"And what would your majesty suggest?" Yeran asked, staying clear of the wine for the night.

"Though the marriage has ended, our alliance must go on! What I am saying is, I have two daughters, if Prince Yeran is interested," Yor said.

Yeran's brows rose.

"Ah, I do not think that is a good proposition your majesty," he laughed awkwardly.

"To marry another just after my spouse has died? His own sister as well? Would it not leave a black mark on my name?"

"You already know Aki is not my child, Prince Yeran," Yor insisted.

"But the world does not, maybe a few years later, after a period of mourning, you understand," Yeran suggested instead.

"Hmm..."

"It is late your majesty, I must leave at the first light, allow me to retire first," Yeran rose to his feet.

Putting an iron hold on his composure, he bowed, and walked out, only a few seconds slower than an actual fleeing.

The doors shut behind him and he turned, a single glance over his shoulder.

'Just you wait Yor Derhan,'

...

"Zeke, good, you are here,"

Zeke Venon sat in the uniform of Derhan militia, heavy armour cast aside like a heap of scrap metal.

"It wasn't hard, I do not know what is up with Delhevia, but their security is ridiculously low, I do not feel good about that," Zeke replied.

"You think he is planning something?"

"All the kings are planning something, always,"

"True, I mean, in this particular moment, do you think there is something we do not know of?" Yeran specified.

"Probably. We can never be completely prepared Yeran, sometimes, we just have to dive to measure the depth."

"Since when have you started being so witty?" Yeran gave him a surprised look.

Zeke narrowed his eyes at him.

"Not everyone is an idiot like you" he rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to pretend that I did not hear that, just because we do not have time to dwindle."

"Are you going to abandon the plan?"

"Heaven's no, we will carry on as planned, we have come too far to quit now." Yeran declared.

"Yh, let's just be ready for anything,"

"Let's start,"

...

"Stop moving!" Zeke snapped.

"It's itchy!" Yeran complained.

"We do not have time for your tantrums now Yeran! Heavens! How you can be so mature at once and god damn childish the next second is scaring me! Are you clinically insane or just incredibly annoying?" Zeke asked, jabbing the pencil against his brow.

"I don't know, probably both," Yeran replied.

"There! Done! Was that so hard?" Zeke was most certainly irritated.

"Change your clothes, let's go," he ordered.

"Calm down Zeke, we must wait, you know that," Yeran urged.

"How?! How can you stay calm?" Zeke asked, throwing the brush in his hand aside. His image frazzled and weary.

"Because I have to,"

Just as Zeke mentioned, the sudden cold tranquility of Yeran was harrowing to any witness. The sinister serenity rigid and empowering.

...

Ruth stared out the window, the silence louder than his thoughts. It was crushing and pressuring, forcing him to put more effort in drawing air to his lungs.

The breath got caught above his chest, not filling in completely. He was growing lightheaded, the darkness and the silence an old enemy.

He pushed himself to take a deep breath and keep on breathing, drawing the knees up against his chest, he wrapped his hands around them.

"Heaven's! Please let there be some kind of sound, anything," he prayed.

And as if the heavens heard his plea, the sound of footsteps resounded around him. The clink and clank of metal armour unmistakable.

'What now,' he asked himself,

'Has Yor succeeded, is my brother..., Aki, Nuwee, please be okay,'

...

The snoring of Wayne was really passing him off. It was loud, and it was echoing through the empty cavern. Aki was tempted to wake him just so he could get rid of that infuriating noise, consequences be damned.

A sudden sound caught his attention, drawing him to his feet from where he was seated on the raised stone slab, as further away from dampness as he can get.

The snoring grew deeper, having withdrawn further and further from consciousness.

The locks of the door clicked, and it creaked as it opened. The sound grating on his ears.

"Well, hello there, darling husband," the figure came sauntering in.

"Yeran?!" Aki's eyes widened to disks.

"What the hell?!"

...

Hey,

Bonus! Because I broke my promise, aren't I a good author?

Praise me mortals!

And vote! Also, comment!

See u,

Arkhane.

...

Ruth

The twins