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jalousied2014-12-25 03:28 am
.livejournal.com) wrote in jalousied2014-12-25 03:28 am
Entry tags:
the queen's pirate 3/??
mage queen!au; jongyu
pg; 3826 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?
a/n: merry christmas! i changed the date of the coronation from a week to a month, since i reckon it would be a bit too short of a timeline to work on. sorry for the wait.
pg; 3826 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?
a/n: merry christmas! i changed the date of the coronation from a week to a month, since i reckon it would be a bit too short of a timeline to work on. sorry for the wait.
Jonghyun leaned back into his seat, his legs propped up on his desk and his chair perilously rocking back and forth as he remained deep in thought. He held up his arm and let the parchment in his hand unroll and spread open, letting him read the message in it for a bit more than the tenth time. A while ago, he had given Kibum the Queen's reply to their letter. He wanted to let the hostage--no, Onew--see it for himself. He had not expected hospitality at their first reply, but the hostility in the Queen's letter was so puzzling that Jonghyun had no choice but try to press Onew for more information. If the Queen held him in such high regard that she was willing to wage a war against a ship of pirates, Onew must be someone special in the palace. He could be a royal relative, a private confidant, a secret advisor, a concubine. But why was Onew so adamant in keeping everything about him a secret? He must be someone very important, and Jonghyun resolved to find out Onew's real identity. That way, he'd have better leverage in terms of negotiation as well as better foresight on what would lie ahead of them. Yet just a few minutes after he sent Kibum off in a huff, a new messenger arrived with yet another letter. Only this time, it was not penned by the Queen. Rather, it was a short, abrupt letter from Respected Sir Minho Choi, the commander of the Queen's Royal Guard. ∂єѕριтє тнє ρяєνισυѕ яєѕρσηѕє тσ уσυя яυ∂є мєѕѕαgє, ωє ωσυℓ∂ ℓιкє тσ єηѕυяє тнє ѕαƒєту αη∂ ѕтαтє σƒ уσυя нσѕтαgє αη∂ тнєяє мιgнт вє α ρσѕѕιвιℓιту σƒ α ∂ιαℓσgυє. Jonghyun scoffed and tossed the parchment on the desk before kicking it to the floor completely. A threat and now a certain willingness to negotiate. Does the Head of the Royal Guard routinely deviate from the Queen's decisions that he could send his own message to threats and decide for himself? Or was that Queen that incompetent that she needed her subjects to back her up whenever her temper flared and made bad decisions? Still, a possibility to talk to the Queen is there. Jonghyun dragged his legs off his desk and straightened up in his seat. Slowly, he opened his drawer and stared at its contents. Pressing his lips together, he closed the drawer gently. He grabbed his quill and began to write a response. -- "You're gaping. At yourself." Jinki blinked and looked up to see Kibum studying him study his own reflection in the mirror. He quickly stood up straight and made an act of combing a few stray hairs from his forehead. "Sorry, it's just..." Kibum got up from the bed and walked towards him, arms still crossed over his chest. "You've never worn commoner clothes before? You must be a really important person, then!" Jinki opened his mouth to say something, but Kibum shushed him and tugged at his suspenders. "You can't even wear this properly. What are you, Onew?" Jinki wasn't sure Kibum would be entertained to hear all about his past, so he kept quiet. "Finish up by combing your hair and whatever things you need to do," Kibum said with a dismissive wave. "I'll be outside to accompany you to Jonghyun's room when you're done." The door closed with a soft thud after Kibum and Jinki was left alone once more. He immediately turned towards the full-length mirror attached at the inside of Kibum's cabinet door. He let his eyes rove over his own body, starting from the crisp collar of his plain white shirt down to the hems of his trousers where used but not tattered shoes peered from under. Slowly, Jinki looked at his face and was met with an expression matching his feeling of disbelief. He was wearing men clothes. And they fitted him perfectly. Ever since that incident when they were young, Jinki hadn’t even attempted to wear proper clothes for men even after his mother passed away. He would don breeches and shirts during his sword practice with Minho, but he avoided the luxury of getting used to wearing them. He was too afraid to get caught. Yet now that he was wearing them—shirts, trousers, even suspenders and a vest Kibum deemed too ugly to wear. While Jinki knew that he was still in grave peril, he couldn’t help but revel in the fact that he was actually wearing clothes he had wanted to wear all his life. Wearing them seemed to have made him a different person. He looked different and stood differently from when he was wearing the heavy bodices and gowns meant for queens. "Hurry up, Your Highness!" Kibum shouted as he rapped on the door. Jinki almost jumped in surprise, but he remembered how Kibum and Jonghyun teased him about being important. It wasn't like they knew of his secret. He smoothed the front of his shirt and took a deep breath. They should never learn of his secret. --- Minho slowly walked up the plank that led to the interior of the air ship. From afar, the ship of the Feritas pirates just looked intimidating and scary, floating around with their menacing flag and symbol. But up close, it was really a vessel of magnificence. Minho couldn’t help but gaze in wonder at the spinning contraptions and clanking sounds that came from the within the ship. He would have wanted to look more and observe how the ship could float so effortlessly if not for the fact that he was there on a mission to subtly retract the letter Taemin sent to the pirates and possibly rescue their future Queen. Taemin. Minho shook his head as he was frisked for any weapons before being led deeper into the ship. The young prince had almost gone insane with worry after finding out that Jinki was kidnapped. Minho had made him swear not to tell their subjects or any of the advisers that Jinki had gone missing. Taemin had kept his promise, but he was restless—going to all the major temples in the city to pray to the gods, pacing back and forth in his room, and continuously asking the Royal Guards for any updates. His temper peaked when he read the letter from the Feritas, and before Minho could stop him, the message promising death to the pirates was sent without warning. Silently, Minho made a pledge to teach the young prince about diplomacy once they manage to safely get Jinki back to the castle. They went into the ship without much preamble and Minho was starting to wonder why the guards seemed so lax. He wouldn’t really try but he was sure he could fight all six guards surrounding him without any difficulty because they didn’t seem interested in restraining him at all. It was as if they were satisfied that he held no weapons and didn’t believe that brute force or martial arts existed. He should be relieved, yet Minho couldn’t help thinking that he expected more from the notorious band of sky pirates. As he passed through the inner halls in the ship, Minho noticed that the walls were made of steel. It was most curious, usually they should be made of wood to make them lighter. The lamps littering the walls do not smell of burning fat or oil at all, and instead of a thick yellow brightness, the lamps emitted a misty glow that seemed like the glowing orbs used by the Queen for Seeing. “They’re thermolamps.” Minho suddenly stopped walking and watching the lamps to look to his left, where a young man leaned against the wall. He was dressed smartly in a crisp white button down with rolled up sleeves and burgundy trousers with a matching vest. He nodded in greeting before continuing. “Thermolamps do not use oil or fat, but rather emit light from combustion of gases.” “Combustion?” Minho repeated the foreign word. The young man cleared his throat and smiled, as if eager to answer. “Combustion literally means ‘burning’. But there’s more to that than what it means. Basically, we isolate a gas, like hydrogen from—“ The door beside him burst open and another man peered out. “I was wonder what was taking them so long. Why do you have to bore people with your science, Kibum?” The man named Kibum shrugged. “He looked interested!” He turned to the guards escorting Minho. “Right?” The men refused to answer. The man from inside the room sighed and opened the door wider. “Let them in right this instant. The Head of Celestia’s Royal Guards did not come here to hear you babble about how we light up our ship.” The man tilted his head and, for a moment, looked amused. “Or did you, Sir Minho?” Minho took one last look at Kibum and shook his head. “No, I did not. I came to meet the leader of the Feritas pirates and have a word with him.” “And you’re looking at him now.” He couldn’t help raising an eyebrow, but Minho had thought differently of the leader of Feritas. He had expected the leader to be much older, more brutish and packed with more muscles. The man in front of him wore spectacles and had platinum blond hair. His face was smooth and youthfully handsome. He looked like he had muscles yet he was more lithe than stocky. He looked the exact opposite of what Minho expected in a pirate, yet the aura of power and authority seeping from him felt like the real deal. “My name is Jonghyun, Sir Minho, and I am the captain of the Feritas. I was the one who sent you the letter and I was the one who received both of your replies. Shall we talk inside my quarters?” It was the first time a potential enemy ever invited Minho inside his quarters, without even a guard or weapon. Minho could wring this man’s neck before he could even scream for help. Yet he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t want to make a sudden enemy of the man who sneakily stole the future Queen from right under Minho’s nose. Jonghyun motioned for Minho to sit down and turned around to pour some drinks. Minho winced at the apparent lack of self-protection. “So, you look like you have something to say aside from what we should be talking about, Sir Minho,” Jonghyun said, back still facing Minho. “You do not look like a pirate,” Minho finally blurted out. Jonghyun turned around, two goblets in both hands, a look of surprise on his face. Suddenly, he started laughing. He rested the goblets on the table and laughed like Minho didn’t just insult him. “I am sorry,” Jonghyun said in mid-laugh. “I just found that so entertaining.” ”Why would you?” Minho said. “I literally said that you do not live to what legends speak of you. I had expected a stricter, even harsher welcome but it seemed the fame had gone to your head and you do not even protect your back.” Jonghyun tutted. “Do you believe everything bards weave in their songs?” “I do not,” Minho replied. “But even official reports talk about the severity of your looting and stealing and murder. How there is bloodshed everywhere you go. How nothing was left unturned whenever you pay a visit to a town or even another ship. How people who had witnessed your wrath never lived normal lives anymore. Your ship, Feritas, is a name already carved in blood. How can I not have the impression that you are all just a blood-thirsty bunch of thieves?” “I didn’t realize we had such a reputation,” Jonghyun muttered. Minho scoffed. “You do. Which is why I’m wondering why you are treating me like an old friend paying a visit to your homey ship.” “It is because I trust you, Sir Minho,” Jonghyun simply said as he sank into his own chair. “Do you prefer entering this room with hands tied and with a blindfold over your eyes? Do you prefer getting a cruel treatment?” When Minho did not speak, Jonghyun shook his head. “If I would only resort to such methods, I would not have sent a letter in the first place. Clearly, I intend to be as diplomatic as I could, even if my ship is threatened to be attacked with catapulted magic orbs.” Minho cleared his throat. “The first letter you received might be of…colorful language. But I assure you that we are willing to negotiate as soon as we are assured of the safety of the…of Onew.” Jonghyun leaned closer, placing his elbows on the table and resting his chin on the back of his entwined fingers. “I can give you assurance, if you would answer a couple of questions.” Minho nodded. “I will try to answer your questions as I see fit.” Jonghyun didn’t seem pleased by the non-commital response, but continued. “Did you come here with your Queen’s knowledge? After she sent that letter, I didn’t think she would welcome dialogues. She seemed so bent on destroying us.” “The letter…was written in a fit of distress,” Minho carefully replied. He peered into the goblet before him and took a whiff of the liquid in it. It smelled of finely aged wine. Slowly, he took a sip and was relieved to taste neither bitterness nor tell-tale sting of poison in it. “After the letter was sent, we decided that a diplomatic dialogue can be arranged. We wanted to null the letter but it was already in your hands.” Jonghyun nodded in understanding. He briefly sat up straight to take off his spectacles before going back to his posture from before. “Your Queen must be very fiery and impulsive, if that is the case. I’m surprised you haven’t had any war with the neighboring countries when your monarch has such temper.” Minho held his tongue, even though he wanted to say that their monarch, their would-be Queen, wouldn’t even dare write such an odious letter and that he was the gentlest, kindest, and most level-headed person in Caelestia. “My next question is about the person we accidentally stole from the Queen’s chambers.” Jonghyun watched Minho carefully. “His name was Onew. He seemed really important, considering the Queen threatened to kill us over him and that you, the Head of the Queen’s Guards, had personally come here to check his state. No matter what his role in the palace is, he is treated properly as a guest here. But I don’t think I can negotiate for his safety when I do not know who he is.” “I don’t think you don’t have to know who he is, Captain Jonghyun Kim,” Minho immediately replied. “Whether he is royalty or slave, it doesn’t matter. You have baited us into rescuing him and we are merely answering. Onew is a person residing in the palace. That is the only thing you need to know about him.” Jonghyun was quiet and stared at Minho for a moment. A few seconds later, he sighed and leaned back in his seat. “This Kingdom must have so many secrets if no one would tell me the identity of a simple man who just happened to be in the Queen’s Chambers.” “Whatever we have in our kingdom is none of your concern,” Minho snapped. But instead of recoiling, Jonghyun seemed amused. “It is now my turn to ask questions. Where is Onew?” “Are you not going to ask me first about my demands?” Jonghyun said before picking up his goblet and downing its contents. When Minho refused to budge, Jonghyun sighed. “Very well, I will call him in.” He stood up and walked to the door of his room, gave it three sharp knocks, then went back to his seat. Not a minute later, the door swung open and the man from before, Kibum, ushered someone inside. If Minho wasn’t expecting them to bring Jinki into the room, he wouldn’t have recognized Jinki at all. He was wearing shirt and pants and his hair was combed back from his face. Despite the fear in his eyes he looked very well and unwounded. Minho quickly took in Jinki’s state while trying his best not to gape in awe at how different Jinki looked like without the frills and crown. “Well?” Jonghyun said, gesturing towards Jinki. “Here is Onew and he is safe and sound. Why don’t you sit down, too?” Jonghyun kicked a chair out from under the table and motioned for Jinki to sit beside him. Then, he retrieved another goblet and poured wine for him. “Doesn’t this feel like a friendly chat?” “Only if Onew doesn’t have iron chains on his hands and feet,” Minho remarked. “Ah, but I need to make sure he stays, Sir Minho,” Jonghyun said, wagging a finger. “After all, I wouldn’t be able to make a bargain if this very precious person is left to escape.” Jinki looked at Jonghyun, then at Minho, then looked down to his lap. Minho couldn’t see what he was doing, but he was probably fiddling with his fingers, like what he used to do when he was nervous. “Now that dear Onew is safe and healthy, shall I announce my end of the deal?” Jonghyun asked. Minho nodded, and Jonghyun smiled, seemingly too pleased with himself. “I want the Queen.” Jinki almost dropped the goblet he was just starting to lift. Minho stared intensely at the pirate leader. “The Queen?!” both Jinki and Minho said at the same time. Jonghyun nodded as he refilled his goblet and took a gulp. “If it makes you feel better, let’s just say I want to borrow your Queen. I want to have a private audience with her. Then, I want a pledge that she will accept the invitation to get into this ship and ride to a certain place with me.” “But why?” Jinki blurted out, both of his hands gripping his goblet. Jonghyun raised his brow then for some reason, looked gently at Jinki. Minho felt uncomfortable at the sight. “If I tell you why, will you tell me about yourself?” Jonghyun asked Jinki. “There is a problem about this arrangement,” Minho quickly said to retrieve Jonghyun’s attention. “I assume that this arrangement is because you want the Queen to do some sort of magic for you.” Jonghyun seemed surprised and Minho confirmed that his suspicions were true. “However, Her Highness is not yet crowned Queen at the moment. She will have to attend the cleansing ritual, undertake a challenge from the Goddess, and do a number of things before she is crowned the Official Queen of Caelestia. Before the coronation, Her Highness is not yet a full-fledged mage and thus, cannot use magic legally.” Jonghyun quietly listened to Minho’s explanation and thought for a while. “When will be the coronation of the new queen?” “In a month’s time,” Minho said. “The next full moon is the night of the challenge. Until then, Her Highness can only use her magic in very dire situations.” “Then we just have to wait, don’t we?” Jonghyun said. “I can keep Onew here while your princess is…maturing or something. Then after her coronation, we can talk again.” “You’re going to stay in Caelestia and hold Onew hostage for one whole month?” Jonghyun shrugged. “Hey, I wasn’t the one who came up with those rituals and waiting issues. Maybe I should give a deadline myself.” As Jonghyun looked down to check something on his desk, Minho pointedly stared at Jinki to meet his eyes and read his signals. Jinki returned his stare and shook his head. After a long time of being together and putting up a charade of Jinki being a princess, Minho and Jinki had come up with dozens of signals using their eyes, mouth, and fingers so they can converse with each other without the knowledge of other people, in case Jinki needed coaching or encouragement or instant advice. This time, Minho had told Jinki that he would be rescued before the month was up. And Jinki just told him that no, he didn’t need to be rescued. He was going to escape. “Your end of the bargain should come no less than seven days after the coronation, Sir Minho,” Jonghyun finally said, rolling up his calendar. “Exceed in hours, and we will be sailing away with a new crew member.” Minho thought Jonghyun seemed too fond of that idea, as if he didn’t mind if Caelestia didn’t keep their end of the bargain. “I will come back for Onew when the time has come.” Jonghyun nodded and stood up as Minho did. He held Jinki’s shoulder to keep him seated. “Then my men shall escort you out of the ship safely as long as you don’t do anything weird. In the meantime, I will keep Onew company so he will stop giving you silent signals with his eyes.” Jinki stiffened and Minho did nothing but march out of the room. This pirate leader named Jonghyun seemed smarter than Minho assessed him to be. If they weren’t careful, Jonghyun could unravel Jinki’s secrets. Minho needed to move faster and more carefully than ever if he wanted to rescue their future Queen. --- Jinki was still aghast at Jonghyun’s statement implying that he had noticed the signals Minho and Jinki were giving each other. He waited for something harsh, like a punch or a kick or even a threat to come his way but there was nothing. Instead, Jonghyun slammed the door shut and slumped on his chair, his head perched over his arms on the desk. “Urghh…” Jinki watched Jonghyun groan and writhe on his desk. “Are you…alright?” “No!” Jonghyun shouted. “That stupid knight won’t stop drinking and I couldn’t stop drinking and now my head hurts. Damn the gods!” Jonghyun moaned as he slowly sat up and rubbed his temples. “You didn’t have to drink even if he is drinking. Minho is a strong drinker...from what I’ve heard the palace maids say.” Jonghyun hissed out a breath. “I was trying to be polite but I guess I should have been rude.” He clapped a hand at the back of his neck. “Go back to your room and…I don’t know…read or eat or try on Kibum’s clothes.” Jinki suppressed a smile, in spite of his situation, and stood up, his chains rattling as he moved. He could go back to his room and plan his escape. Maybe he could dig a map of the ship or something when Kibum wasn’t looking. He felt the promise of freedom even more strongly and excitedly opened the door to go to his room. “But don’t plan your escape!” Jonghyun drowsily called back from the room. Jinki winced, wondering if Jonghyun can really read minds or if he’s just really sensitive when he’s drunk. tbc. |
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I'm also curious to see how they're going to get Jinki out before the coronation. He obviously can't become Queen if he's being held hostage. Is Minho going to offer up a servant or something to be Jinki's placeholder so that he can go through the trials?
And Jinki got to wear men's clothes! He probably looked so handsome. I have so many questions about his thoughts about being on the ship. He isn't being treated harshly... I don't wanna ask any questions in case they get answered later... it's just so fascinating! Even the way that Minho wondered about Jonghyun's ship had questions popping up for me. There's so much detail, but it's subtle and things are described in so few words you could miss it. I love it! Thanks so much for posting the next part! I hope you're enjoying the holidays. :)
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I can really picture Minho admiring the ship and Kibum explaining to him the science of how it works. Then Minho and Jonghyun's conversation with Jonghyun being so mature and observant. Minho observing Jonghyun's fondness towards Onew.
And Onew got to wear men's clothing!!! I find it cute when I picture him staring at his own reflection ><
I'm looking forward to more interactions between Jongyu.. I'm really curious about why Jonghyun wants the Queen.
Thank you so much for the update. Enjoy your holidays ^^