long live the king - nct, markhyuck

♕ 20 ♕

being the future monarch of a kingdom, mark had followed countless lessons on self-control and had gone through exercises where he had to stay calm and collected under the pressure more times he could remember. but for some reason, all of those times he had spent learning how to stay professional in any circumstance seemed useless right now.

mark was trying his best to think rationally, but this appeared to be quite the challenge for him as his eyes couldn't stop diverting between the boy he loved and the piece of jewellery he was holding in his hand, a bright and relieved smile painted on his face.

there was no way in hell this could be possible.

the royal was at loss for words, his jaw tense, lips pressed together, appearing somehow normal and unbothered when in fact his thoughts were a huge mess in his mind.

he didn't want to accept the possibility of all of this being true; of this bracelet being donghyuck's. what would that even mean? that donghyuck had opened the sugar bowl full of arsenic? but what for? because he had looked through the cupboards when mark had his back turned? because he had assassinated the king years prior? could it be that he was the reason mark's father was dead?

this made absolutely no sense. if it was the case – if, because there was no way it could be possible – then why would donghyuck be claiming high and proud that this bracelet belonged to him and that he lost it? if it was the case, shouldn't donghyuck know what was held in that sugar bowl? if it was the case, shouldn't he keep silent and do as if he had never seen this bracelet to avoid looking suspicious in front of mark? unless... unless this was a strategy, some sick trick that he was pulling so that he could then appear surprised and so that mark got convinced he wasn't responsible for the king's death?

"thank you so much, mark." donghyuck spoke again, seemingly not realising the internal battle that mark was currently fighting. "this bracelet means the world to me..."

"you said you had lost it?" the royal questioned, brows in a frown as he ignored donghyuck's words, his voice sounding a bit harsh.

"yeah i- "

"when?" mark almost snapped, catching donghyuck slightly off-guard.

the brunette blinked in confusion. "m-mark, is everything alright?"

"when did you lose your bracelet?" mark repeated, tone warming up a bit, but still sounding defiant.

"h-huh..." donghyuck's brows furrowed as he tried searching in his memories. "around a week ago. i think it was the day before your mother caught us... i haven't had it since then."

mark let his thoughts wander back in time to recall what they had been doing these days. but there was nothing to find in his souvenirs, because the truth lied openly in front of him. donghyuck had lost his bracelet a week and a half ago at most, and mark's mother had found the bracelet donghyuck was holding during the banquet of the king's death anniversary, more than two weeks ago.

the piece of jewellery donghyuck was holding wasn't his bracelet. it couldn't be. there was no way he could have had it around his wrist when mark had had it placed on his desk next to the deadly sugar bowl for the past weeks.

"are you sure it's your bracelet." mark questioned, looking at the brunette carefully.

donghyuck blinked in confusion, glancing at the golden piece of jewellery. "yeah." he nodded before focusing his attention back on the bracelet.

"this doesn't make sense..." mark muttered between gritted teeth. "it's not possible..."

finding mark's reaction rather odd, the tanned male doubled carefulness in his inspection of the bracelet, making sure to focus his attention on the half-sun pendant that was in the middle of the chain.