“I win!” Yifan cheered as his horse slowed to a halt a few meters before the edge of the Mofa Forest. Behind him, his friends were catching their breaths.

Yixing dimpled at him, making his heart race as he reached a hand up to wipe at his sweaty brow. “Well done, Yifan.”

The crown prince practically glowed at the praise and use of his name.

“You guys are too fast!” Joonmyun panted as he deepened his seat and his horse slowed to a halt, sweat foaming its withers.

“We must hurry or they will leave us behind.” Jongin gasped as they caught up with them.

Yifan nudged his horse into a hurried trot as they entered the forest. The whistling wind seemed to die immediately the moment they stepped into the forest, covering them in eerie silence.

“Hurry along child!” One of the lords at the back of the party yelled out to the prince and his friends who were staring around them in awe.

“The forest is a dangerous place to wander off!” Another lord chimed in.

Yifan clicked his tongue and his horse trotted forward. His friends hurried close behind him. “Is it always this quiet in the forest?” he enquired, leaning forward to communicate with the man in front of him so as not to disturb the silence surrounding them.

The man laughed boisterously. “The forest is temperamental young man! It is the only place in the kingdom that contains traces of the magic that used to cloak our kingdom. Rumour has it that the draiochtae still live within its borders.”

Yifan frowned at the mention of the magical blood.

“Oh don't speak nonsense Minho. They have already died out. Don't frighten the boy with your silly notions.” Another lord joined their conversation, eyes narrowed.

“The prince is courageous. I'm sure he will not be frightened at the mere mention of magic. Besides how do you know they have died out, Key? How then do you explain the disappearance of the first born prince?” The man named Minho chuckled and nudged his horse closer to Yifan’s.

“The prince died of crib death! The regents announced it on the day of his christening,” Key retorted, colour seeming to drain from his face.

“So they say," Minho said. "How do you know they are not trying to conceal the truth? There was no body, and at the funeral, the coffin was sealed.”

Key’s expression turned serious. “Be silent Minho and watch your words. The King forbids the talk of magic. You will do well to remember that.” With that, the two lords nudged their horses away from the prince and towards the hunting party a little ways ahead of them.

Yifan’s brow crinkled as he tried to remember what Henry had told him about his older brother. He had heard of him before, the boy who would have inherited the throne but died of crib death the night before his christening. He had never given the story much thought, choosing to believe exactly as he was told. But he had never seen a portrait of his brother. The only thing he knew of him was his name, Luhan.

 

“What are you thinking so hard about, Your Highness?” Yixing said.

Yifan groaned, snapped out of his thought process. “I thought we were on first name basis already, Xing.”

The advisor smiled placatingly as he sidled up beside the prince. “Get used to it. When you are king, everyone would call you by your title.”

“Not if I asked them to call me by name.”

Yixing raised his eyebrows as he gathered his reins. “True.” He turned from the prince’s side and followed after the hunting party. “Come along now, we aren't to wander off on our own.”

“What do you know of my brother, Yixing?” Yifan asked as they rode along the trodden path. Ahead of them, Joonmyun was bantering with Zitao and Jongin, too far to hear their conversation.

Yixing raised his eyebrows, “Your brother?”

Yifan nodded. “Luhan.”

Yixing started, hands jerking at the reins. His horse snorted softly and he lowered his hands, reaching down to pat his shoulder gently, whispering apologies. “What of him?” he answered, schooling his face into a disinterested expression.

“I heard some lords talking about him just now. One of them suspects that my brother might still be alive.”

Yixing bit his lip, uneasiness pooling in his stomach. The first born prince was a sensitive subject and everyone in the palace knew that they should avoid the topic. “I doubt your parents would lie about their son’s death. Besides, it is not wise to speak of this out here. You don't know who might be listening.” He started to turned his horse away but Yifan blocked him.

“You know something, don't you?” Yifan whispered.

Yixing clicked his tongue and his horse moved into a trot. “No more than you do. I never knew you were so interested in history. Perhaps you should ask Henry or your parents.”

The crown prince frowned, unsatisfied with the answer he got from his best friend. They've never had secrets, Yixing and him. No matter how impersonal Yixing tried to act around him, it did not detract from the fact that they shared their childhood together and he knew him like the back of his hand. All his life he had taken the information about his brother like a pill to be swallowed, medicine to be taken without question but the lord’s words made him start to doubt. Could his brother be alive after all? So little was told to him about his brother and the topic was always quickly passed and was shrouded in mystery.

 

He was so deep in thought that he missed Yixing’s call until Zitao was right next to him, leg bumping into his as they rode alongside each other. “Is something the matter?” Zitao asked, ignoring Yixing's cry for them to hurry up.

Yifan glanced at Zitao and shook his head. “No nothing, just thinking about some stuff.”

“The hounds have scented something and you guys need to hurry up before we get left behind!” Jongin yelled as the horses in the front broke into a canter, following closely behind the bloodhounds.

 

-

 

Luhan raced through the undergrowth, his heart pounding. How could he have been so foolish? He had wandered too close to the hunting party without knowing and his scent had alerted the hounds. A branch snapped beneath his feet and he stumbled, sweat trickling off him. His antlers were in the way, catching on bushes and low branches as he ran. He could hear the hounds’ panting and the horse hooves thundering on the forest floor behind him and fear of being caught made him lengthen his stride, desperate to escape. He leaped over a small stream and sprinted deeper into the forest, hopeful that the men would not follow him through.

 Yi Chen sat atop his horse, excitement racing through him. His hounds were running in front of him, barking frantically. He had no idea what they had scented but he hoped it was good. He had always loved this, the thrill of the chase. Junseo was beside him, crouched over his horse as they thundered after the hounds. Faintly, at the back of Yi Chen's mind he remembered his son and wondered if he enjoyed this as much as he did. But as the barks of the bloodhounds grew louder and he looked up ahead of him, his blood ran cold when he saw it.

 

A flash of gold.

 

Terror raced through him as the memories of that fateful hunt that had doomed his first son returned. He jerked back on his reins, vaguely aware of someone yelling, “HEEL!”

His horse snorted in annoyance and dug its heels in, obeying its rider’s wishes. Only when his stallion had halted and the entire party behind him had stopped that he realized that he had been the one shouting for the dogs to heel.

“Chen? Are you alright?” Junseo asked cautiously.

The King was trembling, fingers clenched so tight around the reins that his knuckles were white. The hunting party was tittering around him, wondering what had made the King call the hounds to stop.

Yi Chen stared ahead where the hounds had been chasing. He could still see the glint of gold though he was unsure if it was truly there or just a figment of his shattered memories.

“Father, is everything alright?” Yifan called from the back of the party, startling the King from his memories.

Yi Chen turned his horse around to face the party. “Everything’s fine. I just…thought I saw something.” He glanced back in the direction where he last saw the flash of gold. It was still there, wobbling slightly. “We should rest. I need a drink.”

Junseo drew his horse up next to his friend and looked at him hard. “What did you see?”

Yi Chen shook his head as the hunting party turned around so that they were at the tail of it. “I thought…I thought I saw my son.”

 

When the party had dismounted and settled down by a stream, Yi Chen sat by the flowing water and watched as Yixing dipped his water skin into the cool water before offering it to his son. Yifan took the water skin with a smile and slung his arm around his friend and they walked off. It hurt him to think that his first born would turn twenty-four that spring and they only had another year to find a cure to the dreaded curse.

“What are you thinking about Chen?” Junseo plopped down next to him, derailing him from his train of thought. He held out a thermos.

Yi Chen took a swig of the warm ale, desperate to wipe the face of his beloved son from his mind. “My son. He turns twenty-four this spring.”

Junseo sobered up, and capped the thermos. “You say you saw him?”

“It was a glint of gold. His antlers are gold. You've visited him. How has he been?” Yi Chen asked, growing eager by the second. Regrettably Yi Chen and his wife had never been able to visit their first born without drawing suspicion from the public and the crown prince.

“He looked well," Junseo said carefully. "Resigned to his fate.”

“And Shinwoo never mentioned the sight of any ravens in the area?” Yi Chen asked, hopefully to which Junseo shook his head.

“Did you know that Zhang Cheng roped my son and his to research the curse?” Junseo said.

Yi Chen raised his eyebrows. “And Yifan has no idea of course?”

Junseo grinned. “Surprisingly, Yixing has been able to keep a secret from his beloved.”

Yi Chen laughed. It was no secret around the palace the extent of Yixing’s admiration for the prince. All except for Yifan himself knew of the advisor’s unwavering love for the prince. “That boy is hopeless. Hopelessly in love that is.”

“Do you approve of it?” Junseo asked, curious of the King’s opinion.

“Yixing is the only one I would trust to keep him out of trouble, of course I approve," Yi Chen said. "It's just a matter of whether Yifan will take his head out of the sand to realize it.”

 

 

Yifan was happily eating his crackers when he saw it: the glint of gold. He rose to his feet, stuffing the last cracker into his mouth hastily.

Yixing was the only one who noticed. “Where are you going?” he asked, looking up from his book.

Yifan scoffed internally. Even in the depths of the forest, Yixing still had the ability to make it seem like a library. “Nowhere,” he said through a mouthful of cracker.

Shutting his book, Yixing got to his feet as well. “Don't try anything, Your Highness. You know you're not allowed to wander off on your own. If you did, your father would never allow you to come with him again.”

Yifan sighed. “I wasn't about to go anywhere, just a clearing over. Can you not see that?” He pointed to the direction of the gold.

Yixing bit his lip. He was pretty sure he knew what the gold meant and it was not good. “Well we are about to leave…”

“Father wouldn't mind if you came with me,” Yifan cut him off, looking eagerly at him.

“We shouldn't…” Yixing looked around. The guards were tending to the other lords and no one was looking in their direction.

“Come on, I just want a look.” Yifan wrapped a large hand around Yixing’s wrist and tugged him along. “Please, just a peek,” he whined, giving Yixing his best puppy eyes.

“Alright, but bring your knife.” Yixing gave in, although he felt as if he might regret it later.

“Where is Yifan going?” Junseo asked.

Yi Chen looked up from his drink to see his son leave the clearing they were resting in with Yixing tagging along behind.

Junseo shot him a look. “C’mon, we need to make sure he doesn't get in trouble.”

The two men hurried after the boys, careful to keep out of sight.

  

-

 

Luhan stood at the edge of the clearing breathing heavily. He had heard him. His father. He would have been torn to pieces by the pack of bloodhounds had the man not called them to heel. Perhaps his father had seen him?

Sweat poured off his coat and he slumped onto the soft ground, exhausted. He rested his head next to his foreleg and a cut he had gotten from a fallen branch. The gold of his antlers glinted in the streaks of sunlight streaming in between the gaps of the leaves overhead. He was so engaged in cleaning his wound that his keen ears did not pick up the sound of the bushes rustling nearby.

Yifan gaped at the sight in front of him. A beautiful stag with a coat the colour of Yifan’s eyes and the source of the glistening gold, his magnificent antlers, was lying on the forest floor, at his foreleg. Behind him, Yixing gasped.

The sound startled the stag and he jerked his head up, frightened eyes the colour of chocolate meeting Yifan’s amber ones. The stag struggled to his feet, terror written all over his muzzle.

Yifan reached for an arrow, transfixed. His eyes had started to cloud over with black.

“No!” Yixing cried out too late when he realized what Yifan meant to do, yanking at Yifan’s hand as he released his arrow. Distracted, Yifan’s bow swung away and his arrow flew wide.

 

Twang!

 

The stag screamed in pain when the arrow sank into his hind leg as he tried to break away.

“No!” Yifan startled when he heard the furious yell and a large hand shoved him to the ground.

The stag tried to run but his legs buckled and he went sprawling, bleating helplessly. Yixing was already making his way to the injured animal, crooning nonsense to keep him calm as he dropped down to the animal’s eye level. The stag kicked and thrashed as he tried to get up, panic evident in his chocolate eyes.

Yi Chen's eyes were full of fear as he pushed past his confused son to get to the stag.

Yifan made to follow after his father, confusion and leftover blood lust clouding his eyes. Duke Junseo grabbed him by the shoulder and held him back. He turned to the duke, looking slightly dazed.

“Yifan?” Junseo called gently, waving a hand in front of the prince’s eyes.

Yifan jerked and the darkness faded from his eyes. “I…I… What happened?” He blinked and his head exploded in pain. “Aargh!” He grabbed at his head and his knees buckled, the Duke barely managing to catch him in time.

 

Yixing laid a hand on the stag’s sweat soaked neck, humming softly to him. The stag seemed to realize that he meant him no harm and stilled, his sides still heaving with exertion. “It's okay. Relax, we won't hurt you,” Yixing whispered, breaking from his song to the amber coat.

Yi Chen crouched by the stag’s side, hardly believing what he was seeing. Crimson red blood dripped from the arrow wound and pooled beneath the stag’s body. He reached out to touch the magnificent animal but the stag flinched away, fear filling his eyes.

“Shh. He won't hurt you. It's okay,” Yixing hushed the whimpering cries of the stag and to Yi Chen’s surprise, he laid his cheek upon Yixing’s outstretched hand. “Good boy. Good boy,” Yixing crooned, the stag’s soft cheek. The stag huffed, its intelligent dark eyes fixed on the advisor.

“Xiao Lu,” Yi Chen whispered and the creature turned his head, wide eyed. Yi Chen laid his hand upon the animal’s back and a sob tore from his throat. “That was too close.”

“Yifan!”

 

The king jerked his head up at the sound of his son's name, and the stag snorted in alarm when his knee bumped against its rump as he rose quickly. Junseo had his arms around the prince who was clutching at his head in pain.

Yifan whimpered and sank slowly to his knees, despite the duke’s support. His mind went blank and he felt so dizzy that he could hardly stand.

“What's wrong with him?” Yi Chen asked, worry coloring his voice as he reached for his second born.

Yixing took advantage of everyone’s confusion to deftly pluck the arrow from the stag’s hind leg. He barely got out of the way in time when the stag kicked out in shock and pain, head swinging around to look at his injured leg.

The creature grunted, dark eyes glaring at Yixing in betrayal.

“Oh don't be a baby, Your Highness,” Yixing admonished as he pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and used it to bind the wound.

The stag stared, blinking at him in surprise.

“Yes, I know who you are. And your father seems to know as well.” Yixing petted the stag gently on its nose after he had tied off the cloth. “Go on. You better go before Yifan recovers from whatever he's been struck with.”

The stag snorted and heaved himself up, snagging the edge of Yixing’s shirt to on in thanks. Yixing patted the rump of the magnificent creature gently and the stag ran off with a limp, its footsteps light and soundless against the forest floor.

Yixing made his way to where the King was crouched over the still form of his second born, trembling. “Yifan?” He fell on his knees beside his best friend, eyes darting in panic as he scanned the prince’s body. 

“He’s not responding,” Yi Chen whispered, his voice trembling, fear crippling him as thoughts of his second born falling into Raven’s claws as well swirled in his mind. The prince was lying on the soft ground, brow creased in pain, unaware of the chaos around him.

“What happened?” Yixing asked, reaching out to press a hand against Yifan’s forehead. His skin was hot to the touch and he had started to shiver violently.

“His pupils,” Duke Junseo started, dread audible in his voice as he continued, panicked eyes following Yifan’s earlier steps. “They dilated and filled his eyes with black. I waved a hand in front of him and he snapped out of whatever daze he was in and the black faded.” The Duke brushed back the prince’s sweat-soaked hair with care and pity for the fallen prince. “When the black had faded completely, he grabbed his head like it hurt and then he collapsed.”

“He is feverish. We must get him back to the palace immediately.” Yixing curled a hand around his best friend’s much larger one and heard a groan. He heaved a sigh of relief; Yifan was not fully unconscious after all.

“What could've caused this?” The King asked, reaching out and wrapping an arm around his son’s shoulder, placing his motionless form over his lap.

“Dark magic.” Yixing’s voice was quiet, full of fear and knowing as his eyes were glued to his best friend, willing him to wake with his thoughts.

Together, the three of them managed to manoeuvre Yifan into a sitting position as the prince slipped in and out of consciousness. “Fan, I know you're hurting and I promise I can make it stop. But you must help us now. I need you to stand, no matter how hard it is.” There is alarm yet gentleness in the advisor’s voice as Yixing pressed his lips against Yifan’s ear and whispered to him, gently coaxing his best friend back to consciousness. The prince stirred slightly, his eyes still unfocused, and with his father and Duke Junseo’s support, managed to get to his feet.

 

“He cannot ride like this,” Junseo said, alarmed at how weak the prince was.

“He won't have to. Scorpio can carry us both. I can keep him up,” Yixing replied, picking up the fallen bow.

“I should have never permitted him to come with us,” Yi Chen fretted as they half-dragged, half-carried the barely conscious prince back to where the hunting party were packing up.

 Joonmyun and the guards were stunned to see Yifan in that state but Yixing was quick to reassure them, shooting Joonmyun a worried look. Dark magic caused this.

Joonmyun's eyes widened and he mouthed something that gave the advisor chills. We're running out of time.

Yifan managed to regain enough strength to be legged up onto Scorpio, Yixing’s white gelding and the advisor swung up lightly behind him, picking up his reins.

 The hunting party were informed that the prince had felt unwell and therefore the hunt was being cut short as the King was worried about his son’s health. It was a blatant lie but it was better than telling them the truth and allowing panic to run rampant at the mention of dark magic.