Word Count: 4600

It was less than an hour between running back to grab Luhan’s things and their next attempt at getting into the lift. But this time, all five of them got in and Luhan was still over the moon with how happy he was to not have to leave. He pressed chaste kisses all over Sehun’s face in his happiness and he didn't care that the others were. The others would have been complaining already if they didn’t know what Sehun promised Luhan.

“What made you change your mind?” Luhan questioned, pressing another kiss to Sehun’s cheek.

“Joonmyun told me something this morning that worried me,” Sehun admitted. “Said you were on a time limit and it may run out if I didn’t agree to take the position.”

Luhan paused and he had the decency to look guilty. “I wanted to keep that from you,” he said softly. “I didn’t want to influence your decision.”

“Thank you for trying,” Sehun said. “But I would have been devastated if I had chosen wrong and then found out what happened to you much later.”

“I had hoped you would never find out,” Luhan sighed. “But I suppose it doesn’t matter now. You have agreed, and I can already feel the difference. However, my life will not be officially granted until you go to present yourself to the courts.”

“Where I’m still convinced they will turn me away,” Sehun grumbled. Though he had agreed all on his own, he was still nervous and frightened by certain aspects of this whole thing. Having Luhan here with him made him feel much better, but it was not the cure all. Only time would fix everything else and he could tackle everything one at a time.

“They’re not going to turn you away,” Luhan assured Sehun. “They will look at you and ask for proof that of who you are, but you have everything they will need.”

“That reminds me, you said I needed to meet the three representatives. Joonmyun said the gifts come from the Star Child, the Moon Witch, and the Sun Witch.”

“Yes,” Luhan confirmed.

“You are the Star Child,” Sehun said, clarifying what he already knew. “And Kai was the Moon Witch. But when did I ever meet the Sun Witch?”

Luhan blinked a few times, not sure what to say at first. Then he burst into a sudden bout of laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Sehun demanded. Luhan ruffled his very colorful locks and continued to laugh. Sehun batted the hand away with a whine. When Luhan finally calmed down, he smiled at Sehun with an apology written into the lines of his face.

“Let’s just say I’ve lied to you a few more times,” Luhan said. “And you will be mad when you find out. But I promise, we can always take care of it later.” Then he placed a finger in the center of Sehun’s forehead. “After all, you will need to leave Ilesseas again soon anyway to take care of that curse of yours. You won’t be king in time.”

“Curse?” Sehun questioned. “The one from the Moon Witch?”

Luhan nodded.

“How did you know about that?” Sehun questioned. Luhan huffed.

“All that magic rolling around in you and you still can’t smell it when it’s right in front of your nose,” Luhan complained. “That curse stinks like rotten eggs.”

“Are you telling me I smell?” Sehun growled. For a moment, he completely forgot that Luhan had admitted to lying to him again.

“Maybe I am!” Luhan laughed.

“Enough over there!” Baekhyun groaned, settling back against the woven rattan. “We’ve let you two have your time, but your incessant babbling and gooey faces are making me feel sick.”

“You whine more than Sehun on the first day of exercise,” Yixing pointed out, pinching the back of Baekhyun’s hand. Baekhyun snatched his hand away and rubbed at the abused spot, not saying a word. “We’re almost there. Then you don’t have to be stuck so close to them.”

Not that it stopped Sehun and Luhan. The relief was palpable between them and they barely noticed their approaching destination. It was only when they were passing the lower levels of rock that they finally looked up. Luhan wasn’t so surprised, but Sehun had never seen anything like it in his entire life. As they rose through the air, their guide maneuvered them through a series of hanging cliffs. Sehun got to watch the people pass him by along the stone paths of the under levels.

But getting above the ground was even better. The kingdom opened up before him. All the sunshine and open sky greeted him along with a vast number of birds that flew in the sky. They passed over white buildings, tall and short alike, people everywhere. And in the distance, there was a castle, the same white with spires and bridges all through its grounds. It looked like no castle Sehun had ever seen.

It was obviously not made for defense, since who would be able to attack this kingdom from up there? But it looked no less regal and well taken care of. To the other side of the city, Sehun found another building, something that looked like a shrine from the air. But it was much grander than any that he had seen before. Not only that, but more people sat around the multiple pools, praying. At the very front, there was a small gathering of people around someone.

“That’s the shrine of the Seer,” Luhan said when he noticed where Sehun was looking. “That’s our first stop when we land.”

“I need to go there as well,” Chanyeol said. “I’ll come with you.”

“We’ll all go,” Baekhyun hummed. Yixing seemed to be in agreement. Sehun smiled at all of them and went back to looking while their guide found the landing ports.

Sehun didn’t know how to express himself when he finally stepped off the lift. It was a strangely good feeling as his toes hit the dirt path. For a moment, all his doubts faded into the background and he felt some strange sense of belonging. It was like he had always been meant to come here. He was home.

But someone came up to him almost immediately. Sehun felt a tug on his pant leg and he looked down, startled. It was only a little girl, and the smile she gave him was so bright that he blinked down at her in confusion. Then she reached up to hand him a flower. Sehun took it with still more confusion and the little girl ran off to hide behind her mother’s skirts. Sehun met eyes with the mother and she came over to him, pulling him into a loving hug. The problem was that Sehun had never seen this woman before.

“Um…” he breathed, pulling back more out of discomfort than anything.

“Oh! My apologies, Your Highness” she chirped, a slight flush on her face. Sehun flinched at that title, but he tried not to show it. She continued, “Everyone has been waiting for you for a long time. We are all glad you are here. My daughter and I shall be the first to welcome you to your lands.”

Luhan stepped forward to take control of the situation. He had noted Sehun's growing discomfort and wanted to take care of it.

“Ma’am,” he said, pulling back his sleeve to show her something on his wrist. It was a mark in some kind of intricate design of a star. It glowed and Sehun had never seen it before. But when Luhan lowered his wrist again, the mark disappeared. That answered that question. The woman seemed to understand who Luhan was by seeing that mark. “We appreciate the gesture very much. But he is a little frightened right now. It is not you or your daughter’s fault. He is very young and concerned that he may be not be deserving of such high respect. Would you be so kind as to come back when he has settled a little?”

“Of course!” the woman said, her smile never leaving her face. “I should have known. How silly of me. Come, Raina.” Her daughter hopped after her after waving excitedly to Sehun. Sehun waved after the little kid, feeling dazed. Once they were gone, Sehun turned to Luhan.

“Thank you for coming to my rescue,” he muttered. “But… how did they know…”

“That you’re supposed to be their next king?” Luhan finished. “There's something they can see that you can't. And I can promise you it isn’t your hair alone.” Then he looked to the rest of the group as they got moving again. “Can you see it?” he asked them.

The other three that were walking behind them nodded. Sehun frowned in confusion palming at his face to be sure nothing was there.

“It’s not on your face either,” Luhan chuckled. “Forget about it for now. Let’s get you to the Seer.” He grabbed Sehun’s hand and dragged him off at a little faster pace. Baekhyun, having the shortest legs, was the only one to complain.

On the way through the city, Sehun noted quite a number of people that looked at him. The children were mostly interested in his colorful hair. But the adults would brighten at the very sight of him. It was a little disconcerting and Sehun wished so many people weren't all staring at him. He took a breath to steady himself. He would have to get used to this.

“Are you okay?” Chanyeol asked, noting Sehun’s nervousness.

“I’m fine,” he answered, trying to smile at the latest passing old man that offered him one in return.

“By the end of the day, the whole town is going to know you’re here,” Baekhyun mumbled. Chanyeol pinched the back of his neck in warning. “Ow!”

“Don’t make him more distressed, please,” Chanyeol muttered. “He’s already worried enough.”

“Sehun?” Luhan said, getting Sehun’s attention. “Do you want to hide your identity for a while? I know how you can conceal it.”

“How?” Sehun asked.

“Put on your cloak and wear your shoes,” Luhan answered.

“What?” Sehun asked, “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can,” Yixing said, stepping forward with Sehun’s things. “The Seer has told them about you. He probably gave them things to look out for. Bare feet. Rainbow hair. Perpetually skin and bones. But since you accepted your role, Sehun, there has been a tattoo of a bird on the back of your neck."

"That confirms who you are, and the people know this," Luhan added as an explanation.

“A bird?” Sehun questioned, a hand going to the back of his neck. He couldn’t feel anything, but if everyone said it was there, it must be there.

“Yes,” Luhan breathed. “You’re not watching them all like I am. You see their hopeful smiles when they look at your hair and your shoeless feet. But when you pass, they all point and start talking because they’ve seen the tattoo.”

Sehun’s hand drops to his side, fingers clenched tight, willing away the fear. He couldn’t be afraid. People were so happy to see him. Yixing extended his hands with Sehun’s cloak in one and his shoes in the other. Sehun looked at them, tempted to take them and conceal himself for the time being. But as soon as he found himself reaching for the clothing, he mentally slapped himself.