Crimson Crown

⌠77⌡

"Are the lovebirds ready to go?" Mark teased as he lugged himself onto his horse.

"Hush Mark. Just lead the way." Jinyoung grumbled with a roll of his eyes.

The three had all awoken early to head out to Cornelia; Jinyoung was focused on getting to their destination more than anything. He was nervous despite having some of the most trustworthy people around him, and the tensity of his nerves was practically palpable.

"Alright, alright..." Mark chuckled, finally turning his horse in the proper direction and leading the others off.

The group embarked on their journey through the forest, using thin paths that were covered in overgrowth from the lack of use. It was best to go this way since it would be difficult to be located while taking an unused path. Mark lead the way while Jinyoung was sandwiched in the middle, and Jackson brought up the rear. It was easier to protect the prince this way, and of course, Jackson simply wanted to keep his eye on him at all times.

Jinyoung wondered what the kingdom of Cornelia would be like; he couldn't imagine it being much different from Alveras, especially with how close the two were geographically. Though he did realize that, unlike Alveras which was surrounded by a ring of wild forest, Cornelia was enclosed behind a large concrete wall. There was no way to sneak into the kingdom; he began to wonder just how they were going to get in there in the first place.

"Jackson, um... how did you get into Cornelia on your own?" He called back, his voice cutting through the serene white noise of the forest.

"I bribed the guards. Most royal guards are underpaid it seems, so it was quite easy." He replied.

Jinyuong hummed; he hadn't expected such a feat to be so simple. "Maybe the Cornelian economy is not as good as it should be..."

"I doubt that's the case; it seems that subjects of all royals are undervalued and underpaid no matter the kingdom." Jackson shrugged.

"No-... are they?" Jinyoung frowned as he looked forward to Mark who was eavesdropping on the conversation.

The elder faced front, letting out a soft sigh. "I keep my mouth shut to avoid scrutiny from the royals but... a few extra coins to the staff working their arse off all day and night would be appreciated..."

Jinyoung was quite flabbergasted. Yet another issue he was blind to right under his nose; it suddenly felt like he'd been taking advantage of the people who always took care of him around the palace, only to find out they did not get a fair share in return.

"I did not know this- I shall change that immediately, I apologize-!"

"It is not your fault, it is just how the world is." Mark chuckled as his eyes drifted to the light blue morning sky. "Trust me, most of us are used to it."

Jinyoung faltered, unsure of how to respond. He was so sheltered from this world, that he had no idea what others were experiencing. All his life he's had a certain outlook on the world he was living in, and though he was empathetic toward others, he still didn't realize just how fortunate he was. There was so more that he wanted to fix, that needed to be fixed, but he lacked the power and know-how to do so. He wanted to be a better prince, yet barely took care of the people around him- if only his parents trusted him more, he could try to make a great, fairer kingdom for everyone. Though he still somewhat doubted his own ability, he at least wanted to try.

For the remainder of the ride to the kingdom, he stayed quiet for the most part. They had left on a nice day, not too cold, not too warm. None of them were very tired, they had all rested pretty well before the trip. There was not much to complain or converse about during the trip, each of them just quietly followed one another while losing themselves in their own thoughts.