Ara wasn't sure how long she had been shaking. 

The journey into Faerie this time was different, she would have enjoyed it if not for the given circumstances she had been in. Whisked away into the night sky, the air from the sea beneath the pegasi Septimus had brought along - Hongjoong breathing heavily as his blood soaked through his clothes from his back, her hands trembling as she held on to him whispering into his ear to keep him from blacking out. 

"I'm so sorry, Jjoong, I'm so so sorry..." she had cried over and over again, until she herself was unaware that they had reached the Rose Court. 

This time their arrival seemed to be expected, with two healers carrying Hongjoong over to the infirmary, guards hurried to reign the winged steeds into their stables, Princess Auraline in deep conversation with Septimus who seemed to make his way to where her brother was being treated. She had stepped forward too, but stumbled and barely missed the ground. "I want to be with my brother," she had pleaded. 

"You can't even walk without falling, being in there won't be of help," Septimus had said sternly. "You'll need a healer too."

Ara had shook her head, "I'm fine, I just don't want to be away from him."

"You're shaking like a cat drenched in rain," Septimus replied before beckoning to Jongho. "Accompany her, force her to drink some tea if that helps."

Jongho held Ara by her shoulder, "He's right, come with me."

Ara refused, "No-" but her own body had shut down for her, and she had out.

The next second she opened her eyes she was in a cavern. Beautiful stalagmites and stalagtite crystals hung from above and below, orang lanterns dimly lit the wide open space - clearly a venue for a ball and yet no one was there. Had she stepped through an unknown portal in Faerie again? Ara couldn't tell. 

And she looked down and gasped, she was in a dress, white and soft as snow, adorned with blue crystals like frozen water droplets - but she was barefoot. 

Then the chimes sounded, the wind came and went - and he was there.

"Yunho?" the name escaped from Ara's lips as she stood a few feet away, frozen and stunned. 

He broke into a smile, dazzling as it was wonderful. He wore a greatcoat that matched the shade of Ara's dress, only the blue crystals were replaced with red jewels, stark against the white. He approached her and offered his hand before bowing, "Shall we?" he asked.

Ara's heart skipped a beat, she said nothing but complied. Next thing she knew, they were dancing across the cavern. The skirts of her dress opened up every time she twirled, the faint jingling of the bells underneath she did not know were there. Her pulse raced, she was dancing with the boy she had given her heart to, her hands in his hands - everything felt perfect. Eventually she let out a laugh while Yunho led her nearer to the open space of the cavern, where they could see the sky and the moonlight pour in. "What are you thinking?" Yunho asked, barely a whisper. 

I think this is a dream and I don't want to wake from it. 

Instead she continued to dance, the music transitioning to a quicker pace. They moved in unision until the moonlight shone above their heads-

Then she stiffled a scream when the moonlight shone on Yunho, who was entirely transluscent except for the visible bones of his body. The shape of his skull, the phalanges of his fingers, all visible to her now. 

"Ara calm down!" 

Jongho shook her from her sudden thrashing, and Ara breathed in deeply. The constant tune of the harp that played ever so faintly brought her back to reality, she was back in the Rose Court and had ended up in the exact same room she had slept in the first time she was taken here. 

This time Jongho's 'princely' attire didn't surprise her, she supposed it was a requirement from Princess Auraline as his technical mother. Despite that, he looked tired as if he hadn't slept at all, maybe that was the case. Quietly, he walked over to pour a goblet of water from the pitcher by the stand and handed it to her. Grateful, she emptied it within seconds. She was thirsty. 

Then more things started flooding her mind. "Hongjoong-" she started.

"-is being taken care of by the healers," Jongho assured. "I was there all night and saw them treat him, he's okay, Ara."

Ara knew she could take Jongho's word, but the imagery of her brother's wounds played back in her mind, how cold his skin had felt against hers - how much guilt and regret she had felt for not being able to protect him. She bit the inside of her cheek before her eyes could get watery. Instead she settled the goblet on the nightstand and cleared , "I want to see him, I shouldn't even be here all comfy...wait how did I end up here again? Did I black out?"

Jongho nodded, "You were shaking remember? It could be from the shock, or the cold or what you did-" he paused and looked Ara directly in the eye. "Ara, do you remember what exactly did you do?"

Ara tried to recall the events, the warehouse and the exchange with Serafia that had gone terribly wrong, how they were ambushed and outnumbered, Jongho holding his ground as much as he could (she knew he could fight and that he was stronger than any normal human, just that she never knew he was THAT good at wielding a sword), and then she was cornered... someway somehow these disembodied figures in their ectoplasmic states circled her and her brother, forming a barrier before Septimus had arrived to save them.

Surely it couldn't have all been her doing?

Ara's throat was dry, "But that's impossible. I thought Septimus somehow brought them along as reinforcements before he arrived, that can't be...me." It couldn't have been her, she wouldn't have known how to do whatever that was.

"Faeries can grant you geases, enchant any human to do their bidding but they have no power over the dead," Jongho said. "What happened in the warehouse had nothing to do with me or Septimus, it was you."

Communicating with ghosts was one thing, ordering them to do things was something entirely different. As much as it seemed unlikely for her, at the back of her head Ara knew it was most definitely possible for her to be able to do more than see the dead. Seeing and hearing and feeling their presence was something she had been doing her entire life, then Rocco had suggested that she could possibly summon ghosts at will as well, and that turned out to be true. 

And now she could potentially command them too, or even more. 

"Get dressed," Jongho beckoned at the stack of fresh clothes at the corner of the bed. "Then we can visit Jjoong at the infirmary."

"Do I really have to wear that?" she pointed at what definitely looked like a dress, yellow and frilly that reminded her of a canary, and accompanied with a pair of slippers. "I'll look like ing sunflower, not very practical for a hospital visit."

That made Jongho snicker, "Tell that to the master of the house then, she decided yellow roses were to be the grand theme of the day."

Ara took a guess, "Why would Auraline want me to wear that?"

"Because she wants you to see her after we visit Jjoong."

That caused even more confusion, "Now why would she want that? To cut my head off while in a bright yellow dress for putting her beloved son in danger?"

Jongho rolled his eyes in response, "Septimus will be there too, he said we'll be briefed about this further."

"Oooh now I'm involved in fancy faerie politics? Count me in."

In response he smacked her with a pillow.

After Ara had wriggled into that ridiculous yellow dress, she and Jongho hurried to the infirmary where Hongjoong was resting. 

It didn't hit Ara that it had been sunrise in Faerieland, or how long had time passed in the mortal world already. Then there was Mingi whom she somehow completely flew over her head over the debacle that happened the past few days, it had been ages since she contacted him. She should have at least tried calling or texting him ages ago.

But 1) there was reception in Faerie (she had tried before and there definitely was no Wifi) and 2) she had lost her phone. 

When they reached the infirmary, Ara pushed past the numerous linen curtains that isolated the many beds inside. At the very end of the room, was unmistakebly Hongjoong and towering over his resting body, stood Septimus next to his bed. In a wave of protectiveness and panic, Ara rushed towards their direction - and stopped when she realised her brother was in no potential danger. 

The way Septimus's face loomed over Hongjoong, his eyes were attentive like a raven's when he studied him. Though that stance disappeared the second he realised the two were there. Why would a faerie prince take keen interest on studying her unconscious brother, Ara was not sure and brushed it off for now. 

"Ah, I see you're awake," Septimus greeted chirpily but Ara immediately sat beside Hongjoong. He was fast asleep, body turned so that the wounds on his back were covered by bandages, and still the hints of blood had soaked through the cloth but much less from previously. It must have hurt, but no signs of discomfort was shown on Hongjoong's face - he was fast asleep.

"They put him under a sleeping potion, he should be out for at least until the next sunrise," Septimus added. "So this is the brother you told me about when we danced, I didn't expect us to meet under...circumstances like this," a tone of somewhat awkwardness hung in the air. Ara never thought faeries, let alone Septimus would know how to be awkward. 

Gently, Ara's hand carressed Hongjoong's face, feeling his steady breaths and she felt relieved. She turned to Septimus, "Thank you for saving us, I know you did it because of Jongho, but nonetheless I'm grateful."

Septimus waved her gratitude away airily, "And turn away from heroism? Nonsense!" he replied dramatically, and Jongho snorted. 

"Is he going to be alright? Will he be safe here?" 

"Within these walls of the Court, inside Seelie - yes you and your brother are safe from whatever filthy magic you had to deal with the day before," and Septimus looked at her more curiously. "Though you certainly are a peculiar one, Araminta Kim. Commanding the dead like a puppeteer, what an odd ability."

Ara wasn't sure what to feel, "I...never knew I could do that, not until yesterday. I don't even know how I could do that,"

"Well we can discuss this in the Courtroom with Lady Auraline later,"

Jongho crossed his arms, "Why does she want to speak with Ara? I don't think some human nuissance would interest her,"

"That's because it isn't and now we know that. Did you think we would let our guards down when we have knowledge of this?" Septimus said. "Right after you left, Lady Auraline had sent her guards to spy on Ealdhun,"

It was Ara's turn to frown, "Why?"

Septimus shrugged, "He was solitary fey after leaving the Court, he could have switched alliances and betrayed us. It doesn't matter now anyway, who he had been loyal to,"

"And why would that be?" Jongho asked.

"Ealdhun's dead, he had been murdered."