Chapter Text
“Oh? Hang on, Alberu.”
Alberu pauses when he feels the slight tug on his sleeve. He turns away from the door to look up at his mother, and sees a worried furrow between her brows.
At this moment, he is still too young to control his expression, so panic freely flits over his face.
He brings up his hand to his neck, suddenly afraid that he’d somehow dropped her precious gift, but the sight of his hand— small and fair-skinned— assuages that particular fear.
Next, he looks down at his suit– a blue and white ensemble that’s far fancier than anything he’d ever worn before– and thankfully finds it free of any blemish.
His mother kneels down, careful of the voluminous skirts of her deep blue gown, and gently takes his hand between hers. Alberu then realizes what he’s missing, and he subconsciously flinches away from her.
“Shh, I know,” his mother pulls out a pair of pristine white gloves, yet another thing Alberu must keep pure and unsullied throughout this ball.
She slips them over his hands, over his wrists, over the delicate secret etched on his skin that no amount of magic could ever hide.
Here in the world of golden spoons, silver tongues, and venetian masks, the name of the person closest to your heart is a secret you must fiercely protect.
His mother looks at him, a knowing sadness in her pretty brown eyes, “It’s alright, dear. If they share your heart, your soulmate will surely be kind. They’ll understand.”
Alberu nods.
It’s silly, really. Soulmates are a liability in court. But his mother has never thought of it that way. She adores the king regardless of his faults, and loves him with a consummate passion that Alberu has always wanted for his own.
More than his father’s throne, he is envious of the overwhelming devotion his mother gives him just by virtue of being her soulmate.
He smiles back at her, a terribly sweet yet false little thing, “I know.”
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The young boy that stands in the middle of the room has cold eyes. Though he is small, his back is straight and proud in the midst of the vultures around him, their greedy eyes hoping for even a trace of weakness.
They croon and caw, empty promises and hollow sympathy rife in every word, but the boy doesn’t falter.
He keeps his focus on his mother’s coffin.
‘How does it feel? Does it hurt for you the way it did for me?’
Alberu, hair brown and eyes green, strokes the skin on his wrist as he watches the scene before him. His fingers brush against the ridges of his soulmate’s name, of the elegant script that simply reads:
{Cale}
It’s not a rare name, but not quite common either. Alberu has found at least two other Cales in the Roan Kingdom alone, but one of them was already married, and the other one was already dead.
This Cale, at least, is alive and within reach.
‘And now, we even have something in common,’ Alberu smiles bitterly at the thought.
Murmurs fill the room, people both repulsed and confused at the lack of grief from the young Henituse. Alberu knows how sadness can manifest in many ways, but people have different expectations for children. They want tears, want blubbering, want pitiful wailing. They want a lost heart looking for a hand to cling to, so they can offer their claws in return.
He’d felt numb at his own mother’s death. Even then, he’d forced himself to cry for the court.
Cale Henituse clearly doesn’t care. He remains stoic against the whispers, and finally turns to walk away when his father tries to call for him.
Alberu debates whether he should follow him. What use would he have for someone who doesn’t know how to read a room? Even if he is truly his soulmate, a person like that would only drag him down.
Still, it’d be wise to know for sure. If he isn’t his soulmate, then Alberu can be reassured that he won’t have to fear anyone in his own kingdom for a while. If he is , then Alberu can avoid him and prepare contingency plans for any future meetings.
He checks his appearance one last time, then slips off to follow him.
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‘Ah. Did I make a mistake?’
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“Your Majesty, I’ve gathered the reports of the troops patrolling in the Stan territory. According to them, nothing else has happened since the mysterious disappearance of the fog on Granite Mountain. However, there have been sightings of suspicious strangers loitering around town. It’s likely more foreigners are seeking asylum from the Roan Empire after what happened with the Mogoru Kingdom.”
“Thank you. Please have soldiers continue to patrol the village and gain more information on these individuals, but tell them to be discreet. Though their safety is paramount, we don’t want to make any of our precious citizens feel on edge,” Alberu grins at the Captain, tilting his head just so to catch the light of the golden hours, “They should still be able to live their daily life as freely as they can, don’t you think?”
He knows the sunlight bathes him in an ethereal glow, judging from the enraptured look on the Captain’s face.
“Of course, your Majesty! I will let them know right away!” The Captain salutes, almost running face-first into the door in his hurry to fulfill his liege’s orders.
Thankfully, he seems to recall something and turns back to Alberu, “By the way, your Majesty. If it’s not too presumptuous of me, how is the prince consort faring?”
Alberu lets a touch of sadness fill his smile, “It’s alright. I’m always pleased to know how deeply you all care for his health. Thankfully, he is starting to recover, but he may remain bedridden for a few more days. I’ll be sure to let him know you asked.”
“Of course! His Royal Highness is just as important to the kingdom as he is to you, your Majesty. He will always be our treasured hero and commander,” His worries eased, the Captain finally bows and leaves the room, “Then, I shall go deliver your orders.”
Alberu counts the seconds after the door locks behind him.
1…
2…
3…
A sigh echoes throughout the room.
“That was sweet.”
A shadow falls over the papers on Alberu’s desk as Cale lifts up his invisibility spell, his form blocking out the sun rays from the window behind them. He leans on top of Alberu’s head, his arms snaking around the emperor’s shoulders as he aims a mocking smile at the door where the Captain had just gone through.
“Isn’t it? Although, considering everything their darling Silver Shield Hero has done, why wouldn’t the Roan Empire be grateful?” Alberu smiles coyly, gently stroking the ring on Cale’s hand with his finger to tease him into shivers.
“Ah, you flatter me so, your majesty,” Cale replies without missing a beat. He turns Alberu’s chair to face him, and the emperor’s eyes flick up to him. Surprisingly, the bastard seems clean and well-kept. There isn’t a single trace of blood or dirt on his skin or clothes.
Still, Alberu finds himself entranced at the alluring picture he makes with the sun’s light against his back, shadowing his features so that Alberu’s gaze is focused on the ever-sharp cut and cleverness in his gleaming red eyes.
Cale smirks, hands flicking along with the honeyed words falling from his tongue, “To hear such high praise from you is to have the sun’s radiant light fill my heart with warmth. Truly, this lowly noble is most blessed when he is allowed to bask in your presence, ensconced in your brilliance and grace.”
He trails his hand through Alberu’s hair, lightly tangling and twirling the strands between his fingers.
“However, knowing that I have to share your light with the Empire,” Cale bends down, tugs him closer, and his smile sharpens , “Ah, what a troublesome feeling. Should I just find a way to keep you here forever, your Majesty?”
Age-old magic, soul-deep and binding, winds around them like a red thread. More than a name on their skin, there is one other thing that ties soulmates together. Invisible, but no less dangerous.
[It is impossible to lie to your soulmate.]
For this reason, Alberu knows that Cale’s devotion is true.
He leans in, lips barely brushing against his jaw.
“My darling consort, what would be the point? Even if the sun shines down on the earth, the only one who can capture its light is the Moon.”
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Cale has never been gifted with strength.
True, he hides behind a ‘sickly’ body to avoid politics and have more freedom to run his ‘errands’, but his plate is genuinely weak.
However, his mind is unmatched. If Cale has a goal, there is nothing that can stop him from achieving it- a trait that Alberu shares and deeply admires about him.
Without a body attuned to physical strength or magic, Cale seeks out the only other alternative.
Ancient Powers.
This is how Alberu finds himself naked and tied down to their bed by wooden vines.
“If only the people could see how their precious hero is making use of his powers,” Alberu teases, watching as Cale unbuttons his shirt, “They’d be scandalized if they were here.”
He pauses at Alberu’s words, a mocking tilt to his lips as he crawls up on the bed. Rose gold light flutters across his body, expertly burning away the rest of his clothes as he hovers over him, russet eyes dark with promise.
“Your Majesty. You should know better by now than to imply I’d ever let anyone else see you like this,” Cale cups his chin and tilts up his head, forcing Alberu to see the mix of jealousy and desire on his face, “Do you want any of our dear citizens to lose their eyes?”
Alberu should be scared. He should be angry at the careless way Cale keeps threatening the citizens of the Empire he’s worked so hard to protect.
But years and years of working with his lovely, greedy soulmate has taught Alberu how to handle him.
He locks eyes with Cale, then tilts his head down to take his thumb into his mouth, sensuously sucking the finger between his soft lips. He laves it with his tongue, enough for a string of drool to follow the finger as Cale pulls it away from him.
“You’ve always been so good at using your mouth,” Cale grins, a light flush on his face. He kneels over Alberu’s chest, one hand still grasping his chin. With his other hand, he guides his cock to Alberu’s lips, groaning when the head slides into his mouth.
Just like his finger, Alberu runs his tongue around the head, licking the slit and sucking in his cheeks. His arms strain against the vines, instinct driving him to wrap his fingers around the part that isn’t in his mouth, but Cale doesn’t let go. Instead, he pulls Alberu’s head forward, feeding him more of his dick until Alberu’s nose is pressed up against his skin.
Cale is panting, moving his hands to cradle Alberu’s head against him, while Alberu suckles and gasps around the cock filling his mouth and hitting the back of his throat. He gently thrusts his hips in and out, loving the wet heat around his cock, and tangles the strands of dark brown hair between his fingers. He’s cooing praises, words that make heat rush from Alberu’s feet up to his head.
“So good. You’re doing so good,” Cale breathes, his voice silken in a way he only uses for these moments, for wrecking his soulmate, “Your majesty, you’re taking me in so hungrily. It worries me. Are you not eating enough? Or do you simply want more of my cock?”
Tears spring to Alberu’s eyes, suddenly overwhelmed by arousal at the sound of his derisive words. He gasps when Cale pulls out completely, gulping down the saliva and precum left in his mouth, only to whine when Cale rubs the tip of his dick around his lips, coating it in precum.
He leans forward, chasing the head with his lips to suck it back into his mouth, even as Cale chuckles at his desperation.
“I see. Don’t worry, your majesty. I will always be here to take care of your hunger.”
At his words, Cale thrusts in, rougher than before. Alberu chokes, feels it suddenly swell in his mouth as his throat is filled with cum. He feels Cale massage his throat, encouraging him to swallow, before slowly pulling away. He moans, warmth filling his body down to his belly, as a string of cum escapes the side of his mouth.
“Ah, you made a mess,” Cale teases, leaning in to lick up the trail of cum and drool. He then kisses Alberu, tongue licking into his mouth while his other hand slides down, teasing past his cock and down between his ass.
“ A-ah! ” Alberu flinches, gasping into his mouth as he feels Cale’s finger trace the rim of his hole. It’s wet, likely from another inappropriately used ancient power, but Alberu can’t fault him for the trick. As persevering as Cale is, he can also be quite lazy at times.
It just makes him efficient, really.
The vines holding down Alberu’s legs spread taut, allowing Cale to slide his finger inside. He’s still kissing Alberu, trying to distract him as he opens him up, whispering even more praises under his breath in between kisses.
“You’re so beautiful, your majesty. You know it, right?”
“I have never wanted anyone the way you make me want you. Ever since we met, I have only wanted you.”
“I will only ever want you.”
Heat fills Alberu’s lower body and he’s crying, dizzied with pleasure. He twists his hips as Cale fingers him loose, lips desperately seeking his every time they part. He replies to Cale in between moans, the magic of the bond forcing embarrassing truths out of his mouth.
“Yes, I do. Because I want you to want me too.”
“You’re clever and gorgeous and I want you. I have only ever wanted you too.”
“Cale, I love you.”
Vines pull, stretching Alberu’s legs over Cale’s shoulder and his arms around his neck as Cale rubs the head of his dick against his hole, teasing him with tiny, barely-there thrusts.
His brilliant red hair is in disarray, his perfect face flushed with exertion and pleasure as he gazes down at the man he’s torn down kingdoms for- the prince he’d sworn to adore. He slides his hand up Alberu’s chest, his touch feather-light, before gently cupping the side of his face.
“Say it again,” he demands.
Alberu looks up at him, then turns his head to gently kiss Cale’s wrist, lips pressed right above the skin where Alberu’s own name is written.
“I love you,” he whispers.
With a hitch in his breath, Cale snaps his hips forward and slides deep into Alberu. Suddenly full, Alberu throws his head back and screams. The vines around his arms pull away and he clutches Cale down to his chest, cradling his head against his neck as he rocks his hips back against him.
Cale breathes in the scent of his skin, the sweetness of chocolate and the richness of wine, and bites down. Alberu yelps at the sting, but he’s thrown off when Cale pulls back and grabs him by the hips, thrusting even faster and harder into him.
It’s a good thing that the room is filled with lock and soundproofing spells.
Caught up in their own pleasure, the two of them feel feral. Cale uses up his strength until he’s leaving bruises on Alberu’s hips, his eyes torn between the utterly wrecked look on his majesty’s face, and the bulge he gets in his belly every time Cale thrusts up. Mouth dry, he holds his position and pushes down on the bump, only to have Alberu shout in pleasure.
“Again,” Alberu gasps and looks down, placing his own hand on top of Cale’s. Chest heaving, he pushes down Cale’s hand until he feels the bulge in his belly and whimpers at the spike of pleasure it brings.
The sound fully distracts Cale, enough for Alberu to pull his legs free from the vines and reverse their position. With a groan, he sinks back down onto him, one hand braced on Cale’s chest, and the other on his stomach as he bounces up and down, feeling his dick push up deep inside him.
Cale lets out a breath and relaxes against the bed, content to let Alberu use him. He can tell his lover is close by the way his eyes have glazed over, light shivers running across his body.
“Mnn, ah, aaah!” Alberu pants, uncaring of his own appearance. A dark red flush spreads across his dusky skin as Cale thrusts up harder into him, “Close, so close!”
He leans back down, chest-to-chest with Cale as he starts to grind against him. Cale holds him by the ass, letting him control the last few thrusts until he screams, cum shooting out his neglected cock.
Like clockwork, Cale follows him into orgasm, mouth pressed tight against Alberu’s as he fills him to the brim, molten heat spreading up into him.
After a moment, Alberu rolls to the side, exhausted. Cum dries on his chest and in between his thighs, but he wants a few minutes of rest before he can use magic to clean everything up.
Cale, already re-energized by the Vitality of the Heart, looks down at him mischievously.
“So, seeing as how you came untouched, it would seem I won the bet,” he purrs.
Alberu rolls his eyes. Cale asks favors of him all the time, but they always end up benefiting him and the Empire. He would have given in anyway.
“Just make it quick, you punk. You know we can’t leave these frail courtiers alone for too long.”
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“...Majesty?”
Alberu tilts his head up. Choi Han is guarding the door to his office while Cale is away making last-minute preparations for their trip back to the Henituse territory. He’s become a familiar sight to Alberu, being one of Cale’s most loyal followers, but Choi Han has always remained distant to him. He’s sure it has something to do with Cale’s possessiveness, so to have Choi Han break protocol and talk to him while they’re alone is very interesting.
“Yes? Is there something I can help you with, Choi Han?”
Choi Han points down, clearly hesitant, “Your hands…”
Alberu glances down.
Ah. He’d somehow forgotten to wear his gloves.
Well, it should be fine, right? At this point, most of the Empire is already aware that Cale and Alberu are soulmates.
And they’re well aware that neither the Emperor nor his Consort are easy prey to use against each other.
“Thank you for the warning. You’re truly a reliable person,” Alberu smiles. He gets up, intending to walk over to the dresser carrying spares in his office, but Choi Han continues.
“No, it’s not that,” he hesitates, “It’s that mark on your hand.”
Alberu pauses. If this was about Cale’s name on his wrist, there wouldn’t be any reason for Choi Han to be so nervous. Which means…
Ice water fills his veins.
“Which one, Choi Han?”
In this world, everyone is born with a soulmate.
The name of the person who will love you, cherish you, and protect you will be written on your wrist.
Choi Han points at the unrecognizable characters on Alberu’s other hand. The hand without Cale’s name–
And on your other wrist, you’ll find the name of the person who will destroy you. Your fated enemy.
–The hand with the name he’d subconsciously buried, convinced it was just a fluke from the universe after so many failed attempts at finding out if such a stupid language even existed—
{록수}
“Rok Soo. Who is he, your majesty?”