Autumn was sitting in her room, pouring over a book she found in the library. She could hear Hurricane walking around in the connecting small room. It had almost been a week since she arrived yet she hadn’t met anyone except the people who were hired to look after her and Taecyeon. The daily meetings were tolerable, but somewhat uncomfortable for Autumn, it seems like he enjoyed the daily meetings, and however it was a different kind of enjoyment, like a predator playing with its prey before killing it. The only comfort she found was in her silent guard, who had never left her side for any longer than necessary. After the walk in the garden a week earlier, they have not talked about anything of substance, just occasionally talking about insignificant things, much to Autumn disappointment. She found herself wanting to know more about this person who was with her daily, to find out what he hid behind his icy demeanor.

Autumn knocked on the door that separated her from Hurricane; that was another thing, although she gave him a nickname on an impulse, she was now somewhat scared to use it, feeling that the closeness in the moment had disappeared. The door opened, revealing a slightly disheveled Hurricane.

“Is there a problem?” He asks, His eyes scanning the room for any threats, when he sees none, he gives Autumn a suspicious look.

Unnerved by his gaze, she averts he eyes studying her shoes, “Do you want to come in?” She says softly. His eyes narrow, his suspicion increasing.

“What did you just say?” He asks in disbelief.

“Do you want to come in?” She repeats before adding, “To talk.”

He pauses considering it for a moment. “We can talk, but somewhere else.” He says sternly, “It would be improper.” He adds before he smiles a little, causing Autumn to gasp. Small, simple smile, yet it caused a warmth to spread like fire lighting her blood on fire.

Autumn was about to ask for details, when there is a knock on the door. Hurricane goes to the door, swiftly opening the door while seamlessly smoothing out his clothes back to its usual impeccable state.

The head housekeeper stood there glumly, “You have company.” She says not sparing Hurricane a look before stepping aside revealing a familiar face.

“Blaze!” Autumn exclaimed; excited to finally see a familiar face, but more importantly someone from home and it’s not just anyone, her best friend. She rushes past the housekeeper and runs right into Blaze’s arms.

“You idiot, I hate you so much!” She says into his shoulder.

“Nice to see you too.” Blaze Chuckles, before he notices the questioning gaze from the housekeeper. He gently releases her. “Let me have a good look at you! You have turned into quite the lady.” He says making her twirl around.

“It’s just because of the dress!” She pouts, “I would be wearing something much more comfortable if I had a chance.”

“Tsk tsk, that is not what the future queen should say.” Blaze says laughingly.

Autumn rolls her eyes turning her back on him, “I am still angry at you, you know.”

Suddenly all the merry atmosphere disappeared, the housekeeper quietly excused herself.

“What was I supposed to do? Let you come here by yourself?” Blaze says.

“You were supposed to stay, continue on with your life, work hard, and maybe marry someone and have children! Not get sent to another court! “

“Autumn, you can’t expect me to-“

Blaze was interrupted by the reappearance of housekeeper, “Your room is ready for you, and would you like me to bring you to your room?”

Blaze gives Autumn a pleading look which she chooses to ignore.

“We’ll talk about this later.” Blaze says, frustrated, before following the housekeeper.

Autumn sighs loudly, before stomping off in the opposite direction too annoyed to return to her room. Hurricane followed with silent footsteps and she walked the now familiar path. She walked into the garden and walked straight past the blooming flowers, straight to the edge of the garden where the neat trimmed garden faded into the wildness of the forest. She sat down on the grass, not bothering with her clothes. Hurricane stood a meter behind her.

“Sit down; it’s bothersome if you stand like that…” She says after a few minutes.

Hurricane pauses for a moment before he sat down close to Autumn, but some way behind her.

“I don’t understand why he needed to volunteer; it just makes everything so much more complicated. I don’t understand why he just had to make it more difficult.” Autumn says softly, her thoughts tumbling out.

“Maybe he just did what he felt was right?” Hurricane says, his voice disappearing into the breeze.

The reply surprised Autumn, but at the same time, annoyed her. “What do you know? You would not understand.”

He pauses for a moment, contemplatively. “I volunteered.”

“What?” Autumn spins around to face the guard who was seated comfortably.

“I couldn’t let her go to some strange place alone, I volunteered to come here.” He says. “So I know exactly how your friend feels.”

Autumn’s heart tightened, a girl he was willing to give his old life for. Autumn swallowed down the questions that burned .

“Is she here?”  She asks carefully gesturing to the palace.

He shakes his head, “I came in her place, and she is at home.”

Autumn nods, thinking that he was finished when he spoke again.

“She would have been here in your place, forced to marry the crown prince, but due to extraordinary circumstances Wind Court was allowed to negotiate a new deal in which they offered Earth Court an army, man power if you will.” He pauses, thinking moving his hands along the grass.

“It was a voluntary process, a condition set by Earth Court, they set number to which Wind court needed to be fulfilled, but it had to be voluntary. A cruel joke; who would volunteer to save someone they didn’t really know. But there were people volunteered, the number set was just twenty people, and nineteen volunteered. I had promised her I would not volunteer, but I couldn’t keep that promise.”

“She must be someone special.” Autumn says softly.

Hurricane nodded, he looked almost tired of speaking, or he wasn’t used to it. “She is; she’s my sister.”

The tightness that was around Autumn’s heart softened, at a loss for words. She didn’t know a lot about Wind Court, nothing is really known about them. Autumn couldn’t help but wonder what the extraordinary circumstances were that led the Royal family to allow twenty people to leave their court to save one girl.

“We grew up together, joined at the hip.” Autumn blurts out, “He is my best friend, I don’t want this for him, I wanted him to live peacefully, not stuck in this political arrangement! He wasn’t even supposed to be there to volunteer.”

“Let me ask you this…” Hurricane says softly, looking her in the eye. “Would you do the same for him?”

“Of course!” Autumn says without hesitation.

“You see…”  He says softly. “Don’t be angry at your friend.” Hurricane gets up, gently brushing off the invisible dust on his clothes before offering a hand to Autumn, “I’m sure he’s waiting for you.”

Autumn takes his hand, it was surprisingly warm. The two walked back silently side by side but a respectable distance between them. Autumn felt like the clouds hanging over her had been blown away.