Smoke filtered towards the stone carved ceiling of the elven burial chamber known as Unmyeong. The sweet smell on incents filled the vast space and shelves of ceramic jars that held the remains of the deceased lined the circular walls. Several elves, both royal and lesser roamed about the space paying respect to their family members that were no longer in this world. A spiral staircase was situated in the center of Unmyeong. It stretched towards the ceiling and disappeared into a stone platform that was lit by a stained-glass skylight in the middle of the domed ceiling.

   King Heenim ascended the stairs carrying a pot of burning incents and a vase full of brightly colored paper flowers. Because of the frozen landscape outside, no real flowers had grown in years and all the ones he’d created in the garden the past month were now covered in ice. Lord Leeteuk followed behind his king, his head bowed low in respect to the dead. The royal platform held the urns of each monarch that had ruled over Aleumdaum and their families. Heechul’s parents were placed there, as well as his grandparents and great-grandparents. Wonhee was there as well.

    Tears trickled down the great elven king’s face as he walked across the stone platform to the shelf that held the remains of his unborn child. Wonhee’s urn was situated on a small shelf near the back of the platform and was illuminated by the colorful light that filtered through the skylight above them. There was a vase of faded red paper flowers next to the urn as well as a pot of already burned and incents.

    “Who?” Heechul asked, pointing to the faded flowers.

    “I bring something to him every year on the day he was supposed to of been born.” Leeteuk answered, “Even though you had forgotten, I wanted to make sure he was remembered.”

    “Why didn’t you tell me?” Heechul whispered as he replaced the faded flowers with his fresh ones. “I had a right to know about my own son.”

    “It would have hurt you,” Leeteuk replied, “Until recently with the arrival of the humans and the power they’ve created, you were fragile, Sire. It would have destroyed you.”

    “I feel guilty that I forgot him,” Heechul began, placing his pot of burning incents next to Wonhee’s urn before sinking down onto the stone floor in front of it and bowing his head. “It feels strange knowing that I have another unknown child growing inside me. What if I lose this one like I lost Wonhee? I can’t bear to go through that again.”

    “You won’t lose him,” Leeteuk reassured, taking a seat next to his king. “You’re stronger now than you were then. You have people around you that love and care for you. The entire palace will do everything within their power to protect you and this child. I will be right here with you the entire time.”

    “I know you will,” Heechul nodded, “I’m glad you’re the father this time. Even though I loved Siwon-ah, he was never mine. He wasn’t a bad person until the end. I think he was just confused. He told me that he only married me because I was his King and he thought he had to. I would have never forced him to marry me if he didn’t wish to. I’m not that cruel.”

   “You did lock away his true mate in Bimil,” Leeteuk pointed out, “Kibum’s still there, you know?”

    “For all this time?” Heechul blanched, just now remembering the fate of the inferior elf that had stolen his love from him. “Why didn’t you let him out? I thought the prisons were empty?”

   “He works as a slave to his own people and sleeps in the prisons at night. You banished him from the upper floors that’s why you never encountered him. The other inferiors do not know why he’s been punished. You had his tongue cut out.”

   “I did?” Heechul whispered, a sort of horror overtaking him. “Leeteuk-ah, what else did I do in my rage after Wonhee’s death?”

    “You started the great war. Imposed taxes on the inferior race. Executed your husband. Then, one day you woke up and it was as if you never did any of it. You were back to your old self and your memories of all the horrible events were gone.”

   “It wasn’t Kibum’s fault,” Heechul began, shaking his head as if to rid himself of the guilt and shame building up inside him. “He’d found his mate. He was just following the power.”

   “You didn’t seem to care about that,”

   “But, he’s an inferior. It was against the laws enacted by King Jaejoong. I had to punish him.”

    “You know about King Jaejoong?” Leeteuk asked wit raised brows.

   “I studied the laws as a child in preparation to become King. I know Jaejoong created the laws to govern the inferior race, as well as the policies set in place that banned us from having contact with the human realm.”

    “But, do you know why he made these laws?”

    “No, those details are in the ancient texts and I never made it that far in my studies. Father died of a fever the year I was supposed to start reading the texts and I became King in his place.”

    “Eunhyuk’s been consulting the texts the pasted few weeks. “He’s leaned many things that had been forgotten.”

    “Now’s not the time to discuss politics,” Heechul dismissed, “I came here to properly mourn my son.”

    “Would you like me to leave, Sire?”

    “No, stay here with me.” Heechul replied, reaching out to Leeteuk and taking his hand. “I want to ask for Wonhee’s approval over our marriage.”

   “Our marriage?” Leeteuk repeated, his voice raising an octave in mild shock. “Sire, what are you saying?”

    “I want my child to have a happy and safe home. He needs both his parents in order for that to happen. You’ve been my loyal advisor and consort for many years and I know you care for me. I think it’s time that we take the next step.”

   “But, we’re not a mated pair.” Leeteuk pointed out, “I care about you, Heechul-ah, you’re my king and my best friend, but our magic does not call to one another.”

    “I’ve never met an elf whose magic calls to mine. I don’t think I’ll ever have a true mate. If there’s someone that has chosen you as his, then I won’t stand in the way. I don’t want to separate you from a true mate. Is there someone like that, Teukie-ah?”

    Leeteuk diverted his eyes from the almost desperate looking ruler in front of him as thoughts of Kangin appeared in his head. If he told the king that his true mate was a human man, what would the monarch think of him? Taking a deep breath, Leeteuk looked Heechul in the eyes and answered in a firm tone.

   “I already found my mate, I’m sorry.” Leeteuk apologized, his heart breaking when he saw the lost look in his King’s eyes.

    “Don’t be sorry, Teukie. It’s not your fault.” Heechul reassured with a soft smile, “If you’ve found your match, then I’m happy for you. May I ask who it is? Is it Yesung, Sungmin, Ryeowook…,”

    “It’s not a Royal elf,” Leeteuk cut off, his words receiving a grave look from Heechul.

    “You haven’t fallen for a lesser have you?” Heechul scolded, “Teukie, you can’t be serious.”

    “It’s not a lesser, no.”

    “Then who?”

     “It’s Kangin,” Leeteuk admitted, dropping his gaze to the ground. “He’s my mate.”

    “He’s a human, he can’t be your mate.” Heechul dismissed, “You can keep as a plaything once we marry, if that’s what you’re worried about? I don’t mind.”

    “Sire, you don’t understand.” Leeteuk began, raising his head and looking Heechul straight in the eyes. “I was trying to tell you this earlier. Eunhyuk found an ancient text that detailed the creation of the lesser race during King Jaejoong’s time. Humans and elves once lived together in the forest. When the King’s magic was weakened by sickness, our power began seeking restoration. It called to the human race and mated pairs were created. As a result of those pairs, the lesser elves were born. The first inferiors were a product of human and elf mating. When King Jaejoong saw what had happened, he banished the humans from the forest and enslaved the inferiors.”

    Heechul blinked rapidly and stared at his advisor with wide eyes. He was having problems processing what he’d been told, but it was hard to deny the evidence presented. Everything made sense now between him and HanGeng. The power the other gave him, the heat and passion they shared. Heechul had thought it was some attempt for his powers to regain stability by taking from another species, but it had been a mating connection the entire time. The thought that he could be mated to a human had never crossed his mind. Humans were rarely part of their world and were treated like a foreign entity.

   “Teukie, I think I have been mated as well.” Heechul whispered, his heart filling with confusing happiness as thoughts of HanGeng crossed his mind.

    “Why do you look so happy?” Leeteuk chuckled in response to the smile forming on Heechul’s face.

    “I don’t know. It just feels good for some reason.” Heechul replied, his hand moving to his stomach as it began to flutter. “Our child is happy too.”

    “About that..,” Leeteuk began, his tone hesitant. “You slept with HanGeng while you were having your cycle. There’s a possibility that the child belongs to him.”

     “Then, he’d be a lesser.” Heechul stammered, his hand shaking where it was pressed against his stomach. “Teukie, I can’t give birth to a lesser elf. The magic doesn’t transfer. He won’t be able to rule our people. We’ll be weakened even more than we are now. It can’t be an inferior.”

    “It may not be,” Leeteuk tried to reassured, “We also slept together shortly after you were with HanGeng. The time periods overlap. It could be mine.”

    “Give me your hand,” Heechul instructed, reaching out to his advisor. “When HanGeng touched my stomach this morning, I could feel something inside me respond to him. I’d never felt anything like that before. I think it was my child.”

    “Then, it belongs to him?” Leeteuk theorized, watching curiously as Heechul undid the lower part of his robe and pulled Leeteuk’s hand inside it.

    Warmth crept up Leeteuk’s arm as his hand pressed against Heechul’s bare stomach. There was a reaction between them and Heechul shut his eyes in response to the sensation.

   “It feels the same as when HanGeng touched me,” Heechul groaned, still not used to the uncomfortable feeling. “I can feel something moving inside me, as if it’s reaching out to touch you. He can’t be both of yours, can he?”

    “No,” Leeteuk answered as Heechul allowed him to take his hand back. “Maybe it’s just him reacting to someone touching his mother. Eleven children are very sensitive to the outside world.”

    “But, he’s still so small. I’m only six weeks along.”

    “In a few months, we’ll know more.” Leeteuk explained, “He’ll start getting his powers then.”

    “If he’s a lesser, then he won’t have powers.” Heechul whispered, “I won’t feel anything.”

    “If this child is an inferior, then we’ll try again to create an heir after he’s born.” Leeteuk rationalized, “You’re having your cycles again. Once this pregnancy is over and your body is recovered enough for another, we can try for a royal heir together.”

    “How can I carry a lesser?” Heechul began to sob, “How can I let the people know that their king is giving birth to a slave?”

    “He’s still your son, slave or not.”

    “Is this punishment for what I did to Kibum? Is this punishment for Siwon?”

    “What happened with Siwon was his own fault, not yours. He murdered his unborn child. That’s why he was put to death.”

    “Don’t speak of that in front of Wonhee,” Heechul scolded, looking at the urn on the shelf next to him. “I want this to be a place of peace for him. Let’s not speak of unpleasant things anymore. I need some alone time with my children.”

    “Take all the time you need, Sire.” Leeteuk began as he stood up and moved towards the stairs. “I’ll wait for you down below. I think I’ll visit my parents while I’m here.”

    Heechul nodded and waved away his advisor before turning to face Wonhee’s urn. Placing his right hand on the urn, Heechul positioned his left on his stomach and shut his eyes. It was painful being here in front of the child that he had loved so deeply even before he’d known him.

   “Wonhee-ah, you’re going to have a brother.” Heechul whispered, tears leaking from his eyes as he spoke. “Say hi to your little brother. I wish he could have known you.”

    Even though there was no reply, Heechul could almost feel his lost child listening to him. He needed him to listen.

    “If your brother is a lesser, will you be angry?” Heechul asked, more talking to himself than anyone else. “If he has no powers and has dark hair, will you love him? Can you doom him to a life as a slave? Even if he’s my son, he’ll still be a slave under the eyes of the law. They’ll take him away from me, Wonhee-ah. He’ll be an outcast. Watch over your brother and protect him. He’ll need you because I don’t know if I’ll be able to save him. I wasn’t able to save you.”

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