八

The runaway prince was damned. After the rain he wasn’t able to find dry woods to help him making a campfire. With the help of moonlight, he looked at his horse who were munching the grass around his make-shift tent. He smiled at the sight that put his heart on ease.

His horse stood gracefully, its brown mane was slightly trimmed for the sake of aesthetic. It was only four months old when the horse became the prince’s. Daesung just turned 15 years old and it was the very first time he took care of his own horse. He was used with the prime-age horse for his training, but he had to start from the beginning with the brown horse.

The 18 years old prince could say that his horse was his bestfriend. Sometimes, the horse seemed to play a game with Daesung. There was a time Daesung had to beg to his horse, Doto, to support him with the sword training, but the horse just lazing around the barn or slowing its pace, eyes mocking at the prince. It wasn’t until Daesung fed him with carrots that the horse started to huff, signaling his readiness to start the day.

Daesung picked up a small fruit that he remembered was like a berry when he walked to Doto. The horse realized his master’s step and sniffing around him. The man opened up his palm, offering Doto the berries he picked up. However, the horse only nudged its nose, pushed the palm back to Daesung.

“You don’t want this?” Daesung took one berry to his mouth while talking to the horse. “I thought you like something sweet?”

As if the horse understood, he took some grass to its mouth and munched it again.

“You like grass. I see…” Daesung nodded.

The horse stopped munched the grass and stayed still. It looked at Daesung with his big eyes and Daesung laughed.

“No thanks. I have eaten my bread and once again, Doto, I don’t eat grass. I eat vegetable, yes. Not grass. Well, it’s the same green, but no, thanks,” He patted the horse’s head. “I appreciate your kindness.”

The horse started to eat the grass again and Daesung saw the long lashes. It reminded him of the witch son’s, Choi Seunghyun. Then his mind wandered far away to the palace again.

***

It was the days after the council decided to make Daesung as a prince. Daesung was on his way back from his class at the center of the palace to his own chamber. He saw something black moving at the garden to his chamber. Even it was night, with the help of candle light everywhere, he knew someone was moving around.

He took his knife that he always brought with him, ready to fight anyone who dared to be around his chamber without his permission.

‘Who are you?’ Daesung pulled the robe of the stranger when he was close to the place the stranger was hiding.

The stranger was almost on his knees and pleading, ‘Don’t kill me!’

Surprised with the deep tone of the stranger, he took off all the robe to make sure his guess. ‘Choi Seunghyun!’ he screamed and pointed the knife at the witch’s son.

‘Please, don’t kill me. I am harmless now. Please I can’t use anything around your chamber,’ Choi Seunghyun lifted up his hands in the air, surrendering at Daesung.

Daesung gasped at so many new things he found out. First, Choi Seunghyun’s pleading voice. Daesung only heard it twice, when the man pinned him for treating the witch and when he called his mother. The first time he heard, it was very deep and intimidating. Not like when he was pleading. It sounded so desperate and the voice was scratchy. The second, was the last thing Seunghyun said.

‘Can’t use what around my chamber?’ Daesung moved his knife closer to Seunghyun’s throat.

‘Magic,’ he said it flatly.

‘An