With the prince traveled a long line of people. Sending the crown prince alone would leave him weak and defenseless, as there was strength in numbers. So, the king had sent not only his first general, but some lords, friends of Minho's, as well.
Young Master Hwang Hyunjin
Young Master Bang Chan
Young Master Kim Seungmin
(Prince) Lee Yongbok
Captain Jeon Wonwoo
General Jeon Jungkook
As the group moved farther and farther from the large capital and the palace, the deeper Minho's longing for home grew. And he had just left. How was he going to handle being away for such a long time?
General Jeon was quick to take the lead, allowing Minho to fall in step with him. "I will tell you this now, Your Highness. If your brother didn't think that this was going to be a dangerous journey, he would not have sent both my brother and me. So, this journey will definitely not go without its challenges. Just know that now."
Minho nodded. "You are in charge of our vast army. I trust that you will be able to get me safely to our destination."
The general bowed his head. "I will not fail you, Your Highness!"
Minho nodded. "Good. Until then, please just make sure that we are safe, and heading in the right direction!"
Hwang Hyunjin shouted from the back. "Are we going in the right direction?"
Bang Chan frowned back at Hyunjin. "I should hope so. Otherwise, it will take even longer to get there!" he looked at Minho. "I love you, but I don't want to be stuck out here with you."
Minho nodded. That was fair.
The crown prince's cousin trotted up next to Bang Chan. "If that is so, we will need a proper guide," he looked at General Jeon's stern brow. "Not that I'm suggesting that you're a bad guide."
Bang Chan chuckled. "Are you kidding? The second Seungmin found out he was going on the trip, he started tearing through all the maps he owns! If we really need a guide, I'm sure that he will be sufficient."
Minho rolled his eyes. "We will be fine. There is no reason to worry just yet."
The prince was right. The first real danger was not to come till nightfall, when the group stopped in a forest clearing. Small tents were set up for the prince and the masters. Lee Yongbok insisted on sleeping next to his cousin. He wanted to make sure that he was near Minho, just in case.
The general was sitting by the slowly dying fire. He stared at the embers that leaped from the main blazing shape. Captain Wonwoo leaned against a tree, watching his younger brother with worry. Not that Jungkook was leaving anything behind. He was a cold-hearted general who had nothing and nobody in his heart. If he did, he felt as though it would only slow him down. Which was what worried Wonwoo. But he said nothing, and just watched his brother.
Bang Chan, who had been warming by the fire, stood and stretched. "Alright then. I'll be heading to my tiny tent now!" he made his way back to the tent that sat in the shadows of a tall tree.
Everyone else was already in their tents as well. Seungmin, still studying maps, Yongbok, worrying about his cousin's mission, and Hyunjin, wondering what things he could steal from Seungmin without his noticing. Minho, however, lay on his mat, staring at the top of his tent. He would cut a hole in the top, he decided. He would like to see the stars, if he had to sleep outside.
The first half of the night was silent. Just birds, and trees, and nothing more.
But then, somewhere in the night, a man dressed in all black began to jump through the trees like a shadow.
Two silver, fine blades hung behind his back. As he jumped from tree to tree, he began to reach for them. There were tents up ahead. Tents of men who could not be trusted. He would have to investigate.
The fire that was in the center of the camp flickered. One man sat by the fire, the flames dancing across his serious face. The darkly dressed man's eyes narrowed. As he jumped down, the leaves under him crackled. He mentally cursed himself for forgetting the leaves on the ground were crunchy and stiff.
In an instant, the man by the fire was on his feet, eyes wide and alert. He was clearly a trained warrior, as he was alert the second the other, unknown man's feet touched the ground.
"Captain!" he hissed, his blades flickering from bright silver to black as the fire's embers drifted by, "Wake the prince. We are not alone."
"Brother... don't you think it could be an animal, perhaps?"
"There was only one crunch. Had it been an animal walking, we would have heard more than one."
"What if it's from the trees?"
"Then, being an animal, all it's legs would have made noise."
"And a bird?"
"Then we would have heard it swoop down."
The captain seemed this to be sufficient evidence, as he ran off towards the largest tent that was set up. And the man that had addressed him... he addressed him with authority. He must have been a general of some type.
The man in all black could not move. If he were to move now, he would make too much noise, and, seeing as how many tents were up, the men would be one him in minutes. He was fast, but they had horses.
The general slowly made his way closer, right as more noble-looking and sleepy men threw open their tent's entrances. They parted ways for perhaps the one who must have been the prince, as he held his head higher than any of them. "General. What is it?"
"There is a man in the trees," the general said, staring right at the darkly dressed man. He knew where he was, and he was threatening him, silently.
Slowly, the man within the shadows started to walk forward, towards the only source of light. Right as he was nearing the prince, another smaller man stepped in.
"Who are you, and what business do you have?" hissed the smaller man, who had his sword raised in the air, ready to strike.
The darkly dressed man wore a mask, and as of now, it was of no convenience, as it made him a mystery.
"I am not here to harm you. But you are intruding on the Han Kingdom's land. And you are not of the Han Kingdom. I would know you."
"So, you know every person in the Han Kingdom?"
"No, but I know the royals. What is your name?"
The smaller man glanced behind him at his prince, who nodded. He turned to the Dark Man. "I am Lord Lee Yongbok of the Lee Kingdom."
"Yongbok..." another, older man chided. He turned to the mysterious man. "He is a prince of the Lee Kingdom. He just doesn't wish to-"
"I am not a prince!" Yongbok growled, startling the men around him. "Unlike Minho, I have done nothing to earn that title."
"That title is not something to be earned," the mysterious man said quietly, confused by Prince Yongbok's outburst. "It is something you are born into."
"Maybe for you," Yongbok said in merely a whispering voice. "But not to me," he turned away slightly, now standing at the prince's side, as the mysterious man bowed in greeting.
"I am Prince Lee Minho. I am traveling to meet the Crown Prince Han Jisung."
The intruding man stood up. "I am Seo Changbin. And I know exactly where you need to go. To say the least, I want to be your guide back to the Han Palace. If not, you will not find it, I can guarantee."
"Why should we trust you?" Yongbok asked, his eyes narrowed.
Changbin smiled slightly, more like a smirk towards the lord. "I am not trusting you to travel alone, and if you are with me, no one will bother you. I have to go towards the palace anyway."
"And then, what do we owe you?" the general asked.
"Nothing," Changbin told him. "General...?"
"General Jeon Jungkook," Prince Minho told him. "And this is his brother, Captain Wonwoo. And Young Masters Bang Chan, Hwang Hyunjin and Kim Seungmin. You might as well know there names, since you are leading us to the palace."
"But, Prince Minho-" Minho cut Yongbok off with a sharp glare. He sighed, but nodded. "Yes, cousin."
Seo Changbin's smile turned true. "Yongbok. That is a nice sounding name."
Yongbok nodded glumly. "My cousin named me."
"The King?"
"Indeed."
"Well then, isn't Yongbok a royal name."
"It is not!" Yonbok lashed out again. Everyone glanced over with a raised eyebrow, except for Prince Minho, the general, and Changbin. Instead, Changbin looked at him with a new interest.
The silence spread through the group, until Changbin spoke up. "Well, you are at a bandit gathering spot right now. I suggest you move, before more murders happen at this spot."
The general glanced at his brother, before he nodded. "Yes. We shall do that immediately."
It took the young masters awhile to pack their things, and even longer for their men, who were a small distance away, to catch on to what had happened, and rush to pack up their things as well.
It seemed like the prince was the only one that trusted Seo Changbin. Seungmin made sure that he was in the back of the group, the farthest from the new stranger, and Hyunjin shot him nervous looks every few seconds. Bang Chan guarded himself, and always kept his back from being towards Changbin. And then Yongbok.... Yongbok barley tore his eyes away from him. He just kept staring at him, with unwavering eyes.
Finally, the group had everything packed up, and loaded their things into the carts, and onto their animals. Minho stood by Cho, stroking his neck.
"That is a fine horse," Changbin said, coming up to greet the prince.
"Yes, indeed. Since I was little, he had been my favorite," he turned away from the horse to face Changbin. "I will see to it that you have a horse."
"No need," Changbin reassured him. "Lord Yongbok has already done so," he pointed out a dark stallion that stood against a tree.
"He has gifted you his horse?"
Changbin's eyes narrowed. "That is Yongbok's horse?"
Minho nodded slowly. "That horse is his pride and joy. I think... that might be the only enjoyment he has, and his only escape from the palace."
"Really?" Changbin's eyes searched around the camp to find the young master. He could not find him. "I will have to thank him for letting me ride him later."
Minho nodded. He left Changbin to his horse, and made his way towards the general. "Are we ready to go?"
Jungkook glanced at his brother, who nodded. "I think we are, Prince."
"Right," Minho turned, walked back to his horse, and quickly mounted him, guiding him to the front of the group. There, along with Changbin, and then general and Yongbok behind them, did Minho start off towards the rise that was a long mountain range. Where the sun would soon be rising.
The group made their way through the trees, scaring many wild animals as the large group of royals and their men came through. Some men laughed and shot at the stray birds that flew up into the brightening sky, and some just stared up at the mountains that seemingly were getting larger.
Changbin led them out of the forest, and into a grassland. By this time, the sun was reaching the top of the mountains, glaring down at them. The high grass brushed against the larger horse's stomachs, some prancing around as it tickled them. The smaller ones half disappeared, and the small mules disappeared altogether.
Minho reached down to brush the grass with his strong, steady hands. He smiled as he remembered that this was no longer his land, but that land of the Han's.
He was now one step closer to the Crown Prince Han.