Back in the castle Kris and EXO went on with training the boys. It's better to do it now when it's still calm because you can never know when the Council decides to make things complicated. Though Kris knew what those guys were up to most of the time he couldn't be secretly listening to their conversations and meetings all the time. But now Ren's little listening-devices made it a lot easier for him and Aron to have the latest news about most ridiculous ideas Lucras and his minions had come up with. Now even Block B had fun time to listening to those meetings.

This time Lucras had an idea to throw a party... I mean a grand ball for the princess as they really hadn't had any bigger event to celebrate her arrival. How sweet, right? You can say that but the truth was that this was just an excuse for Lucras so he could show off with his „power“.

You still remember that he wants to play the king of this castle even if he can't rule the country, don't you? JR of course objected to that idea but Xiumin had an excellent point if he said that it's better to give Lucras what he wants, for now, because that will distract him from thinking that he has power over JR and others, which, of course, he doesn't.

Within two weeks the grand ball would take place. Because of that the boys and girls couldn't really meet up with each other – they were all too busy (at first). There was so much to do. First week was all about preparations. Second week the quests from near and far would begin to arrive. Farther quests will come somewhere 3-4 days before the ball and they will stay either in the castle or spend their nights in the hotels nearby. Quests from the kingdom and nearer will probably come on the day of the ball,

***

The servant boys were busy with everything – if it wasn't the preparations for the ball, then it was the training. Either way they had no time for their guests, the girls form South. Though some had more time than others. Yes, JR - who else? He insisted on helping his friends but he knew that if he did so they would get in trouble with „disturbing“ the prince. Some time ago he had pulled the three boys into a really big mess so it was logical that now he tried to watch his step and words. It wasn't a easy task, because Lucras seemed to have more and more spyes around the castle, the city and the country as time went on.  For that reason JR retreated either to the comfort of his room or the weapon hall, where Luhan helped his polish his moves and reactions.

Girls in the other hand had quite dull days, again, at first. Lay had an idea that if the boys train in selfdefence then the girls could practice their hand in medicine just to make use of these days when they wait for the ball. They would need to patch up the boys in some point anyway. It was horrible to think that the war, though ficitive, would also reach to them in a matter of days, they may become victims, they may loose their life. If they only knew how true that was.

The three girls piled up behind Lay's hospital, as might say, and knocked on the door. Let the training begin. For some reason the girls had feared the whole idea. Maybe it was the prospect of learning something potentionally useful? No, it can't be that fear. They weren't afraid of learning, but of the learning process, the way they'll get on the mountain of wisdom. But all that fear vanished when Lay had explained them what they're going to learn and now they were really excited about it all.

„Lay, why haven't we seen you train, too?“ Haeran asked out of the blue.

„Yeah!“ Chinsun butted in, „Are you, perhaps, thinking you're too weak or something?“ she added with a quite worried tone in her voice.

Lay chuckled. „Not that I'm weak but it's better for me this way. You see I have hemophilia,“ he said looking over at the girls but seeing them furrow their brows seeming a bit confused he continuoued, „it means that if I get a cut then my blood will not clut as fast as it normally should. And if I happen to get a bigger cut then I would most likely bleed to death. And time to time I have to take painkillers...“

„That's awful.“ HyunAe said.

„It's not that bad. As long as I watch myself I will be totally fine. I've developed a fibrin-glue which is.... actually a glue. The fibrin is something our body itself produces. When we injure ourselves then our body will start to produce fibrin which will create a so-called net. The blood cells will be caught into that net and it will zeal off the wound so it stops bleeding. Knowing all that I just need to put the fibrin-glue on my cuts and I'll be living a full life.“

The heavy air in the room got a bit lighter and the mood rose, but there was still this undefineable uneasiness in the girls' heart. There was somthing Lay was no telling, but it was better to leave it now. He'll tell once he's ready - it may be never, but it may be one day.

„So is that why you became a doctor? Because of your condition, I mean.“ Haeran asked another question.

„Quite right. The final decision came when my life changed drastically. My family went missing...somehow. One day I got home and they were gone. Later I found a letter my mum had left me. She wrote: Don't worry, my dear son. We depart only to meet again.---“ Lay couldn't finish. He  put his hand on the table to support himself and looked down inhaling deeply to calm down.

„I'm sorry.“ Haeran regretted she had asked anything.

„No-no, it's OK,“ Lay hushed the girl, „Anyway. Our house was sold so I didn't have a place to stay. Back then I didn't know Kris but he already knew me. He got me a job in the castle as a cook's assistant but then I found out about my condition...So I started to learn medicine to help myself and soon enough my job was changed from cook's assistant to Royal family's personal doctor.“ he finished off with a happy note ringing in his voice.

„That's amazing. You're actually really strong... in another way.“ Chinsun admitted.

„Well, thank you.“ Lay smiled. „Now, on with the next lesson.“

The girls made disgusted faces because next up was „How to stitch up a wound?“. Lay even had a test-dummy for that. He even used fake blood to make it more realistic so the girls wouldn't be startled if they really had to stitch up someone. You can train as hard as you want, but reality is rather different and the girl will learn it the hard way.

***

Later that day girls walked around in the courtyard and of course they saw the boys – Baekho, Ren, Minhyun. The three boys were all happily chatting with the maids, they didn't even notice the girls from the South... To be honest how could they notice the girls if the latters were quite far away, and plus, hiding?

„What are they doing there? Why are they chatting with those girls?“ Chinsun got pissed.

„Calm down, Juliet, they're just talking – it's not like they're hitting on them or anything.“ Haeran had a bit more liberal approach to the situation. Chunsun glared at the girl.

Baekho took off his cap.

„Hey, Chunnie, did you know that your huggy bear dyed his hair?“ HyunAe pointed out.

„What?!“ the other looked to the direction her friend was pointing at with wide eyes. fell open. He didn't tell me?! Why didn't he tell me? I thought he was... that we had something... Was he just...? What the hell is going on here?! How all of the sudden he just-

„Earth to Chinsun. Earth to Chinsun. Can you hear us? Over.“ Haeran snapped the other out from her thoughts mimicking the sound of a walkie-talkie. Chinsun nodded and looked down – somehow the pavement had become much more interesting than the group of people in the distance.

„Let's just go.“ HyunAe sighed. He never really smiled that way when I was around.

„Yeah. Before we'll see something we don't want to see.“ Haeran agreed. Damn, Minhyun, I was really hoping for the best.

The three left feeling sad and heartbroken.

The three boys in the other hand looked after the girls with gloomy faces.

„You guys really are hopeless.“ Sunhi laughed.

„If you won't make your move soon then someone else will.“ another maid added.