twentyone

I considered the possibilities, the most prominent negative outcomes, but never really diving into the worst outcome. I clung on to my sanity to keep a level head. It was the best course of action when it was so easy to slip into a bad thought and have it snowball into a sleepless night. After a few days of silence from all parties involved, there was a break. Jongdae had shut himself away, leaving me alone with mother who spent her days staring out the window in hopes to see father strolling back towards the house.

“Girls,” Jongdae said with undeterred determination, “Father recalls the tigers in the garden… they were females.”

I sighed sleepily at my brother after a week of not seeing him, he came bursting into my room with a telegram clutched in his hand. All the uncertainty he had at the beginning was gone. He ripped the telegram opened and read the words.

Reserve found. Many. All bent-ear females.

I yawned, hoping that I could wake soon and fully appreciate what my brother was going on about.

“Good,” I gave a lazy nod, “But we’ve suspected this, how can we make this a point of argument?”

My brother lightly slapped my forehead with the piece of paper.

“Have you forgotten all the lessons our father has taught us in our early years,” He teased lightly, “Kaira, unlike lionesses, tigers do not hunt in groups. When did father ever say he tracked a pack of tigers?”

I remained silent.

“They are lone hunters,” He smiled wickedly, “To have two comfortably around each other means they have been raised in such a manner. They never have had to see each other as competitors for food. The ear defect is probably a inherited trait… it makes total sense.”

“Does it?” I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and my brother let out an exasperated sigh. It seemed like my lack of enthusiasm bothered him as he paced around my bed.

“If the Jol Family have been doing this for years, decades even, inbreeding is most probable.” He finally stopped and sat himself at the foot of my bed, “I could imagine father is making sure there are other witnesses to what he has encountered to build a strong evidence.”

“And Junmyeon?”

“Prince Junmyeon.” He lightly corrected me, “Doesn’t believe it’s his mother, too.”
 

I felt a surge of nerves coursing through me. An all-time anxiety nearly pushed me to the edge, and I felt fully awake now.

“What?” I gasped.

Jongdae held up his hands and began to explain himself, “He agrees with father. The Queen gains nothing politically from the alliance if Baekhyun were to be married.”
 

“Prince Baekhyun,” I crossed my arms, “And he can’t be married when-”

Jongdae rolled his eyes and waved me off, “We know, we know Your highness. What I am trying to explain is, you need to place focus on the other, sister. If the Queen passes away or she abdicates the crown, the power transfers over to Prince Junmyeon.”

“Oh great.” I groaned out, tired of how much energy it took just to think of getting up, “It would have been much easier to tackle if it were the Queen.”

Jongdae snorted, “Just because she has an extreme distaste for you doesn’t mean she would release a few tigers into the palace. You were barely important to her back then-”

I chucked a pillow at my brother. He expertly dodged it and let out a dry laugh, reminding me to get up for breakfast. I did as I was told, even if I was hungry, I wasn’t exactly thrilled that my brother was ordering me around. I changed into a simple frock and climbed downstairs to a very quiet home. Mother thought it was best to send our servants on paid leave. She expressed she would have trouble explaining my presence at home when I’m supposed to be honey mooning.

“Why would they think I’d be honey mooning?” I cocked my head sliding into my chair with my plate in hand when I had finally brought up the question of our absent staff. Mother's cover up had been revealed.

My mother gritted her teeth into a strained smile but said nothing as Jongdae shoved a small bun in his mouth and chewed loudly at the amusing moment for him.

“Mother,” He gulped, “Was the one who was spreading the rumors of a private getaway up north to our staff before they left.”

Her face flushed in irritation that she was ousted by her very own son.

“Nevermind who,” She hissed, “It’s for your safety.”

Jongdae grinned widely, “Mother has joined the family business.”

“A family of scoundrels,” I smirked, sipping on my tea.

“Children,” She sighed, “My lapse of judgement isn’t for your amusement. I’m trying my best to juggle something out of my control. I am very worried for your father. For all of you.”

Jongdae and I settled down and nodded.

“We are too,” I assured her.

And it was that worry that caused me many nights of restless sleeps. Despite regulating my thoughts throughout the day, it was during the night when I had the most difficulty. When more days had passed and the season painting the leaves a rich red around us, chilling the nights for autumn to make itself comfortable, I would wake up with night sweats trembling in heat.

It was often from a dream that I couldn’t quite recall other than a piercing ache in my heart that resided as I shot up from my bed, gasping for air.

After the fifth night of waking up and pacing myself back to a restless sleep, mother thought best to call Madam Min as well as all the servants back, explaining that I came back from my honeymoon a tad early because of a sickness.

Madam Min entered my chambers, a tender look overcame her delicate features when she crept into my room quietly in the late morning to find me flushed and exhausted after the Doctor had left.

“My Dear Kaira,” She whispered out lovingly. She placed her weight on my bedside and reached over to cover my hand with hers. “I closed the shop for the day after I heard your mother’s concerns.”

“She is going to end up like me,” I groaned out, “I’m simply sick with worry. I don’t think it would be helpful if she came down with the same sickness if she’s worried about me on top of everything else…”

Madam Min gave me a weak smile and placed two fingers on my wrist and gently pressed down.

“You feel faint, don’t you dear?” She asked with full certainty, “Your pulse is weak.”

I exhaled lightly, “The doctor couldn’t pinpoint it, but I really believe I need a good rest which I will get once there is a... resolve.”

She hummed in assurance of the words I carefully picked out for her, “It is strange, you look flushed but have no sign of a fever.”

“I’m truly exhausted Madam Min, every time I shut my eyes, I feel a trance of horror overcome my dreams and I just wake up. My heart is racing from the fear, but I can’t remember what I’m supposed to be afraid of.” I admitted.

Madam Min nodded, “What was it that the Doctor said before he left?”

“Nothing of significance,” I shrugged, “He said I was weak from lack of rest. It’s just the night terrors.”

Madam Min blinked rapidly and her lips, “Are you sure dear?”

I nodded, “Yes. He’ll be back in the morning to check up on me. He thought best to check the royal library for more information.”

“Then that settles it. I’ll whip up a soothing tonic for you dear while we wait for his return,” She stood up, “It will give you a proper sleep. Sleep is like drinking water, quality is needed or you fall victim to other ailments. You wouldn’t want to fall ill in the prime of your marriage.”

I did my best to nod at her comparison before she left. It only felt like a few moments had transpired when she had returned and helped tip a small warm cup of tea to my lips. Before I knew it, I was plunged into a sleep so deep that was hard to come out of.

It felt like I had submerged myself into a weightless world of black, with colors swirling around me, with a warmth of the sun rays cradling me to submit myself to the comfort of it.

And then, light.

As bright and threatening to my eyes, I shielded my face from the pain until a long pause and the pain subdued. There was a ringing in my ears that gave way to the gentle sounds of nature.

I blinked rapidly and looked around at the familiar surroundings.

The Garden, except, it wasn’t quite it. Something about the surroundings made it feel obnoxiously saturated with color, the sky bordering a hue of purple of how intense it was. Even the grass looked like it had a halo of vibrant yellow around each blade. Looking down, I was dressed in white linen clothes with worn in shoes, exactly what I wore when I was just a child.

I whipped around looking for someone, anyone, but there was not a single soul around. I couldn’t have returned to the past, could I? I had hoped for more useful thoughts to register in my head but it felt like I could barely process a word at a time. I stood in the middle of the field, the long grass gently swaying in the breeze, unsure of what to do.

It didn’t take long to snap my attention to a very daunting matter. It felt like my heart caught on to the dangers before I had fully become aware of it.

There was a terrifying growl that rippled through the air and my scream shot up, stopping right at my throat.

“The Tigress is here,” The voice said, and I found myself desperately searching for the source of the voice. My eyes scanned over any kind of dent in the perfect fabric of the field of long grass and I just couldn’t spot the shrouded threat. The light of the sun was nearly blinding the colors away as I turned around to spot it.

“Yessss,” Another disembodied voice snarled, “Isn’t is sweet? We meet again.”

I began to recognize what I was in. This was my terror. With the blood pumping the adrenaline in my veins, heightening my senses, I could feel the threats circling around me. The fear running through me almost tricked me into thinking I could feel their heavy paws padding around the ground near me in a slow stride.

“Look at her face,” One chuckled lowly, “She hasn’t connected it yet.”

“I-“ I stopped once I spotted a peculiar item at my feet, catching my eyes with the glimmer of its jewels.

“Who sent you away?” One tiger rumbled, its tail brushing up against my leg. My eyes had been fixated on the shiny item at my feet.

“It wasn’t she, was it?” A psychedelic face of a tiger poked through the grass, the stripes morphing the strangest shapes around the ears and eyes. Had I not been so transfixed on the crown at my feet, I would have been hypnotized by the opalized eyes of the tiger who watched me intently.

My mind felt foggy, “She?”

“Showered with riches and knowledge,” The other tiger peeked cover the line of grass, its fur morphing into all the shades of the rainbow, “So… generously and yet she hesitates.”

“By whom?”

“Where?”

“For how long?”

These where the tigers that had been terrorizing my dream for the past days. It was like a confirmation of information I had stuck in my brain. I bent down and picked up the weighty crown and stared at it for a moment. The dazzling tigers still amused, as their lips curled into a wicked starving smile.

I turned the crowd repeatedly in my hands, looking at each jewel as if it was a clue to be examined.

“What are your names?” I lightly asked, eyes still stuck on the crown.

“Courage,” One smiled, flashing its wicked set of fangs. It caught my attention, and I began to realize these tigers were swelling up in size.

“Discourage,” The other hummed.

There was a tone in their snarls that held a hint of distrust. I wasn’t sure if they were at all real much less actual to be honest. The pair of were now unable to crouch down in the grass to hide. Whereas before, they moved swiftly around my legs like.

“I’ve been here before, haven’t I?” I gulped, watching them slowly blink their starting opal eyes at me. A breeze of colorful wisps rippled through the air, making the blades of grass dance in its whistle of music.

“She asks questions she knows the answers to.” The tiger with the warping stripes, Courage, mocked.

The colorful Discourage twitched its nose, “Peculiar.”

My heart began to thud in my chest. It was uncomfortable and almost painful as the weight of the crown grew heavy on my hands. My throat tightened up as I choked out.

“It is him.” My voice just a whisper.

“Alas she has responded,” Discourage grumbled looking back at Courage, who lowered its eyes. In my mind the plan was clear, aim and shoot at the crown but I battled with the courage and discourage of having to face such a power on the throne. I suppose knowing how risky my path of fate had turned into, I avoided to think about the grim possibility.

Could I be facing death if I failed?

Could I face it even if I succeed?

I clenched my jaw to stop a well of tears surface. The opal eyes caught my attention once more, dazzled by their brilliance. Discourage began to pad away, leaving me with the daunting Courage.

“Do I get a happy ending?” I asked. There was a slight pause, and it was terrifying. It was as if the life of the garden had been out. The insects had stop buzzing. The grass has frozen in their eternal place and the color of the garden had drained.

“Kaira!” A voice called out. My heart clenched at the sound of Baekhyun’s voice. I had barely any time to whip around to find him at the entrance, just like the first time I had ever laid eyes on him.

The crown slipped through my fingers.

I felt the vibrations of my scream echo out in a shrill wail but there was silence as Discourage lunged at Baekhyun. The hungry tiger gruesomely began to tear at him. It felt like my own heart was shredding apart and bleeding freely as I died slowly. Choked in tears and vision blurred, I used the little energy I had to I run towards him only to be stopped by Courage.

“Finished what you started years ago.” It growled, raising this claws at me before pouncing it’s weight on me, crushing my chest and piercing my skin with the sharp claws.

I twitched in my sleep, gasping as I woke up.

I sat up, rapidly breathing and the familiar pumping of my heart to let me know that I was still alive. There was a tenderness of heartbreak of remembering Baekhyun in my dream, but I was overcome with relief to know that it was just that, a dream and I could remember this time around.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed but, strangely enough, well rested, I plopped back into my pillows feeling a sigh of relief escape my lip. The slight peace of knowing everything was not as terrible as my dream was disrupted by none other than my brother barging in.

My vision was attacked by a panicked looking brother who peered over my form.

“Kaira?” He sputtered out, his eyes wide in horror, "Oh god, you've woken!"

I flinched at his shrill voice and lightly pushed him away, stretching my body from a good sleep. Remnants of the horror hadn’t yet subsided but I was still happy to know I was living in a reality that Baekhyun was still alive in.

“You pester me,” I groaned out, “I was finally relishing in the peace of a good rest.”

Jongdae huffed at me as if I was the annoying one in this situation.

“Peace? Rest? You were shrieking just a moment ago. You had us worried,” Jongdae sighed, “Mother just stepped out. I’ll call for Madam Min, she’ll be relieved. ”

“I don't see what the fuss is all about,” I mumbled, “I feel better now, the tonic worked.”

Jongdae grumbled under his breath, “You’ve been in and out of sleep for nearly five days, thrashing around, you idiot.”

I scrunched my nose at my brother, not fond of the idea of being called an idiot.

“Five days?” I yawned, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, “How is it possible?”

“Madam Min said the tonic is particularly good at relaxing the body but not under the state of…” Jongdae trailed off and held in the rest of his thoughts. He shook his head, “Prince Baekhyun received a message... presumably from Prince Junmyeon.”

I blinked.

“What kind of message?” I sat back up.

Jongdae shook his head.

“What message was sent, Jongdae?” I repeated more sternly. Oddly enough, he looked relieved that I had the strength in me to argue with him.

“Madam Min said that the effects of the tonic are exacerbated when…” He took in a shaky breath, “Rumors of your state spread at the palace after the doctor was seen at the Royal Library inquiring books pertaining to your... situation. Prince Baekhyun has been made aware of your state.”

There was a long stretch of silence.

“And?”

Jongdae gulped, his face twisting painfully.

“I received word that he arrived at the palace not to long ago.” His chin quivering. As comforting as that sounded, something didn’t sit right with me. Not when Jongdae was breaking down in front of me.

“There’s more, isn’t there?” I asked after a moment of observing him.

He didn’t utter his response. He merely nodded as a few tears rolled down on his face.

“It was not without oversight, Kaira. In such a panic, Father came back with him,” He announced, and I felt a confusing smile on my face. I was please to hear that father was back.

“I fear that a fault was made and the Queen has been tipped off. He and mother were summoned,” He gulped, “By The Queen.”

It was then and there when I realized the frightful truth. She knows. Although I wasn’t sure of how much or of what, The Queen was possibly aware of the actions done under her nose. I didn’t have time to ask for more information. I clawed the blankets off of me and rushed towards my door to fling it open.

I need to get to find my mother now perhaps to stop her on the streets before she reached the palace. Instead, I found another piece of my heart, slowly climbing up the stairs, looking terribly broken. Baekhyun’s soft skin was raw with the harsh tears of his own anguish. Upon seeing me, his knees nearly buckled under his weight as he quickly finished climbing up the stairs.

We were both shocked at the sight of each other but it was him that reacted first, pulling me into a hug.

“You’re fine,” He choked out, “You’re fine, you’re fine.”

He petted a heavy hand on my head as he began to profusely apologize over and over again.

“I shouldn't have left," Baekhyun placed a firm hand behind me head and cradled it pressing me against his chest. I could feel the rain of kisses he placed on my head. He was alive and still warm to the touch but the that feeling of dread still lingered in the pit of my stomach and I knew there was something to fight for, even if time was running out. 

I apologize for the long pause. But here it is~

Also I just updated the first chapter of my new story. It will follow Jongin's story, in the same world so expect some cameos from characters in this story if you want another read! 
 

I will have to announce that this story possibly has about four to five chapters left so. It's incredibly wonderful to have had such support from the regular commentators. I really appreciate your interest and I hope to improve my story telling abilities for your entertainment! ^^