Read this chapter carefully,  please. There things to take note of for future references.

 

  All of Sehun's senses were on alert as he climbed up to the room in the west tower with his siblings. They were escorted by a dozen guards wearing the emblem of Heechul's Griffin on their chests, and Sehun had never paid much attention to Heechul's guards before this. In all honesty, he had assumed that perhaps Heechul's instructions had been a secret code for executing all three of them once they were out of Kai's sight, and was mildly surprised that they were put in what seemed like just an ordinary room. Once the guards had locked the door behind them, Sehun did a thorough search of the room just in case. They were right at the top of the tower, and the window looked out over the town just outside the castle walls, a sheer drop a few hundred feet straight down. The room itself was completely bare except for a heavy table and a fireplace, which was currently empty and cold. On a hunch, he peered up into the gloom behind the grate, and sure enough he spotted something moving. With one swift movement, he darted his hand in to grab the sinuous body of the little viper and threw it on the floor before it could sink its fangs into his arm, then stomped on it hard with the boot that contained the adamas blade, and he heard its fragile bones snap under his heel. "The snakes in the castle belong to Kai's brother. Be wary of them," he told his wide-eyed siblings.  It had been almost five months since he had seen them last, but it was strange seeing them here, especially since he had resigned himself to never being able to see them again when he had been forced to say goodbye to them.  Joo-hyun seemed more care-worn, and was thinner than Sehun would have liked. Both of them were dressed in rough clothes for travelling, and Yifan had a huge purpling bruise covering half of his face, likely from resisting Junmyeon's guards.  For a few seconds, none of them spoke; then Joo-hyun flung herself into his arms, and it was like no time had passed at all. He hugged her fiercely, squeezing his eyes shut against the tears that threatened to fall. After a long time, Joo-hyun finally let go of him, and Yifan came forward to embrace Sehun briefly as well. Joo-hyun was staring at Sehun avidly with damp eyes, taking in his fine clothes, the rings on his fingers, and the large ruby around his neck in bewilderment.  "Oh, brother," she whispered.  "I am well. I told you so in the letter," he assured them, then added truthfully, "I have missed you both greatly, but you shouldn't have come." "But it was you who pleaded for us to come into the town during the spring festival to rescue you!" Yifan exclaimed.  "What? I sent no such letter," Sehun said with a frown.  "A door was left open for us in the far end of the town, near the forest, and it was empty of guards just as you said it would be," Joo-hyun said. "We thought that perhaps Jungkook had managed to get free and was aiding you, but..." "It was a trap," Sehun fumed as understanding dawned on him. "Junmyeon must have intercepted the crow you sent and forged a letter in my hand. That's how he knew where and when to expect you." Then the lock in the door clicked, and all three of them turned warily, but it was just Jimin, Taemin, and Jungkook.    "Sir Jungkook!" Yifan cried out in surprise.  "Princess Joo-hyun. Sir Yifan," Jungkook greeted them, bowing as best as he could with the heavy tray of food and drink in his hands. "I wish we could have met again in more fortunate circumstances." Yifan looked horrified as Jungkook and Taemin set the trays down on the table. "They made you do women's work?"  But before Sehun had a chance to chide Yifan, his attention was diverted by Jimin muttering a warding spell under his breath.  "I have bought you some time to speak plainly to your siblings. You have until the king and Junmyeon return - they will find the wardings suspicious, so I must remove them before they see them," Jimin told him in an undertone.  "Thank you," Sehun replied. "I promise to use the time well. Has Kai already ridden out?"  "He has, with Chanyeol and Jennie by his side," Jimin replied as one of his hands went to cradle his stomach, then added, "I must say I'm disappointed. You must know that what you have done will jeopardise all the plans we have made." Sehun sighed. "I told them not to come. They were fooled by Junmyeon." Jimin's expression softened a little. "I take it that you did not tell Kai that this might happen." "No, I did not. I foolishly thought that I would be able to advert this situation on my own," Sehun replied guiltily.  Jimin nodded. "I hope we may still be able to turn this around, but I must leave now, before the guards grow suspicious. And I beg you, Sehun - please be careful with Kai's heart." Sehun nodded, swallowing thickly. Jimin snapped his fingers, and Taemin and Jungkook followed him out.  "Who was that?" Joo-hyun asked.  "Lord Park Jimin. He is the archivist of Enchancia, and maintains all the wards in the castle. He is also Kai's best friend and advisor. He has put some spells in place so we cannot be listened in on - we have to speak quickly." "Why would he do that for you?" Yifan asked. "If he is loyal to the Enchancian prince, why would he help you escape?"  Sehun took a deep breath. "I can't leave with you. We need to get our stories straight for when Heechul returns to question us, and then you must return to Ilda." "Not without you," Joo-hyun said quickly, but Sehun shook his head firmly.  "Your plan to have me take the poison will not work now. I'm assuming that potion that Kai drank to prove your innocence was the antidote to it, and even if you still had it, I wish to remain here. I meant what I said in the missive - I am happy here. I will miss you, more than you can imagine, but Enchancia is where I belong now, and maybe when things have settled down and Kai is properly king, I may be able to see you again." "Sehun, you can't be serious! You're renouncing Ilda?" Yifan gasped.  "The interests of Ilda would be better served if I stayed here. You don't know anything that has happened–"  "Oh, but we do know. That's why we had to come," Yifan said, looking pained. "Hunnie, you don't have to be ashamed or question the welcome you would receive if you returned to Ilda. Even if prince Kai has forced you to sleep with him, we don't think less of you. What happened to you is not your fault, brother. What matters is that you are still alive." "What? What makes you think that Kai forced himself on me?" Sehun asked, heat rising in his cheeks in both embarrassment and anger. "Kai is a man of honour. Nothing inappropriate has happened between us." His siblings stared at him in surprise.  "A week after your wedding, a gift of a dozen slaughtered hogs was sent to the foot of the mountains, with a missive congratulating Father on the consummation of your marriage," Joo-hyun explained, watching his reaction as if she was worried that she might accidentally upset him. "We were told that it had been a public spectacle, and the missive described it in such detail that Father had a fit of anger so violent that he collapsed." "In fact, that was why we were in such a hurry to get you out tonight - in the missive we received, the one that we thought was from you, you said that as part of the fertility rites held in honour of the spring moon, something similar would be happening again, and that you would rather die than bear the humiliation of it," Yifan added.  "That is a lie! Nothing like that has happened!" Sehun said in shock. "Kai came up with a ruse to make it seem like we had lain with each other, so that Heechul could not invoke the old law and send for Irene to take my place here, and I share his bedchamber to keep up appearances, but that is all." Yifan and Joo-hyun were silent as they digested this.  "Brother, are you sure you are not under some sort of enchantment that makes you believe that you are being treated well here?" Yifan asked. "How sure are you that what you remember is real? The missive that we received where you begged us to come was definitely written in your hand - I could have sworn that it was so–" "And you think that as I speak to you now, I speak as someone under an enchantment?" Sehun demanded.  "If you were under an enchantment, you wouldn't know, would you?" Yifan countered, his eyes briefly looking towards Joo-hyun before he spoke the next part. "Think of all the men we have seen fall victim to magic. Magic is a dirty, low thing, and surely no man who uses it can be said to be honourable." "That is what I used to think, but having seen what I have, I do not think so anymore. Magic is no different from any blade. It can be wielded for good as well as evil," Sehun said, willing them to understand. "I promise you, Kai is a good man."  "I wondered, when he drank the potion and jumped to your defence. Those did not seem like the actions of a man who would misuse you," Joo-hyun admitted reluctantly. She looked at him consideringly. "We saw you in the town, before you vanished with him through a doorway of some sort, and I had never seen you smile at anyone the way you smiled at him even though he wasn't looking. Sehun... Do you love him?" Sehun knew his answer was clear on his face - he had never been able to hide much from Joo-hyun - and she gasped.  "Oh, Sehun," she said in wonder. "And he loves you too? He risked his father's wrath for you, he must!" "We have not spoken of it, but I think it is possible," Sehun mumbled. "By the Angel! Of all the people to fall in love with, Sehun, a dwarf?" Yifan lamented. "We are married, Yifan. Why would my feelings for him be unwise just because he's a dwarf?" Sehun said defensively. "All these weeks, he has been trying to convince his father to build lasting peace with Ilda by renewing the trade routes. I understand now that you were misled into thinking that I was miserable here, but I fear your presence here has undone all our efforts." "Oh, Sehun. Things in Ilda have changed since you left," Joo-hyun said sadly. "Even if, as you say, the Enchancian prince wishes to build peace with us, I doubt very much that his attempts to come to an understanding would be successful. You see, after we received the letter from Enchancia filled with lies about how you had been treated, Father fell ill and never properly recovered. And without you, Ilda has no heir to the throne and you know I do not want the throne." "All the nobles have been fighting at the king's sickbed, and no wonder that he doesn't seem to be getting any better," Yifan muttered. "How long does he have left?" Sehun asked, mind racing. When Enchancia had made its demands and Sehun had been forced to abdicate, Donghae had been adamant that Sehun would eventually return, confident that Sehun would somehow be able to escape from the clutches of Enchancia on his own and in denial that his only son was to be bartered away to the enemy. Sehun, on the other hand, had resigned himself to death of some form, had pleaded with his father to see reason and make plans for the future, but all his arguments had fallen on deaf ears. "I do not think Father will survive this spring," Joo-hyun admitted. "In the meantime, I have had to fend off the attentions of Lord Jeon and Lord Gu, both of whom seem to think the answer is to resume the war during the Spring, when Enchancia's forces tend to be at their least aggressive." "That is madness! The mountain is unforgiving to all men during winter and spring, whether they are from Enchancia or Ilda. All of them would perish!" Sehun exclaimed in horror. "Which is why we need you to come back, Sehun. There might not be anything left of Ilda otherwise," Yifan said.  "I know it's not fair to ask this of you, if you have truly found love and happiness here," Joo-hyun said hesitantly.   "No, you are right," Sehun said with a heavy heart. If his father's death was eminent, then time was running out. There was still a chance of salvaging Kai's plan - their plan - for peace, but that would require a willing ruler on the throne of Ilda. "I will return to Ilda with you - but first, we have to think of how to deal with Heechul." They all nodded. It was hours later before anything happened and Sehun used that time to tell his siblings about Blink and his newly found powers. Yifan didn't seemed much surprised but Joo-hyun had gaped at him when he showed them how his powers work. "By the Angel Sehun you're incredible, not only you have a dragon but you also have powers." Joo-hyun said placing a hand over in astonishment. "Where is Blink?" "In a cave just outside the capital, she was growing too fast, Kai helped." Joo-hyun told him albeit hesitantly about her secret relationship with Dame Seulgi and Sehun was really happy to hear his sister had followed her heart. It pained him to know Joo