Their adventure was cut short by the unforeseen event of Donghae being kidnapped. Eunhyuk was plagued by distressing thoughts the entire way home even though, technically, adrenaline rush was the only source of his confusing feels, right?

Right?

Because no matter he looked at it, Eunhyuk couldn’t help but feel this connection with Donghae that he could never find with Taemin. Whenever he was with Taemin, it was like the other was thinking of something else the entire time and his mind wasn’t with the prince at all. Donghae, however, committed his full attention to him always and they’d settled into a comfortable companionship that Eunhyuk didn’t have with even…uh…Henry. Or something.

Okay, maybe Henry wasn’t the best example. He’d have said Eli, but Eli was mostly thinking of Kevin at all times anyways.

It was then that Eunhyuk realized how lonely his life was.

How depressing.

***

Back at the castle, Taemin had taken advantage of Eunhyuk’s absence to finally muster enough courage to face Minho.

He found himself under the window of the subject of his pining and gazed up. It seemed to be open, so he started to sing. He only got to the first few bars of the vague, generic love song though, before he felt a hand on his hand and shrieked, whipping around but getting tangled in his feet somehow. Before he could land on the ground though, his arm was grabbed by…

Minho?

“Wha—” Taemin glanced up at the window, to Minho, and back because of discrepancies that didn’t make sense in his mind. “You—there—why are you—”

Minho hauled him to his feet and brushed his fingers through Taemin’s messed up hair like any gentleman from a fairytale would.

“I like your own voice better, you know,” was all he said.

At this point, there was no part of Taemin’s brain that was still functioning so he just stared and flapped his hands around uselessly.

“Also, Prince Eunhyuk thinks you’re his OTL.”

The part of Taemin that was compassionate and liked Donghae rebooted and started to work again. “What? No! He can’t think that, his OTL is obviously Donghae!”

Minho just nodded because patience was clearly required to allow for Taemin to catch up with the times.

“Wait, how do you even know me and what my singing sounds like?”

“How do you know me?” Minho pointed out. With words. In the form of a question.

“Uhhh…”

“That day when you were singing on some rocks with your seagull friends? And I was out for a swim? I noticed you too. I’ve known about you for as long as you’ve known me.”

“Oh. Wow. I didn’t even think of that.”

“Yep.”

“Give me a second, I still need time to process this whole situation and how messed up it is.”

“It’s pretty messed up. You should give Donghae his voice back and explain everything to Eunhyuk right away.”

“That’s sounds like a good plan of action.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s a good idea.”

“Uh huh.”

“…”

“So can I kiss you now, or do you need more time to think?”

“Nope. I mean yes. I mean no, all thinking is done now. No more thinking to be done. Mind is completely free. As of now, that was the last thinking.”

“Good.”

***

“Ohmigawd Donghae!” Kevin came zooming down a hill to meet them as soon as Eunhyuk stepped inside the gate. “Guess what?!”

Donghae made arm movements that suggested curiousity.

“What?” Eunhyuk said for him.

“Prince Kyuhyun and Sungmin are totally gonna get married, like, tonight!”

“Tonight?” Eunhyuk coughed.

“Oh yeah. The Queen wanted to do it as soon as possible and they had no problem with it, so it’s gonna happen.”

“How does some even plan a wedding in a day?”

“IDK,” said Henry who had finally caught up with them after Kevin’s magical zooming, “it’s the royal family, you guys can pretty much whatever you want.”

“Totally,” Kevin squealed. “And there’s going to be a ball afterwards, so I’m just gonna take Donghae here and give him a makeover, BRB.”

“By BRB, he means you’ll see them in five hours!” Henry clarified and followed Kevin who had already grabbed Donghae and left.

“Hey Minhop, Taeminp,” Kevin waved as they passed the two on their way. Taemin gave him a weird look and Minho pretended he didn’t exist. Both walked toward Eunhyuk with a purpose.

“Eunhyuk,” Taemin announced determinedly, “I have something I need to tell you.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m not your OTL. My OTL is Minho.”

“Oh.”

“…Just ‘oh’?”

“Yeah.” Eunhyuk surprised himself by not feeling quite as put out as he would have expected. “Yeah, I get it. Good luck to you two, then. You look good together.”

Taemin blinked in surprise, but he decided not to look the gift horse in the mouth and broke into a wide grin, jumping in Minho’s arms. “Thanks, Prince! I can’t tell you who your real OTL is, but see you at the ball!” Then Minho carried him off.

Eunhyuk waved them goodbye and sighed, sitting down on the rock conveniently place in his vicinity. Then he launched into an obligatory soliloquy. “Who could my OTL truly be, then? I could have sworn that it was Taemin’s voice I heard singing. And I’d think maybe Donghae, since I did find him by the sea, but it can’t be. He can’t even talk. So why does my heart be so when I’m around him? Why do I find myself wishing the he was my OTL?”

“The course of true love never did run smooth,” Eli appeared behind him and related, shaking his head sympathetically.

“Why is there is so much turmoil in my life? Why must I be faced with so many of life’s questions?”

Eli remained silent.

“What are these musings of existentiality and love? What will I become? What is my purpose; what is my destiny?!”

“…Dude. Cheer up.”

“I can’t believe anti-social hermit Kyuhyun is getting married before me.”

***

The wedding service was conducted by a tall, dashing man who possibly looked happier to be there than the King and Queen themselves. He wouldn’t tell anyone his name, but he looked suspiciously like the pictures of The Kingdom Idyllic Vacation Spot’s textbook detailing its formation and hero. He also coughed and flinched a lot when people exclaimed “Oh my Siwon!” so.

It was all very romantic and flowery and all that the Queen—I mean, the couple, totally the couple—wanted. Eli was moved to tears, which wasn’t saying much. What did say a lot was King Kangin drastically breaking character to throw his arms around the Queen and wail “MY BABY!!!”

The couple was just about as sickenly sweet as they’d been every day since they gotten back from their journey, but perfect love is boring so we’ll leave them to their boring happiness and joy.

The holograms above Eli’s head were going crazy with notifications of events and fulfillments and shininess, and Eli himself was reduced a mass of emotional, pixelated and Shakespearean blubbering. So much so that Kevin and Henry ceased their frolicking to make sure he wasn’t going to dissolve into cyberspace data. Kevin’s appearance alone almost sobered Eli up, but apparently the wedding was just so filled with FEELINGS that Eli didn’t stop bawling until the dance reception (so instead he wistfully talked to himself like a madman)(but people passing by just thought “Oh, that’s just how Eli is,” and didn’t accuse of being a madman)(that would have been painful for his soul).

“When you dance, I wish you were a wave over the sea, so you could do nothing but that…”

“But wouldn’t he be tired after a while?”

“Uh…well…I mean, if he were a wave, he wouldn’t…get…tired…”

“But he’s not a wave, he’s a magician.”

“I guess he can magick his way above being conquered by mere fatigue?”

“Right. Do you even know how magic works?”

“Well, I mean, I’m of the warrior class so—who are you, anyway?”

“Oh, derp. I’m Mir! Nice to meet you, Eli!”

“How do you know who I—”

“Oh wow look at the time gotta go bye”

Then the clock struck TWELVE!!!11……in the afternoon.

“wAIT DON’T GO!” a voice called, which Eli was able to identify as the General Joon’s.

“…Why?” Mir said, halfway out the door.

“Because,” Joon panted, having run all the way across the (admittedly very large, so we have to give him some semblance of credit; except not because this guy is supposed to be a general in the army), “I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUu”

“You only love me because my feet are small!” Mir wailed as continued running.

“What the hell are you talking about my love???”

“Oops I dropped my shoe! I guess you’ll have to track me down later bye POOF!” And Mir disappeared, leaving only a tennis shoe behind.

Confused but undaunted, Joon reverently bent down and picked up the sneaker. “I will find you, Mir…even if it takes the rest of my life, I will find you! With this SHOE!” He lift the sneaker up to the heavens and wiped a tear from his face.

Eli clasped a hand on Joon’s shoulder. “Good luck, bro.”

Eunhyuk ran in circles around them, clutching a bag of candy and eating one every ten seconds to suffocate his sorrows. “Why is everyone around me getting hitched?” he cried.

“Aw sweet, bro, I love those candies,” Joon said as he reached for the bag. “Can I—“

“NO.” Eunhyuk snatched the bag closer to himself and shuffled away, only to be met by Donghae. Donghae who, after Kevin’s makeover, looked extremely dashing and shiny and not unlike a prince himself. Eunhyuk started to turn red. “Oh…heyy…Donghae…!” he stuttered.

Donghae smiled and motioned at the bag.

“Oh, do you like candies? Sure, you can have some,” Eunhyuk found himself saying without hesitation.

Donghae gasped and his eyes sparkled. “You’re the BEST, Hyukkie!!!” he suddenly squealed and launched himself at the prince.

“OMFG DID YOU JUST TALK?!?!” Eunhyuk screamed.

“You did it! You broke the spell!”

“What spell?”

“The one where I couldn’t talk until you shared candy with me!”

“Does this mean…”

Donghae grinned and nodded. “Yup, I’m the merman that saved you from the storm. I gave my voice to Taemin in order to become a human for you…”

Eunhyuk threw his arms around him and spun him around. “I knew it! You’re my OTL! I love you!”

“I love you too, Hyukkie!”

All around the ballroom, people started slow-clapping. Murmurs of “I’m so happy for them!” and “It’s about time” and “I knew it would happen” filled the air as Eunhyuk grabbed Donghae’s hand and led him to his parents.

He wasn’t quite sure how it even happened, but he’d found his true love. Or, rather, his true love found him.

The quest was finally over.

-------------------------------------------------

A/N: OMG I AM SO, SO, SO SORRY FOR HOW LONG THIS TOOK TO GET OUT, YOU GUYS. I meant to finish this a long time ago, but it never ended up happening. I have no excuses (except for college shenanigans). Thanks to all of you who stayed with me (I hope you're still here), and thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the epilogue, which will definitely come out sooner than this did. xD Love y'alls!