“Tell her the truth, Prince Sehun. Quickly, time is running out. It will be harder if we were the ones to break it to her,” Kyungsoo said, his voice as cold as the winter winds, like his sword blade which was now just an inch away from Sehun’s throat.  

Seungwan could only possibly imagine what it was; of her worst fears about to come true. Facing the three people whom she probably trusted more than anyone else besides Joohyun, Seungwan could not believe this was happening. There was something that all three of them knew that she did not.  

“What is happening! Seulgi, tell me!” Seungwan shouted and Seulgi had this look crossed between helplessness and apology that Seungwan could not bear to press her further.

“Let me tell her,” Sehun finally spoke. “Give me privacy between my sister and I. I promise I will not try anything funny.”

As if to protect the final vestiges of pride for her brother, Kyungsoo and Seulgi both turned to exit, but not before Kyungsoo warned, “make it quick, we will be right outside the tent. I will cut you down if you try to escape, Prince Sehun.”

Sehun had his jaws clenched tightly.

Then turning to Seungwan, Kyungsoo’s voice softened, “I am sorry, Seungwan.”

Seungwan’s heart was about to stop in her chest as she glared at her brother. There was a haunted look on her brother’s deathly pale face and Seungwan found it painful to look at him. The rising anticipation and dread was killing her but she will not back out now. She wanted to learn the truth, no matter how disastrous it may be.

“Speak! Now!” Seungwan shouted.

The corners of Sehun’s mouth twitched slightly then it finally opened.   

“Seungwan… our plans failed… the plan that Father, Chanyeol and I conjured. Prince Kyungsoo’s presence here is proof enough that everything has fallen through. You must be very confused now but I will keep it succinct. We had plans to make use of the corrupt and rot that existed within the Bae court… to let it spread… You know that our Father Khan would make such a fine ruler for this country, don’t you?”

No… stop…

“Minister Song…” Seungwan breathed, unable to stop herself from uttering those words.

Sehun’s jaw clenched and he nodded. “You must have heard then.” A guffaw of self-pity escaped from Sehun’s lips. “Joohyun must have told you how many times she has tried to convict him but failed. Of course she would fail… I was the one behind him.”

No…

Seungwan felt lightheaded. All these times, she has been gaming against her brother. A wealth of emotions welled up within Seungwan. Disbelief in her own cause, at her own sibling ties, at her own blood. This lying, scheming blood she had in her. Seungwan wished she could drain every single drop of it in that moment.

“Minister Song… He colluded with people who injured Taeyeon. Did you know that?” Seungwan asked, she dreaded to know the answer, but she had to ask.

Sehun’s head hung low and said nothing.

“Did you know that?!” Seungwan shouted again, so loudly she was certain Kyungsoo and Seulgi could hear.

The leaden nod that came from Sehun crushed Seungwan’s heart right then.

“And you still colluded with that treacherous person…” Seungwan said, tears came as she laughed at the answer.

“Brother, you tried to murder the members of the Bae royal family, didn’t you? You tried to kill Joohyun!” The last sentence came out as a snarl as Seungwan restrained herself from injuring her own brother.

Anger flashed in Sehun’s eyes as he stalked toward Seungwan but Seungwan did not back down, would not back down. Rage equally as intense filled her chest. Her brother was the one who wanted to kill Joohyun.

“She was one of the greatest stumbling blocks for us, for you. Seungwan… you must understand that we need you back at home. Father wants you back, safely.”    

“Father wants me back safely…” Seungwan repeated, “and this is the method he chose? Really? Will he kill the entire Bae family and cause mayhem in this country just so I can return?”

Sehun’s lips were tightly pursed.

“No… I am but a sorry excuse, aren’t I? The Father I knew would not slaughter across the plains, kill indiscriminately and sacrifice innocents…”

“It was my plan, I convinced Father that I could do it.” Sehun admitted ashamedly. “Go, Seungwan, there is still a chance for you…”

Seungwan snapped her head back and released a disbelieving laughter. “You want me to make my escape? Me?! Why should I? I have not done anything wrong.”

“Because you are a Mongolian!” Sehun hissed through his teeth, “If you stay here, they will convict you along with me! Even if you proclaim your innocence, you are still my blood and will be punished just as well. Don’t ever think your miserly Princess Joohyun can save you from imprisonment?! She is nothing but a princess!”

Seungwan could not hold in her rage then as she withdrew her concealed knife and made a wide arch upwards. There was a moment of stunned silence before a thin rivulet of blood flowed down from the open gash in Sehun’s left cheek.

“You will not demean Princess Joohyun!” Seungwan shouted. “What of the righteousness I believed in our ways, brother, our people’s ways? You are cunning. No, all of you are cunning, you, and father, and Chanyeol. I will not run for the sins I have not committed, brother, you will.”

Sehun let out a scathing laughter. “How far can I run before I get butchered by the Han people, sister? Ten miles? Twenty? Once I have made my escape, the Han people would stone me to death if they see me and when I return to our homeland, what would become of me? A fugitive? A token to be exchanged for the peace between our two countries?”

“And you think they would not do the same to me, your Mongolian sister?” Seungwan challenged.

Sehun was silent for an extended period of time. “Prince Jongdae and Kyungsoo would be able to help you that much, at the very least. You will make your escape safely, but not me. You are their friend,” Sehun gritted his teeth before he said the next words, “you are almost one of them.”

Seungwan felt paralysed as her brother’s heartless words.  

“The Bae court was on the verge of recovery. Prince Baekhyun, Jongdae, Kyungsoo and Princess Joohyun are making their country a better place and you have witnessed for yourself its improvement… Besides… we have our bilateral treaty in place, our nations were supposed to have friendly ties and exchanges with each other…” Seungwan did not why she had uttered all of these. “Brother, you have miscalculated, haven’t you? You have submitted yourself to the wrong cause.”

Pride flashed in Sehun’s eyes. “I have not. Father’s ruling is my cause.”

Seungwan laughed at the ridiculousness of Sehun’s ideas.

“Father’s ruling is your cause… then what of father’s? Is it not for men to live freely and happily?”

“Your wits and senses have dulled from years of living and playing in the palace, Seungwan. War is to conquer, to rule. Then only can we bring about peace.”

“When will that happen? And you will bring about destruction to a country who is your ally and is working towards enjoying peace?”

“It will happen once we are all under the same rule! We will bring about destruction, but we will also enjoy peace. This is a long-term strategy. Sacrifices are necessary and these Han people have enjoyed enough for generations and ruined it for themselves!”

“You are twisted,” Seungwan merely said before she turned away from her brother.

It was all too much to contain and Seungwan raised her blade once more and pointed it to her brother’s throat.

“Kyungsoo! Seulgi! We are done! Apprehend Prince Sehun.”

The two figures reappeared in the tent swiftly. Thick ropes already prepared in Kyungsoo’s hands.

Seungwan watched impassively as her brother was being tied up. There was no struggle. Seungwan knew she should be formulating something, some way for her to remedy this situation but she could not. The only thing she knew was to escape first and plan later. There was no other way. She was a Mongolian, and her brother was the main perpetrator. If men were coming for her brother, chances were that they were coming for her as well.   

Seungwan always knew that her days were too peaceful and that she was prepared for storms. However, this was not what she had imagined, never like this; where she felt utter betrayal and she had to scamper for her life like a streetrat.

Amidst all these, she knew she had to get someone.

Joohyun, I am not leaving you.

Kyungsoo saw a strange stray of light reflected from Seungwan’s eyes as she left Prince Sehun’s tent. It was as if Seungwan had just remembered or thought about something and she was being guided by some sort of conviction.

“Seulgi, guard the prince tightly, Jongdae will be here soon,” Kyungsoo said hastily to the palace maid who nodded obediently in response, her blade resting on the bound prince’s neck.   

“Prince Sehun, if you care for your sister’s life, I will strongly encourage for you to not go anywhere but stay in your tent. My brother’s men are coming for you. Orders have also been sent for Prince Chanyeol to be apprehended.”

Colour was leeched from Prince Sehun’s face.

Kyungsoo had caught up with Seungwan, caught her by her wrist and spun her around.

“I am taking Joohyun away, with me.”

“You are mad, you cannot do that. Joohyun will be viewed as traitor of her country if you take her along. She can never come back.” Kyungsoo hissed and Seungwan felt her blood freeze in her veins.

“So be it. She cannot be out of my sight,” Seungwan said as she returned to the tent she shared with Joo