just finished a fic about muyeong and lee chang and it made me realize that they never managed to talk about the whole betrayal thing
that muyeong died thinking that lee chang hated him for betraying him, and lee chang watched the one person he trusted the most die on his arms without clarifying that lee chang understands why he did what he did. that yes he's hurt but how can he be mad when he entirely understands the position that muyeong was pushed to.
and the timing of muyeong dying couldnt have been the worst too. lee chang just "killed" two of the important people in his life, his father and his father figure, and he badly needs muyeong's presence to ground him. for muyeong to just comfort him the same way that he does when the queen or cho hakju riles him up. to tell him its not his fault, the same way he did when lee chang hopelessly watched the people die in jiyulheon when he's too afraid to step up against the royal guards. that he doesnt have a choice but to do it, because he have to survive for joseon and its people.
but instead of comfort, he received another heartbreak. another life he couldnt save. another blood on his hands.
and he couldnt even process everything that had happened because he needs to jump to another fight. bcs all of these death would be in vain if he wont be able to bring down the haewon cho clan and eradicate the corruption that runs deep in the kingdom that is the root cause of all these disaster.
and i just know that the morning after that whole thing in hanyang would have been the hardest for lee chang. that the emptiness on his right side (that is so muyeong shaped) will be more pronounced, more felt. because that day, in the middle of the forest coated with endless white stained with red, he just didnt lost his loyal bodyguard; he lost his friend, his confidant, his brother.
