Next one!

TW: character death, mass murder, rough sex (consensual) starting around the middle and until the arrow

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The sweet tunes of Yeosang's violin echoed through the wide and empty room. They danced with the light of the sunset that fell through the large windows and mingled with the faint smell of cinnamon that travelled upstairs from the kitchens. The melody was hollow and accompanied by a melancholy that twisted every listener's hearts in their chests.

"I see you practised on your portamento. If you continue like this, your father will be pleased. The court will adore your performance."

Yeosang slowly let the bow sink. His fingers hurt from how hard they dug into the strings, so he released them with effort. They pulsated angrily at the abuse, but he ignored them in favour of setting the instrument down. Its dark wood contrasted with the white table it came to rest upon. It was the only piece of furniture outside of the chair his teacher was sitting on.

The man was watching Yeosang over the rim of his cup. His eyes were far sharper than Yeosang's dull glance.

He set his cup down on the matching porcelain saucer he was gingerly holding in his hand. A soft clicking sound followed.

"I'm glad. I want to please father." Yeosang elegantly nodded his head in a bow, expressing his gratitude. No real feeling was behind it. It was an empty courtesy, a routine that he had learned to dance to like a puppet.

"I won't hold you up, then. Have fun at your other classes and see you soon." The teacher rose to copy Yeosang's bow, dipping deeper than him. He strutted out without another word then and handed his cup over to a servant at the door.

Yeosang sighed.

The movements of his hands were sluggish and unheeding as he set his violin into its case and snapped it shut. As he passed the servant at the door, he barely noticed her bow and murmur of a goodbye.

With his gaze fixed on the ground, Yeosang counted the practised steps it took him to return to his private chambers. Seeking entertainment, he mismatched his marching. He walked in patterns visible only to his eyes and without any sensical idea behind them. The stupid act filled his empty chest with a breeze of amusement.

Yeosang halted in front of his door after thirty steps more than needed. His eyes were stuck to the polished riding boots that stood neatly clasped together at the heel next to the entrance.

He rose his head with his gaze dragging after the movement as if slowed by time. White pants clung to muscular thighs that tapered into a fitted waist that was enclosed by a black and golden belt over the man's uniform. A hand wrapped in a white glove rested on the sabre at his side, still as a statue as Yeosang examined him.

When their eyes met, the guard politely lowered his head.

"Welcome back, your highness. I hope you had a joyful time."

Yeosang perked up and the hint of a smile curved around his lips.

"I didn't. My sole enjoyment inside the walls of this castle is seeing your face, Wooyoung."

That had the guard shifting in his spot. He hid awkwardly behind a cough. Yeosang believed to detect a twinge of pink on his carved features, and it sweetened the moment a bit.

"T-Thank you, your highness. May I accompany you to your lesson on politics?"

Yeosang withheld the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he stepped into his room as Wooyoung pulled one of the doors open for him.

"Certainly. I shall join you in a moment."

With his spirits raised at least a little, Yeosang hurried to exchange his violin for his bag with books. He had no regard for the grandeur of his room; all the luxury was nauseating and sickening to him. The gold, nacre, and silk had no soul. They were all just empty materials with no worth other than money.

Yeosang hurried to leave the big and lonely chambers quickly in favour of spending at least a few more seconds of his precious time with Wooyoung. The man's gentle smile and the little mole on his lower lip worked magic against Yeosang's anxious nerves.

Wooyoung politely gestured his hand down the corridor Yeosang walked every day before they took off. Another meaningless choreography, but Yeosang did not mention it. Neither of them was allowed to show their tiredness in this place. The palace dictated them obedience and manners that left no room for complaints.

"How is my loyal guard doing today? Did you have a good night's rest?"

Their pace matched. They had learned how to march together as children, holding their backs straight and chins high ever since. Yeosang found it amusing to say at least.

"Honestly, I must say it was quite turbulent. I dreamt of fire and ashes."

Yeosang worriedly eyed his friend as they strutted down the stairs. His pace was slightly slower than custom, but Wooyoung knew their little acts. Yeosang was stalling his classes so that he could listen to Wooyoung's soft voice longer.

"That means misfortune. Have you visited a priest over the matter?" Yeosang frostily nodded at one of his cousins passing them in the foyer while Wooyoung bowed.

"No, it was not that serious. It worried me since it was the palace, I saw burn, but..."

Yeosang gave a pensive hum.

"I hope you could rest enough still?"

Wooyoung nodded as they stepped out into the inner yard. They crossed the winding paths through the colourful gardens that were lively with bees and birds. Yeosang took his time to smell his favourite roses, as he always did.

"Since you are a kind prince who doesn't order me around much, I can deal with the fatigue well, your highness." Wooyoung's voice was light with humour, and it had Yeosang chuckle into his hand. He sent another sharp glare at a maid that observed the two of them with a frown on her face. She hurried off immediately.

"That's reassuring to know. At least my personal guard takes my side."

"Please, your highness, who in this castle wouldn't?"

Yeosang did not reply since both of them were well aware of the answer. Betrayal lurked behind every corner in the royal palace, and even a little slip could mean downfall for Yeosang. He was being watched at any time, and neither could deny the danger that came with royalty.

Yet, Yeosang thanked Wooyoung politely before he slipped into his classroom.

He was the only person keeping the young prince sane, after all.

-

Yeosang awoke to a click soft enough that he normally would have slept through it, but this particular noise startled him sober. His eyes were wide open as he stared at the sheer curtain that hung around his bed, frozen underneath the covers. Every little noise in the castle had him strain his ears harder.

He was sure that he had not imagined it. However, his room was eerily quiet now.

With his heart galloping in his chest like a whole swarm of flighty horses, Yeosang waited for just a second longer. Nothing moved behind the white fabric that separated him from his room, and no other noise reached his senses.

Yeosang forced a breath of air down his lungs. Calling himself chicken-hearted in his mind, he turned to his side and pulled his covers up until his chin. He was in the process of closing his eyes when a shadow abruptly appeared right in front of him, on the other side of the canopy. It was vaguely human-shaped, and before Yeosang had a chance to scream, it jerked forwards.

Yeosang's throat released its panicked yell when an arm swiftly penetrated the curtains and pushed them aside. Exposed, Yeosang tried to scramble back to gain some distance, but his eyes remained transfixed on the man by his side.

"Ahoy, little prince."

The pale moonlight lit the predator's features scarily and showed off wild eyes and a broad smile that was full of sharp teeth.

Based on his appearance and the ragged clothes he wore, it was not hard to guess that he was an intruder. Despite danger dawning upon him, Yeosang seemed to have forgotten all he had ever learned about fighting, though. At that moment when that man grabbed his arm and roughly dragged him out of bed, no orderly feint would have saved Yeosang from his fate.

The prince stumbled after the robber towards the open window, only now realising the chilly cold that had spread in the room. It engulfed the two of them as the man threw Yeosang around, right against the stone balustrade. At the prince's panicked expression, he just icily nodded at the rope that led down into the gardens from here. Yeosang spotted two more men waiting for them down there.

Hectic, he shook his head and rose his trembling hands in a placating matter. He tried to think of an argument, anything he could offer. Before he could, the man's eyes darkened.

"Climb. Climb, or I will send ye flyin'."

Yeosang turned with another startle, one of his legs lifting shakily so he could cross the railing. His parents had never allowed him to climb around much, so he had little confidence in what he was doing. He prayed for his life as he slowly lowered himself on the sturdy rope.

His nightgown was anything but practical for hiking, but he managed somehow, his muscles cramped enough to spare him from falling to his death. As he approached the ground, he soon found himself grabbed around the ankles and ripped off the rope as if he was a ripe cherry.

With a yell, Yeosang fell into the strong arms of a man. They immediately shut him up by putting a bag over his head. Confusion befuddled Yeosang's mind when he was swiftly carried off. His robbers had broken in and left without leaving a trace, and he was the sole good they had stolen.

Yeosang had read about instances like this. He knew about robbers that stole rich nobles from their homes so that they could exchange them for large sums of money. Not once had he expected to fall victim to such audacity. Without Wooyoung or any guards around Yeosang was left with no alternative than to leave the three men to it. All the way to their hideout, he was praying that he would live.

-

"So? What be goin' on in yer pretty head?"

Yeosang pursed his lips as he turned to the pirate behind him. It was the same man who had broken in through his window two weeks ago and stolen Yeosang right from his royal chambers. The man with the scarred neck had turned out to be a pirate; a criminal that was currently on a mission to find a suitable crew to turn the oceans into a living hell for every soul unfortunate enough to be crossing them at the same time.

At least - and that was the bare minimum - Yeosang had not suffered while on board of this ship. He had been subjected to a lot of throwing up and wobbling around on legs that were not used to the sway of the sea, but he had experienced neither torture nor famine.

Yeosang was not alone either.

Wooyoung had followed them that night, startled into action by Yeosang's screams. He had managed to land on the ship before they had risen anchor, but the captain had yet to release him from his holding cell. They used him to blackmail Yeosang, and to contain the positively murderous guard.

A few days ago, Wooyoung had attempted to slaughter a close friend of the captain as he had come on board badly injured. Wooyoung had acted out of place, and the only way for Yeosang to keep him around was by allowing Hongjoong to lock him away there. The man named San had joined the crew with a bunch of street kids, and they appointed Hongjoong captain on the same night.

The continuous rise in the number of pirates on this ship scared Yeosang. However, at the same time, it ignited a spark of unforeseen excitement in his lower belly.

"I'm curious. Why are you interested in my opinion on that matter?"

Hongjoong laughed as he stepped in to lean against the railing next to Yeosang. Together, they observed the up and down of the cerulean waves that carried them. A swarm of birds idly circled the nearby waters.

"I been watchin' ye. Ye did nay put up much o' a fight e'er since ye came 'ere. Quite the opposite from yer guard boy."

Yeosang snorted. His hands were clutching onto the wood between him and the sea to make sure they would not unite too intimately.

"Everything has already been settled. My family offered a price, and you will hand me over. With Wooyoung, I hope." Yeosang put as much of a threat as he dared into his low voice. The pirate remained unfazed. During the time that Yeosang had spent on this ship as the captain's personal source of knowledge, he had learned that the man was difficult to impress. His composure tended to scare Yeosang.

"Let me reword me question. Why do ye nay want to go aft to yer palace?"

Yeosang lowered his eyes.

The screaming of the birds nearby was not loud enough to drown out the conversation, and even San and Mingi's giggles while they scrubbed the deck nearby would not save him of an answer. Hongjoong always pushed Yeosang.

"I hate that place."

With the utmost simplicity in his words, Yeosang shrugged the matter off. He had no say in this matter; he would return regardless. Hongjoong had no advantage through his newly obtained knowledge.

Yeosang grit his jaw as he observed one particular bird in its flight. It was soaring high through the airs to dip down faster than a gunshot in the next moment to snatch unsuspecting fish out of the water.

Even as he waited, though, Hongjoong remained quiet.

It took Yeosang a lot of effort to force himself to look back at the man. When their eyes met, Hongjoong grinned savagely. The pearls in his hair clicked against the many earrings he wore.

"No comment?"

"Do ye need one?"

Hongjoong's eyes glinted full of mischief as he stepped closer to Yeosang. Apprehensive, the prince moved back to create some distance between him and the wild man. All Hongjoong did was put his arm on the railing next to Yeosang. He leant in confidable.

"What do ye want me to do, pretty prince?"

Yeosang's breath got stuck in his throat. He found himself unable to detach his eyes from the pirate captain, and he continued to remain frozen even when he reached a hand out to brush a loose strand of hair behind Yeosang's ear. Yeosang trembled in expectant anticipation when Hongjoong tilted his head. His hot breath brushed against Yeosang's sensitive skin.

Not yet ready to push him off, Yeosang waited.

"I believe ye already found yer answer." Hongjoong's pointy nose poked Yeosang's throat like the tender touch of a lover, and Yeosang sunk into it. His trust in the pirate was inappropriate and unbecoming given his status, but the man's smell of salt and sweat nearly had Yeosang's knees buckling.

Hongjoong was so raw, so untamed. He was wild as the sea, and Yeosang yearned for the same freedom that this man's very existence promised.

Without thinking, Yeosang angled his head to the side and allowed the man access to his neck. His right palm was still clutching onto the railing to keep his body stabilised. He had balled his second hand into a fist to refrain from reaching out to the pirate. Pulling him in would be the last step to take before there was no escape anymore.

"Do it. Take whatever you want. Kill them all. Burn the whole godforsaken city to the ground."

Hongjoong's sinister chuckle alerted a few crewmembers nearby to the movement of him pulling back from Yeosang.

Madness shone in his eyes when he rose his hand as a signal.

"Set course to Nomteh'h. Our little mate 'ere misses 'ome."

As he turned to leave, he was laughing again. By the time his eyes finally released Yeosang's from their spell, the man crashed onto his knees and gasped for air. His own giggles reached his ears as he had to clutch his stomach. The exhilaration was burning him up from the inside and had him fall over with laughter at the sheer absurdity of the situation.

Picturing that palace burning was nothing short of hilarious.

-

Yeosang sat in the captain's quarters with his chin supported by his hands. One of his legs was bouncing nervously and messing up the resting position he tried to remain so hard. He had lost track of time as he waited for his signal to come out.

At the early morning hours, the ship had anchored in a bay close to the town Yeosang had spent all of his life in. Upon Hongjoong's order to stay put inside his cabin, Yeosang had obeyed all day long, but he now found himself anxious as the sun crept towards its hiding spot more and more.

He had still not heard back from the pirates, and doubt begun to settle with him.

Their plan to return him for ransom was being disregarded since they had left for the town without him. If they had been captured, though, Yeosang would be in a predicament once more.

Mingi was the only soul with him on board. If Yeosang were to beat him, he could leave anytime, but the thought of returning to that place never even crossed his mind. Mingi was stationed here to watch him, not to keep him from going. He was Hongjoong's way of proving Yeosang's sincerity.

Ever since hiding in this room in the morning, Yeosang had not seen him. He had no reason to go out.

When steps got loud outside, however, he perked up. The sharp click of Hongjoong's heels on the ground was unmistakable to Yeosang by now. He had started wearing them recently after they had robbed a merchant's ship and liked the power they exuded. Yeosang thought they fitted him well.

With wide eyes, Yeosang stared at the door. The noise of the captain striding over his ship got louder within a few moments, and his strong voice bellowed an indiscernible yell at his first mate. Then, the door abruptly opened.

Yeosang was up on his feet like a flash of lightning, his fingers clenched and lips parted expectantly as Hongjoong strode over. He looked wild, and the crazed look in his eyes matched the stains of blood that coloured his white shirt.

The hand he fisted in Yeosang's hair harshly and without warning made the prince yelp. He stumbled when he was dragged. The pirate captain took him outside, right on the deck where he used his strength to throw Yeosang around and against the railing. A protesting huff escaped the prince before his head was angled up, looking towards the land that curved up to the castle nestled on a cliff.

It was ablaze. Bright flames licked at the towers Yeosang had spent most of his time studying in. They engulfed the main building where his sleeping chambers had been and travelled over the yard and stables, too.

The townsfolk had long since realised the ruin of the town's heart. Their screams pierced the smoke-poisoned air and filled the streets they were running on. It was like a faint cacophony in the distance, but Yeosang grinned in glee as he listened. The stench of fire and burning materials gradually travelled over to the bay where they remained to watch.

Yeosang was beyond fascinated. He wanted to sing and dance, to jubilate at the despair and dread that filled people's hearts. The spectacle had Yeosang's eyes gleaming with a madness that reflected in the hungry fires that ate away at the whole town.

Their system was bound to succeed. They had started with the palace that was hard to save and had utmost priority. Outside of that, the pirates were laying fires all around the city. As Yeosang was watching, several smaller beacons quickly spread between the houses and had another wave of panic crashing down on the townsfolk.

"Beautiful... It's beautiful." Yeosang heaved where he was pressed against the railing. He laughed delightedly at the horror that had overcome his home, and Hongjoong chuckled with him.

His grip on Yeosang's hair tightened again as he pulled the man back and around. He bodily crowded Yeosang against the wood behind him, having him arch his back beautifully. Yeosang found the captain's face just as crazed as his own, the man's smile unnaturally wide and grotesque.

"Yeosang... Did ye e'er get fucked before?" His voice was breathless and rough either from the smoke or his current condition. Yeosang shook his head, and nervously licked his lips. The idea sounded attractive to him; Hongjoong sounded attractive to him.

"Show me what it feels like," Yeosang murmured barely audible over the chaos that sunk upon the town.

Hongjoong's eyes shone as he yanked Yeosang back around and bend him over the railing once more. Yeosang got to marvel at a group of regular merchants that ran to the docks to try and get a ship ready to save their lives only to fail gloriously because they lacked skills. Yeosang chuckled at them while Hongjoong grabbed his clothes and brutally cut them open with a dagger.

The blade barely grazed Yeosang, only leaving faint scratches on his skin that had him shiver with anticipation. He had little idea of what to expect by agreeing to this deal that felt like nothing short of having shaken hands with the devil.

Hongjoong pressed a hand on Yeosang's back, keeping him trapped in his position and squeezing the breath out of his lungs. With a gasp, Yeosang sunk into his grip and pressed his by now naked body back against the pirate. After kicking Yeosang's legs apart roughly, Hongjoong aligned his form with him. Yeosang jolted at the feeling of his heated crotch meeting his skin. A low moan tumbled from his lips when Hongjoong experimentally rolled his clothed hips against his behind.

Curious pleasure pooled in his belly as he handed himself over. Hongjoong reached out to present his fingers to Yeosang, brushing their pads against his lips. At the same time, he pressed a thigh between Yeosang's legs to rut it against his middle.

Yeosang's eyes were transfixed on the fire in the distance still as he willingly opened his lips and welcomed the intrusion. Chasing the feeling between his legs, Yeosang also moved his hips down against the hard thigh.

His body started trembling from sensitivity and the many effects his current situation had on him soon. When he whined around Hongjoong's ringed fingers, the man pulled them from him with a chuckle to slip them down the prince's back.

The leg between his thighs played a large role in holding Yeosang upright and spread for Hongjoong when his first finger entered Yeosang with as much care as Hongjoong could muster at the time. It impatiently pressed deeper and created a discomfort that Yeosang barely felt from how greedily he was breathing in the air that had started smelling of burnt flesh.

As he watched the first buildings starting to bend and groan under the weight of the flames, he subconsciously pressed back against Hongjoong's fingers moving inside of him. The pain that came with the act added fuel to the onslaught of sensations that befuddled Yeosang's brain, and he was desperate for more.

Yeosang revelled in the speed that his heartbeat had taken on since sensing grave danger so close nearby. The harmony of high-pitched female screams paired with children crying had him sigh dreamily as he fell into Hongjoong's hold. The heat did not reach them here, but Yeosang still felt hot with Hongjoong so close.

Every one of his senses was heightened, and they picked up on even the smallest shifts around him. As he watched the terrified population flow toward the docks to desperately try and save their lives, he whimpered at the feeling of Hongjoong's rings gradually slipping inside of Yeosang the more the man relaxed. The hard metal felt foreign in his body, but he could not deny the charm it brought.

Hongjoong decided it was enough when Yeosang froze in fascination as the first tower of the castle that started falling. Like a toy, it toppled over as if it had no weight and the shower of burning materials undoubtedly pulled a few dozen people from life's hands. With a protesting noise as Hongjoong took his thigh back, Yeosang grabbed onto the railing, ready for what was to come next.

Once more Hongjoong used spit as lubrication as he lined up with Yeosang's entrance impatiently. His left hand was grabbing onto Yeosang's waist roughly enough to leave marks, and Yeosang whined around the poisonous air when the pirate took too long.

As soon as Hongjoong abruptly entered him, a surprised scream tore from Yeosang's throat. Instinctively, his body strained to break free from Hongjoong's hold and move away from the foreign and unpleasant feeling. The captain reacted quickly. His hand clamped around Yeosang's nape and held him down with dominance tensing all of his muscles.

Yeosang was reduced to nothing more than a ragdoll for the pirate to throw around as he pinned him in place and slowly aligned their bodies. Adrenaline and heat thrummed through his body to the point of Yeosang trashing in his punishing grip when Hongjoong did not slow down until he was fully sheathed inside.

A low gasp that smoothly transitioned into a moan dropped from Yeosang's lips. Hongjoong cursed under his breath while the prince collected himself and slowly rose his head again. His hair sweatily stuck to his forehead.

"Look at 'em. Look at the fate ye bestowed upon 'em." Hongjoong's voice had lowered to no more than a growl. His hand slipped around Yeosang's neck, holding his throat now until Yeosang could feel his pulse throb against the other man's hand.

Yeosang had tears in his eyes from the smoke and pain as he obeyed. The mad grin on his lips had yet to leave its place.

Hongjoong pulled him into a maelstrom of madness. Yeosang could feel himself gradually slipping as darkness consumed his mind. It coursed through his veins like blood, stained his heart with black ink, and took all sympathy away from him. Yeosang laughed and embraced it while he watched buildings collapse on people and listened to their screams of agony.

It was like a dance. It was the most sombre waltz that Yeosang had ever danced, and Hongjoong was the one leading him through it. He pushed and pulled on Yeosang, took him apart in every sense only to piece a wilder and more dangerous version of him back together.

Yeosang's consciousness slipped from him halfway down the devilish route he and Hongjoong were taking. The pirate forced him through it, and his sweat dripped on Yeosang's back as he mercilessly took the prince against the railing for all world to see. No doubt, nobody cared in their current predicament, but the thrill made the experience all the sweeter for Yeosang.

His hips chafed against the rough wood and collected splinters at every one of Hongjoong's rough thrusts that forced the prince's body forwards. Hongjoong deemed his pathetically weeping length as pitiful as the weak sobs and whines that mixed with giggles as they left Yeosang's throat.

The rest of the crew soon returned after having spread more mayhem within the crumbling town for a while. None of them was hurt too badly, and they had the smiles of evil tricksters on their faces as they emerged from the cliffs that they had anchored at. Even Wooyoung appeared surprisingly content with the betrayal he had conducted on their king.

A king, nothing more. That man was not Yeosang's father; he never had been. The only role he had ever played was that of a regent who educated his follower.

Yeosang aggressively pushed his hips back against Hongjoong when he felt tears brim in his eyes at the reminder of his messed-up family relations. As if he had summoned a devil inside Hongjoong, the man immediately reacted, and his thumb dug into Yeosang's pulse as he harshly slammed into him. Yeosang's skin tingled as he sought for more of the disgusting air.

By the time the pirates including Wooyoung had approached the ship far enough for them to spot the odd couple, Wooyoung had already made eye-contact with Yeosang. Even from a distance, Yeosang could tell that the man's features were dark and contorted with greed so murderous and savage that Yeosang nearly choked on it.

Wooyoung looked like one of them. Like a pirate.

Yeosang arched back against Hongjoong, his head coming to rest against the man's shoulder. He came all over his stomach and thighs, making a mess while he watched the castle crumble to the ground completely. Through his blurry sight and slipping consciousness, Yeosang believed to hear the voices of his parents that quietened abruptly as the last stone of the once-mighty building fell.

-> Yeosang trembled and twitched in Hongjoong's arms. The pain of the scratches Hongjoong's nails had left on his skin finally caught up with him, and they burned like fire as Yeosang sunk against the man. Even as Hongjoong held him through his own tremors, Yeosang was not able to take his eyes off the sunken town.

Then, Wooyoung stepped in his line of sight.

The man appeared atypically tall as he stopped right in front of Yeosang. For the first time since they knew each other, Wooyoung did not lower his head or eyes in front of him. While it was the one thing Yeosang had always wanted, he also shivered from the suspense. Hongjoong took it as a sign to hold him closer, so he wrapped an arm around Yeosang's hips to pull him in. He slipped out of his abused entrance, too, and Yeosang stood between them with shaking legs as the pirate's dirty semen dripped from his debauched body.

He must have looked a mess.

"Let me join your crew, captain."

Tiredly, Yeosang blinked up at Wooyoung. He had suspected that the man might try and join this crew, but it was unexpected to hear him word it out before asking Yeosang for his opinion on the matter. With how quickly he had adjusted to the pirate life and his obsession with seeing San suffer, it was bound to happen.

Hongjoong snorted amusedly. His eyes still displayed wild craziness.

"Ye ain't askin' 'im fer consent first?" To underline his point, Hongjoong gently jostled Yeosang. The prince hissed when it put pressure on his hurting hips.

"No. This man is not my superior anymore. He is nothing but a homeless kid, a mess of a man. I will not serve under somebody like him."

Yeosang nearly collapsed with relief. Wooyoung's words were meant to cut deep, and they did. They stripped Yeosang of everything that was still connected to his heritage. The gratitude that flooded Yeosang was ineffable.

Until the end, Wooyoung remained the best friend Yeosang could ever wish for.

"I like that. Ye can go on account. But be warned. The seas are anythin' but noble an' if ye lay a finger on San from now on, I 'ave every right to maroon ye."

Hongjoong had caught up so quickly with them. Even at a dying city and with his brain stuffed with intense madness, his intelligence had surpassed them.

"Aye, Captain." Wooyoung's grin was dangerous and suited him far better than little polite smiles. Pride swelled in Yeosang's chest.

"We will prepare a welcomin' feast fer ye tomorrow. Did ye mates salvage whatever ye could?"

Wooyoung nodded his chin at the pile of bags they had brought with them from their raid. They contained food of all kinds, and also some peculiar items the pirates needed on their travels.

Giving an appreciative hum, Hongjoong nodded Wooyoung to leave. The man strutted off with straight shoulders and a triumphant grin on his lips.

He had not even mentioned Yeosang's condition.

The prince flinched when the captain unexpectedly brought his hand up to smooth Yeosang's hair back. He let it run through his fingers as if it were something precious, and Yeosang found himself unwilling to pull away from him just yet. Their earlier ecstasy was now followed by a sneaking emptiness that came with their skin cooling. Yeosang was... angry at the man. He was furious.

Without any explanation why his own wish had turned his mood sour so quickly, Yeosang snappishly moved his head away from Hongjoong. The pirate halted, temporarily surprised. Then, he moved too fast for Yeosang to react. He spun the man around with one arm while the other came up to fist into his hair once more. His grip was ruthless, and it had tears spring into Yeosang's eyes as his roots protested.

"An' what about ye, pretty prince? What be yer plan now that ye 'ave what ye wanted?"

Yeosang fierily stared at the man. For a second, their burning gazes matched each other and fought for the other one to concede first. When Hongjoong did not, and his dark eyes stayed as steely as they were, Yeosang hissed at him threateningly.

"Don't call me that ever again."

Hongjoong barked a laugh that was entirely dissonant to the town that had yet to fall quiet. A lot of people still ran around like headless chickens, and Yeosang did not doubt that some of them would survive, too.

"I be curious again. What be it that ye yearn to be? A regular landlubber? Or do ye want to disappear from people's headlights altogether?"

When no immediate answer popped up in his head, Yeosang hesitated. He did not know that. Hongjoong had no right to question him. Living as free as he did, he never had to struggle with similar issues or had to give up his identity.

Yeosang glared at him, but his heart pulled him in Hongjoong's direction as if led by strings anyway. His answer was here, right in front of him. But Yeosang was scared of this answer.

"I... I don't know yet. I have nowhere to go from now on, and turning back will never be an option again."

As if on cue, both of them deeply breathed in the smell of burnt human. It made Yeosang's stomach churn, and his guts fire up with more malicious intent. Hongjoong's grip on Yeosang's waist tightened. The other man squirmed when a drop of liquid tickled on its journey down his thigh.

"Ye 'ave yet to find yer place, then. If it were to be at me side, I would welcome ye no matter what, but I also agree to droppin' ye off anywhere yer heart desires to go."

Yeosang was torn. He was afraid to stay near this man's black soul that tainted anything nearby. The uncertainty that came with the decision to stay spoke against every moral and value that Yeosang had ever been trained in. However, when he voiced that concern towards Hongjoong, the man doubled over with laughter.

"Oh, I certainly be. I be the material of nightmares; I be the man yer parents told ye to fear. But answer this question, pretty prince. Ain't that exactly what we burnt to the ground just now?"

The corners of Hongjoong's lips curled deviously in the darkness of the evening that was lit solely by the ablaze town. His eyes were full of dark promises, of obscurity that swallowed Yeosang up like a little mouse.

And Yeosang nodded. Albeit shyly and with little confidence in his decision, he nodded.

Hongjoong stepped back from him to spread his arms, gesturing over the expanse of the ship. It resembled his own throne; his dark kingdom to reign.

"There ye 'ave yer answer. Think about it, an' tell me as soon as ye found yer new place."

Yeosang's heart beat fast in his chest as he watched the man go. His chuckle got lost somewhere in the shadows of the ship.

Yeosang glanced back at the ashes that remained of his home. Then, he lowered his eyes to the floor of the ship he was standing on.

In the end, he turned his back to Nomteh'h and joined the pirates at dinner.