“I still don’t get it?” Sehun folded his arms over his chest, leaning back on the chair made of stone in the grand apothecary hall of Vuur.

Chanyeol, sitting across from him on the large round table also made of rock, pressed his palms together in front of his face, “Please forgive me for not telling you the truth for so long.”

“Oh don’t get me wrong, I understand the part where you’re actually a prince on Vuur. I just don’t understand why you never told us. You ask Kyungsoo and me a lot of questions about Kunryun, and we answer you. So it was a bit surprising that you never wanted to tell us about yourself too,” Sehun iterated, crossing his legs on the chair he was sitting on.

“It’s not even important anyway,” Chanyeol tried to brush off, “There are twelve tribes on Vuur and each tribe’s leader takes the turn to become the King or Queen of Vuur through an electoral system. I won’t even be a Prince anyway after the 12 years rotation is over.”

“Your mother is the current Queen though and from what I heard, she will be the indefinite ruler of Vuur because of the current situation on your planet. It sounds like you’re going to be a Prince for a long time to come,” Sehun brought up.

Chanyeol admitted, “I was ashamed. You two are strong and I didn’t want to seem like someone who had everything handed to me just because of who I was born as. I didn’t want to seem like some spoiled, entitled child especially around you two who fought so hard for what you had.”

“If that’s who you are, we won’t judge. It’s not like you chose who you were born as and we understand that,” Sehun stated.

“I’m really sorry, Sehun. Will you forgive me?” Chanyeol pleaded.

“There’s nothing for you to apologize for. Just no more secrets, alright? We’re a team and it’s alright to tell us anything,” Sehun assured.

“Thank you so much, I promise I won’t keep any secrets anymore,” Chanyeol promised, looking rather genuinely apologetic too.

“Well, I’m not telling Kyungsoo that when he wakes up. You’ll have to do that yourself,” Sehun quickly shifted the responsibility to Chanyeol.

Chanyeol dryly chuckled, “Looks like I’ll have to then.”

Chanyeol and Sehun were then approached by Chanyeol’s mother, Youngmi, dressed in her long flowing white robe which was the standard uniform for apothecary and healers on Vuur.

After a grueling two days, Youngmi and her team of healers had worked tirelessly to concoct various medicines and remedies from their supplies in the apothecary hall.

Because no Gauean medicine existed on Vuur, they had to make their own and because Kyungsoo was suffering through several symptoms, several types of medicines had to be brewed to counter each and every symptom he had.

Now, Kyungsoo was already in stable condition and his fever had gone down, although he would still have to undergo follow-up treatment and continue to take the various types of medicine for a while.

Kyungsoo still hadn’t woken up since then, although Sehun and Chanyeol had visited him several times in the past two days.

From Youngmi and the other Vuurians whom Sehun had met while there, he learned that Vuurians were very polite and hospitable to guests. Vuurians were nice people in general or they were just nice to him because he was a friend of a prince, Sehun thought.

Youngmi politely asked to borrow Chanyeol for a bit. Before Chanyeol could even respond, his mother was already grabbing him on the arm and leading him out the hall to the balcony to talk.

Chanyeol told Sehun that he’d be back soon after he was done talking to his mother. Sehun nodded; there were not many places he could go to anyway except stay in indoors.

Night time on Vuur, felt like a really hot summer afternoon on Kunryun. During the day, Sehun felt like he was back on Myolhada again.

According to Chanyeol, it was even hotter than that before their star started dying and the planet began to cool down. Chanyeol did say that it was cooler in the Northern region of Vuur, where the temperature outside would actually suit a Gauean.

The Vuurians had built numerous special temperature-regulated buildings made of black lava rock, where the temperature was kept at a temperate level for outsiders who were visiting the planet. Because of that, Sehun only stayed indoors while he was around on Vuur and dressed as lightly as possible to keep cool.

Sehun waited and remained in the large apothecary hall, where all the healers dressed in their white robes bustled to and fro to concoct medicines, refer to their thick books and consulted with each other.

Rows and rows of shelves that extended from the high ceiling to the floor were filled with jars of plants, herbs, powders and liquids in numerous colors. In front of the shelves that covered almost every wall in the hall, were long tables where the healers would bring their ingredients to work on.

Any type of medicine to treat almost any ailment in the galaxy could be made here by the healers who were all well-studied and versed in the specialty. The Vuurians were really respected for their medical knowledge throughout Vuur and Sehun understood why now.

~~★★★★★~~

Youngmi brought Chanyeol out to the balcony outside the apothecary hall, overlooking the courtyard of the healer center they were in.

All the buildings on Vuur were made of sturdy lava rock, usually the black rock variant. Although, the healer center was built with a white-colored rock to signify the healer’s official color.

Knowing that he’d probably be scolded, Chanyeol chose to look out the balcony and towards the bustling courtyard with healers scurrying to and fro about their duties, sometimes accompanying their patients with them. 

“Chanyeol, I really need to ask you about your two Gaueans friends,” Youngmi remarked, pushing back her long light-colored hair over her shoulder.

“I told you their names already. The taller one is Sehun and the sick one is Kyungsoo. Sehun is Kyungsoo’s uncle,” Chanyeol nonchalantly replied.

“I know their names and how they’re related, alright. I’ve managed to talk to them, even Kyungsoo. But that’s not my point,” Youngmi cleared up.

“Gaueans are alright, mom. They’re not dangerous- actually, they can be but they’re pretty cool people once you get to know them,” Chanyeol asserted.

“That’s not my point too, Chanyeol,” Youngmi stressed, looking irritated already, “Look, I’m happy that you’re happy working alongside them, with whatever mercenary job you say you’re doing with them. I’m also glad that you’ve been well and healthy over the past few years. But I must say, that I worry about something.

“-that they’re Gaueans?” Chanyeol assumed.

“Actually, Vuurians are on good terms with the Gaueans, Chanyeol. We have a trade agreement with them, and you would have known that if you were actually interested in politics and taking over the tribe’s leadership,” Youngmi then clarified, “What I worry about is Kyungsoo. Isn’t he the one that Kunryun is hunting for?”

“How do you know that?” Chanyeol was surprised.

“From Anam news of course. Everyone has been in a stir because of the Gaueans appearance on Anam recently,” Youngmi revealed.

Chanyeol gulped, “Yes, that’s the one they’re looking for. But I’m not handing Kyungsoo to them anytime soon. He’s my very good friend and I like him very much. We’ve saved each other butts a lot and I will fight anyone who tries to take him. I know Sehun feels the same way too so you'd have to go through the both of us for that. Did I tell you that Sehun was a very strong former military leader on Kunryun too?”

“Chanyeol, I’m not turning him in, alright?” Youngmi confided, “As a healer, I will not just hand over a sick and recovering person like that. If he’s your friend then he’s welcome to stay here but he’s still a foreign subject and I can’t protect him if Kunryun discovers he’s here. If Kunryun wants me to extradite him, I will have to do so.”

“It’ll be fine. We’ll leave once we’re done here. I’m not staying here, remember?” Chanyeol pledged.

“Very well,” Youngmi accepted, “Until then, I will hand you the responsibility for overseeing that Kyungsoo gets his medicines and follow-up treatments while on Vuur. I assure that you still remember what to do, don’t you?”

“Of course,” Chanyeol affirmed.

“Well, you should go see Kyungsoo now. He’ll be awake soon,” Youngmi notified, “Our star may be dying but Vuur hospitality is still far from that. Do you remember?”

“I understand,” Chanyeol nodded, obeying his mother’s reminder.

~~★★★★★~~

Like he was responsible to do, Chanyeol visited Kyungsoo who had been sleeping in the largest room within the healer center. The room had been reserved for the important people of Vuur and Kyungsoo had managed to be there thanks to Chanyeol.

The room was spacious with so much empty space around. The floors were made of polished black-and-white smooth marble, which reflected the lights made of long glowing lava crystals affixed to the walls.

The room was cooled down to a temperature suitable for Kyungsoo, and the windows were all closed and draped with heavy black curtains to maintain the cooler temperature.

Although the frame of the four-poster bed was made of black rock, the thick mattress made up for its hard surface.

When Chanyeol arrived in the dark room illuminated by the glowing lava limps that had also been dimmed down, Kyungsoo was half-awake and moving around in the bed.

“Chanyeol is that you?” Kyungsoo groggily called out for Chanyeol, attempting to sit up on the bed.

“Yes, it’s me,” Chanyeol sat down on the edge of the large bed.

“Where am I? How long has it been?” Kyungsoo tiredly asked, still not fully awake and sweating in the clothes he was given to wear.

“You’re on my planet, Vuur. Sehun and I brought you here when you got sick. It’s been two days- three if you count the time it took for us to get to Vuur,” Chanyeol explained.

“So I really did get sick. I don’t really remember anything except feeling very terrible before bed after we fixed that water machine. I just thought it was the heat getting to me,” Kyungsoo sighed, then yawning, “Where’s Uncle Sehun anyway? How are the both of you?”

“I’m good; don’t worry about me. Sehun went back to the space dock to do some maintenance on Umi. Some of our mechanics are helping him do the maintenance. He’s doing well too,” Chanyeol answered.

“Okay then, that’s good to hear too,” Kyungsoo took a look around at the room he was in, seeing the Vuurian design, architecture, and features, “So I’m on Vuur, huh?”

“Yeah, you’re not fully recovered yet though. My mother says you need to dip in our springs for a few hours,” Chanyeol notified, “-our springs come from natural underground sources from rocks with healing properties. It’s so your fever doesn’t come back.”

“Alright. I’m just going wherever you go. I don’t really know much about this place,” Kyungsoo agreed.

Chanyeol helped Kyungsoo into his usual clothes and then led Kyungsoo down to the basement level of the healer center, where the springs were located.

Kyungsoo was still lethargic and walked slowly and sluggishly, following Chanyeol wherever he went so as to not end up getting lost.

Despite still being tired, Kyungsoo seemed interested in seeing the Vuurians and the building for the first time, as Chanyeol was leading the way to the basements. It was something new for Kyungsoo.

On their way there, they ran into Youngmi again. Kyungsoo seemed to vaguely remember Chanyeol’s mother as the woman he saw treating him while he was still drifting between consciousness.

Now, Kyungsoo knew that she was actually Chanyeol’s mother and the Queen of Vuur. It was then that Kyungsoo connected the dots and found out for himself that Chanyeol was a prince of the planet Vuur.

Youngmi expressed concern for Kyungsoo and asked him a lot of questions regarding how he felt and his wellbeing, before letting them go about on their way.

~~★★★★★~~

In the large and spacious basement that seemed more like an underground cavern instead, several private rooms had been built where each of them held a stone tub with the spring water channeled into it.

Chanyeol talked to one of the attendants there who showed him and Kyungsoo to one of the empty private rooms.

Glowing lava crystals were affixed to the wall and even the hooks and handle to hold the towels and clothing were carved out of the stone walls.

Then, they were left alone in the room with just the stone tub in the middle of it, probably large enough for four or five people at the same time. The tub and the water level inside it was only about as high as Chanyeol’s waist.

“You have to take off all your clothes before you go in,” Chanyeol instructed, pulling his shirt off over his head and then hanging it on one of the hooks carved out on the wall.

“Okay,” Kyungsoo muttered, following suit but admittedly a bit abashed at having to do so in front of Chanyeol.

Chanyeol had his back turned to Kyungsoo and was now working on taking his pants off. Once Chanyeol was done with that too, he turned to face Kyungsoo in all of his glory.

Kyungsoo had stripped too but he still shyly held his clothes in front of his private parts, not wanting to let the clothing go yet.

Kyungsoo kept repeating in his head to not stare and seem too obvious about it, but his eyes couldn’t help but stray and appraise Chanyeol from head to toe.

They had been living and working alongside each other for more than half of a standard Anam year, but Kyungsoo had never seen Chanyeol . Kyungsoo knew how Chanyeol looked without a shirt on, but not without pants on.

Although Chanyeol and Sehun had seen Kyungsoo after they had to strip him while he was sick, Kyungsoo didn’t know that yet though.

Kyungsoo couldn’t help it but his eyes were glued to staring at Chanyeol’s crotch and the appendage hanging between his legs.

Kyungsoo didn’t even know why he was feeling embarrassed yet inquisitive at the same time. It wasn’t like this was the first time he saw another person .

“Is there anything wrong?” Chanyeol alerted, surely noticing how Kyungsoo was staring at him. Chanyeol was even beginning to worry something was wrong.

“What? Huh? Oh, it’s nothing,” Kyungsoo quickly removed his gaze from that to Chanyeol’s face, brushing it off.

“It’s not that different than yours, you know” Chanyeol snickered, taking light to the situation.

“H-How do you know that?” Kyungsoo looked down to his own that he still had covered with the clothing he held up in front of it.

“I’ve seen it. We had to remove all your clothing while you were in the fits of hysteria when you were sick,” Chanyeol answered.

“Oh,” Kyungsoo puffed his cheeks, trying to imagine the incident he couldn’t remember. Knowing that sure did relieve Kyungsoo a bit, that he didn’t re