The ride back to the estate was considerably slower and much more subdued.  No one exactly felt happy about what they’d found and Minho and Sungmin in particular were uncomfortable with the obvious results of magic gone wrong.  Hyesung accepted them back quickly enough, putting Amber in one of the guest rooms until they could decide what needed to be done in the meantime.  Both were ridiculously sore from riding and heartsick.  They didn’t want to do anything and for the first several days that they were at Changsun’s estate, they didn’t.

                While they spent time recovering, Hyesung took care of more diplomatic matters.  A lengthy missive was sent to Chansung’s parents in Bannersport to explain what had happened and the situation as it currently stood.  At Amber’s nearly frantic request, as relayed through Changsun, he also wrote a simpler letter to Seungho’s family.  Because it wasn’t likely his family could read, a literate messenger had to be sent as well.  And finally, he sent one additional note to the King informing him of the disappearance of Karith and why.  What the Lord decided to do with that information was up to him but it was something.  Once that was taken care of, patience was required to wait for the response in regards to the current problems at hand.

                First and foremost, it became apparent soon after their arrival that Amber had nowhere else to go.  All of her family and friends had disappeared with the village and she knew of no other relatives to contact beyond that.  She knew she had them, distant cousins and such, but she didn’t know who they were.  Her father might, but neither was he there to tell them.  Since she was a good friend of Chansung’s it was eventually decided that she could stay there until such a time as her father was found or until she could find a home of her own.  Regardless, she was simply happy to have a place to stay and a chance at finding her family again.

                Second, Changsun himself was still only a Journeyman Mage.  In the weeks that followed, back and forth communications were sent confirming that his training would need to continue and with Jongwoon gone, he would have to go elsewhere to study.  It did not take long to confirm there was another Mage he could train with in the city of Bannersport until he could reach Master status.  Though Changsun felt he was competent enough to handle his magic, and reluctant to leave which would seem like abandoning Seungho and Jongwoon, the Mage his parents spoke with vetoed that immediately and demanded he come to the city with all haste.  And unfortunately for Amber, the second concern meant that Changsun would not be able to help her try to find her father or Seungho.

                “But what am I supposed to do while you’re gone?” Amber asked at supper when the topic was broached by Hyesung one evening.  She looked across the table at Changsun with wide eyes, feeling helplessness well up immediately.  Between recovering, dealing with their mutual loss, and trying to figure out what to do in the meantime, they hadn’t even really begun to start sorting things out.  And he was going to have to leave her alone right now?  Without any way to try and figure the problem out on her own?

                Changsun winced at her expression and then looked at Hyesung who calmly regarded them with dark brown eyes under the light brown hair that framed his angular, dainty face.  “Are you sure this can’t be postponed?” he questioned, perched on the edge of his chair looking quite at home in the clothes of a minor noble – rich colors of finely woven cloth complemented him far better than the Mage’s robes did.

                Hyesung shook his head and frowned.  “Your parents insist and Mage Park has expressed the sooner you can join him, the sooner he can help you continue your studies.  Furthermore, King Eric’s High Mage has taken a personal interest in this matter and has begun sending envoys to investigate the incident at Karith.”

                “But…” Changsun trailed off with another look at Amber who was looking very pale and fragile.

                The caretaker’s eyes slid over to her, making Amber jerk so that she sat upright, feeling strange and out of place in a yellow dress that was hers, but did not feel like it.  She had never worn such finery before and it was still odd, even four sevendays after she had arrived.  Hyesung contemplated her carefully and sighed under his breath.  “It is an unusual situation,” he conceded, settling his gaze upon Changsun again.  “While I cannot keep you here indefinitely, perhaps your parents may be convinced to allow you to return at regular intervals so that you may continue to…” he hesitated as he thought of a polite way to phrase his next comment, “check in on Lady Kim here.”

                The title made Amber blush, as it had the first time he’d said it, but his words also filled her with a palpable sense of relief.  “I would like that,” she whispered softly in Changsun’s direction, still unsure of how to speak to someone like Hyesung.  Farmers and bakers and even mayors she could handle; owners of estates and royalty – even just barely – were another matter entirely.

                “The possibility does exist that she can accompany you to Bannersport as well,” Hyesung mentioned with a glance between them.

                Another spike of alarm made Amber turn wide eyes on him again, a reaction that made him look at her curiously.  He raised a brow in Changsun’s direction to clarify since experience had told him she had difficulties expressing herself around him.  Changsun shook his head and made a calming gesture towards Amber, which did nothing to soothe her until he started speaking.  “We’ve already talked about something like that and she wants to stay in case Mage Kim finds his way back or something else happens.”  Amber nodded quickly in silent agreement.

                “I see,” Hyesung smiled sadly and tilted his head towards her in acquiescence.  “Well.  As you know, the estate is more than able to accommodate one young lady in the meantime, Master Lee.  And I can see if your parents will be agreeable to the compromise.”

                Chansung was moving as if to cheer before Hyesung’s eyes landed on him again and he froze, sitting straight in his chair.  “Good.  We can work with that,” he agreed with a meaningful look at Amber.

                She wasn’t exactly thrilled, but it was better than leaving the area.  And if Hyesung could convince Changsun’s parents, it would be better than not having him nearby at all.  They hadn’t had much success with anything yet and though it pained her to think about it, a little more time likely wouldn’t change anything.  “We can,” she admitted in a resigned tone, still dealing with trying to find her footing after losing everything.

                “Excellent,” Hyesung smiled warmly, pushing back from the table to stand with the most recent missive in his fingers.  He looked much like Chansung, dressed in well-fitting, finely woven fabrics that complimented him perfectly.  “I shall retire upstairs to work on a response that we can have one of the messengers take on the morrow.”

                “Thank you, Hyesung,” Changsun nodded with an appreciative wave.

                “Of course, Master Lee.  Lady Kim,” he added, giving a small bow in Amber’s direction.  She stiffened slightly as usual but managed a very small wave at Hyesung before he departed.

                Then he was gone and it left Amber with all the uncertainties still clinging to her shoulders.  She stared at her mostly empty plate – at least he’d waited until they were done to mention it, and sighed.  "You alright?” she heard Changsun ask across the table.

                “Yeah,” she lied again, as she always did when he asked that question, unable to meet his eyes.  She wasn’t okay with him leaving.  She wasn’t okay with not knowing what to do or how to fix it.  And she certainly wasn’t okay with just being left here, but neither was she willing to go to Bannersport either.  She could feel his eyes on her and he was well aware she was lying.

                “It shouldn’t take very long, you know,” he tried to comfort her, his voice soft and a smile lingering in the sound.  “Your father said we were pretty close already.”  Amber winced at the ‘we’ but Changsun went on.  “And I should be able to come back pretty often.”

                “I know,” Amber admitted with her hands clasped tightly under the table.  Staring at them, she clenched her jaw, then forced a smile as she finally looked up.  “You’re right.”  Her swallow was audible in the large room.  “You can learn the magic to help us get them back and I can keep reading here.”  He did have a rather extensive library of books on magic.  When he had been staying with them, every time he sent a letter to his parents, he had them try to find another few books for him (and some he didn’t request) so it almost felt like home when she was in the library.

                “See?” he gave a similarly forced smile, shrugging his shoulders.  Neither knew exactly what they wanted to say and so the growing silence hung heavy between them.

                “I’m gonna go to bed,” Amber murmured softly, getting up and pushing her chair back in.

                “Oh,” Changsun breathed, shifting in his seat.  “Okay.”

                “Night,” Amber waved, walking off slowly, her too long hair brushing against her back in the usual braid.  She heard him call a similar farewell out before she made her way to her bedroom.  She wasn’t really tired but sleeping helped her keep from thinking about things, like this evening and what it would mean for Seungho and her father.  Wiping at her eyes to ward off the tears she could feel trying to come, Amber got ready for bed anyway.  The yellow dress was lovely, and comfortable, but she never felt like herself wearing it.  Or things like it.

                Settling into bed, sleep was impossible to find.  Her mind was too full and the mattress too comfortable.  The picture of her mother nearby was missing and there was too much space all around.  Eventually, she slipped from the bed and dragged the covers off so she could creep under it, preferring the smaller space beneath that let her feel more protected, even if she knew it was stupid.  Curled up under the bed with the covers pulled close and just her head poking out of the fabric, Amber counted the moments as they went by.

                Her door opened quietly and she heard quiet feet pad into the moonlit room.  She never closed her windows so she could always see outside, just in case.  And this time it let her surprise visitor see just fine.  “Amber?” Changsun called, obviously noticing the missing covers and the edges sticking out from under the bed.  “You asleep?”

                She debated ignoring him, wondering if he’d go away if she did.  But that wouldn’t be nice and even if she was upset, she didn’t want him to go anyway.  “Yes,” she replied, drawing the covers up closer around her nose.

                Changsun chuckled before he laid on the floor and peered under, seeing her shadowed features looking back at him.  “Obviously.”  It wasn’t the first time he’d found her there; it was a semi-regular occurrence in fact.

                “What do you want?” Amber mumbled, tracing the outlines of his face in the dim light.  He needed to cut his hair.  He was also wearing his nice sleeping clothes – some dark blue, silky fabric.  It looked shiny every time she saw it.

                “I want to talk,” he admitted, shimmying his way under the bed to join her.  He ended up sticking halfway out with his chin pillowed on his hands, but he was facing her with a smile.

                She couldn’t quite return it and simply blinked at him.  “How can you just leave like this?” she mumbled through the covers, her voice muffled by the sound.  “They’re out there.  Somewhere,” she gestured into the air with a helpless look, one hand coming free long enough to almost smack him in the face.  “And I can’t find them!” she admitted, retreating back behind her covers.

                “I don’t want to go,” he sighed, the reluctance obvious in his tone.

                “Then don’t,” Amber stated, revealing with the words.

                “I have to,” Changsun grimaced, turning his face down so it was partially hidden, his lips pressed against the back of his hand.

                “Why?  I need you here,” Amber sniffed, not daring to touch him.  “You’re all I have left.”  She couldn’t quite stifle the whimper that escaped anyway and Chansung’s head rose to look at her again.

                “I’m still right here, Ber,” Changsun promised as he worked his way enough under the bed so he could lie right next to her.  His shoulders were too broad to do more than lie on his stomach but he reached an arm over to pull her close anyway, hugging her awkwardly under the bed.

                “But you won’t be soon,” she hiccupped, letting her fingers grab onto the fabric of his sleeping top.

                “I know, but I will be back as soon as I can,” he whispered into her hair, holding tight.  “And we can write each other while I’m gone.  You can tell me all about what you’ve found and I can try to figure it out before I come back so I can solve this thing when I do.”

                “How am I supposed to just wait for you?” she asked, curling up closer as her voice dropped to a mere whisper.  “I miss them both so much.”

                Changsun had to take a breath and swallow the lump in his throat at the result.  “I do too, Ber.  Seungho was my friend too.  And your father was my teacher.”  He paused to clear his throat so he could continue.  “But he was a Master Mage and if I’m going to be able to unravel this, I need to be one too.  Especially if the King’s High Mage can’t fix it either.  Understand?” he asked, carefully reaching around to place his fingers on her chin so she’d look up.

                “Yes,” Amber sniffed wetly after a moment, her eyes puffy and red as she looked at Changsun in the dark.  “But I still don’t like it,” she complained, burrowing against him to be as close as possible.

                “Me either,” he sighed, wrapping his arm around her trembling body as best he could.  “Me either.”  Relying on each other for comfort, they were both able to fall asleep curled together under the bed.  Though neither was awake to see Hyesung curiously stick his head before noticing the edge of the covers sticking out.  He snorted once with an amused smirk and shook his head as he stepped back out without saying a word.

                True to his word, Hyesung was able to work out a reasonable compromise with Changsun’s parents and Mage Park that had them parting ways nearly two months after the accident.  While Changsun would spend the majority of the rest of his training in Bannersport, he would be given leave to return home for two sevendays every three months.  He would travel by teleportation under the supervision of his Master as part of his training.  While that was good news in one way, it also meant that he would be leaving very soon indeed.

                Watching Changsun getting ready to step in the carriage destined for Bannersport and his new life there was one of the hardest things Amber had ever done.  It was worse than watching Seungho and her father disappear because then she’d had no chance to say goodbye and no choice in the matter.  Being able to hug him and make herself let go at last was a special kind of torture and Amber hated it.  “I miss you already,” she pouted, trying so hard not to cry and already failing miserably.

                At least she wasn’t the only one.  Changsun had tears on his cheeks too.  “I’ll be back before you know I’m gone,” he sniffed, trying to be strong.

                “Liar,” she pushed his shoulder, forcing a snotty laugh that made him snort at her reaction.  She laughed harder in embarrassment and he finally pulled her close, resting his cheek against her head.

                “I’ll write as soon as I get there,” he promised quietly, shifting to press his lips against her hair.

                “You better,” Amber sniffed, her hands balled into small fists under her chin so she didn’t have to let him go when he pulled away.

                And with that, he finally did step back.  He walked into the carriage, reluctantly, but he disappeared inside all the same.  She followed after it for a few steps as the horses pulled it away and waved when Changsun waved back at her.  Amber stayed until she couldn’t see him anymore.  She probably would have stayed longer except Hyesung gently ushered her back inside with a firm but understanding hand.

                With Changsun gone, Amber was well and truly lost for the first couple days.  For the first time in her life, she was alone.  Even when her mother had disappeared, her father and the villagers had been there.  When Seungho and her father vanished, she’d had Changsun.  Now… she had no one.

                The staff in and around the house were friendly enough but they just as often treated her like a wounded animal or like she was somehow different.  Of course she knew them, as they knew her by now, but she could not go to any of them like she had with Auntie Park.  Oh how she missed the older woman’s wisdom.  She would probably know what to do in this situation.  Amber had heard the staff whispering about magic and while they were familiar enough with Changsun – he had been born a Mage after all, she was an unknown.  How could the daughter of a Mage not have magic herself?  And how had she escaped when no others had?  They might have had better manners, but like in the village, tongues wagged when people did not understand.

                It was worse without Changsun there, for at least they acknowledged her when he was around.  Now, they treated her as some strange lady which put two barriers between them: her false status and the magic she didn’t have.  Hyesung attempted to help her when he could but it was abundantly clear he didn’t really know how to treat her either.  Amber didn’t know how anyone was supposed to treat her either.  She felt like a fraud; a peasant, Mage’s daughter pretending to be some kind of minor noble.  The books on magic she poured over provided some solace to push her thoughts to the side, but she could only remain in the library for so long.  And hiding away indefinitely had never been her strong point.

                Eventually, when no one else would have for fear of offending her or ruining her dress or for lack of a better excuse, she found herself in the kitchen watching Soonkyu humming happily as she worked on preparing the afternoon meal.  She was shorter than Amber.  And curvier.  But the shoulder length, honey curls suited her otherwise bright disposition every time Amber had seen her.  As the general household manager and chef, she was in charge of preparing meals and running the day to day domestic affairs, much like Amber would at home.

                Even as she was watching from the doorway, she was surprised when Sungmin seemed to appear behind her.  “Hey Amber,” he greeted with a wave before slipping past as he approached the woman who turned to beam at him.  Soonkyu’s smile slipped just a touch when she noticed Amber there but her attention remained on Sungmin all the same.  The guards alone treated Amber mostly normal, but they had seen her when she was a broken, unable to walk mess after the accident…

                “Sungmin,” Soonkyu chided with the peeling knife in her hand pointed at him.  “That’s Lady Kim to you.  Rude brute,” she partially teased, giggling when he swooped in to steal a quick kiss on the cheek.

                “Eh,” he shrugged with a sidelong glance at Amber.  “I don’t think she likes being called Lady,” he winked, making Amber’s cheeks flush.  She liked the guards well enough since she’d first met them but she didn’t always know how to handle them.  At a loss of how to respond, she simply shrugged with a noncommittal sound in the back of .  “See?” he laughed at his wife.

                Soonkyu just rolled her eyes and pursed her lips at her husband.  “Don’t mind him, Lady Kim,” she waved at Amber with a moist hand, in her element in the kitchen.  “Was there something you needed?”

                Amber stood poised on the edge of the kitchen, seeing all the familiar things hanging around the walls and decorating the interior.  Homesickness hit her hard and her eyes teared up before she could stop them.

                Soonkyu gasped quietly and glanced at Sungmin before she took a step forward after sticking the peeling knife in her apron.  “Are you alright?” she asked with all the tenderness of a concerned mother.  Amber would know; she’d heard it when Soonkyu spoke to her daughters as such.

                “Can I help you?” Amber asked by way of an answer, grabbing the fabric of her dress tightly with both hands as she kept her head down, afraid to be chased off.  She half expected them to send her away immediately; everyone had been trying to keep her from doing much of anything useful while she’d been there.  Not in a bad way but it was frustrating and she just didn’t want it to happen again.  Amber nearly jumped when she felt a hand rest gently on her shoulder instead.

                “Can you peel potatoes?” Soonkyu asked with a small, hesitant smile as she leaned down to get a better look into Amber’s face.  At her quick, teary nod, the older woman laughed once and took off her apron.  “Alright then.  We can’t have you messing that dress up so put this on,” she instructed, helping Amber to settle the cloth and tie the straps.  “I’ve got another one around here somewhere,” she added with her hands on her hips while she looked Amber up and down appraisingly, apparently satisfied with what she saw.

                “Looks like you’ve got this under control,” Sungmin smiled, resting his hand on Soonkyu’s back as he started to leave.  “Just let us know when it’s lunch time!” he grinned, waving at both ladies with an easy grin.

                “Don’t I always?!” Soonkyu called after him, guiding Amber towards the counter where she’d been busy peeling a tub of the tubers.

                “Thank you,” Amber mumbled thickly when she picked up the first one and started cutting the skin off with practiced ease.  She had to wipe her tears on her sleeve so they wouldn’t fall on the potato but it felt good to be doing something, even if it was just helping fix lunch.

                “You’re welcome,” the cook smiled, watching Amber’s hands deftly follow the familiar pattern.  “You’re good at that,” she mused as if to herself, a thoughtful note in her voice.  “This will make things go twice as fast,” Soonkyu chuckled, walking off to the side to fish another apron out so she could join Amber as well.  “Alright!  When we finish these, I’ve got a bucket of carrots to cut too.”

                “Okay,” Amber managed a quivering smile as she met the warm brown eyes beside her.

                They weren’t her family and it wasn’t much more than helping make lunch, but it helped to ground Amber in a way that she’d been missing since she lost her home.  It was familiar and friendly, giving her some kind of structure which she badly needed.  And Soonkyu welcomed the help.  It was hard to feed an entire household, even if they were just a skeleton crew while the rest of the family was away.  There were still the guards, Sungmin and Minho, the former’s two wee daughters Sunny and Luna, the stable boy Taemin and various messengers kept on hand to run missives by horseback when needed, the groundskeeper Jungsu, the gardener Seohyun, and the orchard caretaker Jinki.

                Amber was sure she was missing some but for the most part, helping Soonkyu prepare meals let her feel like she was part of something.  So she worked on studying in the library, scouring the tomes for any information she could, to helping in the kitchens on a regular basis.  Hyesung wasn’t exactly sure if Amber should be treated as part of the staff but neither did he say much to her either.  It was obvious the activities helped and, for Amber, it kept her from worrying about what she couldn’t do.  She couldn’t ride so going to check on the site of the village was foolish and useless.  She couldn’t fight well enough to protect herself if she needed to do so.  She couldn’t cast magic even if she did find something useful.

                It was frustrating.  But when she got her first letter from Changsun almost three sevendays after he’d left, she was delighted.  Of course it was great to hear from him, but it was also even better to be able to let him know she was doing alright.  She wasn’t great and she definitely missed him, but she was able to keep herself distracted.  Writing back to him helped her voice her findings and her doubts and then hearing him respond nearly another month later kept her going as she continued to get to become closer with the estate workers.

                After getting into Soonkyu’s good graces, most of the others had followed suit.  She was still treated cautiously, but they weren’t as eager to send her off when she broke from the library or the kitchen long enough to investigate elsewhere.  And all of it was enough to make her lose track of time so that she didn’t even realize when almost three months had gone by and Changsun announced that he would be returning home for his first visit since leaving.  Amber was overjoyed!

                The entire household turned out to welcome him back and when Changsun stepped out of the stable portal in the air, wearing deep maroon robes with his dark hair framing his perfect face, Amber was among the first to run up and greet him.  “You’re back!” she beamed, crashing into his chest so that he would hug her in return.

                “Amber!” he greeted enthusiastically, holding her tight as he laughed at her response.

                “Welcome home, Master Lee,” Hyesung welcomed in a more subdued voice while the rest of the staff grinned at the exchange.

                “It’s good to be home,” Changsun agreed, looking at Hyesung once before he smiled down at Amber’s face while she beamed up at him, genuinely happy in that moment.  Seungho and her father were still missing, but Changsun was back and they could finally start to investigate the site of the village themselves.  She’d found a few tidbits of information he found promising and even though the High Mages’ Apprentices and Journeymen were working on it, Changsun had promised they still had a chance of learning new information too.

                “Would you care to come inside?” Hyesung asked, gesturing towards the estate.  “We presumed you would be hungry and Soonkyu has prepared a lovely meal for your return,” he promised with a knowing smile.

                “Oh Mage fires, yes,” Changsun agreed heartily, pulling Amber along with his arm over her shoulder as they headed inside.  “The food at Chungjae’s tower is so bland,” he huffed, rolling his eyes with a dimpled smile at Amber again.

                She felt her heart flutter at the sight and laughed along with him, caught up in the moment of his return.  For the first time in months, she was determined to be happy for at least a little while.

(a/n: I went on a mad writing spree the other day and wrote this out as one chapter originally, but then I felt some things were moving too fast and I needed to add some more development in other places so Part I and II was the result.  Also, Chungjae is Jun Jin's (singer from Shinhwa) real name.  Thanks for reading and I'll try to have the next update out soon!)