreality.co.nr, so thank you to Zane for those. For my readers from before, here are the new chapter's ya'll have been waiting for.............
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JaeJoong glared at Yunho.
It wasn't enough that he was arrogant and bossy.....he thought he could mock his principles, too.
He'd about had it with his man.
Prince or no prince, he had a lesson in manners due him.
"Listen , mister," JaeJoong began, trying to pull away from Yunho's grip on his elbow. "The divine rights of kings is all very well. Just don't forget about NOBLESSE OBLIGE."
"JaeJoong, YOU listen," Yunho said, giving every sign of a man who'd also come to the end of his patience. "I told you I need a woman's touch. And you're that woman. In a manner of speaking."
JaeJoong looked up into his eyes and what he saw there gave him shivers.
Was he really that cold-hearted?
Or was this just a royal trait.
"But, I need to get to the kitchen," he tried, knowing the weakness in his voice was giving away the fact that his stand had weakened, too.
"Calm down." Yunho's mouth twitched at the corners as he waited a moment for JaeJoong to breathe evenly again, then he gestured toward his collar where a coil of braid flapped out, flying loose. "I just need a bit of repair work. A little sewing. That's all."
For the first time, JaeJoong noticed that he held a needle and a long tail of thread in his other hand.
"I can't sew," JaeJoong said quickly.
"Liar." Now Yunho was laughing at him. "If you took cooking classes, I have no doubt a sewing lesson or two lurked in there somewhere. Come on. You're going to sew this braid back on for me."
"But-"
"Jae, have a heart. I've got to get to the reception in the entry hall. They're waiting for me. And I can't show up like this." Yunho paused, and then, with what seemed like a lot of effort, he made himself say, "Please."
JaeJoong slowly relaxed at the lazy way, Yunho had said his name and besides, he was a sucker for people who said "please".
"Oh, all right," he said, shaking his head in resignation. "I'll give it a try. But I'm warning you, I'm not very good at it."
Yunho nodded and led him into a small room just a few feet away from the elevator.
It seemed to be a storage center of sorts, with maps pinned and glued all over the walls and large pieces of luggage stacked on shelves and set about in piles.
"We'll be out of the way here," Yunho said, dropping down to sit on a tall stool and handing JaeJoong the needle. "Sew like the wind, my sweet, and we'll be back on our way in no time."
JaeJoong put a knot in the thread rather absently as he looked down at Yunho's collar.
He'd unbuttoned the top buttons so that it could be pulled to the side a bit.
The braid was definitely loose, and somewhat shredded in places, but JaeJoong knew he could take care of it easily.
Still.......
He cleared his throat nervously.
"You know, this would be a lot easier to do if you took the jacket off." he suggested.
Yunho shook his head.
"Can't do it. You don't know what it cost me to get into this damn monkey suit in the first place. I'll never be able to summon the patience to do it again."
JaeJoong sighed.
Nothing was ever completely easy, was it?
"Hold still, then."
His fingers were shaking.
He bit his lip, trying to stop them.
If he couldn't keep steady and the needle slipped.....
He winched, thinking of it.
Yunho would have him fired for sure.
Fired!
Hah!
Killed, more likely.
He almost laughed aloud and somehow that thought steadied him.
"So," he said tentatively, going back over some of the his stitches to strengthen the hold, "you're going to be King. I guess that must be pretty thrilling."
Glancing up, Yunho gave him a quizzical look.
"I can think of other words for it," he muttered.
"Well, I'M thrilled," JaeJoong persisted. "This is going to be my first chance to show an international audience what I can do. I only hope I do you proud. I have some really unique plans. I'd like to go over them with you when you have a minute. Maybe tomorrow morning? Wait until you see some of the menus."
"I can hardly contain my excitement," Yunho said dryly, and, though he didn't put that sarcastic, mocking tone he so often used in his voice, JaeJoong could tell he was having trouble holding it back, and he flushed again.
Biting his lower lip, JaeJoong vowed to quit trying to be polite.
It didn't pay with this man.
If he wasn't interested in having a normal conversation, so be it.
But then JaeJoong noticed Yunho was staring at one of the maps on the wall across from where he sat.
Reaching out, he could just barely reach it.
Very slowly, almost convincingly, he traced the outline of Italy with his forefinger.
"Italy's a wonderful country," JaeJoong said.
Yunho nodded but didn't say anything.
"I was in Rome last year for an Italian meringue seminar. It was a trip I'll never forget."
Yunho gave him a dubious look.
"The Italians have their own type of meringue?" he asked.
"Oh, yes. You slowly pour hot sugar syrup over stiffly beaten egg whites and keep beating until the whole thing has cooled. It makes a much more stable meringue."
"Great. There's nothing I hate more than an unstable meringue."
Yunho was making fun of him but JaeJoong didn't react.
"My grandmother was Italian," he told him. "From Naples. My grandfather met her during the war."
"Really." Yunho looked up, and for the first time his eyes seemed clear and interested. "My mother was Italian. She was born in Florence."
Their gazes met and held in a stolen moment of mutual understanding, a connection across a cast, empty plain.
And then, as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone, and Yunho looked away.
JaeJoong's heart was suddenly thumping in his chest.
Before he had time to catch his breath, Yunho was speaking again, changing the subject.
"So, Kim JaeJoong. How did you get the job as my coronation food guru? I thought we usually used the in-house cook to do the dirty deed."
"I'm told you have in the past. But this time......"
He stopped and started again.
"Well, you see, Shim Changmin, your coronation manager, is a regular at our restaurant in London. We've become friendly over the years. So when he had this fantastic assignment, he knew of my work. He contacted me and asked if I would be interested."
"And you were."
"Oh, yes. It's a chance of a lifetime for me."
Yunho looked at him, curious.
"In what way?"
"Well....As I said before, it's an opportunity to show the world what I can do. Make my reputation."
"And from that will come more offers for other coronations?" Yunho asked skeptically. "How many can there be?"
"And other large affairs as well." JaeJoong explained quickly. "Also, cooking shows on television. Cookbook contracts. Positions in cooking schools. All sorts of things."
Including a chance that his father would finally feel that he'd made it in this profession.
There was always that hope, dim as it might be.
But he crinkled his nose and pushed those concerns away.
He would worry about that when he was back in London.
"If all goes well," Yunho said softly, his face taking on a strange, dreamy look.
"Of course. If I fail..." JaeJoong caught his breath and shook his head firmly. "Anyio! I won't even entertain the thought. I'm going to give you a coronation dinner fit for a king." He couldn't resist a quick grin. "So to speak."
"So to speak," Yunho echoed, nodding. He glanced up at JaeJoong again, his eyes hooded. "So you and Changmin are.....old friends."
He said it in a significant way that added a spin JaeJoong couldn't let pass.
Did Yunho really think he'd been chosen for this job because he'd been...."friendly" with Changmin?
Frowning, he pulled back and stared at Yunho.
"We are not 'old friends'."
Yunho raised an eyebrow, searching JaeJoong's gaze.
"New friends?"
"We're not 'friends' the way you make it sound." He pursed his lips, gazing at Yunho. "You really are a cynical man, aren't you?"
Yunho shrugged with a nonchalance that came naturally to him.
"It's a requirement for survival, sweetheart."
Suddenly, JaeJoong got an urge to lecture him.
'No!' the rational part of him warned.
'Just a little lecture. For his own good'.
'No! Don't be crazy! What will you get out of it?'
'The lecture isn't for me. It's for him. And he needs it.'
JaeJoong waited a few seconds, but the rational side didn't seem to have an answer for that, so he took a deep breath and charged ahead.
"Since you're interested in survival," he began, carefully feeling his way at first, "I've got a tip for you. It'll make you a better monarch."
Yunho looked suddenly wary.
"Okay. Let's hear it."
"Requests and suggestions work better than orders," JaeJoong said as firmly as he could, concentrating resolutely on his stitches. "Don't run roughshod over people, like you did with me just now. Make them want to help you by giving them the same respect you want from them."
Yunho stared at him, shaking his head, looking like a man who felt he was being wrongly accused.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You." JaeJoong glanced at him and then back to the sewing. "You tend to order people as though their lives aren't as important as yours and-"
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do."
Yunho shook his head.
"And, anyway, maybe their lives aren't as important as mine."
Throwing his free hand in the air, JaeJoong appealed to the heavens.
"See what I mean."
"So, you want me to pretend," Yunho said irritably, his jaw clenched. "To make nice."
"Yes, if it comes to that," JaeJoong told him earnestly.
Yunho glared at him.
"You have some nerve, Kim JaeJoong." he said in a voice that could have cut through steel.
"I know."
Yunho paused, staring at him, then shook his head.
"Okay, Jae," he said gruffly. "I'll think about it."
"Oh. Well. Good. Hold still," JaeJoong said as he tied off the knotted end. "There. You're finished."
Rising, Yunho buttoned his jacket up to the neck and flexed his wide shoulders inside, then bent to look into a mirror.
"Good job," he said coolly. "It looks great."
JaeJoong nodded, turning toward the doorway.
"I'm off," he said, avoiding another last look into his eyes. "Goodbye."
"Jae." Yunho caught his hand and held it until he turned back to face him. "Thank you very much."
JaeJoong looked up in surprise.
The way Yunho said it, he had a feeling he didn't overuse that phrase.
"Let me know if there is any favor I can ever do for you," Yunho added.
With a rueful smile, JaeJoong turned.
It was time to get away from Yunho and his very potent sphere of influence.
But before he could escape, Yunho reached out and stopped him again.
"Before you go, one word of advice for YOU, Mr. Kim," he said coolly, his golden eyes cynical. "When you hang around a royal castle, don't trust anyone."
JaeJoong frowned.
Was Yunho trying to scare him?
Or was his warning for real?
"Not even the king?" JaeJoong asked.
Yunho's smile was humorless.
"Especially not the king," he said.

Top of Form

Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX
The kitchen of Chadae Castle seemed to have a personality of its own....ancient, cavernous and crusty, with a certain medieval ambience.
As JaeJoong looked around it he could imagine knights of old stomping through, armor clanging, nabbing hunks of just-roasted meat with their swords.
Modern stainless-steel appliances and other attempts at updating were overwhelmed by the dark atmosphere of centuries past lingering on.
A huge arched brick fireplace took up one entire wall and the heat it generated was stifling.
Large copper-bottomed pots hung everywhere.
"Chef Kyung," he said, presenting himself to the chef, a Chinese man with a sense of the dramatic. "The housekeeper said you could use some help tonight, so I...."
The Chinese man's eyes flared with such outrage, JaeJoong was stopped in his tracks and actually took a step backwards.
"I need no help," he spit out. "I let you join us as a favor to Jung Ah. She say you need to learn. Well, you watch me. You learn plenty."
Time flew and suddenly it was the dinner hour.
Not wanting to miss a thing, JaeJoong left the dessert station to watch from the wings.
A gong sounded and the march of servers began.
Two footmen, dressed in full livery, led the way.
Each carried a tall silver scepter and wore a high brocade hat.
JaeJoong followed them partway in to take a look, carefully staying to the shadows and pushing aside a heavy brocade drape to get a better view.
The dining hall was huge.
The table looked big enough to launch airplanes into the sky.
Heavy silver service framed delicate chine encrusted with the royal family seal.
The centerpieces ranging up and down the length of the table were made up of sterling silver candelabras entwined with roses.
It was an impressive display.
Twenty-five to thirty people sat along the huge table.
He scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar face, but couldn't see anyone, not even Dr Siwon.
But the prince was there, at the center of it all.
At the moment he was engrossed in talking to the older man at his right and JaeJoong felt a flash of relief that he hadn't seen him.
Time to go, before he did.
As though his thoughts were being beamed straight at him, Yunho's head rose and he looked right into JaeJoong's eyes.
JaeJoong stood frozen, unable to move.
Seconds suddenly stretched out seeming lasting for ever.
And then Yunho rose, nodding toward JaeJoong and gesturing to the empty seat beside him.
JaeJoong shook his head.
He couldn't be asking him to join him.
Could he?
JaeJoong looked around for an escape, but one of the footmen had arrived by his side.
"Prince Yunho requests your presence, Mr. Kim," he said smoothly, offering him his arm. "Come this way, please."
JaeJoong looked at him, beseechingly.
"Do I have to?"
He nodded, unsmiling.
"Yes, Mr. Kim. Please."
This was a very bad idea.
JaeJoong knew that instinctively, and for a moment he toyed with making a run for it.
What would Yunho do?
Send the dogs after him?
But no.
He didn't want to make a scene.
Besides, Yunho was the boss.
Maybe he wanted JaeJoong to sit beside him and comment on the food, or plan a few meals, or chat about nutritional values.
Maybe.
But not very likely.
JaeJoong sighed.
Might as well make the best of it and try to act as though he sat down with royalty every day.
"Lead on, MacDuff," he muttered, taking the footman's arm.
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A/N: Sorry for short chapter. Please comment and tell me what you think, no silent readers, please and thank you : )

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Chapter 7

YAY! New readers!!! Welcome!!! And to my readers from before....Welcome back!!!! Today's chapters may be unsatisfactory for some readers as well, but I promise it will get better, so bear with me if they are, okay? Thanks.
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"Yunho, your father would be so proud of you."
The prince gave his uncle a skeptical glance, wondering if he was talking about the same father HE'D grown up with.
"My father used up all his sense of pride on my brother Ji Hoon," he said dryly. "And look how that turned out."
"Ah, yes." The Duke of Sandstrove nodded his heavy head, looking for all the world like a sage old lion. "As they say, pride goeth before a fall."
Yunho wasn't too sure what that had to do with anything but he let it go.
Sitting at the head of the table, his uncle on one side and the ornate chair that had stood empty since his mother died on the other, he nursed a crystal goblet of scarlet wine and surveyed the people who had come to dine with him.
They were all here, all the usual suspects.
He'd known most of them all his life.
They had gathered to welcome him home.
Or so they had said.
Actually, they'd all come together to make sure he understood what was expected of him.
He understood all right.
What they wanted was obedience.....obedience to tradition, to the past, to the way things had always been done.
And, most importantly, obedience to the group of elite couriers, a sort of protectorate, who had taken over running the country when his father had fallen ill, and who expected to go on running things....even after Yunho was crowned.
Too bad.
They were in for a big disappointment.
That thought had barely surfaced in his mind when his gaze met JaeJoong's across the room.
Something electric flashed between them, and he thought he knew what it was.....inspiration.
He would be the perfect foil.
Rising, Yunho signaled a request for JaeJoong to join him, then turned and spoke to a footman, who hurried over to escort him.
He saw the look of confusion and then horror on JaeJoong's face and he actually had a qualm, but it passed quickly and Yunho stood waiting for him to arrive at his side.
"Mr. Kim. I'm delighted you could join us." He turned toward the table. "I know you will all be happy to welcom Mr. Kim JaeJoong, our special coronation chef."
He didn't wait for a reply and that was a good thing, as most of the diners were slack-jawed with astonishment and likely unable to speak.
The contrast between JaeJoong's severe white uniform and their bejewelled and beribboned attire was a stark one.
They seemed as stunned as a herd of cattle that had run up against a barrier to their feed trough.
"You'll excuse the members of my future court and other assorted hangers-on for not rising to greet you, Mr. Kim," Yunho said in a clear, firm voice making sure everyone heard. "They usually have better manners, but, tonight, I'm afraid they're a bit rusty."
He threw them all a wide, sunny smile, lingering pointedly on his cousin Yoochun, who answered with a scowl.
"I know they will brush up on their etiquette and be ready next time you grace us with your presence." He pulled out the empty chair at his left. "Please be seated."
"Thank you," JaeJoong murmured, moving to do as he suggested, but the furious sideways glance he cast his way made Yunho grin.
A shocked murmur went through the assembly as Yunho helped JaeJoong into the chair.
He knew they couldn't believe he was asking JaeJoong to sit there....his mother's chair.
They were going to be surprised by a lot of things before he was finished.
"This is just crazy," JaeJoong whispered. "What are you doing?"
"When I figure that out," Yunho whispered back, leaning close as he pushed in JaeJoong's chair, "you'll be the first to know."
Pasting on a bright smile, JaeJoong looked up and down the table.
There wasn't a sound.
Everyone was staring at him, aghast.
Chefs didn't sit down next to princes.
It wasn't done.
They thought this a scandal....and a little bit nuts.
And he thoroughly agreed.
Uncle Tevoronald, the duke, leaned toward Yunho as he dropped back into his own ornately carved chair.
"My boy, look closely," he whispered loudly, eyeing JaeJoong's chef's whites. "He's a cook."
"Dae, Uncle, he's a cook. Shim Changmin found him in London and brought him here to prepare the coronation dinner."
The duke cleared his throat, trying to be diplomatic.
"That's all very well, but he's a cook."
"He's right," JaeJoong said evenly, turning his shoulders as though to prepare to rise. "I think I'd better go back to the kitchen."
"Not yet."
Yunho's fingers loosely circled his wrist and JaeJoong looked up into his face, startled.
His gaze was cool and direct.
JaeJoong settled back in the chair, his pulse rate escalating.
What on earth did Yunho have in mind here?
"So nice to meet you, Mr. Kim," said a voice from across the table.
JaeJoong looked up and met the kindly smile of a middle-aged woman with perfectly styled hair and a brown silk drapey dress.
"My aunt Gummy," Yunho murmured. "Duchess of Sandstrove."
"I'm honored," JaeJoong said, unable to hide his relief at seeing a friendly face.
"Did I hear Yunho say you were recruited from London? Is this your first visit to Korea?"
JaeJoong smiled at her.
"Not exactly. I was here a few weeks ago to meet with officials, but this is my first extended stay."
"You'll find us quite dull, I'm afraid. None of that snap and crackle of the big city here."
"Oh, I don't know," said a deep, masculine voice.
JaeJoong looked down the table and met the glittering gaze of the man Yunho had had a staring contest with earlier.
"I think it might be possible to find a spark of something interesting going on in our little city if one tries hard enough," he continued, favoring JaeJoong with the hint of an oily smile.
"My cousin, Yoochun," Yunho murmured to JaeJoong softly. "Beware."
JaeJoong's back went up immediately.
So he thought he could steer him, did he?
He gave Yoochun a bright smile.
"I'm sure I'll be very happy with a more leisurely pace," he told him. "Anyway, I'm going to have my hands full. I won't have time to sample the nightlife."
People were beginning to murmur.
JaeJoong thought he recognized the tall, emaciated minister of finance and the rather portly prime minister as well as the head of the opposition party, all of whom had been pointed out to him earlier.
They didn't look friendly at all.
He could hardly blame them.....and yet, he couldn't help feeling a bit of resentment at the same time.
They could at least be polite.
"Cooks at the table," the duke was muttering to himself, searching for his dropped napkin. "What's to become of us?"
"Not just any cook, Uncle," Yunho said patiently. "Changmin went looking for the best and he came back with Mr. Kim."
He looked up and down the table, including all of them.
"You see, that's how such things are usually managed in this day and age. You have a top-level job opening, you search for someone special to fill it. You look for outstanding candidates, interview them, test them a little, then make an offer and see if your choice takes the bait."
"What's your point, Yunho?" Yoochun asked, his tone deceptively lazy.
"Just this, Cousin. Top jobs should be filled competitively. This hereditary nonsense weakens countries that still cling to it."
Gasps started popping up all over the room as each person began to realize just what Yunho was implying.
But Yoochun was the only one who had a response.
"Are you saying we should post out the job of King of Korea and take on all comers?" he asked, incredulous. "That's insane."
"I'm not saying that at all," Yunho replied. "You take me too literally. I'm merely throwing idea out for open discussion."
"Bwoh?" The duke finally left off muttering about cooks and rejoined the conversation. "That's plain foolishness, my boy. Open discussion never did anyone any good. It just riles people up."
"People need to be riled up every now and then," his nephew told him.
JaeJoong looed at this man who was soon to be king and, for just a moment, he thought he detected a deep, smoldering emotion in Yunho's eyes.
Was it anger?
Resentment?
Or grief?
It was gone again before JaeJoong could make a good guess.
But it had been real, and it fascinated him.
"At any rate, Mr. Kim is, by all accounts, a wonderful chef. I know he'll prepare a spread that will be talked about for years."
Yunho glanced at JaeJoong, then looked back at the others.
He didn't speak again for almost thirty seconds, but something about him still held their attention.
They waited.
"Not only that," he said finally, his voice calm yet full of meaning, "but, as a food expert, I'm hoping he'll be able to help me figure out who poisoned my father."
Shock flashed around the table, quickly followed by outrage.
"Yunho!" the duke exclaimed.
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Yoochun demanded, half rising from his chair.
"My dear boy," his aunt Gummy cried, her hands fluttering like little birds. "What are you saying?"
JaeJoong turned to look into his golden eyes.
There it was again, just a quick glimpse, as though a curtain had been drawn back to reveal his feelings, then let fall again before those emotions could take control.
JaeJoong saw the pulse throbbing at his temple and knew what this was costing him, no matter how cool and disdainful he seemed.
He believed his father had been poisoned.
But was it true?
JaeJoong needed to leave.
The prince was manipulating these people and he wnated no part of it....and he certainly didn't want to start empathizing with Yunho.
"Let's not play games," Yunho said, taking a sip of wine and slowly lowering the glass again before he looked about at the others. "I've heard the same rumors you've all heard. Well, we'll know soon enough. The final autopsy report is due the day after tomorrow."
"You're ignoring the fact that the preliminary findings were negative," Yoochun said icily. "You have no grounds for making such outrageous accusation."
"I'm making no accusations, Yoochun. I'm only trying to prepare you all for what may be to come. If the autopsy finds evidence of foul play, I won't rest until the guilty party is found and punished."
Yoochun said something angrily and Yunho answered him in kind, and JaeJoong took the opportuity to slip away while no one was paying any attention to him.
But he didn't go far, just behind the brocade drapes, before he turned and looked back at the prince.
He was still arguing with his cousin, baiting him, really.
The more hot-headed Yoohcun got, the cooler Yunho seemed....like a man in charge.
JaeJoong had a feeling this was probably a pattern that went back to childhood with those two.
"Remind me to stay away from both of them," he murmured to himself as he hurried back into the kitchen.
He had enough on his plate without taking on an ancient cousins' rivalry, much less a blood feud or castle conspiracy.
This was just what everyone had warned him against when he'd been trying to decide whether or not to take this job.
"Don't get caught up in the intrigues between different factions," his older half-brother Heechul had said. "Picking the wrong side could ruin everything."
He'd brushed aside those warnings at the time, but now he saw how perceptibe Heechul had been.
"Focus, focus," he chanted under his breath, vowing to make sure he didn't get drawn into Yunho's sphere of influence again.
He had to kep his mind on his work.
After all, that was what had brought him this far.
And he had much further to go.

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Chapter 8

JaeJoong managed to keep his promise to himself for a good eighteen hours.
The morning was full of activity as he met with Changmin, the coronation manager, to go over the facilities.
How and where the food was presented was very important and he was learning as much as he could, soaking up every detail.
It was mid-afternoon as he was finding his way back from the outdoor fields where medieval-like tournaments would be performed, when he made the mistake that landed him once again at the prince's feet.
It was his cousin Yoochun's fault, actually.
JaeJoong'd started up a ramp that rimmed a large inner courtyard when he caught sight of Yoochun coming down the same ramp, only on the other side of the opening.
Continuing as they were, they were bound to meet halfway around.
That was something JaeJoong didn't need.
Casting about for an escape, he decided to slip into the hedge that bordered the ramp and wait for Yoochun to pass.
The brush was thick but he squeezed his way into it.
If he'd stayed there, he might have been all right.
But he took another step and the next thing he knew his feet slipped out from under him and he was sliding down a steep slope of grass, right through a gap in another hedge, and when he finally righted himself and got back on his feet he realized he'd somehow landed inside the castle maze.
"Oh, bother," he muttered, brushing grass and dirt off the seat of his pants and looking around for the exit.
He had a few scratches on his arms but nothing was really hurt except his dignity.
Luckily, no one seemed to have seen his wild ride and he had to chuckle when he thought of how he must of looked sliding down the slope.
Oh, well.
At least he'd kept his mouth shut....no screams of anguish to bring people running.
And he'd managed to avoid Yoochun.
Now to find his way to the exit.
He started in the logical directin, forgetting that logic would work against him in a maze.
By the time he realized what he was doing wasn't working, it was too late to just tunnel back through the thick plantings.
He'd wound his way deeper into the network and the hedges were now impenetrable and braced by iron fencing.
He was stuck in a maze.
This was just plain silly.
How could this have happened so fast?
Turning this way, then that, he was only getting deeper into trouble.
What if he had to start yelling for help?
How silly would THAT be?
An old familiar feeling of dread began to tug at her heart, the feeling he'd always had as a child when he'd known his father was going to find out about his latest mistake.
Gritting his teeth, he pushed the feelings away.
He'd spent a lifetime learning how to fight off those fears and he wasn't going to give in to them now.
A couple of deep breaths, a quick reminder to himself of how much he'd achieved in his life, and he was all right again.
He would get out of this maze and get back to work.
It was only a matter of time.
After all, these corridors couldn't go on for ever without getting him to something recognizable.
Could they?
Still, where was everybody?
Maybe the maze was closed.
Maybe no one ever came here.
He started off again, walking quickly and wondering which way to go.
The faster he went, the more lost he got.
And the thirstier.
Pictures of desert travelers crawling toward dry water holes began to flit through his mind's eye.
He was beginning to imagine his bones as they might be found years later.
"Ah, yes, that chef we hired for the coronation. Looks like he died of starvation, poor thing. You'd think he could have known enough to gnaw on the plant bark at least."
He was still brooding on that tragic scene when he turned a corner, and suddenly found himself face to face with Prince Yunho.
"Oh!"
He came to a screeching halt and tried to catch his breath.
It was lovely to find another human being in the maze.....but did it have to be the prince?
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A/N: Sorry, if these two chapters were unsatisfactory. But, I promise the next chapter will be better and will contain one of those YunJae interactions, ya'll seem to love so much. Please, leave a comment!

Top of Form

Chapter 9

Thanks to all of my readers that have commented! Remember, no silent readers, please let me know what you think. Okay, now for a little YunJae interaction chapter......*lol*
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Never mind.
Running into the prince was better than constantly running.
JaeJoong quickly decided to pretend he wasn't really lost.
Hopefully, Yunho would never guess how close to panic he'd been just a few minutes ago.
Yunho was dressed in a simple blue shirt and form-fitting jeans and he could have been any handsome young man his age, anywhere.
Except.....no.
JaeJoong might as well admit it.
There was something special about Yunho, something that set him apart.
And it wasn't the fact that JaeJoong found him incredibly attractive with the afternoon sunlight lighting his hair.
JaeJoong was glad he'd put on nice slacks and a crisp white shirt, though the dirt and grass stains on the seat of his pants were bound to embarrass him eventually.
"Ah, Mr. Kim," Yunho said, one eyebrow raised in surprise as he did a double take. "How did you get in here?"
"I just sort of.....dropped in." JaeJoong took a step backwards, then stopped.
Where, after all, could he go?
Yunho's sharp eyes did not look friendly.
"Didn't you know this maze is forbidden to anyone outside the royal family?" he asked icily.
"Oh. Mianhe. I took a wrong turn and lost my footing and found myself crashing through the bushes and...."
JaeJoong's voice trailed off.
Here he was, on the verge of telling everything.
What was it about the prince that drew these things out of him?
The shoulders.
It had to be the shoulders.
They were very wide and some primeval instinct in him found comfort in that.....as though the prince were a protective force he could cling to.
If he were the clinging type....something he'd vowed long ago never to be.
Still, if he wasn't careful, he might just find himself spilling the details of every humiliating thing he could dredge up to tell Yunho.
He started to turn.
"Well, I'll just get out of your way and....."
Stepping forward, Yunho took hold of JaeJoong's arm and frowned at the small scratches.
"Crashing through the bushes seems to be dangerous work. Think you can find your way back on your own without destroying the landscaping?"
There was an exclamation behind him and, for the first time, JaeJoong realized his aunt Gummy was sitting on a bench a few yards away.
"Don't listen to him, my dear," she chirped. "We're very glad to see you again. Please, come and sit down by my side."
"Oh." Pulling away from the prince, JaeJoong took a few steps in that direction. He couldn't help but return the woman's warm smile. "I don't want to intrude."
"You're not intruding at all." She patted the stone seat beside her. "Sit down. We'll have a nice chat."
Yunho's frown darkened.
"He must have something more important to do, Aunt. He looks busy to me."
"How can he be busy? He's wandering about on the grounds. In the maze, no less!" Gummy made room and smiled, offering up a bottle of water, which JaeJoong took gratefully. "You look like you've been through quite an ordeal, my dear. You must rest before you go back. It's so pleasant here."
Gummy was prattling on but JaeJoong suddenly lost all ability to hear.
His gaze had met Yunho's, who though his look was half-exasperated, half-amused, it was also completely aware, as though he knew everything JaeJoong was thinking and wasn't in the mood to put up with it for much longer.
But more than that, his golden eyes cast a spell, drawing JaeJoong in, and for just a moment the world faded away around them and JaeJoong could have sworn he'd touched him.
That was impossible, of course.
Yunho wasn't even in arm's reach.
But JaeJoong felt as though he'd reached out and run his fingertips down from his cheek to his collarbone, lighting his nerves on fire.
JaeJoong drew his breath in sharply and put his hand to his collarbone, as if to push Yunho's away.
But there was nothing there.
It seemed like magic.
JaeJoong blinked, finally, willing himself to look away and begin breathing normally again.
And when he glanced back at Yunho, the prince was looking off into the distance as though nothing happened at all.
Maybe for him it hadn't.
And maybe JaeJoong'd been imagining things.
But he wasn't imagining the feeling of tension in the air and suddenly realized he'd interrupted an argument of some kind, and that Gummy was glad to have him here.
Perhaps she thought JaeJoong would keep Yunho's anger at bay.
Good luck!
He was more likely to spark it again.
Looking down at a stack of newspapers on the ground in front of the bench, he began to get an idea of what the discussion had been about.
Each one featured a front page article on Yunho, and each one contained plenty photos of the prince with beautiful women.
Noticing his interest, Gummy began to use her foot to push the papers under the bench, but not before JaeJoong had taken in the tone of the coverage.
It seemed uniformly sarcastic and critical.
"Trying to hide my past, Aunt?" Yunho said wryly. "Don't bother. When you make the front page of every local paper, the secrets are out." He pulled a paper out and stared at the cruel headline. "This is what the country I'm to rule thinks of me."
"It doesn't matter," Gummy said soothingly. "Once they get to know you again...."
Yunho's bitter smile held not a hint of humor.
"My aunt is under the benign illusion that to know me is to love me," he quipped. "Au contraire, dear relative. The local government element knew me well years ago, and none of them could stand me. They loved Ji Hoon. They want Ji Hoon."
JaeJoong felt a twinge of compassion for the prince, and suddenly he heard himself blurting out, "Well, Ji Hoon didn't love them enough to stick around for them, did he?"
Yunho looked at him as though he'd said something surprising.
His mouth suddenly stretched into a lopsided grin with none of his usual irony.
"Out of the mouths of babes," he muttered softly.
"Yah, I'm not a babe," JaeJoong protested, hoping Yunho didn't suspect his pleasure at seeing a real smile from him.
"Oh, yeah?" Yunho grinned at him. "Could have fooled me. I'll bet you clean up pretty good."
"Yunho!" Gummy admonished. "None of that."
He shrugged, but his gaze lingered on JaeJoong and he felt a flush of warmth spreading through his system like a shot of brandy on a cold winter day.
"Never mind the attitude of the town," Gummy said quickly, looking uncomfortable. "Once you're married the attitude will change. Now if only you could manage to find someone suitable."
The corners of Yunho's wide mouth twitched.
"I resent that, Aunt. The women I've dated have been perfectly suitable....for me."
"Suitable as playmates, perhaps."
The look that flashed between the two made JaeJoong think they were about to start up their argument again.
But before that could happen, Yunho's expression changed as though something new had occurred to him.
"Speaking of playmates, what happened to Hyung's dog?"
Gummy shrugged.
"Kujo? I'm sure I don't know.
Yunho frowned thoughtfully.
"He wouldn't have taken that mutt with him."
"Perhaps he's down in the stables."
"The stables! He's a house dog." Yunho seemed outraged at the thought. "I'd better go down and see if I can find him."
"Not yet," Gummy said sharply. "We're still waiting for Jessica."
JaeJoong wondered fleetingly who Jessica was, but the talk about the dog had stirred a memory of his own.
"I had a dog when I was a boy," he murmured, then was surprised to realize he'd said it out loud. The other two were looking at him, so he went on quickly, wrapping it up. "She was my best friend when I was eight, but I had to get of her when we moved into a flat in London."
His voice made a tiny break over the word "moved" and the pain he'd felt in giving up Heidi swept over him again, made more poignant with passing time.
He caught his breath and then his gaze met Yunho's and, for just a moment, he thought the prince was going to smile at him again.
There was a warmth in his eyes JaeJoong'd never seen there before.
But it disappeared quickly as Gummy started up again.
"Never mind the dog. It's a bride you need."
Yunho nodded, and his look went back to being cynical and a bit world-weary.
"I understand. You want to make sure I don't provide any further embarrassment to the family."
"It's not just the family, my dear. It's the country. Think of Korea."
A rebellious flame flared up in his eyes, but it faded quickly.
JaeJoong felt a stirring of sympathy for him.
He really seemed to feel trapped by this situation.
JaeJoong wasn't sure he would have liked it any better than Yunho did to be told what you were going to be doing for the rest of your life, no opinions from you allowed.
"With this inflammatory press coverage, finding a bride may be a problem," Yunho said lightly.
Gummy waved that point away with a scoffing sound.
"There will be plenty of women who would jump at the chance of marrying the King of Korea."
"Yes," Yunho admitted in an offhand manner, "but the kind of woman who would jump at the chance isn't likely to be the kind of woman I'm going to ask, now, is she?"
Gummy's mouth was set, her lips pursed.
It was evident she felt she was dealing with a recalcitrant youth who needed to wise up.
"You don't have much choice, do you?"
Yunho's gaze drifted toward her companion on the bench.
"Maybe I should marry JaeJoong," he said, his tone carrying a hint of mockery as he studied the older man.
He certainly had a knack for bringing the contrarian out of JaeJoong.
That mocking tone really stung.
"I'm sorry, but JaeJoong wouldn't marry you if you were the last man on earth," he said sharply.
Yunho gave a helpless shrug that was all show, an obvious demand for compassion.
"You see? Rejected already." His handsome face was a study in the tragedy.
"Oh.....I didn't really mean it," JaeJoong said quickly, wishing he could call back the words. "That just wasn't true. I mean...."
Yunho half laughed, his eyes full of amusement.
"Of course it wasn't true. Why should it be true? People never tell the truth."
JaeJoong gasped, truly and honestly shocked at the casual assumption Yunho was making.
"Bwoh?"
"Don't tell me this is news to you."
For some reason, this attitude made JaeJoong absolutely furious with Yunho.
"You....you're impossible!" he cried, jumping up and taking a step backward as though he was about to make a run for it.
"Exactly what I'M afraid of," Gummy muttered, rising from her seat. "I think we need Jessica." She frowned at Yunho, seemingly genuinely annoyed with him at last. "She knows how to keep you in line. Wait here." And she hurried off.
JaeJoong watched her go, wondering again who this Jessica might be....and marking the direction Gummy took, keeping it in mind for his own departure.
"Sit down," Yunho said, dropping down himself adn taking JaeJoong's hand to pull him into the seat beside him. "She'll be back in a few minutes."
JaeJoong settled beside the prince, staying on the edge of the seat as though ready to jump up and run at the slightest chance.
He didn't know why he wasn't following Gummy out and leaving himself.
Instead, he was sitting beside this large handsome man who infuriated him and then made his pulse flutter just by looking at him.
Was he crazy?
There was a short answer to that question: yes!
He began to gather himself.
"Well, I'd better go too."
Yunho captured JaeJoong's hand and held it in his.
"I wish you'd stay," he said. "For my aunt's sake. She'll be more comfortable. You saw how anxious she was to have you join us." His mouth twitched at the corners. He looked down at the way JaeJong's hand looked in his and a faint frown formed as he released him. "I think she doesn't want to be alone with me."
"Why on earth not?" JaeJoong said, astonished.
Yunho shrugged and looked away, rubbing his neck with one hand.
"She's afraid of what I'll ask her."
JaeJoong cocked his head to the side at that.
"Your aunt seems to be in a big hurry to get you married," he noted, not eager to stay with the subject of why Gummy might not want to answer Yunho's questions.
"Naturally. They all are. They're terrified of leaving open the opportunity for another scandal."
"Scandal?" JaeJoong wasn't sure what he was referring to.
Yunho gave him a quizzical look.
"Surely you know about Hyung."
JaeJoong frowned.
He knew he'd heard something about why Ji Hoon'd abdicated, but he couldn't quite remember the details.
"What was the story on your brother? Wasn't it something like the Duke of Windsor and Mrs. Simpson?"
Yunho's slight smile was cold.
"There are similarities, but it's not quite the same. In that case, the King of England gave up the throne because he was in love with a divorced woman. These days we don't care all that much about divorced women. Hyung's case was a little different. His paramour wasn't divorced, but she WAS pregnant."
"Oh. And we still have a bit of a problem with that, do we?"
"Here we do."
"So who was scandalized?"
"The entire country went nuts," Yunho said. "There were riots in the streets."
"You're kidding." JaeJoong was truly surprised. "I would have thought most people could take things like that in their stride these days."
Yunho shrugged and stared at him innocently.
Suddenly JaeJoong was completely aware of him and his body heat.
"I should go," he said, though he couldn't seem to et his muscles to help him achieve that goal.
"You're a big believer in responsibility, aren't you?" Yunho said casually, turning toward JaeJoong and resting his arm on the seat behind him so that he was so close, their faces were almost touching. "Do you ever break the rules, Jae?"
Yunho was looking at JaeJoong in that mesmerizing way again and he was breathless.
"Rules?" he said, very much afraid that his voice had squeaked on the word. "What rules?"
Yunho smiled.
"That's the ticket," he said, his voice a low rumble. "Forget the rules. Follow your heart."
"I..." JaeJoong cleared his throat. "I prefer to follow my head," he said, hoping Yunho couldn't tell that his voice was shaking.
For some reason, Yunho'd taken JaeJoong's chin in his hand and was looking down at him.
"You have very kissable lips, Kim JaeJoong," he noted softly, as though it were news he could use.
"No." JaeJoong wasn't sure if he was rejecting Yunho's opinion on his lips or just generally telling the man to stop.
"Yes, you do," Yunho countered, his long fingers stroking JaeJoong's cheek. "I think we sohould try it out."
JaeJoong blinked.
"Try what out?"
Yunho raised an eyebrow.
"Kissing."
"Oh."
Yunho wanted to kiss him.
And suddenly JaeJoong'd never wanted anything more than he wanted that kiss to happen.
He lifted his lips, hungry to taste the prince.
His eyes were closing and he was leaning Yunho's way, ready.
But Yunho hesitated a beat longer than JaeJoong expected.
In a flash, he knew why.
Yunho was listening to see if his aunt was coming back.
Somehow, that thought was like cold water.
It woke JaeJoong up and he jerked away.
"Wait a minute," he said, eyes wide open now. "Hold everything. This is ridiculous."
Putting both hands on Yunho's chest, he pushed the prince back.
Yunho looked puzzled but bemused by his reaction.
"Against kissing are you?"
"I didn't come here for kissing."
"What did you come here for, then?"
"Cooking, of course."
Yunho's smile was rueful.
"That's right. I forgot....the chef thing." He lightly stroked JaeJoong's cheek again, but this time the sultry, sexy, languorous element was missing from his touch. "Are you a chef twenty-four hours a day?"
"I try to be," JaeJoong said stoutly, pushing his hand away. "Aren't you a prince twenty-four hours a day?"
JaeJoong groaned.
"I try NOT to be."
"Yoo hoo."
A female voice calling from somewhere in the maze startled them both.
Yunho sat up straight, then rose from the bench.
"Never mind," he said, effectively dismissing JaeJoong. "You don't have to wait. Here's Jessica. You can go." He gave him a quick smile. "Released from your bonds."
"Oh."
JaeJoong was relieved.
At least he thought he was.
Rising as well, he looked from one path to the other.
"But what way do I go?"
Yunho pointed out the route Gummy had taken.
"The secret to the maze is a formula. Left, left, right. The pattern repeats over and over. once you get it, you never forget it."
That seemed simple enough.
"Well, goodbye." JaeJoong looked back at him, but he was already turning away.
"Goodbye," Yunho said over his shoulder, going in the opposite direction. "Thanks for your help."
JaeJoong took a few steps and glanced back.
A woman in a long, gauzy dress who had come in from the other side was launching herself into Yunho's arms.
Turning back quickly, JaeJoong hurried off, but not before he heard snatches of their greeting.
"Hello, darling," Yunho was saying. "I've missed you. It's been too long."
"Who's that?" the young woman asked, obviously noticing JaeJoong's retreating form.
"What? Oh, nobody...."
Nobody.
JaeJoong felt, for just a moment, as though he'd been stabbed in the heart.

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Chapter 10

Nobody!
Well, it served JaeJoong right for letting himself think, even for a fleeting moment, that a man like Yunho might be interested in him.
He was a prince, for heaven's sake!
Everyone knew what they were like.
Even his aunt understood his ways and was trying to reform him in order to be presentable to a decent young woman.
There was nothing to be gained in throwing your heart over the moon.
Nobody!
JaeJoong had a quick flashback to the nights his own mother had stalked around the flat in a robe, waiting hours for the phone to ring, her eyes red and swollen.
JaeJoong had vowed at a very young age that he would never let anyone put him in that position.....that he would never, ever yearn after someone who didn't really want him.
And so far, he'd kept his word.
This was no time to risk breaking his promise.
Yet, here he was, hobnobbing with royalty and tempting fate.
Babo that he'd proved to be.
Nobody!
Adrenaline surged every time he replayed that word in his head.
But he was out of the maze.
Left, left, right had worked.
And he was a wiser man as well.....and not one to fall for the sweet sham seduction of princes.
So there.
Nobody.
Hah.
The man didn't know what he was talking about.
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A/N: Okay, okay, please don't hate me. The reason for Yunho saying JaeJoong was "nobody" will be cleared up, if not in the chapters tomorrow, then in one of the ones Thursday. Thank you for reading. And, please, leave a comment, let me know what you think.

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Chapter 11

Hey, hey, hey, now, don't go all hating Yunho at once! *lol* Thanks to all my readers that have commented on my story so far. I've decided to drag it out and clear up the whole "nobody" thing in one of tomorrow's chapters because I'm pressed for time and have to update today's really quickly before I go in on dayshift, urgh! Again! Well, please comment and tell me what you think.
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JaeJoong was on the phone with his cousin Junsu later that evening when someone tapped on his door.
His heart jumped and he had a few seconds of anticipation before he realized what he was doing and quickly reined it in.
"Someone's at my door," he told his cousin.
"Better answer it," Junsu teased. "It might be the prince."
Close as he was to his cousin, JaeJoong hadn't told Junsu abou the maze encounter.
He was still too embarrassed knowing how easily he'd fallen into a swoon over the man.
Junsu didn't know much beyond the original assault with the water-polo ball.
JaeJoong walked to the door, phone still stuck to his ear, and opened it to find Choi Siwon standing there.
"Oh, hello," he said, thrown off guard. "It's Dr Siwon," he said mindlessly into the phone.
"Good evening, JaeJoong," Siwon said as JaeJoong invited him in. "The prince sent me to check on your wounds from this afternoon in the maze."
"Oh."
JaeJoong was speechless, but Junsu, who had heard every word, wasn't.
"Oh, my Gourd, the prince sent a doctor to check on you? Jae! I knew it. I knew we'd get a fairy-tale romance out of this. Oh, I wish I had time to fly over and see this for myself."
"Junsu, I'll have to call you back," JaeJoong said, clicking off in hopes of keeping his cousin's enthusiasm away from Siwon's ears. He smiled at the man. "That's so nice of you....and of the prince, of course. But it's nothing. Just scratches. See?"
Siwon saw, but he'd brought along antibiotic cream and bandages and he was determined to use them.
He worked on JaeJoong's injuries for a good half an hour and they chatted pleasantly all the while.
"You want to take care of things like this, even common scratches," Siwon told JaeJoong. "A little extra effort can avoid scars."
That reminded JaeJoong of the ugly wound he'd seen on Yunho's side the day before when he'd wrestled with Siwon on the pool deck.
Though he knew it was none of his business, hesitantly, he asked Siwon about it.
Siwon didn't answer right away and JaeJoong was afraid he'd offended him.
"The prince was stabbed defending Jessica's honor," Siwon said softly at last, his eyes suddenly burning with a harsh light. "He foiled a kidnapping attempt. And that's all I can tell you, as he doesn't want the incident talked about."
"I see."
Well, JaeJoong didn't really see.
Because this was about Jessica again.
Siwon spoke her name as though he assumed JaeJoong knew the woman, not realizing it was a name he was learning to despise.
But all the same, his heart was thumping with the thought of Yunho doing something noble, as he was sure he had.
It was hard to hate the prince, no matter how much he tried.
It warmed his heart a little.....just a bit.....to think that Yunho had remembered his scratches and sent help.
But then, the prince would have done as much for anyone, he was sure.
"And remember," he whispered to himself, like someone who couldn't keep from touching a sore spot, "to him, you're nobody."
But that didn't matter, because he was going to give Yunho the best coronation dinner that had ever been spread out before a king.
It was going to be a point of pride with JaeJoong to make Yunho eat his words.
Tomorrow, Changmin was taking him down to the town market so that he could check out the local produce and incorporate as much of it as possible into the menus.
He would have to order ahead of time and have supplies trucked up to the castle and he was looking forward to seeing what was available.
Plus, a day away from the castle would be a good thing.
Hopefully, he could find ways to avoid the prince for now.....and maybe even for ever.

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Chapter 12

Yunho's eyes were glazing over.
He was walking down a corridor in the castle with two of the most boring men he knew, his uncle the duke, and the Earl of Grogna, Minister of Accounts.
The two of them were talking such rot he couldn't keep his mind on what they were saying.
What was the point of arguing the details of Korean monetary policy when he wasn't sure he was going to be in Korea in another week or two?
He began to hang back a bit, planning his escape.
The other two men were engrossed in their argument and might not even notice if he slipped away.
They were just passing the library when something caught his eye.
He stopped.
The two men went on, just as he'd hoped.
And he walked softly into the library toward where JaeJoong was trying to reach a book on a shelf high above him.
He'd pulled a small stepstool over and climbed upon it.
Now he was on tiptoe, stretching his arm as high as he could and just barely touching the target with his fingertips.
Yunho grinned.
Nothing made his day more than helping those in distress.
Especially those with such a kicking figure.
JaeJoong hadn't heard him approach, so he started when Yunho came up behind him.
"Oh!"
"Allow me," Yunho murmured, reaching over JaeJoong and taking the book from the shelf.
But he didn't bring it down right away.
The reach had brought his body up against JaeJoong's and JaeJoong felt very good there.
A fresh, spicy scent seemed to be emanating from his thick hair, and that, along with his touch, brought on a sense of sweet seduction that filled Yunho like a drug.
Closing his eyes to savor it, he turned into the hollow of JaeJoong's neck and pressed his face against JaeJoong's skin.
JaeJoong gasped, but he didn't pull away, and suddenly Yunho wanted him with a deep, throbbing ache that surprised himself.
He touched the lobe of JaeJoong's delicate ear with the tip of his tongue for just a scattering of seconds, then gave a sigh that came directly from this new and very intense longing.
He knew it was time to draw back.
He could hear the duke and the accounts minister returning and calling for him.
Besides the evidence of his desire for JaeJoong was becoming all too clear and he knew JaeJoong had to feel it.
He had to go.
But JaeJoong felt so good, it was very hard to make himself do it.
"Mianhe," he whispered to JaeJoong, handing him the book. "So sorry, Jae."
He knew JaeJoong wouldn't know if he was apologizing for the erotic intrusion, or the fact that he couldn't take it further.
And truth be told, he wasn't sure which he meant either.
But he did enjoy the completely stunned look in JaeJoong's eyes.
Yunho touched JaeJoong's cheek gently, then turned to rejoin his companions.
But the feel of JaeJoong's body and the look in his eyes stayed with Yunho for a long time.

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Chapter 13

First things first, for all my readers in America, Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you to all who have commented on my story. Okay, so today, I'm going to work on getting the whole Jessica/"nobody" mystery solved, because ya'll are probably (like Jae) wondering who Jessica is and how she fits into the story. Please comment and let me know what you think, no silent readers allowed! *lol* But, seriously, please comment.
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Things in JaeJoong's life never seemed to go according to plan and the luck he'd once had seemed to have deserted him ever since he'd arrived in this country.
Changmin had a last-minute emergency and couldn't take JaeJoong into town, but he'd given JaeJoong instructions on how to get there and what to do once he arrived.
He'd taken a castle car and headed out on his own in a drizzling rain.
It wasn't long before trouble erupted.
Swerving to miss a careening motorcyclist, he ended up in a ditch that was rapidly filling with mud and his wheels spun uselessly when he tried to drive back out.
So there he was in the rain, shoving rocks and pieces of stray wood under the back wheels of the car, trying to build a platform for traction, when he heard another car coming down the road from the castle.
He didn't even look up.
The way his luck had been running lately, he just had a feeling he knew who this was going to be.
The car slowed to a stop and he heard a window being rolled down.
"Jae, what happened?"
JaeJoong closed his eyes and sighed.
Yes.
It was him.
Why?
Why?
"Need some help?"
Swinging around, JaeJoong glared at Yunho, fully aware of how he must look in the silly yellow anorak he'd found in the trunk of the car, with his wet hair plastered to his face.
"No, thank you," he said crisply, determined that Yunho understand that he wasn't in awe of him, despite how JaeJoong'd fallen into a swoon over him the night before in the library. "I can take care of myself."
"Jae, don't be ridiculous. I'm going to call the castle. They'll send someone out to handle it." Yunho flipped open his phone and began to punch in a number.
JaeJoong knew that was probably sensible, but he resented it none the less.
"Then I won't have a car," he countered.
Yunho's smile was wide and innocent.
"You'll have me."
"You!"
JaeJoong put all the pent-up anger he had into the word and aimed it at the prince like a missile.
Yunho was startled.
"Yah, I'm not so bad."
JaeJoong wasted one more good glare on him, then turned back to his work.
He could hear Yunho telling someone to come out and get the car, but that only made him work harder and faster.
If he could just get a good piece of wood under the tire, he might have a chance to move this wreck and get back on the road before they came.
"Come on, Jae. Get in the car."
"No, thank you," he called back, waving a hand at Yunho. "Just move along. There's nothing to see here."
"JaeJoong." Yunho was sounding impatient now. "If you don't get into this car in the next five seconds I'm going to get out and pick you up and...."
But he didn't wait five seconds.
Before JaeJoong had time to react, Yunho was already out of the car and coming toward him and then Yunho's hands were on his shoulders and the prince was staring right down into his wet face.
"Jae, tell me why you're so angry. What have I done?"
JaeJoong gasped.
Yunho was so sure of himself......and so straightforward.
He didn't give JaeJoong time to mount his defenses.
"Nothing," JaeJoong said, avoiding Yunho's intense gaze.
"Right. This feels like the old 'if you don't know by now, I'm not going to tell you' ploy to me."
JaeJoong tried to twist of Yunho's grasp.
"It's nothing. Really."
"Was it yesterday? In the maze? Or what happened in the library? Or something I've done since?"
JaeJoong looked up and that was his big mistake.
Once he'd been captured under Yunho's gaze, he couldn't seem to break free of it.
"I....well....can't you just leave me alone?"
"No. I can't. Tell me."
JaeJoong drew in a deep, shuddering breath.
"All right. If you really want to know."
He hesitated.
How was he going to approach this?
Could he be as direct as Yunho was?
"Who was that woman who came into the maze as I was leaving?" he heard himself saying, as though a truth serum had been poured down his throat.
He hadn't meant to say it.
He knew it made him look jealous.
And yet, there it was.
He had said it.
"My aunt Gummy?" Yunho made a face, then realized who she meant. "Oh, do you mean Jessica? Jae, Jessica is my sister."
"Oh."
His sister.
Relief swelled in JaeJoong like a small internal hurricane.
He hadn't even known Yunho had a sister.
The humiliation of it all!
To think that finding out the woman was just Yunho's sister could make him weak with happiness.
He had to turn his head away so Yunho wouldn't see it in his eyes.
"Why would that bother you?" Yunho insisted, looking truly puzzled.
JaeJoong swallowed hard.
He wasn't going to let it go, was he?
Well, then, JaeJoong would just have to be honest.
He'd gone this far.
"It isn't that, really," he said, only half lying. "It was what you said when she asked who I was."
He glanced back at Yunho's face.
He was obviously completely at sea.
"You'll have to remind me. What did I say?"
"You said...." JaeJoong swallowed hard again. This was way more difficult than he'd thought it would be. "You said I was nobody."
There.
It was out.
Now Yunho knew how terribly insecure he was.
What a ninny.....he couldn't even laugh off something like that and go on with his life.
He'd been obsessing about it for hours.
And now Yunho knew.
Yunho's face twisted in denial and he shook his head.
"I couldn't have said that. I WOULDN'T have said that. It's not true."
Okay, time to show a little courage, at least.
Taking a deep breath, JaeJoong forced himself to look up into Yunho's eyes again.
"I know it's not true," he said stoutly. "But I heard it loud and clear."
Yunho thought for a moment, frowning intently as he went back over the previous day, and suddenly his face cleared.
"Oh, I know what happened," he said at last. "Jessica said, 'Who's that?' as you were walking away and I said, 'Nobody you would know.' That's all. I knew the two of you hadn't met. Jessica just arrived from Spain." His expression changed.
Reaching out, he pulled JaeJoong closer again.
"Jae, I'm sorry if you thought...."
No, JaeJoong was the sory one.....sorry that he'd ever brought it up.
His face was flaming now.
He believed Yunho's explanation.
It fit.
And he WANTED to believe it.
But that hardly mattered any more, because all this was so tangled up with his impossible feelings for this man and the kiss that had been so close and then hadn't happened and then the encounter in the library.
Deep and disturbing emotions that he'd learned to cover up over the years that were now starting to stir inside him.
And finally, the sudden, strange urge he had to reach up and fold himself into Yunho's arms, as thought that would somehow protect him from the wet and cold and from ever beign hurt again.
He'd never felt anything like it.
The hunger for Yunho's embrace filled him with such longing, he almost whimpered aloud.
And for just a moment, he thought he saw an answering impulse in Yunho's eyes.
But the moment was lost as the castle Jeep came bumbling to a stop beside them and two workmen jumped out, ready to deal with the mired car.
By the time the two of them were in Yunho's car and headed toward town, JaeJoong'd regained control and recaptured his sanity.
"You can just drop me at the market," he said, sitting stiffly on his side of the car. "I'm sure you have places to go, people to see."
"Oh, yes. My life is a mad whirl of activity." Yunho glanced at JaeJoong as he slowed to let another car pass. "To tell the truth, I'm running away from home."
"What are you talking about?"
Yunho sighed.
"It wasn't bad enough that I had to sit through a two-hour lecture on Korean foreign police from my uncle, a man who couldn't find Ireland on a map if his life depended on it. I also had to stand up again and again for a flock of tailors who kept interrupting in order to take my measurements for every ceremonial uniform this country ever authorized. Then the secretary of the council called to say they wanted to see me for a discussion of my attitude problem." He shook his head. "It was too much. I had to get out of there. I couldn't take any more."
JaeJoong was frowning, caught up in Yunho's problems in spite of himself.
"You don't already have all those uniforms?"
"Sure I do, but I need new ones. I'm bigger in the shoulders these days."
JaeJoong glanced at Yunho's wide and very attractive shoulders.
He couldn't help it.
And then he flushed again when Yunho caught him at it.
This was getting repitive.
He turned his head and looked out the window at the countryside.
The royal town of Chadae was just ahead.
He could see small, brightly colored houses spilling over the hillside like a child's set of blocks.
Yunho pulled off onto a turnout and switched off the engine.
JaeJoong turned to him in surprise.
"What are you doing?"
Yunho gave him a wink, leaned over and pulled open the glove department in front of him, taking out two pairs of dark glasses.
"Here's a lesson," he said. "If you're going to hang out with royalty, learn to go incognito." Yunho handed JaeJoong on pair of sunglasses and put the other on himself.
JaeJoong gave him a scathing glance.
"THAT'S supposed to be incognito?"
They hid Yunho's beautiful eyes, but everything else about him still screamed ROYALTY HERE!
He shrugged.
"I usually do a better job. I didn't prepare myself sufficiently. I'm going to have to get back into the swing of these things."
"Never mind," JaeJoong said, passing the glasses back to Yunho. "I'm not really planning to do much hanging with royalty."
"You're hanging with me today."
"No, I'm not."
"What do you call this?"
JaeJoong was speechless for a moment.
Yunho was making bad assumptions.
"I'm accepting a ride into town. And I shouldn't even be doing that."
"Why the hell not?"
He couldn't be this clueless.
"Come on, Yunho, don't pretend to be dense. You're the prince. I'm the chef. The prince and the hired help don't go gallivanting around together. It isn't done. And I'm not going to do it."
JaeJoong folded his arms and stared straight ahead.
"You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men." Yunho waited for a response, then frowned when JaeJoong refused to give him one. "So you're saying you don't want to be seen with me? What a snob you are, Kim JaeJoong."
JaeJoong sighed, looking heavenward.
"Okay. I'm a snob. My standards are high. I refuse to be seen with princes."
Yunho looked into the rearview mirror and adjusted the glasses.
"Do I look like a real prince to you?" he asked doubtfully, looking hard at his reflection.
"Dae." JaeJoong was adamant.
Yunho made a face.
"Okay. And you look like a princess."
JaeJoong wrinkled his nose with disdain.
"I do not."
"You could." Yunho actually looked hopeful.
"But I don't."
Looking at JaeJoong, Yunho started to laugh.
"Well, I have to admit, right now you look a lot more like a drowned cat. A very bad-tempered drowned cat."
JaeJoong was trying hard not to smile, but it was getting impossible to keep a straight face around Yunho.
The harder JaeJoong tried to dislike him, the more he turned on the charm, just to prove he could.
JaeJoong was fighting a losing battle here and he knew it.
"You may try to avoid royalty, Jae, but I'm afraid royalty is going to come your way, regardless. At least for the time being." Yunho handed the glasses back again. "So in the future you might want to be prepared with extra pairs of dark glasses and a good trench coat at all times. Just in case."
He was saying these things with a good-natured earnestness that made JaeJoong want to laugh.
Biting his lip, he put the dark glasses on and looked at Yunho.
He grinned.
"And exactly who am I supposedly hiding from?" JaeJoong asked.
"The media." There was no hint of humor in Yunho's voice now. A quiet bitterness had taken its place. "They're like leeches. Once they get you in their sights, you're done for. They can make life hell on earth if you let them."
JaeJoong stared at him, wondering if a few little sarcastic articles were all that had happened to make Yunho so hostile to the press.
But before he could ask, Yunho started up the engine and pulled back out onto the highway.
"Listen, would you like to see some of Korean life?"
"Why, yes, but...."
"Come on. We'll swing by the markets and you can get a flavor of what's available. Then I'll introduce you to my old nanny."
"Your nanny lives here in town?"
"Dae. She didn't want to stay at the castle any more than I did."
"It....sounds like fun."
JaeJoong was smiling, but, deep down, he knew he was crazy to let Yunho sweep him away like this.
He was surely going to regret it.

Top of Form

Chapter 14

The two of them wandered through the outdoor markets in their dark glasses.
It was a surprisingly too warm, especially for a winter day, for trench coats.
No one paid any attention to either one of them as they made their way through the crowds.
There were children playing hoop games and boys kicking a soccer ball back and forth and dogs waiting patiently for bits of scrap food to be thrown their way and babies in carriages and sellers shouting out sudden discounts or fabulous new qualities discovered in their wares.
JaeJoong was charmed by it all.
Weaving their way between tanks of live lobster and other seafood, they stopped before a fish tank filled with large silver-blue fish with faces like bulldogs who swam lazily from one side to the other.
"What is this?" JaeJoong asked, struck by the strangeness.
"This is the unicomus, our 'royal' fish," Yunho told him. "They only live in Lake Chadae and are found nowhere else."
"Impressive," JaeJoong said, thinking from the culinary perspective.
Fish was a specialty of his.
"Come see the truffle display," Yunho said, drawing him away. "We are known for our outstanding truffles."
"Ooh, truffles!"
JaeJoong could think of lots of uses for the magnificent specimens Yunho showed him.
In fact, the markets were a gold mine of produce of all kinds, making his imagination run wild with ideas for the coronation dinner.
They strolled down toward the lake.
A walkway hugged the edge of the water and Yunho led him along it, telling him of boyhood adventures as they went.
A cluster of young boys playing soccer sent a ball shooting their way and suddenly the prince was an athlete again, using a few slick moves to send the ball back over their heads and right into the goal.
"Bravo!" a few of them cried, applauding the effort.
Yunho took a bow and laughed, returning to JaeJoong with a look on his face that said his usual ironic reserve had been obliterated for the time being.
But he was rubbing the area where the scar was and JaeJoong remembered what Siwon had told him the night before.
Now he knew it was Yunho's sister whose honor he'd defended.
"Come on down to the marina," Yunho said, catching JaeJoong's hand in his. "I'll show you where I first learned to sail."
It was only a few steps away.
The blue tarps, the white sails and colorful flags flying gave the area a festive air.
There were people fishing off an old wooden pier, and a group of young men gathering around a number of sailboats docked along the marina.
Yunho knew some of them and went over to speak to them, but JaeJoong stayed behind on the railing and enjoying the sunlight on the water.
Or trying to enjoy it.
He hadn't been there long when a pair of teenagers sidled up next to him and began talking in tones obviously meant for him to hear.
"Dae, that's Prince Yunho all right. I'd know him anywhere," said one. "I guess he's going to be king."
"They say he killed his brother to get him out of the way, you know," the other replied, glancing at JaeJoong and then pulling his cap down over his eyes.
Shocked, JaeJoong had to put in his two cents.
"Prince Ji Hoon isn't dead," he told them sternly. "He fell in love with....someone....and abdicated the throne."
"Oh, yeah?" said the first boy. "Have you seen him?"
JaeJoong hesitated.
"Well, no, but..."
The boy shrugged.
"No one here has, either."
"But he's alive," JaeJoong insisted indignantly.
The boy shrugged again.
"There's some who won't believe that until they see it with their own eyes," he said as he and his companion began to drift off.
Taking a deep breath, JaeJoong tried to calm himself.
They were just silly boys, after all.
He shouldn't take what they said seriously.
But he was afraid such rumors were only the tip of the iceberg here in Korea, just a sample of what Yunho was going to have to deal with.
Yunho was back a moment later, looking happier than ever.
"They're training hard and hoping to qualify for the next Olympics," he told JaeJoong enthusiastically. "I told them I might be able to help with the design of a new hull they're working one. I've got some great ideas."
"You design sailboats?" JaeJoong asked in surprise.
"Sure. You didn't think I spent all my time on the water working on my tan, did you?"
No, JaeJoong had never thought that.
Partying was a factor that had come to mind.
It was a relief to know that wasn't all Yunho'd been living for.
They made their way back to the marketplace.
Suddenly, Yunho seized JaeJoong's hand and leaned close.
"I think I've been identified," he murmured, nodding toward where a small group of young women were gathering, looking excited and whispering to one another as they trained their attention on him. "We'll have to make a run for it."
"You lead the way," JaeJoong said, suppressing a smile.
They started off slowly, weaving in and out of stalls, but, looking back, it was obvious they were being followed.
Yunho made a sudden turned and they found themselves in a dark alley.
"Run," Yunho urged, holding JaeJoong's hand.
They ran, turning down another alley, and then another, until they were both laughing and gasping for air and JaeJoong found himself in Yunho's arms.
He pulled away quickly, but not before taking in Yunho's long, hard form to memorize it for life.
That was going to sustain him on some long, lonely nights.
"Did we lose them?" he said breathlessly.
"I think so." Turning his head, Yunho listened intently. "Yes." Looking back down at JaeJoong, he smiled.
JaeJoong smiled back.
A warm, thrilling sense of connection sprang between them.
And then it was gone as Yunho deliberately turned away.
"Let's see," he said in a casual way that let JaeJoong know he'd sensed the same thing and that he was disturbed by it too. "I think it's only a couple of blocks to my old nanny's house. Ready?"
JaeJoong nodded.
Yunho'd turned the day into an adventure he couldn't resist.

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Chapter 15

Yunho's nanny was large and loving and ready to claim JaeJoong as her own right from the start.
Her name was Angie Joe and she ran a small cafe in front section of her house.
In the back, she had cookbooks and exotic spices and special kitchen gadgets that could have kept JaeJoong enthralled for days.
Instead, he just got a quick hour to browse through all the treasure while Angie Joe and Yunho caught up on the news.
"It's been so long since I've seen this one," the effusive woman kept repeating, surging back to give her grown-up charge another kiss on the cheek where he sat at her big kitchen table, drinking the thick, sweet coffee she'd served him. "You're too thin. Here, have a cherry tart. Have another bonbon."
"No, thanks," Yunho said, pushing the food away. "I'm saving room for lunch."
"You haven't had lunch? I'll fix you some."
"No, no-"
"I know! I'll fix you a picnic basket. You must take your beautiful man up to the watch meadow and show him the view." She hugged JaeJoong, who was feeling so adored, he didn't even protest about being called beautiful. "Then you can eat your lunch there. It will be wonderful!"
She went through the kitchen like a whirlwind, grabbing supplies, cutting slices of bread into interesting shapes, mixing ingredients, and talking all the while.
At one point, JaeJoong asked her how she came to be Yunho's nanny.
"I was just a girl when I was hired as Queen Ha Na's private attendant. She was a new bride from Italy....didn't know a word of any other language but her own. And Yunho's father, the king, though he knew Italian very well, refused to speak it to her. Thought it best to force her into quick immersion into Korean." She shook her head, her eyes on the distant memories. "She was so lonely, poor thing. Scared to death, so worried that she would make mistakes. Every morning I would find her pillow wet from her tears."
JaeJoong glanced at Yunho.
His face was impassive, his eyes unreadable, but JaeJoong felt his anger over his mother's misery.
Was that at least a partial clue as to why he often seemed to have a simmering bitterness deep in his soul?
JaeJoong turned back to Angie Joe.
"Did you help her?" he asked.
"I did the best I could, but I was a servant. In those days, that made quite a gulf, you know." She sighed. "But I loved her right from the beginning. She was a wonderful lady. So beautiful. She died much too young."
In those days, that made quite a gulf.....the words lingered in JaeJoong's mind.
Things hadn't changed as much as Angie Joe might think.
He asked about local customs he might want to incorporate into the menu for the coronation and was immediately inundated with cookbooks and lists of secret ingredients.
"You've heard about our truffles, of course."
"Oh, yes. I already have plans for truffles."
"Then you must include our small sweet breakfast breads, called eirhorns. And our famous eikenberry jam."
"Don't forget cornberry wine," Yunho interspersed.
"Oh, yes," Angie Joe cried. "The best sweet wine ever. Not made with real cornberries, of course. These days we use eikenberries. Too many people are allergic to the real thing."
"Too bad," Yunho said. "I hate when traditions go by the board that way. Cornberries make a very potent brew," Yunho went on, waxing euphoric about the past again. "At its best, it's got a kick like moonshine. When we were teenagers-"
"When you were teenagers, you did a lot of things that would be better left to fade into the midsts of time," Angie Joe said sharply.
Yunho grinned, leaning back in his chair.
Watching the prince, JaeJoong thought he'd never seen him look so relaxed.
"So what do you think about Hyung?" Yunho was asking his nanny. "Were you shocked?"
Angie Joe waved a dismissive hand.
"Not in the least. You know very well I used to tell you he couldn't hold a candle to you in any way, if you would only make an effort."
"Ah, there's the rub. Is the effort worth the prize?"
Angie Joe came to a standstill for the first time since they'd arrived.
She stared at Yunho for a long, silent moment.
Finally, she asked, "Are you going to do it?"
He stared right back and didn't say a word.
"The coronation is in two weeks."
"Yes, it is."
"Will you be here for it?"
His smile was strangely bittersweet.
"Ah, Angie Joe, you know me so well."
"Indeed I do, but the question still stands."
"I don't know," he said quietly.
Drawing in a deep breath, she began to bustle again, packing the provisions away in a picnic basket.
"You know you were meant for the throne," she said. "I used to tell you-"
"That was then, Angie Joe. This is now. Things change."
She glared at him over her shoulder.
"Responsibilites stay the same."
"For responsible people. That's something I've worked hard to guard against being."
She shook a spoon at him.
"And in doing so, you only proved the opposite."
But she was soon kissing his cheeks again.
As they left with their heavy picnic basket in tow she hugged JaeJoong and whispered in his ear, "I can see that you care for him. Please, watch his back. That is where the knives usually find their mark."

Top of Form

Chapter 16

Yunho leaned back and watched JaeJoong pulling things out of the picnic basket, tasting and exclaiming over one thing after another.
He was only half listening.
Looking out over the cliff at the lake and the town below, he felt swelling in his heart that was almost painful.
Despite everything, he loved this place.
How could he not?
The rivers ran like the blood in his body, its soil was his flesh.
He could stay away for years, he could never come back again, and it still would be a part of him....a part of his heart, a part of his life, the core of who he was.
But could he stay here?
Could he be a ruler?
That was another question, one he hadn't even answered for himself as of yet.
Did he want to?
That he could answer, and the answer was no.
But Angie Joe was right.
It was his duty to stay and take care of his country and its people.
But it had been Ji Hoon's duty before him.
JaeJoong was setting arrangements of the food Angie Joe had packed out on the blanket and Yunho pushed his gloomy thoughts into the bakc of his mind while they ate.
JaeJoong was a comfortable companion for this sort of thing.
Yunho was used to women who constantly gave out the sense that they needed to be entertained.
JaeJoong wanted to talk....and actually listened to what Yunho had to say and thought before he answered.
He was good to look at, too, from his jet black hair to his huge black eyes.
That almost made Yunho smile, so he frowned fiercely, heading the impulse off at the pass.
It was little things like that that caught you up in emotional nets you didn't want to get trapped in.
They finished the food and were leaning back on the blanket, enjoying the beautiful panoramic view.
Yunho'd managed to engineer things so that his head ended up in JaeJoong's lap and, after a short hesitation, JaeJoong began to comb his fingers through Yunho's hair.
Heaven, Yunho decided, must be a lot like this.
"Angie Joe is worried about you," JaeJoong said after a few minutes of silence.
"No need to be," Yunho muttered sleepily.
"Are you angry with your brother for putting you in this postition?" JaeJoong asked him.
Yunho grunted.
"Angry doesn't do it justice. I'm damn mad at him. Here i had this lovely life laid out before me, no responsibilities to speak of, except for the duty to be happy most of the time and stay out of any major scandal. And then Hyung flips out." He sighed. "I still can't believe he gave it all up...."
"For love."
"I guess that's right."
He sounded cynical and JaeJoong looked down at him.
"Don't you believe in love?"
"Mollah. Do you?"
JaeJoong stared at Yunho as though no one had ever asked him that before.
"You know, I'm not really sure," he said slowly. "I'll have to get back to you on that one."
Yunho chuckle.
"Well, wherever Hyung is today, I hope he's miserable," he said. "Just think of it. If it hadn't been for him, I could be in the Caribbean right now. Why couldn't I be king of a nice tropical island in the Caribbean?"
JaeJoong laughed softly, enjoying the picture that concept conjured up.
"Who knows? Maybe you can trade with one of the island's leaders. Put an ad in the paper."
"Right." Yunho sighed. "It's going to be hard adjusting to living here after the lifestyle I'm used to."
JaeJoong made a face.
"Maybe we can bring in a beauty queen or two to keep you amused," he said, a bit of acid spicing his tone.
"Oh, you're going to start stocking them, are you? Like flour and sugar? What a good idea. I may start liking it here after all."
JaeJoong gave Yunho a playful rub on the head and he laughed.
Reaching up, he touched JaeJoong's cheek, then gazed at him for a moment.
"Tell me, JaeJoong. Why don't you wear makeup?"
JaeJoong lifted an eyebrow.
"Because I'm a GUY. And even if I were a woman I wouldn't. Makeup is a mask. An artifice to hide behind. I'd rather people deal with the real me."
"The real you," Yunho was repeating with a touch of mockery in his tone. He frowned, thinking about what JaeJoong'd said for a moment. "I don't look at makeup that way," he said at last. "It seems to me it a way to point out your best features. Makeup says, 'Hey, look at this. I've got eyes, and they're pretty damn good ones."
JaeJoong laughed softly.
Yunho and JaeJoong's sister, Rachel, would probably get along, if they ever met.
"If you think it's so great, why don't YOU wear it?"
"Oh, I have."
"Bwoh?"
Yunho laughed.
"Jae, you're so easy to shock."
"I'm not." JaeJoong went back to running his fingers through Yunho's hair and trying not to spend too much time staring down at the way the prince's thick, gorgeous eyelashes shadowed his eyes. "So you think I'd look better with makeup?"
"I think you look beautiful just the way you are."
JaeJoong groaned.
"I wasn't fishing for compliments. 'Beautiful' is not a word that is often associated with me."
Yunho half rose, leaning back and frowning at him.
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh, please." JaeJoong turned his face away.
Yunho had never known anyone so clueless about their looks.
It made him angry to think of what someone must have said to JaeJoong when he was very young to bring on such strong resistance to reality.
Yunho's gaze slid down to take in JaeJoong's long, shapely legs, his hips and his chest.
Yunho's body reacted quickly and strongly and he had to change his position so JaeJoong wouldn't notice.
"Jae, you bloom like a rose. Roses don't need makeup either. I only mentioned it because it interests me that you are so different from the women I'm used to."
"The women you date?"
"Dae."
"Well, I'm not a woman you date. And I never would be. Not even a man you date."
Groaning, Yunho fell back onto the blanket.
"Here we go again. The prince and the little pauper."
"The prince and the scullery chef," JaeJoong corrected, glad to get off the subject of his looks. "Tell me what Angie Joe was talking about. Are you really considering not becoming king?"
"I don't know," Yunho said lazily. "What do you think?"
JaeJoong thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I definetly think you should be king."
"Wheyo?" Yunho raised an eyebrow as though he'd got him now.
But JaeJoong surprised him......he actually had a reason.
"You're a man with talent and drive. You could do big things. Cruising the Caribbean might fulfill your potetial. The country needs you, but you need the job as well."
Yunho stared at him for so long JaeJoong was afraid he'd offended the prince, but when he finally spoke there wasn't any evidence of it.
"What do you know about kings and what the job is like?"
"We've got our own royalty in Great Britain."
"Yes, but they're not quite as hands-ons as we are here."
"Maybe you should change that."
Yunho laughed at him.
"You know what? You're beginning to sound like a man who would love to be the power behind the throne."
"Bwoh? That's ridiculous."
"Is it?" Yunho grinned at him. "At any rate, I think being king will work out well for me, if I do it. You know what they say....if you can fake sincerity, you've got it made in the shade.
"Well, at least you're probably cynical enough to be a monarch," JaeJoong said, rolling his eyes.
"At any rate, the autopsy report should be in by the time we get back to the castle. That will help me make up my mind. If the results are positive, I'm at least staying until I find out who killed my father."
JaeJoong frowned, wondering why Yunho was so sure his father had been assassinated.
"Why would anyone have wanted to kill your father?" he asked him.
"That's always the question that lingers around royalty, isn't it? People have strange, twisted motives when they get up in the heady realms of big power. Some people go a little crazy."
JaeJoong's frown deepened as he tried to think it through.
"But killing him only meant Ji Hoon would be king more quickly, and it turned out he didn't want the crown."
"There you go."
"Does anyone think you did it?"
"I hardly think so. Everyone knows I'm not too enthusiastic about the royal gig."
"But if you don't do it, who else could take your place?"
"Ah. That's the rub, isn't it? It was easy enough for Hyung to bug out. He knew he had me slumbering in the wings, innocent as a babe and just as clueless."
"So who comes after you?"
"Yoochun. A romantic lad he is, too. You might have noticed him ogling you at the dinner the other night."
JaeJoong scrunched his nose at Yunho, but what he'd said surprised him.
"What about your sister?"
Yunho shook his head.
"She took herself out of the running. Maybe you haven't caught on that she's persona non grata around the castle. Autn Gummy is just about the only person who even admits she exists."
To be persona non grata in a royal family sounded a grim fate.
"What did she do?"
"You'll have to meet Jessica. I think you two will get along. Then she can tell you all about it."
It was funny, but JaeJoong already liked Jessica.
Just a few hours before, he'd despised her.
But, as Yunho himself had said at Angie Joe's, that was then, this is now.
"So do you suspect Yoochun?"
Yunho rose to sit beside him.
"Why do you ask that?"
"I don't know. Just a feeling. What does he do here, anyway?"
"That is a good question." Yunho reached fro a grape and popped it into his mouth. "Why does Yoochun hang around? If I do become king, I suppose I'll have to make him a minister of some sort."
"Maybe that's what he's waiting for," JaeJoong frowned, considering. "Yunho," he said, getting serious. "Is there actually going to be a coronation?"
Yunho stared at him.
"That's the first time you've called me by my name," he said softly.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I should remember to use 'Your Royal Highness'...."
Yunho took JaeJoong's hand in his and pressed it against his heart.
"No," he said softly. "Yunho will do."
"Arrasso."
Suddenly JaeJoong was breathless.
He'd captured Yunho's heartbeat in the palm of his hand and it sent his own heart sailing.
Was Yunho going to kiss him?
He looked up into the prince's eyes.
"Jae," Yunho said, his voice rich and husky, "this has been an almost perfect afternoon. Only one thing could complete the perfection."
JaeJoong tried to ask him what that might be but he couldn't get the words out.
His heart was thumping so hard now, he was sure Yunho must hear it.
Yunho's face lowered to JaeJoong's and he closed his eyes.
Their lips touched and JaeJoong sighed, melting.
He'd been kissed before.
Only a few times, but there had been dates in his life.
He knew about kissing.
Or he'd thought he ddi.
But this was different from what he'd had before.
This time he didn't have to wonder what to do, wonder what the other wanted from him.
This time, as Yunho's tongue flicked against his lips, JaeJoong opened to him naturally and gasped softly as Yunho filled his mouth wigh a sweet heat that traveled right down into his bloodstream and filled his body with a delicious excitement.
He could feel his interest grow.
He could sense Yunho's desire stirring and knew he wanted to deepen the kiss and pull JaeJoong close.
But he didn't do that.
He was holding back, and when he began to draw back JaeJoong saw his hands were balled into fists, as though Yunho was forcing himself not to touch him.
JaeJoong smiled at Yunho, but deep inside he was thinking, 'I could fall in love with a man like this'.

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A/N: Please comment and tell me what you think. mel, I want to thank you because I had been contemplating on whether or not to post up my JaeMin (with a little Maki) fic, If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night), and your request helped me decide to go ahead and do it. If any of my other readers are interested to read it, it's at winglin.net/fanfic/uhohstory2. So far I only have the forewards up but am hoping to get the first chapter up soon!

Top of Form

Chapter 17

Thank you to all who have commented on my story and of course to all of those that love it![Though some of you may be reading a little too much into it. :)] Okay, I've decided on my other story, so that it doesn't conflict this one I'm only going to update once a week. So, chapter one for If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night) should be up next Monday or Tuesday. Anyway, thank you again and please leave a comment.
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As they drove up to the back entrance to the castle JaeJoong felt the magic of the day begin to evaporate around him.
"I'll drop you here and take the car around to the garage." Yunho said.
JaeJoong nodded.
"I suppose it would be best if we weren't seen together," he said, frowning a little at the thought.
"Nonsense," Yunho said getting out of the car and coming around to open the door for him.
JaeJoong watched him and couldn't resist a secret smile.
The prince was acting the gentleman, when JaeJoong was sure he was used to letting servants handle the small niceties.
If he kept acting like this, JaeJoong was going to have to admit how much he was starting to like the prince.
Rising from the seat, he thanked Yunho, glanced at the castle doorway and said, "Nonsense or not, I'll go in before someone sees us."
"Wait." Yunho caught JaeJoong's hand and pulled him back, dropping a soft kiss on his lips. "To seal the day," the prince murmured, still lingering close. "Now make your run for cover."
Too late.
Yoochun appeared, sauntering arrogantly toward them.
JaeJoong tried to pull away from Yunho, but the prince was having none of it and kept him close, watching his cousin's approach with no expression on his face.
"Have a nice day?" Yoochun asked, looking from Yunho to JaeJoong and back again.
"We've had an extremely nice day," Yunho told him. "How about you?"
Yoochun shrugged.
"I'd say my day was more interesting than 'nice'. The final autopsy results arrived." He smiled thinly at the prince. "A clean report on all counts," he said, unable to keep a bit of triumph from his tone.
JaeJoong could sense that Yunho tensed, but he maintained a casual tone.
"Well, that's a relief, isn't it?" he said.
"For some of us," Yoochun said. "For others, I imagine it's something of a disappointment." Turning, he slipped into a small red sports car, gunned the engine and roared off toward the road.
"And good evening to you, too," JaeJoong said tartly, watching him go. Turning to look at Yunho, he was surprised at how brooding the prince looked. "Aren't you glad to find out no one was trying to poison your father?" he asked.
Yunho glanced his way with a faint smile.
"I would be glad if I was sure I believed it," he said. "I've got to get Siwon's thoughts on it before I can put it to rest."
"All right. I'm going in."
"All right. I'll see you later."
This time Yunho didn't try to kiss him.
There was a strange feeling in the pit of JaeJoong's stomach as he made his way in and then began the usual search for the right corridor.
He'd had a wonderful day, but it was over.
He had to be sensible about this.
A relationship with Yunho wasn't in the cards.
Besides, he had a career to pursue.
That was it.
He'd had his day and it was over.
And that tiny crack of a heartache he could feel forming in his chest?
Best to ignore it.

Top of Form

Chapter 18

Yunho was waiting for JaeJoong in the morning as he started down toward the kitchen.
"Good morning, Mr. Kim," he said, giving JaeJoong a wink. "Would you please join me for a moment? I have something I need to discuss with you."
"My, how formal," JaeJoong whispered as he let Yunho escort him into a small side room and close the door.
Yunho grinned.
"I was planning to say, 'Psst, in here', but I thought better of it."
"So wise for a royal," JaeJoong teased, happiness fluttering in him like a butterfly.
He'd been so afraid Yunho would act as thought he didn't even know him the next time they met.
"I just wanted to let you know I'm going to be gone for a few days. Siwon and I are going to Taipei to talk to a specialist."
"A specialist?"
Yunho nodded.
"An authority on poisons. Siwon isn't satisfied with the final autopsy report and neither am I. So we're taking it to Taipei to see what an expert thinks."
"Can you just remove it like that? Will they let you?"
"Of course not." Yunho gave JaeJoong a lopsided grin. "No one wants us to take it and they are doing everything they can to stop us. But Siwon is busy pilfering the thing as we speak. As soon as he has it, we'll be off."
"Oh."
Yunho's eyes were sparkling and JaeJoong could tell that, as seriously as he took this situation, it was also an adventure to him and he delighted in adventures.
The signal from Siwon came in and he strode off.
JaeJoong watched Yunho go with his heart in his throat.
Yunho'd made no move to kiss him before he'd left.
Not that JaeJoong'd expected him to.
But it did underline the fact that yesterday had been special, a day set off by itself,and not a start to anything larger.
But JaeJoong'd knwn that.
So why did he feel so disappointed.
He spent the morning setting up and managing a wide inventory of all the kitchenware available, including pots and pans and small appliances.
Chef Kyung thought it a silly exercise, but he didn't do much beyond a sneer or two and readily let JaeJoong take three of the kitchen staff to help him.
His mind kept straying every time he looked at the clock and thought, 'Yesterday at this time we were running through the alleyways......' or, 'This was exactly the time when Angie Joe opened her door and cried out when she saw Yunho'.
JaeJoong shook himself.
He had to stop thinking like that.
"No more royalty for you!" he muttered to himself sternly as he marched off to his room for his lunch break.
He was planning to delve into one of the large histories of Korea books that were sitting by his bedside.
Just before he turned the last corner, he thought he heard a child's voice, and that seemed strange.
He'd noticed there didn't seem to be any children in the castle.
Curious, he followed the sound around a corner and there, coming toward him on fat little unsteady bowed legs, was a toddler.
She had a cute little face under a mop of black curls and it was set in determination.
And no keeper in sight.
"Hey there," he said, suddenly thinking of the nearby open stairway. He'd had enough experience with the children of friends to know a child this age needed constant supervision. "Where are you off to so quickly?"
The toddler stopped dead, put her thumb in her mouth and stared at JaeJoong, her amethyst eyes huge.
"Hannah! Where are you? Hannah!"
Yunho's sister Jessica came barrelling into the corridor, looking anxious.
"There you are," she cried, snatching the girl up into her arms. She rained kisses on the girl's face, then beamed at JaeJoong over her head. "Hi," she said, sticking out her hand. "I'm Jessica. And you must be Kim JaeJoong."
"I am."
A voice from around the corner brought an alert look into Jessica's face.
"Come on in here where we can talk without anyone seeing her," she said quickly, pushing open a door into a bedroom whose floor was covered with children's toys.
JaeJoong followed her into the room, but he had to ask, "Why shouldn't anyone see her?"
Jessica set her child down and pushed back her thick hair.
"She's not supposed to exist. We've been officialy unofficiated, as it were. As far as this castle goes, we are nonpersons, she and I."
"But.....you're in the royal family."
"Come sit down," Jessica said, sitting beside him on an overstuffed couch. "And I'll try to explain." She settled back. "It's a funny thing, growing up royal. Ji Hoon oppa was the good son and now look at him. Yunho oppa was the rebel, and now he's going to be king. And I...." She sighed. "I ran off to see the world and played that famous game of Stupid Princess and came back with a baby and no husband."
"Oh, I'm sorry. And the father of the baby didn't want to get married?"
"Oh, sure." Jessica laughed. "He'd have loved to marry me. How could he turn down all this?" She swept the length of the room with her hand. "But he was no prize and I was a ridiculous little babo. My appa disowned me, the country dispises me and the current protectorate warned me not to darken the castle door again."
"But you're here."
"Dae." Her smile made her look positively angelic. "All because of Oppa. He made them let me come back. And if he becomes king, I'll be back for good."
JaeJoong smiled at her in sympathy.
The father of her child was probably the man who had tried to kidnap her and been stopped by Yunho.
The pieces were all falling into place.
"Jessica, I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I know what it's like to have a father disapprove."
"You can say that, and in theory you're right. But whenever I look at that darling child, I'm sorry for all the agony I've put everyone through, but, as for me, I just can't regret a thing."
JaeJoong watched as the princess looked lovingly at her daughter and he felt a pang.
He'd never thought about having children himself.
His whole life had been organized around his career.
Children hadn't seemed relevant.
So what explained this sudden little sense of emotion he was feeling?
Did falling for a man mean you suddenly wanted children, too?
Was it that firmly implanted in his genetic makeup?
Not that he'd actually fallen for a man, he assured himself quickly.
"I can see that you're a wonderful mother," he told Jessica.
"I try to be. My party days are definitely over, with no regrets."
"Now you just have to find a daddy for your baby. Or is that out of the question?"
To JaeJoong's surprise, Jessica hesitated and flushed a bit.
"Actually, I have someone in mind for that," she said with the ghost of a smile. "Now it's just a matter of convinving him that it can work."
"Ah. Good luck."
Jessica looked at him questioningly.
"So what do you think?" she asked him, leaning forward. "Is Oppa going to do it?"
"Take the crown?" JaeJoong was getting used to the question now. It no longer surprised him. "I think he should. What do you think?"
Jessica hesitated.
"Well, he wasn't born to be king, you know. He was born and bred to be the happy-go-lucky second son......playing the horses and laying the wives. Oh, I don't mean it literally," she added quickly when she saw JaeJoong's face. She put a comforting hand on his arm. "But that's the image the people have of him. That's the role he's been trained for."
JaeJoong was conflicted but he felt he had to speak his piece.
"I know I'm so new to this, I don't really have a right to have an opinion, but I have one anyway. I think you're selling your brother short. I think he has not only the talent to be a good king, but the responsiblity to do it."
A smile broke on Jessica's face and she threw her arms around JaeJoong.
"Oh, I knew I was going to like you," she cried. "That's exactly how I feel. This country is just dozing, waiting for the right leadership to bring it to life. Welcome to the conspiracy to convince him to do it."
The two of them spent another half-hour getting to know each other and making plans to talk to Yunho.
JaeJoong was feeling empowered by this new friendship.
He knew he would never have a romantic relationship with Yunho, but he could help him do the right thing.
"Oh, there's something I have to warn you about," Jessica said as JaeJoong was getting up to leave. "I may not be a welcome face around here, but I still do have my sources. And the buzz is, there are a couple of people in prominent positions who are lobbying to get rid of you."
A shiver went through JaeJoong's heart.
"Why?"
"That's a good question. I'm not sure if it's because they've seen you and Yunho together and can tell there's some sort of chemistry there-"
"That's crazy!"
"Or if his little lecture about you knowing about poisons scared someone."
"Oh, Jessica...."
"Don't let it upset you. This sort of thing is always going on around here. I just wanted to warn you to watch your step."
"I will."
And the day had been going so well up to that point.
Jessica's warning put a chill on it.

The next day started well enough, and then in the afternoon the housekeeper pulled JaeJoong aside, acting conspirational.
"I have to ask a favor of you," she said. "We have a very important dinner tomorrow night. Chef Kyung, unfortunately, has been called away. His mother is ill. Could you possibly take over and handle it?"
His spirits leapt.
"Of course. I'd be happy to."
"You'll have to do everything, I'm afraid, from menu planning and ordering the supplies on down. Nothing has been done. Please understand how important this dinner is going to be. It needs to be special. Certain members of very old-fashioned, traditional factions will be in attendance. They've been very obstructionist and the prime minister is hoping they can be cajoled. As things stand right now, they are vehemently against the prince's coronation."
"Because of his playboy reputation?" JaeJoong asked, curious.
The housekeeper hesitated, then ignored the question and went on.
"Delicate negotiations are going on right now. If anything were to go wrong with the dinner...."
"Don't worry." JaeJoong was excited about this opportunity. "Everything will go like clockwork. I gurantee it."
"All right. Now remember, they are traditional. Nothing too trendy on the menu, please."
Nothing too trendy.
Okay.
How about roast beef?
And for the fish course.....a bright idea suddenly occured to him.
Why not unicomus, the fish he'd seen in the market.
Oh, my.
He smiled just thinking about it.
A large, grilled unicomus spread out on a platter would make a spetacular centerpiece for that course.....and be symbolice for the hope of Korea being united behind Yunho.
Wow.
It was exciting to think his cuisine could be a part of Korean diplomacy.
He went to work on it right away.
When he gave the list to the kitchen boy who was being sent into town to do the shopping, he looked it over and then gave him a puzzled look.
"Is there something you don't understand?" JaeJoong asked him.
He hesitated, then shook his head, but he stopped to show the list to Ara, the prep cook who had been particularly antagonistic to JaeJoong.
That made JaeJoong curious and he was about to aske them what the problem was when he noticed Jessica sneaking into the pantry to look for snacks for her baby, and he forgot all about it as he made a show of casually going into the pantry himself, in order to help her.
It was nice to have a friend at the castle.
But he didn't have much of a chance to spend time with her.
He was so busy preparing for the big dinner, he didn't even have time to miss Yunho, though he did pause now and then to wonder how his meeting with the specialist had gone.
The next day he was totally immersed in preparations, from food to the table setting, and he was surprised when someone mentioned that Yunho had returned the night before.
That made him wonder why the prince hadn't said hello.
But JaeJoong assumed Yunho was as wrapped up in his project as JaeJoong was in his.
He saw Yunho early in the afternoon, looking things over and ordering the wine to be brought from the wine cellar, but the prince was in a different room talking with the sommelier and didn't look up when JaeJoong passed.
That disturbed him a little, but he didn't have time to think about it.
He was intent on doing such a good job that Yunho would be proud to have him as his coronation chef.
And if his meal could help Yunho with his diplomacy, so much the better.
The kitchen was a madhouse, but JaeJoong was keeping a cool head and things seemed to be falling into place.
He took a short break late in the afternoon.
He'd promised Jessica he would come up and visit for a while, but he really didn't have time for that.
Still, he thought he could stop by for a minute or two.
But when he knocked, it was a male voice that called out, "Help!"
Startled, JaeJoong opened the door and stepped in, only to find Yunho on his back on the floor, with Hannah happily using his chest as a trampoline.
"Thank God," he said when he saw JaeJoong.
"What are you doing?"
Yunho frowned.
"Babysitting is harder to get right than you'd think," he said sheepishly. "This kid's got me pinned to the floor. Can you get her? I don't want to knock her down and hurt her."
"Sure." JaeJoong took the gurgling girl in his arms. Her fat limbs went wild and he could hardly hold her. "I see what you mean," he said, laughing as Yunho rose to a sitting position, then stood. "Here, have her back."
The prince took the child and hugged her to his chest and murmured sweet nothings for a moment, kissed the top of her downy head, then set her into her playpen.
Hannah promptly settle back against a pillow, closed her eyes and went to sleep.
"Wow," JaeJoong said, watching in awe. "You're going to make a great appa."
Yunho was staring the child, too.
"Is this for real?" he asked suspiciously. "Are you sure she isn't trying to trick me?"
JaeJoong laughed, turning toward him and Yunho caught hold of him.
"Hey, I missed you," Yunho said, and the next thing JaeJoong knew he was kissing him.
Yunho's body was hard and wonderful against JaeJoong's chest and hips and his mouth was so hot, JaeJoong was breathless.
But he couldn't let this happen.
"Anyio," he said, leaning away. "No, Yunho, not in front of the child."
Yunho pulled him back and buried his face in JaeJoong's neck, laughing softly.
"What's the matter? You think the kid's going to squeal?"
JaeJoong shook his head and pried Yunho's arms from around him.
"I've got to go back. I only stopped in to see Jessica for a minute because I'd promised I would."
Reluctantly, Yunho let him go.
"So you're in charge of dinner tonight?"
JaeJoong nodded.
"Is it going to be great?"
JaeJoong nodded again.
Yunho grinned.
"Good. I'm holding you to that."
JaeJoong started toward the door, then looked back.
"And your trip to Taipei?" he asked.
Yunho waved him on.
"I'll tell you about it later," he said. "Go be a genius of a chef."
"Arrasso."
Yunho's eyes were deep with warmth that thrilled JaeJoong and his heart sang as he left the prince.
He wouldn't let himself think about the long term.
No point to it.
The short term would do.....for now.

Top of Form

Chapter 19

YunjaeSarang, smart you are! *lol* here we go...................
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The company assembled on the terrace and an hour later they were summoned to the dining hall.
JaeJoong made a last-minute survey of the table and then stood back and watched for a moment as the diners arrived.
He thought he could tell those who belonged to the traditional bunch who didn't like Yunho.
Most were elegantly attired, the men in tuxedos, the women in long gowns, but three men and two women were dressed in traditional Korean costume.
They had to be the ones everyone was especially anxious to impress and satisfy.
Once again Yunho failed to look his way, but JaeJoong refused to let himself dwell on it.
He had things to do.
The soup went out and the empty bowls came back with compliments to the chef that made him glow.
And now the fish course was served, with two footmen carrying out the huge grilled unicomus on the platter for the centerpiece.
JaeJoong got busy on the main course, a beautiful roast beef with truffles and kohlrabi, cooked to perfection.
He was carefully arranging slices on a plate when he first began to realize something was wrong.
A shout from the dining hall was his first clue, then a clash of voices getting louder and louder.
Frowning, he put down his knife and wiped his hands on his apron, starting toward the door.
He hadn't taken two steps when the door burst open from the other side and the short, stout prime minister came roaring in.
"What in God's name do you think you're doing?" he shouted at JaeJoong, waving his arms. "Are you mocking us and our traditions?"
"Bwoh?" Stunned, JaeJoong was at a loss.
"It's an outrage, a sacrilege!"
Another man who was a stranger to JaeJoong came striding in behind the prime minister.
"You'll pay for this, young man," he said, shaking his finger at JaeJoong. "I swear, you'll pay."
JaeJoong shook his head, his hand to his throat.
"I....I'm sorry. I have no idea what you're talking about. What have I done?"
"The unicomus. How could you?"
"The fish? But-"
"The unicomus is our royal fish. It is sacred to us. We never, never eat it."
"Bwoh?" Horror shot through JaeJoong like an electric shock. Such a thing had never occurred to him. "But...but why didn't anyone...?"
His voice trailed off as he looked about the kitchen.
It was strangely empty.
Everyone had fled and left him alone to face this.
They'd known it was coming.
That was why no one had told him.
Because they hadn't wanted him to know until it was too late.
He turned back, his heart leaden.
"Oh, dear. I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
"Didn't know? Didn't know? That's a lame excuse."
"But no one...."
He stopped himself.
No, he wasn't going to blame this on anyone else.
He should have researched it more fully.
He knew most of the kitchen staff was out to get him.
He should have checked.
"I'm just so sorry," he said quickly. "This is completely my responsibility. Please. Let me go out and apologize to everyone."
He made his way to the head of the table, his heart beating like thunder in his chest.
Public speaking was not his forte, but this had to be done.
Yunho rose as he approached.
That pulse at his temple was throbbing hard.
JaeJoong's gaze met his and he didn't see anything friendly there.
Did Yunho think he'd done this on purpose?
Well, he had.
He'd wanted to surprise him.....never a good idea.
There was a horrible, hollow feeling where his pride and happiness were supposed to be.
He stopped beside Yunho and turned to face the diners.
"Please, may I have your attention? I'm Kim JaeJoong. I was the head chef for your meal tonight."
"You should be ashamed," a thin, silver-haired woman in traditional costume cried.
"Take your haute-cuisine style back to wherever you came from," a dark man chimed in. "We don't need your kind here in Korea."
JaeJoong swallowed hard and squared his shoulders as he looked out at the angry faces.
"Please listen to me. I knew that the unicomus is your royal fish. I knew of the great affection all people of Korea hold for this animal. What I didn't know was....." he gestured toward the table. "I didn't realize it was held in such high esteem that it was never eaten. That I didn't know."
There was a murmur of disbelief.
"But you see, my dear," Aunt Gummy chided gently, "here in Korea, we are raised with so many stories about the unicomus. His is our folklore, he is our ancestor, he is our hero. It is the unicomus who saves children from drowning, who saves kittens from being eaten by nastier fish, who warns the sailor of coming storms. He is our dearest pet and he embodies the national and royal spirit. To eat him would be....a form of cannibalism."
More mutterings of agreement came from the diners.
"Your Highness, I truly didn't understand that. I am so, so sorry." JaeJoong looked back at the others. "If you can't forgive me, at least please understand, I didn't know."
"Well, it was beautifully prepared, my dear," said Aunt Gummy diplomatically. "Perhaps another time with a different fish."
He tried to smile.
"I'll have something else brought out to you right away, if you can just indulge me for ten minutes."
He glanced at Yunho for the first time since he'd started speaking.
The prince's face was impassive.
JaeJoong had no idea what he was thinking.
"And once again, ladies and gentlemen," JaeJoong said as he turned to go, "my abject apologies."
He strode quickly back toward the kitchen.
Tears threatened, but only for a few seconds.
He let his anger back in to keep them at bay.
He would certainly like to wring some necks.
No wonder the staff had headed for the tall grass.
Yunho came in right behind him, grabbing his arm to pull JaeJoong around to face him.
"What were you thinking?" he demanded.
JaeJoong looked up at him and wanted more than anything to be in his arms.
But Yunho wasn't in that sort of mood.
Here JaeJoong'd worked so hard to impress Yunho and make him proud, and instead he'd ruined everything.
But that didn't mean he was going to crumble.
"You tell me this," JaeJoong said right back. "Why were those unicomus fish being sold in the market if nobody eats them? What is that all about?"
Yunho blinked.
"We don't eat them. Italians do. It's a delicacy. They come up on purpose to buy them."
JaeJoong shook his head in disbelief.
"Let me get this straight. They are too sacred to eat, but not too sacred to sell to Italians to eat. Is that it?"
"Don't ask for logic, Jae," Yunho said. "It's always been done that way. What can I tell you?"
Closing his eyes, JaeJoong shook his head.
"What you could have told me is, 'Don't ever cook that fish'."
Yunho frowned.
"Wait a minute, Jae. Are you telling me that no one in the kitchen warned you? No one said a word?"
JaeJoong hesitated.
He was afraid he knew where this was going and that was only going make things worse.
Much as he would like to punish a few of the kitchen staff himself, he didn't want the prince to get involved.
"No one said anything," he admitted. "But, it's my own fault for not-"
Yunho swore angrily, his face dark.
"I'll fire every one of them."
"Anyio!"
"Of course I will. They must have done this deliberately."
"I'm sure they did. But you can't fire them. I'm going to need every one of them for the coronation dinner." JaeJoong looked up into Yunho's eyes, wishing the prince would take down the ice-cold barrier that kept him from seeing what he was thinking. "Besides, they deserve a little leeway on this. It's been coming for a long time. They finally got back at me."
Yunho's brows drew together.
"What are you talking about?"
JaeJoong shook his head.
"They've all resented me from the moment I arrived. You can hardly blame them. They were, in effect, being told they weren't good enough to pull off the coronation dinner. That they needed me to come in and tell them what to do in their own kitchen. Naturally, they wanted to see me stumble."
Yunho stared down at him for a long moment.
For just a second or two JaeJoong thought his stone-cold eyes were softening.
But it didn't last.
Shaking his head, Yunho swore again and turned on his heel, heading back out to the dining hall.
Meanwhile, JaeJoong began to scramble to put together something to take the place of the fish course.
One by one, the kitchen staff straggled back in, looking shamefaced and getting right to work without a word.
JaeJoong acted as though nothing had happened as well, and the rest of the evening went beautifully.
But always in the back of his mind was a new ugly fear.
After what Jessica had told him about people wanting him gone, this episode should have put the icing on the cake.
If anyone was going to be fired, it was probably him.
And he had a hard time looking that possibly straight in the eye.
There would be the disappointment, of course.
The blow to his career.
The humiliation as the look on his father's face said, "I told you so."
But the worst result would be something completely new.
If he were fired, he knew without a doubt he would never see Yunho again.

Top of Form

Chapter 20

JaeJoong opened his eyes in the morning and wished hard that everything that had happened the day before had been a dream, something he could laugh off.
But the hollow ache in the pit of his stomach told him otherwise.
He could only hope that this day would be better.
Unfortunately, pieces of bad news seemed to be lining up to take turns tormenting him.
After dressing, he went down to the kitchen and the first thing he saw was the local newspaper spread out on the kitchen table.
There was a large, fuzzy picture of a couple in the midst of a gentle kiss on the cover, and the headline read, U-KNOW KISSES TRAITOR CHEF.
He gasped and his stomach did a somersault.
Shaking, he pushed the paper away and turned, getting to work.
It was all he could think to do.
The kitchen staff were on their best behavior today.
The night before, after all the guests had gone, Yunho had come in, gathered them together, and let them have it.
"That was a nasty trick you played tonight," he told them angrily. "By rights I should sack you all. I fully intended to do so. But now I've been told that would be a mistake. In other words, you are all very good at what you do and we need you. At least for the short term. So you have a reprieve. No one is to be sacked until after the coronation."
Gasps were heard all around.
"And maybe not even then. But that will depend on your behavior. You'll be watched. And just to make it easier, you'll each take turns doing the watching and I want a report on how things went every evening."
That was such a smart thing he'd done.....getting them to report on each other rather giving JaeJoong the duty.
That way, they couldn't see him as the bad guy.
Yunho was impressing JaeJoong with his management skills.
But JaeJoong hadn't impressed much of anyone himself.
And now he would have to make up for it.
It was an hour or so later that he began to hear the shouting from the breakfast room and he knew it had to be over the news story.
Heart racing, he tried to come up with a plan.
This was such a nightmare.
He hated to think his mistake was causing Yunho so much trouble.
What could he do?
He knew what he could do.
He could leave.
Pain stabbed his soul at the thought.
But that way he could quit being a problem for Yunho.
He closed his eyes and gathered all the courage he had left.
Then he headed for the breakfast room.
Morning light streamed in from the high windows set all around.
A sideboard groaned under the weight of bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, pancakes, and every other breakfast food imaginable.
But no one was eating.
The eight men and two women scattered around the circular table fell silent, watching JaeJoong.
The animosity was so thick in the air, it could have been a fog.
Taking a deep breath, he faced them all.
"I'm here to tender my resignation," JaeJoong said, amazed that his voice sounded so calm.
"What a relief," said the finance minister, throwing up his hands.
"Wonderful," said one of the women.
"That will surely help a lot," said one of the men.
It looked as though they were in complete agreement and the angry faces were beginning to soften a bit.
The only one who hadn't reacted was Yunho.
He was half leaning, half sitting on a counter along the back of the room, his arms folded over his chest.
"I'm sure Chef Kyung can handle the coronation dinners," JaeJoong said, fighting back the stinging in her eyes. "You have a good staff. You'll be okay."
He didn't dare meet Yunho's gaze.
If he did, he knew the tears would start to flow and he would die first.
"I'll pack my things and be out before lunch," he said, working hard to keep his voice from shaking.
He'd just begun to turn back toward the door when Yunho finally spoke.
"No," he said simply. "You're not going anywhere."
JaeJoong risked a quick look his way.
Yunho's face was still set in stone.
"Your Royal Highness, I think you have enough problems without me cluttering things up. What I did last night was unforgivable. It's only right that I-"
"What you did last night you were tricked into doing by a vindictive staff," Yunho said firmly. "I won't have you punished for what others caused."
"But what about the newspapers?" a cabinet minister insisted, pointing to the local rag someone had spread out in the middle of the table. "What about this picture?"
"There's been too much scandal as it is," another chimed in. "You know, we were afraid of this when we found out you were going to take the crown. We can't have things like this happening all the time. We're the laughingstock of Asia."
"Oh, why did Ji Hoon have to leave us?" a plaintive voice said softly.
JaeJoong licked his dry lips.
"Your highness, if you please. I really think it would be better if I left. You have a country to run. It's so important that you think of your country first."
Yunho heard JaeJoong's words but he gave no indication of his reaction.
Slowly, he looked around the table, examining each person, one by one.
These were all high-ranking, celebrated men and women who planned to spend most of their time eating his food, vying for his favor.
When he became king, these people would be his constant companions.
They weren't friends he would have chosen for himself.
There weren't many he trusted.
Just looking at them made him want to throw it all in and run for the hills.....or rather the warm waters of the Caribbean.
He thought of the old days when his father had presided over this same bunch, before he'd fallen ill and begun to slowly wither away.
Did one of these people have a hand in hurrying his father's demise.
He wished he knew the truth.
Finally, he looked at JaeJoong.
He wasn't royal.
He wasn't from one of the finer families in Korea.
He wasn't even one of those brainless beauties Yunho was used to having around.
But one thing Yunho was sure of: JaeJoong was honest as the day was long.
Looking around the table, Yunho realized JaeJoong was probably the only person he could really trust.
And they wanted Yunho to throw him away?
Not a chance.
"I'd like all of you to leave now," Yunho said evenly. "Except for you JaeJoong. I want to talk to you."
Yoochun rose, looking insolent.
"Do you really think that's a good idea?" he asked, giving JaeJoong a sideways glance that was an airborne insult.
Yunho sighed.
He was going to have to give Yoochun his comeuppance at some point.
Better sooner than later, he supposed, but he wasn't quite ready to do it yet.
"I think it's the best idea I've had in days," Yunho said. "Get out, Yoochun."
As the room emptied he turned to JaeJoong, but he purposely kept distance between them.
"Come sit down," he said, dropping into a chair at the table himself.
JaeJoong sat down across from him, watching Yunho intently, his eyes huge.
Obviously, JaeJoong didn't know what to expect.
Something told Yunho that JaeJoong often expected the worst.
He pushed that thought away because it made him want to pull JaeJoong into his arms.
"You're going to stay," Yunho told him firmly. "You signed a contract and I'm not letting you out of it."
JaeJoong drew in a sharp breath.
"I meant what I said," he told Yunho. "You have to concentrate on preparing to be king. You don't need your life cluttered up with problems. I'm just so sorry-"
"Will you cut that out? You've said your piece. I know how you feel about that. What I want to know is.....all things being equal, do you want to stay?"
Conflicting emotions flickered across JaeJoong's face, but in the end he nodded.
"Good. You're my anchor right now, Jae. That may sound strange to you, but the thing is you're one of the few people I think I can rely on. And that makes you very valuable to me."
"Oh. Well. I....I'm glad." JaeJoong looked a bit puzzled, but willing.
"But at the same time...." Yunho grimaced and looked away. "I had a long talk with Siwon on our trip to Taipei. He made me face some home truths."
"Like what?"
Yunho looked back at JaeJoong, studying his adorable face and those inviting lips.
"I had a wonderful time with you the other day. It was one of the best days of my life. I just want you to know that because.....we can't do it again."
JaeJoong nodded, trying so hard to keep his dignity, his distance, while at the same time his dark eyes were filling with tragedy.
"I understand. And I agree."
"In a way, this is a sort of goodbye. We'll still be seeing each other all the time. But we won't..." Yunho grimaced again, unable to think of words to describe what he meant.
But JaeJoong knew.
Yunho shifted his position and took a deep breath.
His gaze fell on the newspaper in the center of the table and he reached for it.
"Can you believe this awful picture? Someone caught us on a telephoto lens. Didn't I warn you about the media?"
He saw the pain in JaeJoong's face.
He felt betrayed and violated by knowing someone had been taking pictures of their wonderful day.
Yunho knew how he felt.
He felt the same way.
And he was used to it.
"And they already knew about the fish disaster. But to call me a traitor!"
"You'll get called worse."
JaeJoong looked wounded, then shook it away.
"What happened in Taipei?" he asked, as though he really needed to change the subject quickly.
"We took the report and a few samples to the specialist. He's looking them over and running a few tests himself. It will take a little time before he can give us an answer. But from what we told him and what he saw, he has doubts, just like Siwon did."
JaeJoong shook his head.
"I don't know whether to hope for bad news or good," he said.
Yunho smiled at him.
"It's a bit of a muddle, isn't it?"
His smile faded as he took in JaeJoong's earnest goodness.
He couldn't help himself.
He had to reach out to him.
He put his hand out, stretching his arm across the table, and after a slight hesitation JaeJoong met it with his own.
Their fingers laced together and their gazes held for a long, long moment.
And Yunho thought again, was the effort, and all he had to give up, worth the prize?
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A/N: Quick explanation, the prize in the last sentence is talking about becoming king. Like is giving up JaeJoong worth becoming king? Anyway, hope you don't hate me too much for these chapters. I decided that if I was going to make twenty-nine chapters, I needed to drag things out a bit more, though I'm sure some of you are getting aggravated at me for it. : ) Anyway, please leave a comment! Thanks! Love, %uhoh%

Top of Form

Chapter 21

Okay, so with that last chapter all my readers seem to be a little sad. But, I will try to involve a little Yunjae moment if not in this chapter then in 22. Wah! I can't believe I've written 22 chapters already, getting closer to my deadline! *yipee* I think when I get to chapters 27, 28, 29, (since they will be the closing ones) I'll do a triple post. Anyway, first I have to write 21. :) Please leave a comment!
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The next few days went by quickly, although there was a hint of melancholy to everything JaeJoong did.
Just as the prince had said, they saw each other often, but almost every time they met or passed one another in the hallway they avoided eye contact.
The few times that their gazes did meet, something secret seemed to pass between them.
JaeJoong wasn't quite sure just what it was, but it made his pulse go wild every time.
In the meantime, he and Jessica were becoming good friends.
He usually stopped by to see Jessica and play with Hannah at least once a day.
And twice he'd seen Choi Siwon leaving Jessica's room.
An idea was beginning to dawn on him.
Could Dr Siwon be the man Jessica had in mind as Hannah's father?
Oh, he hoped so!
That would be perfect.
"Perfect? Are you kidding?" Jessica protested when he tentatively brought it up. "Of course Siwon is the man. I've been in love with him since I was about fifteen. He's always been a good friend of Oppa's. But his father was a landscaper in charge of the castle gardens and he thinks that means we can't be together. I say, 'rubbish!' to that."
JaeJoong laughed.
"I can imagine you do."
"He's got his pride, you know. And plans to emigrate to South America." Jessica rolled her eyes. "No, that is not on the cards. I want him right here, married to me."
"How are you planning to make that happen?"
"I don't know. Once we convince Oppa to take the crown, we can get started on convincing Siwon that I'm a woman, not a princess."
If it hadn't been for Jessica, he would have felt very isolated, because he was having trouble getting in touch with anyone back in London.
His cousin Junsu in particular was strangely unavailable.
JaeJoong hadn't been able to contact him for days.
And when they finally did connect, he found out what the problem was.
"Oh, Jae, I've been dying to talk to you," Junsu said when he finally responded to one of JaeJoong's calls.
"Then why don't you ever answer your phone?" JaeJoong asked, sensibly.
"I couldn't. I've been too upset, too confused to talk to anyone. Something's happened."
JaeJoong immediately went on alert.
"Bwoh?"
"Don't worry, nobody died or anything like that. Well, Appa did have a slight heart attack. Appa....hah!"
"Uncle John had a heart attack? Oh, Su, I'm so sorry. How is he?"
"I don't know. Oh, he's okay, but I'm not speaking to either of my parents at the moment."
"Su, will you explain what's going on?"
As an only child, Junsu was the most beloved, cosseted.....one might even say, spoiled........person JaeJoong knew.
For him to be angry with his parents was unheard of.
"I'll tell you what's been going on. My parents have lied to me for years. Did you know I was adopted? I keep wondering if everyone knew but me. Did you know?"
JaeJoong was at a loss.
"What do you mean, you're adopted? How can that be?"
"How indeed."
"Are you sure?"
"Oh, yes. It all came out when a couple of Appa's illegitimate children showed up on the doorstep. Twins, Samuel and Seth. Omma's having DNA tests run, but it's hardly necessary. They are the spitting image. Which made me wonder why I'd never noticed that I'm not. So now, I'm the odd man out."
JaeJoong could hear the pain in his voice, despite his attemts to treat the situation facetiously.
"Su, you know that your parents adore you."
"They did. As long as I was in the dark about things. Now that I know everything, there's this horrible wall between us." Junsu's voice broke and he paused for a moment to regain his composure. "I...I feel like I've lost everything."
"Oh, Su, surely not. I know your parents love you. And if they adopted you, they've proved it. They chose you-"
"Oh, sure. Nice try, Jae. I'm not buying it. I've applied at an agency to find my real birth mother. Hopefully, she's not a liar too."
"Junsu!"
"And now my parents are as angry at me as I am at them. They don't even want to speak to me. They think I am betraying them by trying to find my birth mother." His voice broke again. "Oh, Jae, it's all such a mess."
"Do you need me to come there? You know, I wouldn't be able to stay long, but I could catch a flight out and-"
"Anyio. Anyio. But you're a sweetheart to offer. There's no point coming here, because I'm leaving. I've got to get out of here."
"Well, why don't you come here, then?" JaeJoong said, suddenly excited by the idea. "I'm sure I can arrange a room for you."
"You know what? I just might do that. Have you got any spare princes hanging around? I could use a fling with royalty to cheer me up."
JaeJoong coughed.
"Mianhe. The one we've got is busy."
"Still doing his Hamlet act, huh?"
JaeJoong had hinted that Yunho was not sold on taking over as king and Junsu had been taken by the idea of someone who didn't grab power when he had the chance.
"Oh, well. I'm having my own crisis so I guess I won't try to horn in on his. I'll let you know when I can arrange to come. And, Jae.....thank you just for being there. I was in real need of a friendly voice."
"Any time. You know that."
He hung up with a sigh.
It was instructive to be reminded that others had problems, too, sometimes a lot worse than yours.

Top of Form

Chapter 22

The parties meant to introduce Yunho to eligible young ladies had begun.
The first was a dinner for a dozen beauties, the second an evening of music and poetry reading with another twenty.
"The point of that," Duchess Gummy had told JaeJoong with a sparkle in her eye, "is to see who falls asleep from boredom. We do want a queen who can hold her own with the cultured crowd."
"What makes you think the prince will last the evening?" JaeJoong said with a grin.
Gummy waved a hand dismissively.
"Doesn't matter. Men get dispensation from such things. But we must have some standards for our queen. She can't be just anyone, you know."
Oh, yes, he knew that only too well.
The next affair was a culmination of the search, scheduled two nights on.
A ball was planned, with a dinner before the dancing and a midnight desert buffet table.
JaeJoong threw himself into the task just as he threw himself into everything these days.
But he couldn't help but think he was robably making something delicious for the woman Yunho would marry.
That was a depressing thought.
The day was cold and icy.
Korea was undergoing the last cold wave of the winter and it was pretty miserable, except for working in the toasty kitchen.
He was blocking out the pastry squares for the desserts when he looked up to see Yunho pasing through.
No one wlse was nearby and he paused as he came next to JaeJoong.
"Meet me in the first-floor library in ten minutes," he whispered.
He left before JaeJoong could say a word.
His mouth went try and he tried to keep his hands from trembling as he finished his work, washed his hands, and started for the library.
Stepping out into the main corridor, he saw Yoochun and the prime minister coming his way.
Yoochun's head rose as he noticed JaeJoong and he had a sense the man would try to waylay him when they passed one another.
That was certainly something he wanted to avoid.
Ducking into a sorage closet, he held his breath until they'd passed.
Thankfully, Yoochun didn't come looking for him.
He counted to twenty-five, then carefully opened the door and peeked out.
The corridor was empty.
The library, once he'd rached it, seemed dark and empty as well.
He closed the door and looked around, and suddenly Yunho appeared from behind another door.
"Oh," he said, slightly startled. "Annyeseyo."
"Annyeseyo." Yunho smiled at him. "Do you know how ridiculously cute you look in that white cooking outfit?"
"Yunho!" JaeJoong admonished, coloring and pleased as punch.
He'd never realized before how wonderful it was to have someone happy to see you.
"Mianhe. I just couldn't resist." Yunho sobered and gestured for JaeJoong to sit down in a nearby chair.
He dropped down onto the arm of the leather couch.
"Okay, I asked you to meet with me because I thought you might want to know how things are going on the poison front."
"Of course. Did you get answers from the specialist in Taipei?"
"Of a sort. He agrees there seems to be some cause for suspcicion. Certain elements of my father's condition correlate with the effects of a slow poisoning."
"Oh, Yunho!"
"The problem is pinning down what agent might have been used. It's difficult to test for something if you don't know what you're testing for."
"I see."
"So we're not much closer to a solution, but we're more sure than ever that something was being done to him."
JaeJoong nodded, knowing that it was a result Yunho'd expected, yet dreaded at the same time.
"What's your next move?"
"I wish I knew. Siwon is looking into a few possiblities. We'll see if he can dig something up. In the meantime...." Yunho shrugged.
"It's less than a week until the coronation," JaeJoong said.
That meant only a little over a week until his job here was over.
His mind shied away from that.
"Dae," Yunho said.
JaeJoong searched the prince's eyes but there was no answers there.
So he asked Yunho directly.
"Are you prepared to go through with it?"
Yunho sighed.
"That's still the dilemma I wrestle with." He paused, then went on. "You do understand what's involved, don't you? On the day of the coronation, for me, all normal life will cease for ever. Every single move I make, every word I speak, will be pinned to the wall and examined, criticized and scorned, printed and reprinted and reanalyzed in case another reason for despising me can be found. I'm not used to that. I don't really want to get used to it. And that's only one of the things i would hate about this job." He moved restlessly. "You realize, as a young man, I got out of here as soon as I could and I haven't regretted that for a moment."
"But, Yunho...." JaeJoong leaned forward earnestly. "Yes, it will make drastic changes in your lifestyle. But that only underlines the fact that this is a very important job. You can't trivalize it."
He wished he could think of better words to help persuade Yunho. "The future of this country, whether it will grow and flourish, and the welfare of a couple of million people......is on your shoulders. Whatever you do, you can't let them down."
Yunho stared at him, looking bemused.
"Why do you care?"
JaeJoong sat back again and looked away.
"I don't know. I just think you....well, you have such an opportunity here. You shouldn't waste it."
Yunho smiled at him.
"You may be right," he said, but he didn't sound convinced.
JaeJoong looked down at his hands in order to stay away from Yunho's gaze.
Those golden eyes had rocked her world from the first, and they hadn't lost their power with familiarity.
"I'd better get back," he said, rising from the chair.
"Dae," Yunho said, rising as well.
JaeJoong hesitated.
He hated to leave.
They had so few moments together. And there was something he wanted to know.
"Well, have you chosen a potential queen as yet?" he asked brightly, not sure he was allowed to broach this subject, but doing it anyway.
When Yunho didn't answer right away, JaeJoong looked up into his eyes to see why.
His smile had faded and his eyes darkened.
"What do you think?" he asked JaeJoong softly.
Suddenly JaeJoong noticed that Yunho's knuckles where white where he held the back of the chair and JaeJoong had the fantastic thought that maybe Yunho was having a hard time keeping himself from coming to take him in his arms.
JaeJoong's heart leaped, even though he knew that was too outlandish to be true.
Still, he turned quickly.
"I'd better get back," he said again.
"Yes," Yunho agreed. "You'd better go."
At the doorway JaeJoong turned and looked back at Yunho.
Was it just his imagination, or were the prince's eyes haunted?
Turning away, he left quickly.
He didn't want Yunho to see the tears trembling in his own eyes.
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A/N: Okay, quick announcement, since this one should be done by Thursday (my triple post day) then the first chapter of my other fanfic If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night) will be up Friday, for those who are interested. :) Please leave a comment on The Rebel Prince and tell me what you think, sorry the Yunjae moment was so tiny, next chapter will have a better one, I promise. Love, %uhoh%

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Chapter 23

Thank you for all the lovely comments people are leaving. Sorry, but this fic will not contain any Yoosu in it. Yoochun's character in this one is the snobbish cousin, only. Also thanks to moon1084 for recommending me to a fi_chan and getting me a new reader. *YAY* :)Remember to leave a comment and tell me what you think! :) Love, %uhoh%
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JaeJoong was having trouble sleeping again.
He'd almost forgotten how impossible sleep had been when he'd first arrived.
That problem had vanished once Dr Siwon had taken him in hand.
But now it was back.
And tonight was the worst.
The cold was numbing.
Not even a tiny flame crackled in his huge fireplace at the foot of the bed.
After two hours of tossing and turning, he gave up.
"I thought these old castles with their high ceilings were built to be cool in the summer and snug in the winter," he muttered resentfully. "Can we join the modern age now? Where's the heater!"
Slipping into sweatpants and a long-sleeve tee, he grabbed a blanket and opened his door as quietly as he could, making his way out into the hall.
He knew where he wanted to go: the only warm place he'd found in the building.....the spa-like swimming pool.
He'd pretty much learned his way around the castle by now, and he headed straight for the pool.
The door clanked a bit, making him shudder, but the cavernous area was dark and empty, just as he'd hoped it would be.
No one was here.
He could lie down on one of the benches and maybe, just maybe, he would sleep.
He sat at the side of the pool for a while at first, dangling his feet in the warm water and trying to remember everything that had happened that first day when he'd known Yunho as U-Know and the prince's stayed with him for so long.
Memories were fuzzy.
He'd spent a lot of that time only half awake.
But the things he did remember made him smile.
He sighed and went looking for a bench suitable for sleeping on.
He found one tucked away in a corner, protected by an overhang.
He was just settling down, using a pair of handy water wings for a pillow, when the door clanged open again.
He froze.
Someone was coming in.
He held his breath.
Another male form was walking toward the edge of the pool.
He dove in without hesitation, but JaeJoong could see it was Yunho.
He began to do laps, swimming back and forth, back and forth.
JaeJoong watched for a few minutes, impressed with the prince as he always was.
Yunho swam beautifully, his stroke elegant and graceful, but with explosive power.....just like his beautiful, powerful body.
JaeJoong bit his lip, wondering what to do.
But he was already doing it......no choice involved.
Gathering his blanket and his water wings, he made his way down to the side of the pool and spread out, lying down and listening to the rhythmic sound of Yunho's swimming.
In mere moments, he was sound asleep.
"Holy shit, not again."
He opened his eyes to find Yunho standing over him, dripping water and gazing in astonishment.
"I swear I didn't even touch a water-polo ball," he said.
JaeJoong smiled and moved lazily.
"And this time I was here first," he noted. "YOU'RE the one who came to join ME."
Yunho had only a trace of a smile.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Looking for a warm place to sleep. This castle is like an iceberg. I recommend the first thing you do after you put that crown on your head is to call up some workers and put heat and air in this place."
He chuckled, then dropped down beside JaeJoong on the deck, sitting cross-legged.
"Seems like old times," he said, "Haven't we met this way before?"
"I seem to remember something like this. Long ago and far away."
Reaching out, he took JaeJoong's hand in his and began to play with JaeJoong's fingers.
JaeJoong watched, loving the way Yunho's warm hand felt against his cool skin.
"How did you get to be such a good swimmer?" he asked lazily.
"There was a time when I was young that I used swimming to calm down. I felt everything and everyone was against me and I would take out my frustrations in the water, hour after hour. Along the way, I got good at it."
He frowned, looking at Yunho's handsome face.
People blessed with beauty and wealth and position were supposed to be happy ever after.
"Why were you so frustrated?"
Yunho thought for a moment, looking at him.
"Hyung was so good at everything," he told JaeJoong at last. "And everyone praised him all the time. I was the awkward one, the chunky one, the kid who didn't quite fit in."
JaeJoong looked at him in disbelief.
"You?"
Yunho's grin was lopsided.
"Yes, Jae. I wasn't always the magnificent specimen you see before you now."
He said it in a mocking, self-effacing way, but that didn't really work when you looked as good as he did.
"Hard to believe," JaeJoong murmured.
Without thinking, he reached out and stopped a large drop of water that was running down the tan skin of Yunho's thigh, catching it on his finger.
He knew right away that he shouldn't have done it, but, for some reason, he didn't care.
"Your skin feels so warm," he said softly, reaching for another drop that was slowly making its way down Yunho's chest.
He saw Yunho's stomach muscles contract and he looked up into the prince's eyes.
He wanted.....something, he wasn't even sure what.
But he wanted it so badly, it hurt, and that made him fearless.
"Jae," Yunho said, a warning in his tone.
"Yes, Yunho?" JaeJoong whispered, reaching up to let his finger draw an invisible heart on Yunho's chest.
Yunho grabbed his hand, pulling it away and holding it.
"You're playing with fire, Jae," he said. His voice was soft but his tone was hard as steel. "And fire can burn."
"I've never been burned that way," JaeJoong whispered. "So I'm not scared."
"Jae...."
He touched Yunho's cheek.
"Yes?" he replied as his hand slid down across the cords of Yunho's neck, down to where he'd drawn the heart with the other hand, and then flattened, skimming across the prince's skin.
Yunho's groan came from deep inside him and his eyes closed for a moment.
"Oh, Jae," he said, his voice husky with quick desire.
He gathered JaeJoong close and JaeJoong pressed against him, savoring the hard muscles luxuriating, in the feel of him.
His mouth found JaeJoong's and JaeJoong opened to his kiss, gasping when his tongue took over, drinking him in as though JaeJoong'd been dying of thirst.
Yunho's body was so wonderful, and, in the tiny Lycra swimsuit, JaeJoong could pretty much see and feel everything there was to the prince, all the rounded strength, all the hard edges.
He ran his hand across Yunho's flesh and felt the prince respond.
It was a power that he'd never know before....a power he wanted to test out and make his own.
Suddenly, he knew what he'd been hiding from for days.
He was in love.
This was a man JaeJoong could never have for his own, but he could have him for the moment.
And right now, he would take what he could get.
He'd never wanted a man this way before, nor woman, for that matter.
It was as though he was possessed, as though the needs of his body had taken over and shut off his mind in order to get their way.
Yunho pushed aside JaeJoong's shirt and exposed his chest, touching each nipple with a gentle reverence that astonished him.
The more Yunho touched him, the more he shuddered, the aching hunger coming so strong he almost cried out.
"Oh, please, Yunho, tell me what to do," he whispered, tanking his fingers in Yunho's hair and arching his body against the prince's as hard as he could.
His words stopped Yunho cold.
Rearing back, the prince stared at him.
"You're completely inexperienced, aren't you?" he asked, incredulous.
JaeJoong shook his head, wishing he could deny it.
"I'm sorry. I'll try to do it right, but tell me....."
Yunho stared at him for a moment, and then his laughter peeled through the cavernous area and he hugged JaeJoong close.
"No, my precious Jae," he murmured, rubbing his face against JaeJoong's. "We have to stop now."
"But.....no, really, I want to....."
"Jae, Jae, you're priceless." He dropped quick kisses on JaeJoong's lips. "You're like a fresh-picked bud about to blossom into glory. I can't sully that."
"But...Yunho, please....."
He cupped JaeJoong's cheek with his large hand.
"I know what you want. I know exactly what you feel. I want it too. But it wouldn't be right. Not like this."
JaeJoong laid back in Yunho's arms and blinked back tears.
He was so happy and so sad at the same time.
They weren't going to make love tonight.
That meant they were never going to make love.
Because as soon as morning came, they would go back to being the prince and the chef.
And those two didn't mix.
"Why did you have to pick tonight to be such a gentleman?" he complained softly.
"Jae, I want you.....probably more than I've ever wanted anyone before. But I care for you even more than that. And I'd rather protect you than use you."
JaeJoong wanted to argue, but the intensity of his desire was fading now, and he knew it wasn't any use, anyway.
So he stayed in Yunho's arms, curled into the prince's embrace, because there was no place he would rather be.

Top of Form

Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
JaeJoong was making his way back through the darkened hallways to his bedroom an hour later.
It was long past midnight.
The entire castle seemed to be asleep and there wasn't a soul around.
So he was surprised when the door to the second-floor library opened and Aunt Gummy stepped out directly in his path.
"Oh!" he cried, jumping half a foot into the air.
"Oh, sorry, dear. I didn't hear you coming." Gummy smiled at him. "Can't sleep? Oh, you must come with me. I have exactly the remedy for that."
JaeJoong was glad the hall was too dark and gloomy for Gummy to see his flushed face.
If she only knew what JaeJoong had been doing with Yunho for the last two hours, surely she wouldn't be looking so friendly.
"Come along, come along. Believe me, you'll be glad you met up with me tonight."
She led JaeJoong back into the library.
There on a large mahogany table in the center of the room was a tray with an old-fashioned-looking decanter of wine and three crystal wineglasses.
"Now you sit right down. I'm going to pour you a glass of cornberry wine. It's a traditional Korean drink and I think you'll love it."
"Oh, good," JaeJoong said, brightening. "I've been wanting to try it."
Gummy poured out two glasses and they toasted one another before beginning to sip.
"Wow," JaeJoong said, gasping. "That's got a kick all right."
"Yes, it does, though one gets used to it quickly. Do you like it?"
JaeJoong wrinkled his nose.
"I'm not sure yet. I'll have to try a little more before I can make my decision."
Gummy nodded.
"You just take your time. It's the best remedy for sleeplessness I've ever found."
JaeJoong took another sip, more carefully this time.
"Is this what you take when you can't sleep?"
"Oh, dear, no, I don't have problems with sleep. I only sleep about four hours a night. It's been that way for years. And I get some of my best work down after midnight when there's no one around to bother me."
JaeJoong knew that Yunho's aunt was working on an official genealogy of the extended royal family.
"I'd love to see what you've done," he said.
Gummy pursed her lips.
"And you will, my dear, when I have it in condition to be seen by others. But that won't be for some time yet."
JaeJoong emptied his glass, choking a bi but appreciative.
"It's good," he said, gathering his things and preparing to leave. "So you think this will help me sleep?"
"Oh, definitely." She rose along with JaeJoong, escorting him to the door. "I'll tell you a little secret. I used to give it to the king, Yunho's father. Poor thing, once the queen died, he had horrible insomnia. I would give him a glass of cornberry wine and he would go back to his room and sleep like a baby."
JaeJoong's ears were ringing from the strength of the drink, making him a little fuzzy, but he frowned, thinking there was something here that reminded him of something he ought to be paying attention to.
Cornberry wine.
What had Angie Joe said about it?
They made it out of eikenberries now, because too many people were allergic to something in cornberries.
"Is this made out of real cornberries?" he asked Gummy.
"Oh, yes. I distill it myself at out estate in the south. I know the wineries all use eikenberries now, but I stick with traditions."
JaeJoong hesitated in the doorway.
"Tell me, I'm curious. How often did the king have trouble sleeping?"
"Oh, all the time. I didn't really know until the one-year anniversary of the queen's death. I found him in here, sobbing like a baby. It was such a surprise, you know, because he was always so strong and gruff. But I gave him a glass of my cornberry wine that night, and it soothed him so. Not long after, he began coming more often. Toward the end, when he was failing so badly, he came almost every night. I was so glad I was able to give him something that relieved his misery a bit."
JaeJoong swayed, overwhelmed by what this portended.
"Well," he said, his voice cracking. "Well, that's interesting. I....it never upset his stomach at all?"
"Oh, no. It's quite soothing."
"But I've heard some people can't tolerate it."
"That's right. I've heard that, too. I think that's why the national wineries started substituting other berries. But I've never had any problem with it."
"I see." JaeJoong swallowed hard, not sure what to do. "I guess I'd better be going now. Goodnight. And....and thank you for the wine."
His first impulse was to run to Yunho's room with this news, if only he knew where that was.
But very quickly he realized he probably shouldn't do that.
Not yet.
He needed to think this over.
There were so many possibilities, so many ramifications.
Better to go over them all before bringing this up to anyone else.
After all, if this was actually what had poisoned the king, did that make Aunt Gummy a murderer?
And if so, did he really want anyone else to know?

Top of Form

Chapter 25

Thank you to all who have commented and please, comment again. : )
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The funny thing was, when JaeJoong got back to his room, he fell into his bed and slept like a log until morning.
The cornberry wine lived up to its reputation.
But that still left him with the same old dilemma.
Was he going to tell Yunho about what he suspected?
The facts looked the same in the morning light as they had in the dark of night.
All this cornberry-wine drinking might have had nothing to do with anything.
It might all just be the work of coincidence.
And he might be stirring a bee's nest of consequences he wouldn't like in the end.
Maybe he out to just keep quiet about the whole thing.
But how could he?
Didn't he have to tell Yunho?
He still couldn't seem to sort it all out.
He decided to wait and not do anything until he had a clear vision on this.
He helped prepare breakfast, although Chef Kyung was back, and when the prince came through the kitchen, JaeJoong avoided his gaze, even though he knew Yunho would think he was embarrassed about their meeting at the swimming pool
That wasn't it at all.
JaeJoong was feeling guilty about having information Yunho would be interested in and not giving it to him.
What was JaeJoong going to do?
He really ought to go ahead and tell Yunho so that the prince could begin to try to sort it out himself.
If it were true, then he needed to know that there wasn't some murderer skulking about, ready to strike again.....that there was just a dear, sweet old lady who only meant well.
"Enough!" JaeJoong finally told himself. "It's got to be done. Just do it."
Throwing off his apron, he set off to find Yunho.
He searched the pool area, the libraries, the drawing rooms and parlors without success.
Jessica thought Yunho might be out at the airport with Key and some of the others who had a new micro light plane they were testing out, but when JaeJoong found a couple of footmen they had no idea where Yunho was.
Unfortunately, Yoochun overheard him asking one of them.
"Looking for the prince?" he asked, his insinuating smile just barely tolerable. "Maybe I can help you."
"Uh, no, thanks all the same. I really have to talk to him about something. I'll try to catch him later," JaeJoong added, hoping to turn and get out of Yoochun's space.
But Yoochun blocked his way.
"We really should get to know each other," he said, his tone suggestive. "Would you like to go for a ride? There are some great forest just north of here where the trees are already covered with snow. Wonderful scenery. I'd love to take you out to see it."
The prospect horrified JaeJoong.
"Thanks, but I'm actually supposed to be working right now. I just wanted to tell Yun....the prince something. But it will keep." He gave Yoochun a bright smile. "I have to get going."
Yoochun leaned against the wall, effectively caging him in.
"Not yet. We've barely begun."
"Please...."
His smile was annoyingly insinuating.
"JaeJoong, you look quite appealing when you get that worried look between your brows."
JaeJoong could tell Yoochun wasn't about to move to let him pass, so he reached out to give the irritating man a push with the flat of his hand.
Catching hold of his wrist, Yoochun pulled JaeJoong up hard against his chest.
"I've seen you with the prince, you know. There's no future for you there. But I can show you a good time. Just give me a chance to prove it to you."
"Let me go." JaeJoong was angry now, and showing it.
"One kiss, then I'll let you go."
"No!"
"Come on, JaeJoong. You're so hot...."
Yoochun didn't get the rest of his sentence out.
Suddenly he was flailing, then choking as Yunho had him by the neck up against the wall.
JaeJoong gasped and rubbed his wrist.
"You're asking for a well-earned lesson, Cousin," Yunho was saying, his voice like gravel. "I'm afraid the time for it has almost come."
Yoochun choked until Yunho released him, then he turned, furious, and strode of without a backward glance.
Yunho looked at JaeJoong.
"Are you all right?"
JaeJoong nodded.
"He really didn't do anything, just-"
"Just acted like an idiot, as usual."
He nodded.
Yunho touched his cheek.
"Hi," he said, his eyes luminous.
"Hi," JaeJoong said back, melting.
"I heard you were looking for me."
"Oh. Dae." He remembered what he had to tell Yunho and a lot of the joy went out of the moment. "Oh, that's right. Can we go somewhere a little more private?"
"Sure." Yunho led him into a sitting room and closed the door.
He turned to look at the prince.
Yunho'd evidently just come in from a business meeting of some sort as he was wearing a silk suit that fit him like a glove.
He'd unbuttoned his collar and pulled his tie loose and to one side, giving him a casual, devil-may-care look, and he thought JaeJoong thought he'd never seen a more attractive man.
"Yunho, did your father have allergies?" he asked, getting right to the point.
"Allergies?" Yunho frowned, thinking for a moment. "Not that I remember. Why?"
"Because....I think you ought to ask the specialist in Taipei to test for whatever t is in cornberries that makes people react."
"Cornberries?" He was looking skeptical. "I know some people do have reactions to cornberries, but I don't think you can die from it."
JaeJoong shook his head.
"I think you ought to research that. Find out for sure."
Yunho searched his eyes.
"Jae, this isn't just a guess on your part. It's coming from something specific, isn't it? What is it?"
Closing his eyes, JaeJoong took a deep breath and told Yunho about his midnight visit with Aunt Gummy and what she'd told him.
"That can't be it," Yunho said, frowning. "Can it?"
"I hope not. I know the duchess wouldn't have dreamed of giving your father anything that would harm him. But I think you'd better investigate."
Yunho drummed his fingers on the back of a chair for a moment, thinking.
"It does fit the time frame." He looked at JaeJoong again. "Holy shit, Jae. What if it's true?" His gaze was haunted. "My poor father. My poor aunt."
JaeJoong nodded sadly, his eyes stinging.
He was sorry to lay this on Yunho, but it was best the prince know.
Yunho hesitated, looking at him.
"You know, it's interesting what she told you about my father being so affected by my mother's death. I never knew that. I'm glad you told me."
JaeJoong wanted to take Yunho's hand in his but he held back the impulse.
"I'd better get back," he said. "We're pretty busy preparing for the ball tomorrow."
"Ah, yes." Yunho grimaced. "One more ordeal of that sort to get through."
"An ordeal?" JaeJoong echoed, half chuckling. "I'm sure it pains you to have all those beautiful women throwing themselves at you. Poor baby."
Listening to his cynical tone, Yunho grinned.
"Well, I'll admit it's not quite pistols at forty paces, but I can think of better ways to spend my evening."
JaeJoong shrugged.
"Then you should go ahead and pick one of them as your future wife. The others will have to stop bothering you like this."
Yunho grimaced.
"You know, the great thing about this ball situation is that I don't have to go into it worrying about whether or not the woman I choose loves me for myself or for my position. It's obvious. If she's here, she's a 'position' gal. I don't have to agonize, I know exactly where she stands."
JaeJoong nodded.
"There is that, I suppose," he allowed, wondering why they were still on this subject. It wasn't exactly a favorite of his. "Where do they get these women, anyway? Duchess Gummy said they aren't all royal."
"They may not be royal themselves, but they all have ties to the ruling fraternity.....European royalty or the American governing class or South American ex-dictators. The field I'm supposed to choose from is not as wide open as it might seem."
"But the women are all beautiful."
Yunho considered that, raising one eyebrow.
"Well, at least semi-beautiful," he corrected. "And definitely wealthy. Believe me, our minister of finance has been over the financial backgrounds of every one of these women. If a woman can bring a little money into the bargain, so much the better."
"Good luck, then," JaeJoong said, turning abruptly.
He'd had all he could take of thinking about Yunho marrying one of the rich lovelies.
'Well, there you go,' JaeJoong thought to himself a few minutes later as he hurried back to the kitchen. 'Beauty and money. That's what they want. And I don't have either one'.
Luckily there was a lot of work to do and he wasn't going to have time to obsess about Yunho and his many women.
But at least he'd given the prince a new lead in the poisoning mystery.
It was probably best to lay that to rest, even if it did mean implicating Duchess Gummy.

Top of Form

Chapter 26

Oh, wow, I just realized my deadline and triple-post are tomorrow! WAH! I can't believe that The Rebel Prince is coming to an end. But it is, tomorrow will be my last day to post on it. But, anyway, please let me know what you think by commenting. Please! : )
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Junsu arrived bright and early the next morning.
JaeJoong went down to help him with bags and show him to his room.
"I know you're going to enjoy it here," he said.
"Oh, yes, I'm sure of it. It's beautiful. And, anyway, I have plans."
"Plans?" JaeJoong wasn't sure he like the sound of that.
"Dae. And I've already contacted Jessica. She's been a big help."
JaeJoong stopped in the middle of the corridor and stared at him.
"Bwoh? How did you already meet Jessica? You just got here."
Junsu waved a hand in the air.
"You know me; I have contacts everywhere. I know someone who went to school with Jessica and I asked her to introduce us. We've been corresponding by e-mail for days now."
"How many days?" JaeJoong asked suspiciously.
"Well, two. But we're in accord about you."
"About me?" he cried in dismay.
There was nothing worse than knowing friends were discussing you among themselves.
"Yes." Junsu gave him an impish smile. "We're going to work on giving you a makeover."
JaeJoong glared at his cousin.
"I don't do makeovers."
"Kim JaeJoong, it's about time you did."
Junsu was a very persuasive person.
JaeJoong knew, one way or another, he was going to end up doing a makeover.
And he knew he was going to hate it.
It was even worse later in the afternoon when he took a break from counting out silverware in preparation for the dinner before the evening's ball, and went up to see if Junsu needed anything.
What he found was what looked like a rummage sale going on in his room.
Junsu and Jessica had gotten very chummy very quickly.
It turned out the threatened makeover was the cause of their bonding.
"We're going through your clothes," Junsu told a horrified JaeJoong. "This is a WHAT NOT TO WEAR moment. We're trying to figure out what you're style should be.'
"What's wrong with my style?" JaeJoong asked defensively.
Jessica frowned, looking at him speculatively.
"Your jeans are too shredded."
"Or you could call it punk," Junsu offered up.
JaeJoong looked at them both in exasperation.
"Do you know how annoying it is to have people tell you how to dress?"
Junsu shrugged.
"You know what they say.....you've got to break a few eggs to make an omelet."
Jessica nodded her agreement.
"Great advances in civilization only happen through trial and error. And a lot of strife."
"We've got a great idea," Junsu said happily. "Let's do the makeover tonight."
JaeJoong winced.
"Why tonight?"
"Why not? It's the perfect time. You said Chef Kyung was handling the buffet dinner for the ball. You'll have nothing to do once the dinner has been served and the dancing begins. There are three people not invited to the ball....you, me, and Jessica. Let's have our own."
"And I'M supposed to be the entertainment?"
"Who better?"
Jessica grinned.
"We're going to dress you up like a Ken Barbie doll."
"Oh," JaeJoong cried, appalled. "How wonderful."
"You wait. It'll be fun."
JaeJoong tried to look fierce, but they were acting so silly, he was actually having a hard time not laughing. "You two are full of it, you know."
"Come on. This is so much fun."
"Okay. You just go on having fun." He stuck his nose in the air in mock superiority. "I've got more important things to do."
Important things like beating egg whites to stiff peaks and working on the perfect veal reduction.
But they were exactly the things that he loved doing, so he was actually in his element, even if he was missing all the brutal opinions on his dressing habits gong on up in his room.
Yunho came into the kitchen to talk to Chef Kyung just before the guests were to begin arriving.
JaeJoong had to admit, he looked even better in his white royal uniform with its gold braid and epaulettes than he had in the Italian suit.
He was, in fact, to die for, and JaeJoong had a hard time catching his breath again after Yunho gave him a wink.
JaeJoong was making a last-minute inspection of the table settings when he overheard a pair of the women waiting to go down the reception line.
"And as to who is going to end up as Queen of Korea, well, I've been told I'm definitely a front-runner," a flaming-haired temptress in a skintight gown that showed off her voluptuous figure was saying.
"How so?" responded her friend.
"Supposedly the prince likes me best. Haven't you noticed how he looks at me?"
The friend bristled.
"Oh, sure. And you can see that he's thinking, 'How did she manage to squeeze that big old body into that little bitty dress'?"
"Oh, very funny, Renee. He told me I could have the first dance with him tonight."
"We'll see who gets the last dance," Renee retorted. "That will tell the tale."
They wandered off and JaeJoong sighed.
If Yunho picked on of those women....But what did it matter?
It was none of his concern.
The next hour or so went quickly.
The kitchen was busy tonight.
And then, he could hear the musicians tuning up in the ballroom, and excused himself.
He couldn't bear to stay in the kitchen, hearing the music and knowing Yunho was dancing with one woman after another, holding each in his arms in a way he would never hold JaeJoong.
Still, he returned to his room with a sort of dread not knowing what Jessica and Junsu had been cooking up while he was gone.
At least being with them would give him something else to think about.
Opening the door, he was surprised to find everything neat and orderly again.
His two friends sat on his bed just finishing up their dinners, which they had taken on trays.
"You're here already?" Junsu cried. "Oh, great. We'll get right to it."
"Do we have to?" Jaejoong said, groaning.
"Yes, we have to. You don't get offers like this every day, Jae. You're lucky."
"Come on," Jessica chimed in. "This is going to be fun."
And it was.
Despite everything , he had to admit it.
Jessica got busy trimming his hair and Junsu went about picking out his clothes.
Finally, the two glanced at each other and nodded.
"Okay," Junsu said. "Take a look."
JaeJoong got up gingerly.
Creeping up to the mirror, he closed his eyes until he was in front of it, then opened them again.
With his hair style so polished (see the picture in poster for idea) and in the black silk Armani suit, he was a different man.
"Wow. Is that really me? I like this. This looks good." he tentatively ran a hand through his hair. "I look....whoa."
He looked at the other two in wonder.
Jessica gave a gurgling laugh.
"You've always been 'whoa'. Now you look pulled together. Like you're a grown-up man and you know what you're doing."
"You look spectacular." Junsu agreed, grabbing his digital camera. "Let's go take pictures."
JaeJoong had forgotten that he'd promised to go down to the room especially set up for picture-taking on the first floor.
"Do we really have to do this?"
"You know, Jae," Junsu said, "it would really be a help to me if you let me take some pictures. I'm casting about on what I'm going to do with my life and it has occurred to me that I might change careers and go into business doing personal makeovers for a living."
"Bwoh?" That was the first JaeJoong'd heard of this new scheme.
"You don't think I did a nice job on you?"
Junsu looked innocent as a newborn babe but JaeJoong sensed something fishy going on.
"I didn't say that. I think you did a wonderful job on me. I love what you did."
"Well so do I . So let's go downstairs. I just want to take some pictures in case I start working up a portfolio."
JaeJoong sighed.
"Okay. But I'm not going anywhere near the ballroom."
"The ballroom?" Junsu repeated, his eyes huge and guileless. "Oh, the ballroom."
"You don't want to just slip by the ballroom and take a little peek?" Jessica asked wistfully.
"No," JaeJoong said firmly. "I am not going anywhere near the ballroom."
They took the elevator down, laughing like teenagers, and made their way to the picture room.
They spent the next half-hour taking pictures of each other.
The music from the ballroom was a constant backdrop.
"Just one more of JaeJoong," Jessica said at last. "I want a formal pose, so stand over there with your back to those double doors. They'll really frame you nicely."
JaeJoong did as he was asked and Junsu started telling a story that was making him laugh so hard he didn't notice at first that, instead of taking a picture, Jessica had left the room.
"Just stand where you are," Junsu said when Jessica's absence came up. "She's about to take a picture."
"I'm beginning to feel like I'm getting my teeth X-rayed," JaeJoong grumbled. "Isn't that when they usually leave the room?"
A sound from behind made him turn.
The double doors were swinging open and there was Jessica.
But Jessica quickly stepped out of the way and then.....then there was Prince Yunho.
JaeJoong stared at him.
He stared at JaeJoong.
His gaze was so full of affection and admiration, JaeJoong couldn't look away.
It was intoxicating and his head was feeling as though it had just been filled with champagne bubbles.
He didn't know where to turn.
The double doors had opened into a short hallway that led right into the ballroom, and most of the guests were looking at him.
He wanted to run, and yet he couldn't.
Yunho was there.
JaeJoong could never run from him.
"Jae, Jae," Yunho said softly, his eyes glowing in the lamplight. "You look stunning. May I have this dance?" he asked, holding out his arm.
JaeJoong walked toward him as thought compelled to.
Yunho led him into the ballroom and as his arms came around JaeJoong he whispered in JaeJoong's ear.
"It's the last dance."
JaeJoong gasped.
He knew what that meant, but.....
"Can you do a Viennese Waltz?" Yunho asked as the music started.
"I've never done one," JaeJoong said.
"You're going to do one now. Just relax and let me lead you."
The music grew, swelling to fill the room, and they began to whirl around and around.
JaeJoong was nervous at first, not sure he could keep up, but Yunho's strong arms kept him going and soon the steps were automatic.
And that was when what was merely amusing became magic.
They were floating in the stars, turned and swirling, held up by the wonderful Strauss music.
He'd never experienced anything like it, and when the music slowed he clung to Yunho, wishing it could start up all over again.
Yunho signaled the orchestra leader and the music didn't stop after all.
Instead, they began to play "Only You" and Yunho looked down into his eyes as they began to sway together.
Then Yunho pulled him closer and began to sing softly along with the orchestra, into his ear.
He closed his eyes.
This had to be a dream.
But all good things had to end at last, and the music finally stopped.
They stopped as well, but Yunho still held him.
He tilted his head up to look at the prince, and Yunho leaned down and kissed him on his lips.
And then Yunho turned back to the others.
But JaeJoong was still in the dream.
"Yah, it's after midnight, Cinderella," Jessica whispered, tugging on his arm. "This way to your pumpkin."
He let Jessica lead him but he was floating.
Yunho's arms were still around him and......
"Come on," Junsu told the other two happily. "I snagged some stuff form the dessert buffet. Let's go up and have a feast."
JaeJoong looked at him blankly.
He still had Yunho's voice in his ear, still had Yunho's wonderful scent in his head, still felt Yunho's breath on his cheek.
He wanted to close his eyes and hold all those things close for ever.
Junsu frowned.
"Are you okay? Do you hate us?"
It took him a moment to understand what Junsu had said.
He shook his head.
"Why would I hate you?" he asked, then slowly he began to sink back to earth. "Oh, you mean because you two tricked me into dancing with Yunho? I could never hate you for that."
But he sighed as they made their way back to the room.
Yunho'd danced the last dance with him, but it didn't mean a thing.
He knew better than to expect anything to come of it.
Still, he would have that memory for the rest of his life.
Seeing his face, Junsu gave him a hug.
"Things will work out for the best," he said sympathetically. "Generally, they do in the end."

Top of Form

Chapter 27

Triple post day! Wow, time to celebrate the last day of The Rebel Prince (*note to self: don't cry, whatever you do don't cry*). I would like to thank all my readers who have supported my fanfic and left me comments. And, well, I guess it's goodbye. For this fanfic at least. I doubt I'll be able to update my two new ones as regularly as I did this one, but I'll try to keep updates frequent. Anyhow, hugs and kisses to all! Love, %uhoh%
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The next morning started out with a jolt.
Junsu came bursting into JaeJoong's room before he'd come fully awake, thrilled by a call from the adoption registry.
"This is so exciting. They'd found my birth mother, and guess what? I've got a sister in California. Her name is Cassie Rosemoor. Can you believe it? A whole new family to deal with."
JaeJoong blinked sleepily and tried not to yawn.
"I wish you luck. But don't forget your old family. We love you, too."
"I know that." Junsu hugged him. "You've been so good to me. Thanks for letting me come here to lick my wounds and heal a little"
"Junsu, call your parents. Please? You know they're heartbroken right now."
Junsu squeezed his hand but didn't respond.
Instead he prattled on about California.
"I'm going to have to go back to the UK right away. They want me to see some documents."
"All right. I'm glad you came."
"Me too."
As he flitted back out again JaeJoong wondered how long it would be before he saw his cousin again.
Somehow all his relationships seemed to be in a strange state of flux these days.
A bit later he headed down to the kitchen, full of trepidation.
He knew something bad was bound to happen.
And sure enough, the first thing he saw was the local paper scattered across the kitchen table.
This time the headline read, PRINCE COMPLIMENTS CHEF.....AGAIN!
And there was a picture of JaeJoong floating in Yunho's arms in the ballroom.
He hated that the picture was there for everyone to see.
He hated that anyone had seen the two of them at the time.
He hated everything that tried to make the way he felt about the prince seem cheap and tawdry.
If only Yunho weren't a prince and they were all alone in some strange city where neither of them knew anyone else....but there wasn't much point in dreaming things like that.
Reality might not be so pretty but it was here to stay.
There was yelling in the breakfast room again.
JaeJoong thought he knew what the problem was.
Though he hadn't noticed it at the time....actually, he hadn't noticed anything but Yunho at the time....he now realized that the faces around the ballroom watching them hadn't been happy ones.
No one had been pleased that he'd been the prince's choice for the last dance.
He debated going into the breakfast room and confronting them all, but thought better of it.
A few moments later, Yunho emerged looking somewhat annoyed.
JaeJoong's heart lurched and memories of the night before swept over him so strongly, he had to put a hand out to steady himself.
And then he realized Yunho was coming straight toward him.
"Good morning," Yunho said, smiling at him right in front of everyone in the kitchen. "I need to talk to you. Let's go to the library."
"But...."JaeJoong looked back at the breakfast room.
"Let them yell themselves hoarse. I'm not going to change my mind."
He looked at Yunho speculatively.
The prince looked a little angry over the criticism from his ministers, but, on the whole, rather pleased with himself.
"What are they angry about?" he asked, walking along beside Yunho. "Because you danced with me last night?"
"That's only part of it. They're also going hysterical because I told them I had a new condition that had to be met before I would agree to take the crown."
They stopped in front of the library and Yunho took his hands, smiling down at him.
"What is your new condition?" JaeJoong asked, suddenly dreading what Yunho was going to say. "Unless it's none of my business."
"It's very much your business." Yunho touched his cheek. "I told them I would only stay if you agreed to marry me and stay as well."
JaeJoong's world tilted on its axis.
He had to reach a hand out against the wall to steady himself again.
"Bwoh?"
"You're the one who reminded me that I had the upper hand in these negotiations. And I decided to use my advantage." Yunho stood holding JaeJoong's hands, looking proud of himself.
"I see." Though he didn't.
JaeJoong was still stunned and unsure what all this meant.
"So what do you think?" Yunho raised an eyebrow and looked so darn sure of himself. "Are you going to like being queen?"
JaeJoong's mind was like a lost rowboat in a stormy sea.
He was only vaguely clear on what the prince had done.
But he did know he didn't like the way Yunho was doing this.
Did Yunho really want JaeJoong to marry him?
Or had he merely used that threat as a weapon in a fight with his ministers?
It was a little hard to tell which it might be.
"I don't understand," JaeJoong said, shaking his head.
"It's simple. They wanted you gone. I said, no, in fact, you would be here for a very long time and you would be here as my wife. A couple of them went hysterical, claiming they would never stand for it. I told them I was out of here unless they okayed our marriage. And there you have it."
Yunho obviously thought he should be shouting with joy.
Here the prince had faced them all in his name.
But this reminded JaeJoong more of their first clash, when Yunho'd commandeered him to sew on his braid.
He seemed to think he could just run right over people and always get his way.
Well, he had another think coming.
"You know, Yunho, you might have spoken to me about it before you told the world."
Yunho's brows drew together and his eyes darkened.
"What are you saying? That you don't want to marry me?"
What JaeJoong really wanted was to throttle him.
"No," he said aloud, speaking precisely, "as a matter of fact, I don't."
Yunho looked incredulous, but there was no more time to talk.
A couple of the men he'd been arguing with had found them and seemed ready to continue the fight.
"Look, you'd better think it over," he said, effectively dismissing JaeJoong in order to rejoin them. "I'll talk to you later."
He turned toward the men and JaeJoong got away as quickly as he could.
His heart was beating so hard, he was afraid he might have a heart attack.
Extreme emotions cascaded through him in a jumble that was hard to untangle......elation, anger, pride, resentment, bitterness, disappointment.
They were all there.
But they weren't pleasant.
"Hello there, pretty boy."
He whirled around, only to find Yunho's cousin had followed him out.
"Oh, Yoochun."
"Don't start backing away from me. I'm not going to hit on you this time. Yunho has stake you out as his and that's good enough for me. My only question is, is it good enough for you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You know very well that our boy, Yunho, has been a major player all his life. How do you know you're not just his latest whim?"
JaeJoong stared at him, wishing he had a good response, but the hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach was all he had.
He turned away and left him.
"Have a nice day," Yoochun called after him, chuckling.
JaeJoong shook his head.
But Yoochun was the least of his problems.
He was so angry with Yunho.
Yunho was so high-handed and making vast assumptions.
He seemed to take for granted that JaeJoong wanted exactly what he wanted.
How had he got that idea?
And did he really think JaeJoong was going to drop his career, just like that?
Did all the goals he had met, all the honors he'd received, mean so little in Yunho's eyes?
Maybe the prince didn't understand how focused he'd been on his career, how he'd pushed aside all the fun and crazy things most people did in their twenties to concentrate on constant work in order to get good enough to reach the top levels.
And now he was suppose to throw all that away and become....what?
A sort of royal host person?
And, worst of all, nowhere had he heard the words, I love you.

Chapter 28

An hour later, he was in a castle car being driven by Key, the footman.
He was going back to London, at least for a day or two.
He had to get away to someplace where he could think without Yunho around to distract him.
He needed distance.
He needed to do something to stop his head from spinning like a top.
"Where are we going?" he said, leaning forward and looking out the window. "This doesn't look like the way to the airport."
"Angie Joe wants to see you," Key replied. "She heard you were leaving and she asked me to take you by."
"I've got a plane to catch."
"We'll make it. "You've got plenty of time."
JaeJoong's mind was racing with the things Yunho had said and he didn't really have room for worrying about why Angie Joe might want to see him, so he didn't ask any more questions.
A few minutes later, he was climbing the stairs to Angie Joe's place.
The older woman greeted him like a long-lost child.
She made him come in and sit down and have some sweet, thick coffee, chattering all the while.
Then she brought out a scrapbook and a stack of papers.
"I've been looking for this for a week and I've finally found it. I asked Key to bring you here because I want to show this to you."
"What is it?"
"An old scrapbook I used to keep when I was working at the castle. I kept newspaper clippings in here. And I wanted you to see this one." She pulled out a clipping turned dark brown with age. "I know how terrible you felt when you served the unicomus at dinner the other night."
JaeJoong groaned.
"Oh, don't remind me. That was the worst night of my life."
"I know. You thought you had let everyone down, especially Prince Yunho. But you know what? It's happened before. Look."
She held out the clipping.
JaeJoong squinted at it, trying without much success to make out the picture on the darkened paper.
"Oh, it's a fish on a platter. A unicomus?" He looked at Angie Joe, who was nodding.
"See the headline?"
JaeJoong read it out loud, "QUEEN IN FISH FAUX PAS".
"You see? Queen Ha Na made the same mistake you did. She was from Italy and thought the unicomus a delicacy, so she ordered her cook to prepare it for a special dinner. The kitchen staff at that time didn't help her out any more than yours did."
"Oh, poor thing. Was she crushed?"
"She wept for two days, and the king didn't help matters, going around like a grouchy bear the whole time." Angie Joe shook her head, remembering. "But you know? In the end it was for the best, because the queen came to a turning point. Two days of weeping, and then she began to realize, it was just a silly fish, after all. Why was everyone making such a big deal out of a silly mistake about a fish?" She shook her finger at JaeJoong. "That was the day the worm turned. She began to realize her life would be as good or as bad as she made it herself. She couldn't depend on others to make her happiness for her. It took time for her to come to her full strength as a woman and a queen, but she began the process that day."
JaeJoong began looking through the scrapbook.
It was a treasure trove of Korean history.
Before long, Angie Joe had told Key to go back to the castle and she'd started to fix up a bed where JaeJoong could get some sleep.
The plane reservations for London were long forgotten.
JaeJoong took a refreshing nap, had some delicious soup, and then sat up listening to Angie Joe's stories and telling a few of his own.
By morning, he felt a good deal calmer about things and a long walk had helped him put things into perspective, so he wasn't shocked to find Yunho waiting to see him when he got back to Angie Joe's.
His heart leapt at the sight of the prince.
Now matter what, he couldn't stop himself from loving Yunho.
Yunho looked serious and even a bit worried.
He had a picnic basket with him and a CD player and a huge bouquet of yellow flowers.
He asked if JaeJoong would go up to the watch meadow with him, back to where they'd picnicked before.
JaeJoong only hesitated for a few seconds and Angie Joe's secret wink helped him make up his mind.
"I'd love to go with you," he said, and the look of relief on Yunho's face was as food as gold in terms of reward.
They climbed the hill and spread out a blanket.
When he opened the basket, he found a bottle of champagne and two glasses.
Were they for refreshment or celebration?
He didn't know, so he left them where they were.
Looking at Yunho again, he noticed the prince's lip was swollen.
And then he realized Yunho had a large purple circle under one eye.
How had he missed that?
"What happened?" he cried.
Yunho touched his lip and winced.
"I finally had it out with Yoochun."
"Oh, no. What did you do?"
"We were very civilized about it, actually." Yunho sat down next to him on the blanket. "We used boxing gloves and an umpire. And I beat the tar out of him."
JaeJoong hid his smile.
"It looks like he got in a shot or two himself."
"Mere flesh wounds."
He shook his head.
"Those flesh wounds are going to look pretty spectacular at your coronation."
Yunho turned to look into his eyes, searching them.
"Is there going to be a coronation?" he asked softly.
JaeJoong turned away.
"You can't put it all on my shoulders like this."
"Why not? You put it all on mine."
He was right, JaeJoong supposed.
He deserved Yunho's reply.
"But before we go any further, I thought you would want to know....it looks like the cornberries were the culprit in my father's death. He had heart disease, but the reaction to the berries probably made things worse."
JaeJoong bit his lip, nodding.
"I'm sorry, Yunho." he squeezed the other man's hand, wishing there were words that actually helped when people were in pain. Then he remembered. "But what about Aunt Gummy."
Yunho shook his head, his eyes hooded.
"I'm not going to tell her. There's no point. But I am going to make sure she doesn't go on offering people cornberry wine."
"Good."
It was a relief to know that Gummy wouldn't be told.
What a heartbreak it would have been for her.
JaeJoong loved Yunho even more for being sensitive to that.
"Now how about some of the champagne I brought?" Yunho said.
JaeJoong nodded and pulled the bottle out of the basket, looking for the bottle opener.
Meanwhile, Yunho put a romantic CD into the player and turned it on.
"What are you doing?" JaeJoong asked, laughing at him.
Yunho leaned back and looked at him.
"I spent a sleepless night trying to figure out what I did wrong yesterday," he told him. "I even asked my sister, much as I hated to do it. I got an earful about a lot of things, but most of all, I've been told I'm not romantic enough. So I'm giving it a try."
"Interesting." JaeJoong had to work hard to keep his smile under control.
"Isn't it?" Yunho opened the bottle and poured the golden liquid out into the glasses. Handing JaeJoong one, he raised is in a toast. "To romance. To sunny days and kisses in the rain and daisy chains."
"Hear hear," JaeJoong said, clinking glasses with him.
His lack of romance was only a part of what had bothered JaeJoong the day before.
But he was trying.
JaeJoong had to hand it to him on that.
He glanced at his watch and looked out into the sky as though he was expecting something to happen.
JaeJoong tried to look where he was looking to get some idea of what was bothering him, but he didn't have a clue.
"How am I doing so far?" Yunho asked him.
"Pretty good," JaeJoong told him, purposely staying a bit low-key for now. "Keep it up."
"Okay." Yunho gritted his teeth. "Ah, hell. Listen, you like Korea, don't you?"
"It's a wonderful country."
"And you care about its future."
"Of course."
"And you're interested in its past."
"Yes."
Yunho threw his hands out.
"So what the hell's the problem?"
"Oh, Yunho."
"Okay. I'm sorry." Yunho grimaced, realizing he'd strayed off the beaten path for a moment there. He licked his lips. "I suppose you wonder what life will be like if you become queen."
JaeJoong blinked at him.
"Not really."
Well, I'm going to tell you anyway. Here it is. Your life will be what you want to make of it. I know you have a career. You're a top chef, one of the best. You don't have to give that up. In fact, you'll have resources you could never have on your own. You told me you wanted to write cookbooks and be on TV shows. As queen, you'll have television networks and book publishers yapping about your heels like pet poodles. You'll be able to do whatever you want. You can teach in cooking seminars. You can set up a college of Epicurean wisdom if you want."
JaeJoong cocked his head to the side, considering.
"That all sounds pretty good."
"It does, doesn't it?" Yunho looked pleased. "But I'm going to be honest. That's not all. The most important thing, the bottom line....your duty as queen will be to have my children. Think you can handle that?" He gazed at JaeJoong levelly.
JaeJoong colored.
"I don't know. I don't know if I have any talent in that direction."
Yunho's smile was crooked and his eyes sparkled.
"Don't worry. I recognize raw talent when I see it. We're going to hone your skills."
JaeJoong was beginning to feel a little giddy.
"You sound like you're trying to sell me options on a new life."
"In a way, that's exactly what I'm doing."
"But, Yunho, you don't have to sell me anything. I understand all that. And I know you are a wonderful man."
Yunho frowned.
"Then what's the hold up?"
JaeJoong closed his eyes and groaned.
"I know. It's the same old 'If you don't know I can't tell you' again. Right?"
Yunho looked so bemused by it all, JaeJoong had to laugh.
"Sort of," he admitted.
Yunho sobered, taking JaeJoong's hand in his and lacing fingers.
"The truth is, I do love this country and I do want it to succeed. I do want to be their leader. But I'm not sure I can do a good job of it without you. There's something strong and pure and good in you, JaeJoong. I need it in my life. I need someone to tell me when I'm running roughshod over other people. I need someone to see when I'm about to go off the rails for whatever reason, someone I can trust to set me straight again." He looked deep into JaeJoong's eyes. "Can you be that person?"
JaeJoong thought for a moment, frowning.
"What if I were to say I would only marry you if you pledged NOT to take the crown? What would you say then?"
"Jae, are you kidding? I'm not just trying to hire you as a sort of assistant king to help me run the country. Marrying you is number one. Being with you is all I need. Say the word and we'll be gone tomorrow. I have a yacht waiting for me in the Caribbean. I think you'll love sailing."
"Save it for a vacation," JaeJoong said.
A good, warm feeling was growing inside him.
He was beginning to think this relationship might have a chance after all."
"That wasn't really a very good test," Yunho was saying, "because I know you. And I know you want me to accept the crown. But when we marry, I'll pledge my life to you as well as my heart. And if there comes a time when you feel you can't take it here any longer, all you have to do is say the word, and we'll find someone else to take over."
JaeJoong nodded happily.
He was beginning to believe him.
Yunho was glancing at his watch again and looking around at the sky.
"Where is that damn....?"
"What are you looking for?"
"Oh, nothing." The sound of an engine finally came through the trees and he swung back to look. "There it is!" he cried, pointing toward the gap between the stands of forest. "Here he comes. Look."
JaeJoong looked.
A small microlight plane was coming into the clearing ahead.
It seemed to be pulling a long banner behind it, but the banner was tangled and he couldn't read what it said.
"See that little plane?" Yunho said, grinning. "It's Key."
"Oh, how cute. Key is a man of many talents."
"Let's hope so," Yunho was muttering, beginning to look worried.
JaeJoong frowned.
The plane was sputtering.
"But wait. Doesn't the engine sound a little funny?"
"It sure does. Holy shit, he's going to crash!"
They both jumped up and began running toward the clearing.
The little plane had landed in a tree and was sputtering, then the engine quit entirely and the plane slid down through the trees, onto the ground.
It hit with a thump rather than a smash-up, and as they approached they could see Key climbing out of the wreckage and waving to them.
"Thank God," Yunho said. "It looks like he's okay."
"Oh. Look."
JaeJoong pointed up at the top of the tree where the banner had been ripped from its moorings on the plane.
It now spread out across the tree, showing everything, which included the royal crest and wording, "JaeJoong, I love you" in huge letters.
He stared at it for a long moment, then turned to look at Yunho.
"Did you do that?" he asked softly.
Yunho nodded, looking wary.
"Too over the top?" he asked uncertainly. "Too public? Maybe I should have done it in code."
JaeJoong was shaking his head.
"No," he said. "No, it's just right." And he threw himself into the prince's arms, raising his face for Yunho's kisses. "Oh, Yunho," he sighed. "You're so crazy."
"Crazy in love with you," he corrected, nuzzling JaeJoong's ear. "Jae, Jae, I need you to marry me."
He kissed JaeJoong's cheeks and then his eyelid and then his nose, and finally his lips.
"It was only last week you and I talked about love right here on this hillside," he reminded him softly. "Neither of us was sure that such a thing existed. A lot can change in a week."
"Yes."
"So tell me, Jae. Do you believe in love?"
"Oh, yes."
"And will you marry me?"
Before JaeJoong could answer, shouts could be heard.
They looked down and saw a crowd coming up from where the plane had landed.
They were carrying Key on their shoulders.
"People are coming up the hill," Yunho said. "You better decide quickly. They've seen the banner. When they get here, they'll want answers."
JaeJoong shook his head.
"Is this the way it's going to be? 'The people' will rule our lives?"
Yunho nodded, smiling down at him.
"That's what you're signing up for. If you marry me."
JaeJoong sighed.
"Okay, then. I may be crazy myself, because the answer is 'yes'. I love you and I'd love to marry you."
Yunho gave a whoop, swung JaeJoong up into his arms and kissed him, hard.
The crowd coming up the hill began to cheer and the sun broke out through the clouds.
"You see?" Yunho told him, still holding him high. "The world looks better already."
JaeJoong nodded, tears beginning to overflow and stream down his face.
This was going to be the beginning of a real happily-ever-after.
It had to be.

Chapter29FINALCHAPTER!!!

'History being made'.
That phrase kept pounding in his head as Yunho prepared for the coronation.
History was being made and he was a part of it.
An epic or a tragedy?
Time would tell.
A horse-drawn carriage was taking him toward the cathedral where the ceremony would take place.
He looked out on the land he loved, gleaming in the sunlight.
His heart swelled.
And then he looked out at the people.
They lined the road, four or five deep in some places.
There was an eerie silence about them, thought a murmur seemed to follow him as he passed.
Most faces weren't hostile, exactly, just curious.
As JaeJoong kept reminding him, all they knew about him was what they read in the papers.
Would he be able to prove himself to them?
"Yes."
He said it aloud, firmly.
And he believed it.
The cathedral shimmered like silver ahead.
The carriage came to a stop and the honor guard stood at attention to escort him up the wide stone stairs.
At the top he stopped and turned, slowly surveying the crowd.
Here and there a banner waved, "Phony King" said one, "Bring back Prince Ji Hoon" said another.
A third ne was obscene, but it almost made him laugh, and the first thing he thought was he had to remember it for JaeJoong.
JaeJoong.
He wished they could have married first so Jae could be beside him today.
Then the banners could have read, "Phony King + Traitor Chef".
That almost made him laugh again, and he turned to go into the cathedral.
An hour of time-honored ritual made an important impression on them all.
This was real and it was serious....a culmination of what generations of Koreans had built.
Strangely, the more the pomp and circumstances swelled, the more humble he felt.
He caught sight of JaeJoong standing at the back of the cathedral, dressed in a beautiful silk suit, though he knew Jae was about to dash back to the castle and don his chef whites.
Their eyes met as he passed him.
JaeJoong's shimmered with unshed tears.
Watching Yunho take the crown had obviously been emotional for him.
Coming out onto the stone terrace, Yunho was almost surprised to see the crowds were still there, waiting to see him again.
Custom would have him going straight back into the carriage and riding to the castle.
Somehow, that didn't fit with the way he was feeling.
Motioning to his honor guard to pause, he went to the edge of the terrace and saluted the crowd.
A murmur simmered and someone yelled, "Hey, King!"
King.
He smiled.
One of the honor guards, an old timer, came up and whispered a warning in his ear.
"Some of 'em's got rotten fruit," he told him. "Don't stay still too long. They'll start throwin' things."
Looking out, he knew the old man was right.
But he couldn't just walk away.
He had to say something to them.
If that meant he was going to get a garbage shower, so be it.
Somehow he was able to open his heart and his soul and engage in is mind, and the words flowed out of him: all the hopes and dreams he had for this country, how he wanted the people to have a voice in their destiny, how he expected to use their input.....in short, how he would rule.
He stopped and there was silence.
Had he connected at all?
He couldn't tell.
But at least no one had thrown anything rotten.
Not yet.
Then, suddenly, from far back in the crowd came a young, wavering voice.
"All hail King Yunho," it cried.
There was a tittering from the crowd, more embarrassed than amused.
But another voice took up the call.
"All hail King Yunho," it said.
And a third chimed in, this time one he recognized, Angie Joe.
Once by one, others joined the chorus.
The sound of it grew and surged.
Staring out at them, he couldn't believe it.
Maybe they weren't going to hate him after all.
Turning, he searched for JaeJoong' s face, and when he found it he gestured for the other man to join him.
JaeJoong came to his side quickly and he pulled him close.
"Your future queen," he called out, and a cheer went up.
"Well, kiss him, then," someone yelled.
The crowd laughed, and so did the two of them.
"I'll never pass up a suggestion like that," he said. Turning, he looked down into JaeJoong's radiant face. "I've got to kiss you," he said. "My people demand it."
JaeJoong laughed through his tears and looked up at Yunho with a love for the ages....and then they came together for a kiss that would make Korean history.
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WAH! Finally done! There, you guys have your happy ending (even if it was a bit cliché) :) Just wanted to say thank you to all who commented and supported my fanfic and I hope you will check out my new ones.
They are:

If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night): starring-Kim JaeJoong, Shim Changmin, and Horikita Maki
www.winglin.net/fanfic/uhohstory2

~and~

Ever Dance With the Devil in the Pale Moonlight: starring-Park Yoochun and Kim Junsu (as the main w/ some Yunjae and Kimin)
www.winglin.net/fanfic/uhohstory3

The first chapter for both should be up tomorrow. Thanks again! Love, %uhoh%