Twelve-year-old Minho slammed his fist into the side of the guy's head.  He fell to the ground, limp and unconsious, but not dead.  The Queen anounced his victory and he was soon let out of the dirt field.  Minho met with nine other participants that also had done well in this 'game'.  Many of them had killed their opponents rather than knocked them unconcious like he had. He wasn't a big fan of killing.       

  As a group, they were led to a room in the royal palace, where the ten-year-old prince stood waiting for them.  It was obvious he was a prince only from the way he was dressed.  He didn't hold his head high like the king, and he didn't seem like a powerful indiviual.  He had a declicate figure and fair skin, not very masculine.  Without the royal attire, no one would have never been able to guess who he was.     

One of the guards walked over to him and quietly said something to him.  The prince looked up with puzzled eyes for a moment, but then nodded.        

  "Prince Taemin will now choose his personal guard," the same man said, loud enough for Minho and the group he was with to hear. This was the first time he had heard anything about a personal guard for the prince, but now the 'game' made since.  The Queen had set it up for Taemin so he could pick his guard out of the strongest boys on the land.       

   Taemin looked all of the winners over a couple of times, looking slightly conflicted.  His eyes lingered on Minho for a short amount of time before pointing at him.  Taemin then turned around and went through a door at the other side of the room.      

 Minho still remembered it clearly.  He hadn't been very excited to be Taemin's guard, but he didn't dare say anything.  When the Queen didn't get her way, she never hesitated to behead the person who had refused her wish.    

       It had been three years since that event, and being the prince's personal guard wasn't nearly as bad as Minho he had thought.  Taemin wasn't spoiled like a normal prince would be.  In fact, he refused to be treated as royalty most of the time.  He would allow people to clean his room and make him food, that was it.      

 Though Taemin and Minho had lived so close for three years, they were never more than aquantaces.  It wasn't because Taemin didn't like Minho, or becuase Minho didn't like Taemin, it was just because they never had much of a reason to interact with one another.  Minho taught him how to use a sword and stood in the same room with him everyday, but he never needed anything from his personal guard.  He always asked his maid for things instead.  Taemin had know his maid ever since he was three, so they had a close relationship.  So, at the end of the day the two usually had only spoken greetings and farwells to one another.  Just "Goodmorning" and "Goodnight".     

   Then one day, Taemin fell down the stairs.

    "Minho! It hurts!", the boy moaned through clenched teeth.       

"That's why the doctor said not to walk on it, Prince Taemin.  It has only been two days, there is no way your leg is healed yet."  Minho sighed.  Taemin tried to get off the bed once again, but fell back down when the pain was too much for him.    

 "Do you need something, Prince Taemin?" Minho asked.  He looked up at his guard with conflicted eyes.  He started to say something, but stopped himself.  Minho raised one eyebrow, urging him to just say it.     

"I would like some water...," he said quietly.  He didn't like acting like a prince, so he rarely asked for anything.  Minho bowed, then turned away and walked towards the kitchen, smiling a small smile.  This was the third time he had asked something of his personal guard, it made Minho feel useful.      

 Minho grabbed a glass and filled it with water from a bucket of fresh river water, thinking about how they had warmed up to each other in the past two days.  Because of Taemin's broken leg, he needed someone to aid him, and because his maid was on vacation, that person was Minho.  Despite the fact that they have been living in the same place for three years, this was the first time they actually got to know each other, and Taemin was actually a cool person.     

Minho walked back into Taemin's room and handed him the glass of water.  Taemin's small fingers wrapped around the glass and he put the rim to his lips, finishing it in one go and set the glass down on the coffee table, panting.  Minho studied the prince for a moment.  He had short alburn hair (that reminded him of a mushroom), pale skin, and brown eyes.  He really did look feminine, though it was obvious he was a male.     

As he continuted the study the prince, a question formed in his head, the same one that he has been asking himself for three years now.  Taemin looked up, noticing how Minho was looking at him with confused eyes.    

 "What's wrong?" the prince asked curiously.  Minho bit his lip slightly, wondering whether he should ask it or not.  He didn't want to annoy the prince, but then he remembered, he had never seen the prince annoyed.  So he decided to ask.    

 "Why did you choose me?" Taemin thew him a confused look.     

"What do you mean?"     

"Remember he day you were asked to choose your personal guard?" Minho asked.  Taemin made an 'Oh!' face, now realizing what the taller boy had meant. He smiled sweetly.     

"You seemed like a very gentle person, but one that could protect me if you needed to." Taemin looked away from Minho and stared at the blank wall in front of him. "When I was watching the fights, you didn't kill anyone.  I'm not very fond of killing people..." Taemin looked back at him and smiled again.    

Minho nodded, satisfied with the answer.  He hated death too, especially if he was going to be the one to bring it.    

 "Would you like anything else?" Minho asked the young one.       

"No, thank you," Taemin smiled.  He always treated the ones who served him with respect, he felt as though they deserved it.    

 "Then sleep well Prince Taemin," said Minho, bowing slightly.     

"Goodnight." Minho closed the door behind him as he left the room.  He stepped only twice before he reached his own room directly across the hall.  He opened the door and walked in, grabbing his froggy pajamas off the dresser next to his bed.  After quickly changing into them, he layed on his king matress and drifted into another peaceful sleep.  

A/N- Im new to this so sorry for all the spelling grammar errors.  I really with this thing had spellcheck.  PLease comment~