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Chapter Text

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Mark understood that with Tserriednich winning the succession war, Kakin is screwed. Literally.

Or perhaps he was the only person thinking that.

Looking at the mass of Kakin citizens waving and blowing kisses at his prince, now Crown Prince, they must believe that Tserriednich was what his official facebox profile said: a gentle-hearted prince who never wanted to be king and was only forced to join the succession war. Mark knew it was bullshit of course, but majority of the people didn't even know anything about the vast collection of human trophies in their prince's private art gallery.

 Upon reaching the palace gates, the parade had officially ended. Tserriednich looked slightly exhausted but the smile on his face remained intact. His was a hard-won victory. Mark didn't know much of the details and nobody spoke anything to him about it but he knew that his prince's journey to the Dark Continent and back to the Capital had been a difficult one. What was important however was that his prince had survived the struggle and emerged to be the victor.

 Tserriednich's smile however kept Mark on his toes. That was the same smile his prince sported whether when he was happily reading his favorite history book or when he was skinning a woman alive. It was disconcerting.

More especially disconcerting to Mark was his own instinct telling him that he needed four women for his prince's regular bloodbath.

 He sighed mentally and tried to console himself with his favorite author's quote: "Good men do not necessarily become good kings and evil men do not necessarily become evil kings. On the contrary, good men sometimes make the worst kings that bring about the fall of civilizations while evil men may sometimes become the best kings that can prolong a dynasty for a thousand years."

 However, the most disconcerting thing of all was that even if his prince would be both evil and destined to destroy his family dynasty, Mark couldn't care less.

Because the most important to him, more than countries or dynasties or even his own life, was the prince himself.

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 "Say, can you help me practice for my wedding night?"

 Mark choked at those words. And coughed. He was at the prince's presence so it was quite embarrassing but it's not like he can stop his lungs from involuntarily wheezing.

 Tserriednich continued reading Kakin's Constitution and ignored Mark's antics. "That Lady Hana I'm supposed to marry is pretty smart and her family can provide me a lot of political backing. She's so beautiful and delicate."

The prince looked at him meaningfully and Mark understood. The prince might kill her and it wouldn't look good.

 True enough. He does need practice if that would be the case.

Mark regained his composure and drank his mineral water. "Forgive my rudeness. I will help Your Royal Highness in any way I can."

 That did not sound quite right. Coupled with the view of Tserriednich's slighty wet hair sticking to his neck, the smell of soap on his skin and thick eyelashes half-covering the prince's eyes glued to the pages of the thick book, Mark was thinking of "helping" in a completely different context. That context was making him really hard. It was supposed to be creepy but much to his dismay, it wasn't.

 "Good. I will need at least three women for this. Be more selective, okay? I'll brief you with the details later."

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 Never in his life did Mark imagine himself to be in his current position. Granted it was an honor to serve the future king of his country and he was very well-paid, but he most certainly never even wished to be doing what he was doing, watching every movement in the dimly lit royal bedroom as the Crown Prince was lying on his back, slightly propped up by the mass of pillows on the bed, hands gripping the sheets with a woman on top of him. She was enjoying herself and rightly so. Tserriednich's body was wonderful even when he wasn't moving very much.

 Her mouth now moved from his neck to his lips, her sex still joined with his in a frenzied dance. Mark sucked his breath as he watched her lick the prince's lips open and dipped her tongue inside. Their mouths were now locked so intimately swallowing each other's moans. Tserriednich's hands rose up to her waist as the pace grew faster and faster. The hands rose further up to her shoulders but the prince opted to let them fall down and grip the sheets again.

 Mark understood. The prince was keeping his hands from strangling his bed partner to death.

Only time could tell if he would attain his one-hour goal. He must succeed. There had been four failed attempts and the prince was getting more and more exasperated.

 Then it happened.

 There wasn't even a scream, just the sound of a neck cracking as the prince lost control. It was Mark's cue to leave the monitoring area and enter the bedroom to soothe his prince's hurt ego.

Never mind that woman's pretty face contorted forever in an expression of sweet orgasm combined with the surprise of a sudden death and the sheets soaked with blood and semen. The cleaning crew would restore the room to its pristine state later.

 "Forty three minutes and ten seconds," Mark announced. "You are succeeding, Your Royal Highness."

 Tserriednich snorted and lay back looking offended. "Five minutes ahead is an improvement?"

 Mark shrugged. "At least we're not back to thirty minutes. You're definitely improving."

 He reached a hand out to help his prince up. Tserriednich was too frustrated with himself to protest being hauled to the waiting bathtub. Royal bath servers came to assist but the prince waved them away. Mark sighed, took the bathing paraphernalia, and sat on the edge of the tub.

 "Pardon me for being intrusive but I don't understand why you need a one-hour mark. You can finish in fifteen to twenty five minutes without incident."

 Tserriednich laid his head on the edge, exposing his neck and chest caked with the woman's blood. Mark dipped a sponge on the tub's hot water and proceeded to wash away the grime.

"I need to be inside the bedchamber for the entire wedding night." The prince sighed. "If I can't endure for an hour without killing a bed partner, how can I spend an entire night with my wife? How can I become a proper King if I can't even properly sleep with my Queen and sire heirs? I never thought preparing for a wedding night would be this difficult."

 "Well, you're already improving, sir," Mark reiterated. "Give it some rest first and try again tomorrow. You're tired, both physically and mentally. Of course, that will affect your performance."

Tserriednich's smile brought him relief.

 "Well said. I will follow your advice."

 Yes, you'd better, you fucking prick. Of course, Mark would never voice those thoughts out. Especially since said prick was making his own prick so alive.

 Tserriednich's eyes closed softly. That was Mark's cue to stop the talking and finish the washing.

If there was something he prided himself in, it was his great amount of self-control. He had done this a thousand times before so he can do this now. He swallowed hard and tried his best to ignore Tserriednich's slightly parted lips.

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 tbc

Chapter Text

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For all their best efforts, Tserriednich’s “practice sessions” the next day were just as unsuccessful as the first five. The prince was getting angrier by the minute, evidenced by the disarrayed state of limbs of the last four women Mark had prepared for him. As expected, all were dead but more alarming was the fact that Tserriednich hadn’t even reached thirty minutes before decapitating each woman to death. 

“Perhaps the fault was entirely mine, Your Royal Highness,” he explained, attempting to lessen the prince’s burden. “The preparations weren’t sufficient enough and the subjects were not briefed thoroughly.”

Tserriednich’s eyes were closed, fingers massaging his temples. “Explain it to me.” The obvious anger on the prince’s voice was Mark’s least concern. Tserriednich could kill him then and there for all he cared but the thought of his prince failing because of a mere servant’s mistakes, his mistakes, was simply unforgivable.

Mark swallowed hard, trying to compose himself. “We need more stringent requirements than the ones we had. Intellectual and physical attributes alone were apparently insufficient to meet your criteria. What I understood was that you were unsatisfied because the subjects were all non-professionals.”

“Non-professional whores. Is that what you’re trying to say?”

As much as Mark hated to admit it, Tserriednich was correct. He could only nod in acquiescence. Tserriednich sighed in defeat, hands clenched. “Fine. But I don’t want any of those low-class types, understand?”

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For the twelfth time, another test subject was dead. Mark was getting more anxious than ever, wondering what went wrong. He had selected the best courtesans from the most prestigious establishments but it didn’t suffice. He considered everything to be his failure and contemplated going to a therapist to cure his growing depression. However, his prince’s well-being must be prioritized before his own sense of self-worth and mental health.

He glanced at his prince, eyes looking distractedly at a potted plant in an expression that looked…sad. Mark was alarmed. Tserriednich never looked sad. Perhaps the whole fiasco is starting to take its toll on him.

“Your Royal Highness, I suppose we need to take a break before the next batch came.”

“I can’t afford to take another break. The wedding will be in five months’ time.”

Mark’s fists clenched. The prince’s voice sounded so quiet. There was another minute of silence which he did not dare to break.

“Say,” Tserriednich started, eyes still glazed with over-thinking, “do you think I’m approaching this problem the wrong way?”

Mark succeeded in not making a sound but he could feel the sting of pain in his mouth as his gums bled due to the pressure of his teeth gnashing in anger. Only now did he truly felt so angry at himself that he wanted to die. He deserved to die. His prince’s pride was suffering because his assistant was an inept bastard who couldn’t do his job right. The worst part of all was that Tserriednich appeared to be blaming himself for it.

Tserriednich carried on. “I mean, come to think of it. I have killed everyone I have ever slept with. I have never even spent an entire night in bed with a living person. I guess it would be more feasible to just concentrate on spending the entire night with someone without actually doing anything with them. What do you think?”

The expectant look on the prince’s eyes was like a punch to his gut but Mark managed a smile. “That’s an excellent solution, sir. But for now, how about you try to relax and get some rest? As you have said earlier, we still have five months before the wedding proper.”

“You’re right. I guess I’d need to take it slow. I can’t just use batch after batch of test subjects without any changes in our methodology. Really, we need to come up with fresher ideas to stop my hands from itching to kill every time I fuck somebody. Pretty women are like creatures begging me to kill them but I can’t afford to have my Lady Hana dying on me.” The prince took a small sip of the wine and thought for a moment. Mark expected to hear another idea from the prince but Tserriednich simply paused, eyes no longer glazed with thoughts but with a tiny spark of curiosity. To his surprise, the prince’s hand reached out to him till one finger touched his assistant’s lips. “You’re bleeding.”

Mark licked his lips and tasted the coppery tang of his dripping blood and, accidentally, a tiny portion of Tserriednich’s skin. Of course he didn’t lick the prince’s finger on purpose. That would be very rude. Still he had a taste and it lifted his spirits.  He hastily picked up some tissue paper and disinfectant to wipe the prince’s hand with. “My deepest apologies, You Royal Highness.”

Thankfully, the prince didn’t mind Mark’s transgression and simply leaned back to his chair. “I guess you’re just as stressed out as I am. Go unload your stress out so we can brainstorm more effectively tomorrow.”

“Whatever pleases you, Your Royal Highness,” he replied with a bow.

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Mark pumped his hips as fast as he could. It could even be called desperate, if one liked the perspective of an emotional prick. He couldn’t care less. His partner was moaning hotly in his mouth and he was determined to take it all in. The sensation of someone’s screams being muffled by kisses was something that never failed to arouse him.

His grip on his partner’s wrists loosened up a bit as he started to caress the latter’s palms. His left hand travelled downwards, gently gripping one of those long legs splayed apart in surrender and bucking it up as his thrusts grew faster and harder. The man underneath him was moaning so adorably that Mark couldn’t stop himself from biting those lips hard and then sucking it softly to soothe away the pain.

The details were quite hazy and the room very dark but Mark knew from the voice alone that his partner was a man. The most telling sign however was how the orifice his sex was vigorously pumping into was not self-lubricating.

He could spend days lamenting how he had gone from a high society man who preferred high society ladies into this – a horny animal fucking a man with straight long hair because that was the only way he could compensate himself for not being able to fuck the prince he was supposedly tasked to protect and serve. It was quite pathetic. That aside though, this man was pretty good. Never mind that Mark was the one doing all the work.

His arms slowly wrapped around his partner’s body, gently lifting him up and laying him atop the neglected bunch of pillows. His mouth left the latter’s lips and made small kisses on the side of his face, his eyelids, his chin and down to his neck. He proceeded to lift both of the man’s legs to spread them even wider as he continued the pounding.

Mark could feel the sensations carrying him higher and higher until at last, he cried out, sheathing himself fully and spilling himself deep inside his partner. Gasping, he laid still, his face buried on the crook of the man’s neck. He paused for a while, catching his breath. He felt his strength slowly returning to his muscles as his mind slowly descended back into reality.

As slowly and as gently as he possibly could, he pulled out his softening member and kissed the man’s shoulder in appreciation. From the slickness he felt on their stomachs, Mark surmised that the appreciation had been mutual. That realization gave him some sort of a giddy feeling.

Reaching out a hand to the side table, he turned the lamp on. It wasn’t much but at least the room now had a lighter shade. He wanted to see this man’s face at least before giving some him cash and some legitimate threats to guarantee his silence.

“Hey, Mark. You’re pretty good at this. I’m impressed.”

That voice sounded quite familiar. Mark turned sharply. Sprawled on the bed was no other than Tserriednich himself.

However this happened was mind-boggling but that was his least concern as he felt a cold chill ran up his spine. I’m dead. I’m very dead.

Somehow, the prospect of dying fueled the hardness forming on his crotch. His body was betraying him like crazy. He had just committed a grave crime against his prince and now he appeared to want to commit that same crime all over again.

However, the prince seemed to have a different idea. For all of Mark’s embarrassment, Tserriednich simply looked at his sex standing up on full alert.

“Well, since your little guy is so inclined, how about you try to impress me some more?”

Mark swallowed hard. Did the prince really mean that?

His member was getting painfully hard. “Your Royal Highness…”

“Your job is to serve me, is it not? I’m ordering you to serve me now. Don’t make me wait.”

Throwing all caution to wherever he could throw it, Mark jumped back onto the bed and pulled Tserriednich into a long, hard kiss.

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There was a pain in his gut that forced Mark’s eyes open. A blurry face hovering above him gradually took shape. To his dismay, it wasn’t Tserriednich. It was an ugly, frowning mug.

“You idiot!” Sarkov hissed. “What were you thinking sleeping like a fucking baby while on duty?”

It was all a dream? If it were, it was quite some stupid cliché. Mark rubbed his eyes and sat up from the couch. He was in the outer room of the prince’s quarters. The bodyguards and some attendants were all over the place, faces looking at him like he sprouted two heads. Mark opted to act innocent. “I was relaxing as per His Royal Highness’ instructions,” he casually replied stretching his neck from left to right.

Sarkov’s forehead vein throbbed while his fists clenched even more. “Did His Royal Highness also instruct you to have some horny dreams and moan loudly while you relax?”

“Apparently, you had a wet dream, you pervert,” Theta scolded. “What are you? A teenager or something?” She wrinkled her nose. “You stink.”

Oops. He was too late to realize the slick wetness on his crotch. Some portion of the white tent seeped out of his silk pants and shone like a bitch’s pooling spit. “Wow. That’s quite a lot,” he deadpanned making Sarkov angrier than ever. Theta and Danjin just looked at him like he was stupid while Muhan giggled uncontrollably like an idiot. He shrugged.

So that really was just a dream, huh. Of course it was a dream. If it weren’t, he wouldn’t be waking up like this. Instead, his skin or some fancy body part would be the only thing left of him, displayed on one of Tserriednich’s custom-made picture frames.

He stood up not even bothering to cover his soiled pants. “Very well. I’ll be cleaning up.”

I’m so pathetic.

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tbc

Chapter Text

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Five days later

Armed guards were stationed on every corner of the Royal Palace. Cameras flickered as VIPs flooded into the main hall. Every important personage of the Kakin political elite, some ambassadors from the V6 and many other important figures including some members of the Hunter Association’s Zodiacs were present for Tserriednich’s engagement ceremony and first official meeting with his future bride.

Mark sipped his tequila, eyes casually watching his prince with a respectful mien. He placed the half-empty goblet on a servant’s waiting tray. The embarrassment of that frustrating dream and the rising body count from the “training sessions” needed to be forgotten for a while. Their concentration would be to complete this ceremony without incident.

Looking at Tserriednich in full royal garb under the soft golden lights, the ivory columns and jeweled chandeliers, one could not help but recognize him as part of the hall’s majestic ambience. As expected, on his face was his official gentle smile and placid demeanor, the perfect prince loved by both the nobility and the masses.

Current reigning sovereign King Nasubi Hui Guo Rou looked all pleased and impressed. He nodded in approval as Tserriednich shook hands with the Prime Minister. However, Mark noticed that the King’s eyes neither looked at the prince nor the Prime Minister but at the space between them. That was weird. Mark chose to ignore it and stood in attention.

The doors opened once more and the new arrivals were announced. “Duke Daeshik, Duchess Inhee and Lady Hana of the Gyeongju Kim Clan!”

The gong sounded. The Royal Engagement Ceremony was about to begin.

All eyes now turned to behold the future crown princess. Tserriednich was right. With her heart-shaped face, large almond-shaped black eyes, soft black hair and petite height that barely reached five feet, Lady Hana was indeed beautiful and very delicate to look upon. Mark marvelled at the smooth whiteness of her neck, already picturing out how easily Tserriednich could break it without a sweat.

The lady was leaning onto one of her maids for support as she descended the staircase, the perfect embodiment of the demure fiancée that she was traditionally expected to be. Upon reaching the foot of the stairs, she bowed respectfully, first to her future father-in-law, then to her future mother-in-law, and finally to her future husband. Following ancient decorum, Tserriednich also bowed to his future in-laws then to the Lady Hana. The pair then moved back to their places beside their parents.

King Nasubi then handed Duke Daeshik a red bagua engraved with the crest of the Hui Guo Rou Clan, an official bestowing of the new status of the Gyeongju Kim Clan as Royal In-Laws. The Duke accepted the bagua with a bow. At that, the bannermen behind the Duchess raised the Clan’s banner and placed it beside the Royal banner and the Kakin national flag.

The Royal Orchestra started to play.

That was Mark’s cue to lead Lady Hana and her parents to their place at the left side of the presidential table. As Chief Lord of the Bedchamber to the Crown Prince, Mark would not be allowed to directly address the lady. Instead, he requested her Chief Lady-in-Waiting to lead the lady to her seat. Tradition dictated that the Crown Prince and the future Crown Princess will not sit beside each other and avoid any sort of physical contact before the official Bedding Ceremony. Therefore, the lady would be ceremonially seated eight seats away from the prince. This will ensure that the upcoming wedding will be successful and bring prosperity to the nation.

After the lady and her family were seated, Mark went back to his official station to stand behind the Crown Prince’s seat and await his commands.

Mark sighed to himself, trying his best to avoid looking at the lady. He did not need any feelings of jealousy and anger towards her. After all, she would be Tserriednich’s wife whether he liked it or not. However, whenever he thought of his prince making every effort for this lady without her even knowing, he couldn’t help but wish that the prince accidentally strangle her during their upcoming wedding night.

Mark sighed more deeply than the last. He shouldn’t be harboring those thoughts.

To distract himself, he opted to observe his surroundings and was quite surprised. Theta, now Captain of the Crown Prince’s Royal Guard, looked very tense. All of the prince’s bodyguards were now very close to the prince’s seat and all looked as tense as Theta was. Under the pretext of serving food, Mark moved closer to the crown prince and tried to monitor the situation. There was nothing abnormal at all.

Then he felt it. Something was directed the prince’s way. Mark felt a chill run down his spine. Goosebumps formed on his skin as he felt a hot sensation that pricked his skin like a million needles. What is this?!

He felt like his skin was being scalded by something he couldn’t see. Regardless of the pain, however, he still managed to deduce that the thing was coming from the left side. As a servant, it was his duty to shield his prince from whatever this was. He took a deep breath and moved towards the left.

Now the prince was fully shielded by his back. As he turned to Theta to signal her of his situation, the pain on Mark’s back was getting worse. But that only strengthened his resolve.  I will protect my prince even if it costs me my life!

At that instant, something seemed to burst out of his skin. The pain from whatever that was disappeared, replaced by the feeling of something airy seeping out of his pores. He was startled by a hand tapping his elbow.

“You idiot. Why did you do that?” Tserriednich whispered.

So the prince noticed after all. Thankfully, he didn’t look hurt or anything of that sort. “Are you alright, my prince?” he whispered back.

“I’m totally fine. You didn’t need to do that. I can protect myself well enough.” Tserriednich looked up at him for a while. “Your shouko have all been opened so do exactly as I say.”

What does that even mean? “As you command, Your Royal Highness.”

Tserriednich daintily took a bite of his fish. “Imagine yourself being coated by water. It’s going around your body in a circle.”

He tried hard to imagine it but there was no way he could ever concentrate with that unknown thing trying to attack the prince.

“You’re too tense. Try to relax a bit,” Tserriednich instructed.

 “Forgive me, Your Royal Highness, but you’re being attacked. Why aren’t the bodyguards doing anything?”

“I told you, I’m fine.” The prince sighed. “It couldn’t be helped. Come closer, pour me some wine.”

As confused as he was, he followed the prince’s command. At that moment, something warm slowly crept around his body, slipped right through his clothes and into his skin. It started moving from his left hand to his shoulders, to his head then to the right side of his body, then to his feet, then back to the left side of his body. It felt like hot lotion being applied all over him.

“Now try to stand up straight.”

Mark obeyed, still slightly disoriented.

“You can feel it, can you?”

Mark nodded.

“Now envision that warm thing submerging you completely like you’re inside a circular pool. It flows slowly from the crown of your head then to the left side then to the tips of your toes and to the right side then back to your head. Do you feel better now?”

Mark blinked. “Y-Yes, Your Royal Highness. I do feel better now.”

“Great. Do not let go of that image.” As Tserriednich took a sip of the wine, an additional layer of the warm feeling seeped into Mark’s eyes. “Now look slowly to your left.”

Mark obeyed. He was greeted with the sight of the most grotesque creature he had ever seen. It was a horse-like thing with a woman’s head. It was floating on mid-air, its huge eyes looking back at him.

“Do you see her?”

Mark gulped. “Yes, sir.”

“That is my guardian beast, my protector. She’s doing her job excellently so you don’t need to shield me at all.”

The beast snorted and turned away from Mark to eat the vine-like things that were trying to move closer to the prince. At being chewed on, the vines retreated, disappearing completely into thin air.

“Don’t worry about it. Just concentrate on keeping that energy around your body.” The prince drank some more of the wine. As unnerved as Mark was, he managed to refill the goblet without any physical trace of his anxiety. However, nothing seemed to escape Tserriednich’s sharp eyes. “You’re still disturbed by it.”

“Forgive me, Your Royal Highness.”

“Very well. Stay close to me until this is over.”

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After one long hour, the banquet was finally over. The King, the Queen, the Duke, the Duchess, and all other VIPs now vacated the presidential table and sat on the waiting tables on the sides, leaving the prince and the lady alone. Small bells rang as the high priest said his prayers, basically saying that the engagement was sacred and should never be broken unless for severe reasons. Incense candles were burned and the ritual began. The high priest, eight monks and eight nuns rounded the table and sprinkled holy water on the couple.

Despite the smoke from the incense, Mark’s vision stayed very sharp. Since he was not allowed near the table, the least he could do was monitor the situation. The guardian beast was still there, standing between the prince and the lady unnoticed by everyone except Mark, the prince, and presumably the prince’s Royal Guards.

The ritual lasted for another hour and Mark and the guards nervously stood on standby. Thankfully the vines did not appear again much to their relief.

The prince and the lady were led out of the table in opposing directions, the prince to the right and the lady to the left. When they were finally in front of the table, still eight paces away from each other, the Lords of the Bedchamber and the Ladies-in-Waiting came forth to assist them.

To conclude the ceremony, the newly-engaged couple would now be exchanging the special tokens they prepared for each other. Tserriednich gave his bride-to-be a pomegranate fruit, a symbol of a desire for many children. In turn, Lady Hana gave the prince a white chrysanthemum flower, wishing for a long reign for the future king as well as a show of the lady’s loyalty. The couple did not give the tokens directly to each other but through the prince’s Chief Lord of the Bedchamber and the lady’s Chief Lady-In-Waiting. When the engaged couple received their respective tokens, they bowed towards each other. Then they bowed in unison towards the people.

The gong sounded once more. A resounding applause rang throughout the hall. The ceremony was officially over. Following it would be the socials which would presumably last for a few more hours.

Immediately, Theta and three of the Royal Guards walked to stand beside the prince. Mark could see that they still looked very nervous.

“Your Royal Highness,” Theta started, “you are exhausted. We shall escort you back to your chambers.” Sarkov and Danjin backed her up quietly while Muhan’s eyes nervously darted back and forth.

Tserriednich regarded them quietly. “Very well. But I need to stay for a while for propriety’s sake.”

After a few minutes, pictures were taken, some VIPs shook hands with the prince and the lady. Mark noticed that the bodyguards were as tense as ever and he wondered why. For some reason, probably because his own tension got the better of him or due to the golden hue of the chandelier, this was the first time he actually noticed the huge glow of golden light surrounding the prince. That same glow seemed to be of the same color as the beast walking beside the prince. If that was the reason why the bodyguards looked so tense, he couldn’t tell.

The prince now excused himself to his father who nodded his assent. At that, the bodyguards sighed with relief. That relief however was short-lived as a lord announced the Lady Hana was approaching the prince. Muhan’s fists clenched in anger. Tserriednich simply ignored him and bowed to the lady. The lady bowed back. When she looked up to her fiancé, her cheeks were tinted with a light blush. It was Mark’s turn to grit his teeth.

“Forgive my impudence, my prince, but will I ever be allowed to say this?” Her voice was so small that Mark wished she could strangle it out of existence. “Y-You are more handsome than your picture.”

Tserriednich gave her one of his captivating smiles. “My heart feels thankful that my lady finds me pleasing.” The lady’s cheeks grew pinker than before. “It is regretful that we will not see each other for a few more months. But I shall contain my feelings and wait for the moment when we may finally be together as one.”

Her eyes grew moist with unshed tears. “I shall be waiting for that moment as well, Your Royal Highness.”

That was the most annoying scene Mark had ever seen in his life that he was glad when she was finally gone. When the prince finally walked out of the hall, some of the other bodyguards that had previously been dispersed joined them as well.

They were now very near the door to the prince’s chambers. The four bodyguards still looked so tense.

All of a sudden, Tserriednich took a step backwards. Mark walked closer assuming the prince will be giving instructions. However, there were no instructions. Tserriednich’s back simply leaned on him as the prince collapsed.

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tbc

Chapter Text

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“What happened to him?! What the fuck is happening?!”

Mark was shaking uncontrollably. His vision was still sharp despite the hot tears streaming down his face and the flurry of movement as he was pulled inside the prince’s chamber. From a distance he could see Tserriednich on Muhan’s arms, the bodyguard running towards the inner chamber as Sarkov opened the door in haste.

“What are you doing? He needs a doctor!”

He was silenced by a loud slap.

“You idiot!” Theta hissed. “Why did you do that?”

“W-What did I do?” Mark winced. The pain on his cheek was nothing compared to the feeling of his bones starting to snap as Theta gripped his wrist so hard.

Theta closed her eyes to calm herself down, eyebrows still knotted in anger. She took a deep breath before opening them again. Mark was awed by the intensity of them, as if Theta could kill him by simply looking. “I will explain it later. From now on, please refrain from doing something stupid. If anything bad happens to His Royal Highness, we’re all dead. You understand?”

Mark looked back at her, ready to take in all of her anger. “I’d be fine with me dying. I just don’t want anything bad to happen to him.”

Her grip softened, eyes looking less menacing than before. She sighed. “Right. Follow me.”

Upon entering the prince’s inner chamber, all Mark saw was the prince lying on the bed, seemingly unconscious. The royal garments were now divested, replaced with sleeping clothes that made the prince look like a hospital patient. Marks clenched fists went up to his chest as his breathing grew harsher. No matter how hard he tried to suppress it, his heart ached so hard that his tears started to fall again. He turned to Theta. “What did I do to him? Please tell me! What did I do?!”

Theta sighed. “Do you know what nen is?”

He looked at her blankly, tears still falling stupidly. “What’s that?”

Theta sighed, deeper than the last. “It’s the discipline of using your life force as a higher form of martial art or simply as a special ability. Listen carefully, that life force or energy is called aura. The more you use nen, the more your aura is depleted. That’s why any nen-user must not use it for an extended period of time.”

He looked at the prince, still confused. “Is that what happened to him?”

“Yes,” she replied. “I don’t understand the motive behind but he definitely did it to defend you.”

Mark opened his mouth and closed it again, dumbfounded. The guardian beast was on the bed, lying beside the prince. It rubbed its face on Tserriednich’s hair like a kitten would. “How about that thing over there? Is that somehow connected to this nen?”

“It is,” Theta answered. “That beast consumes the prince’s aura for sustenance in exchange for protecting him.”

Now Mark was more confused than ever. “If the beast eats up His Royal Highness’ life force, what do I have to do with it?”

For the second time, Theta eyed him so badly that it felt like she was ripping him open and eating his insides. “You jumped into that vine-like aura like an idiot. You’re not a nen-user so the prince used his aura to shield you from it. Do you understand it now?”

Mark paused for a bit trying to process what he just heard. “So the beast was already eating the prince’s life force and he still used more of his life force to shield me. His life force got depleted.”

“Exactly.”

“So if your life force is depleted, you get unconscious?”

“Not necessarily,” Theta answered quietly. “Some people die on the spot.”

Mark’s legs wobbled. He now understood the gravity of his crime. The prince almost died because of him. His eyes were now very sore but if he needed to shed tears of blood, he would for the prince’s sake.

“Now don’t be so harsh on him, Theta. I was also using ken, you know.” Mark turned to see his prince sitting up. His left hand was on the beast’s head which had rested on his lap, his fingers casually running on its hair. Mark noticed that the beast’s neck got impossibly long, loosely wrapping around Tserriednich’s body like a cord. The prince leaned his back on the beast’s body like one would rest on a soft cushion. “How many hours did I last?”

“Thirteen hours today, Your Royal Highness,” she replied.

“Hm, adding up the fifteen hours since yesterday, it is twenty-eight hours.” He sighed. “I’m such a slow learner.” He regarded Mark thoughtfully. “Oh. You retained the aura I gave you.”

Mark wiped his tears with his handkerchief. “It’s a part of you that Your Royal Highness gave me so I definitely must take care of it.”

Tserriednich hummed. “I assume Theta already told you about the basic concept of nen. From now on, she will instruct you as well as she had instructed me.” He looked at his bodyguards, now officially Royal Guards. “You guys were stressed out unnecessarily because of me. Forgive me.”

“It’s our duty to protect you, Your Royal Highness,” Sarkov replied with a bow.

“Well said.” The beast lifted its head a bit and opened its mouth. There was another head inside with a two-pronged tongue sticking out with an eye on each tip. With that second face unblinkingly staring at them, it looked quite adorable. “Anyway, have you seen the source of the attack?”

“It was from the crowd, Your Royal Highness,” Theta replied. “Danjin’s team had pinpointed the culprit and neutralized him.”

“Did they kill him?”

“No, Your Royal Highness. He’s at the guest room right now.”

“Very good. These will be your assignments for now. Theta, join Danjin’s team to get some information from the attacker. Sarkov, you will temporarily replace Theta to lead Group A. Muhan, call Dr. Lindenburg and schedule an appointment. Tell him it’s important. You are now dismissed. Mark, please remain.”

“Yes, sir.”

When the bodyguards were outside, the beast now closed its mouth and went back to its place on the prince’s lap, rubbing its cheek on the prince’s thigh like a dog asking affection from its master. Tserriednich rested a hand on its head. The beast grunted and looked satisfied.

Tserriednich noticed him looking at the beast. “Her name is Ling. Isn’t she a beauty?”

“Indeed she is, my prince,” Mark replied with a smile. He couldn’t care less if the prince thought of his words as less than genuine. After all, the beast was a terrible monster. It was very intimidating to behold at first glance and he could easily imagine the many dreadful things it would be capable of. But once you see it closer, it was endearing and beautiful, just like the prince himself. Without thinking, he reached out a hand and touched its neck. The beast didn’t stir.

“You know,” Tserriednich told him quietly, “nobody else had ever dared to touch her.”

Mark withdrew his hand immediately. “Forgive me for my transgression, Your Royal Highness.”

“No, I don’t mean it like that,” Tserriednich demurred lightly. “I meant nobody else had ever liked her the way you do. Touch her all you like. I bet she likes you too.”

From the playful tone of his voice, Mark understood that Tserriednich was testing him. If he touched the beast again, he could only think of two possibilities. If the beast wouldn’t like his touch and eat him, then he would be fodder for the prince’s guardian. If the beast would like him, then he would please his prince. It was a win-win situation.

Without hesitation, he reached a hand out to touch Ling once more. The beast uncoiled its neck from the prince and pushed its face towards Mark. He touched its cheek. Its long rabbit-like ears wiggled in delight. He couldn’t help but laugh at the display. Tserriednich laughed along with him, quite amused. Ling rubbed her face into his palm and retreated back to rest her head on Tserriednich's shoulder. As the beast grunted, the prince touched the beast’s nose with his lips and whispered, “Yes. I love you too.”

Those words, even though it weren’t really directed at him, went straight to Mark’s groin. He sucked his breath and tried his best to contain himself. He succeeded in suppressing a full erection but he remained half-hard.

The prince sighed tiredly. Mark assisted to lay him down the bed as comfortably as possible. The sensation of Tserriednich’s warm skin and soft hair briefly making contact with him didn’t help him at all but he managed to contain himself nonetheless. He sat on the bedside to adjust the covers.

“You have seen the lady. What do you think of her?”

“Well,” Mark started, carefully choosing his words, “she’s obviously well-versed with palace politics and likes to court emotional sympathy from others for her advantage. I believe you have to be careful, Your Royal Highness.”

Tserriednich chuckled. “Our intel says she finished her physics doctorate at the age of twelve. Quite the prodigy. She had also just retired at the age of twenty-three as a Brigadier General after her ten-year service in the Royal Air Force. And she had the nerve to act so innocent. What a shameless woman.”

“From what I heard, she is also proficient in international diplomacy, having previously advised the Secretary of Defense on some matters of state,” Mark added.

The prince’s eyelashes fluttered sleepily. “She will make an excellent queen. Despite her background, I might still accidentally kill her. She needs to be handled as carefully as possible. I need to train harder for the wedding night.”

“Yes, Your Royal Highness.” Mark stood up and bowed. He was ready to leave but something still bugged him, gnawing hard on his gut. Tserriednich sensed his apprehension.

“Is there something else you need to tell me?”

Mark tried to open his mouth but he was rooted on the spot. This could wait for tomorrow. Even though it was only three in the afternoon, the prince looked too exhausted to talk about such mundane things. But it’s not mundane. It’s about his life!

To his consternation, he heard the sheets rustling as the prince sat up. Knowing Tserriednich’s curiosity, he shouldn’t have brought it up even if only non-verbally.

“Tell me. What is it?”

He looked into the prince’s drowsy eyes. At that moment, Tserriednich looked so vulnerable that it hurt. “Theta said that your aura was depleted. You could have died.”

The prince chuckled. “Oh, that. Indeed. It was a total miscalculation on my part. But I was far from dying, if that’s what worries you so.”

A minute of silence lasted for a while. The prince had probably guessed that Mark didn’t buy the explanation so he continued. “Listen. Being depleted doesn’t necessarily mean that a person is completely out of aura. As long as there is life, there will always be aura. The key to mastering nen is to maintain equilibrium between the aura released and the aura retained. I got out of balance because I’m still trying to learn.”

Mark was relieved to hear that. However, with the beast still on full alert despite the prince’s tired state, he deduced that the prince’s life force was still being consumed. That means that the prince’s life was still being gambled with and Mark absolutely disliked that possibility. Despite his worries, he knew he couldn’t just voice out everything he felt. What he could do to lessen the prince’s burden was by learning nen himself. “I understand, Your Royal Highness.”

“Good. I must retire now. Wake me up when dinner is ready.”

“As you command, Your Royal Highness.”

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Mark twirled a fountain pen on his fingers absently. The golden glow surrounding his body was still there, floating around him like a circular pool of water just as the prince had described. Underneath the gold light was another light of a different color which he recognized as his own life force. He was still confused, still trying to understand this strange thing called nen. One important question that also needed to be answered was what could have motivated the prince to save his puny life.

Ever since he first met Tserriednich, he had always known that his prince was someone who never did anything without a reason. He watched football because he liked to apply its principles in honing his own bodily strength and in understanding group dynamics. He read philosophy to sharpen his mind by analyzing the points of view of some of the most intelligent people that had ever existed. Even his bloodiest escapades were not without reason – he regarded it as a love of art for art’s sake and he relished the thrill it gave him.

Saving Mark at that moment while risking his own life in the process was not something that Tserriednich would have done for a mere servant’s sake. He would be greatly honored if that was the case but deep in his mind he knew that it wasn’t.

Other than the ceremony being disrupted by someone’s death, he could sense no other cause. But knowing Theta’s skill, Mark knew that if he died there during the ceremony, she would have easily removed him and disposed of his corpse without anyone noticing.

His train of thought stopped as Theta marched to him holding a plastic folder. She had her trademark serious face. “This is the data we’ve gathered. Will you please hand it to the prince?”

Taking the folder from her, he nodded absently.

“Muhan also informed that the doctor will be inspecting our guest at 7 pm. Kindly inform His Royal Highness of that as well.”

“I will,” he replied.

Even if he wasn’t looking, he knew that Theta was frowning at him. “You’re still thinking about what happened, aren’t you?”

He didn’t bother saying the obvious.

“Well, it already happened so snap out of it. And dinner had been ready for some time. You may have to have it delivered to His Royal Highness’ bed since he looked pretty exhausted.”

Mark nodded. He did as he was bid like a robot, his mind still wandering. He only “snapped out of it” when he was finally inside the prince’s room.

Tserriednich was still fast asleep. He looked so innocent that Mark almost forgot that this situation was one of the most dangerous parts of being the prince’s personal attendant. Waking up the prince may result in certain death. There had been many casualties in the past which stopped only after Mark entered the prince’s service.

He walked closer to Tserriednich and gently patted his shoulder. “Your Royal Highness, dinner is ready.”

As if on cue, the beast on the other side of the room stretched its neck, pushing its face into the tray containing the prince’s food. Seeing nothing dangerous, it retreated back and looked at the window like a tourist admiring the view.

Still, Tserriednich was asleep and Mark shook his shoulder harder this time. The prince’s eyelashes fluttered open.

Danger aside, this was also one of the best perks of being the prince’s personal attendant – seeing the prince up close. Mark could never get over how the sparkle of Tserriednich’s golden-brown eyelashes seemed to melt into his eyes each time he opened them. For all his brutality, the prince looked like a saint who had never done a fault in his entire life. Mark sighed in admiration. “Your Royal Highness, I brought you your dinner.”

Tserriednich rubbed his eyes and yawned. “Thanks.” He did some stretching for a while before he tossed the sheets aside and walked towards the waiting table. On the side table was Theta’s report which the prince was distracted with for a while. He opened and scanned the file and whistled. “Hn, as always, she never fails to deliver.” Then he sat into the waiting chair and ate daintily.

On the background, a soft jazz music played along with the silent trembling of five maidservants waiting for the prince to finish his dinner. Mark smirked at the sight. If this streak continued, he would never lose his job.

The women were grateful when the prince finally put his silverware down. Mark poured him his water which the prince drank. The prince waved them away. At that, two of the maids cleared the table and vacated the area as quickly as they could. The three on standby stood unmoving like garden statues.

Tserriednich didn’t seem to notice that and kept on reading the report. Mark waited for him quietly. The silence continued. After a while, Tserriednich put down the folder. “You know, you don’t have to wait on me every now and then. It’s not like we’re in the feudal era.”

“Whatever pleases you, Your Royal Highness,” he replied with a bow.

“You’re so annoying sometimes.”

Mark laughed. “Forgive me, my prince.”

The prince frowned.

So adorable.

“Fine. Wait on me all you like.”  

If he were someone else, Mark understood that he would be dead by now and he appreciated that fact. He also knew what would lift the prince’s cranky mood. “Theta also informed that Dr. Lindenburg requests to examine our guest at 7 pm.”

As expected, Tserriednich was suddenly smiling. “That’s good news. Tell her to assist the doctor. Also, have the baths drawn. I need to look presentable at least since we have a guest to entertain.”

With one look from Mark, the three maids gratefully scurried off to do their job so they can finally escape. He chuckled and shook his head in amusement. However, the amusement wore off when the prince undressed and stepped into the tub. The struggle to contain his hard cock began.

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tbc

Chapter Text

The guest room was eerily quiet and as pristine as ever. The tiled floor was as white as a hospital’s, presumably designed as such to better see impurities that would otherwise remain unnoticed if they had designs. Since the room itself was three floors underground, it didn’t need to match the design of the upper floors and the prince had it customized without any problems.

Mark noticed that the doctor was already present, his tools already prepared on a long stainless table.

“Dr. Lindenburg. My deepest apologies for taking so long. I do thank you for responding to my request,” the prince held out a hand which the doctor grasped and shook gently.

Up close, the man looked pretty old like someone in his seventies. His pink face was peppered with wrinkles, especially on the sides of his face. His thick, curly beard was pure white like his bushy eyebrows and the hair on his balding head. His blue eyes twinkled with mirth. This was the first time he was able to see the doctor personally instead of through a monitor. Mark found that he liked him immediately.

“Not at all. It is always an honor to work on your projects, Your Royal Highness,” the doctor replied. Both of them laughed formally and regarded the subject.

At the center of the room was a man, completely naked and spread-eagled as if on display. He was quite huge, almost reaching seven feet in height. So this guy is the source of the vines that tried to attack the prince. Mark estimated his age to be at least forty.

“He was pretty lively,” said the doctor, “but your Royal Guards restrained him effortlessly.”

Tserriednich nodded, pleased by the doctor’s calm appraisal. Mark knew that the old man was skilled in his craft. After all, Dr. Tsuji Lindenburg was a renowned taxidermist who could preserve animals in an amazingly life-like state. Most of his works were displayed on national museums where it drew a lot of tourists and admirers. Little did the public know of the doctor’s true hobby – preserving the hide of still-breathing human beings.

The subject struggled but the seemingly fragile restraints were too effective. Mark’s eyes marvelled at how the seemingly thin steel frames were able to contain such a tall, bulky person. Dr. Lindenburg noticed his curiosity and smiled gently like a kindly grandfather. “Is this your first time seeing a live taxidermy performance?”

“Not really,” Mark replied. “But this will be my first time seeing it performed on a human male.”

Both the doctor and the prince grinned at him. “Well, pay close attention then,” said Tserriednich. “Doctor, please guide us.”

The doctor nodded. “This is called a skinning frame. It can hold up to eight hundred kilograms so you don’t need to worry even if the subject struggles.”

Mark noticed that the man’s mouth was closed with a ball gag.

“Ah, that’s so he can’t commit suicide by biting his tongue off,” the doctor explained. “There are also rags in his mouth constrained with a net that is attached to the gag. It provides a mechanism that allows his saliva to be continuously swallowed and never spill outside the mouth.”

Tserriednich regarded the man thoughtfully. “Neutralized, huh. They cast a spell on you, didn’t they?” The man groaned. Mark didn’t understand what the prince truly meant. He surmised that perhaps it was the reason why the vines couldn’t be summoned anymore. He deduced as well that it could be all about nen. Such a mysterious ability. He definitely had to learn it.

“Rowland McBride.” Tserriednich pronounced the name softly. The subject’s eyes now widened, the fear apparent. “Please don’t move too much, you’ll only hurt yourself that way.” The prince turned to the doctor who had just finished wearing his gloves and apron. “Do we have a theme?”

Dr. Lindenburg’s eyes sparkled. “Yes, Your Royal Highness. Orion, the Great Giant in the Sky.” His fingers snapped as he looked as if on a trance. “When I looked at him for the first time, I was amazed by the perfect bronze tone of the skin as well as the great expanse of it. I believe he is the perfect material for this.”

The prince nodded, obviously pleased. He turned towards the subject with a serene smile. “Orion. Huntsman to Artemis, goddess of the moon and the hunt. According to the popular myth, she favored him but he had his eyes drawn to Aurora, the dawn goddess. Out of jealousy, Artemis killed him. She regretted it afterwards and placed him on the sky as a beautiful constellation.”

The doctor clasped his hands in barely-contained excitement. “Shall we begin?”

Tserriednich sat on one of the chairs and crossed his legs. “I leave him to your hands, ‘doc.”

The doctor regarded the captive thoughtfully. “Well, pay close attention. This skinning frame can be rotated up and down for easier access so that we don’t make unnecessary cuts that will damage our material needlessly. We need the skin in one piece so that our end product is flawless.”

The skinning frame was rotated so that the subject was slightly angled face-down, his neck now bared easily for the doctor who was a feet and a few inches shorter than him. As a last attempt to perhaps throw the doctor off guard, Mr. McBride screamed and growled as loudly as he could, only for the sound to be muffled by the gag.

Completely unaffected by the subjects antics, the doctor calmly took a small scalpel. “The cleanest way to start is from the back at the portion below the neck. No matter what adhesive we use, cuts would remain visible to the naked eye upon close inspection. Therefore, we must ensure that the front area will contain only minimal trace of the procedure.”

With that, the doctor inserted the scalpel slowly from the lower area of the neck down to the back. There were no sudden spurts of blood, a testament to the doctor’s skill. The cut was made in a very straight line and Mark surmised that the doctor was tracing the man’s spine. When the cut reached the area above the buttocks, the doctor placed the small scalpel back to the table and took the skinning knife.

“Now all we need to do is to be careful that the knife removes the fatty layer under the skin as well.”

The doctor inserted the knife carefully on the cut and gently angled it sideways to the left. Slowly, he pushed the knife underneath, moving it little by little until the skin was gently removed.

As expected, Mr. Rowland McBride screamed in agony. Unfortunately the gag muffled him, adding to his despair. Tears pooled in his eyes uncontrollably. Mark pitied the poor guy but only shrugged. What was happening was only a rightful consequence for the assassin attacking the prince.

After the left part of the back was almost fully removed, the doctor now slowly traced the subject’s buttocks with a larger knife. Mark whistled as the perfect shape of the man’s left butt was still as firm as ever even without the skin. He looked hard as yellow liquid spurted out of the man’s cock which flowed to a long transparent tube that he didn’t notice earlier.

“Doctor inserted a catheter in there,” Tserriednich casually explained.

Dr. Lindenburg laughed. “Oh yeah. It’s a necessary procedure. We can’t have him pissing on us now, can we?”

Mark noticed that there wasn’t anything inserted on the anus.

“That’s because the doctor had cleaned him up earlier,” Tserriednich clarified.

“He was squirming all the time,” added the doctor. He was cutting up the portion of the rectum connecting the large intestine and the anal opening which looked a bit sore due to the reddish hue. “Such a cute, little virgin. I did enjoy cleaning him up. It had to be done twice over but I had no regrets.”

Oh. Mark shuddered.

 The doctor now moved to the left thigh. Mark could see that the subject was struggling really hard. After all, his skin was being ripped off. He imagined it to hurt just like hair removal using hot wax, only that the pain was magnified a thousand times. No matter how much Mr. McBride struggled, his limbs were stretched and held still by the restraints. And he couldn’t use his vine power because of that mysterious spell. Poor fellow.

He turned to the prince who looked on with gusto. Now that the left thigh was done with, the doctor now took the smaller knife again and started at the back once more, this time at the right side.

Mark sighed. This would be a long night. His own stomach was protesting silently not because of disgust but because he needed some snacks. Tserriednich, as perceptive as he always was, noticed his situation.

“You may call the servants to deliver us food and wine. Instruct them to bring a grill and some tongs for the doctor as well,” the prince ordered. “Do you need something else, ‘doc?”

Dr. Lindenburg paused for a while and thought. “Some toasted bread and soda will do.”

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.

Moments later, the assassin Mr. Rowland McBride was divided into two major parts. The first part was his perfectly tanned skin hung out to dry on the skinning frame. The fatty layer was gone, meticulously removed until not a trace was left. It will have to hang there for a few minutes as the doctor chemically treated the plaster to mount it with.

The second part was Mr. McBride himself, divested of all skin, hands, feet, tongue, cock and testicles. The gag was gone and he gasped in indescribable pain as he squirmed in a basin filled with soy sauce, vinegar and spices. His bile had been removed through a clean cut in his belly which the doctor hadn’t bothered to sew shut. It wasn’t because of sloppiness on the doctor’s part but was intended to allow the marinade to enter and add more flavor to the man’s insides.

As the skinless man fought for his breath, his teeth bared for all to see like that of a diagram of the muscular system, Mark wondered how many hours he would last before dying. Mark also noticed that his eyelids were gone as well, resulting in his optic nerves getting soaked by the flavorful solution. The said nerves, along with some veins, started to stretch. It made his eyeballs look seemingly separated from the rest of his head.

Beside the basin was the electric grill where the doctor had previously roasted some portions of their subject.

Mark went back to Tserriednich’s side. His prince sipped his red wine, watching in fascination as the doctor removed the skin from its frame and was now slowly wrapping the freshly-treated plaster with it. Mark refilled his own goblet with the prince’s wine and drank. Then he took some of the doctor’s toasted bread and ate.

On the doctor’s plate were some uneaten portions of Mr. McBride’s roasted parts which filled the air with sizzling aroma. However, Mark and his prince ignored it. They do have their tastes which didn’t include human meat, thank you very much.

A few moments later and the project was complete – Orion, the Great Giant in the Sky in all his glory. Tserriednich stood up, completely mesmerized. Mark could understand the prince’s admiration of the work. The thing in front of them didn’t look like a piece of dead skin that it really was. Rather, it was a tall muscular figure on his way to catch something in the clouds. A perfect rendering of the hunter of the legend.

The doctor sat down and ate some more of Mr. McBride’s barbecued tongue as he regarded his handiwork with pride.

As the prince smiled happily, Mark had that indescribable feeling again that brought unshed tears to his eyes. Seeing the prince satisfied made him feel satisfied as well. Never mind the squirming assassin whom the doctor would feast on later. Mark noticed that he wasn’t squirming anymore.

Finally, the prince turned to the doctor, a smile still gracing his lips. “As expected, your work is stellar, Dr. Lindenburg. I sincerely hope we’d still be working together in the future.”

The old man bowed. “It will be my greatest pleasure, Your Royal Highness.”

At that, Mark summoned some of the servants to assist the doctor in packaging and transporting the marinated meat to his residence. He ordered the others to handle with care the new addition to their prince’s art collection. As usual, the doctor will be well-compensated for the job well done. Mark was sure there will be more projects to come.

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.

Upon ascending to the upper floors, Mark noticed that some of the Royal Guards looked tense again, particularly Theta and Sarkov. He understood that they were just apprehensive again, knowing what had just transpired in the guest room. He focused his attention to his prince and paid them no heed.

When they finally arrived to the royal quarters, the prince expressed his wish to retire. Mark assumed that the prince wanted to sleep immediately to retain the memory of that fine work of art in his subconscious. However, Tserriednich still summoned him inside much to his surprise.

In a not-so-rare streak of clinginess, Tserriednich requested a massage. Knowing the prince’s homicidal tendencies, Mark understood that no one else but him could do it.

Thus, all servants were sent away to the outer room and Mark ended up on the prince’s sofa with Tserriednich lying on his lap as his head was being massaged. Mark never knew any techniques so he simply followed his instincts and rubbed his fingers gently on the prince’s scalp in circular motions. They stayed like that for a while as a soft piano music played in the background.

“Say,” Tserriednich started, “are you not bothered with me requesting you to do this?”

What could have brought this on, Mark didn’t know. “It’s my job to take care of you, my prince, so it doesn’t bother me at all.” That taxidermy thing would bother me more, really.

“Forgive me for being angry earlier.”

Mark was astonished. What could have gotten into his prince to be this way, he did not know. “I believe that was because you just woke up, Your Royal Highness. It wasn’t your fault.”

Tserriednich sighed putting out a hand. Mark took that hand into his own and pressed it gently. He did not really know what he was doing but the prince didn’t seem to mind either. “That piece just now was really amazing. But like all the other ones I have, I might have to dispose it all away.”

Now Mark was really taken aback. “My prince! You have spent billions on your collection. You can’t just throw it all away.”

The prince looked at the ceiling with a faraway look in his eyes. “I know. But in time, I might have to.”

Tserriednich put out his other hand and Mark took it, placing the other gently beside the prince’s face.

“That assassin, he is just the beginning. Later on, there will be others like him who will try the same. And it won’t just be assassination attempts. My father had been the target of a smear campaign eight years ago. My brother Halkenburg, as much of an idiot as he was, had also been targeted by people who infiltrated the ranks of his followers.”

Mark chest tightened at the prince’s words. His fingers also tightened on the prince’s hand. If he could just wrap Tserriednich in his arms to protect him forever, he would do it. But real life was always merciless and foolish fantasies never come to pass.

“If I want a clean image in the future, I need to get rid of anything that can potentially damage my reputation. Of course, we need to be thorough so we must also eliminate any outsider who knows any of my covert actions.”

“Does that include, Dr. Lindenburg?” If the prince would ask him to kill the doctor, as much as he liked the old man, Mark would kill him on the spot.

“No,” Tserriednich sighed. “He is loyal to me so he won’t say anything.”

“How can you be so sure? He could be just putting up appearances for all we know.” It seemed to Mark that he was more upset about the prince’s situation than the prince himself.

Tserriednich laughed lightly. “I just know it.” The prince looked up at him. “I know it because my nen can detect it.”

Mark met his prince’s gaze and he was overwhelmed. No matter how many times it hits him, he was always surprised how many emotions Tserriednich could elicit from him with a simple glance. Without thinking, he touched the prince’s face. He had always imagined himself taking that face in his hands and tasting those lips. Thankfully, he still came to his senses and proceeded to massage the prince instead.

“Anyway, the other main reason why I have to dispose of that collection is for my lady’s sake. You know her background. She’d probably investigate me and I need to be at least ten steps ahead of her.”

If the prince heard Mark’s teeth gritting due to the sudden anger at the mention of the lady, Tserriednich did not seem to notice. And frankly, Mark wouldn’t care if the prince noticed his irritation. Really, how many more sacrifices would the prince have to make for the sake of that damned woman?

Thankfully, Tserriednich changed the subject. “Theta said that a nen baptism could hurt the one being hit by it but you never looked hurt at all.”

Mark was unfamiliar with this nen thing but he did understand why he wasn’t hurt with the so-called ‘baptism’. “It was because your life force protected me, Your Royal Highness.” And you almost died because of it.

Tserriednich closed his eyes, relaxing at the sensation of the fingers running through his skin. “I did. Still, you did contain your aura and mine by yourself with minimal instruction. That’s something. I’m sure you will learn quicker than the others.”

“I will do my best to learn it, my prince.”

Due to the prince’s close proximity and the emotional momentum of his previous anger, now Mark was half-hard again and was actively suppressing the other half from rising. The urge to pull Tserriednich and fuck him senseless was getting stronger and stronger. However, he couldn’t just say ‘The Chief Lord of the Bedchamber humbly requests to fuck you, Your Royal Highness’, now could he? He decided to keep talking to distract himself.

“About your practice sessions, Your Royal Highness, we still have two batches of test subjects on standby.”

“Excellent. However, I won’t be using any of them for two more weeks. I just watched a satisfying performance so I might just dispose of them subconsciously. I need to calm down a bit first.”

“Understood, sir,” he replied. Without thinking, he took Tserriednich’s left hand and almost brought it to his lips. Halfway, he managed to stop the urge and massaged it instead. Seems like he needed to calm down a bit too.

After a while, the prince sat up. Mark assisted him to the bed. As the prince closed his eyes for a good night’s sleep, he murmured so softly that Mark strained his ears to hear it, “I do wish that even when I become King, you’d still choose to stay with me. Even when you see me in my most private moments, I never feel like you were intruding. I am sure no one else could have done the things that you have done for me. For that, I thank you.”

Mark didn’t know how long he could have stood there on the side of the sleeping prince’s bed. Right at that very moment, he thought that perhaps he did not need to strain his brain so much to figure out the reason why the prince saved his life. For despite his temperament and though the prince may not show it often, Tserriednich Hui Guo Rou was still a human being and needed someone.

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tbc

Chapter Text

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For the last two weeks, Tserriednich’s spent his time meditating, readying himself for the inevitable. He needed to train himself for his wedding night and he must double-time. He had wasted enough days as it is. Mental and spiritual conditioning was essential if he wanted to succeed, or so he said.

Mark meditated as well as part of his nen training. Theta was the one instructing him but the prince’s personal advice weighed more to him than his teacher’s directions.

“To balance the aura within and without, one must familiarize the location, size and directions of one’s shouko.”

“The key is in the main shouko located on seven specific points of the body – the crown of the head, the point between the eyebrows, the throat, the heart, the navel, the sex, and the base of the spine.”

“To feel the flow of the aura better, start releasing it from the first main shouko down to the seventh then to the connective shouko and finally out of the pores. At first, the body’s responsiveness to it will be slow but with practice, it can be done within the hundredth of a second or even faster.”

It was a personal technique that shouldn’t have worked on him given that the prince was a Specialist and that he was an Emission type. By sheer determination and due to the prince cheering him on with childlike enthusiasm, Mark managed somehow. Within the fifth day of his second week of training, his En was already fully operational. His current maximum range was at a radius of seventy meters.

Curiously enough, Theta didn’t look a bit pleased by his progress. She did not show it, of course, but Mark knew her well enough to understand. He also understood that she was trying too hard not to look at Ling, the guardian beast, who looked on at the entire proceedings in her cute, unblinking fashion. When the prince sent him to check on the test subjects for the practice sessions, Mark took it as an opportunity to confront her.

“I’m just worried about your health,” Theta answered, her eyes not looking at him. “Your nen had just been forcibly awakened and now you’re developing at an abnormally fast rate. You’re pushing yourself too hard. Sooner or later, it will definitely take its toll on you.”

Mark shrugged. He couldn’t care less about his health. If his body gets destroyed for the prince’s sake, he would be greatly honored. What interested him was that even if Theta was telling the truth, she wasn’t saying everything. He stared at her quietly for a while.

She sighed in surrender. “Fine! I’m scared.”

She sounded so vulnerable that Mark couldn’t almost believe that this woman was indeed Theta. However, he knew her well enough to know that she was being her true self and that she wasn’t lying.

“I’m scared of the prince. I’m scared of that freaking beast walking around me. And now, I’m scared of you too.”

For all her strength, he understood that she was just a child swept into a dangerous world that was getting more and more perilous by the minute. A bottomless abyss looking back at those who dare to behold it. He smiled. It was an abyss that he would jump into without hesitation at a special someone’s behest.

Mark chuckled, not to mock but to comfort her. “Come on. You can make up something better than that.”

Theta punched his arm. “Shut up! Who would’ve thought an idiot like you would turn out to be such a monster? Do you know how many years it would take for normal people to progress the way you just did?”

Now Mark was laughing fully. “Well, if I’m an idiotic monster and you’re punching me so easily, you’re way scarier than I am.”

She crossed her arms and pouted. “Like master, like servant. Hmph! If I were given the choice, I won’t teach anything to the likes of you two.”

Mark looked at her intently, a smile still etched on his lips but his eyes serious enough to warrant her silence. “May I remind you, dear Captain of the Crown Prince’s Royal Guard, that your sole duty is to protect His Royal Highness from anything and anyone through any means necessary.” He pinched her nose. “That means that if His Royal Highness orders you to teach him nen as a form of self-protection, it is your sacred duty to teach him.”

She rolled her eyes at him.

“Of course that sacred duty extends to me as well – hey!” Her newly-executed punch to his gut sent him laughing so loudly. It was good that no one else superior to them was present or they would be reprimanded for their lack of proper decorum. “Don’t be so harsh on me. I’m still your cousin, you know. And I’m older than you so show me some respect –”

“Shut up!”

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.

The two-week interval had finally ended. Mark found himself back to the monitoring room to watch the prince’s progress. This time, the target would be for the prince to simply fall sleep beside one of the test subjects without killing her. After three nights of successfully getting used to a living person’s presence in his bed, the prince would then commence to the sex act, which, hopefully, would culminate successfully while the test subject is still alive.

Just like the previous batches, the current test subjects were told that they had been scouted to qualify as the crown prince’s concubines. And just like the other women before them, they patiently waited for their turn with excitement. Their only difference from their predecessors was that the latest batches were instructed to go easy on the Crown Prince and refrain from initiating sex on the first night since he was actually still a virgin and quite shy.

Mark silently laughed at the blatant lie but wasn’t surprised that majority of the women still believed it. Given Tserriednich’s official reputation as a reclusive academic who preferred philosophy and classical music over social interaction, he could definitely understand why.

The first woman entered the room. As with the previous sessions, Tserriednich was already on the bed waiting for her. Introductions ensued and Mark watched like a hawk as she sat beside the prince. She softly pushed him to lie down the bed. He gaped at the scene, incensed at the woman’s behavior. He had briefed her to go easy more than thrice but she – What the fuck is wrong with this bitch?

Faithful to their script, the prince feigned nervousness, gently averting her kisses while remaining passive. Not to be discouraged, she slipped a hand to his thigh, her fingers crawling upwards to his sex. Mark palmed his face. He could only imagine the prince’s rage at this idiot who couldn’t follow simple instructions.

True enough, her neck was broken in a matter of minutes, warm blood bubbling out of her mouth spurting it all on the floor as she breathed her last. What a despicable woman.

Mark ran into the room hastily apologizing. The cleaning crew followed soon after, clearing away the corpse.

“It’s alright,” Tserriednich told him. “Just send in the next one.”

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In a matter of two hours, six test subjects were dead. Mark ordered his subordinates to inform the women on standby that the examination proper needed to halt for now and that they needed to wait for their call not earlier than tomorrow night. The cleaning crew left the room and went their way to dispose the latest casualty.

Sitting on the sofa with a clean robe and hair still wet from his bath, the prince didn’t look frustrated anymore, only shocked. Mark was towelling the prince’s hair dry as he tried to formulate the right words to say.

“Say,” Tserriednich whispered, “what is wrong with me? You instructed them to just sleep beside me. Why did they all…” The prince didn’t finish the words but Mark understood. He also knew the answer.

Because you’re too irresistible. Because you’re too attractive to pass. Because it would be such a waste not to touch and kiss you when you’re so near. They were all seduced like moths to a flame.

He knew that those words would make the prince blame himself even more so Mark decided to be as optimistic as he could in an entirely different way. “You will succeed in time, Your Royal Highness,” he reassured his prince, his fingers now combing Tserriednich’s hair.

The prince still looked as dazed as ever. “What is wrong with me?” Tserriednich repeated. “I can’t endure such a simple task. Why am I like this?” With each word, Mark could feel his heart getting squeezed until it seemed like he couldn’t breathe anymore.

“There’s nothing wrong with you, my prince.” Mark blinked back his tears. “The fault is in me for selecting such incompetent fools who can’t serve you properly.” Tserriednich was more divine to him than any deity imaginable. To see him in such a state because of someone else’s fault was unforgivable, even if that someone was Mark himself.

 “No,” Tserriednich murmured. “You did nothing wrong. You‘ve been doing everything you can for my sake.”

And yet, despite all of his transgressions, his prince forgave him again and again, pardoned his sins and forgot it all to absolve his guilt. It had become a repetitive cycle, almost like how water turns into rain and rises up into the sky at the very next moment. It was quite ironic that most of those who knew Tserriednich closely feared him like an angry god when in reality he was a sea of boundless mercy.

Without any thought of consequence, he brought his arms around the prince and buried his face on his shoulder. Instead of receiving a rebuke, or worse a decapitation, he received tenderness. Tserriednich touched his hair. “You’re really stressed by this more than you let on.”

Mark lifted his face to look at his prince but he couldn’t see his expressions due to his blurry vision. “I beg your pardon, my prince. I am angry that Your Royal Highness is failing because of my mistakes,” he replied with all his honesty.

Tserriednich was silent for a while. Then Mark felt a warm hand touching his face. “You’re…crying?”

Without thinking, Mark held that hand into his and brought it to his lips. To his surprise, Tserriednich only flinched a bit but didn’t pull himself away. Mark took that opportunity to pull the prince closer and kissed him. For so many nights, he had tried to imagine what this would feel like but none of it could ever compare to the reality of the prince’s soft lips in his.

When Mark pulled away, all he saw was Tserriednich’s face, eyes closed and lips slightly parted in invitation. He couldn’t tell anymore if this was another of his vivid dreams but it didn’t matter. He went in for another kiss, this time deeper as he poured all of his passion, all of his longing.

Funny that he despised those women whom the prince had killed when in truth he was very much like them. Human, stupid, and easily seduced, like a moth drawn to a flame not caring that his desire would be the death of him.

He lifted the prince out of the couch and settled him onto the bed. Just as the prince’s robe was easily worn, Mark was grateful at how easily it was removed. As he took off his own cumbersome clothes, he took a moment to admire his prince with his eyes, this body that he had been taking care of for so many years, one he had touched so many times but never truly felt.

The prince regarded him so quietly, eyes sparkling in a mixture of surprise, amusement and anticipation. That look went straight to his groin that it took almost all of Mark’s self-control not to dive in. Instead, he took one hand and brought it to his lips, accepting the unspoken challenge.

He leaned down, careful that his weight didn’t crush his prince. For all of his seemingly lanky appearance, when divested of his formal attire, Mark was actually muscular underneath with a rather taller build than his prince. Even in this display of his madness, the desire not to hurt Tserriednich surpassed every other feeling he had.

Ever so gently, he parted the prince’s thighs and settled himself therein. He looked for signs of protest but there were none, only curiosity. Taking it as a sign to continue, he placed a small kiss on the prince’s forehead, then at the bridge of his nose, and at the tip, and finally down to those soft, moist lips. His hands were busy as well, exploring the warm expanse of Tserriednich’s skin. For a moment, their mouths had to part to gasp for breath before sealing up together again in an intimate lock. Their erections rubbed together and Mark was almost on the edge as the prince screamed at the sudden pleasure of it.

Placing another soft kiss on Tserriednich’s lips, Mark smiled. Now he really felt like he fulfilled the entirety of his job description – to take care of his prince in every way. Their noses touched briefly as he nuzzled the prince’s cheek before placing light kisses therein, then to his eyelids, to his chin and down to his neck. He refrained from sucking to avoid leaving marks but he couldn’t help himself from making small bites when he reached the prince’s chest. He nipped Tserriednich’s nipples then sucked them hard. Judging from the way Tserriednich gasped in approval, Mark understood that no offense was taken.

He continued further down, placing kisses on the muscled abdomen before plunging his tongue on the cup of the prince’s navel. His hand was gripping the prince’s cock, his index finger rubbing at the tip, marvelling at the wetness of it. Hearing the prince trying to suppress his moans without success made Mark harder than ever. When he couldn’t take it anymore, he took Tserriednich’s cock in his mouth, relishing the taste of it.

Tserriednich pulled his hair, fingernails digging into his scalp. Mark knew that had he been one of the test subjects, his head would now be separated from his neck. And yet, by the careful way the prince took pains not to pull on him too hard, he recognized that he had been given yet another privilege.

He took the prince down to the root, his nose touching the golden-brown hair therein. The prince’s hand left his head to grip at the sheets. Mark felt his prince coming closer and sped up the pace. In a few moments, Tserriednich screamed as he was taken to the edge, his entire torso rising and then slowly falling. Mark knew he wasn’t worthy, never was, never would be – and yet he was gifted this privilege and so, he swallowed it all. It was not his intent to do so, but upon tasting the bitter-salty-sweet fluid, Mark lost himself. Before he knew it, he had unloaded himself onto the sheets.

It took a while before he calmed himself down. When he did, he was again half-hard. It was difficult to be lying between the prince’s legs and not get aroused. He sighed in admiration, again taking the prince into his mouth. He felt Tserriednich’s thighs rising, trying to close himself off.

“Stop.” The prince’s voice was shaky but laced with authority.

Mark looked up at him wondering why. And then he understood. Tserriednich’s hands were gripping the sheets so hard that some areas had been torn apart by the sheer strength of it. Mark understood it all – Tserriednich had been avoiding to kill him since the very beginning. But to the prince’s seeming surprise, Mark only took those hands and kissed them reverently. For the first time since they first kissed, Tserriednich pulled his hand away.

“Stop,” Tserriednich breathed out. “Get out or I might kill you.”

All of a sudden, the guardian beast appeared, assailing Mark with the same gaze that would have terrified Theta to pieces. However, the beast inspired no such fear in him and he only smiled, taking those hands once more into his.

“Then go ahead and kill me now, my prince.”

Tserriednich looked at him in utter disbelief. Seeing the determination on Mark’s face, he seemed to be taken aback. “Please. Just do as I say. I don’t want my lady to die on our first night but I can’t have you dying on me either.”

Mark laced their fingers together, placing both hands on the sides of Tserriednich’s head. “If you won’t will it, I won’t die,” he whispered. “I believe in you, Your Royal Highness. Please allow me to help.” There was no anger nor irritation in Tserriednich eyes. And so, Mark moved closer till their lips were almost touching. “I believe in you.”

Again Tserriednich did not protest. He only closed his eyes in surrender.

When he kissed his prince once more, it was no longer an act of lust but of worship. His prince had consented to give him his body and it was the greatest honor one could ever dare to hope for. Mark almost considered it to be such a waste to give something so precious to someone so lowly. He was unworthy of it all. And yet here he was, enjoying the divine grace that was bestowed upon an ordinary man.

He grabbed the lubricant on the bedside and prepared his prince for what was about to come. As he started with his fingers, Tserriednich bit his lip in discomfort. Mark assuaged it by sucking that lip and pushing his tongue inside as a distraction. Soon enough, his prince was moaning into him, pushing himself closer to Mark. Their erections touched once more and it was Mark’s turn to bite something, that something being Tserriednich’s swollen lips which he kissed reverently afterwards.

When Tserriednich was finally ready, Mark grabbed the condom at the ready. However, the prince swatted it away from his hand. At Mark’s questioning look, the prince softly repeated his own words, “I believe in you.”

Fueled by those words, Mark began to push himself in. All those years of self-restraint paid off as he endured not slamming into his prince. After all, Tserriednich’s pleasure was more important to him than his own. When he was fully sheathed, he allowed his prince to adjust for a while, then he started to move. At that, he hit something that sent the prince screaming once again. He sucked his breath at the delight brought to him by that sound. It was music – each chord stricken goes straight to the heart. And the groin as well.

As their pace started to pick up, the moans slipping from his prince’s lips grew louder by the minute. As he started to lose himself again, he took the prince’s member into his hands and began to stroke it in tandem to his thrusts. He could hear the sheets getting torn again as the prince gripped them so hard. And to that, Mark felt inexplicable joy. He didn’t have any past experience about this kind of lovemaking other than in his dreams but Mark was grateful that he was making his prince happy. He knew that he might be executed after this but he didn’t care. More than anything, he wanted to make his prince happy even if it means giving up his very life for it.

And then he lost himself once again. He was swept in a deluge. A torrent. A waterfall pouring down that those caught in its might were crushed mercilessly into nothingness. However, he was saved, cleansed and made whole through yet another act of purifying grace. At that one final thrust, Mark felt his muscles shaking in sheer delight as he spilled deep inside his prince. He felt warm liquid spraying on his stomach as well as Tserriednich came together with him.  

They remained still for a while, basking in pure bliss. Then came Tserriednich’s exhausted yawn. Mark chuckled, kissing his prince in adoration. Gently, he pulled himself out and rearranged the prince’s limbs in a comfortable position. Tserriednich held his hand, wordlessly asking him to stay. Mark was more than happy to comply.

He kissed the prince’s temple as Tserriednich slowly fell asleep. The guardian beast looked on, its ears wiggling, before it disappeared into the walls. Mark closed his eyes and leaned closer to hear his prince’s peaceful heartbeat.

A wise man once said that convictions were more dangerous foes of truth than lies. But which was the truth? Which were the lies? Mark couldn’t find an answer. For truth and lies were unimportant to him. In the grand scheme of things, what would truly matter were the ‘whys’ and not the ‘hows’.

The sole purpose of his life was to protect and care for this prince who had given himself to him. To Mark, this man was his one and only reason to choose to live in such a maddening world instead of embracing the sweet peace of death. For to him, this prince was his only purpose, his only truth and his only conviction.

I was not worthy to receive you, but you gave me yourself and I was healed.

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tbc

Chapter Text

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Mark woke up by an incessant nudging on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and saw the ceiling. He blinked twice upon hearing the ringtone of his own phone beside his head.

Huh. So it was another dream again?

He frowned, pissed. This trend was getting worse than before. Most annoying was that it felt more real than the previous one.

Stupid dream. Stupid prince looking gorgeous all the time. And stupid Chief Lord of the Bedchamber as well for falling for it every single time. It was frustrating.

He scratched his head but his hand was thrown off by the same fist nudging him.

“Turn it off.”

Huh.

It was a man’s voice.

That was strange. He might be desperate and all but never in his life did Mark ever bring anyone, let alone a man, into his own bed and inside the palace. That would be a breach of protocol.

Regardless, he turned the phone off. When he turned to his right, there was His Royal Highness, eyes closed and still naked save for the soft silk blankets partially covering him.

Huh?

“So annoying,” Tserriednich mumbled and seemingly went back to sleep.

Mark looked hard, almost expecting his prince to disappear like any illusion would but he remained there on the bed. With him.

Now that’s really strange.

Looking around the room, Mark realized that he was actually inside the prince’s inner quarters and on the prince’s own bed. When he looked down at his own body, he realized that he was just as naked as the prince beside him. On the slightly torn sheets were some remnants of, well, last night’s lovemaking.

Uh-huh.

He sat up, still not buying it. For all he knew, he might still be asleep and this could be nothing more than a dream within a dream. Really, if what transpired had been real, he wouldn’t even be alive and waking up now, would he?

Mark nodded to himself. Yes. This is a dream within a dream. And because of that, there was no way he would pass up this opportunity.

With that, he pulled the sheets away from the sleeping prince. There was no reaction other than eyebrows slightly knotting. Mark shrugged. Any reaction would be fine since this wasn’t real anyway. He parted the prince’s legs and touched. He whistled at the wetness he felt there. Apparently, this dream had some sort of continuity.

His own cock began to rise and Mark sighed happily. His prince always excited him, dream or no. He positioned himself before burying himself to the hilt. He grunted in bliss, not worrying that he would hurt Tserriednich. He had two plausible reasons – one, this was only a dream, and two, the prince was still slippery from ‘last night’s’ activity. Judging from the way the prince moaned, it didn’t seem like he was hurt, even if this was only a dream.

As he hit the correct spot, the prince’s voice began to sound as beautifully as an artist’s hand hitting the piano. It was so like the previous dream, but Mark only shrugged it off. Of course it would be somewhat like it since it was a ‘continued dream’. And since it was only a dream, Mark was free to kiss and touch his prince all he liked.

Unlike the previous dream however, Tserriednich responded to his touch by touching him in return. It was pure joy unlike anything he had ever felt before. Mark sincerely wished that he wouldn’t wake up anymore.

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.

It was real.

For a normal servant well-versed in palace decorum, the present situation would warrant continuous kowtowing while begging for one’s life. However, Mark was too frozen in shock to even utter a whole word.

The dream was real, evidenced by the prince staring back at him as languidly as the guardian beast standing on the bedside.

It was all real. He fucked the prince. Twice.

There was no need to worry however. There was no aura of animosity in the air as the prince beckoned him to come closer.

Despite everything that had happened, Mark did not forget his decorum and obeyed, bowing slightly in respect to the Crown Prince. Never mind his own naked self and his own member getting painfully hard again.

“That was some good morning exercise,” Tserriednich said, twirling the beast’s hair on his fingers. “I have to thank you for that. I feel quite relaxed.”

Mark racked his brains for something, anything, but found nothing to say in such a situation. It was palace manners ingrained into his mind that saved his sorry ass. “It is my solemn duty to see to your comfort, Your Royal Highness.”

Tserriednich laughed lightly. “Well said. It would please me if you would serve me in the same manner in the future.”

At that, Mark’s blood started rushing to his groin. His chest was palpitating so fast. Even so, he managed to bow in respect. “It would be my greatest honor.”

With that, the prince waved his hand. “Very well. You are now dismissed.”

Duty overriding shame, Mark cut in, “Shall I have the baths drawn, my prince?”

Tserriednich hummed. “It’s fine.” He looked down, eyes avoiding Mark. “We’re both too exhausted to continue our exercises, aren’t we?”

Oh. Mark sucked his breath trying to calm himself down. “Whatever pleases you, Your Royal Highness.”

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As far as Mark was concerned, no one else knew anything of what had transpired between him and his prince. Thus, there was nothing out of the ordinary. And just as before, he performed his duty assisting his prince in any way.

Thanks to Mark’s excellent service, the prince deemed himself ready enough to train himself once again for his wedding night. It was such a delight to be credited for so special a task and so, Mark brought it upon himself to painstakingly bring in the most precious gems he could find to suit the prince’s tastes.

In the prince’s private yacht, ten women of varying degrees of sophisticated beauty were paraded to the prince to grace his bed with. The previous batch which was left untouched was discarded by Mark, deeming them all unworthy. They were then moved to Dr. Lindenburg’s suite where the doctor transformed them into wondrous pieces of art.

Compared to the previous beauties, this current batch was quite unique for all of the women claimed to descend from the fallen royal clans of the past. Mark was intrigued, so was Tserriednich.

As the ladies displayed themselves, all gracious and formally dressed without a hint that they were applying as concubines, Tserriednich’s eyes sparkled with interest. But despite the attraction, Mark could sense no killing intent therein.

Mark sighed contentedly. This time, it seemed like he did his job right. He couldn’t say if any of these women will survive in the end but he was quite confident that the prince will finally succeed.

Of all the beauties presented, Tserriednich’s eyes lingered mostly at the lady with innocent-looking, wide amber eyes and silvery pink wavy locks. She was quite tall, almost reaching Tserriednich’s height in her high heels. She conducted herself in a peculiar manner, bowing with her two palms pressed together, an ancient form of greeting practiced by Northern nobility before the Hui Guo Rou Clan united the many warring states into a single Kakin nation.

“My name is Dul Song Er of the Jinjong Ye Clan. It is my greatest honor to be in your presence, Your Royal Highness.”

The prince’s eyes travelled from her soft hair to her uncommonly beautiful face to her flawless skin as white as snow to the curves of her body hugged by the bright lilac silk of her dress. She smiled subtly and Mark bit his lip, impressed. She looked perfect.

Unlike the previous sessions, Tserriednich was the one who picked the lady of his choice. Obviously, he chose her. “Would it please my Lady Ye to accompany me for a drink?”

She bowed to the prince, hands pressed together in her archaic manner, her eyes sparkling in a mixture of relief, success and lingering ambition. “It would be my utmost pleasure, Your Royal Highness.”

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.

Mark sat on the front deck staring at the sunset. Right now, the prince was in his cabin with the Lady Ye. It had been five hours since they went into the room to ‘chat’ privately. Unlike before, there was no monitoring room and Mark did not know what was happening inside. Some of the Royal Guards stood beside him holding their high powered arms and on full alert.

In a few moments, the blood red sun finally sank, leaving the moonless sky a cool black velvet expanse littered with stars. Mark could hear the other nine ladies giggling politely together as they finished their dinner. Even if they were not chosen by the prince, they were given royal accommodation and they were entitled to enjoy the cruise as much as they wanted.

Despite the little time he was given, Mark had made quite a thorough background check on each of the ladies. From that, he knew that all of the women’s claims were genuine and that they were truly high-bred. He also knew that seven of them obtained their information about the ‘concubine auditions’ through privately hired investigators and the other three through underground tippers. Dul Song Er belonged to the latter and that made Mark impressed by her even more.

Mark’s own ringtone cut through the air, startling him from his reverie. He picked it up.

“Hey Mark,” the prince drawled, “can you activate your en for a while?”

“Of course, my prince,” he answered, quite confused.

En was akin to looking through a CCTV camera, only clearer. With it, Mark could see everything in the prince’s cabin. He could see the prince on the bed, divested of all clothing and draped with nothing but an equally naked Dul Song Er who was fast asleep. The guardian beast was inside the room as well, staring at the woman on Tserriednich’s arms.

Moving his aura further in a span of thirty meters in diameter, Mark could feel the prince’s aura menacingly flowing beyond his own room. However, upon feeling Mark’s aura touching him, Tserriednich seemed to calm down a bit. A few minutes later, the prince had fallen asleep.

Mark smiled. Tserriednich was truly succeeding. A few more sessions with Dul Song Er and the prince would be ready for the Bedding Ceremony with Lady Hana. Soon enough, Mark’s help won’t even be needed anymore.

He felt quite sad at the prospect. He was quite jealous of the Lady Ye as well, even more than his jealousy towards the Lady Hana. At least with Hana, Tserriednich was obviously disinterested and only wanted to obey his father who arranged the marriage. But Dul Song Er was different. The prince chose her, wanted her. And now –

Mark shook his head hard. Just because the Crown Prince allowed a mere servant access to his sacred body didn’t mean that he had any right to have the prince all to himself. He was nothing but a servant. He knew that his grand title as Chief Lord of the Bedchamber was nothing more than ceremonial position for a trusted personal assistant.

He sighed forlornly and went back to his own cabin to sleep. He had no right to feel sad. He must sleep this all away.

As he closed his eyes, he was only startled with his phone suddenly ringing again.

“Hey Mark.” As usual, it was the prince. Mark could see with his en that the prince was still on the bed but the sleeping Dul Song Er was no longer clinging to him.

“Your Royal Highness. What’s the matter?” Mark mentally chastised himself for sounding so sleepy.

“Well, I was about to ask you that. What’s the matter?”

Mark was quite surprised at that. “Forgive me but I don’t quite understand what you mean, my prince.”

Tserriednich sighed. “Your aura seems a bit off. I can’t sleep because of it.”

There was irritation in the prince’s voice and Mark knew that apologies would mean nothing to him right now. He attempted to solve the problem. “Should I remove my en?”

“No, you idiot.” Tserriednich seemed more irritated than before but also confused like Mark was. “Just – just make it right again.”

Mark scratched his head, not knowing what to make of the prince’s words. Then it dawned on him. Tserriednich couldn’t sleep because Mark was feeling lonely.

Huh?

That realization made Mark laugh a bit. He could feel Tserriednich frowning but he only shook his head at it. The feeling of Tserriednich’s aura catching all of the emotions from Mark’s aura was just so ridiculous but filled Mark with all sorts of emotions that made him feel quite tickled with happiness.

Just as Mark’s mood began to feel lighter, Tserriednich began to relax as well.

“Is it alright now, my prince?”

Tserriednich was still frowning but less angry. “Yes, it’s alright now. Don’t do that again, you understand?”

Mark decided to be more honest. “I cannot guarantee it, Your Royal Highness, but I will do my best.”

“You’re so annoying.”

When the prince ended their conversation, Mark embraced his phone. It was quite embarrassing that a grown man would act like a lovesick girl but he couldn’t care less. No one else knew about him being this stupid anyway, no one else but His Royal Highness who felt every single one of Mark’s emotions each time their auras touched.

Three cabins away, he could feel Tserriednich sighing at the absurdity of it before going back to sleep. Mark smiled and closed his eyes. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

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tbc

Chapter Text

Twenty Eight Months Later

The entirety of the Kakin Empire celebrated once more as the Crown Prince wedded his third wife Lady Mittsu of the Izumo Gong Clan.

His first wedding was sanctified through the Eastern rites and wreathed in red for strength and fecundity. Last year’s second wedding followed Northern customs and used blue-green motifs symbolizing continuing growth. This time, the third wedding followed the Southern style and adapted the yellow color of stability and good luck.

Such displays of reverence to tradition genuinely delighted Kakin citizens from all walks of life. It was a call to celebrate the richness of Kakin’s culture and the time to feel pride for the beauty and historical wealth of the country itself. As expected, thousands of foreign tourists flocked into the empire, bringing more revenue for the royal treasury and cancelling out the weddings’ expense.

Many political analysts interpreted the Crown Prince’s marriages as a pursuit for national unity in a benign manner. Upon marrying Lady Hana of the Cheongju Kim Clan, Tserriednich unified the feuding Eastern bloc. With Lady Dul Song Er of the Jinjong Ye Clan as his second wife, he halted the brewing rebellions in the North without the need for peace talks. And this time, with the Lady Mittsu of the Izumo Gong Clan, he gained support from the empire’s agri-financial sector. However, the prince publicly claimed that he had chosen his wives for love thereby making the theories only theories.

As the newlyweds were paraded around the Capital, sweet-smelling flowers rained on them from the hovering helicopter.

And as the prince and his lovely bride greeted the exuberant crowds with a smile, Mark’s en scanned the perimeter in tandem with Ling, the guardian beast by the prince’s side. He had detected a few hostile auras but they were easily liquidated by Theta and the rest of the Royal Guards.

Upon arriving at the palace gates, all the preparations for the Bedding Ceremony were already in place.

Mark sneezed. The Eastern style had been heavily ritualistic and used a lot of incense. The Northern style was much less elaborate in appearance but used dizzying, high-pitched melismatic music and ringing bells. Now, the Southern one used a fuck ton of flowers which triggered his allergies.

Sensing his predicament, Tserriednich discreetly sent him some aura to dissolve the pollen.

Mark immediately understood that the prince would need him afterwards. The prince always grew tired of his women no matter how attractive or intelligent they may be.  

He sighed contentedly. If this trend continues, then it wouldn’t matter if Tserriednich married a thousand wives. As long as the prince needed him, Mark was more than happy to oblige.

.

.

True enough, it wasn’t even dawn yet and Tserriednich was already in Mark’s arms. The prince was fast asleep, quite tired. Mark chuckled. Sex could be pretty funny at times. Or perhaps it could just be the prince himself being funny.

“Let’s do it again,” Tserriednich breathed. As usual, the prince was lying on his back with Mark on top. They have changed positions many times but this was the most comfortable for the prince who disliked exerting too much effort for so mundane a task.

Mark chuckled. “I’d love to but aren’t you already sore, my prince?”

Tserriednich’s expression was that of indignant bewilderment. “You dare to mock me?”

No matter how hard he tried, Mark couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

“Listen closely.” The prince’s voice was as serious as a judge pronouncing a death sentence. “If you don’t want to do this anymore, just say so.”

Mark’s laugh subsided a bit as he shook his head. He knew of only one way to prove the prince wrong but if he did it, he would never be able to hold himself back. Looking at Tserriednich’s angry aura however, he was left with no other option. He pressed his erection hard on Tserriednich’s opening making the prince gasp.

“Believe me, I want to keep doing it, my prince.” Mark knew that he was sincerely very near his limit. Even so, he tried his best not to sheath himself to the hilt just yet. “I just don’t want to hurt you, so please.”

“Please what?”

It was a challenge. Mark clenched his fists, his self-control slipping. Very well, then. His Royal Highness was asking for it.

Without preamble, he slammed hard into the prince.

Mark snickered at the memory and kissed the prince’s lips. Even in his sleep, Tserriednich was so beautiful that Mark couldn’t stop himself from pecking him here and there. He ran his fingers gently on the prince’s hair and pressed another kiss on the tip of his nose and his eyelids.

Tserriednich didn’t stir, his aura remaining stable. Now, that the prince was sated, he was in deep slumber like a lazy cat. Mark was still aroused but seeing his prince satisfied made him already satisfied.

Mark knew that his relationship with the prince could be discovered anytime. He was prepared for the consequences and had been conditioning himself for the inevitable death sentence. In all honesty, the only regret he would have in the end was that if he were executed, he wouldn’t be able to serve his prince anymore.

Pressing one last kiss on the prince’s cheek, he gently adjusted the covers.

.

.

A few hours after, Mark was unpleasantly surprised upon receiving royal summons. To be called upon by the King entailed both feelings of honor and horror. However, he calmed himself down immediately. He had no need to think of anything else – his only concern was the prince and the prince alone, no offense to the King.

As he walked into the Throne Room, he saw his uncle, Lord Morgan, the King’s own Chief Lord of the Bedchamber. Mark sighed. The old man’s face and mood was as sour as his armpits and he avoided crossing paths with him even if they were close relatives.

Moments later, Mark bowed, paying respects and giving thanks to the honor of being in the presence of His Most Excellent Majesty, King Nasubi Hui Guo Rou. The monarch stared at him without any visible expression, his own guardian beast grunting at Mark. There were no signs of danger but Mark activated his en as his prince had previously instructed.

“Lift your face, hoi,” the King commanded.

Mark obeyed, his posture relaxing a bit. Even if he wasn’t directly looking, his aura could see that the King eye’s had a sparkle of fondness therein. That’s weird.

The King only nodded at him. “You do look like your late father. Hoi!”

Mark bowed in acquiescence. What the King said was true but he couldn’t comprehend its significance.

The King then gestured Lord Morgan to hand over something. It was a scroll tied with a red ribbon. Whatever it could be, Mark knew that red meant something important.

“Lord Mark Herschel of the Yong Jiu Hua Clan,” the King announced, “you are hereby declared hundred-twenty-first Duke Herschel and Head of your House. Thus, you are entitled to marry up to five wives to further your bloodline. Hoi!”

Huh?

 That was quite unexpected. However, Mark knew better than to express discomfort and so, he only bowed and accepted the decree.

“You are also entitled the Spring Palace and the traditional fief of your clan near the south-western border. Hoi!”

This time, Mark stared dumbly at the King. His uncle standing beside the King glared at him, signalling him to bow lower. He obeyed.

“From this day forward,” the King continued, “you are no longer required to personally serve the Crown Prince, hoi!”

Hearing that, Mark’s world seemed to collapse. A life without Tserriednich was worse than being tortured to death. Gathering his wits however, he understood that ‘not required’ simply meant a choice. And so, he kowtowed to the King.

“Your Most Excellent Majesty,” he uttered, “I am deeply thankful to receive such an honor. And so, to express my gratitude, I hereby choose to continue serving the Crown Prince from this day to my last day.”

If he would be allowed to scrub his face on the floor’s tiles to gain the King’s approval, he would. He was given a choice and he had chosen. There was no way that the King would deny his choice. There was no way…

“Hoi!” The King massaged his fat chin, face still not showing any hint of what he could be thinking. “Your loyalty has been noted. You may remain in the prince’s service. Hoi!”

When he was finally outside the Throne Room, Mark sighed with relief. However, that relief was cut short by a sharp jab to his butt.

“Hey!”

When he turned, he saw his uncle and hastily bowed. He opened his mouth to utter the usual ceremonial greeting but the old man only punched him again. Holding the scroll tight in his hand, he pouted. He was sure that he would be scolded again.

“So you’re the hundred-twenty-first Duke Herschel now,” Lord Morgan started. “Shouldn’t you start living up to your title and behave honorably for once?”

Mark shrugged. For all he knew, he had always been behaving honorably. And despite the titles and whatnot, he had always regarded himself as the prince’s servant first and a Kakin nobleman second. His uncle seemed to have read his mind and sighed.

“You know, it was me who requested the King to pass on my title to you. I know it is too early but I have no choice. Our House is in a deep crisis and only you can remedy it.”

The old man’s stare softened.

“I was too consumed with my official duties to the King that I forgot to produce heirs. You, me and Theta – we are the last descendants of our House. As you know, I’m too old and quite impotent. Theta has taken the vow of chastity as a Royal Guard. You are the philandering one and therefore, the most qualified.”

The glare was there again and Mark gulped.

“I can’t believe that our House’s survival would rely on the likes of you. I don’t like it one bit.” The old man’s sour face grew sourer than ever. “I know this might be just a joke to you so come with me.”

Ancient customs dictated that the young defer to the old so Mark knew better than to contradict. He was surprised upon finding himself in the west wing of the palace. It was off limits to many people, even to the lesser members of the Royal Family, and rightfully so for it was the oldest part of the building where many sacred artefacts and portraits were displayed.

Among the many faces within the hall, Mark’s eyes lingered on that of a young man in his twenties. He had the look of a pure-blooded North-Eastern Kakin nobleman - fair skinned and slightly slender, with almond-shaped black eyes, full lips, and black hair neatly swept up. He sported a wide-brimmed cylindrical hat with a string of large wooden beads hanging down like a long necklace, indicating that he was a married man. On his chest rested his right hand holding a dried herb, symbolizing that he had been a physician. His left hand was slightly raised and holding a sword, showing that he was a warrior as well.

Even with the radical difference of their features, Mark couldn’t help but feel the presence of the Crown Prince Tserriednich with this man and his heart began to beat fast. In an indescribable surge of emotions, he held out a hand to touch the man’s face but held back at the last second, not wanting to damage the ancient painting.

Mark was so enthralled with the picture that he was startled when his uncle spoke.

“This is Lord Yi, Eighteenth Chief of the Hui Guo Rou Clan. He ruled as the Head of his House during the Middle Era of the Thousand Kingdoms Period. He is the main reason why we Herschels have become the Yong Jiu Huas that we are today.” The old man smiled. “I know that you hate history most of all but like always, I’m asking you to endure listening to me.”

This time, Mark was interested, his eyes still trained hard on the portrait.

“As you know, we Herschels are not Kakin natives. Our ancestor Arthur Herschel was the twenty-fifth son of Lord Armand Herschel, a viscount from the now extinct Yorbian kingdom of Penumbria. Because of his lack of prospects in his home country, he became an adventurer and sailed to the Azian continent to change his destiny.

“During the Old Ages, slavery was still rampant and young Arthur was captured and sold as a galley slave. During his years of bondage, he experienced unspeakable cruelty which crushed him, body and spirit. When he finally became so weak due to the abuse he suffered, his master threw him out to the Frozen Sea to die. In a stroke of luck however, a nobleman from the Thousand Kingdoms fished him out of the ice, nursed him back to health and gave him his freedom. That man was Lord Yi of the Hui Guo Rou Clan.”

Mark held a hand to his chest to calm his erratic heartbeat.

“Because of Lord Yi, Arthur and the Herschel clan survived. That’s why despite the subsequent genocide of the Penumbrian people and the eventual extinction of the kingdom, our family still lives on today. And just as Arthur Herschel pledged his life to Lord Yi, we and our descendants will pledge our lives to the members of the Hui Guo Rou clan and their descendants for all time.

“Even when the entirety of Kakin was swept by the many dynasties and the now-gone socialist ideology of the past, our House quietly continued to serve the Hui Guo Rous as our lords from one generation to the next. That cycle has never been broken for more than a millennia and there is no way we will allow it be broken. Do you now understand how important it is for you to get married and have children?”

Mark nodded.

“Lord Yi gave our ancestor a new home, a new name and a new life.” Now Lord Morgan eyes had the same unshed tears as Mark had. “Arthur still retained the surname Herschel in honor of his own family but the name he was given was the one he was formally referred to.”

When Mark turned to his uncle, the old man was holding a white bagua. Embedded on it was the carving of what looked like an herb he couldn’t quite remember. 

“This is the Yong Jiu Hua, the Immortal Flower. It was the name bestowed by the Lord Yi to Arthur Herschel due to his seeming inability to die despite being thrown into the Frozen Sea.”

Lord Morgan looked up at him with uncharacteristic expression of pride.

“As hundred-twentieth Duke of our House, I pass this crest onto you, hundred-twenty-first Duke Herschel of the Yong Jiu Hua Clan. May you fulfill your duties to your prince and future King by siring many heirs to serve his children.”

For the first time in his life, Mark felt profound respect for his uncle. He received the bagua reverently and bowed. “I shall fulfill this duty with all my heart.”

The moment was ruined by his uncle punching his butt again. “You rascal! I know that you are devoted to your prince for a completely different reason.” The old man glared at him. “Why am I still surprised? You have always been an impudent child.”

Mark ignored his uncle and secured the bagua and the scroll on a decorative box.

“The King knows what you and the prince had been up to lately,” the old man drawled. Mark was afraid for a moment but his uncle simply carried on. “But what can he do? Old scripts say that Lord Yi’s relationship to Arthur himself had been quite ambiguous. It is inevitable that you and your prince would be the same.”

Blinking, Mark looked at Lord Yi’s portrait again.

“Anyhow, the King wanted to tell you that even if no one else has noticed, you still need to be discreet because it could be used against the prince. Do you understand?”

There was no need to confirm it. Mark agreed wholeheartedly. He would protect his prince from anything and anyone through any means necessary. If that meant siring many heirs and being discreet in their bedroom affairs, he would do it.

Seeing his determination, Lord Morgan nodded in approval. “Well, you may now return to your prince. Never forget, he comes before anything and anyone else, even before your own life.”

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.

Upon arriving at the prince’s quarters, Mark was surprised at the sudden formal atmosphere and at the respectful bows thrown at him by his subordinates and even from the Royal Guards. He sighed. This was the reason why he disliked telling others about his noble bloodline. It made people too distant and too awkward for his taste.

“Come on, guys. It’s just a title.” He scratched his head. “I’m still the same as before.”

Then came Theta’s usual punch to his shoulder. Her face was still as formal as ever but with a naughty glint to it. She bowed to him. “Will Your Lordship forgive us for roughing you up in the past, the present and the future?”

The Royal Guards laughed lightly and Mark silently thanked his cousin for her antics. “No. It will be the death sentence for you all.”

With that she and the bodyguards laughed louder. Congratulatory slaps landed on his back and he smiled, relieved. “Seriously guys, come on. Don’t be formal on me. It’s still me, you know.”

Sarkov threw an arm around his shoulder. “We know, Your Dukeness. Still, you’re a Duke now so you owe us a fine dinner.”

Danjin sighed, ashamed of their antics, but Muhan’s eyes lightened up. “Yeah! You’ve grown richer now so it ought to be first-class dinner, you hear? It would be nice if we went to some topnotch resort with white sand beaches and hot babes all around!”

“No way!” Danjin interjected, all his shame gone. “We’ve got to try the pink sand beaches! I’ve never been to one!”

“Nah. Purple sand beaches are better because it’s supposed to be medicinal.”

“Or a theme park! A theme park would be nice.”

“Oh, come on! What are you? A kid?”

Their noisy rabble suddenly quieted down when the door of the inner chamber opened. Everyone bowed as the prince stood before them. Mark bowed as well.

“Congratulations, Duke Herschel,” Tserriednich said holding out his hand which Mark shook in gratitude. Mark wanted to hold that warm hand forever but he knew he needed to let go to avoid the others getting funny ideas. “I assume you will now be moving to the Spring Mansion?”

To that, Mark bowed low. “Your Royal Highness, I chose to remain in your service.”

Theta, the rest of the Royal Guards, the lesser Lords of the Bedchamber and the regular servants looked at Mark like he was crazy. What kind of Duke would want to stay as a servant doing tasks that most sane people would shy away from? Tserriednich however only smiled and nodded.

“Thank you for your loyalty.” There was no surprise on the prince’s face. It was as though he had expected this and Mark was thankful that he did not disappoint his prince.

When the light from the chandelier struck the prince, all of a sudden, a man stood before Mark. He was clad in billowing robes, with smiling almond-shaped black eyes and his head covered by a hat with wooden beads.   

Mark blinked again and there was the Crown Prince Tserriednich in a black suit, his hair combed back.

Huh?

He looked around and saw the guards laughing at something the prince had said. Danjin raised a fist in the air in victory while Muhan shrugged. Mark shook his head a bit, still disoriented. He only snapped back into reality when the prince addressed him.

“Will my Lord Herschel please come with me?”

The words rolled off the prince’s tongue like – like the sweetness of the prince’s tongue. Fuck. Confusions aside, it couldn’t be denied that Mark was getting aroused. However, he tried his best to calm himself. He couldn’t possibly fuck the prince now in front of the entire entourage.

After taking a deep breath, Mark managed to carry on with his usual tasks – opening the door to the inner chambers for the prince, closing it, and waiting at the prince’s side.

However, as he raised his head, the prince was gone. Right in front of him was no other than the man in the painting, Lord Yi. As he looked around, Mark saw that he was no longer in the palace but at the edge of a waterfall.

“I haven’t told you about it.” It was Tserriednich’s voice but the man speaking was Lord Yi. “I made a very foolish bet and lost. Ten days later would be the promised day that I must fulfill my part of the bargain. This is a burden, I know, but I trust no one else but you. Will you take care of it for me?”

Mark stepped back, still confused. But it was the prince’s voice he heard. Tserriednich had spoken and he must obey. “I will do it.”

At that, Lord Yi had vanished and it was Tserriednich standing in front of him again. The prince smiled gently at him and Mark, even if he was confused by what had just happened, was enthralled as always.

I shall serve you from this day to my last day.

.

.

A few days later, news outlets all over the world reported the honeymoon of the Crown Prince Tserriednich and Lady Mittsu. Sources said that the couple enjoyed frolicking together on the pink sand beaches of a private resort in the West Coast State of the United States of Saherta. The sources didn’t reveal anything about the prince’s entire entourage frolicking as well, with some of the Royal Guards losing a lot of bets on a nearby casino.

As the news circulated, in a palatial villa owned by the Nostrade Family three hundred fifty miles away from the resort, Kurapika, last living survivor of the Kuruta Clan, sat face to face with the most dangerous man he had ever met.

As they had agreed three years ago, the prince indeed brought the eyes of the Kuruta tribesmen including the severed head of Pairo, his childhood friend. And as agreed, he only brought one companion with him, a blond man even taller than Tserriednich and just as sophisticated.

Oito, former eighth queen of Kakin who had supposedly died on the Dark Continent, held her baby in her arms. She stared at the prince’s nen beast nervously.

Surprisingly, the prince and his companion were in full zetsu. So much so that the nen beast looked blurred even with gyo. Even so, all the nen-users on Kurapika’s side including Kurapika himself couldn’t shake away the feeling that they missed something. But whatever it was, no one could say.

Tserriednich formally gestured to his companion. “My Lord Herschel will speak on my behalf.”

Kurapika could sense that the wary Bill was thinking over what could possibly be going on in the prince’s mind. They had expected that the prince would renege on his promise. There was no reason for him to fulfill it at all.

“My prince understands your feelings,” Lord Herschel started. “Personally I understand you too, Mr. Kurapika. As a Penumbrian descendant myself, I do relate with your suffering. My people had also been wiped out due to our religious beliefs.”

At that, Kurapika realized the familiarity that Lord Herschel inspired in him. He emanated an atmosphere of warmth and simplicity akin to Leorio. He could be an Emission-type nen-user but there was no way to confirm.

“Unlike you however,” Lord Herschel continued, “I have no scarlet eyes to hold on to. In that respect, you are more fortunate than I am. That is why my prince wishes to give you everything you asked, not only in sympathy for your people but for taking good care of his beloved sister as well.”

Oito held her daughter closer. In her surprise, Woble held out her hand to the prince, her own nen beast flying placidly around the prince’s nen beast. When Tserriednich patted the child’s head affectionately, she uttered, “Brother.”

The transaction was concluded without incident. When the prince and the Lord Herschel had gone, every nen-user left was still struck with wonder.

 “Perhaps he is really a good person just as Halkenburg once said,” Oito said with a nervous smile. “I never knew him personally but he had never once tried to attack us. He only acted in self-defense during entire journey, didn’t he?”

Kurapika was still confused. He had used the Judgement Chain on the prince once and then removed it after they had escaped the Dark Continent. The prince had protected both Oito and Woble then. When Tserriednich promised that he would give back the scarlet eyes, Kurapika did not expect him to really do it. There was no reason for him to endanger himself by exposing himself to Kurapika again.

Then Melody spoke softly. “Sorry for not saying anything. I didn’t want to cause a ruckus but – ” She took a deep breath. “Lord Herschel had been using en the entire time.”

“What?!” Basho and Bill exclaimed in unison.

“They were in zetsu.” Hanzo crossed his arms together. “You can’t use zetsu and release an en at the same time. It’s impossible.”

Melody shook her head. “It was a camouflage. Everyone, we have seen the prince’s original aura first-hand and we know how terrible it was. The nature of Lord Herschel’s en cancelled it out. Thus, they looked like they were using in.” She didn’t look terrified at all and was interested instead. “That was the first time I’ve seen anything like it.”

“How did you see it?” Kurapika didn’t see anything and he was using gyo.

“I didn’t really see it,” Melody told him. “I heard it.” She moved her fingers in the air in her own peculiar way. “Two auras melding into one in tandem with the soft melody of their heartbeats. It was the most unique thing I have ever witnessed.” Melody smiled at the lot of them. “I guess you don’t have to worry about them anymore.”

Biscuit Krueger pondered about everything. “I still can’t believe we were all caught off guard. I didn’t notice a thing and I’m the most experienced one in this room. If what Melody said was true, those two were more dangerous than anyone else.”

Kurapika nodded. “That’s correct.” He turned to Oito. “We need to sell this place and move away. We can’t let them see us like this again.”

She nodded, trusting him wholeheartedly.

When Kurapika turned to Woble in her mother’s arms, he could see no trace of any foreign aura in her. He smiled. He had taken it upon himself to protect this child and her mother. Now that the scarlet eyes were all in his possession, he didn’t want anything else but their safety.

.

.

Everyone was still on festive spirits when the jet took off. Theta and the female guards and servants chattered with the down-to-earth Lady Mittsu. They giggled about many things that only women could possibly understand. The gentlemen also chattered and ate their fill of the exquisite food they bought from the West Coast.

When Mark turned to his sleeping prince, he noticed that his pillow was askew. He adjusted it to make the prince as comfortable as possible. The prince seemed tired and rightfully so. Their secret mission had used quite a bit of aura but they had succeeded so it was alright.

Mark knew that only the short dark-haired woman had noticed what they had done. But even then, she had not noticed that the prince had inserted his aura on three-year-old Woble’s body.

The prince didn’t harm the child. He only adjusted her brain and some organs to render her unable to reproduce in the future. With that, no one else but Tserriednich’s heirs would be the only future of the Hui Guo Rou Clan.

The prince had also effectively disposed the last items in his art collection. With him freely giving the scarlet eyes to the mafia, the last evidence of the prince’s bloody escapades was effectively erased. Indeed, with that transaction, the prince hit two birds with one stone.

After a while, when the jet had finally landed, the energetic Lady Mittsu expressed her wish to stroll some more. Tserriednich then went to the palace first with Mark and a few tired guards and servants in tow.

Ever since Mark had learned nen and used en frequently to monitor everything around Tserriednich, the servants and the guards had grown to be more relaxed around the prince. Theta had said that it was thanks to him but Mark only shrugged it off. He understood that objectively speaking, the prince’s undiluted aura was a terror to behold. But to him who loved the prince more than anyone and anything, it was a beautiful thing that he wished to see and feel every second of his life.

As the prince lay down the bed, Mark stayed there to watch him sleep. It had been a ritual between them for almost three years now. Mark knew that had it been anyone else, the prince would dislike his privacy getting breached. But since it was him, the prince didn’t mind.

He leaned down and kissed the prince’s forehead fondly.

All of a sudden scenes began to flash into his mind.

A nobleman lay down on his bed looking sick. Even with his long wavy hair down, Mark still recognized him as Lord Yi.

In a flash of light, Mark was looking into a circular mirror. But looking back at him was not himself but a distinctly Penumbrian man with reddish-blond hair and purple eyes. He was dressed in ancient armor and looked battle-worn save for the tears in his eyes.

“It pains me to leave you alone,” Lord Yi breathed, “but it is the way of the world.”

He sobbed, holding Lord Yi’s hand tight. “You won’t die, my lord. You can’t!”

Lord Yi smiled. “Even if I’m gone, your children and mine will live on. Worry not.”

He turned to the physicians at the side. “How can you just stand there and look?! You’re healers, are you not? Save him or I’ll kill you all!”

He was about to pounce on the physicians when the Lord Yi’s hand stopped him. “It is my time. We cannot do anything about it.”

“My lord –”

“In a thousand years, we shall see each other again.” Lord Yi closed his eyes. “Wait for me as you have always done. I shall come back and be with you again, my immortal flower.”

Tears fell on Mark’s eyes as his heart constricted painfully. When he gathered his breath again, he glanced nervously at the sleeping Tserriednich. Even with the prince obviously breathing, he was too anxious to follow common sense. He shook the prince awake. When Tserriednich angrily opened his eyes, Mark couldn’t help but hug him tight.

“You’re alive!” he sobbed. “Thank the gods, you’re alive!”

Tserriednich laughed tiredly, all his irritation gone. “Of course I’m alive, you idiot. Did you dream of something bad?”

Mark shook his head, still crying. There was no way he could explain himself now with all of his emotions wrecking his head. All he could do was cling on tight to his prince. Tserriednich embraced him back.

“It’s fine now.” Tserriednich patted his back. “It’s fine now.”

After a while Mark calmed down. Tserriednich was still embracing him. He realized his impertinent behavior and gently disentangled himself from the prince. He then bowed and hastily apologized. “Please forgive me for acting discourteously, Your Royal Highness.”

Tserriednich only laughed lightly. “You’re still afraid, aren’t you? Come, sleep beside me.”

Mark obeyed. However, he couldn’t bring himself to sleep just yet. He was still very nervous and listened to the prince’s heartbeat. Tserriednich noticed him as always.

“Say,” the prince started. “Did I die in your dream?”

“Not really,” Mark admitted. “It’s quite complicated.”

Tserriednich looked at him meaningfully. “Very well. You may explain it comprehensively afterwards. For now, try to rest.”

When the prince closed his eyes once more, Mark laced their fingers together. Whatever he had seen earlier only strengthened his resolve. He would protect his prince and fulfill all of his duties to him.

As he closed his eyes, he felt the prince awakening.

“You really are annoying.” Tserriednich frowned. “Now I can’t sleep anymore.”

Mark grinned. He understood what the prince meant quite well. “My deepest apologies, Your Royal Highness,” he said playing along. “I recognize my errors and shall take full responsibility for everything.”

The prince chuckled. “Well said. Will my Lord Herschel please oversee the commencement of our regular exercises?”

Mark could smell the musky scent of arousal in the air which drove him harder than ever. He pulled the blankets aside and leaned down on Tserriednich until their noses were almost touching. “As it pleases you, Your Royal Highness.”

When he kissed his prince, Mark was drowned by the intoxicating feelings in his heart.

A wise man once said that being deeply loved by someone begets strength while loving someone deeply begets courage. At this very moment, Mark could feel both strength and courage flowing into him, strengthening his resolve even more.

For he knew that this love was an undying love that will last for all time.

.

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おわり o-wa-ri

.

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おまけ o-ma-ke

His Most Excellent Majesty, King Nasubi Hui Guo Rou regarded his son quietly as the Crown Prince Tserriednich presided over the 2nd Quarterly Imperial Meeting with the Prime Ministers of the Mainland, the Commonwealth, and the Protectorates of the Kakin Empire.

The prince led the meeting patiently in a graceful manner. He never argued, never insisted, never spoke out of turn, and most of all, after the long deliberations, he had the final say in everything that was presented.

After the Crown Prince’s third honeymoon, the King had started to shift more and more responsibilities on to him. The King understood that if the prince wanted to be an effective leader, he must learn the job as comprehensively as possible. As an absolute sovereign of so large an empire, a King needs to be familiar with the nitty-gritty of every nook and cranny of his territory and all the dynamics on the playing field.

To his credit, Tserriednich had done a great service even without instructions from his father. All of his marriages had exceptionally strategic advantage and solidified the Empire’s image as a firmly united nation.

To King Nasubi however, the prince’s most outstanding accomplishment was in securing the loyalty of the Yong Jiu Hua Clan’s Duke Mark Herschel in a very intimate way.

The King didn’t know if the prince had known the importance of the Herschels in the Hui Guo Rou’s thousand years of family history. After all, no prince was supposed to know any of that before being anointed as Crown Prince. However, Tserriednich had secured the young generation of the Herschels by making both Mark and Theta his personal aides even before the Succession War began. It was quite impressive.

After a few hours, the gavel was struck.

The meeting was now officially adjourned. In a few minutes, photographs were taken and interviews were made. The King noticed the new Duke Herschel on the prince’s side, serving him as usual.

When the prince’s Royal Guards had finally paved the way out of the clutches of pesky reporters, the King Nasubi greeted his son. “Well done! Hoi! You have done well!”

Tserriednich bowed as courteously as ever. “I could have never done it without Father’s help.”

The King laughed heartily. “Well, well, now that your official duty is over, we need to discuss more private matters. I assume you know you need to complete the traditional eight wives. Hoi!”

The prince nodded in acquiescence. King Nasubi surmised that the prince already had his prospects. After all, ever since the Crown Prince was anointed, the Royal Family had received hundreds of marriage proposals from both the local clans and foreign kingdoms. That was a lot to choose from but knowing Tserriednich's efficiency, it would be an easy task.

Turning to the Duke Herschel, the King grinned. “You also need to complete your mandate, my Lord. Hoi! You have only wedded one wife and you need five.”

The Duke only smiled and bowed.

“You need not worry about not being able to maintain such women,” the King jested. “As long as they enjoy their positions and give birth to healthy children in return, everybody is happy. Remember, the first wife is married out filial piety, the second out of infatuation, the third and the rest out of boredom.”

At that the King laughed heartily, and the prince and the Duke laughed with him.

“Many wives also ensure than when the first wives are tired of us, we give them enough space for themselves and bother someone else.”

The prince shook his head in mirth. “I shall remember your advice with all my heart, Father.”

The King nodded. Looking at Tserriednich's eyes blinking innocently in the sunlight, one could not help but see him as quite the benevolent man. However, the King knew that his son was the most ruthless of all of his children and thus survived. Only time could tell when Tserriednich would eventually realize that the path to kingship entailed parricide as well.

Even with the Duke Herschel, Tserriednich was quite the actor who was flexible enough to take his chances. The prince had always known that Mark desired him. He had been feeding those desires for quite some time and even risked his own life to secure Mark’s devotion. Every little thing was deliberate. His 'mistakes' were nothing more than carefully calculated miscalculations.

The King couldn’t say that the prince had no real affections for his lover. After all, he had always known that Mark was the only person that Tserriednich had allowed to come that close to him, to see all of him in his entirety, to meld with him completely in a way that nobody else ever could. However, the prince only allowed the consummation of that desire when he found that Mark had a large reservoir of potential that he could use.

King Nasubi smiled approvingly. Truly, Tserriednich had the mark of a true King. To be like heaven and earth, constant and ever unchanging beyond the seasons and not allowing personal feelings to get in his way to the throne.

He couldn’t even tell whether or not Tserriednich was already planning his own father’s demise.

What a terrible child.

Now, the King could finally feel secure. With Tserriednich as next in line, he need not fear the future anymore.

おわり

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(^_^)