Wish

Cold Snap

"JIMIN!" You scream in panic, struggling to keep him from falling to the ground. Using all of your effort, you manage to cross the short distance to the bed and lay his limp body down. 

"Jimin, please," your voice cracks from desperation as you shake him, "Come on, wake up! I didn't mean to do whatever I did!" 

He's so still you can't tell if he's even breathing. You press your ear to his chest and are relieved to at least hear a heartbeat. 

"Well, well. What's this?" an unimpressed new voice speaks from the doorway. 

The owner of the voice is an older woman, as beautiful as she is frightening in her elegance. Draped in a gown of white satin with shimmering gauzy layers and long strings of crystals, you would take a guess at who she is even without the striking resemblance to Jimin or the braided circlet on her head.

"I've been hearing rumors of my son looking very cozy with some human he's toting around all day. I'll assume that's you," the queen continues. From the gaggle of busybodies peeking in behind her, a noble looking faerie giggles guiltily through a wide, boxy smile before the whole group hurries away, "Now explain what you've done to him."

"I- I don't know. I think I made a wish by mistake. There was a light, and then...," you stumble through your explanation, choked with remorse, "Can you help him? Please, I never meant to hurt him."

The queen floats across the room to you, eerily quiet but for the airy jingle of her crystals. She extends one hand over Jimin's body in a languid plucking motion; the handful of dandelion seeds that started this whole mess appears hovering beneath her fingertips. "And what exactly did you wish for to leave him in such a state?"

"I wished...," you clasp Jimin's hand between your own and brace yourself for a negative reaction, "I wished to stay with him."

The color of the flames in the lamps suddenly changes from gentle blue to harsh, unforgiving white. With a condescending chuckle the queen reprimands, "Do you imagine yourself a faerie princess? As if he would have you. As if I would allow such a thing! Wishes or not, no amount of magic can change my will, it's no wonder he's spent." She collects the floating seeds and sighs, "Impulsive boy. It will serve you right to wait for these to bloom now." 

"What do you mean?" 

She blinks at you like she's surprised you're still there, "That is none of your concern. Now leave before I throw you to the spriggans for your reckless insolence." 

"It is so my concern!" you muster your courage to defend yourself, "I can't just leave him like this. I can't leave him without even saying goodbye."

"My dear, I've no doubt that he charmed you, it's his nature. But don't mistake charisma for attachment."

"I'm not mistaking anything. He'll tell you himself when he wakes up."

"Oh?" the queen looks down her nose at you with amusement, "What's your name, child?"

You raise your chin defiantly, wise to her trick, "Jimin calls me Dandelion."

Her smug smile falters only for a moment, "Does he now. How fitting. An invasive weed," her fingers twitch around the handful of seeds. "Very well. If you wish to stay we'll make a place for you."

Clearly done with you, the queen turns and leaves the room. The moment she does, two guards clad in dark leather armor enter from where they'd been waiting on either side of the door. You recognize one as the rabbit guard from the front gate; he offers an apologetic nod as he picks up Jimin and carries him out of the room. The second guard is far less polite as he grabs you roughly by the arm to escort you out and in the opposite direction. 

"Wait! What's going to happen to him? He's going to wake up right?" You call out.

The rabbit guard stops and exchanges an uncertain glance with his gruff partner before answering, "Her Majesty will have to use her own power to feed the Contract seeds until they bloom. It will take time… could be days... years if it's bad enough, but he should wake up."

"Years?! That’s insane!" Your thoughts race with what little you know. Grasping at an idea, you shout as your captor drags you away, "Tell the queen I can help! Tell her I want to make a bargain!"

The night drags as you drift in and out of fitful sleep, plagued by images of Jimin's lifeless looking form and your home from what feels like a lifetime ago. The earthy cell you’ve been placed in has a single narrow window that doesn't help much in determining the time of day. You spend some time shouting your demands for the queen, unsure if anyone is there to hear. At some point a nervous looking young girl passes a cup of lukewarm porridge through the bars and hurries away.

Several days pass in this fashion leaving you dazed, hoarse and dirty by the time a guard arrives to open your cell and commands,  "Alright human. Her Majesty will see you. Time to get presentable."

He escorts you to a room where two lady's maids wash and dress you in a simple, pale grey dress that is still somehow finer than anything you own. The entire ordeal is awkward between their thinly veiled distrust of you and your unfamiliarity with being treated in such a fashion. In the end, at least you feel fresh as you're taken to the throne room for your next face off.

The queen looks drained in a way you wouldn't have thought possible of her. With a pallid complexion and bent posture, she sits upon her throne with her head resting in her hand.

"Only because the situation is more dire than I imagined am I entertaining your company, weed," she glowers at you. "What is it you think you have to bargain with?"

"Your Majesty, am I correct in understanding that if my seeds bloom, it can help Jimin?"

"That is the point of the Contract, of course. Magic expended in granting a wish is returned in double by the bloom."

"Then if my wish is granted, will they bloom?"

She narrows her eyes, "Are you suggesting that I allow your ridiculous wish and saddle my son and my kingdom with your continued presence?"

"You wouldn't be saddling him with anything. Once he's awake you'll see," you take a deep breath, holding tight to your belief that Jimin won't betray you, "and if I'm wrong, I'll give you my name and place myself at your mercy."

The queen considers your offer quietly for a short eternity. She stands and descends slowly from the dias.

"Come then."

*****