^silver haired Jisung inspired literally this entire story ^u^
Minho pushed his back into the wall, his breathing thankfully muffled by the mask covering his face. He listened intently as the footsteps faded away, and he sagged, pulling his mask down and grabbing the small canteen hanging from his hip. This was Seungmin's job for a reason, Minho was not all that suited to sneaking.
Four days had passed since Jisung was taken. Four days filled with useless searching and sleepless nights. And by now, Minho knew it would be impossible to find his prince while working in official capacity. Not only did being a member of the royal family slow him down, guards and those under the Moon King's thumb slowed him down at every turn and sent him in the wrong direction.
So finally, Minho decided to take matters into his own hands. He wasn't sure what happened to Seungmin or where he had gone, but it seemed he had to take over the job of being his own spy.
He was nearly to the limits of the city, but with everything going on, guards swarmed every inch of the streets and patrolled the limits. Minho was the one to set the patrols out, but he still didn't want to be caught up in convincing his soldiers to let him take off on his own without informing anyone else. Like a criminal in his own home, he was escaping the City of the Sun, all in search of his love.
It took much longer than he wanted or anticipated, but Minho was finally able to make it out of the city, and he set out heading East. During their searches, Aja consistently directed Minho in that general direction, so that was his best start. The griffin would be a few hours behind him, mostly to avoid further suspicion that something was wrong, but at least he would have her to help with the search.
The closest town to the city was small and quiet, and according to the Moon King, it was searched thoroughly. Minho didn't believe that for a second, so he was set on looking into every crack and corner. He had to find something. Anything.
And he did.
An abandoned restaurant drew his attention some time after entering the town, and once Minho found his way inside, he was certain he found where the kidnappers had kept Jisung at some point. The front area was clearly used as a space for them to eat and rest, as freshly burnt candles were spread along with dirty dishes and a few items the criminals forgot.
The kitchen were recently used, the smell of food still lingering in the air, and the stairs leading down to the basement were scattered with a few empty bottles of alcohol, likely from those standing on guard. The back pantry was empty save for some trash. And then Minho reached the cooler where produce and dairy was typically store, and he felt sick to his stomach.
The heavy metal door of the room was lightly splattered with blood on the inside, and a thin blanket laying in the corner of the room was splattered as well. Lastly, two short chains were hanging from where they were embedded into the stone wall.
He was about to leave, if only to get some air, when he noticed a strange shape in the darker corner of the room, and he quickly grabbed a torch off the wall to light it. As soon as light spilled into his vision, Minho felt the first hint of hope prick into his heart. Four bodies lay where they were thrown in the corner, very clearly having been strangled to death by a chain or having their necks broken.
Jisung had fought back, and that saved him, because Minho could very clearly see the bodies adorning symbols of Banscar. He tore one of the badges off the bodies and quickly left the building. If he moved fast, he could catch up with them. He had to.
◇◇◇
Jisung's head snapped up, and he blinked several times in an attempt to keep himself awake. At the sound of a low laugh, he glanced to the side uneasily.
On the other side of the wagon he was forced into sat the bear of a man that didn't believe Jisung was capable of killing his men. The Bear was proven wrong the moment he tried having the Prince moved to this wagon, because now one of his best guards was dead, and Jisung was only successfully moved to this wagon with the help of five other men.
"Just let yourself sleep, you will need all the rest you can get, little prince."
Jisung glanced away again. He was still chained, starving, and now he was trapped in this small space with The Bear. He was not going to give up his last line of defense by letting himself fall asleep.
"I have to say, you are much stronger than anyone gives you credit for. Going without food for a week must have made you desperate by now."
Jisung didn't move from where he hugged his legs to his chest, but he flinched at the mention of desperation. He would do anything to have even a small piece of bread. But he didn't want to risk being drugged again.
The Bear shifted, making Jisung's snap back to him in alarm. But he just pulled something from the small bag at his side. "Look, I have these. You can eat them, I'm sure you want to." He unwrapped the brown cloth bundled in his big hands revealing what appeared to be little biscuits typically carried by those that traveled more often than not.
Jisung stared at the food, his fingers twitching to reach forward and take it. The gnaw of hunger was nearly all-consuming, and it took every ounce of will to stay where he was.
"Come on, little prince. You need strength, don't you?" The Bear leaned forward, putting the food within reach. "I assure you they're quite good. Each one is flavored differently, and they stay fresh for a long time."
Jisung forced himself to look away, and the quick movement sent his head spinning with dizziness. Or did the wagon always rock like this?
"There we go."
Suddenly, Jisung's eyes flew open when he realized they'd fallen closed, and he jerked back at the sight of The Bear standing in front of him, hand already on the chains holding the prince's wrists.
He yanked the chain, sending Jisung falling forward and nearly off the little bench he was seated on. He tried leaning back to kick the man away, but he was much stronger and bigger than the prince, easily pulling and forcing him down.
Jisung's back hit the floor, and a hoarse yelp wrenched from his parched throat as The Bear pinned him down with his whole body.
"Your strength ran out. Now be a good slave and take this," the man growled, now trying to force the food into Jisung's mouth.
The only thing Jisung could do was thrash his head back and forth, clenching his jaw tightly. Panic and fear were beginning to seep into his chest, staining his lungs and clouding his head.
"Fine, just take the vial, it will be much easier." The Bear grabbed his jaw in a painful grip, and a whimper of fear tumbled from Jisung's mouth. The man pulled a small vial from his breast pocket. "Just let it happen," he hummed to the struggling Prince.
A piercing, blood-curdling scream shattered the air outside, making the man's head jerk up. And then the wagon shook and rocked violently, the cracking of wood deafening as massive claws embedded themselves into the top of the wagon.
The moment The Bear stood up, Jisung rolled to his side, curling around himself and covering his head. Another deafening noise split the air, and just like that, moonlight was pouring down into the wagon. The man let out a bellow, which was quickly followed by a crash.
Jisung peeked out from under his arms, and a sob shook out of him at the sight of Aja standing above him tearing The Bear apart. The griffin grabbed his body and flew out of sight. Shouts and chaos rang in from outside, and then someone dropped down into the wagon.
The tall figure grabbed Jisung's chains, harshly pulling the Prince to his feet and making him so dizzy he nearly fell over. Jisung braced his feet, trying to pull back from the man attempting to pull him out of the wagon.
Another figure that was all too familiar jumped down, sword drawn and visibly dripping with blood. The man holding Jisung reacted instantly, spinning around and throwing the Moon Prince in front of him.
Jisung tried breaking free, but he was forced to freeze when a cold blade pushed against his throat.
"One more step and the slave gets it," the man hissed, his blade digging into Jisung's neck so harshly it was beginning to draw blood.
"Let him go and I might give you a painless death," the Sun Prince's cold voice came.
Elation flooded Jisung's tight chest at the sound of that voice, and a new wave of strength surged through him. He threw his body back as hard as he could, sending the captor stumbling and falling against the side of the wagon still intact. The man's grip vanished, but before Jisung could recover from the next wave of dizziness, his chains were grabbed.
Jisung felt the sting of the chain, felt his body move. He slammed into the wall with a yelp of pain as the man threw him like a doll. He was barely aware that his head had connected with the wall before he crumpled to the floor.
Above him, the man screamed in agony as a sword protruded through his chest so violently that it lifted him off his feet.
Minho jerked his sword free and kicked the man so hard his body crashed through the thick wood of the wagon and out of sight.
From his place on the floor, Jisung could see the Sun Prince practically glowing with rage, but that fury vanished as soon as he turned to the Moon Prince and sheathed his sword.
"Jisung!" He was instantly engulfed in a warm embrace, Minho's scent and voice flooding his senses. "I found you, I found you. I've got you, you're safe now."
With his chained hands, all Jisung could do was fall into Minho's arms limply, burying his face into his chest. "Is this real?" he breathed out, voice so rough it was nearly inaudible.
"It's real, my love, I promise." Minho's voice was shaky, but his touch was sure and solid. "You're safe now," he soothed, holding Jisung tightly. "You're safe."
"I'm safe," Jisung whispered, his fingers curling into Minho's shirt.
For a time, the two princes remained there, tangled together in pure relief of seeing each other again. Jisung's racing heart slowly began to calm down, and as he relaxed in the shelter of Minho's arms, he felt the full weight of exhaustion fall over his body like a blanket of stone.
"Come on, let's get you up. We need to get somewhere safe," Minho finally said quietly, adjusting Jisung in his arms so he was able to lift him up as he stood. He turned and climbed out of the wagon slowly to avoid jostling the Moon Prince too much.
Aja was there instantly, nudging Jisung with her giant beak as soft trills and low purrs hummed from her chest. A small smile curled the edges of his lips, and he reached out to caress her cheek.
"I'm alright, Aja. Thank you for saving me."
The griffin dipped her head, nudging him one last time in assurance before lowering herself to the ground. Minho raised Jisung up to sit on her back and then mounted her as well. "You know where to go."
When the griffin pushed to her feet, Jisung nearly fell to the side due to the wave of nausea and dizziness that rushed through his skull. Minho quickly caught him and held him close, like he was about to disintegrate.
"Sleep, Jisung," Minho whispered. It nearly sounded like he was going to cry. "Sleep and rest, I've got you."
Jisung no longer had the need or the will to fight, and he let his eyes fall closed. It wasn't long before he drifted off to the sound of Aja's steady wings and the feeling of the cool breeze ruffling through his hair.
◇◇◇
Jisung woke to the sound of murmuring voices, and he bolted upright. He'd fallen asleep. What did they do to him? Where was he?
He quickly felt around his body, but his panic slowly began to fade as he realized he was dressed in warm, dark clothes. Chains no longer held him down, and he was laying on a small, comfortable bed rather than a ratty blanket on a cement floor. He released a deep breath of relief, and he realized, again, that he was clean. That or he was suddenly smelling like soft soap for no reason.
Minho came for him. Minho saved him. It seemed too good to be true. But Jisung wanted to believe it, so he carefully slid to the floor and took his time getting to the door on the other side of the small room. As he pushed it open, the murmured voice became clear.
"You truly think I could do that?" Was that Jeongin's voice?
"I know you can," Minho assured confidently, softly. "You're a prince of Banscar, you have power in who you are and where you stand. If one of your brothers is willing to listen like you said, I believe we can achieve the goal we've been working toward."
"I like your enthusiasm, but the only other way this could go is toward war." That was Prince Hyunjin. "Two crazy kings have teamed up, crazy and power do not mix, if history has taught us anything."
Minho's tone grew determined. "If a fight is coming, I suggest we do whatever it takes to make it end. We are the future rulers of the four largest and most influential countries on the continent, we are capable of bringing peace."
"What about the Moon King?" Hyunjin asked quietly. "The King of Banscar is old and dying, his influence is weak. But the Moon? He rules one of the largest armies in the world, if he truly wanted to, he could devour us and our cause."
"Not if he's dead," Minho snapped, making Jisung jump slightly.
"I don't think killing a descendant of one of the gods is a very good idea," Jeongin pointed out nervously.
Jisung decided it was his time to stop in. After all, he had the most to say about his own father. Still using the wall as support, he stepped out of the little hall he was previously hiding in to see the three other princes sitting at a small dining table while Felix was seated nearby at a small bar.
"If we want to bring my father to his knees, we have to remove his influence and power by force. Not his life."
Minho was on his feet immediately, rushing over to support Jisung with his body. "I didn't realize you were awake, how are you feeling?"
Jisung smiled at the others as Minho helped him to a chair. "I'm alright, just weak."
"Felix, could you grab him some food?" Hyunjin asked. The bodyguard quickly did as told, and the Prince of Fire reached for Jisung's hand. "Are you sure you're alright, Your Highness?"
A small smile. "I'm sure." He'd only met Prince Hyunjin a few times, but he'd always liked him and his general attitude toward life.
Jeongin was looking away, twisting the rings on his fingers anxiously. Like he was feeling guilty. Upon closer look, it even appeared as if he was going to cry.
Jisung quickly grabbed the young prince's arm. "I'm not going to condemn you or your country simply because of the decisions of a few bad people. If I did that, I might as well hate my family and my entire kingdom for the things my father has done."
Jeongin took Jisung's hand, leaning down to press his forehead against it. "I'm so sorry, Prince Jisung. I truly am. I want to- I have to change everything."
"Then we'll work together to change it all," Jisung soothed, leaning over to carefully embrace him.
"And... how will we do that?"
It went quiet for a moment, and Jisung realized that all eyes were on him. But for good reason. He glanced up at Minho. "I think I have a few ideas."
◇◇◇
That night, Minho held Jisung close, his heart pounding and likely bothering the Moon Prince pressed against his chest, but he didn't care. He had his love in his arms again after a week of worry and panic that he would never see him again.
After finding that awful place where Jisung was kept, Minho spent over twenty hours following the barely-there trail of those captors, and if it wasn't for Aja, he wouldn't have found them as quickly as he did.
Minho had practically turned into an animal. He'd gone crazy in his search, and as soon as he found that wagon, as soon as he laid eyes on his love chained, half-dressed, and looking sickly, he broke down. He couldn't believe he found Jisung so quickly. If he hadn't, he would travel to the ends of the earth, burning it as he went until he found his Prince again. Everything surrounding the situation... scared him.
"Minho," Jisung whispered after some time, reaching up to hold onto the Sun Prince's arms, "it's going to be okay."
"That's what I thought before you were taken," he whispered in response, tightening his hold and curling around Jisung until there was no space between their bodies. A bit unexpectedly, his throat constricted as he emotion rose through him. "I almost lost you."
"But you didn't."
Minho's attempt at blinking his tears away failed, and he closed his eyes, instead letting them fall. "I'm terrified of losing you, Jisung. Terrified of who I would become if I did. And I have failed in protecting you over and over again." He buried his face into Jisung's silver hair. "I'm sorry, my love. I'm so sorry."
Jisung turned over, being sure to stay close as he cupped Minho's face. "I'm here, I'm alright, I promise."
"But-"
"Minho," Jisung pushed, making their gazes meet. "You... you have no right to feel any sort of shame right now," he said, his own voice growing choked. "You're the one who has saved me. Every. Single. Time." Minho caught Jisung's tears with his thumbs while the Moon Prince continued. "Every time my father hurt me or sent others to do so, you were there for me. You."
Hearing those simple words brought some clarity to Minho's clouded mind, and he released a deep breath, giving a small nod. "And I'll continue to be here."
Jisung closed his eyes, dropping his forehead against Minho's. "And I'll always be there for you."
Their lips met in a soft kiss, a reminder of their love, a promise that wouldn't be broken. And for a long moment they simply held each other, trying to fall asleep.
"Do you think your plan will work?" Minho asked after a time.
"I hope so." Jisung's eyes opened again to meet Minho's. "And even if it doesn't I'll do whatever it takes to free myself, to free our love, and to free everyone else from my father's cruelty."
Minho kissed Jisung's head. "Whatever it takes."
----------------------- Told ya the angst wouldn't be that terribly long. Especially at this point in the book, it would just be dragging it out, ya know?
What do you think Jisung's plan is?
Where is Seungmin?
Stay tuned.
Thanks for reading ٩(｡•́‿•̀｡)۶