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Prologue

He was shaking when his eyes were watching the light coming through the bars to land on the stone ground before him.

It was the moonlight and to him on that night it seemed especially bright compared to the cold dark dungeon he had been put in.

He hadnt slept ever since he was thrown in here, it wasnt possible considering the pain they were causing him.

Forcing him to not shift to either forms completely.

Every now and then they would enter and pour little water over him making it impossible for his body to adjust to have legs or a tail

It was painful keeping him in this state, letting him lose scales only to force them to grow back in such a short period of time.

It was weakening him and the cold in the cell was making everthing even worse. He couldnt feel his tail yet it was twitching when the scales reflected the moonlight.. or was it the blood on them that did.

It felt like something was constandly ripping his skin open and breathing was something that became harder.

He squeezed his eyes not wanting to think of it more when suddenly the noise of approaching steps appeard.

They were fast and at first he didnt know if he should prepare himself to fight or to endure. Yet in the end he knew it didnt matter, he had been too weak to move much.

" tippy toes.. "

His eyes opened slowly at the voice and the nickname. He couldnt blinked empty to himself st first thinking he had started to hallucinate. There was no way jongin would be visiting him after everything that happened.

" kyungsoo " tears formed in his eyes

But he kept his head turned to face the other way as he didnt want to respond and rather closed his eyes, letting the silent tears drop to the ground.

" answer me ! Please "

The siren scrunched his face up, trying hard not to release a sound of his cries was bringing more pain to his already suffering body.

" I didnt want for this to happen ! I'm sorry .. I really am but I'm going to get you out ok but you need to talk to me"

The prince sounded frustrated or rather desperate but kyungsoo knew it was only because he was still holding onto hope.

Hope for something that kyungsoo had long learned would never happened.

Empty Hope's f a delusional person.

It was ridiculous, he didnt want jongin to be hurting but maybe that would be the only way he would learn.

" do you really want it to end like this !? After everything we did ?? You're just going to give up like that ?" If jongin knew what really happened. If he had listened would he still think like this ?

Did he even know that it was hurting.

" you're so selfish, you really cant do anything right and you know why !? Because you dont try hard enough ! You just give up like this ??

Because it's easier to die ? "

He flinched a little when jongin kicked against the cell door.

And he waited hearing jongin breath a few heavy breaths as he was upset probably still hoping kyungsoo would reply but he didnt. No matter what he said it wouldve been wrong anyway.

He couldnt reply with something that was right, he couldnt even reply with the state he had been in but did jongin see that? He knew he didnt and at some point he was glad he didnt.

Kyungsoo had done enough wrong to everything it's time he learned his lesson and paid for his sins.

He didnt want to die because it was easier no..

He wanted to die because it was better

Jongin yelled a few more insults until kyungsoo heard the princes voice break.

" how could you be so reckless ! You can't just make me care for you and then ... " he yelled around before finally he heard some struggling noises.

" sire please, we have orders, you are not allowed to-"

" shut up ! I'm going to get him out NOW! he wont die like this .. I WONT ALLOW IT" the sound of metal hitting the dungeon door made kyungsoo flinch and finally open his puffy eyes as he turned his head just in time to let his eyes meet those of jongins as he was being dragged away from the door and out of sight.

He was a prince

he knew that. Something that's been told to him for his whole life.

He was powerful

He was worth great

He was the hope of the people

he was important

That's why he couldnt go anywhere without being watched and guarded over.

Why he could never be alone even in his own quarter as his guards would stand by the door inside and outside. Making it uncomfortable sometimes even if he should be used to it.

That was why he sneaked out every now and then to go to the market where the people wouldnt recognize him because the poor could never come up close with a royal to recognize his face under a thousand when he covered it in dirt and put old clothes on.

There he would walk through and watch people dance, sing and try to sell whatever goods they had. He would see kids running through chasing each other and couples holding hands or leaning into one another as they walked past him paying no mind to him.

They didnt know how good they had it.

All jongin received at his home were rules and lectures to shape him into the perfect prince that would be king one day.

Cause that's all he was .. a prince and he was important, in his actions the faith and the life of so many depended on in the future.

This was what always went through his head when he would walk to the beach and sit down on a rock looking into the never ending water, where he would sometimes watch the sun set and change the dark colour of the ocean to an orange, highlighting the little waves in the distance.

Soon he thought this time when he sat down and pulled out the old yet still beautiful broken seashell.

He had it ever since he could remember but he didnt know from where and his parents and close friends out of the guards had ridiculed him for it many times.

But he wouldnt bug ..he didnt care. He had little attachment to it and he was pretty sure it had been a gift from someone. Maybe it was because no one had ever really given him a present that he was sure came from the heart. All he received was gold or permissions for little things he didnt even care about.

Nobody had ever asked him what he wished for because it shouldn't matter. It didn't matter. What he wanted wasnt important because he was the prince.

He was important for the people and the future... nothing more.

Sometimes jongin wished he wasnt important but rather ..

He didnt even know and he wasnt sure he wanted to know. Digging to deep into why he was feeling so empty was making him feel more empty so he'd told himself a thousand times before to stop it and another thousand times he would find himself sitting right there on this spot staring at the ocean like an overdramatic theater actor who made his own crisis, questioning his live and actions. The kind he would see in the acts and theaters where he would roll his eyes only to see his father tear up in amazement besides him.

At the thought he smirked putting the old seashell back into his pocket.

It wasnt like he blamed his parents or anyone else. This was just the way the world worked.

" where were you!?" Jongin rolled his eyes when he walked through the halls after he had cleaned himself up and walked into his mother who had her usual I was worried sick expression on.

" I was just out with my horse"

He explained annoyed not even looking into her eyes as he fixed his medieval shirt pulling it up over his elbows to fold his arms together.

" I was worried sick ! " she exclaimed coughing to which jongin stepped closer attempting to hold onto her but she just slapped his hand away and then looked over his clothing outraged " and how are you walking around ! "

" in my clothes? Mum you shouldn't be standing and walking around yourself ok.."

He responded in obvious which Made her as red as a tomato.

" you look like a Mess and your hair !" She was clearly frustrated and she continued to nag on him and explained how he should walk around and straighten his back, he noticed his father walking toward them looking a little troubled.

And once he arrived by the 2 of them his mother had also quiet down aswell frowning at him.

" jongin, you should head to bed and get rest"

" why ?" He instandly asked knowing this meant some sort of duty awaited him the next day.

" we need to ..  your uncle seems to be in trouble.. "

" oh dear " the queen moved her hand over her mouth worriedly " what happened ?"

" his castle had been attacked " the king sighed while jongin looked down in thought. It had been a while since he had seen his uncle and since he had sailed.

His uncle was in fact the one who had taught him sailing.

jongin had quietly he rememberd he had even in some way looked up to the old man. He had just always seemed to be so carefree and easy going as if life was a piece of cake well compared to his parents .... He just knew what to do and what not to do even if people criticized him for it. In the end they were thankful.

Or Maybe jongin just found a liking to his uncle because he actually listened when he explained the sea creatures and plants unlike others, the ocean had always been soemthing dangerous for everyone but his uncle found it beautiful and fascinating and maybe jongin just admired him because he himself also found it fascinating.

" we could be heading into a trap !"

He heard his mother argue when it clicked. His father would never leave her behind as sick as he was, he realized as he watched him cup her face and tell her to calm down.

A trip for just him without his parents and without the people he would have to rule over in the future. Without the lectures and responsibility they would slap in his face every day. No more reading boring books about his ancestors or philosophy while walking through the floors.

" I'll have guards with me, " he quickly argued probably a little too energetic for someone who would have to sail the sea and then visit his uncle who's been under attack.

" I'll do it ... as the future king I should be ready to face danger and be prepared for actual battles for my own kingdom " he spoke too formal for it to be normal in his parents eyes.

Both their eyebrows rose in result as jongin walked away to return to his chamber.

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