Still nervous and shy around each other, like awkward, giddy school children, Hyosung and Gunwoo were given no time to adjust accordingly. Within days of their wedding, they were asked to join Emperor Yunho and Empress Boa in meeting the Demon Empire Emperor and Empress, with their ascending children in tow.

                Gunwoo had always thought that the hardest thing was losing Changmin (and possibly realizing how big a mistake giving up his wings had been), but he was hard pressed to change his mind upon being face to face with the heads of the Demon Empire. Though the meeting was taking place in the main council chamber, under the watchful eye of the full Council, Gunwoo felt like he was little more than an insect as he was looked over by Demon Emperor Jiyong, Demon Empress Chaerin, and the Grand Princesses Jessica and Krystal, the former of which was in attendance with her husband Donghae Lee, the ascending emperor. Stripped of his title, he truly felt as if he had no purpose in being among them, but his parents mandated his presence, and that of his new wife in turn.

                “Perhaps this is not for your benefit, but for the Empire your children will inherit,” Yunho had to remind him before they entered the room.

                If not for his father’s presence and clout, Gunwoo was sure that he himself could have melted into the floor. Glancing at Hyosung, he realized she was better at playing the game of nobles than he was, a fact she recognized too, if the quirk at the corner of was any indication. Next to the ruling demons, she looked every inch the divine creature the humans assumed their own angels looked like. Frankly, he didn’t know whether to be jealous or proud – he decided both emotions were fine in the end – but that did little to help calm his nerves.

                “It’s good to see you again, Yunho,” Jiyong greeted first, bowing subtly to the Angel Emperor, a signal that had the rest of family following suit.

                Immediately, Yunho played along. “Likewise, Jiyong. The years have kept us apart far too long,” he added, mirroring the pleasantries and the body language.

                “Indeed,” the demon Emperor purred, a smirk on his thin lips. “We would also like to extend our congratulations to your son and his new wife,” Jiyong gestured towards Gunwoo and Hyosung. The lack of their former title was noticeable in the brief silence.

                The silence was beginning to lengthen before Hyosung nudged Gunwoo, giving him the hint that he should speak then. Celestials he’d been out of the game too long… “You have our thanks,” he swallowed hurriedly, bowing just a touch more than he would have. Stripped of his rank, he could no longer afford to offer only partial respects to his ‘peers.’ He was more than relieved when he noticed his father’s very slight nod of approval at the words and reaction. Gunwoo was going to have to thank Hyosung later for certain.

                Chaerin shared a knowing smile with Jiyong before they nodded at Yunho and Boa. “You remember our children, Jessica and Krystal, don’t you?” Chaerin introduced, gesturing the two striking demons forward.

                “Of course,” Boa responded, finally seeming to come to life as she stepped forward to be the one to greet them. “You’ve grown so much since last we saw you,” she smiled, a beautiful but calculated expression. Then her gaze turned even more thoughtful as she regarded the elder sister for a moment longer, her eyes flickering to the Demon-Emperor Heir quickly. “And what’s this?” she asked coyly, looking over the Demon family in turn. “You’re practically glowing, Jessica,” she commented, a knowing look in her eye.

                Gunwoo felt uncomfortably like he was in some kind of game where each side was trying to one up the other to gain some kind of advantage. But he couldn’t fault his mother’s intuition when Jessica’s mouth dropped open in the barest admissions of surprise. The eldest demon daughter glanced at her parents for support, and at their confirming nods, she smiled demurely, “Indeed. We only recently discovered I am with child,” she explained, extending her hand for Donghae to join her, the raven haired demon looking particularly regal beside her almost otherworldly beauty.

                Yunho’s surprise was genuine as the grin on his face showed nothing but happiness. “Congratulations then, Empress to be,” he bowed, extending his hand to shake with Donghae in turn.

                Disarmed by the Angel Emperor’s candor, he grinned sheepishly and accepted, beaming with pride. “Many thanks,” he nodded, letting go so he could stand beside his wife and slide an arm around her protectively. In that moment, Gunwoo truly understood the charm and power of his father. He was both proud of and saddened by the revelation that he would never have that ability himself. At least not any time soon.

                Eventually, they made their way through the painstaking introductions, jockeying for what small points of power and advantage they could establish, before the Council members called them to task for the real purpose of their meeting. Gunwoo was grateful for it, in truth. He did not know how to navigate the finer points of meetings with the true rivals of an Empire, nor did Hyosung exactly. Her circles were powerful families indeed, but not Royalty to this degree. Unfortunately, their parents on both sides seemed content to let the rising children discuss the primary negotiations, offering advice and making suggestions when necessary but otherwise staying silent.

                That gave Jessica and Donghae, and the second sister Krystal, a noticeable advantage. Obviously, they’d been paying attention with how to navigate debates and discussions like these… Gunwoo tried to keep up. He tried to put up a brave front and pretend like he at least moderately knew what he was doing. Not that he was particularly convincing. But heavens knew Hyosung was trying and she, more than his efforts, gained them a modicum of respect. The Demon Empire family knew the details of Gunwoo’s desertion, if only because they’d had demons searching for him, albeit ‘indirectly.’ But Hyosung was an angel they’d underestimated, in part because it was obvious they hadn’t really thought she’d ever take the throne.

                While it was true she wouldn’t, that didn’t mean she was just going to throw her own possible role away. And when they started debating (really it was more like arguing) about trade agreements and trying to better relations among both empires, Gunwoo was both proud and ashamed that it was Hyosung doing most of the maneuvers. Oh, she was using Gunwoo to make her voice more heard, but most of the ideas on the Angel side were hers. Eventually though, when they seemed stuck and unable to move forward for the lack of willingness to compromise on both sides, Gunwoo remembered something that she had told him a couple days ago.

                “It’s about the future of the Angel Empire. And… our children?”

                What if the Angel Empire children weren’t the only ones they should be worrying about? Gunwoo glanced at Jessica’s still flat stomach and then her face before clearing his throat, drawing the full attention of every member in the room down on him. The former heir suddenly felt very small then, but he swallowed once, grabbed Hyosung’s hand under the table, and took a deep breath. “I understand the Demon Empire is uneasy with the most recent alliances in the Angel Empire.” He squeezed Hyosung’s hand to let her know he might need her help in a minute. “It is true that the Jun and Jung alliance has brought together two very powerful families on one side.” His eyes darted to Hyosung who raised one brow at him, the gesture uncertain but cautious. “But that is the nature of any alliance, is it not?” he asked aloud, glancing between Jessica and Donghae as he squeezed Hyosung’s hand harder.

                The Demons seemed unsure but Hyosung caught on quickly, and she nodded in agreement. “Of course. While Donghae himself is an admirable partner to wed, his family ties with the Lee Industry Technological Advancement department were undeniably an advantage to consider for the future,” she explained, looking between everyone.

                Unwed and already frustrated by the events of the day, Krystal’s lips thinned and she barely kept from rolling her eyes. “Of course weddings are used in part to secure stronger alliances. What is your point?” she frowned, clearly annoyed with the angels across from her (and possibly her sister as well).

                Gunwoo glanced at his parents quickly, not sure how his gamble would be received. “My point is that, though we always have the interests of our Empires in mind, do we also have the interests of our children in mind?”

                “Of course we do,” Jessica scoffed, laughing behind her hand as she leaned closer to Donghae. “A strong Empire can provide many opportunities for them,” she explained, as if he as daft.

                “Yes!” he agreed, surprising them with his enthusiasm. He wasn’t entirely sure if he knew where he was going with his line of thought, but he’d taken recent inspiration from Taekwoon and Wonshik, if nothing else… “A single strong Empire is great for a single nation or people,” he explained, nodding animatedly. “But!” he smacked the table with his palm, intentionally focusing the room on him, “is it best for the continued development of all our children?” Pointedly, he looked at Jessica, who glanced down, as intended.

                Cautiously, the Demon Empress’s Heir glanced between her husband and her younger sibling, acknowledging that they were speaking as the representatives of the next generation. “What exactly are you intending then? That we raise our children together?” she scoffed, bemused by the idea.

                “Yes,” Gunwoo answered quickly, the single word surprising his intended targets. He looked at his parents to see a speculative expression on his father’s face, with a guarded one on his mother’s. Jiyong and Chaerin seemed unsure about where he was going with it, so he pressed on. “Everyone here knows I spent time on Earth recently.” They nodded in cautious agreement. His stay was nothing to be proud of, for any that were concerned, but it was something he’d learned from. “The humans there are a primitive and reactive species. They have low technology and struggle with getting along with other similar species on the same planet,” he explained, seeing varying degrees of comprehension in the eyes of his audience. “It’s no secret they fight and bicker and have some of the pettiest squabbles imaginable in a confined space, but…” he trailed off, his lips as he remembered the brilliance of Kibum and the adoration of Junhong in particular. “But when they band together… when they work with other peoples who are similar but different…” he explained, gesturing between himself and the demons. “The advances they’re able to make are astounding,” he explained, letting his admiration of that part of the planet bleed through.

                A gentle chuckle pulled his attention to the current Demon Emperor. Sitting with his elbows on the table, peering at Gunwoo from under blonde tips, he grinned slyly, “Are you proposing what I believe you’re proposing?” He glanced at Yunho with a raised brow, eliciting a shrug from the Angel Emperor in turn.

                “Yes,” Gunwoo nodded, feeling his heart hammer in his chest. “Maybe not in our generation, but an alliance for the future of our Empires could be extraordinary.”

                “Peaceful alliances between the Angels and the Demons?” Krystal barked in disbelief. “Clearly you don’t understand what’s been going on in the universe since you’ve been gone,” she laughed, her expression pitying.

                While her family glanced at her in thinly veiled disappointment, Gunwoo finally had a leg to stand on. “Oh,” he laughed once, nodding his head. Gunwoo his lips and went on, “I understand that I disgraced my Empire by giving up my wings. By running away. By not doing all the things I should have done as the Heir,” he conceded, acknowledging that he had very little left to lose. “I understand that deserting my position was not the best of my ideas. I also understand that Demon assassins,” he enunciated very carefully, “still managed to track me down to the planet I had taken refuge on. I was wingless, almost defenseless, and useless as an Angel Empire anything,” he explained, biting his bottom lip so he wouldn’t say more against the Demon Empire.

                “Gunwoo,” Hyosung whispered beside him, tugging at his shirt in concern,

                He nodded at her and grabbed her hand in his once more, trying to reassure her. “But still the demons came,” he admonished, his voice cutting though casting no blame on anyone present. He gathered his anger and his hurt and tried to collect it so he could voice his pain. “Because of our rivalry… because of our hatred… because of our misunderstanding of each other,” Gunwoo explained, gesturing fiercely, “I lost guards and friends and angels that I…” he trailed off, unable to continue as the lump in his throat became too stifling. “And! Demons,” he continued, nearly choking on the words as he struggled to keep his momentum, “died trying to eliminate me. For whatever reason,” he admitted, laughing at the futility of it all.

                “Son…” Yunho murmured softly, reaching for him.

                “My best friend on Earth was almost killed. My personal guard was killed right in front of me. And I lost…” he hesitated, stalling as speaking became too difficult in light of recent events. “I lost someone I cared about very much,” he choked out, coughing once before he took a breath to continue. “All because we are divided!”

                “Are you accusing us of having sent those demons to attack you?” Jessica asked shrewdly, her dark eyes narrowed defensively.

                “No!” Gunwoo groaned, unable to keep from rolling his eyes. “But this is what I mean!” he exclaimed, gesturing at them. “I almost died because of demons and the Demon Empire is worried I will blame them because of it.”

                Almost immediately, he could see he had spoken too freely. The hackles began to rise on Jessica and Krystal in particular and he braced himself to try and salvage the situation if possible. The demon heirs opened their mouths to verbally attack him, but they stopped when their father cleared his throat, his gaze holding Yunho’s across the distance. One finger rested on his chin as his narrowed eyes studied the Angel Emperor.

                “Father?” Jessica questioned, reaching for Donghae’s hand reflexively.

                Silence reined while the Council Members watched on, curious and intrigued by how things were playing out. They did not appear as if they were going to step in – yet – but the angels and demons at least looked fairly disgruntled by the turn of events. It was only the presence of the Celestials and Khaoses that held their tongues in check. Jiyong, however, conjured a wan smirk before he took a breath and spoke to Yunho.

                “Your son is still as foolhardy as ever.”

                “So it would seem,” Yunho conceded with a nod of his head, placing a quiet hand on Boa to make sure she did not try to interject at that moment. Gunwoo winced and looked down, wishing he could shrink into nothing.

                The Demon Emperor shifted his gaze to rest on Gunwoo, waiting until the weight of his stare made the angel look up. Dark, piercing eyes bore into the former Heir’s and he swallowed hard. “Your words could have been chosen with much greater care,” Jiyong laughed once, shaking his head in mild disbelief. “But you are not entirely wrong.”

                “Father!” Jessica and Krystal yelped in surprise, aghast that he was actually listening to the angel’s emotionally addled words.

                In an instant, his gaze turned to stone and he cut off their outrage with a glare. “You are barely old enough to remember the Great Feud and the treachery before.” He took a breath and ran his tongue over his teeth before his features softened as he looked back at the Angel Rulers. “Regardless of where the fault lies,” he murmured, glancing at Chaerin who nodded in subtle approval, “we may well have been courting another such Feud.”

                “And that would be good for no one,” Yunho stated plainly, having lost more than most in the last one.

                Gunwoo began to feel as if he wasn’t going to be slain on the spot and he carefully looked up to regard the Demon Emperor himself.

                “So, our irresponsible and hotheaded Gunwoo,” Jiyong smirked with calculated insults. “What exactly did you have in mind before you subjected us to the full extent of your emotional purge?”

                That stung, and Gunwoo cringed again. He’d probably never live it down to be honest, but if he could help make anything positive come out of this meeting, that would have to be okay. Taking Hyosung’s hand for strength, as much for him as for her, he took a breath to try and compose himself before speaking. “I have nothing left to lose,” he admitted with a shrug. “I accept that, but as my wife reminded me, the future will be our children’s.” He nodded at Hyosung and then gestured pointedly at Jessica. She moved a hand to rest it over her stomach and regarded him suspiciously. “For their sake, it may be time to consider coexisting.”

                “We’re already coexisting,” Krystal grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

                “Not just living separately in the same space,” Gunwoo shook his head, feeling his heart hammer in his chest.

                “Actually living together?” Jessica asked, aghast as she looked to her parents. She was even more confounded when they did not seem horrified by the idea. Worse, neither did Yunho, though Boa appeared to have some reservations.

                “Angels and Demons have coexisted in the past,” Khaos Representative Minki reminded the demons.

                “And they are doing so again today,” Celestial Representative Amber added with a gesture at Fei and Jungsu who had been watching over the artificial demon and angel most recently.

                It was absolutely crazy and Gunwoo knew that. His father and Jiyong had tried in the past to broach that topic, but anger and resentment had been too great even then. And maybe it still was, but after everything that Gunwoo had gone through, though he did not have any yet, he did not wish to even think about such a fate befalling his own children. “Can we at least… talk about it?” he asked hesitantly, looking between Jessica, Donghae, and Krystal imploringly.

                At last, Donghae spoke up as he placed his hand over Jessica’s. “Even if we do decide to make changes, nothing would happen immediately,” he reminded her with a gentle smile. “But it might be a nice future to think about.”

                Jessica seemed hesitant, as did Krystal, but the former had another life to be worried about now. She looked at Gunwoo with a piercing glare and sniffed. “Maybe,” she finally conceded, looking at Krystal out of the corner of her eyes. Her younger sister made a face but shrugged and rolled her eyes.

                “Maybe,” Gunwoo nodded in quiet agreement, knowing it was no secure promise, but it was a start. That was more than he could ask for.

The End

a/n: This has been a very long time in coming and I apologize to those faithful readers who had to deal with my stops and starts in the process. I appreciate you staying with me and reading along until the end. It means a lot, and your comments certainly helped to push things forward when I was having a hard time with this or life or stuff in general. haha I did have a bit more planned for this originally, but we have reached a suitable stopping point with enough answers provided to allow you to fill in the blanks as you see fit. I do have room to expand into other adventures later if I want to, with Changmin on the frontier, and the humans developing their technologies under the watchful eye of the Discoverer Myungsoo, with Kibum by his side, but as for Gunwoo, he has finally come into his own. I'll probably add a short epilogue after this to give one more hopeful/positive note for you guys, but I'm happy to say this is otherwise over. It's been a good story and I've enjoyed bringing the worlds and characters to life. Thank you for sharing it with me and take care you guys. You're awesome!