Luhan took a deep breath, preparing himself. The knock came on the door for the second time.
Luhan walked to the door, lifting his enchantments and pulling the door open. Namjoon was the first one at the door step and behind him,  standing at a distance, closer to the main entrance, was a group of soldiers. Luhan's heart skipped a beat, taking them in, but he did not let any change show up on his face.

Prince Jungkook and the others should be well out of the area by now...

"General...What is it?" Luhan asked, doing his best to keep his voice steady.

"May I come in, Luhan shi?" Namjoon's discomfort was evident in his voice. 
Luhan's eyes travelled to  the men behind Namjoon and back to him. "General Namjoon..."

Namjoon shook his head. "Just me...I'm not bringing my men in there. It might scare the children, I know that."

Luhan slowly stood aside, allowing Namjoon to enter. Namjoon closed the door behind him slowly. He turned to Luhan slowly, his eyes down on the ground. Luhan observed him and Namjoon looked to him, like a person who was trying to muster the courage to do something.

"What is it?...If you're here at this hour, with these many men...then it's not for a chat with me surely." Luhan said in a soft voice, smiling.

Namjoon's jaw clenched, his eyes still down. "Luhan shi...I'm here on the king's orders. He has a message for you."

Luhan gazed at him silently before speaking in a calm voice. " You're here with a message from Prince Seokjin."

Namjoon's eyes jumped up to Luhan's face at the word, "Prince." Luhan's face conveyed everything he didn't speak.

"Luhan shi-..."

"You came with a message for Prince Jimin just yesterday." Luhan said and Namjoon's face went white. "That message was from the High MInister. And...he trusted you enough to deliver the message to Prince Jimin. Enough to trust you to find his whereabouts. And today, you have come with a message from Prince Seokjin for me?" 

Namjoon seemed to turn to stone, as he lowered his eyes again. "I'm doing my job, Luhan shi." 

"So, do it..." 

"The king...has asked me to-..." Namjoon struggled a bit before he could complete his sentence. "To take you to him." 

"Why does Prince Seokjin need me?"  Luhan's voice was calm.
Namjoon took a while to reply. His voice gave away clearly that it was a rehearsed dialogue. One which he did not like pronouncing. 

"You were given a second chance many years back. You had been with the rebels and you had helped them...but because of your age, you were excused on the High Minister's request. You were given a chance to redeem yourself. By taking up a noble responsibility. Of caring for the Occulis."

Luhan listened without a word.

"But..." Namjoon inhaled and continued. "But you could not repay that debt to royal family. You betrayed them again."

"How?" Luhan asked.
Namjoon glanced up at him. Luhan's calmness seemed to throw him off.

"B-by...helping rebels again. By helping rebels who threaten the royal family and the king."

"Rebels?...Really?"
Namjoon looked harrased at Luhan's questions. "Luhan shi, I'm here to do my job. I'm here to give you the King's message and execute his task, so-..." 

"The king?" Luhan said. Namjoon looked up and saw that Luhan had a mocking smile on his face. "General Namjoon...who are you loyal to?" 

"Don't you think you are crossing far beyond your limits, by asking me this?...I'm the Chief General of this dominion."  

"And you know the truth, Namjoon shi. "  Luhan said.
Namjoon sighed and averted his eyes. "Please, just come with me...I don't want to create any unrest here." 

"I'll come. If you can give me the assurance that someone will look after my children." 

"I'll see to that."  Namjoon said. "I will leave five guards here. And I'll send a nurse soon enough." 

Completing his sentence, Namjoon shifted his long coat, and removed a metal hand cuff from his belt. He reached over and took hold of Luhan's wrist, sliding the handcuff on it and closing it.
"Why're your hands shaking?" Luhan asked. "I should be the one scared, not you." 

Namjoon kept his eyes down. "Luhan shi, I cannot answer so many questions. Please-..." 

"I remember your royal masters and the prison well enough to know that whatever you're taking me to isn't going to be pleasant for me. So, I should be the one afraid. But I'm not. On the contrary...why are you looking as if you've been given a punishment?" 

Namjoon let go of the handcuffs with a jerk, Luhan's cuffed hand falling free from his hold.
"Stop berating me with your questions! I know...I know what you mean. But I have to do my duty. Unlike you, I cannot risk losing everything I have. I was given a second chance too, several years back...and I'm loyal to the one who gave me that chance." Namjoon said, breathing hoarsely. "You should've remained loyal too, Luhan! ThenI wouldn't have to come here todo what I don't want to!" 

Namjoon took a step forward and grabbed Luhan's shoulders, shaking them.
"Why did you put yourself in danger again?! Whatever you suffered as a child, wasn't it enough?! Even I can't save you now!"  Namjoon said, his face constricted in pain and frustration.

Luhan removed Namjoon's hands from his shoulders and replied in a calm voice, that didn't have any fear anywhere in it.
"I am loyal. And I always will be. To the queen, who gave my life back to me. I'll be loyal to her son, till my last breath." Luhan said, his eyes burning into Namjoon's. "Also, to the princess, who gave her own life for me. Her brother is the reason I put myself in danger as you say... But, who are you loyal to?...Someone who wants to destroy the one hope for redeeming this dominion? Your loyalty should have been with Prince Jungkook. Not with his enemies, Namjoon." 

Namjoon staggered back a step. Luhan's words had hit him hard.

"If I wanted to resist today, not you or your group of men could take me, Namjoon. You know that very well." Luhan said. 

Namjoon shook his head. "Then...then why don't you?!" His voice was frantic and helpless.

"I don't want a scratch on my children. And I don't want them to see that side of me." Luhan said. He extended his cuffed hand towards Namjoon. "Do your duty. But I just hope, you can face yourself after this...A lot of people in this capital rest peacefully, knowing you are in charge of safeguarding them."

Namjoon shook his head. "You know I don't want to do this."

"Don't let those people down."
..........................................................................................................................................

Jimin extended his hands to the edge of the orange flames burning in front of him.

"Jiminnie!"  Taehyung yanked Jimin's hand back, his face panic striken. "Stop that!"

"It heals in a second." Jimin shrugged, extending his hand again, his skin getting singed by the edge of the flame. He grimaced and Taehyung pulled his hand back again.

"Chicken." Jimin giggled. Taehyung glared at him, tightened his grip on his wrist, twisting it. Jimin jumped, his eyes wide and pulled his hand back from Taehyung's grip.

"Yah! What the , Taetae?!" Jimin stared at Taehyung in disbelief.

Taehyung flashed a wide box smile at Jimin. "If you try to hurt yourself again, I'll do it again." 

Jimin gave Taehyung a dirty look. "You have changed." 

"I know." Taehyung gave his box smile again. He slid close to Jimin on the tree branch they were both perched on. Jimin turned his eyes to him with an irritated face.

"What?" Jimin hissed.

"I'm sorry for-...you know-...that night. I'm kinda jealous of you. You're such good friends with him...He depends on you." Taehyung smiled again, but this time his cheeks went red. He hooked his arm with Jimin's and grinned at him. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

Jimin's face changed. His lips rose in a smile and he chuckled. "No...and I'm glad." 

"About what?" 

"About you and Jungkook." Jimin said, turning his eyes to the flame again. "You both were born for each other." 

Taehyung slid closer to Jimin and brought his face closer to his. "Really?! But..." His face fell slightly. "We're so different. He's so strong and so brave...and he's fearless! I, on the other hand-..." Taehyung turned away and the sides of his lips turned down.

Jimin turned to him and laughed, shoving him with his elbow.

"Have you never heard that opposites attract, idiot?" Jimin said. "You both make the perfect couple."

"Like you and Yoongi hyung!" Taehyung turned to Jimin with a bright smile. The change in Jimin's face made his smile disappear in a split second. Jimin turned away from him, gazing into the fire again. 

"I'm sorry, Minnie." Taehyung laid his head on Jimin's shoulder. "I wish it didn't have to be this way." 

Jimin shrugged, picking up a stone from near his feet and throwing it into the fire.
"I just hope-..." Jimin spoke after a long silence and Taehyung raised his head from his shoulder to look at his face. "I just hope... I hope he doesn't have to hurt me-...or the other way round." 

"Have you gone insane, Jimin?!" Taehyung exclaimed. "Yoongi hyung could never even think about hurting you! and why would you ever-..."

A sound alerted them and they looked up. Jungkook and Sehun walked into the clearing, talking to each other in low voices.

"Did you feed?" Jimin asked Jungkook immediately.

"Aish...Jimin hyung!" J