Yuè cringed away looking up at the man in fear, struggling to find his voice. "H…he is injured. The wounds would not stop bleeding." He finally managed to get out, his voice sounding small and shaky. "There." He pointed a trembling finger in the direction of the tent he'd left Gunter in.

The king stared down at him, his fur pelt cloak flapping in the wind. "Yet another woman wishing to harm my son." He shook his head and leaned down, grabbing a handful of Yuè's silver hair and pulling so he could get a better glimpse of him. "No tribe has white hair in Mythos."

"She was banished from her tribe for being strange!" Emery's voice cut in and everyone, including Yuè's eyes snapped to where he drew closer from the tree lines that surrounded the glade.

The king's gaze shifted from Yuè to his other son. "Oh." He let Yuè drop onto his hands and knees, the stone cutting into his palms. "So you brought another abomination like yourself into your brother's lands to cause trouble again?"

His large form walked around Yuè. "I thought I told you just because he pity's you and allows you in his territory, doesn't mean it's shared with you. Why has this little bitch hurt my son? Or are you wishing Gunter ends up in another coma because he's gullible, you think if he dies his lands will go to you?"

Emery's jaw tightened. "She didn't harm him," Yuè stared at him, biting his lip in uncertainty. It was clear that the king thinking he was a woman was for the best if Emery had not corrected him. "She was trying to help him because your other sons don't know how to behave like men. Gunter protected her for me. I've made my claim to her."

The king was staring at Yuè again, and he scoffed. "Two abominations, how fitting. But," His gaze cut back to Emery. "It isn't your brother's responsibility to keep track of your woman. What wounds did he encounter, girl?" He asked Yuè but his determined eyes remained on his son—disgust clear in his tone and posture.

Yuè flinched at being addressed again. "Deep cuts on his arms and chest. Claw marks on his face. They were not healing as usual." Yuè was not sure exactly what usual was for them, but the amount of blood Gunter had lost was concerning. "Please, he needs help." He begged.

The king turned to one of the guards. "Férte mia nosokóma kai frontíste na therapefteí o gios mou."

With a nod, the guard lowered her head and headed off toward the tent Yué pointed to earlier.

"Come here." The king's attention was on Emery, and Emery obeyed. "What is the fifteenth mate law?"

"If a man's mate or woman of choice causes harm to one of royal blood, they are to be punished in her stead even if she weren't the cause of the direct harm." Emery repeated.

His father only pointed to the ground and Emery kneeled, not sparing Yué a single glance. Was it shame? Did he blame Yué? Yué couldn't tell.

The king only looked at him and claw marks appeared on Emery's face causing him to wince and shift his head, then deep ones on his arms and chest the same way Yué had described.

Marcellus took a step forward in the ring, releasing Hendrick from his grasp where they'd been frozen during the entire situation. "Father."

"Silence! I grow tired of his disobedience." The king's voice was warning and threatening, daring him to interrupt again. And when Marcellus didn't take another step or challenge his father, he grabbed Emery by the throat, his nails digging into his skin. "Take your uncommon tramp and get out of my sight, you are no son of mine."

The king shoved Emery away from him, then he stood and helped Yué to his feet. "Let's go."

Yuè clung to him, but not before sending a concerned look towards the tent that Gunter was lying in. He didn't dare say anything until they were far out of the presence of the king of beasts. However once they were, he pulled Emery to a stop, looking over his wounds in concern. "How can he be so cruel? To his own son no less." He asked tearfully.

"I'm no son of his." Emery kept looking straight ahead even though they halted.

Unlike Gunter's, Emery's wounds were already healing over, but looked no less painful. "I'm so sorry. This is my fault again. You were hurt protecting me."

"You should learn to stop apologizing for things you can't control." It was then that he had finally turned, taking hold of Yuè's hand to turn it so he could glimpse upon the palm where he'd cut it open when thrown before Emery's father. "Here." Emery whispered, bringing the wound up to his mouth to lick.

Much like before, there was a stinging pain, then his skin started stitching itself closed.

"My wounds are not nearly as severe as yours. I do not have a magical healing tongue, but there is something I can do to ease your pain. It was what I was going to do for Gunter before …before I was caught." He took Emery's hand in his, leading him to the lake. It was only them there, the water sparkling and glittering under the light of the full moon.

Yuè did not hesitate to enter it, the water glowing with each step he took. He could feel the energy of the moon stronger than on land. "Trust me." He said to Emery, eyes pleading.

Emery followed behind, still shirtless and only in his breeches, the sincere look of trust in his blue eyes. He stopped in front of Yuè. "Do all humans do this?"

Yuè let out a strained laugh, turning to face him completely. "It is as you said. I am strange, even to my people." He said with a wane smile, pulling the other deeper into the water until they were waist deep. "The moon is said to hold power. This is one of them I share with you." Yuè said as the water around them began to glow.

He pulled Emery closer, keeping their eyes locked. "Water holds the moon's reflection and some of its power. It allows me to cleanse. To heal. To purge. Only on the nights when it is full can I do it to this extent." As he spoke, he trailed his hand over each injury gently and they faded under his touch until only small scars remained.

"It is the least I can do for all the trouble you have gone through for me. To ease your pain."

"I wish I could say the pain was from my wounds." Emery told him. "Thank you, Yuè. But I think I'll retire early tonight." He cupped Yuè's face with one hand and stroked his cheek with his thumb. "Goodnight."

He left and Yuè remained standing there for a long moment before he too headed up the mountainside, cold from the climate change that sank through his wet clothes. By the time he reached the mansion and opened the door, he noticed a pair of crimson eyes in the dark.

Marcellus. He had been waiting for him.