“Wa-What happened?” Minhyun asked once he had regained himself. As he ran down to JR he called for: “Ren!”

“We... the guards.. they...” Lia tried to explain, but ended up crying again. “... they cut him... his back...”

“What's going on?” Ren asked from upstairs.

“You better get down here.” Minhyun answered as he took off JR's coat, which, by now, was covered with fresh blood.

“What's-” Ren froze. He just froze in the middle of the staircase and stared at the scene before him with wide eyes. He thought that the others were just fooling around like the usually did... but this...

“Ren!” Minhyun woke the blond.

The boy blinked, swallowed, nodded, and moved to where Minhyun and JR were.

“Help me with this.” Minhyun called the orders, because it was evident that Ren wasn't really thinking straight at the current moment and it was better if someone told him what he should do.

The girls came down the stairs as well. They got curious of why there had been so much shouting downstairs. But halfway down the stairs the three froze just like Ren did. For a second they forgot everything – who they were themselves, what they were thinking, what all of this even meant.

JR wasn't JR anymore. He was just one big mess of blood and ripped clothes. He didn't look like the handsome prince, who was wanted by many maidens in this and neighboring kingdoms, at all. He was just... a body... something... out of place... it didn't fit in... anywhere.  And Lia's sobs only added the sourness to all of this. It seemed as if Minhyun was the only person right now, who still had his head in the right place.

“Could someone, please, help Lia?” Minhyun begged. He really hated it when someone cried, not because of the sight and the sounds, but because it reminded him of the mistakes he wanted to forget. The cries he had caused... the deaths.

“Anyone? Haeran!” he woke the girl, “Please, make sugar-water for Lia, OK?”

Haeran nodded and came down the stairs slowly. Her knees had gone weak. Pull yourself together! You'll see more of this soon enough... when the time comes to...- But first, Lia.

HyunAe snapped out from her initial bewilderment. “We have to stop the bleeding.” she said more to herself than the others as she hastily made her way down the stairs. “Where is the emergency kit?” she asked from Lia.

“It's in the study room.” Sunhi answered How do I know that? and followed HyunAe.

Just then Aron arrived. Just in time. Just when he was needed the most. The Night Watchman didn't let himself to be frightened by the sight; he had seen things like this – and worse – enough and more already. It was like an everyday business for him. He had learned the first aid skills at Lay's and as the time went on he had pretty much become a so-called doctor himself.

“What happened?” Aron asked as he knelt down next to JR.

Minhyun looked up at Lia. “They got ambushed.”

Aron breathed out. I told her it wasn't safe anymore... but does she listen? No. “...Bring him upstairs. - Where's Baekho anyway?”

“He's out with Chinsun... but don't you think isn't it too much for him?” Ren questioned. Someone got back his ability to speak and think again...

“Just do it.” the oldest said and went to the study room. Now I have to worry for Baekho and Chinsun, too. They better get back on time and intact.

“Like he said.” Minhyun shrugged and nodded at Ren to tell him that he would help him. Sunhi and HyunAe went ahead and made the bed for JR. Sunhi and HyunAe brought up the items Aron had given them. The girls cleaned the wounds and did everything they could to stop or at least lessen the bleeding.

Downstairs Aron cursed himself as he washed his hands and gathered the needed instruments. I have to make stitches that's for sure... You don't get that much blood from a simple scrape. Knowing the Rotten's extremists guards he has one nice... probably two... deep cuts... across his back. He then remembered how he got the cut on his back. The pain... the time... how it seemed to last forever. I know it all too well.

Aron went to the kitchen and checked up on his sister – the girl had stopped crying and managed to say a small 'yes' to Aron's 'are you OK'. Lia was more than shaken. Although she had thought that she's ready for any situation regarding getting ambushed and... whatever could come... she still fell out of her element and broke down. She wasn't ready. At least not now – it was too soon.

“Is everything ready?” Aron asked as he stepped into the room where JR laid.

The prince had regained his consciousness in the meanwhile and was now achingly aware of what was going on with him.

“We guess so.” HyunAe said and stepped aside.

“Just get this done and over with.” the prince growled.

JR laid on his left side in bed. The girls had cut off the remains of his shirt and now the two long cuts running from his left shoulder down to his right hip were clearly visible. Aron felt sorry for the boy – the cuts were deep even by mere look and he knew the pain they caused.

But there were something else on JR's back, on his right shoulder to be exact. It was the symbol of the Royal family: The Golden Hummingbird. It was a tradition for the high royalties to either wear the bird as an accessory – a ring or a pedant of a necklace and so on – or, as it was for boys, to have the tattoo of it. The young boys got the first part of that masterpiece – the lining of the bird – as they turned 7 and within the next years bit by bit it would be finished.

The Hummingbird on JR's shoulder was nearly finished. The only thing it had missing were the golden lining of its wings and tail the crucial parts of the Golden Hummingbird's feathers – the very tips – which enabled the bird to fly. “He's a free soul. Making him the King would be as good as cutting off a bird's wings.” But the last part of the tattoo is received on the day of the crowning.

“Alrighty then. Let's get to business.” Aron said and took his seat.

JR could finally breathe again when the pain-killers took effect. Now he also had the liberty to think properly. “Is Lia OK?” he asked not caring that he should in fact feel still a bit intimidated by Aron's presence.

“She's fine. If not right now then in a couple of days for sure.”

“Can we help you with something, Aron?” Ren asked though he really didn't feel like staying in that room for much longer... and because of his darling HyunAe's pale face he was sure that he wasn't the only one thinking that way.

Aron looked over his shoulder at the asker. “No, I think I'm good. You two can go.” And Ren and HyunAe did. You guys have to get used to it sooner or later... whatever Lucras will bring us.

“But what about us?” Minhyun asked now.

“Yeah, we can help.” Sunhi went along. Just to be close to you...

***

“Do you guys need anything?” Sunhi came over once again after she had washed her hands and changed her blood stained clothes.

Aron eyed JR. “Erm... No, but thanks for asking. We'll let you know.” the Watchman smiled making his own heart skip a beat when he realized his action and making Sunhi's sanity to fail at its post.

“OK.” the girl nodded and closed the door. Why are you doing this... to me... one more smile and I'm a goner...

Lia had reached upstairs just when Sunhi closed the door.

“Oh! Lia. How are you feeling?”

“Fine now... thanks... Ho-how is he?”

“He'll be alright. Aron said it wasn't that serious.” Sunhi assured the girl but seeing that Lia's face got sad again she hugged her. “Don't worry. He'll be fine. He's tough.”

Lia squeezed her close to Sunhi – the older was the closest thing to mother she could have right now. And it felt nice. For a moment there Lia felt as if she actually was in her mother's hands... but in reality...

“Thank you, Sunhi...” Lia mumbled. “We'll be fine...”

“Good girl. That's the spirit.” Sunhi smiled and Lia's little head – just like her mother used to do to her. “Now... go in there and have a piece of your mind, OK?”

“OK. I will. Thank you.”

“I'll be downstairs if you need me.”

But Lia didn't find the courage to go inside. She was afraid of what she might see, what she might feel and say. She was afraid that she was afraid. It was ridiculous but she couldn't help it. She was mad that she couldn't keep herself together when reality hit her. Death had been so close, so real, so frightening.

“Why do you hate us, the Royalties?” JR asked.

“Why do you need to know?” Aron asked in return.

Hearing that Lia found it was better not to enter the room at the current time. This may be one of the few if not the only moment JR and Aron could speak of their indifferences. The only moment when Aron could finally understand what exactly he had against the Royalties; the moment when JR will realize who Aron really was.

“I just need to know.”

“Alright then.” Aron said and took a seat. “I knew you'll bring this up sooner or later.”

Lia sat on the floor behind the door. She had to hear this. Even she had been dying – yes, the obvious irony in this is killing... – to ask her brother that question. Now she had the chance to finally find out what Aron had kept from her all these years.

“Where do I start?” Aron thought out loud. “Erm... OK... Let me ask you this: how did it feel when you fell down the stairs?”

JR couldn't understand what Aron was implying to. “What do you mean? When?”

“I didn't see you hit your head. You screamed like a pig between a fence...”

“JR, Dad said not to play on the stairs... something bad could happen...”

“Oh, c'mon, Aron, nothing will happen. We've done this before.”

“But I'm older. If something happens I get punished.”

“I will stand out for you!” “Look at this.”

“JR!!!”

“Aah!”

JR had heard that weird riddle before. “It was you! You were there!” the boy realized almost jumping out of the bed. Of course, the painkillers did their job well.

“Hey! Lay back. You'll rip your stitches.” Aron said pushing JR back into the pillows. “Yes, I was there. We were playmates.”

“How could I forget it?” JR furrowed his brows, “I knew there was something off about you. I felt it, but I couldn't really put my finger on it.”

“I can't blame you. We were together for only three months and you were only seven back then.” Aron shrugged.

He wasn't mad at the other; it was just how things went. And Aron had to hand it to himself: he didn't remember most of the faces from his childhood, so how could JR, the boy, who was surrounded by hundreds of people every single day, remember this one face he knew only for a quarter of a year?

“Anyway... moving on,” Aron continued. Lia behind the door listened closely. “I've never said I hated you and your family... or did I?”

That put JR to think. Why in the world did he take the idea of Aron hating him and his family?

It was because everyone was telling that to him and the whole Kingdom. It was just because others, with not so good intentions, had made wrong and rushed assumptions based on mere looks not facts. And the fact was...

“If you think about it then you realize it.” Aron nodded, “The truth is: if I hated you, I would have to hate myself.”

That was confusing. Both JR and Lia were lost now.

Lia, too? Doesn't she know? No, not really. She wasn't a well child and that's why she lived with her grandmother. The nice lady's house was near water which was perfect for Lia's breathing difficulties. It wasn't a bad illness, just something she grew out of and thanks to the nice surroundings she did. But after their grandmother passed on she was forced to come to Kangreung and live in the house she lives 'til now.

The moving happened four years ago and Aron still hasn't told her everything he has on his soul to keep. Lia doesn't know something really important.

“The Golden Hummingbird...” Aron said and pointed at JR's shoulder which had the mark.

“What about it?”

“Mine is nearly finished, too.”

Haa-haa! Guess what? Another updateu!

Enjoy... or not.

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