Sehun walked into his room sluggish. He had had another tiring day of work. Mainly, chasing down the prince. He didn’t particularly enjoy his job. Babysitting, as he called it, someone the same age as him was nothing short of irritating, but he did it, and he did it well. Has been for the last ten years.

    What’d you do today? said Lu Han from Sehun’s bed. He didn’t actually say anything, but Sehun heard his voice in his head as if he had. Sehun smiled at his friend’s abilities, only to frown at the question.

    “He decided to run away again.” Sehun began taking off the thin robes he had to wear when he was out until he was down to the white, linen tunic and pale green trousers he usually wore around the house. He climbed onto his bed, stepped over his friend’s laying body, and sat with his back against the wall, his legs resting across Lu Han’s stomach.

    You found him, though, Lu Han smiled up at the ceiling, his hands folded beneath his head. He lifted his head to look at the younger, Did you do your… he flapped his hands around, trying to demonstrate the word.

    “Aerokinesis, Han.” Sehun leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes.

    “Yeah, that,” Lu Han finally used his voice, having gotten tired of using thought. He wasn’t able to use telepathy completely due to his seal. The most he could do was use it for a few minutes, or a few thoughts depending on how long they were.

    Today was unusual when it came to finding Jongin. Instead of go off to somewhere on the other side of the citadel, he constantly kept himself a few paces ahead of Sehun. Saying it irritated Sehun would have been an understatement.

    “No," Sehun sighed.

    “Why?” Lu Han sat up, pushing Sehun’s legs down his body. “You don’t have a seal yet, Sehun. You could do so much!” Ever the expressive one, Lu Han threw his arms about to get his point across.

    Sehun didn't argue. He knew Lu Han was right about him being able to use his powers as much as he wanted, but he always stopped himself out of fear of what might happen. Law of the Land stated that any who used their powers out of hand before their seals were in place would face punishment through their families. Meaning, Sehun’s mother, father, older brother, and baby sister would be punished for Sehun going too far. There had been whole families killed because of a minor’s idiotic actions, and Sehun refused to join that circle.

    “Han?” Sehun swung his legs off of Lu Han’s body and laid down beside him. Lu Han joined him and slid his arm under Sehun’s neck, making the younger find his place against his chest

    “This isn’t gonna be another one of those ‘secrets of our powers’ talks is it?” Lu Han grunted when Sehun punched his ribcage.

    “No,” Sehun sighed, “Just…is this really going to be the rest of my life? Watching that brat of a royal?”

    Lu Han released a strange sound and wrapped his arm around Sehun’s neck, “You’ve got it easy, kid.”

    “Easy?!” Sehun tried to escape Lu Han’s limb but ended up flailing on his bed. “Babysitting him is not easy!”

    “Yes, but while you play hide and seek with someone your age,” Lu Han loosened his grip enough to get Sehun to stop struggling, “I’m stuck in a dank library pouring over prophecies and doing all the whatever-mancies you can come up with.” Lu Han pat Sehun’s cheek with an odd sharpness. “Ovomancy, Sehun,” he drawled, “who the hell wants to sit and crack eggs all day?”

    “Anything to get away from that—”

    “Beauty? Stunner? Fine piece of a---”

    “Brat.” Sehun pinched Lu Han’s side, the older flinching slightly.

    “I was gonna say that next.”

    “You really think he’s that attractive?”

    “Gift from the Gods,” Lu Han laughed, “You expect me to believe you don’t?”

    “I’ve never thought about him like that.” Sehun shrugged his shoulder. He really hadn’t thought about how good looking Jongin was or wasn’t. He didn’t think he cared enough to.

    “It has nothing to do with thinking about him this way or that. It’s just basic acceptance that someone is attractive. Finding someone beautiful doesn’t mean you’re attracted to them. It just means you acknowledge that their parents did a very good job reproducing.” Sehun lifted his head and stared at his best friend. The other looked at him as if expecting a response, what that was Sehun had no idea. So, he improvised.

    “Oh, Lu Han!” He threw his arms around his friend, “When did you get so knowledgable! However will I handle this much wisdom from the magnificent- Ow!” Lu han punched him on the back.

    “Shut up, brat,” he said with a smile. Sehun stuck his tongue out at him before speaking again.

    “In that context.” He paused for a few moments, “Yeah, I still don’t have any opinion on his appearance.”

    “Don’t lie to me.” Lu Han sat up, then poked Sehun stomach, “Don’t you dare lie to me.”

    “I’m not lying,” Sehun said through a short burst of laughter. Lu Han didn’t believe him and proceeded to dig his fingers into Sehun’s sides, the younger shouting for him to stop through his cries of mirth. This went on for what felt like ages to Sehun, his stomach hurting from the laughter, his breathing rapid because he couldn’t, it was annoying, to say the least. “Okay! Okay!” Lu Han stopped immediately. “I guess, I think he’s pretty sometimes.”

    “Yes!” Lu Han removed himself from the bed and danced in the middle of the room, then sat down again. “Man, getting you to tell the truth is a lot of work,” he said with a sigh, then looked at the red faced boy still laying down, “Get me food.” He bounced a bit for emphasis.

    “Do it yourself,” Sehun said tiredly, and threw a pillow at the other.

---

    In the west wing of the castle, the young prince sat against a bookshelf, his ermine cloak acting as a cushion between his back and the shelves. Candles lit all around him provided him with enough light to see the words he was trying to absorb. He never really did more than read in his bedroom or the library, where he was now. When he was young his father and brother would scold him for being so focused on books and not on princely matters, but after awhile, they gave up on trying to stop the boy. His governess always told him he took after his mother in that sense.

    “…and on the day of Black Sun, three keys will unlock the world,” Jongin read aloud, his breath disrupting the flickering flame nearest him, “and all shall be free.” He turned the pages to find more on the prophecy, only to be met with countless other ways of wording what he had just read. He sighed and placed the open book next to him, blindly reaching for another in the large piles around him.

    It was one he had never seen before. It was laying on the desk of the bookkeeper, an older man with small hands and a need to stare at everything, so Jongin took it. The bookkeeper said nothing of it, but instead smiled as if he were happy Jongin took it from him. The tome was white, completely unblemished, and had a gold, eight-pointed star in its center. In the middle of the star was a round, black gem. Jongin had felt a sense of familiarity when he saw it, and gave into his instincts to have it with him. As he paged through it, waiting for something to stand out, he ran his fingers over the vibrant illustrations surrounding the paragraphs of information. He soon realized that this particular book wasn't from his land. The writing was of countless lines seemingly fit into invisible squares. There were various images of men with vases, women pouring water into a river, and one he recognized instantly, a large tree with gems and tassels hanging from the lower branches. The Tree of Life.

Jongin closed it and tucked it under his arm. He may not have been able to read the language, but the illustrations were enough to tell him that this was the same prophecy he had read countless times since he was a child. He brought it with him to his room, forgetting the other books he had taken.

---

    “Hello, Heechul,” Sehun said sitting down a couple meters behind the man kneeling over a section of the palace garden.

    “Hey, kid,” Heechul pulled away from the flowers and sat back, turning about after a few seconds. Sehun was silent while Heechul removed his gloves and wiped sweat from his brow, leaving unruly streaks of soil to accompany the ones on his cheeks. “You need something?”

    Sehun laughed lightly, “I can’t come and visit my favorite person in the entire castle?” Heechul gave him a look but smiled widely.

    “You have changed so much since the day I was bringing you through here.” He leaned back on his hands and faced the sky, closing his eyes to soak in the warmth from the sun.

    “Ah, there was something I’ve been meaning to ask you, though,” Sehun moved forward and crossed his legs. Heechul opened one eye and waited for him to speak again, “Why do you still work here?”

    “Why do you ask?” Heechul’s smile turned to a smirk and he continued bathing in the sun.

    “You were Jongin’s servant before me, and you no longer work for him, so you can leave, can’t you?”

    “I prefer the term assistant, and you make this place sound like a prison,” Heechul sat up and faced Sehun, frowning slightly at the way Sehun looked away.

    “Isn’t it?” Sehun muttered and started playing with the grass. He didn’t pull it out, Heechul would wring his neck, but he rubbed it into circles going in opposing directions.

    “To you, maybe,” Heechul chuckled watching Sehun caress the grass, “For me, though, it’s my home.” Sehun looked up at him confused. He had never considered this place his home. Not even a second home. His only home was outside of the main city, with his family and Lu Han. Not here. Not in these stonewalls where he had to constantly watch his back because he was unsealed. Heechul continued, “I owe this place my life, Sehun. Nothing is going to make my loyalty falter, especially not a little prince.”

    “He’s not a prince yet,” Sehun glared at the grass under his fingertips.

    “Don’t look so upset about it, he’s not that bad.” Heechul twisted onto his hands and knees and crawled to Sehun’s side. “He’ll be sealed soon, so if you want to see him suffer, just wait ‘til then.”

    “I know he’s not as terrible as I make him out to be,” the younger sighed and hung his head, “and I don’t want him to suffer, I just don’t want to be around him. He’s welcome to be a prat wherever and whenever he wants, so long as I’m not there.”

    “How is he a prat?” Heechul laughed, “The kid hardly talks! He makes you seem like the most sociable person in the realm.” He poked Sehun in the side, earning a shove from the younger.

    “It’s not things he says, it’s the way he acts. Walking around like he owns everything. Like, no one is worth his time. Like no one is worth acknowledging."

    "He acknowledges you."

    Sehun looked at him flatly. "He runs away from me."

    Heechul gave Sehun a pointed look and laughed again when Sehun fell back and sighed loudly. The two fell silent. Sehun knew Heechul was right. He knew that he was the only one Jongin seemed to acknowledge, but it was not a welcomed acknowledgement. A smile and a greeting was a welcomed acknowledgement. Having normal conversations was a welcomed acknowledgement. Having to run to the other side of the castle was not.

    “Heechul?” Sehun stared at the passing clouds.

    “Yeah?” Heechul said after a minute.

    “What’s it like to be sealed?”

    Heechul gave a nervous chuckle, “I’m not the person you should be asking about that. Ask Lu Han, or someone else.”

    “I have asked Han, he said it hurts a lot, and he was super pissy for a like a month afterward. It .”

    “If you know, then why are you asking me?”

    “You’re the only person I know that is thankful for being sealed, I just wanted to know what it was like for you.”

    “I liked it. It didn’t hurt for me. I guess it’s because I wanted it so much.” Heechul laid down beside Sehun and watched the clouds with him. “My ability was getting out of control, and it came down to me getting sealed, or offing myself.”

    “Out of control?” Sehun to his side to face the older.

    “I’m clairvoyant, you know that,” Heechul explained, “and before I got sealed, my visions were becoming more frequent, more vivid, and much more painful. I had no way of controlling them because I had neither the means nor the knowledge. I was slowly going crazy.”

    “And the sealing saved you from that,” Sehun said with a solemn smile.

    “Yeah, after about a week.” Heechul chuckled a bit, “Because of how strong my visions had gotten, the seal’s effects didn’t take affect for a little while. The visions weren’t as painful, but they were just as frequent. Now, I can’t see anything without a medium, which I don’t have access to.”

    “What kinds of things did you see?”

    “Why are you suddenly so interested?”

    “I’m getting sealed in less than a year,” his voice getting sullen, “I want to know as much as possible.”

    “Learning my life experience isn’t going to prepare you for your own sealing. You need the process, not the minor details.” Heechul to his own side so they were facing each other.

    “I see your reasoning, and I choose to ignore it because it doesn’t take away from my curiosity on what you’ve seen.” Sehun smiled cheekily at his elder and held it until Heechul spoke again.

    “Don't make that face. It's kinda creepy." Sehun dropped the fake smile and half-glared at the man. Heechul let out a breath, “I saw countless things. The death of an old lady I bumped into on the street, my father leaving my mother because of me, you being told you were to start coming here every day, and numerous small things that I can’t remember.”

    “Your father left because of you?” Sehun’s voice got soft.

    “Yes, and that is a story for another day, my friend,” Heechul quickly stood up and looked down at Sehun, “I’m sure you’ve got a prat to hunt down?” Sehun groaned dramatically and rolled onto his stomach. He said a few muffled words, and then pushed air beneath him to lift himself up. “Lazy ,” Heechul muttered as he walked back to where he was working and gathered his tools.

---

    Sehun found him at the top of the west tower. The room was small and dark, but Jongin somehow managed to read. That’s all Sehun ever found him doing in the ten years they had known each other. Reading book after book, but Jongin never let him see what the books are about.

    “Jongin,” Sehun said curtly. He sat down against the wall opposite Jongin, crossed his arms, and stared at the other.

    “How many times do I have to tell you to call me Kai?” Jongin said without looking up from his book. His voice was quiet and breathy, as if he didn’t want to spend too much energy on speaking.

    “How many times do I have to tell you I won’t call you that until you tell me why I should?” Sehun countered. Jongin finally looked up at him, his expression holding nothing for Sehun to read. They stared at each other, their bored expressions boring into each other, for much longer than either wanted.

    “I’m not telling you why.”

    “And I’m not calling you Kai.” Jongin returned his attention to his book, and Sehun stood to look out of the window above him. The sun was just beginning to set before him, and gave the city a veil of pale orange. Laughter and idle chatter carried through the air. Sehun leaned forward and rested his chin on his folded arms. The cool air tingled his nose, made the tips of his ears numb, and his cheeks burned lightly as they tried to warm themselves. Mixtures of fresh breads, cooking meats, and numerous spices entered his senses and calmed him more.

    His eyes snapped open when he heard a soft, muffled explosion behind him. Sehun cursed under his breath and turned in time to see strings of black smoke disappearing into a single point.

    Sehun sighed and dragged his hands through his hair, pulling out a few strands in the process.

---

    “I’m getting sick of looking for you.” Sehun panted when he reached the top of the large hill north of the castle.

    “And yet.” Jongin gestured at Sehun, his focus still on his book. They had had this conversation numerous times.

    Sehun walked up behind Jongin and peered over his shoulder, “What are you reading that is so interesting?” Another topic Sehun brought up regularly. Before he could read any of the text, Jongin snapped the book shut. Sehun could only sigh and he was gone again.

---

    Sehun walked back to the castle and sat at the base of the grand staircase. He was tired of running around the city in search of Jongin and knew that he had to return here eventually.

    “Sehun!” He turned around and looked up to see Suho, the heir, standing at the top of the staircase with a much taller male, who he knew as Chanyeol. Sehun bowed his head a little and waved to them but made no move to join them. “Where’s Jongin?” Suho and his friend made their way down the steps and joined Sehun on his seat.

    “Who knows,” Sehun grumbled and rested his head in his hands. Suho looked to Chanyeol, a less than kind smile playing on his lips. The red head raised a brow at him.

    “Why don’t you play with us, Sehun?” Suho announced, his voice echoing through the hall.

    “Yeah,” Chanyeol said loud and excitedly, deciding to join the prince, “you can join us in our element wars with Baekhyun!”

    Gaining a bit of interest in spending time with the royal he liked and the noble, Sehun looked between them and nodded with a small, nervous smile. They pulled him up from the steps, each sporting a wide smile, and started leading him to the main doorway.

    “Hello,” comes Jongin’s voice from the entrance. Suho and Chanyeol stop, Sehun held by his arms between them. The smile Sehun had fades away, and he slumps a bit and takes a small step back when Suho decides to jump his younger brother.

    “Jonginnie!” Suho yells pulling Jongin into a hug. Jongin grunts when Suho turns to hold him by his neck underneath his armpit. “We were just recruiting Sehun to come play with us!” Suho looks at Sehun, his smile still as wide as before. Sehun tries to think of when he hasn’t seen the prince smiling, but comes up short. Suho is always smiling. Suho is always laughing, jovial, everything happy. And then, there’s Jongin. He is the exact opposite, and the one Sehun has to spend time with.

    “Kai,” Chanyeol says wrapping his arm around Sehun’s shoulder and resting his chin on one, “Is it alright if we borrow him for a little while?” Sehun makes a note that Chanyeol is the first person he has heard call him Kai. The small blush that comes to Jongin’s cheeks is not unnoticed, but no one says anything.

    “It doesn’t matter to me.” Jongin pulls his head out of Suho’s grip and walks around them with his head angled down, and his book tucked under his arm. The three follow him with their gazes as he gets half way up the steps and vanishes again.

    “I’m…If it’s alright, I’m going to go look for him.” Sehun steps out from under Chanyeol, who pouts at his movements, and turns to go up the stairs.

    “Don’t you get tired of looking for him?” Suho says, a small smile still in place. Sehun turns around and stares at him.

    “What if he gets hurt?” Sehun says plainly as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

    “He’s capable of taking care of himself,” Suho steps forward, pushing his hands into his pockets, “Is it him you’re concerned for, or yourself?” Sehun tilts his head at Suho’s scrutinizing gaze and gentle smile. The two don’t go well together in Sehun’s mind.

    “Both.” The youngest says simply again, and turns to make his way up the stairs again, cringing when he just barely makes out Chanyeol’s low voice saying, “So cute.”

    Sehun quickly finds him again in his room. He is in the same position he was when they first met. Sitting on his bed, his nose in a book, and the same scowl covers Sehun’s features. Sehun walks in and sits on one of the many stacks of books. Jongin doesn’t like returning them to the library, and once he is done reading every single one in his room, it is Sehun’s job to return them for him, a process that can take a couple days given the sheer amount of books.

    “I thought you were out playing tag,” Jongin mutters. Sehun does not say anything, mainly because he doesn’t actually know why he chose to follow Jongin, instead of taking Chanyeol and Suho up on their offer. “You don’t have to be here.”

    “As your manservant, it is required of me to stay wherever you are.” Sehun drawls. He looks at the stack of books beside him and grabs the one on top. It is thick, heavy, and has the strong scent of age without even being opened. There is a thin layer of grease on the leather covers and strap that keeps it closed. Sehun finds he doesn’t like the feel very much.

    “—nse.”

    “Sorry?” Sehun places the volume down and looks up at Jongin, whose attention is still on the book. Sehun frowns.

    “I said you’re dense.” Jongin finally looks up at him and holds no hint of regret or joking with what he just said.

    “I’m dense?” Sehun’s voice betrays him and releases and unusual tone of anger. “How am I dense?”

    “Do you honestly want me to tell you?” Jongin shuts his book and sets it aside, his voice strong and his gaze hard on Sehun. Sehun leans back. In the ten years he has worked for Jongin, he has never gotten like this. Jongin is normally quiet and collected about everything he does and says. Sehun didn’t even know that he knew how to glare.

    Sehun gives a sharp nod, his focus on Jongin wary of what might be said.

    “You don’t think, Sehun,” Jongin starts, his voice still rising in volume, “You don’t think of what people could possibly mean by the things they do or say. Do you understand what I mean?” Jongin stops to let Sehun respond.

    “…No, I don’t.” Sehun slumps back, eyes wide in shock from the sudden change in Jongin’s attitude.

    “Of course, you don’t!” Jongin practically yells, falling back on his bed with a huff. A few seconds pass, and he leaps up. “Just now! Just now, I gave you the perfect opportunity to leave.” He walks around his bed, his glare still pointed directly at the boy on the books. “I know you don’t want to be here. I know you don’t like me! That is why I told you to go. Because I know you would rather be anywhere but here! I know so much about you, it is quite ridiculous, actually!” Jongin is throwing his arms about and pacing.

    “How could you possibly know anything about me?!” Sehun yells standing and pointing accusingly at Jongin, the stack of books he was on falling.

    “Because you are so easy to read!” Jongin throws his arms in the air again. “Did you even wonder why my brother offered to let you spend time with them? It definitely wasn’t because he likes you. Suho can’t stand you. Suho thinks you’re nothing!”

    “Oh? Then why did he offer?” Sehun demands crossing his arms and waiting for Jongin.

    “Most likely to gauge how pathetic you are to him, or so he could ridicule you in front of his so called 'friends'.” Jongin is lowering his voice now, but it is still as strong and sharp as before, “Which you didn’t help by following after me."

    “Right,” Sehun nods biting his lip, “and you’re so much better. You honestly expect me to believe that every ing thing you do toward me is out of some level of concern?” Jongin falls silent, his brow furrowing and his mouth dropped open the slightest bit. Another expression Sehun has never seen on him. “Exactly,” Sehun says bitterly, “all the disappearing. Forcing me to hunt you down.”

    “I never forced you to do anything.” Jongin mutters barely loud enough for Sehun to hear.

    “Being your servant was forced on me!” Sehun shouts, throwing his arms in the air and turning about, completely missing Jongin flinching from the outburst. Sehun faces him again. stopping when he sees Jongin staring straight at him.

    “You becoming my servant wasn’t my fault, and I never once considered you a servant. My disappearing from you is because I know you don’t like me, I’ve said this already. I know you don’t like being around me, I know you want to be at home with your family, and with Lu Han. I’m not allowed to give you leave. If I were, I would.” Jongin rattles on quickly, his fists clenching and relaxing at his sides, his entire body tenses when he speaks again, “And if I had the power, I would make it so you didn’t have to be here.” Sehun finds himself rooted to the floor. He refuses to believe that Jongin cares about him this much. That Jongin actually noticed that much about him. He refuses to believe that he gives that much of himself away.

    “You…you actually,” Sehun mutters.

    “Care about you?” Jongin gives him a bitter laugh a sad smile. “I’ve had you in my life for ten years, Sehun. Why wouldn’t I?”

    “Because...” you shouldn’t, Sehun almost adds but instead sighs. He steps back, his gaze glued to the floor. He stops when he is pressed against the door, and starts fiddling around for the handle. He says nothing as he opens the door and steps out, and closes it gently behind him. Just as he is stepping away, there are some crashing sounds in Jongin’s room, followed by a grunt of pain and the bed creaking under weight. As if on instinct, Sehun opens the door to find Jongin sitting on his bed cradling his right foot. Sehun looks around and sees a pile of large tomes scattered on the floor.

    “What did you…did you kick that?” He points at the thick books.

    “Yes.” Jongin says shortly, still favoring his foot. “Thought you were leaving.”

    “Thought you hurt yourself.”

    “I’m fine.”

    “You sure?”

    “Don’t believe me?” Jongin winces as he tries to stand, only to fall back onto his bed again.

    “Still wondering if I should.” Sehun makes his way to the other and kneels down in front of him, gently lifting his ankle and rolling up his pants. The inner part of Jongin’s foot is reddening and his ankle already swelling. “You should be more gentle.”

    “Such concern for me.” Jongin lolls his head back with a grunt when Sehun applies light pressure to his foot.

    “More for the books.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*

Heh.