Chapter 5

When Queen Key Held a Breakfast Banquet for the Sorcerer and the Imaginary Honey Sauce was Causing Problem

Sorcerer Do could almost swear he had spent twice of eternity before they finally reached the dining hall. He whimpered, uttering inaudible sound as he went through the bumpy road (literally. Prince Jongin kept tossing him up and down as he happily jogged throughout the way).

Things were not getting better when they arrived; apparently Queen Key had arranged an extraordinary welcoming breakfast banquet for him. Flowers of all seasons were blooming beautifully, and the Bulbuls were chirping all so smugly.

Maids and butlers, dressed up in their best attire, lined up on each side of the way to greet them. The women wore silk dresses, gathered at the waist that elegantly fell slightly below the knees, whilst the men wore something similar to the uniform Royal Advisor Byun Baekhyun wore but with less intricate design, without fancy badges and medals patched all over the surface.

Sorcerer Do felt his face was getting hotter and hotter when he found everyone was staring at him, astonished by the grand entrance he -they- made. The maids and butlers didn't bother to at least pretend not to gawk at him, oh dear Zeus he even heard someone giggle. The sorcerer mewled. Nothing he wanted more than to crawl into the Crack of Mordor at that moment.

Prince Jongin, ignoring all the attention they gathered, cheerfully pranced his way toward the dining hall, hopping once in a while to tease the cute creature in his embrace.

After being tossed around like a sack of potatoes, constantly bumped with the bare chest (the sorcerer convinced himself that he was too ashamed to meet with people's eyes, and so he needed to bury himself into the embrace to not be able to see), Sorcerer Do found that he didn't entirely dislike his situation. The prince was a quite comfortable ride. He's warm too. Not that he would indicate any gesture that resembled anything which might show that he didn't entirely dislike the situation. Tch.

Sorcerer Do snuggled himself deeper into the warmth, unconsciously let out an approving whine. Prince Jongin smiled and adjusted their position gently to provide more comfort.

Pairs of eyes were accompanying them all the way. They were amazed. They had welcomed many royalties who were trying too hard to shine wanting to stand out the most, but no one ever had such a fancy vehicle to carry oneself. A prince was surely the ultimate vehicle anyone could ever have, except of course the king of the kingdom himself. Most of the guests normally were pleased enough to be carried in their luxurious carriages.

There was one time when a princess from the Franceu Kingdom, Princess Elle Phantine, decided to deliver herself in the most luxurious way in her mind. She attended the banquet royally grandiose. Sitting on her comfortable sedan chair, she was carried by six pairs of handsome identical twins. It would have been an unforgettable moment if the princess' porters were not drenched in sweat -- and tears of their never ending misery -- as they carried the substantial weight of their princess. The six pairs of identical twins eventually could not bear the weight on their shoulders (quite literally) and ended up dropping Princess Elle Phantine not in the fanciest way. That would surely be an unforgettable moment.

The way Sorcerer Do arrived definitely topped all. That moment would be cherished into the most beautiful -and erted- poem, the one that would make the strength in any toenail weakened.

Maids and butlers were so in awe they almost forgot their task (they were supposed to welcome their honourable guest with the ritual that had been passed from generation to generation). Hurriedly lifting the basket on their hold, they took a handful of golden colored rose petals and threw them toward Sorcerer Do as he was carried down the walk. And thus the sorcerer along with his royal vehicle were being showered with rain of petals.

“Please kill me now,” Sorcerer Do cried.

***

Queen Key had been waiting for them when the two arrived. He stood up from his seat and walked gracefully toward his guest.

"Good morning, mother," Prince Jongin greeted the queen.

"Good day, My Queen," Sorcerer Do said firmly. "Thank you for having me here. There is no words to describe how grateful I am right at the moment. I cannot ever be able to repay your kindness," he went on, giving the queen his charismatic mysterious smile.

"Well, if I were you, I would not be too worried. Judging from the foolish grin plastered on my son's face, I assure you that you have given more than enough, my dear sorcerer," Queen Key replied calmly.

"By the way, it is not really me who's having you right now, you know, to be exact." Queen Key nudged his head toward his son, whose arms happily wrapped around the sorcerer's small feature, palms on the smaller one's (lower) back.

Sorcerer Do forgot to maintain his charismatic mysterious smile. He tilted his head in confusion. Then reality hit him. He deadpanned, running his gaze around. It was only by then he realized that his legs were still hooked around the prince's waist, locked in a firm embrace.

A miserable shriek was heard shortly after that.

***

"So, mother, to be simply said, we are attached to each other," Prince Jongin told his mother, (not really) trying to explain the situation.

They had been seated in the dining area. Sorcerer Do had successfully un-attached his body from Prince Jongin's for a short while, barely enough from him to have a seat on his own. (He strongly refused to have the breakfast on the prince's lap.)

Because of his spell Sorcerer Do could not sit too far, and hence he had to be contended enough to have his seat next to the obnoxious prince. He thanked Zeus that Prince Jongin finally gained the courtesy to put on something appropriate enough.

"I can see that clearly, my beloved son," Queen Key answered gracefully, amazed to see the view in front of him.

"We're attached by the magic of love, mother." Prince Jongin gave his mother a toothy grin smile.

"No we're not, My Queen! We're just being attached because of the spell I accidentally cast wrongly, definitely not related with love in any kind. Besides, the magic created by love is highly unstable and unpractical, not to mention the vast amount of undying love to do so,” Sorcerer Do desperately tried to convince Queen Key.

“Now, now, do not think too much, dear, you will get premature wrinkles that way. Come, follow after me. I will teach you how to massage the wrinkles away.” Queen Key waved his hands nonchalantly at the eager explanation. “Place your fingertips at the centre of your forehead and apply gentle pressure. Now gently slap your face with the bottom of your finger…”

As the idiom said, the apple does not fall far from the tree. Prince Jongin was paying no attention to the explanation, either. His interest was put at the concern to fill up his Kyungie’s empty tummy. Taking plates of food he thought his Kyungie would love to eat from the servants, he lined them up in front of the petite male. The prince cooed the tiny sorcerer, trying to feed him some sweets.

Sorcerer Do forgot to continue defending himself because he was busily swatting the hand (Prince Jongin had thoroughly washed his hands cleaned) that was too eagerly shoving foods at him.

"Kyungie, taste this. This Gaylede is so yummy," the prince offered Sorcerer Do sweet almond figs, which was declined right away.

"No? How about the Prince-Bisket, you would want to taste a prince, right?" Prince Jongin wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, nudging his head toward the plate of caraway seed cookies in his hand. It needed only the name of the sweets for the sorcerer to strongly decline the offer.

It didn't take long for plates of sweets to be gathered around them.

"Tch tch, what a picky Kyung Kyung," Prince Jongin cheerfully said. He looked around, beaming at seeing something. "I'm sure for all the good things in the Upperworld that you would love this Strawberye." Prince Jongin nodded in assurance, lifting a plate of strawberry pudding with currants.

Sorcerer Do gulped. He loved strawberries. And the custards seemed so delicious. It wouldn't hurt to have a bite or two, he thought.

"M-maybe just a bit, then," he murmured.

"Okay, say 'aaah'," Prince Jongin chimed, bringing a spoon filled with the pudding toward the smaller male.

"I can eat by myself!" Sorcerer Do shook his head vigorously.

"This will leave un-washable stain if it falls on your cute robe, Kyungie, come on, 'aaah'."

"I don't want-" The spoon was successfully landed into the sorcerer's mouth the moment he opened his mouth. He could not continue his grunts as his mouth was filled with food. Sorcerer Do tried to talk between the munches, but to no avail, his cheeks were too puffy. He decided to chew fast, and gulped down the food so he could freely talk.

"I can eat-" Another spoonful of pudding was shoved into his mouth before he could finish his sentence.

And spoon after spoon followed smoothly afterward.

After he was convinced that his Kyungie would not die of hunger, finally Prince Jongin stopped shoving more food into the sorcerer's mouth. Sorcerer Do was so full he could not move a muscle. He huffed, patting his stomach. Now that he had his energy fully restored, he could cast the counter-spell. This time he should be extra careful not to cause any other foolish act.

The sorcerer was too absorbed thinking about the counter-spell he didn't realize that Prince Jongin was approaching closer.

"Kyungie, you got honey syrup on your cheek..."

Before he could respond a word, he felt something wet caressing his skin, his cheek clean. Prince Jongin playfully gave a light kiss on the corner of Sorcerer Do's mouth before pulling himself away.

Sorcerer Do froze. He needed more time to digest what had just happened. Slowly he raised his hand, rubbing his cheek that felt so hot. His face flushed thinking what had just touched the area. His eyes widened so large, mouth opened in disbelief.

Queen Key calmly asked one of the maids for something, which was being provided not long after. He put on his favorite fluffy pink earmuffs and held his palms firmly over his ears; just at the right time before a loud shriek was reverberated all over the hall.

Apparently my son is just a late bloomer, Queen Key thought. He is his father's son after all. The queen giggled. But I need to advice him a wise word or two. I don't recall the cute bundle of joy eat anything with honey in it. It's fortunate he didn't realize-

The hall reverberated with an angry shriek. Seemingly petite sorcerer had just remembered the honey-free food he just ate.

Oh well.

***

Two days after the breakfast banquet, Sorcerer Do was once again in the Cherry Underwood farmland, to inspect the first rain that would come in less than an hour. Of course he got a certain prince trailing after him. He could not shoo away the particular prince even if he wanted to.

The forest covering the cherry farmland was gloomier than the last time he visited the place. At that time he could not see well even with the morning sun shining over the area. He looked up with a heavy look. The weak afternoon sun light filtering through the thick branches could barely provide him with the sufficient light he needed.

The lightning rocks would be welcoming him along the pathway, he thought, and hence soon darkness would not be a problem. The sorcerer grunted. He really should ask them to plant the rocks farther.

 If everything went perfectly, today would be his last day in the kingdom. Tomorrow he should have the permission to leave, to go back to his previous life. Being all alone. Just as he preferred.

Sorcerer Do frowned. There was something not right. He had been alone almost his entire life, but now somehow the thought of having someone on his side did not bother him that much. He wondered how it would feel to finally being by his own again. Would he feel lonely by then?

Sorcerer Do sighed. Maybe he was just thinking too much.

“Kyungie, don’t worry. This time I will protect you from any twig." Prince Jongin nodded firmly. “Don’t go too far from me. You can hug me if you want to. Here, I’ll lend you me.”

Yep. He’s just thinking too much.

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A/n

All the chapters have just beta-ed by Vicky (kyudos2you). Thank you for making this fics somehow readable

Anw, she wrote some amazing fics, go check on them ^3^