Changmi rushed her two children, little Sulli and Kris, through the city, flitting from building to building, trying desperately not to stay out in the open too long.  Her husband, Julien, had left their little home early in the morning, claiming that an uprising was causing some trouble near the Bastille but not to worry, it would all be fine. Changmi was notified three hours after he left that she had just become a widower. Changmi was fine with that - she married her husband out of necessity, not for love – but was then informed by their breathless stable boy that the crowd was coming for her and her two children. The stable boy, Junsu, had told Changmi to run, then.

“Run, Madame Changmi, please run while you have some time. I’ll try to hold them off but you have to live to see Sulli and Kris grow old.” Changmi had stared in disbelief at Junsu, a boy so willing to risk his life to save her own when he could so easily join the mob, and could do nothing but pull him in for a desperate hug. She did not trust her voice to convey her feelings without breaking down.  Junsu had been with their family since he was a small child but Changmi could not think of anything she or her husband had done to warrant such sacrifice. Unfortunately, she had not had the time to figure out how to thank Junsu. She did not even discover the motives behind his actions. She just had to move because her babies’ lives were at risk.

And so here they were, ducking into dark alleys and attempting to blend into the dirty crowd of commoners to get themselves out of the city and into the countryside. Perhaps they would flee the country entirely and head for England. Changmi clung to Sulli and Kris’s hands, determined not to lose them in the insane horde. With the way these crazed beings were acting, they might kill a child just for getting in their way.

With most of the crowd heading to the Bastille or to noble’s homes, they were one of the very few heading in the opposite direction which made progress very slow but Changmi knew she had to be patient. After what seemed like hours upon hours of walking, the trio was almost in the outskirts of town when Changmi heard a shout that stopped her heart and drenched her hopes.

“There she is!” one thin voice called out.

“Get her!” A deeper, thicker, voice cried, followed by a series of cheers from the mob and just as Changmi got prepared to protect her children she heard yet another scream, belonging to a victim. The cry definitely was not from her or her children and Changmi turned to see the crowd seizing a beautiful young girl with fiery red hair. She breathed a sigh of relief; her family was still undetected.

Changmi began to leave – the girl provided the perfect distraction for them to make a break for it – but her eyes met those of the red-head and Changmi found herself caught in the gaze. Those eyes were so very furious, filled with such hate but no fear, no fear for her life that was so clearly about to end. Changmi couldn’t look away, even when she knew she should. This girl was something special. As the two women stared at each other, a thin man with fluffy hair and a beautiful face marred by his angry features stepped to the front of the group to speak.

“Yunseo, ma chère, this is your trial and these lovely people are your jury,” the man said with mocking formality while gesturing at the bloodthirsty crowd. “Now, do you admit to your charges of conspiring against the revolutionaries?”

Changmi flinched as the man spoke - anyone could be charged with being anti-revolutionary without any proof and they would still be “sentenced.” Yunseo, as Changmi now knew was called, held Changmi’s gaze as she answered, defiance clear in her tone.

“The only thing I’m guilty of, mon amour, is marrying a man so disgusting it’s difficult to be in the same room as him. I have had enough of men like you. I care not for the revolutionaries or King Louis, Jaejoong darling, politics have never concerned me.” Changmi’s lips twitched in amusement at the mocking way she said mon amour; the mother had never dared to talk to her husband in that manner. But still, she was worried for this girl, shouldn’t she be begging for mercy, not antagonizing the crowd? Or perhaps the girl was too prideful for that. Changmi found herself admiring Yunseo slightly; she knew for certain that she would collapse in the face of such a situation and plead on her hands and knees for the lives of her children.

“So you admit that you do not care for the revolutionaries?” The chilling man, Jaejoong, grinned as he twisted his wife’s words. When Yunseo would not reply, he turned to the mob with a sickly smirk on his face. “Well, what say you, fair council? Is she innocent or shall we watch her pretty head roll off her pretty shoulders?” The crowd roared with the ferocity of an injured lion, screaming for blood. Jaejoong turned back to Yunseo with a contemptuous shrug of his shoulders and motioned to the crowd. “It appears we have a verdict.”

Changmi stared in horror at the crowd as her children tugged on her hands, begging their mother to leave the area, but she couldn’t look away from the horrific scene in front of her. Yunseo caught her eye once again as the vultures descended upon her with knives and broken bottles and anything they could get their hands on. As Death’s cold embrace wrapped around Yunseo, she did something that Changmi hadn’t expected. She winked. She winked at Changmi before her head was bashed in and her blood flew from her body, trying to free itself from the violence. Changmi watched with an open jaw as the stranger, who shouldn’t mean anything, was torn limb from limb.

Another weak pull at her hand reminded Changmi that her children were also witnessing this brutality and that was enough to spurn the mother into movement. Changmi shook herself out of her stupor, reminded herself that this courageous girl was nothing but another face, another victim of the “revolution”, and hurried her children away from the scene as the crowd practically rolled in Yunseo’s blood. 

Author's Note

Because Yunho can be sassy as hell and we all know he wouldn't take all this lying down. 

For historical accuracy, Changmin's name would be Renee, Yunho's Elissa, Kris's Sebastian, Sulli's Josephine, Julien's Julien, and Junsu's Dominique. 

So I know this seems a bit late but I actually posted a little HoMin drabble last week so check that out if you feel so inclined. It's not linked to this story but I'm quite fond of it. :)

I really don't like Julien Kang as a person at all and I certainly don't think he's worthy of Changmin so I had to make their marriage loveless, I'm sorry. But it wasn't unpleasant either so I should get some credit ;P And I totally ship YunJae by the way but I don't think Jaejoong (that jealous bastard) would take too well to Yunho beign destined for someone else so he's a bad guy here. 

Comment with your thoughts and criticisms if you have anything to rage or comment on. I'd love to hear all you have to say! :D Comments are like good food. Or power naps. They're refreshing and awesome.