Happy New Year, youngwoong! Exchange fic: "The King and the Sorcerer" part 3

[beecassiopeia]

<-- Read part 2

Infinity Circles

In a well-appointed cottage, Jaejoong sat, poison slowly seeping out of him. Rhyax, with Jaejoong's help and instructions, had taken the poison and was slowly pouring it out of Jaejoong. Pretty soon, Jaejoong's skin will be slick with the poison the Husans used on him.

The knight that had transported him came and roughly pulled Jaejoong up unto his feet. Another knight took hold of his other arm and led him to what Jaejoong surmised was the square. They sat him down in front of another warrior. Jaejoong saw that it was a lordling who had been in pursuit of him. One he had refused.

"These children you hold, are they the chosen child?" the lordling asked.

Jaejoong shook his head no.

"And why is that?"

"The child of promise needs both parents to be in love with each other. There is no greater magic than love. It is what sustains this chosen child," Jaejoong whisper spoke. He needed to make them believe that the poison seeped into his bloodstream.

"And?"

"And since these are not of me, no children of promise here. I carry two sorcerers for the Semarian queen was...is a sorcerer as well," Jaejoong said. "It is difficult. I am a man forced to carry the children of my king and my queen."

His staff slammed down into his hand. He allowed it to shrink until it was a sliver. He wrapped it around his finger. To the Husans, it seemed as if a gust of wind occurred and nothing else. To Jaejoong, it is a means to focus his power more. And a bigger chance of escaping.

The scarf tied around the wand was not lost on him. That, too, he changed into a ring on his finger. Changmin was near. That means that all of his family was probably close as well.

Jaejoong’s face was sweating profusely. The lordling looked at his face and he wiped the sweat from the beautiful face with his hand and licked it.

“Too bad,” the lordling said. “You’ll be dead soon, and the children with you. I could have kept you as my whore or something like that.”

Jaejoong did not mind the insult, his being focused on the task he set out to do.

With his staff on hand, he was able to focus most of his magic and Rhyax was doing the same. Taran was quietly watching from their dreaming time.

Jaejoong was asked if Rhyax should transport that thing, meaning the lordling, to their dreaming time and Jaejoong said no.

He needed Rhyax to keep the poison from seeping into their nest and into Jaejoong’s body. Jaejoong was doing all he can to protect them.

Many more men came to look at the almost dead pretty sorcerer who was heavy with children. They touched his exposed arms, neck and face.

“How are you keeping them inside, sorcerer?” the lordling asked.

“Lord Gilbryn,” Jaejoong said, “I am a sorcerer. They are there because I created a nest. It was the order of the Oracle. I can not go against her. Not when she had been looking for the Semarian Queen for a long time.”

“What do you mean? Oh! The Semarian Queen is the next Oracle,” Lord Gilbryn said. “It is too bad that you will not birth the child of promise, Lord Sorcerer. It is really too bad.”

“Are you the new king of Husa?” Jaejoong whispered.

The Lord chortled. “Husa is so small it does not need a king. It needs me, a leader,” he said. “And that is what I am. I am Husan’s leader,” he said.

“I hope you understand, Leader of Husa, that my adoptive parents are Avalonia’s King and Queen. They will make war on you,” Jaejoong said. “If I know them, they are on their way. Along with the Oracles of Eadratissophos and the King of Winterspell. Besides the fact that the children I carry are the children of the new Oracle, there is their father to consider as well. King Jung Yunho is sure to come for his children.”

The people around the leader murmured.

A frightened man stumbled into the square and said, “L-l-l-orrd. The Avalonian Queen…”

“Jaejoong, my lovely boy,” Queen Dwynwen said as she stepped down in full battle regalia from a gigantic draukwyn in the middle of the square.

Gone is the fey eyed, blond regal queen. What stood before them is the black haired, fiery eyed warrior trained by Winterspell's King since birth. No gossamer gown graced her body. Armor of the finest leathern, molded by elwyn gold seemed poured over her body. Nothing can touch it. She held an elwyn blade of finest Mitshura steel. Those were not toys for weak people. Only strong warriors wielded Mitshura steel.

The Husan soldiers crowded towards Jaejoong. He slowly secreted more of the poison through his body. More and more swirled around the soldiers of Husa. They could not feel it for Rhyax had changed the formula to be deadly, but not felt until the last second.

Jaejoong trilled at the draukwyn. It trilled back. “Jjjjrrrrrraaaaeeeeee!!!!” it vocalized. It stepped as if in a lively dance.

“You keep draukwyns,” the Husan Leader said.

“No, the draukwyn decided to stay. He knows he is free. But he likes Avalonia,” Jaejoong whispered. “And the care he is given in Avalonia.”

“So, this is the warrior queen of Avalonia,” Lord Gilbryn said. “And your mate, majesty? Where is he?”

“Behind you,” the whispered answer was said. “Poison, son?”

Jaejoong nodded. “Make sure to keep away from it, father,” he said. “It is almost over. Yunho will probably kill everyone here, that’s for sure. Husa will be no more. For his children, he will kill all. I am sparing them the torture he is sure to inflict. Rhyax is keeping Taran and himself safe.”

The Avalonian King disappeared from behind the Husan Leader and reappeared before his Queen.

“Our son is fine as well as our grandchildren,” King Evius told the Queen.

“For now,” the queen muttered.

“Where is Yunho, Father?” Jaejoong asked.

“He is with the others, riding on Goroyo currently because Vagio wanted to see you,” King Evius said.

In truth, Yunho was on Vagio, soothing the beast. He was currently under a cloaking spell.

He wanted to run to Jaejoong, but Changmin stopped him, seeing the seeping poison coming from Jaejoong. Almost invisible threads of death that elwyn eyes can easily see. He knew it was the same poison Jaejoong was given, but changed. He needed time to cloak Yunho in a protective enchantment.

“Then let me finish what I started, father. It is almost over,” Jaejoong said.

All the people in close proximity to Jaejoong started to fall down. The Husan leader looked around him.

Jaejoong changed himself in an instant. He brought out his staff and it enlarged within his hand. His robes were no longer dull and gray for the rough treatment he received in their hands had his clothes turning dull and dirty. They became resplendent green. The kind that seemed to shimmer. His tunic was of the palest blue shot through with gold and green leaves.

“Your dose is not the same as they. Yours is more painful. And why do you seek to kill one who needs to sire the child of promise?” Jaejoong asked imperiously.

The Husan Leader laughed.

“Your poison will not work on me, Sorcerer. I have been ingesting poison since I was a child. I am immune to all kinds. I sought the child of promise. Since you were bearing children, I wondered if perhaps it is the child of promise. A powerful sorcerer would do Husa a world of good. Perhaps we could again become the once great nation we were,” he said, drawing his sword.

Jaejoong stood his ground ready to enfold himself into his portal if anything happened.

“Your ancestor’s lesson had not been learned, Leader?” Jaejoong said. “You still seek to kill what you cannot understand?”

“He killed his child because he wanted his firstborn to be a son. He was promised that his son will be great,” the Leader said.

“He was promised that his firstborn will be a necessary thing to the world and people will bow down to this firstborn. And they would have, for she was the Oracle,” a new lady came.

It was Lady Gwynn, the Oracle. She dropped down easily from another draukwyn hovering above the first.

“He was never promised a firstborn son,” she continued. “And you, Lord Gilbryn. You once came to me in Winterspell and asked what your Husa’s fate will be. Did I not tell you?”

“You said that it will finally be at peace,” he said.

“And it will be. Look around you, Leader,” Gwynn said. “Your people are dead and dying. For trying to prevent the child of promise from being, your people are dying. Lord Sorcerer, your poison is killing them?”

“No, it is Rhyax’s. But godmaman, do not let anyone set down from the draukwyns. This Leader will soon succumb to the poison,” Jaejoong said.

“Could you not have removed yourself from here earlier, son?” Evius asked.

He turned to the Leader and touched him with his staff’s stone. “I have no more time left to play with you. Yunho will either annex this kingdom or Avalonia will. But Husa will be no more. It will be erased. Either they are of Avalonia or they are of Semaris. Your people will no longer be Husans. They are going to be at peace. What is left of the Husans will no longer remember that they were Husans in the first place,” Jaejoong said.

The Leader moved swiftly to strike at the sorcerer.

“If I cannot have the child of promise, neither will this world,” he said. “I will not allow you to live, sorcerer!”

Yunho could not allow that to happen. Not to his Jaejoongie. He vaulted out of the draukwyn who was cloaking him and got there in time to block the downward arc of the Leader’s blade.

“Lord Gilbryn,” Yunho said. “So you could not take by honest means and you decide to take by force what is not yours?”
“For your trespass, knave, I will kill you,” Yunho growled. “My queen. My children.”

Yunho’s face turned feral, his black eyes glittered. Gilbryn had never seen the eyes of this Semarian King up close and he could see nothingness within its inky depths. Hell resided there, its demons hidden well.

“Even then, you would not allow the sorcerer to feel something for us who sought him out,” Gilbryn said putting all his might into forcing the sword to continue its downward arc.

“He did not want any of you!” Yunho bit out. “I would have allowed his happiness if there was any amongst you. There is nothing I would have moved to have the sorcerer happy.”

“As long as it was within your control,” Gilbryn said. “I sought him out for my country. What of you?”

“If Jaejoong wanted out of my country and he gave me reasonable reasons for it, I would not have stopped him,” Yunho bit out. “Now, there will be no more of you.” He pushed the Leader away.

The battle did not take long for the man was never Hellhound’s equal.

Yunho brought him down within three swift moves, dealing him a deadly blow, but not killing him.

The first move cut the man’s chest deep enough to bleed. The second had the man’s leg cut to the point that it was useless and the third cut his sword arm away from his body. He was rendered incapable of fighting even if he lived. It did not take long for the lordling to sit down in a pool of his own blood, however, it was too long for the Sorcerer.

“Father, I am too weak to hie myself to Semaris,” he said and slumped against his warrior father.

“Make sure to take the children to Yunho,” he whispered against his father before he lost all consciousness.

Jaejoong’s staff curled itself into his hand and became an armband. Changmin vaulted down. He touched Jaejoong’s head and gasped.

“We need to head for Semaris or Avalonia, now,” Changmin said.

Yunho nodded.

Vagio tenderly took all three of them with its tail and placed them on his back.

Changmin looked at the draukwyn and said, “For Jaejoong’s sake, Vagio, fly swiftly to the king’s palace in Semaris.”

The draukwyn seemed to nod and flew. His spread wings created a wind that spread the deadly poison from the people around the whole land of Husa. Because it was enchanted, the Leader finally saw the tendrils of death that snaked around him and around the dead warriors. He saw that it sought the warriors, but none of the civilians were harmed. The warriors fell dead.

He should have known. Dealing with Oracles and chosen ones never led to anything good for Husa. But if he had gotten a hold of the child of promise, he would have raised the child to think of Husa’s well-being first. The child of promise would have led the Husans to take back what belonged to them. It would have become the grandest nation there ever was. Now…. Now it was no more. It will be erased from the annals of history. He had failed. He would have become a grand king with the child of promise as his general.

“I have done what I have done for you, Husa!” he cried, his blood ebbed out of him as his life also trickled to an end.

None of the people on draukwyns cared. They were too busy making sure that all that must pass must come to pass. The future of the known world depended on it.

The child of promise should never be used as someone’s general. Not if he could be a powerful King. But that is for another time. Now they first have to survive and their birth father had to survive as well.

Rhosyn almost cried to see her beloved brother so weakened. The draukwyns trilled each to the other calling for their own magic to come and help the sorcerer that had been their friend for a long time.

“This is as I have feared could happen,” King Evius said to Yunho.

Yuchun, Winterspell and Junsu scryed through the people within the palace to see who was a spy and who was one of theirs. Who had intent to kill and intent to do harm to the weakened sorcerer. The ones that had even an inkling of dark thoughts they evicted out of the palace walls. And once they have weeded out what they could, they enveloped the palace in sorcery to protect this place and shroud it from prying eyes.

The draukwyns were asked to sit atop the palace roof for a while. They seemed to nod in understanding.

Changmin knew that they wanted to be close to Jaejoong and Yunho, but with Jaejoong slowly letting go of the threads of life, it was that much more important for them to be here. They, too, were enclosed in the sorcery.

And the draukwyns being aware of the sorcery only curled themselves and laid their heads on their claws and waited.

When Jaejoong wakes, they will be made small until they can go and see him. Such was the power of the sorcerer, but now, they need to lend him their magic.

Yunho could only concentrate on the limp person in his arms. He laid the man gently on the King’s bed. He swore to himself that from this point in time until forever, he and Jaejoong will never have two rooms again. Is he to lose his...him? He fervently prayed for some mercy for his sons’ sakes. If this man lives, he will never be without protection from seasoned warriors again. Never! Yunho will never allow this man to be kidnapped again!

It was only the 6th month since conception. One month too early, two months too soon. This was not good.

Wulfric, Gwynn, and Rhosyn were already quite aware that one of the twins was definitely a powerful sorcerer, possibly as powerful as Junsu for sure.

Rhosyn was doubly sure that one of them was indeed the child of promise. Made with all the love the two warriors could not express for care of her.

Junsu looked at his brother.

Yunho paced back and forth in his bedchambers.

Then without asking, Junsu climbed up into the bed and lay next to Jaejoong. Yunho’s hand wrapped around his arm to pull him away, but Yuchun’s hand was on the King’s arm.

“Prince Junsu is your queen’s blood brother. He does what he feels will be beneficial to one you both love,” Yuchun admonished the king.

“Do not worry, majesty, I only need to see if I can reach through his dreaming,” Junsu said.

It wasn’t long before Junsu’s eyes popped open.
“We need them, now!” he said grimly. “Jaejoong is holding his own, but even Rhyax is unable to control what he has. I mean, it is not only Rhyax. It is also Taran.”

“What?” Yunho asked. He frowned and was puzzled.

“Prince Junsu,” he asked, “can you send me to that dreaming time?”

“It is not…” Junsu hesitated. “I don’t know if you can get to it. It is a little tricky.”

“But I was there once,” Yunho said.

“That was with Changmin,” Junsu said. “Changmin’s powers are… different. Focused. You will need Jaejoong’s to ground you with anyone else. I mean, you will need Jaejoong’s power and mine combined to help you over there. And right now, Jaejoong is weakened not only from focusing the poison, from exhaustion, but also from keeping Taran in check as well as Rhyax.”

Changmin suddenly materialized in the room. He had been settling the draukwyns.

“You need to go to the dreaming now!” he told Yunho and practically dragged Yunho to the bed.

When Yunho sat down, Changmin touched his forehead and Yunho slumped into Junsu’s arms .

“Call Jaejoong!” Changmin practically yelled in Yunho’s ear.

Yunho looked at the grayish bank of mists that swirled around him. He heard the echoing command from Changmin in that place.

“Jaejoongie!” Yunho called.

An arm came from the skies and reached for his arm and he was pulled into a turbulent space. It seemed as if they were on a barren mountain where rain and sleet, thunder and lightning crashed and rolled all around. Jaejoong clung to the two children.

As soon as Yunho materialized next to him, Jaejoong handed over Rhyax of the blond hair. He held unto Taran himself and with everything he had, he soothed and infused the distressed child with his own calming powers.

“What’s going on, son?” Yunho asked. He felt them sliding away from Jaejoong, the wind blowing heartily at them.

“Taran is getting powers and although it is mild compared to mine, Taran did not know how to calm it. So it rages in this space and is affecting Daddy. I don’t want Daddy to die, Father,” Rhyax said. “He’s not supposed to, but if this goes on…”

“I understand. Do you think we can help Daddy then, son? Let’s lend Daddy strength, okay?” Yunho asked.

He placed Rhyax on his back, secured the child and inched his way towards Jaejoong.

When he reached Jaejoong and Taran, he nudged Jaejoong and said, “Hand the child to me, take Rhyax and maybe between the two of you, you can help Taran control this.”

Jaejoong nodded, handing Taran to his father. And almost instantly, Taran calmed down, as if he felt the physical power his father had and was assured. The whirlwinds still ravaged the space, but there was a sudden lifting of clouds and the sun started to shine. Yunho would have wondered at it, if he wasn’t so concerned about Taran and Jaejoong.

“Son, it is okay,” Yunho was murmuring. “It is going to be okay. We’ll help you control this. See, Rhyax is there to help. It is okay. It is okay.”

Jaejoong and Rhyax looked at each other as the clouds were gone, the whirlwind disappeared and they were lying in meadows.

“That is a good boy,” Yunho soothed the boy in his arms. “Whatever you two did, it is good, right, Taran?”

“We did nothing, Father,” Rhyax said. “You did it. You calmed Taran.”

“What?” Yunho asked. “What do you mean?”

“As soon as I was with you, Father, I knew that I could control this. With the surge of power that Daddy gave me, I only needed your reassurance,” Taran said. “But I think Rhyax and I are ready to come now. We will not have this dreaming time anymore, Father. Please be patient with me and Rhyax while we control ourselves in that world.”

Yunho clasped the child to him. “I will give you what I can, children, but no matter what, I will love you dearly,” he promised.

“Go now, Father,” Rhyax said. “Give my brother to me. You need to go now.”

Yunho did, allowing Taran to scramble to Rhyax who sat next to Jaejoong.

“I will see you soon,” Jaejoong reassured Yunho before the bank of clouds enveloped Yunho.

Yunho woke to Changmin’s face.

“What did you see?” Changmin asked.

“Taran controlled his power, but that the two are ready to come and asked for my patience when they are born,” Yunho said.

“Did Jaejoong stay with the twins?” Changmin asked.

“Yes. Rhyax said for me to go now. And Jaejoong said that he will see me soon,” Yunho said.

Changmin’s eyes grew alarmed. Jaejoong had not moved. Sweat beaded on his head profusely.

“What is going on?” Yunho asked.

“What did Jaejoong do there?” Changmin asked.

“He infused power into Taran so he could control what he has,” Yunho said.

Changmin nodded. He did not say anything else. He simply wiped the brow of the still Jaejoong.

“Is something wrong?” Yunho asked.

“No, your kingship, all will be fine,” Changmin said. “He will come when it is time.”

“Do not lie to him, elwyn,” Wulfric said. “Jaejoong is in danger. He is weakened in the sphere because he had used up his magic to help thy son. It will take time before he can leave if he will ever be able to.”

“I do not understand. He was okay when I left,” Yunho said.

“What thou do not understand, Jung Yunho, is that for thy sake and thy sons’ sakes, Jaejoong sacrificed himself. He was already weakened, the last of what he had was given over to Taran to help him control what he is given. If thy queen cannot find his way out of the dream maze, he will never come out and this body will no longer be here. The surge of power is supposed to come when the children were outside of the womb. With Rhyax, the power was already there. Thou have seen how five sorcerers had to hold him in with the transfer from Rhosyn to Jaejoong. That is why Rhosyn or Jaejoong could have died there and then. Now, with Taran’s power, though milder than Rhyax’s, it became dangerous for all three of them. If Jaejoong had not stepped in, Rhyax would end up battling with Taran inside. It could have resulted in all of their deaths.”

Junsu looked at the stupefied king.

“That’s why, majesty, Jaejoong must care a lot about you and yours,” Junsu said. “He basically sacrificed himself.”

“We are here,” Rhosyn and Gwynn came in. Everyone in the room swept a bow. Such was the power of the two women.

Rhosyn looked at Gwynn. “It cannot be!” Rhosyn gasped.

“What?” Yunho asked agitated.

“Did Jaejoong sacrifice himself for the children?” Gwynn asked, looking to the elwy.

Changmin nodded.

“You first need to birth the children, Great one, I hope that I will be able to do what I am good at to restore Semaris’ Queen,” he said.

“Then prepare this room and this bed, elwy” Gwynnn said. “And…”

Changmin handed a wrapped length of something. It was ceremoniously wrapped. If Yunho can surmise, the prayer paper held under it a silk embroidered cloth, and whatever is in there will be wrapped in another prayer paper.

Gwynn and Rhosyn changed into smocks and cleansed themselves with spring water.

“No sorcery can help us at this point,” the Oracle said.

Blankets and towels were placed near Jaejoong.

“Your queen will heal, Yunho, if the gods will it,” the Oracle said, before she prayed and unwrapped the thing handed by Changmin.

Yunho gasped to see a wicked looking dagger.

“What will you do to my queen?” Yunho demanded, growing alarmed.

“Take him away!” Rhosyn commanded.

“No! No! I want to stay with Jaejoong,” Yunho said. “I have to!”

“Then do not say another word, do not ask, King Yunho, do not speak until what we must do is done!” Rhosyn admonished. “We cannot have you here to distract us.”

The Queen and King of Avalonia also appeared. The Queen already in a clean smock.
Junsu and Yuchun held Yunho down into a chair.

The murmuring of prayers began and when Gwynn cut into Jaejoong, the spurt of blood made Yunho wail and bite his lip until he tasted his own blood.

Then Rhosyn reached in and brought out Rhyax first. Queen Dwynwen reached in and took out Taran. And when they were out, Gwynn was finally able to use sorcery to cleanse Jaejoong from the afterbirth that would cost him his life if left and closed the wound.

A cleaned up Taran was handed to Yunho, but Rhyax was laid next to the deeply unconscious Jaejoong. And Changmin sat by the side of the bed and was focused on healing Jaejoong. He infused the spirits of herbs and spring water into Jaejoong, but nothing was working in how to wake the sorcerer.

“His body?” King Evius asked.

“It should heal properly,” Gwynn said. “Though, as you know, they were in magic realms.”

“How long for it to heal?” Evius asked.

“Three days,” Gwynn said. “It was a very big wound, Evius.”

Evius nodded.

He looked at the wide awake Rhyax. “It is a pity you cannot yet talk, grandson,” he said.

He smiled when the baby gave him a toothless grin.

He went to look in on the dark haired child held in Yunho’s hands.

“They look like half of you and half of Jaejoong. Look, they have Jaejoong’s eye shape, lips and nose. And your facial structure,” he said, soothing the agitated King. “Do you feel any love at all for Jaejoong, King of Semaris?”

Yunho looked at the King of Avalonia and nodded.

“Do any of you agree?” Evius asked.

“Yes, sire,” Yuchun Park said. “Yunho has not been the same since he first laid eyes on Jaejoong in Avalonia.”

“In truth, Father,” Rhosyn said, “whenever he was with me, he dreamt of Jaejoong.”

Evius laughed. “There is no hiding anything from an Oracle.”

Rhosyn laughed. “It was not that he tried to hide them from me, Father. It was his unconscious mind creating what his heart was shouting loudly. But he was faithful to me until the twins. Had he been unfaithful, Jaejoongie would not have loved him.”

“You have never caught them at my lord’s cottage,” Changmin said. “My lord said that the King only wanted to pretend that he is as common as my lord sorcerer. There was no meaning behind it, but I knew better. For his kingship would always look tenderly at my lord as he dries my lord’s hair or combs through it.”

“You interrupted Jaejoong’s bath?” Junsu asked almost shrieking.

“His…ablutions…” Yunho said. “It was because I would call and he does not respond.”

“If Jaejoong did not respond in a mere second, your kingship, the door would open to his nakedness,” Changmin said.

Yunho blushed.

Yuchun, Wulfric, Gwynn and Dwynwen laughed. The baby in Yunho's arms chortled, gangly arms waving every which way.

“Then,” declared Evius, “when the third day dawns, Yunho. Sleep next to your queen and allow fate to take its course. You might want Changmin to stay until then. Your nature elwy is possibly the best healer you have in your kingdom at the moment.”

“Evius, my child is near death, why would you ask the king to be near him at this time?” Dwynwen asked.

“Darling, how do you replenish your power when you are running low?” Evius asked.

“By having s… oh…” Dwynwen blushed. “Ah, carry on then. I will help with the children. We must send for a wet nurse.”

“A pregnant woman, Marecelle, in the kitchens has not birthed the babes yet, but her breasts are ready,” Changmin said. “Send for her. She will do just fine for the King’s children.”

Indeed, the pregnant woman suckled the children. “Ooh, them’s hungry tykes they are, Changmin lord,” she cooed.

She dared not speak to all the other highborn people. But Changmin was a servant like her. Although he was an elwy and higher in rank than all servants. She was uneducated, but Changmin was kind when he helped in her ordeal.

Yunho watched his children settle down to having their food. With Yuchun and Junsu looking over their welfare quite happily, Yunho gave the children a kiss before settling them down back into the arms of the woman.

He wandered to where Jaejoong and Changmin were. Changmin was careful not to lay on the bed but instead sat on a chair and held unto the other’s hand.

“How is he?” Yunho asked.

“He is taking the transfusion of healing herbs quite well now that the children are no longer there. You, your kingship, still need to show the people your sons,” Changmin said. “Jaejoong said so as well. So go to it. Chop, chop, chop.”

Yunho raised an eyebrow at the insolent pup. But could not admonish him for he could see that the young halfling elwy was doing all he can to heal his Jaejoongie.

His mother-in-law twice over helped dressed the children in resplendent clothing of pale blue with emerald and golden leaves. With King Wulfric, the two Oracles, Prince Junsu, Lord Yuchun, King Evius and Queen Dwynwen, they all showed the people gathered in the great receiving hall the two children. Many prodded to see if they could be sorcerers.

“They are still young,” Queen Dwynwen said. “And because of Rhosyn’s blood, yes, there is some sorcery in them. Though how much more nature will give, I do not know.”

“And of the sorcerer that bore them?” Lord Shu Lee asked.

“Bearing children is difficult,” Queen Dwynwen said. “Even many of you have experienced the sadness of having to lose the mother of your children. Jaejoongie is a sorcerer, true, but he is also a man. So, we do not know yet, what will happen. He had not woken since the children were birthed. He needed all of his powers to maintain the cocoon around the children before they were birthed. Semaris, your future king and his heir is here. Meet Rhyax, the firstborn and Taran, the second born. These are King Yunho’s heirs.”

“Then, until the children are a little more grown, they will remain in the nursery before I take them out into the town and to the people,” King Yunho declared. “Tell everyone that the throne of Semaris has heirs of Jung Yunho.”

He strode away from the hall, making sure the children also came. They were precious, his children, and he will spend time spoiling them. But his heart lay heavy as he watched his sorcerer so still on the royal bed.

~*~*~

When The Past and Present Collide

“I am at a loss,” the Oracle, Gwynn said three days after the children's birth. Jaejoong was not waking up.

“Jaejoongie is not sure…” Rhosyn said. “He is unsure if waking is a good thing to do.”

Yunho made an agitated sound.

“Why? Why would he think that?” Yunho asked.

“That is why I said wait until the third day, make sure his body is well and truly healed and allow the man he calls his king to coax him back into the land of the living,” King Evius said.

“I do not understand,” Yunho said, caressing the sleeping face. "Was it because of the poison?"

"Rhyax and he used the poison to kill all Husan warriors," Changmin said.

“Have you heard of a fairy tale where the fair princess sleeps because of a curse?” King Evius asked.

“There are plenty of those tales,” King Yunho responded. “A poisoned fruit, a cursed blade or some other thing… But what does that have to do with Jaejoong especially since Changmin said this is not about the poison?”

“They are all awakened by the kiss of true love,” King Evius said. “So if you have any love at all for the boy that sacrificed much for love of you and is willing to sacrifice more, let him know.”

“I am not sure I am following you, King of Avalonia,” King Yunho said. “What has he sacrificed and what is he sacrificing more?”

“Dense, really dense,” Changmin muttered as he infused healing into the man he sat beside. “Are you sure you do not want to wake just so you can thump him on the head? I would really appreciate you waking else I will likely be beheaded when we burn your body.”

“For love of you,” Junsu laughed, “Jaejoong abdicated from Avalonia.”

“I thought that was to spare Avalonia misfortune,” Yunho stated.

“This is true, but Avalonia and misfortune are not synonymous,” Queen Dwynwen said. “He was told at an early age that the King of Semaris would be his true mate and that he will be Semaris’ queen. So what do you think a young sorcerer told of this would do? He would take a peek at the young king of Semaris.

The child had cried many tears at your tears and your frustrations for one look was not enough. At a young age, my son knew that leaving Avalonia for Semaris meant that Avalonia would have no King. For the good of the kingdom, he abdicated to Junsu. And erased all trace of him being Avalonia’s true heir.

There was another prophecy that followed him which led him to flee to Winterspell, Eadra, his Uncle Wulfric, and his sorcerer Oracle Aunt Gwynn. He did not want to burden you with that. He sought a solution.

However, he also knew that sooner or later he will have a firstborn. One born of love and will be the child of promise. And if what he was told is true, it would be yours. His sister married to you did not deter his affection for you. But he did doubt if there would ever be a child at that point…”

“Did he, Mama? Did Jaejoong really doubt?” Rhosyn asked, a frown marring her beautiful face.

Queen Dwynwen looked at her only daughter and said, “Of course, my child. You see, he could see no one else but King Yunho at that point. Changmin…”

“My queen, it is as you have said, my lord sorcerer may have hoped that King Yunho would have more affection for him and perhaps he could have one night when the King needed sating, but the king’s loyalty to Lady Rhosyn has given my lord happiness for his sister and none for him. He had been thinking whether there were any truth to the prophecy until that time they went to Winterspell,” Changmin confirmed.

“But even then, he had said that the King was only kind to the one who must make a child for him. And Semaris’ care was for the heirs he carried. Now that the heirs are indeed birthed and ready, my lord sorcerer knows no reason to remain. Not even the child of promise.”

Rhyax cried and with Rhyax crying, Taran cried. They were angry cries. Changmin touched both children and nodded.

“The children want to sleep with their… ‘Daddy’…” Changmin said. “And they said that I should send you along as well, your kingship.”

Yunho looked at the elf in disgruntlement. “You need to fix your speech, knave, if you are the true heir to Sumnermead.”

Changmin shrugged. “Little chance of that, your kingship. I am merely a throwaway. Being the lord sorcerer’s helper is more than enough.”

“Sumnermead have had no luck in bearing heirs,” Wulfric noted.

Changmin shrugged. “Not my problem.”

“Cure my sorcerer, elwy, and I will take Sumnermead for you,” Yunho proclaimed.

“He is healed, your kingship. He needs a reason to stay. The children can only stay a few moments,” Changmin said. “So you must convince him. Anything done in the dreaming time is felt in the real time. You must convince him, your kingship. Or else, all is lost.”

And Changmin touched Yunho's forehead. He fell asleep in Junsu’s arms. Junsu arranged him next to Jaejoong and the children next to Jaejoong’s other side, both babies touching the man they called ‘Daddy.’

Little hands took his from the fog this time. The dreaming time was still sunny, but it was by a turbulent sea. There are no peaceful meadows.

“Hello,” Jaejoong called to them. “Where are you from? This sea is strangely beautiful. I think I might have seen it once upon a time somewhere.”

Taran and Rhyax had tears flowing down their eyes.

“What is happening?” Yunho asked his children who seemed to be just a little more mature than when he last saw them.

“He is forgetting us and the world out there,” Taran explained. Then he wiped his tears away, schooled his features and pasted on a smile.

“Hello, I am Taran,” he said, extending his hand to the hauntingly beautiful man in front of them. “My dreaming time is usually of meadows.”

Jaejoong smiled and took Taran’s hand. Rhyax moved swiftly to hug the man.

“Oooh. Do I know you?” Jaejoong asked.

“They are your children!” Yunho exclaimed not liking this man who is so familiar and yet not. “You and I… They…”

Jaejoong smiled. “Ah! They are wonderful children! You say they are mine? Then I am no longer in that world? Ah. It is sad. I feel as if I might have forgotten something important there. There was something somewhere there."

“Still there. Please come back with us, please,” Rhyax was mumbling through tears. “I do not know how to live without my Daddy. So, please, before everything is lost.”

Jaejoong frowned. “But what do I go back to? There is nothing there. You see that sea? I have lost something there. I have to find it first, then I will go find that something in the... not dreaming place.”

Taran looked and said, “I will get it for you. Will you go back?”

Jaejoong frowned. “No. You cannot go in there. I want you both to go back. I do no want you in that sea. I will find it soon, I promise. But you have to go back where you came from. It is important that the two of you live.”

Rhyax looked at Jaejoong and said, “If you do not come, Daddy, my sister will never be born. The one for whom the new oracle will be waiting. Our world will be without an oracle for many lifetimes. Do not condemn them to a place without hope. Changmin will never find his kingdom and the one that will take the throne of Winterspell will not be born. Father will be miserable and so will we. Please do not condemn us to a bleak existence.”

Jaejoong looked stricken at the child. “I… but I cannot go until I find what I have lost. Go now, all three of you.”

“Where is it, that thing you have lost?” Yunho asked imperiously.

“At the bottom of that turbulent sea,” Jaejoong said. “I have been waiting until the sea had calmed before going in. Once I find it, I promise I will come.”

Rhyax looked at Yunho and said, “I must go now. I will take Taran with me.”

And like that, the children seemed to fly away and Taran yelled out, “There is nothing at the bottom on the sea, Father. You must do something! The sea is Daddy’s feelings!”

Jaejoong looked at the disappearing children and when they have disappeared turned to face the warrior king. “You should have gone with them. I will find it and come... to... wherever that place is.”

“What is it in there, my sorcerer, that you need so badly to find?”

“It is a ring, given by my beloved,” Jaejoong answered. “I know it is there.”

Yunho’s heart constricted at Jaejoong’s declaration of love for some unknown person. There is definitely no child of promise in his twins. Jaejoong loved someone. It could not be him.

“Then I will fetch it for you, my heart. Come back to me, love, come back.”

He turned to face the thunderous sea and ran to it. He dove deep into the waters.

Yunho looked all around and found himself swimming amidst the memories of Jaejoong’s life and everything that swirled around him are memories of... him… Of Yunho through Jaejoong’s eyes. But there was one memory that seemed to coalesce in the primordial depths of this place. The moment that Rhosyn was introduced to Semaris as its queen.

“…this ring is a token of my…affection and loyalty… with this ring, you are indeed Semaris’ true queen,” Yunho had said as he slid a jewel encrusted ring on her finger.

At that memory, a sharp pain accompanied it. It was Jaejoong's pained heart. The memory was interspersed with another much older memory to when Jaejoong was a very young sorcerer.

“Dammit!” the very young Jaejoong cursed. “I wasn’t supposed to end up here. Drats my curiousity! I hope Semaris is peaceful to strangers.”

“Semaris is peaceful to strangers, but you are not in Semaris,” another young voice piped up in the darkness.

Jaejoong brought his staff to life and the light shone on a young boy Jaejoong’s age with light brown hair and obsidian eyes.

Yunho knew who it was for it was his younger self.

“Where am I then?” the young sorcerer asked.

“In the outskirts of Sumnermead. They say evil elwys dwell here. But Sumnermead has an elwyn queen,” the young Yunho said.

“Then what are you doing here? Hunting evil elwys?” the young Jaejoong asked.

“No. I was told that good elwys will do you a favor if they are sure the favor they do is for the good of this land,” Yunho said.

“What have you come to ask for?”

“A sword, swift and true,” Yunho said. “One in which I can defend myself with and earn my kingdom’s crown. And you? Besides the being lost thing.”

“I do not know what I would want,” Jaejoong frowned. “A token of love, I think.”

“Oh? Then you want a ring,” Yunho said. “My people use it to bind couples together. The rings are usually the same kind. It means that they are together.”

“Oh. Yes, then I would like a ring,” Jaejoong said. “One day. I can find you a friendly elwy, if you like.”

Jaejoong brought him with a murmur of words to the elwyn glen in Sidheattel. Their coming caught the interest of the elwyn king.

Yunho's request was granted on the promise that the sword be passed to his second born son. He asked why not his firstborn.

And the elwyn King said, “He will have no need of sword, in truth. Ordinary swords will be enough for your firstborn. Believe me, child. And when you find your true queen, the one for whom your heart is drawn to, the one for whom your heart beats for, give this.”

The elwyn king gave a ring of beaten gold upon which the elwyn script was inscribed. “These are paired, young one. One for you and the other for the other. You will lose that one if you do not pair your souls together. Remember, what I have said, young one.”

Yunho gasped and swam for the surface. The sea was turbulent still, but this time Jaejoong was in the sea bobbing up and down with him in the choppy waves. He was frantic for Yunho's life and his worry was etched on his face.

“I had forgotten, love,” Yunho said, caressing Jaejoong's cheek briefly.

“Did you find my ring, sir?” Jaejoong asked.

“I always had it, waiting for a chance to give it to you,” Yunho said.

He took Jaejoong’s hand and swam for shore. He took the necklace he always wore from his neck. And on this chain two rings of elwyn gold, inscribed in elwyn script was suspended. He had always wondered why they both looked the same. A woman’s ring was supposed to be a smaller, much smaller, version of his. Now he understood.

Jaejoong looked at the golden ring in front of him. “Is this my ring?” Jaejoong asked.

Yunho took Jaejoong’s hands in his, “Yes, this one is yours. I hope you place on my finger the ring that is that one’s mate. And when you do, love, I hope you place it with the same love and affection that I have for you.”

He placed one of them on Jaejoong’s heart finger and was surprised to find that it fit perfectly. Many women have tried it but it would be loose on them. He took the hand and raised it to his lips, while holding Jaejoong’s gaze.

The second Yunho’s lips touched the ring on Jaejoong’s finger, something came alive in Jaejoong’s eyes.

“Yunho,” he breathed. “What are you doing here?”

The turbulent sea was calm and a meadow appeared instead with a spring and a pool that formed around the spring. And flowers.

“I was called by you,” Yunho smiled. “I am glad to have come. And I will not leave until you come with me.”

“Then… “

“However, my love, there are many people there, waiting for your return… Could we stay for a few more moments while I fill myself with you because I have been left hungry and wanting and so empty without you, love,” Yunho said.

Jaejoong blushed. “You call me your love, Yunho. Do you love me?”

“But, of course, my heart! Why would you think otherwise?”

“Er… because you are the king and well… in case it escaped your notice, I am a man as well.”

“Hmmm. No, that did not escape my notice. My kingdom has no boundaries when it comes to that. Does yours?”

“Avalonia sees nothing wrong with it, but I have known other places that frowns on it,” Jaejoong answered.

“I declared you my queen…”

“You declared me queen for Semaris…”

“Ah!”

“And you have never said you loved me.”

“You have never said… well… I…” Yunho looked into the smiling eyes of his precious sorcerer.

“Jaejoongie, had fate been straight and true, I would have married you to me that long ago time. Believe me, since I was given these rings, I never forgot the black haired sorcerer with precious purple eyes that led me to the elwyn kingdom. I think I’ve been hoping to meet you again. Though I did not recognize your beautiful face, I remembered your fey purple eyes. And when I saw you, though I had forgotten that time, my heart wanted you very badly. In truth, my heart knew who would have been my choice. It was not your sister.”

Jaejoong smiled at him.

“So, heart of my heart, soul of my soul, my only one, please come back with me. Our sons are waiting,” Yunho said. “Well… erm… after…”

Then Yunho frowned. “Wait… You have not told me of your love, either.”

Jaejoong leaned into him and whispered in his ear, “Long have I held love for thee, King of Semaris.”

Yunho frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I was not supposed to be there that night. I had seen you in the viewing pool, hurt and alone. I wanted to soothe you. I wanted to touch your face and wipe away the tears, but I fell into the pool and ended up there. I thought you were in Semaris,” Jaejoong said.

“What your mother said is true? All that you did for me? You abdicated the throne, you watched me from afar…”

“I have to give the throne to Junsu, Yunho. It would not do for me to give it to you. Avalonia needs a King. Semaris needs you. And you would not allow me to be king of Avalonia if it conflicts with your determination of what Semaris needs. Junsu will protect Avalonia well and govern it well,” Jaejoong said. “I cannot leave my beloved Avalonia without a king and protector. As for watching you, you bore watching. If you had bored me, I would have never continued.”

“This is why I love you so,” Yunho whispered as he nuzzled Jaejoong's neck. "Let me show you with my body just how much I love you, my sorcerer."

~*~

Yunho woke, sated, replete and more than happy to know that his sorcerer will be with him in the waking time. He turned to see purple eyes watching him with a smile.

Yuchun and Junsu broke in through the door. Jaejoong covered their nakedness with a swish of silk.

Changmin came from behind the other two with laughter in his eyes.

Yunho reached for Jaejoong and curled an arm around a naked stomach.

“Stay with me, sorcerer, do not leave me behind,” he whispered.

Jaejoong smiled. “Yes, my king. For as long as fate allows me, I will remain with you,” Jaejoong promised.

“You two are too much!” Yuchun exclaimed. “Seriously! I mean, the whole room had to clear out! The virgin eyes of the babes! Ah! Too much, I say!”

Yunho looked at them and asked, “What are you talking about?”

“What happened in the dreaming time also happened in the waking time,” Changmin smirked. “Hence…”

Yunho curled a hand around Jae’s fingers and felt the slide of metal. He raised the hand and saw the elwyn ring on it. He reached for his necklace and took off the other and gave it to Jaejoong.

“Slide this on my finger, sorcerer, and claim me as yours,” Yunho commanded.

Jaejoong smiled then laughed and said, “As you command, my liege.”

Yunho frowned. “No. I hope you will slide it on my finger and claim me as yours because you want to,” Yunho stated.

Jaejoong leaned to kiss the bow shaped arrogantly turned lips. “I would love to do that,” he whispered.

“Then let heaven be our witness,” Yunho said.

Jaejoong slid the ring unto Yunho’s heart finger. The ring glowed and settled as if with a sigh upon their fingers.

“Those rings joined your souls in forever,” Changmin said. “Be it animal or human, you two are not meant to be separated. Separation will cause you both unearthly pain. And they are never coming off until you both die.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Yuchun asked. “I don’t know about that.”

“It is good for me,” Yunho said, claiming his sorcerer's mouth.

“For this age, Semaris will have a king and queen who will care for its people and are obviously enamored with each other,” Changmin said. “That is all that matters at the moment.”

“Hear, hear,” Yunho said. “Now get out. Give me one hour then bring me my children.”

Yuchun and Changmin bowed. “Yes, Lord,” Yuchun said albeit all while laughing.

~*~*~

Happily Ever After

Avalonia and their immediate family knew that Rhyax was indeed the child of promise.

Jaejoong had laughed suddenly understanding why it was difficult for both Rhosyn and himself to carry them both. He had felt Rhyax's power, but he thought it was similar to his. Indeed, the children were created with love.

Yunho had confessed that since that long ago, his heart held Jaejoong within it. That night, when Jae had created the children, Yunho had poured all the love he held back and could not expresss.

He would have honored Rhosyn as his queen for all his life, never telling Jaejoong of his feelings, but that is moot now.

All Oracles are not destined to marry until they have found their successor. And many years will first pass ere the next Oracle was to be born. And Rhosyn was not marked for Semaris. Another kingdom's king will need her love.

The many years that Jung Yunho ruled over Semaris was marked with many adventures for their whole family, but the one thing that struck the people most was the devotion of the King to the Queen, albeit their queen was male.

Their queen was easily the most beautiful person they have ever seen. That is until he had birthed a daughter. The foretold one, who did not have any major sorcery at all.

It was years later, when Lord Taran and Lord Rhyax were older that the truth came out. And by then Lord Taran was a warrior of reknown and Rhyax was indeed the strongest sorcerer known in many ages. Kidnapping their sister was inviting a storm of torrential proportions.

Yunho took Sumnermead with the help of Changmin’s elwyn mother. Changmin changed his hair to flaxen gold once that was done.

He had flaxen hair, but the way people treated him because he was first born with black hair had colored his views and every so often he’ll change his hair color to red or green or back to black. As his mother explained, halflings often changed their hair into any color they wanted, flaxen being the most popular. All that had Elwyn blood did this.

Sumnermead was never given another heir after Changmin was turned away. The elwyn queen made sure of that. And with that, Yunho had fulfilled his promise to the halfling king.

This particular day was bright and sweet. Yunho could see his queen walking across the courtyard in resplendent green silk robes with golden embroidery of leaves and twining vines. The shining elwyn ring was on his finger. The sway of the silk robes made Yunho think of the swaying hips underneath them. His love markings were probably fading away.

Yunho smiled.

Perhaps those personal tattoos can be replenished once again. He remembered Rhyax’s plea in the dreaming time. Of the heir to Winterspell’s throne. Perhaps he could coax his queen into...

“…the Lord of Winterbourne not doing his duty…” Lord Shu Lee’s heir was saying.

“Winterbourne’s land remains for Winterbourne,” Yunho bit out not liking this man at all. “And watch yourself Lord Lee. I will not hesitate to annex your lands for Winterbourne.”

“What does the reigning King's consort and Queen of Avalonia need for…” Lord Lee shut up.

The future heirs, Lord Taran and Lord Rhyax came in. Though not yet in their teens, the lordlings had an air of utter worldliness about them. Their escapades were already legendary. Even as young as they are, they were intimidating.

Rhyax looked at his father and said, “That Lord needs time in Winterspell, Father. Uncle Wulfric is expecting him.”

Yunho nodded and with the slightest wave of his finger, Rhyax sent the man to Winterspell where manners will be drilled into him as well as loyalty.

“Now, then, let me tell you this, Winterbourne will have a lord loyal to the King of Semaris. He will be born next year. Since the throne of Avalonia has been secured twice over,” Rhyax stated, addressing the council.

Yunho's children, though still in the flush of youth are matured people. Needing to be so because of who and what they are. Chosen ones.

Jaejoong entered the chambers and just like that Yunho stood up, swept the man into his arms, and strode from the room.

“Yunho!” Jaejoong protested.

“Not now, sweet one. I must…” the council heard nothing else as the heavy door slammed shut.

The council members sighed.

In the years that had passed, it had been a predictable occurrence. The love of King and Queen did not wait for council meetings to end. Much like the Avalonian monarchs it seemed.

Nothing was different today either, when the Queen was distracting to a King who had been away from the palace a fortnight or so.

“In my Father and Daddy’s stead, Taran and I will hear of your findings,” little Lord Rhyax stated. The council sighed.

At the very least, between the two of them, the King and Queen have schooled these lordlings in things that are necessary for them to slip into the shoes of their prestigious parents.

Meanwhile, a private bath was prepared for the King and Queen. It was an addition Yunho had insisted upon. The room was decorated in green and gold. And in its midst a pool was carved and filled with waist deep, heated water. Right next to it was a marble platform covered in deep cushions and silk blankets.

"Are we going to even last going in the water, my king?" Jaejoong asked.

Yunho ripped the tunic away from the fair skin of his sorcerer.

Jaejoong chuckled. "My king, the ladies of the palace have been...."

Yunho did not care as he fitted his mouth over Jaejoong's.

"Sorcerer," he bit out when he had left Jaejoong breathless. "I care not that they gossip about the repairs on clothing you and I wear. But Jaejoongie, let me hold you, love you, sate myself within you. I have missed you...."

He punctuated each word with a kiss or bite and was quite delighted when Jaejoong's arms encircled his neck and brought Yunho's lips closer to his own. Yunho watched the purple eyes glaze over in desire.

Yunho's clothes, many layered as they were, disappeared in the blink of an eye. He hoped Jaejoong knew where he sent them. The last time Jaejoong did that, his clothes ended up on Yuchun's naked lap while Junsu was... Well... The two were far off in the Avalonian forests.

This time, the clothes landed in a heap on the marbled table in the council room. Yunho's undergarment floating down to land on Lord Lee's heir.

The council groaned knowing full well their king and queen were probably naked now.

Taran and Rhyax laughed uproariously, quite used to their parents being so amorous.

In the royal bath, Jaejoong knelt on the cushion as his nose was buried deep into his king's abdomen.

Yunho braced himself against the column next to the bed.

"Jaejoongie, Jae...." Yunho crooned. "By the gods!"

Jaejoong released Yunho's appendage with a loud, obscene pop that had him smiling. "You are delicious, majesty..."

Yunho immediately knelt on the platform and bent the sorcerer back into the cushions.

"Did you prepare yourself, sweet? Because..."

Jaejoong had little warning before he felt the intrusion of Yunho's full length thrust within him.

"... I can no longer wait..."

Jaejoong flooded himself with oil. That long ago spell was indeed a lifesaver when Jung Yunho was your lover.

"I do so love a sorcerer," Yunho smirked feeling the oil coating him from within.

Jaejoong bit his lip. Yunho bent down to capture it in his mouth as he withdrew and thrust back in forcefully, touching that velvet nubbin within Jaejoong's body that had the other seeing stars. Jaejoong moaned in delicious ecstasy.

"More, my love?" Yunho asked.

"Please, Yunho, more. Much more, love, please..."

"Then hang on to me, Jaejoongie, this will be a rough ride!"

Yunho captured Jaejoong's mouth roughly and thrust within him wildly. Jaejoong could do nothing but hang on.

"Oh, gods!!" Jaejoong screamed. "I am...."

"Come for me, love," Yunho coaxed, his pace unrelenting.

Sweat slicked their bodies. Jaejoong shouted his release and Yunho did the same seconds later.

Yunho tenderly laid his queen back into the cushions even as he thrust slowly again and again until the tremors of their climax stopped. Then Yunho collapsed on top of Jaejoong.

He was unprepared for his sorcerer to whisper into his ear how delightful it would be if his king 'loved' him o while they sat in the heated pool. Jaejoong even whispered that Yunho could sit and impale Jaejoong on his turgid length while Jaejoong bit his way from Yunho's ear to his chest.

Yunho's appendage grew to turgid lengths and even before he sat down into the watery depths of the pool, Jaejoongie was already impaled upon him, mewling, begging for more.

It was many hours before the King and Queen could grace the council room. Dinner was being served. Their subjects smiled. The love of the King and Queen of Semaris was quite famous. And while not always convenient to their subjects, the smile gracing their King's face always made them smile.

In the land of Semaris and Avalonia, there was a legendary ring of elwyn design that binds legendary hearts, one of them was the King of Semaris and his sorcerer. And their love was legend throughout the known world.