Jonghyun knew he was in serious trouble. The sky seemed to share his opinion as a cold rain came down over them, fitting the dark and somber mood. The icy grip around his wrist didn't relent, forcing him to stumble after the furious Crown Prince into a tent.


''Jinki...'' The blond murmured, curling slender fingers over his shoulder but the other shrugged them off, actually making Jonghyun feel hurt. ''I can't believe...'' Jinki faltered, trying to keep his voice flat and monotone while his body was b in anger.

The blond bit his bottom lip, ''Can't believe what?'' He tilted his head to the side, ''That I injured that Assassin?'' Instead of answering, Jinki held out his hand. ''Give me the Dagger.'' Jonghyun blinked, frowning while his hand twitched, he had not expected the Dagger to come into play.


''What?''


''The Ebony Dagger Jonghyun!'' The Crown Prince snapped, ''Give it here, I won't allow you to have it any longer.'' Jonghyun gawked, feeling offended that it almost looked like Jinki was scowling a child that did something bad. ''What! no! I'm not a child Jinki!'' The blond refused and even glared back to show he wasn't kidding.

Jinki scoffed...

‘’Do you realize what you’ve just done?’’ Jinki growled, looking straight into Jonghyun’s eyes. ‘’This is the second time you rushed into a dangerous situation without my knowledge!’’

Jonghyun winched and shuffled his feet, he thought he did well by attacking that Assassin but Jinki wasn’t pleased with his braveness at all, ''B-but I t-thought-''

Jinki didn’t let him explain himself and roughly slammed his palms flat on the table. ‘’No, you should stop thinking if these actions are the results!’’ He exclaimed, feeling very frustrated that the smaller man again recklessly took action.

‘’I told you to stay out of this but you didn’t listen!’’ The Crown Prince pulled off his glove to wipe the sweat from his forehead, ‘’Do you know how scared I was when that Assassin had you underneath her?’’ Jinki shook his head, throwing his hands up in the air, ‘’Why do you have to be so reckless-’’

He suddenly lost his words, seeing the pain the smaller man was in. Jonghyun had teared up and hurriedly wiped his eyes and cheeks then walked around the table where a map was laying on that displayed the area around the castle which consisted of magical forests and rivers.


They were currently in the main tent where the Royals and Generals discussed strategies and such. The Elves and humans had set up a camp outside the borders of the forests since they had been searching for an Assassin who had been a threat for the elves for a long time now.

‘’Listen here Lee Jinki.’’ Jonghyun snapped, gripping onto Jinki’s collar. ‘’I may be inexperienced when it comes to combat but don’t make me out for a damsel in distress.’’


The Crown Prince didn’t know how to react, did he make Jonghyun feel like one? He only forbid the blond from helping out because he needed to keep him safe. The last time Jonghyun dove into a fight, he was manipulated and brainwashed for days.

Lips turned down and face twisted in a serious expression, Jinki stared down at the angry man and didn’t say anything. He stood behind his own words that he had uttered a few minutes ago, Jonghyun needed to stay out of these dangerous situations, it was the best thing to keep him safe.


‘’You have nothing to say?’’ Jonghyun let go of his shirt roughly, ‘’You know what? Don’t talk to me at all! It’s better this way since I have this urge to hit you.’’ He walked passed the table and slammed the Dagger down on it then moved to the tent flaps which were moving delicately through the wind. Jonghyun threw one last glance over his shoulder at Jinki.

‘’These actions had been to protect you, but you seem to forget that I care about your well-being too.’’

Jinki looked up but the blond had already disappeared leaving the Crown Prince speechless. His heart was racing and with a wave of boiling rage, he kicked a chair and it clattered hard against the ground.


His whole body was shaking, from stress or exhaustion he didn’t know. The whole process of tracking the Assassin had been difficult since he could have been anywhere.


What a coincidence that Jonghyun was the one who had traced her and managed to get himself in danger. When Jinki had heard from Chanyeol, the General of the Elves that Jonghyun had been in trouble, his heart stopped.
 

What would you do and how would you feel to see your loved one underneath an Assassin with a knife to the throat? Jinki couldn’t remember ever feeling this terrified.

The Crown Prince picked the chair back up and sat down, rubbing his temples and trying to find a way out of this maze of emotions. Every time he thought to be happy with his decisions, something had to happen and he would run towards a dead end.


Was it bad to protect those you love? Jinki didn’t think so and he never expected Jonghyun to be bothered with how Jinki left him in the dark with crimes related events.

‘’How wrong have I been,’’ Jinki whispered to an empty tent. Not only did he realize that he wasn’t giving Jonghyun a fair chance by not teaching him how to fight in combat but this was their first-ever fight since they met. Chocolate eyes landed on the Ebony Dagger before he guiltily lowered his head. 


He ruffled his hair and groaned in frustration. When they first visited the Elven Kingdom, Jinki thought of helping his allies out then showing Jonghyun around the place and have them go on romantic outings that would end with them star-gazing.


Those things only happened one time and that was on the second day here before everything went downhill. Jinki made a mental note to go talk to his lover, make everything right again and have the blond back in his arms.


What he missed the most lately is feeling the blond against him as they slept. That smaller body curled into his side, connecting them perfectly together like a piece completing a puzzle. He missed Jonghyun’s soft breathing against his skin, the little wiggles he made in his sleep and those beautiful Mocha eyes fluttering cutely when they woke up.


Jinki stood up and walked over to the flaps of the tent, needing to converse with the elven sisters first and then he will speak to Jonghyun in the hopes his lover will take him back and they could move on from these horrible stressful days.

~ Four days earlier ~

Ebralia was the Kingdom of Elves like Valmerys was that of humans. It was a mystical place with mountains surrounding the valley where the elves lived. The waterfalls twinkled and brooks going through the place sounded like music caressing the ears of outsiders. 

The houses weren’t of the same architecture either, like everything was built with a purpose, a delicate touch. It was a soft contrast to the buildings and places in Valmerys, everything there was breathtaking and so were the elves inhabiting the place.


Jonghyun had never seen elves before, as a boy growing up in the Orphanage, there was no possibility to travel and see the world no matter how much he loved exploring.


Jinki and he have been courting for 38 days now and while they have been going strong since day one even the ones so incredible in love could have their ups and downs  


It’s was Jinki’s birthday and the whole week has been dedicated to him and celebrated by the whole Kingdom. Other Kingdoms couldn’t keep that in regard as one of them called for their assistance and that Kingdom was no other then Ebralia. 

The group of five, including a few guards, left Valmerys with their bellies full and all in a merry mood, singing songs as they traveled on their horses.


Not only was it Jonghyun's first time seeing elves but it was also his first time traveling away from the Kingdom. His body was feeling jittery and he has been bouncing all over the place since the morning when he woke up.


‘’What’s up with you?’’ Kibum asked Jonghyun, galloping up next to him on his Beautiful dark brown ‘Thoroughbred’ horse when he saw the blond nervously flick his Mocha eyes around and gulp when they ventured into the wilderness and currently traveling on rocky plains with a few trees here and there. Jonghyun swore he even saw the silhouettes of wolves in the distance. 

‘’N-nothing.’’ Jonghyun lied and cleared his throat with a shudder going down his frame, wanting to make it believable for the Advisor but Kibum’s dry expression told him that he was failing miserably. 

The blond rolled his eyes, gripping tightly on the reins of his gorgeous white ‘Andalusian’ Horse, ‘’Fine fine...I’m feeling homesick.’’ He muttered, feeling embarrassed for admitting it when he was an adult for goodness sake!


Kibum stared at him with an unreadable expression on his face, it unnerved him as he couldn’t tell if the other man was judging or pitying him. However, what came out of his mouth was what Jonghyun didn’t expect at all.


‘’That’s cute.’’


Jonghyun blinked rapidly, a deep frown gracing his face. Was Kibum teasing him again? What does he mean with that’s cute? Was it cute that he had to bring an extra pair of underwear on the journey because he was afraid to wet himself? Not really…


‘’I can hear you thinking from here.’’ Kibum nudged his head with his fingers. ‘’It’s cute how you think of the Royal Palace as your home now.’’ He mused with a small grin, it was less likely that the Blond would have been homesick if he was still living in the Orphanage.


‘’Oh…’’ Jonghyun mumbled, his eyes flickering in amusement. ‘’Yes I guess you could call it my home now.’’ 

Taemin came up on his other side on a black ‘Mustang’ Horse. ‘’Why are you referring to Jinki as it?’’ The young Prince only heard half of the conversation but he had Jonghyun already sputtering and flushing bashfully.


‘’T-that’s n-not...’’


Snic