It started off as a small flame burning at the hem of her black dress and slowly made it’s way up to her thighs. That’s when she noticed the smoke and when she looked down to check her body, a scream erupted from her, shocking the audience. Laughter bubbled out from me as I set the other side of her dress on fire, too.

“OH MY GOD! HELP ME! SOMEBODY!” She screamed frantically, flapping her hands wildly in the air. “FIRE, FIRE!”

“Guards! Put out the fire and call the Royal Physician!” the King ordered as servants swarmed forward, crowding around her. “Miss Kay, try to relax.” The King said.

“Look at her, pathetic,” I laughed as she cried. Damn, I was so evil.

“Princess, I think you should stop – ” Daehyun panicked beside me, not sure if he should go up and help her.

“It’s not like I will burn her to death, Dae. It’s just a small flame. Relax. Sit back and watch a show,” I smirked and wished for a popcorn and a movie chair to manifest in front of me now as I enjoyed.

The other guards led the guests back to the guests’ hall and told them to remain silent whereas they deal with the problem with Miss Kay. All went well when the shout of my name rippled above all noises. “JI EUN!”

“Oh crap.” I muttered. It was Baekhyun and he didn’t look happy. Not an ounce. His eyes twisted into something much more darker and all the love that he held for me once, before, has diminished.  What?

He descended down the steps and advanced towards me, brows knitted and for the first time he looked scary. Like really scary and foreign. Panic clawed against my chest. Without a word he grabbed my wrists and tugged me forward, back onto the stage where the flame was starting to become bigger, burning her sides.

“Stop the fire, now.” He hissed.

“It – it wasn’t me,” I lied.

“Oh shut up and just get the fire off me! Baekhyun oppa it was her, I swear,” Kay shrieked, tears falling down her cheeks as the servants struggled to put away the magic fire.

Baekhyun stepped in front of me and took hold of my shoulders, digging his fingers painfully into my shoulders. “Stop it, Ji Eun. I know it’s you. I recognize the colour of your flame. Please just stop the fire, now.”

“Baekhyun…” I breathed. “You’re scaring me.”

His eyes flickered for a second but steeled back at me, like I was the enemy and that Kay girl was his lover. He is protecting her instead of defending me, his wife. Either there’s something wrong with me or something is going between them that I don’t know about.

 My heart clenched and I slowly released the Fire.

“Let go,” I ordered, my voice cracking a little. Tears were threatening to fall but I held them back. Not in front of Baekhyun and my grandfather. Not ever in front of this Kay . No. Baekhyun let go of my shoulders which no doubt two blue-blacks were formed on it already. Everything seemed wrong in this moment and I questioned myself whether I was dreaming. Maybe this is a dream. A nightmare.

But when I looked at how Baekhyun rushed back to Kay and helped her up, I knew that this was just as real as I set Kay’s stupid dress on fire. “I didn’t even burn her skin and yet he bruised mine.” I whispered.

Maybe Baekhyun is acting like this because my grandfather is there and other people are here. Yes, maybe. I convinced myself, slowly backing away and into my black hole.

**

“Princess, it’s dinner time,” Daehyun came into my room carrying a bowl of noodles in his hands. Behind him emerged the other wolves all holding different foods and I swear they looked fantabulous in aprons.

Sitting up from my bed, I chuckled lightly. “What? You guys can cook?” Oh gosh, my voice was terrible. That’s what happened when I cry for so long.  How many hours was it? Four? Five? I don’t remember.

Daehyun and the boys put the bowls on the table. “We learnt it during our training, your highness. Come, dig in before the food turns cold.” With my wobbly legs, I stood up and sauntered to the table, sitting down on the chair that YoungJae pulled out for me.

“Thank you.”

I picked my chopsticks up and played with the noodles. My appetite was long gone but I felt bad not eating Daehyun’s food. “Where’s he?” I croaked. Don’t cry, don’t cry, and don’t cry.

“Baekhyun is with Miss Kay. They are having dinner.” Daehyun replied. Silence enveloped the room. But a second later, lightning flashed followed by the boom of the thunder. “Crap, it’s about to pour, we have to help the Palace set up the lightning alarm. Please continue eating, your highness, we’ll be right back.”

Silently, the six wolves exited my room and I heard my door shut close.  I put the chopsticks down and slouched against the chair. It’s been barely a day and so many things happened. One moment Baekhyun was all ‘I miss you thing’ and now he’s giving me the ‘you’re a , I hate you.’ Oh gosh, it hurts when he did that to me.

It hurts more than it was supposed to be.

What is going on?

Did Baekhyun has his reasons when he acted like this in front of me? I bet he does have it because he won’t act like that without a reason. He won’t hurt me without a reason. This guy that saved me countless of times, actually hurt me because of another girl. He’s not that kind of guy. He’s not.

I stood up, pushing the chair with the back of my knees and rushed out of my room. I jogged down the useless hallway, gaining speed with each step I took. The hallway was pretty quiet as all the guards were outside, trying to set up the lightning alert. It seems like the rain is going to be heavy today.

Yeah, like my mood.

Nearing the dining hall, I heard laughter and shouts.

“Kay noona! Let’s versus each other one more time!”

“Kay noona is tired, let her rest!”

“Lay hyung, you’re so mean. I bet she wants to play with me, right pretty noona?”

“No! You’re wrong Sehun, she wants to play with me!”

“Oh my gosh! Why are you snatching noona away from me, Baozi hyung?!”

“Guys – “

I pushed the door opened and found all the EXO boys gathered in front of the television playing Kinect, the new human game that the humans invented.  All of them crowded around Kay who was laughing heartedly and even Baekhyun, too. Sitting beside her, I watched as Baekhyun gave her cookies to eat as she played the game and even smoothed her hair when it blocked her view.

Without me knowing, tears started to leak from my eyes again and I couldn’t breathe. The room in there felt too stuffy, too hot for me to handle. I pulled back and let the door close with a loud bang, intended for the boys to hear and maybe find that I was here. Leaning against the door, I clutched my chest, forcing myself to take calm breaths.

Why does it hurt so much to know the truth?