When the sky was beginning to lighten, Sehun availed himself of some of the wash water the servants had brought up, kept at a comfortable temperature by magic. His mind was on Blink, he wanted to check on her but with prince Kai was still in the Chambers, Sehun couldn't do so. He was just glad Jimin had kept his words, when Sehun had sneaked to check on blink last night– after making sure prince Kai was deeply asleep– he had seen food and water kept inside the trunk for Blink, and he was certain it had appeared by magic from Jimin. Another thing that put his heart at ease was the tiny chamberpot provided for his dragon to dispose her wastes, he was sure Blink could figure out what to do. If not then Jimin must have told her how to use the chamberpot. He emerged feeling slightly more like himself despite having had to contend with what felt like a hundred minuscule pearl buttons on his shirt - only to be greeted by a sight that sent his heart racing and blood stirring all over again. Kai was awake and in the middle of his morning exercise, shirt abandoned on the back of a chair as he balanced an orb of magic at the tips of his fingers. A scar occasionally puckered the skin here and there along his body, but not nearly as many as one would expect for someone who was a warrior. Perhaps that was more of a testament to his skill as a fighter than anything else.There was a slight sheen of sweat on Kai's skin, his brows furrowed in concentration and muscles shifting under his skin as he passed the glowing blue orb from one hand to the other, letting it travel down the length of his arm and over his shoulders. Even for a dwarf, Kai was well built and attractive as his muscles rippled. Then he must have caught sight of Sehun from the corner of his eye, and was startled into sending the orb of magic flying halfway across the room and into a shelf, sweeping a stack of scrolls to the floor.  "Sehun! I didn't expect you to be out so quickly," he said, sounding a little embarrassed as he waved the scrolls back in place. He reached out for his shirt and gestured at the table, still laden with the food that the servants had brought up the night before. "The cooks placed a stasis spell on the food at my request last night. Please, help yourself." He excused himself to wash, and while he was gone Sehun served himself from the various dishes. There were three types of bread, heavy with seeds; fruit swimming in cream; rich stew made from some meat Sehun couldn't identify; some sort of fowl, seasoned with spices and roasted whole; and a dazzling array of dainty pastries slathered generously with jam and honey. He ate quickly out of habit, and was almost done when Kai stepped out of the bathroom. He turned, and was just in time to see Kai do up half the buttons on his shirt with an absent wave of his hand - which explained why annoyingly tiny buttons were used in such abundance in Enchancia, Sehun thought a little sourly. Kai joined him at the table and they both sat in awkward silence. Until Kai blew out a breath and began to speak. " So. I was thinking, since we're in this together, maybe we ought to talk about ground rules for the marriage. So we're on the same page." Rules? Sehun's stomach twisted at the thought. What would Kai expect of him?  "I just want to make sure we're both into this with eyes open," Prince Kai said. "I mean, the treaty is all well and good for the big things between the Kingdoms, but we have to make this work on the personal level, right?" Sehun nodded, mostly because he didn't trust himself to speak. Kai smiled. "Good. Glad we agree. Is there anyone you're in love with?" Sehun almost choked at the question. "What?" "Is there anyone you're in love with?" Kai repeated, a little slower, as if he wasn't sure Sehun had understood him. Heat rushed up the sides of Sehun's face, and he focused very intently on the food in front of them. "Why would you ask that?" "How is that a strange question?" Kai sounded as though he thought Sehun was the mad one. "For all I know you have someone you love very deeply, and this whole arrangement is ruining that. If there is, I wouldn't mind you having a lover on the side." Oh God, this conversation wasn't happening again. Sehun shook his head vehemently. "No. No, there isn't anybody else. And... I couldn't." The thought of breaking marriage vows made him more ill. And then another thought occurred to him. "Is there someone for you?" "Me?" Kai looked sad, eyes staring blankly at a vacant space between the table. "No. Well, there was someone at one point. But that was in the past. Regardless," Kai continued, "there isn't anyone for me, either. So it sounds like we don't have to worry about that. Still, if it comes to that, I wouldn't mind if you had an affair, so long as it was discreet. No need for either of us to feel trapped in this." Sehun whipped his head back to gape at Kai. Surely he wasn't suggesting... but he looked completely serious. So he was suggesting adultery– Kai had said he had bedfellows, it shouldn't bother him but it did. And Sehun couldn't bring himself to think of sleeping with anyone. His stomach sank and he turned his attention back to his food. "Of course." How he got the words out, he didn't know. "And I thought it would probably be easiest for you to have separate chambers if you want I can have that arranged. You know, so you can have your space." A small smile tipped up the corner of Kai's mouth. "As I'm sure you've figured out, I can be a handful. I shouldn't want to inflict myself on you anymore than necessary."A perfectly businesslike arrangement, then. Sehun shook his head."You said last night it is necessary to be in the same Chambers, I rather you stay here." He could handle that. He thought he could handle having Kai in the Chambers, at least. Kai nodded."There's one more thing." Kai stopped, and took a deep breath. "And it's an important one, so..." He pressed his lips together in a thin line and turned to Sehun. His eyes were surprisingly earnest. "I will never ask you to do anything you don't want to do. And I expect the same in return. If I ever do, tell me, and I'll stop." Sehun blinked. That was a rule he hadn't expected, and the insistence of "tell me" took him aback. His confusion must have shown, because Kai,
let out a little huff of a laugh and ran his hand back through his hair. Then a smirk curved at his lips, a devious expression on such a handsome face, and Sehun felt his heart hammer across the back of his ribs."Well, obviously, any time, but particularly in bed. Anything we do, we agree on—if you even want to do anything with a dwarf, that is. If you'd rather not, I completely understand." He flushed. "I don't... expect anything from you. This is a completely ridiculous situation and I'd just like it to be as painless as possible. For both of us." He scrubbed his face with his other hand. " I do not wish to lock you away like a delicate flower, control every aspect of your life or treat you like a commodity by forcibly sharing your bed." Sehun offered a small smile and nodded."I was too quick to judge you when I first arrived. You are a man of honour, and I am sorry for thinking otherwise," he said quietly.   Kai inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement. "You are already forgiven," he replied, then adjusted the silver cuff on the shell of his ear and cleared his throat before adding, "I must apologise as well, for my ill-considered remarks about your relationship with your guardsman." Sehun nodded his acceptance of the apology, and when Kai smiled at him over the rim of his teacup, his heart felt a little lighter as well - then Kai's smile grew teasing. "Are there any other ilda laws on marriage that I should know about? Perhaps it would be better if you told me everything, so that my father cannot use them to blindside us again," he said.   Sehun considered this seriously. "I do not really know where to begin, not knowing how they differ from the laws of Enchancia." "That's fair," Kai agreed. "Well, you already know that in Enchancia, anybody may marry another, regardless of . A couple may also chose to dissolve their marriage at any time, and may choose to marry again, but infidelity is frowned upon." He paused and Sehun's eyebrows raised a little, because moments ago Kai was suggesting he could take a lover, but he didn't say anything about that and allowed Kai to continue. "People choose to live together and have children without going through the hassle of getting married at all." He paused, worrying his lower lip, then continued in a nonchalant tone, "Bastard children like Chanyeol - born out of wedlock, with no father - are common enough that nobody thought to question their existence until they realised Chanyeol's eyes were exactly like his father's." "Was Jimin not a noble?"  "Not when Chanyeol was conceived, no. His mother was a lowly servant girl in the castle who caught the eye of the highest ranked nobleman. And how would she have dared to refuse him?" Kai said. "She left the castle when her belly began to swell with child, but when he learnt of Chanyeol's existence, he summoned her back and forced her to marry him so that he could claim him legitimately. Their mother lived in constant shame and fear from being forced to marry her tormentor, and died fourteen year after he married her and Jimin was just thirteen then. She was a lovely woman, my papa's best friend. I loved her like a mother."  "You said papa? You mean the King?" Kai shook his head. "I was born from two fathers, my papa was the man that carried me in his belly and gave birth to me." Sehun's eyes went wide, he had known it was possible in Enchancia for a man to beget a child but he never expected Kai to be born from one and more importantly– "i thought the queen is your mother" "No, she is Taeyeon, Junmyeon and Taehyung's mother." Kai took another sip of his tea. "My papa was a concubine at first before he became a noble consort. He was supposed to be king of Uxtan but when Heechul offered to marry him he decided to leave his throne and became a concubine. The King loved him– or so he claimed because papa was poisoned and Heechul didn't do anything about it. That is why I can never love my father, he was the reason my papa died and didn't get justice for him.  But one thing I am sure of is that my papa really did loved Heechul." "I'm sorry for your loss," Sehun said, although he knew they were empty words in the face of such a horrific tale.   "I think he's happy he got to love and be with the man he loved even if it was for a short time." Kai said with a shrug, then with false brightness abruptly turned the conversation back around. "Now, tell me more about marriage in Ilda."   "Our customs are very different, it seems. In Ilda, marriage can only happen between a man and a woman, and we are only allowed to marry once, even if one is widowed at their prime," Sehun said, and he saw Kai glance at the bandage on his wrist. "The law about demanding a different bride you already know. And..." Sehun took a deep breath before saying in a rush, "one is expected to remain chaste until the wedding night, although I suspect this is more strictly enforced for those of noble blood than amongst the common people."  Kai's eyes widened. "So you have never...?" "I have always known that I could never have what I wanted, and at least now I am not expected to go against my nature and try to produce an heir. As long as Ilda prospers and its people thrive, what I want doesn't matter. I made my peace with it a long time ago," Sehun said, staring down at the remains of his breakfast.  Kai was quiet for a long while after that, but finally said, "Sehun, I would like for us to be friends. Would that please you?"  "Yes, of course," Sehun replied, the words bittersweet on his tongue.  Kai smiled and Sehun smiled back.  "Kai I uh want to ask about my friends– knights, Luhan, Zitao and Yuri, your father had sent them away and I am worried about them." "You need not to worry, most of the people in Ironhide are– were my men, I was once their general, and they're still loyal to me. I've asked a few of them to look out for your friends. And soon I will make sure they are back in the palace." "Thank you" he said lowering his head a little. When he looked up and was surprised to see an expression of fury on Kai's face and a ball of brilliant blue magic gathered in his hand. Sehun backed away instinctively, ready to use his own chair as a weapon or a shield for what little good it might do against a head-on magical attack, but Kai directed the blast over Sehun's shoulder and at the window instead. He smiled in satisfaction, then he noticed Sehun's reaction and his face fell. "There was a snake," he explained quickly. Sehun glanced warily at the spot under the window, and sure enough, he saw a thin, charred body on the floor, and immediately felt embarrassed by his reaction.  "I'm sorry, I-"  "Don't be." Kai shrugged Sehun's apology off and turned away to drop the dead snake out of the window with a wave of his hand, but Sehun saw that he had hurt Kai's feelings with his continued mistrust of him. "I am usually fond of snakes, but if you see any snakes in the castle - even a harmless little grass snake - kill it," he advised. "They are Junmyeon's eyes and ears in the castle, for he has an affinity with them. You would be doing the poor creatures a favour anyway, Junmyeon drives them to their deaths without giving them food and rest." "So the guards who wear the insignia of a serpent are his?" Sehun guessed.  "Yes, the guards who attacked your guardsman are Junmyeon's. I had Jennie looking out for you, but I was a little... preoccupied, and I didn't think of him," Kai said. "And Taeyeon's guards wear a butterfly , and Taehyung's cat" Sehun said, remembering the insignia on the livery of Soojung's guardsmen and of Taehyung's when he came to welcome Sehun.  "It is family tradition to choose our own insignia at the age of 13. Most people choose grand or exotic creatures - my father's guards, for example, wear a Griffin. He was greatly pleased when I told him that I had decided that mine would be a wolf, something of both myself and my papa's. It was Jimin's mother that pointed it out for me and I took it." Kai said, smiling in fond reminisce of the occasion.  "And speaking of - I should visit Jimin to discuss the war council with him tomorrow. Would you like to join us? I am sure your insights will be valuable to our plans. It's just that..." Kai hesitated. "Jimin will be i