Firmly Trapped 5/6
Title: Firmly Trapped 5/6
Pairing: Kai/Taemin (Exo/SHINee), [Side Pairings: Chanyeol/Baekhyun, Changmin/Jaejoong]
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: These two definitely do not belong to me, but I'm borrowing them for the joys of this story.
Summary: Taemin doesn't want to be a prince, living in the shadow of his perfect father and his father's consort. He wants to be free, no matter the price he has to pay.
A/N: This story takes place about 16 years after Tightly Bound's epilogue. Taemin is 17 years old at the beginning of this story, with Baekhyun at 18 and Kai at 16. Taemin's older sisters are 21 years old.
Warnings: Prostitution
Part 5: The Resting Trap
Taemin woke up to the smell of meat and a fresh wood fire. He unwound his arms and legs from Kai, careful not to wake him. He shifted to the edge of the bed, found a tunic on the floor and pulled it over his head. Yawning, he made his way across the small room and down the wooden ladder to the main room.
“Good morning, your highness,” she said.
“Good morning. I’m ... I’m sorry. I didn’t learn your name yesterday.”
“Oh, it’s okay. Yesterday was a very busy day for you. My name is Seulgi.”
“Seulgi-shi, thank you so much for everything.”
“It is not a problem, your highness.” She smiled widely and motioned to the chair.
Taemin stared at her for a moment and then realized that the woman had put on a nicer dress than the one she wore yesterday, her apron was clean and crisp, her hair was pulled back neatly, and she was even wearing makeup.
All for the prince.
Seulgi was the only one in the house. Morning sunlight pooled through the windows, and Taemin figured that Chanyeol, his sister, and their father were already outside working in the fields.
“I almost have some fresh coffee brewed for you. Nothing like you get in the palace, I’m sure, but it is a special treat out here.”
“Anything will be wonderful,” Taemin said. “Better than what we have now. We had to leave our supplies to the bandits.”
“You poor man,” she said with a smile, and Taemin fought the urge to roll his eyes. The woman was flirting with him even if she was as old as his own mother.
Taemin moved into the kitchen, glancing to the corner, near the fire where Baekhyun lay upon a cot. He was sleeping, chest rising and falling. The white cloth on his arm looked clean, and he had not bled through it. “May I help you with anything?”
“A prince in a kitchen? What madness is this? Just sit.”
Taemin thought of arguing; he’d had to do chores, including cooking, with the namsadang. But he wasn’t there anymore. He sat at the table, accepting a cup of coffee with a sweet dash of cream.
“Your father is such a great king. Your grandfather, too. It was so sudden when he passed on. Very tragic. You probably don’t remember that. I think you were born just before the past king’s heart stopped. But the joy of having another heir. I remember it so well. We took the time to go to the castle to celebrate your birth.”
Taemin stopped listening. He had heard of his grandfather’s death very often. His father had been thrust into being a king. And he’d thrived. His father was a very good king. Taemin knew that. Taemin saw that.
And that was part of the problem. He was not his father. He was not the same. He did not want to be king. He was not going to be a good king. He knew that. And if the people understood or knew that he’d spent the last year whoring himself out, they would not want him to be king either. After hearing the way they talked of his father, Taemin did not want to be king anyway.
“Are you ill, your highness?” she asked, touching his cheek.
Taemin jerked away from her. “F-fine, sorry. Just worried.”
“Your friend will be just fine. And Hyungsaeng is planning on going south to meet the Caravan in a week or so. We have some supplies running low at this time of the year. You can go with him and Chanyeol. Definitely after your friend has rested. Fortunately, he will not lose the arm. The arrow hit deep and he lost a lot of blood, but he’s young and healthy. He should be able to use the arm again in a few weeks.”
That was a relief.
There was movement and a groan, and the woman shuffled over to Baekhyun, yammering away about something. Taemin only listened to her say that he did not have a fever and there were no signs of an infection. Yet. But they would monitor it, and go back to sleep, young one. Rest and heal.
Another noise drew his eyes to the ladder, and Taemin watched Kai make his way down. Their eyes met, and Kai smiled and sat next to him, arm around his waist. Taemin leaned into him with a content sigh.
“Did you sleep well?” Kai whispered.
Taemin shrugged. “Mostly.”
“What do you need from me?” Kai asked.
Taemin smiled, the mug of warm drink to his face. “Just this.”
“I was hoping you’d say to brush your hair. It’s a mess.”
Taemin chuckled. “Yeah, in a moment.”
---
Later on in the day when Taemin asked if he could go with Hyungsaeng to help work the fields, the married couple protested. Taemin argued his way into the work, saying that he wanted to and he was capable and wanted to pay them back for their generosity. Finally, he just walked out the door with Kai, following Chanyeol to the fields. He spent the afternoon mostly bent over vegetable growth, picking the ripe and ready roots, and then chasing after a few sheep that had escaped their pens.
Taemin loved it. He loved the work and the way that it kept his mind off other things. He also loved the way that Kai had used the shirt to wrap around his head and he watched rivulets of sweat bead and drip down his chest and back.
Baekhyun woke up the next morning, and grumbled about ungrateful princes while Taemin sat by him and helped him eat. And the next day, Baekhyun was deemed well enough to no longer need constant care and Chanyeol helped him up the ladder and into a real bed where he slept for an entire day. Apparently this was another cause for concern for Seulgi, but Taemin stayed firm. Prince or no (he certainly no longer felt like one), Baekhyun needed to sleep in a bed, and Taemin did not mind sleeping on the cot for a few days. Especially with Kai curled up on the small cot with him to keep him warm. And to warm him up. It was a lot easier to kiss and touch and play when they were alone in the kitchen instead of upstairs where the family slept.
They did not have very much privacy and Taemin did not want to risk the family walking in on them if Kai decided to bend him in half again, so after chores, they slipped away, to a nearby stream. The house was still in view, but far enough away that Taemin felt secure enough to strip, fall into the grass, and let Kai touch him. Spit instead of oil, kisses instead of breathing, and tight. Tight again. He figured that made sense since it’d been almost a week since they’d last been together. Since he’d last had someone inside him.
Kai held him close, running his hands through the sweaty strands of hair, pulling at the white stripe that fell over his shoulder.
“I love you,” Taemin said.
It earned him nothing more than a frown.
Taemin smiled. “You don’t need to explain. I only tell you that because I want you to understand that you aren’t going anywhere. No matter what happens, I want you in my life. I want you by my side. I want you ... I want you with me. Will you stay with me?”
Kai swallowed and nodded. “I will stay with you.”
Taemin sat up and hugged him tightly.
“Beautiful prince,” Kai muttered and kissed his shoulder.
Taemin ran his hand down Kai’s back. “Sexy clown.”
Kai muffled his laughter on Taemin’s shoulder, and then curled around him, pushing him to the ground and then hefting him up, and Taemin lifted his hips from the ground, knees pressed into the dirt, and moaned as Kai slipped back into his body.
---
Taemin’s favorite part of sleeping downstairs (besides the nightly blowjobs that tested their ability to be quiet) was the ease of leaving the house in the morning to go and work with Hyungsaeng in the fields without Seulgi giving them a disapproving look. Kai and Taemin went to work with him every morning that they stayed. It was nice to just work, be physical and help out.
Taemin wondered if he could always do this; travel from place to place, town to town, and just help people. That made more sense to him as the prince than staying in a stuffy castle and reading books.
But this also gave Baekhyun a bit of time to flirt with and kiss Chanyeol since they were now sharing a bed. Taemin knew the signs, especially with Chanyeol being a bit jumpy and having red marks on his neck, but he only discovered them by accident one day after he went into the house to get a clean change of clothes. One of the horses had a foal and covered Taemin in blood and other things he did not want to think about. He knew that Seulgi and Yoora were in the gardens, so he stripped by the front door, unwilling to get that mess all over the house, and walked into the house full of the sounds of Baekhyun moaning and gasping, and the bed creaking just enough.
With a smirk, Taemin went up the ladder, pausing with his head above the floor, with just enough of a view to see Baekhyun on his knees, Chanyeol behind him, thrusting hard and fast. They were both sweaty, and Baekhyun had his hand on his own cock, stroking fast. His thighs and back shook in the way that showed that he had already come and he was enjoying the sensations of being fucked through his pleasure. He opened his eyes and it took a few seconds for him to focus on Taemin. He smiled and then moaned.
“Make me come again,” Baekhyun begged. “Please. Please.”
Chanyeol staggered in his thrusts.
Taemin rolled his eyes. He was not going to get dressed unless he interrupted. So he watched. He watched Baekhyun roll to his back, watched Chanyeol bend his knees to his shoulders and then thrust back inside him with a dirty noise. He watched as Baekhyun stroked himself off, his moans echoing through the house.
Hands on his ass had him jerking in surprise, glancing down at Kai below him. He held a finger up to his lips to keep him quiet, and Kai’s smile morphed into a smirk. He gripped Taemin’s ass and spread him open, leaning up to lick at his cleft.
Taemin had to bite his arm against a noise. Fingers soon followed his tongue, and while Baekhyun was crying out Chanyeol’s name, covering his dirty skin in more of his release, Taemin had just about enough. He pushed Kai away, grabbed his hand, and stumbled out of the house, running for their bend in the river.
---
They stayed for almost two weeks before leaving to meet the Caravan. Taemin thanked Seulgi and Hyungsaeng so many times for their hospitality. He planned on sending them something expensive, or just a chest full of money for their help. Something. His father would know what was appropriate. Taemin wanted to bring their entire family into the castle and make them nobles.
Hyungsaeng drove the cart with Chanyeol and Baekhyun in the back. He was still a little weak, but not too much considering his almost nightly activities with Chanyeol. Taemin had a feeling he was acting weaker than he was just to keep Chanyeol near him, doting on him, fetching things for him.
It took almost a week but when they came over a ridge and around a corner, the valley opened around them and the wagons, horses and people of the Caravan came into view.
Taemin fought the urge to cry. He wanted to see both his fathers and mothers and even his annoying sisters so much. But ... would they be angry? Would they even be happy to see him? His father was going to shout. His mother was going to glare at him with the pursed mouth that always made Taemin want to fall to his knees and apologize even if he had no idea what he had done wrong.
“Hey,” Kai said.
Taemin glanced over at him.
He smiled. “It will be okay.”
Taemin shook his head. “You don’t know my mother.”
Members of the Caravan waved and said hello to him when they saw who it was. Taemin returned their greetings, keeping his eyes open for his mother’s white hair.
“She is going to kill you,” Baekhyun said.
Taemin glared at him, and then saw a flash of white out of the corner of his eye. He turned and looked again, and felt his throat close up. He had to swallow and blink back tears before he was able to shout, "Luna!"
His mother turned, eyes going wide and Taemin reined Meadow to a halt. He slid off her side and shouted, "Mother!"
He ran to her, fighting off his tears and cursing his emotions. They hugged tightly, and then she pushed him away and smacked him hard across the face. "How dare you! Worrying us so thoroughly." His mother’s blue eyes sparkled with tears.
And then he noted the elf behind her, his blond hair glowing in the afternoon light. And behind Jaejoong, was his father. He looked amazing, wearing black pants, a light blue tunic. The sunlight sparkled on his crown. A year and half and Taemin felt forty years older, and his father still looked like he was only twenty years old.
Taemin turned away from his mother, ashamed as the king walked up to his son. Taemin fought tears again.
And then to his surprise, his father hugged him, pressed him tight to his shoulder, his body shuddered, his breath harsh on Taemin's head. Taemin cried into his shoulder.
"You mother won the rock-paper-scissors game of who got to smack you."
Taemin sobbed out a laugh.
"You’ve gotten taller. Stronger. You are well, not hurt?"
Taemin shook his head. “I’m okay.”
His father pulled away to look at his face. He cupped Taemin's jaw. "I am incredibly angry with you.”
Taemin nodded. “I am not going to apologize.”
His father nodded. “Neither am I.”
Tears dripped down Taemin's cheek and he smiled.
"You still do not want to be a prince."
"There are worse things."
Changmin's eyes narrowed.
Taemin cleared his throat. "The namsadang must be dissolved, the leaders arrested."
"Their crimes?" Jaejoong asked.
"Kidnaping, extortion, prostitution, treason."
"They kidnapped you?"
"Taeminnie was kidnapped?" one of his sisters said. "Cool!"
"Not cool," Changmin growled and glared at his daughter.
"We will talk about it later," the queen said. "First we are going to ask who this is in the cart and why Baekhyun is injured and a stranger is riding his horse."
“That is Hyungsaeng. His family owns a farm about a five-day’s travel north of here. They helped take care of Baekhyun and gave us a place to rest,” Taemin said. “The tall boy is Chanyeol, his son. And that is Jongin on Baekhyun’s horse. We told them we were beset by bandits.”
“But?” Changmin prompted.
“But I will tell you later?” Taemin tried, wincing.
Changmin opened his mouth. Jaejoong settled a hand on his shoulder, and Changmin looked at him and nodded, and then at Taemin.
“The whole story.”
Taemin swallowed and nodded just once. His father was going to kill him.
“Is Baekhyunnie okay?” Ailee asked.
“He’s fine now,” Taemin said. “He took an arrow to his arm.”
“Your new friend Jongin is gorgeous,” Ana said, and Taemin glared at her. “But you already know that, don’t you, little brother?”
Taemin crossed his arms, and both sisters giggled.
“Enough,” their mother said. “You are too old to be baiting and bickering with each other. We will allow Taemin and his friends to rest in the guest wagon and then tonight, we will have a grand meal to celebrate this impromptu family reunion. Ailee, Ana, go and run and tell the cooks now, and do not dawdle at Kwangmin and Youngmin’s wagon!”
One sister smirked over her shoulder, and Taemin knew they would not see the girls again until dinner. They acted much younger than him instead of older than him, and he scowled. Of course they did. They did not have to grow up in the castle with so much regimented and required activities.
“The Jo Twins?” Changmin asked.
Jinri laughed. “The four are near inseparable.”
“Have they made their intentions known?”
Luna shrugged. “They have not discussed it with me, so I do not think so. But they are attracting the eyes of some very unsavory men when we go into towns, so I think I’m going to start pushing them toward a commitment. The Jo boys are just smitten with them.”
Speaking of smitten, Taemin ignored the rest of their conversation and jogged back the way he came.
Toward Kai.
Part 6: The Truth Trap
Part 4: The Broken Trap
Part 3: The Pleasure Trap
Part 2: The Hidden Trap
Part 1: The Honor Trap
.
Pairing: Kai/Taemin (Exo/SHINee), [Side Pairings: Chanyeol/Baekhyun, Changmin/Jaejoong]
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: These two definitely do not belong to me, but I'm borrowing them for the joys of this story.
Summary: Taemin doesn't want to be a prince, living in the shadow of his perfect father and his father's consort. He wants to be free, no matter the price he has to pay.
A/N: This story takes place about 16 years after Tightly Bound's epilogue. Taemin is 17 years old at the beginning of this story, with Baekhyun at 18 and Kai at 16. Taemin's older sisters are 21 years old.
Warnings: Prostitution
Part 5: The Resting Trap
Taemin woke up to the smell of meat and a fresh wood fire. He unwound his arms and legs from Kai, careful not to wake him. He shifted to the edge of the bed, found a tunic on the floor and pulled it over his head. Yawning, he made his way across the small room and down the wooden ladder to the main room.
“Good morning, your highness,” she said.
“Good morning. I’m ... I’m sorry. I didn’t learn your name yesterday.”
“Oh, it’s okay. Yesterday was a very busy day for you. My name is Seulgi.”
“Seulgi-shi, thank you so much for everything.”
“It is not a problem, your highness.” She smiled widely and motioned to the chair.
Taemin stared at her for a moment and then realized that the woman had put on a nicer dress than the one she wore yesterday, her apron was clean and crisp, her hair was pulled back neatly, and she was even wearing makeup.
All for the prince.
Seulgi was the only one in the house. Morning sunlight pooled through the windows, and Taemin figured that Chanyeol, his sister, and their father were already outside working in the fields.
“I almost have some fresh coffee brewed for you. Nothing like you get in the palace, I’m sure, but it is a special treat out here.”
“Anything will be wonderful,” Taemin said. “Better than what we have now. We had to leave our supplies to the bandits.”
“You poor man,” she said with a smile, and Taemin fought the urge to roll his eyes. The woman was flirting with him even if she was as old as his own mother.
Taemin moved into the kitchen, glancing to the corner, near the fire where Baekhyun lay upon a cot. He was sleeping, chest rising and falling. The white cloth on his arm looked clean, and he had not bled through it. “May I help you with anything?”
“A prince in a kitchen? What madness is this? Just sit.”
Taemin thought of arguing; he’d had to do chores, including cooking, with the namsadang. But he wasn’t there anymore. He sat at the table, accepting a cup of coffee with a sweet dash of cream.
“Your father is such a great king. Your grandfather, too. It was so sudden when he passed on. Very tragic. You probably don’t remember that. I think you were born just before the past king’s heart stopped. But the joy of having another heir. I remember it so well. We took the time to go to the castle to celebrate your birth.”
Taemin stopped listening. He had heard of his grandfather’s death very often. His father had been thrust into being a king. And he’d thrived. His father was a very good king. Taemin knew that. Taemin saw that.
And that was part of the problem. He was not his father. He was not the same. He did not want to be king. He was not going to be a good king. He knew that. And if the people understood or knew that he’d spent the last year whoring himself out, they would not want him to be king either. After hearing the way they talked of his father, Taemin did not want to be king anyway.
“Are you ill, your highness?” she asked, touching his cheek.
Taemin jerked away from her. “F-fine, sorry. Just worried.”
“Your friend will be just fine. And Hyungsaeng is planning on going south to meet the Caravan in a week or so. We have some supplies running low at this time of the year. You can go with him and Chanyeol. Definitely after your friend has rested. Fortunately, he will not lose the arm. The arrow hit deep and he lost a lot of blood, but he’s young and healthy. He should be able to use the arm again in a few weeks.”
That was a relief.
There was movement and a groan, and the woman shuffled over to Baekhyun, yammering away about something. Taemin only listened to her say that he did not have a fever and there were no signs of an infection. Yet. But they would monitor it, and go back to sleep, young one. Rest and heal.
Another noise drew his eyes to the ladder, and Taemin watched Kai make his way down. Their eyes met, and Kai smiled and sat next to him, arm around his waist. Taemin leaned into him with a content sigh.
“Did you sleep well?” Kai whispered.
Taemin shrugged. “Mostly.”
“What do you need from me?” Kai asked.
Taemin smiled, the mug of warm drink to his face. “Just this.”
“I was hoping you’d say to brush your hair. It’s a mess.”
Taemin chuckled. “Yeah, in a moment.”
---
Later on in the day when Taemin asked if he could go with Hyungsaeng to help work the fields, the married couple protested. Taemin argued his way into the work, saying that he wanted to and he was capable and wanted to pay them back for their generosity. Finally, he just walked out the door with Kai, following Chanyeol to the fields. He spent the afternoon mostly bent over vegetable growth, picking the ripe and ready roots, and then chasing after a few sheep that had escaped their pens.
Taemin loved it. He loved the work and the way that it kept his mind off other things. He also loved the way that Kai had used the shirt to wrap around his head and he watched rivulets of sweat bead and drip down his chest and back.
Baekhyun woke up the next morning, and grumbled about ungrateful princes while Taemin sat by him and helped him eat. And the next day, Baekhyun was deemed well enough to no longer need constant care and Chanyeol helped him up the ladder and into a real bed where he slept for an entire day. Apparently this was another cause for concern for Seulgi, but Taemin stayed firm. Prince or no (he certainly no longer felt like one), Baekhyun needed to sleep in a bed, and Taemin did not mind sleeping on the cot for a few days. Especially with Kai curled up on the small cot with him to keep him warm. And to warm him up. It was a lot easier to kiss and touch and play when they were alone in the kitchen instead of upstairs where the family slept.
They did not have very much privacy and Taemin did not want to risk the family walking in on them if Kai decided to bend him in half again, so after chores, they slipped away, to a nearby stream. The house was still in view, but far enough away that Taemin felt secure enough to strip, fall into the grass, and let Kai touch him. Spit instead of oil, kisses instead of breathing, and tight. Tight again. He figured that made sense since it’d been almost a week since they’d last been together. Since he’d last had someone inside him.
Kai held him close, running his hands through the sweaty strands of hair, pulling at the white stripe that fell over his shoulder.
“I love you,” Taemin said.
It earned him nothing more than a frown.
Taemin smiled. “You don’t need to explain. I only tell you that because I want you to understand that you aren’t going anywhere. No matter what happens, I want you in my life. I want you by my side. I want you ... I want you with me. Will you stay with me?”
Kai swallowed and nodded. “I will stay with you.”
Taemin sat up and hugged him tightly.
“Beautiful prince,” Kai muttered and kissed his shoulder.
Taemin ran his hand down Kai’s back. “Sexy clown.”
Kai muffled his laughter on Taemin’s shoulder, and then curled around him, pushing him to the ground and then hefting him up, and Taemin lifted his hips from the ground, knees pressed into the dirt, and moaned as Kai slipped back into his body.
---
Taemin’s favorite part of sleeping downstairs (besides the nightly blowjobs that tested their ability to be quiet) was the ease of leaving the house in the morning to go and work with Hyungsaeng in the fields without Seulgi giving them a disapproving look. Kai and Taemin went to work with him every morning that they stayed. It was nice to just work, be physical and help out.
Taemin wondered if he could always do this; travel from place to place, town to town, and just help people. That made more sense to him as the prince than staying in a stuffy castle and reading books.
But this also gave Baekhyun a bit of time to flirt with and kiss Chanyeol since they were now sharing a bed. Taemin knew the signs, especially with Chanyeol being a bit jumpy and having red marks on his neck, but he only discovered them by accident one day after he went into the house to get a clean change of clothes. One of the horses had a foal and covered Taemin in blood and other things he did not want to think about. He knew that Seulgi and Yoora were in the gardens, so he stripped by the front door, unwilling to get that mess all over the house, and walked into the house full of the sounds of Baekhyun moaning and gasping, and the bed creaking just enough.
With a smirk, Taemin went up the ladder, pausing with his head above the floor, with just enough of a view to see Baekhyun on his knees, Chanyeol behind him, thrusting hard and fast. They were both sweaty, and Baekhyun had his hand on his own cock, stroking fast. His thighs and back shook in the way that showed that he had already come and he was enjoying the sensations of being fucked through his pleasure. He opened his eyes and it took a few seconds for him to focus on Taemin. He smiled and then moaned.
“Make me come again,” Baekhyun begged. “Please. Please.”
Chanyeol staggered in his thrusts.
Taemin rolled his eyes. He was not going to get dressed unless he interrupted. So he watched. He watched Baekhyun roll to his back, watched Chanyeol bend his knees to his shoulders and then thrust back inside him with a dirty noise. He watched as Baekhyun stroked himself off, his moans echoing through the house.
Hands on his ass had him jerking in surprise, glancing down at Kai below him. He held a finger up to his lips to keep him quiet, and Kai’s smile morphed into a smirk. He gripped Taemin’s ass and spread him open, leaning up to lick at his cleft.
Taemin had to bite his arm against a noise. Fingers soon followed his tongue, and while Baekhyun was crying out Chanyeol’s name, covering his dirty skin in more of his release, Taemin had just about enough. He pushed Kai away, grabbed his hand, and stumbled out of the house, running for their bend in the river.
---
They stayed for almost two weeks before leaving to meet the Caravan. Taemin thanked Seulgi and Hyungsaeng so many times for their hospitality. He planned on sending them something expensive, or just a chest full of money for their help. Something. His father would know what was appropriate. Taemin wanted to bring their entire family into the castle and make them nobles.
Hyungsaeng drove the cart with Chanyeol and Baekhyun in the back. He was still a little weak, but not too much considering his almost nightly activities with Chanyeol. Taemin had a feeling he was acting weaker than he was just to keep Chanyeol near him, doting on him, fetching things for him.
It took almost a week but when they came over a ridge and around a corner, the valley opened around them and the wagons, horses and people of the Caravan came into view.
Taemin fought the urge to cry. He wanted to see both his fathers and mothers and even his annoying sisters so much. But ... would they be angry? Would they even be happy to see him? His father was going to shout. His mother was going to glare at him with the pursed mouth that always made Taemin want to fall to his knees and apologize even if he had no idea what he had done wrong.
“Hey,” Kai said.
Taemin glanced over at him.
He smiled. “It will be okay.”
Taemin shook his head. “You don’t know my mother.”
Members of the Caravan waved and said hello to him when they saw who it was. Taemin returned their greetings, keeping his eyes open for his mother’s white hair.
“She is going to kill you,” Baekhyun said.
Taemin glared at him, and then saw a flash of white out of the corner of his eye. He turned and looked again, and felt his throat close up. He had to swallow and blink back tears before he was able to shout, "Luna!"
His mother turned, eyes going wide and Taemin reined Meadow to a halt. He slid off her side and shouted, "Mother!"
He ran to her, fighting off his tears and cursing his emotions. They hugged tightly, and then she pushed him away and smacked him hard across the face. "How dare you! Worrying us so thoroughly." His mother’s blue eyes sparkled with tears.
And then he noted the elf behind her, his blond hair glowing in the afternoon light. And behind Jaejoong, was his father. He looked amazing, wearing black pants, a light blue tunic. The sunlight sparkled on his crown. A year and half and Taemin felt forty years older, and his father still looked like he was only twenty years old.
Taemin turned away from his mother, ashamed as the king walked up to his son. Taemin fought tears again.
And then to his surprise, his father hugged him, pressed him tight to his shoulder, his body shuddered, his breath harsh on Taemin's head. Taemin cried into his shoulder.
"You mother won the rock-paper-scissors game of who got to smack you."
Taemin sobbed out a laugh.
"You’ve gotten taller. Stronger. You are well, not hurt?"
Taemin shook his head. “I’m okay.”
His father pulled away to look at his face. He cupped Taemin's jaw. "I am incredibly angry with you.”
Taemin nodded. “I am not going to apologize.”
His father nodded. “Neither am I.”
Tears dripped down Taemin's cheek and he smiled.
"You still do not want to be a prince."
"There are worse things."
Changmin's eyes narrowed.
Taemin cleared his throat. "The namsadang must be dissolved, the leaders arrested."
"Their crimes?" Jaejoong asked.
"Kidnaping, extortion, prostitution, treason."
"They kidnapped you?"
"Taeminnie was kidnapped?" one of his sisters said. "Cool!"
"Not cool," Changmin growled and glared at his daughter.
"We will talk about it later," the queen said. "First we are going to ask who this is in the cart and why Baekhyun is injured and a stranger is riding his horse."
“That is Hyungsaeng. His family owns a farm about a five-day’s travel north of here. They helped take care of Baekhyun and gave us a place to rest,” Taemin said. “The tall boy is Chanyeol, his son. And that is Jongin on Baekhyun’s horse. We told them we were beset by bandits.”
“But?” Changmin prompted.
“But I will tell you later?” Taemin tried, wincing.
Changmin opened his mouth. Jaejoong settled a hand on his shoulder, and Changmin looked at him and nodded, and then at Taemin.
“The whole story.”
Taemin swallowed and nodded just once. His father was going to kill him.
“Is Baekhyunnie okay?” Ailee asked.
“He’s fine now,” Taemin said. “He took an arrow to his arm.”
“Your new friend Jongin is gorgeous,” Ana said, and Taemin glared at her. “But you already know that, don’t you, little brother?”
Taemin crossed his arms, and both sisters giggled.
“Enough,” their mother said. “You are too old to be baiting and bickering with each other. We will allow Taemin and his friends to rest in the guest wagon and then tonight, we will have a grand meal to celebrate this impromptu family reunion. Ailee, Ana, go and run and tell the cooks now, and do not dawdle at Kwangmin and Youngmin’s wagon!”
One sister smirked over her shoulder, and Taemin knew they would not see the girls again until dinner. They acted much younger than him instead of older than him, and he scowled. Of course they did. They did not have to grow up in the castle with so much regimented and required activities.
“The Jo Twins?” Changmin asked.
Jinri laughed. “The four are near inseparable.”
“Have they made their intentions known?”
Luna shrugged. “They have not discussed it with me, so I do not think so. But they are attracting the eyes of some very unsavory men when we go into towns, so I think I’m going to start pushing them toward a commitment. The Jo boys are just smitten with them.”
Speaking of smitten, Taemin ignored the rest of their conversation and jogged back the way he came.
Toward Kai.
Part 6: The Truth Trap
Part 4: The Broken Trap
Part 3: The Pleasure Trap
Part 2: The Hidden Trap
Part 1: The Honor Trap
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