The boy's laughter filled the air as he ran through trees. The scene was a pleasing sight. It was spring. The trees grew leaves that shaded the boy under them. Two women were watching him from afar.

"What's your plan for him, your Majesty?" the shorter woman asked the other.

The woman shifted her position to have a better view of the boy. She sighed, "Since you were the one who found him. I'll let you take care of him." she answered.

The other woman stepped forward to look at the Queen, "But your Majesty, aren't you going to treat him as your younger son? Besides he has-"

"-no." she cut in, "First and foremost, he's not an Ice. It would be a shame to this kingdom." she continued, looking around the place as a respond to her last sentence.

There was silence and only the boy's laughter was heard, the rustling of the leaves due to the spring breeze and his soft running footsteps.

Seconds before she continued, "There will be also suspicions if I'm going to raise up a child that is a Light, which had their kingdom fallen. Worst, it's my fault."

The Ice Queen switched her gaze to the woman beside her, "Dayoung, keep him. I trust you that you'll keep him hidden." she ordered.

Dayoung bowed at her. She marched forward and called for the boy.

"Baekhyun!"

The boy turned around and beamed as he ran happily to her.

Dayoung carried her and faced him to the Queen. Baekhyun smiled shyly at her then hid his face on Dayoung's chest.

"He must be shy." the Queen chuckled.

Dayoung bounced the boy gently for him to lift his face up. Baekhyun looked at the Queen with awe.

"How old are you?" the Queen asked, smiling sweetly.

Baekhyun smiled shyly again, raising up four fingers before hiding his face again.

.*.

A knight went in a little step, glancing at the room. He closed the room's door after finding no one, though Chanyeol stood frozen there with Baekhyun.

Baekhyun suddenly shoved Chanyeol away, looking very shocked, "You were cold!" he exclaimed.

"Yes I am." Chanyeol answered back straight, "I'm glad you noticed."

Baekhyun got flustered, pacing the room and facing Chanyeol again, "So you were blaming me of that?" he pursed his lips and had a worried expression.

Chanyeol recognized the concern and his tune of considering himself a blameworthy. He looked at Baekhyun for a couple of seconds before marching to his piano. He could feel Baekhyun watch him as he sat at the piano's long cushion seat.

Chanyeol began to play the piano sweetly just like how Baekhyun played it.

"You know that song?" Baekhyun asked.

Chanyeol just continued to play. Until Baekhyun decided to join him. To the time that Chanyeol decided to teach him some techniques. And up to the time that they had fun arguing about the keys that almost sound the same.

"When I was young, my mom would always look for me and she ended up seeing me in this small room." Chanyeol told, watching Baekhyun perform the piano piece that they composed.

Baekhyun responded with a laugh, "You must love music. Me too, there was an old piano at our basement. I usually spent my time there when I got tired of-"

Chanyeol suddenly plucked the next note on the staves when Baekhyun was about to tap it. This was the key that Baekhyun was struggling with a while ago. Chanyeol didn't know Baekhyun was about to get it.

His hand was above Baekhyun's.

Chanyeol quickly drew his hand back, exclaiming, "I thought you're going to fail it again!"

Baekhyun chuckled and continued playing the piano, "That's what you think. You don't trust me."

Chanyeol took Baekhyun at the castle's backyard to have snacks after getting exhausted in playing. Both of them are lying on the ground and laughing about the things they shared to each other. About their schools, about their daily activities, about their hobbies but no one opened the topic about love except Baekhyun.

"Hey Yeol, did you ever had a girlfriend?" he looked at Chanyeol with those taunting eyes.

Chanyeol laughed out loud, "Why would you ask that, Baek?"

"Well, I was curious. Like what I've told you, my curiosity never runs out." Baekhyun smiled widely.

"Hmm.." Chanyeol looked at the sky and began to think, "I've liked one, her name is Dara."

Baekhyun oohed and rolled into his elbows now facing the other's face, "How'd it go?" he asked interestingly.

Chanyeol rolled away from Baekhyun and began laughing. Baekhyun teased Chanyeol that he was blushing, crawling above him again. Chanyeol just liked being mocked by the guy.

"Maybe I'll tell it to you tomorrow." Chanyeol answered that made Baekhyun whining like a child.

"Wait! Wait?! Who's unfair?"

"You are!"

"What?"

"You are unfair!"

"Oh, who's the one who doesn't want to show his face?"

Baekhyun was silenced by his question. Chanyeol caught himself and regretted everything when Baekhyun frowned again. He just wanted to hug that fragile little man for him not to explode again.

Instead, Baekhyun sat back up and crossed his arms, "Let's have a deal." he challenged.

Chanyeol jerked his legs to sit up, sticking to Baekhyun, "Oh yeah?" he dared back.

"Let's play a game where if I lose, I'll show my face. If you lose.." Baekhyun paused to think.

Chanyeol smirked, "If I lose, I'll do whatever you'll say."

Baekhyun's face brightened up and offered a hand, "Deal?"

"Deal."

After lunch, they did the dare and proceeded to the Fire Castle's Stadium to do the first challenge.

Challenge no. 1: Archery

"Why are we going to do this?" Baekhyun moaned, "I don't even know how to aim!"

Chanyeol chuckled, "You told me that I will be in charge of the first challenge. So, I thought about this." he dropped the quivers at a bench and stretched his body for warm-up.

Baekhyun imitated Chanyeol and whined, "But it's unfair, you know how to shoot arrows, I don't even know how to-"

Chanyeol pushed a bow to Baekhyun's chest and gave his quiver. Chanyeol wore the quiver on his back and positioned the bow on his hands. Both bows looked ordinary. Chanyeol was ready while Baekhyun stared at it for a long time.

"Are you sure we're going to do this?" Baekhyun looked around the vast stadium and sighed.

"Yes, just keep shut and follow me." Chanyeol walked down and made his step on the field.

He doesn't know if Baekhyun followed him. But when he saw his passion, that big target board, he drew an arrow from the quiver. He aimed for it for a short time, releasing the arrow that shot the bull's-eye. He turned to Baekhyun that stood there, astonished.

"First one who gets sixty points. The bull's-eye worths thirty five points." Chanyeol looked at the aim that was a hundred meter away from them.

Baekhyun gaped while looking at the goal board. Chanyeol giggled when Baekhyun started to look dreadful as he skipped beside him. He motioned him to aim first and he reluctantly did. Chanyeol took many steps back.

Baekhyun gauchely grasped the bow. Chanyeol doesn't know if he was doing this on purpose but it seems that he was having a hard time from his view from here.

And yes. Baekhyun was struggling with the arrow. After many attempts to position the arrow at the bow, he had managed to send an arrow backwards. That left Chanyeol slapping his thigh in laughter.

Baekhyun didn't gave up, instead, he tried another one that fired up at the sky and never came back. The other one didn't flew that far and landed inches away. Chanyeol just watched there attentively. Baekhyun took an arrow from the quiver and tried again.

"Keep hold of the bow firmly, then carefully position the arrow's shaft on the bowstring." yelled Chanyeol.

Baekhyun nodded, he did held the bow firmly. Slowly, he stretched the bowstring with the arrow and pointed it at the target board. Baekhyun released the arrow and immediately ducked at the ground with his face hidden.

Chanyeol squinted his eyes to look at the emery target board, to his surprise, he shouted, "You've got twenty five!"

Baekhyun shot up from the ground and went jumping in happiness until he had hugged Chanyeol tightly.

"I've done it! I've done it! I won! I won!"

Chanyeol was too astounded with Baekhyun's reaction that it took seconds for him to hug back.

Baekhyun pulled away. He had the brightest smile ever. The wind blew away his bangs, it made him look like a child.

"I did it right? You saw it?" he laughed joyfully, running back to his place and grabbing the weapon again.

With a smile on his face, Chanyeol shook his head in amazement and watched him propel his last arrow. He needs to hit the bull's-eye, or Chanyeol will be confident that he will win the first challenge.

Step by step, Baekhyun had managed to shoot his last arrow. And-

Wait.

Baekhyun covered his eyes. Chanyeol witnessed the arrow penetrated the second layer before the bull's-eye.

"Twenty five!" Chanyeol shouted.

Baekhyun screamed, grasping more arrows but he found none. He ran to Chanyeol, crying out that he needs more arrows to get ten points and demands him to get more when he said that he only got what's enough.

When Baekhyun got settled, while consuming potato chips, he watched Chanyeol from where Chanyeol stood a while ago. Chanyeol positioned himself and took out two arrows.

"Unfair!" Baekhyun yelled, punching his fist in the air.

Chanyeol laughed before focusing himself on the bull's-eye. And in one attempt, he had shot it with those two arrows. He turned to look at Baekhyun who had dropped a piece with his mouth hung wide.

Chanyeol dropped the bow, approached Baekhyun and took a piece from his snack.

"How'd you do that?" Baekhyun asked innocently.

Chanyeol just shrugged arrogantly that sent Baekhyun running after him.

"You! You insolent! Pompous! Unfair! Giant man! Come back here Yeol!"

Challenge 2: Swordsplay

"Swords?" Chanyeol stared in disbelief at what's in Baekhyun's hands.

After having snacks, at exact 4PM, they went back to the stadium to launch the second challenge.

"Are you doing some sort of revenge, Baek?" Chanyeol asked him apprehensively.

Baekhyun was quiet but Chanyeol knew he was laughing inside. He handed him his own sword with his name embossed on it. While Baekhyun carried an ordinary one.

"Your sword would be a waste if you'll not use it." Baekhyun regarded at his sword.

Chanyeol's sword was beautiful. Honestly, he admits. It was heavy, sharp and exquisitely made. Its blade was printed with flame colored figures and glistened under the sun.

"First to get the sword of the other." Baekhyun smiled with a hint of vivacious boldness.

Chanyeol whimpered, holding his sword with two hands. He wasn't aware that it was awkward but he could tell that the sword is shivering in his hands.

"Easy." Baekhyun said carefully, eyeing him.

"I swear, I hate swords. It's heavy, slippery and aimless." Chanyeol rolled his eyes at his sword.

Baekhyun prepared, "I guess we just have our own strengths." he gave a sign that he will attack first.

Their swords began to strike and slash against each other. Chanyeol felt like he was blind and he was just groping about. He noticed Baekhyun looked very serious and expertly adroit about handling his sword and blocking his attacks.

Minutes before Chanyeol performed the wrong . Baekhyun slit his sword sideways, jerking it upwards, he kicked it, it flipped towards him. Chanyeol was just paralyzed by astonishment. Baekhyun grabbed the sword and together swirled the hilts of the swords on his hands gracefully but skillfully.

Chanyeol couldn't help but to clap, awestruck by the way Baekhyun did it so easily.

Baekhyun dropped the swords on the ground and stepped in front of Chanyeol. Chanyeol was pleased about the result and smiled proudly at Baekhyun.

"You were amazing. You surprised me." he said.

Baekhyun chuckled humbly, shaking his head. And Chanyeol was hit by that. He remembered when Baekhyun gave him a compliment, he just shrugged cockily. Chanyeol chose to change the topic.

"So," Chanyeol cleared his throat, "the last challenge will reveal the winner."

Baekhyun bounced gladly, clapping his hands, "Oh! Oh!" he exclaimed excitedly, "What should we have?"

They stared at each other's eyes. Chanyeol doesn't know why but Baekhyun's eyes gave him an idea of something. Their index finger started to point at each other, there must be a connection that made them shout in chorus the word..

"Duel!"

***

Started: December 8, 2016

Finsished: December 12, 2016

A/N: Waaaaaa!! :'( I'm so sorry for the loonngg delay. :( I can't update this fic on time anymore. I'm so sorry to disappoint you guys but it will take me a long time again to post the next chapter. I hope you'll understand because graduation is coming up so I really needed to focus on school. Sorry guys. I love you! <3

Yeo_Na