Promise- Minsung

Chapter Forty Three

(Three Months Later)

The wails of a tiny baby, not yet six months old, woke both the King from his slumber as well as the prince who slept beside him.

"I'll get him," Minho murmured as he tossed the silk blankets back and stood up from the bed. The small baby was sleeping in a small bundle. "Hey," he whispered, picking the screaming baby from his sleeping place.

"What's wrong?" Minho whispered, rubbing his eyes. He picked up a cup of milk that stood on the desk to his right and offered it to Yeong, who continued to cry.

"No?" Minho placed the milk back down. "Did you have a nightmare?" he asked as he sat back down on the bed, Jisung's eyes fluttering as he sat up and crawled across the bed to lay his head in Minho's lap next to the baby's head.

"What's wrong?" Jisung asked gently as he buried his face in Minho's lap. "Why has he been waking up at this time so often?"

"Is Hei-ran still asleep?" Minho asked, looking over at the larger crib at the other end of the room that held the year-old Princess Hei-ran.

"She's still out," Jisung ushered the prince. Yeong's cries had quieted to sniffles as both Minho and Jisung whispered soft comforts in his ear.

The dawn sun had yet to cross over the sky and it was still dark outside as Minho walked out onto the terrace outside the San Palace.

He had Jisung move here as they started to reconstruct the burnt parts of the Han Palace. In the days following the attack on the Han Palace, funerals were held for both the queen and Princess Jeongyeon as well as the many others killed in the battle.

Minho, Jisung, Min-hyung, Changbin and baby Yeong had all returned to the San Palace soon after, taking refuge in the easy-to-defend valley where it stood next to the mountain.

Their lives had gone somewhat peaceful as there had not been any more attacks since their great defeat of the Black Masks.

"What are you doing out here?" Jisung asked, coming to stand next to Minho. "You should go back to sleep."

"Can't," Minho murmured. "I'm up."

"Alright," Jisung lay his head against Minho's shoulder. One thing that had not been building over the past few weeks was their relationship. So busy with other things that they had to get done and worry about, they had been distracted.

"I'm going out for a ride..." Minho rubbed Jisung's head as he pulled away. He began down the hall before he paused. And he turned back to face Jisung who stared after him with a slightly fallen expression on his face.

He sighed, rubbing his head, before he walked back. "Come on, let's go."

Jisung's eyes widened slightly. "Me too?"

"Who else would I be talking about? Come on," Minho pulled Jisung to his side as the two began to walk down the hill together.

They rode a top of a sturdy bay stallion, Minho's arms wrapped around Jisung's waist as they rode towards the rising sun. "Did you leave someone with the kids?" Jisung asked, leaning back against Minho's chest.

"Of course I did. Yongbok wasn't too happy about it, though..." Minho stared down at Jisung as he rode on. "Jisung... I'm curious about something..."

"What is it?" Jisung stared up at him with big, owl eyes.

"Have you had any reports of a man in all white around the capitol?" Minho asked, rubbing his head. "I... I've been wondering about something I saw."

"What do you mean?" Jisung sat up.

"Well, when Changbin, Min-hyung and I were coming to the palace, we were ambushed. A man in all white appeared before us and told us that he would hold the Black Masks off so that we could get to you in time," Minho frowned. "If he hadn't, I'm not sure that we would have saved you and Yeong."