Seven | Book 1 (An EXO fiction)

26.

The castle is buzzing with life as the Queen's birthday gets even closer. We have about a week until the festivities officially begin, but with the amount of people and noise that has been filling the castle these past few days, it feels like the party has basically already started. I'm sick of it already.

Banners are hung up along the walls, and streamers dangle from the high ceilings. The floors are all polished and gleam so brightly that I've almost been blinded on like 3 separate occasions. New decorations float around into places that were previously occupied with other things. It feels as though the entire castle is being remodeled, and all I do is watch uselessly. I haven't been asked to do anything, and I'm sure it's because of two reasons. One, I'm unofficially a royal and it would be blasphemous for me to do anything productive. Two, I couldn't help even if I wanted to.

Gaia and Charmers both use magic to make the tasks given to them easier. Humans are put to work doing the physical labor that their magical counterparts don't have the time for. Usually the tasks are ridiculously hard or physically tedious, and I've more often times than not seen Charmers and Gaia standing around when they could have helped the struggling humans, easily. All I see when I walk out of my room is an unequal division of hard labor and nonstop magic.

It was giving me a headache.

Sehun would always stay close to my side (a drastic change from before when he would be either in front to guide, or behind for me to lead him) to make sure that I don't accidently (or purposely) get hurt by any moving objects. We haven't had any more incidents involving petty bullying, but it seemed as though he was serious about making sure it didn't happen again if he was around. Chanyeol would always be right behind us watching attentively and making joking comments at the same time.

It's funny, being around the two of them has turned out to be so easy. With them with me (and Jongin whenever he isn't needed) I feel less like a prisoner and more like a...distant member of an extravagant and icy family.

And as of late even the Queen has made her way even further into my heart. I find myself confiding in her more than before. Telling her funny things that Sehun and Chanyeol had done. Cool things I'd stumbled upon while walking around. I've even explained to her my feelings on the treatment of Charmers. I've been too afraid to bring up the topic of human boys yet. I don't even think that the Charmers like them, so I've decided to wait on that one.

She was painting my fingernails after dinner in her room one night when I spoke out of the blue about my thoughts on the boys who can control the elements. "I don't think that Charmers should be punished so harshly when they make mistakes." She only tilted her head waiting for me to continue. "I don't think it's right for them to be beaten so badly for such minor infractions."

"Um...okay?" she sounded genuinely confused about my concern. "I'm sorry that you feel that way. Does it distress you?"

"Kind of. It...hurts my feelings I guess." I said hesitantly. She only hummed in acknowledgement while painting my index finger a bright red.

"I see."

"I just...I don't know. I see Chanyeol and Sehun in their places and it breaks my heart to think that they could be so hurt after doing one little wrong thing."

"You have a soft heart." She said while moving on to my middle finger with the nail polish. "I understand what you're saying baby, but this is just how things are. Each Charmer's Gaia can treat him as she sees fit, but for you I will try to make sure that none of the Charmers in the castle are punished too bad since you are so sensitive."

"Really?!"

"Yes, but it's only because you are so special to me."

"...Thank you so much."