Joshua didn't talk much, Jun noticed. They walked alongside each other in silence most of the time. That is, until Jun spoke up for the first time.

"How come society doesn't know that the princess is actually a prince?" he questioned. Joshua didn't look at him when he answered. "I never really got to hear a reason but I guess the nation expected a girl. And when I came the king and the queen didn't want to disappoint them so they kept it a secret...", he explained. 

Jun nodded in understanding. "So you never left the castle before you got kidnapped?" he asked. Joshua shook his head. "I was allowed to go outside to the garden once a day but other than that I never got out. And then I was locked up...", the peach-hair prince said. 

Joshua still didn't look at Jun while he spoke. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. Jun looked at him confused. "What's wrong?" he asked. The prince stood there; his eyes fixed on the ground and his hands clenched into fists. 

"You're bringing me back to the castle, right?" Joshua asked, his tone so quiet that Jun almost didn't hear it. "That's the plan. We should really get going though. The sun will set soon...", he answered the prince's question. "I don't want to", Joshua mumbled. 

"What?" Jun asked. "I can't go back", the prince clarified. Jun sighed in annoyance. "Look, I don't know what your problem is but I'm definitely not going to keep up with your royal moods. Come on now", Jun said sternly. 

Joshua finally looked at him. "You don't understand. I really can't go back...", he said with a desperate undertone in his voice. "The king is probably going to be happy to see you", Jun tried to convince Joshua. He was trying hard not to snap and just drag the prince along. 

"My father...the king...he was the one who locked me up in the first place...", Joshua admitted, shifting his gaze away from Jun once again. The blonde stared back at him in disbelief. "What? Why are you only telling me that now?" he questioned. "I figured you'd leave me to rot in that tower if I told you...", Joshua replied. 

Jun rolled his eyes. "Great. No princess and no reward. Well, since your free now I might as well just go home. Have a nice life...", he said and proceeded to walk away. "Wait, are you just going to leave me here?" the prince shouted after him. "Pretty much, yeah..."

It was probably a mean thing to leave Joshua behind but Jun tried not to feel too guilty for doing so. 

~

Joshua walked around aimlessly. He didn't know where to go. He sighed heavily. Maybe that tower wasn't so bad after all. At least he was safe there. 

That jerk, how could he just leave him behind? He had only saved him for the reward... For some reason it made Joshua feel sad and also a bit used. He believed that Jun came to save him out of generosity...or maybe...maybe even something more.

Joshua looked around. He had been here before. There was an old oak tree that seemed vaguely familiar. "Did I walk around in circles?" he asked himself. This was indeed the exact same spot where Jun had left him earlier. Joshua sighed again and sat down by the oak tree. He should just wait here until morning and then decide what to do next.

"Well, well, well...what do we have here?" a deep voice spoke up, startling Joshua. A man came into the prince's vision. He had dirty, black hair and a wild full beard. Also, he looked at Joshua like he was up to no good. "Alright, you have two options, pretty boy. Your money or your body..."