Yeosang couldn't believe his brother's words.

In no possible way, their father was behind all this. Albeit a strict and feared ruler, the king had only ever wanted the best for Seonghwa. He had been the one to offer the throne to him, after all. If he had wanted to stop that, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths. Staging a death was far more difficult than keeping Seonghwa's existence a secret and then getting rid of him smoothly, as he did with Yeosang.

He had wanted to discuss against it, but Seonghwa had only chuckled tiredly at his attempts to explain. His ignorance made Yeosang furious. It was a mere assumption Seonghwa made. Anyone could gain control over the large console that conducted the Bishops in the main palace building. They could have become sentient, they could have malfunctioned, or the order could have derived from a close minister of their father that plotted sinister games. The king barely cared about the automatons himself, and they hadn't even been in use until after Seonghwa disappeared. Why take them as guards if they were dangerous? It made no sense.

The injustice of Seonghwa's suspicions against the one person who had raised him and made him a prince that lived in luxury distraught Yeosang. While he had all the reason to hate this man because of his disregard of his second son, Seonghwa had no claim. The king had always supported him and granted him a good life as a crown prince. Seonghwa's betrayal was an assumption that festered ugly thoughts inside all of their chests. And while Yeosang feared his father more than anything, he wouldn't allow a whole community of people to believe Seonghwa's guess without evidence.

Yeosang loved his brother, but he hated injustice. No matter who it was targeted on. What right did Seonghwa have to support Zey in its suffering when he made the same mistake against his own kin? Even if Seonghwa had experienced an intense pressure from the royal household, it never would have been this bad.

Seonghwa had been too tired to discuss the topic, though. The mayor had garnered their attention back on himself after a few minutes of disbelieving stares and whispered protests.

"Either way, we can be glad that you people arrived here. Seonghwa has been pushing to go on an expedition so he could get this object he wanted to search down here. We might know what that might be. Since the trip would be far too dangerous for him and his injuries, however, you can now take over for him. I suggest you all discuss it in a meeting tomorrow. For now, he should sleep. San can show you around and explain the rest."

With a grave nod at each one of them, the mayor had disappeared in his office. When Hongjoong had rounded the table to help Seonghwa back into his bed, the prince hung heavily over his shoulder. He looked as if he had aged ten years, and that was the sole reason Yeosang held his discontent with his revelation back. Seonghwa needed to rest. Whatever reason it was that had gotten him in this predicament; his wounds were genuine and worrisome. As soon as he woke, Yeosang would question him about it again.

For now, he tried to channel his relief in the sheer fact that his brother was alive. If there was anything to celebrate and to think of, it was that at first. And even if new stress and questions found their way back inside Wooyoung's head, his heart now had one less reason to grief and could confidently begin their next adventure.

San took the trio with him out of the house. He slipped his jacket back on to fend off the cold, and Yeosang allowed himself to get distracted by him as they journeyed through the village. To gather new information, Jongho was first to walk on San's side and interviewed him about this place with his low voice.

And there was so much to see. Yeosang spotted a little docking station for air gliders since big ships were too massive to fit into the canyon. A bunch of men carried cratex to and fro from there, and supplied different food stands and houses with them. The smell of spices and cooked meals lingered in the air and compensated the stench of wet and rotting vegetation. Kids laughed on their wild chase over the solid bridges. A plethora of colours and forms surrounded Yeosang, and he halted multiple times to admire fabrics and objects he had never seen before that were traded from far off countries.

The people interested in trade with Qam were different than the ones they saw in Asora. Asora's investors were people in fancy suits and top hats that wore monocles over their eyes and neatly trimmed moustaches in their faces. They used sophisticated speech and prided themselves in their academic knowledge. In Qam, the airship sailors that strode around were like Hongjoong. They had a breath of exoticism to them, like rare gems whose equipment shone in all colours of the rainbow. Some of them wore intricate gear for flying; others carried large weapons that had purple glowing veins all over them. Yeosang even spotted a tall woman with sunglasses and a large predator on a thin chain that followed her around. Based on its elegance and outer appearance, he guessed that this might be one of the panthers he had read about. They were anything but tame, but this one weaved through the humans as if they were nothing more but trees.

The cluster of people migrated and prospered like their own organism. Yeosang vividly imagined how Qam would grow between the two cliffs, and more people would move here to build new houses and bridges. Qam united the best aspects of both Asora and Zey in one place but without the stigma and obstacles that came with it. It was a paradise of a place, even if it was relatively small.

Yeosang spotted Hongjoong in the distance as they entered the cave systems. The air pilot talked with some huge man in a long trench coat and a cylindrical container on his back, that Yeosang believed to be used to store raw bolts of lightning in. The short male's blue hair barely stood out behind his goggles and the many different individuals. He exchanged the container for some coins and strode off to make other deals.

Beyond impressed, Yeosang glanced up at Mingi. He looked around just as enraptured as Yeosang.

"Hey, I have a question."

"Love your enthuzimuzzy, ask away!"

Yeosang giggled at the word. He knew it from the newspapers, mainly satirical texts that jested about difficult terms they were to use.

"Hongjoong, how do you know him? You two seemed close."

Mingi ducked under some wooden plank that held the cave in place. Both of them followed San's flashy hair through the crowds of people that passed them.

"Ah, he's been one of my chuckaboos for the longest time. He's from Zey originally, but he left the city early to study physics in a city beyond the ocean. After that, he must have moved to Qam. What a glorious bastard." Mingi barked a laugh. It sounded the same parts disbelieving and proud. Amused, Yeosang watched the tall man meander through the crowds with more grace than one would expect from a man his size.

"I can't believe he bagged the prince. What kind of timing did he have to catch him in the fall? He's a talented pilot, but I must have underestimated him." He shook his head. "We worked together a couple of times, but not often. He's a great companion, but you might want to mind the grease if you get too close. He's a different form of skilamalink than Jongho, and I are."

Yeosang would never cease to be amazed by the slang that Zey's people used. Some words were so far off the originals that he wondered where they came from.

He directed his eyes to the front and studied San's attractive side profile that was turned towards Jongho as they talked. Jongho had leaned in slightly to understand the other man better, and his rounded and cute features contrasted with San's sharp ones.

"What do you think of San?"

Yeosang didn't ask Mingi about his brother. He was convinced that the mystery that shrouded the man was interesting mainly to himself and Seonghwa. Why would his friends from Zey be too involved in the story about faulty family structures? This concerned Asora and the royal household. As long as his two companions were still around to help Yeosang with his mission, he wouldn't have to bring it up.

"San? A gal-sneaker. Man's getting the jammiest bits of jam, I would assume. I don't know if you noticed the girls looking at him, but he's popular here. Bet he hides something, too. The popular ones always do." Mingi narrowed his eyes at the man's back, but a delighted smile adorned his lips. He liked San, and as it appeared, the man would be a great help to the group.

San led them to a bunch of little caves inside a deeper corridor. Fires held the corners warm, and fewer people were scattered around here. Outside of the main centre of attention, the quiet of the canyon came back to settle in their minds. The lack of loud noises and voices made it possible to understand San's voice even from their distance.

"As of now, we have only this one cave to accommodate you in. Two of you can share, but since we haven't built more space for any other guests as of now, my father suggestionised that the last one of you may share my room. We would have put the princes together, but that is more of a hassle since Seonghwa needs a room on his own to rest."

Jongho just spoke up to answer, when Mingi interrupted him. His eyes were fixed on San.

"Hey man, he doesn't like to be called a prince. Leave it."

Grateful, Yeosang threw him a smile. When he met San's eyes afterwards, the man respectfully lowered his gaze.

"I apologise. Lodging the brothers in one room will not be possible."

Yeosang forgave him with no further comment. As if he needed to be mad at a man as pretty as San. From his mouth, it didn't sound half as bad to be called a prince. Still, he was thankful for Mingi's intervention.

"I can share with you." Jongho swiftly supplied. He hadn't waited for the rest to discuss.

San rose his brow at him.

Yeosang shrugged. He didn't mind sharing with Mingi, especially since it was only for a few nights. If they commenced as planned, they would continue their journey after the talk with Seonghwa anyway.

"Actually..." San's eyes wandered to Yeosang once more. Curious, the man perked up.

"In regards to prior unrests of Qam's people towards residents of Asora, I would rather have Yeosang share with me. He is safer in my father's home than here, and he would be closer to his brother."

Yeosang nervously exchanged glances with the other two. San had a point, he would love to be around Seonghwa right now, and since San spoke from experience, then him visiting there was all the better. But was Yeosang mentally prepared to spend the night in the same room as this gorgeous man? He already foresaw his self-consciousness crashing down on him.

Jongho also looked less than pleased with this development, but he nodded anyway.

"Fine with me. I hope you can keep him safe. In the emergency, Mingi and I would be ready, too."

San's dimples appeared when he gave Jongho a charming smile.

"I don't want you to fight against our people. It would be best if they weren't even presented with the incentive to attack. Please, sort it out however you seem fit." He stepped away to leave them some space. With difficulties, Yeosang ripped his eyes away from him as San pushed back his hair and observed the cave with his slanted eyes.

The trio huddled close together. Neither of them had any troubles sharing with anyone, but they considered San's words anyway. Albeit slow, Jongho was the last to give in. It was indeed the most practical solution to pair him and Mingi up and leave Yeosang to San. Once they had made the final decision, Yeosang had blushed deeply. While Mingi had patted his back with a loud laugh, Jongho had only stared at him quizzically.

They informed San of the plan, and he took it with ease.

"Alright, then let me show you around some more. Once you ate and checked out everything you want to see, you can go to bed whenever you please."