"You're looking much better now Byul." Suho smiled. "Thank goodness. I hate to think what Baekhyun-gun would do if something happened."

The EXO princes were over visiting Byul the next day. They seemed well rested and particularly active which was partly contribute by the fact that the EXO-M princes were there.

Byul smiled up at them. "Yeah I feel better too. Thanks for coming."

Xiumin leaned against the wall and looked at Suho with raised brows. "Just asking, Suho. Just what threats did Baekhyun throw your way to make sure you protected Byul? You seem so scared!"

Byul's eyes narrowed. Hmm she wanted to know as well.

"Uhhh...." Suho glanced at Baekhyun who glared expressively, willing for him not to tell. Man if Byul knew....he could only hope by the time she's well enough to hit him, she'd have forgotten.

"Don't try to intimidate him Baekhyun!" Luhan frowned. He and Lay stood in front of Baekhyun and covered his view, raising their hands over their heads. Hehe cute trees.

Baekhyun darted here and there to peek at Suho. Oh man this guy better not....

"Just say it Suho hyung." Kai urged. He snuck a glance at Baekhyun and smirked. "I wanna see Baekhyun hyung getting hit in his sorry by Byul noona."

Suho seemed to brighten at his prospect. He swallowed and rubbed his hands together. "Uhh well...first he told me to take care of Byul while he was captured if not he'd find someone to inflict pain ten times larger than the ones Byul suffered."

Byul scowled and glared in Baekhyun's direction. Her glare seemed to penetrate Lay's body and Baekhyun shivered behind him.

"And second he said he would chase all the girls away so I can't find a wife. He said he'd need a friend when he's seventy and still single cause he wasn't finding another girl after Byul." Suho continued.

Baekhyun's face burned red and he hid behind Luhan, cursing his hyung to the  heavens and the hell.

"And lastly of course he said if something happened to Byul, he'd tell my parents that I turned gay and they'd pair me up with D.O. for the rest of my life." Suho shuddered.

Byul raised her brows so high they had to be touching her hairline. She threw a pillow at Luhan and Lay, who dutifully dodged at just the correct time and the pillow hit Baekhyun straight on his head.

He blinked in surprise, taking a few moments to regain his calm. "What the-"

Byul made a face at him. "How dare you threaten your hyung?" she grumbled. "Threaten to pronounce him gay? Threaten to inflict pain? Baekhyun...."

"I DIDN'T MEAN IT!" Baekhyun squeaked in fright.

"Wow this must be the only time seeing Baekhyun hyung squeak." Tao commented untimely.

Baekhyun sidled up to Byul and made a cute face. "Aww come on Eunbyul, I was just worried for your safety." he defended. "And I was serious because I won't get another girl after you."

"AWWWWW's" filled the room.

Byul wrinkled her nose. "Aish." she muttered. "Why can't you not be sweet so I can stay mad at you?"

Baekhyun smiled triumphantly and sat down on the bed beside Byul and pulled her nearer. "So I'm forgiven?"

Byul looked at him. "Yeah." she told him. "If you promise me you'll go and see Chanyeol-gun before he serves his sentence."

The air was thick with awkward tension. Everyone had been thinking about Chanyeol but no one dared to say anything. Only Byul would have the guts to bring up something Baekhyun wanted to avoid.

Baekhyun turned away. "Eunbyul." he said in a strained voice.

"Baekhyun." Byul sighed. "You've got to do this. Please?"

He was silent for a long while before turning to the rest. His eyes were empty and his face totally unreadable.

"Fine. See that and lets get back to our wonderful lives without him." he muttered.

"Lord Park and his wife would be jailed in the dungeons for ten years each for trying to cause political overhaul and unrest." the King declared. "After that, they would be sent to the rural and learn the beauty of the simple life for another five years before returning to the Capital City."

Lord Park and his wife hung their heads in shame.

"And for Prince Chanyeol." The King looked at him, kneeling down in repentance. He sighed.

"Since he is young and still immature enough to make mistakes, I shall not punish him too badly." the King frowned. "He was misled by his father and by love. But he showed repentance in the end when he tried to stop his father from killing the Crown Prince."

The king looked at Chanyeol, thinking deeply, hesitating.

"My Lord." the Queen touched his arm lightly and pointed. The bunch of EXO princes rushed to the Great hall to listen to the hearing.

Baekhyun loitered outside, not wanting to go in.

"Baekhyun, don't you remember what Byul said?" kris frowned and tugged on Baekhyun's arm.

Kai reminded. "She said she's going to throw punches at your face the number of times corresponding to the number of days Chanyeol has to serve in jail, and-"

Xiumin cut in. "And she'll be happy to let you stay single for the rest of your life and not marry you if you don't go in, and-"

"She'll tell the Queen and King she doesn't want to marry you because you're gay!" Sehun cried out. "And she'll tell them you're in love with me!"

Sehun stopped himself and tapped his chin. "Wait. Why is loving me a threat?" he mumbled. "Isn't that something to be proud of?"

Baekhyun looked at them, his face strained. Aigoo that Han Eunbyul....

He sighed and pushed past them, going inside and sitting down at the far corner. Chanyeol turned to look at the noise the princes made.

He was touched that they had turned up even with what he did to them.

His eyes widened when he saw Baekhyun at the corner, looking completely unwilling to be there but there nonetheless.

His heart warmed and the guilt for doing all he did intensified. "Uhm Pyeha? Can I say something before you charge me of my sentence?" he requested.

The king looked surprised but he nodded. "Go on."

Chanyeol looked back at Baekhyun. "I not asking for forgiveness, Baekhyun hyung. I'm just asking for a chance to apologize." he looked sincere.

Baekhyun shifted in his seat uncomfortably, not seeing his cousin in this manner before.

"I guess I kind of felt like it was really unfair." Chanyeol mumbled. "I had liked Byul for a long time, since the first time I saw her. I thought she was the girl in my life and I refused to believe otherwise."

He looked at the floor. "But somehow I knew there was something different about the relationship you had with Byul even when you two weren't on good terms." he muttered. "You were the only one that could get on her nerves and she was the only one able to get under your skin."

He sighed. "When you showed interest in Byul, I wasn't able to admit defeat that easily. I thought I was the one who liked her for such a long time and I'm the one who deserved her, not you who always had his eye on Dahae and caused trouble for Byul all the time."

Baekhyun bit his lip, looking straight at Chanyeol as the guilt and regret ate at his heart.

"And I was blinded by that rage, that I ignored how I very well knew what you and Byul had was something I could never replicate with her." Chanyeol murmured sadly. "I didn't want the throne, hyung. But I thought that was a way to get her. I thought if I could be the Crown Prince I'll be able to get anything I want, including her."

"But I was wrong." Chanyeol whispered. "I can't. She's yours, her heart is yours. Even if I get her physically, she would always love you. I was stupid to think I could change that, hyung. And I regret that." he murmured.

A tear trickled down his cheek. "I'm really sorry that it took so much for me to learn from my little mistake, hyung." Chanyeol let another tear slip. "I'm sorry."

Baekhyun rose from his seat slowly and crossed the hall. He threw his arms around Chanyeol and hugged his buddy tightly.

"I forgive you, Yeol." Baekhyun whispered. "And I'm sorry too. I'm sorry this had to happen between us. I wasn't a good enough hyung."

Everyone softened at the scene. It was so touching. Kai started clapping and slowly the other princes too started, and soon the entire hall full of people were cheering.

The King smiled. "Well then, since you've already repented." he looked at Chanyeol. "I'm only going to give you half a year in prison. Be a better man, Chanyeol."

Chanyeol broke into a smile. This was better than the years and years he imagined.

He looked back at Baekhyun who was smiling back.

At least some things were working well. Some things...