A crown or this? | minsung

🌙message from far

They had walked back to their rooms, in the least subtle way, and were now standing in front of Jisung's bed room.

"I know I should let you sleep, but if I may, I'd like to come in with you" Minho said.

"I'll allow it...but if you get any ideas-"

"I know I know, I'm dead"

Jisung nodded and they both went in the room, the fireplace had been lit and the bed looked warm and cozy.

"If I can be honest...I was expecting it to be much colder inside the walls of this caslte, the north is full of surprises..."

"Would you stay here..? If given the choice?"

"I don't know, it is very different from where I was raised"

"Exactly, wouldn't you like to stay here with me?"

"About that..." Jisung's folded a piece of paper in his hands and handed it to Minho. "I received a raven earlier, from my father"

Minho read the official papers and furrowed his eye brows.

"Dear jisung, you are in obligation to come back to the sun lands immediately. We have looked into the threats against you and have found nothing to be harmful. Minho is to remain in the north for the time being, the priority is his safety. Once all of the threats against him will be secured, then we may continue the wedding as it was...." Minho stared blankly and then at Jisung. "He cannot be serious...you'll be killed if you go back"

"He would love that...he doesn't have the guts to do it himself, so if someone does it for him..."

"I have yet to understand why he has such hatred for you. You have done nothing wrong."

"Why do you think he's trying to separate us?" Jisung said quickly and Minho stared at him.

"I don't know..."

"I do." Jisung went to his bag and took a book out, the one he had talked about. "Read this...if you truly want to understand"

"I fail to see how this will help me understand"

"Well i guess you're just going to have to trust me..."

Minho took it and flipped through it really quickly, then closed it.

"I will, thank you my prince"

"Just call me Jisung, please"

"Could I call you Ji?"

"No, now go" he said and Minho smiled.

"Not even going to get a Goodnight kiss? I'm disappointed..."

"I'd let it go if I was you..."

Minho frowned and sighed, bowing slightly.

"Of course, pass a great night" he turned around to walk away. He was surprised to hear small footsteps behind him and a pair of arms wrapping themselves around his waist.

Jisung was back hugging him, a slow and steady breath on his spine.

Minho froze but smiled, he realized that Jisung would probably show affection in a different way, in a subtle way.

"Thank you.." he said slowly and Minho smiled even more, but didn't respond. He then felt the warm hands leave his body and heard a door close.

He was all alone in the hall now, it had gone dark outside and he looked at the book Jisung had handed him.

He went to his room and lit a candle, opening the first page. It went by quickly, he enjoyed the story quite a lot.

It was about a boy, described as being joyful and outgoing, soft spoken and agitated. He was the sunshine of the village and was known for it. One day, he met the stable boy, much older, strong and hard working. The older soon took interest in him and the story really began with them.

Minho smiled as he read this, reading as the two lovers would meet in secret in the barns and talk for hours and hours.

But Minho read the next few words out loud, to make sure they were really there.

"But one day...we got caught..." he frowned and turned the page.

Nothing could describe the words on the pages, not even the phrases themselves. The pure pain and agony was described and Minho could barely keep reading.

The older one of the two had been tortured in front of the young one, for hours on end and it seems like the more this was written, the more it turned cold. The words became dry as if all tears and emotions had been stripped away.

Minho soon realized that Jisung had written this, had lived this, word for word.

The next words, he read out loud quietly.

"He died the day I turned twenty, when the sun rose and the light had never felt so dark..."

Minho reads even more in shock, flipping through the pages.

"That day, I was promised to never be king for who I was, for the sins I had committed. I was promised a life of hell, of seing the same nightmare over and over again until I want to gouge my eyes out." He saw the dried tears on the paper and felt his heart ache for him.

"That day I promised myself I would never let it happen again. I would never let anyone close to me, nobody will know me, or find interest in me. I'll continue the rest of my life here where I know I will die, horribly and without mercy. I will not love, I will bare no children and I will never...let someone love me. Because that is the worst crime anyone could commit..."

Minho closed the book and got out of bed quickly, rushing to his door.

Jisung was not in his room, he knew that without even opening the door. He ran downstairs and in the huge halls of the castle, he ran to the stable.

There he was, packing his things and a steady and disturbed expression on his face.

"Jisung...?" He said and his breath turned to mist in the cold air.

He packed his last things and looked Minho's way, he had shame written all over his face.

"You were going to leave me during the night...weren't you?" Minho said quietly and Jisung looked away.

"Did you read the book?" He said with a trembling voice, which Minho had never seen before.

"Yes. Im so sorry Jisung"

"You asked me, one night, how old I was when I had my first time...? I was eleven. He was thirty..." he said slowly and Minho walked to him, holding his hand. "At the time, I didn't see a problem with it...I was in love and happy..."

"Jisung...come here" Minho pulled him into a warm hug and felt his breath become unsteady.

"You were supposed to keep reading the book...I was supposed to leave without you knowing."

"Why are you running away from me...?"

"Because everyone I allow myself to love dies."

It was a strong word, but Minho got over it when he felt him tremble in his arms.

"My prince...I am not going anywhere." He cupped Jisung's face and the younger one melted against his hand.

"If they find out about this, you are dead. It will all be my fault, like the first time, I can't let that happen to you-"

Minho pulled Jisung into a kiss, deep and slow, which made his trembles only weaker. He pulled away with red cheeks and nose, Minho having a small smile on his face.

"I won't let that happen...from this moment til the moment I draw my sword for the last time"

"I'm not letting you die!" Jisung snapped. It was the very first time he had heard him raise his voice so much. He had pushed himself off and his hands were still trembling, the cold, or maybe the was stress.

"And I'm not letting you go back to your grave...I'm coming with you to the south"