Year 100 of Lee Kingdom. Palace Grounds. Land's Edge.

"You're shaking," Hoseok observes, hands brushing through the smaller's locks of hair. Taehyung is sitting on the boat's floor wedged between Hoseok's legs, facing out to the waters so Hoseok cannot see his face but there's no mistaking the slight trembles to his small shoulders. For the past week or so, he's been keeping his new shadow close to him, they travelled across the dunes on one horse for nearly five days after all and Hoseok has almost developed an intuition for how Taehyung feels about things just from his physical reactions. Also because the boy hasn't responded verbally to him yet.

"This must be your first time seeing the sea?" Hoseok muses, rubbing small circles to the boy's shoulders. Their boat is only swaying slightly with the waves but for someone who grew up in the middle of deserts all their life, it must be new and a little scary. "See those shores where the waves are crashing? That's the edge of palace grounds, Tae, it's going to be your new home," Hoseok's voice is gentle and soothing, as if he's talking to a scared baby animal. "I will enrol you to the academy in the palace and you will live with me, accompany me everywhere," Hoseok's hand rubs the back of the boy's neck where the velvet ribbon is tied, "no one will dare to come for you because they will know that you belong to me, that I'll protect you."

"...you're lying," Taehyung's soft voice comes out unexpectedly making Hoseok's hand halt momentarily, "...you will not protect me. You will let me die. Stop- stop pretending to be nice!" The master chuckles at his pet's accusations but before Taehyung can prepare himself for it, both his arms are being yanked backwards as he is pushed forward over the edge of the boat. Without his hands to break his fall, the slave finds himself doubled over facing his reflection in the water, wide-eyed and terrified, his balance only kept by Hoseok holding his hands back. 

"Is that right, Tae?" Hoseok gives a small push to the younger's back where it meets the shoulder blades, letting him get even nearer to the water. Splashes are hitting the boy's face now, the tips of his front hair dragging in the water, "Maybe I wasn't being nice healing you back when you decided to run off and your ownership curse got activated instead of leaving you to die in a bush. Maybe I wasn't being nice letting you ride on the horse instead of making you walk all the way here. Perhaps all of that is an act so that you will protect me when the time comes. You will die for me. But you know what, Tae?" Hoseok lets the shaking boy up, grabbing him by the back of his collar and the boy falls back onto the boat floor with a thud, in between the master's legs again. Taehyung is trembling like a small wet kitten, and even if it's subconscious, he pushes back into Hoseok's warmth and away from the boat edge. "I don't need to be nice to you for you to do all of that. Your body is designed to protect me. See what happened to your body when you ran away from me? Do you want to try out what happens when you don't obey my order? You're born to die for me, Tae. So perhaps you're right, little one, maybe I'm lying." Hoseok sighs a little, his hand back in Taehyung's damp locks again as if they are continuing their conversation naturally.

Jung Estate is right by the shores on Land's Edge, one of the bigger estates in the area. The vastness of the place and just the general vibe of the highlands throw Taehyung off a little and he finds himself subconsciously grateful that Hoseok keeps him close, true to his word. There are many household shadows already in the estate, all of them seem to have a polished and competent air about them. Taehyung feels more self-conscious with the other slaves, who are all no doubt born or trained on the palace grounds. And in a way, something about the way they regard him makes him feel like a stray dog picked up by their young master on a whim, and that he will be discarded into the waters once the master has his fun with him and gets bored of him.

"He is not an eyesore but nothing breathtaking," the older shadow lady comments as she scrubs his nose so hard Taehyung feels as if he's being rubbed raw. He is in a tub full of soapy water and despite his protests, three shadows are washing and scrubbing him together, and discussing him as if he is not there. "Maybe an earring here to soften up his features. He needs speech lessons too, did you hear him talk to the head shadow?" the slave girl who's washing his ears adds in as she pours water over him without warning. 

By the time they are all done with him, Taehyung feels as if he has lost three layers of skin but he is also dressed in cleanest clothes he has ever been in; a soft white cotton long sleeve shirt that fits and flows on him and dark purple robe pants. His right ear is still stinging slightly from the piercing but he is adorned with a dangling earpiece and his sandy locks are the softest they've ever been, trimmed but with soft curls left at the end. He feels almost abashed being ushered to the front hall to be presented to his master after his 'clean-up'.

"You look beautiful, Tae," Hoseok smiles at him fondly, getting up to close their distance quickly and he reaches out to tuck his hair behind his ear. Taehyung doesn't know how to respond so he keeps his eyes on his newly-cleaned toes and only when Hoseok introduces him to his father, the boy realizes the master of the house is in the hall as well. He gives a bow at his introduction before the two shadows ushering him hiss for him to kneel.

"He is very untrained," a deep voice resonates, something about it making the boy want to keep himself as small as possible. "Are you sure about this, Hoseok? It is not too late to bond to an older, more experienced shadow. The head shadow has prepared a line-up for you since several months ago. If you are doing this as an act of rebellion, I will remind you that it is your own safety at risk-"

"It is not for rebellion. Taehyung is my shadow. We have already gone through a binding ritual," Hoseok cuts off his father, sounding colder than what Taehyung has received from the master so far. 

"Even so, you can always cut the binding, he is neither an expensive nor valuable asset if he does not survive the broken bond," the man presses. A strong surge of anger suddenly fills Taehyung but a gentle hand pushes his head down and he remains on his knees, the split moment he wanted to have an outburst passes. He will no doubt be killed on the spot if he talks back to the lord of the house, and judging by how they are one of the larger estates on the palace grounds itself, even Taehyung's village may be affected by this act of offence.

"I have no intention of doing that. Tomorrow morning, I am taking Taehyung to the academy and getting the proper rituals done. He is my shadow," Hoseok repeats firmly but his hand on Taehyung never leaves, gently playing with his hair. And somehow, the small touches make Taehyung calm and relieved without him even realizing it himself.

When the night falls, the household shadows set up a small round pan filled with a mattress and some pillows on the floor by Hoseok's bed. Taehyung curls up to settle into his new 'bed' and just before he is about to drift away, Hoseok's deep voice penetrates through the darkness.

"Things will be hard but you only need to remember that you are mine, Tae. That you only need to look to me. No one else. Do you understand?"

Despite himself, Taehyung can't help giving a small nod as sleep takes over him. Hoseok will not see it in the dark anyway. 

Ahhh vhope is so soft I can cry ;; Also you can read a snippet of the next day in this story. These stories are kind of happening in parallel. As always, would love to hear your thoughts and feels!