The swift canter of Seonghwa's unicorn blurred the trees into a kaleidoscope of reds and browns. By his side, the hooves of Yunho's brown mare kept pace with the magical creature. They rode the winding forest paths side by side, and the bed of needles was soft under their threads. Buddy zoomed through the forest before them, eyes and tongue flying with his happy pants. He was ever the first to discover everything.

Today, they had no time to stall and play with the faeries. Though they left early and King Albrecht clarified he would receive them no matter what time they appeared, the palace was far and Seonghwa wanted to be settled by the night. Once he knew the last contract was safe in his possession, a tremendous weight would fall from his shoulders.

Seonghwa rode without a saddle, accustomed to the agile stride of the unicorn below his body. She would never throw him off, too dedicated to his safety and wellbeing. In return, Seonghwa learned to master riding in a way that would never hurt the creature below. His motions suited her as if they were one and the alabaster of his cape blended with her back.

Yunho's mount was taller than Seonghwa's, muscular to bear the weight of the heavier human. His riding wasn't bad; most humans knew how to do it. As they chased the sun across the skies to reach the Kingdom of Man in time, they matched with royal grace.

"Seonghwa, I've been speculating," Yunho spoke after a while of silence when they travelled through a village, and he didn't want to disturb Seonghwa's duty to greet everyone. The elven children marvelled at his unicorn's horn and Seonghwa was endeared by their grabby hands and tiny ears.

"You can ask me anything," Seonghwa hummed. The two bags strapped to Yunho's horse swished about. The human wore a brown wool coat he brought from his home, but the expensive lambskin gloves had been a gift from Seonghwa so his hands wouldn't fall chill in the late autumn ride.

They halted at the border to pay pontage for passing through. The guardsmen ogled Seonghwa without shame, foreign to the likes of him, especially in their little corner of the world. Yunho sat by his side proudly, confident in his role as Seonghwa's spouse even when he went starry-eyed on him just as often.

"How do elves fight? I am not near as educated as Hongjoong or San and though we humans are creative in the many ways to inflict pain on others, I know little about how elves won their wars to be where they are now."

Once upon a time, elves hadn't been regarded with awe. They had been the dirt of the slums, the malnourished corpses cast aside after being whipped by their masters once too often. Back then, the wood elves hid the celestial elves among them, masking their precious heritage from those like the mages who sought to grind up their bones for their potions.

"We aren't a folk of warriors like the seraphim or humans. Most of us never learn to kill. We live off what nature gives us and we see no reason for hunting unless we are in danger. As a prince, I had to learn the art of weapons, but there is never a reason to wield one. That is why we established the empire. So that all those who are unified under a shared sigil won't hurt one another. By offering the crown prince to everyone's favour, we hope war becomes a ghost of the past. And that those who fight for a sport may see the terror in the blood they spill," Seonghwa explained. It was a rich topic, one ridden by the slaughters of history and countless missed attempts. He was glad to be born at a time when peace merged their lands.

"You fight through bloodless means, but are those enough to become emperor? Wouldn't that require beating the demons, the mages, the golems and all others in a fight?"

"We became rulers because we were most suited for the task. Many had enough of the battles, but most of these people were unsuited, for they would have mongered more of it promptly. The placid demeanour of us elves was praised by those who were drained by fury and malice. The first to join hands with us were the golems and the dryads. Both are folks who experienced harmony by our sides."

Sporadic travellers crossed their paths. They ogled the dazzling elf on his unicorn with big eyes as they rode past. By now, Seonghwa was sure a courier reached the palace to inform the ruler of their arrival.

"The seraphim joined us when the celestial elves came out of hiding. We share similarities, so they honoured our just case. In turn, that meant the demons stayed a wrathful enemy of the empire for many more centuries to come. The humans followed us, then the mages, after they finally gave up trying to hunt us. The gryphon-borns were far for a long time, but they had an interest in expanding their horizons. I was already born by the time the demons conceded to the combined power of the empire. Now, almost the entire land before the ocean is consolidated."

"Apart from a few orc tribes and goblins, I hear. They rather team up with each other. They cause problems on all roads, no matter the kingdom."

Seonghwa frowned when he remembered the stories of the past. He doubted the orcs and the elves could ever be friends. As individuals, perhaps, but not as a race. Too many instincts drew them to clash, as did the angels and the demons who still refused to talk to each other in their yearly gatherings.

"My father works hard to win their favour, but they lack the social structure to become a tight-knitted society. Like the golems, they are loners, but far more brutal in their desires."

The capital appeared in the distance. Huddled on top of a hill for the best defence strategies, a grey wall enclosed the cramped houses. The palace throned atop all others, mighty and solid as humans liked their architecture.

Yunho seemed at ease to be back at home. He grinned in expectation of returning after a long while. Buddy also recognised the familiar scent of their homelands and barked at Yunho in excitement. For one last time, they spurred their horses.

Three more bridges demanded pontage from them, even when they recognised who Seonghwa was. Humans took their money very seriously.

When they finally arrived to pass the open gates, twilight settled over the town and guardsmen wandered about to light up torches. Since it was late, not too many bystanders froze to gawk at Seonghwa. Those who did brushed him off as an illusion of the spirits.

"How does it feel to return to the castle?" Seonghwa asked Yunho, as he had asked all the others. The clop of their hooves alerted the servants, and soon everyone flitted about. Watchful knights witnessed their slow way up the hill and through the castle gates.

"Truthfully, I visited this place only once. And even then I went no farther than this court. My knighting happened here, but I am no prince such as you." Yunho swung his leg over the back of his horse when servants hurried to greet them. They left their bags and mounts in their care as they followed the scurrying boy inside. Buddy ran between their legs.

"Who were you?"

"I come from a lowly family of peasants; they live outside the main town. We farmed rye until I left to start my training as a knight. Long ago, our family had noble ancestry, that is the reason I wished to bring us back to our former glory. I became a knight, but I was tasked with patrols at the far watchtowers. I seldom passed here." His story didn't carry spite or pity. Yunho had done as he wished and he left neither his family nor his purpose behind. Though the watchtowers might have been a tedious place for patrols in a peaceful nation, at least he had Buddy to accompany him.

"If there is time, I would like to introduce you to my parents. They would be delighted to see what became of me. Can you imagine? From a low peasant to the emperor's spouse." The twinkle in his eyes was full of smugness and made Seonghwa chuckle.

"Then let us visit them as soon as we finished our political matters. You can tell me if you ever seek a certain rank or wish to participate in tournaments. We have some of the best warriors to train you."

Yunho laughed, and the noise drowned in the rush of the doors to the throne room opening before them. A thick red carpet led down the hall lit by candelabras and their orange fires.

"Before I can't beat San, there is no fighting tournament I would dare show my face in."

Their conversation evaporated when King Albrecht stood from his wooden throne. He had his wife by his side who cradled their newborn child, and a young boy stuck to her leg to eye the newcomers while gnawing on his fingers.

"My future emperor, there you are! I hope you had a good journey?" He came to shake Seonghwa's hand, and the elf nodded his head graciously, not messing up his complicated braid.

"I saw fields lush with vegetables and fruit. Your people will be well-fed in the winter," he praised. The human king beamed at him, the wrinkles around his eyes bringing youth to the grey of his hair.

"That's what we like to hear! And you, Yunho! Became a suitable husband for our prince, I hope?"

Yunho kissed his king's hand. He no longer needed to kneel; higher in rank now. However, he kept his courteous manners.

"I pray I did. So far, he has yet to scold me."

"Excellent. Come, let us sign the papers and toast to our treaty! I can't wait to hear about the Crystal Sphere." He whisked them away in a rush of busy tasks that had Buddy overwhelmed with all the people surrounding them. Seonghwa dealt well with it. He inked his papers and greeted the rest of the royal family. As they sat at dinner, he briefed them on the developments in the sphere, of his father's greetings and his prosperity in gathering all the promises of peace for his marriages. The king praised him for his endurance and sense of responsibility. He was a kind man and treated Seonghwa and Yunho as equals as he listened to their descriptions.

In return, they heard some news from the Kingdom of Man. As with all others, they struggled with the occasional goblins and orcs that robbed their people and slaughtered their cattle. The king worked on establishing new patrols around the rural areas to minimise the damage. Apparently, the drafting of new recruits had become much more successful after people heard Yunho's story. Proud to have come from such humble origins, but becoming an inspiration for many, Yunho beamed at Seonghwa in delight.

The elf ate and drank sparingly, but he partook in the joy of the conversations. Within the palace, he wasn't such an odd sight. The eyes that observed him were awed rather than repulsive as those of the demons.

Buddy was fed some of the best palace food he ever tried, thrilled with all the various types of meat humans liked to eat. By the time the light-hearted round at the table agreed to go to bed, he was so lethargic he dragged his paws behind them on the way to their chambers.

Yunho glowed all evening, both from the wine and the joy of his home. He drunkenly called Seonghwa beautiful when he undressed in the royal suite they had been given and Seonghwa kissed him with a pearl of laughter before he sent him to bed. By the time Seonghwa curled up next to him in the heavenly soft pillows, Yunho was out like a light.

Buddy made it onto the mattress by their feet like a personal heating stone. He and Yunho snored in unison and Seonghwa turned his face to the haunting light of the moon to get some shuteye.