~*9*~

Kris' travel four years back was loud with awes and laughter due to the stories the children with him shared — or so he thought it was four years ago but it could really have been decades or a hundred years passed.

He reminisced about his first travel to the Phoenix country because the vehicle they were currently riding looked the same as the one he rode at that time. But, it was so solemn today. The only noise that he and his fellow knights could hear in that carriage, was Tao's endless sniveling.

Kris was holding his bag tightly, where he put the blue scroll he received yesterday from the friendly librarian. He did not have the gut to read it, especially in this kind of setting.

He could understand why the youngest was pouring this much emotion — who would not? It was out of their awareness that they would not get a chance to see their loved ones anymore.

kris pictured his mother standing alone on his town’s drought plains with a bright smile on her lips. She was fading away as the sandy wind blew.

A tear fell from his eye with that sad thought but he quickly wiped it away.

The time outside Bonghuang passed faster than her.

They did not have any idea if their family passed away due to the war, or due to the years that had gone in the blink of an eye.

If Lay did not transform into a unicorn and let his younger fellows ride him traveling to Tao's hometown, the knights would not be bothered like this.

Tao did not know anyone from this generation of his family, which was mutual with the new Huang clan. He, Chen, and Lay were kicked out like insects from the wealthy residence where the youngest boy used to live. Although confused, he politely asked about his noble parents but then received a harsh response from one of his descendants.

"Those fools died a long time ago!"

That snapped Tao's anger and he almost started a brawl against his rude relatives if Yixing and Chen did not stop him. They dragged him away.

When these three boys returned yesterday, the youngest himself told the incident they experienced. He said that his home was not how it appeared now so those people might be telling the truth. Luhan confirmed it, because among his fellow Lóng members — he was the only one who knew the mystical time difference between Bonghuang from other countries.

Luhan had the highest intelligence out of his colleagues which must be the reason why the Red Queen gifted him his Telekinetic power. He also developed an extraordinary intuitive skill, which must be due to the uncountable deaths he had seen in his surroundings. Even without asking, he already had an idea of what was happening around him.

"You know what, stop crying." He said bluntly with a straight face and this made the younger boy cry more. "The former Red Queen and White King are more than a-thousand-years-old twins. Isn't it obvious that we're affected by their immortality especially since our Red Queen provides us with her power? Besides, if in case you have forgotten, it’s clearly stated in our contract that we signed before we entered Bonghuang. There would be a possibility of not seeing anyone you know for this lifetime. You shouldn't be here if you did not accept the terms — or, did you overlook it?"

Tao then became silent as he sniffed while his tears continued to pour down his eyes as he looked at the floor.

"Luhan, that's enough." Kris could not bear seeing the pitiful youngest acting like this, so he had to get Luhan's attention to avoid further damage to Tao's being.

Luhan shrugged and seemed not affected by him. "No, Kris. We may be young but I bet you're aware of what you signed up for. The world must have less war than we had before, but it doesn't mean that we will get a lot of rainbows from now on. We are the White Knights, the Red Queen's elite group of loyal servants. The adults are not treated as kids since the coronation — because, we're given a huge responsibility to protect and fight for her majesty and the Phoenix country."

"Very well said, My friend." Xiumin dropped the tension out with his compliment and clapped his hands to Luhan. He then stopped the gesture and got serious in an instance. "Should I expect that you'll continue serving our queen?"

"Of course, I'll stay as long as she needs my service." There was no doubt Luhan meant it and the oldest nodded in satisfaction.

"What about you, Tao?" Xiumin then asked the tearful youngest member. "We're still far from Bonghuang so you can still make your decision. After learning the sad truth, would you be able to continue as a White Knight?"

There was a long silence. Tao breathed in deeply before he opened his mouth.

"I have no place to go, so what do you think?"

Xiumin approached him and patted his shoulder. The youngest boy looked so embarrassed about his appearance right now but he still paid to glance up to his older brother.

"There will be heaps of tougher problems that will ensue as you go on. And, we don't want you to quit halfway." Xiumin said. "Tao, it's alright if you don't want to pursue your duties as a White Knight anymore. Her Majesty will give you a fortune as compensation for your service. So, decide now what you really want to do with your life, child."

Tao's face frowned more, his whole body was shaking while biting his lips, hugging his legs closer as he curled. He never took his puffy reddening eyes off from Xiumin.

"I want to... I want to stay at the Red Queen's side until she acknowledges me and gets  married to me!"

Everyone was surprised by his answer but there was only one who snorted — and that was Luhan.

"Hey! Don't copy what I want in my life!" Yixing stood from the wooden floor of the carriage, his finger pointed to the youngest. "I'm the one who's going to settle down with Her Majesty!"

The two started volleying in their mutual ambition, making the whole situation a farce. Luhan's snort earlier developed into a loud guffaw, his mouth was opened so big — it conquered most of his face. Kris had to stand in between the two and glare at both of them so they would finally stop their foolishness. Meanwhile, Chen blocked Luhan's mouth because he was ruining the peace their leader was creating.

"So what about you, Kris?" The blond was asked by the oldest next since he took everyone's attention. "You have the same option to stay or go. So, which one do you choose?"

All eyes were on him, giving him pressure to answer.

"I still wanted to serve the Queen." He pretended that the tension was not affecting him, and answered it with a straight face. Luhan made a gentle snort at him but their colleagues did not seem to notice it.

"Why?" The doe-eyed boy asked the tallest his reason and the boys seemed curious to know it too.

"Her Majesty is still young and she's given a huge responsibility for her age. She needs some companions like us that will support her at all cause."

Everyone was amazed by his answer, although deep inside him he was unsure if that was his true feelings. His mind rece more at the time he applied for this duty.

“Perhaps this sounds redundant but I have to ask you with the same question again, and this certainly will be the last time.” Xiumin, who was standing at the center of the carriage, looked at each of s’ faces. Everyone seemed serious as he was, lending all their ears to what he was about to say. “You have the choice to go back as a civilian and be compensated generously. So, who among you wants to leave? Don’t be afraid to raise your hand.”

No one dared to move their hands up, and Xiumin looked relieved as he breathed deeply. This was obviously a task given by the Queen which was tough for the bearer himself. And then, Kris realized that this situation was what the White King meant.

“Very well.” Xiumin’s Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed before he continued talking. “Now, raise the hands of those who want to go back with me and Chen to Bonghuang.”

Without a second thought, everyone put their hands up in the air along with Chen and Xiumin. The carriage became so loud and alive with the boys cheering and clapping.

Kris was happy to see his brothers celebrating after they overcame such a shake in their lives. Lay played a percussion instrument called sanxian while the other boys joyfully sang along with his music. Despite this delightful ambiance, there was doubt within Kris about his decision. He thought about it again in the midst of the cheery songs. Did he really want to stay or go, and why would he go? He did not have a home where he could return anymore. He no longer had a mother that would wait for him. He might have security in the option he had chosen but there was something that made him unsatisfied.

He snapped to his thoughts when the music became soft and there he realized the boys were asking each other their respective initial intentions. Obviously, Yixing chose to stay, not because he wanted to tie the knot with the Queen, but due to a mysterious hermit who told his fortune.

"He told me that I'll meet my soulmate in the mystical Phoenix country," Yixing said. "I just pushed my luck and I was really happy to get admitted as a trainee. Instead of meeting the girl of my destiny, I met a lot of boys that I treated as my brothers. I'm sure you can't leave without me."

"Where did you get that confidence?" Xiumin nudged him and everyone was laughing.

They continued sharing their thoughts with laughter and the atmosphere got brighter then. Thinking about it, Kris could not remember if they ever had this talk before.

After Yixing, Luhan told them that he joined the training in life-and-death circumstances. The townspeople in the capital were almost wiped out at that time because even the children were losing their lives with the continuous killings. Luhan could nearly add to their number — IF he was not lucky enough and not saved by a pair of Bonghuang scouts who happened to look for new recruits.

Luhan was taken by them the instant they asked him to come along to their country. He had heard legends concerning Bonghuang and thought it must be a dream to go to such a place that seemed to only exist in fantasies. He lived a very traumatic life so he could not believe the said country was even real.

Kris had thought the same thing, and possibly all the other children who knew the stories about Bonghuang.

Tao joined the army because his wealthy life was getting boring. He was tactless but he fully reversed the situation from earlier.

Their leader kept his silence as he listened to their joyful conversation. He was not a person who share something about himself but s did not seem to mind it. They might have learnt their immortality, but Kris could still see how naive they were.

They went on relaying stories with light music, making the travel home seem short.

~~~

The palace was quiet when the Knights of the East got back. It was just past noon and there were two or three people around. The other half of their group was not in their quarters too.

One of the officers happened to be there and told them where the other boys were. He said that they could join the rest if they want or they could rest in their rooms since they just arrived.

Luhan, Xiumin, and Chen took the latter of his suggestions and the remaining three joined the missing boys.

The Knights of the West were near the border of Bonghuang and Lóng, in a shelter made for children who lost their families in the war. Some were very young like infants and toddlers. Even though it is unknown if these children were from the Dragon or Phoenix country, the royalty saved them from the chaos and gave them a place to live and to start all over again.

Kris, Lay, and Tao found their comrades playing with the orphans. Lay and Tao quickly joined the crowd and the children warmly welcomed them, while Kris had merely observed them.

He took notice that the two usual missing members were not there, thinking they might have some special commitment once again.

“Kris, it was good to see you and the others.” Suho approached him with one of the little kids his carrying over his shoulder.

The tall blond nodded, smiling at the small boy with the other captain. “I’m feeling the same.”

“And, where are the rest of you?” Suho asked next.

“Oh, Luhan and the other boys are resting. We handled a bizarre situation during our travel.” Suho seemed to have an idea of what he meant. He put the kid gently down on the floor and let it play with the others.

He sighed in relief. “You and your members did well in facing the truth. I guess Her Majesty’s decision of letting you learn about it this early was quite right. I don’t know if someone already told you this but thousands of our foreign seniors have gone insane after discovering Bonghuang’s enormous difference from its neighboring countries. We had expected all of you to eventually know the gap during your stay in Lóng.”

Suho had the same expression when Xiumin got a favourable choice from s. He happily reached his hand to the blond and said, “Congratulations for passing the challenge and we’re truly grateful for your service, Captain.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” Kris wholeheartedly accepted his hand. If he was happy to see this kind of response, he should not doubt himself anymore. “Anyway, how have you been since we were gone, besides doing this?”

Suho told him that they had some ceremonies they attended within the Phoenix country, gone to a country in the northeast for a bit, and then returned to do some humanitarian jobs like this. The West Knight seemed to do more than Kris’ group. He also told him the usual missing members were with them and they were cleaning the bathroom at that moment.

Kris thought the number of boys with the children was sufficient so he decided to head to Chanyeol and Sehun's whereabouts, and maybe they would need his help.

“Sehunnie, brush that one a little more.” Kris immediately heard Chanyeol’s voice. It sounded deeper than before since he was still growing up, and Sehun seemed to be taller as well as he stood after brushing the section his older brother was asking him. The redhead always talked to the younger ones endearingly especially to the youngest.

Kris silently watched behind them, grinning at what he was seeing. Chanyeol splashed a pail of water on the spot that the youngest was cleaning and the stain disappeared like it was not there before.

“See, I told you.” Sehun agreed to his older brother with a nod, noticing Kris in the process.

A sparkle quickly emerged from Chanyeol’s eyes as soon as he turned his head to the blond. He was too obvious with the adoration he had for Kris, but the tallest did not mind. He instantly looked at the other boy with them and told him to go ahead and wash his hands.

“Don’t worry, I can lend my hand to Chanyeol for the remaining tasks he needs to do here,” Kris assured the youngest because he looked worried as he looked at the redhead.

“And, this place only needs to be dried up with the cloth,” Chanyeol added. “You go and join the others or stroll around if you want.”

Sehun sighed but eventually nodded to his older brothers, leaving them alone. Chanyeol softly giggled as he gave a dry clean cloth to Kris and they then proceed in wiping the entire bathroom.

They were quietly cleaning for a while until the younger spoke up.

“Sehun seems cold but he's a lovable kid, you know,” Chanyeol said. “He was the son of a relative from a distant place. They sent him here for some reasons that my parents don’t want to disclose, but they told me to treat him like a direct family member. If you take him to town and buy his favourite drink, he’ll be friendlier to you.”

“So that must the reason for his disappearances.” The younger boy turned his head with a pang of guilt on his face. He probably became conscious that he was doing the same. “He returned home to his family while the rest of us were diligently training. But, he paid for those absences with the way he’s catching up and learning fast. I compliment him on that.”

“I’m sorry if Sehun and I seem to be unfair to all of you guys.” Chanyeol blurted out, his eyes focused on the wall he was wiping. The older shook his anxiousness off with a chuckle.

"Why because you're Royal Bloods?" The younger looked at him with an expression as if Kris hit him with an arrow. It had been the blond boy's speculation since the time Chanyeol and Sehun started disappearing.

For sure, he was not the only person thinking like that, but they never talked about it, because they were not even allowed to make conversation about the Royal family.

“Yes," Chanyeol admitted it verbally. "Like Suho-Hyung, Sehun and I are part of the Royal house. But unlike him, we are part of the most fragile branch of the clan.  That’s why you saw me pulled by my mother when we returned from the battle because she was against my decision to be a knight. My parents said that it was Sehun’s fate to be one but not me.”

“I have to disagree with them. You are so powerful with our last fight, Chanyeol.” Kris said, trying to cheer him up and he seemed to accept it with a smile. “Your strength is essential to the team and we’ll be incomplete without you or anyone from us.”

“Thank you for saying that I’m important.” Chanyeol came closer to him, looking so bashful, his face was as red as the colour of his hair. And, Kris strangely found him adorable. “I could not control the power within me sometimes which I knew, during the last battle, it surprised you. There were also moments my personality changed when the fire inside me spiked up.”

Kris put his hand on his shoulder, causing him to feel Chanyeol’s slightly shaking body. The younger boy glanced up at him with his demure big round eyes and flushed cheeks.

“I know you’ll manage to control it completely sooner or later.” Chanyeol happily nodded but he instantly looked hesitant.

The blond really appreciated the younger boy for opening up, it solved some of the mysteries about him, even though there were still more unanswered questions. For sure, it would be uncovered in the future and he was not rushing things. This was the first time he had this kind of conversation with the younger which seemed to make them closer.

Chanyeol was one of the younger boys and Kris could see that he was a reliable older brother too.

“Hello. Are you boys finished here?” Suho peaked at the door before he fully got inside the bathroom.

“Yes.” Kris and Chanyeol said in unison, which immediately got a happy response from the other leader with a clap.

“Great! D.O. will be cooking the children’s dinner and he was looking for someone to help him cut the vegetables. Can you do that favour, Captain Kris?” Suho stared at his hand which was on top of Chanyeol’s shoulder. The blond took it away and agreed. “Alright! See you later then.”

He was unsure but it sounded like Suho was getting rid of him. He left them behind anyway, and as he walked away, he could not help but glance back at them.

Suho and Chanyeol seemed to start arguing about something. The West Leader was calm but he was sternly looking at the younger, like scolding him. The redhead looked really angry about whatever he was saying while his eyes were getting watery. Realising Chanyeol's tears were about to fall down, Suho became worried and wanted to approach him but the younger made a gap between them.

He was getting far from the pair so he could not understand the matter between them. And, he did not want to interfere because it might be too personal. Why would Suho ask him to leave if it was not?

~*End*~