Seven

I munch on a cracker while watching the sun lower further and hide itself behind the large evergreen trees in the garden. The sky darkens and the garden lights begin to flicker on one by one like they’ve done consistently at this time of day for the last few days.

Probably since forever.

Reaching into my box of crackers, I pull out a handful. Somehow I’ve managed to survive off of this single box, and the glasses of water that have been accompanying my meals. The crackers aren’t anything special. Not particularly tasty, not extremely gross. Just, average salty crackers, but they’re still the only thing I’ve been brought that I could even think of eating so far.

It’s probably because I’m still nervous.

About what exactly?

Well a lot of things. Too many things. Everything. I’m definitely not as scared as I was on day one of my arrival, but I’ve found that I’m just as nervous nonetheless. A huge list of questions has been plaguing me day and night; questions that I have no answers to at all.

When will the Queen show up? That’s the biggest one so far. She hasn’t yet and there’s no telling when I’ll be brought (or dragged) from my room to meet her. When will someone come in to force me to shower and clean myself up so that I can actually meet the Queen who seemed so desperate to find a human girl? Should I have cleaned myself up before now? I haven’t changed, or showered, or even attempted to stay clean in the days I’ve been here. If it wasn’t for the musty smell my body and clothes are emitting (thanks to my nervous fucking sweating) and unkempt appearance you’d think I just got here today.

Would I die if I were to try and escape from this window? I’ve considered it. Its huge though and I see no sign of a latch or way to open it. Can I even open this window? I don’t even think this is normal glass. If I threw a chair at it I’m sure it’d hurt me more than it’d hurt the actual window.

I just want to go home.

I have no idea what to expect at this point, and that alone is enough to have me on edge.
They hadn’t prepared me for this. No, that was supposed to be discussed when I came back that night. I was supposed to be at home where they would comfort me and prepare me for this. I was supposed to have time.

Thinking about what was supposed to happen makes the back of my eyes start to sting with the threat of tears.

But I’m not going to cry.

Not here. Not right now.

Unconsciously my hand reaches out to rest on the blue wall in front of me. I miss them.

My hand begins to tingle softly at my palm, and from where my hand touches the paint, a new color starts to spread out like dye in water.

Wine red.

The same as my old room.

I snatch my hand back towards my body and look at my palm with wide eyes. Did I do that? I don’t have any powers; that couldn’t have been me. I hold my wrist with my other hand and watch in awe as every spot in the room that was once that ocean blue changes to the color of the walls of my bedroom in Kris’s house. From the furniture, to the pillows, to the sheets, all shift shades to match the deep red of my old walls.

What the fuck is this?

I shift farther way from the wall and glare at the room as if it’s has physically attempted to hurt me. I know I should be comforted by the color; It’s the exact same after all, But I’m not. It makes it all worse really. It’s like the room itself is actually mocking me.

Sucking up the mix of fear and anger at the newly colored room, and hoping that the wall can undo what was just done, I lean forward and place my hand back where it was and think of the blue it once was. It takes a few seconds, but the tingling returns and the original color spreads out from below my palm just like before. I watch in wonder as it once again changes the walls and everything that had turned red right back into that ocean blue.

How interesting.

I shift away from the wall again in fear of accidently causing it to change. I frown while curling up into myself so that I can stare aimlessly back out at the garden and push away thoughts of the walls that change color.

Going back to my previous task, I pull another cracker out and toss it into my mouth. I let the cracker sit on my tongue until it gets grossly soggy. I cringe when I swallow.

As the spit soaked cracker slides down my throat another idea of escape passes through my mind. If I can’t jump out the window maybe, I could just starve myself. The idea is tempting as hell at this point. If I starve myself to death before anyone gets here, then I won’t have to stay. After that gruesome introduction to life in this palace the first day, I sure as hell know that it isn’t where I want to be. If I stop eating now how long would that take? 3 days? A week? A week until I’m too famished to keep living? I could do that right? I’m sure no one will come and bother me for at least that much longer.

Ah yes. Sounds like a plan.

Suddenly in the corner of the garden, a light appears. Different from the others this one seems to be, and it moves around. It’s brighter and far less grating then the artificial palace lights I’d gotten accustomed to seeing each night. I squint as I try to make out the source of the strange new moving light outside. Is someone playing with a flashlight or something out there? Or is that just an actual physical ball of concentrated light?

The door to my room creaks open, and I find myself frowning even deeper. I’ve been frowning quite a lot recently. I close my eyes shortly in agitation after have been disturbed.
The first time I find something interesting to do, and I’m interrupted. The light outdoors slowly fades out and I mentally groan. Well there goes that moment of fun.

I hope the boy will just drop off my food and leave quickly like he usually does. When I don’t hear the sound of metal touching the table I will myself to turn around. What the hell is he waiting on-

Fuck.

The boy isn’t there. In his place is a woman. She isn’t holding a tray of food, and she doesn’t seem to be very apprehensive with staring me down as I am her. She can’t be any older than 25. Maybe not even older than 20. She’s absolutely beautiful, and I feel even more gross and mediocre that normal in her presence. Dressed in a light silver gown, with hair that’s long, dark brown, and falling down her back in soft waves being held back with a glittering headband, she’s easily the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. Her eyes are rimmed with brown eye makeup, and her lips tinted a soft pink. I bet she’s just as breath taking without her make up as she is without.

There is a sort of light to her, and the numerous trinkets that adorn her body show her importance. Rings on her fingers, bracelets up to her elbows, an anklet that’s a shining gold wrapped around her calf. My eyes roam back to her face and I realize that the white headband holding her hair out of her face is decorated with dragon’s breath stones of various colors.

Dragon’s breath stones. Stones so rare that only royals are known to wear them. Stones so precious that specifically only the Queen wears them.

Then it all clicks. Queen Yongsun.

I jump down from my ledge at the window and throw myself on the ground, tucking my head to my knees all in the same breath. Well in one breath metaphorically. I can’t breathe honestly. Now knowing that I’m in her presence I can’t even get myself to think properly. Being in this room alone with her is all too overwhelming. Why is this happening so suddenly? Why wasn’t I prepped for this?

This isn’t how I thought I’d meet her. I imagined being brought to a room like the one I was picked in, a large room with a big chair and a cold floor. She would sit in her chair and look down at me as I kneeled and showed her my most polite self. I never in my craziest nightmares thought that she’d just walk in on me being sulky by herself. No servants, no warning, no announcements, no nothing. This isn’t the impression I wanted her to have of me. This isn’t the image I wanted to show her.

Oh God, this is the end. This is my end.

I’m going to be cast out, or even worse killed because I was here glaring out of the window and not at her feet the second that she walked in. I mean she did kind of sneak up on me, but that’s not going to matter to anyone when they decide to have my head fucking chopped off. I had to have appeared rude. I was rude, and it was all because I was getting unreasonably angry at the poor boy who just brings me my food. I turned to face her annoyed, and god, that in itself is enough to have me killed.

I fucked up and I haven’t even started.

“Stand up.” She says sternly. Even through the command I can tell that her voice is just as melodious and beautiful as her appearance. I pick myself off the ground making sure to keep my gaze lowered.

You should never look the Queen in the eyes. Under any circumstances outside of her own command.

Well I fucked that one up when she walked in. Sorry, Luhan. How do I apologize to her? Should I just start begging and hope for the best?

I start formulating the apology that I have to give for my life to be spared in my head when she starts to laugh. Not even like…a delicate giggle or a muffled snicker. She starts to full on guffaw. I blink as the sound of her loud laughs accompanied with claps bounce off the walls in the otherwise silent room. She’s laughing so…freely.

“You really are as interesting as they said you were.” She says with a hint of amusement still in her voice. Her heels click as she crosses the room over to me. I tense.

Her hand grasps a lock of my hair, and she takes it between her fingers before letting it go; choosing instead to walk around me. She isn’t supposed to touch me. Is she? She circles me and I don’t even dare breathe in fear of offending her. She walks in a few circles before stopping right in front of me.

She isn’t even supposed to be this close to me I thought. I’m beneath her. Why is she acting this way? Luhan said that she wouldn’t look at me, touch me, or even talk to me unless she had a request. And yet here she is, doing the exact opposite of what he said would happen.

I start to have a minor mental breakdown.

What am I supposed to do? Nothing that Luhan has taught me is going to come in handy. All of that is being thrown out the window as I speak. I’m actually going to be on my own through this. I might as well have just skipped the lessons. I haven’t changed clothes since I got here. I’m still in this dress and I’m sure I smell like a garbage can. I feel gross and the Queen is
going to have me killed for it.

I’m going to die here. Fuck, I’m going to die. She must be planning how to kill me right now. I let out a shallow breath.

“Look at me. Let me see your face.” I follow her command without hesitation. If Luhan and Kris’s words are going to be useless then I might as well just do exactly as she says. Anything that she says goes. Her eyes are brown, bright, and observant. I attempt to keep an unwavering gaze. I can at least do that much.

I can’t believe I didn’t recognize her as soon as she walked in. I’d been so used to seeing her
face around the 3rd ring nearly every day on the e-boards and buildings it should have been ingrained in my mind. I’m a fucking idiot.

She smiles and her eyes shrink into crescents. What did I do? She reaches out and pulls me to her bosom in a hug. Yep. This definitely isn’t what he said would happen. She pulls back letting her hands remain on my shoulders. “What is your name little one?” I blink, surprised.

My name. Oh god don’t tell me I forgot my name again. Please brain. Work. Work dammit. “I um, I’m- my name is June.” I stutter out. Dammit. Nice going. Weirdly enough, her smile only brightens.

“And how old are you?”

“I’m 19 I think. I haven’t kept a very good track on my birthday. Miss. Ma’am. Miss Queen. Your uh, your Highness.” I cast my eyes to the ground and cringe at myself. I need to make a mental note to slap myself later on. I’m really messing this up right now.

“Call me Solar.”

“S-Solar.” I repeat nervously. She grips my hand and pulls me over to my rarely used bed. We both sit down, but she doesn’t give me my hand back.

“Where did you live before?” she asks softly. She strokes the back of my hand slowly, her own is soft and delicate.

“I lived in the 2nd ring.” She nods slowly at the statement.

“And did you belong to anyone in the 2nd ring?”

It’s a relief that we came up with a back story. I don’t know if I would have been able to answer these questions without revealing too much had I come in with no practice. Especially not with my scattered and terrified mind right now. “No ma’am I uh, I lived with a few friends.”

“Do you remember the last time you got your shot?”

“Sorry?”

She only smiles and shakes her head making the jewels on her head twinkle as they hit the light at different angles. “No, no you’re fine. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. The shot given to young girls to prevent pregnancy.” She clarifies. Oh that thing. I got that as soon as I got my first period. A long ass needle was stabbed right into my hipbone by Momma, and she told me that it lasts up to 10 years. They take away the chance of pregnancy by altering your hormones all together. You can’t get pregnant if your uterus refuses to form the lining needed to grow a fetus.

“I think around 6 years ago.”

“Ah well then you’ve got some time before your next one, that’s good.” She observes. She looks down to where she has been rubbing circles on my hand. “We’re having dinner soon, and I’ve been told that you haven’t been eating what I’ve sent up.”

I blanch. “I um I haven’t been hungry ma’am-”

“Solar.” She cuts in.

“Solar.” I repeat. “The food looked and smelled delicious, I just…I couldn’t get myself to eat it.”

She looks up with furrowed brows. Oh no this is it. Did I offend her? “Well I hope you can manage to find an appetite tonight because I’ve prepared a welcome dinner for you.” My eyes widen. A dinner for me? “Go clean yourself up. I’ll chose an outfit for you.” She stands and pulls me up with her. I’m pushed in the direction of the bathroom.

She closes the door for me, and I’m left alone for the moment. “What the fuck.” I whisper to myself. She seems so…so nice. And friendly. She seems like the type of person whom you’d meet and instantly become friends with. Not like the evil Queen who allows all of the shit that happens in the world to happen. There’s no way this is the same person running the world.

I turn my back on the door and take a good look at the bathroom for the first time. It’s stark white and almost blinding. I place my hand on the wall and feel the same warmth I did in the room. I wonder if these walls change as well.


I want it to be sky blue. I want it to resemble the sky.

As soon as I think of the color it begins to spread from my fingers to the rest of the room. The stairs that lead up the gigantic bath tub becomes flecked with the light blue of the walls. The towels on the counters and stacked in a space in the wall change as well. The sink handles, the rug in front of the shower, the closet door, the toilet seat, and even the couch in front of the full length mirror change their colors. How cool.

Oh shit, the Queen is waiting on me.

Once I remember that I have the most powerful person in the world waiting for me in the other room I all by rip my clothes off before running right into the shower. I close the glass door behind me and for good measure pull the blue curtain along the inside so that no one can see me. A small rack with a loofah, soap, shampoo, and conditioner hangs next to a wooden bench.

I turn the water on and grab the soap bottle. Summer Mist. I pop open the bottle and sniff it.
“Whoa…” I murmur to myself. It smells amazing. I wet the loofah and dispense the soap on it so that I can quickly wash my body. As quick as I can, I wash my hair as well. I turn off the water and open the door. I reach for a towel hanging next to the shower door and wrap my body in it.

I grab another and rub it harshly against my hair to dry it off. Searching through a few drawers I find a bunch of headbands, and settle for a grey one to pull my hair back. I twist my hair into a braid to save myself from having to eat dinner with the Queen with drying messy hair.

It’s still wet, but at least it doesn’t look as messy. Walking out of the bathroom in my towel, I’m surprised to see the Queen still sitting on my bed waiting. She stands up upon my entry. I hesitantly walk over to find that she’s picked out my outfit. Underwear, bra, and all.

Creepy.

I stand in my blue towel and stare at the clothes and then back to her. “Go ahead.” She says encouragingly. Isn’t she going to leave?

“Um…” she motions towards my towel, and I feel 5 thousand times more uncomfortable. Okay, this is weird, but it isn’t that big of a deal I suppose. Blocking out the fact that she is just staring at me, I drop the towel and let it pool at my feet. Stepping into the panties and bra I’m stunned at how well they fit.

I shouldn’t be. I’m sure it wasn’t that hard for someone to figure out my size. This is the castle, and there’s no telling what happened while I was asleep and carried here. Her eyes never shift away, she only watches with a small smile.

With a heated face I dress myself and slip my feet into the slippers given to me. She smiles wider and brushes her hand along the crown of my head before leaning in and placing a soft kiss on my forehead.

It’s softer and more intimate than I’d like it to be, but she’s the Queen. I can’t exactly stop her. I opt to subtly scrunch my face up in discomfort while her lips linger on the skin of my forehead. She finally detaches, takes my hand back in her own, and leads me towards the door out of my room.

Never letting go of my hand she practically drags me out and down a set of stairs. She moves so fast for someone in heels that I can’t even take in the grandeur of the castle.
Paintings along the walls and cream carpet along the floor is all that I’m able to distinctly point out.

The closer we get to the dining room and away from my room, the stupider feel. This outfit is absolutely ridiculous. I hope this isn’t the only type of clothing in that bedroom closet or else I’m going to be in trouble. I wonder if I can request new ones. The sound of talking gets closer, and my stomach drops.

Gaia.

We enter the room and I see a long table stuffed with food of all kinds. There are only around 20 women at the table, and I know that there is no way they are going to eat all of this in one sitting. It’s enough to feed a small army. All of the women are beautiful and dressed in clothes that are surprisingly casual. Shirts, dresses, skirts as if they’re here for a dinner after a day out. None of the faces are familiar. Not shocking.

What is shocking is what I find along the walls. Boys and men of various ages. All wearing white clothes that look dirtied and old. Each of them unmoving with their heads bowed to the ground. Even without seeing their faces I know that they are underfed and sickly. Ridiculously malnourished for people in a room full of food. They stand out along the golden walls of the room and yet none of the women in their chairs pays them any kind of attention. I assume that they’re humans. Just like the ones in the decision room that first day.

Seeing them makes me want to eat even less than I did before; had I not been used to seeing stuff like this then I might have cried. But I do know about this. I’ve seen it firsthand plenty of times, but I hadn’t expected to see it so openly right in the castle. I didn’t know that this was how things truly ran around here.

The lack of attention, food, and clothing given to the boys is appalling, but I keep the thoughts and feelings to myself. I can’t do anything about them. Not now at least. Not yet.

The assumption that the people along the walls are human is confirmed after looking away from them. Healthier men without proper clothing walk in to bring even more food to the table. They have on different kinds of pants, but walk around without shirts of any kind. Their hair is styled up and out of their faces.

I almost miss the fact that some topless men are sitting under the Gaia at the table. The women sit in the laps of the Charmers as if they were their own personal seat cushion. Not every woman has a Charmer under her, but she would look at those who did with envy.

These women just wanted a reason to flaunt their Charmers. This was some fucked up show of the men that they controlled. They were trying to make one another jealous, and I could see it was working. Some Charmers are personal servants; others seem to be maids…but what is the purpose of the human boys along the walls?

I break from my thoughts when the room quiets as soon as the Queen and I stand at the head of the table next to a heavily cushioned chair. All eyes (of those allowed to look) are on us. The Queen in all her regal glory, and me in a white blouse, pink skirt, and bow around my neck.

I feel and look like a fucking poodle.

I desperately want to at least rip the bow from around my neck, but I would rather stab myself than intentionally disrespect the Queen…again.

“I would like to introduce you all to the newest addition to the castle.” She pats me on the butt twice making me to squeak in embarrassment and step forward away from her hand. I bite my lip to hide the humiliation creeping in at her action. This is so demeaning. I look around the room only to meet the eyes of disinterested Gaia and lowered gazes of their Charmers. I clear my throat and glance back at the Queen who is giving an encouraging smile in my direction.

“Hello. I’m, I’m June.” I bow politely. “Please take good care of me.” Someone scoffs sending the room back into talkative chatter like before. I can feel the heat in my face rising at being treated so…so disrespectfully. But no one in the room seems to care. The Queen sits in the seat at the head of the table and pats her lap twice.

Ugh.

I have no more pride as it is. I mentally roll my eyes and set myself in her lap. So embarrassing. This is so embarrassing. She holds a spoon full of rice up my mouth. Mentally
I smack it from her hand and demand to be allowed to eat on my own, but I open my mouth despite my thoughts. Letting her feed me like I’m a fucking child.

My stomach starts hurting soon after, but I continue to open my mouth when she holds something up for me to swallow. I see the looks that some of the women cast me, but they soon roll their eyes or go back to talking to the other Gaia. Looks of either disgust or silent judgement. I wish they’d just eat their fucking food and leave me out of their thoughts.

Their Charmers sit in silence and let the women talk and stroke their faces without complaint. Some of them look entirely uncomfortable, and others show no emotion as if they have become accustomed to being a seat cushion.

“You should let me borrow him sometime. I’ll even let you use mine for two nights.”

“In your dreams. No one wants your Charmer. Have you seen him? You’ve gotten all of the use out of him.”

“At least yours has been able to fuck you. Mine won’t get hard no matter how hard I try. Even punishing him won’t work.”

“Looks like you’ve done all you can. I suggest getting rid of him yourself. If he can’t do his one job…what use does he have?”

This conversation is making me sick. All of this is making me sick. Are Charmers really only used to have sex with the Gaia? Is that all they see them as?

The Queen claps two times and the talking lowers. A boy around my age, dressed like all of the Charmers I’ve seen so far comes sauntering into the hall. He’s tall and well-built. His expression is unreadable. His hair is black and pushed up like the others, and his eyebrows are immaculately trimmed. His pouty lips are turned in a frown.

He’s gorgeous.

He leans down and the Queen whispers in his ear. I can do nothing but stare at the gorgeous boy and try to figure out why he looks somewhat familiar. He gives a curt nod when the Queen is done and stands back up. As he’s turning around I realize why he seems familiar.
He reminds me of a taller version of Luhan at some angles. My heart squeezes at the thought of the man I hadn’t seen in over a week. I watch pitifully as he leaves. Angry red marks mar the otherwise smooth skin on his back, and I don’t have to think too hard to figure out the cause. Fingernails. My cheek is pinched affectionately by the Queen. I tear my gaze away from the boy.

“Be excited. You’re about to see something absolutely magical.” She says with her eye smile. I frown and look away from her bright expression. I’ve seen magic. And it isn’t all that impressive. What could she possibly find so amazing that she herself is excited. She can use magic too. Why is this so magical?

The boy walks back in, with someone beside him. Another Charmer by the looks of it. The boy is obviously tanner than the pale boy who kind of reminds me of Luhan. His hair is lighter than tall Luhan only slightly. It’s probably just dark brown. I squint suspiciously as I try to make out the face of the new boy. He seems familiar as well. His face and body seem both familiar and unfamiliar from where I’m sitting.

It clicks and my mouth drops open. This person’s face and physical body…I definitely know it. But his attitude is entirely different. His personality is entirely different. Before I can stand up in shock the Queen is clearing her throat. I forget the idea of getting up, and settle for gaping at the male instead. The Queen flicks her wrist; music fills the hall.

He walks up the Queen and I; after giving us a bow and smirk he takes each of our hands in his. He presses a soft kiss to each of our hands. Honestly, I feel embarrassed. I’m dressed like a clown and I’m sitting in the Queen’s lap like a child. This isn’t how I thought I’d see him, and this isn’t what I wanted him to see.

But similarly, I’m unfamiliar with the man in front of me. This isn’t what I expected to see of him. This isn’t the Jongin that I know.

Notes