The Royal Painter -1x1-

January 16, 2014

Name: Chin-Hae

Age: 19

Uke

Personality: Hae is an extremely calm man, even in the worst of circumstances, he doesn't break down. He is weak physically but got a wicked tongue, always hurting his enemies with words rather than fists. He can be very cynical, and sneaky, doing everything out of his own amusement and never following rules. Although he appears to be rather cold, he can be very sweet to those he respects and love. He can be cruel sometimes, by no means a "nice person", but he'll also understands people better than most, for he is very perceptive about people's emotions.

Bio: He was raised by his mother but she died when he was very young. He knows who his father is, but he has no intention of ever approaching the man, as a matter of fact, he hates him. He has no place to stay, and prefers to travel from place to place instead. He makes a living with his paintings, and is an open "men lover", as he calls it. He has gained quiet a good amount of fame from his work, and his feminine looks, causing ruckus here and there with the noble men.

Facts: He has very strange tastes, he likes exotic things, knows a bit about medicine from his mother, and he love beautiful things. He likes money and sex, and is an animal lover.

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A young man of golden locks of hair walked out of a noble's mansion in the middle of the night. The door of the noble's chambers opened quietly, and his guest made its way secretly out of the dark room. One hand reached out to grab the blonde's hand, preventing him from moving away. The young male turned his head to face the nobleman, a mischievous smile playing on his inviting lips. The moon shined upon them, revealing the delicate features of the handsome painter.

"Yes, my lord?" The painter spoke, his voice low and seductive. The noble man couldn't help but gulp, his eyes never leaving the beautiful male in front of him.

"When are you coming again?" The man finally asked, clearly troubled. The young painter shook his head softly, pretending to be heartbroken. The noble man caressed his face, but the blonde slapped his hand away gently.

"We cannot meet again my lord. I am a man of the world. My freedom is with my paintings....besides," his eyes watered, "my lord got a family of his own, who am I to intervene? Please, let me go..and keep my painting as a precious reminder of our time together." The young painter insisted, and then left, not sparing the nobleman a second glance. A soft smirk played on the young beauty's sinful lips as he disappeared into the night.

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The streets of the city were rather busy around this time. People came and go all the time, merchants shouting loudly trying to attract clients. They all seemed busy, except for one person that stood out in the crowd; a young beautiful man with blonde hair and blue eyes, who seemed very busy eating like a pig. A group of shady looking men sat a few tables away from him, their eyes fixed on the exotic looking man and his wallet.

"He seems to have much more money in that little bag he carries around.." One of the men commented.

"Indeed..." The other one replied. "We could also sell his weird clothes for a high price" The man pointed out, and the other two nodded.

"He looks like a foreigner...we could sell him to the brothel, with his looks...the Madam would give us a lot for him." The three men planned diabolically, their hungry eyes on said oblivious man.

"We can have our way with him before selling him!" One of them said and they all laughed.

The young painter sighed to himself and finished eating calmly. 'Don't they know I can hear them?' He thought and calmly stood up once he was done. He started walking, aware of the strong footsteps behind him. He yawned and kept on walking calmly, still playing the oblivious victim, and not giving away any signs of having notice the trio. He finally came to an isolated street, and heard the laughter from the three man.

"Seems like our chance has come. You have no where to run now, haha.." The leader of the three commented while moving towards the blonde. "Give us all your money!" He demanded, the other two following him. The young painter turned around and smirked.

"Why would I do that gentlemen?" He replied calmly, and the leader grabbed him roughly by his robes.

"Cocky bastard! Dont you get your position here?!" The man shouted pissed. One of the other man patted his shoulder and smirked.

"Brother, how about we show him?" The three men smirked and pushed the young painter down. The blonde gasped softly in pain and glared at the three disgusting pigs.

"You lowly pigs think you can put your filthy hands on me?" He said calmly, although deep inside he was extremely scared. 'To think this men might have their way with me....I gotta get out of here' He thought, but his anxiousness was not reflected in his poker face.

January 16, 2014

An unusual warm breeze gusted through the buildings and the animosity of the streets. The afternoon light flooded the streets and the red haired man couldn't help but hiss every time a rise of sunshine penetrated his vision more than necessary.

With his face remaining hard and vacant, he sighed deeply as he tried to found his way through the narrow streets. It would have been really troublesome for someone to recognize him and shout in open street " The Prince is here!".

That morning he had the absolute pleasure to find out that his father, the rightful King, had some important business to attend that afternoon, which lead to the rare opportunity of Horatio to have some free time on his hands. Obviously, he had to be diligent and spend it wisely. What better choice than to venture himself among that sort of establishments that were clusters of taverns and brothels?

He suddenly found himself at a crossroad, where he should have turned right, but the dubious scene that the opposite street revealed made him reconsider. Horatio's eyes laid on the several men that had a muscular build and were deviously smirking while pressing themselves on a much slimmer body. A sense of urgency washed over Horatio as he saw the beautiful blond hair sprawled on the filthy ground.

'For such dirty man to take advantage of a mere helpless woman. What shameless scum!' The prince dashed at them and knocked down the three man at an instant. He was fully aware that those stood no chance against someone like him who was thought martial arts since his early childhood.

"What the fuck?" One of the man shouted. They rapidly confronted with the immediate situation and jumped on the prince, but, as Horatio predicted, they stood no real chance. The Prince caught the arm of one of them and balanced himself well enough to lift his foot and hit the other one. The man that he had grasped was pulled violently and collided successfully with the one who was still standing.

"So... so fast!" One of them exclaimed. The tallest one wanted to continue the fight, but the other two were reticent and decided to leave the fight aside.

"Boss, let's get out of here! The three of us cant do anything."

With despite clouding his eyes, the other agreed and they exited the street. Horatio turned to the victim and gazed at them intensely.

"Young lady, I hope those did not have the opportunity to do any sort of filthy thing to you."

January 16, 2014

The blonde had resigned himself to bribe the robbers when a stranger knocked them out. His eyes widen in surprise as he watched the men fall on the ground one after the other. A blurry figure moved with agility till the pigs finally left them. The young painter stared at the stranger in awe and complete silence. The lips of the stranger seemed to be moving asking the blonde of his condition after the shocking events that had just transcurred in front of him. His train of thoughts was interrupted by yet another thought. 'Did he just....called me....lady?' He stared at the man in disbelief, but nonetheless found him amusing. A unnoticeable smirk appeared on the painter's face as he finally spoke.

"Oh! My brave savior, how shall I repay your kindness? If it weren't for you, who knows what those filthy men would have done to me.." The beautiful male dramatized, his voice now slightly higher, like that of a woman. He stood up, still playing the victim and smiled at the young man. "Please, allow me to repay your great efforts with one of my humble paintings..."He insisted and bowed politely, then took both of the man's hands in his own.

"My name is Hae...I had just finished selling one of my paintings, when those horrible men followed me. They must have seen it...they were probably after the money...OHH the money?!" The blonde shouted all of a sudden in a desperate manner and looked through his clothes. "What should I do...it must have fallen somewhere in the streets while I was running away from those barbarians! What a horrible luck! How am I to pay a place to sleep tonight?....damn my luck..what is a young weak lady such as myself to do in these violent, dangerous streets when the moon is out and the sky is covered in darkness..." Hae stared at the young man, his eyes watering in skillful acting.

Chin-Hae fell on his knees as in despair. Anyone else who had the misfortune of witnessing this scene would have found themselves helping "the poor and delicate maiden". The astute blonde knew better than to let this chance slip by. He wasn't technically lying, he told himself, for he needed a place to pass the night, and he had spent most of his money curing his three days worth starvation. The other man's clothes told him that the stranger was probably some kind of nobleman, perhaps the son of a rich family. He told himself that taking a bit of money from such a man was but an act of charity. With no remorse what so ever, he kept on crying over his misfortune hoping to soften the young man's heart.

"Oh lord....what am I to do now.." He cried in disdain, his crystal clear blue eyes pleading to the other man.

January 16, 2014

Horatio watched the scene in utter silence. His lustrous dark eyes rejected life, it nurtured nothing, he was like the desert, stripped by all kind of emotion. Although at first he sincerely wanted to protect the seemingly helpless lady from being tainted, that resolve had been blown into smithereens.

When Hae, with his head directed to the ground, spoke no more, Horatio lifted his arms theatrically and to the light haired man's surprise, he started clapping in a somehow snobbish bemused attitude.

He continue applauding while we approached Hae. He then placed his fingers on the other's person chin and lifted it with no particular emotion.

"To lie to your brave savior... is such unmannerly behavior for a beautiful young lady like yourself." Horatio's blackness locked on Hae's bleary cerulean. "If you want so badly to repay me, you can start by showing me some honesty. I would not mind, really." Horatio added sarcastically.

There were no birds chirping, no bubbling brook, no swishing of the near by trees, no particular fragrance, just that of the dirt. For a fleeting instant, Horatio scrutinized Hae's peculiar features - his almond shaped eyes, his perfectly drowned nose and the way his face was contoured by gold locks of hair - it was a savage kind of beauty.

"You are lucky, indeed, giving my inclinations for beautiful things. I'm interested in all sort of arts that prevail beauty and I can say your performance was... outstanding. Maybe if I was a little drunk you might have had me fooled." He lifted Hae's chin a little bit and seemed to take thoughts of what he had just said. "Or maybe not. I am not easily fooled, actually."

Horatio made a pause that didn't need interruption, then made a sudden inquire. "Why do you pretend to be a woman, anyway?"

January 16, 2014

The man's reaction had been shocking to say the least...terribly unexpected, cruel even, the blonde had never met anyone so cunning before. The blonde didn't had time to react as the strong man approached him and lifted his chin. Their eyes met for the first time, locked in a intense gaze. The blonde beauty stopped breathing for a moment, and swallowed with great effort, he wanted to look away, but those detached, deep eyes held his still. The blonde cheek reddened in shame at the stranger's words, and he remained silent till the man finished speaking. The warm hand pulled away all of a sudden, and then came the unusual question. The painter's eyes widen and he bit down his own lip.

"So...you've noticed?..." Hae sighed in defeat and stood up, his eyes glancing at the other man calmly. He brushed the dirt of his clothes swiftly and took a deep breath. "You are the first person who doesn't fall for my acting, I commend you. Such a clever man.." The painter smiled, not a tint of regret in his -now back to normal- voice. The blonde smiled softly, seemingly amused and continued. "Pretending to be a woman was not part of my original plan I assure you." Hae smirked. "I just couldn't let the chance slip by...if you were going to help me because you thought I was a woman..then I see no reason why I shouldn't have pleased you by pretending to be one.." He moved a single strand of hair away, his lips still forming a beautiful smile.

He looked around, and then his gaze settle back on his savior. "Stay right there, and dont move." Hae ordered all of a sudden, his eyes shining with excitement. He laughed softly over his shoulder as he searched through his bag for something. "Don't worry, I am not foolish enough to attempt against your life. I must say...your are both cunning and strong, such a dangerous man indeed." The blonde kept searching till he finally found what he was looking for.

Hae took out a piece of yellowish blank paper and a brush, then a small jar with a bit of black ink. He sat down on the ground, and spread the paper in front of him, then stared at the stranger, openly checking him out. He noticed the man was not your everyday savior, he had muscles that had been worked with, he had a slim body, manly handsome features, a pair of inviting lips and deep alluring eyes. A soft blush crept to the painter's cheeks as he drew the man on the piece of paper. He tried to concentrate as a boner threatened to appear between his slim legs. He remained quiet, and surprisingly serious for about 20 minutes, his hand moving swiftly and precisely, line after line appearing, his long delicate fingers holding the brush ever so lightly till the masterpiece was done.

The young painter smiled pleased with the outcome and nodded softly to himself. He stood up carefully, his long robes almost tripping him as he made his way to the stranger and handed him the drawing. He stared at the other male with confident, a bit of ink on his chin.

"With this, I pay my debt with you. One of this would earn you a lot of money, if you manage to sell it. It would also make a nice decoration on your own house. They are very popular among nobles these days." Hae explained and picked up his things readying himself to leave. "I must say, today have been the most humiliating day of my existence, but I dont regret meeting such a man as yourself. If you ever need a painter, call me, I'll even do it for free." The blonde painter said over his shoulder.

January 17, 2014

For a reason that Horatio couldn't comprehend at that time, he stood still and awaited the other male to finish his drawing. He didn't hold any particular positive thoughts of the mysterious man who called himself Hae; he immediately considered him as being on the same level as everyone else - dishonest and driven by devious ambitions.

While drawing, the light haired man's expression had no appearance of cunning or deceit, he was taking his work with astonishing seriousness giving his previous behavior. Horatio thought that maybe Hae's personality was just twisted and he could concentrate only when working.

When Hae was done and handed the portrait to him with very honest words of how embarrassed he felt about the situation, Horatio seemed yet reticent to believe him. Maybe he expected him to be sympathetic with the situation which, as the man implied, was only natural to go in that deceiving direction, and help him with whatever he needed.

The prince didn't know what to think, but as soon as his eyes fell on the paper, he was mesmerized. It was not narcissism or the complete resemblance between him and the drawn man, but the emotion that it conveyed. The cold distant eyes, the lightly shade of a lopsidedly smile, the line of his brows, they all revealed his emotions when watching the pitiful Hae.

"I see you have diverse skills. You must be proud of that hands of yours." He let his words pass his parted lips and watched the drawing for a full minute. But when he raised his head to speak again, the only thing left to accompany him was the emptiness of the darkness.

Horatio raised his hand and drew his long fingers through his crimson hairs. Hae's invitation crossed his mind and he idiotically considered it, then slapped his forehead as soon as the rationality came back to him.

"Am I a moron or what? I can't bring such commoner to the palace."

He looked at the painting again as if to decide if the title of 'commoner' was well used, but only gave a sigh. He rolled the paper with not much force because he didn't want to ruin his skillfully drawn portrait and left the narrow street, returning to the palace, completely forgetting about his initial plan.

All the time he spent traveling back to 'royalty', as Horatio liked to name it, also served for replaying in his mind the whole scene. For some reason, Hae was bothering him and he couldn't tell if it was in good or mischievous thought. He know he was being stupid, but couldn't help but feel intrigued every time his memory revealed Hae's Chinese, exotic features.

When he arrived, the head butler was awaiting him and ready to serve him with anything.

"Good evening, Your Highness. Did you enjoy your journey to town? May I get you anything?" The man inquired with the slightest cordiality.

"Good evening, Lucas. Enjoy is a bit too much, but I can say it was intriguing."

After one of the servants took his jacket and already disappeared beneath a mahogany tall door, he rushed to the Library, but stopped half way as if he had a revelation.

"Lucas, actually, you can get me something."

Lucas approached the prince as he tried to conceal his surprise.

"And what that may be?"

"A Chinese painter."

January 17, 2014

The nobleman's thoughts weren't the only ones that were left troubled after their departure. The great painter Chin-Hae, also found himself thinking back to the scene the whole time. His mind was full of the strange man that had saved him, of his cunning attitude and great strength, of his detached yet beautiful eyes, of those strong muscles that were slightly visible under the clothing, of that sinful mouth that spoke such meaningful words. The blonde felt shivers of excitenment run through his body as his thoughts reminded him of the other man. 'We should see each other again...ahh! Must I be such a masochist..if that man sees me again, he'll be off with my head! But I hold such desire...' The young painter thought as he walked down the streets full of people. 'Stranger...have you made me even more wicked with the desire of monopolizing you?..'

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Hae found himself in front of the only inn in town. The place itself wasn't anything luxurious, and it looked a bit run down. Standing at the entrance, the blonde could hear the shouting coming from inside the place, probably full of drunk men that would later be getting scolded by their wives. The painter took out the small bag containing the bit of money he had left, and counted it. He sighed softly realizing he barely had enough to stay the night, but that would mean that he would have to endure another few days of starvation. 'Ugh...why is it that such a famous painter as myself goes through such situations!?' He lamented and made his way inside, he couldn't afford to sleep in this city's dangerous streets; he didn't wanted a repetition of that morning.

All eyes fell on the foreigner as he walked in. He stood out too much! His weird clothes, and exotic feautures were enough to draw out the unwanted attention of those present. He walked up to the owner and asked for a room. The man stared at him for a moment, and stuttered in his words as he gave the blonde his keys to the room. Without further delay, Hae headed to the room, and flopped down on the small, but spacious bed. He found himself more tired than he had imagined, and as soon as his head touched the soft pillow, he drifted off to dream land. Before completely falling into unconsciousness, the face of the nobleman made one last appearance in his mind, refusing to leave his already tormented thoughts.

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The morning sun rays shined upon the sleeping face of a certain blonde. Said man moved around in bed uncomfortably, attempting to cover his face with the bed sheets. The cold morning breeze made its way inside the room through the open windows, making the young male shiver from the sudden change in temperature. Finally giving up, Hae pushed the bed sheets away and sat up. He stretched and yawned softly, then took a look around still in a state of half-awareness, half-unconsciousness. He walked over to the bathroom with great efforts and took a long shower, his sleepiness slowly drifting away to welcome a clear mind.

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"You are not from around here, are you boy?" The owner of the inn asked as he accepted the blonde's payment for the room. He was sure the boy was a foreigner and that he had never seen such an standoffish person around.

"I come from far away..." The blonde replied calmly, offering one of his many dazzling smiles.

"I thought I hadn't seen you around. Why come to the city?" The owner asked very intrigued.

"Just a change of air..I am a painter, I needed new inspiration. I wanted to take a closer look of the castle. Many say it was done with great care, and that is intensely beautiful. I was hoping to see so for myself." Hae explained and turned to leave, but at that moment, his stomach grumbled loudly in annoyance, as a reminded that he had skipped breakfast. The owner smiled and motioned for the blonde to sit down.

"Why dont you stay a bit longer? I just finished baking some pancakes, but I did too many of them and can't possibly eat all. How about I'll invite you for some?" The elder proposed, smiling kindly. At this, Hae gave a bright smile of his own, almost drooling over the food and gladly sat down.

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The blonde walked down the busy streets with a full belly and a satisfied face. 'Such a kind old man...that was truly delicious..' Hae thought while rubbing his slight belly. A large crowd of people blocking his path suddenly drew his attention. In the middle of the crowd was a skinny, old man shouting something out loud. He had a paper in his hand and was reading from it. The painter got closer so that he could hear what the man had to say.

"Dear citizen! The royal family is looking for a Chinese painter. The pay would be good, and you get to stay in the castle for a whole week! Don't lose this chance and sign up! There will be a competition to draw out the better painter, and this person would then be living in luxury for the next week while serving the honorable royal family! Don't lose your chance! Sign up now!" The man informed all the ones present, and the crowd applauded, many planning to sign up. Our blonde ignored everyone around him, his eyes shining at the mention of payment. Finally, some heard his pleas! He quickly made his way through the crowd and signed up.

The competition was simple. All he needed was to submit a drawing before 10:00 pm that day and then the prince would choose the one winner. The blonde submitted a drawing of his surroundings that had taken him around 20 minutes to complete and then moved on. The result were going to be posted in that same place the morning after. The blonde grinned to himself and walked away with confident. 'I am such a lucky man indeed!'

January 18, 2014

"How long have we known each other, Lucas?" Horatio inquired as he followed with his eyes the butler's movement around the study room.

"Eight years, Your Highness."

"Eight years and I am still impressed by your performance. Your plan exceeded my expectations, although it was a bit daring because you did not consult with me regarding the prize." Luca's calm olive and almond shaped eyes were penetrated by Horatio's severe glance. Countless servants would have frozen at the impact between the prince's eyes and theirs, but Lucas remained stripped of emotion.

"His Majesty left the castle for a week to pay a visit to his brother." Lucas pointed and the information seemed to be out of place and with no apparent connection with their discussion, but Horatio knew better. The King's departure was a pure gold opportunity - it has been years since he had been left alone for such a long period of time.

"Lucas, you have become a dangerous man."

"I'm just a mere servant. My purpose in life is to be the silent vociferation of your wishes, Sire."

Horatio's wan smile transformed into a derisive laugh that concluded in a snide tone.

"What you have just said is indeed of complete truth."

Horatio had an affinity for Lucas and that was a matter he didn't bother to hide. The reason was also obvious - Lucas was the incarnation of loyalty; be it the Queen or the King, he would never betray Horatio's trust. The butler's lips were sealed no matter the situation.

The prince cast a glance at the other male in the room and seemed to be suspended in his decision.

"I have never asked you before, but are you perhaps half-Chinese?"

Lucas, who was currently pouring another glass of wine, directed his inquiringly eyes to Horatio.

"Not accurately, but my mother was half English, half Chinese. Others commented that I resemble her very much and too little my father."

Horatio wanted to draw out more information regarding the Chinese people, but a knock in the door, disrupted the flow of the conversation.

"Come in." Horatio demanded and a short chubby man entered the room.

"Your Highness, I am here to announce you that the painters you have hired have chosen 10 drawings that they had considered to be outstanding."

Horatio nodded and dismissed him with a rapid move of the hand that stood suspended in air.

"Your Highness, may I ask a question?"

Horatio returned Lucas' intense gaze and narrowed his eyes. "Go ahead."

"What if the drawing of the person you seek hadn't been nominated by those who you hired?"

Horatio laughed with confidence. "That's impossible. I recognize true art when I see it. Even a fool would appreciate that painter's unique style." The prince inspected Lucas' body language and observed that he wasn't too convinced. "Well, if it's not among those 10, then his drawings are worthless and it was just me who desperately wanted them to be something. And that kind of infatuation is not meant for a person of my status. However the situation develops from now on, it is a win-win."

Horatio drank the last drop of wine, rose from his chair and exited the room, descending the main stairs to the room that was designed for the contest. Three man sitting on a round, very long table awaited him.

When Horatio entered, the haired painters rose from their places, bowed and sat down when the prince dismissed them with his hand.

"So this are the masterpieces, gentlemen." He pointed the obvious and started to glance at each. Exuding confidence, with a fugitive glance he analyzed them all and in no time he approached the table with a smile that hid his every intention.

'What have I told you Lucas? Even an idiot would recognize his talent.'

"The three of you, go to the plaza tomorrow and announce the winner." And he picked the Hae's drawing, showing it to the three men that weren't in the slightest surprised by Horatio's choice. They nodded, took the painting and left the room in utter silence.

"Let's see what you are made of, my sly friend."

January 18, 2014

The next morning approached fast. The silence of the night was replaced by loud noises of people talking and moving things around to set up their stores. Everything came to a abrupt stop when the man from before accompanied by the royal guards re-appeared in town. He was holding yet another paper with the results of the contest. A crowd quickly emerged around them, curious eyes glancing at the paper searching for their names as the man sticked it to the wall.

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In a cafeteria near by, white tables were arranged outside. Curious customers passed by and glanced at the man sleeping in one of them. Soft blonde locks were spread on one of the wood tables, the owner completely unaware of his surroundings. Women would passed by and giggle, some would even take a curious peek at the handsome face and attempt to touch it. The owner of the store was busy cleaning when he noticed the commotion. He headed outside quickly in disapproval and was shocked to see the reason why there was a crowd blocking the entrance to his place. He shooed the people rudely and stomped to the table, his eyes watching the blonde painter annoyed.

"You! What are you doing!? Move it!" The owner shouted and slammed both his hands on the table. The blonde woke up abruptly and fell off the chair in complete shock and obliviousness as to what was happening. He groaned softly in pain, his eye lashes fluttering as his vision adjusted to the morning light. He glanced at the angry owner and realization dawn upon him. Blue crystal orbs stared nervously at the other man as Hae got to his feet and dusted off his robes. The older man stared in shock at the beauty in front of him, his voice shaking slightly and stuttering in his words as he scolded the painter.

"You b-beggar! Why w-were you blocking the entrance to..to..my store?" The businessman insisted pointing a finger at the blonde. Hae simply looked at him and was about to explain when yet another commotion interrupted him. There were people running everywhere towards one direction. One of them bumped into him and mumbled a soft "sorry" as he headed towards the center of town in a hurry.

"What's happening? Why is everyone in such a hurry owner?" Hae asked all of a sudden to the man who had been previously yelling at him. The man stared at him in confusion and then glanced at the crowded streets.

"Must be cuz' the results are out...you know..that royal competition they were having" The man replied in deep thought and nodded to himself. The painter's eyes widen and he quickly picked up his things. The owner noticed this and tried to stop him from leaving. "Y-you! w-where are you going?! You still haven't told me why-" The blonde interrupted him with one of his sly smiles and without uttering another word, he left. The owner stood there blushing, his finger still in the air as he pointed at thin air.

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Hae pushed through the mass of people in front of him as he tried to have a glance at the paper as well. He was roughly pushed away however, and fell to the ground for the second time that morning with a loud "bump" sound. He whined softly and stood up keeping his distance from the rest of the crowd. 'How am I ever going to see the results this way?' He wondered. At times like this he wished he were a bit stronger to push everyone out of the way. He watched some people leave with a saddened face, other fellows were cursing at the royal messenger and at the guards, while others simply remain silent not allowing themselves to show the disappointment they felt. The blonde's heart was pounding hard, for a moment he was doubting his own skills. What was he to do if he hand't been selected?! Besides shame, there was also the promise of many days of hunger and cold that he would have to stand. The painter was not looking forward to either one.

The young male quickly pushed through the crowd of people, using his slim body to slip through them. He was desperate to know the results that would decide his fate. Finally, his eyes traced over the text looking for his name. His eyes widen and a huge smile appeared on his rosy lips when he spotted. 'The winner of this contest is Painter Chin-Hae. You are to report to the royal castle as soon as possible.' He read and started cheering in a childish manner, catching the attention of everyone around him. The royal messenger checked him head to toe suspiciously, and finally approached him.

"You must be Chin-Hae...." the stranger said with superiority, "you are to come with us to the palace right now." He informed the seemingly excited painter, and soon the group was heading to the palace.

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The huge doors that Hae had only seen from far away before, finally opened to welcome him to the beautiful fortress. The blonde eyes moved around curiously, looking everywhere, taking in every detail of the well done architecture. The messenger cleared his throat as to catch the blonde's attention, his eyes looking at the painter with animosity.

"Wait here. I'll inform the prince of his guest." The man said and left. Hae was so taken in by the design of the palace that he hadn't paid much attention tot he unfriendly man. He started walking and walking around in complete dazed till he suddenly tripped over a rock and came in contact face to face to the green grass.

"Hnn...my fortune today..seems to be fallin'..." He mumbled in discontent and sat up. He quickly realized he was in a garden and had no idea how he had gotten there in the first place. He looked around for the messenger and guards but saw no one. From the corner of his eyes, the blonde caught glance of a moving ball of white fur sneaking through the beautiful red and white roses. He approached it careful and smiled when he noticed it was a house cat, and a very fat one at that. 'Must be from around here...' He reached out to touch it and the animal backed away a little bit. "It's alright kitty, I wont hurt you....where is your owner?" The painter reassured him, and the white fur slowly began to approach him, till the blonde beauty was caressing its head.

January 19, 2014

"Your Highness, the painter is here."

Horatio turned around and his obsidian eyes seemed to glow with a malevolent golden light.

"Good."

He exited the Library and a feeling of excitement coursed through his body as he approached the Hall. But as soon as he realized that he harbored those feelings out of impatience too see the man, a shade of anger clouded his brows. But soon enough, his attention was captured by the cooing and bellowing of voices echoing even more loudly in the air as the distance between him and the Hall grew shorter.

Horatio quickened his steps and when the guards saw him approaching angrily, they opened the Hall's door with a mixture of briskness and fear.

The Hall was in a full extent of animosity.

"What is the reason of this?!" The prince shouted when he saw the alarming chaos of people running around aimlessly and sprouting nonsense.

His words seemed to have the power of paralyzing all living things in the room, giving that everyone automatically stopped and avoided to give a full glance to the prince.

Lucas was the only one moving between those who became stones.

"Your Highness, the man has disappeared."

Horatio's raspy breath became regular, his chest started moving forth and forward at normal speed and the clenched fingers became loose and stood limply around his body. His body movement came to a stop, but not because of stupor, Horatio was simply relaxed. Despite the control he had over his body, his eyes rose and his face contorted into a mask of despite and disgust, as his lips turned into a snarl. The darkness of his eyes was willing the devil himself to sent the herd of servants in the most fiercesome pit of hell.

Lucas froze himself and was at a complete loss of words.

"As more than a hundred of imbecile servants were unable to watch over a single man, I take that this simple assignment is just too much for such commoners as yourselves. Therefore, someone of higher status would be able to accomplish a facile job like guarding a mere painter. I will go and find him myself."

Horatio's eyes were burning with anger as he spoke with pure disappointment. He turned and was on the verge of exiting the room when he suddenly stopped, turning his body and facing the stunned butler.

"Lucas, when I came back I expect to see all of those found in this room replaced with new and more capable servants. I trust that you will take this assignment seriously if you don't want it to be your last."

Regardless of his anger, Horatio's walking remained gallant and extremely graceful as he exited the room. The superiority he exuded was more than mocking to all those that watched him still frozen with fear.

Horatio passed through the room through the door that he thought would be the normal course of someone who had never been in a castle before. The prince thought that the painter might have been so stunned, that he himself wouldn't have observed where he went too.

And his predictions turned out to be true as, walking in the garden found in the heart of the castle, he spotted a cluster of blond hair loosely arranged in a ponytail.

Horatio mellowed out instantly and a smile appeared involuntary on his pale lips. Alongside the man he caught the sight of Meryl, the cat that Luca's had been 'secretly' keeping since he arrived at the palace.

Horatio watched Hae playing with the small animal who was also enjoying the company and profited that the light haired man was turned around and couldn't sense the prince's presence.

January 20, 2014

The blonde continued to play with the animal, oblivious to the intensity of the stare the other man was giving him. The cat purred and rubbed against the painter's legs craving for the attention. He was rewarded with a bright smile from the male beauty, and a soft petting to his head and ears. Hae's nails scratched the back of the cat's ears in a playful manner gaining yet another cute purr from the ball of white fur now sitting on his feet. The young painter simply stared at the lazy animal for a bit, his eyebrow crooked in curiosity, and finally sat down. He took the cat off his feet and placed him beside him instead, then petted him for a while longer.

Before long, the young painter fell asleep on the soft green grass. His mass of blonde hair spread everywhere, and his robes messy enough to show parts of his slim, long legs. Part of his creamy chest was exposed to the rays of the sun and the soft breeze as well, giving him a very angelic and almost erotic look. His lips parted, a small bit of drool running down his chin. Closed eyelids hid the beautiful blue orbs from spectators, such as the man leaning watching him from a distance. The blonde slept carelessly, not a worry in this world, looking at him you wouldn't suspect him to lead such a dangerous way of living.

_______________________________

Blue eyes opened lazily to a beautiful, clear, afternoon sky. The blonde stared at clouds moving for a while in a state of half awareness and slight confusion. Realization dawn upon him when the cat crawled on top of him and sat on his firm stomach. He smiled softly and petted the animal realizing that he probably slept for far too long. He wondered if the guards and that annoying messenger were still looking for him or had they given up? What about his highness? The prince was probably very upset to know his painter had disappeared. The blonde sat up with this in mind, making the cat fall off his chest with slight complain. He stretched his arms and yawned loudly, soft tears forming at the edge of his eyes.

Hae stopped for a moment, his arms coming to rest at his sides slowly. After long hours of complete carelessness, his finally noticed the other presence in the garden.

"If you are going to act like a stalker, do make a better job of it" The blonde said calmly unaware of how long the man had been watching him. He stood up and turned around to face the stranger and his eyes widen in surprise. It was the man from before!? His savior! What was he doing here?! The painter's mouth opened a bit ajar, and he pointed rudely at the nobleman. After a bit of a staring contest, the blonde finally realized his lack of manners and cleared his throat in embarrassment. His eyes found their way back to those deep, detached eyes that had entranced him so much during their first meeting, and an unwanted shiver of excitenment ran through his body.

"Are you really stalking me?" Hae asked out of nowhere, and approached the other man, their bodies now only a small space apart from one another. "To think we would meet each other in this place of all places...you must be stalking me! Just so you know, I dont enjoy having people following me around..." The blonde said while shaking a long, elegant finger in front of his savior's face, his eyes glinting playfully. All of a sudden, he heard the soft purring of the cat, and was surprised to find him rubbing against the nobleman's legs. "Y-You traitor! hmph!" He shouted childishly to the cat, who simply ignored him and kept on rubbing against his real owner. The blonde grabbed the stranger hand and lead him to the middle of the garden, deciding to interrogate him later.

"Perfect. I was dying to draw someone in this beautiful garden. I could serve as my own model but...I have no intention of further flattering myself.." The painter explained, a mischievous smile pasted on his face. He took out his painting instruments once again and made the fearful nobleman sit on the ground. The blonde knelt in front of the stranger and brushed his hair to the side, then adjusted his face. His soft fingers still lingered on the man's face, and for a moment he couldn't help but stare at the handsome features of the stronger male. Hae's swallowed hard and blushed deeply, then pulled away gracefully and began painting in silence.

"Why are you here?...." The blonde finally asked after a while.

January 20, 2014

Horatio was bewildered by the extent of impertinence that a single man could bestow on him. First it was the complete indifference that he was treated with, then the full sets of words that gravitated around "traitor" and "stalker" even when Hae acknowledged him to be at least a nobleman, which were followed by the light touch of the blonde and the confidence exuded while giving him orders. On top of all those, he was still unaware that he was The Prince.

Horatio was so impressed with how dense the man could be that he couldn't even get angry. He couldn't concede such an absurdity happening to him.

When Hae asked belatedly the reason for him being there, Horatio seemed as if woken from a daze.

His first royal instinct was to give a superior, perhaps sardonic laugh that would have sent the man to his grave, but instead, he covered the laugh with his right hand and when he calmed down, he placed his elbow on his raised knee, then his head on the back of his palm.

In normal circumstances, he would have been extremely angry and fret endlessly about the absurd incident, but he decided for some unknown reason to go along with Hae, to see how much can his stupidity last.

"A stalker? Perhaps in your mind I fall on the same category as those low class people who bereave others of their intimacy. I assure you I am not, at least not as long as you are the victim." Horatio made a short pause, then he continued. "A victim who is disrespectful and completely dense."

Horatio talked in such way that the other man should have already observed the difference between their way of speaking. That put Horatio automatically on a higher social scale, which would have proved his point.

"Why do you think I am here?" He finally asked, trying to abstain himself from using a mocking tone. Horatio's obsidian eyes were in search of those two cerulean globes that he secretly yearned to see again.

January 23, 2014

The blonde stopped painting for a moment to consider the nobleman's words. He then resumed to continue his creation in complete silence. The eyes of the blonde widen in surprise as realization dawn upon him. He placed the painting aside, half done, and stared at the man in front of him calmly. "The prince is said to be a warrior, a strong man of character" The painter stated in a matter of fact tone. He stood up elegantly and made his way slowly to his savior. "I watched you defeat those soldiers in the blink of an eye." The blonde mumbled and stared seriously at the stranger. "Do you perhaps live in this castle?" Hae insinuated, a soft smirk playing on his lips.

The question had been more of a statement. Hae picked up his painting materials and started heading towards the door the nobleman had been leaning against previously. "I guess I wont get to relax in this garden till next time. I never thought the prince himself would do me the honor of coming to look for me." The blonde stated a bit mocking heading back inside the castle. Suddenly, the cat stopped him on his tracks by rubbing affectionately against his leg. The young painter leaned down to caress its head gently and smiled at the animal. "We'll see each other next time as well." He said and the cat seemed to stare at him in understanding.

"Your highness, how about we make our way inside so that you can explain my reason for being here? I dont wish to get lost again, although..."another one of his playful smirks made his appearance, "if that would make his highness go out of his way to look for me, I might reconsider getting lost on purpose" The blonde announced bluntly already moving towards the entrance, not waiting for a reply. He opened the simple door leading to one of the hallways and made his way inside the castle for the first time. The hallway seemed infinite, only the light of candles showing them the right path.

The blonde was silent, a rare thing. In his mind he was going over the unbelievable fact he had just discovered a few minutes ago. Many questions made their way to his mind but before he had the chance to reply he came to a stop. There were three different paths in front of him and he had no idea which one to take. The place was dark, not a single servant around, too solitary for his liking. He turned around, his eyes quickly searching for the other man.

"Which way?" He asked plainly, cutting on the tittles lazily. He saw no point in mocking the man further by announcing his tittle to empty walls when he himself failed to see him as nothing but a normal man.

January 25, 2014

The light haired man continued to talk and Horatio stood still, exuding overconfidence and desperately trying to overcome his bewilderment. But when he saw the man creating distance between them because of boredom, he snapped. Confused with the castle's parts, the commoner asked Horatio for direction, as if he was a servant. Not to add that his comment about him chasing Hae was also misplaced and only made the prince's anger to grow in intensity.

He walked assertively towards the painter and when they were only a few centimeters apart, the man throw his fist rapidly and violently on the wall which Hae was leaning on.

Horatio parted his lips and spoke in a cold dismissing tone.

"Are you mocking me?" Because he couldn't compose himself for getting temperamental, his eyes display a mixture of irritation and coldness.

Hae's azure was reflecting in Horatio's coal hard stare.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Has Meryl eaten your tongue while you have been touching her without permission?"

A strong rustle of wind threw Hae's long blond hair and Horatio's crimson locks into disarray, making their hairs to meet and tangle together. If someone else have watched them right now, they would have surely given a misplaced explanation of the scene, perhaps more romantic and dramatized.

But Horatio's eyes suddenly lit and the intensity seemed to make his stare capable of penetrating the other man. And if you had averted your eyes, you would have seen a lopsidedly smile that was performed under devilish intentions.

"Follow me." He ordered, drawing his arm back and taking the middle path that was directed towards the hall. Horatio never turned back to see if Hae was still there, because in that utter silence in which the palace have fallen after Horatio's earlier outburst, you could have heard only two pairs of steps.

When they reached the enormous room, it was in perfect order as it should have been in the first place. Lucas appeared before them immediately.

"You Highness." And he bowed.

"Lucas, this man comes from far away and it seems that it is his first time visiting London. He has no manners, is disrespectful and doesn't seem aware of the situation here. Until you eradicate those personality flaws, I have no wish to waste my time with incompetency, therefore there is no reason for me to see or talk to him."

Horatio didn't remain long enough in the room to see Lucas' reaction. Everyone knew that the painter was supposed to stay only a week in the castle, so the 'training' should take at most 2 days. The reason for why Hae was brought didn't even came up because Horatio didn't find any worth in saying those words when he would have been probably ignored by the Chinese.

Thinking of all that, his enmity grew inside his body and he suddenly decided to go out and relax at his favorite parlour, where the owner had connection with the royalty and didn't make a fuss from him going there.

February 1, 2014

The blonde stared dumbfounded at the crowd of people inside the room. His eyes then darted back to the prince in confusion. He flinched at the tone the other man was using to refer to him, and his eyes widen at his orders. The prince left before the painter had even the chance to convince him to change his mind. He glanced back at the other people in the room, his fury growing by the minute.

"What's the meaning of this?!" He asked clearly upset was was swiftly ignored.

"Bring Madam Joseph" One of the men ordered, and another one quickly went to look for the woman mentioned. The blonde glanced from one to the other questioning and simply stood in the middle of the room in anticipation. A minute later, an old fat woman came into the room. She was dressed very aristocracy but you could tell she wasn't part of the noblemen and women. She had a very uptight expression on and an imposing presence.

"Did you called for me sir?" She asked and one of the experts explained the situation to her. Her eyes widen and her mouth opened slightly ajar as she glanced at the chinese painter accessing his value. Her eyes were as imposing as her presence and they made the blonde rather uncomfortable. Her next face expression was one of approval as she nodded to herself. "I'll teach him all the necessary, leave him in my capable hands sir." She announced and headed to the door. "Follow me boy" She ordered, but Hae wasn't about to stay quiet and follow them so easily. He abruptly turned around, ready to get out of there but two rough looking guards were blocking his way.

"Move it" Hae ordered while glaring at them.

"If I were you boy, I would do as I am ordered to willingly." Madam Joseph ordered, her eyes narrowing at the blonde beauty. Hae hesitated for a while, but he had no choice. He gave in and followed the woman reluctantly down the hallways till they reached the side of the palace where the servants' room were located and entered an empty one. This area was nothing like the rest of the place, if anything it was old and decaying, not very well taken care of. The floor was made of pure old wood, the single bed looked at hard as a rock, and there was small spiders crawling up the white, empty walls. There was only one window in the room, connecting to part of the huge green fields surrounding the palace. 'At least the view is nice' The painter thought, his breath taken away by the lack of comfortability that he had been promised as a reward for winning the contest.

"Here! Put this on! Those clothes of yours are ridiculous!" The old woman ordered as she threw a pair of working brown pants and a white long sleeve shirt at him. "Use these too" She said and threw a pair of working boots at him. The blonde almost fell on his back as the woman threw the objects and glared at her from under the pile of clothing.

"Why do i need to change?! I am fine like this!" He objected and stood up. He lowered his eyes to make eye contact with her, standing a few inches over her, as if challenging her to say otherwise. The woman "hmph" and proceeded to explain the reason why they were there in a cold, superior tone.

"You have dared disrespect our prince! He have been benevolent enough to let you live and has given you a chance to show you are sorry for the way you have acted! I was put in charge of fixing that rotten personality of yours and as a first step, I'll teach you to be a proper servant to the lord of this country! From todays onwards you'll serve his majesty as one of the palace's servants!" Hae's eyes widen at her words and he could only shake his head in disbelief.

"I did not came here to become no one's servant! I am leaving!" He shouted already heading to the door, but the woman's words stopped him.

"Then do you prefer to be hunted down and beheaded for disrespecting this country future king?" She said smirking cockily. The blonde stopped on his steps and gritted his teeth, then turned around reluctantly.

"What do I need to do?..." He asked in shame, his bangs covering his beautiful eyes. The woman smirked and stepped forward closing the distance between them.

"For starters....change"

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It was a nice afternoon, the sun was slowly disappearing behind the horizon and the birds were still out making some noise. A figure was on his knees cleaning the dirty hallways of the palace, a bucket next to him and in his delicate hands a piece of wet cloth. He was swiping the floor with that, like a twisted cinderella. His elegant locks were now messily tied back and his long bangs were getting in his way. He bit his lower lip in complete humiliation and threw the cloth against the floor hard.

"Shitty old woman! Making me do this! I am a damn painter! I am not a servant!" He protested and rubbed one of his very sore wrists. Despite his whining, he still got back to work knowing he had no choice in the matter. He cursed the prince over and over again, wishing he could punch his handsome face, but knowing he wouldn't have a chance to do so. He remembered the man's words before he left and his blood boiled. "Bastard" He mumbled to himself quietly between the silence walls.

________________________________________

Two days passed since then, and the woman's orders had only gotten harsher. The blonde once elegant fingers were covered in bruises, and his beautiful face had a small cut on the chin. His long blonde curls were sticking to his sweaty face all the time and he had even lost some weight from the harsh labor. He rested his head on a table exhausted, his chest rising in heavy breathing as he attempted to recover his energy.

"Two days and all I've done is waste time. I had enough! Who does that bastard think he is?!" He protested and kicked one of the wood chairs in front of him. At that moment, Madam Joseph came in, her face frowning in disapproval.

February 1, 2014

Two days have passed since their volcanic encounter and Horatio seemed to have put his mind at peace and calmed himself down. Resting on one of the leather armchairs from the guest room, he drank wine in the wonderful company of Madame Durand, who heard the commotion and couldn't help but pay a visit to see with her imposing eyes the damage dealt.

"I have heard about the incident." She stated the obvious.

"Undoubtedly you have."

The woman seemed to measure him with her wise eyes. "You are interested in him."

Horatio let out a sardonic laugh. "Absurd!"

"You made him your servant."

"Indeed. It is the price paid for not beheading him. A fair deal, if you ask me." By the time Horatio finished speaking his line, a glow of emotion was already nurtured in his eyes, one that could not escape Madame Durand's woman precision. She displayed a look that infuriated Horatio greatly.

"An emotional detached person like yourself to lose his composure over such an insignificant incident..." And she theatrically sighed. "That was unexpected."

Horatio sipped some wine and a wave of calmness washed over him. For some reason, every time he taught of that painter, he got irritated and was on the verge of breaking something. But wine had a contra effect on that anger.

"He treated me like a servant."

"Which surprised you greatly because no one even dared to do that. Reason why you are interested in him." Horatio's eyes expanded in realization; sentiment he didn't try to surpass or hid. It was indeed the truth - never in his life had he been mistreated, so the painter's action had taken him aback completely. And instead of punishing his behavior by killing the man, he instead wanted to correct it and see the length of the man's stubbornness and ambition.

"That, I won't deny." He found it reasonless to try hiding something from Madame, so he simply spluttered it out.

"Of course I am, dear. I knew you best. Anyway, I understand that you refuse to see him until his behavior is corrected. What if he collapses in the process? It is dangerous, you may loose your toy."

'Toy' was the proper word to use, Horatio taught, because the interest he had in the Chinese could be narrowed to that simply word. He taught of the woman's words and said frankly. "If he is not an ambitious man, then he will never lay his eyes on me and neither would mine lay on him. More to that, if his stubbornness comes in as false, a scam, then my interest becomes groundless and it will surely scatter in smithereens."

Madame Durand laughed loudly, like a noblewoman would never do. She was very pleased with the conversation. Drinking herself some wine, she remained silent for a while, then spoke bemusedly:

"He made you come out of your shell. You got so angry that you replaced half of the servants because they lost sight of him. Even though he is a foreigner, thus he would naturally have no idea about our country's rule, you still got angry over him mocking you, and wanted to correct, not kill him. But you are not a cruel man, you didn't do that because you wanted him to suffer, but because you respect him to some length."

"Respect?"

"I heard he is a very skilled painter. Perhaps, you don't want such a rare talent to go to waste. I think this is the first thing to have stirred your interest. He might hate you without realizing what good intentions you have by correcting his unnatural behavior."

The corner of Horatio's lips turned into an amused smile. In the bottom of his heart, he felt happy for speaking with Madame Durand, as she made him realize many things. "If he becomes as competent as Lucas, I will consider seeing him and making the best use of his talents."

February 4, 2014

"What do you think you are doing?!" Madam Joseph shouted from the kitchen's door. She was fuming in anger, her eyes settling in the young painter's relaxed figure. She stomped towards the blonde and slammed her hands on the table hard. "Did you finished all the work I assigned you? Why are you lazying around in the kitchen?!" She bombarded him with question, but the blonde simply stared at her quietly and backed away a bit, then nodded in response. The woman sighed at the lack of reaction, and handed Hae a tray with food. "This is for the prince. He is at the guest room on the second floor. Keep walking till you get to the very last room and knock. Be respectful! If you do anything wrong, I'll make sure you pay with your body, got it!?" The old woman threatened and the blonde nodded fast.

______________________________

Hae walked down the dark hallways of the palace till he reached the main stairs. He made his way upstairs and followed the direction the old lady had provided for him. He finally stopped in front of the guest room and took a deep breath, then knocked hard.

"Your food is here my lord! Would you be so kind to open the da-...the door?!" The young painter said loudly trying to be as polite as he could, but his tone was that of annoyance. He waited patiently for the prince to open the door, unconsciously pacing back and forth outside.

_____________________________________________

The city's port was full of people that afternoon as well. A specially luxurious and empty ship had just arrived, and from it stepped out two men that stood out from the rest of the common crowd. One of them looked like a nobleman, and the other one was probably his servant. They were both dressed elegantly in silks, and following them were a group of guards. People turned to look at them in curiosity, some of them awed in surprise as realization hit them. A small crowd suddenly surrounded them, traffic and people stopping to look at the young, and clearly annoyed nobleman.

"Hervin, we are attracting too much attention" The light haired male complained glaring at the crowd. Said man simply nodded and ordered the guards to disperse the crowd forming around them. The guards shouted "move!" making way for the important guest till they finally reached the carriage. The nobleman slipped inside and sighed in relieve. "Why is it always like this everywhere I go? Next time, i'll really cover my face!" The brunette exclaimed, a small frown appearing on his handsome's face. Emerald green eyes stared out the window as the carriage started.

"May i ask why are we returning so soon your highness?" His servant, a young male also of lighter skin and jet black hair, asked, his dark orbs staring at the nobleman in amusement.

"I heard rumors that there is a commotion at the palace, and I am really curious to know who is the man big brother bought back. I heard he is a real beauty and that he is brother's new lover!" The crown prince replied amused, a soft smirk playing at the side of his lips. "I'll have to see for myself, just what kind of jewel is capable of moving the heart of such a harsh man"

The servant stared at him master in silence and the two remained like that the rest of the way.

February 4, 2014

"Your food is here my lord! Would you be so kind to open the da-...the door?!"

Horatio stopped talking and tilt his head, recognizing the voice immediately. He appreciated the painter's use of words when addressing, but the tone that left out only annoyance was inadmissible, which lead Horatio into thinking that the man was not yet prepared to meet the Prince. Madam Durand understood from Horatio's complex visage who was the man behind the door and couldn't help but chuckle idly.

"Lucas." Horatio ordered and the man appeared behind ta mahogany door. "Take the food and don't let the man enter the room."

"Yes, Your Highness." And Lucas proceeded as instructed and brought the food without letting Hae to enter the room.

"Your Highness, there is a letter from the naval port." Lucas spoke as he arranged the food on the table. Horatio lifted his eyes and gave Lucas an inquiring glance. "Prince Alexander seems to have returned from his journey and is now on his way to the palace."

Horatio shot him a glare that betrayed only irritation, while Madame started laughing happily.

"It seems I am not the only one curious about this mysterious man. Anyway, I am afraid I can not remain for dinner, I am expected to be somewhere else in a hour. I am going, maybe I am lucky and catch a glimpse of this man on my way out."

Horatio let out a sigh and made eye contact with Lucas, who understood that he had to accompany Madame Durand until she left the palace.

"I bid you farewell. I will come again to see how things have progressed."

And she exited the room, followed by Lucas. Remaining alone, Horatio started eating even though he had no particular appetite.

The clock struck the midnight hour. Horatio was still in the guest room, drinking a glass of Scotch and waiting for the troubles to appear. And they did, ten minutes later the door opened and a man with dark hair and glittering topaz eyes made his way in the room.

"Horatio, how glad I am to see you."

The prince turned his head and smiled wanly at the theatrical greeting, bowing his head to acknowledge the man's presence. But he exuded no desire of further welcoming gestures.

"How very cold of you." And Alexander took a sit where Madame Durand had stood before.

A stagnant silence made easily its way between the men, as Horatio had no apparent desire of starting a conversation. Alexander looked around the room and then cast a demanding glace at his brother.

"So, where is the precious gem?"

"If you are referring to the new jewel that King Wilhelm gave us, it is in the jewelry room, which is still upstairs, as you already know."

Alexander sighed bemusedly, but an evil intent was easily read in his eyes.

"I am referring to your peculiar lover. I heard there was quite a commotion in the palace."

Horatio was not a bit surprised at the title that the painter was suddenly given, as his brother, Alexander, always exaggerated every rumor he had heard.

"I do not recall to have such a thing."

"Stop it already. Where is he? I want to see the man who vexed you so much as to replace half of the servants in a blink of an eye."

Horatio sighed again, tired of having the same conversation again.

"He is not my lover, he is a painter, a very rude one. A man with his behavior would normally be beheaded, but my good spirit would not let me kill such a rare talent, so I made him my servant. I will use him accordingly when he had learned some manners. If you had come back from Africa just to hear this banal story, I am afraid you have wasted time and money very idiotically."

"But is not banal at all. My dear brother took interest in another human being, this is quite sensational. I am going to see him. He is with Madame Joseph, isn't he?"

February 12, 2014

The blonde's eyes landed on the opening door expectantly, only to make contact with the serious face of a man he didn't recognized. The man was dressed in fine clothes but you could tell he was still a servant of some sort. 'Perhaps the prince's personal attendant?' The young painter thought, his eyes inspecting the other man curiously.

"I'll take that tray to his highness. Keep up the hard work." Was all the man said to him before taking the object from him. Hae stood dumbfounded as the man proceeded to slam the door in his face. For a moment, silence overwhelmed him, and then rage. His eyes widen in disbelief and he clenched his teeth in fury. How dared he insulted him once again?! The blonde glared at the closed door intensely, as if his mere gaze were to incite it to open once again. He felt the need to kick it open, but the door opened once again as he were about to do so. His face became pale like a child caught red handed in one of his mischievous deals. His back straighten and he lowered his gaze to glance at the much shorter woman standing in front of him.

Madam Durand seemed amused by the young painter. Her eyes observed the pretty face and didn't missed the childish action he was about to perform right before her coming out. A small smirk formed at the corner of her lips, and she seemed to be entertaining an idea.

"Hello there.." She finally spoke, her voice kind like that of an experience woman dealing with a young child. "And who might you be?" She asked bluntly. The blonde snickered and mumbled a soft "another aristocrat" under his breath before bowing non so politely.

"I am Hae, a chinese painter" The blonde replied simply but his furious eyes said otherwise. 'The one who mistakenly trusted that bastard of a prince and ended up here of all places like a bird in a cage serving his royal ass!' The painter thought holding a grudge toward the man inside, but his face remained calm despite his inner thoughts. All of a sudden, the woman laughed softly and placed a soft hand on his shoulder to his surprised.

"Take care of his highness for me, he can be quite a handful, but he is a very honest and dignified man," the aristocratic woman said and smiled, then left. The blonde laughed slightly and wondered what could the woman possibly mean. He glanced at the door for the last time that day, and left as well, leaving an empty space behind him.

__________________________________________________

Night fell upon the majestic palace rather soon. A slim figure headed to the kitchen carrying empty buckets of water and seemingly exhausted. Madam Joseph had insisted on him cleaning yet another part of the palace, and then he had to fix the garden although that was the gardener's job. The woman seemed to truly hate his gut and the blonde was getting rather tired of following orders. He had never been so humiliated in his whole life! He winced at the pain it caused to simply move his fingers. There were cuts everywhere on the once soft and delicate hands, and his face and clothes were all dirty, as was his long beautiful hair. Hae sighed and put the cleaning items away before heading to his non so pretty room. He flopped on the hard bed, frowning lightly at the slight crack sound it made and closed his eyes for a minute.

'I can't stay here any longer...' He thought reluctant to keep up with this little game of theirs. He hated to admit it, but he was too weak to tell the other man off, so his only solution was to escape. He had noticed security wasn't too tight around his area, and at night some of the guards were even sleeping on their post. It gave him the perfect chance to make his escape. All he needed was the strength and the energy, which he lacked after a day of brutal work. Slowly he stood up, and headed to the bathroom to take a shower hoping that his sore muscles would get better by the time he was done with it.

Warm water ran down the porcelain skin, caressing the tensed up muscles and healing the scratches and bruises that had sinfully dared to mark it. Blonde locks of long hair fell sensually on the painter's shoulders and down his back hiding the slim body of said man to anyone's eyes. The blonde shivered and moaned softly at the slight pain, and bit down on his lips refusing to allow any more humiliation towards his persona. He washed the dirtiness off his beautiful self, and dried off with a piece of cloth Madam Joseph had provided as his towel, then glanced at his reflection on the small mirror hanging from the wall. The bruises on his body were so evident, and his once perfect skin was now marked by them. The blonde cursed softly and quickly dressed up, refusing to stay another minute in that horrible place.

______________________________________

A figure walked through the darkness of the night heading towards one of the many castle's exits. The man walked through the huge garden carefully, stumbling upon some of the branches lying mockingly on the ground. "Ow!" He shouted as he fell flat on his face, and picked himself off. This place was very much like a forest, full of useless plants and trees that prevented him from reaching his goal! The clumsy painter stood up and laid against one of the trees for a moment, sighing in disdain. "At this rate I'll never make it out of here..." He mumbled to himself in a hopeless tone. Suddenly, his body tensed up as he heard footsteps coming in his direction, getting louder and closer. A man's laughter filled the space between them as the stranger came in contact with the runner away. "Who walks there?!" Asked the painter alarmed. The man laughed again and came out of the shadows revealing his handsome face under the moon's light.

"Shouldn't that be my question?" An unfamiliar voice reached Hae's ears and he turned around roughly, his eyes glaring at whoever was behind. "What is a young beautiful lady doing out at this time of the night?" The man asked seemingly amused.

"I am not going back to that place!" The painter shouted and reached for the dagger hanging at the prince's pocket. "If you try to stop me, I'll kill myself!" The blonde threatened but his hand was trembling. The crown prince chuckled and mumbled a soft "interesting", then waved his hand in dismissal.

"I wont stop you" He stated calmly.

"You wont?" The blonde repeated confused.

"No. I'll help you instead. I know this castle like the back of my hand." The stranger said to the blonde who was looking at him incredulously.

"Why should I trust you?" Hae asked lowering the dagger.

The prince smirked and grabbed the blonde's wrist pulling him closer. "Because I am your only way out of here" Said man whispered in the painter's ear and dragged him towards the exit. The dagger Hae was holding fell to the ground, the only prove of their encounter and what was to come, like a silent warning.

_____________________________________

Blonde locks of hair were spread on the grass on a small hill right outside the castle. The young painter was lying on his back observing the serene moving clouds, and the immense sky, equally blue as his own eyes. He had finally made it out of the palace, thanks to that stranger he didn't even knew the name of. The stranger had promised they would meet again, and had left just as mysteriously as he had appeared in front of him. The blonde had even failed to thank him, but he was sure he would have the chance to in the future, or so he hoped. The face of another man appeared on his mind, his first savor. He felt a mixture of regret and relieve cling to his heart, squeezing it tightly and leaving him breathless.

February 15, 2014

No sooner had Horatio started to drink his tea the following morning, that Madame Joseph stormed in to the room accompanied by several servants.

"Your Highness, my profound apologies for disturbing you so early in the morning, but there is a situation that needs your immediate attention."

Horatio rose his brow inquiringly, thinking what could have happened for Madame Joseph to cause such a ruckus early in the morning. Then the idea hit him and the questioning glare rapidly turned into irritation.

"What did he do this time?"

The other persons present in the room, namely Horatio's brother, Lucas and the prince's personal servants, looked at Madam Joseph with their faces suddenly lightened with realization.

"He is nowhere to be found. He most probably escaped last night."

In a fleeting instant, all emotions depleted and Horatio's visage was the vessel of stoicism. With abnormal composure, he lifted his mug of tea, slipped some drink down his throat and returned his attention to his brother, with whom he was speaking before Madam Joseph stormed in.

After a prolonged silence in which everyone kept their breaths from performing any noise, Horatio, for everyone's relief, spoke:

"Is that so?"

No one could tell if the mask he had imposed for saving face hid anger, indifference or pain.

"For a mere painter to have escaped the palace... A painter who got immediately lost when he first came here under everyone's noses. I am starting to believe that the infinite length of your incompetence has absolutely nothing to do with it, he is most likely the invisible man." Sarcasm was not uncommon, but Horatio used it only when he was really disappointed with someone.

"Anyway, most surely you do not realize what the palace, what this country had lost. Perhaps my word is no longer good enough for you, and I have to actually show you, mere commoners, proof. As my kindness had become limitless lately, I might as well show you."

Horatio's attitude made everyone conflicted as the cruelty in his voice was no match for his actions, for the simple thing that he didn't order for those who were on guard last night to be beheaded, or at least pay for their insolence.

Horatio beckoned at a servant and ordered him to bring the painting resting in the chamber where meetings were held. No one uttered a word until the clumsy shaking fingers of the servant appeared in the room, holding a paper usually used for painting. He gave the piece of art to Horatio and the prince stood up, went to the middle of the table and opened it. He made a sign for everyone to approach. They walked in fear and when their eyes laid on the painting, a sound of astonishment involuntarily left their mouth.

"Exactly." Horatio said as if to confirm everyone's bewilderment.

Horatio's brother, Alexander, touched it with his slim fingers. It was not just the perfect resemblance between the man painted and the real one standing before them, but the expression that betrayed so much of their prince's attitude, style, behaving maneuvers that shocked everyone.

" As you observe, even individuals like you, who have absolutely nothing to do with Art, can see and understand this talent."

Everyone was speechless and Horatio took a good look at their pained and conflicted faces.

"Good, now that you understand, go and reflect on your idiocy."

Still silent, everyone left the room, except for Alexander who retook his place at the table and started to drink the untouched tea.

"Incredible." He said, looking desolately on the window.

The silence prevailed for another long time, and when there was no sign for a conversation to start again, Horatio spoke unexpectedly.

"Alexander, I am aware of the fact that you like to play games, to stretch people's nerves to maximum, to infinitely annoy me."

The two of them exchanged glares, Horatio's malevolence was in contrast with Alexander's amity.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. Well, at least the first part. It is true that I like to annoy you, though."

"Well, I am sure you expected me to burst with anger, throw tantrums and send half of the troops to look for him. Too bad I am not going to entertain you."

"Are you implying something?"

"No, nothing at all. I just wanted to apologize for not becoming an object of amusement as you wanted me to. Also, I hope you realize what talent have this palace, no, I dare to say, country, lost."

The prince would have wanted to speak more, to make his brother understand what kind of intentions he had with the painter, but he thought that it was futile anyway. Thus, he stood up and left the room without giving a chance to Alexander to defend himself.

The night sky was brightened why the shimmering light of the moon and the stars seemed to gradually join the spectacle of lights. The town's street was unusually clear and the visibility for walking was good. Even the wind was calm, you could have hardly hear rustles or the branches of trees colliding with each other.

"So he's inside." The red-haired man spoke, trying to adopt the slang of the commoners.

"Yes, if you're lookin' for a littl' blond man with strange cloths, dam' sure he's stayin' here. It's impossible to not spot him."

Appealed with the answer, the other man started to search his left pocket, revealing a gold coin which was quickly given to the one providing the information.

"It's good to make business with you." The old man spoke tersely, disappearing behind the shabby parlour, as if scared for someone to take away his precious coin.

The other one looked around, caught his hood which was ready to fall off and covered his hair and face carefully. When he was ready, he entered the parlour in front of which the middle aged man pointed him and started to look around. His eyes glittered with something that was hard to name when his eyes landed on a lithe man with blond hair, who was standing at the bar and drinking.

'What a lucky man I am.'

He went straight to him and frantically pressed a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Could I speak to you for a second?"

The other turned around and a feeling of nostalgia washed over the red-haired man as clear blue eyes was starring in his obsidian deepness. He smirked defiantly at the painter's perplexed expression.

The Royal Painter -1x1-

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