Crown Thief ch 37
Title: Crown Thief
Fandoms: SS501, Super Junior, JYJ, SNSD, Epik High
Chapter: 37/40
Pairing: HyunJoong/YoungSaeng, RyeoWook/Zhou Mi, HyungJoon/JungMin
Rating: R overall
Warning: AU, violence, angst
Summary: Different lives converge in the city of Highport, where one innocent crime has the potential to destroy a kingdom.
Looking over his shoulder at the new voice, Zhou Mi gasped, covering his mouth with his hands. "...How...?" he whispered, shaking his head.
YoungSaeng looked between the newcomer and Zhou Mi, then to HyunJoong. "Who is that?"
HyunJoong's eyes were wide in shock. "...Our King."
"Zhou Mi," SiWon's dimples showed as he smiled widely, stepping forward and clasping the other man's shoulders. "It's so good to see you again, my friend."
"SiWon..." Zhou Mi was in too much of shock to say anything more than that, his whole body trembling.
"I thought he was dead?" JungMin asked, clearly confused.
"I nearly was," SiWon squeezed Zhou Mi's shoulders lightly before stepping around him to walk to the front of the room. He clasped HyunJoong's shoulder as well, the knight still looking stunned. "I was captured and brought to their capital as a war prisoner. But once I was there the Emperor and I have had a chance to...talk over some things that have puzzled us. It's a bit of a long story, but the first important thing to know is that you're safe here. So you can let go of your sword, HyunJoong, and tell your dark-haired friend the same." He smiled at YoungSaeng.
"You know these people then Si Yuan?" The Emperor asked, snapping his fingers at one of his servants to clear the table. He spoke in that clipped language again and another servant bowed before scurrying from the tent. "A meal is being brought, please sit."
YoungSaeng still wasn't clearly buying it, looking at HyunJoong. "How do we know he isn't still a prisoner?" he whispered.
HyunJoong looked at SiWon, seeing though his face was more drawn than how he remembered, the King was in relatively good spirits. There was determination and iron will shining in his eyes. "He isn't," he murmured to YoungSaeng, letting go of his sword. He'd known SiWon almost all his life, and he would follow the man through a battlefield.
"It's all right, everything will be explained," SiWon nodded to them, sitting down besides the Emperor. "I'm afraid we've all been played the fools. If I can introduce you to Emperor Han Geng," he nodded to the man beside him.
HyungJoon glanced at the others warily, but when he saw HyunJoong making his way to sit down he started to do the same. RyeoWook was attached to Zhou Mi's shirt, a little overwhelmed at what was going on.
"You are welcome to my table," Han Geng said, giving a small nod to everyone. "Please, sit."
Zhou Mi seemed a little anxious, but if HyunJoong trusted what was going on then he would as well. Lightly sitting down, he pulled RyeoWook down next to him. The others found their own places to sit, the small tent feeling crowded.
"I don't understand, isn't he the invading army's leader?" JungMin asked. "Why are we acting like he's a friend?"
"Invading?" Han Geng blinked slightly and shook his head. "Please, sit and listen to the explanation. There is much you don't know."
SiWon looked around the table, gaze settling on both familiar faces and unfamiliar ones. "You can vouch for everyone at this table, HyunJoong?" he asked the knight.
"Yes," HyunJoong nodded.
"Very well. This is what we learned once we had a chance to speak face-to-face." He leaned across the table. "We were both goaded into the war by a third party."
HyunJoong blinked. "The Saryran army was invading our land, beginning with Rosewick."
"They were. But primarily because we were raiding them. Or so they thought." SiWon looked to Han Geng. "I had no knowledge of any raidings on Saryra, and would have never condoned it. And someone was intercepting any attempts at communication, from both sides. None of my father's or my own messages reached the Emperor, and none of his reached me."
"Two guesses who was doing that," JungMin murmured.
"HeeChul had this entire thing well thought out," Zhou Mi said quietly, looking down. "None of us saw it coming."
"What about the slavers?" YoungSaeng said, scowling at Han Geng. "Saryran slavers were the ones working with KangIn to enslave the people in the outer ring."
Han Geng frowned. "This is the first I've heard of that. It was not sanctioned by the empire, I can assure you."
"He must have had help from both side of the border," SiWon leaned back in his seat, considering that.
"What's the possibility he had some deal with people in Saryra to help them gain power across the border?" HyunJoong mused. "A war would weaken both countries."
"It is likely he was dealing with the entire slaver network," Han Geng said, lips thin. "War is profitable for the slave trade."
"Slavery is illegal in Atlya," Zhou Mi said "At least... it was, who knows what laws HeeChul has rewritten by now."
"It's been less than a month," YoungSaeng pointed out. "And it's not like we're going to let him continue are we?"
"No," SiWon shook his head. "That brings me to my next point. Emperor Han Geng and his men are here, not to invade the country, but to assist in bringing HeeChul to the ground. He's a threat to everyone. I was hoping to talk about this more when- ah, there you are."
The tent flap had opened again. "Sorry for the wait your Majesty, your Eminence, scrying isn't an exact science." Daniel stepped into the tent, holding a large scroll in his hands. "I have the layout and guard postings for the inner fortress."
"Daniel?" Zhou Mi blinked at the mage. "How...?"
"Do we need to recount everyone's life story?" JungMin rolled his eyes. "Look, your Eminence, we were on our way to go kill the son of a bitch before your men ambushed us."
The Emperor's attention turned to JungMin, raising an eyebrow at him. "That would have been stupid," he said plainly. "This isn't that YooChun fellow you told me about, Si Yuan?"
SiWon blinked, shaking his head with a chuckle. "No, this is not Lord YooChun. I'm only familiar with Sir HyunJoong, Lord Zhou Mi, and Kim YeSung. The others I'm assuming are from the lower ring of Highport. And if you were heading to Shadowrock, then we have a common destination," he spoke to JungMin. "It's time I take my throne back from that vile man."
"Great, that's all I needed to know," JungMin said with a nod. "What's the plan?"
"We were still working on the details," Han Geng said. "Our scouts have been keeping an eye on the castle, and making sure no one is aware of our presence here."
"Seems difficult to do so, you're not exactly invisible here," Zhou Mi said.
"We are, actually," Han Geng smiled. "My mages have the camp shrouded. No one knows we are here, and any who come close are turned away before they discover us."
"It's a good thing you all were found, we have a better chance of success," Daniel sat down in a seat pulled up for him. "We've got a lot of planning to do, anything you all know that could work in our favor?"
"Nothing you don't probably already know," Zhou Mi said. "I have the layout of the entire castle, since it was my home. That's it."
"We can sit down with plans after...what have I missed?" SiWon asked, gaze concerned as he looked between HyunJoong and Zhou Mi. "Is SooYoung..."
"Holding up," HyunJoong gave him a strained smile. "She will be glad to see you."
"It will be more than just SooYoung that will be glad to see you," Zhou Mi said. "There is something I don't understand, if what you have said is true. Why would HeeChul lock himself and all the nobility away in Shadowrock if there was no invading army?"
"If I had not met and talked with Si Yuan, there would have been war," Han Geng answered. "As I understood it from my General, Si Yuan's squad was attacked by Atlyan soldiers, not Saryran. My General recognized the King's banner and rescued him before he was killed."
HyunJoong's lips thinned. "So all those men were slaughtered by traitors."
SiWon nodded, expression grim. "Another crime HeeChul will answer for before this is over. There will be no mercy for him."
"Before you kill him, he owes me money," YoungSaeng said. "He hired us for a job, then stole our payment and put HyungJoon in jail. I just want my money back."
"This really isn't the time for that," Zhou Mi said, giving YoungSaeng a reproachful look.
"Can I call dibs on killing HeeChul," JungMin raised his hand. "He's costing me a lot of money in having to close the brothel, that and I had to die because of that KangIn asshole."
"If anyone gets to kill HeeChul, it should be me," Zhou Mi said, huffing slightly. "He stole my entire life."
"I think everyone around this table has a reason they want to kill him," SiWon said wryly, shaking his head before turning to Zhou Mi. "I can't reverse what's already been done, Mi, but I can do one thing for you. I can give you your life back, make you a free man again. That's my promise to you."
"Thank you," Zhou Mi said, giving SiWon a small smile. "When this is over, I'll have a lot to think about," he said, looking to RyeoWook beside him.
"For now, let us enjoy a meal and refreshments," Han Geng said, seeing the servants entering with laden trays of food. "Tomorrow, we plan."
"HeeChul is planning on closing the castle in less than three days," JungMin said. "Whatever it is, we have to act quickly."
"Oh don't worry, we'll be ready," Daniel smiled his typical mysterious smile. "We haven't been sitting on our hands this whole time." He leaned back as the servants placed the plates on the table in front of them.
"Royalty, noble folk, mages, thieves and Saryrans all plotting together?" KyuHyun murmured to YeSung. "This is going to be interesting."
"You forgot to add servants," YeSung said, stuffing a spoon full of rice into KyuHyun's mouth.
******************************
The first full day in the Saryran camp was taken up planning out their strategy, using Zhou Mi's knowledge of his home, the information Daniel had scryed, and what JungMin had noticed when he snuck into the fortress to get HyunJoong out. The mood was serious, strategies examined and discarded.
On dawn of the second day, they set out for Shadowrock.
They made good time, arriving at the fortress's outskirts as the sun was setting on the other side of the mountains. There, the army stopped and waited.
"Don't forget the signal," Daniel passed KyuHyun a highly flammable package, the magician tucking it under his cloak. "We'll be watching." HyunJoong pulled the hood on his cloak up, climbing onto his horse's back with YoungSaeng's assistance. Han Geng had lent him one of the Saryran's warhorses, the animal snorting and shaking it's head at it's new rider.
"Too bad there wasn't enough time to get some ladies dresses," JungMin said with a sigh.
"... I don't even want to know," YoungSaeng sighed, nudging his horse forward.
"I already told you, one of the guards knows me," JungMin rolled his eyes. "I told him I was bringing back a man's family. He's expecting a wife and daughters, not thieves and idiots."
"Dresses would have been too cumbersome to move in," HyunJoong snorted, bringing his horse alongside YoungSaeng's. "We just have to get far enough in to take care of the bridge. Stay in the middle of the group with me, they'll recognize either of us if they look too close."
"Yeah, we can do the talking. Come on Kyu," HyungJoon looked back at KyuHyun; he was riding in with the magician since they didn't really need KyuHyun's non-luck with horses to kick in right then.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." KyuHyun awkwardly climbed up behind HyungJoon.
"Why would it matter if they recognized me? I can outtalk any of you any day," JungMin huffed, though he followed behind HyunJoong.
"Who's the idiot now," YoungSaeng said, glancing back at him. "If any of the guards recognized you from when you left, then there is the possibility they'll know you left the same day a prisoner escaped."
"And what if someone recognizes HyungJoon?" JungMin pointed out. "He was in prison once too."
"That was months ago, and with the amount of thieves who've been put in prison I don't think they'd give me the time of day," HyungJoon wrinkled his nose. "And if not, we can bribe them."
"I probably shouldn't be glad my guards can be so easily bought," SiWon chuckled from back in the group remaining behind. "Good luck."
"Anyone can be bought, my lord!" JungMin called, waving over his head.
"The fate of your country is in the hands of thieves, a prostitute, and a disgraced Knight," Han Geng said, looking to SiWon. "What interesting times we live in."
SiWon just smiled, shaking his head. "Those who are willing to stand up for what they believe in aren't always the ones you expect."
RyeoWook watched them go from beside Zhou Mi, holding onto the noble's hand tightly. "You ready for this?" he asked quietly, looking up at the man.
"More than ever," Zhou Mi nodded. "I want my life back, and even if that means doing things I never thought I would to do it. I'm not scared anymore RyeoWook."
The healer smiled widely. "You can do this," he said, looking back towards the group heading away from them.
As they approached the bridge, HyungJoon did a quick check to make sure JungMin and HyunJoong were at the center of the group with their hoods up. "Min, you're too far forward," he whispered loudly.
"Tell that to my horse, I think he's getting frisky," JungMin hissed, reigning his horse in a little.
"Would you two be quiet," YoungSaeng snapped at them from behind. "Heads down, mouths closed."
HyungJoon shut up, heart racing as they finally reached the edge of the bridge and started to cross. The guards were waiting up ahead at the gates, HyungJoon leading the group as they made their way across. HyunJoong kept his head down and back slightly hunched, playing the part of the old man again now that the fading sun helped conceal their appearances.
"Halt," one of the guards up ahead held up his hand. "What's your business here?"
"Shelter," HyungJoon said, lifting his head to look up at the guard who'd spoken. "We're from Prybush, heard it was safe here."
"Prybush you say?" the guard squinted at HyungJoon. "Long ways from home. Surprised you didn't get caught up by the army, you see any of 'em?"
"No sir," HyungJoon shook his head. He thanked the gods his lying skills had gotten better after dealing with KangIn for so long. "Went around the edge of the coast, didn't go too far inland. Took longer, but safer."
"Aye, probably for the best," the guard nodded, glancing over the others. He seemed to take note of HyunJoong, peering up at him. After a long tense moment the guard finally nodded and stepped out of the way. "Alright, on your way. Someone inside can get you set up with a spot to sleep."
"Thank you sir," HyungJoon nodded, clicking to his horse. They continued on through the gates into the fortress, no one daring to so much as breathe a sigh of relief. That wasn't the hardest part of what they had to do, that was coming up next. The group made their way to just out of sight of the guards at the gate before looping back around, heading for the gatehouse.
Hopping off his horse, YoungSaeng handed the reigns to HyunJoong. "I'll be right back, be ready with that signal KyuHyun," he said, looking around first before he disappeared into the shadows.
"I'll be inside," JungMin nodded, turning his horse around and heading for the main doors of the castle.
"Time to get moving," KyuHyun grinned, sliding off the horse and heading away from the group, humming to himself. HyungJoon glanced at HyunJoong nervously, the knight motioning at him to make himself busy. The thief fumbled with his pack, pretending to look for something inside. KyuHyun got back first five minutes later, leaning up against the wall next to them.
Anyone in the courtyard could hear the noise coming from the guardhouse, the sound of squealing metal on metal. The guards that were just coming on duty looked confused, rushing around to find the source of the noise. Seconds later, YoungSaeng reappeared in their midst, panting slightly and face smudged with oil. "Done," he grinned up at HyunJoong.
HyunJoong grinned back. "Good work." He nodded to KyuHyun, who lifted his arms jerkily.
BOOM!
Fandoms: SS501, Super Junior, JYJ, SNSD, Epik High
Chapter: 37/40
Pairing: HyunJoong/YoungSaeng, RyeoWook/Zhou Mi, HyungJoon/JungMin
Rating: R overall
Warning: AU, violence, angst
Summary: Different lives converge in the city of Highport, where one innocent crime has the potential to destroy a kingdom.
Looking over his shoulder at the new voice, Zhou Mi gasped, covering his mouth with his hands. "...How...?" he whispered, shaking his head.
YoungSaeng looked between the newcomer and Zhou Mi, then to HyunJoong. "Who is that?"
HyunJoong's eyes were wide in shock. "...Our King."
"Zhou Mi," SiWon's dimples showed as he smiled widely, stepping forward and clasping the other man's shoulders. "It's so good to see you again, my friend."
"SiWon..." Zhou Mi was in too much of shock to say anything more than that, his whole body trembling.
"I thought he was dead?" JungMin asked, clearly confused.
"I nearly was," SiWon squeezed Zhou Mi's shoulders lightly before stepping around him to walk to the front of the room. He clasped HyunJoong's shoulder as well, the knight still looking stunned. "I was captured and brought to their capital as a war prisoner. But once I was there the Emperor and I have had a chance to...talk over some things that have puzzled us. It's a bit of a long story, but the first important thing to know is that you're safe here. So you can let go of your sword, HyunJoong, and tell your dark-haired friend the same." He smiled at YoungSaeng.
"You know these people then Si Yuan?" The Emperor asked, snapping his fingers at one of his servants to clear the table. He spoke in that clipped language again and another servant bowed before scurrying from the tent. "A meal is being brought, please sit."
YoungSaeng still wasn't clearly buying it, looking at HyunJoong. "How do we know he isn't still a prisoner?" he whispered.
HyunJoong looked at SiWon, seeing though his face was more drawn than how he remembered, the King was in relatively good spirits. There was determination and iron will shining in his eyes. "He isn't," he murmured to YoungSaeng, letting go of his sword. He'd known SiWon almost all his life, and he would follow the man through a battlefield.
"It's all right, everything will be explained," SiWon nodded to them, sitting down besides the Emperor. "I'm afraid we've all been played the fools. If I can introduce you to Emperor Han Geng," he nodded to the man beside him.
HyungJoon glanced at the others warily, but when he saw HyunJoong making his way to sit down he started to do the same. RyeoWook was attached to Zhou Mi's shirt, a little overwhelmed at what was going on.
"You are welcome to my table," Han Geng said, giving a small nod to everyone. "Please, sit."
Zhou Mi seemed a little anxious, but if HyunJoong trusted what was going on then he would as well. Lightly sitting down, he pulled RyeoWook down next to him. The others found their own places to sit, the small tent feeling crowded.
"I don't understand, isn't he the invading army's leader?" JungMin asked. "Why are we acting like he's a friend?"
"Invading?" Han Geng blinked slightly and shook his head. "Please, sit and listen to the explanation. There is much you don't know."
SiWon looked around the table, gaze settling on both familiar faces and unfamiliar ones. "You can vouch for everyone at this table, HyunJoong?" he asked the knight.
"Yes," HyunJoong nodded.
"Very well. This is what we learned once we had a chance to speak face-to-face." He leaned across the table. "We were both goaded into the war by a third party."
HyunJoong blinked. "The Saryran army was invading our land, beginning with Rosewick."
"They were. But primarily because we were raiding them. Or so they thought." SiWon looked to Han Geng. "I had no knowledge of any raidings on Saryra, and would have never condoned it. And someone was intercepting any attempts at communication, from both sides. None of my father's or my own messages reached the Emperor, and none of his reached me."
"Two guesses who was doing that," JungMin murmured.
"HeeChul had this entire thing well thought out," Zhou Mi said quietly, looking down. "None of us saw it coming."
"What about the slavers?" YoungSaeng said, scowling at Han Geng. "Saryran slavers were the ones working with KangIn to enslave the people in the outer ring."
Han Geng frowned. "This is the first I've heard of that. It was not sanctioned by the empire, I can assure you."
"He must have had help from both side of the border," SiWon leaned back in his seat, considering that.
"What's the possibility he had some deal with people in Saryra to help them gain power across the border?" HyunJoong mused. "A war would weaken both countries."
"It is likely he was dealing with the entire slaver network," Han Geng said, lips thin. "War is profitable for the slave trade."
"Slavery is illegal in Atlya," Zhou Mi said "At least... it was, who knows what laws HeeChul has rewritten by now."
"It's been less than a month," YoungSaeng pointed out. "And it's not like we're going to let him continue are we?"
"No," SiWon shook his head. "That brings me to my next point. Emperor Han Geng and his men are here, not to invade the country, but to assist in bringing HeeChul to the ground. He's a threat to everyone. I was hoping to talk about this more when- ah, there you are."
The tent flap had opened again. "Sorry for the wait your Majesty, your Eminence, scrying isn't an exact science." Daniel stepped into the tent, holding a large scroll in his hands. "I have the layout and guard postings for the inner fortress."
"Daniel?" Zhou Mi blinked at the mage. "How...?"
"Do we need to recount everyone's life story?" JungMin rolled his eyes. "Look, your Eminence, we were on our way to go kill the son of a bitch before your men ambushed us."
The Emperor's attention turned to JungMin, raising an eyebrow at him. "That would have been stupid," he said plainly. "This isn't that YooChun fellow you told me about, Si Yuan?"
SiWon blinked, shaking his head with a chuckle. "No, this is not Lord YooChun. I'm only familiar with Sir HyunJoong, Lord Zhou Mi, and Kim YeSung. The others I'm assuming are from the lower ring of Highport. And if you were heading to Shadowrock, then we have a common destination," he spoke to JungMin. "It's time I take my throne back from that vile man."
"Great, that's all I needed to know," JungMin said with a nod. "What's the plan?"
"We were still working on the details," Han Geng said. "Our scouts have been keeping an eye on the castle, and making sure no one is aware of our presence here."
"Seems difficult to do so, you're not exactly invisible here," Zhou Mi said.
"We are, actually," Han Geng smiled. "My mages have the camp shrouded. No one knows we are here, and any who come close are turned away before they discover us."
"It's a good thing you all were found, we have a better chance of success," Daniel sat down in a seat pulled up for him. "We've got a lot of planning to do, anything you all know that could work in our favor?"
"Nothing you don't probably already know," Zhou Mi said. "I have the layout of the entire castle, since it was my home. That's it."
"We can sit down with plans after...what have I missed?" SiWon asked, gaze concerned as he looked between HyunJoong and Zhou Mi. "Is SooYoung..."
"Holding up," HyunJoong gave him a strained smile. "She will be glad to see you."
"It will be more than just SooYoung that will be glad to see you," Zhou Mi said. "There is something I don't understand, if what you have said is true. Why would HeeChul lock himself and all the nobility away in Shadowrock if there was no invading army?"
"If I had not met and talked with Si Yuan, there would have been war," Han Geng answered. "As I understood it from my General, Si Yuan's squad was attacked by Atlyan soldiers, not Saryran. My General recognized the King's banner and rescued him before he was killed."
HyunJoong's lips thinned. "So all those men were slaughtered by traitors."
SiWon nodded, expression grim. "Another crime HeeChul will answer for before this is over. There will be no mercy for him."
"Before you kill him, he owes me money," YoungSaeng said. "He hired us for a job, then stole our payment and put HyungJoon in jail. I just want my money back."
"This really isn't the time for that," Zhou Mi said, giving YoungSaeng a reproachful look.
"Can I call dibs on killing HeeChul," JungMin raised his hand. "He's costing me a lot of money in having to close the brothel, that and I had to die because of that KangIn asshole."
"If anyone gets to kill HeeChul, it should be me," Zhou Mi said, huffing slightly. "He stole my entire life."
"I think everyone around this table has a reason they want to kill him," SiWon said wryly, shaking his head before turning to Zhou Mi. "I can't reverse what's already been done, Mi, but I can do one thing for you. I can give you your life back, make you a free man again. That's my promise to you."
"Thank you," Zhou Mi said, giving SiWon a small smile. "When this is over, I'll have a lot to think about," he said, looking to RyeoWook beside him.
"For now, let us enjoy a meal and refreshments," Han Geng said, seeing the servants entering with laden trays of food. "Tomorrow, we plan."
"HeeChul is planning on closing the castle in less than three days," JungMin said. "Whatever it is, we have to act quickly."
"Oh don't worry, we'll be ready," Daniel smiled his typical mysterious smile. "We haven't been sitting on our hands this whole time." He leaned back as the servants placed the plates on the table in front of them.
"Royalty, noble folk, mages, thieves and Saryrans all plotting together?" KyuHyun murmured to YeSung. "This is going to be interesting."
"You forgot to add servants," YeSung said, stuffing a spoon full of rice into KyuHyun's mouth.
******************************
The first full day in the Saryran camp was taken up planning out their strategy, using Zhou Mi's knowledge of his home, the information Daniel had scryed, and what JungMin had noticed when he snuck into the fortress to get HyunJoong out. The mood was serious, strategies examined and discarded.
On dawn of the second day, they set out for Shadowrock.
They made good time, arriving at the fortress's outskirts as the sun was setting on the other side of the mountains. There, the army stopped and waited.
"Don't forget the signal," Daniel passed KyuHyun a highly flammable package, the magician tucking it under his cloak. "We'll be watching." HyunJoong pulled the hood on his cloak up, climbing onto his horse's back with YoungSaeng's assistance. Han Geng had lent him one of the Saryran's warhorses, the animal snorting and shaking it's head at it's new rider.
"Too bad there wasn't enough time to get some ladies dresses," JungMin said with a sigh.
"... I don't even want to know," YoungSaeng sighed, nudging his horse forward.
"I already told you, one of the guards knows me," JungMin rolled his eyes. "I told him I was bringing back a man's family. He's expecting a wife and daughters, not thieves and idiots."
"Dresses would have been too cumbersome to move in," HyunJoong snorted, bringing his horse alongside YoungSaeng's. "We just have to get far enough in to take care of the bridge. Stay in the middle of the group with me, they'll recognize either of us if they look too close."
"Yeah, we can do the talking. Come on Kyu," HyungJoon looked back at KyuHyun; he was riding in with the magician since they didn't really need KyuHyun's non-luck with horses to kick in right then.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." KyuHyun awkwardly climbed up behind HyungJoon.
"Why would it matter if they recognized me? I can outtalk any of you any day," JungMin huffed, though he followed behind HyunJoong.
"Who's the idiot now," YoungSaeng said, glancing back at him. "If any of the guards recognized you from when you left, then there is the possibility they'll know you left the same day a prisoner escaped."
"And what if someone recognizes HyungJoon?" JungMin pointed out. "He was in prison once too."
"That was months ago, and with the amount of thieves who've been put in prison I don't think they'd give me the time of day," HyungJoon wrinkled his nose. "And if not, we can bribe them."
"I probably shouldn't be glad my guards can be so easily bought," SiWon chuckled from back in the group remaining behind. "Good luck."
"Anyone can be bought, my lord!" JungMin called, waving over his head.
"The fate of your country is in the hands of thieves, a prostitute, and a disgraced Knight," Han Geng said, looking to SiWon. "What interesting times we live in."
SiWon just smiled, shaking his head. "Those who are willing to stand up for what they believe in aren't always the ones you expect."
RyeoWook watched them go from beside Zhou Mi, holding onto the noble's hand tightly. "You ready for this?" he asked quietly, looking up at the man.
"More than ever," Zhou Mi nodded. "I want my life back, and even if that means doing things I never thought I would to do it. I'm not scared anymore RyeoWook."
The healer smiled widely. "You can do this," he said, looking back towards the group heading away from them.
As they approached the bridge, HyungJoon did a quick check to make sure JungMin and HyunJoong were at the center of the group with their hoods up. "Min, you're too far forward," he whispered loudly.
"Tell that to my horse, I think he's getting frisky," JungMin hissed, reigning his horse in a little.
"Would you two be quiet," YoungSaeng snapped at them from behind. "Heads down, mouths closed."
HyungJoon shut up, heart racing as they finally reached the edge of the bridge and started to cross. The guards were waiting up ahead at the gates, HyungJoon leading the group as they made their way across. HyunJoong kept his head down and back slightly hunched, playing the part of the old man again now that the fading sun helped conceal their appearances.
"Halt," one of the guards up ahead held up his hand. "What's your business here?"
"Shelter," HyungJoon said, lifting his head to look up at the guard who'd spoken. "We're from Prybush, heard it was safe here."
"Prybush you say?" the guard squinted at HyungJoon. "Long ways from home. Surprised you didn't get caught up by the army, you see any of 'em?"
"No sir," HyungJoon shook his head. He thanked the gods his lying skills had gotten better after dealing with KangIn for so long. "Went around the edge of the coast, didn't go too far inland. Took longer, but safer."
"Aye, probably for the best," the guard nodded, glancing over the others. He seemed to take note of HyunJoong, peering up at him. After a long tense moment the guard finally nodded and stepped out of the way. "Alright, on your way. Someone inside can get you set up with a spot to sleep."
"Thank you sir," HyungJoon nodded, clicking to his horse. They continued on through the gates into the fortress, no one daring to so much as breathe a sigh of relief. That wasn't the hardest part of what they had to do, that was coming up next. The group made their way to just out of sight of the guards at the gate before looping back around, heading for the gatehouse.
Hopping off his horse, YoungSaeng handed the reigns to HyunJoong. "I'll be right back, be ready with that signal KyuHyun," he said, looking around first before he disappeared into the shadows.
"I'll be inside," JungMin nodded, turning his horse around and heading for the main doors of the castle.
"Time to get moving," KyuHyun grinned, sliding off the horse and heading away from the group, humming to himself. HyungJoon glanced at HyunJoong nervously, the knight motioning at him to make himself busy. The thief fumbled with his pack, pretending to look for something inside. KyuHyun got back first five minutes later, leaning up against the wall next to them.
Anyone in the courtyard could hear the noise coming from the guardhouse, the sound of squealing metal on metal. The guards that were just coming on duty looked confused, rushing around to find the source of the noise. Seconds later, YoungSaeng reappeared in their midst, panting slightly and face smudged with oil. "Done," he grinned up at HyunJoong.
HyunJoong grinned back. "Good work." He nodded to KyuHyun, who lifted his arms jerkily.
BOOM!