"Noona!" Sanggyun ran to her side. "Noona!" the others were shocked and ran to her, too.

 

"Aelena-noona! What’s wrong?" they all said. "What happened?"

 

"Could it be her sickness?" Hansol asked his voice quivering.

 

"No! It can’t be. Noona noona Aelena-noona, wake up! Wake up!" Sanggyun shook her.

 

Aelena opened gradually opened her eyes, but remained on Sanggyun’s arms unable to get up. "Oh, what happened? Why do you all look worried?" she said in a quiet voice.

 

"Didn’t you remember what happened? We were on our way out when we saw you collapsed on the ground."

 

"Oh. I do not remember that happening. Do not worry, I am better now," she tried to get, but she couldn’t. That’s when they saw that her skin was turning black and creeping from her neck. They were shocked.

 

"It is her sickness," Hansol tried not to panic.

 

"What was that?"

 

"You’re sickness is spreading!"

 

"What do we do? I can’t heal that," Hansol said trying not panic.

 

"We have to take her home," Yooncheol said as he started to lift her up in his arms.

 

"No. You must leave me," Aelena said.

 

"No!" they all said in unison.

 

"Let’s go now and take her," Hansol said.

 

"There is no remedy that can cure this disease."

 

"Except the flower," Sanggyun whispered.

 

Sanggyun reached for his satchel and took the flower. Before he could do anything, Aelena grabbed his hand tightly. "Do not dare use that flower on me," she glared.

 

"But!" he gripped onto the flower.

 

"My life does not worth any more that deserves to use the flower."

 

"But!"

 

"Sanggyun, please!" she pleaded.

 

Sanggyun groaned in frustration. "Then what do we do?"

 

They were all at a lost. They didn’t know what to do. Sanggyun gripped the flower tighter frustrated that he couldn’t do anything. Tears were forming in their eyes and lumps on their throat. After all the things they did to Aelene, they couldn’t just leave her there.

 

"You should all leave.."

 

"No..." Unable to hold his tears any longer, Sanggyun quietly cried. No.. What can we do? There has to be something. Aelena-noona had whole-heartedly helped us from the start, but we accused her horribly. How can we repay her? There has to be something! She can’t just die here!

 

Unexpectedly, a bright light started shining on Sanggyun’s hand. It was the flower. It’s reacting to his pure heart’s call for help. Slowly, everyone and everything were being swallowed by the luminous glow of the light.

 

-- -- -- -- --

 

Everyone’s jaw dropped at the sight.

 

"This is.. huge.." Hansol said.

 

"This may be 5 times bigger that our practice room.." Yooncheol said in awe.

 

"I think all members could just live in this room, and there’ll still be room," was what Sanggyun wanted to say, instead he said this, "we’re dead."

 

While the rest of his friends were amazed of the large room outside King’s throne’s room, Sanggyun was nervous. They were suppose to return to the Kingdom with Lily of Valley to present to the King, but they came back empty-handed. They had failed the King’s request and yet their presence to the King was ordered. They were prepared to go straight back to their real world without seeing the King, but they unexpectedly found their way there, standing in front of the Majesty’s door.

 

"What do you think he wants us for?" Hansol wondered.

 

"Probably a feast for us," Yooncheol said casually.

 

"How can you say that? If I remember correctly, you were ready to kill Aelena if she ever had the flower. And now that we don't have it, you're okay with it?" Sanggyun frowned.

 

"Okay. Maybe we're to be executed then."

 

That made Sanggyun lose all the colours on his face. "Really?.." Then he felt a light touch on his shoulder.

 

"Do not worry. The King would not do that."

 

"Aelena-noona.." he lightened and smiled a little bit.

 

"But if he does execute us, I believe you are first," Aelena smiled, Sanggyun's dropped. She was starting to join in the fun of teasing him. Yooncheol grinned.

 

Before they could wait any longer, the enormous door in front of them started to open up. The three friends gulped in anticipation.

 

However, it wasn't what they expected. They were expecting a room full of expensive items or irreplaceable family heirlooms. But it was just a big empty space; stoned walls, shiny marble floor, and high ceiling; the throne at the end of the room with tall rows of pillars towards it and dark blue velvet curtains hanging from it; elegant chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and glass windows for lighting.

 

Even though the room was simple and with fancy fixtures, they could still feel its oldness. They felt as if the throne was passed down the family for a long time.

 

Then after a few minutes had passed, Hansol realized, "Where's the King?"

 

And on cue, a huge man from the shadow came out of the shadow and hugged there three friends. They stiffened up at the unexpected action. They stayed like for a moment, and even though no one said anything, they could feel the overwhelming gratitude the man had, which made them confuse. The three weren't sure what they did to deserve such gratitude. They didn't even return with the flower.

 

After the three, the man went to hug Aelena, and she hugged him back, which made the three more confused. Not because the man hugged her separately from them, but they felt as if the man and Aelena had a familial connection.

 

Then they all saw. The man wasn't just any man, not when he's wearing a royal cape and a crown; he was the King. After him, a woman in a simple blue dress appeared, gently walking towards them. They thought it must be the Queen. And without a word, she hugged the three. They felt warm remembering their own mother's touch. She had the same gratitude as the King had.

 

The Queen whispered, "thank you," let them go, went to Aelena, and hugged her tightly.

 

The three just stood there in confusion until the royal couple broke away from their hugs.

 

"How could you make us worry like that? We were concerned when you disappeared," the King said towards Aelena.

 

"Does it matter, dear? She is with us, now. Good thing we trusted Emmanuel’s word that he was keeping an eye on you," the Queen raised an eyebrow.

 

"How could you just leave like that?"

 

Aelena took a deep breath before she said, "I overheard you,Father, and Mother, and Sir Emmanuel. You were talking about that a group of guardians will come to our Kingdom. I had to see for myself the kind of people they are," she glanced at Hansol, Yooncheol, and Sanggyun. "But I did not know about the request you asked of them, until Sir Emmanuel explained it to them. A quest coming from the King is important, therefore, I must see to it that it is granted. Truthfully, I did not trust them to be able do it."

 

Yooncheol raised an eyebrow and said, "You didn’t trust?"

 

"You must understand; a group of people who have not been here before and who looked like troublemakers, I did not trust you one bit."

 

The three friends frowned.

 

"However, as I spend time with them, I got to know them and maybe trust a little. More in Sanggyun," she chuckled. The King’s and Queen’s expression lightened.

 

"You three and the rest of your comrades are truly the Knights that are right for this Kingdom, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

 

"But we failed to bring you the flower, your Majesty," the youngest said trying to get it over with. Be punished or not, it would come to it sooner or later.

 

"I apologize for that. It was my fault," Aelena looked down as if waiting to be scolded or punished.

 

"No, it was my fault," he pointed to himself.

 

"No! It was our fault!" Hansol and Yooncheol pointed themselves not letting Sanggyun and Aelena take the blame.

 

The King and Queen laughed. "Do you not remember? Why we had you find the flower? It was because a person very dear to was falling into darkness."

 

"And that person would die, because we don’t have the cure anymore," Yooncheol said bluntly and Hansol slapped his back for this. But the King, just laughed at it.

 

"You are right. But that person is as fine as she can ever be," he smiled.

 

"She is?" everyone said in unison.

 

"Who is that person?" Aelena asked.

 

"Who else could it be? Of course, you are, my Darling," he smiled.

 

Aelena looked as if she was about to cry, while the other three was at a lost.

 

"Aelena, a very dear person to us, is my daughter."

 

Hansol, Yooncheol, and Sanggyun was shocked that they couldn’t say anything. After a while, Hansol smiled in surprised. Yooncheol stood there covering his face of embarrassment. He didn’t know the person he had been suspecting and giving bad attitude was the King’s daugther. But, out of the three, Sanggyun was the most embarrassed. He was so ashamed that he had to lean on Yooncheol to keep himself fainting on the floor.

 

Sanggyun was flustered for a lot of things; accidentally peeping on her while bathing, standing up for her when they all suspected her, and saying embarrassing things like trust and faith. He couldn’t be anymore flustered than he had been before.

 

"I think we should just go home..," he said quietly.

 

"You know, I would approve any of you for my Aelena," the King grinned playing with the three’s feelings. They all blushed. "Especially Sanggyun," he grinned.

 

"Father!"

 

"Oh dear," the Queen shook her head smiling.

 

"What?" he laughed.

 

"Ahh, let’s go home!" the youngest whined with a red face.

 

"The Knights of our Kingdom! Knights of Veridia!" the King laughed heartily.

 

The End