He Walks Alone in the Moonlight [COMPLETED]

UNFOUNDED SUSPICION

The Crown prince and his companions were sat in a semi-circle in his room, each with a steaming cup of tea before them. "I will tell you all what I saw in that cave, but I need you to listen to me without interruption-" a pointed glance at Chang, "or questions." Another look, this time at Songmin. They all nodded in agreement, Minjoo already nursing his cup of tea with a sense of boredom, as if he was about to hear a story he was told a thousand times before. Although the nonchalance ground at the Crown prince's nerve, he understood why Minjoo had decided to keep an air of disinterest. The others were clearly tense, and if they saw that Minjoo, who already knew the truth, more of it than they ever would, was not uneasy, it would help soothe their nerves.

The crown prince started by describing the witch he had met, her appearance, the tea she had offered him, the potential for a choice to be made. Then he repeated the question the witch had asked him before he entered the first vision.

"She asked me if I was familiar with the phrase 'the one with which I walk the moonlit path'." The prince paused, reading his companions' faces.

"That's a stupid question, everyone knows the phrase. It's practically everyone's dream to find the one with which they will walk the moonlit path. Some spend their whole lives search- wait," Chang paused, then looked at the prince in disbelief. "Did she show you who your fated was? Is that why..."

"I bet it was that manservant, wasn't it?" Songmin cut in with a smug grin, and Jaeon grunted his agreement.

"No way! If that's the case, you're royally fucked-"

"I'm very much aware of that, Park Chang! Minjoo gave me an earful when he found out as well, and none of what the rest of you say will be any worse than the berating I gave myself," the prince ground out, massaging his temples.

"Is it true, though? How do you know? It could be dangerous to let a stranger close to you just because you saw him in a witch's vision," Jaeon suddenly grew suspicious, but it was his duty to be wary of any who tried to get close to the crown prince. The Crown Prince and Minjoo shared a look, knowing that either couldn't give the reason for the prince's sudden change of heart, the fact that he had witnessed Jihyun give the ultimate sacrifice for him. So instead the prince described the scene that the witch had shown him, that Jihyun was in his bed, knew and called the prince by his name.

"That is why I believe it to be true, so although I can't forbid you from having your suspicions, I'm ordering you to protect Jihyun as you would me. That goes for all of you. He will be treated with the respect he deserves as my other half and the protection that comes with that as well."

"And what of the coup? Did you see anything of that in your visions?" Songmin was as greedy for the success of the coup as the crown prince, since his father and the king worked hand in hand.

"No, there was nothing of the coup." The crown prince's tone was final, and the others didn't question further. Jaeon, however, had known the prince since birth and didn't miss the way Doyoon's shoulders tensed at the question. The crown prince was hiding something. This only strengthened his suspicion of the witch and the injured manservant.

"So he really is coming to palace with us? We'll have to pack more supplies. And who is he going to ride with? I doubt a servant knows how to ride a horse, and there's no way he'll want to ride with you," Chang said, earning a warning hiss from Minjoo. "What, it's true!" Chang held his hands up in defense.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. The doctor said Jihyun won't be ready to travel for another two weeks," there was a weariness in the crown prince's voice that was unusual for such a powerful man. Doyoon was finally letting the exhaustion hit him after telling his companions his vision, and knowing that Jihyun had eaten and gotten his wounds treated. "Minjoo, return to Jihyun's room. Ask that doctor to show you how to treat him in case his wounds reopen on the road. The rest of you, gather Jihyun's belongings and whatever extra supplies we will need." After their dismissal, the crown prince collapsed on his mat, falling asleep to dreams of soft lips and large brown eyes.