as your guard
Lu Han was pretty. Lu Han was small. Lu Han was delicate. He was the type of beauty that appeared every hundred years, and he was just like a girl. Lu Han needed to be protected. His father and his mother both adored their son, and they doted on him lovingly. As a prince, he grew up in the richest part of the kingdom. With a title came danger, as who wouldn’t want a piece of the Crown? People had sent assassins to eliminate the prince, people had sent princesses to capture his heart, but Lu Han was also smart. He knew what people wanted- money and power. As his teen years began to wither and he began to become a man, his father worried that he would never marry. Lu Han was almost twenty, and he hadn’t accepted any suitors yet. To make it worse, more assassins had been targeting the prince’s head since his eighteenth birthday. He was not yet an adult, but no longer a child either. It was time for the prince to get a proper bodyguard, a full-time assistant, not just a person to escort him.
“You should take this boy,” suggested Wu Fan, leader of the Royal Guard and long time friend of Lu Han’s father.
“Him?” gasped Xiu Min, the king. “He’s but a mere child!”
“I was barely sixteen myself when I joined your guard, my king,” chuckled Wu Fan. His tone dropped lower as he spoke with a serious tone, “I assure you, Se Hun is more competent than any other man under my wing, and they all surpass him by nearly a decade!”
Xiu Min stared at the youngling before him. The boy’s cheeks were still adorned with baby fat as his youth seemed to be pouring off of him. How old was this child again? Fifteen, sixteen? It was far too young to be dealing in such dangerous matters!
“I can sense your hesitation, Xiu Min,” the guard said, using the king’s full name. “Listen to me though. How old is Lu Han? Nineteen, almost twenty? Se Hun is only fifteen, you’re right, he’s young. There are benefits though. Do you not think that the young prince is lonely? Their age gap is not too big, Se Hun could be more than a guard; he could be a friend.”
The king sighed, feeling his resolve break down. Wu Fan was right, of course he was. Lu Han never truly got the chance for a childhood. There were endless women double his age chasing after their riches and status. Perhaps this was what his son needed, a boy near his age to accompany him to his far off journeys. Plus, if Wu Fan was telling the truth- and he never lied to the king- then Se Hun must be extremely skilled. He had seen the men Wu Fan trained, and their prowess was surprisingly professional. Xiu Min would be a fool to pass up this opportunity.
“Alright,” said Xiu Min. “I agree with you, maybe this child will do well. Who knows? However, it is up to my son to make the final decision.”
Wu Fan groaned internally. If Lu Han was famous for being the Crown prince, then he was also infamous for being a stubborn mule. The child only had a heart for his family and Wu Fan, who had practically grown up as Lu Han’s ge.
“No,” said Lu Han calmly. “Father, I appreciate the thought, but if I’ve told you once, then I’ve told you a million times. I do not need a bodyguard, I can protect myself.”
“Please,” begged Xiu Min, “it’s for your own safety. You know how anxious your mother gets. You’re no longer a child, Lu Han! One day, you’re going to rule this entire kingdom. Not everyone will want that, they will try and hurt you.”
“Like I said, Father,” sighed Lu Han. “I can protect myself. Now, what’s your name, boy?”
“Se Hun. Oh Se Hun,” replied Se Hun.
“Thank you for coming all the way here, and I’ll try not to bear any offense, but I do not need you,” Lu Han said. “I’m a very busy person, so I must excuse myself. Father, please get Se Hun a carriage to take him home.” He began to walk away when someone grabbed the back of collar. A dagger was placed across his throat and the cold metal dug into the soft flesh of the prince’s neck. Lu Han gasped in shock. He tried to remember all the self-defense moves he had been taught since he was a mere babe, but nothing came up. His body was frozen with fear.
“If I was a real assassin, you’d be dead,” whispered Se Hun seethingly into Lu Han’s ear. He released the prince with a soft push.
“Who do you think you are?” roared Lu Han. “Do you understand that what you just did could be considered treachery? I could have you hanged by sundown!”
“I was trying to show you how incompetent you are,” he said calmly. “I apologize deeply for my harsh actions, but you are in no position to protect yourself. If you cannot even break a hold as simple as that, then I fear for your life, my prince. You need a bodyguard. You need me.”
Lu Han frowned angrily. He huffed, “I’m leaving. Let’s go.” Xiu Min let out a squawk as his only son began to storm away. After a few steps, he turned around to face them. “Well? If you’re going to be my bodyguard, then you’ll need to know your way around the castle. I don’t have all the time in the world, Se Hun.”
Se Hun only replied with a half-smile as he trotted quickly to follow his charge. Xiu Min and Wu Fan hollered in victory, earning an eye roll from the Crown prince.