Baekhyun could not keep the smug smile off his lips as he led his company down the wide road. For the first time since he had set out on the long, irritating quest to reclaim his lost bride from the claws of a scorned prince-turned-dragon, he was in a fantastic mood. It had been several days since he had received the message from his second-in-command that he had managed to track down the monster's lair, and the euphoria of hearing that news had not worn off. Finally, everything is falling into place. Baekhyun had brought almost his entire company with him on the long march to the rendezvous point, aside from a few outriders he dispatched to the far reaches of the wilds just in case Kris had caught wind of their pursuit and taken the coward's way out by vacating his haunt. They were due back that very night, and regardless of any situation, Jang-mii would soon be in his grasp.

The first thing I’m going to do is drag her to that altar and force those vows out of her, he thought with a snort, his grip tightening around the reins guiding his massive black destrier. His pride had never fully recovered from the princess' blatant refusal at the altar the day that the dragon had invaded the castle. It simply baffled him that a woman could have the audacity to be so willful and refuse him, a prince from arguably the richest and most powerful country on the entire continent, and then run off with nothing less than a beast. He had no idea who Jang-mii thought she was, but once he subdued Kris and brought her back to the capital city, he would certainly show her who was in charge, and where she belonged- under his control, obedient of his every command. One night in the bed will teach her, he thought with a sneer. Jang-mii was luckily she was ravishing, because Baekhyun normally killed those who were such pains in his backside. As he fantasized about the lesson he would teach the beautiful princess, his mood brightened considerably.

It was approximately midday by the time the small army reached the town where Chanyeol had agreed to meet with his young lord, the guild town where he had dispatched the red-haired knight. Baekhyun had heard all about the self-proclaimed lord Xiumin, and though his future empire necessitated that the whelp be kept alive, but Baekhyun was quite looking forward to humiliating him. His armor shone in the sun as he halted his company outside of the guild town, taking a small platoon to accompany him as he galloped down the dirt road leading into the massive guild city.

Baekhyun had to admit that the city was impressive. It was bursting with color, rich purples and blues, vibrant yellows and greens, blazing oranges and reds, rainbows of fabric that flapped in the gentle breeze. The stone and wood buildings were dwarfed by the towering tents that housed the various guilds that the city boasted. Merchant guilds, crafting guilds, bounty hunter organizations, monster hunting guilds- the city was a diverse melting pot of all walks of life, and not just human. As Baekhyun rode hiss massive horse through the iron-wrought gate that marked the entrance of the city, the young prince saw tall, beautiful elves with flowing hair dressed in the greens of the woods; stocky dwarves coated in the rocky dust of the mountain mines with long, curly beards; and tiny halflings who could be mistaken for young children if not for their distinctive large feet. Bakehyun even spotted a few of the more elusive races from far-off kingdoms, like the strange merfolk from the coasts below, indistinguishable from humans aside from their strange dress made from the giant kelps of the deep and their affinity for tridents, the gigantic bear people from the mountains forest to the north, who bore a resemblance to the wild stock but were civilized in every sense of the word, and the brutish lizardmen from the volcanic regions beyond Baekhyun's own country, shady, sleazy, and quick to anger. Regardless of race and profession, as Baekhyun rode through the crowd with his back straight and his head held high, they all backed away with their heads bowed in respect.

That’s right. You owe me respect, he thought smugly as he guided his horse down the cobblestone path toward the heart of the city where his devoted follower was waiting with the location of his lost bride and his major draconic annoyance. When the crude palace came into view, he snorted in disdain. It was almost laughably small, no more than three stories with a small courtyard and a simple fountain in the effigy of a water spirit carrying a pot, from which the water poured.

“And he calls himself a lord,” he scoffed aloud as he slowed his horse to a stop and immediately swung down, signaling for his knights to do the same. A few stableboys scurried forward to bring their horses to the stable adjacent to the pathetic castle, and Baekhyun rolled his shoulders as he realized how sore he was. In his eagerness to be done with the wilds once and for all, he had ridden the company almost nonstop for three days. The constant riding had left his muscles tense and sore, a feeling that the prideful prince certainly was not accustomed to. All because of that damn lizard and his , he thought bitterly as he shook his legs in an attempt to work out the kinks. He glanced up as a young squire approached, bowed low, and then regarded him nervously.

“My Lord Baekhyun. We've been expecting you. Ser Chanyeol arrived two nights ago,” he reported, his voice high and squeaky. The fact that he was nearly beside himself with fear amused him quite a bit, and in his humor, he smiled down at the young boy.

“Well then, lead the way. I will treat with Chanyeol myself,” he decided and looked back to dismiss his entourage of knights to do as they pleased in the guild city until Baekhyun decided what action to take next. Grinning widely as they prepared to sample the pubs and brothels that the large settlement had to offer, they vowed respectfully to their young lord before descending into the hodge-podge of gigantic tents. Baekhyun followed the squire up the stone steps into the small palace, glancing around as he followed the boy into the main hall. Though the false lord was of meager means, but at least he had decent taste.

The palace was constructed of stone the color of ash, laid with such master precision that no breeze squeezed through the gaps in the stone. Tasteful glass windows were inlaid at regular intervals, giving nice views of the outside courtyard and gardens. Covering the floor was a lush purple rug with silver adornments with fabric that muffled every footstep. Hanging on the walls were rich tapestries depicting hunting triumphs, family histories, and fantastic legends of the surrounding area. The main hall abruptly opened up to a wide hall with a vaulted ceiling held up by ornate columns, and a few steps led up to a stone throne inlaid with pure silver. A boy lesser in age than Baekhyun sat with more regality than the young lord had been expecting, a small crown on his brow and his tunic emblazoned with a bright rendition of the North Star. Though he was young, Baekhyun could not deny that he demanded enormous respect.

Still, Baekhyun bowed to no one.

“Lord Baekhyun. So you have finally arrived,” the young boy supposedly named Xiumin regarded him with icy eyes, his voice resounding powerfully throughout the room. Still, he could not hide the shadow of fear from the powerful prince. Chanyeol must have given him quite the beating to fear me so, he thought with a smirk. He just loved it when people in power quailed before him. Baekhyun was so involved in his own amusement that he did not notice at first that his knight was not present in the room; when he did, he glanced around with narrowed eyes, not spotting the red-haired individual among the various knight mulling around the throne room.

“Where is my knight?” he demanded, wary of a trap. He was not worried that he would not come out unscathed- it was more the irritation of having to deal with another annoyance. He rested his hand on the hilt of his longsword, staring hard at the whelp and watching his movements. Xiumin's mouth twitched, but he raised his hand at the young lord, signaling no quarrel.

“Drawing your sword is not necessary. I have not harmed your knight,” he sighed wearily and reached up to rub his temple tiredly. “It seems Chanyeol not informed you of his current situation. After he arrived here four days prior and inquired about the dragon's lair, he set out to confront the beast. Next thing I know, he drags himself up to my gate clinging to life, having barely escaped a brush with the beast. For the past two days, he had resided in my home under the care of my family's doctor,” he explained, and Baekhyun could sense from his wearied tone that he was quite unhappy about the matter. Baekhyun, admittedly, was surprised; Xiumin could have turned Chanyeol away, and the knight would have died of his wounds with the young lord being none the wiser that the boy had committed such a treachery. Perhaps fear had motivated him, or perhaps Chanyeol had been such a pitiful sight that Xiumin's honor would not allow him to turn him away. Either way, Baekhyun was as close to grateful as his pride would permit him to be.

“I see. Thank you, Lord Xiumin,” he responded, mouth twitching in disgust as he referred to the obviously false royal in such a dignified way, but Baekhyun gave credit where credit was due. “I will make sure that you are rewarded for your service. Is he conscious?” he inquired politely, and Xiumin bid the squire to him to where his wounded knight lay waiting. Baekhyun followed silently, his mind whirling as he frowned deeply. Damn Chanyeol. I told him not to tangle with that damn dragon, but he went and did it anyway… I knew his hot-headedness would get him into trouble, he thought with a small sigh. As the squire stopped beside the door to the bedroom where Chanyeol was currently residing, Baekhyun stepped into the threshold, his expression grim.

Nothing could have prepared him.

Chanyeol looked worse than he had ever looked, his red hair slicked to his forehead with sweat as he lay in the bed, his breathing labored. He had apparently slept fitfully, as the sheets lay in a tangle at the foot of the bed, revealing the sorry state the knight was in. He was shirtless, and even in the sparse light from the covered window Baekhyun could see the mosaic of bruises on his side that could only be indicative of a broken rib or two. In addition, deep scratches from an obvious swordfight bloomed red on his arms and a few areas of his chest; they were surface wounds, but still serious enough to require stitches. Baekhyun was unsure how to feel as he gazed with slightly wide eyes at the young man who had charged into battle and suffered the consequences- angry, concerned, sad. Chanyeol was the closest thing to a friend that Baekhyun possessed, and it was hard seeing the man praised for his battle prowess reduced to such a state. Finally, he forced himself to step forward, and the sound of his footsteps across the stone floor roused the knight from his light sleep.

“My Lord,” Chanyeol slurred as he slowly pulled himself out of unconsciousness. The man was probably drugged to ease his pain, milk of the poppy, most likely. His speech was slurred and his eyes were unfocused, and he was drenched in a cold sweat. As Baekhyun stopped at his bedside, he attempted to sit up, but immediately hissed and clutched at his bruised side.

“You don't need to get up,” Baekhyun told him quietly, and with a relieved expression, Chanyeol collapsed down onto the feather mattress and exhaled deeply. In a rare display of kindness, Baekhyun grabbed a pillow and tucked it under his injured knight's head. He looked him over once more, pursing his lips as he regarded the pitiful sight. Such a waste. “What were you thinking, Chanyeol?” he sighed and shook his head. “I told you to only observe. What possessed you to challenge a dragon? I have an army for that.”

“He was human,” Chanyeol grumbled, not meeting the prince's eyes. Baekhyun's eyebrow crept up his forehead at the sudden revelation. So I was right after all. Baekhyun had never expected to be wrong, of course, but hearing his suspicions gratified was a nice feeling. “It was just him, Jang-mii, and another man, and I thought I had a chance, but he transformed and caught me off guard. You can figure out the rest,” he mumbled, his expression the picture of defeat. Baekhyun felt sorry for him, but at the same time, perhaps it was just what Chanyeol needed to quell that fire that had gotten him into trouble time and time again.

“How did you get away?” he asked. Chanyeol had obviously sustained very heavy injuries, and would not have been in any condition to run. It was inconceivable that the knight would have been able to escape from the grip of an infuriated dragon. What Chanyeol said next shocked him immensely.

“Jang-mii,” he murmured. Is he smiling? He thought in slight incredulity. Perhaps the absurdity of the act was causing the edges of the knight's mouth to curl into a smile. “She was the one who actually broke my ribs. Jumped off that dragon's head and plowed right into me,” he mused, but his soft chuckles turned into pained coughs. He held his side tenderly, his face screwed up in pain. “Agh… When Kris finally got ahold of me, he was definitely going to kill me, but Jang-mii stopped him. She was very adamant about sparing my life, and she let me go…” he murmured. At this, Baekhyun turned around, considering the tale that his most trusted knight had just told him.

She's spirited. She attacked Chanyeol without hesitation, he thought wryly. He realized that this woman was definitely going to be a problem, but the idea of taming such a wild girl excited him. I suppose I do have to thank her for sparing the life of my best asset, so maybe the first time I’ll treat her gently, he thought with a chuckle. He blinked, drawn out of his fantasies when Chanyeol suddenly spoke once more. “My Lord… What do you intend to do?” There was something hiding in the edge of Chanyeol's voice that was strange, out of place, that he could not identify. He turned back around to regard him levelly.

“I’m going to wait for my outriders to return. It is certain that the princess and her dragon have likely fled, considering you ruined our surprise attack,” he remarked with thinly veiled irritation, which made the guilt-ridden knight flinch. “When they report to me, hopefully with their new location, I’m going to march on him and capture them both. I will bring Jang-mii back to her castle, wed her, and beat that willfulness out of her while I wrench her kingdom right out of her pretty little hands,” he smirked. “As for Kris, I’ll torture him. Slowly. Painfully. I’ll make him wish that witch had just killed him. Then, when he's broken, I’ll execute him. I’ll make Jang-mii watch to kill any little bit of hope left inside her, too,” he grinned, his diabolical plan making him giddy. Jang-mii and her dragon prince had delayed his plans for quite long enough, and he was going to make sure he paid them back with interest. Chanyeol listened with a muted expression, and Baekhyun could not venture to guess what he was thinking. His bloodthirstiness seems to have lost its edge, the young prince observed.

“I see,” Chanyeol finally murmured. He seemed despondent. Perhaps since he cannot actively participate any longer? He thought. “As you can see, I am not going to be partaking in battles anytime soon. The doctor says that my life is in no danger, but it is going to be quite a long recovery. A month at least,” he informed him blankly. Baekhyun smiled and clapped a hand on his shoulder, gently so as not to cause him pain.

“Don't worry. You have done well. You rest easy, and by the time you recover, this country will be mine,” he grinned. Chanyeol gazed up at him with that same unreadable expression as Baekhyun whirled on his feet to exit the room, his mind whirling as he walked briskly down the hallway. His plan hinged on the hope that his scouts had managed to catch wind of the dragon's flight across the wilds, and if not, he was back to square one. He was so close now, and it felt like he could reach out and touch his prize. I will have this kingdom, my bride, and most importantly, my revenge, he thought with a growl. Still, he did not want to sour his good mood, so he pushed the dilemma to the back of his mind to occupy his time, he descended into the streets to find himself a pretty young thing for some well-desired entertainment.

By the time the sun was sinking below the horizon, his outriders had finally dragged themselves into the guild town. Much to Baekhyun's glee, one of them had tracked Kris to an area of the wilds just south of Jang-mii's home; ironically, this was around the area where he had disappeared ten years ago. Quite fitting that this story will begin and end in the same place, Baekhyun thought with devilish glee. After devising his plans, Baekhyun was in a positively radiant mood, and rather than setting out immediately he decided to spend the night in the guild city. He permitted his regiment a well-earned night off, and then retired in Xiumin's lofty fake palace with a couple of high-dollar harlots he had picked up on his afternoon jaunt.

Baekhyun would never had expected his good mood would be so indescribably soured less than twelve hours later.

“What do you mean he's gone?” Baekhyun screeched at the squire, who was quaking with fright as he kneeled before the young prince, who had abandoned his armor for a tunic embroidered with the prancing wolf that signified his house.

“The doctor went to assess Ser Chanyeol's recovery and found the bed made and none of Ser Chanyeol's personal effects in the room. He seemed to have vanished in the night,” he stammered fearfully, keeping his eyes trained on the stone floor. Baekhyun pulled at his hair as he paced back and forth, more infuriated than he had ever been in his entire life.

He's abandoned me? I can't believe it! He's betrayed me! My most trusted knight! He fumed silently, so angry that he was on the border of insanity. He grabbed the nearest object, a vase, and flung it across the room; it shattered against the wall, making the squire squeak in fright. Destroying the object calmed his fury enough to make him think clearly.

“That ,” he realized slowly. He recalled Chanyeol's odd behavior the night before regarding their conversation about the princess. “She turned him against me.” He began laughing hysterically, obviously unhinged. “Oh, Jang-mii, Jang-mii, you conniving little ,” he snarled. What had she done to turn the man he trusted most against him? Surely it took more than an act of mercy. She must have spread her legs for him, for sure, and promised him land or money or power. Perhaps his injuries were even staged, all in an attempt to fool him. “It doesn’t matter,” he growled, thinking aloud. “You!” he shouted as he whirled on the squire.

“Y-yes?” the young boy squeaked.

“I want every bounty hunter in this blasted town to know that my knight Chanyeol is wanted,” he ordered. “Alive,” he added as an afterthought. Oh, if he ever got his hands on Chanyeol he would make him regret committing such a vile treason. “The reward will be appropriate, I assure you. Riches untold, a nice land settlement, maybe even a night with my sweet, sweet wife-to-be.” He grinned. Yes. That's it. Punish her too for seducing my knight and wrenching him right out from under my nose. “Go!” he shouted when he realized the squire was still there, and the boy scrambled to his feet in fright and hastily took off. Baekhyun was panting heavily, so infuriated was he. He twitched as he heard the two harlots stirring, and one of them sidled up behind him, rubbing his shoulders as she tutted.

“Oh, dear. What has you so angry, love? Come back to bed. I’ll take that anger of yours,” she purred, then shrieked as he roughly pushed her away.

“Get off me, ,” he hissed and threw a handful of gold coins at her and her companion. “I’m through with you. Get out,” he demanded, and the women hurriedly gathered their payment and their clothes before fleeing the boy's thunderous wrath. Baekhyun managed to cool himself down enough to be presentable to his small army, and it was not long before they had broken down their camp and were thundering down the road, heading south. Baekhyun gripped the reins of his horse so tightly that his knuckles glared white.

I will get you. All of you. Everyone who betrays me, everyone who stands in my way.

I am power. I am law. I am justice, and all of you will face it.

His runaway knight. The cursed prince.

But most importantly, the devastatingly beautiful, frustratingly stubborn, undeniably necessary princess, the one on which all his plans hinged.

I will be king!