The Busan castle was pristine. The floors were polished marble, the pillars painted gold, and a giant mural of the Park family crest was painted in the main hall so that anyone who walked in could see it at the very first glance. Chanyeol looked like he would fit in a place like this.

The ride there had been mostly uneventful, since her mother did not speak much and neither did she. Queen Oh had been quite jittery, and Soojin assumed it was because it was not proper for women of Daegu to travel without their husbands. She would have to stick with assumptions since it was unfitting to ask. She and her mother had a very distant relationship. When they arrived, the maids of Busan brought Queen Oh to the waiting room, where she could take a breather and have some light refreshments.

The guards and other staff were ordered to leave. This meant that only three of them were going to meet the Queen in the throne room.

Soojin spotted Queen Park before she noticed them arriving. She was a beautiful woman, whose face was void of emotion, much like the women of Daegu. The way she sat herself at her throne, her mere aura told everyone that she was meant to be there.

“My wife, I have returned,” announced King Park, as he strode across the room.

In a split second, the expressionless look on her face turned into shock and fear. Her eyes darted over to where Chanyeol was standing behind his father. “Husband! I did not know you would come home so soon. You did not send any word for days.”

Chanyeol stiffened and stepped closer to Soojin, not taking his eyes off the woman.

Suddenly, the back door burst open and two children came running out. The girl, who was in her teens, stopped in her tracks towards King Park when she saw Chanyeol.

“Oppa! Is that really you?!” She ran across the room in the most unladylike manner and tackled him into a fierce hug.

His arms hung awkwardly at his sides, but he made no attempt to push her away. Soojin was a little miffed at the fact that it was only her touch which made him hurt.

“Oppa?” The girl tried again, pulling herself away to check his expression. “Why are you not saying anything? I am your sister, Yoora. Remember?”

There was a pin drop silence in the throne room. Chanyeol finally pushed her away. “Apologies. I do not know who you are.”

Yoora’s eyes, which were already b with tears, promptly let the waterworks gush out. The younger boy, who had come in with her, did not seem to know who Chanyeol was, and just went over to comfort the crying girl.

Soojin snuck a glance at the Queen and was not very surprised to see that she looked very relieved after Chanyeol’s statement.

“I do not know who you are,” he muttered, before sharply turning towards Queen Park. “But I know you! You wench!”

She gasped as King Park snapped angrily towards his son. “Do not use that tone with your mother, Park Chanyeol!”

“I only have one mother, and she is dead.”

“Chanyeol… if that is really you, I-“

“Do not feign innocence!” He cut her off. “I know everything you have done to me. I know of the mage, and everything else.”

Surprisingly, the little boy spoke up. “The mage? Like the one that visits mummy sometimes? I like her.”

“Chansung, don’t-“

King Park held up a hand to stop his wife from speaking. “Chansung, tell us about this mage. Why do you like her? Does she come visit often?”

He bounced on his toes as his sister slowly stopped crying. “She can do cool magic tricks! One time I fell down, and she made my scar go away, see?”

Pointing to his knee, almost everyone in the room crouched down to check the baby-soft skin. Soojin gasped at the sight.

“How did the mage do that, Chansung?”

“She said something funny and put some really cold water on it. Oh, and she did something else too! She made a flower drop its petals! It shrunk and everything.”

The Queen laughed incredulously. “Are you all believing him just like that? Chansung is just a boy! You are really going to use a child’s word against the Queen’s?”

“A child never lies,” Chanyeol pointed out.

“A child’s word cannot be used in court. What will the ministers think when you present Chansung against me about a man claiming to be our missing prince after five years?” She scoffed. “This is ridiculous.”

“I am not lying!” The small boy stomped his foot, protesting at his mother loudly.

“Hush now, let the adults talk. You can go play with your sister outside.”

“No,” King Park interjected. “The boy stays here with us. Yoora as well.”

There was a standstill. The Queen was obviously furious, by her stance and the blaze in her eyes. But she could not go against the ruler of the land she was standing on. The children looked at their parents, afraid at their fighting.

“You tossed me off to the mage, allowing her to turn me into a dragon. You made me live in the woods, on the outskirts of Bucheon. Because of you, I had to lose everything,” Chanyeol said. “And you have the audacity to act this way? I am disgusted.”

“Is what he said true, my wife?”

“I do not know what you are talking about,” she answered stiffly. “I do not recall any mage.”

“She came just a few weeks ago, mummy!”

“Hush, Chansung. Do not tell lies.”

“He is not lying,” said Yoora, wiping her tears on her sleeve. She had ceased her crying quite a while ago before listening on to the conversation. “Mother is in contact with a mage, and has been for the past years.”

“Aha!”

“But the mage is not evil!” she cried. “All she does is help mummy look younger like take away the wrinkles! She helps us to heal all of our scars and gives us nice gifts like books.”

“That might be true, but-“

“I knew this was a waste of time,” Chanyeol grumbled, turning away to leave the hall.

Soojin grasped him by the sleeve and hauled him back. “We are already so close!”

“And who might this be?” The Queen moved to get a better glimpse of Soojin, her tone sharp. “I did not notice anyone else while we were, forgive me, arguing. Come on out, do not hide behind him.”

She stepped out from behind the two men and dipped into a low bow.

“Good day, Your Majesty. I-”

“I know you. A Daegu Kingdom princess. What on earth are you doing here in Busan? Where are your parents?”

Chanyeol narrowed his eyes. “How do you know her?”

Soojin did not dare to speak. The cold queen looked at her in such a way that it felt like she could read her deepest, darkest secrets by a mere glance. She had not seen this woman in her life, but she spoke as if they had met before. The King had an unreadable expression on his face.

Queen Park cackled. “Other than the fact that you speak with a slight Daegu lilt, you have a very familiar face. Are the nobles of the Daegu Kingdom not taught to diminish any accents at all? And showing up here with no in sight? How unbecoming.”

“Quit bothering the poor girl,” the King chastised. “She is afraid enough. All I need from you is your side of the story. Tell me about the mage. Your daughter has already told all of us that you are indeed in contact with one.”

“I do not have to say anything! I am the Queen of Busan! I am the reason this kingdom is currently prospering, I am the reason you have these two beautiful children. Yes, Chanyeol left us five years ago as a dragon, but it is unfair that you are putting the blame on me. The boy might not even have his head on right!”

The King faltered. “My wife…”

From the corner of her eye, Soojin saw Chanyeol roll his eyes once again. King Park was very much against the idea that his dear wife was the cause of his eldest child’s departure.

Soojin had to do something; it was too unfair to Chanyeol. They had all practically forced him here, but no one was taking his word seriously. With a rush of adrenaline, she stepped up to the two adults and managed to say as politely as she could, “Pardon me, Your Majesties. This entire situation is terribly biased, and I feel that we should listen to both sides of the story before making any conclusions.”

Queen Park stared at her in wonder. It was not disdainful, for disregarding her manners, but as a sort of marvel.

The King looked incredibly troubled. “Princess Soojin, do understand. She is making a lot of sense at the moment, and-”

“With all due respect, Your Majesty,” she started, apologising mentally for cutting him off so rudely like that. “I would like to leave if this discussion is not going to be done in a proper fashion. And we all know Prince Chanyeol’s conditions for being here.”

She could not see Chanyeol’s expression, and she was not sure if she really wanted to. Her actions in his own kingdom were very rude, to say the least. It was exactly what she was taught not to do in the countless etiquette lessons she received while growing up.

“I am still not going to speak. It is a waste of my time.”

Something in King Park snapped. “I will have you and your people thrown out to the streets if you disobey me. Now, as your King, I am ordering you to tell me what happened five years ago. I already know some of what happened, so if you lie, I will have your head. What on earth possessed you to throw my son to a mage?!”

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. “Announcing the arrival of Her Majesty, Queen Oh of Daegu!”

Soojin’s mother walked in, poised and graceful. Her face showed no signs of surprise at the tense atmosphere. “I apologise for being late. The trip here caused me to fall slightly ill.”

“It is no matter,” King Park replied gruffly. “But I think it would be better if you were to rest a little longer. This situation is quite stressful, and it would not be wise to worry yourself with Busan Kingdom affairs.”

“I think I may be of help. I could not help but overhear some things before I entered the throne room. Do forgive me for eavesdropping.”

What was her mother up to? Soojin could not predict anyone’s next move. Moving forward quite intimidatingly, Queen Oh stared down at the other queen. She was a little taller, but it was all she needed to look more intimidating.

“I have information that Queen Park here had a mage transform your poor son into a dragon! Right in this very room!”

Soojin’s eyes widened in shock, and she was sure everyone else had the same reaction.

“How do you know about this?” King Park asked, flustered.

“How could I not? She is my dear sister-in-law.”

Soojin could feel her knees growing weak. This vile woman was supposed to be her aunt? Her mother was in the know about everything the entire time? She had to study the family register when she was younger, but she could not recall ever seeing this woman. Granted, her father did have many siblings; he only managed to be king after two of his elder brothers passed away.

She felt a comforting hand on the small of her back, grounding her to the present. Turning her head to the side, she caught a reassuring smile from Chanyeol. His presence made her feel warmer.

“I had my suspicions, of course, but I could not be su