With a cup of tea cradled in his hands, Mingi sat on Yunho's diwan. The jar with pixie dust stood on the table between the tea service, untouched today. Mingi was wrapped in his towel still after he had washed the grime of his fear and the night in the dark basement off. Leaning against his fluff-covered back stood Yunho, who carefully dressed the wound on Mingi's horn. A nurse had dropped by earlier to assess the damage and given him healing ointment, but Mingi had insisted that Yunho handled his horns.

He trusted no one else to touch them.

When Yunho finished wrapping his horn carefully, his fingers dropped from Mingi's head. Shivering at the emptiness, Mingi's tail instinctively reached out to search for Yunho's. Receiving him securely, Yunho rounded the divan to kneel next to Mingi. The table in the middle had been exchanged for a smaller, oval one, leaving a lot of space on the ground for Yunho to sit on.

Before Mingi could tell him to sit by his side instead, Yunho already reached for Mingi's hands to cradle them in his and hold them on his lap. Deep remorse swam in his eyes, as he couldn't find the words he sought right away.

"I apologise, Mingi. I should have reacted faster," the prince then breathed. Meek, Mingi shook his head.

"Neither of us could know they would come for me. You came just in time."

"Ave had found your trail already in the morning, but we figured it would be better to wait until they were fully distracted before we barged in. You must have been afraid." Yunho's lips ghosted over Mingi's hands as he kissed each knuckle individually. Softened, Mingi gazed upon the prince's bowed horns.

"You coming for me is everything I could wish for, no matter the damage. Thank you, Yunho."

Mingi didn't want to imagine a scenario in which Yunho wouldn't have come to save him. Nothing else but the security Yunho spent mattered.

Placing the last kiss on the tip of Mingi's little finger, Yunho lifted his head to look at him again.

"Nothing else happened, right? They just tried to get your horns?"

Nodding, Mingi shyly played with Yunho's fingers in his.

"He just wanted them for his collection. They would have let me leave after, too."

He didn't need to spell it out for Yunho to catch onto the thought that Mingi wouldn't have survived an injury like that. His fingers gingerly hooked around Mingi's, holding them tight.

"I'm glad you didn't get hurt any worse." With his free hand, Yunho caressed Mingi's face and scar. He stayed clear of the fresh wound.

"What will happen to them?"

Troubled, Yunho looked down at his lap.

"My father, as well as the public, will demand their blood in exchange for those they harmed. I want to talk to Hongjoong first, though. If we settle it in mutual executions, the cycle will repeat."

Eyes absent as they relived the hours of dread when he had been alone with the pixies, Mingi hummed. He hadn't perceived the situation as bad when he had been there since he had been so over the place and time had passed so fast. Now that he was back in Yunho's quickly reassembled chambers, however, it chilled him from the inside like a foul curse.

"Hongjoong said that he came for revenge. To get back at those rich demons who eat their kin."

For a few minutes, Yunho stayed silent. His eyes focused on their tangled hands without seeing anything.

"I figured, yes... Hongjoong must have... suffered."

After another moment of reverent silence, Mingi looked back at his handsome prince.

"Once you go to see them, can you take me? I want to listen to their explanation," he pleaded softly. With a smile, Yunho raised Mingi's hand to his lips once more to leave a lingering kiss on its back.

"Of course. If you wish, we can visit them right away before my father or San get to have a word with them."

Upon Mingi's nod, Yunho rose to supply him with one of his shirts. The area of the dungeons the pixies had been locked up in was purposefully colder to accustom their body heat. Apart from that, Mingi didn't want to be exposed in front of them, anyway.

Yunho and he travelled down into the dungeon hand in hand. With secure steps that had the clop of his hooves echoing in the narrow hallways, Yunho guided Mingi to the cells. Iron bars divided the cave into regular cages that aligned with each other and made it possible for Wooyoung and Hongjoong to sit side by side through the sustainable bars. Mingi had read that iron drained pixies of their magical abilities. When he first laid sight on the two battered males who looked so small in their prison, Mingi believed it.

The moment he stepped in, Yunho's face fell into a deep frown. His gaze found one of the four guards positioned for the only current visitors in their dungeons.

"I asked for you to give them clothes and the possibility to wash up, didn't I?"

Hongjoong pressed his back to a wall. His defiant eyes followed Yunho around, every flinch of them calculating. Fascinated with his appearance and sharp spite, Mingi stared at him.

"The pixies refused all help, Your Highness," the knight said formally in his grumbling voice.

When Yunho turned to check that information with Hongjoong, the blue-haired pixie scoffed at him.

"We don't need your hospitality, demon. What are our appearances worth for a day if we get executed tomorrow?" Hongjoong's rough voice scratched in his throat. They had accepted the jug of water and the food at the door, but neither of them had touched their meals.

"Nobody said anything about executing you. I would like to identify a reason we don't have to do that. Your help would be appreciated in finding one. I am on your side here."

Danger flashed in Hongjoong's eyes, but he didn't move. Tired and with blood clotting his hair, Wooyoung just leaned against his friend's shoulder. Both stabilising himself, as well as keeping Hongjoong at bay.

"You are a demon," Hongjoong hissed at him, sharp teeth glinting as if he wanted to bury them in Yunho's throat. Unsettled, Mingi's hand tightened in Yunho's. The prince responded with a gentle squeeze.

"And you are the bastard child of your king, aren't you? Prince Hongjoong?"

This time, Wooyoung's weight didn't stop Hongjoong. He was on his feet in a moment, not caring at how Wooyoung's head thumped against the iron bars behind him. Yunho didn't step back when Hongjoong reached through the cell wall for him, his clawed fingers just shy of grabbing onto Yunho's jacket.

In an instant, four halberds pointed at Hongjoong's neck. Yunho carefully pulled Mingi further behind his tall body.

"I am no prince," Hongjoong snarled. His feral expression glowed eerily in the shadows of the dancing fires. Mingi gulped shyly, glad that it wasn't directed at him.

"You may not be, but you know about matters that interest both of us. You can be a spokesperson. Allow me to speak, at least. And allow me to listen to your concerns."

"There is no concern," Hongjoong spat, "apart from you knaves eating us."

The bitterness in his voice had Yunho wave off the guards. With suspicious glances, they retreated but stuck nearby in practised nonchalance to jump back in if needed.

"Your higher society, at least. Because those poor ground-horned demons get abused by you folks as well, just not eaten. Even if I wouldn't put it past you." Triumphant, Hongjoong crossed his arms. Neither Mingi nor Yunho could argue with that and that visibly distressed Yunho.

"So you came to hunt those who took your wings from you?"

"And my friends. Although I will never know who the bastard was that took them, I hope that he will die if I eradicate your entire race."

Moved by the pain in Hongjoong's heart, Mingi tugged on Yunho's sleeve. As soon as he had the prince's attention, Mingi lowered his eyes.

"Yunho... I think I would have done the same if I were him," he muttered. His heart ached for the pixies and their ill fate. Even if born from magic, their similar appearance to the demon and human races had empathy flare in Mingi.

Yunho's gaze softened before he turned back to Hongjoong. The fallen pixie prince stared at Mingi now. Nobody could read his expression.

"As you can see, we understand. And we don't want you to suffer any further. I try to give the worth back to the suppressed demons of our kind. If you cooperate, I would be happy to defend your case."

"You know nothing," Hongjoong hissed into Yunho's face before he turned on his heel and returned to Wooyoung. He didn't care for the mutter that passed among the guards when they saw his back. Sat next to his friend, he pulled Wooyoung back to rest against him. The other pixie had closed his eyes, breathing exhaustedly as the fight was too much for his defeated body.

Yet, Mingi couldn't help but feel like some of the anger spiking off Hongjoong's demeanour had subsided.

"I don't need your pity and we didn't come to reconcile. We aren't here to speak for our kingdom. Our actions don't have repercussions on either side. If you went to our kingdom to take revenge, you would be told that two rogues didn't symbolise their mass. Even if I forgave your people, they wouldn't."

"But don't you want to try?" Yunho tilted his head.

"No. I want to keep killing your kind and see them suffer. To cut their horns off until they scream at the little pixie to stop. Just so you know, I form weapons from the horns of your people that I use to kill more of you. The ones of the little lamb might be the only ones I would have kept for decoration."

In unison, the grip the demon couple had on each other tightened. Yunho held his tongue of any warnings he wanted to threaten Hongjoong with. By now, they were safe from the trapped creatures.

Hongjoong grinned at them, proud of their fallen expressions.

Yunho nodded at him slowly.

"I respect your determination. Let us talk again in a few days, when my father and I discussed our political circumstances. I will postpone your execution until then. Curse me for making you suffer from that extension, if you wish," Yunho replied. When no more reaction came from Hongjoong, Yunho quietly reminded the guards once more to offer the clothes and food regularly. The prideful pixies wouldn't ask if they needed it, but they might carve over time. With a salute, the guard went back to his post.

As Yunho and Mingi left the dungeon, the whisper of the two pixies followed them like their shadows gliding along the walls.

"I don't want this. I don't want to be in love with him, Hongjoong," Wooyoung whimpered. Mingi's heart wrenched in his chest at the idea that the pixies loved, too. That they might have people just as worried for them as he was for Yunho and expecting for them to return.

Silent, Yunho and Mingi didn't slow their steps.

"It's fine. We'll cast a spell as soon as we can. You don't have to suffer through this for too long. Not for one of them."

Wooyoung sobbed quietly and Hongjoong hushed him until their voices got lost in the long corridors. Downtrodden, Mingi followed Yunho through the stone halls back upstairs.

"I thought as beings of pure magic and mischief pixies wouldn't have a sense of honour and love," Mingi whispered as they emerged through the door into the main foyer. They found San standing with Yeosang and two guards in a corner, quarrelling with them about something.

"I didn't think so either," Yunho agreed. "It seems like we have a lot to learn about them still. And I would like for our two new acquaintances to be our teachers." He marched in San's direction brusquely, interrupting their conversation.

"Ah, Yunho! Good, that you are here."

"Mutually." Yunho grabbed onto San's arm and dragged him towards the stairs. Surprised, the prince struggled.

"No, wait! Accompany me to the pixies, I was just on the way to interview them!"

"You'll stay far away from them for now, my friend. Believe me, it's for the best."

Yunho didn't halt, and his strength never ceased as he brought both of the men back into his chambers and closed the door behind them. As Mingi sat down on the divan to listen to San's indignation towards Yunho, he couldn't help himself but think that the pixies had all the reason to hate the demons. And that their blood-thirst wasn't something Mingi could condemn.