The kings were summoned by Zetia, as she made way to her seat her feet barely touched the ground. Standing before her audience she said, "I made fools to be kings! I fed my traitors and poured wine in celebration of the failure they were planning for me!" With anger she threw her chair on the wall.
Zetia breathing heavily said, "I asked you to finish off that brat but you raised it Uriah!" Uriah dodged the sword that was thrown his way, he drew his sword and replied, "I would never kill a child."
Drawing out her dark sword she replied, "You have killed everyone Uriah, including yourself!" Zetia's eyes changed, dark veins were visible all over her body. Uriah knew she had completely merged with the sword, Uriah stabbed himself on the heart to instantly kill himself.
Only a living soul could be consumed by the dark sword, the other kings were trembling down their feet. "Fools!" Zetia consumed the souls of the kings, nothing but drained corpses were left in the cold room.
Qin standing at the doorway said, "I will stop at nothing to find them!" "I shall not be at his mercy, I need more reinforcements." Zetia was planning to kill Hwan's family once and for all.
Flame was disheartened by his father's death, his mother Lea was kneeling before the temple in silence. Lea looking at his husband's tab said, "I warned him that I shall shove his tablet down the toilet. Serve your energy for later, he is awake, and he is coming. "
Flame and the others as per their mother's instruction burned his father's body, he was crowned the new king. Flame enrolled more people into the army and more slaves to mine for gold and diamond used in forging their weapons.
People disgruntled and rebelled to the poor leadership of their kings and how poorly they were treated. Zetia mercilessly killed all the rebels, homes were turned into battle zones. Thousands of people lost their lives to the dark sword as she created her puppets to fight in line of defence on the upcoming war.
Hwan assigned rooms to his guests, they were given new clean clothes and other essential to wash their bodies. It was already getting dark Hwan managed to prepare a few edible dishes for his visitors.
King Henry looking around said, "Where is my sweetheart? Please don't tell me…" "Thank you for the food my Lord." Maria kicked Henry under the table, Takato was still mesmerised with how beautiful the mansion was.
Placing a plate before a curious puppy, "I can see the resemblance, during his youth your father was as adorable as you." Takato was still in the dark of who this man was, he replied, "You know my father?"
Hwan lightly laughed, he patted Takato's hair and replied, "He was once my servant whom I didn't properly train. Didn't they tell you who their first master was? I am Lord Hwan." Takato knew the demon's name had a similar name.
Placing his spoon on the table he asked, "Are you the demon?" "They attacked my family, took my kingdom and palace…to me they are the demons." Hwan sat on his seat to eat his food.
There was a downpour outside, Hwan sighed as he stood up to close the windows. The thunder and lightning were loud and ferocious, Henry looked at Maria and said, "I will check up on Junta."
The doors were busted open, standing on the door was a soaked man…he was holding bags of groceries in both hands. Henry drew his sword when he saw a stranger standing on the door, "How did you get here?"
"Next time listen to my advice Mr-Know-it-all, I hope you got everything on the list." Hwan walked towards a soaked stranger standing on the door. There was total silence in the room, Hwan gave him a kiss before he changed into Ji Lie.
Takato's heart skipped a beat, he surely was weak to handsome men. Maria bowed her head as she paid her respects, "Emperor, I hope you are well." Ji Lie looking closely at Henry said, "You are indeed beautiful Henry, long time no see Henry." Hwan stomped on his feet before he walked into the kitchen.
Hwan held his husband's hand and said, "He is upstairs…we have to be quiet because he is asleep." They quietly went upstairs, when they opened Junta's room he was still sleeping. Tears poured down Ji Lie's eyes, he whispered, "Will he hate us for not being there the last 18 years?"
Hwan kissed him on the forehead and replied, "Gradually he will forgive us, he is our son. He is just adorable…look at his nose and chubby cheeks." Ji Lie lightly laughed and replied, "That's a grown man, he wont appreciate being called cute…but he is adorable…his cheeks are soft." Deep in his sleep Junta felt as if crabs were stretching his cheeks.
After a couple of hours waiting for the two love birds to return Henry decided to check on them upstairs, the lights were on and the door was wide open. His heart melted as he witnessed, Junta asleep between his parents…from the very beginning they were protecting their child.
Henry switched the lights off and gently closed the door, looking at Maria he said, "We should sleep also, Takato feel free to use the guest room. Don't worry, Junta is perfectly alright."
Takato looking at Henry said, "I shouldn't be here, after what my father did to Junta's family I am so ashamed to be standing here." Maria lightly patted his head and replied, "There were you father's deeds, only him and his accomplices shall be punished. You are precious to Junta... given for a fact he risked his life protecting you. You should rest, this is the safest place."
Junta woke up first early in the morning, he looked at his left side and saw Hwan and on the other side Ji Lie. Junta kept staring at his father, deep in his mind he knew this was another vision. "Good morning Prince Junta, how are you feeling?" Junta was startled when Hwan suddenly sat up.
Ji Lie kissed Junta's hand and said, "Good morning my love…" "Honey, that isn't my hand." Hwan lightly laughed when his husband fell off the bed. Junta deep in his confusion asked, "It feels too real this time! Am I dead?!!" He kept checking his body for wounds or missing limbs.
Henry rubbing his eyes opened the door, "What is with the commotion! Junta you are awake my baby. Emperor Ji I can see even your morning face is a turn…" Hwan threw a knife at Henry, "Leave before I pierce your heart." Junta and Ji Lie with their jaws dropped watched two angry cats fighting.
After all the ruckus had settled down Junta sat on the chair waiting for a very suitable explanation for the situation.
Junta looked at Hwan and said, "Firstly I would like to thank you for saving my life in the mountains and countless times before that, you always left before I could properly extend my gratitude." Henry never knew in the shadows Hwan protected his child.
Squeezing his hands Junta said, "I already knew of your existence when I first arrived at the palace, I could see visions of the two of you and somehow I knew we were connected. I never knew father hid the fact I had a brother…and you must be his lover?"
Henry held in his laughter, Hwan with a horrified face asked, "Brother?!" Junta pointed at Ji Lie, "Only the colour of our eyes and hair is different, at first I was shocked seeing your interactions together and I somehow puzzled it together that you were his lover."
His theory was reasonable, Hwan and Ji Lie looked like youths in their appearance, how could two young men be parents to an eighteen-year-old son. There was total silence in the room.
Hwan sighed deeply, the situation was far complicated than he had anticipated, "Junta, he isn't your brother nor am I just his lover. We are your biological parents…he is your father and I am your mother given for a fact I gave birth to you." Junta with a painful expression on his face looked at Henry, "Is this all true?"
Junta was already questioning his existence, there was a time he felt Hwan was his father, but he buried the thought deep in his heart. Standing from his seat he said, "I would like to be alone."
Junta left the room and wondered in the forest, he found and quiet spot and laid there to rest.
Maria looking at Hwan said, "My lord, please give him time to process this on his own." "I owe you my life and a huge debt of gratitude for saving my child. He grew up to be a righteous and powerful man thanks to you…we are grateful." Hwan for the first time in his life bowed to someone other than Ji Lie.
Takato secretly followed after Junta in the forest, he hid behind a tree to guard a sleeping Junta. "How long will you keep hiding over there?" Junta opened his eyes as he was gazing on the clouds.
Takato sat beside him, "Are you alright?" "I am totally alright, along the way I already knew they were my parents. I just need them to feel guilty for being absent for the past eighteen years…I know it is childish and selfish of me but they can at least pay this much." Takato was impressed knowing how well Junta was handling the situation.
Takato laid down beside him pointing at the clouds he said, "All my life I have been living a lie…deception…greed and covering for sins committed by my father. Do you hate me for the pain I caused your family? If it weren't for my father, you could have grown up with you parents…you would not have been separated."
Junta squeezed Takato's hand and replied, "I do not hate you, we were all being led with lies and deceptions. You already know they are after my father…just as he protected me, I want to be strong to protect him."
"All my life father has been the light I believed stood for righteousness and justice, without question I blindly followed him. Alongside him l wanted to defeat the demon and set the world free…I wanted his love. I never complained wasting all my life yielding a sword…and training day and night to be strong. My feelings changed the day I set my eyes on you…seizing my place in less than a month, rather than angry I felt relieved. The mask I wore slowly began to crumble as I spent each second with you…"
Takato's stomach growled, they both busted into laughter, "You should eat breakfast and rest your body Prince Takato. Don't worry about me, I don't hate you or despise you."
Flame stood at the edge of the waterfall, he looked at his father's ashes and said, "His death shall be ten times more painful father. Junta shall pay for the sins he committed…I shall disintegrate his body to ashes" His cries turned into a loud roar, Flame felt enormous pain as his body changed into a dragon for the first time.
Zetia suddenly appeared before a huge dragon, he was a fire dragon, "Indeed, death is what awaits all of them."
The jar of ashes fell on the bottom of the sea and a man caught it with a grin on his face, "We meet again my old friend."