“You are not alright.”

  The gentle voice made Andrea start. “L-Luhan?”

  She was walking behind Gillian and Orion, toward the Forbidden Woods to meet Lucas. Kris, Tao, Minseok, and another boy who had introduced himself as ‘Jongdae’ (“But I prefer ‘Chen’; it’s simpler,”) stayed behind in the village to make ‘plans’, and Sehun and another boy who Andrea heard others call him ‘Yixing’ were whispering behind her and Luhan, who had all of a sudden, appeared beside her.

  “Forgive me; have I startled you?”

  It was as if Luhan’s gentle voice and eyes could soothe away her anxiety. “Y-yes, but it is alright,” Andrea replied. “I was just caught off guard by your question.”

  Luhan chuckled. “It was not a question, milady.”

  “Andrea.”

  “Andrea.” He gave an apologetic smile and his genuine gentlemen manners dispelled a bit of her irritation at how he first called her. “It was a statement, for I already know the answer.”

  “And why is that?” Andrea studied him. “Why do you assume I am… not well?”

  Why can only you see when no one else can?

  “Because I just can.” And I know it’s about the prince. The hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth was all Andrea needed to know that the voice in her head was his. She gasped, but stifled it down halfway for fear the others would notice. Concentrating hard, she tried to move the conversation from their mouths to their minds.

  How do you –

  You said ‘Princess Celeste’ when Sehun only mentioned a ‘soon-to-be wife.’ And before noticing your slight flinches whenever someone mentioned the prince’s name, I could already sense the down of your mood when you walked into Hazel’s cottage. It was not hard to see the wrinkles by your eyes, which indicated that you were crying before, too.

  The accurateness of Luhan’s observing sent chills through Andrea’s body, making her feel as if she were so easy to read, so easy to guess. She felt light-headed, just like before when Lucas had told her of his spying for so long a time.

  Luhan, I –

  I apologize if I have upset you. I had no intention on invading your privacy, if that is what you think; please forgive me of my keen observation. It is… a habit I find difficult to get rid of, since childhood.

  Childhood?

  She felt the shift in Luhan. … Yes. The surroundings I was born into and grew up in… being able to see and understand the changes of looks and turns in voices of adults was the only way for a child to survive, in Great China. It’s how I was able to escape death from our emperor and flee with Tao, Kris, and Yixing, and how we could run into Gillian.

  So Gillian sort of… saved you?

  A feeling of gratefulness washed over the both of them. Yes. He saved us, children in Great China with powers bestowed by gods – which they believe are actually mythical creatures called ‘dragons’ – from being killed; or worse, used to control people and torture spies. We were just children; it terrified us.

  … Oh.

 Andrea suddenly felt pity towards him, towards the other three boys, for they were forced to leave for survival at such young ages.

  But wasn’t she also, in a way?

  Forgive me, Andrea. This is a bad time for… sad stories.

  No, no, it’s alright! Besides, Andrea smiled, it’s not like you guys running away was the bad ending, right?

  It is not?

  She shook her head. In a different way, it can be seen as the beginning of your adventure, and your happy ending is here: safe, with the other boys in the village – also safe – and Sehun and Hazel and even me. You have found peace.

  It took a while for Luhan to digest Andrea’s words, for he had never thought of it that way before. He was astonished.

  I… I guess that is true. I am happy.

  I’m glad for you.

  Luhan smiled, a warm feeling bubbling inside his chest as he stared at Andrea. Thank you, Andrea.

  You’re welcome.

  And as much as I am grateful for your letting me feel so warm inside, I suppose you think I haven’t noticed your changing the subject?

  Her jaw dropped. H-how –

  It is alright, Andrea. I know how uncomfortable it must be for you to talk about him.

  … You don’t even know what happened.

  That is true, but I will not ask you to tell if you do not wish.

  But… you’ve guessed what happened between me and Baekhyun?

  He grinned. Yes. But I still will not bluntly ask of someone else’s business.

  Andrea bit her lip. Thank you, Luhan.

  No, thank you. And no need to concentrate so hard on telepathing with me. Just make it feel like you are talking to your own self in your mind. You are a bit loud. Luhan chuckled silently.

  Before Andrea could answer, another boy’s voice called out to her, this time out of her head.

  “Andy!”

  On instinct, she broke into a grin as the blue-eyed male engulfed her in a hug. “Hey, Luke.”

  “I missed you.”

  “I just saw you two hours ago!”

  “That’s still long enough to make meat rot.”

  She pulled back playfully. “Ew, don’t ever compare me to meat!”

  “I – “

  Someone cleared his throat behind them. “Mr. Miller.”

  Andrea jumped out of Lucas’ arms, as Lucas turned and met Gillian’s gaze. “Gillian,” he replied, standing up a little straighter.

  “A pleasure to see you in such a well condition, Mr. Miller.”

  “Of course; I’m supposed to look like an amenable servant boy.” Lucas smirked. “I heard Andy’s going to be the maid?”

  Sehun scoffed. “No, I am.”

  “Very funny, Sehun, as if you would don on a skirt and scurry around.”

  “I would, doggy; I used to run around in my mother’s skirt all the time.”

  “I told you never to call me that – “ Lucas bared his teeth, but Orion stopped him by grabbing his collar, as if he were plucking a child from the ground.

  “Enough, boys. It’d be best if you do not tear at each other’s throat in front of our princess, and so many people.” He turned to Lucas. “And the Pack wouldn’t be so pleased waiting for your signal to come out just because you’re fooling around, I suppose?"

  After Orion let go of Lucas, Lucas asked with a twist of his wrist, “How did you know?”

  “I could smell them the moment we got here,” Orion simply replied.

  At first, nothing happened; the Woods felt the same to Andrea: calm, peaceful, and enormous. But then the birds seemed to stop chirping, and the wind ceased blowing. Or maybe that latter part was just Sehun’s doing?

  Then the shadows appeared. They seemed to emerge from everywhere at once: among the bushes, between tree trunks, even just out of nowhere. As they emerged, they started to form into what looked like dogs first, but their eyes were orange and even red instead of black, their nozzles more hideous, their size bigger than even Orion.

  But the most terrifying things, were the glinting sharpness and gigantic size of their teeth.

  “Don’t worry,” Lucas squeezed Andrea’s hand and reassured her. “They won’t hurt you; they’re just trying to be intimidating.”

  But they tried to hurt me once, Andrea thought. And almost succeeded.

  Suddenly, the big wolves started shrinking, fur disappearing into smooth, human skin, paws turning into hands and feet, and threatening faces turning into pleasing, human ones.

  “Is this her?”

  The one who spoke was a tall, muscular but lean man in the front, with a feeling that pulsed out of him that formed a single word in Andrea’s head: alpha.

  The leader of the Pack. The strongest of them all.

  But could he at least wear not just his pants?

  Gillian tilted his head, as if bowing, to the man. “It has been a long time, Antony. Yes, this is our Princess Sabrina.”

  Antony stared at Andrea for such a long time she thought she might wither under his intense stare. “So Lucas was right,” he said, his voice not as husky and rough as Andrea had imagined. “The princess is alive.”

  “Yes.”

  “Our years of working for you were worthless.”

  Gillian frowned. “They were not worthless, Antony. We did not ask much of your pack, either.”

  “But we felt guilty, magic-beholder. We lived in guilt for seven years.”

  Andrea didn’t like his tone, as if he wanted to find an excuse to rage out and demand Gillian to kneel down and kiss his toes. So she walked up to Antony. “We Stargazers will forever be grateful for the seven years of your pack’s help, Antony. And it will not be in vain, I assure you.”

  For a good, long moment, Antony studied Andrea, a way a dealer would do a piece of jewelry, to decide whether it was valuable or not. Something gleamed in his eyes, something that looked dangerously close to satisfaction and amusement.

  “Will you ensure that our efforts weren’t worthless, your Highness?” He said a minute later, an end of his mouth twitching.

  “Well, I am here, with four limbs and hopping around like a healthy bunny.”

  Antony laughed. “If that is so, princess of the magic beholders, then we will be of your aid whenever needed. Byun Kang Dae has done nothing but harm to us for so many years, and we are very supportive of your… rebellion.” Before Andrea could figure out whether she should bow or clap Antony in the back, he added, with a playful smile like a teenage child’s, “And, I trust you to take care of our boy, Lucas, of course? He might be a little… slow, sometimes.”

  Andrea couldn’t help but laugh at the embarrassed look on Lucas’ face, along with the smugness on Sehun’s.

***

  There was nothing but silence when she returned to her cottage. It hadn’t changed: the furniture were still placed the way Rick had put them, the closet of weapons was still full of his and her knives, bows, and arrows they had used to train with, and the natural smell of wood was still floating around. But tonight, strangely, a new shadow of loneliness and lost seemed to loom over the whole place.

  Maybe it was because now Andrea knew who she really was, her real identity finally sinking in. Maybe it was because she had finally realized, as if she had gotten rid of the fog and saw things clearer, the meaning of her identity and everything it would bring.

  Maybe it was because she could still see shadows of a brown-haired boy at corners of the cottage, especially on her bed.

  His warmth, his smell, his laughter all still haunted her; they seemed to have emerged from where they had been hiding in her head when she was going over stuff about tomorrow with Lucas and Gillian. They seemed to have ambushed her when she was finally alone, when she felt so vulnerable under the sky full of shining stars like diamonds scattered across.

  Andrea bit her lower lip, hard, as she secured her bow in its place in the closet. I have to stop thinking of Baekhyun, she scolded herself. I have a mission tomorrow, and I cannot fail.

  I will not fail.

***

  "Don’t get into trouble, you hear me?”

  “Sehun – “

  “Just be careful.” The concern in Sehun’s eyes betrayed the harshness in his voice. “There are stuff you still don’t know about out there.”

  Andrea folded her arms. “Like what; why you still won’t step a foot onto the Southern Commonwealth?”

  “Like why Gillian’s beard never grows long.” He rolled his eyes. “Girly – “

  “I know, I know, you still don’t have the nerve because you still don’t have the nerve. I’ll be careful, okay, Sehun-who’s-acting-like-a-father? Just sit on the couch and think of words to piss Luke off with when you’re waiting for us; you’re the best at doing that.”

***

  The chattering voices downstairs were all drowned by his depressing thoughts. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, which was followed by the squeak of it being opened.

  “Baek?”

  Baekhyun turned his head, slowly, his eyes still staring into space. “Kai.”

  “It’s time. The guests are eager to see you now.”

  “Oh.”

  Kai sighed, as his best friend didn’t even blink. “Baek, you are required now.”

  Baekhyun didn’t move.

  After an inner struggle, the tanner boy walked into the room, and sat down on Baekhyun’s bed next to him. “Baekhyun.” He sighed. “I…” For the record, he didn’t know what to say. Sorry for Andrea knowing the truth? Sorry for, eventually, her knowing, and, as predicted, running away from him without even a goodbye? It was Baekhyun’s fault, after all, for not telling her beforehand. But it was love that made him want to hide it as long as he could; it was love that made him so selfish.

  But having royal blood running in your veins didn’t mean you could be selfish and get what you want, without sacrifices.

  “I did the right thing, didn’t I?”

  Baekhyun’s sudden question startled Kai. “Pardon?”

  “It’s what should have been done: her knowing the truth.” Baekhyun turned his head, exposing the endless sadness in his beautiful, brown eyes. “It’s the right thing.”

  “Yes, it is.” Kai patted his friend on the back, deciding not to tell him about the dream he had last night at that moment. Maybe next time. “At least you could reassure yourself with that fact.”

  “I suppose so.” The fair prince, as if snapping out of a trance, stood up and smiled gently at Kai. Kai could see that it was already the most he could squeeze; besides, a small smile was better than nothing.

  When Kai stood up to straighten Baekhyun’s collar and tie, Baekhyun heaved one last sigh with his eyes closed, and then opened them, his prince-like firmness and steadiness shining in them. Kai knew it was just an act, but it was what he had been taught to do ever since he was a child – to look and act like a real prince.

Baekhyun patted Kai's back, the smile on his lips not wavering. “Let’s go meet the princess’ family, Kai.”

***

  “Quick, quick, come on! Make haste!”

  Hazel is doing a very good job, Andrea thought as she, Lucas, and a thousand other maids and servants dashed behind her.

  The palace was magnificent, inside and out. The hallway they were in was lit up by torches, whom casted shadows against the dark-brown, ancient-looking walls. The hallway was for servants and maids only - in this case, those who were here to serve in the Grand Banquet – and despite the tidiness of it, it somehow reminded Andrea of a tomb.

  “Here we are!” The head maid in charge, played by Hazel, stopped in front of a big door. “Those who have signed up for the kitchen, it is on your right; those who have signed up for helping out the two hundred guests tonight with settling them down in their seats, go to your left. They are about to arrive any second.” Her eyes held onto Andrea’s for a moment. “And those who are to serve dishes, clean up the empty plates and waltz around royals with a silver tray for the next few hours, follow me.”

  The she pushed open the door, sending a light of bright, blinding white into Andrea’s eyes.

***

  In spite of the mission upon her, Andrea was enjoying herself. Dashing around to refill glasses of wine, picking up empty plates and bowls that never seemed to stop appearing, secretly giggling at how serious and gentleman-like Lucas pretended to be as he did the same job as her… excitement and jolliness were all round the grand hall they were in.

  The decorating of the hall was nothing like Andrea had ever seen before, although that couldn’t really mean anything because she had spent her whole childhood in a locked room. Tapestries hung high on the walls, curtains made of silk draped over windowpanes made of glass and tinted with diamonds shining in the faint moonlight pouring through. Chandeliers dangled above the guests’, maids’ and servants’ heads, illuminating the grand hall hundreds of times bigger than Rick’s cottage.

  The guests were all royals from around the world: kings, queens, princesses and princes, even dukes and earls… and they seemed to know each other well, their conversations bouncing around smoothly without any trace of awkwardness.

  This is how being a royal must feel, Andrea thought as she took in the smiles and laughter of the guests. Enjoying food with servants by your side every second…

  It’s what I should be enjoying. What I should be enjoying with my family.

  Her hands tightened around her tray, but before she could push down the sudden anger growing in her stomach, the big, wide door beside the one the guests came in, the one with gold shimmering on the sides, was pushed open by two members of the Royal Guards.

  And then Baekhyun entered.

[Author's Note]: Plot twist: Baekhyun starts falling in love with Kai and then the two of them get married in the end. And Andrea runs away with Sehun.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA I'M JUST KIDDING OMG sorreh don't mind me. I'm just sleepy iuhfwughwurghwoi.

THANK YOU GUYS FOR WAITING UNTIL TODAY FOR THIS UPDATE <3 I can't explain whut I feel :P And THANK YOU ALL FOR COMMENTING, AND UPVOTING! It really means a lot to me <3 HOPE YOU ALL, AND NEW SUBBIES /OPENS ARMS AND SAYS 'WELCOME TO HE FAMILY'/ WILL ENJOY THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS~!! /JIGGLES/

P.S. Andrea won't walk out of the palace without running into two people she shouldn't be seen by... MUAHAHAHAHA. And there will be action next I SWEAR.