FIC FOR JUNIORITY
For: juniority
From: krysyuy
Title: The Bodyguard
Pairings/Characters: Jin/Junno, Nakamaru
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None really. Some language?
Notes: To juniority - I was excited to get your prompt and I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this. It was so much fun to play in this AU setting. ;) Thanks to my lovely beta, as always. ♥
Summary: AU. Prince Jin resents that his family sent a "babysitter" to escort him home. Never mind the fact that he keeps saving his life.
Nakamaru closed the door of the carriage behind yet another of the prince’s… conquests. He sighed and made his way back inside the massive townhouse, stopping by the kitchen to pick up the prince’s customary glass of brandy. Placing the glass on a silver tray, he carried it up two flights of stairs and knocked on the oak door at the end of the hallway.
The answering grunt was half-hearted but Nakamaru heard it anyway. He entered and set the tray down on the bedside table. The form on the bed was sprawled face down with apparently no qualms about being completely nude.
Nakamaru dutifully averted his eyes and cleared his throat. No movement. He cleared his throat twice this time. Loudly.
The prince held out his palm and Nakamaru handed over the glass. As the prince drank, Nakamaru said, “Another message arrived from the capital, your highness. This time from your brother.”
“Throw it away.”
Normally, the butler knew better than to ruin the prince’s lethargic mood, but this was a matter more important than fresh debutantes or experienced widows. “This is the fifth missive, only counting this month. They’re urging you to return. Your highness, I believe it’s in your best interest-”
The prince dropped his glass back on the tray with a loud clang. “Good night, Nakamaru. And make all the usual arrangements for tomorrow.”
“… Yes, your highness.” The butler stepped back and bowed before leaving the room. Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered.
-
Nakamaru certainly knows how to ruin a good mood.
Jin let a brief frown cross his face as he thought of his butler’s insistence. After bothering him about the missive the night before, Nakamaru had brought up the subject again that morning. Nakamaru never was comfortable ignoring messages from the royal family, but Jin had no such qualms. There was a reason he had crossed borders into another kingdom.
“Your highness?”
A soft, feminine voice pulled Jin from his thoughts, and he immediately smiled at the beauty standing in front of him. She was dressed in an emerald green gown with matching gems adorning her ears and neck.
He reached for her gloved hand and kissed the back of it, smiling up at her. “Call me Jin,” he said. He hated formalities.
She blushed and murmured the usual ‘Oh, I could never do that’, while lightly slapping his arm with her fan. Jin knew the steps of this dance very well. He complimented her on her dress and asked if she wanted to take a turn on the ballroom floor. She accepted, though not too fast as to appear eager, and they flirted throughout the rest of the dance.
The lady was beautiful, her demeanor forward once she realized how receptive he was to her. While being forward was unfashionable in most circles, Jin found it refreshing. He led Bethany - that was her name, he discovered - out to the garden. When they found a secluded spot amidst the trees, he leaned in close and whispered the usual compliments in her ear. She giggled in response and when she lifted her face to his, he knew he had her.
He stroked a lock of her blond hair and captured her lips, slowly losing himself to pleasure. He was so engrossed in her that the sounds of rapidly approaching footsteps didn’t register. But he did notice when his head exploded with pain as he was struck from behind.
He collapsed against Bethany and her subsequent screaming only made the agony worse. He pushed away from her, clutching the back of his head. There were sounds of a scuffle and muffled curses behind him. Jin whirled around but his dizziness and the dim light of the garden had him only seeing two struggling black shapes.
Finally, one of the dark figures overpowered the other. Somewhere behind him, Bethany was still screaming and Jin was glad for the silence when he passed out.
-
When Jin woke up, the first thing that registered was the ground shaking beneath him even though it felt quite comfortable. It took him another moment to realize that he was lying on cushioned velvet, and then one more for the throbbing in his head to come back full force.
“Fuck,” he groaned, touching the back of his head, only to feel bandages.
“I didn’t know princes cursed.”
Jin was proud of himself for not jumping out of his skin. Instead, he sat up and glared at the other occupant of the moving carriage. He couldn’t make out his face in the darkness, though the shock of short blond hair would be visible in any circumstance.
“Who the hell are you?” Jin demanded. Even in the dim light, he recognized the uniform worn by the servants at the party he had been attending. Then he remembered that someone had struck him, and an unhealthy dose of anger overtook him. “Are you some kind of idiot?”
“Just the idiot who saved you.”
Jin didn’t know how he knew, but he could tell the stranger was smiling. “Why should I believe you? You’re kidnapping me!” he exclaimed.
“I’m taking you home, your highness, so you can have the night to recover,” the stranger replied. He seemed amused and that irritated Jin beyond belief.
The carriage stopped at that precise moment and the prince looked out the window to see his townhouse, select rooms lit up from the inside. When he glanced back at the stranger, the lights from the house entryway illuminated the carriage and his kidnapper - savior? - was in full view.
Jin’s first impression was that he was dimwitted, what with his closed eyes and wide smile. His shade of blond was nearly white and his hair was spiked as if he had been electrocuted. This was no savior, but now Jin had a hard time believing he was a kidnapper too.
Jin scoffed and shook his head, immediately stopping when that worsened his headache. He exited the carriage just as Nakamaru emerged from the townhouse, looking anxious.
Jin raised his hand in a bid for him to keep silent and jerked his thumb at the stranger. “Get him out of my sight,” he said.
Nakamaru looked at him, then behind him, hesitating.
Jin brushed past him, assuming his order would be carried out even if Nakamaru was taking his sweet time.
“Y-your highness -”
“What?” Jin turned around at the entrance to see Nakamaru looking even more torn than usual. The blond stranger was still smiling like a fool in the background.
Nakamaru seemed to gather his courage and said, “This man is here for you. Your brother sent him.”
“Why?”
“He’s here to escort you home,” his butler replied. Nakamaru held out yet another message and Jin recognized the tidy scrawl on the envelope. “You’re in danger, your highness.”
Jin narrowed his eyes. “So he’s my babysitter?”
The man stepped forward, the change overcoming his face startling in its seriousness. “I’m your bodyguard.”
-
Apparently, there were people after him because someone out there had a vendetta against his family. His family’s attempts to contact him were in an effort to see him back home safely without unnecessarily worrying him. That had to be the work of his mother. His brother, if he had been allowed to, would have said in no uncertain terms what the threats and risks were. He didn’t believe in sugarcoating anything.
The attempt made on his life the night before was the only reason he was reluctantly agreeing to return home for the time being. Though he hated putting his life in the hands of someone who looked better suited for a traveling circus. He also somewhat blamed him for putting an end to what had been a promising night.
Taguchi, as the clown so happened to be called, wanted him to travel in the guise of a townsperson so as to not draw any unwanted attention. Jin refused. If he had to go home, he would be doing it with his usual comforts. Nakamaru was coming along on the trip to attend him, plus his butler would prove far more entertaining to talk to than someone with a penchant for puns.
It would take a few days to reach the border between kingdoms and Jin was determined to ignore his so-called bodyguard for the entire duration, no matter what happened.
-
It turned out that Taguchi preferred to sit outside with the driver in order to have a better vantage point in case they were attacked on the road. Jin thought he was paranoid, but since Taguchi’s decision actually worked in his favor, he kept quiet.
After about half a day’s trip, right when Jin was about to nod off and take an afternoon nap, Taguchi scared him witless when his head appeared out of nowhere in the window while the carriage was still moving.
Nakamaru, however, spoke up first. “Are you insane?!” he squeaked.
Taguchi smiled that dimwitted smile as if he wasn’t hanging off the side of a moving carriage. “I just wanted to hang out for a while,” he said.
“I was right,” Jin said, staring at him. He was unable to let that response go unanswered. “You are an idiot.”
Words bounced right off him. Taguchi’s smile never wavered. “The next post is coming up and we’ll need to change horses. I was wondering if you’d like to take the chance to eat something,” he said.
“Do we really have to discuss this now?” Jin asked. Taguchi’s foolishness was his own, but Jin had a problem with it being so blatantly on display.
The ever-present amusement on Taguchi’s face suddenly went ice cold, and in the back of his head, Jin thought his mood swings were something he’d never get used to. Then the entire carriage shook from the force of a sharp jolt just as Taguchi’s head disappeared from the window. The driver yelled, cracking the reins, and their speed picked up enormously.
Nakamaru froze, but Jin looked out the other window to find four riders just behind them, cloaked all in black and their faces hidden behind domino masks. The lead rider drew out a gun from somewhere and Jin stuck his head back inside.
“Get down!” He grabbed Nakamaru and pushed him down to the carriage floor.
Several gunshots rang through the air and Jin flinched as he heard them connect with the wooden barrier he had previously been sitting in front of. Footsteps thudded above him and he knew Taguchi was up to something. There were cracks of returning gunshots - four in all - and then utter silence except for the galloping horses and the thumping of his own heartbeat.
A half hour must have passed before the carriage finally slowed down off the side of the main road. The door was yanked open and Jin blinked up at Taguchi from where he and Nakamaru were still sprawled on the floor.
Taguchi’s face was all business as he assessed him before he asked, “Are you all right?”
“We’re fine.” Jin ignored Taguchi’s outstretched hand and pulled himself and then Nakamaru off the floor.
His butler came out of his shock. “How did they know?” he said, voice shaking a little.
“I don’t know, but it’s clear this route isn’t safe anymore,” Taguchi said, taking down his pack from the front seat. “We’re going to have to take the horses and then travel on foot.”
“You’re not serious,” Jin said.
Taguchi merely stared back at him. “I’m serious about your life.”
Something about the way Taguchi said it, as if he regarded Jin’s life as part of his own existence, made Jin pause. “What happened to those men?” he asked.
Taguchi’s answer was precise and devoid of all expression. “I killed them,” he said.
Jin remembered that he had heard precisely four shots, which meant Taguchi had taken down each rider with deadly aim on top of a moving carriage. Jin looked at his bodyguard through new eyes, with the unsettling realization that perhaps there was more to him than met the eye.
-
Their small group parted ways with the driver and the carriage, but claimed three out of the four horses. They traveled for about a mile on the main road again before Taguchi led them down a dirt path out of the way and closer to the forest. It took another hour before Jin noticed Taguchi clutching his side every so often. He urged his horse forward until he was side by side with Taguchi.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked point-blank.
Taguchi laughed. “You’ll be surprised at how many people ask me that,” he replied.
“I doubt it,” Jin muttered under his breath. He eyed Taguchi’s left side. “Were you hit?”
Taguchi shrugged, but because Jin was looking for it, he saw him wince. “It’s only a graze,” he said. “I’ve had worse.”
“You didn’t even bandage it,” Jin replied. He knew Taguchi hadn’t simply because his bodyguard had given up no time for himself, instead arranging the packs on the horses for Jin and Nakamaru before riding ahead. “We’re taking a break. Come on.”
Jin led his horse under the shade of some trees and dismounted, tethering the reins to a sturdy branch. Taguchi and Nakamaru followed his example as Jin rummaged in one of the packs for bandages and cloth. Taguchi sat on the ground and leaned back against the trunk of the tree, holding his side.
“Nakamaru, some water,” Jin said as he crouched down next to his bodyguard. With Taguchi’s cloak out of the way, Jin could see the red soaking his white shirt. “Lift up your shirt.”
“What? No compliments about my hair? My style?” Taguchi asked, grinning. “I feel cheated.”
Jin yanked up his shirt and winced at the sight of the bullet graze. It wasn’t life threatening, but it probably hurt like a bitch. It was also freely bleeding which made Jin want to whack Taguchi on the head. So he did.
“Ow! What was that for?” Taguchi asked, rubbing his scalp.
“Are you looking to lose consciousness? This needed to be cleaned and dressed properly,” Jin replied.
“I didn’t realize you were a doctor too, your highness.”
Jin was sure Taguchi was mocking him, but when he looked up, Taguchi seemed merely curious. “I’ve gotten into a few scrapes,” he replied. “Get into enough of them and you learn how to take care of yourself.”
“Especially when most of them are duels at dawn,” his butler muttered behind them.
Taguchi bit back a snort, while Jin’s head snapped around to glare at his servant. “What was that, Nakamaru?” he asked.
Nakamaru pasted an accommodating smile on his face and held out a canteen of water with both hands. “Water, your highness,” he said with a bow.
Jin took the canteen and wet the cloth, turning back around to clean the wound. As he cleared the blood, he noticed all the other scars scattered along Taguchi’s chest and torso. His fingers involuntarily reached out to trace one particularly nasty looking one, but he came back to himself when Taguchi drew in a sharp breath.
What the hell am I doing?
Jin busied himself with wrapping the wound and making sure the bandages were secure before he attempted to look Taguchi in the eyes again. His usual smile was there, but there was something lurking in his brown gaze, a sort of awareness that wasn’t there before.
Something inside Jin stirred in response and he stood quickly. “Will we make camp here?” he asked abruptly. “I’m assuming we won’t be staying at an inn.”
Taguchi got up much more gracefully, long limbs and all. “We’re not far from a safe haven,” he said, not minding the change in subject. “That is, if they haven’t moved on yet.”
“They?”
-
‘They’ turned out to be a band of traveling gypsies. Various tents and caravans were arranged in a large circle as if to keep out any unwanted intruders. Splashes of color were everywhere, haphazard and random, lacking any sense of stylish organization that would be normally expected in Jin’s circle of society. Delicious spiced scents drifted through the air as people cooked over small fires. Children darted in and out between all the adults bustling around them. The chaos was accompanied by lively music of a small band practicing in one corner.
Jin loved it.
He tried to take in everything at once, fascinated by all the things that were so completely foreign to his normal world.
“Don’t wander off now,” Taguchi said, as if talking to a small child.
Jin glared at him and resisted the urge to kick him in the shin. Before he could deliver a loud retort, someone exclaimed, “Taguchi! Is that you?”
A man with wavy black hair and glasses exited one of the caravans and greeted them. He had pants and a vest but no shirt, so the jester mask tattoo on the left side of his chest was clearly visible.
“What are you doing here, you bastard?” His welcoming grin took out any bite the statement might have had.
“My group and I need to recuperate for a bit, only a few days at most,” Taguchi said. “I hope that’s all right.”
“Of course it is! You know you’re welcome here any time -” The gypsy smirked. “- just not all the time.”
Taguchi laughed. “Yeah, because if I spent all my time here, you wouldn’t want me to leave,” he said. “Right, Koki?”
“I’ll have the boys turn your horses right back around,” his friend replied. Without waiting for a reply, he turned towards Jin and Nakamaru. “So who’re the suckers you have with you this time?”
“Suckers?” Nakamaru asked, offended.
Taguchi spoke quickly before Jin could give them away. “I’m escorting them back home. You know how you can never be too careful traveling the roads nowadays.” He gestured to Jin. “This is…” He hesitated, unsure if he should address the prince by name.
Jin held out his hand. “I’m Jin,” he said.
“Aren’t you fancy,” Koki said with a raised eyebrow. He assessed Jin up and down, taking note of the difference in quality between their clothes. “A nobleman, huh.”
“This is my servant, Nakamaru,” Jin continued, neither confirming nor denying Koki’s observation.
Koki smiled knowingly and shook Nakamaru’s hand as well, even chuckled goodheartedly when Nakamaru did so hesitantly. “I don’t bite,” he said. His grin widened so he showed all his teeth, including the gold one to the right. “Unless you want me to.”
“Umm.” Nakamaru took back his hand carefully. “Pleasure to meet you.”
Koki gestured all around. “Claim a free spot anywhere,” he said, “but just watch your valuables. Some of these pickpockets can’t help themselves.” He ruffled the hair of a little girl who passed by. “I’ll have a few of the boys feed your horses.”
“I always look forward to your hospitality,” Taguchi said with a smile.
Koki snorted. “With how many times I’ve sheltered you, it’s no wonder,” he said. He looked at Jin and Nakamaru. “Feel free to explore, maybe you’ll find something to entertain you,” he said.
When he left, Nakamaru asked, “Did he just wink at me?”
“He likes you,” Taguchi stated, leading them to a free spot. “Don’t be intimidated. Koki’s as soft as a bunny. But don’t tell him I told you that.”
Once they were settled, Jin immediately broke away to explore to his heart’s content. He observed some of the craftsmen whittling at pieces of wood or painting on a canvas, and then tasted a preview of what was to be that night’s supper. He moved from one area of the camp to the other before finally ending up with the band.
“Do you play?” asked the flutist, who Jin found out was Koki’s little brother Juri.
“The guitar,” Jin answered, feeling somewhat bashful the moment he said it. It was a secret love of his, music. He took private lessons but never told anyone aside from Nakamaru. This was his secret to keep close. But here, in the midst of all the bright laughing people, Jin felt free to share his passion.
The guitarist Keito handed over a guitar. “Well, let’s hear it,” he said with a nod.
Jin picked the strings lightly at first as he thought of what he should play. Then, as he got used to the feel of the guitar in his hands, the nervousness flowed out of him to be replaced with a gentle calm. His fingers strummed a soft melody, the lullaby his mother used to sing to him when he was little. He lost himself in the familiar chords and when he played the final note, the smattering of applause startled him.
He opened his eyes to find a thoughtful brown gaze watching him. The smile that played along Taguchi’s lips held something akin to admiration, and the pleasure of that acknowledgement washed over him. Without meaning to, he smiled back. Taguchi’s small smile turned into a beam and despite himself, Jin laughed.
It must be nice, he thought, to have one smile light you up from the inside.
“All right, let’s liven it up!” Keito began playing an upbeat folk song, which immediately had the surrounding people snagging a partner and dancing.
A lovely young girl ran over to Jin and tugged him up. He barely managed to hand the guitar back to Keito before he too was swept up into the merriment. His partners changed so often that he barely had a chance to form an impression of any of them. And then, when the music swelled, his hands found rough, calloused ones and he was looking up at Taguchi.
“Having fun?” his bodyguard asked.
Instead of making a smart retort, Jin was honest and said, “Yes.”
Taguchi’s pleasure at that was pure sincerity. “I’m glad,” he said. Then he twirled Jin in his arms and Jin yelped, scowling at him. Taguchi just laughed and laughed, and then Jin couldn’t help but laugh too.
-
The rest of the trip to the border of the kingdom went smoothly enough without any more mishaps. Their stop at the gypsy camp had put Jin in a perpetually good mood, good enough that Jin was even thinking of showing his family his skill at the guitar. He would endure state dinners and political meetings if they would let him have that.
When the border patrol station came in sight, Jin was surprised that he felt a little sad.
“Are you going to miss me?”
Jin rolled his eyes. “I’ll be too busy to miss you,” he said, and realized too late that it implied he would miss him. He hastily continued, “Besides, it was a pain having you babysit me. I’ll be glad when we meet my brother’s entourage at the gates.”
“You’re -”
Jin recognized the change in Taguchi as his eyes briefly unfocused just before he burst into action. Taguchi slapped the flank of Jin’s horse and Jin could only hold on as the horse bolted. In the next instant, shots were fired from the trees. He heard shouts behind him and recognized Nakamaru’s yell. Jin struggled to regain control of his horse before he reared it around. He wasn’t some helpless fool.
Jin galloped back in the direction he came from, pulling out a pistol he had received from Koki before they left camp. He turned the corner and had just enough time to take in the scene of a man holding a gun to a dazed Taguchi’s head before he aimed and fired.
The man went down without even a murmur.
Jin dismounted and rushed over to Taguchi while surveying the area for remaining enemies at the same time. The two other dead bodies several feet away suggested that Taguchi had taken care of the rest before he was surprised from behind.
“Are you shot?” Jin asked, kneeling next to him.
Taguchi groaned and Jin resisted the urge to shake him in case he upset some unseen wound.
“Are you shot?!” he repeated. The sight of blood blossoming on the left side of Taguchi’s chest did nothing for his rising panic. “Answer me!”
“It’s through… and through…” Taguchi managed to say through gritted teeth. “Check… on Nakama…”
Jin glanced around and dashed over to Nakamaru, checking for any visible injuries. He felt for a pulse at his neck and let out a breath of relief when he found one, weak but there. The nasty bump on his head was what must have knocked him out. When Jin was sure there were no wounds he had to tend to, he returned to check on Taguchi. He was alarmed to find his breathing even shallower than before.
“If you die, I swear I’ll tell everyone that you were the sorriest excuse for a bodyguard,” Jin threatened. He sliced open Taguchi’s shirt with a knife he knew Taguchi kept in his boot.
“You’re always… trying… to get me… naked…”
“Believe me, you’d know if I was,” Jin muttered. He ripped Taguchi’s shirt into pieces to use as makeshift bandages, relieved yet again to discover that the bullet had indeed gone through and through.
“It feels like we’ve been here before,” Taguchi said. His fingers reached up and grazed Jin’s chin.
“Good thing you’re not dying this time either,” Jin retorted. He grasped Taguchi’s hand. “I’m going to get help, all right? I’m going to get the border patrol.”
“Wait.” With a second burst of strength, Taguchi pulled Jin down and kissed him. He fell back against the ground a moment later.
Jin blinked owlishly and then glared down at him. “You should be saving your strength.”
Taguchi smiled weakly. “Worth it.”
-
The border patrol had heard the gunshots and arrived before Jin even had time to mount his horse. Then there was a flurry of activity as Taguchi and Nakamaru were brought to the station, and guards sent out to fetch the nearest doctor.
Once word got out Jin had returned, his brother had come and swept him up before Jin could even protest. Jin was left to worry over Taguchi’s and Nakamaru’s health from within the confines of his family’s castle.
Nakamaru returned to his side a few days later, and Jin was glad to have his butler back, even though he was grumpier and complained quite a bit more. Taguchi, however, never reported back. All Jin could find out was that he had successfully recovered, but then disappeared the next day. No message left behind or anything.
Suffice to say, Jin was pissed.
-
“Tatsuya, we have to talk.”
“I have to review the new recruits for the Royal Guard,” his brother said impatiently. He was on his way to the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. “Can’t this wait?”
“No, it can’t wait. I need to leave and find this ridiculously stupid idiot -”
“Leave? So soon?” Tatsuya shook his head. “No way in hell. With the threat still out there, do you think I’ll just let you go gallivanting all across the seven kingdoms again?”
The two of them emerged onto the balcony and the Captain of the guard shouted a command, which had the recruits below standing at attention.
“This can’t wait!”
“Jin, why don’t you at least pretend to do your duty right now?” Ueda said, waving a hand as if to dismiss his concerns. “I’ll talk with father about it tonight.”
Jin set his mouth in a thin line and turned to look down at the recruits. A flash of blond caught his eye and something in his chest jumped. He stared hard at the recruit on the far left, the tallest of the bunch. When the Captain passed him, the recruit glanced up and winked at Jin.
That dumb-
“So what do you think?” Tatsuya asked, gesturing at the recruits.
“I think -” An idea came to him and he smiled. “You know, you’re right.”
“Oh?” Tatsuya knew that was rare coming from him, and he raised an eyebrow. “About what?”
“I have to stay home until the threat is eliminated. In that case, I’ll need to pick a permanent bodyguard…”
From: krysyuy
Title: The Bodyguard
Pairings/Characters: Jin/Junno, Nakamaru
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None really. Some language?
Notes: To juniority - I was excited to get your prompt and I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this. It was so much fun to play in this AU setting. ;) Thanks to my lovely beta, as always. ♥
Summary: AU. Prince Jin resents that his family sent a "babysitter" to escort him home. Never mind the fact that he keeps saving his life.
Nakamaru closed the door of the carriage behind yet another of the prince’s… conquests. He sighed and made his way back inside the massive townhouse, stopping by the kitchen to pick up the prince’s customary glass of brandy. Placing the glass on a silver tray, he carried it up two flights of stairs and knocked on the oak door at the end of the hallway.
The answering grunt was half-hearted but Nakamaru heard it anyway. He entered and set the tray down on the bedside table. The form on the bed was sprawled face down with apparently no qualms about being completely nude.
Nakamaru dutifully averted his eyes and cleared his throat. No movement. He cleared his throat twice this time. Loudly.
The prince held out his palm and Nakamaru handed over the glass. As the prince drank, Nakamaru said, “Another message arrived from the capital, your highness. This time from your brother.”
“Throw it away.”
Normally, the butler knew better than to ruin the prince’s lethargic mood, but this was a matter more important than fresh debutantes or experienced widows. “This is the fifth missive, only counting this month. They’re urging you to return. Your highness, I believe it’s in your best interest-”
The prince dropped his glass back on the tray with a loud clang. “Good night, Nakamaru. And make all the usual arrangements for tomorrow.”
“… Yes, your highness.” The butler stepped back and bowed before leaving the room. Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered.
-
Nakamaru certainly knows how to ruin a good mood.
Jin let a brief frown cross his face as he thought of his butler’s insistence. After bothering him about the missive the night before, Nakamaru had brought up the subject again that morning. Nakamaru never was comfortable ignoring messages from the royal family, but Jin had no such qualms. There was a reason he had crossed borders into another kingdom.
“Your highness?”
A soft, feminine voice pulled Jin from his thoughts, and he immediately smiled at the beauty standing in front of him. She was dressed in an emerald green gown with matching gems adorning her ears and neck.
He reached for her gloved hand and kissed the back of it, smiling up at her. “Call me Jin,” he said. He hated formalities.
She blushed and murmured the usual ‘Oh, I could never do that’, while lightly slapping his arm with her fan. Jin knew the steps of this dance very well. He complimented her on her dress and asked if she wanted to take a turn on the ballroom floor. She accepted, though not too fast as to appear eager, and they flirted throughout the rest of the dance.
The lady was beautiful, her demeanor forward once she realized how receptive he was to her. While being forward was unfashionable in most circles, Jin found it refreshing. He led Bethany - that was her name, he discovered - out to the garden. When they found a secluded spot amidst the trees, he leaned in close and whispered the usual compliments in her ear. She giggled in response and when she lifted her face to his, he knew he had her.
He stroked a lock of her blond hair and captured her lips, slowly losing himself to pleasure. He was so engrossed in her that the sounds of rapidly approaching footsteps didn’t register. But he did notice when his head exploded with pain as he was struck from behind.
He collapsed against Bethany and her subsequent screaming only made the agony worse. He pushed away from her, clutching the back of his head. There were sounds of a scuffle and muffled curses behind him. Jin whirled around but his dizziness and the dim light of the garden had him only seeing two struggling black shapes.
Finally, one of the dark figures overpowered the other. Somewhere behind him, Bethany was still screaming and Jin was glad for the silence when he passed out.
-
When Jin woke up, the first thing that registered was the ground shaking beneath him even though it felt quite comfortable. It took him another moment to realize that he was lying on cushioned velvet, and then one more for the throbbing in his head to come back full force.
“Fuck,” he groaned, touching the back of his head, only to feel bandages.
“I didn’t know princes cursed.”
Jin was proud of himself for not jumping out of his skin. Instead, he sat up and glared at the other occupant of the moving carriage. He couldn’t make out his face in the darkness, though the shock of short blond hair would be visible in any circumstance.
“Who the hell are you?” Jin demanded. Even in the dim light, he recognized the uniform worn by the servants at the party he had been attending. Then he remembered that someone had struck him, and an unhealthy dose of anger overtook him. “Are you some kind of idiot?”
“Just the idiot who saved you.”
Jin didn’t know how he knew, but he could tell the stranger was smiling. “Why should I believe you? You’re kidnapping me!” he exclaimed.
“I’m taking you home, your highness, so you can have the night to recover,” the stranger replied. He seemed amused and that irritated Jin beyond belief.
The carriage stopped at that precise moment and the prince looked out the window to see his townhouse, select rooms lit up from the inside. When he glanced back at the stranger, the lights from the house entryway illuminated the carriage and his kidnapper - savior? - was in full view.
Jin’s first impression was that he was dimwitted, what with his closed eyes and wide smile. His shade of blond was nearly white and his hair was spiked as if he had been electrocuted. This was no savior, but now Jin had a hard time believing he was a kidnapper too.
Jin scoffed and shook his head, immediately stopping when that worsened his headache. He exited the carriage just as Nakamaru emerged from the townhouse, looking anxious.
Jin raised his hand in a bid for him to keep silent and jerked his thumb at the stranger. “Get him out of my sight,” he said.
Nakamaru looked at him, then behind him, hesitating.
Jin brushed past him, assuming his order would be carried out even if Nakamaru was taking his sweet time.
“Y-your highness -”
“What?” Jin turned around at the entrance to see Nakamaru looking even more torn than usual. The blond stranger was still smiling like a fool in the background.
Nakamaru seemed to gather his courage and said, “This man is here for you. Your brother sent him.”
“Why?”
“He’s here to escort you home,” his butler replied. Nakamaru held out yet another message and Jin recognized the tidy scrawl on the envelope. “You’re in danger, your highness.”
Jin narrowed his eyes. “So he’s my babysitter?”
The man stepped forward, the change overcoming his face startling in its seriousness. “I’m your bodyguard.”
-
Apparently, there were people after him because someone out there had a vendetta against his family. His family’s attempts to contact him were in an effort to see him back home safely without unnecessarily worrying him. That had to be the work of his mother. His brother, if he had been allowed to, would have said in no uncertain terms what the threats and risks were. He didn’t believe in sugarcoating anything.
The attempt made on his life the night before was the only reason he was reluctantly agreeing to return home for the time being. Though he hated putting his life in the hands of someone who looked better suited for a traveling circus. He also somewhat blamed him for putting an end to what had been a promising night.
Taguchi, as the clown so happened to be called, wanted him to travel in the guise of a townsperson so as to not draw any unwanted attention. Jin refused. If he had to go home, he would be doing it with his usual comforts. Nakamaru was coming along on the trip to attend him, plus his butler would prove far more entertaining to talk to than someone with a penchant for puns.
It would take a few days to reach the border between kingdoms and Jin was determined to ignore his so-called bodyguard for the entire duration, no matter what happened.
-
It turned out that Taguchi preferred to sit outside with the driver in order to have a better vantage point in case they were attacked on the road. Jin thought he was paranoid, but since Taguchi’s decision actually worked in his favor, he kept quiet.
After about half a day’s trip, right when Jin was about to nod off and take an afternoon nap, Taguchi scared him witless when his head appeared out of nowhere in the window while the carriage was still moving.
Nakamaru, however, spoke up first. “Are you insane?!” he squeaked.
Taguchi smiled that dimwitted smile as if he wasn’t hanging off the side of a moving carriage. “I just wanted to hang out for a while,” he said.
“I was right,” Jin said, staring at him. He was unable to let that response go unanswered. “You are an idiot.”
Words bounced right off him. Taguchi’s smile never wavered. “The next post is coming up and we’ll need to change horses. I was wondering if you’d like to take the chance to eat something,” he said.
“Do we really have to discuss this now?” Jin asked. Taguchi’s foolishness was his own, but Jin had a problem with it being so blatantly on display.
The ever-present amusement on Taguchi’s face suddenly went ice cold, and in the back of his head, Jin thought his mood swings were something he’d never get used to. Then the entire carriage shook from the force of a sharp jolt just as Taguchi’s head disappeared from the window. The driver yelled, cracking the reins, and their speed picked up enormously.
Nakamaru froze, but Jin looked out the other window to find four riders just behind them, cloaked all in black and their faces hidden behind domino masks. The lead rider drew out a gun from somewhere and Jin stuck his head back inside.
“Get down!” He grabbed Nakamaru and pushed him down to the carriage floor.
Several gunshots rang through the air and Jin flinched as he heard them connect with the wooden barrier he had previously been sitting in front of. Footsteps thudded above him and he knew Taguchi was up to something. There were cracks of returning gunshots - four in all - and then utter silence except for the galloping horses and the thumping of his own heartbeat.
A half hour must have passed before the carriage finally slowed down off the side of the main road. The door was yanked open and Jin blinked up at Taguchi from where he and Nakamaru were still sprawled on the floor.
Taguchi’s face was all business as he assessed him before he asked, “Are you all right?”
“We’re fine.” Jin ignored Taguchi’s outstretched hand and pulled himself and then Nakamaru off the floor.
His butler came out of his shock. “How did they know?” he said, voice shaking a little.
“I don’t know, but it’s clear this route isn’t safe anymore,” Taguchi said, taking down his pack from the front seat. “We’re going to have to take the horses and then travel on foot.”
“You’re not serious,” Jin said.
Taguchi merely stared back at him. “I’m serious about your life.”
Something about the way Taguchi said it, as if he regarded Jin’s life as part of his own existence, made Jin pause. “What happened to those men?” he asked.
Taguchi’s answer was precise and devoid of all expression. “I killed them,” he said.
Jin remembered that he had heard precisely four shots, which meant Taguchi had taken down each rider with deadly aim on top of a moving carriage. Jin looked at his bodyguard through new eyes, with the unsettling realization that perhaps there was more to him than met the eye.
-
Their small group parted ways with the driver and the carriage, but claimed three out of the four horses. They traveled for about a mile on the main road again before Taguchi led them down a dirt path out of the way and closer to the forest. It took another hour before Jin noticed Taguchi clutching his side every so often. He urged his horse forward until he was side by side with Taguchi.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked point-blank.
Taguchi laughed. “You’ll be surprised at how many people ask me that,” he replied.
“I doubt it,” Jin muttered under his breath. He eyed Taguchi’s left side. “Were you hit?”
Taguchi shrugged, but because Jin was looking for it, he saw him wince. “It’s only a graze,” he said. “I’ve had worse.”
“You didn’t even bandage it,” Jin replied. He knew Taguchi hadn’t simply because his bodyguard had given up no time for himself, instead arranging the packs on the horses for Jin and Nakamaru before riding ahead. “We’re taking a break. Come on.”
Jin led his horse under the shade of some trees and dismounted, tethering the reins to a sturdy branch. Taguchi and Nakamaru followed his example as Jin rummaged in one of the packs for bandages and cloth. Taguchi sat on the ground and leaned back against the trunk of the tree, holding his side.
“Nakamaru, some water,” Jin said as he crouched down next to his bodyguard. With Taguchi’s cloak out of the way, Jin could see the red soaking his white shirt. “Lift up your shirt.”
“What? No compliments about my hair? My style?” Taguchi asked, grinning. “I feel cheated.”
Jin yanked up his shirt and winced at the sight of the bullet graze. It wasn’t life threatening, but it probably hurt like a bitch. It was also freely bleeding which made Jin want to whack Taguchi on the head. So he did.
“Ow! What was that for?” Taguchi asked, rubbing his scalp.
“Are you looking to lose consciousness? This needed to be cleaned and dressed properly,” Jin replied.
“I didn’t realize you were a doctor too, your highness.”
Jin was sure Taguchi was mocking him, but when he looked up, Taguchi seemed merely curious. “I’ve gotten into a few scrapes,” he replied. “Get into enough of them and you learn how to take care of yourself.”
“Especially when most of them are duels at dawn,” his butler muttered behind them.
Taguchi bit back a snort, while Jin’s head snapped around to glare at his servant. “What was that, Nakamaru?” he asked.
Nakamaru pasted an accommodating smile on his face and held out a canteen of water with both hands. “Water, your highness,” he said with a bow.
Jin took the canteen and wet the cloth, turning back around to clean the wound. As he cleared the blood, he noticed all the other scars scattered along Taguchi’s chest and torso. His fingers involuntarily reached out to trace one particularly nasty looking one, but he came back to himself when Taguchi drew in a sharp breath.
What the hell am I doing?
Jin busied himself with wrapping the wound and making sure the bandages were secure before he attempted to look Taguchi in the eyes again. His usual smile was there, but there was something lurking in his brown gaze, a sort of awareness that wasn’t there before.
Something inside Jin stirred in response and he stood quickly. “Will we make camp here?” he asked abruptly. “I’m assuming we won’t be staying at an inn.”
Taguchi got up much more gracefully, long limbs and all. “We’re not far from a safe haven,” he said, not minding the change in subject. “That is, if they haven’t moved on yet.”
“They?”
-
‘They’ turned out to be a band of traveling gypsies. Various tents and caravans were arranged in a large circle as if to keep out any unwanted intruders. Splashes of color were everywhere, haphazard and random, lacking any sense of stylish organization that would be normally expected in Jin’s circle of society. Delicious spiced scents drifted through the air as people cooked over small fires. Children darted in and out between all the adults bustling around them. The chaos was accompanied by lively music of a small band practicing in one corner.
Jin loved it.
He tried to take in everything at once, fascinated by all the things that were so completely foreign to his normal world.
“Don’t wander off now,” Taguchi said, as if talking to a small child.
Jin glared at him and resisted the urge to kick him in the shin. Before he could deliver a loud retort, someone exclaimed, “Taguchi! Is that you?”
A man with wavy black hair and glasses exited one of the caravans and greeted them. He had pants and a vest but no shirt, so the jester mask tattoo on the left side of his chest was clearly visible.
“What are you doing here, you bastard?” His welcoming grin took out any bite the statement might have had.
“My group and I need to recuperate for a bit, only a few days at most,” Taguchi said. “I hope that’s all right.”
“Of course it is! You know you’re welcome here any time -” The gypsy smirked. “- just not all the time.”
Taguchi laughed. “Yeah, because if I spent all my time here, you wouldn’t want me to leave,” he said. “Right, Koki?”
“I’ll have the boys turn your horses right back around,” his friend replied. Without waiting for a reply, he turned towards Jin and Nakamaru. “So who’re the suckers you have with you this time?”
“Suckers?” Nakamaru asked, offended.
Taguchi spoke quickly before Jin could give them away. “I’m escorting them back home. You know how you can never be too careful traveling the roads nowadays.” He gestured to Jin. “This is…” He hesitated, unsure if he should address the prince by name.
Jin held out his hand. “I’m Jin,” he said.
“Aren’t you fancy,” Koki said with a raised eyebrow. He assessed Jin up and down, taking note of the difference in quality between their clothes. “A nobleman, huh.”
“This is my servant, Nakamaru,” Jin continued, neither confirming nor denying Koki’s observation.
Koki smiled knowingly and shook Nakamaru’s hand as well, even chuckled goodheartedly when Nakamaru did so hesitantly. “I don’t bite,” he said. His grin widened so he showed all his teeth, including the gold one to the right. “Unless you want me to.”
“Umm.” Nakamaru took back his hand carefully. “Pleasure to meet you.”
Koki gestured all around. “Claim a free spot anywhere,” he said, “but just watch your valuables. Some of these pickpockets can’t help themselves.” He ruffled the hair of a little girl who passed by. “I’ll have a few of the boys feed your horses.”
“I always look forward to your hospitality,” Taguchi said with a smile.
Koki snorted. “With how many times I’ve sheltered you, it’s no wonder,” he said. He looked at Jin and Nakamaru. “Feel free to explore, maybe you’ll find something to entertain you,” he said.
When he left, Nakamaru asked, “Did he just wink at me?”
“He likes you,” Taguchi stated, leading them to a free spot. “Don’t be intimidated. Koki’s as soft as a bunny. But don’t tell him I told you that.”
Once they were settled, Jin immediately broke away to explore to his heart’s content. He observed some of the craftsmen whittling at pieces of wood or painting on a canvas, and then tasted a preview of what was to be that night’s supper. He moved from one area of the camp to the other before finally ending up with the band.
“Do you play?” asked the flutist, who Jin found out was Koki’s little brother Juri.
“The guitar,” Jin answered, feeling somewhat bashful the moment he said it. It was a secret love of his, music. He took private lessons but never told anyone aside from Nakamaru. This was his secret to keep close. But here, in the midst of all the bright laughing people, Jin felt free to share his passion.
The guitarist Keito handed over a guitar. “Well, let’s hear it,” he said with a nod.
Jin picked the strings lightly at first as he thought of what he should play. Then, as he got used to the feel of the guitar in his hands, the nervousness flowed out of him to be replaced with a gentle calm. His fingers strummed a soft melody, the lullaby his mother used to sing to him when he was little. He lost himself in the familiar chords and when he played the final note, the smattering of applause startled him.
He opened his eyes to find a thoughtful brown gaze watching him. The smile that played along Taguchi’s lips held something akin to admiration, and the pleasure of that acknowledgement washed over him. Without meaning to, he smiled back. Taguchi’s small smile turned into a beam and despite himself, Jin laughed.
It must be nice, he thought, to have one smile light you up from the inside.
“All right, let’s liven it up!” Keito began playing an upbeat folk song, which immediately had the surrounding people snagging a partner and dancing.
A lovely young girl ran over to Jin and tugged him up. He barely managed to hand the guitar back to Keito before he too was swept up into the merriment. His partners changed so often that he barely had a chance to form an impression of any of them. And then, when the music swelled, his hands found rough, calloused ones and he was looking up at Taguchi.
“Having fun?” his bodyguard asked.
Instead of making a smart retort, Jin was honest and said, “Yes.”
Taguchi’s pleasure at that was pure sincerity. “I’m glad,” he said. Then he twirled Jin in his arms and Jin yelped, scowling at him. Taguchi just laughed and laughed, and then Jin couldn’t help but laugh too.
-
The rest of the trip to the border of the kingdom went smoothly enough without any more mishaps. Their stop at the gypsy camp had put Jin in a perpetually good mood, good enough that Jin was even thinking of showing his family his skill at the guitar. He would endure state dinners and political meetings if they would let him have that.
When the border patrol station came in sight, Jin was surprised that he felt a little sad.
“Are you going to miss me?”
Jin rolled his eyes. “I’ll be too busy to miss you,” he said, and realized too late that it implied he would miss him. He hastily continued, “Besides, it was a pain having you babysit me. I’ll be glad when we meet my brother’s entourage at the gates.”
“You’re -”
Jin recognized the change in Taguchi as his eyes briefly unfocused just before he burst into action. Taguchi slapped the flank of Jin’s horse and Jin could only hold on as the horse bolted. In the next instant, shots were fired from the trees. He heard shouts behind him and recognized Nakamaru’s yell. Jin struggled to regain control of his horse before he reared it around. He wasn’t some helpless fool.
Jin galloped back in the direction he came from, pulling out a pistol he had received from Koki before they left camp. He turned the corner and had just enough time to take in the scene of a man holding a gun to a dazed Taguchi’s head before he aimed and fired.
The man went down without even a murmur.
Jin dismounted and rushed over to Taguchi while surveying the area for remaining enemies at the same time. The two other dead bodies several feet away suggested that Taguchi had taken care of the rest before he was surprised from behind.
“Are you shot?” Jin asked, kneeling next to him.
Taguchi groaned and Jin resisted the urge to shake him in case he upset some unseen wound.
“Are you shot?!” he repeated. The sight of blood blossoming on the left side of Taguchi’s chest did nothing for his rising panic. “Answer me!”
“It’s through… and through…” Taguchi managed to say through gritted teeth. “Check… on Nakama…”
Jin glanced around and dashed over to Nakamaru, checking for any visible injuries. He felt for a pulse at his neck and let out a breath of relief when he found one, weak but there. The nasty bump on his head was what must have knocked him out. When Jin was sure there were no wounds he had to tend to, he returned to check on Taguchi. He was alarmed to find his breathing even shallower than before.
“If you die, I swear I’ll tell everyone that you were the sorriest excuse for a bodyguard,” Jin threatened. He sliced open Taguchi’s shirt with a knife he knew Taguchi kept in his boot.
“You’re always… trying… to get me… naked…”
“Believe me, you’d know if I was,” Jin muttered. He ripped Taguchi’s shirt into pieces to use as makeshift bandages, relieved yet again to discover that the bullet had indeed gone through and through.
“It feels like we’ve been here before,” Taguchi said. His fingers reached up and grazed Jin’s chin.
“Good thing you’re not dying this time either,” Jin retorted. He grasped Taguchi’s hand. “I’m going to get help, all right? I’m going to get the border patrol.”
“Wait.” With a second burst of strength, Taguchi pulled Jin down and kissed him. He fell back against the ground a moment later.
Jin blinked owlishly and then glared down at him. “You should be saving your strength.”
Taguchi smiled weakly. “Worth it.”
-
The border patrol had heard the gunshots and arrived before Jin even had time to mount his horse. Then there was a flurry of activity as Taguchi and Nakamaru were brought to the station, and guards sent out to fetch the nearest doctor.
Once word got out Jin had returned, his brother had come and swept him up before Jin could even protest. Jin was left to worry over Taguchi’s and Nakamaru’s health from within the confines of his family’s castle.
Nakamaru returned to his side a few days later, and Jin was glad to have his butler back, even though he was grumpier and complained quite a bit more. Taguchi, however, never reported back. All Jin could find out was that he had successfully recovered, but then disappeared the next day. No message left behind or anything.
Suffice to say, Jin was pissed.
-
“Tatsuya, we have to talk.”
“I have to review the new recruits for the Royal Guard,” his brother said impatiently. He was on his way to the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. “Can’t this wait?”
“No, it can’t wait. I need to leave and find this ridiculously stupid idiot -”
“Leave? So soon?” Tatsuya shook his head. “No way in hell. With the threat still out there, do you think I’ll just let you go gallivanting all across the seven kingdoms again?”
The two of them emerged onto the balcony and the Captain of the guard shouted a command, which had the recruits below standing at attention.
“This can’t wait!”
“Jin, why don’t you at least pretend to do your duty right now?” Ueda said, waving a hand as if to dismiss his concerns. “I’ll talk with father about it tonight.”
Jin set his mouth in a thin line and turned to look down at the recruits. A flash of blond caught his eye and something in his chest jumped. He stared hard at the recruit on the far left, the tallest of the bunch. When the Captain passed him, the recruit glanced up and winked at Jin.
That dumb-
“So what do you think?” Tatsuya asked, gesturing at the recruits.
“I think -” An idea came to him and he smiled. “You know, you’re right.”
“Oh?” Tatsuya knew that was rare coming from him, and he raised an eyebrow. “About what?”
“I have to stay home until the threat is eliminated. In that case, I’ll need to pick a permanent bodyguard…”