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their first night is spent at an inn. the prince clambers reluctantly back into the carriage before they reach their destination, releasing his horse-joon, Jin thinks, though the prince seems fond of overly-cute pet names for his stallion-to Jackson's care. the entire staff of the inn are waiting for them outside, and the household prostrates itself to the dust when they round the bend.
"thank you for having us," the prince says, earnest and polite when he clasps arms with the innkeeper, kisses the mistress's hand. "it's an honor, really."
the innkeeper trips all over himself, reassuring the prince that it's their honor, and they've prepared the finest rooms, and looks absolutely beside himself when Namjoon offers a short bow as thanks.
that night, the food is good, and the drink is supposedly better. Jin quietly spits his first mouthful of wine into the fire, and watches as the rest of the party proceeds to get cheerfully drunk. Namjoon had insisted they all eat together, had three of the long tables pushed into the middle of the empty, tiny dining hall. Jin is sitting as far away from the prince as he can, but keeps his head bowed still to avoid Jungkook's gaze.
Namjoon laughs broadly, and glares at Jackson, and drinks everyone except the coachman Jihoon under the table until Jin finally starts to fall asleep with his head pillowed on the wood, and the mistress of the house decides to take mercy and show them to their rooms.
there's an extravagantly pillowed bed for the prince in the rooms they've been given, with what must traditionally be an off-set sitting room set up to house the rest of the party. Jungkook, Jackson, and the lieutenant of the guard sleep with the prince, so Jin is left with ten other men to roll out out his thin pad over the hay mattress and curl up as close as he can to the fire without rolling on top of Wooyoung.
Jin doesn't expect sleep to come quickly. but when all the candles have been blown out, and the window shuttered against the pale moonlight, Jin finds himself lulled to sleep by the familiar rhythm of other people's breaths, and heartbeats, and quiet snores.
for the first time since he'd picked his way across the courtyard to the carriage, Jin lets himself relax, and forget for a while about the fear that's settled firmly in his bones.
he wakes, as usual, hours before dawn. for a moment Jin forgets where he is, goes to throw the blankets off himself and rush toward the kitchen, before he blinks into the bleary darkness and remembers why he can't hear his father grumbling, his sister whining as Minyoung drags them both out of bed.
someone snores just to his left. Jin shivers, the fire long since gone out, the late spring chill steeped far beneath his skin.
the floor is crowded enough that Jin has to carefully pick his way out of the mess of limbs and bedrolls. his bag is packed already, his face and hands washed in the basin tucked into the corner. his hair is impossible and longer than he usually lets it, but it's better to hide his face and easy enough to tame with water, though it curls when it dries. no one stirs as Jin moves, taking trouble to keep his steps light.
