Minseo doesn’t let him get out of bed the next three days. Every day, the medics come and assess his condition, give him his medications, fuss over him an excessive amount. Minseo forces him to have his three meals and drink plenty of water, which are much more pleasant than the awful health tonics she also makes him drink. Even though he complains, he feels himself getting better and better every day, the energy returning, the pain subsiding. He waits patiently for Woohyun to come - his men must have told him by now that he is awake. 

The day he is finally deemed healthy enough to leave his quarters by the medics and Minseo, the first place he visits is the Great Hall, the official meeting place of the Knights of the Round Table. Sure enough, he finds them there. All of them, but Woohyun.

“Your majesty!” They gather around him, welcoming him brightly, their laughters wide, their hugs warm. Sunggyu takes his seat and instead of following suit, feeling good to be back in his usual haunt. Howon and Sungyeol keep standing. He looks up at them questioningly.

“We have a surprise for you, your majesty.”

They make a small ceremony of presenting him with a wooden box that looks as old as time. Frowning, he opens it, to find the treasure shrouded in red velvet. 

“Is this…is this really…”

“The Holy Grail,” Sungyeol announces smugly. “It’s real, we had the scholars and jewellers take a look.”

“I-” Sunggyu is speechless. After everything that happened, he had not expected to be presented with the Holy Grail. They were lucky that they were all alive. But the Grail on top of that…

“This is amazing!” His insides bubble as his heart pounds with excitement. For years, people have pursued rumours and legends, searching tirelessly for this symbol of divine grace and power. Now, he is holding the sacred relic in his own hands -  a surge of joy and triumph washes over him. “Thank you,” he says, as he hugs each of them once again, shaking their hands. 

For some reason, Sungjong looks sad.

“How did you-where did you find it?”

“The Orc settlement,” Sungyeol says happily. It was buried under the ground.

He whistles, his eyes glued to the bejewelled chalice. “So the rumours were true.”

“About that…your majesty.” Dongwoo’s voice suddenly sounds hesitant. He tears his eyes from the Grail and looks at him. 

“What is the matter?”

“Your majesty, that day…it was a trap.”

Of course. The Orcs had known they were coming. Was the Southern Country behind this? Using their spies to feed them information and lay a trap and get the Orcs to do their dirty work?

“Our spies…”

“Were compromised,” Dongwoo nodded. “They never got back with reinforcement. They just disappeared, probably crossed the border into the Southern Country.”

“Wait, if reinforcement never came, how did you-how did we get out of there?” The last thing he remembers is that they were being overwhelmed by the Orcs. Myungsoo had said something about the Orcs retreating, but was it not because the reinforcement was coming?

“We-er fought them off,” Howon says. Sungjong makes a noise that sounds like a snort as Howon glares at him.

Sunggyu senses that they are not telling him something. His knights would never keep something from him unless it is something shameful to admit. He would not want to force them to reveal what it is that they are hiding like this, especially if it is embarrassing. So he simply congratulates them on their valiant effort, promises them rewards, and expresses his gratitude. 

“You are truly worthy of your titles.”

Sunggyu realises that the only other person who has been quiet the whole time is Myungsoo. In fact, Myungsoo seems to be in deep thought, stealing glances at Sungjong, who has spent most of the time looking out of the window.

“I think this calls for a feast,” Sunggyu adds. “Won’t you arrange it for me, Sungyeol?”

“Of course, your majesty!” the knight replies, puffing his chest. “It will be my honour.”

He dismisses them and they start filing out of the room in high spirits. Sungjong is trailing behind them, his footsteps much graver than theirs.

“Just a minute, Sungjong.” He halts the young knight’s progress.

“Your majesty?”

Sunggyu nods at the chair right next to him. He can see the reluctance in his eyes but he takes the seat, fixing his eyes on his lap.

Swallowing, he says carefully, “Sungjong, I've had the feeling you know something, you know, maybe something even I don’t know-or at least don’t admit.”   

Sungjong looks up, his eyes wide. Sunggyu meets his eyes, hoping to convey his sincerity.

“I feel like there is a reason why Woohyun isn’t here. It is not like him to not be by my side when  I’m ill.”

The knight keeps staring at him, neither agreeing nor denying. 

“Before I send for him, I need to know what’s happening.”

There is a long pause before Sungjong answers. “Woohyun hyung can’t come back because he was accused of something, by the other hyungs.”

Sunggyu’s heart drops. He knows that some of his knights don’t exactly like Woohyun. But surely, they have now seen that Woohyun can fight, that he can risk his life for them. He had expected things to get better between them.

“What did they say to him?”

“I-I can’t say, your majesty, please don’t make me. It’s..it’s awful. He doesn’t deserve it. But until I can prove it to them…please have patience, your majesty.”

Sadness envelopes him like a heavy cloak, weighing down his spirit with a crushing sense of loss. How long would he have to go without seeing Woohyun? If the knights brought a formal accusation against Woohyun, he would have to investigate it. While he is sure that whatever it is they are accusing him of, Woohyun hasn’t done, it would be a great deal of embarrassment to the Duke of Cramer. As Sungjong said, he doesn’t deserve it. 

“I want you to know Sungjong, that Woohyun saved my life that day. Again. I had lost my sword and I was inches away from death but Woohyun risked his own life to save mine. Whatever they think he has done…I don’t believe it.”

Sungjong smiles. “I agree, your majesty. If there is one thing I know about Woohyun hyung, it is that he will never hurt you.”

A long silence follows. It’s silence they share, but Sunggyu thinks it’s more than that. It’s mutual understanding. In the unspoken words, Sungjong is confirming what he knows to be true and Sunggyu is reassuring him that he is not wrong. 

“Thank you.”

--–

“You wanted proof, I have proof.” Howon announces. They have gathered in the Great Hall after the morning practice. Sunggyu had gone back to his quarters. He has been more withdrawn in the last few days; perhaps he is worried about his kingdom, about the traitors that may be lurking among them even at this moment. But it would be unlike him to not discuss it with his knights.

“What is it?” Sungjong asks sourly. Howon and Sungyeol have been spending all their free time in the royal library, an extraordinary feat for two people who had never set foot in it before this. But they are adamant about finding proof of Woohyun’s guilt; how they plan to do so in the library escapes Sungjong. Dongwoo is leaning towards them, although he hasn’t taken the initiative to prove their point. Myungsoo…is quiet, maybe undecided.

“You know how our names come from the Ancient language?” 

The Ancient language has died down as a means of communication hundreds of years ago but most people in  the realm bear names that come from the Ancient language. Sungjong is starting to think that Howon has gone down the route of tarot card reading or something equally preposterous. 

“So?”

“Guess what Woohyun means in the Ancient language?”

“Not Witch, surely,” he scoffs. Is this really what Howon and Sungyeol call ‘proof’? Even the fortune tellers tell more believable stories.

“No,” Howon’s face darkens, “it means the Dragon Slayer.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Myungsoo asks, confused. “Slaying the dragon is always a good thing.”

“Yeah,” Sungjong adds. “The legends say that one of the worst tyrants in the realm was the Dragon king.”

“Yes,” Howon’s eyes glint at the mention of the tyrant Dragon, “but do you remember what the Dragon was called?”

“The Tyrant King.”

“That’s what the people called him. What did he call himself?”

“The True King,” Sungjong whispers resignedly. He knows where this is going. He is actually surprised that Howon has put all of this together, as ridiculous as it might be as proof.

“Exactly!” Clapping his hand excitedly, he slams an old leather bound book down on the table. “And Sunggyu, translated from the Ancient language, means the True King.”

“So…” Dongwoo frowns, “you’re saying that the True King is the dragon and Woohyun is the Dragon Slayer. Thus, Woohyun is destined to slay the True King…his majesty?”

Sungyeol and Howon nod enthusiastically wearing smug grins on their faces. 

Pressing his fingers into his temple to soothe the oncoming headache, Sungjong says, ““Are you actually saying this is proof of anything? You do know they were named by their parents?”

“It’s too much of a coincidence.”

Dongwoo chews his bottom lip. “He does have a point.”

“You’re all ridiculous!” Sungjong looks at Myungsoo, who looks like he is in deep thought. “You’re not buying this, are you?”

“All I know is we don’t have an explanation for what happened that day..”

“Then why aren’t we asking Woohyun hyung for an explanation instead of telling him to stay away and threatening him?”

 Sungyeol scoffs. “He is not going to tell us the truth.”

“Why not try him? Everyone deserves a chance.” When the other knights look unimpressed he turns towards the one person who had always given him a chance. “Myungsoo hyung?” he pleads. 

Myungsoo catches his eyes but his expression is unreadable. “I agree,” he finally says. “Everyone deserves a chance. And after all, he did save us from the Orcs and retrieve the Holy Grail.” 

Howon and Sungyeol snort, clearly displeased by his declaration. Very slowly, Dongwoo nods.

“Look, I know what I felt that day,” Howon says stubbornly. “He was fighting next to me and I felt it…something was off.”

Sungjong really wants to hit the top of his head with a wooden stick but realises that violence would not solve any of his problems. “Maybe hearing his side of the story would make whatever you felt make sense?” he says instead.

“Fine!” Howon growls when both Myungsoo and Dongwoo don’t seem swayed by his words. Throwing his hands up in frustration, he says. “We’ll see what kind of explanation he gives us.”

“Should we ride up to Cramer?” Dongwoo asks.

“Why don’t we call him over here, maybe on the day of the feast?” Sungjong suggests.

“Absolutely not!” Sungyeol slams his hands down on the table. “We can’t let him near his majesty before we’re sure.”

“But here, we have our soldiers, our arms, we are in control,” Sungjong explains patiently. “If we go up to Cramer, wouldn’t we be at the mercy of him and his men?”

“Sungjong is right,” Myungsoo says. They all begrudgingly agree. 

When no one else is looking, he smiles at Myungsoo as a silent thank you, earning himself a ruffle of his perfectly combed hair from the knight. He doesn’t complain.

–--

Woohyun is dressed in all white, as usual. He is also wearing his ceremonial white cloak with the silver brooch shaped like a tree, the official insignia of the Duke of Cramer. He has his hands neatly folded in his lap, his expression unreadable. Whether he expected to be chaperoned to the Great Hall and face the hostile questioning of his fellow knights the moment he stepped into the castle is difficult to understand. Even if he is surprised, he is not showing it.

"Explain how you gave chase to the Orcs when they far outnumbered us," demands Howon, his voice laced with barely contained fury. "How is that humanly possible?"

Woohyun meets Howon's accusatory gaze with steely resolve. "Despite you not believing it, I know how to fight.” His voice is quiet but assertive.

Sungyeol springs to his feet, his brow furrowed in scepticism. "So do we! Are you saying we are worse than you? Are you trying to imply your stamina is better than ours?” he challenges, his voice rising with every word. "Do you take us for fools? You used magic, you’re a Witch!"

“Sungyeol,” Dongwoo warns.

Woohyun’s jaw clenches. "I fought them with my sword, I fought them with my bare hands when I lost my sword. I swore I would lay down my blood for my king, so I did everything I could,” his voice starts to shake. “I fought to protect the king, I fought to protect all of you. If that is a crime, then I am guilty.”

The tension in the room hangs thick as the knights exchange dubious glances.

“If I were a Witch, why would I give away the Holy Grail?” Woohyun now challenges, causing Howon and Sungyeol to squirm uncomfortably. It is obvious they don’t have an answer for this. 

According to the lore, anyone trying to restore the power to the Lost Tribe, the tribe of Witches and powerful magicians, must drink the blood of the True King from the Holy Grail. So the Holy Grail is a crucial part of any Witches' devious plans and they wouldn’t just give it up so easily.

“We have been betrayed, we know there are traitors among us and the threat against his majesty grows everyday!” Howon growls. “We can’t let anything happen to him-”

“I would do anything to protect his majesty,” Woohyun’s voice rises with sincerity. “Does he know about this?” He turns to look at Sungjong, who slowly shakes his head. “Did he ever say he doesn’t trust me?”

Sungyeol strides towards the knight, his hand shooting out to grasp Woohyun's collar with a firm grip.

"Don’t you dare try to use your influence on the king!" Sungyeol's voice booms with accusation, his eyes ablaze with fury. "You are taking advantage of his kindness!” Woohyun meets his intense ga