Taeyeon waved her hand to dismiss the guards as she stepped into the dank cell.

““Have you come to mock me? It was a well played hand, Taeyeon, exchanging my gift for a replica of your own.” Dae Sung looked terrible in his prison, his hair matted and bloodied from the torture he received.

“I...I'm sorry.” Taeyeon could barely hold back her sob of grief. “I...You stood in my way! I didn't want to---"

“Hurt me?” Dae Sung asked softly, his dark eyes looking at the tearing girl in front if him gently, eyes sad. “How did we end up this way, Tae?” Daesung’s voice was lost. “From best friends to enemies.”

“It all started with that marriage.” Taeyeon said bitterly. Daesung glanced at her.

“You chose Seunghyun, in front of everyone. It shattered Jiyong.”

“Did you think I wanted to? You saw how much we loved each other.” Dae Sung paused quietly, staring in silence as he watched her clutch her pendant.

““Even if you were threatened, there isn't anyone who would be capable of threatening you unless..” His eyes widened, ““They were of a higher rank and order.” He growled lowly. “I remembered that Sooyoung, Krystal, Hayeon, Juhyun and Yoongie disappeared for a long time.”

““The Queen Mother took them.” Taeyeon’s voice was quiet. “She threatened to reveal the girls origins.” Taeyeon lifted her eyes. “I cannot allow that to happen. You know who Seohyun and Yoongie truly are! If both of the girl's are exposed to the truth that they're the last remnants of the Truthseekers, Seohyun will unlock too much power, and I swore upon my life to her parents I wouldn't tell her about her origins. And as for Sooyoung, she's a remnant werecat princess. If word were to get out our family had harboured half breeds for so many years under the King’s nose, all of my family would have been sentenced to death. And for Hayeon,” Taeyeon murmured stiffly. “She was never the same after that incident.” Daesung sighed deeply.

“Now you poisoning that makes sense.” Dae Sung laughed softly. ““And to imagine I was wracking my brain to understand your motive behind killing the Queen Mother.” Taeyeon’s eyes were cold as she gazed out.

““She took away my future. The death I am giving her is merciful enough already.”

““And Jiyong?” Taeyeon started, obviously not expecting this question from Daesung.

“I...I don't really know.”

“You still love him.” Dae Sung said softly.

“I said I don't know! I…” Taeyeon struggled for words to summarise her feelings. “It's complicated.” Dae Sung sighed.

“Well, when are relationships not complicated?” He offered a good natured smile towards Taeyeon. “I see you brought wine. Drink a last cup with me?”

“Dae Sung..I didn't mean for you to get executed..”

“Hold it right there.” Dae Sung held up his hand, a little peeved. “Taeyeon, the road you're stepping on isn't easy.” He glanced at her quietly. “There are going to be more sacrifices on the way. You know that, don't you?” He smiled widely, and tears welled in Taeyeon’s eyes. “I'm just glad it's me that you've sacrificed. You need to learn to harden your heart to this kind of things if you want to achieve your goals.”

“I thought you wanted to protect Jiyong.”

Dae Sung laughed boomingly.

“Ha! Perhaps. I've just got a feeling that you might surprise me. And I've never really been wrong with my intuitions, haven't I?” Taeyeon smiled slightly, sipping her cup gently in salute.

Daesung gulped the cup of wine.

“Now, I presume that you pushed the guards away not just to reminisce about our past. Tell me what's on your mind.” Taeyeon took out the parchment she had gotten from the Queen Mother gently with her hands.

“I'm here to offer you another way to live. There's something you need to know.” She passed the piece of paper to him. “I tricked her in giving me her testimony of history, and I read it. It's up to you, but I'll probably need your help.”

~~~~

Daesung felt anguished as he contemplated silently in his cell the contents he read that Taeyeon brought him. His childhood best friend had long left, but his mind still reeled with the news she had given him.

Demon possession.

Now Jiyong unpredictable moods made tremendous sense. He was half demon after all, having a materialised body due to his human lineage, a fact that all demons envied. Demons were restricted to no form, just being wisps of swirling dark fogs or smoke unless they possessed a human. They could do that, Jiyong was a proof of that, and so were other previous half demons. The demon father took over the human bodies of human male's and impregnated human females with the sole purpose of obtaining a vessel---a human material body already connected to them by blood and ties, hence making the possession of the subject much easier.

Still, Jiyong was probably subconsciously fighting the demon king. His sudden mood changes, especially ones around Taeyeon and the softer more familiar side that Taeyeon triggered often were a living proof of that.

“Send the message to the Queen.” The guard guarding outside his cell stiffened as he called out. “I know you work for her. Tell her I'll do it.”

Daesung grinned lightly to himself as the moon cast it's wares upon his bloody face.

He wasn't wrong at all.

Taeyeon still loved Juyong.

Or else she wouldn't have demanded his help to rid Jiyong of that parasitic demon inside of him.

That itself was good news to behold.

Daesung sighed contentedly.

Things were going to change.

~~~~~

Taeyeon lifted her eyes lazily as she reclined on her lounge chair, the warm rays of the sun beating down warmly against her pale skin. She glanced at the soldier that reported to her.

“He agreed?”

“Yes.” The guard replied lowly, swallowing visibly at the sight of the beauty before him. “Lord Daesung agreed to your conditions.” Taeyeon expelled a soft breath in a gentle sigh.

“As I expected of Daesung.” She offered the man a fake but kind smile. “Thank you for your hard work, you've been such a dear.” Her eyes flitted gently to the back of the guard, and a small knowing smile crossed her lips. “You may go now.”

The man turned---yelping as he bumped chest first into a raging and dark Jiyong, whose eyes gleamed a visible gold.

“What the hell are you doing in the Queen's Chambers?” His voice was low and menacing.

“He just helped me deliver something to Daesung, Ji.” Taeyeon interrupted him gently. “After all he was my childhood best friend.”

“Was.” Jiyong emphasised moodily. “Don't you forget what he tried to do to you.” Taeyeon smiled wanly at him, gently lifting herself to place a hand on Jiyong's arm.

“Now, let him go, will you?” Jiyong allowed her to tug him closer, a moody look still on his face. The soldier scrambled backwards, towards the door, and Jiyong suddenly flung out his hand.

Taeyeon tensed as a gurgle of blood and the telltale thud of the man's body told of his death as he sank to the floor.

“Jiyong!” She chided like a mother to a child, cupping his face in her hands.

“He looked at you!” Jiyong mumbled petulantly. “No one looks at you and gets away with it apart from your family. “ He paused for a moment. “Especially males.” He added emphatically.

“Then who's going to guard Daesung?”

“Get Yuri or Hyoyeon to do it.” Jiyong massaged his temples with his fingers, sinking with a groan into his chair. “I trust them more since they're your siblings, and they hate him for doing what he did to you. He won't be able to get away with them watching over him.”

Taeyeon nodded.

“Just what I was thinking, Ji.” She beamed happily at him, and like a child given candy Jiyong perked up, reaching out to pull her into his arms.

“Well,” He preened, proud. “Great minds think alike.”

~~~~

Taeyeon sighed as Jiyong left, leaving the bloodied mess of the male guard's body staining her carpet floor.

“Oh don't mind me, I just came to see how the great Queen managed to power through letting Kwon Jiyong kill someone in front of her.” Taeyeon whipped around to face Jessica and Tiffany, who reclined against a wall lazily.

“Shut up.” Taeyeon mumbled, staring guiltily at the man that lay dead on her floor. “I didn't---”

“Stop. Don't you tell me you didn't mean for him to die. We all know that's just bull.” Jessica held up her hands as Taeyeon opened her mo