Archive of Our Own

As Hyunjin peers out of the carriage’s window, he’s greeted by endless trees stretching endlessly ahead. The carriage wheels clatter rhythmically, steady as his own heartbeat, and if he strains his ears hard enough, he’d hear the horses from the carriage in front of behind the one he’s in, both of them carrying the rest of his security, a slight overprotective facet from his parents, but he understands that he’ll be gone for a couple of months, and it’s unreasonable for him to travel this far with only one knight to guard him.

Across him, in his private carriage, sits his favourite knight. Handpicked by himself to be the head of his personal guard, because Hyunjin trusts no one more than he trusts Changbin.

Changbin sits with a stillness that’s more habit than comfort, gloved hands folded neatly one over the other and his sword resting on his knee. The knight usually takes it out of his baldric when he travels, choosing to have the sheathed blade on his lap instead of digging uncomfortably from where it’s attached to his baldric.

Hyunjin has known him long enough to notice the way his jaw flexes whenever the carriage jolts when one of the wheels hits a rut. The knight hates being confined, and Hyunjin knows that he’d rather be on horseback than sitting in comfortable velvet all day.

It’s been hours since the sun has taken its place in the sky, but it’s been three days since they left Hyunjin’s kingdom to travel north.

“Do your eyes hurt, Your Highness?” Changbin asks when Hyunjin closes his eyes to rest them.

He hums in response, fingers dragging along the cover of the book on his lap. “I’m afraid I’m still not used to reading while travelling.”

A faint laugh, friendly enough that Hyunjin is glad that Changbin is here with him. “It might be because you were reading while it was still dark out.”

“Might be.” Hyunjin humours, because any other response would have the older nagging him. “How long until we’re there?”

“We should be there before noon.” Changbin recites, like he expected Hyunjin would ask. “Prince Jisung should be there by now, so he and Prince Minho are expected to greet us when we arrive.”

Opening his eyes, Hyunjin turns his gaze back to the window. The forest feels endless, even when they just left the relaxing inn from the kingdom they passed before the sun rose.

“I can’t believe Jisung is getting married.” Hyunjin breathes out, even when it’s been a plan set in stone since they were born. It just never occurred to him that it would happen at all. Just agreements that always seemed far away enough to keep in mind, but not to consider how it’d change how things have been.

He’s met Minho on some occasions, just enough that they know how they’re connected to Jisung—as his best friend and as his bethrothed, respectively—but Hyunjin wouldn’t consider him a friend. An acquaintance, maybe, so it’s understandable that Hyunjin is agitated at staying at the older prince’s kingdom for the coming months.

It’s been Jisung’s request to have Hyunjin with him as the final preparations for their wedding are taken care of. As his best man and as his best friend, and his relationship with Minho seems to be amicable enough that his request has been granted.

One of the upsides of knowing your bethrothed since you were a baby might have been that Jisung and Minho have already spent so much time together. Jisung spent most of his winters with Minho, while Minho attended several of Jisung’s birthday parties. By now, Hyunjin knows that Minho treats Jisung well, so he’s not worried that his best friend is being married off to someone they don’t know.

“You’re thinking too hard, my prince.” Changbin murmurs.

“It’s just dawning on me that I’d have to travel this long if I want to see Jisung.” Hyunjin sighs. “And to think, I used to say that a full day of travelling was tiresome. I really didn’t know how good we had it, having our kingdoms right next to each other.”

Changbin chuckles. “It just means you’ll enjoy your visits with Jisung even more.”

Hyunjin nods, seeing his reasoning, but he can’t help but still feel sad about it. Growing up, he saw Jisung at least twice a month, with either of them making the trip to visit, even if it was just over the weekend. It feels weird to have his best friend half a dozen kingdoms away now.

The carriage rattles over another uneven patch of road. Hyunjin leans back against his seat and exhales through his nose, then frowns when his stomach gives a low, petulant growl. He hadn’t noticed himself getting hungry, but he figures that he didn’t eat much before they left, still too sleepy to find his appetite.

Before Hyunjin can say anything, Changbin is already reaching into the compartment built into the carriage wall. He takes out a cloth bundle tied with twine; Hyunjin recognizes it as the one Changbin was arranging before they left the inn.

“You really should have eaten more.” Changbin scolds as best as he can, bordering more on a companion than a kight, and Hyunjin appreciates it despite his stubbornness.

“I wasn’t hungry this morning.” Hyunjin says.

Changbin huffs, the corner of his mouth twitching into the smallest smile. “It’s a good thing I know you well enough to be prepared.”

He shifts from his seat opposite to the one beside Hyunjin, the movement smooth but deliberate, like he’s been waiting for an excuse to do it this entire time. Changbin unties the twine, revealing the pieces of bread and pieces of fruit hidden inside.

Wordlessly, Changbin puts a slice of bread in his hand, the melted butter colouring the baked grains. It’s not warm anymore since it’s been hours since they left, so he’s glad that Changbin had the foresight to add butter to the bread as he packed them.

“Thank you.” Hyunjin lilts before he takes a bite.

As he eats, Changbin carefully peels off the skin of a navel orange, then picks apart the slices and places them into Hyunjin’s hand one-at-a-time.

Silence between them has never been awkward, always steady and peaceful in a way Hyunjin only ever associates with Changbin. It’s one of the reasons Hyunjin is insistent to bring him everywhere, to make sure that Changbin’s main priority is to protect him and watch over him, because he thinks he’d lose his mind if the knights that were always around him were stiff and saw him as a fulfillment of their duties before they saw him as a person.

By the time Hyunjin is satisfied with his snack, Changbin has managed to steal a couple bites of bread and a handful of berries. He goes back to his book, insisting that it’s light enough for him to read and that his eyes have stopped hurting, but Changbin doesn’t move to sit across from him.

Hyunjin leans into the knight’s side as he flips through the pages of his book, the margins littered with his own doodles. He would have sketched and coloured for the remainder of the carriage ride, but he misjudged how bored he’d be and packed his oils and parchment into the back of the carriage. He doesn’t think it’s worth it to drop everything just so he can pull out his art supplies.

The hours pass faster somehow, and before he knows it, the carriage is rolling to a stop. The sun is high in the sky, casting a warm light onto the pale stone walls of the grand castle, banners rippling lazily in the wind, displaying the coat-of-arms of the kingdom.

Changbin steps out first, his heavy boots meeting the cobblestone with a solid thud. His sword is attached to his baldric now, his expression practiced and almost rigid as he offers Hyunjin a hand.

The prince takes it without question, his legs stiff from hours of sitting. The leather of Changbin’s gloves are uncomfortable on the skin of Hyunjin’s skin, and he can only imagine how much the older is itching to rip them off.

“Finally, you’re here!”

Hyunjin’s breath leaves him as a laugh as Jisung throws his arms around him in a crushing hug. Around them, the rest of Hyunjin’s entourage hop off their carriages, bowing to the two princes that have waited for their arrival.

“I haven’t seen you in months.” Hyunjn lilts as he returns his friend’s embrace. “How have you been, Jisung?”

“I’ve been well.” Jisung pulls away and looks over his shoulder, smiling at where Minho is waiting at a respectable distance. “I just got here yesterday, so I’m still a little tired from travelling.”

Changbin bows low in greeting, murmuring formalities that make Jisung’s nose wrinkle in faux distaste. Over the years, they’ve grown closer, too, and more often than not, Hyunjin would hear Jisung scold Changbin for still being so formal with him.

“Stop that, Changbin, seriously.” Jisung waves his hand in dismissal, chuckling. “I understand why you still need to be formal with Hyunjin, but you know you don’t have to do that with me.”

“My apologies, Your Highness.” Changbin says. The twitch in his mouth tells Hyunjin that he’s doing it on purpose to tease.

Hyunjin moves to look at Minho. He looks as composed as ever, dark hair neatly brushed back, posture straight but not unkind. He gives Hyunjin a polite, measured smile as he walks along the cobblestone to be closer to them.

“Prince Hyunjin.” he greets, tipping his head down in lieu of a bow. “Welcome. It’s good to see you again after so long.”

Hyunjin tips his head in return. “Thank you for having me, Prince Minho. I look forward to spending more time with you leading up to your wedding.”

Logically, Hyunjin knows that there’s a slim chance it would happen. Minho and his family are considerably recluse, still plagued by a tragic loss from when he and Jisung were babies themselves. Minho himself must not have been older than two when it happened, but he carries the weight of the tragedy the same way his parents and his uncle and aunt do.

His uncle and aunt, who were the true king and queen of this kingdom. Their hierarchy is a little more complicated, since they don’t have a living heir to the throne. The closest is Minho, who’s lived his entire life in preparation for the crown.

It’s why he and Jisung are to marry. To further solidify Minho’s future ascent to the throne.

Minho turns to look at the servants lined up on the side. “Please help Prince Hyunjin and his entourage to their rooms.” Then, he turns to Hyunjin. “As per Jisung’s request, I’ve had your room prepared next to his.”

As if only waiting for his command, the servants head on to help carry the bags that Hyunjin’s knights removed from the carriages. Once again, he mentally pats himself on the back for convincing his parents to relent with only four additions to his entourage, but he knows that Changbin is more than enough to keep him safe.

Jisung beams at him. “I tried to convince him that we could just share a room, but he wouldn’t budge.”

“I find it rather improper to have my betrothed sleeping in the same room as another man leading up to our wedding.” Minho says, but his tone is almost playful, which is the only reason Hyunjin doesn’t scramble to defend his and Jisung’s relationship.

Jisung moves to hold Minho’s hand, lower lip jutting out ever-so slightly. “Hyunjin and I are practically brothers.”

“I know.” Minho’s mouth twitches, quick and barely there. “Come, you must be famished after all that travelling. Lunch is almost served, so you’ll have enough time to settle into your room before then.”

They’re led inside the castle soon after. Jisung’s hand has wrapped around the crook of Minho’s elbow as they walk, while the older prince had taken it upon himself to bring Hyunjin and Jisung directly to their rooms. His own room is only two halls away, so it’s not that far, but Hyunjin appreciates the gesture, even when he’s fairly certain that Minho was mostly there for Jisung rather than for him.

“I hope you’ll find the room to your liking.” Minho tells him, courteous, but there’s still a layer of reserve that spoke of duty rather than friendship. “Please feel free to roam around the castle, you are as much my guest as you are Jisung’s.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, Prince Minho.” he says sincerely.

Jisung smiles at Minho, letting go of his elbow. “I’ll stay with Hyunjin and Changbin before lunch. We’ll see you in the dining hall later.”

Minho nods, kisses the back of Jisung’s hand before he turns back to Hyunjin and Changbin. He tips his head at them in a small bow before he turns around, presumably to go to his room as he waits for the meal to be prepared, too, but thoughts of that are gone as jisung opens the door to his room and ushers them inside.

“Lay down, the both of you. I can only imagine how tired you must be.” Jisung chuckles as he sits Hyunjin down on the bed, then gestures for Changbin to do the same.

Since he’s still in his outdoor clothes, Hyunjin curls up on the foot of the massive bed, not wanting to hassle the servant and have them remake it later just so that he’s not plagued with the thought of the forest’s dust and dirt getting on his sheets. Changbin stands next to the bed, unrelenting, even when he knows by now that he’s free to act as he pleases around Hyunjin.

“I took the liberty of asking Minho to get Changbin a room on the other side of your’s, since I know your personal knight gets agitated when he’s far from you.” Jisung says, almost teasingly, but it’s true.

It’s the only reason Changbin even has his own private quarters in the main wing of the castle instead of the area of the castle dedicated to the other knights. Changbin is fiercely protective, never being apart from Hyunjin for too long. He’s validated by Hyunjin’s insistence to always have Changbin with him, so he hardly ever feels like he’s overstepping when it comes to watching over his prince.

“Changbin,” Hyunjin calls, patting the space next to him to allow Changbin to relax. Slightly, Changbin’s expression softens, and he walks around the bed to get to the spot Hyunjin patted.

The knight sits by Hyunjin’s head, allowing himself that much, while Jisung sits on the cushioned sofa in the middle of the room. The room is spacious, clearly meant for guests because of how well-kept it is despite the lack of decorations.

“How was the trip?” Jisung asks.

“The lands are beautiful.” Hyunjin muses with an easy smile. “But the forest seemed endless.”

Jisung nods. “It intimidated me, too, when I was younger. But now, it’s fun to explore the forest.”

“You can explore the forest?” Hyunjin asks, easily intrigued.

“Yeah, there’s a lot of flowers and animals that I can only see here, and Minho doesn’t mind, as long as I have guards with me. He comes along, too, if he has time.” Jisung explains. “But, I’m sure you can guess how tight security is around here.”

Hyunjin hums, eyelids suddenly feeling heavy now that he’s laying on something soft. He never did quite understand the details of it, even when the stories fascinated him when he was a child. He squirms around at the foot of the bed to get comfortable, and lets out a satisfied sigh when he props his cheek up on Changbin’s knee to use it as a pillow.

How could a small baby just vanish in the dead of the night? His heart hurts just thinking about it, how the king and queen must have been so heartbroken to have their newborn baby taken from them.

Minho’s cousin was never found, even after the entire kingdom searched for months.

“He seems very protective.” Changbin tells Jisung. “I hope it’s not too much for you”

“Minho has been tightening security around me, too, since I’m joining the family.” Jisung sighs. “I get it, and I don’t mind that he’s protective like that. But I can assure you that he won’t be suffocating you with all that. Just me, I’m pretty sure.”

“I have Changbin, though.” Hyunjin reasons. “And my parents made me bring my own knights, so I don’t think I’ll need the extra security, anyway.”

“It’s just good to have more people around you.” Changbin reminds him using the same words his parents did. “You can’t expect me to be with you all that time.”

“I can.” Hyunjin huffs, almost petulantly. “You are always with me.”

“I am, aren’t I?” Changbin intones, light-hearted.

Gloved fingers card through Hyunjin’s hair, familiar and tender, coaxing him to close his eyes and fall asleep.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

Changbin has been awake since the sun rose. Ever since their arrival, he and the other knights from Hyunjin’s entourage have been joining the local knights in their morning routines. Jisung’s entourage are there as well, so he and Chan usually spend the mornings together.

He sparred briefly with the local guards and exchanged pleasantries, quickly developing a friendly relationship with most of them. They’re as hospitable as Minho has been, eager to have new faces among them.

He’s met Seungmin and Jeongin, too. They’re new additions to Jisung’s personal guard, handpicked by Minho himself after a rigorous process to make sure Jisung has exemplary protection.

Jisung wasn’t kidding when he said that Minho was protective. It bordered on paranoia, but Changbin can only imagine how much anxiety he grew up with, losing his cousin before even properly welcoming him to the world. He won’t be surprised if his parents felt threatened that Minho would be taken from them, too.

“Are you going to move here with Jisung?” Changbin asks Chan when the thought occurs to him.

They’re settled on the eating area in the training grounds, done with their exercise and now winding down with coffee and bread.

Chan nods. “He asked me to. I’ve been in charge of his protection ever since I was knighted, so I expected as much.” Chan chuckles, looking at Changbin inquisitively. “If Hyunjin married into another kingdom, you’d do the same, wouldn’t you?”

“That won’t happen.” Changbin is quick to respond, because Hyunjin is the only heir to his throne. Jisung has his older brother to take the crown, so it’s simpler for him to marry into a different kingdom.

“But I’d follow Hyunjin anywhere.”

And like he was summoned, Hyunjin walks into the training grounds, swiftly capturing the attention of nearby knights. They bow at him, and Hyunjin simply smiles and greets them good morning.

Changbin sips his coffee as he waits for Hyunjin to find him, taking note of how the prince is wearing his thinner garments, the string-like ribbon of his top tied comfortably around his navel. Even when it’s been months since he trimmed his hair, it’s still not long enough to tie, so the dark stands fan all over his face.

When Hyunjin spots him, his smile brightens. Changbin can’t help but return the expression. He tips his mug up to him, chuckling when the invitation makes Hyunjin walk faster.

“Chan, I think you’re leaving soon.” Hyunjin says when he’s near enough. “Minho said something about taking Jisung out to the village. Apparently, he’s fallen in love with a bakery near the town center and wants pastries.”

“Of course, he does.” Chan muses. He taps Hyunjin’s shoulder in friendly greeting before he stands and makes his leave. “Seungmin, Jeongin! Freshen up, we’re leaving earlier than planned.”

As the three knights scramble out of the training grounds, Hyunjin sits where Chan was just moments ago. He leans closer to Changbin, mirth dancing in his eyes as he says, “We’re leaving, too.”

“We are?” Changbin humours, taking another sip of his coffee before he pours a fresh mug for the prince. “Where are we going, my prince?”

“Out into the forest.” Hyunjin says, far too purposeful for someone that should be enjoying an uneventful morning. “I want to find something else to draw. The gardens here aren’t that much different from home, and I’ve already finished my sketch of the facade yesterday.” He huffs, almost pouting. “You’re the only one I don’t get tired of drawing, but you won’t even sit still for me anymore.”

Changbin pinches the bridge of his nose. “That’s because you’ve been drawing me for years and I’m tired of falling asleep in the poses you make me do.” He sighs, gives Hyunjin his coffee, and accepts the fact that he’s here to see to the prince’s wishes. “Give me an hour to wash the morning off myself, and then I’ll excort you to the forest.”

Jisung said that it’s safe, and Hyunjin knows not to test the limits of his own safety. There’s no reason for Changbin to deny the prince of something as small as wanting to find something to draw. He knew that his love for art made him happy.

Hyunjin has never been one for being idle—always chasing something or wandering away, almost sending his teachers and caretakers into a heart attack whenever he got himself in trouble.

They go back into the castle together. Hyunjin disappears into his room to pack up his satchel, while Changbin washes up and changes into clothes more suitable for the forest.

They set out a short while later, taking one of the narrow paths that wound beyond the castle gates. The guards posted there recognize them immediately and offer no protest when Changbin gives them a curt nod.

As soon as they’re past the wall, Hyunjin’s steps pick up, creating distance since Changbin maintains his steady walking. The prince disappears behind the trees that loomed tall and ancient, in tune with the secrets that the canopies above them whisper as they walk.

Hyunjin carries himself like a man enchanted, satchel slung over his shoulder, carrying his sketchbook and various colouring supplies that Changbin has long since given up carrying for the prince because he insists on bringing them himself.

“The sunlight here is so nice.” Hyunjin murmurs after a while, crouching in the middle of a glade. “I like it. It’s peaceful.”

Carefully, he brushes the tip of his finger along the outline of a lone flower sprouting from the ground, the sun making the petals look like they’re glowing. Changbin can see the fascination practically radiating off of him.

He takes out his sketchbook, flipping to an empty page, then lifts a charcoal pencil to start sharpening it. Changbin stands by the end of the glade, thinking that the image of Hyunjin right now deserves to be preserved in art, but since he doesn’t have the talent to do so, he’d just take an extra moment to admire it.

“It’s peaceful because most people have better sense than to wander this far into the forest.” Changbin says, though his voice is softened by the way light shines down on the prince.

Admittedly, this is farther in the forest that Changbin would like to be, especially since this is their first time in this kingdom, and he’s pretty sure that the forest is out of jurisdiction this far, but it is peaceful, and there hasn’t been signs of wild animals or vigilantes, so he thinks that it’s a small risk to ensure Hyunjin has a great day.

Hyunjin looks up at him, his pencil sharpened, and the shaving collected in a small pile on top of his handkerchief to dispose of later. “You don’t think I have a reason?”

“Your reasons are honourable, Your Majesty.” Changbin replies.

That draws a soft laugh from the prince, carried away by the wind.

For a while, neither of them speak. Hyunjin sketches the flower in content silence, and Changbin stays guarding the glade, he finds himself easing—his vigilance thinning under the rhythm of birdsong and the steady rustle of leaves.

When Hyunjin exchanges his charcoal pencil for his oil pastels, he glances up at Changbin. “You know, you could sit down. The forest isn’t going anywhere.”

“I’m keeping you safe.” Changbin reasons automatically.

Hyunjin tilts his head, his mouth quirking into an inquisitive smile. “And if I said I feel safer when you’re beside me instead of hovering like a kestrel.”

That gives him pause—just a heartbeat too long—but Hyunjin catches it, shown by the way his grin widens before he turns back to his oil pastels. He picks out a colour then presses it against his drawing, going back to work.

Changbin exhales slowly, shaking his head in exasperation as he steps into the glade and sits next to the prince, careful not to obscure his view of the flower.

He peeks over Hyunjin’s shoulder to see the progressing sketch, petals and stem drawn to perfection, and the calyx so distinguishable that it shows Hyunjin’s talent for art. The prince’s hands are smudged with graphite, some spots also dusted on the edges of his sketchbook.

Hyunjin once said that it gave his art more character, to have little dustings and random streaks all over, so he doesn’t erase them unless the smudges actively disrupt the overall piece.

The next several minutes pass like that, until Hyunjin signs his name on the space where the petal ends, proud of the new addition to his masterpieces.

He turns it towards Changbin with an expectant smile, waiting for the compliments he knows he’ll draw out of the knight. Changbin knows nothing about shading and colouring, even less about perspective, but he means it when he says, “It’s beautiful, Your Majesty.”

Hyunjin beams, like he always does when his art is praised. “Now, what else is there?”

Understanding that the prince wants to explore more, Changbin stands and offers his hand to him, helping him to his feet before he walks two steps behind Hyunjin. They exit the glade and walk deeper into the forest, the walkable path that they started with now long gone as Hyunjin lifts his feet above overgrown roots and reaches up to touch the leaves hanging from a high branch.

“Careful.” Changbin reminds gently, his palm curving on the dip of Hyunjin’s waist when it seems like the prince would try to climb a tree.

Hyunjin looks at him and blinks at their proximity, then smiles. “I bet I can climb that tree.”

“Not without scratching yourself on a branch, and I’d rather not return you damanged.” Changbin responds.

“That’s excessive. I’m sure a little scratch won’t be a big deal.” Hyunjin laughs, but his attention is quickly taken by something over Changbin’s shoulder. “Is that a cave?”

Changbin looks back to see what Hyunjin is talking about, dropping his hand from the prince’s waist. He makes out the opening covered by thick vines of ivy and an assortment of flowers, camouflaging with the rest of the forest.

So easy to miss, to just walk past without a second thought.

Which is why Changbin should have expected for Hyunjin’s curiosity to get the better of him, as if so often does.

Cursing under his breath, Changbin follows.

Inside the cave is dim, the air cool and damp, smelling faintly of earth and rain. It’s such a stark contrast from the warmth and brightness of the forest. How Hyunjin could still explore this place despite this, Changbin isn’t sure, but it’s his job to make sure Hyunjin isn’t put in danger.

“What’s that?” Hyunjin’s steps echo softly against the stone, pointing ahead.

At first, Changbin thinks it’s another wall, but then he makes out the faint light revealing an opening at the end of the cave. Instinctively, his arm comes up to nudge Hyunjin behind himself, leading the way to the other side of the cave, making sure that Hyunjin’s fingers are securely wrapped around his wrist.

The light that cascades over them is sharp, forcing Changbin to close his eyes for a second to get used to it.

Then, he sees it.

A tower.

Hidden beyond the cave, standing tall in the middle of trimmed grass. Its stone walls are draped in vines and wildflowers, roots twisting into its foundation as though the forest itself refuses to let it go. The sunlight catches on the single ivy-clad window at the top of the tower.

“Wow.” Hyunjin’s breath catches, his head tilted up to take in the height of the tower. His hand loosens around Changbin’s wrist and he takes a step forward. “What is this place?”

Changbin looks from the tower to him, then back again, his instincts rising up at the prospect of an unknown location. “We should head back. It doesn’t look like this place is abandoned.”

If Hyunjin hears him, he doesn’t show a sign. Instead, he takes slow, deliberate steps forward, eyes wide with wonder.

“Hyunjin.” Changbin warns. He hardly ever calls him by name, at least not without his title.

It’s enough to make Hyunjin pause. He looks at him, lower lip jutting out. “Please, Changbin? I’ll sketch it real quick, even just an outline. I’ll finish the rest back at the castle.”

Changbin tries to look stern, but there’s not much he can do when Hyunjin looks at him like that. He sighs, running a hand through his hair. Hyunjin squeals, already knowing he won, and his steps are more sure as he finds a spot to plop down and start drawing.

He settles near the edge of the clearing, cross-legged on the grass. His sketchbook is propped on his lap not a minute later, charcoal pencil poised on top of the parchment. It’s such a familiar sight that’s telling of how safe Hyunjin feels.

He still stands nearby, both blocking the cave opening and standing guard of it. He doesn’t bother pretending to relax—every instinct stays alert, tracking the faint sounds from beyond the cave and the stillness that sits too perfectly around the clearing.

It’s too quiet for a place this open, too untouched. He can’t shake the feeling that there’s something about this place.

Still, he can’t find the strength to interrupt the prince. Hyunjin’s focus is absolute, brow furrowed in concentration, lower lip caught between his teeth. He closes one eye as he holds his pencil out in front of himself to calculate perspective, strands of hair falling over his eyes as he moves.

As Hyunjin captures the tower into paper, Changbin observes it. His gaze traces the thick curls of ivy climbing up its walls, the cracks in the stone, visible even from a distance. It’s tall enough that the window at the top has sunlight spilling inside of it—

At first, he thinks it’s the vines of wildflowers stirring the vines. But then his eyes adjust to the shape it takes.

Human.

Changbin speaks without moving his eyes away from the figure. “Prince Hyunjin.”

“I’m almost done.” Hyunjin hums without looking up.

“There’s someone up there.” he breathes out.

That makes Hyunjin pause and look at him, his pencil pinched between his fingers. “What?”

Taking a step towards Hyunjin, Changbin keeps his eyes on the window. Now that he sees the person, he can make out their figure better: a head, half-hidden behind their bent arms and the other half hidden by the same golden hair spilling over the windowsill. Even if the person’s face wasn’t covered, it would be difficult to make out their features from how high up they are.

“Is that—?” Hyunjin squints up, shading his eyes with his hand. He breathes out, incredulous.

Changbin’s hand instinctively goes to the hilt of the dagger strapped to his hip. “We’re going, Your Majesty.”

“What? No.” Hyunjin’s voice is hushed, but urgent. He closes his sketchbook and shoves his things back in his satchel. “They’re not moving. They could be hurt.”

“They’re breathing.” Changbin counters, eyes never leaving the figure in case of any sudden movements. He’s making a guess since he can’t really tell from this far away. “And anyone living in a secluded tower in the middle of the forest is none of our concern.”

Hyunjin ignores him, craning his neck as if that would give him a better view. “But what if they’re hurt? Or trapped? You can’t honestly walk away when there’s someone that might need help, can you?”

Changbin exhales through his nose, jaw tightening. “Your Highness...”

He’s torn. He knows that he should remove Hyunjin from suspicious locations and situations, but his moral compass is tilting him towards going to the person, wanting to make sure that they’re not hurt or trapped like Hyunjin believes them to be.

Before he can stop him, Hyunjin is already moving towards the base of the tower. With no other choice, the knight follows, one hand still resting warily on his dagger.

As they draw closer to the wall, he looks up again. The figure at the window hasn’t moved, long and golden strands of hair spilling forward like sunlight cascading between the gaps in the trees.

Up close, the stone walls are smoother than they appeared from afar, the ivy so dense it forms another layer on the tower.

Hyunjin runs his fingers along the vines, blindly searching for something. “There has to be a way inside.”

“We don’t even know what we’re looking for.” Changbin says, but he’s already looking, too. He scans the wall of ivy for a break in the pattern of growth. The ground is soft beneath his boots, the grass pressed in distinct shapes, as if someone regularly walked this path.

He frowns when he notices it.

Hyunjin’s soft gasp captures his attention. “I found it.”

The prince pulls aside a heavy cluster of vines near the tower’s base, revealing the wooden door beneath the curtain of ivy. It isn’t rotten or falling apart as he’d expect from a place like this. It looks solid, the metal hinges dulled but intact. The vines only hid it but didn’t reclaim it.

Changbin steps closer and presses his palm to the door, feeling the grain against his hand. The wood is cool but not damp, somehow well-kept. His frown deepens as he fails to pick up on any signs of abandonment.

He’s testing the handle before Hyunjin can tell him to. It gives with surprising ease, the faintest creak echoing as the door swings outward. The draft of air sweeping past them carries the scent of dust and vanilla.

“It’s not even locked.” Changbin mutters as Hyunjin steps inside.

The interior is dim but not dark. From inside, Changbin realizes that there have been windows along the base of the tower, but covered in ivy. Thin streaks of light managed to stream through the narrow gaps in the vines, just enough so that they weren’t walking around in complete darkness.

There are a few shelves and a table with what looked like empty jars and baskets meant to carry food. A spiral staircase winds upward along the wall, its stone steps worn but sturdy. The only reason goosebumps don’t ride up Changbin’s arms is because the air doesn’t smell of decay.

It smells lived in.

He opens his mouth to say as much, but Hyunjin is already on the stairs, his feet carrying him up the spiral steps. “Come on, Changbin. They were all the way at the top.”

“Your Highness—”

Changbin swears under his breath when Hyunjin only continues walking. He follows quickly, the tension in his shoulders coiling tighter with each turn of the staircase.

There’s no way to know that this isn’t a trap. That the person on the window wasn’t bait to get them to come inside, that there’s no one hidden on the other floors, waiting for the chance to attack either of them. There’s something wrong with the way the tower is presented as abandoned but lacks the signs of it.

The staircase spirals longer than Changbin expected; each step echoes in the narrow space. The higher they were, the more the air became tinged with the faint scent of wildflowers, vanilla, and something else he couldn’t place, something potentially dangerous.

The top of the tower is bathed in light. Vines crawl in through the cracks in the stone, draping down from the ceiling in thin, green threads. Dust floats like gold in the sunbeams pouring through the wide, arched window—where a young man was sleeping on the cushioned windowsill.

Changbin’s eyes widened as he took in the scene. Light spilled all over the sleeping man, tracing the line of his cheekbone, his long hair spilled over his shoulder and down his back, pooling on the floor. His clothes were simple and clean, nothing ragged or royal.

“He must live here.” Hyunjin murmurs, looking around the area to see more shelves of books, some trinkets and gadgets, and an unmade bed in the corner.

Despite the unassuming stance, Changbin tugs at Hyunjin’s elbows, pushing him behind him. The movement is instinctive, firm but careful. Hyunjin blinks up at him, startled at being pulled away from his thoughts.

“Stay behind me.” Changbin tells him, eyes never leaving the boy now that he’s showing signs of consciousness.

“Changbin, he’s breathing, it—”

“Breathing doesn’t mean harmless.” he cuts in, drawing his dagger in a single smooth motion. The faint scrape of metal echoes in the empty air, further waking the strange man.

First, it’s a twitch of his fingers, then a shift in his shoulders. Strands of golden hair fall away from his face, revealing wide, sleepy eyes that are the color of amber glass. His hair tumbles in soft waves over his face, looking almost ethereal.

Changbin’s heart stutters. For a long moment, he just stands there.

When the man sees them, and Changbin holds his breath waiting for a reaction. The confusion that flashed across his face quickly sharpens into fear.

The blond man pushes himself upright with trembling hands, pressing back against the wall next to the windowsill.

“Wh-Who are you?” His voice is hoarse, cracked from disuse and far deeper than expected. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

Hyunjin makes a move to step forward, but Changbin’s arm comes up as a protective barrier to keep the prince behind him.

“We won’t hurt you,” Hyunjin doesn’t fight against Changbin. “We didn’t mean to intrude. I’m sorry—we found the tower by accident.”

The stranger’s gaze flickers to the dagger, still pointed at him, then at Changbin’s composed expression. He looks frightened, rightfully so.

Hyunjin notices, so he pinches Changbin’s side and whispers, voice low but fierce. “Put it down, Changbin. You’re scaring him.”

The stranger swallows, still pressed against the stone wall, eyes darting between them. His fingers clutched the hem of his shirt, amber eyes blinking unsurely. “Please don’t hurt me. This is my home—I haven’t done anything to anyone.”

Hyunjin’s expression instantly softens. “We know. We’re sorry. I thought you were hurt or trapped, so I wanted to check on you. We didn’t mean to frighten you.”

Changbin doesn’t lower the dagger yet, but his grip eases. His eyes sweep the room once more to see no weapons or traps or any suspicious contraptions. It almost looks like Hyunjin’s bedroom: cluttered with items that show off his personality, tucked away in his own little world.

He looks at the man again, too human to be a threat, too vulnerable to be dangerous. His blond hair frames his face, the light from the window making it look like a halo, and the freckles sprinkled all over his nose and cheeks complement the amber colour of his eyes, still wide with apprehension and fear.

He lowers the arm keeping Hyunjin behind him.

“My name is Hyunjin. I’m a prince from the south. Changbin is my knight, that’s why he’s being protective of me.” Hyunjin introduces, taking a tentative step forward. “What’s your name?”

The stranger brings his hand up to his face, brushing off the strands that have fallen over his eyes. Slowly, he relaxes, recognizing Hyunjin’s calming aura. “I’m... I’m Felix.”

“Put that away, Changbin.” Hyunjin urges. “We’re the ones that barged into his home.”

Changbin looks at Felix again, feeling his own expression soften.

The blond has his knees pulled up, making himself smaller, and if it wasn’t bad enough, Changbin is reminded that Felix has been peacefully napping before he and Hyunjin disrupted his rest.

Hesitantly, Changbin finally sheathes his dagger, deeming Felix harmless. The sound of metal sliding against leather catches Felix’s attention, and Changbin sees the noticeable shift in the blond’s demeanor now that the blade is hidden.

Hyunjin puts his hands out, smudged with charcoal and coloured oil pigments, but otherwise harmless. “We’re not here to hurt you. We just want to know what you’re doing so far from the kingdom.”

“Kingdom?” Felix echoes, brows furrowing. His knees are pulled up in defense, but his shoulders have relaxed, understanding that he’s not in danger anymore. He’s still guarded, which is expected, but the fear in his eyes is slowly fading. “What kingdom?”

“Your...” Hyunjin turns to Changbin in confusion, but the knight is just as lost. Hyunjin looks back at Felix. “Have you always been alone here?”

Felix shakes his head. “No. My guardian visits once a week. Gives me food and water, anything I might need.”

“You’ve never left the tower?” Changbin asks.

Felix shakes his head again. “I... It’s dangerous outside of the tower. People have been looking for me—people that want to hurt me.”

Changbin studies him for a long moment, watching the way Felix’s fingers curl into the fabric of his shirt, clutching it like a child afraid of being reprimanded. His voice carries a subtle, bone-deep weariness.

“We’re not here to hurt you, I promise.” Hyunjin says softly. He kneels, softly, keeping his distance but lowering himself to not seem imposing. The gesture makes something twist in Changbin’s chest, knowing how much it means for a prince to bring himself to his knees.

Felix looks at Hyunjin, before his eyes flicker to Changbin. There’s still fear there, and Changbin expects as much since he had a dagger aimed at the man minutes before. But he offers him a wry smile, now seeing how afraid he must have been.

“You don’t have to be afraid of us.” Changbin steps closer, holding his hands out the same way Hyunjin did moments earlier. “We must have scared you, barging into your home when you were only napping.”

“No one has ever found me before.” Felix tells them, his voice cautious. One of his legs fall from his chest, arms moving to touch the strands of his hair. “What do you want from me?”

Hyunjin shakes his head. “We don’t want anything. I was sketching your tower outside, and we saw you asleep. But from where we were, we weren’t sure if you were hurt or sick, and I insisted that we made sure you were alright.”

Felix must sense the sincerity, because his other leg falls. He shifts his position so that he’s sitting cross-legged, his long hair pools in the gap between his thighs, acting like a to cover his legs.

“Your hair is very long.” Hyunjin lilts. “It’s such a beautiful colour. Like spun gold.”

“Thank you.” Felix murmurs. He twirls a few strands in his finger. “I’ve never cut it. My guardian never allows blades or weapons here, so I’ve never had anything to trim my hair with.”

“I like it.” Hyunjin smiles. He brings his own hand up to touch his own raven strands. “I used to have longer hair, too, but just past my shoulders. I had to cut it recently since there’s a wedding soon.”

“You had long hair?” Felix asks.

Hyunjin nods, then looks up at Changbin. The prince pats his knee, urging him to join the conversation. “I did, right, Changbin?”

Changbin nods, remembering the ways Hyunjin braided his own hair when it reached past his shoulders. “You looked beautiful with longer hair, Your Majesty. Just as beautiful now, with shorter hair.”

Felix giggles, the sound faint and blithe, and when Changbin looks back at him, he’s smiling, so small but there.

He wonders what it is about this young man that he has to stay hidden. Is it the way he looks like he’s been blessed by the sun? How could people be out looking for him, wanting to hurt him? Is it so bad that he has to stay locked up in this tower, hidden from the rest of the world?

“You have this tower all to yourself?” Hyunjin asks, always a natural at striking up conversations. “You’re practically royalty.”

Felix laughs, slowly warming up to them. “My guardian never stays too long, he says that it will make it easier to find me if he’s always away.”

Changbin bites his tongue from asking about Felix’s guardian or the people looking for him. He doesn’t want to freak him out again. “It must be scary,” he says instead. “Hiding from the world.”

Felix shrugs. “It’s alright. I have plenty to do here.” Then, he shifts, dropping his legs from the window-bench, bare feet set against the floor. “Do you want candles? I’ve made a lot of them just the other day, more than I can think to do with them. They’re scented, too, so you can choose what you want.”

Hyunjin perks up at the offering. Changbin feels his own heart soften at how eager Felix is.

“We’d be honoured to receive candles from you.” Changbin murmurs, feeling warm when Felix smiles at him.

Felix pushes himself off the window bench and starts walking to the corner of the room, where he has a workstation laid out for his candle-making. As he walks, his hair sways behind him, pooling on the floor next to his feet, like he’s perpetually walking in a puddle of spun gold.

Changbin offers his hand to the prince, urging him to lift himself up from his knees. Hyunjin takes his hand with a gentle smile, fingers lingering on his palm before he lets go.

Another glance at the room shows Changbin that the young man seems to have a lot of hobbies—knitting and reading and puzzles. Paper mache figures, a lute, a lap harp, and a flute. Then, the table where Felix has a bunch of different coloured candles in ceramic jars that look handmade.

Despite that, the place is spotless. There must be days where there’s nothing else to do but to clean.

“Come, come.” Felix beckons them closer. “Take any that you want, I make candles faster than I burn them.”

Hyunjin tugs Changbin by his wrist, absolutely fascinated by the clumsy handiwork. Even Changbin, who has been around prestige for most of his life as a result of being Hyunjin’s knight, isn’t used to having things that are coarse and unrefined.

That must be why he’s enamored by the vanilla-scented candle Felix pushes into his hand. Because it’s been so long since he’s seen something so unpolished. It’s charming, with how the scent is already blooming without being lit, how the wax is uneven and the wick is crooked.

Changbin slips the candle inside his satchel.

“How did you get this to smell like lemon zest?” Hyunjin asks, cradling a candle to his face. “It smells wonderful.”

Felix beams, the same way Hyunjin does when Changbin compliments his art. “I grated lemon skin and mixed it with the melted wax. I was just experimenting, so I wasn’t expecting the smell to last over time.”

“I like it.” Hyunjin lilts. “I’ll light it tonight, before I sleep.”

Changbin takes another candle, curious about its scent. He brings the candle to his nose and instantly gets a whiff of fresh mulberries. He can see the colour of it peeking through the solid wax.

“That one isn’t very good. I should have just snacked on the berries instead.” Felix admits timidly, tucking his hair behind his ear.

Changbin smiles. “If you don’t feel fond of it, can I take this, too?”

Felix blinks, seemingly surprised, before he nods. “Take as many as you want.”

“Thank you, Felix. You’re awfully generous.” Changbin tucks the mulberry candle next to the vanilla candle.

“I don’t get many guests, so it’s not like anyone else will make use of the candles.” Felix comments, non-commital, but it makes Changbin wonder how long Felix has been stuck up here.

Hyunjin glances at Changbin, an unspoken thought passing between them. They have to return before anyone notices how long they’ve been gone. The last thing they want is for Jisung to have Minho send out a search party for them, especially since Felix is meant to stay hidden.

“I wish we could stay longer.” Hyunjin says with a frown curving his mouth. “But I’d like to visit again, if you want us to.”

Felix’s eyes widen. “You want to come back?”

“If you’ll let us.” Hyunjin replies. “Changbin and I can bring you food, too. Or is there anything else you need for yourself?” Hyunjin’s eyes light up. “I can draw you, if you want. It’s been a while since I drew someone.”

That earns him a small, hesitant laugh, and the sound echoes in Changbin’s head until it shoots right through his chest. Slowly, the blond nods, eyes flicking between them both. “Okay... I think I’d like that. It gets pretty lonely being here by myself all the time.”

“We’ll be back.” Changbin tells him. “And we promise that we won’t tell anyone you’re here.”

Felix visibly relaxes, giving him a curt nod. “Thank you, Changbin.”

For the first time in a long while, Changbin finds himself captivated by someone that isn’t Hyunjin.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

The next morning dawns before Hyunjin knows it, his sleep restless because he hasn’t yet gotten used to the guest room he’ll be staying at for the next several weeks. He wakes far earlier than usual, the room smelling very faintly of lemon zest.

When he looks at his bedside table, the candle has been blown out before it was able to melt halfway. Hyunjin can only guess that Changbin blew the fire out after Hyunjin fell asleep. Something about preventing a fire while Hyunjin dozed off.

Jisung knocks on his door and they roam around the castle until it’s time for breakfast. They meet Minho in the dining hall, the table already set with an array of freshly-baked breads, soft cheeses, fruits and marmalades, and perfectly cooked eggs. The servants move swiftly around the table, filling cups with coffee and making sure everything is in place.

“Would you like to join us today, Hyunjin?” Minho asks as they eat. “The king and queen want company to the cathedral’s restoration site.”

Politely, Hyunjin shakes his head. “I’m sure I’ll have different opportunities to meet the king and queen, and to meet your parents. I do believe it would be best that I stay out of family affairs. I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“Very well.” Minho accepts his response without a fight.

“What are you going to do today, then?” Jisung asks him, cheeks full with bread and eggs. “I’m going to go with Minho, so you’ll be alone again.”

“I won’t be alone.” Hyunjin assures him. “Changbin will be with me. I was planning on going to the forest again, find more things to draw.”

“I suppose you can frolic before we get busy with wedding preparations.” Jisung shrugs, then takes a sip of coffee.

After breakfast, the three princes go back to their rooms to get ready for the day. Hyunjin packs his sketchbook, just in case, even if he’s not planning on drawing today. He tucks Felix’s candle inside the nightstand’s drawer, not wanting the maids to touch it when they clean his room after he leaves.

As he’s done dressing up, there’s a knock on the door. “Come in!”

Jisung peeks his head inside. “Minho and I will be off. Don’t stay out too late, and don’t give Changbin a headache.”

“I won’t.” Hyunjin chuckles as he ushers Jisung away.

Knowing that Changbin spent the morning at the training rounds again, Hyunjin thinks that he has about another hour before they’ll be able to leave.

So, he goes back to the dining hall with a woven basket looped over his arm. When he gets there, the food is still laid out, but their plates have been put away.

Hyunjin takes a cloth placemat and uses it as a bundle for a handful of muffins, careful not to destroy the baked goods. They’re still a little warm to the touch, made fresh this morning. Next, he takes some fruit tarts, wanting some of those for himself, too.

“Planning to feed the forest animals, Your Highness?”

Hyunjin looks up to see Minho’s royal advisor. A middle-aged man that he’s never actually talked to, because he’s never had a reason to. He’s not around Minho often, either, usually on some other part of the castle or shadowing Minho’s parents since his responsibilities are still rather lax while Minho hasn’t ascended to the throne.

Hyunjon nods, flashing the older man a courteous smile. “And some for me and my knight, in case we get hungry while we’re out.”

He nods, then goes to pour two cups of coffee. “Pardon me for intruding. I was just about to ask the servants to clean up breakfast.”

“It’s alright. I’m just glad I got to sneak some food out in time.” Hyunjin puts the bread and tarts inside the basket, then makes the last-minute decision to toss some apples and grapes in, too.

It never hurts to have extra food, especially since he doesn’t know what Felix would like to eat.

After he’s done filling the basket, he marks his leave from the dining hall, letting Minho’s royal advisor have it cleaned. He goes back to his room but walks past it, then knocks on the door to the room right next to his.

Changbin opens the door, hair damp from freshening up, skin still flushed from the rounds of sparring Hyunjin is sure to have taken up most of his morning.

Still, the knight smiles at him, and understands without words that Hyunjin is asking if he’s ready to leave.

“Let me carry that, my prince.” Changbin whispers, taking the basket from Hyunjin.

They take the same route as before, through the back of the castle and down the narrow trail that winds into the forest where the moss grows thick and the air smells strongly of pine and oak. Now that there’s a clear destination in mind, Hyunjin realizes how far he and Changbin have wandered off yesterday.

“Do you not like Felix?” Hyunjin asks lightly, the trees starting to blur together.

Changbin shakes his head. “I like him, Your Majesty. I think he’s lovely,” he hesitates. “I just can’t shake the feeling that there’s something wrong.”

Hyunjin knows that there’s something wrong. A person wouldn’t be trapped in a tower if there was nothing wrong.

“Do you think he’s dangerous?” he asks instead.

Changbin shakes his head again. “I don’t think it’s him that’s dangerous, my prince. I just can’t figure out what he could possibly be hiding from to be in total isolation.”

“I don’t even think he knows.” Hyunjin sighs. “If he knew, then he wouldn’t have trusted us so quickly. You saw him yesterday, Changbin, he practically lit up when he realized he had someone else to talk to.”

It must be lonely. To be alone every single day. Nowhere to go and nobody to talk to.

“I know.” Changbin murmurs.

When the cave comes into view, Hyunjin’s steps quicken. He wonders if Felix is waiting for them, or if he’s fast asleep by his window again. The memory of the hidden tower glows behind his ribs, warm and unreal, like something out of a dream.

“Careful, my prince.” Changbin pulls up the curtain of thick ivy to reveal the entrance ofthe cave, waiting for Hyunjin to duck inside before he follows behind him.

Blindly, Hyunjin searches for Changbin’s hand, tugging him next to him as they walk through the darkness of the cave before they inevitably reach the other side, where Felix and the tower were hidden from the world.

Seeing the tower for a second time doesn’t make it any less majestic in Hyunjin’s eyes.

It stands tall and proud against the backdrop of a cloudy sky. The sun shines down on it, demanding attention despite being hidden. Something pricks at Hyunjin’s heart to know that something so majestic houses someone so lonely.

They make their way to the entrance, the curtain of ivy cool and crisp beneath Hyunjin’s fingers as he pushes the door open.

“Felix?” he calls, voice gentle, but it still echoes through the tower.

For a moment, there’s no reply. Then, soft footsteps echo from the upper floor, then the rush of feet padding down the steps.

Felix leans against the railing when he’s halfway down the steps, his impossibly long blonde strands framing his face as his expression lights up at the sight of them.

“You came back? Already?” his voice carries a note of wonder that makes Hyunjin’s chest ache.

“Of course, we did.” Hyunjin responds, raising his voice by a modicum so Felix can still hear him as he descends from the spiral staircase. “We brought something for you. Come eat, before the pastries turn cold.”

Changbin waits on one of the steps, still in view of Hyunjin and his hand already held out for Felix to take once he’s close enough. Hyunjin smiles at the sight, watching as the blond blinks at Changbin before he slips his palm into the knight’s.

“Careful, you might trip over your hair.” Changbin muses as he helps Felix down the last few steps.

Felix laughs. “I’ve grown used to moving with my hair, but thank you for the concern.”

“May we sit?” Hyunjin asks, gesturing to the small dining table. There are only two chairs, which Hyunjin assumes to be for Felix and his guardian, though he doubts they use it often.

Felix nods. “Make yourself at home. My tower is your tower.”

“How hospitable.” Hyunjin muses.

Changbin, ever the gentleman, helps Felix to his seat first, but as he’s about to do the same for Hyunjin, the prince redirects and makes him take the second chair. “You carried the basket. I can stand, Changbin.”

“Your Highness, I can’t—”

“Sit. It’s an order.” Hyunjin interjects, already taking the basket from Changbin and opening the lid. He takes out the bread first, unknotting the placemat he used to bundle them in, then places the fruit around them.

“What’s all this for?” Felix asks.

Hyunjin offers him a muffin, no longer warm, but he’s sure that they taste just as good as they did earlier. “I figured it would be safest to bring you food instead of items, since your guardian might see them and find out that you have visitors.” He hesitates, hearing the words that have left his own mouth, but he smiles before he could worry either of the men. “I just wanted to give you something from the world outside, as a ‘thank you’ for the candles.”

“You didn’t have to.” Felix says, but he looks at the humble spread of breads and fruit before him in awe. “I told you, I make the candles faster than I could burn through them.”

“Even still. I’m just glad that you decided to trust me and Changbin with your existence.” Hyunjin glances at the knight. “Right, Changbin?”

“Yes.” Changbin nods. “We hope you know that your secret is safe with us.”

“If it weren’t, then the people that have been looking for me might have already found me by now.” Felix sighs. He brings the muffin to his mouth and takes a bite, and his eyes light up as he chews. “These are made fresh?”

Hyunjin nods. “The royal bakers make baskets of them every morning.”

Felix hums softly, the sound almost like a laugh. “That sounds amazing.”

Changbin’s brow twitches. “What do you usually eat here, Felix?”

“My guardian brings food that doesn’t spoil easily, usually dried fruits and cured meats, and I only ever have bread when he visits, since it’s most fresh during that time.” Felix explains.

“Try this, then.” Hyunjin places a grape on Felix’s palm. “It’s not dried, so it might taste different.”

Felix blinks at the small fruit in his palm like it’s a jewel, turning it between his fingers before he brings it up to his lips. His teeth sink into the skin with a soft pop.

“It’s sweet.” he says after a moment, a note of disbelief in his voice. “And plump.”

Changbin laughs, the sound light and delighted, but not unkind. “We’ll bring more fresh fruit the next time we visit.”

Felix takes another grape from the bunch, holding it up to the light filtering through the window. “It tastes almost the same when it’s dried.”

“Try an apple.” Hyunjin says, taking an apple from the basket. He looks around in search for something to slice it with, but a warm hand captures his attention.

Changbin takes the apple from him before he takes his dagger out, proceeding to peel the apple with the sharp blade. Felix takes another bite from his muffin, brushing a crumb off the corner of his mouth as he chews.

Without thinking, Hyunjin takes a mango tart and tears off a little piece. He brings it up to Changbin’s mouth, who jolts when Hyunjin’s hand gets too close.

“Don’t surprise me when I’m holding a blade.” Changbin gently reprimands, but allows himself to be fed. Such a reverent act, inverted in their roles, but Hyunjin always wondered what it would feel like to care for someone else in small ways like this.

Felix giggles at them, the sound soft but genuine. “It’s hard to believe I’m in the presence of such a humble prince.”

“Humble, perhaps, but the people at the castle will tell you how much of a handful I can be.” Hyunjin lilts. “Your laugh is beautiful, Felix.”

Felix’s cheeks flush faintly under the compliment and he ducks his head, pretending to focus on peeling apart his muffin before he places the small pieces between his teeth.

As they wait for Changbin to finish peeling the apple, Hyunjin takes the opportunity to glance around the area. The space feels too clean, with no dust or wear or signs of long neglect like he’d expect in a hidden tower.

Everything is considerably pristine. The wooden furniture looks recently polished, the books lack the yellowing of age, and the floor bears no scruffs or marks of use. But still, there’s no denying that this place has been standing for at least a couple of decades, has been housing this man for years and isolating him from the world.

Nothing to show time or location, like it was intentional to keep the place as neutral as physically possible. There’s the illusion that they’re entirely separate from the nearest kingdom, where Jisung and Minho are, rather than just half a forest away.

Changbin’s knife glints in the light as he finishes peeling the last curl of the apple. The unskinned fruit gleams pale and crisp in his hand before he slices it into clean, even pieces. He takes one between his fingers and offers it to Hyunjin.

“Thank you.” Hyunjin takes it from it and takes a small bite, humming happily at the sweet juice of the apple.

Changbin holds another slice toward Felix, looking expectantly at the blond man. “Personally, I like my apples with the skin, but His Highness is very picky about that.”

Felix accepts the apple slice. Hyunjin sees the way his fingers brush Changbin’s in the briefest touch. Fleeting but delicate, much like most things that surround Felix.

The crush echoes in the air around them as Felix takes a bite, followed by a small and surprised noise. “It’s sweeter than I thought it’d be.”

“Nothing beats fresh fruit.” Hyunjin says, pleased. “Especially since Sir Changbin is always so diligent in peeling my fruit for me.”

Changbin clears his throat, half in warning and half in embarrassment, before sliding the remaining apple slices toward Felix. He turns to Hyunjin with his fingers curled on top of his knee. “Please sit down, Your Majesty.”

Hyunjin shakes his head. “I like standing. I get to see the both of you at once.”

Felix nibbles at another apple slice, seemingly content to simply exist at the moment. There’s a quiet sense of peace that settles over the space, the kind that feels untouched by time. Hyunjin imagines that this peace has led the entirety of Felix’s life, and while it sounds promising, would have driven Hyunjin crazy if he were in the blond’s position.

Carefully, Hyunjin slides the rest of the fruit closer to Felix. “We’ll leave the rest of this to you.” he offers. “These should stay good for at least a few more days, but don’t wait that long to eat everything.”

Felix hesitates, but he eventually nods, the light from outside catching on his hair like streaks of sunlight. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Hyunjin scoffs out a laugh. “Don’t start calling me that. I already have a hard time getting Changbin to stop calling me so formally.”

Felix giggles again, and Hyunjin sees the way Changbin’s mouth quirks up into a small smile.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

Felix usually spent most of his time on the upper floor of the tower, dabbling in his several hobbies or sitting by the window to soak up the sun. Today, though, he spends hours on the lower floor, listening to Hyunjin and Changbin tell him about where they were from and why they were in the north for a few months.

Somehow, Changin has convinced Hyunjin to sit on his knee, the knight unwilling to let the prince keep standing while he and Felix sit.

Felix pretended like he didn’t notice the flush that settled on Hyunjin’s cheeks when he was guided to sit on the knight’s thigh. Felix smiled behind his hair as he watched Changbin’s arm snake across the prince’s stomach to keep him steady.

Remorsefully, Felix wished that he had another chair to offer them. He would stand, but Hyunjin shot him down before he could even finish offering. The prince retorted that this was Felix’s home, and that he didn’t get many chances to make small sacrifices for others, so a little discomfort was no big deal to him.

Before long, it was time for them to leave. Something heavy weighed down on the corner of Felix’s heart, evidence of how much he enjoyed the day just talking to them and getting to know each other.

“Are you sure we can’t stay longer?” Hyunjin asks as the sun begins to set, half-teasing, though there’s a flicker of disappointment in his voice.

Changbin adjusts the strap of his satchel, glancing out one of the ivy-covered windows. “We shouldn’t, my prince. Their Highnesses will be back soon, and it’s best to be back at the castle before them so Prince Jisung doesn’t worry.”

Hyunjin huffs softly, but relents. “You make it sound like I’m sneaking off.”

Changbin’s smirk is subtle but fond. “You have a reputation for doing so.”

Felix smiles to himself as he listens to them banter. There’s a natural ease between them that he finds rather warm, similar to how his skin feels when he spends the entire day lounging on the cushioned bench stationed to his bedroom window.

It’s strange how quickly they’ve made the tower feel different—livelier, as though Felix is breathing in a lighter kind of air while they’re here.

And he quite likes their company.

He likes their company a lot more than Felix knew how to admit.

He wants them to stay longer, even when Changbin just said why they had to leave. A selfish part of Felix is starting to grow the more he learns about the both of them, wanting to hear more and see more and learn everything that's been out of reach for him until they came along.

He got over the initial scare of having a dagger pointed at him and strangers in his home pretty quickly. Something about them makes Felix feel safe, even when he’d spent all of his life fearing the day people would find him.

Felix doesn’t notice that he’s wrapped strands of hair along his arm until Changbin is reaching for his hand and raising it to his mouth.

“Thank you for being a gracious host, Felix.” the knight whispers as he lays a small kiss on the back of Felix’s hand, unbothered by the strands of hair looped around his wrist.

Thank you for finding me. Felix wants to say, but he’s taken aback by the way his heart skips a beat at the light kiss. Changbin’s lips are warm against his skin, feather-light like he’s afraid to overstep any lines.

Hyunjin takes his other hand and squeezes it gently, his grin bright but gentle. “We’ll come visit you again soon. I might have plans with Jisung tomorrow, so maybe the day after that?”

Felix nods, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile that feels unfamiliar to his face, but genuine all the same. “I’d like that.”

“Then it’s settled. We’ll see you in two days.” Hyunjin squeezes his hand once more before he lets go. “We’ll bring more food for you. Made on the day, so they’ll be at their most fresh.”

Changbin goes to the door first and tugs it open. Hyunjin lingers for one more heartbeat before he ducks through the entrance, disappearing past the ivy wall that blocks the door from the outside.

Changbin looks at Felix for a moment, and only follows after Hyunjin when Felix gives him a small wave.

“We’ll be back.” Changbin says, almost like a promise. It’s like he knows what’s going through Felix's mind, and like he knows exactly what to say to chase those thoughts away.

Felix tucks his hair behind his ear, chuckling. “Well, I’ll be here.”

As soon as the door shuts behind Changbin, Felix rushes to climb the stairs, his hair falling in waves behind him as he makes his way up to his room.

The sky is a deep orange when Felix makes it to his bedroom window, the only one in the tower that’s not covered by flowers or ivy. The view from here stretches wide, showing the sea of trees swaying in the wind and the setting sun flickering through the canopy like scattered gold.

He spots them easily: they walk side-by-side, Hyunjin’s hand moving animatedly as he speaks, the basket looped around his arm now empty because he left everything to Felix. Changbin listens with the patience of someone long accustomed to the prince’s whims, head slightly tilted towards his direction.

From here, Felix can see that Changbin’s hand is resting on the hilt of his dagger, as though he never truly lets himself relax. Felix knows close to nothing about the world outside, so he wonders, more than ever, how dangerous it must be for Changbin to always be vigilant when it comes to the prince’s safety.

Felix rests his arms on the windowsill and places his chin on a crooked elbow. A soft smile plays on his lips as he watches the two figures shrink into the distance, making their way to the cave that separated the tower from the forest.

As Changbin draws the curtain of ivy to the side, Hyunjin looks back, as if he can feel Felix watching.

When Hyunjin raises his arm to wave at him, Felix’s heart gives a small, inexplicable flutter.

Then, just like that, they’re gone.

And Felix is once again alone.

It’s like the tower holds its breath. The wind hushes, the birds quiet down, and the only sound that reaches Felix’s ears is the faint rustle of vines against the stone walls.

Felix exhales, leaning his forehead against the polished frame of the window. Vaguely, he pats his past self on the back for cleaning the tower top-to-bottom a day before he first met Hyunjin and Changbin. Granted, he usually cleaned when all his other hobbies bored him, but at least their first impression of him and his home wasn’t a cluttered mess.

But now, it makes no sense to clean. It’s too late in the day to start doing something else, but too early for him to sleep. He drags his fingers through his hair to work out the loose knots in them, letting the blond strands pool on his lap as time passes him by.

He’s never minded the quiet before. It’s always been constant, something that’s always been unbreakable in his life.

But now, it feels different.

Now, the silence feels empty, somehow.

He thinks of Hyunjin’s laughter, bright and unrestrained; and of the way Changbin is soft despite the hardened edges of his demeanor, formed by his duty to protect.

They’re the first people he’s ever spoken to other than his guardian—the only people Felix actually knows.

As the moon takes its place in the sky, Felix closes his eyes and lets out a sigh. Reeling from the presence of his visitors, he feels the warmth they left behind settle on his skin. Something like doubt settles in his chest, because he’s never once felt the need to step out of the tower before, not even when he was a child and didn’t understand why his guardian left him after every day when he visited.

But when Hyunjin and Changbin disappeared from his view, Felix felt the indescribable need to follow them.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

The tiltyard stretches out before them, enclosed by low pale stone walls and the ground churns from countless hooves and jousting matches. He sits with Chan on the front-most bleachers, while Seungmin and Jeongin are seated directly behind them. The rest of the knights are scattered around the seats, watching the three princes enjoy their afternoon with non-competitive rounds of ring jousting.

Small brass loops hung from wooden poles all over the dirt arena, gleaming in the sunlight, waiting to be speared with a lance. It’s a noble sport, an alteration from the jousts that Changbin is trained in, meant to test focus and precision rather than strategy and brute strength.

Hyunjin, of course, approaches it with theatrical grace. Halfway through the first round, he’s already acquainted with his horse despite his insistence that he’s far too attached with his horse back home to properly befriend one of Minho’s.

Hyunjin’s horse gallops around the perimeter of the arena, the prince laughing as he dodges Jisung’s playful attack. With a confident strike, he spears a low-hanging ring through his lance in one clean motion.

“Not fair!” Jisung complains from behind him, his own lance carrying a couple less rings than Hyunjin’s.

“You’ll get more rings if you spend less time trying to distract us, sweet Jisung.” Minho laughs from the other side of the arena. Changin realizes that this is the first time he’s seen their host prince be so carefree, seemingly free from the weight of everything outside of the tiltyard.

Hyunjin circles back, maneuvering the horse to stop in front of where they sat. With a small sulk, he pointed his lance at Changbin, the rings shifting due to the change in gravity. “You’re supposed to be cheering for me.”

Changbin can't help the way his lips curve upward. “I’m supposed to protect you, not fawn over you.”

Hyunjin’s bottom lip juts out, teasingly but with an air of genuinity. “Can’t you do both?”

“The point of the joust is to win the affections of the knight’s chosen.” Changbin responds. “If you really wish for me to applaud you, my prince, then you’ll have to win me over first.”

Hyunjin beams, though what he’s grinning about, Changbin isn’t sure. The sight makes his heart skip a beat, though, so he doesn’t fret over Hyunjin’s interpretation of his jests as the prince takes off and goes to where the Minho and Jisung are ridding their lances of the rings they collected so that the knights that weren’t simply watching the ring joust can re-loop them along the arena.

Sunlight shines directly on Changbin’s eyes for a moment, and despite himself, his mind wanders off to someone he can’t see nor reach at the moment. He raises a hand against his brow to shield his eyes, searching for where Hyunjin is charging at Minho to fight over a singular ring.

It goes on like that for the next hour: friendly banter, the rhythmic thud of hooves, the horses going from a light stroll to a full gallop as the princes get immersed in their friendly competition. The knights cheer and clap for the princes, laughing in good-nature at the occasional mishap from any of them.

Hyunjin’s horse jumps over a wooden barrier, and the prince uses the height to drive his lance through two rings at once. The knights cheer, and when Hyunjin turns to look at Changbin, his cheeks are flushed from exertion, but his eyes are bright with adrenaline and accomplishment.

They take a break for a while, letting the other knights re-arrange the course since Jisung expressed finding it repetitive after running the same course for at least half a dozen times. Jisung stays on the other side of the railing that separates the bleachers from the arena. Chan leans over to give the prince his satchel, where he has water and a towel packed.

Minho is quick to take Jisung’s towel and wipe his sweat off for him, a content smile on his face when Jisung continues to drink water without pulling away from the affection.

Changbin hands Hyunjin a flask of water as soon as the prince steps onto the bleachers. He smiles gratefully and takes big sips before he gives it back. Changbin returns it to his satchel, then takes out a small towel to wipe away the sweat beading along the back of the younger’s neck.

“Tired?” he asks.

Hyunjin shakes his head. “Just not used to it, that’s all.”

“You usually stroll when you’re on horseback rather than jousting.” Changbin comments with a smile.

Hyunjin leans into his touch when Changbin moves the towel to dab over his temples. His shorter hair has removed the need to tie it up during strenuous activities like this, but it’s grown long enough that the wind was able to comb through the strands and tousle the usually pristine way Hyunjin wore his hair.

“Hyunjin, come on!” Jisung calls from the other side of the bleachers, eager for the next round.

Hyunjin picks up his lance and jumps over the railing of the bleachers to join the other two back on the arena, effortlessly mounting the horse he borrowed from Minho.

“I thought you didn’t fawn over him.” Chan whispers with a snicker.

Changbin elbows him and doesn’t grant him a response.

The course is structured differently now, with the rings hanging from different places and the obstacles moved around. The knights have managed to pull out a rather high wooden wall for the horses to jump over, with a ring dangling next to it.

The princes remain playful for this match. Minho yields to Jisung even when he reaches one of the rings first, but it’s obvious that the older prince doesn’t feel the loss.

The sound of hooves against dirt echoes as Hyunjin grips the reins tighter with one hand, the other still clutching his lance. Laughter bubbles in his throat when the horse speeds up, loud enough to reach the bleachers and take root in Changbin’s chest.

There must have been a flick of his wrist, because the horse whinnies before picking up speed, hooves digging deeper into the packed earth.

There’s a belated moment where Changbin doesn’t know what Hyunjin is planning before he realizes that the horse is charging towards the wooden wall.

For a heartbeat, Changbin thinks that maybe they can make it—and they do.

But Hyunjin leans too far to the side to loop his lance through the hanging ring, and the horse’s balance wavers midair. Hooves hit the ground, hard and uneven, and the jolt tears through the horse’s body.

Changbin is already jumping over the barrier before he sees him fall.

“Hyunjin!”

Hyunjin hits the dirt shoulder-first with a pained cry, a cloud of dirt rising around him.

The horse stumbles away, neighing wildly as stablehands rush to calm it.

Changbin drops to his knees beside Hyunjin, hands cupping Hyunjin’s face and worry flooding his system when he sees the wince on his face. “Where does it hurt?”

“I’m fine.” Hyunjin grimaces as he coughs, pushing himself to his elbows but practically immobile with Changbin hovering above him. Dust is smeared across his cheeks and there’s a slight daze in his eyes that comes from a sudden fall.

“From the tumble you just had?” Changbin mutters with an arm braced behind Hyunjin’s back to help him sit up. “That wall was too high for you to jump.”

“I made it.” Hyunjin interrupted, lips quirking into a lopsided smile. “I almost got the ring, too.”

“Almost doesn’t count.” Changbin bites out, but his tone instantly softens when he looks at Hyunjin. With a sigh, he drags his thumb along the prince’s cheek, wiping away the dirt on his skin. “You could have broken your neck, my prince.”

By then, Jisung and Minho have unmounted their horses and gone to check on Hyunjin.

“Hyunjin, are you hurt?” Jisung asks, eyes wide with alarm.

“Just my pride.” Hyunjin responds with a shrug. He winces at the movement in his shoulder, the muscle strained from the impact of his fall.

“Don’t move so much.” Changbin scolds, resuming his task of scanning the prince for injuries. There’s a scrape along Hyunjin’s arm, and his shoulder seems to be sprained, but nothing seems to be broken.

Hyunjin gives him a stern but soft look. “I’m fine, Changbin. Just a little embarrassed.”

Experimentally, Changbin presses his palm in the space between Hyunjin’s shoulderblades, expecting another wince or sign of pain, but the younger only leans into his touch.

Changbin lets out a low breath. “You’re lucky embarrassed is all you are.”

“I think that’s enough jousting for the day.” Minho clasps his hands as he smiles curtly at Hyunjin. “It’s about time we head back to the castle, anyway.”

Changbin stands first, then offers his hand to help Hyunjin to his feet. The prince stumbles before Changbin lays a hand on his hip, and he frowns when he rolls his shoulder, which confirms Changbin’s suspicions that he sprained it.

The carriage ride back to the castle is quiet save for the muted clatter of wheels over stone and the steady patter of hooves against the dirt road.

Minho is already helping Hyunjin down the carriage when the knights’ carriage pulls to a stop. Changbin sees Hyunjin wince as his boots hit the ground, and hears Minho murmur an apology.

Hyunjin looks at him when he sees the knights’ carriage behind theirs, automatically reminding him that, “I’m fine, Changbin.”

Still, he doesn’t argue when Changbin places a hand on his uninjured arm to guide him inside the castle. In front of them, Minho is already speaking to a servant about telling the royal physician to be on standby, while on Hyunjin’s other side, Jisung is fussing, worried that Hyunjin might have pulled a muscle.

“Tell me if there’s anything of concern so I can have Minho fetch their physician.” Jisung tells him as they reach the hall of their rooms.

Changbin nods as Hyunjin goes straight into his room, whispering about washing up and ridding himself of his dirtied clothes.

He waits until Jisung disappears inside his room before he turns around and enters Hyunjin’s room. He sits on the dresser and listens to the splash of water from inside the bathroom, almost louder than Hyunjin’s mindless humming as he cleans his body of sweat and dirt.

Minutes later, Hyunjin emerges in a thin shirt, his hair still damp, and his skin flushed from the warm water. His towel is folded over his uninjured arm. “Changbin?”

“Yes, Your Highness?” Changbin stands from the dresser chair and gestures for Hyunjin to sit.

Hyunjin sits in front of Changbin with a sheepish smile, draping the towel across his lap. “My shoulder hurts.”

“Let me see, my prince.” Changbin whispers as he drops down on one knee. He works methodically, his hands steady but gentle as he checks over both of Hyunjin’s wrists, arms, and shoulders.

The prince doesn’t flinch, but his breath hitches when Changbin presses on the ball of his shoulder, the same one he fell on. Carefully, Changbin tugs on Hyunjin’s shirt to reveal the bruise that’s bloomed on his otherwise unblemished skin.

“Ice should do the trick. I’ll ask Jisung to have someone bring you an ice pack.” Changbin intones as he stands. He fights the urge to place his mouth against the area, knows that it’s not his place to kiss Hyunjin’s pain away.

A soft laugh escapes Hyunjin as he tips his head up to look at him. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m sorry.”

Before responding, Changbin takes the towel from Hyunjin’s lap and begins to dry his hair. Something he’s done multiple times over the years, something he knows relaxes Hyunjin.

Hyunjin is facing the mirror now, so Changbin can see the way his eyes are closed in content and the corners of his mouth are curved into a subtle smile.

“You were distracted.” Changbin whispers after a while.

Despite not making a habit out of it, Changbin knows how well Hyunjin is on horseback. He knows that the prince excels in balance and precision, even when he’s on a horse running at full-speed.

Hyunjin hums, knowing that Changbin wasn’t asking. “I was thinking about Felix.”

“What about him?” Changbin’s hands stop drying Hyunjin’s hair for a split second before he continues to massage the prince’s scalp over the towel.

Hyunjin opens his eyes and they look at each other through the mirror. His smile drops, just so, before he sighs. “Just that... we’re out here, and he’s... he’s stuck there. I know he said that it’s to keep him safe, but he’s still trapped, one way or another. I can’t help but... but want him to be out here with us.”

Changbin’s movements slow, lifting the towel from Hyunjin’s now-dried hair.

He can’t deny that his thoughts drifted to Felix sometime in the day as well. He wondered what the blond was doing, how he was, which of his several activities filled his time today, if he was thinking of them, too.

“He doesn’t seem unhappy.” Changbin says after a long pause, though he can hear the uncertainty in his own tone.

Hyunjin’s gaze lingers on his own reflection. “You don’t believe that.”

Changbin exhales through his nose, folding the towel now that he’s done with it. “We don’t know enough to believe otherwise.”

Hyunjin shifts so that they’re looking at each other instead of their reflections. “I just can’t get it out of my head that there’s something we have to do about all of this.”

At the tenderness in Hyunjin’s voice, something tightens in Changbin’s chest. He kneels back down in front of Hyunjin, resting his hands on the prince’s knees.

“We can’t be hasty.” Changbin says softly. “We’re visitors from another kingdom, we can’t cause trouble.” He squeezes Hyunjin’s knee. “But Felix is lucky you found him, my prince. He deserves to be seen in a way no one else does.”

Hyunjin lets out a soft, almost shy laugh. “I didn’t do anything special. If anything, I forced us into his quiet life.”

Quiet. Changbin used to think of that word as positive, to an extent. But after knowing that someone like Felix exists, he’s starting to think of it as a punishment.

“You didn’t have to climb that tower. Most wouldn’t have.” Changbin tells him. He knows he wouldn’t have, not for just anyone.

“That’s only because you would have done it for me.” There’s something gentle but piercing in the way Hyunjin says it; a conviction that makes Changbin’s breath falter.

“It’s my duty.”

Hyunjin shakes his head. “I know that it’s not all it is.”

“It’s not.” Changbin confesses. He clears his throat and stands up, stepping back from the warmth of being so close to Hyunjin. “You should rest, Your Highness. I’ll bring the ice myself.”

Hyunjin reaches for his hand before he can step farther away. He doesn’t deny the prince of his touch until he’s seated in bed.

“Thank you for caring so much.” Hyunjin whispers before Changbin turns to leave.

Changbin's hand tightens around Hyunjin’s before he lets go. Simply, he says, “You’re my prince. I’ll always care too much about you.”

With that, he bows, before he turns to leave Hyunjin sitting on the bed, staring after him with an expression that he knows reflects on his own face. He fetches the prince an ice pack but doesn’t stay, knowing that the prince wouldn’t sit still if he was in the room.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

Minho’s physician gives Hyunjin confirmation that his shoulder isn’t suffering from anything more than some light bruising. It eased Jisung and Changbin more than it did Hyunjin, but he’s still relieved that he didn’t actually injure himself because he got distracted by the sun shining in his eyes.

That doesn’t matter now, though, because after a short exchange with Jisung to apologize for running off into the forest once more, Hyunjin and Changbin are back in Felix’s tower. The blond eagerly looked through the basket of fruit and bread they brought with them, and Hyunjin could do nothing but smile when he expressed how happy he was to see them again.

After they all had a couple of bites of fruit and a muffin each, they found their way to the upper floor of the tower, where sunlight spilled into the singular uncovered window of the tower and the air smelled faintly of vanilla and lavender.

Hyunjin instructs Felix to sit on the window bench, arranging the pillows so it framed Felix’s body. Carefully, he pressed his hands against Felix’s back to straighten his spine, and asked for the blond to draw one of his feet up to the edge of the sofa.

He moves Felix’s hands to rest on his lap, then spends a considerable amount of time arranging the blond’s long hair so the strands spill around him like a silken waterfall. It’s fascinating, to Hyunjin, how Felix’s hair is long enough to trail over his shoulder, down his back, across his thighs, until they pool around his bare feet on the smoothly polished floor.

“Hold still, just like that.” Hyunjin murmurs with an excited edge to his voice.

“How long does this usually take?” Felix asks, his cheeks flushed faintly under the two pairs of eyes solely on him.

“Prince Hyunjin spends as long as an entire day if he needs to.” Changbin huffs from where he’s seated on Felix’s work table. When Hyunjin throws the knight a glare over his shoulder, he sees the fond smile that’s curving Changbin’s mouth.

Hyunjin turns back to Felix and carefully pulls down some strands of hair to fall over one of Felix’s eyes. Not enough to cover the amber colour of his irises, because Hyunjin finds his eyes mesmerizing to their own degree.

“There. You look like a painting come to life.” Hyunjin beams as he steps back to marvel at how Felix is posed.

Felix’s eyes follow him as he sits down by his feet, facing Changbin, because this angle makes the sunlight coming from the window catch on the golden strands of hair that it looks like it’s glowing.

With his sketchbook perched and open on his lap, Hyunjin looks up at the masterpiece he hopes to capture on paper. The soft illumination curves around Felix like a living aura, so gentle and surreal that Hyunjin grips his charcoal pencil and whispers a prayer that he’d be able to carry this image with him, drawn by his own hands.

With how he’s seated on the floor, Hyunjin still has a view of Changbin, across the room, situated on Felix’s worktable with his dagger sheathed and laying on the edge of the table. The knight is pre-occupied with a glass jar filled with pressed flowers, while small tools and scraps of parchment covered in scrawled notes are scattered on the mahogany in front of him.

“What is Changbin doing?” Felix asks when Hyunjin’s eyes move over to him for a moment too long. As a dedicated subject, he doesn’t move his head to look, even when Hyunjin has a feeling that he’s dying to know.

“He found some yarn.” Hyunjin laughs under his breath. He tips his head down and drags his pencil over the parchment, then looks back up just to make sure he has his angles right.

Hyunjin looks at Felix, bathed in sunlight that makes it look like a halo rests on his head—then at Changbin, who looks like a kitten that’s obsessed with its new toy with the blue yarn he’s looping through his fingers.

The prince smiles to himself, seemingly the most at peace he’s ever been.

Felix was knitting yesterday, as he told them earlier. His guardian brought him a new supply of yarn for him during his most recent visit, and Felix is working through the soft threads of it by making mittens and scarves.

“What’s your favourite colour?” Felix asked Changbin before Hyunjin whisked him away to the window bench. “I’ll make you a scarf.”

Changbin’s cheeks turned pink but he answered blue. Felix beamed and took out the ball of yarn, then was reminded of Hyunjin’s request to draw him.

“Oh, Your Highness, my apologies.” Felix laughed as he sat on the cushioned bench of his bedroom window. “I’ll make you a scarf, too. What colour would you like?”

“Any colour you deem fit for me.” Hyunjin replied simply, knowing that he’d love anything Felix gifted him.

He loves this sketch, too, even when it’s nothing more than lines and shapes that take the form of a human body. By the end of the day, it’ll take the shape of Felix, and Hyunjin can convince himself that he has a part of the blond with him, even when he and Changbin are not at the tower.

“Felix,” Hyunjin says carefully, his eyes tracing the vague outline he’d just drawn. Still just a person, not quite Felix yet. “How long did you say you’ve been here?”

Felix blinks, head tilting by a modicum. Not enough for Hyunjin to make him move it back. “For my whole life, I think. I’ve been here for as long as I remember.”

Hyunjin’s chest tightens. His heart breaks at the thought of an entire life lived in complete solitude. Felix doesn’t say it like he knows how much he’s missed out on, but his words still carry the kind of resignation that only comes from someone who’s never been allowed to want more.

From beside him, Changbin shifts, folding his arms over his chest. “Do you ever wish you could leave the tower?”

Felix hesitates, and for a long moment, Hyunjin thinks that the blond won’t reply. But then, quietly, Felix nods, the movement only traceable by the way strands of gold sway along his temple. “Sometimes. Mostly, when I’m dreaming.”

The answer hangs between them, weightless but heavy in its admittance.

As Hyunjin sketches the outline of Felix’s posture, a strange ache unfurls in his chest. Briefly, he wonders what Jisung and Minho are doing back in the kingdom—no matter what it is, he’s sure that the couple is currently surrounded by people and laughter and freedom.

Then, he looks up from his sketchbook and sets his gaze directly on Felix, a young man with spun gold for hair and endless kisses from the sun, trapped in a timeless tower and speaking of the world like it’s nothing more than a story that’s been read to him as a child.

He wants to say something comforting, but nothing feels right. So instead, he smiles at Felix, and makes peace with the fact that he’d never truly capture Felix in art, but he’ll try to, because he deserves so much more than that.

Felix smiles at him, and the ache in Hyunjin’s chest presses deeper into his heart.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

After breakfast, Hyunjin finds himself drifting towards Jisung’s room instead of his own. His best friend is the reason he’s here, after all, and despite not seeing much of each other for the week Hyunjin has been here, he knows that it’s only a matter of time before he’s inevitably swept up in the whirlwind of wedding preparations that’s about to come.

Hyunjin curls up on the chaise situated by the foot of Jisung’s bed, while the other prince is sprawled on his bed, a small stack of letters beside him. Formal letters from the council, verbiage about how much they’re looking forward to Jisung joining them after his and Minho’s wedding. Hyunjin knows how taxing Jisung finds the letters, but he suffers through the droning words anyway.

“You’d think that they’d run out of ways to tell me that I’ll be their prince soon.” Jisung sighs after he folds a letter in half and stashes it with the letters he’s already read. “I’ve been receiving these letters for my whole life, at this point, I’ve already had my metaphorical crown since I was, maybe, 18.”

“You’ve had your actual crown since you were 1.” Hyunjin jests light-heartedly. He has one knee leg folded up on the chaise, to prop the sketchpad on his knee. In front of him, he cleans up his half-finished sketch of Felix, his heart feeling warm as his mind conjures up the memory of the blond sitting in front of him.

“That’s a very valid point.” Jisung huffs lightly. He stretches with a soft groan before he sits up properly, stacks of letters forgotten. “It’s about time we start getting ready for brunch.”

“We ate two hours ago.” Hyunjin looks up from his drawing to raise a brow at his friend.

“The king and queen have arranged for us to have brunch out in the garden today.” Jisung says with his hand waving in vague movements in front of him. “Minho’s parents will be back from the village soon, since they visited the library this morning, and Minho thought it’d be nice to have everyone together.”

Hyunjin’s expression falters. “Even me?”

“Of course.” Jisung nods. “You’re a crown prince. More than that, you’re my guest. It’s also a good time to start getting ahead of wedding discussions like floral arrangements and the rest of my wedding party.”

A second too long passes before Hyunjin is able to force a polite nod, trying not to let his expression betray how dismayed he feels. “I see.”

There’s another long pause, this time from Jisung, and he tilts his head at him. “You don’t sound thrilled.”

“I am.” Hyunjin is quick to correct. His own parents will have his head if they find out that he’s being a bad guest. But he can’t help the way his gaze drifts to the window, even when he knows he won’t see the tower from here. “I just thought Changbin and I were going to be able to go out into the forest today.”

He doesn’t miss the way Jisung’s eyes narrow in suspicion. “You’ve been going to the forest every single day since you’ve arrived.”

“No, I spent the other day with you.” Hyunjin teases as he rolls his shoulder. “Almost dislocated my shoulder, too.”

“That’s not true.” Jisung snorts. “If it was, Changbin wouldn’t have let me hear the end of it. He’d demand to bring you home at the soonest possible time.”

Hyunjin rolls his eyes, but can’t deny that it’s true. He looks down at the progressing image of Felix he has in front of him. There’s hardly any colour yet, since Hyunjin can’t quite get the correct combination of pigments that would properly capture the gold that surrounds Felix’s entire being.

“But seriously, is there any tension that I’ve overlooked between your kingdom and this one?” Jisung asks. “I’ve never seen you so disinterested in getting to know the royal family.”

Hyunjin shakes his head. “It’s really not that. I just like it out there, that’s all. So much to see there, you know?”

“Are you sure it’s just that?” Jisung’s brow quirks. “Minho thinks you’re just wandering around sketching, and even that has him on edge sometimes, even when I’ve tried to assure him that you’re safest with Changbin. They’re really particular about safety here, Hyunjin.” Jisung sighs, shrugging. “It’s kind of suffocating at times, that’s why I asked you to be here with me for the next few months. And we both know that you hate bugs too much to sit under a tree all day, so I know you don’t disappear into the forest simply because you like frolicking.”

Hyunjin lets out a slow and nervous laugh as he closes his sketchbook. “I don’t hate bugs.”

Jisung snorts. “You once screamed bloody murder when a beetle landed on your nose.”

“It took me by surprise.” Hyunjin mutters. He stands up, hugging his closed sketchbook to his chest. “I’ll freshen up before brunch. Can’t have the king and queen think of me as unkempt.”

Jisung’s smile is almost grateful. “Thank you, Hyunjin.”

“I won’t ruin this for you, Jisung.” Hyunjin squeezes Jisung’s shoulder as he passes. “That’s not the way a friend, and a best man, acts.”

“Thank you.” Jisung whispers, and it’s only then that Hyunjin truly remembers what brought him here in the first place. He and Changbin wouldn’t have found Felix if it weren’t for Jisung getting married in the first place.

Hyunjin lingers in his room after he leaves Jisung, reaching for the candle he got from Felix days ago and lights it up. Almost instantly, the scent of lemons and oranges fills the room, still strong despite Hyunjin already going through half the candle.

For a moment, Hyunjin sits on the edge of the bed and simply watches the flame tilt and sway. He whispers a soft apology for Felix and hopes that the blond isn’t waiting for them to visit before he goes to the bathroom to start getting ready for brunch.

There’s a knock on his door as soon as he’s done changing into fresh clothes and smoothening his hair. Changbin walks in half a beat later with no signs of the rigorous exercise that he and the knights are busy with from the early morning.

“Are we not going out today?” Changbin asks when he sees that Hyunjin isn’t dressed in the thin clothes he usually wears out in the forest.

Hyunjin shakes his head, his eyes drifting to the dresser table, where his sketchbook is laying. “We’re having brunch with Minho’s parents, and the king and queen. I’ve been a negligent guest this past week.”

Changbin nods and opens the door, but waits for Hyunjin to step out of the room before he follows after. In the room next to his, Minho is knocking on Jisung’s door, which means that they’re just in time to go out into the garden together.

“Prince Hyunjin.” Minho greets when he sees them walking closer. “I was just about to knock on your door.”

Hyunjin smiles at the older prince. “I couldn’t keep your family waiting. I realized that this is the first time I’m meeting your parents, and it’s been a while since I’ve been in the presence of your king and queen.”

He met the king and queen once, years ago, during Jisung’s 18th birthday. It was the first time they travelled so far, which solidified how Minho and Jisung’s relationship had somehow exceeded its political nature. Minho’s parents have never left, instead fulfilling their duties as members of the royal family through internal affairs.

Minho’s mouth quirks up into the smallest smile. “I hope you’re not nervous. I remember Jisung being very concerned about the impression he gives off.”

“That’s because they’re your parents.” Jisung huffs as he steps out of his room. He smiles at Hyunjin and Changbin. “But the most I’ll worry about is forgetting table manners.”

“Which you do, quite often.” Hyunjin mumbles.

Jisung sticks his tongue out at him, then is quickly redirected by Minho placing a hand on his back and urging him to start walking.

Together, they step out of the castle and onto the garden, where a table has already been set with a variety of foods and drinks. From over Jisung’s shoulder, Hyunjin can see that Minho’s family are already seated on one end of the table.

“Forgive us for taking this long to meet, Prince Hyunjin.” the king says in greeting. “I do hope Minho has been a gracious host.”

“He has, Your Majesty.” Hyunjin replies with a small bow. “Thank you for opening up your kingdom to me.”

“Nonsense. Any friend of Jisung’s is welcome here.” he says as he waves his hand as a gesture for them to take their seats.

When Hyunjin raises his head again, his eyes drift to the rest of their companions. He quickly realizes that the king and Minho’s mother are siblings from their eyes alone, a deep amber colour that wouldn’t raise any hairs at the nape of Hyunjin’s neck if it weren’t for the fact that the way the sun made the queen’s golden coloured hair glow make the light sprinkle of freckles on her face stand out.

A chill runs down Hyunjin’s spine as his mind conjures up the image of a single person.

He didn’t realize his head was tilting until his eyes found Changbin. The knight already has his expression schooled back into composure, but Hyunjin can still see traces of the older’s own disbelief. The faint furrow of his brows and the flicker of realization that’s mirroring his own.

The resemblance is unmistakable.

Felix’s face and eyes and hair—Hyunjin can see all of it reflected out in the garden, scattered like shards of sunlight among the family he’s sharing a table with.

For the remainder of the meal, Hyunjin tries to focus on the conversation and the soft hum of their voices, only able to muster up enough strength for polite responses and faint laughter, and even still, everything blurs together in the static that overcomes his mind.

He can feel Changbin standing behind him, stationed between the other palace guards that are overlooking their meal, but Hyunjin doesn’t feel the suffocation that Jisung was talking about earlier. Instead, there’s an incessant tugging at the back of his mind, demanding him to entertain thoughts that he can’t say out loud.

Even Minho, who Hyunjin has seen multiple times before this moment, resembles Felix when he smiles at Jisung in that way that makes his cheeks bunch up and eyes curve into crecents. He looks more like his father, but when his face lights up like that, Hyunjin sees Felix make the exact same expression.

It’s only now that Hyunjin realizes the colour of Minho’s eyes. A darker amber, but recognizable, nonetheless. A resemblance that cannot be denied.

The queen looks sharp and intimidating, but the dusting of freckles on her face and her golden-spun hair force Hyunjin into a misplaced semblance of familiarity. Even more so when she’s seated between her husband and sister-in-law, both of which have eyes that carry hues of amber.

Hyunjin blinks in an attempt to anchor himself back into the hospitable chatter around the table. The queen’s laugh rings like a bell when Minho’s mother asks Jisung something about the wedding theme, and Jisung—already so comfortable with this family—answers with a certainty that makes Minho nudge him affectionately.

Everything is perfectly pleasant. Hyunjin feels honoured to witness this.

But his pulse continues to stutter as he takes in the features scattered around him.

His gaze slips to the king again, a voice carrying the deep timbre of a man in control, with eyes so rich in colour that they resemble molten honey. Then, he moves on to the queen’s hair, and how the strands catch the sun in an eerily similar way to how he’d seen golden sunlight haloing Felix’s face—

Hyunjin’s hand moves without meaning to.

The ladle of gravy that a servant was using to plate his food pitches to the side, and neither he nor the servant are prepared enough to catch it. Thick, warm gravy splashes down the fabric of his shirt, dripping over the embroidered hem and pooling down to the napkin draped across his lap.

He gasps and instinctively pushes his chair back to assess the damage, the movement big enough to draw every pair of eyes onto him. He doesn’t have to turn around to know that Changbin has taken a step forward, too.

“Oh—Hyunjin!” the queen gasps.

Hyunjin can feel his cheeks flushing as he uses the napkin to wipe away the gravy on his shirt. “It was my mistake, my apologies. I was reaching for my glass of water and miscalculated the direction of my hand.”

The servant bows deeply regardless, reciting apologies that Hyunjin doesn’t deserve to hear because it was his own fault that his mind was elsewhere.

Jisung reaches over with his own napkin, helping him clean up his stained shirt. “I can’t take you anywhere, can I?” Humorous and light, and it does get a small laugh out of Hyunjin before Jisung directs his attention to the servant. “Can Prince Hyunjin have a damp towel?”

“I’m fine.” Hyunjin insists weakly, even as Jisung continues to dab at his shirt. “I can change after brunch. I have a feeling this won’t be the only spill today.”

“Well, you’re lucky that we’re not very big on table manners.” Minho’s father comments with a good-natured smile.

Fortunately for him, he makes it through brunch without spilling anything else.

Everything remains pleasant. He manages to provide his opinion when he’s asked, and learns more about the upcoming wedding between Minho and Jisung.

At the back of his mind, he wonders if there’s a place for Felix here, simply waiting for him to return. At the back of his mind, Hyunjin knows that the man with gold-spun hair and amber eyes fit right in here.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

Changbin is already settled beneath the covers, his body eased into the softness of the mattress, though his mind remains alert for as long as he is awake. The lamp is lit, accompanied by the softer glow of the candles he received from Felix, making the guest bedroom smell strongly of mulberries and vanilla.

Usually, at this time, he’d be fast asleep, because he woke early. But now, he couldn’t bring himself to close his eyes, instead he lays on his back with his hands resting on his abdomen, and he tries to think of anything that isn’t Hyunjin or Felix.

His attempts are unsuccessful, because he always ends up with the image of Felix or Hyunjin in his mind.

Changbin exhales through his nose, wondering how quickly Felix has wormed his way into Changbin’s subconscious, so much so that he’s able to haunt his thoughts now, something that only Hyunjin had been capable of.

A soft knock breaks the quiet.

Changbin sits up immediately, turning his head to the door as it’s pushed open. He knows who it is before he even sees Hyunjin slip inside, barefoot, dressed in a cream sleeping gown that makes him look soft in the gentle candlelight.

It’s not the first time that Hyunjin sneaks into his bedroom, either in distress or the simple desire to be with company, so Changbin isn’t unnerved to see the prince here.

But Changbin feels a pinch in his chest when he sees his expression. Wide, restless eyes and pale cheeks, his lips caught in a faint and troubled pout.

“Changbin, can I...?”

Changbin is already lifting the blanket to the empty side of the bed. “Come here, my prince.”

Hyunjin closes the door behind him and slowly crosses the room, unfamiliar because they’re in a foreign kingdom, not because this is the first time they’ve slept in the same bed. As Hyunjin reaches the nightstand, his attention is directed to the candles burning on top.

“These are Felix’s.” Hyunjin murmurs.

“He’s very talented in candlemaking.” Changbin replies. “You’d believe that he used to be a disciple of a distinguished craftsman.”

Hyunjin nods and falls into the space next to Changbin, his hands twisting together in his lap before his fingers find the edge of the blanket and he starts to pull at the fabric instead.

Changbin watches him wordlessly, already having a good idea of the thoughts plaguing Hyunjin’s mind. He’s almost certain that they are the exact same thoughts that have been bothering him tonight.

“He looks so much like the king and queen.” Hyunjin’s voice wavers slightly.

Changbin doesn’t ask who he’s talking about. He doesn’t need to.

“What if...” Hyunjin’s voice is barely above a whisper. “Could there be a chance that he’s Minho’s cousin? He would have been the same age as me and Jisung by now, right?”

Changbin swallows slowly, stomach twisting uncomfortably at the thought. “We don’t know that.”

“But doesn’t it make sense?” Hyunjin shoots back, more out of desperation than sharpness. “You saw them, Changbin. Felix’s hair, Felix’s smile—he even has the same smile as Minho when he smiles at Jisung.”

“Hyunjin,” he says quietly, “these are things we can’t assume without proof.”

“I know.” Hyunjin voice cracks. Changbin wraps his arms around the prince’s shoulders to steady him. “But we can’t—we can’t just pretend like it might not be true. Someone put him there and has been hiding him from the world his entire life and—and if we can bring him back to his family—”

Hyunjin’s breath falters. He looks at Changbin with glassy eyes and a crease between his brows.

“If Felix really is the lost prince...” Changbin whispers, bringing a hand up to wipe away Hyunjin’s tears before one has a chance to fall. “Then we have reason to believe that the person looking to hurt him isn’t looking for him, but rather the one that put him in that tower in the first place.”

“We can’t leave him there.” Hyunjin sniffles. “Even if he isn’t Minho’s cousin, we can’t leave him to live the rest of his life hidden away. He doesn’t deserve that.”

“I know, my prince.” Changbin cups Hyunjin’s cheek and lets the prince lean into his touch. “We’ll find a way to get him out of there.”

Hyunjin’s breath softens, as if the words had finally given him something to hold onto. For a moment, neither of them speak. Hyunjin nuzzles into Changbin’s palm while they breathe in the scented air.

“Stay here for the night.” Changbin says gently. “I know you won’t be able to sleep alone right now.”

Hyunjin nods and leans into him, moving his cheek from Changbin’s palm to his shoulder. After a minute, he lets out a long, quiet sigh, and the warmth of his body so close calms Changbin more than he’s allowed to admit.

When Hyunjin falls asleep, it’s soundless, and Changbin has to lay him down properly on the bed. He blows out Felix’s candles but doesn’t switch off the lamp, then tucks Hyunjin’s hair out of his face before he closes his eyes to join him in sleep.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

Felix sits curled up on the frame of the window, his knees drawn up and his hair sprawled over the empty half of the bench. The familiar weight of a book rests on top of his knees, already halfway through his third reread of this same story since he started reading soon after he woke up.

It’s still fairly early in the day, with the morning sunlight pouring through the open window, scattering light across the entire upper floor of the tower and warming his skin. He’s accompanied by the faint chirping of birds and the rustle of leaves swaying in the breeze as he reads, not unlike how most of his days play out.

But for some reason, he loses focus more than usual.

The words on the pages are simple and comforting—stories that he knows because it’s been a while since his guardian brought him new books to read. Somehow, his eyes move without absorbing anything, and he feels like he doesn’t know where the story is going at all despite already having read through the whole thing twice before.

Felix presses his thumb into the margin and stares absently at the printed ink.

Before he can stop himself, he thinks of Hyunjin’s laugh and Changbin’s cautious gaze. The sound of boots on the stone steps of the tower’s staircase, the taste of warm pastries and fresh fruit. Their warmth. Their stories. Their presence.

He waited for them yesterday.

Or, more specifically, he hoped that he’d see them.

Just like he’s hoping to see them today, even if that hope isn’t as secure, given that they didn’t come the day before.

But maybe it was a blessing in disguise, because his guardian arrived instead. His visits were predictable. He’d give Felix food, water, and other supplies to last him for the next several days, ask him if anyone came, and Felix would answer that no one did, even if yesterday was the first time he lied about it. The first time he lied at all.

His guardian left before the hour was over. When Felix was a child, he stayed longer, to teach Felix how to live by himself, to read to him or help organize his things; but now that he’s older, there’s no need for that.

But Hyunjin and Changbin brought something else when they visited. Their visits are unpredictable in a way that sends his chest fluttering, like there was a little ball of sunlight warming him up from deep in his heart.

He reminds himself that he’s not owed their company. He knows that they’re visiting from a different kingdom, so he supposed that they had responsibilities to attend to yesterday. Or maybe they simply didn’t want to come.

Either way, Felix caught himself glancing towards the cave opening throughout the day yesterday. It was the first thing he did when he woke, too, and how he decided that he’d sit by the window and read today.

He’s not used to wanting people.

He’s never had people to want before.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees movement by the cave opening.

Immediately, Felix straightens up, nearly dropping his book out of the windows as he scrambles to set it aside and bunch his hair up behind him so it doesn’t tangle in his feet. His pulse quickens as warmth blooms under his skin, already aware of the two people that are making their way to the tower.

Felix doesn’t wait for them to reach the tower. He’s already rushing down the stairs so that he can greet them as they enter.

He sees Hyunjin carrying a basket, draped in a cloak with the hood up, while Changbin has his hood down and his dagger strapped to his waist. Felix is at the foot of the stairs before either of them could call for him, the blond so happy to see them that he embraces the person closest to him.

“You’re here!” Felix bubbles, feeling more warmth take place under his skin when Changbin wraps his arms around him in return.

“You look like a shooting star made out of sunlight when you run.” Hyunjin quips with a soft laugh. Carefully, he threads his fingers through Felix’s hair, growing braver when Felix doesn’t recoil and instead melts against Changbin’s chest, content to be in the presence of these two people.

“I have an armful of sunlight, then, Your Majesty.” Changbin chuckles but makes no move to let go of Felix.

If Felix could decide, he’d want to stay like this for all eternity. With both of them.

Hyunjin brushes hair out of Felix’s face, giving him a view of the prince’s smile. “Did you think we wouldn’t come today? We already missed you yesterday.”

Hesitantly, Felix steps away from Changbin, his smile falling off his face as he confesses. “I thought that maybe you’d gotten tired of visiting.”

He sees the way both their faces soften with something close to disbelief, then hurt on his behalf. “Of course not. Who would grow tired of sunlight personified, such as yourself?”

He feels it again. That unfamiliar and overwhelming sense of belonging that he only feels when these two men visit him. He’s read about them in his books and fantasized about it in the late nights, but he never dared to believe that he’d feel it for himself, even for a little.

Changbin reaches his hand out and smiles when Felix places his on top of the knight’s without a second thought. He raises Felix’s hand and places a tender kiss on his knuckles. “We wouldn’t just stop going to you. Not unless you ask us to.”

Felix’s heart flutters. Hard. He almost stops breathing. “I’d never do that.”

Hyunjin beams and sheds his cloak, walking over to the table to set the basket down. “We’re sorry we couldn’t visit yesterday, Felix. But we brought a lot of fresh bread and jams for you. I even managed to sneak in the poached eggs and smoked salmon that wasn’t eaten this morning.”

“We could have a picnic.” Changbin suggests gently. “It’s a wonderful day outside.”

“Outside?” he asks. This time, his heart drops.

Hyunjin nods, looking at him with equal parts hope and expectancy. “Just outside of the tower, to soak up the sun and fresh air. I promise that you won’t leave the cave. The tower won’t be out of your sight.”

“But I’ve never...” Felix trails off and looks between the both of them. It’s clear that they’ve discussed how to talk Felix into it, and while his first instinct is to reject any and all ideas of leaving the tower, there’s a bigger part of him that trusts them so wholeheartedly.

“It’s not so scary outside.” Hyunjin assures, taking Felix’s other hand and squeezing comfortingly. “Changbin and I were talking and—we realized how you might have never even had a picnic before, since you’ve always been by yourself.” Something else flashes in Hyunjin’s eyes, but Felix doesn’t know enough to decipher it. “And we want for you to experience even little things outside of the tower, even just for now.”

Outside.

The single word echoes through his entire being—frightening and impossible. His entire world has been stone walls covered by ivy and filling up his days with mindless hobbies. The thought never even occurred to him, that the field between the cave and the tower still kept him hidden, because it’s been drilled so deep into him that he was never to leave.

There are people looking for me. If I’m seen, then I’ll get hurt.

But when he’s being held like he’ll be protected and looked at like he’s something precious, it makes it difficult for him to believe that he’d be harmed in their presence.

Felix stares down at their joint fingers.

Outside always meant danger for him. But with them, he wanted to believe that it meant freedom.

“We won’t go far.” Changbin places another kiss on his hand. “Just the grass around the tower. As soon as you want to go back inside, we’ll pack everything up.”

“You’d be perfectly safe.” Hyunjin promises, patient and coaxing. “We don’t want you to be scared of leaving the tower, Felix. Sunlight isn’t meant to be contained like this.”

Felix swallows down the fear that took the form of bile, his nerves bubbling like something molten in the pit of his stomach. His heart feels like it’s going to leap out of his chest from how terrifying the thought of leaving was—but a bigger part of him, despite trembling, pulls him towards them.

He trusts them. More than he’s ever trusted anything else before.

He looks between them, his voice barely above a whisper when he makes sure, “You’ll stay with me? The entire time?”

Both of them nod immediately, not a sliver of doubt in either of their expressions.

“Every second.” Changbin promises with a finality that leaves no room for doubt.

Felix takes a deep, shaky breath, before he nods. “Okay.” he pauses, just because he’s never said these words before, but he feels like he’s stepped into a dream he didn’t know he was allowed to have. “Let’s go out.”

Hyunjin’s entire face lights up with a delighted smile. He squeezes Felix’s hand one more time before he lets go and steps out first, the basket slung through his arm swaying lightly with his excited movement. “You’ll love it, Felix!”

Changbin doesn’t let go of his hand as he tugs Felix just an inch closer—closer to him, and closer to the threshold of the tower door.

Felix freezes when his bare toes nudge the edge of the threshold. This is already farther than he’s ever gone, the most he’s felt sunlight on his skin and fresh air in his face. From the open door in front of him, the field surrounding the tower is vast and green.

A breeze slips past him and Changbin, the air brushing his ankle. His breath hitches at the sensation—cool and wild and alive. Not controlled. Not predictable. Hesitantly, Felix thinks that this is something akin to freedom.

“Take your time, Felix.” Changbin looks at Felix calmly, and over his shoulder, Hyunjin is standing several feet away, waiting for them to join him. “One step at a time.”

Felix feels his legs tremble. He presses his free hand to the edge of the doorframe, grounding himself in the feeling of wood and stone against his palm. The permanence of the only thing he’d ever known.

This is too much, his fear wants him to confess.

But I want to do this, a bigger part of him pleaded.

So, he takes a tentative step forward—painfully slowly, Felix extends his foot and steps onto the grass.

His lungs feel like they stop working. His heart, too. There’s a ringing in his head that starts the moment he feels the blades of grass between his toes.

But the world doesn’t fall apart.

The tower still stands high and might. The cave is still empty behind Hyunjin.

Changbin and Hyunjin are still looking at him like he’s something precious and coveted.

He takes another step so that both of his feet are out of the tower—so that he’s out of the tower. Just barely, but so much more than he’s ever had until this moment.

Felix almost runs back to hide away in the tower when he feels the sun touch his skin, still warm but somehow different. Somehow stronger, like there’s a difference now that he’s not soaking it up from his bedroom window.

“Good job, sunlight.” Changbin whispers, as if hearing Felix’s thoughts.

Felix turns to him, eyes wide and shaking. “Sunlight?”

“Our sunlight.” Changbin’s mouth quirks up into a small smile. He squeezes Felix’s hand before he steps away, not enough to be so far, just enough for Felix to redirect his eyes to Hyunjin, still standing several feet away.

The prince has moved from the last time Felix saw him: the basket is stable on the grass, and Hyunjin’s arms are raised at his sides, as if beckoning Felix closer. His hair flutters in the breeze, dark strands flying into his face, but his smile is still soft in that way that makes Felix’s stomach lift and twist.

Felix looks between the two men—Changbin, warm and steady next to him, and Hyunjin, bright and gentle in front of him. The two people that have stepped into his quiet world and made him feel like he was made of gold.

Felix blinks, hard, feeling like he could cry, but a small push from Changbin encourages him to take another step, closer to Hyunjin and farther from the tower door behind him.

He takes a step. Then another.

Each one quicker than the last, until he’s practically sprinting to the prince, his hair lifting off the grass both by the speed of his steps and the wind being caught in the strands.

All the while, Hyunjin doesn’t move, even when Felix practically breaks into a run just so that he can be near him sooner. His steps aren’t graceful or earnest, far-too clumsy because he never had the room to run, but it’s earnest, like something inside of him has finally snapped free.

Grass prickles the pads of his toes and the heel of his feet, but Felix finds himself leaning into the feeling. When he reaches Hyunjin, he throws his arms around his shoulders with a force that surprises them both, sending them half a step backwards before Hyunjin is able to carry both their weight comfortably.

A shocked breath is startled out of Hyunjin as he immediately wraps his arms around Felix’s waist, the embrace firm and secure. Felix presses his face into Hyunjin’s neck, nuzzling into his skin to wipe away the overwhelmed tears that have lined his eyelashes. If Hyunjin feels it, he doesn’t say anything, just holds him with one arm while his other hand works to move Felix’s hair away so he didn’t accidentally pull on the strands as he held him.

“I’m outside.” Felix’s voice cracks with astonishment. “I’m really outside.”

“I knew you could do it.” Hyunjin whispers, his fingers carding through Felix’s hair as he holds him closer.

The beating of his heart is incessant, like it’d beat out of his chest from everything that he’s feeling all at once. Affection and gratitude and so much fear, but he breathes through it all, because he wants to stay in this moment.

He doesn’t understand how he’d gone from being terrified to stepping into warmth like he’d been waiting for the first chance to do so all along. He doesn't understand why Hyunjin’s arms feel like home despite the fact that home has always been stone walls and solitude. He doesn't understand how Changbin’s voice could linger in him like a heartbeat, steady and constant even when he’s still a couple of steps away.

All Felix knew that, standing between the two of them, held by one and watched over the other, nothing has ever felt so right.

“Thank you for trusting me and Changbin.” Hyunjin murmurs into his hair. “We were worried you’d feel attacked if we asked.”

Felix’s fingers curl into the fabric of Hyunjin’s shirt, his toes curling as he gets used to the feeling of dirt and grass under his feet. He gets used to the feeling of steady arms wrapped protectively around him, and an ever more protective hand on the small of his back when Changbin finally catches up to them.

It’s the only reason he lifts his head from Hyunjin’s shoulder. He wants to see Changbin, too.

When he moves, Hyunjin tightens his hold on him before easing back enough for them to look at each other. “How do you feel?”

Felix exhales shakily, his cheeks warm and his heart fluttering wildly. He doesn’t step away from either of their touches, instead leaning closer when Changbin moves to cup his cheek. “Different.”

Hyunjin’s smile crinkles his eyes at the side. “What kind of different? Good different?”

A soft, breathless sound escapes Felix. He’s not sure that the word good is enough to describe how big he feels—relief, awe, yearning, something sparkling and overwhelming in all the right places—but he’s not sure any other word could describe it, either.

“I feel like I’m made of sunlight.” Felix says with a soft laugh sneaking out between his words.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

There’s a pleasant burn in Changbin’s muscles as he lowers his sword, sweat clinging to the back of his neck and shoulders. The clang of steel against steel echoes across the training grounds, but he and Seungmin bow to each other to end the punishing sparring round they found themselves in half an hour ago.

They go to where Chan and Jeongin are settled between the other sparring groups, bottles of water lined up on the table for anyone to take once they get breaks of their own. Chan gives them a bottle each as Jeongin gingerly massages a bruise forming on his chest.

“You two were at it for a while.” Chan jests. “Any longer and I would have forced you to stop.”

“I can see why he’s the prince’s personal guard.” Seungmin shrugs. “Prince Hyunjin is indeed in very safe hands.”

Changbin gulps down the water before he sits down across from Chan, Seungmin settling beside him, catching his breath. It’s not a regular occurrence that Changbin spends majority of the day away from Hyunjin, but Jisung insisted that they’d only be in the castle garden to talk about the wedding, so Changbin was given permission to train with the other knights today.

“Don’t let Prince Minho know that.” Jeongin mumbles, wincing when he presses on his skin. “He’ll increase the intensity of our training if he finds out that we can’t keep up with Changbin. I’m considering it a blessing in disguise that Prince Hyunjin won’t hurt Prince Jisung, cause imagine having to go against Changbin in an actual fight?”

Changbin hums. “I hope Prince Minho knows that his beloved is also under my protection.”

“I’m pretty sure he does.” Chan assures him. “He’s not very good at letting his walls down, but he’s scared of having more people taken from him. Especially Prince Jisung.”

Changbin hesitates. He’s certain that this isn’t an easy topic for anyone living in this kingdom—much less people that live in the castle and are close to the royal family—but he and Hyunjin can’t just stand by and hope for the best.

Ever since Hyunjin had brunch with the king and queen. Ever since Hyunjin had knocked on his door, restless and pale. Ever since Felix has stepped out into sunlight for the first time, trembling but trusting, looking at them like they gave him the world on a silver platter.

“Does it...” his voice lowers, unsure how this topic was usually approached, if at all. “Does it have to do with his cousin? The king and queen’s son?”

Jeongin shifts, surprised by the question. Seungmin’s expression sharpens, but he doesn’t speak. Chan folds his arms, looking at Changbin inquisitively.

“It is.” Chan replies after a moment of silence. “Things haven’t been the same here since the prince was lost.”

“What...” Changbin gulps, his throat suddenly filled with cotton. There’s ringing in his ears, but the thought of Felix sitting alone in the tower right at this very moment forces Changbin to dig a little deeper. “What could have happened? Was he kidnapped? Did someone want something from the crown?”

A long breath passes. Changbin fears he’d crossed the line. The training grounds suddenly feel too open, too exposed, even though they’re a considerable distance from prying ears.

Seungmin speaks first, but it’s clear that he’s choosing his words carefully. “There was never any ransom, as far as I know. There weren’t any demands in exchange for Prince Yongbok’s safe return. All that was left was an empty cradle.”

Jeongin frowns. “Prince Minho once told me that he never even got to hold his cousin before he was taken from the royal family. A lot of people believe that someone from the castle must have done it, but whoever took the prince hasn’t been found until now.”

Chan looks up at the sky for a moment before he continues. “The king and queen searched for years, until they had to accept that Prince Minho would be the one to take their son’s place in the throne.” Chan sighs. “Prince Minho’s parents did everything to help look for their nephew, but whoever took the prince had hidden him away too well.”

Changbin thinks of Felix.

Felix, who has hair like spun gold, eyes like warm amber, and freckles that were faint but unmistakable under the right light.

He thinks of how hidden Felix has been his entire life, to not have even felt grass under his feet until a day ago. To have been so overjoyed at being outside of the tower that he clung onto Hyunjin with tears in his eyes.

Felix, who Changbin can imagine being with Hyunjin and Jisung to talk about the royal wedding.

Not alone in a tower, waiting for the freedom that’s been stolen away from him.

Is Felix the missing prince? Is he Prince Yongbok?

Seungmin catches his attention before his thoughts could go even deeper. “Why are you asking about this?”

Changbin inhales, suddenly aware that he has to choose his words carefully, to protect both Felix and Hyunjin.

“I was curious.” he answers softly, fingers tightening subconsciously around his empty bottle of water. “Prince Hyunjin asked Prince Jisung about it, the other day, but he didn’t know much, either. I remember it being a peculiar case, and wondered if the sentiment was different in the kingdom where it happened.”

“Just don’t let Prince Minho or the king and queen hear you ask about this.” Chan’s gaze sharpens, but Changbin trusts that Chan knows him enough to know that he wouldn’t ask out of ill intentions. “Not even Prince Minho’s parents. It’s a sensitive subject, as you can imagine.”

Chan’s warning settles over them like a subtle but undeniable weight. Jeongin nods in agreement, and Seungmin’s expression tightens with something unspoken. Changbin can hear the low hum of wind brushing across the training grounds, the faint clatter of swords and daggers.

Lost prince of not—Changbin doesn’t care.

He doesn’t care who Felix truly is. All he cares about is that Felix deserves to be free.

Whoever it is that Felix is so afraid of that he’s lived his entire life in solitude—they won’t come close to him as long as Changbin has anything to do about it.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

It becomes easier to coax Felix out after the first time.

There’s still fear in his expression, but it becomes quicker and quicker for it to dissolve into pure delight. All it takes is for Hyunjin to show a picnic basket and for Changbin to offer his hand, and Felix is nodding his head happily.

As promised, they stay within the field around the tower. Even when Hyunjin and Changbin are fairly certain by now that the only person looking to harm Felix is the same one that put him in the tower in the first place, they don’t want to risk anything by taking Felix too far from the tower without being prepared.

For now, they just need to get Felix used to being outside. To get him comfortable with the idea that the world is larger than the tower he grew up in.

As soon as Felix crosses the threshold of the tower, he starts running, his hair cascading like molten sunlight behind him, swaying in the wind now that it has room to flow freely. While Felix tires himself out, Changbin spreads out a blanket and Hyunjin begins to take out the pastries they brought for the day.

“Sunlight, come over here.” Hyunjin calls out after he and Changbin have settled on the blanket. The knight is already using his dagger to peel apples.

Felix runs over as soon as he’s called, little laughs falling from his mouth as he drops down next to Hyunjin. His eyes light up even more when he spots the puff pastries on the blanket. “Raspberry!”

Utterly endeared, Hyunjin immediately works to brush Felix’s hair off of his face while the blond bites into the raspberry puff pastry. “Every single day, you convince me that you’re just a little ball of sunlight.”

Felix smiles brightly, lighting up like he always does when he’s praised so generously.

Hyunjin takes out his sketchbook when he sees the way Felix is bathed in sunlight. His hair spills over his shoulder, the perspective creating a swirling pathway of spun gold. The image is too captivating not to translate onto the page.

“His Majesty has gotten more inspiration, it seems.” Changbin jests lightly, slicing the apple small pieces at a time. First, he brings one up to Hyunjin’s mouth, who lets himself be fed without hesitation. Then, Changbin goes to feed Felix, who blinks at him in surprise before he opens his mouth and accepts the piece of fruit offered to him.

“Thank you.” Felix murmurs as he chews on the apple, his cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink.

“The two of you are my greatest source of inspiration.” Hyunjin whispers, already sliding graphite across the blank page. He looks up through his lashes and sees the perfect image of Changbin and Felix seated in front of him, bathed in sunlight and surrounded by fruit and pastries.

He sketches fast. He doesn’t want to miss it—the curve of Felix’s smile and the way Changbin’s expression is soft in a way that it only did for Hyunjin before they met Felix.

He doesn’t disrupt their conversation, not wanting to make them pose stifly and ruin the integrity of the sketch. Like this, when the three of them are in their own little world, Hyunjin sees them at their most breathtaking.

Hyunjin’s heart aches in the sweetest way.

The feeling settles deep, blooming slow and warm beneath his ribs as he watches Felix tilt toward Changbin, sunlight catching in his hair like it’s been spun from the morning itself.

Hyunjin lowers his gaze to his sketchbook, charcoal already smudging the corner of his thumb as the lines begin to take shape. The gentle slope of Felix’s cheek, the delicate fall of his hair, the way his smile curves like he’s discovering joy in real time. Then, the quietly delighted way Changbin grins, shoulders broad and steady, expression soft in a way Hyunjin once believed belonged only to him.

Hyunjin looks up again.

Felix laughs softly at something Changbin murmurs, the sound light as dandelion fluff. Changbin’s eyes crease even more at the corners, fondness tugging at him from every direction, because Felix’s happiness has the power to pull it out of someone in giant tides.

Hyunjin sketches faster, desperate to keep this moment, this warmth, this fragile peace on a page that he can go back to when he needs to remember.

Could it really be possible that Felix is the lost prince?

He looks at the outline of Felix in front of him, at the graphite outline of him sitting contently next to Changbin, his hair trailing behind him to show the path he traipsed in as he found his way to the blanket.

Hyunjin has already carved out a place in his heart, long ago, for Changbin alone—protective, loyal Changbin, who taught Hyunjin what true devotion feels like.

For years, Hyunjin thought that was all the room he had.

But somewhere between the past couple of weeks, Felix swiftly slipped into that space, too.

Not replacing anything. Just joining Changbin. Softening its edges, expanding the room in his heart to fit two people.

A breeze drifts past them, and Felix shivers. Instinctively, he leans closer to Changbin, his hair falling over the knight’s shoulder. Changbin’s hand rises protectively, hovering over Felix’s back in silent reassurance.

Hyunjin thinks they fit so well. So simply and so beautifully.

Hyunjin presses the charcoal a little harder, shaping the tilt of Felix’s head as he lets Changbin feed him an apple slice. Even as a drawing, the gesture is so natural that it steals Hyunjin’s breath.

He doesn’t think he’s ever seen anything more precious. He doesn’t think he’d ever witness anything better than this.

As his mind wanders, his pencil slows once more, drifting into shading rather than lines. He finds the audacity to wish for a life where they can take Felix away from this place, so that the blond can experience the world the way he wants to. Hyunjin hopes for a way to keep Felix safe, and with the people that he’s meant to be with.

His family. And if Felix so chooses, then he and Changbin, too.

He draws them as he sees them. Not as separate pieces, but as a single picture. A single future. One he’s still looking for the courage to speak into existence.

His thoughts twist inevitably: to the possibility of danger lurking around Felix, of Felix in harm’s way, whether inside of the tower or out of it. The idea of Felix getting hurt or being taken away makes acid crawl up Hyunjin’s throat.

Before meeting Felix, Hyunjin only had to worry about Changbin being separated from him. Now, he worries that Felix could be taken from them, too.

How could we even go about proving that Felix is the lost prince? Felix doesn’t know who he is, and I doubt Minho would open up to me.

Hyunjin is so absorbed in his thoughts that he barely hears their voices anymore. He’s too busy capturing the light across Felix’s cheek, the fond crinkle at the corner of Changbin’s eyes, and the gentle space the two of them occupy together—

“Hyunjin.”

Changbin nudges a grape between his lips, effectively cutting off the spiraling thoughts. Hyunjin startles when he feels the grape brush his bottom lip, before he instinctively closes his mouth over the fruit.

“You were thinking too hard, my prince.” Changbin grin is warm but teasing, but Hyunjin can recognize the concern layered beneath.

“Was I?” Hyunjin blinks, the sweetness of the grape seeping under his tongue.

Felix giggles as he nods, his legs now folded neatly under him. “You disappeared for a moment. I was asking if you wanted to take more candles. The ones I gave before must be all out by now.”

“I’d love to have more, Felix.” Hyunjin breathes out.

“I’ll send both of you off with more, then.” Felix beams, then tilts his head in curiousity. “What’s gotten you so focused on your sketchpad? For a moment, I was convinced you were drawing the whole world.”

“Not exactly.” Hyunjin replies, his voice far softer than he meant it to be. He glances between Felix and Changbin, his heart full at being this close to them. “I was just drawing my world.”

Changbin pauses, then smiles. He brings another grape up to Hyunjin’s mouth, then taps his nose after. “You have such flowery words, Your Highness.”

The world feels unbearably gentle for this moment. Like nothing could ever hurt them.

Hyunjin thinks he’s blameless for it, if these two people have managed to grow a garden in his heart.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

Changbin can feel the weight of the day sinking into his muscles as he and Hyunjin slip back into the castle grounds, well into the night.

The path between the tower and the castle has become more and more familiar to them now, the trees blurring together less, even in the darkness of the early evening. Still, Changbin keeps one hand on the hilt of his sword and the other draped across Hyunjin’s back to keep him close.

This is the latest they’ve stayed with Felix, neither of them finding the heart to leave when the blond looked so serene and content under the sun, mesmerized as they caught the sun setting. Changbin couldn’t take his eyes away from the awed look on his face as he watched the sky change colour, and he knew Hyunjiin couldn’t, too.

As promised, Felix sent them off with another handful of candles, talking about how he especially made his newest batch with them in mind. It made Changbin’s skin tingle and he couldn’t resist the urge to cup Felix’s cheek as he thanked him for the candles.

Changbin wonders if Felix is asleep by now, peacefully curled up in his bed.

There’s always something tugging at his heart when they leave the tower, knowing that they’re leaving Felix inside it, too. Changbin has come to terms with the fact that, at the end of each visit, he leaves a bigger piece of his heart at the hands of the blond boy.

They round the corner, and Changbin stops short when he sees a figure out in the hall.

He quickly relaxes when he realizes that it’s Jisung, arms folded and foot anxiously tapping on the floor. A frown curves his mouth and his brows crease in the middle when he sees them.

“There you are!” Jisung blusters, voice sharper with worry than scolding. “Where have you been? Neither of you showed up for dinner, and you weren’t in the training grounds or the garden or the library or—” he gestures wildly. “Or wherever I checked!”

Guilt flickers across Hyunjin’s face before he smooths it. “I’m sorry to have worried you. We lost track of time.”

Jisung narrows his eyes. “Doing what?”

Hyunjin hesitates for half a heartbeat—the subtle brace of someone protecting a truth too important to risk exposing. “Just... out.” Hyunjin replies vaguely. “I needed fresh air and ended up drawing, and we lost track of time.”

“For six hours?” Jisung asks, incredulous, but Changbin knows that Hyunjin has drawn for far longer than that.

Changbin does feel bad for worrying Jisung. At the end of the day, they’re here for Jisung, to make sure that he’s well beyond prepared when the day of his wedding arrives. Granted that there’s still a couple of months left before it happens, but Changbin doubts that Jisung has felt properly accompanied lately.

“The prince needed space,” Changbin says evenly, playing into the half-truth. “And he doesn’t usually want company when he draws.”

If there’s anyone that understands that as well as Changbin does, it’s Jisung.

He doesn’t have to know that there were three of them together today. Not until they can be sure that Felix will be safe outside of the tower.

Jisung opens his mouth like he wants to argue, but instead the tension slowly drains out of him. He deflates with a heavy sigh, rubbing at his forehead. “Fine. Okay. I understand.” his voice softens. “I was just worried. It’s not like you to disappear for so long without telling anyone.”

Hyunjin’s expression warms. “I know. I’m sorry to have worried you.”

Jisung looks between them one more time, eyes sharp and searching, like he knows there’s something they’re not telling him but unsure how to ask. Changbin gives him a curt nod as a silent reassurance that Hyunjin is always safe with him.

“You’d tell me if something is wrong, right?” Jisung mutters. “This isn’t like you at all. Like either of you.”

“There’s nothing for you to worry about.” Hyunjin reaches out and holds Jisung’s hand. Changbin recognizes the crease in Hyunjin’s eyes as the one he has when he speaks even white lies.

Jisung exhales and nods. If he recognizes the crease, too, he doesn’t bring it up. “I trust you. Now go rest, you both must be exhausted. I’ll tell Minho that you’re back safe. He’s been thinking of sending a search party out in the forest.”

“Please apologize to him for us.” Changbin intones. “We didn’t mean to cause any worry.”

“It’s just how he is.” Jisung lets go of Hyunjin’s hand. “I barely convinced him not to, it’s a good thing his royal advisor was able to back me up.”

Hyunjin gives a strained smile. “I’ll apologize to him in the morning. It’s far too late for me to be knocking on the door of a married man.”

That gets a small laugh out of Jisung. “We’re not married yet.”

“You are in my eyes.” Hyunjin muses. “Again, I’m sorry for causing any worry, but you should have seen the sunset earlier. Beautiful enough to take anyone’s breath away.”

“I believe you.” Jisung hums. “Just don’t do it again, I can’t promise that Minho won’t actually send the entire kingdom on the lookout for the two of you if you’re gone for too long. The forest is generally safe, but you still never know what might be out there.”

Felix is out there, Changbin’s mind supplies.

Jisung bids them good night and disappears down the corridor, past his own room to go to Minho’s. Only when his footsteps are long gone does Hyunjin lean into Changbin’s side, and there’s a smallest release of tension from his shoulders. It makes Changbin angle closer despite pretending not to notice.

“Let’s get you in bed, my prince.” Changbin murmurs, guiding Hyunjin to his room with a gentle hand on his back.

“I miss Felix.” Hyunjin whispers.

“I miss him, too.” Changbin closes the door behind him. “We’ll see him again soon. But maybe not tomorrow, since Jisung is still on edge with us.”

Hyunjin’s lip juts out in a small pout. Changbin coos and directs him to the bathroom, knowing that the prince won’t be able to sleep until he washes off the dirt and grass from today. “Jisung and I are meeting with florists to figure out the floral arrangements for his wedding.”

“Your area of expertise.” Changbin muses as he carefully places Hyunjin’s satchel on the dresser table, where his sketchbook and the candles from Felix are safely hidden. “You better get plenty of rest, then.”

“Can you stay with me tonight?” Hyunjin asks, already halfway inside the bathroom.

Changbin hums in acquiesce. Wherever it is his thoughts brought him earlier left Hyunjin particularly softer and more subdued. It makes him want to hold on a little tighter and a little longer, despite knowing that it’s not his place to.

But Hyunjin has always been his prince. Will always be the person Changbin will protect the most.

Felix now, too.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

Minho leads their small group of three princes and one knight through the bustling town center. The residents of Minho’s kingdom greet them warmly, stepping out of the way as the princes spend their day in the city. Changbin is the only one of their security entourage visibly seen, but he can see Chan and Seungmin hovering across the street, and Jeongin pretending to peruse the selection of books outside of a nearby store.

He gives them a curt nod before he enters the store that the three princes have chosen to look through, knowing that Minho’s knights will station themselves outside of the door the moment it closes behind Changbin.

Inside, Changbin lingers as close to Hyunjin as he can while he and Jisung are moving from one display to another, the pair of friends eager to look for trinkets that they don’t usually find in their home kingdoms.

They’ve already purchased a handful of trinkets from other stores: Hyunjin a new set of charcoal pencils and a silver brooch with the kingdom’s coat-of-arms to add to his collection, Jisung a carved wooden toy, and Minho insisted they try a bakery with pastries warm enough that their scents alone drew crowds the moment it opened.

Hyunjin graviates toward a table displaying delicate handmade jewelry, leaving Jisung to look through the brooches on a different display table.

Usually, Changbin is content to stay by the door to keep a watchful eye on anyone else in the store and anyone that would enter, but he can’t help but walk over to where Hyunjin is. Only because it’s just the three princes and the shopkeeper inside, and there are half a dozen other knights stationed outside to help him do his job.

Protecting Hyunjin is as natural to him as breathing, and being in unfamiliar, busy places only heightens his awareness, preventing him from fully appreciating how curious Hyunjin is, eager to look through everything and find something to take with him.

Still, he can’t help but soften once he’s close enough to see how Hyunjin marvels at the craftsmanship of a bracelet on the table: thin, pale blue threads of rope expertly woven to close around a golden pendant of a shining sun.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Hyunjin murmurs as he picks it up and turns it over in his fingers. The light reflects off the metal and casts tiny glimmers over his hands. “Look, Changbin.”

Changbin looks. “It suits you, my prince.”

Hyunjin shakes his head with a small smile, but Changbin already knows that he’s not second guessing purchasing the bracelet. “I wasn’t thinking of getting it for me.”

Changbin’s heart folds in on itself in the warmest way, thinking of Felix wearing the bracelet. It fills Changbin’s chest with something almost too tender to bear, knowing that Felix has already become so woven into both of their lives.

There’s the smallest pang of guilt in his chest when he thinks of Felix spending the day alone again. He’s done his best to assure them that he has plenty to do on his own, but Changbin doesn’t miss the way everything in Felix lights up when they arrive.

That guilt fuels his determination, little by little, to find a way to get Felix away from that tower so that he can live his life out in the world. So that he can watch Hyunjin drag Felix to every store in the city, pick out which jewelry he wants, and bite into pastries fresh from the bakery.

Hyunjin holds the bracelet up to his eyes, making sure that there’s not the smallest defect on it. His voice dips lower, even when Minho and Jisung are on the other side of the store. “Do you think he’ll like it?”

“He’ll love it.” Changbin says quietly but with conviction.

Hyunjin beams and gives Changbin the bracelet to hold on to while he looks around the table some more. He picks out another bracelet with darker blue threads and a simple golden bead in the middle, the design so simple that Changbin immediately knows that Hyunjin isn’t picking it out for himself. It’s not long before he pays the shopkeeper and thanks her with a charming smile.

As Jisung is also paying for his things, Hyunjin lays his hand out. Changbin places his palm on top of the younger’s without a second thought.

With a small smile, Hyunjin clasps both bracelets around Changbin’s wrist, whispering, “Keep Felix’s safe for now. This other one is yours.”

“Thank you, my prince.” Changbin breathes out, using his other hand to pinch the golden bead of the darker blue bracelet. On top of it is Felix’s bracelet, looking like the sun shining on a cloudless sky.

Hyunjin’s smile shifts, turning into the private, tender ones he doesn’t show to just anyone.

Then, Minho directs them out of the store and into another one. Changbin’s heart feels tender with the weight of two bracelets on his wrists, his eyes locked on Hyunjin as he and Jisung contemplate buying a pair of music boxes.

They stay in the city until night falls, Jisung and Hyunjin skipping along the cobblestone streets with excited chatter about purchasing this item or that. Minho follows after them with subtle exasperation but doesn’t show the intention to rush them, clearly pleased with himself that he was able to give the friends a good day out of the castle.

The carriage rattles softly as they approach the castle gates, the rhythmic sounds of the horses’ hooves hitting the pavement muffled by Jisung repeatedly turning the knob on his new music box, spilling a melody gentle enough to coax a person to sleep.

By the time they roll into the courtyard, the moon is already high casting a pale light over the stone walls and trimmed hedges.

As soon as the carriage door is opened, Changbin steps down first. Minho follows after him, waving his hand in dismissal of the one Changbin has offered, then insisting that he’d be the one to help Jisung down. Changbin simply bows his head in acquiesce before he moves to help Hyunjin off the carriage.

The prince leans into his side, not enough to draw attention, but enough for Changbin to feel the weight of his fatigue settling over him like a heavy cloak.

“Are you tired, Your Highness?” he asks, despite knowing the answer.

Hyunjin gives him a sleepy nod. “I am.”

“Are you awake enough for dinner, Hyunjin?” Jisung asks with an amused smile.

Hyunjin shakes his head. “I don’t think so, but I’m not that hungry.”

“There are night staff that will prepare a meal for you if you wake up hungry in the middle of the night.” Minho tells him. “Thank you for spending the day with us, Prince Hyunjin.”

“I had a lot of fun.” Hyunjin hums. “Goodnight, you two. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Wordlessly, Changbin guides Hyunjin to his room, not trusting the sleepy prince to find his way himself when his eyes are already half-closed. It’s not a big deal to him if he’s a couple of minutes late for dinner with the other knights.

Hyunjin only steps away from Changbin’s side when they reach the door to his room. The prince sleepily blinks at him, lifting a hand to hide a yawn behind his palm.

While Hyunjin stalls outside of the door, Changbin works on undoing the knot of his cloak. “Go and sleep. We can put away everything you’ve bought tomorrow.”

Hyunjin nods, eyes barely open. “Goodnight, Changbin.”

“Sweet dreams, my prince.” Changbin opens the door and gently leads Hyunjin inside with a weak push on the small of his back. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Hyunjin turns around to look at him before he closes the door.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

Hyunjin emerges from the bathroom with his face and hair damp, changed into loose night robes. Almost immediately, he realizes that the satchel on top of the dresser is the one he used yesterday, so Changbin must still have the one that has everything he bought today.

Feeling a little more awake, he takes the opportunity to take out the things in the satchel, wanting to put everything away so that he has less things to do tomorrow.

When he opens the flap, he sees several candles stuffed inside with his thick sketchbook, charcoal and graphite pencils, and his travel pack of oil pastels. It’s only now that he recalls Felix giving them more candles, and that Changbin never got his share of them.

Stifling a yawn, Hyunjin tears off a page from his sketchbook and writes a short note: There’s no need to check on me since I might wake up. Your prince will see you tomorrow ♡ Sweetest dreams, Changbin

Smiling softly to himself, Hyunjin grabs two candles from inside the satchel and slips out of his room, intending to sneak inside Changbin’s and leave them on his nightstand so that he has candles to light tonight.

There aren’t any knights stationed at the end of the hall, probably at the dining hall with Changbin and the other knights, so Hyunjin doesn’t go back to look for something to put on top of his sleeping clothes since he’s only going to the next room.

Holding two candles and the note to his chest using one hand, Hyunjin closes the door behind him with the other.

“Your Highness, what are you doing out of the dining hall?”

Hyunjin nearly jumps at the voice and turns his head to see Minho’s royal advisor standing at the end of the hall, the sharp-featured man already taking heavy steps towards him.

Hyunjin forces a polite smile on his face and instinctively tucks the candles closer to his chest. “I wasn’t very hungry. I’m sure you know that Prince Minho took me and Prince Jisung out to the city today, so I was too fatigued to join them.”

“You best be in your room, then, and not wandering around.” he says, looking down at Hyunjin in a way that should make him feel offended, because how could a royal advisor take a tone with a prince, even if he is from a different kingdom?

Hyunjin keeps the polite smile on his face even as unease steadily crawls up his spine. “I was just going to leave something in Sir Changbin’s room, then I was planning on retiring for the night. Shouldn’t be more than five minutes.”

The older man’s eyes flicker down, quick and sharp, towards the two candles he’s keeping pressed to his chest.

Something in his expression halts. Neither shock nor curiosity, but some rigid form of blankness that has the edge of his jaw clenching.

There’s something deeply wrong in the way the advisor looks at the candles, as if he knows exactly where they came from.

The royal advisor’s gaze lingers on the candles for a beat too long, unmoving and unreadable. The hall suddenly feels colder now that Hyunjin is wearing nothing more than thin sleeping garments, but there’s something about the sudden and complete erasure of emotion on the royal advisor’s eyes that has Hyunjin taking an instinctive step back.

“Where did you get those candles?” the advisor asks with his voice steady but stripped of civility.

“What?” Hyunjin’s throat suddenly feels too tight to properly speak. “They were a gift from a personal friend.”

Hyunjin forces his shoulders to stay level, forces his expression to remain calm as he takes another step back. His heartbeat is a frantic, uneven mess even as he forces his smile not to falter.

“A gift,” the middle-aged man repeats, tone still unreadable.

Hyunjin’s thoughts scatter and he can practically hear his own pulse in his ears when Minho’s royal advisor takes a step close. His fingers clench around the candles, too firm that one almost slips from between his fingers.

Hyunjin’s smile, however forced, falls from his face when the royal advisor takes another step towards him.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

Dinner takes longer than Changbin anticipated, but there’s nothing like a hearty meal after a full day, especially when in the good company of hospitable knights.

He pushes open the door to his room with the slow heaviness of a man finally done with the day, he intends to quickly wash up before he checks on Hyunjin, just to make sure that the prince didn’t change his mind and might actually want something light to eat before sleeping.

Sitting on the edge of his dresser are two candles he quickly recognizes as Felix’s, the ceramic containers catching what little moonlight spills in through the window. Upon closer inspection, he sees a folded piece of paper weighed down beneath the candles.

Carefully, Changbin moves the candles to take the note between his hands, immediately recognizing it as a page from Hyunjin’s sketchbook, torn in half so that it’s not too big for the short length of the note written on it.

There’s no need to check on me since I might wake up. Your prince will see you tomorrow ♡ Sweetest dreams, Changbin

The page is slightly wrinkled, which is unlike Hyunjin, but the delicate looping strokes of the letters are unmistakable. Changbin chalks up the wrinkles to Hyunjin’s sleepiness.

Honouring the prince’s wishes, Changbin forgoes his plans to check on Hyunjin, not wanting to disturb the sleeping prince. He lights one of Felix’s candles, welcoming the floral scent that takes over the room as he takes his time washing away the hours spent in the city and changing into fresh clothes before slipping into bed.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

It’s barely past midnight when Felix wakes to the sound of sharp, uneven footsteps climbing the winding staircase that leads from the base of the tower to his room at the very top.

His eyes flutter open just in time to see who’s come for him this late—his heart drops immediately when he sees that it’s not the two men that have shown him a taste of freedom, but his guardian. He stalks over to Felix’s bed like a cloud of storm, shoulders heaving and breath jagged with fury, not at all like the detached but strict man that Felix had known his entire life.

Felix barely has time to sit up before a fist curls into the front of his shirt and tugs him away from his bed.

“You,” the man spits, voice low and biting. “What have you been doing, child?”

Felix doesn’t even manage a word. Even if he did, he has no idea what he’s supposed to say.

His long hair whips behind him when he’s yanked upwards, the force dragging several strands painfully tight and some spilling forward to brush the floor as he’s lifted off his feet.

He lets out a small, startled cry when he’s thrown against the walls, a book and candelabra falling to the ground when his hip hits the edge of his bedside table. His shoulder hits the wall and his hair fans out around him before the strands fall limply over his shoulders and to the floor in a heavy, tangled curtain that can’t protect him.

Felix sucks in a trembling breath as his guardian hovers above him. His hand shoots out once more, grabbing a fistful of Felix’s hair near the root, jerking his head back so sharply that tears are instantly lining the corners of Felix’s eyes.

“Have you been letting people in here?” the man sneers. “How long have you been making a fool out of me, after I’ve been so generous to you?”

Felix’s blood runs cold when he understands what this is about.

How did he find out about Hyunjin and Changbin?

“Answer me!” his guardian snarls, pulling harder until Felix’s scalp burns. “Of all people, how could a prince have stumbled upon this place? How many more people know about you?!”

Felix’s breath catches, far too instinctual for him to stop himself from doing before his guardian notices and takes it as confirmation.

“I knew I had a bad feeling about that snooping brat.” his guardian shoves Felix against the wall once more, not letting go of his hair. “It’s a good thing he was stupid enough to flaunt those candles around. It’s a blessing I was able to shut him up before he came running to other people about you.”

Felix feels the air leave his lungs in one violent rush.

“What—” Felix chokes, weak hands scrambling at the wrist holding him upright. “I’m—I didn’t do anything wrong, I promise.”

“Knowing you exist is already wrong.” his guardian seethes. “What else have you been up to while I’m not around?”

“I’m sorry—” Felix whimpers when he feels the pressure on his back and head. “I just—I wanted to know what it was like—just out in the field.”

The confession breaks something in the man.

“You’ve been leaving the tower?” his voice lowers dangerously. “After everything I’ve done to keep you hidden, you’ve been going against my word?”

Felix sobs as he’s dragged up by his hair again, forced to look into the eyes of the only person he’s ever now, indifference not twisted into blinding fury.

A cold wave of dread sweeps over him, stronger than anything he’s ever felt before.

His guardian’s voice sharpens. “It seems I’ve been giving you too much freedom.”

Felix collapses to the floor when his hair is let go. He stumbles under his own weight and the lingering pain rippling across his scalp. He won’t be surprised if strands of hair have been plucked from the roots from how hard he’s been gripped.

“This place is no longer safe. It seems you’re too close to the world that people are able to tempt you.” his voice drips with contempt. “A reckless child you are, ruining everything I’ve worked for.”

Felix curls into himself, making him smaller against the stone wall with his arms wrapped around his stomach and hair pooling around him in a shimmer golden mess. Tears spill from his shaking eyes, watching every movement from the older man in case he lunges once more.

“I should be able to find a different place for you by evening tomorrow.” he says coldly and definitively. “Farther from here, where no one can find you again.”

Felix’s heart stops.

“No,” he breathes, voice cracking. “Please—please, I don’t—I don’t want to leave.”

Felix falls to the ground from the force of the man’s palm striking his cheek. Another sob is ripped out of him, teary vision covered by the hair fanning over his face like it’d hide the fact that he’s a small, trembling mess.

“This is not your decision to make.” his guardian turns around and disappears down the stairs before Felix can say anything else.

His heartbeat comes back as a painful and frantic pulse in his ears, alternating with his broken whimpers. He presses a fist to his mouth to stiflethe sob rising in his throat.

Then, he hears the door slam closed, then something else.

The heavy clatter of chains being dragged across stone echoes throughout the tower and rings loudly in Felix’s ears. Pulled tight and locked with what he can only imagine to be a set of several keys.

The chains rattle, loud and heavy, as though his guardian intends for Felix to hear every link and take them as a reminder that he’s trapped.

He presses his palms to the floor, shaking violently as tears spill from his eyes. His hair gathers around him in long, tangled waves, his scalp burning just as much as his cheek and hip.

It’s only when the daunting sound of metal dragging across stone disappears that Felix realizes the names he’s been whispering under his breath. Like a prayer, or a desperate plea for them to be safe, even if it seems to be a slim possibility at the moment.

Hours must have passed before Felix finds the bare minimum strength it takes to force himself upright on shaking arms, though his muscles violently protest at moving, as if his guardian is still waiting somewhere in the tower to strike him at his first wrong move.

Tears continue to blur his vision as he staggers toward the stairs, hair dragging behind him like a heavy tapestry. The strands catch under his palms and along the stone floor as he carefully takes one step at a time, worried that the sudden weakness in his limbs would cause him to slip.

And he nearly does fall down the last couple of steps, only steadying himself on the wall with a sharp gasp when his injured hip collides with the hard stone.

When he reaches the door, it looks the same as it always does, but somehow heavier and sturdier, daunting as it tempts Felix to try and pull it open.

His fingers claw desperately at the cold wood, tugging with all the strength he has left, but the chains outside don’t budge more than muted sounds that tell him of their existence.

“Please, please,” he whispers, voice cracking. The chains rattle from the other side of the door but show no signs of untangling or unlocking.

His breath breaks into a sob, bracing his foot against the doorframe and yanking with his entire body weight; only to end up staggering backwards when the force of it makes the doorknob slip from his fingers.

Felix presses his forehead against the cold wood. His heart feels like it’s been split in two—one half trapped in this tower with him, and the other half lost out there with Hyunjin and Changbin, wherever they might be.

“Please be okay... please...” he breathes out, but it’s thin and hollow.

Slowly, Felix sinks back to his knees, shoulder shaking and hair pooling around him in long, golden waves that make him feel suffocated under the weight of it. Unkept and pulled in every direction, tangling in his knees and fingers. His scalp and hip burns, and there’s a hollow ache on his shoulder and back.

Worst of all, he’s locked in.

Truly and completly locked away from the rest of the world.

A soft, broken plea escapes him, no louder than a breath, but it’s the only thing that keeps him company.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

Changbin is dabbing the sweat on the back of his neck with a cloth after he’s done with his morning training. Chan is wringing out the hem of his shirt while Seungmin is gulping down water. Jeongin is still sparring with one of Hyunjin’s knights, and Changbin is debating going for another round before they all head out for breakfast when a familiar man breaks into the bubble of the training grounds.

Jisung appears at the edge of the training grounds, clearly trying to keep his frantic expression composed as he looks around in search of someone.

He seems to be looking for Changbin, because he rushes over as soon as he spots him.

“Changbin!” Jisung calls, hurried footsteps taking him to the table he and the others are standing around. The prince is wide-eyed, almost out-of-breath, and clearly alarms.

“What’s wrong?” he asks. From the corner of his eye, he sees that Chan and Seungmin have also snapped to attention at Jisung’s tone—too sharp and anxious to be a friendly visit.

“Have you seen Hyunjin?” Jisung asks, like he’s unsure how to form the words.

“No.” Changbin’s stomach drops. “I haven’t seen him since last night.”

Jisung winces. It’s a tiny, fleeting expression that’s contained a moment later, but it’s more than enough to crack open full-blown panic inside Changbin’s ribs.

“We had breakfast later than usual, since we didn’t get home until late last night. When Hyunjin didn’t arrive, Minho and I figured that he preferred to sleep more and wait until lunch to eat.” Jisung explains, looking around the training grounds as if there was a possibility that Hyunjin would be in the area without Changbin knowing. “I went to his room after to see if he was still asleep, but he wasn’t there, either. I figured that he’d be here to watch your morning training, but...”

Changbin barely hears Jisung’s words over the sudden rush of blood in his ears.

A deep, instinctive dread curls in his gut, taking his heart hostage, coiling and unforgiving as he wills himself to keep steady.

“What do you mean he wasn’t in his room?” Changbin forces the words out.

Jisung shakes his head. “I don’t even think his bed was slept in. The maids don’t make our bed until before lunch, in case we want to sleep more after breakfast.”

Changbin’s body goes rigid. The towel slips from his fingers, mind racing as he recalls the last time he saw Hyunjin.

Last night, when he walked him to his room.

Changbin made sure that Hyunjin was safely settled in his room.

He—

Chan steps forward and speaks with a tone that’s calm but urgent. “Changbin, when was the last time you spoke to him?”

Changbin’s jaw tightens. “Last night, after we returned from the city. He said he was tired, so he didn’t eat dinner. I was supposed to check on him after we ate but—”

Changbin is absolutely certain that the note that came with Felix’s candles was written in Hyunjin’s penmanship. There’s no way that anyone can replicate the way Hyunjin held a pencil without Changbin noticing a difference.

Changbin moves, running past Jisung and out of the training grounds, uncaring if the others are following after him. Long strides carry him inside the castle and up the stairs, all the way to Hyunjin’s guest room.

Panic blurs the edges of Changbin’s vision, squeezing behind his ribs so tightly he almost forgets how to breathe. A prince missing under his watch—the same prince he is sworn to protect with his life—is already a nightmare he never entertained the thought of.

But something even deeper claws at him.

Hyunjin is gone.

Not just his charge. Not just a prince.

His prince. His Hyunjin.

When he throws the door open, it’s like the ground tilts under him.

Just like Jisung said, the bed is made, something Hyunjin wouldn’t do on his own. His dresser has his satchel tucked in the corner, and Hyunjin wouldn’t have gone anywhere without even a paintbrush.

Without Changbin.

Changbin moves automatically, like a man searching through rubble after a building collapsed. He checks the wardrobe to see every garment still hanging, untouched, the drawers show the trinkets that Hyunjin has collected over the weeks and the art supplies he brought with him, jewelry boxes have all his rings and necklaces.

There’s nothing missing that would tell Changbin that Hyunjin planned to leave.

Changbin stands abruptly, his heart twisting as he leaves Hyunjin’s room and goes to his. The candles are still where Hyunjin left them, the note folded back and slipped between the ceramic jars.

He takes the note and feels the paper, familiar under his fingers since Hyunjin is meticulous with the texture of parchment he draws on. Delicate strokes stare back at him, slightly curved from the way Hyunjin holds a pencil.

The penmanship is unmistakable to anyone that has watched him write as many times as Changbin has.

This must be the last thing he did.

Left Felix’s candles and his note for Changbin to find.

How could Hyunjin have disappeared in the five steps it takes to go from his room to Changbin’s?

His breath shudders as Chan, Jeongin, and Seungmin file into his room through the open door.

“Changbin,” Chan calls softly. “We’ve already informed Prince Minho that someone is missing. Search parties will be sent out to look for Prince Hyunjin, delegated by the prince’s royal advisor.”

That doesn’t soothe him. Search parties shouldn’t be made in the first place. Hyunjin should be safe with him. Changbin should have checked up on him last night, or even this morning, before his training with the knights.

Changbin should have known that Hyunjin had been taken away from him.

What if someone had hurt him? How could anyone have come close to Hyunjin?

“He wouldn’t have gone far. It’s only been a night.” Seungmin tries to soothe him to no avail.

“I should have checked on him.” Changbin whispers, his voice cracking. “I should have still checked on him, even when he told me not to. How long could he have been missing without me noticing?”

“Changbin.” Chan says more firmly. “Whoever it is that took him will have consequences to pay. If you let yourself spiral now, then you won’t be able to look for him.”

Changbin looks at the candles, and another ice-cold sliver of fear slides down Changbin’s spine.

Is Felix okay?

Changbin has to make sure.

If the last trace of Hyunjin is something made by Felix, then something could have happened to him, too.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

Felix wakes up to his cheek pressed against the cold wood of the floor. There’s a split second where he doesn’t know where he is; but his body aches, throat raw from crying, and his hair is tangled around him like a heavy, silken net.

The memories crash into him like a tidal wave, overwhelming and unforgiving, and his breath stutters as his weak arms push him to sit up.

Sluggishly, Felix pulls his knees to his chest and winces at the soreness in his hip from where he’d hit the edge of his nightstand. His long hair spills forward and drags across the floor in messy, knotted waves. There’s no ache in his scalp anymore, but his rubs hurt from sleeping on the floor.

If he had managed to pull himself back in bed instead of crying himself to sleep trying to open the door, then Felix would have convinced himself that the past several hours were merely a dream.

He’s going to move me. Farther away.

The thought makes his stomach twist until he feels sick.

He’d always thought that his guardian had been keeping him hidden to keep him safe, but what happened last night had shown Felix that it wasn’t the case. Maybe it never was.

“I don’t want to go,” he whispers, but there’s no one to hear his voice crack.

Even the occasional chirping from outside doesn’t reach his ears. There’s no rustle of wind slipping through the barred windows, as if the vines of ivy have grown thicker and restrictive.

Where could he even take me, when I’ve been here all my life?

Felix can still hear the echo of his guardian’s voice, thick with malice.

He’s almost certain that the man was talking about Hyunjin when he mentioned a prince carrying his candles.

His candles had put him in danger? What meant to be gifts have hurt the only people that have shown Felix care and freedom?

What if—

What if his guardian has gone after Hyunjin?

What if Changbin tried to protect Hyunjin but—

Felix’s chest tightens so painfully he digs his palm against his eyes as if pressure could stop the terror that’s been spiraling inside of him.

Slowly, he pushes himself up on unsteady legs, stumbling back towards the door. Foolishly, he prays that the heavy weight of the chains looped around the door have disappeared, but when he presses his palms flat against the wood, it doesn’t budge. The chains barely rattle from the force of Felix’s pulls, taking away the only passageway between the tower and the world outside.

He pulls on the handle with as much strength he can muster, but it’s useless. His knees buckle and he sinks down until he’s kneeling, forehead pressed against the sturdy wood.

Tears slip down his cheeks as he whispers two names into the silence, desperately hoping that they’re not hurt.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

Hyunjin still hasn’t been found by the time the sun begins its slow descent.

Changbin has led his own search party through the surrounding forest, a different path from the one he’s familiar with. The knights with him are the ones that Hyunjin’s parents insisted that he take with him to this kingdom, and it only makes Changbin feel more helpless, to know that all of them have failed in their duty to keep the prince safe.

By the time they return to the castle, defeated, Jisung is waiting for them with bated breath. Seungmin and Jeongin haven’t left his side all day, the entire castle increasing their security now that another royal has gone missing without a trace.

More guards line the halls, everyone on edge. The doors are watched, the gates are monitored, the tension is thick enough to choke on.

He skips dinner despite Chan’s insistence that he eat at least a slice of bread. He goes to his room and moves with a frantic precision. He lifts the linens, checks Hyunjin’s satchel that was left with him, and opens drawers he knows are empty. He searches for anything out of place in both his and Hyunjin’s room for the smallest indication of where the prince might have run off to.

Run off to—

Could he have gone to Felix’s tower without telling him?

He’d have to be back by now if he did.

Did he get lost in the forest?

Changbin looks back at his nightstand, where Felix’s candles are placed.

With absolute certainty, Changbin knows that Hyunjin wouldn’t go anywhere without him, but there’s a niggling at the back of his mind that’s insisting he go back out to the forest and take the path he’s heavily familiar with by now.

He moves without thinking, sneaking out of the castle with the stealth he’d trained his whole life to develop. He curses under his breath when he’s almost caught by one of the castle guards, but he manages to slip under the radar and past the castle gates.

The forest greets him with shadows and the hush of rustling leaves. The moon is starting to show itself despite the sun still peaking through. Changbin moves fast, boots silent against the dirt path and heart pounding with every heavy step closer to the cave. He practically knows the path by memory, knows which trees have overgrown roots and which flowers Hyunjin usually points out when they pass.

When the cave finally comes into view, Changbin runs through it without a second thought. The tower comes into view at the other side, standing tall and mighty as it usually does.

Please be here, he thinks as he rushes to the door. Please be safe.

His hope doesn’t get the chance to turn into relief.

Heavy chains block the door, thick and wrapped tight around the only way inside. The last of the sunlight gleams against the steel, as if mocking him.

“No.” Changbin breathes, rushing forward to grasp at the cold steel. He tugs hard, testing the give, then feels his heart break when he finds that there is none. The chains don’t even rattle when he pulls on them, secured with intent.

His hand flies to his hip, where his sword rests.

The blade is sharp but useless when he strikes. Once, trice, thrice. There’s only the screeching sound of a blade hitting steel, but no damage beyond light scratches.

Changbin’s chest tightens.

“Felix!” he calls, his voice breaking through the quiet field. He strikes the chains once more. “Felix! Sunlight, it’s Changbin!”

Silence answers him. Even more panic claws its way up his spine, intensifying the cold that’s overcome him all day.

He pounds against the thick wood of the door with the heel of his hand, desperate to catch any sign of life from the other side. “Felix! Felix, please!”

His thoughts spiral wildly.

Felix can’t be gone, too.

Is he still inside, hurt?

Is he gone, with not as much of a trace as Hyunjin?

Changbin swallows hard, refusing to let the thoughts settle in his mind.

Then, almost inaudibly, Changbin barely hears it through the rushing of his own head, but it sparks just a small wave of relief through his system, nonetheless.

“Changbin?”

Relief crashes through him so violently that his knees nearly buckle.

“Felix!” he slams his fist against the door again, his palm burning from the imprint of the chains against wood. “Felix, I’m here. I’m here, sunlight.”

Felix says, voice trembling. “I—I’ve been trying to open the door—but it won’t budge.”

Changbin closes his eyes for a split second, jaw clenched so tightly it aches.

“Get away from the door, okay, sunlight?” Changbin grips his sword harder. “I’m going to kick it in, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Felix lets out a broken sound, painfully close to a sob. “My—my guardian—he found out that I’ve been leaving t-the tower. About you and Hyunjin. He was—was so angry.” His words tumble over each other, panic driving every syllable. “He—he said he’ll take me away. F-Farther away.”

Changbin’s breath stutters. He brings his foot up and kicks the door with as much force as he can, hoping that Felix listened to him and stepped away from the door. “I won’t let that happen.”

“Changbin, I’m scared.” Felix’s voice cracks.

“I know, sunlight.” Changbin feels frustrated tears line his eyes when the door doesn’t budge. He presses his palms on the cold steel. “Do you trust me, Felix?”

The answer comes instantly, though still muffled by layers of steel and wood. “With my life.”

Changbin takes a step back from the door and tips his head up, to the open window at the very top of it.

“I need you to go up to your room.” he says, willing his voice not to shake. “I need to see you, okay? Find something warm to take with you.”

Silence, for only a moment. “Okay.”

Then, the silence stretches, taut and terrifying.

It must have been a minute, or an hour, before Felix pokes his head out from the tower. He’s barely visible in the fading light, but it’s the most relieving sight that Changbin had laid his eyes on all day.

Changbin steps back and positions himself directly below the window. His heart is hammering in his chest, telling him that it’s too high, but he can’t just leave Felix here.

Even in the distance, Changbin can make out the way Felix’s eyes shift at the realization.

His hair fans all around him as he shakes his head. “It’s—It’s too high! I—I can’t, Changbin!”

“You can!” the certainty in his voice surprises even himself, but he doesn’t let it show. “I’ll catch you! I’m here, Felix!”

Another pause. Wind rustles through the empty field, carrying the scent of earth and evening, but not enough to mask the fear and anxiety that’s enveloped Changbin for hours.

“I can’t leave you here.” Changbin’s voice falters because of how earnest his words are. He only hopes that Felix can make it out from up there. “I’ll take you far away from here, Felix! I’ll keep you safe!”

Felix stares at him. Any changes in his expression are lost in the height.

Changbin’s heart pounds violently as Felix moves. He hoists himself up the windowsill one foot at a time, the wind blowing strands of hair out of the window and around the tower.

Changbin keeps his eyes locked on Felix, not daring to let himself falter for even a moment. He keeps his arms open and unwavering, mapping every small movement.

For a heartbeat, Changbin fears that hesitation would drag Felix back inside.

But when he jumps, time fractures.

Felix falls—hair streaming upward and cloak fluttering wildly. A gasp tears from Changbin’s throat as he watches gravity claim Felix.

He lunges forward.

The impact comes fast.

Changbin’s arms lock tightly around Felix as they’re both sent staggering backward. They crash into the grass in a tangle of hair and limbs. The air is punched from Changbin’s lungs in a sharp grunt as he cradles Felix’s head to his chest.

The man is cold to the touch, his shaking fingers trembling around Changbin’s shirt. He keeps one arm around Felix’s waist and the other tangling in his long hair to shield it from the ground.

“You’re okay.” Changbin murmurs hoarsely, hand still firm at the back of Felix’s head, thumb stroking through the knotted hair of spun gold. “You’re never going back in there again.”

Felix clutches Changbin’s clothes as an unrestrained sob tears out of him.

“I was so scared I’d never see you again.” he breathes out.

Changbin presses his forehead against Felix’s temple, eyes squeezed shut as he places a kiss on the blond’s skin. “I won’t allow that to happen.”

They lie in the grass for a few more seconds, the tower looming silently above them. Changbin grants himself his moment of peace, knowing that one out of the two people he loves is safe with him now.

Then, Felix moves from where his face is tucked into Changbin’s chest. He looks tired, eyes swollen like he’d been crying all night, hands still trembling despite his warm cloak and his body melting into Changbin’s.

“Where’s Hyunjin?” he asks.

Changbin feels his heart break all over again. “I don’t know.”

Another wave of fear fills Felix’s eyes. “I—my guardian—I think he did something to Hyunjin.”

The words land like a blade driven straight through his chest.

His arm instinctively tightens around Felix’s waist, trying to anchor himself to the fact that Felix is here. Safe and alive and free.

But something inside him still snaps.

“What did he do?” Changbin’s voice is low and vibrating with restraint. Carefully, he pulls them to sit, then feels his gaze harden when he notices Felix wince when his hand moves down to his hip. “Are you hurt?”

Felix starts to shake his head, but he gulps when he sees that Changbin won’t let it go. “He—I hit my hip when he threw me against the wall. Pulled my hair. He was so angry last night.” his fingers curl tighter into the fabric of Changbin’s shirt. “He said that a-a prince—he knows that a prince knows about me.”

Changbin’s vision blurs red.

He pulls Felix closer, protectively angling his body to be mindful of his hip. His hand goes back to the back of Felix’s head, gently pressing his fingers over his scalp, as if that would erase the assault that the man had inflicted onto him.

“He will pay for this.” Changbin promises, each word carved out of iron. “He won’t ever get near you again.”

Felix’s breath stutters. “Changbin—”

“And if he really is the same person that took Hyunjin, then he’d consider death a mercy compared to what I’d do to him.” Changbin’s eyes burn as he stares at the tower. Some of Felix’s hair had tangled in the vines that circled the tower.

Distantly, he wonders what would happen if he brings Felix back to the castle.

Will they recognize him immediately? If he and Hyunjin were able to make the connection, then why wouldn’t his own family?

Whoever it is that took Hyunjin must have been in the castle last night. Someone that wants to make sure that Felix is kept far away from the royal family.

“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have given you the candles.” Felix whispers.

“It’s not your fault, sunlight. None of this is,” shaking his head, he presses a kiss to Felix’s hair, far gentler than the violence roaring through his veins. “Let’s go. You’ll be warmer in the castle.”

Felix nods shakily, trusting him without question, and that trust only fuels the fire in Changbin’s ribs. He shifts, rising to his feet, then helps Felix up. It takes a couple of minutes to detangle Felix’s hair from the vines, and Changbin even resorts to using his sword to cut through one of the ivy strands to get it out of Felix’s hair.

After that, they move.

Felix doesn’t hold the hesitance he once did to walk out of the door. He rushes past the cave with Changbin’s hand on his back as a guiding force. The last silhouette of the tower fades behind the twisted trunks and heavy shadows.

Suddenly, Changbin doesn’t know where he’s going.

He and Hyunjin have never been out in the forest in the evening.

Moonlight filters through the canopy in fractured slivers, giving the leaves and roots silver strokes that are barely enough to keep them from blindly walking in the forest.

Changbin keeps Felix close with an arm firmly braced around his waist. His long hair—normally soft and luminous—hangs down his back in knotted strands that keep catching against stones and roots.

The forest is suddenly more dense than Changbin remembers, overgrown with low-hanging branches and creeping vines that stretch across their path like grasping fingers desperate to drag Felix back to the tower. Felix stumbles on a root, but Changbin instantly tightens his grip on him, hauling him back against his chest before he can fall.

“I’ve got you,” Changbin says, reflexive and fierce.

“I know,” Felix whispers, leaning into him.

They hear a branch snap from a distance. Changbin is back on high alert, craning his neck to the direction of the sound in hopes of seeing where it’s coming from.

Felix stumbles again, instinctively pressing against the nearest tree like a frightened animal.

Every muscle in Changbin’s body locks as the sound carries through the trees again, purposeful footsteps somewhere nearby.

Changbin guides Felix past the tree, back a step and around until they’re hidden behind the thick trunk of an oak. The bark is rough beneath his fingers as he positions himself slightly in front of Felix, body angled to shield him from view.

“Quiet,” Changbin breathes, barely a sound.

Felix’s breath is shallow as he fights the instinct to panic, his face half-hidden under the hood of his cloak. His back is pressed to the tree, facing Changbin with his cheek nestled on the knight’s shoulder.

“—split up. Go back east in case we missed anything—”

There’s the distant flicker of torches from the group, the orange glow slicing through the silver moonlight. He peeks his head out of the trunk, careful not to disturb the trees or Felix who’s still pressed to his front.

“What is it?” Felix asks, voice far too small.

“It’s a search party.” he whispers in response. “They’re looking for Hyunjin.”

Felix’s breath hitches. “Why—Why are we hiding from them?”

Changbin doesn’t reply right away.

These are knights that Minho’s family have generously allowed to search for Hyunjin. Men who he’s spent mornings with, bantered with. Men who are under the same oath Changbin is under, to protect the members of the royal family.

But Changbin can’t take any chances. If the person that kept Felix locked up and took Hyunjin away has been inside the castle this entire time, he can’t take any chances.

“Because I still don’t know who wants to hurt you.” Changbin tips his head down and nudges his nose along Felix’s brow. “I can’t risk someone outside of the royal family seeing you.”

“The royal family?” Felix blinks. “Why would they need to see me?”

Changbin cups Felix’s cheek and gently brushes his thumb beneath his eye. “Our prince and I were trying to find out if—your family is still looking for you.”

Understanding slowly dawns across Felix’s face, visible even in the limited light. “My family?”

Behind the tree, the torches recede, swallowed by the trees until the forest returns to moonlight and shadow.

Changbin doesn’t move right away, keeping Felix held between his body and the tree, making sure that the knights have truly gone the other way and left the forest settling back into its natural rhythm.

“Let’s keep going.” Changbin whispers after a while.

Felix nods, then winces when his hip protests the sudden movement. Changbin reacts instantly, hand sliding up to cradle the bend of his elbow to keep him steady. Felix loops his arm around Changbin’s when the ache fades, and he lets hismelf be guided away from the tree.

A sudden tug pulls Felix back with a sharp gasp.

Changbin pauses. “Felix?”

“My hair—” Felix reaches back with a wince, fingers trembling as he tries to disentangle the strands of hair that have knotted the low-hanging branches. From what Changbin can see, a thick vine has also snared several long strands, twisted tight and unforgiving.

A quiet, broken sound is drawn from his throat when he pulls and the knot yanks painfully at his scalp.

Changbin’s heart twists. He reaches out and stops Felix from pulling at his hair, hands gentle as they come as he makes Felix take a step back so the knots aren't stretched taut. “You’ll hurt yourself like that.”

The moonlight catches on the tree, Felix’s hair stubbornly wrapped through the vines and branches. There’s no time to cut through it all and untangle Felix’s hair in the dark, and Changbin knows that this won’t be the last time Felix’s hair gets caught in the shrubbery.

“Sunlight.” he says softly, coaxing Felix to look him in the eye. “I need you to trust me again.”

Felix nods, the crease between his brows softening ever-so slightly. “I do.”

With a slow exhale, Changbin reaches for his sword. He moves with deliberate care, gathering all of Felix’s hair with one hand and angling the blade to be far enough from Felix’s skin.

Felix’s breath stutters when he understands Changbin’s intentions, but he still lets out a reassuring, “It’s okay.”

The blade briefly glints in the moonlight.

The sound is lost in the expanse of the forest, but it echoes in Changbin’s ears. Several long strands fall free, catching on the vine before dropping to the forest floor like fallen sunlight.

Changbin lets go of Felix’s hair and immediately cups the back of his neck, palm warm and steady as Felix adjusts to the loss of weight in his head. Tentatively, Felix reaches back, feeling where the uneven ends settle just above his shoulder.

“It’s okay.” Felix repeats, maybe more to himself, but it’s not from vanity. He takes Changbin’s hand from his nape and laces their fingers together. “We have to go.”

Changbin nods and guides Felix the rest of the way out of the forest, never letting go of his hand.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

Felix’s heart feels like it’s trying to beat its way out of his chest by the time the castle walls loom into view. It looks impossibly large: light glowing from tall windows, moonlight bathing stone walls, the night breeze passing through the banners stationed around the perimeter.

Out of instinct, Felix tilts his head up and looks at the tallest tower in the castle. Briefly, he wonders what the view would be like from there, if there would be an entirely different world from the view he’d been subjected to his entire life.

With Changbin’s grip on his hand still strong, they slip along the outer wall, moving through shadows and narrow service paths that make Felix dizzy. Changbin moves with practiced ease, deliberate steps, and purposeful pauses.

“Changbin?” Felix murmurs, trying to mirror his facade despite his body still trembling with leftover fear and exhaustion.

Changbin stops to look back at him. Using his free hand, he tugs Felix’s hood more properly over his head. “I know you’re tired, sunlight. But we have to tell Prince Minho that you’re here first.”

The strands of his hair, shorter and uneven where Changbin had haphazardly cut it free, brush against his cheek. He’s not used to it, instinctively tucking it back every other step.

“What if I’m not...” Felix hesitates, unsure of what the next word should be. He settles on, “from here?”

“Then we will find who hurt you and Hyunjin.” Changbin says, hushed words dripping with conviction. “Then, we will take you back with us.”

Felix’s heart settles onto a calmer rhythm of beating. Slowly, he nods.

Changbin gives him a gentle smile before he tugs him forward, ready to continue walking.

But when they round the corner, they’re immediately stopped by a command from the end of the hall.

“Halt.”

Two figures stomp over to them, the steel of their swords glinting in the chandelier. Felix barely has time to grasp their appearances before Changbin is moving and smoothly stepping in front of him.

Felix freezes, instintively hiding behind Changbin and dragging his hood lower on his head. The world narrows to the solid warmth of Changbin’s body and the static of his own pulse echoing in his ears.

As soon as the figures are close enough, Changbin straightens until his shoulders are squared. Whether it’s to hide Felix or project authority, Felix isn’t sure.

“Chan, lower your weapons.” Changbin intones. That’s enough to ease Felix’s fear, somewhat, to know that Changbin knows who these people are.

Felix peeks out from over Changbin’s shoulder, fingers clutching the back of Changbin’s shirt when the two knights look at him.

Who he assumes is Chan lowers his weapon first, then raises his free hand to tell his comrade to do that same. “I’ll keep them here. Alert the king and queen that Sir Changbin did not return alone.”

“No!” Changbin argues evenly. “It would be best if Prince Minho got to meet him first.”

Chan looks at them with heavy suspicion, but he must trust Changbin, because only a minute passes before he gives a curt nod and corrects his order. “Prince Minho, then.”

The knight salutes and walks off, meanwhile Chan keeps them pinned in place by his gaze alone.

“What’s going on?” Chan asks when they’re left in the hall, confusion replacing suspicion. His eyes flick past Changbin, landing on Felix.

Felix flinches and lowers his head.

“Has Hyunjin been found?” Changbin asks instead.

At the sound of his name, Felix’s fingers grip the edges of his cloak. Silently, he hopes that Hyunjin is safe somewhere, far from the hands of his guardian, even when he knows that there’s a slim chance that Hyunjin’s disappearance and his guardian wanting to relocate are not connected.

“No.” Chan intones. “Prince Jisung has been distraught the entire day. The king and queen have decided to send correspondence to your home kingdom to inform his parents in the morning.”

Before the silence can stretch any further, hurried footsteps echo down the corridor behind Chan.

This time, there are five people walking over to them. Felix looks at them the best he can from his hiding spot behind Changbin’s shoulder. Two figures walk in the middle, their arms linked between them as they walk closely. Then three knights, one of them the one that Chan was with earlier.

“Changbin, what is going on?” one of them asks. Felix assumes that they’re both princes. The ones that Hyunjin and Changbin have been telling him about. The ones that are due to be wed soon.

Changbin steps to the side, but his hand quickly finds Felix’s uninjured hip to keep him from hiding away again. “There is someone that the royal family should meet.”

Changbin looks at him, softly and carefully, and it’s enough for Felix to fight against the insistence in his guts to shrink away and run back to the life of isolation he’s always known.

Felix swallows, heart pounding so hard that he’s getting dizzy. Carefully, he lowers his hood, but keeps his head down, stealing a handful of seconds to muster up the courage to look at the princes.

Minho’s eyes widen—just a fraction. Felix sucks in a sharp breath as he forces himself to keep still.

The prince goes still, eyes scanning Felix’s face with an intensity that makes Felix’s skin prickle. Amber meets amber under the chandelier lights, and Felix doesn’t know how to look away, despite the insistent need to turn away and go back to hiding behind Changbin.

Something foreign flickers in Felix’s core—recognition without memory, familiary without context, understanding without belonging.

“Your Highness,” Changbin says, bowing his head briefly. “I have reason to believe that Prince Hyunjin has been taken by someone working in the castle for interacting with Felix.”

“Felix?” Minho breathes out, eyelashes fluttering as he keeps his gaze on him. “For a second there, I was convinced that—” his voice softens, almost a whisper, “that you could be Yongbok.”

“Yongbok?” Felix echoes, the name foreign on his tongue. He turns his head just enough to look at Changbin, confusion and apprehension warring in his eyes.

Changbin’s jaw tightens as his thumb gently presses into the dip of Felix’s waist. It’s a grounding touch, keeping him steady and anchored. “It’s the name of the prince that was taken as a baby.” Changbin explains lowly. “The king and queen’s son. Prince Minho’s younger cousin.”

Jisung’s gaze flicks between them, before he settles on Changbin. “Changbin, where did he come from? He looks like he’s about to collapse.”

Felix stiffens at the attention, not knowing how to deal with this many eyes on him at the same time. He hasn’t realized how badly he’s shaking until now, when Changbin steps behind him to give him something to lean against.

“He’s injured.” Changbin answers before Felix can think of what to say. “And exhausted. He’s been isolated his entire life, and only managed to escape tonight. Prince Hyunjin and I were working on confirming that he is of royal blood, but the prince has gone missing, and I couldn’t leave Felix in captivity any longer.”

Felix itches to pull his hood up over his head again, but Minho still hasn’t looked away from him. Then, he inclines his head, looking at Chan. “Have someone prepare a room for Felix. The search for Prince Hyunjin has not ceased, I want everyone to be alert and report any signs of the prince either to me or the king and queen.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Chan bows and runs off. The knight that called them over also runs off, presumably to accompany Chan with the prince’s orders.

Minho looks to the two knights left, standing a respectable distance from them but still close enough to see and hear everything.

“Seungmin, escort Sir Changbin and Felix to the dining hall for something to eat while Felix’s room is being prepared.” Minho continues. “Jeongin, stay with Prince Jisung, make sure that no one comes close to him. I’ll tell the king and queen that there is someone they should meet.”

Felix’s knees nearly give out.

“I—Are you sure?” he manages, the words scraping out of his throat. “I don’t—I’m not—how could I be the missing prince?”

Minho looks back at him, his gaze softening when they lock eyes. Then, definitively, he says. “I know who my family is. I will see you by the end of the hour, Yo—Felix.”

Then, he walks away with Prince Jisung and Jeongin. Prince Jisung looks back at them, confusion and apprehension written all over his face, but he stays with Minho until they disappear around the corner.

Seungmin stays with them, standing in front of Felix and bowing his head. “Follow me. Dinner ended not too long ago, but there should still be food in the dining hall.”

Felix crumbles against Changbin, the little strength he had left leaving his body. Changbin holds him without hesitation, one arm fully around his back but keeping clear of his injured hip, and the other helping Felix bring his hood up, sensing that he was getting overwhelmed with the castle and all the different people.

“I should have trusted our prince and brought you here sooner.” Changbin breathes out as they follow Seungmin with silent footsteps.

“We’ll find him, right?” Felix whispers, fear prickling the backs of his eyes at the thought of never seeing the prince again.

“We will.” Changbin says with as much conviction as he usually carries. “But we have to find who did this first. If you see your guardian here, tell me immediately.”

His guardian’s face flashes through mis mind—angry, stoic, but familiar.

Felix wonders if he truly has been walking the castle walls this entire time.

Everything feels too much for Felix—the hallways are too open, too large, every corner and echo of footsteps a reminder that he’s no longer trapped inside ivy-draped walls and a single winding staircase.

Changbin stays close, close enough that Felix can feel the steady warmth of him through layers of fabric, making sure he doesn’t stumble as he blindly follows the knight that Minho had appointed to escort them to where food is waiting for them.

By the time they reach the dining hall, Felix has stopped trembling.

The long table is mostly cleared, servants moving quietly as they gather plates and clean up for the night. There are still a couple of dishes at the end of the table, but still far more than Felix is used to. The smell of food hits Felix as soon as he enters the too-large room—and it comes with the realization that he hasn’t eaten anything since the night before.

Changbin guides him to a chair and helps him sit, still careful not to jostle him. His hand never presses where Felix winced earlier, instead bracing his back and letting Felix slowly lower himself to a chair while Seungmin instructs the nearby servants to prepare two plates full of food.

“Do you need anything?” Changbin murmurs, sitting next to him. “Is there anything you want to eat?”

Felix shakes his head, then bows curtly when a warm plate of food is placed in front of him. There’s an assortment of meats he hasn’t seen before, and a pile of steamed vegetables. Next to the plate, there’s a bowl of rice and a bowl of broth, then a smaller plate of freshly sliced fruit, all for him to eat at a single meal.

Before he can touch his plate, something cool touches his bottom lip. His eyes flick up to see Changbin pushing a goblet of water to his mouth, urging him to drink.

Felix tips his head back and as soon as water fills his mouth, he realizes how dry his mouth feels. The water is cool, clean, something he desperately needs after hours of begging and crying himself to weakness.

Changbin’s brows knit together in concern, but he doesn’t pull the goblet away from Felix’s mouth. “Slowly, sunlight.” he gently reminds, but he tips the goblet to give Felix more to drink. “You must be parched, you poor thing.”

Felix drinks slower, even as his body is urging him to drink everything up as fast as he can. His throat aches as the water goes down, but he's relieved at having something fresh and clean to drink. By the time he finishes all the water, his hands have stopped shaking so badly.

Only then does Changbin encourage him to eat.

The broth is still warm when he takes a sip, perfect to dip spoonfuls of rice in. He tries the meats, astounded at the different ways they can be prepared and the different other meats that he’s never had the chance to try before.

Changbin eats next to him, but offers his fruit when Felix eats all of his before the end of his meal.

“Does it hurt?” Changbin asks quietly when Felix shifts in his seat.

“A little,” Felix admits with a small wince, rolling his injured shoulder. “My back, mostly.”

Changbin reaches over to Felix’s back, carefully pressing on seemingly random spots to check where it hurts. He apologizes each time Felix flinches, the crease between his brows deepening every time he finds a new spot that hurts.

Felix doesn’t finish his meal, unused to so much food and having filled his stomach too quickly. Changbin pushes another goblet to him, filled with water, and Felix drinks every last drop despite not being as parched.

Chan enters the dining hall and stands next to Seungmin, who has been waiting for them to finish their meal this entire time.

“Changbin, a room has been prepared for Felix.” he informs them. “A physician is waiting to tend to his injuries.”

Changbin nods and helps Felix stand. He doesn’t feel as weak anymore, but he leans into Changbin more openly, too tired to pretend that he doesn’t want to be as close to the knight as possible.

Chan and Seungmin walk in front of them, so silent that Felix would have wondered if it was just him and Changbin in the hallway right now. He resists the urge to look around the place as they walk, still thrumming with fear of his guardian coming for him and taking him away again, even when he knows that he should be safe here.

The door to his room is open when they reach it. Chan and Seungmin stand on the side to let him enter first, and Felix hesitates before he steps inside.

The room is warm and softly lit, more monotonous than the room he’d lived in all his life, but still welcoming. There are fresh linens and a low fire simmering across the bed.

Seated on a chair pushed next to the bed, there is a man waiting with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a calm expression on his face.

Instinctively, Felix looks to Changbin. Briefly, he wonders if Changbin would leave him alone to get treated. He didn’t know how things like this worked, if he was being treated like the prince he allegedly is or as an intruder in this castle.

“I’ll stay here.” Changbin promises, guiding Felix to sit on the edge of the bed. He helps Felix strip off his robe, then places a blanket over his lap to keep him warm. Once he’s settled, Changbin moves to the door, but stands close enough that he’s in Felix’s line of sight.

“Were you hurt anywhere, Changbin?” Chan asks.

Changbin shakes his head, quickly tampering down the minute worries that conjured up in Felix’s head about Changbin being injured as well. “No. But Felix suffered quite a fall to get here, so please make sure that his head isn’t injured.”

As the physician begins his careful work—checking Felix’s hip, his hack, the tender places along his spine—Changbin remains standing by the door, between Chan and Seungmin, the three of them steady as a shield.

He realizes that this is the first time he’s ever seen Changbin as a knight. He knew that Changbin always was one, and that the oath he’s taken to protect Hyunjin exceeds that of loyalty to the crown, but he’s always been relaxed until now. He was always gentle and warm, never this stoic and alert.

Felix winces when the physician applies a cold substance all over his shoulderblade. Changbin steps forward, seeming to reach out for him, before the physician explains that it's a cooling gel to help heal the bruised muscles along his back.

By the time the physician has applied medicine all over Felix’s body, he’s even more tired than earlier. His body feels heavy, and he wants nothing more than to crawl into a bed that he can’t get to anymore.

But the bed he’s on is warm and soft, despite being unfamiliar.

The physician finishes wrapping a bandage around his elbow with practiced care, deeming it a preventative measure since it looks like Felix pulled a muscle there during his fall. With everything that’s happened this evening alone, he didn’t even realize that there was a strain in his joint until he paid attention to it.

“You might feel sore for a few days,” the physician tells him. “But nothing is broken. Proper rest will do most of the healing, so be sure not to strain yourself for at least a week.”

Felix nods, still unsure of how to process everything.

Out of the corner of his eye, he notices the way the three knights standing by the door stand straigher, somehow broader.

Felix’s chest instinctively tightens, breath catching before he can control it. His fingers curl into the fabric of the blanket over his lap, but the grip is weak. Immediately, Changbin notices, and he whispers, “It’s alright, sunlight.”

The door opens, and Jeongin steps inside. “The royal family is here.”

He opens the door fully, and Felix feels like his world is tilting for the third time in the past two days.

Prince Minho steps inside first, his expression unreadable but tight with barely contained emotions. Beside him is Prince Jisung, still pale and tense like earlier, and Jeongin is quick to stand behind him like a shadow.

Then, four older people walk inside the room. All at once, the room is too crowded despite still being too large.

Among them all, Felix latches on to a pair of them. Two figures that Felix has never met, yet somehow is drawn to with a certainty that shakes him to his core.

A man with hair spun like gold, just beginning to silver at the roots. A woman with warm amber eyes and freckles lightly dusted across her cheeks.

Felix doesn’t understand why his heart is threatening to beat out of his chest.

But all four of them have a reaction similar to Minho’s. He sees the way their apprehension shifts to disbelief and surprise when they see him. Like they can’t believe their eyes. Like they’re fighting every instinct in their body to go over to him, in fear of scaring him away if they move too suddenly.

“Sir Changbin has rescued Felix from captivity.” Minho keeps his voice steady as he looks at Felix. “It’s possible that someone from the castle has captured Prince Hyunjin because he knows where Felix has been kept.”

“No,” one of the women whispers. The one with freckles, like him. “That’s—”

The man beside her reaches out to steady her, but he’s also looking at Felix with glassy eyes.

Felix’s heart continues to violently slam against his ribs.

The room feels too small. Too bright. Everything is too much.

Blindly, he reaches out for Changbin, who moves closer to the bed, stepping around the group of royal family members to kneel beside where Felix is seated on the bed.

“It’s the king and queen, sunlight.” Changbin whispers to him. “And Minho’s parents. Remember, our prince and I wanted to introduce you to them?”

Felix nods, clasping Changbin’s hand as a grounding touch, before he looks back up at the group.

“Yongbok,” the queen breathes out, still looking at him like she’s afraid he’d vanish if she blinks.

The name lands like a thunderclap. Through his core, echoing in his head, his grip on Changbin’s hand is the only thing that keeps him rooted in place.

“My name is Felix.” he flinches—not away, but inward. It’s like something inside him has cracked open, a fault line splitting wide and making space for a part of him that he didn’t know of until this very moment. The dread that’s been consuming him since the night before—the fear, the loneliness, the certainty that he’ll always be kept far, far away from the world—fractures under the weight of the way he’s being looked at.

The king and queen move first.

The queen crosses the room in three, unsteady steps, knees nearly buckling before she reaches him and sits next to him. She doesn’t touch him, doesn’t inch closer, doesn’t reach out to pull him towards her. Her hand hovers over the space between them, eyes shining with unshed tears.

“Oh, Felix.” she breathes, voice breaking. “Oh, my baby. Where have you been all this time?”

Felix’s throat tightens painfully. It’s different from earlier, when he was parched and close to dehydration.

“I—I’ve been in a tower,” he says without knowing why the words are spilling out in a rush. “I wasn’t allowed to leave—been alone—Hyunjin and Changbin—I didn’t know—”

A hand cups his face, careful but warm.

Felix goes still, terrified that he’d wake up from this dream if he moves too fast.

Her thumb brushes beneath his eye, wiping away tears he hadn't realized were falling. “We will find who did this to you, my child.” she whispers fiercely. “We will make sure that you are never unsafe again.”

Changbin stands, and Felix’s first instinct is to reach out for him again, but he’s prevented from doing so when he realizes that the knight is making room for the king to sit on Felix’s other side. His hand comes to rest over Felix’s, and it’s only then that Felix feels trembling that isn’t his own, despite the older man seeming composed with his still-glassy eyes.

“I can’t believe you’re here, my child.” he tells him. “We’ve looked for you for years, and now you’re back where you belong.”

Felix’s vision blurs completely.

The fear that’s blanketed him doesn’t disappear completely, but it’s drowned beneath something so much bigger, so overwhelming that it steals the breath from his lungs. He feels grief for what he lost, tangling with relief so intense that it almost hurts.

To think that there’s been a family waiting for him crushes the loneliness he’s carried his entire life.

He sobs.

His shoulders shake as he folds forward, instinctively curling into the woman’s chest—his mother cradles him without hesitation, carefully gathering him into her arms while his father inches closer to hold him as well.

“Oh, our precious baby.” she cries, pressing her face into his hair. “Our sweet angel. You don’t know how blessed we are to see you again.”

Felix holds on to her with shaking arms, burying his face into his shoulders in an attempt to press even closer. She smells like clean linen and fresh roses, and feels so achingly familiar that Felix doesn’t know what to do with himself. His father’s arms come around them both, solid and safe, and Felix doesn’t know how he lived this long without knowing what it’s like to be anchored between his parents.

“Thank you for bringing him back to his family.” he hears his father say. Felix doesn’t have to lift his head from his mother’s shoulder to know that he’s speaking to Changbin.

“Felix deserves to know how loved he is.” Changbin responds. “And it was Prince Hyunjin’s wishes to bring him back to his family as soon as possible. I apologize for taking so long, Your Majesties.”

“Hyunjin.” Felix speaks, wiping his tears away to look at the king and queen. “We have to find Hyunjin. He might be hurt, he—”

“Will be found.” Minho says. He seems to be speaking to both him and Jisung, with the way he presses the younger prince’s hand in comfort. “It’s only a matter of time before word gets around the castle that Prince Yongbok has been returned home. Whoever it is that took him will make themselves known.”

The dread that was only beginning to subside comes back, reminding Felix of the soreness in his body, brought upon by the one person he always believed to be protecting him.

From this?

From his family?

Why would he have been taken away in the first place?

Minho moves to kneel in front of Felix, where Changbin was only minutes earlier. There’s a renewed sense of certainty when he looks at Felix now, but there are still traces of disbelief in his expression.

“Do you know the name of who took you from us?” he asks.

Felix shakes his head, only now realizing that after years of having just one person in his life, “He never told me his name. He just said that I’ve been kept in the tower for my safety, because there were people that wanted to hurt me.”

Minho nods curtly, then places a tentative hand on his knee. “No one here will hurt you, dear cousin. I hope you know that.”

“I do know that.” Felix whispers, glancing over Minho’s shoulder to look at Changbin. Then, his gaze shifts to Minho’s parents, still standing a respectable distance away. “But I’m scared that he’d have hurt Hyunjin by now.”

Changbin’s jaw clenches at the thought. “If he did, then he’d have more crimes to pay.”

When the door opens once more, Felix feels it before he sees who enters.

A sharp and instinctive terror spikes through him, so sudden and violent that his breath catches painfully in his throat.

“Your Highness, you called for me?”

“We need to increase security around the castle. Be on alert, and inform trusted figures to be suspicious of everyone that wants to come into this room and see Felix.” Minho intones, standing to be level with the man that just walked inside, seeming to serve as someone that followed his orders.

Felix’s body reacts before his mind keeps up—muscles locking, fingers clawing into his mother’s sleeve as if she’s the only thing keeping him tethered to the bed.

As if his guardian would still attempt to take him away from his family right at this moment.

“No—he’s—” Felix whispers, the word tearing out of him as his eyes snap to the doorway.

The man standing there is dressed in fine court attire, his posture rigid and expression carefully neutral. But Felix can see the tension when he looks at him, the way his jaw is locked in irritation when he sees Felix cradled between his parents.

The room seems to tilt once more.

“That’s him—” Felix gasps, voice small and breaking. “That’s—he—”

For just a fraction of a second, something ugly flashes across his guardian’s face.

Felix’s breath turns shallow, panic clawing up his throat as memories crash into him all at once: the grip in his hair, the wall at his back, the cold floor beneath him, the sound of chains threatening to keep him away from everyone waiting for him to return to them.

Changbin is moving just as Felix’s mother drags soothing shapes along his uninjured side.

The knight steps forward, body protectively angled between the bed and Minho’s royal advisor, one hand already resting on the hilt of his sword. His expression has gone terrifyingly still, eyes dark with a fury that Felix has never seen turned so openly towards another person.

Felix’s guardian turns to run.

“Guards!” the king bellows, voice cracking through the room like thunder. “Seize him!”

The advisor barely makes it three steps outside of the room before Chan and Seungmin are apprehending him. The guards stationed on the other side of the door and along the hallway have already drawn their swords and are pointing their weapons at the man, giving him no chance of escape.

“Let go of me!” he shouts, composure slowly shattering as Chan grips his arms behind his back and keeps his chest on the wall. “You don’t understand—”

Felix watches it all with wide, shaking eyes, heart hammering so hard he feels dizzy. His mother tightens her hold around him, one hand cradling the back of his head while the other is still caressing his side in comforting lines.

“Are you sure that it’s him, my child?” she whispers into his hair. “He took you away from us?”

Felix nods weakly, tears spilling free once again. His gaze drifts to Changbin, who only stepped aside to let his father pass through, but is still standing protectively over him and his mother. The knight’s jaw is clenched tight, restraint pulled thin as wire, but something in him still considerably softens when Felix looks at him.

“You’re safe, sunlight.” he lets go of the hilt of his sword to brush Felix’s hair out of his eyes, then drags his finger along Felix’s teary eyes to wipe them away.

Minho and the king enter the circle, their expressions cold and resolute as they look at the restrained advisor.

“You will answer for every crime that you have commited against this kingdom.” the king says. “Against my family, and against Prince Hyunjin.”

“Where is he?” Minho adds firmly.

Changbin steps forward at the mention of Hyunjin, finally drawing his sword to point it at the man. “Tell me where he is.”

Felix’s guardian laughs, clinging onto the final threads of resistance he can muster when he’s restrained and surrounded. “I would not have resorted to such means if there was another way to secure the Crown Prince’s position in the kingdom.”

“Do not drag me into this.” Minho’s voice turns colder, fists clenched at his sides.

“Where is Hyunjin?” it’s Jisung that asks this time. He takes a step forward, but Jeongin is quick to raise his arm in front of the prince to block him from getting nearer. “What have you done with him?”

“You’ll find him where you’re taking me,” the restrained man grunt when Chan tightens his grip on his wrists. “I’ve gotten quite versed in hiding princes in plain sight, after all.”

“Take him away.” the king declares. “Keep him far away from any member of the royal family, so that he may not threaten anyone ever again.”

Felix exhales a shaky breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

“Hyunjin must be in the dungeons.” Minho concludes as the guards drag the advisor away. “He’s been in charge of searching within the castle walls, so it’d been easy to keep Hyunjin hidden.”

“We have to get him out of there.” Felix tears himself from his mother’s embrace, stumbling as he does so.

Changbin is quick to use his free hand to steady him, his sword still clutched in the other. “Stay here, sunlight. It’s best that you rest.”

“I want to see him, too.” Felix insists, looking at Changbin pleadingly.

Hyunjin could have been hurt because of him. Felix couldn’t be expected to stay in this room while they went to look for him.

Minho looks at him firmly, but nods curtly. “Stay close to the knights, Felix. We don’t know if there are still people in this castle that want to hurt you.”

Felix nods and chooses to walk between Changbin and Jeongin, despite knowing that the only person that could ever want to hurt him has been taken away.

He’s with his family now, where he’s belonged this entire time. Now, they just need to find Hyunjin, and everything will be the way it’s supposed to be.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

Hyunjin doesn’t know how many hours have passed with darkness pressing in from every direction.

He was dragged back to consciousness by pain before memories of the night before had the chance to catch up. His temple has been throbbing with a pulsing ache, each beat of his heart sending a fresh spike through his skull.

Each time he wakes from a fitful sleep, he doesn’t remember where he is. For a moment, he thinks he’s still dreaming—trapped in a half-formed nightmare where his body feels too heavy to move and the world is reduced to cold and hurt and nothing else.

But he knows that’s not the case. It hasn’t been the case for several hours.

Rough stone scrapes against his palms, damp and uneven. His fingers reflexively curl to look for something soft and familiar, only to repeatedly come up with nothing. The chill seeps deeper when he draws uneven breaths, the air stale and sharp in his lungs.

He knows he’s in the dungeon. He knows that Minho’s royal advisor put him here.

Hyunjin squeezes his eyes shut, swallowing against the nausea that rolls through him in heavy waves. He remembers struggling, trying to run, panic flaring bring and immediate as he tried to create distance between him and the older man.

He remembers a bruising grip on his arm, being pulled back and then pushed against the wall so hard that he hit head on the stone wall. His hair is tangled despite having nothing better to do than to comb his fingers through the strands sticking to his temple where dried blood had crusted against his skin.

He vaguely remembers thinking, as his head hit the stone with a sickening smack, that Changbin would be furious if he saw him like that. If he saw him like this, alone and trapped in a dungeon cell.

Cold and hungry and parched.

Hyunjin wraps his arms around himself as he shivers.

He tries not to dwell on what he’s wearing, thinking that it’d only make him feel colder. Thin sleeping clothes cling uselessly to his body, doing nothing to keep the cold from sinking into his bones. His bare feet ache from the stone he’s sprawled on, numb and tingling simultaneously.

His mouth feels dry and cottoned, his tongue uncomfortably sticking to the roof of his mouth whenever he swallows. He can’t remember the last time he drank anything, especially since he didn’t go to dinner last night. Changbin walked him to his room, certain that Hyunjin will stay safe there until the morning came—

Hyunjin has lost count of how many thoughts have tightened something sharp and aching in his chest.

Fear creeps in slowly, insidious and lurking. It’s not the sudden panic he’d felt when he was grabbed and slammed against stone, but something heavier and more suffocating.

He hopes Felix is safe. He hopes Changbin is, too.

Minho’s royal advisor hadn’t checked up on him once all day, and he can only hope that he didn’t run off to hurt Changbin, or to take Felix somewhere farther.

Surely, they would have noticed by now that Hyunjin is missing. It must have been hours since Hyunjin had been kept here.

Changbin would be looking for him by now.

The thought is both a comfort and a source of guilt. He can’t bear the thought of Changbin frantic or angry with himself because of his disappearance. Jisung must be worried sick, too. Felix—

Hyunjin squeezes his eyes shut and fights the sting behind him with all the strength he has left.

At first, Hyunjin thinks that he’s imagining it.

A sound breaks through the thick, suffocating quiet of the dungeon: metal scraping against stone, the distant echo of boots striking the cold ground. His head weakly lifts itself from where his torso is leaning against the wall to keep himself upright, his heart stuttering painfully in his chest as fear and anticipation twist together into something unbearable.

For one, terrible moment, his mind supplies the unbidden image of Minho’s royal advisor, a sharp silhouette with an empty stare, the calm cruelty in his composure. His breath quickens, shallow and panicked, as he presses back into the wall as if he could disappear into it.

But then the footsteps inch closer. Far too many for him to know how many people there are.

His fingers curl into the thin fabric draped over his knees.

The sounds grow louder with voices overlapping, low, urgent, and unmstakably alert.

He squints through the darkness as his vision swims through the torchlight spilling down the dungeon’s corridors.

“Hyunjin!”

The sound of his name spoken in Jisung’s voice spills relief all over him.

“Jisung...?” Hyunjin’s voice is barely audible even to himself. It’s rough from unuse and dehydration.

At the front of the group are Minho and Jisung. Jisung’s eyes are red-rimmed and wide with fear. Minho’s jaw is tight with fury, barely restrainted. Next to them are the king and queen, and Minho’s parents, all with varying degrees of pale and stricken faces.

“Move.”

“Open the cell.”

“Toss him in there.”

Guards drag a restrained man past his cell and onto a different one. His hands are bound and it’s clear that his dignity is long gone. Despite that, the man still struggles uselessly as he’s thrown into an adjacent cell with brutal finality, only giving Hyunjin half a glimpse of the royal advisor’s face before he catches sight of Changbin and—and Felix.

His world narrows to the sound of keys turning in his own cell door.

The lock clicks open and the metal door creaks.

Changbin is rushing inside before anyone can stop him.

He drops to his knees in front of Hyunjin, so fast that there’s sure to be bruises later, but he doesn’t seem to care. Without hesitating, his hands carefully hover around Hyunjin’s arms and shoulders, waiting for the prince to push himself off the wall and into Changbin’s chest before he lets his hands touch his skin and examine him everywhere at once.

“Good heavens,” Changbin breathes, already shrugging his robe off his shoulders. He wraps it around Hyunjin, pulling the thick fabric snug around the prince’s shivering body. “You’re freezing, my prince.”

Hyunjin sighs at the warmth of the fabric, relaxing when he’s hit by a scent so naturally Changbin that he can’t help but curl into it. Changbin’s hands move carefully in the meantime, lifting his chin just enough for the torchlight to reveal the dark smear of dried blood and the swelling of his temple.

Changbin’s breath goes sharp, fingers trembling as he gently brushes near the wound to inspect it. “That bastard. Did he hurt you anywhere else?”

“I’m okay.” Hyunjin whispers weakly, fingers curling around the hem of Changbin’s robe. “I passed out as soon as he grabbed me. I’ve been alone here since.”

He wraps Changbin’s robe more securely around his body, chasing the warmth of fabric that’s soaked up the knight’s body heat, grateful for how it seeps into his own skin so surely.

Before the knight can respond, another presence crashes into him—lighter, but also trembling.

Felix all but throws himself into Hyunjin’s arms, clinging to him like he’s afraid Hyunjin might disappear if he lets go. The blond’s shoulders shake as he presses his face into Hyunjin’s chest, muffling his sobs.

“You’re here.” Felix hiccups. “I was so scared I’d never see you again.”

Hyunjin, despite stewing in fear and terror for the past several hours, had not a doubt in his mind that Changbin would find him. He also knew, deep down, that Changbin would keep Felix safe.

Still, he counts his blessings that he wasn’t proven wrong.

Hyunjin’s arms come up to wrap around Felix despite the ache in his body. Gently, he presses his cheek to the top of Felix’s head, reaching around the blond to hold on to Changbin’s hand, not wanting any distance from either of them.

Changbin laces their fingers together, showing no indication that he’s moving away from either of them soon.

“I was scared you’d get hurt, too.” Hyunjin murmurs, closing his eyes as relief continues to overwhelm the fatigue. “I should have been more careful with your gifts.”

“None of this is your fault.” Felix murmurs, pulling back just enough for Hyunjin to see his face. “I’m just thankful that you’re safe.”

And then Hyunjin notices it. Felix’s hair—once impossibly long, cascading like spun gold—is shorter now. It’s uneven in places, clearly cut in haste, not going far past his shoulders.

His brows knit together in concern. Slowly, he lifts a trembling hand and cards his fingers through the ends of Felix’s hair. “Your hair...”

Felix sniffles. “It got caught. In the tower. Changbin cut it so we could run.”

Hyunjin’s heart aches. He exhales a small, fond breath and lets a smile weakly tug at his lips. “An act of heroism from our knight.” His fingers linger, affectionate despite being unsteady. “You look as captivating as always, our sunlight.”

Felix lets out a watery laugh and presses his forehead into Hyunjin’s neck.

Past Changbin’s shoulder, Hyunjin sees the royal family watching the three of them. Jisung wipes furiously at his eyes, his shoulders shaking as he finally lets out the breath he’s been holding in since the morning.

Hyunjin’s eyes meet Minho’s, and it must be the first time that he sees warmth coming from the older prince, directed at him.

“Thank you,” Minho mouths at him.

Hyunjin nods curtly, then closes his eyes now that he’s sure that he’s safe once again. Felix peels himself away from him, just so that Changbin can carry Hyunjin out of the prison cell and out of the dungeon.

Minho’s royal advisor stays down there. Felix’s guardian is left in isolation.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

While Chan, Seungmin, and a group of other knights stayed in the dungeon to question Minho’s royal advisor, Changbin and Jisung stayed by Hyunjin’s side as the prince was fed, bathed, and checked over by the royal physician.

Felix, much to his reluctance, was whisked away by Minho and both their parents to reconnect with the lost prince, followed by Jeongin, as Jisung insisted that Changbin was capable enough to watch over both him and Hyunjin. If Changbin wasn’t certain that Felix and his family needed time to be together, he would have attempted to fight it, to insist that neither of them could leave his sight in the forseeable future.

But, if he was being honest, Felix was closer to his thoughts than Jisung could have been, but he knows that the prince wouldn’t take offense to it if he knew.

Still, he waited until Jisung retired to his room to leave Hyunjin alone, laying a small kiss on the uninjured side of his prince’s head before he left him to rest in the soft bed of his guest room.

“Come to me if you need anything.” Changbin whispered, his palm curved along Hyunjin’s cheek.

Hyunjin, seated in bed with his sketchpad flipped open on his lap, nodded. “There’s nothing to worry about anymore, Changbin. The perpetrator has been caught and taken away.”

“You know I’m not taking any chances.” Changbin reminded. “Not with either of you.”

Hyunjin nodded but didn’t reply. Changbin exited the room but didn’t enter the one next to it, where he should have been so that he could also rest for the night.

Instead, he stood outside of Hyunjin’s door, still alert and vigilant, and intended to guard the room for the entire night.

As Hyunjin’s personal guard, it’s rare that he monitored the halls of the prince’s room for the night. Usually, he was expected to be by Hyunjin’s side throughout the day, and he needed to be well-rested for that, so it’s no surprise to him that his body is not used to the task he’d imposed on himself.

Time passes, and Changbin barely pays any mind to the other knights stationed along the halls. In this corridor alone, there are three princes presumably sleeping soundly—two of which have only been returned to safety hours ago, and the other of which is the betrothed of the kingdom’s Crown Prince.

Even when Chan drops by and tells Changbin to sleep, that there are plenty of knights assigned to watch over the hallway until morning breaks, Changbin remains where he is.

He stands with his back straight, weight evenly distributed, senses tuned in to every sound and shadow. It’s clear that he’s not on active duty, with only his sword sheathed around his hip and no armor to protect his body, but his vigilance clings to him all the same.

The hours stretch thin until he feels a faint strain on his legs. He ignores it, keeping his back straight and his hands clasped behind him in waiting.

Vaguely, he recognizes that this feels like penance as much as it is for him to ensure Hyunjin’s protection.

But he would rather do this than wake up tomorrow morning, worried that Hyunjin had been taken from him once more.

A distant sound pulls him from his thoughts. Instinctively, his hand moves toward where his sword should be, but he’s quick to let it fall when his attention is brought to the room across from where he stood.

The door across from Hyunjin’s opens barely, just enough for Felix to step out of the room.

He’s dressed in sleeping attire far too fine and far too unfamiliar on him, pale fabric delicately clinging to his frame, with the sleeves hanging a little long over his palms. His hair is loose, the strands still cut unevenly, but they curl around his face in a way his longer hair wasn’t able to.

Even like this, he’s radiant in Changbin’s eyes. There’s not a doubt in his mind that he’s radiant in Hyunjin’s eyes, too.

“Changbin?” Felix pauses when he sees him, fingers curling into the hem of his sleeve. “Why are you out here?”

Changbin can’t help the way his expression immediately softens when he sees how impossibly small Felix looks in the dim light. “I could say the same, sunlight. You should have been asleep hours ago.”

Felix hesitates before he takes several tentative steps closer, until he crosses the hall and is standing in front of Changbin. Up close, Changbin can see the exhaustion etched into his features—he wonders if Felix can see the same creases on his own face.

“I—” Felix starts, then pauses to swallow. He pulls on the hem of his sleeve, unintentionally dragging the neckline of his nightgown so that more of his collarbone is revealed. “I couldn’t sleep.”

Changbin raises an arm to fix his clothes, already scanning the blond for signs of pain or discomfort. “Does your hip hurt? Your back?”

Felix is quick to shake his head. “No. I mean—everything aches a little, but it’s not because of that.” He continues to fidget, dropping his gaze to the floor between their feet. “It’s just—different. The room is too quiet, and too big. I keep thinking that I hear something, and then I don’t, and—” he lets out a shaky exhale. “I’m just not used to any of it.”

Changbin nods slowly as understanding blooms sharp and bittersweet in his chest.

It would be foolish to think that Felix would be comfortable as soon as he’s here. He spent his entire life confined in a tower, surrounded by stone and ivy and isolated from the world. A new room, a new bed, his family—the freedom stolen from him—must feel as frightening as it is miraculous.

“Is there anything I can do for you, my light?” Changbin asks softly, making sure to be gentle with his words.

Uncertain, Felix lifts his eyes. “I just... I wanted to see if either you or Hyunjin were still awake.” A small, almost timid smile tugs at his lips. “The two of you are the only familiar thing to me.”

“I’m here for anything that you need.” Changbin replies without a trace of hesitance. The truth of it settles warmly in his chest.

“Is Hyunjin awake?” Felix asks. “Is he okay?”

“Just cold and hungry. The physician treated his head, and thankfully there didn't seem to be any complications when he hit it.” Despite the anger brewing inside of him at the thought of Hyunjin hitting his head hard enoug to draw blood, Changbin steps aside and gestures to the closed door he’d been guarding all night. “I’m sure he’d appreciate you visiting him.”

Even when he’s mostly certain that it was Felix’s intention to see both of them when he stepped out of his room, Changbin still waits for the blond to nod his head before he knocks on Hyunjin’s door.

When he peeks his head inside, he sees Hyunjin sitting against the headboard, knees bent in front of him to act as a table for his sketchbook, his cases of pencils and opened on the table next to the bed.

“My prince, you have a visitor.” Changbin muses when Hyunjin barely looks up at him. Such a small sign that he feels safe, knows who it is that’s knocking on his door without even checking, but Changbin revels in the security regardless.

At the mention of a visitor, Hyunjin tilts his head up, propping his hand on the side of his sketchpad to pause from drawing. “A visitor? Is it Jisung?”

Changbin shakes his head and motions for Felix to enter. “Prince Yongbok, Your Highness.”

Felix frowns at the name, but it’s clear that it’s more from being unused to it than an actual distaste for the name. “I’m still Felix.”

“Felix,” Hyunjin breathes. “Come here, sunlight. You couldn’t sleep?”

“I wasn’t used to the room. It felt weird.” Felix shakes his head and steps into the room.

Changbin is about to close the door, even more intent on standing guard on the other side of it now that both of them are inside the room, but Felix wraps a hand around his wrist and pulls him inside with him, not letting go until they’re both standing by Hyunjin’s bed.

Hyunjin smiles up at them, his temple bandaged but his eyes shining with relief. Then, he closes his sketchpad and places it aside on the table. “Come here, both of you. I don’t want to be alone tonight, either.”

Unlike Changbin, Felix isn’t weighed down by vows of duty or professionalism, so he doesn’t hesitate the way Changbin does.

But it’s only for a moment, because his body moves before his mind can catch up, instincts guiding him to the side of the bed where Hyunjin and Felix haven’t settled on yet, meant for him to take up.

He stays mindful of Felix’s hip as the mattress dips beneath his weight, but it’s quickly forgotten when Hyunjin reaches over Felix and tugs him closer.

“You’re so far, Changbin.” Hyunjin sighs, but there’s no trace of contempt in his tone.

As soon as Changbin finally allows himself to relax, laying on the soft mattress and the pillows that smell of Hyunjin, Felix settles directly against him. Suddenly, Changbin’s arms are wound around the blond, moved by reflex alone.

And Felix fits like he’s meant to be there.

Hyunjin slides closer as soon as he’s put all his things away, pressing the uninjured side of his forehead to the pillows and inching closer until the three of them are tangled together beneath the blankets.

Felix ends up between them, his back pressed to Changbin’s chest, and Hyunjin has slotted his legs between Felix’s and wedged a foot around Changbin’s calf. Changbin curves insinctively around both of them, one arm draped securely over Felix’s stomach while the other rests where Hyunjin’s fingers can comfortably reach.

And this is the most relaxed that Changbin has been all day. He knows, without asking, that it’s the same for the other two.

“How was your family?” Hyunjin asks Felix, threading carefully. “Did you like them?”

“They were perfect.” Felix replies. Changbin doesn’t have to see his face to hear the astonishment in his fatigued words. “I can’t believe I really had a family waiting for me this entire time.”

“Not just a family,” Hyunjin murmurs. “This entire kingdom has been waiting for you to return.”

“You’re where you’re supposed to be now.” Changbin breathes into Felix’s shoulder. “And that man will be punished for his crimes against you. Both of you. I’ll see to it myself if I have to.”

“You have no jurisdiction here.” Hyunjin humours with a muted laugh. “Neither do I, for that matter. His punishment is out of our control.”

“Minho said that he’d be punished severely.” Felix tells them. “I don’t know if the knights have finished questioning him on his motives, but the ki—my dad said that his punishment would be unforgiving, regardless.”

Hyunjin cups Felix’s cheek. “Let’s not concern you with any of that, Felix. What matters is that you’re safe and far away from that cruel man.”

“To work so close to the Crown Prince, knowing that he’d been keeping you from your family.” Changbin swallows down the bile building up his throat. “Any reason he’d have is invalid.”

That tight coil of fear and anger that he’s been carrying the entire day continues to loosen. He rests his forehead against Felix’s hair and breathes him in—soap and clean linen, but there’s still a whiff of sunkissed blossoms.

In response, Felix shifts to tilt his head back, an alternative to nuzzling his face into Changbin’s cheek. Changbin nearly forgets how to breathe when he sees Hyunjin watching them with unyielding adoration.

With a faint smile, Hyunjin trails idle patterns over Changbin’s arm, up to his elbow. There’s enough space for him to move to allow him to crane his head and press his lips to Changbin’s knuckles.

Then, fingers curl around Changbin’s wrist. Hyunjin takes one hand from each of them. “I almost forgot about this.”

With his sight half obscured by the back of Felix’s head, Changbin can’t properly see what Hyunjin is doing. But he feels the prince fiddling with the accesories layered on his wrist, and doesn’t fight it when Hyunjin takes one off.

“This is yours, our sunlight.” Hyunjin whispers. Changbin feels the two of them shifting. He props his head up on a pillow to watch Hyunjin fit a pale blue bracelet across Felix’s wrist. “Our knight did a great job of keeping it safe.”

Changbin moves his head to rest on Felix’s shoulder, greedy for a glimpse of the blond’s expression as he raises his hand up in front of him and examines the accessory.

“Do you like it?” Changbin asks. He can feel Hyunjin’s finger toying with the bead of his own darker blue bracelet, simple compared to the sun pendant that Felix’s bracelet held.

Felix nods, blinking tears out of his eyes as he lets out a soft, “I love it.”

Hyunjin’s hand slips into Felix’s, fingers threading together as he brings their hands back down to meet Changbin’s, resting on his waist. “Changbin and I picked it out just for you.”

Changbin tightens his arms around them, only by a fraction, just to feel them closer. Hyunjin chuckles when he feels it, but makes no move to create space between any of them.

“The three of us should rest,” Hyunjin murmurs, eyes slipping shut. “What’s important is that we’re together now.”

With the three of them pressed so close to each other, Changbin feels when Felix’s breathing evens out little by little, tension draining from his body until he melts into the mattress. He curls inward, cocooned by warmth from both sides, and Changbin automatically adjusts so there’s no pressure on Felix’s injuries and no strain on Hyunjin’s head.

Changbin forces himself to stay awake until he’s sure that the two princes have fallen asleep. He holds them closely, cursing internally that he can’t properly hold them both at once, but he’s content in the knowledge that they’re both safe and healing.

As sleep claims him, he renews his vow to love, honour, and protect the two most precious people in his life.

˗ˏˋ ☀️ ˎˊ˗

By the end of the first week, the kingdom comes to know of Felix. They see the first glimpses of his smile, his quiet voice, the way he flinches less each day when someone says his name out loud—either Felix or Yongbok.

Felix comes to know of what was done to him, of how the man who took him blindly believed that Minho’s father should have inherited the throne, and that the man decided that if Felix was out of the picture, then Minho would ascend in his place, as if it was a position that Minho coveted at all. Now, Minho’s former royal advisor sits imprisoned far below the castle, stripped of title and power, his crimes laid bare.

“I don’t want it.” Felix murmured when Minho expressed his intentions to step down. “I don’t know what to do with that. You’re the one that’s expected to be king soon, not me. I just—” Felix looked to his parents, his aunt and uncle, his cousin. “—I’m so happy that I’m here now, and that I can see the world.”

Later that night, Felix dragged Changbin into Hyunjin’s bed, and whispered about how he didn’t want to be king when he barely knew how to be a prince. All he wanted was to know his family and kingdom, and go where his heart took him, suffocated after being trapped in a tower for so long.

“After Minho and Jisung get married,” Felix mumbled, his grip on Changbin’s hand tightening. “Will I never see you again?”

“That won’t happen, sunlight.” Hyunjin promised as he lay a kiss between Felix’s eyes. “You can go wherever you want to. If it’s with us, then we will take you with us. If it’s here, with your family, then we will find the time to return to you as often as I am allowed to.”

Felix nodded and closed his eyes. It didn’t take long before he fell asleep, laying between Hyunjin and Changbin like it was the most comfortable position for him to rest in.

Jisung and Minho’s wedding day comes months later.

The chapel has sunlight pouring through the high stained-glass windows, scattering jewel-toned colours across the marble floor. Nobles from several kingdoms sit shoulder-to-shoulder, most of which are from Minho and Jisung’s families. Hyunjin’s parents sit close to Jisung’s, the mark of close friends.

Knights line the walls in ceremonial armour, polished to a mirror shine. Flowers trail along the aisles, their soft scents blending with the incense from the altar. Jisung and Minho are dressed beautifully, draped in gold and white. Hyunjin won’t admit that he turned misty-eyed when he saw Jisung walk down the aisle.

Throughout the ceremony, Hyunjin stands between Changbin and Felix, the three of them dressed in gold and silver to symbolize being part of the wedding party, even when technically, only Hyunjin is.

Hyunjin watches the ceremony with an earnest ache in his chest, his hands clasped loosely in front of him as he listens to the two princes exchange promises to each other. He feels Changbin inch closer, a hand ghosting over his back, and feels Felix’s fingers force themselves between his palms.

“Are you okay?” Felix murmurs, barely audible. There’s a wreath of golden flowers on top of his head, serving as an alternative for a crown since the blond isn’t used to the weight of it yet.

Hyunjin squeezes his hand and leans back into Changbin’s shoulder. “I am. I just can’t believe they’re finally getting married.”

Felix doesn’t let go of his hand for the rest of the ceremony, while Hyunjin doesn’t move from Changbin’s shoulder. Distantly—perhaps selfishly—he looks forward to finding himself in the position his best friend currently is. Him and the two loves of his life.

The ceremony ends, vows sealed with a kiss, and Hyunjin claps his hands in the same finesse as the majority of the people in the chapel, while Felix’s palms are clumsy, but endearing, nonetheless. Changbin doesn’t clap, still carrying the stature of a knight that’s trained to make himself scarce unless there are signs of danger.

The festivities carry on beyond the chapel, the entire kingdom decorated to fit the occasion. Hyunjin has no doubt in his mind that every person in the kingdom is having a party of his own, even if they’re not in the lavish gardens that Minho and Jisung chose to have their party.

Compared to the reverent atmosphere in the chapel, the garden is lighter, brighter despite the setting sun, sith lanterlight glowing around them as dusk settles. Long tables overflow with food and wine, laughter rising in waves as nobles and council members take the rare occasion to mingle freely.

Somewhere nearby, a group of musicians fill the space with melodies meant for dancing, not too loud to disrupt any conversations floating around.

Minho and Jisung walk hand-in-hand, unguarded, with Jisung laughing openly as Minho leans to murmur something that makes his ears go pink. Every few steps, someone stops them—for well wishes, bows, cooing from older nobles who remember either of them as a child—until they finally make their way to where Hyunjin stands, nursing a glass of wine between his fingers.

“Hyunjin!” Jisung bubbles, letting go of Minho’s hand to hug him.

Hyunjin laughs, raising his glass so it’s out of Jisung’s way, and uses his free hand to wrap around Jisung’s shoulders. “I can’t believe you’re married now.”

Minho nods his head at him as acknowledgement, but there’s warmth in his expression now, no more traces of the guarded politeness that Hyunjin is so used to from him.

“Don’t think that this is an excuse not to see me anymore.” Jisung half-sulks. “I know the trip is a little farther now, but we still have to, okay?”

“I wouldn’t dream of being rid of you.” Hyunjin lets Jisung pull away from their hug.

Jisung grins at him. “And I’m sure that you have someone else to go here for, right?”

As if on instinct, Hyunjin looks past the married couple, and out to the center of the garden, where Changbin and Felix have been dancing for the past five minutes.

Changbin was stiff at first, clearly more comfortable with a sword than a dance, while Felix is still learning what to do with himself when he’s given so much space. Watching them dance was a sight to see, with them stationed between seasoned nobles and proper dancers.

Hyunjin wouldn’t think to look at anything else but them.

He blinks when he feels Jisung’s finger under his eye, wiping away a tear before it trails down his cheek. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just going to miss him.” he breathes out.

“He’s not staying here forever, you know.” Minho reminds them when they notice where he’s looking. “Felix has agreed to stay here until Jisung and I have settled, to give him time with family.”

Hyunjin nods, because he knows. Felix has already told them. Already laid his heart out and hopes he’d be accepted into Hyunjin’s kingdom in a year, as if there’s a possibility that he wouldn’t be.

Felix will stay here, in his kingdom, for at least the next year. He won’t be immersed in the politics of it all, because he’s made it clear that he doesn’t want to, but his parents have insisted that he hold the title that’s been robbed from him.

There are already talks of an alliance between their kingdoms, and it makes sense, with Jisung married to Minho and Hyunjin’s family always having good relations with Jisung’s. With Felix as a prince, expressing his desires to be with Hyunjin, there’s no reason for their kingdoms not to forge stronger alliances.

It’s all stuff that Hyunjin wants to keep away from Felix and Changbin for now, because those things are none of their concern.

What Hyunjin deems are their concerns are who lays in the middle for the night, and whether it’s more practical to have one large blanket or three normal-sized ones.

“Changbin finally made a move?” Jisung asks, voice low despite Minho being the only one near enough to hear.

Changbin’s movements soften, his hand firm and protective at Felix’s back, but his expression has slowly melted from concentration into something warmer. Felix leans closer, saying something against Changbin’s ear—Hyunjin can’t hear the words, but he sees the effect immediately.

Changbin’s face changes, tension draining from him and replaced by a look so tender it nearly steals the air from Hyunjin’s lungs. Changbin’s thumb brushes over Felix’s knuckles and he dips his head just enough to murmur something back. It makes Felix smile, luminous and utterly content.

“My parents have already worried that I’ve fallen for a knight,” Hyunjin sighs, but there’s no remorse in his tone. “How much more will they worry when they find out a lost prince has found a place in my heart, too?”

There must be something that can be done about it. Hyunjin won’t accept only having one of them. Not when he can see them dancing so happily right in front of him.

“I have to say, the customs at your kingdom are unconventional, but I hold great respect for them.” Minho says, the ends of his mouth quirking up into the smallest smile. “I don’t know a lot about my cousin yet, but I know enough to be certain that he’ll be well taken care of there.”

“That is my promise to you.” Hyunjin smiles, then squeezes Jisung’s shoulder. “The same way you have promised to keep my best friend loved and cared for.”

Minho inclines his head in acknowledgement, while Jisung gives Hyunjin’s arm a fond squeeze in return. It’s not long before they’re pulled away again, and the night keeps moving.

The lanterns burn lower as the hours pass, the music softening from exuberant melodies to slower rhythms. Changbin and Felix have returned to him, and Hyunjin’s glass is filled with more wine that makes him feel like he’s floating.

He finds his parents soon enough, falling into their arms and murmuring about how it’s been months since he last saw them. He introduces Felix, who hides behind Changbin’s shoulder when he’s called, because he’s still not used to so many people at once.

Towards the end of the night, Hyunjin finds himself being pulled into a dance by Jisung, laughter bubbling up between them as they step around each other. He spins Jisung clumsily, too delighted to care about form, and Jisung’s laugh is one of the most carefree that he’s ever heard from his friend.

By the end of the night, there’s a pleasant ache encompassing his legs and shoulders, but they’ve reached a point where it’s polite to withdraw to their castle without coming off as rude. Felix’s own parents have insisted that they bid their goodbyes when Felix has begun nodding off on Changbin’s shoulder.

“Come here, sunlight, it’s time to sleep.” Hyunjin whispers as he carefully moves Felix from Changbin’s side over to his.

Changbin looks between them with fondness softening his features. “You’re also tired, my prince,” he brushes a strand of hair off Hyunjin’s eyes. “And we have to leave early tomorrow.”

At that, Felix lifts his head, mouth dipping into a drown. “Do you really have to go so soon?”

Hyunjin has neglected his responsibilities as Crown Prince for far too long, and even when Felix’s parents have insisted otherwise, Hyunjin fears of overstaying their welcome here. They have their lost prince back, and Jisung will be busy with his new title, so this kingdom has too much on their hands at the moment.

And Hyunjin misses his home. His room and castle and all the people there. He can only be gone from his home kingdom for so long.

“We will return soon, sunlight.” Hyunjin promises. He drags the pad of his finger along the edges of Felix’s hair, framing his face perfectly. “We’ll miss you dearly until then.”

“You’ll come back for me?” Felix whispers.

Changbin coos, “Always, sunlight. There is not a world where we don’t come back for you.”

Hyunjin shifts closer, lowering his voice even further. His words come out earnestly. “You have so much of your life to live, our light. We will come back for you, but until then, you have to enjoy what’s been taken from you.”

“I’ll write all about it so that I can keep track of all the stories I’ll tell you.” Felix nods, though his eyes still shine with unshed tears. Hyunjin fixes the wreath of metal flowers on Felix’s hair.

“We look forward to it.” Changbin smiles. “But until then, it’s time for bed.”

For tonight, they’re in Felix’s room, since both Changbin’s and Hyunjin’s things have been kept and packed to be ready to go tomorrow.

Felix is content to simply change out of his clothes, but Hyunjin insists that they bathe so that they sleep feeling fresh. He giggles under his breath when Felix fumbles with the unfamiliar fastenings of his clothes, then murmurs reassurances to the blond as he helps him undo them.

Changbin ties Felix’s hair to keep it dry while they bathe, and Hyunjin presses his cheek between Changbin’s shoulderblades after he presses his lips to the wet skin. The knight is warm, and Hyunjin would have fallen asleep in the slightly cramped tub of Felix’s bathroom, but neither of his companions would allow that to happen.

After they’ve cleaned off the day from their bodies, they change into sleeping attire.

Despite being tired, Hyunjin sits on the dresser and combs through his hair, wanting to get out the tangles that have formed during the bath. He feels a kiss pressed to the back of his head, but his eyelids are too heavy to open them. Whether it’s Changbin or Felix, he accepts the affection all the same.

Felix ends up between them without discussion, curled instinctively inward. Hyunjin presses close, his forehead resting against Felix’s chest, breathing in the faint scent of flowers and incense. Changbin settles behind Felix, arms curling around the blond’s waist, but his fingers are entwined with Hyunjin’s, holding them both.

Hyunjin exhales slowly, his grip tightening just a fraction around Changbin’s fingers. He feels the reciprocated squeeze, and he fights the urge to bring Changbin’s hand up to his mouth to kiss along his knuckles, not wanting to rouse either of them from sleep.

Cradling the two people he loves most, Hyunjin lets himself drift into sleep.