Promise- Minsung

Chapter Fourteen

"Already? But he just got here!" the princess cried.

"If he must go back home, then he must go back home..." Master Kang just stared down at Yongbok with a small smile. "But return soon, for I think your older cousin will need you..."

"The preparations are yet to be made, but we will take care of them soon... Yongbok will be leaving by the end of the week."

Master Kang bowed his head in understanding and nodded. "We will welcome him when he returns with open arms."

Yongbok bowed his head as well and smiled. "I do not plan to be away for long..." he glanced at his cousin, whose face had stayed stoic and unchanging the entire conversation.

"Have... have you told the rest of your young master friends?" Jisung asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"I... have not."

Jisung sighed quietly and nodded. "I wish you good luck, my friend..."

Yongbok smiled at him as well, but his smile did not reach his eyes. "Thank you... I think I may too..."

~oOo~

There was only silence.

Changbin's face was unreadable. He stared at Jisung, stiff backed and unblinking. "Can... can you repeat that?"

"He is leaving. By the end of the week... I thought you would want to know."

Changbin took a step back, gazing at his friend with distant eyes. "The... the elder Lee Prince is?"

"That is correct."

Changbin, standing, slowly turned to face his back to the prince. Did Yongbok really want to get away from him that much? Was it too sudden? Should he have waited? Or should he not have told him at all? No. He was certain he loved him. And now his love was running away.

(Sound familiar? ;))

"Do you... you know... want to go see him?"

Changbin turned back. "Should I?"

"I think it would be good for you two to sit down and talk, from what I've heard," Jisung shrugged. "You can do whatever you want to do. Figure it out yourself..." he stalked out of the room, grumbling about how he had to find General Kim, who was probably drooling over General Jeon.

Changbin sat down on his bed, holding his head in his hands. This was a disaster... what was going on....?

Jisung was probably right... he should talk to him. And quickly. Where was he right now? He stood up and swept out of his room, finding a servant at the entrance. "Do you know where Prince Yongbok is?"

"Yes, Master Seo. He is in the courtyard reading."

Nodding, Changbin walked down the hall, leading to the outdoor area. He needed to find him, and quickly. He turned and turned again, making his way to the inner courtyard, and froze when he finally arrived.

There was the beautiful prince, hair sweeping in the wind, and elegant face of concentration as he stared into the pages of his book. Yongbok was breathtaking, as usual. Changbin had to remind himself to breathe.

He cleared his throat, gaining Yongbok's attention. His eyes went wide when he saw the older young man. He stood abruptly, slamming the book closed. "Why are you here?" Panic brimmed his face.

"Hey, hey!" Changbin said, as gently as he could, moving closer slowly, like dealing with a scared animal.

Yongbok glanced around, seeing if there was an easy escape route you could use to bolt from the current situation... but there was no such luck. The only exit way away from the courtyard that Yongbok could use was now behind Changbin, who was getting closer.

"Yongbok... I really need to talk to you," Changbin said in a small voice that certainly did not match his character. "Like... really, really need to talk..."

Yongbok stiffened. "If this is about what I think this is about, then I don't want to talk to you. Look, you seem like a very nice person and all, but I..." Yongbok cut himself out and let out a shuddering breath. "I don't want to pull anybody into the mess that is my life. You, Changbin, deserve more than to deal with being shunned by others for not marrying some pretty young girl, and staying a bachelor just to stay at my side. That is my destiny, but it does not have to be yours."

"But-"

"Changbin, please," Yongbok's piercing gaze returned. "We have not know each other long enough for you to decide whether you're going to ruin your life for me. And even if we had, that would be a bad call... that your country could never accept. Especially with what's coming."

"What... what's coming?"

"Do you know what Master Kang and King Minhyuk have been planning?"

Changbin shook his head.

"You will understand when that happens."

Yongbok turned to walk away and make a large circle around Changbin, but the elder flung his arm out, catching Yongbok between his arms. "Do you really have to leave?" he growled, anger now rimming his face. "Do you really want to save yourself from me that much? Can't you just let me be with you?"

Yongbok's head drooped for a moment, before he stood up and gave Changbin a heart breaking look. "Changbin, love... I am not saving myself from you. I am save you... from myself."

With that, Yongbok broke free of Changbin's grasp, and fled to his chamber, where he did not speak to anyone for the rest of the day.

~oOo~

General Kim Taehyung had never felt so lost in his entire life. He stared with dreamy eyes towards the stable, full of sweating, muscular young men, lifting stacks of hay onto their shoulders to be fed to the beautiful horses of the Lee Kingdom. Taehyung loved to sit on this bench, overlooking them. This was where he felt most comfortable.

He would have sat there for hours if he had not been interrupted.

"General! A letter for you, sir!"

Taehyung nearly fell out of his seat. "Soldier! Did you really have to sneak up on me like that!"

The soldier bowed in apology. "I'm sorry, General. I thought you heard my approaching..."

Taehyung waved him away, taking the slip from his hand and flicking it open.

To General Kim Taehyung,

Please put together a group of soldiers to escort

the Han Princess to her partners' palace. This evening.

You will not be going, you are needed here.

Crown Prince Jisung

"What a jerk!" he seethed, crumpling the paper in his hands and twisting around to face the barn again. "How dare he!" he pouted, before laying down, his head hanging off the side of the bench. "I wonder why I can't go. Why can't I? Why does he not trust me! What have I done wrong?! He's such a little-" he puffed out his cheeks in anger.

"What... are you doing?"

Taehyung let out a small shriek and sat back up right, now more mad then before. "Watch your tone, soldi-" he turned around. "eerrr.... I mean, greetings, General Jeon!"

General Jeon Jungkook stared down at him, his eyebrows raised. "General Kim? What are you doing here?"

"I am..." Taehyung scrambled to find his reasons. "Overseeing the feeding of the Lee Kingdom's horses! I was given the boring task by my great crown prince, who loves to see me suffer!" he tried very hard, but failed to hold in his eye roll. "If you would excuse me, I need to get a group of soldiers ready..." he attempted to walk away from the conversation with the idol of all generals, but was pulled back.

"General Kim... Do you think after you do such tasks, you will be able to spare just one afternoon with me? I wish to go out to the village, but I was told I needed a high ranked supervisor to do so, and you and I-" Jungkook looked over his small figure, and child-like features. "Are quite similar."

Taehyung gulped. He could not refuse such an offer. "By all m-means General, my evening is yours!"