Crossed Hearts | Stray Kids Royal AU Fanfic

Filius Musicorum

Zolan = Chan
Seyvon = Minho
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Zolan hid his face under a shawl and stepped inside the tavern. The smell reached his nostril and hit him like a hurricane. His lips hadn't touched the intoxicating liquid in ages and the smell of it mixed with the villager's stinking breathes made his eyes water.

He clumsily made his way through the lethargic men passed out on the floor with their half-dressed women in their sleazy arms.

Those people were richer than him, more respected than him, those were the ones he had risked his life in the war for... Those walking corpses whom minds were sucked up by the alcohol. Those haunted by flies and afraid of the sun. They were everything Zolan was afraid to become.

At the end of the room, leaning on the counter and pouring wine into the metal mug was a man smiling politely and cleaning constantly the surroundings from blood. His hair was short, taken care of. His black curls were the most recognizable thing in the world. Zolan could spot it in a crowded square just by his hair. His combed moustache and shaved bear were a clue as well. The wrinkles around his small brown eyes were almost always visible since he was constantly throwing smiles here and there.

He wasn't big and vigorous, but he wasn't weak either. He was working hard day and night, used to the labor. Not only that, but he was enjoying it. Work was all he did and all that mattered.

He had no wife, no sexual desire, no motivation to prove himself or to fight.

Yet he had a son. No one knew how. Who was the mother. He just appeared in his life and took after his father. Inseparable like two peas in a pod. Until the war struck and it yanked the boy from his father's arms. That was the closest comrade of Zolan. His dearest friend. Which made him responsible to bring the news to the father. To see the exact moment the strings of his heart were cut and his whole world crumbled. That image haunted him for ages.

And there he was once again, this time with an impossible request.

"Sir Otto." He took off the shawl and revealed himself in front of his old friend.

"Zolan!" the man laughed with pure joy and patted the younger on his back, reaching beyond the counter by holding his body weight with his other arm and getting on his tippy toes. "I haven't seen you in a decade. What brings you here, son?"

His lips parted, knowing damn well they were supposed to give an answer, but his mind was blocking the words. He couldn't bring himself to say it. To bring back the pain to such sweet soul.

"Silence or no wine!" Otto suddenly yelled after noticing the rattle around them.

"What are they talking about?" Zolan looked over his shoulder confused.

"Rumor has it the men of Atterra are coming for our blood. A shepherd spotted their army close to the border between them and Atorvenna."

"Atterra? Again?"

Zolan felt a million of flashbacks flooding his brain as he recalled each fight with the Atterranians. He had spilled the most of their blood and the thought of a new war with them was making him sick.

"Why would they attack us now?"

"The king died. Princess Regina took his crown. She is yet filled with anger and grudge since our prince vilely refused to take princess Bridget as his wife. A sister's rage is nothing to underestimate, my son. We all know Regina has a short temper."

"Our army will win once more. We shall not fear." Zolan tried to stay positive.

"There is a saying among our people that Regina reached Zephyr. She wants the help of Anathema. We cannot battle with two kingdoms at once." Otto whispered to avoid causing everyone to freak out.

"Anathema? The ghost kingdom? Is that even possible?"

"I say it would be wise to make Anathema our ally. However, we all know the heavy history this kingdom has with the witches."

"Are you suggesting to seek help at a witch?" Zolan asked in disbelief.

"You can defeat a witch only with another one. Their art of magic is beyond our power and weapons."

"Is that wonderful? The magic." He asked out of the blue, even surprising himself.

"I wouldn't know to tell you." Otto brushed it off with a smile. "Some get consumed by it and become demented. Others can achieve far more great things that we can imagine." He added while whipping a mug with an old piece of cloth.

Then Zolan remembered the reason was there and decided not to waste a second more.

"I am here... I am here by the virtue of needing something from you, sir Otto. Something dear to you."

"What it is?" the man put everything down and focused his poor eyesight on the knight.

"I need Seyvon's scarf." He let the words slip out of his tongue in one breath.

"No." Otto replied before returning to his work.

Zolan was left aback by the short unbothered reply he received.

"I'm begging you, sir Otto! It's a must to have it. Either way..."

"Either way?" he raised an eyebrow.

"I cannot tell." Zolan sighed. Like it or not, he had to admit Agatha was right about giving false hope. It was just a cruel way of digging up the dead. Just pure torture.

"Why would I give you the last thing I have from my beloved son?" Otto looked at Zolan with rage and sorrow.

There was no man that loved his son more than Otto loved Seyvon.

"I apologize. It was a foolish request. Let's drink together like old times, shall we?" Zolan raised a cup and plastered a forced smile. A good enough to fool the gullible Otto who lost count of the mugs and sank his sorrow into the sea of alcohol. Zolan had only one taste of the liquid to know for sure he wasn't going to join the man. He didn't even notice either way. His eyesight became fuzzy after the third cup.

As every other man went home, even on their own feet or carried by the mistress they bought with them, Zolan remained behind with a drunk Otto, drooling on the counter.

"My Seyvon... Why did you let that happen?" he mumbled into his half-slumber.

Zolan knew Otto was blaming him for the death of his son even though he had never said it out loud.

"How could you let him die? He was with you..."

"I'm sorry... I am of fault." Zolan whispered.

"Yes, you are!" Otto raised on his heels and almost threw a cup at Zolan.

"Otto!" a sweet feminine voice chimed in and made the man freeze in his place.

The princess walked carefully enough not to stain her light pink dress with dirt or blood and made her way towards the counter as she was floating graciously. Zolan spotted Agatha's proud smile peeking from behind the crown head.

"Otto, what has become of you?" she placed her hand on his back and leaned slowly to gaze at his face.

"Your Highness? Our deal?" the witch interrupted them.

"Of course!" she looked behind the counter as she knew the place by heart and took out Seyvon's scarf which she handed to the royal knight.

"We are eternally grateful, Your Highness!" Zolan bowed, struck by shock and confusion.

"Good luck on your mission!" the woman bowed as well, then moved her attention to the man she came to see once again.

Agatha dragged Zolan out of there in silence and offered the other two intimacy.

Only when the cold air of the night cut through Zolan's dry skin had he noticed the blood on his companion's face and clothes.

"What happened to you? Why is the princess here? How does she know Otto?"

"One question at the time, my dear friend. Firstly, I am very content to announce you that I had slayed a beast and gained the princess' trust, all without a drop of magic. And I got this, of course." She pulled out Drystan's scarf and smirked.

"Very well." Said Zolan impressed.

"But I gave you free will to use magic as you please. Why didn't you?"

"I... I wanted to prove to myself to you. To show you who I am. Without the magic tricks. You were right. That cane can be useful, yet I should not rely on it all the time. I was not born with magic. It just made me forget who I am." She admitted out loud, not making eye contact with the knight. "One more thing..." she cut him off before he even parted his lips. "I was angered by your behavior. Now I know why. Ever since I became a witch, I was forced to obey someone else's desires. The years I spent under the control of the prince were not my proudest moments. Then he died and I found myself free for the first time. Weak, yet free. That is partially the reason why I waited so many years until I reached to you. When you used your power over me it felt like I was back to the slavery. I felt that fear growing. The truth is... I wanted us two to be equals." She bent her head in shame.

"I apologize for my cruel gesture. I was raised and taught to doubt and avoid witches. I was not sure if I shall trust you. That irrational fear led me to keeping you chained by my will. I shouldn't have. The only way we can succeed is by helping one another." Zolan explained.

"Music to my ears." She shook hands with him and flashed a genuine smile.

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Alright, seems that Zolan and Agatha are starting to get close.

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