No Castles

"what do you mean I can't go out..." the girl whined when her elder brother stopped her from stepping out of the house.

"You have duties, princess" the elder told her, emphasizing the word 'princess'.

She gave him a stare and walked back into her room, slamming the door in her elder brother's face.

He sigh outside of her room. It's not like he forced her... right?

"ChaeIn... ChaeIn?" He knocked on the door gently.

@@

"Why do I have to do these stuff?" The younger asked while flipping through the papers.

"Well... because of this." The elder brother, Jonghyun showed a paper with neat handwriting.

"She hasn't gone out of the house for a month? What does that got to do with me?"

"You, Taemin, is a... how do you call it... party goer? for your whole life. The least you can do is to do this little paperwork."  Jonghyun shoved more of the papers and files in front of Taemin.

@@

"I'm sorry, forgive me? My dear sister?" ChaeIn read the note which was decorated with marker drawn hearts.

@@

"Why are you late? We've been waiting for you for a whole hour!" ChaeIn's friends were around her, iterrogating where had she gone.

"I had... chores to do." ChaeIn looked for some reason. Well... yes, her friends don't know she's a royalty. She doesn't want her friends to know and treat her with a royal label. Keeping it low was better since she's more comfortable with it.

"Where are we going again...?" ChaeIn asked which caused her friends to look at her weirdly.

"OOoooh... my... I forgot. We're going to celebrate... sorry." She gave a laugh while shoving her friends towards the said place.

@@

"Hurry up!" Jonghyun ordered his brother who was reading the thick pile of contracts.

"Relax... You do know that I've been sitting here for the whole 2 hours with you mumbling stuff?

"There's a deadline,young Taemin. You're supposed to finish this in 1 hour. ChaeIn always does it so quickly, why can't you? And I have to deliver them at 3pm, which is half an hour away. Hurry up and stop talking." Jonghyun knew that his brother wasn't even trying to be quick.

@@

"...The ships are coming in by today. Please send a few people there by 3. That will be all." The young man said while checking the lists of shipments for the day.

"Yes sir." The secretary noted it down, as well as a few other tasks.

 After the secretary left, the young man received a call.

"Hey, you want to go for a drink?"

"No thanks, next time... Busy season. I've got another call waiting, sorry." Minho ended the phone in a rush and answered the next.

"Minho from MK corp..." He was starting his introduction and was cut off by the voice from the other end.

"Minho, when are you coming home?"

"Hello mom, I'm coming home today at 6. Sorry... I forgot to tell you." He felt apologetic of letting his mom worry.

"Ahh... I want to cook your favorite food. You haven't come home for such a long time." Her gentle voice, how long has it been already?

"I missed the food. I'll be eating a lot when I come home." He laughed a bit.

"Then I better start preparing now. We'll be waiting for you."

The mother and son chatted a little more before the call ended.

Don't Go

Don't go.
I couldn't
couldn't let the words out of my mouth

I could only look
and give you my smile
as a goodbye gift

you're going away

it's not going to be long
You said to me

You even teased me
when I started tearing up

I'm not going away forever
you told me
wiping my tears

I don't want you to go
we've been together
for so long
i wanted to say
but i know
i shouldn't be selfish

you'll be back anyway
rite?

Cut Scene: Zher

"You... why you..." The man pointed towards no one in particular as he wobbled.

He was about to trip when he stepped on one of the glass bottles. Someone was there, just in time to catch him, just in time to prevent him from a bloody head injury.

"Oh my... Zher... you've had too much." sighed the young dark-skinned girl. Her eyes full of sadness and pity as she helped the man to a chair.

"Why..." The elder man cried while asking.

The young girl picked up the bottles that were on the floor and placed them neatly on the table. Making sure the man stopped his drinking.

"Come, you should rest already. It's late." She spoke softly to the man that was still in tears.

She led him to his room, took off his coat and tucked him into his bed before leaving.

"Goodnight Zher." She said, hoping that whatever that the man was sad about will be forgotten in the morning.

After that, she cleaned the tables and washed the bottles.

"Why do you have to drown yourself with such liquids..." She murmured.

Horror Not: Fire

Warning: Parental Guidance!!! In fact... not for anyone. Unhealthy Reading here!!!

@@I warned you@@

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

The people outside shouted.

"Someone's still inside!" A lady saw me and screamed at the top of her lungs.

My vision blurred as the grey smoke filled my already exhausted lungs. I knew, it was sooner or later.

I closed my eyes as my body fell onto the hard cement.

"Zher..." I heard my name but I couldn't control my speech to reply that voice. In fact, I couldn't even move my limbs.

"Zher... Please wake up..." I knew that voice.

"Please, wake up Zher..." The voice sobbed.

You're sad huh?

You're sad seeing your son here? Mother? Are you really that full of heart? Wasn't your heart made of diamonds? O... wait, no, you don't even have a heart.

Have you ever shed a tear when you hit me? Have you? For the countless times that you hit me? Until I bled? Until I collapse in front of you?

You don't even know the times when I had to heal my own wounds. You don't even realize the countless times I had to hide my injuries.

The neighbors, the people in school... they all looked at me, and gave me a label. Do you know? I am known as the devil. The one that does all the wrongs. The one that you tried to "save" through punishments.

I'll share a secret with you.

I started that fire. That fire that burned down the house. The fire that brought me here.

Being "punished" by you, as they say. I want out. I want to be free. Yet, even inhaling those smoke... that burned my lungs... couldn't bring me out of this life, away from you.

I am... stuck with you again.

A Story Not Told 2: Red Rose

"Prince Edward, please wait for me." Princess Snow whispered into the wind. Never had she thought that her happy ending was a lie. A lie created by the Queen who once wanted her killed.

"Princess Snow...what happened?" She heard a voice and turned around.

"Red Rose, I need your help."

Red Rose was a warrior. She was the bravest and best swordsman the kingdom could ever have. She was the leader of the kingdom's army. Most importantly, she was also Snow White's best friend.

Princess Snow told her everything that happened that night.

"We need to save my father as well as Prince Edward." Snow White said, determined.

"But... you said, the Queen and Willow... they know witchcraft?" Red Rose asked to make sure, getting a nog as a reply.

"Then we need help. I know of someone in the forest who is capable. But she is... well, she rarely makes contact with humans." Red Rose said,  remembering that one time she met the old lady.

"We'll try our best anyway. We'll start tomorrow morning." Snow White decided as the two prepared themselves for the journey.

They decided to travel only in two, knowing that it is best if no one knew about the incident because a kingdom with a vacant throne would bring more harm than good.

@@

A sigh.

The pair of eyes looked at the moonlight desperately.