A loud thump followed by scurrying feet startles me awake, making me jerk upright. Disoriented, I push myself from beneath the blankets and walk to the door. Tentatively, I call, “Kibum? ...Taemin? ...Minho?”

    When no one answers, I open the door to peek out. Seeing no one, I poke my head further out, but the corridor is completely abandoned. Shrugging, I go to close the door, but color catches my eye and makes me look down. A bunch of white flowers tied with a yellow ribbon lie atop a small cloth bag.

“Gardenias?” I my head as I crouch down and cautiously examine the bag and flowers.

    When I can’t find even a hint of a note, I sit on the threshold and rest my chin on my knees. After the consequences of the first anonymous ‘gift,’ I wasn’t going to trust another so easily. It could be another trick from the Dragon King, but then again, he’s already trapped me here. What else could he do to me?

“Where’s a cellphone when you need it?” I mutter, wishing one of the guys would appear like they usually do whenever I need them. However, the hall remains silent. As I sit there, a thought occurs to me. “What time is it even? Maybe everyone’s asleep.”

    I stop and facepalm when I realize I’m talking to myself yet again. Pushing myself up, I carefully step out of my room, giving the bundle a wide birth. As I stand there, unsure of my next move, I suddenly remember that Jonghyun’s room is somewhere nearby. He might be able to help me again. Walking slowly as I try to remember the way I had run, I also try not to scare myself in the eerily empty and quiet hall. My bare feet barely make a sound against the soft wood. When I turn yet another corner in the maze of halls, I accidentally hit my toe on a hidden step.

Muffling a curse as I bounce up and down in pain, I try to pick up my foot to see the damage in the scarce light.

“Noona?” comes a deep, slightly slurred voice.

Turning around, I see a bleary eyed Minho looking back at me, his hair messy from sleep. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so loud,” I apologize.

“Is something wrong?” he asks, covering a yawn. “We thought you’d sleep till morning.”

A door down the hall opens, Kibum’s head appearing a few seconds later. When he sees me, he hurries out of his room, securing the tie around his robe. “Lilly, what’re you doing here? Is something wrong?”


“I think everything’s fine. I was just trying to find Jonghyun’s room again.”

“And why are you looking for his room at this hour?” Kibum raises his eyebrows incredulously. “You’re not-”

“No! For the love of God, Kibum, no!” I instantly reply as I guess his train of thought.

He presses a hand against his heart. “Good. I’d have to kill him for unintentionally seducing you.”

For the second time that night my hand meets my face. “Hell no. That will never happen, trust me. I was trying to find him because his is the only room I thought I knew where it was. Someone left flowers and a bag in front of my door and I didn’t know what to do.”

Minho and Kibum trade a wary glance. “What was in the bag?” Minho questions.

“I don’t know,” I reply. “After the peach incident you really think I’m going to even touch mysterious things left for me?”

“What’s with all the noise?” Taemin appears from around the corner, a grumpy frown halfway on his lips as he rubs his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Taemin,” I apologize again. “Just go back to bed.”

He lowers his hands to look at me before clapping them back to his face. “Noona!”

“What?”

“Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?” the youngest squeaks.

I look down at myself, double checking the light gown is still there. Looking up, I see Minho is now blushing and looking at his feet. Still confused as the fabric is far from see through and only my shoulders, arms, and feet are visible, I look to Kibum.

Shaking his head with a sigh, he explains, “They don’t get out much. They’re not use to seeing a woman this...uncovered.”

“You two,” I giggle. “What would you do if you saw a girl in a bikini?”

“What’s a bikini?” Taemin asks, his voice muffled by his hands.

“I’ll explain it to you later. Go back to bed,” Kibum tells him. Putting a hand on my arm, he says, “Let’s take a look at this bag. Minho, you come.”

“If Lilly noona’s in danger, I’m coming too,” Taemin protests, tagging along behind the three of us as we make our way back. Seconds later a large hound bumps its head against my leg, seemingly smiling at his cleverness.

    Kibum just rolls his eyes while Minho chuckles. Taemin trots a few paces ahead when we reach my hall to investigate the pile in front of my door.


“Stop,” Kibum commands before he reaches it. “Wait until I look at it.”

Taemin throws him a disdainful look before he morphs back into his human form, dusting off his hands. Despite Minho and Kibum’s warnings, he picks up the bag and undoes the tie, holding it out. “It’s just candy, hyung. Ginger candy.”

“There’s no poison? What about a potion mixed in?” Minho questions, looking doubtfully at the dark golden squares. “What about the flowers?”

“I didn’t smell anything on either. Potions can be hard to detect sometimes though,” he admits with a small frown.

“Don’t even think about eating them to test them,” Kibum says, quickly snatching the bundle from Taemin. Pulling a handkerchief from his sleeve, he drapes it over the flowers to pick them up. “I’ll take these too, just in case.”

“I don’t understand. What else could your father want to do to me? I’m already stuck here.” I ask, repeating my earlier thought to myself.

Kibum hesitates before answering. “This time, if it’s not harmless...it probably isn’t our father.”

“What?”

“News and secrets travel fast within the palace. When Jinki hyung told our father about Haeyoung, it didn’t take long for all the court to know. Even before the king made his opinion known, many didn’t approve, worrying about the dilution royal blood. When she died, the supposed threat was gone, but now you’re here...”

“You think someone’s trying to kill me?” I ask, incredulity coloring my voice. “Is that why I was stuck in my room all the time? And one of you’s always with me? Or almost always.”

“I set a spell on the metal of your door so it won’t let anyone in while one of us isn’t around unless you invite them in, so you don’t have to worry about that,” Minho says.

“I can keep guard at her door at night as a dog if she wants,” Taemin inserts.

“So someone might be trying to kill me?” I persist.

“We don’t know. Hyung’s story gained sympathy because of how he’s suffered and since it was the king who brought you here, I doubt anyone would be stupid enough to try to harm you, but better safe than sorry,” Kibum says, looking over the objects in his hands. “I’ll test these in the morning and give them back to you if there’s nothing wrong with them.”

I nod, letting this new information process. “Are there any other tidbits I should know about? Something besides my betrothal to a magic prince and possible assassination attempts, little things like those?  This is absolutely insane, you know? All of this.”

“Since when is any life free from insanity?” he points out with a half teasing smile. “It’s probably nothing. For all we know, we’re overreacting and Jinki hyung’s the one who left them for you.”

    My eyes go back to the flowers, half hoping it’s this scenario despite my wariness of the prince’s affections. Suddenly, my skin crawls with the kind of uncomfortable feeling you get when someone’s staring at you. Looking over my shoulder, I see nothing. I try to shrug it off as I turn my attention back to what Kibum’s saying, crossing my arms in an attempt to feel less exposed.

“Why don’t you go back to sleep?” Kibum suggests softly. “Things will look better in the morning.”

“I’ll stay with you, noona,” Taemin tells me, once again taking his hound form and walking into the room.

    Stepping in behind him, I bid the remaining two goodnight before closing the door. Taemin drags one of the pillows from across the room to in front of the door, waiting until I get back in bed to lie down. His tail thumps reassuringly a few times before his eyes close, my own eyes following suite soon after.

        
    Taemin is still there when I open my eyes hours later, stirring and stretching the instant I roll over. Trotting over, he pushes his nose into my hand.

“Good morning to you too, Taemin,” I smile, gently petting his head.

He gives a soft woof in reply, walking over to the wardrobe and looking back at me.

“Okay, I’ll get dressed so you don’t get embarrassed.” I chuckle when he lays down and hides his head in his paws as I get out of bed. Choosing a hanbok, I go behind the wooden screen.

“I’ll be right back, okay, noona?” Taemin calls.

“All right.”

    The door shuts tightly a few seconds later. It’s a little harder putting the clothes on than it is taking them off so by the time Taemin comes back with Minho in tow, I’m barely dressed.

“Did I do this right?” I ask, wishing for a mirror.

“Almost,” Minho chuckles, taking the sash from my hands and tying it in the correct spot. “Now that that’s done, how would you like to go somewhere new?”

Remembering last night, I shrug. “I guess?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be right by your side the entire time. The palace doesn’t have to be a dangerous place,” Minho says, guessing my misgivings.

“I think you’ll like it, noona,” Taemin adds, smiling as he hooks his arm with mine and leads me from the room.

    The two chatter lively as we walk and grab a quick breakfast of fruit, obviously trying to make me feel better and I’ll admit, it works. My steps slow as we leave the private corridors I’ve become accustomed to for larger, more open halls, extravagantly robed figures flitting among the columns and walkways. Minho and Taemin move closer, partially shielding me from the curious glances thrown our way. I quickly duck further behind Minho when I think I see Onew, but if it was truly him, he doesn’t approach us.

“Tada!” Taemin announces, throwing his arms wide as we finally reach our destination.

    The pavilion is absolutely massive, the details of its painted ceiling panels too far above us to distinguish while the floor stretches longer than the length of a soccer pitch. There aren’t any walls, just open space exposing a wide, surrounding expanse of water held at bay by something unseen. Taemin’s steps ring like soft bells as he dances ahead of us to and fro in the abandoned pavilion.

“Isn’t this wonderful, noona?” he calls, hurrying back to me. “You need to come see the reef!”

    Tugging on my arm, he pulls me to one side and points. I lean closer on the low railing, fascinated by the play of colors of myriads of fish that circle and dart around the large rocks. Minho comes up beside us, watching as well.

“Is it magic holding the water back?” I ask, stretching out my hand and meeting the same rubbery resistance I had when I’d put my hand out my window.

Minho nods. “It’s tied to the king. As long as he wants this place water free, it will be, but sometimes he likes to flood some of the outer places like this so he can rest here in his dragon form.”

“Does he do that often?”

Taemin shrugs. “Depends on his mood. Oh, look! It’s Yifan hyung!” Without another word, he jumps over the ledge and through the barrier, transforming into a dolphin to speed away.

My eyes wide, I turn to Minho and ask, “He can do that?”

He shrugs. “It’s mostly to keep things out.”
“And what did he mean by Yi- That’s him?”

“Yes.”

    My breath flows out in a half sigh as Yifan comes into view from around the rocks. The filtered sunlight glints off the hundreds of golden scales as the dragon’s long, massive body snakes through the water, strong limbs gracefully tucked against his sides. A luxurious mane the same color as his human hair and two long whiskers white as pearls wave about the invisible currents, the mane tangling around his curved horns. Taemin winds around Yifan as they swim together, his dolphin trilling like happy music.

“Is this what Onew looks like?” I ask curiously, my eyes unable to leave Yifan as he draws closer.

It takes Minho a while to reply. “Close.... He hasn’t taken his dragon form since the day Haeyoung died.”

Before I can ask more, Yifan has reached the pavilion, stopping in front of the two of us. His mesmerizing golden eyes close briefly as he bows his majestic head in greeting. I start when his voice echoes in my ears. “It’s good to see you out of your room, Lilly.”

“Um, it’s good to be out,” I reply out loud. “Wait, do I need to just think that?”

Yifan’s chuckle rolls through my head. “There’s no need. I can hear your spoken voice. I have to go with the king to survey the reefs, but I wanted to say hello. Chanyeol was planning to come see you later so I may come as well.” With another nod, he swims away with Taemin waving his flipper in goodbye to tag along.

I sit on the ledge, leaning against a column as I watch the two disappear. My mind brought back to the other mysterious dragon prince, I say, “Minho.”

“Yes?”

Looking at him, I tentatively ask, “What is the prince like? Onew, I mean.”

Minho sits facing me, his pose mirroring mine. “You don’t have to worry about him forcing himself on you, if that’s what you’re worried about. When he wants something, there’s nothing that can stop him, but he’s gentle; he would never willing hurt a living thing. That’s why he was so upset when he hurt Haeyoung.”

Suddenly aware of the scars on my back, I shift so it’s just my shoulder resting against the wood. “With the four of you for brothers, I don’t doubt he’s a good person. I’m not really worried, more....unsure of him. I mean, here’s the person I was supposedly madly in love with and part of me wants to hate him for being the reason I’m here but at the same time, after talking to him, I feel bad for him. I just don’t-”

“Don’t know how to deal with him if you when you meet him again?” he asks with a small smile. When I nod, he chuckles. “Ask away then.”

“What? No bells and whistles attached?” I tease, making him laugh.

Minho shakes his head. “None.”

Tucking my chin on my knees, I think over what to ask. Unable to decide on a question, I simply say, “Tell me what he’s like to you.”

“What he’s like to me,” he repeats, looking out over the sea as he finds his words. “To me, he’s someone I can look up to. When I was younger, I was very shy because my mother is one of the lower consorts and people ignored me a lot as I wasn’t very important, but hyung noticed me. Even though he was the crown prince, he’d always let me tag along with him, include me in games, and act silly and clutzy to make me laugh. At the same time, he gave me an example of how to live. Onew hyung’s strong and smart and takes being the crown prince seriously too, even though you wouldn’t guess it from how goofy and carefree he usually acts. I don’t think there’s anything he can’t do.”

    I turn my head to look out at the water as well as he falls into silence, letting his words sink in. Minho didn’t strike me as someone who normally gave such praise freely or in such volume, so coming from him, it meant something.

“There you are.” Kibum’s voice breaks the quiet as he strides into the pavilion. “Where’s Taemin?”

“He went off with Yifan to attend the king,” Minho replies. “Do you need him?”

“The High Consort wants to see us, but she said if we were busy the meeting could wait so I don’t think she’ll mind his absence.”

“High Consort? Is that like the Queen?” I ask.

“Essentially.” Minho stretches before getting to his feet. “Would you like us to find Chanyeol so you can stay out or would going back to your room be all right?”

“I can go back,” I say, slipping off my perch.

“Oh, here are the flowers back. They’re completely fine.” Kibum bites his lip sheepishly as he pulls them from his belt and hands them to me. “I kinda made the candy explode while I testing it though, so sorry about that.”

I shrug, giving the flowers a small sniff. “So was it the prince who left them?”
“There’s no way to tell, but probably. You can ask him yourself when you see him next.”

    I glance at Minho, who gives me a small smile of encouragement and decide not to air my concerns again. By the time we get back to my room, I’m still contemplating what to do if and when Onew approaches me again.

Kibum once again breaks my reverie by saying, “We shouldn’t be too long. After we’re done, we’ll come get you to show you more of the palace, okay?”

Resigned to having to spend a few more mindless hours within these four walls, I nod. “Thank you.”

“See you soon,” he smiles, shutting the door behind him.

    Glancing around, I walk to the windows and give the shutters an experimental tug. Unlike last time, they swing open easily. I pull myself onto the sill, holding the flowers in my lap and pensively tracing their petals.

Someone knocks at my door. “Lilly?”

“Come in,” I call back, smiling when a cheerful Donghae steps into my room. “How’re you?”

“I’m good. Yourself?” he smiles, quickly crossing the room to join me.

“Good as I can be, I guess.” Curious why he came, I feel hope suddenly spring in my heart. “Did you find something in the library?”

“Not yet, but I’ll keep looking,” Donghae assures me when he sees my smile falter a little. Trying to distract me, he says, “Those gardenias are pretty. Who gave them to you?”

“They were just left outside my door. Kibum thinks it was Onew. How’d you know what they are though? Most guys can’t even tell the difference between a tulip and a daffodil,” I tell him.

“I read a lot. For example, did you know that giving someone gardenias is a way of saying ‘You’re lovely’?”

Looking briefly down at the flowers, I shake my head.

“They can also mean something else.” Putting a finger to his lips, Donghae clasps his hands together, shakes them, and opens them to reveal a new gardenia nestled in his hands. “Silent love.”

“How’d you do that?” I laugh, clapping for his trick as he offers it to me.

“It’s a secret,” he chuckles.

My laughter dying down as I play with the petals, I ask, “Which meaning do you think Onew would be trying for?”

"Could be either,” Donghae replies with a shrug. “Either he’s saying your beautiful or he loves you. Of course, he could’ve just thought they were pretty and didn’t know the meaning at all. That sounds like an Onew thing to do.”

“I suppose.”

He starts to say something else but is interrupted by a banging on the door and a loud, “Chingu! Hyung said you were here. Let’s go play!”

=========================

Hello, lovlies. Let me just say I'm ashamed of myself for not updating for so long. I'm so sorry for making you wait and disappointing you. Readjusting to life in the US proved harder and more stresseful than I anticipated and I literally lost all ability to write anything quality. That said, I'm working on my personal issues and will hopefully not make you all wait so long for another update. My sincerest thanks for sticking around. Lots of love.