“What were you doing?” Hakyeon snapped as he saw his younger brother re-enter the ballroom "We were looking everywhere for you!"
Taekwoon pouted, “I was bored. Besides, I saw the fireworks.”
“Aish, brother, this is your birthday party,” Hongbin said, his tone scolding.

Taekwoon groaned and rolled his eyes exasperatedly. “I was just getting some air.... " He explained quietly
“With a girl?” Hakyeon asked, a wide smile spreading across him lips. Taekwoon frowned in confusion.

"What?"

“Your tie,” Hongbin chuckled, hiding behind his hand. The elder's eyes lowered and widened comically as he caught sight of what he looked like. His buttons were all uneven and his tie still half undone. "Oh no!" He gasped, struggling to neaten himself up before anybody else saw him. He didn't need to be embarrassed further. He decided to change the subject as Hongbin came forward to help him, doing his buttons for him with an amused smile. "So, did you two have any luck?"

Hakyeon shook his head, looking crestfallen. "No," he sighed "The girls here are nice but there is nobody that I would consider my type. I mean, is it too much to ask for a lady who cares for her appearance but isn't vain? Or an intelligent girl that isn't too bookish?"

"You ask the impossible, brother" Hongbin told him "I have not found anybody either."

"Or me," Taekwoon told them as he finally managed to straighten himself up. Hakyeon's brow creased in mock confusion and he tilted his head.

"Nobody?"

"No..." The peasant didn't count. He wondered if Wonshik was still there up in the tree- probably not. 

Hongbin arched a skeptical eyebrow "Okay, we'll keep it a secret for now."

"What?" The elder asked, puzzled "What on earth do you mean? I didn't-"

Hakyeon laughed airily and waved his hand "Do not worry, we're not going to stand in the way of your love affair." He his heel but Taekwoon grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around "I'm not-"

"Is she pretty?" Hongbin asked, his expression matching his eldest brother's as Taekwoon whirled on him.

"There is no girl!"

"Sure."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A rustling in the bushes near by caused him to look around wildly. "Do you hear that, Sanghyuk?" Wonshik whispered. The younger man nodded slowly and pulled out his dagger, holding it firmly as he approached the brush. Jaewhan and Wonshik flanked him, bowstrings pulled taut. The weapons looked poorly made and worn out but their hands were unwavering.

"Steady..." Jaewhan mumbled as Sanghyuk moved to push back the branches, revealing a large brown hare. The group fell silent and still. The only sound was that of the morning birds chirping and the spring breeze rustling through the canopy. 

Sanghyuk stealed himself and took another step closer, determined to be as quiet as humanely possible... Snap! The hare's head shot up and it bolted, disappearing from sight. "Damn it!" Wonshik growled. The arrow was seathed and bow lowered.

"Well," Jaewhan sighed "There goes lunch."

"I'm sorry, boys," Sanghyuk mumbled guiltily, kicking the twig he had stepped on "I didn't mean it." Wonshik smiled gently and put a hand on the younger man's shoulder "We know Sanghyuk; you're still learning. It's not the first time we've gone without food." His friends both looked at him in confusion- how could he be so okay with this? "Something you would like to share?" Jaewhan asked. 

Wonshik pouted thoughtfully, a grin still plastered on his face "Hm, no." He didn't know why he was so happy. He had been since he had left the palace the night before. He had smiled like an idiot all the way home; everything seemed good to him.

The pair shared a concerned glance but, before they could push any further, a loud bang and the sound of a horse whinnying distupted them. They all turned. It sounded distressed. 

"What was that?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hakyeon looked out the window of the carriage and sighed. “We’re almost home.”

Taekwoon shifted nervously, “Do you think father will approve of our decision to reject the Choi sisters' proposals?”
Hongbin nodded in equal concern but their older brother simply shrugged, reclining in his seat, and nodded, “I think he will be happy we won’t be marrying anybody yet. Despite mother's wishes, he isn't ready to be a grandfather, I fear.  You know he will find us all a good wife soon, you're both of age now,” He said.

Taekwoon chuckled lightly. “The firstborn must marry before his brothers, remember?”
Hakyeon blushed, he knew their father was planning another ball in their honour so they could pick wives the King would approve of. “Shut up.”
Hongbin was about to make a snappy comment back when the carriage was suddenly pulled to a halt.

“Goodness!" Taekwoon cried as he was thrown forwards, almost falling onto the floor of the carriage from the sudden jolt "What happened?” 

Hakyeon drew back his curtain just as Hongbin did. They were surrounded. “Bandits.”
The youngest brother's eyes widened in fear, and as his older brothers hurried to lock the door it was ripped open. A strong, burly looking man stood in front of Hakyeon with a sharp sword pointed at the prince's nose.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here, boys?” The bandit spoke loudly to his group.

Hakyeon backed away and Hongbin grabbed Taekwoon's arm in terror; he’d never seen a bandit before. He'd read about them in stories and such but he never expected this. 
Taekwoon looked back to the guards that had been there to protect them. They were all dead, their throats slashed and ground stained with their blood.

“Now, what are the three sons of the King doing out so under guarded in the middle of the day?” The bandit smirked before drawing a sabre from his belt. “Now, hurry up before we drag you out,” he ordered, not even waiting for a response.
Hakyeon bit his lip nervously as he felt Taekwoon’s hand tighten around his.
“Brother?” He whispered, eyes darting nervously to Hongbin.

Hakyeon gulped and helped his younger brothers stand as he shook in fear. “It’s okay. Come on.”
Obediently, Taekwoon got up and followed, shielding their youngest from the bandits from behind as Hakyeon was from the front.
“Well, hello there, pretty boy,” the bandit smirked, grabbing Hongbin's wrist and pulling him to the side as he got off, out of the safety of Taekwoon's hold.

“Hongbin!” The elder shouted, attempting to grab his brother back but Hakyeon held him back.
“Hey! Don’t touch me!” Hongbin snapped but was only held into the man's chest as a knife was placed to his neck by the bandit, the edge scraping his delicate skin dangerously. "Let me go!" 

“Oh, looks like we have a feisty one here, lads,” the man laughed, pulling the prince further away from his older brothers.
“What do you want?” Hakyeon snapped at him.
Three other bandits came up behind the prince and pulled him away from his other sibling, holding a sword to Taekwoon’s throat before the young man had time to react.
“Let him go!” Hakyeon yelled as the men holding him held his wrists to stop his fists flailing about. They all struggled against the bandits but no amount of fighting could help them- they weren't strong enough and they were too outnumbered.
“I know, either this one here or you are the eldest, now which one is it?” The man holding Taekwoon snarled. Hakyeon assumed he was the leader. He wore a brown jerkin and a copper ring dangled from his right earlobe. "Are you talking to me?"

Taekwoon whimpered as the hold got tighter and looked to his older brother, watching as his face paled considerably.
“I am, I’m the eldest!” Hakyeon spoke once more, realising his blunder. Still, he raised his chin proudly and defiantly. He would not lose his honour even here. 

“Kill him,” the leader smirked to his team members.

“No!” Hongbin screamed.
“Brother!” Taekwoon cried, struggling as a jagged blade was placed over Hakyeon's heart.

Hakyeon felt a tear run down his face but he didn’t fight as he was forced to the ground on his knees. He would go out with honour of protecting his little brothers. “Be strong,” He told them firmly "Make mother and father proud... And tell them I love them."

“Why are you doing this?” Taekwoon cried, pulling forward against the fiend holding him back violently out of sheer desperation. Hakyeon couldn't die!. 
“With the eldest of you dead, it will show your father our threats are no hoax,” the man struggling to keep a grip on him whispered into his ear.
“What threats?” The prince whimpered.

“We will keep you two until the King pays the ransom we desire,” he laughed sinisterly.
“No! He won’t pay the ransom if Hakyeon dies," Hongbin lied through his teeth in an effort to get them out of this without any more bloodshed "He cares most about Hakyeon- he's the most likely heir, please don’t kill him,” he pleaded. Despite them all having an equal chance at succession, he was sure Hakyeon would marry first. Hakyeon deserved it. 
“Well you see, once the firstborn dies, sweetheart, your other brother will be the next in line for the throne,” the leader smirked, holding Taekwoon tighter and gripping his hair, yanking his head back. The prince grunted in pain. 

“Now that we’ve all discussed the arrangement, kill him,” the man smirked.
The bandits holding the eldest prince kicked Hakyeon in the back hard, making him fall to the floor. He rolled over and his captor hovered the sword above his chest.
“No, please don’t do this!” Taekwoon shouted, looking away, not able to watch his brother being killed. But it was hard with the fingers weaved into his hair. 

Hongbin sobbed, knowing there was nothing they could do. He scrunched up his face, hoping his brother would pass quickly and painlessly.

Suddenly, there was a loud scuffling, followed by a bang and a sharp cry from behind the carriage.
“What the Hell was that?” The leader growled in annoyance. He pointed to two other men who were stood eyeing Hongbin with hungry eyes “You two, check it out. Now.”

The two bandits shared a glance moved towards the carriage, not missing the opportunity to the youngest prince slightly just as three other men came around the corner.
Taekwoon looked up and gasped when he saw who it was.

“Wonshik, run!” 

Dun Dun DUN!

For those of your reading Undeniable, that will be updated tomorrow night... prepare yourselves. It's going to be a bumpy ride, I will warn you now.

Impulse I think will have it's last chapter up on Friday (?)

Also my baby sister is 13 today!!!

So this chapter is dedicated to her <3