Chapter 3

[Winter 1456]

The snow piled up thicker and deeper as a small boy walked. Pushing his way until he reached a cramped alley with homeless people, he decided to take a break as it was too cold to walk any further. He didn’t have any destination after all; or a place to call home.  He didn’t want to admit he was homeless even though staying together with other homeless people would harm him up; the irony.

 It was supposed to be his fifth winter and the second one he spent alone on the street. He didn’t even remember how he did survive the last one. He vaguely thought it got something to do with rich official tried to buy his way to the court by taking care of starving orphan like him. Well, the official did get his position and then abandoned him again to the street. No one in this world cared enough for him; even his mother abandoned him.

“You stupid child, wait here and don’t you dare to come after me!”

Yoochun smiled as his silly effort to call his mother’s last voice. He remembered chasing the first person he knew ever since he opened his eyes, yet, his-so-called-mother left on another man’s carriage. Yoochun knew he was an unwanted child. He never knew his father and he was a burden to his e mother. Yes, Yoochun learnt how cruel the world way faster than any five years old boy could.

It felt like forever and he began to feel sleepy. Yoochun knew death was the only sure thing waited for him if he closed his eyes, but he had enough. Two years barely living, eating anything he could find, and finding shelter anywhere he could until he was shooed away. Yoochun decided there was nothing good to stay at such world.

“…Oh my, are you okay? Please open your eyes and answer me if you can hear me,”

Yoochun thought he saw an angel when he opened his eyes. She was fairly beautiful and reminded him of his mother. His thought that he was finally somewhere better, maybe heaven, was crushed when he felt he was lifted and took into a carriage. Yet, he felt so warm as the woman shook him softly and took his small hands tenderly. Yoochun’s heart was melted by such act; he cried and decided to live. Maybe the world wasn’t that bad after all.

[Autumn 1461]

Yoochun didn’t get abandoned again this time, obviously because he had learnt how the world played out. The family that took him couldn’t have child and that was why they adopted Yoochun. He even got his last name now, Park Yoochun. The family that adopted him wasn’t commoner. They’re high official that had been serving the emperor for generation.

“Yoochun ah, are you ready? We can’t make the prince you’ll serve in the future waiting,” Yoochun’s step-father’s voice echoed from the hallway as Yoochun got up and went out from his room. He was wearing his best robe. He would make his step-parents proud. He wouldn’t fail them.

So Yoochun followed his step-father, tailing him from behind, until they reached the prince’s quarter. He had gathered any information he could learn about the princes and the kingdom. He had leant everything in incredible speed and he even realized he could use art of deception now. Yoochun knew he’s barely ten but he managed to deceive small things on his servants or even step-parents. It was experiment and Yoochun wondered how far he could get. He wondered if the prince was gullible as everyone else.

“You may enter; the prince will see you now,” a servant spoke as Yoochun did enter the room. His father was waiting outside because this would be his and the prince’s only meeting. It somehow made Yoochun felt at ease. He knew the prince was on his age too and dealing with normal ten years old boy was easy enough or so he thought.

“Hi! I’m Kim Jaejoong, the first prince. I know this’s our first meeting but can you help me?” the prince’s cheerful voice wasn’t something Yoochun expected though,” I and Yunnie are playing hide and seek but I can’t find him. Can you help me search for him?”

Yoochun gave a light nod as Jaejoong thanked him and began to inspect the room. It wasn’t that big and Yoochun almost immediately spotted feet under a curtain. He poked the prince on the shoulder as he pointed to the curtain. What Jaejoong did was totally absurd, at least in Yoochun’s eyes. Jaejoong jumped into the curtain as he literally got on top of this ‘Yunnie’ boy.

Forget about deceiving the prince, Yoochun couldn’t even guess what this prince would do the next second. Sighing, Yoochun didn’t know why his introduction meeting with the prince ended up being a hide and seek play between three ten years old boys in a cramped room. Not that he was complaining, it had been so long he felt normal and at ease without someone expecting things from him.

[Spring 1466]

Yoochun thought he had played fate well enough but turned out fate was the one who played him. He got baby brother, scratch that, the family who took him miraculously had a son. He knew he wasn’t legitimate heir and he could feel his position being threatened. All his hard work these years would turn into dust in mere second and nothing scared Yoochun more than being abandoned, again.

“I won’t let Yoohwan as my advisor, I like you too much, Chunnie!” Jaejoong’s word wasn’t something Yoochun had expected. And again, he could never guess his prince. Yoochun just gave a defeated nod.

 “You’re Park Yoochun! The only person I trust enough not to betray me once I’ve become the emperor. Even my father had approved you,” Jaejoong stated the fact,” And I know your parents; they’re like uncle and aunt to me. They won’t take your role or abandon you, so stop doing that face!”

“What face?” Yoochun frowned.

“That face like the world will end tomorrow and you’re the only one who’s going to vanish,” Jaejoong stated as Yoochun was left speechless. He never expected Jaejoong to see the real him so easily. It was like the mask Yoochun had earned all these years vanished in front of his prince.

“Come with me, Chunnie,” Jaejoong stated as Yoochun got up and followed his prince in silence. They went out from Jaejoong’s room and walked through the hallway until Yoochun reached part of the palace he never explored before. They stopped in front of a locked room as Jaejoong got a key out from his selves. Yoochun noticed how hard the room was kept locked as there’re at least three padlocks.

“I never told Junsu or even Yunnie about this. Obviously not even my father,” Jaejoong spoke as he opened the door,” Meet Changmin, my half-brother that my father imprisoned since his birth because he’s too ashamed to admit his affair with the late Empress, my mother.”

Yoochun couldn’t believe what he had heard or even what he had seen. There’s a boy, probably a year younger than them, staring at them as his eyes blinked fearfully. There was only a candle on the side of the room that lightened the darkness of the night.

“Minnie ah,” Jaejoong called softly,” I’m so sorry to have not visit you after a long time. Father always makes sure the guards are right in front of your room all day. They’re too busy with the upcoming war now, so I think I can visit you every day now.”

“…Really? Hyung will visit me every day from now on?” Changmin’s eyes were full of hope as Jaejoong nodded. Yoochun was lost at word. He never knew the existence of third prince or maybe half-prince. He didn’t have any idea why Jaejoong told him such thing too.

“Minnie, I want you to meet someone,” Jaejoong gestured Yoochun to come closer,” He’s Yoochun. You can call him hyung too. Beside me, he’ll also visit you from time to time and tell you story.”

“Nice to meet you, Yoochun hyung,” Changmin said softly,” I can’t wait to hear your story.”

“What story?” Yoochun managed to ask.

“Outside world story,” Changmin answered like it was the straightest fact on Earth,” I can’t leave here or I’ll be punished and Jaejoong hyung won’t be able to visit me anymore…I can only wait and hear stories about outside world from hyung and you too, Yoochun hyung, if you don’t mind.”

Yoochun couldn’t refuse such pathetic offer. He closed his eyes as he took Changmin’s hand and promised he would tell him many stories later on and visited him often. Changmin was more than delighted for it. Then, Jaejoong gave Changmin a book, it was titled ‘Fairytales and Beyond’. Yoochun somehow predicted it was Jaejoong who taught Changmin how to read.

“Changmin ah, we need to go now. Behave and we’ll back tomorrow night, okay?” Jaejoong hugged Changmin as they bid their goodbye. Soon, the sun would rise and they couldn’t be seen here, at the forbidden room. As they walked back to Jaejoong’s quarter, Yoochun made a decision.

“My first advice once you get your title will be freeing Changmin,” Yoochun said as Jaejoong nodded. Jaejoong was happy Yoochun could get what he meant by the visit. He was reassuring Yoochun that no one could replace him but at the same time to make a point what he would do as emperor. He wouldn’t let any stain of darkness existed in his rule, yet, little he knew darkness already rooted deep enough.