After spending the meal tensely watching people he knew the future of, Kyuhyun was glad to finally be resting in his room. He felt burdened knowing what would happen and not wanting to affect it or get involved in the mess that would soon be created. Sunny helped Kyuhyun change into comfortable night clothes and was now bringing him some tea to relax him. Kyuhyun decided to use this opportunity to question Sunny about something that he had been feeling increasingly curious about.

“What do you think of ZhouMi ge and the Prince’s relationship?”

Sunny pauses before resuming his task, “What do you think about Madam’s relationship?”

“Ge seems indifferent to the attention the Prince gives to him. He showed no signs of pleasure or displeasure at the Princes doting,” pondering the iciness his brother had shown the Prince earlier that evening. “What of the Eighth Prince?”

Sunny handed her master his tea and replied while standing by Kyuhyun’s bed watching over him, “He visits rarely and never for long, only ever a night or two at the most.” She tilts her head while carefully voicing thoughts she hasn’t talked to anyone about. “It can’t be considered good nor can it be considered bad. He has been kind to Madam during these five years we have been here. However, the wives before and the wives after him have all had children while he has none. Others look down on him because of it but Madam seems unperturbed. You know how he is.”

“I do know how he is. He seems unbothered by his life here but I can’t help but to worry about him.” Kyuhun continued to fret over his brother before draining the cup.

Taking the cup from Kyuhun, Sunny inquired, “Are you going to sleep now?”

“Yes, you are dismissed. Go rest now.” 

“It is probably a good thing that ZhouMi isn’t in love with the Hangeng. I know what will happen to him in the future and I do not wish for Mimi to suffer along with him in the future.” Kyuhyun decides that there is no point worrying about the future of the historical figures he has become stuck with. He doesn’t plan to try and change it - that may cause repercussions he doesn’t want to think of, having watched too many time-travel movies before. He groaned while once again missing the beloved technology of the 21^st century. Right now with the heat that flooded the room he wished for air conditioning and ice cream. 



Kyuhyun had thought of a plan. It was simple and he hoped it would work. Well the plan could go 3 ways; 1. He returns to the future and his life. 2. He dies. 3. He ends up horribly crippled.

After thinking about the options he had decided to go through with it anyway. This was the only plan he had and he needed to at least try. He had managed to find a map of this old version of Beijing. He had used his knowledge of landmarks that were still around in the 21^st century and had pinpointed the exact location where his car accident had taken place. He planned to go there and get into another accident. Hopefully dying in the location where he had his previous one would send him back. He didn’t know what would happen but he couldn’t give up. He wanted to go home dammit!

He had managed to sneak out once again from the Eighth Princes estate. He was alone this time and hoped that the guards wouldn’t get in trouble but he couldn’t not try this. This was the only plan he had thought of in the 5 weeks that he had been living in this time. If he didn’t at least try to get back then what was he supposed to do? He couldn’t just live here, without even trying to go home. He thought of his parents and sister, he may not have been as close to them as he used to be but he still loved them. Were they mourning him? How would they feel if he just stayed here?

As he stood on the road where he remembers being hit by a car he heard the sound of horses galloping along the street towards him. Psyching himself up Kyuhyun took a deep breath before running into the pathway of the horses. Unluckily, or perhaps luckily, he had run in to the road too soon and the horses had time to stop before they got to Kyuhyun. He fell back in the shock of coming face-to-face with a horse and realising he had failed his attempt. One of the riders had dismounted and crouched down beside him offering his hand. Kyuhyun looked up from the ground which he had been staring at, hoping it would swallow him up, half to prevent him embarrassment and half because maybe the ground swallowing would lead to him returning to his normal self.  When Kyuhyun looked up he really wished he hadn’t as me exclaimed “You! Again!” in obvious frustration at seeing the confused but still fierce looking Fourth Prince looking down from his horse. The Prince raised his thick eyebrows in surprise as the rider who came to help him laughed at his tone.

Looking between the glaring Kyuhyun and the silent seated Prince, the amused looking man asked, “You know each other?”
Shaken out of whatever thoughts had been holding him, the 4^th Prince said, “This is Changmin, the 13^th Prince.”

“Hello” Kyuhyun casually greeted the greatly amused Prince while cursing his luck underneath his breath.

The Thirteenth extended his hand and helped Kyuhyun to his feet, leading the slighter to let out a gasp as he placed weight on his right foot.

“Are you hurt?” The taller suddenly asked.

“I think I twisted it when I fell,” uttered Kyuhyun as he tested his ability to place weight on it and collapsed in the Prince’s arms.
Suddenly the Fourth who had never dismounted rode off further down the street disappearing from sight.

Changmin looked at Kyuhyun, intrigued by this person who acted so casually around royalty, “So what is your relationship with my brother?”

“My brother is Ce’fujin to the Eighth Prince.”

“So you are from my Eighth brother’s estate?” The taller was even more intrigued now.

“Yes,” Kyuhyun confirmed, worried about the about of interest that seemed to be in the other’s eyes.

“That’s surprising.”

“Why is that surprising?” Kyuhyun asked confused.

“It’s unexpected because my Eighth brother is calm and refined and has trained his household to before with the utmost propriety. You on the other hand are not acting like a member of his household. You are behaving wild and unruly, running around the streets in broad daylight.” Changmin smiled in genuine glee, “Shouldn’t you be at home reading?” He held no disapproval in his tone of voice.

“I was bored.” Kyuhyun replied lightly. Before either could continue their conversation the Fourth reappeared, his horse’s hooves clattering on the cobbles of the street.

Seeing his older brother return, the Thirteenth turned to Kyuhyun, “We shall you back.”

Kyuhyun clears his throat suddenly nervous, “Um, could I beg a favour?”

“What favour could you want?” Changmin was amazed at the audacity of this boy who was willing to straight out ask for a favour from a pair of Princes.

“Could you not spread news of how we meet today? Please don’t tell anyone in the Eighth’s household. If they found out I would get into a lot of trouble.” Kyuhyun begged, rubbing the palms of his hands together in a praying gesture.

“I promise not to say a word then, I wouldn’t want you to get into trouble.” Changmin smirked.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Kyuhyun threw himself at the Prince and gave him a tight hug before pulling away, shocking both the recipient and the watching Fourth Prince.

“You really are unusual,” laughed the Thirteenth.

They quietly entered the estate, trying not to be spotted by any passing guard or servant. The two Princes, one with a stoic mask and one greatly entertained were each holding one of Kyuhyun’s arms, supporting him while he hopped along on one foot. As the group turned the corner onto the Ce’fujin section, Sunny and ZhouMi rushed towards them.

“Kyuhyun, what happened? Where have you been?” before noticing the company that Kyuhyun had, stopping before them and dropping into a bow. “Greetings, 4^th Prince, 13^th Prince.”

“Erm… I fell. I was walking around the estate when I fell and twisted my ankle. The Princes saw me and offered the help me back to you. They were looking for 8^th when they found me.”

“Thank you, your Highnesses.” ZhouMi bowed once again in gratitude. “Sunny will go and fetch him for you. Let me offer you tea while you wait.” Sunny was waved off as ZhouMi gestured towards his main room behind him.

“I would like to speak with Kyuhyun, with your permission,” not giving anybody room to protest.

Blinking rapidly in confusion and unable to say anything ZhouMi ceded, “Of course, my lord.”

The Thirteenth turned to Kyuhyun and quickly whispered in the shorters ear, “It was interesting meeting you, little rebel,” before following ZhouMi out of hearing distance.

Left alone in the formidable presence of the Fourth Kyuhyun felt intimidated.

“You deliberately ran in front of our horses today.”

“You’re mistaken, it was a simple accident.”

“I am not. The first time it was an accident but this time it was deliberate. Next time you run in front of my horse I will not stop and you will get your suicidal wish.”

“Why would I try to kill myself? I have too many reasons to try and live.” Indignant at the accusation and the rude manner that the taller addressed him with, Kyuhyun sharply spoke.

“You are strange - your actions and your words do not agree.” Eyebrows burrowed together the older a small silk sachet in to the youngers hand muttering, “medicine” before turning and starting to stalk towards where his brother was waiting with ZhouMi and some maids.

“Your Highness” Kyuhyun quickly called out, wanting to say something to the other, but not sure how to, feeling speechless at the unexpected gift. As the taller and broader man stopped and half turned back Kyuhyun spoke, “Thank You.”

The older man quickly came back in front of Kyuhyun and looked in his eyes. Kyuhyun stood still, not knowing whether to turn away from those eyes that seemed to see right into his soul. “I saved your life, more than once. In the future, without my permission, don’t even think about killing yourself.” And then the Fourth was gone.

Kyuhyun stood there, not knowing how to process what was said to him while 2 maids appeared next to him and assisted him to his room. He carried on thinking about that statement for the whole night, preventing him from catching any sleep. What did the Fourth Prince, Siwon, the future Emperor, mean by that?



Kyuhyun hobbled into the main room of his brother’s wing assisted by Sunny and sat at the table watching his brother read the Buddhist scripture that he studied daily. Realising that he would not be able to study properly with a restless but immobile Kyuhyun to deal with, ZhouMi placed the book to one side and ordered Luna to bring some tea and sweets.

“How are you feeling today? I would tell you to go and rest but I know that you wouldn’t listen to me.”

“I am better. I have taken the medicine.”

“You are so cute when you are grumpy.”

“I am not cute.” Narrowing his gaze at his ge.

“Of course you aren’t.” Changing the subject he brought up a subject that he knew Kyuhyun would probably object to, “We should visit the Fourth and Thirteenth Prince to thank them for helping you.”

“Why? I already thanked them.”

“It is basic etiquette to visit them properly, thanking them.” The tea and tray of small cakes arrived and was placed on the table. ZhouMi started to set up the tea.

“They would not care whether we visited them or not. I said I had already thanked them. Besides if we go and pay them a visit Heechul will find out and he will make a fuss, getting us both into trouble.” Kyuhyun stuffed a cake in his mouth before ZhouMi could protest at his lack of manners.

“You are good at getting out of things you don’t want to do. Is this what you use all your intelligence for?”

“No I use it for other things as well, like reading,” pointing at the previously discarded book.

“You can read?”

“Of course I can read! Who do you take me for?” Kyuhyun was suddenly offended at the attack on his intelligence. He was very smart. One of the top in the class at school. He picked up the book, opening the first page and gulped at the strange characters. So much had changed from these to the modern day characters he had used in daily life before.

“Child… horse… heaven…” he stumbled trying to work out what the passage was trying to say, picking out the characters he knew.

Giggling erupted behind him from Luna and Sunny, as ZhouMi watched him amused. “I thought that maybe you had learnt to read since I left but it seems you haven’t,” Gentling poking the frustrated seeming Kyuhyun. “What are you going to do now, have you given up?”

“No,” Kyuhyun smiled at his ge, knowing what the other wanted him to say. “I am going to have to learn.” “Re-learn.” “I will learn how to read.”

“Good.”



“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!”

A scream of frustration was heard from the gazebo next to the koi pond. Kyuhyun was pissed. He was slowly learning how to read these complicated characters and he hated how little he understood of the book he was trying to read. He had retreated to the gazebo to allow himself to relax outside since it was a beautiful day and brought a book with him. At the moment he was considering ripping the thing to shreds and then drowning the pieces. However he knew that it wasn’t the books fault, besides he would get into a heap of trouble if he ruined it. Books were all handwritten and bound with the finest paper.

He felt frustration boil up within himself again. He was intelligent. He had gone to university. He had a highly skilled job as a technical analyst in a multi-corporate firm. “And yet here at this time I am considered uneducated and an illiterate!” Pacing around the gazebo kicking his feet in front of him he was glad that he had ended up in this body. If he had ended up in the body of a common person, he wouldn’t have survived. He had no skills he could use in this time. Computers weren’t going to be invented for another couple of hundred years. He would have starved to death.

Slumping down on the edge of the structure he leaned out to look down at the fishes, he failed to notice Eunhyuk and Hangeng walk up behind him.

“What are you doing?” The curious 10^th Prince asked as he ran up to look down at Kyuhyun crouching over the edge of the gazebo.

Startled, Kyuhyun leapt up and greeted them with a bow. Noticing the book, Hangeng walked up to the pair, “Were you reading?”
Starting to confirm Hangeng’s question the younger Prince interrupted Kyuhyun, “He wasn’t. He is just pretending to be scholarly; he’s just watching the fish.”

Looking at the laughing 10^th Prince, Kyuhyun cursed him in his head, “You will go down in history as a fool so you can’t say anything about other people trying to look clever.”   Before quibbling, “Haven’t you heard, ‘To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower’? I’m looking at the fish, but I’m not actually looking at fish.” Smirking Kyuhyun started to quote William
Blake knowing that the two before him would have never heard this.

Pausing in his mirth, Eunhyuk looks confusedly at Kyuhyun.

Smiling at his confused brother and his smirking brother-in-law, the eldest chided, “Tenth brother, it looks like you have more to learn.” Asking Kyuhyun, “Do you read the scriptures often?”

“I know a little due to ZhouMi ge telling me. He reads them every day.” Kyuhyun becomes sweet, smiling for Hangeng while laughing inside at the disgruntled Eunhyuk.

“He does read a lot, doesn’t he?” Hangeng confirms while his face becomes a little sad though still being the mask that all Princes learn to wear. “We should take our leave.”

Suddenly excited again, Eunhyuk bounces up, asking Kyuhyun, “Do you want to come? We are going horse riding! I did promise to take you out, didn’t I?”

Eyes lighting up, Kyuhyun agreed becoming just as excited as Eunhyuk, letting himself be dragged to the carriage which would take them to the stables outside the city.

Kyuhyun sat opposite Eunhyuk as they pulled faces at each other seeing how much they could make each other laugh. Hangeng was resting with his eyes shut. Getting bored, Kyuhyun pulled back the curtain blocking the windows to gaze into the street. Eunhyuk heard Kyuhyun make a little tut and was instantly curious. Looking out of the window onto the street, Eunhyuk didn’t see anything different to normal. Kyuhyun was slyly watching Eunhyuk with interest.

“What did you see?”

“I’m not telling.”

Frowning Eunhyuk tried again, “Please what did you see that you made that noise?”

“I’ll tell you if you give me something. I’m not telling you for free.”

“You are greedy. I just asked a simple question and you are demanding payment!”

“You were the one that was curious.” Kyuhyun smirked at the simmering Prince.

Removing a roll of coins from his gown, Eunhyuk threw them in Kyuhyun’s lap. Kyuhyun continued to smirk as he threw the coins back. “I didn’t ask for money.”

“What did you want then?”

“I don’t know what I want. I can’t think of anything right now so how about you give me an IOU.”

“A what?”

“A favour.” Kyuhyun quickly corrected and explained. “You owe me favour. When I think of something you have to grant me any request.” Trying to persuade the frowning Prince, “It won’t be anything you can’t achieve and besides, you are a Prince, how hard could a request be.”

Easily agreeing to Kyuhyun’s arguments Eunhyuk ceded, “Fine, I owe you a favour.”

“You better remember! Plus I have a witness who will back me up,” nodding towards Hangeng who opened his eyes and smiled upon the two youngsters.

“I will remember,” smiled the Eighth.

“So what did you see?” Eunhyuk demanded impatiently.

“Well I noticed that the carriage was easily moving through the streets and that the peasants automatically cleared a path. But the
carriage doesn’t have any criers telling them who we are so how do they know to clear a path. I then reasoned that because we are in a carriage that only the highest of the nobility use, we are in close proximity of the palace and also the peasants are probably used to clearing a path for royalty. Therefore the street clears automatically as they assume that someone of high importance will be in the carriage.”

“Is that really why you made the noise?”

“Yes,” Kyuhyun sounded smug.

“You swindled a Qing Prince of a favour.”

“You let yourself get swindled.”

Eunhyuk huffed as he turned to look out of the window, suddenly feeling very put out.

Hangeng who had watched Kyuhyun trick his younger brother was greatly entertained by the sparring. Kyuhyun easily sweet talked the Prince back into smiles after a few minutes.



Having got to the stables, Kyuhyun was walking wide eyed around the different horses. Eunhyuk was examining them to try and find a suitable one for Kyuhyun to ride. Hangeng walked to them leading a brown mare with a black mane and tail. “You can ride LingLong,” he told Kyuhyun as he passed the reins to the servant attending the younger two, before he walked left them once again.

“Wow! Eighth brother is letting you ride LingLong. I don’t even get to ride her.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, she is one of Hangeng ge’s favourites.”

Glowing in happiness at the special treatment, Kyuhyun admired the Eighth Prince as he mounted and started trotting around the field at the entrance of the stables. The Eighth would catch anybody’s eye with his perfect control of the horse beneath him. The two seemed fused as they danced around the field before heading off down a trail into the distance.

“Are you daydreaming again?”

A sharp poke was felt in Kyuhyun’s ribs. “Ouch!”

“You should pay me more heed. I am a Prince.”

“Really? You’re a Prince!”

Eunhyuk narrowed his eyes at the muttering Kyuhyun. “Are you going to mount?”

“Erm… you go mount your own horse.”

“I’ll help you with yours first. Go ahead. Why are you hesitating?”

Shifting his weight between his feet, Kyuhyun admitted in a quiet voice, “I can’t ride.”

Laughter, the thing that Kyuhyun had feared erupted from the Tenth. “You can’t ride! Master Pride can’t ride. What happened to your high attitude?”

“So what if I can’t ride?” Was the answering shout, daring Eunhyuk to say another word.

“Uhm” stuttered Eunhyuk, scared by the frustrated Kyuhyun, “I’ll hold your reins.” He tried to calm the boy before he got really mad, stopping the teasing he was going to inflict on the prideful Kyuhyun. He grasped hold of the reins and motioned for the younger to use him as an aid to help him up.

Kyuhyun swallowed and allowed Eunhyuk to help him. He really did want to learn how to ride. If the Prince was willing to look after him, he shouldn’t get upset. “You will hold the reins. You can’t let go.”

“Yes, I’ll hold the reins,” Eunhyuk reassured Kyuhyun as he led the horse for a walk around the field. “You have a Prince acting as your attendant and not an ounce of gratitude is shown. What would you do if I let go?”

“I dare you to let go!” Kyuhyun narrowed his eyes at the back of the others head.

“Don’t dare me if you don’t wish to be abandoned.”

“You are so cruel to defenceless people.”

“You are the bully!”

The two of them continued teasing each other as Eunhyuk walked Kyuhyun around until Hangeng came back, telling them it was late and they should return home. Kyuhyun made the 10^th Prince promise to take him out to the market place sometime soon; he had said he would take him out the first time they had met.

Later that night, Kyuhyun was telling ZhouMi all about his day, waxing lyrical about the beauty and gentleness of LingLong and the pleasantness of walking along a trail outside the city accompanied by Eunhyuk. ZhouMi amused by Kyuhyun’s rambling said, “You really have changed.”

“Gege, did I know how to ride before?”

“No, Father tried to get you to learn, but you always refused to try.”

“Oh, I was worried that maybe I was supposed to know how to ride. I really do want to learn. You should come with me and help teach me.”

ZhouMi’s face suddenly seemed to become closed off. He looked sad, and his eyes flashed with a grief that stilled Sunny who was paying close attention to her mistress.  “I have no interest.”

Kyuhyun who had not noticed ZhouMi withdrawing into himself continued with what he wanted to say to his gege. “The Eighth Prince is polite and pays careful attention to everyone around him. I have seen that he treats you very well Gege. As you are already married to him, why don’t you treat him a little better? You could be very happy if you returned the affection he shows you.”

Standing up and pushing away the embroidery he was working on, ZhouMi addressed Kyuhyun, “You should go bathe, eat and go to bed. I am going to go to the altar with Luna.” He exited the room, followed by a worried looking Luna.

Turning to a helpless looking Sunny, Kyuhyun wondered why ZhouMi disappeared so quickly and seemed to rush to pray when he normally had stopped by this time in the evening, “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, miss. You shouldn’t ask me.” She seemed to want to say more, but was biting her tongue, not wanting to bring up the past.

“Really? Then why did ge run away so fast?”

“Sometimes, two people can be married, but they are not really meant for each other. They can still treat each other with respect, which I myself, see as a blessing.”

“You mean that Gege really doesn’t like the Eighth Prince?”

“I didn’t say anything!” Sunny realised that the indiscrete boy in front of her could get her into trouble. “I don’t dare to guess what my mistress thinks.”

“It’s alright Sunny, I wouldn’t say anything.” He reassured the maid. “Let’s go to the bathhouse.”