After dinner, everyone bundled up into their capes and rolled up around the fire. Seonghwa was closely framed by his husbands and San held on to his sword in his sleep, ready to draw it anytime. Nothing attacked them and the guards switched smoothly. By the time morning dawned, they were well-rested.

Seonghwa discussed the route with his knights while they got ready. As soon as the cart was loaded, they were back on the road to enter the Glistening Walnut Grove. Seonghwa's mood had grown glum once more, but his mind was sharp. If they resolved this quickly and without harm, he could return home with his husbands soon to cherish them and tend to his child.

Thus, they wasted no time mounting their animals and rushing through the wintry landscape. Snow veiled the invisible borders between the kingdoms and soon, fewer elves passed them as they entered the land of the dryads. The party took occasional breaks to ease the pressure on Seonghwa's body, but their pace was swift. Some birds eager to aid the emperor had spotted the fleeing orcs and kept them notified they were catching up. On the other hand, they also provided information back to the castle so no one would fret about a prolonged silence.

Though the forests were beautiful and the fresh snow offered a roll in the glistening bed of its softness, there was no time to play. All beauty rushed past, untouched and irrelevant, as Seonghwa hunted down the treacherous orcs. Had Kane planned this from the beginning? Or had he sneered in Seonghwa's face and decided on their way back that they might as well be their cruel selves since an alliance wasn't happening?

Another permanent scowl etched into Seonghwa's features. At least the others left him to his brooding today and were unafraid to talk with each other. They debated strategies and accounted for one another and Seonghwa in case of an emergency. Since their mumbling soothed them and eased the strain on Seonghwa's mind, he gladly accepted it as background noise.

The grove wasn't too overpopulated with dryads. They were rare folk, and those who didn't mingle with the community hid deep within the forests. Since Seonghwa didn't plan to get held up with a visit to their eldest, he didn't assume to run into some of Yeosang's people. However, soon, a tree near the path twisted into an unnatural shape, growing a face on its rough bark so it could communicate with them. Seonghwa slowed his group to a stop, awed at the towering dryad. They must be guards, so far out here. The dryads rarely cared for such, but Seonghwa asked them for vigilance. He found recognition in the dryad's eyes.

"Emperor," she greeted them, nodding her mighty crown in their manner of respect. "I expected your crossing."

"Did you alert us to the treason of the orcs?" Seonghwa asked, shifting when the unicorn danced in her spot. She didn't get nervous like common horses, but she recognised the might of a fellow mystical being.

The dryad hummed, voice croaking through the depths of her limbs.

"We noticed their hurried departure, but they were far by the time we recognised what they led with them. Two of our guards opposed them, but we couldn't stop them from crossing the border," the dryad confessed. Woe carried in her voice over failing what Seonghwa predicted and stationed them for.

The moon elf forgave them easily. For the most time, the orcs played a friendly farce.

"Our goal is to free the elves and demand reparations for betraying our truce. As we only allowed them in tentatively, this mockery cannot be disregarded. You may inform your eldest that he won't have to grant passage to orcs again anytime soon."

The dryad nodded and beckoned down the path.

"The forest cleared the way for you. Follow this road to find them. We cannot mobilise forces to accompany you, but we will be ready if you need us."

"Thank you," Seonghwa replied. "I doubt we'll call for you, but we might need a safe place to treat the elves upon our return. Please prepare for that. As much as I pray, there is no reason for the orcs to leave them untouched."

He received a letter about the descendant of the elves they were chasing after. Two women and a young male, all three from a humble village of farmers. The girls were sisters and their father was in despair over seeing them get lugged away by the mighty orcs that were too burly for a single elf to defeat. And though the boy knew how to hunt, he couldn't take all of them.

Seonghwa was bitter and furious about getting innocent people involved in a matter of violence. He prayed for their safety, or that they could avert the worst damage, at least.

"Get your people," the dryad said, ending the conversation. When she stepped from the way, Seonghwa nodded a thankful bow. He spurred his unicorn to haste, chasing down the straight route through the snowy forests. Behind him, the rest of the troupe followed. The cart rattled so loudly it drowned out Yunho's question of whether Yeosang was fine. The dryad assured them he was. He no longer harboured a grudge against his people. When they went against his family once, they did it with the honest desire to protect him.

Seonghwa missed Aodhán. He would like to cradle his warmth into his chest and sing to him, make sure the kingdom was safe for him to grow up in.

If the orcs didn't accept peace, the inevitable confrontation loomed. Either they attacked first to usurp the elves, or Seonghwa had no more reason to refuse the provocations of the demons urging to wipe out the brood before they took over. Already, their goblins infested the entire mainland.

Seonghwa wished there was another way. This confrontation was a stepping stone, but either outcome could dawn upon them.

In silent consternation, the group made it through the grove. Soon the thick forests lightened to spreads of far fields, announcing the free marches of the orcs. They razed down the trees to build their forts around their breeding caves. Nature never recovered and greeted the troupe with snowy plains. The skies were bleak, but no imminent danger threatened them as they crossed the border. Wary to venture too far, they stuck close together as they traced the trail in the fresh snow.

The scent of fires and roasted meat would alert them to the presence of orcs nearby. The crows circling overhead occasionally landed on Wooyoung's shoulders to brief him on what their sharp eyes spied.

Though the meadows were peaceful, Seonghwa didn't let his guard down. He carried his spear in his fist, watchful of movement where the weather might cover lethal traps in the earth. The orcs knew every shrewd tactic to get to their prey and they must know they were being followed. Seonghwa's presence might be a shock, yet another motivation.

With similar tension, the others followed. They slowed their step, directing every sense to the foreign lands to adjust to its mysteries. The elven guards surrounded their group, kept the emperor and his husbands safe as they threaded through the snow. Few groups of trees granted cover here. The birds directed them west, deeper into the dangerous territory.

Wooyoung's breath was white above the green of his scarf.

"Will we turn back if we find a huge fort far land inward?" He asked, getting the stakes clear.

Seonghwa's lips were pursed into a strict line.

"Only then. We can deal with a smaller pack, but we will need reinforcements if they come with an entire tribe. However, I would like to think we have special criminals on our hands and that other orcs respect our ire."

"Don't trust in that," Hongjoong warned, magic creeping over the snow to feel its way around for dips in the path.

Resolut, Seonghwa shook his head.

"I'm hopeful to retrieve our people before something worse happens, but if retreat is our only option, I accept it. Though no warrior, I am no fool on the battlefield."

Relieved, they accepted the answer for the little reassurance it spent. Though Seonghwa could be stubborn and heroic, especially when it came at the cost of his own life, he knew of the risk if he were to be harmed. Everyone stayed vigilant to watch over him.

"You guide our strength. Our sword arms move at your command," San said, hand on the hilt of his weapon.

Soothed yet just as worried to know them safe, Seonghwa nodded. A kick from the inside reminded him of how much was at stake. Last time, he had no other choice than to risk his life and flee Yongguk's clutches. This time, however, they could turn around. Yet he couldn't prioritise his comfort over the safety of his people.

"Smoke on the horizon," Wooyoung gritted out, sharp eyes quickest to pick up on it. Immediately, the officer of Seonghwa's troop moved to the front.

"Fall back to the cart, Your Majesty. We will approach slowly."

"Keep your eye out for marksmen," Seonghwa replied as he elegantly steered his unicorn around. He lined up with the side Jongho perched on, flame dull as he gathered information about their surroundings.

"These are battlegrounds. The ground beneath us is stomped so flat that no trees regrow there," he noted when Seonghwa rode by their side. They made for the fire in the distance, hidden behind a group of trees. Even from here, Seonghwa recognised their ramshackle wooden structures, the many spikes and platforms that assembled in a deadly maze.

"The orcs came from the north, crawling from the mines of the dwarves. The further they took their plundering, the more forests got destroyed for their warmongering and buildings. Many dryad races went extinct, and those who didn't, got pushed back further and further. Even now, orcs often loiter around the borders of the Glistening Walnut Grove and ponder entry. The empire protects the remaining land."

Jongho hummed. Seonghwa checked on Yeosang and Mingi with fleeting glances, finding them jumpy to the caws of the birds but otherwise steely in their resolve.

"The dwarves often work near golems. Many of them fell under the agony of the rock they hammered into, suddenly shifting. They learned to tell the difference and don't attack us even when we are no allies. How did they not stop mining? New orcs still spawn and those tunnels became their breeding ground."

"Greed," Yunho muttered. "They are driven by an instinct for riches. The trade with men is one of our biggest markets, potentially the only one we have outside the empire."

"Compared to the orcs, they would make grumpy though understanding allies, however. I am re-evaluating our pursuit as this mission continues," Seonghwa lightened the mood, but San nodded darkly.

"Though an alliance would put your folk at ease, this doesn't look like enough civilization to keep those promises. No matter the outcome of this journey, meet Wynn instead."

Seonghwa owed them. No way they could have stayed at home and fretted about his life in the hands of the orcs as they did once. His shoulder served as a burning reminder. Yet Seonghwa would go mad if he were without them. Once they returned to the castle, he would soothe their strained minds.

And his own strain. His pregnancy made him lethargic, and he wanted to lie down to ease the pressure on his spine and hips, but there was no time to rest now. This was enemy territory.

"Seems like a village. It might not be the place we need to go to," the officer called over his shoulder. Seonghwa beckoned everyone onward.

"Let's examine it to get a grasp on this place, but don't stray too near. We don't want to agitate those not involved."

The orcs had no watchtowers on their lands, no magic to supervise those who came and left. And while many wouldn't care for Seonghwa's presence, others would see it as an invitation for a fight.

"Understood, Your Majesty."

Everyone kept their ears and eyes strained as they ventured deeper into the savage lands, guided by the golden hue of Hongjoong's magic dancing over the snow.