"Blood of innocents is what has made the seal, and will only be broken by the blood of the Seals." - The Prophecies of Light

Closing the door to his father's study behind him was like a breath of relief. Seungcheol had been in the room meeting with Lord Choi Minsik for what felt like forever. He had a feeling that it was far after sunset by then and he looked forward to going over what he had learned with Jeonghan. For the moment, though, he was simply glad to be out from under the older man's gaze.

A hand clapped down on his shoulder and he gave a start of surprise. Looking over, he saw Youngsaeng, who gave his shoulder a squeeze and shared a sympathetic look before moving off down the hallway. Seungcheol was grateful that at least he hadn't been the only one in the meeting; it had been over five years since he had last seen his Lord father, and to have the displeasure shared out amongst others was a small relief. He had been half surprised that the man had allowed him to leave without a private talking to, but whyever he had done it, Seungcheol was grateful.

And if he didn't want to get caught up in said private lecture, he might want to move away from Minsik's study. Turning in the opposite direction that Youngsaeng had headed off in, Seungcheol hurried down the hallways to find a balcony. He was right about it being late; the moon was high in the sky and glinting off of the snow. He shook his head and went to find his rooms, hoping that Jeonghan had been given quarters near his so that they could speak easily.

He also knew to keep an eye out for Lady Heo Youngae, the Marcher Lord's mother. They had agreed on the trip there that if he got the chance, Seungcheol was to take her away from the Keep and hide her, and Youngsaeng would then turn his army against the Choi's. Now if only all worked as planned.

Once in his rooms, he changed out of his travel stained garments almost reluctantly. The soft texture of his new tunic was welcome against his skin, but the color and what it signified was not. He had never thought that he would be back in the Reaches, wearing the colors of his house and under his father's command. He shook that last thought out of his head. No, he was not under Minsik's command; he was there for Redien and for the Light. That simple. Now to be able to keep it straight in his own mind.

He finished changing and went to go find Jeonghan. Unsure of where he would be and unwilling to simply go poking his head into private rooms, Seungcheol found a servant in the dark red and grey of the Reaches. "Where are Lord Jeonghan's chambers?" he asked. The young girl's eyes were wide with confusion as she shook her head, saying that she had never heard the name. He asked three more servants, getting the same response, and a sense of trepidation rose inside of him.

Had Jeonghan been delayed at the Tower? Maybe he had found something of importance and lost track of time, or decided to stay there that night. The coincidence was too much, though, especially given where they were and why, and Seungcheol couldn't push the bad feeling out of his gut.

He headed outside into the cold night air, intent on asking the guards. The snow crunched under his boots as he moved, the clear night sky only enhancing the chill and reminding him that he would need to get a cloak before heading out after Jeonghan. If that was necessary, anyway. "You," he called to the gate guard. He turned with an irritated look that wiped off of his face as soon as he realized who it was, and saluted Seungcheol instead. "Have you seen an immortal, about my height, long auburn hair on a grey mare? He was supposed to be here before sunset."

"No, my Lord," he said, sill standing at attention and looking into the distance over Seungcheol's shoulder. "I have never seen an immortal, sir!"

Seungcheol's brow furrowed at that. "How long have you been standing shift here tonight?" he asked.

"I took over the guard just after you arrived, sir! There has been no one come to the gate since then."

It didn't seem right, but Seungcheol couldn't very well call the man out on feeling alone. "Very well," he said, and turned away. The breath of relief that the guard released was audible, but Seungcheol ignored it. Jeonghan had said that he would be back by sunset. He couldn't see the immortal forgetting the time or deciding to stay at the Tower without sending word; he knew what they faced, and knew that Seungcheol would be concerned. Something must have happened.

He found himself in the stables, and took his gear to begin saddling his horse. For once, the red didn't fight him, only stood quietly while Seungcheol tacked him up. Maybe he was finally learning to accept Seungcheol as his person, or maybe he felt the tension that the blond man gave off, but either way, Seungcheol was grateful. He had just finished tightening the girth when someone cleared their voice from outside the stall.

He turned to find a servant looking a