Chapter 1

The wagons came to a halt once they entered the kingdom. The children were forcefully taken out of the wagon and were placed in a line, outside of the palace. Taemin held onto Key’s sleeve not wanting to let go. “Taemin, show them that you’re not scared of them or the king.” Key said as he looked at the guard that was walking back and forth. Then the doors to the palace opened and the king, majestically, walked down the steps, looking all high and mighty. He then made his way to one end of the line and looked at each of the children he stopped when he saw Key, the king looked him up and down before smirking, “you,” Key arched a brow and waited for the king to continue. “I want you.” Key smirked, “I come in a package, your majesty. You want me; you have to take my brother, deal?” The king looked at Key then at Taemin and said “Guard. I’ll take four, the rest are to go to the market.” The guard stood at attention and left with the children, leaving Onew, Minho, Taemin, and Key behind. The king turned and climbed up the steps with the boys following him. Once they were in the throne room, the four boys stood silently waiting for their fate. “Sir, what do you want us to do with the two in the dungeon?” One of the guards asked. “Oh yeah, I forgot about those two, bring them here.” The king said as he sat in his throne. “You will be my personal slaves,  you will do whatever I say and do whatever I want, whenever I want, understand?” The four boys nodded silently. Before he continued, the guard dragged out two boys. One was tall and pretty lean and the other was short and muscular. They looked up to the king and then to the four boys and gave them the coldest glare and stood up from the kings feet. “If any of you don’t follow my orders as my slaves, you will be severely punished.” All of the boys visibly gulped not even wanting to imagine the punishment that they would receive if they didn’t follow orders. The guards then took the six boys to their rooms upstairs and passed several portraits of previous kings. They were shoved into the rooms; Key and Taemin were forcefully separated and put into different rooms. The last words that Key spoke to his brother was, “stay strong, I taught you how to fight back use it, don’t cry.”