The Princes Street Rat

7 - The guard within the shadows

𓆩♡𓆪 

His stomach grumbled and it's sound echoed throughout the dark empty hallway.

Jisung cursed as he walked out of the dining hall. His knees weak being at the presence of the king as a traitor himself. No less being the prince's object of rebellion towards the king.

He was certain now they knew his face despite him trying hard to avoid eye contact and look away. He hoped he wouldn't be under constant scrutiny, though he didn't think that would be possible because he planned on fleeing soon enough.

While on his way back to the prince's room, oddly the only place he found comfort at the moment, he looked up to realise that he wasn't so sure of where he was.

This hallway was barely illuminated, the wax sat on the wall lamps were at their limit, with some dried out and other fires surviving off a spoonful of wax. He wasn't in the right place and he had to back track his steps. That is if he remembers them.

He retreated, trying to get away from the grim hallways. Looking up and around. Especially at the walls that often distracted him when he passes the hallways. Up them were portraits that goes back hundreds of years of royalty, and detailed art pieces.

Although these hallways were dark, he could still make them out. One in particular caught his eye.

It resembled the current prince. He took a dying lamp from the  walls and brought it close. There it was, clearer under the flickering red of the fire. An old painting of the prince, he looked no older than five. Enwrapped in his mother's arms, who was way younger than Jisung's current age.

He doubted that she had even reached the round age of twenty.

He looked closely and something perculiar caught his eye, something he'd seen a thousand times growing up. Behind the portrait where tails in the air. Red... blue... purple... Could those possibly be...

"Hey! What are you doing here?" A voice interrupted which caused Jisung to jump up in fear, the lamp dropped causing a loud crack echo across the hallway.

The hallway was dark but Jisung could make out that the other figure had pulled out a weapon, a sword was already pointed out at him. "Make another move and I'll cut off your head in movement."

"No, I–" Jisung rose his hands up. "I'm lost."

"Of all places, you're lost in this part of the Palace, yeah right. Who are you and what do you want?" He demanded.

"I want nothing. I'm just... I'm the prince's bride."

"Bride?" He came close and pinned him on the wall. He could make out his silhouette from this close. He was blonde and his skin glowed despite the lack of light. "If you going to trespass, at least be a good liar."

"I swear I'm not." He squeezed his eyes shut. Gasping. "I meant consort. I'm the prince's consort."

"Impossible. The prince hasn't chosen anyone in years of ball hosting why would I believe it now that he suddenly has a consort."

"I don't know. I just, he–"

"Hyunjin?" A voice called. "Oh my... what's going on."

"An intruder is walking around. I need to deal with him..."

He carried a glowing lamp with him that lightened up the entire hallway. "That's Jisung and he's not an intruder. I didn't fetch him after the engagement dinner, so he must have wandered off." Felix reached for him and Jisung pushed Hyunjin off him.