Chapter Text
Hyunjin stood before the ornate mirror, his expression thunderous as the tailors made their final touches to his ceremonial garments. The deep hues of crimson and obsidian, emblematic of Levanter, glimmered under the workshop’s fiery light. The room carried the scent of burning embers and the tang of molten rock—the familiar aroma of the volcanic fortress that dominated their kingdom like an unwavering deity.
“This is bullshit,” he growled, jaw tightening as yet another layer of intricate embroidery was laid upon his shoulders. Red filigree coiled across the fabric like flickering flames, both weighty and stifling. “We should be preparing for war, not a wedding.”
Nearby, his mother observed him from a seat beside the imposing hearth. Regal and composed, her presence was draped in velvet and steel—the very personification of Levanter’s ruthless elegance. Unlike Hyunjin, she displayed no overt irritation, only the quiet, measured wisdom of one who had long mastered this game.
“You speak as though this marriage is not another form of battle,” she said smoothly. “One that requires more than a sword and brute strength.”
Hyunjin spun around, his dark eyes flashing with defiance. “Save me the lecture. I’m not a fool.”
“Then stop behaving like one,” she countered, rising and approaching him with measured steps. “Your king has chosen you—his most trusted commander—to cement this truce. You, Hyunjin. Do you comprehend the implications?”
He did. It meant the king saw him as more than a mere soldier; it meant he was deemed valuable enough to serve as a pawn in politics. The knowledge offered him no solace.
“He is an elf,” Hyunjin spat the word like venom. “His people are beneath us. They hide in their precious groves and sing to the wind while we burn, fight, and endure.”
His mother merely exhaled through her nose, unimpressed. “Felora has withstood the test of time as long as Levanter has, and for a reason. Don’t mistake their repose for weakness.”
“They are the ones who err,” Hyunjin snapped, imagining scenes of their serene forests, their unfathomable patience, and that so-called ‘Prince of Beauty’ or rather ‘Realm’s Ray of Sunlight’—a delicate figure draped in silks and surrounded by blooms, destined to be his partner—a being untouched by hardship, unacquainted with the pressure of pursuit or the stain of blood.
Felix.
The name had been whispered with reverence across kingdoms, always accompanied by praise for his ethereal beauty, his warm laughter, and the radiant glow of his hair in sunlight—a rarity in Levanter. Hyunjin pictured a fragile, wide-eyed creature, utterly misplaced in this fortress of fire like a lone bird caught in a raging storm.
Hyunjin’s scowl deepened. “How do you expect me to play along when the whole idea is an insult? Forcing me into bed with the enemy!”
Tilting her head, his mother appraised him. “You won’t need to feign, my son,” she said softly. “You only have to endure.” A sly smile tugged at her painted lips. “If his reputation is true and he indeed possesses a beauty that rivals the sun, you might even end up grateful to your king for ‘forcing you into bed with the enemy.’”
Hyunjin made a sound of disgust, wrinkling his nose. He refused to succumb to the allure of mere prettiness—if anything, that made them more perilous. Countless sailors had lost themselves to the siren’s song; innumerable warriors had fallen to enemies hiding blades behind charming smiles.
He turned back to the mirror, his reflection a stark reminder: a commander, a son of Levanter, and soon, a husband to a man he despised the very idea of.
Hyunjin exhaled sharply. Endurance was all he knew. Bearing the weight of duty and the chains of expectation had been his lifelong burden.
As the tailors secured the final clasp of his cape, he rolled his shoulders, feeling its heavy fabric settle around him—an armor as burdensome as the destiny forced upon him.
“Fine,” he said bitterly. “Bring on the elf.”