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Chapter Text

“Soonyoung?” 

The sound of his name caught his ear and Soonyoung turned quickly on the balls of his feet, looking to the top of the staircase just in time for his breath to stop in his throat. 

Joshua was descending the stairs. The celebration this evening was as casual as Soonyoung had been able to make it, but Joshua was still dressed nicely, his pants a loose, silky white, his long sleeveless robe blue, with stitched flowery designs that shined when they caught the light. The summer had been mild so far and the sun was on its way to setting soon, but the breeze was still hazy with warmth, and Joshua’s outfit was modified accordingly; the ensemble was usually completed with a long sleeved blouse worn under the robe but it had been left off, so while his chest was covered, his arms and shoulders were bare. Soonyoung’s eyes raked over the swell of his biceps before trailing to his face, where his white blond hair had been swept up off his forehead.

Soonyoung had seen Joshua’s outfit before this night, and had known how breathtaking he would look, so he’d intentionally left his room before Joshua was fully dressed for the simple pleasure of watching him walk down the stairs. Which might be a bit ridiculous, but it was his birthday. He deserved this. 

“I didn’t know you were waiting,” Joshua said, looking almost embarrassed, subconsciously rubbing at his right bicep with his left hand. Soonyoung swallowed as discreetly as he could around the way his mouth was watering. “Your room was empty, when I looked. I would have hurried for you if I knew.”

“No sense in rushing,” Soonyoung countered. Joshua descended the last step, stopping to stand in front of him. 

“I would hate for you to be late for your own celebration, though.” 

“Like you said, the celebration is mine,” Soonyoung said, putting a bit of a bite in his grin, because he knew it would make Joshua smile. “It is impossible for me to be late. The festivities can’t begin without me.” 

Joshua laughed, tapping at Soonyoung’s elbow to prompt him, and they started down the hall. 

“I don’t think it is wise to underestimate your sister like that, Your Highness.” 

The formal address made Soonyoung roll his eyes, poking at Joshua’s abdomen with a finger. Joshua just laughed again, reaching up to rub lightly at the muscle where Soonyoung’s neck met his shoulder, and Soonyoung did his best not to shiver at the touch as Joshua dropped his hand. 

It was Soonyoung’s twenty-fifth birthday. Planning for the festivities had begun as soon as the first gust of spring air had traveled through the windows, with invitations sent out to neighboring kingdoms, seating arrangements coordinated, and food planned. Soonyoung always felt that too much time and effort was put into the event on the days leading up to it, and the fussiness of his family and the castle staff was always near-insufferable, but he couldn’t deny the excitement that always coursed through him on the actual date of the celebration, ready to dress nicely, eat good food, and dance to good music. 

“What food are you most excited for?” Soonyoung asked Joshua as they walked. The light of Joshua’s smile was still in his eyes when Soonyoung glanced his way, and the emptiness of the hallway had him walking next to Soonyoung instead of slightly behind him, and it was another one of those moments where Soonyoung felt affection welling in him, strong and warm and almost all-encompassing. 

“I’m not sure,” Joshua confessed. “I don’t know what’s being served, in truth.” 

“Did you miss all of Mingyu’s ramblings about it?” Soonyoung asked in disbelief. Kim Mingyu was Soonyoung’s personal chef, and since it was a party for the Prince, the Prince’s cook was in charge of what was being made instead of the head chef, and he’d been seemingly unable to keep quiet about his plans. “Lucky, you are. I hope it’s food you enjoy, then. You’re seated at my table, you know, so we’ll be eating the same things. Not next to me, but near enough to stop anyone that may get too close.” 

Soonyoung was going to be up at the royal table with his family, sitting between the King and Queen. As Soonyoung’s bodyguard, Joshua was required to be stationed closeby. He’d been made to stand behind Soonyoung for his first few years of service and eat a more plain meal once the night was over. Though he’d never once complained, that had always seemed dreadful to Soonyoung, and this year he’d finally managed to convince his parents to just let Joshua sit and enjoy the food. Joshua wasn’t able to be properly next to him, but Soonyoung figured that was probably for the best, in such a public setting, where everyone could see him. 

It had started as simple admiration of his skill and appreciation for the aesthetics of Joshua Hong’s body, turning into a starstruck crush the first time Joshua had saved him from a group of thieves during a hunting trip, and now, after five years into Joshua’s service, five years of looking at him and talking to him and laughing with him, had Soonyoung so enamored with affection that if he thought about it too hard, it had the power to get him genuinely tearful. Jihoon had told him that it showed on his face sometimes, and he didn’t need his family—or the rest of the party guests, for that matter—to know that of all the men and women he could have picked, he’d fallen in love with his bodyguard. 

“Anything you want to drink?” he asked. “There’s going to be a wide spread of wines, so even if the food isn’t to your taste, something there might catch your fancy.” 

Joshua seemed to seriously consider the question. “I’m happy with whatever you picked,” he confessed, despite the way Soonyoung knew that Joshua had more thoughts and preferences about wine than he did. “I’m sure it will be good. I am hoping for strawberry wine, though I know the season is coming to a close.” 

“Oh?” Soonyoung was quite sure that that drink wasn’t in the plans for the evening, struck with the urge to remedy that immediately.

“It’s quite sweet,” Joshua told him. They’d come to a stop in front of the dining hall’s double doors, where the party was waiting. A rumble of conversation could be heard through the wood. “Fitting, for you. A good way to end the meal and begin the dancing.”

Fitting for you. Soonyoung wasn’t all that accustomed to stopping himself from taking things he wanted, having to use every second of his strength to keep from leaning in and kissing Joshua on the mouth. He could do the next best thing, though. 

“You—you should go in, and make yourself comfortable,” he told Joshua, gesturing to the doors. “I have something I need to attend to!”

“Soonyoung?” 

“Alone!” Soonyoung clarified, because Joshua looked ready to begin following him down the corridor. “I’ll be back quickly!”

Then he began a full-tilt run towards the kitchens. He couldn’t kiss Joshua. He’d tried, once, and Joshua had put hands on his shoulders to stop him, gentle but firm, telling Soonyoung that he was drunk, and needed to go to bed. And yes, Soonyoung had been drinking, using it to loosen himself up to push past the nervousness that came with the attempt, but he was not near inebriated enough to pass off his actions as an unaware mistake. He’d even tried to say so, but there was something sharp in Joshua’s eyes, a look usually directed at things that could cause Soonyoung harm, when he’d responded that wine was the only reason that Soonyoung could be trying to spend kisses on someone like him, someone so low-born that his birthplace wasn’t even marked on the palace map, instead of the high status suitors they were meant for. 

Soonyoung had simply decided not to argue for something that Joshua clearly did not want. 

Sweat had started gathering at his temples when he finally arrived in the kitchens, but it was nothing to the way Mingyu looked, a permanent crease between his eyebrows from the stress of the feast he was trying to pull together, walking around the kitchens to look at what the cooks were preparing. It made Soonyoung feel a bit bad for what he was about to do, but well. It was his birthday. 

Everyone in the kitchens looked surprised to see him, many of them offering up a quick bow and a well wish as he passed. He gave smiles back, too breathless to properly respond, the commotion of it catching Mingyu’s attention. 

“What are you doing here?” Mingyu asked him, looking baffled. 

“I have a request,” Soonyoung said, trying to straighten up, gulping in a gasp of air. “I want… I want strawberry wine to be served with dessert. Do we have any?” 

Mingyu blinked for a moment. “I… There might be one cask. Not nearly enough for the entire hall.”

Soonyoung waved a dismissive arm. “That’s fine. Just the royal table.”

“But Your Highness, it doesn’t match the palate of the desserts at all. Besides, we’ve had this mulled wine set aside for this very night for the better half of the year, it was so expensive, and I know that your father— ”

“I don’t care,” Soonyoung told him, a confession that clearly had Mingyu taken aback. “Please?” 

He knew he could just command it, but he didn’t like to do things like that. Especially not to Mingyu, someone who, over the years, had turned into a genuinely close friend. So he was just using his big eyes and pouting lips instead, something that Jihoon had told him was arguably worse. 

“I’ll do what I can,” Mingyu promised. Soonyoung knew that coming from Mingyu, who was near-terrifyingly capable at anything he attempted, that was the best pledge that Soonyoung could possibly get. 

“Thank you,” Soonyoung said quickly, tugging Mingyu down for an appreciative kiss on the cheek and laughing when Mingyu squawked in surprise. “Give the mulled wine to the kitchen staff. You all are working much too hard for me. Drink it tonight!” 

“I… Thank you!” Mingyu exclaimed, excitement on his features, and with a grin in farewell, Soonyoung began his run back towards the dining hall. Joshua was where Soonyoung had left him, looking just as confused, but Soonyoung truly was late now, so he just gave Joshua as dazzling a smile as he could in his breathlessness and stepped into the hall. 

He was clearly being waited for, cheers coming up from the guests as soon as he entered. The rowdiest crowd were close to the door, Soonyoung unable to resist greeting them on his way to the royal table, reaching to touch his hand to Jooheon’s outstretched palm. Lee Jooheon and his band of—not blood-related, but still—brothers were a group of knights from a neighboring kingdom that Soonyoung had befriended many years ago, and had been a pillar of fun at his birthday parties for the past six years. Jooheon wrapped his hand around Soonyoung’s own, standing to pull him in for a hug so strong that Soonyoung couldn’t help the “oof” of air that left his chest. The rest of them laughed as he staggered back, Joshua placing a steadying hand on Soonyoung’s hip, and after a promise to dance with Hyunwoo once the eating was over and the true festivities began, Soonyoung was free to finally take his seat in the center of the royal table. 

Dinner was delicious, and though Mingyu was right—the strawberry wine did not match the rest of the desserts being served—the expression on Joshua’s face when he saw it poured into his goblet more than made up for it. Joshua even peered behind the King’s back to give Soonyoung an accusatory glance, the look softened by the way he was trying not to smile, which told Soonyoung that he’d realized what Soonyoung had run away for before the meal. Soonyoung just winked back as he brought his own cup to his mouth, the taste of the wine on his tongue, knowing that Joshua was tasting the same thing as he took a drink too. He felt himself blushing about it, badly enough for his sister to point and laugh and ask what was wrong, and Soonyoung reprimanded himself for the silliness of his thoughts.

The party was delightful. Soonyoung ate until the night properly fell, spoke with friends and allies until he was comfortable enough to dance, then requested for the music to begin. The band started up, Jihoon on his piano in the middle of it all, and Soonyoung felt his body relax. 

Soonyoung loved to dance, loved it more than anything else he could think of. Joshua couldn’t dance with him, regardless of how much Soonyoung wanted him to, satisfying himself in the arms of friends instead, men who were good natured enough to find it amusing and women who giggled and blushed when he spun them. He danced with his mother and his father, his sister and his nephew and his niece, danced until the festivities died down, until his own feet ached and it was time for the partying crowd to retreat to their beds. But he did the polite job of thanking everyone for coming, responding to each celebratory wish with a smile, ushering the crowd out of the dining hall so the cleaning staff could get started. 

Soon, even the band was gone, and the hall contained only himself, Joshua, Jihoon, and kitchen staff that were collecting up the dishes to take them away for washing. Jihoon was tapping out a melody that Soonyoung didn’t recognize; perhaps it was a composition. 

“I can’t believe you’re still playing,” Soonyoung said, walking up to rest his weight against Jihoon’s piano. 

“You’re still in here,” Jihoon shot back, not even looking up, his slender fingers gracing across the ivory keys. “You might begin dancing at any moment. I have to be prepared.” 

That had Soonyoung laughing, Jihoon glancing up at him, a grin on his lips that made his eyes scrunch, just slightly. Maybe it was how lovely the night had been, but Soonyoung had the inexplicable urge to lean down and kiss Jihoon on the top of the head, though he knew that Jihoon wouldn’t let him get away with it, would duck and yell and possibly kick Soonyoung in the shin, despite his status. 

Lee Jihoon was Soonyoung’s best friend, and his personal musician. He was also supposed to be Soonyoung’s music teacher, but Soonyoung had no interest in learning to play an instrument and Jihoon had known that, deciding not to waste his time. Thankfully, Soonyoung’s father knew that too and instead of forcing him, had transferred Jihoon’s teaching abilities to Soonyoung’s sister’s children instead. 

They’d met at Soonyoung’s eighth birthday party. The King had entered Jihoon’s family’s instrument shop and had come across Jihoon playing, taken with his talent and thinking it would be cute to have a boy of his son’s own age performing at his party. Soonyoung had been incredibly eager to talk to him once the formalities of the event had died down, just for the mercy of escaping all of the older, stuffy people that he didn’t know, and had discovered through their conversation that Jihoon hadn’t been able to eat yet, and hadn’t had any sweets at all. That was both completely devastating and completely unacceptable, Soonyoung taking Jihoon and sneaking him from the dining hall so they could raid the kitchens for cake. They’d been caught by the head cook, who spoke to Soonyoung like he was her own son, chasing them from the kitchens with swats of her towel while they ran out laughing, hand in grubby hand, crumbs all over their faces. 

Jihoon was also the only person in the world that knew how in love with Joshua Soonyoung was, his fingers going through an impressive riff over his piano keys as he said, “He’s looking at you.” 

Soonyoung chanced a quick glance in Joshua’s direction. Joshua was leaning against the wall across the room, his arms crossed over his chest, and yes, he was looking their way.

“He… he’s supposed to do that. It is his job, Jihoon.”

Jihoon rolled his eyes. “Have you gotten to dance with him?”

“Not a single step,” Soonyoung answered mournfully. 

“Then go get him,” Jihoon said, nudging Soonyoung with his elbow, a small smile on his lips. “I’ll play something nice.” 

Soonyoung gave in to his wants, leaning down and kissing Jihoon appreciatively on the top of the head. Jihoon did attempt to kick him, but the legs of the piano bench made the action clumsy, and Soonyoung was able to jump out of the way, giggling as he did. But Jihoon still started to play a song, something light and sweet and easy to sway to, and Soonyoung approached Joshua. Joshua pushed off the wall as he walked up. His hair had fallen more in his face, but he still looked gorgeous, especially when he smiled as the distance between them lessened. 

“Have fun tonight?” he asked, and Soonyoung nodded. 

“It was almost flawless,” he said. “There’s still one more thing.”

Joshua tilted his head curiously. “Is it food? Drink? I noticed that we were never served the wine that your father picked out for you.” 

Soonyoung shook his head. “No, no. I gifted that to the workers in the kitchen to drink once the cleaning is over.” He extended a hand in Joshua’s direction. “You haven’t danced with me yet.” 

“It is not a skill of mine,” Joshua said, eyebrows raised, and Soonyoung smiled. 

“It isn’t hard. I can teach you a few steps. Come on.” 

“Is this an order, my Prince?” Joshua asked, but he was moving closer, extending his hands to meet Soonyoung’s own.

“Only if you refuse,” Soonyoung responded, and Joshua looked amused, but he let Soonyoung take his hands, and they were dancing. Joshua didn’t know how to do it, not really, but it didn’t matter; he was so close now that Soonyoung wasn’t steady on his feet either, sticking instead to gentle swaying. 

“The day is almost done,” Joshua said, after what was not nearly long enough. “We should stop being a nuisance and leave this hall.” 

“I don’t want to leave,” Soonyoung protested, though that wasn’t entirely true. He had no qualms with leaving the hall, aside from the simple truth that going to bed would mean letting go of Joshua’s hand. “The night is young, still.”

“The night is old as you are,” Joshua countered, a tease in his tone that had Soonyoung grinning. But he stopped moving, stepping back. “The day is nearly done, and there’s still a gift for you to receive before it’s over.”

Jihoon, too, had stopped playing. Soonyoung turned to his friend to see him getting from the piano bench, his eyes on the hall’s double doors, a smile on his lips. Soonyoung followed his gaze, and standing there was none other than Mingyu, smiling ear to ear, all the muscle in his body seeming to quiver in excitement as he looked back at Soonyoung. 

“Did you all plan something?” Soonyoung asked. Mingyu’s smile got wider as the three of them approached him. “Tell me.” 

“Is that an order?” Joshua asked again. 

“Of course not. Don’t ruin the surprise.” 

Mingyu genuinely bounced a few times once they’d reached him. Jihoon clicked his tongue. 

“Mingyu,” he said, reaching up; Mingyu bent his head obligingly, and Jihoon gave him a few soothing pats on the head. The affection in Jihoon’s eyes was near-nauseating. Jihoon had no business, really, to tease Soonyoung about his crush when he hadn’t confessed his feelings either. 

They left the hall together, Soonyoung surprised when they also left the castle, stepping out onto the grounds. They rounded the castle to the right, the stables coming into view. Chan, the caretaker of Soonyoung’s horses, was standing at the stable doors, his smile nearly as big and bright as Mingyu’s. 

“Oh, is it another horse?” Soonyoung asked. “I don't need another horse. I’m quite happy with the one that I have, thank you.”

“It’s not another horse,” Chan told him as they reached him. 

“Then what are we here for?”

“If you quiet down and wait a moment, you’ll find out,” Jihoon said, the five of them walking inside. Soonyoung’s horse was awake, likely due to the commotion, extending her neck to snuffle at his hair as he passed. They walked through the entirety of the large place, coming to a stop in front of the final stall, which was seemingly empty.

“This is starting to feel strange,” Soonyoung said, just as Chan unlatched the stall door and pulled it open. 

Choi Seungcheol was sitting cross legged on the floor. Seungcheol had been a royal guard until his talents with the palace’s hunting hounds and guard dogs had been discovered, and now worked full time in training and caring for them instead. It was curious to see him here, surrounded by hay, and he had a blanketed bundle in his arms that looked roughly the same size as a human infant. Soonyoung parted his lips to yet again ask what was going on when a head poked out of the swaddle of fabric. 

Orange fur. Black stripes, and white markings. Bright, mint green eyes. A little tiger cub.

“She’s for you,” Seungcheol said. “Happy birthday.” 

“Oh,” Soonyoung murmured, breathless. To his left, Mingyu let out a light giggle. Soonyoung glanced around at them all. “Really?” 

Jihoon nodded. “We consulted His and Her Majesty,” he said. “They felt it might be time to bring the tradition back.” 

The banner of the Kwon family had tigers on it. Two tigers, to be exact, their black and orange fur stark against the blue background, up on their back legs and roaring towards a crown, with a sword cutting perfectly through the center. And the royal family used to own tigers, Soonyoung had heard. Tigers that were fiercely loyal, protective of their king and queen; tigers that charged into battle. But the world had had a winter, a winter so fiercely cold that it had killed everything left out in it, and the king at the time—a grandfather so far back in the family tree that Soonyoung did not know how many “great”s to put in front of the term—had refused to let the beasts into the castle. All six of them had died, and legend held firm in saying that their handler had perished too, despite the way his animals had curled around him for warmth. 

Tigers had not been owned since then. Not until now, one little baby wrapped in Seungcheol’s arms. 

“Come on,” Seungcheol coaxed. “Come greet her.”

Soonyoung stepped into the stall, sinking to his knees. The tiger was fully looking at him now, her eyes fixed on his own, struggling sleepily against the fabric she was swaddled in.

“So impatient,” Seungcheol said, placing her down to unwrap her, and as soon as he had she was bouncing in Soonyoung’s direction across the hay piled on the stall floor. She… She was perfect, with her pink nose and white whiskers, her loping gait on large paws, her soft fur and loose skin. She made a small sound as she reached him, a sort of throaty huff, bending to push her face into his knee, and he reached to pet her.

“Oh.” Inexplicably, Soonyoung had the overwhelming urge to cry, blinking a handful of times. “Oh, I love her. I love her.”

Mingyu’s happy sigh was telltale enough, Soonyoung looking up at his friends to see all of them smiling at him. The tiger cub climbed clumsily into his lap, seemingly trying her best to hit the triangle of her forehead into his jaw. Soonyoung continued to pet her, her fluffy fur a wonder under his fingers. 

“I’m training her, so unfortunately, she has to stay out here,” Seungcheol told him. “She’s so smart, though. It’s incredible. And she loves food.”

“We’re so alike,” Soonyoung told her with a grin, leaning his head towards hers. She licked him on the nose, her tongue somehow rough and wet at the same time.

“Ah, don’t lie to her,” Jihoon complained. “You can’t call yourself smart.”

“Let him have it,” Chan protested. “It’s his birthday.”

“See?” Soonyoung said, glancing at them again. “This is why Chan’s my favorite.”

Chan beamed. Jihoon stuck his tongue out. 

“I need to put her to bed,” Seungcheol said. She seemed to be doing that herself, the drowsiness that Soonyoung had seen when she’d first popped up in Seungcheol’s arms returning to her eyes, flopping across his lap. Soonyoung didn’t feel able to stop touching her, scratching her under the chin. She was curling and relaxing her paws, clear contentment on her face. “You two can spend tomorrow together. But don’t let her sleep on you; you’ll be trapped if you do.” 

Soonyoung already didn’t want to make her move, but after some coaxing, she was back with Seungcheol. Soonyoung thanked all of them, moving to give each of them hugs, a gesture that even Jihoon accepted. 

“Think of a name!” Seungcheol told him. “I can’t just keep calling her ‘baby’, you know.” 

“It needs to be something good,” Jihoon insisted as they started their trek back to the castle. There were already a swirl of names going through Soonyoung’s head, but none of them seemed special enough. “She’s going down in the history books. Songs could be written about her. Don’t call her something foolish.”

“Thank you,” Soonyoung told him, his uncharacteristically dry tone making them all laugh. “I wasn’t aware of that before. I wasn’t already fearing it. You’ve truly given me the power to choose something splendid now, Jihoon.” 

Jihoon just laughed more at him, leaning against Mingyu’s side, who looked down at him in his mirth with affection. They parted ways once they’d entered the castle, Chan and Jihoon talking about going off to bed, Mingyu heading towards the kitchens to help with the final parts of the cleanup and drink what might be left of the mulled wine Soonyoung had gifted the staff with. They all wished him a happy birthday one final time, and then it was just Soonyoung and Joshua alone, climbing the stairs together. Joshua was simply escorting him to his bedroom, but he always escorted Soonyoung to his bedroom, every single evening, to bid him goodnight and wish him sweet dreams. Soonyoung didn’t understand how he’d been expected not to fall for a person that did that for him. 

Instead of leaving him at the door however, Joshua pushed past to go inside. A housekeeper had been by while they were out; Soonyoung’s bed was made and the sconce candles were lit, the room a warm, dim yellow. 

“I have… There is one more gift for you,” Joshua said. Soonyoung noticed, then, that there was an unfamiliar box on his bed; Joshua must have left it there on his way out, after changing. He picked it up, handing it over. 

“Don’t look so anxious,” Soonyoung chastised, taking the present, because Joshua, strangely, did look a bit nervous. Soonyoung hadn’t expected this, his heart in his throat. “It is from you. I’m sure I will love it.”

The words had been placating, sure, but the gasp that left his mouth after opening the box was completely genuine. It was a dagger, the weapon beautiful and ornate, the handle a marble white and cobalt black, with turquoise scattered through it. The scabbard was a matching blue-green with a floral pattern stitched over it, reminding Soonyoung of the robe Joshua was wearing tonight, wondering if it was intentional. He dropped the box on his bed to unsheath the weapon, something feeling intimate about the action with the way Joshua was watching him, the metal underneath a swirling, damascus steel. 

“It’s so gorgeous,” Soonyoung told him, lifting the blade up, letting the candlelight catch the edge of it. He looked up to see Joshua smiling at him. “I’ve held a bow and handled a sword, but I don’t know how to fight with this.”

“It’s not too hard,” Joshua said, reaching up to readjust Soonyoung’s grip with gentle fingers. Joshua often had a dagger on him, for any occasion for which he might need one. Though the original intention was protection, it was usually used to do things like clean his nails or peel apples. He must have one on him now, somewhere out of sight, probably strapped to his thigh under his robe. That had thoughts flashing through Soonyoung’s mind that he didn’t need to have this soon before bed. “I can teach you. Though in truth, most of it comes down to stabbing with the sharp end.” 

Soonyoung laughed. “Should I need to know this? Aren’t you supposed to protect me?”

“Your life is my life,” Joshua said quietly. “But still. It can’t hurt.” 

“It can’t hurt me,” Soonyoung said, angling his eyebrows in determination, jabbing the blade out. “But it’ll hurt them. Whoever they are.” 

Joshua laughed at him, reaching out to cover Soonyoung’s hand with his own, taking the dagger and resheathing it. “Enough of that for tonight. Terrible form.” 

His eyes were bright again. Before Soonyoung could say more, or do something foolish like lean in closer, Joshua turned to the door.

“Goodnight, Soonyoung. Sweet dreams.” He opened the door, halfway through it when he turned back. “Happy birthday.” 

Then he was gone, biceps and all. Soonyoung made sure the dagger was safely in the box and the box was safely on his desk, then fell face-first onto his bed with a groan. 

The following day was to be for properly meeting his tiger cub, chatting with his birthday guests as they departed, and learning how to handle his new blade. Instead, Soonyoung was woken by Joshua, urgency in his voice. 

“Your Highness, please get up.”

The use of his title surprised him; it was too early to be the Prince. Soonyoung rolled, cracking an eye open. 

“Hm?”

“The kitchen staff has been poisoned,” Joshua told him. “The council is holding a meeting. You need to be there.” 

Soonyoung sat up so fast he felt lightheaded, fear plunging itself into the pit of his stomach. 

“Poisoned? What? How?” 

“The mulled wine,” Joshua said. “All that drank it fell ill. No one has died yet, but some are so sick that…” He trailed off for a moment, swallowing, seeming to be looking for a nice way to parse the phrase. “That they might. Please get dressed.” 

Soonyoung didn’t need any more urging, jumping from bed on unsteady, half-roused legs, pulling on the first shirt and pair of trousers he saw. He didn’t even bother with shoes but Joshua noticed, picking up a pair for him on their way out the door. 

“How is Mingyu?” Soonyoung asked, remembering the excitement on his friend’s face when he’d accepted the gift, the way he’d beamed when bidding them goodnight. Guilt was twisting so sharply in his gut that he felt tears from it pricking his eyes. 

“Bedridden,” Joshua reported. “I haven’t heard much. I was just told to retrieve you.” 

Soonyoung was still barefoot when he entered the King’s council room, where his family and the royal advisors were all sitting around a large wooden table. There was an empty chair next to his sister so he took it, and she turned to frown at him, the look more from concern for his state of being than any kind of disapproval, reaching up to smooth his bangs down against his forehead. Joshua placed his shoes on the floor next to his chair, then backed up to stand against the wall. 

They’d clearly been talking before he arrived, but took the time to go back and inform him as well. Shortly after cleaning up the party and finishing the wine, a large amount of the kitchen staff had been hit with excruciating stomach pains and uncontrollable vomiting. Doctors had been up with them most of the night. The only ones afflicted were the ones that had partaken in the wine, so it was suspected of being tampered with. 

“I… I gave it to them last night,” Soonyoung confessed. “I thought it would be nice, as gratitude for their hard work, I didn’t know…” 

He felt… He felt terrible, sick with regret and worry, his sister reaching over to rub his arm. 

“Soonyoung, you had no way of knowing,” she told him. “And—I’m not saying that this is a good thing, but nearly thirty people split the drink amongst themselves, and the small amount that they had got them this sick. If it had been served just to the royal table as intended, it wouldn’t have only made us ill. We would all be dead.” 

“And we’re sure it was poison?” Soonyoung asked. “We’re sure it was purposeful?” 

“There wasn’t any liquid left, but the cups used are with some alchemists,” the King said. “They’re being tested. For now, we’re treating the actions as malicious.” 

“Everyone in the kitchens—everyone in the castle, they knew that wine was meant for me,” Soonyoung said, the truth of the events sinking in. Someone had tried to poison him. Someone wanted him dead. “Why… Why me?” 

Soonyoung’s sister was older than him; she was next in line for the throne, and she had two children, both with more royal claim on the title than he had. He would always be nothing more than a prince, and he was more than fine with that. 

“It could have been for me,” his sister said. “Or Mom, or Dad. I would think that the whole family was being targeted, but my children drank the watered white wine all night; they wouldn’t have had any of it. The reason doesn’t truly make much sense, but if the action was purposeful, then the desired result is clear.”

A man ran in, gulping in breaths, but nodding before he’d even begun to speak. He wasn’t the royal alchemist, but Soonyoung assumed he was an assistant of some kind. 

“Poison,” he said. “Enough—enough to kill your family a handful of times over.” 

Interrogation started with the kitchen staff, but Soonyoung didn’t participate. He slipped on his shoes instead, and went off with the intention of finding Mingyu. Joshua was one step behind him, and they ran into Jihoon on the way. Very nearly in the literal sense; Jihoon was visibly distressed, walking quickly with his gaze on his feet, almost bumping into Soonyoung’s chest with how he wasn’t looking where he was going. He murmured out an apology without glancing up, but Soonyoung gripped his shoulders and that got his attention, his eyes a bit wide, a bit frightened. The expression didn’t leave—or even relax—when he saw that it was Soonyoung holding him. 

“How is Mingyu?” Soonyoung asked him. Jihoon’s lips trembled. 

“The doctor says the worst of it has passed,” he said. The words were an exhale. “That… that he’s going to be okay. But he’s so weak, his whole body won’t stop shaking, I…” 

“Is there anything we can do?”

“He needs to eat,” Jihoon answered, and thankfully, a sort of determination overtook his face, looking at Soonyoung with purpose. “I was heading to the kitchens, but—do you have time to help me with something?”

“Of course, Jihoon.” Soonyoung had no idea if that was true or if his family might need him, but he didn’t much care. 

“I know that Mingyu has his personal recipe for chicken broth stashed away in one of the kitchen cookbooks,” Jihoon said. “Could you read it for me? I can’t cook, but I think that I could follow instructions.”  

“Yes. Yes, of course.” Soonyoung wrapped an arm around one of Jihoon’s, slipping his hand down to tangle his fingers with Jihoon’s own, and it was a testament to how shaken Jihoon was that he didn’t protest, or try to pull away, or even look at Soonyoung. He just leaned slightly into Soonyoung’s side, and Soonyoung squeezed his hand. 

With Joshua’s help, they found the recipe. It was pretty simple, calling for water and chopped vegetables and a few chicken carcasses, and thanks to the feast the night before, all of the ingredients were available. The kitchens were empty and so quiet that it was eerie; this area of the castle seemed to always be bustling, at any time of day. It wasn’t right for it to be so desolate. 

Jihoon didn’t try to fill the silence either, Soonyoung unsure if he should or not when something caught his eye, unable not to ask about it. 

“What is that?”

Jihoon froze in the middle of the way he was aggressively chunking up peeled carrots. Soonyoung could tell by Jihoon’s expression that he knew what was being asked about, confirmed by the way his hand lifted to the necklace he had on. 

It was a sort of amulet, made of a very shiny, clearly expensive metal, in an intricate design that twisted over itself into a knotted circle, a yellow stone held in the center. It was gorgeous, and Soonyoung tried to remember if he’d seen it on Jihoon yesterday; unfortunately, Jihoon’s shirt had buttoned up all the way under his chin. On all previous accounts, Jihoon didn’t like wearing jewelry at all. 

“Mingyu gave it to me a few days ago,” Jihoon confessed. “He said he saw it while he was out, and that… that it reminded him of me.”

“Because it’s pretty?” Soonyoung guessed. He couldn’t say that the amulet was small, Jihoon’s other defining physical characteristic; it rested just below the hollow of his throat, roughly the same circumference as a lime, but was definitely eye-catching. Despite Jihoon’s lack of response, his expression had Soonyoung realizing that his supposition had been correct. “Really? But I was kidding with that! Please Jihoon, please tell me that you kissed him.” 

“I thanked him,” Jihoon turned away, going back to the vegetables with the kitchen knife. His ears were burning red. “And he’d gone into the shop with the intention of purchasing something for you, so I scolded him for giving me a gift for your birthday. I… I kissed him on the cheek.”

“Jihoon, I kissed Mingyu on the cheek yesterday!” Soonyoung exclaimed, exasperated. “He’s been poisoned! What else does he have to go through before you tell him that you feel the same way about him that he feels about you?”

Jihoon didn’t answer, picking up the chopped vegetables and dumping them into the boiling water. The water jumped back out at him and he cursed, stuffing a few of his singed fingers into his mouth. 

“What’s the next step?” Jihoon asked him. 

“You kiss Mingyu.” 

“In the recipe, Soonyoung.” 

“You kiss Mingyu.”

“Stop it.” Jihoon turned to him, his eyes bright with anger, and Soonyoung knew that he was overstepping; he shouldn’t be teasing Jihoon, not when he was trying to take care of Mingyu. He picked up the recipe. 

“You boil it all until the meat easily separates from the bones,” he told Jihoon, who nodded a bit. Joshua stepped in, taking the knife and the cutting board to the sink to wash them. “It says here that it should take…” 

The next words had him trailing off. Jihoon, still impatient, looked at him with annoyance. If Jihoon had ever learned to read anything aside from music, he’d be taking the paper from Soonyoung’s hands. 

“Should take what? Just say it, Soonyoung.”

“It says that it should take ‘five plays of the music box that Jihoon gave me for my birthday’,” Soonyoung finished. “Then you strain it, and you have broth. That’s the last step.” 

Jihoon braced his hands against the counter, leaning in a bit, his eyes falling closed. Soonyoung knew about the music box; Jihoon had gone to carpenters and metalsmiths for lessons, creating a ballad version of Mingyu’s favorite song, making the music box entirely with his own hands. Soonyoung had found it to be the absolute peak of romance, and the fact that his two friends still hadn’t kissed after Jihoon presented the gift to him cemented his suspicions that the both of them were completely hopeless fools in the face of love. 

“Don’t,” Jihoon said, as soon as Soonyoung opened his mouth. “You’re as bad—if not worse—than I am, you can’t—”

“I tried,” Soonyoung countered. It was sensitive, talking about Joshua when he was right there, standing behind Jihoon at the sink, even if the water was running. But it was true; he’d tried to kiss Joshua. “You owe it to yourself to try, too.” 

They didn’t have Mingyu’s music box, so Jihoon periodically checked on the broth until it was done. Soonyoung helped him strain it, then they took a bowl of it to Mingyu, Soonyoung eager to finally lay eyes on him. 

He looked terrible. His skin, usually so tan and vibrant, was sullen and tinged a sickly green. He was covered in sweat, his movements wobbly and unstable, but he still smiled at them when they walked through the door. Soonyoung went quickly to hug him, asking how he was feeling, and it felt a bit like a lie when he assured them that he was doing better; Soonyoung and Joshua had to help him sit up, and he shook as he reached for the bowl in Jihoon’s hands. Jihoon didn’t let him take it. 

“I can’t have it?” Mingyu asked. 

“You’re trembling too much,” Jihoon countered. “You’ll spill it on yourself, and ruin all my hard work. I’m feeding it to you.”

“Don’t be foolish,” Mingyu protested, though some pink color returned to his cheeks. “I’ll be fine. I don’t—I don’t want you to stay.” 

Jihoon blinked. “Oh.”

“No, no, it’s just…” Mingyu ran a hand through his hair, scrunching up his nose. “I don’t want you to see me like this. I look awful.”

“You’re the one being foolish,” Jihoon countered, glancing down the stir the spoon through the bowl in his lap, despite it being full of nothing but liquid. “You nearly died, of course you’re—you look fine, Mingyu. It’ll take more than some poison to stop you from being the most handsome man in this castle.”

Mingyu’s lips quirked into a hesitant smile. 

“It might be treason, saying that in front of the Prince,” he said, and Soonyoung heard a fast exhale of laughter from Joshua behind him. This felt like a chance to lighten the mood, so Soonyoung jumped at it. 

“It’s impossible for our Jihoon to commit treason,” he insisted, giving Jihoon a pat on the head. Jihoon glared up at him, and Mingyu laughed. “Because even if he were to kill me, I’m sure the King would agree that I had deserved it.”

“I’m going to feed you,” Jihoon said, leaning in and pressing a kiss to the center of Mingyu’s forehead, “and you’re going to let me.” 

Maybe all Mingyu needed to recover his health was kisses from Jihoon, because a flush of color had filled his entire face now, and he gave a shy nod. Soonyoung decided that it was his cue to go. 

There was a large amount of broth left over, so Soonyoung gathered up available staff and separated it out into bowls to take to anyone that the doctors deemed healthy enough to keep liquids down. It was frightening, all the sickness, and after getting nothing but desperate defenses from the first three people he attempted delivering the bowls to, fear on their faces despite any attempts he made to swear that he believed their innocence, Soonyoung decided that appearing in person might be doing more harm than good, and stopped. All he wanted to do was help. 

“Hey.” Joshua noticed his distress, rubbing at Soonyoung’s upper arm. He’d been a silent shadow all day, hovering behind Soonyoung, poised and tense; the attempt on Soonyoung’s life, clumsy though it was, had set him on edge. But he was trying to be comforting now, his voice soft, and it took all Soonyoung had to resist resting back against his chest. “Want to go visit Seungcheol?” 

Soonyoung nodded, and they began making their way towards the stables. 

By the next day, Soonyoung wasn’t allowed even to do that. Questioning the kitchen staff about the tampered wine had brought no answers; nearly everyone had taken at least one swallow, some of the cooks even sharing sips with their children, and with how the drink had been so deeply tainted, that felt like unlikely behavior from anyone who knew how poisoned it truly was, unless they had intended to die in place of the royal family. With how valuable the drink was, it had been a topic of conversation the week leading up to the celebration; the kitchen staff could have mentioned it to anyone. Word could have spread easily, and anyone passing through the kitchen could have done something, though all of the workers there denied seeing anything unusual. The castle walls were closed, and Soonyoung wasn’t permitted to go outside, even if he had Joshua with him. 

It was torture. Being told he wasn’t allowed something was a surefire way for Soonyoung to want it more than anything else, and despite not having any plans to go out into town and do anything, he suddenly longed for it. He was still allowed to see his tiger, Seungcheol bringing her into the castle for him, but the visits had to be short, since she wasn’t yet housetrained, and was too messy and enthused during her raw feedings to keep from smearing blood all across the floor. But she was so cute, so endearing, and so sweet; she rubbed all over him, headbutting him and trying to smother his body in affection. She also, somehow, seemed to know she was his. She clearly adored Seungcheol, and listened to him well, but always struggled towards Soonyoung as soon as she saw him, always pushing close to his side when they were all together in the same room, and it always took a considerate amount of tugging and coaxing to get her away from him, even when Seungcheol tried to lure her outside with her dinner. 

Seungcheol told Soonyoung the skills he was teaching her, showing what words and gestures he used, and Soonyoung had to agree that she was intelligent, picking up on everything incredibly quickly. Sitting and lying down were simple enough, and keeping pace at his heel as he walked came immediately; Soonyoung didn’t even need to use the verbal command, just tapping once at his hip bone to get her attention, and she matched his step as they walked the length of the ballroom, her eyes up on his face. Seungcheol was completely baffled by the display, and Soonyoung felt himself wondering if she could read his mind. 

Her eyes still amazed him. They were that bright, mint green that had caught his focus the instant he’d seen her, and it made her gaze so sharp that it was captivating. Seungcheol told him that many tiger cubs were born with blue eyes, and that it was likely that as she aged her eyes would change to a shade of amber, but they stayed the same captivating color as the week progressed, and Soonyoung decided to name her “Hoshi”. That would be a good name for songs, too; many things rhymed with it.

“Are her stripes on her skin?” Soonyoung asked. She was upside down in his lap, splayed across his thighs, Joshua sitting close to pet her head. She was doing that thing with her paws again, flexing and relaxing them in rhythm, clearly content. The fur on her stomach was white, more sparse than the fur on her back, and it looked like the black lines ran skin deep. Seungcheol nodded.

“Each tiger has a unique pattern,” he said. “There’s no other Hoshi out there in the world.”

“Of course not!” Soonyoung declared, Joshua beginning to laugh as he scooped Hoshi up into his arms and pressed his face into her fur. She made a small noise that had Seungcheol laughing but otherwise didn’t protest, letting him snuggle her before releasing her again. 

“She would not let me do that to her,” Seungcheol said with slight amazement. “And I’m raising her! She really does love you.”

It felt like she did, but hearing it sent a glow through Soonyoung’s chest, Hoshi collecting herself a few paces away from him on the floor and beginning to lick down the ruffled fur on her back. 

Seungcheol got to his feet, saying it was time for Hoshi’s dinner. Soonyoung stood too, trying to plead them into staying, citing how dark it was outside, how it was raining, how it was still early in the evening.

“I’ll even clean the blood from the floor myself!” he insisted, not wanting them to leave, but Seungcheol shook his head. 

“The scent of it would confuse the dogs,” he said, shrugging a robe on, pulling the hood over his head. “But we’ll go into the garden, and I can leave the door open if you’d like to watch.”

Soonyoung pouted but he didn’t protest, walking out of the ballroom with Seungcheol. Despite the downpour outside, he hated the way he had to just stand in the doorway, Hoshi’s ears flicking in annoyance as the raindrops hit them. 

“This is so infuriating,” Soonyoung complained. “I can’t even go into the gardens, really? The gates are closed. It should be safe.”

Joshua reached up to rub at his shoulder. 

“It’s been a week of silence,” Joshua told him. “And everyone is healing up well. Maybe this next week, the King will be more lenient.”

Thankfully, the kitchen staff were all feeling better. Curiously, despite this, Soonyoung hadn’t seen much of Mingyu or Jihoon. He was hoping that meant that something was happening between them, choosing not to go find them for fear of being a bother. 

“Maybe,” Soonyoung grumbled, watching fondly as Hoshi ripped through a hunk of cow flesh with her teeth. The rain was running the blood through the grass, making more of a mess than usual. 

“Your father is only doing it because he cares for you,” Joshua said, and Soonyoung knew that. It softened the frustration a bit, sure, but not by much. A flash of lightning lit up the garden, thunder clapping not long after. Hoshi didn’t flinch. 

Then Seungcheol jerked, stumbling back. The action was strange, Soonyoung frowning at him, unable to realize what was going on until Seungcheol staggered to the side and Soonyoung saw an arrow protruding from the left side of his chest. 

Soonyoung's throat closed up in fear, taking a quick step outside, trying to run to him. 

“No!” Joshua shouted, throwing an arm across Soonyoung’s chest to stop him. “Stay—stay here.”

“But Seungcheol—”

“I’ll get him,” Joshua promised, while in a wild, unbelievable move, Seungcheol wrenched the arrow from his chest and lobbed it hard in a perfect arc, directly back the way it came. It disappeared into the dark trees, followed by a shout of pain. Lightning struck across the sky, the area bright. Soonyoung looked out into the foliage, but couldn’t see anyone. 

Seungcheol stumbled again, Joshua catching him under the arms and beginning to pull him back towards the door. 

“Hoshi!” Soonyoung shouted, desperate. She’d only had her name for two days, and had been so engrossed in her meal that she hadn’t noticed any of the rest of what was going on around her. Despite all of this, his shout had her lifting her head. He crouched and she ran to him, blood covering her mouth and front paws, only partially rinsed off from the rain.

“I… I’ll get help,” Soonyoung said, dashing off, Hoshi on his heels. The royal doctor was shocked to see him, especially with a soaking wet and bloody tiger cub by his side, but she didn’t ask questions, gathering up a bag of supplies and following Soonyoung back. Seungcheol was on his back on the floor when they returned, Joshua applying pressure to the wound on his chest, blood running through his fingers. 

“Pulling the arrow out was really, really foolish,” Joshua told him. Seungcheol grinned a bit. He had blood all the way up his neck. 

“I hit something, though.” 

The doctor clearly shared Joshua’s opinion, but she told them that the shot had missed his heart, and once she was able to control the bleeding Joshua got to his feet, closing the outside door. Then he wiped his hands on his shirt, wrapping one of them around Soonyoung’s bicep and pulling him from the room. 

“What?”

“The guards need to be alerted to search the grounds, and you need to be somewhere safe,” Joshua said. His tone was clipped. His grip was tight. “You shouldn’t have left the room without me.”

“Seungcheol needed help!”

“Seungcheol is not as important as you are,” Joshua countered. “The door to the garden wasn’t even closed, Soonyoung.”

“And I had gone from the room! It would have been you, in danger. You and Seungcheol.” 

“Soonyoung, the kingdom knows this cub is yours.” Joshua was so serious that he sounded angry, nodding down to Hoshi, who was still walking patiently at Soonyoung’s feet, her bright eyes on his face for direction. “Seungcheol was cloaked. Whoever loosed that arrow was intending to hit you.” 

Soonyoung swallowed. He hadn’t taken the time to consider it that way. 

“I suppose I won’t be allowed out next week,” he said weakly. Joshua didn’t laugh. He didn’t even smile. 

As it was though, the opposite was true. Guards searched the gardens, and aside from trampled bushes, there was no evidence of a perpetrator. However, since the castle gates were closed, it had to have been done by someone in the castle itself. Despite how clumsy the attempts were, the fact that two tries on Soonyoung’s life had happened so close together indicated a level of dedication that was concerning, and instead of keeping Soonyoung inside the castle with a possible assassin, the decision was made to have him leave. To sneak him out, without any pomp and circumstance, and bring him somewhere safe until the mystery could be solved. 

“If… if I may,” Joshua began hesitantly, after a handful of locations had been suggested and consequently dismissed after being talked through. “My hometown is incredibly small. Not many that live there have laid eyes on the royal family in person, and I know all of the roads, and all of the neighboring towns. I believe that I could keep him safe there.” 

Joshua had done well, so far, at his job of keeping Soonyoung out of danger. After some consideration, the proposition was accepted. Soonyoung had the rest of the night and all of tomorrow to pick a small party of people that he trusted and get prepared to leave, then they would set off. 

A plan of action didn’t help soothe Joshua at all. Soonyoung had hoped that it might, had involved him in every moment of it from picking out his traveling party to picking out his clothes, but still there was an unwavering tension in Joshua’s face, a sharpness in his eyes. He even stationed himself outside of Soonyoung’s bedroom door that night, and Soonyoung could tell on the following morning that he hadn’t slept at all. 

“You can’t protect me if you can’t care for yourself,” he admonished the next morning, heading down to the kitchens for breakfast. His plan for the day was to check on Seungcheol, gather everyone he planned on taking with him, and get an early night’s rest. 

“Do not worry about me,” Joshua insisted, in a tone that told Soonyoung that he didn’t want to discuss it, either seriously or in jest, so Soonyoung dropped the matter. 

To his surprise, Seungcheol was sitting upright at one of the kitchen tables when he arrived, eating soup and chatting with Mingyu. 

“Are you sure you’re supposed to be up?” he asked. Seungcheol shrugged. 

“I don’t feel so bad,” he said. “I bled, but I was wearing a thick coat, so the arrow didn’t pierce too deeply. And Chan is helping take care of Hoshi, which is quite funny, because he is quite afraid of her. But I can sit and walk just fine.”

Soonyoung eyed him for a moment. “How would you feel about sitting on a horse?” he asked. “For ten days?” 

Seungcheol claimed that he could go. Mingyu said he could too, when Soonyoung explained it to him, now feeling very close to full health. Chan agreed to come as well, and then the last person Soonyoung had to ask was Jihoon; Jihoon wasn’t going to be holding much of a practical role on the journey, and he wasn’t fond of sleeping outside, but there was no way of knowing how long Soonyoung was going to be gone, and he couldn’t live without Jihoon. 

“Plus, Mingyu is coming,” Soonyoung told him. “It’ll be fun, I’m sure!” 

“Fun,” Jihoon deadpanned back. He’d already agreed. 

“Exactly. Fun.” Soonyoung reached out and poked Jihoon on the nose. Jihoon scowled at him. “Where have you been lately, anyway? You and Mingyu both. I see him long enough to eat my meal and then he’s gone again.”

Jihoon still had the necklace on, the yellow gem in the center reflecting the sunlight on the underside of his chin like a buttercup. It went quite well with how he’d gone a painful shade of red. Soonyoung narrowed his eyes. 

“Jihoon, if you are ravishing that tree of a man and didn’t think to tell me, I will cry for a week,” he declared. Jihoon turned away from him. 

“There is no—there is no ravishing,” Jihoon managed out, bowing his head and pushing his face into his hands like the word had the power to kill him. “But I did tell him how I felt. Foolishly, he says he wants to court me first.” 

“Ah.” Soonyoung raised an eyebrow. “So you simply wish there was ravishing.”

“Stop saying ravishing,” Jihoon muttered, but he didn’t refute Soonyoung’s words, and Soonyoung clung on his shoulders in laughter. 

By the end of the day, all bags had been packed and all horses prepared, with a travel kit for Hoshi stored in the barn. They were leaving at first light, and all retired early to get as much sleep as they could. Soonyoung changed into sleep clothes, while Joshua looked poised and ready to position himself outside of Soonyoung’s bedroom door again. 

“You cannot do that,” Soonyoung insisted, reaching out to grip his wrist instead of letting him leave. At his touch, Joshua stilled. “You need to rest for this journey. I have guards at the end of the hall; do you not trust them?”

“I trust only you, your family, and the ones you have chosen to bring with you,” Joshua responded. He was so serious that Soonyoung couldn’t help but feel surprised. “Soonyoung, this last attack came from inside the castle. It stands to reason that the first one did too.” 

“Which is why I need you at full rest and full health tomorrow,” Soonyoung countered. “Jeon Wonwoo will be protecting me too, but do you see him here, thinking it would be wise to attempt staying up all night?”

Soonyoung didn’t really know Jeon Wonwoo, but he’d been told that he needed a palace guard to accompany the party as well, so all of the protecting wouldn’t be solely on Joshua’s shoulders. He hadn’t been sure who to ask, but Wonwoo had been named at Mingyu’s suggestion as someone capable that Jihoon and Mingyu both knew. Wonwoo seemed a bit too quiet and stony for Soonyoung’s liking, but he trusted Jihoon enough to bring him anyway. 

Joshua didn’t answer him, Soonyoung stepping close. 

“You need to relax,” he said. “Drop your shoulders. Nothing would dare hurt me in this room, while you’re here in it. I haven’t seen you smile all day, which is very unfortunate for me.” 

Those words, thankfully, had the corners of Joshua’s lips twitching up. 

“This is serious, Your Highness.”

“Oh please, don’t ‘Your Highness’ me,” Soonyoung insisted, reaching and taking both of Joshua’s hands. “Not when it’s just the two of us, alone.” 

“That is dangerous,” Joshua said quietly. Soonyoung pretended not to hear him, trying to will away how those soft words made him feel, pulling Joshua in closer by the hands. 

“I never properly gave you any dancing instruction,” he said, lifting one of Joshua’s hands onto his shoulder, trying to control his breath as he placed his hand on Joshua’s waist. “Come close. Step like this.”

“Soonyoung—”

“Dancing is an excellent way to relax. Let me help you.” 

As soon as those words were out of Soonyoung’s mouth, he heard them back, and then couldn’t bear to look at Joshua’s face. Which was difficult, what with how close they were, and with how he could feel Joshua’s eyes on him. But Joshua didn’t pull away, and it was quickly becoming too much; this was supposed to be to diffuse the tension, but instead Soonyoung was quite unable to breathe. He needed to do something. 

So he genuinely attempted to teach. He kept his eyes resolutely on their feet, stepping and swaying their bodies, singing softly under his breath for something for them to dance along to. Joshua tried his best, but he was still endearingly bad at it, and eventually even that wasn’t enough of a distraction, Soonyoung letting his voice rise in volume. 

He sang a silly song, tilting his head back, spinning himself before pulling back to lift his hand and spin Joshua too, twirling him under his arm. Soon, Joshua was simply stumbling after him, but he was laughing, and that was what mattered, and what was best for Soonyoung’s heart and his self control. 

Until he slipped on the rug, and Joshua tried to catch him, and they toppled onto his bed together. Joshua’s upper body was against his, solid and firm, his surprised exhale mingling with Soonyoung’s breath, and how badly and strongly Soonyoung wanted this, this and this exactly, had his entire body aching. Joshua looked back at him for a moment, red flushing all the way down his neck before he managed to untangle his hand from Soonyoung’s, using an arm to push his body up. 

“I think,” he said, sounding so, wonderfully breathless, hovering over him on the bed for a moment before fully moving away, “that this is a sign that you need to be in bed.” 

“Stay,” Soonyoung said, unable to help it, sitting up and reaching out and managing to snag Joshua’s tunic with his fingertips. After having Joshua so close, the thought of him being a whole room away was almost too much to bear. “Please, stay, if you’re so worried for me. There’s a couch in this room that will fit you. Sleep on it instead.”

“Is that an order, Prince?” Joshua asked. He always asked, never mind that Soonyoung had never once genuinely ordered him to do anything. After a breath, Soonyoung let him go. 

“Simply a suggestion,” he said. Joshua left the room, and Soonyoung covered his face with his hands. He could feel that he’d overstepped, he’d pushed too far, that feeling confirmed with the longer and longer that Joshua was gone. Soonyoung blew the candles out and got into bed, just to be pulled from the edge of sleep by his bedroom door opening. He sat up, blinking blearily. 

“It’s just me, Your Highness.” Joshua’s voice was soft, and he’d changed into sleep clothes, a folded stack of fabric in his hands that Soonyoung recognized as his outfit for the next day. The only light in the room was streaming from the moon, through curtains that weren’t properly closed, weak and pale, but Soonyoung would recognize Joshua’s silhouette anywhere. “I had to talk with Chan about something for tomorrow, and it took longer than expected. Sorry for startling you. Please go back to sleep.”

“Oh,” Soonyoung murmured, feeling more relieved than he’d expected. “Okay. Goodnight, Joshua.” 

Joshua laid down on the couch across the room, and Soonyoung watched his side profile until he properly drifted off. 

It had been a while since Soonyoung had spent so long on a horse. He’d forgotten how rough it could be, how exhausting it could be, and he couldn’t even moan about it, because they were trying to be discreet in their travels. But as far as they knew, no one had seen them leave, and the rest of the palace were being told that Soonyoung was closed into the left wing of the castle, only to be seen and waited on by those the King trusted. They left so early that they made good time despite only taking backroads, stopping to set up a camp as the first streaks of sunset started through the sky. Soonyoung winced as he dismounted, seeing Chan do something similar on his left. But Chan continued to limp as he walked, Soonyoung frowning at him.

“Shouldn’t you be better on a horse than me?” he asked. “Are you alright?”

“Oh!” It took Chan a moment to notice he was being spoken to, straightening up at the realization that he was being watched. “Yes, I’m fine. I apologize. It’s just a bruise.”

“A bruise?” 

Around them, Wonwoo and Seungcheol were beginning to set up camp, Jihoon starting a fire for Mingyu to cook with. Joshua was standing slightly behind Soonyoung, scanning the area with his eyes. Chan nodded. 

“That storm from two nights ago was loud. Thunder spooked one of the horses, and I got kicked in the leg. It’s not too bad.” He reached down to rub at said leg as he spoke, right on the top of his thigh, and Soonyoung frowned.

“Oh,” he said. He’d only asked after Seungcheol and Mingyu’s health; maybe he should have done it for everyone. “I’m sorry, please rest and ride as easily as you can.”

The evening was short and without much conversation, with how the riding had tired everyone. Soonyoung ended up dozing off on Jihoon’s shoulder, Hoshi’s body a warm weight in his lap, awake only for a moment as his friends put him to bed. Joshua took first watch. They rose with the sun, and started off again. 

The person that was enjoying the trip the most was undoubtedly Hoshi. She took turns bounding next to the horses or sleeping in someone’s lap, loving to sniff around and explore. She had to stay close, but responded any time Soonyoung called her name, and while she tried a few times to hunt, all she really managed to eat that wasn’t provided to her was a few bugs. She played with Jihoon, and let Mingyu hold her, got petted by Joshua, and chased Chan, giving Seungcheol nearly as much affection as she gave Soonyoung. Curiously though, she did not get close to Wonwoo at all. Wonwoo was new, Soonyoung supposed, someone she hadn’t seen herself or been able to smell on Soonyoung’s clothes. The longer the journey went on, Soonyoung hoped, the more accepting she would be. 

They were making good distance, so on a third of the way through their journey they ended after only a few hours of riding to let both their horses and their bodies rest. Camp was set up easily, Mingyu talking very loudly to Wonwoo about something as they tacked up their horses.

“I’m not saying you won’t beat me,” he declared. “I’m sure that you will! I’m just saying that I’m not as hopeless around a sword as you think I am.”

“What’s going on?” Soonyoung asked. He hadn’t had much of a chance to speak to Wonwoo, from the simple truth that Wonwoo hadn’t done much of anything to approach him. But Soonyoung was trying not to hold it against him; Wonwoo was quiet, he knew, and he’d long since made peace with the fact that his title made it hard for some people to speak comfortably with him.

“Sword fight,” Jihoon reported. His arms were crossed over his chest. His voice was dry. “Mingyu’s mouth is too big. If Wonwoo doesn’t bash my beloved with the flat of his blade at least once, I’m going to be disappointed.”

“Hey!” Mingyu whined, as the rest of them laughed. Mingyu didn’t have a sword of his own, requesting to use Joshua’s, the two men finding a clearing free of trees. Everyone else backed away to give them a wide berth. Hoshi was scratching around in the grass a few feet away. 

“Nobody is to harm each other,” Seungcheol insisted. “No blade-to-body contact is allowed. And Mingyu?”

Mingyu glanced at him, an eyebrow raised, rotating his wrist while holding Joshua’s sword to feel the weight of it. Seungcheol grinned, showing that while the words sounded supportive, they were meant more to be teasing instead. 

“Be careful.” 

“Oh, hush.” Mingyu pointed the blade at him. “I’m not afraid of you, old man. I’ll fight you next.”

The “old” comment looked like it stung a bit, making them all laugh, but Mingyu didn’t really notice Seungcheol’s pouting, because the fight started. At the first clang of metal Hoshi’s ears pricked, rushing up instead of running off and placing herself between the action and Soonyoung, like her little ten week old body was going to be able to protect Soonyoung from what was going on in front of them. Soonyoung reached down to give her a quick pet of gratitude. 

Soonyoung found himself genuinely impressed by Mingyu’s skill; he hadn’t known that Mingyu knew his way around a weapon at all, didn’t know that he’d had any sort of training aside from cooking, but he was holding his own relatively well. Sure, he was majorly on the defensive, but he was blocking Wonwoo’s swings at him fast enough to even return with a few of his own. 

He was still fighting a losing battle, though. Mingyu moved like someone that had learned the basics years ago, and had watched the craft enough times since to remember it, without having the chance to do much personal practice. Wonwoo was a properly trained knight, and eventually he hit the back of Mingyu’s knees with the flat of his blade, retracting it quickly as Mingyu fell, and directed the point of it at Mingyu’s throat. Watching Mingyu tumble to the ground was surprising, Soonyoung grateful that Wonwoo was able to move his weapon out of the way in time. He didn’t quite like the way Wonwoo’s blade was only inches from piercing his friend’s throat, his arm steady and his gaze sharp. 

“I said no contact!” Seungcheol complained. 

“I wasn’t going to hurt him,” Wonwoo replied calmly. 

“He could still hurt himself,” Jihoon explained.  “He’s exceptionally talented at doing that, despite everyone else’s best efforts.” 

Still, Wonwoo didn’t give up his stance until Mingyu surrendered, smiling goodnaturedly and returning Joshua’s sword to him.

“See, though?” Mingyu insisted. Since he’d anticipated losing, he wasn’t disappointed by it. “I was good!” 

“You were good,” Wonwoo agreed, Mingyu beaming as Jihoon patted him on the shoulder. Soonyoung couldn’t help but notice that despite the fight clearly being over, Hoshi still hadn’t moved from her protective stance in front of him, and was still following Wonwoo with her eyes. 

Weapon practice was the theme of the day, Chan bringing out the bow he’d brought along, a pretty yew compound bow that Soonyoung had given him two years ago on his birthday. They all gave it a try, Soonyoung surprised by the sheer amount of arm strength it took just to pull the arrow back, watching in disappointment as the arrow’s light blue tail shot wildly off into the trees. Hoshi chased after it.

“Mingyu,” Jihoon deadpanned, when it was his turn with Chan’s bow. “I can do it.” 

He very clearly could do it, with the way he already had the arrow nocked and the bowstring pulled back, his posture steady and still. 

“But I’m helping you,” Mingyu said, a grin in his voice, standing extremely close behind Jihoon and touching his biceps under the guise of properly positioning his arms. Jihoon rolled his eyes, but let the arrow fly well, Soonyoung watching the blue fletching disappear into the woods, Hoshi chasing after that one too. 

As Mingyu made supper for them, Joshua gave him his first dagger wielding lesson. Soonyoung had been carrying it strapped to his hip, but he hadn’t had an excuse to even unsheathe it yet. He did it now, and with enthusiasm, Joshua laughing at the eagerness as he took a step back. 

“Okay, step one: be careful,” he said, the amusement still in his voice. “Here, hold it like this.” 

He unwound Soonyoung's fingers from how he’d curled them around the handle, repositioning so that his thumb was on top. He was so gentle, and his hands were so incredibly large and warm that Soonyoung felt his mouth go dry. 

“There,” he said. “Now, your free hand—that’s the one you’ll be blocking with, and using it to create openings to get at your opponent.”

“Could you show me?” Soonyoung asked, less because he wanted a demonstration and more because he wanted to watch the attractive assuredness in Joshua’s posture when he had a blade in his hand. Off in his peripheral vision, Soonyoung saw Jihoon roll his eyes. 

They went over various stances until the sun fell and supper was called, Soonyoung feeling surprisingly educated and unexpectedly sweaty by the end of it. Chan had been interested too, butting into the one-on-one teaching session and using a stick to mimic the moves. Joshua never got too close to him, never put his arms around him to help position him like Mingyu had done to Jihoon, and Soonyoung tried not to feel too put out about it. He didn’t know if it was because of Joshua’s dedication to appropriateness or simply fear from the way Soonyoung was prone to flailing the dagger around, resolving to get things as under control as possible in time for any upcoming training sessions. Hopefully those would be without Chan. Part of him had expected Hoshi to rush to his defense again when Joshua pulled his own dagger out so close to him, but she seemed to know to trust him, simply watching the action, her body laid out in the grass, her chin resting on her large front paws.

By the time they’d reached the midpoint of their journey, they considered themselves far enough away to stay at an actual, proper inn for a night. It was a blessing, to be able to take a warm bath and have a proper bed to sleep in, even with the way Soonyoung had to sneak around, and Hoshi had to be smuggled in and out. They tried to insist that Soonyoung bathe first but he refused; he wanted to go last, because he’d heard that Hoshi was incredibly fond of water and wanted to watch her play in it. Joshua bathed first instead, promising to be quick. 

And he was. Soonyoung had barely begun lamenting to Jihoon, stretched out on his bed while Jihoon sat next to his head, when Joshua walked into the room. He had a wet towel around his waist, and while his body was dry his hair was still damp enough to let the occasional droplet fall onto his shoulders, the water running down the divots of muscle in his chest or back before soaking into the towel. 

Soonyoung couldn’t not stare, couldn’t even gather himself together enough to think that maybe, he should avert his eyes. Joshua, because apparently he simply had to make things worse for Soonyoung, met his eyes and offered up a smile that was slightly sheepish, as though he knew what he looked like and felt a bit embarrassed about it. Soonyoung wanted to eat him alive. 

“Forgot a change of clothes,” he explained, digging through his travel bag before snatching some up and retreating again. The door closed with a click, and Jihoon burst out into raucous laughter as Soonyoung turned onto his front, burying his face in his friend’s hip and letting out a long-suffering groan. 

“Oh,” Jihoon managed out, once he could breathe again. “He looks like that under his tunic? This must be torture for you.”

“I can’t even bite him or anything,” Soonyoung whined, emerging. Jihoon laughed again, reaching down to smooth out Soonyoung’s bangs. “How come you get to have your hot muscled idiot and I don’t?”

“Don’t call Mingyu an idiot,” Jihoon said, tucking some of Soonyoung’s hair behind his ear, despite it not being long enough to properly stay there. 

“You do it all the time though,” Soonyoung complained, continuing when Jihoon opened his mouth to defend himself. “I know, I know, you have special ‘being hopelessly in love with him’ privileges.” 

“You could order Joshua to let you bite him,” Jihoon suggested, despite the way his face had gone pink at Soonyoung’s words. Soonyoung knew that was meant as a joke, but he shook his head anyway. 

“He tolerates me. He’s kind to me. I can’t ask for more than that.” 

Setting off on the road again the next morning was disappointing, Soonyoung sad to say goodbye to his bed and the wonderful sleep it had given him, expressing his gratitude by paying three times the nightly rate for himself and the rest of the party. Jihoon, on the other hand, didn’t look like he’d slept much at all, which concerned Soonyoung. He tried to ask Jihoon about it, but the panicked expression that overtook Jihoon’s face when he mentioned the possibly sleepless night had Soonyoung realizing what it must be about. He laughed out loud instead, but decided not to torment his friend, assurring Jihoon that he hadn’t heard anything. Jihoon and Mingyu had gotten together so close to the start of this journey; Soonyoung figured he couldn’t blame them for taking advantage of a place with a proper bed in it. 

Sleeplessness wasn’t Jihoon’s only affliction however; the fingertips of his right hand were wrapped in bandages. That seemed much safer to ask about, so Soonyoung did. 

“What’s that?”

“Oh.” Jihoon blinked down at his hand. “Burns.”

“You burned yourself? How? Why?”

“Why?” Jihoon asked back, and yes, Soonyoung supposed that was a silly question. “I…” He shook his hair from his face, using his uninjured hand to push his bangs back. “Mingyu has foolishly assumed that in being able to make a satisfactory chicken broth, I can cook now. I cannot.”

That had Soonyoung laughing again. He hadn’t noticed Mingyu or Jihoon cooking anything this morning, but both had already been up when he’d woken, and Mingyu wasn’t shy; Soonyoung could very easily see him going to the inn’s kitchen staff and asking to share their space. A night of romance and a breakfast cooked together. It truly sounded like a dream, Soonyoung telling Jihoon so with a wistful sigh. Jihoon sidled his horse up next to Soonyoung’s, just to kick him in the leg. 

For the second half of the journey, Soonyoung decided to try to talk more with Wonwoo. Wonwoo was the only member of their party that he was distant with, and he didn’t have a good reason. The match between Wonwoo and Mingyu had left him a bit uneasy, sure, but Wonwoo hadn’t hurt Mingyu, and Mingyu had even asked for it. However, as the days passed it became difficult, because inexplicably, Hoshi still seemed to dislike Wonwoo. 

She didn’t hiss, she didn’t growl, but she didn’t let him do anything to her either, like pick her up or play with her, even avoiding touches from him. Soonyoung had tried fully picking her up and holding her and letting Wonwoo reach out his hand, just for her to sniff his fingers and lean away. Seungcheol even attempted letting Wonwoo be the one to feed her meals, and while she took the meat from him, she often ran off somewhere separate to eat it, shifting around the campsite in the evenings to make sure that wherever she placed herself, she was between Soonyoung and Wonwoo. 

As far as Soonyoung knew, Wonwoo had never done anything to upset her, and the peculiar behavior made Soonyoung wary. He felt unable not to trust Hoshi, despite the lack of reason for it, and as a result, couldn’t find it in himself to let his guard down, despite any nice conversations they had, and Wonwoo’s relaxed demeanor. 

Joshua taking the first watch always helped Soonyoung sleep easier. But on the final evening of their travels, the last day before they rode into Joshua’s hometown, Soonyoung had a difficult time laying still and closing his eyes. He was nervous, he realized. He wanted them to like him, wanted Joshua’s friends to enjoy his presence, and for Joshua’s family to think he was a good companion for their son. Despite how he was supposed to be asleep, Soonyoung got to his feet and made his way to the edge of the camp where Joshua was sitting, his posture perfect, one hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword. His movement roused Hoshi and she came with him, her movement completely silent. Joshua wasn’t surprised to see her though, turning at the sound of Soonyoung’s footsteps, and his side profile catching the moonlight had Soonyoung’s breath stopping in his chest. 

“Can’t sleep?” Joshua asked, his voice soft. Soonyoung gave his head a small shake, coming to sit cross legged beside him. Hoshi did the same, stretching out her back before flopping down unceremoniously onto the grass.

“It isn’t a bad thing,” Soonyoung told him. “I’m excited! I cannot believe I haven’t met your parents yet. It truly is a shame.”  

“Well, you’ll only be meeting one,” Joshua told him. “My father passed away.”

“Oh.” Soonyoung realized, in that moment, that whenever Joshua talked about his family—which, admittedly, did not happen often—he only talked about his mother. Soonyoung had known Joshua had no siblings; he hadn’t known about this. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Joshua’s voice was simple. “It was a long time ago.”

“Are you excited to see her?” Soonyoung asked, and Joshua nodded. 

“Yes. I really am.” He was smiling, the expression small but light on his face, and Soonyoung felt the familiar ache of his heart. “It’s been a long time. Especially since I’ve seen my grandmother. I’ve missed her, too.”

“Will I get to meet her?” Soonyoung asked him, and Joshua shrugged. 

“If you would like to.” As soon as they strode into town, Soonyoung was giving up his royal status. He was going to be posing just as a friend of Joshua’s, a member of his camping party, and the others were to simply call him by his name. Thankfully, dropping formalities was something Soonyoung had instilled in Joshua and Jihoon a long time ago, and they were doing a decent job with it. Wonwoo and Seungcheol remembered it more often than not. Mingyu and Chan were struggling. “I must warn you, though. She is a strange woman.”

“Oh?” Soonyoung drew his knees up, leaning in closer. “How?”

“Well…” Joshua looked reluctant, as though debating whether or not to share the information, despite the fact that he’d already begun talking. “When she was young, magic had not yet been outlawed. She made her living as a witch.”

Hoshi’s ears pricked up. Soonyoung hadn’t been expecting that. To him, magic was a thing of books, of legends, and all of those legends were bad. Magic was no longer spoken about in a serious way, only ever used by antagonists in children’s stories. It wasn’t practiced. It was nothing but dangerous, always used only to harm and to take. When Soonyoung learned that it truly used to be practiced, that witches and warlocks used to roam the lands as freely as humans did, it had frightened him so badly that he hadn’t been able to sleep for a week. 

“Oh.”

“She’s very kind,” Joshua said, and Soonyoung knew that his surprise was all over his face. “She will definitely try to feed you, the moment you step through her door.” Then, more placatingly, “She doesn’t practice anymore. She stopped even before my parents met. There’s nothing to fear about her.” 

“I suppose,” Soonyoung murmured. He shivered, knowing he was just imagining the nonexistent draft; it was summer, and the slight breeze was warm, despite the way the sun had been set for a long while now. Joshua shifted to sit closer to him, and Soonyoung extended his legs again, resting his head on Joshua’s shoulder. “What about your friends? Tell me about them.”

“Well, I grew up next door to a boy named Yoon Jeonghan. The two of us got into more trouble than you would believe possible.” The smile was back on Joshua’s face, slipping even into his tone of voice. “I love him as my own brother. And you’ll love Seokmin, because everyone loves Seokmin. You’ll love Vernon, too. And Junhui. In truth, I think you’ll love them all.”

His hand wandered to Soonyoung’s thigh, but it didn’t stay, his fingertips tapping lightly before pulling back again. Soonyoung decided that he wanted Joshua’s hand closer, reaching for it and slotting their fingers together. Joshua let him, and they rested together on Soonyoung’s leg, the back of Joshua’s hand pressed to the fabric of his trousers. 

“I wish I were meeting them under better circumstances,” he confessed. “I’m glad I won’t have my title on me, though. You will be forced not to call me Highness, and your friends will be able to speak to me comfortably.”

Joshua looked at him curiously for a moment, and the tilt of his head had the moonlight catching the shine in his eyes. 

“You know, I don’t think there has ever been a royal that dislikes their title as much as you dislike yours, Soonyoung.”

“I don’t dislike it,” Soonyoung countered quickly. “I’m grateful for all that I have. I just… I don’t understand it, I suppose. I could understand the attention if it came from skill or merit, but there is nothing about me special enough to deserve the deference that others assume I am owed. I want people around me because they enjoy my presence, not my status. And on the other side, too—I don’t know why I should be killed for the crime of what, having a birthday party?”

Upon saying it, Soonyoung felt that maybe, the assassination attempt shouldn’t have been mentioned. It put a steely look in Joshua’s eye and a tense in his shoulders, his grip tightening on Soonyoung’s hand. 

“You are very special, Your—Soonyoung.”

Very special. The way Joshua had just cut himself off confirmed something that Soonyoung had noticed about Joshua before, how he often closed out sweet statements with the use of Soonyoung’s title, instead of his name. It was like he was trying to distance what he was saying, trying to make it less than it was, and seeing it happen so automatically that it was accidental put a strange feeling in Soonyoung’s chest. But instead of commenting on it he grinned, trying to use the slip-up to lighten the mood. He lifted their entwined hands.

“Your Soonyoung?” 

Joshua’s face flushed, his skin looking darker in the pale moonlight. 

“Don’t tease me,” he insisted, giving their hands a tug towards him and glancing away. Still, though, that tension hadn’t left his posture.

“We’re far from what happened,” Soonyoung said gently. “Nothing is going to hurt me, all the way out here. It’s going to be okay.”

“I know.” Joshua exhaled, looking back at him and pulling their entwined hands towards his mouth, kissing Soonyoung’s knuckles before pressing the back of Soonyoung’s hand to his chest. Soonyoung could feel his heart beating, steady and sure. “I will not allow it to not be okay, Soonyoung. You have my word, and my blade, and my heart on that.” His voice had gone soft. “Your life is my life.” 

Soonyoung was going to do it. Status be damned, everything be damned; he was going to kiss Joshua, sparks from the need for it dancing all across his skin. He leaned in, and unlike last time, Joshua didn’t lean away. He was leaning towards him in turn, that realization forcing Soonyoung’s heart high in his throat, his nose brushing Joshua’s own, just a breath away. His eyes fluttered closed.

Then Hoshi growled. The sound was sudden, insistent, and quite loud in the silence. Joshua jumped away from him, on his feet with his dagger drawn before Soonyoung could process it, shifting to step protectively in front of him. Hoshi’s growl had been directed back towards their camp, and Soonyoung turned to look, peering around Joshua’s legs; now that he was listening, he was able to hear the crunch of footsteps against the dry grass.

It was Wonwoo. He had his sword with him but it wasn’t drawn, not even strapped to his hip, just held in his hand by its thick leather scabbard. Upon seeing him, Joshua lowered his blade, and Soonyoung had a sudden, foreboding feeling that maybe, he should raise it back up.

“Apologies for frightening you,” Wonwoo said. “I noticed that the Prince was not asleep, and got worried. I was coming to ask you, but…”

“He is safe with me,” Joshua said.

“I can see that.” Though said in Wonwoo’s usual tone, Soonyoung couldn’t help but feel that there was some type of implication behind the words. 

“Wonwoo is right, though.” Joshua fully sheathed his blade. “You should be going to sleep, Soonyoung. Tomorrow will be a long day; we will still have nearly a full day’s ride before we’re done.” 

Soonyoung didn’t want to go to sleep. He didn’t want to walk back with Wonwoo—he wanted to go back to a few moments ago, when he’d been about to kiss Joshua. He wanted to kiss Joshua. But the air around them felt strange, and Wonwoo didn’t look ready to leave without him, so Soonyoung got to his feet. 

“Goodnight.” He didn’t look back at Joshua; he didn’t feel able to. He clicked his tongue at Hoshi. “Come.” 

Hoshi followed willingly, curling under his arm when he laid down, resting her head against his chest. The weight of it was comforting, Soonyoung craning his neck to kiss her on the forehead. Before too long, he was asleep.