My Prince | sunwon

19

Sunoo remained in chambers with Jungwon in the following days, only leaving long enough to attend King Yang's announcement of Jungwon's recovery to the kingdom and the official sentencing of guard Kang for his role in the attempted assassination of Prince Yang and his intended royal consort, Sunoo. To no one's surprise, he was sentenced to death, and Sunoo demanded he be the one to hang him. While he had wanted to inflict great pain upon the sorry excuse of a guard and watch him bleed out the same way he had to watch his beloved bleed on the ballroom floor thanks to Kang's treason, he respected his prince and his king and followed their justice protocol. Hanging was far more humane than Kang deserved in Sunoo's opinion, but the Yangs were just and kind leaders; even in the sentencing of death.

Their royal visitors eventually took their leave from Lotus Falls, though not without promises that they'd return for the couple's wedding. Sunoo assured the Proaven couple that they, too, would make the trip for a royal wedding – much to Heeseung's delight.

Sunoo was quickly moved into the palace without doing much work, though he did make a point to go back to his parent's house to say goodbye. His mother was tearful, both with the feeling of losing her son again (much like she had five years prior) and joy that he'd found his way with Jungwon. With his father's role in the palace there was less a feeling of parting, but Sunoo found him anyway as he left with the last of his personal belongings.

"It doesn't seem fair," Sunoo said. "That you sacrificed the same..."

Sangho hummed. "We do not feel slighted or that we missed out. I spend nearly every day with him, I couldn't have dreamed of a better situation for us. And together we fought to ensure that those after us could have better. You and Jungwon could have better."

Sunoo's throat tightened and he nodded as he stared at the ground; the dirt path starting to blur and glisten as tears pooled in his eyes. "Thank you."

"You're going to do wonderful things together, Sunoo. As you were always meant to."

Sunoo was sure that he'd reread the same sentence about twelve times in the last little while as his beloved trailed his hands over his body. Long fingers barely traced under hems as the prince pressed firm kisses along Sunoo's neck and under his jaw. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" the prince mumbled against his guard's skin. The prince's own skin was warm and pink under his silken robe, freshly washed in the bath.

Sunoo sighed as he closed the book and placed it on the table beside their bed. His body tensed as Jungwon took the opportunity to crawl into his lap. "Jungwon."

"I miss you," the prince said as he pressed closer. He ran his hands through Sunoo's undone hair before tugging him to his lips. His guard released a shaky breath before falling into the kiss. "I haven't felt you in so long," he whispered.

"Don't want to hurt you."

"I'm fine."

It'd been weeks since the event, but Sunoo had remained resistant to Jungwon's advances. He grasped Jungwon's hips in his hands and fought the rush of arousal when the squeeze of his hands pulled a soft moan from Jungwon's mouth. "My prince--"

The short moan quickly transitioned to a whine as Sunoo pushed Jungwon away. "Sunoo."

The look of utter dejection on Jungwon's face broke Sunoo's heart but he simply couldn't bring himself to entertain Jungwon's advances.

"I...you are still healing--"

"Eunjin removed all my sutures days ago! I am no longer healing. I'm fine and perfectly capable of being with you, of feeling good, and of making you feel good--" he reached out for his lover again, hands pressed to Sunoo's stomach before reaching lower.