Warning: Contains slight mentions of violence, blood and death.

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"Yeri..."

Taehyung's mother whipped her head towards the left without wasting another second, happiness flooding her features, eyes glistening, when her gaze landed on her best friend.
"Jihyo..."
Without any more exchange of words, Yeri left Taehyung's side to warmly embrace her dearly missed friend.

Queen Jihyo was a downright gorgeous lady, with pretty lilac coloured irises and straight, silver coloured tresses that almost touched the floor. She wore a deep blood red coloured gown that resembled queen Yeri's dress in more ways than one. The Queen had a beautiful tiara on top of silver hair, with little rubies embedded in it. There was a strangely majestic aura around her, one that would send people instantly grovelling on their knees.

The two hugged for quite some time, whispering sweet things to each other, giggling fondly at certain, particularly interesting, inside jokes while the courtiers and other people watched, loving the friendship between the two Queens and their beautiful reunion every year. The two separated, wide smiles adorning their faces, eyes glassy from all the unshed tears, and it was only times like these that the people could see that their rulers were human too, had emotions, and were vulnerable, no matter how emotionless of a mask they wore.

Yeri bowed respectfully at the King as well, slyly smirking while doing so, before the King laughed and embraced her warmly. Jihyo watched their interaction with twinkling eyes, reminiscing the past days, when there was no responsibility weighing on their shoulders and the four of them would roam around creating havoc, laughing together.

The King, King Jeon Hyunwoo had a strict sort of a face, the face of a man weathered down by time itself, dripping with intelligence and experience. He had sharp, pitch-black eyes, in contrast to his wife's lighter coloured ones. A mess of Raven coloured hair crowned his head, and one could see white ones here and there, another proof to his deteriorating age but ever-increasing experience. The King wore a simple obsidian black mantle that was splattered with red here and there looking almost like petals of the beautiful flower—the flower called fire. The linings of the garment were golden and made the dress even more noteworthy. His cape was a soft gradient from white to black as it flowed down. The crown on top of his raven-head, seemed to glow so bright, one would most certainly be blinded upon looking at it directly. It was a simple golden crown with complex designs and a lovely fiery-red ruby at the centre, and yet it was, without doubt, a piece of art that would be the most beautiful, even generations down from then.

Taehyung stepped towards the trio and bowed respectfully at the King and Queen of the Yin kingdom.
"My, my! You've grown so much in a year, Taehyungie.", Queen Jihyo exclaimed as she went forward to hug the Prince. Taehyung only embraced her back with a grin that completely resembled his mother's.

"Where's our other little Prince, Jihyo? It's been quite a while since we saw him.", Yeri stated in a slightly reprimanding tone.
"Oh you know how it is. The little devil refuses to be in the same room for such a long time, even for such important ceremonies. I apologize for his absence."
Taehyung couldn't help but wonder about the Prince he knew so little about. Just that his name was Jeon Jeongguk, and that he was around the same age as himself. The last he had seen of the Prince was when he was seven and he couldn't remember anything at all about the strange and mysterious male.

The doors once again were swung open with grandeur, and all the courtiers shuffled about, standing up on their feet, bowing at the King, who now made his way, with a huge smile, towards his friends. The two Kings almost squeezed each other to death, trying to figure out who had become more stronger as they hugged, while the Queens had to separate them and end their little contest with sharp glares.

The King of the Yang kingdom, Kim Daehyun had an extremely dominating aura, one that commanded respect from all those around him. He had blonde locks, same as that of his son, except his was paler and whiter, a sign of his escalating age. On top of the blonde locks, sat the mighty crown of the Yang kingdom, a golden one much like the other King's, except for the huge crystal blue sapphire at the centre. He had warm brown eyes, the colour a swirl of honey and caramel, and yet the prince had witnessed it morph into the hardest, coldest ones, at certain grave, perilous times. The King had donned a snowy white mantle with little sapphires embedded here and there and the embroidery done with golden silk thread. His cape resembled that of King Jeon, symbolizing the Yin and Yang circle's colors.

The rest of the hall, watched in awe and adoration at the two couples being all childish and funny with each other, loving the way their rulers would bicker back and forth, laughing all the while, because they deserved every ounce of happiness in the world.

King Daehyun then, delicately took Queen Jihyo's palm in his, bowed and gently kissed the back of her hand, while she faked shyness and batted her eyelashes at him. The other two royals, on the other hand, feigned a look of hurt and jealousy. After the little moment, the four of them burst out laughing, and Daehyun warmly hugged Jihyo as well.

Taehyung watched the little, sort-of drama between his parents and his second parents, as he liked to call them, smiling widely at the lovely friendship that they had managed to preserve even after all these years, wondering if it was selfish of him to want friendship and love of such a level of genuineness and trust.

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The throne room had always had the Prince intrigued, fascinated and captivated with its unique splendor. Unlike the rest of the palace, it had a bit more of a harsher, colder look, yet also had somewhat of a cozy atmosphere, one that completely suited whatever happened within those four walls. The hall was a very light shade rosy red, baby blue, and lavender all blending together in perfect harmony, creating the most gorgeous effects. One side of the hall was made in an artistic way, sporting extravagant murals that depicted various topics of deep, hidden meanings. The other side was filled with dozens of intricately woven tapestries, by the best workers in the empire.

The Prince's eyes fall upon two of his favorite murals—one of his parents with the Yin kingdom's King and Queen and the other of two little boys sitting on a bench facing the lake, one having pretty black hair and the second one with beautiful golden locks. The two were probably facing away from the painter while he had worked on it, because the raven-haired boy had only his back painted and the blond could be seen facing the other, pecking his cheek. It was a sweet memory, one that Taehyung couldn't remember much about, no matter how much he tried. Watching the mural from time to time only increased his curiosity and he so badly wanted to know just how much the black-haired boy had changed.

There was also a silk red carpet that was spread through the centre in a straight line, leading from the doors to the thrones. A few chairs, designed almost like miniature thrones, were lined up on either side of the carpet, to seat some of the important courtiers. The ceilings had amazing, carved designs that all merged at a point in the centre, from where a beautiful chandelier hung in layers, emitting soft golden light.

On either side of the hall, were mezzanines upon which spectators and common people would crowd during regular court sessions. For now, these were void of any audience due to the ongoing festivities, and translucent curtains were draped over them. There were huge windows leading from the gallery into the second floor of the castle.

The Royal priest soon announced that it was now peak time to start the ceremony. The royals were asked to stand upon the podium, that was now void of the two large thrones, as the prince observed them from a distance. He knew the whole flow of the ceremony and had deemed it to be futile and boring years ago, however as much as he wanted to, he couldn't just storm out of the room. So he stayed glued to the spot with a blank face.

"Something feels.....off, Tae. Don't let your guard down at any cost.", a crisp, oddly chilly voice that he had barely gotten used to, resonated deep inside his head, not failing to make him flinch slightly.
"I know, Vera, I feel pretty uneasy myself and it's definitely not the normal kind.", was Taehyung's reply to the fox that resided in his mind.

Vera was the literal embodiment of his powers, in the form of a fox that he had had the pleasure to meet not more than a month ago. And yes, powers as in the very same magical powers that the first ruler of the Yang kingdom used to wield, passed down over the generations, now under his control. Vera rarely materialized in her true form that could be seen by the world, preferring to communicate and assist her wielder telepathically.

Things were about to take wild turns, and little did the Ice Prince know just how drastically his life was about to change. Though it depended on him whether the change would be for the better or worse.

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Taehyung was sulking. His adorable little pout fully on display.

After he was left alone, his thoughts decided it was optimal time for them to roam all around the place, ranging from little things like jovial dinners with his parents to the times when he almost passed out from starvation and exhaustion after a rigorous training session. His mind suddenly wandered to the Prince of the Yin kingdom, the person he was most curious and had absolutely no idea about. He couldn't help but be jealous and frustrated at the obvious partiality between the two of them, with him having to attend ceremonies like these and the other roaming around freely like he wishes to, thus, leading to the blonde's unintended sulking and pouting.

The Prince's blank face returns, deep in thought, as he ponders about the hooded stranger that he had met this morning in the town. He knows he would most certainly try and search for him every chance he gets because the pale-skinned stranger definitely intrigued him more than he ever thought possible.

Taehyung was yanked out of his spiralling thoughts when the priest called out for his helpers and assistants to bring forth all the neccessities required to proceed with the ceremony. One of his disciples, got forth a thin, satin, banner sort-of a material, that was a soothing, creamy white colour with striking black borders. On the cloth, was inscribed a slogan, written in beautiful calligraphy with black ink.

The priest then told the two Kings to stand facing each other, with their Queens standing together behind them, facing the people present in the court. They were then asked to join hands, in a way that people do when they shake hands. The Kings held hands, with King Daehyun's right hand on top of King Hyunwoo's. The priest then proceeded to wrap the supposedly sacred cloth around their joint hands, while muttering incantations and prayers, to strengthen the bond between the Kings and their ruling territories.

Taehyung's eyes drifted over towards the onlookers. He could recognise most of them as important members of the court and a few officials from the kingdom's armed forces as well, probably for security purposes. There were also some of the elite nobles of the kingdom and their daughters, who he noticed, were already looking at him, blushing and giggling behind their excessively decorated fans. Taehyung spared them a polite smile and a small wave of his hand, that was almost curt and dismissive, nevertheless, managed to send the little girls swooning and aggressively fanning their now heated faces. The Prince also noticed the palaces maids, servants and buttlers scurrying around, tending to the needs of the guests.

Then his eyes started searching for the one person he hadn't seen since the previous evening, the one he spends most of his days with—his teacher, master, and elder brother figure—Choi Jisung. The Prince found him speaking to one of the maids, perhaps asking for something, with an absolutely bored and uninterested look on his face. As if aware of the stare sent his way, Jisung sharply turned towards Taehyung, catching him off guard, raising the wine glass in his hand and gave his apprentice a subtle wink, before continuing to converse with one of the people near him, unanimatedly.

Choi Jisung was a man in his early twenties, with soft curls of moon-white hair and cat-like, golden eyes, covered by round glasses, the distinct features of all the Royal family mentors that preceded him. The teachers of the Royal heirs have always been from this one family, the Choi clan, due to their absolute teaching perfection and academic qualifications. Jisung was a little taller than average, with a lean, lightly muscled body. He was easily, one of the most intelligent and clever person, to have ever walked on the face of this planet, with sharp eyes and a perennially stoic look.

Taehyung's attention shifted back to the ongoing ceremony just as the silk wrapped around the two King's hands was being removed. The priest then announced the end of the ceremony and told everyone to begin the palace festivities. The two Kings embraced each other, celebrating yet another year of peace and harmony between them, before separating and ordering the servants to start the celebrations.

"Taehyung..!", Vera's highly alert and somewhat scared voice rung in his ears. Before the prince could even process what was happening, he saw an arrow whizzing straight at him. He was frozen in his place unable to even react to the incoming danger, Vera's panicked instructions falling deaf to his ears. He watched with wide eyes, until he felt an impact on the right side of his body that sent him and his rescuer flying towards the left of the doors.

The sudden attack caused the people present in the room to slip into a panicked state and they started running here and there in different directions, trying to find a way out of the palace. The chaos in the room only helped the attackers get a few more clear shots, wounding quite a few of the subjects.

Taehyung looked up at the body that now shielded his own, and was surprised to find none other than his teacher, heavily panting.
"What the hell, Taehyung? You were supposed to dodge that! What's wrong with you?"
"I—"
The words got stuck in his throat, the graveness of the situation only now falling upon him, heavily.
"Save it. I understand, and it's alright now. Are you hurt?"
Taehyung meekly shook his head, though he had sprained his ankle when they had made contact with the ground.

Jisung quickly got them both on their feet, missing the low, painful gasp that the Prince let out, rapidly moving behind one of the pillars. He quickly covered Taehyung's body with his own, taking up a defensive stance with his pocket knife out.

The attackers decided to show their faces, having fired arrows from a safe distance until now. They entered the throne room into the gallery through one of the large windows and spread out on either of the mezzanines, standing in two rows of six assassins each. All of them wore grey bodysuits with similarly colored scarfs tied recklessly around their bodies, and masks covering their faces, weapons out and ready. The Prince's eyes widened as he realised that the attackers were from the strange looking group, he had kept an eye on for a while, as he roamed around the town. The blond knew they felt different and strange, he should have told someone about them!

The attackers all jumped down at once, proceeding to attack the people remaining in the room, covering for three of their men, who were now swiftly charging towards the Kings and Queens. Jisung hid the Prince and himself behind the pillar, knowing fully well neither he nor the Prince would be a match for such highly trained assassins.

Taehyung could only watch, a dreadful feeling weighing down on his chest, cursing himself for being utterly useless, unable to so much as move, as the three masked attackers almost closed up on his parents and their allies, the guards already out of their way, courtesy of their fellow assassins, who did a splendid job of keeping them busy.

The Kings drew out their swords, metal glinting brightly in the golden rays of light, the weapons standing sharp and proud, defending themselves quite efficiently. They had just taken down the three of them, when the rest of them attacked all together, knocking out King Hyunwoo and holding Queen Yeri at knife-point.

King Daehyun had to now surrender as both, his Queen and his best friend cum brother were at the enemy's mercy. Five of the assassins surrounded King Hyunwoo, forcing him to kneel, gripping onto his hair disrespectfully, to steady him. One of them held Queen Yeri from behind, left hand holding her hostage and right, gliding the deadly knife across her throat maliciously, sickening smirk on his face, thoroughly enjoying it all.

Queen Jihyo was close to losing her mind, seeing her beloved husband knocked unconscious and her childhood best friend with a weapon pointed at her throat. She was about to step forth, lunge at her husband in an attempt to free him, when she was held back by a few of the remaining attackers. Tears of sadness and frustration trailing down her cheeks in copious amounts, as she struggled against the restraints.

Daehyun was also held back, as he tried to reach to his Queen, bellowing in anger, trying to throw off the ones holding him, however, availing no success. He also, fell to his knees not caring about the pain that flared through his legs at that moment.

Taehyung finally gained control over his senses and body, still shaking but at least being able to move now. He was about to get out from behind the pillar, hands glowing an icy shade of blue, when he was pulled back by his mentor.
"There's nothing you can do, Tae. You aren't trained enough to control your powers yet. Neither one of us are strong enough to do anything."
And the helplessness and guilt, that was eating him up was back, as he watched, with tears blurring his eyesight, at the chaos unfolding at the end of the throne room.

The whole world seemed to slow down gradually, finally coming to a standstill, as Taehyung watched his mother's eyes meet his own, so many overwhelming emotions swarming in the depths of them, radiating warmth as well, calming the blonde a little. She was smiling for him despite all her pain. She mouthed out a sweet, 'I love you' at him and his father, before the knife slid across her throat in a swift motion, blood splattering, dancing mockingly through the air, as she slumped in her attackers hold, lifelessly.

King Daehyun's pain-filled scream, screeched through the air, shattering the hearts of anyone who came in its way. He lost all control, falling back against the assassins holding him, shedding tears of pain profusely. Jihyo was no better, completely paralyzed, tear streaks on her cheeks getting replenished with fresh tears. Taehyung was far too shocked, brain too numb to let out a proper reaction, wondering how such a beautiful morning turned out to be so ominously eventful.

Not even letting them recover from their shock, the assassins pulled Hyunwoo's head back by his hair, and slit his throat just as gruesomely, pulling away right after, and leaving the palace as if they hadn't just committed several horrendous crimes.

Daehyun and Jihyo rushed to their fallen lovers, as soon as they came back to their senses, both absolute messes, seemingly only capable of letting out heart-wrenching sobs and caressing their late spouses.

Taehyung made his way towards the podium, limping due to the sprain, eyes taking in his mother, who had only been alive and smiling moments ago, only to now lie lifeless in the arms of his father. Countless more tears dripped down his cheeks. He was about to reach his parents on the ground when he stopped abruptly, turning back, only to see the blood splattered on the floor turning black, reshaping into what seemed like letters.

Squinting due to the dull throb in his head, he made out the words,
'I rise again. Finally. I hope you enjoyed this little show, though it was only the first step towards the conquest of all the lands in the empire and beyond.'

A name flickered, in his mind, clear as day, before the ache in his head increased manifold and he felt himself slipping, falling unconscious, watching his world get painted, an empty, disheartening, black.

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'I remember tears streaming down your face,
when I said I'd never let you go~'

.......

Hey everybody! I hope you liked the chapter! Sorry for the mistakes.

Thoughts on the story? Any questions?

Thank you for reading! Have a good day or night!

Love for everyone, bye!