There was a long silence. There was a rustling of cloth, and Mark looked up as King Wooyoung descended from his throne and came to stand before Baekhyun. The king took the pea from Baekhyun hand and held it up for all to see. Then, very carefully, he stepped back up onto the raised platform, where he presented King Nickhun with the pea before reclaiming his seat on the throne. 

King Nickhun turned the pea over in his hand before closing his fist around it. “Mark.” 

“Yes, Your Majesty?” Mark said shakily 

“Did you find a pea under your mattresses?” He asked

Mark shook his head in misery. “I felt nothing beneath the mattresses, so I did not think to look.” 
Mark glanced at Jinyoung and he could tell from his stricken expression that he’d had no advance knowledge of this test. 

King Wooyoung then addressed Baekhyun. “Your cold and suspicious heart has led you to look for something under the mattress and brought you to find this pea. And that is exactly what you shall take away from here. No one is capable of feeling a pea beneath twenty mattresses. Probably with magic you can sense it but not physically, at any rate.” 

Wooyoung then turned to Mark. “This pea, like the pea that was placed under the mattresses in the room you slept in last night, is enchanted. For those with true nobility of spirit, it gives them nightmares. Your character has been test and so have your spirit, and we find you worthy to marry our son.” He smiled

Mark was sure he had misheard and he turned to look at Jinyoung, and the joy on his face told him that he hadn’t. He then heard screams of joy from his friends, who were watching and before Mark could say anything in response, a man wearing a crown moved forward. “I am Changmin, King of Ixania, and you cannot choose this boy over my son. He’s not even a prince!” 

Mark felt white hot anger flash through him toward the King Changmin. He was responsible for the slaughter of the Cordinia royal family, his family. “Actually, he is a prince,” Jinyoung said, rising. “He is the true prince of Cordinia.” Prince Jinyoung signaled and the crowd parted to reveal a feminine face. 

“Jinyoung why did you call out our maid?” King Nickhun asked confused.

Jinyoung smiled as he explained, “Because her name is Suzy and she was Mark’s nursemaid.” 

Suzy bowed to the kings and spoke, “What your son says is the truth. Seventeen years ago I was Prince Mark’s nursemaid. I was the one rescued the young prince from the assassination and had him placed in another family for his protection. After I escaped from the assassins trail, I had myself placed within the Caledonia castle posing as a maid so I could always protect him. I can proudly state that Mark is the true heir to Cordinia.” She said as turned to smiled at Mark.

Stunned, Mark watched as Jinyoung parents stood from their thrones and then bowed to him. Jinyoung smiled as he did so a moment later along with Jaebum. Mark’s heart began to pound as all around him people knelt down. Mark saw BamBam, Jackson, and Youngjae, who all flashed him huge smiles before kneeling too. Mark turned slowly in a circle, looking at all who knelt before him. All except one. He stared for a moment at King Changmin and knew something was wrong. 

“Time to finish what was I started,” the king of Ixania roared, drawing his sword. He leaped at him and grabbing Mark by the throat. Mark struggled, twisting in his strong arms and scratching at the king’s eyes. A dozen Ixanians 'nobles' shed their cloaks to reveal the clothes of soldiers. 

They circled Mark and the Ixanian King, with their swords brandished. Too late, he recognized all of Celeste’s guests for what they really were. With a loud shout by King Wooyoung, multiple Caledonian soldiers appeared out of nowhere and began fighting the Ixanians. However there was still many Ixanians guarding King Changmin.

Still trying to get out of the King’s grasp, Mark bit King Changmin hand and he roared in pain and struck him across the temple with the hilt of his sword. Everything went black. Jinyoung tried to reach Mark, but too many soldiers blocked his way. He shouted in rage as he saw King Changmin strike Mark. His body went limp, and King Changmin tossed him over his shoulder as the Ixanians made a path for him to disappear with Baekhyun at his side. 

It wasn’t long before more soldiers poured into the great hall and Jinyoung grabbed a sword and began to fight his way through the Ixanians soldiers, heading for the spot where he had last seen King Changmin. Nobles from several countries scurried to get away from the fighting, while others drew weapons and joined, trying to fight off the Ixanian soldiers. 

Jinyoung kept twisting and turning, trying to make his way after King Changmin and Mark. He passed Youngjae and Jackson, who was brandishing a weapon of their own and trying to get BamBam and several others clear of the fighting. Jaebum suddenly appeared helping Youngjae before turning to aid Jinyoung in clearing his way. After thanking his friend, Jinyoung finally reached the exit to the hall and saw King Changmin disappear into the gardens with Mark still over his shoulder. 

Mark woke as he hit the ground. It was raining. Another storm had come, and the king of Ixanian was trying to finish what he had started during a storm so many years before. Mark drew in a ragged breath and couldn’t believe he was about to die. He opened his eyes and looked up at King Changmin and Baekhyun. 

His head was throbbing, and a thin trickle of blood was dripping into his eye. Mark blinked fiercely and saw both father and son, arguing about where to go next, didn’t notice that Mark was stirring. Mark glanced around him and saw that he was in the castle garden, not that far from the fountain. He sat up slowly, but neither King Changmin nor Baekhyun paid him any attention. 

Coiling his muscles, Mark sprang to his feet and began to run. There were shouts behind him, which spurred him on faster. In front of Mark he saw the outer wall of the hedge maze; he ran along the side of it until he found an opening and then dashed inside. Two quick left turns, followed by a right, and then Mark slowed so that he could get his bearings—and listen for the king and prince. 

Mark heard King Changmin and Baekhyun enter the maze, quarreling, and he tried to determine which path they took by listening for their footsteps. His temple hurt, and he was feeling light-headed, but Mark walked deeper into the maze, and the blackness of the sky caused it to grow as dark as night. The rain further obscured his vision. Mark pictured the part of the maze he had already traveled. Beneath his feet a twig snapped, and Mark halted for a moment. 

“That was him!” King Changmin shouted from somewhere in the leafy maze. 

“Yes, but where?” Baekhyun asked, frustration in his voice. “How the hell should I know? You’re the one who has been staying here at the castle. How come you’ve never explored the maze?!” 

“I didn’t think it was going to be necessary,” Baekhyun argued. Mark began to move again but stepped more gingerly. He couldn’t help but shake his head. Back when he was a farmer’s son, he had thought about entering the maze contest for the Festival. But now he was a prince and instead of racing through the maze in an attempt to win a prize, he was slinking through the maze in an attempt to save his life. 

Sounds of fighting began to reach his ears, and he realized there must have been more Ixanians soldiers present than anyone could have guessed. Again Caledonia was at war with Ixania. However this time it would be different. He was not some child running away, he was going to stand and fight for his life.

The storm intensified to the point of where Mark couldn’t see at all. Mark paused and placed a hand on each hedge wall and then kicked off his shoes so that he could better feel the ground. Mud oozed between his toes and he continued moving even though he could no longer see anything. 

When he came to a break in the wall, he took the path. Mark could hear King Changmin as he moved through the maze, but he could no longer hear Baekhyun. Mark sensed something move in the path ahead of him and he froze and strained his ears and eyes. Mark realized, almost too late, that King Changmin and Baekhyun had split up. 

Mark held his breath and moved forward on silent feet. When he was close enough to touch Baekhyun, he tapped him on the shoulder. The other prince twisted with an exclamation, and Mark hit him as hard as he could. Baekhyun crumpled silently to the ground, and Mark stepped over him and kept moving. He would send someone to fetch him when the situation was under control. 

Mark could hear the fighting just outside the maze walls and prayed that Jinyoung was safe. Suddenly he heard Gustav shout and it sounded like he might have tripped over Baekhyun. This gave Mark an idea. He felt for and found a slight hollow at the bottom of one of the hedge walls. He lay down and pushed his body flush with the wall. And then he waited. Mark stayed still for what felt like an eternity. 

Soon he heard King Changmin footsteps before he could see him. Mark held his breath as he approached and then walked by him. It was then that Mark reached out and grabbed King Changmin’s ankle, yanking it backward as hard as he could, with a twist. There was a snap as he fell with a scream. Mark leaped to his feet and snatched King Changmin’s sword from his hand. He swung it with the thought of killing him. At the last moment he twisted his wrist and knocked him unconscious, as the king had done to him. Mark turned and ran back to the entrance of the maze, retracing his steps.

Jinyoung met him there, sword drawn and breathing ragged. “Are you okay?” they asked each other simultaneously. 

“Yes,” Mark said, kissing him. When they broke apart, Mark told Jinyoung where he had left King Changmin and Baekhyun in the maze and that they needed attention. 

“The fighting’s almost over. Most of the Ixanian soldiers have been captured,” Jinyoung said, sheathing his own sword and taking the one he still held. Several Caledonian soldiers ran to assist Mark and Jinyoung, and Jinyoung directed them into the maze to fetch the Ixanian king and prince. Then Jinyoung and Mark made their way back to the castle. 

In the great hall Mark was reunited with Jackson, BamBam, and Youngjae, none the worse for wear. Everyone slowly regrouped in the throne room as servants and soldiers worked to clear the wounded. Baekhyun and his father were being treated elsewhere for their injuries, Mark learned, though their future was still uncertain. It seemed that several of the other nobles had opposed King Changmin’s plan, wanting to continue the peace with Caledonia. 

Once again seated on his throne, King Wooyoung and King Nickhun, like their son, was slightly disheveled from the fighting. Mark then noticed that Suzy and Jaebum was with them. “Now, where were we?” King Nickhun inquired. 

Suzy smiled as she cleared . “I saw stating that Mark was the true prince of Cordinia.”

“Why all the secrecy? Why not tell us the child was alive?” King Wooyoung wondered,

“Forgive me your Majesties. But similar as to I was able to sneak within your kingdom, I was unsure if the King of Ixania had done the same so I kept it a secret all this time until I thought it was safe. When I heard someone speak about the prince of Cordinia being within the castle I had grown suspicious wondering if someone had taken his identity. It wasn’t until last night when I overheard Prince Mark speak to you that I knew it was actually him and followed Prince Jinyoung to tell him my part in your disappearance.” Suzy explained

“I am eternally gratefully for you Suzy.” Mark said with a wide smiled

“It was my pleasure, Prince Mark.” Suzy bowed.

“Yes and now that all of this is finally over. We can celebrate.” King Wooyoung smiled

“Celebrate?” Mark asked looking confused. 

“Our wedding,” Jinyoung said, moving next to Mark and taking his hand in his own. The look that he sent sent shivers through him, and he began to smile, imagining his life with the man he loved.