He Walks Alone in the Moonlight

A SMILE FOR THE KING

"Jihyun, are you asleep?" The Crown Prince was watching a scene play out before him in utter disbelief. It was him, or his future self rather, and laying in his bed with him was the silk-covered form of the servant he'd ordered to be whipped that morning. The servant, Jihyun, stirred in his sleep as the prince watched himself cradle Jihyun's head in one hand before sliding his arm beneath it. With a soft smile on his face, Jihyun turned to face the prince and wrapped his arms tightly around him, intertwining their legs and burying his face in the prince's neck.

"Yes, I am still asleep your highness, if it means you will stay in bed with me longer," the servant nuzzled closer to him, to his future self, and the Crown Prince could see the faint lines of scars crisscrossing the servant's back through the sheer fabric of his robe.

"What I would give if I could only stay here with you all day, but I have many things to attend to, so I selfishly woke you up in the hopes of a proper goodbye. Forgive me, my path," the future prince kissed Jihyun's forehead while the current one was left reeling at the fact that he had asked for forgiveness. Jihyun pushed himself up to straddle the Crown Price before taking the man's face in his hands. "It seems I am having to forgive you for a lot of things, but to wake up to you in the morning is not one of them, Hw-" The Crown Prince was ripped wildly away from the scene, his vision going dark and Jihyun's voice halting abruptly.

Suddenly the dimly lit cave reappeared before him, forcing the Crown Prince to blink rapidly for his eyes to adjust. As soon as he could focus on the witch, a whirlwind of fury left his mouth. "What the hell was that, you dreadful witch. I asked for you to show me my future happiness, how to capture the throne, not some half-baked illusion in which I would ever share a bed with that swine." The witch's thin red lips twitched with amusement at the Prince's outburst.

"You did not ask for a way to seize the crown, you asked for the key to your happiness. I showed you a great gift, for that swine is the one with which you will walk the moonlit path. Your forever life partner, your other half."

"I do not want such lies from you, I want to see how I take the throne, becoming King is what will make me truly happy." the Prince retorted. The witched cocked an eyebrow, pouring another steaming cup of tea.

"If that is the case, Prince, then there are two options before you. Neither fate is set in stone, but I will only allow you to see one of them. Another kettle appears, and the witch pours a cup of tea, the contents of which are much darker than the other. The white-haired woman places both cups before the Crown Prince and indicates to the lighter tea first. "You can see more of your future with your true happiness-" she points to the dark tea, "or you can see what it takes for you to become king." The witch had barely finished her sentence before the prince took the cup and drank the dark tea in one go.