Dinner ended, and the emperor announced his retreat to the Crystal Palace. Seonghwa kissed his mother's cheeks for their goodbye and hugged his brother.

"I hope they aren't too much for you, those seven. Tell me if you ever need my help. You won't feel lonely for a while," Yongguk grinned as he pulled back from Seonghwa. With a graceful nod, Seonghwa saw them off. Only after he had waved their carriage goodbye from the courtyard of his home, he returned inside the dining hall.

The shared time together had livened his husbands up. Some of them were quite talkative, but their discussion fell silent when the door opened and Seonghwa stepped through. He tucked his hair behind his ear as he returned to his chair, not sitting but standing behind it.

"If all of you are sated, I would like to show you the castle."

Eager to spend time apart from the priorities of political or social events, the group stood. Wooyoung took another slice of bread as a provision while San orderly pushed his chair to the table. Hongjoong's moved by itself with a flick of his finger.

Guided by Yunho's panting dog, Mingi found the assembly spot. After glancing across them to make sure everyone was there, Seonghwa turned on his heel.

"Follow me."

His bunch of mismatched oddities piled into the corridor behind Seonghwa. The jarring noise of claws on the crystal floor when they climbed the stairs resonated through the ghostly castle. As if offended by such ugly tunes, the haunting singer fell silent. Once someone appreciated her, she would bless their ears once more.

Wooyoung mumbled vulgar curses under his breath since his talons kept slipping and it didn't have to do with his alcohol consumption. Each time, his arms flailed and wings jerked to balance him, catching him narrowly. The others kept a wise distance.

"I have prepared seven rooms, one for each of you. You are welcome to use other spaces as your own, but I would like you to regard each other's privacy within your own chambers. My servants are your servants. If you ever find you lack something or you can't find me to convey a message, they are available. We treat our servants here as helpers, not as slaves, so I ask you to do the same." Seonghwa entered the foyer. A T staircase led towards a round window that perfectly encompassed the moon. Bathed in its healing rays, he turned to his husbands. Caught in awe, they gaped at his luminous beauty.

"This lower floor has four rooms, and the upper one has another four. You can decide later which you prefer to pick. The lower ones are darker but the upper ones have balconies that may be a benefit to those among you with wings." He graced Wooyoung with a smile, letting him know that his struggle with the ground didn't bother Seonghwa.

Like a group of ducklings, they trailed behind him when he opened the door to the room in the left corner.

"This is what they look like now, but you are welcome to let me know how to change them. I am well aware not all of you sleep in beds, and some might have personal preferences."

All rooms were doused in a peaceful white, the colour most neutral to go along with the pale quartz of the castle. A large bed occupied the corner, easily fitting two or even three people. There was a wardrobe, a desk, and a spacious seating area in the middle. Seonghwa made a mental note to get rid of the carpets wherever Wooyoung was.

Some of Seonghwa's guests were most unimpressed by the chamber, others mumbled in awe. Especially Yunho and San had wide eyes, and something told Seonghwa that Mingi would be impressed as well if he could see.

"There are two shared bathrooms, one on this floor and one above. The kitchens are where we just came from."

"Is it fine to take Buddy everywhere?"

Hongjoong made a face before Seonghwa got to pick the words to reply.

"Must you bring a filthy animal that far inside our living quarters? I wouldn't appreciate it on my bed," the sorcerer made a snide remark.

Yunho's face fell into a frown, so Seonghwa stepped in before they could escalate.

"I hope you can teach him to respect the boundaries of the others. Otherwise, he is welcome up here. I uphold a strict cleaning regimen I expect all of you to participate in, and should he bring dirt from outside, I hope you understand to clean up after him."

"Gladly. He is not an animal to be kept in some barn." Yunho waited until Seonghwa had turned away to glare at Hongjoong. The sorcerer rolled his eyes at the childish behaviour, but left it for now. So far, Buddy perched at their feet, so Hongjoong had nothing to fault him for.

After an extensive look around the room, they climbed the stairs. Seonghwa's profile was illuminated by the moon and, though they were all caught up in amazement, Wooyoung burst out with another question.

"Does the sun ever shine here? I feel it has been a day since I arrived, but I have yet to see it rise."

A mysterious smile danced over lips kissed by moonlight.

"Not here. I avoid the sun, for it brings no good upon me. It shines in the gardens as it does on a regular day. If you ever crave its warming light, you are welcome to visit there."

A grin spread across Yeosang's features at the mention of the gardens. They were his and Seonghwa's spot. Ever since they had been small, Seonghwa loved to play in the grass at night. The older Yeosang got, the more he enjoyed resting in his tree form, feeling the day and the seasons while connected with the earth. They spent lots of time adjusting the garden to suit Yeosang's liking, and Seonghwa knew Yeosang wouldn't frequent his room much.

Their secret went unsaid as they reached the upper gallery. Seonghwa led them straight down the corridor.

"Two towers spread from here. The right one has another room for you to claim. Upstairs are the library and the astrology observatory. The left one is mine. Visit there as you wish. If you wish to be independent and enjoy your life in the royal court without bothering with relationship matters outside of your political duties, I will leave you to your solitude." He pushed the double-winged doors to his personal chambers open.

Another murmur went through his companions when he beckoned them inside. Buddy pranced through the room immediately, staring at the ceiling-high gothic windows and the moon that trailed across the skies.

The middle of the main room was dominated by a conversation pit. Countless cushions were sorted neatly to create a space that could fit all of them and more. A curtain circled around the round area to shroud it in privacy, but the white aisle of peace attracted everyone's gazes. It held a jagged crystal table in the midst, offering the opportunity to write letters and tend to boring politics in the pit's comfort.

Amethysts and silver accents made up Seonghwa's furniture. He had a walk-in closet that held all of his priceless gowns and the floor was bare of carpets since he relished the cold touch of the quartz on his soles. On a long table to the left wall perched countless caskets overflowing with his jewellery. Silver and gold and gemstones of all kinds spilt over the crystal table, gifted to him by countless suitors that hoped for a favour in the joust.

His bed was to the left, taking over the turret clinging to the larger tower. Lots of little niches specked the walls, filled with crystal balls cradling the moonlight to supply him with the precious life source, no matter the weather. A trunk at the bottom of his bed carried a crystal enhanced by magic that he could carry during his haunts through the castle on obscure nights. A pile of books sat there as well.

The orderly curtains to his four-poster bed were pulled back to expose the white of his sheets. His favourite sleeping robe lay prepared. The amethyst of its satin reflected the natural cloudiness of the gem.

A gorgeous piece.

"How do you like it?" Seonghwa asked as he turned to face his husbands. By his side, Hongjoong looked like a devilish ruler in the innocent white of the castle. The two tones of his hair were most fitting now.

"It suits you. You have a magnificent residence," he responded with a charming grin. His teeth were so orderly and white, pearly like the fangs of a snake.

"I'm sure it looks great," Mingi piped up, but fell quiet when he felt their eyes on him. Yeosang's snicker eased his tension.

"Let us sit and designate your rooms, then." Seonghwa offered the conversation pit with a smooth gesture of his hand. The others came along when he slipped his spotless feet from the cold floor into the pit and sunk down. His legs angled so his skirts could flare out around him, but upheld decency.

The others had to take their shoes off, so Yeosang, Jongho and Wooyoung joined him first. The former two lost mosses and crumbs along the way, but Seonghwa knew they would clean up tomorrow, so he didn't mind. This time, Yeosang got to sit by his side, and Seonghwa comfortably leaned into him as he grabbed for his paper and quill. Smooth, quick strokes of his hand created a mirror of the two floors they had been wandering, and he filled in the rooms.

Out of respect, the others left the seat to Seonghwa's right free for Hongjoong. After leaving his boots on the floor above, he climbed in to sit next to the elf on the soft cushions. Interested eyes studied how his hair fell over his eyes as his wrist moved in elegant swirls.

"Personally, I suggest Wooyoung and San take the rooms on this floor. You need space to stretch your wings and see the sun," Seonghwa began. He sought their eyes and Wooyoung stared back at him in marvel. Politer in his ability to glance away, San hummed his agreement. He had unbuckled the sword to put the sheath behind him and it matched Seonghwa's comfortable pit.

With the parchment spread on the table in their midst, Seonghwa scribbled Wooyoung's name to the left of the corridor, San's to the right.

"If possible, I would like to claim the other tower. Access to the library and a corner to myself for my magic will keep us from unfortunate incidents," Hongjoong proposed.

Seonghwa glanced at their round, but no one dared complain. When he wrote Hongjoong's name into the room closest to his own, the sorcerer preened with pride.

"I will fill in the rest of you downstairs. Jongho, I can imagine you will like the gardens, as well. Talk to Yeosang if you are curious. Now, how may I adjust your rooms? You mentioned you liked the brightness, Mingi, but I imagine it hurts your eyes."

"Not at all! No need to make an extra effort for me. I'm happy with a bed. Or anything, really. I would even be fine if you kept us in a barn like pigs." He flushed in embarrassment as Hongjoong clicked his tongue.

"You are no such thing. Your room has a bed, a closet, a desk, and it's relatively dark. If you need extra curtains, just tell me," Seonghwa hummed. Mingi looked floored by how much he got to himself.

"What about your claws? May I suggest paddings for them so you don't slip anymore?"

"You're a sharp one, hm? I like it," Wooyoung purred. "I won't mind whatever you give me. I'd rather wear something on them than scratch up your pretty carpets and floors."

Seonghwa jotted down another note.

"I will tend to your needs for your magic in due time. In town, we should find most of what you need. Accompany me on a trip there soon," Seonghwa said to Hongjoong without lifting his gaze off the paper. He felt the sorcerer's sly smirk.

"With pleasure."

Seonghwa nodded and came back up with his notes.

"I ask you to test out your living conditions by yourself and with each other. Let's tailor them as we need along the way. If everything is settled, I propose we all get some rest."

Silence stretched in the room when everyone either held their tongues or looked as empty as the sockets in Jongho's makeshift face. Seonghwa rose with a nod. His veils cascaded down his pale body as he stepped from the pit.

"In that case, wash up and have the servants provide for you. I will see you in the morning." He graced them with a perfect smile, mesmerising and mysterious.

They left one by one after he bid them good night. The empty castle would become filled with life, and Seonghwa was curious how the difference would develop.