Wonwoo was falling again into an endless abyss and this time he was sure there won't be another universe with a raven eyed man to catch him falling.
It felt like he was falling towards something with a furious intensity. His hands reached out to his consciousness clutching onto the thinnest string of light.
"Hyung!"
A mellow voice poked his ears as his mind slowly started to awaken. Pools of raven eyes were hovering over his hazy eye view as he opened his eyes.
"Mingyu ya.."
Tears ran down Mingyu's cheek as he saw the man he nursed day and night finally open his eyes. Without a minute to spare he hugged the prince into a tight hug.
Wonwoo winced in pain as his lower abdomen throbbed, despite the pain he didn't want to let go of his lover's embrace.
The intensity was almost frightening with which he yearned for Mingyu's love.
After Minguy stopped crying ,Wonwoo finally surveyed his surroundings as the memories of the sacrifice night rushed to him like a nauseating whirlwind "Where are we? Are the girls safe?"
"It's the Lakeview Residence. Crown Prince Jeonghan sent us here since the situation at the palace is very bad. The public is in an uproar. And Don't worry most of them are safe."
Wonwoo tried to recall the bits of memory from that night "What happened after I was unconscious?"
Mingyu squeezed his eyes shut afraid to recall that night when he almost lost Wonwoo. He lost his mind after Wonwoo passed out, his memory was like a haze with bits of recollection
"I can't remember much, everything was a mess, Prince Jeonghan killed Iseul at somepoint, a lot of the girls almost died but luckily my soldiers arrived on time for back up. We were able to capture the Queen. Now she is in the prison for interrogation."
Wonwoo's brows knitted in disappointment and despair. He felt he would be the one to blame if something happened to Jangmi "Are Jangmi and Nako safe?"
"They are okay. But there are other issues. You just woke up rest a bit and eat your food. Prince Jeonghan will be here soon after settling things in the capital."
Mingyu broke down again after seeing the prince in pain. Wonwoo couldn't help but find this adorable. After a long time in his life he was genuinely this happy to be alive. It felt wrong with all the possible deaths that might have occurred after he passed out but finding Mingyu next to him after a long nightmare felt like a blissful moment. Being stabbed by a sword was finally worth it, if Mingyu was there right next to him taking care of him.
He has so many things to tell Mingyu but at that moment all he could do was pull Mingyu into a kiss.
Mingyu was taken aback for a moment but he reciprocated the kiss with equal yearning. He leaned towards the prince and let his hand carefully grab the back of the princes neck. He was too scared to break the kiss, so he kept kissing the prince again and again after every gasp of breath.
Mingyu was scared that that prince might walk away once again if he broke the kiss but much to his surprise the prince smiled and kissed his forehead when they finally broke the kiss.
It was spring now, Mingyu spent endless nights begging and crying to God to let the love of his life live, now that his love was finally awake he kissed Wonwoo like a silent prayer to the universe.
The next few days were blurred in happy echoes of laughter all around the residence. Once Wonwoo was able to move they walked for long hours in the evening serenity under the faint lingering scent of the cherry blossoms. Each of the paths were imprinted with pink petals shrouding the entired residence in a pinkish hue.
Wonwoo was already a simp but a Mingyu basking in the morning sunlight was a situation he never anticipated. He felt jealous of the sunlight dancing on his melanin skin making even the cherry blossoms fade in front of his glow.
"What are you looking at?"
Wonwoo was flustered that Mingyu noticed his staring but this didn't stop Wonwoo from gawking "Why? I am looking at you."
Mingyu couldn't belive this was the same prince who avoided him like a plague when they first kissed.
He was amazed with all these shades of the prince he was discovering every day. He walked towards the prince his eyes unmoving as he slid his hands into the prince's leaning in for a kiss but a loud voice interrupted the moment.
"Wonwoo yaaa..."
Wonwoo jerked his head towards the distance and he could see three men walking towards them, even though his eyes couldn't see that far, he was very familiar with that voice, it was Jeonghan.
Mingyu was pissed that his moment was lost, yet Lakeview Residence belonged to the crown prince, it was not his place to complain about the interruption.
Soon the place was filled with the contagious giggles of Prince Chan and Jeonghan as they hugged Wonwoo. Seungcheol akwardly smiled at Wonwoo yet it was clear that he was very happy to see the young prince alive.
Thr next fews days were a hell for Mingyu as Prince Jeonghan spent most of his time talking to Wonwoo while he was stuck with Seungcheol practicing their skills.
Wonwoo's forehead creased as he asked about the Queen "So what else have you discovered from her?"
Jeonghan's eyes flared as he continued with the gore details of their wrongdoings "My mother, your mother, the queen at the banquet! All were killed by them. She lost her mind losing Prince Iseul, so it was easier to make her confess. They played a major role in human trafficking too. From now on we have to take certain measures to make sure something like this never happens again."
His eyes were fixed on Wonwoo as he continued "I want you to lead the investigation team after I am crowned the King. I trust you, at this point I feel like the only people I can trust are you guys only. I need your support."
Wonwoo was too much of a lazy bone but investigating crimes was the closest thing to games in this world so he had no reason to decline the offer. Moreover he wanted to do something for people like Jangmi who felt necessary to hide their true selves, he wanted to create a safe place for these people.
"I will accept but only on one condition. I want to create a safe space for people like Jangmi and Nako or any other people who feels afraid to exist as their true selves. If you help me to build such a place, I will forever follow you till my death."
Jeonghan's eyes softened as he took in the prince in front of him. He always liked Wonwoo from the moment he first talked with him, there was something familar and honest about him.
"I guess then you are stuck with me for life. These girls that we saved most of their families chased them away calling them impure, I have already prepared for all of them to live in Lakeview Residence and take care of this place. There is a lot of land, with time more residences could be built here, I hope this place of my mother turns out to be a safe place to all. I can't undo their scars but I can give them a balm."
Wonwoo's eyes lit up at the idea and almost made Jeonghan fall as he jumped to hug him "Thank you. I guess I am truly stuck with you for life."
Jeonghan chuckled as he pushed Wonwoo away when he saw Mingyu shooting daggers at him with his glares "Your personal guard is very possessive I see. I don't want to die, go back to him."
Wonwoo's face flushed in embarrasment as he bid Jeonghan and walked away towards the pouty Mingyu.
When finally the night sky covered the space leading towards the pavillion of sleep, Mingyu kept hugging Wonwoo despite his protests.
"I can't breath you are too huge..don't forget my wounds are still unhealed."
Mingyu wavered for a minute yet he decided to ignore the Prince's protests and hugged him into a cocoon.
Seungcheol's eyes traced the bare back of the crown prince as he let his hand explore the tiny crevices of the prince's backbone.
He couldn't pinpoint the particular moment when he first fell for this man sleeping in his arms.
Maybe it was the day this witty prince fought with the King to take him in or maybe it was one of those nights when he fell asleep to the slow rhythms of the prince's heartbeat.
All these years and he couldn't figure out why he was falling harder and harder for this man. Jeonghan was not just a pretty face, he was witty, cunning and strong beyond anyone's imagination and underneath all that he was just a silly cute noisy person who loved to cuddle on cold nights.
Seungcheol whispered the name only he was allow to use with the Crown prince "My angel....are you asleep?"
Jeonghan shuffled closer into the guards' hug and managed to shake his head.
It's been years yet he couldn't fathom how a person like him manged to be the lover of a person like Jeonghan "Why do you love me? I mean you are so amazing...and I...uh...I am just..."
"Ssshh...Ddaddu. How many times are you going to ask me that question? But if want to know, ummmm well... I love your smile, your random giggles, your freaking eyelashes, your perfect face and more than anything I love the way how you deeply care for the people around you."
"You are going to be the King soon and a king needs a queen, maybe we have to stop this one day."
At this Jeonghan shot up from his comfortable position "What do you mean by 'stop this one day'? Seungcheol ah...you know I don't care about rumors, I already settled this with my father that any son of the other princes can have the throne after me, I am never letting you go, you are very important to me, I hope you know that, I am not keeping you around just so that you could protect me or sleep with me. I need you around me, because life with you makes sense and I know I am capable enough to manage a kingdom without any connections to the families of the ministers. I have you guys with me to support me."
Seungcheol's eyes softened as he looked at those determined eyes of the prince, he chuckled as he grabbed the prince's neck towards him for a kiss and let his free hand explore the prince's body, it soon escalated very quickly to a night of heated passion.
The next morning was greeted by the arrival of the new maids who were still scared with the idea of moving to another residence. At first they were anxious and cautious but by the end of the evening they felt safe and comfortable enough to run around the residence happily.
Wonwoo spent hours talking with Nako and Jangmi and reassured them that in this place they could just be themselves and love each other. He made sure to converse with every girl and reassure them that it was a safe place and that they could always ask for Wonwoo or send him a letter through Jangmi when they are in any kind of trouble.
Seungcheol did the same but in a very reserved manner by handing out sweets to them.
The time to leave the Lakeview residence was sooner than they had anticipated as there was an uproar in the court, it was necessary for Jeonghan to claim his duties.
So within the next few days they set out for their return journey towards the reality leaving behind their happy blissful moments in the Lakeview Residence.