"Do you think they’re asleep?" Luhan whispered and Baekhyun followed his gaze, staring intently at the duo, sprawled on thin, straw mats under the starry night. None of them was moving, their chests rising and falling in steady rhythm.

"I think so." He nodded and Luhan released a breath of relief. 

"Should we... should we r-run?" Luhan’s voice quivered and for a second Baekhyun felt incredibly confused by his question. Once it dawned upon him what the boy meant by his words, he laughed quietly, shaking his head.

"We’re in the middle of a deseret. Your chances of survival are higher if we stay with them for now." He turned his head to give Luhan a reassuring smile. The boy’s face was dimly lit by the moonlight, his blonde strands shining slightly in reflection. He could see as Luhan’s delicate features pulled into a frown.

"Our. Our chances of survival." Luhan corrected him softly and Baekhyun’s smile fell at that. How was he supposed to tell him that he his own chances of keeping his life were close to zero?

Baekhyun had been thinking about it the whole evening, basically from the moment Chanyeol unceremoniously threw him off his horse and announced they will be taking a few hours break since the horses need to replenish their energy. 

According to the tall man’s words, they were taking him to Trion and as he already said, he knew that place very well although he had never visited. It was a resident place of the Council, that Council which so actively opposed to the King’s unlimited power. He could vividly imagine what they are going to do with him once they arrive. He will be put in front of a court and then rightfully executed for his alleged crimes. 

They hated him for helping the King, for giving him power through his visions and letting him use it to his advantage. Baekhyun was aware how his powers helped the King to cement his position as the strongest and most feared king to rule over these lands in the last century. But it was not like he could stop it, fight it. He was a prisoner of the King as well, but common people failed to see that. 

And Baekhyun couldn’t even blame them. 

He felt that familiar sting in his chest, the uncomfortable clench of his heart. If only he wasn’t a coward, he would take his own life, saving all those innocent people that suffered due to his actions.

"Master?" Luhan’s voice teared him out of his thoughts.

"Please, call me Baekhyun, Luhan." The prince closed his eyes, a chuckle escaping his lips as he heard Luhan’s shocked gasp.

"No, master, I would never dare to call you by your name!" The boy shook his head furiously, his voice going up an octave. 

"We’re not in the Golden Palace anymore." Baekhyun his side, carefully reaching over Luhan’s shoulder so he would not touch him directly and he saw how his thin body tensed. His fingers found the loop on the back of Luhan’s neck and he pulled gently. The satin collar slid against the expanse of Luhan’s throat, leaving no trace behind. 

Back then, when Baekhyun gifted Luhan the collar, he made sure the fabric hadn’t dug against his skin in a uncomfortable way. He still remembered the time when he removed the heavy metal collar from Luhan’s previous owner. His neck was bruised, a thin red line marrying his skin in spots where it was too tight. 

He stared at the black strip that was now draped over his fingers with a strange feeling of satisfaction. His gaze flickered back to Luhan who stared back at him with wide eyes, hand shakilly reaching out to touch his throat. Baekhyun didn’t miss the slight tremble of his lips and how his brown eyes turned glassy. 

"You’re not my slave anymore, Luhan. You’re my friend, an equal, and I want you to treat me like that." He patted Luhan’s shoulder, his heart swelling with happiness when a small smile bloomed on Luhan’s lips. 

"An equal..." He repeated after him dreamily and Baekhyun smiled as well, oblivious to the pair of ears that has been listening to their whole conversation.

---

Baekhyun was falling again. Plummeting deep under the surface, the familiar coldness surrounded him. His mouth filled with water, his lungs stinging at the iciness. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t move. His limbs were numb from how freezing the water was. He kicked his legs in desperate attempt to move upwards, towards the surface but the pressure around him was too much. He felt like someone squeezed air out of his lungs. 

He was dying.

Baekhyun woke up with a jolt. His body sprung into a sitting position, his breath laboured. He felt as if he had ran a marathon in his sleep. A trickle of sweat slid down the curve of his spine and he wriggled at the uncomfortable feeling. His hands were trembling, eyes darting from side to side as he tried to get used to the darkness around him. 

Then something thick and leathery covered his mouth and Baekhyun screamed, the sound muffled. His heart was beating a violent tattoo against his ribcage and the memories of the dream that were still fresh and sharp in his mind, came flooding back with a wave of nausea. 

His reflexes kicked in and he tried to fight whoever was behind him, keeping a firm hold on him, the leather material still clasped tightly over his mouth. The man behind him growled and pushed him down, pushing all of his weight on top of Baekhyun’s chest. 

"Be quiet!" The familiar deep voice cut through the night in a hushed tone and the prince stilled, his limbs going lax. He realized that it had been Chanyeol’s leather gloved hand that was so firmly clasped over his mouth. The dark haired man pulled back, measuring Baekhyun with hawk-like gaze, as if he was half expecting for him to fight back again. 

But Baekhyun didn’t, because he could hear it now as well. The voices were faint but with each passing second they seemed to gain in intensity, more distinct until Baekhyun was able to tell apart each word. 

"They must be close. They couldn’t have gone too far." Said the first voice coldly and a shiver ran down Baekhyun’s spine. The voice was oddly familiar. 

The palace guards Baekhyun mouthed to Chanyeol and the later cocked a brow at him a small smirk pulling at his lips. "You don’t want to go back, right?" 

Baekhyun desperately wished to smack the smug expression away from his face but if he had to choose, he would rather stay in the company of the two strangers than being dragged back to the Golden Palace. He nodded, almost defiantly, the action stirring something inside him. It was like a ounce of his pride slickered away form his body. 

Chanyeol’s smirk grew wider and for a weird moment Baekhyun thought that the expression didn’t match his features at all. He chased away the stupid thought and pushed himself up into a sitting position. Looking around, he found Luhan in similar position, only that it was Minseok and his heavily slanted eyes that were burning holes through Luhan’s head as he held dagger against his neck threateningly. 

"Stay here." Chanyeol instructed him with voice that demanded authority. The prince scoffed as he got to his feet but followed the order nonetheless. He hurried to Luhan’s side, swatting Minseok’s hand away with his sleeve and the later was probably about to spew a few profanities out of his mouth but he was cut-off by a booming voice resonating over the deserted lands.

"WAIT! THEY MUST BE-" Someone above them trailed off. 

They were hidden in a dip between dunes, having a perfect spot that allowed them to slip out unnoticed if the opportunity arises but at the same time, if one of the soldiers came too close, they could see them hiding right in the shadow. 

Baekhyun gulped, staring at the star-strewn sky and listening to every sound. Out of the corner of his eye, a fleeting shadow caught his attention and he could see Chanyeol making his was up, gripping his dark bow tightly in his hand while the other reached out to touch the quiver strapped to his broad back. 

And then he disappeared above the tip of the dune, only small waves of sand sliding down the steep slope reminding them that the taller had just passed them a few seconds ago. Even the horses wewe quiet as they stood perfectly still, making Baekhyun briefly wonder if there weren’t a part of his imagination. 

The sound of a bowstring and an arrow swishing through the air grabbed his attention and before he knew what he was doing, he was climbing up, his hands gripping for support in the moving sand as he tried to get there as fast as possible because that man, Chanyeol, he couldn’t possibly go up against all of them by himself, right? That would be downright foolish. 

Baekhyun knew the King, he must have sent about a dozen of groups, at five to seven soldiers in each. 

He was halfway there when somebody firmly gripped on the back of his night robes and yanked him back. The collar of his attire tightened around his neck and he gave out a choked noise as he was sent tumbling back. The noises of raging fight coming from somewhere above him were now muted and the sound of Chanyeol’s bow was now a distant music to his ears. 

Baekhyun was tangled in a heap of limbs, struggling to get free. A pained groan escaped his lips when the man’s knee came in contact with his stomach. In desperate attempt to break away from him, pushed his hand forward, hitting the man straight in his face. The moment he touched him, Baekhyun’s vision blurred.

He felt like he was flying across the desert, like a bird soaring through the sky. His sight was strangely distorted but he could make out the tiny silhouettes hundred meters under him. They looked like nothing more than black specs, but upon closer look, Baekhyun could see they were moving, Moving towards a silver wall in a distance. And just as he was about to head down from the sky to take a closer look, the ground under him blurred.

The sand under his body was warm as he laid splayed across the ground, panting. He didn’t understand, he didn’t understand anything. What he had just seen? It didn’t make sense at all. Baekhyun was no stranger to unclear visions. Hell, he had one every single night without understanding the meaning or purpose of why he kept having the exact same dream over and over again.

But this, this was as if it was not a vision at all... more like, seeing-

Someone grabbed him by his shoulders, pulling him up on his feet. Baekhyun’s head spun, feeling like his limbs were detached from his body and he could not move them at all. His eyes searched in the darkness until they fell on a body of a dead soldier, lying limply on the ground, his eyes empty and throat still dripping with fresh blood. 

His stomach did a weird flip and in the next second he was bent over, emptying all of its contents.

---

"What’s up with him?" Chanyeol growled, still holding Baekhyun up. His head lolled to side, his mouth dripping with saliva. The slave boy, Luhan, ran over to them with rushed steps, wiping the prince’s mouth with his sleeve without a bat of an eyelash. 

"He touched him, the soldier," Minseok said lazily, cleaning his dagger with the hem of his shirt and Chanyeol wondered if it was possible for him to look even more disinterested in the whole situation, " then he went into one of his trance and collapsed." The shorter man didn’t spare the prince a single glance as he squatted next to the dead man. He observed him for a second before he shook his head and started gathering their scattered belongings.

"Does he do this often?" Chanyeol deadpanned turning to the blonde boy and was surprised to see the slave staring him right in the eyes, scowling at him. 

He scoffed. What a strange duo... A prince who has the ability to see the future and a slave who respects and listens to no one but his master. 

"He faints sometimes, when it’s too much on him." Luhan said reluctantly, eying Chanyeol warily. 

"When it’s too much on him?" Chanyeol lifted his brow. 

"Don’t talk about him like that." Luhan said scathingly. "You know nothing and it is because of people like you that my master is always suffering."

"Suffering?" Chanyeol’s brows almost disappeared under his fringe this time. He didn’t fail to notice that Luhan still addressed Baekhyun as his master. He had overheard their conversation earlier and it is needed to say that he was surprised that someone like Baekhyun allowed a mere slave to call him by his name.

"I’ll take him." The slave boy said sharply, ignoring the taller man completely and for a second he thought that Luhan, despite his frail appearance, certainly did not lack courage. Chanyeol was used to people stepping back just from seeing him, he had to admit that this was somehow refreshing. 

"Sure, why not?" He exclaimed and dropped the prince with a thud. Luhan gasped and shot Chanyeol another scornful look. "I’m sure you two are more than capable of handling your own lives." He beckoned to Minseok who immediately took the hint and mounted his horse with a very pleased smirk. 

"WAIT! You can’t leave us here!" Luhan protested, his voice laced with mild panic. 

"I’m not leaving you here." Chanyeol said lightly, lips stretched into a smile. "I’m merely letting you decide what you want to do. In this particular case I would advise you to run." And with that, he dug his heels into the horse’s sides and galloped into the darkness with Minseok following suit. 

---

"You’re enjoying this a bit too much." Minseok commented, his whole body relaxed in the saddle, looking ahead of himself at the beauty of the morning sky that was painted in pink and orange hues. The sand seemed to glimmer under the sunrays and if they glanced over their shoulders, they could not longer see the bright cupola of the Golden Palace. 

If anything, Chanyeol’s smirk was an answer to Minseok’s words. He turned around, pulling on the reins and coming to a halt. Luhan was not far behind them, the prince’s still limp body thrown over his shoulders as he took slow and careful steps. Even from the distance, Chanyeol’s sharp eyes noticed that the slave was completely red in his face, his bony arms straining under Baekhyun’s weight.

Oh, how easy it would be for Chanyeol to carry the prince. He could probably walk for days without a rest. 

"Well, he’s more tanacious than I would have guessed." The taller admitted.

"Why don’t we just leave them here?" Minseok suggested, his sharp eyes too following Luhan’s movements as he was getting closer to them. They have been playing this game for more than three hours now. Bolting ahead of them and then waiting for the slave to catch up with them only to repeat the process all over again. 

"He wanted to die."

"What?" Minseok turned to him.

"The prince, I mean. He defended himself only after the slave boy tried to harm me. Don’t you find that strange?" 

"Maybe he was not as fond of the thing as the rumours say." Minseok commented, measuring the approaching duo with a careful look. 

"Yeah, and that makes things so much more interesting, don’t you think?" 

Minseok sighed, expecting that kind of answer. He knew Chanyeol all to well, his friend always liked the thrill of a new adventure. Sure, bringing the prince to Trion alive will cause an uproar between the councilmen and Chanyeol was aware of it, moreover, he looked excited by the prospect.

Minseok rubbed his temples and groaned. "Should I go back for them?" 

"No, I’ll go." Chanyeol shook his head, grinning. "I have a feeling he’s going to talk back and I’m not sure you can go through that without strangling him." He rode away with a booming laughter. 

---

The sand seemed to turn into a molten gold under the scorching sun. It was late afternoon and they were on the way since early morning. Minseok and Luhan were riding a few steps ahead of him, the slave boy’s head every now and then hitting Minseok’s shoulder as he battled sleepiness. Chanyeol laughed every time his dear friend pushed the boy’s head away with an annoyed huff. The prince was yet to wake up, currently resting his head against Chanyeol’s chest, wrapped up in the taller’s cloak to shield him from the merciless sun. His breathing was uneven and forehead covered in a sheen of sweat. 

Chanyeol briefly wondered if it was safe to touch him and when he dared to do so, his fingers lightly grazing his pale cheek, the prince did not react at all. His skin was unhealthily cold and for the first time Chanyeol’s forehead creased in worry. There was certainly something wrong him. He chased those thoughts away however. He should not care for someone who so thoughtlessly helped the King in slaughtering innocent people. 

He must admit it would be easy to fall for Baekhyun’s spell. He was effortlessly beautiful, face pale and unblemished, lips pink and smooth and gentle eyes that saw right through you. His skin seemed to be glowing and Chanyeol had caught a glimpse of those intriguing tattoos when they peeked from under the hems of his robes. It was hard to believe that someone like him could be capable of inflicting harm to others but Chanyeol knew better. Though, he could understand why the King choose Baekhyun to warm his bed at night. Any man would have trouble resisting the prince. Subconsciously, he glanced and Minseok furtively and smiled to himself.

Well, almost any man. 

It was half an hour later, when he felt the prince stirring in his hold. When Chanyeol looked down he almost dropped the reins because for a moment, he would swear, Baekhyun’s eyes were icy blue. But as sudden as it was, Chanyeol blinked and there was a pair of two chocolate eyes staring at him blankly. He watched as Baekhyun’s face slowly morphed into a frown and then he sat up, letting the hood fall from his face and squinting his eyes against the blinding sun. 

"What happened?" He asked, his voice hoarse. There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked sickly. 

"We were attacked, at night and you fainted, again. I’m starting to get used to it, to be honest." He handed him a bottle of water and the prince grimaced. 

"It’s stale." The boy wrinkled his nose as he pushed himself further away from Chanyeol. 

"You know," the taller sighed exasperatedly, "I put so much effort into keeping you alive, it would be tragic for you to die from dehydration."

The boy scowled at him but snatched the bottle out of his hand and took a small, careful sips. He returned the bottle wordlessly and Chanyeol chuckled as the boy’s lips twitched in soundless thank you. 

"Did you kill them?" He asked quietly after a long moment of silence  and Chanyeol was momentarily confused by the question as his mind had already drifted far away from their previous conversation. "The soldiers, did you kill all of them?" Baekhyun repeated, his eyes on the taller man. 

"Yes." Chanyeol said without any remorse. "There was five of them and other two that waited for me to take action so they could... take you away... but Minseok was faster." He added, sneering. The soldiers sure had thought that they had them cornered.

"They only follow the orders of the King, they were men with families, given no choice but join the King or die." Baekhyun said, throwing him a slightly judging look. 

"That’s strange, coming from you." Chanyeol scoffed, pulling on the reins a bit harsher than he intended and the horse almost stopped, throwing his head from side to side, its mane shining brightly under the sun. 

The prince didn’t answer and for some reason, he was irritated by it. "Maybe if you shared your story with me-"

"Why should I share my story with you?" The prince said bitily. "You seem to have already made more than accurate picture of me. There’s no need to pretend like you care. You think I don’t know what awaits me in Trion? You think I haven’t heard about the Council?" He gave the later a harsh push to free himself from his hold and jumped down.

"I think I’ll rather walk." The prince gave him one last hard stare before turning on his heels and marching away from him. 

Chanyeol shook his head, a small smile tugging on his lips despite Baekhyun’s words. 

The prince was hiding something.

And Chanyeol was set on finding out exactly what it was.

UPDATE!! Sorry it took me such a long time again T__T

This chapter is a bit shorter than usual but I think everything I wanted to share for this part is in here. So, what are your thoguhts on the characters? I know it’s probably still confusing but we are slowly getting there....once they arrive in Trion the real fun will begin... until then byeeeee ^_^

(Jongin will be back in next chapter!)

Lova Ya^^

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