Unexpected Surprise
Cupid at HeartAs cupid left, the king appeared behind the princess. His expression showed a clear attempt at trying to hold back his displease, keeping a crooked smile in place.
“Hyunmi, who were you dancing with on the day of your courtship with the prince of Spade?” He uttered the question through gritted teeth.
“I haven’t had a clue. Perhaps he was one of the palace workers whom I’d like to bestow kindness upon as a princess. A great kingdom is led by a leader adored by the citizens,” Hyunmi told her father with a practiced smile. Ever since Woohyun had shown his intention to ask her to dance, her mind started thinking of acceptable excuses her father would believe in. Paired with her sweetest smile, it was nearly impossible doubt her.
“You are right about that. You need to grow into a queen possessing both beauty and kindness. Only that way would you be capable enough to rule over Heart with Prince Sunggyu by your side,” the king said, a smile accompanying his lips. The idea of their royal marriage pleased him.
The princess didn’t realize the crack in her usual bright smile. Her eyes glanced over to prince Sunggyu who was now seen talking to her elder sisters. They were able to entertain him with the flatteries and attention he so desired. Her heart wondered why he didn’t ask any of her sisters into courtship instead.
Perhaps she had been staring for too long. Sunggyu met her gaze in a fiery stare of vanity when she returned to reality. He thought she was charmed by his extremely good looks, and excused himself in order to return to the youngest princess’ side.
“Did you come to realize the peasant boy’s poor dancing skills in comparison to mine? Fear not, Princess Hyunmi, I am ready to your movements once more,” Sunggyu spoke as he made a slight bow and extended a hand to her. His words may have sounded friendly and reliable to one’s ears, but Hyunmi knew he was only exalting himself.
In front of her father’s watchful eyes, she had no other option than to answer his invitation. With a forced smile on her face, she placed her hand in his, and let Sunggyu lead the dance again.
This time, she wondered whether her heart still functioned, for she felt nothing in comparison to her time spent with cupid.
There were only a few who were aware of the princess’ foul mood which she managed to mask well enough behind her usual smile. Seulyi couldn’t help but stare with sympathies as she was still dancing with the hatter.
“It is truly tragic. The princess does not seem any happier than cupid was minutes ago,” Myungsoo remarked, apparently having made the same observation as well.
“Perhaps their longing is mutual. I wonder if they have noticed it yet,” Seulyi said. Though she was still held in Myungsoo’s arms, her mind could only think of her friend’s well being. No love potion could withstand the power of friendship.
“I suppose not, for cupid is a man who has never fallen in love, himself. It is truly ironic for the god of love and affection to not understand such emotions. Even if he had fallen for the princess, he will, presumably, not realize it.” Myungsoo shrugged as if things couldn’t be helped. He led Seulyi to twirl once and caught her back in his arms again. “Which is why my plan is brilliant.”
Seulyi blushed a little at their close distance, and found herself blinking rapidly to ensure the hatter was truly in front of her eyes. Her heart beat faster with every passing second, yet she wished to elongate time whenever they were together.
“What exactly have you planned?” She then asked him out of curiosity.
“I do not reveal my secrets, Miss Nightgown. You have to wait until the clock strikes ten,” Myungsoo hummed to her, guiding her steps as he swirled her across the dance floor, showing formidable dance moves unlike the celebratory dance at the shop. “Ah, I do love seeing the seconds tick by. The fingers are for once not on the six o’clock mark.”
Seulyi widened her eyes, remembering the odd detail she had witnessed back in the shop. She had meant to question him, but got distracted by his riddles. “Why is time frozen in the shop?” She finally questioned him.
“Haven’t you heard?” Myungsoo asked her with surprised eyes. “I once sang the Happy Unbirthday Song to the queen of Heart. But she was not fond of it and claimed I had murdered her time. Therefore she requested the god of time himself to punish me so that I would forever be stuck at six o’clock.”
Seulyi frowned in a way that made her appear cold and distant, a habit she had whenever she was confused. Considering she was a little on the dense side, this habit appeared numerous times. “The queen of Heart meaning Hyunmi’s late mother who passed away? And the god of time…”
“Kronos,” Myungsoo told her and curved his lips into a playful smirk. “But even the gods can’t stop me for what I am about to unleash. You’d be surprised.”
Suddenly, Seulyi wasn’t all too sure she wanted him to reveal his plans. But the love potion’s effect got the better of her judgement, and convinced her heart to go accordingly to whatever madness he was about to commit. “When should I expect the surprise?” She asked.
The hatter’s eyes darted to the clock, and he was utterly surprised when the clock struck exactly ten.
“Now.”
The castle floor suddenly began to shake for a split second. Then it stopped. Then it shook. Then it repeated in the most terrifying manner possible. Soon they realized it had taken on a rather rhythmic pattern that wasn’t caused by Mother Nature. The crystal chandeliers on the ceiling were rattling with every tremble, and many feared it would come crashing down on the dance floor. Even the upright painting of the king’s portrait was slightly slanted and failed at upholding its perfect angle. The artwork was at the verge of falling.
A terrifying roar echoed not too far away from the guests, followed by the hissing of a snake, and a loud breathy sneer. The chandelier casted the silhouette of several horrendous beasts against the wall. It soon became clear that the earthquake was in fact the stomping of the beasts as they made way towards the ballroom.
In no time, the entire ball was in an uproar. People took off their mask, engulfed themselves in screams of hysteria, and ran to save their dear life.
Even Seulyi was dumbfounded, staring at Myungsoo who seemed rather stoic. She knew he was mad, but never knew his madness would exceed an ordinary person’s limit. Was this the brilliant plan he spoke of?
The beasts continued howling a loud cry that made one’s ear pierce with agony. Every step taken resulted in the heavy quaking of the ground. The shadow enlarged against the wall, and soon the creatures revealed themselves from beneath the shadows.
Instead of several beasts, what appeared was one giant beast with body parts of various animals. Its body was that of a lion with long manes displaying feminine elegance. Another head rose from the back in the form of a black ram with two horns. Attached to the back was a serpent’s tail that ended with a hissing snake head. And when the lion opened its mouth, it breathed fire.
“Isn’t this a chimera?” Sunggyu asked, completely baffled at the creature’s sudden appearance. A chimera was a mythical creature they had heard many tales about, but never encountered in real life.
Hyunmi could only stare at the beast with half worry and half amazement. She was certain this was the hatter’s doing, and soon understood why Woohyun said she might not have liked the idea. She had wished for a small distraction, but received an entire chaos instead.
“Everybody, proceed to the back entrance in an orderly fashion to exit the castle. Do not run in a haste!” Hoya was shouting on top of his lungs to instruct a safety precaution.
“Do you think the beast is harmless?” Dongwoo questioned, scrunching his eyes at the foreign creature. He shouldn’t allow fear to strike him, but it did.
“I better hope so. You should run as well, Your Majesty. Take the king with you and keep the people safe as I obstruct the beast in here,” Hoya spoke with calm composure which disguised his panicked urgency. He had fought numerous battles against soldiers or armies of three hundred, but never had he encountered a beast as deadly as this one. Yet, it was his duty to protect the royal family and the citizens of Heart.
“Be careful,” Dongwoo patted the knight on his shoulder and turned around to get the guests to safety. He believed Hoya was capable enough. He had other duties to take care of as the prince. Both he and Kihyun retrieved his father who had already fainted by this time, and carefully carried him outside.
Hoya drew the sword from its holder attached to his belt. He planned to distract the beast and bestow everyone enough time to escape, but the beast was much faster than he imagined. It began to shiver a little, and large dragon wings sprouted from its skin.
While he was baffled at its new ability, he heard the shrill shriek from a maiden who was cornered behind the chimera. She was fallen on the lowermost step of the stair, tripped over her long pink gown. Her yell had caught the beast's attention.
His heart began to race in panic, feeling his adrenaline rushing when he hastened his steps to the woman. The beast was so close to her, and it looked like all three heads would nearly rip her apart to share her body equally among them.
“Stay away!” Hoya shouted, stretching his arm to hold the sword out in front of him. He didn’t care if it would slice any of the beast’s head off, as long as the woman was safe.
It made the chimera flinch in shock as it retreated a few steps backwards. This allowed Hoya the chance to kneel down beside the maiden whom he had never seen before.
“Are you hurt anywhere?” He asked with worry laced in his tone. He gently offered her a hand, flinching a little when the woman brushed her messy dark hair away from her face with trembling fingers. He had never seen anyone with such profound and astonishing beauty—especially after growing immune to the youngest princess’ appearance.
The foreign girl had big doe eyes that looked at him with glistening tears. The girl did not speak, and barely managed to shake her head. She was trembling in fear, and Hoya felt his heart shatter at the sight. He carefully placed his hand around her shoulder and helped her up. Despite the situation, he noticed the rich chocolate color of her eyes that stared at him like a hero—as if he was more than a mere knight.
“Weak,” the faint arrogance from Sunggyu’s voice came.
Hoya was unsure of the scene unfolding before him. The Prince of Spade had acquired a sword and attempted to cut the serpent tail off. This enraged the chimera who soon drew its attention toward the prince instead.
The girl suddenly clung unto Hoya’s arm, her fingers digging deeper against the fabric of his blouse. She was shivering as if she had been living in the cold for ages.
Hoya looked at her with worries. “Can you walk?”
She faintly nodded her head, and that was all it took for Hoya to decide he should save her first. Most of the guests had already evacuated the ballroom. The prince of Spade should be able to hold off the chimera for a while.
“Fight me, you beast!” Sunggyu taunted fearlessly. Whether he possessed actual skills to battle the chimera or simply wished to impress the youngest princess, he soon learned he was no match against the beast.
His arrogance faded when the beast charged on him and knocked him over with one loud tackle. The sword fell from his hand, clattering loudly on the floor. He was left defenseless when the beast towered over him with foul breath. The lion paw trampled over him, holding his fragile body in place.
Hyunmi could barely stand to watch and quickly ran to Myungsoo. “Stop this. I did not ask for a chimera,” she told him in a rush.
“I am sorry, princess. But it is the only way I could think of to ruin the ball. The chimera doesn’t stop until it's full,” Myungsoo said calmly as if their lives didn’t matter to him. He watched the scene play out before him with a casual smile.
Hyunmi exchanged looks with Seulyi who hid behind the hatter, completely lost. Woohyun was nowhere in sight, and she didn’t want to be the cause of Sunggyu’s death. So without thinking much, she ran to grab the fallen sword from the ground and approached the beast.
She suddenly wished she had joined Dongwoo during all his combat classes, for the princess had no idea how to wield a sword. She spent time studying herbs and potion brewing; physical combat had never been one of her skills. But when the chimera almost devoured Sunggyu, she carelessly swung the sword towards the beast, managing to let the metal tip hit the serpent’s scaly skin.
It turned to her, angrier than before.
“Prince Sunggyu?” Hyunmi requested for his aid, but after receiving the silence in return, she could only hope he had fainted and nothing more. Her feet stepped back carefully as the chimera followed her steps, slowly but entirely focused on its next meal of royalty.
“Shouldn’t we help?” Seulyi questioned, tightening her hold against the hatter’s attire.
“No, the good part is about to start,” Myungsoo said with a bright smile. His whimsical tone made him sound so aloof, and one might question whether he truly understood the threat posed by the situation. But that grim smirk on his face showcased he perfectly grasped the situation.
Seulyi stared at him in disbelief. He was going to let the beast hurt her friend, and a part of her wished the love potion’s effect didn’t make him seem as desirably charming as before. She wished to slap him and kiss him all at the same time.
“Uhm… Your task has been completed, formidable beast. I release you off your duty, and shall show my greatest gratitude for your assistance through a… Royal banquet?” Hyunmi began talking to the chimera, hoping it would perhaps understand human language and possess a kind heart to release her as its prey.
The lion head roared, the ram gloated a weird terrifying sound, and the snake hissed before opening its mouth towards her direction. She could feel the air of the beast’s breath gushing against her, and never before had she felt any dirtier. How foolish of her. The chimera only saw her as its meal and seemed too eager to devour her.
But a sudden presence fell on the beast from the ceiling. It was round, it was purple, and it used its claws to feign off the chimera by slashing deep cuts in its flesh. It was the cat, displaying an immense amount of bravery with its own nine lives at stake. His heroic act brought the princess to tears.
“I will not allow you to mess with the princess,” Sungjong groaned, overtaken by its rage as it tried to inflict more damage. But what was a cat to do against the gigantic beast? His attack barely made the chimera whimper.
The serpent head caught Sungjong’s furry body in its mouth, gnashed its teeth into its flesh as he cried in pain. Then the serpent swung the cat around in the air, throwing it away without any care when it was done playing around. Luckily, Hyunmi managed to catch him in time before hitting the ground.
“Sungjong, why did you have to fight it?” Hyunmi questioned with short gasps of hitched breathings. Seeing her cat bleed from his stomach set off the tears from her eyes. Sungjong was wounded because he tried to protect her.
She looked up to the chimera that was once again approaching her with viciousness in its eyes. Every step he took made her heart tremble with induced panic. All three heads stared at her with a deadly glare, and she saw only murderous coldness reflected in them. She knew it wouldn’t settle on anything less than to have a meal. It wanted to slaughter her to pieces.
With Sungjong closely held in her arms, she shut her eyes. Only the loud breathing marked the beast’s distance from her, and she hopelessly surrendered to her fate. She caused all of this to happen, so she had to take responsibility for it.
As the beast roared once more, an incredible force had pulled her by the arm, twirling her entire body around as it softly landed against a man’s chest. The rosy scent reappeared, and the gentle arm wrapped itself protectively around her back. Her heart continued to beat louder, but she knew it was no longer out of fear.
Woohyun was there, and she suddenly believed everything was going to be fine.
This is why I am hopelessly in love my own fictional character... Ha...
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