If M knew how to do two things exceptionally well, the first was wage war. They’d seemingly perfected it over the years, which was something in Suho’s opinion that ought never to be perfected. But the second thing, and equally not surprising, was that M clearly knew how to throw a good party.

“I think,” Baekhyun said, standing next to Suho almost deathly still, “that I’m imagining this. These are clearly not the same people who were so willing to wipe us off the face of the planet less than a weeks ago.”

Suho gave a gruff nod. It was hard to believe that the man carting Chanyeol around the floor in a complex dance that Suho actually had no idea how he knew, laughing at his jokes and treating him like an old friend, was actually one of King Kris’ generals.

“It’s a farce,” Suho said, trying not to sound huffy. The rest of them were spread around the room equally, with Sehun desperately trying not to look suspicious with the glass of wine in his hands, Kai looking sullen the second anyone tried to approach him for a dance, and D.O. apparently mesmerized by whatever a young woman in a floor length green dress was telling him.

A closer look at the situation told him Sehun had been purposely given the wine despite it being very clear he was underage by M standards to consume an alcoholic drink. D.O.’s companion was actually the daughter of a military uniformed man with a stern, calculating look. And Kai … well, Kai was actually just being Kai, and Suho didn’t need to follow his line of sight to see that he was so uncooperative at the moment because Luhan was currently caught up in his husband’s arms.

Chanyeol and his companion passed in front of them in a sweeping motion, speaking to each other in hushed tones that couldn’t be heard over the volume of the orchestra.

Baekhyun’s eyes narrowed. And Suho’s actually widened as his friend said, “If that man’s hand slips any further down Chanyeol’s back …”

Repeating himself, Suho said, “It’s a farce, Baekhyun. The way we’re being treated. They’re being overly friendly and fake because they know we’re the king’s special guests and they understand we have some sort of sway over him at the moment. They don’t know what it is, but look at the way they’re acting. They’re making political moves. Nothing more.”

“There is nothing political about the way that man is touching Chanyeol.”

Okay. Fair was fair. Even Suho had to admit that the General’s hand was almost obscenely low on Chanyeol’s back as they spun around. But Chanyeol didn’t seem to have a problem with it, chattering happily about something, his hand still firm on his companion’s shoulder.

The orchestra stopped playing with a flourish and Suho looked away from Chanyeol, clapping along with the rest of the guests.

A brief break was announced and within a half second Chanyeol was making his way over to them, dressed in the fanciest clothes that Chanyeol had probably ever worn, looking handsome and pleased about something.

“Wipe that smile off your face,” Baekhyun said, arms crossing. “Or you can sleep alone tonight.”

Chanyeol scoffed. “Don’t be jealous, Baek. I’m just fishing around.”

“For what?” Baekhyun asked.

Suho cut in, surprised, “What did you find out?”

Chanyeol gave a toothy grin. “That was General Choi. Aside from having a filthy, wandering hand, and propositioning me for later this night after I already told him I was taken, he’s also in charge of M’s specialist division of the military. He’s got a green thumb himself, which I know, doesn’t sound really threatening right off the bat, until you realize that he could strangle you with a few stray vines before you even realized what was happening.” Chanyeol cut his eyes towards Baekhyun. “I wasn’t schmoozing up to him without a reason, Baekhyun. I was just trying to pry information out of him, and he apparently has a weakness for very good looking fire wielders.”

“Anything of interest?” Suho asked. This was King Kris’ coronation party. He’d been officially crowned less that two hours earlier in an elaborate and achingly long ceremony, but Suho was still wary of his promise to keep the peace between M and K. He’d never let loose an opportunity to learn something about a country that could be their enemy again in the blink of an eye.

“He likes our dirt.”

Suho frowned. “Our dirt?”

“Our minerals, right?” Baekhyun corrected. “Commander, K is rich in several important and rare minerals. We have almost exclusive control of the land, but we haven’t recently been able extract anything. We haven’t had the machinery or manpower.”

Chanyeol’s pleased smile spread. “I told the general that I was already taken by a handsome military man and he assumed I meant you, Commander. That’s when he really started laying the compliments on thick. He wants a crack at our land and he thinks I can get you to let him. He doesn’t necessarily think this is something the king really needs to know about right away. Wouldn’t the king be interested in knowing that? And wouldn’t he be appreciative to us if we told him?”

A little awed, Suho said, “Good work, Chanyeol.”

Huffy, Baekhyun relayed, “You let him put his hand awfully low on your back.”

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said. Then he put his arms around Baekhyun, bent in and kissed him deeply. Suho rolled his eyes but heard Chanyeol say clearly, “I meant it when I told him I was taken, and no amount of compliments will ever make me change my mind about where my loyalties lie. Do I need to convince you of that?”

Baekhyun answered back suggestively, his voice a little rough, “How would you do that?”

Without so much as a goodbye Suho took off through the mingling crowd, snagging Sehun’s arm and dragging him away from the gaggle of teenagers who had started following him around, begging him for a demonstration of his ability.

“You are not old enough to drink this,” Suho said, passing the half empty glass off to a nearby servant.

Sehun stumbled a little over his feet as he responded, “They gave it to me, didn’t they? And I’ve never had to be a certain age to drink what I wanted before. An age restriction is stupid.”

Suho continued leading him towards where the king of was standing, with Luhan and Lay. “We’re in M right now, at the king’s coronation party no less. We will abide by their rules, Sehun. You’re representing K here. You might be young, but you know what that means.”

“Sehun! Commander!”

Luhan’s sweet voice cut through the room easily and the king’s husband was easy to spot, waving a hand, up on his tiptoes, dressed in finely spun silk of a golden color.

“An age restriction is stupid,” Sehun repeated quietly, “But there’s at least one good thing about M.”

Before Suho could chastise him about his obvious crush, Sehun was darting forward to Luhan’s side, thanking him once more for his special clothing, assuring Luhan that he’d never owned anything as beautiful as the outfit.

“Your majesty,” Suho greeted properly, having to remind himself of the change in title. Of course a title didn’t necessary make a king. It would take time before Suho could believe in the king’s promises. However, there was tentative hope. Suho wasn’t such a fatalist.

“Commander Suho,” the king returned. “How are you liking the party?”

“It’s …” Suho gestured around. “Unexpected.”

“A spectacle,” the king agreed. “It’s posturing, more than anything else, but it’s an obligation. An unavoidable one.”

A servant was passing by with a tray of wine, and when he saw Sehun’s fingers twitching, Suho said firmly, “Don’t even think about it.”

“Fine,” Sehun said, plucking at an invisible thread on his shirt.

“Come on, Commander,” Luhan laughed, lifting a glass off the tray and handing it to Sehun. “They water the wine down significantly. Trust me. His majesty and I were attending these parties as soon as were old enough to walk, and we used to make a game out of who could acquire the most glasses of wine.”

A smile bloomed on the king’s face. “But you were never very interested in the wine. You just wanted to prove that you could get more than I could. You were very good at it, as I remember. People had a very hard time saying no to your face.”

Luhan laughed out, “That’s not a lie.” Luhan’s gaze slid back to Suho. “This party will last through the night, likely until the sun rises. We’d have the whole of M’s aristocracy passed out in our ballroom by half that time if they didn’t water the wine down. It’s perfectly fine for Sehun to have a glass.”

It was obvious that Luhan didn’t meant to be as presumptuous as he was, and yet it grated on Suho’s nerves right away. Sehun was Suho’s responsibility until they were back in K territory. Sehun was barely out of childhood and still susceptible to bad influences. Bad behavior had to be curbed immediately, not indulged due to friendship.

Still, it was better not to ruffle any feathers, and Luhan was incredibly powerful in his current position. Suho had no doubt that one word from Luhan could sway the king to any new course or action. Luhan had to be placated.

The king nodded across the ballroom to D.O. and said, “You could try to enjoy yourself a little, Commander. Your subordinate seems to have found himself a little. That’s Captain Lee’s youngest daughter. She had her introduction to court last season, if he’s interested.”

The last thing Suho honestly wanted to do was tie himself or K more fully to M. They needed to be separate and independent for a while. Suho was more than willing to indulge in Luhan and Baekhyun that there was a very real threat to both M and K on the horizon, and he didn’t want to foster any foul behavior between the two countries, but K had to stand on her own feet for a while. She had to prove herself.

“I’ll be sure to mention that to him,” Suho said, more than a little worried that D.O. had been by her side the whole night so far. He’d danced only with her, and had given up on pestering Kai for the pleasure of her company instead. For D.O. and his dedication to Kai, that meant this girl was someone he was genuinely interested in.

The music struck back up and Sehun rushed to bow his head in respect to the king before asking Luhan, “Will you please dance with me? I know you have that dance card and you’re supposed to use it, but I--”

“Go ahead,” the king said, obviously not seeing Sehun as any sort of threat. “Luhan’s dance card is to maintain the illusion of availability. He can choose to do with it what he wants.”

“Let’s dance,” Luhan said, linking his arm through Sehun’s. “Do you know how to lead, or would you like me to?”

The king excused himself quickly after that to speak with Tao in hushed tones, and it was then that Suho realized he was left alone with M’s healer.

“Commander,” Lay said quietly. “You might want to consider taking Luhan’s suggestion to heart. Or at least pretend to. There are people watching.”

There were. Suho had known that there’d be eyes on him the whole night, waiting and gauging his reaction to being around M’s new king, but for the past few minutes he’d let himself forget that.

“What would you have me do?” Suho asked, “Ply myself with wine?”

Lay smiled and Suho was suddenly struck by how genuinely handsome the healer was. “You could start by asking me to dance. I’ve already danced with Chanyeol. I’m convinced it’s a fluke that he can waltz, but I’d like another bit of data before I form my conclusion about dance standards in K.”

Almost easily Suho offered his arm to Lay. “Most of our parents taught us, but even I didn‘t know Chanyeol was that good. My parents were of an era when M and K were simply Exo. They learned to dance when they were young, and even after the split happened, they still taught me.”

Another sweep of the dance floor showed that Luhan and Sehun were dancing easily, and D.O. was still pressed in close with the same girl. But this time Baekhyun and Chanyeol had joined the other couples on the floor, both looking happier than they had the last dance.

“When will you go back to K?” Lay asked, his mouth near Suho’s ear. They danced with a respectable amount of space between them, but some of the more difficult steps required Suho to grip Lay tightly and swing him wide before drawing him in close. In those moments when they were the closest, it barely felt like there was anything between them. Suho hardly breathed in those moments. “It must be time, soon.”

Mouth dry out of sudden nervousness, Suho prayed his hand wouldn’t start sweating and answered, “As soon as tomorrow I expect. I need to be in K very shortly to oversee the upcoming elections. Several candidates have already emerged and I have a feeling the vote will be held by the end of the month, after the candidates have declared their platforms.”

Lay’s hand slid a little further around Suho’s shoulder and he said quietly, “There’s another reason I wanted you to ask me to dance.”

“Oh?”

Suho barely turned his head in time to see Kai stalking across the room to cut in between Sehun and Luhan. He missed a step because of the scene and probably would have missed a second if Lay hadn’t been there, guiding him along.

“Don’t mind them,” Lay said. “The king won’t like it, but he also won’t make a fuss. He trusts Luhan.”

“That’s not the one I’m worried about,” Suho said, holding Lay for another quick turn as the tempo picked up. Another spin revealed that Luhan was dancing flawlessly with Kai not too far away, and though Sehun looked a little put out, another young man was there a second later to continue the dance with him.

Remembering, Suho asked, “Why did you ask me to dance?”

“Luhan asked me to get you alone, and this happened to be the best way, without infringing upon either of our honor.”

Suho laughed loudly at that, then apologized at the look on Lay’s face. “Sorry. I know that sort of thing matters here. Maybe I’ve grown uncivilized during the war.” He had to remind himself that he was a soldier and Lay was not. And M was very much a country steeped in tradition and conservative values. K was radically different in its modernism.

“It is important,” Lay said with a sigh. “Especially for me. I can’t serve Luhan properly if I don’t uphold my imagine. And unless you’re planning on asking me to marry you, I don’t think you want anyone presuming that we’re slipping off for a romantic rendezvous.”

“Marry,” Suho choked out. Marriage was the furthest thing from his mind. How could he even begin to think about marriage when his country was trying to rebuild itself? There was no doubt in his mind that Lay was his type in every way, from his calm demeanor to his attractive features and confident poise. But Suho wasn’t looking to marry anyone. Not even M’s talented healer. “That isn’t exactly in my future.”

Lay indulged him with a kind look. “That you know of.”

Suho had to agree, “That I know of.”

“No,” Lay continued, “Luhan asked me to speak to you on behalf of his majesty. I know the two of you have agreed to a joint operation of sorts in your investigations. Each of you will be sending one M citizen and one K to the Dead Lands and the Forbidden City. But Luhan wants to keep a liaison from K here, to help him investigate Mama’s life tree more thoroughly. He’s proposing in return that one of M’s guardian’s returns with you to K to explore the cave where the book was found. If anything, this will continue to foster the peace between M and K.”

It actually wasn’t such a bad idea. “Who did Luhan and his majesty have in mind?”

“Wait,” Lay cautioned suddenly, the music reaching a mild crescendo as the dance called for partners to temporarily swap out. For another turn of the dance floor Suho was subjected to dancing with a short, uncoordinated woman who apologized for her clumsiness almost constantly.

It made taking Lay back into his arms that much more of a relief a few minutes later.

Lay danced confidently with him. “Back to our previous conversation.”

Suho nodded, considering his options again. Who would be left behind? Not Kai. That much was clear. “I assume your king would appreciate his husband’s former lover not remaining here in M any longer that necessary.”

Lay gave him what could only be described as a very interesting look. “You might be surprised to learn the things his majesty is willing to withstand for the sake of his consort’s happiness. But no. Not Kai.”

Earlier Lay had said the king would not interfere with Kai sweeping in to steal Luhan for a dance, and it seemed to be a claim easily proven. As Suho danced with Lay, he had a wide view of the couples around them, and even further back to where the king was poised on the edge of the dance floor. He wasn’t moving to intercept, but he was watching with keen eyes, and Suho was willing to bet anything that he was trying to work out what Kai and Luhan were currently saying to each other. They were simply turning too fast in the dance to read their lips.

“Luhan would like it to be Baekhyun, probably because he’s grown close with him. But even he admits that Baekhyun is the only one who really knows how to find the cave again. It can’t be him,” Lay said.

“There aren’t many options left.”

“Chanyeol?” Lay proposed. “He’s one of your officers, a prominent figure for K in many ways, and he’s been connected to Mama. Did you know he’s been having odd dreams even more than usual, as of late?”

“I know he has dreams,” Suho eased out. “Ones that don’t make sense to him and might be precognitive.”

“He’s been having them every night since arriving at the palace. They’re getting increasingly more frightening for him. He started speaking to Luhan about them a few days ago and I think Luhan is helping him manage them. It would be beneficial to both K, M, and Chanyeol himself, for him to remain here after you leave.”

Suho looked for Chanyeol and Baekyhun instinctively in the crowd. “I don’t think Baekhyun is going to enjoy being separated from him again so soon.”

Lay squeezed his hand in Suho’s grip. “They look very much in love. But the truth is this is bigger than them. It’s bigger than all of us. M is home to some of the oldest archives on the planet. Chanyeol could help lessen the load on Luhan’s shoulders looking through them for any relevant information.”

“I guess you’re right,” Suho said, giving in. There really wasn’t any other option. Kai couldn’t stay, D.O. wouldn’t want to, even with the attention being paid to him by the pretty girl, and Sehun wasn’t mature enough for the task. Not to mention his infatuation with Luhan was set to cause all sorts of problems. “I’ll tell Chanyeol before the night is done.”

Lay nodded his approval. “Now for the second issue. Who will be going with you to K?”

Another couple moved dangerously close to running into them and Suho found himself pulling Lay protectively away, feeling utterly flushed with heat and confusion over the instinct to keep him safe. He hoped it wasn’t too noticeable, because he was feeling absolutely embarrassed.

“Xiumin or Chen are the two best candidates,” Lay said, not questioning the issue as to why Suho had pulled them so closely together. “They’re both fluent in your dialect, are familiar with the country, and might serve as bridges between M and K. After all, they both were once citizens of K.”

“Really?” Suho pressed, surprised to hear that. Both men were in high positions within M’s military.

“Correct,” Lay said. “Tao is his majesty’s personal guard as of right now, and Luhan leaving the country is completely out of the question. Not only is his health fragile, but he plays an invaluable role between the palace and the citizens.”

The music was winding down and Suho realized they had precious time before it was over and done with. He could ask Lay to dance again later in the night, after dancing with others, but it couldn’t be twice in a row. Not unless he wanted people to start making assumptions. Favoritism for whatever reason was never ignored.

“What about you?” Suho asked quickly. “You seem exceptionally skilled in foreign relations and politics.”

Amused, Lay admitted, “I’ve never been out of M. I’ve never even been far from the palace. I don’t deny I’d like to go and see K and be of help, but I’m tied to Luhan. If anything happens between him and Mama, or if he needs me in any way, I have to be here for him. Plus, I doubt you’d want me following you around, asking questions about your culture.”

A genuine smile crept up on Suho’s face. “I wouldn’t mind it. Curiosity should be cultivated.”

Lay’s head ducked a little as his face turned a slight red. “Then maybe one day?”

“Just say the word,” Suho grinned back, wondering how he’d gone from so nervous to so at ease in the span of minutes.

“It’ll have to be Chen,” Lay decided. “I’m sure Luhan will agree with me. Xiumin is practically attached to Luhan. We could ask him to go, and his majesty could order him, but it would be a fight, maybe the likes of which none of us have ever seen. Xiumin’s always been a little overprotective of Luhan, and we’ve always respected that. Neither do I think Luhan would let his best friend travel so far from his side at the moment. Luhan can be twice as overprotective as Xiumin. Separating them wouldn’t be smart.”

With a flourish the music ended and Suho was loathed to let go of Lay if only to clap for the orchestra.

As they were parting, Lay whispered to him, “Luhan will send you an invitation to sit with him tomorrow before you leave. When he does, bring Chanyeol with you.”

Then Lay was gone, weaving through the crowd to Luhan’s side. Suho watched as Lay put a gentle hand on Luhan’s elbow and said something very deliberate to both him and Kai. It must have been more than enough because Luhan allowed Lay to pull him away, his fingers sliding out of Kai’s grasp.

It was tragically poetic.

As expected, when Suho delivered the news to Chanyeol, and by default everyone else later that night, the six K citizens crowded into Suho’s room, Baekhyun was upset and vocal about it.

“It’s an order,” Suho said firmly, giving no room for disagreement. “Chnayeol will stay here as a gesture of good will, he’ll be treated as a VIP for the entirety of his stay, and furthermore, he’ll be able to help Luhan search through their archives.”

“But--” Baekhyun tried.

“This is not open for discussion,” Suho rumbled out. “You and Chanyeol are members of K. You are under my authority, and you will do as I say.”

“Why can’t I stay?” Sehun interrupted. “I could stay and help Luhan. I’m not a member of the military. I’m not under your authority.”

The insolence was trying on Suho’s otherwise very impressive patience. “You are very much under my authority,” Suho corrected, moving to counter Sehun. “I am your Commander, regardless if you are a member of the military or otherwise. Until K holds official elections and a representative is chosen, I am the head of our country. I make decisions for all K citizens, which includes you.”

There was fury brewing under Sehun’s skin. That much was clear as his hands turned to fists and trembled a bit.

“Also,” Suho continued, eyes cutting to slits, “your infatuation with the king’s husband is inappropriate. You may feel free to find yourself attracted to anyone of your choosing, but you may not act on those feelings in any way. Am I understood? Luhan is the king’s husband. He indulges you because he finds you amusing and young, but he doesn’t return your feelings. He’s got enough people to love before you, and that’s problem enough.”

Kai stiffen, demanding, “Don’t bring me into this.”

Suho leveled a heavy finger up at him. “I know you don’t want me to start in on you again about your inability to keep it in your pants, Kai. You nearly brought ruin to our country with your ual urges.”

“It was more than just ,” Kai spat out. “And just because you’re some barren, cold, unfeeling robot doesn’t mean you get to--”

“Kai!”

D.O. wrenched Kai back a few steps, shaking him as he said, “Watch what you’re saying, and show Commnader Suho some respect!” He blew out a deep breath. “You starting a relationship with Luhan was more than inappropriate and you know it, so don’t pretend to be innocent. We got lucky in that matter. Commander Suho is just trying to stop anything like that from happening again with Sehun.”

“I can control myself,” Sehun argued, voice rising. “And you don’t understand.”

“I understand that the king thinks it’s cute right now,” Suho said. “He doesn’t see you as a threat, and you should be down on your knees thanking Mama that he doesn’t. Because the second that changes you’ll be creating the kind of incident that wars are started over!”

“I--” Sehun tried to say.

“This discussion is over!” Suho yelled, his patience more than worn thin. It seemed to have disappeared completely. “Tomorrow morning you will bring yourself out of your room to say goodbye to the king and his husband with a smile on your face. You will thank them for their hospitality and then you will come home with us. You can do whatever you want once you’re across the boarder to K, but you will be going. I don’t care if I have to drag you there myself!”

Suhun spun on heel and slammed Suho’s door open as hard as he could in his desperate bid to escape the argument.

“Commander,” Baekhyun said quietly. “He’s just a kid.”

“He’s a year younger than the king’s personal head of the guard. He’s no longer a child, Baekhyun. He reached maturity early this year.”

“Tao has been in M’s military since a very young age,” Baekhyun responded. “He’s been trained to be a solider from childhood. Sehun is a civilian. And we both know that reaching the age of legal maturity doesn’t mean that he’s no longer a child.”

Suho brought a hand up to massage his temple. “This conversation is done. Everyone go to bed. Baekhyun, I know you want to fight me on this issue of Chanyeol staying, but it’s decided.”

As D.O. and Kai shuffled off to their respective rooms, Chanyeol asked Suho, “Do you know how long?”

Suho pretended not to notice the way Baekhyun’s fingers were laced through Chanyeol’s as he told him, “At least until our deadline.” He’d expected Chanyeol to fight him on the decision as much as Baekhyun, but he was blissfully thankful when it didn’t appear to be the case.

“If anything happens to Chanyeol after we leave him here,” Baekhyun said, his tone implying the beginning of a threat.

“Let’s go to bed,” Chanyeol said before Baekhyun could finish anything. “I’m tired.”

Suho closed the door behind them and then made the short trip back to his bed. He collapsed down onto it, folding his hands across his stomach and staring up at the canopy.

He wasn’t cold and unfeeling. He understood the way Sehun felt. He knew why Baekhyun was hurting. He was more than capable of comprehending the way that his people were upset. But he didn’t have the luxury of indulging them, or even empathizing. Maybe there’d be time for that in a couple of years when things had settled down.

He went to bed that night trying desperately not to think about the way Lay had felt so solid and warm against him, the way his voice had soothed the worry out of Suho’s mind if only for a moment, and how much he really wanted to show Lay all the important things to him in K.

He had a dreamless sleep that night, which was just as well.

In the morning he woke early, just as the sun was coming up, and declined having breakfast with the king, feigning a headache. It was petty, and childish for his age, but he was tired, more like weary, and he couldn’t figure out if he wanted to see Lay before he left, or desperately avoid him.

Was this sort of like what Kai had felt like after first meeting Luhan?

Doing his best to push that from his mind, he ate his meal in peace, dressed for the day and prepared himself for the long journey back to K. Or maybe for the inevitable stress that would greet him the moment he was back.

A sharp knock sounded at his door twenty minutes before he was due to present himself to Luhan with Chanyeol. And until he actually pulled on the knob, he’d half expected to find an angry Baekhyun. Or an angry Kai. Or an angry Sehun.

Upon further reflection it was possible that everyone was mad at him currently.

However, it was not anyone he’d been expecting. It was probably the last person who he thought would show up at his door so early in the morning.

Looking a little white in the face, Lay greeted, “Commander Suho. I’m sorry to disturb you right before you meet the king’s consort.”

“No, it’s okay,” Suho said, eyebrows high. Should he look nonchalant? Was he supposed to invite Lay in? Why was Lay even at his door in the first place? “Can I help you with something?”

Leaning a little to the side to peer around Suho, Lay asked, “Is Sehun here with you?”

Maybe on mere reflex, Suho turned to look back into his room. “Not since last night when I spoke with him. Why?” He knew immediately something was wrong. “What’s happened?”

Quickly, Lay explained, “Sehun and Luhan have developed a routine of sorts about breakfast. They almost always have breakfast together, and Luhan was planning an extra surprise for Sehun this morning. He’s got a bit of a sweet tooth and Luhan had our best bakers working all night long with our cooks on the perfect farewell breakfast. Only, Sehun never showed this morning.”

There was a commotion in the hallway and then suddenly Suho was face to face with an openly worried Luhan.

Remembering himself, Suho dipped his head respectfully and asked, “Your highness?”

“Enough,” Luhan said quickly, hands wringing nervously in front of him. “Titles are for my husband who is obligated to have them. Has Lay told you what’s happened?”

“He was attempting,” Suho said, catching the almost full squad of guards who’d appeared behind Luhan a second later, some of them out of breath liked they’d had to run to keep up.

“We were supposed to have breakfast together,” Luhan said before Lay could continue. “I expected him to be there, but when he wasn’t, I understood. He’s been enjoying his stay here and we’ve become friends. Parting is going to be hard for him, and I wanted to give him the space he needed, so I didn’t send for him.”

“He’s probably sulking in his room right now,” Suho said with a sigh. This wasn’t how he’d wanted to end the visit to M.

“He’s not,” Lay said, nodding at Luhan. “We already checked there, and we’ve been searching the palace for him since then. There is a very real possibility, if he isn’t with you, that he isn’t in the palace anymore.”

It only took a minute more to check with D.O. and Kai, then Chanyeol and Baekhyun, to realize that Sehun had completely disappeared.

“I don’t understand,” Luhan said, pausing to receive an update from the newly arrived Xiumin and Chen. “If he isn’t in the palace, where could he be? We toured the city a few days ago, and he enjoyed himself, but there wouldn’t really be anything for him there.”

Suho ran a hand through his short hair. “We fought last night. He was upset that he wasn’t going to be allowed to stay. I thought he’d gone off to pout like a child. I thought he was in his room.”

Lay’s fingers subtly brushed Luhan’s comfortingly as he asked Suho, “Do you know of anywhere Sehun might have gone? He’s fairly safe in the palace, but outside our walls he’d be at the mercy of anyone else. We know he isn’t helpless, and his grasp of our dialect is surprisingly good, but we can’t protect him out there if he’s on his own. And I don’t think I need to remind you that a lot of M citizens are still extremely prejudiced against those from K.”

With a frown, Luhan asked, “Sehun wanted to stay?”

Suho gave him a nod. “However, I told him that wasn’t an option. I’m responsible for him.”

“If he wanted to stay,” Luhan said, almost angrily, “there would have been plenty of room for him. He’s my friend, and I don’t have many of those.”

“Luhan,” Xiumin said quietly, touching the communications device fitted into his ear. “There are reports of someone …”

“Huh?”

“Of someone,” Xiumin continued, “climbing Mama’s life tree. The guards at her life tree are reporting a very blond figure about halfway up the tree.”

Luhan demanded, “Can they confirm it’s him?”

“How the hell is he managing that?” Suho demanding.

“It’s him,” Xiumin said definitively. “But they can’t get him down, and he’s only going higher.”

“We need to bring him down,” Luhan said, turning to Suho. “Will you come with me to talk him down? You claim he’s your responsibility and I don’t doubt that, but as my guests I’ve also taken responsibility for all of you. I can’t let anything happen to him.”

Xiumin seemed to startle Luhan by reaching out with a strong hand to grip his bicep. “I don’t think you should be going anywhere near Mama’s life tree.”

A dark look crossed Luhan’s face. “What exactly are my husband’s orders, Xiumin?”

Ah, Suho saw the guilt on Xiumin’s face immediately.

“I’m not to let you anywhere near the life tree,” Xiumins said, his voice even. “That’s my first and only task for the time being. His majesty was very clear.”

Eyes narrowing, Luhan asked, “Do you really think that you can stop me if I decide to go?”

“No,” Xiumin said honestly. “You know I couldn’t stop you. But I hope that you’ll listen to me when I tell you that it might be your life on the line if you get too close. If anything happens to you, where does that leave me?”

“I’m not trying to induce a vision,” Luhan said a little haughtily. “I have no plans to actually touch the life tree. Now, I’m going to get my friend before he falls and hurts himself. You can come with me, or you can stay here, but you’re not going to get in my way.” Luhan shot to Chen who could be seen inching away, “Just go and tell the king. I know that’s what you plan to do. I don’t care. I’m still going.”

Luhan was off, nearly halfway down the hallway before Suho could say to Xiumin, “He’s more than a little scary when he’s determined.”

Xiumin responded, “That’s just the tip of the ice burg,” and then they were both chasing after the king’s consort.

As reported, despite the disbelief factor, when they arrived at the life tree Suho could very clearly see Sehun more than halfway up the massive trunk.

Again he found himself asking, “How is he doing that?” The life tree was riddled with jagged lines, cuts and chips, but nothing solid enough to use to climb. And exhaustion should have been a major factor.

“Can’t you tell?” Luhan asked, pushing at his hair as it blew around him. “Can’t you feel it? Sehun’s using his ability to practically push himself up the life tree. His control is greatly improved as of late.”

It was still close to an hour before the visiting area opened to the public, but Suho didn’t think they had close to that much time left. It would be more than just a diplomatic incident if they couldn’t talk Sehun down before the king arrived. This was something Suho wasn’t confident even Luhan could manage.

Suho didn’t know how he’d live it down if the king had to fly up and bring Sehun down.

“Sehun!” Luhan shouted, cupping his hand over his mouth. “What are you doing?”

Sehun was clearly too far up to respond to them, and the wind was destroying Luhan’s voice as it tried to carry to him. But as Sehun turned to look down at them, he was very aware of their presence.

“He’s a fool,” Suho breathed out, trying not to let it show how worried he was. Sehun wasn’t one of his men. He wasn’t someone that Suho had known for more than a week. But there was no denying the connection Suho felt to him. An almost paternal connection. If Sehun fell …

“Sehun!” Luhan called out, distress written across his face. “I don’t think he can hear me.”

A newly arrived Kai said, “I don’t think he’d listen to you even if he could. He’s obviously got it in his mind to do something.” D.O. was right behind him, settling next to Kai’s side.

“Could you teleport up and get him?” Luhan asked.

“Maybe,” Kai reasoned, “but it would be tricky. There’s always a second of disorientation when I appear. And I wouldn’t be able to actually appear on a solid surface, unless we’re talking about one of those branches, which are all pretty far away from Sehun at the moment. I could try a midair grab, but I could miss and knock him off. I might not be able to get to him before we both hit the ground.”

Mouth pressed into a tight line, Luhan said, “I think I could pull him down from here. Controlling his decent would be the most challenging part.”

Suho tried not to let his eyes open too widely. There was no way Luhan meant he was going to pull Sehun down with his ability. Everyone knew Luhan was powerful, but Sehun was up so high, and he weighed a good deal. The amount of sheer power that would take to fight gravity and bring Sehun down safely seemed beyond anyone, including Luhan.

“Don’t try it,” Xiumin said, stepping forward to block Luhan. “We don’t have any clue what would happen if you used your ability that much this close to the life tree. You know you exert energy when you use your ability. That energy could interact with the life tree. We’re not risking it, no matter how you threaten me or what you try to say. I’ll--”

“Guys,” D.O. said, pointing up.

Suho let his head tip back and he found Sehun’s form on the tree once more. The younger man had obviously stopped, but for what reason was impossible to tell.

“Xiumin,” Luhan ground out. “That is my friend up there.”

“I don’t care,” Xiumin snapped back. “You’re my friend down here.”

Suho ignored the bickering that was starting to break out, watching Sehun instead. He was starting to move again. Suho watched him reach a hand out and then without warning, making Suho shout in fear, Sehun was falling.

Only then he wasn’t because he wasn’t there at all.

“Not me!” Kai said quickly as all eyes turned to him, chaos breaking out among them.

“Where did he go?” Luhan asked, his voice pitched high in his panic. “Where is he?”

Suho shook his head. “ I don’t know.”

“Sehun!” Luhan shouted again. “Sehun!”

Chanyeol asked loudly, “How could he just disappear into thin air like that?”

Suho forced himself to take a deep breath. Sehun was gone, the people around him were in a panic, and Suho was left searching for a way to explain what he’d seen. Contrary to the others, Suho’s eyesight was exceptionally good, and it hadn’t looked to him that Sehun had so much as disappeared from sight, as disappeared into the life tree.

But how was that possible?

And how were they going to get Sehun back?