A woman, who seemed to be a few years older than Ryeowook without having lost a youthly glow, entered the hall, her clothes also a fiery red, though Ryeowook noticed that her patterns were different from Kyuhyun’s, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the fire artist.

“Who are you? Don’t you have any manners? Bow to the royal family!” Ryeowook’s oldest brother Jeonghoon called out and Ryeowook knew that he had made a mistake even before he suddenly saw his brother drop to his knees and kowtow instead.

“Hyung, what are you doing?” Jihoon exclaimed, but Ryeowook knew that their brother wasn’t bowing by his free will. He studied the woman who had stepped past Kyuhyun, her smile almost polite if her actions weren’t so condescending. There was only one person who this could be, one person who instantly made Ryeowook see red even with the little information he had on her: Kyuhyun's sire.

“Who are you?” Jihoon turned to the woman as well, taking a step forward while he pulled out his sword, pointing it at her.

She came to a stand between Jihoon and Kyuhyun, raising her hands in mock defeat while she laughed. “Put that thing away if you don’t want to get hurt just yet. No need to shed blood so early.”

Blood.

That one word rang in Ryeowook’s mind on repeat and an all too familiar strength flowed through him, urging him on. Someone blocked the woman’s view, standing so close to him, with his back towards Ryeowook. He felt his fangs extend once again and his eyes automatically focused on the other’s white neck, the carotid artery almost visible, he could almost feel it pulse under his lips, he—

No!

He took a step back, but was suddenly stopped by another hand, a sickening scent. “Your Highness, are you not feeling well?”

The voice made the blood freeze in Ryeowook’s veins and he hastily tried to free his arm again, but the grip was tight, the smile on the historian’s face pleasant even when he met Ryeowook’s hateful eyes. Jungsu turned around at the same time, glancing at them before he turned towards Kyuhyun’s sire.

“Are you hungry, your highness? You should have accepted more of the food I offered you on the trip here,” the historian continued with a sweet, polite smile, his speech even more respectful than it had been on the ship, making Ryeowook nauseous and his gaze red with anger.

“Sahakja! Get more guards!” the king ordered and the historian bowed, still not letting go of Ryeowook.

“I’m sorry, my King, but on the way here, I have only met a few guards and not a single one of them was alive. Getting more might take some time.”

“Then hurry!”

“No need to trouble yourself,” a new voice came from the direction of the main door and Ryeowook felt almost dizzy with relief, his posture straightening a little. A moment later, two young men, one clad in black and red, the other in black and white, entered the great hall, both of them bowing respectfully towards the royal family. “We have come to this hall whilst getting lost a few times, but still we haven’t been met with resistance even once,” Heechul finished his report.

Hyung, you’re here! Ryeowook cheered in his mind. He had no idea how Heechul and Hangeng had arrived at the capital and in that room at the same time as everyone else, amazed that they had been able to stick to their word and follow closely enough behind that they had made it in time.

“My King, they are the ones who hid away His Highness, the youngest prince,” the historian was quick to explain.

“Father, that’s not true. I—“

“Ryeowook, shut up!”

“The hell I will!” All eyes turned towards Ryeowook who responded to his father’s gaze, not backing down. “I stayed with them out of free will. The one who kidnapped me was no other than sahakja-nim.”

“Your Highness, they must have brainwashed you,” the historian replied in a gentle tone, like he was talking to a young child, enraging Ryeowook even more, but with Heechul, Hangeng, and Kyuhyun present, his fear of being assaulted by their historian vanished into thin air.

“They did not. The only one brainwashing me was you.”

“Ryeowook, stop those accusations right now!”

“I never would dare brainwash you, my prince.”

“Right, so you just threatened—“

“KIM RYEOWOOK!”

“—tortured and tied me up! How is that any better?”

“Kim Ryeowook! Out! Right now!”

Ryeowook turned to see his father shake with rage, pointing towards the door. “It’s not like sahakja-nim would let me go anywhere.”

A soft chuckle interrupted them and a heavy silence fell over the room as all eyes turned towards Kyuhyun’s sire. Ryeowook could almost hear his father’s curses and lecture that would involuntarily follow because this scene had to play out in front of strangers and he tried to pull free once more, still without success.

“Who are you again?”

“Me? My name shouldn’t matter right now, I haven’t picked my new one yet.”

Ryeowook’s oldest brother scoffed at that response. “You don’t just pick names like that.”

“It’s true. I’m sure your wonderful sahakja will assist me in picking one worthy for the new Queen of Joseon.”

So Ryeowook’s conclusions had been basically right: of course they would all gather at court and of course the historian was still working together with Kyuhyun’s sire—it was the easiest way of gaining power and legitimacy.

Jeonghoon scoffed. “The new Queen of Joseon? There’s no way that our father would exchange our mother for someone like you.”

“There’s no need for any exchanges like that.”

Jihoon shook his head, lowering the sword, likely because his arm was getting heavy. “And how do you think he’d take you as concubine and then make a concubine a queen? That’s just as unlikely.”

Ryeowook inwardly rolled his eyes, wondering if his brothers were just playing pretend or actually thought either of those options were what Kyuhyun’s sire was aiming at. Even she seemed to be surprised at those comments because she turned to the historian with an expression that almost looked like admiration. “This is what you’ve lived with recently?”

“Yah!”

Her head whipped to Jeonghoon and a mere glare brought him back to his knees. Ryeowook mentally rolled his eyes all over again, but he still clung to the hope that his brothers hadn’t fully gone dumb during their time serving in the military. Jeonghoon was the future king of Joseon!

“Ma’am, why do you enjoy bullying people who can’t even defend themselves?” Heechul asked in a polite voice and when Ryeowook looked at him, he realized that Heechul and Hangeng had entered the hall further, standing much closer to him and the historian than they had before. Even the historian seemed to be taken aback by this development because he pushed Ryeowook closer to his brothers, making the young prince stumble and shoot him another glare. He was still royalty! No need to treat royalty like that!

“You’re using such harsh language.” Kyuhyun’s sire frowned, but the expression still looked fake. “I don’t think I approve of it.”

“I offer my insincerest apologies,” Heechul replied with a smile, not even budging when he was met with a glare.

“Is he wrong, though?” Ryeowook came to Heechul’s aid, not wanting the other to also suffer from the woman’s manipulation. It was bad enough that his brother was humiliated like that and that Kyuhyun was under her spell!

Her gaze went to him fleetingly, but suddenly returned and she squinted, then laughed before turning away. One of his brothers stepped closer to him and the hunger suddenly flared up, tinting the entire room in red. He clenched his teeth, halting his breath, trying to steady himself, but his brother was so close! Damn it, why couldn’t the hunger have laid back just a little longer!

The woman’s scoff brought him back to reality and he slowly exhaled, carefully inhaling, ignoring the edges of his vision that turned red from hunger. He relaxed the arm that he had pressed against his stomach at one point and raised his gaze, suddenly meeting Kyuhyun’s eyes. Hope flashed through him but was put down again as quickly as it had appeared when Kyuhyun looked away, his expression impassive. No, he was under his sire’s command, of course he wouldn’t care about how Ryeowook was doing.

He glanced at Jungsu, flashing him a small smile, wishing he could retreat once again.

Something crashed. Ryeowook quickly covered his ears at the ear-shattering noise and a moment later, a wall of flames separated Kyuhyun and his sire from everyone else. The woman flashed Kyuhyun a brief glance and Ryeowook wished he could see her expression, but instead, he found Jihoon stumbling back into his original position while withdrawing his sword. Had he really thought he could attack her?

Hopelessness dropped in Ryeowook’s stomach at the thought that Kyuhyun reacted so harshly at such a minor threat and he finally looked towards Kyuhyun again, finding one of the fire bowls near him lying on the ground, forming the source of the wall of fire that crossed the room.

“You! Are you trying to burn down the court?” Jihoon pointed his sword towards Kyuhyun and Ryeowook mentally shook his head before he turned to Kyuhyun.

He had to somehow get away from the historian. As long as the other was still holding on to his arm, Ryeowook felt like he could be tossed around at will. And after everything that had happened on the ship, the historian’s touch was burning on his skin, evoking the wish for Ryeowook to just shed his skin right there and grow a new one that had never been touched by the historian—if only that was possible.

“—come to me?”

Ryeowook snapped out of his disgust when he was suddenly pulled into a different direction, towards the end of the wall of flames and towards Heechul and Hangeng. He briefly looked at the other two who seemed concerned, wanting to step in, but just as Hangeng made a move, the wall of fire became longer.

“Kyuhyun-ah, don’t be like that. Let him pass.”

Everything inside Ryeowook cramped at the way she sweetly called Kyuhyun. His eyes went back to Kyuhyun and the other inclined his head in understanding just as his wall of fire reached one of the room’s walls, successfully cutting him and his sire off from everyone else.

Ryeowook frowned a little and when a thought struck him, he immediately called out in his mind, Heechul-hyung! By any chance… can Kyuhyun hear me? I mean, does he react to me? Kyuhyun had mentioned, after all, that being controlled by his sire felt like watching his own actions without being able to control them, that he was still there, seeing everything that was happening… So was there a chance that he was there, noticing Ryeowook, trying to comply to his sire while also… also what? Protecting Ryeowook? Ryeowook couldn’t say that he felt particularly protected in that moment.

To give Heechul a chance to assess the situation, Ryeowook said, “I wouldn’t let a traitor like him pass either.” He held his chin higher even when the historian’s grip on him became so tight that he was afraid the other vampire would break his arm—if not outright crush it.

“Ryeowook-ah, you really shouldn’t talk like that,” Jeonghoon reprimanded him, but Ryeowook glanced at Heechul instead, finding the other nod almost unnoticeably. The real Kyuhyun could hear him! There was a chance for them to win! If Kyuhyun was in there somewhere and his thoughts were apparent enough for Heechul to pick up on them, they stood a chance, no matter how slim that chance was! They just weren’t allowed to give Kyuhyun’s sire another chance to manipulate him.

“And I’m pretty sure sahakja-nim shouldn’t have treated me the way he has on the journey here, so I guess we’re even.”

“I’d never dare to hurt his Highness.”

Ryeowook pointedly looked at his arm. “In that case, I’m sure you can relax your hand a little.”

“Ryeowook, stop your accusations.”

“I apologize, my king. But I wouldn’t say these things if they weren’t true. I have promised to be a prince of honesty and integrity—I would never betray those principles.”

Sharp laughter interrupted him and when Ryeowook turned towards Kyuhyun’s sire, he found her hiding behind her hand, a malicious glare in her eyes despite the laughter. “Such a weak prince. It does make me wonder…” She stepped closer them and Ryeowook cheered in his mind though he kept his expression carefully neutral. “Why would someone like Kyuhyun pick you out of all people to run away with? He could have anyone… But I must say, picking you does work perfect for my plans.”

What if they worked together this whole time?

Ryeowook ignored that thought as he smiled softly. “At least I don’t have to force Kyuhyun to stay by my side.”

Kyuhyun’s sire’s eyes immediately turned murderous as she took another step forward, mere inches separating her from the wall of fire. “You!” she hissed under her breath while Ryeowook kept his smile.

“What about me?” he replied in a calm voice and took a step closer to the fire as well, the historian following him.

Without a warning, Ryeowook yanked his arm forward with all his might just as the historian had one leg up in the air. The man stumbled a little, catching himself with a slightly larger step forward—the exact bit too much that Ryeowook had counted on.

The fire lashed out and a curtain of red dropped over Ryeowook’s senses. Someone screamed, someone else gasped, then pain exploded in his wrist and just as he wanted to pull away, someone else forced him to his knees. Sharp, bright laughter lit his entirely world in red, the scent of blood, no matter how burned, beckoning him. Chaos erupted around him, someone else screamed.

Ryeowook raised his head against the strain, wanting to find the source of the laughter, wanting to end it. Blood. Kill! His. Prey!

A black robe with red accents blocked his view and something inside him swayed. Safety. Red and black meant safety.

A voice, close to his ear, the scent welcoming but not what he wanted. There was better prey around! But that voice… Hadn’t it just say ‘bite’? Who? Whom could he bite?

He fought to listen to it, but the vampire hunger almost drowned it out when the instructions weren’t what he wanted. At the same time, his consciousness finally got the power to fight and he obeyed, biting down on his lip so hard that he tasted blood.  

He almost spat it out in disgust but just held back. No. He had to! What other option did he have?

“You’re doing well. I know it’s not pleasant. You’re doing well. You’re doing well.” That voice, so gentle, so adamant. Ryeowook could only close his eyes and swallow his disgust, swallowing his own blood along with it until he couldn’t take it anymore and he coughed drily. Very slowly, his arm was released, but he didn’t get up, even when his arm fell to his side.

He didn’t know how, but that woman’s voice had made it through to him, mocking him about his lack of control. Mocking him about being weak. Laughing at him.

“He’s my brother!” someone suddenly yelled, a voice that never got loud, and a moment later, dark blue robes appeared in Ryeowook’s field of vision, dropping beside him, and a hand appeared in his vision. His eyes instantly landed on the blue vein beneath the fair skin before the hand moved on, coming to rest against the side of his face. His fangs!

Ryeowook needed almost a moment too long until he realized that his fangs had drawn back at some point, then his eyes met Jungsu’s worried ones. “Ryeowook-ah, are you okay? Did you get hurt? That fire suddenly… It…” Jungsu’s eyes wavered to somewhere behind Ryeowook and the younger prince also turned his head, finding a pile of ash. That was… thorough… No wonder that woman wanted to have Kyuhyun by her side.

Ryeowook looked down on himself, surprised that he found not a single burned spot. Then was he mistaken?

He looked around more carefully, but there was still no trace of the historian. Only… that pile of ash. And actually some burned spots on the floor. If that was all that was left of their historian…

“Ryeowook-ah…”

Ryeowook looked back at his brother, finally realizing that he still hadn’t said a word. “I’m fine.”

Without hesitating or caring for his image, Jungsu pulled Ryeowook into a tight hug. For a moment, the younger prince was overwhelmed by the closeness, the other’s neck so easily reachable, the other’s arms tightly wrapped around him, but before he could react, Jungsu pulled away and rose to his feed, gently pulling Ryeowook along, pulling him behind him. Then he turned to face Hangeng.

“How dare you assault my brother like that!”

How dare he…

Ryeowook barely held back his laughter as he tucked on Jungsu’s arm. “Hyung, it’s not him. He won’t hurt me. Trust me.” Stepping beside his brother, he flashed Hangeng a grateful smile, glad that the other would understand his thankfulness even if he didn’t say another word.

“But he—“

“Hyung—“

“Who dare you call hyung! Jungsu-yah, get away from them!”

Ryeowook groaned inwardly when he saw Jihoon striding towards them, his face dark. Jungsu, on the other hand, seemed to accept Ryeowook’s decision because he once again protectively stepped between them. “Hyung, there’s no need. If Ryeowook-ah says he trusts them, then he trusts them. He’s our little brother, you shouldn’t be like this towards him.” Ryeowook’s heart bloomed at those words and he wished he could hug Jungsu properly and thank him for always believing in him!

“How touching.”

And there went his good mood.

“What a lovely family reunion this is. I couldn’t have picked a better time to come to court.”

As if she hadn’t actually planned this entire thing!

In defeat, Ryeowook turned back to her, though, squaring his shoulders and ignoring his second-oldest brother for the sake of dealing with the bigger nuisance in this room. Even Jihoon seemed to come to the conclusion that turning against family wasn’t the best thing to do in front of a bigger enemy, so he also turned away, but the glare he sent into their direction told Ryeowook that this matter wasn’t finished yet.

How on earth were they supposed to win against a manipulative mastermind?

“It must indeed seem quite touching to you,” Heechul said, his voice low, but everyone fell silent. The flames were cackling softly, giving Heechul’s voice an eeriness that made the hairs on Ryeowook’s neck stand up. He subconsciously reached for Jungsu’s hand, holding it once he found it despite all the fabric. “Seeing so many people caring for each other without being forced to. It must indeed seem quite touching to you.”