Life is unpredictable, isn't it?

Gulf stares at the golden shoes in his feet that makes his big toe throb. He gently removes them, and sighs in relief hoping no one will scold him for this.

Mew and Gulf have been sitting here for over three hours and the man has not even looked at him.

"My Liege, the Empress is really beautiful." Someone congratulated his husband and another box is placed near his feet.

If he is that beautiful why Mew asked him to stop smiling like a stupid.

Is Mew angry at him? No one has ever asked him not to smile before.

"It is time for my empress and emperor to retire to bed." Gulf's new valet, a beautiful young lady whispered to him. "Your bed is ready." She runs away giggling and Gulf is at loss.

His eyes searched for his mom and then he remembered they are in Mew's palace. His mae is not here. His father and mother will come here in two days. Until then, he is... alone.

He tries to get the attention of his husband several times and fails miserably. Finally, he gently pulls on the golden and black sleeves of his husband and whispers a faint 'Mew'.

The angry man practically roars at his face and poor Gulf jumps back in his throne and his back smacks the hand-rest.

"Don't you ever call me Mew! You pathetic..." Gulf does not hear the rest but he knows what a curse sounds like. "Are you happy now? You are, aren't you? If you ever... hear me? IF YOU EVER touch me, I will chop off your wrist. Keep your filthy hands to yourself."

Gulf opens his mouth and closes them like a fish.

Filthy hands?

He looks down and notices his normal but very clean hands. The sleeves on Mew's hand looks so costly though.

"I am s... sorry but... but... we have to go to bed now."

Mew's face scares Gulf. The whole palace is lighted as a day and Gulf does not know the time to inform the man but the valet says it is bed time now.

"You can't keep your courtesan skills for one day, harlot? I am sure for this one day you can manage it yourself."

Who is Harlot? Gulf turns back to check if someone is standing beside him and Mew is mad at that person, not him.

He watches Mew stomps off and some people crowds around him. Gulf has no idea what to do. Should he sit here, follow Mew, find their bedroom and wait for him there?

He looks down at his wrist which Me... the King has threatened to chop off. Tears fills his eyes and he wants to ask someone what mistake did he do to make the King angry at him.

He should have known something was wrong when he saw the King throwing his strawberry pastry to the hunter dogs.

The King had not taken a bite.

Now the man is not seen anywhere and Gulf stays put on the throne like a stranger in a family event.

"Empress!" The valet girl is back and demands him to follow her. "Let us get you ready."

He quickly wears his tight golden shoes and follows obediently. "Ready for what?"

The girl giggles and he notices there are at least ten of them, all identical and equally giggly.

"Empress is making fun of us."

They yank on his hand and in an hour Gulf goes through the mortification of his life time. The oils in his body is awkward and the clothes he is wearing is shear and see-through.

He sniffs himself and the deep floral scents on him is sickening. He should take one more bath before going to bed or he will wake up with a headache but the girls said... he can only bath after the King comes.

He waits and waits but the man does not show up. Maybe this is not his bedroom but the girls said...

A very drunk figure stumbles into the room and Gulf has to squint to make sure it is the King. Gulf has never ever slept next to a person after his infant phase was shed away. He is scared if he would accidently kick the King off the bed.

"YOU!!!" The King shouts and Gulf falls off the bed with a squeak.

The man rushes to the side where Gulf fell down with a thump. "YOU DISGUSTI... What are you doing here?"

Gulf cannot talk and the poor boy sputters trying to talk with fear gripping his tongue.

"... waiting for you. I am sorry!"

"Oh, no. You are not. You are not sorry, yet. Who are you to wait for me?"

Gulf has not dealt with any drunk people ever but he knows people tend to forget things when they are intoxicated.

"I am G... Gulf. Your wife? We got married..."

Mew starts laughing and Gulf wonders if he should start laughing too. His mom said a good wife always smile when his husband laughs and... maybe... but Mew has asked him not to smile anymore.

"Oh... you planned so ahead, right? You! You are so in this... Let me ask, how much do you make a night?"

"Make what?"

"Fucking disgusting pastries!!! What do you think I am asking?"

Gulf feels a rip in his heart when Mew says his pastries are disgusting. It is his paternal great grandmother's recipe.

"Uhm... depends on the number of people, I guess."

Mew throws his head back and laughs. "Perfect!"

"Th... thank you?"

"GIVE ME A ROUGH FIGURE!!!" Mew shouts and Gulf starts crying. He knows he should not but the man is so scary and he is shouting asking him about the pastries he threw away, calling them disgusting.

"Fi... five? Six?" Gulf does not make them for anyone. Just for very special guests and very loving family members. Six is the most number of people he had made pastries for.

"So cheap..." Mew takes a pouch of his waist and throws ten gold coins on his face. It hurts. "Here, ten gold coins to fucking stay away from me. I will give you ten gold coins every day, just do not show your..." Mew points at his exposed thigh which Gulf quickly covers "... disgusting... tramp face ever in front of me. Get me?"

"But... we are married now. I cannot wear a veil now... It is against tradition." Gulf tries to wipe his tears but they keep on falling and Mew leers at his face.

"You fucking stink. Is this how to keep them coming? So pathetic."

Gulf whimpers when Mew squeezes hard on his wrist. Is he going to cut it? Gulf tries to shuffle away but Mew's hand is so rough and hurting.

The man drags Gulf when the poor boy falls to the floor trying to get away. "You are a good actor. I should give you that." Mew pushes Gulf to another empty room inside the big bedroom they are currently in. "I promised you would be my Queen. Here, the Queen's bedroom all for yourselves. But... listen well... 'wife' if you ever step inside my room, you will be dead. No one will even wonder why they do not see you anymore."

Gulf gulps and hiccups.

"People already forgot about you. Trust me. No one will ever know or if they know, they will not care. If you stay in here, you can have three meals a day until one year is up. But if you make a peep, I will cut your tongue, if you walk, I will cut your leg, if you even look at me... I will take your eyes out. I asked you to take your eyes off me!!!"

Gulf quickly averts his teary eyes and nods praying for this man to leave the room.

His prayers are answered immediately and the man leaves.

Gulf drops to the floor and he finally understands what fear really is.

Gulf wants to go home.

This is not Mew.

Mew is kind and loves him so much.

He has his letters with him. When his mom asked him to pack himself a bag, he had put all the love letters in it. He knows this is not Mew.

He wants his Mew.

The poor boy curls on the floor begging for his real love to come and rescue him from this nightmare.