The hanging lights twinkled in the darkness. The festitivities that night could never be compared to any of the kingdom's festivities. The circus was in town. Children ran into the giant red circus tent with a wide grin on their lips, adults chatted merrily as they entered, and the royals shook with curiosity. The Kingdom only held a circus once every ten years. Anyone who could afford the expensive show was allowed to come. 

When Jiho was eighteen, he was privileged to see the chaos that happened inside the boisterous, red tents. Being kind, he made it so each and every citizen could join in the festivities. It was a sight to see, everyone was glowing. It was one of the few things that gave him pride to be prince. The moment he entered the tent, he was greeted by feathered fans and perfumed women. 

"Welcome to the Show, your Majesty!" the one with burning red hair exclaimed, her eyes glittered with eye shadow and her lips glowed in magenta. Her eyes widened in amazement when she watched the whole nation find a place to sit in such a spacious place. Another sting of pride shot through his body and a sly grin fell upon his lips. Running a finger through his hair, there was another narcasstic action coming from him and the greeter he was entertaining had a blush coming onto her cheeks. It was easy to make girls fall for him. He was indeed the prince and even a tiny smile would leave others breathless. It was all part of the job. 

"You've done well, son," he heard his father's husky voice from behind him. Jiho turned around and looked intently on his father's face. Not a wrinkle on his face, everyone would think he drank from the mythical fountain of youth to stay this handsome and his eyes shone with a familiar gleam Jiho was all too used to, the waning of nostalgia and kindness. Oh, how he yearned to grow up to be like his father. "I doubt Jae Hyun would have thought of something like this," he started. And the kindness disappeared from Jiho's brown eyes. A frown appeared on Jiho's lips and he knew how this conversation would end. But before his father could tell him to turn around, he flashed the masquerading smile, the one dipped in politeness and manners. Jae Hyun was the eldest by four years. Jiho was the second eldest, Jihoon the younger and Jae Kyung, the youngest and only daughter. 

He had to live up to his brother's expectations on a daily basis. Jae Hyun was always the most suited for ruling. He was the conventional Prince Charming, he had kindness etched into his bones, security imbued into his brain and he never let a subject worry over something that could happen in the future. 

"Will you be joining us, Jiho?" his father asked, pointing to where they were all sitting. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Jiho replied simply with a shake of the head and his father's smile faltered a bit. "We'll miss you, if you change your mind though, we'll be sitting over there," the king stated, pointing to the front row where everyone else animatedly chatted with the ring leader. 

"I'll be back in time, I have other matters to tend to though," Jiho replied calmly. His hands fiddled in his pockets for the lighter and tobacco he stole from the servants. It wasn't a pretty pasttime. The one time Jihoon caught him with the cigarettes, he threatened to tattle and Jiho would never be allowed out of the castle's walls. It was torture behind those empty halls. 

Weaving through the crowd, he found himself outside where the lights flickered and the cold autumn night brushed against his skin. How he dreaded the cold. But his lungs yearned for fresh air and kind nicotine. His lips craved for the kissing of cigarettes and the taste of relaxation. The laughter and happiness that the tent emitted was a ways away and at last he felt the liberation from expectations and majestic rules. His lips felt the tug of the cigarettes. 

"Even opium has a scent sweeter than nicotine," a feminine voice called out in the night. His dark eyes tried to find the owner, and there on the lone leafless tree was a girl lying on a sturdy tree branch. Her eyes reminded him of cat's, following his every move. "Have you ever tried ambrosia, even the small doses of that drug will leave you quivering," she continued, a Cheshire's grin appeared. He was fascinated, he didn't know females with ginger hair would follow him into the darkness. 

"I don't have time to listen to a stranger's advice," he angrily voiced back. Her brown eyes glowed with curiosity and in a blink of the eye, she was in front of him. Stealing his cigarette with her dirty slender fingers, she let her lips kiss the cigarette he once adored. "You're a bold one, aren't you?" he asked with an amused grin. She was a conventional beauty, her eyes were blissed with hazel specks on the brown edges, her lips were a soft pink and her hair became fire that cascaded down to her back. Her poreclain skin was something that others would be envious of and there was no flaw painted onto her face. She must have been the envy of many females. 

A silence possessed the night and he breathed the rest of sweet oxygen. "I do not possess bravery, Beast," the girl whispered, afraid of the atmosphere that might be broken if she exhaled words any louder. 

"Beast?" Jiho asked, in awe once again by the simple words that she uttered. In the stories that Jae Kyung read, he heard of the Beast waiting for someone to break the curse. But he was not a man that possessed a curse, nor was he one that was self-centered enough to have hatred splattered all about his body. "I am no Beast, sweetheart," he said sickingly sweetly and it made the girl raise an eyebrow. 

"I would think otherwise, Prince Jiho," she stated plainly. It was a surprise that she knew his name. No one would believe that the man in a gray tunic would be  a prince of any kind, or would even know the face of a middle prince, one who would never inherit the throne, but she surprised him with those feline eyes and mythical word choice. 

"How did you - "

There was an incoherent shout that startled the Prince while the mystical creature in front of him giggled quietly. 

"I must be leaving, I only came here to find the Fortune Teller and ask him if I was to die tonight." 

Her smile curled once more and with light steps, she fluttered towards the tent that illuminated glamorously. She was indeed a mystical creature, a fairy that was curious around humans. The laughter stuttered when she turned to see him, gesturing him to join the tent. 

"The Cirque starts once I enter that tent. Come! It would be saddening if the guest of honor didn't appear!" she exclaimed. Another amused look appeared on his face and following her invitation, he entered the chaos.

The red hurricane of performers appeared, fire breathers blew fire so close that he could feel the heat of it. Contortionists were breaking limbs and bending their bodies to fit into boxes of various shapes, the show didn't start yet but the entertainment was already leaving the others in wonder. A spotlight appeared towards the center of the chaos, the excitement came to a hush, eyes focused on the tall and slender male in the center. 

"I have never seen such a turn out before! I have waited for this day for years, my dear friends! And I am overjoyed to see each and every citizen sitting in the stands. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Midnight Circus!" 

His voice had a hint of femininity and his handsome and chiseled features seemed out of place for such a voice. Jiho's amber eyes glazed over as the ring leader introduced each act. The only thing keeping him awake was the dark haired petite beauty, Jae Kyung. Jae Kyung being only eleven was surprised by every little act, her brown eyes widened and she would nudge Jiho every time somethinng "cool" happened. She asked him questions every time a clown threw a pie at another clown or when the pretty girls would play with the spinning plates, and she'd jump up and down when a magician appeared and gave the little girl a flower. 

Everyone was enjoying the circus. He never saw so many people light up in joy before. Every time he turned his head, there was someone with a smile on their lips. He didn't understand. It was only a show! How could anyone be so astounished by things as simple as this? Were they all child like too?

"Jiho, look!" his little sister exclaimed, pointing to the platform with the tall ladder. And there stood the fairy, her eyes were made up with swirls and masquerade lace. He would have thought she was a contortonist, not someone who flew off the trapeze bars and hoped to be caught. Her eyes were focused on the performers before her. Shifting her weight back and forth on the board, he saw her relatively anxious look. 

"The Midnight Circus's pride and joy, the one and only, The Flying Bellini will be making her last performance tonight! Watch as she beautifully flies into the air!"  

Her outfit was sparkling with gold and glitter and her golden masquerade eye make up sparkled in the harsh spotlight. As she was introduced, the fairy smiled softly, her painted lips parting a little to reveal her white teeth. There was no nervousness he saw just a minute ago. It was as though she was a completely different person. 

Her hands grabbed onto the bar, back and forth she swung. Higher and higher, there was no hesitation in her eyes and glee seemed to replace any other emotion. 

"Lista!" she shouted. 

"I must be leaving, I only came here to find the Fortune Teller and ask him if I was to die tonight."

The words she spoke haunted his thoughts. He wanted to ask what her fate was to be, and she couldn't die tonight, could she? The thoughts spun in his mind, it couldn't be true. She couldn't die on her last night. There was no possible way. The breath he held was released as the girl spun in the air. All eyes were on her, there was a smile evident on her face as she flew. It must have felt wonderful to be in the sky for a minute, there was just perfection in every exceuted move (every somersault, every piourette, every flexus, she continued with perfection) and when the fairy attached herself to the male catcher's hands, he tugged onto her, and they started their own trapeze game.

Her legs climbed around his waist and he let go of her hands. At such a high altitude, even Jiho was worried for their safety, their gazes were almost romantic, she climbed towards him, and their lips pressed together. The crowd roared with affection while Jiho only stared on with no emotions. Slowly, the two managed their way back onto the bar, sitting together and intertwining their inside hands together. 

"A round of applause for our lovely trapeze artist and the handsome fortune teller!"

Jiho glanced at the male. He wasn't anything impressive. He wore a simple costume of white and black, his eyes were mysterious and inky. His dark hair contrasted with her wild red hair and he seemed monotonous when she seemed to be alive with emotions. She was whispering something into his ear to make him smile. It was almost strange to see someone look as frail as him to carry her weight. It didn't seem possible. 

"Well, she didn't die..." he mumbled. 

His sister looked over towards Jiho once and with a curious look asked, "Do you like her?" 

"No," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. His sister scoffed and Jihoon, who was sitting on the right of Jiho, rolled his eyes. There was something about the way he looked at the trapeze artist that made the others think otherwise. 

"Well, we get to go backstage and see them after the show is over so if you do like her, you can ask for her name and invite her to the ball in a few years," Jihoon stated simply with a shrug. "She is pretty, I mean, if you don't want her, I'll take her off your hands." The older male shot him a glare and Jihoon laughed. He knew that Jiho had it bad and he was only trying to play Cupid. 

 

"Minhee, what a wonderful performance. You and Hanyoung always ended up having the best chemistry!" someone shouted from the make up tent when they saw her at her vanity table. A weak smile escaped Minhee's face and she turned to Hanyoung whose vanity table was seated in front of hers. The male only hesitantly smiled at her as well. 

"Hanyoung, I was to die tonight," she whispered, wanting the boy to hear the only thing that truly mattered. Even humans believed in other things such as pretty shows and dangerous acrobatics. "I will miss you the most, Hanyoung. Please be safe," she continued sentimentally. There was a kind smile attached to his lips and even her pallor best friend was to take a different path. It cracked her insides as she said the few words. What was she without an animus? Losing her other half crumbled her a bit. Why couldn't he stay with her? 

"You will always have the key," Minhee whispered. And without another word, he nodded his head, smiled simply and mumbled a few words before disappearing. 

Her fingers craved for physical contact. They shook for something that would last for more than a few minutes, and her addiction for someone was always a scare for her. Running her fingers through her red hair, her mind couldn't think of anything else other than losing Hanyoung in that instance. Hanyoung was her home, it wrecked her insides when he told her that he would be leaving after the kingdom's performance. And without Hanyoung, there was nothing else to recharge her electricity. They were to leave the circus at the same time, but Hanyoung would be on a different journey to find his kin. While the others approached her telling her of the grand performance, (the kiss was unintentional. The kiss was only for the tusnami to settle and she needed the reassurance), the thoughts haunted her mind, there was no one else to live for. It was treacherous business and learning to live without him seemed bleak. 

Her eyes continued to stare blankly into the vanity mirror. The tall tale of mirror mirror played as her wishes were silently pressed against the glass. The only thing that caught her eyes was the figure in the background. Even the yellow from the lights couldn't distract her from the man. 

"And what honors do I have to meet such a Beast?" she asked, her gaze staring at his reflection. His brown hair was covering his eyes and his taut lips were not much to look at. "Well?" she asked, her eyes piercing daggers into the vanity. The gold was still made up on her eyes and even mindless compliments couldn't distract her from Hanyoung leaving. "Do you have any queries? I have other matters to attend to if you would like to continue stare," she grumbled, her eyebrows scrunching up. His smirk was infuriating at this point. Did the Beast intend to bother her? He came closer to her. 

"Your name?"

It was the craving, it was the addiction, it was what she felt and there was nothing else to blame it on. She wanted physical contact. Pulling the Beast into a sudden kiss settled the yearnings. His lips were luscious, his hands knew all the right places to press against and the kiss was an outburst of unpredictability. Minhee pulled away first, his eyes widened in shock and her figure went back to its indifferent attitude. 

"Jung Minhee. The pleasure is mine."

"Not at all, Miss Minhee, it's mine."

 

(Five years later, he wrote her name in cursive and smiled at the memory from that ill-fated autumn night.)

 

Dear Jung Minhee,

You are invited to the King's Royal Masquerade Ball at the Castle. Please dress accordingly. Royalty is waiting for you. And please refrain from kissing me so suddenly again. It would be a kinder fate. 

Sincerely, Park Jiho.