THE FIRST IMPRESSION that Adam Persad got from the king of Winfrost was that a majority of his personality had an uncanny resemblance to Edva's.

Though the king should have been more refined and intimidating, Edva seemed to be more mature and controlled. Both males had lost their families, and both were haunted by a troubling past.

The glass walls and floors of the castle behaved like mirrors —in every direction one looked, they would glimpse their reflection. It was a feature likely intended for the king alone. Though instead of the reason being vanity, the king appeared to be punishing himself with every glance. As if it were a reminder.

If he had ever known grief, he wore it well.

King Zainus himself was taller than the human soldier —but not enough to reach the height of the Winter Faerie. He wore a clean-cut embellished suit of white and ice blue, which brought out the paleness of his skin —as firm and smooth as marble. His eyes, outlined with the longest eyelashes that Adam had ever seen, were a light lilac; almost crystal clear. Though they hid a darkness that the soldier did not wish to see unleashed.

On top of his head sat a platinum crown, jewelled with lapis lazuli and diamonds. His hair was then perhaps the most delicate thing about him. It was long and the colour of straw; braided down at the sides so that it was still loose enough to fiddle with.

He seemed absentminded —the higher Fae was draped across his fur-lined ice throne like an uncouth boy-king: his head on one arm and his legs over the other, while staring idly at the windows.

He turned his head when the Faerie and humans halted before the dais as instructed by Lena ( who was somehow barely allowed to set foot in the throne room as a knight ). Those crystal eyes widened at the sight, as if it meant his majesty finally had something to do.

Adam wondered why they had such a lack of audience —the room was empty apart from a few guards.

The king sat up slowly, and crossed one leg over the other. "Edva Pinevera," he said. His light voice had strange hypnotic lull to it. "You are...here."

The Faerie said and gave away nothing, but held the king's gaze determinedly; wings perfectly still.

They were alike in their stubbornness and pride, Adam observed. Both males refused to be seen as yielding and inferior; regardless of status. Both males were quiet and brooding, and slow to show emotion. Though the king showed more expression, he did not seem to display his true sentiments.

Adam looked between the cowardly lone kings; one on a throne and one as still as stone...and felt pity.

"Say something," king Zainus commanded Edva, almost like a child. "You finally emerge from that awful forest, and yet now you refuse to speak."

Edva's eyes slitted. It seemed that he would not go silent when it came to being subjected to any insult about those snowy woods —his home. "I have nothing to say to you," he murmured.

"That is not true," hissed the higher Fae, gripping the armrests so tightly that the ice began to crack in hairline fractures. "I know that you yearn to avenge your family name. Though you would never bare a blade to me, I know that you wish to do so. I have known your hatred for many moons —but I can assure you that I do not indulge in the same trivia. Do you know how long I have waited for this? I do not think that you understand how frustrated you make me."

"No," Edva quipped, a tired smile tugging at his lips. "I think that I understand."

That darkness shimmered a bit. "So you ran on purpose, then?" king Zainus accused.

"I think that you already know the answer to that," clipped the Faerie. "Why would I come to serve the same governing that ordered my father's execution? And how the fuck is that matter trivial?"

The king relented only slightly upon hearing that, as though it triggered more guilt within him. "I was merely a prince, Edva Pinevera," he said quietly. "At the time, I could not go against my father."

"Horseshit," the Winter Faerie spat. "You were merely too cowardly. You still are —you are a spoiled child in this glass palace, too afraid to walk among your people. Look outside, Zainus Winfrost. Your lack of proactivity destroyed whole towns. If you had truly cared countless Fae would still be alive," he accused. Then he paused, his grip on control slipping. "...Are you even less cruel than king Lasak?"

"Do not take that tone with me," king Zainus decided to take back his authority as his eyes pulsed a purple glow in warning. "How dare you speak to me as though we were boys again. You have no right to blame me entirely. You forget yourself."

Edva couldn't resist one last jab. "...Yet it would seem that I am the only one who bothers to remember what happened that day, and beyond."

The king frowned, his blond brows furrowing in bewilderment. "Edva Pinevera —"

"—You have other guests, by the way," the Faerie then interrupted as least politely as he dared; as though he realised the amount of time being wasted and had just recalled the humans' presence. "I would advise that you pursue this conversation elsewhere."

"You are in no position to advise me," the king said coldly, but his gaze swivelled to the unassuming humans regardless. He studied them carefully, and his nose flared ever so slightly as he took in their scents. "...Interesting," was all that he commented, leaning back on the covered throne further.

Had he already found them out?

Georgia's tough Elf exterior wavered for just a second, before she folded her arms and dared to roll her eyes. Coming from any other creature of magic, it could have meant instant execution.

King Zainus smirked in amusement.

Adam resisted the urge to shift on his feet —to humanly fidget and potentially give himself away —and instead, wearily exhaled through his nose.

"Those are a Winfrost statesman's clothes," the king remarked, gesturing to Adam.

"Ah, yes," Adam said, lowering his gaze. "When I first returned from Earth I did not have much with me. I have only survived on the undeserved generosity of this Faerie." He nodded in Edva's direction.

To his surprise, Edva seemed vaguely impressed with his convincing and improvised lie.

"How intriguingly uncharacteristic," articulated king Zainus, turning to study the Faerie.

"It was a privilege to aid such a valiant warrior," Edva stated, his wings quivering —and Adam wondered how much it hurt him to voice it.

The soldier then realised —even as Edva did not dither or crack under scrutiny —that he would need to draw away the king's attention.

"If you would permit us, your majesty," the human spoke up, "we would be eternally grateful if you would grant us passage through your Gate."

"Why would you want to go back to the Gamma Plane?" the Fae questioned, his tone almost bored.

"I wish to collect my family's remains, your majesty," Adam answered with a surprising amount of earnest. "Am I not permitted to bury them?"

The king's eyes lidded as he stared down at the disguised human. Adam couldn't tell if he really could sniff out the truth. He certainly didn't show much evidence that he could. But there was something in his mocking purple gaze that made him very uncomfortable.

"And what family name might that be?" asked the king.

Adam had been prepared for this question. "The Foreserras," he stated clearly, without hesitation.

The Fae raised one brow, and thought for a moment. "...Ah," he then sighed. "They did indeed perish, according to the summary reports. And you...are the remaining heir? Did you really fight?"

"I am not without my own scars," Adam added truthfully. "I did indeed fight —on the front lines."

"There is no need to explain your valour," he brushed it aside. "It was expected of you. It also explains your accent, and that...faint human stench."

"Of course —thank you, your majesty," Adam stumbled through, before bowing slightly. "I only wish to give them the proper burial that they deserve."

King Zainus grunted in response. Then he regarded Georgia, who dared to challenge his gaze. "...And what of the Elf?" the Fae inquired.

"We found her at the river border. She is Beta-born, and a warrior," Adam informed him. "Her parents have died, but there are other relatives on Earth. I thought that it would be convenient to bring her with me."

"Indeed," murmured the king. Then his focus shifted again. "Do you mean to go with them, Edva Pinevera?"

"No," the Faerie answered bluntly.

"Why not?" the Fae seemed to taunt, a smirk stretching his lips. "It would be much easier to avoid me."

"I do not like the idea of escaping from issues in such a manner," Edva dryly responded.

"Is that so?" drawled the king.

There was then a pause as king Zainus deliberated on a course of action. No one could decipher his thought process —there was not a shred of indication that he was inclined to cooperate.

Then suddenly, he grinned.

"I will permit you to go and return as you wish," announced the Fae king, his cold eyes pinning Edva right where he stood, "if the Faerie remains here and becomes a statesman."

Adam and Georgia blinked.

"You cannot ask that of me," Edva half snarled.

"I can, and I did," king Zainus quipped. "Most of my father's trusted men lost their lives in the war. I have none on which to depend. Except for you."

The Faerie bared his teeth. "You dare to coerce me into further ruining the kingdom?"

"I want you to help me rebuild it, Edva Pinevera. I want to be a king who is very different from my father. I want to set things right. I want to do that with you."

A growl ripped from the Faerie's throat, and the guards positioned in the corners of the throne room stiffened. "You Fae piss me off," he hissed. "An attempt to appease is fifty-three moons too late. Do you think that your sudden self-righteousness means anything?"

"We can discuss my self-righteousness and actual kingly behaviour when it is just the two of us," king Zainus suggested, shrugging. "I am aware that some people are working on a deadline."

Edva looked at Adam. Though the soldier could not see anything within those milky eyes, he felt him plead. Edva was pleading for the humans not to take away his freedom —the only thing he had left.

If he was desperate enough for that, the rift between him and the king must be deep and irrevocable.

Adam weighed his options. He didn't want to stay in the Beta Plane, but there was not much to go home to when he truly thought about it. Georgia didn't seem to mind too much which realm she decided to call home, so she could theoretically settle anywhere.

But could the humans give up their freedom and lives for the Faerie? Sure, he had brought them this far and done considerably more than what had been expected —though how long could they uphold the deceptive farce?

Besides —a small, petty part of Adam was still thoroughly peeved by all of the shameless and incessant flirting that Edva had done with Purple.

The Faerie actually appeared to recall that detail as Adam thought of it, and guilt washed over the plea. His delicate wings flittered, and he frowned. He would not blame the humans if they wished to leave.

"I could always command it," the king then informed the three. "Then you could not disobey me."

Adam's brows narrowed, aware of the unfairness.

He imagined himself in Edva's place; with limited choices and standing before someone so powerful and manipulative. And then he knew his answer. He was about to open his mouth and tell the king that they would not leave Edva, when the Faerie himself did something unexpected.

"Go," he told the humans.

"You mean...leave you here?" questioned Adam.

"I can deal with him," Edva chuckled softly, jerking his head in the direction of the throne.

"Even if it means slaving away?" the soldier hissed; most of his anger arising from Purple's account of the Fae's treatment of prisoners.

"No one is to be a slave," king Zainus frowned. "Those days of old are very much just that —they are in the past. I assure you that any Fae who break that law are dealt with appropriately. If you are referring to entertainment, we only have volunteers here."

That notion still sort of disgusted Adam. He was convinced that what he had proposed to Purple that morning was different —it had been a mutual agreement. Neither one had been solely servicing the other.

"...I will stay, Zainus," Edva spoke up again.

To the humans' surprise, the king barely blinked at the Faerie's use of just his first name.

The king's eyes twinkled with something that Adam was frankly afraid to classify. "Very well. The Fae and Elf will be escorted to the Gate."

He clapped his hands abruptly, and two knights opened the doors. They gestured down the hallway. Georgia strode for the door without a moment's hesitation —likely desperate to get out of the situation as soon as possible. Adam turned after her rather reluctantly, but he was not quite sure why. He paused and looked back at Edva.

The king had climbed down from his throne and was standing before the Faerie, unfathomable and equally suspicious glee etched in his face. Edva's wings looked stiff enough to snap right off.

Would he truly be all right in the king's castle of glass?

Adam shook his head —he had to believe that Edva knew what he was doing. He knew this world better than him, and was however many years more experienced. He could aptly handle the situation.

"I will not forget this," he still told the Faerie, who then briefly turned his head to the side to look at him. "All that which you have done."

And for whatever reason, Edva managed a smile.