Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Restlessness fell upon his shoulders. His fingers were tightly gripping the pen in his hand with the kingdom’s emblem on it. The sight of a dragon surrounded by lotuses in many shades of pink made his stomach churn in discomfort, the dragon’s eyes were looking straight into his soul and digging through everything Hoseok didn’t even know he was hiding - shielding from everyone he knew.

It almost seemed like the dragon was smirking at him, laughing at him. Hoseok squirmed uncomfortably in his chair, the aged piece of wood digging into his back and sides. When his father had his study made Hoseok thought it would be just another comfortable place where he could focus on his studies and royal duties but the room turned out to be a very dull space filled with hardwood and books Hoseok never opened.

He only spends his time there if he has to, preferring to do all his work in his bedroom on his bed. It wasn’t the noblest thing from him but he would rather be working in a comfortable setting than having his back aching for the next week.

A huge painting of his home has been hung behind him when he complained about the room being too boring, too plain. The painting took almost a year to finish, they had the best artist working on it and gave him whatever amount of time he needed to finish it and Hoseok loved it, he maybe teared up when he saw it for the first time. Everything was there - little streets filled with children and their parents, every house that was built and every lake or fountain, everything was there and Hoseok could see it every day. At the very sides, the sea was painted in the lightest brush strokes and it pulled the whole painting together into one masterpiece.

If Hoseok wanted to take a break from the papers that were lying in front of him he would just spin around and study the strokes of brushes on the painting - lightly letting his fingers graze over the surface and trying to remember each street by heart.

If his father wanted to decorate his study he knew it would be filled with swords and maps, because as his father has said many times before, “You have to learn how to fight so I can send you to battle for your kingdom soon”, which resulted in his mother to not speak to her husband for a week because she didn’t want her son to go and fight in battles that weren’t his to fight, not at least for now as he was only a mere prince and he would have to attend battles in his position as a king.

Everything had its time.

His father apologized after but Hoseok couldn’t forget his father’s face when his mother slammed a door or two in front of his face. It was pretty comical, watching his parents’ little fights when he knew they loved each other so much and couldn’t hold grudges against each other for a long time.

Hoseok wished he could find a person like that. He knew there would be many occasions where he can look out for his future partner, and if not, his parents will request him to choose between many noble people walking through his halls but Hoseok didn’t want to rush things.

There wasn’t a rule for him to be married before he would take his father’s crown, thankfully, and he wanted to take his time getting to know as many people as possible before deciding if he wanted to court someone or not. It wasn’t taboo to fall in love with the same gender, too, but Hoseok knew he would have to be careful about it as his parents knew they would marry each other when they were kids. Hoseok could afford the luxury of choosing who he wants to marry, and he was grateful for it.

He averted his gaze away from the dragon’s eyes, rather looking out of the huge window in front of his desk overlooking his homeland - his kingdom. Hoseok loved to look out of the huge windows all over the palace when he wasn’t in the mood to stare at his favourite piece of art, and search for anything that would take away all the irritating thoughts filled with royal things floating in swirls in his head, making his headaches worse and worse with each passing minute.

The only thing helping him in this whole process of studying to take his father’s place was going out and getting lost in the woods close to their palace. There wasn’t a day where he wouldn’t daydream about walking around and absorbing the energy from the quiet place.

Hoseok loved to get lost in the woods surrounding his home and wander around until the late hours of the day, and until his soldiers were called to find him. They would find his whereabouts, eventually, but Hoseok was not pleased to return inside the cold walls that never felt like home to him before. He believed they would never feel like home to him - even after his coronation and his father’s crown on his head. Hoseok only found peace when he was lost amid greenery and chirping birds surrounding him. 

The woods sparked something in his soul, they soothed his worries away and Hoseok always returned with a clear head and peaceful mind. If he could, he would build a little house for himself there. Just the thought of not having to return to the palace made him feel excited, he would love living in the woods all alone with no one to annoy him and dictate him with what he had to do.

Hoseok was tired of studying to become the king his parents wanted him to be, his people expected to be, but he knew he had to do everything they had asked for and become one in the end. There wasn’t a day where he wouldn’t feel guilty about wanting to run away and let the awaiting crown fall to his feet. He was only continuing his journey because of the people that believed in him and wanted to see him on the throne.

The Khasian Kingdom had a special place in his heart. He got to see the beauty of his home from the moment he was brought upon the world. His parents had to attend many meetings right after he was born because of many crucial problems throughout their kingdom and they were too afraid to leave their first and only child alone in the palace with the staff, so the next time they had to leave after Hoseok was around two months old he had to join them, too.

Over the years, he went to every little village, every corner and every place he could imagine. They have travelled mostly on horses, his mother in a carriage with little Hoseok who would gaze out, looking at the nature around him with awe, and his father in front of them on his beloved horse with soldiers accompanying them. 

People working outside in the outskirts would wave at them, greeting their king and queen with their little prince. Sometimes, his parents would stop for a few hours to rest before continuing their journey to a different corner of their kingdom and his mother, if she was willing enough, would let Hoseok play with the little children running around their working parents. Hoseok loved those moments the most, it got a bit lonely when he had to travel around without anyone to play with and when his mother let him play with the kids his age, he was the happiest child on the earth.  

Sometimes, it felt like they were on the road for days, even months, before Hoseok saw the palace again. He was never fond of the place he had to return to, it felt too empty most of the time and there wasn’t anyone who would play with him. Their staff were only adults and that was no fun for little Hoseok when he wanted to play with someone after his studies. He made up an imaginary friend when he was around six years old, he would try to talk to him and play but soon he completely forgot about him and his made-up friend got lost in his thoughts and Hoseok found different activities to do, making himself occupied with something else that would ease the loneliness in his heart and made him happy for some time.

He would try to sneakily trail behind their gardeners and watch what they were doing. Of course, they could see him because Hoseok wasn’t trying too hard to hide behind little trees scattered around their land. They would silently laugh at his cute actions and purposely talk loudly between each other to let Hoseok know the things they were talking about, too. He was just interested more in learning about their flowers and nature than about what kingdoms laid close to them. His father knew he was still a child, letting him run around the property and silently watching him from his study with a little smile on his face. His mother would watch him from afar too and scold him for dirtying his new clothes if he fell into a puddle of mud or got dirty while watering the plants.

When they would have dinner together Hoseok would run into their diner with his still dirty clothes from the mud and kiss his mother on the cheek, followed by a kiss to his father’s cheek too. He would always tell them about his day, what he got to do and what he has learned too because he was a good prince and wanted to do good for the people that would look up to him one day!

Hoseok knew in his heart that no foul soul was living in his proximity, everyone he has met so far was the sweetest to him and that made him happy. He wanted to be a good ruler for his soon to be people and he was proud everyone was so friendly and nice to each other. He couldn’t wish for anything better. He still had a year until his coronation was about to take place but when he would venture outside of the palace many people he would meet would already call him “His Majesty”. Hoseok always blushed at that, not expecting them to even recognize him when he tried to dress down and hide his face but almost everyone who got to meet him would recognize him right away.

It was hard for Hoseok to hide his cheery demeanour and blinding smile combined with his warm aura. So hiding and playing dress-up never worked in his case. He still loved to take trips to the streets he loved so much, he would talk to the little children there and greet everyone that he came across with. Sometimes, if he took too long, there would be dozens of guards looking for him in the late evening hours - even if he was enjoying a cup of tea with the local elders and listening to their stories from their life. 

His only problem was getting lost in time and spending whole days between the people that made him believe he would be a good king one day. He couldn’t complain, of course, he loved every minute he got to spend outside of the palace with people that listened to him and talked to him but he always got a scolding from his parents from not keeping up with his guards and running away from them when he was supposed to come back before the sun would set down.

Thankfully, they couldn’t be mad at him for too long but his father would always scold him a bit more before they parted their ways to their bedrooms to rest.  Hoseok knew his days of running around so freely were coming to an end but he wanted to enjoy them as much as possible. He didn’t want to lose that freedom, and he didn’t want to stop visiting the villages too. 

Hoseok was the kingdom’s prince, their little shining sun that warmed up everyone’s heart and made them feel safe. 

Hoseok might have still had a year until his official coronation and there were still many days before everything was final but he wanted to cherish each moment he got to spend with the lovely people and continue spending the days with them. Since he was a little child he was nothing but sweet and caring towards everyone and was making an effort to get to know everything he had to before he was off age. People would wait for him patiently to visit their villages and prepare many gifts and food for him, welcoming him with a warm hug and sweet smiles. 

It was only joy when he would visit and talk to them, asking them whatever he wanted to know and speaking to them like they were all equal, even if the people knew Hoseok didn’t have to. That had to be the biggest reason people loved him so much, he was talking to them and acting like they were his equals like he was just their good friend that was long gone and just got home and went out to meet all of his lifelong friends. They loved him and everything he was doing, they knew he would be a good king and couldn’t wait for him to finally have the crown on top of his head.

Of course, they have loved their king now too but Hoseok was someone, who they held very close to their hearts.

And Hoseok wanted to make them proud.

Hoseok was walking around the forest. He had escaped his royal duties successfully after finishing almost all of them - he had missed only one class of archery and he wasn’t feeling too bad about it. He could attend the class tomorrow morning if he managed to get up early, and if Jimin was up and about too. Jimin specialised in archery and Hoseok’s father requested for him to teach Hoseok some of his skills because, to be honest, Hoseok was doing poorly with a bow in his hands.

However, Hoseok was doing good with a sword. He gave all the credit to his teacher, Yoongi, but Yoongi would scold him and praise his skills instead, telling him it was his hard work that managed to make him very skilful with a sword. Hoseok trained very hard to master at least one skill so his father would be pleased and Hoseok enjoyed learning everything about one on one fight with a sword and how to use it to its full potential.

He specially asked Yoongi if it was a good idea to get a sword, his own one. Hoseok didn’t mind using the ones they had for free use in the training room but he wanted to have one that would be only his, preferably by his side most of the time in case something happened. Yoongi was bewildered when Hoseok asked him because it was up to the prince if he wanted one or not, Yoongi didn’t have any say in those matters yet it made him slightly smile when Hoseok patiently waited for his answer. 

Yoongi took Hoseok the next day to a bladesmith in the early morning, introducing him to Hoseok as one of his good friends from childhood. Jungkook was his name. He was quite young but strong and he knew his craft very well. Hoseok spent the rest of the day by his side watching him intently work on Hoseok’s new weapon with awe in his eyes. The design of the sword was up to the bladesmith because Hoseok didn’t want to interfere with his craft, he only asked for his sword to be light when lifted to the sky but powerful when in action and a fight.

The sword was crafted with care and precision. Hoseok watched as Jungkook turned a piece of Damascus steel into something monumental. The heat around them was scorching but Hoseok didn’t leave Jungkook’s side even for one second, watching his every step and each move he made carefully. 

It all started with a sketch, Jungkook took a piece of paper and a square stick of charcoal. The sketch was simple, a thin and slightly long blade was portrayed on the stained material with a modest handle accompanying it. Jungkook didn’t detail the drawing much but made sure to draw a simpler version of the kingdom’s emblem and point an arrow towards the handle so Hoseok got an idea on how the finished weapon would look like. Hoseok wasn’t sure if he wanted the emblem on the grip at first but looking more at the sketch made him change his mind. He told Jungkook he loved the design and Jungkook brightly smiled and got to work.

“It will be a thin blade, yet it will be very lethal,” Jungkook told him when he retreated to a small room full of the basic material he needed. Jungkook returned with a piece of steel, it was already shaped into a prolonged bar and Hoseok deducted it was shaped like that to help Jungkook work faster. When he asked about it a minute later, Jungkook gave him a little thumbs up and told him it made his work easier, at least a bit. When Jungkook would have some free time on his hands, he would spend it by preparing the materials for his future projects and making an effort to ease his next workload. Hoseok was amazed by his statement. 

There were instances he would be speechless by how people would love the work they do and dedicate everything to it, Hoseok wished he would love studying and training to be a King as much as Jungkook loved to work between pounds of steel and scorching heat.

Since Yoongi dropped off Hoseok after the sun started to peek out of the clouds Jungkook didn’t have his fires lit yet, and Hoseok happily offered his help as making a fire wasn’t anything hard. Hoseok managed to lit the fire on his first try and moved to lit the next two. Jungkook praised him and Hoseok gave him a little thumbs up.

After the fires were lit and Jungkook brought all the things he needed Hoseok was shushed to a side and Jungkook began his work. Surprisingly, he didn’t use any gloves. Working with his bare hands, handling his tools like they were feathers. Hoseok curiously watched over Jungkook’s shoulder, barely breathing and making himself as invisible as possible to not interrupt Jungkook during his work.

When Jungkook had the piece of steel heated, a bright yellow colour slowly pouring into a reddish, he began hammering it with his right hand while holding the heated piece of steel with the help of tongs in his left one. Sparks were flying around like fireworks when the hammer came in contact with the block of steel and Hoseok scooted a bit away when they almost reached him. Jungkook was happily humming, reheating the steel and hammering over and over again until the block of steel started to change its shape, forming into a prolonged future blade. 

Jungkook quickly forged the steel, letting Hoseok try to hammer it a couple of times too, and after numerous heats where he had to do a lot of back and forth work with Hoseok behind his back, he was finally satisfied with the half-finished product. Hoseok couldn’t imagine himself doing something like that with the bright smile Jungkook had on his face.

There was only a drop of sweat forming above Jungkook’s eyebrow, and Hoseok was almost bathing in his sweat at this point. Jungkook’s workspace was open but the fire around them made Hoseok sweat profusely, not to mention the weather has started to turn warm. Hoseok had to step out for a minute to cool down before joining Jungkook again. 

After the quick break, Jungkook carefully heat-treated the forged steel right away. 

“To keep it as straight as possible,” he told Hoseok when he curiously asked why he dipped it into an oil. It was mesmerizing, watching the blade being dipped into the liquid and seeing flames come out and lick at the new blade. Jungkook pulled out the blade after a bit and lifted it into the air - checking it from each side to make sure it was perfect. He grinned at the narrow blade and showed it to Hoseok with a proud smile. 

“We have to grind it now,” he muttered to Hoseok and went into a corner in his workspace. Hoseok tiptoed behind him, keeping down the happiness bubbling inside of him and listening to Jungkook as he explained what he would do to the blade now. Jungkook showed him where he would grind it down into the desired profile and later sharpen it, pointing at the sketch to let Hoseok see the tiny diamond shape drawn under the sketch. 

“I will have to reprofile the tip, but before that, I have to make a diamond cross-section. It will suit the sword the best,” Jungkook explained with a small smile and began working. The grinding wasn’t the easiest, but Hoseok saw the determination in Jungkook’s movements and his little huffs of frustration when the blade didn’t behave in his hands the way he wanted it to.

There were sparks again, flying around like fireflies in a night. A rough grinding was swiftly followed by a finer grinding that made everything look better, and lastly, Jungkook switched to polishing - finishing the last touches before having the blade ready. The edges were perfectly aligned at both sides, sharp and flat, and with some more grumbling from Jungkook, the sword was almost finished. 

The handle was the easiest. Jungkook had some already made. He only showed Hoseok the material he used for them, a steel pipe as the base and wood to fill the inside. He also pulled out a couple of samples of leather, letting Hoseok choose whichever he fancied more. Jungkook told him the process briefly, from cold forging to a usual forging where he would carve out any hot steel he didn’t need on the handle. Then he would lightly grind it down and polish it, but as there would be leather on top of it he didn’t have to do it with too much detail. The handle looked like a simple piece but there were so many little things here and there that left Hoseok with a swirl of thoughts in his head. The work Jungkook did on just one product made him respect the other even more.

Overall it looked like a simple piece but there were many details people wouldn’t see if they weren’t present during the birth of it and Hoseok was glad he stayed the whole day and watched Jungkook work endlessly without almost no breaks and no sweat.

Jungkook carefully branded the kingdom’s emblem into the beautiful grip with a branding iron and asked Hoseok to repeat the process he had to go through before holding the finished handle in his bare hands. 

“The core of the grip is wooden, with a forged steel pipe on the outside and covered in a soft piece of leather, glued to the grip with precision and concentration,” Hoseok said with a smile and tried to imagine himself doing the work. Jungkook heating the iron brand in the fire next to them after he wiped the spot of leather he wanted to mark with a wet cloth drawn Hoseok closer to the view, as the process of making his sword was almost done. The Khasian Kingdom’s emblem melting into the leather made Hoseok appreciate the art of his ancestors just a little bit, even if he didn’t like to look at the emblem for too long, the uncomfortable feeling of the dragon staring at him made his hair stand on his nape every time. 

Jungkook attached the handle to the blade when Hoseok stepped out of the heat for a minute to take a deep breath of fresh and cooling air. “It wasn’t that hard,” Jungkook told him when he had returned and Hoseok grumbled in protest as he didn’t want to miss any steps in the process. Jungkook made a deal with him to focus on handles and branding next time when he gets to have some free time because Hoseok really wanted to try his best and succeed in Jungkook’s skill.

The first time Hoseok got to finally hold his sword in his hands felt magical to him. He felt the way the steel responded to his touch as if feeling his inner thoughts and responding to him. Hoseok was speechless. He held it high, the steel shining under the sunlight. It was very light, just like Hoseok asked for and when he tried to swing it lightly from side to side he felt the power the blade held. 

He was amazed by it. The final product looked so majestic and the work that was put into it was breathtaking. Hoseok wanted to return as soon as possible because he couldn’t get the image of steel melting in the scorching heat out of his mind. What if he tried to make a small dagger for himself? Or make a sword and give it to Yoongi as his gratitude? The thought made him giddy. Maybe he could get another skill under his belt even if it meant hard work and many lessons before Jungkook would let him touch his tools. 

That said, he clutched his sword in his right hand and made his way through the thick greenery until he ended up at a clear path leading to the centre of the forest. It was rare for him to venture into the depths of the forest in the afternoon but today felt like a good day to go and enjoy a nice and late nap in the sun near the pond his ancestors had made a long time ago. The warmth licked at his skin but it wasn’t tiring. It felt nice being away from the cold walls, drinking in the peacefulness and the sounds of the forest, Hoseok couldn’t remember the last time it was so nice outside. The season was slowly slipping into summer and even if Hoseok was expecting scorching heat to hit them soon the weather surprised him when he stepped out of the door.

It wasn’t a long journey from his doorstep to the forest, it felt like he was entering his true home when he slipped into the trees and couldn’t see the palace behind himself anymore. He could finally breathe freely and let all of his stressful thoughts escape his head, at least for a little while before he would have to go back. He sighed heavily and stopped for a second in his steps, the path was nice and there weren’t many branches Hoseok had to be careful of. 

He sometimes pondered for a while who was also visiting the forest because he never met any other living soul there, yet the path was always so neat and perfect. Almost like someone was coming here before him to clean up the pathway. Hoseok didn’t have any troubles getting through the forest and it seemed a bit weird because it was his family’s property, first and foremost, but also he must have been the only one who was visiting the place so frequently. 

There wasn’t any time where he would be accompanied by anyone as he enjoyed his alone time the most and they had guards watching the property so no one would trespass. Hoseok was sure no stranger ever stepped into the forest before and the mystery of the clear path started to eat at his thoughts. He didn’t know if he could succumb to the curious feeling and just walk straight through the forest and hope for any answers at the end of the path or continue with his little journey to the centre of the forest to rest from his royal life for a bit.

Hoseok shushed the curious thoughts away and happily made his way to the pond. It welcomed him as soon as he stepped into the small clearing. The water was crystal clear and the shades of pink and white flooded the pond thoroughly and made the scenery much more magical. Hoseok managed to catch the perfect timing, the lotus flowers started to bloom just a couple of days ago by Hoseok’s guess because most of them were in full bloom, only a couple of buds left. 

This must have been his other favourite activity to do, watching the delicate flowers sway slowly from side to side to the tune of the forest and the animals living in it. The birds chirping around him made the perfect base for the background noise surrounding him. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear small branches crunching under the paws of the forest animals running around and the light buzz of insects living near the pond. Hoseok breathed in the forest and let his eyes close for a moment, drinking in the surroundings and the peacefulness seeping into his body. When he let his eyes open again he looked down at the beautiful flower petals and smiled, crouching down and peering at them with his heavy eyes.

He didn’t dare to bring any of the flowers with him as he respected their little home, gazing at them lovingly and keeping the beautiful scenery in his memory each time he went to the pond. It would have been pointless if he took the precious blooms with him as they would die and wither. The colourful petals would dry and the colour would never be as vibrant and lively as now. And Hoseok would never forgive himself for the cruel decision he would make if he decided to put his hands on them with a negative purpose in his mind.

He didn’t wish for them to wither away in a foreign place and die so far away from their home. Sometimes, he would caress the petals gently and feel the delicate flowers under his fingers. He made sure to be as careful as possible when touching the petals lightly because he didn’t want to destroy the beauty in front of him. Hoseok felt the need to protect the place with his whole being from anyone who dared to touch the flowers and taint them with negative energy, or worse - rip them out of their perfect habitat and let them die. 

His mother laughed at his determination at first when he declared his mission to her when he was just a young teenager but she could see the determination in his eyes and let him be. Smiling softly at him when he would draw the lotus flowers, portraying their delicate petals with ease and almost making them come to life with just a couple of art supplies he had in his room and a single brush in his hand. Hoseok had many things he loved in the world, and his precious flowers were one of the few things that were at the top. Together with the need to protect his home.

Hoseok laid down, burying his fingers into the soft and silky strands of grass. It had been such a long time since he last laid down to take a nap and allowed himself to rest in the nature he adored so much. His soul felt at ease when he made himself comfortable underneath a tree situated close to the pond. When he opened one of his eyes again and twisted his head a little bit he could see the flowers next to him, and if he reached out his hand it almost felt like he was touching them, feeling the tender petals under his fingertips. They were pulling him into a deep sleep with a sweet lullaby and Hoseok was a weak man to the alluring sound of the forest telling him to close his eyes fully and rest away from the worries he had in his mind stored carefully. He breathed out with a small smile on his face and welcomed the feeling of falling into the delicious state of slumber.

He was awoken a couple of minutes later at a strange sound coming from the pond. Hoseok didn’t think much of it, it must have been the fish living in the water and tried his best to be lulled back to sleep by the forest again but it wasn’t singing to him anymore. He wanted to whine at the lost comfortableness he felt just a minute ago but he was interrupted. Hoseok stirred in his half-asleep state and cracked one eye open, he was grateful he chose to lie under the tree because he would be for sure blinded by the sun over his head if he was laying just a couple of inches to the left.

Hoseok couldn’t see anything in front of him but the sound still lingered around him. He slowly set up, stretching his arms over his head and propped himself against the tree. The pond was quiet, the flowers were still dancing in the water to the tune of insects but something felt a little bit off. Hoseok looked around, clutching his sword in his hand to feel a bit safer. But there wasn’t anything. He sighed to himself and let his eyes close again, breathing shallowly in the sweet scent of petals.

Another splash.

This time Hoseok shot his eyes open, squinting at the water immediately and looking for anything that could have made such a sound. The splash wasn’t just a little splash coming from a little fish peeking its head over the blanket of water, the splash Hoseok heard again must have come from a much bigger animal. It could have been a lynx if Hoseok was lucky enough. He got to see just one of them one time, and it had been in the middle of the night too so he couldn’t put his hopes up right now.

The water seemed too calm for a huge animal to be splashing around, he felt a bit crazy. Maybe he was overworked, he thought to himself. Hoseok hasn’t been sleeping the best in the last couple of days, too, so that must have been one of the reasons why he felt so weird all of a sudden. He felt watched almost. But that was not possible. He was friends with every animal in the forest and he never felt watched inside the greenery before, so he must have been tired from working too hard for sure. Or so he thought to himself when he got up to circle the pond just to make sure nothing was in his proximity.

He circled the pond two times before sitting down under the tree finally, happy to be back in the shade and ready to take his nap. Hoseok didn’t even get to relax and close his eyes when another splash caught his attention, this time Hoseok saw a glimpse of something in the far corner of the pond, hidden behind a gathering of the tallest lotuses on the pond. He shot up to his feet, clutching his sword tightly in his right hand and jogged slowly to the spot. Hoseok squinted his eyes at the water surface, scanning it and watching for any movement underwater but there was nothing. He stood dumbly with his sword drawn out and didn’t know if his brain was playing with him at this point or if he really needed the nap he craved so much.

Hoseok scratched his head and turned around, preparing himself mentally for his nap with a small smile plastered on his lips when he saw someone.

A man.

Hoseok screamed.

And dropped his sword.

He picked it up quickly again and pointed it at the stranger in front of him.

“Who are you?” Hoseok asked, panting from his impromptu scream session and tried to catch his breath. 

The man just stood there and stared at him with his mouth slightly ajar. Hoseok slowly took a step closer to the individual and furrowed his brows. No one before refused to answer him. 

“I will ask you one more time, who are you?”

“Um, a fisherman?” The man answered, he didn’t sound genuine in any way possible.

“You don’t look like one,” Hoseok uttered and took in the full view of the person.

Long black robes hung from his body. But they didn’t look like simple clothes fishermen from his home would wear. No, the person couldn’t have been a fisherman. The black robes were detailed with the shiniest red thread Hoseok has ever seen, the shape of lotus petals sewn into the fabric over and over again - adoring the ending of his sleeves and the bottom of his robes. Hoseok felt an urge to reach out his hand and touch them.

He shook his head and observed the individual some more. His features were gentle yet hard at the same time, and something in his gaze made Hoseok shudder. Even though his hands were huge and looked rough from the small distance they had between each other they didn’t look like they belonged to a working person, there were too many rings on his fingers for someone who was, apparently, fishing for a living. 

Hoseok took interest in his hair, it must have been the most significant feature on the person in front of him. Long strands of raven hair falling into his face and reaching to his waist with ease. The top portion was lightly tied in the back with what looked like a red ribbon, the rest falling across his shoulders and probably continuing down his back, and it seemed like there were even strands of red hair in the sea of blackness - the colour of scorching fire licking at the end of his hair and painting them with the most vibrant shade of red Hoseok has encountered.

Something in Hoseok told him to let go of his sword but he didn’t want to yet, he couldn’t tell if he was safe and unfortunately he slipped out of the palace without anyone seeing him coming down here so he couldn’t call for his guards.

Hoseok took a step back just to be sure and let his sword hang at his side, still gripping the handle tightly without breaking eye contact with the man. He was looking at him weirdly, piercing gaze looking straight into his eyes like he tried to look inside of his being. His features didn’t change one bit - no movement apparent on his face, only deep eyes looking at him and full lips in a straight line made Hoseok furrow his brows in uncomfortableness and clutch his sword even tighter.

“You are lying,” Hoseok breathed out, “ You aren’t a fisherman.”

“No, I’m not,” the man said with a lightness to his deep voice, Hoseok couldn’t figure out if the stranger was playing tricks with him or if he was serious but somehow the sun started to fall from the sky and Hoseok knew he had to leave immediately, or his parents would know of his departure from the palace soon and he wasn’t ready to get scolded today. 

It seemed like the stranger felt the way Hoseok hesitated for a second, he reached out his hand towards Hoseok and Hoseok almost put up his sword again.

“I do not possess the opportunity to work, unfortunately,” he said, “ But I could be taken as a fisherman, too, if you squint your eyes a bit and forget some details.”

“What are you doing in this place?” Hoseok wearily asked, the sleepless nights attacking his consciousness. 

“I live here.”

“No one lives here,” Hoseok reported and looked around, “ This is not land used for inhabitance.”

“I do not live on the land, I live there,” the man said and pointed to the pond. 

Hoseok raised one eyebrow, “There?” 

The man nodded and Hoseok knew at that moment that he must have encountered a crazy person. He wasn’t sure if he ever saw this man in the villages before but it could have been a traveller too, tired from his venture with his mind not working properly.

“Okay, Mr Fisherman. You need to leave immediately or I will need to inform the guards of your presence, and they don’t like strangers inside the King’s private forest.”

The man didn’t seem to be fazed by Hoseok's statement at all, he didn’t even move an inch.

Hoseok cleared his throat and gestured towards the little pathway he came from. It also leads from the pond towards the other side of the forest. The path was long and leading straight to the nearest village right next to the royal property. Hoseok has gone down the pathway in the past a couple of times because he used it to escape his guards but he also knew it was the quickest way to get to the village. So he used it afterwards frequently for his trips down to the villages too.

The individual still didn't seem to grasp at Hoseok's attempt to make him leave. 

He could leave and inform a couple of guards of him because no one should have been inside the forest in the first place but he also didn't want to let his parents know that he was somewhere else, other than his study room or bedroom. He could picture his father being slightly mad at him again for neglecting his studies, even though Hoseok has always been the best student and he always tried his best so he could have some free time for himself and indulge in doing nothing.

Hoseok pondered if it was a good idea for a second but he knew the answer right away.

"I apologise, but you really have to leave. This is private property and I don't wish to call guards on you so if you could leave, please, that would be wonderful." Hoseok did his best to even smile as the words left his lips but it seemed the stranger wasn't enchanted by it.

"I live here."

"No, you don't."

"I do."

"I don't think so," Hoseok said with frustration noticeable in his tone. 

The need to be kind to the man was strong but he also had places to be and he couldn't leave him wandering around the forest as there would be a guard exchange happening soon and the new group of soldiers would sweep the whole royal property after they were given orders. And Hoseok knew that if they found him the man would most likely end up in the jail for a night and probably get sentenced for trespassing the property. Which wasn't something Hoseok felt the need to happen, to be honest.

"I suppose you don't know," the man muttered and looked down upon himself as if Hoseok was supposed to recognize the clothing choice the man had made right away and probably recognize who he was, too.

"Unfortunately, I don't know. I don't even know what you mean by that but I will tell you one last time, please leave," Hoseok said with a stern voice and stepped from the stranger, drawing his sword to the air and pointing it at him, " If you don't leave you will get in trouble. The choice is yours to make."

And with that Hoseok turned around and sadly left his favourite place in the whole kingdom and the feeling of being safe and sound.

The trees behind him cried silently as he stepped out of them and Hoseok tried his best to not look behind himself and run past the greenery again. The only wish he had was to get lost in between them and forget about everything that was waiting for him behind the cold walls of the royal palace.

Maybe one day he would be able to fulfil his wish.

He also couldn't shake the feeling of being watched until he slipped past the backdoor into the palace. The face of the man was burned inside Hoseok's mind and he knew he would have a hard time getting rid of the image. Somewhere deep inside of himself, he could feel that he was curious about him. He wouldn't be angry if he met him once again, preferable in the village the next time.

Hoseok wondered where he was coming from, and where he was heading to. If he was a traveller like Hoseok suspected he must have had so many interesting stories to tell and a lot of knowledge to share.

He slipped into his bed later that night with his head full of thoughts about the stranger with the imagery of his long black robes adorned with stitched lotus petals and of his long black hair lightly floating in the air.

Hoseok dreamed.

The dream was filled with lotus petals on fire and strong arms secure around his waist.

There was a dragon breathing down his neck and even if Hoseok tried his best he couldn't turn around and look the dragon in the eyes. The arms around his body prevented him from any movement but he didn't mind them at his sides. He felt safe being held like that. The dragon was looming over his body and the petals around him were burning but they weren't turning into ash - no, they were morphing into little droplets of water that were slowly falling to the ground and soaking his feet.

Hoseok was aware he was dreaming but he still reached out his hand to touch the flowers in his proximity and as soon as he touched them they had fallen to the surface under his feet - into water.

Hoseok was standing on water, with arms around him and with petals surrounding him. They didn't feel like they were suffocating him, taking away his oxygen. They moved around him with the light wind and made Hoseok feel warm inside. The heat emitting from the pink flowers grazed his skin lightly and Hoseok felt like he was wrapped up in the fluffiest blanket he owned.

Hoseok dreamed and the dragon by his side made him feel safe, for the first time in his life. 

Hoseok woke up rather refreshed in the morning, the sun wasn't still up on the sky but Hoseok couldn't close his eyes again. Sleep didn't want to pull him in again, his bed was too warm and he could feel the way his heart was excited for today, even though he didn't have any plans.

There was the thought of going to his archery class right after his breakfast but he could feel the way Jimin would throw something at him, in the best-case scenario his pillow, because Jimin didn't fancy waking up in such early hours of the day. It didn't help that it was also Saturday and the villages were supposed to celebrate another year of Hoseok's father being on the throne.

It was also the last year they would celebrate his father, so it was even more special for his people.

Hoseok opted on going to practice archery on his own but with the way Jimin was looking at him last time he knew he would need his help, so archery was out of his plans in a mere second.

Next on his non-existent plan was to read more about the history of his home and study some maps but just thinking about stepping into the uncomfortable room made him shiver.

That was another no for him.

The only thing that was left for him to do was to visit one of the villages and engage with them. Hoseok knew they would be furiously preparing for the late evening celebration and the streets would be decorated in colours and flowers. He also knew there would be a huge amount of delicious food on each corner and he didn't wish to squander the opportunity to look into the welcoming homes of everyone and help them with cooking.

If someone were to write down each thing Hoseok loved to do they would need at least a day or two for it because Hoseok loved to do everything he could, and if cooking meant spending more time with lovely people and an opportunity for him to talk to said lovely people then he couldn't miss it.

The sun was fully out on the sky when he quickly left the kitchens after his breakfast. He pondered for a bit if he should go there on foot or get one of his horses but it was so nice outside and the weather was already pulling him towards the familiar path leading through the forest.

When he saw the trees in the distance his thoughts immediately slipped to the stranger from yesterday and Hoseok hoped, just a little bit, that he would meet him again today because he had some questions he wanted to ask and he couldn't shake away the dream he had in the night.

The grip on his body felt too real and even the warmth seeping from the petals made him believe that he wasn't dreaming. Unfortunately, when he woke up in the morning in his bed and saw the paintings hanging on his walls he knew the dream was just a way of his imagination getting the best of him.

"My Prince!"

Hoseok turned his head around when he finally stepped on the street leading to the village. A small child was running in full speed his way, flowers in her hands and paint everywhere on her white dress.

"My Prince! I picked these for you!" She excitedly showed her hands full of different kinds of flowers into Hoseok's hands and giggled when Hoseok picked her up instead and started walking with her in his arms towards the first people he saw close by.

"How is my little princess?" He asked her and waved at a few people passing by.

"Very good! Grandma made me this dress, see?" She pointed at her attire splashed with the colours of the rainbow and Hoseok had to laugh.

"She did a very good job. I suppose you were the one who put this beautiful design on it, right?"

"Yes! Do you like it? Grandma wasn't so happy but it looks better now," she grinned and let herself be carried by Hoseok to her house.

Hoseok has been there a couple of times in the past because he would help her grandmother each year with the preparations for the big event. He didn't have to do it but he got to know many interesting things about the kingdom and also he loved to listen to the old lady because she always had nice stories prepared for Hoseok and never got tired of him visiting. Hoseok must have been only about ten years old when he started to wander around the villages and when the old lady took him in and showed him her house and gave him a cookie Hoseok knew he would always return to the house to at least greet her and wish her a nice day before continuing in his little adventures.

"What brings you here, my Prince?" Were the first words Hoseok heard when he stepped into the familiar place. The face of his favourite resident welcomed him with a smile and Hoseok put down her grandchild.

"The same reason as last year, and also the same reason as the other ones," Hoseok smiled brightly and lightly hugged the old lady, " I wanted to come by last month but there were too many things on my plate."

"Don't worry, my Prince. I had some of the boys help me with work around the house and it's really important for you to be at home now, we are all excited for next year."

"I am too," Hoseok said and tried to infuse the sentence with as much enthusiasm as he could. He was excited about next year, he really was, but he knew deep down he wouldn't be as free as he is right now and there wouldn't be as much time to do what he loved as he does now.

"Let's get started then," she clasped her hands together and they moved to the kitchen. There were already ingredients laying around the table and the shelves on the walls. Hoseok could tell they would spend a good amount of time in here and he was glad the weather was so nice. All the windows were open and the fresh sunlight streamed through them to the room.

"I wanted to ask you something," Hoseok said after half an hour of working together in perfect synchronization. The silence around them was comfortable and Hoseok was happily mixing ingredients for a pie. Small Hyojin has run out of the house to play with the other kids so her grandma and Hoseok were all alone.

"Ask away, my Prince," she smiled at him with deep lines forming around her eyes.

"Did a traveller pass by yesterday?" Hoseok asked and put the mixture into a waiting pan.

"No, I'm afraid no one has gone through the village we wouldn't know."

Hoseok puckered his lips in thought, " That is interesting, I met someone out in the forest yesterday and I was sure he was a traveller, a very tired one."

"Why do you think that, my Prince?" She asked kindly and put the pan into a hot oven where one more pie was being baked already.

"He didn't say who he was, or he thought I knew it but it seemed like he was out of his mind. He told me he lived inside of the pond, could you believe that?"

Something flashed through her eyes when Hoseok spoke out. It was still very funny to Hoseok and he had to chuckle at the memory of the man pointing towards the water and telling him that was his home.

Hoseok was sure the stranger was out of his mind because no one with a fresh mind would say something like that. Sure, Hoseok himself wouldn't mind living inside of the beautiful pond himself but as a human, he wasn't able to do that. Just like the man.

The lady disappeared in a nearby room and returned a minute later with something in her hands. Hoseok perked up when she put the thing on the table and revealed an earthenware jar under a white cloth.

"I don't want you to take me for a fool, my Prince, but I think I know who you have encountered at your forest," she said and pointed at the jar.

Hoseok slowly nodded and stared at the jar on the table.

"Do you know what this is?"

"A jar?"

"Yes, my Prince. This is a special jar. I have one more stored in the other room," she spoke and wrapped the jar back into the cloth, "We use this to worship a deity of the sea.”

A deity of the sea.

In the next few hours, amidst the many bowls full of spices, flour, ingredients and already prepared food, Hoseok has been introduced to a divine creature that has been part of his culture for many years, even centuries, before he was born. Unfortunately, as Hoseok has been part of a family that hasn't been following a lot of old traditions he didn't know anything about the creature the old lady has been talking about, and he wasn't sure if he had the opportunity to read about it in the books he possessed either.

His library has been quite spacious but there weren't many books following the themes of mythology and traditions surrounding his kingdom and other places around the world. Hoseok has had only the opportunity to read up on some notes that were filled with sacred tales and fables collected into one little notebook that Hoseok has read multiple times. They were so old Hoseok had a lot of trouble reading them but nothing would stop him.

He tried his best to decipher each sentence and each word that has been written on the aged and fragile paper. Hoseok has spent hours upon hours sitting over the little thing with his stash of paper and a pen in his hand, reading carefully the text and writing it down on the newer paper to save the bygone tales and fables from disappearing but there hasn't been any mention about a sacred deity of the sea.

"It isn't just a deity of the sea," the old lady told him when Hoseok asked about its origin," It is also a deity of the river. It overlooks the peace in the house and longevity in the family. My own grandmother has taught me about it when I was just a small child. I was probably around Hyojin's age when I first got to know who Yongwang truly was."

"Yongwang?"

"Yes, my Prince. The deity of the sea, Yongwang, is a very powerful divinity I was taught to worship by my grandmother because she was taught to worship the deity herself when she was young. I was adamant at first but my grandmother was kind and took time to make me see why it was important to worship the Dragon King each year. She has managed to keep the tradition flowing through my mother and then taught me what to do to please the deity."

Hoseok's mind was filled with so much new information. He had so many questions and at the same time, he didn't want to voice any of his thoughts out as to not interrupt the lady. There wasn't a time where she didn't take a couple of hours of her day for him - teaching him so many important things, and talking to him when he was confused about something and needed answers for his questions.

She was someone who Hoseok held very dear to his heart. He appreciated each moment he got to spend with her in her little house doing anything. If it was cooking or cleaning, or just talking with a cup of tea in his hand. He never took it for granted.

"Does anyone in the village worship this deity, too?" Hoseok in the end asked. He was kneading dough for another dessert while Hyojin's grandmother moved to cook at the stove. 

The kitchen was filled with the delicious smell of pastries and the pies baking in the oven and if Hoseok hasn't had a very filling breakfast early in the morning he knew his stomach would grumble with a want to stuff his mouth full.

"Some do, some don't. It all comes to the people because you can't make someone do these things forcefully. The person has to do these things on their own will. Just like we are doing things now in the kitchen. It wouldn't be good if we were forced to prepare all this food because we wouldn't put all the love into it. But we are doing this on our own will and that way all the food will get infused with our hard work and love, and everyone will feel it at the first bite and cherish it. You can't force people to do something they don't want to do, my Prince."

Hoseok nodded at that. She was right. If Hoseok has been brought up to worship whoever his parents would tell him to, he would do it and later he would most likely decide on his own if he would continue, but forcing someone to do things they don't wish to do in the first place was not good and Hoseok wouldn't be pleased with it.

He couldn't imagine doing something so important with a person behind his back telling him what to do and when to do it. His actions wouldn't have been truthful that way. It wouldn't be coming from his heart and his soul. The act itself would come out with a lot of anger inside of it, with spite mixed into it and with disgust infused in it. 

Hoseok wouldn't allow anyone to tell him what to do, or allow anyone to dictate his people in the first place. The kingdom has been peaceful for many and many years, even with a couple of conflicts in between. His people were genuinely happy and there was no reason to have rules regarding people's rightful freedom. Everyone had freedom of speech and no one was forced to do anything they didn't want to do, people weren't confined to only a couple of things. His father, and his grandfather, have put all of their strength and will into forming a peaceful kingdom where everyone could live freely and happily without worrying about anything.

"I have started to take more interested in the deity and the ritual when I was around your age, my Prince. We were really struggling as a family and my father wasn't at his best health so we were getting by and feared what would happen to us in the near future because times were bad and there wasn't a lot of food on our plates. My grandmother has already passed away when we weren't doing good and one day when I was going through her belongings to remember her and remember some memories we shared I came across the earthenware jars. 

I instantly remembered everything she had told me and decided to bring back the tradition of worship into our home. It didn't matter to me if the ritual wouldn't work and nothing would change but I missed doing it. I would always be present by my grandmother's side when she would fill up the jars from the communal well and put them in our kitchen, and I wanted to bring that feeling back."

Hoseok remembered the little stories about her father and grandfather going away for days, even weeks sometimes, to provide for their family and bring as much catch as they could. As she said herself one day, " Back then it wasn't as easy getting to the ocean to work. You had to take many routes that were sometimes too dangerous to even step on but they never let us down and returned each time safe and without any injuries."

"Yongwang has always been a ruler over the aquatic animals and the weather itself, so when I began to perform the ritual together with my mother I would always put all of myself into it and do it with love to show the Yongwang my true self and my true intentions. 

And somehow, after only two or three months, our situation got better and better. The catch started to be bigger, our family started to be happier and more comfortable and I didn't have to be afraid of another day," she smiled as she spoke.

"But why am I telling you this, my Prince. Yongwang is someone who has been part of my life for many years and most likely will be part of my life until the day I will take my last breath because it has blessed my life and my family with many fortunes. And you might have encountered them yourself in the forest," she said with seriousness laced into her voice and stopped filing up pastries with a sweet strawberry jam.

"Encountered?"

"Yes, my Prince. I was with my first child when I went to the forest one day. It was a day when people could enter the forest and visit your grandparents who were ruling over the kingdom. I don't remember what was the occasion but almost everyone went by the classic route from the village, I went through the forest as I was very curious about the tales of its beauty and I stumbled upon the pond. 

I still remember, the lotuses were in full bloom that day and it felt so nice sitting close to the water and looking at them. I had to leave very shortly after but something caught my eye when I was leaving, I must have been almost behind the great tree when I heard something and saw a flash of red colour in the water," she beginner to tell her story and Hoseok sat down at a chair in front of her, abandoning his work to focus purely on the lovely lady in front of him.

"I thought I was crazy, as a pregnant lady in her late thirties, but I stayed for another couple of minutes when I saw it again, the creature. I had to rub at my eyes and touch my forehead because I thought I was experiencing a heat stroke but the creature emerged from the water and I could see it in its full form. It was beautiful. It took my breath away and I hid behind the tree more because I didn't want to scare it away. The only thing I could see in the sharp light from the sun were red and black scales all over its body and its sharp eyes. The creature only came to the surface to look around, maybe it heard my steps and decided to investigate, but it went back underwater as soon as it did a little sweep over the pond and the grass surrounding it.

It took me another couple of hours to fully realise what I have seen, who I have seen. I was lucky enough to encounter the deity that day. I truly believe I was able to see it in its true form. I performed the rituals from that day even with more vigour than before. It made me realise that I am doing the right thing with keeping the tradition alive in our family and I can't wait to pass it down to Hyojin one day."

Hoseok was breathless when she finished her story and had to take a minute to collect his thoughts before opening his mouth. However, he closed it right after opening it and decided to stay silent instead and stare at her until wrapping his mind around it.

"I can see how your brain is overheating, my Prince. Here, have a little bit of tea," she handed him a cup of chamomile tea and left to attend the pies in the over while Hoseok silently sipped on his tea and watched her work around the counter.

"I still don't understand what it has to do with the stranger I saw, the human didn't look like a dragon to me," Hoseok mumbled.

"Grandma, my Prince. I told you before you can call me grandma if you wish to," she smiled and put the first slice of their pie on the table. It was still steaming but Hoseok's stomach made a noise when the scent of the sweet dessert hit his nose.

"Of course, grandma," Hoseok said with a hint of red on his cheeks and tasted the pie. It was still hot, it may have burned his tongue a little bit but he was too impatient to care about it. The pie was so delicious he had to bite into it right after the first bite, the cherries melted in his mouth right away and the sugary crust crunched while Hoseok was happily chewing away his worries.

"I believe you have encountered the deity, my Prince. It is rare to see them in the true form of a dragon, and it is almost impossible to see them when they take on a human form but I have a lot of faith, and it's telling me you have seen the Yongwang in a human form."

"What do you mean by human form?"

"They don't show themselves to people without a reason," she said and got a slice of the pie herself.

"Am I special then?" Hoseok laughed but grandma didn't share his excitement with him. He swallowed the last piece of the pie and sipped from his cup while studying grandma's face. There was something she didn't want to say to him but when he squinted his eyes at her and tried his best to pout her demeanour cracked and she got to talking again.

"I believe the Yongwang showed their human form to you and freely talked to you without being too cautious because they had a reason, a purpose."

"And that is?"

"They only take a human form in front of a person if they have chosen a mate."

A mate?