The time has already come.
It was the first light of dawn, but Joon Wo and most of the Palace inhabitants are already awake. All are making the final preparation to bid their princes their final goodbyes.
No one knew how long he would stay there or when he can come visit again.
He was going to be all alone in a strange place filled with wolves. That's what the Wangs are called, wolves.
That's why the king would go to such measures to ensure their bond to the throne, having them repeal would cause problems, problems that are much harder than selling of their prince.
But, looking at the bright side, Joon Wo would later be known as a peace keeper. It's win-win situation, right?
He tried to keep his mind off the bad side, there was no use to dwell on what's gone anyway. So, he kept his thoughts busy about Nefertari.
How many months have gone by already since the last time they saw each other?
More importantly, how many months or years does he have to wait?
He stayed out side sitting under the Cherry Blossom looking up at the sky with it gradient colors. As if it didn't make up it's mind yet on which color it would choose.
"At least she is looking up at the same sky." He said forgetting the difference in time-zones but, who would blame him anyway?
"Your Highness!" one of the court maids called, "It's time to get you ready."
He got up and took a deep breath. "I guess it's already time to go." He placed his hands on the tree bark allowing all the moments they shared here crash down on him making him feeling nostalgic even before leaving the place.
And he turned back to walk away from the place that is now his third favorite place in this palace.
"Joon Wo-ah!"
He turned to look at behind him finding his sister holding up her Hanbok (Korean traditional dress.) as she ran to catch up to him.
"Noona!" he said surprised.
"Y-you shouldn't do this just because mother ordered it!" she struggled to say between her heavy pants.
"Lower your voice!" he said looking around to see if anyone heard her because it will cause problems if this were to fall into the wrong hands. "I already told you a thousand times that this is my decision!" he tried to cover up his lie as much as he can with fake confidence.
"You won't fool me with your fake confidence." She frowned and took a good look at her younger brother, "Why? Just why did you agree to this madness! You are giving up your life for nothing!"
He saw that tear that escaped her raven-black eyes and fall down on her pale face.
"Your life is not nothing…" he mumbled under his breath but she heard him shooting her head back up to look at her brother but got interrupted by the calling from behind her.
"Hyung!" his younger brothers called out for him.
"How can you just go like that!?" Jin Wo asked his voice on the edge of crying as well.
"It can't be helped guys." He smiled weakly at them who's faces were in misery.
"It's not like I'm going to die guys." He chuckled trying to brighten up the mood.
But that didn't work, they started hearing sniffs and sops and as they lowered their vision a little, they found out their source.
It was Min Jun, holding his little hands to his eyes as he tried to stop the tears from falling but obviously failing miserably.
"Min-ah…" Joon Wo said the fake smile on his lips was now replaced with an agonizing one. Seeing his brother cry for him made him in agony.
"I-I just don't want you to go too…" he forced through his sniffs, "You are going too like Tari."
The little boy closed the distance between him and his older brother and wrapped him in his hug as much as his tiny arms allowed him.
"Don't worry." He said comforting his brother, "I'll come back before you know it. As well as Tari."
He pulled away and looked his brother in the eyes and then at the rest of his brothers and his sister who now didn't even try to hold back the tears.
They pulled each other into a hug, trying to by heart each other's aura.
They stayed like that for a while trying to enjoy the little time they have left together before the court maid called out again saying that it's time to go or they will be late.
And so, they broke apart.
Walking away from them not looking back even once, knowing that if he did, he would most probably break down like a toddler.
So, he walked away from his life, not knowing what's waiting for him on the other side.
"Pathetic." Queen Eun Ae spat out as she saw them hug from afar.
"What useless bonds they are forming." She said, "They will only grow up and spit on those pathetic bonds."
"It's a phase they all go through Your Highness." The head of her maids said standing a step behind her.
~~~~
"Is that another letter from Jooni?" Akhenaton said looking over he papers in his hands at Nefertari. He didn't know when he started to use that name but it was almost forced on him by his daughter so there wasn't much he can do.
She nodded shooting excitement from her eyes. She sat down on the same couch as always while screaming inside her head.
Despite that there wasn't much happening to either of them, they still get the same excitement at the announcement of the arrival of the letter.
Just the thought that they remember and miss each other that they write despite the long distance is enough to make them happy.
Tari ripped open the letter.
"H-Huh?"
"What is it?" Akhenaton looked at his confused looking daughter with wondering eyes.
"The handwriting is different." She said, "Jooni's handwriting is neater than this." She said taking a closer look at every letter and every stroke and there was no way this is Jooni's handwriting.
"Maybe one of his brothers wrote it this time." He said in a low tone going back to his work.
She hummed and started to read.
She read and read and with every passing line her eyes widened more and more.
Akhenaton peeked over the papers in his hand when he didn't get the same reaction that he got every time when she was reading.
"Is something wrong Tari?" he asked concern taking over him when he noticed the change of her expression.
"It's Jooni." She said turning her head to look at him, "He is going away!"