Chapter Text
Waves hit the hull of the ship in strong, even intervals that did little to calm Hanbin’s mind.
It was late, so late that he could tell even Jiwoong was dozing off where he stood with his back against the foremast. The black of his uniform made him blend in with the night. Hanbin had told him to go to bed several times already, but Jiwoong had stoically refused.
None of the soul guards would allow themselves much rest as long as they were out of Sung Keep.
Hanbin knew that and he felt bad about making it even harder for his oldest friend. Still, he couldn’t retire to his cabin just yet. He wasn’t even particularly fond of the sea, he was only fond of things that came from it, but this late at night, being out here by himself helped him sort out his thoughts. When he had been young, his mother had told him not to take his sorrows to bed with him and so he was standing out here at the taffrail of the ship, watching it glide across the sea.
“Won’t you come to bed?”
The voice didn’t startle him. He had known he wouldn’t get away with hiding out here for very long. Hanbin turned around and smiled, because how could he not, looking at his husband.
Naturally, he reached for him. “Hao, my Haohao.”
Hao huffed. With satisfaction, Hanbin watched as the faintest hint of pink appeared on his cheeks. He’d never get enough of the sight. Their souls were intertwined to follow each other into every lifetime—Hanbin had made sure of that—and still, it would never be enough.
“What are you doing out here so late, Bin-ah?” Hao took Hanbin’s cool hands into his warm ones. “It’s too cold.”
“I just came out here to look at the stars.” Hanbin wasn’t in the habit of lying to his husband, which is why it didn’t surprise him when Hao immediately called him out on it, “Don’t lie to me.”
Properly chastised, Hanbin inclined his head. “I came out here to think.”
“An admirable undertaking.”
Hanbin lightly scoffed at Hao’s joke, feeling warmth seep into his bones. The winds whipping across the deck weren’t letting up, but with Hao in front of him, he might as well have been standing in the sun. Hao warmed him from the inside.
“I do do that sometimes, you know?”
Hao hummed, one of his hands coming up to brush over the circlet adorning Hanbin’s forehead. Hanbin had meant to take it off already, but he had been wearing it so often lately that he’d stopped feeling its weight. Almost.
Hao tugged on one of the silver spikes that imitated the antlers of a stag. “I feel like you’ve been doing a little too much of it lately.”
Hanbin didn’t have to fight to keep the smile on his face. Not as long as Hao was with him. “Maybe.”
“Is it about the summit?”
Hanbin hummed.
A month ago, a letter had reached Sung Court. Stained with salt and ink, the letter had contained an invitation from the King of the Thousand Islands, welcoming representatives from all the kingdoms in the lands to come and marvel at how much the Thousand Islands had flourished ever since the rise of their new king.
Hanbin hadn’t wanted to accept the invitation. Hao had. So, they went.
Once they had decided to accept the invitation, his father had called him into his rooms and they had spent hours talking. Hanbin had not come out of that meeting the same man he had been when he had gone in and he was struggling to hide that from Hao.
“Are you nervous?” Real worry began to creep onto Hao’s face and Hanbin couldn’t have that.
He intertwined their fingers, doubling his efforts to smile. “Not more than necessary.”
Hao blew out a shaky breath, nodding.
Hanbin frowned. “Are you nervous? You’re the guest of honour, I wouldn’t blame you.”
Hao squared his shoulders and with his chin lifted upwards, he looked every bit as regal as he was. Hao had been born a crown prince the same as Hanbin, but he had become a king before him. Hanbin would never forget that.
“It will be fine. I have no doubt Keita will be more than accommodating.”
Hanbin failed to hide the scowl that took over his face.
Hao laughed at him, squishing his cheeks. “Don’t sulk, Hanbin-ah. It’s unbecoming of a future king.”
Hanbin’s anger, brought forward by anguish, waned as quickly as it had risen the moment Hao touched his face. Hao smoothed out the crease between his eyebrows with a smile.
Hanbin worked hard to unclench his jaw. His lessons in poise and pretence had been nowhere near as rigorous as Hao’s while growing up, but he still knew it was unseemly of a future king to go around pouting.
“I’m not sulking. I just don’t like how fond he is of you.” Hanbin touched Hao’s face in return, the most precious face in the world to him.
“He’s just grateful for all the aid the Zhang kingdom has afforded him on my behalf.”
“It doesn’t take novel-length letters to express gratitude.”
“You worry for nothing, Hanbin.” Hao shot him a mischievous grin. “He can’t very well poison me a second time, can he?”
“Don’t even joke about that—”
Hao stopped grinning when he saw the real pain in Hanbin’s eyes. He pressed closer, allowing Hanbin to breathe again. “I’m sorry.”
Hanbin shook his head as he lifted Hao’s hands to his mouth. The sight of the bone ring on Hao’s finger did a lot more to calm him down than anything else. Hao had come back to him. No matter what, Hao had come back to him.
“Nothing in the world is as dear to me as you are. Keita nearly took you from me. You can forgive him and we can attend this summit so he can brag about how well he’s been doing for himself, but he will never earn my forgiveness. I can never forgive him because he will never know what it felt like.”
Hao’s eyes were soft as he leaned closer, pressing a gentle kiss to Hanbin’s lips. “I love you, Sung Hanbin. Don’t worry, I’ll be forgiving for us both.”
“I dream of you,” Hanbin gave back, desperately.
Hao smiled and kissed him again and took him by the hand. “Let’s go to bed now. We are going to arrive around noon tomorrow so we should get some sleep before that.”
The knot in Hanbin’s chest hadn’t yet been dissolved, not by the waves nor the stars, but he felt it less with Hao’s hand in his own, leading him to rest.
There was nowhere he wouldn’t have followed him.
*
The Thousand Islands were just what their name promised: a thousand islands clustered across a patch of sea bigger than most of the kingdoms on land.
But not bigger than Sung Kingdom, Hanbin thought smugly. His kingdom was still bigger, and whole. The Thousand Islands were fragmented, splatters of land in an unforgiving sea. Some islands were no bigger than the ship they were standing on and some were so large that Hanbin couldn’t see their end past the horizon.
“I see land!” Yujin crowed where he was hanging over the railing by the figurehead.
Gyuvin had a hand fisted into the back of his shirt, keeping him from falling into the sea.
When Hanbin passed them by, the soul guard shot Hanbin a look that said something along the lines of, You should have left us at home. Coupled with the green tint to Gyuvin’s skin, Hanbin felt bad for his friend, but he could do little but shrug in return.
He had tried to convince Yujin to stay at home, but Yujin had been insistent on coming along when he’d learned that everyone was leaving except for him. In turn, Hanbin had felt bad. Admittedly, he wasn’t very good at denying his little brother things.
“This is fascinating,” Taerae said as he swished around some seawater in a corked vial. “I collected this sample last night and the algae showed signs of bioluminescence, but in the sunlight, they just look black.”
Sitting next to him at the large table that they liked to drag onto the main deck to have breakfast, Matthew hummed in return. He was clearly distracted by the dice he was playing with. Ricky, sitting with them, swatted both at the dice and the various samples of something Taerae had spread out across the table to make space for the stack of papers he’d brought. Hanbin was well familiar with the stack. It were notes on all the possible attendees of the summit, their position, lineage and relations.
By virtue of his position, Hanbin knew most of them by heart anyway, as did Hao, but Ricky had been insistent that they not make a fool out of themselves. There was reason in that, so they had let Ricky quiz them these past couple of nights. At this point, Hanbin was sure even Jiwoong and Gunwook could recite the guest list in their sleep.
He was a little jealous of Matthew, who had a unique talent for memorising people’s faces and stations and therefore didn’t need to study. Matthew did have great fun throwing chunks of bread at them whenever they got something wrong, though. Hanbin just figured that was what he had named him his Royal Advisor for. Professional best friend! Matthew cheered every time someone reminded him of that fact.
“Hanbin, who is this?” Ricky turned one of the papers in his hands to show Hanbin the drawing of a young man with laughter in his eyes. The crown on his head was slightly tilted.
“Myung kingdom,” Hanbin said as he sat down. “Crown Prince Jaehyun, second of his name. I’ve met him before. We are friendly.”
Ricky nodded. “I exchanged letters with the ambassador to the Myung kingdom before our departure. Prince Jaehyun’s presence is guaranteed so remember him.”
“He knows, darling.” With a heavy clank of his armour, Jiwoong sat down next to Ricky. He took the papers from Ricky’s hands to press a peeled tangerine into his hands instead. “Even I recognised him. You’ve prepared both Our Highnesses more than thoroughly.”
“And on the off-chance that either of them do forget a name, I’ll be right there.” Matthew grinned.
Frowning, Ricky shook his head. “I don’t think I have to remind all of you how important this summit is. The Thousand Islands are opening their ports for the first time in a hundred years. I doubt there is any kingdom in the lands who will pass up the opportunity to see what has become of them.”
“You did well enough in preparing us.” Hao’s voice was like a fresh summer breeze as he came up to the table. Or maybe it just was to Hanbin, but Hao gathered everyone’s attention nonetheless.
Hao smiled as he sat down next to Ricky, leaning over to briefly touch Ricky’s hair. It was a unique privilege, to be able to touch the blessed white strands.
Hanbin was pretty sure Jiwoong would have cut off the hand of anyone else who would have dared to try doing that. Alas, Ricky worshipped his prince almost as much as he worshipped the gods so Jiwoong let it pass. Even if he was watching with hawk eyes.
Hanbin laughed and, taking a page out of Matthew’s book, threw a chunk of bread at him. Jiwoong didn’t even flinch.
Ricky said something to Hao in Zhang that made Hao smile.
“But we are protected, Ricky,” Hao told him. “Jiwoong is right. You worry too much.”
“Someone has to have a sense of responsibility on this ship,” Ricky grumbled, but instead of his papers, he picked up the tangerine Jiwoong had peeled for him.
“I don’t know, I’m plenty responsible.” Matthew popped a grape into his mouth.
“The only other person I’d entrust with any type of responsibility on this ship is Taerae.”
Taerae looked up from the—Hanbin squinted to be able to see—muddy water he was examining to shoot Ricky a smile. “Thank you, Ricky.”
Ricky smiled back at him.
A scream made all of them look towards the front of the ship. Jiwoong and Gunwook were on their feet in an instant, swords drawn. Hanbin got to his feet too when he saw Yujin running towards them. He barely had time to open his arms before Yujin was barrelling into them.
“Hyung!”
Hanbin tried very, very hard not to panic immediately. “What happened?”
Yujin coughed, wheezing as he struggled to catch his breath. Hanbin felt an iron fist clamp around his chest just the same. Five years had passed since they had been ambushed by insurgents and Yujin had long since recovered, but his lungs had stayed weak. Hanbin tried not to let guilt rise in his chest as he watched Yujin fight for breath. It’s not your fault, he tried to tell himself, trying to recall the words in Hao’s voice. A glance at Hao told him that Hao was already silently telling him the same thing.
“It’s Gyuvin,” Yujin managed to wheeze out eventually.
A jar full of some type of slimy green hit the floor and shattered when Taerae got to his feet. Jiwoong was just as fast.
“He threw up.” Yujin quickly placated both Kim brothers, then the rest of them. “Seafare isn’t for him, it seems. We will arrive soon, yes?”
“We better!” Gyuvin’s voice rang out.
Squinting against the sun, Hanbin could make out Gyuvin, sprawled out on the floorboards by the bow of the ship. Gunwook went over to drag him to his feet, patting the dust from Gyuvin’s back before bringing him over.
While Gunwook helped him to a chair at the table, Taerae promptly rummaged around in his medicine bag to procure a deep blue vial. “Drink this. It will help you feel better.”
“Thank you.”
Taerae palpated his brother’s face, neck and shoulders in the way he was prone to do to all of them from time to time. “You should go and lay down in the crew rest.”
“No.” Gyuvin grimaced as he threw back the vial, visibly disgusted at the taste. He shook it off remarkably quickly. “A good soldier never abandons their post.”
“You can go sleep a little.” Jiwoong placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Nothing is going to happen until we reach the Islands.”
“You wouldn’t do that, so don’t make me.”
Jiwoong sighed, running a hand over his brother’s hair.
“I want to play,” Yujin announced, loudly enough to make everyone look at him.
Gyuvin nodded, dragging himself to his feet. He swayed a little on his feet, but then he was steady. “Let’s go play.”
Yujin grinned as he looked up at the sun, squinting and fanning his face. “But it’s terribly hot out here. I think I want to play below deck. The doctor’s quarters must be nice and cool at this time of day, right? Taerae, what do you think?”
Taerae blinked, then a smile took over his features. “Oh, without a doubt!”
Yujin grinned and grabbed Gyuvin by the shoulder, dragging him off in the direction of the doctor’s quarters. Naturally, Gyuvin had no choice but to follow him.
Taerae was right behind them, struggling to pack up all his research.
“Go, I’ll help you carry,” Matthew promised, gathering all of Taerae’s notes and jars and vials for him.
Taerae shot him a grateful smile before he ran after his brother.
“You too,” Hanbin told Jiwoong. “Go with them.”
Jiwoong shook his head, even if Hanbin could see in his eyes that he wanted nothing more than to run after his younger brothers.
“Go, Jiwoong,” Hao said, picking up a piece of bread. “We’re in the middle of the sea and if something should happen, Gunwook will protect us.”
“I order you to go,” Hanbin added, grinning to reassure Jiwoong that he’d be just fine.
Jiwoong sighed. “Thank you,” he mumbled.
Ricky took his hand, the gesture enough to erase the worst of the twist to Jiwoong’s grimace, and they left together. Hanbin watched after them with fond amusement before he picked up one of the papers that Ricky had left. “Want me to quiz you?”
Hao blinked. “It is quite hot out here now that Yujin has mentioned it. We should all go underdeck, I think, and rest a little.”
Hanbin laughed. “Agreed.” He dropped the paper to round the table. Not holding Hao’s hand simply wasn’t something he was interested in. “Not that you get heatstroke again.”
Hao scoffed at him. “I’m actually built for this weather, you know? It’s not my fault the heat in the North is so oppressive. It’s like you get a month of full sun a year and that is supposed to make up for the drizzly rest.”
Hanbin pressed a kiss to his knuckles. “I apologise for the weather in my kingdom. I will have a serious word with the gods.”
Hao rolled his eyes, but swung their hands as they went to follow their friends. Gunwook brought up the rear, his eyes trailing across the sea before he followed after them.
*
The sun stood at its highest point in the sky when a shout rang out across the deck, the sailor in the crow’s nest calling out to the rest of the crew in warning. They had passed by a good number of islands already, but this was the first time they were graced with company.
Hanbin walked from railing to railing to find that their ship was joined by two small, sleek sailboats, gliding along the Sung ship like the wings of a bird. They didn’t come any closer than that. It made the men on their ship nervous. Hanbin could tell by the way even the captain looked irritated at the presence of their escort.
“Pirates.” The bearded man shook his head and spit over the railing.
“They’re not pirates anymore,” Hao said mildly as he passed him by. “They fly the flag of their king, just like we do.”
The captain didn’t look very convinced, but he was not going to argue with Hao. Hanbin knew that it was not just because Hao was his Prince Consort. Like most of the men in the royal fleet, the captain of their ship was from a small, rural village.
Among the Sung people, Hao had many monikers. The people in the capital called him sun prince because of his homeland and the bright smiles he brought to the people he met, especially to their treasured crown prince. Hanbin could feel the same smile on his face at that very moment.
The rural folk were different, though. Farther in the countryside, the people called Hao suhosungin . Patron saint. The one who had come to protect them from war and famine. Sung Hao! they would call for him whenever Hao and Hanbin visited the outskirts of the kingdom. Saint Hao, come and be peace!
It was a title reserved for the royal family, which Hao belonged to by oath and not by blood. And yet, Hao held all these people’s reverence. Hanbin was merely glad that he wasn’t alone in his worship.
“This ship will not sink as long as you are on it,” the captain told Hao, “but I do fear for the day we anchor in the pirate king’s port.”
Hao only smiled. “You have protected us at sea, Captain. Trust me to protect you on land.”
“Respectfully, Your Highness, you won’t see me setting a foot on land as long as we’re docked in pirate waters, but I do take your blessing for what it is.” The captain bowed his hand.
“That’s all I can ask of you, Captain, thank you.”
The captain glanced towards Hanbin. Hanbin released him with a nod. The older man left them at that, probably to appease the rest of the seamen. Hanbin remained where he belonged, right by Hao’s side. There were stars in Hao’s eyes as he looked into the distance.
“All the books speak of destruction and lands left barren by war, but this is beautiful.”
Standing next to Hao at the railing, Hanbin couldn’t help but agree. All that Hanbin knew of the Islands, he knew from books and the extensive history lessons he had sat through as a child. In them, the Thousand Islands had been more of an afterthought.
“The Islands are beautiful and rich in natural resources, but most of them have been left distraught by a hundred years of infighting and piratery,” his old teacher had explained to him. “No ship enters their waters and returns without something lost. Even the grandest promise of treasure is not worth a voyage.”
What Hanbin saw right now didn’t belie his teacher’s warning. Most of the islands showed traces of the hundred-year war, of fires leaving entire islands buried under a thick layer of black dust and wooden posts that had long since fallen into the sea, their remnants sticking out of the water like the bones of gigantic fish.
But, there were also efforts to rebuild. Hanbin could see it. The islands that had survived were brimming with flora and fauna and people, a thousand small boats lying at their coasts. The Thousand Islands were vivid and incredibly vibrant in their colours. Above all, Hanbin noticed how, where there was life, there was also the pirate king’s flag.
“I think I’d go to war for a hundred years too if this was my home.”
Hanbin made an effort not to grimace. “Do you like it that much?”
Hao laughed at him, stepping closer so he could take Hanbin’s hand and press a kiss to the back of it. “Yes, but I’ve found that pretty scenery is not what makes a home.”
“What is it, then?”
“People, of course. The ones you hold dear and such.”
“Like I hold you.”
“And I hold you.” Hao intertwined their fingers where they stood. “You, I hold dearest.”
Hanbin smiled. He could only hope Hao knew how very much he treasured him in return.
*
They reached Salting Bay and its port, which was also the main port of the Thousand Islands, just as the sun began to lower in the sky. Their escorting sailboats had left them as soon as they entered the bay, but Hanbin could already see the welcoming party awaiting them on the docks.
“Just in time for dinner,” Matthew commented as they watched the crew lower their anchor.
Ricky didn’t hesitate to whack him with his fan. “A bit of decorum, please. We’re here on an official mission.”
“Which hopefully includes dinner!”
“I’m with Matthew,” Taerae said while letting Jiwoong straighten out his clothes. “It’s hard to think on an empty stomach.”
“You all talk like I don’t feed you.” Hanbin frowned.
“No, you do! And we’re very thankful!”
“You’re the best, hyung!” Yujin smiled as he joined their row.
“Finally.” Out of all of them, Gyuvin looked the most relieved to finally see solid ground again.
Hanbin rolled his eyes, taking his spot by Hao’s side. As the main addressee of the invitation, Hao was going to be the one leading their party. Hanbin was glad for it. It gave him more of an opportunity to pay attention to what happened in the shadows.
Just because he had agreed to come didn’t mean he wasn’t going to be cautious.
The only one who seemed even more tense than him was Gunwook, whose fingers twitched with every sway of the boat. He looked more than eager to draw his swords and take Hao somewhere far, far away from any pirates. Hanbin couldn’t blame him for that. It had been Gunwook who’d been right there to watch as Hao had been poisoned just out of his arms’ reach.
The young soul guard didn’t relax even when Hao nudged him and told him to put on a smile. Gunwook only stared at Hao until Hao laughed, ruffled his hair, and let him be.
Hanbin rested a little easier knowing that Gunwook would be there. He looked towards his own soul guard, regretting it when he was faced directly with the sight of Jiwoong drawing Ricky into a kiss that was so indecent it made Gyuvin cover Yujin’s eyes.
“Be careful,” Jiwoong said as he pulled away. “Know you carry both your heart and mine.”
Ricky raised his chin, smiling at him in a way that was both sharp and incredibly, incredibly soft. “You do your duty and I do mine.”
Jiwoong bowed his head, lifting Ricky’s hand to kiss the silver ring on his finger before he left to take his spot next to Hanbin.
As they lowered the plank for their envoy to disembark, Hanbin leaned over, “You know you don’t have to ignore him for the next couple of days just because we’re in enemy territory. I’m well aware that you’re capable of keeping an eye on me even while staying beside him.”
Jiwoong kept his gaze forward. “As tempting as that offer is, I will not leave him more exposed than he already is.”
Hanbin bit the inside of his cheek. He liked to forget sometimes, especially when he was alone with his friends, that their connection to him was also a burden. It was not really a concern when they were at home, in the heart of Sung kingdom with the thick walls of Sung Keep keeping even the most vulnerable of them safe from harm.
Away from home, things were different.
Hanbin didn’t have to worry about Jiwoong because Jiwoong was capable of defeating an army all by himself, but, much like Hanbin himself, his soul guard's most vulnerable spot was someone else. Ricky wasn’t defenceless, but he was not a soldier.
He had been trained in manners, words of persuasion and diplomacy. The sharpest thing about him was his tongue. Even the dagger Jiwoong had given him wouldn’t protect him as well as that.
“I’m sorry.”
Jiwoong’s golden eyes held no resentment as he met Hanbin’s gaze. “Both Ricky and I know what our duty is, Hanbin.”
“Have you suggested that he stay on board with the crew?”
Jiwoong sighed. “I tried. He all but laughed in my face.”
“Then, maybe—”
“No, Hanbin.” Jiwoong smiled at him. Briefly, he touched his chest where, under layers of black armour and cloth, a silver ring was strung up on a chain, resting against Jiwoong’s chest for the duration of their journey. “One oath does not absolve me from another. Don’t insult me by suggesting I do anything else than what I swore to you I would.”
Hanbin lowered his head in defeat. The only person in the world Hanbin would ever kneel to was his husband, but he had no problem bowing his head to his best friend.
He faced forward when the dull clank of wood on wood alerted him that the gangway had been lowered. Hao’s hand found his own and the press of Hao’s palm against his did a lot to abate Hanbin’s worries.
He forced a smile. This was a friendly meeting. He ought to put on a friendly face.
Gunwook didn’t seem to have any interest in doing the same. He disembarked first, a compromise he and Hao had argued about the night before, much like the fact that Gunwook would be allowed to keep his swords on him at all times.
After a short look around and a little jump to test the sturdiness of the dock boards, Gunwook beckoned them off the ship. Hanbin kept holding Hao’s hand as they descended down the long wooden gangway.
Hanbin was unfamiliar with the man who was waiting for them at the end of the docks, but it took him less than a glance to see the men lingering behind him for what they were. Pirates. Without having to exchange words, Gunwook and Jiwoong moved so they were walking in front, veering slightly to the side so they were not obscuring Hao and Hanbin from view, but the message was clear.
No matter how friendly the welcome, the soul guards would do their duty.
Hanbin kept his focus on the stranger who was leading their welcome party. He had sharp features, reminding Hanbin of a fox, but there was something soft about his face. The man bowed deeply when they approached. It caused the spectacles on his nose to slide down. His lips pulled into an embarrassed smile as his hand came up to fix them.
“Greetings Your Highnesses! And a warm welcome to all the friends you’ve brought! I’m here to welcome you to the Thousand Islands. King Keita has sent me to personally escort you to the Palace.”
The man was speaking in flawless Sung, that was the first thing Hanbin noticed, but that wasn’t super surprising. The Thousand Islands were filled with people from all across the kingdoms, eager to find their luck elsewhere.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Hao stepped forward, inclining his head. “I’m Zhang Hao, Prince Consort of the North, Prince of the South and Sea, and very delighted to be here. We’re all very delighted to be invited.”
“Yes,” Hanbin could hear Matthew mutter behind him. “Super delighted.”
“I am delighted to be here,” Taerae answered, at normal volume.
Yujin quickly shushed him.
“It’s such an honour to receive you, Your Highness,” the fox-faced man directed at Hao. “I must tell you King Keita was over the moon when you accepted his invitation.”
Hanbin felt something acrid rise up his throat.
In that moment, he could feel his friends’ eyes settle on his back as his grip on Hao’s hand became incredibly tight. He wasn’t an overly jealous man. Not usually. When it came to the pirate king, however, things were different.
Five years had passed since King Keita had come to the Sung Court to strong-arm Hanbin into a trade agreement and yet Hanbin still remembered it as if it happened yesterday. He could recall it as if he was looking at a painting, the sight of Keita pressing his lips to Hao’s, the way he’d grinned at Hanbin afterwards with poison-stained teeth. Blue, blue, everything had been blue. Keita’s mouth, Hao’s face when the poison had reached his lungs, and Hanbin’s tears.
Hao had forgiven the pirate king for his sins. He had been willing to see his reasons. Hanbin hadn’t and still wasn’t. He would never forgive Keita for nearly taking Hao away from him.
But, he had promised Hao to be cordial—civil, at the very least—and so he swallowed down the bile rising in his throat and put his smile back on.
And if, in the privacy of his own mind, he imagined all the ways in which he could ensure that Keita would no longer have the chance to be delighted at Hao’s anything , then those thoughts were solely his own. He would not act upon them and that was all that mattered.
In the meantime, Hao smiled, kind and beautiful like he always was. “The honour’s all mine. You know, it’s such a rare opportunity to visit your Islands. I haven’t seen much of it yet, but everything looks so beautiful.”
“The Islands are deeply in your debt, Your Highness. You are free to roam and explore wherever you please. All guests are.”
Hanbin had tried really hard to keep it together, but he couldn’t help the scoff that escaped him. “Won’t that be a problem, considering half your population is made up of pirates?”
The man’s smile faltered for only a second. “We are a kingdom now, Your Highness, united under the rule of our leader. As with every other kingdom, we uphold the sacred guest right that protects all travellers. I know what you must think about us, Your Highness, and it is not unfounded given our history, but you have nothing to fear here. We uphold the guest right so we may never fall into isolation and in-fighting again. Even the lowest of the pirates you may encounter here is aware of that fact. I can promise you that as long as you are our guest, we will treat you as one.”
Hanbin was surprised by the lack of fumbling to the man’s answer. He frowned. “What’s your name?”
To his surprise, the man smiled and bowed deeply. “My name is Hanbin, Your Highness, Park Hanbin. I was born in Sung kingdom a year after you so my parents named me after Your Highness for good fortune.”
“Couldn’t have been much of a good fortune if you ended up here.”
This time, the fox-faced man was undisturbed. On the contrary, there was a twinkle in his eyes when he said, “I find the opposite to be the case.”
Hanbin opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by Hao’s hand squeezing his. A look at his husband’s face told him that Hao had words for him as soon as they were alone.
For now, he let none of his displeasure show on his face. “It’s hot out here, and our journey was long. If you’re able, I’d be thankful if you could direct us to our accommodation now.”
“Of course!” The other Hanbin beckoned them closer with an eager wave. “If you’ll follow me, we have carriages that will take you to the Palace.”
*
Terazono Palace was a place that mirrored the state of its surrounding Islands.
Its foundation was old, rot and salt eating at the wooden beams and stone walls, but there were obvious efforts to fix what was broken, to rebuild what had been destroyed. Whoever had resided in the palace wall before the unification must have set fire to it when they had been deposed. Keita had taken its remnants and built a new palace on top.
There was nothing to complain about when it came to their room. It was in a wing that must have been only recently constructed because the white stone surrounding them was untouched by dirt or soot, the wooden furniture new and glistening with varnish.
Despite his reservations, Hanbin felt his heart soften when Hao let out a gasp and ran towards the windows. They held no glass and so Hao was able to lean over the sill freely, laughing as he greedily sucked in the salty air.
“It’s beautiful, Hanbin-ah, come look!”
Knowing that Gunwook and Jiwoong were already perusing the room for any hidden danger, he followed, wrapping his arms around Hao from behind. Partially to keep him from falling out the window, partially just to have him in his arms where he belonged.
Hooking his chin over Hao’s shoulder, he couldn’t help but agree as he was greeted by the endless, glistening expanse of the ocean. “It’s stunning.”
Hao leaned back against him, content to let Hanbin carry most of his weight. A dreamy sigh escaped him. “Makes me feel like I’m home.”
Hanbin pressed his lips shut. I’m your home, he wanted to argue, Sung kingdom is your home.
He wasn’t miserable enough to say it out loud. He knew Hao hadn’t meant it like that and accusing him of anything else would have been more than unfair.
Hao had given up his kingdom to be with him.
Calling his devotion into question after everything Hao had done for them to be together would have been more than ungrateful. Hanbin didn’t want Hao to think he wasn’t aware of what a gift he’d been given. That he wasn’t grateful every day of his life.
“I’m happy you’re happy,” he murmured and it was the truth. He could be here and make nice with people he didn’t trust as long as Hao was happy.
Hao turned around in his arms, smiling as he tapped Hanbin’s cheek. “I’m happy you’re with me.” His smile gained a dangerous edge. “If you embarrass me again by being rude, however, I’m leaving you in this room while I attend dinner alone.”
Hanbin grimaced. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re not.” Hao sighed as he pressed a kiss to his cheek. “But, please, behave from now on. For me?”
“For you,” Hanbin promised.
It was a promise he intended to keep. For Hao, he could have done anything. Because Hao had done everything for him.
Because he loved him.
*
There was music, the sound of a flute and some type of string instrument, when they entered the dining hall.
It looked similar to their rooms, with white walls and wooden beams, but there was a huge wooden chandelier hanging from the ceiling and at the very end of the room, Hanbin spotted an empty throne. There was no long table to eat at like there would have been at Sung Keep, but instead many round standing tables that allowed people to mingle more freely.
The smell of salt and wet stone persisted, but Hanbin was used to that from the summers they spent at Zhang Palace, so he didn’t pull a face. Really, he did his best to be the picture of pleasant company as he walked side by side with Hao, smiling at the many familiar faces he saw standing around in small clusters, picking at the bites of foreign food on their plates.
“More have come than I thought,” Matthew whispered from behind him.
“I told you, everyone wants to see what the Islands have made of themselves.” The telltale sound of Ricky’s fan opening accompanied his words. “If you excuse me, I’ve just spotted another ambassador. I’ll be right back.”
Hanbin watched as Ricky disappeared into the crowd. He drew attention, whether for his beauty or his hair, no matter where he went. Several heads turned in his direction as he walked past and that worried Hanbin, but a short glance towards the doors eased his worries.
Jiwoong, much like Gunwook and all other personal guards, was leaning against the wall by the doors, watching over them from a distance. If Jiwoong had wanted to join Hanbin in the welcome festivities, he would have had to surrender his weapons at the doors and it seemed that neither Jiwoong nor Gunwook were willing to do that.
The only one who had been willing to go into the crowd weaponless was Gyuvin, who had handed Gunwook his sword and promised to keep an eye out for everyone.
“There’s enough I can do with my fists that will buy us time for you to come running if things go awry.” He’d grinned.
Right now, Gyuvin was busy keeping Yujin from overloading his plate at the buffet, but Hanbin knew it didn’t make much of a difference. It didn’t matter how far Jiwoong was from him. A knife thrown killed just the same as a sword swung. As long as he remained in Jiwoong’s eyesight, he was protected. Hanbin just hoped that Jiwoong wouldn’t stick to his oath as closely as he’d promised and sometimes let his eye wander towards Ricky too.
“Hanbin.”
Hanbin immediately turned his head at the sound of Hao’s voice. He went cross-eyed to look at the skewer Hao was holding up to his face.
“Say ‘ah.’”
Hanbin frowned. “What is it?”
“No idea.” Hao grinned. “Have some and then tell me if it’s good. I’ll have some too.”
Hanbin groaned, but obediently pulled the first of the fried, round balls off the wooden stick. The taste that hit his tongue was foreign, savoury, and decidedly fishy, but not bad.
“Is it good?”
Hanbin shrugged, chewing. “‘s fishy.”
Hao watched him with a besotted smile before he took a bite himself. His eyes lit up with joy. “Oh, it’s squid! So good.”
“I’m delighted to hear that you like our food, Your Highness.”
A lifetime of training in manners was the only thing keeping Hanbin from spitting out the food in his mouth, right at the pirate king’s feet.
Keita grinned at him. Behind his shoulder, Hanbin could see the other Hanbin.
Unlike the scruffy appearance he’d made for the last time that Hanbin had seen him, Keita seemed to have learned how to wear a shirt this time around. It left his arms exposed so he could show off the golden bands he was wearing instead of a crown, but at least his chest was covered. Hanbin wanted to gag once more when he saw the blue flowers embroidered into the sand-coloured fabric, closing high around Keita’s neck.
He couldn’t be sure that it was the same flowers that had been used to poison Hao, but it all felt like a slight nonetheless. Like there was intention behind it. To what end, Hanbin couldn’t tell, but he didn’t like it.
He simply didn’t like the pirate king.
He had promised Hao, though, and so he swallowed the glob of food in his mouth and inclined his head. “King Keita.”
Keita smiled at him, benevolent like he liked to pretend he was, “I truly didn’t expect you to come, Prince Hanbin. I’m all the more glad that you did.”
Hanbin knew he had to answer, but he couldn’t. Past the blood rushing in his ears, the fire simmering in his veins, he couldn’t. It was Hao’s touch that saved him. As always, Hao brought peace, not just to Hanbin’s mind.
“Thank you for the invitation,” Hao told Keita, his tone more friendly than Hanbin would ever have been able to be.
Keita’s entire face lit up and that only made the fire burning inside Hanbin worse.
“Zhang Hao.” Keita dared to reach for him, for his Hao. Hanbin had to use every ounce of self-control he possessed not to take Hao and leave. “You have come.”
Hao smiled at the pirate king, waving his skewer. “What can I say? I couldn’t pass up on the food.”
Keita laughed and Hanbin had to swallow again to get rid of the urge to take the pirate king and throw him out the nearest window. On second thought, it was convenient that none of them had any screens.
“Eat as much as you like, Your Highness. It is all thanks to you that we can offer up so much food anyway.”
“What I did was nothing.” Hao waved him off. “I merely sent a couple of letters.”
Keita shook his head. “You were the one who granted us aid in our worst of times. You did, even after I gravelly hurt you.”
Hanbin stiffened. He was surprised that Keita brought it up.
Hao, clearly feeling Hanbin’s tension, placed a hand on his back. “You’ve apologised,” he directed at Keita. “And I forgive you.”
“It will never be enough,” Hanbin and Keita said at the same time.
Keita smiled at Hanbin and the ugliest parts of Hanbin wanted to pretend that he couldn’t see the real remorse in the pirate king’s eyes.
“I fear I have to apologise to you too, Prince Hanbin.”
Keep it, Hanbin wanted to say. What came out of his mouth was, “I guess we can all count ourselves lucky that I figured out your trick before it was too late.”
He wasn’t being very nice, but he figured he couldn’t be blamed for that. Not when it came to this. Not when he had to stand here and make nice with the man who had almost taken his heart from him.
Keita lowered his head. “I had my reasons then and I can’t say I regret what I did because it is the reason that my people survived, but I deeply, deeply regret my ways. I am sorry, Prince Hanbin, and I know that will never be enough, but I am sorry all the same. I invited you as a friend and I know you don’t see me as such, but you will have a friend in me if you ever want us to be. I swear it to you.”
Only fools would think of you as a friend, Hanbin didn’t say. He didn’t say anything. He couldn’t without saying something he would have undoubtedly regretted. So, he remained silent, simply staring as Keita bowed deeply. He briefly hesitated, clearly waiting for Hanbin to say something. When Hanbin didn’t, he excused himself. His Hanbin followed him silently, looking back at Hao and Hanbin from time to time.
As soon as they were gone, Hanbin closed his eyes, breathing in deeply.
“Bin.” He only opened his eyes when Matthew’s hand landed on his shoulder. “You want to step out for a moment?”
Hanbin shook his head, looking at Hao, who was looking at the skewer in his hand with a tiny furrow between his brows.
“Hao,” he said.
Hao didn’t look up. The furrow deepened.
He was pulled away from the sight when Matthew squeezed his shoulder. “Step out for a moment, Bin. I got him.”
I love him, Hanbin wanted to say, I can’t get ahold of myself because I love him. He wasn’t there, but you were. You saw me. You saw him. Tell me I’m not exaggerating. Tell me I’m right to be angry.
Matthew didn’t, but his eyes were full of understanding as he gently pushed him towards the doors. “Go, calm down and then come back. I got it, yeah?”
Miserably, Hanbin nodded. He tried to get Hao’s attention one more time by loudly excusing himself but failed. Hao only turned towards the buffet table.
Hanbin knew better than to try a third time.
He was out the doors for less than a minute when his shadow returned to him.
“I am proud of you,” Jiwoong said.
Hanbin couldn’t help but laugh. “For what?”
“You didn’t immediately kill the pirate king when he came up to you. I thought you’d stab him with that skewer for sure.”
“I thought about throwing him out the window.”
Jiwoong chuckled. “I like that one.”
“Hao’s mad at me.”
“And he will forgive you.”
“I tried, Woong. I tried to be civil and nice, but I can’t forget what happened. Every time I look at that damn pirate, I see him grinning at me with poison-stained teeth. I see Hao on the ground, unable to breathe. More than anything, I see his death. I see my husband’s death and I don’t know how to make it stop.”
Hanbin pressed his palms to his eyes, willing his own imagination to stop.
Jiwoong’s hand was heavy on his shoulder, comforting in a way that Hanbin depended on, had always depended on. “You have a right to feel the way that you feel, Hanbin. However, Hao also has a right to forgive Keita. He was the one who got poisoned. If being peaceful is his choice, you have to respect it.”
“I’m trying.” Hanbin hated how desperate he sounded. What mere memories reduced him to.
“I know.” Jiwoong smiled at him. “I know that you’d be willing to start a war for Hao without hesitation. Right now, you have to try to choose peace for him just the same.”
Hanbin bit down on the inside of his cheek. Without Jiwoong being aware, his soul guard’s words were an echo. Hanbin had almost managed to forget about it for the night, but now a different set of thoughts trickled back into his mind. He tried to shut them out before the dam broke.
“Let’s go back inside.”
Jiwoong smiled at him, his eyes briefly flicking towards the doors. “I think you might want to stay out here just a moment longer.”
Hanbin was about to ask why when he saw a wall of black out of the corner of his eye and then Gunwook moved aside to reveal Hao walking towards him with long strides. Hanbin met him halfway, reaching for him on instinct.
“Hao, I’m sorr—”
He was cut off by a kiss, Hao’s hands coming to rest on his shoulders. “I’m sorry.”
Hanbin blinked. “For what?”
Hao sighed as he brushed a stray piece of hair out of Hanbin’s forehead. They were wearing matching silver circlets, but while Hao wore his without flaw, Hanbin tended to touch his circlet so much that his hair started to escape from under the silver.
“I know it’s not easy for you, being here. I’m sorry for not considering your feelings enough.”
“You do.” Hanbin took his hands and pressed a reverent kiss to the bone ring on Hao’s finger. “You always do.”
Hao smiled at him, softly and unguarded in the way he only ever looked at Hanbin and Hanbin felt a lot of his worries abate. He’d maybe underestimated the toll that this journey was going to take on him, but he knew it would be fine. Hao was here with him.
“I’m sorry for not being able to get a hold of myself. I promise I’ll do better once we go back inside. If you want me to publicly accept his apology, I will.”
Hao shook his head. “I don’t want you to do it for my sake. I want you to do it for yours.”
“What if that day never comes?” Hanbin felt real fear as he asked.
There seemed to be forgiveness in Hao’s heart for him too, not just for the pirate king, because Hao only smiled at him. He knew Hanbin so well. “Then it doesn’t. We’ll only be here for a couple of days. Once we’re back home, you won’t ever have to see him again.”
For the first time since they’d descended the gangway at Salting Port, Hanbin felt himself breathe easily. “Thank you.”
Hao placed his hands on his shoulders again and Hanbin didn’t hesitate to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around Hao’s waist to bring them closer, closer until he hoped Hao could feel his heart beat.
Hao laughed into his mouth, eagerly parting his lips so Hanbin could devour him.
“You’re not trying to sneak away from the party before I’ve arrived, are you?”
At the sound of the familiar, teasing voice, Hao jerked in Hanbin’s arms, scrambling to pull away from him. Hanbin might have struck down anyone else who would have dared to interrupt them, but in this situation he was powerless. He didn’t mind though. This king, he liked.
Hao gasped. “Kuanjui!”
The Zhang king grinned where he stood at the beginning of the hallway, opening his arms. Hao ran into them, spinning his brother around even though Kuanjui was taller than him now. As soon as Kuanjui was back on his feet, they were joined by Zihao, who’d come along with his king.
Hanbin watched their reunion with an achy sort of fondness.
“You can go inside,” he told Jiwoong. “See how everyone else is faring. Dance with your husband for a change. We’ll be fine out here.”
Jiwoong hesitated.
“Gunwook’s still here,” Hanbin pointed out and that seemed to be enough to convince Jiwoong, even if he still looked reluctant as he turned towards the doors.
The eldest soul guard briefly touched Gunwook’s shoulder on the way inside, pulling his sword from its sheath. Gunwook, with three swords on his back already, took it and nodded at him. Then, he moved along the wall so he was closer to Hao without actually coming close.
Gunwook never did. Not as long as Kuanjui wore the crown that he did. He didn’t, however, move to strike down the Zhang king either and that was all that they could ask of him.
Hanbin found it easy to put a smile on his face as he walked over. Hao was clearly over the moon to be reunited with his brother and that was what mattered to him most.
“You’ve grown again,” Hao bemoaned as he grabbed onto his brother’s cheeks.
Kuanjui laughed. “I’m turning twenty this year, ge, what do you expect?”
“For you to stay cute and chubby-cheeked forever.”
“Don’t you think people would laugh at me if I remained a boy king forever?”
Hao sighed. “You’re right. This is the way it ought to be. You could stop growing taller than me, though.”
“I’ll try, ge.”
With Hao fawning over his brother, Hanbin was left in the company of the brothers’ oldest friend.
He politely inclined his head. “General Wang.”
“Prince Hanbin.” Zihao bowed his head, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. “How was your journey over? I know you’re not used to seafare so I hope it wasn’t too strenuous for you.”
“It was fine.” Hanbin purposefully omitted that not everyone in his group had fared so well. He would spare Gyuvin the embarrassment, no matter whether Gyuvin’s blunder would have made for easy conversation.
“I’m relieved to hear that. Kuanjui was worried.”
“About me?” Hanbin raised an eyebrow.
“He cares about everyone that Hao cares about, you should know that by now.”
Hanbin couldn’t refute that. It had taken a couple of summers for Kuanjui to warm up to him, but it was no secret that the Zhang king worshipped his brother and therefore also had an interest in Hanbin’s well-being, simply because Hao loved him.
Hanbin believed he’d earned himself a lot of goodwill when he’d allowed Kuanjui to set foot on Sung land for their Northern wedding. The Zhang king hadn’t been allowed to show himself to the public and therefore spent the ceremony hidden in the back, but he’d been there. Hanbin had made sure that he was.
Kuanjui had started treating Hanbin differently after that. Like the family they were.
“I do know. I’m happy you have come. Hao was hoping you would, but we couldn’t be sure because you didn’t write to us.”
“It took a moment for our invitation to arrive. We pretty much set sail right after.” Zihao cleared his throat, his eyes wandering towards the doors before he briefly stiffened. “If you excuse me, I just spotted a cousin of mine. I think he wants to make conversation with me.”
“Of course,” Hanbin waved him away, “go talk to him.”
“Actually, I’m trying to do the opposite.” Zihao laughed. “Bit of tension in the family, you know?”
Hanbin didn’t know, but he nodded nonetheless. He knew he was lucky with Yujin. From what he’d seen at his own court, Hanbin was well aware that most noble families often had some type of in-fighting going on. He’d seen it often enough at Sung court to pity Zihao as the general disappeared into the crowd.
It also gave Hanbin an excuse to insert himself into the conversation between Hao and Kuanjui. Hao smiled when Hanbin wrapped an arm around his waist, reflexively leaning into Hanbin’s side.
“Shall we go inside?” Hanbin asked.
“Gladly.” Kuanjui adjusted the heavy mantle draped over his shoulders. “I’m quite curious what the Islands have made of themselves now that King Keita has officially asked us to renegotiate the trade agreement between our kingdoms.”
“He did?” Hao asked as they walked into the dining hall.
Kuanjui nodded. “I was surprised too, but he might just be looking for better conditions. He’s been a supplicant for half a decade, dependent on our aid and goodwill to let him trade in our waters. Considering the grandeur of this entire event, it seems the Islands have recovered enough for him to want to reintroduce himself to the world. Maybe he wants to convince me and everyone else that has dared to come that the Island waters are safe to trade in too.”
Hao mulled that over as they joined their friends, who were still at the buffet. “Well, we’ll see what he has to say.”
Kuanjui nodded, then a grin took over his features. “Behold, Hao-ge’s second best student!”
Yujin gasped, dropping the bread roll in his mouth. In wise foresight, Gyuvin took his plate from him. “You wish you were better than me, Your Majesty!”
“Oh, but I know I am!”
Kuanjui laughed as he and Yujin hugged in greeting.
“What do you say, Hao-hyung?” Yujin demanded.
Hao shook his head. “You’re both very good.”
Kuanjui and Yujin groaned. “That’s not an answer.”
“Really, hyung, you have to decide!”
“He’s right, ge, one of us has to be better.”
“How could I choose? You’re both my little brothers.”
Hanbin was distracted from the conversation when Matthew sidled up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Everything good again?”
Hanbin nodded, a small smile forming on his face. “Thank you. Whatever you said to Hao, it made him come find me.”
“Oh,” Matthew grinned, taking a sip of his wine, “I didn’t say anything. I merely kept everyone else away from him as he stood there, staring unhappily at his food before he ran after you. It didn’t take long either.”
Hanbin was surprised. “You didn’t tell him to come find me?”
Matthew shot him a long-suffering look. “You know, you’re so obsessed with him that you sometimes forget that he’s just as obsessed with you. Neither of you can stay mad at the other because you’re so weak for each other. It would be cute if you two weren’t so gross about it.”
Hanbin blushed. He knew that. Obviously, he knew that the devotion between him and Hao was singular, but it was different, hearing it from the mouth of someone else.
“We just talked it out.”
“I can imagine you used your mouths well. Your crown’s a little crooked, my prince.”
Hanbin quickly reached up to straighten himself out. Matthew laughed at him.
Hanbin huffed and elbowed him in the side before he glued himself back to Hao’s side, rejoining their conversation. It seemed that Kuanjui was busy bragging to Yujin about his recent archery advancements.
Hao leaned over to clue him in, “They’ve been arguing about whether arrows adorned with duck or pheasant feathers are better for shooting game.”
“I prefer duck.” Hanbin grinned when Hao snorted at him, but he was rewarded with a kiss on his cheek all the same. Hanbin didn’t hesitate to take his hand. “Ducks are my favourite.”
Hao rolled his eyes but leaned further into him.
“Actually, it depends on the type of game you want to shoot,” Taerae said, putting a swift end to the discussion between the Zhang king and Sung prince.
Yujin groaned. “That answer is no fun, Taerae.”
Taerae shrugged, pushing up his spectacles so they didn’t slide down his nose as he looked at his plate. “I’m right all the same.”
Because he couldn’t argue with Taerae, Yujin seemed to decide he had to steal his food instead. He plucked the biggest piece, a stuffed bun, from Taerae’s plate before he ran off with it. Gyuvin’s shadow followed him through the crowd. Taerae merely sighed and picked up a skewer instead.
“Are you not going to go after him?” Kuanjui asked.
“No,” Taerae smiled. “Gyuvin’s going to drag him back here and make him apologise soon enough. Squid?”
Kuanjui blinked and took the skewer offered to him. Much like Hao, he seemed to really enjoy the taste.
Hanbin was wondering whether he should give the food another try when there was commotion at the doors. A blast of heat passed over Hanbin’s face as he turned around, the sight of fire instinctively making him push Hao behind him.
Matthew moved too, shielding Taerae while Zihao spun around where he already stood between Kuanjui and the fire. There were no weapons allowed inside the dining hall but Hanbin doubted the sharp, gold-tipped needles appearing between Zihao’s fingers were useful for mending cloth. Hanbin was well aware the Zhang general was not above trickery when it came to protecting his king.
A second ball of fire hit the air and this time, the crowd erupted into cheers. Hanbin frowned, trying to see past the people in front of him when finally a swath opened in the crowd and he was able to see what was going on.
“Fire dancers!” Matthew’s brows lifted as he watched the performance before them unfold.
There were about a dozen men and women moving through the crowd, carrying torches and bottles of spirit that allowed them to spit fire. Their smiles were wide, their skin and hair glistening with some type of thick, viscous liquid that must have protected them from the flames.
“Fascinating,” Taerae said as one of the fire dancers passed them by. He didn’t even blink in the face of the fire. He tried to get closer but Matthew wouldn’t let him.
“Keita must have hired this troupe,” Hao said.
“He’s really desperate to show off.” Hanbin murmured, but quickly softened his tone when Hao met his eyes. “It’s quite entertaining, I guess.”
Hao smiled and took his hand. “There was a troupe that would come to Zhang palace every year-end. I liked watching them perform.”
“I remember!” Kuanjui piped up. “Remember when you begged mother so we could learn how to juggle?”
Hao laughed, nodding and suddenly Hanbin didn’t mind the fire dancers all that much. It was a sight to behold, he could admit as much. Where they were spreading out through the crowd, the fire dancers were convening at the centre of the room for one final performance.
Even Hanbin had to admit that it was amazing to see when the fire they spit took the shape of a dragon, winding itself over the heads of the crowd before the flames died out.
Right as the fire faded, Keita appeared in the centre of the crowd. It was impossible to get everyone to quieten down after such a performance, but the pirate king’s voice carried over the excited whispers,
“Everybody, welcome! I hope you enjoyed that little spectacle.”
The crowd cheered. Kuanjui and Hao both clapped. Hanbin felt himself breathe a little easier when he saw Ricky and Jiwoong move towards them through the crowd. Gyuvin and Yujin were by the doors, both of them seeming intent on smuggling Gunwook some of the buffet food.
In the middle of the room, Keita continued his speech, “First and foremost, I want to thank all of you for coming! It’s been a hundred years since the Thousand Islands have last opened their ports to the world and I’m so elated to see that the call we sent out into the world was answered. I seriously can not thank you enough. It is no secret that my kingdom has faced a lot of hardship this past century and I know a lot of you must have come with your own set of reservations.”
Hanbin didn’t blink when Keita’s eyes, past all the other people in the crowd, briefly met his own.
“However, I am a king that looks towards the future and the future of the Thousand Islands is bright. We are finally united. We are finally flourishing. For you to bear witness to this, I am most excited. No kingdom can survive in isolation so this summit shall serve for us all to find new friends, make new connections and see all of our kingdoms grow closer. I am honoured to be the one making the first step, having invited you all here. Thank you for coming.”
Keita finished his speech with a bow. Clearly still excited from the fire performance, the crowd erupted into cheers. Keita smiled brightly before he moved to sit on his throne. His Hanbin took position right next to him, beckoning forward the first eager group of guests who wanted to talk to the pirate king.
“Well,” Kuanjui whistled, “we better join the queue, Zihao. I must admit I’m curious to hear what he has to say after all that.”
Zihao didn’t look too excited at the prospect, but he nodded all the same. The needles had disappeared from between his fingers.
“Do you want to come with us to talk to him?” Kuanjui asked Hao.
Hanbin wanted to know that too. He was not ashamed of the relief he felt when Hao shook his head. “You go.” Hao briefly touched his brother’s brassen crown. “You’re the king.”
Kuanjui’s smile was slow and bashful. Briefly, he pressed his forehead to Hao’s shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, ge. If what I heard is right, we’re going to embark on a boat tour to explore some of the smaller islands. It’ll be interesting to see.”
“I can’t wait.” Hao looked genuinely excited, as he always did when talking about the sea. “Maybe we can go diving.”
Kuanjui brightened, nodding eagerly before he led Zihao away.
“A boat tour sounds like a great opportunity to get more samples,” Taerae said, visibly perking up. “Do you think they’ll let us explore freely?”
“Have you not filled enough vials yet?” Matthew teased him, rasping his knuckles over Taerae’s ear.
Taerae whined, swatting at him. When Matthew didn’t let up, Taerae moved to hide behind Hao’s back. Hao puffed out his chest in an exaggeratedly protective manner. The tough act he tried to put on was interrupted when he had to yawn.
“Are you tired?” Hanbin asked him.
Hao nodded minutely. “It was a long journey to get here and while no one has approached us yet, being among so many people is tiring. Even if I’m the guest of honour, I’d rather go up to our room now. If anyone wishes to talk to me, they may as well do it tomorrow.”
Hanbin tried very hard not to sound too eager when he said, “I’ll come with you.”
“Me too.” Taerae perked up, setting his plate down on the buffet table. “I want to be well-rested for our trip tomorrow.”
As if on cue, Jiwoong and Ricky finally emerged from the cluster of people they’d been trying to get through.
“We’re going to bed,” Hanbin told Jiwoong, who nodded.
“It’s probably a good idea. From what it looks like, the rest of the night is going to turn into debauchery.”
Hanbin nodded. He wasn’t oblivious to the copious amounts of wine being poured out all around them.
“Sharing a glass with someone is an excellent way to make connections. I’ll stay for a bit,” Matthew said.
“Me too,” Ricky said, sounding a lot less eager than Matthew. “There’s an ambassador from almost every kingdom here. I ought to greet everyone at least once, if Our Highnesses are retiring.”
“Jiwoong is going to accompany us to our rooms and then he’s coming back for you,” Hanbin said before his soul guard could even think about doing anything else. He met Jiwoong’s gaze. “Gunwook will stand guard in front of our room.”
It took a moment, but then Jiwoong nodded. Ricky smiled and briefly touched his husband’s shoulder, their fingers brushing as he let his hand fall. Jiwoong’s golden eyes filled with something that Hanbin could only describe as reverence before Jiwoong locked that part of himself away to become a dutiful soldier once more.
It made Hanbin smile. “Let’s go, then.”
Taking Hao’s hand, he led everyone except for Ricky and Matthew towards the doors.
Gunwook seemed relieved to see them. He was struggling to fend off Gyuvin and Yujin, who were actively trying to shove a meat bun down his throat.
“We’re retiring to our rooms,” Hanbin announced.
Yujin spun around. “Do I have to go to bed too?”
Hanbin hesitated for a moment. He knew he didn’t have to worry about his little brother because Gyuvin was right there and Yujin wasn’t a child anymore, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t worried. “You can stay…if you want…”
Yujin grinned. “No, I’ll come with you. Otherwise, Taerae will be alone in our room.”
Taerae shot Yujin a smile, taking the half-empty plate from Gyuvin’s hands. “Let’s finish this in our room.”
Yujin nodded eagerly and like that, he was dragging Gyuvin and Taerae out the doors.
Gunwook used the opportunity to give Jiwoong back his sword. He looked just as eager to take Hao away as Hanbin felt.
Before they could follow Yujin, Taerae and Gyuvin out the doors, a voice cut through the crowd.
“Sung Hanbin!”
Hanbin turned to be met with laughter and a slightly crooked crown. “I knew it was you, Hanbin! It’s good to see you!”
“Prince Jaehyun.” Hanbin quickly bowed, Hao and their soul guards following suit. “What a pleasant surprise to see you.”
Myung Jaehyun, Crown Prince of his kingdom, didn’t seem interested in such formality. He wrestled Hanbin into a hug. “Do away with the titles, Hanbin. Or has marriage turned you into a prude?” Jaehyun openly smiled at Hao to ensure Hao understood he was only joking. “But then I can’t imagine that, looking at your husband. You’re as beautiful as they say, Prince Hao. I really need to congratulate you .”
“Thank you, Prince Jaehyun.” Hao inclined his head. “I’m very happy to finally meet you. Hanbin has told me you two are friends.”
Jaehyun beamed and pointed towards a small circle of young men standing in the corner. “Come, come, have a drink with us!”
Hanbin faltered. He wanted to say no, but declining a direct invitation would have been more than rude, especially because Jaehyun, for all his easy-going nature, was a fellow crown prince.
Hanbin looked at Hao.
Seeing the guilt in his eyes, Hao laughed. He turned towards Jaehyun first. “I fear I must decline your invitation, Prince Jaehyun. Our journey was long and I’m very tired, but Hanbin will join you for a bit.”
Hanbin’s eyes widened as he heard this. He stepped closer to his husband. “Hao.”
Hao smiled at him, his hand coming up to briefly touch Hanbin’s cheek. “Don’t worry, Hanbin-ah. I know he’s your friend. Go talk to him. At least one of us should be a dutiful representative of our kingdom tonight.”
Our kingdom, Hanbin’s brain repeated over and over, our kingdom.
“Okay,” he said dumbly.
“Stay for as long as you need. Gunwook is going to take me back to our room. I’ll wait for you there.”
Gunwook perked up, clearly relieved that Hao didn’t want to stay any longer. Hanbin pressed a reverent kiss to Hao’s knuckles before he raised Hao’s hand to his forehead. “I’ll be no longer than an hour.”
Hao pressed a brief kiss to his cheek. “Have fun with your friends.” In a whisper he added, “I dream of you.”
“I dream of you,” Hanbin gave right back, almost desperately.
Hao smiled at him, letting them exist in this moment only between the two of them before he stepped away from Hanbin, over to Gunwook, who was already waiting. They passed by Jiwoong on their way out the doors.
“I’ll wait for you here,” Jiwoong told Hanbin, gesturing at his sword.
Hanbin nodded. “No more than an hour,” he repeated for Jiwoong too.
His soul guard nodded and then all emotion drained from Jiwoong’s face, his back straightening out as he prepared to stand like a statue for the next hour.
Hanbin didn’t get to feel bad for very long because next he knew, Jaehyun was all but jumping onto his back, dragging him over to the circle of his friends.
“Come, you have to meet everyone!”
Hanbin spent the next minutes doing a lot of bowing his head and introducing himself. Apart from a handful of nobles from Myung kingdom, there were also several noblemen from elsewhere.
“This is Lord Byun Euijoo,” Jaehyun introduced. “I thought you may know him, given that he’s from your kingdom.”
“I’m sorry,” Hanbin said as he nodded at Euijoo, failing to place the young man’s name or face. Ricky would have a fit. “I fear we’ve not met.”
Euijoo shot him a bashful smile, hastily shaking his head and waving his hands. “It only makes sense, Your Highness! I didn’t grow up in Sung kingdom so it makes sense you do not know me.”
“Where did you grow up?”
“With me,” the man next to Euijoo said, his dark eyes piercing Hanbin. Hanbin might have felt intimidated by his unrelenting stare, but he didn’t miss the light quiver to the young man’s fingers as he folded his hands in front of himself. He was shy, not unfriendly. Hanbin knew well not to confuse the two. “It’s an honour to meet you, Prince Hanbin. I’m Prince Nicholas of Wang kingdom.”
It was then that Hanbin recognised him from one of the scrolls Ricky had shown him. Hanbin perked up, seeing a way to ease the other’s nerves. “That lies next to my husband’s former lands!”
Nicholas’ lips twitched into a shy smile. “There are familial ties there, but it’s a long story I do not wish to bore you with. We could be familiar, however, if—I mean, if you’d like.”
Nicholas held out one trembling hand and Hanbin didn’t hesitate to take it. It was always good to make new friends. He didn’t miss the way Euijoo briefly touched Nicholas’ back, shooting him an encouraging smile when Nicholas looked at him.
“Wonderful,” Jaehyun eagerly clapped his hands. “Now that everyone knows each other, shall we drink?”
Hanbin graciously accepted the cup that one of the nobles from Myung kingdom, a tall knight named Taesan, handed him. He clinked glasses with the rest of the men around him. Despite the rather brash way in which Jaehyun had brought all of them together, Hanbin didn’t feel uncomfortable.
He loved getting to know new people. More than that, the chance to talk to other people in his situation was too precious to pass up.
“I might become king sooner than I planned,” Jaehyun said, some two or three cups of wine later. Hanbin’s heart skipped a painful beat. “It took my parents so long to have me, my father is already old and grey and recently, his health has been diminishing. Life in the mountains isn’t easy, it ages one faster than they should. I just wish I’d have more time to prepare.”
“You’ll be a good king, Jaehyun,” one of the nobles from his kingdom said.
Jaehyun cooed at the boy who was clearly younger than him. “Aw, that’s too sweet Woonie.”
The young noble named Woonhak rolled his eyes, but seemed pleased that he’d been able to lighten Jaehyun’s mood.
Jaehyun looked like he might have teased him more, but then another person joined their circle. “I must say, it’s delightful to see you all getting along.”
The smile Hanbin wore slid right off his face at the sound of Keita’s voice. Keita, he found, could present himself as a king all he wanted. He always brought the smell of sea salt with him.
“King Keita.” Everyone but Hanbin bowed.
If asked, Hanbin would have blamed it on the two cups of wine in his system.
The twinkle in Keita’s eyes told him that the pirate king was well aware of the slight. “I’m especially happy to see you enjoying yourself, Prince Hanbin.”
It was then that Hanbin remembered he’d planned to retire to his room long ago. He’d gotten swept up in good conversation and wine, but the appearance of Keita was a stark reminder that he could never be fully at ease as long as he was in foreign territory.
“I was actually about to announce my departure.”
He bowed his head at anyone but Keita. Keita, he looked right in the eye. The pirate king still didn’t seem to take any offence to his lack of manners. He merely smiled and, unbecoming of a king, bowed his head at Hanbin as Hanbin left.
Hanbin hadn’t felt it while he’d been standing in Jaehyun’s circle of friends, but Hanbin felt the alcohol now. His skin felt too hot, his steps just a little more unsteady than he would have liked.
He was glad when he reached Jiwoong without stumbling.
Jiwoong’s hand shot out to keep him steady. “I was wondering when you’d come. Even Matthew and Ricky have already gone back to their rooms.”
Hanbin winced. Suddenly, the remnants of sweet wine on his tongue tasted nothing but sour. “Do you think Hao will be mad?”
Jiwoong snorted at him. “He’s probably asleep by now. However, I don’t think he’s going to have much sympathy for you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
Jiwoong grinned. “You’re going on a boat tour, remember?”
Hanbin groaned. “I’m going to die.”
Jiwoong shook his head, his hand firm around Hanbin’s arm as he guided him out of the hall. “You’ll be fine. You’ll also probably find the same fate as Gyuvin at one point, but afterwards you’ll be fine.”
“You should have come and gotten me.”
“I would have, but I wasn’t allowed to go further than the doors with my sword, remember?”
Hanbin nodded. “Sorry,” he said. He didn’t want Jiwoong to think that he truly blamed him. He was well aware the state he was in was his own fault.
It had just felt nice, to pretend even just for a couple of hours, that the swirling thoughts inside his own mind didn’t exist. For some reason, he felt tempted to say them out loud in that moment. He hadn’t yet been able to tell anyone else about it, but Jiwoong was his soul guard. The one who’d been by his side since he’d been born. Jiwoong would understand. He always had.
“Jiwoong—”
Jiwoong suddenly pulled him to a harsh stop, moving in front of him. Dazedly, Hanbin peered over his shoulder. He hadn’t even noticed that they’d entered their wing, but he definitely noticed the crowd of people that was gathered here.
“What is going on?” he asked.
Only a handful of people turned their heads at his question, seemingly the only ones who spoke the same tongue as him.
“We came when the ambassador started screaming,” one of them answered.
Where they’d been steadily making their way towards their rooms, Jiwoong stopped so abruptly Hanbin nearly walked into his back. In the next moment, Jiwoong was violently pushing forward, shoving people out of the way without regard to their station.
Hanbin struggled after him, breathless both because of the alcohol in his system and the fear seizing his lungs. He’d feared that something might happen to Ricky, but he truly hadn’t thought that anything actually would. He had to gather everyone and then keep Jiwoong from killing people while they figured out what had happened.
The air in his lungs left him at once when they finally made it to the centre of the commotion. Hanbin nearly fell to his knees when he found that Ricky was alive, looking shaken up but alive where he was sitting on the ground, surrounded by foreign courtiers.
“Quanrui!”
Ricky turned his head at the sound of Jiwoong’s voice, his trembling arms reaching for his husband. Jiwoong all but threw the last of the courtiers out of his way before he was by Ricky’s side, frantically running his hands over the front of Ricky’s robes. They were stained crimson. Hanbin felt bile rise in his throat.
“What happened?” Jiwoong asked, his voice giving out on him. “What—”
“It’s not mine.” Ricky caught Jiwoong’s hands, squeezing them so Jiwoong wouldn’t actively start undressing him in front of other people.
“What do you mean it’s not yours?” Hanbin asked, his own voice sounding foreign to him.
Ricky’s eyes were red-rimmed when he looked up at Hanbin. “Matthew…”
Ricky’s name had crushed Hanbin’s lungs. Matthew’s name punched him right in the gut. Fear was a cold, slithering feeling that filled his veins like ice. Hanbin couldn’t help the sound that escaped him like a wounded animal. “Is he—”
Ricky shook his head and Hanbin thought that he might survive this. “He’ll live. I found him in time. Taerae said so. They’re in Yujin’s room right now. Gyuvin is guarding the door.” Ricky sniffled, tears filling his eyes. Hanbin didn’t understand why Ricky was crying again when he looked up at him. “Hanbin.”
Hanbin didn’t understand until Ricky turned his head. It was only then that Hanbin realised whose door he was standing in front of.
His heart gave out. “No.”
He shook his head, his feet moving on their own accord. There was no one in his way as he started for the open door. More crimson greeted him, painting the floor, squelching under his boots. He turned around once he’d made it to the middle of the room, but there was no one hiding behind the door. This wasn’t a sick joke.
He looked back at Jiwoong, standing in the door with his arm wrapped around Ricky’s waist to help him stay upright.
“Where is Hao?”
Neither of them answered him. Ricky cried. Jiwoong only looked back at him in horror.
“Where is Hao?” Hanbin tried again.
No one answered him. No one would.
Hao was gone.