Hongmo and Nightmare had spent the first night together in the first inn they found.  It was called the Seven Star Inn and had only one room left in its occupancy. 

"That's fine." Hongmo said as she looked at Nightmare to see if he had any disagreements to the arrangements.  He nodded his head to let her know that he was fine with it and followed the proprietor to the Seven Star Room.  When they entered, they realized that the Seven Star Room was a bridal room.  It's white lace bedding matched the white lace curtains.  The floor was covered in a red rug that matched the red accents around the room to bring good luck to the lucky couple.  

Hongmo looked around the room and found a bathing room connected to the room.  Hongmo started the bath and placed her bag on the desk, she searched her belonging for a clean set of clothing.  The inn had provided the shampoo and soap that she needed to get the months worth of dirt off of her body.  She stepped into the shower first to rinse off her body of the dirt and grime she collected.  As the steam floated up, she felt Nightmare's presence enter the bathing room and into the shower.  

His hands touched her back for the first time, tracing the poison marking gently and softly.  As quickly as his fingers were on her, it was gone just as fast as he maneuvered himself to stand in front of the shower head and as the water hit his body, Hongmo quickly washed him with soap as he washed his hair with the shampoo.  When he was clean, he took the soap away from her and washed her body as she washed her hair.  When she was clean he turned off the water to the shower and carried her into the bathtub.   He too sat in the tube, facing her as the scented water smelled of lavender.  

"I'm going to smell like flowers for the whole night."  Nightmare said as he gently smiled at her.  

"There's nothing wrong with smelling like flowers.  It beats smelling like sweat."  She told him.  

They were quiet again, unsure where to begin with each other, having already knowing each other but not really knowing each other. 

"What's your real name?"  Hongmo asked him as his hand found her feet and started massaging them one at a time.  Hongmo took the initiative to do the same to him. 

"Marc Preas."  He said.  

"Why Nightmare?"  She asked.  

"Ever since I was young, there was never a time where I ever had a good night sleep.  I always woke up with a nightmare.  What that nightmare was I could never remember, but I just knew that I was afraid of going to sleep.  As I grew older, I slept less.  And to fill up the time, I trained and studied.  My parents never knew my troubles, for I never told them, not wanting to burden them more than I already have.  You see, my parents were merchants.  They were in the fabric business and they were constantly busy.  I was a mistake.  According to my father's drunken rant when I asked for a present on my 5th birthday.  I just remembered him being so angry that I never asked for anything from him since."  Marc said as he switched to Hongmo's other foot.  "My mother was constantly lonely for my father's attention so she bought the most ridiculous things, wore the most ridiculous things, and said the most ridiculous things to anger him.  Because his anger meant he paid attention to her because no other methods worked.  She threw me to the servants to be raised and that's were I grew up.  I had the best teachers and the best education.  I had the best clothes and the best chef to cook me the best dishes.  But I never had anyone near me, around me, with me.  I never had someone to look up to, a companion, a friend, or someone I liked.  Until I met Doc, BP, Vixen and you."  

Hongmo stayed quiet and let him talk.  She was afraid if she talked, he would stop talking about his life and that would be the end of it.  

"I first met Doc when I was 15 years old.  He was my father's rival in the merchant business and had a one sided unrequited love for my mother, who only noticed my father and who only wanted my father's attention.   He had bet against my father in a rather large bid against a rare dye for fabrics and won the bid but lost the merchandise on the way.  He lost his business and had to sell his business to my father and that when I met him.  I guess I need that father figure in my life and I looked like my mother that he took me under his wing and we became fast friends.  When he told me he was going to join the Blood Moon Organization to earn money, I went along with him and joined as well.  When asked what we wanted to be called, I said Nightmare because Doc took me out of my Nightmare. Who knew we would be in this organization ten years later.  I think Doc stays to make sure I'm alive, I guess he feels some responsibility for me joining at such a young age."  

"How'd you meet BP and Vixen?"  She whispered. 

Nightmare smiled.  "BP and Vixen are the two people I met when I first joined Blood Moon Orgainzation. Did you know, BP is really a Bastard Prince?  He called himself Bastard Prince just to spite his father so everyone would know his bastard of a father brought a bastard son into the world and refused to claim him.  He looks exactly like his father, do you know that?" 

"You mean he's King Boli Yun's son?"  

"Yep!  If he was claimed and born into the royal harem, he would have been Second Prince." 

"But any King would claim their children, bastard or not."  Hongmo said. 

"Yes, well, his mother hated the King and refused to let the King claim BP when he was a baby.  And ever since then the King denied BP as his son."  Nightmare told her.  "As for Vixen, well she has a complicated past that she said she'll tell you the next time you meet.  Its her story to tell so, I'll just say that for now."  

They dried off and changed into fresh clothes and crawled into bed talking into the night.  Even though they were tired.  Hongmo let Marc talk and talk about his life, his adventures and himself.  By the early morning, the both of them fell asleep in each other's embrace.