A crown or this? | minsung

🌙settlement

The ravens were sent, the horses were ready. Word spread fast and every man in the north that was able to fight was brought to the camps where they were counted and food was calculated for provisions.

"We have about two thousand men, the colonies of the northern troupes are also sending reinforcements to join us. The west has not yet answered our raven, but they are estimated to have at least a good ten thousand soldiers." Jisung informed all the commanders around the table and placed some dots on the map, with Minho's agreeing.

They had discussed these plans already, jisung had calculated it perfectly.

"That means we will arrive at the south's gate with at least fifteen thousand men behind us. Yet, we also know the south is the largest kingdom in size, it holds some of the best equipment and the strongest walls." Minho added and drew a line at the defined borders between the two.

"Once we are past the borders, we head straight for the capital. Once it is cleared, we are to help every citizen of the kingdom, we are to rebuilt. I must also add that by the king's orders, no slaves will be slaughtered, they are to be spared." Jisung said, like he always did, with a cold and decent stare.

"Get the word to every troupe, every soldier. We ride out for the south and make camp, there i will disclose more information."

"Yes my king" they all said once Minho raised a hand to dismiss them.

Jisung almost didn't say it like the rest of the commanders, but he remembered to. After all even if they knew each other most, it was a dishonour to not thank the king before leaving. Yet Jisung didn't leave the tent.

"All the food is packed and loaded. We are ready to move." He said like Minho was nothing more then someone he did not know.

"You can drop the act..." Minho said in a low voice. "They left"

"The walls are thin" he turned to see footsteps passing by the tent, it was busy and loud outside. "Id rather not"

"We don't need to speak..."

Minho pulled him by the hand and gracefully touched his waist, grasped it. He then pulled Jisung chin, the younger seeming to melt against his hand, like he was exhausted from being cold.

"If someone walks in..."

"I made love to you over a window in the most homophobic place on earth, and you're worried about a little kiss?"

"I was drunk."

"Yes...but you meant it."

Minho simply hugged his lover and smiled.

"I know you want us to be known...in a perfect world, where nobody would bat an eye, you would want the world to know I was yours" he held his hand.

"Yes. But it is a mere dream. We can never let anyone know about us...they would throw you off the throne, have me executed for...loving"

He was getting emotional, he brows were slightly arched and his world were slower then his usual pace.

"I know. That is the world we are in...and that world will only ever see us as..." Minho hesitated. "Friends..." he finally spoke.

"Friends...they would be foolish to call us that."

"This world is nothing but foolish...we do not need it, though. Let us be who we are, together. " Minho offered his hand.

"Yes, together."

<3

The ride there was simple, it was a three day trip to the borders. They did not sleep much, only when they had installed all the tents and made more meetings for the plans. When they finished those, they heading to their separate tents, went to sleep, only to wake up a few hours later to ride out again.

For three days it was constant preparation, checking numbers and ranks, evaluating the grounds thanks to Jisung's incredible memory of each door of the castle.

They didn't speak much, outside of meetings. Only some times when everyone was eating, jisung would bring the food he didn't like to Minho, sliding it on his plate without anyone noticing. Minho would thank him and they would share a look before Jisung turned away quickly.

At night, their tents were always placed one next to the other, order of this king. One night, in the final day before they would arrive south, Minho had slipped a note in his tent and Jisung had read it a few hours later, arriving to his tent.

"You asked to see me my lord" jisung spoke as he entered his tent. It was unlike anything to hear Jisung use proper terms with him, as if Jisung should never have anyone higher then him, I didn't make sense in Minho's mind.

"Yes." Minho gestured him to come forward and Jisung complied, advancing calmly towards him. "And I don't like you calling me that"

"Well you are a rank higher now, I am still the lost prince...of a city that was burned to the ground. Regardless, it's how I am required to call you.

"We are equals you and me...we always will be"

"Why did you call me here Minho?" Jisung sighed, he was nervous, Minho could tell. "People might get suspicious..." he said and trailed his eyes off elsewhere.

"This is the last night before the big battle. I know you cannot sleep in my tent, but I want to at least get to look upon you before the war consumes us..." he brushed his blond hair aside, remembering the very first time he had set his eyes on him, in the southern throne room, from a distance.

"What ever happens tomorrow...I will follow you...may death never do us part, for I will join you if I must."

"I already lost you once. I will not again...if one of us dies...then out faiths shall meet..."

"And if we survive...?" Jisung had his eyes lowered to the ground, as if he was planning something in his mind, seing if his plans would work.

"Like you said...then we finally get to live"

Minho approached him, taking his hands.

"I ordered the guards to keep anyone out of this tent...I'll be honest, I'm sad I cannot show you my love more then this...since you want us to be discreet, but I do love you...very...very much."

"I...last time we said goodbye to each other, we were angry, left on bad terms. Im not doing anything I'll regret not doing." Jisung took Minho by the face and took him close to his lips, smiling as he carved his eyes to Minho's mouth.

"So...fuck it"

They shared a kiss that afternoon.

One that lasted a very long time. It wasn't anything sexual, it just felt like saying "I love you" with each movement, tasting each other to remember how sweet it was or will be. It wasn't messy like the time Jisung had been drunk, or like any other time they had kissed.

This one was a "if it goes wrong I love you" kind of kiss. A "goodbye for now" embrace. They didn't know how long they stood there kissing, but the world spun around them, the sun set in the horizon and Jisung had to depart. Before he did, before he even pulled away from his lips, he smiled against his mouth and Minho replied with a short smirk.

"Jisung." Minho said sternly. "It won't end like last time."

"How could you possibly know that...?"

They suddenly heard horns blow in the far end of their camp. They both stepped out of the tent and looked upon the hill. Minho and jisung both smiled when they recognized the banners flying from far away, and Minho's brother blowing into a horn, a tradition of the west for a battle.

"Because this time we're not alone."

<3

A/n: the end is almost near, who's excited? :)