Hwasun One shots

Classic

They told me it was my destiny to defeat the Dark Queen's and her undead warriors. Me, a frail Princess of just seventeen years-old, with no experience in combat whatsoever. I protested— I did everything I possibly could to fight it— but my parents, under the influence of an Oracle, were adamant that I was the Chosen One. My heart was racing. My blood felt like ice within my veins. No, not ice. Oil. Cold oil, ready to combust at any given moment.

Now here I was, donning a helmet too large for my head and armor that didn't quite fit, and wielding a sword I could barely lift. I was more terrified now than I had ever been in my life. They had sent me to the Dark Queen's fortress, insisting I had fate on my side, as well as the Gods. I believed strongly in the Gods, but this? This was madness.

That was precisely what the Dark Queen said the moment she laid eyes on me. She was gaping at me in a mix of shock and outrage, like she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" she rasped.

In my naïve young mind, I thought this would be enough of a distraction to gain the upper-hand. What a fool I was. I tried to lift the sword— to swing it at her— but it slipped from my hand and I gasped, swiftly attempting to reach for it as it clattered onto the floor. I feared she would use magic to try and stop me, but she didn't. Still, I froze in sheer terror as she approached me, ever so slowly, and I reluctantly lifted my head to meet her conflicted gaze. I sucked in a breath when her hands cupped my face with a shocking tenderness. To my surprise, they were warm, not cold like death. Tears welled in my eyes, as I was certain this would be the end of me.

"It's alright," she told me in a soft, in an almost maternal voice, "I'm not going to hurt you."

I struggled to find my own voice. "W-What?" I breathed, "But, I—"

I fell silent as she pressed a finger to my lips.

"Shhh," she cooed, "They sent you here didn't they?"

Her voice was soft and gentle, yet there was fury lacing her words. I could only nod in response, too petrified to stop her as she pulled my helmet from my head.

"This is unacceptable," she rasped, "This is suicide."

She cast the helmet away in anger and I winced when it crashed onto the floor. I stiffened when I felt her fingers toy with the ends of short black hair.

"Those fools sent a child to eliminate me."

She sighed, carefully unfastening the straps holding my armor on. It, too, clambered upon the stone below. I was defenseless and exposed. She cupped my face once more, and I was unable take my eyes away from hers. This woman was hauntingly-beautiful, tempting and terrifying all at once. Her mere existence was incomprehensible to me, as was her horde of undead warriors. I wanted to stop her from disarming me, but I was frozen in fear. Despite what she had said before, I had no reason to believe she wouldn't hurt me.

Her eyes stared deep into mine as she held my face in her hands. "You never should have come here," she said, "It was terribly cruel of them to send you— to make you fight me, when you clearly aren't prepared."

"But I'm the—"

"Chosen One?" she asked softly, shaking her head, "No. You never could have won. Not like this." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "It isn't your fault. I hold no ill will against you." I was left utterly speechless when she pulled me into a light embrace, cradling the back of my head. "You don't have to go back there," she told me, "Stay with me. You'll be much safer here."

As much as I didn't want to believe her, I did.

"I— I can't," I rasped, "I can't abandon my parents. They're counting on me."