Pairing: Chan & Felix ft. SKZ
Genre: Fantasy/Royalty AU (MAMA 2020-inspired)
!!TW!! : graphic depiction of violence, mild abuse, threats, manipulation, blackmail, blood, sickness, injury
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Felix slowly came to with a gentle, rhythmic swaying. It took him a moment to recognize the telltale sound of hoofs hitting the road, and his hazy mind concluded that he was on horseback. His eyes fluttered open as confusion started settling in, and his sight blurred by sleep eventually cleared to reveal... a blue-haired soldier, a little to the side, riding a horse of his own.
Panic instantly set in as, all at once, the events of the previous day came back to him, but strong arms on either side of him effectively stopped him from getting away. He realized with a certain lateness that he was currently leaning against the Warlord's chest, and his breath started quickening.
"Chan, he's awake," called out the blue-haired boy, shooting the Fae a wary look.
"I'm aware." The strong voice of the Warlord rumbled, and it was so close it made Felix flinch away. "Don't try anything, Your Highness. We've long since crossed your realm's borders, and we don't have time to waste – it would be unwise to provoke me by attempting to escape."
Only now did Felix notice the cuffs around his wrists. Said wrists had been bandaged at some point, which surprised him, but the extra layer did help prevent any further damage the iron would cause. As it was, it was mostly a means used to keep him feeble and powerless. His chest ached, and he remembered the horrifying ritual they had performed on him. Now that he had a clearer head, he distinctly noticed the difference – they had somehow messed with his magic core, and it scared him more than anything else.
"What- what did you do to me?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. He must have been asleep for a long time if his voice was so hoarse. "What- what do you mean about- about having crossed my realm's borders...? I can't- I can't leave—"
"The magic stone that was embedded in you following the ritual cut your connection to the enchanted forest."
The Warlord's answer was delivered with cold detachment, as if he hadn't just told the young Fae that his entire life had just been ruined for their own gain. Without his unique connection to the forest, most of his powers were gone, meaning he could no longer be eligible for the throne.
Most importantly, however, without a Fae of royal bloodline to bear the crown, the enchanted forest would wither. Their only hope, now, was for the Queen to have survived, and for her to birth a son or a daughter to take her place once she was gone – if not, their entire kingdom was doomed.
Felix bit his lip, closing his eyes, but it wasn't enough to ward off the tears. They rolled down his cheeks, and wildflowers of uncharacteristic shades sprout up whenever a tear made contact with the dirt road below. Only the blue-haired boy and the long-haired man behind them noticed, and they exchanged a slightly amazed look. Even without his connection to the enchanted forest, the Fae's magic was still powerful enough to resonate with nature itself.
"You are absolute monsters," he hissed under his breath, though his words were heard as clear as day.
Chan didn't reply anything, either because he didn't care for his accusations, either because he agreed – one way or the other, his hold around the Fae Prince merely tightened and, with a sharp whistle, he made the horse quicken its pace.
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"Err, Chan? Maybe taking a break wouldn't be too bad."
"We don't have the time—"
"The poor boy looks like he's about to either throw up or pass out."
There was a pause, but Felix was a little too out of it to notice, struggling to focus on not doing either of the things mentioned by the blue-haired boy. After all, as amusing as it would be to throw up on the Warlord and be as much of a burden as he could be, Felix still had some pride – he refused to appear even lesser than they already thought of him.
Plus, he needed to stay awake. If he passed out again, who knew what they'd do to him?
It took him a moment to notice that the horses had come to a somewhat abrupt halt. Then, without much ceremony, he felt himself being lifted – and then his feet hit firm ground for the first time in what felt like days. He almost instantly collapsed, a wave of nausea washing over him. All pretenses of keeping up appearances went out the window as he folded in two and started emptying his stomach – his chest burning something fierce, and definitely not aiding his cause.
His throat felt raw and disgusting, and Felix was even more exhausted than before. He managed to crawl away from the mess he had made, but his limbs quickly stopped responding to his commands, and he completely sunk into the soft grass, shivering and not feeling any better.
"What's wrong with him?"
His head was tilted back, and something cold was pressed against his forehead – a hand, if Felix was to guess, but his vision was too blurry to see who's.
"He's burning up."
"You said the ritual would work! He won't be of any use if he dies here!"
"The ritual did work. His magic core merged with the crystal and the connection was cut properly – whatever the reason is for him being sick, it's not because of that."
"What about the cuffs? They're made of iron, right?"
There was another moment of silence. And then, Felix's body was flipped over with startling gentleness, and he found himself looking up at the blue-haired boy. The soldier offered a tentative smile at the Fae, before making quick work of the iron cuffs.
The moment they fell off, it was as if the weight that had been growing on Felix's chest completely vanished in a matter of seconds. He wheezed, inhaling as much air as he could as strength started filling his limbs again, and the cold hand was pressed over his forehead again – this time, Felix managed to identify it as Minho's.
"His fever is coming down," he remarked, apparently surprised. "But I'm against continuing to travel. We should stop for the night so I can monitor his health properly, and start traveling again tomorrow."
"We can't stop," refused Chan, still on his horse. "We don't have time for breaks."
Minho rose back to his feet, glaring a bit. "We do if it means keeping our last chance alive. Going back home empty-handed isn't an option."
There was a bit of a stare-down, before Chan eventually clicked his tongue and gave in with a curt nod. He was obviously unhappy, but his mage had a good argument. Felix could only watch everything unfold with growing confusion. Now that the iron was now longer weakening him, he could focus on the group that had kidnapped him, and he started noticing the little details.
For whatever reason they had kidnapped him, he was obviously their only option.
He could work with that.
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The group promptly got to work on setting up camp. They replaced Felix's bindings with normal rope, obviously not trusting him not to turn on them. Even without the cuffs, however, Felix could no longer command nature as he pleased. The best he could do was make the grass grow and flowers sprout.
What a pitiful excuse of a Fae Prince they've made of me...
Since he couldn't escape the watchful eyes always trained on him, Felix settled for biding his time and evaluate the situation properly. First thing first, he started healing the wounds that had been bothering him ever since he woke up – his burnt wrists and palms, his chest, his swollen cheek, and his crumpled wings.
It took some time but, thankfully, none of them tried to stop him. If anything, most watched him work with something akin to awe.
And then everyone settled down around the fire, and Felix was forced to sit with them, right between Chan and Minho. His hands were still tied, but not so tight that he couldn't feed himself, and finally having something to eat did help settle his upset stomach.
No one said anything. The atmosphere was tense, and Felix didn't dare speak up first. At some point, everyone was done eating, and the mage gave the Fae another check-up – nodding with satisfaction once he noted that the fever had entirely gone down.
"Why did you get sick?" It was the long-haired man who spoke up – the first to dare break the heavy silence. "The cuffs weren't in direct contact with you, so why did the ore sicken you?"
"A prolonged proximity with iron makes us sick. Even without direct contact, we're still greatly weakened by it – it was like plunging my head underwater and not expecting me to drown eventually," Felix bit out, a little miffed still.
Silence ensued again, before the Fae finally gave in to his curiosity.
"Why did you take me?"
At that, all eyes turned to Chan. The Prince also glanced at the Warlord to his right, awaiting his answer. The man stared back evenly for a moment, before sighing.
"A month ago, my brother was almost killed. He was gravely injured, and only your abilities can save him."
Felix glared at that. "And you couldn't just bring him over, instead of burning down my entire kingdom, ripping me away from my home, and dooming my people?"
Chan didn't seem bothered in the least. "He's currently kept in stasis by our other mage. We can't move him."
"Couldn't you just ask like a normal person!? Innocents have died for no reason!" snapped Felix, irate. "And the magical connection you cut went two-way! Without me to take the throne once my grandmother passes, Levanter will wither and the Fae will die! You have doomed an entire kingdom and an entire species for the sake of a single person!!!"
"He's my brother."
"It doesn't justify this mindless slaughter!!!" Felix jumped to his feet, glaring at the Warlord. "I won't do it. Your brother will die, and you will live on eaten away by guilt and regrets – such is the fate awaiting you, Warlord of Miroh!!!"
Finally, Chan's expressionless mask cracked. With a shout, he practically pounced on the young Fae, easily tackling him to the ground. He let out a cry as Chan grabbed one of his wings and closed his fist around him, easily crumpling the delicate appendage.
"I will tear off those pretty little wings piece by fucking piece," he growled, his other hand closed around Felix's neck. "You will return to Miroh with us, you will save my brother. And if you don't, then we'll return to Levanter and make you watch as we burn the entire fucking forest to ashes and finish off the rest of your people. Am I understood?"
All Felix could do was let out a choked sob, closing his eyes as he nodded quickly.
Fae wings were extremely sensitive, and pulling on them the way Chan did was already enough to plunge Felix into another ocean of agony that rivaled the one he had felt when they messed with his magic core. Plus, Fae were good at detecting lies and bluffs – and Chan wasn't lying nor bluffing when he told him what kind of fate awaited his people if he didn't do as told. And, as loath as he was to obey his captor, he couldn't possibly risk the life of his people like that.
If his sacrifice meant protecting Levanter from those monsters, then so be it.
"Good." Chan released him, and the boy promptly curled up on himself, bringing his hands up to heal his wing. "You've been warned. Don't make me hurt you again."
Felix didn't say anything, curling up on himself even more once he was healed, as if making himself smaller would make him disappear entirely. He was cold, and hurting for all sorts of reasons, and grieving the abrupt loss of his normal life – and so he cried, his sobs silent, but the tears scalding his skin.
No one said anything after that, completely ignoring him, and Felix never felt more lonely and humiliated in his life.
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"What's your name?"
"You don't need to know the name of a tool to use it."
Okay, so Felix was fairly bitter. But who could blame him, really?
The blue-haired boy, whom he had learned was called Jisung – he heard Minho calling out to him once – sighed. For some reason, he had been attempting to befriend the Fae and, for the last three days, he was constantly asking questions and telling Felix things about himself – things the Prince really couldn't care less about.
Maybe making a friend wouldn't be the worst idea, considering he was basically doomed to either be killed after having served his purpose, or spend the rest of his eternity in a dingy cell awaiting to be used again. However, there was no forgetting that Jisung, like every other person of this party, had helped in the raiding and destruction of his kingdom. It was one thing to befriend a captor, but befriending someone whose hands were covered with the blood of his people?
Yeah, hard pass.
"You can't hold a grudge forever," huffed Jisung.
"You'd be surprised," retorted Felix, clicking his tongue. "You and yours have already taken everything from me – my life, my home, my family, my magic, my birthright. What right do you have to try and take away my freedom of feeling, too?"
Jisung had at least the decency to look ashamed, but Felix honestly couldn't tell if it was genuine. He figured it was a weird middle – Jisung felt bad, but he would do it all over again without hesitation if it came to it.
Felix scoffed, closing his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at him any longer. "Don't talk to me. If I'm to become a tool, treat me as such."
Jisung didn't try to befriend him again, and Felix hated how lonely that made him feel.
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Chan's castle was large and made of grey stone, as if built out of the mountain itself – truly the opposite of the warm and sunny palace Felix had grown up in.
The moment it came into view, Chan made the horses accelerate the pace. They reached the castle under an hour and, the moment they got inside, the Warlord jumped off and threw Felix over his shoulder, carrying him inside. Felix could understand the urgency, but he certainly didn't appreciate being manhandled and lugged around like a ragdoll. He bit his tongue, however, knowing now truly wasn't the time to provoke his captor.
They eventually entered a bedroom, where the air was crackling with magic. On the bed laid a young man with stark white hair, a sword piercing his chest through and through, and a bubble of purple magic glowing around him. By his side sat another young man, a mage, and he was obviously exhausted – he had been keeping the injured prince in stasis for over a month, now.
Chan practically dropped Felix, impatiently cutting through his bindings before practically shoving him toward the bed.
"Save him," he ordered, voice tight.
The Fae glared, but nodded briskly. Rubbing his sore wrists as he walked up to the bed, he took a moment to evaluate the gravity of the injury. It was practically the same he had healed his grandmother from, except it would be even harder to heal because of the lingering effects of the magical stasis. His healing abilities would be considerably slowed down, and time was of essence.
"Release him," he simply ordered, ready.
The unknown mage shot a tired, uncertain look at Chan, who nodded. The moment the stasis was released, the mage collapsed from over-exhaustion, and Changbin – the one Felix had learned had been behind his initial capture – was quick to pick him up and carry him to another room. The Fae didn't pay them any mind, though, instantly taking over. He first started by trying to numb the area of the injury, gaining a better understanding of the severity of the damages he had to deal with, before readying himself.
"Someone needs to pull the sword out," he announced.
Chan was quick to step up to the task. He grabbed the handle, awaiting Felix's signal, and pulled it out the moment Felix nodded. As soon as the blade was pulled out, even more blood started gushing out, and the Fae got to work.
He didn't know for how long he worked tirelessly on healing the wound. It was even harder than he expected, and the white-haired prince had already lost a lot of blood. At some point, Felix had had to ask for a donor – Jisung had been quick to volunteer – because the blood loss was too severe. It took him a while but, as the sun started setting, progress was finally made. Felix stopped channeling his magic, and the golden glow died down. With a shaky breath, he pulled his hands away from the now blemished flesh. Not even a scar was left.
"Is he—"
A sharp inhale – a wheeze. All eyes instantly snapped to the previously unconscious Prince, whose eyes were now fluttering open as he breathed openly for the first time in weeks.
"C- Chan...?"
"Jeongin!"
Felix didn't bother paying attention to the joyful reunion. He was exhausted, and felt strangely hollow. Although he was happy to have helped save a life, it truly couldn't make up for all of the pain he had had to endure, and for everything his people went through - and would go through.
He slowly rose to his feet, no one really paying him attention as they focused on the white-haired prince. He stumbled back a bit, swaying in place, before eventually collapsing. He didn't hit the floor, though, as someone caught him. His blurred sight registered sharp features and long black hair.
Hyunjin...
The other man who had aided in his initial capture. He was looking down at Felix with something akin to awe but, in his current state, the Fae really couldn't tell. Too exhausted – both physically and mentally – to stay awake, Felix let his eyes close.
With some luck, they wouldn't open again.
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Luck wasn't on Felix's side.
He woke up in a small, circular chamber. There was one door made of iron – meaning Felix couldn't open it – and the single window was blocked by iron bars. One glance outside informed him that he was now situated at the very top of the highest tower of the castle, and he easily realized that escaping truly wasn't an option. Why they hadn't already killed him was beyond him, but the more pragmatic part of him reasoned that they now had one of the greatest healers in the world within their clutches – they'd be stupid to get rid of him.
He was no longer bound, so that was good. He could move around freely in the small room, the bed was comfortable, and he even found a change of clothes in the otherwise empty closet – they were human clothes, though, meaning they were too big and not made to be worn by someone with wings.
It was cold, too. So, so cold. Felix settled for keeping his ripped-up, blood-soaked shirt – the same one he wore when they performed the ritual – and wrapping himself up in one of the thick blankets he found on the bed.
Eventually, the door opened. He didn't even have to look away from the window to know who it was.
"Now what?" he simply asked, letting his forlorn gaze wander amongst the clouds.
"You saved him. I'm grateful."
Felix let out a hollow laugh. "Didn't have much of a choice, did I?"
"You still saved him. As such, I'll keep my word – we will not harm Levanter any further."
"How nice," bit out the Fae Prince. "Not attacking a peaceful kingdom and not slaughtering innocent people – truly, your generosity knows no bound."
"For what it's worth, I am sorry it's come to this. There was no other option."
"Wasn't there?" snapped Felix, finally looking at him. Now that the edge of worry was gone, Chan looked... tired. "I would have been happy to help, Warlord – but you had to go and solve everything with force and violence. I am not the kind of person who needs to be coerced into aiding others – you made me that way." He crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head. "No matter. I've done what you've asked of me. Your brother is alive and safe, and you have no more need of my abilities – can't you just let me return home, now?"
"Why would I give up my greatest spoil of war?" Felix flinched as Chan suddenly crossed the distance separating them, grabbing his chin to make their eyes meet. "No. You will stay here, with me, and you will serve me in any way I see fit." Felix's eyes widened as his hold lessened, and his hand came up to stroke his cheek. "Such a fragile, beautiful creature... Your beauty was as fabled as your powers, Your Highness. How foolish would I be to give up such a precious treasure...?"
"Don't touch me!"
Felix was quick to slap his hand away, recoiling and crawling out of reach. Chan simply watched, visibly entertained.
"You have a strong spirit, Fae Prince." And for the first time since they met, Chan smiled – and it chilled Felix to the bone. "I can't wait to break it."
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Before anyone asks: no, I do not have a third part written. That's pretty much all I had to offer for this AU so unless someone requests a specific scenario to help kick off my inspiration again, I'll be leaving this story as is.
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