Fated: Chapter 1 - The Hermit and the Prince
Title: Fated
Chapter: 1 - The Hermit and the Prince [1/5]
Author: lil_aqua_chic
Pairing(s): Secret for now but it will involve Super Junior members
Rating: PG-13 for now
Genre: AU, Romance, Drama, Angst
Disclaimer: I do not own the boys as much as I'd love to *sighs*
Summary: A hermit in the midst of a forest. A prince-in-hiding. What secrets do they harbour? What fate entwins the two?
Author's Notes: Sorry to those who have been waiting for this. I did warn you all I’m slow xD But I finally forced myself to write the rest of this chapter last night. Not entirely 100% satisfied with it but I wouldn’t say I’m unhappy either =P Happy new year to everyone ^^
Comments [bad or good] would be loved ^^
The Hermit and the Prince
Some centuries ago
Soft, slow music filtered through the semi-darkened room. A couple danced gracefully across the dance floor, completely unaware of their surroundings, as they only had eyes for one another. The young man, clasped the girl’s waist gently, guiding her around without much thought for what he was actually doing as he was mesmerised within her eyes. Their first encounter, their first dance, their first love. Many thoughts flitted through his mind at that instance to which he was sure there were no answers to. To the eyes of all those around them, it was clear, this was what they called love at first sight.
Dancing bears, painted wings
Things I almost remember
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December
6 November, 2009
The sun broke clear of the canopy of trees in the forest, bathing it with the soft rays of dawn. He got off his bed, without opening his eyes, manoeuvring around as if he knew the outlay of the room from memory, which, he did. He only opened his eyes when he finally had a drink of water, his first morning sip of the crystal clear water. He looked out his window at the bright sunshine, deeming it a good day already. His eyes took in the expanse of the forest in front of him, wondering if there could be another place as wonderful as this.
What he failed to notice, was the shimmer of white that faded into the depths of the forest to his left. He might have noticed had he paid attention.
Gathering his tools, he set out to see if he was able to hunt for some food. It wasn’t as if he had needed to, his supply seemingly a little bit off from being full. Somehow, he felt it was necessary. Shaking his head ruefully and not doubting his instincts for an instant, he wandered off into the forest, humming a tune he could never seem to get out of his head.
Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Paran, all seemed at ease. The same sunlight shining over the Forest of Tamra shone brightly over the inhabitants of Paran. Although it was early morning, the people of Paran were already bustling about their daily business with men heading off to their various jobs, women starting their household duties and children laughing merrily on the roads. It seemed like any other day. But this day wasn't like any other day. This day would be one they’d never forget.
“You think he’ll be pleased with our efforts so far?” The speaker was a medium height man with black hair left long enough to slightly cover his eyebrows. At first glance, anyone would wonder why this man was in his present company. His face shone of cuteness that would make anyone want to pinch his cheeks. What they didn’t know was that he was a skilled fighter. Perhaps even one of the most skilled, but no one had dared to check that theory out themselves.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ve waited far too long for this.” The second man was taller than the first, with a somewhat lankier build and short blonde hair that slightly stood up towards the middle. He was a quiet, soft-spoken man with a foreign accent. A highly skilled assassin. He walked with a grace that no one else could match, sneaking upon his prey. Before they even registered he was there, a knife would be protruding from their chest. Most of the time, his victims never even knew what had hit them.
“Mmm.”
The two men continued to stand, staring into the distance where only the highest towers of the Royal Palace of Paran could just be seen. Their eyes scanned the horizon every so often, awaiting the signal for them to begin their descent. This was it. This is what they had been planning for 20 long years. No more waiting, no more hiding, no more planning.
Behind them, waiting in the shadows, was none other than the ‘he’ that the first speaker had mentioned. Nothing much could be said about this man. His appearance was hidden within the shadows of his dark power. Darkness served as a cloak for this man. He controlled the darkness whilst the darkness controlled him in return. If one was to peer closer through the flittering shadows surrounding him, one might say he seemed sad.
“LEE DONGHAE! WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!”
The said young man grinned sheepishly at the suddenly towering woman in front of him. “Trying to fluster the maids?”
Sighing to herself, the woman dropped the hands she had braced on her hips. “When will you stop this, Hae? I don’t have the time to find another maid.”
“But, Mother! What else am I supposed to do? I’ve finished all my lessons. And you won’t let me out.” A pout adorned his face at that moment. His mother looked at him, lower lip jutting out just like that. Shaking her head, she turned around and walked back towards her chamber.
She didn’t bother to turn her head around even though she was aware her over-happy son was trailing behind her. Her own saddened thoughts clouded her mind and she wasn’t too sure she would be able to withstand the thought of what was to happen if she had to look at her son’s face for much longer.
It seemed that the Queen’s mood quickly spread throughout the palace. No one was sure what had bought the Queen into such a quiet, saddened mood, but it affected each of them. Their always smiling Queen had a permanent frown etched on her thin eyebrows, creases upon her forehead. Today was the day, the day that was going to change everything. The day that was predetermined 20 years ago.
For the Kingdom of Paran, it seemed as though nothing was amiss. Everything occurred as per usual throughout the day. It wasn’t until the breaking of the day that tiny mishaps begun. It was only small things that the inhabitants brushed aside, telling themselves it was nothing, just the trick of the light. As the sky slowly descended, faint horse hooves beating along the roads could be heard. But it was so faint, that it was once again brushed off. Little did the inhabitants know, that the ominous galloping was just the beginning of their downfall.
It was perhaps towards the 8th hour into the night that the townsfolk begun to notice that things were indeed not right. All of their livestock and pets had suddenly slunk away whilst their masters’ backs were turned. The air around them was deadly silent. Everyone began crowding around the eldest’s home, fear showing on their faces. Whispers went through the crowd, whispers that things hadn’t seem right at the Royal Palace today either. No one knew what to do. They waited and praying things weren’t as they seemed.
Back at the Palace, reports were flying to the King and Queen of mysterious citings across Paran. Murders of high councillors, albeit corrupted ones, were whispered into their ears.
By the 9th hour of the day, fighting had broken out in several cities. It would not be much longer before it reached the Palace.
The King and Queen looked at each other, fear reflected in their eyes. They knew what they had to do. At all cost. It was their only hope. They knew.
The King snapped his finger at one of the passing pages and requested that he bring Kyuhyun to them immediately. The wait for the Kingdom’s hidden ninja seemed much longer than usual to the King and Queen. It seemed as though the seconds were minutes and the minutes were hours.
The Queen jumped at the baritone sound of the ninja announcing his arrival in their ears.
“Your Majesties requested my services?”
“Yes. We need you to escort Prince Donghae to the Taiji Forest soon. The future of Paran depends on this. And when the time comes, please give him this.” The King passed a sealed letter into the hand of the ninja who immediately tucked it away.
“When will I know when the time comes?”
“Trust us, you just will. Just make sure you keep Prince Donghae safe. When fighting breaks out towards the Palace entrance, you are to escort Prince Donghae out the staff exit and into the Taiji Forest. Within the middle of the forest is an abandoned hut. That is where you must leave the Prince and never seek him out again. In your course of travel, nothing is to be said to him about his destination, nor what is to happen to him. He must not know what is to occur. Lie if you must, but he must not know the truth. No word of this is to be even whispered to another living soul.”
“As you command.”
Even though the King and Queen were watching his every movement, his sudden disappearance took them by surprise. But they rested assured of one thing, their mission was accomplished. So long as Donghae was safe, as the letter from 20 years ago stated must happen, then they couldn’t do naught else. They left everything else for fate to settle.
By now the rest of the Palace knew of the whispers of the fighting within the Kingdom. Stories of people dropping dead on the spot, of mysterious dark horses that ran faster than the wind, of monsters crawling through every home, reached the servants’ ears. Prayers, curses, cries could be heard at every corner of the Palace.
The King and Queen tried their best to walk amongst their own people, trying to bring calmness before things got worse. They knew it was inevitable. They had no way of fighting these things. They weren’t even sure what they were against.
It wasn’t until the 11th hour of the night that news came from a page stumbling into the courtyard of the Palace gardens outside the main building that the fighting had broken through the Palace gates. Panic followed shortly afterwards. People began rushing everywhere in their mad attempts to justify their inevitable deaths in some sort of way. Many tried to flee, only to be met with an even earlier death. The King and Queen retreated into their chamber to ready themselves for a fight that would be their last. They held each other, gazing upon the family portrait that hung above their fireplace, praying to the gods to ensure that Donghae would bypass this calamity.
As they left their chambers, a single arrow flew and embedded itself by their door. A single white feather was attached. The King and Queen let out a soft sigh, knowing their child was as safe as could be. That this sacrifice was for the good of their Kingdom.
“What exactly is going on?! Where are we heading? I demand you answer me now, Kyuhyun! I know my Father and Mother sent you to escort me away. Don’t think I don’t know what’s been happening all day! I’m not the fish that everyone claims I am.”
Donghae never did get an answer in words. The only answer he received was a sharp tug on the arms before he was pulled onto the back of a horse. There, both his hands were bound together to the ninja’s waist.
He took in a deep breath, ready to continue his onslaught of questions and demands for knowledge. But before he could get a word out, the ninja spoke in his usual quiet whisper.
“Prince, I can’t tell you anything. I’ve just been told to escort you to safety.”
Donghae scoffed before lapsing into silence, pondering what he had been told. It seemed as though his parents knew this was coming. But why hadn’t they told him? Why didn’t they let him stay to fight? Why weren’t they escaping with him? A million questions bubbled in his mind, not a single one did he think Kyuhyun would answer.
Instead, he focused on studying the young man in front of him. His short black hair reached towards the nape of his neck. A bit longer than what he was used to seeing. He remembered the first time they had met, Kyuhyun had been shorter than him, a bit awkward in walking, like he wasn’t entirely too sure on his feet. His hair had been slightly brown back then too.
He continued his analysis of his childhood friend. He noticed the ripples of muscles that showed through his long sleeved black shirt, hidden slightly under the light mail shirt, yet still visible. He noted that the intense training that his dongsaeng had undergone must have resulted in those muscles.
“You know, staring at people isn’t polite, Hae. Even if it is at their back. And especially for a Prince.”
“So we’re back to informality now, are we? Since when were we on nickname terms, eh?”
“Hae, look, I’m sorry. You know, I cannot betray the King and Queen. Even if we’re childhood friends. I can’t do it. I’m honour bound.”
Donghae noticed the soft sigh that escaped his friend’s lips, even without actually seeing it. He knew that no matter how much he responded, he would get no answer.
“I know you’re worried. But these are your parents’ orders. And you know very well, you can’t escape me either. So please, let’s just make this easier for both of us.”
“Where are we headed anyways? I’m assuming there is some sort of destination?”
“We’re heading to the Kingdom of Ilix.”
“Ilix? Aren’t we heading in the wrong direction then? I thought it was north-bound. Why are we heading south? And what’s going to happen to me? When can we return?”
“The King told me that we must take this route to ensure no one will find you. Once things calm down, they will seek us there. Hae, please. I can’t answer anymore. Just please. I need all my strength in case we’re being followed.”
Not once did the ninja turn around during the entire trip. They did, however, stop once for a quick rest. He fed water from the water skin to the Prince, watching the water trickle out as he greedily drank as much as he could before being hauled back onto the horse. Slumber overtook his endless questions and with that the ninja made haste towards the forest before depositing his charge on the doorstep of his destination. There he turned around and galloped off, not looking back in fear of returning to his friend’s side.
He trusted the King and Queen in their decisions and hoped for the best. He prayed that he would survive to see the Prince return.
Just like any other morning, the sun continued to beat upon the crowns of the trees. Rays of light shining onto the forest floor. It seemed like any normal morning to the Hermit in the hut.
What he hadn’t expected was the prone form of a young man on his doorstep. He didn’t hesitate in carrying the man into his hut, shutting the door behind on instinct and plopping him down on the makeshift bed.
He hurried out and quickly filled a bucket of water and proceeded to wipe the grime off the boy. It was then that he noticed his handsome features.
He reached his hand across his cheeks, caressing him. He was too mesmerised with the sight that he hadn’t noticed the young man’s hand reaching up to place them upon his own hand.
A peaceful smile flitted across the young man’s face before he opened his eyes and confusion settled into those dark brown orbs.
The Hermit left his hand on his cheek, still with the young man’s hand upon them. They stayed in that position for a few more seconds, before a shriek rang out of the young man’s mouth.