Yunho had dismissed Mingi early that evening to prepare for his meeting with Yeosang. For a while, Mingi had just idly wandered the corridors and admired all paintings and other hangings he could find before he had retired to his room. When he went to sleep, he noticed once more the pressure of his horns on the pillow so close to his eye. Uncomfortable, he concluded to use his next free evening to pay a visit to Seonghwa. The tailor probably burned with curiosity about Mingi's new job. Mingi would tell him everything diligently as Seonghwa trimmed his horns.
In the morning when Mingi collected Yunho's breakfast, the entrance hall was in a disarray. The gate stood wide open, like the yawning mouth of a monster, and the room crawled with unfamiliar people. Their armour and flags looked different from the ones of their kingdom. At first, Mingi mistook them for a delegation sent to help with the restraint of the pixie criminal. He brushed past them awkwardly and dodged their clamour as he slipped into the kitchen.
The cook noticed the distress on Mingi's face and gave him a kind smile.
"A lot is going on, right? Don't worry. You will meet them all during dinner. They are the royal embassy of the Choi kingdom," she explained patiently. Mingi lit up when he remembered. The prince called San had been scheduled to arrive today.
"I see. I just hope I don't get trampled." Clumsily, Mingi loaded the tray onto his arms and gave her another smile. She hurried to hold the door open for him and he slipped outside with a goodbye.
Once more, Mingi danced his dangerous choreography of dodging thundering hooves, barricades of horns and the weapons clanging to their hips. He exhaled only once he made it up the stairs.
In the same manner, as the day before, Mingi woke Yunho. If the crown prince detected the early morning confusion on Mingi's face, he didn't mention it. He just dragged himself out of his soft sheets as soon as Mingi had fastened his clothes.
"The Choi prince has arrived this morning. I didn't see him yet, but his men fill out halls."
Yunho readied Mingi's teacup and nudged it over to him. The fruity aroma relieved some of Mingi's tension and brought a sleepy smile to Yunho's features.
"Ah, right. I'll have to take a bath before I meet San. Do you mind accompanying me?"
Mingi quickly shook his head, and they commenced with their breakfast. Once they were done, Yunho led Mingi into one of the adjoining rooms. Inside was an enormous bathtub, more of a pool in Mingi's eyes. It was round; the rim decorated with stone statues of gorgeous female demons holding basins that provided steaming water to the pool in a never-ending cycle.
Yunho left his accessories on for his bath, too much of a hassle to take them off. While he undid his pants, he motioned Mingi to loosen his top for him once more.
"Tell me about that scar of yours, Mingi," Yunho asked him over the rushing of water in the steamy tower. They were surrounded by ceiling-tall windows that took up half of the wall. The steam fogged them up, but Mingi could still see the volcanic glow of the heat outside.
His fingers fiddled with the strings. He was vigilant that his claws wouldn't scratch Yunho even if they would barely hurt him.
"I've had it for some years. It's from the time my horns overgrew and tried to stab me through the skull."
Astonished, Yunho glanced at him. He rose his arms to help Mingi take his shirt off and stepped out of his pooling pants. His hooves met the water first, testing the temperature before he dipped his body inside. Cautious if he would slip, Mingi watched his back. The black tattoos under his skin dipped low until the swell of his behind.
Blushing, Mingi averted his eyes before Yunho could turn. With a sigh, the prince sunk into the water.
Once he had set down the man's clothes on one of the stone projections that conveniently carved from the black wall to hold soaps, candles, and clothes, Mingi reached for the bath salt. It smelled of pomegranates.
"That sounds dangerous. More than our society would give credit to in regard of draped horns."
A surprised chuckle dropped from Mingi's lips. He scooped some salt into the water and watched as it created fragrant foam that caressed Yunho's skin. Yunho played with it, chasing it over the water surface.
"You call them draped?"
"Yes," Yunho perked up. "I like that way more than using the regular terms. They carry something bitter, or something very arrogant, depending on which. Draped sounds elegant."
Mingi returned the jar to its place.
"What do you call sky-pointed horns?"
For a moment, Yunho giggled behind his hand. The mischievous shine in his eyes made Mingi wonder what he had come up with.
"Erect. Because - and don't quote me on this - but the majority of people with horns like mine are huge dicks. There, I said it."
Laughter burst from Mingi's chest. Yunho joined in as he sat up. On the bench surrounding the pool, the water reached to his chest and glistened on his skin and necklaces.
"Erect horns and draped horns. I like that," Mingi agreed. When Yunho beckoned him closer, he followed the call without thinking.
Still grinning, Yunho motioned at the tub that could easily fit an entire group of demons.
"If you want to deep-cleanse your hooves, I don't mind. Get comfortable. And please, tell me more about your horns."
Mingi rolled up his pants to let his hooves dangle in the water. Comfortable, he leaned back on his hands while Yunho soaked. The humidity curled his hair around his face, giving him a more untamed look. He looked softer, too. Losing all the might he carried himself with to relax.
"My parents have very different horns than mine. It was always a hassle to trim them when I was young and given the angle, I do even worse at it if I try it myself. There was a time I ignored that for too long and the left one scratched me in return. Now I have that scar to remind me."
Mingi ran a finger along the line. It didn't hurt, just stood out in a pale pink against his mahogany red skin.
"I think it looks very handsome on you. You look and sound like such a dangerous man but you are so sweet," Yunho commented. When Mingi sheepishly glanced at his tail to distract himself with it, the prince smiled warmly.
"I am used to it giving me an even dumber look than I already have with my horns and the crooked teeth. So hearing that is nice."
Yunho mildly shook his head.
"You set the standard all wrong. Don't start with arrogant people and look down on yourself. Just imagine a human saw you. They would be terrified."
Another compliment. Through the air that brushed Mingi's open shirt, the demon believed to feel himself heat up. Meek, he nodded. Pleased by the shift from self-deprecation, Yunho continued.
"Now what do you do to trim your horns, then? Do you have to fasten a file on the wall to cut them?" The upset in Yunho's voice bled out when Mingi shook his head before he had finished speaking.
"No. My best friend Seonghwa helps me with it. He lives in the town centre and I drop by regularly to visit him," Mingi announced. Relieved, Yunho acknowledged that solution.
"He sounds like a good friend. I'm glad he takes care of you."
Mingi couldn't agree more. His life would be bleak without his only friend, although he hoped to count Yunho as one by now, as well as Yeosang.
"Can you help me wash my hair?"
Without needing to reply, Mingi stood from the corner and fetched the soap. He handed one bar to Yunho to wash his body with and used the other one to rub his hair clean with herbal oils. Yunho hummed under his breath while they were busy and leaned comfortably in the space between Mingi's spread legs.
They finished Yunho's soothing bath before he had to meet with his father. Once more, Mingi had to stand close to Yunho's good-smelling body to shut his clothes around him. Enraptured by how different their horns were, Yunho regarded Mingi's with great interest.
Their meeting with the king ended in Onnah playing a game of chess with Mingi while Vur stood at the door grim as ever. Onnah won that round, but she promised Mingi that he could win next time. When she had left with a wink once they went outside, Yunho had glimpsed between them curiously.
As Yunho and Mingi went to dinner, the mayhem in the entrance hall had cleared. Not a trail remained of the earlier crowd.
Respectful, Mingi held himself behind Yunho with his head bowed as they came in. The queen and the king already sat at the head of the table. The seat around the corner to their right belonged to Yunho, Gunho was on the left. Next to Yunho usually perched an advisor or the head of the guard, whichever had an important matter that day. But today, the seat was taken by a stranger. His stark pink hair stood out under his black horns whose shape was not too far off Yunho's. Only that this man's were far smaller and curved horizontally instead of straight up. Undoubtedly, their unique growth was worthy of a prince.
He held himself with an air of superiority, and the golden ring wrapping around his lower lip glinted around his crooked smirk. When the monarch couple greeted Yunho, the man also turned to direct his dark, foxy eyes at the man. Yunho smiled at him.
"San. I see you've arrived safely." When Yunho rounded his chair, his tail reached out to curl around San's in greeting. The other prince returned the gesture with his simple pointed tail. It had the same purple lilac taint as his skin. His leather clothes clung to his body, exposing lean muscles and a dancer's shape.
Mingi marvelled at him as he pulled out the chair for Yunho. Once Yunho had sat down, Mingi stepped back against the wall behind him stiffly to wait for orders if so needed. Empty, he stared at Onnah on the opposite wall. She rolled her entirely white eyes to convey her boredom. Mingi smiled to himself.
"We did, but it was a trip. We heard of the attacks down south. The bastard struck again last night. My men got nervous." San reached to pour wine for Yunho, a custom usually reserved to the host. Mingi watched them with wonder.
"I was also shaken to the core when I heard of it. What barbaric means," Yunho agreed with a troubled frown. In his duty to protect his people, he feared for their safety. Even those that didn't exactly belong to their kingdom.
The queen joined their conversation. Her voice was eager as she glanced between the two picture-perfect princes.
"You two, why don't you discuss a hunting party together? San already mentioned wanting to go on one, too."
"Sure, let's talk later. I don't want to ruin dinner with political plans though," Yunho smoothly evened out the debate. San nodded and tasted one of the delicacies specifically dished for his visit. Pixie wings were one of the most expensive and sought-after luxuries in their world. They tasted divine like the gods' ambrosia with the right wine to them.
"Will you two share a room? You know, all of us parents are still awaiting favourable news between you two."
For once, it was Yunho who lowered his eyes shyly. On the other hand, San grinned in triumph. Mingi's heart clenched when he understood.
"Let's share, Yunho. I'll make it worth the trouble." Despite the public setting, he leaned over to press a kiss on Yunho's cheek. Mingi quickly stared at Onnah again so he wouldn't get caught. She had drawn her dark brows together. Open and without restraint, she watched the couple.
"You had a long journey. Let's talk about it again in the morning once you got some actual rest," Yunho declined the offer politely. The queen deflated, and the smirk dropped from San's lips. He brushed his hair back as if bothered by Yunho's decision. Mingi exhaled when he moved back into his own space ultimately.
"Fine. Then instead let's go on a trip together in the morning. I missed the woods out here, and then we can discuss everything."
Yunho agreed to that, even if the smile seemed strained on his lips.
"That's a good idea. I wanted to show Mingi around, too." When Yunho threw a quick smile at Mingi, it was gone too fast for Mingi to react. Flattered, he looked at his shoes.
"Your new servant?" San glanced at Mingi, too. Mingi didn't like the way the prince eyed him. His scrutiny carried a well-veiled distaste.
"Yes. Let's meet after breakfast."
San focused on his food again.
"Alright."
The foreign prince spent the rest of the evening charming Yunho's mother, but he didn't make the other prince uncomfortable again with his advances. The more Mingi listened to the exchange between the three of them, the more it became apparent that the queen sought for the two princes to marry to strengthen the bond between their kingdoms.
Mingi stood nearby without getting called even once. And despite the delicious smells wafting through the air, the idea of Yunho and San left a bile taste on his tongue.