The Fight

"So, Lady Jiyeon, besides riding, what do you like to do in your free time?" Jungkook sighed, pulling Twilight to a stop as they reached the border, prince Mingyu stopping beside them. "You do not seem like one of those horsy people who stay in the saddle all day long?"

"I like to read," He didn't add comics or manhwa at the back of that sentence. He doubted either existed here. "And I draw sometimes."

"You should definitely draw something for me sometime!" Mingyu seemed genuinely interested in him. "Do you paint, or draw with charcoal?" Jungkook cocked an eyebrow, looking confused. Charcoal? Could you even draw with that?

Mingyu noticed that "I mean do you use paints or it is just black and white?" Jungkook made an 'oh' with his mouth. "Paints," He answered. He wondered if people used crayons or watercolor here. The anciant people probably used dyes and canvas paper to draw with. "I used to paint with brushes."

"You should show me," Mingyu grinned, hopping off his horse and offering Jungkook a hand. Jungkook pointedly ignored it, dismounting gracefully and retying the belt of his riding leathers. It made no sense to wear a pretty skirt when he was out buying saddles, so he'd opted for the more comfortable option. The black woolen tunic suited his frame well, and it somehow managed to accentuate his feminine curves without seeming too vulgar. Shinhwa certainly had an eye for fashion.

She'd make a great fashion designer at home, Jungkook thought longingly, his mind wandering and his eyes becoming unfocused. Mingyu snapped his fingers in front of Jungkook's eyes, and he snapped back to reality. "What?"

"I see you daydream a lot, Jiyeon," Mingyu teased, Jungkook frowning in disapproval. "Your thoughts wander, and I wonder what is it that you think of so frequently, or whom." Jungkook rolled his eyes, exasperated at the playboy prince. "And you have no shame like your brother, it seems."

"My brother is not shameless, he is merely too stonehearted to know what shame is," Mingyu chuckled. "If he knew that that particular emotion was called shame he would have thrown himself off a cliff by now."

It was like a lightbulb flicked itself on in Jungkook's mind, and he suddenly realized why he had that instant dislike for Mingyu. It was wrong, but Jungkook completely understood. It was because Mingyu was alike to Jungkook, in more ways than imaginable. He and Mingyu shared many traits, the tendency to tease when they were uneasy, the snappish temperament, and that easy, disguised smile. Mingyu and Jungkook could be brothers, in a way.

"That is partally true," Jungkook nodded, his head still swimming with the sudden realization. "I believe we have a job to do here."

"Of course, my lady," Mingyu bowed mockingly, offering Jungkook his arm. "Shall we?"

And for the first time, Jungkook took it with a smile, thinking that maybe, just maybe, he could break down Mingyu's walls, and he could see what was truly happening.

Taehyung stood afar from the duo, watching as Jiyeon and Mingyu strolled off together into the bustling town. Jiyeon was smiling, and so was Mingyu, and Taehyung felt his face harden. Mingyu was falling for the deceptive appearance far too easily, and it was wrong, far too wrong. Mingyu was supposed to hold Jiyeon at an arm's length, not befriend her.

But then Mingyu was the same age as Jiyeon, and they had grew up together, so he might have some troubled emotions over the sudden change in his childhood friend. Taehyung had never been really close to Jiyeon like Mingyu was, but even he had sensed something wrong. Jiyeon was usually calm, pliant, but this Jiyeon was fiery, sassy and burning with some sort of energy Taehyung had never seen before. It was too alike to Mingyu's own fire.

Taehyung moved quietly, stealthily, following Mingyu and Jiyeon through the place, dodging behind shops or pretending to look at something when Jiyeon looked around, her gaze piercing. That girl was too sharp for her own good. Mingyu knew Taehyung was watching them, and he took Jiyeon on a dance around town, leading Taehyung on a merry chase.

Taehyung glowered when he saw Mingyu placing a fine jade bracelet on Jiyeon's hand, smiling at her on a way that could only be described as tender. Mingyu was not supposed to play around with her, and yet here he was, buying her gifts and showering her with affections. Taehyung wanted to rush over and slap some sense into his little brother. Mingyu had always been too subceptive, and it would make it all the easier for Jiyeon to trap him in her web of lies.

Taehyung felt a rush of hate in him for the girl, giggling with Mingyu, but he fought the urge to run and pull Mingyu away from her. Mingyu was smart enough to know what he was supposed to do, and Taehyung had to trust him on this one. He had been Mingyu's protective big brother for most of his life now, and Mingyu was now independent enough to make his own choices.

But it didn't help the surge of helplessness as he watched Mingyu take Jiyeon's hand and stroll off, chattering happily together.

Taehyung didn't know where the sudden bitterness came from, either.

"This is gorgeous!" Jungkook exclaimed, running his fingers over the smooth leather of the brand new saddle. The man running the shop grinned at her, winking, "So you will take it?"

"Yes," Jungkook nodded, his eyes lighting up when the man pulled out a set of beautifully polished reins and attached them to the bridle that came with the saddle. "It's beautiful."

"Indeed," Mingyu popped out from nowhere, placing a hand on Jungkook's shoulder. "How much is it?"

"I asked Shinhwa, she's coming over to pay later," Jungkook shrugged the hand off, still a little uncomfortable with the friendly intimacy. Jungkook had only ever allowed Jimin to touch him with such familiar intimacy, and he wasn't quite ready for Mingyu to take that place yet. Even when Mingyu had took his hand and intertwined their fingers earlier, Jungkook had fought the urge to pull his hand back because it would seem suspicious.

"Let me pay it, as a gift for you," Mingyu smiled charmingly, and Jungkook winced internally when he realized that was how he used to seduce girls back at home. "BE a sport, Jiyeon."

"No," Jungkook rejected him point-blank. "You have already given me a dagger, and that is enough."

"You sting me, Lady Jiyeon," Mingyu feigned a face of injury, and Jungkook couldn't help but laugh at that. He had managed to control himself to (hopefully) ladylike giggles, but now he threw his head back and laughed, full-out chuckles and roars until he was breathles. Oh, it felt good to release that pent-up laughter.

"That was extremely unladylike, Lady Jiyeon," Mingyu joked as they left the shop side by side, Jungkook carrying the brand new saddle carefully. The jade bracelet Mingyu had insisted on buying glinted on his wrist, and Jungkook found that he really liked it. It was pretty, and for one time, Jungkook wanted to be pretty. He had always been chided for being too pretty for a man back home, which led to him working out like a madman, but now he had a chance to be himself, and he wasn't going to throw that chance away.

"I have never been one to act ladylike, Mingyu, and I th