Forever & Ever (Showki fanfic) [Discontinued]

Ch. 22: The Royal Hunt (Part 1)

Hyunwoo

~a week later~

~east sea kingdom~

It wasn't often that we gods and mythical creatures gathered but the royal hunt is one of the most important ones. Not only can you establish and/or maintain relations, you can court someone. Namely, during such an event, the person typically a lady that gets the most animals offered to them would win the title of queen/king of the hunt and the person typically a man that hunts the most gets a wish granted by the heavenly emperor. 

To get to the kingdom, you would either need to fly, use magic, swim, or walk on the pathway made of ice to get the kingdom. My parents and I summoned our swords, hopped onto them, and rode them in the air to get the kingdom using magic. When nearly everyone gathered in the large garden behind the palace, a big magic circle appears on the edge of the garden. 

Then, light shimmers and the royal family appears. My eyes instantly went to look for Kihyun. When our eyes met, he smiles at me and I could have sworn that my heart skipped a beat in response. "All hail the sun, the moon, and the stars of the Nine Heavens," the chief eunuch whom I hadn't noticed arrived exclaims. (A/N: May have read too many nobility isekai manhwas. Haha).

"Long live the sun, the moon, and the stars of the Nine Heavens," we all said as we bowed to the royal family. 

"My subjects, please forgo the formalities and enjoy what the royal hunt has to offer," the emperor says. We then all righted ourselves and moved to the side so that they could go sit at the seats set up for them at the arena. Next, we trialed behind and went to our assigned seats and/or areas.

Those who weren't participating went to sit where the audience is suppose to while those participating stood in the floor of the arena that is surrounded by all the seated people. Once everyone was settled, the heavenly emperor holds up his hand and everyone stopped talking. 

"Good afternoon, my subjects-," he starts before saying a whole speech but I wasn't really listening as the speech is more or less the same as the ones in the past. My eyes wandered over to where Kihyun was sitting with his elder sister. The crown prince and the second prince are standing in front of everyone else who is participating. He must have noticed that I was looking at him as he stops talking to his sister and mouths something at me.

But, I wasn't really sure what he was saying so I tilted my head to the side to show him that I didn't understand. He does it again. This time I realized that he was saying or rather mouthing, "Good luck, Hyung! You can do it! Fighting!"

"Thank you, Ki," I mouthed back and smiled at him. Then, he suddenly looked flustered and went back to talking to his sister. What's with him?