Slowly returning from the murky depths of his unconsciousness, Dokja shivers as a chill envelops him. Under his head he felt himself resting on a plush pillow, the rest of his body on what he thought was the softest bed in the world. He was lying so still he could almost feel himself sinking into it. Dokja would've had the best sleep in his life if it weren't for the pesky cold bothering him. He reached his arms out so he could buy himself underneath the cover, except… he couldn't. No matter what he tried, Dokja's limbs just refused to cooperate.
They felt as heavy as lead, not giving even a single twitch. As his panic sets in, another peculiar sensation seizes his body. A touch as soft as feather grazes his skin, tracing a path along his waist, while an added weight presses down upon his chest. A tingling sensation creeps up his neck. With a sudden jolt of realization, Dokja reluctantly opens his eyes—only to be met with revulsion when he sees what, or rather who exactly was sitting above him. After a blink of surprise, the crown prince looks down at him with hooded eyes and a lazy smile, unclothed from the waist up.
"What in the world are you doing, you despicable bastard?!" Dokja gasps out, attempting and failing to wriggle his body away from the man. His mind racing about what exactly occurred to get him into this position, Dokja hastily searched through his memories to recall that he'd met with the empress, most likely the food or drink was tampered with. Indignation surges within him, fighting between cursing out the empress and her son for their audacity and himself for his own foolishness. He should've known they'd stoop this low if it meant stopping Joonghyuk.
The prince's next words send a child down his back. "Is it not apparent? We're on the brink of conceiving our first child," he stated, as if it was obvious. He leaned in to softly kiss Dokja's neck.
Dokja has to push down the bile making its way up his throat. Despite his attempts to resist, he finds himself immobilized, unable to move a muscle as if paralyzed, leaving him helpless against the prince's advances. The prince observes Dokja's futile struggle, seizing his chin in a firm grip.
"Hmmm, as much as I like the nice face you're making… how strange that you're conscious in the first place. I'll let you know that doesn't usually happen. Who knows, maybe we can both enjoy this, as long as you remain compliant."
Dokja pales in realization. So that's what they'd put in his food. Fixing a piercing gaze on the prince, Dokja's suspicions materialize into words.
"Was it your witch of a mother who thought to use 'White Kill' drugs on me? You're too much of a coward to think of something like this," he spat out at the prince.
Ignoring the second half of Dokja's accusation, the prince's smirk confirms Dokja's suspicions.
"Don't be too angry at us, Kim Dokja. After all, you are destined to be her son-in-law and ascend as the empress of this empire alongside me. You can have everything, even more than that precious Yoo Joonghyuk of yours could give," the prince expounds airily. He leans in to kiss Dokja, but Dokja's defiance manifests in a sharp bite to the prince's lip.
Suppressing a wince of pain, the prince asserts his control, warning Dokja of the futility of his advances.
"I caution you to cease your actions. No matter what you do, you hold no power over me."
Dokja scoffs indignantly.
"Me as your empress? Don't make me laugh. My allegiance is to Yoo Joonghyuk. Yoo Joonghyuk is my only emperor, not you, you despicable wretch,"
The prince's face wrinkles into a disgusted sneer. "Yoo Joonghyuk this, Yoo Joonghyuk that, what's the fascination with that bastard?" he mocks, his disdain evident. With a venomous glint in his eyes, he directs his gaze back at Dokja.
"Why does everyone fawn over him? His influence is built on the blood of this empire's citizens. Mother was right, he should have met his end long ago, the empire would be better off without a blight like him. We should all be thankful my rightful path to the throne is set," the prince scorns, his words dripping with resentment and envy.
"Your path? Your supposed rightful claim?" he begins, amused at the royal family's disillusionment. "There is no 'rightfully' to speak of. Everything that has blessed your miserable little life was stolen from Yoo Joonghyuk. That title rightfully belongs to him, the true heir to the crown."With a glare that pierces through the prince's facade, he continues, "So spare me your bitterness. Your fate was sealed by your own actions and your compliance with your mother, that conniving witch."
A loud smack broke through the tense atmosphere of the room as the prince's palm connected with Dokja's face. Dokja's stinking cheek bloomed a bright red, though the prince's face and neck was flushed in a similar shade.
Whether it was from anger or embarrassment, Dokja couldn't tell. The prince's nostrils flared and his jaw was clenched down tightly. Veins bulge from his neck and temple. "No matter what you do, my words shall remain true, You Highness."
The prince's grip tightens on Dokja's chin, drawing their faces into close. Dokja could feel the other man's warm breath on his face as he spoke. "You have a penchant for disobedience, but we shall remedy that once we are wed," he declares possessively. Despite the prince's words,
Dokja maintains his defiant glare, his eyes unwavering. Sensing Dokja's resistance, the prince's touch softens as he caresses Dokja's cheek, changing his approach. "Come now, there's no need to mar your beautiful face with that look. You have my word that you will be provided for and protected should you do well in serving as my empress and bearing the next heir of the empire."
"There will be no marriage between us, do you understand? If you think you'll get away with this unscathed you'd be a fool."
The prince's cackle rings with a chilling confidence, leaving Dokja bewildered by his audacity. "You think you can manipulate the situation to your advantage? No, that won't happen," The prince sniffed haughtily,
"It's no secret you seduced Joonghyuk to get into his good graces, I'm sure it won't take much work to convince everyone that you've done the same to me. How sad to think that the Underworld Duchy's precious heir is nothing but a gold digger."
Dokja stared at him, unimpressed. "Let me set the record straight—I never seduced Yoo Joonghyuk, there's no way I can seduce that bastard. Moreover, there is no scenario I would resort to seducing someone like you when Joonghyuk's charisma surpasses yours by leagues. If seduction were on my agenda, it would be him, not you. You don't even compare to the dirt he walks on." While he speaks with certainty at this moment,
Dokja harbors the knowledge that such words would never escape his lips in the presence of Joonghyuk or anyone else he holds dear, particularly Sooyoung. However, in this confrontation, he stands firm in stating the honest truth. "Plus, I have standards that far exceed someone of your caliber."
The prince's gaze lingers on Dokja, his eye giving a single twitch before he poses a question. "You truly treasure him? To the extent that you would relinquish the empress position for his sake. What is it about him that sets him apart from me in your eyes?" he asked quietly, his demeanor serious.
Surprised by the prince's change in attitude, Dokja regarded him a bit strangely. After a moment of contemplation, he offered a response. "Among the many differences between you and him, one stands out the most—he is undeniably more handsome than you."
"...."
"....."
The prince's laughter fills the room, his attitude shifting again as he abruptly ends the conversation. "That handsome face you love so much has sieged entire lands and left mountains of bodies in his wake. It's true, I cannot lay claim to territories like Yoo Joonghyuk can, I have not nearly enough power. But here, at this moment, I can mark my claim on your body."
Grabbing Dokja's wrists in a deathly grip, he leans in, licking a wet trail from Dokja's neck to his chest. Dokja recoils in disgust, his revulsion palpable as he tries to resist the prince's advances
"FUCK YOU, GET OFF!" Dokja's voice rises in a desperate cry, filled with anger as he struggles to assert control over his body, only to be met with continued obstruction. The prince paid him no mind continuing his ministrations as he saw fit. "Get off me now!" Dokja's voice cracks with raw emotion, vehemently rejecting the unwanted advances.
Expletives escape his lips in a burst of frustration, followed by a plea for the prince to cease his actions.
Each touch sent a wave of nausea rising within him. Dokja began getting dizzy from the panic threatening to overtake his mind, the edges of his vision growing dark as his consciousness threatened to give out again to get at least a superficial escape from this torture.
The prince's lips trailed ever lower and the hands on his waist tightened, goosebumps covering every patch of skin the man's hideous touch spread to.
Tears pricked the corners of his eyes. He could have avoided all of this. His hubris had made him think he could outwit the empress, that he could predict her next move and the limits of her treachery. But rather than Joonghyuk's growing power being a deterrent for her plans, it just made the empress and her clan all the more desperate to stop his rise.
And it was because of his foolishness that he would be violated, all the while his family would have no idea what had happened to him. In his darkest moment, he yearns for a savior, anyone who could rescue him from this nightmare.
As Dokja drifts into his thoughts, the prince notices his distraction. Crawling up the bed, he places his lips just above Dokja's ear, his breath making Dokja shiver with every word.
"Now now, there's no need to wallow in your pitiful self. Why don't you just close your eyes and enjoy this? There's nothing else you can do, after all."
Dokja bites his lips, his eyes darting all over the room for anything that could somehow get him out of this. A glimmer of hope sparks within him as his gaze falls upon a plant positioned near the nightstand, the memory of the forest vines that once helped him against the assassins.
He was able to get their help that time… perhaps he could do it again. With a surge of determination, he focuses on extending his control to the plant's vines, praying with every cell in his body that they would follow his will. Squeezing his eyes shut, Dokja blocks all sensations, controlling his breathing and compelling the energy flowing through him to reach outward.
"There, just like that, you're finally—"
The body pressing down on Dokja was gone, followed by a loud crash. Slowly opening his eyes, the prince had flung against the wall, the force of the collision causing spiderweb cracks across the surface. Over Dokja's body were vines that had extended from the plant, which was now deformed and tangled in a large group of vines.
The pot it had previously occupied had cracked open due to the sudden growth, its shattered remains on the floor along with the clumps of dirt.
The prince spit out a bit of blood, having bitten the inside of his cheek upon the impact. There was an ugly bruise forming on his torso due to the force of the vines, and his movements were restricted by the extent of the damage. As the prince focused on retaining the breath that was knocked out of him, Dokja wrapped himself with the vines to help stand up from the bed. Using the vines as a brace to support and puppet his movements, he felt the energy coursing through the vines seeping into his own body.
A glimmer of control returned to his body, the tips of his finger and toes twitching. The returning autonomy was slow but continuous, spreading steadily to the entirety of his limbs after a minute or so. Dokja slowly loosened to vines' support on his body, allowing him to stand, albeit unsteadily. The prince, witnessing Dokja regain his mobility, erupted in anger.
"You demonic fiend! How dare you cast your witchcraft on the crown prince of the empire!" he bellows.
Dokja scoffs bitterly at the prince's outrage. "Are you truly asking that question after using the White Kill against me?" he retorts, his tone dripping with contempt. He fixes a piercing glare on the prince, his voice taking on a chilling edge. "Perhaps I should end you here and now with these very vines."
The once pliant vines morphed had their ends into sharpened spikes aimed at the prince. The color drained from his face.
The vines lunge towards the prince. However, before they could dig themselves into the supple flesh they targeted, the door to the room slammed open, almost being ripped off its hinges. Yoo Joonghyuk stood at the entrance, his chest heaving up and down as he scanned the room, making eye contact with Kim Dokja. He couldn't even hear the protesting shouts of the empress and archduke behind him, their voices cut off as they took in the state of the room. At that moment, everyone could only stare.
-------
Flashback to Joonghyuk
The empress strolls along the halls of the palace with a bounce to her step, a melodious hum escaping her lips. Today was just perfect. The sun was out and not a cloud was in sight, its heat offset by the passing breeze every few minutes. Outside the flowers seemed to thrive today, unfurling their petals as they leaned towards the sky's light. The maids were on their best behavior, none of them having messed up a single order from her.
Right about now her son would be assisting the Underworld's heir in carrying her grandson. Hopefully the child won't inherit that brat's horrid personality, but if it came to that she would make sure to train it of them.
While it would've been preferred to completely usurp the Underworld Duchy and take their power, Yoo Joonghyuk had been getting too close to securing it for himself. This was the next best thing they could do. By seizing Kim Dokja for themselves, they'd leave Yoo Joonghyuk and the Underworld Duchy's duke and duchess in shambles, all the while ensuring her son has an heir to the throne.
A part of her is curious to see what Joonghyuk will do once he finds out. Will he come and throw a fit or will he wallow in his own misery. The empress had heard rumors about how despondent Joonghyuk had become for the year or so following his mother's death. It always felt like a shame that she hadn't been able to come to the palace just yet to see him shut down mentally, but perhaps the gods above would grant her another chance to see it if this plan worked out.
In that moment the sun's beams reached through the window and showered their warmth over her figure, as if the gods really were giving her their approval. The edge of her lips curled up at the thought.
The topic of the empire's higher gods had been on her mind for the past day or so, all due to her most recent encounter with Bihyung. He came to her in almost a daze, speaking dreamily about an old god that supposedly blessed the forest with their presence.
'Oldest Dream' is what Bihyung had referred to them as. From Bihyung's description of the god, they bore a striking resemblance to Kim Dokja. Perhaps that was the reason for his control over the forest creatures. It seemed that Kim Dokja was hiding more and more information from everyone than he was letting on… she would need to confront him about it once her son was through with him.
The empress is jolted from her thoughts by the distant but urgent voice of one of her maids. "Please, I implore you, Your Grace, refrain from entering without proper permission!"
The empress takes leisurely steps as she follows the source of the commotion. As she approaches, a scene unfolds before her eyes—a group of maids trying to block Yoo Joonghyuk's path, barely contained rage emanating from his body.
Joonghyuk's intense glare pierces through the maids valiantly attempting to stop his entry. "I didn't expect to find you here, Duke Yoo Joonghyuk," she remarked amicably, her words drawing the attention of all present as she strode purposefully towards them.
Coming face to face with him, she noted the darkening expression on his face, a clear indication of his intense animosity towards her—a sentiment she relished.
"I trust you are aware of the impropriety of entering the palace unannounced and without an invitation."
Closing the distance between them, she looked up at the duke with a warm smile, "As the former crown prince of this empire, I assume you are familiar with such protocols, Your Grace?"
"Take me to Kim Dokja."
Her frown deepening, the empress expressed confusion. "I'm afraid I don't understand your demand. Kim Dokja is not here currently, I would think the Underworld Duchy would be more knowledgeable about their heir's whereabouts," she retorted.
"Do not play this game with me," he gritted out. From his coat, Yoo Joonghyuk pulled out a letter and envelope with the royal crest on it, presenting it to her "I am well aware you summoned him here some time ago. Now, where is he?"
The empress held Joonghyuk's gaze for a moment before releasing a resigned sigh. "Well yes, Kim Dokja and I talked over brunch together, but he has since departed."
Joonghyuk dismissed the empress's claim. "Do you truly expect me to believe such a flimsy excuse? If your words held any truth, Kim Dokja would have long returned to the safety of his home by now."
"Indeed, then I suggest you direct your inquiries to the Underworld Duchy and cease troubling my staff and I," the empress retorted, her tone firm as she turned to depart. However, to her surprise, Joonghyuk remained rooted in place. Perplexed, she arched an eyebrow in confusion and questioned, "Are you not intending to leave?"
"No, if you won't forfeit his location, I'll search the palace myself. No worries, I won't get in the way of you or your attendants" Joonghyuk declared, moving towards the entrance.
Releasing an exasperated breath, the empress moved to block his path. "Enough of this, Yoo Joonghyuk! If you continue any further, I shall call upon the royal guards to escort you out for trespassing. I've tried talking this out with you peacefully, don't make me resort to force!" she warned. But under her voice there was a slight quiver. Unlike the maids, Joonghyuk caught on to it.
"Nothing will stop me with Kim Dokja involved," Joonghyuk asserted, his gaze unwavering as he locked eyes with the empress. He closed the distance between them, making the express take a nervous step back. "This is your last chance: Where is Kim Dokja?" he demanded sharply as he bore down on her with a penetrating stare.
The empress refused to back down, returning his glare with equal intensity. The two stayed like that for a moment, neither willing to relent to the other. Realizing that they had come to an impasse, Joonghyuk motioned to walk around her into the palace. He'd search every room and question every knight and attendant in this damned place if he had to.
A sudden shout from afar stopped him in his tracks.
"Your majesty! There was a loud commotion coming from your bed chambers. I fear that Dokja boy may have—"
The Archduke's panicked words were cut off by his daughter's withering glare, imploring him to shut up, but it was too late. His eyes widened as he realized that Joonghyuk was present, but before he could try to take back what he had said the duke was already rushing past everyone in the room in the direction of the empress's bedchambers.
"What the HELL did you just do!?" the empress hissed to her father. She hurried to catch up to Joonghyuk, the Archduke right on her heels.
"Yoo Joonghyuk, stop this instant, we can talk this out!" The empress tried reasoning with him.
"I will not depart until I have conducted my own search within this palace. Stand aside."
The Archduke grabbed Joonghyuk's arm, trying to restrain his movements. "You are overstepping your boundaries. Without a warrant, you have no authority to conduct such an investigation. Your disrespectful behavior towards the royal empress is unacceptable. I advise you to leave," he admonished, though there was no ignoring the panicked tone his voice took on.
It was too late for their attempts, Joonghyuk had already turned the corner to the empress's room. The empress and archduke stood a little ways away from him, terrified of what he'd do to them once he found out what they had planned for Dokja.
Joonghyuk's hand was mere inches away from the door when a loud crash could be heard from the inside of the room, the walls next to the door shaking as a few pebbles crumbled off. Fearing the worst, Joonghyuk clenched his jaw and rammed his body into the door, slamming it open.
His eyes zeroed in on Dokja, standing beside the bed half naked. A cold smile was frozen on his face as he looked down on the injured prince sitting against the wall. In front of the prince were several spikes… were those vines? Like the ones from the forest?
…What was happening?