a whole new world
Take a delicate prince who prefers books over physical training and a shameless criminal who has a sharp tongue and cheeky remarks. Surely, their paths shouldn’t have crossed, but they had done so nevertheless.
♦ Characters: prince!Minchan x criminal!Sookyung (OC)
♦ Genre: reversed Aladdin AU, kingdom AU, fluff, comedy, a bit of action
♦ Words: 3.6k
♦ Warning: mention of a minor character’s death in the past
♦ A/N: Inspired by the boys’ Gogobebe performance on Road To Kingdom. I’m a huge fan of Aladdin, so of course I had to write an Aladdin AU after that performance. *-* Click here to be added to the TAGLIST and to let me know about your fic preferences.
Prince Minchan wasn’t an ordinary prince.
Or in fact, maybe when it came to his appearance, he was actually prince-like. He was slender, tall and broad-shouldered, thus he definitely looked like someone who could protect a whole kingdom. He had fluffy, slightly curly locks that seemed like shades of the fresh cinnamon; somewhere in between deep brown and light pecan. He had mature and defined features, his sharp jawline looked like as if it had been crafted by some kind of god. His mellow lips were ever so scarcely pulled into a smile, or maybe it was just that average people didn’t have the chance to see his sunrise-like smile very often alongside his whole appearance in fact.
Prince Minchan was an ordinary prince in the sense that he had been trained to serve with the army, he had been trained to become the next sultan as he had been the older out of the two heirs with his little brother Gyehyeon being two years younger than him. He had been taught manners, ethics, mathematics, physics and history. He had been taught well how to conduct a debate, how to add to arguments in a polite yet firm way, how to come up with strategies, how to read a map and how to lead a group of people if needed.
However, he wasn’t ordinary in the sense that he didn’t yearn for all these; the fame, the power, the perks of being of royal blood. He wasn’t interested in wars and fights, neither mathematics or history. He wasn’t fond of debates and arguments, he rather preferred solace and quiet afternoons. He preferred inks tinting the parchment paper instead of war threats sent in the kingdom’s way, he preferred sitting in the blooming garden instead of practicing out on the field and he would have preferred to live his life as a mere merchant instead of a prince.
But after all, he hadn’t chosen his own fate. His fate had chosen him. Or so he had thought so before he met Sookyung.
Sookyung wasn’t an ordinary girl - in any sense.
She had boyishly short hair, locks as dark as the canvas of the sky above the kingdom at midnight, eyes as deep as the Pacific Ocean and gaze as searing as the hottest of fire. She was taller than the average female, loose clothes covering her feminine curves and face usually covered by a hood. She was a quick runner, an excellent debater and an even better criminal, hence the hood over her head. It wasn’t that she had been sentenced to death, but let’s just say she was usually not welcomed in places, thus she didn’t even stay at the same kingdom for longer than a few weeks.
There was also something slightly odd about her; no matter her crimes and her cheeky and fierce behaviour, she had a soft spot for people in need - just like she had been one of them before she had chosen this path. Though as an orphan, kicked onto the streets as a mere child, what more could she have done?
No wonder she halted in her steps when she caught sight of an unusual scene at the market - the sandy road dotted with multiple stalls smelling of fresh books, baked goods, magnificent herbs, spicy flavours and people selling many colourful carpets and the finest of silk. There was a boy at a book stall, holding a book in his hands, the merchant yelling at him to pay for it and the boy insisting that he had money, just not right now.
Sookyung narrowed her eyebrows at the sight because he did look like someone who would have money; from the way he dressed to the way he formed words, he seemed like a rather noble young man. Though she didn’t know about people in such high ranks, especially not here in the Kingdom of the Setting Sun. She had been here for only a week.
Nevertheless, she strode to the stall, reached for a few coins in her pocket and gave it to the merchant who smiled through his hollow teeth. Merchants like him didn’t care about people until they got their money, so she wasn’t surprised that he didn’t ask questions. Unlike the fine-looking young man.
“Thank you,” the boy whispered in awe, eyes searching for hers, but she purposefully didn’t look into them.
“Don’t thank me.” She waved him off, knowing that she didn’t do anything good, yet before they could part ways, the merchant realized that she had given him fake coins and instead of her, he grabbed onto the young boy.
Sookyung grabbed the merchant by his shoulder and pushed him backwards, and the action itself and the power she used was enough for him to take a few steps back and for her to grab the boy by his wrist and start dragging him with her.
Despite the short time she had spent in the kingdom, she knew her way around, especially back to her little brick house that she had found abandoned when she had come to the kingdom. They made their ways through narrow corridors, outdoor stalls and busy market places, turning corners and looking back to see if the man was following them, but based on her quick examination regarding his physique, Sookyung had a feeling that he didn’t stand a chance.
Yet, they could only be sure about that when they arrived at her little brick house that was seemingly out of reach and run down enough for people not to bother her while she was staying there. From the outside, it looked like no one had lived there because the empty door frames were covered by thick curtains, thus not even light from the inside could be seen.
“So what’s your deal? You don’t look like you belong here,” Sookyung remarked as she popped down onto a cushion that might have seemed too ordinary for someone who walked around in such high quality clothes, but the boy seemed to be more shocked by her realization than the sight around him.
His eyes widened as if he had been an animal caught in a trap, his Adam’s nipple anxiously moving up and down, lips slightly trembling.
“I-I...” He stuttered, yet seeing his nervous state, she rather waved him off.
“You know what? Nevermind. You’re clearly running away from something, and you’re clearly naive for trusting me,” she pointed out honestly, yet shrugged her shoulders as if she hadn’t cared about him. Though she had to admit that there was something captivative about his coffee-bean like eyes, something that she had also seen in her own orbs: the yearn for freedom.
“Fancy some tea?” Sookyung popped the question ever so casually as she rose from the cushion and walked closer to the part of the room she liked to call the kitchen. It was barely a table and a few other equipments but those were already enough for making tea and preparing some bread with cheese or a few chocolate-covered dates. All stolen, of course.
“Well, yes, actually.” The boy nodded, yet upon seeing her reaching for the tea cup, he corrected himself. “I meant, the running away part,”
“So you do admit that you’re naive?” She quirked an eyebrow in question, amusement tinting her lips. She decided to remove her hood at this point, there was no point in hiding herself from someone who looked so clueless and out of place. Despite his seemingly wealthy background, he looked like he wouldn’t be able to hurt a single soul.
The boy gave her a pointed look that seemed opposite of every action of his from before. He seemed much more firm than a minute ago, and she had a feeling that he had been taught for it, too. The way he corrected his posture and the way he held his chin up high; it was something that radiated superiority.
“I don’t consider myself naive. I am currently trying to read your body language to analyse your intentions,” he explained sternly, yet she couldn’t help a cheeky smile from appearing on her lips.
“And what does my body language say?”
No matter how provocative she tried to seem, the boy was flustered for only a fraction of a second. After that, he regained his composure and kept the eye-contact, making sure that she knew that he wasn’t one to have such ulterior intentions.
“Nothing like that.” He shook his head, a few of his cinnamonish locks falling into his coffee eyes. He was sure a sight to behold, and his behaviour was just the cherry on top.
“You’re cute,” she said shamelessly, deciding to ignore the slightly dumbfounded expression on his face. “It’s not like I’m killing boys in my free time, so relax, feel yourself at home,” she declared before he could get totally scared and might run away as if he had lost it. Though he was probably wondering around anyway, seeing how he stayed with her until this time and didn’t leave the moment they arrived at her little house. Or maybe he was merely too curious.
At first, the boy seemed reluctant to stay, yet he seemed reluctant to go either. It was a pretty interesting sight, so while he was trying to make up his mind, she busied herself preparing the tea and was surprised to find him actually staying in the end. She didn’t mind though.
The boy was actually an interesting company because it could be seen and could be heard that he had been taught well and he had read enough to know about topics she had absolutely no knowledge on. He was actually much more outspoken than he had seemed at first, and no matter how hard she tried to focus on what he was saying, her eyes still lingered on the shade of his eyes and the curliness of his locks. He seemed too much of a painting rather than a real human being, but actually seeing moles and circles under his eyes made her more reassured. At least, he had such flaws that made him humane.
She wouldn’t have thought that they would be able to have such an enjoyable conversation but apparently they did so, and even though he didn’t confess who he was, she could figure out that he had been travelling a lot because his family was wealthy and that he read a lot and that he was trained a lot. He could have been a prince or the next Sultan for all she had cared because what mattered to her was the fact that they could talk about freedom and breaking stigmas, understanding and empathy towards others and a lot more. Until, of course, he needed to leave.
“To where you’re running from?” She quirked an eyebrow in question, but didn’t pressure him to talk about something he didn’t want to. “Well, good luck!” Sookyung said in the end with a half-smile, watching as the boy forced himself to stand up and directed a final look in her direction.
“Thank you,” the boy - who had introduced himself as Minchan - remarked before leaving, missing out on her shaking her head and smiling cheekily to herself. What a boy he was! How flustered he had gotten when she had called him cute! She would probably never forget him even if they didn’t meet again. Though she hoped that they would.
Prince Minchan didn’t know what hit him when his legs found their ways to the girl’s house. As someone who needed to remember maps and strategies, his memory was particularly good and he knew the way around the kingdom anyway, although it had been some time since he could have left the palace for a longer period of time.
After the Sultana had died, the Sultan had wanted to make sure that he kept the boys as safe as possible, thus sneaking out was strictly prohibited for a while. Minchan had spent most of his childhood and teenage years wondering what it could be like outside, what a market could smell of, how hot the sand could feel under his feet when there was nothing to cover him from above and what it would be like to watch the sunset from somewhere else other than the terrace of the palace.
It had been only after his father had assumed that the princes were trained enough to take care of themselves properly that he let the boys leave the palace with the requirement of them letting him and the palace guards know that they would be going outside. Prince Minchan had left the palace multiple times ever since, mostly to buy new books for himself, yet sometimes - just like last time - he didn’t have enough money on himself and he didn’t want to cheat his way out of a payment just because he was a prince. People didn’t know how he looked anyway since he hadn’t been able to leave the palace for so long and they could have only seen him during ceremonies but those were kept inside of the palace anyway and only royal families were invited.
Yet, there was something about the girl’s mind-set and way of speaking that drove him in. It felt as if someone could have understood him which was surprising given their different backgrounds and the mere fact that sometimes he felt like no one understood him.
His little brother had also been very different from him; while Minchan was tender, soft-hearted, more of a sophisticated person rather than a skilled fighter, Gyehyeon was fierce, determined and an excellent swordsman and runner. It seemed like he had gotten the power and strength from their father and Minchan had gotten the softness and intellect from their mother. Which would have worked out just fine if the Sultan hadn’t insisted on Minchan being the Crown Prince just because he was the oldest.
Small wonder it felt nice to talk to someone who seemingly didn’t know who he was and what burden he carried. He craved the same kind of understanding again, hence his visit at the seemingly empty house. He looked around for a bit, suspecting that Sookyung might have gone somewhere else already as she had shared with him that she had been travelling ever since she had left the kingdom she had been from. She didn’t want the place to remind her of her own bitter memories, of being abandoned and of being left alone and tossed away at such a young age.
However, in the next moment, someone poked him in the chest, and Minchan was so surprised to find the girl beside him once he turned his head that he almost let out a squeal. Almost.
“Miss me already?” Sookyung chuckled, seeing his startled expression, her eyebrows rising up and down in a slightly teasing manner.
The prince needed a few seconds to gather his thoughts and pull himself together enough to answer her playful question. No matter her cheerful behaviour, he didn’t want to play along with her this time, thus he decided to be honest.
“Missed talking to you, actually. You seemed like you understand me,” he admitted as he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, the sudden change in the atmosphere making him fear her reaction. He shouldn’t have been afraid though; the girl’s features immediately softened and instead of a cocky smile, it was replaced by a bittersweet one.
“Had a rough day?” She inquired quietly, her eyes boring into his own ones. Even if she had been practically a criminal, he knew her reasons and her personality meant so much more to him than any crime could. It’s not like she had seriously hurt anyway, she just needed to get by somehow.
He nodded to her question, his lips pulling into a grimace. The girl got the message just by this action of his and pointed in the direction of her colourful cushion.
“Well, then, have a seat. I’ll get you your favourite tea,” she suggested, making her way to the table, yet Minchan was taken aback by her words almost immediately. While it was true that they had talked about his favourite kind of tea the last time they had met, he wouldn’t have thought that she would do as much as to buy his favourite tea.
“Did you purchase my favourite tea?”
“Well, I didn’t actually purchase it because it’s way too expensive, but I had a feeling you would come back,” she explained with that adventurous glint in her carob eyes and Minchan couldn’t help but let his lips curl upwards. “I like that smile better. Your gloomy face is way too ugly,” she remarked shamelessly, and he was sure that it was to lift up his mood, thus he wasn’t angry at her. Not like he could be angry at her. After all, she had helped him a lot more than he could have asked for and this day prove him right yet again.
Talking to Sookyung was always full of surprises; not just because of the way she could always throw retorts in his way but also because of her words. She was full of twists and turns just like her whole life, and talking to her was actually a lot more fascinating than a lot of books he had ever read. Maybe she wasn’t educated, but she was sure knowledgeable enough when it came to life itself and she had a lot more experiences than others could have had during their whole life.
There was also that kind of undefeatable understanding in her that Minchan prominently appreciated because no matter the people around him, it seemed like a girl like her was the only one who was willing to listen to his deepest and most sincere concerns and take them seriously. Even though she said that she wasn’t good at such advices because she didn’t know his whole situation, her reassurance was enough, not to mention the fact that she was willing to listen to him.
Tea cup empty, the scenery darkening around them, the prince had to realize that no matter how much he wanted to clear his head, he needed to go back to the palace to not cause a ruckus.
Yet, before he did so, he didn’t hesitate to thank the girl who waved her off as always - but this time, it was with a knowing smile, the best kind in his opinion.
Times had passed and Minchan found himself going back to Sookyung day by day, and the more they talked, the closer he felt to her. Eventually, she had realized that he must have been one of the princes from the kingdom because she had heard enough rumours and she had put together the pieces. It hadn’t meant that she had treated him any differently, it was as if this tiny fact hadn’t even mattered to her that much. She had kept teasing him, calling him by playful names, giving him those stares and wiggling her eyebrows. She had been as shameless as she could have been, but in the best possible way.
Yet, knowing her situation, he shouldn’t have been surprised, yet he still was when she announced that she would move to another kingdom.
“I really wish I could go with you,” Minchan confessed with a dreamy expression, his curly locks falling into his eyes. Maybe it wasn’t even just the other kingdom he craved but maybe it was the girl’s presence too that he was willing to run away for. Or that cheeky smile. Or those childish glints and occasional fiery moments. Or her way of making his favourite tea a bit bitter but still sweet. Or her characteristic, deep laughter. Or her boyishly short locks. Or her determination.
“You know, you can always come when you’re ready,” she concluded with yet another knowing smile of hers, and he really wished he could have been as hopeful as her. He didn’t know when or if he could ever leave the palace and live the life he wanted, but seeing her example, he knew that a new chance and a new life was always possible.
“I’ll come find you then,” Minchan said firmly, earning a gentle smile from the girl who looked him into the eyes for long, unbreakable seconds, the smile not wavering from her lips.
That was the first time he realized that she might have enjoyed their encounters and conversations as much as he had done so; she might have felt the same way towards him as he had done towards her; she might have had that same electronic jolt in her body as he had had whenever their hands had accidentally touched; she might have felt like she had found a home in his presence rather than just a conversational partner.
“I can’t wait,” Sookyung remarked cheekily, her lips turning upwards into a smile before she shortened the distance between the two of them and pecked a soft kiss onto his cheeks, something that he kept remembering back to until he set out on his journey of self-exploration a few months later and until he set out on the journey of finding her.
He used to dismiss ideas such as fate and destiny, yet he couldn’t deny that the chances of them ever meeting had always been very slim, yet they had still ended up getting to know each other and then meeting again months later at a book stall - just like they had met for the first time. What had it been if not destiny? Maybe months had to pass and kingdoms had to be visited but they still ended up like how they had started - just a bit more free and a bit happier this time.