Happily (Lay/ Xiumin)
Title: Happily
Rating: PG-13
Main Pairing/s: Xiumin/Lay
Side Pairing/s: Hints of one-sided Xiumin/Suho, very slight very subtle past! Xiumin/Lu Han
Word Count: 9462
Warning/s: implied minor character deaths, implied torture (very slight)
Summary: When Prince Minseok lost control of his ice powers and froze the entire palace, freezing everyone in it save for himself, his uncle had him locked away in a tower for the safety of the kingdom. Yixing, a doctor’s apprentice with the power to heal, is sent to him.
Originally written for withxiulay
Note: Updated as of 12/14/16 with tense corrections and mini epilogue.
Author/s Notes: A big thank you to the WXL mods for creating the fic fest and dealing with trash writers like me who suck at communication. I am in awe of your incredible patience and kindness. Also a big shout out to my beta, HK, for agreeing to help me with betaing on short notice. Also to Amlika for doing the tedious work of correcting all my tenses.You both are stars! <3 To the OP, I deviated (I think) from your prompt a bit (or a lot) so I hope you still enjoy the fic at least. Thank you!
“Once upon a time, there was a prince. Upon birth he was blessed with the power of Frost just like those before him. Much beloved by the King and Queen of his kingdom, he also had the heart of the court and the kingdom’s people.
As he approached adolescence, he started attending court and training with the military. He was a big boy but no subject ever saw him as anything other than handsome and the type of majestic that only their prince could have.
But something ate at the prince. Some say that dark forces preyed upon his energy and corrupted his mind. Others say it was witchcraft. No one knows why but…”
Yixing scoffed as he turned away from the raggedy old man by the fire in the tavern.
Yixing had heard this story over and over again. It was a popular fireside story. He first heard it when he was a young trainee doctor and it’d been five years since. The original story was less dramatic. He remembered telling one of the senior apprentices that the prince must’ve gone crazy to do what he did.
That had earned him a smack on the head.
“How can you be a doctor to the people if you make diagnoses like that without listening and learning first?”
He had scurried away pitifully but learned from it. He after all could not depend on anything else as a doctor. Especially now that he was at the brink of finally leaving the apprenticeship behind. He would be a true doctor soon.
Without the help of his “gift”.
He had been bullied by the others at first, but he rose his way in the ranks and became the senior doctor’s apprentice using his skill rather than his gift. He smiled to himself. The best revenge in his opinion.
“…one day, the prince went crazy.”
Minseok looked up from his storybook. Looking down from his tower, his eyes followed the voice that carried over the valley. It looked to be a group of travelers making camp in the snowy mountains. Minseok thought to himself that they were having fun telling stories now but the snow and the mountain creatures would claim them if they were not careful. Or he could claim them like the monster in the stories they told of him.
But he wouldn’t.
Sighing, he focused on the snow gathering in the courtyard under his window. He had just finished reading about the cow herder and the weaver, so he figured that would be his next sculpture. Focusing his powers, he willed the ice crystals to stack and weave together.
When he opened his eyes, the cow herder and weaver were in each other’s arms, smiling at each other by the small frozen pond. Minseok tried to smile for them but even he could feel the corners droop on his lips.
Drained from using his powers, Minseok closed the window and went back to reading yet another fairytale.
When Minseok woke the next day and saw the happy couple in love under his window, rage took him and even Frost could not stop him from splitting the lovers apart.
Yixing felt betrayed.
How could his master let him down like this?
When the other senior apprentices took their final task for finishing apprenticeship, they had been sent to rural villages in their kingdom. But he was not being sent to a village.
He was being sent to a prince.
The Prince.
Yixing groaned just thinking about it. He had not even thought that the prince was a real person, let alone that the story was true. He himself could not believe that this happened to him. He knew that because of his powers, his master had to bring up his final task with the Emperor himself but he never thought it would end up like this. His so-called gift kept turning out to be more of a hindrance than anything.
He secretly questioned what the Emperor really meant by making him do this. He also questioned the ambassador from Jin for even suggesting it. They must really be trying to curry favor with them to send him. He could do better here than god knew where for a crazy prince.
“Minseok.”
Minseok closed his book with a thud. He hated being interrupted. “You’re not supposed to be here, Junmyeon.”
Still clad in his traditional government officials robe, Junmyeon pulled close the door to Minseok’s drawing room. The drag of the door on the ice under his foot made a scratching sound that he didn’t like.
“If you don’t like it so much, you shouldn’t come here.”
Junmyeon took the only other chair in the room before sending Minseok a smile. “You know I can’t stand the cold, but it’s you, so…”
Minseok doesn’t respond.
“They’re… sending someone here to help you.”
Junmyeon thought it was almost comical how far up Minseok’s eyebrows shot up. He always knew Minseok to be really expressive, unlike the cold demeanor he puts on in front of the king.
“He’s a doctor’s apprentice but apparently he’s very skilled and very good with healing. They thought maybe…” Junmyeon didn’t want to finish and Minseok let out a hollow laugh.
“They keep trying to cure me, fix me. They don’t even know what’s wrong.”
Junmyeon wanted to ask. What is wrong, Minseok? But Minseok had never confided in him on that particular topic and it’d been five years. No matter how many times he asked, Minseok won’t say a thing.
With that, Junmyeon stood up to walk out but not before pausing by Minseok and laying a hand on his shoulder. It was warm and Junmyeon still had hope.
“He’ll be here tomorrow, my prince.”
When the door shut, Minseok whispered to no one in particular.
“Am I still anyone’s prince?”
Yixing had expected to be housed in the palace with the other doctors and their apprentices. When his carriage did not stop in front of the castle, Yixing panicked.
Had they really sent him here to be killed? Was his power so danger-
His carriage driver yelled over the wind, “That’s the new palace, sir. We were told to drive by it so you can see it before you go to the old palace for the prince’s treatment.”
How cruel. Showing him the sunny paradise with its beautiful stone walls and green foliage spilling over it. Even the towers inside the palace rose high and proud. Yixing had been to the palace at home many times, but this was different.
But before he could continue seeing more, the scenery turned to white before him. They were entering the mountains but the line between summer and winter was just a traceable boundary on the ground. Yixing brought his cape closer to his body. He never did well with cold.
Yixing knew they were getting close when the driver and attendants got increasingly agitated. By the time they got to the frozen gates of what seemed to also be a palace, they were already so on edge that a single howl in the wind sent them into shock. But of course a strong wind always howls, Yixing laughed to himself.
He wasn’t scared in the slightest until a sharp spike of ice pierced through the locks on the gate, opening them when the senior attendant couldn’t seem to get the keys to work. Before he knew it, he was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground with all his belongings as his former traveling party abandoned him, shouting well wishes as they hightailed away.
Abandoned, scared, and alone, Yixing could only bring himself to move further inside the palace. He closed the gates in case the howls were actually wolves or something worse. He didn’t think to fear it before.
It took him almost an hour, or what he thought was an hour, to haul his luggage to what seemed to be the main hall of the former palace. He collapsed on the floor of the entry way and observed his surroundings.
In its glory days, this must have been a grand palace. The arched ceilings were high and the room was wide. The ceilings were decorated with murals and there were beautiful crystal chandeliers accompanying them. It was a shame, he thought, that all the ice and snow obscured them. Even the flame that sat upon the candles in the chandeliers were frozen.
He stared in awe at a palace, a life, that was literally frozen in time.
“… there was something not right about the prince. They say one night, during a ball, he froze everything. The palace was encased in snow…”
True.
“The ponds froze over…”
Also true if the gardens Yixing trudged through outside were any indication.
“…and the people. He froze each and every living being inside the palace, even those he loved most.”
Yixing searched the empty halls for frozen people. He vehemently wished he would not find any. For all his medical experience, frozen bodies were always the worst. The pain involved with dying from frost was…
“There you are.”
Yixing felt like his stomach dropped to his feet. He could hear the other person coming closer even if his footsteps didn’t produce much sound in the snow.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
The voice sounded very kind and earnest and Yixing couldn’t help but turn around to face it. He quickly lowered his eyes as if seeing the prince’s face would turn him to stone and ice.
“Your highness, I am Yixing. I was sent here to cure your illness.”
The man laughed, “Not my illness, healer. I am perfectly healthy.”
Yixing was confused.
“Your highness, the prince, is not ill?”
This time Yixing heard the smile in his voice. “Your highness, yes. The prince, not quite. I am a prince, but not the prince.”
What?
“And no, I am not ill.”
Yixing finally had the courage to look up at the man. It was true. His cheeks produced a healthy pink color and he looked like perfect health. But he was still confused.
“…prince? Your highness? Are you perhaps the prince’s brother?”
The man looked like he choked on himself before becoming loud and affronted, “No! I am not the prince’s brother. We are- “
Yixing listened carefully. The man’s shoulders slumped. “We are distant cousins by marriage. Of a sort.” He wrinkled his nose at his admission. “Not related by blood… at all.”
“I am Prince Junmyeon, the adopted son of the uncle of the Prince.”
“Ah the King’s-“
“Yes, yes I suppose he is King, isn’t he?”
Yixing’s eyes widened at the words the prince spoke. If he wasn’t careful, the words sounded awfully a lot like trea-
“Anyway, you are here for the actual prince. He’s locked up in the tower behind the inner palace. I’ll lead you there only once, so commit it to memory, healer.”
Yixing quickly threw out all thoughts and focused on getting his belongs and trudging after Prince Junmyeon as he led the way. Never faltering even once, Yixing noted that Prince Junmyeon must have walked these halls and walkways many times in the past.
Yixing saw the tower before Junmyeon could even point it out to him. It was a pristine white and shimmered when the light hit it.
“Pretty,” he whispered as he continued to follow Junmyeon. Junmyeon only paused for a second before continuing. Yixing couldn’t tell if it was just the wind but he swore he heard him mutter, “For a prison, I suppose it is.”
Prison? Locked up? These were things that the stories did not talk about. Yixing had so many questions, and it did not seem like the prince in front of him was going to answer much.
Junmyeon stopped walking when they were almost right under the tower. He paused his hand on the giant wooden doors in front of him. “Behind this is the a courtyard that leads to the tower. There are rooms that open up to the courtyard. You may take your pick. There will be no one to compete with you for them.” He smiled as if enjoying a private joke.
Although he made to push the doors, he thought again and quietly stepped back. Looking up at the tower, the prince only said, “Good luck. I’ll come by to check on you when I have time, though court is busy these days.”
Yixing looked frantically from the wooden doors to the solemn prince in front of him. How could he leave him like this? What were his instructions? What about the prince?
“You-but- the prince?”
Junmyeon smiled at Yixing as if to placate his nerves. “The tower is unlocked. You will find him in there. You know… Minseok is not a cold person.”
If today had not been so confusing already, Yixing managed a, “Minseok? Wait, I thought you said it was lock-,“ before finding that he was completely alone. The footprints in the snow were the only indicators that Junmyeon was ever really there.
Yixing stared out into the stone cold walls and the snow ladened paths. Even if they were beautiful to look at, it was so very cold and he found it hard to breathe. If the prince was not insane before, living too long in a place like this could make anyone crazy.
Minseok watched from the tower as Junmyeon made his way out of the palace. He almost called for him to stay until his eye caught the healer, the doctor’s apprentice. He had opened the doors carefully and respectfully enough. Minseok wondered how long until he panics.
He made it four steps into the courtyard before he started yipping and stomping in fear at the scene before him. Junmyeon had asked Minseok to take down his sculptures, but he insisted on having them here. He said it was his art at the time, but really, Minseok had wanted to see what nerves the apprentice had. Not a lot by the looks of it.
After a while, Minseok started to back away from the window when his curiosity got the better of him. The apprentice was carefully examining the sculptures. He was making sure they weren’t actual people. Minseok scoffed. The stories were really too much.
He watched a little longer to see the apprentice pat one sculpture, the moon princess, calling her beautiful. It was such a silly scene that Minseok couldn’t help but laugh. The apprentice’s head shot up and faced towards Minseok. Feeling caught, Minseok quickly closed the window and sank out of sight.
His face started to heat up from embarrassment and Minseok cursed himself. Who knew someone so cold could still feel this hot?
Yixing had not imagined it. The prince was a real person and the prince laughed at him. Of course, it was silly to talk to ice statues, but he got a laugh out of the monster everyone said he was. Yixing tucked into his covers that night thinking that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
That night he dreamed of a man with almond shaped eyes and round healthy cheeks smiling at him. He held his hand and showed him stars in the ponds. He was warm.
When Yixing woke the next day, he didn’t remember his dream, but the warmth in it stayed with him. It gave him courage to finally go up the tower.
Yixing knew it was impolite to stare but in the tower’s drawing room, there wasn’t much else to look at. Much like everything else, snow and ice covered everything. There was a unicorn painting that Yixing liked to look at the first couple of days, but it’s been a week now and it no longer interested him.
Other than that, there was only a long table, a single empty flower vase, and the prince. Yixing had seen much grander drawing rooms than this. He wondered before if it was sparse because the prince liked it so or because he was a prisoner.
Seeing as the tower wasn’t exactly locked, Yixing figured that it must be the prince.
The prince was someone Yixing didn’t get tired of looking at. His hair was short and was a stern cut, but it suited the prince. His face was rounder and his eyes were almond shaped and of a beautiful brown color. Looking at the lines on his face, Yixing surmised that the prince used to laugh a lot.
Aside from the first day, Yixing had not manage to make the prince laugh again. Or do much else, it seemed.
“You’re staring, apprentice.”
“My apologies, your majesty.”
He wasn’t actually sorry but there really wasn’t much to do except to look at Minseok. Yixing smiled to himself. He liked calling the prince by his name to himself. It made him seem more warm, more approachable that way. Though the prince had called him “apprentice” and Yixing thought that he did it on purpose because he noticed the way Yixing reacted to it.
The prince returned to his book and Yixing wondered about it. He was always reading some sort of fairytale and Yixing wondered where he got it from. There didn’t seem to be many rooms inside the tower, but as with most things, he didn’t ask. Logically, Yixing figured that Minseok probably took it from whatever library the old palace had. Minseok wasn’t in the least trapped from what Yixing could see.
But he hadbeen through this before. Made assumptions. But what was there to listen and learn from if Minseok didn’t talk?
Finally fed up with it, he scooted closer to Minseok. Looking over his shoulder, he asked him, “Your majesty, what is it in these books that you read them so much?”
Without even looking up at Yixing, he closed the book and walked towards the door. Pausing at the door, Minseok whispered.
“A happy ending.”
Minseok had to give it to the apprentice. He was naïve and clueless most of the time but he was stubborn and incredibly wile where it counted. That’s how he found himself being led down the stairs of his tower.
Normally, touching a prince was unheard of. Minseok wondered if it was because he did not think himself a prince or whether it was the apprentice that was an exception. He tried not to entertain either thoughts.
Yixing’s warm hand was distracting him. It had been awhile since he’s held anyone’s hand. He almost missed the warmth it gave.
Once at the ground floor, Yixing pushed open the doors and a breath lodged itself in Minseok’s throat and stayed. It had been a while since he had seen the courtyard like this. He didn’t know how, but when Minseok was not watching, Yixing had painstakingly repaired all the statues. His creations were almost whole again.
“I’m not an ice user, so I couldn’t fix them as well as the person who made it but I tried. Like… a head start?”
Minseok nodded. He doesn’t know what made him do it, but he closed his eyes and concentrated. He heard Yixing gasp and he knew. When he opened his eyes, the statues looked almost perfect.
“They’re beautiful, your majesty.”
“Not completely but… I did what I could.”
Minseok gripped the frame of the door before he could faint.
There were no nightmares. That’s a first, Minseok thought.
He slowly opened his eyes and noticed that the curtains must have been pulled back because sunlight shone in. He turned his head to see a tuft of hair by the side of his bed.
The apprentice must’ve carried him back to his room after he fainted. Even thinking about it gave him a headache. He rubbed his temples with one hand. Turning towards the apprentice once more, he studied him the same way he imagined the apprentice studies him.
The apprentice had a nice jawline and smooth skin. Even in his dreams, the apprentice pouted quite a bit. Minseok wondered why he was always so upset but he supposed that the apprentice was naturally pouty. Minseok watched as the pouted lips turned into a smile.
“Your majesty, it’s impolite to stare.”
He quickly closed his eyes and ran a hand down his face. He could feel it starting to heat up. Why hadn’t he noticed that the apprentice was awake?
“Your room is really nice, your highness. So many books and the view is very beautiful. Your bed is so big and comfy too. I only laid my head on it and even then sleep felt like heaven.”
“That’s enough, apprentice. You may go.”
“But!” He could hear the pout in his voice and Minseok couldn’t help but smile under the hand still covering his face.
“Your majesty, does using your powers always drain you so?”
“Out. Now.”
Minseok felt bad when he heard heavy footsteps retreating and a soft click of the door, but that was a conversation he didn’t want to have.
A few days later, Yixing managed to coerce Minseok into visiting the nearby gardens. On his first day in the palace, he didn’t get to appreciate the beauty of it when Junmyeon led him past it. He came a couple times when things settled down or whenever Minseok got moody. His favorite was the closest garden to the tower, with all of the orchids.
Even frozen they were still very ethereal.
Minseok followed Yixing silently as they went through the garden. At first, Yixing thought about asking Minseok questions to get him talking, but when that didn’t get anywhere, Yixing thought to talk about himself. He didn’t know where to start but the silence wasn’t deafening or awkward, so he let it be.
Eventually, a voice called to Yixing.
“Apprentice, why did you want to come here?”
“I really like these white orchids. They remind me of the same ones in my garden back home.”
He was sure Minseok was asking something else but this is what he wanted to offer the prince. When silence came, Yixing turned back to look at Minseok. The prince looked at him thoughtfully.
“I grew these.” He said. “Five years ago.”
Yixing felt his mouth make an “o” before he could stop himself. He forgot that it had been five years. He looked down at the flowers and sighed. The flowers should’ve died and sprouted again many times over. Poor things were stuck in suspension.
“Let’s head back.”
Minseok turned towards the way they came but got his foot stuck in the snow. Without thinking, Yixing rushed to his side, extending an arm around the prince to steady him. He ran a hand down the prince’s leg to make sure it was not injured.
“Are you alright, my prince?” He stared down at Minseok whom he held steady with his other arm.
He’d never been this close to Minseok before, save for the time he carried him back to his room. That time he had been unconscious. This time, a wide awake and blushing prince was staring in disbelief at Yixing. His eyebrows were raised so high, Yixing laughed at him.
“My prince?”
Minseok seemed to gain some composure and muttered a noncommittal “yes’ before pulling away from Yixing, shivering.
Without thinking, Yixing stopped him by his elbow and pulled him closer to his own body. He drew the cloak he was wearing around Minseok’s body. His arm around him firmly, he looked cheekily down at the prince and said, “How’s this, my prince?”
He stared pointedly at Yixing’s arm around his waist. “You are very daring.”
“But you won’t stop me?”
“I’ll allow it this time.” The prince ducked his head, but Yixing swore a light pink dusted his cheeks and a small smile had formed. It never occurred to Yixing that Minseok could feel cold. Beside him now, he was very warm. Oh, Minseok.
Yixing slowly and cheerfully led them back to the tower. They talked in low whispers the whole way and Yixing felt his heart move. He was finally getting somewhere with Minseok.
In the distance, Junmyeon watched as the two figures retreated into the tower. He knew his own smile was a sad one but whispered, “At least he left the courtyard. That’s a first.”
With a sad sigh, he turned and left. He didn’t think the apprentice would need his help. All he could do now was prepare.
After a week of walking, Yixing finally managed to get Minseok’s favorite books, his favorite flowers, and his favorite food. There was progress and Yixing was very happy to just see the prince smile when he thought he couldn’t see, or laugh under his breath.
Eventually, Yixing managed to have Minseok sit down for a physical. He wasn’t sure why he was there with Minseok but he had to at least rule out that there was nothing physically wrong with him first. After taking his pulse and checking his eyesight, Yixing moved to check Minseok’s stomach and insides. Without being prompted, Minseok took off his shirt.
Yixing had to remind himself that he was in the middle of a physical before he could start poking and prodding at Minseok’s body. Minseok’s breath hiked and hitched a bit when Yixing prodded at his chest. If Yixing purposefully did it a couple more times to hear him, no one there would know any better.
When Minseok finally had his shirt on again, Yixing sat him down to declare that he was in perfect health even for someone who didn’t exercise.
Minseok raised an eyebrow at him and jokingly asked, “How do you know I don’t exercise?”
Taken aback, Yixing wondered when Minseok could be exercising if Yixing was with him all the time. Could it be in his room? His room was awfully big… the bed was awfully big too. Was that the exercise…?
“You’re making weird faces.”
“I apologize, my prince.”
“So I am healthy?” He smiled at Yixing with the toothy grin that Yixing really liked.
He bit his lip softly to stop a smile of his own from coming out. “As far as I can see, you are, my prince.”
“Then do I have need of a healer?” He cocked his head in a tilt and looked at Yixing, thoughtfully.
“Of- of course!” Yixing panicked. “If you didn’t need me, I wouldn’t be here.”
Still gazing at Yixing, Minseok repeated, “If I didn’t need you…”
“I’ll go back first and look at the results more carefully. Please rest.” With a click of his medicine box, Yixing rushed out of the tower as quickly as he could. All the while, he didn’t know why his heart ached.
When he got back to his quarters, he saw Prince Junmyeon sitting by a table drinking tea.
“I hope you don’t mind. I brought some tea for you to try out.”
Why are you here? Yixing wanted to ask. Why am I here?
“How were Minseok’s results?”
“He’s fine. He’s in perfect health. Why-?” Junmyeon turned the cup in his hand carefully. Three times to the right. Then sipped from it. “Why are you here? You’re here to heal him.”
“He is not physically sick, your highness.” Yixing was angry. Why did people insist so much that there was something wrong with Minseok? “He’s not sick in the head either. All those stories-“
They had said he went insane, that he became a monster but, “he’s not like that at all.”
“Prove it.”
“What?”
Junmyeon put his cup down and sighed. “You need to prove it. Have Minseok leave his tower, leave this palace. Have him come claim his role as the Crown Prince.’
Then you are free to go.”
Free.
“But he can do that now. He can leave here whenever he wants. I can’t see anything holding him back.”
“Are you sure?”
Yixing pushed down the urge to lunge himself at the calm prince before him. If Junmyeon knew so much, why hadn’t he told him everything from the beginning.
“Listen, I don’t know anything about your kingdom or your court. I don’t do politics. I am a doctor, a healer. I can and will only do so much. Don’t involve me with your political struggles.”
Junmyeon sighed again. “I had not meant that. People need their prince like patients need a doctor. Just- just tend to Minseok.” With that he stood up and left Yixing more confused than when he arrived.
When he went to sleep that night, he dreamed of Minseok standing among lilies, laughing.
-Minseok was reading when Yixing found him in the drawing room the next day. He spent all morning thinking about what Junmyeon had said but he couldn’t think his way through it. Sitting down in the only other chair, Yixing stared off into space, eyebrows furrowed.
Frustrated, he dragged both hands down his face. Through his fingers, he noticed something different in the room. In the usually empty vase stood a droopy stem of orchids. He pulled his hands away from his face to look at them clearly.
From the corner of his eyes, he could see Minseok with a small smile. He was waiting for Yixing to notice. He hadn’t even flipped a single page in his book since Yixing came in. Yixing couldn’t contain the smile that broke out. He felt a little silly that dead flowers could make him feel so happy.
“I like them.”
“I’m glad.” Minseok finally flipped the page. “I’m sorry…”
Yixing waited for him to finish.
“I’m sorry they’re wilted.”
Close enough.
Yixing studied Minseok just like he had the very first week he got there. He saw the same man he did before but now he was more alive. Minseok’s cheeks bunched up when he laughed and smiled. His eyes turned into crescents. Minseok was quiet but that just made his every movement more apparent in Yixing’s eyes. The eyes that stared at Yixing told him things Minseok couldn’t tell him yet. He’d wait.
But he wanted to tell Minseok this now.
“My prince.”
“You don’t have to call me that.” Minseok seemed embarrassed. “I am no one’s prince, anymore. Minseok is fine. Just… Minseok.”
Yixing looked at him in surprise. He mouthed Minseok’s name to himself many times before but calling him was different.
“Minseok.”
“Yes?”
“I- I was just trying it out.” Yixing could feel his cheeks heat up and was glad it was freezing inside the drawing room so there would be something to cool him down.
Minseok laughed. Yixing thought it sounded lovely. “Don’t call my name without intention, apprentice.”
He pouted. He knew Minseok enjoyed making him pout so he pouted all the more. “Yixing. Please call me Yixing.”
Yixing watched as Minseok tried out his name silently. The way his name formed on Minseok’s lips made Yixing happy. It made him want to hear it.
“Minseok?”
“Yes, Yixing.”
He smiled. He was right. His name sounded just right coming from Minseok. Looking back at the flowers, Yixing smiled to himself.
“Look.”
He raised a hand and concentrated. Ice melted off the flower as its stem started to stiffen. In mere seconds, the flower was alive and new. He turned to look at Minseok who had his mouth hanging ajar. Yixing liked this Minseok better than when he came. He was more honest.
“Healing. I understand now why Junmyeon calls you a healer instead of just doctor’s apprentice.”
At the mention of the other prince, Yixing frowned. “His highness told me that-.“
“I’m aware. And I’m sorry.” He met Yixing’s eyes to make sure Yixing knew. “What do you want, Yixing? If you want to leave, I won’t stop you. As you well know, nothing is locked anymore.”
Yixing wanted. He wanted to be a doctor. He wanted to be a healer. He needed to leave for that. But he also wanted to see Minseok smiling as happily as he had been this past couple of months.
“I… want…
When I was a new apprentice, my best friend left as a court courier. He came back one year, sick. There was no medicine to cure him. I tried to heal him, but all I could do was ease the pain. He… was chilled to the bone. The cold ate away at him and I could tell from his eyes how painful it was. Even as a healer, all I could do was lessen his pain, only by that much.”
Yixing looked up from where he was staring at his clamped hands. Minseok’s book was shut. He had one hand fisted on the table and the other gripped his knee. He looked like he was in pain.
“Minseok?”
“So you should leave. There are other people in the world who hurt like your friend. You want to go to them.”
“I do want to go to them, but you-. “ What about you?
Minseok stood up and walked over to Yixing. He lifted his face up with a strong hand and gazed down. “I’ll be like I was before. Ice is frozen.”
“Ice can melt and what’s more, you are not ice. You are not made of coldness, my prince. Minseok.”
Yixing was looking with determination right back at Minseok but he noticed the corner of Minseok’s eye twitched when he spoke. Why did Minseok hurt so much?
Minseok left him alone in the drawing room. Yixing couldn’t help but feel like nothing went as it should’ve. Remembering the pain Minseok was in, Yixing wondered if he could even help him with that.
When he left the tower, he noticed the stairs were wet.
Ice melts, Minseok.
Minseok sat patiently as he watched Yixing sleep. He meant to apologize for being so terse yesterday but when Yixing didn’t show up to the tower, Minseok got worried. He never stepped inside Yixing’s quarters before, but it was a welcomed change.
Yixing’s quarters didn’t have a trace of ice or snow. Yixing must’ve kept the fire burning in his quarters for it to be like this. Except when he came in, it was very cold. If Minseok could see his breath, then it was entirely too cold. He had wondered why Yixing hadn’t lit a fire since dawn broke but after venturing into his room, Minseok saw why.
Yixing was shivering in his bed, sweat gleamed on his forehead. Fear crept into Minseok as he rushed forward to take a look at Yixing. When he was satisfied that it was probably just a regularly cold, Minseok had pulled a chair to Yixing’s bedside and waited.
He watched as Yixing’s breath was labored and he coughed. It drove shivers down his spine and he hoped that Yixing would be alright. The scene was entirely too familiar to Minseok.
“Cold.”
It was barely audible even over the silence, but Minseok heard him anyway. There were no extra blankets around and Minseok didn’t know how or where to start a fire here. He never had to do that before.
Frustrated at himself, Minseok sat there and worried to himself. He had to get Yixing somewhere warmer. The only place he could think of was the tower because the sun regularly hits the tower on sunny days. Without another thought, he gathered Yixing up, blankets and all and started to carry him back to where Minseok was more used to.
Halfway up the stairs, Yixing murmured, “I never knew you were so strong, Minseok.” Minseok couldn’t help but smile at his half unconscious healer. “There’s a lot you don’t know, I suppose.”
“Also you smell really nice. Like jasmine flowers. Do you grow those too?” He coughed and continued. “You really like flowers. And sculptures. You’re really good at them. I like the butterfly lovers but you don’t have them.”
Minseok laughed as Yixing continued to talk all the way to the top of the tower. He was surprised he said so much in his sick state, but he figured it must’ve been like when someone drank too much. He laid Yixing down on his bed and opened all the curtains to let the sunlight through. Then he hushed Yixing and told him to sleep.
“I don’t wanna. Minseok, stay with me.”
“Do all men turn into children when they’re sick?”
“Everyone turns into a child when they see the doctors.”
“Then why do you want to be a doctor so much, Yixing. You’d have to be awfully adult about it.” Minseok felt a bit bad for teasing Yixing while he was sick but he couldn’t help it. He was awfully cute. And there was less to get embarrassed about.
“I want to be a doctor because!” Sick Yixing turned in his blankets so that his face lined up with Minseok’s. “Because I was born a healer. Like you were born a prince!”
Minseok’s smile receded at that. “But I am not a prince.”
“You are! You are!” Yixing looked at Minseok incredulously. “You are every inch a prince! Your hair is perfect, you face is handsome, and your body. Wow. You’re shorter than me but your body is-“
“Okay, that’s enough. Sleep.”
Minseok grinned at the healer. Yixing grinned back at him as he settled into sleeping. As he closed his eyes, he added, “You’re a great listener. Better than me. I’ve never really talked about Han with anyone before but with you I can.”
Tears welled up in Minseok’s eyes as he watched his healer fall asleep. He found he adored Yixing quite a bit but it still hurt, even after five years.
When Yixing woke up, he opened his eyes to Minseok’s face inches away from his own. His own hand was clasped with Minseok’s own hand. He didn’t know what happened all of yesterday, but he wasn’t entirely opposed to this.
Shifting his head, a white towel fell off his forehead. He peeked at the table near the bed and saw the water basin, and the pills. He groaned. How embarrassing was it for the doctor to get sick?
“Morning.” Yixing’s squirming had woken Minseok. His voice was low and gravely. It automatically made Yixing smile.
“Thank you.”
Minseok pulled away from the bed. “No, thank you. Never realized how much I didn’t know. How to make a fire, how to heat a room, how short I was.”
Yixing was half way up when he froze. “I- uh- did I say that?”
“Among other things.” Minseok faked a yawn and stretched. Yixing wanted to punch himself. “I’m sure I meant that… you’re just short…er than me. That’s all.”
“Are you comparing yourself to a prince?” He arched one eyebrow at Yixing while leaning back against his chair. Yixing also leaned back on his two arms on the bed. “I thought you weren’t a prince.”
“Like you said, you were born a healer and I was born a prince.”
Yixing was surprised. He didn’t think he was so blatant when he was sick. It’s almost as bad as if he were drunk. Before he could protest, Minseok stood up to look at a painting across the room. The painting was obviously of the royal family. Yixing could see their faces clearly from the bed. He could also see a younger, happier Prince Minseok.
“What happened to your parents, Minseok?”
Minseok brushed against the painting as if he could feel the brocade of his mother’s dress. “They died.’
‘Five years ago. When the palace was frozen.” He paused for a bit and continued. “That day I learned that my lover had died from the coldness seeping into his bones. There were noblemen who blamed me. Even if it wasn’t me, I was still the one to kill him.”
“That can’t have been true-.”
“Even you couldn’t heal him, Yixing.”
Something cold and sharp pricked Yixing’s heart. Is this what heartbreak feels like?
They always said he had gone insane when he froze everyone in the palace. From dark influences, or a witch’s curse. Could it have been heartbreak? Did Minseok love so much that he killed everyone in the palace?
Even though he was dizzy, Yixing stood up quickly and rushed for the window. He needed air. Minseok made a motion to come steady him, but Yixing held a hand up. Just some air.
He always thought the view from Minseok’s window was nice. You could see all of the vast courtyard and beyond it. Yixing squinted. Something about the courtyard was different. In the middle, Minseok had created new statues.
“You said you liked the butterfly lovers so I made them for you.” Minseok stood by Yixing’s side looking down at the courtyard. “Do you like it?”
“Yes, they’re beautiful.”
“I’m glad.” He looked down at his palms and opened and closed them. “It made me a bit dizzy to make them, but if you like them, then that’s alright.”
Yixing paused. His heart was no longer pounding. The cloudiness in his head was suddenly clear. “You get dizzy when you use your powers?”
Minseok pressed his lips together. “Yes. I am less powerful than the other members of my family in that aspect.”
Than the other members of his family. Yixing narrowed his eyes and focused on Minseok’s own. “The King.”
“Regent.”
Yixing suddenly wondered how powerful the king really was. Could the king give someone coldness no power can heal? Could the king freeze an entire palace? Could the king kill his own brother? Yixing was only sure about one thing. The king had locked his nephew up in a tower.
“Minseok.”
They both turned to see Junmyeon.
“We need to talk.”
Yixing didn’t know from when, but Minseok’s drawing room became a war room. There were maps strewn everywhere. He was most surprised to see the fireplace work and that there were more than two chairs by the table.
He turned to a young man sitting alone at one end of the table. “Where did all these chairs come from?”
The young man laughed loudly at his question said, “Yixing, there is an entire frozen palace outside of this tower.”
That is true. He’s a bit forward, but Yixing liked it. This young man seemed jolly and high spirited. Not exactly the type to be in a war room. “I beg your pardon; you are…?”
“Jongdae, Senior Minister of Rites. I’m in charge of any and all ceremonies taken place.”
The man was so young but already of senior rank. Yixing was in disbelief. As if noticing, Jongdae merely noted, “Many older officials died five years back. Vacancies in positions were widespread.”
Yixing then noticed that many of the others were of a similar age. He had not known what the impact of that night might’ve been to a kingdom, let alone these young adults.
When Minseok and Junmyeon came in, everyone stood up. Only when Minseok sat down did people seat themselves. Never before had Yixing seen Minseok look so majestic but there was a glint in Minseok’s eyes that told him he didn’t prefer it.
The talk went on all night. Yixing couldn’t follow most of it. All he concentrated on was giving Minseok water when he coughed and making sure he didn’t catch the cold that Yixing had yesterday. Before long, Yixing noticed he wasn’t really needed and quietly left the room to recuperate by himself. When he closed the door to the room, he caught Minseok’s eyes following him.
The floor was cold. Yixing blinked the cloud away from his eyes and saw a stone floor. He didn’t remember falling out of his bed. Or that his floor was made of this type of stone. When he moved to get up, he felt pain all over his body. The pain streaked out from his back and he knew something was very, very wrong. He tried to push himself up to find steel shackles around his wrists.
Panic rose in his throat. He looked further into the darkness to make out bars surrounding him. There was straw in a corner. The stench hit him before he could figure out where it came from. Bile rose up his throat. He knew he shouldn’t but he swallowed it and tried to calm himself.
He didn’t know why he was there or why he was hurt, but he needed to stay calm. It was a hard thing to do when every sound in the darkness shook him.
Sometime later, guards came by to check on him. When they saw he was still lying down, they left him alone. But they were chatty guards and Yixing closed his eyes to hear better.
“The little tramp is still asleep. Always knew healers were weak little things.”
“Can you believe the rumors that have been going around? That crazy snow beast and a savage healer. What a pair.”
“To think that our righteous prince asked for the healer out of graciousness for the beast.”
“We all know that was just a ploy to get on the good side of Yue. I hear the Prince is on the move.”
“Against his father? Impossible! What could he possibly have want for? He will already be King soon enough.”
“It’s the beast.”
Every mention of the word beast made Yixing want to tear through the shackles, the bars and at the guards’ faces. They knew nothing.
When another guard came into his cell to poke at him, Yixing really did attack. He may have been shackled but he was still quick on his feet. He threw his weight against the guard and knocked him out. He would’ve ran if not for a second guard. He slammed his body against the bodyguard when he least expected it and had him on the ground. But his injured back caught up to him. A timely kick to his sides and he was on the ground. They tossed him like a ragged doll against the stone wall in the back of the cell and laughed as they went away.
It hurt but Yixing had the key.
Quiet footsteps rushed through the palace. They were going to take the palace in the middle of the night. Minseok figures after this was over, they would say they came in like thieves. How noble of a prince.
But they kidnapped Yixing to force his hand, so Minseok was going to show them exactly how much of a prince he really was.
While the soldiers around him struggled to quiet their footsteps as they hugged close to the walls, Minseok walked steadily and upright. Anyone walking around the halls at this time of night could see him clearly. And that’s what he wanted.
Let them all know who was here.
He wanted the Regent to know that he wouldn’t let him lock him or anyone he loved up anymore.
He watched as snow and ice slowly took over the walls. He didn’t know what magic his uncle had but once Minseok passed the threshold of the former palace, he felt strength like never before. The Frost he was so afraid of laced quietly inside of him, as if reinforcing his bones and his soul.
If Junmyeon was right, there would be very little bloodshed and Minseok wouldn’t have to turn this palace into winter like his uncle did to the last one. He could only hope.
But first, he wanted his healer back.
Horns blared.
They knew they were coming. When the slew of arrows came, Minseok almost couldn’t shoot them down in time. In anger, he sent a blast of Frost towards them. He only meant to freeze their weapons, but when he looked back, their hands were frozen as well.
A tinge of sadness creeped in his mind before a strong hand gripped his shoulder as they ran through the corridors. Junmyeon had caught up to Minseok’s squadron. He gave Minseok a nod. He could only nod back as they rushed the inner palace.
Before Minseok could even say a word to Junmyeon, he had ordered his men and women to meet with Jongdae’s squadron. He led Minseok and the rest of the soldiers on a different path.
“This is the way to the dungeons.”
Minseok didn’t know what he did to deserve Junmyeon, but he had to pay him back for all he’s done someday.
A group of soldiers descended down the stairs. Yixing turned around quickly as he disarmed the last guard. It had taken all of his strength and wit to take out the guards. He didn’t know if he could handle actual soldiers. He squared off, prepared to fight when one figure called out to him.
“Yixing!”
Running down the stairs was Minseok. His prince was clad in black armor with a sword at his belt. From the looks of it, Minseok hasn’t needed to pull his sword out yet. Lucky.
When Minseok came within arm’s reach, Yixing let his own sword fall to the ground. A strong arm came around Yixing and all he could say was, “about time.”
“I’m sorry I’m late.” Minseok inspected Yixing’s battered face and a dangerous glint came around his eyes.
“Minseok, leave it. I’m here, you’re here. We’re fine.”
“Actually if I can interrupt the lover’s reunion, the night isn’t over yet.” From atop the stairwell, Junmyeon clinked his sword against the shield he was carrying. He was also in armor, albeit blue. He had style, Yixing had to give him that.
The soldiers started to back up the stairwell while Minseok and Yixing took up the tail. “You hurt your back, didn’t you?”
“They hurt my back.” Yixing winced. Walking was a bit hard. He could feel himself trembling and sweat drenched his hair. It was wholly unfair that Minseok was almost completely clean.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you into this mess. My uncle knew our plans and took you away.”
“Why would he take me away? What does that even do?”
“It causes me distress. It causes me pain. It reminds me of five years ago when he took away my family and lover. He won’t take you away from me again.”
Yixing reached out to gingerly cup Minseok’s face. He turned it so that he could see Minseok clearly. The determination was set into his jaw and his eyes were alive. Here was no longer the brooding prince he was told to accompany and cure. Here was his Minseok, ready to be what he always was.
Yixing leaned forward and captured Minseok’s own lips. Minseok let out a gasp at first, but almost immediately pressed his own against Yixing’s. At first, it was just lips, but it became softer and it became the kiss Yixing waited for. Soft, gentle, warm and love were all that he could feel.
Minseok pulled away first. He gently brushed the bruise forming on Yixing’s cheek. “Later. I promise.”
They climbed the stairs together. When they came to the landing, they searched, but no one was to be found. Minseok left Yixing to lean against the wall as he checked for soldiers, whether his or his uncle’s.
“There’s no one here. It’s like a dozen soldiers didn’t even come through here. I don’t understand.” Minseok leaned one shoulder on the same wall and looked down at Yixing. He was having a hard time catching his breath and Minseok felt guilty. If he could only set him down at a safe place, he would worry less.
“Minseok, watch out!”
Yixing pushed Minseok to the ground as a figured emerged from the shadows, sword out first. The first slash went across Yixing’s shoulders. The second slash never came as Minseok froze the sword and sent its shattered bits towards the figure. The figure collapsed next to Yixing on the floor.
“Yixing, Yixing, are you okay?”
“Min-“
The blood started to streak Yixing’s shirt. When Yixing’s breath slowed down, Minseok swore he never felt cold like that before. Without thinking, he put Yixing on his back and ran. He needed to find the rest of them and fast. His sword bounced heavily against his legs and he knew there would be a bruise later but he concentrated on keeping Yixing awake.
“Please… Yixing. If you can just stay awake long enough, I’ll plant you entire palaces of orchids.”
“Just... stay.”
Sunlight streamed in through the painted glass windows. Through his cloudy eyes, Yixing could make out green and blue outside. The air was denser, and he was warm and comfortable.
Had he died and gone to heaven?
“Not if I can help it.”
Yixing smiled. He turned towards Minseok’s voice and blinked away the sleep. Minseok sat beside him on a chair. He wore a subtle crown on his head and Yixing loved it on him almost as much as he loved the man himself. It belongs there.
Minseok smiled at him with so much glee that it became infectious. It didn’t matter that Yixing’s ribs were probably broken, he was bruised all over, and he had a deep cut across his shoulder that would scar. What mattered now was that they were both there together and laughing was all he could do to express his happiness.
Minseok laughed along with him. A strand of hair fell into his face that Yixing wanted to brush away. His hair had grown longer since the first day Yixing met him. It fell into his eyes and it made him seem much younger or rather, his age. He had to remember that Minseok was actually around his age.
Minseok’s brown eyes looked nice in the sunlight and it crinkled when Minseok laughed at him. “It’s impolite to stare, doctor.”
As far as he could tell, there was only the two of them in the room. He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. Minseok pointed out the letter addressed to him from his master on the bedside table. Yixing’s heart felt like bursting.
“You’re free from your apprenticeship.” And from this assignment.
Yixing worried the bottom of his lip. He didn’t want to read the letter just yet. For now, it was good enough to be there with Minseok. He held out his hand and Minseok took it. He tugged a little and Minseok raised his eyebrow at him. With a smirk, Yixing pulled Minseok into the bed with him.
“This is not really how I imagined this would go.”
Yixing feigned innocence as he stubbornly tucked the King of Jin into his side. Minseok would probably scowl at him if he tried to do this on a different day but he was injured. He must have some allowances.
He wondered aloud, “What scenario were you imagining my prince?”
Minseok laughed at his cheekiness. Yixing was sure of it. “You know, ever since you met me, I was never just a prince.”
“How many times have I-“
“Since my father died, that would automatically make me-“ Minseok trailed off, pretending to think about it.
Yixing liked to think he wasn’t as dense as Minseok made him seem sometimes, but the realization hit him hard.
“King.’
“Oh my god, you were always a king.”
“Well, never-been-through-coronation aside.”
Minseok’s cheek bunched up from his laughter as the information sank in. Yixing pulled away from Minseok and looked at him. His lover was a king. King. KING. This was… difficult.
“So… what-“
Minseok suddenly asked in a low whisper. “Are you happy?” Do I make you happy?
Without hesitating, Yixing said, “Yes, I am.” A pause. “Are you?”
“I am also very happy.”
Yixing looked down at the man in front of him. He changed since they met, or more accurately, he grew. Yixing only hoped that he grew as well.
He looked at Minseok intently from his eyes, his nose, to his lips. His lips smiled and came closer. Yixing leaned down and closed the distance between them. After all that’s happened, Yixing never imagined himself here but he was okay with that.
“Is this what you imagined, my love?”
“Yes, just like my storybooks.”
Yixing laughed. “And what happens after?”
Minseok came closer to Yixing, a hair’s breath away from Yixing’s lips. “Let’s worry about the happy part now. The ever after we’ll decide later.”
Their lips met again. Yixing never thought he could feel any safer, any happier than when he’s with Minseok. Even in the coldest palace, Minseok could make Yixing feel warmth. And he knew, for Minseok, there was something Yixing brought out that allowed him to be free.
Yes
Happily now, ever after later.
We can do this.
"So whatever happened last night?"
"You were asleep."
"No I mean after I fainted."
"You've been asleep for a week, Yixing."
"Wait what!"
"There's lots for you to catch up on, but we have time. Don't worry."
"A whole week!"
Yixing mourned the loss of a week's worth of work he could've been doing.
Rating: PG-13
Main Pairing/s: Xiumin/Lay
Side Pairing/s: Hints of one-sided Xiumin/Suho, very slight very subtle past! Xiumin/Lu Han
Word Count: 9462
Warning/s: implied minor character deaths, implied torture (very slight)
Summary: When Prince Minseok lost control of his ice powers and froze the entire palace, freezing everyone in it save for himself, his uncle had him locked away in a tower for the safety of the kingdom. Yixing, a doctor’s apprentice with the power to heal, is sent to him.
Originally written for withxiulay
Note: Updated as of 12/14/16 with tense corrections and mini epilogue.
Author/s Notes: A big thank you to the WXL mods for creating the fic fest and dealing with trash writers like me who suck at communication. I am in awe of your incredible patience and kindness. Also a big shout out to my beta, HK, for agreeing to help me with betaing on short notice. Also to Amlika for doing the tedious work of correcting all my tenses.You both are stars! <3 To the OP, I deviated (I think) from your prompt a bit (or a lot) so I hope you still enjoy the fic at least. Thank you!
“Once upon a time, there was a prince. Upon birth he was blessed with the power of Frost just like those before him. Much beloved by the King and Queen of his kingdom, he also had the heart of the court and the kingdom’s people.
As he approached adolescence, he started attending court and training with the military. He was a big boy but no subject ever saw him as anything other than handsome and the type of majestic that only their prince could have.
But something ate at the prince. Some say that dark forces preyed upon his energy and corrupted his mind. Others say it was witchcraft. No one knows why but…”
Yixing scoffed as he turned away from the raggedy old man by the fire in the tavern.
Yixing had heard this story over and over again. It was a popular fireside story. He first heard it when he was a young trainee doctor and it’d been five years since. The original story was less dramatic. He remembered telling one of the senior apprentices that the prince must’ve gone crazy to do what he did.
That had earned him a smack on the head.
“How can you be a doctor to the people if you make diagnoses like that without listening and learning first?”
He had scurried away pitifully but learned from it. He after all could not depend on anything else as a doctor. Especially now that he was at the brink of finally leaving the apprenticeship behind. He would be a true doctor soon.
Without the help of his “gift”.
He had been bullied by the others at first, but he rose his way in the ranks and became the senior doctor’s apprentice using his skill rather than his gift. He smiled to himself. The best revenge in his opinion.
“…one day, the prince went crazy.”
Minseok looked up from his storybook. Looking down from his tower, his eyes followed the voice that carried over the valley. It looked to be a group of travelers making camp in the snowy mountains. Minseok thought to himself that they were having fun telling stories now but the snow and the mountain creatures would claim them if they were not careful. Or he could claim them like the monster in the stories they told of him.
But he wouldn’t.
Sighing, he focused on the snow gathering in the courtyard under his window. He had just finished reading about the cow herder and the weaver, so he figured that would be his next sculpture. Focusing his powers, he willed the ice crystals to stack and weave together.
When he opened his eyes, the cow herder and weaver were in each other’s arms, smiling at each other by the small frozen pond. Minseok tried to smile for them but even he could feel the corners droop on his lips.
Drained from using his powers, Minseok closed the window and went back to reading yet another fairytale.
When Minseok woke the next day and saw the happy couple in love under his window, rage took him and even Frost could not stop him from splitting the lovers apart.
Yixing felt betrayed.
How could his master let him down like this?
When the other senior apprentices took their final task for finishing apprenticeship, they had been sent to rural villages in their kingdom. But he was not being sent to a village.
He was being sent to a prince.
The Prince.
Yixing groaned just thinking about it. He had not even thought that the prince was a real person, let alone that the story was true. He himself could not believe that this happened to him. He knew that because of his powers, his master had to bring up his final task with the Emperor himself but he never thought it would end up like this. His so-called gift kept turning out to be more of a hindrance than anything.
He secretly questioned what the Emperor really meant by making him do this. He also questioned the ambassador from Jin for even suggesting it. They must really be trying to curry favor with them to send him. He could do better here than god knew where for a crazy prince.
“Minseok.”
Minseok closed his book with a thud. He hated being interrupted. “You’re not supposed to be here, Junmyeon.”
Still clad in his traditional government officials robe, Junmyeon pulled close the door to Minseok’s drawing room. The drag of the door on the ice under his foot made a scratching sound that he didn’t like.
“If you don’t like it so much, you shouldn’t come here.”
Junmyeon took the only other chair in the room before sending Minseok a smile. “You know I can’t stand the cold, but it’s you, so…”
Minseok doesn’t respond.
“They’re… sending someone here to help you.”
Junmyeon thought it was almost comical how far up Minseok’s eyebrows shot up. He always knew Minseok to be really expressive, unlike the cold demeanor he puts on in front of the king.
“He’s a doctor’s apprentice but apparently he’s very skilled and very good with healing. They thought maybe…” Junmyeon didn’t want to finish and Minseok let out a hollow laugh.
“They keep trying to cure me, fix me. They don’t even know what’s wrong.”
Junmyeon wanted to ask. What is wrong, Minseok? But Minseok had never confided in him on that particular topic and it’d been five years. No matter how many times he asked, Minseok won’t say a thing.
With that, Junmyeon stood up to walk out but not before pausing by Minseok and laying a hand on his shoulder. It was warm and Junmyeon still had hope.
“He’ll be here tomorrow, my prince.”
When the door shut, Minseok whispered to no one in particular.
“Am I still anyone’s prince?”
Yixing had expected to be housed in the palace with the other doctors and their apprentices. When his carriage did not stop in front of the castle, Yixing panicked.
Had they really sent him here to be killed? Was his power so danger-
His carriage driver yelled over the wind, “That’s the new palace, sir. We were told to drive by it so you can see it before you go to the old palace for the prince’s treatment.”
How cruel. Showing him the sunny paradise with its beautiful stone walls and green foliage spilling over it. Even the towers inside the palace rose high and proud. Yixing had been to the palace at home many times, but this was different.
But before he could continue seeing more, the scenery turned to white before him. They were entering the mountains but the line between summer and winter was just a traceable boundary on the ground. Yixing brought his cape closer to his body. He never did well with cold.
Yixing knew they were getting close when the driver and attendants got increasingly agitated. By the time they got to the frozen gates of what seemed to also be a palace, they were already so on edge that a single howl in the wind sent them into shock. But of course a strong wind always howls, Yixing laughed to himself.
He wasn’t scared in the slightest until a sharp spike of ice pierced through the locks on the gate, opening them when the senior attendant couldn’t seem to get the keys to work. Before he knew it, he was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground with all his belongings as his former traveling party abandoned him, shouting well wishes as they hightailed away.
Abandoned, scared, and alone, Yixing could only bring himself to move further inside the palace. He closed the gates in case the howls were actually wolves or something worse. He didn’t think to fear it before.
It took him almost an hour, or what he thought was an hour, to haul his luggage to what seemed to be the main hall of the former palace. He collapsed on the floor of the entry way and observed his surroundings.
In its glory days, this must have been a grand palace. The arched ceilings were high and the room was wide. The ceilings were decorated with murals and there were beautiful crystal chandeliers accompanying them. It was a shame, he thought, that all the ice and snow obscured them. Even the flame that sat upon the candles in the chandeliers were frozen.
He stared in awe at a palace, a life, that was literally frozen in time.
“… there was something not right about the prince. They say one night, during a ball, he froze everything. The palace was encased in snow…”
True.
“The ponds froze over…”
Also true if the gardens Yixing trudged through outside were any indication.
“…and the people. He froze each and every living being inside the palace, even those he loved most.”
Yixing searched the empty halls for frozen people. He vehemently wished he would not find any. For all his medical experience, frozen bodies were always the worst. The pain involved with dying from frost was…
“There you are.”
Yixing felt like his stomach dropped to his feet. He could hear the other person coming closer even if his footsteps didn’t produce much sound in the snow.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
The voice sounded very kind and earnest and Yixing couldn’t help but turn around to face it. He quickly lowered his eyes as if seeing the prince’s face would turn him to stone and ice.
“Your highness, I am Yixing. I was sent here to cure your illness.”
The man laughed, “Not my illness, healer. I am perfectly healthy.”
Yixing was confused.
“Your highness, the prince, is not ill?”
This time Yixing heard the smile in his voice. “Your highness, yes. The prince, not quite. I am a prince, but not the prince.”
What?
“And no, I am not ill.”
Yixing finally had the courage to look up at the man. It was true. His cheeks produced a healthy pink color and he looked like perfect health. But he was still confused.
“…prince? Your highness? Are you perhaps the prince’s brother?”
The man looked like he choked on himself before becoming loud and affronted, “No! I am not the prince’s brother. We are- “
Yixing listened carefully. The man’s shoulders slumped. “We are distant cousins by marriage. Of a sort.” He wrinkled his nose at his admission. “Not related by blood… at all.”
“I am Prince Junmyeon, the adopted son of the uncle of the Prince.”
“Ah the King’s-“
“Yes, yes I suppose he is King, isn’t he?”
Yixing’s eyes widened at the words the prince spoke. If he wasn’t careful, the words sounded awfully a lot like trea-
“Anyway, you are here for the actual prince. He’s locked up in the tower behind the inner palace. I’ll lead you there only once, so commit it to memory, healer.”
Yixing quickly threw out all thoughts and focused on getting his belongs and trudging after Prince Junmyeon as he led the way. Never faltering even once, Yixing noted that Prince Junmyeon must have walked these halls and walkways many times in the past.
Yixing saw the tower before Junmyeon could even point it out to him. It was a pristine white and shimmered when the light hit it.
“Pretty,” he whispered as he continued to follow Junmyeon. Junmyeon only paused for a second before continuing. Yixing couldn’t tell if it was just the wind but he swore he heard him mutter, “For a prison, I suppose it is.”
Prison? Locked up? These were things that the stories did not talk about. Yixing had so many questions, and it did not seem like the prince in front of him was going to answer much.
Junmyeon stopped walking when they were almost right under the tower. He paused his hand on the giant wooden doors in front of him. “Behind this is the a courtyard that leads to the tower. There are rooms that open up to the courtyard. You may take your pick. There will be no one to compete with you for them.” He smiled as if enjoying a private joke.
Although he made to push the doors, he thought again and quietly stepped back. Looking up at the tower, the prince only said, “Good luck. I’ll come by to check on you when I have time, though court is busy these days.”
Yixing looked frantically from the wooden doors to the solemn prince in front of him. How could he leave him like this? What were his instructions? What about the prince?
“You-but- the prince?”
Junmyeon smiled at Yixing as if to placate his nerves. “The tower is unlocked. You will find him in there. You know… Minseok is not a cold person.”
If today had not been so confusing already, Yixing managed a, “Minseok? Wait, I thought you said it was lock-,“ before finding that he was completely alone. The footprints in the snow were the only indicators that Junmyeon was ever really there.
Yixing stared out into the stone cold walls and the snow ladened paths. Even if they were beautiful to look at, it was so very cold and he found it hard to breathe. If the prince was not insane before, living too long in a place like this could make anyone crazy.
Minseok watched from the tower as Junmyeon made his way out of the palace. He almost called for him to stay until his eye caught the healer, the doctor’s apprentice. He had opened the doors carefully and respectfully enough. Minseok wondered how long until he panics.
He made it four steps into the courtyard before he started yipping and stomping in fear at the scene before him. Junmyeon had asked Minseok to take down his sculptures, but he insisted on having them here. He said it was his art at the time, but really, Minseok had wanted to see what nerves the apprentice had. Not a lot by the looks of it.
After a while, Minseok started to back away from the window when his curiosity got the better of him. The apprentice was carefully examining the sculptures. He was making sure they weren’t actual people. Minseok scoffed. The stories were really too much.
He watched a little longer to see the apprentice pat one sculpture, the moon princess, calling her beautiful. It was such a silly scene that Minseok couldn’t help but laugh. The apprentice’s head shot up and faced towards Minseok. Feeling caught, Minseok quickly closed the window and sank out of sight.
His face started to heat up from embarrassment and Minseok cursed himself. Who knew someone so cold could still feel this hot?
Yixing had not imagined it. The prince was a real person and the prince laughed at him. Of course, it was silly to talk to ice statues, but he got a laugh out of the monster everyone said he was. Yixing tucked into his covers that night thinking that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
That night he dreamed of a man with almond shaped eyes and round healthy cheeks smiling at him. He held his hand and showed him stars in the ponds. He was warm.
When Yixing woke the next day, he didn’t remember his dream, but the warmth in it stayed with him. It gave him courage to finally go up the tower.
Yixing knew it was impolite to stare but in the tower’s drawing room, there wasn’t much else to look at. Much like everything else, snow and ice covered everything. There was a unicorn painting that Yixing liked to look at the first couple of days, but it’s been a week now and it no longer interested him.
Other than that, there was only a long table, a single empty flower vase, and the prince. Yixing had seen much grander drawing rooms than this. He wondered before if it was sparse because the prince liked it so or because he was a prisoner.
Seeing as the tower wasn’t exactly locked, Yixing figured that it must be the prince.
The prince was someone Yixing didn’t get tired of looking at. His hair was short and was a stern cut, but it suited the prince. His face was rounder and his eyes were almond shaped and of a beautiful brown color. Looking at the lines on his face, Yixing surmised that the prince used to laugh a lot.
Aside from the first day, Yixing had not manage to make the prince laugh again. Or do much else, it seemed.
“You’re staring, apprentice.”
“My apologies, your majesty.”
He wasn’t actually sorry but there really wasn’t much to do except to look at Minseok. Yixing smiled to himself. He liked calling the prince by his name to himself. It made him seem more warm, more approachable that way. Though the prince had called him “apprentice” and Yixing thought that he did it on purpose because he noticed the way Yixing reacted to it.
The prince returned to his book and Yixing wondered about it. He was always reading some sort of fairytale and Yixing wondered where he got it from. There didn’t seem to be many rooms inside the tower, but as with most things, he didn’t ask. Logically, Yixing figured that Minseok probably took it from whatever library the old palace had. Minseok wasn’t in the least trapped from what Yixing could see.
But he hadbeen through this before. Made assumptions. But what was there to listen and learn from if Minseok didn’t talk?
Finally fed up with it, he scooted closer to Minseok. Looking over his shoulder, he asked him, “Your majesty, what is it in these books that you read them so much?”
Without even looking up at Yixing, he closed the book and walked towards the door. Pausing at the door, Minseok whispered.
“A happy ending.”
Minseok had to give it to the apprentice. He was naïve and clueless most of the time but he was stubborn and incredibly wile where it counted. That’s how he found himself being led down the stairs of his tower.
Normally, touching a prince was unheard of. Minseok wondered if it was because he did not think himself a prince or whether it was the apprentice that was an exception. He tried not to entertain either thoughts.
Yixing’s warm hand was distracting him. It had been awhile since he’s held anyone’s hand. He almost missed the warmth it gave.
Once at the ground floor, Yixing pushed open the doors and a breath lodged itself in Minseok’s throat and stayed. It had been a while since he had seen the courtyard like this. He didn’t know how, but when Minseok was not watching, Yixing had painstakingly repaired all the statues. His creations were almost whole again.
“I’m not an ice user, so I couldn’t fix them as well as the person who made it but I tried. Like… a head start?”
Minseok nodded. He doesn’t know what made him do it, but he closed his eyes and concentrated. He heard Yixing gasp and he knew. When he opened his eyes, the statues looked almost perfect.
“They’re beautiful, your majesty.”
“Not completely but… I did what I could.”
Minseok gripped the frame of the door before he could faint.
There were no nightmares. That’s a first, Minseok thought.
He slowly opened his eyes and noticed that the curtains must have been pulled back because sunlight shone in. He turned his head to see a tuft of hair by the side of his bed.
The apprentice must’ve carried him back to his room after he fainted. Even thinking about it gave him a headache. He rubbed his temples with one hand. Turning towards the apprentice once more, he studied him the same way he imagined the apprentice studies him.
The apprentice had a nice jawline and smooth skin. Even in his dreams, the apprentice pouted quite a bit. Minseok wondered why he was always so upset but he supposed that the apprentice was naturally pouty. Minseok watched as the pouted lips turned into a smile.
“Your majesty, it’s impolite to stare.”
He quickly closed his eyes and ran a hand down his face. He could feel it starting to heat up. Why hadn’t he noticed that the apprentice was awake?
“Your room is really nice, your highness. So many books and the view is very beautiful. Your bed is so big and comfy too. I only laid my head on it and even then sleep felt like heaven.”
“That’s enough, apprentice. You may go.”
“But!” He could hear the pout in his voice and Minseok couldn’t help but smile under the hand still covering his face.
“Your majesty, does using your powers always drain you so?”
“Out. Now.”
Minseok felt bad when he heard heavy footsteps retreating and a soft click of the door, but that was a conversation he didn’t want to have.
A few days later, Yixing managed to coerce Minseok into visiting the nearby gardens. On his first day in the palace, he didn’t get to appreciate the beauty of it when Junmyeon led him past it. He came a couple times when things settled down or whenever Minseok got moody. His favorite was the closest garden to the tower, with all of the orchids.
Even frozen they were still very ethereal.
Minseok followed Yixing silently as they went through the garden. At first, Yixing thought about asking Minseok questions to get him talking, but when that didn’t get anywhere, Yixing thought to talk about himself. He didn’t know where to start but the silence wasn’t deafening or awkward, so he let it be.
Eventually, a voice called to Yixing.
“Apprentice, why did you want to come here?”
“I really like these white orchids. They remind me of the same ones in my garden back home.”
He was sure Minseok was asking something else but this is what he wanted to offer the prince. When silence came, Yixing turned back to look at Minseok. The prince looked at him thoughtfully.
“I grew these.” He said. “Five years ago.”
Yixing felt his mouth make an “o” before he could stop himself. He forgot that it had been five years. He looked down at the flowers and sighed. The flowers should’ve died and sprouted again many times over. Poor things were stuck in suspension.
“Let’s head back.”
Minseok turned towards the way they came but got his foot stuck in the snow. Without thinking, Yixing rushed to his side, extending an arm around the prince to steady him. He ran a hand down the prince’s leg to make sure it was not injured.
“Are you alright, my prince?” He stared down at Minseok whom he held steady with his other arm.
He’d never been this close to Minseok before, save for the time he carried him back to his room. That time he had been unconscious. This time, a wide awake and blushing prince was staring in disbelief at Yixing. His eyebrows were raised so high, Yixing laughed at him.
“My prince?”
Minseok seemed to gain some composure and muttered a noncommittal “yes’ before pulling away from Yixing, shivering.
Without thinking, Yixing stopped him by his elbow and pulled him closer to his own body. He drew the cloak he was wearing around Minseok’s body. His arm around him firmly, he looked cheekily down at the prince and said, “How’s this, my prince?”
He stared pointedly at Yixing’s arm around his waist. “You are very daring.”
“But you won’t stop me?”
“I’ll allow it this time.” The prince ducked his head, but Yixing swore a light pink dusted his cheeks and a small smile had formed. It never occurred to Yixing that Minseok could feel cold. Beside him now, he was very warm. Oh, Minseok.
Yixing slowly and cheerfully led them back to the tower. They talked in low whispers the whole way and Yixing felt his heart move. He was finally getting somewhere with Minseok.
In the distance, Junmyeon watched as the two figures retreated into the tower. He knew his own smile was a sad one but whispered, “At least he left the courtyard. That’s a first.”
With a sad sigh, he turned and left. He didn’t think the apprentice would need his help. All he could do now was prepare.
After a week of walking, Yixing finally managed to get Minseok’s favorite books, his favorite flowers, and his favorite food. There was progress and Yixing was very happy to just see the prince smile when he thought he couldn’t see, or laugh under his breath.
Eventually, Yixing managed to have Minseok sit down for a physical. He wasn’t sure why he was there with Minseok but he had to at least rule out that there was nothing physically wrong with him first. After taking his pulse and checking his eyesight, Yixing moved to check Minseok’s stomach and insides. Without being prompted, Minseok took off his shirt.
Yixing had to remind himself that he was in the middle of a physical before he could start poking and prodding at Minseok’s body. Minseok’s breath hiked and hitched a bit when Yixing prodded at his chest. If Yixing purposefully did it a couple more times to hear him, no one there would know any better.
When Minseok finally had his shirt on again, Yixing sat him down to declare that he was in perfect health even for someone who didn’t exercise.
Minseok raised an eyebrow at him and jokingly asked, “How do you know I don’t exercise?”
Taken aback, Yixing wondered when Minseok could be exercising if Yixing was with him all the time. Could it be in his room? His room was awfully big… the bed was awfully big too. Was that the exercise…?
“You’re making weird faces.”
“I apologize, my prince.”
“So I am healthy?” He smiled at Yixing with the toothy grin that Yixing really liked.
He bit his lip softly to stop a smile of his own from coming out. “As far as I can see, you are, my prince.”
“Then do I have need of a healer?” He cocked his head in a tilt and looked at Yixing, thoughtfully.
“Of- of course!” Yixing panicked. “If you didn’t need me, I wouldn’t be here.”
Still gazing at Yixing, Minseok repeated, “If I didn’t need you…”
“I’ll go back first and look at the results more carefully. Please rest.” With a click of his medicine box, Yixing rushed out of the tower as quickly as he could. All the while, he didn’t know why his heart ached.
When he got back to his quarters, he saw Prince Junmyeon sitting by a table drinking tea.
“I hope you don’t mind. I brought some tea for you to try out.”
Why are you here? Yixing wanted to ask. Why am I here?
“How were Minseok’s results?”
“He’s fine. He’s in perfect health. Why-?” Junmyeon turned the cup in his hand carefully. Three times to the right. Then sipped from it. “Why are you here? You’re here to heal him.”
“He is not physically sick, your highness.” Yixing was angry. Why did people insist so much that there was something wrong with Minseok? “He’s not sick in the head either. All those stories-“
They had said he went insane, that he became a monster but, “he’s not like that at all.”
“Prove it.”
“What?”
Junmyeon put his cup down and sighed. “You need to prove it. Have Minseok leave his tower, leave this palace. Have him come claim his role as the Crown Prince.’
Then you are free to go.”
Free.
“But he can do that now. He can leave here whenever he wants. I can’t see anything holding him back.”
“Are you sure?”
Yixing pushed down the urge to lunge himself at the calm prince before him. If Junmyeon knew so much, why hadn’t he told him everything from the beginning.
“Listen, I don’t know anything about your kingdom or your court. I don’t do politics. I am a doctor, a healer. I can and will only do so much. Don’t involve me with your political struggles.”
Junmyeon sighed again. “I had not meant that. People need their prince like patients need a doctor. Just- just tend to Minseok.” With that he stood up and left Yixing more confused than when he arrived.
When he went to sleep that night, he dreamed of Minseok standing among lilies, laughing.
-Minseok was reading when Yixing found him in the drawing room the next day. He spent all morning thinking about what Junmyeon had said but he couldn’t think his way through it. Sitting down in the only other chair, Yixing stared off into space, eyebrows furrowed.
Frustrated, he dragged both hands down his face. Through his fingers, he noticed something different in the room. In the usually empty vase stood a droopy stem of orchids. He pulled his hands away from his face to look at them clearly.
From the corner of his eyes, he could see Minseok with a small smile. He was waiting for Yixing to notice. He hadn’t even flipped a single page in his book since Yixing came in. Yixing couldn’t contain the smile that broke out. He felt a little silly that dead flowers could make him feel so happy.
“I like them.”
“I’m glad.” Minseok finally flipped the page. “I’m sorry…”
Yixing waited for him to finish.
“I’m sorry they’re wilted.”
Close enough.
Yixing studied Minseok just like he had the very first week he got there. He saw the same man he did before but now he was more alive. Minseok’s cheeks bunched up when he laughed and smiled. His eyes turned into crescents. Minseok was quiet but that just made his every movement more apparent in Yixing’s eyes. The eyes that stared at Yixing told him things Minseok couldn’t tell him yet. He’d wait.
But he wanted to tell Minseok this now.
“My prince.”
“You don’t have to call me that.” Minseok seemed embarrassed. “I am no one’s prince, anymore. Minseok is fine. Just… Minseok.”
Yixing looked at him in surprise. He mouthed Minseok’s name to himself many times before but calling him was different.
“Minseok.”
“Yes?”
“I- I was just trying it out.” Yixing could feel his cheeks heat up and was glad it was freezing inside the drawing room so there would be something to cool him down.
Minseok laughed. Yixing thought it sounded lovely. “Don’t call my name without intention, apprentice.”
He pouted. He knew Minseok enjoyed making him pout so he pouted all the more. “Yixing. Please call me Yixing.”
Yixing watched as Minseok tried out his name silently. The way his name formed on Minseok’s lips made Yixing happy. It made him want to hear it.
“Minseok?”
“Yes, Yixing.”
He smiled. He was right. His name sounded just right coming from Minseok. Looking back at the flowers, Yixing smiled to himself.
“Look.”
He raised a hand and concentrated. Ice melted off the flower as its stem started to stiffen. In mere seconds, the flower was alive and new. He turned to look at Minseok who had his mouth hanging ajar. Yixing liked this Minseok better than when he came. He was more honest.
“Healing. I understand now why Junmyeon calls you a healer instead of just doctor’s apprentice.”
At the mention of the other prince, Yixing frowned. “His highness told me that-.“
“I’m aware. And I’m sorry.” He met Yixing’s eyes to make sure Yixing knew. “What do you want, Yixing? If you want to leave, I won’t stop you. As you well know, nothing is locked anymore.”
Yixing wanted. He wanted to be a doctor. He wanted to be a healer. He needed to leave for that. But he also wanted to see Minseok smiling as happily as he had been this past couple of months.
“I… want…
When I was a new apprentice, my best friend left as a court courier. He came back one year, sick. There was no medicine to cure him. I tried to heal him, but all I could do was ease the pain. He… was chilled to the bone. The cold ate away at him and I could tell from his eyes how painful it was. Even as a healer, all I could do was lessen his pain, only by that much.”
Yixing looked up from where he was staring at his clamped hands. Minseok’s book was shut. He had one hand fisted on the table and the other gripped his knee. He looked like he was in pain.
“Minseok?”
“So you should leave. There are other people in the world who hurt like your friend. You want to go to them.”
“I do want to go to them, but you-. “ What about you?
Minseok stood up and walked over to Yixing. He lifted his face up with a strong hand and gazed down. “I’ll be like I was before. Ice is frozen.”
“Ice can melt and what’s more, you are not ice. You are not made of coldness, my prince. Minseok.”
Yixing was looking with determination right back at Minseok but he noticed the corner of Minseok’s eye twitched when he spoke. Why did Minseok hurt so much?
Minseok left him alone in the drawing room. Yixing couldn’t help but feel like nothing went as it should’ve. Remembering the pain Minseok was in, Yixing wondered if he could even help him with that.
When he left the tower, he noticed the stairs were wet.
Ice melts, Minseok.
Minseok sat patiently as he watched Yixing sleep. He meant to apologize for being so terse yesterday but when Yixing didn’t show up to the tower, Minseok got worried. He never stepped inside Yixing’s quarters before, but it was a welcomed change.
Yixing’s quarters didn’t have a trace of ice or snow. Yixing must’ve kept the fire burning in his quarters for it to be like this. Except when he came in, it was very cold. If Minseok could see his breath, then it was entirely too cold. He had wondered why Yixing hadn’t lit a fire since dawn broke but after venturing into his room, Minseok saw why.
Yixing was shivering in his bed, sweat gleamed on his forehead. Fear crept into Minseok as he rushed forward to take a look at Yixing. When he was satisfied that it was probably just a regularly cold, Minseok had pulled a chair to Yixing’s bedside and waited.
He watched as Yixing’s breath was labored and he coughed. It drove shivers down his spine and he hoped that Yixing would be alright. The scene was entirely too familiar to Minseok.
“Cold.”
It was barely audible even over the silence, but Minseok heard him anyway. There were no extra blankets around and Minseok didn’t know how or where to start a fire here. He never had to do that before.
Frustrated at himself, Minseok sat there and worried to himself. He had to get Yixing somewhere warmer. The only place he could think of was the tower because the sun regularly hits the tower on sunny days. Without another thought, he gathered Yixing up, blankets and all and started to carry him back to where Minseok was more used to.
Halfway up the stairs, Yixing murmured, “I never knew you were so strong, Minseok.” Minseok couldn’t help but smile at his half unconscious healer. “There’s a lot you don’t know, I suppose.”
“Also you smell really nice. Like jasmine flowers. Do you grow those too?” He coughed and continued. “You really like flowers. And sculptures. You’re really good at them. I like the butterfly lovers but you don’t have them.”
Minseok laughed as Yixing continued to talk all the way to the top of the tower. He was surprised he said so much in his sick state, but he figured it must’ve been like when someone drank too much. He laid Yixing down on his bed and opened all the curtains to let the sunlight through. Then he hushed Yixing and told him to sleep.
“I don’t wanna. Minseok, stay with me.”
“Do all men turn into children when they’re sick?”
“Everyone turns into a child when they see the doctors.”
“Then why do you want to be a doctor so much, Yixing. You’d have to be awfully adult about it.” Minseok felt a bit bad for teasing Yixing while he was sick but he couldn’t help it. He was awfully cute. And there was less to get embarrassed about.
“I want to be a doctor because!” Sick Yixing turned in his blankets so that his face lined up with Minseok’s. “Because I was born a healer. Like you were born a prince!”
Minseok’s smile receded at that. “But I am not a prince.”
“You are! You are!” Yixing looked at Minseok incredulously. “You are every inch a prince! Your hair is perfect, you face is handsome, and your body. Wow. You’re shorter than me but your body is-“
“Okay, that’s enough. Sleep.”
Minseok grinned at the healer. Yixing grinned back at him as he settled into sleeping. As he closed his eyes, he added, “You’re a great listener. Better than me. I’ve never really talked about Han with anyone before but with you I can.”
Tears welled up in Minseok’s eyes as he watched his healer fall asleep. He found he adored Yixing quite a bit but it still hurt, even after five years.
When Yixing woke up, he opened his eyes to Minseok’s face inches away from his own. His own hand was clasped with Minseok’s own hand. He didn’t know what happened all of yesterday, but he wasn’t entirely opposed to this.
Shifting his head, a white towel fell off his forehead. He peeked at the table near the bed and saw the water basin, and the pills. He groaned. How embarrassing was it for the doctor to get sick?
“Morning.” Yixing’s squirming had woken Minseok. His voice was low and gravely. It automatically made Yixing smile.
“Thank you.”
Minseok pulled away from the bed. “No, thank you. Never realized how much I didn’t know. How to make a fire, how to heat a room, how short I was.”
Yixing was half way up when he froze. “I- uh- did I say that?”
“Among other things.” Minseok faked a yawn and stretched. Yixing wanted to punch himself. “I’m sure I meant that… you’re just short…er than me. That’s all.”
“Are you comparing yourself to a prince?” He arched one eyebrow at Yixing while leaning back against his chair. Yixing also leaned back on his two arms on the bed. “I thought you weren’t a prince.”
“Like you said, you were born a healer and I was born a prince.”
Yixing was surprised. He didn’t think he was so blatant when he was sick. It’s almost as bad as if he were drunk. Before he could protest, Minseok stood up to look at a painting across the room. The painting was obviously of the royal family. Yixing could see their faces clearly from the bed. He could also see a younger, happier Prince Minseok.
“What happened to your parents, Minseok?”
Minseok brushed against the painting as if he could feel the brocade of his mother’s dress. “They died.’
‘Five years ago. When the palace was frozen.” He paused for a bit and continued. “That day I learned that my lover had died from the coldness seeping into his bones. There were noblemen who blamed me. Even if it wasn’t me, I was still the one to kill him.”
“That can’t have been true-.”
“Even you couldn’t heal him, Yixing.”
Something cold and sharp pricked Yixing’s heart. Is this what heartbreak feels like?
They always said he had gone insane when he froze everyone in the palace. From dark influences, or a witch’s curse. Could it have been heartbreak? Did Minseok love so much that he killed everyone in the palace?
Even though he was dizzy, Yixing stood up quickly and rushed for the window. He needed air. Minseok made a motion to come steady him, but Yixing held a hand up. Just some air.
He always thought the view from Minseok’s window was nice. You could see all of the vast courtyard and beyond it. Yixing squinted. Something about the courtyard was different. In the middle, Minseok had created new statues.
“You said you liked the butterfly lovers so I made them for you.” Minseok stood by Yixing’s side looking down at the courtyard. “Do you like it?”
“Yes, they’re beautiful.”
“I’m glad.” He looked down at his palms and opened and closed them. “It made me a bit dizzy to make them, but if you like them, then that’s alright.”
Yixing paused. His heart was no longer pounding. The cloudiness in his head was suddenly clear. “You get dizzy when you use your powers?”
Minseok pressed his lips together. “Yes. I am less powerful than the other members of my family in that aspect.”
Than the other members of his family. Yixing narrowed his eyes and focused on Minseok’s own. “The King.”
“Regent.”
Yixing suddenly wondered how powerful the king really was. Could the king give someone coldness no power can heal? Could the king freeze an entire palace? Could the king kill his own brother? Yixing was only sure about one thing. The king had locked his nephew up in a tower.
“Minseok.”
They both turned to see Junmyeon.
“We need to talk.”
Yixing didn’t know from when, but Minseok’s drawing room became a war room. There were maps strewn everywhere. He was most surprised to see the fireplace work and that there were more than two chairs by the table.
He turned to a young man sitting alone at one end of the table. “Where did all these chairs come from?”
The young man laughed loudly at his question said, “Yixing, there is an entire frozen palace outside of this tower.”
That is true. He’s a bit forward, but Yixing liked it. This young man seemed jolly and high spirited. Not exactly the type to be in a war room. “I beg your pardon; you are…?”
“Jongdae, Senior Minister of Rites. I’m in charge of any and all ceremonies taken place.”
The man was so young but already of senior rank. Yixing was in disbelief. As if noticing, Jongdae merely noted, “Many older officials died five years back. Vacancies in positions were widespread.”
Yixing then noticed that many of the others were of a similar age. He had not known what the impact of that night might’ve been to a kingdom, let alone these young adults.
When Minseok and Junmyeon came in, everyone stood up. Only when Minseok sat down did people seat themselves. Never before had Yixing seen Minseok look so majestic but there was a glint in Minseok’s eyes that told him he didn’t prefer it.
The talk went on all night. Yixing couldn’t follow most of it. All he concentrated on was giving Minseok water when he coughed and making sure he didn’t catch the cold that Yixing had yesterday. Before long, Yixing noticed he wasn’t really needed and quietly left the room to recuperate by himself. When he closed the door to the room, he caught Minseok’s eyes following him.
The floor was cold. Yixing blinked the cloud away from his eyes and saw a stone floor. He didn’t remember falling out of his bed. Or that his floor was made of this type of stone. When he moved to get up, he felt pain all over his body. The pain streaked out from his back and he knew something was very, very wrong. He tried to push himself up to find steel shackles around his wrists.
Panic rose in his throat. He looked further into the darkness to make out bars surrounding him. There was straw in a corner. The stench hit him before he could figure out where it came from. Bile rose up his throat. He knew he shouldn’t but he swallowed it and tried to calm himself.
He didn’t know why he was there or why he was hurt, but he needed to stay calm. It was a hard thing to do when every sound in the darkness shook him.
Sometime later, guards came by to check on him. When they saw he was still lying down, they left him alone. But they were chatty guards and Yixing closed his eyes to hear better.
“The little tramp is still asleep. Always knew healers were weak little things.”
“Can you believe the rumors that have been going around? That crazy snow beast and a savage healer. What a pair.”
“To think that our righteous prince asked for the healer out of graciousness for the beast.”
“We all know that was just a ploy to get on the good side of Yue. I hear the Prince is on the move.”
“Against his father? Impossible! What could he possibly have want for? He will already be King soon enough.”
“It’s the beast.”
Every mention of the word beast made Yixing want to tear through the shackles, the bars and at the guards’ faces. They knew nothing.
When another guard came into his cell to poke at him, Yixing really did attack. He may have been shackled but he was still quick on his feet. He threw his weight against the guard and knocked him out. He would’ve ran if not for a second guard. He slammed his body against the bodyguard when he least expected it and had him on the ground. But his injured back caught up to him. A timely kick to his sides and he was on the ground. They tossed him like a ragged doll against the stone wall in the back of the cell and laughed as they went away.
It hurt but Yixing had the key.
Quiet footsteps rushed through the palace. They were going to take the palace in the middle of the night. Minseok figures after this was over, they would say they came in like thieves. How noble of a prince.
But they kidnapped Yixing to force his hand, so Minseok was going to show them exactly how much of a prince he really was.
While the soldiers around him struggled to quiet their footsteps as they hugged close to the walls, Minseok walked steadily and upright. Anyone walking around the halls at this time of night could see him clearly. And that’s what he wanted.
Let them all know who was here.
He wanted the Regent to know that he wouldn’t let him lock him or anyone he loved up anymore.
He watched as snow and ice slowly took over the walls. He didn’t know what magic his uncle had but once Minseok passed the threshold of the former palace, he felt strength like never before. The Frost he was so afraid of laced quietly inside of him, as if reinforcing his bones and his soul.
If Junmyeon was right, there would be very little bloodshed and Minseok wouldn’t have to turn this palace into winter like his uncle did to the last one. He could only hope.
But first, he wanted his healer back.
Horns blared.
They knew they were coming. When the slew of arrows came, Minseok almost couldn’t shoot them down in time. In anger, he sent a blast of Frost towards them. He only meant to freeze their weapons, but when he looked back, their hands were frozen as well.
A tinge of sadness creeped in his mind before a strong hand gripped his shoulder as they ran through the corridors. Junmyeon had caught up to Minseok’s squadron. He gave Minseok a nod. He could only nod back as they rushed the inner palace.
Before Minseok could even say a word to Junmyeon, he had ordered his men and women to meet with Jongdae’s squadron. He led Minseok and the rest of the soldiers on a different path.
“This is the way to the dungeons.”
Minseok didn’t know what he did to deserve Junmyeon, but he had to pay him back for all he’s done someday.
A group of soldiers descended down the stairs. Yixing turned around quickly as he disarmed the last guard. It had taken all of his strength and wit to take out the guards. He didn’t know if he could handle actual soldiers. He squared off, prepared to fight when one figure called out to him.
“Yixing!”
Running down the stairs was Minseok. His prince was clad in black armor with a sword at his belt. From the looks of it, Minseok hasn’t needed to pull his sword out yet. Lucky.
When Minseok came within arm’s reach, Yixing let his own sword fall to the ground. A strong arm came around Yixing and all he could say was, “about time.”
“I’m sorry I’m late.” Minseok inspected Yixing’s battered face and a dangerous glint came around his eyes.
“Minseok, leave it. I’m here, you’re here. We’re fine.”
“Actually if I can interrupt the lover’s reunion, the night isn’t over yet.” From atop the stairwell, Junmyeon clinked his sword against the shield he was carrying. He was also in armor, albeit blue. He had style, Yixing had to give him that.
The soldiers started to back up the stairwell while Minseok and Yixing took up the tail. “You hurt your back, didn’t you?”
“They hurt my back.” Yixing winced. Walking was a bit hard. He could feel himself trembling and sweat drenched his hair. It was wholly unfair that Minseok was almost completely clean.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you into this mess. My uncle knew our plans and took you away.”
“Why would he take me away? What does that even do?”
“It causes me distress. It causes me pain. It reminds me of five years ago when he took away my family and lover. He won’t take you away from me again.”
Yixing reached out to gingerly cup Minseok’s face. He turned it so that he could see Minseok clearly. The determination was set into his jaw and his eyes were alive. Here was no longer the brooding prince he was told to accompany and cure. Here was his Minseok, ready to be what he always was.
Yixing leaned forward and captured Minseok’s own lips. Minseok let out a gasp at first, but almost immediately pressed his own against Yixing’s. At first, it was just lips, but it became softer and it became the kiss Yixing waited for. Soft, gentle, warm and love were all that he could feel.
Minseok pulled away first. He gently brushed the bruise forming on Yixing’s cheek. “Later. I promise.”
They climbed the stairs together. When they came to the landing, they searched, but no one was to be found. Minseok left Yixing to lean against the wall as he checked for soldiers, whether his or his uncle’s.
“There’s no one here. It’s like a dozen soldiers didn’t even come through here. I don’t understand.” Minseok leaned one shoulder on the same wall and looked down at Yixing. He was having a hard time catching his breath and Minseok felt guilty. If he could only set him down at a safe place, he would worry less.
“Minseok, watch out!”
Yixing pushed Minseok to the ground as a figured emerged from the shadows, sword out first. The first slash went across Yixing’s shoulders. The second slash never came as Minseok froze the sword and sent its shattered bits towards the figure. The figure collapsed next to Yixing on the floor.
“Yixing, Yixing, are you okay?”
“Min-“
The blood started to streak Yixing’s shirt. When Yixing’s breath slowed down, Minseok swore he never felt cold like that before. Without thinking, he put Yixing on his back and ran. He needed to find the rest of them and fast. His sword bounced heavily against his legs and he knew there would be a bruise later but he concentrated on keeping Yixing awake.
“Please… Yixing. If you can just stay awake long enough, I’ll plant you entire palaces of orchids.”
“Just... stay.”
Sunlight streamed in through the painted glass windows. Through his cloudy eyes, Yixing could make out green and blue outside. The air was denser, and he was warm and comfortable.
Had he died and gone to heaven?
“Not if I can help it.”
Yixing smiled. He turned towards Minseok’s voice and blinked away the sleep. Minseok sat beside him on a chair. He wore a subtle crown on his head and Yixing loved it on him almost as much as he loved the man himself. It belongs there.
Minseok smiled at him with so much glee that it became infectious. It didn’t matter that Yixing’s ribs were probably broken, he was bruised all over, and he had a deep cut across his shoulder that would scar. What mattered now was that they were both there together and laughing was all he could do to express his happiness.
Minseok laughed along with him. A strand of hair fell into his face that Yixing wanted to brush away. His hair had grown longer since the first day Yixing met him. It fell into his eyes and it made him seem much younger or rather, his age. He had to remember that Minseok was actually around his age.
Minseok’s brown eyes looked nice in the sunlight and it crinkled when Minseok laughed at him. “It’s impolite to stare, doctor.”
As far as he could tell, there was only the two of them in the room. He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. Minseok pointed out the letter addressed to him from his master on the bedside table. Yixing’s heart felt like bursting.
“You’re free from your apprenticeship.” And from this assignment.
Yixing worried the bottom of his lip. He didn’t want to read the letter just yet. For now, it was good enough to be there with Minseok. He held out his hand and Minseok took it. He tugged a little and Minseok raised his eyebrow at him. With a smirk, Yixing pulled Minseok into the bed with him.
“This is not really how I imagined this would go.”
Yixing feigned innocence as he stubbornly tucked the King of Jin into his side. Minseok would probably scowl at him if he tried to do this on a different day but he was injured. He must have some allowances.
He wondered aloud, “What scenario were you imagining my prince?”
Minseok laughed at his cheekiness. Yixing was sure of it. “You know, ever since you met me, I was never just a prince.”
“How many times have I-“
“Since my father died, that would automatically make me-“ Minseok trailed off, pretending to think about it.
Yixing liked to think he wasn’t as dense as Minseok made him seem sometimes, but the realization hit him hard.
“King.’
“Oh my god, you were always a king.”
“Well, never-been-through-coronation aside.”
Minseok’s cheek bunched up from his laughter as the information sank in. Yixing pulled away from Minseok and looked at him. His lover was a king. King. KING. This was… difficult.
“So… what-“
Minseok suddenly asked in a low whisper. “Are you happy?” Do I make you happy?
Without hesitating, Yixing said, “Yes, I am.” A pause. “Are you?”
“I am also very happy.”
Yixing looked down at the man in front of him. He changed since they met, or more accurately, he grew. Yixing only hoped that he grew as well.
He looked at Minseok intently from his eyes, his nose, to his lips. His lips smiled and came closer. Yixing leaned down and closed the distance between them. After all that’s happened, Yixing never imagined himself here but he was okay with that.
“Is this what you imagined, my love?”
“Yes, just like my storybooks.”
Yixing laughed. “And what happens after?”
Minseok came closer to Yixing, a hair’s breath away from Yixing’s lips. “Let’s worry about the happy part now. The ever after we’ll decide later.”
Their lips met again. Yixing never thought he could feel any safer, any happier than when he’s with Minseok. Even in the coldest palace, Minseok could make Yixing feel warmth. And he knew, for Minseok, there was something Yixing brought out that allowed him to be free.
Yes
Happily now, ever after later.
We can do this.
"So whatever happened last night?"
"You were asleep."
"No I mean after I fainted."
"You've been asleep for a week, Yixing."
"Wait what!"
"There's lots for you to catch up on, but we have time. Don't worry."
"A whole week!"
Yixing mourned the loss of a week's worth of work he could've been doing.