Ever since his dad died by food poison, he has been trapped under her chains. He had been working day in and day out, only two or three hours sleep every day. She has hurt him. Beaten him. Had him tortured. Locked up. Chained. For five whole years. He hasn't seen daylight in all these years. Only the little trail of light through his tiny window. 

He looked up from his lying position on the cold floor. His eyes were tired and red from lack of sleep. His body hurt everywhere. He had bruises everywhere, and his hands were bleeding from too much work. Placing them on his knees very carefully not to reopen the wounds to not make it worse, he looked out. His eyes started to slowly tear up and he lowered his head.

He remembered his childhood. His father. Mother. All that was unknown now. Everything was forgotten. And yet there. He looked up once again and saw a bird. Singing happily. Oblivious of the reality. Its beautiful voice echoed through the tower. The boy slowly stood up and very slowly walked over.

"How can you sing? At a time like this?"

He asked the bird. It stopped singing and looked at him. He smiled and the bird flew away. Leaving him alone again. He walked over to the small window and looked down at the people. They were running and laughing. But when his tears blurred his vision, he stepped away. Sat down again, and pulled his knees up to his chest. 

Once upon a time, he was happy. He and his father were happily living inside the castle with his mother. But then she got badly sick. And died eventually. Leaving him and his father alone. His father later remarried. And the new queen was seen as the most beautiful man in the whole country. But even that changed.

His father died, laving only the boy left with his step-mother. And so, he started to rule the country with black magic. Everything that was pretty and beautiful was turned into ugly and repulsive. He locked his step-son in after the fact that he was becoming the most beautiful in the country. But he never killed him, and let him out now and then, only to get him in again.

He made him work for him. Every day. 20 hours a day. Even though he was the country's prince. If he made wrong, he got tortured. Beaten. Burned. His body was bruised all over. From all work, but also from lack of sleep.

The boy flinched when the door was opened and the queen in person came in. He blinked a couple of times and tried to nearly get into the wall. He wanted to disappear.  To vanish. Anything to not have to work for him.

"Jaejoong.... Honey.... Why are you so scared of me?"

Stupid question. The boy, Jaejoong, looked up at him and then down again. As he came closer, Jaejoong let out a small whimper. A little word of help. And the queen sure didn't miss it. 

He looked him in the eyes, and said some words Jae couldn't recognize. And the second after he was forced to the floor. Face down. His nose was not even a centimeter from the cold and hard floor and the his hands in front of his head. It hurt again. His hands and now his back. Just as his knees and legs.

The queen looked evilly at him. He walked over to his window and looked out. He couldn't kill this boy. The only person in the whole kingdom. He couldn't, but his guards could. But they wouldn't. Because he is the ing prince. 

"If you stay scared of me, then how can I be a good mother? Huh? I promised your dad to take care of you..."

He walked over to Jae again and released him. 

"Aren't I treating you well? Hm? What do you think, Jae?"

Jae looked up at him in pity. He didn't answer. He just gave him a taste of his saliva. The queen flinched and closed his eyes as he wiped it away. He sighed heavily and walked back to his guard. But then he said something again in a different language, and Jae was trapped to the wall in chains by his hands. Still in a sitting position.

He groaned and closed his eyes. His head hit the wall pretty hard. The queen only smirked at his work and walked over, took his chin between his fingers. Making him look at him. Their faces were only centimeters apart.

"I hope this will make you stop fight me!"

He said, let go and left.

Jae cried himself to sleep like that that night.

~~

When he woke up the other day, the chains were gone. Just like so many other nights he had fallen asleep like that. He rubbed his sore wrists and once again looked out the window. Will he ever get out of here? Get free from that man? He often thought like that. But he also knew it wouldn't happen. Not even if he wished for it.

He had wished so many times. As many times as he could, those nights he managed to stay awake that is. He sighed and closed his eyes. He knew the queen would call after him any second now. He was used it after all. Every morning just after the sun has risen.

And just like he thought of freedom once again, the door opened.

"The queen calls for you!"