Once upon a time, in a magical land that humans cannot see, there lived fairies. Among them was Kim Yongsun, a dragon fairy who governed in the East part of the magical forest. She is the brightest, and bubbliest fairy of all.

Yongsun made sure that smaller fairies are always taken care of, and their concerns heard. She judged fairly during rulings, made sure that appropriate judgments and punishments are done, and maintained the forest she governs at.

However, she made the mistake of trusting a human, and as a consequence she lost her wings.

Ever since that day, she made sure that no human shall step inside her forest, and no human shall bask in the fruits of her trees. The farms of the villages that surrounded her forest experienced drought and after years passed, all the villagers left. However, the curse of drought still followed them wherever they settled.

Yongsun’s forest became dark and gloomy, and she no longer cared for her duties as the Queen of the Eastern forest. She only mourned, day and night, for the loss of her wings.

***

“Moon Byulyi.” Her mother sternly called. “Are you sure about this?”

Byulyi does not answer but instead continued to pack her belongings. Her mother deeply sighed and helped her folding clothes. She knew that no amount of scolding and nagging will change her daughter’s mind.

“Appa took something away from a fairy that’s why our side of the country has been experiencing drought.” She calmly starts while looking pointedly at her father. “To be able to restore the prosperity of our city, I shall take what he took back.”

Her father fiddled with the ties of his hat. “I didn’t know that things would end up this way. I was told that if I took the fairy’s wings, our land would prosper and we would have abundant harvest.”

Byulyi clicked her tongue in anger. She loves her father dearly, but his gullibility was something that she hates. Her father must have heard that rumor from the fake shamans that travelled from the main city to theirs. Byulyi knew from the looks of them that they were hoaxes, and that they use magical things to feed their greediness.

“I told you a few times before that they only say that because they want to use the magic that comes from the fairy wings to do bad things.” She reiterated. “No matter how rich our family will get if we use it,” she looked at the wings that are already wrapped around a magical cloth and attached neatly to her food pack. “I do not like seeing other people suffer and starve as a consequence.” She says firmly.

Her mother sighed beside her. “I hate that you took this sense of justice from me. It is a dangerous trait to inherit.” She shook her head, and puts a talisman in her daughter’s hand. “I do not know if these things work but humor your mother and keep it with you always as I cannot give you anything else to protect you.”

Byulyi just nodded.

“Unnie.” Her younger sister, Seulgi, came into the room and handed her bow and arrow. “I already strapped the additional arrows to your horse. You are good to go.”

Byulyi pats her sister’s head. “Thank you, Seulgi. Keep an eye on appa while I’m gone.” She again narrows her eyes at her father. “Make sure he does not go to the market where the fake shamans lurk.”

Seulgi smiled at her and pats her arm. “Do not tease appa so much, unnie. He has learned his lesson now. Safe travels.”

The Moon family sent off their eldest daughter to her quest, hoping with all of their heart that she returns alive.

***

“My queen—”

“I told you I do not wish to see anybody.” Yongsun’s voice boomed in the huge castle. “Send them away.”

She sat in her throne in the dark, holding a cup of wine that magically refills itself.

“But my queen, it has been years since you have heard our grievances. The trees in the forest are withering and the smallest fairies are dying because no human has been tending to their domain.” The elderly fairy still continued.

Yongsun hissed. As if I didn’t know that. She thought.

Every single fairy and tree in her forest was bound to her; their pain was hers, and their death she feels in her nerves. She knows very well what was happening but what can she do? Her wings are gone.

Her wings were her source of power. Her magic become tenfold stronger with her wings. And now that she doesn’t, she faints even with the mere usage of healing spells.

“I cannot do anything about it.” She grits through her teeth. “Leave.”

The elderly fairy remorsefully left the throne room.

Yongsun quietly wiped away the tear that fell down her face. It pains to see her forest in tatters but she cannot do anything. She wants to mend everything but if she dares try, she could lose her life. And if she dies, so does her forest.

But isn’t my forest already slowly dying?

Yongsun stood up and walked up to her window. She can see that her trees that surrounded her castle were also starting to wither even though they are near her. How much more the trees that was kilometers away from her reach?

Yongsun quietly sobbed once more, mourning for the loss of her wings.

However, her senses tingled. A shiver ran down her spine.

My wings.

She summoned a guard and told them to prepare her horse.

She felt it.

Her wings are home.

But a bitter taste settled in the back of .

A human has it.

***

Byulyi shivered.

The eastern forest was supposed to be the warmest of all the forests since the sun rose in this direction. But the forest she was trudging on her horse at was cold and gloomy. She does not hear a single bird chirp, nor crickets around. It’s as if the forest has been dead for a long time.

Aish, this is because of appa. Byulyi silently complains. Her heart goes out for all the magical creatures that are now dead and dying because their mistress does not have her source of power.

Byulyi’s horse stopped in the middle of the clearing which puzzled her.

“Yah, why did you stop?” she asked her horse.

“Who dares enter my forest?”

Byulyi got startled and looked up. What she saw wasn’t something her heart was prepared to witness.

Mounted on top of a white horse was the most beautiful face of a woman she had ever seen. Her hair was pale blond that reached her hips. Her eyes glared that at Byulyi was the perfect shade of forest green, and her lips were red as a cherry. The pointy ears of the lady told Byulyi that this was a fairy in front of her.

Byulyi gulped before answering. “I come in peace.” She held both of her hands up.

***

Yongsun studied the woman in front of her.

She sat atop a brown horse. Curiously, she was wearing her hair in a top knot and was garbed in a traditionally male hanbok. Yongsun’s eyebrows knotted together in confusion.

“I come in peace.” Said the intruder.

She looked at the bow and arrow strapped on the woman’s back and the additional arrows strapped on the horse’s saddle.

“The amount of weaponry you have suggests otherwise.” Yongsun says.

The woman nervously looks at her weapon. “I apologize but it hasn’t been a safe journey for me.”

“Makes sense.” Yongsun muttered under her breath. “What made you dare intrude to my forest? If my instincts are right, you’re of the same blood as the man that took my wings away.”

Her back ached in the memory of her wings being taken away from her. The man kept apologizing as he tore the wings away from her back but it did nothing to calm Yongsun’s heart.

“I came to return your wings.” The woman went down from her horse, and handed Yongsun a package.

Seeping through the creases of the package was an orange glow that assured Yongsun it was indeed her wings. With shaky hands, she slowly unfolded the cloth and almost cried when she saw her wings. Tears involuntarily ran down her face as she became filled with happiness to be finally reunited with her wings.

“You’re home.” She mutters.

In an instant, her wings reattached themselves to her back.

With a sigh, the pain of losing them became gone, and light shone in her forest once more.

***

Byulyi could not believe her eyes.

When the light shone in the forest, her eyes were blessed to see it in its full glory.

In every stone, leaf, and source of water, several small fairies awoke and stretched as they had been in slumber for a long time. Chirping sounds that she did not hear as she travelled filled the forest began to invade her ears, and flowers began to sprout in every land her eyes can see.

“I wish I could say I am thankful that you returned my wings but they should not have been taken away from me in the first place.” The fairy sternly said.

Byulyi nod. “It is my father’s foolishness to think that a divine item can be used by a human. I apologize.” She bowed deeply in front of the fairy.

“Sadly, this will not be the end of your peace offering, human.” The fairy said.

Byulyi became puzzled. “Wasn’t returning your wings enough?”

The fairy smiled sarcastically at her and it was supposed to make Byulyi tremble in fear, but her heart began somersaulting in happiness at the sight.

“Since you claim to be the daughter of the ungrateful human who took my wings, you will be enough as the other peace offering.”

Byulyi’s eyes widened. “Me? You wish to have me as peace offering?”

“Be my slave, human.”

***

“Remind me again why a fairy of the forest eats animal meat?” Byulyi complains as she removes her arrow from the body of a wild boar.

Yongsun took her out to hunt because she wanted to eat pork tonight. She rolled her eyes at the grumbling complaint of the woman before reasoning out.

“There should be balance in everything. Animals know that they can eat others and that others may eat them when the time comes.” Yongsun shrugged. “It’s a very misleading stereotype to think that fairies don’t eat animal meat just because we govern over them.”

Byulyi neatly cleaned the bloodstains, and wrapped the ‘food’ in a cloth. She puts it beside their other things in the wagon.

“Who hunts for you before?” she asked Yongsun.

Yongsun looked at her. “Other creatures of the forest did. They gift them to me as a token of gratitude for resolving their grievances.”

“Well, you resolve grievances now. The creatures probably returned to gifting you these, why do I have to hunt for you then?”

“Because first and most important of all; you are my slave. I can ask you to do whatever I want you to do.” Yongsun cockily answers.

Byulyi glared at the beautiful fairy. “Try asking me something else, your Highness. Then, I’ll gladly comply.” She winks at her and Yongsun’s heart began beating wildly. She held out her hand to Yongsun. “Let’s go back to the castle.”

Yongsun took it and Byulyi guided her as she mounted on the wagon. Then, Byulyi mounted as well and they went on their journey back to Yongsun’s palace.

Months have already passed since Byulyi agreed to become Yongsun’s slave as payment for her father’s debt. Of course, Yongsu