“What’s taking them so long?” A certain red head asked one of his trusted knights.

 

 

 

            “I am unsure, Sire.” Siwon replied, many different thoughts running through his head over the oddly concerned prince.

 

 

            “Shouldn’t they be back by now?” Eunhyuk asked again, shifting in his chair.

 

 

            “They could arrive at any given time, there is no telling when.”

 

 

            “Usually it only takes a few hours to get to the lower towns, and his mother’s house can’t be too far from the towns.”

 

 

            “My lord?”

 

 

            “I’m only saying that if they stayed there overnight then they should be back by the afternoon, yet it’s almost past dinner.”

 

 

            “Perhaps if you were to finish your food, then they would get back.” The handsome man tried to have Eunhyuk finish his dinner, as for the twenty minutes it has sat in front of him, not a nibble was taken.

 

 

            “I’m not hungry.” He mumbled, biting his lip as he got up from the wooden chair. Choosing to walk over to the large window and stare outside. There was a vast amount of land that the young prince would inherit when he becomes king, many people to reside over, never ending duties to be fulfilled, a wife to be married, children to be had, and many other responsibilities. Yet, nothing your average prince would be fretting over was on Eunhyuk’s mind.

 

 

            “You must eat to gain strength needed for the tournament tomorrow.” Siwon tried again.

 

 

            “I said I wasn’t hungry. I’ll eat a hearty breakfast in the morning.” With that, the prince walked to his bed and laid down on the bed sheets. He was too tired and confused to be troubled with undressing or getting under the covers.

 

 

What the hell are those two doing? He thought, cursing himself for getting so bent out of shape over a servant. Why is that brat making me so worried? I should be thinking of Kyu and not a filthy ruffian as him.

 

 

            “Sire, you shouldn’t worry so much, I’m sure the two of them are fine, they probably just got caught up in the storm.” Siwon tried to calm the prince’s spirits.

 

 

            “The storm?”

 

 

            “Yes, Prince Eunhyuk, there are large storm clouds hovering over the lower towns. It should reach the castle in a matter of hours.”

 

 

            Upon hearing this, the red head shot up from his bed and ran to the window. Peering towards the large and quite obvious dark clouds that he had somehow overlooked before.

 

 

            “Well now, that looks like it could wreck a house…” He said aloud, his eyes widening after a flash of lighting struck before his eyes.

 

 

 

 

            Meanwhile, Donghae and Kyuhyun had left the small cabin in the woods, and were making their way towards the city when a sudden downpour fell. Catching them both by surprise, they kicked their horses’ sides and managed to get to the small blacksmith’s shop.

 

            The horses staying dry inside a sheep barn just across the road. While the two boys dried their clothes by the fire within the shop.

 

 

            Donghae peeled his wet shirt over his head, laying it across iron bars. Rummaging through the boxes near the fire pit, he pulled out the tools to make a fire. Once the bright red and orange flames burned, spreading a warmth that made his skin tingle. Donghae sighed, enjoying the newfound heat, and shuffled closer, bringing his shirt just close enough so that it wouldn’t catch on fire.

 

 

            Kyuhyun, grateful that the older boy was a skilled in creating fire, brought over a stool next to the flames. Although, unlike the brunet he didn’t take his wet clothing off. Donghae frowned at this, and tried to resist the urge to just pull the wet cloth off.

 

 

            “Why aren’t you taking your shirt off?” He asked instead.

 

 

            “I know you like me, but I don’t think we’re that far into the relationship yet.” The young redhead simply said, smirking as he watched the brunet’s flustered reaction.

 

 

            “I-I don’t like you! It’s just that you have to take it off so that it can dry, otherwise you could get sick.”           

 

 

            “That’s okay, I don’t get sick anymore. I used to get sick a lot when I was little, so now I’ve built up a tolerance to it.”

 

 

            “Yeah right, there’s no such thing. Hurry up and take it off now.”

 

 

            Kyuhyun hesitated, an uncertain look crossing his face. He’ll see them, so I can’t. He thought, shaking his head and clenching the wet tunic. Seeing the refusal, Donghae stood up and walked over to knight wannabe. Placing one hand on his wet shoulder, Donghae stared into the younger’s eyes, sending an apology through his mind.

 

 

            In one swift movement, the nineteen year old pulled Kyuhyun’s hands upwards, grabbing his shirt. Yanking it off of his head and leaving the boy half . Stunned and confused at what had just happened, Kyuhyun sat with his mouth open.

 

 

            “Yah! What the was that for?!” Kyuhyun yelled, snapping out of it and quickly hugging himself so his body wasn’t shown.

 

 

            “Oh come on, I didn’t want to have to bring a sick little boy back. Who knows what Prince Eunhyuk would have done to me?” Donghae says, placing the shirt on the iron rack next to his own.

 

 

            “You have absolutely no manners at all.” Kyuhyun pouted, shifting closer to the fire.

 

 

            “Why didn’t you want your shirt off anyways?” Donghae asked, glancing at the seventeen year old’s pale chest that he was desperately hiding.

 

 

            “I-It’s nothing.”

 

 

            “Of course it’s something.”

 

 

            “No it’s not.”

 

 

            “Are you really skinny and weird looking or something?” Donghae asked, now curious to the shy boy’s reason.

 

 

            “No way! I’ve got an awesome six pack.” Kyuhyun defended, staring ahead into the fire.

 

 

            “Seriously, you can tell me. I may just forgive you for everything that happened yesterday.” He bargained. Now that a day had passed, he felt bad for what he had so harshly said to the boy. Although his kind still angered him, there was a part of the brunet that wanted to believe Kyuhyun was a good person. That not all noble blooded people were evil.

 

            Looking up at Donghae, who had now retreated back to his makeshift chair that was an anvil, Kyuhyun chose to tell him. Something only the people closest to him knew about, he would tell a boy he had only known for a few days.

 

 

            “Fine, I’ll tell you. But in return, you have to be nicer to me and Hyukjae.”

 

 

            “Why him?”

 

 

            “Because I said so.”

 

 

            “Whatever.” Donghae grunted, curiosity getting the better of him.

 

 

            “When I was really little, around eleven or twelve years ago, I was kidnapped. I used to live with my mother, father, and a big sister in a

small house a kingdom over, but one night our house was broken into and my family was killed. The robbers took me and I was trapped in a dark room for what seemed like months. Although only a week and a half had passed. I was close to dying, they would come in and torture me for hours at end, only giving me a drop of water and a piece of moldy bread.” Kyuhyun stopped, choking up at the hidden memories.

 

 

            “You don’t have to go on…” Donghae said, feeling his own eyes well up at the sad story.

 

 

            “Nah, it’s okay. I’m over it now, but the scars are still there,” he removed his hands to show the many different marks on his body, scars of different lengths and sizes covered his chest and stomach, even on his back. “The only thing that bugs me is why they did it. Probably just for fun, to mess with some five year old kid who couldn’t fight back. They were so cruel and every day they came I only wanted them to die, get a taste of their own medicine maybe.”

 

 

            “H-How did you g-get out?” Donghae croaked out, feeling so sad for the mature childlike boy before him.

 

 

            “You probably won’t believe me if I told you, so let’s leave that for another day. But my saviour is the one who brought me to this kingdom and let me live my life in peace. I’m even training to be a knight, a little kid from the slums like me.” Kyuhyun laughed, smiling fondly as he thought of how much has changed. “Oh but, the person who saved me got injured, he has a scar on his hand from the fight.”

 

 

            Kyuhyun finished, and looked beside him, only to be engulfed in a bear hug that knocked them both to the ground. Donghae’s wet tears fell on Kyuhyun’s skin, his arms wrapping around the younger’s body.

 

 

            “I-I’m so sorry! You had to go through such a thing when you were young!” He cried, the pit of his stomach filling with remorse for having said such horrible things to him. He’s not even of noble blood. Donghae thought, letting his head fill with nothing but tears.

 

 

            “H-Hey, why are you the one crying?” Kyuhyun asked, awkwardly patting the boy’s back to calm him down.

 

 

            Just as Donghae was about to get up, there was the loud sound of horse’s galloping along the mud. The sound stopping in front of the blacksmith’s store, and mud splashing in both of the half- boy’s faces.

 

 

            “What the is going on?!” The loud and furious yell of Prince Eunhyuk brought the two out of their mud soaked trance, both of them looking up at the wet red head atop his horse. Siwon on his own horse beside him and looking at the scene with wonder.

 

 

            “P-P-Prince Eunh-hyuk…” Donghae blubbered, his sobs echoing through the small shop, then being drained out by the rain.

 

 

            Caught off guard at the sight of his personal servant bawling his eyes out, in the arms of his best friend. Eunhyuk didn’t know what he should do, or what was going on. All that he was certain of was the immense feeling that was growing inside of him. It was a mix of things he hadn’t felt in a long time. Jealousy being one of them.

 

 

            Jumping down from his horse, Eunhyuk grabbing Donghae from the ground. Pushing the still crying brunet onto his horse, he shot a confused look to his friend on the ground who was just as curious as to what was happening. Climbing back on his horse, Eunhyuk made way back to the palace, with Donghae clutching to his back.

 

 

            “What was all that about?” Siwon asked, helping Kyuhyun from the ground.

 

 

            “I have absolutely no idea.” Kyuhyun said, gathering his things and the two other horses.

 

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