𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 1,800 words

𝐘𝐞𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐠

ㅡUnpleasant, and extremely disturbing to the image he carried with him from his homeland, were his feet settled down into two rather tight and stiff leather boots. The heels clacked against the rigid floor with sounds that could be the reason for his next headache, and he surely would not forgive his parents for the matter of that.

Yeosang sighed deeply when he stood in front of the grand throne and its consort - his neat, down-toned attires fitting his body properly unlike his normal clothes, as his crown rested on top of his curly golden locks of hair. Yeosang's green eyes stared right into his father's green eyes and they all too easily noticed the smug expression he tried to hide behind a scowl - his father's eyes flashed a yellow for a second.

"How glorious you look, my son! So handsome - oh my!" the queen expressed a loud gasp as she raised herself from the seat beside the king to stumble elegantly down the stairs of roots in her simple white dress and bring her arms around his shoulders.

Yeosang let the slightest of a smile to his face as the honesty of her words embraced his being, and he knew his eyes showed the colors of tenderness.

"Why, thank you, mother," he told her, "But if I must tell the truth, do the shoes irk a severe irritation that I can feel all the way into my bones."

He didn't need to see that the king was rolling his eyes at him because the presence of the eye roll was enough for him to know, and Yeosang ground his teeth.

"Well, son, now don't exaggerate too much. It's not like you can do other than telling truths anyway," the man grumbled and Yeosang raised his head to look at him with detecting eyes, "You will travel like that despite your malaise in those footwears - and that is not to be changed! You already managed to differ your way of conveyance."

Yeosang's eyes went through changes multiple times before they settled back to their natural color as he submitted to the forced might of footwear and every other human trait. His blood was already sizzling under his skin, but he held back every evidence of it and gave his father a smile of consent.

"I will, don't worry father. I'm sure they will have me speak additionally sweeter to the other princes when I reach the castle - after consideration, it may be to my advantage actually," Yeosang retorted, the lick of sarcasm coating his words in layers of sugar, and he turned to his mother instead of wasting any more time with discussions that wouldn't make any progress.

She was sighing at them both while dragging her fingers through her son's curls, admiringly. Normally, he would let flowers and verdures grow in his hair, entangling with his crown beautifully, but this day he had decided not to. Yeosang's heart had bled when his raised knife carefully had cut the greenery off and left his golden locks bare and unprotected from any element. It felt so uncomfortably foreign. And the ringing of the cries the verdures had made, still echoed in his head like a bad remembrance he never would forget. Yeosang hurt.

The queen's hands slid down to hold his arms and she drew in the mildly flowery scented air, "You will do good, I know you will my prince. The other species will surely regret not being on good terms with our folk when they come to discover your wonderful leadership."

Yeosang could only nod along with her words. He was a good man - he paid attention to his surroundings and the folk of their kingdom as he studied hard to gain the essential knowledge he would need when he had to rule one day. He was far ahead prepared for his future, but Yeosang also knew that if he wanted to establish any form of good reputation, he had to exert himself in his early life.

His mother kissed his cheek when he waved his parents off, "I will take this as my leaving, farewell mother, father. I promise you that I will return with all issues solved, even if those boots piss me off right now," Yeosang's eyes struck at the king's bothered expression before letting go of his mother and turning on his heels again.

Clacking resonated through the room as he stomped past guards and the rest of the court there had listened to the royal family's conversations all along. Yeosang couldn't care less when his angry small steps already brought him outside the throne room and carried him down the magnificent long winding stairs until sun rays glinted him in the face in the fresh air of nature. The shift of surroundings had him changing his mood and he let his father's superior demeanor slip from his mind too. For a moment Yeosang let his green eyes wander across the peaceful image of his kingdom. Fairies were a calm, serene folk, unlike their closest neighbors, the elves - they preferred staying for themselves, as they praised and pleased nature with their gentleness. That was what made their lands the most beautiful, Yeosang thought. Here nature had free play and they formed their homes as partakers.

Charmingly carved into the thick trunks of the tall trees, their houses hid under items of decorations from nature - some situated closer to the ground than others. Yeosang has always liked even the smallest details of their houses, adoring the way they blended so effortlessly with nature and the animals wandering around those lands.

The prince continued down the stairs and was greeted by a servant who held a white-dappled horse in her hand. Her eyes lit up when she caught sight of Yeosang and she bowed deeply at him. She seemed young, he noticed and wondered how long she had had her job.

"Crown prince Yeosang! Your horse, sir, for your long travel to Nyx castle," she told him and he thanked her politely, taking the reins from her outstretched hand and leading the horse to stand properly on his side.

He let his hand caress the majestic animal's neck slowly, and the built-up magic swerved through his veins - a horn grew in the head of the horse, making the girl gasp marvelous of the act. Yeosang smiled, his teeth peeked out as his eyes changed color because of the changing emotions. When he lifted his head to look at the stunned servant, he grinned at her shortly before jumping up at the bare-backed unicorn, and therefrom he guided his horse out of the village. He passed streams and flowerbeds, shrubberies and slopes, but his crown stayed unmoving as it was buried deep down in his golden curls of hair on top of his head. Butterflies danced around him in the wind.

_____

Another thing about fairies was that they loved to do things themselves rather than having others do it for them. Yeosang was no different. They saw pride in completing tasks without any assistance - and here he was, steering his horse down the long, broad pathway to the castle in the distance, all alone. Yeosang was sure that no other prince was allowed to go on a day-long journey to an unknown place when living in a world with so many different creatures of the dark there would find him ideal for who knows what. A young fairie-

a young fairie crown prince.

The list of people there was out for him would never stop increasing. He was brave and confident.

After the last run, the hooves of his unicorn collided against sturdy stone tiles in a rhythmic melody, and the grand building suddenly soared above his head. He had entered a square, but unlike any peaceful place back in his homeland, this place was too silent if not desolate. He believed no one else was here.

Extensively, he descended the unicorn, and when his touch disappeared from its fur, the horn disappeared in a mist from its forehead - magic vanished into thin air.

"Thank you for the ride, buddy, may you have a sound way back again," he said before the horse took off.

The prince sorted himself out, his hands adjusting his attire before taking a look around his shoulders. If this was the wrong place he was supposed to be, his horse was already too far away in the distance, and he knew of no one else close who help out; he would be doomed.

But instead of falling all too deep down into his worries, he pushed them aside and decided he would take a look inside the castle - perhaps his needed answers would be found in there. Yeosang stepped up the stairs while his boots suffocated his feet every time he touched the ground. He swore under his breath, hoping he soon would have the chance to discard them.

Even the door was enormous - much taller than himself. His fingers wrapped delicately around the handle and he pushed it down, having bothered knocking on it ahead of his actions, but no one had answered. So he made himself inside.

The prince met nothing else but darkness, his pupils expanded in his face as he felt he stared into pure void. And he would be staying here for how long exactly? Goosebumps were already trailing down his arms like a forceful pattern and his breath was caught in his throat. His magic sizzled awake.

Yeosang took a step forward when suddenly a fluttering creature flew around his head into the castle. A tiny gasp slipped past his lips to fan the air, eyes glittering with a sudden wave of safeness because of something he was so familiar with.

It was a white butterfly.

It flickered with its wings and flew in circles in front of him like it was telling him he wasn't alone, and as his racing heart slowly calmed, the animal settled down on his shoulder. Yeosang inhaled deeply before he closed off the last amount of light that surfed in from outside.

His green eyes shone in the dark and as he warily moved forward, he felt the butterfly clung to him as if it depended on its life. Yeosang furrowed his brows at the eerily silence, and if nature had been around him, he would ask for the reason. But it was not, instead, the room was cold and empty and dark, and so uninviting, and Yeosang just wanted to get the hell out again.

He could hear the butterfly whimper. This was no good place.

While taking the slightest turn with his ankles, everything went cold. Time stopped.

And someone was looking into his eyes, very intentionally.

"Boo"

♛