••●••
The young Lord of Evenfall arrived in Witherhall at midnight, a few hours before the first light, his paramour's wedding day.
"You've grown so much!" Eru said, releasing Won from her hug that lasted for a short while. "I've missed you!" She added, pinching his cheeks.
"I've missed you, too." Won answered pleasantly, stroking the frills on her sleeve. "The air here seems to welcome you so dearly." There was something in the way her cheeks blossomed in red, he swore. Or maybe it was just a few drinks in her, there was a crock of wine on the table beside her bedchamber. The witherhall people were teaching her to drink, anyway.
"Why didn't you reply to all the letters I sent you?" She asked quizzically. To tell her the truth, Won can never tell her the truth. But just because the ravens never came to Eru doesn't mean Wonnie had no piece to be told.
It was a dangerous thing to do. Part of it was because siblings were never meant to fall in love with each other. And for the most of it, all those "I need you. I love you. There, I said it. I love you, please don't leave me here." would only amount to nothing once time tells her and the mad prince to marry. So, yes. He had read every word. And he had burned every page.
Won faked a smile. "I was busy with the lordship. That is all."
Eru grabbed his hands, eagerly saying. "I met with the prince."
"Did you?" He answered, his tone heightened. She then was quick to place her hand on his mouth, worried that someone might hear their conversation. After all, almost everyone reminded her that even these very walls have ears, too.
"Keep your voice down!" She said, looking around, then closing the curtains.
"Did he hurt you?" He asked. "Was everyone hurting you here? Has anyone known about this?"
She headed to the bed, sitting idly on the edge. "No, he didn't. Nobody hasn't. Wonnie, you were right about him being a mad prince."
He had always been. He never understood why his mother always loved to keep her hands on the madman's neck. He never understood why the Nishimura's gold could make her look like a hound fetching a bone they all tossed. Soon, Evenfall will be doomed. Adi would be doomed.
He listened intently as Eru talked. "I was only planning to see him, even speak with him. He was always giving me flowers so I thought it meant something. I thought he wasn't afraid. I wanted to see him in secret and it was too late when I realized what your mother told me."
"What did she tell you?"
"Not to startle the prince, Wonnie!" She said in a whisper, almost wanting to shout. She placed her hand on her temples. "He hated something bolting out of the blue. I only scared him. He started breaking the stone figures in that shrine, the candles, too! Wonnie, he had a dagger with him! He was seeing shadows again!"
Jungwon kneeled one leg in front of her, then squeezing her arms in reassurance. "I ran away." She said, her arms tensed. "I left him there. He scared me, too... I—I went back to my chamber and pretended to sleep. I tried sleeping him off, but I knew he was still there breaking things, expecting someone to be there to kill him. Then—then... I heard his guards holding him down... Wonnie, I don't want to marry a mad prince!"
"Hush, Adi." He whispered, burying her head on his chest. Forgive me if I couldn't help you this time. He thought to himself.
"I told you... I told you." She said, her fingers shivering.
"We could've run away while we had the chance."
