The hunter went back up to the tree house again, it worried him that the tree in which the house was, was seemingly sick. The willow had been healthy for a great period of time, it was only the last couple of days that Jonghyun started to notice differences in it. It just didn’t seem as sturdy anymore parts of the bark seemed to fall off.

Jonghyun went to check up on Key again. The maiden was sleeping peacefully with a faint rose tint covering his cheeks. He didn’t seem to be too sick anymore, the only remaining problems were the lack of energy and him being awfully pale.

Key woke up not long after the other had entered the house. He greeted him and sat up a bit.
                “Jjong..Could I meet your mom? I really want to meet her” the maiden requested. Jonghyun didn’t really see the request coming, but decided to just nod in agreement. “I will go get her ok?” he said softly and made sure Key was comfortable before leaving.

He walked back to the village and was not so pleasantly greeted by some of the town’s people. They started to question why Jonghyun was away that much, some even accused him of being possessed by some demon of some sorts. Thankfully for Jonghyun, his mother was there to help, she defended him and just told everyone he was visiting a friend in the next village. She guided him back to her house so they could talk.

                “Key wants to meet you…” Jonghyun said truthfully. His mother seemed to get all excited over it. That was a side of her which he hadn’t quite been able to experience yet.

                “I would love to Jonghyun, I know you told me he hasn’t been feeling well, but don’t worry he will be fine. Let me pack some clothes.” His mother rushed off to grab her bag as Jonghyun sat down and waited for her to finish.

                “Mom, you should put on some good shoes, it’s a long walk” he commented and hoped the woman would hear. She returned a bit later with a bag and her good walking shoes already on her feet. “Well I’m ready” she stated happily. Jonghyun smiled, he was sure his mom and Key would like each other.

                “Well let’s get going then.” He took his mother by the arm and guided her to the forest. Jonghyun didn’t know whether she had even gone this far before, but by the look on her face, she never did.
The woman was amazed by her surroundings, the first snow hadn’t fallen just yet, but she was sure it would fall within a matter of days. She enjoyed walking with her son. He told her about what they passed. She was shown the place where Key and her son met. The woman loved seeing Jonghyun this happy, she did hope he and the maiden had a future together.

Jonghyun led the way, they reached the late just before sundown, he urged his mother to walk a bit faster. They reached the tree house 15 minutes later. The hunter had to help the woman climb up. He sat her down on one of the few chairs and went to wake up Key.

The male sat down beside the maiden and through the other’s hair.
                “Key, wake up, my mum is here to see you” he said in a gentle manner. The maiden seemed to live up again when he heard the other mention his mother. He quickly sat up and waited patiently for the woman to enter, Jonghyun called her over.

The mother just smiled and got all giddy once she spotted Key. She sat down and grabbed his hand right away. “Oh my, so you’re Key, Jonghyun didn’t tell me you were this beautiful” the male just smiled at the woman’s kind words. She turned over and sent Jonghyun away to do some chores.
                “I have heard so much about you dear” she said while brushing away some stray hairs from the maiden’s face. Key smiled and blushed a bit.

                “I also heard a lot about you ma’am,” he said politely.

                 “No need to be so formal Key, just call me mom as well” the woman meant well. The maiden smiled brightly and nodded. He noticed how much Jonghyun and his mother were alike.

                “Jonghyun takes after you…” he said softly. The woman smiled, she was so happy to be able to meet her son’s love.
                “I suppose he does, he is a bit, well let me put it nicely, he’s not too smart.” She gave a soft chuckle and Key just laughed. “Don’t forget that he can be pushy as well” the maiden seemed to warm up to the woman quite fast. She agreed to his statement.
                “You’re absolutely right about that Key, is your actual name Key?” She started to wonder and just asked the other, since it seemed like they having a connection. The maiden shook his head as a negative. “No…Key is just the name I prefer, my given name is Kibum, but I don’t like that…” The woman noticed that there was a lot of sadness behind his words.
                “Why not sweetheart?” she asked concerned as she gave a slight squeeze in the maiden’s hand. The mother was very gentle and since Jonghyun wasn’t around, Key had the opportunity to say what was on his heart.

                “Because I wasn’t born a girl…My mother named me and damned me right after, she wanted a girl so bad, since they’re ore valued in my culture. So I was bound to this tree, so I couldn’t love…So I could never marry” he let out soft sobs. Key had been cursed with solitude and chains since his birth, he hadn’t minded it too much, until Jonghyun came along. The mother didn’t hesitate and pulled the boy in a tight embrace.
                “That’s it sweetheart, let it all out, that’s the reason you have shackles right? Because of your parents?”

In between sobs the maiden nodded. He hadn’t blamed his parents for anything so far, he thought it was normal to be bound to a place, but when Jonghyun came along, he started to doubt. Since Key lived alone, he hadn’t been able to discuss this with anyone and he couldn’t tell Jonghyun because he wouldn’t listen to it the right way, but his mother could and Key was beyond grateful.

                “Key, do you love Jonghyun? You don’t have to say it, just squeeze my hand once if you do”

A firm squeeze followed accompanied by more sobs. “I’m sorry” the boy whispered. “I’m so sorry” The woman was taken aback by that and gently started to the maiden’s back.
                “It’s ok Key, I understand.” She somehow did, his parents didn’t want Key to find his happiness so they cursed him, preventing him from being able to live a considerably normal life. There was so much pain involved, that it actually amazed the woman that he hadn’t gone mad yet.

                “You don’t have to be sorry to us sweetheart, Jonghyun and I want you to be happy.” She said softly as she continued to rub the other’s back.
                “But Mom, I’m scared” Key didn’t mind calling her mom one bit, even if they had just met, the woman had been more of a mother to him in five minutes than his own mother had been all his life.
The mother didn’t quite know how to respond, but she wanted to encourage Key. “You will figure something out sweetie” she whispered. Key nodded and started to wipe his tears away.

                “Thank you” he said sounding really thankful. He looked a bit better as well as if a heavy weight was lifted. “But could you please not tell Jonghyun?” the woman nodded at that request.

                “This conversation is between me and you, Key, no one else will know”
 
                “Thanks mom.”Key felt good calling her that. The woman smiled and ruffled her new son’s hair. She was happy that Key was able to share this with her. The mother was quite sure at that point that Key wasn’t a maiden, but that didn’t matter. She knew Jonghyun wouldn’t have taken the story well, he would have gone looking for Key’s parents, to kill them and to let them lift the curse, but she wasn’t so sure that that was what the maiden wanted.

                “Key, Is there a way to break that curse?” she looked at him with a hopeful expression.

The maiden nodded in response. “It’s lifting as we speak, but it’s hard since it’s so heavy…” the woman was saddened by hearing that. “We’re here for you Key, you know that right?” the maiden nodded and thanked her again.

A little while later, Jonghyun returned, he seemed to be in a good mood as he inspected the tree, he did notice it was dying, but it wasn’t as if it was sick, there were no traces of moulds or other diseases that would have caused it. The tree was dying for another reason, he didn’t know why, but it didn’t necessarily mean that it was a bad thing.
He climbed back up the tree and noticed that his mother and Key were now happily chatting, it warmed his heart and made him giddy inside. He also noticed that it was rather cold, so he reawakened the fire again. His mother thanked him and continued her chitchat with Key.

Jonghyun decided to just grab some meat that he and his mother had brought along, so he could cook it along with some normal bread this time. He got a pitchfork as well so he could prepare the meat.  The male sat down in front of the fire, near the other two and minded his own business.

Key sounded happy and laughed every now and then, it brought joy to the hunter’s heart. Jonghyun hummed every now and then. He made sure the fire was burning steadily. His focus was quite high while cooking, he only snapped out of it when Key had wrapped his arms, along with a blanket, around the hunter’s neck.
                “Smells good” the maiden said while his lips. Jonghyun chuckled. He was happy that Key was livelier and actually started to develop an appetite.  The hunter leaned back and offered the other a smile.
                “So it’s not done yet right?” he asked and Jonghyun just shook his head. “No not yet” he said softly and looked over at his mother who smiled. She seemed to be happy to be there. Key just kept hugging Jonghyun lazily, until he got bored and went back to talking to the mother.

                “Is sweet bread something unique to your village?” he questioned, the maiden loved the bread a lot, well he was actually addicted to it. The woman chuckled and shook her head.
                “I don’t think so Key, there must be more villages that have it.” She smiled. “Jonghyun told me how much you loved it…and I’m guessing you like the honey I use to cover it.” The woman got up and got a jar of that honey out of her bag. She went to the makeshift kitchen and grabbed a spoon. She scooped some of the honey on the spoon and handed it to Key.
The maiden plopped it in his mouth, his eyes grew large and he started to get all giddy. Apparently he had a weak spot for the nectar. “I love this taste! What is it?” he was lively again. The woman smiled and was more than happy to explain it to him.

“That’s honey, bees make it and then we take it from them and don’t worry we don’t harm the bees.” She smiled. Key got up and walked over to Jonghyun again. “Could you put some over my meat, I would like that.” The hunter looked p and raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t question it and just did what was asked. He did wonder what it would taste like. Key went back to chat with his mom.

A little while later the food was served and they all ate happily, Jonghyun and his mother were amazed that the meat and the honey tasted so good together. After eating more than enough they went to bed, Jonghyun’s mother used Key’s old bed and the other two slept by the fireplace, since Jonghyun considered that to be safer for Key.

The following morning they all ate breakfast together. The maiden seemed to be doing a bit better and ate along with Jonghyun and his mother. It wasn’t until the afternoon that the hunter decided to take his mother home. Key was beginning to get a bit weaker again, but he wasn’t too worried. His mother said her goodbyes to Key, kissed his temple and gave him a hug before leaving with her son.

On the way back to the village they chatted about what had happened that day; Key seemed to have more energy, but there was a strange feeling that wouldn’t leave Jonghyun, he wasn’t at ease. His mother tried to calm him. She told him that Key was quite strong and capable, which was true, but lately something just seemed off, no matter how well he thought about it.

They made it back to the village just before nightfall. Key had been left with plenty of food and water to survive a night alone, still Jonghyun couldn’t shake the unpleasant feeling off. He had eaten already and was just staring outside from his mother’s kitchen window. He didn’t see anything at first, but then he saw something light up slowly. He took a closer look by walking outside.

                “Will-O-Wisps?”

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AN...SO.....lot's of answers to lots of questions, just one more chapter after this D: and an epilogue, but that's optional! I actually already wrote both of them so I think I will do a chapter a day, meaning the story will come to an end on sunday TT^TT I hope you enjoyed this chapter~! I find Jonghyun's mother so cute and down to earth xD

Comments are loved~!<3<3

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