"Oh, my lord, here he comes! I believe the Gods above took their time just to sculpt his face!" 

"Did you see him on the training grounds? He has the most skill in the seventh legion!" 

"Once he helped me bring a heavy pot to the kitchen! He is so courteous!" 

Park Chanyeol was a man of few words - his actions and looks always had spoken before him, actually.

Being one out of the many disposable people of the royal palace though, he felt like the attention from the servants and other warriors are exaggerated. He heard the hushed whispers about his bravery and fighting skills, and his humble, respectful behaviour countless times, but more often than not, he caught people gossiping about his so-called handsomeness which, he particularly did not like. A pretty face won't scare the soldiers of the enemy away, and can't ease the weight of a well-made weapon. 

He naturally turned a deaf ear to the things previously said by the three young attendants, and as he passed by them he nodded his head in their direction with a hint of a smile. When he was out of earshot and heard the squeals of those girls, he sighed deeply but otherwise didn't comment on the happenings since it was kind of usual for him. 

That's why he liked to be part of the king's army: he didn't have to be at the palace unless necessary and he could avoid all the gossips and murmurs. He was a simple man and he just did what his superiors asked from him. He trained just as hard as everybody and was as ordinary as everyone else in soldiery. 

It did not help his situation that his family was well-respected. His father was in a great position as a chief leading the navy of the country, before he retired because of an injury, so when Chanyeol actually applied for the military exams, his father's reputation helped him greatly in progressing. His mother was also married to his father from a noble family, making his bloodline more worthy of respect. Chanyeol did not like this system, when you can reach the stars just because you born under the right one. He preferred action before words, and working hard for respect and recognition.

Don't get gim wrong, he was glad for the family which raised him up to the man he wanted to be. If his background was not as it is now, he couldn't be a soldier and could not serve his king. Getting in the army was almost impossible for those who were poor, even if they had appropiate skills for becoming part of the armed forces. 

"Daejang!"

Well, emphasis on 'almost'. Chanyeol shook his head with a smile in his mind hearing the particular voice and stopped in his walking. Before he could blink twice, the lanky teenager appeared in front of him and bowed clumsily while harboring a huge smile on his face. Although Chanyeol tried to mask his feelings, he mirrored the expression of the other and whacked him upside the head in endearment. 

"What is it, you brat?" he asked while the boy patted down his long, dark brown hair. 

"We set up the targets for the archery competition, just like you've asked, Daejang! Everything is in place." 

"Good job, Sehun. I was just on my way to check upon it. Were there any problems?" 

At his question, the boy's smile faltered to a childish pout. 

"Aside from the usual mocking from the other division that I shouldn't be there, nothing, Daejang." 

Chanyeol sighed in frustration at the mentioning of those people, since their disgusting behaviour was really getting on his nerves for a while now. They thought that Sehun was not suitable for his post, just because he was poorer then them. He was one of the few people who succeded the military exam without any help from above and actually got into the army based on his skills, not because of someone's reputation or even corruption. The kid was the fastest runner in their legion making him the all-time messenger, and he was really good at using kunai. He threw the little blades with a speed and precisement unknown to mankind. Also, he was infuriatingly loyal. For Chanyeol, he was one person he knew he could always trust.

He ruffled the lanky boy's fringe despite of his whining. 

"Don't waste your time on them" he said, encouraging the boy a little. "We will beat them in front of the royal family today, they're just scared." His wink seemed to instantly cheer Sehun up who giggled in delight. 

Chanyeol watched the Sun rising above the horizon, lighting up everything in its way and breathed in the still chilly morning air. When he heard the faint chirping of the bi