the queen's pirate 2/??

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mage queen!au; jongyu
pg; 3500 words
sum: jinki is male, but possesses the mage power to rule the queendom of caelestia. that is why he is raised to be female and to inherit the queendom. but what will happen if one night, he was kidnapped and held hostage in an airsship by pirates who wouldn't tell their true intentions?

[ << | >> ] Minho woke up with a start, reeling from the sudden rush of blood into his head. He rubbed his temples as he sat up, peering into the darkness of his own bedroom and listening intently for any tell-tale sounds that roused him. He sniffed the air for any clues of a fire or commotion. But there were none. The palace was as quiet as it was before he fell asleep but Minho still felt uncomfortable. He slid out of bed and padded towards the hallway. His room was situated near the end of the hallway, a few steps away from Jinki's royal chambers. He was driven out of the room adjoining the Prince's when they grew of age, since the previous Queen thought it could bring about scandals. Minho didn't mind, although every now and then, he'd check up on the Prince to make sure that he slept soundly. He opened the door into the hallway and was surprised when he was met with a steady stream of moonlight from the windows. The draperies were often closed at night for security. Minho then recalled greeting Prince Taemin as he left Jinki's room. He had frowned at the draperies and asked the guards to draw them back because the hallway was too dark and depressing for the Royal Princess. Minho had to smile despite Prince Taemin's willful but concerned ways. He had always looked out for Jinki and had made court life a lot easier for the older prince. Minho knew, too, that Jinki treasured his brother so. Even if he kept pushing Prince Taemin to get married, Jinki's heart would be crushed when it happens. His thought were disturbed, however, as he looked out of the large windows. The moon was shining brightly but something was amiss. A shadow lurked just at the edge of the sky seen in the window. Eyes widening, Minho recognized the flying object as something the head of their army drew during one of their war meetings. It was a floating ship, but not really a ship as it was shaped more like a bulging sack. On its side were the unmistakable markings that caused a shiver to run down Minho's spine. He walked briskly towards the guards who were calmly guarding the Crown Prince's room. "Have you seen anything strange?" Minho asked them. When they shook their heads, he bade them to move aside so he could open the bedroom door. Inside, nothing was out of place. There were no upturned tables or fallen shelves. The bed covers were just slightly rumpled, as if someone recently slept in it. Recently. Because at the moment, the one who slept on it couldn't be seen. Minho spun around, looking at every nook and cranny of the bedroom to check. But there was no sign of Jinki or any intruder. He turned towards the small window near the Prince's desk and froze. It was wide open, letting the cool breeze from the sea waft in. As Minho walked towards it, he saw a piece of parchment on the desk. тσ ωнσм ιт мαу ¢ση¢єяη, gσσ∂ ∂αу! ιт ѕєємѕ ωє нανє ρι¢кє∂ υρ ѕσмєтнιηg σƒ уσυя ρσѕѕєѕѕιση. ωє кησω уσυ ωσυℓ∂ вє ιηтєяєѕтє∂ ιη яєтяιєνιηg ιт, вυт ωє ∂σ ηєє∂ ѕσмєтнιηg ιη єχ¢нαηgє ƒσя кєєριηg ѕυ¢н α ρяє¢ισυѕ тнιηg ƒσя уσυ! ρℓєαѕє ∂σ ωαιт ραтιєηтℓу ƒσя ƒυятнєя ιηѕтяυ¢тισηѕ. - ƒєяιтαѕ Slowly, he dropped his hand to his side and stared at the open window, its curtains fluttering in the sea breeze. He felt something he'd first felt when they were still very young. It clutched his heart and threatened to stop his breathing. The rest of his body felt numb as his mind went blank, a sensation he had never felt for such a long time. It was cold, gripping fear. -- The moment Jinki fluttered his eyes open, all he could see were whitewashed ceiling and walls. He yawned and tried to stretch, wondering why his limbs felt so heavy. As soon as he properly blinked his eyes open and tried to sit up, however, he knew. He wasn't in his own room. Panicked, Jinki scrambled off the bed, but a weight made him topple off the bed onto his backside instead. He got up with a groan then held up a hand to his head. It was when that he saw how his wrists were shackled and chained to each other. So were his two ankles. He could feel the prickles of electricity rising from underneath his hair. Breathe, he told himself, trying to calm down and rationally observe his situation. He looked down and realized he was still in his sleeping robe with nothing else inside. Just then, memories from the previous night (if it was really just last night) came back to him. He remembered the small pressure on his mouth and nose, the masked intruder and his eyes. He was captured, definitely, but for how long and by who and for what purpose, he had absolutely no idea. As the electricity in his hair fizzled out and as his heartbeat started to slow down, Jinki carefully stood up--the chains on his hands and feet were long enough to enable him to walk but not run--and surveyed the room. It was a small bedroom with one door and a couple of small windows. Aside from the bed, there was a cluttered desk at one end of the room, about three chests, some wall shelves, and a small table for a washbasin. There weren't any seats save for the chair in front of the desk. There were piles and piles of rolls of parchment and books everywhere and there were some trinkets on some shelves. Despite the clutter, Jinki couldn't find any sharp objects which he could use to defend himself or pick the locks on his chains. There were no letter openers, keys, or even a shard of glass. The only glass he could spy was on the windows. Taking care not to make a lot of noise, Jinki inched closer to the window. As he peered through one of them, he felt as if air was punched out of his lungs. He held on to the edge of the window tightly, then tried to pry open the window. The latch came off pretty well, and Jinki looked open-mouthed at the sight outside. He had expected to see a body of water or at least some mountains, but what greeted him was a vast sea of clouds and sky blue space. He was flying. Or more accurately, he was inside a flying vessel. As if on cue, the vessel lurched a bit as a strong wind hit it, making Jinki almost lose his balance. He let out a surprised yelp as he held on to the window, gasping for his breath. He had no idea such vessels existed! How could people create something big like this and make it fly? It must have been some powerful magic behind this magnificence. A tap from his conscience reminded him that despite his awe for the flying vessel, he still had to find any means of escape. But how would he be able to escape from something that was literally far from the ground? The window was too small for a person to fit through and the door would definitely lead him to his captors. The ceiling was too high and the walls, surprisingly, seemed to be made of something like iron or steel. Jinki could feel panic rising back to his throat, making it difficult for him to control his breathing. Before he could think any further, the door to the room creaked and swung open, making Jinki almost jump in shock. He stood still, hands still holding on to the edge of the window, when someone marched into the room. That someone wore something like a doctor's plague suit with a mask with huge eyes and large snout over his face. That someone had in his hand a large heavy-looking weapon that he waved about. Jinki screamed. "Oh, you're awake?" came the muffled voice from behind the mask as Jinki fell to the floor and crawled backwards until his back touched the bed once more. "Did I scare you?" a laugh sounded hollow through the mask. "Oh no, you're so pale. Do I really look that ugly with this thing on?" Jinki wanted to yell, demand what they want from him or ask who they are, but before he could find his voice again, the man (judging from the voice, it seems like a man) jammed a hand into a pocket in his pants and pulled out a small thing, which happened to be a mirror. The man then proceeded to look into the mirror with his mask on. Jinki stared at the entire scene in bewilderment. This person was so strange. "I guess I can't blame you. I look horrid in this thing," the man said again, combing through his fringe before pushing the mirror back in his pocket. Then, he reached behind his head, seemingly tugging something that , and removed the mask from his face. The uncovered face was in fact, not scary, at all, Jinki realized. Smooth skin and high cheekbones with slightly slanted eyes and thin lips that curved into a knowing smile. The man's dark brown hair was messy, the previously brushed up fringe slowly falling back onto his forehead. The man just brushed it off his forehead absently, tossed the mask on the desk, then eyed Jinki curiously. "You're pretty well behaved for a hostage." "W-what do you want from me? Where am I? Who are you?" Jinki sputtered, all of the questions in his head pouring out of his mouth as he glared at the stranger. The man put up a hand, as if motioning for silence. "We don't want anything from you," he said. "I don't even know why Jjong brought you to the ship when we were supposed to take the queen--honestly he can be so impulsive at times. But an--" Before the stranger could finish, Jinki had stood up and tried to barrel his way out of the room. He was hoping the man would be distracted enough that he'd be able to push his way outside. But he was wrong. Before he could even take a step out of the room, the stranger had grabbed his arms, landed a swift kick to outbalance his feet, and hooked an arm around his neck in a choke hold. "Just because I said we didn't want you doesn't mean you can just get out of here," the stranger said, voice now slightly more hostile than before. "Plus, how do you expect to escape from an airship? Jump?" "I don't care! Let me go!" Jinki yelled, struggling to get out of the stranger's hold. But the stranger wouldn't relent--for someone who looked so thin he had a hard grip and strong arm. Jinki tried to sway their bodies to topple their balance. He could feel the air around them rising towards him, the familiar prickling sensation running across his back. There's a warmth of power rising in his gut and he could feel it almost consuming him. If he couldn't escape from this vessel, he'll just have to destroy... "Oh, the pretty thing is awake!" The hold around Jinki's neck loosened and Jinki found his power dissipating once more as he slumped on the floor, weakened. The prickling sensation was gone, but he was still shaking. As soon as the power disappeared, regret flooded his insides. How would he be able to return alive and learn about these people's intention if he let his power loose and possibly destroy the vessel? Jinki's thoughts were broken as the newcomer spoke once more. "Kibum, why are you treating him so roughly? Weren't you the one who said that he won't be able to escape here even if he tried?" The first stranger named Kibum huffed and kicked Jinki to make him get up. "I didn't hurt him that badly and that was only because he pushed me!" Jinki struggled to get to his feet but the other man was already crouching in front of him, looking into his eyes. Defiant, he looked up to show he wasn't afraid, but he immediately recoiled as he recognized those eyes. This man...was the one who took him from his bedroom that night. He could feel the same intensity of the stare. The man didn't seem to show any hesitation to come near him, too, unceremoniously crouching down until their knees almost touched. "Jonghyun, he'll probably bite your nose off if you come too close," Kibum warned, but Jonghyun shushed him and smiled at Jinki. Jinki shivered. But the coldness he also expected from the man didn't come. Instead, he was welcomed by a certain warmth in the man's stare. "Hello, what's your name?" When Jinki didn't answer, Jonghyun prodded some more. "Are you a bed slave?" he asked. Jinki was shocked and offended to hear such question. Their kingdom considered bed slaves illegal and to be caught with one would mean imprisonment and fines. To be thought of as a bed slave was even worse! Did he look like a bed slave to this person? The disgust must have shown on his face because the man named Jonghyun laughed. "Were you offended?" Jinki frowned in reply and the other man laughed even more. "You can't really blame it on us. You're sleeping on the queen's bed and dressed in bedclothes of finest fabric. So you're either a bed slave or you're the queen!" Jinkis' breath hitched, but Kibum's laugh told him that Jonghyun was probably joking. That's right. His identity is a well-kept secret. They shouldn't know anything about it, right? "So, who are you? You're definitely not Prince Taemin, since we have seen him asleep in his room that night. And you're not Minho, too, since we knew what he looked like when he went patrolling the gates a few days ago." Damn, just how much had these people spied on them that they even saw Taemin asleep? Jinki could feel his heart racing again. He steadied his breathing, trying to keep any sparks from coming up again. If they were spying that much, it'd mean that they already knew that only the queen possessed magical powers. One small lightning from him would reveal his identity not only to these people but to everyone else. His mind raced. What else could he be? He could feel the two person's eyes on him as he searched for answers. "You know..." Kibum said, raising a finger as if he had the ultimate idea. "He could be the queen's secret consort or something. Babymaker." What in goddess' name is a babymaker?! Jinki screamed in his mind. He hid the look of disgust this time, as the others laughed. He needed to think of something fast before they give him more names! "I think we scared him so much, he's gone pale," Jonghyun said, something like concern dripping in his voice. He leaned forward and gently held Jinki's chin, making him jump in surprise. "We're not going to hurt you," Jonghyun softly said, his fingers slowly rubbing the underside of Jinki's chin. "But you need to tell us who you are, pretty one." Jinki's shivering once more, his bare legs feeling cold. "On...Onew," he shakily said. "My name is Onew." "That wasn't so hard, was it?" Jonghyun said, a small smile on his face as he let his fingers drop to Jinki's shoulder. "What is your relationship to the queen?" "I can't...I can't say." Jinki whispered as he gritted his teeth. He couldn't think of any excuse and he definitely did not want to use that bed slave role they initially had for him. Surprisingly, Jonghyun relented and stood up, but not before patting his head. "Well, whatever your relationship to the queen is, Onew, we know that you must be really treasured. You sleep in the same bedchambers after all." Kibum nodded in agreement as he leaned against the desk, twirling his mask around a finger. "We should be able to send the negotiation letter soon, don't you think?" Jinki swallowed, his throat so parched that he could only croak, "What do you want...from the queen?" Jonghyun looked down at him. "Hm? Are you asking questions now?" Chuckling, Jonghyun grabbed one of Jinki's arms to hoist him up and help him sit on the bed. "What do you want?" Jinki asked once more, eyes meeting Jonghyun's in persistence. "That, my pretty one," Jonghyun said, leaning down to whisper in Jinki's ear, "will be our secret...very much like yours." Before Jinki could reply, Jonghyun straightened up and turned to Kibum. "Sorry, Bum, he'll be keeping your room for a while." Kibum shrugged. "I mostly sleep in the engine room anyway. But what should we do about him?" Jonghyun looked at Jinki again and for some reason Jinki thought he saw something like fondness in his gaze. "Just get someone to bring him dinner and some clothes. He can't go walking around bare like that." Walk around? Jinki eyed the two hopefully. Will they allow him to move around the ship? There was a small spark of hope growing in him, only to be extinguished when Jonghyun looked back and wagged a finger. "We're not allowing you to walk out of this room until we receive a reply, though." And with that, Jonghyun and Kibum left the room, a resounding clang outside the door telling Jinki that they locked the room. With his head clearer, Jinki wondered what he should do next. He couldn't fly out of the ship and he certainly couldn't fight all the people on board (if only he paid attention to Minho's grappling lessons...). There was no way he'd perform magic on board with the risk of them discovering his identity. As much as Jinki hated to admit it, he could only depend on the people in the palace to make the move for him. He listened for any noise outside. When there was none, he quickly went to the window he had opened earlier. Jonghyun and Kibum didn't seem to have any qualms leaving the windows open since they're confident that he wouldn't fit through. Sure, the window might be useless to Jinki. Except for one small thing. Jinki took a deep breath and blew out of the window. The breath from his lungs were laced with magic and glowed a deep green. After he exhaled all the air in his lungs out of the window, he took a breath again and whispered into the green threads of air wafting outside. "I am all right," Jinki whispered into the wind. "They haven't hurt me but they want something. They don't know the real me." He gave the threads of air one final gentle blow and watched them float away from the ship. Minho should be waiting for a message like that from him and with that, they'll be able to plan what they should do next. It would be alright. -- The next day, however, Kibum barged into the room. Jonghyun was nowhere to be found. Jinki immediately tensed and stood in defense despite his fatigue from yesterday. "What are you, Onew?" Kibum asked, head tilted as he scrutinized the young man. "What do you mean?" Jinki asked, voice shaking despite his brave front. Kibum chuckled then sighed. "Jonghyun wants you in his room right now. You better get dressed." He tossed a set of clothes on the bed as well as some bread. "You need to look good and be fed before you get interrogated." "In...Interrogated? But..." Jinki wondered if Minho had done something to raise their anger or suspicion. Did he command the attack of the ship? Did he mobilize the military? Did he hack his way into the enemy front like what he usually did whenever Jinki's in trouble? "We thought we could've tolerated your secretiveness as long as we know how precious you are to the queen, but it seems we can't underestimate you, Onew." Kibum threw a rolled up parchment on the bed, too. "I'll be outside. Knock once you finish getting dressed." As the door slammed shut, Jinki retrieved the parchment and unrolled it. It had the seal of Caelestia as well as his wax seal. However, the handwriting was similar but definitely not his. As he read the letter, his brow became more furrowed. tσ whσm ít mαч cσncєrn, чσu díd nσt píck up mч pσssєssíσn вut rαthєr stσlє ít. í dєmαnd thαt чσu rєturn σnєw tσ whєrє чσu fσund hím unlєss чσu wσuld líkє tσ sєє hσw wєll σur cαtαpults wσrk. rєturn hím σr í wíll pєrsσnαllч summσn hєllfírє tσ вurn чσur αwful flσαtíng thíng tσ αshєs thαt nσt єvєn чσur вσnєs wíll survívє. dσ чσu undєrstαnd? HRH princess єunsσσk Jinki dropped the parchment to his feet as he shut his eyes tightly. He should've seen this coming. Minho could be hot-blooded but he always let it go as per Jinki's instructions. But there was another person who would flare up every time Jinki's in danger and would be uncontrollable. Jinki sighed. He should have known. Taemin. tbc.