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Jongho hated the sight he was seeing in the mirror.
He was dressed from head to toe in the deepest black, reminiscent of the obsidian that was used for the glass art that decorated Ignaria’s royal palace. His shoulders were capped with regal, golden pads; against his suit, the twisted fabric shone like real gold against pure shadow. His hair was swept off his forehead, bourbon-colored strands styled to perfection, neatly matching the golden embellishments of his suit. The only piece that looked out of place was a delicate-looking necklace, a gift from his future husband.
He looked dark, imposing, and every bit of Ignaria’s fiery crown prince as he examined himself in the traditional wedding garb. Yes, the prince of Ignaria was getting married today, to none other than the future king of Gelida. His name was Park Seonghwa, a strange-looking fairy with bright grey hair and some real shitty attitude towards everything that was living. Jongho would not be surprised to learn that the term "ice prince" had come about only after Seonghwa had been born into existence .
The fact that his family couldn't be bothered to travel to the Ice Kingdom for his wedding bothered Jongho more than he cared to admit . He thought it was just because the ice was deadly to fire fairies, though with a potion made by firebugs, they could at least bear the cold long enough to see him at the altar. Sadly, the most they did was send him the traditional wedding clothes, his court, and a letter from his father to not mess it up.
To my dearest son, Jongho.
As you might already guess, your mother, siblings and I will not be participating in your nuptial ceremonies with Gelida’s future king.
There is so much work to be done here at home that I am sure that you understand your old man.
Your mother is dying to know about your future husband and his family. We have sent off your “committee” with the traditional cloak for the ceremony and this letter.
-Your father.
What Jongho basically read was ‘give me all of the dirty secrets about Gelida.’ And honestly, at this point, he was thinking he should. Just for the sake of his own sanity. His father has always had this… distaste over Gelida, and Ice fairies in general.
“You’re thinking too much, Jjong.” Yunho says, staring at Jongho’s reflection. The younger stares back, lost, looking at nothing in particular. “The guy is not even that bad.”
“Father said he was,” Jongho muttered with a pout, straightening his posture.
“Your father is… really xenophobic, with all due respect,” San remarked as he flipped the page of the book he was eyeing, not even looking at the prince. Jongho glared back, like San just murdered Yunho, “Don’t look at me like that, you know I’m right.”
“It is my father you’re talking about,” Jongho reminded his friend while raising an eyebrow, turning to see himself again in the mirror, patting the velvet-like fabric. He could feel his hands shaking, and it was not because of the cold. Seonghwa took good care of that, giving him a necklace exclusively for him with a spell that prevented him from freezing to death. He felt so nervous. His life changed so drastically in the span of a couple of months, and said changes did not wait for him to be prepared for them.
“You look… so beautiful.” Mingi’s voice brought him out of his thoughts. The compliment made him feel heavy in his chest. He knew Mingi’s feelings towards him and it hurt him how he couldn’t reciprocate them, how he couldn’t see Mingi as more than his childhood friend and most trusted confidant, even above Yunho.
Maybe in another life.
[…]
He'd met Seonghwa a grand total of three times before the wedding. The first one was during the masquerade, that dreaded day when he lost all of his freedom. The second one was when Jongho arrived at Gelida, though it was cut short due to Seonghwa having to take care of some royal issues, giving Jongho the necklace to survive in the icy environment before he departed. And the third time was the night before the wedding, when they were supposed to spend the night together. But Jongho couldn’t bear the thought of sleeping with the enemy… quite literally.
But there he was, standing in front of the altar. Under the glare of the wintry sun filtered from the glass roof of the cathedral, Seonghwa’s white suit was nearly too bright to bear, the icy jewels adorning his shoulders glinting like sapphires in the snow. The deep blue lapels complemented his pale skin and platinum hair, making the shades under his cheekbones and jaw razor sharp. His back was straight and proud, shoulders broad under scrutinizing eyes.
Jongho’s breath puffed out in a silvery cloud, but he could hardly feel the cold, too focused on the man—his fiancé—staring at him. The ice prince eyed him up and down, catching on the strong set of his mouth and the belt wrapped snugly around his waist before darting back up to meet his gaze. Then he smiled.
San was the one walking him down the altar, having permission from the King as his royal guard. And he was sure that San felt the smallest amount of heat coming out of Jongho, because he saw San smirk on the corner of his eye. Yes, Park Seonghwa was the textbook definition of a walking dream, but the things his father said about him and his family clouded his perception once again.
Gelida’s royals are murderers, Jongho.
There is only one kind of fairy that can match our strength, and those are the ice fairies.
Seonghwa’s hands were cold, something incredibly understandable due to his nature, but they were still a grounding point for Jongho. The cathedral was full of people, both from Seonghwa’s family and royals from other kingdoms. The only people missing, of course, were his parents. Jongho felt pressure on his hand and he looked back at Seonghwa’s deep gray eyes looking at him with curiosity, almost as if he was asking what was on his mind.
Too much, there was too much in his mind.
The ceremony was long and boring. More than once Jongho became lost in thought and stared at the massive glass window that was in front of him, catching some of the snowy mountains that were surrounding Gelida. He had not been outside of the castle since he arrived a week ago. The royal family wanted to keep the marriage a secret until the day of Seonghwa’s coronation. They had no way to know how the kingdom would react to their ruler marrying their biggest enemy as a political movement.
“Prince Choi Jongho of Ignaria, do you take prince Park Seonghwa of Gelida as your lawfully wedded husband?”
Wish I couldn’t.
“Yes, I do.”
[…]
They were in the Earth Kingdom when he got the news of his marriage. It was the annual masquerade, where the princes and princesses reunited to meet and make connections. Jongho was dancing with some princess from a kingdom far away when Mingi told him that his father wanted to meet him in the gardens. To Jongho’s surprise, his father was accompanied by a really handsome man. It was surely a prince he has never seen before.
“This is Park Seonghwa, of Gelida,” His father stated. Promptly Seonghwa bowed to Jongho. “His father and I were discussing your plans of marriage with him.”
Jongho could not remember anything else after that, too shocked for his brain to recall anything other than Seonghwa’s kind yet powerful face. He saw his father's mouth move, but nothing was coming out except incomprehensible sounds. Seonghwa was also talking, and the only thing Jongho captured before leaving the scene was his deep voice. The other was so well-spoken and he acted like he knew exactly what he wanted to do.
He also remembered being found by Yunho and Mingi in the bathrooms as he tried to calm himself down. Jongho… never imagined he would be getting an arranged marriage, he honestly thought his parents (or at least his mother) would have let him marry whoever he wanted. He felt so much hopelessness at that moment, especially after seeing Mingi’s sad eyes, because of course, he knew already. Jongho’s father was probably the one telling him about it.
“Let’s get you out of here Jjong, your siblings must be worried about you.”
[...]
Seonghwa and Jongho sat on each side of the bed, an awkward silence enveloping the space of the bedroom. Jongho stared at his hands but he could feel Seonghwa’s gaze on his neck, looking directly at him with those big eyes that had Jongho thinking… a lot.
He needed to think about his next move, about what he would do to get the information he needs.
“Are you gonna stare at the floor or you are going to sleep?” Seonghwa’s voice shook him out of his thoughts, startling him. He chuckled, “It would be wrong if you leave like you did the other night.”
Jongho turned to see him with an eyebrow raised, Seonghwa returned the look and smiled, making Jongho’s heart weak, “I don’t bite.”
“I’m not used to sleeping next to someone else,” Jongho finally spoke standing up and walking towards the drawer that had his sleep clothes. “Last time I slept next to someone I was twelve, and it was Mingi.”
Maybe if I make him mad and jealous, he will show how he really is. Maybe if he gets upset, I will be assured that I am doing the right thing.
“Well, from now on you won’t be sleeping alone anymore,” Seonghwa joked as he laid down but honestly, Jongho was more nervous. He felt like Seonghwa was waiting until he let his guard down, so he could attack.
But Seonghwa just stared at him with a small smile on his lips. He was completely different from the man he was standing next to a couple of hours ago, his face was free of makeup and his hair was down covering his forehead. Seonghwa was also wearing the softest looking pajamas. (Jongho had a matching set, of course. As it was one of their many wedding gifts.)
“You seem distressed,” Seongwa pointed out and honestly made Jongho more uneasy than before. Jongho sighed, “It’s alright Jongho. I am not planning to murder you in your sleep.”
Seonghwa was laughing, but Jongho was certainly not.
“I’m serious, Jongho,” Jongho observed how Seonghwa laid in the bed, snuggling against the cozy blankets and covers. “We are now allies because of this marriage, it would be a stupid move on my part to try and hurt you.”
Well… He was right about that, and Jongho hated it.
“I apologize,” Jongho muttered, making Seonghwa smile widely. “Just nervous, that is all.”
“You don’t have to be nervous around me, Jongho, I promise,” Seonghwa sighed, silver eyes staring directly at Jongho with something warm in them that made Jongho shift uncomfortably in his feet. Of course, Seonghwa noticed that. “Oh, let me turn around.”
Seonghwa flopped on the bed for Jongho to only see his back, giving Jongho a certain sense of privacy so he could change, given that he was still in his wedding attire with a full face of makeup and hair, now a little bit messy, still pushed to the side. It took him a full hour to get ready for bed, given that he wanted to shower and give himself a proper night routine. He wanted to feel some sense of control in his new given life.
When he returned to bed, Seonghwa was actually fast asleep, still turned to the side and the candle of the nightstand still lit up. Almost like falling asleep was not his intention, but rather to wait for Jongho to come back. The fire prince stared at his new husband with vacant eyes and an empty feeling in his stomach as he decided to brush a strand of hair falling off the side of Seonghwa’s face. As Jongho was brushing the hair off, Seonghwa smiled softly, surprising Jongho.
“Lay down with me, pretty boy.”
Jongho’s cheeks suddenly felt like they were on fire. He quickly put away his wedding clothes in the closet and went back to the bed, still unsure of what he should do. Seonghwa laid still as he went back to sleep, but Jongho was quick to notice that his now-husband was still awake. Jongho sighed, trying to relax his shoulders, and walked to the bed. It felt odd, his whole life he had a massive bed all for himself, decorated according to his age. Every time he aged a certain age the servants of the castle would sneak into his room and change the decoration. His room never felt like his room. It felt like decoration for the guest to admire every time his mother would tour the castle.
Jongho stopped spending time in his room around the age of nine. Instead, he would sneak to Mingi’s room in the lower levels of the castle where the boy lived with his family. It was a risky move, because Jongho would go in the middle of the night during the least guarded times, so he would not get caught. He would then leave really early in the morning when the guards were changing to the day shift. He kept on doing until the age of fourteen, when Mingi’s father inevitably caught him after Jongho and Mingi laughed a little too hard. The queen was the one who took him to the room and lectured him about the dangers of sneaking out. After that, Jongho was monitored day and night and was not allowed to talk to Mingi because the queen put the blame on his best friend, when it was Jongho’s idea all along. Jongho didn’t understand the big deal about it, he never snuck outside of the castle, and the fact that Mingi was getting the short end of the stick made him more upset.
Luckily San was selected to be one of the guards that were guarding Jongho. He suggested Jongho write letters to Mingi, and he would deliver them so they don’t miss each other. San always knew about the special bond that Mingi and Jongho had, not only as friends but that they would be together every waking moment after Jongho’s coronation. Maybe that was why the king assigned Yunho to be Jongho’s right hand man and Mingi as his scholar, so they could be away from each other. Jongho knew that his parents did not wanted him to get married to someone lower than him, they made it clear when his father announced that he was to marry Seonghwa. And if it was not Seonghwa, it would be another prince or princess. He knew that a close second were Prince Hyunjin of the Wind Kingdom and Princess Yiren from the Earth Kingdom, their closest allies.
“Are you ok?” Seonghwa whispered, noticing Jongho sitting on the bed once again, lost in thought. Jongho shrugged before laying down in the bed. The natural cold coming from Seonghwa’s body felt weird, but a nice type of weird. It was like the heat from his own body was being cooled. Jongho often struggled with his body heating up too much during times where he was not paying attention, like when he was sleeping, which resulted in many restless nights when he was younger.
“Oh wow! You are like a human heater!”
“Yeah, powerful fire fairies have this ability,” Jongho said, turning to face Seonghwa, who was already facing him. It wasn’t the first time Jongho was this close to Seonghwa, but the proximity still made him uncomfortable, with a small fear that he would burn Seonghwa or make him feel unwell because of his heat. It was something that had happened before with Mingi and Yunho. Even San, who was the most powerful out of the three, hadn't been able to endure it.
“It feels nice, sometimes my coldness makes it hard for me to sleep. I've had to resort to using a heating pad from time to time,” Seonghwa explained, still on his side of the bed, aware of Jongho’s slight discomfort around extreme physical touch such as cuddling.
Jongho looked at Seonghwa surprised, making him chuckle. “It’s artificial heat from a spell and a couple of firebugs, it wears off after a couple of hours so it wasn’t ideal.”
Jongho honestly never thought of using artificial cold to solve his problems regarding his heating issues. The reason might be his hereditary distaste towards any sort of cold. "Again, thank you king." He couldn't help but think.
“I hope you sleep well, Jongho.” Seonghwa finally said, snuggling onto the mattress a little bit, looking extra soft and cuddly. Jongho just stared at him for a little bit, a little bit taken back at how Seonghwa acts when they're away from all of the people, especially when they have met just a handful of times. The fact that Seonghwa seems to be comfortable around Jongho made his heart squeeze.
I’m just doing what I am told…
But is it the right thing to do?
[...]
Mother.
I write you this letter to announce to you that the wedding went as planned and was successful. I am now the husband of Park Seonghwa, the future king of Gelida.
The afterparty was as nice as it can be to be far away from home, Gelida’s court made sure that I and the other Ignaria’s guests were comfortable. They even asked Mingi about our traditional meals for the dinner. Both cultures were well represented.
The soon-to-be king is a kindhearted man, almost completely different from what Father has told me about Gelida’s people and ice fairies in general. But I am still keeping my guard up, just in case I am just being played, which is what Father would do.
I would love to visit you soon, but I am sure that it will not happen any time soon. Seonghwa assures me, though, that we will make a visit to all the kingdoms in the nearby area after his coronation. Even though Ignaria is not as close as other kingdoms, I am sure we can make a stop there.
Love you so much.
—Your son, Prince Jongho of Ignaria.
[...]
“He can’t be at the meetings, Seonghwa," Wooyoung, Seonghwa’s personal bodyguard as well as the Head of the Royal Guard, remarked as soon as both Seonghwa and Jongho entered the room. Seonghwa gave him a dirty look and Jongho simply rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Sorry princey, you have to leave.”
“He is my husband, Wooyoung,” Seonghwa defended Jongho quickly as he held his husband’s hand.
“Yeah but what if he’s just a spy?” Wooyoung quickly replied, making Jongho freeze but Seonghwa instead laughed.
“Wooyoung you’re scaring him, come on.”
“I do not trust fire fairies, Seonghwa.”
Ouch.
That was a taste of his own medicine if he had ever felt it. And honestly, it did not feel nice.
“Well, that needs to change,” Seonghwa sighed as he sat down at the head of the table. “There are now four of them in the castle and they have the same rights as you, so you should treat them with the same respect as you would treat Yeosang or Hongjoong.”
Honestly, a punch in the gut would hurt less. Jongho thought Seonghwa was basically giving him a life lesson without even noticing. Even if Jongho would never vocally talk down to someone, his acts would express it very well, that is how he was raised. During his training to become a proper prince, his teachers always said to express disgust with little facial expression. If an important royal noticed bad energy, it could lead to something as big as a war. So Jongho learned to express himself with his eyes, learning how to pretend he was fine when he was not, and pretend to agree when he actually disagreed. That became his shield against other royals, even his parents.
“I know that, your majesty,” Wooyoung’s voice sounded sarcastic but honest at the same time, Jongho did not know how he did that, “But at this particular moment in time, his presence is making me uneasy.”
“I can leave, it’s fine,” Jongho said with an awkward smile pulling up his lips. He felt uncomfortable, especially under Wooyoung’s bored expression and Seonghwa’s pitiful eyes. Jongho never expected to feel this type of pit in his stomach, the one that someone feels when they are unwelcomed in a place.
“Just let him stay,” Yeosang, Seonghwa’s scholar, said in an exasperated sigh as he glared at Wooyoung. “Seonghwa looks like a kicked puppy, and Jongho looks like he's about to explode in a fire ball of anxiety. It’s not like we are going to reveal a big plan to conquer the world.”
Wooyoung glared back at Yeosang, then shrugged, like a silent "whatever". Seonghwa looked at Jongho as he patted the chair next to him, expecting his husband to sit down. Jongho quickly and quietly moved to the other side of the room where Seonghwa was, feeling Wooyoung’s stare on him. The meeting shortly started after Hongjoong, Seonghwa’s right hand man, joined them in the room.
“My first order as king is going to be to try to make alliances with the fire and water kingdoms,” Seonghwa started talking, his whole demeanor changing so quickly that surprised Jongho. “My marriage with Jongho started a truce between us and Ignaria but I want their true trust. I know that the fire king does not trust me, but I want to show him that that should not be the case.”
“You can’t be friends with everyone,” Wooyoung said as he carved onto the wooden table, not even looking at Seonghwa. Wooyoung seemed like a person who didn’t trust anyone who was not a ice fairy, which was fair. Jongho was curious as to why he was like that. “That is gonna end with you getting stabbed in the back.”
“I know, thank you, Wooyoung,” Seonghwa sighed. It seemed like it was a common discussion between the two. “But I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe we can join an alliance with them.”
Wooyoung rolled his eyes and let himself fall against the back of his chair, “You’re gonna get yourself killed” muttered low enough to not be a proper response, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
The rest of the meeting was rather uneventful, Jongho more than once zoned out during the most boring parts of it. Such as when Yeosang and Hongjoong argued about the kingdom’s libraries for twenty minutes, and how half the books will have to return to its authors after Seonghwa is declared king.
“Preparations for my coronation start in two weeks,” Seonghwa says almost at the end of the meeting. “After that, we will be taking a trip to all of our kingdom allies to introduce this new era of Gelida.”
“How long is that gonna take?” Hongjoong asked as he reviewed the scrolls he has been writing for the past hours with everything explained in the meeting. “You can’t take too long, you have your duty as king in here.”
“Yes, I know.” Seonghwa chuckled, moving his hand on top of Jongho’s, caressing it softly. Jongho ignored the rest of the conversation, too focused on the gesture.
Jongho was so confused about Seonghwa. He had the power to start a war, but he chose not to. He had the charms to drag entire kingdoms to their demise, but he chooses not to. He had the say in who he marries, but he decided to marry the son of his biggest enemies. Seonghwa seemed so innocent. And fragile. Like ice itself.
Jongho wanted to break that ice. Jongho wanted to melt it and let the entirety of the Kingdoms know who Park Seonghwa really was. Jongho wanted to show that Seonghwa was as bad as his father had told him he was for his entire life.
Maybe, if he was, Jongho’s heart would not be so against spying on him.
[...]
“How are things?”
It was the first thing Mingi asked him when Jongho arrived at the small library located in the south tower of the castle, where his court was living. Jongho shrugged as he fell on a chair making a small thump sound, making Mingi chuckle.
“Seonghwa’s court seems nice,” The older of the two continued, walking around the bookshelves, putting back books Jongho assumed Mingi already read. The younger’s gaze follows Mingi’s tall frame around. “Except that guy Wooyoung, he reminds me of San when we were younger.”
Jongho noticed that Mingi was not looking at Jongho, not even in his direction, making his heart ache. He knew why Mingi was acting like this, he had known for a very long time, and it hurt him too. Mingi was always so full of love to give, and Jongho was not the one who was going to give that love back.
“I don’t know, father says that they’re rather manipulative," Jongho shifted uncomfortably in his chair, knowing how Mingi was rolling his eyes. “I’m just waiting for Seonghwa to show how he really is.”
“It has been two weeks Jjong,” Mingi muttered as he walked behind Jongho, now picking up books. “If he had other intentions, he would have shown them already.”
Ignaria’s prince observed his scholar once again, now with a certain nostalgia filling his eyes. Mingi grew up quite nicely, looking almost completely different as to how Jongho was used to seeing Mingi asa baby-faced giraffe. At some point, however, Mingi drank too much milk and grew up to be the tallest in the court. Some jokingly confused Mingi as the prince because he looked like one. When they were younger, Mingi himself joked about having royal blood in him and that he was the lost prince of Ignaria. Of course, that imaginative scenario vanished as soon as Jongho was forced to stop hanging out with him.
“Do you think… do you think that this is a good idea?” Jongho asked softly, making Mingi turn to see him for the first time, “Be completely honest.”
“I think this is the worst idea your family has ever had," Mingi said bluntly as always, but Jongho knew that it was something else inside of his friend that he wasn’t letting out.
[...]
“You haven’t met my parents properly, have you?” Seonghwa asked as Jongho and he were walking towards the meeting room.
“We met at the wedding I believe, but I haven’t had the time to speak to them properly,” Jongho answered. It was true, he hasn’t been able to have a word with the current rulers of Gelida, nor has he seen them except for a few glances during various times of the day. One night Jongho was wandering off when he and the queen, Seonghwa’s mother, crossed paths and he almost had an anxiety attack before the queen just said hello to him. She'd suggested that he go to the library if he wanted a late-night read, and even asked him if he wanted to pass by the kitchen to have a snack. No harsh words, no glares, just a soft-spoken woman with good intentions. From what Seonghwa and his court have been telling Jongho, both the king and queen have their hands full. The king is preparing himself and his court to step down and give the throne to Seonghwa, while the queen is inspecting the visual preparations of the ceremony herself.
Jongho remembers his father not wanting his mother to move a single finger in her life, so she has a massive court of maids doing everything for her. Seeing the queen of Gelida with her hands full was another whiplash he had.
“My father called us for dinner, that is why I’m asking,” Seonghwa said. Jongho looked at him slightly terrified. “Don’t worry! Father has only spoken good things about you.”
During dinner with the King and Queen of Gelida, Jongho could notice where Seonghwa got all of his traits. His father, King Park, was a strict man. If he liked you, he would show a softer side. The queen was no different, she was everything Jongho wanted to have in a motherly figure.
“Well, I do consider you my son now, Jongho.” She said after Jongho expressed that his mother was not the most motherly. “If you need someone to talk to, I am here to listen to you.”
It was not surprising to Jongho to start tearing up after that. After his siblings were born, his mother took a complete one eighty and started ignoring him to attend to his siblings. Jongho grew up around maids and his friends, and he was thankful to have Mingi, San and Yunho since they were kids.
The queen took his hand and smiled at him, telling him that everything was going to be okay, but Jongho knew that was not going to be the case.
[...]
Mother.
It has been a month and a half since I eloped with the Gelida Prince and future King. I have been sending weekly letters to my father with information that I have gathered about the royals of the Ice Kingdom.
It has not been an easy task, due to the fact that I have not been alone for much time. I am either with my husband or with a maid of the castle. I am not alone unless I am with my court.
I have met someone that holds the same prejudice that my father does but against me. His name is Wooyoung and he is Seonghwa’s bodyguard. His anger is quiet. It is not like father's, where everybody at home knows his distaste. No, Wooyoung is quiet and his eyes throw daggers every time I am in the room.
Seonghwa is nice, he is still the nicest man I have ever known. Not only that, he is wise and funny. He is truly suited to be king.
I feel some sort of jealousy towards him, especially when I am not the one taking the crown of Ignaria. I am trying my hardest to dislike Park Seonghwa but I cannot find the means to do so.
Mother, Am I doing the right thing?
—Your son, Prince Jongho of Ignaria.
[...]
It had been two months.
Two months since he married Seonghwa.
Two months since his father told him to spy on the Gelida royal family.
Jongho was exhausted. It was so hard for him to keep the facade that his father told him to keep, while getting to know Seonghwa more and more and discovering how genuine he was. Every morning, for the past two months, he woke up to a man that had genuine feelings for him. If it was not love, then it was a strong connection. And of course, Jongho was not far behind.
One morning, Jongho woke up to the sight of Seonghwa’s face sleeping peacefully. It made his heart take a turn that left him feeling nauseous for the rest of the day. He ended up asking Yunho if he had fallen ill, to which Yunho laughed and patted his head.
“Do you like the view?” The question brought Jongho out of his head. He turned to see Seonghwa in full attire, which must have been surprising because Seonghwa laughed. “I was solving some things with the royals of other Kingdoms, I needed to dress up.”
Seonghwa sat down right next to Jongho. They were both in the garden of the castle, and despite the sun starting to set, it made the scenery even more beautiful. The snowy peaks of the mountains that surrounded Gelida were a good protection. Jongho remembered taking two full days to cross them so he could get to Gelida. The castle’s garden had a cozy feeling, it was messy but in an organized way. Blue flowers were most prominent, but Seonghwa’s mother had a variety of flowers from other Kingdoms in her greenhouse. Due to Gelida’s extreme weather during certain times of the year, some types of flora would not survive outside of the greenhouse.
“What was the meeting about?” Jongho asked, turning to see Seonghwa. The sleepy sun patting his skin ever so slightly, making it seem like he was glowing. Jongho could never understand how Seonghwa could get more beautiful every single day, it was like a plan to make him fall for him or something.
“Oh, nothing interesting. Just a bunch of old men talking politics,” Seonghwa chuckled as he took off the coat he was wearing and placed it over Jongho’s shoulders, surprising the younger. “You looked cold.”
The coat smelled like Seonghwa, a smell that Jongho was getting too used to. Seonghwa smelled like freshly cut flowers. Maybe he wore perfume, maybe that was just his natural scent. Jongho usually smelled like forest and campfire, but in a cozy way. The coat was also bigger than him, kind of off-putting because Seonghwa was just slightly taller than Jongho but it didn’t take him long to realize that it was a strategy to make Seonghwa look bigger and maybe even more intimidating.
“The coronation is this weekend, isn’t it?” Jongho said, looking at Seonghwa, who smiled and sighed, “Are you nervous?”
“A little bit,” Seonghwa answered, not looking at Jongho but instead at his hands. “But I will have you on my side, so I think I will be okay.”
Jongho’s heart squeezed, he was supposed to finish his job before the coronation, Jongho did not know what his father had in mind, but in one of the letters he got back his father simply told him that they were going to strike the day of the coronation. How? At what exact time? He didn’t know, but a part of him hoped it never happened, he hoped that his mother would change his father’s views after seeing how Jongho was finding happiness somewhere else.
No, actually, Jongho was sure his mother would never let him be happy outside of the security of the Ignaria Castle.
“Do you think something is going to happen?” Jongho asks quietly, shyly moving his hand to place it on top of Seonghwa’s hands, which were always soft and always cold, it was like touching a frozen mochi.
“Why would I?” Seonghwa asked in genuine confusion, tilting his head to the side with a small smile, “I have Wooyoung. I trust him with my life and the next one.”
Seonghwa seemed so carefree like he knew nothing was going to happen to him. And if something did happen, he was going to be fine.
“I also have you,” Seonghwa added to the sentence before grabbing Jongho’s hand and kissing each knuckle softly, making Jongho’s heart skip beats. Ever since Jongho expressed that he was starting to feel okay with physical contact (just between the two of them), Seonghwa has been spoiling him, “My knight in shining armor.”
“I should say that to you,” Jongho stuttered, cheeks as red as his hair. His husband had a way with words and every time he opened his mouth to compliment Jongho, the younger simply perished on the spot.
“We can be each other’s knights, it’s okay.”
Jongho remembered how stiff he was during the first couple of nights after the wedding, how most times Seonghwa had to tell him to calm down and that he was not going to do anything to him, mostly so Jongho’s defensive system would not set the bed on fire. As the nights continued, Jongho found himself gravitating towards Seonghwa, to the point of ending up finding himself hugging his husband. Seonghwa, as a naturally clingy person, did not mind but he casually told Jongho about it just in case the younger was uncomfortable, which he wasn’t, not anymore.
After the first month, Jongho noticed how he just unconsciously started to cling onto Seonghwa at night. At first he tried to justify it by saying that Seonghwa felt nice to cuddle with thanks to their difference in temperatures.
[...]
“My father said that you’re gonna get your face stuck like that if you keep doing that,” Mingi remarked to Jongho, who had been frowning for the past two minutes. As soon as the younger heard those words, his face relaxed as he groaned, letting his face fall to the book he is supposed to be reading. “Is something troubling you?”
Yes! I hate this messed-up mission, I hate that my parents did not care for me like Seonghwa’s parents cared for him. I hate that I grew feelings for him but I cannot express it like I want to.
“The coronation is in two days,” Jongho said, Mingi looked back at him, expectant, like he knew what Jongho was going through, “... Do you know what it feels to love someone?”
Ah, there it is.
Mingi’s eyes became really sad, but he did not stop looking at Jongho as he thought of an answer. Maybe it was a bad move on Jongho’s end to ask Mingi out of all people, knowing that Mingi and he would have possibly…
Yeah, Jongho was not the best at decision-making. That was why Yunho was his right-hand man.
“Loving feels like your whole body is on fire… in a good way,” Mingi started with that, making Jongho chuckle, “It is like you become a complete person when you are amongst that one person you love. It is like… even when you know that you might not be able to be with that person, you wish your best to them, you know?”
Ouch.
“It’s okay, Jjong,” Mingi whispered, noticing the shift in Jongho’s gaze, “I accepted it a really long time ago and I’ve been healing ever since.”
“Mingi, I’m sorry,” Jongho sounded hurt. It was so painful to see the person you cared about the most change.
“Don’t be, Seonghwa is a good man,” Mingi replied, patting Jongho’s shoulder. “I guess you have not been able to tell him your feelings about him.”
It was hard…
Jongho grew up in training for war, and to have the responsibility of a kingdom on his shoulders. He wasn't trained to pay attention to those simple things in life such as love. His father ruled with an iron fist in both the kingdom and his household. His mother, after the years passed, became colder than ice, even though she was one of the most powerful fire fairies in Ignaria. His siblings looked up to him until they looked down on him. Jongho never met an environment where it was safe to express his feelings without being looked down on or mocked for it.
“I don’t know how to tell him,” Jongho decided to respond, but Mingi knew him. “He’s just such a loveable person, he just gives and gives and he doesn’t expect to get love back and I think it is unfair. I want to return my love to him, but it is so hard for me to do so.”
“He’s simple,” A new voice joined them. Jongho quickly turned to see Wooyung standing at the door of the library, holding a book in his hand. “You could breathe in his direction and it would be enough for him.”
Jongho gulped as he watched Wooyoung slowly enter the room. Their relationship in the past months has changed just enough for Wooyoung to tolerate Jongho to the point of stopping throwing glares at the poor boy, but not enough for Wooyoung to smile at Jongho how he smiles at Seonghwa, but now Jongho knew that Wooyoung smiled.
“Hi,” Mingi said with a wide smile, in which Wooyoung responded with a kiss on the lips.
Wait a minute-
“You two?!” Jongho almost yelled, but was shushed by Mingi himself. It was the private library of the castle, and they were the only people there, but Mingi still shushed Jongho out of respect for the room. Wooyoung, on the other hand, had a smirk that made him resemble that cat from a kids book that Jongho was scared of when he was young.
“My point is, Jongho,” Mingi continued with a smile that showed in his whole face, “You have to accept it by yourself and then tell him. I have not been interacting with him a lot but, from what Woo and you have been telling me, he would wait for you till the end of time.”
Accept what? That Jongho has been allowing Seonghwa into his space even though his father expects for him to just betray him because he thinks that Jongho is a carbon copy of him. Seonghwa also has opened up about his own struggles of being an only child with too many expectations put on him.
As Jongho left the library, thoughts were invading his mind, what was he supposed to do? Betray his father and consecutively, his kingdom? Betray Seonghwa and the bond they have formed in the past? Run away? Was the answer to run away away?
No, he was not a coward, he was not running away.
He needed to tell Seonghwa how much he meant to him.
[...]
Mother.
I… Think I am in love with Park Seonghwa of Gelida.
The young prince stared at the letter, the beige paper laying expectantly on the table. He was feeling completely hopeless at this point. He wanted to do the right thing, he wanted to be able to not disappoint his father without also giving Seonghwa terrible amounts of pain.
But what was the right thing to do?
For his father, the right thing was the amount of information Jongho had been giving to him for the past months so he could do terrible things to Gelida and its people. Jongho didn’t notice until he knew the pure hatred his father had against the ice fairies, and how he tried to make Jongho feel the same.
On the other hand, not only Seonghwa, but the entire Park family had proven themselves to be the complete opposite of what his father had told them they were. Seonghwa’s parents were kind hearted, loyal, honest and ruled their kingdom with those same principles.
Jongho was laying down in the bed as he stared at the ceiling, so deep in thought, he didn’t notice his husband entering the room. It was the night before the Coronation. Tomorrow, at that hour Seonghwa was going to be the king of Gelida and the small towns that surrounded it. Well that was the plan, but Jongho knew about the real plan.
He knew that Seonghwa would never forgive him for betraying him like that. hell, even Seonghwa would throw him in a cell to rot if he survived whatever Jongho’s father had planned. Jongho would throw himself in a cell if Seonghwa didn’t do it. he also knows that Seonghwa will quickly forgive him and possibly will send him home and forget about him. Honestly, all options sound horrible.
“You okay?” Seonghwa asked, sitting down in the bed, noticing Jongho’s sour face and whole mood overall. Jongho finally looked at Seonghwa and he felt like crying. He was such a horrible person, why was he doing this?
“Just nervous,” Jongho muttered while sitting down. He soon noticed his lack of clothes in comparison to Seonghwa. Jongho was barely wearing a simple robe with absolutely nothing underneath. “Big day tomorrow, huh?”
“Yeah.”
Seonghwa and Jongho looked at each other’s eyes for a split second before the younger broke the eye contact, cheeks bright and blushing rather strongly, which made the oldest chuckle and place a hand under Jongho’s face to hold his cheek so he could caress it. Jongho looked back at him, big doe eyes full of stars staring at the man he married, the man he had his whole heart at this point.
“Can I kiss you?”
Jongho was stunned by the words that came out of Seonghwa's mouth, he heard them loud and clear, he read Seonghwa’s lips and saw the intention in his eyes.
“Please.”
The kiss was barely a peck, their lips barely touching but Jongho felt like he was about to burst into flames. Seonghwa’s lips tasted like blueberries, they were as cold as the rest of his body was, something that Jongho started to really enjoy.
“I want to give you a gift,” Jongho muttered after they separated from the kiss, his head was spinning and the only thing he had in his mind was Seonghwa. He stood up and placed himself in front of his husband, cheeks blushing as he untied the knot that kept the robe together. As soon as he realized what was happening, Seonghwa’s cheeks also started to redden.
“Are you… Are you sure of this?” Seonghwa asked softly, placing his cold hands in Jongho’s hips, which made Jongho shiver, his insides heating up at a faster pace.
“Yes, I want this, I want you.”
There was something that clicked on Seonghwa’s brain as Jongho perceived how his husband’s pupils dilated and softly pulled Jongho into his lap.
“Jongho, you are so beautiful,” Seonghwa whispered as he approached Jongho’s lips once again.
Jongho discovered many things about himself that night. He loved loved how Seonghwa held him as he entered inside of him, how Seonghwa whispered sweet nothings onto his ear and helped him control his temperature with his own cold. Seonghwa took his time to kiss every inch of Jongho’s tan skin, to worship him like the prince he was, to make him know how worthy he was. Jongho never felt the sense of security and peace that he was feeling in that moment with Seonghwa. He felt like he was in the heavens.
They both chanted their names as they reached euphoria, accompanied with small words of love on Seonghwa’s part, Jongho being too gone to think about something else that wasn’t Seonghwa. In that moment there were no Ignaria or Gelida, no kings that wanted war or life expectations, just Seonghwa and Jongho.
If he wasn’t in love before, he sure was now.
[...]
Jongho woke up to an uncomfortable cold, noticing that Seonghwa was out of bed. The younger shifted to the side as he opened his eyes and noticed his husband standing in front of his desk, it took Jongho two seconds to realize what was in it.
Fuck.
Fuck, fuck fuck.
“Seonghwa,” Jongho said in a grumble, trying to stand up from the bed. Seonghwa was already almost fully dressed and, even though Jongho could not see his face, he absolutely noticed the slight shake in Seonghwa’s free hand.
When Seonghwa turned, Jongho’s heart ached so hard he was afraid it broke. Seonghwa’s face was slightly blushed, not due to make up, but due to the tears that were streaming down his face, he was holding one of the letters from Jongho’s father in his shaky hand.
“Seonghwa, I… I can explain, ” Jongho stood up, quickly trying to approach his husband, who took a step back, fearful. Jongho’s eyes were starting to fill with tears, Seonghwa was looking at him in fear. “It was all my father’s plan, I didn't know any better! I changed, I fell in love with you!”
“He did this to start a war?” Seonghwa asked softly, visibly trying to calm himself down. Jongho gulped as he slowly approached Seonghwa again and successfully took the letter away from him. The anger boiling from Jongho’s guts making his hand start to heat up and eventually burn the letter to a crisp, Seonghwa stood there. “Please answer me.”
Jongho’s eyes were on the floor, where the letter was laying, burnt down. He was trying to hold back the tears, his eyes finally coming back to their original brown. Everything was falling apart, everything that was so hard to build up. If he told Jongho from two months ago how happy he was, he would not have believed him. Jongho realized how damaging his parents were but he kept pushing, he kept looking for information, he kept feeding his parents information they had no right to know.
“Jongho, look at me.”
And still, Seonghwa spoke to him with that voice, with that soft voice of a man that did not deserve him. Jongho looked up, Seonghwa had stopped crying but his face was still red and he looked oh so broken.
“Are you locking me away?” Jongho adked tiredly, his lips quivered as he stared at Seonghwa’s face, not his eyes, he did not have the pride to look Seonghwa in the eye.
“Don’t be silly,” Seonghwa chuckled wetly. “It would ruin our image, our parents set us up for a reason...whatever that one might be.”
Oh.
Jongho’s tears started going down his face, he looked at Seonghwa with disbelief. After what he discovered, Seonghwa still wanted to keep their image and not lock away Jongho to rot, even though he would be right to do so. Jongho did not understand how Seonghwa wasn’t angry, how he wasn’t screaming and calling Wooyoung to decapitate him. But then Jongho remembered how Seonghwa was, and that made him cry harder.
“I’m so sorry, Seonghwa,” Jongho sobbed.
“Don’t cry, you have to get ready. The coronation will start soon.”
With that, Seonghwa left the room, leaving Jongho alone. It made the young prince break down in place, his knees giving up and making fall to the ground.
Mingi was right. Of course Mingi was right.
[...]
His new uniform felt heavy and itchy. It did not fit, not because it was wrongly measured, but because Jongho did not deserve to be there. He had a long explanation to give to the maids who were doing his makeup on why his face was so puffy and red. He lied and said that his powers sometimes did that. Of course, they were not very satisfied with that answer but decided to not talk about it.
Jongho hated the sight he was seeing in the mirror.
The new uniform was similar to his wedding attire, but it was white fabrics that replaced the black. The red made a nice contrast with the white, and Jongho assumed this piece of clothing was made to match Seonghwa. Of course it was made to match Seonghwa.
“Lord Jongho, you look so beautiful” One of the maids said. Jongho had a bare expression in his face, staring at himself up and down the mirror.
“Where is my court?” Jongho asked softly, as he didn’t have the strength to talk any louder.
“They’re getting ready on their own, along with prince Seonghwa’s court.” Another maid answered as she helped Jongho step down from the podium. He looked up at the clock, it was already nine thirty, the coronation started at eleven.
Before the ceremony, there was breakfast with the whole royal family, including his and Seonghwa’s courts. Suddenly he felt like throwing up, the thought of being surrounded by everyone and that they might know what happened made him so sick in the stomach that they had to lie to all of them. The maids luckily did not notice his change of aura and guided him to the dining room, where his court was already there.
“Jongho, are you okay?” San quickly asked as he saw Jongho’s sour expression.
“He knows.”
They all stopped in their tracks and saw him with scared expressions in their eyes.
“Is he-”
“No, he…” Jongho took a deep breath, remembering those words hurt him so much. “He said he wasn’t going to tell anyone… to keep appearances and stuff.”
Mingi was the first one to take a step towards Jongho. Mingi was the one who told him about this being a bad idea and Jongho didn’t listen to him. Mingi was the one who would slap him and tell him a well deserved ‘I told you so’. But he didn’t, instead, Mingi hugged him tightly. Jongho felt like crying again, but he didn’t want to ruin the maid’s hard work on his makeup.
“Let’s just hope that they don’t proceed with the plan,” The taller one said, sighing. “...You looked like you needed a hug.”
The door opened before Jongho could say anything else, revealing the king and queen, Seonghwa’s court, and finally, Seonghwa. Jongho had to look away because Seonghwa looked absolutely stunning with the uniform the tailor made for him, even more stunning than on their wedding day.
Breakfast went on very uneventfully. Seonghwa acted like nothing was wrong, he acted so well put together when Jongho felt like he was going to have a mental breakdown. He barely touched the food or gave small bites, when questioned why, he said that he was so nervous that he was afraid of throwing up.
“Oh, I was feeling the same when I married Seonghwa’s father.” The queen said before laughing. “At least finish your rice, it will get you through the main event and then you can eat afterwards.”
“And that meal will taste like victory,” Seonghwa’s father added, smiling at his wife who smiled at him back, widely, full of love. “Nothing is better than the meal after such a big event.”
Seonghwa turned to see him with a smile and Jongho tried to return it, ending with a weird expression on his lips that mocked a smile. They all finished their plates, (Jongho did end up finishing the rice and his body thanked him for it) and parted ways. The royal courts went to get their carousels, as well as the queen and king, which meant that Jongho and Seonghwa were alone once again.
As they walked towards the front of the castle, where a crowd of people was waiting for them, Jongho realized how anxious he was, not only because of the obvious betrayal. This was his first appearance to the public of Gelida, and he was terrified. During breakfast, Hongjoong pointed out that there were going to be people both at the entrance of the castle and in the entrance of the cathedral, a different cathedral from where Jongho and Seonghwa got married.
They were in front of the doors when Seonghwa dared to ask.
“Was it worth it?”
“No,” Jongho simply responded. “Because I’m losing the only thing that brings me happiness.”
Seonghwa chuckled and offered Jongho his arm so they could link both their arms.
“I’m so-”
“Don’t apologize.”
Before he could say anything else, the door opened and he had to pull out a happy face once again.
The sun shone brightly in the Gelida sky, there was not a single cloud in the sky and the spring sun was touching his skin nicely. Jongho and Seonghwa stood at the entrance of the castle for a good minute, letting the people of Gelida clap and cheer for them. Jongho had never seen a kingdom so excited to see their future ruler, but then again, Ignaria and Gelida were complete opposites.
[...]
If Jongho thought that the cathedral where Seonghwa and he got married was stunning, then this one took his breath away. The windows were decorated with glass art of every Gelida ruler, up until Seonghwa’s father, who had a blank window right next to him, where Seonghwa’s glass was going to be placed. They were walking down the aisle so he couldn’t see much of the cathedral, but he could see the number of people that were there. Princesses, princes, royals of every kingdom were there to celebrate his husband’s coronation. Seonghwa’s plan of befriending every kingdom seemed to work, because they were all smiling, or at least had a proud look on their faces. Some seemed surprised to see Jongho right next to Seonghwa as his spouse, but of course, they all said nothing.
Jongho joined Seonghwa’s mother at the first row of the cathedral as Seonghwa’s father was standing right in the middle and Seonghwa stood in front of him, chest filled with pride and face high, looking directly at his father.
The man couldn’t say a word when there was the sound of glass breaking.
Jongho stood up to see a man, his father’s personal assassin, Jongho knew him pretty well. The man stood surrounded by the shattered glass, with a confident look on his face, looking directly at Seonghwa. His sole purpose was to kill. The young prince was frozen in place, he could see how Wooyoung and San worked together to get the other royals out of danger.
“Jongho we need to leave,” Seonghwa’s mother said in a small panicked voice. Jongho could not stop staring at Seonghwa, who looked like he was ready to fight, he was ready to possibly sacrifice himself.
Ice fairies were the biggest enemies of the fire faeries for a reason. They were powerful enough to go against them in a fight, one that would end in disaster, due to the Ice fairies' nature against fire. It made them vulnerable against the destructive power of fire. Jongho learned that ice fairies’ fighting style was more defensive, and that they worked hard on perfecting their magic for that exact same reason. If Seonghwa were to fight against the assassin, he would certainly die.
“You seem to know why I’m here, icey,” The man called out to Seonghwa, who took his cape off and threw it to the side, “Let’s make this quick, shall we?”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to protect the people of Gelida,” Seonghwa said
It was like everything went in slow motion. Jongho saw Seonghwa get in position, then the assassin prepared a spell that Jongho learned when he was thirteen. A death spell that required having a knife to be a hundred percent effective. The problem was, it was not effective against fire users, but extremely effective towards any others.
The Prince of Ignaria, the husband of the King of Gelida, quickly moved to place himself in between his husband and the blast that went directly to his heart. The hit came in the form of a deep feeling of getting burnt, making Jongho scream in pain, but that didn’t stop him from hearing Seonghwa yell his name.
Jongho fell backward, directly to Seonghwa’s arms, he was in and out of consciousness. He didn’t know any healing spells, he was not prepared to learn any healing spells. Yunho was the one that knew about those, he was a healer after all.
“How can you be so incredibly stupid?” Seonghwa’s voice made him go back, Jongho turned to see San and Wooyoung giving the assassin the beating of his life. Who knew fire and ice could go so well together?
He also noticed Yunho running up to him, “Why did you do that?!” Oh no, Seonghwa was crying.
“I think I needed to redeem myself,” Jongho mumbled, looking at his husband with a small smile. Yunho rolled his eyes and started working on the healing spell. “Hwa… I am truly sorry for this pain that I caused you.”
“You sound like you’re dying. Is he dying?!” Seonghwa asked in a panicked voice, Yunho rolled his eyes once.
“Why don’t you tell him yourself, Jongho?” Yunho’s tone was tired, he had known Jongho since a very young age after all. Seonghwa on the other hand seemed confused.
“Fire spells are not lethal to fire fairies,” Jongho started saying, feeling a lot better already. Seonghwa looked confused for a second, watching how Jongho’s smile was growing, before he stood up laughing, leaving his husband on the ground. “Hwa!”
“I thought you were dying and you're laughing at me!” Seonghwa exclaimed, turning to face Jongho. His face was red with anger, but Jongho could notice he wasn’t really upset. The fire prince stood up and walked towards the ice prince. As Jongho stood up in front of Seonghwa, the older looked him directly in the eye. “Why did you do that?”
“Because I wanted to demonstrate to you where my loyalty lies,” Jongho took a step forward, staring at Seonghwa’s grey eyes, which were sparkling with the residue of tears. Jongho grabbed one of Seonghwa’s hands, the one that had his wedding ring, a small golden hoop with a small ruby in it that represented Jongho. “Listen, I… I know what I did was wrong and I don’t hope you forgive me easily… But I want you to know that nobody will take me away from your side.”
Seonghwa looked at him with his big doe eyes. Jongho noticed how people started to gather around them. Wooyoung and San looked kind of beaten up but they looked okay. Yunho and Hongjoong were right next to the king and queen, who were anxiously waiting to see their boy. Yeosang and Mingi seemed relieved that they are both okay.
“I...I love you Seonghwa,” The confession felt like a weight leaving his shoulders. It was barely a whisper, but he was sure Seonghwa heard it, due to the gasp he heard coming from the older. Jongho wasn’t looking at him, he was looking at their hands, more specifically, at their rings. Jongho’s ring matched Seonghwa's, but it was instead silver and with a sapphire that represented the crown prince, “It took me so long to realize, you are… an amazing human being and living without you is like a nightmare.”
Seonghwa didn’t say anything just yet, hyperfocused on Jongho, with the intent to listen to every word that left the younger’s mouth.
“I don’t know what spell you put on me that I’m so smitten towards you,” The prince said in a wet chuckle, rubbing his thumb against Seonghwa’s palm.
“I think we just fell for each other, Jjong. That’s okay,” Seonghwa whispered, also chuckling with tears in his eyes, “Jongho, I love you so much that when I found out about that… plan... I was so afraid of losing you.”
It was Jongho who held Seonghwa’s cheeks this time, brushing the tears off his face.
“What are we going to do now?”
“We’ll figure something out. My father is not liked anywhere, it’s going to be hard for him to find allies.”
Seonghwa looked like he wanted to say something but Jongho stopped him from doing so with a kiss. It felt so good, even though it has not been twenty four hours since the last time they kissed, Jongho did not want to stay away from Seonghwa, not even two seconds away.
Seonghwa once mentioned Jongho being his knight in shining armor.
And Jongho was going to be that and so much more.