Curled Horns

6. Dark News

Mingi's first night in the palace passed with no significant event. The bed under his back felt like a heavenly cloud to lie on and he barely felt the pressure of his pillow on his face or his tail getting trapped under the blanket.

When he awoke, Mingi felt more rested than he had ever been. Giddy, he slipped into his clothes and brushed his hooves and horns before he left the room. He tried to give his horns some extra shine to make up for the intensity they lacked when around Yunho. As usual, they didn't cooperate, and his unruly hair did neither. Sighing, Mingi ran a finger along the edges. He would have to visit Seonghwa again soon to trim them.

After he had travelled through the sleepy palace, Mingi visited the kitchen first. A kind cook handed him the meal he had ordered for Yunho the night prior. Carefully balancing it in his claws, Mingi scaled the stairs. He didn't want to hurry too much out of fear of toppling everything over. The few people he passed threw him sympathetic glances.

Mingi even saw Jongho on his way up. They shared grins, and the guard waved at Mingi as he passed him in the corridor, fully decked out in his armour apart from the helmet.

Out of politeness, Mingi knocked before he entered Yunho's room even when he knew that the man wouldn't counter while he was asleep. On quiet hooves, Mingi snuck inside the room and set the tray with steaming wooden bowls full of stew down on the table in the middle of the room. He caught his tail before a motivated swish of it could send the vase with black flowers flying. With it tightly clutched in his hand, he neared the bed.

Yunho hadn't explained to him how he was supposed to wake him. So Mingi halted in front of the golden veils on the ornate black bedposts that were carved into dragon heads on all four corners to ponder for a moment. Once he had made up his mind, he opened the curtain.

Elegant and noble even in his sleep, Yunho rested on the pillows. Free from the pressure Mingi experienced around his skull, his horns elegantly arched over his head. Mingi could make out their form against the black of the sheets only through the golden shine sticking to them.

In bed, Yunho had got rid of his jewellery, naturally. The expanse of his grey skin over lean muscles seemed to drag on forever.

Yunho laid on his back, his features peaceful and one arm placed under his head. The other one laid limply across his stomach and rose and fell with every breath.

Mingi swallowed at the sight of his beautiful symmetrical tattoos that painted geometrical, solid patterns over his body and blacked out large patches of his skin. The pattern interlocked in the middle of his body to create a perfect mirror. Like bracelets, the black lines wrapped around his wrists.

Before Mingi's eyes could trail over his veiny hands down to where the blanket bunched over Yunho's hips, he directed his focus on his wake up call.

Solemn, Mingi cleared his throat.

"Crown Prince Yunho. It's time for you to wake up. I brought your food."

Curious whether it had worked, Mingi glanced at the man. Him sleeping through the sound of his door opening was already a miracle, but Mingi presumed that rather than noise, Yunho relied on his sense of danger. Mingi didn't know whether he should be flattered or offended that he wasn't considered a threat.

When Yunho didn't react, Mingi reached out to nudge his shoulder gently. Hot, their skin laid against each other.

"Hey, Your Majesty. Time for breakfast."

At the second push, Yunho stirred. His brows furrowed first, then his jaw clenched in displeasure. Amused by his natural reaction, Mingi poked him with his claw.