He felt the sun on his face, but it was something wet and warm the corner of his lips that roused him from his deep, dreamless sleep. Sehun felt like his eyelids had dirt underneath them, and he blinked several times before he could take a proper look at his surroundings. He was surprised to see a fawn, the most beautiful he had ever seen, its nose just a few inches from his. Its coat of fur was a golden tan with pristine white spots and it stared back at him with the most startling green eyes, the same color of the emerald pendant of his mother’s favorite necklace.

                Where his face felt warm, the rest of his body was a little cold, and when he looked down he was surprised to see that his entire body was bare, except for those parts covered by a robe that was the same golden hue as the fawn’s fur.

                The creature bumped its head against his cheek, and Sehun smiled. He petted its neck and back, and the fawn looked at him and tilted its head to the side, his face once more before prancing away to the deep part of the woods.

                The woods.

                He ran his fingers down his side when he remembered how and why he was here. His gasp startled some birds off the branch over his head, and his hands shook when he realized that where the deep, almost fatal wound was before, there was only smooth, pale skin. There was a breeze and he pulled the robe closer to his body and searched around for his own clothing.

                The fabric of the golden robe was so supple it felt like it was made of water, flowing through his fingers. It kept falling down no matter how tight he made his knots, the moment he started to walk the robe would slip lower down his hips, and the skin on  his arms erupted in little bumps when he thought he heard a twinkle of laughter.

                In the end he had to hold the robe close to cover his body, and once or twice he thought he saw the fawn again. By a bush not too far away he found his undergarments, and by some unseen guide or force he did not know, but he did find the rest of his clothing; a piece up at a tree, some folded right next to a rabbit hole, and his armor, finally, by the waterfall.

                All of the items were clean and spotless, no trace of blood or stains of grass, and what surprised him even more was his sword in its scabbard, laying on the bank with his gloves. The rubies on the hilt gleamed like huge drops of blood against steel that shone like the surface of clear water.

                He had been to this part of the woods several times before, and he knew that the waterfall was at least a day’s worth of travel from the castle gates.

                “Worry not about how you got here, but how much farther you can go to get to your friends and escape the murderer, Yunho.”

                Sehun spun around, almost falling over when he saw the source of the voice. His head started to clear and memories of the previous night came back to him, and he stared at the fairy he had spoken to the night before, leaning against a tree, draped in a robe of rich, red velvet. There was something about the way he said ‘murderer’ that made his blood run cold.

                “Go and…bathe, whatever it is that you young mortals do-“

                “I came of age a few years ago, and have seen some battles most grown men can only dream of being a part of. I really wish you would stop speaking to me as if I were a child,”

                The fairy laughed, and Sehun thought he tasted honeycombs and smelled fresh apples. “As you wish. But hurry, my Lady is waiting. She would like to speak with you.”

                Sehun frowned. “Your lady?”

“The queen,”

 “Your queen? What would she want to speak to me about?”

                “Just because I have all the time in the world to chat and be friendly, does not mean I have the patience nor the desire to, at the moment. Your lack in clothing is a little disconcerting, and for someone like me, that is saying something. I shall come back.”

                “Wait!”

                The fairy stopped. “What is it?”

                “What is your name?”

                “My name? Why does it matter?”

                Sehun swallowed. It was unlike him to find difficulty in acquiring someone’s name. But then again, this is a fairy, he chided himself.

                “You saved my life. I want to thank-“

                “Do not thank me yet. I will ask something else of you, but not your words of gratitude.” With this, the fairy turned around. “But my name…You may call me Luhan.”

                In a blink of an eye, Luhan disappeared, a young fawn in its place. It watched him for a minute before it left, and Sehun found himself touching his face and he felt warm and uncomfortable thinking about how intimate he had been with the creature earlier.

                He did not know what he expected, a grand palace made of glass or a throne of pure gold, maybe, but the Seelie Court was much like the forest, only the colors were more vibrant and everything was so full of life he could feel the pulse in the atmosphere.

                And the fairies, they were everywhere.

                Some had wings that shimmered in the sun, some had flowers that bloomed from their very fingertips, and he swore that he saw one with tiny horns underneath her luxurious, blue hair. They were all very beautiful, their skin glowed and varied in color, some as white as snow and others as dark as the night. Diaphanous material clung to their bodies, others had robes like Luhan’s and Sehun had to look away once or twice for they revealed more than he wished to see. Luhan, seeing his distress, just laughed and giggled, but when a fairy with flaming red hair and freckles on her small button nose offered Sehun a leaf filled with water, all laughter vanished and he gave her a look that made her cower and run away. Not one dared to approach them after that.

                The forest floor of the clearing he stepped into was covered with the greenest of grass, and was strewn across with violets. Birds chirped in harmony with one another, butterflies fluttered around him, a cloud of colors and exuded what he thought was the smell of rich, dark chocolate. The sky was clear and sun bright, and it was very pleasant, very beautiful. Fruit trees were heavy with fruit and he longed to pick one and have a single bite, but Luhan, the fairy, had warned him only of two things; never let go of the token, and accept none of the refreshments that will be offered to him, if he wished to leave the realm again.

The token clenched in his left hand was a frozen dewdrop, the size of his nail, attached to a thin, golden chain.

                They were now in the middle of the clearing, in front of a chair that reminded of him of a nest, with twigs and soft grass, adorned with white lilies and some birds of brilliant sky blue color, perched on the arms.

                “Why…why do I hear things when you are all talking to one another?” He asked.

                Luhan gave him a strange look. “What do you hear?”

                “It differs…Last night, when I thought you were speaking, I heard things that reminded me of my childhood…”

                “Interesting,” Luhan stared at him, “it is true then.”

                “What is?”

                “Hush now, be on your knee, the Lady is here.”

                With that, the whole place became quiet and a woman with cat-like eyes sat on the throne of twigs and grass. Her luxurious hair, the color of honey, dropped down to her waist in big waves and her skin was the color of polished copper. Her sharp gaze made Sehun hesitate for a moment, but he refused to bow down, unlike all of her subjects, bodies bent on obeisance.

                “You truly are your mother’s son,” The queen said, a cold smile on her face, “Stubborn, and very, very beautiful.”

                He felt his face get warm but he refused to be patronized. The Lady of the fair folk needed something from him, and he was determined to come out of this negotiation unscathed.

                “Forgive me, my lady, but I will not be swayed by words of praise or supposed familiarity with my dear mother. Speak of what you desire from me, lay down your terms, and we shall see if I will accept.”

                There was a cacophony of sounds and it made him wince, but he made no move to cover his ears. One sign of weakness and they will swoop on him like birds of prey.

                “How dare he!”

                “Where did you find this insolent fool, Luhan?”

                “Let us plague him with boils, where the sun does not shine, and we shall see!”

                “SILENCE.”

A thunderclap erupted from the horizon and the shrill noise was gone as quickly as it had come. Sehun allowed himself a glance at the clear skies, and looked at the queen, hoping that his wonder with her powers would not show on his face.

                “Your prince will need all the help that he can find, and will be offered, on his way to the east.”

                Sehun frowned. He could not think of anything that the kingdom had to offer that would be of interest or of any value to her or her subjects. Compared to these creatures, he was a mere child, and his body hummed with excitement and fear as his mind raced on how to direct this negotiation.

                “What does my fair lady ask in return?” Sehun asked.

                “Only the promise that the murderer Yunho will be defeated.”

                Surely the fairies were powerful enough to destroy the traitor if they so wish?

                “Why?” He finally asked. “Why would you desire of his demise?”

                “You are as sharp, if not more so, as your father.”

                At this, the young man wavered. It was a bait, and he knew it. He was an infant when his father had passed away, leaving only his wealth and title to him and his mother. The duchess Hwa Young spoke of her husband often, but Sehun longed for real stories, not words of longing or sadness for a life cut short. He tried to steady his hands and he clenched his right hand around the hilt of his sword, one of the things he treasured the most, the last thing his father had held before succumbing to death in battle.

                The clearing was a giant chessboard, and he was a knight all by himself. There were no rules. They expected him to lose and do as the queen bade. He looked around, taking in the smirking faces of all the beautiful fairies around him. Fairies were known for their mischief and malice, and though they cannot lie, their half-truths can be devastating. He voiced out his concern, and for the first time, he thought he saw a hint of hurt and concern flash on the fairie queene’s face. It was fleeting, almost like a trick of light.

                “Sehun, my child,” She the head of one of the blue birds that was now perched on her lap, “we of the Seelie Court are playful creatures, but we mean no harm. This alliance, is the first in many centuries.”

                 “Call it what you will, your majesty, but this is not an alliance. You are making us do the dirty work for you.”

                The queen’s appearance changed before his very eyes. She stood up and Sehun visibly swallowed when he realized that she had become taller. Her pointed ears peeked out from her hair that now reached her feet and wings woven with gold that seemed longer than his arms cast shadows on her face, but he could still see that her glittering green eyes were on him, calculating and cold.

                “Do you value your life?” She asked in a clear voice.

                Sehun let the threat hang in the air. They needed him, and the queen’s outburst was the first sign of weakness that he had been looking for.

                “Why is Prince Yunho a threat to you?” He asked.

                “Will you accept our assistance or not?”

                “Why appeal to me, and not the future emperor himself?” He asked.

                “You, my boy, are an unwilling hero. And the prince will wither away if he had been whisked here to our realm, seeing us in our full form.”

                The words were out before he could stop them. “My mother did tell me that fairies in full form can kill a mortal on the spot with a mere glance. Why am I still alive?”

                “Ask your mother,” muttered Luhan.

                Sehun turned to see Luhan still on the ground on his knees, but what surprised him was the antlers that had suddenly appeared on his head.

                “Make your choice, young man, time is not on your side.”

                “I have made my decision, but you will not hear it until you tell me the reason for putting yourself in such a vulnerable position.”     

                Sehun felt a strong grip on his arm, and he looked at Luhan once again. The fairy’s green eyes made his knees feel a little weak, and he had to tear his gaze to look at the queen, a not so amused smile on her serene face.

                “He plans to raze the forests to the ground if we do not agree to be his servants. If this comes to fruition, we will lose our home.”

                A noise that grated in his ears erupted in the background and the looks of panic on the fairies told him that the queen was telling the truth.

                “And you cannot stop him?” He asked. The queen’s face remained stony and he gasped.

“He knows your weakness, doesn’t he? Which one of these fools,” he gestured to their audience, “revealed your secrets to him?”

                The queen raised her hand, and he looked around to see that the fairies were about to converge on him, murder on their beautiful faces.              

                “It was one of the Unseelie that betrayed us to him. The prince Yunho is a cunning, intelligent man. He gave them promises he does not intend to keep. My hands are tied, Sehun. I cannot cross the border to reach their realm, it is forbidden, and I cannot strike the late emperor’s evil son dead even if I wanted to. We are powerful creatures, capable of many, many things, but death and destruction? That we cannot do.”

                So the emperor was dead. Sehun bit his lips to prevent them from trembling like the rest of his body, and stood straight, his chin up. This was not the moment to mourn for the man who in spite of his great importance, treated him like one of his own.

                “You will provide my new emperor all that he needs to succeed?”

                The queen gave him a dazzling smile. “We do not lie. All you have to do is ask, young Halfling.”

                They walked in silence for a long, long time. Luhan did not correct him when he trudged on paths that twisted and turned, so he assumed they were going in the right direction.

                “Thank you,” Sehun breathed out.

                “I do not want your thanks.”

                “Why ever not?”

                Luhan stopped walking and turned to him. The fairy had cast a mirage over himself, and he looked just like any other young man his age, with the simple yet elegant clothes of a nobleman’s son, once you got over the shock of how beautiful his skin was and how enchanting his doe-like eyes were.          

                “That would mean we are on equal footing now, and I do not want that. I would like for you to take me, instead, on an adventure,” The fairy said, his eyes twinkling.

                “I thought fairies do not concern themselves with the affairs of humans,” He chided.    

                “Have you learned nothing from the fairie queene?” Luhan rolled his eyes, “and besides, you are not just any other human,”         

                Sehun frowned, when reminded of his parentage. “My mother, a fairy,” He said as he fiddled with the token, now around his wrist. Luhan had refused to take it back.

                Luhan looked at him. “She was. She left the realm for your father. We were once friends.” He said.

                Sehun nodded. “I want to see her before I leave for the east.”

                “The reward for your head is a full sack cloth of gold.”

                Sehun laughed bitterly. “Yunho never did like me. He was jealous of my friendship with the new emperor.” It still felt strange for the title to roll off of his tongue. Kai was his childhood friend, the one he used to play in mud with when their nannies were not looking or were too busy flirting with the stable boys.

“Worry not about your mother. She will be safe. For now, we must make haste and fly like the wind. Your friends have waited long enough.”

                He nodded and looked at Luhan.

                “Was that…the clearing, is that the entirety of the Seelie Court’s realm?” He asked.

                Luhan laughed. “No. Our…dance festivals can be quite rowdy, we prefer to live underground. It is much grander, and we are all in our full forms when down there. It is safer, away from prying eyes. The queen wanted to be certain that no time will be wasted, for time passes by differently at our home compared to your world.”

                “How so?”

                “We are not so sure, it hardly matters for creatures like us that live indefinitely. But a year or two may pass, or hundreds even, and we could not risk that. It requires special magic though, to set up a meeting place such as that. I suppose the queen will be resting for a while. That was quite a show she put up for you, so let us hope we will not need much help in the near future,”

                “I am sorry, for being stubborn. But I had the fate of an entire kingdom in my hands,”

                “Do not be,” Luhan smiled, “you were very brave. An unwilling hero indeed, but you have done well.”

                “Are you really coming with me?” Sehun asked.

                “Do you not want me to? Well, it is not as if you have much of a choice. This is the payment that I require, in return for preserving your life.”

                “Well, no. Yes! Thank you-“

                “Sehun. Fairies do not like words of gratitude,”

                “Explain this to me again.”

                “Because mortals, after they utter those words are more likely to forget about the whole matter, as if it never happened.”

                “I will not, I promise. I am just truly grateful to you and your kind,”

                Eyes of the deepest green and rich brown were locked in a gaze that lasted for who knew how long, and it was Luhan who broke the silence.

                “We really are not that bad,” He said quietly.

                “No,” Sehun said, his voice rough, “you are not.”

                 Kyungsoo sighed as he watched and listened to the others argue. They have spent the better part of the afternoon discussing whether to stay and revise their plans and routes to Sangseung Hae, or plow their way through, as Yifan suggested. It was their second night in the clearing, or third, if he counted that very early morning when they first arrived. There was a blazing fire that kept them warm, over it a small pot of soup that he managed to concoct with the herbs and fish that they have gathered from the forest.

Now that they had limited supplies and manpower, he agreed with Minseok, that added care was needed if they were to safely deliver the new emperor to the east.

                “But did you not just say that we will get help along the way? You have been involved with the preparation of this trip, long before the rest of this group knew that we were to undertake it,” Yifan said, his eyes on the royal adviser.

                “Yes,” Minseok said, his face void of any emotions, “but by help I meant supplies, food and clothing and a place to rest our heads. Not protection. Yunho has not been very subtle with his intentions, do you think he will take the time to drag us all back to the castle, put us under trial before announcing to the entire kingdom our false treachery and then slit our throats with his bejeweled hunting knife? We need to be sure that we will not be caught off guard.”

                “Yes,” Even the meek Tao, who had been itching to leave, added his own thoughts to the matter, “but that is something that we do not have, time. We need to move quickly,”

                “Enough!”

                They all turned to look at the young emperor, his head in his hands.

                “Kyungsoo, you have been quiet all this time. What do you suggest?”

                “I agree with the royal adviser, your highness. We need to take stock of our options, and take the safest way possible to get to your mother,” He said.

                “Even if we stayed, from which hand of the god of war do you expect help for our little ragtag team to come from? The left, or the right?” Yifan asked.

                Kyungsoo felt his face get warm, but Minseok came to his aid. “It will come, just you wait.”

                The moment the words left his mouth, the bushes behind Minseok began to move, and to everyone’s surprise and the emperor’s absolute delight, Oh Sehun appeared with another young man of such blinding beauty it made Kyungsoo’s heart ache.

                “You!” Sehun growled at Kai, before launching himself at him, armor and all.

                The two men wrestled and grunted on the ground, and all present were too shocked to stop them from tearing each other apart.

                Tao was the first to recover, and was about to jump in when they all heard a rumble of laughter.

                “If you ever scare me like that again, I will, I will--” Kai said.

                “What? Order me to my room?” Sehun laughed.

                They then locked in an embrace, and Kyungsoo looked away.

                “I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am,” Sehun began in a soft voice, “about your father,”

                “Promise me that you will not leave my side again, and help me avenge his death,” Kai said, his voice steady and strong.

                “I have sworn my life to you, my emperor.”

                Kyungsoo felt as if his heart was being twisted and crushed, and was about to walk away when a gust of cold wind put out the blazing fire in a snap, and they all froze on the spot. The two moons and twinkling stars gave enough light for him to see the look of fear on all of their faces, except for Minseok and the newcomer, who was examining their pot of food with an amused expression on his face. Kai, his face pale, gestured for him to come closer to where he was, and Kyungsoo was about to take a step when snarls and howls of creatures that sounded very much like wolves rent the air.