Lucid Dreaming/ RavnWoong

Chapter Five (Edited)

"Leedo would you please accompany me around the kingdom, I rather not suffocate here in the palace after what happened." The prince mumbled softly yet loud enough for the guard to hear. The two of them had been walking around aimlessly as the prince thought to himself. He hadn't even been away, that three hours had come and gone since the argument with his father, he was simply lost in thought.

"Hm," Leedo answered. "Let me just talk with Seoho and let him know where we'll be."

Pouting that he had to wait, Hwanwoong nodded as he spoke, trying to throw out a joke in hopes of lightening their moods. "Always by the book, no fun."

"Sorry I'm not like Ravn, Prince Hwanwoong, but I'm sure he'd like to see you in one piece once he comes back." Leedo spoke softly as they stopped in the middle of one of the long halls.

"Fine," The smaller spoke turning his back toward the guard, his mind off on its own little journey once more. "I'm going up to my living quarters to change into something a bit better and shall meet you in the garden."

"I shouldn't be long." The guard promised before splitting ways with the boy, Hwanwoong bringing his body into a walk and making his way up to where he promised the guard he'd be.

With Ravn in his mind, the boy thought over his last nineteen years with the guard. He had been seven when the guard came to be his personal guard. His father sat him down and told him that since he was getting older someone more skilled would be assigned to protect him. It was how Ravn came into his life and now resided most days.

Hwanwoong loved having the elder by his side, in fact he didn't want to think of how life would have been without the man. Would he have stayed this sweet and innocent? Would he have had to toughen up more without a guard who didn't baby him more. And that's not to say how it would have been different without Leedo as well.

Though Leedo didn't talk much unlike Ravn, the prince had become friends with him as well. Ravn had personally handpicked Leedo from what he had told Hwanwoong. Ravn cared that much for the prince.

Upon thinking more of his guard, the prince stopped short, suddenly very aware of a little mistake he had made that morning.

"Oh no...I forgot." The boy rushed off to his room, bursting thought the door and toward his little dresser grabbing up the little piece of jewelry he held so dear to him.

The silver band twisted off into a horn like split. That split had the band wrapped around and hugged a giant onyx stud, with hues of crimson kissing the depths. The gem sat surrounded by a thin row of diamonds that circled it like a barrier. The onyx gem sat between the split horns that supported its weight. And though they were similar in color, the gem gleamed against its silver backdrop.

Clinching the ring in hand he brought it up to his chest holding it tight, eyes closed and thanking the heavens that he didn't lose it like his thoughts threatened. The guard was a superstitious man, giving the ring to the young prince on his eighteenth birthday with the thought of it serving as a protective charm. And when Hwanwoong asked why he needed a protective charm when he always had Ravn, he had been told it was for the days Ravn wasn't around. Since then, he's kept it as one of his favorites and made it an accessory that he was hardly seen without.

Keonhee had questioned where the jewelry had come from and when he had told him the truth, the older prince immediately told him to tell the rest of their family it was from himself. The fear of being looked down for who they loved had already been engrained into their head, and the elder brother didn't want his brother and father fighting if he told the man where he had gotten the jewelry. That's why he had him say it was from him, he knew what would become of it if it wasn't from anyone of the family.

Calming his beating heart, he finally pulled the ring away from his chest. And taking the opportunity to slide it onto his right ring finger, he breathed out. "Better, right where you belong."

Taking a minute to admire the ring, he brushed a finger over the top shaking his head to clear the thoughts that came flooding in, this ring was too important to him and at times he questioned why. Was it because of how he had felt about the guard? Or how had they become so close over the years? Maybe there was another meaning to which he couldn't place, that told a story as to why he couldn't part with this ring.

After finally coming to terms with his mind, he moved about the room to find clothing that was better suited for walking the kingdom.

He found a simple set of black trousers and a grey tunic that Ravn picked up for him at one point. All so that he could remain undetected by some of the town's people and villagers who didn't agree with his father's ways. He quickly pulled off his royal attire, a set similar to the trousers and tunic he'd be switching into. This set was more lavished, adorned with the kingdom's colors of whites and golds as well as other accessories. Once stripped, he stepped into the other set of clothing, also making sure to pull off the small silver crown from his head.

Once dressed the boy found himself wandering down to the garden finding a patch of flowers that had just been planted to brighten the monochrome landscape. "It's nice to see more colors other than the reds and pinks, even the few orange flowers are too many."

He was disappointed though, seeing the raven wasn't perched in its usual spot. In fact, it was never around when Ravn was gone, it was another reminder that his favorite guard was gone.

"What color will they become?" Leedo came walking up, careful not to scare the prince in one of his safe havens. He had noticed the younger crouched in front of a budding set of flowers. "They don't look like much."

Hwanwoong turned slightly toward the guard, smiling up at him. "These are irises, they'll most likely be a lighter purple or a deep blue. At least that's what I hope for. I know I've seen some that are red, pink, or orange but I just have a feeling these will be purple."

Not knowing what to say, the guard just nodded before changing the subject. "Are you ready to explore?"

"Yes," The prince smiled, turning fully to face the other. "Let's go."

Leedo, out of respect, stepped aside bowing slightly as he swept out an arm letting the prince start their path.