Hi! ^.^

Here is an update!

Thank you all for your kind comments and also the subscriptions! *bows*

Special thanks to Eunwoo82, kamobuttdolphin and LovesAsianDrama for your first comments on this fic! *bows* 

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Do stay and read!

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Back in Junho’s hideout…

“Midget!! Can you not touch that!!” Junsu was busy reorganising the mess in Junho’s storage with Jaejoong when the said man appears and banishes the both of them. “You too Jae. Go back to bed!” The healer is a clean freak just wanted a pack as many things as they will need, to escape, while dusting the few centimeters worth of loess, roping in the idle but more than willing Junsu to help.

“We might need to run. These items here are vital.” Jaejoong spoke while Junsu pauses and looks at his brother innocently. “Jae hyung says that we will need this.” Junsu trilled, running a blackened palm over his face subconsciously, smearing the grey dust over his pretty cheeks.

“So it’s Jae hyung now?” Junho tapped his feet as he crosses his hands over his chest. Junsu giggled and Junho smiles warmly, for the first time. Jaejoong looks on approvingly. That is how the proud uncle remembers his family.

Jaejoong hadn’t stepped back into the palace since the day he left, after having spent the first decade of his life there. His mother was sick and chose to reside in her own family property, so Jaejoong would only dwell there. Junsu and Junho’s father would always visit her, since he is also her biological son, Jaejoong’s biological brother. Technically speaking, Jaejoong never spent any more time with the Kim brothers ever since he left.

No matter how many times the healer’s brother requested for him to treat the royalties or rich merchants, he would refuse, and the man would always quarrel with the stubborn Jaejoong back in those good old days.

Nevertheless, the previous king of the north is still unexpectedly doting towards Jaejoong, giving him whatever wealth and riches he needed and deserved, fussing all over him like how an older brother would. Jaejoong has enough property to last him a few lifetimes, which he keeps under the ground in his teacher’s house. He is also the one providing for Junho’s men.

Junho wasn’t clear about where Jaejoong got all his riches from previously, but now he does. He is surprisingly, more obedient now that he knows who Jaejoong is.

“Have you two thought about looking for your appa?” Jaejoong asks the two brothers, who were fooling around, throwing murk at one another like snowballs. Jaejoong frowned and both stopped, gaped sheepishly at the beautiful healer.

“We can do that after we reclaim our land.” Junho replied. Jaejoong’s face lit up immediately and he went over to issue his shy nephew a hug. “Have you sorted your thoughts out?” Jaejoong whispered.

“Yeah. We should just stay low for now. I promise that there will be no more revenge plans until we are more settled.” Junho spoke with resolve, making Jaejoong feel proud of him, oddly. The general is aware that he had caused enough trouble, and his troops as well as Jaejoong were forced to constantly treading on thin ice since that incident, uptight most of time, taking turns automatically to guard their lair. He is agreeable with Jaejoong's plans to think before acting. 

Grateful that the blunder Junho had committed hadn't sent the king knocking on their doors, for whatever reasons, the general and the healer are living their life day by day, constantly preparing themselves for a state of emergency.

However, for Junsu, it’s a totally different story. The short stay in the safe house felt like years. In fact, his days spent with his biological family seem to be longer than they have ever been, even more lengthy and intolerable than when he was stuck with the beast he once feared.

The boy would be awakened in the middle of the night, by the hankering, for his son, and if Junsu does not admit so himself, even Yoochun’s presence which used to linger in a corner nearby. He does not want to hurt his brother by letting the man know that his heart is pining for all the wrong people. Yet, he can’t stop himself from eavesdropping on the soldier’s conversation, trying to find out anything pertaining to his other family.

Remembering Yoochun’s parting words, looking so damn suave and manly, and his son looking so damn cute, the boy would become downcast every time he is alone… be it eating, sleeping, or even bathing. Trying to push the thought of them to the very back of his mind, the boy tried to stay positive, nevertheless, tears will still well up every time one of those soldier’s wife comes with their newborn. It is agonizing for him whenever he hears a baby wail. He would even hope that the baby is his Changmin, at times.

“Junsu?” Jaejoong spotted the boy staring at a box blankly as he wipes the same spot over and over again, not bothering to join in the two man’s conversation. The boy’s mind is wandering back to his family again, and he is feeling terrible once again, with tear ducts flooding up dangerously. A tap on the shoulders brought him back.

Apologising, the boy quickly flashed a weak smile and got back to work on the other wooden chests.

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Back in the fort… The next morning…

“You are getting a new queen.” Yoochun is just done with tucking Changmin in again when Yunho came up to him with the finalized plan. Yunho had spent a night perfecting his plan, ensuring zero room will be left for errors.

“WHAT?! NO WAY!!” The king almost shouted, ending up hissing loudly as saliva flies out and spatters onto his friend’s face. Yunho made a face and wiped it off, not really disgusted or anything.

“That’s what you will announce to the entire land.” Yunho said definitively. Yoochun raised an eyebrow. “Make an official announcement. Make sure everyone hears it.” Yunho sniggered while Yoochun narrows his eyes, appearing dim witted.

“NO. Junsu might hear it too. I just got him to like me! No way in hell am I doing something so stupid!” Yoochun insists while slipping on his armour, after stripping off the nightwear.

“That’s the plan, your airhead! They will probably go back into hiding now that they have Junsu, and we might need months or even years to locate them if they are bent on staying hidden.” Yunho persuaded Yoochun. “If we can make Junho pissed enough to come after you again, I will handle things from then on while you continue being the nice daddy you are, and wait for your princess to come home to you.” Yoochun looked doubtful. “Queen, not princess.” The king corrected Yunho, making himself sound dumber than he really is.

“Queen. Whatever. Look. What if he is decided that you did hurt more without Junsu beside you? What if he knows that keeping Junsu is a more effective method than killing you? What if he knows that he can torture you slowly by keeping his brother away from you?” Yunho easily knocked some sense into Yoochun. The king nodded his head slowly, digesting the plan, understanding Yunho’s warped reasoning.

“What if I piss him off again?” Yoochun just asked that question to look smart.

“That’s the goal dude! The more pissed he is… the better.” “He MUST know you are living by well without his brother. THIS will fuel his desire to kill you.” “He will think that you are just using his brother to satisfy yourself in whatever ways… and THAT is the catch! The ultimate dissing factor!”

“But I’m not using Junsu. I love him!” Yoochun thought aloud.

“Sometimes, I wonder if you are even listening to whatever is coming out of my mouth… I already said, it’s for the better good.” Yunho said bitterly. “Better to give it try. I have a feeling they might be on the run soon… and we might lose them forever.”

Yoochun nodded, frowning as he rests his chin on the table, listless.

“Remember. The more upset the man gets, the crazier the things he will do.” “You just have to be the jerk for once.” 

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The following afternoon… in the markets.

“PEOPLE!! HEAR THIS!!”

Junho had left the safe house to get some medical supplies as ordered by Jaejoong, covering an eye with a few layers of bandage, hunching over a walking aid, and pretending to be deaf and mute whenever people approached him. Speaking with only the prescription Jaejoong wrote for him. He looked like an outcast, a sick outcast, so contagious that people will naturally avoid coming close to him.

“THE EDICT FROM YOUR KING!!”

Junho’s eyes widens as he stops short. He is far from deaf. Hearing that Yoochun is very much alive and has something to say, the general is all ears. The messenger looked too joyous to be true, dressed in splendid outfits. There were even free giveaways to the people living in town, as if something fantastic and worth celebrating is going to happen.

“THE KING HAS PLANS TO RECEIVE AN EMPRESS!  SOMEONE SUITABLE TO BE THE CROWN PRINCE’S MOTHER.” Every noble man in town started hyping up upon the news, racing back home to prepare their daughters for the upcoming ‘audition’. A few even pushed past the frozen stiff Junho.

Looking around himself, Junho can see many people scurrying around, sticking notices to the walls, notice boards, and decorating the town areas with flags and streamers. A fire is ignited in his belly once again as he crushes the big packet of herbs with his bare hands. As if squeezing the life out of Yoochun, who has become the packet of dried grass.

“LONG LIVE THE KING!!” “LONG LIVE THE KING!!!” Loud cheers followed as Junho still stood in a daze, eye brows twitching.

Stumbling back a little and steadying himself with the thick piece of stick in his hand, the man closed his eyes as he tries to calm himself with the breathing techniques that Jaejoong had been making him practice, but to no avail. The man’s volcano erupted, heated up blood pumping furiously within his veins and arteries akin to rapid flowing magma. Blood pressure climbing with every step he took.

Throwing the branch for a walking aid against a wall as he passes the alley, on his way back to the hideout, Junho broke that sturdy object with inhuman strength as he attacks the walls and its announcement posters again, ripping them off with inhuman strength.

Roaring in anger, the man could not suppress his raging temper as he hurls whatever discarded items he could get his hands on, from the dumping sites, against the wall as well. Stamping on the torn parchments till dirt and dusts forms a cloud and swallows his silhouette.

Forgetting all about the packet of herbs abandoned nearby, the fuming man charged home immediately, bursting through the gates as he smashes the porcelain vats in his way, stunning every soldier as he passes them, spouting profanities and death threats. “I WILL KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!! FILTHY BEAST!! JERK!!!”

Stripping off his disguise, the man threw on his armour and made his way into the courtyard. Standing on the platform, he blew the horn, indicating a gathering. In an instance, the entire quadrangle is flooded with people as they don on their armours on the way to the assembly ground. Holding their swords as it reflects the early evening sunlight, casting pretty spotlights onto the small huts built in a circular manner.

“TONIGHT, WE ATTACK!” Junho shouted at the top of his lungs. Hurling the bunch of posters he tore off the wall into the crowd below, the man ‘broadcasted’ Yoochun’s ‘disgusting’ deeds to the crowd as they start to grunt and curse, acknowledging the brother’s grievances.

Before long, the crowd is just as worked up and indignant as the general, hungering for the king’s blood with the same amount of flaming passion. Many of them happen to dote on Junsu as well, even though they just met not long ago. They feel the need to do him justice.

The booming sounds of more horns also managed to startle Jaejoong as he exits the cellar. Junsu is still shut off inside, oblivious to the riotous mess of muscle and metal outside. Then, instructing boy to remain inside, Jaejoong left to check out the situation, feeling the pressing need to clarify what is happening. He is afraid that the king might have found them, but nothing prepared him for what he saw.

A long line of soldiers all geared up for battle is what greeted him. Some were drinking like there will be no tomorrow, and the determination on their faces indicated something dark and dangerous. Running up to them, he would only get occasional snorts from those burly men as they saddle up their horses and tidy up their armours, readying the boots.

Finally stumbling across Junho, who is drinking away in a corner, with a few of his trusty counterparts, Jaejoong is ignored no matter how he pushes the man to offer him an explanation. “KIM JUNHO!!!” The healer shouted into the general’s ears while he pretends not to hear him, losing all patience with the person.

“Jae. I left your herbs in the alleys… I forgot to bring them back.” Junho replies before Jaejoong gets physical.

“WHAT?!” The healer doesn’t get how exactly the herbs are related to the man being all geared up and ready for battle. The man even had his sword nicely tucked away in his girdle.  

“LET’S GO BOYS!! WE MUST REACH BEFORE DARK!!” Casting a single sad glance at Jaejoong, the man turned and left for the stables without any parting words.

“KIM JUNHO!! COME BACK HERE!!! WHERE ARE YOU GOING!!!” Jaejoong screamed himself hoarse as he tries to block the taller man’s path, but to no avail.

“THEY MUST DIE!!! BOTH OF THEM!!!” Junho pushed past Jaejoong roughly and bellowed. He is willing to die trying, knowing that to attack the fortress directly will result in dire consequences, but he can’t be bothered anymore.

“DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!!!” His troops vociferated.

TBC

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