Under the Water | VMIN

002

Yellowish light peaked over the hills in the east as the night turned into dawn. Taehyung drew the heavy curtains away from the window in his room and watched how the first sunrays greeted the earth and assured its inhabitants of yet another day without endless darkness. The sudden movement of the curtain had startled a crow and he flew from the window frame towards a branch, which shook off brown leaves when he'd landed on it. Everywhere on the window was slight condensation and Taehyung used his finger to draw a face before wiping everything clear with his sleeve. When he could see clearly through the window, he saw a gardener sweeping brown leaves from the pavement in front of the castle.

From his room, Taehyung's had a perfect overview of the labyrinth which surrounded his home. The castle was positioned right inside the core and only a few people knew how to get to the center. The labyrinth served as multiple functions: one, to prevent unwanted guests from knocking on the castle's door, but also to make sure no one was able to leave if the King desired them to stay. However, most of all, it served to radiate authority. The King of the south was the most powerful man of the entire country. He had the most skilled army and his kingdom was bigger than all his brother's kingdoms combined. His land held the most raw materials and whenever the King appeared, he literally sparkled because of the most beautiful jewelry which decorated his clothes and body.

However, Taehyung once heard a folktale when he was walking home from school. The women and man in the village were talking about someone who was even more beautiful than the King, someone who was even more beautiful than the Queen had been. Sadly Taehyung had never heard the full length of the story, because every time he would approach the men and women, they would quickly shut their mouths and turn their backs to the prince. Taehyung had done a few attempts of getting something out of his teachers but in vain. He had even pleaded his classmates from the surrounding villages if they could ask their parents about the story for him, but even they would shake their heads when he came to them afterwards.

Taehyung averted his gaze and unbuttoned his silk pajamas. He tossed them on his green bedsheets and took the pile of perfectly folded clothes from the stool next to his bed. Every night a maiden would make sure that his school uniform was washed and perfectly ironed. He dressed up and grabbed the school emblem on his desk and walked towards the mirror. Taehyung eyed himself in the mirror and held a hand through his hair. He then threw the jacket on and pinned the polished emblem on his left chest. The patted shoulders made the boy look broader, almost like a man.

And a man he would almost become. It was the end of November and soon he would turn eighteen. In the new year the training for his coronation would begin, even though it would be many years later when the crown would be passed down to him.  A time when Taehyung had fought warsfor his father and had proven himself worthy. However Taehyung wondered if it was possible for him to ever be worthy enough for his father to acknowledge him. Eventually he had to right? Taehyung had seven older sisters, but he was the King's only son. He had been told his mother had passed away whilst giving birth to him and his oldest sister had taken that role. In the meantime, she had gotten married with the Prince from the West and if Taehyung wouldn't be fit for King, his fatherwould appoint his son-in-law to become king. Taehyung was happy that the time of his training would soon arrive, because not only did he dislike his brother-in-law, he also had no clue of what he wanted to become. This training would finally give him a purpose, a goal to be working to.

Lastly, Taehyung put in his green earrings, packed his bag and closed the heavy oak door behind him. He went downstairs and was greeted by a warm and sweet smell of pastries and bread that had found a way through the cracks in the kitchen. He walked towards the source of this heavenly smell and grabbed an apple from the counter when he arrived and took a bite. With a friendly nod he greeted the chefs. A few of them greeted the young prince back and wished him a good day whilst they were finishing up to leave the castle after a long night of hard work. Their hours began in the early morning so they could work with fresh ingredients - a tradition that continued after the Queen's death, because she had liked her food this way.

An old maiden came up to Taehyung and offered him a basket of bound containers filled with food. He took it from her and opened the top layer. The smell of freshly steamed buns filled his nostrils as he inhaled the scent.

"It smells yummy, thank you." Taehyung said and gave her his signature smile. He kneeled down to be at eye level with the old lady. "Did you also pack Kimbap?"

She nodded and gave him a pat on his head. Then she gestured he should get going if he wanted to be on time for his first class. Taehyung had a habit of wandering around when he walked to school and she knew this. This maiden had been the personal maiden of his mother and she had known her very well. She would never speak about her to him, because obiviously that was forbidden, but every now and then she would say things like how much he reminded her of his mother. Taehyung's oldest sister might be the one who had taken on the role of mother, but this maiden had been the one who had cared for Taehyung. It was like that since the time the maiden took Taehyung in her arms after labor - the maiden would always take care of the youngest prince.

Just like that, Taehyung wrapped a wool scarf around his neck and walked into the daylight of the chilly morning with the basket underneath his arm. He looked up at the sky and whistled together with the birds, as if he could speak with them and left. Taehyung always went without looking back. He'd alwasy done it, ever since the first day of school. Why? Because why would he do that if no one would be looking at him, at nobody would be doing that - right?

But 

what if
someone stares at you
everytime
you look away?