‼️‼️‼️THIS DOES CONTAIN VERY SENSITIVE THEMES. IF ANY ONE FEELS EXTREMEY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS CHAPTER PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL TAKE IT DOWN IMMEDIATELY‼️‼️‼️
relationship: knight!reader/prince!san, soulmate!au, college!students
warnings: hanging (non-modern day), suicide, sadness, angst, sad-happy ending
word count: 3.6k
published: 06.17.20
as the times of 1870 were desperate, so was the attitude toward finding ones soulmate. soulmates were a precious thing, each reaction of finding your soulmate different for every person. one would have the markings of their soulmate's first words to them while another could have had a soulmate whose existence occurred centuries before theirs.
the buoyant gift of reincarnation led people to hold onto the hope that one day, one day they could find their soulmate; 'if not in this life, perhaps the next'.
the weakened flesh of hope bled into the minds of every human being, especially y/n l/n and choi san. the two boys were only 17 and destined to be together, but there were two obstacles that couldn't be avoided. san was heir to the throne and y/n was his knight; moreover, the two were both male. their gender was a hinderance to time, over and over again.
they were best friends who did everything together, so it wasn't a surprise that they were soulmates; to them at least. the king and queen opposed and so did the harsh societal views of 1870.
the two boys were in love and they knew from a very young age. y/n was able to dream about his soulmate and their memories; it was only so obvious that san was his soulmate because not everyone can dream; yet all he dreamt of was san.
san did not know what his soulmate bond was yet, but he wholeheartedly trusted y/n and his claim that the two were eternally tied together.
but what y/n couldn't trust was the fact that they were actually soulmates. what he didn't understand was, if he and san were meant to be, why were they a homosexual pairing? as far as he'd known, they'd never been accepted, even in their past lives. why did he and his soulmate have to go through so much pain in every life? would they continue to remain so close yet far for eternity? what cruel trick was the universe playing on the two lovers?
of course, he knew soulmates weren't necessarily lovers, but that was what he wanted. his soulmate was someone he was destined to be with. he was destined to only have one special person that forever remained in his heart, so how could he not love him?
y/n and san took the risks they could. they snuck around the palace at night, let their hearts collide only in the comforting safety of san's bedroom and kissed only under the quiet moonlight. but they could only do that for so long before their hearts dangerously ached to do more; more than what they could handle.
the unacceptable behaviors landed them in their current predicament. y/n was to be hanged in the town's capital in less than 24 hours and san had to watch. a maid had stumbled upon the two the morning after their escapade; y/n was quickly getting dressed, realizing he'd slept in too long, and the prince was still asleep; the maid could only assume one thing—y/n had violated the prince. she ran about to the corridors, screaming for guards and the king.
y/n had been beaten and thrown in the castle dungeon upon the king's arrival, not giving the two a chance to explain their despicable actions. "how dare you! we have given you prosperity and taken you out of the slums and you go and demolish your duty as a knight and harass the future king!"
[play 'deep end - birdy (slowed)' by swavy slowed on yt]
san hated his father from that night on. he hadn't viewed him as a son. his father only viewed him as a way to let their power live on. the queen was nothing more than a sharp leech. only attaining the king's love to become important. she didn't care that she was soulmates with the king, his status was high and it made her relevant.
