"See what I'm becoming, Val?...Even you are afraid of me."

"I'm not." She said, and in that moment it was true.

"You should be." -Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card

Perhaps wandering the halls was the best way for Yixing to think. The only risk that it ran was the possibility of meeting another human being, in which Yixing would have to smile and inquire about the other’s day, in which he would have to put on the mask that he wore so often it was becoming who he was. But perhaps that was too big of a risk for Yixing to take, for he tended not to wander the halls, especially not after Sehun had taken over. Thinking, now, was for the fools only. And yet, on a night like this, Yixing couldn’t help but take the leap over the cliff. He had too much on his mind to care about the risk he ran anyways. And so, he set off on a loping walk, a clear frown on his face as he traversed the halls that he had grown up in. It was problematic, that Luhan had returned, not because Yixing had any other plans, but because he was legitimately worried for Luhan’s well-being. He wasn’t safe, coming back here, not after he had left in the first place.

‘He’s dead to me.’ Sehun had uttered with so much finality the days after Luhan had left, cursing at the heavens as Yixing desperately tried to console him. Sehun at that moment, had denounced Luhan with so much finality it had scared Yixing. And yet, the poor king to be hadn’t stopped sending flowers every day to Luhan’s home, and, in times when all seemed lost, hadn’t stopped writing letters to Luhan. But perhaps it was the outward appearance that Sehun showed to everyone else, the outward appearance of a harsh king that merely solidified the other’s words. Perhaps Luhan leaving was what had in the end finalized the change in Sehun.

 Yixing still remembered the time when life was tranquil, where the biggest problem they faced was who would be the one getting caught stealing food from the kitchens. Sure, Sehun had been born into his position, but even in his teens, he resembled more of an easy going son of a lowly noble than a prince ready to take over the throne. Maybe it was his easy going nature that drew all of the other noble’s sons to his side, more specifically Luhan. Their first meeting had been tentative, shy, Yixing remembered, rounding a corner as a smile graced his lips. Though Sehun had called it an angel falling from the heavens, their first meeting was actually nothing special. (Sehun had called it that right? Yixing couldn’t exactly remember, but the romance books he enjoyed reading had spoken about this in some way, ship, or form.) The two boys however, clicked in a way that led to their long friendship of six years, all the way up till when they were both 16, when it had blossomed into something more. They were outrageously in love with each other, and everything was, in essence, perfect. Yixing often tagged along with Luhan and Sehun, and well, Yixing could see how much they loved each other, how devoted they were to each other. There were even marriage prospects, and both Sehun and Luhan couldn’t have been more excited. But then for some reason, Sehun changed.

He became stingy, arrogant, rude. He began to brush off his old friends, began to neglect Luhan, began to flirt with others, both male and female openly and assert his authority in ways he had not before. And yet Yixing knew, he knew somehow that Sehun was still in love with Luhan (okay, perhaps he didn’t know but somehow he knew) and Luhan in turn, had returned the other’s affections. Yixing hadn’t seen much wrong with it, but perhaps he was just oblivious at that point. Which is why when Luhan left, suddenly, it had been a devastating blow to all of them. Sure, Luhan had written to him, sure he had written to Sehun, Luhan even said so in his letters himself, but that was all it took for Sehun to change completely. There wasn’t even a glimpse of the easy-going, lovesick, charming prince who all the boys and girls had loved. ‘And now all we have is this Sehun.’ Yixing thought to himself sadly as he rounded the final corner, having walked around the whole palace wing in his musings. ‘This Sehun ruling over this state.’ A deteriorating, stinking, scum of a place with a king who chose to indulge in his pleasures instead of focusing on the state. Who was indecisive and couldn’t make a name for himself, and chose to let other’s dictate what words left from his mouth, yet still somehow retaining the aura of fear which surrounded him. Yixing had tried his best to change the other, everyone around him had to no avail. How could Luhan, Luhan who had been gone for six years change Sehun around, change him back into the boy from before? There wasn’t even a glimpse of that Sehun left. All this would lead to, in Yixing’s mind, was peril for Luhan.

“You have to tread carefully Lu.” Yixing mused to himself as he carefully slipped back into his room. Noticing the still set up chess table, the boy merely reached over to lightly take the rook, setting it right in front of the king “Or it’ll mean checkmate, not only for you, but for Sehun too.”

AN: Sorry it's so short, this was mainly through the musings of Yixing, who clearly, reads to many novels so you guys can decide what's true from his perspective and what's not. The shortness is mainly because of how it's getting late around here and I literally spend my whole day re-reading Ender's Game which is an amazing book, I recommend it, it's amazing <3 Anyways, the next chapter will feature some more doings of the court and how Sehun's court in specific works.

Happy Reading! <3 And if you have time subscribe and comment? c: I'm curious to see what you guys think.