Title; Ice & Dark [OneShot]
Pairing; Taostal; [tao/krystal]
Words; 1,624
Genre; romance, slight angst, hurt/comfort
Summary; a young princess falling in love with a chinese swordsman.

The young girl ran and ran until her feet felt as if they were about to bleed to death; As she ran, she did not look back once.

Afraid of what might be chasing her.

 A human? No.

No human could ever keep up with the Snow Princess.

An animal? But which kind?!

A monster? No. “There’s no such thing as monsters.” ―Is what her older sister, Queen of Ice, Queen Jessica, always used to tell her.

Afraid, and at this point, reckless and clumsy enough, she tripped over a branch.

She knew she couldn’t stop now. She had to keep going, no matter what.

—An hour ago…

“Princess! Hurry!”—A servant yelled as he woke the young princess from slumber.

“Wha?...What is it?”—She asked rubbing her eyes, half-asleep.

“The Kingdom is being attacked! We must evacuate and bring you to safety. Quick, put on your robe!”

“What?! We’re being attacked? By whom?”—Surprised by the short summary and being forced to leave her kingdom. “Wait! What about my sister?!”—She cries out for an answer.

“The royal highness, Queen Jessica, has already been notified and is being brought to the escape carriage, which awaits your arrival. Quick, we don’t have much time!” He throws her a dress robe, and hands her a wooden stick lit on fire for light. He takes her hand and pulls her out the room, and they run towards the nearest walking closet near her bedroom. He opens the closet door, and there awaits her, a hidden secret passageway. “Princess, please be careful on your step. Hurry and get inside.”

“What is this?” asked the astonished young girl. “It’s a secret passageway. Your ancestors had this built so that if in any circumstances as the current situation occurs that you and the rest of your family will be able to escape safely.”

“Krys!” a familiar voice calls out to her and she turns around to face the body that the voice belongs to. “Jess!” She recognizes that it’s her sister yelling out her name. The two young lady siblings reunite and get dragged together into a carriage. “the highnesses have step foot in the carriage, please go!” yelled a nearby servant. “Hold on your highnesses.” The carriage’s driver commands.

“Jess! Jessica!! HELP!!!! Somebody, help me!!!” Krystal screams at the top of her lungs as she tries to stand up and start running again.

“Princess…oh Snow Princess” an unfriendly voice whispers her name. “HELP ME!!!!!!”

“Now, now, don’t you think it’s rude to frighten a charming young lady?” a handsome voice spoke.

“who goes there?!” I scream out shaking every bone in my body.

“excuse my rude introduction, but I think we should first take care of your stalker, young girl.”

“who dares defies me?” the unfriendly voice echoes against the dark forest.

“me.” The handsome voice answers back without sounding scared at all.

He jumps down in front of me from above my head. Pulling out his sharp silver sword he uses it to defend us from the frightening voice. His appearance displayed to be a tall and tanned dark man. With hair dark as the night, eyes dark as the sky, and skills shown to be ones only a martial artist would know.

“You’re quite young to be roaming about at this hour. You must be a daughter of a wealthy noble family, wearing such refined clothes on such a dull night like this.”

“refined?!” How dare he make fun of my sleeping gown. “I’ll have you know, this gown I’m wearing, is made for sleeping! And another thing, how dare you call me a daughter of some wealthy noble family, I am the crown prin-aaahh!“

The unfriendly voice decided to take action upon us. However the young swordsman receives upon the attack at hand and blocks the sudden knives flying right at him. The unfriendly voice finally shows his appearance. A mystical creature I never thought ever existed.

Disgusting, short, and ugly.

Little mischievous creatures that have magical abilities that define the term “untrustworthy”.

They are the most selfish and greedy creatures ever to exist.

A goblin.

I never thought they exist. My grandmother told me all sorts of folklore stories about them. All they want is money and gold.

“why aren’t you an ugly little fellow?” the swordsman spoke provoking the goblin. “What did you say!!” The goblin yelled back in anger.

“what are you doing?” I whispered into his ear. “Saving you”, he answered back revealing half his face to me.

Words which no one ever said to me. Not even the twelve knights that protect my kingdom.

The swordsman jumped in front of the goblin and grabbed hold of its arms. He grabbed the rope the goblin was caring that had fallen to the ground when the swordsman attacked the goblin in surprise. Skillfully and fast, he roped the ugly creature’s hands and legs together and threw him off the ground onto a branch of a tree. He let the rope go suddenly, and the goblin fell straight faced onto the ground letting out a yell of pain and agony. “You’re going to let him go?!” I ran towards the swordsman in worry.

“Of course not! I was just going to play with him for a bit before I tie him back up in the air.”

“Play?”, that word to me, screams ‘torture’. “It’s only fair, I mean―he did what to rob you of your values, didn’t he?” the swordsman pointed out.

“But…” I couldn’t help feeling guilt crawl up my arms as I scratched them watching the handsome man tortu–play with the little creature. “let me go! I didn’t mean to harm the girl! I just—wanted to ask her what her name was! That’s all!” The goblin struggled as he swung back and forth with his hands dangling down beside his ears.

“What nerve this fellas got. He’s lying, young girl. He knows who you are.” The man said poking the goblin on his sides as he navigated the ropes movement. “W–what?! I do not! I’m telling the truth! I just saw you running away from something! So I got curious! I swear!!”

“No.” I unintentionally mumbled and both the goblin and the young man looked at me. “You’re lying. You do know who I am. You said it yourself. You were calling my title as I was running away!” I remembered his creepy voice calling me out as I was running a couple of minutes ago.

 “Princess…oh Snow Princess”

“No! NO! It–it wasn’t me! I–I swear!”, his yelling got caught off, because the swordsman silenced his mouth with a piece of cloth. “oh shut up, you!” he cursed as he finished tying the knot of the cloth.

“And―you. What’s this ‘title’ are we talking about?” He said walking towards me and then towering me with his tall, slender and muscular body. “Who are you?” his mouth spoke. “And don’t you dare think about lying to me, if you want to end up like him.” He bended his head to side, pointing out the hanging goblin on the tree.

“I’m…a…very important person.”

“Oh. Is that so?” he mocked my answer. “Then, how about we try asking the goblin?” He took out a knife out of his side belt and held it against the rope that held the goblin in the air.

“Fine.” I can’t believe I dug in. He smirked at my response, since he won, “What’s your name, sweetie?” he winked at me, friendly. Can I trust this man?

“You can.” What?

“You can–trust me.”

“how–?”

“name, first.”

“My name is Krystal. What’s yours?” I asked and he looked reluctant to say at first.

“Tao.” He said.

“Where are you from?”

“Here.”

“yeah…I know you’re from here. I’m asking, where you live? I’m taking you home.”

“I…”

“I said you can trust me, didn’t I?” He reminded me as I found myself gazing into his black eyes.

I looked up at my castle where smoke was uprising from. My home…is up there.” He looked at me, confused, as to where I was pointing at. He gave in, and turned around half his upper body, catching a quick glance of the smoke coming from the Kingdom’s castle.

“wait―isn’t that, the castle?” He looked back at me.

 His lips then parted from each other as his mouth agape. “You’re the…” He paused before naming my original title.

“Yes. I’m the crown princess of the Jewelette Kingdom.”

In shock, he couldn’t close his agape mouth expression. “There’s no way. How can they lose their own crown princess?!  It just…doesn’t make any sense.” You’re right. It doesn’t.

 I couldn’t say anything, because I just realized what he had pointed out. How is it even possible that my guards are nowhere near me?

“did you…run away?” he suggested.

“No! Why would I even think to-”

“whoa! Relax. I was just guessing.” He cut me off.

“hmph.” I looked away stubbornly. I just couldn’t stand staring into his eyes.

“Get on.”

I opened my eyes and looked down seeing him crouched down on his knees. “What?”

“Get on.” He repeated once I asked.

“Where would you take me?”

“isn’t is obvious? I’m taking you back to the castle. I can’t let you walk back by yourself, it’s too dangerous.”

“but why should I get on your back?”

“because, if you look at your feet, then you will understand why.” My feet are dirty and scratched as possible.

“fine.” Unwillingly I pull my dress half off the ground and lean towards his back. He grabs my legs and stands up.

“Tao?”

“hm?”

“where do you live?” I ask him as he walks towards the castle’s path.

“try to guess.” He says.