They just had to make it out alive.

They needed to stay alive, they'd be fine, but only if they stayed alive.

Kyuhyun tightened his grip on Ryeowook's hand as they ran through the hallways, narrowly missing an arrow that smashed through the window. What had happened? He wondered. The nobles hadn't made any strange moves lately, what had set them off?

His reign had been opposed by the nobles ever since he had taken the throne, because he had taken the chance to rule from Nam Jaewon, by order of the Council of Elders. Even more so when instead of marrying a daughter of the Nam family to appease them, he married Kim Ryeowook out of love.

The country appreciated his courage to marry who he loved and loved his way of ruling, which only made the higher-ups angrier. Four years had passed since ascending to the throne, so why start now?

Kyuhyun felt a tug on his hand and he looked to his side at the smaller man, who had a relieved look on his face, gaze fixed on the man in front of them. "Jongwoon!" Ryeowook gasped, hand clutching at his robes.

"Your Majesties! This way!" Jongwoon called, before turning heel and running towards the end of the hallway. Ryeowook let out a breathless sound and yanked Kyuhyun after the servant.

Kyuhyun cursed as he leaped over a fallen table. "Who started this? Jongwoon, what's going on?"

"The Nam family started a riot and they're storming the castle! Our forces are still recovering from the last battle, we'll be overrun!" Swearing, Jongwoon flung his arms out to stop the royals from being crushed by the falling ceiling. Ryeowook pitched forward and would have been smashed if Kyuhyun hadn't caught him and pulled him back. Jongwoon swore and swung around, eyebrows furrowed in pure frustration. ", they blocked our escape route: we have to take the other way!"

Kyuhyun blanched and wrapped his arms around Ryeowook firmly. Their backup plan was something he never ever ever wanted to do: separate from Ryeowook.

There were so many things that could go wrong, and there was no guarantee that they would make it to the safe house alive, and what if-?

"-hyun. Kyuhyun!"

Kyuhyun looked down to see Ryeowook with a fierce, determined gleam in his eyes. Ryeowook lifted his hands to clasp Kyuhyun's face, pulling him down to his height and pressing their foreheads together lovingly. "Everything's going to be all right." Kyuhyun reached up and grasped his husband's fingers, rubbing his thumbs over his knuckles. "You're going to take the forest route, okay? Jongwoon and I will take the river route."

Kyuhyun's eyes snapped open and he tilted his head down to stare at Ryeowook. "But the river-!"

"Is safer!" The three men whirled around to watch as a young man stumbled towards them, clutching his bleeding arm and blinking away blood from a cut above his eye. "Your Majesties, we have to hurry!"

"Henry!" Ryeowook shrieked, hurrying over to the younger man. "What happened to you?"

Henry pushed the king consort's hand away gently and swiped at his eye with his tattered sleeve. "That's not important right now, we have to get you both out of here!"

Ryeowook frowned. "Fine, but you're going to stay