Bu Bu Jing Xin - Chapter 24, Part 2
Stupid place to cut but LJ is being stupid so I have to cut this here....
As Kyuhyun and Junsu approached the camp they noticed that the camp that was normally quiet and asleep at this time of night was buzzing with movement and light. Guards were running around frantically, wielding torches to cast light into every crevice and dark corner.
“What’s going on?” Junsu asked confused. They both ran forward as Kyuhyun’s mind started to panic. Had they been caught? Was everything going to be ruined? Where were Hangeng and Sungmin?
Junsu called out to one of his father’s men, his voice calm. The prince had gone into leader mode, the bubbling youth replaced with complete commanding control. “What happened?”
“The Crown Prince has reported that there are thieves. He says that he chased the thieves until they entered our part of the camp and then lost them. He has asked permission to have his men search the area.”
“What do they look like?” Kyuhyun asked, his voice barely hiding his fear. The two in front of him probably thought it was the idea of thieves, he hoped that was what they thought.
“We do not know. The Crown Prince has told us nothing.” The soldier seemed frustrated, and Kyuhyun could see a mirror emotion flicker in Junsu’s eyes.
“You make continue what you were doing.” Junsu dismissed the soldier quickly before turning to the Qing servant. Before he could say anything Kyuhyun cut across, “Where are the good hiding places?”
“Why?”
“Please Your Highness.”
Looking at the worried and desperate face of his recently-made-friend, Junsu couldn’t say anything except, “Follow me.”
As they rounded a corner they saw Yoochun being confronted by General Kim, who Kyuhyun now knew was Junsu’s mother, both followed by groups of their men. Not wanting to be seen by them and have to answer questions, especially since Kyuhyun wasn’t sure whether the Crown Prince knew who the thieves he were chasing were, he pulled Junsu behind a tent, from where they could still here the conversation.
Junsu looked confused but didn’t cry out for which Kyuhyun was eternally grateful. He had no idea what excuse he would give the prince after this was over.
“The two suspicious people we were chasing definitely came in this direction.” Yoochun said, his voice carrying his annoyance.
“You have already searched our camp, they are not here.” The general did not look happy with Yoochun’s tone.
“If we don’t keep searching they could escape!”
There was a moment of silence before, “I give you permission to sweep the idea one more time, but do not go near the Lord’s family tents. You would not want to wake him.”
Hearing the two groups move off, Junsu pulled Kyuhyun to continue searching. Following the prince, a pair of guards came out of the tent in front of them, causing Kyuhyun to duck into one of the tents, or more aptly, he was dragged into one of the tents.
Looking up, his lip nearly bleeding from the bite to prevent himself from crying out in shock, he saw the Fourteenth Prince. Sungmin looked for some bizarre reason exhilarated for a moment, as if being chased with his life at stake was entertaining, before looking worried.
“I got separated from Eighth Brother, I assume he would have headed for his tent.”
“Kyuhyun,” he heard hissed from outside the tent.
“It’s Prince Junsu.” Kyuhyun bit his lip more, he looked panicked before his face became set with determination. “I have a plan. Follow my lead and don’t question it. Have you ever met Prince Junsu?”
“No.”
“Then the plan will work.” Kyuhyun gulped before standing up and moving to the tent entrance, “Prince Junsu, come in here.” He really hoped this would work, maybe all those tv dramas he watched were good for something if they gave him ideas like this.
“Are you alright? Who’s that?” His voice changed from concerned to suspicious as he saw Sungmin stood next to a panicked Kyuhyun who had fallen on his knees.
“Your Highness, I bet you to save me. I need your hel-”
“Just ask and I would do anything to help you.” Junsu cut him off and dragged him to his feet.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Kyuhyun said tearfully. He turned to Sungmin to start berating him, “How could you come here? I told you not to and look what has happened. How are we to escape this mess? You’ve been mistaken by the Crown Prince as a thief! If we explain people will know our secret.” Kyuhyun turned slightly to include the confused looking Junsu in the conversation. “You know palace maids aren’t supposed to see people secretly. We are both dead!” Comprehension dawned on Sungmin’s face which he schooled to look as fear. “But if we don’t explain, you will still die. Then I’ll be alone.” Tears started to run down Kyuhyun’s face, they weren’t even fake as all the emotions he was holding caught up with him.
He burrowed his head into Sungmin’s shoulder, causing the Qing prince to tense slightly but wrap his arms around Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun thanked the heavens that Sungmin hadn’t said anything or pushed him off. They had to act convincing enough for their targeted audience.
“He is your lover?” Junsu asked quickly.
Kyuhyun removed his head, but kept his arm around Sungmin as he answered the Mongolian prince. “We can rarely meet in the palace. We hoped that out here we might have a chance to see each other.” Kyuhyun sniffed, his voice dripping with disappointment. “We didn’t think that he would be mistaken as a thief by the Crown Prince.”
“He came risking his life to see you,” Kyuhyun could see the prince’s inner romantic shining through his eyes. “You shouldn’t tell him off.” Junsu smiled as he said. “Don’t worry Kyuhyun. I will protect him and make sure he isn’t found.” Junsu’s face was alight with excitement as Sungmin squeezed Kyuhyun slightly before releasing him.
“I owe you a great debt, if there is ever anything you need from me to repay you I will be sure to help you.” Kyuhyun promised. He hated that he was lying to this trusting boy, Junsu had been so charming and unconceited. He wished that he didn’t have to deceive such a good person, but he didn’t see any other way to get Junsu to hide Sungmin and without the Mongolian prince he didn’t see a way to get Sungmin out. And if Sungmin was caught that meant Hangeng would implemented, which would mean punishment for all that were involved with both of them. It was a house of cards that would have come tumbling down if he hadn’t of lied to this one generous person.
“Kyuhyun you don’t need to worry. Thank you Your Highness.” Sungmin smiled before following the beckoning Mongol out of the tent. Kyuhyun just hoped everything would turn out alright.
**
Kyuhyun had excused himself after seeing that Sungmin was safely inside Junsu’s tent. It was in the family enclosure and he knew the Crown Prince wasn’t allowed to search these ones. The guards outside hadn’t said anything and Junsu had assured Kyuhyun that the guards were loyal to him, and had no desire to say anything to the Crown Prince. The Mongol army had little like for the heir apparent of the Qing Empire. They viewed him as weak drunken fool according to Junsu. Sungmin had muffled a laugh when Junsu had said it so loudly and without fear. It was so different to the Qing palace were you only truly trusted a handful of your servants and guards with your life. Most would confess to anything if they were even threated with the torture chamber.
He quickly and quietly hurried back to the main camp, keeping to the shadows and avoiding the frequent guards. He needed to check on Hangeng before he could rest easy.
**
“You risked so much to come and see Kyuhyun!” Junsu gushed in after the two princes were alone. “Aren’t you afraid?”
“For Kyuhyun, I would risk anything. How could I be afraid?” Sungmin replied. He could tell that the best way to appeal to this prince would be to romanticise his and Kyuhyun’s supposed love affair as much as possible.
“Is it really that difficult to see each other at the palace?”
“Very difficult. Palace etiquette is so strict.” He thought of his brother Hangeng and how he cherished the few moments he was able to see Kyuhyun. “It isn’t like these grasslands where you are free.”
“Then you must have endured so many difficulties to see Kyuhyun?” The inquisitive Junsu continued.
“Any difficulty would be worth it for Kyuhyun.” He knew that Kyuhyun risked a lot to help him but he knew that he would always return the favour. Kyuhyun was special enough to earn the respect and loyalty of so many, with a willingness to help anyone if he could, Sungmin wondered how someone like that existed in the poisonous palace. He shook his head to clear his thoughts as he continued to field Junsu’s questions.
**
Yoochun swore loudly at the man that reported to him. “How can you not find them?”
“We have searched everywhere Your Highness,” the guard knelt before him deferentially.
“They must be somewhere. They can’t have escaped! What have you people been doing?” Yoochun closed his eyes in frustration. He couldn’t let those two escape him. That little clique had been damaging his credibility and reputation for years. People he thought he could rely on were now siding with Hangeng and his followers. He would kill them all if he could but his father would never allow it. This was an ideal chance to get rid of them, they deserved punishing after planning to get rid of the true Crown Prince. How could any of them think that they could replace him? None of them were the sons of the beloved Empress, none of them had been raised by the Emperor personally. Why did they betray him like this? He had loved them all when they had been growing up but now the memories of their childhood just made him mad.
The General Kim approached from the direction of the Lord Yunho’s tent. “Crown Prince, perhaps you mistook these thieves. If we continue searching like this, we will wake up our Wangye. Who would take the responsibility for that? Would it be the Crown Prince?” The General asked in a derisive manner. Yoochun inwardly seethed at the tone that was bordering on lack of respect, yet he could not call the way that the Mongols treated him as he would then be disrespecting them in a greater matter. He had lost his position as Crown Prince previously in part for offending them and he wouldn’t be able to escape his father’s wrath if it happened again. He knew who this General really was and he didn’t doubt that this would be reported to the Lord Yunho first thing in the morning.
“General.” He said restrained, “I was only thinking of our safety.” On seeing the hard unwielding eyes of the other man he nodded. “Alright. Since we can’t find anyone, then we won’t be a bother anymore.”
“Crown Prince, if you please.” The general smiled thinly as he gestured for Yoochun and his guards to leave the Mongol camp, with the general and his contingency escorting.
**
“How did you two meet?” Junsu grinned at the new line of thought though it still revolved around the secret relationship.
Sungmin thought briefly before deciding, “We meet on the Eighth Prince’s estate before Kyuhyun entered the palace. I had to go to deal with some court matters and I met him when he was chasing rabbits.”
“Rabbits?” Junsu asked in shock.
“Can you not imagine the graceful lady Kyuhyun running around chasing rabbits?” Sungmin laughed. Junsu shook his head as Sungmin continued. “Back then all his thoughts and actions were rebellious and unorthodox. No one could understand him. But no one wanted to upset him as he had a caustic tongue.” The fondness of that was clear on his face and in his manner.
“I really can’t picture it!” Junsu exclaimed.
“That isn’t even shocking compared to some of the things he got up to.” Sungmin was happy to tell everything that Kyuhyun had done previously that was outrageous, while the other prince lapped it all up eagerly.
**
A/N:
Wangye is a rank of a prince. It is technically what Lord Yunho is but since I don’t want another prince (there are way too many in this story) I call him Lord Yunho all the time. Also he is the ruler of his nation so he is above the Qing princes but below the Emperor. It is also why Junsu is a Prince - cos he’s the son of the Prince/Lord of the Mongols. You probably didn’t need an explanation but decided to provide one anyway ^^
Plus did you notice the tiny story I put in about Lord Yunho and his General! I have planned and started to write a side story about them. Yunjae story which I seriously am trying to think of a name for. Anyone feel like giving me ideas cos otherwise I will go steal a song title (which I shall probably do anyway).
Also sorry for my absence, been busy with life. Job sucks, family issues, moving or not moving, etc, etc. Was planning to make this longer but the next section I keep getting stuck on (I swear that happens all the time) so decided to just put this up yada yada yada…
Hope you like this little instalment. I will hopefully put the next chapter up soon. But no promises cos I suck so badly at keeping them.
Love you all <3
Please comment. I like feedback but I don’t want to force you to so… comment if you feel like it… have no idea why I am even writing this *facepalm*
*flails arms as remembers something* I have another fic (which I have no idea how I have time to write). It’s an EXO fic. I succumbed to posting an EXO story lol. It’s called Eyes On The Moon. Check it out - it’s a mixture of werewolf omegaverse thing.
And I had a moment when I realised that my two main stories will be mpreg and I have no idea why… maybe I like babies too much. I want to have babies in all my stories. Babies are cute! Why can’t a have a wonkyu baby in real life?