𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 5,200 words

𝐘𝐞𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐠

Prince Jongho stared at him like he was a sore thumb, his expressions so fragmented, that Yeosang felt the emotions stirring the air.

"What... you really think I should use my powers against their will?" his voice was one of unbelief, round, dark eyes blinking at him as he surely tried to understand his utterances.

The faerie prince knew his suggestion sounded so unlike one of his kind, a lingering of words telling a dark creature like Jongho to do something so immoral like forcing other beings beyond their cohering will. It was sinful, but he did not lie. And he definitely did not give the matter any care while he shrugged his shoulders as his answer to the perturbed siren. Why should he even care?

The dainty prince swept his arms around himself as he felt the emotions of the room reflect in his eyes, "Why not? It's not like they are awake to understand what is happening with them." 

His posture stiffened. Even more so when the siren's mouth tried to express what utter bafflement he was going through at this moment, his lips quivering as his sharp, calculating eyes flickered across Yeosang's stance. And, Yeosang did understand why the other was caught such off guard when he so rarely revealed the entirety of what was going on inside his head. It must be odd to hear him suggest a plan that tasted more evil than a plan of revenge.

"Are you fucking out of your mind?! I can't do such a thing without consent!" Jongho spluttered, unsurprisingly to Prince Yeosang. After all, Jongho seemed the most decent out of all the princes.

Yeosang only stared. But he did not regret his words. Why should he, when this place had brought him nothing but pain and anger?

The fairie furrowed his brows slightly when he sensed the lie in his face, his eyes swerving across the other princes staring at Prince Jongho like he was a cure to the world, the answer of eternal safeness and greatest joy. And the siren looked so abhorrently uncomfortable, his feet restlessly stepping from side to side as he tried not to let their hands linger on him for too long.

"You believe that I am the one out of my mind when you now have a chance to force a demon to do exactly what you want him to do? You do realise that he has done nothing but cause trouble ever since he came here. The same goes for the wolf, vampire, and phoenix. Even Prince Wooyoung is somewhat a concern," Yeosang said, tightening his arms around himself.

But everything that stared back at him behaved as if comprehending his words was not of his capability. And Yeosang did, fairly enough, understand why as he for just a few months ago would never have believed his own words from coming out of his mouth. The tension in the air was so thick, that it made Yeosang breathe sharply through his nose as he looked away from the scene in front of him; of how the princes climbed the siren prince's body like he was their only reason for living, worshipping like no one else has ever worshipped, their eyes fizzling with nothing but emptiness. Jongho's cheeks were a warm red, patently out of embarrassment, and yet, Yeosang additionally felt the slightest of the mix of irritation and desperation crawl in the movements of the siren prince's hands non-stop shoving the others off himself. They surely did not care about the hindrance.

"Don't touch me!" the sudden snap had Yeosang startled, his shoulders tensed as he widened his eyes at the scene of all the princes hauling themselves away from Jongho, landing on top of each other as they simply stared at Jongho like nothing just had happened.

Yeosang's eyes flickered up at Jongho in the middle of the room, clearly not even having realised that his command would actually work. The princes had all been reduced to mere puppets for Jongho's magic, and he was planning not to use that to his advantage? Only a fool would do that in their current situation.

"Are you really going to be moral about it?"Yeosang finally asked, the faintest hint of surprise still lingering in his voice, "You have gotten a whole group of princes from all of the different kingdoms sitting in front of you, and practically begging for your commands, and you want to act like a saint? I must say that you really are wasting a golden opportunity there."

Jongho's lips parted as if to retort, but nothing came out. It was clear how he was reconsidering his opportunities of the absurdity of it all.

"Look, I'm not asking you to ruin them," the faerie prince swallowed when he sensed the other prince's discomfort, "Just... this could actually be very helpful. After all, are we both locked inside this castle for who knows for how long? So, why not see if any of the other princes know something that we don't?"

Jongho's brows furrowed slowly and he played out a long pause before he finally let out a strained sigh, running his hands through his damp hair in frustration.

"So what do you suggest I do with this?" the damp ends of his hair hit his forehead again, parting in the middle as it framed his face. Yeosang thought it made him look much more mature than when his hair was styled without any parting.

The faerie prince cleared his throat once he caught himself staring for too long, his eyes, surely revealing how embarrassed he was, shied away from the other, looking down at San's flapping tail, "Firstly, I might suggest you make them help Prince San with cleaning up."

To Yeosang's surprise, the siren answered that question within a breath of air, his tone curt and precise, revealing how much he did not like anything about his suggestion, "I'll do that myself."

Then the princes were ordered out of the room, agreeing with every single aspect of the command as they stumbled through the door opening where Yeosang, just in time, had managed to pull himself away from. For a moment, his sight lingered on their trail down the corridor until he figured it would be best to follow their steps.

As they turned along the walls, Yeosang's gaze flickered over them as they momentarily tripped over their feet as if they had forgotten how to walk properly, still under Jongho's spell. It felt almost eerie how they moved, like mindless dolls, eyes glassy and distant and so, so easy to bend and force into doing something they would never have chosen had they been their coherent self. The faint echoes of their footfalls bounced off the stone walls.

One by one, they entered the common room, sitting down on the plush chairs and sofas scattered around the space, their eyes appallingly distant and unfocused as they stared right across the room at the same door Yeosang quietly slid in through. However, what made an unsettling difference, was surely how their eyes did not move with the faerie prince's body stepping away from the door. Like husks of their former selves, each staring at nothing as if their minds had left their bodies entirely.

 They had no spark in them anymore. Nothing to tell him that their bodies were the slightest alive but only sitting there like an empty corpse.

Yeosang took a slow breath and stepped further into the room, suddenly so delighted with how much effort he had put into the protecting spell he had cast on himself. He could just as well have been sitting by their side right now.

_____

𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐨

After closing the door, Jongho quickly turned to San's slumped form on the floor, his hands reaching out to help him sit up when he suddenly got yanked down instead. With a loud huff, his chest hit San's still-clothed torso, hands hitting the floor on each side of his tail.

"San, what are you doing?!" Jongho groaned with the pinch of an irk, quickly pushing his legs off the older's tail again.

But he did not come very far when San's webbed fingers held him tightly. His strong arms didn't budge at all.

"San-" he started but was cut off by a sudden jolt going down through his spine when the merman jerked him even closer. So close, that he couldn't even see the tip of San's nose anymore.

"Jongho," the prince whispered, his eyes not blinking a single time as white gushed out of them, "I love you."

What the hell was he saying?

Instinctively, the siren prince's hand flew up and clamped down, tightly, around San's mouth, his head pulling up as he raked his eyes around his chamber, full of dread.

"No! You cannot say that," he growled, looking down at San's obedient face again, "No one can ever know. Do you understand?"

As his hand pushed further onto San's lips, he didn't allow him to answer his question - not that his opinion had mattered anyway when this simply was about their safety.

When the siren prince felt as if the older prince had genuinely understood his command, he direly slowly removed his hand again, the graveness in his facial expression staying put. His brows slightly gathered in a frown.

Not even a beat later, San was on it again, "Jongho, I can't live without you."

Choking on his words, Jongho tried to wound them around his tongue, but they were glued to the muscle, not moving the sounds around as he wanted to. San's hands clung to his neck, forcing him down again.

"Jongho, I don't want you to leave me."

Jongho's head spun around in circles when the prince gently mused his lips to Jongho's. He didn't know what felt worse; knowing that San was probably just blabbering all of these confessions because he was under his spell, or the prickly feeling of how those words somehow sounded so deeply genuine.

"It's okay San-ah, I won't leave you."

_____

After convincing San to get dried, changed, and dressed in a new set of clothes, he pulled him by their adjoining hands down through the corridors, searching for the common room he supposed the others still would be in.

A blush crept up in his cheeks when all six sets of eyes faced their arrival through the doorway. Although, Prince Yeosang's eyes were the only ones that flickered down to their intertwined hands. The weight of the silent scrutiny felt like a pressure on his chest, but Jongho certainly had more pressing concerns. A faerie's deception would not be of his care once they got out of here. 

San's innocent smile was all too easy to look past, even as the merman held onto his hand like it was the only tether keeping him grounded. It was sweet, really- San's unwavering trust, his total devotion- but it wasn't enough. Jongho couldn't afford to be soft right now. Not when they were still stuck in this castle, trapped by forces beyond their control. Not when there was so much more at stake. And Prince Yeosang was right. Now he finally had a chance to know about the truth- of whether the other princes had been lying all along about not knowing anything of how to get out of here. For he knew that some of them shared a past with the Great Sorceress.

He had them all at his mercy.

The fairie prince seemed to read the shift in his expression, following his every move when he pulled San along to the closest seat. Jongho turned toward the group of princes. They were scattered across a few pieces of furniture, sitting motionless like marionettes with strings pulled too tight. Their eyes were dull, emptier than before- lacking the spark of their former selves and the sight was honestly horrifying. Especially knowing that Jongho was the reason for this. Yet, beneath the surface, he knew they still carried information. They had to. Secrets that could change everything and get them out of here.

He released San's hand gently, preparing himself for every possible reaction this would get him. The others were still too disoriented, too lost in their dazed state, to notice the shift in Jongho's demeanor when his voice rang out, firm and commanding.

"Listen up," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument, "You will all answer every one of my questions honestly and truthfully; you will not lie to me or leave anything out from your answer," his eyes crossed their faces, "Now, tell me everything you know about the Great Sorceress and how she's kept us here."

For a long moment, the princes sat in silence, their blank stares fixed on him. It felt eerie like he was speaking to a room full of empty shells. Jongho nearly concluded that the spell was already wearing off. But slowly, when he drew his eyes at Hongjoong again, he noticed there was a change in his hollow expression- just a flicker of recognition behind his inky eyes.

The demon prince's eyebrows pinched together, his lips parting as he obviously took hold of Jongho's command.

"Emma..." he murmured, eyes being so distant, his voice barely even carrying any weight unlike his normal sass, "She's the one who bound us here. She's... not what she seems. She's been watching us. Studying us."

There was a pause in his words while his facial expressions stretched and pulled together as if he were fighting against his own mind. 

Prince Hongjoong's eyes squeezed tight, his teeth grinding together, "She's told me... certain.. things that not even I believe to be the entire truth. That I am her son."

What in the world-

It was no lie that Jongho barely knew anything about the demons' throne or history, however, this type of information was definitely shocking.

"So, you're part sorcerer, part demon?" Jongho asked before even going through the question in his head, "Then do you know anything about the spell keeping us locked in the castle? Can you reverse the spell??"

Hongjoong's expression fell back into a dull, hollow look, "I.. I don't know anything of that."

Fucking great.

Jongho sighed deeply, glancing over at Yeosang and finding him equally disappointed with the answer. Perhaps if he compelled him to find out more about the truth, Prince Hongjoong could learn about a possible inherited magic and how to use it to get them out of the castle.

Then he remembered how the phoenix prince had known the sorceress more personally than the others the evening when they had encountered her for the first time. Prince Seonghwa's eyes slowly lifted to meet Jongho's, his face pale and drawn.

"Prince Seonghwa, what do you know about the Great Sorceress?"

The prince didn't move, before answering smoothly, "She's powerful. But she's not pure evil like many other sorcerers. She just has a way of manipulating everyone around her, bending them to her will. Once my parents entered into an agreement with her that she would protect their kingdom with her magic for the price of my hand in marriage. It lasted for five decades until a war broke out and the political aspects changed the slightest, which gave me enough reason to finally break the ties officially. I never knew why she wanted access to my kingdom's castle in the first place.. maybe she was bored and wanted to eavesdrop on our secrets, or she needed very specific information about our politics. I will never know. But she never intentionally hurt anyone. Not even me, despite how much she enjoyed manipulating me."

Seonghwa didn't even blink with his eyes while he told him about his past, "But she is smart, so I suppose she had her reasons for doing so. Even so, as I know she has her ways of seeing into the future."

The siren's eyes shifted to the other princes while he swallowed the new information. He wasn't that sure that she wasn't any evil.

"Anyone who has something more to say?"

"I do," the werewolf immediately said, "There's something she needs from us, something she's waiting for to happen by itself. She must have a reason to be doing all of this - something she'll gain from once we've succeeded.

And Jongho agreed with him, nodding as he looked at Prince Mingi and Prince Wooyoung.

The vampire's voice was almost inaudible, but Jongho caught it, "We can't escape until she decides to let us go. Until she's gotten what she wants."

Prince Wooyoung, however, remained quiet for a moment more, but then, without warning, his eyes met Jongho's, "The Great Sorceress is not finished with us. Not yet."

So it seemed, no one had been lying, after all. That, he had not expected. He needed something to clear his head with.

_____

He did it only for fun when he asked the princes under his spell to improvise a play for them. Yeosang's brows had raised in question at the command, but Jongho shushed him and told him to just lean back and enjoy the show for a bit. The princes had nothing to say against his idea of putting them all on a scene for something they hadn't even practiced or coordinated with each other.

Silently, the faerie prince complied and settled into his seat as Prince Mingi and Prince Hongjoong went around and dulled the light, drawing curtains for the windows. Prince Seonghwa lighted a few unlit candles with his magic and the rest were shuffling a table to the side so there was space for them all to stand on the scene. Jongho folded his arms comfortably.

Before Wooyoung stepped into the middle of the scene, he pulled his golden crown off his head and placed it on the table they just had moved. The grand common room was dimly lit, casting shadows across the stone walls. The red, velvet curtains draped the windows, and a single lantern now flickered at the center of the stage. The siren prince was unsure of if he was supposed to even have expectations for this.

The dragon prince's hand ruffled through his black hair a few times before he started the play, "This is A Play of Truths," he said, pausing as he looked down at Jongho and Yeosang, "The scene is set in a dark, imposing throne room. The two main characters, Yunho and Seonghwa, stand at opposite ends of the stage, their regal robes billowing as they turn to face each other. Their eyes meet-" Wooyoung paused as he waited for the two princes to step forward, their eyes meeting just as told, "There is tension in the air, a challenge in every word spoken. Mingi stands between them, watching with a calculating gaze. The mood is charged, as if a storm is brewing in their midst." He made a whooshing sound as he comically stepped back to let the three take up the scene.

Jongho noticed how the vampire had taken off his crown as well, and he supposed the prince was not playing any royal role either.

Yunho's eyes seemingly trembled as he angrily turned to Seonghwa, fingers grabbing his shirt to keep himself from jumping the other, "Seonghwa, thou art a fool to think thou canst claim this throne! The blood that flows through my veins is noble, pure- fit for a king. And yet here thou standest, a shadow, pretending to be the rightful heir to a throne that is not thine!"

He stepped forward with a flourish, his voice rising in more anger and defiance. The other princes murmured in the background, surprising Jongho with the depth of their act already.

So they were fighting for the throne, interesting, the siren prince thought.

"A fool, thou sayest? Nay, Yunho, the true fool is thee! Thy pride blinds thee to the truth. My birthright is one that cannot be denied, for it is the gods themselves who have chosen me to rule this kingdom. Canst thou not see? The people would never accept thee as a king. They see through thy bluster and lies." Prince Seonghwa stepped forward, closing the distance between them. His voice was so cold with authority that Jongho nearly forgot that this was only a play.

"And what of thy lies, Seonghwa? Thy manipulations, thy schemes? These are not the actions of a noble ruler, but one of who seeks only power. Power thou dost not deserve!"

"Thou art blinded by thy pride and ambition, Yunho. In time, thou shalt see the truth of my words. But not yet, for thou art too weak to understand the burden of the crown." At Seonghwa's words, Yunho took a step back, seemingly boiling over with anger.

"Enough! The crown shall be mine, and mine alone! We shall see who the people choose to lead them."

Jongho caught the vampire's eyes going back and forth between the two princes, his lips raising with a wry smile as he stepped forward with his usual calm demeanor. There was no doubt he was about to twist the scene entirely.

"A union, then. A marriage of thrones. What say you, princes? Would not such an alliance strengthen our rule, bring peace to a kingdom torn by endless conflict?"

Both Yunho and Seonghwa paused, their gazes turning to Mingi with a brief moment of hesitation as if they had not expected him to propose that idea. The room was silent, waiting for their response. Then Seonghwa opened his mouth to speak.

"A marriage of convenience, perhaps. But know this, Mingi: it will not be an alliance of hearts. We may join forces, but I shall never bend to another's will."

"Nor shall I. Let it be known: we may rule together, but my throne will remain mine."

Mingi smirked, stepping back, surely satisfied with the seed of doubt he had planted between them.

The scene suddenly changed, the three of them moving out of the stage. Prince Seonghwa grabbed a few of his lit candles and pushed them into the middle of the scene now, placing one on top of the table too. Then the demon pulled San with him to the middle of the stage, their fingers intertwined sweetly and Jongho suddenly felt a knot tighten uncomfortably in his stomach. 

They let go as fast as it happened, moving to each side of the scene while Wooyoung stepped forward again, "The stage changes to a more intimate setting, the soft glow of candlelight casting long shadows. Hongjoong and San stand at the center of the stage, away from the others, their eyes locked in a silent exchange. Their love is forbidden, their hearts bound by desire, yet their worlds are too different to allow them to be together openly. The tension is palpable, their unspoken feelings hanging heavy in the air."

"What cruel twist of fate doth bind us so, my San? For we are not meant to be. Were we born to be more than just blood? For this kingdom doth not care for love that springs from its own soil, nor for hearts that dare to defy its laws. Our love is forbidden, like the stars that shine brightest yet burn the most brightly in the dark. I long for thee, but dare I not show it. Our love would destroy us both." Prince Hongjoong stepped forward, his hand reaching out to touch San's but hesitated.

"I know, Hongjoong. I have always known. And yet, my heart cannot resist thee. How cruel it is, that the very thing we desire is the one thing we cannot have. We are bound by the law, and by the expectations of our people. And yet, I love thee with every fiber of my being. But we must tread carefully, for our love would see us both destroyed in the eyes of our people." Jongho's breath was caught in his throat tightening with well-known emotions. Prince Hongjoong's eyes darkened with the weight of similar emotions. His hand brushed against San's, but the touch was one fraught with danger.

"Then let us hide it, let us be shadows in the night. We shall live in silence, for that is the only way we can be."

"I would hide forever in the shadows with thee, Hongjoong. But even shadows are discovered in the light of day. What happens when our love is exposed? What then?" The demon gazed at San's worried expression.

"We shall deal with that when it comes. For now, we have each other. And that is enough." For a fleeting moment, they both stared into each other's eyes without moving and Jongho kind of tried to convince himself that he didn't know what was going on before the demon prince leaned up and winded his San into a kiss. Jongho felt the heaviness of the fairie prince's eyes on him before he looked down at his fingers with pursed lips. This was acting, he reminded himself.

There was a shuffle in the room again, and Jongho inhaled deeply before looking up to see the candles being fetched again from the stage. Wooyoung entered again, his face so bright compared to the others even if it didn't feel true. He pranced about, his voice rising in a playful tone.

"Hark! Hark! Let all ye noble lords come forth to witness this jester's grand performance! A tale of wit and folly, a tale of love and woe! Come, come! For in this land, laughter is the only cure for sorrow!" He twirled and spun across the stage, a dance so free-spirited and dainty. He'd surely whirled a skirt around if he'd been in one.

"For who could be so foolish as to not laugh at the sight of my fine costume? Who could be so blind as to miss the jest in my every word?" Suddenly Wooyoung paused, catching his breath as his voice dropped to a softer, more serious tone. The change was subtle, but surely noticeable to Jongho. Moving to the table, Wooyoung sat down on top of it.

"But ah, beneath this mask of mirth, there lies a truth. A truth too heavy for any jester to bear. For though I dance and laugh, I carry a secret- a secret that no one knows, save the gods themselves. And now, in this grand moment, I shall reveal it to all."

Slowly, Jongho adjusted in his seat, gently leaning forward as the dragon's words caught his interest. With the corner of his eye, he noticed how the faerie prince had seemingly frozen in his seat.

Wooyoung leaned over and grabbed his discarded golden crown before he got up and jumped to stand on top of the table, facing them all with a newly added height. Holding the crown with both his hands he flipped it over and placed it on his stomach, the spikes facing out as he had all the attention directed to the opening in the middle.

"For I, my lords, carry a child. And this child, though it is mine, is not born of my own blood. Nay, it is the child of San, the prince of the sea." Gasps filled the room, the air filling with so much disbelief that Jongho barely even heard what he said. Then San stepped forward, his eyes misty.

"Wooyoung... what madness is this? How could you-"

"How could I? How could I, indeed? But what is madness, if not the truth unspoken? The child I carry is of royal blood, and though it is of royal blood, and though it is not mine by birth, it is mine in every other way. And now, the world shall know the truth." Jongho gaped at the turn of events, not knowing where the lines of truths and lies went - everything blending together perfectly when the other princes stunned expressions made it seem like this was still part of the play.

It couldn't be true.

Wooyoung's eyes met San's, filled with a mixture of sadness and defiance.

"Yes, San. It is thy child. The kingdom shall know this. The blood of the sea runs through my veins now, as much as it runs through the child I carry." The dragon lifted his crown to his head and let it fall into place in his dark, lush hair.

The siren prince jerked his head to the side, meeting Yeosang's dreading expression. And for some reason, that told him what he wouldn't want to hear. So many goosebumps traveled up his body, keeping on growing and growing and growing-

"What a tale we have here, my lords! A jester with a child of royal blood. The kingdom will not know how to react to such news. A prince's child born of a forbidden love. What will the people say?" Prince Mingi's voice echoed through the entire room, a smugness to his thoughts.

"This is treason, nothing more. A child of the sea, born of the jester's womb. It will destroy us all." Seonghwa sneered instead. Yunho nodded in agreement.

"We cannot allow this. This will undermine our rule, weaken our claim to the throne."

His eyes trailed to San again, finding him gazing into Hongjoong's dark depth as they played along with the storyline. Maybe, this was only part of the play, the siren prince reassured himself with.

"What shall we do now? How shall we undo this?" Hongjoong asked with a genuine softness, worry dripping from his words. But Jongho couldn't see any other thing but the image of the demon's mocking face as he belittled the other prince.

San's eyes remained fixed on Prince Wooyoung, his face still looking like he hadn't recognised what the other had just revealed. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

And no one continued the play, the princes all standing there, quiet, while they waited for their next command. Jongho wanted to get up, wanted to do something, anything,  with what just had happened. But instead, he just stared while his mind ran in circles.

"Wooyoung," he pushed himself, finding the dragon's hollow glazed eyes, "Are you- is that true? What you just said? Are you- is- the child-" the siren stuttered through incoherent words.

Fuck, he didn't even know if that was biologically possible.

Wooyoung exhaled softly at the call of his name, "Yes, I'm pregnant with San's child."

His guts clenched together, hard. He just said that so casually.

Jongho whirled around, suddenly pointing sharply at Prince Yeosang, "You knew about this, didn't you?!"

"I-I- did."

He cursed, hands running through his hair, grabbing it as he gave it a harsh pull. How fucking stupid could San be? 

Returning to the princes left on the dull scene, Jongho barely knew where to start. He could ask them any questions regarding this- this scandal, however, this story would have no pretty ending no matter what he would ask them about.

Deciding he just couldn't ignore this, Jongho swallowed tensely and sighed shortly, "Does San know?"

Prince Wooyoung shook his head with an eerily immediate answer, "No. Yunho is the only one who knows about it. And the sorceress."

The answer had him raise a brow in utter confusion, his head turning to a spluttering faerie, "I- swear, I only know it because Prince Hongjoong told me."

Of fucking course. They probably all knew at this rate.

Except for San.

♛