Hurricane had left with Blaze on a one day trip back to Fire Court on official business. For the first time since Autumn arrived at Earth Court, Hurricane was not by her side, and strangely she felt very alone but at the same time she didn’t really have time to think about it because Prince Taecyeon had volunteered to keep her company during for the day.
Originally she thought that his version of keeping her company meant allowing her to do what she wanted to do alone. However it seems like he had another plan in mind as the Prince sat opposite of to her, and array of different tea treat laid on beautifully crafted plates, and delicate tea ups holding fragrant tea.

Prince Taecyeon stirred his tea, the spoon clinking softly against the china.

“You seem happier recently.” He says looking at the liquid swirling in the tea cup. “Has something changed?” He asks finally looking up straight into Autumn’s eyes, making Autumn look away uncomfortably. ‘No… The change is evident; the question is what brought about this change. Could it possibly be…?” Prince Taecyeon suddenly gets up and reaches for Autumn’s face, turning her face towards him, Autumn froze as their skin touched, the first time the Prince has made any type of intimate contact made Autumns skin crawl. “A little thing called love?” He finishes, releasing her face and sitting back down. “So, Do I have the honor of knowing, who is the charming gentle man who has captured your heart?”

A heavy silence follows, as Autumn tries to think of an answer, but her mind was a pure blinding white.

At the perfect moment, a single knock on the door resounds around the room.

“Excuse me your majesty, Sir Blaze has just arrived back from Fire Court and is urgently requesting Lady Autumn’s presence.” She says clearly before retreating from the room.

Autumn gets up from her seat and curtsied deeply hoping he would let her leave. Which he nods in dismissal. As Autumn turns towards the door, the Prince speaks up again.

“Could it be your messenger? A lover from home perhaps?”

Autumn hesitates, but bravely continues on her way; ignoring the shiver running down her spine. As the door closes behind her, He add one last thought, “Maybe he is closer than I initially thought...”

She leaves in search of Blaze, as she walks past a partially open door, a voice made her stop. Blaze was speaking to someone behind the slightly closed door, and as Autumn inched closer, the conversation became clearer.

“Leave her alone if you don’t feel anything for her.”

Who was he talking about? He never told her about any girl? But most importantly who was he speaking to? Autumn moved trying to see the figure, she spotted the colors of the Guard uniform, but the aura could only belong to one person. Autumn’s thoughts were confirms as she recognizes the owner of the voice of the reply.

‘I can’t promise that.” Hurricane’s short courteous reply.

“What can’t you promise?’ Blaze shot back. “That you don’t have feelings for her? Or that you can’t leave her alone?”

Autumn tries to see what happens next but she didn’t want to risk being seen.

“What about you?” Comes a response which was both calmly questioning yet threatening at the same time.

“That’s none of your business!” Blaze shot back, the anger flitted quickly over his eyes as he storms towards to door. Luckily Autumn saw him coming and manages to duck into a close by door, and when she heard Hurricane leave She ran in the opposite direction as quickly as she could back to the safety of her room. She lied on her bed staring at the ceiling. Who could they be talking about? It couldn’t possibly be her; could it?

The sound of a person entering the front room brought her back to the present. It was soon followed by a knock.

“Come in.” She says not bothering to get up because she already could tell who it was.

“I am back from the trip, miss autumn. I will be in this room if you need any assistance.” He said as he looked at her with stormy grey eyes.

She nods timidly as he closes the door once again. From his reaction, it doesn’t seem like they were talking about her… but then who could it be? In the midst of these thoughts she fell asleep; sleeping though dinner. She is only woken up when there is three knocks on the door. Autumn jumped up, expecting the prince, but when Blaze came through the door she relaxed and gave him a small smile. He gave Hurricane a glare before closing the door behind him.

“How was your trip?” Autumn asking, just the usual small talk, but it seems like Blaze was not in the mood for small talk.

“Why can’t it be me?” He asks with broken voice.

“What are you talking about? Are you ok?” Autumn ask, “Are you sick?” She asks as she moves off the bed and stands on her tip toes to feel his forehead, but it didn’t seem much different to hers.

“Why does it have to be him?”

“Blaze! What are you talking about?” Autumn asks again, she had her suspicions as the pieces fit together; they were talking about her, but at the same time, she didn’t want to jump to conclusions.

“You know it’s not like that…”

“We can run away.” He says as he took her hands into his. “Just you and me, just like this.”

“That’s absurd!” Autumn says as she takes her hands back, letting them fall limply by her sides. “What would happen to us? Even if we succeed, what do you think will happen to our families? What do you think they would do to Ash? Plus, I hear you already have many suitors lining up for you.” Autumn turns her back to Blaze, missing the pain the flits across his face. Autumn felt tired, drained.

“Autumn, we could-”

“Please Blaze.” Autumn stops him, “can we please not do this right now?”

Blaze seems to return to his sense, “If that’s what you want.” He says calmly as he walks to the door, his hand rests on the hallway, “I’m returning to Fire Court again tonight for the next few days. I just came back today to get some things. I guess I’ll see you around then.”

Blaze opens the door and slams it behind him.

It takes Autumn a few moments to process the events before she collapse onto the floor, knocking over a decorative vase, causing a loud crash shattering the silence.

Within seconds Hurricane was in the room and immediately went to Autumn’s side.

“Miss Autumn? Are you hurt?” He says as he crouched down next to her, “Miss Autumn?” He says extending a hand, but he is taken by surprise as Autumn leaned into his embrace. It takes Hurricane a few moments to recover, but he just lets her stay there as he closed his arms and held her tightly, but delicately, like a child trying to protect a flame.

“Everything will be fine Autumn, I’m here.” He says softly, the words falling onto her neck like a silk scarf, Autumn breathes in deeply as a warmth spread through body as she made a note; it was the first time Hurricane had called her by her name and not honorifics.

Once Autumn had calmed down, he helped her into her bed, but didn’t leave her side once through the night, just watching over her.