The young prince stood in the middle of the palace garden, big brown eyes wandering without a particular focal point. His lips held a smile, warm, but not heated as he bends down and reaches forward to pluck a small, yellow flower from its stalk with the tips of his delicate fingers. He brings the flower close to his face, observing how every single petal was placed ever so perfectly and how they glistened with morning dew, beautifully, right down to the last silken petal. Lowering his head and shutting his eyes, he inhales deeply, taking in the sugar-sweet scent of the flower’s nectar. Those long lashes casted faint shadows across his delicate face, further defining the gentle slopes across the porcelain surface. He listens to the sparrows sing their morning songs and the rippling of water as the mandarin ducks ruffle their feathers in the crystal pond. This was the peacefulness Luhan savored, his reason for waking right as dawn broke. This was his daily escape from his hectic lifestyle as next heir to the throne. And now, with the war raging between the Han and Wu Empire, it wasn't any better to say the least.

Luhan heaved a sigh at the thought of the chaotic state of his kingdom and the suffering of all his people, all those innocent lives wasted away to meaningless warfare. He hated that, and most of all he hated the man behind the silk curtain, pulling all the strings; Wu Yifan. He was the Wu emperor’s firstborn son, a cruel, ruthless and heartless man. It was believed that he overtook kingdoms without even batting an eyelid as his troops rampaged through villages and cities, wrecking havoc and causing destruction. They were known to never stop killing, crushing, burning mercilessly as the hooves of their warhorses trample over the debris and dead civilians, until all that is left is dust, ashes and bone.

 

A cool, gentle breeze blows into the calmness of the tranquil garden, playing with the wind chimes hanging by one of the high branches of the trees by the pond and startling the doe-eyed boy from his troubled thoughts. Luhan shudders, glad to be jolted from his nightmarish imagination. He detested the sight of even a person suffering in pain. Just the hint of blood or the scent of it made him want to throw up and hearing the agonizing screams of a person being tortured or killed made him light-headed and faint. He didn't like the hurt in this world, and he wanted it all to just stop.

 

“Sehun-ah, come here, won’t you?”

 

Luhan calls out, his soft drawl resounding throughout the quiet of the palace garden. His vivid eyes were focused on the garden gate, awaiting the familiar jingling of bells in which was like music to his ears. Sehun snaps to attention and glances around before hurrying over to the voice with light footsteps and a hand on the hilt of his sword. Sehun was Luhan’s bodyguard, appointed by the emperor himself to watch over their first and only son, Luhan, who is the next and only rightful heir to the throne. But over the years, their relationship took a dive into the deep end and they became close friends, unknown by the imperial courts of course. Slowly but surely, Sehun found himself falling for his master, and the constant body contact with him only made it worse. Sehun wasn't sure if it was just his master being overly affectionate by nature or he felt the same way too.

 

The bodyguard breathes a sigh of relief when he sees that his master is alright and he bows a full 90 degrees in respect,

 

“Your Highness.”

 

Luhan’s pinkish lips turn into a pout as he taps his finger against Sehun’s forehead, reminding him gently,

 

“Yah! Hunnie I’ve told you many times before, you don't have to be so formal with me.”

 

A tinkling sort of laughter spills from the crown prince’s lips as his subject blinks as if in slight daze at his touch. Sehun felt his heart swell as he too couldn't help but smile slightly; it had been so long since he had heard his prince’s childish laughter, and he missed it, so very much.

 

“Now, come sit over here for a bit,”

 

Sehun moves forward as if being blown by the wind, with nobody to catch him off guard or push him forward, he moves on his own consent.

 

The reason his master always got what he wanted, was through Sehun. Who frankly, detested his master’s… ‘talent’

 

Now that Sehun was where Luhan wanted him to be, he could see that Luhan was picking flowers and feeding the ducks. Stalks of colors were gently cut and lowered into a bamboo-woven bread basket by his feet, Luhan’s right hand on tree bark and other on Sehun’s shoulder.

 

Before the boy could reeducate his beloved prince about physical contact between a Royal body and a servant of lower status, Luhan speaks up, teeth chewing on his lower lip tentatively.

 

“Sehun…I’m scared for our country, and my people…”

 

Sehun swallows thickly and looks into those deep mahogany eyes, searching for a clue or sign for what to say, but his mouth runs dry. The basket floats over to Sehun’s lap and Luhan takes a seat on the marble bench next to Sehun. Now it wasn't prince talking to guard or master talking to servant. It was close friends talking, together, sitting in lush greenery full of pastel and neon colors. Luhan’s small hands find Sehun’s and the thin fingers wrap around the appendage tightly,

 

“That man is a maniac, what, with all that bloodshed and his territory growing bigger day by day. He is rumored to have some power, so great that makes him god-like. And really, I don't know what I can do…”

 

Sehun his lips, a bad habit of his that should be corrected, and looks Luhan in the eye, trying to convey his message clearly,

 

“Don’t worry your majesty, your father has built a strong and powerful kingdom. There are many strong and loyal men out there in the battleground fighting to protect our country. Yifan is a powerful man, but he is no god, his tyranny will have to end some day.”

 

“Thank you Sehun.”

 

 The younger feels his breath get knocked out of him ad Luhan collides into his chest with a hug, arms pulling the male ever so close until his chin rested on the prince’s nape.

 

“I don’t know what I’d do without you…”

 

This time Sehun doesn't have the heart to correct Luhan.

Instead, even though he knows their love will never happen, he returns the hug and burries his head in the curve of his Luhan’s neck, taking in the soothing scent of vanilla on Luhan’s body and letting himself go further than he had gone in a long, long time.

 

“It’ll be okay Prin—Luhan.” Sehun stutters as he corrects himself and whispers gently into the shell of Luhan’s ear. Part of him thinks he is just trying to convince himself, not Luhan,

 

“I’ll always be by your side.”