Kingdom

74. Laws of Magic (13)

Yoongi slowly wakes up, his mind gradually returning to reality as if emerging from the bottom of a deep lake. He finds himself laying by the garden entrance, stretched over a few soft cushions. Kim Namjoon is sitting not far from him with the cat rolling on the floor by his side. The Prince seems not to notice him, staring at the garden, lost in thoughts.

The shadows of the trees have grown longer but it is still day time. Yoongi could not have slept for more than an hour or two. Yet, he feels rested, as if he had slept for days. The despair that shook him earlier is gone; he can now think more clearly and calmly.

Despite all that happened, there is no need to panic. The spell can be fixed. Yoongi won't let things fall apart. Yes, recently nothing works as planned, but this is not the first time the King has been faced with unpredictable obstacles. He will turn things around. Instead of antagonizing that witch, Kook's mothers, he has other plans.

"What time is it?" Yoongi asks.

Joon jerks his head in the King's direction. "Oh, you are awake. Are you feeling okay?"

Yoongi nods and sits up, brushing a few cat hairs off his sleeve. Maia must have tried to wake him up, but in vain. Whatever magic put the King to sleep, it was very effective.

"It's late afternoon." Joon adds, turning to fully face Yoongi. "You slept for almost an hour, maybe more. When you fainted I was so worried, I considered asking for the Royal physician. But then I checked your pulse and all was good. You were just sleeping peacefully. So I decided not to call Jin or anyone else. I just waited...." He smiles innocently. "I stared at the garden and lost track of time."

Yoongi slides forward, moving closer to the Prince. "Did it all happen? The seagull and the black liquid? It wasn't some nightmare..."

"It was all real." Joon smiles awkwardly, as a person who needs to deliver bad news but tries to look positive about it. "Everything that happened before you touched that fan happened. Did you have any weird dreams afterwards? "

"I slept very deeply." Yoongi says, rubbing his forehead."I only remember the music playing - a very nice melody. And some swans dancing ...." He narrows his eyes, trying to recall more of the dream but failing. "It was a weird dream, but pleasant and relaxing. I feel rested."

"You should feel this way indeed, because of that fan."

"Jimin's gift?"

"Yes. I examined it up close and found a little writing by its side. It was glowing for a bit then faded away. I dared not to touch it but used a brunch to flip it around."

"What did the writing say?"

"If you want to chase your worries away, just swing me around, swing me around. I will help you rest for a while, just swing me around, swing me around."

"Interesting..." Yoongi mumbles, his forehead furrowing. Such simple magic should not be able to affect him so strongly. Yet, it did.

"The fan is an enchanted item that reduces stress and helps one relax." Joon adds. "I had a similar one back home. You must have been lacking sleep. That's why it put you to sleep. The fact that this magic affected you must be a clear indication that you are exhausted and stressed."

"You think?" Yoongi grins sarcastically.

"You should be careful."

Yoongi nods, raising up to his feet. "Did I say or do something weird before falling asleep? I only remember vaguely...."

For a split second it seems Namjoon wants to laugh but his expression remains neutral and blank. "No, you didn't say anything weird. You fell asleep peacefully. The cat returned soon after you lost conscious and slept by your side for a bit. You were very cute together. "