“Irene asked him to go to the Seventh Prison,” Jinki stated, though his face was full of question mark. I shrugged it off and took the silver tray from the transparent maid ghost. The Lord was upstairs, in his own bedroom, while Jinki and I were setting up the table. We both walked around the kitchen and to the dining room, almost as if we were dancing on our own. “And he agreed. That is a surprise.”

                  I put down the utensils and food. My mind was racing back to last night. Irene, the daughter of Ashmodeus, a warlock capable of magic, had sealed a deal with the Lord. “Why is it a surprise? He is capable of anything, isn’t he? And Irene agreed to pay the price for it.” Though the price was probably too little for the request.

                  “It’s not about the Prison itself,” Jinki muttered thoughtfully. “It’s about Balor.”

                  I reminded myself to read up about Balor. My thousand year-old mentor looked worried, and that facial expression often scared me because it rarely happened unless something was really serious. Jinki caught me looking and furrowed his eyebrows together, “The Lord has a bit of history with Balor.” He paused for a while, possibly to add the suspension, “Have you ever wondered why he’s even in the Prison to begin with?”

                  I was about to answer when I heard light footsteps from the hallway. I kept my mouth shut and brushed passed Jinki. His rhetorical question had given me answer that I needed. Not long after, the Lord appeared with his bed robe, covering only so much of his upper part that I felt the blush threatening to appear. I could see his chest, pale, and defined. And his delicious abs that God forbid.

                  “What’s with the morning fuss?” He said with that bed voice. I looked at the floor and bit my lips. He walked slowly, but confidently, as if he owned the world. Then his long, slender fingers brushed my hand ever so slightly and drove me crazy. It came so fast and I didn’t know how to react. A millisecond later he pulled away and continued walking to the seat he usually sat on. “I could hear your voices all the way from the bedroom.”

                  “You should stop sleeping so late,” Jinki chuckled and took a seat next to him. I sat down facing the two of them since it was a round table this time. The table last night was gone, crushed to dust.

                  “And what do I get from that?” The Lord sighed and took a sausage from the tray.

                  “You are missing all the fun stuff we talked about,” I . He glanced at me and gave me a small smirk.

                  “Are you going to the Seventh Prison?” Jinki frankly asked and calmly took a bite from his oat bread.                  

"She must've told you," My Lord smirked at me and forked his sausage forcefully. I turned my attention away from Jinki and drank my carrot soup quietly. Both Jinki and I were waiting for his reply, not too patiently if I could say so, "Irene has agreed on the price. There is no reason why I should refuse a good bargain."

"But Balor?" Jinki raised his eyebrow at the Lord, and like the good friend he was, there was nothing but concern on his face, "Balor is not an enemy you should estimate. He tried to kill you before and he almost succeeded."

That got me questioning for more. But this was their conversation and I had no right to in. I stared at my plate as if it was the most interesting thing and continued eating the bits and pieces of disgusting orange carrot.

"And look at me now, I am still well and alive," oh, him and his sarcasm! "Besides I have plunged him into the Water Prison. I bet he loves it there; away from his homeland and bastard son."

"That is probably why he hates you with all his gut!" Jinki was close to being frustrated. His patience surprised me, but then again, he was as sweet and gentle when he wanted to be. His respect for the Lord was greater than his dislike.

"You are doubting me," the Lord's face turned darker. "Jin, you know me better than that. I cannot die. Not unless the human has no more wishes to be granted." He scoffed arrogantly. Jinki had hurt his ego. And he didn't seem regretful.

"The food," I muttered to ease down the tension, "The food is getting cold and I don't want it to be a waste. I help the maids with the vegetables, by the way." I said it nonchalantly and picked the broccoli out. Both males were looking at me incredulously. "Eat. Please."

"The lady has said so," The Lord broke into a smile, "We must comply. You have to eat, Jinki, you're starting to lose weight and it's unappealing."

Jinki snickered and filled his plate with the broccoli that I chopped. He knew I hated cooking. There was no way I would ever touch the pan and oil. I loathed fire with all my heart.

"He will be fine, Teacher," I softly addressed my mentor, "He will definitely be fine." I would never doubt my Lord at all.

***

"Lady Ara! You are back!" Naeun, one of the loyal servants greeted her upon the arrival. She came all of a sudden, and with her, came more Faeries behind. Hanbin, Seulgi, Jooyoung, Heeyi. They all looked relieved. Especially Hayoung, who was worried sick about the conditions of her two subordinates. "And oh! Lord Kyungsoo, Lord Taeyong!"

Ara was too exhausted. The long journey home had taken its toll. She could feel her energy slipping away so fast. And Taeyong was the first one to notice. He was quick on his feet as he pulled Ara by the waist to support her stand. "Let her rest. We have had a long and rough week."

Kyungsoo glared at Taeyong as he felt the acidic taste of jealousy. Ara had never told him her feelings, regardless of what they had done together. It was a lie if he said he wasn't wary of the sudden return of her best friend. She had spoken of him in high regards. It was most likely that the two would feel something more than just platonic friendship.

But then again, Ara and Kyungsoo had something together. There was a string of fate that threads them in this journey. He felt the connection and it was more than anything he had ever had before.

"Prince Kyungsoo," Hayoung was stoic. She refused to look at her former Lord in the eyes. She never liked his father's presence; the son was no better. He just made her uncomfortable. He was as intimidating as before, if not more. His glaring eyes were unceasing, and they looked at her as if he could read her soul. And she hated it. Hayoung hated the way he was just like his father; dangerous and alluring in a way.

“First General Hayoung,” Kyungsoo greeted before he could stop himself. He saw the terrified expression on Hayoung’s face when she retorted, “I am no longer a General of your Court, your Highness. I serve a different purpose now.” And it was an indirect diss towards him and the Winter Kingdom.

“Hayoung,” Ara gave her a slight nod and Hayoung turned her attention back to the Priestess. “Thank you, as always.”

“It was nothing,” Hayoung tried to sound nonchalant about it. She saw the close proximity between Taeyong and Ara, but she dismissed it immediately. What could have happened between the two was none of her business. However, she did notice the attention Kyungsoo had given Ara and the way he eyed her as if she was his own… It was… surprising. “As long as you are fine.”

Ara smiled a bit, “Rest assured, I will be fine soon enough. I will head back to my room now.”

She knew everything was far from fine. She had sent a direct message towards Kris and he would be here in an hour or two. That brother of hers travelled in the speed of light. Technically, Ara knew he wouldn’t be very happy with the news she would tell him. Who would? The Great Demon was back. The world would fall in turmoil. It was not a prophecy anymore. This was a forecast.

Ara pushed Taeyong slightly and walked on her own, but she knew Kyungsoo was following closely behind. She let him, though she could not reach out to him; not with the eyes of the whole Court watching their every movement. She was so deep in thought that she didn’t notice she had arrived in front of her own bedroom.

“What are you thinking about?” Kyungsoo’s voice had that mellow, calming effect on her. She turned around and made sure no one noticed, and pulled him into the room. The forbidden aspect in their relationship was thrilling; the fact that no one else knew, and this would be their dirty little secret. She kissed him full on the lips and pressed him hard against the wall.

She didn’t bother to breathe and let the kiss swallowed her completely. He answered her passion with heat and turned her around, grabbing her face, before his hand went down and explored the curves of her beautiful body. She was freaking gorgeous, and she was his. His, he screamed selfishly, and continued to trail the kiss down her neck. The lust took over as she let out a soft moan when he the skin of her neck.

One thing Ara knew the moment she let him kissed her, was that they would never officially be together. They belonged to different Courts, and both were rulers of the people. As a thousand year old creature, the female Faery had to fight the urge and be contented with what they had right now.

There was one thing she could never admit to Kyungsoo; a piece of her heart belonged to Taeyong. She had grown to like his companion as more than friend, less than lover. Though her love for Kyungsoo was much, more, she could never give him her heart in complete pieces.

“How much longer… can we do this?” She breathed out and spoke. Kyungsoo stopped.

“What do you mean?” He was now facing her, his height matching hers. He tried searching for her eyes, but he knew he could never find answer in those seamless green. She was just unpredictable.

“Us, this,” Ara slipped away from his cold touch and sat down on the bed. Kyungsoo refused to move and stood by the door, his feet stuck on the ground. “The war will happen. And by that time, we know we will stand alone without allies. Death… suddenly… feels so near to me.”

“I have never met the Great Demon before,” Kyungsoo mumbled and looked down.

“His terror was too great to be spoken of,” Chills ran down her spine when she spoke, “I was a young girl when he lost his wife. Kris was amongst the assassins the Clan sent to kill her. No one but his clan mourned over her death. It killed him, literally. We thought we would be free of his reign. I do not understand this.”

“What don’t you understand, my Dearest?”

She looked troubled and confused. “Why now? Why? He doesn’t wish to be awaken.”

“What did he do that the world was so frightened? Why did we have to kill his wife?” Kyungsoo felt that it was unfair to kill one’s beloved for revenge. He couldn’t bear to think if it was Ara being killed. He would go mad. His blood ran cold.

“Oh, he just killed. He loves to. He is born cold-blooded. Nothing stands in his eyes, except for his wife, of course. And his second-in-command,” Ara thought back to the year she was eighteen, when she stood alone to witness the horror of one single battle, “I was there. In the Great Fire of Shadow World. Him alone, stood against hundreds. He slaughtered too many of us.”

 “Imagine the fear in me when he approached with his blood-dipped blade. Everything was red. The fire, the blood, the bodies. And he was glorious, Kyungsoo,” The Faery’s voice turned softer, “His eyes were red, and he came in close until I could see the specs of dirt on his face. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. I stared at him, dumbfounded. His aura was too overwhelming. I waited for my death. I waited for an absolution. But then, he glanced at me and brushed passed me. I was saved.”

She never understood why. That faithful day, thousands of her comrades were killed. She was one of the few survivors from that battle. The Great Fire had left a deep scar in her soul. The Demon himself sparred her life. She was supposed to die on that day. 

“Have you ever thought, that maybe, he is not as bad as everyone think he is?”

Kyungsoo’s question made her ponder. Could one single act of kindness erase every fear she had had on him?

“I don’t think so,” She replied firmly, “He has killed too many. He doesn’t deserve to live.”