King of China

Before dawn

Minghao hadn't slept that night. 

His mind was way too full.

How could it have been any different?
Now that he knew Ga Yi would marry another Crown Prince, there was absolutely no way for him to become King one day. Ga Yi would secure his position in the Royal Court once and for all.

He would never be able to take the Throne, change things, marry Junhui...

He didn't even know how to tell his boyfriend, even though he was pretty sure about how the latter would react.

With love and understanding, as he always had.

Minghao sighed. They had dreamed about a different life so much, creating so much hope for the future.
Could he really destroy it all?

He knew Junhui just wanted to be by his side, married or not, but Minghao knew that once Ga Yi would be married, his turn would come too.

The only idea of marrying someone other than Junhui felt so disgusting that Minghao frowned until his face hurt.

I have to find a way.

As Minghao finally decided to try sleeping, someone knocked on his door, for the second night in a row.
The Prince ignored it. After all it was still the middle of the night, his visitor would leave eventually.

Or not.

They knocked again, and Minghao started whisper-cursing as he stood up. He wanted to tell his visitor to shove it, and his anger was growing with each step.

However, as he slid his door open, his anger turned into surprise.

"Ga Yi?" he whispered. "What are you doing here?"

That had never happened before and Minghao could see on his brother's face that something was wrong.

"Is Mother okay?" he asked all of the sudden.

Ga Yi's eyes widened a little.

"She's okay, resting" he answered quickly. "It's not about her... it's about Youngjae."

Minghao frowned. He let his brother enter his bedroom and slid the door shut.

"The Prince?" he added. "Did you tell him?"
"Yes" answered his older brother.

Minghao waited for his brother to continue talking but the latter seemed to need time.

"He left" he finally whispered.

Minghao repeated the sentence in his head several times, but it didn't make any sense.

"He went back to Korea in the middle of the night?" he asked.
"No, he fled the Palace. I don't know where he is" explained Ga Yi. "He doesn't want to marry me, so he left."
"How can you be sure he wasn't kidnapped or something like that?" asked Minghao.

Ga Yi simply gave his brother a little scroll.
Minghao soon read the few inked characters.

"Ga Yi, I'm sorry but I can't go through with this, please don't try to find me"

"Well, that is vague" commented Minghao.
"What it is, is a huge problem" said Ga Yi. "I can handle the fact that he doesn't want to marry me."

However Minghao knew his brother, and something in his voice as he said that indicated quite the contrary.

"But mostly, if the Crown Prince of Korea disappears during his visit in our Court-" he started.
"Then Korea will blame us" ended Minghao. "It is problematic indeed."

"Brother, I need you on this one" whispered Ga Yi. "I can't tell this to anyone else and I can't leave the Palace.. you're my only hope."

Minghao nodded. He understood the stakes.

"Of course" he said. "I'll bring him back."

Ga Yi nodded, half relieved, half terrified.

"It's going to be okay" added Minghao, looking into his brother's eyes.

However, for the first time, he didn't see the strength he knew Ga Yi had. He saw exhaustion.

"I have to hope so don't I?" whispered Ga Yi.

~

"I'm coming with you" said Junhui as soon as Minghao told him the whole story.
"It might be dangerous, I don't know" replied Minghao.
"That's exactly why I'm coming" said Junhui. "Plus it would be pretty weird for the Prince to leave without his first valet, wouldn't it?"

Minghao grinned.

"You got me" he finally said.
"When are we leaving?" asked Junhui, with a triumphant smile.
"As soon as our bags are ready" replied the Prince.

It didn't take Junhui long to get everything ready. They only needed to stop by the kitchen to take some provisions and they would be on their way.
Ga Yi had arranged some plausible excuse for his little brother's absence and honestly Minghao was just happy to escape the Palace for a few days.

They were in the stables when someone called them. Junhui squinted his eyes as he turned around.

"Excuse me My Prince" said the man. "I'm Prince Youngjae's valet, I wish to come with you."

Minghao recognized the man and instantly frowned. As he was about to refuse the request, the man spoke once more.

"Please, I'm worried sick. My Prince left me a little note and that's it" he added. "But I can't let him go like that. I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to Prince Youngjae. Plus if the official reason for your absence is showing Prince Youngjae the summer Palace, well it would make sense that his valet goes with him, wouldn't it?"

Minghao closed his mouth. The man was right.
Plus, he knew Prince Youngjae, so he would probably we helpful in their quest.

"Very well" said Minghao. "Were you seen or followed?"
"A Prince's valet knows better than that" simply replied the man, convincing Minghao instantly.

"Then, let's go, we already lost too much time" he said.

~

The three horses left the Royal Palace perimeter before the sun had risen. Minghao didn't really know how he should feel about all of this, but he knew he needed to find Youngjae, that's all that mattered.

"What's your name?" asked Junhui, maling Minghao realize that he hadn't even asked the valet himself.

"Jeonghan" replied the concerned.