Chapter 17

                                    

                                          
Yoon looked at you with an expression that showed a mix of bewilderment and disbelief; his eyes frantically scanning your face. "Th-That I can't be true, I don't have any family,"  he uttered in denial. Seeing his reluctance to accept your words, you darted inside his room and dragged him with you. You guided him towards the bed and sat down in front of him, making sure that he was looking directly at you. "I understand that this must come as a great shock to you," you began slowly, trying not to overwhelm him. "I talked with the Royal Scholar and he was the one who told me this. Next to you, the late Empress gave birth to another child as well, but it was stillborn," you explained. Never in your live had you witnessed the conflict that was clearly present on Yoon's face. The mask that he had so carefully crafted over the years crumbled by hearing this news. "Apparently the child was buried in a nearby river..." You uttered. You slowly extended your arms and held his hand; hoping that it would bring some form of comfort. "He must be that child; someone must have found him and raised him as their own." He stood up, letting go of your hand and started pacing around in the room.  
                          
"No, no, this can't be true," he kept on murmuring to himself. "I know that this is a lot to take in,"  you said as you stood up as well, "but you know that this cannot be coincidence." No matter how much you assured him, he kept pacing around. It felt like he was trying to walk away from his own thoughts, but they were not letting him go. You took a few steps in his direction and blocked his path, making him bump into you. "Yoon, please," you said as you cupped his face with two hands. The mixture of hurt, confusion and guilt was clear in his eyes; making your heart ache for him. "You have to accept it, he is your brother; he is your family," you spoke softly. "I-I thought I had no one," he said with a broken voice, "w-what am I supposed to do with this information?" You felt your own tears welling up at feeling his hurt and helplessness. "You don't have to do anything rash; in fact, you shouldn't," you said, as you quickly wiped away a rogue tear. "Maybe you should go and talk to him; try to get to know him better before you decide on anything," you suggested with hopeful eyes.  
                          
He nodded quietly and stood frozen in his spot. You turned around to walk away, granting him some moments of privacy, but were halted by a grip on your wrist. With a soft yank he pulled you against his chest and tightly wrapped his arms around your waist. Your heart was pounding in your chest from the unexpected action and you felt him bury his face in the crook of your neck. "Thank you," he simply whispered in your ear, making the hairs in your neck stand up. You gently wrapped your arms around his back and inhaled his sweet, yet distinct male scent. When he finally let go of your body, you looked up at him and saw his softened eyes looking back at you. Before you would lose your nerve, you stood up on tiptoe and pressed a sweet kiss on his cheek. "Your welcome," you whispered and rushed out of his room; hoping that he hadn't noticed your scarlet cheeks. Yoon chuckled at your unexpected exit and couldn't help but feel his heart swell when he thought of you. Recently, all he could think about was you and he hated it when you weren't around him. Now with the mission coming up, all he could think about was the fact that you were going to be separated. "What am I going to do without you?" He softly muttered to himself.  
                          
Agust's head shot up when he heard the heavy lock of his cell door unbolt. Was it Jimin? He thought, no he wouldn't take such a reckless risk. When Yoon walked inside, he let out a heavy sigh, apparently now his fate was going to be decided. "Unchain him," the emperor ordered, taking him off guard. Was he going to be executed now? He thought. While the guards were busy removing all the chains and ropes tied to his body, a chair was dragged in and placed in the middle of the room. "Sit," Yoon simple said, while he kept standing himself. Although his legs were aching from standing for so long, his ego would never allow him to sit down. Eventually, he did, hoping that his cooperation would keep him alive. "Why are you here?" Agust asked, while wetting his torn lips. "I wanted to get to know you better," Yoon answered calmly, not braking his gaze on him for a second. Agust raised an eyebrow in surprise, not knowing what to make of this situation. "Ask away," he scoffed in astonishment. "Where did you grow up?"  Yoon asked. "In a small town near the Western border; but you already know this,"  Agust answered with narrowed eyes.  
                          
"Who are you parents?"  Yoon continued his inquiry. "I don't have any parents; I am an orphan," he simply answered, not understanding what the emperor was gaining with this interrogation. "Who raised you?" He asked. Agust shook his head, contemplating whether to continue answering his ridiculous questions or not. "I was raised by an old widow; she died when I was ten years old. After that, I fended for myself on the streets," he answered coolly. "I have one final question,"  Yoon said stoically, "how old are you?" "I am 27 years old,"  he answered curtly, waiting for Yoon's reaction. The only thing that he was able to register was the quick narrowing of his eyes, he didn't give away any of his emotions, making it hard for Agust to read him. "I assume that 'the Boss' is not your real name?" He asked with a hint of sarcasm. "My name is Agust," he spat back with equal attitude. "Well Agust, I have some news for you; we are brothers; twins even,"  Yoon announced in a seemingly calm way. Agust's mouth fell open in shock, how was this possible? Yoon seemed to notice his brother's dumfounded expression; "It all started 27 years ago," he began.  
                          
~ 4 weeks later ~  
                          
"Lady Y/N, all your belongings have been packed and loaded, the emperor is waiting for your outside," Minji announced, pulling you from your daydream. The day was finally here; the day you had looked forward to and dreaded at the same time. With a deep sigh you stood up and straightened the folds of your heavy hanbok. You had never worn such a heavily embroidered hanbok before. The clinging sound of your jade bracelets could be heard as you walked through the corridor. Minji had taken almost an hour to pin up your hair in the most intricate design you had ever seen. When you finally looked in the mirror, you couldn't recognise yourself. It wasn't the Head of Royal Security looking back; it was Royal Concubine Y/N. You knew that this was nothing more than an act, a charade, but you still couldn't stop your heart from breaking a little when looking at your reflection. It showed you the version of yourself that you had always wanted to avoid and now you had become exactly that. When you walked out of the palace, to the square in front of it, you saw the 50+ palanquins waiting for your departure. In front of the largest palanquin, the one that was yours, Yoon was waiting with his hands folded behind his back.  
                          
As you walked closer to him, you felt your heart break piece by piece. "Are you ready for your departure?" Yoon asked with a clipped voice. You simply nodded, not trusting your voice to be even. "You remember the plan that we have discussed right? You will not have to worry about anything, Captain Jeon will guide you safely to the palace."  You kept nodding your head; you had gone through the details of the plan a millions times, you could dream it by now. You were about to step inside the palanquin when Yoon suddenly said; "Wait!" You turned around in surprise and saw that he held something in his hand. "I hate that I can't go with you. I will not be at peace until I see you safely standing in front of me again," he said softly, the agony and longing clear in his eyes. "Here is something that will remind you of me," he said shyly as he pressed something into your hand. When you looked down, you saw that it was a hairpin. It wasn't an ordinary hairpin; the gems on top of it reminded you of a Tiger's eye; of him. Your heart swelled at the thoughtful gift and you handed it back to him; making him look confused. "I want you to pin it in my hair," you said with a shy smile as you turned around. He eagerly pinned it in your hair and held your hand when you turned around. To your surprise, he had dropped to his knee, 
                          
"Kim Y/N, will you do me the honour of marrying me?"  
                          
Mindyfics