It was a dark and stormy night.

Chanyeol inhales, bringing his horse to a stop in the center of a clearing. The trees surrounding him creak with a gust of the wind, leaves crinkling and crackling. The leaves that have fallen are dead. They skitter across the ground and crunch beneath his horse’s hooves. This pathway is only lit by the lantern he holds that threatens to blow out. The eerie, erratic light makes the trees seem like monsters in the dark, snarling, growling, howling monsters with the sharpest of teeth and the foulest of breaths. Chanyeol looks around, left, right, and behind, and ensures that he’s completely alone. He clenches the reins tighter as the wind whistles through the trees, making their gnarly smiles sicker, more terrifying. This isn’t the first time Chanyeol has traveled through this forest, and he isn’t afraid, but the shiver that runs down his spine keeps all his nerves on edge, fraying as the forest never seems to end before him. It seems like there’s no way out behind him or around him.

“Come on,” he murmurs, gently tugging on the reins of his horse. He pulls up his hood, keeping his head tucked down and cradles his lantern as thunder suddenly cracks through the sky. “The sooner we get out of here the better.”

The horse whinnies in response, kicking up his heels and pushing into a full gallop as they speed through the haunted forest. Chanyeol grits his teeth as the wind blows harder, sinking deep into his bones. He feels the hilt of his sword smacking against his side, a comfort in the face of danger.

Thunder cracks, lightning blazes the sky, and the trees take on faces of monsters engraved into the bark of their trunks. Chanyeol had been more frightened the first time he'd had to cross these woods on a worse night, darker and it poured like the skies mourned at the time. But these woods are still frightening when he trespasses in the night.

"Come on," he says, tugging on the reigns of his horse. "We're almost there."

And he's not sure who he's trying to assure with that.

The wind whips ferociously in his eyes, the tree branches sharp like knives as they split the cloth of his cloak and skim the flesh of his arms and his cheeks. The forest grows darker the farther he pushes through, and at some point he has to wonder if he's lost his way- if the witch had turned him around. But he feels that the end to the darkness is near, and the worst of his fears are almost over.

Then again, this wouldn't be the first time the witch had played him into a false sense of security. He'd saved a princess named Junhee just a few months ago and the witch had assured that he get turned around in the forest, wandering deeper and deeper every time he was sure he'd found his way out. He'd nearly died of starvation before pixies had come to his aid and showed him the way out.

And he’d thought that the struggles of the journey had been worth it upon sight of the princess. Junhee was beautiful upon first glance, long golden hair hung from the highest tower Chanyeol had ever laid eyes upon. She sang from her window, songs about the lanterns that float into the sky once a year. She sang and laughed from her tower, braiding her hair with the brightest of flowers and smiled upon Chanyeol when he'd rung for her hair.

The battle for her had been hard, the witch was unforgiving this time and had wanted the power of Junhee's hair- to live at the height of her youth forever- so desperately that she was willing to kill for it. Chanyeol left with more than a few scratches, a busted lip, a broken wrist, and a broken heart to match. But it was nothing new for Chanyeol who saved princesses and princes in distress and hoped that he was someone's Prince Charming.

The wind relents for a heartbeat, and Chanyeol knows he's found his way out. He whips the reins of his horse, taking up full speed into the darkest section of the grove where the trees look the most ferocious. After blowing out the lantern and tucking it away, he unsheathes his sword and begins to swing it, cutting away at the bramble and branches that block the exit. It's tough to break through, but he thanks that at least the blacksmith had thought to upgrade him with an mythril sword- stronger than anything he's ever wielded before.

After all, the blacksmith had told him with a sincere grin, saving princes and princesses was the toughest job in the country.

With a final swing of his sword, Chanyeol cuts through the last of the barricade and races through the outskirts of the forest. Night turns into day, the thunderstorm ends, the trees lose their grimaces and frowns and the leaves turn into the shimmery green of spring. The anxiety that had gripped his heart finally loosens its vice grip, his lungs expand and it feels like taking in the first breath of spring. Beyond the treacherous forest blooms flowers of all colors, fields of them line the ground beneath his horse's hooves. Everything is peaceful once again.

Chanyeol sheathes his sword and slides his hood off, taking a glance around at the scenery. How something so beautiful could be at the end of a forest so treacherous for the villagers and royalty that dare to wander through it is far beyond him. It's calming to finally be out of the forest and into a land Chanyeol has never really ventured into. He's saved his share of princes and princesses, but the forest is huge and there are so many lands beyond it that he's never seen before.

"Well the sooner we save the prince the sooner we go home," Chanyeol sighs, nervously fiddling with the reins around his wrist. His horse turns around and puffs air at him, nonplussed. Chanyeol can't help but laugh, patting the flank of his horse.

"I know the forest freaks you out. But I think I'm getting used to it--"

Another puff of air in his face hits, accompanied with the spit of his horse that douses his cheeks. He slowly wipes off the slobber, incredulous.

"Ugh, sick," he groans, shaking off the liquid away from him. But of course his horse simply whinnies and trots along like his job is only to mock Chanyeol instead of serve him.

Chanyeol bites his tongue and simply follows where his horse leads him. He's learned better than to retort when he should keep his mouth shut.

The sun rises higher in the afternoon sky, the birds chirping as Chanyeol continues wandering through the forest. He soon approaches a clearing, a field of wildflowers that fill his visions with every color. Chanyeol tugs on the collar of his shirt- it's hotter in the clearing without shade from the trees of the forest, but the field of flowers is nothing like he's ever seen before. Flowers of shades of blues and purples and pinks he's never seen before line the path of his horse's tracks, dancing in the wind that blows the seeds of dandelions away. Chanyeol inhales, taking in the scent of daisies and roses, wishing for a moment he could stay a bit longer. A place as magical as this is rare to come by in the Enchanted Forest.

But the pleads of pixies and dwarves fills his head and he swallows the guilt- vile in his mouth. There is no time to waste, he supposes. He is here for one purpose only.

He pushes through the field of flowers, pushing through the next patch of trees so tall the sky is obscured by the branches and leaves the size of Chanyeol's head. He hears squirrels and chipmunks skittering across the leaves, disappearing in trees and dancing around the path of his horse. The birds duck into their nests, chirping beside him as he passes. The wind brushes past, a breeze so gentle it barely moves the leaves of the trees, but it lets Chanyeol know he's close- so close to the end of the forest.

When he finally breaks through, the first thing that comes into view is a home of wood, small in size and thatched with hay. There is a small yard where the laundry hangs, small patches of flowers that grow in the colors of the field Chanyeol had passed through. He glances around but no one is in sight- no dwarves, no pixies, and no witches.

His eye catches a patch of flowers surrounding a glass box. It's a little ways off, closer to the edge of the forest. The bottom is engraved in gold, designs of flowers amidst swirls and the signs of royalty.

The glass dome houses a bed of flowers, atop which a prince sleeps. Chanyeol dismounts his horse, gripping the sword strapped to his side as he approaches the box. Sehun, the prince within that the pixies had told him about, has the reddest lips he's ever seen, akin to the deepest shade of a rose. The prince's cheeks are flushed pink, his face pale but his hair the darkest of night. His eyelashes are long, fanning against his cheeks as he sleeps peacefully. He holds a rose between his slim fingers, stark in color against the blue of his robes. He fits the description Chanyeol had been told, but the prince is more beautiful than he could've imagined.

He takes in a deep breath and lifts open the glass cover. The scent of the flower bed hits him, strong but still pleasant. Sehun lies still, almost as though his soul had passed, and though Chanyeol knows that the witch had only put Sehun to rest, the fleeting worry of death still passes through his mind.

He gets down on one knee and leans in close to Sehun's lips, close that they're only centimeters apart, but he stops short for a moment. He stares up at Sehun's eyes and takes in the sharpness of his cheeks and the way he looks so young asleep like this, chest a little tight, before he snaps back into his task. He closes his eyes and kisses Sehun, feeling the softness of the prince's lips and counting the seconds until he feels the prince stir beneath him.

Sehun groans, slowly moving his fingers, his legs, breathing before he slowly opens his eyes. He blinks at the harsh light of the sun, closes his eyes for a moment longer. His thin lips part as he takes in an inhale and takes in the feeling of being alive again.

"What... happened?" he whispers, voice raw and thick with exhaustion. The rose between his fingers rolls off of him and joins the bed of flowers beneath him.

"You ate a poisoned apple," Chanyeol says, clicking his tongue and calling his horse over. He rummages through the satchel swung over the saddle and pulls out sandwiches he'd packed beforehand. He pulls one out and offers it to Sehun. "Hungry?"

The prince nods, groaning as he sits up. He gratefully takes the sandwich from Chanyeol and eagerly takes the first bite. "I remember that," he murmurs, crumbs caught in the corner of his lips. Chanyeol runs his thumb across, swiping away the bread. Sehun manages a shy smile around the mouth of the water canteen Chanyeol hands him. "Did I sleep?"

Chanyeol nods. "You've been asleep for two weeks."

At that, Sehun stills, sandwich held before his mouth. He shows no outward surprise, but that's just how Sehun is. From what he's heard, Sehun is kind despite the feeling people get from his outer, hardened appearance.

"It's okay now," Chanyeol says, wrapping the half of his sandwich left and packing it back in the satchel. He stands up and stretches, feeling his spine crack as he twists around. "The army has pushed the witch back temporarily."

"And the dwarves?"

"The dwarves are fine- they were the ones who came to me and-" Chanyeol exhales, wringing his fingers in his horse's mane. His fingers tremble slightly beneath his gloves. "Prince Baekhyun is waiting for you."

Sehun stands up too fast, vision consumed suddenly by darkness and knees locking but Chanyeol is lucky to catch him around the waist. He leads Sehun back to the golden box and steadies the prince. Sehun has his head caught in his hands, willing for the blackness to fade.

Chanyeol waits.

"So Prince Baekhyun is waiting for me?"

Chanyeol nods, fists tightening by his sides. "He's been worried all this time," Chanyeol murmurs, trying to keep out any hints of malice by gritting his teeth, "so we should head out soon."

Sehun nods, sending Chanyeol a look for help. He stands up more steadily this time, works through the creaks and the stiffness of his muscles to get back onto the horse. Chanyeol puts his foot in the stirrups and swings himself onto the horse, sitting behind Sehun and passing him the reins. "Think you've still got it?"

Sehun smiles, and it's something almost brilliant. The gleam of mischief briefly clouds his eyes and he snaps the reins of the horse, turning them around and heading back through the forest now drenched in daylight.

Chanyeol spends the ride home with his hands hooked loosely around Sehun's waist, thinking. Prince Baekhyun isn't a bad guy, and he'd been so worried about Sehun. Chanyeol saw how he'd been sleepless for days, how little he ate, and how he'd soon become something of a skeleton compared to what he formerly was. He lead the battle to the witch, suffered a broken leg, and begged Chanyeol, begged Prince Charming, to bring his love home.

He saw the desperation, the sadness. And he saw that bringing Sehun home could restore Baekhyun to king, the role he rightfully deserved now.

They burst through the center clearing of the forest when Sehun turns around, glancing at him over his shoulder. "Something up?" he shouts over the roaring of the wind.

Chanyeol shakes his head, shifting uncomfortably in his spot. Sehun is beautiful, he thinks, and he imagines what it would be like if Sehun were his- if he finally saved a prince or a princess who picked to marry him instead of another. He wishes, for just a moment, that there was a prince who'd love him after he'd traversed the perils of the witch and saved him with a kiss. But the thought is fleeting, brushed off by the wind caressing his shoulders. His age old title of Prince Charming holds no meaning anymore- not when the world of fairytales has been changing so drastically around him.

"I'm fine," he murmurs, loosening his grip around Sehun's waist. "I'm just... tired."

Sehun snaps the reins of the horse, bursting out of the forest and into the edge of the village where the farmland lines the pathway to the castle. "Don't worry," he says, smile brighter yet than Chanyeol's seen before, "we're almost home."

Chanyeol plasters the fakest smile he can manage to his face. Jealousy is a nasty thing, Chanyeol knows, but he allows himself just this moment to envy the sweet love that Prince Baekhyun and Prince Sehun are sure to be graced with.

The marriage falls nearly as soon as Prince Sehun and Prince Baekhyun are reunited, and the ceremony is beautiful. People from all villages around make travel to the castle to witness the wedding. Both princes are dressed in robes of white and decorated in gold. Sehun wears a thin, gold crown of interlaced leaves around his head, vibrant against the black of his hair. Baekhyun wears the larger crown, the king's crown with the symbols and jewels of all nations. The streets are lined with lanterns laced in the branches of the trees and people are bustling in their fanciest clothes, smiling and laughing and cheering as the princes make their vows and kiss before them.

Chanyeol watches the festivities from the preparations to the princes' carriage disappearing over the rolling hills to the tropical island they plan to spend the next week together. He watches with a heavy heart because he's grown used to this, watching those he'd loved at first sight break his heart. Princess Junhee had soon married Prince Minho. He'd saved a merman named Kyungsoo, Prince of the Sea, who had married to a cute mermaid named Joohyun as soon as he was free from the clutches of the witch. He'd saved Prince Yifan from the clutches of his evil family- oh how they'd worked him like a slave- but the way he'd looked up at Chanyeol made his heart beat even harder and faster than he'd ever felt it. But he'd soon run away to explore the world after leaving Chanyeol behind with a kiss goodbye.

Chanyeol has grown so used to this that he'd figured there's always someone or something better out there for everyone. One day he'll find the true love he's been looking for, and he has to remind himself that today simply isn't that day.

As soon as the festivities die down and the streets begin to clear as people travel back to their villages, he strolls through the streets and through the farms to his home. He picks up an apple from a vendor stall near the castle walls, smiling at the old woman sweetly as he tosses her a few extra gold coins from his pocket than the apple's worth. He bites away at the apple, feeling satisfied at the crunch and the sweet taste of the apple against his tongue, but after only a few bites he feeds the rest of it to his horse as he saddles up and rides out.

The shoreline is not far by horseback from the castle. Chanyeol rides out for what feels like only minutes, speeding through the forest that lines the village surrounding the castle until he breaks through and hits a small sandy beach. He shields his eyes from the setting sun as it hits him suddenly, squinting at the ends of the beach and along where the waves crash against the bank to find not a soul in sight- at least, not above the water.

He heads out for a more secluded section of the beach, a small outcrop sectioned away by boulders stacked upon each other like a wall. Chanyeol swings off his horse and leaves him on the beach while he clambers over the rocks. He kicks up sand as he lands, boots leaving tracks as he makes to sit closer to the water. There's a small whistle shaped almost like a shell he'd tucked into his pocket, one he generally keeps in his satchel so he doesn't lose it. He holds it between his fingers, passing it between the tips of his thumb and his index finger until he looks out into the ocean and blows it. It's soundless to his own ears, but not for what lives out in the ocean.

"I figured today of all days you'd at least have something better to do than come bother me."

Chanyeol smiles wryly, tucking the whistle back in his pocket. "And I figured you'd at least have a few comforting words for me since I've come out all this way to see you, Kyungsoo."

The merman huffs, water rippling around his face. He kicks his shimmery red tail up, scooping up water and aiming it for Chanyeol. The water bomb hits its mark and Chanyeol is soaked head to toe, sputtering out sea water caught in his mouth.

"Right, you were saying?"

Chanyeol spits out the salt water gathering in his cheeks and pushes his damp bangs over his forehead. "I can't come see my best fish friend--"

"--I am not a fish!--"

"--without going back looking like a drenched pup?"

Kyungsoo huffs, kicking up his tail again and splashing a bit more water into Chanyeol's lap. He pushes his hair from his eyes and sinks a little deeper into the water. "If you'd wanted to come see me so casually, you wouldn't have come in your finest wedding clothes just after the royal wedding."

"So?" Chanyeol mumbles, pulling his knees up to his chest. "I figured you needed reminding about how wonderful I am."

Scoffing, Kyungsoo hauls himself up to the shoreline, pushing himself back onto the sandy bank until he's comfortable beside Chanyeol. His tail stretches out into the water, fins breaking the incoming waves. "Right," he sighs, "as if I'd ever forget how wonderful you are."

Chanyeol bites down on his lips, resting his chin on his knees.

"Well," Kyungsoo says, "if you're here to remind me that you're a wonderful friend, I think you've already messed that one up. I left Joohyun babysitting her 3 baby nieces alone and, needless to say, she has no previous experience even holding a baby. Imagine trying to keep track of two baby mermen and a mermaid who already swim far too well for their own good."

Kyungsoo looks out into the ocean, leaning back on the palms of his hands. "And if you're here to find comfort for feeling like you're missing out on love again, I only have the same words of advice I've been giving you for months."

Chanyeol looks over at his friends, squinting at the sun setting behind the merman.

"What are you waiting for?" Kyungsoo says. "Why sit around waiting for love?"

"Easier said than done," Chanyeol exhales. He kicks off his shoes and digs his toes in the sand, pressing his cheek harder into his knees. "You haven't kissed so many good looking people."

Kyungsoo scoffs, "As if. You're far from my level."

Chanyeol manages to crack a smile. He shifts a little uncomfortably, resting his chin back on his knees. "So what should I do?" he sighs. "What am I doing wrong?"

Smiling, Kyungsoo begins inching back into the water, eyes reflecting the shining glint of his tail as he glances back at Chanyeol. "Well, you have two options," he says, already waist deep into the water. "You can keep sitting on your and hoping that love will come find you, or you can venture out and find the love you're looking for."

"But what if--"

Kyungsoo kicks up his tail, splashing Chanyeol once more. "Figure it out," he says with a smile. "You can be sort of smart when you're not being stupid all the time."

"Why do I even consider you a friend."

"Because let's face it: you need someone smarter to think of these things for you."

"Hey!"

Kyungsoo chuckles, almost fully submerged in the water again. Only his head peeks out from the ocean water. "We all find love in the end, Chanyeol. Don't forget that."

Chanyeol huffs, watching his friend disappear beneath the waves soon after. The sun is low in the horizon, and he should be leaving now to make it home before it's completely dark, but the rhythmic, constant breaking of the waves on the shore is comforting in a way and it's hard to pull away from it. But he doesn't fancy spending a night in the forest so he dusts the sand off his wet clothes and hops over the rocks and back onto his horse.

He supposes Kyungsoo is right, but it's nothing Chanyeol hasn't already told himself before. But he'd hoped Kyungsoo saying his thoughts aloud might shed a light in his own mind. Yet, there are still questions left unanswered. What is he so afraid of anyway?

The rest of the ride to his home behind the castle is silent, even the crickets and cicadas seem to be lost in their own thoughts that they've forgotten to come out and chirp. It's a restless night for Chanyeol in the silence he comes home to and the darkness that swallows him up.