A Warrior's Heart

Chapter 23; Trying to escape

When the three of them carefully walked around the big hole now decorating the floor and made it to the door they walked downstairs, making as less sound as possible as to not alarm any more soldiers. Yoongi walked up front, holding his sword in case someone suddenly jumped in front of them. Taehyun walked after him with the prince right behind him, hands clasped around the hem of the brunette's shirt.

They walked back outside and towards the end of the fortress and saw four soldiers sitting at a table under a small tent, playing a card game or something. Taehyun couldn't really see it but it was fine since their attention wasn't on the three of them. Their horses were tied up under a wooden shed opposite of them, and Yoongi turned around to tell the boys his plan. He opened his mouth to speak but sighed when he noticed Taehyun's appearance.

"Why do you still have that on?"  He asked, mentioning to the attire of one of the soldiers they had knocked out earlier. Taehyun shrugged and brushed the wolf's hair on the armour. "I like it." Yoongi rolled his eyes while Beomgyu suppressed a grin.

They crept around the corner and approached the horses. The oldest untied the bridles from the ring in a wooden pillar and gave one to the prince before he looked at the youngest, cocking his head towards the saddle while looking at him. "Get on."

Taehyun did as he said, standing next to the horse and lifting himself onto the saddle with little difficulty while Yoongi helped him. "Are you on?" He asked, causing the boy to nod. "Good." He said and climbed onto the other horse himself. Beomgyu had already lifted himself on the black stallion and grasped the reigns tightly in his fists as he spurred the horse on to walk after the warrior. Taehyun let his mare walk behind them - why did he always get a mare? - and as soon as he did he heard a strange click. He didn't know what it was but he didn't have much knowledge about horses anyway so he just ignored it, thinking it was nothing to be worried about.

They let the horses go over to a gallop and went for the exit of the fortress, bolting past the soldiers who looked up in confusion and elbowed each other in the side harshly before they grabbed their weapons and jumped to their feet.

Taehyun looked over at the boy riding beside him. Beomgyu darted his tongue out and wet his chapped lips, his brows furrowed in concentration as he spurred his horse on to gallop faster. The younger followed his actions, gaining in on Yoongi as he was faster than the two of them. Okay forget about the mare - why did the warrior always get the fastest horse?

"We're almost there!" Yoongi yelled over his shoulder. They were at the last small gate they needed to pass before they reached the main gate, and they spurred their horses on more. They could see the large gate and could smell the sweet sweet freedom already and they were desperate to get out of here. Taehyun and the warrior had been here for only a short day and he hated it already, he couldn't begin to imagine how the prince must feel.

Suddenly the same click as before reached Taehyun's ears, and a metal case was suddenly clasped over his feet. He shrieked as the horse came to an abrupt stop, refusing to set a step further and he almost fell out of the saddle and over the mare's neck, but luckily he managed to keep his balance. Beomgyu and the warrior had the same problem, struglling against the metal cases and trying to get the horses going again.

The prince looked up to see soldiers appear all over the high stone wall, each of them holding a bow with an arrow in it pointed at them. Yoongi cursed under his breath and Taehyun squeezes his eyes shut. They were so close to freedom..

"Amazing animals, really." A voice sounded then. They whipped their heads around to look behind them, seeing the king appear from the shadows. The horses ears twitches upon hearing his voice and they turned around, facing the man.

"I raised each and every one of them from birth." Rowoon continued as he stepped forwards. "Fed and nursed by my hands and my hands only. They are more loyal than all of my men combined." He said and reached a hand up to pet the mare Taehyun was sitting on. "They would die for me. Just like how the two of you will die." He said, looking at the warrior and the boy.

"And you, my darling," He said in a softer voice, turning his attention to the prince. The boy scowled as the man approached him. "By this time tomorrow you and me will be husband and wife. Emperor and empress."

Taehyun furrowed his eyebrows in anger, his nose wrinkling and hands curling up to tight fists around the reigns with how badly he wanted to knock that creepy smirk off of the guy's face. How dare he degrade the boy like that? How dare he speak to him like he was below him, when in fact the prince had more power than him and his men together?

"Allow me, my love." Rowoon said, reaching a hand up to the boy to help him down the horse. Beomgyu wasn't having it though. Yes, he felt inferior to the man and yes, he felt bad and small under his gaze. But he wasn't going to let him damage his pride as the heir to the throne. Wasn't going to let him have his fun. He looked away from the man and straightened his back, looking almost arrogant with how he pursed his lips but he couldn't care less.

Rowoon clenched his hand to a fist and lowered it, his gaze hard as he turned to one of his men. "Take them away!" He growled and walked back into the shadow he came from.

Thunder suddenly struck through the sky then and rain began to pour down quickly, soaking everything and everyone in a matter of seconds. Taehyun softly smiled as three men took the bridles of the horses in their hands and pulled them along, proud of the prince for not letting the king help him and not having missed the way a piece of the king's ear was missing when he had turned around.

He looked over at the boy. His platinum blonde hair stuck to his forehead as the rain fell down on his head, droplets of water sliding down the strands and falling onto his shoulders. His lashes stuck together and his skin, though pale, looked ethereal under the drops of water. The droplets slid down his cheeks and over his full lips and if Taehyun hadn't thought the boy was beautiful before, he sure as hell would think so now.