Cursed Hearts | ATEEZ

011

Darkness had fallen over Martell by the time King Jongho and I made it back from our hike in the mountain, stumbling through the gates to the Palace of Atlas and into the foyer where several white guards and servants were waiting with candlelights, raised weapons, and faces etched with worry.

I furrowed my brows at the sight, turning to the King of the South for any kind of explanation but he didn't offer me any as he bid me goodnight, his gaze lingering on me for a moment too long for it to be considered casual, checking, studying, making sure, before joining Chan and the other guards as they made their way into the palace.

Nor did the servants answer any of my questions as they locked the gates and began to usher me down the halls of polished marble, golden details, and endless mirrors, fussing about me as I sent one last glance over my shoulder to the entrance of the palace, heavily guarded, the wavering lights of oil lamps and candles barely able to keep the shadows and darkness at bay.

Nari and Jinae had appeared as well, taking my hands and leading me back to my room as they questioned me about what the king and I had been doing out so late and, despite not having seen them since the day they had disappeared into thin air right in front of my eyes, the only question I was able to think of was why they had all seemed so scared of the night.

〄

It had taken several unsuccessful tries at convincing the two handmaidens of the King of Autumn to leave me alone for the night to finish up and get ready for bed, Nari seeming especially distracted by my late return.

"His highness was worried when the sun began to set and you still hadn't returned," Jinae explained as the two slipped out of my room, the female lingering in my door for a moment longer as I grabbed for her hand, Nari already making her way down the hallway. "Why-" I began, pausing as I processed the words that had slipped past her lips, "Wait- who? King Wooyoung?"

The handmaiden laughed, her midnight hair and hazel eyes so much like the King of Autumn's, "Who else?" she said, rolling her eyes, the gesture most likely meant for both me and the king. "He even went as far as to send word for King Jongho," she sighed, "Usually the royals don't meddle in each other's business but you-" Jinae trailed off, "As we said, you're someone special. they never act like this.. they shouldn't act like this."

"I- why?" I asked, feeling a wave of annoyance wash over me at the lack of unanswered questions, the riddles the kings and their servants always spoke in, the secrets they tried so hard to hide and yet always hinted at.

"The heart wants dangerous things," Jinae said, a soft look in her eyes as she pulled her hand back, "It sings deadly songs of passion and desire, and those who get swept too far away by it sometimes don't realize their mistakes until it is too late and that fateful part of ourselves, of our soul and very being, stops singing completely," she said, looking almost pained as she bid me goodnight and followed Nari out of sight. They both disappeared in the shadows that clung to the edges of the hallway outside of my room, leaving me all alone in the doorway with a messy mind and the weight of both confusion and fear weighing me down.

〄

I stayed like that for several minutes, watching as the colours of the city below the Palace of Atlas dimmed, and as the veil of darkness and night crawled across the sky outside of the grand windows in the hallway, stars littered across the dark canvas like eyes watching over me.

I took a shaky breath, furrowing my brows as I went over Jinae's words once again, still not completely understanding, though realizing that the handmaiden had definitely hinted at something crucial, something she thought would be necessary for me to know, as if she couldn't tell me outright, or wouldn't. But it simply didn't make sense, I thought to myself, clenching my teeth in frustration.