Chapter 3

When Sorcerer Do was not in Any Kind of Danger of becoming a Sleeping Beauty but Prince Jongin Insisted to do the Precaution Anyway

The road to the cherry farmland was the most miserable journey Sorcerer's Do had ever gone through in his life. He would prefer to have a difficult task, such as transforming a prince into a frog with a special way to break the curse; maybe by a kiss from a princess looking at the particular frog with an 'unconditional love' stare (of course the said princess would have been informed that the 'thing' she was going to kiss wasn't really a frog but a prince from a kingdom, complete with the specification of the prince).

It was a difficult task, because it was easy to turn anyone into a frog, but to turn the person back into human needed special precautions; such as the method (princes usually preferred a kiss although the princesses despised it the most, well, kissing an amphibi was not really a joyful thing), and also the way to do the method (as for the kiss, should it be a chaste kiss or deeper, tongue involvement or not, the length of the kiss, how many kisses, et cetera).

Not being able to turn back the frog prince into human prince surely would cause a disaster within both parties. Problems would also arise if the princess had a phobia of slimy creatures. Sorcerer Do could never manage to convince those royalties to modify the curse, maybe by transforming the princes into cuter and kissable creatures such as white Alaskan Malamutes puppy, or even better: not to tranform the princes to begin with. They politely declined his generous offer, stating that it was a tradition.

Sorcerer Do breathed a deep sigh. Royalties were the dumbest creatures in the universe. If he didn't know better, he would say that Prince Jongin was the stupidest of them all, but sadly, it's not true. He had encountered with even stupider princes along his journeys; for example, the prince who tried to fight a dragon to prove his bravery to his beloved princess but asking him for an immunity against defeat beforehand. A task was a task no matter how stupid it sounded. Sorcerer Do did as he wished, and of course, it was typical for a prince to not ask for the immunity from catching the dragon's breath of fire, and he may or may not had made it sure for the prince to win the battle with a nicely scorched bottom.

Prince Jongin didn't stop muttering praises throughout the journey (sometimes singing or reciting them), causing Sorcerer Do to squirm and grumble throughout his uncomfortable ride.

 "You shine like the brightest sun in my day. A day without sunshine is like the night."

Oh dear god, he cried. Sorcerer Do died a little inside everytime he heard more praises coming from the prince.

"Are you sure you don't want me to turn you into a frog? It is very popular in the western kingdoms; their princesses will fight amongst themselves to give you a kiss," he offered in despair. Never in his life had he got the huge urge to turn someone into a frog. And Sorcerer Do was desperately willing to do that now. For free.

"No. Why would I want that?” Prince Jongin raised an eyebrow. He thought for a while, and smirked.

"Unless you have a fond of kissing a y frog prince," Prince Jongin leaned back and seductively whispered into the sorcerer's ticklish ear.

Sorcerer Do flapped his hands in panic because of their sudden closeness. He lost his balance, which lead him to flail around to clutch at anything he could grab to prevent him from falling. Which sadly was Prince Jongin's waist.

The prince chuckled, lovingly the tiny hands circling him tight.

Royal Advisor Byun Baek observed them with a sour face. He barely attends his etiquette lesson, and now he decided to be an expert in the honeyed gooey art of speaking. Byun Baekhyun mentally cried.

Our kingdom won't ever get any little heir running around in the Sakura garden, irritating Queen Key's favorite Bulbuls, he thought glumly.

***

Fortunately for Sorcerer Do, their journey came to an end when Prince Jongin was just about to yodel him his self-made love song.

"We have arrived at our most well known cherry farmland, sire," Byun Baekhyun announced solemnly and hopped off his horse stylishly. Prince Jongin mimicked his act in an even cooler way. Taking his right foot out of its stirrup, he put his weight on his left foot and jumped off his horse elegantly. He lifted his arms toward the only person who was still on the horse, gulping nervously trying to think of the most comfortable way to get off -- the one which didn't relate with colliding the ground bottom-first.

"Come, my love, take my hand." Prince Jongin offered Sorcerer Do his left hand, palm up and outstretched, ready to receive the tiny hand while gripping the reign firmly with his other hand.

Sorcerer Do shook his head vigorously. "I can perfectly go down by myself...!” He stubbornly retorted. He gulped and looked down to make a final assesment. After taking a deep breath, Sorcerer Do started to climb down the horse, quite imperfectly; his left foot got stuck in the saddle which prevented him from going down further. The sorcerer's frail body dangled dangerously, and in his panic he desperately grasped the reign, "H-help me," he cried.

Prince Jongin chuckled, quickly engulfing the panic sorcerer under his embrace. He circled his left arm around the petite waist, followed with the right one immediately, after he had made sure it was safe to remove his grasp on the reign. The prince lifted Sorcerer Do up easily, keeping his hold a little bit too long in the process. His arms wrapped tightly around the petite body, preventing the smaller male from freeing himself.

Sorcerer Do grunted and squirmed in annoyance, "You can release me already, you know," he groaned with a grouchy face.

Prince Jongin chuckled. He placed a kiss on top of the sorcerer's head and released him slowly. Sorcerer Do murmured inaudibly, fixing his slightly disheveled robe. Still grumbling, he took out his sorcerer stick that was tied neatly on the horse's back.

Royal Advisor Byun Baek released an awkward cough. He quickly lead them to the farmland.

"So, this is our famous cherry farmland, sire. The cherries we produce here are said as one of the most delicious delicacy. The fairies especially love them so much,” he stated proudly.

Sorcerer Do looked around confusedly. All he saw was woodland; there were trees everywhere, overlapping and interlinking together forming a continuous canopy, shading the ground. Barely any light could shine through the canopies of trees, preventing any herb, grass, or shrub to grow.

"Where is the cherry farmland?” He frowned, staring at the Royal Advisor in confusion.

"Right over there, under the wood trees, sire.” Royal Advisor Byun Baekhyun pointed to an area ahead of them, decorated with a very large cheerfully red area, in contrast with the dark shades engulfing them.

"We grow a special kind of cherry, the best quality of the cherries which can't have the direct sunlight to grow well, Cherry Underwood. But this variety of cherry needs to be watered, preferably enriched with the mineral obtained from the rainfall, exactly thrice a week. Here we got a problem," he explained glumly.

"Oh, so I'll just have to make sure that the rain falls thrice in every week, right?” asked the sorcerer.

"Yes, exactly for 50 minutes, thrice a week," Byun Baekhyun replied with a nod.

"Okay, it's easy. I would be able to finish the task today." And leaving the obnoxious prince soon.

Sorcerer Do stepped ahead. Strutting a little on the right side while spreading his arms wide, he clutched his sorcerer stick tightly.

"Are you just starting the ritual for asking the rain to fall?” Prince Jongin asked in curiosity.

"No. I stumbled into a twig. Why is it so dark here," Sorcerer Do muttered barely audible, face flushed in embarrassment, even redder than the cherries. He squinted his eyes at the prince, who suspiciously appeared like he was holding his breath, trying his best to keep a straight face.

"And for your information, I am not a rainmaking shaman. I certainly do not need to dance three times a week to ask for the rainfall. It's so impractical and inaccurate." He glared at the prince, his red cherry lips protruded in sullenness. The sorcerer took out his crystal orb out of his pocket, "Lucerent," he whispered. The orb shone, surrounding the three of them with warm light that wasn't dimmed down.

Royal Advisor Byun Baekhyun cleared his throat. "We have planted some lightning rocks along the Cherry Underwood pathway, sire. You don't have to worry about tumbling onto any twig." He smiled sheepishly at Sorcerer Do, and stopped his sheepish smile right away when he received the murderous glint.

They continued walking, and soon were welcomed with green dim lights glowing from the large stones carved beautifully on each side of the pathway.

"Phosporus mirabilis stones. The light bearer. We extracted the glowing stones from the apatite crystals we got from the Chaina Kingdom," Byun Baekhyun explained.

Sorcerer Do grunted inaudible words, something sounding like 'should've planted the stones farther'. He turned off his lightning orb,

"Executus."

They walked to the centre of the cherry farmland under the green phosphorescence light. No worker was seen; Royal Advisor Byun Baek told the sorcerer and his prince that they have been informed not to disturb Sorcerer Do at doing his work.

All around them were cherry trees with their fully ripened fruits ready to be picked. The cherries did have different characterization than the common ones; they were bigger, looking so appealing with their strong red color, round, and fleshy body with smooth skin. Sorcerer Do running his gaze at the cherries in awe. He held his steps, tilting his head toward the cherry trees to enjoy the view better. His lips that usually formed a sour pout, curved upward with his eyes lit up. The phosphorus' glow illuminated his pale face, accentuating his beauty.

Prince Jongin breathed sharply. He had never seen such an ethereal beauty before, and he was willing to savor the moment as long as he could. He stared silently at the one he had been ogling at since the first time he landed his eyes on. The fluorescent light appeared as if it was radiated from Sorcerer Do's glowing skin, wrapping him under the soft green light. No sorcery could ever make this kind of effect.

Unfortunately, Sorcerer Do came into his realization too fast. He was back into his usual grumpy nature and quickly continued walking.

***

"Are there any animals or plants living in the cherry farm other than the trees covering them?” the sorcerer asked Byun Baekhyun when they arrived at the centre of the farm.

"No. There are hardly any living creatures due to the lack of light. Only the cherry trees and the woodland," Royal Advisor Byun Baekhyun answered politely.

"Is there any water source nearby?"

"Yes. There's a lake not far from here, and also a small river." Byun Baekhyun pointed his index finger toward a direction.

Sorcerer Do nodded and went silent afterward. He grasped on his sorcerer stick tighter and began to mumble the spell,

"Sit vanescit solis radius dignissim septem diebus, ter per aequoris (let the rays of sunshine evaporate the water surface three times evenly in seven days)." He raised his sorcerer stick and pointed it to the ray of sunlight managed to peek through the woodland barrier. A strange surge of energy was rushing with a forceful flow, pushing Prince Jongin and Advisory Baekhyun a few steps backward, but the sorcerer remained in his spot, unaffected. He held his stick tight and waved it toward the lake and the river. Prince Jongin felt the energy moving rapidly toward the water surface.

Sorcerer Do had not finished yet. He breathed deeply, and continued,

"Et ventus, et erexit ad caelum, quot fiat (And let the wind blow, raising what it becomes to the sky)." He spread his left palm up, brought it to his lips and blew softly. Again, the surge of energy appeared, rushing over his palm. The wind he created became bigger and bigger, creating a whirlwind that vanished above the water surface.

Prince Jongin waited for a while, and nothing else happened. He walked closer toward the sorcerer. His eyes got widened when he saw the love of his life.

Sorcerer Do furrowed his eyebrows, face scrunched up as if he was in pain. Prince Jongin rushed toward him in panic, "Kyungie! Are you alright?!” he yelled hysterically.

"Ugh...!” The sorcerer clutched his head.

"KYUNGIE...!" The prince screamed, hugging the lithe body tightly.

"You're too noisy! Clam up will you! I'm thinking about the Latin word. Why everything must be done in Latin, really," Sorcerer Do groaned in frustration. "Stillabunt...omissa.. Ugh I hate grammar!" In frustration, Sorcerer Do slapped his chubby cheeks. Fortunately, finally the sorcerer found the correct Latin words he had been trying to find. He wiggled his way out of Prince Jongin's grasp and finalized his spell,

"Et descendit pluvis omissa (and let the rain dropped down). A very loud crack of thunder sound was heard as the response, and then they were engulfed by the quietness.

Sorcerer Do smiled and muttered, "Ut navitas necessaria paebet silvestry (May the woodland lends the energy needed)." The sound of wind whispered to the trees, and branches bent downward as if they were nodding their approval.

***

Sorcerer Do turned his head toward the Royal Advisor who was looking at him in amazement. "I have put the amount of energy needed to make 50 minutes of medium rainfall thrice a week. The power will be taken from the woodland, and don't worry, it won't take too much energy. If the woodland can't bear it, the rain will simply stop without putting anything in danger," he told the royal advisor.

"Can't you just arrange to call for the rain thrice a week? What's with the complicated things, the water, the wind and all?" Prince Jongin asked.

Sorcerer Do scowled. "Of course I can simply make the rain happen, but without the nature's help the process will require a hundred folds of energy, and the next thing I know I will be waking up in the next hundred years, awakened by a kiss from a some kind of hobo royalty." (The royalties were the stupidest, and unfortunately they had the most free time to do stupid things compared to commoners.)

Prince Jongin's eyes widened in horror. He ran toward the sorcerer and gave him a painfully tight bear hug. Tightening his grasp on the grouchy sorcerer, he cupped Sorcerer Do's chubby cheeks in panic, causing the poor lips pucker, "Are you feeling sleepy already?! Ohmygods what should I do! Should I give you a kiss to wake you up now?! Ohmylords!!" He tried to give Sorcerer Do the remedy right away; his full lips pursed toward the unwilling poor creature in his embrace.

Sorcerer Do flapped wildly and shook his head in distress to avoid the kissy duck lips, "Ugh I shaid I only ushed a small aomount of energhy noe relished me!!" He snapped as intimidating as his puckered mouth allowed.

After a quite long time of struggling, wriggling, head shaking, and whining in despair, finally the sorcerer was released with lips remaining pure and innocent as a newborn unicorn. Sorcerer Do growled and took a few good steps away while catching his breath,

"The first rain will happen exactly on the next 56 hours. I will come to check, and if everything goes okay, I will go back to where I belong the day after," he said to Royal Advisor Byun Baek, who was looking at his toes as if they were the most interesting thing around.

"Wait, are you leaving?" Prince Jongin asked weakly, a sad frown between his eyebrows.

"Of course. What do you want me to do? Live here forever?”

"Can you?” Prince Jongin's eyes lit up, staring at the smaller male in a hopeful glance.

"No." 

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