Sehun was a brat. There was no denying that across the 8 kingdoms. Every bit playful as opposed to his eldest brother Xiumin, he was also the life of any party as opposed his elder brother Suho. But a side not many knew about Sehun was that he was very protective of the people he loved. The first in that list was his brother Suho. Sehun did not grow up in the palace and had very few chances to meet Xiumin. They knew each other and Xiumin was always kind to him, but Suho was altogether another matter.

Sehun met Suho when he was toddler of two. It was on a bright sunny day when he opened his eyes to see a small face peering at him over the crib. It confused his young mind because till then, the faces he had seen were bigger and full of angles. This face was small and soft and rounded like his pillow. He immediately stretched his hands to explore. The face split into a wide smile that lifted the two pink mounds below the eyes so prettily that young Sehun was gone. What more, soft hands lifted up his tiny body and with difficulty, held him in a hug. Wet kisses and face slapping were all accepted by the pretty boy with sweet laughter. Sehun was charmed.

Sehun’s mother was a concubine and hence lived in a castle away from the city. For a while when she was in the favor of the king, he had allowed Suho to live with her and Sehun. By then, Suho was around 6 and slowly beginning to understand that his life was not normal. Till then he had only had his father and the addition of a mother and a brother was amazing to his young mind. Sehun was naughty to a fault and the best foil for Suho.

Suho was beginning to practice with his powers and Sehun was his rapt audience. Nothing made Sehun happy more than a personalized fountain in the bath tub. Sehun’s mother was a kind and joyful women who sang the boys lullabies and told them stories. Suho took his role of an elder brother seriously and helped her take care of Sehun every day. He gave the boy baths, fed him breakfast and played with him all the time. Sehuns in turn loved his ‘Tuo hyun’ to the moon and back again.

Suho grew up with Sehun until he was 10. For reasons unknown to Sehun, Suho was one day taken away from him. His mother told him later when he had grown up that Suho unlike him was a prince and the queen of the sea had taken exceptions to her son growing up with a concubine. Suho had ree day two years later. He had been dropped off by some soldiers from Chronus, dirty, shivering and scared. Sehun was a brat but he loved his hyung. So he took care of him, the best way an 8 year old could. With lots of hugs during nightmares, quite encouragement during panic attacks and tons and tons of kisses all the time. Eventually, Suho’s powers were becoming too great and consequently dangerous.

One day around Suho’s 15^th birthday, he fell ill. Sehun stayed by his side throughout and on the fifth day, he took a dragon form. He was once again taken from him by the emperor, but this time, Sehun found Suho and went to him. His beloved hyung was going mad locked up in a mountain cave, living like a prisoner in chains. The chains were there to ensure he didn’t take his dragon form. Sehun had studied everything about dragons and knew that Suho could not control himself in his dragon form. Each time he changed, a part of him will be taken over by the dragon. Eventually, he will shed himself completely and give in to madness of the dragon. Not knowing what to do, Sehun had gone to the capital and spoken to Xiumin. Xiumin never knew he had a brother and had taken matters into his hands. It had taken him a while but Xiumin had prevailed and finally, Suho was brought into the royal family. Sehun wasn’t sure how much good that did because within a few months, Suho had already fought in his dragon form in one battle and is getting ready to fight another battle soon. Well, Sehun was going to make sure that his hyung was alright. The old fogies might try exploiting his brother. They will have to go through him first.

So yeah, Sehun was a brat but he was also very protective of his brother. He had decided to pay him a visit at Chronus and was just about to surprise his brother by leaping from the window when he saw a stranger accost his brother and hold him tight. He knew his brother was panicking and in one swoop, pushed the stranger away and grabbed his brother and hid him away from the world.

Suho meanwhile had fainted in his arms, missing his daring rescue in all. He sighed and cradled his hyung back and forth soothingly, all the time glaring at the three idiots in the room.

“Don’t stand like a moron, get some water now.” He shouted at Xiumin.

“You, tall kid, get the fire going. He needs to get warm.” He commanded Tao and to Jongin he warned, “Stay away from him. I will kill you if you hurt him.”

Xiumin knowing Sehun and his relationship with Suho, immediately complied.

Tao shrugged and got the fire going just as Suho started coming around.

“Easy hyung, easy, it’s okay, Sehun is here. No one will hurt you now.” Suho came to disoriented and confused, but he knew Sehun’s warmth and instinctively folded himself into his brother.

The two princes of Chronus sat far from the brothers and watched their interaction. Jongin was confused and hurt with Suho’s reaction. He had only tried to talk to Suho, but he didn’t expect Suho to react so badly. They had been friends once and for some reason, Suho was important to him. He had only wanted to fix things with Suho and ask his forgiveness for the cruel way he had treated him in the past.

Xiumin pulled a blanket around Suho and between Sehun and Xiumin, they lifted Suho and put him on the bed.

“I think its best you go now princes.” Xiumin spoke softly. Apologizing and explaining himself to Xiumin, Jongin and Tao made for the door when they heard Suho.

“Wait!”

Jongin froze.

Suho sat up slowly and beckoned Jongin and Tao to sit, much to the chargain of Sehun.

“Let’s talk.”

The brothers sat down and waited while Sehun fussed around Suho. Suho with a faint smile allowed his brother to place himself behind him and hold him in a hug all the while glaring at the two sitting in front of them. Xiumin perched himself on the bed post.

“Prince Tao, I never had the chance to apologize for pushing you down the stairs. I was too distressed and the events that happened after did not allow me to tell you how sorry I am for what happened then.”

“Hyung! It was an accident, you were just a child and children make mistakes. I never for once thought it was your fault. I recovered quickly and I have been perfectly fine for a long time.”

“I am afraid your brother does not share your sentiments. I apologize to you Jongin for all the commotion and hurt I caused you that time.”

“Suho, it is I who must apologize. It was horrible of me to have treated you that way. I am sorry I betrayed you and allowed those horrible things to happen. I did not know they publicly punished you by throwing garbage at you. Neither my family, nor I knew what had happened. Father did not ask for you to be sent away. That was his ministers but by the time we knew it was too late. Most of all, I am sorry I called you a monster. You were my best friend and I knew you. You were the sweetest and kindest friend I ever had and to this day, not a day goes by without me regretting what I said. I am sorry Suho, I am so sorry.”

Suho laughed.

“You are not wrong on that count Jongin. I am a monster. See these chains? They limit me from being a monster. So, don’t apologize for that.”

“No, I refuse to believe you.”

“You don’t know enough to believe anything about me Jongin.”

“Then let me. Let us become friends again.”

Suho shook his head with a rueful smile.

“Not when there is so much between us that still hurt. As you can see, the wounds are still raw enough to me.”

Jongin sniffed and held back tears. For some reason, Suho’s refusal felt like a hole was blown in his heart.

“Is there nothing I can do? No way I can fix this?”

Suho thought for a while and then smiled.

“There is always hope. I am not the same boy anymore and I have my brothers now. Perhaps I should face my past and heal. Perhaps we can start by being two princes from friendly nations?”

Jongin smiled at that.

“I would love that.” He stood up with a smile and extended his hand to Suho.

“Welcome to Chronus, I am Jongin the prince of this kingdom. This is my brother prince Tao.”

Suho laughed and stood up.

“Thanks for your warm welcome. I am Suho, prince of the Northern lands. This is my elder brother prince Xiumin and this is my younger brother and prince of my heart Sehun.”

“Prince of your heart, seriously hyung!”

For the first time in a long time, loud laughter could be heard from the Eastern tower.