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Everybody in the kingdom was mourning as a precious soul passed away as simple as a snap of one's finger. 

And just as if the sky was mourning with them too, a heavy downpour fell just in time after the eunuchs and the funeral assistants had gathered Gongmyung's ashes in an urn. 

Prince Donghyuk could hear the heavy pitter patter of the rain just outside his chambers and he knew immediately that it was pouting heavily outside, just like the heavy pressing inside his ribcage. 

Unlike the other palace people, who had witnessed Gongmyung's funeral, the crown prince was the only one who was locked in his chambers, leaving him no choice but to just cry til his heart's content at the loss of his favorite subject. 

It's not because he was the cause of the Royal Physician's death. 

It's not because he was the crown prince and showing himself in the public would trigger unnecessary issues.

No, it was never because of those. 

The only reason why the crown prince was locked in his chambers was because he was too ill to join a crowd and the smell of smoke might burn his lungs. 

At times like this, when he was supposed to be mourning at a loss friend, Lee Donghyuk hates his sickness more than ever. 

It makes him hate his self even more. 

"Crown Prince, your medicine is here."

That lone statement pulled Donghyuk out of his reverie. With rounded eyes, the young man gaped at the closed doors of his chambers with his tear-streaked face. 

He gulped audibly, wandering if his ears were just playing tricks on him. Surely, the man behind the door wasn't Gongmyung, right?

But he sounded just like him and that little of hope inside his chest grew bigger.

Must be the reason why they never allowed him out earlier. 

Hastily, the crown prince wiped the tears in his face as he ran to get to his bed, fixing his clothes as he sat on it. 

He let out a cough before mustering his most "poker-face" expression. 

"Come in." was his thrift response that was enough to pull the doors open to reveal a younger looking man, who had his head in a polite bow, and the prince was yet to see his face. 

"Greetings, your highness." The new royal physician greeted albeit his actions were far from being polite. He had lowered down the tray of medicine on the younger's bedside table before he stared at him straight in the eyes. 

His eyes. 

They were familiar. 

Donghyuk's theory was proven when the new Royal physician spoke, just after the doors were closed. "You're right about what you're thinking. We have the same eyes. I'm his younger brother, so that shouldn't be a surprise, right?" 

Kim Dongyoung announced sarcastically, his voice laced with hatred towards the younger guy. So this was the ill prince his brother was fondly talking about. The same guy who had brought him to his end. 

The crown prince's brow rose in surprise at the other's revelation before he rose up on his feet to gab at the silk fabric of his clothes.

"Where's Gongmyung?!" He asked, still hoping that the older is still here. 

At that, the younger of the Kim's glared at the royal. He yanked his clothes back harshly. "What do you mean " where's Gongmyung?" He stared at the younger hard. 

"He's dead! You killed him!" He heaved multiple sighs before he spoke again, not at all caring if he was to face death for disrespecting the nation's prince. 

"I-I..."

"What? Cat got your tongue?" Dongyoung scoffed. "He was a loyal subject to you and yet you selfishly brought him to his ruins. You should've been the one who's dead by now." He gritted his teeth in too much anger. 

"I'll make sure you're going to face death the way you deserve. An eye for an eye, Crown Prince. And if you don't want to die just like how my brother did, ask your father to execute me now, while it's still early because I will never, ever vow my loyalty to you. Mark my words." 

〰〰〰

Crown Prince Donghyuk wasn't the only one mourning over a lost friend. Just like him, the vice general Lee Taeyong was walking down the palace halls aimlessly, staring blankly ahead. 

The young general let his feet drag him somewhere in the palace as his mind drifted off to the memories he shared with the royal physician. 

"Hey, stand up! you're the nation's hope. You shouldn't be weak!" Lee Taeyong's teacher commanded sternly as he hit the eight year old child with his wooden sword repeatedly. 

As a young kid, being the son of the wisest general in town has been a burden to Taeyong. At a very young age, he was holding a wooden sword and learning martial more than how a child holds toys and learns how to play hide and seek. 

"I don't want to be a soldier!" He screamed on top of his lungs, his tears falling out of his eyes continuously. He was in a lot of pain, the stings and hits of the wooden sword on his body has marked his once flawless skin and he was sure that his father would get mad at him if he came running to him while he was in training. 

"You should be a soldier! That runs in your blood!" Again, his stern teacher landed a hit on his left elbow as the child was on the ground shielding his self to the pain. 

And that was what Gongmyung witnessed at his first arrival in the palace. 

The cruelty of the most wondrous place he has ever set foot on. The ugly truth behind each wonderful stories from his neighbors who envied that they were travelling to the palace. 

No wonder his father hated being inside it. 

Gongmyung was out in the garden, observing each and every flowers he remembered seeing in his text book. 

"This one's good for curing diarrhea..." He mumbles as he passes by each unique plant. Unlike his younger brother who seems to be so outgoing and loves playing under the sun, Kim Gongmyung was the timid and reserved older brother who loves reading books and literary pieces during his past time. 

Their father works as the royal physician for the sick crown prince and he was next on line for the spot. And seeing how the eldest of the Kim sibling seems to enjoy reading, the royal physician knew his son will never give headaches. 

He was near the end of the line of shrubs when he all of a sudden heard sniffling from behind the bush. Young Gongmyung stopped from walking to scan his surroundings. 

He was sure he heard someone sniffling. 

"Hello?" He called out to no one in particular, wanting to make sure that the sound indeed came from a human. 

Taeyong, at that time, who was hiding behind a shrub doubled his efforts to shrink himself in hopes of hiding his self better. 

Who knows, the person might report him to teacher Sang. 

Soon, he noticed a silk robe coming his way and he pushed himself further to he plant, hiding his whole body. 

He was successful in doing so for Taeyong could see the clothes walking farther away from him. He was successful in hiding from his teacher and he will be able to go home to his mother in a fee more minutes if not only a green caterpillar landed on his robe that caused a loud scream to tear off from his throat. 

"Wahhhhh!!!!"

Just in time when he heard a loud screaming, Gongmyung whipped his head to the direction of the voice and that's when he saw the battered child in the palace for the second time around, coming out of a shrub this time. 

The two held each other's stares for a while before Taeyong blinked and noticed the insect still on his clothes. 

"Wahhh!!!!" 

Gongmyung too, much have noticed the thing crawling on the other's sleeves so he too started running away. 

"Wahhhhh!!!!!"

Taeyong laughed at the distant memory. They were silly as kids but their friendship was genuine. That time, the vice-general remembered being brought to the other's chambers to cure his wounds and bruises after they successfully got rid of the frightful larvae. 

That was the first time he met someone other than teacher Sang. Since then, the two became inseparable until they started schooling where they met the weird son of the royal astronomer. 

He stopped walking when he realized he has reached the garden of flowers where he first met Gongmyung. His heart clenched at the thought that he will no longer be able to see his friend anymore. 

If only Taeil has warned him properly. 

Not welcoming any more space for regrets and hatred, Lee Taeyong motioned to leave the garden if not only he took notice of the astronomer's chambers a few feet away from where he is. 

Curling his hands into fists, the guy changed paths then started walking towards the chamber. 

He was sure he'd see Moon Taeil there. 

〰〰〰

The abrupt opening of the chambers pulled Taeil's attention away from the telescope he's currently using. 

He looked at the intruder with a blank stare. "Ah, so you were the one who'll break the door." He muses before looking at the cork board behind him. "Which will drive me to repair that in a two weeks time." He sighed. 

Taeyong, who was standing by the door frowned at his weird behaviour but at the mention of the word "repair," his eyes darted towards the door that he pushed. 

Indeed, it was broken. 

He raised his head up when the royal astronomer spoke again. "Why are you here? Done with your mourning?" He met Taeyong's eyes with a fiery gaze enough to cause the younger's blood to boil. 

Taeyong launched forward, grabbing the older by his collar as he shook him fervently, his eyes shooting daggers at the shorter's soul. 

"You should have warned me that something will happen to him!" he gritted his teeth in anger.

"I did!" Taeil shouted. 

"You could've been specific with your warnings! If you went straight to the point then Gongmyung must've been alive up until now!" Taeyong barked bark, not wanting to lose this fight with the older. "Not like how you acted mysteriously yesterday—"

"It's not my fault you dont believe in anything that I say!" 

That does it. Taeyong raised one of his fists, readying his self to land a punch on the shorter's face if not only he uttered the words, "go on, hit me. Hit me like how those scholars in school used to. I'm not a kid who'll run away after being punched in the face for being