Faceless King, Hidden Princess (COMPLETED)

Episode 4

Banryu's POV

My group and I arrived at Najeong that night. I still felt uneasy about being there. I stood there with 4 other boys and watched as Suho walked up with his group. "You're late." I told him simply. "You were early." He fired back. "I'm surprised you even had the nerve to come here." I told him. "You took the words right out of my mouth." Suho replied. Liar. "Make sure you clench your teeth." Right...

"Ah, you have terrible handwriting, but you're confident about your fist." I joked. "How dare you comment on my handwriting!!" I smirked at how worked up he got. "Your hand is shaking." He said, and my smile faltered. "What." I said. "Let's make it short and sweet." Suho suggested, through gritted teeth.  We got ready, and went at each other. But it didn't last very long because palace guards came to the place we were and stopped us. Suho and I had grabbed each other by the collar and had our fists ready but those punches didn't happen. We were separated by the guards and we got our wrists tied and then we were also tied to poles around our torsos, our hands still tied behind us. 

"This is all your fault!!!" Suho yelled at me. "Why do you get angry at others for your own mistakes?" I asked him calmly. He wriggled at the pole, but he was tied so I couldn't do it. "What did you just say?? This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't sent me that ridiculous letter!!" He said. My eyes widened. "What do you mean? You are the one who sent it." I told him. Are you serious? We were set up, weren't we...

One of the men slammed something down on a table and started yelling at us for yelling. I know...makes perfect sense right?

"Look. Please send word to my father." Suho started to talk but he was interrupted. "You. You are still clueless, are you not? If you enter here alive, you will leave dead. Even if you come in dead, you will be skinned." He stopped in front of Suho and I. "Stop being impatient and wait quietly. The Queen has not yet decided on what to do with you yet." Queen? What does he mean she hasn't decided on what to do with us? This was planned, it's all making more sense now.

The night went on and I felt my eyes getting heavier by the minute. "Do they always leave law-breakers to die from thirst?" Suho asked, his voice weak due to dehydration. I sighed. "You are such a moron. How can you be sleepy and thirsty right now?" I asked, looking at him. We could die tomorrow and he's worried about being tired and not drinking enough. "Enough bickering. Please." He asked desperately. I sighed. I supposed he was right this once. We were all in the same boat.

I fell asleep eventually and I woke up the next morning, still drowsy. But that soon changed when water was thrown at me at great force. It felt like a slap to the face. It really hurt. "You must be thirsty and feel your legs going numb." A man said and we all looked at him. "The bad news is we have not yet started the torture. As you are here for committing high treason, the Queen has decided to kill you while you are reviewing dreadful punishment." It went silent. 

"Tie them to the chairs." The man suddenly said after a chorus of "Yes Master" and we were detached from the poles, and brought over to chairs, where they tied our torsos, hands and legs to the chairs. Father is going to kill me....Both of them for that matter.

A guy came out, who looked like a guard and showed us a sign. "Your powerful fathers have requested and acquired a way for you to live from the Queen. You will avoid torture, but you will have to become a loyal Hwarang of Silla by signing this." Are you kidding? This is going to be difficult for me. It goes against everything my family believes in. "All you have to do is sign it, and go home. Is it not simple? Or you may choose to experience what the next step is."

"Excuse me?" Suho spoke up. "Can we walk out of here just by signing it?"

"That is correct." The man confirmed. A huge smile grew on Suho's face. "Why did you not tell me earlier? I was going to do it anyway." I looked at him. Of course he was. "Please untie me." He requested. They did so and he went up to sign the thing. All of the boys eventually became free. Except me... This was going against my family beliefs. I know my father and stepfather wanted me to do it, but still, it felt weird.