Summary: Taehyung is the bastard prince that lives alone, away from the clamor of the palace crowd. His only visitor is a snow rabbit that would sneak into his room at night and sleep by his feet.

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Growing up, Taehyung has never complained about the state of his home.

It's a small room, in the side annex of the palace, far away from the clamor of the crowd. His mother passed away when he was young, a servant girl that was favored by the king for one fleeing moment, before tossed to the side forever.

He's barely a bastard prince, kept alive and out of sight.

It's fine really, there's beauty in silence and solitude. Like watching snowfall in winter, and trailing the white vapor that his breath turns into, as the world suspends in serenity.

But lately, Taehyung has been receiving an unexpected guest at night. He's not sure when it's started, only that he quickly grows to enjoy the sight of the ball of white fluff by his feet every morning upon waking.

A snow rabbit, as pristine as the flakes of the first snow, with grey orbs shining back at him, warming his heart with its presence.

"I'd save you some snacks but I don't have much of anything. Maybe some congee next time?" Taehyung giggles as he speaks to the rabbit, face inching closer, careful not to spook the tiny creature.

It's nice to have some company, after all.

But one day, the news spreads to his world, of the king suddenly falling ill. With the the crown prince Taemin still trapped in a battle by the border, rumor starts to swirl - of Taehyung's claim to the throne. Suddenly, his cold little abode is filled with strange visitors during the day, and the silent threats of assassins at night.

Taehyung is fearful, treading carefully through all the clamor and danger that are so foreign to him. But he can feel it, someone is watching over him, a silent sentinel guarding his safety in the shadow. Some days, he would wake up to a courtyard full of dead assassins, their black garbs and crimson splatters of blood glaring against a field of blindingly white snow.

Who are you? Let me see you and thank you please, even just once.

Taehyung has a dream one night.

He stands in an endless field of white, with soft wet flakes drifting & kissing his skin. There's a man in front of him, a furry shawl draping by his shoulders and framing his chiseled profile. His bright grey eyes shine into Taehyung's heart.

"Such a pretty sound, isn't it?" The stranger tilts his head and smiles.

"Hmm?"

"The sound of snow falling, it's my favorite." The toothy grin grows, and Taehyung feels the warmth radiating onto his mind.

But there's no sound to that. Taehyung thinks but he's tongue tied, mind hazy.

Instead, he stutters out a shaky response, "Who are you? Why do you help me?"

The stranger inches closer and scrunches his nose cutely, "you don't recognize me? Not even after all these nights together?"

Taehyung's eyes grow wide, "no, but that's - it's a rabbit and you - you're -"

A hearty laugh, "and I am? I'm still a rabbit. And I miss sleeping by your feet, it's been so noisy around here lately."

Taehyung stares at the pout incredulously, and replies, "well...you can still sleep in my room, you know, it's pretty shabby but still warmer than being outside." He dips his head down, trying in vain to hide the flush of his cheeks.

"I like it there. And my name is Jeongguk."

Taehyung wakes up groggy and rubbing his eyes. Golden rays filter through the screen door gaps, shrouding the snow bunny by his feet in a warm glow.

Tae chuckles, slender fingers reaching out to stroke the soft fur gently, "Jeongguk? Is that you? Have I finally lost my mind?"

The dreams come back to him every night, just him & Jeongguk, in a world reserved for only the two of them. The noise of the crowd fades, and Taehyung loses himself in their conversations, some already blurry by the time he wakes up, but the warmth always lingers, helping him through another overwhelming day. But the court life around him spins dizzily, making him gasp for air sometimes. People appreciate his innocence and honesty, they bow and swear allegiance to him one by one. The ailing king orders for him to move to the main palace. Taehyung's life is about to change forever.

The night before the move, as his mind sinks into the dream world, Taehyung runs into Jeongguk's embrace and murmurs, "I'm worried, Guk, where I'm going - it's deep within the palace walls, with guards and maids everywhere. Will you be ok there? Will I still see you?"

"Do you want me to be there?" Jeongguk whispers his words into his skin.

Taehyung feels the mist rising in his eyes, "I can't do it without you, can't do it alone. Please..."

"Well, if your heart really desires for something, if you yearn for it, there's always a way." Jeongguk leans back and gazes into his eyes, "but you have to remember, humans are scared of what's different from them, especially if it's next to their future king. The world will be in turmoil because of this. Do you still want me there?"

Taehyung gulps but meets his eyes, "yes, I'd choose you over the world. Anything to have you beside me."

Something flashes across Jeongguk's dark orbs, something cryptic and melancholic, "and yet here you are, sinking deeper into this dream of a life." His words reverberate on Taehyung's mind, "it's always been your downfall, Tae, your need to be just like them, to love and cry, fall over and over. I'll be with you until the end, I always am, aren't I..."

Tae wakes up to the morning sun filtering through the screen door gaps. Jeongguk is asleep next to him in bed, white robe loosened by the chest, his profile serene under the morning rays.

For the first time in life, Taehyung is finally at peace.

Anything for this, anything at all.

Jeongguk becomes Taehyung's personal retainer in the palace. People are wary of the new servant with no past, eyes darting away in his presence. Something about him, they whisper, something dangerous & mystical in his grey eyes.

A rumor begins to spread in the palace, of Jeongguk being an evil spirit that controls the heart of the prince. The rumor lingers and looms, dark cloud reaching its wispy tendrils deep into the royal court. It expands and grows, until the day the crown prince Taemin suddenly returns back to the palace from the battle front.

Taehyung and the other royal subjects wait in the palace court at the first announcement of the city guards. Taemin rides in and halts just short of them. The horse huffs and shudders wearily as he swings his body off the saddle in one swift move.

He wipes the dust and mud off his face, and surveys the bowing crowd. His gaze pauses at the sight of Taehyung, "wow, I must've been gone for a long time, who let you into the main palace."

Taehyung dips his head lower as Taemin paces around him, "hyung."

A scoff, "you don't belong here, in the heart of the palace, dressed like some future king. And this -" He flicks his fingers at Jeongguk carelessly, "- never have I in my life seen a retainer stand in the middle of court. Please, brother," he draws the word out coldly, "be gone, now."

Taehyung and Jeongguk lay in bed together one night. The lamps have been blown out long ago, the silk curtains by the bed drawn. Taehyung's mind drifts amidst the conversations during the day, of the whispers and murmurs of his advisers.

Encouraged by Taemin's supporters, the dark rumor has exploded, reaching into citizens on the street outside of the palace walls. A demon walks amongst the royals, bringing misfortunes to the kingdom, summoning wars at the border. The demon must be slain, along with those that have fallen under his enchantment.

"I don't like it when your thoughts are so far away, buried under the weight of their words." Jeongguk's whisper snaps him out of his thoughts, as his lips trace Taehyung's hairline.

Wearily, Taehyung nuzzles into the crook of his neck, "it's fine, we'll wait it out. Not everyone supports him, we'll see who wins in the end."

A sigh in the dark, and he feels Jeongguk's fingers carding through his long black hair, calming him down.

"Why do you care, love? Why are you still here, clinging onto a world that never belonged to you, proving yourself to people that never cared?"

Jeongguk's words tug at his heart incessantly, making him flinch.

Taehyung bites his lip, and mumbles in the dark, "I don't know. It felt so lonely all these years, looking at the crowds from a distance, never a part of it. I want - I wish they would notice me, acknowledge me even just a little."

"You have me. And we could be anywhere but here, just the two of us, forever." Jeongguk's voice is low and gravelling, putting Taehyung in a trance. His eyelids flutter close.

"Maybe, one day..." Taehyung mumbles.

As he drifts into sleep, warm and safe in Jeongguk's embrace, he feels lingering kisses by his cheek, and words echoing into his dream.

"One day..."

Taemin invites Taehyung for a game of chess at his residence. They are seated opposite from each other, with the ember glow of the coal heater next to them. The screens door are half open, revealing the courtyard filled with Taemin's royal guards, amidst a thin layer of fresh snow.

Taemin languidly sips on the tea served by the servants, gaze not leaving the chess board, "you're losing, brother. Always too hesitant, never have the heart to go in for the kill."

"You never know who wins until the very end." Taehyung comments flatly, advancing one pawn and swiping one of Taemin's piece off the board.

Taemin frowns, and plops the porcelain tea cup down, "another one of your flaws, not knowing when to quit." His hand reaches in for a piece. Taehyung retaliates to each of Taemin's move, dodging and evading, stubbornly trying to keep his remnant pieces safe. The creases between Taemin's brows deepen.

"I should really be impressed, by how valiantly you always fight back." Taemin grits through the words, and opens the screen doors, "but I'm not. Frankly, I'm sick of it." He stands up abruptly, the chess pieces shaking under his sudden move.

As the royal guards rush into the room, their damp boots stomping over the stone-tiled floor, Taehyung's heart sinks. He shoots a sideway glance towards Jeongguk, who strides over to stand next to him. They didn't bring their own guards, trusted in the security of the palace.

"It'll all be over soon, I promise." Taemin backs away, the venomous coldness in his voice makes Taehyung shiver.

Taehyung sucks in a sharp breath, heart hammering in his throat. He turns to face Jeongguk, "I'm sorry, I should've-I didn't think he would-" he chokes on his words.

"Inevitably, humans always want to kill off their fear. It's so - feeble." There's a glow emanating from Jeongguk, pale and ethereal. Taehyung blinks and watches as his expression turns somber, right hand reaching forward, "watch me, love, try to remember?"

Jeongguk walks towards the guards, a blinding light flashes through his hand and materializes into a thin long sword. All the noises around them recede into a numb buzz, as Jeongguk moves gracefully across the room, the sword turning into a glistening blur amidst scarlet blooms.

Taehyung traces the fluttering of Jeongguk's white robe, pristine and serene, as the slashed bodies fall one by one, the bloody carnage extending into the courtyard. He should be scared, but something within him stirs instead, something deep down inside and locked away.

He's seen this before, the fluttering of Jeongguk's white robe and the cold glint of the blurred sword. Eons ago, countless times over. Taehyung was always beside him, smiling fondly, the new physical form a little clumsy still, reveling in the thrill of another adventure. Together, always.

Didn't he have a sword too? With a pretty golden handle filled with intricate carvings of fearsome claws and sharp canines. Taehyung's heart swells at the memory, and when he looks down at his hands, a gasp escapes his lips. There's a glow, faint but familiar in its golden glimmer.

"It's so cruel, how you lost it all, wanted to be human so badly that you forgot about us." There's a hint of sorrow in Jeongguk's voice, as he strides back towards him. It's all over. An eerie silence falls upon them, saved for Jeongguk's voice, and the rapid gasping of Taemin. The wind blows through the open screens, swirling up dustings of white snow, covering up all the glaring red splatters.

"What do you want to do with him?" Jeongguk gestures towards Taemin, who slumps onto the ground, bowing and trembling. With a sigh, Jeongguk dips down and presses onto Taemin's forehead, "we've altered your history enough already, I suppose you can live. As long as you won't remember this."

Taemin's eyes turn hollow, as his torso goes limp and drops to the floor.

Taehyung pushes the question out shakily, "who am I, Guk?"

"You already remember, don't you, love?" Jeongguk's eyes are filled with gentle adoration, "my beautiful tiger cub."

An image flashes across Taehyung's mind, of the two of them tumbling in the snow, shifting in and out of their animal forms, laughing and playing.

Jeongguk continues, "We were together for eons before this, yet you always yearned to be one of them, mesmerized by their joy and tears."

The possession spell - Taehyung's eyes grow wide.

"Yes, you possessed the body of the prince when he was sick and dying. You wanted to feel it so desperately, what it's like to be human. Yet somehow it blurred your memories. Karma, perhaps, everything at a price."

"So, are you done, love? Ready to come back to me? Another few thousands years of soaking up the energy of the world, and we'll finally be gods, away from this realm together." Jeongguk extends out his hand, as the sword fades away. Taehyung wants to grasp it, wants to fall into his embrace and never look back again.

But something gnaws at his heart, irritatingly, making his mind hazy, "but what about this life? What about the kingdom, the wars, the people... all of it..."

"It's not your world!" Jeongguk snaps, brows furrowed. There's clamor in the distance, guards marching and shouting.

"Why can't you let it go? Why must you linger, where you don't belong?" Jeongguk rasps, the pain in his eyes piercing right through Taehyung.

"Because - because it's our yearning to become human that turned us into spirits in the first place. The need to feel, to hurt & to love." Tears fill his eyes, blurring his vision, but Taehyung wipes them away stubbornly and continues, "our love, it's the most human thing I've ever known. Gods don't love, Tae, not like this. I wish for this world to see me, to remember what I'd do for them..."

Jeongguk's gaze turns dark at the words, and before Taehyung can regret, a heavy sigh escapes Jeongguk as he turns away.

Taehyung watches as he steps through the door, into the winter landscape. The wind blows, swallowing up his silhouette, fading it into the blanket of white snow. His words swirl and echo in the wind, "as you wish, love. I'll wait. One day..."

Taehyung catches the faint shadow of a rabbit, before Jeongguk is gone. The loneliness comes crashing down, making his knees weak and breath hitch in pain. He screws his eyes shut, averting the blinding glare of the pristine snow.

There's a king in the history books of Joseon dynasty - Kim Taehyung, inheriting the throne from his father, after the crown prince became plagued with dementia.

He was benevolent, a good king that brought prosperity to the citizens of his kingdom. The records are brief, siting one peculiar observation: deep within the royal temple, behind all the glorious statues and burning incense, in a dark private room, there's a scroll in front of candles that are relit perpetually, per the king's order. Very few had ever laid eyes upon the scroll. Some say it's a simple painting, of a white hare in a field of white snow.

Some records also seem to indicate a strange disappearance of king Taehyung, near the end of his life. He was seen wandering into a winter landscape, back hunched and eyes gazing into the distance, and disappeared into thin air.

But that's the thing about history books, they are tainted by the desires of the ones who write them, not to be trusted sometimes. After all, most things in life cannot be recorded on a piece of paper, all black and white, but must be felt by the heart, messy, tangled up, yet so very alive.

Wouldn't you agree, love?

FIN