In compensation for saving Prince Hyunjin's life to the risk of his own, Felix was granted the position of the Prince's personal guard.
To say Felix was unhappy about the "reward" would be an understatement.
"No."
"What do you mean, no?" protested Hyunjin, obviously taken aback.
"I don't want it. Find someone else to be your glorified babysitter," huffed Felix.
A single day had passed since Jeongin delivered the news and, though Felix had slept on it, he hadn't woken up any happier about it the next morning. Being granted a palace position was bad enough, but the Prince's bodyguard? That was asking to be dragged into unnecessary and potentially dangerous drama.
"You can't just refuse it," insisted the Prince, visibly miffed by his reaction. "This is an esteemed position, and the pay is easily ten times more than you'll ever make outside the palace walls. An opportunity like this isn't usually given to people like you – refusing it would be foolish!"
Felix narrowed his eyes at that. "People like me?"
Hyunjin shrugged, leaning against the wall as he crossed his arms. "Of common background, I mean. And a beta, too, though that's less of a rule and more a concern of traditions."
"Wait, what's a—"
Before Felix could finish his question because seriously, what the hell is a "beta"?, the door of his room opened, and none other than Jeongin made his way inside. He immediately glared at Hyunjin, obviously unhappy to see him.
"You! I told you to leave my patient alone! Haven't you done enough damage already?" he scolded.
Hyunjin flinched, but quickly masked the guilt as he straightened up. "My apologies. I merely meant to discuss a few details of Felix's new position while he is awake, is all."
(Right, Felix had finally gotten the opportunity to properly introduce himself – a bit of an awkward moment, since his name was obviously foreign, but thankfully neither Hyunjin nor Jeongin made a big deal out of it.)
"Well, you can do that once he's capable of getting out of bed on his own. Now shoo! Shoo!"
Felix watched with no little amount of amusement and satisfaction as Jeongin forcibly pushed Hyunjin out of the room despite the Prince's protests, relief filling him when the door finally closed behind the infuriating man. Jeongin huffed, displeased, but quickly offered Felix a smile when their eyes met.
"Sorry about him. Like I said, stubborn as a mule."
"Hm."
"Are you alright?" the healer asked as he came to sit beside Felix. "Did this troublesome Prince say anything inappropriate? I'll teach him a lesson, I will."
"It's not... that, really." Felix fiddled with his fingers a bit, lowering his eyes. "I just... It's complicated, is all. Waking up here... and then suddenly learning of my new position and duties... It's a lot."
"I see." Jeongin seemed to think it over for a few seconds, then gently patted his shoulder in an attempt to comfort. "Well, whatever is happening, and no matter how troubling things might be right now, just keep in mind that, as troublesome and stubborn as he can be, our Prince rarely does things unjustified. He wouldn't have asked for you to be given this position without a reason, I'm sure of it."
"That doesn't make me any less confused," snorted Felix.
Jeongin simply shrugged. "Then just ask him. Whatever's going on, the two of you will be keeping in close quarters from here on out, so it might be best for you two to work out any issue before then, don't you think?"
"I suppose so..." Felix thought about it for a few seconds, then sighed in resignation. "I'll talk to him. But... not today. I'm tired. Can you... ask him to come back tomorrow?"
Jeongin simply smiled again. "I will. Until then, however, I want you to eat something and get more rest. I don't want you fainting again!"
Felix couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that. "Yes, sir."
.
The next day, Hyunjin returned. He held a much more... subdued, expression, and he didn't say a word as he came to sit beside Felix's bed. After a few seconds of silence, Felix finally sighed, deciding to speak first.
"I hate when people make decisions about my life without my permission," he stated firmly. "You had no right to decide my future of the sort, and putting me in a position where I can't refuse you is disrespectful and upsetting. And frankly, so far, that's pretty much all you've been doing: disrespecting me because of my social status and treating me as if I have no will of my own." Felix paused for a moment, then sighed again. "But Jeongin said that you must have had a reason for doing what you did. So tell me: why did you ask for me to be appointed as your personal guard?"
Hyunjin stayed silent for a moment, then nodded solemnly. "You are right. My attitude so far has been... less than graceful, to say the least, and I deeply apologize for it. I shouldn't have treated you this way, but I assure you that it was never my intention to cause you any grief." Without warning, the Prince bowed his head, expressing his genuine contrition. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted and talked so callously when I am the one to blame for the position you are now in."
"While I appreciate the apology, it still doesn't answer my question," replied Felix, though his tone had softened a bit, now.
"That's..." Hyunjin bit his lower lip, then sighed. "There is no easy way to say this, I suppose... but one of the assassins managed to escape."
"What?"
"When some of our men went to investigate, they only found fourteen bodies, though there should have been fifteen of them. One of the assassins managed to get away, meaning that word of your involvement in the affair has already reached the ears of whoever was behind the attempt in the first place," explained Hyunjin, obviously trying to be as gentle as he could be with the revelation.
Felix gulped, feeling himself grow a little cold. "You're- you're saying they'll come after me? Because I helped you?"
Hyunjin reached out, grabbing his hands, and squeezing them tightly in reassurance. Felix was startled by the earnest, determined glint in his eyes when their gazes met.
"You have nothing to fear, Felix," assured firmly the Prince. "To be frank, you were appointed the position not because of your skills or as a mean of compensation, but because it is the best way for me to repay the life debt I owe you. Though I understand you wish to go home, you cannot do so safely until we've found the one behind the assassination attempt and, until then, I swear on my life to keep you safe."
Felix shook his head, feeling the sting of tears growing in his eyes. "You can't- you can't promise that."
"I can," insisted Hyunjin. "Having you act as my personal guard is the best cover. Infiltrating the palace is no easy feat, and I am one of the best fighters in the kingdom – staying by my side is the safest you'll ever get."
"Then how did those assassins get to you in the first place?" scoffed Felix.
At that, Hyunjin appeared a little embarrassed. "That... was a mistake on my part, I'll admit. I snuck out into the city under disguise, as I do every so often – I never expected for my hidden enemies to pick up on that pattern, is all. But I'll be much more careful, now! I won't let you down, Felix!"
There really wasn't much more Felix could say, truly. In the end, Jeongin had been right: Hyunjin had a good reason for doing what he did. Felix acting as his personal guard would be the best cover to hide the fact that it was Hyunjin actually protecting Felix, and he somehow could tell that the Prince wasn't lying: he'd lay down his own life before allowing any harm to befall Felix.
(Plus, there was no denying that leaving the palace and trying to find his way back to his own time without any money to his name or any place to call home in the meantime would be incredibly difficult – if not entirely impossible, what with potential assassins now after his head.)
"Alright," he finally sighed, inhaling deeply as he blinked a few times to push the tears down. "I'll do it. But only until we've found the culprit, got it? And if you ever try to use me as an errand boy, I'll sick Jeongin on you!"
At first obviously happy, Hyunjin then dramatically paled upon hearing the threat, and eagerly nodded a few times in agreement, gulping a bit – the healer's wrath was obviously an effective threat, something Felix made a note of for future reference.
(He had a feeling he'd need it.)
"If there is nothing else, then I shall leave you to rest," then announced Hyunjin, rising to his feet. He then lowered his eyes, clearly ashamed. "And... I truly am sorry, Felix. This situation—"
"It can't be helped," cut the freckled man, offering him a tentative smile. "Wrong place, wrong time, is all. We'll figure it out, okay?"
Hyunjin offered a small smile back, nodding once more, then bid him a good day before heading out. As the door closed behind him, though, Felix couldn't help but notice how cold his hands had gotten now that the handsome Prince was no longer holding them—
No, bad! Bad thoughts! He scolded himself, immediately slapping his cheeks a few times.
This was certainly the worst possible time to develop a crush, so Felix did his best to push his blushing down and ignore the slightly faster pace his heart had picked up.
.
A little over two weeks after Felix first woke up, Jeongin finally deemed him healthy enough to officially leave his care. He'd completely recovered from his injury, had taken to the rehabilitation exercises like a fish to water, and he was now growing quite restless from having to stay in bed for hours at a time. He'd then been informed that he'd actually been occupying a room in the infirmary's wing this whole time, and that he would now move into Hyunjin's private palace, the Palace of the Rising Moon.
He was a bit intimidated, to say the least, but he supposed it was only expected of him as the Prince's personal guard.
He didn't really have anything to call his, saved for a small bundle made up of his clothes, which Jeongin had carefully washed and repaired (he'd been wearing a white jacket proper to patients this whole time), his now dead phone (Jeongin had asked a few questions, but Felix had managed to avoid answering them) and his necklace with a small sun pendant, a gift given to him by his mother for his twentieth birthday (he never took it off).
Since Jeongin was busy with his own duties, a random servant was tasked with escorting Felix to his new home. The servant didn't say a single word as they walked, and Felix refrained from asking any questions, a bit scared of how his ignorance might be taken.
When they finally reached the gates of the Rising Moon Palace, the servant bowed deeply before taking his leave, abandoning Felix to his own devices. The freckled man awkwardly made his way inside, half-scared the guards around would try to cause trouble, but they merely nodded their heads in greeting when he passed them by. When he finally reached the main building of the palace, though, he didn't even have to try and figure out how to open the sliding doors, for none other than Hyunjin did so himself when coming out.
"Oh, Felix!" he grinned. "I was waiting for you! Come on, hurry! You have to get changed so I can go introduce you to my brother!"
"Wait, what?"
The Prince was already dragging him inside, though, and Felix had very little choice but to follow. They quickly made their way to an adjacent room, and Felix barely had the time to process it was his before Hyunjin picked up an outfit that had been laid out on the bed and promptly shoved it in Felix's arms.
"Come on, come on! We shouldn't make them wait for too long!"
"W- wait! I'm meeting your brother? As in – the King!?"
Hyunjin rolled his eyes as he pushed Felix behind the large dressing screen further in the back. "And his husband, yes. Now go!"
"His what now!?"
.
Hyunjin ended up having to help Felix change into his new clothes, since the poor boy had no clue of how to put them on without entangling all of the sashes. It was a fairly embarrassing experience but, thankfully enough, Hyunjin didn't comment on it. Instead, he mostly focused on telling Felix the basics he needed to know before meeting with the King and Queen of the kingdom.
They were now on their way, though Felix didn't get the chance to take a proper look at the beautiful palace they just entered since he was still stuck on a few – important – details.
"So he's the King's... husband, but still his Queen?" asked Felix, still confused.
Hyunjin nodded, nudging him so he'd turn to the right as they walked. "Queen is just the appropriate title for the King's consort, really. Queen Lee – his name's Minho – and my brother have known each other since their childhood so, really, it didn't come as a surprise to anyone when Chan eventually began courting him."
At that point, they reached a pair of beautifully ornated double-doors, a servant immediately rushing inside to announce their arrival.
"But how do they... you know. How are they planning on having heirs?" whispered Felix, a tad embarrassed for asking.
Hyunjin merely quirked a brow. "You really don't pay much attention to politics, do you? Though Queen Lee's an omega, adoption is their only option."
Felix paused, brows furrowing in confusion. "Huh? What's an—"
Without warning, the double doors swung open, effectively cutting him off. He completely forgot his question when the servant loudly announced their arrival, and Hyunjin gently grabbed his arm to guide him forward. He gulped when he noticed the two people sitting on their respective thrones, mindful to keep his eyes down. He stopped when Hyunjin did, albeit about two steps behind him, for good measure – he couldn't remember much of the etiquette he'd seen in the dramas he'd watched, but surely that couldn't be too wrong, right? – and awkwardly bowed when the Prince did, mimicking him to the best of his abilities.
"Hyunjin," greeted the man on the right, his tone warm and friendly. "I see you've finally brought the man to whom we owe your life?"
"Healer Yang has finally deemed him healthy enough to leave the infirmary. You know how he can get, hyung," replied Hyunjin, a tad teasingly.
There was a small chuckle in answer. "Come forward, little one."
Felix froze, unsure of what to do, but then Hyunjin subtly pushed his lower back, and he took a few steps forward. After a second of hesitation, he bowed again, still keeping his eyes locked to the floor. He knew King Bang was said to be a pacifist, but he didn't know how much of his foreknowledge was actually true when he'd just learned the King had a husband, of all things.
Wasn't he supposed to be married to Queen Mina, or something like that? I know for a fact that he had a couple of kids, too – they all fought for the throne in a rather bloody manner after King Bang passed. But how are they supposed to have heirs if the Queen is actually a guy!?
"You can lift your eyes, little one – I can assure you that no harm will befall you here." Hesitatingly, Felix did as told, and the first man he locked eyes with offered him a warm, welcoming grin. "Hello, there. How nice to finally meet you."
King Bang, then, he easily guessed, tentatively glancing to his side where the other man – a beautiful man, really, dressed in heavy robes and sparkling jewelry. And this must be his consort, then – Queen Minho.
"Lee Felix, is it?" the Queen spoke, his tone and expression unreadable... until a very small smile graced his lips. "We heard-tell of your sacrifice, and we are grateful for it. Without you, we would have lost Hyunjin. Our family is forever in your debt."
Felix felt the tips of his ears grow red, embarrassed from being put on the spot. "It- it wasn't anything grand like that... erm, Your Highness. Didn't really think about it, really. And- and Prince Hyunjin saved my life in return by bringing me here in time, so..."
King Bang shook his head. "He wouldn't be standing before us had you not put your life at risk in order to save his. No matter how you look at it, you saved his life, and that is a debt that will not go unpaid – you can rest assured of it. Now, Hyunjin has already elected to reward you with the position of personal guard, which is only fitting considering your skills he's told us so much about, but I would like to reward you personally. So tell me, what is it you wish for, Lee Felix?"
"I... That's not really necessary, Your Majesty..."
"Indulge him," replied Minho, shooting a small smirk to his husband. "He won't rest at ease until he feels as though he's appropriately shown his gratitude."
Felix nodded awkwardly, nervously twisting his hands. He'd been warned that the royals might attempt to reward him even more, but he genuinely didn't think he'd get to pick, of all things. He simply figured they'd give him a bunch of gold and silks and call it a day, but he supposed they were a lot more genuine in their sentiment of gratitude if they decided to let him choose.
Felix didn't need anything, though. He already had a roof over his head, with clothes and food guaranteed. He'd already gained a considerable status thanks to Hyunjin, and he was also going to be paid for it, so money definitely wouldn't be an issue. But then what? The only thing Felix genuinely wanted...
"If- if it's not too much trouble, then... Would it be possible to gain access to the palace's library...?" he tentatively asked, immediately lowering his eyes when the Queen quirked a brow in surprise. "Or- or I can ask for something else, if that's forbidden..."
The King shook his head, pensive. "No, no, it's quite alright. The library is usually only open to our scholars and our Ministers, but I see no issue with it, really. I'll have a seal prepared for you and sent to the Rising Moon Palace before the end of the day, then. Are you certain there isn't anything else you'd like, though?"
"Ah, well..." After a few more seconds of hesitation, Felix finally figured that there was no harm in asking, and he straightened his back a bit as he finally looked at the King again. "I'd like permission to talk informally with Prince Hyunjin."
There was a moment of startled silence... before the King burst out laughing, and the Queen promptly brought up one of his long sleeves to hide the amused smile now stretching his lips. To his side, Hyunjin's jaw had fallen a bit, the Prince obviously not expecting such a request, and Felix tried his best not to smile at the sight.
After a few seconds, the King finally calmed down, and he offered Felix a grin.
"Why, that must certainly be a first. You were granted the opportunity to ask for whatever your heart may desire, from noble status to the purest gold... yet that is what you wish for? An entrance to the library and a bit of leeway with social protocols?" He laughed again, and Felix felt a weight lift off his chest when he realized the King truly wasn't upset by his request. "Very well, I shall allow it. You may speak with Hyunjin informally to your heart's content – and if anyone gives you trouble for it, I shall correct them myself!"
Relieved, Felix bowed with a bit more confidence. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Of course. The two of you may take your leave, now. And Hyunjin? Don't cause too much trouble for your new friend."
Hyunjin scoffed. "Me? Cause trouble?"
The King outright snorted, and Felix couldn't help but smile a bit at the exchange. The two obviously loved each other dearly, and he understood better why Hyunjin's death had pushed King Bang to break his vows of pacifism – he obviously cared a great deal for his brother, and the thought warmed his heart.
Hyunjin and him bowed once more, then finally left the room. As Hyunjin exited the room, however, the King's voice made Felix pause on the threshold.
"Felix?" He glanced back... and was quite surprised when both the King and Queen bowed their heads. "Thank you, for saving my brother."
"... of course, Your Majesty."
Felix bowed once more, for good measure, then finally stepped outside, where Hyunjin was waiting for him. When the doors finally closed behind them, the Prince heaved out a heavy sigh.
"I can't believe it," he huffed, side-eyeing Felix without any real bite to his tone. "Of all things to ask for as a reward for saving the Prince's life, that is what you picked?"
"Hm. I'd rather not get in trouble for calling you an idiot," shrugged Felix.
"Oi!"
The freckled man snickered a bit, finally feeling a bit lighter on his feet. Truly, his situation was far from ideal, but he supposed things could have gone worse, in a way. As it was, he'd already met a few people who appeared trustworthy enough, and he already had the King's favor. Truly, when thinking about it, there was no position better than his own at the moment.
Though, I'll have to work hard to keep it that way, he sighed internally. Sticking this close to the royal family is bound to get me in trouble, isn't it?
A hand suddenly fell on his head, startling him out of his thoughts. He flinched a bit, looking up at Hyunjin with wide eyes. His throat went a little dry when the handsome Prince offered him a smile.
"Like I said, you needn't worry, Felix," he murmured, gently stroking his hair. "For as long as you stay by my side, I shall keep you safe."
"R- right..."
The Prince then pulled away and began walking ahead, and Felix couldn't help but stare after him, doing his best to ignore the blush rising to his cheeks—
No, don't even think about falling for the handsome Prince from the past – that's just asking to be targeted by a petty concubine! Get a fucking grip, Lee Felix: if you don't want to die, do NOT fall in love with the main protagonist!
He had a feeling that would be easier said than done, though.
.
.
.
In case it wasn't already a bit obvious, I have no intention of digging too deeply into realism, so to speak. Though inspired by traditional dramas, this is meant to be mostly for shit and giggles. So, please don't look into any of this too seriously and just have fun!