Chapter Text
The palace training grounds were huge and most areas were out in the open—like the sword combat training circle and the bow and arrow practice field—but there was a particular indoor room Baekhyun liked the most, especially for medium-range weapon training.
At the moment, he was engaged in a difficult and extenuating match with Chanyeol, one of the other royal guards and definitely the most difficult opponent for Baekhyun every time they practiced together.
Chanyeol was taller than him, which already gave him a ridiculous advantage, but Baekhyun enjoyed betting him the most precisely for that same reason. If he could take Chanyeol down in a match, he could do practically anything. It was a nice ego booster every time.
They practiced with wooden sticks that were held with both hands to try to hit the opponent while also using their legs to kick and score points. This training was more physically demanding than regular wrestling matches or sword practice. One must have his senses sharp at all times and the body must be in perfect sync with the mind to block the opponent's weapon and kicks on time.
Baekhyun could feel his muscles working overtime, his whole body covered in sweat even if he did not sweat that easily, and his hands felt numb from gripping the wooden stick for so long, but he had a grin on his face knowing that he was about to beat his giant friend again. Jongdae, who was also one of the fastest and fiercest fighters in the Royal Guard and possibly the entire kingdom, had lost 4-6 to Baekhyun in the previous match and was now keeping score for them.
“Point,” Jongdae said as Baekhyun's stick got Chanyeol right on the thigh.
Chanyeol growled and regained his footing to continue, but Baekhyun could sense his desperation now—he wanted to win at all cost and his moves always became more open and erratic whenever he let pride blind him. He was still a terrifying fighter nonetheless, but years of training together had given Baekhyun all the experience he needed to go for his weakest points.
Chanyeol kicked, his annoyingly long leg aimed directly at Baekhyun's face, but he lifted his wooden stick for defense and with a sweeping motion of his leg managed to kick Chanyeol to leave him lying flat on the floor. Baekhyun pointed the end of his stick at his friend's face and turned to Jongdae, who shrugged and declared, “Point, and match” with a lazy nod of his head.
Baekhyun's smile only grew on his face as he offered Chanyeol a hand to help him off the floor like a good friend would. Chanyeol looked at him with a frown that didn't last long, as he was unable to hold a grudge for more than five seconds.
“Good match, Chanyeol-ah,” he said, squeezing Chanyeol's hand once he was back on his feet again. It had been the longest match any of the royal guards had had in a while, going all the way up to 10-8. Usually matches ended with a score of 4-2.
“Next time let’s bet a few coins on who wins the most matches,” Chanyeol replied, flexing his arms so his biceps would bulge. His physique was impressive, Baekhyun had to admit, but no matter how tall or strong he was, Baekhyun already had the advantage of having studied every single one of his moves and tricks. Nothing Chanyeol could do took him by surprise anymore. “I'll beat your asses to the dust, no more pity points for you guys.”
“Sure, whatever you say, Chanyeol-ah,” said Jongdae, already tuning him out. The three of them were the last ones in the training room—the rest of the guards had already left when the official training time ended to report to their positions. Chanyeol, Jongdae, and Baekhyun had the night off.
Now they were picking up their belongings to go back to the barracks. They'd probably take a well-deserved hot bath and then go to the dining hall for their supper and call it a night—or that's what Baekhyun was thinking their night would look like until Chanyeol opened his mouth again.
“I heard from one of the maidens that the Prince Consort is coming back soon. In two nights at most,” he said casually as he changed out of his sweat-soaked garments for fresh ones.
Baekhyun remained perfectly still when he heard the news. The smile had completely dropped from his face. “Is that so?”
“Yeah, didn't you know, Baekhyun-ah?” Jongdae chimed in, running his hands through his hair. “Layla, the kitchen maiden, you see, told me they're going crazy over there trying to get enough supplies on such short notice because the Queen and King are preparing a huge banquet in his honor, haven't you heard?”
Baekhyun ignored the teasing tone in his friend's voice. He wasn't as close to the female staff as most of the royal guards were, as far as he knew. Mostly because he had no interest in bedding them, so he made the effort to turn them away whenever they wanted to get too close to him.
But now this was playing against him—how was he the last to know about the Prince Consort's return? Surely this information must have been important enough for the Crown Prince to let him know in advance. What game was he playing now?
“No, I haven't heard, Jongdae-yah. I don't have ‘friends’ in the kitchen to tell me these things,” he coldly replied as he finished packing up his things.
“That's because you're a prude, all the maidens say so,” Jongdae shot back, lifting his hands in surrender as if he didn’t think so himself, but the teasing in his words had gained a sharper edge. “What's so wrong about having a few friends to tell you things?”
“You're a gossip,” Baekhyun replied with a sardonic smile. “And that's what I have you for, Jongdae-yah. To tell me things.”
“You know that was not what I was referring to,” Jongdae said in a lower voice.
“Yes, I am aware, but you don't have to worry about me, Jongdae. I'm perfectly fine.”
“You know, fighting is all good, it helps release some steam,” Jongdae began with his unsolicited advice. “But a man needs more if he is to be truly fine, you do know what I am referring to, right?”
Baekhyun did not reply, already used to his friend's intrusiveness in regards to his intimate life or supposed lack thereof. Was a man really so strange for not bedding the first maiden that threw herself at his bed? He supposed it was a tad weird to be so disinterested but Baekhyun had his reasons. Very strong, important reasons.
“I know what we should do,” Chanyeol jumped in, all smiles and bright eyes as he usually was. How could a skilled royal guard who had seen his fair share of blood and death remain so joyful was beyond Baekhyun. “We should hit town tonight! Let's dine at one of the inns and, who knows? Maybe we would meet some ladies to keep us company…”
Baekhyun sighed at his friend's lack of discretion. At this point, both Jongdae and he knew that Chanyeol was smitten with one of the ladies serving beers at a local inn on the outskirts of town. He visited her whenever he could, even when she had made it clear that she wouldn't welcome his advances. Jongdae had said before that she was probably a 'lady of the night’ anyway and that Chanyeol should either ask how much was her price or move on to someone else, and that had been one of the few times Baekhyun had seen his gentle friend get really mad. He had to break the two of them apart before one of them landed the first blow.
“I'm not in the mood for a lady to keep me company tonight, but you two should go, I won't stop you,” Baekhyun said, ready to leave this conversation behind. His mind was still wrapping around the news of the sudden Prince Consort's arrival.
“I have seen serving men at pleasure houses too, if that's more what you need, Baekhyun-ah,” Jongdae said again, lifting an eyebrow. Chanyeol stopped what he was doing to look up at him curiously. Baekhyun sighed again.
“I don't fancy anyone in my bed tonight, but thank you for your concern, gentlemen,” he said, ready to leave the training room already. “I'll request the night shift. I don't think I'll be able to sleep very well tonight.”
He walked towards the door before his friends could say anything else to him.
After a quick bath that did not feel gratifying at all and an even quicker supper, he spoke with Master Lee, the head of the Royal Guard—a man in his mid-fifties who had seen real war before this time of peace—and requested to take one of the night shifts. Master Lee agreed without objection, which took Baekhyun aback for a second.
“Where should I report tonight?” Baekhyun asked, already clad in his full armor—white cloak hooked on his shoulder-pieces at his back, sheathed sword at his side, helmet under his arm, ready for instructions.
“Speaking truthfully, I was about to call you in for duty tonight, Ser Baekhyun.” Master Lee said. “I received a special request from the Crown Prince tonight. He wants you as his personal guard from now on, and you're to report outside of his bedchamber every night if you take this new position. You’ll be compensated accordingly, but you'd be expected to be readily available day and night, whenever the Prince calls for you. Would you accept this position?”
Baekhyun couldn't help but open his eyes in surprise. This was a bold move on the Prince's part. What could he possibly be thinking? Baekhyun never quite learned to read his mind—even after being close for some years, the Prince was still a mystery to him most of the time. But Baekhyun couldn't help but trust him still. If his Prince had decided this was what he wanted, then Baekhyun, as always, would obey his command. He lowered his head in gratitude.
“It would be my honor, Master Lee.”
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
It took Baekhyun a few minutes to change the white cloak on his back—the symbol of the royal guard—for a golden one. This would be part of his new uniform as the first and only personal guard for the Crown Prince. It made him stand out quite a lot. He just hoped his new position wouldn't create a breach between him and the rest of the guards, especially his friends.
As he walked through the Prince’s personal palace wing, he noticed that security was significantly less tight than it was supposed to be. There were a couple of guards posted at the entrance of the wing—Baekhyun nodded to them in acknowledgment and walked right past them to the Prince's bedchamber—but around every corridor, there was supposed to be another member of the royal guard posted as an additional security measure and Baekhyun only noticed around half of the number of guards that were supposed to be. That was strange. Was this another order from the Prince himself?
As Baekhyun kept walking, his armor made a metallic sound with every step taking him closer to the Crown Prince's door. The sound echoed through the empty halls as if to remind him that he was alone.
When he arrived at the imposing set of double doors, he stared at them for a long moment, sighing again. He couldn't help but wonder. What was his Prince doing at the moment? Was he sleeping? Was he still wide awake going over the million tasks that demanded his attention every day and night?
He was so brilliant, his Prince. The King and Queen relied too heavily on him and Baekhyun silently feared that the pressure over his slim shoulders might be too much for him to bear. He wanted to help him so desperately, to share his worries so they wouldn't crush him. If he could, he would share everything and anything that might be causing his Prince trouble or sadness—he would take it all upon himself to free him of those burdens.
But Baekhyun couldn't do that. He knew his place. He was just a guard, common folk. Despite his military training and his relatively high education, he would never reach the point of enlightenment needed to rule a kingdom. He would never be good enough to stand beside his Prince as an equal, so he contented himself with supporting him from behind. At least that's what he told himself to sleep at night.
How he envied and resented the Prince Consort, who most of the time wasn't even there to share the responsibilities with the Crown Prince. How could Prince Consort waste his time doing anything other than being there for the Prince? Outrageous. Baekhyun could feel the blood in his veins burning hot whenever he stopped to ponder too hard about the matter.
Baekhyun had so many questions for his Prince that night, but he was sure it wasn't his place to ask. So instead of knocking on the door like he was dying to, he turned around and faced the opposite end of the hall, his back to the closed doors.
He took a deep breath and adjusted his helmet over his head, his hands resting on his sword as he usually did, ready to begin his long watch.
The silence was eerie. He couldn't hear any noise coming from the bedroom behind him either, which led him to believe that the Prince was abed.
That was good. The Prince had been struggling with insomnia as of late—Baekhyun knew this because he had been practicing under the royal apothecary Maester Kim Minseok's tutelage in his spare time, and he had mentioned that the Prince had been ordering dreamwine more and more often at night to help him conciliate sleep. Dreamwine was more commonly used to relieve pain so at first Baekhyun was worried about a possible injury to the Prince, but Maester Kim reassured him that it was mostly to aid the Prince with sleep.
However, this did not give Baekhyun any consolation. He still worried about him deeply —he couldn't help it. He would always worry about his Prince.
The hallways were deserted and dead silent. That was expected since it was already past midnight, but the lack of other guards around him was disturbing. There must be some kind of error in the post-rotation—if the royal chamber were to be attacked, Baekhyun would be the only line of defense for the Crown Prince. Suddenly the golden cloak felt too heavy on his shoulders. He wasn't sure if he was deserving of such a position.
The minutes passed in complete silence, slowly turning into hours as Baekhyun started at the torch-lit corridor in front of him. His muscles ached after the intense training session he had with the boys and then not giving himself enough time to nurse his muscles in hot water afterward. His stomach felt empty despite having had his supper earlier. His mind was restless. Why did the Prince request for him to be posted outside of his chambers tonight, of all nights?
Baekhyun was lost in his thoughts when he heard a soft noise coming from inside the room. He jolted up straight, holding his position as best as he could. The Prince was awake.
His breathing accelerated when the noise intensified. What was the Prince doing up so late? Was he still battling insomnia at this hour?
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door opened at his back with a soft noise, and the dim light from inside poured into the empty hall.
Baekhyun could see from the corner of his helmet-covered eye that his Prince was standing a few steps away, casually leaning his back on the doorframe, a cup of red wine in hand. Baekhyun did not turn to look at him, even if all he wanted to do was bask in his presence. There were protocols for addressing royals that must be followed, even if they seemed to be completely alone at the moment.
The scent that he often associated with Kyungsoo—wood and rain, mixed with his rosemary soap—assaulted Baekhyun's senses at once, making him feel drowsy. The Prince must have taken a bath not too long ago. He always smelled nice—it reminded Baekhyun of the forest surrounding his hometown. He couldn't remember most things about that place, he couldn't even properly call it ‘home’ because all he knew when he was young was that he wanted to leave, but every time he caught that smell lingering on the Prince, it made Baekhyun feel safe somehow. Comfortable.
His presence alone was enough to make Baekhyun let down his guard and crumble, but instead, he held his head higher and straightened his back, well aware that he was being scrutinized.
“You're here,” the Prince said simply, taking a sip from his cup. Baekhyun had noticed that he was only wearing his loose white undershirt unbuttoned almost halfway down his chest, revealing quite a lot of skin, and a pair of black trousers. He was barefoot.
“I am, Your Grace,” Baekhyun replied with a brief nod of his head in respect. “You requested for me.”
“Yes, indeed,” Kyungsoo took a long sip of his wine before continuing. “Come inside, would you? It’s freezing cold out here.”
Baekhyun was taken aback. His armor clinked as he fidgeted in place, unsure of what to do. “My Prince, I’m afraid I won't be able to stand guard from inside very well.”
Kyungsoo's lips formed a sly smile, partially hidden behind his cup. “Are you disobeying an order, Ser Baekhyun?” He lifted from the doorframe and walked inside the room without sparing him another glance. “Come, and close the door behind you.”
Baekhyun was stunned by the Prince's boldness. Never before had he stood foot inside the royal bedchamber but it seemed like there was a first time for everything. As always, Baekhyun followed his Prince's command. The door closed behind him with a soft noise that seemed impossibly loud and incriminating in the dead silence of the night.
The Prince's bedchamber was, as it was expected, huge from the inside. There was a small table at the center with furniture around it as if the Prince expected guests to have tea inside his room often. On the east side of the room was a well-illuminated work desk filled with maps, books, parchments, and jars of ink about halfway done. The candles on the table were almost consumed to the base.
“Were you working so late at night, my Prince?” The question was out before Baekhyun could consider how inappropriate it would be. He quickly bowed his head in apologies. “Forgive my intrusion, Your Grace.”
“No need to be so formal, Baekhyun-ah. It's just us two tonight,” the Prince said as he walked barefoot towards the desk where he carelessly reviewed the papers scattered all over it. “I was still trying to figure out this petitioner's issue. He's not the first one to come from the Southern regions to bring this problem with the crops to the Crown's attention,” Kyungsoo mumbled as he sipped his wine, eyes reviewing his notes in concentration. The golden candlelight made his hair look as dark as the night itself, his skin looked as fine as porcelain. “But there's not much I can do from behind my desk. I might have to visit the region in person to get to the bottom of this.”
“A wise choice, my Prince,” Baekhyun said, completely captivated. He didn't fully understand the seriousness of the issue Kyungsoo had mentioned because he wasn't privy to such delicate information, but knowing that his Prince trusted him enough to share this with him filled him with pride. He felt important. “I might be able to assist,” he added before he could think better of it. “I… am familiar with the region”
The Prince lifted an eyebrow, surprised and pleased. “Are you? That’ll most certainly come in handy, thank you.” After a brief pause, the Prince sighed and stretched his arms above his head. “But enough about this, it is quite late and I can’t make sense of my own handwriting anymore,” Kyungsoo said with a tired smile as he took a step further into the room, passing an open set of delicate-looking doors toward his inner chamber. Baekhyun followed him with firm steps—like a sailor being drawn by the mermaid's voice to his imminent doom. “Tell me, Baekhyun. Do you like your new uniform? I chose it myself.”
Baekhyun caught his reflection in one of the Prince's huge mirrors and was almost surprised by what he saw—a guard, a soldier, clasped in full armor from head to toe, the golden cloak hanging from his shoulders with pride. Not the trembling mess of nervousness he felt like.
“It is… eye-catching, my Prince,” he replied at last, fascinated with the reflection of the golden material on the mirror.
“It is, but that is not what I asked,” Kyungsoo said, sitting on the edge of his enormous bed and leaving his cup on the bedside table. “And remove your helmet, would you? I'd like to see your face while we're speaking.”
“Pardon me,” Baekhyun apologized as he did as instructed and removed his headpiece. He held it under his arm. “And, I quite like the cloak. You honor me with this opportunity, my Prince.”
“I like it when you call me ‘my Prince’,” Kyungsoo replied, smiling up at Baekhyun from his bed. This was Baekhyun's favorite smile—it seemed to contain all their shared secrets, and at the same time it was a window to all of the Prince's crooked thoughts. Kyungsoo only revealed this smile when they were alone. “It sounds… intimate.”
Baekhyun could feel the back of his neck getting warm but tried to stay composed as his position demanded. “My Prince… could I ask a question?”
“Only if you come a bit closer, Baekhyun-ah,” Kyungsoo said languidly from the bed. The black trousers he was wearing hugged his thighs so nicely that Baekhyun felt… sinful just looking at them. He looked back to his face and obeyed, stepping closer.
“My Prince, why did you name me your personal guard? Why now?”
Kyungsoo hummed in thought and stood up from the bed, walking towards him until they were face to face. At this distance, Baekhyun could see the slight flush on Kyungsoo's rosy cheeks, he could count the stars on his face forming constellations all over his skin. Silently at first, Kyungsoo moved to Baekhyun's back and began to unclap the cloak from his armor.
“My father insisted that I name a personal guard. He's paranoid,” he said in a soft voice as he folded Baekhyu's golden cloak to leave it on top of a table.
“Why me?” Baekhyun asked.
“Why not? You're dependable. You're one of the best fighters in the realm and, most importantly,” Kyungsoo paused as his fingers worked expertly on Baekhyun's shoulder piece, unclasping it from the rest of the armor. “You're the person I trust the most in the world. Why wouldn't I want you watching my back?”
Kyungsoo's words took Baekhyun’s breath away. His Prince was often elusive, and quite difficult for Baekhyun to understand. The times when he gave praises so directly were scarce, so Baekhyun treasured every one of them.
“I am honored,” he said, nodding his head.
“This will also mean that I need you to shadow me every day, attend council meetings with me, and be ready at night in case your service is needed,” Kyungsoo explained calmly as he removed both of Baekhyun's shoulder pieces, leaving them on the floor with a soft clank. “Are you willing to take the position?”
Baekhyun knew the answer in a heartbeat. “Yes, my Prince.”
He saw Kyungsoo smiling softly at this response. He was still working on removing Baekhyun's armor piece by piece. As the Crown Prince, Kyungsoo hadn't worn armor many times throughout his life, however, his fingers worked expertly on the leader straps holding Baekhyun's armor to his frame, undoing every one of them faster than Baekhyun could have done on his own.
“I'm glad to hear that,” Kyungsoo said. “I was a bit apprehensive that you might refuse the position given our… circumstances.”
Kyungsoo stood in front of him once he had removed the chest and back pieces, leaving Baekhyun only with the parts covering his arms and legs. Kyungsoo unclasped the pieces on his right arm first.
Baekhyun's mind was running wild, however he couldn't form a single coherent thought. His heart was now pounding loudly inside his ribcage. “My Prince?” He couldn't even form the question he needed to ask.
“Baekhyun, let me… be as honest as I can with you tonight,” Kyungsoo said while working on his left arm now, pointedly not looking at him. “I do not wish for our relationship to end. I know I have been taking my distance these past few months, but in this time I've learned that trying to avoid what I truly desire would leave me with nothing but a feeling of emptiness.” He looked back at Baekhyun as he said this—eyes big and bright like they contained the whole sky. Baekhyun's breath caught up in his throat. “However I cannot force you to do this. If you want this to end, just say the word. No retaliation will be taken.”
“I heard that your husband will be coming back soon.” The words slipped so easily out of his mouth like they had been waiting for the chance to do so. Baekhyun did not bite them down. “In a few nights, the palace will be throwing a banquet in his honor. Tell me, my Prince. Where do I fit into this?”
Once Kyungsoo removed the armor out of Baekhyun's upper body he stood in front of him silently, his face as stern as when he had to deal with complicated political affairs. This had been the reason why they had stopped seeing each other in private months ago—Kyungsoo had married out of duty, but Baekhyun couldn't stand the thought of sharing him with someone else.
He knew, of course he did, that Kyungsoo wasn’t his, to begin with. He would never dare to think he could own or possess the Prince in any way. But the lines between reality and illusion became blurry whenever they were together. Everything seemed possible when he, a mare nobody, was allowed to touch and indulge in someone like Kyungsoo.
“As you know, I cannot do anything about this marriage that has been imposed on me,” Kyungsoo said. “The Prince Consort is my husband. There are certain things expected of me and I will not fail my duties. But Baekhyun, listen to me,” he added in a softer tone, grabbing Baekhyun by the arms, demanding his whole attention. “I do not love him. For as long as I can remember, my affections had belonged to only one man. I know I do not say it often but it is the truth. And I'm selfish, Baekhyun. I cannot give you up. I cannot lose you.”
“Would you lay with him? Once he comes back?” Baekhyun asked, unable to restrain himself. Baekhyun could not take another lover, not even in the long months the Prince and him had stopped being intimate. Whenever he dared to try, he ended up looking for Kyungsoo on someone else's lips, and the realization that he would never be able to find anyone like him made him stop. But Kyungsoo was a different case. He might not love the Prince Consort, but he could still feel desire for him.
Kyungsoo blinked, surprised by his question. “As I mentioned, there are expectations that my position demands. If my Lord husband requests me to join him upon his return, I shall oblige.”
Baekhyun closed his eyes, gasping as he felt the words piercing him clean from front to back. And then came the rage. The mere idea of his Prince sharing his bed with someone else made the blood boil inside Baekhyun’s veins.
“In that case, why did you call me inside your bedchamber tonight, my Prince?” Baekhyun asked, his voice breaking at the end. He didn't know if it was anger or hurt driving him now. “If carnal pleasure is what you desire, you could have waited just a few more nights for his return. I do not see the point in keeping me around.”
“The point is that it is you whom I want in my bed,” Kyungsoo said, his voice soft and a frown between his brows. “I wish things could be different, Baekhyun, but this is all I can offer you. And you will have to make your choice soon, I'm afraid, but know this—I did not want him to touch me without giving you the chance to do so first. That is why I called you in tonight.”
Baekhyun sighed, crouching so he could remove the leg pieces of his armor at last. He took his time to reply, but he already knew his answer. Deep inside he had always known. He would take anything his Prince would give him. Even if it wasn't enough—even when he craved to be the only one Kyungsoo would ever need and want for the rest of his life—he knew his place. He was a guard, and he was in no position to make such demands.
Once he was completely devoid of all metal pieces, Baekhyun closed the distance between him and his Prince. Tentatively he reached for Kyungsoo's face, cupping his cheek in his hand. The Prince leaned on him.
“I live to serve you,” he said in a clear voice devoid of any emotion, desire, anger, or jealousy. He kept everything inside, even when it made him feel like he was suffocating. “Your word is my command. If you would still have me, I will take anything you can give me. It'd be my honor.”
The Prince lunged forward, grabbing Baekhyun’s face between the palms of his hands and pressing his soft, plump lips against his. The kiss was gentle at first, until the Prince sighed between his lips and Baekhyun lost all sense of decorum once he felt the Prince's body in his arms.
They took tentative steps towards the imposing royal bed until Baekhyun laid the Prince on his back. He could feel the expensive texture of the sheets under his fingers as he got on the bed, carefully fitting his body to Kyungsoo's with a leg between his, his forearms bearing his weight at either side of Kyungsoo's head so he could keep kissing him while his Prince squirmed underneath him, letting little whimpers out of his lips.
Someone like Baekhyun should have never been allowed to lay a finger over such exquisite fabrics but he was well aware that there was nothing more forbidden for him, more out of his reach than the Crown Prince himself. As Kyungsoo opened his mouth to allow him inside and laced his arms behind Baekhyun's neck to bring him closer, he knew that his Prince was giving him permission to taste him, to touch, grab and caress every part of his body to his heart's content.
It would never be enough to make his heart content, though. But Baekhyun would make do with what he was being offered.
Baekhyun left a quick kiss in the corner of the Prince's mouth before moving to the delicate area under his earlobe—where he knew Kyungsoo liked being kissed. He heard a soft moan coming from the Prince's mouth, the hug around his neck tightening as he kept kissing, sucking, and biting the fair skin of his neck.
The Prince closed his legs around the thigh Baekhyun had between them, making his desire plenty obvious even through the pieces of clothing still covering them both. Baekhyun wasted no time removing the Prince's shirt over his head, revealing the milky expanse of his smooth skin, flushed all the way from his face to his chest, making him look impossibly alluring.
Baekhyun could not stop himself. He needed him. He needed to mark him in any and every way he could; he wanted to make it clear that the Prince had allowed him to see him like this, to touch him and love him like this. He wanted to make him his, and he desired nothing more in the world than to belong to him.
As he kept kissing the skin of Kyungsoo's chest, he became bolder and sucked on it too, leaving red marks that would not fade for a couple of days. Maybe even the Prince Consort would find them there whenever he came back. Kyungsoo hissed and threw his head back but he did not comment on the treatment he was receiving. He kept Baekhyun close at all times, grinding his hips against him for comfort.
Baekhyun went mad the moment he thought about the Prince Consort in that same bed, doing similar things to his Prince, tearing those same sensual and raw sounds out of his mouth. He groaned, crazed with jealousy, and sank his teeth in the delicate place where Kyungsoo's neck met his shoulder, leaving a clear indentation of a bite mark on his skin. Kyungsoo moaned, arching his back on the bed and bringing his exposed chest closer to Baekhyun’s. His hand found the back of Baekhyun's head and he pulled on his hair, making him whimper in return.
He then continued leaving his marks on the Prince’s chest. His body was well-defined but narrower compared to Baekhyun's since he didn't spend half of his time training it as he did. Kyungsoo’s strength was elsewhere—in his character, his ideas, his mind—while Baekhyun was nothing more than muscle and bone trained to serve him. To please him.
Once he was satisfied, Baekhyun leaned back to take a good look at the mess he had made of the Prince's beautiful skin—he was now covered in love marks ranging from soft pink to deep red, bite marks over his neck and shoulders, scratches over his chest and belly. Kyungsoo’s skin was so easily spoiled—even the smallest amount of pressure would leave a mark on it, and the deepest of them would last for days on his skin.
The Prince looked away for a brief moment trying to catch his breath. The deep flush of his cheeks and ears was making it impossible for Baekhyun to stop now. He needed to wreak him in the only way he knew how. The only way Kyungsoo wanted.
He went down and demanded his lips again, forcing them open until he could push his tongue inside the Prince's mouth. Kyungsoo moaned in surprise but surrendered himself completely a moment later, hugging Baekhyun's body with arms and legs around it.
Baekhyun's hands found the Prince's chest and his fingers caressed his pink buds until they were erect, making the Prince whine and squirm on the bed again. Kyungsoo bit Baekhyun's lower lip in retaliation.
“Baekhyun, please…” The words were nothing but a whisper, but for him, they were his command.
He made his way down Kyungsoo's chest again, leaving wet kisses all over the previous ravenous marks. Every kiss made a soft sound and every time his lips touched his skin, the Prince quivered on the bed.
“You're so beautiful, my Prince,” Baekhyun said as he positioned himself between Kyungsoo's parted legs, looking up at him with what he was sure was pure desire in his eyes. He took the waistband of the Prince's trousers and slowly pulled them down. “Too beautiful. I shouldn't be allowed to look at you like this.”
Kyungsoo moaned once Baekhyun slid the clothes completely off his legs, leaving him bare. He eyed the Prince's member, now completely erect and already a bit wet at the tip, and he swallowed. How he had missed seeing his Prince like this.
“You can,” Kyungsoo said, nodding as he grabbed Baekhyun by the hair, encouraging him to get closer. “I want your lips on it.”
“As you wish, my Prince,” he said and parted his lips to let his tongue dance across the tip, tasting the salty flavor of his Prince's arousal. Kyungsoo moaned again, louder this time, his hips quivered and the hand around Baekhyun's hair pulled harder. Baekhyun understood the silent command and took the tip of the Prince's cock inside his mouth, closing his lips around it.
Slowly, he began to take more and more in, careful not to do too much at once. Sadly he was still pretty untrained at this particular skill, which was a shame because he knew his Prince liked being inside his mouth quite a lot. Baekhyun had tried to improve, but there was only so much he could do on his own. His jaw began to ache when he was only halfway down so he stopped, groaning with his lips around the Prince's cock so he could feel the vibrations. The Prince moaned and tried to push him down to swallow more, but Baekhyun remained firm in his position. If he tried to go for more he would trigger his own gag reflex, he was very much aware of this by now.
Instead, he bobbed his head at a nice rhythm, going from tip to middle length and coating the Prince's member in his saliva. Whenever he was at the tip he made sure to give a nice suck, and every time he did, the Prince's thighs closed around his head to keep him close.
Even if he had never developed the necessary skills to swallow the Prince whole, he learned to use his hands and tongue to make up for it and knew that the Prince loved it whenever they did this together. Even if Baekhyun had never acquired the taste for the salty and bitter flavor hitting the back of his throat a minute later when his Prince released himself in his mouth, he loved to give him pleasure like this. He lived to serve, and watching the Prince come undone under him as he screamed and grabbed the sheets in a white-knuckled grip, body trembling and skin flushed, hand pulling painfully hard on his hair, was enough to make Baekhyun completely aroused.
The Prince quieted his moans in favor of trying to catch his breath again, and Baekhyun dutifully swallowed every last drop of his release as he caressed Kyungsoo's trembling legs, leaving small, gentle kisses on the tender flesh of the inside of his thighs.
“I have…” Kyungsoo began but he was still having trouble breathing. He looked away for a moment, his chest rising and falling in agitation as he stroked Baekhyun's hair tenderly. “I have a new jar of ointment inside the first drawer,” he said, nodding his head to his bedside cabinet. “Grab it.”
Baekhyun hesitated just for a second. “Do you wish to continue, my Prince?” His hands were now caressing and massaging the Prince's tired legs.
“Of course I do,” he replied, exasperation sipping into his words. “I finally have you right where I want you, Baekhyun. I wish to make the most out of this sleepless night.”
Leaving one last soft kiss on the inside of his thigh, Baekhyun replied, “Your word is my command.”
He searched for the small jar of ointment in the drawer the Prince had mentioned before. It was a special preparation Maester Minseok had developed to aid the Prince whenever he wished to engage in sexual intercourse. It was an oily thing, cold to the touch, and it had a strong scent of medicinal herbs. Baekhyun brought the jar to his nose but still couldn't distinguish exactly what was in it, but he knew it helped the Prince ease the pain of the friction and provided some soothing comfort during and after the act. He would have to learn how to make this himself, so he could make sure his price never ran out of it.
It was not the first time they'd used it—Baekhyun was familiar with the smell and the feeling of the ointment by now. But last time he had seen it, the jar was almost empty and months had passed since the last encounter he’d had with the Prince. He couldn't help but wonder…
“Did you request a new jar from Maester Kim to be prepared for your husband's return, my Prince?”
Both Prince and guard remained quiet, only able to look at each other by the dim candles around the room. The Prince finally made an exasperated sound.
“So, you're still thinking about him even now, while you have me spread open on my bed waiting for you? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you want to fuck him instead,” the Prince said, and this time the annoyance was palpable in his voice.
“But you do know better,” Baekhyun couldn't stop himself from saying.
“Yes, I do,” Kyungsoo said and lifted himself from the bed with his elbows. Even now, completely undressed amongst the now wrinkled sheets, the remnants of his previous extasis still clinging to his skin, the Prince managed to hold his head up high at all times, his bearing and posture impeccable. The most pure image of a royal. Baekhyun could almost see the golden crown resting over his head. “Come here, Baekhyun.”
His voice was firm, replacing the soft and endearing tone he had been using before. It was a command, one Baekhyun wouldn't be able to disobey. But he knew his place, he would never disobey an order from his Prince.
“Yes, my Prince?” He asked as he sat on the empty side of the bed, awaiting instructions. The Prince was completely bare, but Baekhyun was still wearing the undergarments required for soldiers in armor. It felt wrong for him to be clothed still.
Kyungsoo took the ointment jar from his hand, taking some of it between his fingers and rubbing them together. “There is no point in you being jealous, Baekhyun. There are things in life we simply cannot change, like how I was born into my position and you were born in yours. Like the fact that no matter how many times we lay together, we cannot aspire to be anything more than secret lovers. I am married now, I cannot change that, but what I can choose is who I want to spend my nights with.” He paused to grab Baekhyun's cheek. He could smell the ointment in the Prince's fingers now. “I am choosing you. Would you choose me too, my Baekhyun?”
Oh, good and holy stars above, please guide me to do the right thing. Baekhyun sent a quick prayer to whichever God might be listening, even if he did not believe in them, but the only one he would be able to obey now was the one under his skin—the one telling him to grab the Prince by the wrists and push him down on the bed, put him under his control. Subdue him in the only way he was allowed to.
“I chose you, my Prince. Now, always and forever,” he said, leaning in to capture the Prince's puffed lips in a ferocious kiss.
Their lips locked, danced, pulled, and sucked as Baekhyun pushed his tongue inside the Prince's mouth again. He gently laid the Prince again on his back, resting his head on the exquisite pillow so he would always be comfortable. He broke the kiss only to remove his shirt over his head, tossing it away, not caring where it might land.
He took the jar from the Prince's hand and Kyungsoo took the chance to run his fingers over Baekhyun's chest, feeling him up and squeezing wherever he wanted. Baekhyun did not protest, only continued kissing the Prince's lips as he caressed Baekhyun’s nipples and played with them at once. Baekhyun hissed, his body trembling at the treatment.
Without being able to see, he coated three of his fingers with the ointment. It wasn't the first time he had to do it like this because his Prince had completely run out of patience. He took Kyungsoo's thighs and spread them apart, exposing his most intimate area.
Baekhyun broke the kiss, tearing a whimper out of Kyungsoo's lips. The Prince's body was already flushed with excitement again despite the earlier release. This was only a testament to the Prince's good health and virility, as he was almost ready to go again.
Without making his Prince wait, Baekhyun touched his clean, pink hole with a tentative finger at first. Kyungsoo whimpered in surprise when he tried to enter him, his muscles tensing all over his body. Baekhyun wouldn't be able to get much farther if the Prince put up so much resistance against him.
“My Prince, you're tense,” he said, massaging the rim to try to get it to loosen up. “Remember what Maester Kim said before? Being so tense will only make the act painful. I do not wish to hurt you.”
“You're not going to hurt me, it's just…” The Prince trailed off, averting his gaze for a moment. In this position, as he laid on his back with his legs parted and his knees up in the air as he waited for him, he seemed vulnerable to Baekhyun for the first time that night. He was not, but the illusion was there nonetheless. “I have been stressing over too many matters of the Crown lately. It's no surprise to me that I am tense all the way down there.”
Not even a first orgasm could completely alleviate the worries that his Prince was carrying. Baekhyun would have to work much harder than that.
“Please, let me be of assistance, my Prince. Let me take those worries off your shoulders. Allow me to give you pleasure,” he said and slowly noticed the muscles around the Prince's entrance relaxing under his touch.
He attempted to introduce his finger again and this time was able to do it without much trouble. Once inside, the Prince's walls closed around him, enveloping him in warmth. Baekhyun knew preparation was important, he had read the medical parchments himself explaining why the receiving party had to be carefully stretched before attempting penetration, but just imagining that warmth squeeze around his cock made him go crazy with desire. He had to take deep breaths to control his impulses—he could not just pound the Prince like a freaking animal.
His finger moved around until he loosened up the hole a bit more, just enough for a second finger to come in at once. As he introduced them, Baekhyun opened them inside the Prince to make room for a third one, and Kyungsoo moaned as he felt himself being stretched. Diligently, Baekhyun introduced a third finger, feeling the hole loosening up to try to accommodate the intrusion. The Prince was almost ready, just a little bit more…
“How do you feel, my Prince?” He asked. The Prince would often scrunch his face in the middle of the act like he was in pain, but he had reassured Baekhyun time and time again that it was that slight sting and stretch that gave him the most pleasure. His face contorted because he was overwhelmed, but unless he said the word ‘stop’, Baekhyun was not allowed to do so.
“I have had enough of your fingers, Baekhyun,” he said, hugging Baekhyun's neck with his arms. “I want your cock in me. Now.”
The command was crystal clear. Baekhyun pulled his fingers out, making the Prince gasp at the sudden emptiness, and Baekhyun took just a moment to observe how open he was now. It would never cease to fascinate him how that tight hole could stretch so much to be able to take him in, but he was grateful. He removed his trousers and undergarments to lay bare between the Prince's parted legs. He grabbed more of the ointment and rubbed it over his member from tip to base. Once they were ready, he took position.
“Are you ready? I’m going in now,” he said, aligning the tip of his cock to Kyungsoo's gaping hole. It tried to close over nothing like a hungry mouth desperate to be fed.
“You're taking too long, I am ready,” the Prince said, digging his heels in Baekhyun's lower back.
Baekhyun pushed in slowly at first. Even after preparation, it was still tight, and it took a moment for Kyungsoo to accommodate his size. It had been a few months since they had last laid together, so Baekhyun had to be careful. The Prince began to breathe rapidly, but he never told Baekhyun to stop, so he kept pushing in slowly.
Once the tip was inside, the walls around it accommodated the intrusion and stretched to the limit, allowing him to insert half of his length. The Prince moaned, but it was the kind of sound that made Baekhyun think he might be in pain. He stopped just a moment to allow the Prince to catch his breath.
Baekhyun didn't know how it felt to be in Kyungsoo's position, he had never done it himself, so he could only imagine how it would feel to be breached in half from the bottom up. It must feel as if you were being stabbed. Baekhyun had been stabbed once during one of his first missions. He still remembered the metal piercing his flesh and sliding in like it was endless—like it would pierce him clean from one side to the other. He remembered the fear he had felt as he thought that he might not survive after that. Was Kyungsoo feeling the same way as he was slowly being penetrated?
“Continue, do not stop now,” Kyungsoo whispered in his ear, legs hugging Baekhyun's hips closer, pushing him inside of himself.
In an attempt to be merciful, Baekhyun pushed all the way in at once with one single powerful thrust. Kyungsoo's back arched on the bed and he screamed, but the sound became a pleasure moan before it ended. The Prince hugged him closer with arms and legs as if he never wanted to be parted from him again, and Baekhyun enjoyed the sensation of finally being inside him after so long. He remained still, letting his cock feel warm and cozy in the rightful place where it belonged. He felt himself twitch with excitement inside the Prince.
Kyungsoo sighed, back still arched on the bed, waiting for Baekhyun to continue. And so he pulled out of him midway and slammed back inside as the Prince shivered in his arms. He knew the Prince liked it this way at the beginning—powerful, raw, hard. Every time Baekhyun drove back in again, the Prince would moan in his ear, begging him to go deeper, harder, faster. Baekhyun increased his rhythm, hypnotized by the sound of their bodies crashing together again and again.
As Baekhyun accelerated his pace, pulling out almost all the way until only the tip was still inside and slamming back with powerful thrusts, the Prince's body became languid in his arms. Baekhyun knew what it meant—by now he knew all of the Prince's preferences, what he enjoyed the most, how he wanted to be held, to be fucked. When the Prince's body relaxed like that, he was feeling the most pleasure.
Kyungsoo let his legs fall apart and rested his arms on the bed, allowing Baekhyun to take him at whatever pace he wanted, however he pleased. Having the Prince surrender like this to him always did something to Baekhyun's head. It screwed him up good. It messed with the last remnants of good conduit he still had in him. It made him believe they were equals for the brief moment they joined like this. No, worse than that. It made his stupid brain believe that he owned the Prince.
“My Prince,” Baekhyun breathed out, like a prayer. As he kept pounding him without rest, the Prince moaned and whined every time Baekhyun hit the deepest place inside him. “You're mine, Kyungsoo. Mine,” he said, high in his own ecstasy. The Prince's mouth was wide open, sounds of pleasure leaving his lips with every thrust he received, his eyelids were halfway closed, and his skin was deeply flushed. Could Baekhyun be blamed for wanting to wreak him? “I'll leave my shape so deep within you that your body won't find pleasure in anyone else.”
He knew he was overstepping many boundaries, forgetting his place. If anyone heard him pronouncing such filthy words to the Crown Prince, he could be beheaded for his insolence. Kyungsoo, however, screamed louder.
“Yours?” He asked, gasping for air.
Baekhyun grabbed the inside of Kyungsoo's knees to fold his legs all the way up to his chest, bending the Prince in half and giving himself a new angle. “Yes,” he replied simply as he thrust deeper inside the Prince. In this position, he could see the faint shape of his cock bulging the Prince's slender belly. Kyungsoo was so full of him that it was even visible from outside his body. Baekhyun put a hand over the bulge, completely aroused by how it moved every time he pulled back and pushed back in. “Every time we lay together, you're mine. And I am yours. There is no greater union than this.”
And he meant it. It did not matter to him that the Prince was a married man now—the Prince Consort would never be able to make his Prince feel as good as he did. Baekhyun knew how to please, knew exactly what Kyungsoo desired, how he wanted to be taken. But still, he found the idea of someone else, anyone else being remotely close to seeing Kyungsoo like this revolting. He felt angry just thinking about it, but he controlled himself for the Prince's sake. He was not at fault for the position he had been born into.
Instead, he allowed himself to fantasize about a million different what-ifs, even when he knew the impossibility of them being equals could only happen here between the sheets, in the middle of the night.
“If I could, I'd make you mine every single night for the rest of our lives, my Prince,” he said tenderly without stopping even once. The Prince cried out as Baekhyun hit that sweet spot inside him that made Kyungsoo tighten around him. “If I could, I'd marry you and take your family’s name. I would make sure your bed is warm every night, and that you're cared for. If I could, my Prince, I'd be enough for you.”
His voice broke just a little as he said this, and the Prince opened his fogged eyes to focus on him again. He grabbed Baekhyun's face between his hands, stroking his cheeks. “You are enough, Baekhyun.”
How he wished he could believe it. He would never be good enough to marry him, to give him an heir. To advise him for the good of the kingdom. His only talents were to kill men at the tip of his sword and to fuck the Prince with his cock.
He picked up his pace again, determined to make the Prince cry and moan his name as he came for the second time that night. Thrusts became faster as he pinned the Prince's wrists to the bed, the sounds of their bodies crashing together filling the room. As he felt himself getting close, he pushed himself even deeper, tearing whimpers out of Kyungsoo's throat every time he hit the right place.
The walls around him tightened even more and the Prince laced his legs around his back again, pushing him closer. When the Prince came for a second time that night, it all landed in Baekhyun's chest and part of his face. It was sticky and warm.
The Prince screamed his name so loud that Baekhyun was now glad to know there weren't many other guards roaming around close to the room. The Prince's body went limp away after releasing all that tension and Baekhyun dug his fingers in the skin of his waist to chase after his own release.
It came crashing down shortly after, triggered by the sight of Kyungsoo's flushed and spent body underneath him. He finished inside the Prince, as he knew he preferred. Part of his seed leaked out of Kyungsoo's hole, and the sight of his cock deeply buried inside him as the thick white liquid dripped out of him had Baekhyun completely fascinated.
He rided their mutual pleasure for as long as he could but he could feel the tiredness finally taking possession of his body. A whole day of physical training and strenuous activities had left Baekhyun completely tired now, his eyes closing and his arms trembling, threatening to make him fall on top of the sleepy Prince.
Before something like that could happen, he asked the Prince if he was alright and warned him that he was going to pull out of him now.
“Don’t,” the Prince said in an authoritative voice.
“My Prince?” Baekhyun asked, confused.
“Do not pull out of me. I wish to feel you inside me as I fall asleep.” Those were the last words he said as he passed his leg to the other side of Baekhyun's body so he could finally close them. His back was now pressed to Baekhyun's chest, his ass perked so Baekhyun's cock wouldn't fall out of it. Baekhyun pushed all the way in again, feeling his half-soft member come back to life as Kyungsoo squeezed his walls around him.
It was unusual for the Prince to request this once they were finished, but Baekhyun obeyed as he always did. He hugged the Prince's waist and pressed their bodies completely together, his cock warm inside him. He pressed a kiss on the Prince's bare shoulder and breathed in the lingering smell of wood and rosemary that was still present under the most recent smells of pleasure.
Something about this position made Baekhyun completely aroused again. He had read that leaving the cock inside for a while was the most effective method to assure that the seed would take root inside the womb. Baekhyun logically knew this was impossible for them, but he could still dream about it...
Even though it was not the most comfortable sleeping position, Baekhyun soon found himself softly moving into the Prince to find comfort. The Prince did the same, pushing his ass back in his sleep.
Tiredness overcame them both at once, and the long night finally came to an end.