"Hyung, does it still hurt?" Sehun winced.

Baekhyun tapped his chin in thought. "Well I'm not sure Sehun-gun." he murmured. "How about you stick an arrow in your arm and you tell me?"

Sehun pouted while his cousin Kai burst out in laughter.

The EXO-K princes had returned to Baekhyun's quarters the next day to visit their Crown Prince after the previous night's terrifying incidents.

The Palace was bursting with gossip as the maids and court attendants speculated who the assassin was. It wasn't who the assassin was that interested the people, it was who it was that hired the darn man.

Who was the person who caused all these panic in the first place? And why did he want to kill the Crown Prince anyway?

The Queen Dowager was utterly shocked to hear that her grandson had been shot by some assassin and nearly fainted from shock. Baekhyun had written a letter to assure her that he was alright.

"But seriously hyung, what did the physician say?" D.O. asked curiously. "Did the imperial physician tell you how long it would take I recover?"

Baekhyun sighed at his arm that was wrapped in white bandage. "He said that it was quite a deep wound." he murmured. "The good thing is that it didn't hurt my muscle or anything. So it's just going to take a week or so for the superficial wound to heal."

"That's good." Suho smiled. "You don't look right with you lying in the bed without girls sitting on your lap and tending to you."

Baekhyun grabbed a bun and threw it at his hyung, who caught it with his fast reflex. "What? It's true." Suho chuckled. "Have you ever seen Baekhyun without girls by his side, huh?" he grinned teasingly.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes. He didn't like how his cousin was acting all the time, but they all knew why he did so. Not that much of a mystery, Byun Baekhyun. He was pretty much transparent in love as a five year old and their desire for sweets.

"But honestly hyung, if the Queen hadn't found some pretty and capable bodyguard for you, are you going to continue insisting to use female bodyguards?" Chanyeol retorted. "Aunt is right. Look where you useless bodyguards got you. You wouldn't have had this wound if they were alert or capable enough." he snorted.

Baekhyun grumbled. "Not you too Yeol."

"I agree with Chanyeol hyung on this one." D.O. nodded. "Come on Baekhyun hyung, your life is more important. I don't get why you're such a hardcore flirt."

Baekhyun's face fell and he stared at his bedsheets. Kai elbowed D.O. and shot his hyung a look that screamed ARE-YOU-RETARDED?!?!

The EXO-K princes bit their lips, awkward as the silence dragged on unnaturally long. Baekhyun sighed and fiddled with his bedsheets. "You guys know why." he muttered.

"Yes we know why, but we can't say we understand." Kai shrugged. "Honestly, I don't see what's so attractive about Dahae noona."

Baekhyun shot the cool prince a look that even Kai couldn't bear. He quickly shut his mouth and bit his bottom lip guiltily. "What do you mean what's so attractive about Dahae?" Baekhyun snorted. "Everything! She's wonderful from head to toe!"

Sehun wrinkled his nose. "I get it. You like her hyung." he mumbled. "I lost track of how many times you got me to spy on noona with you. Tsk tsk."

"But you really think she'd fall for you if you play with other girls like that?" Chanyeol looked at his cousin, frowning. "Hyung, you don't have to do everything for her you know."

Baekhyun pouted and puffed his cheeks. "I want to." he defended himself.

He sighed and hugged one of his pillows. "Don't you remember? She said I wasn't man enough." he murmured sadly. "I wasn't man enough for her, so I have to prove to her that I am. If I can charm a thousand other ladies, she's got to wonder what's so amazing about me that had all those other girls captured, right?"

"You guys don't get it." Baekhyun grumbled. "Dahae is worth all my effort, alright?" he snapped. "Now stop this topic before you guys try to persuade me of something I don't want to."

Sehun caught Kai's eyes and they both sighed. They all knew Princess Dahae wasn't likely to fall for Baekhyun any time soon, especially when she wasn't even in the Palace. She was sent to some other part of Korea to do her princess duties and learn more about the culture and stuff. She wasn't going to return for some time yet.

And besides...they kind of knew who Princess Dahae liked. And it sure wasn't Baekhyun. But that would be something to talk about when she got back.

Baekhyun, in an attempt to change the topic, looked over at his cousin. "Did you manage to see the assassin when you ran after him?" he asked curiously. "What did he look like? Any clues of his identity?"

The other princes crowded around the tallest prince, all wanting to hear about it.

"Yeah did you, hyung?" D.O. beamed.

Chanyeol shook his head. "I told you, he was fast. Really fast." he wrinkled his nose. "I couldn't have caught up if not for my long legs." he pointed. The shortest of them D.O. and Suho pouted frustratedly.

"One of the temporary guards had been tailing him closely." Chanyeol told them. "But when I reached, she told me that the assassin disappeared all of a sudden. It's kind of strange because there isn't any where you can go in the Palace unless you sneak into one of the quarters. But no one can go in there. I don't know, we just have to let the King investigate."

The princes nodded solemnly. Someone had tried to take their Crown Prince's life and this was something really serious indeed. If he had succeeded....

"Wait...you said she?" Baekhyun blinked. "The guard that managed to tail the assassin closely was a girl?" he blinked in surprise.

Chanyeol broke into a smile, thinking of that special lady. "Yeah. You won't believe who it was." he chuckled. "She's the girl we saw at the Military Academy the other day. The one that defeated the guy twice her size."

"Omo omo that girl? The super woman???" Sehun spazzed, his eyes wide in wonder. "She's my heroine~" he gasped with love struck eyes.

Kai rolled his eyes and flicked his dongsaeng's forehead. "Be a man, will you?" he muttered.

"Wow she's pretty impressive." Suho commented. "I didn't think there'd be someone as amazing as that. It seems I must treat females with caution from now on, in case they turn out to be strong like her." he joked.

Chanyeol shook his head. "I think she sounds nice." he defended Byul. "And she's really beautiful as well. She has the prettiest name that fits her face. Her name is-"

"Jeonha, The Queen is here to see you." an attendant reported.

Baekhyun nodded. "Let her in."

The EXO-K princes quickly stood at the sides respectfully as the Queen herself walked in. She was the epitome of grace and feminity, and it was obvious that she had been a perfect catch when she was young. She also had a wonderfully kind heart and it wasn't a wonder that she became the Queen.

"Baekhyun, how are you feeling today?" the Queen smiled at her son.

Baekhyun nodded. "I'm fine, Omonim." he grinned. "The arm's going to be fine. Can't have a King with one arm right?" he joked.

The Queen shook her head in amusement. "Only you can laugh about your own sorry state, Baekhyun." she muttered. She looked over at him with eyes that were glinting with excitement. "I'm here today with someone else, Baekhyun. I'd like you to meet her."

Blinking confusedly, Baekhyun raised a brow. "Who?"

"Your new bodyguard of course!" the Queen grinned with a slight amusement and wickedness. "She's really pretty but don't you dare hit on her alright?" she looked out. "Byul, come in!" she called.

The EXO-K princes held their breath as the door opened.

A single figure came into the room, dressed top to toe in men's clothing like the other guards in the Palace. What's different was the face that came with it.

It was absolutely stunning. She had eyes larger than any Baekhyun had ever seen, and lips that were pink and luscious. He would bet his new jade piece that her smile would be even more beautiful than any of the girls' he had seen.

The girl looked at the Crown Prince who was sitting on his bed with that clumsy white bandage attached to his arm, and bowed. "Annyeonghaseyo Jeonha. I'm Han Eunbyul, your new bodyguard."

Baekhyun gulped. *Bodyguard? With that face of hers she can be a Gisaeng. No, a Royal Concubine.* he blinked.

Byul sighed and stood up, meeting Baekhyun's eyes again. *So this is the flirty prince. Aish...just my luck to have him.*

Chanyeol stared at Byul with his jaw dropped opened. He his lips nervously and swallowed. *It's her.* He glanced enviously at Baekhyun and let out a sigh. *Baekhyun hyung is one lucky bastard.*