Confusion inside the court

Hoya marched along the corridors with a mind set. He threw open the door’s to the throne hall without paying any mind to courtesy. All eyes turned towards him, except the one person's who’s attention he craved; Sunggyu kept his gaze on a decidedly boring looking document.

“Have you heard the news?” Hoya demanded of the king. Sunggyu sighed but kept dismissing his vigorous general; “Yes, I have. But there is no profe that it really is him”. “It is, and you know it. Who else could it be?” Hoya opposed and continued, an almost mad glint on his eyes; “Let me go after him. He is now valuable to the kingdom. Think about it; soldiers healing on the front, able to battle again. It’s a real advantage!”

Sunggyu rubbed his temples, finally lifting his eyes. “We are not going to war, and if you keep waging it then I shall have to reconsider your post.” Hoya grit his teeth in an attempt to bite back his frustration. The king’s eyes softened; “Why don’t you take some time of. I have plenty of good men to stand in for you untill you gather your thoughts. My advice to you is to forget about your brother for now; there is nothing you can do for him from here”.

Even if Hoya was Sunggyu’s general, he was also one of his few good friends. The life of a king-to-be can be lonely, and actually having the post of a king is even lonelier.

“Yes there is” Hoya said sternly, his face devoid of any human emotion; “we put a price on his head”.

* * *

“I think we have a problem” Woohyun announced when Dongwoo opened the door for him. “Come on in” Dongwoo said and made room for the king’s advisor to pass through. Woohyun found that they were not alone; Myungsoo was already sipping tea next to a homely little fire.

What Dongwoo’s appartment lacked in size, it made up for in character. Memories from his time on the circus were sprinkled between herbs and medical equipments, cabinets were brightly colored and green plants flourished next to the curiously rounded windows that opened to a small kitchen-garden. There were three doors; the outdoor naturally, one leading to a bedroom and another connecting the house to the castle; the one Woohyun had just knocked on. The house was actually a sort of extension on the stone wall, originally built for the main cook to live in.

“So, what is it?” Dongwoo asked Woohyun after they were all seated. It felt uncomfortably lot like a conspiracy to him. “It’s Hoya; he is planning on getting Sungjong wanted” Woohyun told them. “He’s starting to get desperate, then” Dongwoo thought aloud. “Wait, why is this a bad thing?” Myungsoo asked. Woohyun gave him a look; “Have you ever met a bounty hunter?” he asked sharply. “Even if they managed to bring him here alive, there is no guranteeing what shape he would be in” Dongwoo explained. “Or in how many pieces” Woohyun added. That shut Myungsoo’s mouth for a moment, while Woohyun and Dongwoo kept on discussing the matter of beating some sense into Hoya.

“There is one more problem.” Myungsoo jumped back into the conversation after staring at his lap for a while. “I can no longer hold of my mom with evasive answers; she says she’s coming here” he said darkly. Dongwoo didn’t look at all considered, but Woohyun’s eyes widened in shock. He was the only one in the room besides Myungsoo to have met the woman, and thus able to understand the full horror of her arrival.

“No she isn’t” Woohyun insisted, terror in his eyes. “I’m afraid she’s already on her way; she said she’d leave on the 15^th if I wasn’t there. Which I obviously am not” Myungsoo said, earning another petrified look from Woohyun. “Yeah, so I’m leaving while I still can. I’m going to fetch Sungjong back.” Myungsoo declared. “You know, if you say it like that it sounds more like you’re running away from omma than going on an adventure to save the princess”, Woohyun remarked. "I don't aprove of either one of those descriptions", Myungsoo protested.

“Sungjong’s stubborn at best, and if he’s convinced that what he’s doing is right, there is no way you’re getting him back willingly” Dongwoo cut in. Myugsoo frowned at the words; they held too much truth in them. “Maybe he’s started to miss home”, he suggested. “Have you not heard the stories going around; people love him. He’s probably leading a pretty comfortable life right now”.

* * *

Dongwoo's prediction was spot on;

As they travelled trough small, supposedly isolated villages, Sungyeol soon found out that the troubadour had kept true to his word. The rumor about Cheonjaga Geum fled before them, and Sungjong did nothing to unravel it.

First, of course, they had had to be subtle, simply asking to bless the ill. When they were cured by Sungjong’s golden light, he and his company were treated like saints. On the fourth village they were known already, and directed to the sickhouse with bows and smiles.

“Now this is the life” Sungyeol said after throwing a grape in the air and catching it with his mouth.“Maybe we should just stay here. I could say that you’re the god’s child or something” the trickster continued, reaching for another fruit. Sungjong pulled the bowl out of Sungyeol’s reach to gain his attention. “If you keep that up we’ll both end up stoned for blasphemy” he said seriously.

Sungyeol’s actions were worrying Sungjong, expecially since he wasn’t allowed to speak much in the presense of others “in order to not blow his cover”. Sungyeol had been modest at first, but now he’d obviously begun to enjoy their position. The worst part was that they didn’t even have to ask for anything now; it was all provided.

“Oh, please. I was only kidding, my lord” Sungyeol said and smiled widely as Sungjong handed him back the bowl after a long look.

‘It’s village number seven’, Sungjong calculated. ‘We’ve been on the road for three weeks, and I’ve only managed to heal 19 people, including the troubadour… There must be a more effective way to do this.’

“If you think too hard you’ll get a hernia” Sungyeol remarked, shaking Sungjong of his daze. “That doesn’t even make any—“, Sungjong began, but stopped after catching Sungyeol’s expression. “You should rest, stop pushing yourself for a moment” Sungyeol said.

Sungjong kept quiet; this was the right path, he felt it. There was nothing that could turn him on his tracks now.