Prophecy (medieval!ateez au)

one

"Mama!" the young boy cried. "Tell me the story before I go to sleep!"

"You've heard this story countless times, ho-"

"Please mama!" he begged the sighing woman, kneeling on his bed with his hands clasped together, almost like he's praying.

She gave in easily, unable to resist the charms of her darling son. "Okay, my little cub," she smiles fondly, "just this once".

Grinning from ear to ear, the boy clambered back under his blanket; a bear pelt his father had brought back from hunting one afternoon, claiming it would make a splendid rug, or cloak. Instead, his mother insisted it would make a perfect blanket for their unborn child, and what she says, goes.

She perched at her son's feet, knowing now he was much too excited to even think about sleeping.

"Written in the stars," she begun, "is a prophecy. A fulfillment written out by the gods. A legend that spans back in time further than you, me, your father, even your grumpy old grandfather."

The boy giggled. Grandfather is old, he thinks. 

"The prophecy states that every century, an evil and unstoppable force will come to destroy our very kingdom, uprooting civilisation here as we know it. Nobody knows how, or why they came to be, but the gods work in mysterious ways my little cub, do you understand?"

He nodded erratically, like he was trying to shake his brain inside his tiny skull. He hangs onto his mother's every word, as if she's the greatest storyteller the earth had ever seen. She was, to him at least.

"Around 8 decades ago, a mysterious man clashed with the kingdom. Not a soul knew who he was, or where he came from, he just appeared, almost like he had sprung from the sea." She continued her tale, aware of two, alert eyes watching her, unblinking.

"The tales describe him as a giant, powerful creature. On the surface, he appears nothing more than an enlarged human being, but laying your eyes upon him brought all layers of Hell into your stomach, brewing up like a stew, bubbling and steaming and burning hot."

"I like stew." the boy said. She carried on, ignoring his remark.

"This was no ordinary man. This was no mere mortal, but an agent crafted by the divine to wreak havoc on us-"

"But why, mama?" The young one suddenly queried. "Did we do something wrong?"

The mother leaned forward and pressed her lips on his forehead. "We don't know why, my precious cub. The gods have many, confusing things laid out for us. Our only job is to accept them, and deal with them as best we can."

"We shouldn't question the gods, right mama?" The small boy repeated the phrase his mother had told him multiple times.

"That's exactly correct, my young prince. If we question the divine authority, much, much worse could come our way." She gently tucked her son into bed, wrapping the bear blanket around him like he was the most expensive vase in an art gallery to protect him from any thieving hands. She kissed him once more, on the top of his head this time.

"Sleep well, precious one" She turned to leave the room, halting at the threshold at the quiet voice beckoning her back.

"Mama?" He called.

"Yes, Hongjoong?"

"When that evil man comes back, I'll protect you."

"I know you will, my sweet"

She blew out the candle by the door, leaving her darling son to sleep soundly as he dreams of the wildest fantasies a 6 year old prince could conjure. A faint smile rested upon her lips. He's going to make a wonderful king one day.