Eclipse *Minsung*

Exploration

Minho couldn't stop touching his face. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, and he didn't want anyone to see the gold on his cheeks. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he always hated others seeing it. To the guards standing a short distance away, he looked nervous for an entire day with the princess, but that wasn't the case. It was true that he wasn't exactly looking forward to it, but he was ready to finally have some real conversation with his future wife.

The side doors Minho had come through to reach this part of the courtyard opened, and Princess Ida emerged, dressed in loose white pants and a charcoal gray top that hung loose on her arms and chest but cinched at her waist. A thin, silver shawl rested over her head and she was using a small part of it to shield her eyes from the sun. A guard and one of the Moon King's advisors accompanied her.

Minho mentally gathered himself, preparing for a day of formalities and conversation that would hopefully, but most likely not, go somewhere. He smiled politely and bowed as she approached and he held his hand out. "Good morning, Your Highness."

A delicate hand tentatively touched his fingers, and his brow furrowed slightly. These were not the hands of a princess. He glanced up, and surprise shot through him as his eyes met eyes the color of a moonlit forest and a cloudy sky. A grin quickly replaced his surprise. "You look stunning." He kissed the hand he was holding.

"You're pushing it," Jisung whispered, dipping in a slight curtsy to keep up the act.

"No I'm not," Minho whispered back, his smile bright and somewhat mischievous. "And I'm not lying either, you do look stunning." Minho highly enjoyed seeing the slight blush that bloomed on Jisung's soft cheeks.

The advisor standing just behind Jisung cleared his throat. "You will be guided to a certain destination, and from there you will be free to roam until sunset. Return to the carriage promptly so you may return in time. If you do not arrive at the correct time, my men will be sent to look for you."

Minho dipped his head. "Yes sir."

"Enjoy your day."

Minho took Jisung's hand and guided him to the carriage that waited for them. He helped him inside, like the gentleman he was, and then climbed in last. With the outside world finally shut away and the carriage moving, Jisung dropped the shawl from his head.

"I can't believe that worked."

Minho smiled. "It almost worked too well, I thought you were Ida until I saw your eyes." He was staring at the Moon Prince, admiring the dark makeup that lined his eyes subtly and the delicate chain that dangled from the top of his ear and connected to his earlobe. He also wore a silver necklace with a small blue stone that was crystal clear.

"I'm sorry Ida isn't here with you instead, something came up and I-"

"Do not apologize," Minho interrupted. "My secret wish came true with you here instead."

Jisung blinked cutely. "Oh. Well, thank you for going along with it. I wasn't sure if you would expose me or not."

Minho's heart twisted slightly at that. Clearly, he needed to solidify Jisung's trust in him. He was going to work on that today. "I would never do anything to harm you or make you uncomfortable. I promise. And you do not need to explain why Ida isn't coming with me today. She has her own life and she's free to live it. I won't condemn her for that."

Jisung stared at him, and a soft smile grew on his lips. "Thank you."

Minho wanted to see that full smile, and his goal of the day became clear in that moment. "So, now that we'll be exploring the city like we briefly talked about, you can show some of your favorite places."