The moors glowed golden-green against the bright sunlight as a large party rode across them, horse hooves thundering towards the thick forests that separated the kingdom of Chiave from the empty lands on which the ruins of Castle Adfeilion stood. The kingdom was surrounded by high cliffs and sat right where the Southern and Western Seas met. On days where the sky was clear and shone as brightly as a robin’s egg, one could see the two seas meet, sapphire blue and emerald green waters  embracing each other like long lost lovers. While war tore other kingdoms down brick by brick, Chiave sat isolated from neighbouring countries, at peace and untouched by the horrors of war.

 Its nearly pristine history was preserved almost religiously and constantly reinforced by generations of great kings all under the Wu lineage. The Wu bloodline ran pure and strong, its men righteous and just leaders, thus always ensuring peace within the kingdom. The practice of magic was forbidden, a law enforced since ancient times from that one time magic nearly ripped the country apart. However, Draiochta or magic blood still lived within Chiave’s borders in secret.

 On that fine day, the current king of Chiave, Wu Yi Chen, was with his hunting party, riding across the moors on a spring morning towards the thick Mofa forest. The forest grew straight across the moors and extended all the way down to the beaches on the East and West of the country. The king was in high spirits as his wife had just been confirmed to be with child. He led his party of lords and guards into the forest, his best friend, Duke Junseo at his side. Upon finding a suitable place to hunt, Yi Chen swung off his horse, boots thudding gently onto the damp earth. The rest of the party followed suit as noiselessly as possible.

 

“We hunt for deer today.” The king announced quietly, trying to tone down his excitement but his eyes betrayed him as they danced merrily in elation. His favourite bloodhound sat at his feet peacefully, eyeing the rest of the party sombrely.

 “Let the hunt begin!”

 

The hounds were released, all well-trained enough not to bark or risk scaring away game. The men followed on foot with Junseo leading in front. Yi Chen settled at his best friend’s side as they tracked the deer. The forest was dense and thick, full green all around them. The hounds had ran on ahead of them and the party hurried to follow.

 Yi Chen turned his head to say something when his eye caught a flash of gold in the thicket to his left. His footsteps stopped.

 Junseo cast curious eyes towards him. “What is it Chen?”

 The king shook his head and prepared to continue but as he turned away, the gold flashed again. “Let’s go on ahead. I will tell you later,” he whispered, aware of the hunting party behind him. Junseo frowned but nodded. Yi Chen moved away and tried to focus on the tracks the hounds left behind but the gold kept flashing into the corner of his eye.

 They tracked the hounds until the sun was high in the sky, but there was no sign of any deer in the forest, so they stopped for rest by a stream, its waters running sweet and clear across the forest. Yi Chen dipped his waterskin into the cool water and offered it to Junseo. He nodded quietly toward the direction where he saw the flashing gold and Junseo understood immediately. The pair slipped away while the guards were busy tending to the other lords. Yi Chen hurried towards the light, Junseo following close behind.

 “Where are we going Chen? We will leave them behind!” The Duke was alarmed when his friend led them further and further into the woods, away from the rest of the party.

 Yi Chen’s footsteps paused. “Do you not see it?” He pointed to where the gold light was shining more brightly now, behind a thicket of branches.

 Junseo moved next to him and sure enough, he saw the gold glinting through the leaves.

 Yi Chen moved forward and swept aside a curtain of leaves and froze. His eyes alighted upon a handsome stag standing in the middle of the clearing. Its horns glittered as if they were made of gold and its coat was as white as snow, seeming to give off its own light. Dimly, he heard Junseo gasp when he positioned his bow and fitted an arrow to the bowstring. The stag was facing away, downwind from them, giving them an advantage. Yi Chen quietened his breathing and aimed his arrow. He had only one shot. He inhaled and gradually pulled back the bowstring.

 

Twang!

 

The arrow flew straight and true, burying itself into the creature’s chest. The stag reared and screamed in pain before collapsing onto its knees. Yi Chen almost felt sorry for it, but he drew his knife, knelt at the animal’s side and slit its throat before he knew what he was doing. Crimson red blood gushed from the cut, covering his hands and knees.

 “It is magnificent.” Junseo breathed as he knelt at Yi Chen's side. He laid a hand upon the stag’s head and pressed a kiss to its snout. “Thank you for giving your life.” He whispered in thanks. It was a necessity in his culture, to give thanks to a creature who had given its life.

 Yi Chen bowed his head in respect. He had just withdrawn a cloth to wipe clean the blade of his knife when the wind howled in fury, whistling through the trees and whipping branches back and forth. A black smoke swept through the clearing and congealed into the corporeal form of an ebony haired woman with cruel dark eyes and pale skin. She would have been beautiful if it had not been for the absolute fury in her eyes that caused the king to scramble away from the stag, bloody hands reaching for his sword. Junseo’s sword had already been drawn and the two men stood side by side, facing this adversary.

 The woman’s eyes were clouded with fury as she stared at the dead stag lying at her feet. The same eyes then travelled to the king with his bloodied hands and clothes as evidence of his kill. “You killed him,” she whispered coldly.

 A shiver ran up Yi Chen's spine as the woman’s gaze settled on him.

 “You killed him!” The trees responded to the woman's anguished roar, twisting as the wind howled as if in agony.

 Yi Chen stumbled back at the force of the woman’s grief as he frantically scrambled for an explanation.

 “You killed him.” The woman repeated dully as the wind died and an eerie silence filled the air. She stepped towards the king and he instinctively raised his sword. The woman’s red lips pulled back in a snarl. “You will pay, Wu Yi Chen. I will make you pay. Mark Raven’s words. Raven will make you pay.” With that chilling vow, she waved her hand and the stag melted into shadow along with her slender form.

 -

 A year passed, the memory of the woman’s words faded into nothing and Yi Chen worried no more. A king had no time to concern himself over such matters, for his queen had birthed him a beautiful baby boy, his heir to the throne, on the of midnight on the twentieth of April. The baby prince was every bit as lovely as the regents had hoped, with beautiful doe eyes the colour of luscious chocolate and soft fair skin framed by golden curls.

 “He looks like a fawn.” Yi Chen cooed, the baby’s cheek as his queen cradled the boy close to her.

 “Look at his eyes, as beautiful as yours,” the queen, Lan Ling whispered, smiling down at her newborn son.

 “Luhan.” The king pressed a kiss to the baby’s forehead. The queen lifted her head to smile at him. “That’s a beautiful name my liege.”

 Yi Chen pressed his lips tenderly upon his wife’s and turned his gaze back to the little boy she held in her arms. “Luhan.” He breathed, the memory of the stag he had killed returning fresh and painful. It seemed fitting, to name his son after the beloved animal of the woman and he hoped that it would appease her , wherever she was.

 The king and queen spent as much time as they possibly could with their son, singing to him and telling him stories. The baby boy was healthy and seemed to grow ever lovelier as the days passed.

 “Sleep well Little Deer,” Yi Chen murmured into the child’s hair which seemed to glow more golden as he aged each day. The queen smiled at him from the other side of the crib. With great reluctance, Yi Chen set the boy into his crib, his beautiful eyes sliding close almost immediately.

 “Come, my love.” Lan Ling reached for his arm and he turned to smile at her. Luhan’s first birthday was the next day and the couple were excited to show the child to the public. The king sighed as his queen took up his arm and made to lead him out of the room.

 

Bang!

 

The door to the nursery slammed shut and the bolt slid into place. Yi Chen spun around, pushing his wife behind his back as his hand reached for the dagger he wore at his hip. Behind them, they heard the frantic cries of the guards as they struggled to get the door open.

 Black smoke filled the room, and the king’s heart filled with terror.

 “I hope you remember me, my king.” A sultry voice reached their ears, and the smoke cleared to reveal the same dark-haired woman Yi Chen had encountered in the forest. The king tensed, fear for his son filtering through his veins when he realised that the woman was cradling his beloved child in her arms. Behind him, Lan Ling let a soft cry of fear.

 “Beautiful son you’ve got here, Your Majesty.” The woman, Raven, smirked as she ran a hand through the golden hair of the sleeping child.

 “Give the boy to me.” Yi Chen breathed, sheathing his dagger. “What do you want?”

 Raven ignored him and lifted the child to her face, red lips pulled back in a cruel smile as the boy opened his eyes. ”Beautiful eyes,” she murmured as she held the child. Luhan gurgled in her arms, waving his little fists in the air, unaware of the grave danger he was in.

 “Almost like a doe’s.” Raven turned her eyes to the king standing by the door and grinned.

 “Give him to me. Please,” Yi Chen whispered, arms outstretched. His wife stifled a cry when Raven’s eyes darkened with malice.

 “Please!” Lan Ling cried out in fear as she reached pleading hands towards the woman.

 The midnight bell tolled and Raven smirked. “Happy Christening, Little Prince,” she whispered, leaning forward to press a kiss to the baby’s forehead. “It’s time for your christening gift.” Her lips curled into a cruel smirk and she flicked her wrist as the regents lunged forward.

 Yi Chen cried out in fury when he found his feet fastened to the floor, unable to aid his precious son. He struggled against the invisible bonds.

 Raven’s words rose above the queen’s desperate cries.

 

“Hear Raven’s gift! A hart’s life he shall live when the sun rises, only in his true form once the earth is covered by midnight sky blankets.”

 Raven's eyes brightened and started to change. She smiled and said her next words as if they brought her joy.

 “Neither man nor beast as the hour of his birth passes. Standing on two legs after midnight has passed but four when the dawn approaches.”

 The room darkened with the black smoke until the violet of Raven's glowing eyes was the only light in the room.

 “The blood of his family that runs through his veins, on his twenty fifth birthday, an arrow shot true will be his bane. In his impending doom, a kin’s love his only boon.”

 As the final words passed her lips, Luhan seemed to realise that something was wrong and burst into tears, wailing loudly and swinging his tiny fists.

 

“Close your eyes Little Deer. Raven will walk you through your dreams.” Raven cooed softly and the boy’s eyes fluttered as his wails grew softer. She set him into his crib gently and flicked her wrist. The golden antlers of a deer rippled into existence.

 Yi Chen watched in horror as she laid the antlers across the child’s crib, the base of the horns stained with blood.

 “Good night little prince.” Raven smiled as she turned to face the regents, still bound by her magic.

 “Reverse it!” Yi Chen screamed in horror as he watched the macabre gift dripping blood onto his son.

 “You have given the child the curse Yi Chen. I promised vengeance on my pet and vengeance Raven will get.” She smirked, cruel eyes glinting in the darkness of the room.

 “He had nothing to do with it! Why should he have to suffer for what I have done? Reverse the curse, I beg of you. Do anything you want with me but leave the child. Please, leave my son.” Yi Chen gasped, grief stricken.

 “Too late,” Raven whispered, vanishing and leaving behind the acrid smell of smoke. On the table across the crib, the golden antler shone brilliantly.

 Yi Chen collapsed onto his knees, a sob tearing through his throat as his queen rushed forward, snatching her child from the crib and cradling him close to her, tears streaking down her face.

 “Why?” Lan Ling whimpered, rocking back and forth on the bed. Her tears fell upon the young prince’s face and woke him. His beautiful doe eyes stared at her as he grabbed a hold on her nightgown and tugged at it playfully.

 Yi Chen lifted himself from the floor wearily and went to stand by his queen. “I am sorry my son. Papa is so so sorry,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around his wife as his own tears slid down his face.

 -

 Zhang Cheng had been getting ready for bed when the frantic pounding started on his door. He glanced at his wife before he slipped his robes on and headed for the door. A very out of breath Captain Huang stood at his door, panting and bowing.

 “His Majesty requests your presence in his private chambers at once, Doctor Zhang,” The captain said.

 Zhang Cheng looked at the panicked expression on the man's face and strode out of the room immediately. His dark hair fell into his eyes as he followed the captain to the king’s chambers and he pushed it away haphazardly.

 It was rare for the king to summon him with his captain, so the situation must be extremely dire. The sound of weeping filled his ears as he entered the room after knocking. The queen sat upon the bed, her son clutched to her chest. Duke Kim stood by the door as they entered, a sombre expression cast upon his face. What struck Zhang Cheng as unusual was the king’s pale face and stricken expression.

 “What is the matter Your Majesty?” Zhang Cheng began cautiously, bowing before the king.

 “Yi Chen,” the king murmured, a small smile pulling at his down-turned lips.

 They always had this argument whenever the king had to be addressed. Looking at the king’s expression, Zhang Cheng decided to humour him. “I apologise, Yi Chen.”

 “My son,” Yi Chen began, his voice cracking with emotion. “He has been cursed to live as a hart, for the rest of his life.” The king's face was sunken, tear tracks still visible on his face as he intoned, “He will change the moment the sun rises this morning and only return to human form after midnight has passed.”

 Zhang Cheng in a breath even as gasps of horror echoed around the room. What had happened to magic being banned? How did this even happen? He wondered as he gazed upon the young prince sleeping in his mother’s arms, blissfully unaware of his fate.

 “Chen. What do you wish for us to do?” Junseo started, worry for his king and for the young prince creasing his brow. The king looked at him with dull eyes so unlike himself that Zhang Cheng half feared that the curse had taken his soul as well.

 “I do not know what to do,” Yi Chen admitted, gazing around the room. “I do not know how I can tell my people, who have thought that they were safe from all this, from curses and dark magic, that my son, my heir has been cursed by one they have feared for so long.” He pressed a hand to his face, swallowing back a helpless sob. He was a king and he should not look weak.

 “I can research the curse, if it makes you feel any better, my friend. But I must know the full incantation. It would make things easier,” Zhang Cheng volunteered, hoping that it would at least bring his spirits up a little.

 “What about my son?” Yi Chen whispered. “What will become of him?”

 Junseo bit his lip and swallowed. “There is a castle on the other side of the Mofa forest. The prince will be safe there. No one ever crosses the forest for any reason at all. If we keep him there until the danger has passed, he may avoid detection.”

 

A sob caught their attention and all eyes turned to the queen sitting on the bed. She stared at them with tear-filled eyes, arms curled protectively over her child.

 The king gulped. “What of the people, what will we tell them tomorrow?”

 “You mean today, Your Majesty,” Captain Huang cut in, gesturing to the window. The sky had started to turn a dark grey, signalling that the sun would be rising soon.

 “Tell them that the prince died of crib death suddenly during the night,” Zhang Cheng urged. It was the only plausible reason that could explain the disappearance of a child.

 “I will send my most trusted guard to watch over the boy,” Junseo said, eyes searching.

 “Love?” Yi Chen turned to his wife, feeling exhausted.

 “Will he be safe?” Lan Ling murmured, looking agonised at the thought of having to part with her beloved son.

 “My most trusted guard will take care of him, my lady.”

 The queen bit her lip, looking down at the peaceful face of her baby. “May I at least hold him till the sun rises?” she pleaded, looking at her husband.

 Yi Chen gritted his teeth and nodded. “Junseo, send for your man. We must prepare immediately. You must leave at sunrise, before the town stirs or you will raise suspicion. Huang, go down to the stables and prepare a horse and supplies.”

 “As you wish, my friend.” Junseo bowed and vanished out the door, Captain Huang following suit.

Yi Chen sagged into his seat, a defeated look on his face. Zhang Cheng reached for the king’s shoulder boldly, worried for his friend’s health. “You must rest, Chen,” he said quietly. “And you as well, my lady. This night has taken a toll on the both of you.”

 Yi Chen shrugged him off and rose from his seat. “I will rest as soon as I send Junseo off with his man.”

 The horse was prepared along with saddlebags of supplies for the baby prince and the man who had been called for. The regents walked out into the open moors with their beloved son in their arms, waiting as the sun rose from its bed and shone its first rays upon the moors. Lan Ling gasped in surprise when the bundle in her arms grew heavier and started to shift. The baby stirred and kicked out, soft fleshy arms lengthening into hard bones. She bit back a sob as she gazed at her child, now a fawn with mousy brown fur and white specks on his back.

 Luhan blinked up at her with beautiful brown eyes and whined. He was hungry.

 The queen broke down into sobs as the king laid a pendant made of silver skilfully shaped into the shape of a key over the fawn’s head. “This was to be your christening gift my son,” he said when Luhan nosed at the curiously shaped thing hanging around his neck.

 Yi Chen pressed a kiss to the fawn’s forehead and the queen followed suit, muffling her cries into his soft fur. The fawn bleated and nudged at his mother’s face before his little tongue darted out to the salt from her tears. The king lifted the fawn from his mother’s arms and settled him into the arms of the man who would be the one raising him in his parents’ place. “Shinwoo. My son’s life is in your hands now. Please, take good care of him.”

 The man, Shinwoo bowed his head as he held the prince. “I will do my utmost, Your Majesty.”

 “Hurry. Go before the town awakens,” Yi Chen whispered roughly, emotion choking his words.

 Shinwoo mounted the horse, drawing the hood of his cloak up and securing the fawn close to him. The journey ahead would be treacherous but he had sworn his life to protect the prince and he would. “I will take my leave, Your Majesties.” Shinwoo gathered the reins and spurred the horse forward.

 The king pulled his queen into his arms as together, they watched their son disappear from their life, perhaps, forever.