hm,,,,, so may I request MC reassuring Julian that he doesn't need to wear the eyepatch (at least, when he's around them) because he's beautiful just the way he is
yes rt!!! we stan a beautiful man inside and out
Julian stares at himself in the mirror as he began to undress for bed. His eye patch was held tightly in his hand as he stared at the one thing that ruined his confidence.
His infection-filled eye.
It was hideous. Bright red sclera was seen as a sign of the plagueâs past, how it took him so long to find a cure and save the city of Vesuvia. People looked up to him as a savior, a healer, a hero. But would they think the same if they saw who he was behind the eye patch?
No, of course not. Heâs a monster.
He sighed as he tied it back over his face. He could only wonder what the apprentice thought about it. They were probably just as mortified as he was, but is just better at hiding it. His heart sank as his thoughts ran deeper and darker.
To his surprise, the apprentice opened the door to their shared bedroom, dressed in their nightgown and ready for bed.
âDear, why are you still all dressed up?â They asked, walking up to him and staring at his reflection. âYou think youâll be comfortable wearing all these clothes?â They laughed silently, their voice sounding like ringing bells in his head.
Julian nodded in agreement, beginning to unbutton his shirt and rolling it off his shoulders. But as he felt the apprentice reach for the back of their head to untie the eye patch, he jerked his body away from them.
The apprentice took a step back, looking at his face in the mirror with a puzzled expression. âJulian, youâre not going to wear the eye patch to bed, are you?â
He sighed once more, leaning his hands on the wall. âIâŚI have to. I donât want you to see whatâs underneath.â
The apprentice shook their head, walking up behind him and wrapping their arms around his waist. They laid their head right between his shoulder blades, nestling in to his taut back. Their touch relaxed him instantly, his muscles loosening as a feeling of relief filled his body.
âJulianâŚyou look beautiful without the eye patch. I know it gives you bad memories, but it makes you who you are. And I wouldnât love you if I didnât love every single part of you.â
They places a kiss with their soft lips along his spine. Julianâs face flushed with a fire he barely ever felt.
âI understand you donât want to wear it out, but when youâre at homeâŚyou donât have to hide it from me.â They assured him.
Julian turned around, the apprentice bringing their hands to his face. His face was still red as they pulled the strings of the eye patch and dropped it on top of his white shirt. His pupils focused on the wonderful apprentice standing in front of him, the one who he could truly be himself around.
Hell, he loved them so much.
They stood on their tip toes, leaning in to kiss the eye lid over his red eye. âStunning. Iâve never love anyone more than Iâve loved you.â
Can't go wrong with celebratory intimate massage since Julian has such an amazing back anyways, whether it leads to spicyness is up to u!
youâre right and you should say it nonnie he DOES have an amazing back
Julian x GN!Reader, Julian x You, self-insertâ3.5k under the cutJulian works too hard, even on his birthday. :(Reader rubs Doctor Devorak down after he comes home from a late night of house calls.(If your kink is being Nice and Soft to the slippery boy, this oneâs for you.)
The light from the oil lamp on the bedside table flickers over the pages of the book in your lap. Itâs barely enough light to read by, but you arenât really trying; youâve read the same sentence four times, straining your ears against the quiet night, waiting for the slightest hint of Julianâs footsteps as he makes his way home. He had said he would be home no later than sunsetâbut that was hours ago. By now, you had eaten alone, Â cleaned the kitchen (putting away the untouched dishes, the unlit candles) and crawled into bed. The last of your optimism kept you from changing into your pajamas; you were still dressed as you had been when you expected him, on the off chance that Julian made it home before sleep claimed you.
Traveling on foot was getting more difficult as the third day came to a close.
You took a misstep as the forest grew dark, and tripped over a root, hitting your knee as you fell.
You took a misstep as the forest grew dark, and tripped over a root, hitting your knee as you fell.
âalright. Iâll take a breakâ you told the trees as you sat down, back against the rough trunk. It was getting awfully dark, so you figured now would be a good time to take a small nap. You fell asleep much quicker than you had been expecting.
Your dreams brought you on the edge of a lake. You stood ankle deep as small boats began appearing in the distance. You searched their faces for someone familiar.
âhe canât be hereâ the dream version of you said, growing anxious. These boats were taking the souls of the dead across the lake to the other side.
You remembered having met Chan here once before. His boat had capsized when you began saving him. That seemed so long ago. You were hoping never to have to return here to retrieve him, yet here you were.
âhe better not be in one of those boats. I can hardly see who they are carryingâ you shook your head still studying the faces of those that passed.
ânot quiteâ Chanâs voice sounded not too far off. You turned and let out the breath you had been holding. He was standing near you in the water, a boat tied to a stake in the ground next to him.
âwe meet here againâ you said, smiling, but filled with so much sadness.
âIâm sorry I canât come back to youâ he said looking at the boat.
âyou arenât gone yetâ you said sharply, not daring to take a step closer to him just yet.
âIâm not ready to get into this boatâ he added looking down at it with apprehension.
âIâll find you. Just donât get in yetâ you began to sob. The lake in front of you was disappearing, and Chan was becoming blurred.
âi cant wait much longerâ he added. You couldnât help yourself and took a step closer to him reaching outâŚ
You woke up and sat upright. It was time to get moving.
Nearly an hour later, the trees began to thin out. You noted signs around you that there had been movement of a large group of people through here not that long ago. You took this as a good sign that you were getting close, but your heart began to beat faster.
A clearing was in front of you. Bracing yourself, you were not prepared for what you would see.
Bodies lay on the ground scattered into the distance. Survivors milled about, searching for those they could help. Funeral pyres had been set up hurriedly to the right of the field you noticed. A few of them had begun burning already.
âfreezeâ you felt a sword in your back and held up your arms, to show you werenât carrying any weapons and to explain yourself.
âwait⌠I know youâ the sword was removed from your back.
âChanâs wife?â Jisung said as you turned around.
âthank heavens your safeâ you told him as you looked him over. His arm was in a sling, and his uniform was covered in blood, but none of it seem to be his.
âthe queen will be relieved you are alive. take me to Chanâ you told Jisung firmly.
âhe is in bad shape. I donât know-â
âI can help him. take me to himâ you said squaring up to Jisung, letting him know you wont back down. He nodded.
Jisung took you to a tent that was set up amongst the trees not too far from where you had been standing. Chan lay on a small make shift bed, equally covered in blood as Jisung, but the stains on his uniform let you know that most of this was his blood. He was covered in wounds all over his body. Your hands shook as you looked him over.
âwhat happened?â you asked in a voice as shaky as your hands.
âambushedâ Jisung said.
âI can help him. I need supplies. Arrest me afterwards if you have to, but I can save him with magicâ there was a murmur around the tent. Chanâs men looked unsure, magic was still outlawed after all.
âdo it. I donât care howâ Jisung said. Chanâs men looked to him and nodded.
âget me water. Iâll return by tonight with the things I needâ you told Jisung and exited the tent. He followed you.
âI canât let you wander in the forest aloneâ
âhow do you think I got here?â you asked him, managing to force a smile.
âyou are Chanâs wife. I suppose that should let me know you can handle yourselfâ he added, trying to keep things as lighthearted as possible.
âjust do me a favorâŚâ he added, as you began to distance yourself by walking into the trees. You stopped and turned to look at him.
âwe need a strong leader like him. do whatever you have to. Get him back hereâ
âIâll try my bestâ
âI have to yell at him for allowing himself to be ambushedâ Jisung added.
That evening in front of the tent, you had a fire burning outside, and a pot filled to the brim. It was simmering slowly. Chanâs men gave you plenty of space, but Jisung sat close by, ready to help if you called for him.
You mixed more herbs in the pot and bit your lip. They were troubling you. You took a small bowl of water and swirled it over the top of the pot, allowing the steam to heat it up. Reading the signs in the surface of the water, you couldnât hide the unsettled look on your face. Jisung noticed your nerves.
âwhatâs wrong?â
âChan canât come back on his own. There are things he needs to do. He needs to repent but that can go two ways: he can either be taken or returnedâ
âso he is stuck in limbo at the moment?â Jisung asked.
âyes. It all comes down to whatâs in his heart. How he views himself as a person. If he canât let go of his past, then he will stay in limbo. If he can let go⌠we shall seeâ you swirled the bowl of water once more, double checking the signs.
âthere is nothing else to be done. He needs a guide. I have to go call him backâ you said as you threw herbs on the fire. Green smoke began to swirl and encircle you.
âwhat can I do?â Jisung asked.
âbe ready to lead these men home if Iâm not back by sun upâ you told him. Inhaling the smoke, you closed your eyes.
When you opened them, you were back on the banks of the lake.
âI told you it would be harder to come back a second timeâ you thanked the heavens Chan was still standing there.
âI was hoping you would be up for the challengeâ he smiled at you.
âof course. But I cant guarantee you can return with meâ you said sadly. He nodded.
âwhat holds you here anyways?â you asked him.
âyouâ he responded with one word that made your heart leap.
âI canât leave you knowing how our last few days together were spentâ he added.
âthat is the good news. Your guilt is keeping you here. But if I forgive you, and you forgive yourself, you can either be pulled into the boat or be sent back with me. I donât know which way this will goâ you told him honestly.
âhow can I help you to forgive me?â he asked, taking a step closer to you. This was a good sign.
âfor starters, you can apologize to himâ you pointed to the far banks where your teacher stood. He was surrounded by the elders from your village that had come to watch. It was bittersweet seeing him stand so far away, you couldnât make out his features, but you felt who he was.
âI canât face him after all this timeâ Chan said and looked across the banks. He swallowed hard, consumed with remorse.
âits alright. He can feel your sorrow and guiltâ to your dismay, Chan took a few more steps into the lake closer to the people on the opposite bank. That was not the direction you wanted him to take.
âI donât know what to say to themâ he shrugged, lose for words. You watched your elders on the bank. A few of them began wandering back into the trees. You knew this was a good sign.
âits alright. Your heart is speaking for youâ your teacher was the last to return to the trees. You couldnât help but smile as you waved as he too disappeared. Chanâs boat bumped the shore. Things were getting shaky. You began to feel nervous.
âhave you forgiven yourself?â you asked him quickly as his boat bumped the shore once more.
âno. I canâtâ
âyou have toâ you said.
âif you donât, you will be stuck here foreverâ
âbetter to be stuck here and still get to see you, than move on when Iâm not readyâ
âChan, I canât stay. I donât think I will be able to return eitherâ he turned to look at you as you said this.
âthe world has been so unfair to you. Some of it at my handâ he began, still waist deep in the water.
âI served a king who had only his own interests and gains in mind. I was shortsightedâ he took a few steps towards you. A wind began to blow. Chanâs boat rocked back and forth slightly. This caused you to look around in confusion. The wind shouldnât be blowing unless there was an unexpected arrival. A lone boat wandered into sight in the distance. It was pulled along by a thick rope, instead of moving on its own accord.
âinterestingâ you walked closer to the edge of the water as the boat neared the two of you. Your focus was momentarily removed from Chan and directed solely on this new development.
âwhat is interesting?â Chan asked as you both watched this boat slowly get closer.
âthese boats are supposed to move on their own to ferry souls across. That one is being pulled. Their death was untimely, and helped along by someone elseâ you still could not make out who was sitting alone.
âthe king?â Chan said before you had time to register who it was. His eyesight was keener than yours.
âit canât beâ you said, making your way next to Chan in the water. You and him stood in silence as the boat got closer and sure enough, the king sat alone in the boat, looking scared.
âcan we help him? âChan asked. You thought this over.
âno. he is too far. My magic canât reach himâ you said honestly.
âwould you help him, even if you could?â Chan asked, looking at you.
âwould you?â you returned the question. Neither one of you responded. The two of you watched his boat until he reached the far shore. He exited the boat and wandered into the trees to be seen no more.
âyour turn. Where do you want to go?â you asked Chan, grabbing ahold of his hand and giving it a squeeze.
âthe king being dead means magic isnât outlawed anymoreâ Chan began explaining.
ânot necessarilyâŚâ
âyou donât understand. He doesnât have a son. The kingdom will be divided. There is no prince to take over. There are two dukes, who come in line after the king. The problem is, they are too old to take the thrown. That leaves only one person left in the line of successionâ he began explaining.
âwhat are you saying?â you asked Chan, excitement rising in your chest.
âwe have to returnâ Chan said with a shrug as he exited the water. You followed quickly.
âwe have a kingdom to ruleâ he said as he pulled you in for a hug.
âI hereby pardon all accusations of magic that have been placed on your headâ he said cheerfully.
âgenerous, your majestyâ you curtsied.
âand as my queen I only ask one thing of youâŚâ he had a smile on his face as he pulled you close once more.
âplease donât poison meâ he laughed, pulling you in for a kiss on the banks of the underworld that threatened to take him from you. Twice you had been called here to retrieve him, and both times you succeeded, returning to the world of the living with a changed man by your side
The next morning you woke up, very sore and tired. You hardly slept, but it was an amazing night. You look over to see Chan stills sleeping.
It was not a pleasant thought to think that this might be the last time you see him, but it was true. You took this opportunity to memorize every inch of his face as a single tear rolled down your cheek. You rolled over to get a better view and his arm reached over and hugged you close. He was awake, but he hadnât opened his eyes. Perhaps he too was wanting to lay here and allow this moment to last forever.
It was not a pleasant thought to think that this might be the last time you see him, but it was true. You took this opportunity to memorize every inch of his face as a single tear rolled down your cheek. You rolled over to get a better view and his arm reached over and hugged you close. He was awake, but he hadnât opened his eyes. Perhaps he too was wanting to lay here and allow this moment to last forever.
You couldnât hold back a sniffle, causing him to open his eyes. He wiped away your tears without saying anything. It had never been so difficult to leave before. He sat up, and ran his fingers through his messy hair.
âIâll help you get your things togetherâ you offered, in a small voice.
âyou should restâ he said looking at your as you stood from the bed and grabbed some clothes. He sat on the bed and watched you move about the room, until he saw your hands shaking. He walked over and held them.
âremember? I promised to try my hardest to come back to youâ he said and hugged you.
âI knowâ was all you could manage to say.
There was nothing else to be done. No time to stall any longer. He had to gather this things and meet his men in the courtyard. With one final kiss filled with absolute longing, he walked out the door.
You stood in cold silence. The room had never felt so small. You felt bare, and vulnerable. Leaning your back against the door frame, you sunk the floor and cried. He was truly gone this time.
That evening the queen visited you. You hadnât heard from her since that night when you caught her with hemlock.
âlets go for a walk. Its warm nightâ she offered. You nodded and stepped out into the night.
âwe are one and the same tonight. Jisung left with Chan as wellâ she said as you and her began to walk the length of the courtyard. You nodded in agreement.
âI wish I could say that it gets easier, each time they leave. But it isnât true. It hurts every timeâ
âI hate warâ you said and gaze at the stars in the sky.
âme as well. Hopefully it isnât something with have to deal with much longerâ she shrugged as you continued your walk.
âif there was a way to put an end to it, then I will gladly except itâ as you said this, she stopped walking and looked at you, before gazing at the moon.
âwhen you were brought to the castle, you had been accused of magic, am I correct?â she asked, out of no where.
âyes. Unfounded of courseâ you told her. She was making you nervous.
âyou have kept my secret, so I will keep yours. Do you truly possess magic?â she asked, seeming desperate. You werenât sure how to answer.
âI donât think I understand why you are askingâ you said slowly, gaging her reaction.
âyou know about hemlock. You know how to mix it when the moon phase is correct to make to as strong as possible. What if I told you I have a plan to end this war?â she said all this very quickly. You thought it over.
âI am carrying out my plan with, or without your help. I would like to know you are my ally to make sure things are done correctlyâ she added.
âif I were to help, if I did know magic, what is your plan?â you asked, picking up your walk once more.
âthe king takes his tea with me every evening. If my hand were to slip and place some hemlock leaves in his tea allowing them to brew, no one would knowâ she said. You thought this over. No one would know, expect the queen. The effects from the hemlock would go unnoticed until it was too late. The only remedy would be by magic, and that was outlawed. The answer to your troubles could be right in front of you. The only question on your mind was: is it a necessary death? A memory began to play in your mind, as you thought things over.
âwhy are we even bothering to heal him. He wouldnât do the same for usâ louis asked his father, on the verge of anger.
âit is what we do, son. We heal and we help. No matter who the person is in front of usâ your teacher told him. You mixed the herbs that he had handed you in a small bowl, and watched as he administered them to the solider that had been wounded on the forest path to the village.
âhe couldâve killed our friends and familyâ louis added, his voice rising.
âhe couldâveâ your teacher agreed simply.
âyet you still heal him?â louis asked, arms crossed over his chest.
âof course. If we are able to help, but choose not to, we are just as bad as him. To be gifted with something as precious as magic, means we have a responsibility to use it for good. Naturally there are some that will use it for evil, but we must always choose the higher pathâ he was speaking more to you than to louis now as he took the herbs from you that you had been mixing.
âI donât possess this magicâ you told the queen and she sighed. You werenât sure if she believed you, but she asked no more questions. you took a mental note of everything she was saying. Your first thought was to tell Chan, but then realized that was not possible.
âstay in the castle again. The guest quarters are free. There is no reason for you to be staying in the empty barracksâ she offered. You agreed. The thought of staying in the room without Chan drove you insane.
That night in the room, you gave the queens plan more thought. You gazed out the window at the stars.
âI wish I would speak to youâ you whispered to the stars. You wished those words could reach your teacher. His guidance was much needed at this time, but your spirit communication skills were novice at best. Shaking your head, you began to speak your worried thoughts out loud.
âif the king dies, it could put an end to this war. Put an end to our exile. But would his blood be on my hands? You always said to use magic to heal and never to hurt. What if hurting one person means saving more people from being hurt?â how you wished these words could reach your teacher. The stars twinkled up in the heavens but had no answers for you.
The next morning, news arrived that Chan and his end had arrived on the front lines. The queen and you were partaking in a late tea time lunch when the king joined you.
âyour majestyâ you greeted him as he took a seat.
âthe officers from the north have arrived. I was hoping you could organize a banquet for this evening. I know you enjoy those sorts of thingsâ the king addressee the queen curtly with a dismissive wave of his hand.
âof course, my kingâ she said.
âa celebration before they head to the frontlines with Chan?â you asked. The king looked away and tapped his hand on his thigh before answering.
âthey wont be joining himâ he said flatly.
âwhat do you mean? They are to be his back upâ you asked.
âthey are needed elsewhere. Hearing that our army is spread to quell an invasion, the tribes to the west has risen up once more. I am to send Chanâs backup there instead. When they have cleaned things up-â
âChan needs more men. You sent him with nearly half of the man power he needs to-â
âdonât fool yourself into thinking that you know the ways of war. And I suggest you not talk to your king in such a mannerâ he said and stood, attempting to intimidate you. You stood as well, ready to leave.
As you did, you knocked over the tea pot, and glanced at the queen, offering her apologies. You bent to help her clean, and noticed the tea leaves sat in a strange pattern. You read it to yourself.
âsabhail iad⌠save themâŚâ you stood quickly, picking up the leaves, and mentally thanked your teacher. He had heard you after all. Looking intensely at the queen you gave her a small nod. You were resolute and knew what had to be done.
âIâm so sorry. You worked so hard grinding the seeds for the tea. I appreciate the extra effort. It made the tea much strongerâ you thanked her and exchanged glances as you took your leave. You werenât sure if she had taken your hint, but you were hoping that she had.
As you walked back to your room, anxiety filled you up.
What were you going to do? You had to tell Chan that there wasnât going to be back up arriving for him. But how? You would have to steal a horse and find him.
Pacing your room, you began to think of any possible way you could locate Chan.
âthe stars might help. The trees as wellâ you spoke out loud as you began gathering some things you think you night need for the journey.
There was a knock at your door, and you chose to ignore it. Whoever needed you at this moment could wait.
There was a second knock. You stopped what you were doing, and turned to face the door as a third knock sounded. Walking over you opened it.
âyour majestyâ you bowed as you greeted the king. This took you aback and you were immediately on guard.
âI know your plan. You intend to find Chan and tell him about the change of plans. I cant let you do that. His men are too loyal. They would follow him back here and a daresay he would have some choice words for meâ
âthen be a man of your word and send him the men you had promised himâ you told the king, feeling defiant.
âthat wont be happening, and I cannot give our the chance to run free and tell himâ at this point he motioned for guards to enter. That circled you, and cut off your exit. Weighing out your options, you had no choice but to follow them.
âI will dance on your grave one dayâ you told the king as his soldiers placed you in handcuffs and began escorting you to the dungeons.
Once down there, a guard was placed on either side of the door. This made things tricky. Breaking out was the easy part, but getting out of a castle undetected was not.
Time was not on your side. The longer you sat here, who knows what would be happening to Chan. You had better chance of finding him with as much daytime left as possible.
âno other optionâ you said as you took a solid stance facing the solid wooden door.
âFosgailteâ getting the door to open was easy. As the guards filed in, you blasted them backwards, knocking them unconscious as well.
The large commotion was sure to have alerted other guards as well. Wasting no time, you stepped over their forms and ran out of the dungeons as quickly as possible.
Reaching the courtyard, you were confronted with guards milling about the walls and steps to the castle. Keeping your head low, you made your way quickly to the front gates.
âstop her!â you heard a shout from behind you. You berated yourself for not being quicker.
A guard was closing the gate, without thinking you froze him and the gate fell to the ground, leaving itself wide open. Turning, you saw the king ordering guards your way.
âDannsa teineâ Bracing yourself, to keep them from following you, you wove a ribbon of fire around yourself. It grew outwards rapidly, and knocked down anyone that it came into contact with. Before they had time together themselves, you were sprinting as fast as you could into the cover of the forest trees. This was the easiest place for you to hide.
Whether or not thy gave chance, you werenât turning and to find out. You ran and ran, until your legs ached and your chest burned. Leaning against a tree, you took as many deep breaths as you could until you began moving again. This time you werenât running, but your walked at a brisk pace until the sun had set.
Stopping finally, you found a small cleft in a hillside. There was no time to sleep, but you needed to rest. Being free of the capitol made you feel at ease. You were back in your forest and you allowed the familiarity to wash over you. Leaning against a large rock, you sighed.
âtime to get some answersâ you said and clapped your hands together.
âI have neglected you, friendsâ you spoke sorrowfully to the trees as you began gathering dried twigs for a fire.
âI know I am in no position to ask something of you, but I need your guidanceâ the twigs were placed in a small pile. You set fire to them easily and felt the wind blow around you. It stated at your ankles and grew steadily outwards.
âI ask to be pointed in the right direction. Nothing moreâ you watched the leaves slowly begin to start waving, first one way then another. They seemed to be deciding. You said no more, and allowed the trees to think it over.
Letting out a sigh of relief, you noted the leaves blew steadily in one direction before the wind died down.
âthank youâ you said, putting out the fire in front of you.
Setting off once more, you felt free. The capitol was at your back and the path to Chan lay in front of you.
You had no idea where to go. You had been living here for so long, could you really make your way back into the forest at this time of night? You werenât worried about using magic to protect yourself, but using magic so close to the capitol seemed suicidal.
walking quickly in no particular direction, you were looking down at your feet. your thoughts were all over the place, and you bummed into someone, not watching where you were going.
âIâm sorryâŚâ you began and didnât look to see who you had ran into. They had dropped their basket they were carrying, but gently grabbed your shoulder.
âyour majestyâ you said, in surprise with a small bow as the queen looked at your sorrowful face.
âwhat are you doing out here at this hour? Shouldnât you be in bed wrapped around your man?â she asked suggestively.
âweâŚwe had a fightâ you told her and noted how her face fell.
âIâm so sorry. Iâm sure it is nothing you two cant work through. A good rest and a night away from each other might help. Follow me. You can stay in the guest quarters for the eveningâ she said and bent down to pick up the basket she had dropped.
âI think I know where you are returning fromâ you told her feeling a bit more at ease now that you had a place to stay.
âhow is Jisung?â you asked her, as you handed her the basket. She suddenly looked nervous as you bent to pick up he plants that had fallen onto the ground. Your hand was about to touch the stem of the plant when you flinched away and gasped.
âthis is hemlock!â you said in alarm. Why on earth would the queen be carrying hemlock?
âone touch of this and we will fall gravely sick. Where on earthâŚâ you began to ask but noticed her face was looking nervous.
âat least it is just the laves. The seeds are more deadlyâ you added, glancing down at the plant once more.
âI have gloves. I'll pick it upâ she said and bent to grab the plant by the stem and place it in the basket.
âif someone has given you that, I would think they are trying to kill youâ you said as you followed her into the castle. She didnât say anything, but was biting her lip nervously.
âwe need to throw it away immediatelyâ you added.
"I-I will. Of course. The seeds are more toxic you say?â she asked.
âI mean⌠so Iâve heardâ you concluded. Why would she ask you this?
âdid you acquire this plant on purpose?â you asked her in a whisper as you followed her through a hallway of the castle. She only looked at you briefly.
âI will have a servant show you to your room.â She said, the airs of a queen back in place.
âyour majestyâŚâ you began in an alarmed voice, but the conversation had to be dropped. A servant had arrived. The queen informed them where you should be staying, and you looked back at her over your shoulder as you were parting ways.
You arrived to a small room with an elaborate bed and a window that over looked the courtyard. You could not bring yourself to sleep after everything that had unfolded. The fight with Chan had taken a back seat to the queen.
You could not fathom why she would be carrying around such a deadly plant. Her demeanor gave away that she knew exactly what the plant did. Where she gained this information and what she was planning on using them for was beyond you. Pacing the room, you could only think to find Chan in the morning, and tell him what you had seen. Your hope was that he would have an idea what she would need it for.
âsurely not on herselfâŚâ you voiced aloud your biggest concern as you looked out the window ad absentmindedly watched a few guards walk their rounds.
You had a terrible night of sleep, and woke very early. Heading back to Chanâs room, you were hoping you caught him before he had left to train for the day.
âChanâŚâ you began as you opened the door, but there was no response. He had left already. You sighed and walked to the bed, sitting down. All you could do was wait.
The hours ticked away. You were growing more anxious. There were a few times when you almost gave up and left. Passing the time, you sat and wrote down notes of everything you could remember about hemlock, and similar poisonous plants. The castle library would be a good place to check for resources, but you had small hope that the books you needed would be there.
Lunchtime rolled around, and you caught yourself in a daydream staring out the window, when the door opened.
You and Chan locked eyes as he entered the room and stopped when he saw you. A small pause hung in the room, neither one of you wanting to speak first. The reason that you had left in the first place came flooding back to you. Pushing these thoughts way, there was a bigger problem you had to ask him about.
âI am relieved to see-â he began as he walked slowly towards you.
ânot nowâ you took a step back from him.
âI havenât even begun to forgive you, but I have something important we need to discussâ you added and took a seat at the small table under the window. If he had been wanting to talk things over, the tone in your voice stopped any further conversation. He followed and sat opposite you.
âI ran into the queen last nightâ
âI suppose she was visiting Jisung. I saw her leaving his room after you left when I followed youâ he said with a nod.
âyou did? Jisungâs room⌠Are you sure?â
âpositiveâ he said with a half smile. You thought this over. Could Jisung be an accomplice?
âwhatâs on your mind?â Chan asked after a moment of allowing you to mull things over.
âthe queen was carrying a very deadly plant. I donât know what she was planning on doing with it, but where could she have gotten it and for what purpose?â you stood up and began pacing again.
âcould she have been unaware what the plant was?â Chan asked.
âshe knew. She wore gloves and everything. Then she⌠oh no⌠I told her the seeds are more toxicâ this realization hit you and you looked to Chan.
âyou didnât do it on purposeâ he said after meeting your gaze with his soft and kind eyes.
âI thought she was mistaken to be carrying this plant around, but she knew what she was doing. You donât think Jisung couldâve aided her in finding this plant? Where would he have gained this knowledge?â you voiced all your thoughts out loud.
âwhat is this plant, and what is so deadly about it?â Chan asked, wanting to gather a much information as possible.
âits hemlock. Even touching it can make you fall ill. The leaves can be used to steep a poisonous tea, but the seeds and roots if ground up can be even more toxic. Itâs a guaranteed way to kill someone. The moon phases and certain spells can make it more toxic. No one would know what killed them either unless you know what to look forâ
âdo you know what to look for?â Chan asked.
âI doâ you nodded, and began thinking about the moon phases, trying to calculate when it would be most toxic.
âyou donât think the queen is dabbling in magic do you?â you asked Chan and met his gaze once more. He didnât respond but looked uncertain.
âit will be at its most toxic in a fortnight. If she plans on doing anything with it, we have timeâ you added as you took a seat across from Chan at the table once more.
âa fortnight? Are you sure?â Chan asked. He seemed to have realized something. You nodded.
âthatâs when the army leaves out for battle. Only the castle guard will be left behind to guard theâŚâ he seemed to have been struck by another thought.
âthe kingâ he concluded and his eyes widened. You shook your head.
âthereâs no way. I know she doesnât love him, but itâs a death sentence to even speak about the king in such a wayâ
âwho else could it be? We have our timeline, and thatâs very important. We know when she is going to make her move, be it the king or someone elseâ Chan concluded. You agreed; it would be best to concentrate on what you knew for a fact instead of playing a guessing game.
âyouâre leaving in a fortnight then?â you asked, before an awkward silence could grow between the two of you once more. He nodded.
âI wish you the best on the battlefieldâ you said, and stood. There was no reason for you to be lingering. Chan stood too, he was between you and the door, but he made no move to block your path. You and him locked eyes for a moment. He looked like he had so many things to say.
âyou donât have to forgive me, but I cannot leave without telling you how I feel. If I died out there-â
âdonât say thatâ you shook your head.
âitâs a possibility. I cant promise I will return, but I will promise that I will try my best. I cannot leave without you knowing that you changed me as a person. Truly. If there was any way I could return to my past and change what I have done I wouldâ
âI know you would. But you can'tâ you stopped him, and made your way towards the door.
âstay here. I was planning on sleeping in the barracks anywaysâ Chan reached the door before you did.
âit holds too many memoriesâ you reached for the door, but he did not budge.
âI will be able to fight better, knowing you are somewhere safeâ
âin the court of a king who hates me? That is safe to you?â you asked him, slightly bewildered.
âit comforts me more to have you here than out in the forestâ
âwhere I have been forced to live for years. By the king you leave to fight forâ your anger had returned. You pushed past him and threw the door open.
âoh good, I was hoping you would be homeâ a stern voice greeted you and you froze. Looking up slowly, you were greeted by the king himself, surrounded by his guards. Chan was quick to join you.
âyour majestyâ he bowed, and waited for the king to speak.
âyou are needed in a court meeting. We have much to discuss. There has been new intelligence brought to our attentionâ the king informed him.
âof courseâ Chan agreed and turned to you quickly.
âplease, I am begging of you, be here when I return. If I can ask nothing else of you in this lifetime, just please be here hen I get backâ he said, and with a quick kiss to your lips that you barely felt, he departed, and followed the king.
You were torn. Your brain told you to run and never look back. To leave all your thoughts and memories of Chan at the gates and return to your simple life.
Your heart knew this was not possible. There would be nothing but Chan on your mind if you were to leave now. You walked to the table and took a seat, finding yourself waiting for his return once more.
Chan returned sooner than you were expecting. As he opened the door, he was relieved when he saw you still in the room. You had taken to sitting at the table and read one of the few books in the room. It was about military tactics and it was hardly interesting to you, but it did help pass the time.
You briefly looked at Chan as he entered. His expression was hard to read as he slowly walked over and took a seat across from you. Your gaze returned to the book, not wanting to speak to him, but he gently grabbed the book and pulled it away from you, closing it. He sighed before speaking.
âI wish things were better between usâ he said in a small voice.
âin time, it might be, but I-â
âwe donât have time, unfortunatelyâ he began.
âI leave in the morningâ
he added quickly.
âisâŚI⌠is that what the meeting was about?â you werenât sure what to say first. This was such a shock.
âyes. The invading forces arrived much earlier than anticipated, and there are more of them than expected as well. The king is sending my men out first to be followed by back up in the fortnight as planned. He hopes I can hold off the invasion until the troops from the north arriveâ he informed you. You absorbed this information in silence.
âif I am to be leaving out tomorrow, with the possibility that I may never see you againâŚâ he began and reached for your hands across the table. You didnât pull away.
âI want the comfort of knowing that my last night on earth was spent with you.. even if you hate me in the morning, at least love me tonightâ he said and stood, guiding you to the bed. You allowed your body to carry you, without giving it much thought. There was enough hate in the world for you to be holding this manâs past against him. In the morning you can grapple with the idea of who he use to be and how to forgive him. Tonight, however, you were going to show him just how much you returned his love.
summary: magic was outlawed in medeival times, but when you save someone of importance, does it backfire, or are you two just meant to be?
A week later there was to be a very important dinner for you and Chan to attend. Although there was the usual elaborate planning that always preluded a dinner held by the king and queen, there was nothing jovial leading up to the night in question. It was going to be a meeting with the high ranking military officials to discuss the plans for war. You hadnât been looking forward to it.
After about an hour, the king called the guests to take a seat at a long dining table in an adjacent room. You linked arms with Chan once more.
After about an hour, the king called the guests to take a seat at a long dining table in an adjacent room. You linked arms with Chan once more.
âwhat did the queen have to say?â
ânothing that concerns the dinner tonight. Just the usual court gossipâ you told him. You and he took a seat side by side on the left side of the table. There was no food being brought forward yet, as the king was still standing at the head of the table. He waited for everyone to take a seat before he began his speech.
âI called us here to partake in the banquet as a celebration. A celebration of peace. As you are all aware, peace will not last much longer. You have all heard that someone wishes to take my thrown. Soon, Iâm sure you can all feel it, a battle to protect this kingdom will have to take place. It is looming. Tonight however, we shall feast, and drink, and enjoy one of the last peaceful nights we may have in a long timeâ as he concluded, he raised his glass to a toast, and the room followed his lead. Food was brought forward at this time, and even though it all looked delicious, you couldnât bring yourself to eat. Chan noticed this and places a comforting hand on your thigh under the table.
âI think I know what is on your mind, but would you like talking about it anyway?â he asked in a low voice.
âthe king says he wants peace, but he asks for this by calling for more battles? It just seems a little backwards to meâ you said, making sure to keep your voice low.
âis there any other way to deal with an invasion?â Chan asked you.
âI know Iâm naĂŻve in the ways of war, but I just cant trust the kingâs judgementâ you concluded, knowing you might be taking things too far in the present company. Chan didnât respond as you apologized and fell silent.
âconversation for another time, perhaps?â he asked, as he glanced around the room.
When you and he had retuned to your room, you were still uneasy. This was not lost to Chan as he helped you undress with soft hands. He left light kisses along your shoulder form behind as he felt you sigh.
âwe are safe to talk hereâ he said as he lead you to the bed. He leaned his back against the head board of the small bed allowing you to lean your back on his chest. You played with his hands that had wrapped around your waist from behind. The blanket draped over your legs and his warmth consumed the both of you.
âthe king talks about peace as if it were an easily attainable thingâ
âpeace is what I fight forâ Chan said.
âIâve never known peace. All Iâve known is exile, and hiding, and executionâ
âwe arenât talking about the exile of the druids. This is a battle to keep another king from taking overâ Chan continued.
âwould that really be such a bad thing?â you sked and a silence hung in the room.
âI know you donât agree with him, but he has done good things for this kingdomâ Chan said after a moment. His sounded cautious as he said this, and for good reason.
âI guess I wouldnât know. Since Iâve been exiled to the forest most of my lifeâ
âIâm sorry.â Chan said, and he truly meant it.
âits alright. You arenât aware of life before I met you.â
âenlighten meâ he said as he pulled you into himself. You allowed yourself a moment of reminiscing before you dove into a story of how you grew up.
âthe magic exile happened when I was fourteen. My mom had died when I was young and my father was never in the picture. I was raised by my teacher, Janeâs father. Thatâs how we grew up together. When my magic started to grow stronger, I had no choice but to hide it as magic was becoming more frowned upon as I got older. It was only about three years ago when I had to flee to the forest for good. My teacher had been executed right in the village square. Iâd allow the other druids and magic friendly people to come find me if they needed healing in some way, but I knew it would be best for my whereabouts to be not well knownâ
At the mention of your teacher Chan fidgeted nervously. He had been anticipating a time when he would have to tell you how your pasts intertwined. Hearing you talk about it like this made his insides squirm with guilt. He didnât want to be called away to war with this secret weighing on his conscience. He had to tell you.
âyouâre a healer?â he asked, never really thinking about everything you were capable of before. You had always described it simply as âmagicâ but he was intrigued as to the details behind this magic.
âhigh priestess, actuallyâ you said proudly.
âwhat does that mean?â Chan asked.
âI have achieved a very high level of magic. I believe I am the last one left. There are no teachers left to continue passing along the knowledgeâ
âexcept youâ he added, as you concluded your statement sadly.
âI suppose. I would have to leave my life of solitude in the forest thoughâ
âwould that be such a bad thing?â
âI have no doubt it would lead me into troubleâ you nodded as you looked back at him.
âyou know about my past now. What about you?â you asked, snuggling closer. His scent brought you comfort as you took a deep and slow breath, allowing it to fill your soul with contentment.
âI am not a priestessâ he chuckled, and you smacked his arm lightly.
âits pretty simple. My father was in the military, and his father before him. It went without saying that thatâs where I belonged as well. Through their influence, and my genealogy, I advanced up the ranks until I am where I am todayâ
âwhich isâŚ?â you asked.
âIâm a marqueeâ you looked at him clueless as he said this. You had heard the title before, but you had no clue as to what they did.
âit's below an earl. I secure the border with the men i commandâ he informed you.
âhence why you are needed to quell the invasionâ you added.
âIâm also fifth in line for the thrownâ he added, nonchalantly. You froze and looked at him in surprise.
âthatâs⌠thatâs a pretty big deal!â you said, shocked that he hadnât told you before.
âit is to some, but I have no desire for the thrown or power. I just fight when Iâm toldâ
âIâm still very much impressedâ you finished and allowed him to continue. You noticed his demeanor had changed, and felt that there was something on his mind.
âI was rewarded with the position of marquee after IâŚâ he trailed off, and looked unsure of what to say next. You nudged him, wanting him to continue, but he couldnât meet your gaze. The moment had come for him to tell you everything.
âChan?â you asked, feeling nervous.
He had never hesitated in telling you anything like this before.
âI have guilt that has been eating me inside since I learned how our stories are intertwinedâ he began. He took your hand but still did not meet your eyes.
âI was given a high title when I⌠I carried out things I am not proud of since having met you. I cannot change the past, but I will feel better if I come clean.â
âChan, I already know you have killed my people. You have changed. There is nothing to feel guilty aboutâ he stopped you by shaking his head.
âthere's more. Your teacherâŚâ he didnât know how to say this next part. Your heart had begun beating, and you stayed silent. He paused, and took a long look at you as you turned to face him.
âI killed your teacher. I was the one who was ordered to carry out the raid on the Ineied peopleâ he let it all spill from his chest very quickly. You heard his words but they didnât register immediately. You allowed them to tumble through your mind.
âthatâs how you knew where it wasâ you remembered this detail from when you and Chan had traveled to the village previously. You were lost for words as the events of that day far into the past came back.
The images from that day flooded your mind. Women and children were running into the forest as a horde of men galloped over the hill to the west. A large red banner was carried by two of them at the center where a pale guy rode a black horse at the front of his men. You were making sure as many of the Ineied people made it to the forest as you stood next to your teacher and stood ready to fight alongside him.
âinto the forest with youâ your teacher said as he grabbed you by the shoulder and shoved you away from him roughly.
âIâm not leaving!â
âthe Ineied will need you once I am gone! They are here for me, and not you!â he said and shoved you once more. An arrow flew over your head, fired from the man at the front of the men coming your way.
âyou can't leave us! Come with me!â you shouted, but Louis had arrived. With a nod from his father, he shouldered you, and ran into the forest. Your shouts were drowned out by the sound of buildings catching fire and running of feet and horses as you and Louis entered the forest. From here, you could just barely see the town center. It was swarming with men. They set fire to everything and were rounding up the elders who had stayed behind.
âLouis! I must go back!â you shouted and began to struggle. He placed you on the grond, but did not release you.
âlike hell you areâ he said and grabbed hold of your wrist firmly as he tried to walk further into the forest.
âI am stronger than you, remember?â you said, feeling your body tense and heat up.
âgo back now, and they will kill you tooâ he said., adjusting his grip more firmly.
âkill?!â you heard his words and immediately began pulling yourself from his grasp. When he would not let go, you grabbed a hold of his other arm and burned him with a simple spell his father had taught you. He released you and clutched his burnt skin. You turned to run back, hiding behind a hut as you moved closer to the center of the town. You got as close as possible without being detected.
A strong voice carried your way. The men on horseback had gathered around the group of elders that they had kneeling on the ground. The man on the black horse, dressed all in red, dismounted. You couldnât see him clearly from where you were hiding, and you were too scared to get closer. His presence was intimidating.
âby order of the king, you are to be put to death under charges of magic. Do you deny it?â he asked, allowing your teacher to speak.
âI do not deny itâ your teacher said, in a voice that sounded weak but resolute. You began to sob and covered your mouth to not be heard.
âI will give you one last chance, if you possess no magic, please tell me soâ this man in red asked one more time. His hand reached for his bow strung across his back. He pulled it out and pointed it towards the elder on your teacherâs right.
âI will never lie about who I am and who my people are. I am not ashamed. As you should beâ your teacher said. The man in red, seemed to tense as he shot an arrow through the elder he had been pointing at. You had to cover your mouth with both of your hands to keep your scream from being heard.
âhave it your wayâ the man in red did not hesitate as he strung up another arrow and shot your teacher straight through the chest. You collapsed. Louis had caught up to you and was picking you up. You felt weak as the world around you began to spin and darkenâŚ
After a moment, you were brought back to the present. The man in red was sitting across from you. You had allowed yourself to be embraced by him as a lover all these nights. You let go of his hands, and stood up. He started to speak your name, but you held up a hand.
âno⌠the man in red⌠all those yearsâŚâ you began to gather your things, without being able to look at him. Hands shaking, you weren't able to concentrate on the items you were grabbing in front of you.
You had loved this man; you still loved him. You were the one feeling guilty. He killed your people, yet you fell in love with him without a second thought. Knowing of his past, you wished he hadnât told you.
âplease, donât⌠Iâm a changed manâ he said as he stood as well and began reaching out for you. You flinched away.
âdonât touch meâ you said and backed away towards the door.
âdonât do this. I had to tell you! I couldnât hide it from youâ he began to speak softly and quickly as he reached for you once more. You didnât know what to say. You didnât finish gathering your things as you grabbed for the door handle. Chan was desperate. He turned you around and pulled you into a deep kiss. He didnât know what else to do to show you how much he loved you. You broke the kiss early and exited the door behind you in a hurry. A soft âI love youâ followed you out the door.
summary: magic was outlawed in medeival times, but when you save someone of importance, does it backfire, or are you two just meant to be?
A month few by in no time at all. There were regular visits to Chanâs mom, parties held by the soldiers, and walks into town. Tonight however, was to be the first night hat you would be dining with the king. You were nervous from the day that the letter arrived.
âI donât think I should go. The last time I saw the king I was on trial for magicâ
âI donât think I should go. The last time I saw the king I was on trial for magicâ
âall the more reason to go. To have you not there would make it seem like you have something to hideâ
âbut I do?â you added slowly, still feeling very unsure.
âwe have to make it seem like you donâtâ he walked over to a chest of drawers and pulled out his favorite maroon outfit.
âwear thisâ he handed it to you.
âI would rather wear something that helps me blend inâ
ânot tonight! We are celebrating the queenâs birthday. No dressing modestâ he clarified.
âwill Jisung be there?â you asked, laying out the dress delicately, and looking it over. Your hands fiddled with the folds in the fabric.
âhe wouldnât miss it.â You felt sad for him and the queen, but you had bigger things to worry about.
You were not sure how you felt about seeing the king. Chan was right, you had to make it seem like you had nothing to hide, but you definitely couldnât trust him. What if he had something tricky planned? You didnât think he would be daring enough to try something in front of a room full of important people, on the queenâs birthday of all days.
âIâm here to protect youâ Chan said as he saw you getting lost in thought. He walked over and wrapped his arms around your waist, laying his chin on your shoulder. It was much needed closeness from him, and it slowed your heart rate. You felt alarmingly better with him at you side.
âyou can read minds now?â you looked at him and smiled.
The evening arrived all too soon. Chan didnât give you any time to dwell on your insecurities about the evening; he brought you into town and kept you busy. He bought your favorite treats, took you to your favorite stores, and at lunch time the two of your could be found at his motherâs.
You stood in your maroon dress in front of the mirror, braiding back your long hair. A small golden pin adorned your head, to match the earrings you had bought yourself a week ago. Chan said it was time you started collecting finer things to look the part of a wife of someone of his military status. You had to admit, after so much time living in a forest, it was nice to treat yourself. You felt civilized.
Chan was all compliments as you two walked with linked arms to the banquet hall where dinner was to be held. The king and queen sat at the head of the table. She looked radiant; he looked stern. You didnât dare meet his eyes, but glanced at her briefly. You couldâve been mistaken, but she mightâve sent you the smallest of nods.
The dinner was an immaculate seven course meal. You had assumed it was gong to be boring and stuffy, but it turned out to be very light hearted. Jesters were called for entertainment, followed by the most popular musicians in the land. A comedian finished out the night as the king called for everyone to join him and the queen to socialize in the ballroom.
âare all the events like this?â you asked Chan, who once again, seemed to know everyone in the room.
âonly big eventsâ he admitted as another man walked over and shook his hand.
âhope you are enjoying yourselfâ a small voice spoke up next to you very softly.
âoh, yes!â you turned to see who it was.
âyour majestyâ you curtsied when you noticed that it was the queen who had sidled up to you.
âmind if I borrow her for a moment? Just a quick stroll around the gardens. Iâm sure sheâs never seen themâ the queen asked Chan. He was reluctant but who was he to disagree with the queen.
You followed her into the well groomed gardens, waiting for her to say something. You knew that there was something she was longing to say.
âis it blackmail you want? Money?â she started. You were concerned and taken aback.
âmoney?â you said slowly and was confused.
âI can give you any amount you wantâ she whispered quickly.
âyour majesty⌠Iâm not sure in know what you are talking aboutâ you admitted.
âthat night. You saw me. You had to have knownâŚâ she trailed off. Maybe she was giving too much away.
âyour majesty, please, I could care less what you were doingâ you were just plain honest with her, and you visibly saw her relax.
âwe all have secretsâ you added and she smiled.
âI suppose so. You were on trial for magic were you not?â she asked, a playful look in her eye.
âthat was the accusationâ you shrugged it off, not wanting her to see that it ruffled you.
âtrivial things like that were never what interested me in courtâ she shrugged and resumed walking. Talking of any sort of trial or accusation seemed to bore her. You were grateful for this, and steered the conversation in a another direction.
âI feel bad for you honestlyâ you continued, as you took her hand and began walking through the gardens side by side. The pace was sedate and you found her to be very easy to talk to, surprisingly. The gardens had so many plants that were well groomed and in neat rows and grid patterns. It was nothing like your forest, but it was pretty in its own tame way.
âdo you?â she asked, feeling at ease. No one had ever been so plain and open with her since she became the queen.
âI could imagine the pain you must feel. If me keeping my mouth shut provides you some happiness, then I will gladly do itâ she decided in that moment to trust you. You actually felt a friendship forming as you two concluded your walk around the gardens. You sensed more than saw, that you two were being followed. You looked in the direction you felt a presence and saw Jisung lurking in the shadows. You smiled and was not surprised at all.
âallow me to buy you some alone timeâ you whispered to the queen, who looked confused until she followed your gaze. Seeing Jisung, she couldnât hide her smile as she excused herself and met him in the shadows of the castle. You looked up at the stars, and read them. You hadnât practiced magic the entire time you had been here. You were too nervous to. The last thing you needed was to be caught performing magic of any kind within the walls of the capitol.
You sighed, you didnât think you would miss magic this much.
âenjoying your walk?â Chan asked as he snuck up behind you.
âit feels good to be among nature againâ
âare the plants talking to you?â
âthey have a lot to fill me in onâ you said and he smiled.
After about five more minutes, the queen retuned. She was smiling so broadly and looked very happy. You fixed her messy hair with a giggle, as she straightened her necklaces.
âcan I escort you ladies back to the party now?â Chan asked. You and the queen nodded, but once returning to the doors of the ballroom she stopped and turned to you.
âthank you. Its been a while since Iâve been around someone who hasnât treated me like a queenâ she said this you went to apologize but she waved away you apology and smiled.
âI appreciate itâ you said as she rubbed your shoulder and excused herself.
About a week later, you were woken up to gentle knocking on the door to yours and Chanâs room. He stood up with a groan and answered it.
âthereâs a note addressed to you.â He handed you the letter. It was printed on thick paper, and with the scrawling print on the front it looked to be very important. You opened it, immensely curious.
The queen wishes to invite you for a tea time stroll in this afternoon. Send your return letter with a guard. Hope this letter finds you well
The royal seal was waxed at the bottom letting anyone reading it know that it indeed came from the castle.
âlooks like I am having tea with the queen.â You told Chan with a chuckle. It felt surreal even saying that sentence.
âlooks like you made a great first impression.â
âI think she was waiting to see if I spilled the beans on her and Jisung. Since I havenât I guess that means she trusts meâ
âdo be careful thoughâ he said as he pecked your lips.
He helped you pick out a suitable outfit, as you sent a response with a guard.
When noon time came around Chan escorted you to the castle. You found yourself growing nervous again as you got closer. You kept trying to think of it as simply tea time with a friend, but this friend was the queen, of all people.
âdo I have the manners for an intimate setting like this?â you asked him.
âyou doâ he said and squeezed your hand.
âare you sure my outfit is suitable. I know I look modest, but it really is alright?â you were insecure, but felt better as you looked at Chan and he was smiling.
âI donât know the queen well, mostly dealing with the king myself, but I know Jisung. If he likes this woman, then I have no doubts she is a good personâ he kissed your lips softly, barely allowing your lips to meet. It was a small tease, but it made your heart flutter.
âI will remain in the castle for when you are ready for me to escort you homeâ you nodded as he parted with you when you reached the front doors to the castle. The queenâs maids were there to greet you. You followed them through the many rooms of the castle and out into the garden where more maids stood close by the queen. Some were carrying trays of food, other carrying drink. The queen looked bored until she saw you.
You greeted her politely and she motioned for you to sit.
âits such a lovely day, I really did not want to waste it being insideâ she said, maintaining all the airs of a true queen. You and her exchanged polite pleasantries, as the food and drink was brought over for you.
âthank you. That is allâ she waved her maids away. They were reluctant to leave, but the queen was insisting.
âI will call if we need anythingâ she said, continuing to wave them off. Once they were well enough away, she slouched, and sighed. You couldnât help but giggle at this change of character.
ânow we can gossipâ she said, a playful gleam in her eye. She filled you in on juicy affairs happening at court. You took note of everything she said, not that you wanted to blackmail anyone, but keeping tabs on who was who never hurt.
âtell me, how did you and Chan meet. He seemed very proud to have you in his arm. I donât blame him either with that dressâ she trailed off and nodded at you.
âvery daringâ she said. You laughed it off.
âIâm not used to wearing fine clothesâ you admitted.
âyou wear them wellâ she complimented.
âI suppose Chan and I met in the forest-â
âthe forest? Were you alone?â she was shocked.
âoh-yes⌠just traveling⌠I got separated from my escortâ you had to pull bits and pieces of this story out the thin air. You trusted her for the most part., but admitting you lived in the forest because your people were exiled was quite a stretch.
âhow terrible!â
âI was set upon by some robbers, and Chan rode up and saved the day. I took him back to my village and allowed him to rest before returningâ
ânaturally after spending so much time with you, he couldnât leave you behind. Thatâs very romanticâ she said, looking in the distance wistfully.
âI assume Iâm correct in saying that you and the king had an arranged marriageâ you said, and noted her face fall.
âof course. Its all about alliances. You know where my heart truly liesâ she noted, and as she mentioned Jisung, the happiness retuned to her face.
âhow did you two meet? Are we able to talk about it here?â you dropped your voice.
âof course. I believe my maids are aware anyways. There is no secrets among the staff at the castle Iâve learnedâ you nodded and allowed her to continue.
âto be perfectly honest he accidently walked in on me having a bath. He took a wrong turn when he was new here and he said after that day he couldnât get the thought of m body from his mind. With flirtations like that I was in love in no timeâ
âseems like our men were both at the right place at the right timesâ she giggled and nodded.
A little while later, the sun was beginning to feel hot. The queenâs maids were called back over and they delivered dessert. Once that had concluded, it was time for you to depart. The queen stood and thanked you with a warm hug.
âthis was wonderful. I truly appreciate intimate tea times with such close friends and alliesâ she had the act of a queen back once more, now that her maids had returned. They escorted you out of the castle, where Chan was waiting, having been notified that tea was concluding.
âhow did it goâ he asked, noting that you looked a lot more relaxed than when you had left.
âvery enjoyable, actuallyâ
âtold you there was nothing to worry aboutâ as he said this, you and he linked arms as he escorted you back to the barracks. He was silent the whole time as he allowed you to relay a simplified version of everything the queen had told you.
âyou are oddly quietâ you said as the door to his room closed behind the two of you.
âI met with the kingâ he said as he took a seat on the bed and began weaving his hands together nervously. This simple gesture made you as nervous as you had been that morning.
âwhatâs wrong?â you asked, taking the seat delicately next to him. He looked at you and placed a hand on the side of your head, slightly entangling it in your hair. His thumb softly rubbed a circle on your cheek.
âthe invading forces are back on our borders. My unit is to be sent there to gather intelligence as well as fight off any attempted invasionâ
âno-when?â you said, taking his hand in the two of yours.
âwe havenât heard, but it is rumored to be within the monthâ he told you.
âa month?â you said, shock radiating through you.
âat the mostâ he added. You took a moment to absorb this and swallowed nervously.
âwe will just have to make the best of your remaining time here. I donât want to dwell on it until I have toâ
âIâm glad you have the queen as a friend. I am going to become very busy getting the army ready over the next few daysâ
âthen we should make the most of any time we have togetherâ you placed his hand on your thigh and leaned in for a very passionate kiss.
The next morning, you slept in. You had felt drained from the poor night of sleep previously and the stress of the past few days.
Chan enjoyed the relaxing morning in as well, as you two lay in content silence, allowing the morning sunlight to filter in through the small paned windows. Adjusting, you wrapped his arms tighter around yourself, and enjoyed the warmth from his body.
His stomach growled, making you giggle.
âMorningâ you said turning over and facing him with a smile. The frustration you had felt with him previously had melted away after a night of him making it up to you and a good bit of rest.
âcan I show you around town as we get breakfast?â he asked as he sat up and stretched.
âI donât think I should be seen wanderingâŚâ
âyou have to get used to being seen somehow. You are my wife after all. Canât hide in here foreverâ he said and held your hands. You rolled your eyes.
âagain with this wife thing⌠youâre taking a forest priestess as your wife! I donât think thatâs a good ideaâ
âitâs the best idea. BesidesâŚâ his stomach growled again.
âIâm really hungryâ he whined. You agreed and got up and dressed.
In a short amount of time, you and Chan we exiting the barracks into the courtyard. Soldiers milled about, some on duty, some just wandering. They all greeted Chan politely and cheerfully.
âyouâre so popularâ you commented to him under your breath.
âI just think it is important to know as many people personally. We are going into battle together which means we could easily die side by side. Iâd rather have men next to me that I consider my friendsâ
âI donât like thatâ you shook your head as you exited the courtyard and into the busy city surrounding the capitol.
âdonât like that they are my friends?â he seemed surprised.
ânot that. I think that part is great⌠itâs the death partâŚâ your sentence faded away as the town opened up before you. It had been so long since you were in a busy trading city, and it felt so alive. It felt like so long ago you had lived in a place just like this. The sights and sounds and smells filled your sense. You were overwhelmed with excitement and was eager to take everything in.
Chan showed you to his favorite place to eat, and his favorite shops. He enjoyed watching you window shop, floating from one store front to another. Even in the city, Chan was well liked by everyone. There wasnât a place that you and him went that he didnât know at least one person. He saw you thinking something over, and questioned you.
âI can tell something is on your mind. what is it?"
"if I am going to look the part of your wife, I need some new clothes. I imagine I look a sore sight being in my dingy druid attire.â
âI know the exact placeâ he said as he took your hand and walked you towards small shop at the end of the street. You couldnât help but over hear gossip that followed you.
âhand in hand like that? Who does she think she is?â one woman said not so quietly.
âhavenât you heard? Thatâs his wife! The king gave them his blessingâ
âwell, it is final then⌠he is off the marketâ the first woman said sadly.
âI was hoping he would take liking to my eldest daughterâ the second added, and you almost turned with a sliver of jealousy flowing through you, but Chan pulled you through the doors of the shop before you could say anything.
âbeen a while since Iâve seen you in hereâ an older woman said as she approached Chan and hugged him warmly.
âIâve been busy, momâ he said and smiled as he picked the woman up and spun her around in a warm embrace.
âyour mom?â you asked as he released her and set her back on her feet. She was all smiles as she approached you and held out her hands. You took them gently as she looked you over.
âa bit small and a thin for my son. Donât think you will be bearing strong children anytime soonâ she spun you around slowly.
âbearing⌠Iâm sorryâŚâ
âso you heard the news?â Chan asked his mom as she welcomed you two over to a set of chairs near the window.
âI got wind of it. Leave it to my so to forget the most important woman in his life⌠well⌠second most important nowâ she motioned towards you.
âI have a lot to tell you. Are we well hidden here?â he asked her in a low voice.
âyou know your father liked his privacy. Of course, we are safe here. Speak as openly and freely as you wantâ she said and leaned back in her chair.
âthis is a long story, so get comfortableâ he said as he began to tell the tale of what had transpired since arriving back at the capitol. His mother had to light candles about halfway through his tale.
âjust like your father! Getting into trouble, nonstop. Be prepared for that, marrying this oneâ she told you. You only nodded.
âso you do have magic then?â she asked you, after hearing the bits and pieces of the story. You were unsure how to answer and looked to chan. You wanted to trust his mother, but you hadnât openly admitted to magic before.
âyes, and without it I wouldâve been dead a long time agoâ Chan said and squeezed your hand.
âIâm sorry, it feels strange being so open about my magic. It hasnât happened beforeâ you admitted.
âwe all have our secrets, but no need to hide it hereâ she said as she smiled at you fondly.
âdinner?â she said after looking at the slowly darkening sky outside. You and Chan excepted graciously.
âwe actually came here for some clothes as well.â Chan added, as his other walked to a back room and came back carrying a tray of bread and cheese.
âTake what you need!â she motioned absentmindedly to the racks of clothing you had hardly noticed before.
âoh no, I couldnât justâŚâ
âplease, you are family!â she placed a hand on your shoulder, and you felt overwhelmed with the feeling of family and a motherly touch.
When it was well and dark outside, you and Chan were full of food and laughter and ready to return to the barracks. His mother had gifted you a couple of outfits that you and her had picked out. Chan enjoyed watching his mother fondly embrace you as a daughter.
âyour mother is beyond sweetâ you chatted with him as you two walked home.
âthank you. Sheâs been a bit lonely since my father died, but I stop in as much as possible. That was, until the army got busy with the invasionsâ
âshe has never been so kind to the other girls I-â
âother girls?â you cut across him and his face reddened.
âthere⌠there hasnât been a lot⌠you-you have been engaged before so donât give me and grief!â he defended himself. You and him laughed.
When you got back to the barracks, someone was playing music. There was jovial singing coming from down a corridor.
âshall we check it out?â Chan asked, after you had dropped your parcels off at his room.
âIâll meet you. Iâd like to changeâ he kissed your cheek and agreed.
You placed two outfits on the bed, and looked them over, deciding to wear a more revealing maroon dress. It felt soft and flowy as you draped it over your shoulders. You took one last look in the small mirror and hardly recognized yourself.
Walking back into the corridor, you followed the sound of the singing as it got louder, but was stopped abruptly by a woman who nearly bumped into you.
âIâm so sorryâ you said as you bent to pick up her basket that she had dropped.
âthank youâ she said as she looked around, clearly alarmed.
âare you alright?â you asked her. She was a very well dressed woman and she smelled of flowers. Whoever she was, she clearly was a high status woman.
âyes! YesâŚI just need to return homeâ she said and went to turn, but was stopped by a man with a wide smile.
âthink you can just sneak out before we get a proper goodbyeâ you were momentarily alarmed until you saw the woman smiling. You decided to leave them be, returning to follow he music.
You located the room where there seemed to be a jovial gathering of a fair number of soldiers. Chan sat at the head of a table, and your eyes met as soon as you entered. He smiled, as felt proud as a few heads turned that had seen you enter. You approached him and bowed, enjoying how his eyes looked you over from head to toe. You took a seat on his left side at the table as his men scooted over. He grabbed your hand and held tight, making sure everyone knew you were claimed for the night.
Chan introduced you to his men as they came over and offered their congratulations on your marriage which you accepted graciously. The night continued with music and stories and laughter. It was quite fun. Chan loved looking over and seeing you laugh and have a good time with his comrades. They were important people in his life.
Halfway through a song, the door opened and a man entered. It was the same man that you had seen with that woman before. Chan caught you staring and questioned you.
âJisung? Has he caught your eye?â he asked.
âI saw him before. He was with a woman of high statusâŚâ
ânot hereâ Chan nodded and lowered his voice.
âwhy-why⌠oh!â you realized soon enough that you had stumbled upon some gossip. Chan would have to fill you in later.
The party ended only as the sun was cresting the horizon. The guards on watch duty exited with grumbles about how tired they were. The second watch was already complaining about not getting enough sleep. Chan shook his head and lightheartedly scolded them.
âmaybe⌠donât stay up so late drinking!â laughter was the response.
You and him returned to your room, and he delicately helped you out of your dress. He complimented you, with a soft kiss to your shoulder.
âthere will be time for that in a minute but you have to tell me who that man was and what he was doing with that woman?â you whispered, pulling him to the bed. He sat you down on his lap as he sighed.
âJisung is one of the men in my division. A scout. Not exactly high ranking, but very important. His charisma has gotten him into trouble once or twiceâ Chan trailed off with a chuckle. You remained silent, allowing him to continue.
âthat woman he is with is the love of his life, but she has been married to someone else for a long time nowâ
âhow awful.â You commented.
âsheâs married to someone of high status so a divorce is out of the question. I told him he needs to stop seeing her, but the heart makes men do reckless thingsâ
âwho is she married to?â you asked, curious as to who could hold so much power.
âsheâs the queenâ you gasped when he said this.
âhe is having an affair with the queen? That means death or both of them if-â
âexactly. So we must keep it a closely guarded secretâ Chan said as he leaned in and kissed you. He was done talking, there were other things he would like to be doing tonight.
Reaction: Stray Kids When Their S/O Has a Lot of Interests/Hobbies
Request - @babybouille said: Hi there! Could you maybe write a skz reaction to their s/o being so curious about everything that they passionate themselves into new things very often ? Like random stuffs could be a new language, meditation, witchcraft, painting, games, anything ! Iâm not sure if that makes sense đ
A/N: I actually relate to this lol, I hyperfixate on things so my interests and hobbies can be all over the place. My District 9 World Tour DVD is supposed to be here in 2 days, which Iâm super psyched about because I spent almost $100 on that thing. Itâs weird finally having motivation to write again, but Iâm really glad I do and Iâm gonna write as much as possible while I do have this motivation. Currently my requests are closed, but they will be opened back up as soon as I get through all the ones currently in my inbox!
word count 1100- sorry this part is so short! ill post another one soon!
The next morning, you were awake early. You had hardly slept from being cold all night.
Guards came and placed shackles on your wrists before walking you out. It was time for your trial. You felt numb as you followed them silently. The events from the past few days had replayed in your mind all night, and had brought you to a place mentally of sheer exhaustion.
The long room where you were taken had a table where the king sat surrounded by his advisors. Body guards sat to his left and right as well. You looked around, there wasnât too many men to take on, but how would you escape afterwards? There was an entire castle filled to the brim with guards. Even if you managed to escape this room, there would be no way you could escape the castle.
âyou have been brought forth on the accusations of magic. The penalty for this is death-â
âwe have no proof of her magicâ Chan spoke up from the side of the room. You hadnât even seen him enter.
âthere are ways of making her show her magicâŚâ the king said and motioned for a guard on his right who suddenly strung up his bow. Chan quickly spoke up once more.
âbefore you do that, your highness, do you value my opinion?â Chan spoke. The king looked confused.
âI certainly do. Your father served me and your grandfather served my father. Your family goes back centuries hand in hand with my ownâ the king admitted, waving the guard to unstring his bow ad allow Chan to speak more.
âthen please trust my judgement when I tell you this woman does not possess magic. What she does possess is my marriage proposalâ Chan said and there was, once again, a murmur that ran around the room. You looked at him, just as shocked as everyone else.
âif you value my judgment, do note that I would never take woman who possesses magic as my brideâ Chan added. The king mulled it over shortly and nodded. He didnât look entirely convinced, but could he really oppose Chan, who was well liked by his men? Even, at times, more than the king?
âshe has my pardonâ he said and your heart nearly leapt out of your chest. Chan ran over and undid your shackles.
âwhat in the worldâŚâ you began to ask through clenched teeth.
âIâll explain laterâ he said in a low voice.
âmarriage?â you said looking annoyed.
âwe had no choiceâ he said as he lead you out of the room and into a corridor.
âoh, I certainly do have choice! You are going to explainâŚâ he pressed himself against you and held a finger to your lips causing you to fall silent.
ânot hereâ he said as he took your hand and walked you down the corridor and into the courtyard.
âthe officers have rooms down here, so this is where we will be staying until we can return to the forestâ he pulled you into a small but well furnished room.
âthis is my room.â He said as he took a seat on the bed. He gazed around and took it all in.
âits been a while since Iâve been here. Itâs a bit dusty but everything is the sameâ he told you. You hadnât removed yourself from your spot by the door.
ânow I will explainâ he said as he motioned for you to come over. He had a smile on his face and seeing this nearly made your anger with him subside. You took a seat in a chair by the window.
âI couldnât let you run for it back in the village. They wouldâve caught you on horseback no problem. I didnât have time to explain my plan to you before they were in earshot.â
âwhy let me rot in a cell all night?â you asked, truly hurt by this.
âI couldnât escape from the king. He held a dinner for my return. This is where I thought of my idea on how to save you. Iâm sorryâ he added this last part, and your eyes met. He truly looked sorry.
âfrom the moment we were captured we were surrounded by too many soldiers to allow you to run. When the king showed up I knew it was going to be harder to convince him of you not possessing magic. I had to have a day to figure out a fool proof plan that he would not argue with.â He concluded. It made sense, and you knew you should be grateful, but you were still hurt.
âso you decide marriage is the best option?â
âitâs the only option. No one will question the wife of an officerâ he said, still smiling.
âhere. I bet you are still cold.â He removed himself from the bed and motioned for you to take his place, which you did. He was right. You were freezing.
You sat timidly on the bed. So many thoughts were still running through your mind. He stood against the wall and watched you lost I thought.
âwe canât return to the forest yet, but I promise as soon as we can, I will help you search for Jane and the Ineied peopleâ he said softly, afraid to break the silence in the air.
âthere is no âweâ in this situation.â You spoke as you leaned back in the bed and wrapped the blankets around yourself.
âin case you forgot, in the eyes of the king, we are marriedâ he tried joking with you.
âno. that doesnât matter. Your worthless kingâs opinion means nothing to me. As soon as I am able to, I will return to my forest. Aloneâ you said, and hearing yourself say it, broke your heart. You just werenât sure you were ready to forgive him. There was a moment of tense silence between you two.
âIâm not letting that happen.â He spoke softly but firmly as he took the spot next to you on the bed. You scooted further away, but didnât ask him to remove himself. He took this as a good sign, and continued.
âif you return to the forest I feel like I would never see you again. I canât let that happen. It was only by a stroke of luck that we met the first timeâ
âmaybe we are better off-â
âno! we arenâtâ he stopped you before you could talk more. He took your hand, and you almost caved and looked at him. His words were warming you up from the inside.
âwhen I died, it was you that called me back to the world of the living, and Iâm sorry, but Iâm not ready to let you slip away like my life almost didâ he said and pulled you into himself before you could move away. You finally gave in. His arms around you felt warm; his lips on yours felt soft; his body next to you made you feel safe.
That night, you were looking over Chans eye. You had taken out some alcohol to clean it, when he snuck a swig himself.
âthat is to be used to heal you!â you scolded him as you took it from him.
âit is. It is healing me from the inside outâ he joked.
âits very strong so be carefulâ you told him as he reached for it once more and took a sip. He offered you some, and you took a small sip. It made you cough as you swallowed.
âhow do you even enjoy that stuff?â you asked as you handed it back to him.
âthe taste isnât enjoyable but the after effect isâ he winked at you.
âI will just take your word for it. Luckily I will stay sober and nurse you back to health in the morningâ a moment of silence passed as you wiped his eye a bit more. He seemed to be thinking something over.
âwhy do you live here? Alone?â he asked, taking one more sip and offering you the bottle. You took a small sip and shuddered before responding.
âI canât live anywhere else. Magic, remember?â you told him as you lit a candle and extinguished it all by hand.
âyou can hide your magic easilyâ he said.
âtrue, but I cannot hide the fact that I want to help people. The first time I hear of someone needing healing in a way I can provide with magic, I would cave and heal them. Then- arrestedâ you shrugged.
âitâs happened before. I had a pretty normal life in a village onceâ you confided in him, surprising yourself. You hadnât told anyone this since moving to the forest. It wasnât that long ago, but as you sat here and talked about it, it seemed a lifetime away.
âI grew up in a small village not far from the Capitol actually. I was engaged.â
âyou were to be married?â he cut you off surprised.
âI was. Until he got sick. How could I watch him die? Instead I healed him and before word got out what I had done, I ranâ
âyou donât know if he wouldnât have excepted youâ Chan said, he felt sorry for you, and it showed in how soft he was speaking to you.
âeven if he did, his parents wouldnât have. I couldnât take that chance. It could mean my lifeâ this put it into perspective for Chan: your life. You had been forced to live in a cave in the forest in order to protect your life. Always hiding from everyone unless you were discovered and risk being arrested for magic. When all you ever did was help people. It made him immensely sad.
âthis might not mean much, but Iâm glad it happened. If it wasnât for you living out here in these woods, I would be dead right nowâ he said, and reached over, giving your hand a small squeeze of gratitude.
âyou did die, remember? I brought you backâ you laughed before continuing. It felt good to talk about it. You felt like you could open up to Chan, like he wouldnât judge you. He was a great listener.
âIâm glad it happened too. Looking back now he was not the man for me. I was just and naĂŻve. I felt that if I got married and could hide my magic it would just go away. I was very wrongâ
âso you really canât help it? Magic just flows out of you?â he asked, taking another swig of alcohol and feeling emboldened by it.
âsome magic can be learned, perfected. But most of us are born with it. We canât help itâ
âand you die because of itâ Chan added, his face had fallen and a sudden dark mood was taking over his features.
âcome on! We were having a good conversation before. Donât sink into the deep dark depths of your mind tonightâ you stood and help out your hands for him to take. He smiled before sighing ad taking them. You helped him stand and began walking away from the campsite into the woods.
âshould I even ask where you are taking me?â he asked as he followed behind you, grin plastered on his face.
ânope. I have to show you somethingâ you pulled him along behind you, as you hummed a song. He closed his eyes, and allowed the song to fill up his soul as he was slowly pulled through the woods.
âhere. Look!â you told him as you stopped along the edge of a small pond. When Chan opened his eyes he was surprised to see that the water was glowing. He had never seen anything like it before.
âis this magic too?â he asked as he got closer and knelt down beside the water.
âI guess so. Itâs always been like thisâ you shrugged and walked past him allowing your toes to sink into the cold sand on the water edge. The small ripples danced about your feet.
âI come here to think sometimes. To feel connected with nature, I guess. When things start to feel like too muchâ you confided I him. He stood and walked next to you, the ripples he caused made the cold water reach towards your ankles.
âamazingâ he reached over and grasped your hand, slowly turning you around in the shallow water, watching as the glowing water danced all around the two of you. He had never felt so light and free.
He found himself lost in your smile, your laugh, the way your hair swung about your back lightly as you turned⌠before he could stop himself he had pulled you in close. He rubbed the side of your face gently. Maybe he was influenced by the alcohol in his system or maybe this moment was just too perfect to pass up. He didnât question it as he pulled you in close and kissed you.
The next morning, Chan woke up, and found himself tangled in blankets and you. The sun was shining through the vines that acted as your front door.
âmorningâ you said as you untangled yourself from him. The nightâs escapades came back to you as he leaned over and kissed your nose.
âwe should get dressed⌠see about fixing that eyeâ you began but was cut short as he whined and placed a kiss on your shoulder.
âfive more minutesâ he said as he pulled you back onto the back next to him.
âno more minutes! You want to be able to see out of that eye again right?â
âyouâre rightâ he sighed, and allowed you to remove yourself from him and begin to get dressed. You hummed a small tune as you got breakfast ready. He watched you and you chuckled when you caught him staring.
âwhat?â you asked.
âjust watching.. wonderingâ he said.
âwhat are you wondering?â you replied playfully
âhow someone like you could haveâŚâ
âwait!â you cut across him and motioned for him to be quiet. The wind picked up and it carried a message.
âthereâs people heading this way. They know where I liveâ you said as you relayed the information. That was all Chan needed to hear. He got up and dressed in a hurry as you made your way out the cave entrance. He soon followed and was greeted with a scene he had been dreading.
You were on the ground kneeling with a sword at your throat. The person holding it was Chanâs old captain. Chan watched and felt his blood boil as this man reached down and yanked a handful of your hair, exposing your neck even more.
âwe thought you were dead, sonâ he said as he adjusted his grip to get a firmer hold on your hair. Chan was immediately beyond livid. How dare someone hold you like that?
âlet her go. She hasnât harmed youâ he said pointing his spear at the man holding you.
âgoing to attack me? Thatâs treason. We already have enough grounds to arrest you, being caught with a priestess like this. Lets just say we have had great intelligence concerning illegal settlements in this area.â With that he motioned forward one of his men. To Chanâs shock, Louis stepped forward, wearing the red cloak of the Capitol. Words failed him as he stood there and locked eyes with your betrayer, before Louis had to look away.
âI had toâ you herd Louisâs voice at your back and gasped.
âthey were going to kill me. I had no choice but to tell them.â
âyou shouldâve died like the coward you are.â Chan spat at him. Louis retreated to the back of the group once more, unable to handle the anger that was exuding from Chan at that moment.
âLouis was extremely helpful. Weâve been wanting to rid the land of magical folk for a whileâ Chanâs captain said and knelt next to you, smelling your hair and getting far to close for Chanâs liking.
âIâm warning you now to back away and let her goâ Chan pointed his spear and took a step closer.
âIâm willing to believe she has put some sort of love spell on you, but donât worry, that will break when we kill herâ he tugged your hair and repositioned his sword under your throat, pricking your skin and causing a trickle of blood. Chan was about to attack your captor when you spoke up.
âChanâŚâ you and he locked eyes.
ârunâ you said, and his feet carried him before his brain could think. He tore up the side of the cave and got as far away as he could before he turned and saw the men around you all collapsing. They were grabbing their throats and gasping for air. He watched as you stood and cornered his captain. You walked slowly towards the man who seemed to be slowly rising from the ground, flailing. He too was holding and grasping at his neck at an invisible force that was preventing him from taking in any air.
âI will show you and your men mercy. I will not kill you this time. I will show you more mercy than you have ever shown my people. Return here and I will not be so merciful next timeâ
With a wave of air that spun through the clearing where you stood, the man collectively rose and reached for their horses, Chanâs captain among them. They were wanting to get out of there as fast a they could now that they had been released from the unseen force that had been holding them down. You had never seen men mount horses so fast and retreat.
Louis was slower than the rest of the men. You watched him wordlessly as he scrambled to his horse. He leaned against his steed, and for the briefest moments, he seemed to pass out, until he quickly turned and threw a knife at you.
Chan yelled but there was no reason for him to warn you. The knife stopped inches from your face and hovered.
âI told you I wouldnât be merciful a second time. You have betrayed the people you call family, and you donât deserve to live anymoreâ you said flatly as the three of you watched the blade turn and fly right back to Louis, planting itself firmly between his eyes. He swayed for a moment, then fell.
âshitâ you said and fell over. It took a lot out of you using so much magic, Chan was at your side supporting you.
âhow could they have found out where I live? I need to⌠waitâ you said as a terrible thought crossed your mind.
âthe Ineied! We have to warn them!â you stood on shaky feet and grabbed Chan around the shoulders for support. He helped you quickly to Louisâs horse and helped you mount as he got on behind you. Before you could say anymore, he began riding in the direction of the village.
You were there in a short amount of time and had no time to question how Chan knew the way. He dismounted the horse and reached behind to help you down hen you dismounted on your own in a hurry and ran to the village center.
âhurry! You have to leave!â you began shouting at the people sitting there. The same woman Chan had seen laughing and gossiping now looked worried.
âwe must grab belongings!â a woman said, holding her child to her.
âno time! The soldiers are already on their way! Take your loved ones and fleeâ you told her and anyone else in ear shot. Chan began running behind you, carrying along the message as well. He kept an eye on the hill where he knew the soldiers would be arriving from.
âJane!â he said as he ran into her, carrying her baby boy.
âyou have to leaveâ he told her, and she nodded, reaching for the hand of her elderly grandmother.
âI know- but I canât just leave-â her grandmother rolled her eyes and yelled at Jane to hurry up, with less polite words, and for a moment Chan felt like laughing.
In a short amount of time the village was emptying. The Ineied had done this before: be discovered, and flee, or face death. You wandered around the deserted village, checking every last hut.
âwe have to leave nowâ Chan said as he caught up with you.
âI have to make sure every one has left. Every last child and elderlyâŚâ you froze when you heard a horn sound to your far right on the hill. You turned and gasped hen you saw scores of men riding this way. There was way too many for you to fight off.
âwe canât outrun themâ Chan spoke as if he was reading your mind. As the men got closer, Chan calculated his options. As the captain of this platoon slowed down as he entered the town square, he was approaching you and Chan slowly. You were weighing your options, when out of no where, you felt a sharp pain in your arm.
Someone had grabbed you from behind and was twisting your arm.
âthis is the only one I managed to captureâ Chan said as he held you firmly. Your heart sank to the bottom of your stomach. Betrayed. You tuned to look at Chan but he adjusted his grip even firmer so you were unable to look at him. Roughly he hit the back of your knees, causing you to kneel at the feet of the captain. You felt tears fall from your eyes silently down your cheeks.
He had betrayed you. Those words ran through your mind, blocking out everything else. You remained silent as Chan received his congratulations from this man. Your wrists and ankles were bound as you were slung on top of a horse. Chan mounted behind you, and you couldnât meet his gaze. The entire ride to the Capitol, you remained silent and crying. Without thinking he reached over, attempting to wipe the tears from your face. You flinched away from him. How dare he touch you after what he had just done.
This broke his heart. You had been through so much in the past few days after all.
Arriving to the Capitol, you were in awe at how large all the buildings were. The stone walls raised high surrounding the courtyard of the castle. Chan walked the horse right up to the front stone steps and dismounted. He cut the ropes binding your ankles and helped you down. You still did not look at him.
Your heart began racing as he walked you up the steps. There was men behind you, as well s on the walls. You were caught looking around.
âdonât even think about running. The archers would kill you before you even passed the wallsâ Chan said in a soft voice that almost held a note of caring to it. You didnât respond, but fixed your gaze forward.
He walked you to a chamber where a long table sat at the front of the room. There was a man here that was surrounded by books and had a quill in hand.
âcharges?â he asked as Chan walked you to face him.
âmagicâ Chan said. A murmur ran through the room as he said this. The elderly man with the scroll faltered.
âm-magic?â he asked again. Chan nodded.
âis there evidence of this magic? That is a strong accusationâ the elderly man said. Chan hesitated.
âI havenât seen any. I found her in a village that was raided.â
âmagic is indeed a strong accusationâ a strong voice from the front of the room spoke as a door was opened. The people around you kneeled as the king entered, Chan included. But you did not budge.
This man was the reason your people had been killed in the most awful of ways. The reason that you were living in a forest unable to show your true self. The reason people like the Ineied were in hiding.
You were not going to kneel.
Chan looked at you and motioned for you to kneel, you finally met his gaze and looked defiant.
âperhaps you donât know who I amâ the king said as he walked up to stand in front of you.
âI do indeed, your highnessâ you nodded. He smirked.
âyou donât kneel?â
âI have my reasonsâ without allowing you to explain yourself, he slapped you hard across the face. You grabbed at your bloody lip, but did not say another word. Chan had stood when the king had slapped you, out of sheer reflex.
âplease, your highness. I owe her my life. Magic or no magic, she saved me from deathâ he defended you.
âmagic or no magic? It is all about magic! It is the biggest act of treason to perform magic in my kingdom.â The king said as he paced the room. He looked like a deranged man.
âwe will hang her tomorrowâ the king said with a tone of finality.
âplease, your highness. Spare her life. She saved mine, so I would like to repay herâ Chan knelt and pleaded with the king.
âa life for a lifeâ? the king mulled it over.
âplace her in the darkest and coldest dungeon until I decide what to do with her. If she saved you, it would be knightly to repay her as such⌠but magicâŚâ
âI have no evidence of her magicâ Chan added.
âthe dungeonsâ the king waved you out as two men grabbed you under your shoulders and carried you down a long corridor.
The two men threw you into the very last cell, and slammed the door. It was freezing and there was only a small pile of straw to keep warm. You could do nothing but cry. You cried for your own circumstances. You cried for Jane and the other Ineied now deeper in hiding. You cried for how awful it was for her son to be raised in such a cruel world.
The hours passed by. You were brought a small cup of water and stale bread. You werenât hungry; you let the bread and water sit in the corner of your cell. You had no way of knowing what time of day it was.
You assumed it was evening when the torches in the corridor were lit. you lay down on the pile of straw and hugged your legs to yourself, trying to gain any sliver of warmth. You shivered when you heard someone pull aside the grate in the top of your door. You didnât bother looking up until you heard your name. It was Chan.
âI know Iâve been awful to you but I have my reasons. I canât explain now. But please trust meâ
âgo to hellâ you said and turned from the door.
âI deserve that. But I have a way out. Your trial is tomorrow and I have an idea how to save you.â
âI donât need your help.â
âin your circumstances, you doâ you couldnât see him, but you could tell he was smiling.
âdo not find joy in my situation!â you said.
âand you hurt my armâ you added.
âIâm sorry. I had to make it seem convincing.â
âarresting me? You couldnât just let me run?â your voice was raising in anger.
âkeep your voice down! I canât explain here, but tomorrow I can. Trust me. I have to go now but in time it will all make senseâ you didnât respond as he closed the grating on the door and spoke no more.
pairing: bang chan x fem!reader
genre: smut, co-workers au (idol!chan, nonidol!reader)
words: 6.2k
warnings: ravishment kink, piv, unprotected sex, creampie, dirty talk
â ď¸EXTRA WARNING: in typical cases, âravishment kinkâ is used as a replacement term for what is commonly known as a rape kink. it is important to make the distinction that there are NO rape/noncon elements in this story whatsoever. for more information click here.
you suspect in that moment, that the âno dating the talentâ policy is one that is frequently disregarded.
warnings: one part gets a bit bloody so be prepared for that. nothing too drastic.
The next morning you and him were walking slowly towards the cozy cave you called home. Small talk ensued and he was quite a lively and relatable person to talk to. You learned his name, where he grew up, his rank and a whole bunch more.
âWhy donât you live in a town? You can hide your magic...â you cut him off with a finger pressed to your lips.
âWhat if there are other travelers around who can hear you?â You whispered.
âIâll just kill themâ he shrugged confidently as he shouldered his spear.
âNo. I donât like deathâ
âItâs a part of lifeâ he said as you stopped in your tracks and thought it over.
âLet me rephrase. I donât like unnecessary deathâ you sent him a sad look that immediately made him change the subject to something light hearted.
You walked up to a the entrance to your cave and pulled aside a braided curtain of vines that blocked the entrance from view.
âWelcome to my humble homeâ you motioned Chan inside as you held the vines to one side. He saw shelves upon shelves of plants he had never seen of all colors. An assortment of books in languages he didnât recognize were piled along the back wall. A fire pit sat extinguished close to the entrance. A small bed of blankets lay to his right.
âItâs not much...â you began but was cut off as someone else entered your home.
âPriestess!â they bowed upon entry and began talking so fast they didnât have time to register someone else was with you.
âThe Ineied clan has sent me for some... who is this?â Your friend and clan messenger, Louis, stood and glared at Chan. His gaze hardened when he saw Chan wore the red cloak of the Capitol.
âIf you are here to arrest her, you will have to take me on firstâ you stood between them and began deescalating the situation as Chan stood and reached for his spear. He wasnât going to back down if someone openly challenged him.
âNo need for any of this. No one is getting arrestedâ you spoke but Louis couldnât keep his mouth shut.
âI should murder him where he stands for even...â
âIâm waiting to see you tryâ Chan squared his chest, ready to take on the fight. You looked between the two of them, alarmed.
Their volumes were increasing as you took a step and stood between them.
âLetâs all just calm⌠where did you get a knife?â You shouted as Chan had stood and was brandishing one. Louis shot more insults as Chan took a step forward. This has gone on long enough.
âStop!â You said as a gust of wind knocked them both back. Your doing. Louis fell over, but Chan maintained his balance.
âLouis- do not come in here and accuse people of arresting me. Chan- how long have you had that knife on you? I thought you carried a spear?â
âCapitol guys are all the same... just sneakyâ Louis began but was cut short with a menacing look from you.
âIâm healing him so he is my patient. Please be kind.â You told Louis as you helped him to his feet.
âYou have a message for me?â You got the conversation back to its original purpose.
âJane of the Ineied clan. Her baby is not due for a fortnight but she has shown all the signs that he will come soonerâ
You glanced at your moon chart on the wall and nodded.
âYes. He will be here tonight. Iâll be there in about an hour.â
âTo-tonight?â Louis was startled.
âYou are doing me no help by lingering. Return to the clan and tell them I am on my wayâ
Louis sent one last glare Chanâs way and exited.
âIâm sorry. I have an errand. I will be back sometime tomorrow...â
âIâm not letting you wander around the forest aloneâ Chan said nobly but it made you laugh.
âIn these woods, itâs me that is protecting you. But, if you wanted to join, I will allow it.â You shrugged and began gathering things that you would need for the upcoming hours.
Within the hour, you and Chan were walking along a well hidden path. You had blindfolded him, not wanting him to remember how to find the outlawed Ineied clan.
âhow did you learn to heal people?â he asked, as you held his hand and guided him through the forest.
âmy old teacher. He taught me everything I know beforeâŚâ you trailed off. This was far too personal.
âbefore he was killed?â Chan asked, but you didnât respond. He took your silence to mean he was correct and changed the subject.
âif you have been using magic for good purposes, why is it outlawed?â he asked before he could stop himself. He had always been told magic was bad, no questions asked, yet here you were: helping him. You sighed before answering. There was so much history that needed to be told for this story to make sense.
âthis could turn into a very tiresome conversation. Why do you prosecute those who are magic without asking questions?â you presented him with your way of thinking.
âitâs just what I have always been told. From my father, and my fatherâs father. All Iâve ever known is that magic is badâ he shrugged as he responded. This way of thinking suddenly seemed so small minded.
âall Iâve ever know is the opposite. We use magic to help, never to hinder. Yet we are persecuted and executed without hesitation. All Iâve known since my master was murdered is to hideâ Chan heard your words and thought them over. They were correct. He recalled all the times he was ordered to murder or arrest someone under the accusation that they performed magic. There was no need to question them further. But now he wondered why he had been so short sighted before.
âwelcome to the Ineied clan.â You startled him as you reached up and slowly took off his blindfold as you had reached a clearing. He took a deep breath as he looked around at the small modest huts that spread out before him. A fire pit burned in the town square. Children ran around chasing one another. Women were knitting what appeared to be long blankets as men tugged cattle to and fro. Some were building a fence off in the distance. This reminded him so much of home. It felt oddly familiar, like he had been here before a long time ago.
He followed you into the town square as you greeted everyone you passed. A few of them stopped you and thanked you for healing their ailments. You graciously accepted their thanks and continued walking.
A boy called your name and ran over excitedly.
âLook! I can make the leaves dance!â he said and held out his hand. Chan watched in wonder as the small boy made small leaves circle and dance in his palm. He looked at your face for a reaction and couldnât help but smile when he saw you smiling.
âamazing. Keep practicing and soon enough you will be able to control the treesâ you told him encouragingly.
âdo all these people possess magic?â he asked, still captivated by how normal and carefree everyone seemed.
âmost do. Some are family of those with magic. They are forced into hiding if they ever want to see their family members again once they have shown magic. Most magical clans like this welcome most outsiders as long as they are willing to lend a helping hand when neededâ
âthatâs a nice way to live. So welcomingâ Chan said and felt surprise, and a pang of guilt he couldnât place.
He followed you to a small hut that had the windows all closed. Women milled about the front of it looking concerned and eyed Chan strangely. You entered, and he hesitated, unsure whether he should follow you, but decided he should. He felt awkward standing out here with a handful of women watching and judging his every move.
Inside the hut was hot and stifling. You immediately began opening the windows as you chatted.
âJane, what do you mean by bringing this boy into the world so soon?â you asked lightheartedly.
âhe has a mind of his ownâ a small woman lay in a bed in the center of the room, surrounded by those who Chan assumed to be family. She rubbed her very pregnant belly with a weak smile.
He stood back as he watched you look here over and chat calmly. You gave her something to drink to calm her fever and rubbed her hair as she fell into a deep sleep.
âthank you. She hasnât slept in nearly three days. Just restlessâŚâ a man approached you. Chan assumed it was Janeâs husband and the father of her child.
âshe should rest easy now. She will need all her strength. Make sure there is plenty of water near her when she wakes. We are all in for a long nightâ you said as you exited the hut and walked to the group of women near the fire place. Chan watched you converse with them from afar and felt useless.
âhow dare you show your face around hereâ Louis stepped out from the shadows and faced Chan, who was startled as he turned. What could louis mean?
âyou mightâve fooled her, but you have not fooled me. I remember you. How could I ever forgetâ he spoke these last words with such hatred directed Chanâs way, he let it slide without feeling offended. He didnât know how to respond.
âdo you not remember?â Louis continued. Chan shook his head once. He had truly no idea what Louis was talking about, but he talked with such conviction, Chan let him continue.
âhow could you? We are mere ants to you. You slaughter us without a second glance. I donât think she would be so kind to you if she knew who you wereâ louis concluded and shook his head. Chan finally gathered his thoughts and spoke up.
âI donât know what you are talking aboutâ Chan shook his head, and Louis scoffed.
âlook around. Do you not remember? Remember how you snuck in, in the early hours of the morning. You murdered our elders under the accusations that they were performing magic.â Chan looked around as his pulse quickened. This familiar place⌠visions slowly swam back into his mind as Louis continued.
âyou hung them up in our town square and shot arrows through them. One by one. Your men took the lives of our elders without even giving them a trial.â Louis slung his words heartlessly at Chan.
âno⌠no, that wasnât meâŚâ Chan tried to reason.
âit was your men, under your orders. I remember you. Atop your black horse as women and children watched their fathers and husbands dieâ louis stopped speaking as his voice cracked.
âmy own father⌠I watched as he bled to death-â Chan cut him off. He looked around at the happy children running around and the women laughing as they gossiped. He felt sick and dirty.
âstop itâ but Louis did not stop.
âhe was her teacher you know. I wont say anything so as not to break her heart. You murdered my father, her teacher, personally. I watched youâ Louisâs final words were like a sword to Chans stomach. He almost collapsed with guilt when out of no where you approached him. Your words pulled him from sinking into his dark and cold memories of the place he now stood.
âever delivered a baby before?â you asked him lightheartedly.
âwhatâs wrong?â you asked him seeing his face. He turned and searched for Louis all over but he had disappeared.
ânothing. Just tired a bitâ you didnât believe him but nodded. You chatted amiably as you walked him back to the hut where Jane was to be having her baby. He tried to ignore the glances from the women who looked his way. Previously he had felt their jovial and carefree attitudes, but now they all seemed to be hating him. He couldnât return their gaze.
âI need you to have your wits about you if you are to help me. I can tell something is on your mind. Here drink thisâ you handed him a leather flask, and he gratefully accepted.
âguilt tends to weigh people down. There is one way to get past it though: help, repentâ he wasnât going to question how you knew guilt was running through his every fiber of his body. Did you recognize him? You didnât allow him to respond. You entered the small hut and kneeled by Janeâs side. He entered shortly after and stood in the corner. Janeâs grandmother was sitting in a chair here. She was missing all of her teeth as she smiled at Chan and took his hand, patting it softly.
The hours seemed to tick by as Jane fell in and out of consciousness. Chan could see the stress on your face as you fed her food and drink. You had opened a book and was reading it over, as Janeâs husband sat by her side and held her hand. The silence hung in the hut as no one dared say anything. Chan watched you as you read a section of your book. You paused and glanced at him, before returning to your book and reading it over once more. You excused yourself and walked outside. Chan followed.
âsomething is wrongâ he said as he followed you to a well. He could read it all over your face.
âyes, indeed. Something is very wrongâ you nodded as you filled a shallow bowl with water. He watched in fascination as you swirled the water with a stick and whispered incantations under your breath. You were studying the moonlight reflected in the water, and he did not want to disturb you.
âthere appears to be no other wayâ you said after some time and he watched as you wiped away a tear from your face. Without stopping himself, he walked over and placed a comforting hand on your shoulder. To his immense surprise you pulled him in for a hug. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around you as you held him close and took a shaky breath.
He felt stiff to hold, like someone who hasnât received a warm hug in years.
âwe have a sacrifice to make. Follow me. I have to tell the familyâ you released him after a moment but continued to hold his hand for comfort. When you retuned to the hut, things have gotten worse. Jane had regained consciousness and was yelling in pain. Chan felt helpless as he watched her husband weep silently as he held her hand, unable to provide her relief and comfort. You took a deep breath before speaking.
âthere is no point in hiding terrible news, Janeâ you approached her and crouched down, wiping her brow with a cold cloth.
âmy baby⌠he is all I care aboutâŚâ she spoke in a weak, small voice.
âyour son comes into this world bearing magic, but in order to do so, a sacrifice must need to be made. You conceived this child with magic- donât deny it-â you spoke over her husband who had begun to deny your accusations, but Jane looked you dead in the eyes and nodded.
âI wanted a son. A strong son to carry along my fatherâs legacy. I did everything correctly, like the books said, but there was one stepâŚâ she trialed off. Her husband was silent.
âyou failed to complete the spell in its entirety. It is too late now. There needs to be a sacrifice. The sacrifice that you failed to provide before.â
âhow could I have provided a sacrifice before? My father was already so weak. I couldnât spill his blood, even for the sake of my son. Then he passed before I was ableâŚâ she trailed off, out of breath and weak.
âdonât get yourself worked up.â You said trying to clam Jane down. Chan felt distressed watching such an intimate moment between people he hardly knew, yet his heart ached. He wanted to help so desperately, but was incapable.
âwe need familial blood spilled or the child will be taken. This has to happen before the moon is at its highest tonightâ you told Jane and the room. There was a hushed vibration that rang around the room from person to person as this news sank in.
âfamilial blood?â her husband spoke up. His tears seemed to have stopped finally.
âa sacrifice. To bring one life into this world under this spell means to take a life in exchange. A sibling, mother, cousin- it really doesnât matter as long as they are blood related to the child⌠he can liveâ her husband took a deep breath and mentioned something about needing fresh air, before he kissed Jane on the cheek and exited the hut.
âthere is nothing you can do?â Jane asked, weeping once more. You shook your head. Chanâs instincts were on edge as he too exited the hut. Something was pulling him outside. He heard Jane yell in pain once more, as you rushed to her side.
Chan wandered to the fireside before he heard a shout. He looked around and didnât immediately see anyone. He wandered in the direction where he thought it had come from. Behind a small paddock that held a horse, he saw a figure huddled on the ground. He heard a scream from Jane rent through the air as he cautiously approached the figure.
The figure stirred as he got closer. Chan smelled blood as quickened his pace.
âI-I wouldâve done it⌠I wouldâveâŚâ Chan heard a man gasping and ran to the figure on the ground. Turning him over and holding the manâs head in his lap, he was startled to find that it was Janeâs husband. He was bleeding from a wound in his abdomen that showed all his internal organs.
âtell Jane⌠I wouldâve done this for her⌠for our sonâŚâ Chan nodded, allowing this man to speak his final words.
âLouis didnât needâŚâ he spoke as blood began oozing out of his mouth. Chan was confused.
âLouis didnât need to kill⌠I wouldâve done this⌠make Jane happyâ Chan watched as this poor mans life left him with a final gurgle and a shudder. He was no stranger to death, but this was absolutely chilling as he heard Jane yell from far into the village.
âLouis?â Chan asked out loud. He was on edge when he heard someone move from near the paddock fence and saw the man in question. Chan leaned Janeâs husband against a nearby tree and snuck up behind Louis. He placed a strong arm around Louisâs neck and held him firm as he walked him back to the hut where Jane was to be delivering her baby boy.
âwhy were his last words mentioning you?â Chan asked, pulse quickening.
âit was for Jane⌠my sister⌠he was going to chicken out so I... it was for Jane and her baby!â Louis defended himself through gasps as Chan held him firmly.
âyou killed your own brother in law?â Chan asked loudly as they reached the entrance to the hut. Chan held firm to Louis as you exited, looking pleased, until you saw the two of them.
âseriously? There is much to celebrate with a new life in this world and you twoâŚâ Chan cut you off as he threw Louis to the ground.
âhe killed Janeâs husbandâ Chan spat as Louis scrambled to his feet. You took a moment to digest his words as your mouth slowly hung open. It all made sense. Louis entered the hut, pushing past you, eager to see his nephew.
âwhat do we do?â Chan asked, loss for how to handle this situation. Do we tell Jane? Do we tell her who it was? He had so many thoughts.
âI will handle thisâ you told him as you motioned for him to follow you into the hut.
Chan hung back once he entered the room as he saw Jane cradling a tiny bundle. She had the happiest smile on her face, and although she looked exhausted, she was beaming. Her joy lit up the dark hut and the people around her as she held her tiny boy. Her family sat around congratulating her. Louis sat in a corner, his head in his hands as he watched Jane. He too, looked exhausted.
Chan offered his congratulations as well. Jane thanked him warmly. She shared such warmth that Chan felt he did not deserve.
âI cannot wait to show my husband. Where has he gotten to?â Jane asked the room. You walked over and knelt next to her. You placed a hand on her shoulder and began a quiet conversation, meant only for Janeâs ears, but everyone else heard as well.
âJane. There had to be a sacrifice to bring your son into this world.â You began. Before you got any further, you saw Janeâs face fall and her happy moment was replaced with one of dread. She knew what was coming. Chan felt helpless as he watched this unfold in front of him.
âyour husband has seen to that sacrifice. He made sure his son was to come into this world at the cost of his lifeâ you concluded. Jane cried and held her baby close. He was more precious to her now than ever.
âhe-he killed himself?â she asked after a moment needing clarification. You and Chan exchanged glances. There was no need for her to hate her brother in all of this. You thought quickly before answering.
âyesâ you nodded as you and Chan locked eyes again.
You spent the next few hours caring for Jane and the baby. She recovered quickly, and the baby boy was already strong and healthy.
Food and merriment was prepared even at such a late hour. A new life always caused a great deal of celebration. No one had to know about Janeâs husband tonight; there would be much gossip about it tomorrow. You made sure to pull aside some of Janeâs trusted family members to see that the man had a small quiet burial nearby. Chan was among them.
âI didnât know him but he seemed like a very caring man. He obviously loved Jane a lotâ Chan said as he returned to the fire pit in the center of town.
âhe was always a very gentle manâ you said with a nod.
âJane and I grew up together believe it or not. I had o remove myself from her side when I went into hiding. She followed not long after. I hope she understandsâ you confided in Chan, not really sure why.
âanyone can see that you care deeply for herâ Chan said as he took your hand and gave it a squeeze.
âI care for all these people.â You looked around sadly at them joking and laughing and hugging. Food was passed around and shared between families and friends. There wasnât a single care between them.
âwe arenât going to dwell on this tonight!â you grabbed Chanâs hand and pulled him near the fire side where instruments that Chan had never seen had been pulled out and passed to their owners. Music began playing, and although Chan knew his way around the battle field, he did not know his way around the dance floor.
You laughed and felt light as the music played. You started slow teaching Chan some moves and soon enough he was slowly leading you around the dance floor. It was time to switch partners and he laughed as an elderly man traded his wife for your hand. He watched from afar as you danced and looked heavenly, so relaxed and at ease. The elderly woman held him close and enjoyed her new dance partner as well.
Chanâs feet were aching by the time you and he took a seat on the grass together. The sun had begun to stretch the fingers of dawn over the horizon.
âthis was the most fun I have had in a very long timeâ he said as he lay back on the grass.
âIâm also very tiredâ he added, and closed his eyes, smile still lingering on his face.
âwe will head home soon. Then we can rest.â
âis this always how it goes delivering babies?â he asked. You nodded and laid down next to him.
The sounds of the town lulled you and Chan into a doze. The happiness hung in the air from the nights events as people began their daily routines, or headed to get a quick rest. Chan felt like he had no cares or worries as he laid there and listened to the soothing noises. He reached down for your hand and held it lightly, and felt warm as you returned his gesture by interlacing your fingers.
âit is time for us to head backâ you told Chan as you stood, still holding hands. He looked at you as you gazed into the town center and over the hut that held Jane.
âwhat happens now?â he asked, watching Louis exit the hut.
ânothing. Jane needs support and I have no doubt louis will provide that for herâ
ânothing? He goes free?â Chan asked, not liking how this situation was concluding.
âshe already lost her husband, something Iâm sure she feels guilty about. There is no need for her to lose her brother as well. We arenât going to say anything and head home. I still need to see about healing your eyeâ you told him as you turned. As you told him this, you knew it wasnât settling with him at all.
âit might seem unjust, but he did do what Jane wanted: her goal was to bring this baby into the world-â a shout rang out once more cutting your sentence short. You and Chan turned and saw Jane rushing out of the hut, chasing after Louis. Your heart sank.
âyou killed him! My husband! How could you?â she wailed. Her grandmother ambled out of the hut holding the small baby boy. She called for Jane who did not slow down. You ran over, Jane should not be up and about like this. You saw Jane fall with exhaustion and knelt by her side.
âJane! Back to bed! You cannot-â she cut across you and pointed a finger at Louis who was standing a few paces away.
âhe admitted⌠to meâŚâ Jane was becoming short of breath, the grief written all over her face.
âhe killed my husband to bring my son into this world!â she wailed and the entire village heard her. There was a murmur that traveled through the people who had heard the commotion and came over to see what was going on. Janeâs son began crying, as you helped her up.
âJane, feed your baby. He is hungryâ you forcefully walked her back to the hut as her grandmother followed.
The people that had heard what the commotion was about all turned to face Louis. He looked scared.
âit is trueâ Chan spoke up.
I heard it myself. Louis has killed Janeâs husbandâ Chan admitted. People exchanged looks. There was much confusion. You had returned to Chanâs side after getting Jane settled.
âif what Chan says happened, then I believe him. I sense your doubt, but allow my faith in what he says out your minds at ease. Janeâs husband was murdered by her brother.â You supported Chanâs claims. You were beyond respected; if you said it was true, than it was without a doubt true. Louis began to stammer and back away.
ân-no! I-I had to.. I mean I didnât⌠Janeâs son! Her precious sonâŚâ he trailed off, before backing away as angry people of the town grew closer to him. Louis took one last look around at the town that was quickly turning their back on him and he took off. He ran to the woods, and Chan was ready to give chance, when you stopped him with a light touch on his arm.
âlet him go. He knows he isnât welcome here anymore.â
âhe needs to pay for what he has doneâ Chan said sternly, angry.
âhe will, but it will not be by your hand. We who study magic hate unnecessary death, but what he did do was allow another life to enter into this world. It is not for us to judge his fate. It is already spelled out for himâ
âhow can you do that? How can you be alright with letting him go?â Chan asked, quickening his pace into the forest.
âit isnât my place. Iâm a healer. Nothing moreâ you said simply. Chan used his short knife that he was carrying to cut out at a branch blocking his path. You stayed silent and let him vent his frustrations on the foliage around you to a point. Once deep into the forest, he tried cutting down a small sapling when you stepped in.
âif you could speak whatâs on your mind, instead of cutting down every single tree in my forest, i would greatly appreciate itâ you told him as you walked over and stayed his hand with a soft touch.
âI donât understandâ he said finally as he sheathed his knife and took a seat on a flat rock that was bathed in sunlight. He rested his elbows on his knees as he cradled his head in his hands. He rubbed the palms of his hands into his eye sockets roughly.
âall my life Iâve been told to murder people guilty of magic on sight. Iâve never questioned this until meeting you. You have done nothing to help people with your magic. It makes no sense.â He admitted looking around him at the trees for answers or guidance. He couldnât bare to look at you as you took a seat in front of him on the ground and rubbed his knee.
âIâm grateful thoughâ you told him and he half laughed at this.
âhow in the world are you grateful right now? I have murdered your people- probably your friends- and here you are grateful?â he half laughed again.
âyou have seen the error of your ways. If you have murdered thousands of people but have had a change of heart, than I am grateful that you have. This doesnât undo the past, but it is a startâ you told him. He looked at you in disbelief.
âperhaps when you get back to the Capitol, you will remember us here, and help us. In any way you canâ you concluded and stood up. You held your hand out for him to take and help him back up. To your surprise, when he stood, he pulled you in for a hug and thanked you.
a/n : part 2 had so much succes ! Hopefully youâll like this one as well :)
⢠When he's on tour, Chan would miss you like crazy
⢠He thinks of you day and night wishing he could share all of this with youÂ
⢠So he would send you pictures of backstage or rehearsalsÂ
⢠Would call you every night after concertÂ
⢠It doesn't matter how exhausted he is, he wants to hear your voice and see your face before going to sleepÂ
⢠Sometimes he's so tired he's already half asleep when you answer
⢠And you try to scold him and tell that he should just go to bed straight away after concertÂ
⢠But he doesn't listenÂ
⢠He needs itÂ
⢠Sometimes it's just a 10 min callÂ
⢠Because he's too tiredÂ
⢠Or because he's in a different time zone and you're busyÂ
⢠And sometimes it's 2 hours callÂ
⢠Because he or you are feeling low and you need each otherÂ
⢠Visio dates when he has time
⢠Not so often because obviously tours are busy times
⢠But if he has a day off he'd take some time to have a distance date
⢠Especially if he's gone for like months
⢠So like just getting breakfast together or whatever
⢠Would leave you a hoodie and a bottle of his cologne before he leavesÂ
⢠So that you can wear the hoodie and spray his cologne on it to feel like he's with youÂ
⢠Probably would take away a piece of your clothing as wellÂ
⢠Maybe a hoodie as well so he can also wear it if it's big enoughÂ
⢠Or just a t-shirt that he uses as a teddyÂ
⢠Snuggles his face into it at nightÂ
⢠Also probably stole accessories from youÂ
⢠Like a braceletÂ
⢠And he wears it all the timeÂ
⢠Just so he has a piece of you with him at all timesÂ
⢠Sends you pictures of the cities he visitsÂ
⢠Buys you souvenirsÂ
 ⢠Like maybe not from each placeÂ
⢠But whenever he sees a little something that reminds him of you, he'll buy itÂ
⢠So when he comes back from tour, he usually have a whole surprise box for you with tons of little things insideÂ
⢠Keychains, small jewelries, hair accessories, candies and snacks, sometimes tshirts ect ...Â
⢠Sends you postcards of pictures/drawings of the citiesÂ
⢠Tells you / Texts you he misses you 300 times a dayÂ
⢠And still feels like it's not enough to express how much he's craving youÂ
⢠I feel like distance would be really hard for him to handleÂ
⢠Because when he's in Seoul, even when heâs busy, he always manages to meet you at least once every few days
⢠Like just spend the night with youÂ
⢠Or have dinner together before he goes back to workÂ
⢠So not being able to meet you at all would weight on him a lotÂ
⢠And most of the time he's fineÂ
 ⢠Or pretending to be fineÂ
⢠But sometimes it's just too much and he can't deal with it anymoreÂ
⢠And he feels like itâs killing him
⢠He knows it's hard for you as well so I think he would try to hide it from youÂ
⢠Always trying to reassure youÂ
⢠"It's ok, y/n, I'll be back soon"Â
⢠In front of his member he would also try to hide itÂ
⢠Because he's the leader so he thinks it's his role to be strongÂ
⢠But they're not blindÂ
⢠They're with him 24/7 so he can't hide it from themÂ
⢠So if they ask him about you or ask him how he's feeling he would let it all outÂ
 ⢠Expressing to them how much he's missing youÂ
⢠Maybe cry a little because he's exhausted and it's overwhelmingÂ
⢠One of the members would definitly tell you about itÂ
⢠Probably Felix ?Â
⢠Because he knows you well and he cares for his leader and he thinks you have the right to know so that you can comfort him or pay extra attention to Chanâs feelings
⢠If possible they would try to organise a surprise with youÂ
⢠When they have concerts near Korea like in Japan or somethingÂ
 ⢠They would organise your visitÂ
 ⢠So like you're flying to Japan without Chan knowingÂ
⢠The guys gave you the adress of their hotelÂ
⢠And after their concert you meet them thereÂ
⢠I swear Chan's eyes are ready to pop out of his face when he sees youÂ
⢠Runs to you and hug you tightÂ
⢠He's so happy to see youÂ
⢠It's just for two nights, the time they stay in TokyoÂ
⢠But it gives him the strengh he needs for the rest of the tourÂ
⢠So overall I think distance would be pretty hard for Chan to handle especially on the long runÂ
⢠And you have to really take care of him and be very attentive because he mostly will try to appear strong in front of youÂ
⢠But distance would also make the reunion feel amazingÂ
⢠He would always take a few days off after tour to spend with youÂ
 ⢠And would litterally be glued to youÂ
⢠So he hates leaving you for monthsÂ
⢠Be he absolutly adores coming back home to youÂ
⢠And distance is nice way to remind both of you about how much you love each other
ok so this was supposed to be a one shot but whoop there i go making a series. feedback always appreciated!!
pairing: you x bangchan from stray kids
word count 2000ish
summary: magic was outlawed in medeival times, but when you save someone of importance, does it backfire, or are you two just meant to be?
âNearly had him that timeâ you whispered to the trees as you watched the fight from your elevated hiding spot. You had been out in the woods, picking some herbs for healing poultices when you heard the commotion. A group of men were fighting. This forest was your home and you knew it better than any other place on earth.
Soon, you found a secluded vantage spot to watch.
âGood thing he held on to his spearâ you whispered once more, munching absentmindedly on a berry. One man versus three was no easy feat, but he was holding his own. The next turn of events happened so quickly, you hardly had time to think.
The fight was three against one. The poor guy dressed in dark red was clearly losing, being outnumbered. He fell to his knees leaning on his spear to hold himself up. He let out a deep breath and looked upwards, almost as if he was giving up. Unbeknownst to him, he happened to look up right to where you were crouching down. You didnât think he could see you, but maybe he sensed you. For the briefest moments you and him locked eyes. There was so much fire burning behind them you longed to help, and without thinking, you did. One of the three men began walking towards him, ready to deliver the final blow. You stood and held out your hand, whispered an old phrase under your breath and watched as the three men flew backwards. You ducked behind the trees that had been blocking you from view previously and heard the shouts of alarm from the men you had attacked.
âTold you! This forest holds old magic!â One of them said, already backing away from the area quickly.
âLetâs get out of here!â The second one said as you heard the jingle of tackle and horses disappearing into the distance. Peering from behind the trees, you saw there was only the first man in red left behind.
His breathing was labored as he leaned against his spear in a kneeling position.
âWhat do I do now?â You asked yourself. Magic was outlawed. If you were seen youâd be arrested on sight. The red he wore was the mark of a high ranking official from the Capitol. You watched a moment more, chewing on the inside of your lip in uncertainty. You watched as he looked towards you once more, locking eyes again. This time the fire behind them was burning out, replaced with a look pleading for your help. You almost turned away from the sight when he collapsed and lost consciousness.
Chan was swimming. His entire body felt cold. As hard as he fought the shore was so far away. He was too tired to reach it. There was a girl on the shore waiting for him. Her voice called him over softly. It was like a whisper, but she was so far; how could he hear her? And yet, he did; so clearly.
âTake my handâ she her soft voice carried over the great distance to reach him. From the middle do the lake where he was treading water, he saw her hold out her hand.
âI canât reach!â He yelled, mouth filling with water.
âTake my handâ she repeated in the same whisper.
âI canât. How...â he began to feel himself sinking.
No. He wasnât go to die like this. With one last kick and bright rays of sunlight at his back he kicked hard and felt darkness around him try to pull him under, but as his vision blurred and everything disappeared, someone grabbed his hand softlyâŚ
He woke up laying on the ground. His head felt foggy and heavy. Nothing made sense. The lake? The shore... no! There had been men here. It was slowly coming back to him. Like someone was pouring his memories into his brain like a thick porridge. He smelled a fire burning as he allowed the warmth to cover his aching body, still not daring to open his eyes. He felt like he was barely holding onto the earth with his eyes closed, he was sure he would be sick if he opened them.
Wait... fire... someone was around him! Instinctively he reached for his weapon hoping to feel it close by. His arms ached and felt like they belonged to someone else. He was startled when he heard someone move close by. This caused him to spring into action. Whether friend or foe, he was not about to find out from such a vulnerable position. His eyes sprang open and he grabbed the first moving thing he saw around the neck.
This happened to be you. You reached for his strong arms around your neck as he pinned you down and tried to squeeze the air out of you.
âPlease... Iâm... unarmedâ you managed to gasp. Chan came to his senses and removed himself from you just as fast. His head was spinning again as he lost consciousness once more. Your breathing was heavy as you saw him fall backwards. You told yourself to be more careful as you moved back from him slowly.
The night was darkening quickly around you. Your lifeless companion was great company. You had learned to keep your distance just in case he regained consciousness once more, and you had placed his spear well out of reach. You added some more herbs to the fire, and glanced his way. His wounds would need cleaning again soon. You werenât looking forward to getting close to him after the last time. You craned your neck in his direction, seeing if he appeared to be out cold. You turned your back to him, reaching for your healers basket full of everything you would need to make him better. You turned around and dropped the basket in fright; he was sitting up.
âLord of the trees!â you grabbed your chest where you swear you could see your pounding heart.
âYouâre so silentâ you said, on edge as you reached down to grab the items you had dropped. You didnât dare take your eyes off him though.
Chanâs whole body felt heavy. Like he was carrying a boulder on every inch of himself. You watched him from afar as he seemed to be thinking things over.
âConfusion is normalâ you spoke from your safe distance. He recognized your voice as the girl calling him from the shoreline in his dream.
âNormal...?â He repeated slowly, not understanding you. His voice didnât feel like his own anymore.
âYes. Youâve been to a strange place so your soul will take a minute to adjust to your body once moreâ You told him as you took a step closer. He heard you, and he heard your words, but they made no sense.
âWhere am I?â He settled in asking this simple question first.
âThe forestâ you told him simply. You judged him not to be violent in his current state and began walking closer slowly.
âIâm just going to check your woundsâ you held up a bandage and some leaves, hoping to show him that you carried no weapons in your hands. You sat down in front of him and slowly began unraveling the first bandage around his arm. As you cleaned him up, the both of you remained silent.
âI feel like... Iâve been hit over the head...â he finally said.
âYou were. I mean, I didnât see the whole fight but Iâd assume so from this wound hereâ you pointed to the side of his face.
âI canât seeâ he said as his vision became less blurry. You stopped bandaging his arm when he said this. You looked up into his face; one eye was normal, alert. The other eye was clouded over. A long cut ran down it from top to bottom. You were worried that it had been a deep cut.
âOut of both eyes or just...â you pointed to his left eyes that was sporting the nasty wound. You had been worried that the sword that caused it had gone much deeper than you could heal.
âJust the oneâ he told you. You watched you nod and look him over.
âWhat happened?â He asked as you remained silent.
âIâm not entirely sure. I only saw the end of the fight. You were fighting three men here in my forest when...â
âYour forest?â He asked.
âI do live hereâ you told him with a smile.
âLong story short they were about to kill you when I stepped in. Iâm sorry. I know it wasnât my place but I donât like deathâ you admitted this last part very fast, allowing the words to just spill from you.
âDonât apologize. I owe you. I feel like Iâve died...â he said with a small smile as the aches and pains in his body worsened as his memories slowly returned.
âYou didâ you told him simply as you stood to grab more bandages.
âBeg your pardon?â He asked when he saw you werenât joking.
âThey killed you, nearly. But I brought you back. Hence the confusion. You really had to fight to returnâ you told him as you began treating the wound on his face.
Being in such close proximity to you, he couldnât help but notice how soft your long hair looked, or how gentle your hands were, or how the glow of the fire made your eyes look golden...
âThank you. I donât know of any modern medicine that is capable of that, except...â he trailed off but you knew what he was keeping himself from saying: magic. You turned away from him quickly under the pretense of getting more supplies to treat him.
âThis is magic? Isnât it?â He asked after a moment of silence. You didnât respond. He made a move to stand as he spoke, making you rush to his side when you saw how weak he was.
âYou saved me so I owe you. I wonât be bringing you back with me under arrest, so we are evenâ he said, still trying to stand.
âFair and good, but there is no way you can travelâ you said as he winced and gasped and fell over.
âMagic or not, you arenât anywhere near healedâ you helped him into a seated position slowly.
âPlus, I want to see if there is something I can do for that eyeâ you added as he lay back and closed his eyes in pain.
âIf you can, Iâll make sure you are safe in this forest foreverâ he said with a cheeky smile.
âHow have we not been seen? We arenât that far off the trailâ he asked opening his eyes once more and glancing around the campsite. You didnât respond, but you were relieved to hear him smiling with the next sentence he spoke to you.
âMore magic?â He asked. You turned with a small smile and locked eyes with him. The same fire you had seen in his gaze the first time had returned.
âYouâre a solider, you should appreciate the sense I have shown putting up an unbreakable perimeterâ
âHow?â he asked. You hesitated before answering. He was to curious. Could he just be trying to blackmail you?
âJust some enchantments. If you believe in that stuffâ you added, letting him decide if it was true or not.
âIn the morning, we need to travel to my cave. Iâll be able to see about healing your eyes better. Sleep. Iâll keep watchâ you tossed him a blanket as you said this and he scoffed.
âLike hell Iâm letting a woman keep watch. It is my duty to protect the weak...â he began his chivalrous speech when you cut him off.
âWith one eye?â You teased and to your relief, he smiled.
âI can defend myselfâ you added.
âHow so?â He looked you small and boney frame up and down and was skeptical. He wore a smile as he joked with you.
âI have my waysâ you thought for a moment showing him some fancy tricks to impress him, but didnât fully trust him to show your fill magical capability.
a/n : It seems you guys liked part 1, so hereâs a part 2 ! :)
Hugs & CuddlesÂ
⢠Chan LOVES skinshipÂ
⢠He loves it with his member so why would it be any different with you ?Â
⢠So hugs hugs HUGSÂ
⢠Hugs you from the back when he's needyÂ
⢠Wraps his hands around your waist and gently rest his head on your shoulderÂ
⢠Pouts cutely asking you to give him attentionÂ
⢠Whines if you refuseÂ
⢠Laying down in bed, he mostly loves to wrap you in his armsÂ
⢠Makes him feel manly, powerful and protectiveÂ
 ⢠So he's definitly the big spoonÂ
⢠Would hold you close to him, chest pressed against your backÂ
⢠Wraps his arm around your waist or chestÂ
⢠He's the type to sneak his hand under your clothes and rest it on your tiddie, tummy or hip boneÂ
⢠Because he loves skin to skin contactÂ
⢠Also would love if you turn around and burry your head in his chestÂ
⢠Run his hand through your hair, pets your headÂ
⢠Loves the feeling of your breath against his bare chestÂ
⢠He loves how tiny you feel when you're all curled up wrapped in his armsÂ
⢠Whatever your height is, in these moments you look so tiny in his armsÂ
⢠Overall he holds you more than he is being held by youÂ
⢠But he does love if you baby him sometimesÂ
⢠Specially when he's tired after a long day of workÂ
⢠Or at times when his schedule is very very busy, tiring him on the long runÂ
⢠When he's feeling sad as wellÂ
⢠Or when you two haven't seen each other in a whileÂ
⢠In these moments : Please hold him tight !Â
⢠Because you have the power of relieving his stress like no one elseÂ
⢠He's all nerves and stress when he arrives but he visibly relaxes as soon as you touch him ⢠Rests his head on your laps or on your chestÂ
 ⢠Please run your hand through his hair !Â
⢠Play with his curls, massage his scalp and soon you can almost hear him purr like a small kittenÂ
⢠Most likely will end up falling asleep because of how comfy he feelsÂ
⢠I feel like Chris is so used to take care of everyone, forgetting himself, that the moment you give him your full attention and start taking care of him, he's gonna turn into a baby and melt in your touchÂ
â˘Â Like he's the type lean into your caresses like a cat, silently asking for moreÂ
⢠Probably won't admit it but, just like he likes how tiny you look in his arms, he also likes how tiny he feels in yoursÂ
⢠Also, random hugs !Â
 ⢠Sometimes he just randomly hugs you out of nowhereÂ
⢠Like you're both working and he suddenly leans into youÂ
⢠Or like you're talking to one of the boys and he just randomly backhugs youÂ
 ⢠Or you're sitting on the couch scrolling on your phone and he just falls on you almost crushing you under himÂ
⢠I feel like he would do this a lotÂ
 ⢠Because you're doing your thing, concentrated on your taskÂ
⢠And he just stare at you, admiring your face and how perfect you lookÂ
⢠And all of a sudden he feels like he's falling in love againÂ
⢠He realizes how much he loves you, how much you mean to himÂ
⢠Sudden reminder that you are his worldÂ
⢠He feels like his heart is about to burst and he can't help but just throw his body on yoursÂ
⢠Might be a bit shy to hug you in publicÂ
⢠But not in front of the boysÂ
⢠Is definitly blushing hard when they tease him for being so whippedÂ
⢠But ignores themÂ
⢠Overall Chan would love you with every single cell of his bodyÂ
⢠So he would love hugs, cuddles, skinshipÂ
⢠Because to him it's the easier way to show you how much he loves youÂ
