Jeong Yunho was walking behind his prince. The prince liked to walk around the enchanted forest of his kingdom trying to collect heart-shaped stones.
Yunho being a knight felt like he was wasting time. All he could do was roll his eyes every time the prince bent down to collect a dumb stone from the ground.
After 3 hours of searching...
Yunho finally decided to talk.
- My prince, I think you have collected enough stones. - We should head back to the palace. The king or queen might be looking for you.
Mingi rolled his eyes he hated going home early. Still, he didn't want his knight to get in trouble. Mingi let the knight guide him back to the palace.
...
When they got back to the palace Mingi quickly ran up to his room. Even when the king told him to slow down. Meanwhile, Yunho carried a small basket filled with stones.
Yunho gave the basket to his prince.
- Thank you Yunho, to express my gratitude you may pick one. - Yunho looked the prince dead in the eye. Why would he even want one? Still, he picked one. Which he regretted instantly.
Yunho also had a small collection of heart-shaped stones. For he didn't have the heart to toss it away.
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Yunho had invited one of the palace maids into his room, they loved playing card games together. She looked around his room and noticed the pile of stones on his nightstand.
-Wow, what pretty rocks you have. Can I have one?
- Take them. I have no use for them. They're just dumb rocks the prince likes to give me for wasting my time. - If only Yunho knew the walls were thin.
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Next Morning
Mingi had left with San his brother's knight. The knight was very excited to spend time with the prince. Mingi had even discovered new shapes of stones thanks to San and his creative imagination.
- Prince Mingi... May I have one? - San lowered his head shyly, while Mingi smiled brightly at him.
- Take as much as you like. I love sharing the things I love with those I love.
San looked at the prince not caring about the blush on his face. He felt like he was dreaming when Mingi grabbed his shoulder fondly.
- Let's go San.
...
Yunho had waited for the prince's arrival from the forest.
When Mingi was in his room Yunho barged in. - My prince, how could you leave and not tell me? - I was worried about you.
- I didn't want to bore you to death with my silly rocks. - Mingi didn't even look at Yunho he was too busy analyzing the new shapes San had found.
Yunho bit his tongue.
- My prince am sorry if I offended you.
- Cut it. You may go. Am going tomorrow with San to the forest. You can help Seonghwa if you want.
- No, no I want to be with you.
- Do you? You seemed to complain yesterday that I was wasting your precious time.
- You have to understand am a knight. Not a geologist. You're a prince act like one. All you do is go and pick stones, but what about your people? What about your obligations?
Mingi slapped Yunho's face.
- Don't ever talk back to me.
Yunho left Mingi's room sorta crying. While Mingi regretted slapping Yunho.
...
Yunho was lying on his bed, thinking about how he had missed the prince all day. He didn't know why, but he felt jealous when he saw San holding 5 silly stones.
His thoughts were interrupted by a crying prince.
I am sorry Yunho. Please. Please. Please forgive me. - Yunho pulled the prince into a warm hug.
- It's okay.
- No, what I did was wrong. I hurt you.
- I deserved it for talking bad about you. In the end, we both hurt each other.
Mingi cleaned his tears with his sleeve.
- I've been thinking maybe you can be Seonghwa's knight. Your talent won't be wasted with him.
- So you do prefer San's company over mine? - That explains why you gave him so many rocks.
Yunho mentally slapped himself. While Mingi blushed and denied it instantly.
- He deserved them. Thanks to him I found other shapes.
- Really? Fascinating.
- Don't lie to me.
- I am not. I never thought you would be into other shapes. I always saw circles and squares. - Mingi hit him softly on the arm
- why didn't you tell me? - Yunho softly grabbed Mingi's chin.
- I can always show you tomorrow.
- What about San? Mingi said almost in a whisper.
Yunho rolled his eyes. really?
- You can always bring him some stones from our trip to the forest, I'll personally take them to him.
Yunho let go of Mingi's chin
Yunho laughed when his prince tried to hide his blushing face by looking away from him.
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Yunho was holding the prince's hand while they looked for the circle and square stones.
- I feel like you lied to me. Mingi looked at the knight as he bent down to pick a random stone. The stone was blue and brown, and kinda broken in half. Yunho put it in his pocket.
- I wouldn't lie to you about rocks.
- then why can't we find any?
- Maybe their magic. It is an enchanted forest after all.
- Rocks are just rocks.
- Then maybe someone collected them all?
It's impossible, but let's go home. We can search for them tomorrow.
- My prince it's only been 10 minutes?
- I know, but I have obligations to do. I am a prince after all. - Yunho couldn't hide his smile.
- So lead the way my charming knight.
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