Wooyoung's One Shot done, only Yunho left to go!
TW: More mentions of mass murder, Blood and injury
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Wooyoung considered himself lucky to be living in the palace.
At fourteen years of age, he had been sent there with a bunch of other boys. The king had personally employed them as new servants, stable boys, and - as in Wooyoung's case - fresh meat for the army. The opportunity to gain a steady salary and support his family had Wooyoung jumping the situation with fervour. After two years, he finished his training at the top of his class and with motivation still burning bright in his eyes.
Wooyoung first met Yeosang when he was appointed as his personal guard. According to the royal household guards, the prince had specifically asked for a person his age that he could befriend during his lonely times in the castle. Wooyoung vividly remembered his curiosity when he first met the shy boy with the features that must have been carved out of marble. They had shaken hands with tentative smiles painting their faces, and Wooyoung had instantly known that they would become great friends.
By now, he served under Yeosang for two years. The prince only ever treated Wooyoung with utmost respect and politeness. Wooyoung found it funny at first since his rank was considerably lower than that of his friend, but after a while, he understood why Yeosang did it.
It was the prince in him. The princely heritage that forbade him from acting out of line and forced him to show only the best of manners at any given time. Wooyoung soon gave up on asking him to drop the act around him. Whenever the real Yeosang shone through, and he hesitated to move like a puppet polarised on empty traditions, he became afraid that the people watching him constantly would rat him out.
Yeosang was but a shell for power to be stored in.
Wooyoung learnt it the painful way that he and Yeosang, as good friends as they became, were entirely different from each other. After getting to know him better, Wooyoung was ready to give his life for the man even outside of his guard duties. But Yeosang, Yeosang did not want that. If it meant release from the depressing solitude living at the palace meant for him, he would willingly hand himself over.
Thus, new goals found their way into Wooyoung's mindset. Above anything, he wanted to support Yeosang. Wooyoung would follow him to any place the man chose to go, and he would be there for him when the loneliness got too much.
Today was a sunny day. Wooyoung asked Yeosang to go out.
"What an excellent idea. I actually brought the same plan up to my father earlier, and he allowed it after my lessons." Yeosang's eyes were dull as he forced a little smile on his lips. Any lifeless puppet would have no issue replacing him, and Wooyoung tried to share some of his liveliness instead.
"Wonderful! Then hurry to change your clothes so that we can leave soon, your highness!"
At the term that Yeosang had grown to hate, the prince good-naturedly rolled his eyes. Wooyoung grinned at him like a mischievous kid. They had had long discussions about using this term until Wooyoung had made a joke out of it. It tended to shake Yeosang awake whenever he remembered the little jest.
"I sure hope that Changbin will look presentable today." Yeosang retreated in his chambers to change, leaving Wooyoung to chuckle in front of his door.
Last time they had visited the stables to go out, the boy tending to the horses had appeared from the area where the hay was stored with wild hair and half of his shirt open and rumpled. The blush on his cheeks had been redder than any apple Wooyoung had ever seen. Changbin had coughed and excused himself under the pretence of having slipped and fallen. Yeosang had just grinned knowingly while Wooyoung had picked some hay from the boy's hair.
