Chapter 15: “Whilst they are our friends”

Important!: This chapter will be in five different perspectives (in proper order: Seohyun, Kyuhyun, Yoona, Changmin, Kibum) so your attention might be diverted likewise. I’ve never tried switching perspectives before especially within a certain chapter. It gets me confused a lot because I lose track of the plot, that’s how slow I am, but I do hope you like this one because I like how it turned out (tell me because it’s my first time doing it) and it would definitely would be the last one having multiple perspectives. Oh, and I’ve added some parts in Chapter 14 (after the AFF shutdown, the chapter magically disappeared, and I already received so much comments for it! Tsk. ) so it’s best you read from there too. Le gasp, first person perspective---why am I always challenged to do you in?

On the sidenote, there are a lot of Kyuhyun/Victoria moments here as well as Yoona/Kibum ones but be reminded that they are just some of a few of the pairings I consider to be very close, AU or not, that is why I enjoy writing them (ship them). Like an OT3 but not really an OT3: SeoKyuToria or ChangYoonBum WARNING: A VERY LONG AND CONFUSING CHAPTER.

SEOHYUN

Darkness envelopes the universe, a universe I have seen along with my sister where we let the lanterns fly into the air and light up the whole world. But right now, it is blank as the starless sky, so is my sight. I cannot see, therefore, everything to me is darkness. Yet in this darkness I can still hear the outside world as they gossip more about our family’s secret past, about my mother’s ability in witchcraft, about my brother who is still missing up to this day. I can still smell the stench of blood along the way, even in the castle walls in Byungmi, and the inappropriate ways of the townspeople. I can feel fire and ice, a stronger notion of desire and disregard. To me the world will always begin as so, out of passion for things and out of hatred for it, because I see no light, not one.

Until he comes unexpectedly, and I can’t even put my finger to it. I feel more blessed and more aware, that it is not merely black and white, but the grays in between as well. I can still feel, even without my eyes, and my desire of wanting more increases for a reason I cannot ever understand. I never tell him this, for I fear he will laugh at me. He is older than me, of course, so I am frightened that he will think small of me, like how other people do, especially in the palace. Seohyun does this without complain, she does it with grace--- I am never acted upon with the so-called disregard for they see perfection, such a frail princess they will often discuss. Frail and easily broken like a vase, that is their conception of me. I hate this. I despise this idea all the more that I am thought of being insignificant, perfect but insignificant!

Yet, with him, with Kyuhyun, it’s all different. He treats me differently, a purpose I still don’t know. A princess still, but he delibrately allows me to do anything  I want when he comes to visit, and that is somehow what makes him very likeable. I like Kyuhyun and I believe it is no longer in the level of friendship but so much more. He is there to protect me but allows me to break rules, either for his or my sake I don’t know either. I love the way he laughs and takes my hand randomly, presses it when he greets me, a signature greeting I always know that is why when my unnie Yoona hold my hand as I stir awake from the dark sleep, I bolt upright in wonder.

“Kyuhyun?”

“Seohyun? Unnie’s here,” Yoona starts and the more I frown. She tightly gives my hand another squeeze, a sign I take as his alone, as Kyuhyun’s alone. “You’re back in the palace. Kibum told me everything, about you accidentally falling tired from hiking in the woods that you fainted! It’s not an every day task, you know, especially for a princess so I suggest you rest for a little while. I tried it once and I don’t think I’ll survive it---”

Kibum lies for all of us not to get scolded. A savior in sheep’s clothing. Yoona does not know what kind of hiking we have been through.

“Yah...” I softly spoke, trying to recall the events now in the island. “Kyuhyun-oppa, where is he? Where is Kyuhyun-oppa?”

“Ssh,” my unnie whispers, running her hands through my hair. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

“But where is he?” My voice has grown impatient and I can feel Yoona pulling away in startle. I know then she is biting her lips, almost like keeping something from me. “Tell me where is he and how come I don’t remember getting back on the ship and being brought back here? How come---”

“Seohyun.”

 Kibum’s voice interrupts at once, very much likely wishing to keep my mouth shut. “You’re very tired. You can’t anymore distinguish a dream from what we’ve been through. It is best you sleep.”

I sigh, letting it pass. He likes to lie these days, I have noticed now and I have nothing else to do since I am the one who forced him that I go along the adventure.

I clear my throat, still growing impatient. “But where is he?”

“Yoona, it will be rude of me to say this but I think I heard Changmin calling you from his study,” Kibum begins and I can feel my sister getting off the bedside and on to the floor. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep Seohyun in company for the moment.”

My sister sighs. “That grown man! I will be back, Seohyun.” And the door slams right after her.

I feel weary of getting no answers to this, until Kibum, his footsteps echoing, turns to the other side of the room and stops by my the bedside table. To no surprise at all, my hands are quick as any arrow I throw and I then grab my ring, which I also do not know was actually lying by the so-called table. I really have no idea, like some instinct, a very strong one, forces me to get a hold of it or something unspeakable might happen. My ring has never been separated from me, in any way or another, only when I sleep because it gives you the more nightmares if you sleep with it.

“Kyuhyun’s back in his own home, resting as well,” Kibum explains to me and I feel relieved for it. “He fainted just after you did.”

“Thank you,” I reply, getting uncomfortable. I do know Prince Kibum is a friend, and he is really charming to be with--- always takes care of you, sets rules though and makes sure well enough you do not break them. He has this temper, only with Kyuhyun and me but for the rest, especially for my unnie Yoona, he has the calmest soul.

“It’s only fair that you answer my questions as I have answered yours.”

Now that I do notice it, I can sense what Prince Changmin has always been saying about the unknown prince. I am growing suspicious with his actions, the way he seems to be at times hidden, at times talkative. I can’t understand sometimes his tone of speaking, and it frightens me a little.

“Seohyun-ah,” he strikes a conversation and I sit up at once. He travels to the other end of the room again as I tie the ring around my neck. “Will be it okay if you tell me more about that ring of yours?”

“This ring?” I ask, still holding it. “What about it?”

“Anything,” he replies. “Anything perhaps. It makes me wonder how come you don’t let go of it, and Yoona seems to be very protective of it as well.”

“The ring is magical,” I at once blurt, unsure anymore. “I mean... it is a present from mother. She gives us these rings that are so very powerful. It is said that when someone tries to steal it or when it falls in the hands of another, they get hurt by it. Unnie has proven this multiple times already with her friends.”

Kibum approaches me now, more slowly I can hear the footsteps. “What else, Seohyun-ah?”

“It gives you nightmares if you wear it when you sleep,” I tell him. “That’s why we take it off. I assume unnie took it off me just before I woke up. I was having bad blank dreams again.”

“The vividness of these nightmares...” Kibum does not seem to stop with the interrogation. “How are they? Do they seem real?”

“My nightmares are more different than my unnie’s own,” I say, recalling Yoona’s own stories. “Sometimes mine are losing mother all the time or disappointing father. Yoona-unnie’s dreams are...well, repeating itself over and over when she wears that ring. It’s far too strong, the image of our lost brother being taken away. Unnie hates these nightmares which are pretty much the same as the other one.”

“Would that mean the ring is playing with you? Would that mean it knows your fears? Would that mean the ring is choosing certain events in life or certain events in the near future to be playing itself in your dreams? Don’t you think it is a bit odd that if this ring really is ought to protect you, why is it showing you all of these bad things?”

Such an intellectual young man, not the ordinary one you usually meet and that he really does sound like he has been studying our rings for quite some time now. “I’m sorry I won’t be able to answer that. I just know about the consequences if ever we are to break them.”

“What are the consequences, Seohyun-ah?”

 I bite my lip with that slip of the tongue and turn away from him, mother inside me feeling betrayed all of a sudden. I know it by heart, like a piece of poetry, and it is from the moment I am able to read, I instantly force myself to memorize these words that Yoona-unnie also know.

“The ring is sacred. That the ring is a representation of mother and her love for us that she sacrificed herself to protect us and conjured up these for our safety from dark magic. That the ring is the sign, if ever we locate our lost brother. That the ring if ever stolen, will no longer be of use to the thief, and he will suffer for all eternity for taking it away. That the ring can only be passed on if given up completely by the owner. That if ever we are separated far too long from these rings without meaning to, we shall not live as long as planned out by destiny, and thus early death. The ring is vulnerable and can be stolen if the owner is unconscious...” I stop before feeling my tummy turn. “Which is why I do not let go of my ring. I do remember holding it before I fainted back in the island. I must protect it, as it protects me. It is my life.”

There is that odd silence in the room; Prince Kibum as silent as the night now I feel wavering into my room through the window.

“Do you know what it is made of Seohyun-ah?” he questions after a pause.

I do my best to remember the rest of Yoona-unnie’s lectures. “As rare as a dragon’s scale, as strong as iron, as precious as gold, and as powerful as the elixir of youth.”

“All right!” He claps his hands, running to me and holding me by my shoulders. I can feel his excitement running through his hands and crossing over to my own arms, a full blast of energy streams inside, my heart pumping very very swift. “That’s it, Seohyun-ah! That’s it! If it’s as powerful as the elixir of youth, we can use the ring to get your eyes back!”

“What?” To be honest, just when I am done clearing the glass, he goes blur it with snow and I am no longer sure if that metaphor also makes sense.

“The elixir of youth in five days,” Kibum says excitedly. “The witch wants something in return to fix your eyes. She asked for the elixir of youth but... we don’t have that because it no longer exists. We can use your ring in exchange for that! She can make use of whatever she can with it, so long as she returns eyes. We can get back before you leave for Byungmi, and by then when we come back, you will be able to see. Oh won’t Yoona be so proud of us!”

He pats my back before I can speak up and gets up, turning towards the door. “I will tell her at once about this so she can come too. She must not miss this oppurtunity!”

Has he not heard me right when he made me recite that laws about the ring being sacred? I recite it like a good student and he goes around to ruin it. Does he not know that if I were to be separated from the ring, I shall die early? What good will my eyes do if I will not live too long to serve Byungmi like a good ruler?

The plan is flawed in every corner I analyze it and I be the judge to Kibum and his lying, but this is just insane--- the worst.

KYUHYUN

“He’s waking up. Oh goodness, Kyuhyun!”

Now Qian’s voice is oftentimes the loudest, and I am immune to her. What causes me to stir up is when I see auntie pulling a piece of cold cloth over my forehead. I take it off and sit up straight, realizing I’m back home, on my own mat. Nichkhun is to my side, still giving me those dark glares as he has ever since we were in the island. And it isn’t just him who does it back then, that sad excuse of a prince we all know as Kibum is just as trouble as spelled.

I find Victoria hogging all the space and air possible for consumption that Nichkhun, the hyung, moves his arm and prevents Qian from getting too close. Is it just me or is Nichkhun all in all easily jealous of me and Qian? Perhaps, nobody notices it, between uncle and auntie and along with the other people from the docks, I believe Nichkhun really has this special something for Victoria.

“How long have I been...dead?”

“Two to three hours,” answers Nichkhun and I see Victoria scowling at him. “After we got off from the port. If you count including the travel, around five.”

I rub my head and sit up, auntie putting me back down. “Your fever is still quite high.”

“Seohyun...” I say instantly, looking into my friends’ eyes. “Seohyun, where is she? How is she?”

“She’s back in her own bed. In the palace, safe and sound,” Victoria at once crosses her arms to answer.  “Where she belongs.”

I feel my heart grow heavier with it, the words from my best friend, and the words from the witch back in the island. If that division of classes is so strong, then why has fate brought us together? What makes mortals like Qian and immortals like the witch know of what our hearts beat? Seohyun is in love with me, I know that from the moment we danced--- and she knows how much I am reciprocating the same emotions. I do not understand all the more, these roads we have to get through together, roads less travelled by and roads mostly seen. I love her, and my heart shouts her name every second we are apart. I love Seohyun, and not Victoria, nor Nichkhun, nor that little Kibum shall get in the way. I will have to make means through it, even when my life depends on it. I just had to---

“You’re not in love with her.” I can’t help but snap at the speaker. Nichkhun gives me a very crude face.

Victoria has left us, and so has my aunt, which leaves me to deal with my brother, or supposed to be brother, who is in fact my cousin. He has been there for me, like Victoria, and I do love Nichkhun. It is just that he is a prick. A very annoying son of a---

I give him a smile, cheeky and almost like a grin. “What do you know?”

“I do know for a fact that she will have a betrothed someday,” he answers plainly. “A betrothed that will love her.”

I cough mockingly. “I am i