“Not fullfilled„

Taemin watched as Minho sneaked into the house. What was he up to?, thought the young boy and grimaced. Did something happened?

He rang the chief servant in his room and waited.

Onew came into the room and bowed to the young master. "What do you want, young Master?" At first he waited in his position but after some time he looked up. embarrassed about his own mistake. Onew had forgotten again that the young master didn't speak. 

Taemin pointed at Minho's portrait and nodded out the window. Onew understood and nodded to Taemin, who looked at him with a serious eyes. Minho was back again and Onew should get him. He should report what happened on the mission, Onew sighed to himself and answered Taemins silent demand.

"I'll get him immediately." Onew bowed and walked slowly out of the room.

He was confused by Taemins request. That Minho was already at home meant that something had happened. Maybe he was in trouble and because of that he came back home earlier.

Minho couldn't be that fast. Minho was alway carefull and did his job well. The time was too short to make anything work out well at all.

The servant bowed again as he opened the door and stepped outside.  He had to search for Minho and tell him that the young master was suspicious of his doing. Hopfully Minho knew that this mission was more than just one like the others.

He sighed and turned away from Taemin's study room, ready to search for the younger man.

Minho's P.O.V.

Just as I walked up the stairs to go to Taemin's stuy room, I met Onew the upper servant and one of my old childhoodfriends. He was still very young. Only 23 years old actually but he took over his father's office very well.

He woked hard and was alway there for me when I had problems with anything that Taemin requested from me to do.

"There you are already. What happened that you are home so early?" He asked me with a serious voice but a sad expression on his usually so friendly and always smiling face.

"I was just on the way to Taemin. I don't have the jewels of Gyu. I had some difficulties..."

"You don't have them? Minho-ah, you cannot come empty-handed to Taemin. He will punish you for sure! He isn't in a good mood all day how you sure noticed already!" Onew looked at me surprised and worried at the same time. His eyes were wide and his mouth stood open.

He looked so surprised that I slowly became the feeling of uselessness. Was my failure so shocking? I knew it was the first time that I failed on something but I had my reasons to do so.

"You know him the best Onew-hyung. He won't be so heartless and let me explain what happened." I tried to calm him down. He just shook his head and looked sadly at me.

"No, not this time Minho. He looked very serious and I think that was a loyalty test.", he shook his head and sighed slightly. "This isn't going to end off lightly.", he whispered and pulled me with him.

Why should Taemin test my loyalty? I was with him since the age of 12. He should be sure of my loyalty. I shook my head at my thought and looked at Onew who dragged me to Taemin's study room.

No, what I had done or rather what I hadn't done hasn't going to destroy our relationship.

"Go quickly in. Taemin saw you before. He is waiting for you to report." Onew opened the door for me and told the young master I was there..

"Here he is young master." He bowed and smiled slightly.  When I passed him, he whispered, "Good luck," and closed the door gentle behind me.

I saw Taemin directly in his beautiful face and didn't know what to say at first.. I came with empty hands. I had nothing for Taemin. I couldn't give him anything and if this really was an loyality test I had failed more than he must had expected. I never came empty-handed.

And it came true he raised his hand. I gulped hard and looked at it with wide eyes.

Not that I was afraid of him but I was afraid of his doing when he realized I had nothing at all. I hadn't even a really good reason I could easily tell him. Taemin opened his small hand and waited.

He wants me to give him the jewels. I looked at him sadly, he looked at me as if he knew already what happened to me and he looked like he didn't mind at all.

I started to speak but at the first words left my mouth, Taemins face hardened and he stopped breathing for a few seconds. I could see his chest sterech and stopping in his current position.

I have abused his trust again, I realized. It really was just a test. He batted his eyelashes and shook the bell for the servant. It looked like he was going to cry soon. That couldn't be...

"Taemin-ah let me explain what happened to you! You know I would have brought it for you if I had could..." I tried to say. Taemin held his feelings inside like he always did and looked at me with a blank expression in his pretty face. His lips pressed together after some time and his eyes went teary.

I never wanted to see him like this again, It was hard enough to see him crying at his sister funeral. Back than I had sworn to protect him but now I'm the one who brought him to tears. Something wasn't right with Taemin if he began to show his emotion so freely.

"Taemin-ah, don't cry," I said tonight for the second time.

I tried to hug him or to just give him my presens to calm down but he didn't wantd to. As I was in his reach he slapped me in the face. He hit me hard and I fell to the ground. I was startled and looked up at him, he had never hit me before.

I was too shocked to say something to his behavior or to explain anything, I just held my burning cheek with wide eyes. 

Onew came in and saw the scene. "Young Master, why don't you just hear what he has to say." Onew tried to rescue this thing as good as he could but Taemin already wrote something on a peace of paper, probably what he should do with me from now on. Taemin handed Onew the sheet without looking at me and went to his large window. He shook his head and I could see in the moonlight  that he rubbed over his face for a few seconds. Was he trying to get ride of the tears?

Onew stared at the handwriting and nodded at Taemin's back.

I felt like I had done something terrible wrong. Like right now I was losing Taemins trust completely. I started to say something. I wanted to explain my mistake, I wanted to tell him that I wasn't alone at fault but Onew grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet.

"Come with me." he said, dragging me out of the room. I allowed the older male to pull me away from Taemin.

I tried to look back but the only thing I saw were Taemins slightly bowed shoulders and his head hanging in dissapointment. I couldn't speak it was like a big frog was in my throat and stopped every word that wanted to escape.

Taemin didn't said anything, he just stood there, looking out in the night, captured in his own world.  

The young boy didn't said how he was feeling, he didn't said how disappointed and hurt he actually was. He didn't show another emotion like he did before. His shoulder's weren't trembling so Minho would think he was crying. No, he was just silent like he always was since Isana's sudden death.

Outside, it was quiet. Actually it really was nothing to be heard. Onew didn't said anything until we went down the stairs to the large cellar for thiefs or disobedient servant, who tried to escape the old master's order.

"Taemin wants you to stay locked up for an indefinite period. You shall not get anything to eat and have no society. He wants you completely alone for at least 3 days. I will bring you water for this period of time." he said serious.

I nodded than I understood what Taemin must feel right now. I understood why Taemin acted like he did but he should've let me explain what happened. I trusted him and I still think he will let me leave earlier than he think he would. He wasn't hearless, he had just overreacted.

Taemin couldn't stay alone for too long. No one could understand what he wanted, the only way to communicate was with paper and pen.

The one who could understand him without these useless things was me. I understood him better than Onew and anyone else in this house. Even better as his own family. I was together with him for too long but I wasn't going to complain about that fact.

I said nothing to Onews explanation and looked at my walking feet. The older boy realized I wasn't going to say anything, so he began to speak again.

"Anyway, I'll bring you from time to time something to eat. I mean what for do you have friends?" He patted me on the back and locked me in a gray cell with well covered and neat straw. A table was in the cell and a very small window with steel bars.

Onew concluded the cell.

"I'll bring ya a chess game." He walked away while joking and I was grateful for his silly kindness. But because of his kindness, Taemin would maybe also imprisoned Onew in here. Taemin was deeply hurt in his heart since a long time ago.

"Onew-hyung!? Thank you but don't do that ! A book is enogh for me!" I giggled as Onew shouted "Yah!" down tome to my small cell but comfortable prison cell.

When I heard him leaving the cellar I went to the bed of straw and sat down. I dropped my body at it and stared out the small window. It was provided with rods like every cell was. No one could escape from here and nobody could help from the outside.

Sometimes people tried to escape form here but my father, one of Jun's former allies was in charge of looking after every move the prisoners made. He interviewed them, and gave them food or water if he was in a good mood. I knew because I helped him with a little streed kid that had tried to steal something from the masters pocket. I took care of the young boy and could also hear the terrible noises that came from the cell next to his.

'A man only learns when he made personally experience', he always said no matter how cruel it was, he took me with him. But not anymore, he was already dead and wasn't going to tell me other advices, that I hope I never have to follow.

I saw in the night sky and sighed heavily. A whiff of my own breath was visible in the air. It was too cold for august.
Good that I haven't taked off my coat and scarf yet. I smiled to myself and cuddled myself into my warm clothes.

The winter is coming too soon, I thought before falling asleep.