“Why didn’t you tell them?”

“Tell them what,” Jaera muttered to herself. They both knew what he was talking about. “Look, I have to go join my team for a meeting. They’re going to start rumours about us with you always singling me out.”

Prince Junmyeon sighed. “I just want to understand what’s going on in your mind! I’ve tried thinking about this rationally, and I just cannot fathom why you would hold yourself back when you’ve been on my case ever since you’ve arrived here.”

“Your Highness, what do you want, exactly? When I want to heal you, you get mad. Now, when I follow your wishes, you are still angry.”

It had been an hour or so since he froze his own heart, only for her to use her supposed firebending to stop it. He looked so bewildered that it only made her more frustrated. No matter what she did, he would still end up hating her.

“I would not use my bloodbending on you,” he said. “If that was what you were afraid of.”

It had never once crossed her mind. She kept silent, waiting for him to say something. She was desperate to leave, in case she was to accidentally reveal that she was doing all this because she did not want to see him sad and defeated.

He didn’t know what to say and blurted out the first thing that came into his mind. “You cannot heal me on your own, you know. You do not even know how to firebend properly.”

“I do not intend to use any of my firebending on you,” she seethed, parroting him from earlier. “If you want to have a frozen heart, so be it.”

Suddenly, Chanyeol’s voice resonated up the stairs. He emerged sheepishly. It was obvious that he had heard most of their conversation. The Water Kingdom prince did not look too pleased at his sudden appearance.

“What are you still doing here?” he grumbled. “The meeting was over yesterday.”

Chanyeol chose to ignore him, turning his focus to Jaera. “You can firebend?!”

“Not so loud.” She frowned. Luckily, Prince Junmyeon had already ordered the guards to leave prior to their conversation. “I found out about an hour ago. It just… happened.”

“But you are not royalty.”

She shrugged. “I do not know how, but I did. Prince Junmyeon can attest to that.”

The said prince showed the ends of his singed robes. “I do not know how you all did not find out for almost twenty years, but it is true.”

“Why were you firebending in the prince’s room?”

Prince Junmyeon stepped forward. “That is none of your business.”

“She is a citizen of my kingdom, and more importantly, she is my best friend. I deserve to know why she was supposedly firebending in your room. The last thing I want is for her to be in danger.”

“Please. The overprotective older brother act is getting old. It is so blatantly obvious that you have feelings for Jaera.” He scoffed. “Do I have to spell it out for you? She does not like you back.”

Chanyeol’s eyes blazed in anger. Before he could start getting violent, Jaera stepped in between the both of them. “Can you two stop acting like children? This is not the time and place. Prince Junmyeon, if you did not have a heart, you would not be feeling angry right now. And Chanyeol, I know you are just trying to look out for me.”

“The reason why my heart is melting, is because of you!”

“I already told you, I did not firebend your heart on purpose!”

“It is not your firebending, Jaera!” Prince Junmyeon let out a heavy breath. “It’s you.”

It only took a moment for the pieces to fit together in her mind. There were only three methods to heal a frozen heart; a waterbender, a firebender, or a lover. If he did not mean her firebending, then it only had to mean that he was falling for her.

“It cannot be.” She shook her head. A small feeling of happiness bubbled up in the depths of her being. It was almost too good to be true. However, it did not excuse his bipolar behaviour towards her. “Y- your heart is frozen. You cannot feel love.”

“It is a just a theory for now. That is the only explanation of my strange behaviour lately.”

Chanyeol cut in before she could say anything. “And if I said I have feelings for Jaera too?”

“What?”

“Prince Junmyeon was right,” he confessed, almost desperately. “I thought you knew I had feelings for you, more than a friend, with how differently I treated you than the rest. We have a special connection, do we not?”

Jaera took a few steps backward, overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events. “I am just a commoner. Both of you are royalty.”

Without warning, Prince Junmyeon chuckled. It began as soft laughter under his breath before he could stand it no longer and laughed out loud. The other two exchanged looks as Jaera wondered if the ice in his heart had finally made him crazy.

Noticing the looks on their faces, Prince Junmyeon smirked. “Do you not see it?”

“See what?” Chanyeol snapped. “Stop acting like a lunatic and tell us.”

The smirk never leaving his face, he continued. “Jaera can firebend, which only mean she comes from the direct line of Fire Kingdom royalty. You, Prince Chanyeol, are the Fire Kingdom Prince.”

“We are siblings.” Jaera completed his sentence as slow realisation crossed her face. Her heart sunk into her chest. Her birth parents, the king and queen of the Fire Kingdom, had given her away.

Chanyeol looked horror-stricken. “No. It cannot be.”

“I think, the two of you could be twins, even.” The Water Kingdom prince smiled almost cruelly as Chanyeol’s despair grew. “I heard that twins are taboo in your culture. Isn’t that right, Jaera?”

“Why are you acting like this? Is this funny to you, Your Highness?”

He did not seem to hear her, continuing to mutter to himself about twins and secrets. His eyes began to take on a crazed look, and it was as if he was not consciously there with them. Suddenly, he grabbed at his chest. He dry-heaved before slumping onto the marble floor.

Wind started to howl from outside the castle. There was a strobing effect as well, with the clouds moving over the sunlight erratically. Jaera was struck by the sudden change in weather and wondered briefly if the world was ending.

Her best friend shook her out of her thoughts, pointing to the limp man on the floor. “Jaera. Healer.”

She immediately knelt beside him, checking for a pulse and his breathing. His pulse was much stronger than the previous times she had checked. It was most probably due to the ice around his heart melting, but by the looks of him, it was not a good thing.

“Junmyeon!” The doors to the royal chambers burst open and a terrified-looking queen emerged. Her already pale face became even paler when she noticed her son on the ground.

“Pulse is strong but quick. Breathing is shallow and rapid. His Highness seems close to having a seizure.”

The queen was at a loss for words. “Junmyeon! And my husband! Miss healer, please come back inside to check on my husband. Where on earth are the guards? I need more healers in here!”

“I shall go look for them.” Chanyeol nodded. “Jaera, go inside and see to the king. I think Prince Junmyeon will be alright over here for the time being.”

With a last glance at the unconscious man, she allowed herself to get dragged by the queen into the royal chambers. The image of his white lips and pale face would not leave her mind even as she was brought forward to the king.