The young man followed through the passageway sided by armed soldiers and fire torches which lighted the way. The dim light coming from the fire reflected on his pale skin and at the blond undulations of his hair, features that, along with his bright eyes, gave him a delicate look.

The fact that he was wearing pageboy raiment didn’t help either, and he ended up looking like a little angel, pure and innocent.

The man reached the end of the passage and pushed two huge mahogany doors, which gave way to the royal chambers. That room possessed, further than a giant luxurious bed and a walking closet, a resting room, where an imposing figure was sitting at that time. He had his feet over a resting chair while a vigorous man massaged his shoulders. The blonde approached slowly, not to disturb the king.

-You called, your majesty? –He asked while bending his body on a short, yet respectful, reverence.

-Luhan. – The man waved his head as a greeting – Come closer.

Luhan did what he was told, stopping a couple steps away from the king’s chair. He kept a straight posture and his arms behind his back as a sign of respect for the man.

-Enough. – The king waved his masseur away, and the man backed off a little, taking his hands out of the king’s slim shoulders. – You can go now, Tao.

Tao, gave him a quick bow and withdrew himself from the room.

-Is there a problem, sir? – Luhan asked when the door closed behind Tao.

-Do you remember…– Kris asked in a slow, deep voice. - When the prophet Eeteuk came visiting our kingdom? – He paused, and Luhan waved his head affirmatively. – Do you record him mentioning a tree of life?

-The tree that turns people into immortals? – Luhan asked in a nearly rhetorical way. – From what I know, it has never been found. Most people think it was merely a joke of Eeteuk’s.

-I must confess these thoughts crossed my mind. – Kris got himself up and stretched widely before continuing. – Until my last expedition came back, that is.  The soldiers involved in such told me the tree is located 4 days to the south, in the kingdom of K.

-It’s been seven years already since we last had a war against this kingdom. – He went on. - And it’s now being ruled by a king named Suho. It seems he built a temple around the tree to protect it, and no foreigners are allowed in.

-So it means that only the ones born in K can use from its magic?

-It appears so. - The king confirmed.

-I see. – Luhan cleared his throat lightly before asking. -  And how may I be useful to you, your majesty? As you may know, I wasn’t born in K...

-Not you, but your fiancée was.

-Sehun? – Luhan tilted his head as if he was confused.

-You didn’t know? - Kris asked with a grimace.

Luhan shook his head lightly.

-I knew he wasn’t from here, but he never actually told me where he was from. And now I know why…

Kris nodded.

-I asked him to return to K now and look into the matter of the tree. Maybe even live there for a while, see how things work in the kingdom in case we have to invade it. I promised him lots of gold and a higher position in the army, but he still doesn’t want to go back there. - Kris smirked lightly. - And that’s where I need you, Luhan. I want you to convince him to go.

Luhan shook his head. -Your majesty, as you well know my marriage with Sehun was arranged by our families, we don’t have such a close relationship as it seems.

-Maybe you don’t feel that close to Sehun, Luhan… - Kris said softly as he grabbed the blonde’s chin. – But he loves you. He wouldn’t deny a thing to you.

Luhan stepped back, getting rid of the invasive fingers. –I’ll see what I can do, my king.

With a deeper bow, the blond withdrew from the room, thinking on how he would bring this subject up with Sehun.

How would he make him go to that kingdom if his fiancée hated his birth place so much?

He was thinking about this when a door opened somewhere along the corridor and a smooth voice called his name. Luhan turned around to look at a handsome brunet man leaning against his room’s door.

He called Luhan over with a wave of his hand, and when the man approached he caught him by the wrist and pulled him into the room, closing the door behind them.

-I thought you were leaving without talking to me. – Smiled the brunet, passing his arms around the younger’s waist. He tried to kiss him, but Luhan flinched.

-Your highness…

-Don’t call me that. – The man scowled, as if offended. – You sound so distant when you do it…

-That’s what I’m trying to be... – Luhan admitted, though a little hesitant.

-And why would that be? – The brunet curled his fingers in the smaller’s hair and gently the blonde waves.

-Xiumin you know I’m marrying Sehun soon. This can’t go on…

-Then don’t get married. I can’t stand being away from you.

Luhan gave him a sweet, but sad smile.

-You know I love you, Xiumin, but you also know my family is very strict when it comes to marriage. They say I’m getting old already; this might be my only chance to get something in life…

-You know I can give you more than Sehun ever will...

-But you can’t marry me. You know you will have to marry some prince or something and we will never be able to become public.

- Even so, the fact that I’ll marry someone will not change a thing on the way I feel about you, all this is merely politics, Luhan. I’m asking you to dump Sehun and stay with me.

Luhan looked at him disdainfully.

-And be your “secret lover” for the rest of my life? I’m sorry, but I can’t. Everybody in this kingdom is already whispering about us, the least I can do now is stop this nonsense and get married already, before I put my family name completely to shame. If I do marry Sehun, maybe one day people will forget about us.

-This is bull, no one knows anything for sure.

-And they don’t need to. When people start talking, it doesn’t matter what is real or not.

Xiumin shook his head in disbelief.

-So that’s it? We are done now? You’ll just throw yourself in the arms of a man you don’t feel any attraction to and be ok with that?

-Well, Sehun does treat me really well, he respects me and cares about me and…

-…And you can’t stand him touching you. So what’s the point?

Luhan went quiet, his head dropping a bit while he stared at the floor. Xiumin hugged him, brushing his nose against the younger’s soft cheek.

-How can I ever live without my Luhan? Please, don’t make me do it...

Luhan closed his eyes, feeling his lover’s deep breath hit the lobe of his ear. He would never love Sehun as much as he loved Xiumin and it pained him that he couldn’t be with the man for good. Nevertheless, maybe this affair could last just a little bit longer...

-Ok... – He murmured. – If I get Sehun to go after the tree of life we can keep meeting. But just while he is gone, as soon as he comes back, we are done.

-So I hope he never do come back.

-Don’t be like this, he doesn’t...

-Shh... – The Prince laid a finger on Luhan’s pink lips. Then he pulled him to the center of the room and pushed him on his bed in a rather abrupt way.

-I don’t know about it when he comes back. –He whispered, eyes full of lust. -but I know that at least tonight you are mine, Luhan...

Xiumin leaned over Luhan’s thin body, pinning his arms against the soft mattress. He kissed his neck and the blonde moaned softly, closing his eyes and swallowing his guilt. He would once again betray his fiancée’s trust.

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Sehun entered the small, yet luxurious house he shared with his fiancée. He had just arrived from his job as a commander and was hungry and tired. Luhan, however, wouldn’t have made dinner. The man seemed not to care the least about Sehun or his needs and only pleased him whenever he wanted something, or money to buy the something in question.

Furthermore there were rumors about Luhan keeping an affair with Prince Xiumin, but Sehun pretended not to hear them. Even if it was true, Sehun would still love him the same way, and he was convinced he could change Luhan's behavior with time.

Sehun knew Luhan only agreed to marry him because of his money and status, but he was so madly in love with him that he was willing to wait until the day Luhan would love him more than he loved the prince.

That was the reason Sehun wouldn’t complain for not receiving cooked meals or a massage in his tense-from-the-army muscles. Luhan would get used to him eventually and probably would start doing these things naturally, as a good husband should.

-You are home early today. – Pointed a soft voice coming from the hallway.

Sehun turned around as Luhan entered the room, his slim body wrapped in a cottony white robe. Sehun allowed his eyes to travel around the few glimpses of milky skin the piece revealed, remembering the older would reject any kind of physical contact he risked.

-Yes. – He answered, turning his gaze away from the tempting body in front of him and making his way to the kitchen. – I dismissed the troops so they could train for tomorrow’s strategy test.

-Oh, I see… – Luhan followed him, stopping by the door and leaning against it.

-Is there something wrong, Luhan? – The younger asked, turning to face him. – You don’t look quite yourself today...

-I just found out something about you. – He answered, softly.– Why didn’t you tell me you were originally from K?

Sehun sighed. He knew this day would come…

-Because I was afraid. – He whispered and then continued in a louder voice. - You know how much your people hate mine, especially after so many years of war. If I told people where I was from, they would think less of me. You would think less of me, and I wouldn’t be able to stand that...

Something glowed in Luhan’s eyes. So it was truth, Sehun did love him that much... Now he knew how he would convince the young man to go to K.  

-I can’t believe you lied to me. – He cried out in a sad voice. - You thought I was going to turn against you! Is this the kind of person you think I am? Don’t you trust me?

-It’s not like that, I never lied to you, even if I’m from K, I don’t consider myself belonging to that awful place. I just thought it would be better not telling you. Is that so bad?

-It is for me. - The blonde said, sulky. - You don’t trust me, you don’t love me...

-I love you! - Sehun approached him, holding his hands tenderly. - I never meant to hurt you, I didn’t tell you ‘cause I thought this would be for the best.  

-And how can I open my heart to you not knowing if you are telling me the truth?

-What do you mean? I love you, more than everything, more than I love myself. I would die for you, Luhan!

Luhan offered him a sweet smile and withdrew his hands from Sehun’s, turning his back at him.

-Then prove it. Prove that you would do anything for me.

-And what is it that you want, Luhan?

-Do you remember what the king asked you to do? What he wanted you to find?

Sehun sighed again. So the king spoke to Luhan, and now he wanted Sehun to go back to K and find that damn tree of life. And he really didn’t want to go...

Sehun was brought to the kingdom of M by his grandfather when he was still at a very young age, and the only information he had about the place he was born was passed by the man, who had nothing but bad memories of the time lived in that realm.

Over time, Sehun began to associate K with all the horrific war stories that his grandfather told him, including the death of his parents. The young man didn’t want to go to that unfortunate place that caused his family so much pain and suffering.

But Luhan was worth it. If Sehun had to face that part of his past, he was glad that at least he would do it for the man he loved.

-Ok, I’ll go. – He grabbed Luhan by the shoulders and turned him so they could face each other. – I’ll bring that tree to you even if I have to drag it here myself.

-Promise? – Luhan smiled brightly, and Sehun nodded.

Luhan pressed his lips to Sehun’s, pushing them lightly, but when Sehun tried to return the kiss, Luhan quickly moved away.

-This. – He said lasciviously. - Is my part of the promise. Do whatever you can to find out how to bring the tree, and I'll... Reward you. If you know what I mean...

With his beautiful smile still playing in his lips, Luhan withdrew from the room, leaving a stunned Sehun thinking about his imminent journey to that hateful land of K and about how much he wanted the reward his fiancée would give him.

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On the day of Sehun’s departure, King Kris and his son Xiumin came by their house. The king offered his best horse for the commander’s journey, and a servant was bringing the animal by a thick leather strap.

Sehun thanked the man and saddled the horse, while Luhan appeared in the doorway with a pack full of clothes and food he had prepared for Sehun the day before.

-We’ll send a messenger in two months to check on the mission. - Kris told Sehun as he climbed on the black horse’s back. - We expect your results in less than five months. We can’t wait any longer than that.

-Yes, your majesty, I'll try to return as soon as possible.

-And be careful when interacting with those people. - Xiumin warned. - They are dangerous and treacherous and will do anything to make you change sides.

-Don’t worry, your Highness, I'll be careful.

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