I am going to be in so much trouble later.. Yunho thought as he stared at Mingi who had been going into his bathroom back and forth with 2 bowls in his hands and some kind of herbs which made Yunho wonder where he got it because they didn't stop somewhere before coming to his room. It's not helping when the others left him and Mingi alone half-way making Yunho had to blearily give Mingi the way to his room while his head is still pounding.

"What is on your mind, my lord?" Mingi questioned Yunho as he put down the 2 bowls on the small table near Yunho's bed. "Huh?" Yunho replied as his mind is still hazy making Mingi chuckled a little as he takes out his medical supplies in his small bag which he brings with him everywhere. "You seemed to have something in your mind. Do you want to tell me about it?" Mingi asked softly as he sat next to Yunho on the bed and motioned for the half-elf to turn around so his back was facing the heir.

"I wasn't supposed to talk to any of you guys.." Yunho whispered softly but Mingi heard him anyway as he carefully tended to Yunho's back wounds.

"Why is that?"

"Because the king said so. I will be in trouble after this for today.."

Mingi frowned at the devastated voice coming from Yunho. "I don't really understand, do you mind telling me the reason why you would be in trouble just because you talked to us today?" Mingi questioned, resulting in Yunho biting his lips before he blurted out the truth. "The king doesn't want you to choose me in the diplomatic marriage because I'm not the heir. To prevent it, the King forbid me to talk with you guys unless you guys started it first." Yunho explained right before he cupped his mouth in shock.

"I shouldn't have said that. Why can't I control my mouth just now..?" Yunho whispered, frowning a bit before Mingi chuckled softly. "I'm sorry my lord, that would be my doing." Mingi confessed sheepishly making Yunho whipped his head towards Mingi. "What? What do you mean by that, my lord?" Yunho stared at Mingi, his eyes wide while the latter gave him a slight smirk before speaking.

"I am blessed with a little bit of magic which I can use whenever I want to. Usually I use it on my patients so they would tell me the truth about their pain and such but I do sometimes use it on people who I found suspicious or so." Mingi said. "I'm suspicious..?" Yunho confusedly tilted his head with a slight frown on his face. "No, my lord. I found your King suspicious. I'm sorry that I made you blurt out those things though but at least now I understand a little bit more about your King." Mingi chuckled as he explained it to Yunho.

"A-are you going to cancel the diplomatic relationship..? P-please don't! You should not believe me so much, I'm just a mere half-elf.. Nothing so good about me.." Yunho stuttered out as he feared that the King would have his head if the diplomatic relationship was canceled because of him.

"It doesn't have to be a marriage you know? We can still have diplomatic relationships with other things such as resources or education. A half-elf is still an elf so don't be so harsh with yourself. Just because you have some human traits, that doesn't mean that you're less than a purebred elf and I did not say these things just to make you feel better. I know how good your elf-side is even though we have only known each other for less than a week." Mingi said as he put a little bit of his magic on Yunho's back wounds so it won't pain the half-elf so much.

"H-how so? We only met at the practice field.. You did not see my full clumsy self yet.." Yunho murmured, blushing at Mingi's words as no one ever told him that. "I'm looking forward to seeing that side too and I promise you that I will not judge." Mingi assured him as he stood up from the bed to fetch a glass of water for the half-elf to drink. "Now, you have to rest. Drink plenty of water and food to regain your energy back." The healer said while he packed his things that he wasn't aware how Yunho had subtly grimaced, pursing his lips at the word food. I don't know when I will be able to eat again though..

"I w-will. Thank you, my lord. I'm sorry I took your time and troubled you in tending my wounds.." Yunho muttered softly, sipping on his water and Mingi might melted a bit as he watched the half-elf being cute just by drinking some water. "It's alright. It wasn't a problem at all, my lord. I'm simply doing my job as a healer. You can have a bath in 1 hour as the salve will dry by that time. If you need anything from me or your wounds troubled you again, my room is just at the end of this hall."

Yunho gaped at him.

"W-what? Your room is near here..? Did they not put all of you at the other wing..?" Yunho stammered as he had a bad feeling about this. Did father do this so I would make mistakes and he could punish me further..? he thought as Mingi shrugged, "I was confused at first too but they told me that my room is in this wing while my other family is on the other wing. It doesn't bother me much though."

"Usually they will put all the guests near Kyungho's room on the other wing. I do not know why my fa- the king put you here though.. I'm sorry.. Should I ask Kyungho so you could be at the same wing with your family?"

"It's alright, you don't have to do that. I'm fine being here. Get some rest, my lord. I'll be in my room." Mingi said as he bowed to Yunho and went to his room.

"What are you trying to do father..? I really don't understand your intentions at all.." Yunho whispered as he lay down on the bed on his side slowly.

--

"My king? May I ask why did you put Lord Mingi near Lord Yunho's room? I thought you wanted the heir of Fronithien to marry Lord Kyungho so shouldn't you put Lord Mingi near Lord Kyungho?" one of King Seojoon's advisor asked.

"So I could punish Yunho more and maybe I will finally be able to break him. I've tried for hundred years but that half-elf of mine is still going strong. I hate it. If I don't get to break him, then he will surely try to take my throne away from me and Kyungho. I can't let him do that. I must break him." King Seojoon sneered with his eyes full of hatred, "The diplomatic relationship was just one of the excuses that I find helpful for me to execute my plan."

"Why do you always think that Lord Yunho will take your throne away? Did he tell you that, my King? I'm very curious about this."

King Seojoon narrowed his eyes at the advisor and everyone in the room can see how the veins in the King's neck jutting out and throbbing, "Oh, he didn't tell me anything. It was his mother who did. The human told me that her son will take away my throne because I did not deserve it after what I did to her and that she will make sure that Yunho will have the throne."

"Do you think Lord Yunho will do it?"

"He loves his mother, of course he will. That's why I have to break him so he would not do it." King Seojoon smirked, looking down at his nails as he scoffed, "Besides, my heir is in love with his personal bodyguard, I won't let the heir of Fronithien marry him anyway. I won't be cruel to my heir, if he wants to marry his bodyguard then I will let him do so but don't tell them that."

"What if the heir of Fronithien fell in love with Lord Kyungho?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, I saw how he looked at Yunho since that brat came into the hall on the day they arrived. I'm pretty much sure who the heir of Fronithien prefers."

--

Yunho huffed as he pressed his hand on his growling stomach. He had not eaten since yesterday but luckily he was exempted from his punishment today so he had been in his room all day. He still can leave his room but he thought it was better for him to stay. I won't be able to fight my way out if some of the elves decide to beat me today..

Yunho was lying on his stomach when he heard a soft knock on his door hours later and whined a bit as he felt very lazy and weak at the moment to move. Yunho opted to use his voice instead, "Who is it?" he shouted and winced when his head throbbed over his own voice.

"It's Mingi, my lord."

Yunho cursed silently, stumbling out of his bed in haste and went to open the door. "Lord Mingi! C-can I help you? Do you need anyth-" Yunho's vision blurred as he sway dangerously before he can finish his words and Mingi is quick to hold the half-elf by the waist before he falls flat on the floor. Yunho blinked until he got his vision back and realized that he was sitting on his bed with a very worried Mingi sitting next to him and Jongho who was holding a tray of food near him and the bed.

Yunho was about to speak but Mingi had cupped his face and pulled it towards him, examining Yunho's eyes before planting 2 fingers at his neck, feeling his pulse. "Muindor(Brother), I'll put this here. I need to get back to Yeosang in the library or he will have a tantrum if I am gone for too long. Lord Yunho, I hope you will feel better. I'll be going," Jongho bowed to Yunho before walking out of the room to go find his husband.

"When did you last ate, my lord?" Yunho pursed his lips at Mingi's question as he didn't want the healer to know how his father treated him. Yes, even though his father hates him, Yunho still sees him as his father and loves him, always wishing that his father will one day love him as a son like Kyungho.

"My lord, I already know that the King forbade you to eat in the eating hall and that he forbade you to eat since yesterday but your body told me that you had not eaten longer than 1 day. Please answer my question." Mingi sighed softly, waiting for the half-elf to answer him and his heart beats a little bit faster than normal when Yunho's eyes widen for a second before he pouts, lowering his gaze to his hands on his lap.

"...2 days ago.. How did you know that the King forbade me to eat?" He mumbled while playing with his fingers, refusing to look at the healer. "I asked him as I didn't see you at breakfast and lunch today. I thought that you just ate earlier before but I know that you won't be doing anything for today, so when I didn't see you at the hall, I asked the King about it."

"Did he tell you the reason?"

"Yes, to both actually. Why?"

"I kind of don't know the reason for yesterday.."

"Ah, it's a little bit ridiculous to me though. He told me that you were slacking on your punishment. The guards told him that you rest longer than 10 minutes when the supposed time was 5 minutes. I wanted to retort but my ada(father) stopped me." Mingi explained with a little frown on his face.

"...I see.."

Mingi sighed as he watched how Yunho's face fall and stood up from the bed, retrieving the tray full of food that Jongho had put on the table. "Enough about the King. You need to eat. Do you want me to feed you?" Mingi smirked a little when he saw how Yunho blushed at his playful attempt to cheer the half-elf up. "N-no! I'm c-capable of eating this myself." Yunho stuttered, picking up the tray from Mingi's lap and put it on his lap.

Mingi watched Yunho eat silently with a fond look on his face. He's very cute. I can watch him all day like this. Mingi thought before he shook his head when he realized how creepy his thoughts were making Yunho look at him with a slight tilt of his head while munching on his bread and cheese. "Are you alright, my lord?" Yunho said after he had swallowed his food and Mingi nodded his head sheepishly.

"Can I take a look at your back after you finished eating? I want to put some more salves on it so it will heal faster." Mingi changed the subject before Yunho could interrogate him further. The half-elf narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Mingi before giving up and nodding his head as he continued to eat his food slowly.

"It's healing nicely. Your back will be free of scars in a week." Yunho hummed gratefully as Mingi gently put another healing salves on his back wounds. "Thank you, Lord Mingi. I would still be in pain right now if you are not here.." Yunho sighed as the pain began to diminish again. Mingi was silent as he tended to Yunho's back and Yunho frowned a bit when Mingi didn't answer him just now but he kept quiet because he thought that Mingi might be concentrating on tending his wounds.

"L-lord Mingi? Did I say something to o-offend you somehow..?" Yunho blurted after a full 15 minutes of awkward silence between them, turning around to face Mingi right after Mingi stopped touching his back. Yunho frowned when Mingi looked at him while biting his lips before it turned into a pout. "Lord Mingi? Ar-" Yunho started before Mingi cut him off, "Don't call me that."

"...M-my lord..?"

"That's better."

"You don't want me to call you by your name..?"

"No! I don't want you to call me 'Lord Mingi'. Just 'Mingi' is fine. 'My lord' is better."

"Alright..? May I ask why..?"

Mingi sighed softly. He looked at Yunho, giving the half-elf a small smile. "Because I want to be friends with you. Using 'Lord' is too formal for me. I want to get to know you better and I hope that you're fine with it?" Mingi chuckled a bit when Yunho blushed bright red, "O-oh.. A-alright. It's f-fine with m-me." He stammered before he frowned when he remembered what his father had told him before.

"B-but I don't think this is a good idea, my lord.."

"And why is that?" Mingi tilted his head.

"...T-the King..." Yunho said quietly. "Ah.. Well.. Is it too much if I say that I will try to protect you from him?" Mingi pondered, looking at Yunho with determination. Yunho bit his lips as he thought it over. It would be nice.. Should I..? I've never felt this way before.. Yunho thought and nodded his head shyly after a few moments eliciting a big smile from Mingi making Yunho choke on his spit.

"Are you alright, my lord?" Mingi said as he watched Yunho worriedly. He can't touch the half-elf's back to give comfort or help with his coughing fit because of the salves and it would be far too soon for him to be touching his chest so the only thing he could do was watch and ask Yunho if he's alright.

"Y-yes. I'm alright." Yunho croaked after the fit was over, still blushing madly and looked over to Mingi who gave him a smile.

Will I survive though? What is this feeling? Why do I feel weird inside? Yunho thought while taking a deep breath before he heard the tree outside of his balcony sing to him. Yunho tilted his head and motioned for Mingi to be quiet as he listened to the tree.

"My lord? Your naneth(mother) is searching for you. He is downstairs near the courtroom. Do you want me to tell your naneth to wait there for you?" Yunho said and asked Mingi after a few moments of him listening to the tree. Mingi tilted his head in confusion, "How will you do that? I mean I heard what the tree said too but how will you tell my naneth though?" Mingi asked and Yunho gave him a kitty smile before he sang softly and Mingi could hear the tree outside rustled.

Mingi gaped in awe when he could hear the tree sings back to Yunho that they would tell Seonghwa to wait for him there. "Y-you can communicate with them?" Yunho nodded shyly. "Yes though I'm the only one who can do that here. I never found someone that can communicate with them yet."

"Me either. It's very rare to be blessed with it. You're very lucky."

Yunho blushed. "S-stop it. My face is about to burst. Y-you should go, my lord. I don't want your naneth to have to wait for you for too long."

Mingi huffed softly, nodding his head and stood up from the bed as Yunho escorted him to the door. "I'll come by again later. If you don't mind?" Mingi asked and Yunho nodded his head, "I won't be going anywhere anytime soon so you know where to find me."

Mingi smiled and left to find Seonghwa while Yunho went back to his bed and plopped down on his stomach giggling quietly before he frowned as he thought about his father.

Will I be fine..? I don't want father to hurt Mingi though.. What should I do..? Should I stay away? But I've already promised Mingi that we could be friends.. Naneth... What should I do..?

Yunho sighed, closing his eyes as he pondered over and over again.