They left the hut not long after the sun had set. Kyuhyun had only gotten a vague description about where the house they should look for was located, so neither of them knew for how long they’d be outside that night.

Except from the fact that they didn’t carry their backpacks this time, the night felt a lot like every night before to Ryeowook, but at the same time, it also carried an exciting spark. This time, they weren’t just walking with a vague destination in mind; they had an actual place where they wanted to arrive. And before dawn, they would return to the hut they had left earlier.

As they walked, Ryeowook kept on glancing over at Kyuhyun. Their lack of conversation was nothing new to him, but the tense atmosphere felt very foreign. Kyuhyun’s entire body was stiff and his jaw was clenched, his eyes focused and darting from side to side every so often.

They had moved a little closer towards the village, or rather, town, as Kyuhyun had explained to him earlier, in order not to miss either the house or the supposedly well-visible path that led up to the house.

What kind of people occupied a house outside the city walls? Some farmers, maybe, exiles, travelling artists, unless they stayed in an inn, shamans… Then again, he couldn’t recall having heard of shamans outside Korea, so that probably wasn’t the answer. Would the people who rented out rooms this far away from the town be trustworthy? Or were they shady, maybe even criminals, just not to the point where the officials could do much more than banish them from the town?

How many people were they even? And if they also lived at that house, would it really be safe for Kyuhyun and him to go there and even stay with them?

Ryeowook glanced at Kyuhyun, but the other’s expression and tension hadn’t changed, so he looked ahead again, unable to stop the worries from running through his mind on loop. What happened if anyone found out that he was a prince of Joseon?

“Kyuhyun?”

“M-hm?”

“Should I get a Chinese name? One that is unlike my Korean name, I mean. What if someone does recognize me or my name and rumor of me being a runaway prince makes it all the way to this town?”   

“How many people do you plan to introduce yourself to?” Kyuhyun flashed him a glance that bordered on amused, making Ryeowook blush.

“I mean, there will be the people whom we might stay with, and maybe others whom we get along with in town who might want to know our names sooner or later… And I think that using a Korean name in general might be weird since we’re not in Korea anymore, and… I don’t want to be found.”

Ryeowook watched the earth, small twigs, and fallen leaves pass on the ground while his thoughts continued to spiral downwards. What if someone found them? What if officials from court managed to somehow track them all the way to this place and then, upon being asked if they knew someone by the name ‘Ryeowook’, the other townspeople could instantly point him out? Or maybe travelling merchants told the locals about the youngest prince having gone missing and the townspeople would then work on handing Ryeowook over to authorities to get the bounty? In such a case, even using the Chinese version of his name might not be of much help.

A hand slipping into his, fingers intertwining, distracted him, and when he looked up, he found Kyuhyun still looking ahead, but a warm and sincere smile pulled up the corners of his lips. “Don’t worry too much about it. I never changed my name and I ran away from a vampire who would have had all the means to find me if she had come close to where I was, so I think you’ll be fine. Adjusting the name to the country we’re in sounds good, but I like your name.”

“You call me Little Prince most of the time.”

The corner of Kyuhyun’s lips twitched into a smirk before he became more serious. “Now that I have your real name, I have at least toned it down. And it works wonders for teasing you.”

“Whatever.” Ryeowook wanted to sound determined, but the word felt rather generous and good-hearted.

Not too much later, Kyuhyun came to a sudden stop and simultaneously pulled Ryeowook behind him.

“A—“

“Shh.”

Ryeowook immediately shut his mouth, clinging on to Kyuhyun’s hand that he was still holding. He took a deep breath like Kyuhyun had told him to last time they had come close to a residence, but he was surprised that there was no overwhelming scent in the air. There was something, he could tell that much, but he couldn’t figure out what that something was, just that it was neither human nor a wild animal.

Kyuhyun tried to pull away his hand, but Ryeowook instinctively held on tighter, grateful when Kyuhyun didn’t try again.

“Are we there?” Ryeowook whispered, receiving a curt nod in response. They walked further until the house was in sight for them while they were still well-hidden among the trees.

A clearing surrounded the house, though, as Ryeowook looked at the building, he thought that it rather resembled a mansion than a simple house. It seemed to be much bigger than even some of the buildings inside the court where he had grown up, consisting of not one but two stories, and through one of the open windows, he could see a fire.

When Kyuhyun moved, Ryeowook let him guide them away, first to gain distance and then circling the house until they found the path that Kyuhyun had heard about. Questions were burning on the tip of Ryeowook’s tongue, but he held them back, sensing that Kyuhyun’s evaluation of the situation wasn’t finished yet, so he most likely wouldn’t get any answers already. They followed the path until they saw the city walls where they came to a brief stop before Kyuhyun led them further, back towards the hut, though they remained in sight of the city wall this time.

“So?” Ryeowook asked finally, unable to hold the questions in any longer.

“Why do you think people would live outside the city? Especially that far outside, I mean,” Kyuhyun asked back.

“Maybe they weren’t wanted inside the city?” Ryeowook voiced out the most obvious suggestion, but Kyuhyun shook his head.

“How about: they didn’t want to live in the city?”

“But who wouldn’t want to live in the city?” Ryeowook frowned. Of course the two of them couldn’t live in the city, but aside from that… There were hunters who had built huts so they could stay outside longer to hunt, there were probably some wandering artists, yet the house didn’t seem to belong to either of those groups. Unless… “We don’t.”

“Exactly. I’m certain that whoever lives in that house, and however many they are, are vampires.”

“But how can you know?” Ryeowook watched Kyuhyun’s expression. The other didn’t look quite as tense anymore, but therefore thoughtful and even a little exhausted, making Ryeowook worry. Was this because of all the constant walking, including Kyuhyun’s walk to the city and all the things that needed to be done for them to find an accommodation? Or was this more about a mental burden regarding taking care of both of them and making sure that they were safe?

“One thing is, of course, the location of that house and how big it is. The report I got in town earlier was that there are two men living there who are open to accommodating others, on the condition that those other people are also looking for a place to stay outside the city. Then there was a fire, indicating that people are present, however, the scent of humans is missing. Additionally, I doubt that any human who works in or near the city would live outside of it or still be up at this time, and if I’m not mistaken, I did hear something from the inside that would indicate that someone was still awake in that house.”

“So what will we do next?”

Kyuhyun shook his head lightly. “I don’t know…”

Ryeowook continued to watch Kyuhyun, wishing he could comfort him and help provide an easy solution. “Can’t we get to know them and then make our decision? And even if we stay, you said yourself that you’d just like to wait until the nights get longer again before we continue traveling, so it would only be a temporary stay.”

Kyuhyun looked back at him for a long time before looking ahead again and Ryeowook realized that it was a miracle that neither of them had walked into any trees. “You have high hopes in this and just want to settle down for a while, don’t you?”

Ryeowook looked down, feeling like a little child who was reprimanded for not knowing something. Of course it was risky, he didn’t even know why the anxiety that he had experienced back in Cheolsan and that he expected to return in crowded areas didn’t set in at the thought of living with total strangers, he knew that Kyuhyun was most likely wary because of his past, but…

“I understand.”

Ryeowook’s gaze shot up in surprise, but this time, Kyuhyun kept on looking ahead. “You do?”

“How could I not? Let’s check during the next few days if there really aren’t any other options for us, and if I—or we—can’t find anything, let’s talk to whoever lives in that house and see if we have any chances of getting along, okay?”

Ryeowook smiled and instantly nodded, squeezing Kyuhyun’s hand with gratitude. “Thank you. Let’s do it like that!” Their eyes met once more and Ryeowook flashed Kyuhyun a bright grin, hoping to ease some of his worries, though it didn’t seem like he was successful. “Do you still remember the first time you went to the market after you’ve been turned? Or the first time that you’ve really been somewhere public with lots of people around?” he asked to change the topic and maybe even get a few more tips.

☆ ☆ ☆

Ryeowook couldn’t hide that he was nervous when they walked to the city, their hands intertwined because Ryeowook didn’t think he’d be able to make it without anything to hold on to.

They came to another stop near the city gates. Ryeowook could feel the guards’ eyes on them, but he could neither let go of Kyuhyun’s hand nor move otherwise. He took a deep breath, both to try calm himself down and make sure the hunger was in check, then he turned to Kyuhyun, flashing him a brief, insecure smile.

“You’re okay?”

“Yes. I’ll tell you when it gets too much.”

Kyuhyun gave him a confirmative nod, so Ryeowook looked ahead again, taking another deep breath before he continued walking. Ryeowook shrunk closer and closer to Kyuhyun, wishing he could become a small fly that could easily hide between the folds of Kyuhyun’s shirt, especially when the guards glanced at them, their irritation at the two vampires’ sight obvious. And yet, they didn’t make so much as a move to stop them. Ryeowook glanced over his shoulder after they passed the gate, but the guards were still watching the outside world, standing straight.

Looking ahead, Ryeowook slowly relaxed a little, focusing on their surroundings instead. A variety of low, small houses surrounded them, and for the first time, he noticed something else. The scent—or rather, the abundance of scents that all blended together—was nearly overwhelming, stirring the familiar hunger inside him and momentarily causing a painful pull in his upper jaw. He tensed, gulped, but his throat felt incredibly dry all of a sudden. The solution was so close…

He shook his head lightly, reminding himself that hurting others wasn’t what Confucius wanted from them, then he squared his shoulders and focused his eyes and attention on what lay ahead of them. He had sat through countless discussions that had bored him to death or where he had needed to conceal his frustration of not being allowed to speak his mind, so he could certainly go to the market at such an early hour and make it back without any unwanted incidents!

Kyuhyun led them through the streets and it didn’t take too long until their environment grew louder, the scents stronger and more diverse. There was a gurgling river not too far away, the smell of fish, the calls of vendors trying to lure in their first customers of the day, chatting, laughter, and the overwhelming scent of humans and sweat. Ryeowook’s heart fluttered like an anxious bird, but he pushed away the fearful thoughts of going to such a place without protection: Kyuhyun was by his side. He was a vampire. There was no need to be afraid.

The much more frightening overstimulation and vampire hunger were more difficult to suppress than the fearful thoughts. He focused more on what he heard, trying to reason with himself that none of it was unfamiliar to him, but the more he tried to pick apart the noises and smells, the more overwhelming it all seemed. The fish. The stench of outhouses. The people in the houses near them and even those at the market, their blood tempting his hunger in ways he had never experienced before. A wooden smell. Fire somewhere, probably inside some houses. A rattling cart. The vendors’ calls. The shuffling of feet and the rustling of clothes. The brightness of the colors around him, alight from the sun’s morning rays. Birds chirping. A child crying somewhere. The burning smell of alcohol.

Suddenly, his view ahead was blocked, and Ryeowook realized that they had come to a stand. When had that happened?

“Hey, are you okay?” Kyuhyun was frowning, his expression torn with worry, and his eyes searching. Their hands were still intertwined and Kyuhyun’s other hand appeared on his upper arm, the warm contact comforting and calming.

Ryeowook nodded and even managed a small smile towards Kyuhyun. Somehow, breathing was easier than before, as if Kyuhyun hadn’t just stepped in front of him but also wrapped him into a cocoon of safety, shielding him from the outside world. “I’m okay. I just focused on the wrong thing.”

“Are you sure? Do you want to turn around?”

Ryeowook shook his head, determination rising inside him anew, and even his anxious heart calmed down. “I can do this. I want to do this, so I can.”

“You’re not sugarcoating how you feel, are you?”

“No. I was just overwhelmed for a moment, I’m fine now.”

Kyuhyun’s eyes were still searching, probably trying to detect any signs of Ryeowook lying, but eventually, he nodded cautiously.

They continued their walk and after the small break, the noises and smells seemed a little more bearable, though they soon once again bordered on unbearable as they approached the market. They hadn’t quite arrived yet when the first vendor spotted them and immediately called into their direction. Ryeowook stared at him for a moment, trying to understand what he was saying, yet the words didn’t make sense in his mind.

They walked a little further until they came to a stand in front of a food stand, the woman behind her wagon immediately chattering about her goods, and Ryeowook had to remind himself to look down in order not to be impolite. And still, he didn’t understand a single word.

A new fear dropped in his stomach, making his hands feel cold, and he was grateful for Kyuhyun still holding one of them, warming it. Why couldn’t he understand anything? It all sounded like the Chinese he knew, and yet he could hardly make out any words. Of course he was better at reading and writing it than he was at speaking or hearing it, but the last time he had been in the Chinese capital, he had been able to understand the majority of the emperor’s and subordinates’ words without problem!

An icy hand of panic grabbed his heart and he felt something mighty stir inside him, as if it wanted to come to his rescue, but Ryeowook pushed it back down, taking a moment to focus exclusively on his hand in Kyuhyun’s, on the warm comfort of that touch, on Kyuhyun standing close to him and looking through the vendor’s goods, on the sound of his voice as he talked to the woman, his intonation a mix of the words Ryeowook couldn’t make sense of and the Chinese that he did know.

The woman laughed, such a loud sound that Ryeowook flinched from it and moved a little closer to Kyuhyun, feeling the other squeeze his hand in response. Didn’t Kyuhyun just explain that they were new in the region?

The woman laughed again and after some more chit-chatting, Kyuhyun reached into his shirt, retrieving a pouch from it. He took some coins from it and got dried fruits in response, but it was only as Ryeowook kept on looking at the pouch that dangled off Kyuhyun’s fingers between them that he realized he probably should have let go of Kyuhyun’s hand to make the paying process a little easier. In order to help at least a little since he wasn’t ready to indeed let go, Ryeowook reached for the small pack of dried fruits that the woman handed over to them.

“Thank you very much,” he said as loudly as he could, which, as he realized belatedly, was in the same volume that he usually talked in with Kyuhyun.

The woman looked at him in confusion, then surprise, and lastly grinned, saying something that vaguely sounded like “You’re welcome.”

Her loud cheerfulness irritated Ryeowook and even the thought that she most likely wasn’t loud, especially not for a vendor, and her cheerfulness was to be expected, didn’t help him.

They continued walking and the market that had formerly seemed like a wall of impressions turned into a raging stream of overstimulation, threatening to pull him down if it wasn’t for his hand in Kyuhyun’s. A group of women entered the market from one of the side streets, chatting animatedly. Just a moment later, his attention was diverted to another vendor calling out to those women, probably advertising his goods. Ryeowook's throat was dry, aching from the constant temptation of fresh blood around him, and the abundance of scents seemed to drown him, the vibrant colors blinding him. And the people, so close, so loud, so human, like a vortex feeding into that raging beastly nature inside him.

“Kyuhyun, can we leave for today?” he mumbled, the feeling of drowning and losing control becoming nearly overwhelming even though the market was still fairly empty.

“Of course,” Kyuhyun agreed immediately and, instead of going back, led them into one of the side roads. Ryeowook simply followed, relieved when the number and intensity of stimulations decreased, though he only really relaxed when they were back in the forest. He was exhausted and so tired that it took all his will-power to keep moving and keep his eyes open. Suddenly, the hut that had formerly seemed so convenient with its distance from the city seemed too far away.

“You did well, you know?”

“So you keep saying… yet we only made it to one stand.”

“I was convinced that we’d have to turn around when you froze before we even reached the market. And like I told you, in my opinion, making it to the market, buying something there, and you actually consciously telling me that you want to go back without any regrettable incidents happening first is a clear sign that today went well.”

Ryeowook hummed, lacking the energy to argue further, especially when it had long since become clear that Kyuhyun wouldn’t let anything or anyone change his mind about this aspect.

“If you don’t mind me asking… what exactly happened when you froze?”

Ryeowook shook his head lightly, remembering that moment with a shudder. “It was just too much. You said that it would be a lot, but all those impressions were just…” He gestured into the air with the hand that was still holding the dried fruit, lacking the words to express how the myriad of impressions had affected him.

“It’ll get easier with time when you know what to expect.”

“You even hold shows on the full market and visit it during day time when it’s really full…”

Kyuhyun laughed and squeezed Ryeowook’s hand. “I will admit that I’m always grateful to escape the crowd after the shows, but over the years, I have gotten somewhat used to them.”

“You say you’re grateful to escape the crowd, yet you stayed behind after your last performance at the spring festival.” A fond smile traced Ryeowook’s lips at the memory of Kyuhyun having stayed behind to see him again. Those meetings had happened mere months prior and already felt like they were from a different lifetime, back before he had known anything about Kyuhyun, before he had fallen sick…

He yawned. Thinking about how far away his life at court felt, hadn’t they also walked for a long time already? Shouldn’t they arrive soon?

“We’re almost there, don’t worry,” Kyuhyun said as if he had read Ryeowook’s mind and they indeed arrived at the hunter’s hut not much later.

When they finally arrived, Ryeowook kicked off his shoes with much difficulty, not protesting when Kyuhyun gently took the pack of dried fruit from him, leaving both his hands feeling strangely empty. The bed seemed to call for him with such temptation that it took all of Ryeowook’s remaining willpower to glance over at Kyuhyun who leaned against the doorframe, making no move to enter the hut as well.

“Go on. I’ll join you soon,” he promised with a warm smile that Ryeowook tiredly responded to before making his way to the bed, passing out to the sounds of Kyuhyun chuckling softly and the front door closing soon after.