Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Another meeting. Another fitting. Another pointless public appearance. Donghyuck's schedule is full, but his heart isn't, hasn't been since he started to push away his own wants and feelings for the sake of the kingdom, because that's what his dad said to do, that's what he wants him to do. And because Donghyuck is a good son, a good prince, a good heir, he listens. He always does. He never lets himself look bad in the public eye, never reporters get photos that could give even his most devoted of fan girls the ick.

But under it all, when he shuts the door to his way-too-large bedroom, he wishes he could just… stop. Wishes he could sneeze in public without needing to look majestic while doing it, wishes he could eat like a normal human being and not like he's doing some kind of performance.

But he would never tell anyone this — not even the diary he keeps slid under his mattress, because he can't even trust that it's not also somehow monitored.

Each of his days looks the same. It's draining, but he pushes through. And once it's finally over and the corset he has tied under his blouse is off of his body, he can finally exhale. Properly. Not the practiced, careful breathing for the cameras and for the kingdom.

He lets his shirt fall onto the ground of his bedroom, the silky fabric not making a sound when it lands on the cold wood. His feet are bare against the same wood, his shadow barely visible as the room is so dimly lit he can barely see, only the moonlight pouring through the sheer curtains. His pants are quick to come off too, leaving a trail of clothing behind him as he pads over to the bathroom connected to his bedroom, his body aching for a long, warm bath.

Thanks to him sending the maids away earlier, he can prepare his own bath this time. Filling up the tub, he makes sure the temperature is the way he likes it, not the way the maids do. He only puts up with what they give him, because they're nice and mean well, but half the things they do for him aren't quite what he likes — just what he's willing to support.

Donghyuck sprinkles some bath salts in once the water is about half way, letting the tub fill and dissolve the salts before slipping in, sighing softly when the warm water lifts the weights off his chest. The lower down he slides, the better he feels. It really does feel like the water lifts away all his worries and stresses, the water now reaching up to his bottom lip.

He stares at his reflection, the quiet buzz of the crickets outside the window filling the otherwise silent bathroom. Donghyuck doesn't like to lift his gaze while he's in the shower. It reminds him all too much that he's alone in this large, cold bathroom, just how he's alone in a kingdom so full of people and life.

Sometimes, he wishes he were born a commoner. He wishes he weren't royalty. Maybe then, he'd be able to enjoy his life. He would have gone to a normal school, would have had classmates, would have had friends. He would have fallen in love, would have had heartbreak, would have had a real drive to work hard.

It's not that he doesn't. He does, but it's just for all the wrong reasons.

One day, he will be the king of the kingdom his family has worked so hard to build up. But which kingdom would want a king who only cares for painting? What kingdom would want a king who cares more about the homeless cats than he does about the neighboring kingdoms?

No one would. A kingdom with a ruler like that would crumble within the first year.

An hour passes and the water in Donghyuck's bath has gone cold. His fingers are pruney, body covered in goosebumps. Slowly, he rises from the tub, reaching for the robe that always hangs nearby, waiting for him to finish his daily bath. He wraps it around himself, loosely tying the belt around his waist.

When he makes it back to his bedroom, he reaches for his lotion sitting on his vanity, massaging the thick moisturizer onto his skin until it's absorbed properly. Once his skin is soft and smooth, he slides into his silk pajamas, then into his bed, scooting until he's in the very center, surrounded by fluffy pillows.

He's tired. He wants to sleep. But even after his eyes flutter closed and his sleep mask is on, he just stares at the back of his eyelids.

Another hour passes. Donghyuck wishes he were taking another bath.

Finally, he stops fighting it. He sits up and tugs his sleeping mask off, rubbing his eyes although they're already adjusted to the darkness.

On nights like this, he either forces himself to drink a nasty tea that actually helps him sleep, or he writes in his journal. But his mind is too blank to even think of his own feelings, and his maids are probably in bed by now.

His gaze drifts over to the large bay window, the moonlight calling to him. Slowly, he gets out of bed and shuffles over, climbing onto the plush seat attached to the windows. He pushes aside the curtains, eyes drifting over the forest past the gate of the palace.

It looks peaceful over there, he thinks to himself. All the creatures of the forest — big or small — must have their own little place within the forest that they call home. To Donghyuck, it's both curious and sad. Those animals all fit in together to make up their own ecosystem, meanwhile Donghyuck, at the top of his own, doesn't even feel like he belongs in his own ecosystem, the kingdom.

☾

Donghyuck has never been one to sneak out. He follows rules. He sets an example for his younger sister. But tonight, he might have gone insane if he stayed in that palace any longer.

His footsteps are as soft as he can possibly make them, body moving swiftly but carefully as he sneaks out one of the back gates with ease. So much ease that it frightens him a bit, thinking of how an intruder could easily get in.

Once he's sure he's out of sight of any nearby watch towers, he walks normally again — slow, steady, collected. Even if no one is outside, he doesn't want to risk it. It would already be bad enough to get caught, but to get caught and look bad is a whole other level of bad.

Donghyuck has never gone far into the forest. The few times he has, it was with a maid that retired when he was about ten years old. Twelve years have passed since then, and yet he can still remember it all so vividly — how they walked on the very path Donghyuck is on, how she pointed out different bird species to him, how she taught him about the native flowers of their land.

But now, she's gone, and Donghyuck is left to wander and find things out himself.

It only takes half an hour for Donghyuck to get to the end of the path he knows. After that, there is no path, just pure, uninhabited forest. He goes to turn away, knowing that exploring — especially late at night — is never a good idea. The worry isn't being caught anymore, it's being found by something that isn't human. Bears, wolves, snakes. All creatures he's sure exist in a forest such as this one, even if he has never seen them himself.

But despite this, despite the worry, he continues. Not straight, where he'd be able to turn around and walk back the way he came from directly, but a little to the right, following a natural trail of small white flowers.

Those flowers don't lead him to anywhere special, just deeper into the forest. But he continues, pulling the hood of the cape he slid on before leaving over his head.

It takes around another half hour before he finds something worth stopping for. At first, he thinks it's just a clearing in the forest. But then he realizes that it's not just a clearing, but a large pond.

Donghyuck steps out from between the trees, eyes tracing over the water before him. It's so clear, the surface so beautifully decorated by various lily pads, some with pink flowers, other with white flowers, and multiple left plain. The croaking of the frogs even at the center of the pond can be heard from where Donghyuck stands, the sound comforting even if it's a little loud.

And across the pond, sits the prettiest thing of all — a large willow tree with droopy, lush blue leaves. It's mesmerizing, the way the branches lazily move in the soft breeze. It's presence alone feels like a gentle command, like it's the core of the pond, a core that helps the ecosystem thrive, not choke it.

Donghyuck steps close enough that the water nearly touches his toes. He stares up at the tree, still amazed at the sheer size of it. But after a moment, his gaze averts to something much smaller under the tree.

He doesn't know how he didn't notice it before, but now that he has, curiosity is already killing him.

Across the lake, right below the willow tree, sits a pretty cottage. From what Donghyuck can see at this distance, it is surrounded by flowers — maybe tulips and a few others, though he's not sure solely based off of just his squinting.

Seeing as he has already escaped his palace in the dead of night and has run off into the forest, Donghyuck decides there is no harm in walking around the pond to check it out. If someone lives there, they're sure to recognize him, but he doubts someone would be up at an hour this late, so it's okay.

He takes his time walking around the pond, each footstep less measured than the rest, like he's shedding years of practice just by walking slowly and breathing in the fresh air. There aren't many animals around the pond, probably due to the fact that it's nighttime, but Donghyuck can already see himself slipping away from the palace in the day time and sneaking over to this tranquil little area.

When he makes it to the other side, the willow tree looks even bigger than it did on the opposite side of the lake, some leaf-filled branches almost touching the top of his hood.

The cottage still looks quite small and cozy up close, the wood worn from weather but still standing strong to protect whoever inhabits it. Like Donghyuck thought he saw, various flowers surround the cottage, but they look carefully planted and not wild. It's clear that whoever lives here cares about nature, not just for the aesthetics, but also out of their own genuine, pure feelings straight from their heart.

He steps up to the cottage, wiping a leaf off of a wooden step and making sure his cape goes under his bottom before sitting down, just enjoying the view, the sounds, the fresh scent of the scenery.

Sometimes a frog croaks, sometimes the breeze makes the branches of the willow tree rustle, and sometimes an owl can be heard in the distance. Everything takes its turn, playing a delicate symphony, not for Donghyuck, but for the world, the ecosystem it all exists in.

And then, something unnatural draws Donghyuck's attention. A glow in the corner of his eye, a glow that approaches with soft footsteps.

Although he's panicking inside, Donghyuck slowly turns his head, heart thumping in a faster rhythm that usual.

In front of him stands a… fairy?

In fairy tales, fairies are mystical creatures that are no larger than a dragonfly. But this one is about Donghyuck's height, with light blue wings that spread out from behind his back, giving a soft glow.

Neither of them say anything. The fairy stares. Donghyuck stares back, trying to make sense of his face in the dim light that comes from both his wings and the moon.

The fairy wears circular glasses, his hair a light brown and messy, but his eyes are still visible under his bangs. He wears a blouse similar to the one the prince does in the day time, ruffles at the collar and sleeves, but his is an off white and looks a little rough, like it's been worn for many years and not constantly replaced like Donghyuck's. His pants are loose and dark brown, and he wears no shoes, his feet bare against the long grass.

Donghyuck swallows. "Can I help you?" He asks, careful and quiet, not sure if he's about to be busted or not.

"You're blocking my house."

Donghyuck blinks, then immediately shoots up, stepping away from the cottage, embarrassed. "Sorry." He watches the fairy closely, his wings fluttering slightly as walks, his body language suggesting nothing but pure calm. Not a single hint of fear or even recognition.

The fairy goes up the steps slowly, turning to look down at Donghyuck once he reaches the door. "Why are you here?"

"Sorry?"

"Why are you here?" The fairy repeats, not unkindly, just curious.

Donghyuck shifts from one foot to the other, hands fidgeting with his cape. "I… was just getting some fresh air." He has to recognize Donghyuck — there's no way he doesn't. But in the rare event that he doesn't, Donghyuck keeps his face hidden under the hood.

The fairy hums. "And why is your face hidden?" He asks, still curious.

Damn, this fairy is nosy as hell, Donghyuck thinks briefly, a thought he knows is not very princely or kind. "Um…" he mumbles, then decides to just rip off the band-aid. Slowly, he slides the hood of his cape off, revealing his face to this random fairy he still can't believe actually exists. "Is this better?"

But the fairy doesn't react. He doesn't even look like he recognizes Donghyuck one bit.

The fairy shrugs. "I was just curious, I didn't need you to take it off."

"Oh."

A silence falls between the two of them. The fairy stares like Donghyuck is some mystical being and not him. Donghyuck stares back as he tries to figure out how this guy hasn't recognized the literal prince of the kingdom yet.

The fairy looks around briefly , then looks back down at Donghyuck, wings fluttering again as he asks, "would you like to come in? It's late."

Donghyuck pauses, the offer hanging in the air.

"Yeah," he decides, already going up the creaky stairs. There is nothing left to lose, and plus, he doesn't want to go back to that palace, back to that life of tight corsets and even tighter schedules. Not for now, at least.

Inside, the cottage is just as cozy as Donghyuck had imagined it. It is lit by a warm overhead lamp the shape of a flower, the light filling the small space inside. There is really only a few things inside — a plush bed in the corner, a desk with a few papers and books, a wooden table with and a space for storage. No kitchen, no bathroom, just this. It's confusing, and the complete opposite to Donghyuck's oversized bedroom. In fact, Donghyuck's closet alone is probably double the side of the interior of this cottage.

"Where is your kitchen?" The words fall out of Donghyuck's mouth before he can filter them, a little blunt but not completely rude. Just not set up for perfection.

"I cook outside," the fairy explains, rummaging through the closet to the left of Donghyuck, casual like he doesn't have a stranger in his cottage.

Donghyuck hums. Interesting. He never thought about cooking in general, much less outside. He has maids to do that for him.

His eyes stay on the fairy's back, watching him continue to rummage until he makes a soft "ah-hah!" Sound, turning around to face Donghyuck.

"What?" Donghyuck asks when the fairy holds up a small, worn book up to Donghyuck's face.

"You're a human," the fairy points out like it wasn't already obvious.

"…Yes?" Donghyuck says, his confusion making his brows furrow.

He nods. "A human… no wonder you didn't have wings. Only advanced fairies know how to hide them properly."

Donghyuck isn't just confused anymore, he's intrigued and slightly alarmed. Has there always been fairies living this close by? What's next, mermaids?

"Shouldn't I be the one in shock right now?" Donghyuck questions. "I didn't even know fairies existed, and now I'm standing in the cottage of a random, nameless fairy."

"My name is Mark."

Donghyuck sighs, then corrects himself. "Okay. Well I'm still standing in the cottage of a random fairy that happens to be called Mark."

Mark shrugs, tossing the book back into the closet, the thud loud when it lands inside randomly. "It's not that crazy."

"Not crazy? Easy for you to say, you're the fairy here."

The little care and easily given kindness of Mark confuses Donghyuck to his core. He would never in a million years let someone completely random into his palace, much less his bedroom. And yet here Mark is, existing in the same space as Donghyuck like they've lived with each other for years and didn't meet just ten minutes ago.

Mark's back is to Donghyuck again as he fixes a candle on the corner of his desk, the flame waving back and forth due to the adjustment of its placement. "I'm also the one with a nameless man in my home," he points out, clearly referencing Donghyuck's words not too long ago.

"Donghyuck," he says quietly. The fairy is sure to know him now. "My name is Donghyuck."

Mark pauses. He hums thoughtfully. "Donghyuck," he repeats, tasting the name on his tongue. "That's a beautiful name."

That's it? Donghyuck thinks. Either this guy is trying to wrap his head around the fact that the literal prince of the kingdom is mere steps behind him, or he genuinely doesn't know that Donghyuck is a prince.

After a moment, it's clear that it's the latter, given the fact that when Mark turns back around, he just gives Donghyuck a small but warm smile.

"Would you like some tea?" Mark asks, now rummaging in the small area Donghyuck assumes is where he keeps all his food.

Donghyuck hums, staring at the back of Mark's neck. There's a small marking on the skin there, shaped like a water drop. It looks interesting, and Donghyuck can't tell if the mark itself glows, or if its Mark's slowly fluttering wings that are casting a light on the area.

"Is that a yes?" Mark asks, turning his head back to look at Donghyuck.

Donghyuck snaps back from his moment of zoning out, clearing his throat. "Well," he starts, stepping closer. "What do you have?"

"Chamomile and valerian root."

Donghyuck scrunches his nose. "Valerian root stinks."

Mark shrugs, a light smile tugging at his lips. "It helps you sleep."

"So does chamomile," Donghyuck argues. "Plus, it comes from a pretty flower."

Mark laughs quietly, a small, shallow dimple appearing on his left cheek. "True," he says, going back to rummaging in a drawer. He pulls out a little sachet, then a small pot, turning around with that same, small, friendly smile.

Without another word, he brushes past Donghyuck, carrying the supplies with him. Donghyuck's brain buffers for a moment, still hung up on the whole 'neighborhood fairy' type of friendliness coming from Mark, who barely knows him past his name. Donghyuck follows behind Mark right when he snaps back to reality, not wanting to be alone, even if the cottage is cozy and home-like.

His shoes sink into mud right as he steps off the porch of Mark's cottage, and he swears under his breath. Coming to the forest, he was aware of the possibility that he could end up getting dirty, but feeling the squishiness of fresh mud directly beneath his shoes makes him cringe, and it doesn't help that the dirtiness catches onto the bottom of his cape, making him lift it as he continues to follow behind Mark.

Mark doesn't stray far from the cabin, stopping at a little campfire and crouching in front of it. Donghyuck watches as he places the pot on the small stand built on top of the campfire, then goes to dig in one pocket of his pants. Mark huffs, searches the other, then gets back up.

"What's wrong?" Donghyuck asks, eyes following Mark's figure as he brushes past him again, already on his way back to the cottage.

"I forgot the matches," Mark says simply. "I'll be back, stay there."

Mark disappears back into the cottage a moment after that, and Donghyuck is left all alone. He stands there, letting it all finally sink in. Earlier, when he had first arrived to the pond area across Mark's cottage, he got the chance to look around a bit. But when he crossed over and ran into Mark, he had little time to soak it all in. From here, it's nothing short of beautiful. A quarter of the willow tree's leaves hang over Mark's cottage and the little cooking area he has, providing a shield from the rest of the world.

It might be the only place Donghyuck has ever been where he can't see the palace — just nature and the starry night sky above. It's peaceful here; a little area tucked away from all the noise of the kingdom, free of expectation and pressure.

For a moment, Donghyuck's mind begins to wander. What would it be like to live in a place like this? He could never possibly imagine doing certain things he'd need to in order to survive out here, like cooking for himself, for instance. Even standing in front of a humble little campfire like this, it feels like a foreign concept, like he shouldn't even be looking at it in this very moment.

But he is, and it makes him realize something. Mark's life is worlds — no, galaxies — away from his. And yet he's treating him like he's just another wanderer in need of shelter for the night.

Donghyuck shifts on his feet. He should have chosen something more comfortable knowing he was going to be walking on such natural and uneven terrain, not the polished palace floors. He glances sideways, spotting a log nearby, only then piecing together that there are multiple logs surrounding the campfire. Assuming that they're there as seating, he tucks his cape under his bottom before carefully sitting down on one log, his legs pressed together like he's afraid he might touch something dirty if he doesn't keep his entire body to himself.

A few minutes pass and Donghyuck spots a light blue glow coming from behind him. It startles him for a moment, but a familiar, smooth voice fills his ears.

"Hey," Mark says, smiling sheepishly at Donghyuck. "Sorry I took so long, I couldn't find these," he adds, shaking a half empty box of matches.

Donghyuck shakes his head. "That's alright."

Mark hums, then walks around the area, collecting a few twigs before tossing them on top of the previous lumber, then lighting it with a match he brought from inside the cottage. The flame is large under the pot, practically engulfing it.

Just as Donghyuck begins to wonder how Mark would make tea like this, especially because the pot itself hadn't been filled with any sort of liquid, a quick, light glow of comes from the marking on the back of Mark's neck, and this time, Donghyuck is sure it wasn't the glow of his wings.

"So…" Donghyuck starts, staring at the now-dark marking on Mark's neck. "You're a fairy."

Mark snorts. "We went over that already," he says, stirring the pot carefully. "But yes, I am. A water fairy, to be exact."

Donghyuck's eyes widen. "Water fairy? I didn't know there was types. I thought that they all just sprinkled around golden fairy dust and granted wishes or something."

Mark laughs again, this time turning to look up at Donghyuck, grinning like he said the funniest thing ever. "You're thinking of a genie, Donghyuck."

"Those exist too?"

Mark gets up, wiping some dirt off his already dirty pants. "No, but half of that description would match that of a make believe genie."

Donghyuck swallows, embarrassed at his cluelessness. Being knowledgeable is something that is ingrained in him, something that brings him pride. But all of that knowledge goes down the drain simply by looking at Mark, this fairy that makes him question all of what he thought was possible.

He bites his tongue, not pushing to ask about that strange marking, or how water magically appeared in the pot, his brain far too exhausted from both the day and trying to wrap around everything new he's discovering.

After another few moments of silence, only the sound of Mark stirring the pot and the frogs croaking filling the air, Mark finally sets the fire out, a small, strong gush of water coming from the palm of his hand, the little marking on the back of his neck glowing again.

Donghyuck gasps. Now he is most definitely sure that the water from both earlier and now came out of thin air.

"You—" he stutters, taking a step back out of instinct, not necessarily fear. "The water…"

Mark hums, picking up the pot casually, like he didn't just flip Donghyuck's world upside down again, again. "What about it?"

Donghyuck buffers, unintelligent noises pouring out his lips as his brain struggles to catch up with the thoughts racing in his head.

Mark chuckles. "The water…?" He prompts, standing there like this is normal. Which it probably is for him, but it's not at all normal for a regular human like Donghyuck.

"You just—" he squeaks. "That water came out of nowhere!"

Mark glances down, the palm of his hand still glistening with wetness. "I guess it did, huh?"

"How are you so calm about that?" Donghyuck asks while trailing behind Mark again, who is already headed back towards the cottage. "I mean— you basically made that out of thin air!"

"Donghyuck," Mark says with an amused smile, glancing back at him once he's at the top of the porch steps. "I'm a fairy. This is normal."

Donghyuck's mouth opens, then closes, then opens again. He looks like a fish out of water, shock clear on his face. He's — somehow — more shocked at the weird water abilities Mark just showed than he is of Mark's existence itself.

"Come inside," Mark says, holding the door open. "I need to pour your tea before it gets cold."

Donghyuck snaps back, quickly heading up the steps leading to the cottage door, cape fluttering behind him. Once inside, he watches Mark closely again. Mark moves around the small kitchen area of the cottage with ease, fishing out two wooden mugs and pouring an even amount of tea into each mug.

"Would you like honey?" Mark asks, rummaging through a cabinet, pulling out a container with an entire honeycomb sitting in a pool of honey.

Donghyuck steps forward, peeking over Mark's shoulder. "Do you have sugar?" He asks, thinking of the small cubes they have back at the palace which dissolve nicely into his afternoon tea.

"No," Mark snorts. "I'm not royalty, Your Highness."

Donghyuck's heart drops to his stomach so fast he can almost feel his dinner come back up. He goes quiet, trying to figure out if Mark finally recognized him as the prince, or if he knew all along but didn't say anything.

Mark's smile falters. "Donghyuck?" He calls, voice soft and carrying a hint of worry. "Are you okay?"

"Mark," Donghyuck starts, the name barely audible when he says it. "Do you.. um."

"Was that weird?" Mark asks when Donghyuck trails off. "It was just a joke, you know?" He scratches the back of his head, looking both guilty and ashamed. "I don't usually have sugar since I don't go into town a lot…"

The sound of Mark's explanation fades into the background as Donghyuck realizes something. Mark really doesn't know anything, does he? Doesn't have a clue about Donghyuck or the royal family. He's just some kind-of poor fairy in the middle of the woods who doesn't think before he speaks.

Donghyuck huffs a laugh, interrupting the small rant Mark went into as Donghyuck had his little moment of clarity. "It's okay," he says, giving a small smile to convince Mark he didn't take offense to his poorly executed joke.

Mark presses his lips into a fine line. "Are you sure?"

Donghyuck nods. "Yeah. Just put the honey in my tea and forget about it, alright?"

"Alright…"

The carpet next to Mark's bed is fluffy and comfortable to sit on. Donghyuck wishes there were a material so soft and plush back at the palace. What good is so much money and status if all the chairs make his bottom hurt after only five minutes of sitting?

He runs his fingers through the green carpet, it's pillowy properties making Donghyuck want to just lay down and take a nap. Although that might be due to the late hour, or the fact that he has already downed half his camomile tea Mark prepared.

Mark sets his cup down on the wooden table next to his bed, sliding down to meet Donghyuck on the floor. "Are you sleepy?" He asks, bringing his knees up to his chest, resting his cheek on them to be able to look over at Donghyuck properly.

Donghyuck nods, taking another slow, long sip. "I am," he says. "It's quite relaxing here. No noise or stress… just silence."

Mark hums, toeing at the carpet. "It is," he says thoughtfully. "That's why I chose to live here."

"Really?"

"Yep."

Donghyuck hums, glancing back down at the carpet. "Say, what's this made out of? It's incredibly comfortable."

"Moss," Mark replies simply.

"Moss?" Donghyuck echoes. "Hm. I never thought moss could be so… comfortable."

Mark's hand lowers from around his knees, meeting Donghyuck's on the moss, their fingers brushing briefly. "Well, now you know," he murmurs. "But don't try to steal this for yourself, okay? I worked hard to get this in here."

Donghyuck laughs under his breath. "I won't."

Mark doesn't continue to drink his tea, but Donghyuck does. He takes his time, savoring each sip, letting the now warm liquid slide down his throat easily, letting it take his worries with it. After some time, he begins to just breathe. No thoughts about the palace or his responsibilities for tomorrow or a fairy existing right next him race through his mind anymore.

His eyelids begin to feel heavy, head bobbing slightly as he begins to doze off, fingers just barely holding onto his empty tea mug.

Mark notices, reaching out to take the mug from Donghyuck's hands. Donghyuck jolts awake, eyes wide.

"It's late," he states, standing up so fast he gets a little dizzy. "I— I should go now."

Mark stands too, slow and calm. "Okay," he says, collecting his own mug along with Donghyuck's, taking them back to his kitchen area.

Donghyuck scrambles to the door, pulling his hood up over his head, hiding his face.

"Do you need help getting back to town?" Mark asks, following Donghyuck to the door.

Donghyuck shakes his head, opening the cottage door and stepping outside quickly. "No, I don't," he says, taking one last glance back at Mark. He doesn't stare for too long, just sucks in a breath and steps down the porch stairs.

"Thank you," he says once he's at the bottom. "For the tea. And for not kicking me out."

"Yeah," Mark breathes. "No problem. Come back whenever."

Donghyuck nods, and then he's off, not even waving back at Mark when the fairy does to him. His steps are fast and back to being measured, making his way around the pond before dipping back into the forest where he came from.

He doesn't know what time it is anymore, but he can't risk not getting back to the palace before sunrise.

☾

"Your Highness," says a gentle voice, seeping into Donghyuck's dreams. "Your Highness, it's time to wake up."

Slowly, Donghyuck stirs, then his hand comes up to tug the silk sleeping mask off of his face, soft morning sun greeting his eyes. He sits up, handing the maid his mask before stretching just his upper body in bed. He wishes he could go back to bed, a light headache already building just behind his eyes.

The maid smiles warmly at Donghyuck when he glances over, still half asleep. "Did you sleep well, Prince?"

Donghyuck blinks away the slight grogginess still lingering in his body before nodding. "Yeah," he says simply, sliding out of bed and extending his arms for the maid to put his morning robe onto his body, covering his pajamas.

He doesn't mention the strange dream he had — the one with the pond and the willow tree and the fairy with the light blue wings, although it felt oddly realistic for it to be a dream.

"Today you have breakfast with the king and queen," the maid starts, listing off Donghyuck's daily agenda. It's not every day that Donghyuck gets to even eat with his parents, which means they probably have something to talk to him about.

Donghyuck pauses at the bay window, the maid's words tuning out as he looks out at the forest past the gates. The forest from his dreams, the forest that led to that pond, that willow tree, that fairy.

Fairies don't exist. Donghyuck moves on.

But then, he catches a glimpse of his cape, shoved under his bed messily, a corner of the white fabric peeking out from the hiding spot. He's normally an organized person, keeping all his clothing items in his walk in closet. Not only is it expected for a prince like him to have order in his life, it is also convenient.

That is how he knows for sure that it wasn't a dream, that he didn't make the whole adventure up in his mind.

Amiss the normal morning chaos of multiple maids in his bedroom at once, Donghyuck glances back out the window, eyes scanning the forest below.

A fairy. He really met a fairy in the middle of the night.

What is fascinating to him isn't just the fact that he met a fairy, it's the fact that in those hours he snuck out of the palace, he felt the most alive he has felt ever.

"Your Highness," his maid urges when Donghyuck doesn't move from in front of the window. "You'll be late."

Donghyuck blinks, then hums, mind still elsewhere. "Right," he mumbles more to himself than the maids. "You may be excused," he says, waving a hand dismissively. "I'll be down shortly."

The maids glance at each other, then nod.

When the door shuts behind them, Donghyuck finally exhales, shoulders already stiff. He takes one final glance out the window, then steps away.

Donghyuck's maids stay outside the door of his bedroom, a worried expression washing over all of their faces.

"The prince looks tired," one comments, brows knitting like shes already trying to figure out what could possibly be bothering Donghyuck.

Another nods, agreeing. "You're right. He's always been quiet, but this feels like too much."

Inside, Donghyuck can hear their murmurs, their gossip. He has never been one to care much about what the maids say, after all, they work for him anyway, what they say about him doesn't cost him much. But it is irritating, especially in times like these, where they're right.

"Perhaps he heard of His Majesty's plan to marry him off—"

The door pulls open so fast that it causes a light wind, ruffling the maids' skirts.

"I said you can go now," Donghyuck says, voice firm, stern. "I didn't say to gossip about me right in front of my bedroom, did I?"

"Y-your Highness!" One of them squeaks, all of them instantly sinking in on themselves.

"We apologize," another says, giving a low bow, her cheeks and ears flushed in the embarrassment at being caught.

Donghyuck stares. They finally catch the memo, giving another deep bow before scurrying off in different directions.

The door shuts with a thud strong enough to rattle the paintings on Donghyuck's walls, his hand tense on the doorknob.

Letting out another sigh, he tries to loosen his jaw and relax his stiffened shoulders.

He has more important things to worry about than the maids, he knows this. And yet, hearing them murmur about him like he's their only form of entertainment feels oddly dehumanizing — like he's only an object to look at and talk about, not a person with feelings.