Philocalist (n) - A lover of beauty; someone who finds and appreciates beauty in all things

 

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The castle grounds are filled with the clanking of swords against eachother and the heavy breathing of 30 soldiers. The prince among them, bears a smile on his face as he blocks another attack from his sparring partner. 

"You have to meet him. He is the most interesting person I have ever met." The prince says as he jumps away from being cut by the blade. "And his eyes are the most hypnotizing green I have ever seen. And his voice!" He throws himself forward, lunging for his partner. "It is a song, a melody that is stuck in my head." He doesn't see the foor his partner kicks forward, letting out a loud laugh when he hits the ground. He sighs as he looks up into the blue sky, letting his sword fall to the ground.

"You have known this guy for three days." Minho says as he leans on his sword. "You sound like you could write a book about his appearance." He chuckles.

"I should! Beauty like that should be written down in history! But I do not think I have the words to describe it." Jonghyun mumbles. 

"You are insane, my prince." Minho says and shakes his head, moving to sit beside him. "You sound like you are in love." He says more quietly, so only they can hear.

"I am in love with beauty, you know that! There is not a flower I can walk past without basking in it's glory. There is not a scenery I see that I can't help want to burn into my memory." Jonghyun rants, flailing his arms infront of him. 

"Yes, but you have never sounded more like a poet than today." Minho says and laughs. "It is most sickening." Jonghyun huffs, pouting to his friend. 

"Must you always ruin my mood, Minho?" He grumbles. 

"We are bestfriends, it is why I keep you around." Minho says and laughs. Jonghyun joins him, until a shadow looms over him. 

"I did not ask of you to join our training only for you to watch, your Highness." The man says with a huff. Minho scrambles to his feet, standing straight like a pole. 

"Good morning, General Yunho, doesn't the sky look beautiful today?" Jonghyun asks with a smile. "I must say, your soldiers are working very hard. I will surely report this to my father, to let him know of your good work." He says, and Yunho gives a small hopeful smile.

"Thank you, that would be very kind of you. Indeed." He says, almost flustered as he walks away. 

"The general loves hearing me gush about him to my father, the easiest way to get him off my back." Jonghyun says with a laugh. 

"My prince, can we continue our sparring?" Minho asks impatiently. 

"Relax, you toad, the weather is lovely, join me." Jonghyun says and pats the spot beside him. "I have more to tell you." 

"I would rather let General Yunho strike me with his sword." Minho says with a dramatic sigh. "I will get sick if I hear more about your mysterious beauty and his forest green eyes." He says as he imitates Jonghyun's voice. 

"Soon I will strike you with my sword." Jonghyun says with a glare. Minho only laughs at his threat. 

"You haven't won a fight with me since we were 6 years old." Minho says through his chuckles. 

"I will today." Jonghyun says as he stands, grabbing his sword and readying his stance. Minho smirks, raising his sword before lunging forward.

 

---

 

"Father!" Jonghyun runs to catch up with the King. 

"Yes?" Jaejoong mumbles, going through some documents the General had given him. 

"Are there any positions empty in the court?" Jonghyun asks, catching his breath when his father slows down.

"Why?" The king asks suspicious. 

"Kim Kibum, the traveler I met. He would like to work in the court." Jonghyun asks with a smile. 

"Ask my advicor, I don't know." Jaejoong answers, walking insie his office. Jonghyun follows, giving Yoochun a smile when he enters. 

"Your Highness, you must see this." Yoochun says, giving Jaejoong more documents, making the king groan. 

"Do you see, boy, being king is not a walk on roses. It involves messages and documents and too much reading. I need a break. Yoochun, will you call for Junsu to saddle my horse?" Jaejoong asks. 

"I will, your Highness." Yoochun says and walks out. Jonghyun quickly catches up with him in the halls. 

"Yoochun!" He shouts, making the royal advisor stop. 

"Yes, your Highness?" The man asks. 

"Are here any empty positions in the court? I have a friend that acquires work." Jonghyun asks with a hopeful smile.

Yoochun purses his lips, furrowing his brows as he thinks. "I believe Junsu mentioned it is very chaotic in the stables lately, maybe your friend could help him?" He says after a few seconds.

"Great!" Jonghyun says with a grin. "Thank you. I can deliver father's message to Junsu." He says before running off again towards the stables.

 

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"Lovebird, you spend too much time in your books and too little searching for your prince." Taemin says as he pops into Kibum's room. 

Kibum flinches at the sudden voice. "You frightened me, idiot." Kibum growls, throwing a pillow at the elf. 

"Hurtful words." Taemin says as he ducks. "After so many years, I really thought we would get along." Taemin says with a sigh. 

"After so many years, I would have thought you would get that message that you only annoy me." Kibum mumbles, going back to his book. 

"That is just something you say. In the end, you miss me when I disappear." Taemin says, hovering over his bed, looking down at the book with a bored expression. "Why do you insist on reading such soulsucking literature?" He asks with a sigh.

"It is educational." Kibum says, flipping the page. "I could teach you how to read, since it seems you have nothing else to do?" Kibum asks, looking up from the page to stare into Taemin's gleeming eyes. 

"Why would I want to read that?" Taemin asks with a grimace, but Kibum can see the curiousity in his eyes. Taemin moves, grabbing the book from Kibum's hands and sitting with his legs crossed like an indian. 

"You're holding it upside down." Kibum says with a chuckle. Taemin frowns, turning the book and staring at the page with a blank expression. 

"It made more sense upside down." Taemin mumbles. Before Kibum can utter another word, steps can be heard outside his door before someone knocks. 

"Recedo." Kibum says with a flick of his wrist, making Taemin disappear and catching the book in his hands before jumping off the bed. "Yes?" He asks as he walks to the door. 

"Open up." Kibum smiles at the excitement he can hear in Jonghyun's voice. He opens the door, letting the prince in. 

"What is it?" Kibum asks, seeing the grin on the prince's face.

"I found you work." Jonghyun says. Kibum's eyes widen. 

"Really?" Kibum asks.

"Yes, in the stables." Jonghyun says. Kibum tilts his head. Well, he would be closer to Indomitus, which will be good for him because the stallion doesn't like strange enviorments. And Kibum does like animals, and it's closer to the woods. 

"That would be lovely. Thank you, Your Highness." Kibum says and smiles. "Will I start tomorrow?" He asks.

"Yes." Jonghyun says and nods quickly. Kibum's smile grows when Jonghyun continues to stare without saying anything else. He chuckles at how easily the other can get lost in his thoughts.

"Your Highness?" Kibum asks with another chuckle. Jonghyun's eyes widen and he quickly shifts his eyes to the ground.

"I did it again, did I not?" Jonghyun mumbles.

"Yes, you did." Kibum says. "Well, if there was nothing else..." Kibum draws out the sentence, waiting for Jonghyun to say something. 

"Would you maybe...take a walk?" Jonghyun asks. 

"I would love to." Kibum says with a smile, he walks over to the table and grabs his cloak, pulling it over his shoulders. He follows Jonghyun down the stairs and into the gardens outside. The air is getting colder again, as the sun moves towards the horizon. Jonghyun takes him further than before, towards what he can only guess is the stables. 

A man steps out of the building, running a hand through his hair before he spots them walking towards him. "Ah, Your Highness." He says and bows his head.

"Hello, Junsu." Jonghyun says with a smile. 

"What do I owe the pleasure?" Junsu asks with a grin. 

"This is Kibum, the one I told you about. We have just come to check on the horses." Jonghyun says as he gestures to Kibum beside him, who bows his head. 

"Good evening." Junsu says. 

"You do not have to stay, if you are finished." Jonghyun says. 

"Thank you, your Highness." Junsu says before he disappears. Jonghyun moves to the door and opens it up, letting Kibum inside. He can hear the horses neighing as he walks past, looking for a spot of white between all the browns and blacks. 

Further down he sees his stallion, bringing a smile to his face. "Indomitus." He calls, the stallion neighs and moves closer, brushing against Kibum's outstretched hand. "I missed you, love." Kibum whispers, his mane. 

"It's a beautiful horse." Jonghyun says beside him, startling him. 

"Thank you." Kibum says softly. "Aranea is a beauty as well." He says as he looks at the booth beside them, where the black mare turns towards as she's called. Jonghyun smiles, opening up to the booth to walk closer. 

"Yes, she is." Jonghyun whispers, Aranea pressing her muzzle against his cheek. Kibum watches with a fond smile as the prince her lovingly, whispering to her as she neighs. "Would you like to take a ride?" Jonghyun asks.

"Yes, very much." Kibum says and nods, helping Jonghyn as he moves to the saddles. After a few minutes they're both on their horses, slowly heading outside. The sky is now a deep orange, almost pink at the edge of the treeline. "Are we allowed to ride this late?" Kibum asks. 

"Not really." Jonghyun says with a chuckle. Before Kibum can say that it may be a bad idea, Jonghyun gallops off towards the woods. 

"Run, Indomitus." Kibum whispers, and the stallion takes after the dark mare into the woods. 

 

---

 

Kibum can feel tears building in his eyes as the wind whips in his face, but he smiles as he hears the light laugh from the prince ahead. He's happy the prince is enjoying the woods, but he can't help look behind him to the castle getting smaller in the distance, and the trees getting darker the longer they run. The sun is setting, and with it, a dark feeling is settling in Kibum's soul. 

"Your Highness, I advice we ride back to the castle!" Kibum shouts as he makes Indomitus run up to Aranea.

"Why? We still have sunlight, and I do not mind riding in the moolight either!" Jonghyun says as he looks back, meeting Kibum's eyes. "What troubles you?" Jonghyun asks. 

"I do not know." Kibum answers and sighs. Jonghyun pulls the leashes, calming the mare down to slow into a trot beside Kibum's stallion. 

"You look frightened, tell me what you are thinking of." Jonghyun says. 

"It is nothing. Perhaps we can take a break, Indomitus looks tired." Kibum says as he the stallion's mane. Jonghyun nods in agreement and they both jump of the horses. Immidiately the woods feel quieter, the wind has settled with the sun, leaving them in twilight. "Will the servants not notice you are missing?" Kibum asks as they walk alongside the horses.

"They will, but they are used to my late adventures, they will not message my father unless I am gone till morning." Jonghyun says and shrugs. 

"For a prince, you are very against the royal ways." Kibum says, looking to the branches filled with woodland creatures. Unconciously he's wondering if Taemin has followed him, perhaps hiding in the shadows and waiting to pop out like he always does. 

"I am not against it, but I seek a life of freedom, not rules. I want to please my father, which is why I have agreed to take over the throne, but I will not change my life for the kingdom." Jonghyun explains.

"I think that is right of you." Kibum says softly. Jonghyun raises an eyebrow. 

"You do? I must say you are the first." Jonghyun says with a smile.

"You should live your life to the fullest while you are still young." Kibum says with a shrug. "I have been a traveler my whole life, freedom is a part of it, but it is also filled with rules." 

"How so?" Jonghyun asks, stopping in a clearing to let Aranea loose. 

"I am not tied to a place. People might say I follow where the wind takes me. But it is a lonely life. I make friends, then I never see them again." Kibum says with a sigh. "Which is why I want to change it. I want to stay, find a reason for me to grow roots to a place I might call home." He says, looking down into his hands. 

"You have a reason." Jonghyun says. Kibum looks up with wide eyes, wondering if the prince knows about his attachment to him. "You have a job, you can not just quit after your first day, that would be rude." Jonghyun says and grins. Kibum lets out a startled laugh, only widening the prince's grin. A comfortable silence falls over them, Jonghyun sitting down on a rock by the clearing as Kibum lets go of Indomitus' leash, the stallion quickly running over to the mare. "My father used to take me out to the woods when I was a little boy." Kibum turns to look at the thoughful look on Jonghyun's face as he looks at the night sky. "He loves to ride, and would take me with him on long journeys to other kingdoms." He smiles. "But now that he is getting older he is too worried over giving me the throne to be my father." His smile falls slightly.

"That is not true." Kibum argues. "He is just busy. You will probably understand when you are king." He says. "Now, I do enjoy the woods, but may we ride back now?" Kibum asks, looking over his shoulders. He doesn't know what he is expecting, but it's not good. 

"Are you scared of the dark?" Jonghyun asks with a smirk. Kibum rolls his eyes. 

"No, but I am scared of your father being mad that we are in the woods late at night." Kibum says as he walks slowly over to the white stallion. He can hear the prince sigh behind him and standing up to walk to the mare.

"Fine, only because you asked so nicely." Jonghyun says with a grin. Kibum holds back the want to roll his eyes again, not knowing if he enjoys the prince's flirtatious behavior or is annoyed by it. 

"Ready to run back?" Kibum whispers as he the stallion, hearing Jonghyun jumping up in his saddle. 

But before Kibum can move to saddle up, he hears a rustling in the trees, to large to be a bird. He stops, turning quickly with narrowed eyes. The dark feeling deep inside has only grown stronger. Only a second later he sees something glinting in the trees, and an arrow whooshes through the air and plants deeply into the ground infront of them. Kibum holds the startled stallion down with the leash as he moves to the mare. "RUN ARANEA!" He says as he hits her back to frighten her into running. He can see Jonghyun turning with wide eyes as he disappears into the woods again. Kibum takes a deep breath before turning to where the arrow had come from, a cold glare in his eyes. "Creo ventus." He growls, raising his hand towards the tree as a strong wind rushes past him, knocking the stranger off the branch in the tree. He can hear the scream and the crash as the body hits the ground, and then an angry shout as more dark figures appear. 4 figures, covered in black cloaks and with different weapons jump into the clearing. Kibum scowls, feeling the blood boil over the audacity to even challenge him. "POENA!" He shouts, feeling a shock run through his body like a lightning bolt. The 4 figures flinch before howling in pain, falling to the ground as they twist and turn in agony. Kibum straightens up, walking slowly over to Indomitus and whispering calming words over the screaming. Once the sound gets on his nerve, he walks over to the 4 bodies on the ground. "Obliviscor." He whispers softly as he flicks his wrist over them, the screaming dying down into silence. Before the attackers can wake up, Kibum walks over to his stallion and calmly rides away.

 

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Lol, I love fight scenes, at least when people don't even have to do anything. Kibum is a BAMF!

 

I hope you liked the chapter, please leave a comment down below to let me know what you think!!

 

List of names and incantations:

Creo ventus - Make wind (Latin)

Poena - Pain, punishment (Latin)

Obliviscor - Forget (Latin)

 

Thanks bye

chu~~