Chapter 2: “Don't feel bad for me, if you understand my tears”

“Good morning!”

Groggily, he opened his eyes, in faint attempt to recognize the voice that greeted him. He stirred upright, seeing the same girl annoying him these past few days, and with that, abruptly heaved up his pillow and hit her with it on the face.

“Go home, Qian!” he shouted at her, shaking his head. He noticed that his hyung, well, cousin that is, entered the room, already prepared to work at the docks that day and he had that smug smile on his face like it was all right to have a girl inside the room.

“Nichkhun! How could you let this...creature inside?”

The other man, leaning against the wall, started chuckling, approaching them with two cups of milk. Kyuhyun gladly accepted his, crossing his legs as he drank it at once.

“That’s no way to treat a lady,” Khun reprimanded, also sitting in between his cousin and Victoria. “Umma said I make you milk.”

Victoria giggled, her tongue out at Kyuhyun. “See, you should be more like your cousin.”

He imitated her accented Korean, the way she spoke it was the worst even to those beginners. “Do you want me to be as boring as Khun?”

His cousin shook his head, grinning. “I’m not boring.”

“You’re right. You’re not,” Kyuhyun answered quickly, finishing the milk before giving another remark. “You’re unexciting.”

Victoria laughed, received a high-five from Kyuhyun. The other man glared at each, holding his finger out. “You evil little children.”

“Acting all adult again just because he’s 18,” Kyuhyun told him off. “Victoria’s older than you.”

Nichkhun smiled, clapping his hands. “That’s right! Omo, I almost forgot. Happy Birthday, Victoria-sshi!” He placed his hand on her head, ruffling her often-neat hair.

She beamed vibrantly at Nichkhun, lowering her head in thanks. “Thank you, Nichkhun!” She turned to the other boy, just staying still and eyeing her in a revolted manner.

“Well?”

“Well what Victoria...noona?” he teased, getting a frustrated Qian to get up and chase after him. Running as quick as he could, Kyuhyun didn’t escape the girl, pinning him down to the floor with her strong arms.

She was far powerful than what other people expect, than what her frail appearance suggested. The two cousins discovered that through the years they had been spending time together---climbing trees, playing by the cliff and sneaking into ships by the port. They met Victoria three years before Kyuhyun fell off the cliff, before he had lost his complete childhood memory---must be when Khun and Kyuhyun were 7 years old. She came by the large ships, along with her family from the big land called China and they became traders in town. But as business was harsh on her parents, her father left her, so she grew up with her mother who was a dressmaker.

When they were 13, Victoria found a job by the docks, along with the cousins, carrying trunks of fresh fishes to the market in exchange for money; they were paid with a very deserving price. Being a woman, she was hardly pushed to do so, instead, she would get to access their boats and do counting. Qian would insist, because it was much more fun working with the boys.

Kyuhyun pushed her backward, Victoria falling back on her ---both laughing their hearts out. Nichkhun was surprised at this, hurriedly picking up the woman who was still excessively giggling.

“Happy birthday, Qian!” Kyuhyun greeted, standing up and opening his arms. Victoria ran to him, even while Nichkhun was tightly holding her wrist. She gave him a strong hug, Kyuhyun patting her back nonchalantly.

“Let’s have dinner outside tonight,” Victoria suggested, looking back and turning to Nichkhun who was awkwardly staring at his shoes while the two were together. She smiled in encouragement, knowing that Khun would love that idea too. “All three of us.”

His face brightened a little pink perhaps, but his eyes were beaming. “I’d love that. But...where?”

“Hmm, I know a pretty good place,” Kyuhyun said, moving away from Victoria. “It’s...costly but I’ve saved a few of my earnings.”

“You’ll do that...for me?” Qian’s eyes glimmered, as Kyuhyun nodded in reply. “Goodness! That’s...that’s...just too much, Kyuhyun-sshi.”

Nichkhun sighed, grinning as he placed an arm over his cousin. “I know. So I’ll have to in and give up my savings too.”

“But....but...tomorrow’s your birthday,” Victoria added, still uncaring about Khun and more guilty for exposing the Kyuhyun to her ideas.

Kyuhyun chuckled his usual laugh. “Then, you pay me back.”

“The prince is returning today, right?” Nichkhun redirected the topic. “With the next queen of Sangdokchi, right? I heard she’s from Byungmi.”

“Outsider?” Victoria looked at him curiously. “Prince Changmin should have just chosen someone from Sangdokchi, even when she’s not a princess.”

“Byungmi?” Kyuhyun asked him, Khun knowing that he’d be interested. “You mean from that town across ours?”

Nichkhun smiled. “The wedding’s this Saturday. Why don’t we all go? After all, I think the Prince won’t mind, right? It’s impossible to think that there are loads of royalties when there are only 7 nations. They can’t finish all the food.”

“But don’t they have like an invitation or a pass strictly for his majesties?” Victoria countered. “Plus, I bet it’s not just within the Southern Division. What if they also invite other leading villages from other countries, then wouldn’t that be a problem?”

Kyuhyun stood up, getting himself another idea. He approached his side of the room, hurriedly opening his trunk, cobwebs sticking by its lid. Made out of wood, the trunk had been in Kyuhyun’s possession since he was a baby, and ever since then, all his clothes were kept in here. He caught the other two’s attention, silent after he pulled out a hat, along with the gloves and boots.

“Aren’t those from...the opera house you stole from when we were younger?” Nichkhun pointed, remembering them. Kyuhyun nodded, putting on the vest and all the other items, slipping into them as if they were his. Now that he was bigger than he was seven years ago, he looked very formal, as Kyuhyun picked up his sword, the only one he has, the one received from his uncle last Christmas.

Finally, he concluded his dress-up with a mask, his eyes through the holes and an obvious smirk to his best friends.

“Let’s play pretend.”

Victoria’s smile brightened the whole room. “I’ll ask mother to sew us newer clothes, then. This will be exciting.”

From downstairs, they could hear Nichkhun’s mother banging a casserole with a wooden ladle probably, and thus calling their attention for breakfast. Qian and Kyuhyun, eyeing each other, moved swiftly towards the door, racing like little children---leaving Khun behind as he picked up the mask Kyuhyun left on the floor.

“I really feel like I’m the only one acting my age here.”

-_-_-_-

“Good morning.”

It was his first time to wake up in this village, and for the first time, he couldn’t smell the ocean by the window, only meeting the tall gates of the palace and the roofs of the middleclass men’s homes. His eyes travelled to the girl standing beside him, still wearing her nightgown and her hair loosely hanging on her shoulders. He couldn’t put it how his memory played with him. When he was around seven, he and Yoona usually talked to each other---during special gatherings where their fathers meet up. It must be because they were both the firstborns in the family and the holders of the future generation.

He sighed wearily, staring now outside the tall windowpane. “Good morning.”

“Did you sleep well?”

He smiled sociably now rather than being very aloof like last night. “Yes, quite a good sleep.”

“Do you miss your kingdom?”

“We’re leaving today,” Changmin revealed and of course, she had known this. She nodded in understanding, advancing towards the man as she tried to gaze at the sunrise as well.

She cleared . “Do...you do this often?”

“Do what?” he asked her, questioning the reason for her talkativeness.

“Stand by the window and watch the sky, how often?” she wondered eagerly, as though it really would interest her, as though it had anything to do with her. She smiled when Changmin’s expression changed to irritation.

He twisted his lips, looking at the still horizon. “Why are you concerned all of a sudden?”

“So I can watch the sky with you,” Yoona answered casually, making Changmin turn to her in shock. She eyed him with an unpretentious smile, the ones that could make any man wonder why.

His face was impassive, eyes cowering almost from the hair fringes that touched them. “Don’t,” and Changmin turned his back on her.

“Wait, I---”

The prince stopped at his pace, couldn’t resist due to his princely manners and well-rounded background that he turned, approaching Yoona again quietly. “I said don’t.” Changmin smiled at her confidently. “The wedding will be this Saturday and by the time you turn twenty, the crown will be handed over.”

Yoona bit her lip, sadly lowering her head. “You make me feel ridiculous. I’m only doing my best to know you more.”

“If you do that, you’ll lose our deal. You can’t fall in love with me remember? Getting to know me will get you...attracted,” he reminded her. “You are expected to leave today with me, along with your sister. There will be time for that ‘knowing’ once you move in with me in the palace. You are to stay in Sangdokchi whether you like it or not. I assume you studied about our kingdom.”

“Water Village,” Yoona miserably answered him. “Sangdokchi is considered to be the twin village of Byungmi, that’s why our bond was already expected since birth. It would be because in history, it said that Byungmi and Sangdokchi make up one big island, only the latter was exposed to the sea because it was lower in land formation. That’s why Byungmi is full of tress, because our elevation is higher than that of Sangdokchi. When a huge earthquake shook the earth, the two were divided, and cliffs were formed at the peaks. It has been possible now to cross thanks to the strong Baekham Bridge.”

Impressed with her history, he just nodded. “Very good. Have you packed your things?”

She yawned. “Yes, a little.”

“You seem sleepy,” Changmin noticed, turning his back now and heading for the stairs once more. “Get some rest. It’s a six-hour travel to Sangdokchi you know.”

She shook her head, following the prince down the staircase, who was ahead almost by twenty steps. “I’m too excited of seeing the village, actually. That’s why I can’t sleep.”

He smirked. “You’ll regret it.”

“I have a question, though,” Yoona interacted more, slowly going down the stairs, Changmin uncaring. “Is it true that sorcerers and witches live in Sangdokchi?”

“You’re so immature, Yoona,” Changmin told her, as they passed by another long hallway to the dining area. “Those exist but we banished them to another island far from Sangdokchi, almost in the middle of the ocean.”

“Why? Why did you that?” she nearly shouted in shock.

The man stared at her surprisingly, wondering what in the world had gotten into Yoona for her to act so violent about freaks. Did she know about how powerful these creatures were? Didn’t she read about wizardry when she was younger? For crying out loud, was she unaware that one look even from a young untrained warlock could kill a mere mortal like her?

“Because they cause havoc. We don’t want more mess when Dongsook invades our town.”

“But I need to see one,” Yoona complained. “Are you sure all are banished away?”

He stopped, turning to her with a glare. “Yah, what is wrong with you?”

The young princess, not wanting to involve Changmin into her personal problems, shook her head, running away from him. “It’s...nothing.” She lowered her head, moving passed the speechless prince, and heading back towards her quarters. She had to think of another way in getting back Seohyun’s eyes, if only those sorcerers didn’t disappear. Yoona just had to.

He sighed when she left, shaking his head in dismay and muttered, “I’ll be very unfortunate for the rest of my life.”

-_-_-_-

Lengthening to the floor, the pastel dress made her feel very womanly, and her bust area was embroidered with the most gorgeous laces. She wore her hat now, tying the end of the ribbon by her chin, as she stared at the open.

Well, this was it. A knock came from her door; she turned and requested the visitor