Iseul knocked on Kyuhyun's door and walked in.

“You wanted me?” She asked grumpily.

“You know I always do,” he teased as he approached her.

“You.. you tease!” Iseul said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

“I know you like it,” he joked before planting a kiss on her lips. She unwound his arms from around her and stepped away from him. Kyuhyun scowled.

“Seriously, Sungmin said you wanted a word with me or something. He also said that you didn't look very cheery but that's a different matter.”

“Well, uh, Heechul hyung's been spending some time down in the dungeons and he said he heard your name being mentioned. I'm also pretty sure Hecchul's gay, but-”

“Wait, what? Really? Why?”

“Apparently one of the bandits is very attractive and-”

“Who? Which one?” Iseul shook Kyuhyun's shoulders.

“I think it was the one that's second in command or something...” He mumbled.

“Hangeng? Oh please let it be Hangeng, he seriously needs something to cheer him up-” Iseul slapped her hands over as soon as she let the last word escape.

“Have you been going down there after I asked you not to?” Kyuhyun asked in a low voice, one eyebrow cocked and the rest of his face dead serious.

“Oh goddamn it, it's not like Siwon can kidnap me down in the dungeons! Besides, I think he's just a bit misunderstood. Hangeng is ver nice at the very least. I don't think he'd be so nice if Siwon was genuinely evil. Even though he's completely blind to the fact that Hangeng is head over heels in love with him. He knows now but he's just such a hothead about it, he's impossible to talk to! I am determined to reach through to him one of these days though,” Iseul rambled. She looked up into Kyuhyun's face with her big blue eyes and he fest his anger melting away faster than he'd ever imagined possible.

“All right, all right, I won't stop you from going down there then. Just promise you'll be careful?”

“I promise,” she answered with a grin, only to scowl at Kyuhyun when he mumbled “You really sure Siwon just isn't gay?”

***

Two days later Iseul entered Evie's chambers to find two people jumping around, squealing and somehow managing to hold onto each other and kiss each other all the while.

“What on earth prompted the pair of you to turn into insane monkeys?” Iseul managed to ask through her fit of laughter. After all, seeing Evie act all nuts was nothing new, but Kangin? The all-manly-big-and-strong-and-always-composed-and-pincely Kangin? Now that was something different entirely.

Evie ran to Iseul and literally attacked her. “He proposed! We're getting married! He proposed, oh I'm so happy!”

“Ooh, congratulations! But please don't kill me with happiness. It would be way too ironic of a way to go...” Iseul mumbled into some part of Evie's body.

“Oh, sorry, will you be one of my bridesmaids?” Evie asked as she unwound herself from around Iseul.

“Uh, aren't positions like that reserved for royalty?” Iseul asked with a puzzled look on her face.

“Damn it, I completely forgot! Uuuh, something else then? Uh...”

“Isn't everything reserved for royals, you know, things like that at least?”

“Yes... I guess so,” Evie mumbled, her mood visibly dampened considerably from what it had been moments earlier.

“Can't you just... I don't know, pretend to be the Lost Princess of Rea?”

“Wait, what? No, I cannot, you do know how much trouble that would create? Besides, I would never want to disrespect her or anyone else.”

Evie had shut her hearing off completely and went on, “You have the same name, you're an orphan, you are blonde like she was, you have blue eyes like she did and according to Kyu you and Kangin even share some characteristics. You're around the same age too, heck, you might as well be her!” Evie smiled.

Iseul just looked at Kangin helplessly.

“You know she's actually right, you are similar to what I can imagine my sister would have grown into. But still, Evie dear, she cannot pretend to be my sister. There are too many negative sides to that idea and it would hurt too many people,” Kangin reasoned as he wrapped his arms around his fiancée.

“Fiiine, but will you still come with me to Rea? The wedding will be held there and I need to be there in order to prepare and such. I want to leave for Rea in one week,” Evie asked Iseul, a hopeful gleam in her eyes.

“Sure, I see no harm in that, besides, I'm still your employee. But good luck convincing your cousin. He seems to think he owns me...” Iseul laughed as she imagined how he would react.

***

“No way, not a chance, nu-uh, nope, not listening!” Kyuhyun half shouted with fingers in his ears.

“But Kyu, it's my wedding and she's my best friend, I need her to be there!” Evie reasoned.

“I need her too.”

“You know you're acting pretty childish right now. Besides, she's not your property or something even remotely close to that. I don't even know why I feel like I need your permission.”

“I don't care how I'm acting, if I don't see her at least once every day, I just might go insane! I like her so much that I feel like I'm going to explode and the fact that the laws state that I can't marry someone that isn't royal makes me want to lie down in a ditch and die. I don't know how many hours I've spent trying to find a loophole or convincing my parents to let me marry her, but I've gotten nowhere! They like her enough, but she's not royalty,” he said in a mock voice, “and she doesn't seem to want to be with me so I-aaaaahhhh!” Kyuhyun exclaimed, looking pretty lost as he rambled on and on like a madman, but Evie understood his reasons.

“I thought I told you to leave that to me,” she said calmly.

“I know, but I can't just sit down and wait and feel useless...”

“Yeah, I understand... But please let me take her with me, it's only a few weeks and who knows, maybe we'll find a solution in the meantime,” Evie pleaded.

“Fine, fine, but your fiancés family better like visitors, because I don't plan on staying away the entire time. I will visit as often as I can.” Kyuhyun stated and left no room for objections.

***

It was the day of Evie's departure to Rea. Aida had decided to join her entourage an the Kims had come to say goodbye to their older daughters.

Mrs. Kim pulled a letter out of her basket and handed it to Iseul.

“I'm sorry I never told you about this before, you're supposed to open it on your 18^th birthday. It was in the basket with you when we found you on our doorstep. I haven't opened it and have no idea who it's from.”

Iseul looked at the letter with awe. Could there be some answers to who she was? Where she came from? She found no words to answer Mrs. Kim with, other than “thank you.”

“Here, take this too,” Mrs. Kim said as she handed Iseul a small parcel.

“It's your birthday present.” Iseul only nodded slowly. Suddenly though, she charged at Mrs. Kim and hugged her fiercely.

“Thank you, thank you so much, for everything.” She said, eyes b with unshed tears.

“Be careful and healthy. We will see you soon, yes?” Iseul nodded and turned to hug Mr. Kim and the twins goodbye.

***

They stood outside, getting ready to step into the carriages when Iseul suddenly disappeared.

Kyuhyun dragged her to the place where they'd gone on the eve of the autumn ball.

“Is everything all right?” Iseul asked with concern.

“You didn't think I'd let you leave without a proper goodbye did you?” Kyuhyun snickered. He wore a devilish smile as he s his arms around her waist.

“What do you mean a proper goodbye?” Iseul asked skeptically as she tried to remove his arms from around her, to no avail.

“Oh, I don't know, maybe something like this?” he answered and kissed her sweetly. “Or this,” he whispered against her lips, his voice laced with a hardness that hadn't been there before. He kissed her again but this time the kiss wasn't like before. It was much more passionate and she had no idea how to react. But she couldn't say she didn't like it.

Kyuhyuns hands started to slowly explore her body. She was too lost in his kiss to realize what was going on, so she didn't even try to stop him. His hands stopped to linger at the curve of her waist. When they moved suspiciously low down her back she gasped, giving him a perfect opportunity to explore fully. It didn't take her long to respond in the same manner. After a while they both had to stop, their need for air getting the best of them.

“I have to go,” Iseul whispered breathlessly, her hands clasped on either side of his face, their foreheads leaning against each other.

“I know... I wish you didn't though,” he whispered, earning a little smile from Iseul. She looked at him, “We'll see each other soon enough,” her face grew dark, “although you should really stop doing this to me, it isn't appropriate.” Kyuhyun merely chuckled.

“See you soon,” he said with his brightest smile, albeit with the devilish and boyish tint that she'd grown to love.

“And if you get yourself lost in the Royal Palace, just send me a messenger dove and your knight in shining armor will come running. On a horse of course. Just make sure the dove reaches the right man.” Iseul couldn't help but laugh.

“You're an idiot, did you know that?” Kyuhyuh just grinned as they walked back to the carriages.