A/N: Here's chapter two y'all! I've been exploring some ideas for this story, and I've gotten some good points that I can't wait to incorporate!! Anyways, let me know what y'all think of this chapter, yeah? Also, please listen to the music links! They'll help set the mood. Enjoy reading! xoxo

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The Past

“Seokjinnie!”

You raced over to Seokjin, the skirts of your dress a huge plume behind you.

He was standing in front of the flower garden, hands behind his back. His hair was tied up in its usual high ponytail, intelligent eyes surveying the colors of flora in front of him. He was always so studious. It was something that you loved about him, that he could focus on one thing with such pinpoint concentration.

It made it easier for you to scare the pants out of him, after all.

His head turned at the sound of his name. Seeing you excitedly running towards him, his lips curled up in a smile. Ever the more energetic one between the two of you.

The day was bright and there was the most pleasant breeze. The palace was completely lit with sunlight, fluffy clouds passing by overhead in the forms of white cotton candy.

It was a place of modern, oriental elegance. Red columns lined the walkway, supporting the outside halls. The roofs were adorned with tiles curled at the edges, and lanterns hung at certain corners, emitting a peaceful atmosphere. Circular doorways, lined with the most gorgeous of polished woods, were shut closed with paper screen doors and concealed any signs of movement inside.

But at this time of day, you knew that the people of the palace were most likely in the Courtyard, the central area for citizens to gather after lunchtime.

And what you also knew was that Seokjin would be here instead, thinking.

He tilted his head towards you.

“I told you not to call me that,” he said with a sigh.

You just giggled, arm hooking around one of the red columns. You peeked out from behind it, sneaking a glance at him.

“You know you like it!”

Seokjin shook his head, but he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. You were never really a listener to begin with.  

“You’re younger than me.”

“So?” you pouted. “I act more mature than you.”

Seokjin scoffed. “Says the girl hanging around a pillar, balanced on the very edge of the flower garden.”

The flower garden.

It was a huge pit that had been dug out, going down several feet almost like a pool. Rectangular in shape, it was filled to the brim with all sorts of various kinds of flowers and trees, and dotted with other features such as mini pools filled with koi. Bamboo shot up from behind these pools of water, leading into other less oriental, more European flowers: roses, bluebonnets. A symbol of Eastern and Western cultures coming together—if flowers could do it, than surely humans could do it, too.

You quickly retracted your foot from the edge of the pit. Seokjin was right—you couldn’t be falling left and right, injuring yourself. You already knew the punishment for that.

“It’s one of the last preserved pieces of true nature,” you said. “I just think it would be nice to be close to it once in awhile, okay?”

Seokjin sighed. Nodded. He glanced up at the sky—that is, the technologically programmed one. Fake clouds and fake sunlight. It was a barrier created to protect those inside the palace, to prevent the toxic air and radioactive water from entering.

But it was a barrier from the true world outside, too. And Seokjin—Seokjin knew this.

“Oh goodness gracious,” Seokjin huffed. You might have thought you were firmly planted on the sidewalk, but you still had half a heel hanging off the concrete. Quickly, he wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you away—far away—from the edge of the flower garden.

“Seokjinnie—”

“You need to learn to be more careful!” he admonished. “You’re going to get punished again if you injure yourself.”

“But—”

“There’s no buts about it.” Seokjin pulled you beside him and kept his grip firm so that you wouldn’t accidently trip and die. Lord knew, you could most certainly do that. “Royal court girls like you must not be bruised nor scarred—you must be beautiful. I won’t let you get hurt under my watch.”

You rolled your eyes. “How princely of you.”

Seokjin glanced down at you. You were pouting in the other direction—cute. Though he knew that it would tick you off, he still went ahead and chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” you snapped.

“I am a prince after all,” Seokjin said matter-of-factly. “I might as well put my lessons in chivalry to use.”

“Wow, I’m so honored.”     

“You should be.”

If you had gum in your mouth, you would have snapped it.

The two of you didn’t say anything, for a second. The sound of water running in the pools below was the only thing you heard. It was peaceful, quiet.

It was also a time of meditation.

You noticed how Seokjin hadn’t taken his arm away from you, and your heart warmed. No matter what his teachers said, he would always take care of you.

He always had.

It was a rare moment when you thought of your past before you had come to the palace. You barely remembered the other kingdom from which you had left. All you knew was that it had been draped in lots of airy cloth, sheer chiffon fabrics and everything seemed to be so crystal clear. White. It was the exact opposite of the palace here—the scenery so bright, the columns a fiery red.

Seokjin rubbed your arm affectionately, another sigh leaving his lips. The two of you were getting older now. Things were bound to change soon—it wasn’t always going to be like when you were young. Back then, things were easier. Both of you would roughhouse with one another and scream and yell and the emperor would merely chortle with laughter.

These days, when he saw you two together, he scowled.

“Seokjinnie,” you said quietly.

“Hm?” He looked down at you.

You stared blankly at the flower garden. It was supposed to be a thought provoking place, but everything you thought of was dead, monotone.

“Do you think you’ll ever meet a princess that you like?”

Seokjin frowned, taken aback. You never asked questions like this. Where had the old you gone? The one who would force him to give you everything from piggyback rides to hugs—”I’m your princess, Seokjinnie! Serve me!”

Seokjin looked away, stiff and tense.

“You know I don’t want to marry.”

“But you’ll have to eventually, right? Or else the Others…” You gulped uncomfortably, nervously.

The threats from the Others had become alarmingly frequent recently. The Others—a people from another planet. You didn’t understand the whole situation as well as Seokjin did, but what you did know was that they wanted to marry the Earth and their planet together. They wanted the princes of Earth to marry the princesses of the Others’, to unite a whole solar system and create a whole entire new race of people. A new Kind, to be brought to a New World.

And if not…

You didn’t even want to think about it.

Seokjin turned you around to face him. You were so beautifully adorned today, in a pure white silk top and a full, red skirt. The handmaidens had done well—pulling your hair up into a glossy updo, beads and charms falling from the hairpin slotted into the strands.

The hairpin—it was something that Seokjin had given to you when he was young after his travels to another kingdom. It had been gifted to him from the king of another land. It was an absolute treasure, a mixture of rubies and moonstones glittering in the shape of flowers blooming in moonlight.

And Seokjin always thought you were exquisite when you wore it.  

“You don’t need to worry about the Others,” Seokjin whispered in hushed tones. He was adamant, alarmed. “That is my problem. I am the prince here, not you.”

“But Seokjin, how can I not worry?” you nearly cried. You reached out to grip his belt, looped through pieces of beautifully carved jade. “What if you—”

Seokjin put a finger to your lips. Glancing around to make sure that nobody was listening, he spoke quietly.

“You know that I am training to master my Element, beautiful.”

The endearment never failed to make your heart race. You knew that he was only saying the word to calm you down, but you were constantly worrying yourself into a frenzy. What if the Others’ threats were one day not threats anymore, but a reality? What would happen to Seokjin? What was going to happen to everything that you knew?

Seokjin’s nimble fingers curled a loose strand of hair around your ear, the palm of his hand coming around to cup your cheek. His eyes, the deepest, warmest brown, showed nothing but concern for you.

“What are you so worried about, princess?”

Your hand went up your face to interlace with his fingers. “That I won’t be able to do anything to stop it. To help.”

“It is not a royal court girl’s place to do so.”

“I don’t care, Seokjin!” Your voice shook with the rage of the tears beginning to bubble in your eyes. “What will happen to my mother? What will happen to you?”

“Sh, sh, sh,” he hushed you, immediately wiping the saltwater from your cheeks. “Beautiful, beautiful. Listen to me.”

He brought you in close, pressing you against his chest. His arms were so strong, his hands so huge, practically swallowing you up.

His lips brushed against the crest of your ear.

“You know that I am a Peak Fire. And you are, too.”

Elements. Peaks.

Each human, according to their date of birth and their horoscope, always had an Element. Being a Sagittarius, just like Seokjin, meant that you were Fire Kind—a human with the potential to bend the Element to your will and use it for battle. And depending on what week a human was born in during the time of their horoscope defined how strong their Element could be: Low, Mid, or Peak.

Though several years apart, you and Seokjin’s birthdays fell on the same week: smack dab in the middle of Sagittarius’s time.

You were a Peak—just like Seokjin.

You knew that Seokjin was strong, probably much, much stronger than you made him out to be. But royal court girls were not allowed to train alongside the men unless a teacher deemed it to be so.

It was just unfortunate that all of Seokjin’s teachers did not favor you.

“I am not allowed to learn to train my Element,” you spat.

“I understand, and I know.” His hand rubbed the small of your back. “But you’re my little Sagittarius girl, aren’t you?”

Seokjin kissed the top of your head.

“You are my Peak Fire, and I will train you.”

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A/N: I hope that y'all enjoyed. We're gonna be bouncing back and forth between the past and present in this one. Isn't Prince Seokjin just the sweetest? *heart eyes* 

Let me know if the setting sorta kinda makes sense, as well as the whole Elemental/Peak thing! I'm still working out every nook and cranny of this universe so far, so hang in with me here! Thanks for reading! xoxo