A Warrior's Heart

Chapter 50; A nice man

The room was silent again, only some birds and the sounds from outside filling the air. How many hours it's been since he was in that position, he had no idea. Probably a hundred by now. He was more than ready to have the normal sounds back. The sounds of his own kingdom, his own people outside, the birds that flew over his own castle. But he'd take anything else at this point, even if it was waking up to an unbearable noise he wouldn't be able to stand. Anything was better than this.

Suddenly a knock was heard on the door, and it opened slowly.

"I brought you some food." The soldier who entered said, carrying a plate with what looked like soup and bread on it inside.

Beomgyu glared at him. He hadn't seen the man before. "Is it poisoned?" He asked. The man stopped in his tracks and blinked. "Uhm, no? I don't know I didn't make it." He replied and pushed the door close with his foot.

Beomgyu sighed and looked away. "It might as well be. I'm sick of this place."

The man chuckled and put the plate down on the ground. "Yeah tell me about it." He said as he pulled another chair out from somewhere in the room. The blonde frowned and looked back at him at those words. "What do you mean, don't you live here?"

The soldier nodded and sat down, bending down to get the plate and set it on his lap. "I do, for the time being anyways, but that doesn't mean I want to be here." He said and looked at him. "What do you want first?"

Beomgyu blinked. No one from the soldiers here had ever asked him what he wanted. They all just ignored him and his wishes and did things that they seemed fit. He knew it wasn't a sign to completely trust the man, but he knew he wouldn't get the chance again with someone else.

"Uhm, the soup, please." He meekly said. The man nodded and reached for the spoon, feeding him carefully. "Is it tasty?" He asked him and Beomgyu shrugged after he swallowed. "It's nothing I'm used to, but it's not all that bad either. Could use a little Sweet Flower though."

The man smiled. "Right? That's what I told the cook too, but he never does it. He doesn't even want to try it."

The blonde frowned. "Why not, it's the best sweetener there is! It would make it so much better!" He said and leant forward in his chair, the rope digging into his tied wrists behind the back of the chair. For some reason it was easy to talk with this soldier, and he was grateful he was the one to feed him and not some mean guy who would make him drink it super quick so it would spill everywhere.

"I know, and I really want to try it sometimes. But we're not allowed in the kitchen so I guess we'll never know how much better it would actually make the soup."

"What a waste.." Beomgyu sighed, and the soldier agreed to him in an instant. They continued to make small talk, a small silence occasionally falling over them as the young emperor ate. The man was nicer than anyone he had met around here before, and he thanked whatever god was listening to him that he wasnt being tortured again now someone was in the room with him. He had the feeling he could trust the man, but he didn't want to make any rash decisions.

"Your skin is really taking it hard, huh?" The soldier spoke, and as on que Beomgyu felt the stinging of the cuts and bruises again. He had forgotten about them while he was looking outside the window, but now the burning increased. He nodded and looked down at his lap to see dried up blood clinging onto the side of his legs.

"Yeah.. But it'll be alright. I might not look like it but I'm not some weak boy, y'know." He smiled, more so to convince himself than the older.

"You don't look weak to me." The soldier said then. "Sure, you look beaten up and all but I don't think you're weak. The fact that you're still alive proves that."

Beomgyu frowned. "I could've been dead?" He asked, seeing the soldier nod. "We brought multiple people here before you. None of then survived as long as you did. I don't know if it is because they want you alive, or because you're just really strong. Either way, you don't look weak to me."

Tears built up in the blonde's eyes at the other's words. The thought of more people suffering and going through all that pain hurt him, his heart clenching for all those innocent lives. It was nice of the other to say that he was strong, he just wished those other people didn't had to go through all of this.

Suddenly noise and yelling was heard from outside, and the soldier sat up, probably recognizing some of the orders being barked by the leader. He pushed the chair back and stood up, plate in hands. "I have to go, they want to do a run."

"Its okay, do what you have to do." Beomgyu said and smiled. "Thank you for the food and for talking to me, it was nice, not feeling like you were going to hit me at any second." He chuckled. The man smiled back at him. "I'll come back sometime, promise."

The blonde shook his head with a soft smile. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

"I never make promises I can't keep." The man winked and turned away. He opened the door and stepped through it, but before he could close it behind him Beomhyu whispered a thank you, knowing the man didn't hear him anymore when the door fell close.