The Cruel Prince |norenmin| ~~ Discontinued

XIX

Jaemin immediately regretted coming to the Palace. First he had to assist to that little chat about him which angered him. If Renjun wasn't there, he was sure he might have harmed the elf that talked about him. And how did that faerie know about the rumor? The prince was pretty sure it was only him and Renjun on the hallway, when he told the silver haired male his secret. Still, that bitch knew something and Jaemin could tell it by her way of looking at him the whole day. 

"If only I could kill her." The prince thought and sighed while waiting for the last class to end. 

When the ugly goblin told them the day was over, Jaemin stood up and ran a hand through his fresh dyed hair. The light blue really suited his mood. 

"Why didn't you come yesterday?" Jisung, who caught him from behind while he was walking out of the tower, asked and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. Jaemin looked up then sighed. 

"I didn't feel good." The prince pushed his friend away from him. "I still don't feel well." 

"Did something happen home?" Jisung asked again as he trailed behind. "Why aren't you saying anything hyung?" 

"Because I don't want to talk about my problems" Jaemin hissed and started making his way home, on the golden path. But, someone stopped him again because the next thing he knew was that he bumped into a chest. The prince backed away a bit and crossed his arms over his chest.  "What?"   

Jeno didn't say anything. He was just staring at him and the way he was looking at Jaemin made the prince angry.

"Is that pity I see in your eyes?" Jaemin asked him while he kept on glaring. "Don't look at me like that, as if I'm a freak that needs help."

"I never thought of you as a freak in the first place." Jeno replied softly and surprised Jaemin with a simple yet meaningful gesture for the prince. He rufle his hair like he used to do when they were kids and also smiled. "Don't look at me like that either, as if I'm someone that special."

Jaemin scoffed and glanced at Jisung, breaking the moment between them. The younger elf was staring at the two, really confused by what just happened because he didn't know the reason of their fight. Jaemin sighed, knowing he had to explain to him as well, since they were friends as well.

"Let's go for a walk." He told his two friends. "I want to tell you something."

Jaemin led the way, but he had a feeling that someone, a stranger, was following them. He stopped and turned around, his eyes scanning the path, the grass, the trees, everything. No one was there except for him and his two friends, yet he felt like there was someone hidden in the shadows of the forest.

"What's wrong?" Jisung asked and looked in the same way. "Did you see something?"

"No." The prince replied and started walking again. Maybe he was overreacting after what he heard from that stupid faerie earlier that day, yeah, maybe that was the reason.

Ignoring the strange feeling, Jaemin left the main path and went deep into the forest, followed by the two elves in silence.

"Wow." Jisung mumbled as he ran a hand through his soft hair. He looked away from Jaemin, at the cold water from the clear spring.

They were sitting in the soft grass, the dark sky splashed by stars and constellations shining above their heads. The moon was missing though, but it was a beautiful scenery anyway.

The prince was playing with a black ring, waiting for something more than the plain answer Jisung gave him just now. He knew he should have told them about his secret, but he couldn't and now he even managed to hurt someone he started caring for. Someone who was almost just like him.

"So this is why the queen died so suddenly." Jisung exclaimed and looked back at Jaemin who frowned.

"Jisung..." Jeno hissed and smacked him. "Apologize."

A chuckle escaped Jaemin's lips. "Don't. It's fine." He waved his hand and a soft line of golden stars followed it smoothly in the air.

"But... I mean your father knows for sure, but what about the others?" The youngest elf asked again, his eyes shinig from the curiosity.

Jaemin layed on his back, the grass tickling his skin, as he looked at the real stars.

"They don't care, well I think they don't. They never did anyway." The prince mumbled and sighed heavily. "Lucas hates me while Doyoung just thinks of me as a stupid mortal. As for dad, I didn't see him in years."

No one spoke at all for a while. Jaemin kept on looking at the stars, while Jeno played with the grass and as for Jisung, the younger looked at the clear water in front of his eyes.

"We accept you just so you know." Jisung said after about five minutes of silence. "That's why we're best friends."

A small smile formed Jaemin's lips.

"Thanks."

⚜️⚜️⚜️

Renjun spotted Jeno right after the classes ended. He stopped right in front of that angry Jaemin who came to the palace that day. They seemed like talking and Jaemin wasn't in the mood. The silver haired male was sure they were gonna fight when Jeno ruffled the prince's hair.

"What are you looking at?" Chenle touched his shoulder and looked at the three elves who were now leaving together. "Weren't they fighting?"

"I don't know." Renjun mumbled and started walking home. He was about to tell Chenle that he might sleep over at Taeil's place again, when someone caught his attention.

It was the same faerie that kept on glancing at Renjun while telling her friends what she heard about Jaemin and now, she was following the group of three elves.

Renjun frowned and stopped.

"I won't sleep home tonight. I think I can face him now." He told Chenle not really looking at him. He was too busy following the faerie.

"Are you sure?" His younger brother asked and pouted like he used to do all the time.

Renjun nodded as he smiled. "Tell Donghyuck I'm better so he won't worry." He ruffled his hair before walking away.

He was lucky that he didn't loose that much time and he quickly spotted the faerie behind a tree. She was a terrible spy, because even Jaemin seemed to notice that something was off and stopped in the middle of the path.

Luckily, Yuta taught Renjun how to hide so he managed to become a shadow, unlike that faerie.

"Shit..." She whispered and snapped her fingers softly, becoming invisible for a few seconds, until the group of friends decided to walk again.

Renjun followed her until they reached a beautiful place. There was a spring with clear and fresh water and the sky, the sky was everything. But Renjun wasn't there to stare at the stars, he had to make sure that faerie won't hear anything Jaemin might say.

"Make one more step and I'll kill you mortal." The girl growled and slowly, turned her head to look at him. A smirk formed her lips. "How stupid do you think I am huh? I can smell you, idiot."