"I don't think I get what you mean by 'hunt', Your Majesty." Yu Jun said blinking quickly between Joon Wo and his father, wondering if by chance Joon Wo knows something about this but from the look on his face that doesn't seem to be the case.
"What you are about to know is top secret. You will lie to tour brothers and mothers about this, no one to know anything." The king said humorlessly.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Both said in unison.
The king sighed and took a deep breath. "We've got words that the Crown Prince is to be assassinated during the Chuseok ritual."
Yu Jun was bewildered, his mouth opened to say something, but he found nothing to say. On the other hand, Joon Wo's mind was in doubt. A knot was tightening inside his belly at that gut feeling that he was having.
"Do you know who is the one behind it, Your Majesty?" Joon Wo said trying desperately to prove the feeling inside him wrong. The previous conversation that he had with his mother before he came in her was replaying over and over in his head. But what was more bothering is the talk that she had with that maid.
'Hitman, Order' he whispered under his breath trying to decrypt those words into something else other than what they mean, but in vain.
"That much we do not know yet." He shocked his head in despair. "We hope to catch the culprit on that day, that's why I asked both of you here today."
"If we can help in any way it will be our pleasure, Your Majesty." Yu Jun said in a firm tone, his eyes full of determination to catch the person that wanted to take away his right by birth that he is working so hard to deserve it.
You still think there is a 'We', Joon Wo said in the back of his mind, wondering if he just said that out of respect and formalities or because he meant it.
"As you know, you are the one who will go inside the temple and give the offerings as the oldest." The king said. "We will make a little change, Joon Wo will be the one to enter."
"What!" Yu Jun said turning to look at his brother who was in deep thought.
"W-what was that?" Joon Wo said finally snapping out of it, feeling the stares.
Everyone was staring at him today with reason and without it, it was starting to get on his nerve.
"We will do that at the last moment. No one is to know that Joon Wo is the one to enter until it is happening before them."
"H-huh?" Joon Wo frowned feeling dumbfounded. "W-why me?"
"I am not ignorant about your skills and sacrifices, my boy," the king said. "We don't know how the hit will take place. If it's poison, I know that you are trained against them and if they are going to use violence there is no one better in martial arts than you."
He had a point. Joon Wo didn't spend the last 10 years dwelling on his hurt and pain, he spent them training and turned his anger to strength to make him move forward. While the training that his brother got wasn't as intensive as his and he obviously didn't train his body to take poison.
Strangely he found himself willing to go with this plan to protect his brother. He still had anger and disappointment but, was it to that extent that he would let him get hurt or most probably die? No.
He would rather spar with him himself and not have someone lay a finger on him. Yu Jun was a pure soul with a passion for art and peace, a complete genius. He can't sit and watch but, he couldn't help that feeling inside him that his father was using him as a shield for his heir.
"Your Majesty I'm more than capable to do what he can do!" The prince protest as he took a step forward. "I don't…"
"I'll do it." Joon Wo cut him off raising his head to look at his father.
"Brother!"
"His Majesty is right. We can't take the risk of you getting hurt, Your Highness." He looked at his brother with eyes flamed with confidence and determination, if his father really is using him then he will do it with pleasure.
If he was going to keep being angry, he needed someone to keep being angry with. It's no use have resentment for someone dead right? He kept giving himself excuses for his sudden change of heart.
"But…"
"No buts," The kind cut him off, "it's has been decided. You can be on your way now." He finished making himself clear that this conversation is now over.
"Yes, Your Majesty." They said in unison and bowed simultaneously and turned on their heels retreating out of the throne room.
"Brother, wait!" Yu Jun called his brother that was ignoring him and walked past him. Joon Wo turned to look at his brother with the word uncaring written across his forehead, was that how he felt at heart? He wondered.
"Something a matter, brother?"
"Why did you accept that?" he said looking straight into his soul through his eyes. "Father wouldn't have pressured you if you refused."
"I don't see a reason why I should've refused, Your Highness." Joon Wo said making sure to keep up the formal speech as he talked to the crown prince. "If it makes you uncomfortable Your Highness, I apologize but, it's your life that's at stake here."
"Why would you care if my life's at stake or not?" Yu Jun frowned at his brother.
"I don't know."
"Huh?!" Yu Jun raised the corner of his mouth feeling stunned from the answer.
"I don't know why I want to protect you, but that's just how it's. So, rest assured that no one will lay a finger on you, Your Highness." Joon said cold-heartedly while looking at his brother with blank duo eyes making it hard for his brother to read hid emotions. "Now, if you will excuse me." Joon Wo bowed his head and walked off leaving his brother as he was stuck on processing what he just heard.
"Just what in the world happened to you there, brother?"
~~~~
"So that's what happened," Tari said nodding her head after she heard all that happened during her absences.
"We are just like you, it's the first time that we have seen him in 10 years." Jin Wo said while sighing crossing his hand behind his head.
Min Jun sighed for what seemed like the 10th time in less than a minute as they all sat under the cherry blossom tree in the wooden pavilion. "The tension whenever we are together is sickening"
"You bet it is." Jin Wo said to his brother.
"Honestly speaking," Tari said. "I think you should talk this out. Something doesn't sound right. People don't just cut you off out of nowhere."
"Talk this out! Did you see the look on the guys face!" Jin Wo scoffed.
"I think we should talk it out too." Min Jun said.
"You, too!"
"I think there is something that you don't see. So, it's the best thing to do right now." Tari said looking at the youngsters.
They stayed quiet after that thinking about this and that but mostly about Joon Wo and what might have gone wrong that they drifted apart. The sun was now low in the sky signaling the coming of the dusk.
"Okay guys, I should get going now. It was a long journey here and a hot bath will be most welcomed." She said stretching her arms above her head and waved them both goodbye.
Minutes later and dusk was upon the palace. Tari still trying to navigate through the halls, which was a hopeless case. She was starting to get impatient with herself for being bad at directions.
"I should've asked them to show me the way." She said halting not knowing if she should take the left or the right. "Was this way?" she looked at the hall on the right.
"No, I think it's this way." She said and turned left too fast that she didn't see the tall figure in front of her and walked right into the chainmail on the figure's chest.
"O-ouch," she groaned in pain stumbling back holding her nose that was smashed into the metal.
"S-sorry," she said. "I mean sorry." She repeated after she noticed that she was talking in hieroglyphic.
"Lost again, Nefertari?"
She raised her head despite the pain in her nose at the familiar voice. "Jooni!" she exclaimed. "Are you going to see someone?"
"You." He said the word so bluntly that Tari's face started to flame up giving her tanned skin a tint. "I Promised to meet you after I'm done."
"Y-yes, I remember. I was just going to take a bath before you come. I didn't think that you will finish early." She said trying to avoid his gaze and slapping herself internally to get a grip over herself. He is your friend, she tried to convince herself.
"Let me join you then."