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The first time Han Jisung met Lee Minho, he wasn't supposed to. He was just exploring the meagre surroundings he had around the small castle he was exiled to - he didn't expect to see a beautiful man sitting by the river, singing the most beautiful song he had ever heard. And as soon as he stepped on a twig, the man turned to him and the rest was history.
Lee Minho was the prince of a small kingdom nearby his castle and half nymph with an affinity with water. Apparently the river bed was his favourite spot and as few months passed and Minho plagued every thought Jisung had ever had, it became his too.
Jisung thought he was subtle in his wants and feelings. He found out he wasn't when Minho's mother intervened. It began with her trying to cut the time Minho spent with Jisung. Jisung had nothing to do but train and waste his time away and Minho clearly had nothing else to do either, so they spent it all with the other. Apparently it wasn't what his mother wanted.
One fine morning when Jisung had no plan but to spend it gazing at Minho's face as he talked about something and nothing, maybe even steal a few kisses, Minho came to him with downturned lips as he spoke about going to training in a place he had no idea about, for two years. It would have been fine if they both didn't knew it was Minho's mother at play, to seperate them.
A year after Minho had left, Jisung was finally at the mouth of the cave he was training in. As Minho had said, he had no idea where he was being sent but here Jisung was, standing at the mouth calling his name and Minho had kissed him a few times and then some more, nothing enough to make up for the past year but they had time to compensate for it.
Did they though?
A year after training, with peace a constant in their lives, it was cruelly disrupted by the war on going. It would all have been fine, since it didn't concern them but then Minho's mother whisked Minho away again, quoting that the war would end with his death only and she won't let it. Minho was prophesied to die after the death of Prince of Clea and once again, Jisung lost Minho to fate.
But Jisung was not one to give up, as he followed him to the small island of skyros, choosing to live with him in hiding even though Minho's mother had gotten him married, forcefully. Jisung's heart had stuttered in pain when he had heard Minho was married off and not only that, he had a son now. It took more than a few nights and days spent in Minho's arms, exchanging words full of love to comfort Jisung that he was the only one for Minho.
It would have been so much better had it been a happy ending they deserved but it was not what the fate hard in store for them. The fate ended with Jisung having to go fight the battle against the Prince of Clea because of a blood oath made years ago and Minho who was whisked away, once again by his mother where he insisted on everything he owned and loved that under no circumstances will he ever fight the prince.
The fight went on an on and on and their side was losing men everyday, blaming Minho, knowing if he would simply leave his cowardice and fight the prince, the war would end but Minho was no coward, he was simply choosing to live, choosing to value the words he promised to his mother and choosing to live and love Jisung for as long as it was possible. But life really was out to get them, since Jisung was working as a medical help on the front, had come to know the warriors fighting, had come to know the war could end simply if only his lover would participate, but no, they were losing and people were dying simple because Minho was refusing to fight. It made fights erupt between the loving couple as well.
Eventually what led to their demise was Jisung being too stubborn and choosing to Steal Minho's fighting gear to hide himself as he led the army Minho had to win this war and finally end it all. He never knew it would end as it did - with Minho having to hear about his dead lover from the soldiers, rushing to the ground where he saw the dead body of his once energetic lover he never got to live in peace with. He wailed like never before and the people who had always known Minho to be a stubborn and arrogant person, saw him shed tears like never before, cursing the gods and the one who killed Jisung, in low voice vowing to avenge his lover.
Telling whoever present thare to mix his own ashes with the Jisung's when he dies, he got up to lead his army and went to kill the Prince who ended Jisung's life. It was right, he was strong enough to kill the Prince of Clea but as it was prophesied, he was born to die soon after and the prince died.
Minho's son was the one who burried the lovers together yet he was cruel enough to only mention his own father on the tombstone making Jisung's spirit simply exist around it, not being able to pass to the afterworld.
The fate was cruel, yes but they had passed it's trial as Minho's own mother, who despised their relationship more than anyone was the one who sat with Jisung's spirit at last, talking about Minho with such love and reverence as she wrote Jisung's name on the tombstone with his lover's.
Jisung was never the kind to believe in a life after death but as he saw Minho's outstretched hand at the doors, smiling at him as if nothing ever happened, he found himself believing.