Within The Forest | Chapter 5

within the forest | chapter 5

pairing: fairy!Chan x princess!reader word count: 1.5k words summary: Taehyun arrives at Chan's cottage bringing both good news and bad news.

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[2 days later] 

He flipped through the pages and was ready to begin another story until a knock on the front door tore his gaze away. He placed the book on the small table and headed for it, hoping it was him. Opening the door, he met face-by-face with a brown paper grocery bag and white transparent wings flapping a gentle wind to him. The figure behind it tilted his head, and his smile stretched from cheek to cheek. Tailing him were a bunch of rabbits, their little hand gripping the paper bag, while on the curly blonde boy rested a white dove, glancing at Chan with narrowing eyes.

“You bring a little company, Taehyun” Chan uttered, voice slightly low unlike how he usually greeted Taehyun.

“Yep, I hope you don’t mind Chan. Need an extra hand and these little buddies come into rescue.”

Taehyun chuckled, walking toward the kitchen counter after Chan permitted him to enter.

Chan darted his eyes at the blonde boy.  Crouching down to the rabbits, Taehyun thanked them. Envious and anxiety dominated Chan in silence.

“I'm always jealous of you because you’re so approachable, Hyun” Chan spoke, a hint of disappointment in his voice

He perked his head up, lips turned thin at the remark. Taehyun stood up with a rabbit sitting on his open palm. He approached Chan, gesturing for Chan to take the rabbit from him. Chan did as he told and the rabbit jumped to Chan’s hand. It’d looked at Chan with its wide black eyes before flashing a smile at him. The fairy was speechless for a moment. He sat on the floor, putting the small fluffy animal on his lap and patted him.

"They approach a pure soul despite their look. Try leaving the cottage and I'm sure thousands of animals will come to you. Animals aren’t like humans, Chan. They judge someone from the soul, not the appearance."

“Thank you, Taehyun. Both for the grocery and the comforting words”

“Chann-”

Both boys’ heads snapped at the sudden voice. Y/N’s eyes trailed to the sight of Chan playing with the rabbit - a sight that warmed her heart. At least, the animals aren’t afraid of him so he has company when she is away.

“Oh, hi! Who are you? Are you Chan’s friend?”

“Indeed, I am. You’re Princess Flora, aren’t you?”

“Yes. I was taking something from Chan. I’ll be leaving”

She gave Chan a quick hug and exchanged a smile with Taehyun. Chan waved her goodbye.

After Y/N left, the animals left too. A once brimming countenance changed into a worried one, Taehyun’s brown at unease motion.

“Why is the princess here, Chan?”

“I met her 10 years ago at my mom’s place and somehow the friendship was born. I love to have her around, she makes me look forward to upcoming days. With her around, I felt like I had a little sister.”

Taehyun sighed, messaging his forehead with both thumbs. Chan has opened his heart to someone - that’s a relief - but never came a thought that someone was the princess. To make matters worse, her father was hunting the fairies down. He pondered how to tell him about the news he was supposed to say minutes ago. Should he tell him the cold truth or cover it with nice words? Lying sometimes wouldn’t hurt…right?

“Tell me what’s on your mind, Taehyun. I can tell from your face that  my action will get me killed”

“EXACTLY! Chan, please tell me you expected the consequence”

He nodded

“Then, I wouldn’t feel guilty delivering this news to you. The king had begun a search for you. Unfortunately, they expanded the search to the forest. You need to be careful. You only live once, Chan. Don't let your heart kill you"

Chan hummed and replied with a dry thanks to him. In the circumstances, nothing could change if they advised him now. Things would change if they did it in the past.

“Since you’re here, would you go with me to the town? I want to buy some flowers for her”

“You must be joking with me, Chan. Are you out of your mind?! I told you about the search a second ago and you already made an imprudent decision?” 

Chan has lost his mind - Taehyun’s mind came to a quick conclusion. The one he cared for was mature and wouldn’t let his feelings decide the matter. Did everything change because of the princess? The princess must have changed his life, leading him to make such decisions.

“They have never seen my face, Taehyun. I’m sure they don’t know it is me. After all, I got nothing to lose in my life”

“Can’t I buy it for you? It’s less risky.”

“Taehyun, just this time. You helped me so much, hyun. You helped me find my parent's cottage back when I had no home. This time let me do it by myself" ” He pleaded.

Being the soft-hearted friend that he is, Taehyun agreed. He snapped his fingers twice and their wings disappeared under the raining dust. They exited the cottage, unaware of the small fairy watching them from the window sill, nibbling on his sugar cube - a sugar cube twice his size. His eyes gleamed with excitement and curiosity as he saw a letter slipped under the oak door.

“This is gonna be exciting!!”

Stepping into the town without tomato chunks and juice on his face was unusual. Right, he received that greeting if he was with his parents - which lasted when he was 5.

Horses with carriages pass non-stop on the cobblestone path. They were sending out folk's groceries or continuing their journey past the huge silver gate. It was the busiest part of the day for Stellious. Rows of cobblestone houses lined from both of their sides. Some of them were left unpainted. Taehyun grabbed Chan’s arm, pulling him toward a florist shop.

True enough, the king was searching for him. Wanted posters of him scattered all around the city lamp post. Luckily, his picture wasn’t included. A wave of relief washed over him- for a moment. Glancing at the flowers displayed, he immediately asked the owner to wrap a bouquet of purple lilac for him.

“Here he is!!” A voice rang through the shop, a loud shout that managed to attract everyone wandering nearby. Chan gave a quick glimpse to Taehyun. The bouquet exchanged hands. Chan dragged the man out of the store to the alleyway, ignoring the looks the folk gave them. He held the man by the shoulder, slamming him to the wall.

His grey eyes glowed as he stared at the man’s eyes. Soon, he let go of the man and left him. The old man rushed out after that. Taehyu’s brow furrowed.

 “I changed our encounter into an awkward one in his memory.”

“You could do that?! What else have you been hiding from me?” Taehyun whispered, surprised.

“A lot, Taehyun. Let’s go back before the other finds me”

“I warned you, Chan. If they saw you out here, I’m scared they would chase after you.”

The prince stepped inside the garden with his guard, the moist air after the rain filled his lungs, helping him to calm down his nervousness of meeting with the princess. After countless tries, he finally could meet the sole heir of Stellious. The guard motioned his hand to one of the gazebo that someone occupied. The girl sipped her tea while she stared at the dancing butterflies across her. 

The prince had asked the guard to stay where he was and he approached the girl, each of his steps felt difficult for him. He halted before he arrived and took a deep breath before calling out to the princess.

“Princess Flora?”

The girl spun her head as she placed the cup away. The gentle breeze blew strands of her hair away, allowing the Prince to fully observe the other’s face. Her eyes were sparkling as if reflecting the soft morning’s light. His heart had lost its original rhythm as his eyes laid on her. There was no doubt what the Stellious’s citizen told about their princess’s beauty.

“Oh, Prince Seungmin. Please to meet you, have a seat.”

And Seungmin did. She poured the tea into the empty cup and continued drinking. Seungmin licked his lips out of habit and glanced at her. Her attention seemed to linger on the insects and flowers, never once on him. 

“Hey, it’s my first time meeting you. Can we know about each other a bit?”

“I believe that is not necessary. Whether I know you or not, I’m still going to get married to you.”

The evening went on with silence hanging in the air. Seungmin couldn’t find a way to start a talk after what she had said, every word he attempted to speak beginning to form a lump in his throat. She glanced at Seungmin and abruptly stood up.

“I’m afraid that’s all the time I have today for you. I’ll be leaving.” She bowed and without sparing another glance at him, exited the garden. He sighed with his head hung low. This is going to be difficult.

“Will I be able to talk to her at this state?”

within the forest | final chapter

pairing: fairy!Chan x princess!reader word count: 1.5k words summary: the end.

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No one’s POV

The figure closed the door and dropped her hand after entering the room. Her head turned to the boys hugging each other on the bed and she sighed. The princess’s eyes widened as she realised who the figure was.

“Mom… Why did you stop me?” She shouted, her voice ringing with frustration.

Her mother immediately covered her mouth and told her to keep her voice down. His father’s office was not far from them and a shout was enough to attract unwanted attention. Nothing passed her mother’s lips, only her shoulders slumped after she took another look at the injured boys.

“You said it yourself: if no one breaks the cycle, everyone becomes a monster. If you kill your father, you become a monster. Do you think I’m going to let my daughter become one? I would be the cruellest if I did that

She looked away as she chewed on her lower lips, which were beginning to bleed. Her knuckles had turned white when she let go of the dagger. The object clattered to the floor and tears ran down her cheeks. She buried her face in her palm, her body shaking violently. She had tried to stop it.

Her mother threw the weapon away before putting her arm around the princess. The queen had gently pressed the princess’s head against her shoulder. She ran a finger through Y/N’s hair and whispered that she would be fine.

“You're crying a lot today. I’m impressed,” she giggled, rocking her like a newborn.

Soon her crying died down as she moved away from the queen and a dry giggle escaped her.

“Tell me… why did you try to kill your father?”

She lowered her head. She was embarrassed to tell her mother because it might be seen as a nonsensical excuse to express her anger. Her mother’s hand reached for hers, gripping it lightly, signalling that it was okay to tell her.

“He killed Chan, brutally. His heart was gone, and it was probably on display for everyone to see. Chan didn't do anything wrong! He used to… but he changed when I met him. Dad doesn’t deserve a happy ending when he just ended someone else’s.”

The grip on the queen’s hand tightened, “Maybe I was the reason he started hunting the fairies in the first place. Chan nearly killed me.”

“But he didn’t. Chan saved you instead and hurt himself in the process.”

Her mother lifted her chin with her index finger and looked at her tenderly.  She was speechless after her mother confirmed the matter. Chan tried to kill her

“I admit it, I hate them when I know they are the cause of our civilians losing their families. But that night, he opened my heart.”

“I saw big black wings, half burnt, and behind them was you. I thought they were the ones who killed you. I was wrong. Not every fairy is heartless. Maybe some were forced to do it for a reason.”

“After that night, I realised that I had abandoned the fairies’ side. I never thought about their story and I was ashamed of myself.”

“I tried to convince your father, but it was in vain. He is so hard to convince.”

Her thumb wiped away Y/N’s tears and placed her palm against Y/N’s cheek. “Sweetie, you’re not the reason. This cycle began in your grandfather's generation. No one has tried to stop the cycle since.”

“I hope you and Seungmin can end it once and for all.”

She nodded as she felt herself filled with determination. Her mother had placed a lot of hope in her, she wouldn’t let her down again.

“Can I go away… for a week or so? I can’t face him… knowing that he killed Chan” It felt hard to let it out, but it was for the best. The anger wouldn’t go away if she pretended nothing had happened.

The thought of having to leave her mother again in a situation like this made her legs feel like they were chained together,

“Of course. I’ll tell Seungmin and them about it. I’ll cover it up for you.”

The two… Taehyun and Beomgyu. How would they live after that?

“Thank you, mom. I appreciate it.”

She wrapped her arm around her neck, warm tears falling down her arm and into her mother’s brown hair. She hoped this was the last time she could experience this.

She slipped a folded paper under the pillow. When they woke up, at least they would know where she was.

She tucked the old journal into her pocket and blocked the door with a chair and other heavy objects she could reach. She fastened the rope around the foot of the bed and jumped out of her bedroom. Slowly, she dropped to the floor and ran off, leaving the palace behind her. From behind, she heard heavy footsteps following her.

Adrenaline rushed through her as she ran, deeper into the forest. Taking a glance behind her shoulder, she stumbled over her steps. Y/N toppled to the ground. She reached out a hand to break her fall and felt a sharp pain on her wrist. Her arms shook beneath her as she tried to get back up. Her body had long since given up after the fall.

The sound of clanging metal was very close to her ear.

They were close. A shaky breath escaped her dry lips as she reached for the scraps of dust in her pocket, pressing them into her trembling palm and praying to escape this situation. She didn’t want to suffer the consequences - not if she had to avenge Chan’s death.

If you can hear me, please take me to Chan’s siblings. I have to tell them the truth about their brother’s death

Thung, Thung!

A cloud of dust blew over them, hiding them from her view. The Stellious army stopped in their places, perplexed about where the princess was. What remained on the damp dirt were Chan’s dark feathered wings.

She unfolded her eyes and was greeted by an astonished black-haired man. His palm gripped the doorknob tightly. His gaze fell to the floor and he found the familiar dust scattered about.

“Minho!” he shouted in horror. His eyes shook uncontrollably. Another male approached, and his eyes widened.

“Flora … why are you here?” He asked sternly. His gaze pierced her, making her flinch, but she reminded herself she did not have time to be like this.

“Chan, he's dead.”

Her words were enough to make Minho’s world crumble. Minho pushed the man away and squeezed Y/N’s collar with a trembling fist.

“You are the cause of his death!”

“I am,” her deep voice reached Minho’s ear. She looked at Minho with swollen eyes.

“Then what the hell are you doing here? He almost dies saving you … What more do you want from him? Are you trying to kill us? Just stop, Princess,” Minho begged, his voice full of venom and a hint of sadness.

“No, I will avenge his death”

“W-what?” He released his grip, stepped back and shook his head. He chuckled

“Must be your way of celebrating his death. You’re kidding, Flora.”

“I’m not!”

“So what?! That will not bring him back to life! He’s dead because of you!” He yelled as he punched the wall next to him, the sound echoing through the hallway and making the other man shudder with fear.

“Minho … is it true?” The latter held Minho’s arm tightly, begging for an answer. The older man nodded meekly.

“Don’t tell Jisung and Jeongin, Hyunjin.”

Hyunjin dropped to the floor and soon a soft sniffle reached her ear. The weight of reality sank on her, trapping her in an endless situation of what-ifs.

“Hyunjin, is everything alright?” Someone asked, approaching him. It was Chan’s other siblings and they immediately calmed the crying male. One of them flickered his eyes to Minho, and there was a question in his eyes.

Minho closed his eyes as he ruffled their heads. He wondered how he should tell them the news, but everything pointed to one clear answer - their older brother had died.

“Chan is dead” He opened his eyes and watched the worried faces of his remaining siblings turn to despair.

“I will never be able to thank him, Minho,” Jisung said

“He's not returning home?” Jeongin asked and Minho shook his head again,

“Please Minho! Believe me! I will make the culprit suffer!”

“Enough, princess. Even if you did, Chan would never come home again, he would never come back to us.” He walked towards her and gave her a thin smile.

“Please go back. Thank you for telling me about this

He slammed the door before she could protest. She sighed dejectedly as she slid down and leaned her back against the door. The feeling of helplessness choked her throat as she muttered a string of "I’m sorry" under her breath.

🥹🥹🥹🥹

Wish you back: nine

Ex!Seo Changbin x sick!reader

Summary: you and Changbin have been off and on for years, and even though he knows he's made countless mistakes, he can't figure out why you're so set on staying apart this time. Can he get you back if you aren't you anymore?

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within the forest | chapter 4

pairing: fairy!Chan x princess!reader word count: 2.8k words summary: a plan that didn't go well a/n: I'm writing something but I'm scared of how it'll turn out.

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[10 YEARS LATER]

“Princess Flora, please leave the kitchen.” The head chef spoke out, causing the long-haired woman to spin around to meet his stern gaze. She sighed lowly, hearing that name slip out from him again although countless times she reminded him not to call her that unless it was outside of the palace or her future husband was coming.

Her arranged future husband is coming today. Since she’s 19 years old and next in line to take the throne, her father has asked her to get married to someone to help reign Stellious. She dislikes it, yes but she had to obey it. It’s the only way to maintain Stellious peace with other kingdoms that may appear as a threat to them.

“You always recognize me, Simon.”

“Your hairpin, your majesty. Now, please leave the kitchen or the king will be upset with me.”

Her hand automatically reached for the lily hairpin tug on the back of her hair whilst smiling softly. Of course, how hard she tried to blend in with the crowd, the palace people would know it was her by her custom hairpin. So disguising as one of the cookers was impossible with the hairpin on.

“How about let me go this time? I want to help prepare the food for the prince. I’ll cover you up if Father finds out.”

Simon shook his head, disapproving of her idea. He abruptly raised his head when hearing heavy footsteps approaching the kitchen area. He held the princess by the shoulder, pushing her to the staircase that led to her room.

“Princess, the prince is coming. Please head to your room and get ready. The king wouldn’t be pleased to see you here.”

“Fine, see you in a bit.” She ran off. Her silhouettes slowly turned blurry in Simon’s vision as she parted from him. He released a sigh of relief and shook his head before returning to the kitchen. The sole daughter of the king had always something up in her sleeve.

Maybe after 3 hours, we’ll meet again. She muttered and ran to her room with a big smile and exhilaration crawling inside her although it was a bummer she didn’t get a chance to cook for him, as in Bang Chan. She never intended to cook for her future husband once she set foot in the kitchen. She was embarrassed because Chan was the one who prepared meals for her when they were hanging out.

Shutting the door, she changed into new clothes, a much simpler one and took her archery set between the interjected dresses. Grabbing the black feather off the table, she held it tightly and filled her mind with his image but the creaking of the door interrupted her.

“Princess Flora, why haven’t you changed yet?”

“Ummmm….I will but can you give me a moment, Sara?” 

The maid averted her eyes from her face to the object she held. Quickly, she grabbed Y/N’s hand gently.

“Let go of the feather, Princess.”

She glanced, cocking her brows. She was bewildered by the request. Does the maid know where she is heading? Her father must have told her already about her disappearance without a trace a decade ago. 

“I apologise but I don’t want to.”

In a blink, they vanished from her room, leaving the door wide open for anyone to witness their sudden disappearance.

Y/N let go of the feather, realising the surroundings had changed from the bedroom with brownish walls to an open meadow. Birds chirping the sweet melody of the morning soon entered their ear. Sara observed around while confusion struck as her hand slowly fell to the side. 

“What am I going to answer him now..?” she whispered while walking back and forth between the door and Sara, dumbfounded by the situation. She’d promised Chan not to bring anyone with him to the cottage. Bringing Sara with her was an incident, she never thought Sara would hug her the moment she teleported here. 

“Should I knock… ugh!” she shut her eyes for a mere second, gaining back her composure before heading toward Sara, only to be greeted by empty air. Agitated, she glanced at every corner(although there weren’t any corners because it was a huge forest) searching for Sarah's small figure until a peal of laughter entered her ears. The voice was coming from behind her. 

“Sara!!” she made her way toward her and kneeled beside her. Sara was too absorbed with her watching until Y/N had to call her name twice for her to notice her existence beside her. Sara’s shoulder jolted in surprise.

“Your Highness! I’m sorry I ran without your permission!!” She instantaneously rose to her feet, bowing her whole body - a sign of begging for forgiveness. A sigh left Y/N’s lips as she commanded Sara to stop what’s she doing.

“Did this flower and butterfly attract you?”

“Yes, they did, your highness. My mother doesn’t allow me to step out of the kingdom. All I saw and breathed in my 18 years of life were flying dust from the carriage and the suffocating smell of mixed charcoal and freshly baked bread. My life isn’t beautiful like it is in your palace.”

Sara spoke as her chin rested on her arms. It looks like Sara shared an almost similar story with her.

“I didn’t mean like am I hating on Stellious. This kingdom is beautiful! I simply describing the environment in the late evening!”

“Don’t be afraid to speak your mind, Sara. It’s not like I will punish you for speaking ill about Stellious. Honestly, I never feel happy in the palace. It’s empty since my father keeps me away from everyone but luckily I found this place and him.”

As in queue, the screeching sound of the door along with his voice came. A voice that sounds like home to her. 

"Y/N, I thought you wouldn't be here today." He spoke from the door. She emerged along with Sara. A bright and beautiful smile rested on Y/N's countenance and lit a smile on Chan's lips. She went to Chan.

"Didn't I promise to come yesterday? I want to continue our practice."

A chuckle escaped as he shook his head; entertained by her child-like attitude. Although she grew up, she always his little flora.

"Never forget how excited you were when I said I can teach you archery.”

He raised his head and came in contact with Sara’s eyes. Her figure was frozen, stunned and speechless by his appearance perhaps. Unsure of what to do, Chan just sent her a small smile.

“You bring someone with you today.”

She sheepishly grinned at him.

“She was hugging me while I was holding the feather. So, here we are”  She spread her arm widely, lightly chuckling. 

“I’m sorry, Chan.” Her arm fell to her side as a sigh escaped.

“It’s fine, little flora. Sometimes it’s more fun to have extra company. Her name was Sara, right?”

She nodded. “Sara, come in!” He waved his hand, gesturing for her to come closer to them. Seeing the gesture, Sara headed to them cautiously. After everyone got inside, he shut the door. 

“Let’s go to the backyard. I have prepared everything in the back.” 

He pushed the teak door open, leading them to the back. Y/N followed him behind but stopped when she didn’t hear Sara’s footsteps. She looked behind and mentally face-palmed herself. Sara didn’t move a bone or her eyes; stuck in the same place and her gaze was fixated on his dark wings. She grabbed Sara’s wrist, dragging her with her as the arrows in Y/N’s sling bag clicked against each other, filling their walk with a repeated sound.

“We’re here,” Chan announced and headed to the set-up table and two seats. On the table, sandwiches were plated and three to four pure water were seated there. The backyard almost looked identical to the front yard except it was more lively. Flowers in different colours and varieties spread out through the meadow.

“My apologies, Sara. I didn’t know you were coming so I didn't prepare any extra,” He glanced at her with an apologetic smile. Sara shook her head and hand, denying his word in every way possible.

“No! My apologies mister because I accidentally follow your highness. I’m sorry I have burdened you!”

“You’re not burdening me, Sara, don’t worry. Anyway,” He glanced at Y/N.

“Should we begin our practice now?”

She placed her sling bag down and snatched her bow and arrows from the bag while Sara settled down on one of the seats, awkwardly running her eyes elsewhere other than Chan’s gigantic wings. It wasn’t her fault that she was astonished by Chan; a species that every folk in Stellious was afraid of. Both from their ‘special’ features and abilities. For centuries, the king had to hunt them down because they were a threat to the kingdom but were they?

Chan stood beside Y/N, watching her close her right eye and aim for the bullseye at the round sharped target across them. 

The First shot, failed

The Second shot failed

The Third shot failed

She let out a heavy sigh and dropped the bow to her side, disappointed at her current mark. The first and second arrows were on the white circle meanwhile the third one was on the black circle. Sure, she was a beginner and shouldn't push herself to make the arrow land on the yellow circle but she was hoping to get it at least once.

“Don’t push yourself too hard, little flora. Just relax.”

He went behind her and placed his hand on top of hers, positioning the bow. His touch was gentle as if holding her hand hard enough would shatter it. He correctly fixed her shoulder and hips and stepped aside.

“Think about someone you dislike and with a deep breath, you let go of the string. Ready?”

She hummed in response and took a deep breath. She aimed for the bullseyes again but this time with an image of someone she dislikes currently. She doesn’t hate him but dislikes his abrupt decision. A decision that he made without considering her feelings. She still loves him, so much in fact. Releasing the bowstring, the arrow landed on the bullseye. Chan smiled, glad his technique worked.

 Now he wondered, who was in her mind?

“Who are you thinking?”

“My father…He arranged a marriage for me since I will reign Stellious soon.”

She placed the arrow in the bow and let go of the string.

Bullseye again.

“He said I'm incapable of ruling the kingdom alone and need a husband by my side. I hate arranged marriages because it's like pushing my feelings aside.” She’d said in a low and dissatisfied tone. She placed the bow on the grass, glancing at him afterwards.

“I’m sure he has his reason, little flora. No father will do something stupid unless it’s for his daughter's bright future. Your future husband will take care of you if I’m not here anymore” 

Her eyes widened as he uttered the last sentence. She punched his shoulder lightly as her lips dropped, forming an upside-down smile. 

“Don’t say that, Chan. I’ll protect you from whatever coming for you. I promise”

She shoved her pinky toward him and he intertwined it, giggling at her statement. Just like the little girl he met 10 years ago, she was unaware of what danger coming upon him. Not even she could protect him from it. She shouldn’t know the truth because he knew it would be the reason her happiness died. Let him conceal the painful truth with his smile and white lies.

“Okay! Let’s continue!” 

After a couple of minutes, they stopped training. How exhausting it might be but she was satisfied with the result of today's hard work. Sara, who had been seated and watching her was surprised by the princess’s skill. Ever since taking care of Y/N, she never saw the princess doing this activity. The princess schedule is often packed with manners class and history classes. It was a rare sight to see the princess doing something that only the boys and the women warriors were allowed to do in the kingdom.

“Good job for today, little flora.” Chan ruffled her hair as her ears turned a hint of red. She isn’t used to Chan’s way of showing his affection although she did it to him when she was little.

“I can do better but it’s fine. I can always try tomorrow and the day after.”

“True. Since you did a good job you should be rewarded with a present.”

“I’m not a kid, Chan.”

“Who says only kids deserve presents? Let’s hurry up before the sun goes down.” 

Carefully, Chan took her hand and pulled her to the side of the backyard, forgetting Sara’s existence there for a while. Sara followed them behind quietly, afraid of disturbing their leisure time together. 

Upon arriving, Y/N gasped at the sightseeing. They were a river streaming through the middle, splitting the meadow into two. The trees were high in height and their stems stretched out toward the river, covering the illuminating sunlight for anyone who was resting there. She was sure she wasn’t dreaming but the place looked exactly how she would describe her haven. Quiet and serenity with him.

Chan patted the space beside him, inviting her to sit with him. She sat beside him and immediately rested her head on his shoulder. She likes being this close to him, it reminds her that she has a friend, a friend that she could rely on, a friend that she already assumed was her blood brother.

“So, how was he? Is he a kind man?”

“I hope so. Today, supposedly, is my second day meeting him. My father expects me to get to know him better today.”

“But you run away. The day before too.”

She laughed, throwing her gaze at the slow-streaming river.

“If you were me, you would run away as well, Chan. I don’t like talking about myself because I don’t know myself well. There’s no point telling him lies.”

“You grow up well, little flora. I’m proud of you. I can’t wait to see you as a queen.”

“A queen…such a heavy word for me”

“Hey, I’m here for you if you need any extra hands”

From the reflection, she can see his wings moving to the front, hugging her shoulder. Taking the opportunity, she caressed his wings. Letting her fingers run through the black wings, brought her back to the first day she met him.  A meeting that began her joyful life.

“I love you, Channie”

His hand went for her shoulder, pulling her into a hug.

“I love you too, let’s stay as best friends okay little flora?”

“You like calling me little flora.”

“People in the kingdom called you Flora because the king asked them but for me because the little you had changed my life into a beautiful one. Like flora, they decorate the forest and people’s homes so it becomes more comfy and stunning”

“Thanks for those unwanted words of affirmation, Chan”

From afar, Sara became an audience. Today's event proved all of her assumptions about Chan’s species wrong. A fairy can be kind-hearted toward humans. One could not fake a sincere smile for a long time. They’re not wicked as the king told them. Was the king lying to them? To the civilians of Stellious? If yes, what for?

What could be more mortification than your daughter doesn’t show up when the prince was in your palace? No, she disappeared magically while changing and the cat got your tongue trying to give a good excuse. A bad way to end your day, huh?

The king slammed his hands on the table, and the loud thudding rang throughout his medium-decorated office. A flushed red face, clenched fists and bared teeth as he contends the madness that crawled inside him from leashing out. His right-hand man couldn’t defuse him unless he wanted a punch in his face. 

“Gale, did you send the guards to search after the princess?” He asked sternly. Gale nodded his head

“Good. I’m going to check her room” The king exited the office and headed straight to the princess' room. An instinct came to him but he brushed it off because he believed his only daughter wouldn’t do that, not to him. His steps died as he caught a glimpse of the slightly creaked door to the princess’s room. Somehow, he felt his instinct was right.

He pushed the door widely and from the corner of his eyes, he saw black powder scattered on the floor. His anger raised when he kneeled to get a better view of it. That fairy...

“Command the guards to expand the search in the forest, now!!” 

A peaceful and gorgeous evening for the princess but an unforgettable one for the king. The evening when the king's patience exploded and the only left was madness, he wanted blood under the fairy's body. For him, the fairy had crossed his limits. 

within the forest | chapter 8

pairing: fairy!Chan x princess!reader word count: 2.2k words summary: after facing the truth, something needs to change. warning: a slight mention of death

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Sara tidied Y/N's hair and tugged a lily stem onto the braids. She gazed at the princess’s expression and a disappointed sigh sounded as she set the brush back to its place. Any excitement was invisible on her face and this wasn’t the first time she witnessed it, that alone was enough to make her uneasy about the princess. Something changed inside of Y/N.

“Y/N, the Queen always searches for you in the evening. She seems sad when you aren’t here.” Sara confessed

Y/N’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the statement, yet she remained silent, allowing Sara to continue. 

“I didn’t mean to be rude but you’re forgetting your family after you found Chan.” Sara watched her through the mirror, sadness lingered in her eyes when Y/N looked at her. Something inside her twitched in a bad way. The deep guilt suddenly crawled out, the feeling she never knew existed in the corner of her heart.

"You avoid the Queen, Seungmin and everyone in the palace. Everyone suddenly becomes a side character in your life when Chan appears. I know he brings happiness to you but that doesn’t mean you need to push everyone out of frame, pretending they never help you before."

“Get out, please, Sara. I will meet you in a moment” She uttered calmly but sternness was evident in her tone. Sara could tell she was holding herself back from exploding. She bowed and shut the door behind her. Y/N shut her eyes, regaining her composure, and took a big breath. Her gaze shifted to the picture beside the mirror - a portrait of her family beaming. 

Where did all of that happiness disappear? Is it her fault that her mother rarely smiles now? Was what Sara said true?  She shook her head instantly, eliminating the thought and exited the room. She headed to the dining hall where she was supposed to meet the prince.

Entering the hall, her mother swiftly held her hand and led her to the prince with a tender smile decorating her face. “Thank you for not running away this time, sweetie. I appreciate it and I’m sorry for taking your time today.”

Her eyes fell to the floor for a slight moment. She should apologised to her mother instead, not the other way around. Now, she saw the reality behind Sara’s words.

The princess and prince occupied the dimly lit library. The princess was flipping through the pages, and the storyline was vague - none of the words made sense to her preoccupied mind. Pretending to read a book was a way to avoid conversation. The latter just admired her from afar. The rumours were true after all, Stellious's only princess was exquisite, breathtaking even. It wasn’t odd if the prince had fallen for her beauty.

“Princess Flora, shall we head to the dining room? It is almost 7.30 p.m.”

“Sure” She closed the thick cover book and placed them away. The prince gestured for her to exit before him. The entire day, he couldn’t strike up any conversation with her. How can he marry someone without knowing them well? 

“Flora, I'm curious. Where did you go the other day?”

Her hands rubbed together as she walked “Out in the forest. Visiting a friend”

“Does your friend have anything to do with your unseemly behaviour today? Your smile lost its shine today,”

"I didn’t notice it”

“I want to get to know you before we go further. So, can we start as a friend?”

Her steps came to a halt. She turned at him, eyes staring directly into his. She was stunned by the request. Did she close her heart to everyone else after Chan came into her life? She was ashamed of herself after the realisation. She nodded.

“Of course. Let’s start from the beginning. I’m Y/N Flora, call me Y/N. I dislike people calling me Flora”

Seungmin chuckled “And I’m Kim Seungmin. You can call me whatever you like.” He beamed enthusiastically.

She stared at the forest through her window, hand fumbling with the black feather. Since Chan’s leaving and the unexpected meeting with Beomgyu, her head heaved with questions and worried…no, the worry had exploded into fear.

“Duncan is far away from kindness. I always see him with a dead body, the body of his victim. I’m afraid if Chan did accept Duncan’s protection, he’ll be forced into doing them again” 

“Doing what, Beomgyu?”

“Murdering, killing innocent life without solid reasons.”

The moment she heard it, she stood, frozen with widened eyes. What could surprise her more in a matter of two days? She folded her eyes as the image of Chan’s victim flashed in her mind, leaving her breathless for a moment. His smile crumbled down at the back of her mind.

“10 years, Do I want to crash down this friendship without knowing the whole picture?” Sitting in the palace, letting Beomgyu’s story devour her, wouldn’t suffice anything. With Chan’s image in her memories, she vanished from the bedroom, unaware of the infuriating eyes watching her actions behind the creaked door.

She tilted her head as she slowly pushed the door out of her way, perplexed at the slightly opened door. Setting foot in, she saw Chan duck under the fireplace and hit his head on the brick. 

“Little flora, what are you doing here late at night?”  He dusted off his worn-out trousers. He had his back on her. She felt terrified of him for the first time, not until he turned around, showing the same enchanting smile.

“Who’s Duncan?”

His face was stoic but she figured it out, he was surprised. “Just a friend, not blood-related. Let’s sit and ask everything you want.”

Taking her hand gently, he pulled her to the chair, beckoning her to sit.

“Can you explain these pictures to me then?”

She placed the pictures on the desk, observing Chan’s reaction. They were pictures of Chan with several unknown faces. She needs his honesty currently. If he were her faithful friend, he would tell her. His smile subsided, his relaxed shoulder dropped downward, and his gigantic wings engulfed his slightly quivering self. 

“There were my friends. All of them were my close friends but…”

“I had to kill them. It was either them or my siblings”

His vision turned blurry from the tears brimming on the edge of his eyes. He lowered his gaze, and the back of his hand felt wet. Words began tumbling on his tongue, and he couldn’t find a way to speak them out properly. 

“That is the condition of living under Duncan. One way or another, I was forced to kill them so my siblings are safe from the kings.”

The room suddenly filled with thousands of eyes watching them talk. She shifted her gaze to the fireplace, letting the fire crackling echo in her ear, trying to cover Chan’s low sniffling. Guilt was devouring her alive, she never thought that she would see Chan crying due to her curiosity.

“I destroy a lover, someone’s shoulder to cry on, a loving brother and sister…a friend”

The blood-crudling scream became louder in his head, and his mind ached, begging for it to stop as tears dropped to his hand more. Every attempt to move on from the past was vain, not when their scream daunting him every time someone recounts the buried memories. The tension and Chan’s sobbing were swallowing her up, she couldn’t sit still, knowing all of this happened because of her. The reason the conversation occurred was because of her. 

She shouldn’t have brought the topic up, to begin with

“It’s a sin for me to smile whereas my hand held a dead body before…”

Before he could continue, she clasped his hand with hers, a tight grip as she pulled his hand off his knee. Chan raised his face, tears staining his pale cheeks and red dominating his nose. 

“Stop… Chan. You’re torturing yourself. I shouldn’t have asked you that, it’s my fault”

His hand reached for the new bitter tear to wipe it but she beat him to it.

“Let’s stop about Duncan here and have something warm to drink. It’s freezing tonight.”  

She gave a small smile and headed to the kitchen. His eyes followed her silhouette, rising to his feet after seeing her struggling to find the items. Her head perked up at the squeaking sound of the cupboard below her. Shaking her head, she rinsed her hand and wiped Chan’s face with her damp hand. He was bewildered, tilted his head and gave a questioning look to her.

“I don’t want to see your face stained with pain.”  

“Thank you, little flora” 

They continued the half-done work, comforting silence took over when a smile was exchanged between them. The silence reminded Chan of how much Y/N had grown up. Ecstatic shouts would accompany their cooking or tea session, there was some other time when the clattering of the fallen bowl rang throughout the small kitchen area, and Chan would be panicked, thinking she’d slipped. Watching her doing everything by herself, a sense of pride concealed him.

She brought the two cups to the desk, while Chan picked some books out of the brittle shelf for them. Setting the cups down, she saw a tiny figure with wings leaning against the jar of cookies, one of them nibbling the sugar cube that slowly melted in his grasp. A speck of glittering gold dust scattered on the surface of the wood

“What are you looking at?” 

She pointed at the unknown creature, and Chan kneeled, leaning in to take a clearer view of the creature, only to sigh.

“Taehyun, Beomgyu, what are you doing?”

The blonde one grinned.

“They want to join us. If that’s okay with you” Chan turned at her, a stack of books halfway blocking his vision.

“Of course! You say it before, having extra company will be fun.” The brunette fairy’s cheek turned chubby at the reply, and a broad smile crept up on his face. She couldn’t bite back a smile.

Chan handed her a book after they sat across from each other. Now, Chan realised how many years had passed with her. It was a familiar setting but with a grown-up little flora and a never-aged man, that was him. The shout of the owl had subsided by the time they closed the book and began sharing their old story. The little ancient cottage lit up with their laughter and giggling again. Nothing is more comforting after devastation than doing something you love with your beloved. The clock had passed midnight, and Beomgyu had fallen asleep on Taehyun’s lap. Beomgyu’s lips were coated with sugar that Taehyun had to wipe off with his sleeve. Her lid became heavy, past a point that she couldn’t keep her head from slumping. 

“Let’s head to sleep, little flora. You could have told me you’re sleepy.” Chan stood up, arm draping her shoulder, leading her to his bedroom. 

“Chan…” 

He stopped and glanced at her, allowing her to continue. She collided her body with Chan’s tough one, wrapping her arm around his waist. 

“I love you and thank you for these 10 years. I’m grateful that fate let us meet. Goodnight.”  She pulled herself away and shut the door behind her. 

Her words roamed around his mind, practically leaving him frozen on the spot. An unknown emotion dominated him. Was it ecstatic? Or was it heartwarming? The last time he felt this was before his mother’s death, it was the last he told himself. Hearing those again, he wanted to shed tears all over again.  Despite his hideous and terrifying black wings, he admits he’s a soft-hearted man.

Sometimes all one needed was sincere words to make them feel appreciated. 

“Maybe Beomgyu was right and I was too fed to myself to agree with him” Chan snapped his head toward the voice, coming eye to eye with Taehyun. 

“But I'm sticking with my idea. Don’t you think it much safer living under Duncan’s protection?”

“And allowing myself to crush into a bottomless pit? I can’t face that again, Taehyun.”

“I know you will answer that. Then I’m going to be your guardian angel now.” Taehyun chuckled and Chan shook his head, disagreeing with Taehyun’s idea. Taking care of him when they first met was risky enough. Taehyun shouldn’t have left him alone, die or alive, he should stop caring about him. The blonde had done well and Chan didn’t know how to repay him for his kindness if he did accept his offer. 

“I’m not giving you an option, Chan. I’m grateful enough you’re still alive today”

“Don’t–”

“I risked my life when I met you. Protecting you from the king is far away from difficult.”

“Fine…but if things get out of your hand, leave me alone” He uttered firmly

Taehyun nodded and approached Chan. He squatted down to Chan’s leg, hovering his hand above Chan’s wound. A beaming light spread through his hand. After a while, Taehyun retreated his palm and got back on his feet.

“I’m heading home. I can’t let anything disturb Beomgyu’s sleep. Goodnight chan”

within the forest | chapter 6

pairing: fairy!Chan x princess!reader word count: 1.6k words summary: another day with Chan but someone seemed displeased with your decision. a/n: posting this while waiting for my food which took longer than I expected...btw, hope you have a wonderful day today!!

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“Come on! You will miss the sun kiss, Chan!” She ran to him, helping him carry one of the easels. Chan let a smile dominate his lips as he quickened his pace toward their painting place for today - his mother’s favourite place. While positioning the easel, he caught her spinning around the meadow - hands spread widely and her sky-blue skirt billowing. Her brown lock shone under the golden afternoon light - her eyes reflected it.

His action died down in an instant. He twirled his hand in a motion. Flowers around her bloomed after a wave of yellow dust flew across them. She seems more like a fairy than himself - glowing under the sunlight and with a beaming smile. He called out her name.

“You got entertained easily, little flora”  He ruffled her brown hair gently as she glanced up. Rosy cheeks and a broader smile plastered for him to witness. Under his touch, she still felt like the little girl he had met. It doesn’t matter if she ages up, she always would be Chan’s little flora. His flora that he would protect and care for until the end.

“We don’t live forever, Chan. So, I make sure every moment spent is exhilarating.”

“I’m glad you have that mindset. Should we start our painting session, Your Highness?” He offered his hand. She placed her hand on top of his palm - playing along. The easels were backing each other so there was no space for peeking at the other’s artwork. Beside the easels, a table stood with a colour palette and a plate of creampuff. 3 stems of purple lilac were on the plate.

“One question before we start. Why did you place the easels like this?”

“I want to keep our artwork as a surprise for each other. We’ll reveal it on my birthday”

“Whatever makes you happy, channie”

Silence took over when their hands reached for the palette and brush. The low sound from the caressing brushes was barely heard because they thought deeply about what to draw. The first stroke - your first action - will determine the outcome. 

Hours passed and the drawing began to take shape. Chan tilted his head to check up on her. With a brush on her right hand, she carefully placed black paint onto her canvas. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration before continuing to paint. She probably didn’t realise the smeared purple paint on her cheeks. He kept quiet because she was adorable with it.

“I have never seen you in a full dress before” 

“I’m not really into dresses. It limited my steps and most of my dresses were only for special occasions so I can’t wear them daily,” she replied, not sparing any glances at Chan.

“What a bummer…” he sighed and faced the canvas. He peeked at her once again before painting the features on his drawing. 

“You would look lovely and exquisite in one, little flora"

“If you are that eager, how about you be my stepbrother?” she chuckled but deep inside, she meant it. If Chan were her brother, nothing would stop their relationship - they could have fun daily without anyone judging glare.

“I would scare everyone in the palace with my hideous wings then”

“What are you blabbering about, Chan?” She set the brush away and approached him. She ran her fingers through his wings. Despite what he said, she was always fond of his wings - it was the part of him that made him special. Chan stood up and pulled her into a hug as a gesture of thank you. Parting away, the breeze blew his dark hair along the sudden ‘thud’ behind them was heard. An arrow bulged on the side of Chan’s canvas that had fallen to the grass. 

Chan yanked the arrow and untangled the tight-up paper on its shaft. Ripping the paper, a single line of words was written in red ink. He crumbled the paper and grabbed her hand. His indecipherable face caused curiosity to crawl into her. 

“You need to return now, little flora. They found me” he said, voice oddly calm.  

“Who did?”

“Them. Meet you tomorrow, safe ride” He closed his eyes as black feathers began consuming her. She vanished when the feather turned into dust. Chan eyed the canvas, a contemplating sigh escape. He twirled his finger and all of the equipment entered his cottage. He unfolded his palm, the paper uncrumpled, revealing the sentence - the bigger threat is coming, better watch out.

The strong light blinded her as she sat up, pondering while looking around. Open flower fields filled with her mother's favourites. Why is she here? Why did Chan send her back? Despite the strong light, she could make out a silhouette at the gazebo far away - a fully dressed woman, rushing toward her. 

“Flora? Where have you been?!” 

Oh, it was her mother, face worrying than ever. Her mother helped her stand up. 

“I was walking around, reliving my childhood. You don’t have to worry, Mother”

“How couldn’t I? I asked anyone about your whereabouts and nobody saw you!” 

She took her mother’s hand into hers, lips resting into a tender smile. Sometimes chasing her freedom, she forgot the one who allowed her to experience it - her mother. Was it a selfish act? Lying to her queen to save Chan and herself from being punished? Her grip tightened, yet careful so she didn’t hurt her.

“I’m sorry, mother.” 

“Let’s go inside. Father and Seungmin must be waiting for me” Her mother nodded and they went inside the palace. 

[later that night]

He threw the paper into the forked flame of the fireplace, watching it crumble into pieces and turn into ashes. His eyes were shut when a line of memory hit him, returning him to the past he wanted to forget. His wings wrapped around him as if they were comforting him. The scar that stretched across his right wing was visible under the fire. 

“Did the fire remind you of that accident?” A deep, familiar voice spoke out from behind the chair.

“What are you doing here, Duncan?” He asked, clearly unwelcoming the guest of the night. A figure lurked out of the shadow - a tall man with a pair of wings similar to Chan. His wrinkly face was wearing a sinister grin, it was more like a mocking grin the more Chan stared at it. A modern suit fitted him, an expensive suit for a man like him. He must be out on another hunting. 

“I heard from Minho that you made a new friend. The Stelious Princess, wasn’t it? What a decision when you’re on the verge of death. The king already had threatened you”

Chan faced him “You would tell me that if you have an offer to make. Stop beating around bushes.”

Duncan chuckled “Work with us again and I’ll guarantee your safety. Besides, could you bear your siblings mourning over your death?”

Chan’s face remains stoic although Duncan’s words twisted his inside. Imagining it was enough to terrify him. 

“Say yes, chan. You aren’t risking your life for a stranger” Duncan extended his hand in an inviting gesture, unfolded palm shoved in front of Chan. Chan wanted to take his hand but he stopped when a screeching scream rang in his ear. He hesitated, hand hovering over Duncan’s.

A train of memory winded in his head, and his hand instantly retreated. He questioned himself - do you want to experience the pain again? Do you want to be called a betrayer again?

“Your offer was sincere, Duncan but I say no. I can handle the king by myself”

“Minho will continue working with you. I’m not capable of it” 

Duncan scoffed, turning around. “Then, all the best. I’ll be there if you change your mind” 

"We'll see how far you will go for that girl"

Outside the cottage, two fairies watched Chan through the window. They couldn’t understand their discussion due to the distance they were in. The brunette fairy stood on the branches, holding the trunk to balance himself on the thin branch. He huffed. The forest was cornered with huge black thorns that grew from the ground. It will be difficult for someone to barge into the forest now.

“That fairy caged us in here, Taehyun!” He sulked while he nibbled his sugar cube.

“It’s for our safety as well, Beomgyu. The king will kill us if he sees us”

“But…”

“Another sulking from you and I’ll throw all of your sugar cubes, gyu”

“Fine!”

Her footsteps rang loudly in her ear as she headed toward her bedroom. The dim light from the candle in the hallway did less to brighten her path. As she took a step, the guilt from the dept of her heart escaped as the image of her mother flashed in her mind. How could she neglect her duty as a good daughter to her mother? Why did she realised it now?

“Make up your mind, Gale! Kill the fairy or I’ll execute your son!”

Her steps halted as well as her breath. She glanced beside her, instantly stepping back when she noticed it was the King’s office. The shadow on the floor shows how the king was grasping his hair in frustration. 

“Locate the dark fairy. We’ll attack him as fast as possible. As long as he’s alive, our people’s safety is at risk”

She covered her mouth with her hand as a gasp was let out. She hears her father’s words, nice and clear. Her heart dropped to the pit of his stomach at the realisation. Her father was the one who sent the arrow. She ran to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. 

Both males in the room jolted at the slam. The king felt unease so he perked his head outside his room. Only the night wind greeted him, causing his shoulder to slump forward. He was being paranoid for nothing. He slowly closed the door behind him.

“What was that, Your Highness?”

“I’m not sure”

“I hope it wasn’t Flora”