Sehun stared wide-eyed at his hands, at what he had done, almost done.

Earlier, his chest had been drumming wildly against his chest as he snapped out of his madness and beheld the limp body in his arms. Then he was relieved as a pained gasp escaped from the maid’s lips. Not long after, guilt and loath for himself flooded him as he stared and stared at his hands, not even caring if the maid might escape from his tent to call for help. She could have and should have. Yet, she did not. Sehun would have almost begged her to do it, to expose him and release him from this feeling of shame. 

Fear filled her teary eyes and in that moment, the prince felt like the greatest scumbag in the world. He could not believe all the things that he did.

Greed for power and recognition had changed him, made him into the selfish manipulator he had become now. A person who cared about nothing and clung onto his false beliefs. Memories of him as a child, running along on short legs with Seungwan came to him. He remembered the time when he was only seven, when he first regained full consciousness from a plaguing fever to news of his mother’s death. Killed by those darned Jins or Turks, whoever they were. He had cried so hard as a boy and swore revenge upon these crooks. He should have known better the feelings of helplessness.  

He recalled the numerous skirmishes and wars his brothers and himself engaged in with those enemies of theirs. They had achieved small successes but it was not enough. Their country needed to grow stronger and become more organised to fight off their enemies who were much larger and had superior strategies.

The scene flashed again and Sehun remembered when the royal entourage returned from the palace without his sisters. They had been detained in the wretched palace, held as hostages. He knew and had despaired about it for several long nights. He missed the soothing words and touches from his elder sister, Taeyeon. He missed playing with and caring for his only younger sibling, Seungwan.

As these thoughts closed upon him, Sehun dared himself to look into Seulgi’s eyes, but only briefly before he felt like gagging. The prince turned away from the maid swiftly and attempted to flee his own tent. However, he was stopped, by none other than the person he had tried to kill earlier.

“D-Don’t go…” Seulgi pleaded as she wrapped her hand around them hem of his robes.

Frozen amidst his escape. Sehun felt a pain rippling across his chest at those words. It was akin to a mockery at his own failure and cowardice.

“Don’t run away. Not after what you have done… Princess Seungwan needs to know…”

Sehun’s breath rasped. How could he have miss sight of that. Of course, if he were to flee, he would have to bring his sister along. But how? Another pain tore across him. At the possibility of him losing his youngest sibling because of his mistake.

Clenching his fists tightly Sehun braved himself to look at Seulgi once more, at the red marks around her neck where he had wrapped his arm around, at her still-purplish face from the murder attempt, into her eyes with pleas in them.

“I-I can’t… Seulgi… I can’t.”

No longer able to withstand himself, Sehun bolted from the tent leaving Seulgi to heave on the ground with the scrap of cloth that was torn from the Prince’s robes.

**

Sounds of galloping hooves drowned out the irate beating of his heart. Changing his steed every six hours to not compromise his swiftness, Kyungsoo had not even allowed a moment of rest for himself. Even if his body was screaming of saddle sore and his hands were bruised from gripping the reigns.  

Kyungsoo often regarded things with calm or as much calm as he could muster and yet this was not one of those instances. He did not know how many men against his cause were behind him or not at all. All that was on his mind was to get to Seungwan and get her somewhere safe. Somewhere, anywhere. It did not matter if the princess had not loved him, it did not even matter if the person Seungwan loves was his sister, Joohyun. All he wanted was for her to live. Kyungsoo was a fool and he knew that.

A fool I would be.

Kyungsoo thought as he continued racing onwards. He must reach Seungwan, convince her to run and about Prince Sehun… Would he have to apprehend him? Slay him? Kyungsoo’s head pounded painfully at thoughts about it. Kyungsoo would think about how to face the prince when it came to it. 

**

Seungwan was in the camp set up by the members of her organisation. Jaehyun had just dished out several proposals which they could take up once they were back in the capital city. All of which, were by no means easy feat but Jaehyun had delivered those proposals with such confidence that Seungwan was impressed.

With the Minister taken down, it opened up their minds to greater and nobler ideas to better the country. A smile broke on her face, even out in the fields, they were just as motivated. This was exactly what Seungwan had imagined them to be the first time she took up sword to rally these people together. A young organisation they might be but they would be the most powerful and effective one. Perhaps, just perhaps one day, they would even be able to make peace out from this war.  

“Seungwan, what do you think? Should we pursue this?” Jaehyun asked in anticipation of the leader’s response.

Seungwan gave a neutral smile. “It looks promising but we will have to discuss this with Jongdae, Kyungsoo and the rest before we invest in this proposal.”

Yeri who had sat in their discussion groaned a little. “But they will always listen to you. You are the leader amongst the leaders. Seungwan, please say yes to this, it sounds so fun.”

Seungwan pursed her lips and stared at the girl crossly. The kind of stare which could halt Yeri’s tongue.

“Yeri, this is not all about fun.” Seungwan said.

Yeri mumbled something under her breath which Seungwan managed to make out as ‘Seungwan is becoming a coward’.

“Do fifty rounds around the perimeters of the camp and you cannot have lunch until you are done.”

“Fifty?!” Yeri exclaimed but immediately shut as Seungwan had given her another hard stare. From experience, Yeri knew that it would mean Seungwan was considering doubling her punishment.

“Good work finding out the gaps to be worked on in this country, Jaehyun. I am not undermining the proposal’s potential but it is better if Jongdae and Kyungsoo are keen on doing this as well.”

As Seungwan was about to leave the camp, Jaehyun urged the leader to bring some medicine for cold along with her. It was for Seulgi. Seungwan had told the members that she was informed by the other maids that Seulgi was ill and that reminded Seungwan. It was truly odd since Seulgi’s health had been robust all these times and she looked perfectly fine the day before. Seungwan decided that she should pay Seulgi a visit.

**

Seulgi was trembling under her covers, has been trembling the entire day. She could never forget that feral look on the prince face and the force he had exerted around her neck, the unmistakable murderous intent in them. Yet, she could also not forget how the prince behaved when he had snapped back to his senses in time and the look of terror on his face as he ran. All the dots were connected in Seulgi’s mind and she clutched the piece of cloth from Prince Sehun’s robe tighter.

No…

Prince Sehun could not have been the one they were up against all these times. Seulgi blamed herself for being so blind this entire time. The