Chapter 3: In Which Prince Baekhyun Personally Offends a Rosebush

Eunkyung gawked at the man-in-a-rosebush. “Are… are you a man in a rosebush?” she asked, rather stupidly upon later reflection.

The smile on his face dropped as Man-in-a-Rosebush frowned, affronted. “I’m a prince in a rosebush, to be accurate.”

“A-Ah.”

Prince-in-a-Rosebush sniffed. “Well, I’d appreciate it greatly if you stopped gawking like I’m some Oof Gloofer in a cage and got on with your rescue.”

“I think there’s been a mistake,” Eunkyung said, backing away with her hands spread before her. “I’m not here to rescue anyone. I’m dreaming, you see. One moment I was reading reports at my desk, and the next I was here.”

“Well of course.” He cast her a withering glance. “I’m dreaming too, or else you’d just see a snoring prince in a rosebush, wouldn’t you?”

“I… I guess.” Eunkyung decided she really didn’t appreciate this prince’s attitude and didn’t have to stand for it, not when she was the future queen of Bijeon. Drawing upon her years of training, she drew herself up to her full height. “No more of this nonsense, Prince-in-a-Rosebush. Who are you?”

The prince sniffed again, and Eunkyung noted that his nose really was quite red and the quality of his voice rather nasal. “I am Prince Baekhyun, third son of Queen Yeri of Yodan.”

“Yodan?” Eunkyung squinted at him. “We’re neighbors, then. But I never knew Queen Yeri had a third son.”

Prince Baekhyun paused to blow his nose into a handkerchief, emerging from the silky cloth miserably. “Few people ever do. I’m just a third prince. Nobody, really.”

Eunkyung considered that. It was true that a third prince could easily go without notice in a neighboring queendom; throughout her education, she had first been taught about the diplomatic practices of neighboring queens, and then of their daughters, and then perhaps of their first or second sons, but certainly not their third sons.

“Well, what are you doing in a rosebush, Prince Baekhyun of Yodan?”

He made a face and waved the handkerchief. “Long story. Angered a demon. You don’t need to know. Just get me out of here, please. I’ve been waiting here for who knows how long. Damn sleeping spell.”

Interested, Eunkyung leaned in. She knew of the elemental demons, of course, and had read extensively about their magic, but they rarely crossed into the human universe anymore, and she had never encountered a direct byproduct of demon magic before. “What kind of sleeping spell? And how long have you been under it?”

Baekhyun glared at her. “I just said ‘who knows how long,’ didn’t I? And it’s one of those stupid eternal sleeping spells. I can’t wake up unless a princess in shining armor comes and rescues me, yada yada.”

She frowned. “Well, there’s no need to get so nasty.”

“You’d be nasty too if you were trapped in a rosebush for all of eternity. Not to mention, I’m allergic to roses.” As if for emphasis, he sneezed, sending the roses around him all arustle.

Edging closer, Eunkyung bent down to peer into the bush. “Did the demon happen to tell you how I’m supposed to get you out of here?”

The prince shook his head and snuffled. “Not exactly. How about you hand me that nice shiny dagger of yours for starters?”

She eyed him and placed a hand over her dagger. This was only a dream, albeit a strange one, but she still didn’t feel comfortable handing him her only weapon.

“Oh, stop looking at me like that.” Baekhyun groaned. “I’m not going to sneeze on it.”

Eunkyung looked down at her dagger, then after examining him one more time, unsheathed it and tossed it to him handle-first. True to his word, the prince promptly sneezed in the opposite direction of the dagger, keeping the shiny metal sneeze-free. Eunkyung let out a relieved breath.

Wiping his nose again, Baekhyun grabbed hold of the nearest branch of the bush and started sawing away to clear a path out. Immediately, a shrill shriek filled the clearing.

The prince froze. The shriek stopped. He exchanged a confused glance with Eunkyung, who shrugged. Hearing nothing more, he brought the blade down again.

So loudly Eunkyung thought her eardrums would burst, the rosebush squawked in outrage again, its leaves curling up and away from the prince. “Now was that really necessary?” It rustled angrily. “What did I ever do to you?”

Baekhyun shot a terrified glance at Eunkyung. “Did - did the rosebush just talk?” His voice squeaked up at the end of the question.

She cleared . “Uh - I believe it just squawked, to be accurate.”

“At least somebody has sense around here,” the rosebush snapped, waving a thorny tendril for emphasis. “Now get that dagger away from my branches, boy!”

The prince dropped the dagger and shrugged helplessly. “I- I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that would hurt you.”

“Would it hurt if I cut off one of your fingers?”

“Well yes, but -”

“No butts, thank you very much, sir! I saw far too much of that with the last human couple who tumbled into my branches. No sirree, no more but