It was late at night, and Ryeowook was tired enough that he could have fallen asleep at any moment, when they left the hut. Even the thought that they were technically still running away didn’t manage to bring back the adrenaline that he had felt before.

Kyuhyun securely led him through the darkness and when they got close to dangerous terrain, they crouched down.

“Do you want me to get on your back again?” Ryeowook whispered, eyes on Kyuhyun, who shook his head. His focus appeared to be entirely on the area ahead of them, eyes hard and expression seemingly frozen. A heartbeat later, the prince realized that getting on the other’s back while both of them were wearing backpacks would also be… difficult, to say it nicely.

“Unless I notice any guards, we should be fine.”

Ryeowook turned back to the front. The port lay ahead of them, looking like it was unprotected since it was outside the city walls and the city itself didn’t seem to have any watchtowers, yet Ryeowook wasn’t too surprised—while this region was important for many merchants who traded with China and Korea, the majority of them didn’t stay in the city and instead continued their journey right after their arrival, so there was usually no need for special protection.

Protection…

Ryeowook’s eyes travelled towards the East. Somewhere out there, his oldest brothers were probably sleeping, recovering from a long day of learning how to serve their country and eventually lead their country’s forces…

“Hey, Ryeowook, are you with me?”

“Huh?” he turned back to Kyuhyun who had raised an eyebrow at him. “Sorry. Yeah, I’m with you.”

“Good. Let’s go then.”

Kyuhyun turned back to the front and just a moment later, he started to move carefully, staying close to the ground. Ryeowook followed his example, trying to stay as quiet as possible, though he couldn’t judge how loud he maybe was with how fast his heart was beating once again.

Ahead of them, a few buildings rose dark against the night sky and from far away, Ryeowook could hear quiet noises that he assumed belonged to a tavern. Wouldn’t it be dangerous for them if there were people around? Or was Kyuhyun hoping that they wouldn’t attract attention? Ryeowook glanced at Kyuhyun, but the other was still focused on the passage ahead of them, his expression serious but not worried or alarmed.

Ryeowook squinted at the area ahead of them, wishing he could see better and be sure about whether there were or weren’t any people, especially any guards.

“What about the tavern?” he whispered, since Kyuhyun hadn’t mentioned it while explaining his plan earlier.

“All the better for us. When there are other people walking around, we will draw less attention.”

“But what if anyone recognizes me?”

Kyuhyun came to a stop and turned to face Ryeowook, looking doubtful. “With all due respect—people might not even recognize you if they knew they had to look for you, and so far, I don’t think that news of your disappearance has arrived here yet. Unless you happen to visit here frequently or there are many portraits of you here, I don’t think people will necessarily recognize you without your robes. And, without wanting to sound mean—the traces of the disease are still showing. But believe me, before the turning, there’s not much use to take a long bath.”

“But… my hair… And I’m a prince…” Ryeowook tried to catch up with what Kyuhyun was saying. Of course it was good that people apparently wouldn’t recognize him, but at the same time… He should have checked his appearance! How could he have forgotten to do such a thing? He was a prince, after all, he couldn’t just go out without making sure that his appearance was perfect. And yes, as the youngest prince, he was indeed neither as well-known as his parents, especially his father, and his brothers, but… he was still a prince! Maybe a prince without any guards, without his maids, without his robes that made his status easily recognizable… But wasn’t he still a prince? Even without all those things?

“Can we talk about this later?”

“But why are we hiding then? If others won’t recognize me, why are we hiding?”

“Because they still might recognize you. And two people dressed in all black so late at night would draw a lot of attention. And people might realize that you’re sick.”

“But then you should also worry more about maybe being seen around the tavern!”

“Shh, not so loud!” Kyuhyun hissed, visibly irritated, but Ryeowook shook his head.

“What does it matter then? You can’t say that they won’t recognize me but in the next moment say that they also might. I should have made sure I look presentable, I—“

“Ryeowook—“

“No, you don’t understand! I’m a prince, I can’t go out in public like this! What about my family? Their honor and—“

“Ryeowook!”

He jumped at Kyuhyun’s harsh tone. A lump formed in his throat and he felt a tremble crawl through him.

“The moment you came out to meet me four nights ago, you left your title in your room. Your title and your family. You’re not a prince of Joseon anymore, you’re a runaway, a traveler like me. I thought you understood this, but let me repeat it: our mission right now is to make sure to get you out of the country and to a place that is as safe as possible before I turn you—unless you happen to have changed your mind and would prefer to wait for death to come in a week or two. If you prefer to stick to the initial plan, it is best for no one or at the very least as few people as possible to see us, because anyone who has seen us could recognize you or could give the royal guards hints about where you’ve disappeared to. At least your friend and your maids might be able to figure out that you’re not on your own and that I am the one who’s with you, so how long do you think it’ll take the officials to see the obvious when they hear about two strange young men dressed in all black getting on a ship here? They’d find us before the next full moon. Do you want that?”

Ryeowook shook his head. His bottom lip was trembling with the rest of his body and his eyes were burning, but he refused to overtly cry. He gritted his teeth, hoping to hide how shaky his breaths were. Maybe Kyuhyun was right, maybe he had a point, maybe Ryeowook knew all of that. But still! Maybe he had left behind his title, but that didn’t mean that Ryeowook’s heart had changed from being a prince to being a runaway, that didn’t mean that how he was apparently showing himself went entirely against how he was supposed to present himself!

Kyuhyun sighed and reached a hand out, but Ryeowook quickly moved back, causing Kyuhyun’s hand to halt mid-movement before falling. “I’m sorry, I’ve been too harsh on you. Of course it will take you time to accept and understand all this.”

Oh, so he was not only stupid for being unable to let go of his title, but he was also childish and dumb for not understanding it all right away and not being able to let go of everything he thought was normal and would be with him for all eternity. He was overreacting. Of course he was! How else could it be!

“Ryeowook?” Kyuhyun’s voice was gentle, enraging Ryeowook even more. What, did he have to be babied now? “Is it okay for you to keep moving? And talk about this at a later point?”

“What is there to talk about?” Ryeowook hissed.

“A lot. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in your position, let’s talk it all out once we’re safe, okay?”

Despite wanting to give Kyuhyun the silent treatment, Ryeowook found himself nodding.

Kyuhyun exhaled a breath that he had to have been holding in. “Alright, let’s keep going.”

Ryeowook obeyed without further protest and a moment later, Kyuhyun also started moving again, leading the way.

Soon enough, they reached the first house and Kyuhyun gracefully moved to stand in its shadow. Ryeowook followed suit, though he felt like a sack of rice compared to Kyuhyun, a feeling that he wasn’t used to after a life of growing up in elegance and fine manners. How unfair that Kyuhyun had been turned long ago, but they still had to wait before Ryeowook could be turned!

They stood still for a moment and Ryeowook left it to Kyuhyun to check if the they could keep going. If they had made it all the way to Cheolsan without being discovered, he was certain that he could trust the other’s judgement regarding the path ahead of them.

After endless moments of standing still, Kyuhyun finally pushed off the wall and motioned for Ryeowook to come with him. Ryeowook followed at first, but somehow ended up walking by Kyuhyun’s side soon afterwards. The noise from the tavern became louder as they walked and Ryeowook caught himself glancing back occasionally, finding a strange mix of relief and discomfort at the fact that no one was there. He was outside, near a place with people… Minhee and Minkyung should be there, watching over him, just like they had for nearly as long as he could remember.

“Is everything okay?”

Ryeowook nodded, but he wrapped his arms around himself, hiding his hands in his sleeves that felt too tight for this purpose. He moved a little closer to Kyuhyun despite his former annoyance, his uneasiness about the situation overshadowing his previous emotions. He could feel the other’s eyes on him just a little longer before that feeling faded.

The stone beneath their feet was well-worn and Ryeowook could make out a passage in the middle where the vendors passed through with their carts at daytime, but the night view was a far cry from the bustling atmosphere that Ryeowook expected Cheolsan to be during daylight. With one exception…

The laughter and snippets of conversation sounded through the entire street and the closer they got to the tavern, the more understandable did the conversations become and the more uncomfortable did Ryeowook feel. He really shouldn’t be there on his own. His maids should be with him. Like they had been for years!

His hand brushed against something and he instinctively grabbed it, holding on to it as tightly as possible, identifying it as part of Kyuhyun’s coat when he was brave enough to take his eyes off the path ahead of them for a heartbeat. Maybe this wasn’t perfect, but if he held on to Kyuhyun—or at least his coat—the other could hardly leave him without protection, right?

A hand somehow wound its way through Ryeowook’s crossed arms, linking him and Kyuhyun together. Yes, this was even better than before.

Ryeowook braced himself mentally, yet he still wasn’t ready when they passed the tavern, his head lowered and—

Nothing happened. The talking continued. The laughing continued. He and Kyuhyun were still walking. Ryeowook let out a slightly shaky breath, grateful about every step they were taking away from the tavern, wishing he could run.

And then the noise level changed at the same instance as Kyuhyun suddenly tensed up and Ryeowook’s heart forgot the next beat, stumbling to catch up. The icy coldness of his anxiety was back just as quickly and nausea added to his slightly lightheaded feeling.

“Hey!” a voice called out, sounding a little slurred. “Hey, I mean you two!”

Kyuhyun came to a stand and turned around a little, making Ryeowook move slightly away from the man who had just exited the tavern. The prince glanced over towards the tavern as well where a guard was swaying, pointing into their direction with squinted eyes.

“You two. You should… should… join us!”

“Thank you, but maybe another time,” Kyuhyun declined kindly, but there was a cold undertone to his voice.

“No~!” The guard’s voice turned into somewhat of a sing-song and he took an unsteady step towards them.

“I don’t think I feel so good.” Ryeowook did his best to slur his words believably, taking a small step forward that he didn’t even have to fake into being unsteady. As if that small unbalanced step had given him the rest, he quickly clasped a hand in front of his mouth, adding a dry cough.

“I’m sorry, we really can’t join you today.” Kyuhyun’s voice sounded pressed and he spoke faster than before. His grip changed until he had one arm wrapped safely around Ryeowook’s shoulders, guiding him towards the side.

“Oh okay… Come back tomorrow!” the guard called after them, then Ryeowook heard his steps going somewhere into the opposite direction.

Ryeowook briefly glanced over his shoulder to see the guard’s back, then they were hidden behind a corner. He turned to the front and his heart skipped yet another beat at Kyuhyun’s immediate proximity.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Their eyes met and any response got stuck in Ryeowook’s throat at the intensity of Kyuhyun’s gaze. He only managed a nod, briefly over his lips that suddenly felt dry. Kyuhyun’s eyes dipped down before he quickly looked away and took a step back, pulling Ryeowook along through their once again linked arms.

Both of them looked down and the anticipation that Ryeowook had felt just a moment earlier quickly evaporated, leaving fear once again and he clasped the fabric of Kyuhyun’s coat a little tighter, afraid the other would make him let go.

“Let’s get going. We need to be aboard before dawn.”

Ryeowook nodded, simply following as Kyuhyun glanced around the corner before leading them onwards. His heart wouldn’t calm down and his mind was spinning, unable to move on from how close they had just been.

Without coming across another person, Kyuhyun finally led them into the harbor and past several piers before he entered one that had a comparably big cargo ship waiting. How far out were they that the ship was able to be anchored in this spot? They went up a gangplank and Ryeowook momentarily held on to Kyuhyun a little tighter, afraid to misstep and fall into the water that was making quiet, wooshing noises below them.

Kyuhyun got aboard first and then was suddenly out of Ryeowook’s grasp without the young prince being able to comprehend how that had happened. So much for his plan that Kyuhyun wouldn’t escape him if he just held on tightly enough! Instead of panicking, he focused on getting on board first, then he turned his head, trying to spot Kyuhyun.

His eyes widened and his heart sank when he not only spotted Kyuhyun but also another young man, a boy almost. Kyuhyun seemed to be talking to the boy who cowered against the wall behind him. Unsure what to do but too afraid to stay on his own, Ryeowook carefully went over to the other two, stepping as lightly as possible in hopes not to get on any creaking boards.

The argument was resolved before Ryeowook arrived and Kyuhyun took his hand, eyed the sailor boy once more, then he opened a door that Ryeowook hadn’t even noticed until then, and the two of them disappeared into the ship.

The moment the door closed, Ryeowook’s surroundings turned pitch black and he could only do his best to stumble after Kyuhyun as quietly as possible, one hand on the wall by his side and the other tightly held by Kyuhyun. His heart was racing and he felt a new wave of panic rising inside him. Where were they going? What if someone noticed them? There was nothing Ryeowook could do! What if he ran into something? They were moving so fast!

“Careful, here’s a ladder,” Kyuhyun’s voice suddenly resonated in the darkness, so quiet that Ryeowook had to strain his ears to understand the words. “We’re going down. I’m going first, you follow after me. Got it?”

“Yes,” Ryeowook whispered, allowing Kyuhyun to guide him into a crouching position and show him where the ladder started, the wood rough under his fingers, then the touch disappeared. His throat felt tight and the trembling was back while he waited, counting five seconds before he hesitantly moved closer, turning around. He extended his first leg, feeling for a step, almost panicking when he couldn’t find anything right away. Until there, there! Something! The next step. One more. And another. Another. Then the first hand. Where had the step been again? One step at a time, he felt his way down.

Then he missed.

He couldn’t help the gasp or the noise when his shin hit the next step while he clung to the steps. He clenched his teeth, for as long as he could until he had to breathe against the sharp pain that shot up from his leg.

“You’re almost there.”

Ryeowook nodded, but he couldn’t move, fear and pain freezing him in spot. After endless seconds, he forced himself to take a deep, though still shaky breath, then he carefully felt for the next step, clenching his teeth once again when pain shot up his leg the instant he put weight on it. No, he wouldn’t give up now! They were so close to leaving Korea, he wouldn’t give up!

He slowly shifted his weight, holding on tight with his hands while he moved his other leg down, even more careful now not to miss another step.

“You’re doing good. I’m here. Don’t get scared, this is just me,” Kyuhyun encouraged him a moment before a hand was placed on Ryeowook’s leg. How low were they going that Kyuhyun was only now able to touch his leg?

He took another step and then another, feeling Kyuhyun’s hand slide up with each move until he was suddenly pulled into a hug. His heart skipped another beat—was this becoming unhealthy?—and for a moment, he expected to lose his balance. But no. Both of his feet were securely standing on the ground and Kyuhyun held him close.

“You’re good. You made it.”

Ryeowook nodded, holding on to Kyuhyun tightly for as long as he was allowed to—which was a time that ended way too quickly.

When they started walking, Ryeowook was once again relying on Kyuhyun on one side and the wall on the other. This time, however, they were walking more slowly. Could it be that Kyuhyun couldn’t see anything either? Or at least not enough? Ryeowook couldn’t tell if there had been a change in lighting, but since Kyuhyun had mentioned vampires’ sight being superior and night being their natural waking time, Ryeowook didn’t think it to be unlikely that it really was even darker in this part of the ship.

Suddenly, they came to a stand. After a brief moment, the smell of ginseng started to fill the air, then Kyuhyun guided him around a corner before bringing them to a stand yet again. Had they gotten lost?

Panic flared up inside Ryeowook and he really started to get tired of that feeling when Kyuhyun spoke up once more, “Shield your eyes and look away.”

Confused, Ryeowook did as he was told, then suddenly, everything was bright. He squeezed his eyes shut, but a quiet crackling sound still prevailed. Slowly, he forced his eyes open, blinking a few times before he could recognize shapes and colors properly.

His jaw fell.

They were surrounded by walls of wooden boxes, leaving only a small path for them. Ryeowook didn’t have to search long before he spotted the first lettering that explained the scent he had noticed: those boxes were storing ginseng.

He slowly looked around, stunned at the amount of boxes that surrounded him, until his gaze finally landed on the side where they had come from, a path that was now blocked, and he finally realized that they hadn’t turned around a corner but entered a room.

Last in line of his observation was Kyuhyun, smiling at him, a tiny flame dancing over his palm.

“Welcome to our hideout for the next two days.”