for bubble-tea831;; (8695 words)

Growing up, Myungsoo had always been curious. It started out small, wanting to learn all the secret passages and discover all the antiques hidden throughout the castle. But with time his urges to explore began to overwhelm him, and it could no longer be contained within the stone walls of his home. His search expanded to the gardens, the twisting paths of greenery and the beautiful flowers grown only his kingdom. But before long his gaze turned to the beautiful iron gates, and he longed for a chance to experience what was on the other side of them.

How was he supposed to rule a kingdom, if he had never been allowed to actually see it?

Woohyun, his protector and closest friend, told him that such thoughts could only lead to trouble. “You wacky kitten; haven’t you heard that curiosity killed the cat?”

The nickname caught on, and those closest to the prince often called him a wacky kitten; his strange behaviors and appearance only adding credibility to the metaphor. But Myungsoo couldn’t help himself; he loved his kingdom and all those that resided within it, and he thought it was only fair to be curious about how the other people lived.

He had begged Woohyun for years to take him outside of the castle walls, to show him the different shops and markets that the common people frequented each day. But each request was met with a refusal; even if the majority of the public was happy with the royals, there was a small minority that wanted to bring the monarchy down. Woohyun told him that they could not risk exposing the prince with such little protection, that it was much safer to keep Myungsoo inside the stone walls where there were multiple people around to protect him.

At first Myungsoo was obedient, he didn’t want to get hurt and he knew that Woohyun would not lie to him. Attempts on the royalty’s lives were not unheard of, no matter how barbaric it seemed. But with time he wondered how severe the threat of danger really was, perhaps Woohyun was being overprotective or biased because he cared so deeply for his best friend. Maybe if Myungsoo were to sneak out, just to get a closer look at the town for a little while, it would be alright. He would returned unscathed, and that would prove to Woohyun that exploring wasn’t nearly as risky as his bodyguard thought it was.

Well, at least that had been the plan, before Myungsoo ran into a few hiccups. Sneaking out of his bedroom wasn’t too big of a challenge; Woohyun had a tendency to slip away from his post occasionally to visit Myungsoo’s personal tutor, Sunggyu - not that he was aware that Myungsoo was aware of such behaviors. So Myungsoo waited patiently in his bed until he heard Woohyun’s footsteps travel across the stone floor and down towards the tutor’s private chambers. Then he sprung out of bed, slipping into some clothes with nearly uncontainable excitement and putting on his favorite pair of boots. He artfully placed his pillows beneath the covers, forming the shape of a body in case Woohyun chose to peek in on him later on before slipping out of his bedroom door.

His years of sneaking around the castle came in handy, and he knew exactly which pathways to take in order to avoid running into servants or worse, a member of the King’s Guard. Within minutes he was tiptoeing down to the stables, stealing his favorite and most trusted horse Midnight. He was thankful for her pretty black mane, her body blending into the dark night seamlessly. He guided Midnight down towards the outskirts of the castle grounds, where a small servant was waiting for him.

“Sungjong?” He called out cautiously, and thankfully it was him - and no one else - waiting by the far end of the gate.

“Prince Myungsoo?” Sungjong responded, waiving delicately to beckoning them closer. Midnight dutifully approached him, her large body dwarfing the servant. He could see Sungjong’s eyes look cautiously at the horse, and he smiled at his skepticism.

“Midnight is friendly, do not fear her.” He reassured the boy, who nodded sheepishly at the request.

“I was unsure if you would come.” Sungjong told him honestly, obviously on edge. “Anyway, this is the servant’s entrance to the castle. It is usually unguarded because we are the only ones who have access to the keys and knowledge of the gate’s location. The servant’s who live outside of the castle usually arrive around five to begin preparations for the new day… I can leave it unlocked until then without anyone noticing anything…”

Myungsoo smiled, resting his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Thank you Sungjong. I will be back before then. Do not worry so much, everything will be fine.”

“Are- are you sure you want to do this Prince? If you were to get hurt-”

“I won’t. This land has known only peace for generations. Woohyun and the others… they are too cautious. I want to do this, I want to see what is out there. I want to get closer to my people. And now… I shall finally be able to.” He jumped off Midnight’s back, his height on top of the horse too great to fit underneath the gate. He grabbed onto her reins, giving Sungjong one last smile. “Go inside, rest comfortably knowing that you have granted your Prince’s greatest wish.”

He started to move away, but a hand on his arm stopped him. Sungjong bowed repeatedly, his eyes downcast. “I am sure you are right Prince, but just in case… if you talk to anyone out there, do not tell them who you are. They will speak to you more freely if they think you are a commoner anyway.”

Myungsoo thanked him for his words, and lead Midnight underneath the gate and out from his bubble of the castle. He mounted the horse the moment they were back in the open forest, keeping her at a steady pace as they moved closer and closer to the lights of the town. The smile hadn’t left his face… he felt like he was going to burst with all the emotions taking over him. With each gallop forward, Midnight was taking him closer to the thing he always wanted. His entire life he had been separated from the real world outside of the castle, and now, he was actually a part of his kingdom.

Upon reaching the town, Myungsoo had no idea what he wanted to do. There were people out and about on the streets, laughing and talking with one another as they went about their business. There were other men on horses riding about, some buildings b with music and laughter, some food stands littered around the street, the fresh aroma of the delicious dinners turning even Midnight’s head.

It was so unbelievably beautiful.

This was exactly what he wanted, he needed to see that his people were happy with his own eyes, he needed to see that they loved being in his kingdom, that they lived their lives in harmony with one another. It was one thing to be told by his father, by his tutor, by his friends that the people were living in peace, but it was another thing entirely to see it.

He had no real path, he let himself blend into the night, going forward naturally with the momentum of the crowd. He wasn’t aware of time, all he cared about was continuing to explore. Myungsoo answered every greeting that was spoken to him, returned every smile that was cast in his direction. Why hadn’t Woohyun wanted him to experience this? This was amazing, this was better than his crowning ceremony, better than finally learning how to waltz properly, better than going through an entire lesson without being scolded by Sunggyu, better than picking out Midnight while she was still a small filly, better than… well, anything.

Myungsoo was on a natural high, he wasn’t sure if anything could bring him down this night. Each street that he traveled down offered something beautiful and exciting and new to look at, and he knew he could lose himself here in the joy he was feeling.

But his heart stopped beating in his chest when he saw the bright red cloaks of the King’s Guard down the street in front of him. Even if the common people did not know the prince’s face, that would not be the case with the knights. They would immediately recognize Myungsoo, and they would drag him back to the castle.

He abruptly turned into the nearest alley, heading deeper into the town to try to escape their attention. Myungsoo had been so caught up in planning his escape from the castle, he hadn’t really considered the possibility of being identified once inside the town. It only made sense that there would be knights patrolling the city at night in order to keep the order. He couldn’t be caught by them, not tonight when things were going so well. He urged Midnight to move faster, moving further and further from the city square to the less populated areas of the town.

When he was sure that he had put enough distance between them, he pulled Midnight to a halt. He let his eyes travel over the area, trying to gain a sense of his surroundings. But it was useless, he had never been here before, so there was nothing to help identify where he was. This part of the city was less bright, less flashy than where he was before. There were only a few people out on the streets, and it was much quieter.

He noticed some men making their way out of a building up ahead, and he decided to head in that direction. Just when he got close Midnight reared up, a high pitched whine coming from her muzzle. Myungsoo immediately dismounted her, his hands traveling over her strong body to try to identify the problem.

“Midnight! Are you okay?” His eyes moved over her body in the darkness, she had made a sound of pain and he was deeply worried. She made another desperate noise, shaking her front leg as her tailed swished around angrily. Myungsoo pressed a kiss to her nape, whispering softly to try to calm her. “It’s alright Midnight, let me take a look.”

Sure enough, they was a sharp piece of glass stuck in her front right hoof, probably from a broken bottle left in the street. Myungsoo grimaced at the sight, feeling overwhelmingly sorry for causing her any injury. He grabbed onto it and pulled it out, nearly cutting himself in the process, and Midnight grunted when she placed her weight back down on her leg.

“I’m sorry girl, I didn’t mean for you to get hurt. You can’t walk, can you?” She nuzzled his face was her nose, almost as if it were an apology. Myungsoo rubbed in between her ears, trying to soothe her. His chances of making it back to the castle on time were gone, he was too deep into the city and he wasn’t even sure where he was. He knew if he pushed Midnight that she would probably take him back, but he cared too much about her to put her through that kind of pain. Myungsoo understood that this meant that he would get caught and punished for sneaking out, but he was too worried about Midnight to care.

He tied her reins to an abandoned post near a corner, hugging her neck one last time. “I shall be back for you, I promise Midnight.” Myungsoo looked around him, memorizing all the landmarks to ensure that he would be able to find her when the time was right. He her back, telling her goodbye before turning back towards the direction of the building. Myungsoo lost his balance, the sudden appearance of a boy in front of him startling him completely. An arm reached out to catch him, and Myungsoo righted himself back on his feet.

“What are you-”

The boy shushed him, looking around into the darkness before pulling him further down the road. “We can’t talk. Not out in the open like this, it’s too risky. Once we get inside we can negotiate the terms.”

“The terms?” Myungsoo asked confused, following the taller boy blindly. “Who are you?”

The boy laughed, although the sound was bitter and harsh. “My name? That isn’t exactly important, is it?”

Myungsoo ripped his arm away, feeling a little uncomfortable with the lack of answers and the boy’s tone. “I don’t know you and I don’t know where you are taking me. I have no intentions of following you any longer.” He spoke firmly, fully intending on leaving the boy behind.

“Wait.” The boy’s voice became softer as he stepped closer to Myungsoo. “I saw you… the horse was yours, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, what does Midnight have to do with anything?”

The boy pushed his long black hair back, a clearly worried expression on his face. “Do you really… do you not realize where you are?”

There was something about the boy’s eyes, large and clear, easy to read. There was no maliciousness in them, only misunderstanding. For some reason Myungsoo felt like he could trust him, that this boy did not want to hurt him.

“No. I’ve never been here before and my horse got hurt. I was going to look for someplace to stay until morning, but then-”

“I appeared.” The boy finished for him, his hands pulling nervously on his hair.

Myungsoo looked over at the building, the sound of the music carried on the wind. “I was going to go inside-”

“No!” The boy grabbed his shoulder, pulling him deeper into the shadows. “You can’t go in, not by yourself. Not like this.”

“But why? They might be able to help me.”

The boy shook his head, his teeth chewing at his lower lip. “There is no such thing as salvation inside of that place.” He whispered, his eyes going dark for a second. Myungsoo could feel the boys eyes on his, looking over his face and his clothes. “You aren’t alone… you have people that care about you, don’t you? People that you can go home to.”

“Yes.” Myungsoo replied, simply because it’s true. “Doesn’t everyone?”

The boy smiled sadly at him, his grip loosening on his body. “Wherever you came from… it must be a really wonderful place.” He looked back over at the building, his hands pulling nervously at the edge of his shirt. “I’ll help you. I can make sure you are safe for the night.”

A sigh of relief came out of Myungsoo, a weight lifting off of his shoulders. “Thank you. I shall never forget your kindness.”

“Yeah… somehow I don’t think I’ll be forgetting you either.” He looked around the street one last time, before pressing Myungsoo’s back to the alley wall. “Stay here. I’ll come back for you in a moment.” He went to turn away, but Myungsoo grabbed onto his wrist.

“Your name? I want to know who I am going with.” Myungsoo asked, for some reason feeling that it was important.

“I can’t even remember the last time someone wanted to know, and here you are, refusing to let it go.”

Myungsoo almost shared his real name before Sungjong’s words came back to him, playing through his head as if it was a warning. “You can call me Soo.”

The boy his lips, a small smile coming across his face. “Okay. Mine is Sungyeol.”

“Sungyeol.” Myungsoo repeated, grinning back at the taller boy. “It’s a lovely name.”

“Thank you.” He started to move away, pushing back on Myungsoo’s body again when he instinctually followed him. “Remember, you need to stay here. And don’t talk to anyone, hide if you see someone else coming. I’ll only be a little while.” Without any other words the boy disappeared, leaving Myungsoo alone in the alleyway.

He decided it best to follow the boy’s advice, he seemed to know the area and his actions seemed genuine. Furthermore, Myungsoo didn’t really have any other options; he needed somewhere safe to wait out the night. In the morning it would be easier to find his way back to the square and to the guards who would take him back to the castle. He could only imagine the scolding he would get for sneaking out of the castle, getting Midnight hurt, and staying out all night. Myungsoo was so caught up in his musings, that he almost fell over again when he felt a touch on his shoulder. He nearly tumbled down to the ground, but the arm wrapped around him once more.

“You’re kind of clumsy, you know that?” Sungyeol , and Myungsoo blushed.

“I know… it’s the one thing that doesn’t fit my nickname.”

“Your what?”

Myungsoo stopped himself from explaining, he wasn’t exactly sure if his feline nickname was common knowledge outside of the castle. It was best to play it safe and change the subject. “It is unimportant. Did you get what you needed?”

Sungyeol held out a pouch to him, and Myungsoo took it cautiously. He loosened the the string around the top, peering into the bag. He saw the gleaming pieces of silver and gold, and he looked up to Sungyeol in shock. “This is your money?” Sungyeol nodded and Myungsoo felt guilt tighten around his heart. “I cannot accept this… you are being too generous.”

“It’s not that much, I’m not exactly expensive.”

“I’m not sure I understand-”

“You need a place to sleep tonight, and I have a solution.” Myungsoo still looked skeptical, and Sungyeol reached out hesitantly to touch his hand. “You’ll be helping me out too, I could use the break. We’re doing each other a favor, okay?”

“Yeah… okay.”

Sungyeol seemed satisfied with Myungsoo’s answer, pulling him away from the alley and back into the street. They headed in the direction of the building from earlier, and Myungsoo felt his doubt begin to grow. “I thought you said I should not go there.” He reminded Sungyeol, who looked back at him for only a second.

“I said you couldn’t go there alone, but now you are going in with me. Just follow my lead and hand over the money when he tells you to, and everything will be fine. Let me do the talking.” Myungsoo nodded obediently, walking a bit faster to lessen the distance between himself and Sungyeol. He could only hope that he had made the right decision in deciding to trust the boy.

When Sungyeol opened the door to the building, the noise went up almost immediately. The sounds of boisterous laughter and music was nearly overwhelming. Almost everyone inside was holding a glass of something, the dark liquid most likely being wine. Myungsoo had never been allowed to drink before, and now that he was seeing this, he wasn’t quite sure that he wanted to. He reached out for Sungyeol, refusing to let go of his hand as the boy led him through the mass of sweaty bodies inside the building.

Sungyeol moved them all the way to the back, knocking on a door in a sort of way that came off as if it were a signal. “Remember, I’ll talk.” He pulled his hand away from Myungsoo, looking down at the ground as the door opened in front of them.

The man was clearly older, probably in his forties, with his mouth twisted into an ugly sneer. Myungsoo noted the way Sungyeol seemed to cower in his presence, and it instantly put him on edge. “You better have a good reason for disturbing me.” The man bit out, taking a swig from the bottle in his right hand. Sungyeol bowed slightly to him, his eyes now glued to the ground.

“Hyung, I have a customer who wants special treatment. He wishes to stay the night.”

The man turned his attention to Myungsoo, looking him over skeptically. “Are you willing to pay for such a service?”

Sungyeol shifted, just barely nudging him and Myungsoo got the message. He pulled the pouch out, holding it in front of the man who snatched it up with greedy hands. He tested the weight of it, before looking inside to see the contents. A crude smile came over his face, his gold teeth glittering in the firelight.

“Well, for this amount that can definitely be arranged. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to see what else we have to offer? He isn’t exactly what I would call the best.”

Myungsoo looked over at Sungyeol, who was clenching his fists behind his back so hard that his knuckles were turning white. “He interests me.” Myungsoo didn’t even realize it was his voice that spoke until he heard the man’s laugh at his answer.

“We all have our types, yeah? Follow me.” He led them up a staircase, towards the less lit parts of the building. “I will take you to his private quarters so you can be more comfortable.” He opened the door at the far end of the hallway, stepping aside to let the two of them enter. Sungyeol moved first, putting a bit of distance between himself and the older man. Myungsoo followed, expecting the man to close the door behind him and leave, but instead he moved into the room along with them as the door fell shut.

Myungsoo looked to Sungyeol, as if he could give him some sort of explanation, but the boy didn’t look back at him. There was a clear tension in the air, and he felt as if his hair was standing on edge.

“You are paying good money, I want to ensure that you are happy with what you are receiving.”

The prince looked around, it was more of a closet than a room, a small not so comfortable looking bed tucked into the corner with a few threadbare blankets on top of it. But he wouldn’t dare to complain about a thing, he was too grateful for Sungyeol’s hospitality. “It is adequate, thank you.”

“We’ll see.” The man responded, looking over expectantly at Sungyeol. Myungsoo didn’t understand, the room was so tiny, there couldn’t possibly be anything else to show him. “Don’t keep the customer waiting.” He ordered a bit roughly.

Sungyeol nodded, his teeth caught between his lip again when he reached for the bottom of his shirt. He pulled it over his head, dropping it to the floor in one swift motion. Myungsoo was about to ask Sungyeol what he was doing, but a heated glance in his direction silenced him. He felt as if the air was stolen from his lungs as he watched Sungyeol continue to remove his clothing, piece by piece until he was standing bare in front of them. Myungsoo felt his blood run cold when all the pieces started to fall together in his mind.

He heard voices, but the thoughts jumbling around in his head blocked it out. A firm shake to his shoulder brought him back to the present, and it took all of his willpower not to throw the man’s hand off of him.

“I guess someone is a little more excited than I thought! I take it tha