Part 6 : Yoo Seolhwa, Park Chanyeol

It’s very early the next morning when we make our way back to the palace. The sun isn’t up yet, and probably won’t be for another hour or so. The village itself is silent, and not a soul is seen when we walk through it. I’m still bundled up in Chanyeol’s robe, and the ends of it drag on the ground because it’s too long for me. I’ve given up trying to roll it up, and he tells me that he doesn’t really mind if it gets dirty. Halfway back, I’ve tripped over it too many times and I end up holding the sides up.

The wound on my back still hurts, stinging painfully even at the slightest movement. I try to keep it straight and stiff so the pain isn’t too unbearable, but after a night of squeezing on the small bed, my whole body is sore and it’s harder than it should’ve been to keep my back still.

Chanyeol’s gaze flickers to me worriedly every couple of seconds. “Go to the infirmary when you get back,” he tells me. “You’re lucky that assassin didn’t have poison on the blade. If he did…” he pressed his lips together.

“I’m fine.” I manage a weak smile, though it’s definitely not enough to convince him. Especially when it turns into more of a wince.

“Someone must’ve known we left,” he mutters. “There’s no way other way they could’ve found us like that. But then it means that whoever’s been handing out this information to others also has close watch over the two of us. Especially me.”

It had been worrying when I’d been told there was a traitor in the palace, but at the same time, it had been expected, too. There’s no way everything that had happened before would’ve taken place if they hadn’t been receiving orders from someone inside. Still, to know that it’s probably someone in the palace that Chanyeol had trusted enough to give information on his whereabouts (or has enough power to track where the king is) is more than just disturbing.

“Do you have any guesses who it might be?” I ask. Speaking manages to divert my attention from the pain.

His eyes flash in frustration. “I don’t even know when to start. I used to think that it could be one of the servants or guards because… I want to trust the people that I’m close to, but at this point, it has to be a person that knows me well. I can’t even look at someone straight in the eyes without wondering if it may be them.”

“Is there… anyone suspicious in your advisors?” Park Jinhwan. The couple of times that I’ve come across him have been far from pleasant, though I’m not sure if he counts as someone Chanyeol is close to. And while I don’t want to jump to assumptions, he doesn’t even try to hide how disdainful he is around me.

He wrinkles his nose at that. “Most of them were my father’s, but they were… they’ve been there when I grew up. I remember playing with a good couple of them when I was younger. It’s just so hard to tell.” His voice tightens at the last couple of words, near breaking, and I decide not to push the topic anymore.

***
 

The palace is frantic when we get back. Kim Minseok is the first to actually find us, and his eyes widen in surprise and then relief when he sees us. It only takes one scan and he seems to have zeroed in on me. “You’re injured,” he says immediately.

Chanyeol nods. “Take her to the infirmary — someone cut her down the back — and call a meeting. I need to figure out a way to tighten security around the palace especially because this is getting ridiculous.” From the way his jaw tightens, I’m pretty sure ridiculous is an understatement.

Chanyeol disappears in the direction of his chambers, leaving too abruptly to even see Minseok’s bow. He turns to look at me instead. He has a sword strapped down his back, and while it’s the only noticeable weapon on him, he undoubtedly has more. Baekhyun is able to hide a couple daggers in just his cloak.

“Let’s get you fixed up,” Minseok says quietly. “Can you still walk? You look like you’re in a lot of pain.”

I wince. “The infirmary’s not far.”

We head in the direction in silence for a while, and then finally, he speaks up. “What happened? I’m guessing you were attacked, but… why were you missing for the whole night?”

“I was bleeding really badly and we were closer to the village than the castle. He found an inn and paid for a room for the night and then bandaged the wound.” I hesitate. “He did kill the two assassins, though.”

Minseok gnawed on his bottom lip, expression visibly worried. “Someone has to be tracking everything he does really carefully if they know that he left the palace. He didn’t even tell any of us where he went.”

At that moment, footsteps sound from behind us. I turn around just in time to see Baekhyun running towards us, hair a dishevelled mess. He hasn’t even tied the front of his robe properly, though he looks as if he hasn’t slept in days. “Are you okay?” he demands. “Where’s the king? Is he hurt? You can’t just disappear for the whole night like that without telling anyone—”

“Baekhyun,” Minseok says calmly. “The king is fine. I’m taking her to the infirmary.”

Baekhyun visibly relaxes at that, though he still looks tense. He follows behind the two of us, hand resting on the sword hilt that’s sticking out awkward. He looks as if he grabbed his robe and his sword and left running and dressed then. Either way, his hair is still an absolute nightmare.

He scans me. “You’re injured.”

I manage to give him a smile, though it’s halfhearted and wavering. “What’s with all of you people being able to tell that I’m injured with just one glance?”

His eyes land on my back. “I’m a soldier.” His voice is graver than I expect. “I’ve been trained to look for small details. I can tell easily if there’s a falter in your step, and you’re holding your back up very stiffly right now. Also, you look like you’re in pain too.”

If he’s been trained to look for such things, does that mean Chanyeol has too? He never strikes me as much of a fighter whenever he’s around me, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t. I’ve seen Baekhyun in action more than I’ve seen the king, and even with his talkative personality and constant smiles, he hits me as more of a fighter than Chanyeol is (Minseok, on the other hand, is quite, expression always stoic, and the exact person I imagine to be an elite guard).

After what feels like forever, Minseok finally opens the door of the infirmary. “I have to go check on the king,” he tells me. “The palace has been in an uproar because he’s been missing for the night and they found traces of blood on the floors, and he’s going to have to report the incident in full soon too.” He gives me an apologetic smile. “Baekhyun will guard the doors.”

With that, he’s gone. Baekhyun slips out the door too, closing it so it’s just a crack. I sit in lonely silence until the doctor comes.

***

The rest of the day is relatively uneventful, and Chanyeol spends the whole time sorting out things with his advisors and the rest of the palace staff. It’s halfway into the afternoon when they’re finally finished, and he’s exhausted and ready to collapse. He’s heading towards the direction of his room when the doors burst open and someone lunges at him.

He’s been through enough attacks to be quick enough to respond and there’s the sharp ringing of metal against metal. The masked assassin is thrown back and Chanyeol stumbles a couple steps into the wall too, disoriented and taken by surprise. It’s the middle of the day. There shouldn’t be any attacks in the middle of the day.

“Why are you here?” he demands, though the man is silent and draws out a second weapon. “For God’s sake, can’t you leave me in peace for one day? I just want a break! Is that too much to ask for? One break!”

The door creaks open behind him, and Chanyeol whips around, half expecting another masked man. Instead, Baekhyun shouts a loud “watch out!” as a knife flies in his direction. He barely manages to dodge it, the tip of the blade grazing his cheek, before it imbeds itself into the wall behind them. Baekhyun leaps past him, drawing his own sword. The fight barely last for ten seconds before Baekhyun’s wiping the blood off his blade onto his shirt, the lifeless body of the assassin at his feet.

“The palace is under attack,” he says tensely. “They’re crawling absolutely everywhere.”

Chanyeol feels his blood run cold. “Where’s Seolhwa?”

“I ran into Go Eun on the way here and she said she’s bringing Seolhwa out. You might want to get out too, Your Majesty—”

“Do you