San was ripped out of his peaceful slumber by the rustling of sheets and low murmurs being heard beside him. He rubbed his eyes in frustration and turned around sharply, ready to give the prince a piece of his mind. The sky was still dark and San didn't like being disturbed in his sleep.
But the sight that greeted him was completely unexpected.
Wooyoung's eyes were clamped shut and his brows were scrunched downwards in a desperate frown. His forehead glistened with beads of sweat and he shifted uncomfortably on the bed.
San watched in horror as tears rolled down the younger's flushed cheek and his mouth moved, muttering incoherent words.
"No please! Do not touch me-" San could make out some of the words Wooyoung mumbled. He gripped the sheets so tightly, that his knuckles went white. His eyes were still shut and whatever nightmare was haunting the prince seemed to be getting worse because the next thing San knew, he was sobbing.
"Wooyoung?.." San started hesitantly, slowly reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. Wooyoung flinched and scrambled away from San, his hands were trembling.
"Get away! DO NOT COME NEAR ME-" He screamed defensively. He had still not opened his eyes.
"Please, leave me alone. I am sorry. Please..." He mumbled as more tears escaped his eyes.
San looked at the shaking boy. He wasn't sure what to do. Wooyoung wasn't even letting him touch him, let alone wake him up.
Suddenly, he got up and dashed towards the door. San called for one of the guards.
"I need you to go and summon one of the guards in the servants quarters. Kang Yeosang, the blond one. Now."
"Right away, Your Highness." He muttered and sprinted down the hallway. San took in a deep breath and turned to look at Wooyoung who had turned pale and shook more vigorously than before.
"Father, no please. I am sorry-" Wooyoung cried, his voice broke at the end and he clutched the comforter tightly. San frowned.
Father?
Before he could dwell anymore on it, Yeosang came rushing in and his eyes widened when they fell on Wooyoung's trembling form.
"Oh no." He heard Yeosang whisper under his breath as he ran towards Wooyoung. San watched as Yeosang climbed on the bed and and gently took Wooyoung's shaking hands in his own.
Surprisingly, the younger didn't flinch or pulled away. Instead he seemed to relax in his touch.
"Wooyoung, it's me Yeosang." The blond whispered carefully, rubbing soothing circles on his palm.
"Wake up, you are safe. Your father is not present here. Open your eyes." Wooyoung's cries died down and he slowly opened his eyes and they landed on San first, who stood in the middle of the room, watching the younger calm down in his friend's arms.
"You forgot to take the sleeping draught, did you not?" Yeosang asked. He wasn't accusing him, he just seemed worried. Wooyoung nodded tiredly and looked down ashamed.
"I am sorry, I was very tired and forgot about it." He whispered, not meeting anyone's gaze. San's confusion just fuelled further.
"You need not apologize but you know how bad your nightmares can get if you do not consume it." Yeosang said gently, his eyes on San. He looked somewhere between angry and disappointed.
"You shall leave now. I am sorry for worrying you. I should have been more careful." Wooyoung said pulling away from the blond. Yeosang frowned at the younger. Wooyoung rolled his eyes and managed to give a small smile.
"I will be okay, really. You know, I don't have the same nightmare twice in a night." He reassured Yeosang who got up hesitantly and walked towards the door, not before stopping in front of San.
"Your Highness, I am well aware that you do not care about my prince, but I just have one request." Yeosang started, glaring at the crown prince.
"Please, make sure he drinks his sleeping draught every night before going to bed. I hope I can trust you with this."
San cleared his throat and nodded.
"Yes, of course. You need not worry." He said looking at Wooyoung who looked embarassed to say the least.
"I am not a child! I can can look after myself very well." Wooyoung retarded, frowning at Yeosang and turning to glare at San.
"I can see that." Yeosang replied, eyeing Wooyoung's current state. The younger huffed and rolled his eyes. Yeosang bowed and left the room, closing the door behind him.
San hesitantly made his way to the bed and sat down on the edge. He eyed Wooyoung, who stared at the wall as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. His cheeks were bright red and his black hair stuck to his forehead.
"Are you alright?" San blurted out. Wooyoung turned to look at him with narrowed eyes.
"Since when were you worried about me?" He snapped. San took a deep breath and spoke in a calm voice.
"I am not. I just want to make sure you would not be disturbing my sleep again." He answered, feigning nonchalance. But deep down he was curious and maybe a little worried. Maybe. But that didn't mean he stopped disliking the man. No. He was just a little....sympathetic? Maybe.
Wooyoung scoffed under his breath.
"Your sleep? That is all you care about?"
San shrugged.
"Obviously." He said as a matter of fact." What else would I be worried about?" San raised an eyebrow.
Wooyoung rolled his eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time today.
"Yeah, keep rolling your eyes. You might eventually find a brain." San said, pulling up the comforter and closing his eyes, ignoring the younger's deathly glares.
On the other side of the bed, Jung Wooyoung, remained wide awake. He never got any sleep after his nightmares. So he got up and roamed the chamber. San was fast asleep as his chest heaved up and down lightly.
To say that Wooyoung was ashamed would be the understatement of the century. He was absolutely humiliated that San had witnessed him in his vulnerable and weak state. His efforts of keeping up a strong and unbothered image was crumbled down by his stupid mistake of not drinking the sleeping draught. How could he be so careless?
Nobody except Yeosang and The royal physician back in his kingdom knew about his nightmares. He's been experiencing them since he was a merely child of nine years old. To prevent this, the physician has been creating a draught for Wooyoung so that his nights weren't haunted by his father's memories.
People liked to think that the Royals lived a perfect and polished life. They often have this perception in mind that the princes and princesses living in those giant castles have never experienced any form of grief and trauma when it's the opposite.
Ask Wooyoung. He knew better than anyone else the amount of suffering and psychological trauma he had been through. Being the product of the king and one of his concubines was never going to be easy. His father liked to pretend that him and his mother didn't exist when in reality they did in fact very much existed and lived in the same walls as his father.
Yunho and Hongjoong couldn't relate. They were constantly pampered, showered with all the love and affection while Wooyoung was just a shadow lurking in the castle. Nonetheless, Wooyoung absolutely loved and cherished his half-brothers. They always tried to include him in the important matters and their shenanigans much to the dismay of their father. As much as he appreciated their efforts to make him feel loved, it had an opposite effect. His father never liked it that his sons were so friendly towards Wooyoung and as a result he hurt him physically and mentally ever since he was a child.
Maybe that was the reason he gave away Wooyoung to the Ellesmere Empire without a second thought.
Like some sort of a pawn in the game of power politics.
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Elysian - Woosan
Fanfiction"The Empire is willing to end this war, but only if we grant something of great value to them." "And what did you offer them?" Wooyoung asked apprehensively. "You shall be betrothed to the Crown Prince of The Ellesmere Empire."
