Even in the brittle December air the flowers and plants are in full bloom. We walk along the sand covered and flower lined pathway that I saw through the glass door to the large opening. It’s even more spacious standing in the middle of it. There are multiple paths and areas with benches. It’s all colorful and beautifully trimmed. It’s immaculate and if the biting wind wasn’t here I think I’d almost have thought it was spring.

It’s unnatural.

A part of me is sick at the fact that I know this garden is maintained through magic. Someone is here forcing the plants to exist at a time that they shouldn’t be in bloom. The other part of me is just as amazed by the beauty. Full flowers here where there should be dead stems and decaying leaves. Don’t they need the time to recuperate?

In front of where Sehun and I find ourselves is a large bush. The two of us walk over to the tall shrub and I peek around it while Sehun stands behind saying not a word. Since Jongin left, the two of us have fallen into uncomfortable silence. It’s not that we are afraid to say anything to one another, but we just have nothing to say.

The opening of the bush appears to be the opening to some kind of complex maze. It doesn’t seem all that scary, but I know that if I were to go in there then I may never find my way out. It’s tall walls and lit pathways could easily swallow someone of my size, and without any magic to guide me out, I’d be lost to the world forever.

The thought scares me a bit, so I take a few step away, and settle for observing the rest of the life filled garden. I scan the area and see the various colors, plants, and pieces of decoration. There are no bugs and animals though…it feels artificial in so many ways.

A glistening blue fountain pours out water not far from where we stand and catches my eye. The sound of its soft splashing is calming. I wonder if they turn it off when it gets too cold. Can’t pipes freeze?

The fountain itself is white, and it has a statue of a woman in the very middle. The woman has a solemn smile on her face as she pours never ending water out of her vase. At her waist there is a small, and seemingly intentional, break in the fountain that spills water out like a circular waterfall. The way the water pours out makes it seem as though the skirt of her dress is made of the water that fills the fountain. It makes her seem almost alive within the fountain.

“She really hates you, you know.” Sehun’s voice startles me out of my wandering thoughts. I pull my attention away from the woman with the water dress to look at Sehun’s serious face. After recalling what was just said it doesn’t take much more thought to know that he’s referring to the queen bitch of the castle. Moonbyul.

I scoff a second too long after the initial statement. “I noticed.” I turn away to follow the water flowing from the vase with my eyes. “I have no idea why though. I think a lot of the people here dislike me if not hate me already.” I place my hands on my hips and bite at the drying skin on my lips.

“That’s because you don’t act like them.”

I face him once again. “Hmm? I thought I was doing a good job.”

He places a hand on his hip and frowns with his eyebrows. “Yeah you thought.” He says sassily. “You still don’t act like them. It’s painfully obvious. And they definitely don’t like how you are treated by your Highness; you get away with way more than you should.”

“You think I don’t know that? I didn’t ask to be treated like this! She’s weird and I don’t know why she’s doing this to just me. I’ve been thrown overboard into unfamiliar waters and she’s the only person who’s been nice to me. I can’t trust anyone, no one likes me, and sometimes it all feels like too much. But I don’t have a choice in being here anymore…so I could care less if all of you hate me. I’m not leaving until I have to.” I huff and stomp over to the edge of the fountain to sit. I pull my coat tighter around myself and hunch over so that my head can rest on top of my interlocked fingers. Sehun sits quietly beside me.

I know that not many of the people in the castle are fond of me, but that doesn’t mean that I can even do anything about it. My job is just to stay alive for now, not make friends with the Gaia. As of right now the only thing I know that I have to do is make sure the Charmers or humans don’t hate me. I have to keep the Queen’s trust, and I have to have the males on my side. I don’t know how long I can do both before I’m forced to choose one side.

And it’s useless trying to act as Luhan taught me, since they all know that I’m not like them. I can just blame it on the fact that I’m not used to living in this kind of place. I was raised differently, I can say.

Not a lie. I was raised differently…in a way that taught me to despise all of them and everything that the Gaia are doing to the world. I’ve done a good job of hiding my disgust, but I’ve been too nice I guess.

I don’t think that’s a fault though. Being nice is supposed to be a good thing right?

I hear giggling from opposite us. Sehun and I lift our heads to see two women exiting the maze hand in hand across the courtyard. They were very close to one another and the way that they were looking at one another made me feel as though I was watching some intimate interaction that I had no business seeing.

The two notice us by the fountain watching them, and the curvier of the two whispers to her shorter partner. The shorter laughs while covering her mouth with her hand as she continues to look in our direction. I make eye contact with the curvier of the two and she sends me a sultry wink right before the two of them burst out laughing and walk down a separate path further into the garden.

I glower at their backs. As they walk off merrily, I take note of the sudden eerie silence too late. The sound of the fountain water splashing is gone. Behind us the fountain water no longer fills the wide basin, and all of the water pouring out from the woman’s dress and vase are flowing against the weight of gravity.

I follow the stream with my eyes and my mouth drops open when I realize all of all of it is collecting in a large ball of condensed water.

Right above us.

I grab the fabric of Sehun’s jacket in fear. He looks up as well and his eyes widen.

“What the fu-” before I can finish my curse the water is released from whatever was keeping it afloat and all the cold water dumps right on top of us both. I sit in shock as the freezing water soaks through my clothes and begins to reach my bones. I stand up and look down at the wet articles appalled. Sehun stands up panicked.

“I-I’m so sorry! I should have- I should have stopped it. I di-”

“You couldn’t have.” I say cutting off Sehun’s fervent apology. I don’t know why he’s apologizing for those assholes’ actions. I can hear the tremor in his voice from the cold water as well, and him apologizing for something he couldn’t have stopped isn’t going to help either of us. “You didn’t realize it was happening until it was too late too.” I shiver violently and shake out my arms. The clothing is heavy and is getting stiffer the longer it’s allowed to freeze outside in this weather.

I knew the bullying would start any day now. Yeah there were some Gaia who were nice to me because the thought I was cute, but a majority of them blatantly hate me. It’s obvious. I’m only shocked that I’d lasted this long. I’m also surprised that it wasn’t Moonbyul who initiated it. Maybe she doesn’t hate me as much as I assumed.

“Let’s go inside and change before we catch colds.” I mutter.

The two of us walk through the castle halls leaving thick trails of water in our wake. I know someone is going to clean it up, and I feel bad for the poor (probably) human who will have to follow the wet trail behind us.

Back securely in my room I toss my sopping coat to the floor. “Go ahead and change your clothes. You’ll get sick if you wear them much longer.” I say firmly. Sehun looks so upset by the sudden turn of events, and if he looks at me sadly any longer I might break down myself. I don’t want to cry about this, and I don’t want us to get sick. I’m not going to let him fuck up his health just staring at me apologetically. He doesn’t move from his growing puddle and I huff. “Seriously. Go.”

“What…what if you get attacked while I’m gone?” I frown at the concern. I didn’t think that he hated me, but I sure as hell didn’t think he gave a shit about my safety. Seeing him look at me with an expression outside of his usual straight face makes me feel weird. Seeing him without that stoic guard makes me feel vulnerable.

“It’s just water. People don’t even come into my room usually, and I can deal with some petty bullying.” I say gently. He opens his mouth to protest, but I start talking before he can. “If you don’t go and change then I’ll stand right here as well so that we both get sick.”

“You cant-”

“I know what I said.”

It’s an empty threat, and a mean one at that. If I got sick because of him, it wouldn’t be pretty for either of us. There would be nothing I could say to the Queen to calm her down over my childish reasons for getting sick, nor would she be calm over his childish reasons for allowing me to get sick. He pouts minutely before slowly backing up out of my room. I watch him expectantly until he reaches the door and pauses.

I make a ‘shoo’ motion with my hand. He finally leaves entirely. Once he is gone, I immediately strip from the cold and heavy articles and walk into my bathroom to take a hot shower.

I kind of want to try out the tub, but it’s the size of a fucking swimming pool and I can neither swim nor get myself to waste that much water for my own selfish desire. So I go with my original plan to shower and quickly warm myself up.

The warm shower is much needed, and I can almost feel it fighting the cold that was starting to form. I step out and wrap a light blue towel around my body.

Four sharp knocks at the bathroom’s double doors startles me.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me. Are you alive?” Sehun.

I roll my eyes at the dumb question. “No I’m not. I’m talking to you through a portal from hell.” I hear him scoff. I chuckle and push my doors open with a grand flourish. I see him sitting, back erect, on the couch by the unused fireplace. I give him a ‘one moment’ gesture and quickly travel to my closet to throw on some clothes.

I plop down on the cushion farthest from him.

“Are you…um okay?” he asks hesitantly.

“Yeah. It was going to happen at some point. I’m not shocked or even mad.” I admit nonchalantly. “But are you okay?” I ask genuinely. I study his face worriedly. His eyes widen at the question.

“Y- um y-yeah.” He stutters. He looks away embarrassed. It always shocking how questions and actions that show any kind of care make them act so flustered. It’s fucking sad. I nod after he answers me.

“Good.” I set my bare feet down on the tiles, and am pleasantly surprised by their warmth. Heated tiles? Nice.

“Do you think this is going to happen again?” he asks quietly. I wiggle my toes against the ground.

“Probably.”

“…do you think it will happen when I’m not around?” I tilt my head to the side thoughtfully while focusing on my feet.

“I wouldn’t doubt it.”

I glance over in his direction to see him looking down at the tiles as well. “You should ask the Queen for a new Charmer. For a better one.” He mutters after a few moments of silence. I look at him with a grimace. What is he trying to get at? “I wasn’t able to help you…I don’t think I’ve been much help to you at all since you got here. Maybe you should just have Jongin…” I can’t stop the humorless laugh that escapes from my mouth.

“Are you serious right now?” he looks up. “You can’t beat yourself up over what those stupid women did to us. I’m not switching you out, Sehun. I like having you around you dingus. Honestly. Even though I’m not entirely sure if you enjoy being around me, I still appreciate having you around.” I admit.

“But you might get hurt, and I can’t protect you like someone else could. I’m not good enough-”

“No. I’m not listening to this. You are perfect the way you are Sehun. I couldn’t ask for a better friend to have here okay? You and Jongin are my only friends here and I wouldn’t give up either of you if my life depended on it. I value you both. Don’t ever think you aren’t enough.” I say with serious eyes. His mouth opens ever so slightly as a pink washes over his pale cheeks.

“If you think I should get extra protection, then we can do that. But I am not, I repeat NOT switching you out unless you actually want to go. Do you not want to be with me anymore?” I don’t miss the slight sadness in my own voice. God dammit I didn’t mean to sound so wounded. He shakes his head quickly.

“No. I want to stay.” He says determinedly. I feel my body lightening at his words. He may never know how comforting it is to hear him say that. I smile.

“Great. Then tomorrow I will talk to the Queen about adding a new person to our group.”

---

The next morning rolls by, and as usual I am summoned to the Queen’s room as soon as she is awake.

“I have a request.” I say once the both of us are seated on her large canopy bed. She crosses her legs and waits patiently for me to continue. “I would like an additional personal servant.”

She furrows her brows and I search for a way to explain myself without getting anyone killed. I don’t want those women to die even though they were shitheads to me, and I don’t want Sehun to get in trouble for not being able to protect me. I don’t even want her to know that event happened really.

“I just think that I should have extra protection. Since I’m just a human I don’t have powers or anything, if anything were to happen I’d have no way to protect myself.” An honest thought.

She shrugs. “I don’t see why not. It sounds like a good idea. I’ll find you another.” I smile gratefully. “Is Sehun not doing his job well? Does he need to be punished for being unsatisfactory?”

I put my hands up defensively. “No! No, no. Sehun is great. I love him. He’s been amazing.” At my expression she begins to smirk.

“Have you gotten any use out of him yet?”

“Excuse me?”

“You know…have you…” she raises her eyebrows and then makes a few lewd motions with her hands.

Have you fucked him?, my mind fills in what she doesn’t say aloud.

My jaw nearly drops to the floor at her insinuation. “No!! I mean um, no I haven’t. He’s uh, yeah he’s really handsome and everything but like…no. I uhm, I haven’t uh felt the need to.” Her sly smile shows that she doesn’t believe a word coming out of my mouth. I don’t know why I feel so flustered about her thinking such things. I mean yeah Sehun is like really attractive, but I’m not going to just…do him because he’s there for that. With the way I responded though, I probably wouldn’t believe it either that all our interactions have been innocent.

“Have you had your eyes on any other specific Charmers in my castle?” She questions. Jongin immediately comes to mind only because if he was specifically mine Moonbyul couldn’t keep playing around with him. I don’t say his name though because I’m pretty sure he just belongs to the castle as a whole and I don’t think I actually have any authority to claim him as my own. How possessive.

Instead I respond, “No, but I was wondering if I’m allowed to treat my Charmers as I want.”

“Of course. They are yours. They are to do whatever you say.”

That’s not exactly what I meant, but I don’t think I’d be able to explain to her what I truly mean. I hope this means that I’m allowed to openly be nice to my Charmers. She means they do whatever I want no matter what, but what if I want them to not have to follow that rule…maybe I’ll ask her about that later on. For now, I’ll take this as the okay to be nice. She crawls behind me and begins to do her routine hair braiding.

I don’t get why playing in my gross hair is so soothing to her, but if it’s really that pleasant to her, then so be it. She sighs lightly. “In two weeks there’s going to be a really big party here.” She starts.

“What for?” I ask while her nimble fingers caress my scalp.

“My birthday! There is going to be a huge banquet and entertainment that lasts for days. People from all over the kingdom are going to be coming here, and they’re all going to be stuffy and boring but I want you right by my side.” Her voice is soft, but it’s obvious that she’s excited for the event.

“Of course. I’ll be right there.” I say. I know I don’t really have much of a choice, but even if I did I would still be right there with her. The Queen is definitely…different from her counterparts. She doesn’t seem to think about what’s happening as a thing that isn’t normal. She’s been raised to believe that this is just the way things are. She isn’t bad. She’s just a product of her environment. If I could find a way to prove to her that things should be different, then I think she would willingly do it.

She’s a good person I know it.

I hear her yawn from behind me. I look over to her clock hanging on her wall. It’s only 11am.

“I’m still tired. I want to rest for a while longer before I have to start my day. Stay with me?” I nod. I like staying with the Queen. She’s like the big sister I never had. She lies down atop her covers and almost instinctively I slot myself in front of her so that she is spooning me.

I close my eyes and let my own tiredness cloud over me. Her hands roam until they find comfortable places on my body to settle, and surprisingly I’m not even affected by it. I know her hands are touching places they shouldn’t normally be (aka right on my chest), but I’m not bothered by it. When she finally settles I let out a content breath and fall asleep in her arms.

Notes