Walking slowly and thinking she’s imperceptible. The head down and almost breathless, like if she could pretend that she’s not there, being exposed to all the crowds. But today she’s the main spectacle of the kingdom; nobody wants to miss it. Her hands are tied up behind her back; her ankles, chained up; her eyes, blindfolded; her fear, everywhere.

She’s about to leave, she knows. She also knows that the sky is going to cry and then, it will be mad and will spread its fury into the people that judge her wrongly. She would smile if she wasn’t so worried about the simple idea of die. She doesn’t remember how to die, does anyone? Then, why do people say there’s nothing to be afraid of?

The guards guide her to the wooden stairs and she feels that every step she goes up is a part of her life she’s leaving behind. She tries to listen to the shouts and screams but she cannot distinguish what they’re actually saying -she doesn’t need much imagination to figure out what they think though-, perhaps they’re all excited about her dead.

When the stairway is over, she unavoidably paralyses because the smell of satisfaction is killing her already. Some steps are heard and in one second, the blindfold is taken off and the first thing she sees is the blurred face of a man. Who is this? She has no idea, but she senses a horrible aura coming out from him; that’s enough for her to know she hates him. The other may understand that they’re not friends but his smile makes her doubt a lot, especially because she can’t clearly see.

The guy sighs, heavily. Then, courage returns to him and he aggressively grabs the arm of the woman to put her under the blade of the guillotine. The man looks at her eyes and says everything he needs to say before grabbing her hair and letting the people to admire her face while she’s alive. The crowds get excited again and shout against her, some even throw things. The man drops her head and starts talking, but like happened she’s unable to understand him.

His speech makes the people get quiet. He speaks and moves and even touches her in so many ways, including hits, and when he’s over he returns to the previous place in front of her and puts her head in position to be cut.

“I’m sorry.”

That and a kiss on her forehead is the last she feels before an incomparable pain shakes all her body, makes her froze like ever and takes away the last piece of hope she had, if she had one at least. So, this is how it is to die…

She screams, not so loudly as she thought it will be. You don’t dream that you die everyday. She quickly breathes and feels a sensation running through her body as she calms down. Her forehead and neck are sweaty, the zones she lived in her dream. She touches her skin, remembering the good-bye kiss that the man gave to her, and rubs it just like that will work.

Suddenly, a guy appears beside her at a small door. Then she realises that she’s in the same place as she was before she fell asleep, the carriage that will take her to her destiny. It .

“Hey, you, are you okay? I know this is not a princess-like transport, but hold on until we arrive, please.”

The guy jokes. She thinks he looks like the kind of guy that would be like that. A bit childish and immature. How old is he? Like her age? Younger, maybe. He has an innocent face that says that he’s a nice person but he also looks so out of context, cute with that white skin and small nose yet so handsome with his unmanageable, brown hair and a deep gaze. A peculiar combination.

“…”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to say that, I just tried to make you feel better… Bad dream?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Wow, so you’re not that princess-like, dreamer. May I know your name?”

“Leave me alone.”

“Well, I think it’s time for resting. Guys, we’re stopping here just for a moment.”

Everyone sighs, tired. The carriage stops moving and the rest of the guards spread all over the area. The brown-haired guy returns his gaze to the girl and smiles.

“Some fresh air will help you, what do you think, dreamer lady?”

No response.

“You can do anything you want except escaping. So make yourself at… this place and this carriage. They’re the closest you have as a home.”

The guy went out the carriage and before joining his partners he spoke to her again. “By the way, I’m Baekhyun. You can stop dreaming about my unknown identity now.”

After some minutes, a woman gets to the river. She has blonde, straight but a bit wavy hair and shining brown eyes that match with her pure, pale skin. For Yixing, the prisoner is one of the most beautiful women ever, but he can’t help at the thought of her being given to the king Joonmyeon because she is one of a kind woman and she is only reserved for royalty. Yixing is a common and inexperienced knight, so his rights are the same as his abilities with a sword. However, he has the time the journey takes to get to the kingdom, and that’s something.

Yixing admires her from distance and notices she looks sad and stressed.

“I’m going to help her.”

The knight walks and stops next to the girl. She’s really short, even for an average woman, but he thinks she looks prettier this way.

“This flower has many special qualities, and one of them is healing the harm, Taeyeon.”

“I didn’t know you know my name.”

“I know the name of beautiful flowers, although I don’t know this one.” Yixing points to the flower and gives it to Taeyeon.

“Yes, it’s pretty. But I’m sure it will not heal me at all…” The woman looks at the gift and then at the knight noticing that he’s wearing  the same simple and light armour as Baekhyun-it looks more like a decoration than a protection-, asking his name with no words between.

“Yixing.”

“You’re not from here, are you?”

“I serve Joonmyeon’s kingdom.”

“Oh.”

Taeyeon gets speechless. She’s trying hard to avoid everything related to that man but it looks like it’s not her day.

“Don’t be sad, it makes feel bad.”

“Was that a rhyme?”

“Wow, it came out from nowhere! I didn’t expect it from me.”

“Neither did I. I mean, I used not to pay attention to what people said, but that has changed a little.”

“You see? You still have something to do in your life. Please, take care of yourself. There are some remedies I can-”

“Don’t waste your time, Yixing. Dreamers follow their own rules. And she’s willing to do anything.” Baekhyun interrupts Yixing, appearing like if he was a ghost.

“So, your conclusions are finally over?” She asks.

“Conclusions? You’re an open book, there’s nothing I have to think more than once.”

“If not, then you know the remedy, don’t you?” She challenging says.

“Of course I do. And the only remedy for you, dreamer lady, is the ring.”

“The ring? What do you mean?”

“Just the ring. There’s nothing else to say.”

“Anyway, I still have no salvation.”

“Yes, you have!” Yixing said. “You have unless you give up! The prince of Exo-”

“No, wait, she’s right. She doesn’t have salvation providing we get to our destination.”

“What the hell are you saying, Baekhyun? Prince Joonmyeon is a good and heart-to-heart man! Why do you say all these nonsense words?” A third knight enters the scene, and it is impossible not to look at him because of his admirable height and his big eyes and ears.

“Don’t get me wrong, Chanyeol. The issue here is that the only remedy for the dreamer is the ring, and your majesty Joonmyeon is not the ring guy.”

Taeyeon takes a moment to think and then realises what Baekhyun has said. She gets really annoyed with the knight and decides to leave the river. A stupid ring won’t fix anything.

“Hey, guys, look what I found-” A fourth knight walks into the circle but gets ignored by the run away woman. “Hey, where are you going to?!”

“Let her be, Kai. She’s not escaping from us but from her reality. She needs to stop being a dreamer.” Baekhyun deeply tells him. Kai doesn’t know what’s going on. “We’d better continue our journey. We have to arrive at Exo in two days. In order to get there in time, we must continue in the night as well.”

“But, are we not sleeping tonight?” Kai asks like a child.

“We haven’t reached the borderline of Exo. Until we get there, the next zones are sure enough for us to walk in the night.”

“Yeah, we can’t waste our time when Prince Joonmyeon is waiting for us.” Chanyeol smiles at the thought of his beloved and admired prince. The others decide to ignore him and look in their minds for better reasons to act.

Taeyeon enters the carriage and locks herself inside, but unluckily, the door can be unlocked from outside. Definitely, this is not her day. The only thing in her mind is that useless ring Baekhyun talked about. She has been independent all her life, just to be told that a metallic circle around her finger is exactly what she needs. Absurd. That’s what it its.

She is so deep into her absurdities she doesn’t notice that someone is knocking the small window. Taeyeon wakes up and a reality hits her.

“You all go away!”

“Are you okay? Miss, is everything okay?” A new voice asks; the fifth and last knight. Some seconds go by but an answer is not given. “Sorry, stupid question. How can I help you?”

“There’s nothing you can do for me. Please, leave alone.”

“But I think I can help! I overheard your conversation. I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean to do that! But it’s good I did. Miss, if you want to avoid Prince Joonmyeon once you arrive at the castle, search for Princess Tiffany. She’s a really good person.”

“I heard the same about Joonmyeon.”

“Prince Joonmyeon is good for a few people. Princess Tiffany has to be Exo’s next queen! She can help you escape. I’m sure she will understand.”

“Well, I will take that in count. Thanks…”

“No problem. I’m Xiumin, miss.”

“And I’m Taeyeon.”

“I know.”

That was… different.

“Hey, am I interrupting?” Baekhyun says quietly, but either the woman and the knight don’t response. “That says it all.” The guy opens the door of the carriage and sits in front of Taeyeon, offering her a small, unknown-material-made bowl with an orange liquid inside.

“I don’t want that.”

“Yixing has made it just for you… I think we both are princesses.”

“Both?”

“Yes, you’re also a princess.”

“I don’t get what you are trying to tell me.”

“You should work on that. I can understand almost everything that comes out of your mouth. That’s a disadvantage for you.”

"I care about you the least, so it's okay."

"You are not so not interested on me. Why don't we stop pretending?"

"Say it yourself. Is it my beauty what has knocked you out?"

"Haha, no doubt we are the same. Dedicated, special and beautiful over the whole world, like a princess. But perhaps your beauty isn't my level."

Taeyeon doesn't know what to say or how to feel. And she just attempts to ignore him or throw the orange liquid.

"Don't take it seriously, dreamer." The silence remains. Baekhyun has that characteristic smile on his face once more. He goes out and the journey continues.

As they advance their road, everyone thinks about Taeyeon somehow. Lay has been collecting flowers for her, Kai tries to guess what has been going on, and Chanyeol and Xiumin think about the prince Joonmyeon and Taeyeon's destiny. The only one who doesn't seem to care is Baekhyun who has only been singing all the way; nevertheless, his method is the most effective when getting Taeyeon singing along. Their voices are angelical, and the woman knows it.

This is strange. He's really strange.

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First Chapter. Please, tell me what you think about it! :)