Yeosang and Wooyoung awaited them in the entrance hall. They already greeted their visitor, who stood out against the brightness of the palace. Morana stretched her head to see better as she descended the stairs by San's side, feeling dwarfed by the towering height of his wings. Two women joined the unlikely pair of her uncles and though they didn't laugh together, Yeosang and Wooyoung looked relaxed to welcome them. When they noticed San near, the duo backed aside to greet him into their circle.

"Your Majesty," the nymph to the right addressed him, adorned with more colours and fabrics, so Morana assumed her to be the queen.

"Queen Lillwen," San greeted back, affirming her suspicions. He guided Morana on her shoulder, keeping her by his side as she was introduced to the group. Out of stubbornness alone, Morana wanted to pull away and stand by herself, but the stare from those fathomless black eyes had her reconsider. Awed, she stared up at the two fascinating beings.

The scent of the sea accompanied them with a breeze of sea weed. Their clothes were woven from it, tucked together with shells and pearls. Lillwen donned a crown of coral, decorating her long, luscious green hair with it. A timeless beauty blessed the nymphs. Made them lofty and ethereal, as if floating in nothingness. At the same time, their gazes seemed ravenous.

"Morana, these are Queen Lillwen of the Singing Swamps and her diplomat Wynn," San introduced them, beckoning to each nymph respectively. Apparently, Morana was too infamous to need to be named. Lillwen scrutinised her with those lifeless eyes. Their black was like Morana's, yet so haunting.

Awed by her beauty, Morana gave a nervous nod. Her reward came in the form of spindly, webbed fingers that stretched out for a greeting handshake.

"You grew up into a gorgeous girl, princess of the elves. Do you remember me? You once visited my kingdom."

When she spoke, the tips of sharp teeth appeared between her pale lips. She didn't smile, but Morana could tell her interest was genuine in those murky eyes.

Morana touched her cold skin. It seemed perpetually moist, but smooth to the touch, like the skin of a lizard. They tentatively shook hands, and Morana's heart hammered in her chest. She had probably never seen such a lovely person before. Or well, she did. The very same person.

"She was very young back then. She might not remember much," Yeosang supplied for Morana's stunned silence. Immediately, she shook from her trance before Lillwen could look disappointed.

"I remember the pretty lady," she argued, even if those memories were blurry. Back then, those same eyes had examined her. Morana remembered the shimmering colours of their clothing, the elegant dance of them in the water.

Lillwen hadn't aged in those years. And her intrigue with Morana was the same.

Pleased by her defence, Lillwen stood. Morana's cheeks felt warm when her attention lingered on the girl.

"You are always welcome for another visit to my court. We promised our loyalty to the empire and hope for the return of the elves. You would make a marvellous new empress."

Morana? Becoming empress? No way. She wouldn't be like Seonghwa. But having an ally like Lillwen sounded magnificent. She was a queen, terrifying and beautiful. Perhaps Morana could be like that? They could become closer friends then, and Morana could visit her court.

Helpless with the warmth on her face, Morana just nodded. She clutched restless fingers into her dress, rarely so robbed of words.

Yeosang helped her out once more, and the soothing familiarity of his voice sheltered the girl.

"Time will tell. As of now, she remains hidden from all perils."

Upon San's beckon, they climbed the stairs to delve deeper into the palace. Wynn also shook Morana's hand with a delighted twinkle in her eyes, whispering a compliment about her horns. Morana whispered back that they had beautiful dresses. Then she continued staring at Lillwen in awe.

The queen gracefully agreed with Yeosang's caution.

"Which is important after that night. What may I aid you with? My delight is with seeing our emperor's beautiful daughter in good health, but what may your reason for my summoning be?"

As the niceties took the turn of the direct and shrewd way of the nymphs, Morana was exhilarated. They weren't brusque and vulgar like the gryphon-borns. But their minds cut sharp and their hunger was never-ending.

Yeosang didn't pause, used to his past life in diplomacy and communicating with other people. He didn't look that lame today, but Morana was more invested in Lillwen's singing voice that flowed like water.

"We must travel to the Spire of Magic. After the war, they shut their borders, but San mentioned you have a way to communicate with them."

"That is true." Lillwen nodded in San's direction. The angel stuck close to Morana as if he needed to keep an eye on her.

"We kept a close friendship with the mages as they sealed themselves off to the outside world. I know hidden entrances just for us as their messengers."

Wooyoung perked up. Morana learned that the Spire of Magic was a magical tower dominating a cluster of islands in the Eastern Sea. It would have been possible to reach by the air, especially with the gryphons and the seraphim.

"Will their barriers be an issue?"

Morana's brother had magic, but Morana had little sense for it. She only felt a light tickle when it came near her. Her elven half was in tune with the wallowing of nature and the stars because of it. The mages, with their infinite magical abilities, could rule the entire sphere of air and the sea around their lands. Tucked away to their education and their brooding, Morana only occasionally saw their bright flashes illuminate the horizon east of the cliffs.

After Aodhán's last visit, Morana asked Yeosang to visit there. But he told her no one got in or out. The mages built a fortress of solitude. No longer involved in the broken empire's matters.

Somewhat, Morana liked that. It was lonely, for sure, but she also wouldn't want to have anything to do anything with Seonghwa-related issues. Only for her past and her other father, she wanted to seek out that site. To see for herself what Seonghwa had done so she could grow stronger than him. Never wreak such devastation across so many people.

Clueless towards Morana's scheming, Lillwen shook her head.

"Not if we travel beneath the water. The mages rely on the outside word and uphold their relationship with my people to explore the waters around them without harming either folk. I will accompany you personally. They know my magic and will allow it in. This is the pact I made with their Magus Maximus, a member of your fond harem."

Hongjoong. Hongjoong was that mightiest mage. Morana knew that much. Sometimes, she was baffled about his involvement with Seonghwa. If she understood right, only the strongest could win his favour back then, but what about pride? About honour? Hlin would never partake in such a tournament because her strength was in protecting her people.

Morana might never understand, especially if her uncles stuck to their silence so stubbornly.

But Yeosang was pleased with the answers he got. An adventure on the water suited Morana better than in the clouds, even if the infinite ocean was also scary. It was darker, cosier than the skies. She also looked forward to seeing Hongjoong, Yunho and her brother again. And Buddy, of course. The biggest and softest dog Morana knew.

"Perfect. Then let's meet in the morning to depart on our journey," Yeosang suggested, and everyone else concurred. They would prepare their belongings and rest plenty in those soft beds.

San beckoned down the corridor towards his grand halls.

"You are welcome to join us over dinner," he offered Lillwen, and the nymph turned her head to look at Morana. Instantly, the girl's heart stuttered. Worried she might get sick, Morana placed a hand on her chest.

"I would love to hear more about Morana, yes," Lillwen agreed, and somehow, Morana was jittery. She wanted to give the perfect answers and be interesting to Lillwen. But she had so little to tell about herself since she lived in a boring routine at the cliffs for so long.

Anxious, she sat with them, honourably throning between Yeosang and Lillwen. Wooyoung looked somewhat perturbed by the nymphs, but Wynn assured him with her singing voice. Since San expected them, he had their meal prepared accordingly and Morana was curious about all the colourful things from the ocean to try she had never seen before.

Morana was uncharacteristically timid during their meal. When Wooyoung addressed her with some nonsense, she glared at him not to act like a child while they had precious guests over. She accepted the food San handed her hesitantly and whenever Lillwen asked her a question, her cheeks heated and she found herself robbed of all words until she sunk into a pathetic mumble.

Yeosang looked like he pitied her. Perhaps he thought the nymphs scared her or that Morana wasn't comfortable with strangers, since she liked to huddle away by herself. On the other hand, Wooyoung only got worse and worse when he was bewildered about her odd reaction. Morana's legs were too short to kick at him below the table.

"I think she has a sunstroke," the gryphon-born told San after multiple attempts to make her laugh by making faces and tucking his food under his upper lip to pretend he had comically large fangs. Morana was embarrassed in front of Lillwen, praying she regarded Morana as more mature and not as part of his shenanigans.

Although Morana usually loved to play with him.

"If you are exhausted, you can retreat first, princess," San offered to her. "The rooms are darker than these light-flooded halls. I know they deplete your energy."

Morana wanted to stay and look at Lillwen's every elegant movement and word for a while longer, but she submitted to her fate. She had a headache from all this light and if Wooyoung humiliated her further, she might throw something at him and look like a child in front of the queen.

So she nodded, mature about her decisions. Yeosang stood to bring her back to her room and help her darken it. When Morana passed Lillwen, who asked so many things about her horns and the food she liked and what she learned about, the queen met her eyes.

"Rest well, Morana," she wished her in that silky, melodious voice that swathed Morana like the embrace of the sea, weightless and quiet and dark.

With her little heart fluttering away, Morana nodded.

"I look forward to seeing you in the morning." With that, she marched outside, dignified apart from her hands, which balled into fists to hide their quivering.

She heard Wooyoung's surprised gasp at hearing her so formal and caring about polite manners. A moment later, that little traitor hissed to San that she wasn't normally so well-behaved.

Son of a rat.

-

In the morning, everyone assembled in the sun-flooded inner yard of the palace. The white horses of this kingdom had wings, and they befriended Mulberry while the servants saddled them. Morana petted one when San lifted her onto a muscular arm so she could get acquainted. His body was warm and steady, not weakened by the loss of his hand.

"They will take us to the ocean," San explained, while Lillwen and Wynn elegantly sunk into their saddles. Even towering on the white horse of the skies so far from her home, the queen looked regal. Her veils floated around her and down the white fur as if made of liquid.

Embarrassed, Morana squirmed out of San's grip to stand by herself. Wooyoung patted Mulberry's back for her. The gryphon would carry her and Wooyoung this time, while Yeosang climbed onto a pegasus, muttering an apology about his untamed branches to the majestic animal.

Morana hesitated. San would also ride for the long trip, so Morana had a lot of options who she wanted to travel with. She could be cosy with Yeosang, jest with Wooyoung, or learn more about San's story.

But Lillwen...

Morana fumbled. No, she shouldn't bother the queen. Her dress looked magnificent without a child's weight tattering it.

Morana picked Wooyoung, trusting Mulberry most to have compassion for her travel queasiness in the air. Once the gryphon-born picked her up, their mounts spread their wings to launch them into the sky, getting them en route through the billowing clouds to rush back down to the mainland and the ocean.