Almost Killing the Prince | Minsung ✓

Epilogue

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! There's trouble!" The guards opened the door to the king's office, a new guard, Xu Minghao, scrambled into the room, tripping over his feet as he came crashing down to the floor. He immediately scrambled to his feet, though going down into a bow when the king arched an eyebrow at him from behind his desk.

Minghao pointed a shaky finger whence he came, gasping.

"I- I ran from the barracks your Majesty- It's Chan-" Minghao wheezed, heaving as he held his chest. His mouth hung open, trying to force out words that only came out as sputtering.

"What about Chan...?"

"The guards tied him to a bull! He yelled for me to ask for you!"

The king sighs, carefully placing the scroll he was reading prior to the interruption.

"Where is my brother?" Minho questions, rubbing his temple when Minghao shook his head.

"He still hasn't returned from solving issues in nearby villages, your majesty!"

Silently standing up, Minho heads out of the office, accompanied by eunuchs and handmaids, though turning to them to excuse the servants before he made his way to the barracks with Minghao behind him.

When they arrived at the barracks, the guards immediately opened the gates, revealing a bull in its full glory as it dragged a certain curly-haired general across the dirt, the rope tied to his leg as he cursed loud enough for the kings in Goguryeo to hear.

The young guards who had been laughing at the whole ordeal, all tensed and shut up at the sight of Minho, elbowing each other and bowing at their king's entrance.

"Someone untie the general, quickly!" They hissed at each other when Minho stared at them. There was no glare, no menace, just an intimidating kingly atmosphere.

After many guards struggled to free Chan, they calmed the bull by screaming at it and hitting its muzzle with a scabbard; the beast backing down enough for the other guards to cut the rope that tied Chan's leg to the bull.

Chan stayed on the floor until the guards helped a farmer lead the bull back outside, the whole barrack quiet save for the deep breaths the general let out. That, and the overwhelming tension separating the king and the soldiers.

Minho leaned over him, arms crossed, arching an eyebrow.

"You done?"

Chan scrambles to his feet, his general uniform dusty, and having been dragged through dirt. His curly hair was a mess, and tangled in irritating knots, having turned a light brown from the dust. He lifts a shaky, threatening finger to the perpetrators, snarling and almost as angry as the bull itself.

"You- You brats!" He yells, the guards all cowering with their heads in a bow. "Minho- Please let me execute them! These new guards are nothing but fucking trouble!" Chan sputters out dirt. "I swear- Yah!" They all flinched when Chan lifted a threatening hand to the guards. "Get out of my sight! And you'll do the entire army's laundry! If I find out you didn't, you'll all be stripped of rank and flogged!"

"Yes, sir!" They peeped out before scampering away, Chan turning to Minho with a frustrated growl and a hand furiously scratching at the back of his head.

"This is why I don't let Yongbok leave! Without him, these brats literally take over the barracks," Chan sighs, Minho letting out bubbly laughter as he pats the older's shoulder. The older sighs as he leans back, cracking his spine. "Fucking assholes..."

"Where is Yongbok anyway?"

"He should return soon, Hyunjin and Changbin too. They accompanied Yongbok. Poor boy- at least it wasn't me," Chan shrugs. "So it isn't my problem."