From the rumors he’d heard, it should’ve been harder to enter the castle. It wasn’t that the guards were necessarily bad at their job, just overly cautious, their attention quickly being redirected by a well-aimed stone on the other side of the street.

Without much time to waste, Minho picked the lock to the gate and entered the castle barrier, carefully returning the lock to its original state before slipping into the shadows of the walls.

And then it was smooth sailing. 

No one waited inside the walls to attack, no second layer of defense, no prying eyes as he strolled through the castle garden. For an impenetrable fortress, it’d been quite easy to break into.

The midnight sky provided little light, but the locks on the actual castle were even easier than those outside.

It wasn’t a grand castle by Minho’s standards. In comparison to the castles in Lausdale or Goni, it was rather small, but the halls inside seemed to stretch on as they branched off in different directions.

The hallways were lit by dim candles, guards making their silent rounds through the hallways as he crept through them, hugging against walls and behind pillars to avoid being seen.

His source told him the brooch he was looking for would be in the queen’s personal collection, so he followed his memorized map of the castle layout towards the royal quarters. 

Minho noticed the number of guards began to thin until he reached a hallway strangely void of them. It was one of the two royal son’s chambers, Minho wasn’t sure which as he hadn’t cared to dig up that much information, but it was peculiar how it seemed to be completely unguarded. The hallway was stuffier as well, like a maid hadn’t dusted it in ages.

No longer sneaking around guards, Minho moved faster, allowing his footsteps to briefly rise in volume. 

But suddenly, breaking the quiet air of the empty hallway, a door at the end opened, Minho quickly diving behind one of the pillars to hide himself as footsteps exited the room.

“Who’s there?” The voice was quiet, speaking just above a whisper. It was demanding despite the volume of the voice, with no trace of fear or concern in it. He almost sounded annoyed.

Minho risked peeking his head just far enough out from behind the pillar to catch a glance at who spoke. From what he could tell it was likely the younger prince based on height.

It was clear the prince was adamant about getting an answer, remaining unmoving in the hallway as he waited for a reply.

Clearing his throat, Minho took a risk. “Just doing my rounds, your highness.”

He waited for a minute, listening for a reply or something to signal the prince had returned to his room. Nothing came.

Right before Minho went to peek around the pillar, wanting to know if the prince had gone, the boy was suddenly beside him. Face now clear in view, Minho could identify it to be the younger prince, Jisung.

Minho choked down a noise of surprise, hand quickly moving to the knife at his hip. The boy in front of him raised his hands in an almost calm surrender as if to show he wasn’t planning on grabbing him, and it shouldn’t have placated Minho as much as it did. 

“Are you here to steal or kill?” The prince’s voice was calm, mirroring the look on his face. He phrased the question casually, as if it wasn’t the first time he’d asked it.

“I’m here to retrieve something that was stolen from my mother,” Minho doesn’t know why he replies, why he doesn’t simply knock the prince out and make a run for it. Clearly, he isn’t satisfied with the answer though, gesturing for Minho to continue. “A brooch, it was taken a long time ago.”

Jisung paused for a moment, face impassive as he looked Minho over. Then simply replied, “You’re going the wrong way.”

The younger didn't wait for Minho to process what he said, simply moving down the corridor away from his own room. Now that he had the time to take in the prince, Minho recognized the boy was not dressed for sleeping.

“What do you mean I’m going the wrong way?” Minho kept his voice low and his footsteps light as he caught up to the prince, not wanting to alert guards of his presence.

“If it was stolen and given to her by my father then it won’t be in her room.” Jisung pauses at the mouth of the hallway, sticking his head out to look around before continuing out. “She doesn’t like my father’s taste in jewelry. Tosses all of his presents in a storage closet in the west wing.”

Minho doesn’t hold back a scoff, looking at Jisung in disbelief. “And why should I trust you of all people to help me?”

“You’re following me, aren’t you?” Minho realizes he hasn’t actually tried to walk away, still following the prince through the halls.

“Sure, but why would you help me?” Minho quickly shuts up as the prince stops moving, raising a quiet finger to his lips as if to shush Minho.

Then he hears the footsteps. Jisung tugs Minho into a doorway, the pair listening for the footsteps to pass.

Once silence returns to the hallway, Jisung continues on his path. “All I care is that you aren’t here to murder me. I could care less about my mother, let alone her brooch collection. Plus this is much more entertaining than my original plans for the evening.”

Minho notices the emphasis the prince puts on his lack of care for his mother.

“You don’t seem to like it here,” The only response Minho receives is a shrug. “Why don’t you just leave then?”

“I’m a prince. I live in a castle with a giant bedroom. I get free clothes and free meals. I have no obligations other than to smile and look pretty.” He briefly looks at Minho before bringing them down another hallway. “It may be boring as shit and I hate it with every fiber of my being, but there’s never been anything intriguing enough to leave behind the luxuries handed to me.

It sounds like it should be snobbish, but Minho can’t blame him. Had he been born into a family where he was waited on hand and foot, he probably wouldn’t leave without reason either.

They arrive at a storage closet and it’s so anticlimactic Minho thinks the prince is joking. That is until he opens the door and reveals the three walls of the small closet to be covered in jeweled brooches.

It only takes a moment to spot the familiar blue jewel adorning the front of the brooch, the design so familiar it’s like his eyes are magnetized to it. But before he can reach for it, the sound of shouting fills his ears.

He can hear the faint voices as they echo through the hallway, a man with a gruff voice in the distance yelling, “There’s someone in the castle!”

Panic washes through him, and then suddenly there are two hands on his back gently pushing him. 

It takes him a moment to realize he’s being pushed into the closet in front of him, suddenly whirling around to face the prince. “Grab what you’re looking for and stay quiet. I’ll be right back.”

And then the door shuts in front of him.

Minho stands for a moment simply staring at the door, wondering why on earth he’s still trusting the boy when it’d be so easy for him to lead the guards to where he’s cornered. 

Regaining some of his composure, Minho turns around. Using the small crack of light from the bottom of the closet, he locates the brooch again and tucks it into the pouch on his waist.

He presses his ear to the door, listening for the guards or even the prince. He can hear it then, when the prince begins to shout, “I heard someone run past my door, I think he’s headed to the king’s quarters!”

There isn’t a response from the guards, but suddenly all the footsteps grow quieter, running deeper into the castle and away from the west wing.

It’s only a moment later that the prince returns to the closet, opening it and quickly grabbing Minho’s arm.

“Quick, that’ll only redirect them for so long.” Jisung doesn’t wait for Minho to reply, dragging him down another set of hallways. “There’s a back door in the kitchen. Once you get outside, head two-hundred paces straight from the door. There’ll be a hole in the ground that goes under the castle walls.”

They continue down another hallway, Jisung pushing them through a set of doors and cutting across what appears to be a sitting room. There’s an almost deranged smile on the prince’s face, and Minho has to force down the thought that it’s kind of cute.

“The hole is a bit of a squeeze but the guards don’t know it’s there. I can’t help you much once you’re inside the city,” Jisung brings them through another set of doors, Minho realizing the new room to be the kitchen. “Avoid the streets and the alleys to the east, that’s where the guards will sweep first. Get to the southern exit and run towards the forest as fast as you can, there’s the most coverage in the woods to the south.”

They make it to the back door Jisung had referenced, the prince pulling the door open for him. 

Minho doesn’t know why he stops, doesn’t know why he’s done a single thing he’s done so far, but the prince was yet to fail him. So he stops for just a second and turns to him, offering an adrenaline-filled smile and letting out a breathless, “Thank you.”

And then he runs. 

The kitchen door closes behind him, and it’s almost exactly two hundred paces later that he finds the hole in the ground.

A guard has spotted him by the time he’s halfway through the hole, but that’s more than plenty of time for him to slip the rest of the way through, darting into the first alley outside of the walls.

Shouting guards and armored footsteps follow behind him, but Minho knows this part well. He knows the chase, knows how to slip between alleys with someone hot on his trail.

He takes Jisung’s advice, avoiding the eastern half of the city and heading towards the southern exit. 

An arrow whips past his head, and Minho picks up his pace as he approaches the city’s edge. There are two guards blocking the archway out of the capital, swords drawn and prepared for a fight. But one is shaky in his stance, and the throwing knife Minho lodges in his partner’s head is enough to scare him off and clear the exit. 

Minho continues out of the city, guards still close behind him as an arrow hits his left arm. He doesn’t pause when he rips it out, utilizing the adrenaline pumping through him to ignore it for the time being.

It’s when hoof steps join the guards behind him, quickly gaining on him as he sprints, that Minho’s hope of making it out begins to slip.

But when he turns to check behind him, the horse isn’t riding with the guards, instead coming from the west side of the castle. In the short glance he gives to the rider, he recognizes he isn’t wearing the armored uniform that the other guards are.

It’s only another moment or two after his attention has returned to sprinting toward the forest that the cloaked rider approaches him. 

“Come on,” Minho only needs a moment to recognize the voice and the hand that stretches out to him. 

He doesn’t have time to hesitate, to ask questions, to think about anything other than the guards that are gaining on him and the outstretched hand.

The prince is deceptively strong, tugging him up high enough for Minho to catch his foot in the empty stirrup and pull himself onto the animal. The moment Minho has mounted the horse and grabbed onto Jisung’s waist for balance, the younger speeds up and darts into the woods.

“I thought your lavish lifestyle was too good to leave behind,” Minho holds onto Jisung a little tighter as they begin to dip between trees, avoiding the arrows being shot at them.

“I told you there’s never been anything intriguing enough for me to leave,” They jump over a fallen tree before cutting to the left. “You though, you’re intriguing.”

The sound of more shouts and horses accompanying the guards behind them echoes through the forest, more arrows zipping past them.

Minho feels the corners of his mouth tug at the comment. “You don’t even know my name.”

They wind through a thicker grove of trees. Jisung’s voice is still steady when he speaks, an almost mischievous tone replacing his previous impassive one. “Care to enlighten me?”

“Lee Minho,” Their direction changes again. “Pleasure to meet you.”

Minho can hear the short chuckle that escapes the prince's mouth before they turn again, suddenly coming to a halt behind a thick line of trees. Minho doesn’t speak, the hand Jisuung raises keeps him silent.

And then the army of guards rushes past them, men on horses and on foot darting through the woods in the direction they’d been heading in.

When the last guard has passed, Jisung calmly turns them around and begins in the opposite direction they’d been headed.

“Which direction are we even facing?” Minho asks, still keeping his voice low. The aching pain in his left arm suddenly returns, no longer needing to hold on to Jisung to keep his balance.

“South, I lead them in a giant circle. We’re not far from the main road out of Ousteria,” Jisung turns his head towards Minho when the elder winces. “You okay?”

Minho takes a moment to clutch at his arm, aware of the hot blood under his hand. “Got shot in the city, nothing too bad I’ll be fine for now. Can you get us to the crossroad for Vlyecourt and The Lowlands?”

Jisung only offers an affirmative hum in return, glancing one more time over his shoulder at Minho’s arm before picking up their pace again. 

The crossroad between the capital city and the two neighboring towns doesn’t take long to reach, and when they find it, Minho quickly dismounts to find the bag he’d stashed in a nearby bush that morning.

He pulls some of the bandages from his bag, sitting down to attempt wrapping it himself. It doesn’t take Jisung long before he’s giggling at Minho’s struggle, coming up to him and gesturing to let him help.

When the bandage is secured and Minho has his things, Jisung asks him, “Do you want the horse? I’ll be fine on foot.”

“Huh?” Minho looks at him, not understanding the younger’s intention. 

“I mean, you seem like the kind of guy who tends to work alone,” Jisung shrugged. “Plus, I assumed you didn’t want to be traveling with a runaway prince.”

Jisung wasn’t wrong. Minho hadn’t traveled with someone else in a long time, and his status as a prince would likely offer more of a hassle than the possibility of good company.

But for some strange reason, the idea of splitting with the boy felt wrong. The prince had helped him for no reason, had helped him steal something from his own castle, had helped him escape from the capital, and helped with his injury.

“You know this kingdom better than I do,” Minho shouldn’t do this. Shouldn’t open this door. He should take the damn horse and go. “I wouldn’t mind you navigating if you’d be willing to join.”

The offer alone seems to light up his entire face, and Minho realizes he’d pay actual money to see that smile again. There’s a glint in the prince’s eyes as well, but Minho can’t find a name for it.

“Are you sure?” The warm smile has morphed into something closer to a grin when he asks the question, but Minho lets it slide, simply nodding his head.

Jisung takes Minho’s bag from him, strapping it to the saddle on the opposite side from his own. 

Noticing the exhaustion in Jisung’s eyes, Minho mounts the horse first, pulling Jisung up with his good arm before leading them down the road toward Vlyecourt. 

“Are we stopping in Vlyecourt?” Jisung’s voice cutting off with a yawn.

“I wasn’t planning on it. Was going to head straight through to Blaindare,” Minho spoke as he veered off the path, following the road from the woods for more cover.

Jisung offered a nod, clearly wanting sleep.

“You sound tired, rest a little and I’ll wake you up when we near town.” Minho doesn’t leave room for argument, though Jisung seems too tired to try.

Jisung doesn’t say anything else, resting his head against Minho’s back until his breaths even out. Minho waits until he’s sure the prince is asleep before gently bringing the younger’s arms around his waist, to keep him from falling off , that’s all.

The warmth in the midnight air is a nice addition. Maybe having some company won’t be so bad. 

-

The sky had only just started lighting with the traces of dawn when the town came into view. Minho had passed Blaindare on his trip to the capital, having intended on stopping at the town on his way back and not wanting locals to recognize him.

It was one of the smaller villages in Abrin, a good pit stop for essentials but much too close to the capital for someone like Minho to linger in for too long.

Jisung, still comfortably asleep against Minho’s back, wasn’t easy to wake up.

“Hey,” Minho tried quietly at first, though they were still a distance away from the village that it wouldn’t matter. He shook the prince’s arm lightly. “Hey, princess, time to wake up.”

Finally, Minho shook his shoulder, jostling the boy enough for his head to slide off, jerking him awake rather unceremoniously.

“Hm?” Jisung’s voice was groggy from the hours of sleep, groaning as he lifted his arms to stretch. “Fuck, not to sound like a privileged asshole but I don’t remember the last time I slept on something other than my bed.”

Minho simply laughed at the younger’s comment, feeling as he returned his head to his shoulder. “We’re about five minutes from Blaindare, you probably want to put your hood on.”

“How long have I been asleep?” Jisung sounded more awake, voice still gruff from rest but less of a slur to his words. 

“I’d say five, maybe six hours. We left the city an hour or so past midnight, and I’d say it’s nearing seven,” Minho wasn’t sure why Jisung needed the time, but then suddenly the boy was pulling his cloak off.

When asked what he was doing, Jisung told them to stop for a minute, ushering Minho off the horse. 

“They probably haven’t even noticed I’m gone yet. Even if they have, Blaindare wouldn’t have received word yet,” Jisung explained, “If I pass through, the guards won’t ask for identification, and then we don’t need to worry about them getting a description of your face.”

For a moment Minho wants to ask how they wouldn’t have noticed the prince disappearing yet, but something in Jisung’s eyes tells him not to question it.

“Come on, Blaindare is an early riser town,” Jisung remounted the horse, offering a hand so Minho didn’t have to climb on with his injured arm. “We can be in and out of here in less than an hour since everything is likely open already.”

Jisung turned in the saddle, facing Minho briefly to tug the hood of the cloak over his head before returning his attention to guiding them into the village.

The village isn’t swarming with guards, unlike Vlyecourt which had a surrounded perimeter when they’d passed. It was filled with townspeople though, none of which paused to bow after recognizing the prince. There’s something odd in the air, almost tense as more and more people recognize him.

They pass a handful of guards, none of which stop them once identifying the prince. 

It isn’t until they reach a small bakery that one of the armored men approaches them, Jisung briefly reaching into his pocket to pull out more than enough money and gesturing towards the bakery.

Minho takes the hint, sliding off the horse beside the prince before slipping into the shop. He can hear Jisung behind him greeting the guard just before the door of the bakery swings shut.

The room smells fantastic, with freshly baked bread and pastries being put onto displays and bagged. 

The woman at the counter has a smile as warm as the bread around her, and when Minho hands her the handful of coins, she returns with nearly double the amount Minho had requested.

She hands him a basket; four sandwiches, a loaf of bread, and a handful of pastries he can’t begin to identify filling the wicker. There's a flap over the basket that she closes once Minho has examined, and when he begins to argue that there’s more than he’d ordered, she only offers a smile and a wink in return.

Jisung is waiting for him when he slips back out of the bakery, a smug smile gracing his lips as Minho notices the guard gone from sight.

“What on earth did you tell him?” Minho is smiling too though, Jisung quickly peeking into the basket Minho carries and smiling at the array of treats.

He mounts the horse again, offering a hand to take the basket from Minho before helping pull the elder up. When Jisung begins to explain, his voice is heavy with sarcasm Minho can’t place, “Just that I’m visiting a friend in The Lowlands, told him I wanted to take a pitstop at my favorite bakery on the way.”

Jisung begins leading them out of the village towards the west, speaking a little quieter to avoid being heard by prying ears. “I’m assuming we’re traveling towards the southern edge of the kingdom. If so I was going to take us out through the western road first and then cut through the forest towards Forsumir.”

“Throw them off while we head south?” Minho can’t deny himself a smirk, he didn’t think the prince was necessarily stupid, but the strategic misdirection wasn’t something he’d expected.

They make it out of the village easily, traveling just far enough down the road to dip into the forest unseen.

“We probably want to find a clearing somewhere halfway between here and Forsumir,” Jisung picks up their pace a little as they venture deeper into the woods, “The distance from here and the town is maybe a day and a half, and we should give Tug a break from traveling.”

Jisung accompanies his words with a gentle pat to the horse’s neck, and Minho can’t help but giggle a little. “You named your horse Tug?”

“What? He tugged a lot when he was a colt!” Jisung almost sounds offended, and Minho can’t help but giggle a little harder, resisting the overwhelming thought that Jisung getting defensive over his horse’s name was cute .

They weave between trees and over footpaths with such ease it’s as though the prince has the whole kingdom memorized. Minho doesn’t comment on it, but he rests his head on Jisung’s shoulder as they go, watching him steer them through the most odd combinations of twists and turns.

It’s like no time passes at all, conversations floating between the two of them seamlessly before falling into comfortable silences as they travel. They pause once to eat one of the sandwiches from the bakery before quickly continuing their hunt for a place to rest.

Minho only notices how late it’s gotten when the sky begins to bleed pinks and oranges, and with the remainder of their daylight, they find a small clearing to settle in.

“Alright princess, you think you can survive another night without your bed?” Minho snickers at the barely-there tint of Jisung’s cheeks, something he would’ve missed if it’d been a little darker.

“God you’re annoying,” Jisung sets himself on the ground, grabbing a pastry from the basket to snack on. “Yes, I’ll be fine.”

They settle into silence for a while, eating the remainder of the sandwiches from the bakery for their dinners before settling into the grass. It’s been a while since Minho stopped long enough to simply look at the sky, not rush to get a few hours of sleep before continuing his travels.

The summer air is comfortable, cool enough to not overheat but plenty warm so that Minho doesn’t find himself longing for a blanket.

Jisung breaks the silence with a question, quiet enough Minho would’ve missed it had he not been right beside the other. “I know we’re heading south, but where exactly do you plan on heading?”

“South towards Forsumir and then west from there to Adorar,” He walks through the mental map in his head. “Then through the mountains and out of Abrin, to Fallwell’s northernmost town on the other side of Mount Wyan.”

For a moment Jisung is silent, then quietly, “I can get you to Adorar pretty easily, I used to visit it pretty frequently. I’d ride out there more often to see the mountains if it wasn’t so far from Ousteria.”

Minho doesn’t bring up the fact that’s likely where his journey with the prince will end. He’d only asked the other to navigate through Abrin, and once they reach the mountains dividing the kingdom with Fallwell, there would be no reason for Jisung to continue with him.

Minho chooses to ignore the way that makes his stomach feel strange.

They don’t speak for the rest of the night, Jisung falling asleep not long after that, and Minho letting exhaustion from the sleepless days take over.

- 

They don’t arrive in Forsumir until sunset the next day, rounding the village to leave Tug by a southern pasture near a trough of water and some hay.

Forsumir is larger than Blaindare, the kingdom’s lumber coming mainly from the bustling town. Jisung takes the cloak from Minho this time, knowing by now that word has made it to the town.

The inn they find is nice, Jisung easily pays a night's rent before the pair find the room they’d purchased. It isn’t fancy by any means, with a bathroom and a pair of small beds, but it’s plenty for them to settle in for the night.

“I’ll go down to the pub we passed on our way in, grab us some dinner.” The two had only eaten the pastries from the bakery in the morning, and by the way Jisung eagerly nods, he knows the boy is just as hungry as he is.

He takes enough money to buy dinner before leaving, finding the pub easily.

It’s filled to the brim with men who’d worked in the lumber yard all day, music from a far corner of the building playing above the chatter. The scent of sweat and ale is strong upon entering, and Minho’s thankful his harsh gaze is enough for patrons not to question his presence.

The barkeep is a bearded man, stomping behind the bar as he fills and refills cups and orders. He finds Minho after a minute, patiently waiting until the man is done with his tasks.

“Now what’s a pretty boy like you doing here?” The older man sneers, eyes raking over Minho’s deceptively frail form.

“Two grilled steaks and two baked potatoes please.” Minho doesn’t offer room for further conversation, zoning out whatever jab the bartender makes at him when he walks away. 

The bar is loud, the drunk men surrounding him seeming to only grow in volume as they’re riled up more by their coworkers or friends. But the men beside Minho are the loudest, words piercing through Minho’s unfocused attention.

“Heard the prince is missing?” Minho doesn’t have to turn his head to hear the smirk in the man’s voice.

The man on the other side lets out a laugh, his response, “Good thing it is don’t you think? I bet the king is jumping for joy at the thought of the brat being gone, they probably won’t look for him long.”

Another chorus of laughter is shared between the two. When Minho’s food is dropped in front of him in a sack, food wrapped in parchment inside, he drops the coins into the barkeep's hand and tears from the bar.

The unfamiliar feeling of white-hot anger appears, he doesn’t understand it. He knows he’s upset to hear such snide comments be made about the kind boy he’s traveled with the past two days, but he hasn’t even known him for a week. Minho’s emotions stay tightly sealed in his chest, something as simple as a drunk conversation shouldn’t make him angry.

For some reason though, Minho finds himself fighting off the urge to go back and beat the two men until they’re blue. He knows he could do it.

He reminds himself of the food in his hand and the hungry Jisung waiting back at the inn, continuing down the road and back to their room.

Inside, Minho finds the prince happily curled up in his bed. He looks warm, hair fluffy and a little damp from washing it, clad in his fresh and likely only pair of pajamas, a blanket pulled around him, and his face tucked into a book he probably found on the nightstand.

At the sound of the door, his head shoots up. The anger that had bubbled up inside Minho dying a little at the wide eyes on the boy’s face.

Jisung notices the crease between his eyebrows though, asking a small, “Minho, what’s wrong?”

Minho waves him off, setting the food down on the bed beside Jisung before disappearing into the bathroom with his change of clothes.

He doesn’t take long, returning feeling a little calmer. Jisung still looks at him with curiosity though, clearly unsatisfied with the answer the elder had provided him with before disappearing into the bathroom. Wordlessly, Minho sits beside him with fresh bandages and lets the younger rewrap the wound in his arm.

Minho takes in a deep breath, settling down on the end of Jisung’s bed with his portion of the food in front of him. He eats quickly, knowing Jisung is waiting for him to finish so he can receive an explanation.

“Just some drunkards at the bar don’t worry about it,” Jisung is still looking at him though, so Minho caves. He balls up the parchment, before taking a breath and looking at Jisung, “What does everyone in this country have against you?”

It only takes a second for Jisung’s face to fall, resigning himself to something.

“I’m useless to the kingdom,” Jisung takes a deep breath and lets his eyes settle on his hands, “I’m the youngest son. My father’s crown will go to my brother first, and then in the case of something happening, it will go to my elder cousin second. My parents refuse to form alliances, they think it’s a sign of weakness if a nation is unable to rule alone. So in turn, my hand in marriage means nothing for the country either.”

The laugh Jisung lets out is humorless.“My brother’s diplomatic staff was decided ages ago, and at the time I was a loudmouth child in desperate need of his parent’s attention. Because I was always acting out, they deemed me unfit to hold any sort of political power.”

Jisung is cracking at the seams, Minho can hear it in the way the younger’s voice starts to shake as he speaks.

“The castle staff hated me because of it. I was useless to the kingdom, unwanted by my parents, and still had everything handed to me. I didn’t have to work, didn’t have to pay for anything, just as long as I stayed out of my parents' way. The staff made sure I was aware of the privilege I had, how easy I had it, how grateful I should be.”

“You knew I wasn’t castle staff the moment you heard me in the hallway,” Small pieces begin to click into place as Jisung nods.

“They don’t like me much, haven’t had a guard patrol that hallway for a long time. Let alone have someone call me Your Highness without my parents present.”

It’s there, looking at the boy sitting in front of him, that Minho realizes something. Jisung has never been treated like more than a child his entire life, never as a person with feelings and opinions, and certainly not like the prince he was born as.

Minho doesn’t realize the words coming out of his mouth until he’s spoken them, “You’ve never been truly cared for, have you?”

The tears brimming in Jisung’s eyes are the last straw, Minho moves from the end of the bed and close enough to pull Jisung into his chest. The moment he wraps his arms around the boy, a sob rips through the younger.

They sit there for a moment, Minho holding him as close as he can, feeling every tremble and shake that ripples through the boy. It’s not something he’s used to, rarely one to handle his own or other’s emotions well. It suddenly feels intuitive and it’s strange how easy it is.

“I don’t-” Jisung’s words are interrupted with a sob, “I don’t know what I’m doing.” He heaves in air, pushing it out with another cry. “I’ve been trying to get out of that castle for as long as I can remember, but I don’t know where to go from here.”

Minho drags his fingers through the soft hair on the younger’s head, taking exaggerated breaths until the boy begins to mimic them. 

He knows what Jisung means. He knows that the younger doesn’t have a single plan past when they make it to Adorar. And so he waits, waits until the sobs turn into hiccups and sniffles. And then he pulls Jisung away from his chest.

The boy looks terrified, but Minho gently takes his face in his hands, and asks, “Come with me to Fallwell, see if there’s a place out there you want to settle in or just keep traveling with me.”

Jisung’s eyes are glassy and wide, there’s a feeling in Minho’s chest that if he moves too fast the boy will break. This is all so wrong, Minho doesn’t travel with people, he shouldn’t be this attached to the younger already.

Jisung blinks once, blinks twice, tears slipping from his eyes that Minho quickly brushes away with his thumbs. And then he asks in such a small voice Minho thinks his heart may break in half, “Really?”

Minho only nods, and then the boy is curling back into him again. 

They sit like that for a few minutes until Minho’s back begins to ache. Carefully he brings Jisung into an upright position, bringing him back to the pillows and moving to tug the cover over him. 

Before he can though, a hand reaches out to grab his wrist, Jisung’s eyes finding Minho’s as he says, “Stay, please.”

And Minho can’t deny him, not when the boy looks so fragile, not when his voice is so pleading. Minho ignores the voice in the back of his head that tells him he wouldn’t deny the boy no matter what he looked or sounded like.

He briefly steps away to turn the light out, returning and slipping in beside Jisung in his bed. The prince doesn’t waste a second, wrapping himself around the older, pressing his face to Minho's chest. 

Neither fall asleep for a while, Minho dragging his fingers through Jisung’s hair again, listening to uneven breaths slowly find their rhythm again.

Even when Jisusng does fall asleep, Minho waits. He waits for Jisung’s hold on his shirt to slacken, for the noise of the town to settle.

He’s never traveled very far with someone else. Certainly not as far as he’s suggesting traveling with Jisung, but something about it feels right. Something about the way the prince molds himself to Minho’s side and his warmth overpowers Minho’s usual chill, just feels right .

-

Minho doesn’t rest for long, the distant sound of orders being shouted and too many footsteps for the late hour waking him. He gently detaches a still sleeping Jisung from where the boy had wrapped himself around the elder and moved towards the window.

As he feared, royal guards swarmed the streets below. 

“Hey,” Minho keeps his voice quiet, moving hurriedly to the boy’s side to shake him awake. “Shove everything in your bag, there’s guards outside.”

The prince doesn’t waste a second, shoving the few clothes he has and tugging his boots on. Minho mirrors his actions, taking a moment to hurriedly put the belt containing his knife and a jacket on. 

Jisung ties the purple cloak over his shoulders before tugging its hood on, following Minho as they slip silently from the inn.

The guards are everywhere, and the pair find themselves ducking between unfamiliar alleys, trying to inch towards the edge of town.

They take another turn and realize they’ve reached a dead end. Minho checks around the mouth of the alley to find a guard entering the street. 

He doesn’t hesitate, shoving his bag into Jisung’s arms before whispering, “Make a run for the pasture as soon as the street is empty.”

Jisung tries to ask Minho what he’s doing, reaching out to grab at Minho’s arm and pull him back from the view of the guard, but Minho dodges his outstretched hand and slips onto the road when the guard’s head turns for a moment. 

“Good evening sir, what’s all the commotion about?” Minho approaches the guard slowly as he speaks, keeping his hands in view to avoid raising the guard’s suspicion. 

“We received word from a townsperson that the missing prince and his kidnapper stopped by the town,” The guard wastes no time approaching Minho, giving him a glance over before deeming him safe enough to stand near. “Would you happen to have any identification on you?”

Minho wants to smirk at the trusting mannerisms of the guard, knowing that if Jisnug hadn’t been watching from the shadow of the alley, he’d likely taken the guard out the moment he was within arms reach. 

Wanting to make a show out of it, Minho pats down his jacket before sheepishly smiling at the man, “I forgot my papers in my rush out the door.”

“Ah, I see,” The guard’s eyes narrow fractionally, enough to tell Minho he’s gaining suspicion. “Would you mind walking me to your house so I can look those over?”

It was the opening Minho had been looking for, quickly directing the guard away from the street to allow Jisung to slip out of the town. He doesn’t plan to take the guard far, being fairly close to the edge of town and wanting to make a run for it as soon as possible.

When he’d stepped out of the alley, his intention had been to lead the guard away from Jisung and then knock him unconscious. 

Then the guard opens his mouth. 

“I don’t know why we’re even looking for the prince,” The guard barely speaks ten words and Minho’s blood begins to boil . “Something about not showing weakness in Abrin, but I doubt the people would care if they let this one slide.”

Minho summons all his restraint not to slit the guard's throat as they turn onto an empty street, but then the man keeps talking, “They should’ve let those bandits keep the kid the first time he was kidnapped. It’s always such a waste of time looking for him.”

That’s all it takes. Minho’s vision turns red, and in one fluid motion, his knife is out of its hilt and slicing cleanly across the guard’s throat.

He should stop there. The man is incapacitated and he needs to run now that he has the opening, but there’s too much overflowing rage. It isn’t often that Minho lets his emotions get the best of him, but for a moment all he finds himself doing is bringing the knife repeatedly into the man’s chest.

The sound of footsteps and the clinking of armor nearing the edge of the street snaps him back into reality. 

He stands from where he’d collapsed to the ground beside the man, hastily storing his knife back on his belt before darting into an alley and beginning the remainder of the journey towards the edge of town.

He can hear the shouting of guards as they find the bloodied body of the guard, but the sounds fade into the distance as he sprints.

Jisung isn’t very deep into the woods when he finds him, the cloaked boy having just finished strapping their bags to Tug when he turns to face Minho.

“Is that yours?” Jisung’s eyes widen as he stares down at Minho’s shirt, panic filling the boy’s eyes.

Confused, Minho glances down at his shirt, realizing the splattering of blood coating his previously white sleep shirt. Realizing the implication, he quickly reassures Jisung, “No, no it isn’t mine. But we need to go.”

The prince doesn’t argue with him. The reassurance that the blood isn’t his own seems to be enough to calm the storm in his eyes. 

Jisung hurriedly mounts Tug, offering a hand to pull Minho up before darting off into the woods. 

It’s hard to read the prince from the back of his head, Minho can’t tell how he was reacting to the blood and the implications of it, and for some reason, Minho is terrified of what the younger is thinking.

The pace they ride at as they travel through the woods is too fast for Minho to not hold on to Jisung in some way, but rather than properly grip onto him, Minho grips the edge of the saddle behind him. Something in his head chants at him to give the boy as much space as he can.

The sudden concoction of worry and adrenaline in his stomach settles the moment Jisung reaches a hand behind him to grab onto Minho’s arm with an almost annoyed huff, pulling the elder forward and wrapping his arms around him to keep him more securely on the horse. 

They slow as they travel through trees and the sun grows closer and closer to peaking over the horizon, they don’t speak. 

No guards had followed them out of Forsumir, the last Minho heard from them having been the shouts before he ducked into the woods. They still don’t speak, neither prompting conversation until long after the sun has risen.

Jisung is quiet when he does speak, their pace having slowed to a walk as they near the edge of the forest. “What happened?”

Minho’s grip on the boy had lightened considerably once their pace had lessened, but he still found himself unable to let go completely. 

“I killed him.” The words are heavy on Minho’s tongue. They never have been, it’s never been something Minho has been ashamed of or shied away from, but for some reason the thought of Jisung knowing that he took someone’s life is terrifying. For some reason, Jisung’s opinion of him has become important, too important.

The prince is quiet, and it takes a moment for Minho to realize he doesn’t plan on saying anything, like he’s content with the answer and they can move on.

“I need you to know something now before you decide to come with me.” Jisung once again doesn’t say anything, but Minho can tell he’s listening by the small nod he offers. “Breaking into the castle and stealing something wasn’t a one-off. It’s been a while since I’ve done that sort of thing for personal gain, but it certainly wasn’t the first nor will it be the last time it happens.”

“People have been hiring me out for jobs of that kind since I was fifteen. Usually, it’s stealing, sometimes it’s finding out information, and occasionally it’s killing.” Minho only finds the confidence in continuing since Jisung has yet to show any signs of discomfort. “I don’t take the job lightly, I don’t take any joy in doing it, but it pays well and I don’t plan on stopping.” 

He’s about to reassure the younger that if he’d like for them to part ways now he will, but Jisung finally says, “I understand.”

And Minho’s train of thought comes to a screeching halt. Jisung doesn’t give him time to recollect himself.

“You do what you have to to survive in this world. I may have been sheltered to some degree, given I never had the resources to experience the world,” Jisung’s voice is steady, not an ounce of dishonesty in his words. “But there’s a reason I didn’t call for anyone when I found you in the hallway.”

“You were far from the first thief I caught in the castle, you were just the first to make it out successfully. I know that most people didn’t get everything handed to them like I did. Hell, I know plenty got everything taken away,” Jisung offers a glance over his shoulder, and the look on his face makes it seem like he’s steadying himself. “You have this intimidating outer shell, and yet the scariest part about you so far is how much I trust you.”

It makes sense for Jisung to be so scared of the trust he’s putting in Minho, to Minho’s knowledge Jisung’s never had the luxury of trusting anyone. 

There aren’t words Minho can think of to reply, his mind catching up on the exhaustion his adrenaline had been burying. But he offers a gentle squeeze to the waist his arms are wrapped around, leaning into the boy in front of him.

For a while it’s quiet, finally exiting from the forest and into the plains of grass separating them from the hills ahead. 

The hills in front of them aren’t large, Adorar lying in the valley between them and the mountain range separating Abrin from Fallwell. But the distance between them and the hills isn’t short, and the likelihood of them making it to the small village before sunset is low.

“You know,” Jisung’s words breach the silence, “I’ve only left the kingdom once. I don’t even remember it very well, I think I was nine.”

Minho doesn’t need Jisung to continue, he knows the story, he remembers when it happened. But he nods along, encouraging the prince to continue. “I was taken, kidnapped by a group of men from a neighboring kingdom during the war, I think it was Rinshire. I was held there for three days before my father showed up to negotiate me out. They brought me home to Ousteria, showed me off to the people that their young prince was safe, and then they locked me in my room.”

He can feel the way Jisung’s breath grows shakier as he talks, holding him a little tighter against his chest. 

“They punished me for being taken. Told me I should’ve been more careful, should’ve remembered to lock my window, or at least tried to fight back. I,” Jisung pauses, taking in a deep breath to steady himself. “I was still young. I used to think the punishments my parents would dish out to me were deserved, still trusted their word. But after that, I couldn’t. Stopped trusting anyone, even the people I should’ve.”

“I think that’s why you scare me so much,” Jisung’s voice is steadier when he continues, but Minho refuses to loosen his hold. “At first I was being reckless, I wasn’t thinking about much other than the opportunity to leave the castle. But there wasn’t an excuse after that, there was no reason I should’ve trusted you enough to follow you as far as I have.”

Something about Minho feels compelled to tell Jisung something. Anything. To offer up a piece of himself, open up the walls he keeps so tightly closed. “I grew up in Abrin.”

“Really?” Jisung sounds surprised, but there’s a layer of relief laced in his tone as though he’s grateful to relieve the spotlight from himself.

“I lived with my mother in Bramukork, the Abrin village that used to be in the Otlos Mountains.” Minho notices the change in Jisung’s body language the moment the words come out of his mouth.    

He waits, and Jisung replies with the question, “How old were you?”

“Fourteen. We heard the guards before we saw them,” The sound was something that still haunted him, hearing the shouts as the guards came closer. “My mom hid me in our cellar, covered the entrance, and then swore to the guards her son was dead.”

“I don’t think I’ll forget that night until the day I die. It was muffled from the cellar, but I could hear everything,” Jisung doesn’t push for him to continue, but he does. There’s still something urging him to open this door to Jisung, to share with him a secret he hasn’t told in years. “I saw the bodies after the guards left with the men. The mountains were always cold at night but I stayed with my mom until the sun rose. I noticed the missing brooch in the daylight, the only valuable thing she ever owned.”

Retrieving the blue pin from his pocket, Minho hooked his chin over Jisung’s shoulder, examining it for the first time since he’d claimed it back. “I was so angry. They murdered my village, they murdered my mother, and then they took the only thing that ever held any physical significance to her.”

Jisung didn’t reply, gently taking the brooch into his hand and examining it, gently rubbing over the jewel in the center before turning it over to look at the pin on the back.

“I fled Abrin after that, continued north into the mountains until I reached Lausdale. I jumped around for a year or so, and then I was offered my first job.” Jisung returns the brooch to Minho’s hands, waiting patiently for the elder to slip it back into his pouch before grabbing Minho’s hand to hold onto loosely.

“I’m glad you came back to get it,” The crack in Jisung’s voice is what alerts Minho to the tears finding their way down the younger's cheek. “I wish my parents weren’t such terrible people.”

Minho doesn’t trust his voice, but he squeezes Jisunug’s hand and returns his other to securely wrapped around his waist.

Minho understands the fear Jisung feels in trusting him. Because he’s scared too. He’s terrified of the warmth thawing out his insides, hot and almost scalding when the boy smiles, when his laugh reverberates against Minho’s chest.

He knows from how Jisung reacted that the prince isn’t scared of Minho. But this urge inside himself scares Minho. This knowing voice in the back of his head saying he would do anything to keep the boy safe. Anything. 

There’s a protective fire burning in his stomach, one he doesn’t think he knows how to extinguish. But for some reason, Minho doesn’t want it to go out. 

-

By the time they’d come in view of the village, the sun had set and the mountain trails were dark. They stopped on a small cliff overlooking the town, deciding to rest there for the night.

For the first time during their journey together, they fall asleep silently. There’s no banter that slowly trails off into the evening air or admissions of secrets that’d previously been tightly locked in their chests.

It’s an understanding quiet. In all the chaos of the previous days, the silence is welcomed.

They don’t waste any time the following morning, Jisung quickly rewraps the bandage on Minho’s arm before the older departs. Minho travels through Adorar to gather supplies for their journey into Fallwell.

Despite their early departure, the town is awake when he arrives, and the people buzz with chatter and gossip about the missing prince. It takes everything in him to tune out the words, though he comes close to losing his hold on himself at particularly nasty sneers.

Minho met Jisung on the far edge of Adorar, the younger having brought Tug down the hill from where they’d made camp.

“Alright, we’ll take a side trail through the mountains. It’s going to take us a bit longer and it definitely won’t be as safe,” Minho mounted the horse before Jisung, “The moment we cross the border we’ll jump back on the main road though.”

It’s only a moment later that Jisung is behind Minho, laughing as he says, “You gonna protect me from all the scary mountain men?”

“Definitely not. I think I’ll just throw you at them and run…” Minho smiles when Jisung shoves his shoulder, letting out an offended ‘ Hey! ’ before they begin towards the base of the mountains.

“Seriously though, until we cross the border and can continue down the main road, I need you to listen to me.” Hearing Minho’s genuine tone, he nods. “There are going to be people we come across who after recognizing you will want to do a lot worse than simply turn you in. I promise they won’t lay a hand on you but I’ll need you to do what I say.”

There’s not a bone in Minho’s body that doubts his own words, but when Jisung whispers, “I trust you.” His confidence in himself is doubled.

They begin the trip through the base of the mountain with light chatter, not deep enough into the valley to be concerned.

It doesn’t take long for Minho to notice the first sign of people. An extinguished torch shoved beneath a bush, fresh footprints, the smell of raw meat.

“Hood.” Minho’s command is met with immediate action, Jisung’s attention already having been on the older when the conversation had dwindled out. The boy pulls his hood on quickly before returning his arms around Minho’s waist.

The following minutes are quiet, but there are eyes somewhere, following the pair as they move.

It’s not much longer before a man appears on the trail ahead of them, a poorly concealed weapon behind his back.

“Now what do we have here?” The man’s voice is gruff, but his position is relaxed and the footprints that had been showing up weren’t the same type of shoe. The man wasn’t alone.

“We have nothing to offer you, sir,” Minho sits a little taller as he speaks, allowing Jisung to hide behind his back more. “Just going through the valley, we’ll be out of your hair in a moment. I just need to get past.”

The man lets out a laugh before revealing the very dull sword Minho knew he’d been holding. “I’m afraid there’s a toll to get past these parts. Just a little food, maybe a loaf of bread or an apple.”

Before Minho could answer, Jisung squeezed his waist gently, whispering, “The tree to the left of the trail.”

Minho didn’t need any more than that, he could see the very subtle movement of the leaves in his peripheral despite there being no breeze. The man in front of them smiled disgustingly sweetly, showing off gaping holes where teeth should be.

“Once again sir,” Minho carefully pulled one of his throwing knives from its pouch at his side, “We truly have nothing to offer.”

“Ah, such a shame. I wanted to play nice-” Minho doesn’t wait for the man to finish, revealing the throwing knife and throwing it into the branches somewhat blindly. The shout of the man in the tree falling to the ground is confirmation enough.

The man in front of them suddenly seized up, body stiffening as Minho continued to stare at him. “You were saying?”

There isn’t a reply from the man, a name is shouted as he runs to his injured friend, and Minho decides not to wait around longer than they need to.

Jisung leaves his hood up as they continue through the valley, their conversations dwindling significantly after the first encounter along the trail. They don’t stop entirely though, Jisung listening intently as Minho tells him stories as various things along the way remind him of different events.

They continue through the valley until the sun starts dipping lower in the sky. Minho tells Jisung how they don’t want to wait until sunset to find a place to rest for the night, and they begin to veer off the trail in search of something protected.

“I don’t love it but this is likely our safest bet for the night,” Minho comments on the small alcove in the mountain they’d found. Not really a cave but deeper than a dent in the stone. 

“We should eat and then you rest a little,” Jisung says as he pulls out some of the bread they’d packed, continuing before Minho can protest. “I can sleep on the trail, you can’t. If I get tired I’ll wake you up, don’t worry.”

Minho doesn’t want to agree, but he’s exhausted and there’s a determination in Jisung that he worries he won’t be able to win out against. “Fine, but the moment you hear absolutely anything, you tell me. Even if it’s a squirrel or a strong breeze, if you hear anything that sounds slightly out of place you wake me up. Okay?”

“Deal. Now eat,” Jisung passes him a piece of the bread before eating some himself, settling on the hard ground and patting the space beside him for Minho to sit. “So, what’s in Fallwell?”

“A few things,” Minho swallows his bread, taking a sip of water before continuing. “First stop will be Bellbarrow, the mining town just on the other side of the mountains. I’ve got a job waiting for me once I get there.”

Jisung nods, finishing his own bread and taking the water from Minho to wash it down. “And after that?”

“We’ll find out in Bellbarrow.” Minho shrugs, laying back on the ground with his back beneath his head. “My bets are on Avrinyth, but it’s wherever I’m needed next. Whenever you want to settle down somewhere is up to you, but I’ve got to keep moving with the kind of job I have.”

“What even is your job?” Jisung turns to look at Minho, finding the elder’s eyes almost closed, though they close completely as he smirks.

“If the price is right, I’ll be whatever you want me to be, princess.” Jisung scoffs at the comment, hitting Minho’s shoulder, but Minho only laughs in return.

As the sun begins to set, Minho’s breath evens out and the exhaustion slowly sinks in.

It’s a few hours later he’s woken up by a light nudge from Jisung, the prince whispering about what sounded like an animal moving in a bush. Minho smiles to himself at how literally Jisung took him when he told the younger to wake him up at anything, and he quickly falls back asleep once the noise has been identified as a small fox.

The sun wakes him up second, and beside him, he finds a very sleepy but still conscious Jisung. The two don’t speak much as they share an apple, trying to save their food for the still-long journey ahead.

Jisung is asleep nearly the moment Tug takes the first step, and Minho simply pulls the boy’s arms a little tighter around his waist and adjusts the hood on his head to protect him from recognition and the hot sun that is beginning to rise.

Traveling with a sleeping Jisung is significantly quieter, which despite allowing Minho to focus on the sounds surrounding them, is a little mundane.

Their first full day in the valley is peaceful, and the only encounter they have along the way is a family heading in the opposite direction, warning them of a camp of bandits ahead and giving Minho enough time to route them around the site entirely. 

They settle in an actual cave on their second night, something that comforts Minho greatly to be more protected, especially when light rain begins to fall outside.

Two days pass, routine the same as they wind through the valley. Jisung proves surprisingly helpful during encounters with various travelers, helping Minho notice additional people along the sides of the trail or creating diversions when things cut a little close.

It’s an encounter with a group of men on their fourth day that shakes Minho more than he’d care to admit.

Jisung had taken his hood off when they’d entered a shadier area of the valley, complaining of the heat it trapped against his neck. Minho didn’t notice the signs fast enough, and before he knew it they were surrounded on all four sides.

“Now what’s a prince doing somewhere like here?” The word was spit from the man’s mouth like it was bitter on his tongue. 

The man who spoke was to their right, holding a sword, as well as the one in front of them. To their left was a beefier man, clearly holding himself like he was the weapon. Minho couldn't see what the fourth had, but he could hear the shuffle of his feet and was fairly sure it was another sword.

“That’s none of your concern,” Minho’s words were sharp like he’d drawn a sword as well. He couldn’t actually reach for any of his weapons at the moment, too many eyes at different angles. 

“I think it’s plenty our concern,” The man in front of them spoke, “Especially when he’s such a pretty one. Worth a lot, you know? The pretty ones always are.”

Nausea rolled in Minho’s stomach, not only at the implication of the man’s words, but at the thought of his dwindling options. Jisung seemed to be nervous as well if the fidgeting of his hands was any tell.

“We’ll let you on your merry way if you just hand him over,” The man on the right spoke again. “You can keep the horse and everything.”

That same feeling overcame him again, the one he couldn't seem to get rid of. But before he had time to act on it, Jisung’s hand was suddenly pulling away from his waist. For a moment he thought the younger was being moved unwillingly, until he saw the knife from his belt fly past his face and into the throat of the man in front of them.

There was no hesitation when Jisung clicked, quickly tapping Tug with his foot before the horse darted off.

Behind them Minho could hear the men begin shouting, but nothing mattered. He silently directed them through the forest, continuing forward for a while before veering off into another cave to hide in. 

As soon as they found themselves still, Minho pulled Jisung off Tug and didn’t wait to pull the younger to his chest in a tight hug. Jisung’s body shaking when he clutches onto Minho, and it confirms to him that it was likely the first time the prince had ever done something like that to someone.

“He-” Jisung hiccups, Minho didn’t even realize he was crying. “They were all looking at me like…”

“You’re okay now, it’s okay.” Minho ran his hand through the boy's hair, letting him clutch onto him for dear life. 

They stand there for a few minutes, silence wrapping around them aside from Jisung’s occasional sniffles. They don’t move until suddenly Jisung rips away from Minho, moving to Tug to grab something out of his bag.

Jisung turns back around holding fresh bandages, motioning for Minho to sit on the ground with him. Minho doesn’t argue, recognizing the look in Jisung’s eyes desperate for a distraction.

“I feel like I should feel guilty,” Jisung’s voice is suddenly a lot calmer, his hands still shaking as he removes the old bandage from Minho’s arm. “But I…”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Minho looks at the concentration in Jisung’s eyes as the boy focuses on cleaning the dried blood from Minho’s arm. “They intended to hurt you, and you protected yourself.”

Jisung looks up from where he finishes wrapping the bandage, tying it off before leaning into Minho’s chest. His breathing is still shaky but the panic mostly gone from his demeanor.

“Only a few more days till we reach the border,” Minho’s hand returns to Jisung’s hair, a location that has quickly become one of his favorites. “Once we reach it we can get on the main road where we’ll be a lot safer.”

Jisung doesn’t respond verbally, nodding his head against Minho’s chest before sitting up again.

“Let’s call it a night here,” It’s the first time Jisung makes a call like that, but Minho has no reason to argue, so he doesn’t. “I’m tired.”

They settle for the night, and in comparison the following days are calm. Every set of bandits or robbers they come across aren’t as scary, and Jisung seems to almost grow bored of them as he helps Minho find holes in their ambushes to slip away. 

A week into the trip through the mountains, the pair reach the border, marked by the river cutting through the mountain range. 

“Who knew the second time I left the kingdom would be another kidnapping?” Jisung jokes to Minho as they cross a shallow bit of the river.

“I didn’t kidnap you.” Minho rolls his eyes as he focuses on leading Tug through the water and avoiding the deeper sections of the river bed. “If anything you kidnapped me, princess.”

“Hey, I just said another kidnapping, I didn’t specify it was my own.” Minho elbows Jisung, the other comically howling in pain. “What grudge do you have against using my name?”

They reach the other end of the river, Minho directing them towards the large bridge signaling the location of the main road. “Where’s the fun in that, hm?”

Jisung lets out an annoyed groan, whining to Minho until the elder tells him to be quiet as they slip onto the road. 

There aren’t any other travelers or guards at the section they cut into, but Minho forces Jisung to return his hood to head. When he begins to complain about it, Minho simply reminds him that they aren’t far enough from Abrin yet for guards to be against turning him in.

They continue for a few hours in silence, stopping at one of the actual campsites along the road for the night.

It takes them three more days on the main road, but without as strong a threat of bandits and ambushes, the two continue along more relaxed. The louder side of Jisung returns the closer they get to the city. 

It’s after a particularly bad joke of Minho’s that Jisung followed up with some of the loudest laughter he’d ever heard out of the prince, that Minho admits something.

Maybe. Just maybe. He’s starting to like Jisung. Maybe a little too much.

-

Bellbarrow is bustling with people by the time they reach the edge of the village. The town is significantly larger than that of Abrin’s smaller cities, and Jisung looks around in wonder as they descend further into the streets.

“Keep your head down,” Minho mumbles, receiving an annoyed grunt from Jisung as he tears his eyes away from the sight of the city. “Even if word hasn’t spread to here by now, it’d still be odd to see the prince of one of the most protected kingdoms just strolling through a foreign city unguarded.”

“I’m guarded!” Jisung’s head remains down but Minho can hear the pout.

They pass a miner on the road, the pair briefly pausing their conversation. Minho continues once the man is far enough away, “I don’t count as a guard, princess.”

“This is arguably the most protection I’ve had my entire life, Minho.” Jisung leans forward, pressing his head to Minho’s back in defeat as he lets the argument go.

As they enter the thicker part of the city, more people begin to flood the streets. Minho leads them down a back alley before exiting out on another street a few blocks down, cutting back behind a large pub.

They tie up Tug aside two other horses, ones Minho sees often but can never remember the names of. He instructs Jisung to keep his head down, offering his arm to guide the younger as they move back out onto the street.

The pub is buzzing with patrons, the late afternoon drawing more in as time passes. Two men move around at the bar, still seeming fairly relaxed before the evening rush begins.

It’s only a moment before the blond man looks up and towards the door to see who has walked in when he spots Minho. His eyes widen briefly before he turns to the other barkeep, muttering something before waving Minho towards the back door.

Minho pulls Jisung along, following the bartender through the door and up a set of stairs. The door at the top is already open, revealing a small living space. Minho gently lets go of Jisung’s arm as he closes the door behind him

“Minho, what happened?” Chan’s voice is worried but it borders on anger as he turns to face the other. “First you say you plan to break into Abrinage Palace, alone . Then you promise to be back in less than a fortnight and you come back nearly four weeks later!”

For a moment Minho plans to explain himself but he can tell Chan isn’t done, the elder’s voice softening when he continues, “We thought something happened, Minho. Thought you were dead.”

“Well, I’m not. I’m perfectly fine, I got the brooch, and…” Minho takes a deep breath, noticing the way Chan’s eyes flit to Jisung’s still-cloaked form. Jisung seems to feel the eyes on him, briefly looking at Minho before pulling his hood down and facing Chan. “Had to take a few detours along the way.”

“Oh my God, you kidnapped a prince?” Chan whispers his shout, moving towards Jisung to inspect the boy.

Jisung rolls his eyes, finally speaking up. “He didn’t kidnap me, I left by my own accord.”

“Alright, as much as I would love to hear how all of this happened,” Chan returns his attention to Minho, pointing his finger at the other before continuing, “You promised me a favor before you left, and I’ve got a job that’s been waiting since.”

Minho nods, remembering the deal he’d made with the older man when he said he’d be leaving for personal reasons for a few weeks. Chan makes his way back out the door, leaving the two alone for a moment.

When Minho looks at Jisung again, the boy’s eyes are wide. He lets out a quiet, “You’re leaving?”

“I won’t be long, maybe a day or two. Chan may be mad at me but he knows I've been traveling for a bit and need some rest,” The reassurance does nothing to ease the panic in Jisung’s eyes. “I don’t want to leave but I made a deal and I need to honor that. I trust these men with my life, and that isn’t something I say lightly. You’ll be safe while I’m gone and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Jisung seems to calm down a little at this, though it feels almost like he’s resigning himself to it when he gives a small nod. 

Minho quickly remembers that Jisung hadn’t left Abrin before, that Minho was the only person he’d ever trusted this much. Of course, the younger was scared to be left alone in an unfamiliar city. 

It only takes a second before Minho tugs Jisung forward, the younger not wasting any time in wrapping his arms around Minho.

“You promise you won’t be long?” Jisung’s words are muffled against Minho’s shoulder.

“Of course,” Minho’s hand finds its way into Jisung’s hair again, “You’ll like Channie and Bin, won’t even notice I’m gone.”

The smile he receives from Jisung is more genuine, and it gives Minho the strength to ruffle the younger’s hair before detaching and slipping from the room. 

Downstairs the pub has increased in patrons, the last drops of sunlight trickling through the windows as the volume inside grows. Chan has returned to his place behind the bar, talking to Changbin as they make drinks and take orders.

Minho slides into a seat near the edge of the bar, offering a quiet thanks to Changbin when a drink is sat down in front of him wordlessly.

After the majority of the customers have been served their drinks, Chan takes the lull in shouted orders to walk over to Minho, leaning his elbows on the bar in front of him.

“So, a prince?” Chan’s smirk is relaxed, and though Minho rolls his eyes, he’s happy to see the tense demeanor gone from his friend. “I’m kidding, Min. Though I don’t think I’ve seen you that protective over anyone other than yourself in a while.”

“You said you’ve got a job lined up for me?” Minho skirts around the topic, knowing he can comfortably avoid the conversation for another few days, maybe longer if he pushes it.

Chan sighs, noticing the way Minho avoids answering, but decides against commenting on it. “Easy intel job. There’s word of some old faces floating around Fallwell and we just want a few confirmed names. Simple stuff, how you get the information is up to you.”

Minho nods along, noting the town name Chan gives him and a few descriptions of people to question. 

“Are you alright with Jisung staying with you until I get back?” Minho doubted Chan would say no, but he was still worried to hear the other’s answer. Chan doesn’t hesitate though when he nods, a smile gracing his lips.

“I’ll make sure he’s safe until you get back,” Minho thanks Chan, but before he can leave, the elder stops him. “Don’t be too long though. I don’t mind you resting here for a bit, but I get the sense he doesn’t want you gone for too long.”

Minho doesn’t respond, neither confirming nor denying Chan’s statement. He offers a final smile to the other, waving to Changbin as he leaves.

The town is only half a day’s travel on foot, and with the newfound determination to make it back, Minho moves at a pace much faster than his usual leisure stroll.

It’s a small village he’s only visited a few times, not frequently enough to be recognized by any means, and it’s not hard to find the people matching the descriptions Chan had provided him with.

Intel jobs were always the easiest for Minho, never struggling in talking or seducing his way into getting information, but they weren’t his favorite by far. People were smart with their information, and sometimes it took more than Minho was willing to give.

In the end, it takes two days to get a decent list of names for Chan, but Minho leaves satisfied. 

The trip home was slower than he’d liked. On his return to Bellbarrow, Minho’s eye caught on a bounty poster displaying the information about the missing prince and the reward for his safe return and the catching of his kidnapper. He took the paper down and shoved it in his pocket, but for the remainder of his trip, he moved more warily down the road.

Bellbarrow was mostly quiet upon his return, a few drunkards wandering the road in an attempt to make it home before dawn, but Minho headed straight for the pub.

Changbin stood behind the bar, wiping it down with a rag, as Chan and Jisung chatted on the chairs in front of him nursing what was likely Chan’s favorite rum. As soon as the door opened, three pairs of eyes turned to face him.

“You’re back!” Jisung cheered, setting his glass down before racing over to the older, slamming into him with a hug.

Minho tried not to redden as Chan and Changbin watched the interaction, but he quickly caved as he brought a hand to Jisung’s head. “Sorry I’m a little late, I know I promised only a couple of days.”

Jisung detaches himself from the other after a moment, moving back to the bar and returning to his seat as Minho pulls the piece of paper from his pocket.

“You’d think I stole a crown jewel with a bounty like that,” Chan and Jisung examine the paper before spinning it around to let Changbin read.

Chan laughs at Minho’s comment before looking at him, “Well you did steal a prince.”

“Yeah, but it’s not like I stole the crown prince,” Minho holds back laughter at the dramatically offended expression Jisung pulls.

“Low blow, Lee. Low blow,” Jisung tries to keep up the facade, but Minho smiles, bringing his hand back up to the younger’s head to scratch at his scalp. “I assume we’re going to have to be a bit more careful now though.”

Minho hums, looking at the poster one more time.

Jisung only lasts a few more minutes chatting before his yawns are more frequent than his actual voice, and he bids the trio a goodnight before disappearing upstairs.

“How’d the job go?” Changbin asks, sliding over a liquor Minho doesn’t question before downing. “That bad?”

“Wasn’t bad,” Minho grabs the other note in his pocket containing the list of names Chan had requested, handing it to the man before continuing. “I just don’t like resorting to certain things when it comes to these kinds of people.”

The pair nod before taking sips of their own drinks. Chan is the first to break the silence, “He’s really sweet, Min. He didn’t say anything really about what happened, but it’s clear he trusts you a lot.”

Minho smiles at the observation. “He’s an enigma, that’s for sure.”

The three talk for a while longer before the exhaustion takes over and Minho turns in for the night, moving upstairs to finally take a bath and put on clean clothes.

It’s after scarfing down the plate of leftovers Chan had mentioned, that someone joins him in the kitchen. He turns around and the sound of the floorboards creaking, only to find a sleepy Jisung standing in the doorway.

“Will you…” Jisung’s words trail off, but for some reason, Minho knows what he's asking. He simply nods, following Jisung back to the room he was sleeping in.

“Chan and Changbin are nice,” Jisung tugs Minho onto the bed with him, pulling the blanket over the pair before burying his face into Minho’s chest. “Missed you though. Was getting worried but Chan told me you probably had to take a long way back to be safe.”

Minho hums, wrapping his arms around Jisung. “If you want to stay here Chan would be happy to have you, you know?”

“They were nice but,” Jisung lifts his head to look up at the other. “As long as you're okay with me coming with you…”

 “Of course, princess.” Minho smiles to himself as Jisung groans, burying himself back into the warmth of the other. “We can rest here for a few days though. It’s probably best we keep you off the streets for a bit longer, at least until the buzz dies down a bit.”

Jisung’s response is interrupted by a yawn, and Minho giggles at the noise. His hand returns to Jisung’s head, moving gently through his hair as the prince mumbles out a goodnight, and he continues after the boy’s breath evens out and his body grows heavy.

They rest for nearly a week, remaining in the pub as Abrin guards move through the city scouring for the missing boy.

Eventually though, they need to continue moving after Chan lines up another job for him in the capital. Chan meets them at the backdoor of the pub, handing over a small stack of bills as payment for the job he’d completed, an envelope, and a small parcel.

“The package is for Felix,” Chan smiles, “You mentioned earlier you’d be passing through Avrinyth on your way to Baradoa. I was hoping you’d deliver it for me…”

“So I’m your new delivery boy, hm?” Minho’s question is met with a sheepish smile before he turns his attention to the envelope. “I’m assuming the information on the next job is in here?”

Chan nods, “It’s vague, they didn’t want the details written out, but you should get paid on-site so you won’t need to come back here. If you’re looking for a little extra though then stay a few nights in Avrinyth, I think the bakery may have a request you could fulfill for them.”

With their things packed, Chan and Changbin offer a last goodbye, and they exit out the backdoor. Before they finish strapping all their bags back onto Tug, Minho offers one more time for Jisung to stay, and receives a very adamant decline.

Jisung complains as he returns his hood to its place over his head, but the two laugh as they exit back onto the street, continuing towards the south exit of the village.

-

The journey from Bellbarrow to Avrinyth isn’t long, though they spot a handful more missing posters for the prince and end up taking a detour off the main road. In all they arrive in the village before nightfall, moving through still lively streets.

When they come to a stop, it’s outside a small shop that appears to be closed.

“Is this place even open?” Jisung’s voice is a whisper despite no one else occupying the surrounding street.

“No,” Minho climbs off Tug, tying the horse to a water trough before approaching the door. Jisung scrambles off the horse as well as Minho gathers their belongings from where they were strapped to the saddle. “But they’re home. Don’t worry.”

Rather than wait for Jisung to reply or ask his next question, Minho loudly begins to bang on the door, not pausing for even a second until the door flies open. On the other side stands a clearly annoyed man, his face only appearing even angrier as he identifies who’s in front of him.

“Minho.” The man looks as though he’s prepared to punch the other in the face, but Minho offers a bright smile in return.

“Seungmin! Wonderful to see you as always,” Minho offers a bright smile that seems to dampen the other’s mood even further. “Hope I’m not interrupting. I was wondering if I could borrow a bed for a few nights.”

It’s clear the other is about to decline when he notices the figure behind him. “Are you asking me to not only give you board in my own home but also house a stowaway?”

Minho turns to look at Jisung behind him, the prince looking at Minho with wide eyes that the elder has to resist looking at for too long. “It would seem so!”

Seungmin looks as though he’s about to decline again when suddenly a voice shouts from behind him, “Minho?”

“Felix!” The freckled boy suddenly appears beside Seungmin, pushing the other out of the way to tackle Minho in a hug. “You’ll let us stay a few nights, won’t you? Here, even got a package from Channie for you.”

Without any argument Felix quickly ushers the two inside, taking the package from Minho’s hands. “My chocolate! Bin promised me some good Lausdale chocolate ages ago.”

“Bribery won’t work forever, Minho!” Seungmin’s voice carries from the door as he closes it.

“It’s gotten me this far, hasn’t it?” Minho doesn't need to turn around to hear the annoyance vibrating off the boy, instead turning a smug smile at Jisung before leading the boy to one of the bakery’s tables.

Felix quickly returns from where he’d dropped the package off in the back, sitting down across from them at the table. “Now who’s the friend… Hang on. You’re…”

“Jisung,” The prince happily sticks his hand out across the table, waiting patiently for Felix to return the handshake. His cheeks lift with a smile the moment the other boy grabs his hand. 

“Oh my god, not only are you expecting us to keep a stowaway in our home, you’re expecting us to hide the missing prince of Abrin.” Seungmin practically collapses into the chair beside Felix. “Wonderful to meet you Jisung, I presume you’re very kind. But why did you have to come with him? ”

“I had no choice in this, he kidnapped me.” Minho deadpans, keeping his face as close to serious as he can. Rather than defend himself, Jisung laughs at the accusation. “We’ll only be here a few days, though. Chan said that I could help with something while I’m here.”

Despite his previously cold demeanor towards the other, Seungmin seems to soften at his request. “We can talk about that tomorrow. For now let’s get you settled for the night.”

Neither argue, Minho letting Felix and Seungmin lead Jisung further into the bakery before slipping out the front to bring Tug to the stable behind the store.

He’s just finished closing the small gate to the pen when he hears hushed voices from the alley beside the bakery. He can’t catch everything the people say, but he hears enough to understand their intentions and decides to walk back to the bakery through the alley.

In the narrow crevice between the buildings, two men lean against the wall as they talk, pausing their conversation as Minho rounds the corner.

At first, the two seem unbothered by Minho’s presence, but as he walks past them, the taller of the two makes a lunge for him. It’s not difficult for Minho to dodge, taking a wide step forward so the man jumps into the wall of the other building. 

“Woah, careful there. Uneven ground, you’ve got to watch where you step,” Minho drops his smile before he turns around, feigning concern as he faces the two.

“That wasn’t very nice,” The shorter of the two men makes a move towards Minho, only for his friend to grab his sleeve, pointing towards the small knife Minho fiddles with in his hand. “Oh shit.”

Neither waits for long, quickly darting out of the alley and down the street, but Minho is satisfied enough to return to the bakery, locking the shop’s door behind him before ducking into the back.

Inside he finds Jisung being spoiled with pastries as Felix moves around the kitchen, the prince’s cheeks stuffed full with what looks to be a slice of cake. Minho fights the urge to comment on the younger’s likeness to a squirrel, smiling instead at the pure joy on the boy’s face.

“Ah, Minho you’re back!” Felix glances over his shoulder before returning it to where it was shoved inside a cabinet. “I was just telling Jisung how I could help him dye his hair so he can blend in a bit more, maybe throw people off with the change in description from his missing person’s poster.”

Mouth still full, Jisung nods excitedly, looking at Minho like he’s asking for permission. “Whatever you want, princess.”

Jisung finally swallows the piece of cake, beginning to cheer with Felix about the possibilities. 

Before Minho can melt into the floor with the adorable look in Jisung’s eyes, he moves through the door deeper into the pair’s living space.

Seungmin moves between rooms with armfuls of blankets, Minho slipping into the spare bedroom behind him as the other notices his presence. “Are you alright with the floor?”

Rather than tell the younger that Jisung will likely force him to share the bed, Minho simply nods, knowing Seungmin would tease him for it. 

“There were some guys out in the alley I passed on my way back from the stable, tried jumping me as I went by.” Seungmin doesn’t face him, but Minho can see the way he freezes. “Do they have anything to do with what Chan was mentioning?”

Setting the blankets down on the bed beside him, Seungmin drops himself on the mattress, “Word has been spreading that the bakery is covering for something. We think someone recognized Chan when he came by a few weeks ago and started a rumor, but it’s brought on some unwanted customers.”

“Ah,” Minho moves to sit beside the other on the bed. “What can I do to help?”

“If you’d be willing to hang around the bakery and scare off the guys that come by that’d be great. There’s no point in convincing them we don’t have anything fishy going on, since there’s plenty of incriminating things that happen in this building,” Seungmin rubs a hand over his face. “But if you could help scare them off for a bit, that’d be great.”

Minho smiles at the request, knowing it’s difficult for Seungmin to ask him of all people for help. “Of course. We can help around the bakery while we’re here as well. I bet Jisung would love to learn some recipes from Lix.”

“How did you get yourself kidnapped by a prince?” Seungmin’s tone returns to its false annoyance.

“Jisung should tell you, I think he’s a much better storyteller.” Minho smiles as Seungmin rolls his eyes, hearing the pair of boys moving down the hallway as Seungmin stands up to leave. “Thank you, by the way. We’ll be out of your hair in a few days, I promise.”

The other doesn’t reply before Jisung opens the door, looking even sleepier than he had in the kitchen.

Seungmin quickly bids the two goodnight, Jisung wasting no time to collapse onto the bed, legs thrown over Minho’s lap as he flops down. “‘M tired.”

“Yeah?” Minho laughs at the way the boy’s voice comes muffled from its palace buried in the pillow. “Well you’ve been traveling all day in these clothes so go change and then you can sleep.”

After an annoyed groan, Jisung rolls out of the bed and out of the room. Minho takes the chance to quickly change his clothes as well, grabbing the blanket still folded at the end of the mattress and spreading it out.

Jisung returns similarly to how he’d originally entered, flopping back into the mattress, tugging the blanket over him this time.

The younger watches as Minho moves towards the blankets laid out on the floor before letting out a whiny, “No, c’mere. I’ll be cold alone.”

“Cold, hm?” Minho asks, though he still climbs under the blanket beside Jisung, allowing the boy to wrap around him as soon as he’s settled. “You warm now, princess?”

Jisung’s response is a pleasant hum as he buries himself further into Minho’s arms. 

“Hey Minho?” Jisung’s voice is a whisper, but it sounds loud against the quiet of the room. “Where are we going?”

The question makes Minho realize he never shared the details of the letter Chan had given him. “I’ve got one more job in Baradoa, but after that we’ll stop in Stoweport. I haven’t been home in a while and I’ve got enough saved up to take a short break.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with me coming with you?” Jisung props his chin up on Minho’s chest to look at the other, and Minho’s hand seems to move on its own as he begins threading it through the younger’s hair.

Is he okay with Jisung coming with him? He’s never traveled this far with anyone, but something about Jisung has made him want to so far. “Of course I am.” Minho brushes Jisung’s hair from his forehead. “But if you like it here or in Baradoa, tell me. I’ll help you get settled wherever you decide to stay.”

Jisung only nods before curling back around Minho. “Thank you. For everything, Minho.”

“Sleep well.” Minho continues his movement of scratching the other’s head, waiting until his breathing has evened out before he relaxes enough to let his eyes droop closed.

The sun is yet to rise when the bakery comes to life, Minho waking up to the sounds of Seungmin and Felix talking in the kitchen. Jisung still remains fast asleep when Minho slips from the bed, tugging the blanket higher on the boy’s shoulders.

Sweet pastry scent fills the hallways, growing stronger as Minho approaches the door into the bakery kitchen, finding the pair of boys hard at work pulling things from the oven and kneading dough.

“Good morning!” Felix chirps, lifting a tray from its place on a cooling rack and exiting the kitchen into the bakery. Despite being in the other room, Felix continues, “Would you mind helping set these out?”

Minho follows the boy’s voice into the bakery, passing Felix as he re-enters the kitchen. It’s far from the first time Minho has been tasked with helping prepare the bakery for its morning rush, and he quickly begins placing the loaves of bread in the baskets by the counter.

“Thank you,” Felix returns from the kitchen, replacing the now empty tray with a full one. “Jisung still sleeping?”

“No,” The boys both jump at the voice, turning to find Jisung in the door of the kitchen trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. “I was rudely awoken when Minho got up.”

“Wouldn’t have woken you up if you’d let me sleep on the floor.” Minho begins unloading the second tray as Felix enters back into the kitchen, Jisung quickly follows behind the other but not before Minho can catch the red color spreading on his cheeks.

The morning is mostly quiet for Minho, unloading various pastries and baked goods. He can hear quiet giggles in the kitchen as Felix seems to instruct Jisung in various recipes.

Seungmin eventually comes out of the kitchen, moving towards the front of the bakery as the sun begins peeking through the windows. He unlocks the door before returning inside to find Minho finishing off the last tray Felix had handed him.

“Shouldn’t have to worry about any trouble coming by until midday,” Seungmin moves around the counter, “I wouldn’t mind-”

A loud crash in the kitchen cuts Seungmin off, both Minho and Seungmin rushing into the backroom to see what happened.

For a moment, they couldn’t see anything. A big cloud of flour still settling to the ground as the two boys by the oven coughed and swatted their hands. It takes a minute, but the flour clears from the air, and all that’s left is Felix and Jisung covered in the white powder.

Jisung turns to the two who’d just entered the kitchen with a sheepish smile, and Minho doesn’t even notice the fond smile stretching across his lips until Jisung turns back to Felix.

“What on earth did you do?” Seungmin sounds amused despite the way he tries to sound scolding, and the three listen as Jisung quickly rolls out an explanation.

Rather than grow angry as it seems the prince expects them to, Felix bursts out into loud laughter, and from beside him, Minho can see Seungmin resisting giggles as he presses the back of his hand to his mouth. 

Someone enters the bakery and Seungmin quickly slips away, Felix waving off Jisung’s multitude of apologies. “Minho, can you help him find a change of clothes? I can clean this up.

“Sure,” Minho has to shove down his own laughter when Jisung’s wide eyes turn back to him. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

Jisung apologizes to Felix one more time before Minho ushers him through the back door.

“That was so stupid, I should’ve looked at where the opening in the bag was.” Jisung’s voice is dripping with guilt as they move towards the bathroom. 

“It’s okay,” Minho grabs a rag from beside the sink, wetting it before making Jisung face him. “I don’t think I can count on one hand how many times I’ve seen Felix do the same thing, and he owns the place.”

Minho gently wipes the flour from Jisung’s face, noticing the way the pout has yet to leave the boy’s face, his eyes carefully trained on the floor as Minho works the rag over his cheeks.

“Hey, princess,” Minho gently lifts Jisung’s face so the younger is forced to look at him. Minho uses every ounce of his focus to look as gentle as possible. “No one is mad, I promise. Would it make you feel better to know that the first time Felix tried to teach me to bake I nearly burnt the whole place down because I forgot I put cookies in the oven?”

Jisung mouth slowly unfurls from its pout as he giggles, and Minho thinks he’s going to pass out with the way his heart jumps at the sound of the quiet laughter. 

Jisung doesn’t give him long to think about it before he responds, “Yeah, I guess that makes me feel a little better.”

“Good,” Minho takes the rag and wipes off the remainder of the flour from the corner of Jisung’s mouth, “Now let me get you some different clothes. Felix’s should fit you fine for now.”

It doesn’t take long for Minho to find something that’ll fit Jisung, leaving the boy to change as he returns to the bakery. Felix quietly hums to himself as he wipes the counter down, and Minho chooses to leave him be as he continues to the front.

Seungmin collects a handful of coins from an older woman before waving to her on her way out, and Minho sits himself down at one of the small tables.

“How long have you known him?” Seungmin drops into the chair across from Minho with a cookie in hand, breaking it in half before passing the other to Minho. “Jisung, I mean.”

“A couple of weeks,” Minho bites into the cookie, semi-sweet chocolate chunks that could only be that of Lausdale’s finest. “Why do you ask?”

Seungmin smiles to himself, shaking his head before finishing off his half of the cookie. “I never took you as someone to fall in love that fast.”

Minho nearly chokes on the cookie in his mouth, coughing a few times before swallowing the piece down again. His eyes must be bulging out of their sockets when he looks at Seungmin again, letting out a sputtered, “What did you say?”

“You heard me,” Seungmin stands up as the bell on the door signals someone entering, pausing before moving back to the counter. “No one looks at a friend like that, most certainly not you. ”

Minho doesn’t have time to dwell on the comment though, because as soon as Seungmin makes it behind the counter he’s addressing the people who entered. A group of four men, two of whom Minho identifies from the alley the night before.

“Hey, I told you guys to get lost. You aren’t welcome,” Seungmin’s voice sounds assertive to the untrained ear, but Minho can tell there’s a quiver buried deep under the facade. 

One of them moves closer to the counter, speaking as he goes, “Oh come on, we just want some sweets. You’ve got plenty to spare, don’t you?”

“He said get lost,” Minho doesn't stand up as he addresses them, though he has removed a throwing knife from his pocket to fiddle with. “I’d suggest you do so.”

“And what’re you going to do about it?” The man who’d previously been moving towards the counter makes his way towards Minho instead, one of the two from the alley the night before trying to tell him they should leave.

Minho stands, keeping his demeanor relaxed as the man tries to intimidate him. “You want to find out?”

The man doesn’t hesitate before swinging his fist towards Minho’s face, but the guy’s arm is bony and he seems to be moving entirely on ego because there’s no thought behind the punch. Minho doesn’t even need to dodge the hit, catching the man’s wrist before he can make contact with his jaw.

“Get lost,” Minho brings the knife he’d been toying with to prod at the man’s abdomen. “Or I’ll make sure your buddies have to carry you home.”

He drops the man’s arm, withdrawing his knife as the guy stumbles back into his friends. The group scrambles out the door, pushing at each other to exit first. 

The moment they’re out the door, Minho can see Seungmin’s entire demeanor deflate, and the elder quickly makes his way over to make sure he’s okay. Despite the circle of people they often work with, Minho knows well that Seungmin has never handled those situations well.

“Are you alright?” Minho notices two figures entering the bakery from the kitchen as Jisung and Felix rush over.

Seungmin nods but it’s clear he’s a little shaken.

“Come on,” Felix wraps an arm over Seungmin’s shoulders. “A glass of water won’t hurt.”

Minho catches Felix’s eyes, and he returns a minuscule nod before moving towards the front door and pulling it closed. Jisung remains at the front counter, there’s concern in his eyes.

“Are you okay?” Jisung’s voice is quiet when Minho returns to the counter. 

It should be a stupid question, of course Minho is okay he barely touched the man. But something about the worry in Jisung’s voice makes Minho smile. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

And there it is. That warmth he’d been avoiding putting a name to. The warmth Seungmin had named and simply dropped in his lap before walking away. It was undeniably there, burning in his stomach as his reassurance calmed the worry in Jisung’s eyes. 

The two are closer than Minho remembers, maybe that’s why he can see the flickering of emotions in Jisung’s eyes. A stray piece of hair rests near the corner of Jisung’s eye, and he can’t resist it when he gently brushes it away before his attention focuses on the hair he begins carding his hand through.

“Felix said he’d help you dye it?” Minho kept his eyes on the boy’s fluffy brown hair, watching as it moved around the fingers he raked through it.

Jisung hums, seeming to be too dazed by the feeling to respond immediately. He snaps back into himself after a moment, “He was saying black would be the safest since I’d stand out the least, but that he could lighten it for a bigger change.”

Seungmin reemerges from the back, the color having returned to his skin after a few minutes. Minho retracts his hand from Jisung’s hair after giving it a short ruffle, muttering a quick, “You’ll look pretty no matter what.”

He quickly slips towards the front door of the bakery, enjoying the deep flush that spreads across Jisung’s face. “I’m heading into town for a bit, do you need anything from the market?”

“Flour if you don’t mind!” Felix calls from the kitchen, and Minho nods before exiting out onto the street, quietly laughing to himself at the reminder as to why they’re probably short on flour.

He moves past the market in the town square into a textile shop, not thinking much as he grabs various pieces of clothing. He leaves with a cloth bag filled with a handful of clothes before entering the market itself.

When he returns to the bakery with a bag of flour thrown over his shoulder, Seungmin helps him deposit it in the kitchen before returning to the front.

“Where’d Felix and Jisung go?” Minho pokes his head out of the kitchen. 

“Felix finished baking what we needed for the day and said he was going to help Jisung dye his hair,” Seungmin’s words are muffled as he chews on what Minho assumes to be a bread roll from the basket by his hand.

Minho reenters the house to find Jisung and Felix in the bathroom, Felix scrubbing Jisung’s hair with a towel.

“Ah, Minho! Look!” Felix removes the towel excitedly, and Jisung turns to look at him with fluffy blond hair falling into his eyes. 

“I see you went with blond,” Minho walks towards Jisung, bringing his hand through his still slightly damp hair. Jisung doesn’t speak, but when he makes eye contact with Minho he seems to be searching Minho’s face for something. “It looks great, princess.”

Jisung’s face lights up at the compliment before his eyes fall to the bag in Minho’s hand, “What’s that?”

“I grabbed you some new clothes,” Minho moves back towards the hallway. “I get the sense Felix will want his back before we leave.”

Jisung follows him out of the bathroom, towel now in his own hand as he gently scrubs at his head. “You don’t even have my measurements, how do you know they’ll fit?”

“I’ve got a friend in Baradoa who can tailor them once we’re there,” Minho hands the bag to Jisung as they enter the spare room, sitting down on the bed to watch as Jisung looks through the bag. “For now you’ll have to deal with your own clothes or slightly oversized ones.”

The younger happily looks through the various pants and blouses, giving small comments as he lifts them to examine them.

“How long till we leave for Baradoa?” Jisung returns the final shirt to the bag before flopping down beside mInho on the bed.

“Tomorrow would be best,” Minho looks to Jisung for a reaction, any sign the boy doesn't want to leave. He’s met with a nod instead. “I know we haven’t been here long but I hadn’t intended on stopping here at all so it’s best we keep moving.”

“I get it,” The prince returns upright before plopping his head onto Minho's shoulder. “I’ll be ready to go by tomorrow then.”

He sits up and offers a blinding smile to Minho before disappearing out the door. Minho sits for a moment longer, letting Seungmin’s words from earlier continue sinking in like a stone. 

As promised Jisung is ready the next morning, a smile on his face as he bids Felix and Seungmin goodbye. They’re given a handful of snacks for the journey to the capital despite its distance being about a day’s travel, and then they set off down the road before the sun has even breached the horizon.

-

Baradoa is asleep when they make it to the capital's edge, though lights scattered across the city still flicker with restless townsfolk. 

They don’t make it very far before Minho takes them down a side road, approaching a small cottage bordering a pasture further away from the city than the other houses. Inside a fire still pushes smoke out its chimney and the lights spill out its windows.

“Good I was worried he’d be asleep by now,” Minho hops off Tug the moment they’re close enough to the door, knocking on the door once before turning to wave Jisung over.

It only takes a moment for the door to swing open, Jisung only barely making it to Minho’s side before the thick scent of floral and cedar rushes into the night air.

“Minho! Thought you were someone else for a moment,” The boy opens the door wider, waving him inside. “Come in, I’ll bring your horse to the pasture. There’s some lavender tea in the kitchen!”

He seems to take no notice of Jisung’s presence as he exits the cottage, shutting the door behind him.

As though Minho can read Jisung’s thoughts, the elder begins to laugh. “He saw you, don’t worry. Jeongin is just a little too trusting of me, he won’t question who you are until I bring it up.”

Satisfied with the answer, Jisung follows Minho into the kitchen, watching as he locates cups to pour the brewed tea into. The door opens again once they return to the cozy living room,  Jeongin dipping into the kitchen to retrieve his own cup before sitting down.

“This is Jeongin,” Minho turns to Jisung, offering a warm smile before looking at Jeongin. “Jeongin this is my stowaway.”

“Oh this is fantastic, Hyunjin owes me some good money.” Jeongin sticks out a hand to Jisung, shaking it as he giggles at the confused expression on the prince’s face. “I made a bet with him that Minho had something to do with the missing prince.”

Minho rolls his eyes, but quickly his mouth splits into a grin. “Well, I’m glad I could be of service to you.”

“Wait, Hwang Hyunjin? As in the heir to Baradoa’s throne?” Jisung turns to Minho with wide eyes, it taking all of Minho’s self-control to not coo at the expression. 

“Yes, princess. That Hwang Hyunjn, he’s actually the reason we’re here.” Minho returns his attention to Jeongin, though he dislikes the glint in the boy’s eyes as he scans the two across from him. “He requested me for a job and I was hoping you’d let my stolen goods stay in your spare room for a few days.”

There’s an offended gasp from beside him but Minho doesn’t look at the prince, waiting patiently for Jeongin’s answer. “Of course. Do you know how long you’ll be?”

“Most likely a week but Hyunjin didn’t want to have the details written down so I won’t find out until I’m there,” Jeongin nods, finishing off his cup of tea. “I should also leave tonight, the sooner I’m done with the job the sooner we can leave.”

“Alright!” Jeongin stands, taking his empty cup into the kitchen before returning. “I’ll let you show Jisung the guest room, I’ve got some work to finish before it gets too late.”

Before either can offer a farewell, the boy is halfway up the stairs and down the hall. Minho takes a final sip of his tea before standing as well, but before he can move a hand grabs onto the slack of his shirt. 

“You’re not staying the night?” When Minho turns to look at Jisung, the younger’s eyes have returned to their wide state, though this time it’s paired with a small pout.

Minho sets his mug down before pulling Jisung up, “The sooner I leave the sooner I’ll be back, princess.”

“Will you… Nevermind. Just don’t be long.” Jisung begins to let his hand drop but Minho catches it by the wrist, sliding his hand up to fit their palms together.

“Will I what, princess?” Minho squeezes the prince’s hand.

Jisung’s eyes drop from Minho’s, but he squeezes Minho’s hand back. “Will you stay until I fall asleep? You can say no if you really need to leave, I just… I don’t know.”

“Of course,” Minho smiles, letting go of Jisung’s hand and taking the cup out of his other hand. “The spare room is the second door on the left upstairs, let me clean up and I’ll meet you up there.”

The nervous expression that’d sunk into Jisung’s eyes melts away as Minho leaves for the kitchen, and by the time he returns, the younger is gone from the living room.

When Minho walks into the spare room, Jisung has already buried himself under the blankets, eyes trained on the door like he’d been willing Minho to come inside. 

“The blond looks really good,” Minho flops onto the mattress beside Jisung, having slipped off his shoes before he came up the stairs. “I know I already told you but it’s growing on me more.”

Minho lifts his hand, not trying to stop it as it cards through the boy’s hair. He watches the content smile that spreads across Jisung’s face as the prince relaxes into the blankets. 

For a few minutes, they’re silent, the only noise filling the room being the breaths they take. Jisung’s eyes remain closed for a while, but Minho can tell he’s still awake. 

Eventually, Jisung opens his eyes again, slowly scanning Minho’s face. There’s a familiar look in his eyes, one that doesn’t take Minho long to find a name for. But before he can think for long, Jisung begins to speak, “Minho, I-”

“Don’t,” Jisung freezes up as Minho speaks, but the elder just continues dragging his fingers across the prince’s scalp. “Wait until we get to Stoweport, alright? I need you safe first, you can tell me anything once we’re there.”

Jisung doesn’t respond immediately, and panic begins to build in Minho’s stomach. But a small nod jostles Minho’s hand before Jisung curls himself into Minho’s side.

“You promise you won’t be long?” Jisung’s voice is muffled, but Minho barely needs to hear the words to know what reassurance Jisung is asking for.

“I promise,” Minho lets his arms circle Jisung, pulling him a little closer. “Hyunjin visits Jeongin fairly often as well, I’ll make sure he keeps you updated. Jeongin can also hem your clothes if you ask.”

Jisung only hums, and slowly his breath evens out as Minho continues to move his hand through his hair. Eventually, he finds it within himself to carefully pull away from the prince, and he moves from the room quickly before he can convince himself to stay the rest of the night.

When he returns downstairs, Jeongin is extinguishing the fire in the fireplace, peering over his shoulder as he hears Minho.

“I thought you were leaving tonight, no?” Minho doesn’t need to look at the younger to hear the teasing tone, but he does anyway and is met with a content smirk.

“Oh be quiet,” He tugs his first shoe back on as Jeongin stands up, “It’s still tonight, is it not?”

His answer seems to be what Jeongin was looking for, the smirk only growing. “You know, I’d be shocked enough if he was just a prince, but Abrinage royalty? You’re truly full of surprises.”

The comment makes Minho pause before he can lace his second shoe. Jeongin was one of very few who knew about the details of Minho’s past, about Bramukork. It was ironic that out of all the people Minho could have picked up along the way it’d be someone so intertwined with the past he tried to think so little of.

“He’s nothing like his family,” Minho finally continues to lace his boots. “If there’s anyone that hates them more than I do, it’s him.”

“I trust you, Minho,” Jeongin smiles, patting his shoulder as he begins up the stairs. “I’ll make sure he’s safe until you get back.”

Jeongin continues up the stairs, but he hears the whispered, “Thank you.”

Not wanting to waste more time, Minho exits the cottage and into the night air, dipping into the shadows as he heads towards the city’s center.

Fallwell’s capital city is different from that of Abrin’s. Where Ousteria is guarded, surrounded by walls with only a handful of exits in and out of the city and a second barrier dividing the city from the castle, Barardoa is open. The castle sits in the center of the open city, only its doors guarded. 

It’s not a difficult task for Minho, entering the castle. He’d met Hyunjin ages ago and had become very accustomed to the process of quickly scaling the wall beneath the prince’s window.

Hyunjin is not happy when the tapping on his window wakes him up, but he helps Minho inside before closing the window behind him.

“You couldn’t have gotten here before I got comfortable in my bed?” Hyunjin wastes no time returning to said bed, collapsing back into it as Minho begins to dig through his bag.

“My apologies, your highness. I’ll make sure to arrange for a more timely arrival next time,” Minho makes quick work of the clothes he’d traveled all day in, pulling a sleep shirt on before dropping himself on the bed beside Hyunjin. “Give me the job details and then I’ll let you sleep.”

Hyunjin grunts before rolling over, eyes still closed. “Just a foreign councilor, doesn’t need to be clean if you can pin it on someone else. We’re having a summit in two days, all I need is for you to get rid of him.”

Taking in the information, Minho hums, encouraging Hyunjin to continue. “Your timing is perfect, we’ve been wanting to get rid of him for a while but since he’s a high Abrinage councilman there’s never an opportunity.”

“Wait, you mean some of Abrin’s council is going to be here?” Minho goes stiff at the idea.

“More than just the council, actually. Since the disappearance of the prince, we were finally able to convince the royal family to send their heir for a proper treaty revision,” As Hyunjin speaks, his words slow, the realization sinking in as he cracks an eye open. “I owe Jeongin money, don’t I?”

Minho doesn’t hear Hyunjin as he rubs a hand over his forehead. “I’ve led him right into the belly of the beast, haven’t I?”  

“Woah, it’s okay,” Hyunjin seems to notice how frightened Minho is, quickly sitting up. “Is he with Jeongin?” Minho nods jerkily. “I’d already planned on stopping by tomorrow morning. I’ll tell them what’s happening, make sure he stays off the streets until you can leave.”

“They can’t find him, Jin. I won’t forgive myself if he has to go back,” There must be a look of desperation in Minho’s eyes as he speaks because Hyunjin doesn’t question it. He simply nods, waiting patiently for Minho to begin to calm down.

It takes a few minutes, but eventually, Minho’s shoulders relax, and he prompts Hyunjin to finish giving him the description of the target and the finer details. 

Minho settles for the night on a cot on the floor beside Hyunjin’s bed, Hyunjin locking the door to his room before turning the lights out. It's a fitful sleep for Minho, his mind plagued with the thought of Jisung being forced to go home. 

Despite his unrest, he wakes up determined to get the job over with quickly and get Jisung out of the city.

He wakes up to find Hyunjin still asleep, the sun just barely beginning to peek over the horizon. He finds some loose paper, drafting a short note of reassurance for Jisung, and he makes Hyunjin swear up and down not to read it. 

Minho slips into the service halls once Hyunjin leaves, going about rememorizing the castle and the safe ways to move silently through the large building. 

When Hyunjin returns it’s already late afternoon, but he tells Minho that Jisung is still safe in Jeongin’s cottage and that they’ve hidden Tug in the stables for the time being. Most of Minho’s worries are eased, allowing him to focus on the task at hand.

That night before either can fall asleep, Minho whispers, “Hyunjin, may I ask for a favor rather than the usual payment?”

“Depends on the favor,” Hyunjin laughs, but quickly follows up, “Of course. Whatever you need.”

The various royal councilmen and advisors arrive the following day, Hyunjin pointing out the target to Minho as they watch them enter from the window in the prince’s room.  

Minho also takes careful note of Jisung’s elder brother, and despite his focus remaining mostly on the councilman and the task at hand, he keeps a close eye on the heir.

The first day of the summit goes normally, Minho keeping to the service halls and the shadows as he polishes off his plan. It’s on the second day he strikes. 

Hyunjin had gotten him access to the banquet hall before dinner had begun, and Minho had found himself a uniform matching that of the kitchen staff. 

He circled the hall when the evening began, carrying a tray of drinks as he offered them to various guests. Eventually, he found his way to the councilor, moving a drink he’d kept towards the back of the tray to the front. 

Without any way to avoid it, Minho listens to the conversation as he approaches the cluster of men with the tray. The councilor is speaking when he finally reaches them, and his words spike Minho’s attention, “He’s sure that he’s in the city for some reason. Keeps saying he can’t wait to get his hands on him, they want to make an example out of him once he’s back in the kingdom.”

“Drink, sir?” Minho cuts in, one fist clenched at his side to keep his voice even. 

“Ah, thank you,” The man takes the glass at the front, and Minho offers the other two men beside him before swiftly exiting to the kitchen. He feels a pair of eyes follow him, but he doesn’t let it slow him down. 

Though he’d intended on waiting around for confirmation of the man’s death, Minho heads straight to Hyunjin’s room to collect his bag. Before he leaves, he snags a small bag off Hyunjin’s vanity, tucking it into his pocket before climbing out the window.

He keeps to the alleys as he moves through the city, but he moves quickly, rushing under the cover of night back to Jeongin’s cottage.

The lights are still on when he arrives, knocking once and waiting until the door opens. 

“Minho? I thought you wouldn’t be back for a few more days,” Jeongin’s confusion is evident on his face, but he lets Minho in and shuts the door behind him.

“Too risky to wait,” Minho scans the living room to find it empty, rushing up the stairs towards the spare room. When he opens the door, Jisung looks up from the book in his hands. “Grab your stuff, we need to go.”

Jisung doesn’t ask, quickly standing to grab his bag and throw his cloak on, following Minho out the door.

“Thank you, Jeongin. We’ll come back as soon as this has blown over,” Minho gives the boy a quick hug as Jisung pulls his shoes on. “Is there still a break in the trees to the east?”

Jeongin’s face falls before he shakes his head, “No, it was closed up during a storm in the spring. Your best bet is the main road or to go around the next opening in the south.”

“Let’s hope we’re fast enough to take the main road then,” Minho offers a tight smile, and Jisung gives Jeongin a quick hug before the pair rush out to the stable.

They quickly tie their bags to Tug, racing out of the pasture and towards the east road. Jisung waits until they’re at a steady pace to ask, “Minho, what happened?”

“I think your brother knows you’re in the city, and I’m pretty sure he knows you’re with me.” Minho takes a turn down a side street to avoid the clusters of people. “I finished my job, no reason to not try and get out of here a little sooner.”

Jisung’s grip around his waist tightens a little, but he doesn’t ask any more questions. 

They make it to the east road, and as they move further away from the city, Minho slowly begins to relax.

And then suddenly the road in front of them is blocked. And the road beside them. And when Minho turns his head to check over his shoulder, the road behind them is blocked as well.

“Fuck,” Before Minho can do anything, a man is shouting for them to dismount the horse. As Jisung’s arms tighten around him, Minho lowers his voice so only he can hear him, “You trust me, princess?”

Jisung barely nods, but Minho can feel it, so slowly he detaches Jisung’s hands from around him. He climbs off Tug first, offering a hand to Jisung as the younger hops down on shaky legs.

“He didn’t even take you, huh? You really just wanted to try and run away from home.” Jisung’s body stiffens at the voice of his elder brother. “Well, I hope you enjoyed running while you could, because it’s time to come home, Jisung.”

Despite the sneer in his voice, Minho notices the man’s eyes aren’t on Jisung, they’re on Minho.

Minho has one shot, he knows if he’s wrong then this is going to end poorly for both of them. But Jisung trusts him, and for now, it’s the only plan Minho has.

“You don’t really want him, do you?” Jisung’s head snaps towards Minho when he begins to speak. “You were never after him to begin with.”

The man’s eyes narrow, but he doesn’t deny a word of what Minho says.

“You wouldn’t benefit from finding him and dragging him back,” Minho dips his hand into his pocket as he speaks. “But if word got out that someone had broken into the castle almost unnoticed and escaped unscathed, there would be hell to pay. With no allies and more enemies than you can count, that weak spot would be like painting a giant target on Ousteria.”

The annoyed facade slips from the man in front of them, instead replaced by a lazy smile that makes the hairs on the back of Minho’s neck stand up. “Well, if you know what we want so badly, why don’t you give yourself up?”

There’s a familiar hand on the sleeve of his jacket, but when he looks at Jisung, the younger lets go slowly.

“How about we make a deal?” Minho tightens his hand around the small bag in his pocket. 

In front of him, the man looks almost enthused, “What could you offer to us that would be better than your head on a stick?”

“Let the two of us continue on our way. You tell your people that the prince stole a priceless jewel when he disappeared,” Minho pulls the small bag out of his pocket, tossing it to the man in front of him. “But after recently being apprehended and refusing to cooperate, he was executed on the spot and the jewel was recovered.”

Jisung turns to Minho with those same wide eyes, whispering quietly, “Minho you don’t have to do this.”

“Your impenetrable kingdom keeps its status and is rid of its unbeloved prince, and we live our lives in peace.” Minho keeps his gaze locked on Jisung’s brother, ignoring the way Jisung continues to try to persuade Minho to take the bag back.

The man pulls the drawstring of the bag open, examining its contents. He seems mostly bored by the brooch inside, but when his gaze returns to his younger brother and he sees the pleading look on his face, his smirk returns. “This is precious to you I assume?”

“The last remnant of my mother,” Minho can see the spark in the heir’s eyes like he’s feeding off of the tragedy. “It was taken from her corpse in Bramukork the night of the massacre.”

That seems to be enough for the man, his smile only growing impossibly wider. “Fine. I’ll agree to your terms, under the condition that neither of you step foot in the kingdom again, under penalty of death. I’ll make sure this brooch is disposed of once it has been shown off to the people.”

“Deal,” Minho looks to Jisung, nodding towards Tug to signal for the boy to climb back on the horse, following behind him. In the distance, Minho can hear the telltale sound of hoof steps rushing towards them.

“Now how exactly are you going to bargain your way out of murdering my head councilor?” The man looks at Minho as though he’s won the fight with a final blow.

Minho only returns the look with a smile, listening as the hoofsteps grow nearer. “Actually, I believe it was you who murdered your head councilor.”

The group of guards finally reach them, Hyunjin at the front of it all.

Minho doesn’t wait around to hear the verdict, taking Hyunjin’s signal to dart off down the road, Jisung quickly clinging onto him.

“Minho what did you just do? Did you really just give up your mother’s brooch?” There’s heat in Jisung’s words, angry over the actions Minho has taken.

“Oh princess, of course not.” He finally lets himself break out into a smile. “I had Hyunjin find me a similar looking one from his own collection. My mother’s brooch is safe in Hyunjin’s room for now, I’ll collect it later once I know we’re safe and settled in Stoweport.”

“And for your brother, I may have placed the remaining poison I used to kill his councilor in the suit jacket he left in the banquet hall. Just a present for his kindness.”

For a moment Jisung is silent before he erupts into laughter behind Minho. “Wow, I really believed you for a minute.”

Minho smiles, turning slightly to catch a glimpse of Jisung’s face before returning to the road ahead of them. “That was the point, princess. I needed him to think you were as equally hurt as I was by giving it up, it made him too jovial seeing you in pain to realize the deal he was striking up wasn’t fair.” 

For a moment Jisung quietly mutters about how much Minho had planned ahead. “How’d you even figure out he wasn’t after me?” 

“It’d felt off from the start, the way you described your family and how the entire country seemed to view you.” Minho pairs what he says with a squeeze to Jisung’s hand as though it will counter his own words. “But there was something about the way the councilor had been speaking at the banquet that made me think they weren’t talking about you. Mostly luck, though.”

Jisung dissolves into giggles again, burying his face against the back of Minho’s neck.

It takes a while for the laughter to simmer down, but eventually his breath evens out and they slow their pace down the road.

“So, how far to Stoweport?” Jisung drops his head on Minho’s shoulder, stifling a yawn against it before returning his chin to rest on top.

“Not very far. If we ride straight through we can probably make it by late morning tomorrow,” Minho lets go of the reins with one hand, bringing it up to drag through Jisung’s hair. “How about you rest for now? I’ll wake you up once we’re close.”

Jisung tries to argue but is once again interrupted by a yawn, and after another short burst of giggles, settles against Minho to rest.

For the first time since that night he’d left the castle in Abrins, Minho relaxes, taking in the road ahead of them as they go.

-

The sun wakes Jisung up as they near the town, the sound of water splashing against shore exciting the boy as he explains to Minho how he’d never seen the ocean.

The streets are bustling with fishermen, as well as people setting up their stands for the afternoon market. The lively town pulls Jisung’s attention towards every detail as Minho greets various acquaintances and shopkeepers.

They drop off Tug at a community stable, the place almost empty due to the lack of horseback travel in a small cliffside town.

Eventually, they reach the edge of the small village, coming up to a small house nestled against the hillside.

“Is this yours?” Jisung asks, following Minho up to the door. Minho only smiles at Jisung before retrieving a key from beneath a rock and unlocking the door, pushing it open and walking inside.

The house isn’t large, a small kitchen to the left of the door, and a tiny living room to the right. A short hallway stretches out, two doors on either side indicating a bathroom and a bedroom.

Minho turns to look at Jisung, watching as the boy takes it in. Noticing the eyes on him, Jisung smiles, following Minho further in as he sets down their bags in the bedroom. “Now as exciting as this is, I’m very hungry, and I assume you are too.”

Jisung begins to laugh, but he cuts himself off as Minho heads back towards the door. “Minho, wait!”

“What’s wrong?” Minho turns back to face Jisung, but before he can look at the boy, a pair of lips are on his.

For a moment, Minho doesn’t know what to do, doesn’t know what’s really happening. But just as Jisung seems to be moving away, everything catches up. Minho quickly wraps an arm around Jisung’s waist, keeping him in place as he begins to move his lips against the other’s.

Like they always seem to do, Minho’s hand finds its way into Jisung’s hair, though rather than its usual gentle carding, he finds himself holding on as though it will keep him afloat.

They stay like that for a while, but the air quickly runs thin. When they eventually pull away, Minho holds Jisung’s head against his own, keeping their foreheads pressed to one another.

“I’ve been dying to do that for a while,” Jisung’s voice is low, as though there’s someone else in the room he doesn’t want eavesdropping. 

“Oh really, princess?” Minho tries to make it sound condescending, but it comes out a little desperate, like he was hungry for the confirmation.

Jisung only groans in response, pulling away slightly to look at Minho. “Why do you refuse to call me by my actual name?”

“Because you’re pretty when you blush,” Minho smiles as Jisung rolls his eyes, though there’s an unmistakable tint to his cheeks. “If you really want me to call you by your real name, you just have to ask.”

“Will you please call me Jisung?” Jisung says it like the request is impossible for Minho.

Rather than respond immediately, Minho leans in again to press a short kiss to Jisung’s lips, before whispering a quiet, “ Jisung .”

A smile spreads across Jisung’s face at the words, but he’s quickly smothered by another kiss, this one slightly longer. 

“Jisung, Jisung, Jisung,” Minho slowly pushes Jisung back into the door, interspersing his name with kisses. “My Jisung.”

Jisung lets out a small whine at that, and Minho smiles before pressing another kiss to his mouth. He whispers his name again, moving along Jisung’s jawline and down his neck, the whines clawing at Jisung’s throat growing louder as Minho sucks a mark on the junction between his neck and his shoulder.

“Shit, Minho,” Jisung is cut off by another whine as Minho lightly bites his neck, tongue quickly darting out to soothe the brief pain. “Don’t stop, please.”

“But I’m hungry,” Minho lifts his head to meet Jisung’s eyes, pouting as though Jisung is the one stopping them from eating. Jisung’s face falls a little at the proposition of stopping, but Minho leans in to peck his cheek. “I promise I’m all yours, but right now I’m starving and tired.”

Jisung tries to roll his eyes but is persuaded easily with another kiss to his other cheek. “Fine. But only if you promise well-fed and rested Minho will give me more kisses.”

“I promise, princess.” Minho smiles as he watches Jisung blush again, his eyes following the bob of his throat as Jisung swallows. “Now, let’s go grab some food.”

Jisung nods, but before Minho can completely pull away, Jisung grabs his hand, “Hey Minho, I… I just wanted to…”

“I love you too, Jisung.” He brushes a strand of hair from Jisung’s face as the boy’s expression lights up. “Wouldn’t trade you for the world. Now can we please go get some food-”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go.” Jisung smiles, tugging Minho in for one final kiss before dragging the elder out of the room.