Oliver had fallen into a deep slumber after their reckless night together.  Draco may have been tenacious as a lover, but he was gentle when it came to taking care of his husband.  While Oliver was asleep, he carried him to the tub and washed him.  He combed through his white hair before plaiting it into braids again. Before he had wrapped up his wounds, he had kissed every new bruise on Oliver's body, from the back of his neck to his legs.

When satisfied with cleaning up and bandaging Oliver, he laid him in bed and covered him. He climbed in afterward and pulled him into his arms, allowing his body to rest after weeks of worry and concern.

Oliver kept a grip around Draco's waist to reassure him that he was still with him.

The next day, Draco was woken by a knock on the door.  He groggily opened his eyes from the sound and frowned. However, his tiredness was erased when he saw the slumbering man in his arms. 

Gods know how many times he had dreamt of Oliver waking up, so he was relieved to confirm that yesterday's and last night's events were not a dream.

The knock on the door was forgotten as he watched his lover sleep. The magic seemed to have integrated more into Oliver's body than before. Now the silver remaining in his eyelashes and brows had turned snow white. He was elegant and beautiful but was as sharp as a blade. 

He hummed contently as he caressed Oliver's cheek. Oliver inhaled deeply and moved into the touch but didn't wake. 

The knock returned. 

Draco sighed. He kissed Oliver's forehead and slipped out of bed without waking him.  He pulled a robe on, loosely tying it around his waist.  He assumed a soldier came to report something to him and Oliver, so he felt no need to tidy up and straightforwardly opened the door.

However, he was stunned when he saw Sophia on the other side with Sarah flanking her.

Draco stood up straighter and flushed a little. "Sophia. Good morning."

Sophia flushed a little as she saw the scratches on Draco's neck and chest. She averted her eyes. "It's the afternoon, actually. I came to check if you two wanted to join us for lunch."

Sarah frantically motioned at Draco, trying to point out his wounds from the night before. Draco was still muddled, and it took a moment to be jolted back into reality. He hastily tightened the robe with wide eyes.

Sophia coughed lightly. "Perhaps, we should meet for dinner. I'll let you and Oliver rest a little longer." She quickly took off down the hall after she said this.

Draco groaned. "Fuck."

Sarah struggled to hold back a laugh. She lingered long enough to hand Draco a note. "Our findings from Ewen's room."

She laughed again as she followed Sophia.

Draco cursed and closed the door in dismay. He rested his head against the wall and groaned again.

Sophia had accepted their marriage almost immediately. She also cared for him while he focused on Oliver when he was unconscious. She made sure he ate and rested when he had forgotten to. They spent hours talking and building a relationship.

He hoped that his fiendish appearance did not make her change her mind about him.

"Why are you there?" A raspy voice sounded from the bed.

Draco pushed away from the wall and quickly made his way to Oliver.  He caressed his cheek lightly. "How are you feeling."

Oliver smiled. "Content."

Draco chuckled as he started to wind his fingers in Oliver's braids. "How is your body?"

Oliver took pleasure in that Draco was a fierce lover because it sated his aggressive appetite. Every bite and nip was rewarded with Draco's soothing caresses.

"A little worn out," Oliver finally admitted.

Draco held him tightly in his arms, whispering words of adoration and offering touches of veneration. Despite Draco's protests, Oliver insisted they start their day, especially because he had missed his scheduled council meeting. 

As if they were back in Rucrea, they bathed together and helped each other dress. Oliver had learned to braid like Draco and helped help tie back his long black hair. His fingers were still a little clumsy, but Draco loved each imperfection. 

Together, they looked at Sarah's note about Ewen. They did find burnt letters in the fireplace. Not much could be gathered from them, but they did confirm Piers signed at least one letter. 

They also found the poison. Chrono Root.

It wasn't as terrible as Wysteria's Dream, but this poison would weaken the victim until they fell into a deep slumber. A few people could find a cure for this poison, and luckily Gallio and the Pope were one of these people. Apollon had started working on curing them the moment he received word. 

Gallio and Savvi were also sent a note encouraging them to expedite their trip. The pieces were moving, and the wheel of war spun. However, this time, Oliver had more control of the rotation. 

Oliver and Draco walked down the hall with little space between each other, and each step was in tandem. When they reached the banquet hall, the guards hastily bowed and opened the doors. As both men entered, the hall turned silent. Many scrambled to greet them. Scattered "King!" and "Guardian!" echoed through the hall. The two only nodded and searched for the people Oliver hoped to see.

Oliver felt trepidation about meeting his family and didn't dare to approach casually. He had lived his last life believing that his family held nothing but disdain for him.

After regressing, he moved away to Wynter and only communicated with them through letters. They had not seen each other in over a year, and he wouldn't blame them if they called him neglectful. He had not had much of an opportunity to reunite with them either. His first meeting when he returned from Wynter had been interrupted by his capture. At this meeting, he arrested Ewen and reproached Antony. 

He had taken drastic measures and feared that negative feelings encroached on their hearts.

Oliver glanced around the hall and saw his family sitting at a table. His parents looked exhausted and were whispering amongst themselves. Conrad was silently drinking from a teacup, and Quincey was seated next to him, his arm draped around Conrad's chair. He said something in Conrad's ear, which made him flush and then chuckle.

"Boss!" A Wynter soldier cried out and saluted.  This started a ripple of greetings from the tables surrounding his family.  Some called him Boss, others Guardian.

Oliver nodded and returned some of the greetings. Sarah was the first to approach him. "Boss, did you receive my note."

Oliver nodded. "I did. Good job. Do you know of Apollon's progress?"

"He is confident of his success, but once Gallio returns, they will be able to speed up progress." She explained. 

"That's good. Can you—"

Oliver didn't have a chance to finish because he had to catch the small figure jumping toward him. Oliver quickly caught Avery and picked him up with a tight hug.

"Brother." Avery sniffled.

"Avery... I heard how brave you've been."

Avery let out a teary giggle. "I was! And Draco kept me safe, and he brought you back just like he promised." He leaned in and whispered behind his hand. "I also kept your necklace top secret."

Oliver patted him on the back. "You did well."

"Oliver?"

Oliver looked up and saw his teary-eyed mother quickly come over and pull him into an embrace. "It's been hard on you." She murmured.

Oliver was tense with surprise. He expected that she may fault him for his treatment of Ewen but didn't prepare for concern. He gave Draco a perplexed look.

"She was in your room almost as much as I was." He said quietly. "She had been looking forward to you waking up as well."

"Ah. I'm sorry to have made you all wait." Oliver said gently.

A heavy hand patted him on the shoulder, and Oliver made eye contact with his father. "It's good to have you back, son."

Oliver smiled. "I still have some work to do, but soon we can sit down and catch up." He looked over his father's shoulder and saw Conrad off to the side with a pale face and an embarrassed look. "Brother?"

"Oli... I'm sorry.." He murmured. "I didn't believe Draco."

Oliver put down Avery and broke away from his parents' affection. He approached Conrad and gripped his forearms. "No one wants to believe such a thing. I would never blame you for doubting."

"How long did you know he would betray us?"

Oliver frowned. "A year ago... but I still held out some hope that he could be redeemed.  I warned him before I left for Wynter, but when Piers captured me, I knew he was irredeemable."

The room fell silent as they turned their attention to Oliver. He rolled his shoulders a little. "I will speak with him shortly."

He let them lead him to the table, and they sat around him. Avery had found his way onto Draco's lap and fell asleep on his chest. It seemed that they had bonded while he was unconscious. 

He smiled at the scene, but his attention was pulled when soldiers approached him. Oliver and Draco took turns offering advice or answering questions. After the soldiers finished, others gained their confidence and greeted them as well. Some asked questions about battle formations, and others reported issues with their army. 

When they dispersed, Oliver nuzzled against Draco's shoulder with a sigh.

A small laugh sounded behind him, and he looked back to see Antony.  He was in clean clothes and looked better than before.

"You are more popular than I was when I received the Guardian title." He said lightly and sat down next to him.

Oliver nodded. "You look well, Uncle."

"As do you, Guardian."

Oliver held back his disdain for titles. He knew that it was his uncle's way of establishing his new role in the army. He didn't have this luxury in his last life and had to prove himself through blood and grit.

Ian and Castor approached the table and saluted.

"King."

"Boss."

They greeted him simultaneously, but it was Castor who spoke. "A request to reschedule the council's meeting had been made."

Oliver nodded. "Schedule it for this afternoon.  We will continue our discussion."

Oliver took advantage of the peaceful moment to eat something. When he finished, he knew he had to face something he didn't want to. He needed to confront Ewen.

"I have something I need to attend to. I will see you later this evening." He said and stood up with Draco.  He kissed his mother's cheek, and Draco handed Avery to Aaron.

They left together and headed to the prison.

As he entered the prison, he shivered a little. Being behind bars in both lifetimes had wounded him. He hated seeing the cold metal loaming in front of him. He was comforted by Draco's hand on his shoulder.

He passed the cells until he reached the one where Ewen was sitting in. Ewen lifted his head and turned an angry glare towards him.

"Is this revenge? Is this why you're locking me up?" Ewen sneered.

Oliver shook his head. "I'm locking you up, so I don't kill you too soon."

"You wouldn't dare."

"We're at war, and you're a traitor. Your existence puts my men in danger." Oliver said darkly.

"I'm your brother!"

"Don't you remember? I cut off our brotherly bonds when you made your decision. You are no brother of mine."

Ewen's eyes darted around nervously. "Didn't you give me a choice to choose our family before? Then I present the same choice, Oli. Your soldiers or your blood?"

Oliver faltered and then laughed. "If I kill you, I will be protecting my soldiers and our family. It's not a difficult choice to make."

Ewen spat at Oliver. "May the gods curse you, and the hells take you!"

Oliver leaned against the bars of his cage. "Believe me, Ewen, I have already endured the gods' curses and journeyed through the hells."

"Why did you bother coming here?" Ewen snarled.

"To ask questions."

"I won't tell you about Piers."

Oliver shook his head. "Piers is easy prey. I want to know about Yonsu."

Ewen looked incredulous. "You fear not your King but a rabble of Ravagers?"

Oliver's eyes darkened and swirled with rage. "Your king is a mere puppet. I wish to cut off the one holding the strings."

Oliver stepped toward the cage door, but Draco suddenly grabbed and pulled him to the side. As they fell, the prison shook, and something powerful burst through the wall behind Ewen.

As the dust settled, Oliver felt his stomach churn as he saw a broadsword embedded in Ewen's body. Magic sparked around the blade, which made the strike powerful. It had cleaved from the top of his shoulder down to his stomach. 

The sword slid out of his body, creating a sickening wet sound. Ewen moaned, and blood poured from his mouth. He fell to his knees, and his purple eyes looked frantically at Oliver. 

Oliver stood up and brushed the dust from his clothes. His eyes fell on the figure standing behind Ewen. He was cleaning Ewen's blood and flesh off his sword. 

"I didn't expect to see you so soon, Yonsu," Oliver said calmly.

"My dear, Oliver. I overheard you asking about me, and I decided to let myself in." Yonsu grinned maniacally. "But it seems that your brother may be dying. I'll give you some time with him."

He turned and walked out of the hole he had created. Draco growled. "He is waiting for us."

Oliver nodded and walked over to Ewen, and knelt next to him. Ewen swayed and slumped over, but Oliver caught him in his arms. His blood soaked his clothes. 

"Bro...ther... help..." He murmured.

Oliver was conflicted. He had steeled himself to kill Ewen, but someone else did it for him. It was such an easy death.

"You're dying," he said plainly. "I can do nothing to save you."

"But..." His lips opened and closed, trying to say something more, but his voice was lost after the one word. 

"Ewen," Oliver called out quietly. Ewen's eyes widened, and he peered up at him, searching for relief. "I regret I was not the one to kill you.

Ewen convulsed with anger and choked on his blood. He continued to move his lips, trying to say something; however, he was mute, much like Oliver when he died.

Ewen tried to gasp, but it was fruitless. His eyes dulled, and his body stilled.  

Oliver laid his body on the ground and stepped over it. Draco had taken a spear from one of the guards who rushed in after Ewen was attacked. 

"He's still there. Are you ready?" Draco asked. 

Oliver pulled out his swords. "Ready."

He launched himself through the hole and blocked an attack right as he emerged. Yonsu laughed and took off. 

Oliver and Draco gave chase. They left the palace quickly and entered the farmlands.

Oliver swiped his sword, letting his ice magic cut across like a blade toward Yonsu. Yonsu turned and blocked it with his sword but was pushed backward.  He lost his footing and fell heavily to the ground.

Draco followed and launched his spear at him, but Yonsu maneuvered to avoid the attack.

Yonus directed his blade towards Draco and accelerated his speed.  Oliver felt his blood run cold because he was standing too far away, and Draco was weaponless. Oliver yelled and tried to use his magic to help block.

Draco gritted his teeth as he saw the blade incoming. The skin on his arms trembled, and scales quickly emerged, covering his arms and shoulders. His nails grew into long black claws, and with a snarl, he used his hand to block the blade.

Yonsu was stunned when he saw the transformation and paled.

"Dragon..." He murmured and then turned his attention to the approaching Oliver, who seemed luminous.

"...Sword of Moonlight."

Yonsu was struck with clarity as he realized that Oliver and Draco were the banes of his prophecy.