Aron went down the stairs thinking over about what he was supposed to get done before he could go to sleep. He wasn’t going to go out tonight if that was what you were thinking. The Beast boys said that they’ll give Aron a little brake and that they’ll be the ones patrolling the city for at least a week, maybe a little longer if needed.

Though there wasn’t much to look after anyway. A big number of people had fled from the city during the past few days. Aron had seen groups, bigger and smaller, walking or riding towards the gates at nights. And today wasn’t any different. The numbers of people remaining  within the city-walls  grew even smaller.

The Headman didn’t really care whether the number of citizens got lower or not. The only thing that mattered to him was if he had enough money on the Councils’ account so that he could live as he pleased and spend good time with his comrades enjoying great food. He would spend the last dimes from his pocket if he had to to keep this up.

Lucras gave a pretty lowsy excuse to that way of living. He said that he was allowed to live this way now because he had to live in poverty all his previous life. Jaejoong could prove it all to be quite the opposite. The Headman will be back where he was pretty soon.

***

„You’re still awake?“ Aron asked Sunhi as he walked down the stairs.

The girl had already changed her clothes and laid under the blanket, but she hadn’t turned off the table-light so, yes, she was wide awake.

„Uh? Ah... Yea... I just have so many thoughts in my head right now.“ the girl said and looked up to Aron. Oops... wrong move. Why?

The boy was ridiculously adorable in his PJs. It wasn't something special, but seeing him in baby-blue puppy-patterned fanell-trousers and wearing a shirt which had a huge smiling puppy face on it was definitely something rather different. Only selected people had seen the Night Watchman in this kind of attire.

Sunhi looked away lowering her head to hide her now growing blush and her obvious smile. Aron didn't get it why the girl acted this way, but when he remembered what he was wearing he smirked to himself, too.

“So where are you going at this hour?” Sunhi spoke to ease the funny atomsphere.

“I..uhh... to the study room.”

“But you said that it's cold in there.”

“Yeah, but there's a fireplace so I can heat the room in the old fashioned way.”

“Oh...”

“Yeah... I'll just... go then...” Aron said awkwardly stepping down the remaining stairs and making his way down the short corridor to the study room. Now this is awkward... why is this awkward?

“OK...” Please turn around and ask me to come, too...

“Good night then... Sunhi” Aron said before he opened the door and stepped into the other room. It would be nice if she would come, too... but I'll probably get pissed over the things I find out... so I guess it's better if I'm alone.

“Good night, Aron!” Sunhi called after him before the boy could close the door. Pfft... puppy pyjamas... I would have liked to see them a little longer though...

Aron closed the door. Gosh! You sound like... you sound just the same... just like back then... when everything was on its place...

***

“Right... on with the business.” Aron said to himself.

He took some logs put them into the fireplace and lit the wood. Within moments the fire built up its strength and shed some light and warmth around the room. Aron was content with this and moved on. He came here to listen to today's recordings from the castle.

The Night Watchman sat behind the table. The hard wood was as cold as a rock and made the boy shiver when he touched it. The chair he sat on wasn't any better. It's like in a freezer here! What's next? Icicles in the corners of the room? He rubbed his arms to get the blood running again. He looked over his shoulder, stood up, and tossed a log into the fire.

The woods burned in a bright flame. Aron stood there for a while and looked into the fire. The logs crackled as the flames ate them up. The warmth from the fire rose up and embraced the boy. It felt nice. It's nice to have these kinds of moments of peace. It feels like all the troubles in the world don’t matter...

But the next moment Aron's mood fell. “Don't let the fire burn you if you play with it.” he mumbled to himself taking another log and throwing it into the fire. A puff of hot air slapped against Aron's hand. A cloud of sparks flew up and faded away. Don't let it burn... “But you're gonna get burned. You're gonna get burned if you play with fire!” he whispered filled with anger.

He didn't want to think about the past, about the things that had happened to him and his family. He couldn't change any of that. He could only hope that he can change of what's coming. He was determined to so. I've struggled long enough already! I'm not gonna let anyone to step on me anymore!

Aron took a seat by the table for the second time. The room had warmed up and so was the furniture. The young man some kind of a device. Its display lit up showing the current time. This little apparatus held the recordings of the listening devices which Ren had put up in the castle.

“C'mon, give me something.”

He pushed some buttons – probably rewinding the recording to a certain point.

He put on the earphones and listened. Familiar voices ringed through his ears. Voices which he hated, the voices of men who had turned this blossoming kingdom into an animal which eats its own flesh. The voices of men who had raised the taxed once again, the ones who eat the last food off from children's hands, the ones who have made living here a struggle for survival.

But Aron didn't think of that right now the only thing that mattered to him was the topics which the council-members discussed about.

“What if the prince turns against us?”

“He has already done that! And he has pulled the servant-scum with him! That butler is in with them, too. He's always been suspicious...”

“Give orders to hunt them down. Dead or alive I want their heads!”

“All of them? All the associates' ones, too?”

“All of them. - And bring me that butler! I want to have a word or two with him.”

What was said in between the waiting time for Kris had little to no value for Aron. The councilmen talked about trivial things, but just in case the Night Watchman didn't skip it over though he should had because as it came out he really just wasted time with this.

“Sir, he's approaching the room.”

“Very good, now we can-”

The recording cut off.

“What is this?!” Aron got confused.

He checked the device – it was working, but the display showed that the track contained no sound in this part. The boy rewind it – the conversation which he had just heard was on again.

“Dammit, Kris, why are you doing this again?” Aron talked to the device before him and took off his earphones.

That's right: Kris had done it again. The butler had turned off the bugs in the Council Room. Why did he do that? What did he have to hide? Was there really something more to what we already know? What really went on in there? Was is to do with the fact that he was one of the Bloodhounds? Was it about JR or HyunAe? About any of the other youngsters? Did Lucras say something about Kris's little brother Tao?

“What do you have to hide? You have all my secrets. You have all the others' secrets. You know our life even better than we do and still... you keep things from us.”

Aron leaned back in his chair and sighed. The burning wood crackled, a burnt-through log broke and fell over. All other logs lost their support and followed the first one. The young man looked over his shoulder and smirked. When one falls everyone will fall... Oh, the irony.

He got up and left the room. When he stepped into the corridor he saw that Sunhi had turned off the light – she was sleeping. Aron tip-toed to where the girl was. She hadn't pulled the curtains in front of the windows so that moonlight illuminated her face.

It feels so wrong right now... but then again I do have the right to see her like this... Aron didn't stand right next to the sofa; he stopped a few steps away. He looked at the sleeping girl, the one he loved so much. Her face was peaceful and calm. Aron smiled to himself. Just like when everything was still on its place...

The Night Watchman entered his bedroom. He halted and listened to his surroundings – the supposedly sleeping boy in his room seemed to have said something. Aron waited. The sleeper stirred and mumbled something again.

“...I didn't tell them... I can...not do it. Leave me alone... I don't want to... Lia... don't... I didn't...” JR mumbled, tossed and turned.

Aron sat on the edge of his bed and listened on. Though JR's sleep-talk was only made of short and disconnected sentences it still interested the older boy.

“Don't!... Save them... Kris... I didn't want to...”

“Why didn't you want?” Aron asked out loud.

“King.” JR seemed to answer.

“You didn't want to be the King?” Aron went on. So you're in that state where I can talk to you...

“I didn't want to...” the sleeping boy mumbled again.

Aron thought he'll ask the boy about Lia and him, but before the protective brother could do that JR stirred and opened his eyes. He looked at Aron with sleepy eyes.

“You're still up?” he asked yawning.

“Nope. About to fly off to the dream land.” Aron joked and got under his blankets.

“Have a safe trip.” JR yawned as he turned his back to Aron and fell into deep slumber again.

“Thanks.” He's still as nice as back then.

Tryin' to get back on track again. :)