"Your Majesty—please, please, spare my family in my despair! I am willing to—"

"Off with their heads. Down to the very last child of their clan."

The king's command was cold in a glaring hot weather. And as hot the weather was, so is the King's blood was boiling to his vassals. He only sought one word that he expected to hear; a simple yes to his  question. It was a dread, they made the king wait too long for a simple answer he needed to hear. And the exchange? Their heads laying on his feet.

It was a normal occurrence in the castle. Many had sought for him to go down the throne and plan a rebellion against his reign. Their reason? Because he was a scarred king. A bloodline from a commoner. An unusual individual with golden hair. A child whose prophecy is to roar flames across the nation decided by the stars.

The unwanted prince of the nation.

And his response to that? He pushed all of them off the throne and fulfill his prophecy. He became the devil, shed their bloods at the very own castle and the throne he was sitting up to this day becoming the tyrant king they have always expected and destined him to be.

For Min Yoongi was the unwanted king, his enemies piled up a ton. They revolted to his reign, dedicated groups to pull him off the throne, but he was indestructible.

For they dare to go against him, their bloodline would simply end down to its last drop. Their heads were displayed at the town with a simple message to drill on the nation's head—never oppose the king.

He was the nation, the heart of the land; he was the crown.

"Your majesty, the queen had arrived and asking for an audience."

The king's guard, Namjoon, informed the king with his head bowed down to avoid his gaze. The man was loyal to him, an intelligent man who topped the royal guard examination that never dared to touch his thin thread of patience. Everywhere he goes he was present, only speaks when needed or ordered to. He just does his job well; protect and abide the king's orders.

"Let the queen enter. And take care of this noisy mess immediately."

"Will do, your majesty."

Yoongi stood from his throne and walked away, never looking back at the weeping mess of a traitor. He had been used to it,  calling his name to be pardoned but he never looked back, not even once. It hunts his dreams at night but he was too used to the hundreds of ghosts hunting him to call his name that he barely called it a nightmare.

He was led to the room, sliding open as he meet his queen sitting down at the cushion with a grandeur of cuisine dined at the table.

"Queen Jimin. This is highly..unusual of you."

"Good day, your majesty. I supposed you forgot our lunch again?"

Queen Jimin of the Park clan. A childhood friend. He supported his movement and aided him when he thrown out the royal family and lend him the position a promised. He was the queen that was only there for display and name, a trophy wife, and he was aware of it himself.

Yoongi had no problems against him, most of the time he forgets he existed as Jimin barely cared of him as well. He does his duty, that's all that matters. They were platonic and straight-out business, and the queen had affairs out of their 'marriage' with the young General Jeon Jungkook and the Hwarang Kim Taehyung that are punishable by law, but he doesn't care at all. Its a part of their agreement as long as Jimin doesn't turn his back at him.

"Its been a year since you said that and stepped in my court. I almost forgot I had a Queen to begin with."

"At least I remembered it."

The brunette just smiled at the fact that he never visited him for a year but he just shrugged it off, gesturing the king to sit down for his meal.

Yoongi can't help but to scan around the room and notice the unfamiliar faces that are serving the queen.

He had selected new servants, once again, without his approval.

One of them was pretty uncanny. Most of the servants are avoiding to look at him, even his own guards, but the needle among the haystack was just happily smiling while tending the queen and he can even look at the King's scarred face without striking fear or disgust.

"Hoseok-ah, you may leave now. I'll be alright. I'll summon you once we are done."

"Understood, your royal highness. You may summon me any time you wish to, or if there's something you wish for me to do. "

The blonde can't help but to keep an eye at the servant. He was watching him closely, and the man didn't lose his smile all the way through. His raven hair was bouncing as he walks off with a bow, and for a servant his eyes were sparkling and bright on such an indentured job, wondering why such eyes lie much happiness in front of tyrant like him.

"Who is he?" Yoongi asked, intrigued of the servant.

"Do you like him, your majesty? I can give him to you." Jimin offered, and the king just gave him a blunt stare.

"I am asking who he is, not claiming him." the queen hummed and nodded, taking a bite of his food. He didn't even wait for the king to eat his portion, he just chewed as if he's talking to someone normally.

"Hoseok. Jung Hoseok. I picked him up from the streets in the last six months. If you're asking why I picked him up, its because he's nice and happy, looking for a job. I hate your servants here in the royal court, I can't select any. They're too depressed."

Of course, Yoongi would expect him to pick up someone on the street like a stray cat. On that aspect he won't question him any much more, it was the Queen's bad trait for him but a blessing for the outsiders. As long as he brings a decent person, without being an assassin so be it.

But so far, he could say that the man he brought today was too different among them in the royal court.

He's out there smiling and standing out like a shining diamond in a field of coal.

Jimin perceived the King's silence as a form of his adoration for the servant. He have seen him spacing out, but not with a small unprecedented smile in his face.

"So you DO adore my servant. Very well then, I'll send Hoseok to you by tomorrow." 

"Do as you wish. Just make sure he can keep up with me without weeping or he's gonna be off with his head."

There are two souls in this room, even the ghosts in the court knows the king can't do such thing on an innocent person especially the smiling man with those eyes of adoration and hope.

It was a fascinating idea to send his servant to him, Jimin knew how the servant was a ray of sunshine that even the dead could smile on their graves when he pass by. Maybe, just maybe, that young servant could change a little bit of the atmosphere and add hope on the bloodied king's court and of course, the king himself.

"I don't love you, that's a fact right here. But I know who you are and your eyes doesn't lie to me. When you laid your eyes on him, its the first time I saw light in it."

Yoongi bit his lip, trying to suppress the surprise on his face. Jimin was right, the look on the King's eyes doesn't lie and he always hated how his body always make him aware of his emotion. He was honest, and he does have an infatuation with the young man.

"Shut it. Your servant was just different and he looked at me as if I wasn't a monster."

"Hoseok is such a pure soul. Never once I saw him look at someone indifferently, even if you're an ugly fish and a plagued stricken beggar. So take it as my plea for you to treat him nicely, don't taint him so much and don't make him your bed warmer."

"He's no exception. In a day or two he should be oriented enough to stain his hands with blood even he's an indentured servant."

Shedding blood was inevitable, it became a part chained on him as a ruler and even previous kings had shed blood on the royal court before. Any day will come that he'll have to swipe off the blood on the floor with his calloused hands, or witness the king himself put the rule on his own sword.
 
"I should be the one worried if he had intentions to seduce me or anyone in here with that pleasantry. And the bed warming must be your  job, but you're out there flinging with two of my best vassals."

"Never my job. You have a lot of men and women in waiting on your harem that you can use to pass your heat. Oh and, seeing how invested you are to him.. please don't push Hoseok into that position.

He's the only diamond that shines in this shunned royal court, don't go take it away."

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"Your majesty, please let go of your sword. Its dripping and I had to clean it. A king's sword should always remain shining clean with pride inside his royal court."

His voice wavered with kindness despite watching the king slash a court elder's chest, the blonde king lending his sword to the servant careful not to drop it right in front of him. 

"Very well, your majesty. You should come back to your chamber, I have asked them to prepare a bath for you. You look to bloody, and your black hanbok is visibly stained."

Its been a two months since Hoseok started his new job at the King's court after the order of the Queen. He had accepted it with his whole heart, and started his job as soon as told. 

But he must say, the rumors about the king he kept hearing everyday while staying at the queen's court were proven true without a brink of exaggeration. There are deaths every other day, he talks by himself at times, and the king had worse temper than the weather. Hot or cold, sometimes both, or can bring out an unexpected wave of storm. At the very least they can sense the weather change or prepare for the upcoming storm, but the king's outburst and attitude were different each day the same to its casualties.

Despite all of that, he deemed him a honest man. He never once saw him lie while listening to his words, or every time his vassals gather together. King Yoongi wasn't kind all the time but he's a man who holds onto his promises, and he deemed it to be the king's strength.

So to say he doesn't fear the tyrant king after a few days of studying his behavior. He find it absurd to fear him, not unless you are guilty of a crime  and you are afraid of his judgment. He's an easy man, all you need to do was to be kind to him and abide by his law and order without hesitation or question.

He was much kinder than a middle class young master he used to serve, a bit childish at some moments where he wish not to do an important task.

"I only need to change my clothes. I'd only be staying inside this halls and look over some records."

Yeah, childish moments like this.

"Your majesty, I assure you the bath is warm. Please don't act like a cat afraid of water. You have to clean yourself unless you wish to smell like a gutted fish with all that drained blood on you and rumors get out the court and nation that you indeed smell like one."

He can hear the king growl before walking away, hearing a small 'fine' with heavy steps on his way to his chamber. Hoseok just chuckled, following the king with the heavy blooded sword in his hand.

"Hey, Jung Hoseok. How did you do that?"

He heard the royal guard, Namjoon, ask him with a whisper while following the king's footsteps for about ten meters away.

"Do what? Tell him to clean up?" Hoseok replied with a giggle, finding the question silly.

"..yeah. I've been serving here for more than a year, and he never really listen to his servants on that matter..except you."

Hoseok is oblivious about that matter, and he doesn't notice the king's indifference of attitude towards other servants compared to him. He heard the court ladies have been gossiping him that he was the king's bed warmer as he was treated more modest and kind, even get to serve closely and personally, but its not it—he was just kind to the king and serve him with a smile.

After all even tyrants needed someone to treat them with kindness.

"Serve your majesty with a smile and confidence next time, Sir Kim. You already abide by his orders, hence, he's kinder to you than the other vassals right? Same goes to me, but with a smile."

Namjoon bit his lip. The servant does make sense, he always smiled no matter what circumstance the king was in.

The king killed someone; he smiles at the king to calm down, take his sword and clean it just like today.

The king was mad; he'll ask him to cool down with a calm voice, a soft smile on his face and taking away the reason of his anger may it be a person or an object.

The king tends to over work; he simply tells him to rest with a smile and leave the document to the magistrates.

Or is it really the kindness and smile or plainly the king just adored Hoseok?

"You're an unusual individual, Hoseok. None of us could even look at the king's eyes and you can smile at him normally, how incredible."

It was an unusual compliment, but Hoseok just smiled and thanked him for that.

He was about to tell more when the king called for him, his eyes sharper than knives while he glare at him and the royal guard Namjoon.

Well, there it goes.

He had to rush to the king before he blows up and stir another storm. He didn't speak further, and went on ahead with the king. They reached the king's grand chamber, few of the servants already waiting and prepared with the bath water behind the embroidered screen panels.

"Your majesty you should—"

"What are you talking about with that royal guard?"

Yoongi's voice was interrogating, a tinge of jealousy traced in his words. It may have gone unnoticed by the servant, but he can feel the stinging jealousy in his system as he talked to the royal guard with those giggles he can hear far behind. He can feel the burning heat in his chest—the burning feel to strike down the royal guard out of his envy.

Hoseok breathed deeply, then back with a soft smile to honestly answer his query.

"The royal guard, Kim Namjoon, is asking why your majesty is kind to me and how am I able to convince your majesty to bathe at the moment. To add, he complimented me for my fortitude on serving you continuously with a smile."

There were no lies in his words, and Yoongi does believe him.

Fine.

"I suppose your majesty's silence meant that he believes what I have said?"

Damn, Yoongi thought. He was wondering how one mere servant like him managed to read him out in a span of two months as if he served him for years. Not even the magistrates or any of his vassals can figure him out for years, nor his dead family could. 

But here he was, making him seem like he's an open book only meant for Hoseok to read.

"Why do you not lie to me?"

It was a sudden question that the servant expected to hear anytime soon, and he immediately responded with only the truth;

"Its because your majesty is a honest man even with the blood on his hand. And I am projecting back the king's honesty. I am not guilty of anything, nor keeping a secret away from the king."

Yoongi clenched his fist, feeling his chest suddenly flutter with a rushing heart beat. God forbid his pale skin might be flushed red, but it was the first time he was complimented as a king—a honest man. All the time he can only hear the words 'monster' and the 'tyrant' attached to his name, never a good trait belonged to him.

Not until Hoseok called him one.

The only person who saw him in a good light.

"..f-fair enough.."

The king stuttered, earning stunned stares from the rest of the people present in the room,  the dead souls even.

Did they just hear the tyrant king that is straight forward for the most of his life stutter from a compliment of a mere servant?

"Then I suppose you should keep going right now your majesty? Your bath water will be cold. I have your attire prepared ahead, all I need to do left is to clean your sword. Are there any more errands you wish for me to run?"

Hoseok kept smiling, but a bit puzzled on the King's flushed red face and his eyes that refused to meet his for the first time. There was a sudden intuition that came onto him that certainly brought butterflies on his stomach;

Did he just..made the king blush?

"Just..a-ah..do what you want! Leave now and clean that sword!"

The tyrant turned his back at him and walked behind the screen panels, leaving the servant standing puzzled with a sword in hand.

His hand covering half od his face while the other was clutching tight on his hanbok too flustered to face the servant further. He was waiting for him to leave so he can calm his racing heartbeat, and the servant did bid  his departure.

"..understood then, your majesty. You can summon me anytime you wish."

But as the servant turned back and left along with his sword, the king spared a quick glance, peaking from the screen panels.

"How can you do this to me..Jung Hoseok?"

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Helloooo! This is my first SOPE fic and dedicated to SopeTownRoad because she's literally so precious sunshine and this is somehow for her birthday too as promised. It will only last about three or four chapetrs, considering the first plan is a oneshot by I write too long so it ended up this way just like her suggestion ;)

And I am too in love with Daechwita Yoongi till this day so lets go with the scarred king ;) read and enjoy!