Using his arm, Taemin did his best to cover his head from the rain that spat from the heavens. The ground had tuned soft and squishy like tapioca and his shoes sunk in spots. How he would manage to hide his messy clothes when he returned was a challenge he wasn’t looking forward to.

“Are you here?” He peered down the slope. There was a squawk. Looking down he noticed a black shape on the water. She had her long neck extended with her head turned to him on the side.  It was as if she recognised him in her swan form.

As she started to transform Taemin began to make his way down the hill. However he caught his leg against a rock and went into a tumble.  He landed with both legs down but a pain rippled through his left ankle. Sitting on the ground he groaned from the agony.
“Darn it,” with all the muddy clothes, di-shelved hair and clumsy fall he did not resemble the handsome prince portrayed in the media or pictures.

Footsteps were coming towards him. It sounded like a person. Lifting his head he recognised the girl that crouched down in front. Her eyes went to his ankle. “A-are you hurt?” She asked.

“I think I may have twisted it,” he admitted feeling stupid at his clumsiness.

She nodded slowly standing. “C-can you stand your majesty?” Taemin would have to talk to her about his title later. He slowly stood and winced as the pain came. Moving carefully she came around Taemin and made his arm slip over her shoulders.

“Myungsoo,” she called out. Moments later the buck appeared.

“It’s that deer!”

Myungsoo ignored Taemin’s surprise to listen to Naeun. “Please help us. He’s hurt.” The buck came around to the other side where Taemin was unsupported.

“Hold onto my horns,” he said. Although he was not used to the talking animals Taemin clung onto a horn and they slowly walked to the tower; the tower Naeun called home.

The rather cynical chameleon had a lot to say when Myungsoo and Naeun brought Taemin inside. “You can’t bring him in here! He’ll demand room service!”

“Hush up,” Myungsoo snapped. Chorong flew into the room and sat on a book shelf. They slowly lowered into a chair and Naeun placed his ankle on a stool.

Taemin was groaning as Naeun rolled up the cuff of her trousers. She peered at the ball of the joint which was larger from the swelling. She placed a hand near her racing heart. “Let me help you.” With a curtsey Naeun left the room and Taemin with her animal companions.

Key sat on the table near where Taemin sat, his scales turning the same shade of red brown. “Don’t think that because you’re royalty that we’ll sacrifice our time, food and beds for your comfort!”

“Key, stop that right now!”

The chameleon the buck. “Why are you siding with him? Do you want him to shoot you between the eyes when you’re off guard?!”

“What makes you think he won’t kill you first?!”

Chorong flew over to Taemin, sitting on the top of the chair near where his head was. “Ignore them your highness… We don’t have many visitors here so we don’t know how to act hospitable.”

Taemin shook his head. He didn’t want them to be uncomfortable because of him. “I was away for a few days so you wouldn’t have seen me last week. I seem to arrive unannounced, I’m sorry for any inconvenience caused.”

Turning his head he looked around the room. It was full of rich red furniture, mahogany chairs and chairs. Rugs lined with gold thread and in the corner sat a polished wood piano. The stool had enough room for two people crammed on there.

Chorong preened the feathers at her . “You seem very polite your majesty.  Though I want to know your real motives so I can say whether you’re welcome or not.”

Taemin didn’t need to think over his answer. It came from the tip of his tongue. “Your friend the swan… You probably already know why I come.”

 “Yes I think I understand. However please be careful. Naeun she…”

He blinked, turning to look at the lovebird. “Is that her name; Naeun?” Chorong chirped which sounded like a yes. Sitting back in his seat he murmured the name to himself. The sound brought a small grin to his face, “that’s a nice name Naeun.”

“D-did you need something your majesty?” They both saw her coming over to him, carrying a bucket in her hands and bandages.

Taemin shook his head. “Um, no I was just saying your name… It’s nice.”

Naeun lowered her gaze as she started to blush. After their banter Key had stormed off leaving the four of them in the room. Chorong and Myungsoo exchanged glances, moving away as they let her tend to the prince’s ankle.

After a few minutes it was loosely bandaged. “Can you stand on it your majesty?” He got up and stood. There was still some discomfort but he put a thumb up to show it was manageable.
“That is fine thank you,” he thought about something else. “Also please call me Taemin. No more ‘your majesty.’”

“You want me to call you Taemin?”

“Or big brother if you wish,” he added the thought already got him giddy with glee. “Since I’m older than you big brother is fine.”

Naeun nodded. “Alright,” she agreed softly. Taemin knew it would take a while for her to be comfortable with the idea. And her friends would be less hostile by then. Still he wanted to see it happen.

“Your highness Sir Choi Minho and Kim Jongin have arrived.” Taemin put down his glass of water and rose to greet his friends. Jongin looked spiffy in his beige suit and Minho appeared like a suitable son in law in the dark brown chequered suit accompanied with a vest and hat.  

“Thank you for coming over.” Taemin said as they sat down at the large table with the chandelier hanging over them. The table was stacked with plenty of rice, beef pieces, pork rind and vegetable side dishes.

Minho served himself some rice while Jongin spoke. “It’s a pleasure. We like dining here. That reminds me.” Grabbing onto the edge of the table he peered down underneath at Taemin’s feet. “How is your ankle?”

“Did you get hurt again?” Minho asked after swallowing his mouthful. “How did you manage to injure yourself this time around Taemin; doesn’t your brother tell you to be careful?”

“I was hunting and I fell so—“

Jongin interrupted him, his expression animated with surprise. “—you’ve been hunting often, am I right?” Taemin let him continue. “You must really like the game out there. Since if you go this week then it will be your sixth time there.”

Minho stared at Taemin. “You mean to tell me you have been hunting since six weeks ago?” When Taemin nodded he whistled. “Whoa this is surprising. Does your big brother know you are hunting?”

While he served himself food Taemin spoke sheepishly. “Well I haven’t exactly spoken to him—“

“—wouldn’t he like to come with you?” Minho was keen on getting to the bottom of it knowing Taemin too well. However as he waited for Taemin to speak Jongin noticed something; something about his expression that made his mouth into an ‘o’.

“It’s not about the game?”

Minho turned to Jongin, suspicious of them both. “What do you mean it’s not the game…?” Taemin stood up about to protest as Jongin began to deny everything he said. Minho grabbed a hold of their younger friend.

“—Kim Jonghyun is here your highness.” Minho let go of Jongin’s collar. The butler stepped aside to let him enter. Their friend was shorter than them but was the oldest. His blonde hair was combed to a side part and he wore a dark red suit with a black shirt. He was known to have unusual tastes in his clothing.

After the formal greetings Jonghyun was shown to a seat next to Taemin. “It’s been a while,” Jonghyun admitted with a wayward smile. “How is your father’s business going Minho?”

Minho returned his glass to the table. “Slowly but he is positive that the idea will pick up after a while.” They all ate for a while, Taemin going for the pieces of beef most of the time. Eventually he got scolded by his friends.

“So is your brother not here at the moment?”

“No he had some business to take care of.” Taemin answered. “I think it was to do with his fiancée… Speaking of that have you found her?”

“Found who?” Jonghyun asked.

“The girl you were going to marry,” Jongin interjected trying to save Taemin's skin. “I can’t remember her name but you were engaged at one point am I right?”

Jonghyun leaned back in his chair, a slow dejected sigh escaping his lips. Minho and Jongin became quiet, worried they had upset him. Taemin took it as an opportunity to eat more meat.
“No, I think she is long gone. My family would like me to marry someone else because I am past the age. However I don’t know if I will. I do not have the desire or the wish to. I still believe she is out there...”

The others expressed their agreement with him. They hadn’t heard much about his betrothal since it had happened. Then again they were not too close with Jonghyun although they wanted to give him their support.

“It’s funny how it happened,” they glanced at Taemin. “We only found out that you were betrayed when it was revealed your fiancée was missing. Your friend Kibum is missing too right?” Jongin gave him a wary look as though to express to the prince his comment was out of line. Minho took to soothing the situation before Jonghyun could retaliate. He could have a bad temper if provoked.

“Sorry to have to ask but when was she discovered to be missing?”

Jonghyun stopped to think, holding his spoon above his rice bowl. “Hmm, it was in the middle of January so it’s been about eight months now. Eight months for her and Kibum.”

Reaching over the table Minho patted him on the shoulder and gave a sympathetic nod. “Don’t worry. Your father is the Captain of the police. If anyone can’t find her then he definitely will.”

“Thanks I hope so,” Jonghyun told him, drowning out his sorrow with more rice and kimchi.  
 

“Naeun,” Naeun was about to leave the lake when her name was called. Taemin was walking towards her, “how have you been?” She slowed to let him join her at the edge of the water near some lily pads.

“Hello, your majesty—“

“—Taemin or big brother,” Taemin reminded her with a smirk. “It’s been six weeks since I started coming here so you should be comfortable with me now.” Naeun pushed the hair away from her face in a shy nod, smiling as well.

“Has it really been?” He nodded. Her eyes went to his ankle which had no bandage. “So your ankle is better now?”

“Yes that was only two weeks ago, plus I heal quickly.” He lifted his ankle and rotated it around. “See, all good now.”

If truth be told Naeun was relieved but she didn’t know how to express it well. “That’s a relief, Taemin.” Taemin had to grab his jaw before his cheek bones ascended without permission. He liked her using her name a little more than he should.

“Why don’t you call me big brother?”

Naeun glanced at him. “I already have a big brother,” she answered simply, both of them standing at the lake; watching the carp that came close to the surface.  Taemin’s eyes grew a little larger. He had no idea. Naeun was immersed on watching a black carp wiggle through the water. He stood closer to her, wanting to be in that space.

“I had no idea,” Taemin realised that there was still much he needed to learn about Naeun. “I have a brother too, Minho’s his name.”

She nodded and then pointed at the water. Taemin hoped that she told him her brother’s name but Naeun appeared to have no intention. “Look,” he looked as requested. The black carp had been joined by a white one. The fish were circling each other as if they were examining their new found friend.

“That’s amazing.”

Naeun giggled as the black carp tried to bite the tail of the white one, the sound smooth on Taemin’s ears like a gentle cello playing. He’d never heard such an appealing laugh from a woman except for his mother’s.

“Do you like these sorts of things?”

She shrugged gently. “I don’t have much else to do so… I watch the fish, have a fly, and sit with my friends, hoping they can be changed—“

Taemin moved around to face her. “Wait, did you say your friends need to be changed?” Naeun shut , a thin line of uncertainty forming from speaking. She began to stutter from nerves as she continued on a weaker note.

“P-please ignore that…”

“No, no please go on,” he leaned closer paying no attention to personal space until she stepped away.  He sensed her becoming cautious of him. “Why do your friends need to be transformed?”

“Because… Because they are not meant to be animals, they are humans but became animals.”

This wasn’t exactly the sort of things Taemin had expected to learn about her. But he would accept it. “They are people? Really, are you serious?”

She nodded appearing to be a little frustrated with his expressed scepticism. “Yes they are. All of them were humans but animals now.”

“But why did they get turned into creatures and how?” He waited as Naeun breathed out. What she said next caught him by complete and total surprise and he could only gape in shock.

Whoa that was unexpected hey? Here’s an exciting chapter to make up for a rather boring or uneventful one. Stay tuned to see what she tells him.