POV from Junsu

I was making my way through the forest… or what seemed like an ordinary forest… when I got shot at! I swear I heard my bones crack a little… and and my organs were almost shifted!

The pain was something! I am lucky that I was done swallowing that big chunk of food. I would’ve choked and died if umma wasn’t watching over me… if that is something good…

Everything happened so fast that I did not even have time to recover. I swear I would’ve given that bastard a piece of me if I weren’t in such a daze! The culprit who shot me was even mocking me and I was reeling from the shock so much so that I thought I was hallucinating when he spoke my language.

I should’ve just cast all restrains aside and jumped him!! I should’ve bitten a chunk off his hand since I am dying to break my all vegetarian diet!! He ought to hurt a little too!!

Anyhow, I wonder what he is. He seems to be someone prestigious. A minister perhaps? Is he Korean? I doubt that! We are way more cultured than that!! He is dressed weird like the people here so I think he might be a businessman or something… you know the type that crosses borders so he can speak many languages.

To think I will have to climb that hill even though my feet and now my back are killing me! Just to see that stupid king! I really don’t look forward to meeting him… I heard he is mean… and I can only pray he is not as mean as this bastard I just met. They are the same kind after all. Poor pretty hyung.

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Meanwhile… back in Korea…

“WHY the HELL are you back!?” “Didn’t I tell you to pass your bastard of a brother a message??!” Curtsied in front of the Korean emperor, is his partner, forced into a loveless marriage for authority and financial control. “Did he get it?”

Looking at the silent small slender figure with a tinge of abhorrence in his big eyes, the king sulked loudly and dismissed the person. The person, Jejung, never spoke as he maintains his quiet demeanour. He has learnt not to speak up in front of blustering Yunho, or rather, he was brought up to listen and obey, with no questions asked.

Hearing loud thumps and a deafening thud, Jejung does not turn around as he makes his way out of Yunho’s presence. The king is raging and throwing a nasty tantrum so there is no reasons for him to stay either, lest he becomes the stress reliever in place of the tables and lamps.

Yunho could not control his hands as the fingers there wrap themselves around the heavy lamp stand nearby and swing the object towards the nearest pillar. “DAMN IT!!” The king bellowed and pounded furiously on his desktop.

“Find him and hide him!” Yunho huffed in frustration before giving a soft order to his subordinate. “Make sure he is nowhere to be found! Ever!” The king raised his voice before standing up from his throne and stomping out of the room.

Determined to go all the way with Yuchun this time, the Korean emperor is glad that his brother has done him a favour by running away. The headstrong king still does not have the intentions of handing Junsu to Yuchun.

Little does he know, Junsu has already made it cross the border and is on the way to seek audience of the cruel heartless shogun. No matter how much Yunho is adamant on ensuring Junsu stays with him, fate has its own way of planning the future.

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Early the next morning…

“Excuse me! May I see to the king… please?” An even more dishevelled person turns up in front of the palace gate just as the break of dawn.

After a long day of travelling through the streets and braving the cold wind of the night, in nothing but the bare minimum clothes on his back, the person is half frozen. Shivering cutely, like a timid little animal, the person could not get the palace guards to budge. They do not even understand what he is saying.

“I need to speak to the king… you know?” The younger one hadn’t anticipated this language barrier since he isn’t good at planning trips. He should have brought along a translator.

Shaking their heads, the armoured guards even shoved Junsu and sent him sprawling a metre away. Provoked, the young prince swiftly pulled out the big guns, which comes in a form of his identification pendant. None of the guards could read Korean either and Junsu ended up doing a show and tell.

“I am the prince and this is my name.” “Junsu.” The boy polished his personal treasure and insisted the company take a look.

Nevertheless, grabbing the scrawny person by the armpit, the burly guards did not bother to waste any time thrashing things out with to the brazen ‘beggar’. Dumping Junsu in the nearest ditch they can find, the few armed man even brandished their Katanas at the young prince, indicating that they will turn ruthless if he dare come near the palace again.

Cursing under his breath, Junsu mumbled to himself and started circling the palace walls, loitering far away from the patrols. Molesting the walls to look for a stepping stone, the young one kept close to the wall, thanking the still pitch black skies for providing him enough cover.

Seeing a few guards walk pass him, Junsu held his breath and as adrenaline courses through his veins, he is miraculously able to leap over with ease. Swinging his skinny legs over the rough edges of the wall, Junsu hugged on tightly and played dead.

Seeing that the pack of approaching patrols are finally gone, the young prince sat up and hopped off the other side, landing on his bum once more. Junsu’s buttocks are nicely padded and they provide enough protection for his sacral bone.

Darting across the dimly lit garden and sneaking around the long elaborate hallway, the prince started running around the maze, clueless. Hastening his footsteps, Junsu’s heart is pounding so hard that he can even hear it in the deafening silence.

Passing by rooms after rooms, after rooms, after rooms, Junsu is headed all around the place like a headless chicken. Not knowing what he is looking for as he scoots around, the young prince is too nervous to calm down and take in his unusually silent surrounding. Neither did he notice a long familiar shadow, cast by the nearby lamps, moving stealthily from pillars to pillars.

With a deadly glint of the weapon in his hand, reflecting the orangey flames, the shadow steps out just as the smaller person dashes past. Reaching a hand out, the muscular bicep did not fail to grab a whole of the intruder’s collar, heaving him so hard that the confused intruder staggers backwards into the person’s ‘embrace’.

“My my. What do we have here?” The man whispered in Japanese and Junsu can feel all the hair on his body stand. Breathing into the young man’s ears, the person’s breath felt chilly as with the early morning breeze and his grip felt merciless despite the pair of big warm hands. Gasping in the bone crushing grasp, Junsu stiffens as he is pressed against a wall like body apparently dressed in silk.

in so much air that his lungs feel as though they might burst, Junsu remained still as what felt like an icy blade rests on his shoulder grazing on the side of his neck. “I need to speak to your king!” Junsu quickly toughened up and spoke up as loudly as he can. This caused the man to loosen his grip for a split second, as the burly figure takes a step back.

Recognising the small voice, the captor sheathed his katana and dragged the young prince into the light emanated from the lamp nearby. Taking his time to observe Junsu’s head and part of his side profile, “You” The man said in his own language, as if asking a question.

“You seem to have problems knowing where you stand in the society, beggar.” The shogun breathed menacingly into the young one’s ears. Spinning around, Junsu could not see the tall man’s face since it remains shrouded in the darkness.

“I can swear that I’m not a beggar! I just need to speak to your king. It’s important!” The person started pleadingly. His journey to this foreign land hadn’t been easy and he does not wish to be ‘deported’ home before he can fulfil his agenda.

Chuckling, the man could not stop himself from wanting to laugh at Junsu’s innocent statement. The man cannot fathom how incredibly naïve the young latter is, thinking he can come and go as he pleases. Junsu obviously has no idea what trouble he is getting himself into by trying his luck with the shogun, twice.

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POV from Yuchun

It’s this beggar again. Interesting. I can hear his filthy feet shuffling recklessly from a mile away…

I get intruders and since they never stop coming, I do not bother to heighten my security. They usually don’t make it out alive if they are assassins or spies, since no one crosses path with me and lives to brag about it. I don’t get a lot of strays though. No strays to be exact… who would lose their way and end up in my palace? That is ridiculous.

However, I am starting to feel that this little beggar might be confused. He doesn’t seem to have a concept that the palace is out of bound to common civilians, much less a beggar. He is no doubt Korean… and I was just thinking that he might be a spy from Yunho, but it seems like I am mistaken.

If Yunho wants to send a spy, he would send someone of higher calibre right? This fella can’t fight for nuts, his muscle tone is pitiful and he appears so clueless that it is almost endearing. It does not require an expert to catch him even before he reaches his intended destination

I can understand if he simply wandered into the gaming zone, but in my palace, he will have a lot of explaining to do.

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“Speak. What are your intentions?” Yuchun whispers into Junsu’s ears in Japanese after pushing him roughly against the wall. The young prince winces and squirms around under his stronghold, helpless beneath the stronghold.

“You don’t understand!! I need to speak to the king!!” The young man insists in his own language, resisting Yuchun while the man tightens his grip on the back of his slender neck, threatening to snap the spine there.

“What makes you think the king would want to speak to you?” The shogun chuckles but continues to speak the language that Junsu does not understand. The young prince is thrown into a state of disarray. Scratching at Yuchun as he twists his tiny frame out from underneath, the young prince started ran all over the place like a crazed little duckling, but not for long.

Sheathing his Katana, the shogun grabs Junsu by the waist and pins him down to the ground in an instant, causing him to squeal like a little girl. Kicking Yuchun off with both bare feet, he rolls out from under the bigger man and gets up onto his feet again. It’s been a long time since Yuchun met someone with such vigour and he is intrigued.

Stepping out of the darkness at last, Yuchun reveals his face to the young prince. “YOU!?” Junsu screeched. “WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS TRYING TO KILL ME!?” “I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOU!! I WANT TO SEE THE KING!!”

“First my game zone… then my palace.” “You are one little filthy rat that will appear everywhere aren’t you?” Yoochun whispers in Korean and Junsu is getting mighty pissed by his insult. No one has ever called him a rat, much less a dirty one. He is after all, a prince, with a prestigious background and royal blood running through his veins.

“You stupid ahjussi!” “What do you mean by YOUR palace?!” Getting up on his feet and tripping over the stray pieces of his torn garment, Junsu regained his balance adorably and issued Yuchun a kick on the shin. Bowling over after stubbing his poor dainty little toes against the shogun’s thick tibia and fibula, the young prince swallowed a cry of pain and hopped around comically.

“And how dare you call me filthy!?!” “I am the.” Fulminating as he backs away from the currently advancing Yuchun, Junsu cannot deny that the shogun intimidates him, a lot. With a darkened expression, which is his usual expression, Yuchun cornered Junsu, shutting him up half way through his speech before cut the plaque dangling from the side of his tattered waistband.