The next morning, the dawning sun was greeted by Kyungsoo singing softly to himself as he prepared for his walk with Siwon. He finished his morning chores before stopping in the kitchen to pack some snacks. When Siwon arrived, Kyungsoo was chatting to a rabbit that had stopped by for his morning treat. The centaur hoped the sick feeling in his stomach wasn't reflected on his face as he greeted the young prince.

"Good morning, your highness," Siwon said as he bowed to the prince.

"Good morning, Siwon! Please just call me Kyungsoo. I'm just a regular person like anyone else. No need to be so formal," Kyungsoo said shyly. Siwon knew the boy would be a great king one day, if only the Queen wasn't standing in his way.

"Shall we be off? It's a long walk and you have plans for later, right?" Siwon said once more swallowing down the feelings of nausea.

At the mention of his 'plans', Kyungsoo turns a bright red.

Siwon couldn't help but chuckle at the young prince's blush. Obviously whatever 'plans' he had, the Queen wouldn't approve of them. The realization of what he had to do and that Kyungsoo wouldn't be able to follow through with his plans once more broke the heart of the centaur.

"Are you ready to go?" The harsh tone his friend used when he asked the question brought a confused frown to the young prince's face before he nodded in agreement.

As the pair walked out of the courtyard together, the silence was strained. Neither one noticed the Queen watching from his window, an evil smile twisting his lips. By evening, he'd no longer have to be concerned about Kyungsoo becoming a serious threat. It was a shame though, to lose an obedient servant. Heechul straightened from the window seat while tidying his already flawlessly styled hair. He'd give it until after lunch before he'd consult the mirror to be sure he was rid of that pesky brat for good.

Kyungsoo and Siwon didn't break the uncomfortable silence until they reached a small clearing located deep in the heart of the forest and then it was only "here we are" from Siwon. Kyungsoo soon forgot about the behavior of his friend as he spotted the sunny location filled with species of plants and flowers he had never seen before. He was so focused on gathering flowers to be displayed on the royal dining table that he jumped when a twig snapped directly behind him. Kyungsoo laughed at his own silliness until he saw the dagger Siwon was holding tightly in his upraised hand. His eyes widened in surprise and then terror as he realized what was happening.

"Siwon? What did I do? Why would you try to scare me like this? Have I done something to make you angry with me?" Kyungsoo tried to laugh to ease the tension and not make think anything as crazy as ‘He trying to kill me!’

Siwon's expression didn't change. He raised the dagger higher in the air and as Kyungsoo felt certain he was about to die, Siwon stopped with the tip of the blade a mere inch from his friend's chest.

Kyungsoo peeked his eyes open when he didn't feel the steel make the expected contact, to see Siwon kneeling at his feet crying. He rested a hand on the centaur's shoulder as he asked, "Siwon? Why?" in a voice so soft it was barely more than a whisper.

"It's the Queen who wanted you dead! But I can't! I just can't! You must flee your Highness and never return! The Queen won't stop until he believes you are dead! Please go, before I change my mind! By disobeying the Queen's orders, I'm putting my own family at risk. Go! Run away now!"

Kyungsoo had heard stories of how anyone that crossed the Queen had 'disappeared' but such a thing was not conceivable in Kyungsoo's kind heart.

Before he knew what he was doing though, he found himself running away from Siwon and in the opposite direction of his home in the castle.

He ran and ran, not stopping for anything until he collapsed at the edge of another clearing. This one contained a tiny cottage with a thatched roof and most of the shutters were either missing or hanging on with only one hinge. ‘Clearly it’s abandoned,’ he thought to himself as he knocked on the door, at first softly, almost afraid someone would answer and then with more force as it started to rain. When no one answered, he tried the knob. The door swung open easily. As soon as he crossed the threshold, his nose was assaulted by a smell that could best be described as sweaty socks. Surely no one lives here or else they must lack a sense of smell.

Kyungsoo edged his way into the room, calling out, "Hello? Is anyone here?" He really didn't need any more surprises today. As he wandered through the cottage, he found the sink overflowed with dirty dishes and piles of stinky clothes everywhere. The former residents must have left in a hurry because hopefully people wouldn't live like this by choice. If Kyungsoo was going to be staying here, he may at least tidy up a bit. He gathered all of the laundry together before he tackled the mountains of dishes.

He started singing while he worked, which drew the attention of the local forest animals. Kyungsoo laughed as a young deer, a silver fox and an adorable little chipmunk came up to him. The deer tilted it's head as if to inquire as to what he was doing.

Kyungsoo stopped singing to have an impromptu story time with the animals, explaining everything to them including how he'd met a handsome young man yesterday and all that had happened earlier in the day. After he finished his story, he tried to hide a huge yawn behind the cover of his hand, but the deer noticed and nudged him towards the stairs. When he reached the upper floor, he found seven tiny beds. Written on the end of each bed was a different name. Eunkwang, Minhyuk, Changsub, Hyunsik, Peniel, Ilhoon and Sungjae. These beds must have belonged to the family that lived here before they abandoned the cottage. Kyungsoo gave the beds a quick fluff before flopping down face first onto them and it wasn't long before he was happily snoring.

Meanwhile, downstairs there was a flash of light, quickly followed by two more, as if there was a lightning storm inside the tiny house. The sudden bursts of light roused Kyungsoo from his sleep but it wasn't enough to wake him fully. Neither was the sound of voices drifting up from downstairs alarming enough to pull him from his slumber and investigate the new sounds. He drifted in and out of dreamland while picking up pieces of the conversation.

The first voice complains about how itchy he was in his fox form only to be scolded by a second voice. "If you wouldn’t hang out with riff raff all of the time, you wouldn't have to be worrying about getting fleas. Luhan and I never have any trouble."

A third voice joins the other two. "Let's finish cleaning so when the young prince wakes up from his nap the entire house will sparkle."

"What ever did you even see in that guy, Baek? He was stinky and ill mannered and he just gave me an uneasy feeling." Voice three asked his friend while they got started dusting and sweeping the floors.

After a brief pause, the first voice replies in a near whisper, "I don't know Lu. Maybe it was because he was easy to talk to."

A snort of disbelief was heard but no other response was spoken.

"He tried to kiss me once and it was really gross! What if I don't want to be intimate with my future mate?" Baekhyun confesses his concerns in the hope his friends will be able to solve some of his unrest.

"I know we don't lead the most normal lives ever, but I know there is a special someone out there for you, Baekhyun." Luhan assured his friend. "And trust me you won't have to suffer through a lifetime of baring their unwanted attention."

A sigh is heard before Baekhyun speaks again, "I know that's what is foretold but did you ever wonder what your destined mate will be like? Will they be a strong and handsome man or a petite and fragile girl? The prophecy stated that when we meet our destined one we will become mortals. We'll lose our powers and begin to age like mere humans. Will we know they are our soulmate at first sight, first kiss or first....."

"BAEKHYUN!" Both boys stop their companion from finishing his thought.

"Well? Have you guys ever thought about it?" Baekhyun persisted.

"I have," Luhan confessed after a short silence, "I would like them to be mature, shorter than me with a vibrant, outgoing personality."

Baekhyun hummed in agreement before he turned his attention to his other friend, "What about you, Min? What would your ideal mate be like?"

"I never said I had given it any thought!" Minseok tried to avoid. He gave up when the silence persisted and the sounds of housework ceased. "Fine! Alright! I did give it the smallest amount of consideration. I'd like a tall mate who was quiet, kind and settled. I'd like someone who would share my love of life's little things. Like lying in the grass counting stars on a summer night or trying to find two snowflakes that look alike in the winter or making a huge pile of leaves just to be able to jump into it in the fall or who could find the first flower of spring. I don't think I would enjoy living with someone who is loud and hyperactive."

"What?" He asked when his friends continued to just stare at him.

"Didn't put a lot of thought into it, did you?" Baekhyun asks sarcastically.

"Whatever, Baek! So, what do you hope for?" Minseok replies.

"I want my heart to race when I see them, I want their face to light up with a smile that's only because of me and I want them to be the reason I smile. I'd want them to be smart, too so I could hold a proper conversation with them without having to s-p-e-a-k s-l-o-w-l-y and u-s-e s-m-a-l-l words. They also have to worship the ground I walk on," Baekhyun jokes before continuing. "Someone playful but also can be serious and gentle but will fiercely defend their loved ones. I just hope we meet them at the same time. I don't want to be the only one getting old and wrinkled! Neither do I want to be left alone while you guys skip merrily off to live happily ever after!"

Luhan and Minseok are speechless at how much thought Baekhyun has put into this.

"And they have to be tiny enough to fit in my pocket!" Baekhyun laughs at his friend's surprised expressions.

The other two boys join in on the laughter as they return to their chores.

The musical sounds of the shared giggles drifted to Kyungsoo's ears lulling him back to a deep sleep. Before he completely gave in to the lure of his dreams where he was dancing with the handsome stranger without fear of the Queen, he heard Luhan and Baekhyun laughing together about how sparkly some of the clothes they were washing were.

A/N: Sorry for not updating in a really long time!!! Life got in the way, big time. But after a month, here is the next chapter! Also, if you can guess which BtoB member is which dwarf, please comment and you will recieve *drum roll* a virtual cupcake!!! Yay!!  Don't forget to subscribe if you liked it!! I hope you have a nice weekend! :)