Chapter Text
“Jong Hyung, please make sure to tell all the servants to stay clear of the eastern courtyard Prince Jin is gardening.”
“Yes, Captain Min I will tell the servants now.” Jong Hyung didn’t even wait for Captain Min to dismiss him before he was running down the hall towards the kitchens. He skid to a halt outside of the kitchen door and breathlessly announced, “Prince Jin, eastern courtyard tell everyone.” At his announcement, three of the line cooks ran towards the doors to pass the word along. “Chef, prep some medication just in case.” Chef nodded solemnly Prince Jin gardening, caring for the animals, or reading was a serious situation because he tended to sing.
Jong Hyung grew up by Prince Jin’s side. He remembered walking into the Prince’s nursery with his father in his crisp uniform. Like his father served the King, Jong Hyung would serve the Prince unfortunately he had tripped over his shoe and had taken a loud tumble. The loud noise had startled the young Prince and had made him cry. Jong Hyung shuddered slightly at the memory. His father had shoved him out of the room and the sound that came out of the Prince had been horrendous. Because the Prince that Jong Hyung was destined to serve was cursed.
There was a time, but Jong Hyung didn’t remember when Prince Jin hadn’t been plagued with the curse. It was said that Prince Jin was born under a lucky moon. His skin, hair, disposition, and voice had all been perfect. His nannies thought his voice was so beautiful they would let him cry, but something so perfect couldn’t survive for long.
It was said that Prince Jin was sitting happily in the courtyard when the sound of horses startled him and he began to cry. Upon hearing his beautiful voice, his nanny stood frozen at the exquisite sound coming from the child. At that moment an evil witch was on her way out of town after accomplishing the misdeeds she had planned when she saw the Prince and his nanny. The witch sneered at the sight before her. She spent power, energy and wove extensive traps to lure the hearts of women and men to destruction and here was a child accomplishing the same with a single cry.
The witch could see how the Prince’s life would be filled with happiness and joy and resented the child. Instead of the having the voice of an angel who captivated anyone who listened, the Prince was cursed with a grotesque and unappealing voice. The mere sound of the Prince’s voice would repulse anyone who heard it. The more drawn people were to the elegant and handsome Prince the more undesirable and coarse the voice would become. So the Prince grew up alone shielded from anyone except the servants unable to visit or ever spend time with the people who loved him.
Jong Hyung remembered the Prince’s 15th birthday and how happy the day had been. The maidens from around the neighboring towns had all come to greet the prince and had fallen in love on first sight. The Prince had kept his comments to a minimum all day. He had been deadly afraid of making a mistake and near the end of the night once his guard was down the accident had happened.
**
Prince Jin had stepped out to the gardens to enjoy the night air and look at the moon light.
He had done it! He had met all kinds of new and exciting people and hadn’t hurt anyone. No one had turned on their heels to run away from him or collapsed on the floor because of him. Sure it was hard to be almost quite all the time, but he could do it if it meant he could have friends. He was so happy he could sing, but that was the problem he couldn’t sing ever. Jin could shout from excitement, he couldn’t cry out in pain, he couldn’t sing, and he couldn’t laugh. It was his voice. His voice hurt people.
Jin had spent years in etiquette lessons learning to craft a monotone voice that reflected no emotion whatsoever. After years of trying, he had finally gotten close to something that let him communicate with people but even then the slight change of his voice could hurt someone. Jin closed his eyes and tilted his head towards the night sky. Today had been different this night had been different, he had proven to himself he could be normal. He wouldn’t have to be alone, and under the darkness of the night and the bright full moon the words came to him.
“You pass by and become connected
You enter in and become love
Someone said that before
But I am just colored by you”
For a perfect single moment Jin was the happiest he had ever been but it all disappeared when he heard the loud crash behind him. Lady Mina was by the entrance of the hall with her hands to her hears and her eyes wide with terror. Just as Jin lifted his hand to reach for her, she screamed.
All of the guests ran to the courtyard to see the commotion and the more Jin tried to help Lady Mina the worst it got. He lost control over his voice and the panic in it the concern was making his voice sound more and more horrible. Jin tried to call out to get help for Lady Mina his panic elevating as he saw blood pour from the hands that were wrapped around her ears.
“Help, help,” he called but no one moved. After a few moments, the newly appointed Captain of his guards Min Yoongi wrapped a hand over his mouth and dragged him off to his rooms.
Alone in his room Jin let himself cry. He cried for all of his lost hard work. He cursed the gift inside of him that he couldn’t share with anyone. But most of all he cursed himself, he had hurt her. He was cursed and had no right thinking he could be normal or have a regular life.
So the Prince locked himself inside of the castle and barred anyone from entering without strict permission. He wouldn’t hurt anyone again.
The Prince had once dreamed of a boy with dimples who would come save him, but as time passed and the boy did not arrive Jin gave up on the childish dream. The fear in Lady Mina’s eyes had proven to him that dreaming for him was a mistake. He would never be normal. He was destined to be alone, and the boy with dimples had been nothing but a wish from his heart.
**
Jong Hyung continued to make his way through the castle relaying the message, “Prince Jin, gardening, eastern courtyard.” All of the servants knew the drill and fanned out to spread word to everyone. There was always a new scullery maid that got mesmerized by the Prince’s grace and didn’t follow the rules. The last six years there had been a few accidents here and there but never anything major. Unfortunately anytime something even small happened, the Prince locked himself in his tower for weeks.
“Jong Hyung, wait up.”
Jong Hyung turned around to see the head maid of the southern tower running towards him. “It’s Sera,” she said breathless. “Found, Sera near Prince’s chambers a few days ago, I yelled at her. But can’t find her now.”
Oh this was going to be bad. If the silly twit went to find the Prince she would be in danger. “Find, Jungkook tell him we can’t find Sera and start moving towards the eastern courtyard.”
Jong Hyung turned on his heel and headed in that direction if he was lucky he would find the silly girl and get her back to the kitchen’s to get her ears boxed for disobeying rules and leaving her post. He hoped to find her as soon as possible not just for her sake but for the Prince’s. He didn’t need any reminders of the curse on him. All the servants did their best to help the Prince have a small grain of normalcy in his life. Their Prince deserved it.
As Jong Hyung ran along the wall of the courtyard his ears started to buzz. The Prince was singing, but he was far enough away it wouldn’t be too much of a problem. Jong Hyung took some cotton balls from his coat pocket and stuffed them in his ears and ran faster.
He turned into the courtyard when he saw her. The nitwit of the girl was walking as if in a trance towards the Prince from the opposite side of the courtyard. There was no way to get to her without the Prince noticing. If the Prince noticed it would be at least a month of sulking and misery for him. But even as Jong Hyung tried to come up with a plan to capture the girl, he saw first in command Jungkook jump from behind a bush and tackle the girl.
Jong Hyung stood amazed as the First in Command swiftly tied the girl’s hands, put ear muffs over her ears, and blended easily into the bushes with the girl over his shoulder. Jong Hyung let out a low whistle. The kid was scary for sure: talented and a great tactician but scary.
“What has happened?” Jong Hyung turned to see Prince Jin walk towards him.
“Oh nothing your Highness.” Jong Hyung said. “I was just on my way to check your rooms.”
Jin just looked at Jong Hyung and he did his best not to fidget. The Prince looked powerful with his broad shoulders and tall stature. His eyes always showed a twinkle of mischief that had never been fully allowed to develop. His mouth held the ghost of a smile that the Prince never gave. But Jong Hyung had served the Prince for so long he saw the pull of sadness reach those eyes even as face and more importantly his voice registered no other emotion.
“Someone has been hurt?” The Prince asked in the monotone voice Jong Hyung knew well.
“No your Highness, a scullery maid simply got lost but First in Command has taken her back to the kitchens.”
“I see,” the Prince responded and Jong Hyung was afraid that perhaps he did see.
“I will retire to my rooms the paper and ink has been replenished correct?”
“Yes, your Highness,” Jong Hyung saw as the Prince picked up his basket of gardening materials and made his way towards him again.
Prince Jin handed him the basket of gardening equipment. “Give these to Mireu, I won’t need them anymore.”
Jong Hyung watched as Prince Jin walked to his rooms. Yes, over the years they had been a few incidents but every time something had happened Prince Jin had given up yet another thing that he liked. Not only was the Prince running out of time to break the curse, but what little bit of life he had carved out inside of the cold castle walls was also being taken away. Jong Hyung cursed himself for failing the Prince.
He walked straight into the kitchens to see the Sera sitting on a footstool crying. The rest of the servants were all gathered in the kitchens. “Mireu,” Jong Hyung called.
“Yes, sir,” answered the head gardener.
“Prince Jin asked me to give you these,” Jong Hyung said as he handed over the basket with gardening tools. “The Prince informed me he will no longer be needed them.”
A wave of hopelessness descended on the kitchen. “The poor child,” said one of the head maids.
“We can’t have pity,” Captain Min said from his place against the wall. “We have to do better.”
“Exactly,” Jong Hyung said. “We will no longer be accepting scullery maids for any part of the castle. This means it will be more work for us but we can manage. Mrs. Kim can you take Sera and pay her the month’s wages she is owed and an extra month for her troubles. Please make sure to escort her out of the castle within the hour?”
“Of course, follow me girl.”
“But Sir,” Sera tried to argue as Jong Hyung walked past her. “I really need the work. My sister”
“What was your number one responsibility when we hired you Sera?” Jong Hyung asked.
The silly girl twisted her hands looking pathetic which infuriated Jong Hyung more. “Well I was supposed to clean the areas I was told to in addition to helping in the kitchens.”
“And,” Jong Hyung prompted.
“I was supposed to serve and follow all orders and commands in the name of the Prince and King.”
“And,” Jong Hyung looked his nose down at the girl. “Do you think making it so the Prince can no longer garden serving him?”
“Sir, I know I did wrong. I know it, but honestly I was in more danger than him wasn’t I?” Jong Hyung was going to lose it on the chit. Lucky for him Captain Ming stepped in.
“You can find another job. If you had gotten hurt you could have recovered,” Captain Min said with no emotion in his voice. “But Prince Jin,” Captain Min was looking at the girl now and Jong Hyung enjoyed how she shrank at the distain in his voice. “Prince Jin isn’t going to ever trust going into his OWN courtyard again.”
**
Jin watched from his tower window as the maid was ushered out of the castle, and he was sorry for it.
Jin was sorry that the castle couldn’t be full of servants and that those that served him worked too hard. Perhaps he was just fooling himself, he thought. Perhaps it was best to just accept that he should be locked in his tower like some creature that didn’t deserve happiness or sunlight.
Jin threw himself on his bed and thought of what his life was going to be now. One more thing he couldn’t do. One more space he didn’t trust. There just had to be more to life than the constant fear of saying something, but for him there wasn’t.
Even as his 21st birthday was approaching, Jin didn’t feel despair at the fact that the Prince to break the spell hadn’t show up. He just felt empty inside. There was no Prince to save him from the reality of his life. He had stopped believing in that. It was just him, the curse, and those unfortunate enough to get in his path.
He patted his bed and pulled his childhood toy towards him. “Of course there’s you Mario,” he said at a stuffed toy a nanny had made for him. The silly overalls of the toy and the outlandish moustache had always made him feel better. Jin rubbed his face on the toy and without realizing it he said, “I wish.”
The words startled him. He had stopped wishing to be normal, talk, have a friend all of those things after his fifteenth birthday. But he supposed that a month before his curse was officially permanent was a good time to wish. “I wish a Prince showed up and broke the spell Mario.” He laughed. “Well forget it, I won’t be greedy, I wish I got to see him then. I wish I could just talk to him,” he whispered into the toy as he fell into a deep sleep.
In his dreams, Jin was riding a dark haired stallion. He could feel the power of the animal underneath him and almost wept with joy. It had been years since he had ridden even though he was an expert rider. He had laughed once from joy and had unseated a whole cavalry. Jin bent over the neck of the horse to urge the animal faster, but even as he did show there was something about his seat that felt wrong. His thighs felt thicker, his breath was labored, and his hands clumsy. He was holding the reigns with too much tension and was making the horse skittish. He could feel the horse shifting underneath him even as it thundered through the woods.
Jin tried to uncurl his fingers form the reigns and couldn’t something was preventing him from easing the tension on the horse and letting the animal run. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a shadow and panicked: he was being pursued. Jin dug his heels into the horse as it easily followed his commands. But damn it why was he holding the reigns so tight?
Jin saw flicker of light through the woods and turned to pursue it even as his mind told him it was a mistake. He was being pursued he needed the cover of the trees he needed shelter. Going towards a blank light in the woods just meant an opening which would make his position obvious. The flash of bright sun blinded him for a second and he saw his reflection in the shield of his pursuer.
There were four of them and they had waited to ambush him. Jin reached for his sword and instead of the balanced sword he preferred there was a long blade. He circled his horse around to wait for his move. But even as he pulled the horse back to give himself room for defense his already tight hands on the reigns puled to far back unseating him straight into thin air. The last thing he saw was the horse run away back into the woods.
He was flailing in midair looking for something to hold on to something to save him and nothing. Then by some miracle of life he came to sudden and painful halt. He could see his feet dangling and as he looked up saw that shirt was caught in the branch of a very tall tree. Jin tried to calculate if he’d break a leg falling from this height but there was no way around it. When he moved to lift his sword to cut himself down, he watched as his traitorous hand dropped the sword on the ground. Now what? Jin thought as he looked around when the shield held by his enemy came to mind again. It wasn’t his own reflection he had seen, but a pair of fierce eyes and the wicked flash of dimples.
Jin woke up and his room was dark. He was covered in sweat and his heart was pounding. Jin rushed out of his room and ran towards the main tower of the castle.
His Prince was in danger.