Untitled: Chapter V
Title: Kingdom
Fandom/Original: Dong Bang Shin Ki, Koda Kumi, misono
Pairing(s): Jaejoong/Kumi
Rating: G
Warning(s): Real person fanfiction & alternative universe.
Summary: Growing up as best friends, Kumi and Jae never once thought of each other as more than that. But, as Kumi's marriage fast approaches, Jae is soon realizing his true feelings for the princess.
Notes
The ratings for this piece are not an overall rating. They will fluctuate with each chapter. Other than, I have no other notes to make. Please enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own nothing more than the words used here and the idea behind it. Characters belong to their respective owners.
Kingdom: Chapter Five
Battlesong had lived twenty-seven years and sired countless foals before he peacefully passed on one night. He had been a bay and in his prime, his coat would appear almost red in the sunlight. Time took its toll on the old stallion and his coat soon became tarnished with scars from battle. Nevertheless, he commanded respect. His body lay buried somewhere on the palace grounds, but his spirit was currently majestically soaring through the woods.
One of his last foals, a gift to the young princess, was now running as her father had. Skysong, urged on by the man on her back, leaped over fallen branches and forced herself up and down the small hills. The princess, despite trusting the young man seated before her, held on tight.
“Jae, are you sure this is the safest path?” Kumi dared to peer around her companion to see the untrodden path ahead of them. When Kumi had climbed down from the tree on her mare’s back, she was expecting Jae to blaze their way on the cleared path they had traveled so many times over. But Jae had taken them off the winding path and cut straight through the woods. Kumi bit her lower lip and looked behind them at the land quickly reaching the horizon. Either Jae had not heard her or he was hiding the true answer and feigning deafness. It made her nervous, whichever way it was.
Wordlessly, Jae reached behind himself and pulled Kumi down as he ducked to avoid a low-hanging branch. When he sat back upright, Kumi did not follow. She wasn’t certain if she should even bother sitting back up. This new road was unpredictable and who knows when she would have to push herself down low to the saddle once more. She stayed down like that, watching the earth below rush past and the muscles tense and release in Skysong’s body. But, of course, the position gradually became more and more uncomfortable for the princess to hold. She was going to have to think of some other way to avoid being knocked unconscious.
Looking back up at Jae, she feared distracting him. When he had reached behind to pull her down with him, she had felt her heart stop for a moment. His attention had been solely focused on her for a moment and off the road. That could have had dire consequences and it was a risk Kumi was unwilling to repeat. Sitting up slowly, the princess decided the best thing to do was something she wasn’t entirely sure about doing. Kumi, using her arms, carefully pulled herself closer to Jae until her smaller frame was pressed against his and shut her eyes to focus.
The fear she had felt ebbed away as she began to move in sync with his. When she felt his back tense for a jump, she was no longer taken off-guard. Her body would mimic the same tension and relax when his did upon landing. If she felt him start to pull away, Kumi would follow after. If he leaned back, she leaned back. Kumi knew that if she concentrated on this the rest of the way, there was nothing to fear. Jae would keep her safe.
So lost in his body’s every reaction, Kumi did not notice Skysong’s body begin to relax. She did not hear the hoofbeats slow and lower in count. The only thing she noticed was Jae’s body, moving with Skysong, lurched to gradual halt. But even then, that did not bring Kumi out of her deep concentration. She dared not break it.
Jae relaxed now that they were safely before the barn once more. He leaned down to pat Skysong’s neck and noticed that he had a follower. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Kumi still pressed against his back as close as she could be with her eyes shut tight. He smiled slightly to himself.
“I didn’t scare you too much, did I?” His words seemed to have finally broken Kumi’s fear and concentration as her eyes opened and returned his gaze.
“No,” Kumi lied as she used his back as leverage to sit up. “I just wasn’t sure if that was the safest route. I’m still not sure it was.”
Jae sat up once more and confessed, “It wasn’t, but it was the fastest.” It was true that Kumi was looking for speed more than anything else out of the ride back. But she would not admit that and dismounted first. She put her hand over his on the reins.
“Thank you, but never, under any circumstance, do that again,” Kumi grinned. Jae returned the smile and nodded in response.
“There you are!” The pair both looked in the direction Misono’s voice had come from and saw the younger sister making her way over to them quickly. “Kuuchan, you have got everyone, and I mean everyone, completely upset. You told your tutor you were getting ready and then you were nowhere to be found. Mom’s all upset and thinks you might be skipping out and running away.”
Misono had also gone through her fair amount of changes over the twenty years that had spanned since that summer. Growing up, Misono had once idolized her sister. She wanted to go everywhere and do everything that Kumi did. But as Misono grew, she began to change from her sister. The girl that once threw a fit when her kimono was used as a diaper was no more and was replaced by a woman who laughed at the many “accidents” that seemed to befall her kimono. She was often seen about the palace playing pranks on the servants and guards, narrowly evading trouble. Misono never referred to her parents formally, no matter how much she was reprimanded for it. Although the same height and bearing the same facial features, Misono’s spirit was more wild and untamed in comparison to her sister’s. Perhaps the only thing she shared with her sister besides their physical features was that warmth and desire for something more than the courts could offer.
As for her relationship with Jae, she had started out quite the opposite of Kumi. She loathed the orphan at first and saw him as a nuisance. Any attention Kumi gave Jae was attention away from her. This had to be corrected one way or another. But after countless forced playtimes, Misono gradually decided that Jae was “okay.” And as she began to willingly play and talk with Jae, she decided that she would adopt him as her little brother finally. It was around that time that her troublemaking streak had begun and poor Jae suffered the brunt of punishment when the pair was caught.
But right now, her attention was far from Jae and more focused on getting her sister where she needed to be. When Kumi was not immediately snapping to attention and moving, Misono began to pull on her free hand and away from Jae towards her quarters.
“Skip the goodbyes this time. You guys will just see each other at supper anyways. C’mon, c’mon,” Misono tugged harder and Kumi started to helplessly follow until she wrenched her hand from her sister’s.
“I can walk.”
“Good, then get moving!” Misono got behind her and pushed her forward. Turning back to Jae, she grinned, “Thanks for bringing her back, Jae, see you at supper!”
Jae nodded in response and watched the two girls disappear in one of the many buildings that made up the palace before dismounting. Patting Skysong’s neck once more, he tugged her reins gently to bring her around the barn to the nearby well. She whinnied and swished her tail in both appreciation and impatience. As Jae began to draw the water out, one of the youngest servants came running over quickly.
“I’m sorry to ask you this, but could I perhaps use that water?” the servant bowed politely to Jae.
“What for?” Jae inquired as he set the heavy bucket on the edge of the well. He knew it would be important, but his curiosity needed to be sated.
“The chef asked me to bring more water as quick as possible. Tonight’s supper is still not prepared,” he began to fret. “And if it’s not prepared, then they will have to wait. And if they have to wait, it will be a mistake. And if there’s a mistake, the king and queen will go on a mad hunt to find out who messed it up. And the chef will say it wasn’t him, it was me, who didn’t return quickly enough with the water. And the-”
“Changmin!” Jae had been repeating the servant’s name over the entire frantic rave, but it was not until he raised his voice that Changmin had even heard Jae speak. Jae untied the bucket and moved aside. “It’s okay, just be quick bringing it back.” Skysong snorted in annoyance.
“Thank you!” Changmin went to lift the bucket and used all of his might, but found that it did not budge even a little off the edge. Getting into a better angle, Changmin managed to finally lift it off, spilling some of the pail’s contents. Jae watched him struggle for a few moments before offering assistance, but Changmin shook him off and replied, “No, no, I’ve got it. Thank you.” Jae leaned against the well, knowing it was best not to prod the pride of a boy growing into a man. Turning his attention away from the boy, he stroked Skysong’s nose and apologized.
“Sorry, Skysong, but things have to be perfect for Kuuchan. You understand, right?” Jae smiled some to the mare. She only decided he’d make a perfect scratching post and rubbed her head against his side roughly, nearly knocking him over. Laughing a little, Jae allowed it. “I suppose this is my punishment for making you wait.” Checking on Changmin’s progress, Jae saw that he had finally arrived at the proper building. The new dilemma was how to get in the building with the water in the bucket. Jae shook his head. “C’mon, Skysong, let’s get that off you.”
Jae undid his knots and ties holding the saddle to the mare. As he lifted it off her back, Skysong visibly shrunk and relaxed. She waited patiently and did not move while Jae disappeared into the barn to put her saddle back in its proper place. She watched Changmin off in the distance for a moment before walking her way across the lawn towards the boy. No one noticed the horse leave and approach the servant. Changmin, too busy attempting to lift the bucket did not notice the horse’s presence until the bucket gained even more weight suddenly. Opening his clenched eyes, Skysong had her nose in the bucket. He yelped and jumped back in surprise, but Skysong was undeterred from her long drink.
“No, no, no!” Changmin panicked. Going around the bucket, he stood beside the horse and attempted to pull at her reins. But no matter how he pulled, Skysong remained rigid and drinking away all the cooking water. “C’mon Skysong,” Changmin whined. “Stop!”
Jae came back out of the barn to find no mare by the well and the young servant shouting. Turning his head to Changmin, Jae whistled sharply. Skysong’s ears perked and she quickly turned and raced towards Jae. When she reached him, she could tell he was displeased and slowed her pace.
“Skysong,” Jae began as he took her reins. “I don’t know what Misono has been telling you, but I know you have better manners than that.”
Poor Changmin was nearly trampled when Skysong took flight, but it was the least of his worries. Peering into the bucket, fearing the worst, Changmin’s nightmare was realized. Skysong had managed to drink nearly all the water! Quickly grabbing the bucket, Changmin sprinted the distance from the building to the well and began to tie the bucket.
“Changmin, let me do it. You put Skysong back in her stall,” Jae held out the reins belonging to the mare to the boy. Changmin glared at the horse, but agreed to swap tasks for the moment. Working silently and quickly, Jae gathered more water as Changmin led Skysong inside the barn. Changmin walked into the stall first and opened her window once more while Jae began to reel the bucket back from the depths of the well. And as Changmin removed Skysong’s bridle, Jae was untying the bucket.
“I’m gonna remember this,” Changmin warned as he closed the stall door and latched it into place. “See if I help you if you ever get in trouble,” he continued to mutter as he left the barn. Skysong, of course, paid the boy no mind and began nibbling hay Jae had deposited in her stall after taking care of her saddle.
Changmin frowned a little once outside. He was grateful Jae had offered to help rather than leave him to struggle, but he still could not help but feel he had failed in his task. He reminded himself that it was no ordinary night. Tonight, it did not matter who did it. It only mattered that it was done. This in mind, Changmin quickly caught up to his superior.
“Thank you,” he repeated once again as he stepped up to take the bucket from Jae.
“It was the least I could do,” Jae set the bucket down before allowing Changmin to take it from him. “Be careful with that.”
“Don’t worry,” Changmin grunted as he lifted the bucket. “You better get going, huh? I don’t think Their Highnesses would want you to come to dinner reeking of horse,” Changmin managed to say as he made his way inside. Jae knew he should take his leave, but he stayed long enough to make sure Changmin made it inside without tripping or dropping the bucket. “I’m fine, go on!” Changmin reprimanded the supervision and with a smile, Jae left the boy to his work. They both had to prepare for the supper of utmost importance.
Fandom/Original: Dong Bang Shin Ki, Koda Kumi, misono
Pairing(s): Jaejoong/Kumi
Rating: G
Warning(s): Real person fanfiction & alternative universe.
Summary: Growing up as best friends, Kumi and Jae never once thought of each other as more than that. But, as Kumi's marriage fast approaches, Jae is soon realizing his true feelings for the princess.
Notes
The ratings for this piece are not an overall rating. They will fluctuate with each chapter. Other than, I have no other notes to make. Please enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own nothing more than the words used here and the idea behind it. Characters belong to their respective owners.
Kingdom: Chapter Five
Battlesong had lived twenty-seven years and sired countless foals before he peacefully passed on one night. He had been a bay and in his prime, his coat would appear almost red in the sunlight. Time took its toll on the old stallion and his coat soon became tarnished with scars from battle. Nevertheless, he commanded respect. His body lay buried somewhere on the palace grounds, but his spirit was currently majestically soaring through the woods.
One of his last foals, a gift to the young princess, was now running as her father had. Skysong, urged on by the man on her back, leaped over fallen branches and forced herself up and down the small hills. The princess, despite trusting the young man seated before her, held on tight.
“Jae, are you sure this is the safest path?” Kumi dared to peer around her companion to see the untrodden path ahead of them. When Kumi had climbed down from the tree on her mare’s back, she was expecting Jae to blaze their way on the cleared path they had traveled so many times over. But Jae had taken them off the winding path and cut straight through the woods. Kumi bit her lower lip and looked behind them at the land quickly reaching the horizon. Either Jae had not heard her or he was hiding the true answer and feigning deafness. It made her nervous, whichever way it was.
Wordlessly, Jae reached behind himself and pulled Kumi down as he ducked to avoid a low-hanging branch. When he sat back upright, Kumi did not follow. She wasn’t certain if she should even bother sitting back up. This new road was unpredictable and who knows when she would have to push herself down low to the saddle once more. She stayed down like that, watching the earth below rush past and the muscles tense and release in Skysong’s body. But, of course, the position gradually became more and more uncomfortable for the princess to hold. She was going to have to think of some other way to avoid being knocked unconscious.
Looking back up at Jae, she feared distracting him. When he had reached behind to pull her down with him, she had felt her heart stop for a moment. His attention had been solely focused on her for a moment and off the road. That could have had dire consequences and it was a risk Kumi was unwilling to repeat. Sitting up slowly, the princess decided the best thing to do was something she wasn’t entirely sure about doing. Kumi, using her arms, carefully pulled herself closer to Jae until her smaller frame was pressed against his and shut her eyes to focus.
The fear she had felt ebbed away as she began to move in sync with his. When she felt his back tense for a jump, she was no longer taken off-guard. Her body would mimic the same tension and relax when his did upon landing. If she felt him start to pull away, Kumi would follow after. If he leaned back, she leaned back. Kumi knew that if she concentrated on this the rest of the way, there was nothing to fear. Jae would keep her safe.
So lost in his body’s every reaction, Kumi did not notice Skysong’s body begin to relax. She did not hear the hoofbeats slow and lower in count. The only thing she noticed was Jae’s body, moving with Skysong, lurched to gradual halt. But even then, that did not bring Kumi out of her deep concentration. She dared not break it.
Jae relaxed now that they were safely before the barn once more. He leaned down to pat Skysong’s neck and noticed that he had a follower. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Kumi still pressed against his back as close as she could be with her eyes shut tight. He smiled slightly to himself.
“I didn’t scare you too much, did I?” His words seemed to have finally broken Kumi’s fear and concentration as her eyes opened and returned his gaze.
“No,” Kumi lied as she used his back as leverage to sit up. “I just wasn’t sure if that was the safest route. I’m still not sure it was.”
Jae sat up once more and confessed, “It wasn’t, but it was the fastest.” It was true that Kumi was looking for speed more than anything else out of the ride back. But she would not admit that and dismounted first. She put her hand over his on the reins.
“Thank you, but never, under any circumstance, do that again,” Kumi grinned. Jae returned the smile and nodded in response.
“There you are!” The pair both looked in the direction Misono’s voice had come from and saw the younger sister making her way over to them quickly. “Kuuchan, you have got everyone, and I mean everyone, completely upset. You told your tutor you were getting ready and then you were nowhere to be found. Mom’s all upset and thinks you might be skipping out and running away.”
Misono had also gone through her fair amount of changes over the twenty years that had spanned since that summer. Growing up, Misono had once idolized her sister. She wanted to go everywhere and do everything that Kumi did. But as Misono grew, she began to change from her sister. The girl that once threw a fit when her kimono was used as a diaper was no more and was replaced by a woman who laughed at the many “accidents” that seemed to befall her kimono. She was often seen about the palace playing pranks on the servants and guards, narrowly evading trouble. Misono never referred to her parents formally, no matter how much she was reprimanded for it. Although the same height and bearing the same facial features, Misono’s spirit was more wild and untamed in comparison to her sister’s. Perhaps the only thing she shared with her sister besides their physical features was that warmth and desire for something more than the courts could offer.
As for her relationship with Jae, she had started out quite the opposite of Kumi. She loathed the orphan at first and saw him as a nuisance. Any attention Kumi gave Jae was attention away from her. This had to be corrected one way or another. But after countless forced playtimes, Misono gradually decided that Jae was “okay.” And as she began to willingly play and talk with Jae, she decided that she would adopt him as her little brother finally. It was around that time that her troublemaking streak had begun and poor Jae suffered the brunt of punishment when the pair was caught.
But right now, her attention was far from Jae and more focused on getting her sister where she needed to be. When Kumi was not immediately snapping to attention and moving, Misono began to pull on her free hand and away from Jae towards her quarters.
“Skip the goodbyes this time. You guys will just see each other at supper anyways. C’mon, c’mon,” Misono tugged harder and Kumi started to helplessly follow until she wrenched her hand from her sister’s.
“I can walk.”
“Good, then get moving!” Misono got behind her and pushed her forward. Turning back to Jae, she grinned, “Thanks for bringing her back, Jae, see you at supper!”
Jae nodded in response and watched the two girls disappear in one of the many buildings that made up the palace before dismounting. Patting Skysong’s neck once more, he tugged her reins gently to bring her around the barn to the nearby well. She whinnied and swished her tail in both appreciation and impatience. As Jae began to draw the water out, one of the youngest servants came running over quickly.
“I’m sorry to ask you this, but could I perhaps use that water?” the servant bowed politely to Jae.
“What for?” Jae inquired as he set the heavy bucket on the edge of the well. He knew it would be important, but his curiosity needed to be sated.
“The chef asked me to bring more water as quick as possible. Tonight’s supper is still not prepared,” he began to fret. “And if it’s not prepared, then they will have to wait. And if they have to wait, it will be a mistake. And if there’s a mistake, the king and queen will go on a mad hunt to find out who messed it up. And the chef will say it wasn’t him, it was me, who didn’t return quickly enough with the water. And the-”
“Changmin!” Jae had been repeating the servant’s name over the entire frantic rave, but it was not until he raised his voice that Changmin had even heard Jae speak. Jae untied the bucket and moved aside. “It’s okay, just be quick bringing it back.” Skysong snorted in annoyance.
“Thank you!” Changmin went to lift the bucket and used all of his might, but found that it did not budge even a little off the edge. Getting into a better angle, Changmin managed to finally lift it off, spilling some of the pail’s contents. Jae watched him struggle for a few moments before offering assistance, but Changmin shook him off and replied, “No, no, I’ve got it. Thank you.” Jae leaned against the well, knowing it was best not to prod the pride of a boy growing into a man. Turning his attention away from the boy, he stroked Skysong’s nose and apologized.
“Sorry, Skysong, but things have to be perfect for Kuuchan. You understand, right?” Jae smiled some to the mare. She only decided he’d make a perfect scratching post and rubbed her head against his side roughly, nearly knocking him over. Laughing a little, Jae allowed it. “I suppose this is my punishment for making you wait.” Checking on Changmin’s progress, Jae saw that he had finally arrived at the proper building. The new dilemma was how to get in the building with the water in the bucket. Jae shook his head. “C’mon, Skysong, let’s get that off you.”
Jae undid his knots and ties holding the saddle to the mare. As he lifted it off her back, Skysong visibly shrunk and relaxed. She waited patiently and did not move while Jae disappeared into the barn to put her saddle back in its proper place. She watched Changmin off in the distance for a moment before walking her way across the lawn towards the boy. No one noticed the horse leave and approach the servant. Changmin, too busy attempting to lift the bucket did not notice the horse’s presence until the bucket gained even more weight suddenly. Opening his clenched eyes, Skysong had her nose in the bucket. He yelped and jumped back in surprise, but Skysong was undeterred from her long drink.
“No, no, no!” Changmin panicked. Going around the bucket, he stood beside the horse and attempted to pull at her reins. But no matter how he pulled, Skysong remained rigid and drinking away all the cooking water. “C’mon Skysong,” Changmin whined. “Stop!”
Jae came back out of the barn to find no mare by the well and the young servant shouting. Turning his head to Changmin, Jae whistled sharply. Skysong’s ears perked and she quickly turned and raced towards Jae. When she reached him, she could tell he was displeased and slowed her pace.
“Skysong,” Jae began as he took her reins. “I don’t know what Misono has been telling you, but I know you have better manners than that.”
Poor Changmin was nearly trampled when Skysong took flight, but it was the least of his worries. Peering into the bucket, fearing the worst, Changmin’s nightmare was realized. Skysong had managed to drink nearly all the water! Quickly grabbing the bucket, Changmin sprinted the distance from the building to the well and began to tie the bucket.
“Changmin, let me do it. You put Skysong back in her stall,” Jae held out the reins belonging to the mare to the boy. Changmin glared at the horse, but agreed to swap tasks for the moment. Working silently and quickly, Jae gathered more water as Changmin led Skysong inside the barn. Changmin walked into the stall first and opened her window once more while Jae began to reel the bucket back from the depths of the well. And as Changmin removed Skysong’s bridle, Jae was untying the bucket.
“I’m gonna remember this,” Changmin warned as he closed the stall door and latched it into place. “See if I help you if you ever get in trouble,” he continued to mutter as he left the barn. Skysong, of course, paid the boy no mind and began nibbling hay Jae had deposited in her stall after taking care of her saddle.
Changmin frowned a little once outside. He was grateful Jae had offered to help rather than leave him to struggle, but he still could not help but feel he had failed in his task. He reminded himself that it was no ordinary night. Tonight, it did not matter who did it. It only mattered that it was done. This in mind, Changmin quickly caught up to his superior.
“Thank you,” he repeated once again as he stepped up to take the bucket from Jae.
“It was the least I could do,” Jae set the bucket down before allowing Changmin to take it from him. “Be careful with that.”
“Don’t worry,” Changmin grunted as he lifted the bucket. “You better get going, huh? I don’t think Their Highnesses would want you to come to dinner reeking of horse,” Changmin managed to say as he made his way inside. Jae knew he should take his leave, but he stayed long enough to make sure Changmin made it inside without tripping or dropping the bucket. “I’m fine, go on!” Changmin reprimanded the supervision and with a smile, Jae left the boy to his work. They both had to prepare for the supper of utmost importance.