The redheaded Prince tightened his grip around the hand of the Princess. He calculated the different situations that were capable of being played out in the time she spent with him. The only one that made sense to him was to get Sophia out of the palace as fast and as safely as he could.

"Let's go," he told her as he pulled her into the hallway.

Sungyeol had gone through the path with ease, using his ability to rid of the enemies and accompany their allies. It was quiet, that is if you overlooked the screams and yells from the village, in the hallway. Just... a bit too quiet. The type of quiet that haunted someone and drove their paranoia into insanity. That sort of quiet. Dongwoo checked each and every other crossing way from the hallway, keeping his senses pealed for any possible enemies around. He pressed their bodies against the wall, right before they reached the front grand doors of the palace, and looked out into the distance to determine the safety levels of his choice. Well, actually, there once stood grand wooden doors at where he was staring at. They had been completely demolished, to the point that large gaping holes big enough for bodies to crawl through, were created. On the other side of the palace gates and walls, there was a blazing fire engulfing the village. Dongwoo noticed two bright red uniforms battling out the stragglers and assassins near the gate that tried to climb over the tall walls. Going out the front wasn't an option. It was, technically, but it was not the safest bet.

"Changed my mind, let's go through the back!" He pulled the girl he loved into the other side of the hallway.

Before he could turn around the corner and race off into the backyard, he noticed a straggler gliding into the palace. They had been completely covered in blood and dirt, with their clothes barely hanging onto their body. Their fingers were clawing at their skin. The insanity of the venom had reached its peak, and that made it more dangerous to be around this enemy.

Dongwoo focused in on the kitchen, and motioned for Sophia to run over there. "Get in there, lock it and find a knife. Attack anyone that comes inside."

Sophia looked at him with a worried expression. She tightened her grip around his hand and nodded in a disagreeing motion. "I refuse to separate from you," she whispered.

"It's either to separate from me and live, or stick with me and risk getting hurt," Dongwoo told her. "And you don't really have a choice right now." He let go of her hand and pushed her into running for the kitchen. "Go!"

The Princess was extremely shocked at what he had said, and realized that turning back just put him in even greater jeopardy, and so she ran for the location she was told to go to. The straggler quickly noticed her, and tried to chase after her, but the gaping wound in their stomach was too much to bear. And they had recognized who she was in an instant. Not as their target, but of a friend. Their skin was burning the temperatures of a thousand suns, and each time they tried to focus in on something, it started to deform and seem to come to life. It was the venom taking its full affect on the body. Clawing at their own flesh was the only way to sooth the never ending pain. Unless death greeted them, and it surely was going to greet this particular straggler soon.

Dongwoo pushed the straggler against the wall and waited patiently for the slamming of the kitchen doors before focusing onto his victim. The straggler hadn't even put up that much of a fight. And awaited their inevitable doom. Their eyes stared back at the Prince's, as their humanity tried to reach for the light as much as it could. This enemy stood for those who had not wanted to become stragglers, to become weapons of destruction and pain. They had no choice. They had no options. They were tricked, tortured, beaten, maimed, attacked for the sole purpose of becoming distractions and killers. This one had believed that if he killed those he was told to exterminate then the pain would diminish. But his humanity had kept him moral. His mother's teachings kept him loving. His father's teachings kept him strong. That was why he got so injured but never died, because he tried killing himself on his own terms.

His dark brown eyes begged for the pain to end. He wanted to greet his family on the other side.

And so, the Prince granted his unspoken wish, with the simple crack of his neck.

That simple, young soul had known Sophia from school. He admired her for her kindness and loving ways, how dedicated she was to her family. Even though she was one of the ones he had been told to try to attack, as soon as he laid his eyes on her, he knew he couldn't.

And that's where the subject of using stragglers as weapons fail. No matter how much the pain is damaging their insides. No matter how much the venom clouds their judgment and morals. They may mentally collapse. Their organs may explode on them. But their humanity will most likely seep through once it is triggered.

Dongwoo turned his back from the dead body, and pushed open the doors of the kitchen. Something shiny and metallic had caught his eye, and he quickly averted an injury. In a moment, he had pressed Sophia against the table, bending her body over the flat surface. His torso lay against hers as he pushed her hand tightly to force her to release the weapon. He stared back at the beautiful eyes glaring at him.

"Are you trying to kill me?!" the Prince yelled at her.

"You told me to attack anything that gets in!" she replied with the same tone.

The redheaded boy released her from his grip and quickly closed the doors of the kitchen behind him before locking them tightly. He then pressed as many appliances against the entrance as he could. "I said to lock this."

"I didn't know how to."

"You just press the knob the turn the latch then release the break and—"

"Wow, you should really put an instruction manual for that long process! It's just a damn lock!" Sophia sarcastically told him.

"Did you not notice how easily it was for me to just open the doors and pin you against the table?! What if I had evil intentions!? You'd be in pain right now!"

"I can protect myself!"

"Protect yourself my—"

"Don't you dare curse Dongwoo!"

"How can I not!? You could have died right now!"

"Well I didn't. As you can clearly see, I'm safe!"

In a blink, Dongwoo wrapped his arms around Sophia, holding her as close as he could. And they just stood there like that. He embraced her body with such care and gentleness. His tears weren't seen by her, but she could feel the trails of water seep into her dress.

This Prince wasn't the type to express weakness to anyone, especially in the form of tears; but it couldn't be helped.

"Sorry."

"For?"

"Yelling."

"Me too."

Another moment of silence around them. Both of them were the epitome of stubborn, and well, it's hard to yank out an apology from either. Once they start fighting, nothing seems to be able to calm them down.

"I'm not the best at expressing my feelings," he told her. "I tend to yell. I tend to cause fights. I tend to not take anything seriously. But when it comes to your life, I get so frantic. I'm usually so focused. I'm usually the most calm. But... But... I was so scared. I just... I just..."

"You're doing great at protecting me, Dongwoo," she whispered into his ear. "You really are."

"I just... If anything was to happen to you under my watch. No—if anything was to happen at all—I don't know what I'd do. I want you to be safe."

"And I am. There's nothing to worry about, alright?"

He released his hold of her and smiled the same daunting smile he normally had on his face. Sophia lifted her hands to wipe the tears from the smooth plains of his cheeks and chin. As she pressed her injured palm against the apples of his cheeks, the Prince's eyes screamed questions. The scent of her blood drove his entire body into madness at this proximity. Being around her had forced him to get used to her scent in general, but pressing her blood that close to his face, nose, lips was pure torture.

The Princess quickly retreated her hand, staring down at the wound. "I'm sorry."

Dongwoo ed his shirt before taking it off and placing it over her shoulders. Even though it wasn't the cleanest item on him, it was definitely in better condition than her own dress. And, well, it sort of masked her growing scent. The wall that he had built around his senses was starting to crumble. And once his animalistic senses took over, not even Sophia can stop him. He didn't want a repeat of what almost happened with the maids a few years back.

"Just wear this okay? It'll help."

"I don't think—"

"Not the wound. The scent. I'm... I'm really infatuated by your blood right now that it's been brought to my attention. I need to mask your scent as much as I can so I can keep control," he bluntly told her.

Sophia stared at the Prince, before her gaze lowered from his loving eyes to his wild lips and down his sharp collarbones and defined torso. Sweat was dripping down each and every crevice like a river going down a mountain. He was the only Prince she had ever seen like this. It seemed like whenever they were alone, he'd find a way to become shirtless. She definitely wasn't complaining, may it be in the middle of cooking or in the middle of a war; Dongwoo still looked good in every possible way.

"So I'm guessing the others are—" The sentence that had broken the Princess from her trance.

"Yes." She replied a bit flustered.

"Am I the only one left?"

"Nope."

"Then—"

"Myungsoo. Sunggyu. Sungyeol." The memories of their transformations began to flood her mind. Each was of a different cause and reason, but all three ended in pure happiness. They were safe. She was safe. Those three were capable of protecting themselves, others, and her without having to worry about the consequences.

"In that order?"

"Yeah, in that order."

"Should've known Myungsoo would be the one to start it," he sighed lightly. "He was the one with the most genuine intentions."

"Oh yeah, calling me a maid repeatedly and convincing me that I should quit, definitely shows his true intentions," Sophia rolled her eyes at the memory of the banquet. That banquet was the start of it all, actually. The start of her adventure. That damn banquet.

"Think of how far he was willing to push you to make sure you'd get as far away from us as possible. He was willing to lose you forever; as the rest of us could only handle watching you from a distance. Imagine what life would be like if you had quit." That thought never ran through her mind for the Princess did not care. That was an alternate universe that she never wanted to visit. Purely because she was happy with the boys. The Prince let his own fingers graze by the Princess' cheeks and continued, "Oh, and by the way, attacking a vampire with knife probably isn't the smartest idea."

"And why not?"

"Knowing you, you'd turn it in yourself by accident!"

"I know how to hold a knife, Dongwoo!"

"Doesn't mean you can fight with it."

"Touche."

Dongwoo walked around the island table as he traced his fingertips across the stone top. The memories of their time in the kitchen flood his mind. How they spent what felt like days in the kitchen together making those damn pancakes. And how many times he failed at it before actually getting it right! But seeing her so happy to bake was something that instantly brought a smile to his face. Sophia truly loved baking—to share that sort of common love with her was magical.

"What are you grinning about, sir?"

"Just... our time together," Dongwoo continued to flash his teeth.

"Pancakes?"

He released a little laugh, confirming her guess. Then, a flash of memories in the kitchen with Mrs. Moon went through is mind. She was the one to actually peak his interest in the process of making delectable goods rather than just engulfing them. Watching her bake a cake was like an art to Dongwoo, and ever since then he wanted to know how to make everything. Even though he wasn't the most gifted cook in the world. And yes, a big fraction of his creations did burst into flames or come out burned, but he didn't care! They were still as tasty as they would be had he done everything perfectly. It was trial and error for him. And he still made each and every dish with love. That's what mattered to him. And that's what he learned from Mrs. Moon.

"Never thought she'd die," he sighed under his breath as his smile began to disappear.

"She was human," Sophia leaned against one of the counters. "It's her inevitable fate."

"But it's Mrs. Moon. She's invincible. She's always been invincible to us."

"Yeah, I know. She could do everything and still keep a smile on her face at all times. In the few months I'd known her, she was so admirable."

Dongwoo rummaged through the drawers and took out everything inside. There was a box of matches, some knives, skewers, spoons. All sorts of utensils used for cooking great delectable dishes.

"Imagine the years my brothers and I have spent under her care," he laughed at the thought of the moments they all had shared together. "There was this one time that I found a lighter in the kitchen. And I had taken it up into my room and was playing with it. I had seen her make it light into a flame before, but didn't know how she did it. Well, long story short, my entire room, including Sunggyu and Woohyun's, burst into flames. And all she did was put the fire out for me. There was no yelling. No hitting. None of that. Mrs. Moon just told us the dangers of fire. Rest assured, I never made that mistake again."

"You lit the palace on fire?" Sophia asked as she reached for the box of matches on the island itself. She contemplated keeping them, but decided to do so. Never know when something needs to be engulfed in flames, right?

"Only a part of it!" He reminded her with another chuckle. "And there was that one time I had decided to turn everything in the palace upside down just for the hell of it one day. While everyone was out sparring or tending to their duties, I went through every room in the kingdom and flipped every frame, vase, bed frame, drawers, all that was capable of being turned. Oh man! The look on my Mother's face was of horror! And my Father could not stop laughing! But Mrs. Moon just laughed it off and wanted to know how I managed to turn bed frames upside down. Truth was I had recruited my brothers into helping me! Well, five of them since Sungjong was still a frail little pansy back then."

"Must have been one heck of a mission."

"It was. I mean, returning everything back to its original position wasn't that hard. It was all worth it. The giggles and laughter shared made it memorable. And, who can ever forget the time we sat down with her and almost killed her for hiring you?"

"What?" Sophia's interests had certainly been poked by those words.

"We had just heard about your employment in the palace. And we approached Mrs. Moon with angry hearts...

(Flashback begins)

"Wonder why Sunggyu looks a bit angry," I told Hoya as we leaned against a tree in the yard.

Our oldest sibling seemed to find the perfect pace between walking and running for it not to be considered as either. His eyes expressed nothing but worry and panic, well, if you could see them that is. Woohyun was helping out Sungjong create a beautiful bouquet of flowers for our Mother. Myungsoo just rested his head against his arms as he laid flat on the grass staring out at the clouds pass by. Sungyeol was reading right beside him, as always.

"His plan for world domination is probably not going so well," Hoya sarcastically replied.

"Yo! What's up?" I asked the chinky being that got closer and closer to us.

"That girl is working here," Sunggyu told us simply.

"What girl?" Hoya and I asked simultaneously.

"Sophia."

And that name drove everyone to focus their attention to Sunggyu. Woohyun and Sungjong rushed to our circle, as Myungsoo and Sungyeol straightened up to join us. Now the panic and worry had begun to multiply exponentially as it flooded our hearts and minds. Sophia was the only girl who would have ever caused this sort of reaction from us. I should have caught it earlier, but we had not had an interaction with her for years. But she had definitely left her mark in our hearts and lives.

"Did you just say—" Woohyun blinked a couple of times.

"Sophia?" Sungyeol finished his sentence.

"The same girl from hide and seek?" Hoya added to his brother's statements.

Sunggyu nodded firmly. There was no denying it. This wasn't something to kid about. "Yes. Her."

"Oh my God," I could only utter those words.

"She's been out of work for a while, and since we have the best pay around town, she applied for a job," Sunggyu informed us diligently. "I don't know what position. But I heard the maids talk about it, and well, word spread like wildfire. Before anyone knew it, Damien heard and well—his reaction was purely disastrous on its own. We were in the middle of sparring when he just up and left! Since when did he do that? And here we are, discussing this."

"We have to talk to Mrs. Moon!" Sungjong announced what we all had mentally agreed on.

The seven of us marched off into the staff quarters, where Mrs. Moon was busy beginning the planning for the annual banquet. She had seen us from the corner of her eyes, and she immediately knew what we wanted to talk to her about. Her little petite self scurried off to us in a hurry, grasping onto a broom in one hand and a pen in the other.

"Yes boys? I'm in the middle of signing papers and cleaning a bit. I don't have much time—"

"We have to talk. Mrs. Moon," all seven of us simultaneously announced.

"Oh, okay, let's go outside," she smiled sweetly at us. It was clear that she understood what we wanted to discuss just from our stature and tone of voice. And yet, she didn't seem bothered by it at all.

The anger and confusion within each and every single one of us began to rise. The old woman led us to the outdoors. It was a smart move, we wouldn't do anything stupid out in public, especially with humans around. And she knew we'd be forced to behave. There was a moment of silence in the atmosphere. We weren't sure who was capable of starting, so I uttered the first sentence.

"I love you Mrs. Moon," I thought I'd start with something pleasing and sweet, "but are you insane?!"

"What so ever do you mean, young one?" she continued to grin at us.

"Accepting her job offer," Hoya calmly told her

"Whose?"

"Sophia!" yelled Woohyun, saying her name really wasn't something he was comfortable with.

"Oh right," she fixed up the glasses that rested on her wrinkly nose, "lovely little Sophia Song. Of course I accepted her! She's a fabulous baker with an incredible history and a wonderful girl in general."

"Mrs. Moon you know what sort of problems will arise from her being in the palace," Myungsoo was always the most intelligently calm out of all of us in dire situations.

"Problems? Oh you mean the seven of you finally gaining some courage and reaching your manhood with her around?"

"...Mrs. Moon you don't understand..." Sungyeol scratched the back of his head. "She'll be put in danger."

"There's no safer place then within a palace filled with vampires and vampire hunters. One of you messes up, and all of you die. It'll be easy," she pinched the closest brother's cheeks, which just so happened to be the youngest. "Don't mess up, don't do anything stupid, don't try to kill her; and you'll live and so will she. Everyone will be happy happy happy people! Oh, and for the record, the hundreds of staff that we have here already are in danger and they have been for quite some time. So, how can one girl make that much of a difference?"

"This was an irrational move Mrs. Moon," Sunggyu firmly explained.

"So you don't trust my opinion?" she questioned him in return.

"No, it's not that," the oldest sibling remained unflustered by her response. "It's just that you're pushing for something to happen when we clearly all know that it will only end in a disaster."

"I don't think it will," she released her grip from Sungjong's cheeks. "I believe in my boys and I know that you guys won't be the ones to put her life in danger. And it's just one girl right? Nothing can possibly go wrong just from one new person entering the palace."

"Then why are you doing it?" Sungjong asked her as he rubbed his cheeks.

And that was the question she had been waiting for. "Because she's that one girl you all are waiting for. Have you not noticed?"

The seven of us turned to look at each other. We were all pretty open with telling each other our thoughts and feelings. It was the relationship that we held, which made us a lot closer than your typical siblings. There were no secrets. Never had been. Never will be. Whenever we did talk about whom we had feelings for, we kept her identity a secret. But it was basically the same feelings repeated within each of us. The same way we felt just by thinking about her.

And this was all because of a girl who had captured our hearts so long ago.

How stupid for none of us to glue the pieces together and realize: damn, we all fell in love with the same girl.

"So I'm guessing from the dumbfounded looks on your faces," Mrs. Moon's eyes scanned each of us, "that none of you knew about the love of the others."

"That explains how we all reacted the same way when Sunggyu came up and told us she just got hired," Woohyun slapped his hand on his forehead. "Damn. Should have caught it then."

"We are all head over heels for a girl we met once," I uttered as I fiddled with my fingers. "And that was years ago."

"So all this time..." Sungyeol blinked repeatedly as he began to think of all of our stories.

"...we have been bragging about the same person," Sungjong finished his sentence.

"It wasn't that hard for little old me to fit the puzzle together myself," Mrs. Moon told us. "You all love talking to me about everything. And all of you have been fantasizing about the same event and explaining the same girl to me. I don't expect to hear a 'thank you' now, but you do owe me one."

Myungsoo and Hoya seemed to not want to utter another word. They had absorbed the situation and were assessing how to properly react. I stared at them firmly. They weren't the types not to voice their opinions. Sunggyu had given up his fight to try to convince Mrs. Moon to fire her before she could even work here. Woohyun's excitement clearly seemed to grow exponentially within him. Sungyeol and Sungjong were a bit indifferent.

And then, another voice decided to join our lost battle.

"Mrs. Moon, we have something to discuss," Damien's stoic voice came out of nowhere.

"Yes, child?"

"It's about the new staff member."

"Sophia Song?"

"Yeah, her."

"And what about her, Damien?"

"I refuse to let her work here. It's not her type of environment and—"

"Trying to come up with excuses isn't going to help your fight, Damien. She's going to work here. The girl needs a stable job with a high pay check for her family and we're the last place left for her. Now, whether you or the boys," she turned to us, "like it or not doesn't matter. I've already accepted her and there's no going back on my word."

"But Mrs. Moon, you know what sort of possibilities may occur just from being in the palace walls—"

"If it worries you so much," she tapped him on the head lightly, "then you go be her mentor. She'll be under your careful watch from the start, alright? Now calm down, all of you. It's not like she's going to dramatically alter the lives of everyone in the damn Seoul Kingdom. Let her work here in peace!"

(Flashback ends)

And Damien did too. We were all just completely confused about what was going through her mind to even accept you. But now, I'm extremely glad that she had done so. Mrs. Moon always knew what was best for us; and well, we may not have agreed in the beginning, it turned out to be the best present anyone could ever give us," he finished his story.

"So none of you wanted me to work here?"

"Yeah, basically," Dongwoo grinned mischievously. "The next day, we sat down and came up with a game plan. All agreed to ignore you as much as possible and avoid your presence entirely. Then Myungsoo went to go do his own thing in an effort to get you to quiet since Mrs. Moon wasn't going to fire you. And Woohyun became a mini version of our father's romantic side and started to swoon over you dramatically. Our plan failed miserably."

"And you all liked me from way back when?" Sophia's grin couldn't help but show how pleased she was to know that.

The Prince began to laugh lightly. "Yeah, yeah, all seven Woo Princes became smitten by the girl who couldn't stop laughing."

"And none of you figured out that it was the same girl until Mrs. Moon pointed it out?"

"We aren't the types to infer okay? None of us had ever mentioned your name to the others until you started working here. I assumed my brothers had forgotten about you, and they did the same."

"Wow who would have thought—"

"Shhh," Dongwoo lifted his forefinger and pressed it against his lips.

He stared down the girl who was still smiling. Her grin however begna to fade as she realized what he signaled. She reached out for the knife she was holding onto earlier and rushed to his side. He pressed her against the wall, but continued to keep his body facing the rest of the kitchen. There were noises being emitted from the hallway, behind all of the appliances that he had packed. His eyes averted to the only other possible entryway. It was the only way to get her out of the kitchen.

But before he could pull her out of the kitchen safely, the barricades he had placed in front of the large doors crumbled. In came just a single assassin, holding a long medieval-like sword. He wiped off the tip of the blade on his clothes, before pointing it at the Prince. Dongwoo hissed at the opponent, realizing that his plan was definitely hindered by the assassin's appearance.

"The redheaded Woo brother," the assassin spoke. "You know, they say you're the odd child out."

Dongwoo took a step closer towards the enemy. If he could distract the assassin long enough for Sophia to run outside, then Hoya or Sungjong would be capable of noticing her and coming to her rescue. "Why would they say that?"

"How could a dark haired King and a blonde haired Queen create a redheaded Prince?" the assassin laughed under his breath as he continued to focus on the Prince.

Dongwoo stretched his muscles out in preparation. The hills of his biceps protruded like balloons with every move he made. Sophia could no longer see his face, but the art of his back was mesmerizing to her. Every crevice supported muscle in general. This Prince was certainly not the weak kind.

"Just so you know," Dongwoo cracked his neck and his fingers simultaneously, "this isn't my natural hair colour."

And in a blink, Dongwoo launched himself at the assassin. The Prince was too fast for the vampire assassin to assess just where he was going at all times. He was not as swift as his older brother, but he could confuse enemies easily. And his brute strength made him a different sort of force to be reckoned with. The assassin tried swinging his weapon around, but Dongwoo either avoided it or stopped it in its tracks with his hands. Never had he been hit, for the blunt sides were always hitting his skin.

"You are extremely annoying," the assassin announced.

"Now that you know my secret," Dongwoo laughed in his ear, "I have to kill you. Wouldn't want the rest of the world knowing that I dye my hair."

In that instant, Dongwoo reached out for the enemy's weapon and broke it's blade into two, launching them to where Sophia was. It had missed her by barely a few inches.  She stared at the shiny blades near her head and reached to grab the one with the handle at its end still. The knife was nothing compared to a real weapon. Slowly and carefully, she started to step towards the backyard's opening.

"No no no beautiful, you aren't going anywhere," the assassin reached out to grab her, but Dognwoo had averted his attention.

"I thought we were fighting."

By another blink, Dongwoo had reached out for a tub of oil and splattered it all over the assassin. It caused the floors beneath them to become slippery, and all three members fell to their backs. The Prince reached out for a knife and struck the vampire assassin in the chest before jumping to Sophia's aide. Her clumsy self had actually sliced another part of her body with the weapon she was supposed to protect herself with. Dongwoo was right. She'd find a way to injure herself somehow. The scent of her blood drove Dongwoo's senses into overdrive, but he resisted the urge. It wasn't his to take.

The Prince was too focused on the injured Princess to notice that the assassin was getting back onto his feet. Dongwoo had missed his heart, and so, the enemy was still alive. He pulled the knife out of his chest, just a few inches from his heart, and his lips menacingly. The vampire had smelled the scent of Sophia's blood in the air, and wanted a taste for himself.

"Time to go," the redheaded Prince nodded at Sophia as he pulled her up to her feet. Together, the two exited the cooking sanctuary as they supported one another.

"No Dongwoo!!" Sophia's voice couldn't seem to scream loud enough to alert him any sooner.

And the assassin had punctured Dongwoo in the back. The tip of the knife pierced through his skin like butter and Dongwoo fell forward onto Sophia's body. The last thing the Prince was to see in this life was the fearful expression on the girl he loves' face. She opened her arms to catch him as he tipped into her grip. His head lay against her shoulders while she fell to her knees. The assassin's grin didn't falter at the sight of his apparent win. And with very step, he inched closer and closer to the surprised Princess and the dying Prince.

Sophia reached into her pocket, grazing by the journal and letters before touching the box of matches. Her instincts kicked in as she pulled the weapon out of Dongwoo's back and threw it at the assassin. The sheer precision of her throw was impeccable, admirable actually, for it hit him right in the middle of his forehead. This forced him to be yanked back into the kitchen, falling on his back as he assessed what just happened. In less than another blink, she lit up a match in her grip and threw it as far as she could into the kitchen. She then wrapped her arms around Dongwoo's body as much as she could as she closed her eyes, awaiting the boom of the entire palace to erupt.

Her injured hand was pressed against his lips, in the hopes that he'd take that opportunity to bite her. She was willing to give herself to him for she wanted him to live. He had been fighting for her life, and it was her turn to return the favour. There was no way that she'd let him die like that. Not for her. Not now. Not ever. A simple drop of blood reached his lips, and the temptation could no longer be avoided.

The assassin was trying to pull the weapon out of his brain when he felt something hot surround him quickly and completely. The fires engulfed the entire kitchen like a monster and his life ended without his heart being punctured. He may not have died at the hands of Dongwoo, but he sure died at the hands of a Princess. A very angry Princess. A very dangerous Princess.

Sophia felt the flames come closer to her body. And she realized that they too were covered in oil. They were going to die right at that moment. But behind the scenes, Dongwoo was regaining his life. His already tight muscles began to enlarge. The wounds on his body miraculously closed up and no scar were left behind. The beat of his heart raced faster than before. His entire being just upgraded. All of his senses began to become more sensitive than before. Everything was glorious.

As the flames approached the two lovers, Sophia tightened her grip around the redheaded Prince. This was likely going to be her last memory, her last moment, her defining sacrifice, but it would be worth it. She'd sacrifice it all for Dongwoo. Just as long as he kept drinking her blood, his wounds would continually heal. He may feel the flames of the fire damage his body, but it wouldn't leave a mark. Only she'd be a casualty—well her and the assassin, but he didn't count in her mind. As long as Dongwoo was going to live, it would all be worth it.

The heat in the redheaded Prince's body had begun to seep through every inch of his blood. His personality was definitely an uncontrollable and fiery one, but that couldn't just be the reason behind his newfound ability. Maybe it's the situation. Maybe it's the fact that they were about to die at the hands of a fire. Maybe it's his past with that box of matches and lighting three rooms on fire when he was younger. Maybe it's just the fact that he loved the kitchen. It's unexplainable.

Yet, it could not be denied. His ability was over the heart of the flame, just as strong as his own heart and will.

But then, the Prince lifted his head from her shoulder and regained balance on his feet in another second. The flames were his servant now. They were not going to hurt him, hurt her, hurt his family. Nope. Not at all. He raised his hand, just a single hand, and the flames stopped in their tracks like an animal. The sheer strength of the fire began to weaken as he focused on it, and overtime, it just disappeared. Black charred appliances and a line of dead plants pointed at the Princess and Prince were the only evidence of the flame ever being there. Oh and the fully burned down eastern wing, but that could definitely be overlooked.

Sophia finally released the tears that she was so strongly withholding. She thought he had died. She thought she was going to die. She thought it was the end. And she rammed her body against his. The Princess wrapped her arms around his solid waist, over the mountains of his abs, not caring about the blood marks that were there from his old wound and the oil that covered them both. The sheer beat of his heart was enough to convince her that he was alive. This wasn't the afterlife.

"You're okay!" she screamed in joy.

He turned around to face her, as she buried her face in his chest. The tears from her eyes seemed to overflow into his for he too began to cry in her arms. But that didn't matter. She was safe. He was safe. He saved her.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he smiled at being able to hold her.

"You idiot!! I thought you had died!" the Princess repeatedly beat his hard chest muscles like a drum. It was her only way of releasing the anger and happiness.

But the Prince didn't falter in his grip around her. He let her hit him. Dongwoo had believed that he deserved such a reaction from her. "But I didn't. I didn't because you love me."

"Of course I love you," she hugged him in another embrace. Just his touch was able of calming her down. To be able to hold him. It was... magical.

Dongwoo released a sigh as he unwrapped his arms from her. "I've waited a long time to hear those words come out of your mouth."

Just then, a Prince approached them with a worried expression. "FIRE!"

"You're a little late!" Dongwoo yelled back at his younger sibling. Which was definitely true. He had missed a great feat.

Sophia turned around to see Hoya rushing to their side. She immediately embraced him before saying, "Dongwoo saved my life, Hoya. There was a fire and—" But she couldn't complete her words.

"What the hell happened Dongwoo?" Hoya asked his older brother.

"A fire erupted in the kitchen. Handled that in a jiffy."

"Impossible, you can't do that unless—"

An even bigger smile formed on Dongwoo's face, if that was even possible. "Yeah, I know. Pretty awesome right?"

Hoya turned to stare at the face of Sophia. Her eyes weren't lying to him. She may not have been the one to tell him the truth, but she definitely was the one to have turned his older brother. Sophia was not prepared to lose him—any of them—and she was obviously willing to do anything to keep them safe.

Dongwoo's grin didn't falter as his brother scanned him. Something was definitely different about the redheaded Prince. "Hey, it's time for me to go," he signaled for his brother to finally look after Sophia. "Good luck, champ!"

"Wait, where are you going?!" Hoya yelled at him as he was running.

Without turning his back onto the newly formed team, Dongwoo laughed his distinct laugh from the distance. "I'm going to go see if I can start a fire!" And of course, not a serious response in return. The smile on Dongwoo's face couldn't be faltered.

And so, the newly formed team was left to stare at the redheaded dinosaur, running across the large open fields of the palace—right in front of the newly renovated palace wing.

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