As rims are pulled, steed halts his steps seconds later, resonating the panorama with screeching voice of his feet grazing past against the rugged ground. Taehyung disembarks and inhales a deep sigh as the endless expanse of the green evident on the other side of the wire fence materialises before him.
The orange-yellow sun burns like a hot fire ball in the sky. Beads of sweat pepper his forehead that he's quick to wipe away with his sleeve. He gulps his own saliva endearing to moisturise his throat that's drier than a desert. As the burning sun forms tense folds on his perspirated forehead, he promptly roams his gaze around, for conformation of the place.
Shangri moutains, he quietly read the words inscribed on the nearby stone and turning to his horse, bids him farewell with the words, "Wait for me here." He gently caresses the creature's head. In response the steed lowers down his head as if bowing in acquisition.
With that, he steps inside the dark forest and doesn't look back ever again. Tall thick trees blocks the sunlight, forestalling it to intervene the murky surroundings of the forest to such extent that anyone can easily get lost and accidently walk around in circles in the dark maze of the shangri mountains. Taehyung walks straight hoping that he's on the right way. Rough, uneven rocky surface doesn't make the rigorous journey any better. Eyes fixed ahead, neck straight, chin up and forehead glistening with determination, taehyung steps further into the forest without a second thought.
"He lives in a shrine." He repeats the vedic's words under his breathe, eyes desperately seeking the mentioned place. He paces ahead but all he receives are myriad scratches gifted by the thorny bushes as if they were welcoming him. But even if he has to put his own life for the sake of yours, he won't hesitate even a tiny bit.
The pitch black swaying over the place doesn't let him know how much it's been since he's here but the time a flag comes in his sight and eventually he succeeds in sneaking out of the forest, the glow of twilight surrounds the panorama. As glee takes over his nerves, he can't bring himself to bother about his soiled torn clothes, and the blood seeping out from very places from his body. If anything that matters in this moment is you, and only you.
A small triumphant smile floating on his lips, he brisks his steps into the direction of the shrine. Supported on four pillars, a canopy stood metres away from him. In the middle of it, he settles himself on his knees and rests his hand on them. Wearily gasps exhales from his lips. Evening breeze soaks his sweat, granting him a little comfort as he looks around for the one he's supposed to meet here.
Soon, a young lady clad in a black hanfu comes in sight, her face immaculately covered by the sheer long black veil dangling from the edge of her wooden hat. Taehyung notices her treading in his direction and awaits her. Be patient. He draws deep breathes and pacifies himself rememebering the words Vedic uttered to him before leaving the castle.
Flashback -
Taehyung practically storms towards the queen chamber. Watching the queen motionlessly laid on the bed mullifies him a little but the anxiety doesn't go away. The Vedic sitting nearby her morbid frame, rises up noticing the king and bows in reverence.
"How was surgery? When will she wake up?" He heard from Namjoon that surgery met its success which has enlightened a ray of hope in him but the melancholic facial expressions of the veteran vedic once again stirs up his soul with restlessness.
"How was surgery?" He has to raise his voice making the latter flinch back a little. Words stuck in throat, lips stitched together, the reluctance to answer exhibits well on her face yet she hesitantly begins, "The surgery went well."
Taehyung doesn't wait for anymore words and snaps at her, "then why isn't she waking up?" These days were one hell of a roller coaster for him to the point he wished if he could replace you in your unconscious state and lay on that bed for even it takes forever.
With downlided eyes, she tentatively begins, "Wang we've successfully removed the poison but she's can't hear or sense us."
"What are you trying to imply by that?" Taehyung eyes go ten times bigger with shock.
Looking at your unconscious figure, she notifies, "The queen is in coma. If she doesn't wake up soon, we might lose her."
"There must be a way." There's so much desperation and plead evident in his stern voice.
"I'm sorry there isn't." Her voice softens as she apologetically stares down at the ground.
"I'm not going to give up." He furiously spits out.
"The queen has lost her will to live. She can't be cured."
"Nothing is impossible. I'm gonna summon the best of vedics." The anger boils up inside him with his every word. He's determined to bring you back to life at any cost. He's about to dash out of the chamber to order his men to sent for the dexterous vedics from all over the country when she speaks out aloud from behind, "There's one person who can cure queen." Taehyung stops dead in his tracks and turns around with a raised brow.
"Xiao Zhan." She quietly adds.
"I'll sent for him rightaway." With these words, he turns around on his heels but her high-pitched words make him halt his steps,
"That won't work."
Brows creased together, decorating the space between his eyes, he stares her with a puzzled expression. With a slight nod, she gulps and informs, "Xiao Zhan is eminent as the youngest greatest vedic who can cure every possible disease. He's rumoured to live in a shrine in dark forest of Shangri mountains but no one exactly knows about his whereabouts. He is a man of very high self respect. Rather than sending knights, it's better if you seek out for him personally. He doesn't like to meet a lot of people and if you send your men, he may turn down your offer."
"I'll go."
-
Pausing her steps, few metres away from him, in a hoarse accent, she asks out, "Who are you?"
"Kim Taehyung, King of Shan estate." He sincerely answers. Adding his status might have eased his work before but here it seems to deceive him when the lady in black ticks him off rudely with the words, "Leave. Master doesn't meet royals." She turns her back to him and begins to walk away. In next minute, as the gears of his mind begin to churn and he feels the last ray of hope slipping away, taehyung desperately shouts out from behind, "please help me. Right now I'm not a royal but a mere husband who is here to wish for the health of his wife. She's on the deathbed and I don't want to lose her. I love her too much."
The lady stops and looks back at him through the veil as if to visualise the sincerity in his eyes but in further second nonetheless continues on her way ahead. Letting her leave is equal to renouncing the hope that he'll ever get to see or hear you again. As the mere thought of him haunts him terribly, wrings his heart and makes his chest tighten with guilt, in the following second, he cries out his plead,
"Please help me. You are vedics. It's your profession and moral duty to save other's lives without any discrimination. I'm a king and that does not make me any less of a human. In fact firstly I'm a mere human just like you. If you don't agree to help me and my wife dies just like that, it'll be like you are betraying your own profession." His last words seem to trigger something inside the girl as she turns back and stares at him. He can tell she's glaring at him from behind the veil yet he couldn't care less.
"Now shut up and follow me." The words would have angered him for sure only if it were to be another condition but right now he can't bring himself to bother about anything else as he immediately jolts up from the ground and catches up with her.
She ushers him through the maze like serpentine roads of the forest and stops before a small cottage. Encompassed by the dense tall trees from four sides, their abode is well concealed, cut off from connections with the outer world yet as taehyung head inside, he finds several materialistic things they'd require for survival. She removes her hat, entering inside a chamber that's comparatively spacious and bigger than the rest with taehyung trailing behind her. At a certain distance from them, stands a young man draped in a black hanfu, his back towards the newcomers. Xiao Zhan, Taehyung assumes.
"We are having a visitor after so long. Wen Qing, who's this time?" Zhan doesn't feel the need to turn around and greet their guest. Call him full of himself but that's how he's.
The mentioned girl answers, "Master It's king of Sha-
Not letting her finish, he looks at them, turning his head to the side and quickly interrupts, "Wen Qing, you are well aware that we don't treat royals. Escort him out." Taehyung has his fists rolled up but Wen Qing speaks up before, "I know master but his wife drank the poison he was supposed to drink and is now on her deathbed." She informs Zhan his story he shared on their way to the cottage.
"Escort him out Wen Qing." Zhan orders, calmly yet the stern tone of his voice doesn't go unnoticed by the rest two.
Despite his command, she adds, "She's slytherin's queen, Kim YN." In hopes that it'd ignite few rays of sympathy in her master. She has heard a lot of your kind disposition and sweet demeanor from the girls, fetching water from the village wells and among them one was the daughter of priest of the pristine slytherin shrine who got the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and greet you in person. Zhan isn't also unaware of all the whispers and gossips as Wen Qing would inform him about the ongoings of the village at the end of day.
As her words fill his ears, Zhan turns around and takes a notice of the slytherin king whose royal attire looks more like rags at this moment. Apparently, he as gone through a lot just to meet him. The clotted blood on his wounds immaculately evinces his sincerity and resolution.
"Nevermind, royals, they all are same." He laughs a bitter chuckle. After pacifying himself a lot, taehyung eventually loses his temper. His words seem to push him to the edge and the frustration inside him comes bursting out disguised as wrathful words.
"Royals? May I ask what's that? Me and my wife are mere humans just like any other. The fact that I was born in royal family and reside in castle doesn't make me or her any different from the rest. We took birth on the same land and would be buried in the same. Then what's this inequity for?" He huffs out a indignant sigh and looks everywhere except the man before him as if to calm himself. As the air grows thick with tension and gruesome serenity, Zhan penetrates it, stepping closer to him.
"I'm glad to know your thoughts. I met few royals and not even a single one said anything similar like this to me. Those imbeciles offered me luxurious and wealth. I must admit that I'm pretty much impressed." Zhan places her hand on his shoulder with a small smile playing on his lips but that didn't make his wrath go away.
"Leave. I'll meet you soon." Is all he says before removing his hand and folding them at his back.
"Aren't you coming with me?" Taehyung looks at him with widened pupils.
With his smile, Zhan shakes his head and voices out,
"Trust me. You've my words."
________
2038 words
June 24, 21
📍I updated after a quite while guys. Thanks for being patient and bearing with me.
📍How was the chapter?
📍This story is gonna be bit long. I hope you'll stay till the end.
📍We aren't even done with 50% of the story. Stay with me please❤
📍Please leave a lots of comments for me.
📍You guys thought Zhan & Qing to be couple😅
P.s. I started reading a webtoon today. PAINTER OF THE NIGHT. Have you guys read it?