The Crescent Crown (Minsung Royalty AU)

Forgiveness

Jisung could stand a lot of things. He had subjected himself to rigorous training to become the most deadly assassins, he dealt with dangerous people everyday who would prefer him dead, he went on stealth missions almost every night to secretly see a prince in his chambers. But he could not deal with boredom.

After tirelessly flipping through Minho's bookshelf and experimenting with his collection of makeup, he was out of ideas on how to entertain himself. He knew full well that going out into the hallway was a terrible idea. There was a very long list of ways it could end horribly, but he figured he would chance it. The years he had spent on learning how to be silent as he moved through spaces would pay off. With a note left on Minho's bedside table, he was off.

He opened the door and checked from side to side. He was thoroughly familiar with the positions of the guards outside the palace walls, but the security on the inside was more of an enigma. Whenever he caught glances of the space outside of Minho's room, he did his best to mentally map out where possible routes were. Force of habit, he guessed, but it was coming in handy.

His footfalls were silent as he moved across the cold stone floor, his eyes scanning every inch of the unfamiliar path. The warm candlelight casting an entourage of shadows in his wake was the only proof that he was there. He listened closely to the sounds coming from the kitchen of chefs too busy with their work to pay any attention to someone padding through the halls. It seemed like the guards' attention was focused on getting the royal family to the funeral safely, leaving only a few to roam the palace.

Jisung let his hand run over the stone wall, making note of every room he passed and listening intently for any noises. A few times on his journey he had to duck into a room as a maid came down the hall, but each time he was able to hide in time.

A young woman was carrying a stack of towels in her hand came down the path as Jisung ducked into a particularly messy room. He glanced at the desk that held up towers of scrolls and beaten down books bound with expensive leather. Portraits of the royal family hung from the walls, but Jisung noticed that they were extremely outdated. There was one of a blank-faced toddler Minho cradling who he assumed was baby Felix.

He had to put his hand over his mouth to prevent any squeals from coming out. It was absolutely adorable. Silently, he moved through the room and inspected each picture to put together more of Minho's family. He had met all of his brothers, but never his parents.

There was a stoic man standing beside a somber looking woman on a fainting couch. She had Minho's eyes, jaw structure, and was wrapped in the same kind of robes he wore. The queen rarely showed her face to the public, in fact it had been nearly half a decade since he even heard of her. The king did most of the appearances when they were needed, and if not him it was Minho's oldest brother.

Jisung made a mental note to ask about her later tonight as he continued his snooping. The papers were mostly boring diplomatic stuff that Jisung couldn't comprehend if he tried. But what did interest him was the obvious drawer with a fake bottom. He pulled it out and looked underneath, finding a small key hole.

"Hmm," Jisung hummed to himself. It looked like the king had some secrets he was not only hiding from the public, but from the people within the palace walls as well. It spiked Jisung's curiosity and there was nothing he loved more than a puzzle. This was precisely what he had in mind when he went out searching for entertainment. 

He assumed the key would be elsewhere in the palace, but he didn't have much time to waste. Instead he dug out a calligraphy pen from one of the drawers and used the sharp end to poke at the keyhole. This wasn't the first time he had picked a lock, but it proving to be more challenging the usual padlocks he had broken into. He retrieved the knife strapped to his thigh and used both objects in tandem to unlock it.