With the castle’s Armory as their first destination, Hoseok led the two princes down the corridors. He stood in front of them in hopes that Minhyuk or Hyungwon would initiate some sort of conversation as they walked side by side, but alas they did not interact any more than the brief glances they spared.

“Well, here we are!” shattering the silence with a cheerful declaration, Hoseok pushed the doors to the Armory open with ease.

The absence of the entrance barrier revealed a heavy assortment in weapons of types ー various blades of different steel, axes and maces that made even the sharpest lances look pathetic compared to their edges. 

Hyungwon inhaled sharply, taking a step backwards before he could bring himself to tolerate the arrangement of weaponry. He was hardly frequent in the Armory, and every visit he paid began with hesitation.

“C'mon, let’s go inside shall we?” Minhyuk tugged at the prince’s sleeves enthusiastically, almost child-like. 

Caught off guard by the action, the Prince of Athos jerked his arm away from his grip. Brushing off his sleeve as he rushed to Hoseok’s side, the blond haired man sent him a curious glance.

“It wouldn’t kill to be kind,” whispered the Pegasus Knight as he gave the prince a little nudge in the arm.

Hyungwon rolled his eyes, making sure his friend saw before he made his way towards the cabinet of  tomes.

“Ah, ah, ah, ah. No magic of any sort. How would you defend yourself in melee combat if you’re too busy flipping pages in search of a spell? Find something else, Hyungwon.” The knight stepped in front of the prince as if he were a roadblock, and despite being shorter in height his muscular, armored body prevented Hyungwon from grabbing anything. 

“Seeing as I won’t be able to find your sense of respect or formality, I’ll find myself a sword thank you very much,” Hyungwon huffed, approaching a station of blades with his head held high.

After chuckling at the prince’s comment, Minhyuk retracted a sword from the scabbard hooked onto his belt. “How would you like to spar, Hyungwon? If you’re up for it, of course.”

“Why do you think we came here, princeling? To take a gander at the pretty little weaponry before we went on our merry way? Of course we’re going to spar,” snapped the prince before selecting an elegantly crafted rapier from the assortment of blades.

Unable to resist the urge, Hoseok face palmed. His friend at this moment was especially more of a royal pain rather than a royal prince, but he was notably impressed with the way Minhyuk was able to tolerate him. “This way, if you two are ready.”

Parallel to the Armory was a room dedicated to sparring sessions and anything else of the sort. Aside from plush carpeting in the center to indicate the designated area of dueling and banners of the kingdom’s flag draped from the ceiling, the interior was rather bare.

“Be nice,” the Pegasus Knight warned under his breath.

In turn, Hyungwon merely gazed at him in unamusement. “Oh sure, remind us prior to the sparring session will you?” his attention was shifted towards the adjacent redhead. “Regardless of what my father orders, there are better things to occupy ourselves with other than fighting. I hope you’re ready to spar, because I’d rather not linger here too long.”

“I’m always ready, though I’m still prepared to do as you say,” Minhyuk responded cheerfully as he extended his hand towards the prince of Athos.

Hyungwon raised an eyebrow. “And what would you like me to do with your hand?”

“Take it and shake it! It’s a Westran custom to do so before significant activities, including sparring sessions,” the Westran prince replied, unfazed by his hesitance. In fact, he was rather eager to shake hands, ecstatic when Hyungwon molded his hand with his for a moment.

“Hm.” retracting his hand quickly, Hyungwon rubbed his palm against the fabric of his blazer, hand resting on his left side as his right directed his sword to his soon-to-be opponent. 

“At arms, princes. General rules apply. No fatalities, of course, nor should there be foul play. This session is meant for you two to get a glimpse of eachother’s fighting styles, to figure out where we can strengthen any noticeable weaknesses,” declared Hoseok as he folded his arms across his chest as best he could. His muscular arms covered in armor could only allow him to do so much.

Minhyuk nodded, raising his blade to point it towards his sparring partner who did the same. The edge of the blades rested upon eachother momentarily, the sharp surfaces of steel incrusted with patterns and sigils of their respective kingdoms reflecting a bit of light from parallel directions.

Waiting for the cue, Hyungwon gripped the hilt of the rapier tightly, and was the first to strike once the Pegasus Knight announced they could commence. 

The initial hit was easy to for Minhyuk to block, though it was well enough to lift the corners of his lips. In response to the attack, the Westran prince took a light swing upwards, to which Hyungwon ended up ducking to dodge.

Carrying the first motion, Minhyuk swung his blade downwards to take a strike from there. The prince of Athos stepped backwards to avoid the blade, though he slightly faltered in the process.

Narrowing his eyes at his opponent and his methods, Hyungwon’s gaze met with Minhyuk’s. With his mere expression alone the redhead urged him to come forward, and Hyungwon obliged.

Their blades clashed harshly as Minhyuk lifted his sword to parry the action, and almost effortlessly he sent the prince stumbling back with an additional push forward.

Much to his surprise, Hyungwon found himself as the one constantly initiating combat. So much for the Westran methods he had heard tales of, he thought bitterly, for Minhyuk was the least bit vicious. Perhaps it was because he was a prince? That seemed to explain it in his mind. Still, the encouraging glances Hoseok gave Hyungwon urged him to at least try being kind.

“You have a refined fighting style… for a Westran,” Hyungwon attempted to compliment the prince.

Hoseok grimaced at the poor choice of wording, but Minhyuk seemed to have taken it differently. He grinned radiantly, clearly pleased by it instead. 

“Thanks,” the redhead responded as he deflected yet another attack. The way he spoke so informally while fighting back so effortlessly gave Hyungwon chills. “You are pretty strong yourself, hm? Especially for an Athosian.”

Instead of chills, the words suddenly set a spark within him. “How could I not be?” Hyungwon narrowed his eyes, stepping back with his sword by his side. It was a different notion, to put it lightly. Rather reckless, and certainly nothing he had tried before. But the more he shared a gaze with his opponent, the more his willpower ignited.

“Shall we finally commence the child’s play this sparring session has become?”

Without warning, Minhyuk lunged forward. Not in a savage, brutal way the Athosian prince would expect from a Westran, a threatening way he could scarcely process.

Hyungwon only had time to lift his sword in defence, but the distance between himself and the opposing blade seemed non-existent in the heat of the moment. A blur of silver came much too close to his face. Had he reacted a split second later, the prince may have been unable to prevent it from coming in contact with his flesh.

But with the overwhelming force Minhyuk had exerted, he managed to cast the rapier aside. The sword was released from Hyungwon’s grip, clattering against the surface of the floor with a number of metallic thuds.

“Was that too much?” Minhyuk asked sheepishly, sheathing his sword only to fiddle with the scabbard soon after.

Hyungwon stared off blankly, slowly bringing up a hand to caress his delicate facial features. Almost as if he were in a trance, recalling the previous moments to process them once more. Noticing this, Hoseok stepped over to give his friend a nudge, but the Athosian prince snapped out of it and jerked himself away from his reach.

Then he turned his attention towards Minhyuk. Hardening his gaze to glare a fury of daggers in his direction, Hyungwon gave one last huff before storming towards the direction of the doorway. 

The Westran’s smile faltered completely, replaced with an expression of concern and guilt. “Wait, Hyungwon! I’m sorry!”

But his efforts to apologize were in vain. The fleeing prince paid no mind to the apology, and by the time he was moving down the hallway with his fists clenched at his side, Hyungwon could scarcely process the duo of voices that were practically begging him to return.

“If you forfeit the match it will lead to your defeat!” Hoseok called out as his final attempt of persuasion. But alas the prince did not listen, nor did he hear the remark to begin with. He was already exiting the corridor, slipping out into the courtyard outside. 

Scowling in defeat, the Pegasus Knight then turned towards the other prince who remained. “You’ll have to excuse him for his, how should I put this, unpleasant behavior. He often acts like that, so allow me to apologize for his actions in his place.”

For the first time, Minhyuk’s lips tightened to form a thin line as his eyebrows furrowed downwards. “Where do you think he went?” disregarding Hoseok’s excuses, the Westran seemed eager to initiate pursuit.

“Well I,” Hoseok cleared his throat while straightening his stance. “My best bet would be the garden in this side of the castle, Your Highness.”

And with a quick thanks after the response, Minhyuk was off, and the Pegasus Knight was left in the dust as he stood within the now-empty-room in total isolation.

Hoseok’s estimation was correct, at the least. 

With his feet fixated on the winding cobblestone pathways, Hyungwon was well into the tranquil exterior of the palace that was the garden in all its glory.

Expertly weaving his way through the introductive section of corpulent hedges, he found himself by the flowerbeds. His eyes softened at the sight of flora sprouting from the plots of rich soil, colors molding together so flawlessly that it was pleasing to the eye.

And so Hyungwon stood there for who knows how long, entranced by the beauty of the garden as if he were captivated by an adamant spell courtesy of the flowers he was surrounded by.

But much like an antidote, one voice in the distance was able to snap Hyungwon out of his enchantment. Minhyuk had been calling out the name of the Athosian prince as if it were the only thing he could muster. Although a repetitive notion, Hyungwon couldn’t decide if he was irritated or enthralled by his persistence.

“There you are!” Minhyuk exclaimed in relief, running up to Hyungwon’s side with his signature smile still in tow. In turn, the Athosian shifted in stance to face him. He did not mirror the same expression, nor did he offer any sort of remorse.

Hyungwon huffed, pursing his lips soon afterwards. After much contemplation in regards to his response, he spoke. “You weren’t asked to come find me.” 

“No, but I chose to,” the redhead responded nonchalantly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just wanted to congratulate you on your victory.”

“Victory?” Hyungwon echoed, raising an eyebrow. A lack of “intelligence” was the first stereotype to be somewhat confirmed among Westrans. At least, that’s what the Athosian prince thought, and he would have said so if it weren’t for the confusion.

Minhyuk nodded. “Yes. Perhaps Hoseok considered your leave as a forfeit, but the match had already ceased before that point.” He gestured towards the sword that hung idly upon the prince’s baldric. “Foul play was forbidden, but my attempt of attack had the potential to be lethal,” his eyes suddenly lit up as his statement came to a close. “Ah, but I owe you an apology for that as well!”

“Don’t state those points as if I were fragile enough to perish from a single blow,” the prince of Athos snapped without second thought. Yet something in the way Minhyuk stared at him caused his hostility to retreat, and Hyungwon took a step back. “But I appreciate your logic almost as much as I agree with it.”

Minhyuk stepped closer. He was significantly shorter than the fellow royal, but his firm stance and solid gaze was enough to make it seem like their height was on par. “You’re bold, Hyungwon. Keep that courage and confidence with you. Others may force you to limit it, but those are the very qualities you’ll require if you want to matter in a match.”

He was close. Much too close for Hyungwon to tolerate. It was almost as if he could feel the heat of the flame that burned deep within Minhyuk’s eyes, contagious enough to ignite a fire within himself as well. Something had awoken within his body and forced him to direct his attention towards the man in front of him. The latest sensation inside of him wanted to nod in agreement, to thank Minhyuk to be the first individual to accept his personality let alone praise it.

But Hyungwon said nothing. He furrowed his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, replaying Minhyuk’s words in his mind without response. 

The Westran did not fail to maintain his smile, but he did relax his position as he rested a hand on the surface of his unsheathed blade. “I’m just being honest with you. You’re really more than just a pretty face.”

Now it was Hyungwon’s cue to look away. Averting his gaze to face the flowerbeds adjacent to him, the spark within the pit of his stomach rose to his cheeks. He was most certainly aware of his vanity, proud of it too, so what difference did it make if Minhyuk was yet another person to compliment him for it? The prince cursed the blush that must have been tainting his face.

Minhyuk too, however, directed his attention elsewhere. Somewhere in the distance ー somewhere that didn’t seem awfully far ー was a faint mixture of sounds that were only intended for the beginning of a battle. His right hand found its way against the hilt of his sword, and his left tugged at Hyungwon’s sleeve. Minhyuk cursed at the fact he failed to bring Hyungwon’s rapier along before he abandoned Hoseok in the room they sparred in, for his senses told him they would need the weapon in the very near future.

“What is it?” Hyungwon had to stop himself from jerking away from the sudden contact. 

“I don’t know yet.” Minhyuk’s expression set into a firm glare. He was turned towards the end of the garden, the edge of the wall that peered across the outside of the castle. There was nothing to provide them with protection above their heads, and the garden was a long stretch before there was any entrance to the interior.

However, before he could decide if it was worth making a run for it, a frenzy of arrows was shot from below the castle’s edge. Within seconds they were cutting through air, already tilting downwards to impale whatever they would land on. The two princes widened their eyes once they caught sight of the flames laced around the arrowheads, staring for a brief moment before Minhyuk pushed himself against Hyungwon in a frantic attempt to dodge.

Murmured yelling rose from the ground level of the castle’s exterior, the only sounds the princes heard as they tumbled backwards. Minhyuk scrambled off of Hyungwon muttering inaudible apologies for using him as a landing surface, but the Athosian was too alarmed by the sudden attack to realize all the soil that tainted himself upon landing. 

The arrows had landed upon various different plantation within the garden. Fire engulfed the hedges and shrubs alike, and smell of smoke tinged the prince’s nostrils unpleasantly. Judging from what else Minhyuk could hear, it would not be the first round of arrows to be unleashed, and not the only form of onslaught either.

Then he heard footsteps from afar. Without taking any closer inspection, Minhyuk unsheathed his sword that rested idly within his baldric. He pointed it towards the first people that came to view ー two men Hyungwon recognized as Hyunwoo and Changkyun ー with hostility.

“Lower your weapon, Minhyuk!” Hyungwon demanded, but the prince still stood his ground.

Minhyuk had even taken a few steps forward when Hyunwoo raised a hand to cast a spell, but was surprised to watch the Butler send a beam of water to fight against the fire that had been burning the largest hedge.

“Your Highnesses!” Changkyun exclaimed in distraught as he ran, fumbling with a bow in his hands while trying to keep the quiver slung across his shoulder at bay. “It’s the Sedronites, they’re attempting to siege the castle!”

“What? Who would be rash enough to attempt a castle siege this early?” Minhyuk’s eyes widened in absolute shock. He relaxed his arm and allowed Hyunwoo to pass, and the man proceeded to douse out the other remaining flames.

“Apparently the Sedronites,” Hyungwon responded. “But it’s foolish for them to act so soon. None of us have even engaged in any sort of combat with each other, let alone attempt to reason. If anything, we were the ones who were supposed to make the first move.”

Letting out a hushed sigh, Minhyuk shook his head. “Then we’ve got no choice but to defend.” The Westran turned to face the steward. “Changkyun, was it? Why don’t you stand your ground here while I take Hyungwon back to the Armory to fetch a weapon or two?”

Changkyun’s eyes lit up with newfound hope. After all, he had grabbed the weapon for a reason. “You’d allow me to do that, Your Highness?” he asked for confirmation. For someone so secretly unpleased with their career, it seemed too good to be true.

Which it was unfortunately so. Hyungwon was swift to intervene, immediately disapproving of the notion. “No, Changkyun. We have no time to waste. Hand over the bow and quiver. I’m unarmed yet more capable in combat than you ever will be. You have better things to do as a steward! Did you not think of rounding up others within the castle to form a better line of defense?”

The steward lowered his head in dismay, reluctantly obliging to the prince’s orders. At first he did not utter a single word, but as he watched Hyungwon awkwardly seize the bow and quiver, Changkyun could not help but comment. “Do you know how to use a bow?”

Hyungwon’s eyes narrowed into slits, and the steward soon wished he had held his tongue. However, the prince soon admitted to his lack of experience with the weapon, to which Minhyuk offered up his sword instead.

“We can switch for the time being. I know a thing or two about archery,” the Westran prince declared. “After all, we’ve got no time to waste.” He turned to Hyunwoo, where the two shared silent nods before carrying on with their business. He also sent Changkyun an apologetic look before gesturing towards Hyungwon.

“Do you think it’s still possible to reason with the Sedronites once we face them?” Minhyuk inquired as the Athosian prince led him towards the direction of the castle’s front.

“Judging from their kind and their current actions…” the corners of Hyungwon’s lips dipped downwards. “I highly doubt it.”