Yixing traced the stubble across his upper lip feeling perturbed. He was sitting in his study and itched to write a letter, but as for the contents… he wasn’t sure. Taking a fresh parchment he stared at it hoping it could write itself.

Despite the feral boy’s ways, there was a method behind every action he seemed to take. Zitao wasn’t out hunting for fun. He’d given a warning. And Yixing knew Zitao well enough to state that the spontaneity of his actions were a hint that they were being watched.

Yixing was able to reach that conclusion because he’d felt as if he’d been followed for the past couple of days. An inkling without proof and a hypothesis without backing. But he felt it. An eerie feeling that made the hairs on his body stand as if eyes were following him. For all Yixing knew it could be the damned Soojun who was glued to his hip. If anyone were to spy, Soojun would find it easiest. Then again, if it wasn’t the mutt then it could be anyone.

In ordinary circumstances this wouldn’t be a big deal. So what if he were being watched? He didn’t do much to raise suspicion and whoever was on his tail would get bored of staring at him.

Perhaps Zitao had also felt it. That was why the brute had taken off with Pompom, to amuse himself and create false depictions while earning money on the side. The fellow was crafty enough to turn things into his favor.

Yixing however was not as free spirited and not could he be. He was expected to fit the mold of a scholar unlike his circus friend, and that was the root of the problem.

If he were to write to Yifan, he would create a definite link between them. Tao would also get caught and that was not what they wanted. It was not in Prince Luhan’s favor and he would be breaking the late Emperor’s promise if he were to expose them.

The medical scholar sighed and leaned against his arm. He imagined the bold Soojun would be trying to dissect information from the library. Not that Yixing cared very much about how learnt Soojun became. As far as Yixing was concerned, it was better if Soojun were to do what he’d come for and leave without bothering him.

Finally he decided to risk an intervention. Taking a leaf out of Tao’s book, he began to illustrate his worry. When he was fully satisfied with his instructions he left the parchment to dry as he sought out his best carrier eagle.

“Diver,” he the eagle’s beak with the back of his finger. “I have a favor to ask of you.”

Yixing opened the cage letting the bird hop out and cling to his shoulder. The former tutted and head back to his desk. Diver leaped to fetch a container for the note and placed it before Yixing who was rolling his letter to make it small enough to fit.

“Clever little thing, aren’t you?” Yixing crooned fondly, stamping a seal and popping it into the container. Diver merely watched as the container was tied to its leg by string.

“Be very careful, there may be people who wish to shoot you down. Don’t get caught.” The carrier eagle blinked back at him through narrow eyes as if it understood his words.

-

The rolled parchment hung by thread on a branch. From its seal, Yifan recognized it to be from Yixing. It was the norm to find messages from him when least expected. Yifan had long learnt to be vigilant. From the way it looked, it seemed as if the letter had been intercepted. Biting his teeth together Yifan hissed silently as he unfurled it.

His shoulders relaxed a little when he saw the message. Judging from it, Yixing had guessed long ago that text would be read so instead the scholar had sent a coded illustration. Yifan cracked a half smile at it before replacing it where it’d been found.

Eyes. The notion of Yifan being watched was a given, considering that there were many eyes in the palace.

A mouth; someone was spreading news.

With the arrival of the Fated One, it went without saying that the palace was in an upheaval. That information couldn’t be contained because too many knew of her. Then again, it might not just be about Hani perhaps it was related to Luhan.

Yifan thought about it long and hard as he continued to meander through the forest. It was a place for bandits to attack, and his reason for being here was to seek correspondence his comrades. Here too, he suspected he would be followed but not to a huge extent. He was no merchant with a carriage full of gold, neither was his head on bounty. He was most likely a boring individual to thieves.

For Yifan, it was most perturbing to imagine that Yixing and Zitao were being watched. Their connection was shadowed under the blanket of pretense. In others eyes Yixing was no more than a medical scholar who had his own practice. He was neither Luhan’s friend nor comrade nor even knew of him personally.

And Zitao was no more than a circus clown. There was nothing to suspect him off. He made the act quite clear and was better at role-playing than his companions in Yifan’s opinion.

Yifan himself was a guard with no past, present or future. He was merely a solider who could be easily replaced like many other guards at the palace. Unlike the others though Yifan sought no promotion and had no dreams and goals. He was but an empty shell, only following the orders the previous Emperor, Luhan’s father, had bestowed.

Together they were the ‘Emperor’s Men,’ the previous Emperor had often joked. The three of them had been bred in secrecy to serve Luhan whom the Emperor had feared would be lost in a world of pure bloodlines. And who but Luhan would look after his younger brother the Crown Prince, and future Emperor? Luhan needed people that he could trust and believe in, and that was where Yifan had found a use for his existence.

With him as the one closest to the Prince, another kept tabs on scholars and minsters (the upper class), while one frolicked between peasants and gathered news from Gisaengs and peddlers alike (the lower district). Like this Luhan was able to know what was happening in the kingdom. As an elder brother it was his duty to serve the Crown Prince, and that was how they’d all come to be.

Yifan glanced through the trees. He could see the palace walls in the distance. He was almost there. He would have continued on his way if he hadn’t heard a twig snap. The echo was much too obvious to have belonged to an animal.

Within seconds he found himself face to face with Ahn Hyojin. Her eyelids fluttered, blinking rapidly, and she held a hand over her heart. A shocked expression graced her physiognomy.

“What are you doing here?” He interrogated.

She took a step away from him and that was when he realized they’d been standing too close.

“I-I was in the search of mushrooms, s-sir.” She indicated to her basket.

He frowned suspiciously and pulled it from her grasp. She jumped, startled, as he ripped the cloth she’d used to cover it. Sure enough, there were mushrooms inside. He looked towards her dubiously. “Were you following me?”

She inhaled sharply, pressing her fingers to her mout