“Jongin?” repeated Sehun, taken aback by the sound of the Black Spy’s real name.  

“He’s our friend,” pleaded Luhan. “Don’t you remember?”

Sehun shook his head. “No! He is no longer the friend we once knew. He’s a traitor!”

“He’s done nothing but protect us!” cried Luhan, standing his ground.

Sehun raised his sword even higher. “He betrayed us and joined forces with Prince Kyungsoo’s father, to plot the assassination of your parents. How can you defend him?!”

“You’ve got it all wrong!” exclaimed the embattled Prince. “Jongin never lied to us. He was framed by his own father, the White Spy! My uncle didn’t kill my parents. It was Lord Kim! He’s been in league with the Black Kingdom this whole time, secretly planning to overthrow the monarchy, with the help of the Council of Advisors.”

Suho stepped forward from the shadows and gripped Sehun’s forearm, imploring him to lower his sword. “Listen to the Prince,” he said softly. “Who can we trust if not him?”

Sehun fell to his knees as the burden of the truth came crashing down around him. He dropped his weapon at the Prince’s feet and bowed his head in shame.

Unable to bear the sight of his dear friend so hurt, Luhan bent down and pulled the Messenger into a powerful embrace.

“I’m sorry,” wept Sehun, pressing his overflowing eyes into Luhan’s shoulders. “I don’t know what came over me. I thought I had lost you.”

Luhan rubbed gentle circles into Sehun’s back. “You don’t need to apologize, Sehun-ah. You were only trying to protect me. We were all misled by Lord Kim and his Council. It’s not your fault.”

The Messenger raised his head from Luhan’s shoulder and looked up at Kai, who was standing close by staring at the two of them. “You never gave up on him, did you? Even when he breached the walls of the White City to capture you. You asked me to tell General Suho not to hurt him. I never understood why. Until now.”

Luhan got to his feet and reached out towards Kai, who took his hand at once. “You’re right,” he answered. “Jongin didn’t take me from the North Tower by force. I went with him willingly. I don’t know why I trusted him. I just did. He saved my life, Sehun-ah. And he saved yours too.”

Sehun continued to stare at the Black Spy. “What do you mean?”

“Tell him,” whispered Luhan, looking up at Kai.

But the Black Spy shook his head. “No. I’m not the hero you think I am. It was just luck.”

“What was just luck?” asked Suho, stepping forward to join the conversation.

“Jongin captured Sehun and Kyungsoo in the forest,” explained Luhan. “He handed them over to Byun Baekhyun, to distance them from the White Spy’s accomplices in the Military. To keep them safe.”

Sehun raised his eyebrows. “But why didn’t Captain Baekhyun tell us the Black Spy was on our side. Instead, he said he planned our rescue himself and ordered Kai to capture us.”

“Baekhyun doesn’t know I’m on his side,” responded Kai, looking directly into the Messenger’s eyes for the first time. “I wasn’t completely sure that he could be trusted. So I kept my intentions to myself, to protect Luhan. I’m sorry for endangering your life like that, but I believed you would be safer in the Black Navy’s hands, away from my father and his followers.”

“You were right,” answered Suho, when nobody else spoke up. “I can only assume that even my own lieutenants have turned against us. Clearly, they’re working for Lord Kim now.”

“What about Kyungsoo?” interjected Luhan, suddenly realizing that his cousin wasn’t with them. “Where is he?”

Suho and Sehun looked at each other nervously.

“He’s with Captain Baekhyun,” replied the General.

“And Admiral Park,” added the Messenger.

Luhan furrowed his eyebrows in concern. “Where?”

Sehun lowered his voice so that it was barely audible. “When I left them, they were still on Captain Baekhyun’s ship, sailing towards the Black City, to rescue you.”

Before Luhan had a chance to respond to this news, the sound of approaching hooves became audible from the West. Both Sehun and Kai instinctively attempted to shield Luhan from danger, but the Prince had plans of his own. He broke free from their hold and marched confidently towards the growing sound, leaving the two knights awkwardly fumbling against each other.

“My lord!” gasped Suho. “It could be the enemy!”

“I don’t care,” replied Luhan, continuing forward resolutely. “I’m sick and tired of sneaking around in the dark like some coward. I’m going to save Kyungsoo and our Kingdom. If you want to protect me, you’ll just have to come along.”

Sehun and Kai rushed forward just in time to see two large brown horses skid to a halt in front of the Prince.

“Luhan?!” called out a familiar voice. “I must be going crazy!”

A small figure dressed in white clumsily dismounted from the saddle, followed closely by a much taller companion. “Chanyeol!” gasped Kyungsoo, stepping forward to get a closer look. “I’m not imagining things am I? Tell me you can see him too!”

The Admiral reached out and grasped Kyungsoo’s wrist, making sure the small Prince did not make any sudden moves. “My lord? Is that you?”

Luhan continued to stare silently at the two figures approaching through the fog without answering. Sehun and Kai stepped forward to flank him on either side.

“You were supposed to be sailing to the Black City!” interjected Sehun, recognizing Kyungsoo and Chanyeol. “With the Black Captain!”

Baekhyun replied from atop his brown mustang. “Let’s just say we ran into an unwanted guest and were forced to abandon ship.”

“No, but is that really Luhan?!” interrupted Kyungsoo, yanking himself free from Chanyeol’s grip and coming face to face with his cousin.

“What happened to you, Kyungsoo?” whispered Luhan, straining his eyes to take in his cousin’s disheveled appearance.

“Me?!” answered Kyungsoo. “What about you? You were captured by…” The small Prince recognized the Black Spy out of the corner of his eyes and immediately stumbled backwards in shock. “HIM!”

Kai raised his empty hands in a gesture of peace, but the innocuous motion was misconstrued by Chanyeol, who immediately leapt forward in front of Kyungsoo in a defensive stance.

Luhan followed suit and stepped firmly in front of Kai. “Jongin is on our side,” he explained yet again, hoping to diffuse the situation more quickly this time. “He saved me from the North Tower because my life was in danger. And he saved you too, Kyungsoo, from the same enemy.”

When neither Chanyeol nor Kyungsoo responded, Baekhyun jumped off his horse and stepped into view. “You mean Lord Kim?”

“You knew?!” exclaimed Sehun in an accusatory tone, turning towards the Black Captain.

Baekhyun raised his hands in self-defense and took several steps back. “No, Sehun-ah! We only just found out! From the Black King himself! Tell them Chanyeol!”

“That’s right,” replied the Admiral, maintaining a firm grip on Kyungsoo while continuing to eye the Black Spy suspiciously. “The Black King boarded our ship and revealed the entire plot, including the White Spy’s identity. We escaped with Baekhyun’s help and decided to come warn you and Suho!”

“And where’s Kris now?” asked Luhan, looking around at each of their faces.

“He’s sailing towards the White City as we speak,” answered Chanyeol, the urgency evident in his voice. “He plans to invade from the West dock!”

“But it doesn’t make any sense,” said Baekhyun, straining his eyes to catch a glimpse of Kai, who was half-hidden behind Luhan. “King Kris still believes the Black Spy is working for him!”

Luhan instinctively wrapped an arm around Kai’s bandaged torso. “Jongin has maintained his cover this whole time, to protect me. You of all people should understand how that feels, Baekhyun. He brought Kyungsoo and Sehun to your ship because he believed you were still loyal to me. It was a gamble, but he was right. If it weren’t for him, Lord Kim would’ve already won.”

Luhan’s explanation was followed by an eerie silence, until Suho finally spoke up. “Long story short, we’re all on the same side. Unfortunately, that’s the last of the good news. The White Army has turned against us and is now under Lord Kim’s control. And the Black Army is set to invade the White City, without opposition.”

“But General,” persisted Sehun. “The White Soldiers claimed it was the Port City King who ordered your arrest. Doesn’t that mean…”

“My father would never betray our Kingdom!” interrupted Kyungsoo, getting worked up at once.

“That’s not what he was implying!” answered Luhan, coming to Sehun’s defense. “It’s obvious your father is in Lord Kim’s custody now. We have to rescue him and save our City!”

“But how?!” exclaimed Chanyeol. “If all of this is true, Lord Kim virtually controls both the Black and White Militaries. How can we possibly win against that kind of manpower? It’s impossible!”

“It’s not impossible,” responded Kai, speaking up at last. He gulped nervously as all eyes turned to him. Luhan tightened his grip on his waist, inadvertently pressing on his unhealed wounds. The pain reminded him of everything he had been through. Instead of weakening him, it gave him a new found strength. “I know how to sneak into the White Castle. I’ve done it before.”

…

Chen directed his brown mare through the maze of trees lining the Eastern border of the Battlefield. The sound of the battle horns had all but disappeared as he continued his journey South. Every so often, he would turn his gaze Westward, hoping for some sort of signal from Luhan and Kai. But the fire at base camp was fading into a Black smoke that rose ominously into the moonlit sky.

Preoccupied within his troubling thoughts, the Guard realized too late that he had ridden directly into a large battalion of Black Soldiers. He was immediately detected by the posterior flank and surrounded by heavily armed horsemen, all of whom wasted no time in pointing their weapons directly at him.

The leader of the cavalry, a young Black lieutenant, rode forward and aligned his horse directly beside Chen’s. “Who are you? Speak at once!”

Chen racked his brain for a plausible answer. “My name is Chen,” he stammered, hoping he would sound more convincing if he was at least partially honest. “I bring a message from the Black City.”

The lieut