CHAPTER TWELVE

Last night was my most memorable night that happened to me in the realm of faeries so far. Myungsoo and I spent the rest of the evening admiring the beauty of the maze and enjoying our time together under the moonlight. And it was also the moment that I finally have given him my heart.

The next day, I woke up with a huge smile on my face. I was not able to join Woohyun on his morning patrol due to the fact that I have the most peaceful sleep that I ever had since I started living here. I am in a very good mood making Namjoo look at me weirdly from time to time. I even kiss her cheeks by the time that she finished braiding my hair and leave for breakfast. 

Humming, I went downstairs and proceed to the dining hall with a smile still plastered on my lips. By the time that I reached the doors, I saw that Myungsoo was already seating there talking with Woohyun. 

"Good Morning, Woohyun! Good Morning, Myungsoo." I gave them both a grin. 

"Morning, you look good for someone who skipped the patrol." Woohyun said while wiggling his brows. 

"I sleep well and I'm sorry for that." I said and proceed with filling up my plate. 

"Myungsoo seems to be in a good mood as well. What's up?" I look up and glance at the male beside me and saw that he is looking at me with a small smile. 

"Oh, nothing!" I blurted but Woohyun won't take it and narrowed his eyes on me, earning a pointed cough from Myungsoo, and I added, "I swear—" 

"Come on, I saw the two of you last night from my balcony and you were k-i-s-s-i-n-g. Don't try denying it, Naeun!" 

"If you're not my friend, I swear that I could smack you with a plate!" 

"Oh? Why is little Naeun blusing anyways?" Woohyun asked sarcastically which made Myungsoo chuckled, I glared at him. 

"I'm not!" 

"Yes you are!"

"I told you, I'm not!" 

"I told you, you are!" 

Myungsoo cleared his throat which abruptly made Woohyun and I stop from bickering. I stuck my tongue out at him and get back on eating my meal. But before I could even eat, Myungsoo perhaps noticed that I took extra preparations before going here and he suddenly blurted, "You look  so beautiful, Naeun."

"Well, uh, thank you."

"It's maddening, you make me want to kiss you again." 

Heat starts filling up my cheeks and suddenly I couldn't talk. Flashbacks of what happened last night in maze replayed in my mind making me blush even more. I tried avoiding Myungsoo's gaze but it is no good because I could still feel his predatory gaze at me. 

"Hello. I'm trying to have a peaceful meal here. Why don't you two get a room?" Woohyun said, making Myungsoo clear his throat once again and I blinked. "By the way, I have a report from the Fire Kingdom, Myungsoo." The laughter from Woohyun's voice disappeared as he murmured those words, I wanted to hear it but I don't know if I am even allowed to eavesdrop.

"Spill it," even Myungsoo's voice became utterly serious, and it sends chills to my bones. 

"I went to the southern borders earlier in the patrol to meet some of Chanyeol's sentries. According to them, Thamuz has start moving around once again and rumors claimed that he is working with the Night Kingdom." Woohyun started and then took a long pause. I am about to leave the room to give them privacy on this matter but the mere mention of the Night Kingdom has caught my attention. It is Taemin's, and I have not heard a single thing from him since the balcony incident. Was that like two or three months ago? I can't remember. 

​​​​​​Then realization strucked me. If that incident was already long ago, that means that I have been staying here at Verboden for more than half a year now. Maybe I was really caught up with the happenings here in the faerie realm that I never felt the rapid passing of the days and weeks.

I've been away from home for quite long now but I rarely, well almost not, thinking of my sister's situation. I was lost in my own thoughts but got distracted when the two males started talking again. 

"How did they know that the Night Kingdom is working with Thamuz?" Myungsoo asked. 

"Thamuz' winged-creatures were seen dumping bodies in the Fire Realm, and when the sentries inspected the unknown bodies, there were burned marks in there. Pine trees, mountains and a cresent moon, the Night Kingdom's sigil. The Grand Duke of the Fire Kingdom personally sent his warning, Myungsoo. He told us to be careful specially that we are the closest neighbor of the Night Kingdom."

Myungsoo remained silent, but I could feel the cold fury building up from his inside, well I guess not only me. I suspect that the whole winter kingdom have felt it, since the breeze became deadly cold and the court suddenly became silent. 

​​​​​​"The Night Kingdom can do that?" It was I who responded  to Woohyun instead. To be honest, I still refuse to believe that the Night Kingdom compose of a bunch of dangerous creatures. That Taemin, its well-known leader, is a cunning and wicked male. We have encountered for several times but none from those meetings did he commit bad things to me, those every encounter happened to save me from harm, not to cause me harm. So why? Why did the Night Kingdom doing these? 

"The inhabitants of the Night Kingdom are known to be savages, Na