Jun woke up the following day from a sleep that he hadn’t been able to have for a while. He sat up on his bed, yawning as he stretched his arms as farther as they can go. He rubbed his eyes of sleep and finally stood up and took a quick shower. He dressed himself in light clothes, though he still felt heavy after seeing Nino’s painting on his wall.

“I promise,” He whispered to the painting as he moved his fingers across the painted cheeks, “I’ll find you...” After saying his thoughts aloud, he moved from his room to the kitchen where his parents were patiently waiting for him. As his father promised, he told him the knights were waiting outside for him and they had prepared him his own horse. It was a good thing he agreed to riding lessons when he was a teenager.

Jun finished his breakfast in no time. With the remaining eggs still being consumed in his mouth, he rushed to the courtyard and saw three men dressed in light brown tunic, and dark green trousers. Ignoring them, he looked around hoping that the knights would be showing up soon. He waited for a good minute or two and the men dressed in silver iron still didn’t show up.

“Where are the knights?” He asked the three men who were still standing besides the multi-colored flower beds.

“Your highness,” the tallest of them bowed down and the others did the same, “We are the knights. Our King told us to dress normally or people will suspect us.”

“Oh,” Jun faltered, realizing he had just embarrassed himself. “Well then, introduce yourself.”

“I’m Aiba Masaki,” The knight who bowed down first, stood up straight to his feet.

“Sakurai Sho,” the man on his right introduced himself before putting himself in a better position besides Aiba.

“Ohno Satoshi,” the shortest of them introduced in a sleepy voice that Jun found amusing after the man almost stumbled from trying to position himself.

They looked older than he was, but he felt like they were people he could trust. After examining them for a good five minutes, he went back to his room and dressed as plainly as he could. He bid his sister goodbye, and received good lucks from his parents. With a small version of the painting in his room, now in the pockets of his clothes, he went back to the three knights waiting for him patiently in the courtyard. Jun was appointed the white horse while the others rode on brown horses. He felt like people would suspect them even more so he asked for a brown horse just like the rest. When finally, the horse arrived and he was seated on its back, he rode off with the three in hopes that luck will find its way with him.

The ride to wherever the road led them was quiet. Jun was in the middle of course being protected by the three of them, otherwise there was nothing to talk about. He looked around him, trying to find something worth talking about; there was nothing. Then the thought came to him. He barely knew these knights and he won’t be able to stand travelling with strangers. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak, the knight he knew as Aiba interrupted him.

“Say, Sho, I still think you’re not suited for this job.”

Jun heard him the way he addressed the buff man besides him, and he guessed they were close.

“I am!” Sho responded in a loud voice that startled him a bit.

“No,” Aiba teased, “You’re a fail at everything. I can’t believe our King chose you. Even Satoshi. He looks like he’s sleeping already just when he woke up after being called out.”

Jun turned around and looked at the knight behind him. Aiba was right, the man’s eyes were drooping from time to time and he would look up startled every time the horse whinnied. He couldn’t help but laugh at the man who was now fully awake and staring at him with huge eyes. He felt like the two besides him were doing the same thing.

“I’m sorry,” He apologized. “You don’t have to stop just cause I’m the Prince.”

“Oh thank goodness,” Aiba exhaled and Sho did the same thing. “I always thought the Prince was a mean guy--”

“Masaki!” Sho yelled and Aiba put a hand over his lips.

Behind him, Ohno’s horse shuffled a bit to his side and he bowed down his head. “I’m sorry for his behavior.”

Jun shook his head. “It’s ok! I don’t mind it as long as you protect me and obey to what I have to say. And please, call me Jun. I feel uncomfortable enough if you guys addressed me as ‘Prince’.” With that said, the four of them continued, but this time without the silence with them. He learned that they were both from noble families but were discarded down because they wanted to work for the King instead of succeeding in their business. He thought they were brothers, but it seemed like they were just long time friends who knew each other while Jun was busy being himself. By the time they realized it, the sky was dark and the four of them were growing tired.

Ohno, who was now in the front, led them to a safer place surrounded by trees so no one can see them. Jun was the first one to get off of his horse. While Aiba was tying his horse to a tree, he walked in the middle of the pasture and stretched his arms in the air. It was the same air that was in the gardens at night, but Jun felt more different and almost alienated the first time he was out of the castle.

“Is this your first time out, Jun-sama?” Aiba asked him from behind and Jun nodded his head in response.

“Well then, shall we celebrate your first outing?”

“Sure!” Jun agreed and he immediately took a seat besides Ohno who was starting a fire.

As he watched the three of them doing jobs that Jun couldn’t do, he felt like they were friends in the past life. Jun felt comfortable with them right away and he smiled when Aiba came bouncing towards them with packed food and a huge canteen. For knights, they were different from what he expected. He always thought they were rough and didn’t get along well with each other.

At the same time he blinked his eyes, the fire Ohno was tending lit up the whole place and Jun could feel the warmth radiating from it. He scooted closer to the fire and shot his hands out to warm them.

“Jun-sama, it’s summer and you’re cold?” Aiba asked him while he unpacked their dinner on a thin blanket.

“Not really... I just find the fire welcoming.”

“It’s because Satoshi made it. He’s the best.”

“Thanks,” the tanned man pursed his lips and rubbed the back of his neck at the compliment. Jun spotted a bright color light up on his cheeks and he couldn’t help but giggle to himself. He was glad his dad really picked out the best knights.

Dinner was better with them and he didn’t feel at all tense like he did in the dinner table. He could sit the way he wanted, spreading them out while the others just laughed at his actions. Jun ignored them, his focus was on the food and the drink being pushed towards him. Though he didn’t eat much that night, afraid that he was being selfish to the others.

“I have to tell you something,” Jun whispered in their little circle after Ohno let out a loud burp.

“What is it, Jun-sama?” Sho asked him, his voice getting tense.

“I’m sorry I’m going to be wasting your time since we really aren’t going to see the kingdom...”

Neither of them spoke, and Jun refused to look at them in the eyes. He heard Aiba’s loud breathing, and Ohno’s stomach still growling even if he already ate, and he felt Sho’s eyes on him. However, when he looked up, they just stared back at him without anger and hate in their eyes.

“Jun-sama, it doesn’t matter,” Ohno shook his head before letting out another burp, “As long as our King called us out for an important job like this... we are happy to you.”

“Really?!” Jun asked in excitement, his eyes growing big. “You mean it?”

“Anything for the Pr-- Jun-sama,” Sho bowed his head. “Now shall we eat?”

After one last look at the smiles playing on each of their lips, Jun grinned back at them before grabbing the cup of alcohol, and drinking it to his delight. For the first time in his life, he felt like he had friends that can finally be there for him. When Sho finally fell asleep from the alcohol lingering in their bodies, Jun grabbed the small painting in his pocket and slept with it in his arms.

TBC