Chapter Text
It was just an hour past midnight. Lee Know was humming an old army tune to the rhythm of his steps, soaking in the night air as he walked. He took the familiar trail down the campground, past the medic tents that seemed eerily quiet now that the east advancements had come to a hold. As much as Lee Know was anxious to resume progress, he sure didn’t miss the cries of wounded soldiers echoing throughout the grounds or the stench of blood and bile hanging in the air.
He could only think about the serenity of the night for so long before his mind was back on the war. Why was it put on hold? Just when we got them at their weakest, we hold back? It’s been weeks–they could be recuperated by now.
“Lee Know!” a voice interrupted his thoughts, and once he saw who was calling, he dropped his frown.
“Jeongin,” he replied, “what’re you doing up so late?”
The boy trotted up to him, matching his pace as he continued on. “I could ask you the same thing.”
Lee Know glanced over at his friend, watching a coy smile emerge from his face, one he was all too familiar with. Despite all the seriousness that surrounded them, Jeongin’s disposition failed to falter. The air always seemed to dance around him, and Lee Know couldn’t help but be swept up in it.
“Commander calls,” he said with a smile.
“About the pause you think?”
“That’s my best guess,” Lee Know sighed. “Hopefully we’re discussing plans to recommence. I’m tired of waiting.”
“Woah, not so fast,” Jeongin said playfully. He jogged ahead and began to walk backwards, blocking Lee Know’s vision as he spoke. “I’m enjoying the pause, it’s nice. I don’t have to wake up wondering if I’m gonna die today, no more meals like it could be my last. Any break from war is a good one.”
“Not when it’s costing us victory.”
“Way to keep it positive, hyung.”
Hyung. They weren’t supposed to be speaking so familiarly at the base–a rule Jeongin never followed–but the older didn’t mind. It was better than “Lee Know.”
***
“You will pose as my nephew,” the man said as he passed the young boy a piece of bread. It was warm.
“If this is to work,” he continued, “you must obey every word I say. It won’t be an easy life but you’re dead if you go against me, you got it?”
Minho nodded quietly.
“How old are ya?”
“Twelve.”
“A little old to start training… but it’ll do.” He pulled a chair right in front of Minho’s and sat down with a thunk.
Minho hesitantly met his gaze.
“Listen kid. I want you to think of everything you know about yourself, and clear it. Your name, your parents–hell, forget your favorite color. For the rest of your life, you need to be a completely different person. No one, and I mean no one, can know about this but me. Think you can do that?”
He nodded slowly. The weight of it all seemed like nothing compared to what he was leaving behind.
“Your name will be Lee Know,” the man announced before reaching out his hand. “And you can call me Chan.”
Minho–newly Lee Know–grasped his hand gently, meeting the other’s tough calloused skin with his own dainty palms. “Chan,” was all he could muster in the moment.
“Pleasure to meet ya, Lee Know.”
***
Lee Know. He didn’t despise it–it was a perfectly fine name and it gave him his freedom. He had gotten accustomed to it over time, but deep down it always felt stolen.
“I will say,” Jeongin stated after a short period of silence, “the only thing about the pause is that I can’t sleep. No more battles means no more exhaustion. I used to fall asleep the second my face hit the pillow, now I’m wide awake.”
“If you’re not exhausted by sun down, you should train more.”
“Hey I train plenty, you sadist,” he nudged Lee Know’s arm with a light punch.
It was true. Jeongin was one of the best and hardest working soldiers in their platoon, and if anyone knew his skills, it was Lee Know. They had trained side by side under Chan since they were young, and while he was never quite able to surpass Lee Know’s talent with the sword, he excelled at hand to hand combat. Jeongin was smart too, level headed in battle and quick to adapt. In just a few months it was likely Jeongin would be promoted to Captain, getting a squad of his own as Lee Know had.
“All I’m saying is that some exercise might get you sleepy,” Lee Know said defensively. “In fact, if you’re so awake, why don’t you join me in the practice fields? I’m headed there after I meet the Commander.”
“At this hour?”
Lee Know shrugged. “To clear my mind. I’ve been too cooped up.”
Jeongin scratched his head. “You know what, why not? It’s been awhile since we’ve trained together. Just promise you’ll spar me.”
“Really?”
“Oh c’mon, I want to test my theory.”
“...Do tell.”
Jeongin gave a devilish grin. “That I can beat you.”
Before Lee Know could argue, they were at the commander’s tent.
“See you at the fields, hyung,” the younger said with a wave, and he was off.
Lee Know smiled as he shook his head. The kid had to have lost half his head to think he could beat him.
He opened the tent and slipped inside. It was warmer than the night air, the tent walls illuminated by a single lantern sitting on the commander’s desk. “Commander,” he greeted.
“Captain,” Commander Park said in a pleasant, but almost solemn voice. “Please, have a seat.”
Lee Know sat across from him comfortably and folded his hands in anticipation.
“I’m sorry to call for you so late in the night, did I wake you?” the commander asked.
“Oh no, sir, I was up sorting through my ideas on our progression east-”
“The war is on pause, Captain.”
“Doesn’t mean I can pause my mind, sir.”
The commander nodded knowingly and sighed. “I called you here due to a change in your position.” He looked down at the documents in his hand. “You’ve been promoted.”
“Pardon?”
The commander put his hand up before Lee Know could utter another word. “You’re one of the best soldiers I’ve seen in my time, and it’s been an honor to have you under my wing this past year as one of my captains.”
Lee Know was in disbelief. Like Park had said, he had only been a captain for a year now. Coming into the war, he had already been treated with respect, his skills proving his title as Chan’s prodigy, his “own blood.” Even Chan, ever the genius, was only promoted to captain at 25, Lee Know was 22. And now he was being promoted again?
His adrenaline began to spike, his heart thumping against his chest. This was it. His goal of proving himself to Chan and to this kingdom was finally coming to fruition. It was all happening far quicker than he planned and he couldn’t be happier.
“...Which is why it hurts me to say,” Commander Park added, “that you’ve been appointed as personal guard of his Highness the Prince.”
And suddenly Lee Know’s world came crashing down.
He was so taken aback by his commander’s words that he could hardly speak. “...Pardon?”
Commander Park let out a long sigh, sliding the documents he had been holding across the table.
Lee Know didn’t move to read them.
“Per royal request by his Highness the Prince by royal decree, you are to be his personal guard starting the first of next month,” the commander continued. “Due to the nature of the request, I wouldn’t be able to oppose this appointment, but,” he looked up apologetically, “I tried. And there’s nothing I can do.”
Lee Know felt his head begin to spin. The first of the month? That was in two weeks. He couldn’t leave his station, abandon the war, his soldiers–and why? Why would the Prince–
“His Highness sent a personal letter addressed to you. I’m afraid I don’t have any information, but perhaps this will.” Commander Park slipped a letter into Lee Know’s hands.
All he could do was look down at the envelope, and sure enough: a royal wax seal had been placed at its center.
Lee Know stood from his chair abruptly and excused himself, ripping open the letter as soon as he made enough distance from the tent.
Dear Lee Know,
I hope this letter reaches you well. I’m sure this news has come as a surprise, and I apologize for the abruptness. I assure you that while your skills on the battlefield are heavily appreciated by the royal family, we believe your skills would be better utilized for the time being within the palace.
I have much to explain, but I will have to save that business for when we meet in person. I wish you safe travels back to the Capital and look forward to your arrival.
Sincerely,
Prince Han Jisung of Saldoj
None of Lee Know’s questions were answered, and even more raced through his mind. His head was still spinning, muddied with confusion and shock, and all he could feel was the urge to run.
He sprinted through the grounds, and as his feet pounded through the grass, his confusion turned to rage. He bolted for the fields, unsheathing his sword, and with a fiery cry, he lunged for the practice dummies made of hay, slicing through them with all his might. He pierced them over and over and over again, each stab accompanied by a loud, angry groan.
He began to slow his pace, his breath deep and ragged.
“Woah, woah, woah, out for blood tonight?” a voice called out, footsteps growing closer.
Lee Know spun around quickly. In his outburst, he had forgotten all about inviting Jeongin. “You could say that.”
“Alright,” Jeongin said hesitantly. He took cautious steps towards the other. “Whose blood exactly?”
Lee Know sighed as his shoulders slumped. He turned back towards the hay he had so violently massacred just moments before. “If I told you, I would be tried for treason.”
“The royal family?” Jeongin exclaimed. He made his way over, stepped over the straw strewn about in the grass. “What’d they do?”
“Nothing, it’s just… his Highness.”
Jeongin’s jaw dropped. “‘Sungie?”
“You can’t call him that–”
“What’d he do?”
Lee Know rolled his eyes. “His Royal Highness has appointed me as his personal guard in the palace. Royal decree, no arguing.” He handed the now crumpled letter over to Jeongin, who scanned it with wide eyes.
“There’s gotta be something crazy going on–there’s no way ‘Sung would do this out of the blue.”
Lee Know collapsed to the ground, putting his head in his hands. “I don’t know what to do, Innie. Everything I’ve worked for…”
“Hey, c’mon. Don’t think like that,” Jeongin said softly as he settled on the floor next to him. “The war is on pause for reasons we don’t know, and if we don’t know, it’s something we don’t deal with, which is…”
“Politics,” Lee Know muttered.
“Bingo. Boring, behind the scenes, mindless politics.” Jeongin pulled Lee Know’s hands away from his face, revealing that stupid coy smile. “We aren’t going to battle, you aren’t needed here–‘Sung must need you there for something. And when that something is solved, you’ll be back here before we even go back to fighting.”
Lee Know felt his thoughts ease just a hair. Jeongin was right, but his anxiety had yet to fade. “What could he possibly want from me?”
“That’s for you to find out, hyung,” Jeongin said with a shrug. “Hey, it’ll be an adventure. You get to travel back home, see the old man after all this time.”
Lee Know chuckled. “I don’t think he’ll be happy to see me. Not before we’ve gotten victory.”
“Oh please, that big baby is probably so lonely. He’ll be elated to be with his son again.”
“I’m not his–”
“Nephew, whatever. You sure are a stickler for technicalities tonight, huh?”
“You really shouldn’t ignore formalities. You could get in trouble.”
“With who? ‘Sungie? As if that guy would ever care.”
Lee Know shook his head. “You don’t know that.”
As far as he was concerned, Jisung was just some boy, nothing more than a playmate he and Jeongin had gotten to know in their youth. But “Jisung” had to be left in the past, along with the carefree years he had spent thinking their friendship could last forever. As responsibility had been piled upon them, the distinction between the three friends had grown more clear, and it wasn’t long before Prince Han Jisung was forced to be just that: a prince. Lee Know and Jeongin as soldiers in training had no business conversing with royalty, and so they lost connection.
That was years ago, and now Lee Know was convinced he knew nothing about the prince. And with this new promotion to royal guard, he was even more sure they could never be friends.
Lee Know felt a finger prod the center of his forehead.
“I can hear the gears turning up there–that won’t do you any good. Didn’t you come out here to clear your head?”
Jeongin was right. There was nothing Lee Know could solve for now, not until he could meet with the Prince.
Jeongin passed him a knapsack of water, which he took graciously. “Besides,” the younger boy said as he stood, wiping grass off his pants before reaching for his blade, “I believe you owe me a duel.”
Lee Know capped the water and pushed Jeongin’s sword to the side, rising to his feet as he grabbed his own. He couldn’t seem to wipe the grin from his face. “Just remember you asked for this.”
They began to fight, their laughs filling the night air as they lunged at one another, careful not to cause serious injury.
It was like they were kids again. If Lee Know closed his eyes he could still see it–the trees, the fireplace, his thin squeaky bed. He wondered if Jeongin ever felt it too, this guttural longing for home.
Did Jisung? Lee Know shook his head. There was no point in thinking about that now.
Lee Know was fourteen, sat on a short stone wall that surrounded Chan’s property, carefully peeling apples before tossing them into a bucket of water. Innie’s birthday was coming up, and the boy had requested apple cake.
“Might I join you?” a voice called out from behind.
Lee Know recognized the voice immediately. “Can you peel apples, princess?”
Jisung scrunched his nose at the name. “I’m decent at it,” he replied, taking a seat next to him.
Lee Know handed him another knife he kept tucked away in his belt and tossed him an apple. They worked away without another word.
That was usually how their interactions went, though the quiet between them was never uncomfortable. The silence was peaceful, and it felt as meaningful as any other conversation to Lee Know. He could only imagine Jisung felt the same.
He watched the young prince fiddle with the knife, carefully turning the apple in his hands to create a long string of skin falling from the fruit. His dark hair fell over his forehead, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.
Lee Know looked down at his own sloppy peeling, flakes of small pieces of skin laying in his lap. “Decent” is a bit of an understatement. He began to peel more carefully, the competitiveness growing in his chest. His concentration was soon broken, however, by a quiet voice.
“So,” Jisung said hesitantly. He tossed his apple in the bucket and began peeling a new one. He took a deep breath as if ready to say something, but instead just exhaled and shook his head.
“Go on.”
“Well,” Jisung started, “the thing is… Well I was wondering–” He looked and flinched at the eye contact, turning back to his apple shyly. “I was wondering what happened to your parents.”
“Oh,” Lee Know answered. He never considered that Jisung would be curious about things like that. “Well, my mother died in childbirth when I was born and my father died in the war.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Jisung said. “You don’t seem too upset about it though.” He was looking at Lee Know intently now.
“We weren’t exactly close–me and my father. He’s…” Lee Know paused, trying to find an explanation, “not exactly a person you would miss.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie. Chan’s sister and brother in law had died as he said, but his “father” could’ve very well been a good man, and for that, Lee Know sent a silent apology to his soul for tarnishing his name. He also had left out the part where his “mother’s” child had also died in the birth process, leaving a perfect space for Lee Know to step in. Having a poor relationship with his father wasn’t exactly a lie either though–his real father, he was someone Lee Know didn’t miss.
Lee Know shrugged. “Besides, I like Chan.”
Jisung nodded and straightened his back. “He’s a good man, a great teacher.”
Though Jisung would hopefully never have to enter into combat, Chan had been appointed to train the young prince in basic defensive strategies for his protection. Retired Chief of War, Bang Chan, saw it fit to allow his three students (his nephew, the prince, and the son of his deceased friend) to train privately together under his command. While Lee Know and Jeongin would learn all about combat, Jisung would learn defense by attempting to block their newly learned attacks.
Jisung and Innie had been training together for two years before Lee Know had arrived, but he was quickly able to catch up under Chan’s guidance.
Lee Know trained harder than the other two, due to a reason they could never know. He wasn’t working to just become a good soldier. Every swing, punch, and dodge was vital to maintaining his life here in Saldoj. He was training for far more than his friends could ever understand.
Lee Know and Jisung continued at the apples until there were none left to peel, then carried the bucket inside.
Chan emerged from his room and into the kitchen. “Your Highness,” he called out, “you’re here early.”
“Yes sir, I was just helping Lee Know with the cake.”
“You oughta be training if you’ve got time to spare,” Chan said with a stretch. “You two go outside and warm up. I’ll finish this.”
The two boys happily slid from their stools and wiped the flour off their hands before running outside. Unsupervised training was hardly ever allowed for the sake of their safety, but Chan occasionally would trust them to start without him. It was in this time that the kids would show off their most flashy moves to one another, regardless if they’d actually be useful in a fight or not.
Jisung and Lee Know raced to the training yard, Lee Know winning by just a hair.
“It’s really no fair,” Jisung said between breaths. “You have longer legs than me.”
“You’ll just have to grow then.”
Jisung huffed in response, grabbing his helmet and wooden sword. Lee Know mirrored him and they jumped straight into sparring.
It was after the fourth time Jisung had been knocked to the ground that he refused to get back up. “It really is unfair,” he said, crossing his arms. “You learn how to defend and attack, and I only know defense. If I could attack you then I’d have won by now.”
“You’ll just have to learn it on your own,” Lee Know teased before laying next to him on the grass. “You really should learn attacks though. I don’t see why you can’t.”
“My parents don't want me to be violent is all,” Jisung said with a sigh. “They’re too soft-hearted for such a thing.”
“We’re at war and they don’t want their son learning how to fight?”
“I don’t understand it either.”
Lee Know turned on his side to face the other boy and watched his closed eyes twitch, a sign he was deep in thought.
Jisung turned to face Lee Know a moment later–the two caught in each other’s gaze. A light blush spread across the prince’s face, which Lee Know chose to blame on their strenuous exercise. After all, that could be the only reason his cheeks felt particularly warm as well.
“Lee Know,” Jisung began.
But before he could continue, a loud voice shouted from the distance.
“I can’t believe you guys started without me. It’s my birthday.” Innie jogged up to the field as Lee Know and Jisung quickly rose to their feet.
“Your birthday isn’t for another day,” Jisung replied.
“And Chan ordered us to come out here,” Lee Know added. “If anything, you should blame him.”
“Nope, I’m blaming you guys,” Innie stated as he threw his helmet on. “You’ve betrayed me, prepare to be defeated!”
The birthday boy lunged at Jisung with his sword, the two falling into a match.
Lee Know laughed as Jisung fell to the ground once again.
“I wouldn’t be laughing,” Innie called out. “‘Sung, what do you say we team up?” He pulled the other boy up from the ground and both turned to Lee Know with wide grins.
“I’d say that’s a marvelous idea.”
And with that the boys launched towards Lee Know. He let out a delighted shriek as he ran away, and the three began chasing each other around the field.
Chan later joined them, bringing their childish hysterics to a halt. They trained vigorously under the summer sun, and spent the evening singing songs and stuffing their faces with apple cake.
Lee Know could hardly keep his eyes open as the night drew to a close. After giving sleepy goodbyes to his friends, he joined Chan in the kitchen, where they washed dishes side by side.
“Chan?” Lee Know said.
The old man merely hummed in response.
“Thank you, for everything.” He turned to face his guardian now, not sure what to expect.
Chan merely sighed. “Don’t thank me yet kid.”