The sky painted in soft colors as the sun slowly took it place, it seemed like any ordinary morning at the palace, maids and guards slowly woke up into a brand new day, however, the silent interrupted by the sound of the prince’s footsteps as he rushed into his father’s room.

On his knees by his father’s sickbed, Suho held his hand in his “Appa…” he mumbled quietly.

The King opened his eyes slowly, soft weak smile decorated his grayish face “Suho” he sighed heavily.

“Don’t speak, it would only make you weaker”

The royal doctor walked into the room, in his hands a tray with tea and herbs, he bowed his head respectfully at the prince before he started to concoct something that would ease the King’s pain.

“Appa, I’ll be out on the roads today” Suho said.

“No” the King whispered “it’s too...dangerous”

“I have to, we’re running out of medicines”

“The rebels…the’re everywhere”

“I’m not afraid of them”

Knowing how stubborn his son is, the King begged him “take… the guards with...you”

“No, they would only make me slower, I’ll be better off alone” there was no use arguing, the prince kissed his father’s hand and got to his feet “I’ll ride all day and night if I’ll have to, Appa, don’t worry about me, I’ll be back as soon as possible”

The King sighed tiredly and closed his eyes “if I’ll...die, take care of…”

“I will” Suho promised, knowing his obligations.

Leaving the room he hurried to the stables, without any assistance he got on his horse and rode out of the palace.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“You wished to see me, commander?” Minho bowed his head respectfully as he got into the room.

The commander nodded and got closer to him, he eyed the soldier for a long moment, thinking if he’s the right man for the mission “our men caught the prince last night” he said eventually.

Minho nodded understandingly, having the prince in their hands would help the rebels to conquer the kingdom.

“Nobody at the kingdom knows about his absence yet, it might be our opportunity”

“What do you need me to do, commander?”

“I need you to get into the palace as one of the guards and collect any kind of information that could be useful to our men. I bribed few men at the kingdom, you’ll manage to get in without any problem, I’ll send someone to meet you for a report”

Minho nodded, he left his commander’s room, ready for his mission.

“The private guards usually sleep in the inner rooms, the others sleep here” the guard who guided Minho around the palace pointed at a big hall on his left “you can choose yourself a bed. The maids bring clean laundry every morning before breakfast”

Minho thanked the guard before he left.

Inside the rooms, he looked for a free bed and declared it as his by throwing his sword on it, few guards greeted him shortly before they turned to mind their own business. He took himself clean yungbok (traditional uniforms) from the clean pile of uniforms and started to dress slowly, after he tied his hair in a high bun he placed a ribbon to his forehead, his sword tied to his belt before he went out to the main court, where he took his place by the east gate.

Though he expected it to be more dynamic, the palace was pretty quiet, he saw few maids walking from one hall to another, gossiping about love affairs and adultery while carrying clean clothes and food from the kitchens, others lit candles around the courtyards before the sunset, at the west gate few guards changed shifts, everybody seemed to be busy with daily chores.  

As he kept eyeing the place he noticed a young boy standing on the bridge by the lake, though he couldn’t see his face clearly Minho found himself staring, the way his long caramel hair glow like fire at the sunlight captivated him.

The young boy probably felt he was being watched and turned, however, he lost his balance before he could see who looked at him, a sharp scream escaped his lips as he hit the water.  

Minho gasped, his eyes bulged, he threw away his sword and ran toward the lake without hesitation.

In the water, the boy’s hands struggled hysterically, he tried to keep his head up as he called for help, his little body trapped by his soaked hanbok and he started to sink slowly.

Jumping into the water, Minho swam as fast as he could, he wrapped his arm around the boy’s waist when he reached him and tugged him close to his body, the boy felt lifeless when he reached the surface.  

Placing him on the ground he hovered above him, he tapped his cheeks few times, trying to wake him into conscious unsuccessfully.

“Aish!!!” Minho screamed and looked around him, no one was there to help him, he placed his fingers on the boy’s neck and seek for his pulse, when he couldn’t find he hurried to open his hanbok’s belt and remove the wet heavy fabric from his body, he angled his head up quickly and forced his mouth to open, water dripped from it at the moment he did.

He placed his ear over his mouth before he pinched his nose in between his fingers, pressing their mouths together he blew air into his lungs.

The boy’s chest rose slightly before it dropped.

Minho blew into his mouth again before he fisted his hands into each other and placed it over his bare chest, he pressed it, again and again, making his small body twitch with every . He kept breathing into his mouth and pressing his chest until the boy finally cough water out of his lungs.

Two big beautiful eyes slowly opened and looked at him through a screen of wet thick lashes.

“Are you alright?” Minho asked.

The boy’s lips parted but he was too weak to talk.

Minho placed his hands underneath him and raised him in his arms, the boy closed his eyes and leaned his head on his chest tiredly as he carried him into the doctor’s room.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Minho repositioned at the inner court after he saved the young boy from drowning, the executive officer summoned him and appointed him to be his private guard.

He received a new room, close to the boy’s so he could watch him properly, and instructed by a woman named Mrs. Gyu about all the necessary things. He assumed the boy had an important position at the palace since he needed a private guard, but Mrs. Gyu was short on words when he asked questions, in fact, he didn’t even know his name, she referred him as ‘Doryeon-nim’ (young master).

For 3 days he stood in front of the boy’s door, Mrs. Gyu visited his room twice a day, brought him food, clean clothes, and medicines, Minho could tell by the look on her face that the boy was getting better.

“Excuse me…”

A soft voice made Minho turn, he hadn't noticed that the door behind him opened.

“Who are you?”

Minho eyed the boy in front of him, his eyes were big and bright, decorated by long thick lashes, his nose was small as a button, his puffy lips looked soft, his caramel hair tied up in a messy bun and the hanbok to his body hide a small figure, he was a real beauty, something he hadn’t noticed when he saved him from drowning.

“My name is Choi Minho, I’m your private guard”

The boy tilted his head “I don’t need one”

“The executive officer appointed me”

“Well, tell him I don’t need you” the boy said and tried to pass by him, however, got blocked.

“Do you need me to walk you, young master?”

The boy looked angry “no, I don’t need you to walk me, now, if you don’t mind...I don’t need a watchdog”

Minho smiled, he let the boy take few steps away from him before he followed “what about a friend?”

The boy stopped and looked at him “what?”

“Do you need a friend?”

The boy eyed him suspiciously.

“I don’t have to be your ‘watchdog’, we can be friends, I’ll look after you like friends do, like I did when you fell into the lake”

The boy looked surprised “you’re the one who saved me?”

Minho nodded.

Softening, he mumbled “thank you”

“So, can we be friends?”

Hesitating, the boy nodded.

Minho reached his hand “let’s start over. I’m Choi Minho”

The boy shook his hand, though the look on Choi Minho’s face made him believe he was waiting for him to introduce himself as well, he found it weird,  since he was his private guard he should have at least know his name “Lee Taemin”

Soft smile crossed Minho’s lips as he mumbled quietly “lovely”

“You’re new here, aren’t you?”

“Is it obvious?”

Taemin just smiled and kept walking, apparently, the guard wasn’t aware of his position at the palace yet and he liked it.

As they walked together toward the gardens, Minho tried to make a small talk “do you like feeding the fishes?”

Taemin glanced at the lake, his body shivered to the memory of his drowning “it’s nice. I usually feed them along with my big brother, but he’s on the roads now”

“Do you miss him?”

“A little” he said “I mean, he’s not always around and we don’t see each other much, but I like it when he’s here. He’s a good brother to me”

“I can feed the fishes along with you until he’ll come back, if you’ll like” Minho suggested with a smile.

Taemin glanced at his guard, his smile decorated by two mischievous dimples that made his heart fluttered in his chest “thanks, but, I think I’m done with the lake”

A wave of heat washed Taemin’s body when Minho chuckled, his breath became heavy, his deep tone vibrated his stomach and flushed his cheeks.  

“Don’t worry, I won’t let anything bad happen to you” he promised.

Taemin looked into his eyes and saw honesty, it made his heart raced and his body tingled in a way he had never felt before.

“I should go back to my room” he mumbled, wondering if Minho noticed how weirdly his body reacted.

“Are you ok?” Minho’s expression changed into a worried one.

“Hmmm, just a little...tired” he lied.

Minho nodded, the boy must have been still weak from his drowning. He walked him back to his room and made sure he has everything he needed before he closed his door, soft smile crossed his lips when he heard Taemin squeaking embarrassingly behind it.