Ch. 9: The Meeting

The moon was high in the sky but the stars were barely visible as clouds covered them. Rolling fields of farmland with forest surrounding two sides of it were far in the distance. There were only a few dilapidated houses that called this view home.

Joshua stood in the shadows, his eyes trained on one particular house. It was the house the former Count and his unruly sons had been given after their banishment. It had taken approximately two weeks for him to arrive at this destination. The time had come to see his lady's plan to fruition.

He darted through the night, keeping to the shadows. Coming upon the house, he found a window open. He slipped through after sliding the window open just a bit more to allow his large frame through. He was in a small room that served as a kitchen and living room.

Sprawled out on the floor were two boys with frowns on their sleeping faces. Releasing the twin daggers from their sheaths, he slid them across the boys' throats before moving on to the only other room in the house.

The count was laying on the small bed, his body twisted uncomfortably and he was groaning and mumbling in his sleep. Joshua slammed his foot on the ground, waking the former Count from his restless sleep.

"Boys! What have I tol-" the man's obnoxious yell was cut off when Joshua pressed a blade against his throat.

"Where is your other son?" The reports stated that the former Count and Countess bore three sons. There were only two in this house.

"Bas-" Joshua pressed the blade closer to the man's throat, causing a small line of blood to trickle out from the wound. "Dead! That idiot son died months ago! Along with that useless butler!"

That certainly made things easier, but he would have to prove it first. He pushed his blade in further, silencing the former Count permanently.

Fleeing from the house, Joshua decided to inform his Lady of this new development.

. . . . .

Two weeks had passed since Renmada had come and gone. The beautiful night sky filled with colored lights and passing asteroids and comets could no longer be seen.

A yawn escaped from Seo-jun as he slowly came to a waking state. His eyes fluttered open softly and he found himself pressed against a shirtless chess that was warm against his skin. His eyes slowly drifted upwards. Mikyle's handsome countenance was like a painting that even the greatest of artists would worship. His long golden eyelashes curled up at the ends and his sleeping face was peaceful and soothing.

"Kyle," Seo-jun called softly.

The arm around his waist tightened and Mikyle snuggled closer to him, dipping his face down into Seo-jun's silky black hair that was feathered across the pillow. It was making it hard for Seo-jun to even want to get up.

"Kyle. It's Saturday. We need to get ready."

Mikyle had received a letter from his mother earlier that week demanding that he come home on the weekend for a visit. Oh, and he had to bring Seo-jun with him. It had finally become the time to meet the family. He wasn't going to lie, he was really nervous.

Mikyle snuggled even closer. "A few more minutes," he mumbled sleepily.

Seo-jun had noticed that Mikyle had turned into a sleepyhead these past few weeks. It was to the point that he had tossed out going for a morning run just so he could stay in bed for a few minutes longer. Which meant Seo-jun had been unable to go for his morning jogs because Mikyle would cling to him like he was a koala.

"We have to meet the Queen Consort, remember," Seo-jun tried again.

The arm around his waist loosened and Mikyle lifted his head. His brows were furrowed and the sleep in his eyes had been replaced with irritation. "Should we just stay here? I won't be able to see you as much. I just know they'll try to steal you away," he complained.

Seo-jun burst into laughter and gave a small pat to Mikyle's head to soothe him. "Is that why you've been clinging to me more than usual?" And he had. Mikyle had become an inseparable puppy ever since he had received that letter.

"You get to see me as much as you want. You even sleep in my room." Seo-jun sat up. "Now, we need to get going, I have to make a good impression on your family." His nerves had finally calmed down enough thanks to Mikyle's antics.

Mikyle flashed him a lopsided grin before stealing a kiss. "You don't have to try too hard. They already love you." He then pressed his lips to Seo-jun's once again. Seo-jun felt Mikyle's tongue poking at his lips, demanding entry. They were so going to be late.

Seo-jun brought his hands up and placed them on Mikyle's chest, giving it a slight push. "We need to get ready," his voice was scolding even though his ears were pink.

Mikyle pouted but released him before getting up off the bed. Seo-jun clamored out of bed, his heart feeling a little saddened at the loss of contact even though he was the one who put a stop to it.

They grabbed the suits they had prepared for the day. Seo-jun went into the communal bathroom to get dressed while Mikyle stayed back in the room. He had learned long ago not to change in the same room as Mikyle. They had almost been busted in the bathroom once because of Mikyle's advances when he was supposedly helping Seo-jun with getting dressed. And the bedroom was just off limits. He had been late to class that one time and had lectured Mikyle for an hour that evening.

Seo-jun came back into the room and felt his mouth watering at the sight of Mikyle in his white suit. They were both wearing white but Mikyle definitely pulled the color off better. Though, Mikyle pulled off almost every color and style of clothing.

"If you keep staring at me like that, then we'll really be late," Mikyle teased, his voice dropping lower and lower with a husky undertone. His voice alone almost tempted Seo-jun to change his mind.

They left the dorm together and headed toward the carriage area where a carriage from the royal palace was waiting for them. Seo-jun was starting to feel his nerves coming back. Mikyle grabbed his hand once they were sitting down and pulled it into his lap.

They arrived at the palace after a short ride. The carriage kept going until it stopped in front of the White Moon Palace, the palace where the Queen Consort and Mikyle lived.

An attendant greeted them before leading them to the Moon Garden, located in the center of the palace. The garden was filled with a light fragrant floral scent that wasn't too strong despite all the flowers. There were white flowers that resembled the Amaryllis, white and navy blue lilies, and fluffy white Jasmine lining the walkways.

In the middle of the garden, where the pathways converged, stood a beautiful round gazebo that was painted white with a black roof. Sitting underneath its shade were two beautifully clad women, one with vibrant red hair that hung in loose curls and the other with hair that looked to be spun from gold. They were the Queen Reagent and Queen Consort.

The attendant led them to where the queens were sitting. He then pulled out a seat for Mikyle then one for Seo-jun before bowing before stepping away. A maid came up, Seo-jun didn't even know she had been there, and poured two cups of tea for them.

Seo-jun felt his head spinning. Wasn't he supposed to greet them? Was this considered rude behavior?

"Oh, my?" Queen Consort Phillipa covered her mouth with her hand, hiding her smile. "You look confused, little one."

He felt Mikyle glancing over at him. "You don't have to be nervous," Mikyle reassured him, gaining the astonished eyes of both the Queen Reagent and Queen Consort.

He shot Mikyle a hesitant glance. "I forgot to greet them," he whispered, forgetting that this action would also be considered rude.

Queen Reagent Sierra was the first to break out into a hearty laughter, followed by Queen Consort Phillipa. Even a snicker escaped from Mikyle.

"Don't worry, dear," said the Queen Reagent, who was the first to calm down even though she was the one laughing the loudest. "We are in a private setting so proper etiquette can be forgone."

"That's right, little one. Besides, you are family," the Queen Consort reassured.

"But I'm not family," stumbled out of Seo-jun's mouth before he could stop it. Sure, he was dating Mikyle and wanted to spend the rest of his life with him, but that didn't make him family. . .yet.

He saw Mikyle stiffen before casting his gaze attentively on the tea cup in front of him. Seo-jun narrowed his eyes, feeling as if something was up. Was it something he said?

The Queen Reagent smacked the Queen Consort with a fan that must have been hidden in her lap. "She meant that you are practically considered family since you are the first person Kyle had ever shown interest in. But please, don't take too much meaning in her words."

"Oh?" Seo-jun was starting to see where Mikyle got his disposition from. The Queen Reagent and Queen Consort seemed like friendly, honest, laid-back women who love to joke around and have fun. As Seo-jun was thinking this, he missed the relieved glance that Mikyle shot the Queen Reagent.

The Queen Consort pulled herself together. "Excuse us," she told the staff in a regal voice. The maid and attendant quickly departed. After they were gone, she turned her attention to Seo-jun. "We've heard a lot about you. Now, how would you like to be addressed?"

"Nathaniel explained to us everything you have been through. Don't worry, only the two of us know, even the king is unaware," the Queen Reagent explained upon seeing Seo-jun's confused expression. "Would you like to be addressed as 'Adrien' or as 'Seo-jun'?"

"Seo-jun. It is the name I picked out for myself and the one I feel most comfortable with using." It was also his name, but he couldn't exactly say that.

The Queen Reagent and Queen Consort burst into smiles and Mikyle squeezed his hand above the table, the action not going unnoticed by the two Queens.

The four of them spent the morning conversing in private. The meeting with the women went beyond Seo-jun's expectations and he found their presence enjoyable.

An attendant came to them after their conversations ended and led Mikyle and Seo-jun to Mikyle's room.

The room that Mikyle had grown up in was something to gawk at. The room was easily five times the size of their spacious dorm rooms. There was a large four-poster canopy bed that was the size of three king-size beds on the left side of the room in the center of the wall. Large bay windows with a balcony that had a canopy took up one entire wall. There were two doors on the right; one was a large walk-in closet that was the size of his dorm room and the other room was a large and spacious bathroom. Seo-jun's fingers twitched in excitement at seeing the large tub that was big enough to fit six people. He had only showered since the start of the school year and was itching to relax in a tub filled with hot water and a mountain full of bubbles.

Mikyle chuckled upon seeing Seo-jun's expression. "It seems the bath is more to your liking." He came up behind Seo-jun and wrapped his arms around his waist. "Shall we check it out tonight?" He whispered in his ear.

"Yes-wait, no." Seo-jun had eagerly voiced out his opinion before realizing what Mikyle was hinting at.

"Too late," Mikyle whispered, nuzzling his ear before pulling away. Seo-jun didn't need to look in a mirror to know that his face was bright red.

"You!"

Mikyle chuckled before pulling Seo-jun out of the bathroom which was painting very tempting and very detailed images in his mind. He was dragged over to the sitting area in the center of the bedroom where Mikyle placed him on the loveseat, before sitting down beside him.

Seo-jun narrowed his eyes as he took a good look at Mikyle. The blonde's eyes were a darker shade of red and his face was slightly flushed. "You!" He would have been stupid to not know what Mikyle was thinking about. "Get those images out of your head. It's not happening."

Mikyle turned toward him with a puppy dog expression painting his face. "What about after dinner? We'll have no one else to meet and nothing planned. You'll get to enjoy the bath to the fullest."

Why was he starting to fall for Mikyle's words? Was he turning into a pervert like his lover?

"Fine," Seo-jun sighed in defeat.

They soon fell into normal conversation. Before long, there was a knock on the door.

A boy around fifteen barged in through the door. His long red hair was tied to the side with a long black ribbon and red jeweled eyes flashed with hidden excitement as his gaze traveled over the room. "Brother," the boy beamed a brilliant smile and his red eyes sparkled when he laid eyes on the two of them. "I heard from mother that you have a lover. Is this why you didn't hang out with me during school very much?"

This young boy was Lucas. The second son of Queen Reagent Sierra. He was considered smart and polite among the masses. He was also quite ambitious and was willing to fight his older brother for the throne in a political battle. Technically, most of the animosity between the two came from the different parties backing them, though that is not to say that there isn't any hostility between the two.

"Lucas, you should have waited for me to allow you to come in instead of barging in like that," Mikyle chided. "What would have happened if you walked in on an intimate scene?"

"Mikyle!" Seo-jun practically screeched as his ears and face turned a peculiar shade of red. "He's a child!" That was most definitely something inappropriate to tell a child-even if it was true. They hadn't been doing anything intimate but they were technically lovers so it was a real possibility which was why it was so embarrassing for Seo-jun to hear Mikyle mention it so casually.

"That's why I'm warning him," Mikyle blinked slowly.

Seo-jun groaned and hid his face in the palm of his hands.

". . .I didn't think of that," Lucas said slowly. "The idea of Kyle being intimate or even affectionate to someone outside of the family is still new to me."

What Lucas mentioned sounded similar to what the Queen Consort had said during tea earlier. "The way your family speaks. . .it sounds as if you had never looked at another person," Seo-jun spoke slowly, his focus on Mikyle. "A strange concept with how much of a pervert and a flirt you are."

Mikyle leaned closer to him, their noses practically touching. "I'm only that way with you."

". . .You know what. . .I'm just gonna. . .leave," came Lucas' voice before the shutting of the door echoed in the room.

. . . . .

Seo-jun found himself squirming in the seat in embarrassment. It was dinner time and he and Mikyle were in the large dining hall located in the Queen Reagent's palace. The Queen Reagent and Queen Consort, along with Lucas and Lianna were present.

The only ones absent were the King and Nathaniel. Seo-jun was secretly relieved to not see those two imposing figures since he was still embarrassed over Mikyle's blunt and slightly discourteous, towards Seo-jun, conversation with Lucas. Seo-jun had had a long conversation with Mikyle after that incident.

Servants came along and placed a bowl of salad down in front of each person. Seo-jun carefully and quietly ate the salad in front of him, thankful for the fact that no one was trying to start a conversation.

The salad bowls were soon taken away and replaced a whole new set of piping hot dishes. There was steak, stir-fried onions and mushrooms dipped in gravy, braised carrots and potato slices, and fluffy bread rolls. The rich aroma coming from the dishes made his mouth water.

Before he could even take a bite, his plate was switched out right in front of him. Mikyle took his plate while placing down one with the exact same food-the only difference being that the steak was cut.

Seo-jun was going to complain, saying that he was perfectly capable of cutting his own meat and to stop embarrassing him in front of his family. Then he remembered that he still wasn't quite as good with using westerner utensils. He could use them, it just didn't look as smooth and refined as someone who had supposedly eaten with them for years. And he really didn't want to embarrass himself in front of these people.

Swallowing his previous words, he said instead, "thank you."

Mikyle flashed him a smile before adding more carrots to his dish. "Eat some more."

Everyone at the table except for those two had stopped eating to stare. It was such an unusual sight and it filled them with warmth. Their middle child had finally found someone to settle down with. The first and third sons both having their own partners. The first son who found his partner naturally and the third son who had entered into an arranged marriage.

The dinner plates were soon taken away to be replaced with spiced red wine poached pears paired with cinnamon cream.

Before anyone could take a bite of the sweet and spicy smelling desert, the doors burst open. Nathaniel strode in, a hard and solemn expression on his face.

"Seo-jun," he called as soon as their eyes locked with each other, "I need to speak to you. Kyle, you can come along."

Mikyle stood up from his seat and helped Seo-jun up before following Nathaniel out into the corridor. He led them into a small room where no one was and shut the door.

"I just received notice that the former Count, Christian, and Bayley Mallorne were killed earlier today. The spy I sent to watch them reported seeing Joshua Ashgrove, Queen Blythe's right-hand man."

Seo-jun stared blankly as the news slowly sunk in. He hadn't been close to the three of them nor did he have any good feelings towards any of them, but it was still shocking and upsetting.

Mikyle quietly wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him into his embrace, trying to comfort him.

What he feared the most was coming true. The silence from Adrien's birth parents meant that they had been captured and tortured and were likely dead. It was now only a matter of time before they find him. Was it too much to hope that they believe that one of the Count's two sons was the child between Liona and Savion? No, anyone with good information would know that the Count had three sons. They would suspect the third one of being the one they were looking for and come after him.

"I've sent someone to warn the Ratcliffs," Nathaniel finished. "You two should head back to Tris. You'll be safer there." He put a hand on Seo-jun's shoulder. "The good news is that all traces of Adrien Mallorne have vanished. They shouldn't suspect Seo-jun Neirda since your looks are different and that your personality is the complete opposite."

"Yes, your highness. But I have black hair," he couldn't help but point out this condemning feature.

"Your hair now looks more dull, like someone born with natural black hair, thanks to the potion," Mikyle pointed out. "It should fool them long enough-at least until Nate can figure out a permanent plan."

Mikyle's words were reasonable. Hopefully they can figure out how to bring down Blythe Shigaron soon. He could only hope.