Chapter 42: Lord Baekhyun's plan

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Taemin came back to Melalhil quite late on the following morning. He had spent a large part of the night reassuring an anxious Jongin who kept breaking their kisses to have Taemin promise him that he wouldn't abandon him, that they wouldn't be separated.

"I won't make any reckless decision," Taemin had said hazily as he dropped soft kisses on Jongin's eyelids. "And come what may, I will always find my way back to you."

In each other's arms, they had found solace; but still and all, and maybe even more after that night, Taemin was determined to find a solution and sabotage his marriage with Jonghyun at all cost. Jongdae's thoughts and reflections had rekindled the flame of his rebellion and his unwillingness to bend down to a situation that brought all of them so much pain. The contemplations and considerations that had simmered for months in his mind, feeding on his worries, suddenly didn't want to be shut down anymore simply because Jonghyun had told him it was better that way.

Taemin was ready to argue and wrangle over.

He met Jonghyun in the bright room where they took their breakfast, on the open terrace facing North. It was shady behind the massive silhouette of the castle; Taemin particularly liked to see the gardens and trees slowly light up as the sun raised in the sky.

The table was overflowing with delicacies, even after Kibum and Jonghyun had generously eaten as much as they could stomach. When Taemin swiftly walked through the doors and greeted them both, Kibum regretfully tore himself off Jonghyun's lap. By the time he left, Taemin had managed to pour himself a cup of tea and had gobbled two little milk rolls with butter while gazing over the forest and trying not to eavesdrop on the confessions and tender words the two lovebirds exchanged.

Once Kibum vanished into the morning breeze, Jonghyun cleared his throat, poured himself another cup of tea, and sipped on it, more to occupy his mouth than because he was thirsty.

"Did you sleep well?" Taemin simpered with a teasing little smirk.

Jonghyun coughed on his tea and scowled at him. Taemin laughed.

"I have," Jonghyun grunted. "What about you?"

Taemin hummed softly and kept chatting about the weather for a moment before he brought back the previous afternoon on the table, first by asking how Minseok and Jongdae were doing, then by prattling about the songs they had danced to until he quieted down and stared pointedly at Jonghyun over his plate of fruits.

Jonghyun let out a soft sigh as he turned away to look at the sea of trees below them.

"So," he said. "you want to try a three-way alliance?"

Taemin brightened slightly.

"Yes. Yes, I do."

"I talked with Kibum last night. I still struggle to untangle my feelings and uh-... It feels like I keep making the same mistakes over and over again. I didn't want to shut you down. And I'm sorry I did."

Jonghyun glanced at Taemin and relaxed when he saw him smiling.

"Apologies accepted."

"I need to learn to keep away, I suppose. I never meant to be controlling, I just-..."

His voice trailed off.

"You worry. I know."

"I realized yesterday that some of my concerns are legit but the part about the consequences of all of this on your relationship with Jongin isn't. It is, indeed, your relationship. You're the only one who can decide if the risk is worth taking."

A quiet, comfortable silence fell between them. Taemin mused about how to phrase his thoughts, while Jonghyun recalled Kibum's promise to help him.

When Taemin spoke again, Jonghyun looked back at him and frowned slightly.

"There is something I fear," Taemin breathed out with glazed eyes. "I fear that the moment you're waiting for will never come. I fear that time will pass and we'll always find new concerns, new worries, and the risk will always seem too big. I fear that we'll spend centuries reiterating promises to Jongin and Kibum that we'll never keep."

Jonghyun gritted his teeth but remained quiet. His heart clenched in a cold vise as Taemin softly spoke the words that already haunted him.

"I fear that in a couple of centuries, once you'll have more power as the King of the forest, I'll still only be allowed to see Jongin for a couple of hours, between duties, when I'll manage to switch places with Kibum because we won't have found a better way. I am afraid that one day, Jongin might resent me for it. And I'm even more terrified that he might never dare to mention it and I'll have to see the light in him dull, knowing I failed him."

Taemin paused when he noticed the struggle written so clearly on Jonghyun's face. He tilted his head gently.

"But I'm not stupid. Nor ungrateful. And I know -I've seen- that you care about your forest and its people more than I could ever understand, more than I have ever cared about my own kingdom and heritage. So tell me, Jonghyun, what is it that you fear?"

Jonghyun sighed.

"Losing the faith of everyone around me once they'll learn I lied to them. I fear retaliation; from my people but also your family. And yet, that's nothing compared to the fear of waking up one day and have Kibum tell me he doesn't want to wait anymore. And I don't know what to do because... Some of those fears are from the prince in me, others from... me. Me being in love with a nymph. Which shouldn't have ever happened. Sometimes... I feel like this whole situation only proves that I'm not worthy of him."

Taemin straightened up with a hard frown and looked around the table. He grabbed a crystal glass, filled it with water, and under Jonghyun's concerned look, threw it to his face. Jonghyun jolted on his seat with a gasp.

"By the holiest Light-..." Jonghyun huffed.

"I feel like Kibum would have wanted me to do this," Taemin retorted.

Jonghyun stared at him with wide eyes, too dumbstruck to find anything to answer.

"The first thing I have ever learned about nymphs is that the forest only let the kindest souls meet them. Don't go around saying you don't deserve Kibum when the forest allowed you to meet him and when he chose you. He chose you. Very deliberately, I might say."

Jonghyun blinked quickly and then chuckled.

"Well, that's true."

"I know."

Jonghyun shook his head and grabbed a small towel to wipe his face.

"Listen. If we end up breaking our marriage, we'll have to do it right," Taemin went on. "Talk with your parents, assess the situation to limit the damage, and figure out how to come out with it to everyone in a decent way. We're not going to storm into the gardens and suddenly drop the news. We have to discuss it with Lord Baekhyun too, I'm sure he'll be of great help."

The mention of the Lord of nymphs had Jonghyun perk up.

"Lord Baekhyun?"

"Well, he's the Lord of the nymphs after all. Jongin and Kibum's troubles are his troubles. Besides, I'm pretty sure he saw all of that coming. Jongdae said that he can see the future. Maybe he'll help us out with a little pirouette. I mean, if he supports our decision, who in this forest could dare to go up against him?"

Jonghyun was quiet for a moment. His lips trembled with words he thought about but didn't dare to utter before he slowly, almost shyly, gave a faint smile.

"Lord Baekhyun... Yes, you might be right."

"Jongdae seems to be pretty close to him, maybe we can ask him to get us a meeting, see what he has to say on the matter and how he can help."

Jonghyun relaxed against the back of his chair and when he looked at Taemin, he seemed moved.

"You thought this through a lot."

"Not really. I mean, I haven't come up with proper solutions... I merely wondered who could help us."

"Asking for help," Jonghyun mused with a small pout. "Yes, that one thing I cannot bring myself to try."

Taemin winked at him before he sipped on his tea and grabbed a few pieces of peeled apples from a nearby plate, throwing them into his mouth as he hummed.

"So," he said with a full mouth that had Jonghyun looking disapprovingly at him, "first we talk to Jongdae, then hopefully Lord Baekhyun, and then to your parents."

"Taemin", Jonghyun said softly. He seemed to be reluctant to address his main concern. "That's still... taking care of the easiest side of our problem. Do you think-... Would your mother-... How do you plan the rest?"

"I mean, Jongdae had a point. An alliance with nymphs is a blessing. Plus it would assure us an alliance with you as well anyway. Properly explained, I don't think even my mother would find fault with it."

Taemin kept eating and Jonghyun could tell he was avoiding his eyes. But he wasn't about to let the other prince get around the issue.

"Will she believe you?" he asked and he immediately saw Taemin sigh dejectedly. He insisted. "Will she believe in nymphs? Your people have had no contact with them for centuries."

He still remembered how bewildered Taemin had first been when he had heard about the spirits in their forest. And even though he kept telling himself that it wasn't his place to worry about it, Jonghyun couldn't help but fear that Taemin's parents – his mother, especially – might feel lied to. Or worse, that they'd have no deference to nymphs and would feel offended to be asked to pledge allegiance to them.

Taemin stole a timid glance at him as his fingers came to play and fiddle with his saucer.

"I thought of something... If she doesn't. You know, as a last resort. I mean, if you and your parents can agree to it."

Those weak, bashful words spoken in hushed tones brought a certain uneasiness to Jonghyun.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked worriedly.

"Well, would you-... Do you think your parents would let me come back to the forest and stay if uh-... if I ran out of my family and denied my heritage?"

Jonghyun stood gaping. He stared at Taemin silently, searching for the correct words to answer such a question, and he saw the way his friend got redder by the second, anxiously waiting for any reaction from him.

Thankfully, Jonghyun had managed to stop himself from asking something stupid and almost offensive like 'You'd go that far?'. Even though it could seem like a legit question, it was completely tactless. It was too belittling of his relationship with Jongin – the two were married, in some holy way. And if he thought about the situation, Taemin's family had sent him off to some faraway land and hadn't even bothered to visit him once since he arrived, so maybe it didn't feel like such a terrible fate to his friend because although it would change everything in theory, in reality, it wouldn't mean seeing his family any less, nor more, than presently.

But the theory was important for people such as princes. Running away from his family for Jongin sounded romantic, for sure. It would free Taemin from his shackles and the family duties that he despised so much. But it was an irreversible break that would crush all his links with his family and would bring chaos to his kingdom. In the worst-case scenario, Taemin's parents could turn their back on whoever would welcome their treacherous son, which was precisely what his parents had tried to avoid by trying to get the two princes married.

Jonghyun let out a long, desperate sigh as he looked at Taemin with lost eyes.

"I don't know. I have no idea what my parents would answer to that."

Taemin his lips and gave him a piteous glance.

"It would only be as a very last resort, you know. I don't think we'd ever have to go that far."

"But if you start going that way, if we come out to my parents, if you go to the Mountains to talk to your parents and they end up disagreeing... running away will be your only chance to see Jongin again."

Taemin softly nodded.

"I won't do anything unless I'm certain that this solution could work – if it came to it."

Jonghyun brought his face in his hands and rubbed his eyes slowly. He could tell that Taemin was still stiff and even slightly scared in front of him. He tried to make allowances. He tried to remember his place. He tried to find the limit in the tumult of thoughts running in his mind between his feelings and Taemin's; which were his burden and which were his friend's.

"Let's talk to Lord Baekhyun first," Jonghyun said. "Then, we'll deal with my parents. One step at a time."

~

They met with Lord Baekhyun on the following afternoon.

When Jonghyun summoned Jongdae to his office for an urgent matter, the fairy had come wearing a sly little smirk and hadn't even waited until they explained the situation before he told them that Baekhyun had kept his day free specifically for them.

"He told me two weeks ago," Jongdae said proudly. "But he said I must wait until you mention it. He will come in the middle of the afternoon and he's looking forward to it very much. He also asked that you get some of your elven green tea with honey and orange. The one that comes from the Southern Lands, he said, because he is very fond of it."

As it wasn't an official meeting, Jonghyun didn't summon troops of elves to prepare the grand room sumptuously and he was rather concerned as he busied himself to make his office deemed acceptable to receive such an important being as Lord Baekhyun. He was keen to have the room clean, tidy, and comfortable, and spent the whole morning rearranging the furniture, fluffing pillows, and bringing more and more little sweets and treats that he bashfully pilfered from the kitchens as not to raise suspicions.

When the Lord of nymphs arrived, lead to the window of Jonghyun's office by Jongdae, he was in the form of a small firefly. And when he saw him turn back in human form to sit on the large sofa, Jonghyun startled.

It had been quite a while since Jonghyun had last seen him and he still remembered vividly the strong impression the Lord of nymphs had left on him; mighty, proud, and awe-inspiring. It didn't help that he stood alone with him for a moment, as Taemin was running late.

Prince Taemin had been cornered by Minseok on his way to Jonghyun's office; the gentle gardener was unknowing about his urgent matter and, believing to do the right thing, he had stopped the prince to tell him about the set of beautiful stained glasses that he had managed to salvage from his last trip to Millglenn. Minseok, lately, was extremely dedicated to the plans of Taemin and Jongin's future treehouse that he had been asked very kindly to oversee. He had been excessively honored to be trusted with such a task and Taemin had been relieved to have someone to help him – along with Minho – as he knew next to nothing about houses, building them, and all that sort of things. Minseok was having the time of his life gathering materials for the build and it was rather customary for Taemin to be hogged in a dark corner of the gardens and thrown in a grand discussion about roofs and windows, and he particularly enjoyed it, on top of being immensely grateful for it.

Thus, Taemin didn't even try to cut the discussion short, so enthusiast that he was about the subject, as his friend described to him the pretty stained glasses decorated with flowers, but he at least managed to hold himself from immediately following Minseok to his house to see them, and instead, set a later date and a time to meet with him, and took his leave to catch up with a stressed-out Jonghyun and a very amused Baekhyun.

He found them sitting in Jonghyun's office – stiffly, for Jonghyun, proudly, for Baekhyun – each with a cup of tea in hands.

"I am deeply sorry for my lateness," Taemin huffed, slightly out of breath, while bowing in front of the Lord of nymphs.

Baekhyun turned his gaze to him and studied him for a moment while sipping on his tea.

"It's alright, dear," he said with a smirk. "It's a lot of work to build a house, isn't it? Now, take a seat."

Taemin straightened up to stare at him with wide eyes but didn't dare to answer anything, and Jonghyun threw him a curious look, wondering what it was all about.

Baekhyun elegantly laid his cup on the coffee table and let his gaze wander over the two princes.

"Please expose your worries to me and I shall do my best to ease them."

The princes exchanged a look and, for the first time, Taemin saw a gleam of discomfort, perhaps even fear, in Jonghyun's eyes. And he realized that it was his time to shield him. Jonghyun had taken actions and protected him countless times before, always speaking for him when Taemin couldn't find his words, inventing excuses to save him from difficult situations, taking care of anything troubling as not to disturb his peace. But the forest prince found himself small and impressed in front of the holiest being of his beloved home and Taemin decided that for once, he would be his knight in shining armor.

"Well, first," Taemin tried to speak in a clear voice but he couldn't help the slight tremble of his fingers around his cup of tea, nor the way he his lips, "are you aware of our relationships with Jongin and Kibum?"

Baekhyun burst out with a singing laugh.

"Oh, Lee Taemin. I was aware of it the moment you set one toe in my forest. As for Kim Jonghyun," he diverted his amused gaze to the other prince, "I knew for even longer. How glad I was when you finally decided to open your eyes."

The words echoed those he had said all those months ago at the ball and Jonghyun looked at him with wide eyes, thunderstruck.

"You are really sweet, Kim Jonghyun. It's a real shame your eyes are closed. You don't look properly, you don't listen properly."

He wondered when Baekhyun had first seen his future with Kibum.

Jonghyun only half-listened to Taemin, who tried to explain all of their situation, their concerns, their fear to the Lord of nymphs. He was lost in thoughts, frowning slightly more every time Baekhyun glanced back at him with puckish eyes.

He had spent so many months staring at the glass ceiling of his room, looking at the stars without seeing them, wondering what he ought to do about his overwhelming affection for the nymph. He had spent so much time wondering why the rules of his people concerning spirits were so entangled, devoid of any sense, why it was forbidden to talk about seeing a deity, why it had become so rare anyway, why the forest had trusted him with taking care of Kibum, if it was even alright for him to fall in love with a nymph. He had overthought every second they spent together, every slight development of his feelings, every consequences it might bring. He had doubted himself until he was too exhausted to keep thinking. He had feared so many things. And there sat Baekhyun, the Lord of nymphs who saw past, present, and future, looking at him with infinite gentleness and patience radiating from his whole body, telling him that he knew about it all along, that he had waited for all of it to happen. He could have stopped it an infinite number of times but he hadn't.

Jonghyun and Kibum were meant to be.

And Jonghyun felt a sob rise in his throat. He did all he could to repress it and swallow it down but a sigh escaped his lips and an immeasurable weight lifted from his shoulders and vanished with his exhale.

Next to him, Taemin stopped talking. He wore a little pout and looked at Baekhyun expectantly, completely unaware of Jonghyun's internal turmoils and thoughts.

"Well, everything is going perfectly," Baekhyun said cheerfully.

"What?" Taemin couldn't help but stammer, wondering if the nymph had listened to him and understood all of their difficulties.

"You came to the right path," Baekhyun continued, unbothered. "Jongdae did amazingly. Better than I hoped. Yes, he did everything perfectly. So now, you must come out to the King and Queen, well it's only but a formality, isn't it? They'll agree to it easily; how could they not?"

"But aren't you concerned with all the people of the forest? How they will take it? We lied to them and-..."

Baekhyun shrugged in a very tiny, faint move, dismissing his anxiety with a small scrunch of his nose.

"What else could you do? You were falling in love with spirits and, for the sake of protecting them and assure their safety, and to oversee the smooth development of your young feelings, you kept all of it quiet until you were certain that it was appropriate to come out. Now, you formed an intelligent, sensitive plan to assure happiness for both my nymphs as well as the whole forest, not neglecting the alliance that everyone was counting on... I would say you did pretty great. And I am prone to tell so to anyone doubting your integrity," Baekhyun said eloquently, his mischievous smile never leaving his lips.

Taemin gasped, blown away by the audacity of the Lord of the nymph and his effortless ability to turn all of their fears and lies into false very well thought concerns.

"I shall accompany you through it all. I may come with you to talk to the King and Queen and then, we will organize a little gathering, with everyone important, and I'll publicly bless your unions to Jongin and Kibum so that no one will question you." He turned to Taemin after that and nodded shortly. "Of course, Jongin won't have to be present, do not worry. He's a nymph, after all. He can do as he pleases."

"Can it truly be so easy?" Jonghyun suddenly blurted out, his face contorted in a distressed, skeptical frown.

Baekhyun tilted his head amusedly and looked at him from under his eyelashes.

"Would you rather have it be arduous and painful?"

"No," Jonghyun jolted. "I'm simply... taken aback."

"I think you spent a lot of time tormenting yourself, it was high time for you to seek another perspective and some help."

Jonghyun lowered his eyes and a small smile bloomed on his lips as he nodded softly.

"Lord Baekhyun?"

Baekhyun turned to Taemin's tiny voice.

"Yes, my dear?"

"Do you think things might go as well and easily on my part too? I mean, about convincing my parents..."

For the first time that afternoon, Baekhyun lost his cheekiness, in aid of some seriousness. Taemin swallowed thickly but focused on the ever gentle expression in the nymph's eyes.

"I do not know. Unfortunately, I cannot see what happens or will happen outside of the forest. The moment you will leave, all the visions of your future with Jongin will disappear from my sight. And I do not know your parents, so I cannot even construct an opinion on how they might react. But I trust you, Lee Taemin. I trust your love for Jongin, and I trust that you won't take any reckless decision that might end up keeping you two apart. And I promise you that might something unfortunate happen, I will come to your aid. I am the only nymph who can leave the forest, and I will do so to come to fetch you and bring you back to him, even if you disappeared at the other side of the world."

His words brought a flaming wave of courage and determination in Taemin's heart; and the young mountain prince couldn't help but smile as he sat back down on the couch, comforted.

When the Lord of nymphs left them, the two princes huddled together on the couch with shy smiles and happy waves of laughter. They resembled two kids looking at the sun rising, warmth spreading in their hearts as they witnessed an oppressing, long night slowly withdrew.

It felt like dawn; when dreams and reality blend into one another and everything seems within easy reach.

~

Quiet days followed. Life in Melalhil was peaceful; the soothing effect of Baekhyun's words and presence lingered in the two princes' hearts and minds for a while.

Jonghyun had requested a formal meeting with his parents and, upon hearing that both Taemin and the Lord of nymphs would be present as well, the King hastened to clear his schedules for them. The Queen was a little insistent lately, always asking the two of them their opinions on details for their wedding but neither Jonghyun nor Taemin answered precisely. They remained vague, a little too serene and smiling for her to scold them for their indifference.

During the three days before the important gathering, Taemin spent most of his time either at Minseok's or at the oak tree where Jongin waited for him. The small meadow had been swamped with materials for a few days already, as Minho, Minseok, and sometimes Chanyeol – he was very helpful with handwork – were slowly but surely putting together the house's framework. Jongin, when he wasn't trying to mimic each of Minseok's moves, was very busy softly talking to the trees, the grass, all nature around, to appease them and explain everything they were doing. He was also making sure nobody got hurt, be it magical beings or plants.

Minho had been very patient with Taemin, teaching him how to use all kinds of tools and always keeping the most difficult jobs for himself. And the building went smoothly, in a lovely feeling of genuine camaraderie. Kyungsoo, Jinki, and Heechul sometimes came around, providing food, drinks, or using their magic to help make the heaviest loads a little lighter and easier to handle.

Jongin couldn't quite see how such a heap of planks and boards could make them a home as cute as the cottage in Nowhere but Minseok seemed to know what he was doing, and the nymph was too shy to voice any doubt he had. He remained quiet, following eagerly the progress of the build and dreaming about the day he could finally live in his favorite tree of the forest with Taemin.

He was there that day, with Kibum and all of their friends, trying to stay busy so he wouldn't think about the very important meeting happening in Melalhil. Jonghyun and Taemin had promised that they would come right after, probably in the late afternoon, to let them know how it went.

Knowing that Lord Baekhyun was to take part in the meeting had reassured both nymphs, even if only a little. But each minute spent waiting felt like a whole century and even the sight of the golden, wooden front door that Minseok had found for them – bargained for would be more appropriate – didn't manage to enthrall Jongin as much as it would have any other day. It was quite a beautiful door, truly; a gothic shape, sturdy wood painted of a deep, rich gold, a pretty lock, a round doorknob, and dark green, sophisticated hinges. It was a little small; Jongin thought that he would have to lower his head just slightly every time he would go in but Minseok assured him that it was part of its charm and Jongin believed him.

The fact remained that Jongin had trouble focusing even on the most wonderful things for he kept turning his head back to where he knew Melalhil to be, gazing forlornly at the little path through the trees, hoping that his elf would magically appear. But the sun very slowly began going down, and the two princes were nowhere to be seen. Kibum was very diligently applying something on wood planks with a brush after Minho had told him it would protect the walls, and Jongin helped Minseok hammering nails here and there; and they waited.

As hours went by, the two nymphs lost their will to work and neither Minho nor Minseok rebuked them for it. They both kept working, as cheerfully as they could, until it was getting too late and dark, and they had to get back to the castle. Minseok promised to ask Jongdae to contact them and let them know what was taking so long.

Then, they parted.

Jongin lingered for a moment, looking at the last rays of sunshine disappearing behind the trees and casting an eerie light over the oak tree. He sighed and left a prayer to the forest to be allowed to live there with Taemin, one day.

~

There was a rustling. Muffled, hushed footsteps on the grass and thin whispers.

The two nymphs froze for a moment. They hadn't been able to find sleep; they hadn't even tried. Kibum was swimming leisurely in his pond, creating some bubbles that softly floated above the water with a gentle blueish glow. He looked lost in thoughts, uncharacteristically quiet. He didn't feel like making small talk.

Jongin was sitting on the shore, idle, his soft frame regularly shivering with a sad, longing sigh. But at the disruptive noises, they both froze and turned their heads towards the arched path, entrance of their home.

"Are you sure it's this way?"

"Positive."

All the bubbles exploded silently. The two nymphs gasped.

"What if they're asleep? It's so late. Dear Light, it's so late."

"There's no way they're sleeping!"

A little laugh soared in Kibum's throat.

"Wait! Taemin, wait!"

"What now?"

They were still whispering.

"I've never been there... To their clearing. It's... It's important, you know? What if... Well, what if Kibum isn't ready to welcome me there yet? Maybe you should go alone. Ask them and then... then come fetch me. I don't want to impose."

"Come here now, Jeongyun!"

Jongin jolted on his at Kibum's sudden cry and abruptly turned to see him climbing out of his pond forcefully with a frown on his face.

"This elf, I swear to the forest. So considerate, it's infuriating!"

Jongin couldn't help the small giggle that escaped his lips. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Taemin popping out of the thick foliage concealing their home. The mountain prince was grinning but he gasped as he looked up and took in the magical clearing at night.

The water in Kibum's pond was still dimly shining. The water nymph ran past Taemin with a swoosh to jump into Jonghyun's arms and take his breath away in the process. Behind him, Taemin heard Jonghyun groan and huff but he was too far gone in the vision before him to worry about his friend. Jongin was sitting by the pond, gazing tenderly at him with his head softly tilted, and he was glowing of a warm, golden gleam that illuminated everything around.

Taemin hurried to his side and dropped on his knees to cup the nymph's pouty face.

"You're late."

"I know," Taemin said breathlessly as he laid a few kisses on Jongin's cheeks. "I'm sorry."

He leaned to kiss him properly on the lips but Jongin wrapped his hand around his wrist and looked at him shyly, with eyes so full of concerns that Taemin deflated as he sat back.

"How did it go, Taemin? What will happen now? Please, tell me."

Taemin took a long breath and slewed round to watch Jonghyun sit down with some difficulty considering Kibum was still clinging to him like a crab.

"Well, it's mostly good news..." he said with a tiny smile. "Wonderful news."

The two nymphs looked at each other, then back at the two princes with trembling lips.

"It took a little more convincing than we had anticipated, but my parents agreed to cancel the wedding. They accepted our relationships, mostly thanks to Lord Baekhyun, if I may say."

Kibum brought his hands to his lips, eyes widening impossibly. He stared at Jongin, then Taemin, then he squeaked.

"You don't marry Jeongyun?"

"He's yours to wed," Taemin chuckled.

Kibum blushed furiously and a thick mist quickly enveloped him and Jonghyun.

"What does it mean for us?" Jongin asked, and Kibum translated it very quietly for his prince. "What will happen, precisely?"

Taemin took his hand and held it tenderly as he explained, as clearly as possible, how things would go from there.

In a few days, the most important beings in Honeyhills would be invited to the elven castle, all the people who had come to the ball, months ago, and had eaten at the King and Queen's table. And Lord Baekhyun would undertake to explain the situation to everyone.

"Lord Baekhyun said that if you'd like," Jonghyun said timidly, a finger pushing one of Kibum's strands of hair away from his face, "you can be there. I can introduce you to the castle as my lover."

Kibum parted his lips and his eyes seemed to fill with all the stars in the sky.

"To the castle? With you?"

Jonghyun nodded. And while Taemin whispered that Jongin didn't have to be there, assured him that his presence wasn't required at all, Jonghyun made a thousand promises to Kibum about wondrous items of clothing and dancing together in the ballroom.

Then, Taemin explained what would happen next; he would pack and leave for a while to have the same discussion with his parents. Kibum went quiet and Jongin turned pale, his light dulling around them.

"Nini, I will come back. I promise you, I will."

"But what if they don't want you to be with me?" Jongin asked in a broken voice.

"I will come back anyway. It's all arranged, Love. I promise. The King and the Queen agreed to let me come back no matter what. For you. To you."

It had been difficult. It had been the reason why the meeting had lasted far longer than Jonghyun and Taemin had planned. But eventually, the sovereigns had agreed that the forest nymph's wish was their absolute priority. And Jongin's wish was Taemin.

Taemin's heart had broken a little when he had seen the proud King of the forest that had taken him in so warmly, beg him to do everything in his power to avoid any brutal consequence. They couldn't suffer another conflict. Taemin had promised he would.

For a while, Jongin remained silent. His eyes lowered to Taemin's hand holding his. He wasn't sure how he felt, his emotions were too confusing, and he frowned as a little sigh left his lips. It was difficult to rejoice in knowing Taemin wouldn't marry Jonghyun when it implied that his lover needed to go away to some faraway land where Jongin couldn't follow. It had always seemed impossible to him. The whole situation. He knew it couldn't unfold as easily for him as it did for Kibum. He had known all along. And he had tried to prepare himself when talks came back about trying to change their futures. But despite himself, he felt a pang of jealousy when he thought that the bad news was for him only.

"Can you stay for the night?" he asked in an undertone, without even daring to hope for it too much.

He glanced up shyly and widened his eyes when he saw Taemin grinning at him.

"Yes. Yes, I can, Nini. There's no more secret to hide. I can stay with you each and every night."

Jongin's heart stuttered. He blinked and looked at Kibum and Jonghyun, both smiling at him. There, written clearly in Kibum's eyes, was endless tenderness and support. Jongin's jealousy faded at the sight of it.

As if in a dream, Jonghyun and Kibum bid them good night and went away, hand in hand, to the castle where they soon wouldn't have to hide anymore. They only needed to remain a little careful until the public announcement but with the King and Queen knowing about them, it was slightly safer to walk around the castle. And safe for the two princes to sneak out without the fear of being reprimanded.

"I'm sorry," Jongin murmured once he and Taemin were left alone in the meadow, sitting close. "I know I should be happier... I just-..."

His sentence remained unsaid and Taemin cupped his face in one hand, slowly his cheek with his thumb.

"Don't apologize. I understand. There's still uncertainty ahead of us."

"I never minded being unable to leave the forest. I'm not interested in whatever lay beyond it... But now... I'm terrified of something happening to you... of not being able to get to you."

"Lord Baekhyun promised that he would come if I needed help," Taemin answered with a smile.

Jongin pouted.

"So I have to trust him."

Taemin let out a quiet laugh and Jongin glanced at him with pleading eyes.

"Please kiss me now. And then tell me again that everything will be okay. Tell me about when you'll come back."

Taemin kissed him. They held each other close in the night and hid in Jongin's nest.

Taemin pressed countless promises against Jongin's skin, little pledges that their future together would be radiant as a summer afternoon, that they wouldn't have to face hardships for decades to come, that nothing would ever be able to come between them. He prayed Jongin to make love to him. And when they laid disheveled on the ground, both sweaty, covered in love marks, and short of breath, Taemin rolled on top of the nymph, kissed his lips again, and told him how wonderful it would be, in a few weeks, to finish their home together. To move in together and settle down in their very own cocoon. How fun it would be to cover each room with flowers, to put their books on their shelves, order their kitchen, sleep in their brand new bed, read stories together, take care of their vegetable garden, and dance all day.

"I love you."

"I love you too, my Magnolia."

Jongin fell asleep with a sweet, content smile on his lips.

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Hi my lovelies ♥

I hope you liked this chapter!! We've never been so close to the end ;A; THINGS ARE GETTING BRIGHTER ♥♥
Let me know your thoughts!
& thank you for reading, for still being with me, for still supporting this story after all this time.

Take care of yourself until next time!

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