Exoplanet

Chapter 8: Palace of the Golden Sparrow

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The captain’s name was Leeteuk, and he was very friendly.

Throughout the trip to Fluor, Leeteuk explained aspects of Sinsinian culture to the Exo members, who were awed by the importance of nature in the country. He encouraged them to try new foods, which consisted mostly of seafood that Tao found delicious. The captain even paid for their rooms despite protests from the four Exo members. It got to the point that Luhan started becoming suspicious of Leeteuk, saying that nobody was ever this kind without an ulterior motive.

However, Leeteuk never said or did anything malicious, and Luhan’s suspicions were soothed when they finally arrived in Fluor. The moment the group stepped through the gates to the city, they were dazzled and almost blinded by the gold and white that greeted them.

“Keep an eye out for the man in your vision,” Junmyeon murmured to Tao quietly as they proceeded towards the castle. Tao nodded and scanned the mass of people who had flocked over to gaze at them curiously. There were men with long faces and almond eyes, but their bottom lip was too thin. Some men had thick lips, but they were too short or their face was too round.

In the end, Tao didn’t find the noble in his vision before they reached the steps of the palace.

The castle was built using white marble that sparkled under the sun. The doors and windows were lined with gold, and above the enormous front doors was a golden statue of a bird.

“That’s a sparrow,” Leeteuk explained upon noticing the stares, “They symbolize community, joy, and protection. It’s what we value most in Sinseye.”

Tao leaned down when Leeteuk looked away and whispered in Junmyeon’s ear, “That’s the bird that was on the man’s shirt.”

“Maybe he’s in the palace,” Junmyeon murmured back.

Tao straightened up and looked around. He could see various servants scurrying around the halls, and there were at least two soldiers standing guard at every doorway. None of the faces were familiar.

He stopped looking around when they reached the throne room and focused on the regal man sitting before them. The graying hair, golden crown, and white robes were exactly how Tao remembered them from the vision. The only thing different about the king was the warm expression he wore as he welcomed the four of them into the palace.

“It is an honor to have the people of the prophecy in the Palace of the Golden Sparrow,” the king said with a smile, “I hope your travels have been treating you well.”

“We are alive,” Junmyeon replied wryly, and the king chuckled at the morbid attempt at humor.

“Let me have someone show you to the guest rooms. Then, we can talk. Sound good to you?” the king offered. Exo gladly agreed, and a servant stepped forward to lead them through the halls of the palace.

As the four of them gathered up their things, someone stealthily peeked around the edge of a doorway in a corner of the room. The person watched with curiosity, brown eyes pinned on the group as they followed a servant to the other side of the room. He was so focused on the strangers that he didn’t notice the light footsteps behind him and violently jumped when the person spoke.

“Sir, you should be in your room. His Majesty will be angry if he sees you here.” The maid said softly with a worried expression on her face.

The man cast a last glance at Junmyeon’s retreating back and sighed in resignation. “It’s alright. I’m heading there now.” Without looking back, he silently passed the maid and headed down the silent hall.

______ _

“This is the first time we’ve had our own rooms!” Tao exclaimed after their guide left them to their own devices, having pointed out the four rooms the Exo members were assigned to.

“Holy !” Chanyeol suddenly shouted from one of the rooms. The others peeked in to see the fire user drowning in a mountain of sheets and blankets. Chanyeol flailed his limbs, struggling to recover from the golden bed, which was softer than he had expected.

Junmyeon, Luhan, and Tao laughed at their flustered comrade, and Luhan walked over to pull Chanyeol off the bed. They proceeded to choose their rooms. Chanyeol stayed in the room he was already in, and Tao took the room next to his. Luhan and Junmyeon settled in the rooms across the hall.

I hope I find the man from my vision soon, Tao thought as he placed his belongings on the table beside the bed, If he is our ally, we can’t let him be killed.

By the time Tao finished examining his room, there was another servant waiting outside in the hall for them. The middle-aged woman bowed and smiled kindly, introducing herself as the one who was ordered to them to the dining hall.

Chanyeol was the last one to leave his room, and he came out with a panicked look on his face. “Um,” he began uncomfortably, “The potted plant that was in my room.”

“Is it not to your liking, sir?” The servant asked, “If you prefer a different decoration, we can arrange for it to be changed.”

“No, that’s not it. I just…kind of set it on fire.” The fire user scratched the back of his neck nervously, looking down at the golden-tiled floor in shame.

Everyone hurried into Chanyeol’s room, and sure enough, there was a burnt and blackened plant sitting in the corner. The walls behind it were also slightly charred, but overall, the damage wasn’t heavy.

The servant was obviously relieved. “Oh, we can fix this easily. By the time you return from dinner with His Majesty, the wall shall be repainted, and the plant shall be fixed.”

“I’m sorry,” Chanyeol apologized, “I got a little too excited and ended up setting fire to the plant.”

“Do not fret, sir. It is no trouble,” The servant reassured.

The king was already sitting at the dining table by the time the group arrived. The aging man rose from his seat, welcoming them with a smile and gesturing for the four to have a seat at the table. Tao recognized Leeteuk, who was sitting to the right of the king. An unfamiliar young man was sitting on the left, and Tao hesitantly took the seat beside him.

The stranger greeted Tao timidly, and Tao replied with equal shyness. The king cleared his throat once everyone was seated, drawing all attention to him.

“I thank you for taking the time to join us for dinner today, although I am sure you all are exhausted from your journey.”

“We thank you for inviting us to have dinner with you, Your Majesty,” Junmyeon replied without missing a beat, bowing his head slightly.

“Of course.” The king nodded in the direction of the man sitting on his left. “This is my son Baekhyun. He is the crown prince, and he is one of you.”

Baekhyun placed his right hand over his heart and lowered his head respectfully. “It is an honor to meet you.”

“The honor is ours.” Junmyeon, Luhan, Chanyeol, and Tao returned the gesture, and Tao took the chance to take in Baekhyun’s features. The crown prince looked similar to the man in Tao’s vision, with an oval-shaped face and almond eyes. However, Baekhyun’s lips were thin, and Tao seriously doubted that the king would order the execution of his own son.

“How much control do you have over your power, Your Highness?” Junmyeon asked Baekhyun, who was prodding at the snow peas on the plate.

“Well, I use it to turn the lights in my room on and off,” Baekhyun replied, “I haven’t used for anything else, really.”

“You haven’t tried fighting with it?”

Baekhyun glanced at the king, who was watching them talk. “Father never had someone teach me how to fight.”

If Junmyeon found that strange, he didn’t show it, but Tao couldn’t help but pause in his chewing for a moment. All princes were taught how to fight. As successors of the throne, there would most likely be attempts on their life from jealous nobles or even assassins from other countries. Princes needed to be able to defend themselves in case there were no guards around.

“Is something wrong?” The king’s question made Tao jump a little, but it turns out that the king was speaking to Luhan. Tao breathed a silent sigh of relief. He thought he had accidentally made a doubtful expression, and the king had seen.

“No, Your Majesty,” Luhan answered easily after he swallowed his mouthful of potatoes. “I just found it unusual for a prince to not know how to fight. What if he is attacked?”

“That will not happen,” the king said firmly, “No harm will ever come to my son.”

Tao thought he heard Baekhyun mutter something, but when he looked over, the crown prince was reluctantly eating his snow peas.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty,” Luhan argued, “Prince Baekhyun should at least know basic defense. He will not always have someone nearby to protect him.”

Junmyeon must have sensed that a full-blown fight was brewing because he shot Luhan a warning look. At the same time, Baekhyun lifted his head from the snow peas and said, “It’s alright, sir. I appreciate your concern, but nothing has happened so far. It’s really okay.”

Luhan must have gotten the hint because he dropped the matter, apologizing to the king and Baekhyun. The tension disappeared as dinner went on as Junmyeon struck up a conversation with the king and Leeteuk, and Luhan and Chanyeol messed with each other.

Tao decided to take a risk. He leaned a little closer to Baekhyun and murmured as quietly as he could, “Excuse me. Do you know anyone who has an oval-shaped face, almond eyes, black hair, and a thick lower lip?”

For a moment, the crown prince merely stared at Tao, and the latter was going to give up when Baekhyun suddenly asked, “Why do you want to know?”

“He is our friend,” Tao answered but quickly corrected himself, “Well, more like a future friend. We don’t know him right now, but we’re looking for him. He is somewhere in Sinseye. Looks like someone wealthy.”

There was a hopeful expression on Baekhyun’s face, and the prince threw a cautious glance in the king’s direction before leaning closer to Tao.  “He’s like us. He has a symbol on his chest,” Baekhyun whispered. He looked nervously at the king again. “I’ll tell you later. I don’t want to be overheard.”

Tao nodded and the two of them straightened back up, acting as though they hadn’t been talking about anything important in the first place. From his peripheral vision, Tao saw the king cast a strange glance at Baekhyun and look away again.

Dinner went by without a hitch. Everyone was full by the time the servants came to clear the table. Once all the dishes were put away, the king leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table and resting his chin in his hands. “Where do you plan to go after you leave Sinseye?”

“We’re thinking of heading to Trost or Prigonia next since they’re bordering countries,” Suho explained, “There are still seven of us out there, and we need to get them to join as soon as possible.”

“And you’ve already searched Cassius and Bolvaria?” The king questioned, humming when Suho nodded in confirmation.

Tao allowed his mind to wander as Suho discussed their plans with the Sinsinian king, Leeteuk, and Baekhyun. His eyes fell on the doorway on the opposite side of the room, and he started when he saw somebody peeking around the corner. The person was gone before Tao could get a good look, but he managed to glimpse a head of black hair.

“Tao?” Luhan’s inquisitive voice took his attention away from the doorway. “What are you looking at?”

Everyone at the table was looking at Tao, and the latter flushed at the sudden attention. “Oh, um, I–I thought…”

A sudden pressure on the side of his leg made Tao stutter to a stop and look down to see Baekhyun lightly jabbing the handle of a fork into his thigh. When Tao met the prince’s eyes, Baekhyun almost indiscernibly shook his head and pressed his lips together. Even though the two had just met, Tao understood the silent message.

“I–I thought I saw someone, but it turns out it was just a servant,” Tao lied, hoping the king wouldn’t notice the faint tremor in his voice.

The warrior of time slumped in relief when the king nodded and turned away to talk to Leeteuk. He glanced to his right at the same time Baekhyun looked at him. The crown prince offered Tao a grateful smile and turned back to the conversation between his father and the general. Tao raised his eyes and flinched when he met Junmyeon’s stern expression.

The water user shifted his gaze to Baekhyun, then looked back at Tao. He had obviously seen the exchange between Tao and the crown prince, and Tao was willing to bet that Junmyeon had seen right through his lie.

Trying to say that he doesn’t want to say anything until it was just them, Tao shook his head and jerked his head in the direction of the king. Junmyeon’s eyes followed the motion before giving Tao one last look and turning to a fidgeting Chanyeol.

Tao jumped again when he looked to his left and saw Luhan staring at him. Unlike Junmyeon, Luhan wore an expression of curiosity as he leaned in and whispered, “What’s up with you and the crown prince?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Tao murmured back, “Meet in my room after.”

Luhan reluctantly nodded, and the two of them straightened up. Tao waited eagerly for the dismissal, and when the king finally rose from his seat, Tao shot out of his chair as though it was on fire. The four of them bid goodbye to Leeteuk, Baekhyun, and the king and followed a servant back to their rooms. Junmyeon and Chanyeol were about to head to their own rooms, but Luhan pulled them into Tao’s room, saying they were having a group meeting immediately.

“Why were you fidgeting the entire time?” Junmyeon complained to Chanyeol as they filed into Tao’s chamber, settling down on the bed and chairs.

“It was so boring,” Chanyeol whined back, “What else was I supposed to do?”

Luhan merely laughed at the two as he laid down on Tao’s bed, leaving Tao with nowhere to sit. Undeterred, Tao unceremoniously pushed Luhan’s limbs aside, so he could sit.

“So what was going on between you and the crown prince during dinner?” Luhan asked.

“Well, I saw someone looking at us from a doorway across the room,” Tao explained, “I was going to mention it when the king asked me, but Baekhyun didn’t want me to.”

“You saw someone?” Junmyeon began, but a sudden knock at the door interrupted him.

“Are you expecting someone else, Tao?” Chanyeol asked as he stood up and made to open the door.

At first, Tao was surprised to see Baekhyun, but when he remembered that the crown prince had said he would contact Tao later, he was quick to stand up and usher Baekhyun in. Luhan and Junmyeon immediately stood as well, bowing to the visitor.

“You don’t have to bow when you see me,” Baekhyun noted, “I actually prefer it if you’re more casual.”

They resettled themselves, and Baekhyun crossed his legs and his arms. “So how do you know about my brother?”

“What?” Luhan furrowed his eyebrows.

“Brother?” Junmyeon echoed.

“Who’s your brother?” Chanyeol asked in confusion.

“The man in my vision,” Tao explained quickly. He turned back to Baekhyun. “I have the power over time, but I can’t control it right now. I can still see the future or the past sometimes, and I had a vision of this man…your brother, I believe.”

“My brother has a slightly thinner face than mine, and he’s got black hair, almond eyes, and a thick lower lip,” Baekhyun confirmed.

“Does he have a light-blue shirt with a golden bird sewn across it?” Tao asked.

Baekhyun sighed. “That’s his favorite shirt.” He put his head in his hands and ruffled the neat black locks. “He has a mark, too, and you need to get him out of the palace or–”

“Wait,” Junmyeon interrupted, “The king didn’t mention having another son.”

“He wouldn’t,” Baekhyun muttered, “My brother is more like my half-brother. We share the same father, but my mother held the title as Queen.”

“A bastard child?”

“Please don’t call him that,” the crown prince said stiffly. Junmyeon softly apologized, and Baekhyun continued, “Anyway, my father hates him and treats him worse than he does the servants, which I don’t understand because he loved my brother when we were children. I don’t know what happened, but my brother can’t stay here.”

“Where is your brother now?” Luhan inquired.

“Father makes him stay in the west wing, where all the servants live,” Baekhyun said bitterly. He then placed a hand on his chest. “He has the healing power, and his mark is on his chest right over his heart.” Baekhyun patted the area.

“What’s his name?” Chanyeol piped up.

“Yixing.”

“Okay.” Junmyeon rubbed his hands together. “So we need to get both you and Yixing out of the palace. If your father hates your brother as much as you say, then it shouldn’t be difficult to convince him to let Yixing leave, right?”

“Actually, I don’t think he will let Yixing out.” Baekhyun bit his lip nervously. “Father hates him, but he doesn’t let Yixing leave the palace for whatever reason. I get more freedom than Yixing does, and I’m the crown prince.”

“Well, I’m sure we can convince the king somehow,” Junmyeon tried.

“I think it would honestly be easier to just sneak him out of the palace without letting Father know.”

“Why don’t we figure this out tomorrow,” Luhan interrupted, “We already know what we need to do: meet with Yixing and let him know we’re here to take him out of this palace, make sure that the king is okay with letting Baekhyun leave, and somehow take Yixing with us, too.”

“Prince,” Tao began, “if you tried to convince the king to let your brother leave, would he listen?”

“I doubt it,” Baekhyun replied, “but I can try.”

“I have an idea.” Chanyeol half-raised his hand. “What if Baekhyun tries to talk to the king tomorrow morning and lets us know if he succeeds during lunch? He can slip one of us a note. If he succeeds, then we can bring it up with the king ourselves. If not, then we find Yixing and sneak him out.”

There was a moment of silence, and then Junmyeon spoke. “That’s actually not a bad idea.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Chanyeol cried indignantly, “I can have good ideas sometimes!”

“Only sometimes?” Baekhyun teased lightly, and the look of shocked betrayal on Chanyeol’s face made Luhan laugh so hard he rolled off Tao’s bed.

A/N: Hey, guys. I know that I said I wouldn't update this until I was finished with the contest story, but I got writer's block for that one so here we are. Sorry for leaving you guys hanging for almost two months >.<

I decided to post this as a Thanksgiving present (and if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, just consider this a normal chapter) even though I'm posting this thirty minutes before it's actually Thanksgiving, but whatever.

Hope you guys like the chapter, and sorry again for not updating until now!

'Til next update <3