background.

[weremoon]

- dae was born the second son to the king of (name here). he has some early and fond memories of his mother, but she disappeared when he was just a boy. he was told that his mother had died.

- his childhood revolved around training instead of ruling, as ruling would naturally pass to his older brother someday. dae was a strong-willed and tempestuous boy raised around soldiers, with a talent for fighting. he also had access to education, but was interested in very little if there wasn't a sword involved somehow.

- at the age of eight, dae was engaged to baein (last name) of the largest neighboring kingdom. he was not used to being around children his own age, but he developed a case of puppy love for the other boy immediately. these feelings only grew stronger as they grew older...unfortunately daeshim is bad at expressing his feelings.

- at the age of nineteen, a small war breaks out and daeshim is to go and fight in it. he considers it little more than a skirmish. his men have better training and better weapons, so it's expected to be over quickly. he visits baein the night before he leaves for the battlefield, with a head and heart full of plans of expressing himself...physically to his fiance. however they spend the night together in other ways, still just as pleasant.

- things don't go according to plan, which is often the way of things. dae's battalion is ambushed (he later finds out that his own brother is to blame for this, as dae would return regarded as a hero and be more respected). his men are killed and he's taken prisoner. dae is held  by the enemy for three years, during which time he's tortured. but the worse is the removal of one of his fingers, and the theft of the ring that baein gave him.

- it's when the enemy thinks that they have finally broken him that dae makes his escape. he doesn't return home, but rushes to see his fiance again. baein cares for him in his own bed, but quickly confesses something that daeshim isn't ready to hear. baein was told that daeshim was dead, and while he never stopped mourning him, he had started developing feelings for an assassin named jasper.

- dae and jasper don't like each other. they try to kill each other more than once.

- dae is enraged and unleashes on bae. once he settles, he realizes that his father will demand that baein be punished if he discovers this. despite his anger and his hurt, he still harbors strong feelings for his fiance. he insists on going through with the wedding.

- the day of the wedding comes, but his groom is switched for another, a fact that daeshim doesn't discover until later. his father had found out about baein and jasper, and had manipulated the gentler boy into accepting punishment. baein, without the benefit of daeshim's training, had been sent off into another battle.

- daeshim and jasper go together to seek him out immediately. together. they hate each other, but both of them love baein, and so they're forced to rely on one another's skills and companionship in order to save him.

- they eventually find baein, but his wounds and trauma from the battlefield have left him unable to remember either of them. once he is safe in one of the assassin's hideaway, dae returns home to deal with what his father tried to do to both him and the love of his life. a fight breaks out between the two, and dae's father is left dead. at this time he also discovers that his brother has also been killed (by mysterious assassin ways, no less.) dae is the new king.

- the focus is on baein's healing for a time, during which jasper also remains. an....appreciation had started to form between the two during their search, and threatens to develop into real feelings. (it's real feelings.)

- the real wedding happens, and the two three of them live happily ever after.

- just kidding. a werewolf clan decides to expand their territory into (kingdom name). an assassination is attempted on baein, but jasper is there to take the dagger instead and dies in bae's arms. he's understandably traumatized, collapses. daeshim sits by his bedside for days until he comes around again.

- and asks for jasper. when daeshim realizes that he's blocked out their lover's death, he begins his deceit. everyone who knows the truth is ordered to carry on as if jasper's still alive. a bed for three is made, meals for three are prepared. daeshim may or may not foster this charade even more by giving his husband "painkillers" every morning.

- meanwhile daeshim is very notably Not Dealing with his grief, and that ultimately manifests the way it often has - anger. he enters the battle personally (because it's very, very personal) and kills the were alpha.

- but not before getting his stubborn ass bitten.