Chapter Text
Hidden amongst the hills of the land, surrounded by the Eastern Sea, was the proud Kingdom of Luoes, which had not seen the terrors of war for many generations. With armies stronger than most and a history of just kings and queens, the country went from a small district to a prosperous and independent empire within the span of a century. However, whilst no wars were fought, the country still had its fair share of uprisings, such as the opposition led by wielders of magic.
In an event that had widely become known as the Nightshade Rebellion, the country’s sorcerers and supporters of magic rioted against the new legislation banning any form of magic in the land. The laws had been approved by the current king’s late father, who had been persistent in his quest to vanquish magic from his kingdom in response to several magic-related deaths. The current king, while not quite sharing his father’s ill will towards the practice, had decided to keep the ban in place when he took the throne to honor his father.
The Kim family had ruled the kingdom since its early years with a firm but kind hand. King Minki and Queen Junhye were well into their thirteenth month on the throne and their subjects were satisfied with their ways of handling the kingdom, despite the ban on magical practices. They had yet to conceive an heir, but it was only a matter of time before a son or daughter would join the royal family.
That, however, is not where our story begins…
-
The Kim family had always taken pride in their efforts to listen to their subjects. Once a week, they held court, in which the people of the kingdom could come to them with their problems. Despite their royal status and the inevitable intimidation that came along with it, the king and queen were known for their kind and friendly disposition, and the people soon grew accustomed to approaching them in their time of need. If the royal family could provide a solution, within reason, they did it, for they were generous rulers who wished for their subjects’ happiness.
But not all problems could be set straight with small monetary gifts and comforting words of reassurance. And as much as the king and queen tried to help, their efforts sometimes fell short. Especially when emotions ran high in the hearts of the troubled.
They were listening to the complaints of a poor farmer who had lost the majority of his crop due to drought and insufficient water supplies when the sound of wood striking stone rang through the throne room, startling the occupants inside. The royal couple’s eyes rose to see Heizhu, one of the king’s advisors and dearest friends, storming through the heavy oak doors, his face twisted in anguish and rage as his black cloak trailed behind. He had hardly reached the middle of the room before he was speaking, his words full of accusation.
“You did this,” he growled through clenched teeth. “You killed her.”
The room fell into a heavy silence as Heizhu stopped in his advance, the only sound coming from the farmer, who now found himself much more comfortable along the wall and well out of reach of the angered man.
One of the guards shifted nervously, glancing between Heizhu and the king. “Sire?”
A hand was thrown up in response, quieting the guard’s concern as the king stood from his seat, hands held loosely by his side in a show of vulnerability. Though strong and handsome, he was hardly an opposing figure, and the way he held himself now called attention to that lack of intimidation. This was one of his oldest friends, and his face softened as he looked over the other man, remorse flickering across his expression as he bowed his head briefly.
“Heizhu… I am sorry. I will not try to deny it. She was found to have practiced dark magic and was apprehended. Magic is forbidden in our lands, as you are well aware of.”
“She practiced in private, Minki,” Heizhu protested, ignoring the startled looks he received from the onlookers at the use of the king’s first name. “She was a danger to no one.”
“The land’s laws forbid any use of magic, public or otherwise.” Minki shook his head, trying to reason with his friend. “You must understand, Heizhu. That is why -”
“No, you must understand,” Heizhu snapped loudly, hesitating at the realization that he had just interrupted the king before continuing on with a quieter voice, even as his anger still rolled off of him in waves. “Forbidden here, yes, but other lands do not have such restrictions. You could have sent her away. Instead you hunted her, had your men take her life.”
The queen stood slowly at the words, her delicate features pulling into a frown with her concern for the man in front of them. “Heizhu, dearest friend, that is not -”
Junhye fell silent as her husband raised his hand again, sending her a gentle look before shaking his head. With a nod, she took her place by his side, and he turned back towards Heizhu. “Such are the rules.”
Heizhu growled at the phrase, his words growing in volume until every syllable bounced off of the stone walls of the room, as if the echo was to further emphasize his point, “She could have been spared!”
The king, though sympathetic to his friend’s pain, would not tolerate the outbursts for much longer. In his desperation for Heizhu to understand him, for Heizhu to see his side, his words became just shy of a shout.
“She brought this upon herself.” He forced himself to take a deep breath, trying to calm his own emotions. “She knew of this kingdom’s laws and what she got herself into. She paid the price. I am sorry, Heizhu, I truly am, but laws are laws.”
“Liar,” Heizhu breathed out with an incredulous look that quickly melted back into anger. “You say you are my friend, but no friend of mine would have killed the woman I love!”
The king stiffened, as if the words themselves had struck him, the anger draining from his features as his voice grew soft. “The gardener… You loved Mingzhu?”
Heizhu visibly deflated at the mention of the woman’s name, his anger momentarily taken over by his pain. “I did, yes…” The anger returned quickly, however, his body shaking with his rage as he glared at his king. “And you took her from me.”
King Minki closed his eyes for a short moment and inhaled deeply. He had not realized there was something there, but thinking back now, it should have been obvious to him. Had he not caught the two in conversation, speaking privately in the gardens? Had he not seen the fond smiles, the brush of his hand along her arm in greeting? Polite gestures, yes, but something deeper. Something more. And like a fool, the king had glanced right over them without a second thought.
When he opened his eyes again, he fixed his stare on Heizhu. The queen at his side followed the exchange of words with worry, shooting Heizhu pitying looks. Her whole being ached for him. She couldn’t imagine what life would be without her husband.
“That…” the king breathed, shaking his head. “Heizhu, had I just known.” He stepped away from the throne and hesitantly approached Heizhu. Once he was in front of him, he reached out with a hand and laid it on his friend’s shoulder in what was meant to be a comforting gesture. “I am sorry.”
Heizhu did not allow the touch, however, and lashed out, batting the hand away from him as he stepped out of his reach. A shaking hand raked over his face, and King Minki briefly caught the sight of tears welling up in the corner of his eyes before they were suppressed once more, Heizhu’s shoulders squaring towards the other.
“Maybe,” he admitted, “but even if you are not, you will be soon enough.”
The king’s gaze hardened just a bit at the underlying threat in Heizhu’s words. He retreated a few steps to give Heizhu some space to breathe, looking him over with a lifted brow. “Are you threatening me, old friend?”
A scoff slipped from Heizhu’s lips, a shake of his head following. “No, not threatening. Promising.” He sneered at the king, his voice lowering in malice. “You took her life for dark magic, so I will show you how dark magic can be.”
With those words spoken and a last menacing glower at the king, Heizhu’s form was consumed in a cloud of black smoke, leaving no trace behind, and no indication as to where he had gone.
His departure had a heavy silence settling over the people inside of the room. The guards stayed still, but casted fleeting glances towards the monarchs, who seemed to have lost the ability to speak. A threat was no simple matter, but to threaten a king - with magic, no less - like that was unheard of. Minki stumbled back, wide eyes locked on where Heizhu had stood mere moments ago, his heart torn. The king in him could not let such a blatant display of rebellion slide, but the friend in him ached for his advisor and the pain he had unknowingly caused him.
The click clack of the queen’s shoes alerted the king to his queen’s arrival at his side before he saw her. “Minki,” she spoke, her voice soft and inquiring as a hesitant hand came to rest on his shoulder, “what should we do? He believes you truly killed her.”
Minki straightened his back and released a sigh. Laying his hand on top of hers, he squeezed it reassuringly, as if to emphasize his next words.
“He is currently going through a lot of emotional pain. If he knew she swallowed poison from a nightshade… His love would have clouded his judgment. Nothing I said would have gotten through to him.” He turned around to face her and gave her hand another squeeze. “But worry not, dear. I will tell him once he has calmed down.”
“And how long will that take?” Junhye asked, worry lacing her words as she gazed upon her husband. “How long must he suffer, thinking you are to blame? And with magic involved, should we not go after him?”
“We will, but not tonight.” The king released her hand and sighed, looking towards the doors his friend had entered through just minutes earlier. “He needs to grieve on his own.”
-
True to his word, the king looked high and low for Heizhu, but months passed by without a word from him. In that time, the kingdom moved on, as did the regents. The rebellion came to a close with some key deaths in the supporters’ ranks, and the ban remained in place. And with that victory, Heizhu seemed to slip further and further from their thoughts. While they did not forget their friend, time blurred their memories until they could hardly remember the threatening words he had left in his wake.
Adding to the time of peace was the unexpected news of the queen’s pregnancy, which left the kingdom overjoyed. The regents were glowing with happiness as they awaited the birth of the child, the prospects of finally having an heir leaving everyone in anticipation.
Time passed quickly, and soon the day was upon them. A late night in spring, the queen gave birth to a healthy boy. The news spread like a wildfire and soon the talk in the city centered around the newborn prince. At long last, an heir had been given to Luoes.
The royal family withdrew from the public’s eye, choosing instead to stay with their child and enjoy the first days of his life together. The only times they’d leave the child to the nursemaids were when the king accompanied the queen, still weak from the exhaustion of childbirth, to the bathroom. It was there she could relax in the soothing, hot water with fragrant oils made from the roses in the Royal Rose Garden, which held an abundance of red and white roses in honor of the royal family’s crest.
It was a few days after the child’s birth that the king walked his wife back to their chamber after a bath, both wearing soft smiles, the king supporting the queen with an arm around her waist. It had been some pleasant days, their undivided attention given to their newborn son and with no court matters to attend to. Time to just enjoy life as a family.
It wasn’t until they neared the door that the couple could hear the soft humming coming from the room. The king and the queen shared a fond smile, imagining their child being rocked to sleep by one of the nursemaids, the familiar melody of an old lullaby growing in volume the closer they got to the door. Stopping outside the chamber, the king reached out and pulled the handle down, opening thedoor and stepping inside.
Only to come to an abrupt halt at the threshold, the sight that met their eyes rendering them motionless.
“Heizhu...”
He was sitting on the windowsill, the darkness in the room casting him in shadow, the only exception being the stray rays of moonlight illuminating half of his person. Though it had been some time, and though his features had changed - when had he ever been so thin? - it was still the man Minki remembered.
He didn’t stir at the call of his name, and the king tried again once the surprise had been shaken off.
“... Heizhu,” Minki uttered. “What are you -”
“Sssh,” Heizhu cut in. A smile danced across his features, distorting into something of a smirk in the low lighting. “He is sleeping.”
He slowly rose from the seat, gaze moving from the child in his arms to the regents frozen in the doorway. A soft tune filled the air once more as Heizhu resumed humming, the once comforting song somehow more sinister in tone.
In her peripheral vision, Junhye could see the nursemaid’s still form on the floor, but she did not dare take her eyes away from her child, who slept peacefully in their old friend’s arms.
“Heizhu,” the king said again, slowly, eyes fixed on the other male. He didn’t move from his position, barely daring to breathe lest it affect his child’s well-being. “What are you doing?”
Heizhu released a wistful sigh and shook his head. “I have not gone by that name in months.” His eyes took on a hardened glint. “It is Crow now. Heizhu died with her.”
Minki stiffened at the reminder of the incident that took place what felt like years ago. Now, with Heizhu standing in front of him with his child in his arms, he remembered all too well the threat, the promise, that Heizhu had left them with, and an icy dread filled his gut. “... Crow. You are avoiding my question. What are you doing here after… after all this time?”
“Can I not visit after the birth of the new heir? It is an event to be celebrated, is it not?” Heizhu’s - Crow’s voice was deceptively innocent, and his gaze fell to the young prince in his arms. He swept some soft locks of hair away from the child’s forehead, an unreadable smile finding its way to his lips.
Queen Junhye stifled a whimper with the back of her hand, fear settling deep in her gut, and the king’s gaze hardened, yet his voice stayed soft and patient. “Old friend…”
“We are not friends,” Crow spat harshly, as if the words themselves were a poison. “Not after what you have done.”
The boy stirred from his peaceful slumber, a soft noise of discomfort pulling at the queen’s heartstrings. She reached out with a cautious hand, drawing it back to her chest when she realised she was too far away.
“Heizhu,” she started, her voice tinged with desperation, “let me have the child. Then you and Minki can talk. Please?”
Crow held the boy closer despite the queen’s pleas, almost tauntingly, and he smiled as he rocked him in his arms. “And miss the opportunity to give the child his christening gift? No, I do not think that will do.”
King Minki kept a firm hand on his wife’s waist, holding her in place. He could not allow her to run to their son, knowing they had to proceed with caution if they were to get the child back safely.
“Crow. Hand over the child. Please. It has been a long time and I understand if there are things we need to discuss. Let us take that conversation in the study room and leave the child alone.”
Their old friend’s smile slipped into a sneer, his hatred visible even in the low light. “You say you understand, but you do not. You do not know the pain I have felt.” He turned his eyes back to the child, the smile reappearing, and he pressed a chaste kiss to the infant’s forehead before continuing in a sing-song voice. “... But you will.”
“Heizhu, please!” the queen cried, her husband still restraining her. The man growled at the old name.
“It is Crow!” he roared, and the baby stirred again, a soft whimper leaving him. The king could feel his heartbeat quickening at the sound, and his resolve grew stronger.
It was the raised voices that finally called attention to the guards posted at the end of the hall. Everyone in the room was silenced by the sound of hurried footsteps approaching the door, voices shouting over each other, words of “Protect the royal family!” and “Your Majesties, are you alright?” reaching the occupants inside.
“Careful now,” Crow muttered, a wave of his hand shutting the door behind the regents, a click ringing out as the lock slid into place just as the footsteps neared. “We would not want to be interrupted.”
Fists hammered on the door and the royal guards’ voices grew in volume and urgency when they found themselves unable to force their way in to protect the regents and the young heir. “Open the door this instant!”
“Your guards have not changed a bit, I see,” Crow spat. “Always sticking their noses in business that does not concern them.”
“Crow, give me the child,” Minki ordered, his voice hardening as he made to approach the other male, realizing the guards would not be able to get inside and help and therefore taking it upon himself to get his son away from Crow.
Crow threw out a hand, keeping a tight hold on the child with the other. “Quiet.”
It was not fear that kept them frozen in place this time, but a spell. The king fought the invisible restraints, his agitation rising at the sounds of his distressed wife and child. “Crow! This is not the time!”
His voice broke as he racked his mind for something, anything, to get through to the man he once knew. Gone was the man he once called his friend, leaving only a monster, but perhaps Heizhu was still there, buried underneath all of the hatred and pain.
“Revenge is not the answer, Heizhu. Do not let it poison your mind and soul! Whatever you have in mind is not the right thing to do.”
But the words meant nothing to the other, who simply shook his head.
“And yet I will do it anyway, if it pleases me.” He looked at the young prince in his arms and added, in a thoughtful voice, “Perhaps I have grown to crave the taste of poison.”
He was quiet for a while before his eyes narrowed and he turned his attention back to the regents, shaking the thoughts of Mingzhu away. “You wanted dark magic,” he muttered, a hand coming to rest on the baby’s forehead, “and so you shall have it.”
“No, Heizhu!” Junhye cried out. “Heizhu, do not hurt him, please, I beg of you!”
The king, too, shouted at Crow, but their pleas went unanswered.
“Mingzhu was not shown mercy, and neither will it be shown tonight.” A simple smile fell over his lips. “Allow me to be the first to welcome the child into the world.”
“If you hurt as much as a lock of hair on his head -” Minki started, only to be cut off.
“You will do what? Hmmm?” Crow questioned, raising his chin in challenge.
“I swear on my life that I shall never forgive you!” the king finished, earning a wicked laugh from the other.
“Well, how about you swear on his life?” Crow mocked, indicating the child with a nod of his head. “What is his life worth to you?”
Minki was at his wit’s end, the queen reduced to hysterics by his side as she battled her own restraints in vain, her eyes never leaving the child. It was then that the king’s desperation reached its peak, knowing his heir, his firstborn child, was being punished for something that he had no part in.
“I was the one who made a mistake,” he reasoned. “I should be held responsible for it, not him!”
“And who do you think taught Mingzhu magic?” Crow countered, his gaze hard as it found the king once more. “Who do you think taught her how to access such power? The roses she tended to?” A dry laugh fell from his lips. “No. I taught her, and yet I survived and she did not.”
Crow dropped his head in a moment of anguish, the memories he pushed away becoming too much to bear, before he reigned in his emotions once more. “You will feel the same pain I must live with. Every day, you will be reminded that you are the reason for a loved one’s suffering, and you will be able to do nothing. I will make sure of it.”
“You will not!”
“Watch me.” Crow turned his attention back to the whimpering young prince, a satisfied grin stretched across his face as he began to recite.
“Let darkness stain the touch of youth and buckle underneath the truth. Every hour counts a year, of time gone by and death brought near. At twenty four, his life shall fade, a price for parents’ sins repaid. Let death take back the life it gave, one honest, caring, smart and brave. With parents’ blood within his vein, a needle’s prick shall right again.”
Minki could have sworn the light fled from the room as soon as the words were spoken, shadows pressing closer, darkness growing more prominent. But the effect passed as Crow finished, the room settling back into the dim moonlight.
The boy began to cry as the words came to a close and Crow chuckled lightly, shushing the child and rocking him gently, paying no heed to the outraged cries and screams coming from the other side of the room.
“Sleep, little one. You have nightmares to attend.”
“What have you done?” Minki shouted, eyes burning with anger and fright. “Heizhu, what have you done?”
“I have only returned your favor, Your Majesty,” Crow replied as he turned his back to the regents and laid the boy, who had fallen back asleep, in the crib. He stood still for a moment, simply observing the boy’s sleeping features, before reaching up with an open hand. In the light of the moon, the regents watched as a feather as black as the night outside was created by smoke between his fingers. He clutched it briefly in his palm before laying it next to the baby, caressing his cheek with his thumb.
“Happy birthday, young prince.”
“Get away from him!” Junhye screamed, tears trailing down her cheeks as a sob shook her frame.
Minki watched as Crow straightened, stepping away from the crib with a gentle sigh and moving closer to the window.
“You have condemned my child to death!” Minki accused, but Crow shook his head, throwing a grin over his shoulder.
“No, Sire. You have.”
And then Crow was gone, the regents released from the magic that locked them in place with a jolt. The door burst open, a handful of guards storming inside.
The queen staggered to the crib when she found herself free from the spell, reaching for her son with shaking hands and holding him tightly to her chest, as if fearing the man would return to snatch him away once again. She stumbled back, dropping down onto the bed, and cradled her baby close, heavy tears falling from her eyes. The guards called out to her, but she did not respond, ensnared in her worry.
Minki, furious and grief-struck at the curse that had been placed upon his first child, turned to the first guard he saw and roared, “Park! Find him! Find Heizhu and bring him to me!”
-
Despite scouring the land for Crow, not even his shadow was sighted, and the regents quickly lost hope of finding their one-time friend. Their efforts, then, turned to finding a way to break the curse Crow had cast upon their child. They looked for answers in books, ancient manuscripts, myths, and when that did not give them a cure, they sought help from some of their most trusted allies.
“Guozhi,” the king called the moment he stepped into the royal physician’s chambers, gaze immediately falling on the younger man. The physician, a thin man with an intelligent gaze and a gentle nature, glanced up from the parchment scattered around his desk, blinking up at his friend.
“Yes, Sire?”
The king let a short smile find its way to his lips. “Minki, Guozhi. I do not call you Doctor Zhang.” The smile vanished from his face again. “I need a word with you. It is strictly confidential and I askthat you do not tell anyone what I am about to say.”
Guozhi nodded slowly, folding his hands on top of the table and looking closely at the king. “I understand.”
The king sighed, gaze taking on a steely glint. “Heizhu, or Crow,as he now insists he is called, has used magic to put my son’s life in danger. It must be kept from the public.” Both men knew what this knowledge would mean to those who still harbored ill feelings after the Nightshade Rebellion. It would serve as a spark for a second uprising, a fight the kingdom did not need so soon after the last one. “Guozhi, friend, do you know of any way to break a curse?”
“A curse…” the physician breathed, closing his eyes shortly before opening them again and fixing them on the king. “What kind of curse?”
“Death,” Minki answered with barely concealed rage. “He cursed him to die when he turns twenty four.”
Guozhi shot the king a look of shock that quickly turned to pity. “I see.” He straightened in his seat and frowned. “You must know, Minki, curses are… difficult to break. Sometimes, the solution is not easily found.”
He looked up at the distressed king. “I will need a transcription of the curse. I must know what words were used if I am to have a chance of finding its weakness.”
The king sagged. “I do not remember what he said word for word. What I remember the clearest is the last line. ‘A needle’s prick shall right again’. The curse will be completed when he turns twenty four, because of our past mistakes.” Minki paused, a pained expression darkening his features. “No, because of me. This is my fault.”
Guozhi stood from the chair and came to stand by the king’s side, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder and squeezing, trying to somehow assure the king that everything would be fine, though he knew the prince’s future was uncertain at best. “I will do everything I can.”
Minki sighed and looked at his friend. “Thank you.”
Left alone to his books, Guozhi searched for anything that would help reverse what had been done. But days went by without any progress, and the physician regretfully admitted defeat on the seventh day.
“I am sorry, Minki,” the physician said as he entered the war room. It seemed to be the only room Minki stayed in, as of late, claiming his mind was clearest in the small room meant for talks of battle. But what was not expected was the attendance of another in the room, Wu Weishan.
The duke had always had an air of intimidation around him, with broad shoulders and a height that left him towering over most. He was a quiet man, almost unreadable at times, and though he had never shown a tendency for violence, his appearance left many wary. But it was not his looks that had Guozhi hovering by the door, but the topic at hand. The child’s curse was still confidential, and it left the physician unsure of what could be said in front of the man that held his king’s company at the moment.
The king, noticing Guozhi’s hesitation, made a gesture towards Weishan.
“It is alright, Guozhi. Weishan knows.”
With a nod, Guozhi steeled himself for what he was about to tell his king before continuing in a softer tone, “I tried my best, Minki, but I… There is too little to go by. I’m sorry.”
Minki closed his eyes, bracing himself against the table. His hands formed into fits and for a moment, it seemed as if he would break, but then, with a deep breath, he straightened up and nodded at Guozhi.
“I understand. Thank you for trying, my friend.”
The dismissal did not need to be voiced. Guozhi bowed, uttered another quiet apology, and left the two men.
“What will you do, Minki?” Weishan asked, his voice insistent, but aware of the frailty of the king’s current emotional state.
“What can I do?” the king countered, running a hand through his hair in a way that suggested he had done so frequently over the past few days. “There is nothing I can do. Crow spoke the truth. I can only bide my time, watch helplessly as my child’s life comes closer to its end every day.”
“There must be something, Minki,” Weishan urged, leaning forward over the table as he spoke. “I have known you for years, my friend, and you have never been one to give up so easily. There is always a solution. We will find it. Crow will not get away with this.”
“What do you suggest I do, then?” Minki asked, every ounce of his being marked with his fatigue and resignation.
And despite his encouragement, to that, the duke had no answer.
-
The next day saw the royal family in the rose garden. The queen was seated on a chair next to the rose bushes bursting with red blossoms, her son in one arm, a rosebud in her spare hand. The king was pacing in front of her, a frown adorning his face.
The curse on their child had strained the regents’ relationship. Never had they been this quiet around each other; the king, in particular, tiptoed around the queen. She had not yet voiced it out loud, but he knew she blamed him for their son’s fate. The accusation was there in every prolonged look in his direction, every tight-lipped smile she gave.
The child in the queen’s arms was smiling and gurgling, oblivious to the terrible curse that had been bestowed upon him. Junhye smiled softly down at her son, ignoring the constant desire to break and sob at the unfairness of the world. She did not know what she had done to deserve Fate taking away her firstborn child so quickly after he entered her life.
“My king.”
A voice broke through to the regents, stirring them from their individual thoughts, and Minki looked up to see Weishan crossing the garden with wide strides.
“What is it, friend?” he said in greeting, halting his pacing momentarily.
Weishan didn’t speak until he was right in front of Minki. The king did not miss the man’s glance at their surroundings, as if checking for others nearby, before he spoke again in a low voice that would keep the words for their ears alone.
“Minki. There might be a way.”
Minki’s eyes flared with an emotion he had not felt strongly for what felt like ages. Hope. “Yes? Speak, Weishan. What is it?”
“Get the prince away from the castle,” the duke said slowly. “Hide him from Crow. Tell the people the prince succombed to crib death and have someone take him away in the cover of night so no curious eyes will see.”
Weishan spared a look at the child, a sad smile on his features. “If Crow does not know where he is, he might be safe from his magic.”
Minki’s eyes narrowed, and the scoff of disbelief left his lips before he could stop it. He started pacing again, only to stop in front of Weishan mere seconds later. “You are asking me to send my son away with someone I trust?”
When Weishan nodded, Minki shook his head sharply.
“I trusted Heizhu,” he said as he turned his attention to his son, watching as his wife stroked their child’s cheek with her finger, smiling down at the boy, “and look at the price I have paid for it.”
“I am aware that it is not a favored situation,” Weishan admitted, but pressed on, not to be discouraged, “however, it might be your last hope in saving him.”
“You are suggesting he is safer somewhere other than here,” Minki threw a hand out to indicate their surroundings, “at the castle, with guards and his parents to protect him?”
Weishan’s eyes softened as he laid a hand on the king’s shoulder. “I understand that this sounds like nonsense, but you must see reason.
“I would not want to see my own child be taken away,” the duke continued, and Minki was reminded of the news that his friend’s wife was also with child, due sometime later that fall, “but if it means my unborn son or daughter’s life might be spared, I would not hesitate.”
Minki observed Weishan in silence for a long moment before he released a heavy sigh. “Let me talk with Junhye. It is something she and I must decide together.”
“Of course,” the duke replied, nodding his head. “I will leave you, then. Find me when you have reached a decision. If you decide to take my advice, I can give you the names of the people I trust with such a mission.”
“Thank you,” the king said and with another nod, Weishan was gone, leaving in his wake an upset king.
“Dear,” he spoke after a long moment, breaking the silence that had been interrupted only by their son’s happy gurgling. He turned around, placing his hands behind his back before meeting the queen’s gaze. “There is something we must discuss.”
-
The regents debated Weishan’s idea throughout the whole night, the queen crying into her hands at the prospect of leaving her child in another’s care. She wanted so badly to be a mother, to hold her son and sing to him when he cried, to nurse him when he was sick, to play with him as he got older. She wanted to be there to watch him grow up, but that would not be.
Together, the king and queen reached a difficult decision. They would send their only son away, for it was the only way they could see to keep him safe.
“Sacrifices are necessary,” Junhye had stated later on, valiantly trying to smile through the heavy tears trailing from her eyes. “If this is his only hope, we must do this.” And the king could only agree.
After a hurried christening, the regents gathered Wu Weishan, Zhang Guozhi and few other people they trusted the most for a final meeting. After much talk, the duty as the prince’s guardian fell to Feng Kou, a quiet, bear of a man who was a long-time friend of both regents. Kou would be the one to whisk him away to an unknown location, one that even the regents would not know.
All in the name of protecting the prince’s life.
And so, the following night, the regents bid their goodbyes. The farewell was done in private with only the royal family and Kou present, the child sleeping through the emotional goodbyes of his parents, unaware of the uncertainties of his future and the dangers that lay ahead. The queen cried, holding her baby close for the last time in many, many years, if all went as planned. The king wound his arm around his wife’s waist and pulled her and their son closer, allowing tears to leave his eyes for the first time since the curse was placed.
When the time came for Kou and the prince to take their leave, the regents stayed back. Only after the pair had disappeared from sight did Junhye turn around in Minki’s arms and bury her face in his chest, sobs racking her body.
The king held her close, praying to every deity he knew that no harm would come to their son. Praying that one day, he would be able to embrace him again.
“Until your return… Minseok.”
Meg’s Notes: You brave, brave readers, getting through such a monster of a prologue. That was a lot of information thrown at you, so I hope your heads are not spinning too awfully bad, but here we go! With the background laid out, the story can officially begin with our beloved Exo. And what a story it is going to be. I hope y’all are excited, because I (we) sure am (are)! ^^
Nat’s Notes: Fun fact: We didn’t plan for this prologue to get so long, but, eh. What can you do? Anyway, I (we) hope you liked the prologue (which we have finally deemed alright for upload. The editing process has been a drag)! As Meg wrote, it was indeed a lot of information and I hope it didn’t throw you off. Chapter 1 (and the rest) will focus on the main characters, so stay tuned!
Also, bonus: Find connections! (Meg and Nat cackle in the background) We have included a lot, some intentionally, some not, and you will be greatly rewarded for each you find (with words of praise and our happiness). Look out for connections in the chapters!
Lovely readers, we will see you for Chapter 1!