Pairing: Hyunjin & Felix
Genre: Fantasy AU
!!TW!! : post-war, violence, racism, attempted murder/poison, injury, blood
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"You're staring again."
"Shut up. I'm not."
Minho rolled his eyes, going back to reading his book. Ignoring him, Hyunjin reported his attention to the gardens below, where a particular halfling was currently tending to the flower beds. It was a little hard to look away – his enhanced sight allowed him to see just how every single freckle on the boy's skin soaked up the sunlight and glowed so prettily.
Okay, so maybe Hyunjin was staring a bit.
Six months had passed since the end of the war. Six months since the Moon Coven beat the Sun Tribe, six months since Hyunjin met his father's "killer", six months since a tentative truce was establish between the two kinds so they could figure out just what the hell was going on, exactly.
Six months since Felix returned to the elven capital with them.
The halfling was... special. There was really no other way to describe him. Beyond his mixed heritage, he had a personality that simply didn't fit any of the Fae stereotype Hyunjin had grown up learning about – the halfling was selfless to a fault, honest to a fault, kind to a fault—
Ironically, Hyunjin couldn't find any flaw in him, and it was both intriguing and irritating.
Coming back home carrying the banner of victory had been a unique experience. All of his people were overjoyed, of course – that is, until word of the mercy he'd shown the Royal Frolic spread. They couldn't outright admit to their tentative truce, not until they had a better idea of what kind of third party they were fighting against, meaning Hyunjin couldn't give his people the answers they wanted.
So, instead, he gave them something hopefully better.
A chance to start over. Hope, for a better future.
("The war is over. Each side suffered greatly, too greatly, and the cost paid by both the Moon Coven and the Sun Tribe is unfathomable. Any more bloodshed would be pointless and merciless, and we are not monsters. We might have won the war but, ultimately, we all lost too much.
It is time for a new era to start, and I am willing to take the first step in the direction of a lasting peace where elves and fairies can cohabit, but I cannot do it on my own. I do not ask you to forgive and forget, but I do ask of you to support me in this endeavor, for it is unity that makes our strength, and I cannot ensure our two species' future on my own.
Everyone is hurt. Everyone is tired. We are no strangers to sacrifices, so I will ask one last thing from all of you: please, try your best to move on. Do not indulge in a hate that was pointlessly bred for generations, do not taint our future with mistakes of the past. Move on, and allow our two kingdoms to grow anew.")
And, surprisingly enough, it worked – for the most part.
Everyone was hurt. Everyone was tired. No one wanted to give up, but moving on felt feasible, at the very least.
Unfortunately, just because his people accepted his resolution didn't mean all of them were happy with welcoming fairies within their city. While Jisung and Felix weren't allowed to leave the palace, they definitely had a hard time adapting to the new environment and the people there.
The architectural layout was different, for one. The hallways weren't spacious enough for Jisung to fly anywhere, nor were there any entrances adapted for people to fly through, so he had to walk – and damn, did he complain a lot. The clothes were also different, so Hyunjin had to ask a seamstress to look into making special designs for Jisung's wings.
The food, the culture, the people – everything was unlike anything Felix and Jisung had ever known but, on the social aspect of things, Felix definitely had it worse. His status as a halfling didn't take too long to spread and, even under the protection of the Elf King, he was treated like an absolute abomination.
And yet, despite the treatment, Felix still managed to keep a smile on his face. It often made Hyunjin wonder if his life back with the Sun Tribe was any better.
A mix of both worlds, yet a part of none. Even as an honorific member of the Royal Frolic, Felix surely wasn't accepted by all, because people simply had a difficult time accepting what was different – Hyunjin figured elves and fairies were alike, in that aspect.
"You're staring again. Why don't you just go down there and keep him company? As you are now, you're being more distracting than helpful."
Hyunjin shot a half-glare at his friend. It's not like Minho was any better, really. The sorcerer was always bickering with Jisung, the two of them spending more time together than Hyunjin thought possible, having grown attached at the hip. His advisor might constantly be teasing him about his interest in Felix, but Minho was no better off.
"Fine. I'll do exactly that."
Minho rolled his eyes again and, a tad annoyed, Hyunjin left the library and started making his way to the gardens. His determination however wavered when he finally got there, his pace growing slower the closer he got to the halfling. Just as he was about to turn tail and run back inside, however, Felix looked up from his flowers.
He beamed, and Hyunjin felt like he was melting in the best possible way.
"Your Highness! Come to keep me company?"
His relationship with Felix was... amicable. They weren't exactly as close as Minho and Jisung, Hyunjin trying his hardest to keep a respectable distance between them – after all, reading between the lines of his deal with the Crowned Fae Prince, Felix was still very much a hostage and, should anything happen, it would be Hyunjin's duty and responsibility to strike Felix down.
(Though, a little nagging voice in the back of his head told him he was already too far gone to actually go through with that.)
"Something like that," he relented, allowing a small smile to grace his lips. "I see you've taken an interest in the Stellar Lilacs."
"Is that what they're called? I couldn't find anything on them in the library..."
Hyunjin flushed just a bit at that – the reason why there weren't any books on flowers and botany in the library was because he'd moved them to his room many years ago, and he'd never bothered returning them.
"I might have some books of interest around," he suggested, averting his eyes – Felix's sparkly freckles were too pretty, he couldn't bear looking at them any longer. "I'll have them brought to your room before this evening, should you be interested."
"Oh, yes! I'd love to see them! Thank you!"
Felix beamed and, unable to stop himself, Hyunjin smiled back. Even brighter than the Sun Goddess's kisses sparkling on his cheeks was his smile, and Hyunjin belatedly realized that it was far too late for him not to grow attached.
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Hyunjin didn't only have botany books delivered to the room Felix and Jisung shared. There was something about the way the halfling's face lightened up every time something made him happy, as he wore his emotions on a sleeve... The Elf King couldn't help but wish to make him smile more often.
As such, he began having flowers delivered to their room every morning.
In order to preserve his image, he had a trusted servant handle the precious gifts, but Hyunjin spent hours in his private gardens collecting the most beautiful flowers, careful with their roots so Felix would be able to transplant them in his own garden. And, from what he'd heard, the halfling spent almost all of his time there, now, all-too-happy to care for the precious flowers.
However, Hyunjin was growing restless. He wished nothing more than for the opportunity to be more open with his blooming affections for Felix and, though painfully aware that such a relationship would be inappropriate and frowned upon, reigning in his heart proved to be painful and impossible.
As such, a few weeks after he first had the first flowers delivered to Felix, he decided to bring the gift himself. He didn't doubt Felix already knew he was behind them anyway, and he simply wished to see the halfling's genuine smile for himself, now. Plus, because of how busy he'd been in the past few days, he hadn't seen Felix at all.
When he knocked at the door, it was Jisung who opened.
"What is taking you so long!? Where is—" The Fae sorcerer cut himself short, his eyes widening a bit. "Your Highness!"
"What's wrong?" frowned Hyunjin.
At that, tears suddenly filled Jisung's eyes. "It's Felix! Please, Your Highness – he's really sick!"
Not expecting such news, Hyunjin dropped the flowerpot he'd been carrying and rushed inside the room, immediately spotting the halfling laid on the bed further in. His complexion had gained a sickly, greenish tint, and his breathing was shallow. Hyunjin carefully wiped some sweat beading on the boy's forehead, his frown deepening as he felt the heat radiating from his forehead.
"For how long has he been like this?"
"Two days," gulped Jisung. "He has yet to wake up, and my magic isn't meant to heal... I've tried to ask the servants around for help, but all they did was tell me we couldn't leave the room and risk infecting you and anyone else... They- they refuse to bring a healer, or even basic medicine—"
Hyunjin shook his head as he gritted his teeth, grabbing Felix's wrist so he could check his pulse. It was too slow for comfort but, as Hyunjin laid his hand down, he noticed the wound at the tip of Felix's thumb – a meager cut, but the skin surrounding it was blackened and rotting away, the veins taking a darker green shade as they went down his arm, their unhealthy color standing out against his pale skin.
"How did he get injured?"
"He said- he said he cut himself on a thorn, while tending to the garden..."
Poison, realized Hyunjin with dawning horror. He's been poisoned.
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"He'll be fine. I've managed to extricate most of the toxin, and his body will naturally get rid of the lingering effects."
It was pure luck Minho had returned from his affairs to the frontier today, because Hyunjin wouldn't have trusted anyone else to look after Felix. However, it also carried worrying implications – whoever had aimed to harm Felix had waited for the opportunity when their best healer would be away, and when Hyunjin would normally be too busy to notice until it was too late.
They'd found the flower responsible for the poison still in the garden. Jisung claimed it had been given to them two days ago, but it wasn't the flower Hyunjin had sent that day – the one he'd personally collected from his garden was nowhere to be found, having been replaced by this highly venomous flower with the clear intent to harm the halfling.
This was worrying. Hyunjin had sworn Felix would be safe and that he would take full responsibility should any harm befall him, but there was no way to find the culprit. Plus, in a sense, everyone in the castle was guilty – the culprit for poisoning Felix in the first place, and everyone else for refusing him any sort of aid.
Hyunjin was worried – and, most importantly, he was angry.
It was time to remind his subjects exactly who their King was.
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("Word has begun to spread, Your Highness. Because of the harsh punishment dealt to the servants directly implicated in the affair, people are beginning to accuse Felix of having bewitched you. If we cannot find a way for him to earn their trust, then they will keep on pressuring you to get rid of him."
"While Faeries are creatures of words and promises, Elves are people of actions and trust. You needn't worry, Minho – I have a plan.")
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"I have a bad feeling about all of this, Lix."
"It's not like we have a choice, Sung."
Jisung sighed heavily as he finished inserting the last hairpin in Felix's hair. The two of them had been formally invited to an important banquet – a ceremony held in honor of the Moon Goddess, which apparently occurred every year. The castle opened its gates for the people, and everyone was invited to the celebrations. The Elf King officially inviting his two Fae guests was an obvious political ploy, one meant to display his trust in them – and also an indirect apology for the troubles that had befallen Felix a few weeks earlier. They both knew there was a scheme in the works, but they simply hoped it wouldn't turn against them.
With a smile, Felix squeezed Jisung's hand.
"We'll be fine," he assured quietly. "His Highness won't let anything happen to us."
"You don't know that, Lix. Have you forgotten that he's taken you hostage? Don't let yourself get fooled by a pretty face. Just because you're half-Fae doesn't mean you're immune to our curse—"
"Says the one who's found love in the Elf King's right-hand-man?"
Jisung flushed a deep red at that, unable to deny his friend's words. He and Minho had grown extremely close, even intimate, and he hadn't hidden any of the details from Felix – but one thing Minho wasn't aware of was that Fae could only love once and, once their heart was given to another, it was impossible to take it back.
Felix simply prayed Minho wouldn't foolishly break Jisung's heart, now that he had it.
And a part of him prayed Hyunjin would show him the same clemency.
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To say Felix and Jisung felt out of place would be a terrible understatement. They greatly stood out and, though none of the other guests were bold enough to confront them and cause trouble, they all blatantly avoided the pair and glared from the sidelines. It was a celebration for the Goddess of their people, after all – Fae had no right to be there.
The two mostly tried to keep out of everyone's way, knowing they wouldn't be able to excuse themselves for a while longer, and simply enjoying the local food. Unfortunately, when came the time for the King's speech, they had no choice but to step forward and come to stand by his side, as they were technically political guests.
Felix loved Hyunjin's voice. It was soft, yet powerful, possessed with a depth of emotions the King somehow wasn't afraid to show. Felix knew Elves to be people of poems and songs, and he often wondered how wonderful it would be to hear Hyunjin sing or recite a poem of his making. But did a King even have time for such trivial matters?
He has times to collect flowers and gift them to you every day, mused a voice in the back of his head. Why wouldn't he have time to write poems?
As he tried to ignore the voice, not wishing to fall even more prey to his unrequited feelings, Felix focused on Hyunjin's expression, instead – wrong move, because the Elf King was even more beautiful than his voice. He knew beauty was yet another renowned trait of the elven people, but he'd never seen any as ethereal as Hyunjin.
It truly made him doubt his own worth. How could a halfling like him even compare? How could he even pretend to holding affections for the man when they were so different? Hyunjin, powerful and beautiful and eloquent - and Felix, a dirty halfling who didn't belong anywhere. He knew Hyunjin to be kind, but Felix tried his hardest not to mistake that kindness with the King returning his feelings. How heartbreaking it would be—
An explosion abruptly shook the castle to its very foundations.
Ripped out of his unruly thoughts, Felix could only gawk as panic immediately seized the entire room, people running left and right as more explosions echoed just beyond the doors – and then said doors were blasted off their hinges, dozens of intruders cladded in black rushing in with barbarous weapons drawn.
Screams and shouts soon overtook the ball room, all festive spirit vanishing in an instant – and Felix could only feel his horror grow as, out of nowhere, an arrow buried itself in Hyunjin's chest. With a cry, Felix ignored Jisung's attempts at stopping him and rushed up the stairs leading to the throne, where Hyunjin had promptly collapsed.
Minho and the other guards were too busy fighting off the intruders, they wouldn't be able to help him – but Felix could. For a brief moment, he was taken aback by the sight of Hyunjin's paling face and the blood soaking his robes, Felix's frazzled mind flashing back to centuries before, when the previous Elf King had died in his arms.
But not this time. This time, Felix was stronger.
Ignoring the commotion below, uncaring of any other danger, Felix focused all of his energy into healing Hyunjin's grave wound. The arrow had grazed the heart, dealing much damage, but Felix was determined and refused to let him die.
Never again. Never again, never again, never again—!
"Felix...!" Hyunjin suddenly regained consciousness, weak, but alive, and he tightly gripped one of Felix's hands. "Please, my people...!"
"Let me help you first."
Hyunjin regaining consciousness was a good sign. After a few more minutes that felt like decades, Felix finally managed to mend the last of his injury, therefore stabilizing the Elf King. He'd lost a lot of blood, however, but Felix was fairly certain he would make it out. Intense relief washed through him, and he then reported his attention to the ongoing battle below.
There were too many intruders left, outnumbering the elven soldiers present. Numerous guests were injured, and the only exit was blocked. He could see Jisung and Minho fighting back-to-back below, but they were too busy to secure a path for the civilians present – Felix, however, wasn't.
But he couldn't leave Hyunjin alone—
Without warning, Hyunjin gripped the back of his head and pulled him down, pressing their lips together in a searing kiss. Intense energy instantly rushed through Felix's entire body, his very soul set aflame as Hyunjin murmured an oath of love against his lips.
A promise. A deal.
Though only a halfling, Felix could feel the most ancient Fae magic take root, binding Hyunjin and him together. With a gasp, he pulled away, his eyes wide.
"Your Highness—"
"Go," urged Hyunjin, pleadingly. "Please, help them...!"
Still shaken by what had just occurred, Felix then realized something important – though the moment for a confession hadn't exactly been ideal, Hyunjin had used the opportunity to grant Felix a magical boost, so to speak. After all, the Fae's curse of love was also a blessing in disguise: they could love only once but, if that love was returned, then their power would grow tenfold.
They were going to have a lot to talk about, after all of this.
Determined to help, and much stronger now thanks to Hyunjin, Felix pressed a brief kiss to the King's forehead before carefully laying him down and rising back to his feet. He glanced around the room for a moment, but there was no opening to be found – fine, he was just going to make it himself.
Gritting his teeth, Felix slammed his hands against the floor and propelled his magic, seeking out the roots hidden deep beneath the castle. In a matter of seconds, thick roots and thorny vines sprung out from between the flagstones, almost animated by a will of their own as they grew and grew, eventually creating an actual maze.
Closing his eyes, Felix focused on the auras now trapped in his living maze. He differentiated foes and friends, using his vines to disarm the intruders and trap them in the thorns. At the same time, he began building safe passages for the civilians to evacuate through, making flowers bloom in order to show them the way.
In a matter of seconds, the entire battle was completely flipped onto its head. The intruders were taken down, and the elven soldiers quickly used this unexpected opportunity to take back control. It's only once certain that there were no remaining enemies that Felix finally released his hold on his magic.
Cold settled in his bones as all strength left his body at once. Though he'd grown stronger, exerting so much magic at once was extremely dangerous, and he could feel a tell-tale paralysis taking over – a last resort for one's body to protect themself. With a sharp gasp, he collapsed, darkness edging in his vision. Someone caught him before he could hit his head on the stairs, and he felt as if he was floating. Through blurry eyes, Felix barely managed to make out a crown atop silky black strands before he passed out entirely.
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Three days later
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"You're saying this was all planned!?"
"No," cut sharply Minho, glaring at a spot on the floor. "The plan was for a fake assassin to lightly injure the King so Felix would be given the opportunity to save him in front of the entire kingdom – a full-out invasion and my King almost dying was absolutely not a part of this scheme."
Felix had only woken up a few hours earlier, suffering from an intense case of magic depletion. He'd regained consciousness in Hyunjin's bed, with the Elf King deep in thoughts right next to him. He'd been given food, water, and medicine, and then Minho and Jisung had joined them to discuss the incident.
"Then what happened?" Felix asked softly, lacing his fingers with Hyunjin's. "Who were these people?"
"They tried to pass off as Fae, but their wings were fake," answered Jisung, clicking his tongue. "We don't know what they are. They look mostly like Elves, but their ears are small and round, and they're bigger too. Whatever they are..."
"Whatever they are, they're the ones behind the war between the Moon Coven and the Sun Tribe," completed Hyunjin with a sigh. "We're still interrogating the few that are still alive but, from what we've gathered so far, their kind has infiltrated the Moon Coven and the Sun Tribe centuries ago to instill disarray and conflict."
"They were counting on us destroying each other. They expected that the victor would simply wipe out the loser, and then they would be too greatly weakened to withstand another wave of conflict with a hidden enemy," summarized Minho, visibly pissed. "They're the reason why our histories do not correlate, why this war had been going on for so long."
"But their plan didn't work, after all. Because Hyunjin allowed the Fae to keep on living," understood Felix, his hold on Hyunjin's hand tightening a bit. "So they were planning on using this new opportunity to frame us for the Elf King's murder and start the conflicts anew?"
"Seems like it. However, now that we're aware of their existence, things are going to be different," assured Hyunjin, offering him a smile. "I've already sent Jeongin to the Fae Palace to directly deliver the news, along with an official peace treaty between our two kinds."
"A- a peace treaty?" repeated Felix, startled. "You've had the time to draft a complete peace treaty in barely three days?"
"His Highness has been working on this treaty for months," replied Minho, smirking a bit. "He's been trying to win the council's support for a while, now, but they've only given in once the incident occurred. Apparently, the notion of an unknown threat is much more intimidating than some little Faeries."
Rolling his eyes, Jisung jabbed his shoulder. "This little Faery saved your ass during the invasion, mind you."
"You say that as if I hadn't saved yours—"
"Minho, Jisung," cut Hyunjin. "There is another matter I wish to discuss with Felix. If you would be so kind as to give us some privacy for this...?"
Both sorcerers shot the pair knowing looks, Jisung even wiggling his brows at Felix as his not-so-secret lover dragged him out of the room. Soon enough, they were gone and the door was closed behind them, and Felix lowered his gaze to Hyunjin's hand, which he was still holding.
"... why?" he finally dared to ask, nervously fiddling with the Elf's fingers.
"Why what?"
"You swore yourself to me," whispered the halfling. "Why- why would you do that?"
"Because I love you, Felix."
"I'm just a halfling—"
"You could be a full-blooded troll and I would still love you," assured firmly Hyunjin, cradling Felix's face with his free hand so the boy would meet his eyes and understand how genuine he was. "My feelings for you are as true as they can be. There is no explanation, no excuse. I do not care for your blood or your origins."
"How could you not? Your people will turn against you—"
"They won't. Word of your courage and your involvement in not only saving me, but also turning the tide of the battle, has already spread. If we give it more time, I have no doubt they will come to adore you as much as I do."
A few tears spilled from Felix's eyes as he leaned in Hyunjin's touch. Though happier than he ever dreamed to be, there was no helping the worry gnawing at his guts, the doubts aching in his mind.
"Why me?"
Hyunjin smiled, leaning in to kiss the tip of his nose. "Because you're kind. Because you're loving, and caring, and so full of compassion. Because you cry for others more than you do for yourself, because your laugh can brighten any room and your smile can chase away the darkest clouds. Because you are beautiful, inside and out, and I wish for nothing more than the chance to bask in your warmth and light for the eternity to come."
Felix spilled a tear for every word, and Hyunjin kissed every single one away, until he stopped talking and pressed his lips directly against Felix's. The halfling's remaining doubts vanished as he gave in, kissing the Elf back with abandon. When they eventually pulled away, Hyunjin leaned his forehead against Felix's.
"I love you," he repeated, smiling serenely. "And I do not care for the obstacles that'll stand in our way – I know we can overcome every single one of them."
"What about- what about this new threat? What if they try to use our feelings to cause unrest or dissidence amongst our people?"
"Well... I daresay there's no better way to seal a peace treaty than with a marriage," shrugged Hyunjin, a tad cheekily.
Felix instantly blushed a deep red, but the glow now emanating from his divine markings betrayed his happiness at the suggestion. Laughing a bit, Hyunjin simply kissed him again.
Elves and Fae were going to write history all over again – together, this time.
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It might feel a bit rushed and it probably was, but these stories aren't meant to be too long in the first place xD Also, the "unknown threat" is actually Humans. I couldn't outright say it in the story, but it's them.
Hope you enjoyed this short AU!