For several days, the Crystal Empire was in a state of absolute security. Guards patrolled every street and checked the inns. Random houses needed to be searched and everyone with even remotely shifty eyes was taken aside for questioning.

Though Seonghwa's allies found a bunch of other criminal hideouts, there was no whiff of his brother. As if he had vanished into the sea foam, neither he nor his family left a trace. No mage kept secrets from Hongjoong and no other accomplice exposed themselves.

It was as if his brother had become invisible.

Every time a bird landed at the balconies to drop off a letter and at every report from the spire, Seonghwa hoped for news. He didn't want to kill his brother, but he needed to know where he was. To apprehend him before he caused suffering.

But alas, that news hadn't arrived yet. And while Jongho and Yeosang mediated in the winter gardens with their Pebble and the rest were out and about perfecting their fighting strategies, Seonghwa settled down with his children to spend time away from all that pressure. Their youthful innocence always softened the strained lines of his features. Learning with them about simple things brought him away from his world of dread and responsibilities. He could marvel at his babies and their adorable little faces for hours.

Morana had a picture book in her lap and Aodhán huddled by her side and formed the images they studied with the sparks of his hands. The sheep plush was tucked next to them as if it learned along, and Onyx perched on Seonghwa's bed. Sunny raced off since she got bored, but where Buddy was, there was always plenty of joy.

Seonghwa was sprawled before them in his black dress. He felt lethargic as the moon's light weakened and long shadows blocked out the shine of the stairs. Though his beauty persisted, it had become ghostly, almost haunting when he wore this colour. He leaned on his side and attended their studies while the castle hummed for them.

"Is bear," Morana pointed and Aodhán made one, agitated in a fighting position on its hind paws. His illusions took more and more shape and while he might never be as powerful as Hongjoong, he could cultivate his magic further than regular humans or elves.

Though Morana was often awed by his skill, she didn't demand it for herself. Everything she demanded was a hat to block out the sunlight.

"Is dee. Is Yeosang!" She pointed and Aodhán memorised by now what the walnut's leafs looked like. Seonghwa hummed at them in awe.

"Tree," he helped his daughter. "Make it sharper, as if spitting."

Morana spluttered all over her chin. Seonghwa suspected it was her little fangs. Mingi had ever the slightest lisp as well, though it drowned in the depths of his rumbling.

"Is Jongho also there?" Aodhán asked, and the two searched the page with watchful expressions. When they found the smallest stone, they argued if that might be him, since it was smaller than Jongho yet too big to be Pebble. They figured it had to be some other golem.

Enamoured by their relationship despite their differences, Seonghwa supported his cheek on his hand. He had a book in front of him but gave up on it because his babies' pinched features were much too distracting.

Where should he bring them if war fell? Where could they be safe like this and merrily chat away without fear in their little hearts? No place in the empire was safe if Yongguk had his spies to guide him through their lands. If the orcs fell in, fires and destruction would find any village unless struck down.

Hongjoong would know something. A place in the aether, lonely and cold, but inaccessible to anyone but the sorcerer himself. A place where his babies could stay until someone picked them up.

Yes, that was safest. Seonghwa wouldn't gamble their lives. Only if Hongjoong died they would be lost, but Hongjoong was one of the most powerful people in the empire. If he fell, no one else could save the kids.

Seonghwa caught a strand of his hair and tugged on it lightly. The sting in his scalp grounded him.

He hated these thoughts. Hated that he had to think about parting from his babies and bringing them to such an unfamiliar place for their safety. He was the emperor. If anyone in the empire died, it would be him.

What if he couldn't be there when they returned? What if he perished without ever saying goodbye?

Feeling the panic rise in his chest, Seonghwa exhaled slowly. He learned not to let his fears rule him. If it got any worse, he would confide in his husbands so he wouldn't be alone with his thoughts until news arrived.

For now, the focus on his babes offered all the distraction he needed. Every precious second. Every giggle.

Peace.

"Is Emmya!" Morana cheered at the next page and Seonghwa leaned over when the creature Aodhán tried to make was too complicated and surpassed his imagination.

The page showed a red dragon slumbering on a pile of gold. Its tail coiled around its spectacular body and its wings folded on its back like Wooyoung's when he used them as a blanket.

"No, sweetheart, that is a dragon," Seonghwa helped her out. After a beat of silence, she still didn't turn the page. When he glanced up, she snickered mischievously.

"Oh, you," Seonghwa grinned, pretending to be offended. "Am I a dragon?"

"Emmya dragon!" She squealed, ducking away when he reached for her. Aodhán threw himself into their squabble and Seonghwa loomed over them like the night, rolling their light frames around on the pillows until they giggled and howled. He pretended to eat Morana, burying his face in her tummy, and she squirmed away. Helpless little hands pushed at Seonghwa's head and they were so dear.

"You have never seen a dragon before; how do I resemble one?" He accused once she caught her breath. Not done yet, she got to her feet and tumbled over the pillows. Seonghwa held his hands out in case she fell, but Morana pretended to have grown yet another pair of horns with pointed fingers. She dragged heavy feet, roaring and growling in her quiet voice.

Seonghwa glowed through the night and caught her to sit her back down. With rapt attention, Aodhán watched to gauge who would win so he could join that side.

Sulking, Seonghwa accepted his defeat. In his opinion, Yeosang looked most like a massive dragon in the dark. When he turned away, Morana giggled, victorious.

"A dragon, I get it. My love, am I so scary to you?" He pouted but his ears were perked at the reply. His kids couldn't tell yet when to seal their mouths and priceless truths came with their innocence.

This was how Seonghwa could hear their needs. How he could improve.

"Scary," Morana nodded, not elaborating further. Surely, Seonghwa never stomped at her or grew horns, so he was clueless as to why. By height alone?

Aodhán picked up on his confusion and came closer. The book was closed now, and he showed with his hands how they perceived Seonghwa. Nothing was off about this version of him. No horns, no gargantuan size.

"Athair is so pretty, it always makes me go-" Aodhán sucked in his breath until his lips were sealed. He stared with big eyes, pretending to suffocate, and when Seonghwa grinned, he happily beamed back, glowing in gold.

Seonghwa sprawled out on the pillows, coming to their level. They huddled close as if they were attending a tea party together and Seonghwa caressed their cheeks with gentle fingers.

"But I want to be your friend. You don't have to be afraid of me."

"Emmya old! No friend!" Morana argued, and Seonghwa gasped once more. Already, she spent too much time with Wooyoung.

"I'm not old. I am your parent. Jongho and Yeosang are also old and they are your friends. Doesn't Jongho talk much more like an old man than I do?" Seonghwa fretted mostly to himself. He was afraid to have lost the spirit of the time and to be far ahead in a future his children couldn't reach.

Yunho was young to them, right? They would outlive him by long.

"Emmya old," Morana insisted just so Seonghwa would bury his face in his arms, wailing. She had the time of her life. "Wooyoung young. Emmya old."

"Of course. In his lands, they call him a chick, since he is such a playful youngster."

Morana struggled with the word, and Aodhán conjured a pea. The question mark in his mind was so apparent that it formed next to his magical pea.

"A chick is a little bird. Since our Wooyoungie is a bird."

Morana gasped, as if she had never considered that before. She wanted to know everything about Wooyoung being a bird, and she also wanted to fly.

"Chick is an imp? Mingi calls us imps," Seonghwa's son wisely deducted and Seonghwa nodded, sighing at that particular difference among his husbands. He was fond of it, of course, but his children had a very early identity crisis incoming.

"Chicks, imps, fledglings, sprouts, pebbles... Did you hear something like it from Hongjoong? Greenhorns, perhaps?"

Though they didn't know, they giggled at all the funny words and at Seonghwa's exasperation. Instantly, they needed to discuss which of these terms they favoured most. Pebble was the pebble, of course, they didn't claim that. Morana liked being called an imp by Mingi. Aodhán liked chick, but he argued they had no wings. So they settled on being sprouts together and then to be imp and fledgling, respectively.

This was nice. Lying here talking about nonsense with his babies healed Seonghwa's soul. He wanted to share this joy with his husbands, so he sat up to inquire with Seungyoun where they were and if they were interested in joining. They could eat up here, away from all the tense eyes in the palace that waited for Seonghwa to decide for the empire and bring them good news.

"Wait here for a moment, my darlings," the elf smiled and got to his feet. The two whispered with one another while throwing him glances, probably forging plans to catch him with his dragon tail out.

If they were at ease soon, he might ask Hongjoong to indulge them.

Seonghwa made it halfway through his room when steps raced through the corridor.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Seungyoun called, and Seonghwa tensed. He glanced behind where his kids had fallen quiet in surprise and looked at him with clueless eyes.

Seungyoun barged in and in his hands, he carried a blood-stained note.

"A courier! He just made it to our gates!" The servant panted, and Seonghwa rushed over. Trembling fingers transferred the note.

"Are you injured?" Seonghwa asked while he unfolded it and Seungyoun hastily shook his head. He was tense with fear because a bloodied courier meant danger.

"They said it was about your brother and collapsed."

Seonghwa's jaw tensed. He forced his fingers not to quiver, forced himself to be strong.

"Emmya has brother?" Morana asked, and Aodhán shrugged. He felt the tension in the air and fell right into it, awfully quiet from the prior giggles.

The remaining peace burst into a million sharp shards when Seonghwa laid eyes on the familiar handwriting. It belonged to none of his allies and his stomach sunk when he recognised it right away.

Yongguk was close. Much closer than they thought. If he handed this note to a courier on foot.

Before Seonghwa's sight blurred with his dread, he blinked against the overwhelming darkness. The note mocked him, brought the foreboding that everything he had done was for nothing.

Two words, no more. Just specks of blood.

Look West.

Seonghwa twirled around to rush to his windows and peered toward the borders of the Glistening Walnut Grove. Seungyoun raced behind him and clasped a hand over his lips to hold back his terrified gasp.

Smoke darkened the skies. The smoke of countless fires as a trail of destruction wreaked directly from the lands of the orcs.

None of their measures held them back. And it was only a matter of hours before they would reach the castle and kill every single soul that crossed their paths.