The attendant from yesterday insisted that she couldn’t stay– King Ganghan and his Knights were looking for her and she couldn’t get caught and be forced to return back to that castle now that Queen Hwa was no longer around. She couldn’t serve in a castle that unrightfully took her royal’s life. 

“She didn’t reveal who this ‘Junhong’ person is,” Daehyun pointed out.

The Knights remained silent, pondering over the information.

“Should we tell Princess Haewon?” Himchan questioned from the side. In her state, would she even react?

“How is the Princess?” Steel asked in response.

“The crying has stopped," Hero answered. “Sterling is with her.” He would be more helpful beside her than here with them. The Knight’s mind is only filled with the Princess and hopefully, his presence would do the Princess some good. There isn’t any pressure for her to speak when she’s with him.

“Based on what the attendant said, we don’t have much time.”

Steel looked around. “Where’s Red?”

***

I shift my eyes over to the only other presence in this room with me and away from the window. Even that small action proved to be tiring. Jongup stared back at me from where he sat crouching before my bed. The same bed I haven’t bother stepping out of. 

While I sat with the comforter over my lap, I kept my gaze on him. “…Are you concerned about me?” The words softly left my lips.

He titled his head, paying close attention to me. “Roses.”

I choked up. “…I’m sorry, Jongup. I don’t have any here.”

Hearing my answer, he rushed out of the room and I’m left to myself. But, it wasn’t for long. A few minutes later, he returned while panting. He shuffled closer to the bed when I noticed he had something in his hands. Reaching over the mattress, he laid the rose right on my lap. 

“Roses.”

I looked down at it and for the first time, the end of my lip twitched. Did Auntie Hwa have a garden here? “…Thank you, Jongup. Do you miss the greenhouse?” It has been past a week since we’ve been home–, 

Home.

It wouldn’t be the same now returning. Without my permission, a tear slipped from the corner of my eye.

“Roses,” he repeated, more urgently this time. 

I reached up and wiped away the tear. “Yes, I know. I’ll be okay.”

His brows furrowed as he continued watching me. Shuffling underneath the comforter, I moved to lie down as Jongup reached out his hand. Instinctively, I took it into mine. 

***

“Red, this is not the time to be going off on your own.”

Yongguk froze in his steps upon hearing his father’s voice. It seems he was waiting around for him. Even if it was raining hard like tonight, it didn’t stop his father from doing so.

He kept his eyes on his father. “I was just checking up on some things.”

“What things?” Steel immediately asked. 

“Father, will you insist I update you on everything that I do?” Yongguk keeps his tone light. 

Steel seeing Yongguk react in this manner, subtly startles him. And due to the rain, any hopes of guessing where the Knight had been is impossible– all scents get washed off. “Are these tasks more important than what Queen Hwa left for us and the Princess to do?”

“I have my reasons, father,” Yongguk responded before trying to pass the older Knight to get inside and away from the rain. Before he could, his father grabs his arm and halts him in his movements. 

“What about the Princess? Have you not thought about what she may be going through?” Surely, Yongguk hasn’t forgotten about his loyalty. But, the Knight remains silent in front of the question. “You have been very absentminded lately,” Steel points out softly. “I know it is hard to lose someone but this is our life– this won’t be the last time you witness something like this but if you try hard enough, it can be prevented.” 

Yongguk froze. His father’s moments of comforting weren’t very frequent and if he was saying these words, it could only demonstrate the worry he had for his son. 

“Get some rest, we need to discuss the new task tomorrow morning,” Steel says lastly and releases his grip on Yongguk.

The younger Knight walks away, leaving his father to stand alone.

***

“So, how are we supposed to find–,"

Himchan bursts through the door, pants leaving his lips. “Am I late?” He stared around the room and found everyone present… except for one individual.

“Where have you been, Solar?” Steel questioned upon the sight of the worn out Knight. 

“This.” Himchan holds a small object up so that the others could see.

The Knights looked between one another. “And what is that?” Steel questioned once more. 

“I tracked down the attendant from the other day and asked for something to get us started. This is a small charm Queen Hwa and Junhong often passed between the both of them–,"

Hero interrupts, “You tracked the attendant down? You went that far?”

“You’re going to lead the castle’s Knights straight to her,” Bronze points out. “She’s going to be found by the end of today.”

“I helped cover her tracks,” Himchan quickly provided an answer before making his way over. He faintly flinched from the numbing pain that shot up his neck– he hadn’t entirely healed from such a bad injury but overexerted himself. “This is going to aid us in finding Junhong. If he’s in danger, it wouldn’t be an easy task but this.“ 

“Okay, we get it,” Daehyun commented. “So, what? We sniff it and get going?”

At his question, the Knights turned and placed their attention on him.

He paused and stared at their faces. “Me? You want me to sniff it?”

Responding to Daehyun’s inquiry, Himchan nodded. “You have the best nose.”

“No, that title goes to Sterling,” Daehyun dismissively says. 

“He’ll be staying back to care for the Princess,” Steel denied the younger Knight’s words. 

“Think about it, Phoenix– this would help the Princess even just a bit,” Hero added.

Coming to a conclusion, Himchan tosses the small charm towards Daehyun, who reluctantly catches it. “This is annoying.” He sighs before bringing it up to his nose. As long as it benefits the Princess. But as soon as the scent rushed up his nose, he noticed something strange about it. Looking down at it in confusion, he smelled the object again.

“What is it?” Hero wondered.

“…Nothing,” Daehyun muttered, deciding that wasn’t the focus right now.

While he was busy with his task, Stealth glanced at the members. “Where is Red?”

Steel looked on unhappily. “Those words have been mentioned quite a lot recently.” Is his son taking the loss harder than the other Knights? Before anyone had risen this morning, the Knight was already nowhere to be found. “We’ll make a plan as soon as he returns and carry it out tonight.”

***

“Good job with the charm.” Daehyun caught up to Himchan as the Knights dispersed. They agreed to gather when the only missing Knight finally returned from wherever he had ran off to. 

Himchan nods. “It wasn’t too hard to look for her.”

Before Daegyun completely walks away, Himchan calls out, “Wait.”

The younger Knights stopped in his movements. “What is it?”

“About this war–,"

“I hardly think it would be anything big,” Daehyun immediately answers. “If it is something as easy as Seonjang makes it sound, Werewolves would have done it a long time ago.” There’s a reason why humans are still in power after hundreds of years. 

“But, what did you think when you heard him say it?” Himchan questioned.

Daehyun paused. He knew this would sound bad and even worse if the other Knights heard him. “For a moment, I wanted it to happen and I wanted them to be successful.” War again