Chapter Text
The sky mocks him with its overwhelming brightness—cerulean blue, piercing sunlight that he could still feel the heat of even with the reinforced glass window. Not a single god forsaken cloud is within sight.
What a lovely day to be heading toward his own death.
The world spins. Baek Saheon wipes his sweaty hands on his pants; an act that would have earned him an ear pull and a mind-numbing scolding from his sister.
Doesn’t matter. Not when she has left him to take her place in this current predicament.
Hooves strike the pavement, its rhythmic galloping does nothing to ease the tightness of his chest nor the hammering of his heartbeat.
Clip. Thump. Thump. Clop. Thump. Thump.
Clip. Thump. Thump. Clop. Thump. Thump.
If he closes his eyes—
Baek Saheon curses when the carriage jostles, nearly knocking his head at the carriage’s beam, as if the world is conspiring to make his last day as miserable as possible. Even so close to his doom, he still can’t lament over his fate in peace. Can’t say he is surprised when his life has been a series of unfortunate events.
(Still, maybe he hopes the world could wrap itself in a veil of tranquility for a moment. Not crying. Not weeping. Just silence. Like the night his sister never came back to him.)
The ground continues to rumbles beneath his feet. Baek Saheon's nails dig themselves on the leather seat, and not for the first time, he wishes he hadn't thrown away his pocket watch back then. Now, he's got nothing to fiddle the numbness in his fingers away.
Clip. Thump. Thump. Thump. Clop. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Clip. Thump. Thump. Thump. Clop. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Unlit carriage lamp sways overhead, creaking with each swing. Baek Saheon counts the number of times the curtain rings rattles against the rod and tries not to think he's been stuck inside the moving vehicle close to an hour already. In that span of a time, he has considered all his life choices, cursed the shitty carriage, wondered if the Baron was currently having the time of his life, cursed the Baron, and returned back to lamenting over his own fate.
Is his luck that atrocious?
The carriage slows down to a stop and with it, Baek Saheon’s skittering heart stutters to a standstill.
The carriage’s door swings open.
There’s no use delaying the inevitable, unless he wants to get drag off the carriage kicking and screaming. He also doesn’t want to spend any second longer in this four by four wooden entrapment.
Baek Saheon takes a deep breath, exhales, and takes one step off the carriage. Then another and another, until both of his feet are firmly planted on the dusty road and he no longer feels the ground isn't coming out to get him.
In a distant, muffled cheering and raucous symphonies fill the street; a parade, no doubt coming right up the corner. Back in that small village, back when the term ‘sacrifice’ earned a mere tilt of the head from him, Baek Saheon was sure he would join the merriment across the street without a care. As of now, Bark Saheon can only stare at the imposing structure before him in dread.
The bright sun catches each pane of the glass and turns them into eye-blinding reflections. High, spindly towers seem to part the clouds, like a giant finger pointing directly against the heaven. The walls are uniform white— clean, pristine, and must have been arranged in meticulous detail and patterns that he had no way of appreciating. Massive, oak doors stands tall, the carvings of the beasts from an age long gone stares at him.
Had the place not been his execution ground, Baek Saheon would think the palace magnificent in its opulence. Just a little bit damaging to the eye.
The palace’s title changes with the fickleness of the ever-turbulent weather. The Queen's Dowager Palace. The Consort’s Abode. And its recent one—
The Dragon’s Lair.
Baek Saheon’s eye darts over the rows of trees sprawling behind the palace and appraises how fast he should run before the retainer could catch him.
“Baek Saheon-ssi?”
Darn it, he's one step too slow.
The Queen's retainer stands at his side, one hand place over his chest. His grey hair has started to thin out and the mustache over his lips aren't faring that well either. While his eyes show signs of murkiness, his gaze is as sharp as ever as he regards him.
“Are you sufficiently prepared?”
It would be weird if he's prepared for his death. After all, what numbskulls would willingly walk to their arranged doom? If it’s not for the fact that refusing said order would earn him a place inside the prison for transgression, he would sooner be out and running.
But instead of saying any of that, Baek Saheon smiles, the kind he has honed and perfected over the years to appease people.
“Of course.” Baek Saheon places a hand over his chest and dips his head slightly. “It's a great honor to be granted this precious chance to serve the kingdom.”
The Queen's retainer had the gall to look proud, as if sending a young man to their death is nothing but a mere tradition to uphold.
“Certainly. The Queen, with all her wisdom and benevolence, has always wanted her subjects to be a part of her grand plan.”
“And I am pleased to be part of it,” Baek Saheon answers lightly, honey-spun webs continue to pour out of him like a river. “Truly, only our magnanimous Queen understands what the country and its people need the best.”
The older man nods, the steel in his eyes melting into glinting conviction.
“Which is why, Baek Saheon-ssi, your sacrifice will not be in vain. Your name will be regalled until the end of time and your service shall not be forgotten.”
The dead doesn't know what comes after. How would they ever know such fervor declaration is a lie?
“As long as my family is well-compensated for, I will be at peace,” Baek Saheon murmurs, soft and aching with affection.
The Baron can rot in hell.
“You are the ideal subject this kingdom needed.”
The Queen’s retainer smiles, the hand over his chest curls into a fist. If he doesn't know any better, Baek Saheon will think the glint in his eyes are from unshed tears.
“Glory to the Baekilmong.”
Baek Saheon's smiles widen. He hopes the edges aren't too sharp to tip the man off.
“Glory to the Baekilmong.”
Baek Saheon wants to rip his own tongue out.
The massive door swings open ominously by itself.
In contrast to the bright exterior, a corridor shrouded in darkness greets him. Stare a bit too long at any particular spot and the darkness will reach out, its shadowy tendrils crawling along the floor to drag itself forward. Goosebumps prickles across his skin. Baek Saheon resists the urge to take a step back.
As what he’s supposed to do, the Queen’s retainer takes his spot in front of him, even with the sweat beading on his forehead.
The door slams shut behind them.
Baek Saheon curses the hell out of the place inside his mind.
Candles light up one by one as they venture deeper into the gaping maw of the beast. With each steps echoing inside the corridor, his eye darts around to focus on his surrounding, however limited the visibility may be.
Twenty steps straight ahead. Turn right at the junction at the crooked Queen’s portrait resides. Left once the red carpet turns golden. Straight ahead for another twenty steps. Turn left at the vase full of red flowers. Then walk straight again, past the first wooden door, then the second, and the third…
Until he lost count and they stop before a sealed golden door.
The Queen's retainer turns to him and regards him with an indescribable look. Baek Saheon would like to think it's remorse. How many people have you led to their death? How much blood have stained your hands?
“The dragon is waiting on the other side,” the older man speaks, still with regality in his tone, “it’s best if we don't keep him waiting much longer.”
Baek Saheon cracks out a smile. It's closer to a grimace.
“Of course. Lead the way.”
The door, once again, swings open without a touch.
He grew up with his sister’s excited whispers before bedtime. Their room back in the Baron’s mansion had been closer to a storage room rather than a proper one. Yet every time, the tales his sister told with such fervor carried him away into a far distant land; bigger, way bigger than their room.
Of the ancient dragons, beings of both might and terror. Of their sharp claws, of their jagged teeth, their majestic wings, of their magic leading ways to victory, to growth, to protect, to conquer. Of the way they flew across the sky in their brilliant glory. Of the demand they seek in exchange for their power.
He'd been prepared for an absolute beast.
But nothing prepares him for a man of serpentine beauty sitting across him.
A pair of golden antlers rest upon a crown of black hair, no doubt silky to touch. Clawed hand props up a pale yet sharp-looking face, the kind of face Baek Saheon only sees amongst the highest ranking nobles, the kind of face that could incite a war or two in the effort to vie for its beauty. Golden eyes flickers at his direction, slitted pupils dilating imperceptibly when Baek Saheon's breath hitches.
A fanged smile graces its unfairly handsome face.
“Has the time come for a new offering already?”
Its voice is low yet not too deep with a rich timbre that tickles his ears pleasantly.
Baek Saheon straightens his back despite his instinct screaming at him otherwise.
Fear. It’s got to be fear. There’s nothing else that can explain the sudden rapid beating of his heart or the rushing of blood to his face.
“Yes, Aureum-nim,” the Queen's retainer answers while Baek Saheon is busy trying to calm his heart down, “today will be the eve of the full moon of the sixth month.”
The dragon hums, still not taking its eyes off him. Something flashes in its eyes, but it disappears before Baek Saheon could parse through it.
“Time sure behaves in a strange manner.” It is only then it shifts its attention to the Queen's retainer, who has grown considerably paler compared to when they entered.
It gestures toward the door. “I believe you know your way back out already?”
“Yes, Aureum-nim.”
The dragon’s smile widens. It feels sharp.
“Give my usual regards to the Queen then.”
The Queen's retainer bows, one hand placed on his chest and without sparing a glance at Baek Saheon, turns around and leaves him alone to his fate.
Good-for-nothing old fart.
The moment the door slams shut, the dragon stands up from its throne and descends down the steps, its light footsteps echoing in the room. Baek Saheon once again stops himself from taking a step back. A predator would only be invigorated by a fleeing prey.
“Apologies. I prefer to appreciate my food without any…disturbance,” the dragon murmurs as one hand encloses around his chin, tipping his head up; its claws dangerously close to breaking his skin. Baek Saheon clenches his jaw before he can gasp like a frail maiden or curse in front of the current beholder of his life.
If a mere gaze alone could devour someone alive, then Baek Saheon would have already been stripped bare to his bones, licked clean.
“You are quite the pretty one,” the dragon hums, turning his head from one side to another as if it’s wondering which part to eat first. Baek Saheon’s heart spikes dangerously when those golden eyes settles a bit too long over his eye patch.
Now, Baek Saheon doesn’t know what to feel about that. Flattered? Concerned? Fear? He knows he’s not bad looking. Years of being cooed at and given fresh crops by the village’s ahjumma and ladies alike has cemented that fact. But when it’s your own executioner saying that, what is he supposed to say?
“I-Thank you, Aureum-nim,” is the only thing he can think of.
The dragon taps its index claw on Baek Saheon’s cheek, cooing. “My, polite as well. It would be such a waste to eat you immediately.”
Baek Saheon swallows. A once-in-lifetime chance to barter his way out—no, that is a wishful thinking—to extend his life is being dangled right in front of him.
“Yes,” His mouth moves without thinking, a habit that has saved his life as much as it has screwed it up, “wouldn’t it be better to fatten me up for a more enjoyable feast? I'm all skin and bones.”
He lifts his arm, letting the sleeve of his oversized tunic pools at his elbow. A flash of his wrist and pale skin. The dragon tracks the movement with lidded eyes. Baek Saheon shivers that has nothing to do with fear and drops his arm back. “Eating me now certainly won’t fill up your stomach. Besides, with my face, I can be a pretty, little thing you can gaze at anytime. Wouldn’t you want to indulge in it for a bit longer?”
The dragon tilts its head, golden eyes flickering back up to meet his stare, silent question swimming inside them.
Baek Saheon softens his gaze, hunches his shoulders, and bites his lips, trembling in a manner reminiscent of a newborn buckling. “I would be devastated to know the great dragon isn't satisfied by me.”
He hopes he doesn't sound desperate. God, he doesn't know if the dragon decides to change its mind. Maybe he should have grovelled. He certainly hopes this pathetic act is not going to backfire on him. What if he triggers its predatory instinct instead of its mercy?
Golden eyes glow, crimson hue taking the slitted pupils place, as it regards him with a scrutinizing look.
“Are you offering to be my pet?
That's not what he meant. But he'll take any offer at this point.
“If that what it takes to satiate you, then yes.”
Outside, the sky darkens, blanketing the room in a muted, dull light. Gust of winds rattles the trees, branches knocking against each other, leaves whispering in a language incomprehensible to mortal. It whispers, whispers and whispers. Baek Saheon’s ears ring and ring. Is blood trickling out of his ears?
The ground shifts beneath him—rising, sinking, as if the very earth itself is breathing. Red. Red. Lava bubbles out of the wall, pouring its molten rock down the room. Screams, guttural screams echo in his mind. Gnashing teeth, two slabs of granite rubbing against each other. The bubbling floor opens up—
A skeletal hand grabs his ankle.
He's going to die. He's going to die. He's going to die—
“Very well. But if I ever caught you trying to escape…” The claws around his chin drifts upward to rest on his cheek, its index trailing close to his eye patch. Faint rumblings of thunders fills up the space. The air scorches his lungs. something is burning. More and more hands grabs at his ankles, eager to drag him down to his demise.
Golden eyes stare him down.
“…I'll devour you on the spot.”
The sharp tip hooks itself underneath the leather; a single tug and it will expose the gaping void nestling inside him.
“Understand?”
Cold sweat drips down Baek Saheon's cheeks.
“Yes, Aureum-nim.”
It’s a wonder he doesn't faint.
“Good.” The dragon releases its hold on him with a smile that doesn’t bring any comfort to him even for a bit. The sky is back to its excruciating blue. The floor has once returned to black marble tiles.
No sight of the lava. No sight of the ground melting beneath his feet. No scream filling his ears.
Baek Saheon exhales through his teeth, drenches in cold sweat. His heart is doing a very pitiful attempt in trying to escape his ribcage.
What...was that?
“Run along now.” The dragon waves him off before turning around, its tail flicking behind it. “You shall be guided to your room by your attendants.”
With that parting words and a snap, it disappears from his sight as if it has never been there in the first place.
Baek Saheon's head spins. His throat feels like he has swallowed fire whole. His body trembles, trying to ease the phantom sensation of hands grabbing at his ankles.
Someone swings the door open.
Baek Saheon almost jumps out of his shoes.
A man with unassuming brown eyes and an equally unassuming brown hair stands there, blinking owlishly at him.
“Oh, I’m sorry for scaring you.” The man laughs while scratching his cheek, not looking the slightest bit repentant.
Baek Saheon nods stiffly, heart still doing a perfect imitation of a spooked rabbit. “That’s fine.”
“Park Minseong at your service. ” Still smiling, the man places a hand over his chest and bows. “I’ll be your attendant for the duration of your stay. What’s your name?”
His tongue still feels like lead, but he forces it to move.
“Baek Saheon.”
The man beams at him. “Alright then, Baek Saheon-ssi. Please follow me.”
When he doesn't budge from his spot, the man blinks at him, eyes scanning from the top all the way to the bottom.
"Oh dear. Did Aureum-nim scare you?"
The nonchalant way the man said it makes Baek Saheon's wish he could bash the man's head with a brick.
Baek Saheon squeezes his eyes shut, hand rubbing his face. He can't even move from his spot with how wobbly his legs feel!
"...Wouldn't it be strange if you're not afraid?" He mutters, exhaustion seeping into his tone.
From the way, Park Minseong rubs his chin, the question is something expected, but he still has enough courtesy to answer it.
"I guess from your point of view, Aureum-nim is scary."
His point of view as a what? A sacrifice? A human? A mortal? A—
Scratch that. His response is perfectly justified. It's the attendant who has a few screw loose.
Park Minseong smiles at him, dropping his hand as if he can read his thought. "Now, are you able to follow me?"
Talking with the man does sufficiently calm his nerves down. Baek Saheon takes one step forward experimentally, glad they're no longer as weak as a fawn learning how to walk.
The man grins wider at him.
"Great."
Park Minseong leads him to his room. Along the way, Baek Saheon once again commits everything to memory: the turns and paintings, the different carpet colors and walls. Just in case.
“…And if you ever need help with anything, just be sure to tell me. I’ll be there swiftly.”
The door closes with a click, and with that, Baek Saheon is left to his own device.
Exhaustion seeping into his bone, he doesn't waste any chance to throw himself on the bed, not sparing even a glance toward his surrounding, and stares at the ceiling.
He's alive. Sure, his sanity did a nosedive for a second and not to mention, what was that he saw? For the sake of his crumbling mental, he chalks it up to the weirdness of the palace.
Baek Saheon wants to laugh in disbelief.
He's alive.
He didn’t know what deal he made just now, yet it granted him a chance to breathe longer. He has never heard of a dragon letting their food alive before.
Maybe, the dragon is in a good mood today. Maybe it feels like toying with him. Whatever the case, he is not going to waste this chance.
Baek Saheon curls his fist.
He doesn't know if he can escape from this place. But until such opportunities arises, he will survive. Even if he has to wag his tail, show his stomach, and be the best pet ever.