Lucid Dreaming/ RavnWoong

Chapter Seven (Edited)

By late afternoon, the three found themselves back within the safety of Seraphic's wall. Ravn stopped once they were a safe distance from the gates, breaking their once quiet walk as he looked toward the other guard. "Leedo, take him back to the palace and keep him there. I'll talk with the king tomorrow when I return early but for now, I'm taking my leave."

"Where...where are you going?" The prince suddenly piped up.

"I have business outside the wall." The guard answered with a soft smile, ruffling the younger's hair.

"But you saw what was out there, how can you just willingly go back out there?"

Ravn gave the smaller another soft smile, patting the younger's head as he walked by. The prince bit his tongue to keep himself from leaning into the touch and asking for more. "Since I can remember, I've fought against the Shade trying to keep this kingdom safe. To keep you and...your family safe."

"Oh," Hwanwoong whispered.

Ravn stepped away, finally leaving the two and going back the way they had come when Leedo called out to him. "Ravn!"

"Hmm?" The guard barley turned, casting a look back at the two.

"Are Xi and Rhema back yet?" He asked, his hazel eyes bright with question and anticipation. "Please tell me they are, I've been missing my family."

"Yes, they are. They got back last night some time." Ravn answered. "And don't worry I'll let them know you asked about them."

"No need I'll see them tomorrow." Leedo answered, the elder shaking his head with a chuckle before letting his feet take him away. He left the guard and prince alone to walk back to the palace, something he was hesitant to do.

"Who're Xi and Rhema?" The small prince asked. "If you don't mind me asking,"

"Xi is only my nickname for him, but he is Ravn's son...adoptive maybe?" The lie went unnoticed. "The guy practically raised the kid. But it doesn't help that I have a soft spot for him. And Rhema is...how do I put it..."

"Wait...wait...kid? How old is Xi then? And why is it you call him Xi?" Hwanwoong asked the question eating at him, how was it that Ravn was raising a child and keeping watch over a prince? But if Leedo had a soft spot for him...would that make him older than what Hwanwoong was thinking? Or did soft spot mean something less than how Hwanwoong was taking it?

"Eighteen. And I've called him Xi since I could remember; he just reminded me of a rose. He's beautiful, though his mouth can get him in trouble if he's not careful."

The prince nodded; his eyes still trained on what little of Ravn he could still see. "Ravn's never told me about him..."

"I'm not surprised, Rose is away most of the time now that he's a bit older." Leedo answered. "He's also been extremely protective over the boy as well, though it stands to reason."

"Why is that?" Hwanwoong questioned.

"It's complicated and to be honest I don't even know how Ravn came to find the boy." Leedo knew what he was saying was a deviation of the truth but it's not like he could tell the prince the real story.

"I came into the picture a few years later when Xi had wandered out. He was about eight maybe, nearly got himself killed by a group of bandits when I stepped in to save his life. Rhema was the one that got away and found me."

"Who's Rhema? You've only explained Xi to me." Hwanwoong mumbled softly.

"She's a bit of an adopted child to Xi and I. She was no older than two maybe, when I saved them, and though she and Rose were so close in age she became more of a child to him...to us." Leedo answered a bit bashfully. "She's my world along with him."