once a Princess goes to sleep

and wakes she as a beloved Queen

once a witness, helpless and weak

tomorrow she rises to where she has never been

‘Krystal,’ Kris snapped a finger in front of his sister’s face, causing her alarm. He smiled. ‘I called you three times,’ he sat down beside her on the bench facing the North Wing’s Greenhouse A. ‘Are you alright?’

She nodded. ‘He was looking for something, right over there,’ she pointed to the greenhouse. ‘It’s funny, isn’t it? Is there something only we have that they don’t?’ she asked.

‘Snow?’ he had no idea whatsoever. Krystal laughed a little at his answer.

‘Snow,’ she breathed, an icy fog escaping her lips. ‘It feels like it was only yesterday when Kyungsoo took us in,’ she said.

‘Time flies,’ he slips into memory lane just as his sister did. ‘Do you think she’s still out there?’

‘I don’t know,’ Krystal said quietly. ‘I don’t remember much of what happened, except a lot of horrible screaming. Very horrible screaming,’ the memory she kept as a child, although dark, was very vague. She could plot down main events but not remember details. She sighed. ‘Once I grow really, really strong, I’ll go back out there again.’ She looked at Kris in the eye. ‘I’m going to look for her,’

Kris liked her determination, and he nodded in agreement. ‘We both will,’ he grasped her hand.

‘We’ll go back, and then we’ll find a new place to live. A place where we can maybe do the things we’ve always wanted,’ she winked at him. ‘We’ll get Kyungsoo to come with us and then-‘ she sighed. ‘Am I dreaming too much?’

Kris shook his head. ‘Nothing’s going to stop us. Nobody’s stopped us all this while,’

‘Soon,’ Krystal said.

‘Soon.’ He agreed. ‘Come on, let’s go home.’ He offered her his hand and she accepted it gladly. Sometimes, both of them find themselves unbelieving how long it has been since they ran away from home. Years had passed since Kyungsoo found the lost pair and kindly took them under his own wings. They enjoyed enough peace for the last decade, thanks to their constant wariness and care. Kyungsoo has lived in Mount Rye long enough to ensure both his ‘children’ know how to conceal their differences.

As always, the two were easily enticed into the space of their home by the sweet hot scent of freshly baked goods; a mouth-watering smell especially in a place that is constantly cold. They seek shelter in the kitchen, Kris hastily kneeling by the stove to gather warmth for his freezing body. Kyungsoo is at the front, selling a tray of delicacies to a pair of male servants. Kyungsoo’s fine skill in bakery has caught the attention of many, including noblemen and noblewomen who sometimes request him to take in their large orders for parties and such.

Kris constantly teases him saying that it is “only a matter of time before the Queen hires you to serve in the royal kitchen” but Kyungsoo responded dryly saying he would rather not be noticed by the Queen at all. He finds himself thankful that she is not one for sweet treats. Her hate for apples especially is coincidental considering Kyungsoo’s trademark dish would have to be his apple pie. Her hate is so great that sometimes people think she would one day ban apples in the kingdom.

‘Do you need any help?’ Krystal goes out to the front.

‘You’re back,’ Kyungsoo smiles warmly at her. ‘How’s your leg?’ he points vaguely.

‘Healed completely. You look like you haven’t sat down yet at all,’ she notices the slight lines under his eyes and his pale lips.

‘I’ve been up since 3,’ he laughed

‘Get some rest then. Kris and I will be downstairs. We’ll take care of the store for you,’ she assured him.

‘Are you sure?’

‘Of course,’ she grins and sits up on a stool behind the counter. Kyungsoo pulls off his apron and retreats upstairs to wash himself and take a rest. Kris joins Krystal out front, with an apple in his hand. ‘Let’s play cards; loser has to hunt for game for Kyungsoo’s pies.’ She took out a deck of cards kept at a cupboard in the living space.

‘How many does he need?’ Kris takes a seat, watching his sister shuffle the cards with swift hands.

Krystal gave it a thought. ‘Five fowls,’ she smiled, distributing the cards. ‘The Countess is hosting a party. Her son’s coming back home from Leflores.’

‘You know a bit about people here,’

‘I listen to people talk,’ she shrugged, shooting a small smirk at him. ‘It’s actually fun,’

The bell rang indicating someone’s entrance through the door, and they both looked up to see a customer. Kris got off his stool and greeted him with a smile, before he feels Krystal pinching him by the arm. He looks at her and shoot her a strange look. The man was of average height and was wearing a leather coat over a turtleneck. He was glancing around indifferently around the shop before he meets Kris’ tall gaze.

‘This is a pretty shop,’ he smiled rather bravely. ‘I could…smell from afar.’

‘You’re new here?’ Krystal slid in front of Kris. ‘You look cold,’ she pointed out.

‘You’re friendlier than everyone I passed in town.’

Krystal eyed him, grinning awkwardly. ‘You’re not from here?’ she feigned ignorance. She knew where he was from. She knew he was one of them and so did Kris, who had excused himself to the kitchen. Krystal knew he was sneaking back upstairs to tell Kyungsoo that the man who had just walked into their shop was nothing else but an animorph. And not just any animorph but a wolf one at that.

‘No, I’m not.’ He smiled. Krystal was rather wary that he admitted so easily. It could only mean that he is not scared at all. ‘So what’s good in here?’ he asked.

Before Krystal could answer, another man, also in similar dark clothing barged into the shop. This had on fur-lined collar and a hat to match. ‘Hey! You didn’t tell me you were in here!’ he stumbled with the sole of his boots wet from the snow. Before he could stabilize himself, a knife shot through the air, missing him by a near inch before it stabbed into the wooden frame that held the shop window.

The man who had arrived earlier turned to Krystal, only to find himself trapped as well; she had held another knife, this one larger, just behind his back, enough to be concealed.

‘Or what? You’re going to turn into a wolf and kill me? Go on,’ she provoked the two. ‘Do it in front of everyone,’ she nodded at the window. It was a rather open place; people passing could easily see what was going on. ‘My brother’s gone out, you’ll be dragged to the block before you have the chance to get out of here.’

They almost forgot. Mount Rye was an executioner’s block for people like them. The shorter one in leather jacket smiled. ‘So will you,’ he said, approaching the girl. ‘Sorcerer,’

Krystal barely twitched. She had to admit it did scare her, as it does every single day, but she had survived ten years here. She had better convincing skills than they did. ‘You’re missing one person, aren’t you?’ she knew it was perhaps dangerous of her to ask of it, but she they were stalling so much time and she still did not know what purpose they have here.

‘Yes, they are.’ She heard a voice emerge from behind her, and she cursed herself. She felt the tip of another knife press onto her back, and she gritted her teeth, trying hard not to appear frightened, but it was hard, what with his scent overtaking the bakery’s. ‘Put it down,’ he said in a low growl.

‘Kai-‘

‘Put it down,’ he repeated in a louder voice. Krystal resisted. There was no way she was going to let him have the advantage again.

‘Kai, back off!’

‘I said put it down!’

‘Four against one?’ the shop door opened, and Kyungsoo appeared. ‘That’s a little unfair, don’t you think?’ he flipped the shop sign to closed and swiftly pulled the blinds down at the window. The shop grew dark. ‘Give my girl some space, would you?’

‘Not until she-‘ Kai insisted but before he could insist, thick green plant vines shot out from potted plants which sat on both corners at the front of the shop, dancing and entangling each and every one of the men in a manner so fast, none of them noticed it until the whole shop seemed to suspend with big vegetative parts.

The knife Kai was holding was slapped off his hand and he was pushed back to one wall by a giant vine. The man Krystal had held earlier was bound again, this time by plants and the other two were trapped as if they were in a plant cage. Kyungsoo sat calmly at the door, putting up a calm smile. ‘We’re here to talk, aren’t we?’ he asked.

‘You!’ Kai struggled to escape but the more he tried the tighter the vines tangled around him.

‘Are we here to talk or are we not?’ Kyungsoo raised his voice.

‘Yes,’ the first one sighed. ‘We meant no harm, we promise. We’re just here to see her.’

Kyungsoo eyed them before he looked at Krystal. She merely shrugged, although he could see that she still did not want to trust them, which was only natural. But she did want to hear them out. ‘A civilised conversation then?’ Kyungsoo proposed.

‘Yes,’ one of them replied and the vines slowly receded to where they came from. It was one of Kyungsoo’s defensive mechanism he had set up for their shop and home. This was not the first time he had to use them, but he only ever did in the presence of non-humans. Otherwise, he would have been imprisoned and executed already. ‘To the back, shall we?’ he invited with an enthusiastic smile. Krystal glanced at Kai, who shot her a threatening glare as well before he followed Kyungsoo to a spacious sitting area behind the kitchen; a multi-functional porch that had sliding doors, so that it could be used as an outdoor area and indoor.

To the guests, it was just another trap; the sliding door was made of glass entirely so they would see the wooden frame which lined it outside, serving as a place to hang more potted plants and flowers, and it overlooked an enclosed garden of herbs and small berries. There was a finely carved table that could easily fit seven people and Kyungsoo gestured everyone to have a seat. All of them reluctantly obliged.

‘Alright, then. Maybe you can start by telling us who you are,’

*

When Kai awoke from his drug-induced sleep, he seemed horribly uncomfortable. He was sweating from head to toe, and had accidentally tumbled off the bed he was on, crawling towards one corner of the room. His limbs trembled. Then he screamed.

His cousins came into the room, while Junmyeon fetched for the healer and Sehun had to tightly hold onto Kai to keep him still and calm him down. Yixing kneeled in front of Kai and laid a hand on Kai’s forehead, closing his eyes. A thin layer of ice lined the tips of his palm. ‘Take a deep breath, Kai.’ He said in a raised voice. ‘Inhale,’ he said and it took Kai a moment to follow his instructions. ‘That’s it. Inhale,’ his voice softened. ‘Exhale,’

Sehun could feel Kai’s shoulders sag and his body gradually trembling less and less until he finally calmed down physically, Kai swallowed hard and Sehun loosened his grip around him. The healer made it just in time to confirm that Kai had a mean headache attack, and could only try to blame it on his new unnamed disease.

He had Sehun take Kai upstairs and see that the maids prepare him a special bath and the servants prepare broth for his supper since he came down with a fever. Only then did the doctor question him properly.

Kai wrapped himself in a fur blanket as he answered. ‘We have to find her,’ he said, sniffing up a flu.

‘Are you sure? This class of disease don’t usually require-‘

‘We just have to,’ he insisted intolerantly. ‘We have to.’ He repeated. And that is how he ended up in the bakery shop. His aunts and uncle forbade him to go alone; he needed a rationale soul about him, maybe more than one, and someone had to be good enough to convince so that they could peacefully make some kind of agreement with the girl who “brought this on me” so Kai stated.

*

‘If it’s not too personal, Krystal, could you tell us what’s your emblem?’ Baekhyun, the short man in leather jacket with lined eyes spoke up.

‘Why?’

‘It would help us try to heal Kai from his-‘ he cleared his throat. ‘-curse.’

Krystal hesitated but Kyungsoo’s glance assured her it would be fine. ‘The Lunar Emblem,’ she replied. Baekhyun widened his eyes slightly but he put up a smile. Zhitao on the other hand, the one with the hat, swallowed nervously. Kyungsoo could understand the uneasiness it caused.

‘It makes sense,’ Baekhyun said. Kai had mentioned after he woke up that he assumed whatever curse he got, the mechanism went like this: every single time he is under the exposure of moonlight, his animus would take control and he would lose his consciousness for that period of time.

‘If you want to ask what happened, I don’t know.’

‘What do you mean you don’t know?’ Kai had a pissed look on his face. ‘You’re the one who cursed me,’

Krystal turned to him, not exactly appreciating his lack of control over his manners. ‘You almost killed me. That’s what got you cursed.’ She answered. ‘So I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened and I don’t know how to lift it,’ she shrugged. ‘You’re going to have to find someone more capable to help you,’

Zhitao hung his head low. ‘Krystal,’ Baekhyun spoke again, ‘Kai has something to say actually,’ he said, earning a look of dismay from Kai but Baekhyun gestured him, insisting he take the stage. Kai gritted his teeth before he sighed.

‘I know this doesn’t mean much, and I’m sorry.’ He said, looking into Krystal’s eyes. They were cold to the lack of sincerity in Kai’s voice. Baekhyun pinched Kai’s arm. ‘I’m sorry,’ his voice sounded weaker, burdened with guilt that began to rise. ‘I lost control, I admit it. And I almost killed you,’ he tore his gaze from her. ‘So it’s my fault I got this curse anyway, but I’d still really like to ask you for help.’

Krystal felt a little sympathetic; losing control over your own body was a merciless curse. ‘I don’t know how to,’ she said again.

‘I know it’s too much to ask, but the only person we know who can probably help lives off the Borders.’

‘Then why not go there?’

‘Well,’ Baekhyun seemed awkward. ‘This curse is foreign, and I’m sure you’re aware your emblem comes once in a lifetime, maybe once a millennium. So what Kai has; it’s something pretty new. We tried contacting with whoever we could to help on this but they said-‘ he paused. ‘-they said they would have to research and that would take not just studying on Kai but also…you.’

Krystal turned to Kyungsoo. ‘Most of the time, when sorcerers curse, they do it voluntarily. So they are able to play with the buttons and determine what or how can someone lift a particular curse. It’s kind of like creating a spell. But Kai’s curse was apparently your final defence mechanism. It’s logical; you don’t know how to create curses in the first place, and you’ve never studied an animorph deeply enough to be able to specifically modify your curse to manipulate their transforming ability. I’d understand why they would need to study you as well.’

‘But she’s a sorcerer, right?’ Zhitao asked, and much like a child.

‘I am,’ Krystal answered.

‘We’re trying to come in contact with the people at Nox Republic, which is quite a distance from here, and we wouldn’t want to get you into anything without offering something on our behalf.’

Krystal thought about it. She has not heard of Nox Republic before. There wasn’t really much that she wanted; she was content and happy. Perhaps she did have dreams but nothing was out of her reach, and she was sure of it.

‘You don’t come from here do you?’ Zhitao guessed correctly.

‘No,’ Krystal admitted, ‘But I live here.’

‘You’re very brave then,’ Baekhyun complimented. ‘But I doubt you plan to stay here forever, no? Especially since political changes are bordering on the extreme-‘ he was very subtle in his word choice but Kyungsoo and Krystal knew he meant the Queen’s plans to wage war against non-humans. ‘-Mount Rye isn’t exactly a place for sorcerers.’

‘How do I know you don’t already know the cure to his curse?’ Krystal asked.

‘What?’

‘What if you guys know that in order for him to lift the curse he needs to kill me properly and that all you’re trying to do is kidnap me far away and-‘

Kai snorted a laugh and he threw his head back. ‘Killing you would be the last thing I want to do right now.’ He said. Krystal did not appreciate his undermining tone.

‘We don’t plan to bring you alone, if that’s what you’re asking.’ Baekhyun said.

‘Why not?’ Krystal raised an eyebrow.

‘Well we don’t really know how to be hospitable enough for a girl.’

‘Is there something wrong with being a girl?’

‘No, no-‘ Baekhyun butted in. ‘It’s just that-‘ he threw nervous glances at Zhitao. ‘-we don’t have girls our age in the family, plus we’re as spoilt as any other spoilt kids can be. In other words we er-‘

‘We don’t know much about girls and how they live.’ Kai smiled. ‘We were told that they were…’ he tried to recall his aunt’s words. ‘…different.’

Krystal was not so sure whether she wanted to laugh or feel offended. ‘Fine,’ she crossed her arms. ‘I want a dragon,’ she decided.

‘A dragon,’ Baekhyun repeated. ‘Just a dragon?’

Krystal stuttered.

‘Is that it? I have dragons, can’t you ask for something better?’ Kai smirked.

‘Fine, I want his dragon.’ she pointed at Kai. Kai was about to argue. ‘I want his dragon or no deal,’

Kai curled his fists. Junmyeon glared at him, ordering him to give it up, and Kai relented. ‘Fine, you can have my dragon.’ He gave in.

‘Good,’ Baekhyun clapped once. ‘Shall we move now?’ he stood up.