Hiya. It's been sometime since I updated this so please forgive me for that!

Thank you all for reading and do stay and read this update as well. :D

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Back in Japan.

A tall man lumbered back to his bedroom and removes his gleaming blood stained armour, placing them respectfully onto a wooden clothe stand, shaped to the likeness of his body contour and width. That armour represents him and only he can touch it.

A few servants come forward to quickly wipe down and dust the weighty metal shell without even daring to allow any contact with their own flesh. The man continues over to his short desk swiftly and lowers himself to sit on his calf, resting in a seemingly painful kneeling position. It is an elegant movement but to sit just by lowering the legs into a kneeling posture takes years of training. He is a true warrior indeed, with muscles built for the kill.

Meditating as he tries to erase the bloody fight at the harbour, the leader of a nation sits with a deep frown. He has wasted another fleet of battle ships in a bid to fend off the barbarians and it is only during times like this that he can truly appreciate King Yunho’s kind ‘donations’. It pays to have a rich neighbour… and a tie with him at that.

The man never regrets being the perpetuator that he is. His oppressions and big bully mind set paid off so at least he does not need to start recalculating his loss. He knows he still have full stock houses and it is all thanks to his persistence. Yunho, Junsu and most importantly, his precious little brother had somehow all became his saviours.

The shogun’s peaceful mind quickly wanders back to his little bride, which he assumes should be waiting docilely in his chambers. He is not excited to meet the young lad again and that is his most honest confession, but that innocent tiny face with child-like glows would always pop up so very annoyingly often.

Seeing his young bride all dolled up, he is rather impressed. Though the make-up did the young one no favours after being nearly wiped down completely, the skin beneath is clear and radiant. Possessing such a beckoning twinkle in his light brown orbs and shimmering outline to his body that he appears most appealing. It’s been a few days since he last saw that irritating bugger but he is strangely looking forward to it.

Standing up without the use of his hands, the shogun straightened his obi and placed his katana onto the holder behind him. Lifting the single piece of woven partition, exposing his face to the cowering subordinates, the man waved his hand, indicating that their presence is no longer required. Strolling coolly pass the long hallway as servants part the way for him, the man retreats back to his chambers.

Sliding the doors open upon arrival, only a dark cold room greeted the shogun. The gust of wind that hit him was cold and pitiful. The neat and tidy room showed no traces of human presence or entry for the past few days and it is not the ways things are supposed to be. Frowning with an otherwise expressionless face, the shogun made a sharp turn to face the servants situated outside the door, expecting an answer.

“Where is he?” Narrowing his eyes at the cowering bunch behind, all he got were confused looks and hushed gasps.

“In the backyard sir. He is in the garden around the back.” One of the servants answered at last and Yuchun tapped a finger on his chin, running his tongue along his row of perfectly shaped teeth, resting the tip of his tongue on a sharp canine tooth. He looked menacing enough to scare the out of any kid and Junsu just happens to be the poor kid.

“Prepare the bathe.” “And bring him.”

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POV from the servants

His majesty was away at the borders to carry out some necessary negotiations and by negotiations, we mean it in a more unfriendly manner. That’s just how he works. He is capable and akin to our god so no one questions the things he does.

The only negotiation he failed so far was the one with the Korean emperor. We had to sacrifice our prince in exchange for that little troublemaker. We are serious when we say he is a trouble maker. He is simply incorrigible. Naughty! Child-like.

We were given orders to watch over him by his majesty but before we could return to the royal nuptial chamber with the order, he is already gone with the wind, but only after leaving his clothes behind. We assume he is … how unbecoming! The wife of the shogun acting in such a manner is just unacceptable.

His majesty would be crazy to want anything to do with this wild child. Yet we are mistaken. We should never assume our king’s motives and never question his actions… but this is simply unfathomable. The first person he seeks was his bride and it is truly mind boggling.

The young one does not escape or even attempts to escape, unlike how we were expecting him to, but he is always missing. Like a ninja... never there and always gone whenever we look for him. Like a forest spirit. That is the most appropriate way to describe him.

We have found him on trees, on the roof, in the stables, in some secret cavern somewhere in the palace. He found more hidden passages and gardens then we ever got to know despite working here for the past few decades. The only problem now is… we have run out of ideas on where to find him and his majesty is not one to fancy a hide and seek, we us as the losing seekers.

Where in the world can he be? His majesty has just ordered a hot bathe and wishes to see the young one. Yet we have not a clue to his whereabouts.

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Sieving through the palace grounds after preparing the bathe waters for Yuchun, Junsu’s assigned guards and servants searched around frantically. They have been doing so for every meal, for three times a day, since the shogun’s abrupt departure on the wedding night. Junsu never stays put in one place. They couldn’t restrain him either, as frustrating as it may seem.

“Junsu sama!!” Flipping through every room in the hundred over rooms, the servants quickly moved on to the gardens and painstakingly searched every tree they can set eyes upon. Mobilising all manpower in silence, in order not to affect the meditating Yuchun, they could not even sulk.

A soft mewing caught one of the male servant’s attention and he quickly locates a kitten prancing outside an abandoned shed in a less travelled pathway leading to a small garden. The kitten belongs to Junsu and there are no doubts about it. The young prince had since adopted a pack of kitten and that is only one of them, though no one actually knows where he hides them either. Junsu is just afraid that the strangers around him would hurt his pets.

Picking up the kitten slowly, the man ushered his colleagues and a pack of several grown man and women quickly followed suit. Arriving just outside the shed, a man kicked the door open, expecting to find a stunned Junsu, but there is nothing but a bunch of kittens mewling, crying out in protest upon their intrusion.

“Junsu sama!” Annoyed to no end, the group entered and flipped the place upside down. Sighing loudly since they could find Junsu despite the unmistakeable traces of his prior presence, the servants were about to leave when someone came up with a ‘brilliant’ idea.

“Why don’t we use his pets as hostage?” A man spoke in Japanese, knowing that Junsu would not understand a word of what he is saying. The rest smirked immediately. A small shadow hidden on the highest beam in the small shed gasped. He had somehow trained himself to climb the tallest trees and most unreachable platforms in order to escape all the strangers who bear murderous auras, yet it is always their persistence and genius that causes his failure to remain hidden for long.

“Not again!” The person screamed silently. He knows what the servants are up to the moment they start to spread out. It has happened many times before. On the first day, they managed to force Junsu out of his hiding place by letting loose their hunting hounds. Then when they could not pluck him off the tree, the simply waited for him below, day and night, till nature calls and he could no longer hang on.

They even used the ‘sleeping gas’ on him once, or so Junsu believes that was a sleeping gas, which is actually just a scent that Yuchun uses to sleep when his nightmares keep him up. He was hiding in another shed at that time as well.

With eyes widening as they bring the torch, Junsu quickly cupped his mouth while he watch the servants place his four kittens in a basket and line the sides with dry straws and wood, meant for burning.

Unable to believe that they would barbeque his pets alive, Junsu resisted the urge to dive out from his hiding place, but the servants were ready to do anything. Animal cruelty included. Waving the torch, they set the straws alight and stood around it, waiting.

“NO!! NO NO NO NO!!” Screeching like a bewildered banshee, the young prince gave up hiding and slides off the wooden beam, making a break for his precious new friends. The servants parted the way for him as he grabs a bucket nearby, scoops up as much water as he can and douse the small flame with it before the angry reddish orange killer can do any harm. Then, crawling towards his pets, he quickly gathers them in his arms and sits there, inspecting them, not paying heed to the men closing in on him.

A few hands grabbed onto him from behind and plucked the kittens from his hands. Chucking the small animals into a female servant’s embrace, the make servants dragged an unusually quiet but seething Junsu off to the bath nearby. They are used to Junsu’s crazy antics, screaming and thrashing around, so Junsu no longer tries. He knows that struggling is not an option, especially after experiencing first hand, the servants’ ability to be merciless.

Simply sitting still, pouting like a grouper fish, the young prince does not even flinch when they flush cold water on him, then hot, and then warm. It’s a process his is used to and they always do so like he is an inanimate object with no sensory organs. He can’t be bothered that they can’t care less about how he feels. They do not even talk, since neither would understand one another.

Burying his face in his thin knees, the miserable lad pulled his legs close to his belly and refused to look up, despite the servants’ coaxing. Then, with one swift motion, he stands up and pulls on the wet robes, wishing to excuse himself. The servants would usually leave him be as soon as they are done preening and feeding him previously, but not today.

Pushing him down, a few older women started to pull at his hair, combing the soft brown tangled tresses. Muttering as they work fast and skilfully, Junsu senses something amiss. There are lights flickering in the usually dark room, through the wax paper door just metres away from him. There is no movement in the other room, but paranoia is what kept Junsu alive in this place… heartless and cold, inhumane environment.

A shiver ran down his spine even though he is already wrapped up in a thin layer of silk, and the hushed whispers and high strung servants meant trouble.

“Haste.” One of the servants beckoned and he found himself in the middle of an inspection while they twirl him around in circles. “His majesty is allergic to cat fur. Make sure he is clean.” Somehow, Junsu understand what they meant despite not actually knowing the exact words they spoke.

“NO!!” “I CAN’T!! HE IS IN THERE ISN’T HE?!” Freaking out and breaking free, holding onto the door frame as they part the door of the room he is in, Junsu refuses to advance. Knowing the Yuchun is most likely behind the door of the room just opposite to his, Junsu broke out into cold sweat.

“NO!! I DON’T WANT TO!!” “LET GO OF ME!!” Scratching fearfully at the burly man behind him, Junsu is dragged half a metre and hell gates parted for him.