Chapter Text
Among the shadows, a small fire could be seen. Nothing was burning, since that would result in the crackling sound of matter dissolving into heat. This fire was different— it was a small ball of flames being controlled by a fast walking boy, who was trying to sneak inside the castle gates.
Guards passed by, chattering about how the latest firebending championships were turning the streets more disorderly, and the fire was extinguished from the boy’s hand as he returned to the shadows. Holding his breath, he waited for the noise of their armor to fade before he could cross the pavement safely and expose himself to the streetlights.
His exotic, natural silver hair caught much attention, as well as his tanned skin tone. They always gave away his true identity and for that reason he tried to hide those under his hood. Unfortunately, while advancing to the other side and into the light, he accidentally stepped on his cape. His hood fell off and he was exposed. Not for long, as he slipped under the castle wall’s shadow. The silver-haired wanted nothing more than to bend fire again, but knew it to be too dangerous and he looked for the missing brick with his hands. When he felt it, a small giggle escaped his lips and a passage opened right next to it.
Not making a sound, the sneaky boy entered and closed it instantly. Breathing in relief, he stopped for a few seconds, but the journey was far from over. He wished the gates were the only thing keeping the castle safe, but that wasn’t the case, especially that late at night. The tunnel he was in had no sign of light and he could again start the small flame on his hand to guide his way out.
Before putting his head out, he put the hood of his cape on his head again. He took a look outside and saw guards walking around, not daring to chat about any championship on the royal grounds. With a mischievous smile on his mouth, he again merged with shadows so he could quickly get to the lake that surrounded the castle.
Many would think it silly that a lake surrounded the Fire Nation’s castle. After all, that could be the biggest weapon for a water bender. Yet, no water bender would ever dare being so deep inside the Fire Nation, especially its castle, and their biggest enemies were often other fire benders that would try to take power. The silver haired found the small boat he had hidden by a forgotten dock under a big bush and started rowing as fast as he could. Thankfully, most guards stuck to the water near the bridge, as they had no idea there was a boat for use and they thought the only way inside the castle was by its doors. They couldn’t be more wrong.
Getting to the other shore, he hid his boat under the bushes, and managed to find the rope ladder he had left a few hours earlier hanging from a window. He could already feel the sweet flavor of victory on his lips as he took each step closer to the window and the end of his mission. It would only take him a little longer and he would be safe and face no consequences whatsoever for sneaking out. Unfortunately, the ladder broke under his step and his feet didn’t find a place to land. He couldn’t contain his yell of surprise as he hung from the rope ladder with only his arms as support.
Not even a minute after, he was surrounded by guards. If he could’ve, he would’ve created another flame to dissolve himself into the heat.
☪︎
He considered being thrown to the dungeons a bit too hard a punishment, but yet there he was, with only the spiders as his friends. Even though he had been at his best a night ago, now he was subject to a dirty cape, had his weapons stripped from his body and his hair was greasy. He was lucky that at least the palace didn’t hold many prisoners, none in fact, and he could enjoy the beautiful jailed facilities without any eyes on him as he went to the bathroom or ate food with his own hands.
Some guards would sometimes look, but they never dared to stare too long at Prince Haechan. Even if he looked like a homeless man and had nothing to defend himself with, he remained the third most powerful man in this country. The only reason he was jailed was because he had angered the two men above him.
Haechan didn’t mind. He still had his fire and played with it, training his breathing and control until he became bored. He would tease the guards, trying to stir up conversation to know when this nightmare would be over. There was only so much he could take in that tiny cell. Even so, the guards wouldn’t spare him a glance. One could only imagine what the repercussions of speaking to Prince Haechan might be.
The prince sighed. If only one guard would engage with him in a game of fire bending, prison would be much better. The King knew too well how to torment his son without moving a finger or taking one droplet of blood.
On the third day, when Haechan had fully mastered the ability of fire juggling, there was a change. The guard who was supposed to be stationed at Prince Haechan’s door took a stroll and he was replaced by a much more familiar face.
“Na, how did you get here?” Haechan inquired in a whisper, trying to see if there were any more guards behind the man in front of him.
Jaemin simply smirked. “Funny you still ask me that after you saw me sneaking into Prince Nakamoto’s wedding.”
He had been invited to said wedding, but, after the prince heir doubted his abilities, asked to be put on the black list with the only purpose of getting himself in with his tricks. He did so magnificently, revealing himself for the royal family at time for the celebrations to properly begin. For all the others, it was as if he had always been there. When Haechan had inquired Jaemin how he did it, he had shrugged and repeated his old mantra that a Master Whisperer never reveals the whispers he hears or the paths he takes.
“Get me out.” Haechan begged, holding himself to the door’s window’s bars.
His Master Whisperer smirked again. Even his smirk was sly, almost missable. Jaemin was one with the shadows in every sense. “Don’t be silly, Haechan. Ask for things I can get you. I don’t have much time.”
Haechan was quick to think, coming even closer to the door’s bars. “Can you get me intel? When will they get me out of here? I just want to breathe air again.”
He was feeling airless down there and that was the worst thing a firebender could be. Even airbenders did well in closed environments, working with what they had, but Haechan had started to feel fatigued and even training firebending tricks was tiresome. However, he tried thinking of a good side to all of that, that he perhaps would be able to make more fire with less oxygen if he trained himself well enough.
“That is according to the king’s desire. Prince Nakamoto is trying his hardest,” Jaemin informed and Haechan met the information with an unhappy grunt. The Master Whispered didn’t seem to mind, eager to go back to his shadows. “Anything else?”
“Take care of Yerim until they have mercy on me. She can get lonely,” the prince asked urgently, eyes focused on the corridor to make sure no other guard was coming.
“What a sweet protector,” Jaemin commented mockingly but nodded solemnly. He raised his cape, ready to be one with shadows and whispers, but Haechan stopped him.
“Also, get me a book. A History one of your choice.”
One last time, Jaemin nodded. “Your wish is my command, my Prince.”
In one swift move, he returned to darkness. His dark black hair mixed with the shadows, the sound of his steps in the humid dungeons a faint noise. In a second a guard walked and stood by Haechan's door. Another day in the dungeons would it be.
☪︎
It had indeed been great for his breathing control to be under earth for so long. It was humid, the fires he created didn’t last long at first but slowly they persevered. The dungeons had become a meditation place if he didn’t think too much of the leaking water, the lack of sunlight, or the noises of rats walking out of their holes with their little feet.
Then a new sound was heard. Not of rats and their little runs across the dungeon nor of guards changing shifts or even the light sound Jaemin’s dark cape against the damp floor. It was of solemn steps, made by someone not wearing silvery armor. This someone asked for the guard to open the door and his wish was granted, for who would deny Prince Nakamoto Yuta anything?
His robes contrasted with the dungeon not because of color, since they were both dark, but for its cleanliness compared to the sewer state of the dungeons. Yuta wore simple black clothes with shining red engraved in its borders and details. He stood tall above Haechan, who could only see his pointy shoes from where he lay on the ground. It was against his wishes to look up but eventually there was nothing else he could do with Yuta standing there.
Haechan didn’t say a word, waiting for his brother to speak first. Yuta was the golden image of what a Fire Nation heir should look like, with straight, black as night hair in a wild haircut and eyes the color of amber. Haechan took that in, those eyes staring down at him, compelling him to break the silence in the cell. Not even the rats dared leaving their holes. The only way something would come out of that interaction was if Haechan spoke first. His voice was hoarse due to so many days not saying a word.
“Is being treated like any other prisoner my punishment?”
Yuta crossed his arms, tilting his head up. “Please, Haechan, you barely spent a week here,” he spoke cruelly, clear and formal.
“Because of one night!” In a thoughtless act of outrage, Haechan hit the wall with his fist. Scared cockroaches started running to find new shelter. One of those unfortunate insects made its way too close to Yuta’s lustrous black boot and was dead the next second after Yuta stepped on it.
“Third strike this year alone,” the heir corrected.
“That you caught,” Haechan interjected with a smirk. The King could strip him from the sun, oxygen, and even freedom, but never of his spirit. It was a fire that he nurtured inside and no one would ever touch it.
Massaging his temples, Yuta showed signs of weakness for the first time. “You’re not making it easier for yourself.”
Haechan ignored his comment and decided to keep up with his daring act. He was already locked up in the dungeons anyways, there was no worse situation. “Is my punishment over, Prince Nakamoto?”
Yuta took a step closer to him and Haechan involuntarily trembled. The dark haired prince leaned over the silver haired prince, yellow cat eyes meeting Haechan’s navy blue orbs.
“Do not,” he spoke with pauses and threateningly. Haechan held his breath, “talk like that to me.” The nod as a response came immediately along with a dry gulp. Yuta seemed to relax visibly and took a step back. Haechan breathed again. “Why do you run away?”
“I always come back,” Haechan defended himself with pleading eyes. “Why don’t you trust me to come back?”
Yuta took a good look at the cell Haechan found himself in. There was no apparent expression of disgust or shock, but Haechan never expected that. Yuta had been well trained on the art of hiding his true feelings, as first-borns heirs should be. From what Haechan analyzed, his brother could be in the Fire Temple during a prayer or his disgusting cell, the expressions on his face wouldn’t change.
“It’s not only up to you if you come back or not,” he retorted, showing the rare emotions of worrying and caring for his younger brother. Haechan was touched that Yuta would still allow himself to express feelings.
“I just ask for you to trust my skills. I am a fairly good fire bender, I have Jaemin as Master Whisperer, Yerim by my side, and know how to fight. When will you give me my chance?”
Yuta looked down on him and took a deep sigh. “It will come soon enough.”
The prince turned around and walked out of the cell with the same solemn steps he had come with. At least Haechan had the chance to use his voice and have more than rats and cockroaches as company, even if only for a few tense minutes. He was about to start another breathing exercise, when the sound of those lustrous boots turning caught his ear.
“Won’t you come?” Yuta inquired, a hint of smile on his lips. “You could use some sun.”
Haechan didn’t have to be asked twice. With the strength that was left in him, he rose up from the cold stone floor and walked along with his brother in the direction of light.
☪︎
There was a girl tangled in fabric that hung from the ceiling.
These were probably the most eccentric rooms in the Fire Nation’s castle. It had large meters of cloth hanging from the high ceiling, making it a maze of fabric for those who didn’t know it well enough.
Luckily, those chambers were Haechan’s second home, and he traveled among the bright colored cloths as if walking in an open field. He had almost reached his objective when he spotted the girl that was hanging upside down from the ceiling, wrapped around the orange fabric by the foot. Her voluminous blonde, wavy hair had recently been brushed even if the girl had probably been practicing maneuvers for that entire afternoon. Matching the room’s bright colors, she also wore yellow herself and was barefoot.
Haechan coughed to make his presence known, but she didn’t open her eyes, either to annoy the prince or due to being such deep in meditation she had lost any contact with the real world. He didn’t have the luxury to wait for her forever and spoke loudly.
“Did you miss me?”
Yerim opened one of her eyes, as if to really see if the voice she heard had a material body that came with it. When she spotted Haechan, she smiled cheekily and unwrapped her legs from the fabric. Any other person would have fallen head on and broken their necks, but she simply maneuvered her hand to be placed on the ground as if she was a feather.
“Barely noticed you were gone,” she replied teasingly before throwing herself on her gigantic bed.
Haechan kept himself from rolling his eyes and took a step back. “Then I can go back to my chambers-“
Yerim instantly flew to sit on the bed. “Stop, Haechanie. Do not do that. I hate being alone.”
The prince scoffed, but still sat next to his friend. “Jaemin kept you company.”
Haechan was a black dot in the middle of the bright colors that were the girl’s room. Even her aura was cheerful and bright. The prince, recently washed, with his silver curls and dark as night royal robes, felt weirdly displaced whenever he entered his friend’s living quarters. Yet, whenever Yerim would whine at him, do a simple air trick, or smile at him so brightly her eyes became half moons, he felt more at home here than anywhere else in the world.
“That’s the same thing as assigning me a wall,” Yerim complained, crossing her arms and falling on her bed again. Haechan was about to respond when someone interrupted him.
“That’s harsh, Yerim,” Jaemin said without a hint of emotion in his tone besides light amusement. It had been a long time since Yerim and Haechan had stopped having jump scares from Jaemin appearing out of what looked like thin air. The Master of Whispers was one with the shadows and even his clothes agreed to that. Instead of wearing the noble robes that were his right due to his important position for the Fire Nation, he was content with wearing grey peasant clothes. Nothing was especially memorable about Jaemin, except his smile that showed almost the entirety of his upper teeth and was naturally open enough that at least ten bees could fly inside it. For that reason the Master of Whispers never fully grinned.
“Did I lie?” Yerim asked with a raised eyebrow. She would often try to engage Jaemin in quarrels, with little success. Haechan still enjoyed seeing her try.
The Master spy promptly ignored her and moved over to the prince. “I bring news. Whispers, to be honest. You might get what you wish sooner than you expect, Haechan.”
He was suddenly alarmed at the news. His heart beat faster. Jaemin enjoyed confusing him in his riddles.
“And what is it that I wish?” he asked, side eyeing him carefully.
“If you don’t know, I cannot tell you,” Jaemin replied mysteriously. He had a smirk on his lips.
☪︎
After being scolded again by Yerim for being caught and spending an entire week in the dungeons, they returned to their old routine. Yerim would show a new small air trick she learned and swirl around in happiness, bringing a fast wind that messed with Haechan’s silver curls but left her hair even more beautiful than before. Haechan would share about the new passageways he found in and out of the castle and they would converse while standing on the roof of highest tower of the castle, where they could watch the entire city.
Sunsets in the Fire Nation were one of a kind, since everything sun related in the land of fire was the most beautiful. The sky was a beautiful bright mix of purple and orange, Haechan could feel the earth warming to such sight. Yet, after watching it so many times, the beauty of it was lost on him.
“Do you remember outside of these gates?” Haechan asked, more mesmerized by the horizon than the sky itself.
Yerim chuckled and pushed the prince playfully. “Not as well as you, Haechanie. Always sneaking around,” she mockingly accused him.
Oddly not in a mood to play around, Haechan simply shook his head and kept his eyes to the front. “Not the castle gates.”
Yerim’s brown eyes widened, not hiding her perplexed face. For a second Haechan thought she wouldn’t answer his question, but she started slowly formulating it.
“Oh. It’s been more than ten years… I remember that there were places where the sun wasn’t as red as here and water overflowed everywhere,” she recalled, unsure of what she should talk about. Then her eyes softened and her tone became dreamier. “The beautiful mountains near my air temple hid and protected me…”
Haechan had never set foot outside of the Fire Nation’s capital, never visited the beautiful wonders of the Northern Air Temple where Yerim was found when still a child. He only had her brief memories of it and some drawings he found in the Forbidden Library that showed beautiful upside down buildings constructed on the edge of mountains.
“Was it hard being alone?” he questioned, throwing a stone off the building, trying to see if it’d at least reach the outside of the castle gates. He failed.
“I wasn’t completely alone, my cat owl took care of me,” she informed happily. Yerim still had the same cat owl, whom she called Joy, but Haechan hardly believed it ever tended for a ten year old child being as fat as she was now. “But yeah, it was hard. I’ve learned that, more than where you are, the people you are with is what matters.” Haechan felt his hand being held and turned to find Yerim’s eyes. “So please, if you ever run away, take me with you.”
☪︎
A meeting protected by fire was forged by fire and by fire would end.
Prince Haechan entered the circle. Inside were only the King, the heir, and his Master of Whispers. Once inside, Yuta nodded and raised a ring of fire that protected the meeting from intruders, spies, and murderers.
There was a table in the middle of the circle and everyone took their designated places. The King at the head of the table, Yuta by his right side as the heir, and Haechan by his left. Since Jaemin had been trained and made by Haechan, he was considered the young prince’s right hand man and sat by his left.
Haechan greatly enjoyed those meetings especially because they were the biggest opportunity he had of hearing Jaemin speak. Usually a man of few words and many riddles, the Master of Whispers started the meeting by informing the Fire King of the state in every province of the nation.
With a sly smile he revealed the weak plans of overthrowing the King that were taking place in the North of the kingdom and the great economical advancements that took place in the South. The King didn’t have much to add to this news, but Yuta, as the head of the army, declared he would send a small battalion to finish whatever talks of revolution were rushing through the North.
Then the conversation moved to war. Haechan tried to hold his smile while Jaemin, clearly bored and rolling his eyes, displayed on a map which areas needed reinforcement and where they had gained territory. Being a Master of words and politics, Jaemin considered war boring, a rude art beneath him. He did not mind the number of deaths or the lack of food, to him it was a game that put too much to lose against a thin objective. He did not dare mouth those thoughts to the King and even Haechan had only heard about them one stressful night when Jaemin had lost one of his war spies to the other side. His posture could even pass as respectful to the unknown eyes of the King and Yuta, but if there was someone who knew Jaemin, it would be Haechan.
Finally, Jaemin’s eyes sparkled. It was his time to shine. Foreign affairs were to be spoken of.
Perhaps because it was the hardest intel the Master of Whispers could get ahold of or maybe because he shared the same curiosity as Haechan of running through the Nation’s gates, Jaemin deeply enjoyed the game of international politics and he would always start his summary with a fun little anecdote.
“Time to love has indeed arrived at the Northern Water Tribe, my lord,” he declared with shining eyes. “The Earth Kingdom is finally sending their second eldest prince to court the only heir of the Water Tribe.”
“What are the matters of a second prince to us?” Yuta questioned. “Let him marry, we worry about the queen.”
“Queen regent, your Highness,” Jaemin corrected with elegance. “She is the eldest daughter but the son will become king when he ties the knot.”
Only the burning fire could be heard. Such shocking news was not expected and the King raised from his seat, lost in his thoughts for a second.
“That match should not take place. If it does, we should know about it,” he concluded while caressing his beard. “What is your plan, Master Na?”
Jaemin looked like a cat that had just eaten a canary. This was possibly the biggest intel he had managed to deliver since the discovery of the Earth Kingdom’s secret police years before. “To send a very small spy team to understand what the purpose of the union is and try to destroy it by seducing the heir of the Water Tribe.”
The King agreed and sat down once again. “Interesting. Who do you think would be fit for the mission?”
Haechan was positive Jaemin was about to burst his cheeks, so stretched they were due to his rare smile.
“Your son, your Majesty,” he announced with a fire rather unusual for non benders. The Master of Whispers didn’t even try looking at Prince Yuta, completely focused on the king who seemed think that Master Na had lost his mind.
“Yuta?” the King questioned carefully.
Yuta was not only was the married heir of the Fire Nation, he was also the embodiment of the country he was born. It was evident by his big amber eyes, his black straight wild hair, and his light skin. There was no way he could ever be a spy.
The Master of Whispers wasn’t crazy enough to suggest that. He shook his head.
“No. Your bastard son.”
Yuta’s lips became a thin pressed line, Haechan gasped loudly at the news of his right hand man’s plans, and the King rose from his chair again in an outrage.
“Master Na-“ he started saying, but was interrupted.
“Please, Your Highness, hear me out.” Luckily for Jaemin, the only acceptable place for a Fire King to be interrupted was in a Flames Ring meeting, since the purpose of such a gathering was to reach the best possible solution and only the most trusted of the nation were allowed to attend. The King was quiet, allowing the Master of Whispers to make his case. “Prince Haechan has a unique trait among fire benders. His appearance.” Both Yuta and the King’s eyes fell on the bastard prince whose face warmed terribly. “He is the only one that could infiltrate the castle without being noticed. Besides, you could count on his loyalty; he is your son.”
Even if the main reason for him to be chosen was based more on his physical traits than abilities, Haechan was more than happy to be chosen to travel far north into the waters of the Water Tribe to serve his nation. The prince was about to start his heartfelt speech, but his father spoke first.
“Haechan is out of the question, Master Na,” he declared with finality.
Not having spoken the entirety of the meeting and not being asked his take on the mission, Haechan was beyond offended. “But Father!” he yelled in his high tone voice.
The King spared him a cold glance. “No. You will stay here,” he ordered his son sternly. Then he turned to Master Na. “Find another one of your spies to infiltrate the castle.”
Jaemin, not one to enjoy any wars, including the ones of arguments, bowed his head solemnly. “As you wish, Your Highness.”
Haechan was still disappointed by the outcome and tried speaking one more time. “Father-“
“Haechan. No,” he said again and this time he stared at his son intently, his eyes burning fire. It was a warning to where the next step would take him.
Weakened by his father’s power, Haechan only managed to make his question as loud as a whisper. “Why not?”
“Because I said so,” the King said and turned his head to Jaemin to hear news of the Earth Kingdom.
Haechan couldn’t even properly storm out and be alone with his own thoughts and tears. A fire meeting was bound by fire and there all the participants would stay, until everything was burned and turned into ash.
☪︎
Haechan knew more passageways than anyone else, save Jaemin. He didn’t mind not being the best since his Master of Whispers had been taught to know every secret that could be told. Haechan also knew he would never use that knowledge to chase him down when he needed some time alone, as was the case at that moment.
For hours he locked himself in small rooms hidden in dusty corridors long forgotten by the castle’s new architecture. From there, he watched the sunset and then the sunrise, and looked at all the drawings of other nations that he had managed to steal from the Forbidden Library over the years.
Haechan’s collection was vast, so his pride of it was valid. There were paintings of each one of the four Air Temples, all hanging on the wall according to their coordinates and, next to them, written notes on the temple’s characteristics and inhabitants.
Haechan had also a stolen book of drawings of daily life in a city in the Earth Kingdom, probably either destroyed by the Fire Nation or forgotten by the Earth Kingdom itself. It was built beautifully on the top of a mountain and there were pipes that provided the rest of the city with water and food from up the river.
The last of his treasures was particularly fond to Haechan’s heart. It was a sketch made in blue pencil over an old, white paper of the canals of the Northern Water Tribe. It was the only drawing from the tribe he had ever snuck from the Library, everything else locked out of his grasp, but Haechan didn’t feel like he needed anything else. Somehow, the image of the lonely forgotten boat in the river that went through the icy capital was enough for him to imagine a city built of ice and the indescribable beauty of Glass Palace.
He heard solemn steps in the dark corridor that led to the room he was hidden in and quickly hid his most precious item inside his robes. His brother appeared from the shadows.
“Take it easy on Father,” he advised with a stern expression on his face.
Haechan didn’t even bother asking his brother how he knew of his secret place. During the third night of his absence Yuta had probably ran towards the Master of Whispers, threatening him if he wouldn't tell Haechan’s location or else. Jaemin was loyal to the bastard prince but to deny the crowned prince was beyond reason. Therefore, Yuta was in one of the only places Haechan had found solace in over the years, staining it with his presence.
“Put yourself in my shoes, Yuta,” Haechan muttered, turning his eyes to the horizon. Once again the sun shone down on the capital.
“He is afraid for your safety and the safety of the Nation,” Yuta reasoned while approaching his brother. His expression had softened after the younger’s request but he remained distant.
“Why?” Haechan asked in a beaten tone. He turned to his brother, as he did when they were children, looking for guidance from his big Yuyu.
The guidance he received was far from what he needed. With a patronizing tone, Yuta answered, “Because you don’t take much responsibility.”
He meant the best but Haechan couldn’t help but feel his heart break again. Even in the most intimate of moments, when no guard could listen, when the King was taking care of bigger issues than his children and even Jaemin didn’t have spies to listen to them, Yuta was unreachable, untouchable, the perfect heir for the Fire Throne. He would never understand Haechan’s conflicts, deeming his younger half brother to be a hazard to the royal family, an irresponsible brat. Gone were the days in which Haechan and Yuta would engage in playful fights with each other and played jokes on the terrifying generals that trembled under Yuta’s squeaky childish voice.
Yuta had been separated from him at an early age, stripped from his child clothes and given royal robes in return. He started attending meetings and having politics classes the entire day, no room left for fights or jokes anymore. It had been years since Haechan had recognized his brother beyond being the serious crowned heir, even if he still loved and admired him with his entire heart.
“None was ever given to me,” Haechan sighed his complaint. “I am the hidden prince. As long as I don’t make any noise, no one will see me.” His carefully maneuvered words seemed to hit the target straight in the heart.
“I will talk to father,” Yuta spoke benevolently. “But please, be discreet while I convince him, and come back to the surface. I do not want to take you from a cell again.”
Haechan held his grin and was ready to go back to his chambers, precious drawing next to his heart.
☪︎
The Throne was protected by a thin line of fire.
Haechan knew it was for purely aesthetic reasons or maybe it was part of ancient tradition. One of the two, something people never actually thought to explain to a bastard that played a role higher than his real rank. The throne room was oddly empty, only a few guards overseeing the entrances, but too far away to pick up anything said by the King surrounded by the crackling fire.
At first he didn’t even speak a word. Haechan was starting to doubt that he was correctly summoned to see his father or maybe he had made a mistake and would stare at his shame of a son for a few minutes before dismissing him. It could also be a scare tactic, one worse than even the time Haechan had spent in the dungeons.
The King had groomed an image of fear for himself over the years. His beard was long and, in Fire Nation fashion, black and straight, going down to his chest. He wore dark robes with the usual red details. Unlike the kings that came before him, the only golden ornament he wore was his crown.
Haechan stood still after bowing respectfully. He waited for his king’s instructions and would stay in his place until something happened. After a long staring session, the king called his son closer with his hand.
“You have a very cunning brother,” he stated in his hoarse voice. It was said he had acquired such weak vocal cords after setting the cities around Ba Sing Se on fire, the smoke infiltrating his lungs and damaging them forever. No one ever questioned him on the matter, but if it was true, Haechan hardly doubted his father regretted it.
“I’m only grateful that he loves me,” Haechan replied with solemn respect. Yuta was not to be criticized in his father’s presence.
“That you should be. He wouldn’t love you as much if you were a real threat to his throne.” Haechan wondered if the real reason behind his father’s voice was having poisoned himself with his tongue,. “You may go on your mission, Haechan.”
Excitement rose in Haechan’s chest, but the prince only bowed again. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
“All I ask of you is to remember who you are loyal to. The thing about spies is that, no matter who they are, if they betray the Nation, they get the same ending.”
The threat didn’t bother Haechan. He would rather meet the end of a Water Tribe sword than to ever betray the Nation he adored, but knew his father was only being careful with the warning. No one could be saved from the accusation of betrayal, not even the King’s son.
“Understood, Your Highness.”
“Go, my son. I put my trust in you,” the king spoke in the closest expression of kindness he could utter. The prince bowed again and turned around to leave the throne room and get ready for his mission. He was almost at the door when his father’s hoarse voice held him back. “Haechan. One last thing.” He turned around in time to catch the small ball of fire that had been thrown in his direction. “Do not get infected by their weakness.”
As the fire dissipated, Haechan could see a small necklace with a unique glassed coal pendant. He knew its purposes, for coal might not mean much for those outside of the Fire Royal family, but they knew well that whatever makes fire burn brighter and longer was to be placed next to their heart.
☪︎
Haechan had heard through conversations how hard packing was. Never having done it, he was especially anxious looking at his empty bag. He realized that maybe the ideal for a spy mission was to take objects of his most essential need and he did just that, barely filling half his baggage.
He heard steps entering his chambers and Haechan quickly grabbed the Water Tribe sketch he had left under a book by his nightstand and put it inside the book before dropping it in the bag and closing it.
When he turned around, Yuta was already behind him with a proud smile. Haechan picked up his baggage and Yuta walked him out of the castle, giving him advice.
“Follow orders. Remember who you’re loyal to. Get as much information as possible. Never take off the necklace and burn it if you need to talk to me. Do not trust any of those vile water people, but do not show that. Make them trust you by creating the illusion that you trust them.”
Haechan listened to the orders attentively, even though he knew them already. They walked over the castle’s bridge and when they finally reached the castle gates, the two brothers halted their steps and looked at each other.
“Will do, my prince,” Haechan promised.
“Please come back before your nephew is born,” Yuta said, barely keeping a straight face when delivering the news.
Haechan gasped. “Yuta! Weren’t you going to tell me?”
The prince shook his head, apologetic. “You had other things on your mind. But come back to meet your future king.”
Haechan made yet another promise, he wouldn’t let his brother down.
☪︎
When he hopped in the carriage, he expected to see Jaemin with his usual poker face that was easy to mistake as him being bored, but instead he was met with an excited smile from a long, blonde haired girl.
“Yerim?!” Haechan yelled in surprise, turning to fake-bored Jaemin the next second. “What is she doing here?”
“She is our ticket inside, Prince,” Jaemin said not bothering explaining.
The airbender was so happy that her hair flew up. “Thought you’d get rid of me so easily, Haechanie? Wherever you go, I shall follow,” she said sweetly, but Haechan only turned his face.
“Fucking brat…”
“I’m technically older than you!” she interjected a little outraged.
“You don’t follow orders—“ Haechan started arguing but was soon interrupted by Yerim.
“As if you do—“
The carriage they were in stopped and Haechan almost fell off his seat. Jaemin was the first to leave, opening the door wide for the other two to take a look at the port.
“We shall travel by sea,” he announced cheerfully. “Miss Yerim,” he said politely while he offered her a hand to get off the vehicle.
“At least the mute man is polite, hmpf,” Yerim shot to Haechan while accepting Jaemin’s hand. Haechan followed suit, finally being able to see the port clearly.
It was filled with war ships mostly, probably getting ready for another fight. A small colorful ship caught his attention. It looked like a private boat and, when he saw Jaemin and Yerim walking hand in hand towards it, knew it was the one set for the mission.
☪︎
The sea was loud and unbalanced. Haechan was absolutely smitten by it. The ship crossed the waves easily and yet the prince marveled at the small waves it created by making its path. He took a deep breath to appreciate the saltiness of the ocean air and let his hair be messed up by the playful, strong wind.
When the sun kissed his skin for the first time while in the open sea, Haechan had almost been sure he had found his place, a smile never leaving his lips. Jaemin was amused, having a hard time holding his smile and commenting how unusual it was for a fire bender to like water so much. Yerim was as wonderstruck by the trip as Haechan, only differently than her friend, she was taken by the wind. It was rare to see the airbender touch the ground during travel, she spent most of her time in the crow’s nest or even daring higher, adventuring between masts.
The Master of Whispers didn’t seem worried about his pupil’s lack of commitment. To Haechan it even seemed he was letting the two have their last bit of fun before their task would begin.
On the last night on the ship, they gathered in their chambers. For the last few days, Jaemin had spent his time making false documents and making sure every single piece of information about their personas was in place. It was all in preparation for disclosure of top secret information, when Prince Moon was finally to be discussed.
“Everything I tell you might or might not be known to different degrees by different people. Please do not make the mistake of sounding like you know more than you should. Information isn’t purely power, it’s a double edged sword, it allows people to know you and where you came from. Do you understand?” he questioned sternly, eyeing Haechan and Yerim attentively. The two didn’t have time to nod before Jaemin was giving them further instructions.
“Nothing spoken in here is to be written down or mentioned again. Do not question the Prince more than strictly necessary in court, no matter how curious you are. The first rule of this mission is: if you can not manage to make contact with the prince to convince him out of his marriage, gather as much information as you can. Your covers are more important than stopping this marriage. Do you understand me?”
During the last sentence, he stared at Haechan a little longer and the prince felt his stomach shiver. There was tense silence in their chambers, Haechan was afraid to even move one centimeter because it could attract Jaemin’s anger.
“Wow,” Yerim gaped in shock. “He talks.”
With three little words, the tense atmosphere faded and Haechan was holding back his chuckles. He could swear, if Jaemin had it in him to be embarrassed, he would be blushing at this moment, but the Master of Whispers calmly stated, “I do, Miss Yerim.”
The airbender nodded, still wide eyed. “You know. Words.”
“Yes,” Jaemin agreed with a shy duck of the head, “words. May I entertain you through them with a little spy gossip?”
The two pupils agreed and they spent their last night at sea diving into the secrets of the Water Tribe’s heir.
☪︎
Rivers crossed the snowy white land of the Water Tribe that was illuminated at night by the far away colorful lights of the spirits, contrasting with the dark waters that surrounded the country. The ship they were on approached slowly for security measures, but Haechan didn’t mind, taking in the imagery and hoping to find talent within himself to draw that dreamlike place.
If anything was the opposite of the Fire Nation, it was this place. With its reddish brown soil, black buildings, and a sun that shone orange in the sky, his home somehow always kept Haechan on edge. The Water Tribe’s glow was greenish blue, the ice it was covered with an untouched white and the sky had thousands of stars.
Most of all, what had completely bewitched Haechan, making him a mere man on his knees, was the moon. He had read old hidden poems in the Forbidden Library, love poems to the beautiful white orb that glowed in the sky. Haechan had paid little attention to them, always having considered it to be the same satelite after all, there wouldn’t be much difference.
At first sight, the prince asked forgiveness for his ignorance, hoping the beautiful moon above him would have mercy on his naivete. It shone in the sky, a bright white as if it produced light itself, a pure light in the night. Haechan felt almost as if he could touch it, as close as seemed to be to the sea. It would be a harsh journey, to sail to the end of the world on the hopes of touching the moon, but he would do it, adventuring in a tiny boat to reach the edge of the unknown and take a leap, perhaps hoping to touch the moon’s surface and grab a little of its untainted light for himself.
Perhaps he had read too many poems and was drowning in them altogether. Jaemin had to shake the prince for him to finally realize they had reached their destination at the empty midnight harbor where only a man in dark blue robes with two guards lurking near him waited.
“Councilman Kim,” Jaemin said with a bow. Haechan and Yerim followed while exchanging looks.
They raised their heads again to observe the man before them. He had a clear complexion, very much like Fire Nation people, but his hair was light brown. Haechan could imagine that his eyes would be either brown or green. An Earth Kingdom refugee wearing Water Tribe robes, how odd.
Haechan didn't spend much time watching the man, instead glancing at the two guards around him. There was nothing particularly special about them, they looked exactly like the drawings he had seen of Water Tribe people, with their big winter armors and spheres. There was little to be seen of their skin in the low lighting from the harbor and the ship, but he noticed their complexion was darker and was startled. Rarely were the drawings done with paint, and even though he knew Water Tribe people had darker skin color, but he hadn't realized the implications. Seeing someone with the same skin tone as him for the first time made his heart beat fast. He wasn’t alone. Yet, holding a similar characteristic to the Water people didn’t sit well with him. They were savages. What would Haechan want to do with them besides steal their secrets and help his nation?
“We thought we would have the pleasure of meeting the Queen or her brother,” Jaemin commented after Counsilman Kim had politely greeted them back.
“Do not think you can ask for such favors from me, Master Na. The Queen has bigger issues to deal with and Prince Moon barely leaves his chambers,” he spoke formally before squinting his eyes. “What is your issue, Master Na?”
Jaemin took a step to drag Yerim into the spotlight. “I bring you my most recent finding, an airbender refugee.”
The councilman was Kim Jungwoo, right hand man to the prince and part of the Water Tribe Council, the first foreigner to be so. Raised in the Water Tribe as an exiled member of the destroyed royalty of his city, he practically had water running in his blood. However, even after years of servitude and being Prince Moon’s most trusted man, it was hard for him to be completely accepted by all.
“Excuse me?!” he exclaimed in shock, pressing his hand against his chest. “Airbenders are extinct and the avatar is lost.” He paused for a second, eyeing Yerim from head to toe. The girl shivered. “Do you know where the avatar is?” he inquired while leaning towards Yerim.
Scared, she took a step back and Jaemin carefully put himself between the two. “Unfortunately no. Only this sweet airbender. She will not show herself unless in the presence of the royal family.”
Jungwoo straightened his back, staring at the Master of Whispers with a raised eyebrow. “How do I know you speak the truth? She doesn’t have any tattoos.”
Jaemin didn’t stutter. “Unfortunately Yerim didn’t master her art in order to get the tattoos, but you have to trust my word, Jungwoo. When have I ever lied to you?” he asked with his sultry tone.
Haechan was slightly alarmed by Jaemin’s intimacy with the Councilman to the point of calling him by his first name and implying trust between them, but he remembered it was a Master of Whispers’ job to trust no one while making them trust him.
Jungwoo paused for a second, not giving Jaemin the satisfaction of a smile. “You will have a meeting with the queen tomorrow. Do not embarrass me.”
And Jaemin smiled. Haechan couldn’t say if it was part of his spy persona or something else, but better not to ask too many questions in that strange land.
☪︎
Their ship was accepted inside the Water Tribes’ rivers and they sailed along with Jungwoo and his two guards, stopping by an odd house made of wood, diverting from the usual glass or ice. Jungwoo led the three visitors inside and once inside the house Haechan noticed that his eyes weren’t either green or brown, but both.
The Councilman was polite even if he was keeping some distance. After they ate together, conversing a little about Yerim and Haechan’s made-up past, he sent the two to his guest room. Jaemin stayed because they would discuss more business and politics over wine.
“Are you nervous, Haechan? What will the prince look like?” Yerim questioned while hanging herself upside down from the ceiling’s pillar.
“You have to call me Hyuck from now on,” Haechan reminded her sternly. He wasn’t the heir apparent, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t known throughout the land.
Yerim ignored him, tapping her fingers on her chin. “I hope he is pretty if you have to lure him…” Suddenly a mischievous spark crossed her eyes and swiftly she landed on the ground. “Do you even know how to flirt?”
“I know enough!” Haechan declared in outrage. “And my face speaks for itself,” he commented vainly as he spotted his reflection in the room’s mirror.
“I heard Prince Moon is called Blood Moon for his beautiful red lips and demonic features,” Yerim whispered secretively. Haechan was surprised to hear that because, even after the long briefing the night before, nothing was mentioned of his physical features, only facts of his past. “They are sending him the second eldest son of the Earth kingdom because he is the prettiest of the Earth children… Do you think the prince will think you're pretty too?”
“Stop talking about the prince Yerim!” Haechan exploded after not finding an answer to his friend’s question.
How dumb. He was a prince too, of course Prince Moon would find him pretty. Nothing was written on his beauty and few had even a chance of seeing Haechan, but still, he was certain to impress Prince Moon.
“He is what we are here to see, you must be curious,” Yerim murmured, lifting herself to her place in the ceiling.
“It doesn’t matter what he looks like, our mission is what we should think about,” Haechan replied spitefully, laying on one of the bedroom’s beds and falling fast asleep.
☪︎
Before dawn, Haechan and Yerim were woken by what looked like a sleepless Jaemin. The Master of Whispers had dark circles surrounding his eyes and a pale complexion, but that didn’t stop him from speaking quickly in a whisper.
“You must go. Only you two. Request refuge in the palace. Remember what you’ve learned. I’ll still keep in touch through my little spiders, but you’re on your own.”
All of the documents had already been organized in their backpacks, they had learned their character’s backstories and about the court they were about to infiltrate. Jaemin had prepared them well. In a blink, the Master of Whispers disappeared into thin air.
Councilman Kim didn’t take notice of Jaemin’s absence, simply asking his guests if they slept well and offering them breakfast before they sailed to the palace for their meeting with the queen. Maybe it was just Haechan’s impression, but the man looked even happier and cheerier than the night before.
They sailed through the river-streets in canoes earlier than the city had woken, the Water Tribe was still silent, the sun shining and producing a white reflection on the ice. Worried about the crystal clear water hiding how deep the rivers were, Haechan barely noticed when the palace appeared in front of his eyes.
A gigantic structure of ice and glass, several stories high, the building could be seen even from the gates of the Tribe. Haechan remembered his other drawings, but indeed nothing compared to seeing the magnificent palace up close. Not even the Fire Nation’s fortress was as imposing.
The guards allowed the canoe to come inside its gates and they reached the palace's courtyard, where they had to disembark. The Queen awaited for them on the ethereal throne, wearing the usual winter fur of her country.
Trembling due to cold and anxiety, Yerim tried to present herself properly but lost a step and ended up on her knees. The Queen didn’t look very impressed, turning her face towards Jungwoo, who explained the origin and purpose of these foreign visitors.
She requested for Yerim to show her powers, which she did, but failed in delivering a good technique. The airbender ended sticking to her basic moves of flying a little above ground and creating fast currents of air.
“Interesting,” said the queen. “Who is your friend behind you?”
Yerim coughed before answering. “He is Lee Donghyuck, a Water Tribe man who as a child was stolen and dragged to work in the Fire Nation as a slave. He freed himself and on his way back home, found me alone. After we gained each other’s trust, he offered to bring me to the Water Nation saying that here there would be refuge for me.”
“Water Tribe,” she corrected sternly before her eyes lost focus.
Haechan knew she wanted to appear uninterested, but the truth was read through her movements and gaze. He wouldn’t be mistaken to say she was infuriated with Jungwoo for bringing them to the palace. She probably considered them to be a hazard to the tribe’s security and didn’t intend on accepting them no matter their claims.
“Please, your Highness,” begged Yerim on her knees. “Accept our request. We wish to have a home again, to establish ourselves.”
The Queen blinked her eyes slowly before opening her mouth. Just as she was about to utter her verdict, Councilman Kim, who had disappeared in the middle of the meeting, returned, bringing with him a small note. The Queen took a look at it and turned to the two visitors with distaste.
“Looks like my brother is rather interested in airbending. Welcome to court. Please learn the rules quickly.”
☪︎
Learn the rules quickly they did. Used to court life, it was rather easy fitting into the Water Tribes’ norms. In the end, Haechan learned that royalty was royalty, no matter where it was.
The two were granted two bedrooms that were connected by a bathroom, along with a small balcony from which the entire tribe could be seen. Haechan spent many days on that balcony, watching the Water Tribe people sail through their rivers, their small fairs, their work cutting ice to create more streets and sell said ice. What amazed him the most were the sunsets. Maybe they weren’t as beautiful as the ones in the Fire Nation, but to watch the moon gain focus little by little while the sky darkened was a pure spectacle.
Other than watching the moon, Haechan had court duties that consisted primarily of having meals with the palace’s royals in their dining room. Once a week the Queen appeared, but never with her younger brother.
Yerim, being the only surviving airbender in the world, often received visits from court members. Some left rather disappointed at the girl’s lack of training in the art of bending, but many marveled at her powers and even cried, thanking the spirits that there was still an airbender left in the world after their massacre.
Haechan was quite confused at first. The massacre of the airbenders occured due to their military greed, they caused it themselves, and yet somehow an innocent baby like Yerim survived. The King had told Haechan early on how other nations distorted history and the past so they could make the Fire Nation the villain. Haechan didn’t blame those emotional Water Tribe people, but their commentary annoyed him just the same.
Few of them ever paid any attention to the prince, who had been relegated to the mere role of the airbender’s friend and helper. Haechan only had Yerim to keep company and, to his own surprise, Councilman Kim, who would come some days to talk to both of them, sometimes even conversing with Haechan when Yerim was busy with her tricks.
Through him, Haechan learned a little about Prince Moon, even without asking a thing. Apparently Jungwoo was his best friend ever since he had been rescued by Water Tribe troops in a battle against the Fire Nation and he was brought to the tribe’s orphanage. Prince Moon had just lost his mother in said battle. In an attempt to heal his heart, his older sister, the current Queen, adopted baby Jungwoo so the small Prince would occupy his heart by taking care and playing with the child.
Other than this story, shared when Haechan inquired what the Councilman was doing in those foreign lands, nothing more was said of Prince Moon except that he rarely went out of his chambers and was of unspoken beauty. Haechan wanted to ask what he was so secretive for, but knew Jungwoo would protectively brush those inquiries off. It didn’t take too long to see how loyal he was to his prince. Jungwoo was certainly an eccentric personality, suspecting everyone but finding amusement in talking to strangers. How his friendship with Jaemin came about was still a mystery to Haechan.
The firebender also didn’t let those conversations last too long, afraid he would let something slip about his past or firebending. It came naturally to him, mentioning his brother, talking about the palace, creating fire with his fingers, but those habits had to be suppressed. It was slowly killing him inside to not warm himself in that freezing land with some fire or to stabilize himself spiritually with his bending, but when the other option was death, better for Haechan to suffer.
And so, two weeks passed in which Haechan listlessly remained in his bedroom, sometimes leaving to attend court duties, finding some comfort only in the moon in the sky.
One day that routine changed. Haechan felt the difference stepping in the dining room, the entire palace’s staff running around and bending water into ice to form the most beautiful flowery shapes. The Queen herself made sure to overlook those preparations and the entire court waited patiently in the external courtyard for a ship to arrive.
The delegation inside was small, made only of necessary staff. They surrounded the reason for the general excitement, blocking the court’s view. Only after they walked towards the throne and kneeled to it, the most important of them stood up and took a step further.
The Earth Prince dressed his part, very luxuriously in green robes along with golden details and jewelry. On his right hand there was an emerald ring that Haechan knew to cost the same as an entire ship. In regards to his physical appearance, Haechan eyed his rival slowly.
The prince had a small face, with a triangular chin and elegant hawk eyes. He didn’t smile, his thick lips were pressed together due to tension and formalities and, even through the big robes of the Earth Kingdom, his broad chest and shoulders were very apparent. Other than that, he had the common features of someone from his land, with dark green eyes and fluffy brown mane. He wasn’t as light as Fire Nation people, but his complexion was far from the Water Tribe’s tanned skin.
After approaching the queen, he bowed and kissed her ring. “I’m the Second-Born Prince Dong Sicheng from the Earth Kingdom of Ba Sing Seh at your disposal, my queen.”
The queen looked pleased and welcomed him into court. Common pleasantries were exchanged, such as gifts between the lands and praises. Their constant criticism towards the dangers of the Fire Nation made it impossible for Haechan not to roll his eyes, but he managed to keep quiet, watching their little orchestrated theater. Even so, Sicheng looked tense throughout the whole meeting and an unspoken question cut through everyone’s thoughts.
When formalities ran so long that the sun set and an early clear night was upon them, someone appeared from the palace’s doors, feet barely touching the ground with how easily he carried himself. There was no light thrust upon him, but all eyes were set on this new presence that wore thin light blue robes adorned in silver even in the cold weather. His skin was golden, reflecting the little light that was thrust upon him by the rising moon, and his hair was scarlet red, graced with a simple ivory crown. He found his place on the throne next to the queen after kissing her ring and finally raised his chin up. His bangs left little to see of his eyes but Haechan knew they were blue. His high cheekbones stood out even though he did not smile and his lips were the color of blood. Prince Moon had just appeared in front of court.
There was an immediate uneasiness, with whispers and gossip running around as all eyes were set on the prince. Yerim squirmed next to Haechan but he paid her no attention. Somehow, without speaking a word, Prince Moon produced a quiet, powerful aura that was only enhanced by his beauty. Haechan had never felt as attracted to someone in his life. All he knew was that he had to meet the prince, talk to him and, most of all, touch him.
With a kind, soft expression, he turned his eyes to Prince Sicheng, who kneeled before him and again presented his credentials. Prince Moon nodded his head slowly and let a smile spread his lips, lifting his cheekbones even higher. Haechan noticed he had a small moonstone necklace on his chest.
The next second, Prince Moon lifted himself up from his throne. Before he went back to his room, he bended a small portion of water into ice directly in Prince Sicheng’s hands. It took the shape of a flower and the Earth prince sighed in admiration.
The court was so amazed by the prince’s bending, they missed him walking lightly towards the doors of the palace. Haechan didn’t, he couldn’t take his eyes off the prince and his magnetic presence. Before he could close the door behind him, he turned around and Haechan could have sworn their eyes met for a brief second, only for the door to close so he lost sight of the fairly named Blood Moon.
☪︎
There was another hobby Haechan had taken to doing, though only rarely and on special occasions. If he ever had sleepless nights and the moon could no longer give him the comfort he needed, he took a small page he had brought from the Forbidden Library that narrated secret passageways throughout the castle.
As it wasn’t a map, it made these corridors harder to find and he had no idea where they would lead them. However, whenever he found one, he could use his bending with some relief since those tunnels had long been forgotten by the palace’s staff and court.
Some passageways lead to gigantic libraries, others to empty rooms long forgotten, and one even to a beautiful winter garden with a lake and a fountain. Haechan couldn’t see much of it with only the light of the moon to illuminate the place and was too scared someone would see if he used his bending for fire (even if there was no one in sight.) Instead, he promised himself to come back there someday to see that beautiful place better in the light of the sun.
Such an opportunity came soon after the arrival of Prince Sicheng. Yerim was telling him the latest gossip on the lower ranks of the court, usually very scandalous but lacking the interest of power, when Jungwoo knocked on their room.
“Prince Moon requests your presence, Yerim,” he informed. Haechan hopped off the bed, ready to follow his fidgeting friend, but was stopped by Jungwoo’s glance. “Only Yerim,” he emphasized sternly.
Yerim hesitated. She hadn’t been out of Haechan’s presence ever since they arrived at the palace. He couldn't always be in the same conversation as her, but he was still in the room and she needed him to make sure she was doing it right. Yet, the right thing to do at that moment was to meet Prince Moon with or without him and Haechan made sure to give her support with his eyes.
Yerim was dragged out of their room and for a second Haechan felt empty. Then he recalled the garden's passageway and how it was a good moment to explore it.
The best part about that passageway was that its entrance was the closest to their quarters, so all it took was for Haechan to find the statue of Avatar Kurruk and press the right fang of his wolf’s clothing for a small passageway to open under the statue. Haechan hopped inside and the door closed a second after he got in.
The path he followed was easy, there was only one way to go in that tunnel: down the dark humid stairs. Only the hollow sound of his steps was heard and sometimes they were hidden by the sounds coming from the windows. That corridor gave Haechan the opportunity to spy on the kitchen, the royal dinner, and more, though never providing him a door. The only other door was at the end of it, his destiny, the beautiful winter garden.
When he arrived, he could see it was even prettier now that he could properly take in its details. The lake wasn’t frozen and the dark-stoned fountain let water flow, providing a relaxing sound mixed with the rustle of the trees and birds singing. Even covered in snow, the trees showed their dark green colors and some even dared to let a flower bloom. Haechan wasn’t one to scrutinize the minimalist palette of white and blue, finding it rather pretty compared to colorful clashing colors.
There was one spot of color that caught his eyes. It was red, scarlet red.
Prince Moon walked with Yerim to what Haechan now knew was his private garden, sitting down on a pair of ivory chairs. He dressed in darker blue clothes that looked warmer than the flowy aqua robes he wore to greet Prince Sicheng, and no crown graced his hair any longer. His aura had also changed, because the prince smiled easily at the airbender, eyes shining even from afar.
Haechan held a laugh as he watched Yerim fidget in her seat, gesturing a lot in contrast to Prince Moon’s still body, who only nodded and blinked. She even performed air tricks accidentally, a sign she was truly nervous but Prince Moon’s smile grew even more.
At that moment, Haechan finally realized he could not hear a single word spoken between the two, not even Yerim’s excited exclamations or the sound of the wind she conjured. Again, he could watch Prince Moon, but not approach or hear his voice.
It was a big disappointment, but instead of returning to his quarters, Haechan sat down and observed. The silence wasn’t absolute, his heart beats were still loud.
☪︎
“What was the meeting about?” Haechan inquired the second Yerim returned. He had run up the stairs the second he noticed Prince Moon and Yerim were bidding their goodbyes, falling on the way and scratching his knee. Thankfully no one could see that.
When his friend was back, with a glowy smile and an airy blissful state, Haechan made sure to get straight to the point so he could get as much information as possible before it fled her memory.
“He wanted to know about me, my childhood alone,” she replied while staring at a mirror and undoing her blonde braids.
“Did he say anything about himself?” Haechan questioned, trying to meet Yerim’s gaze through the glass’s reflection.
“Not much. He doesn’t seem like the talker type,” she said calmly, turning around when she was done with her hair only to find Haechan centimeters away from her face.
“What type is he?” he insisted, eyes darting from one of Yerim’s eyes to the other.
The airbender was shocked by her friend’s state but merely laughed before whistling. “Someone is curious,” the girl teased before throwing herself on her bed.
“Yerim, the prince is our mission,” Haechan stated with frustration.
For the first time since her return, Yerim lost the curl on the corner of her lips. “I know.” She paused, lost in thoughts for a moment. “I told him I didn’t know much airbending because I never had a master or found old archives on it and he offered me the Royal Archives to study,” she finally confessed and the smile returned to her lips.
Haechan threw himself on the bed. “No way, Yerim!”
“Finally gonna connect to my bending,” she said while nodding in disbelief.
“And you’ll have access to their archives! You can get something from there,” Haechan added to which his friend agreed again, only with a weaker smile.
After so long locked in court, the mission seemed to finally start.
☪︎
The meetings kept taking place once a day. Taeil would call Yerim to his garden and Haechan would follow them in his secret tunnels. For some unknown reason, even to himself, he didn’t choose to share the secret spot he could watch them from with Yerim. Perhaps she would give it away to the prince or it would make her more nervous, or Haechan liked the idea of having a place of his own to observe Prince Moon, but the tunnels were for him only.
One day, simply aching to watch more of Prince Moon, Haechan stood at his place even after Yerim had left. He would have to think of the consequences later, probably could make up a good enough excuse his friend would believe, but for the moment, he liked keeping his eyes set on the Blood Moon.
Prince Moon approached the lake and watched over it. Yerim had told Haechan the lake was filled with colorful koi fish and Prince Moon liked feeding them. He was playfully bending a small portion of water when he was interrupted by Jungwoo bringing yet another guest. Haechan held a groan as he watched Prince Sicheng approach Prince Moon.
When he touched the water prince’s shoulder, all concentration was lost and the small ball of water he was bending returned to the lake. With a sweet smile, Prince Moon took the earth prince by the hand to the ivory table so they could sit and drink lotus tea. The two talked for a little over an hour, when Jungwoo arrived once again, taking the earth prince away.
It became a routine for Haechan to observe Prince Moon when with Yerim and then with Prince Sicheng, guiltlessly lying to his friend that he had spent time at the street market. It was necessary to keep an eye on the Prince after all, it was information for his country.
Most meetings followed the same pattern of conversations over the ivory table. Haechan noticed the Prince laughed more openly with Yerim, but looked more endeared by Sicheng. With the airbender, they would mostly exchange their bending tricks. Yerim would display something simple but innovative that she had learned from the palace’s old scrolls, while the Prince prided himself on advanced bending.
The first time the Prince made an ice ship from bending alone, Haechan was speechless. He had never seen bending so precise and meticulous, especially from water benders. One special day Yerim must have teased Prince Moon to show off more than beautifully crafted ice pieces and so Taeil gathered some water from the lake and shot them onto a target. They hit the center perfectly and even Prince Moon himself was wide eyed, looking at his own hands, astonished. As Yerim clapped her hands in amazement, Prince Moon looked around, in search of something. Haechan felt his heart beating stronger and for a second the unreasonable fear of being discovered hit him. Prince Moon’s eyes darted towards the midst of the trees, where Haechan’s hidden door was, but Yerim thankfully jumped to hug him. Haechan breathed in relief. Their eyes met but he knew, realistically speaking, the prince couldn’t have seen him.
He composed himself, sitting on the table next to Yerim while smiling calmly. When he opened his mouth, Haechan was again reminded of the silence in his tunnel and decided to return to his quarters to wait for Yerim there.
When she returned, Haechan was avid to avoid any conversation about the company she had been keeping, and questioned her about her research on the secret scrolls and scriptures.
“All I can find in my limited amount of time are tales about ancient Water Tribe History,” she said when sitting down on the bed.
“What tales?”
“How they worshiped the moon because the moon creates the tides. The closer the moon is to us, the stronger their power because the moon was the first water bender. She created the tides,” Yerim informed.
Haechan hadn’t missed how she said ‘us’ instead of ‘them.’ Prince Moon was indeed mesmerizing and stole almost all of his attention, but Haechan still noticed how his friend was slowly initiating hugs with the prince, engaging in bickering with Jungwoo, and genuinely enjoying her tasks in court. The fire prince didn’t wish to bring the issue to the table, but he kept an attentive eye.
“What else?” he inquired, growing impatient with his friend’s short answers.
“It’s all old folks—“
Haechan raised his hand to shush her.
“Those are the most important of all,” he stated to which she nodded. “What do they say?”
Thankfully she didn’t claim not to have read them or else Haechan might have tried to break in the Royal Library himself.
“They say that the water people couldn’t only depend on the variables of the moon, it was a weakness for them. They had to find the solution in a split spirit. A human body that would protect its own spirit and the moon spirit, keeping it safe and close to the water people,” she said, not keeping from her facial expression how she found it to be ridiculous. Haechan knew how little people cared about spirits, but he had read his books and knew better.
“So?” he encouraged her to go on. Yerim rolled her eyes. He ignored it.
“The first split spirit was Prince Moon’s ancestor. The Water Tribe, to assure the moon spirit never travels far from home, made sure to grant them the heavy crown for their lineage. It is said that the spirit is alive today, though it can’t be sure if it is in the Prince’s or the Queen’s body.”
A spirit inherited by blood that allowed the Water Tribe to thrive. He didn’t need much thought to know for certainty that the spirit was trapped inside Prince Moon’s body for such meticulous water bending was not humanly possible. Watching him bend was reward enough for his mission.
“What else does it say about this Moon spirit?” he asked after a long pause he spent lost in his thoughts.
“Nothing. All of its secrets are locked,” she replied dutifully.
Haechan chuckled in victory. “And you dare tell me this is folk tale…”
Yerim rolled her eyes again and, to appease her bad mood, Haechan playfully jumped on the bed, making her jump too and, combined with her natural air bending, floated a little. The two ended up laughing on the mattress.
Two nights later, it was the celebration of the arrival of the Earth Kingdom delegation and a grand dinner was held. Haechan had fidgeted the entire day, wondering if Prince Moon would make an appearance. Even Yerim had commented on his uneasy state, but Haechan had simply responded he was worried about the mission.
As honored guests, the Earth delegation sat at the royal table, along with Yerim and Haechan, only they were farthest away from the crowned prince and the queen. Their presence was only joined by Jungwoo, who Haechan suspected had chosen his seat on his own.
When Prince Moon arrived, Haechan felt himself go stiff. He walked as if on air and his clothes were as extravagantly beautiful as when Prince Sicheng had visited the first time, icy blue royal robes with white snowflake details on the sleeves. The prince greeted everyone with a smile but again did not speak. He even shot Yerim a wink.
As he was sitting, Prince Moon’s eyes ended up on Haechan’s by chance and a wave of electric shock came over the fire prince. Prince Moon’s eyes widened, perhaps astonished that Haechan was staring back with such firmness, and turned his face to look at the earth prince sitting next to him. They began chattering lowly and, in the noisy dining room, Haechan couldn’t quite place what he sounded like.
For the rest of the evening, their eyes didn’t meet again. Haechan felt almost as if he was being ignored by Prince Moon but knew it was nonsense. It was only reasonable he would spend the night flirting with his husband to be.
Jungwoo had fortunately kept him busy throughout the night, sharing court gossip and funny anecdotes about the earth delegation’s demands, keeping Haechan entertained. However, the second the councilman left to attend some important business that would only take a few minutes, the prince turned to Yerim to whisper in urgency.
“Why won’t the prince meet me?”
He had avoided that question ever since Yerim started meeting him, afraid of the answer, afraid of her reaction, afraid of knowing the truth. Yerim had mentioned him countless times, he was her best friend and they kept this sort of relationship for the court, even if he had changed names. She must have tried to spark some curiosity in his heart and yet no invitation for Haechan to visit that secret winter garden ever came.
Yerim seemed apprehensive, pressing her lips into a thin line before answering vaguely. “I don’t know…”
“Have you asked?” Haechan insisted, trying to find his friend’s eyes even if she avoided meeting his.
“I feel impolite,” she confessed shyly.
“Yerim!” Haechan exclaimed before he could stop himself. Several faces at the table turned to him, except Prince Moon. He was still with his eyes frozen on Prince Sicheng’s face, who blushed and smiled at the sudden attention.
“It’s true…” Yerim murmured, lowering her eyes to her hands.
Haechan breathed in and spoke calmly. “Have you at least inquired about the earth prince?”
With the softer tone, Yerim talked louder and clearer. “There is not much to say. Prince Moon considers him adorable and very dedicated.”
Haechan’s eyes drifted to where Prince Moon lovingly stared at Prince Sicheng as the earth prince shared an anecdote of sorts. Prince Moon laughed at the end, making Prince Sicheng smile widely.
“And…? When is the marriage set to happen?”
“The talks of engagement haven’t started. That’s all-“
Eager for a response, Haechan hit her with another question. “Why?”
“That’s all I know, Haechan,” she declared, appearing hurt.
Haechan knew he was asking too much of her and that the mission was much harder on her. She was the one in the public eye, who kept social relations with court and the Prince, having to lie to their faces while gathering information behind their backs. Quietly, he placed a hand over hers, caressing it slowly with his thumb. Yerim set her head on his shoulder and they spent a few minutes of peace and quiet in the middle of the busy dining room.
☪︎
An interesting fact about courts, they tended to find a new festivity to be busy with in a matter of days. Haechan had considered that things would settle down after the big dinner, but he had never been more wrong in his life. It was his own fault, he had forgotten the Water Tribe’s ancient tradition of the Moon Festival.
According to the forgotten books, the commemoration marked the day the moon had given half her spirit to the water tribe after a very difficult ritual, yet to the people it was merely a festival to celebrate the closeness of the satellite to their tribe. Mainly consisting of street parties and parades, it was also known as one of the few days of the year Prince Moon left his quarters and graced his people with his flaming red hair in a sea of brown and silver manes.
Yerim was even more busy with preparations. The queen had taken a liking to the airbender and decided it was time the Water Tribe announced the survival of the only airbender left that wasn’t the lost avatar. She was preparing her best bending tricks to surprise the people with while still trying on her whole wardrobe and making sure the queen was satisfied with her performance.
Haechan didn’t have much to do. Jungwoo rarely appeared in their quarters anymore, busy with the festivities, and ever since he had been so bluntly ignored by Prince Moon, he avoided the winter garden. Instead, he adventured through new passageways that lead to places not that interesting, read the books he had brought in his backpack about the water people’s myths, and walked around the Water Tribe, tasting their food, buying their fur, and fishing on their canoes. The only thing he needed for the festival were the right clothes and when he found them, he was more than fulfilled, even if Yerim had pointed out they would catch much unwanted attention. Haechan didn’t care anymore. If the prince was unreachable, he was starting to believe that mission had no purpose at all.
The night before the festivities, Haechan felt himself weirdly tense, perceiving everything around him and taking too long to fall asleep. It didn’t surprise him when he woke up, fully aware, at sunrise. He jumped out of the bed, his heart beating uncomfortably fast. For some reason, his body wouldn’t stop and so he decided to quickly put on some clothes and let his feet lead him to where they needed to go.
It didn’t concern him when the familiar avatar statue appeared before him and he followed the same usual set of stairs to find the beautiful winter garden. Haechan had never seen it as the sun slowly lit over it, but it was gorgeous to see the dark blue snow become white and the crystal clear water shine brightly. As the rays of sun shined over the garden, Haechan took notice of a new color to the monochromatic place. It was scarlet red.
Prince Moon was passed out on the snow. Haechan had no idea how long he had been there or if he hit his head when falling and started considering what he should do. He couldn’t call Yerim, it’d take too long to explain to her what was happening and they didn’t have access to the prince’s quarters freely. Anyone else would be suspicious of his claims, take too long to help the prince, and uncover his and Yerim’s disguises subsequently.
Without thinking again, Haechan touched the hidden door’s handle and came inside the garden that up until that moment had only been a moving picture for him. He smelt the garden’s fresh scent, felt his feet lowering on the snow, and the weak rays of sun warmed his face, but most of all, he heard the birds and the water and the small fount.
Not wasting his time, Haechan crossed the small bridge across the lake and reached Prince Moon’s fallen body. Even unconscious, his scarlet lips parted beautifully, but there was snow over them. Haechan carefully picked up his body. For a moment he considered if he should try healing the prince in the lake waters but deemed them too cold and they could worsen his state.
He picked up the prince bridal style and his weight made his knees buckle, but Haechan kept walking to Prince Moon's quarters, that luckily had the door open. After laying the prince on the warm bed with care, Haechan went to the adjacent bathroom and opened the tap for warm water to fill the prince’s tub. When it was filled enough, he returned to the bedroom, where the prince remained unconscious, with a frown on his face. Haechan removed his jewelry, except for his moon necklace, shoes, and socks. He was now faced with the decision if he should undress the prince or not. Prince Moon’s clothes were heavy with much fur, so Haechan decided to at least take some layers off.
When the prince had only a thin almost transparent layer of clothes on him, Haechan dragged him to the bathtub. Before Haechan could start healing, he undid the top buttons of Prince Moon’s last layer of shirt. His lips were now truly scarlet red compared to his pale skin and so Haechan had to start the healing process soon.
There were no signs that Prince Moon’s evil was spiritual, but Haechan was certain that was the problem, as much as he was sure that Prince Moon carried the split moon spirit. It only made sense that the spirit had taken over his body the day the moon was closer to the Water Tribe, leaving him in this state.
Hachan had only read about this sort of bending before. He tried and managed to visually repeat what shamans did to re-establish a spirit but he was scared the minute he bended fire on Prince Moon’s chest, it would burn the prince instead of balancing him. He needed to be calm for it to work, but his hands were still trembling when he placed them over Taeil’s heart.
Haechan carefully bended fire to cover the palm of his hands and started to mechanically but gently move his hand over Taeil’s body in the bathtub, especially his chest area, where the fighting spirits battled. His hands stopped shaking the second he noticed some flush returned to the prince’s face. He did it for a few minutes, while light washed over Prince Moon’s private rooms, and prayed that no one would dare enter the prince’s quarters this early in the morning, especially considering the festival went on until late at night.
Prince Moon’s expressions softened, the frown long gone, and he opened his eyes suddenly to see fire orbs being maneuvered over his chest. When he stared at Haechan, he murmured hazily, “Sun.”
Haechan was glad he was still out of himself and hoped he wouldn’t remember this interaction, deeming it to be part of his own illusions.
“Prince Moon,” he started saying but was interrupted when Prince Moon weakly grabbed his arm and brought him closer.
“She- Dizzy…” he uttered out, eyes losing focus, and Haechan grew alarmed by the feeling of the Prince’s spirit weakening.
“Please close your eyes. You need to reconnect with your spirit or else you might lose it forever,” he asked in an almost begging tone.
Luckily for him, Prince Moon wasn’t stubborn and closed his eyes instantly, a peaceful half smile on his lips.
“Feels warm,” he whispered as Haechan dutifully kept healing. “Warm is good…”
Haechan nodded even if the prince couldn’t see him. After almost an hour of the healing process, Haechan could finally be certain Prince Moon’s spirit was strong once again and the said prince was snoring peacefully in his tub. Haechan emptied the water and took Prince Moon from it. He dried the prince as much as he could and dragged his damp body to bed. This time around, he had no choice but to remove his clothes, instead fetching him simple pajamas from his closet and dressing him in those, trying not to look at any private parts of the prince. When Prince Moon was finally dressed warmly, Haechan gently tucked him under covers because his job was finished.
Only when leaving the prince’s quarters through the still opened secret passageway did Haechan question why he just saved this enemy prince’s life.
☪︎
Before falling asleep, Haechan came up with many theories about why he hadn't let the spirit detach from Prince Moon's body. First of all, the consequences of that were unknown. Maybe it would make it harder for the Fire Nation to have any power over the Water Tribe. Secondly, who was to say that wouldn't empower Prince Moon’s sister even more? She was openly against the Fire Nation, fearless and stern. Haechan wouldn’t like for her to be the enemy to face. Lastly, it could encourage the water and earth union, a fatal blow for the Fire Nation.
In the end, Haechan had saved Prince Moon for all the right reasons and he was happy he did when he looked at the prince on his throne next to his sister. They watched the festivities, the queen smiling and clapping her hands excitedly while the prince rarely ever seemed to have his eyes on the parade, darting eyes searching the court’s audience exhaustedly.
Even if barely paying attention to the festivities, Prince Moon looked dazzling with his ivory crown and snow white clothes that revealed much of his chest. On his cleavage, silver drawings of the moon were painted and more drawings could also be found on his left cheek, only smaller. Haechan liked to observe Prince Moon during the parade because he was too far away for their eyes to meet. Sometimes, however, the prince’s eyes would focus very closely to where Haechan was and he felt chills in his stomach. The prince didn’t insist on looking for too long, easily bored.
After the colorful parade ended, the queen had the pleasure of announcing Yerim’s existence to the public. She looked gorgeous, her hair styled in many small braids forming a bun and wearing orange and yellow robes common to the old Air Nomads. With a nervous smile, she performed the tricks that were asked of her, flying above the parade and calling for a stronger wind. The public was completely speechless and Haechan watched in awe as people hailed Yerim, crying that they might stand a chance against the Fire Nation. The Water Tribe’s constant narrative of victim never failed to surprise Haechan. It was so intrinsic to their culture that they thought the Fire Nation’s crimes to be certain without never having tried to understand the other side.
After the end of the parade and the presentation of Yerim, the court politely left the festival for the people to enjoy, entering the castle because a grandiose ball waited for them. Inside it was harder for Haechan to steal a single glance at Prince Moon, since whenever his eyes laid on him, Prince Moon was already shooting furtive glances at Haechan, who felt his heart beating in his chest.
The entire night he had been calm, knowing Prince Moon wouldn’t easily believe in spirit hallucinations, and he thought he was correct when he entered the festival and there was no talk of firebenders in the castle. Yet Prince Moon’s stare on his skin burned and Haechan thought it had been stupid of him to have dressed in gold, attracting even more attention.
Sliding over the glass floor’s surface, Haechan searched for Yerim to say goodbye and retreat to his chambers. She had been popular that night and was left greeting royalty and entertaining the queen. Haechan didn’t mean to bother her, but didn’t want to worry his friend with his sudden disappearance. His gaze had just landed on Yerim, when suddenly the chatter in the room died.
All noise ceased, the atmosphere changed, and Haechan tried to stay discreet while figuring out what had changed for such silence. When he saw the empty throne, realization came upon him and he turned around only to find dark blue eyes staring at him.
“Lee Donghyuck, am I correct?” Prince Moon asked politely, his scarlet lips formed a small circle when speaking, never stretching or forming a big smile. He looked expectantly at Haechan, blinking and tilting his head very subtly.
In a few seconds, Haechan discovered three things: Moon Taeil’s conscious presence was intoxicating, the silver paint on his body contrasting beautifully with his tanned skin. Moon Taeil’s voice was also finally heard, aside from the breathless whispers he had heard earlier that morning, and it was quiet, but clear and had a sweetness to it. Lastly, Moon Taeil was calling his name and it wasn’t Prince Haechan. It was Lee Donghyuck.
“Your highness,” Haechan replied when he returned to his senses, bowing 90° degrees.
“No need for such fanciness, ‘my prince’ is fine,” he said with a soft smile, motioning for Haechan to stand up. Prince Moon was completely oblivious to the eyes that observed their every move. “Dance with me, Donghyuck?”
There was not much Haechan could do besides nod and so he took Prince Moon to the dance floor. Water Tribe dances were often intricate and with many complicated steps. For that moment, the two simply pressed palm against palm, turning to one side to then change hands and do the same move for the other side. It was good that Haechan had something to focus on, the prince’s eyes wouldn’t let him have peace.
“Yerim told me much about you,” he said with secrecy.
“Only good things, I hope,” Haechan replied, surprised Yerim had mentioned him at all.
They exchanged hands.
“Intriguing things, I’d say,” the prince corrected, eyes up on the sky before returning to Haechan’s face again. “She admires you greatly. You saved her life.”
Haechan blushed and averted his eyes. “She tends to exaggerate my role in her life,” he murmured.
Luckily the next move had them change partners for a few seconds, which they did before their palms were pressed against each other again.
“How is your stay with the Water Tribe?” the prince asked with a smile and Haechan allowed himself to look at him.
“There's the most beautiful moon I’ve ever seen here,” he replied in a breath.
It was time for Prince Moon to grow embarrassed and avert his eyes. Haechan liked the prospects of making the Blood Moon even redder.
“Glad you’re enjoying your stay,” he said diplomatically.
“Greatly. I have the pleasure of having the best host.”
“Now you mock me,” Taeil spoke louder and clearer with a hint of outrage in his voice. “We’ve barely talked.”
“Doesn’t mean you haven’t graced me with your beauty,” Haechan’s retort left his tongue just as the music stopped and the two were left standing and staring at each other.
Prince Moon removed his hand from Haechan’s.
“You may find it hard to flatter a prince,” he advised, sounding wise and precautionary.
“I shall do my best to try,” Haechan bowed solemnly and when he raised his head, the prince was already accepting a dance from the eager earth prince.
☪︎
The buzz caused by Prince Moon having offered his first dance to a complete nobody at court followed Haechan to his bedroom; Yerim couldn’t stop staring at him in awe. In the end, Haechan chose to give the easy explanation that Prince Moon had simply heard Yerim’s countless compliments of him and chose to give him his first dance. By doing that, he was showing Yerim his love rather than showing any interest in Haechan.
The next day, the daily visit of Jungwoo came a few hours earlier than expected. Yerim jumped off the bed, ready to be escorted to her meetings but Jungwoo shook his head.
“You will come later, Yerim,” he said, making the girl fall on her butt on the bed. “For now, Prince Moon requests Donghyuck’s presence.”
Haechan wasn’t even properly dressed yet. Yerim and he exchanged looks and soon she was dressing him up in a beautiful orange and gold cape and making sure his curls were framing his face well. Haechan almost had to push her away so Jungwoo could finally lead him to Prince Moon’s quarters.
It didn’t sit well to enter the place through the normal door, but Haechan knew that was information better kept for himself, finally taking in the simple beauty that was Prince Moon’s private bedroom.
The Prince was very much dried and with a thick layer of clothes, waiting by the fount at the usual ivory table. He was reading a book before Jungwoo and Haechan interrupted him. Jungwoo was quick to exit, claiming he had a council meeting to be part of and Prince Moon bid him farewell.
“Woo acts like a servant when he should be my brother…” Taeil complained, putting his book on the table. He seemed to have regretted the words the second he said them so Haechan decided to change the subject.
“What do I owe the pleasure, my prince?”
If Haechan had thought the prince was mesmerizing before, he had been wrong. Nothing could compare to Moon Taeil in his natural habitat that was his secret garden with no crown to call him a prince and yet his posture was enough. “I thought you’d like engaging in conversation. You seem to have a way with your tongue,” he remarked slyly.
“In more ways that you can imagine…” Haechan winked while sitting down next to him at the table.
Prince Moon decided to ignore his flirting. His eyes were lost on his lake for a few moments and when he spoke again, his lips trembled.
“Was it hard in the Fire Nation?”
Haechan wanted to laugh. No one’s life was hard in the Fire Nation except for traitors. The only person he had ever watched suffer prejudice was Jaemin and even then he overcame it gracefully. It was rare for someone from a line of two firebenders to acquire no bending powers but that was the case for Jaemin. He was seen as weak, a genetic problem, and was casted aside by his own parents. Haechan gently picked him up. Jaemin was the only royal kid who would play with him without Yuta having to tell them to. They were usually really scared by Haechan’s skin. One time, one of them cried because the other said if they touched Haechan for too long, they’d become as dark as he was.
Jaemin never minded that and so the two grew up together. It wasn’t so much a friendship in the normal sense, but they gave each other space and saw it through when one requested something. Haechan planted the seed for Jaemin to deal with whispers and at that moment the Master spy was the highest officer in court that wasn’t blood related to the royal family. In the end, all prejudice was overcome in the Fire Nation.
For the sake of conversation, Haechan nodded. Prince Moon didn’t say anything, waiting for the other to speak more. When he noticed Haechan was keeping silent, he continued, a sympathetic expression on his face.
“They must have been particularly hard on your skin… They don’t really like people who look like us,” he whispered that last part with certain melancholy.
Haechan wanted to argue, to say only the children were like that because they weren’t taught better and knew nothing of difference. His role in that conversation wasn’t of Prince Haechan though, but of victim of the Fire Nation Lee Donghyuck.
“They don’t…” he echoed vaguely. “Have you called me to talk about my past?”
His question came off more entitled than Haechan would have liked it to when addressing a prince. Prince Moon, however, was proving himself lenient and raised an eyebrow.
“Wasn’t your past what brought you to this palace?”
“Pasts do bring people to new paths, but I’d much rather look for my moonlit future,” Haechan replied with a charming smile, resorting to compliments so Prince Moon wouldn’t become too alarmed by his behavior.
Thankfully he made the right choice; Prince Moon was merrily chuckling the next second.
“Are you sure you weren’t a joker in another life? You speak boldly with such an ease in the presence of a prince,” he inquired with teasing eyes.
Haechan leaned over the table to be closer to the prince. “Your beauty compels me to, my prince. I’m sorry if I’m too forward,” he said, not sounding even a little apologetic.
Perhaps he had crossed a line; Prince Moon decided to ignore his comments on his beauty.
“What do you wish to talk about if not your past?” he questioned while laying his head on his hand.
“The moon interests me,” Haechan tried one more time, a smug smile ready on his lips and eyes not leaving Prince Moon’s face to catch any change in his expression.
“The moon is not for your own pleasure,” the prince shot down Haechan’s flirtations for the moment. “At least entertain me by sharing your impressions of the Water Tribe.”
What the prince asked must be done and so Haechan complied with his request, talking mostly of the markets and his experiences fishing. Prince Moon more often than not contributed to Haechan’s stories, speaking of the places Haechan was talking about and sharing old city gossip.
It was a very flowy conversation and Haechan ended up speaking more than he had intended at first. A spy’s job wasn’t to talk, but listen. Yerim was right, the prince had a compelling charm and somehow Haechan wanted to earn his approval even if it meant nothing to him.
When their time was coming to an end, Prince Moon touched his necklace and informed Haechan he should leave because their meeting was over. There was no mention of their meeting ever happening again and so Haechan decided to be bold, just like Prince Moon characterized him.
He almost reached for the prince’s hand, but thought better and simply kneeled on the garden’s snowy grounds. “Could I please be so impertinent as to ask the prince to see a little of his bending?”
Prince Moon’s lips stretched into a closed mouth smile. Playfully he touched Haechan’s nose tip.
“Come tomorrow, Lee Donghyuck,” he invited with a wink and so Haechan had to find his way out of the prince’s chambers while feeling his nose tingle.
☪︎
The next day, Haechan was ready in beautiful brown robes. If those meetings were to become daily, he would have to spend more time at the market fetching clothes to impress the prince.
At his arrival, Haechan was eager to request what he had been promised. Prince Moon smiled with his chapped scarlet lips and quickly bended water into ice in the form of a bird for him. He had seen the ability through his looking-glass door but to watch a one of a kind bending so closely left Haechan speechless and his eyes brightened at the sight of such power. Prince Moon wouldn't hear his endless compliments, trying to pay no mind to them, but Haechan kept shooting them, either due to pure admiration or in hopes that at least one of his remarks would get a proper reply.
Prince Moon was an honorable man and, being such, he replied to Haechan’s attempts with chuckles, changing the subject or even making fun of his new admirer. Tired of him constantly slipping through his fingers, Haechan even gave up on questioning Prince Moon on his attack bending ability and decided to inquire on an issue that really interested him.
“Am I the only new visitor that interests the prince?” he said out of the blue while Prince Moon picked some rowans from his flourishing snowy tree. They were as red as his hair and turned his lips even redder when he sucked on them.
“Yerim is a kind girl,” Prince Moon put the fruit in a basket and moved towards the same ivory table. He offered Haechan a fruit but the firebender politely declined.
“I inquire about someone from another land,” Haechan pressed on as they sat again at the table. Prince Moon sucked on the berry and Haechan tried to avert his eyes to the lake.
“Prince Sicheng, you mean?” he asked when he was done eating. Haechan quickly noted how little Moon tried to play the political game. “Only the second day of your visits and you wish to meddle in matters of state,” he played it off as some joke, the impertinent Lee Donghyuck trying to know more than was his place.
Haechan didn’t care for it and insisted further. “Not state, only your personal perspectives of him,” he corrected the prince with a strained smile.
Prince Moon, on the other hand, lost his own and looked unfazed and uninterested by that conversation. “I have no personal perspective,” he announced, sucking on another berry.
“So when you call for me it’s for matters of state?” Haechan asked in a murmur, watching Prince Moon closely.
The prince feigned surprise and pressed a hand against his chest dramatically. “How did you guess?” He laughed at his own act and managed to steal a smile from Haechan as well, but the latter was still trapped in thoughts.
“He seems infatuated by you,” Haechan commented, his last insistence on the matter.
From what he had watched of Prince Sicheng, he was utterly lost for Prince Moon’s charms and Haechan had come to that conclusion from the many days he had spent observing from his hidden door. Whenever the Blood Moon was busy bending water, practicing his archery, feeding his koi fishes, or picking berries, Sicheng would stare longly at his nape and sometimes even sigh, not saying a word. He was content with merely staying there, watching Prince Moon.
Haechan had never known love. When he was born, Yuta’s mother had moved away from the Fire Nation palace, scandalized by her husband’s welcoming the son of a whore into the royal gates. Yuta’s marriage to Mina, though created through mutual agreement, didn’t look anything closer to love. He had read of love, mostly through legends in the Forbidden Library, but never quite seen it unfold before his eyes. When he saw the way Sicheng looked at Prince Moon, he was almost certain that was the feeling the books longed to capture.
“Maybe he should acquire better taste,” the prince replied dryly. Nothing else was said of the matter.
Intending on making the atmosphere lighter, Haechan accepted one of the rowan berries the prince was so insistent on making him taste and jokingly asked him to feed him. Prince Moon was wide eyed, gaped in pure shock, and Haechan laughed loudly as he threw a couple berries into his mouth. He declared them as delicious as he imagined the prince’s lips to taste just as Prince Moon threw a snowball at him, infuriated at his lack of decorum. Their meeting ended in a snowball fight and Haechan wasn’t too ashamed at having lost to one of the most talented benders in existence, barely noticing the fact he felt his heart warming when hit by a cold ball of snow.
☪︎
“How is the prince?” Yerim asked while Haechan combed her hair. He liked doing it, always had, brushing his fingers through her beautiful blond strands, sure the cure of happiness would be there somewhere.
When Yerim had suggested, a week before, that she should shave her head such as the Air nomads did, Haechan nearly collapsed on himself. After a glass of water, he grew used to the idea but advised against it. Air nomads would shave their heads to get their arrow tattoos that symbolize becoming a master and so he thought Yerim should only do it if she thought she was worth it.
He also questioned the validity of keeping an air tradition alive when the Air Nomads had attacked the Fire Nation, the place that had given Yerim a home, but didn’t voice those ideas out loud. Haechan was joyful combing his friend’s hair as she looked at him through the mirror, expecting an answer.
“You saw him today,” Haechan said.
“I want to know what you think about him,” Yerim asked, not being able to hide her fidgeting hands.
To ease his friend’s heart, Haechan decided to give her a vague yet truthful answer. “He is quite unexplainable.”
That was all it took for a smile to spread on her lips and Yerim to claim victory, “I knew it—“
Haechan interrupted her before she could continue. “I was wondering if, perhaps not only preventing this union, we should murder the prince and make it look like Prince Sicheng did it.”
“Haechan!” Yerim exclamations took him by surprise and he dropped the comb.
“Think about it,” he said, meeting his friend’s eyes through the glass. “It’d finally put an end to any talks of alliance against the Fire Nation and we wouldn’t have to live in fear of their unity anymore.”
It was a genius plan if he was being honest. The murder itself would make both Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe unstable and, even if Prince Sicheng wasn’t proven to be the murderer, if there were enough shockingly weird conscidences, the rumors themselves would destroy any talks of union.
“Would you be able to kill the person you have daily conversations with?” Yerim stared at him through the glass with hopeless eyes.
To Haechan, it seemed she failed to recognize him anymore, but he was the one who was starting to see his best friend as a stranger.
“If it’s for my nation,” he declared, not taking the comb off the floor and instead taking rest in his private chambers.
☪︎
Among the chirps of birds and the water falling from the fount, Prince Moon’s heavy breathing cut through the atmosphere.
“Excuse me if I’m not as lively, Donghyuck, an illness has struck me,” he apologized while coughing in his handkerchief.
The prince had a pale complexion, similar to the one he had the day he passed out, and there were dark circles around his eyes. His lips trembled whenever he spoke for too long and his voice cracked more often than not. It was like watching a ninety year old man in the body of a twenty year old.
“Are they common?” Haechan asked, not wanting to make any comment on Prince Moon’s current state.
A dry chuckle left his trembling lips. “I am as unstable as the moon phases, one of the reasons why I remain in my quarters.”
Haechan nodded. “Do you want me to leave?”
A weak smile spread across Prince Moon’s mouth, so wide his eyes disappeared for a few moments. “No, you make it better,” he assured him, briefly touching his hand before turning his head to the lake. “Have you seen my koi fish up close? Let’s sit by the lake…”
He rose from his seat by himself and Haechan almost offered help, but was too afraid of sounding impolite. Prince Moon managed to sit himself by the lake’s snowy borders, watching his black and white koi fish swim around the puddle of water with a sweet smile on his lips. He eyed Haechan, waiting for his reaction.
“They are pretty,” Haechan said to which Prince Moon beamed proudly.
“They are—“
The prince didn’t have time to finish his sentence. Dizziness struck him and the next second he was falling over the lake, his koi fish swimming away.
Haechan quickly picked him up by the torso, afraid he would drown.
“Prince Moon! Prince Moon!” he yelled for the prince but he seemed to have indeed fainted, his eyes not finding focus.
He laid the prince in the cold lake water and opened his robes’ buttons so his chest area would be free for healing.
“D-dong—“ Prince Moon gasped for air and clarity before Haechan could start bending fire.
“Hyuck, you can call me Hyuck,” Haechan said sweetly, seeing that the prince was having difficulty speaking his entire name.
The Blood Moon shot him a weak smile before losing conscience again. Haechan began healing fire over his chest, trying his best to keep the equilibrium necessary to heal a spirit, even if Haechan was quite unbalanced himself. He kept checking the door for a new arrival, afraid of Jungwoo or a servant barging in to see that a firebender had infiltrated the castle. On top of that a firebender in the presence of Prince Moon himself and bending fire dangerously close to his heart.
Suddenly, he felt a strong hand wrapping around his wrist and turned to see a very conscious Prince Moon with sparkling eyes.
His response was immediate. Haechan dropped the prince and ran to the chambers, but Prince Moon reacted just as quickly, bending water from the lake and freezing Haechan’s feet to the ground. Haechan then shot fire at his frozen feet while also shooting at the prince, who approached him. Prince Moon deflected any aim towards him with water balls and, just as Haechan was getting ready to throw his final blow, Prince Moon turned the water into vapor, making it hard for Haechan to see where he was and where to go.
In less than one second Haechan was thrown to the ground, Prince Moon on top of him holding his wrists tightly so Haechan was incapable of bending fire to escape. In that moment, the firebender thought to himself it would be a pitiful death to be killed by someone as gorgeous and deadly as Moon Taeil. His fighting capabilities were immense, not only did he flow like water to deflect attacks, but knew fully well how to use his powers for distractions and was agile. Although caught unaware Haechan had put up a fight and seeing Prince Moon’s parted lips panting for breath gave him a small taste of victory in front of the darkness that was his destiny.
“How much do you know of spirits?” Prince Moon inquired, still breathless.
Haechan, who had closed his eyes waiting for his blood to leave his body, opened them in utter confusion. “Excuse me?”
“You healed my spirit,” Prince Moon explained. “How much do you know?”
Haechan knew barely anything other than inner spirits and the little he had gathered from the Moon spirit during his stay, but saw himself nodding for his life.
“A fair some. I actually came here to study and to take a look at the most famous spirit of them all,” Haechan said, trying to also flatter the prince.
Prince Moon faltered for a moment, the fierce expression failing in favor of uncertainty. “Still, you’re a firebender and you’ve infiltrated the castle…”
Haechan cut in to beg. “Please, my prince—“
Prince Moon pressed his wrists further and approached his face. “If you teach me the way of the spirits, I won’t tell my sister,” he bargained with furrowed eyebrows.
Haechan tilted his head. “Why do you want to know of spirits?”
“None of your business,” Prince Moon replied harshly. Haechan said nothing in return and Prince Moon added in a softer tone, “It’s good to know what inhabits your own body, is it not?”
“Makes complete sense,” Haechan replied, understanding it was best not to cross Prince Moon’s words on such matters, especially if he wanted him to leave his lap soon. “I will need access to your secret files for this information—“
Prince Moon dropped himself centimeters lower until his dripping nose was almost brushing with Haechan’s and he spoke with a sly smile curling his dried lips. “Whatever you wish, you shall have.” Haechan held his breath, his eyes glued to Prince Moon’s who raised his torso again, sitting on Haechan’s lap before taking his hands away from his wrists and standing up. “Do not try to outsmart me. You’ve just seen how strong I am,” he advised while going back to his garden. “See you tomorrow, Hyuckie.”
Haechan returned to his chambers, still wet from the lake’s water and contact with Taeil’s body, speechless because the scene that had unfolded a few minutes before.
☪︎
Their meetings didn’t happen in the Library as Haechan had expected, even hoped so he could snatch some books when Prince Moon wasn’t paying attention. Instead the books were brought to them and displayed on the ivory table for them to enjoy while still in the prince’s secret garden.
“Where to begin?” Prince Moon asked playfully while his fingers trailed over the books. Haechan didn’t choose any of them.
“First, I’d like you to tell me about your experience with the spirit, Prince Moon,” he said clearly, bringing his attention to him. His piercing analyzing eyes made Haechan stutter for a second and he explained himself quickly. “So I have a better perspective of what to research.”
“Don’t think I’ll go share sacred secrets with you only because you’re helping me,” the prince answered as if talking to an impertinent child. “My payment is making sure my sister doesn’t have you killed by blood bending.”
Haechan’s lungs stopped breathing. “Blood bending is forbidden…”
“And you’ve never seen Sooyoung angry,” Prince Moon said simply and Haechan noticed it was the first time he spoke of his sister by name. “Your job is to study the old books about the moon spirit with me.”
The firebender shrugged. “Anyone can do that.”
The prince’s eyes sparkled and he came involuntarily closer to Haechan, leaning over the table. “But can anyone analyze and understand the old scriptures and scrolls?””
There was no more room to argue, Prince Moon was indeed correct. He had struck a deal with Haechan for the vocabulary and knowledge he had and it would invariably change the way a text was read and how information was taken from it. In summary, that meant Haechan was doomed.
If Prince Moon trusted his knowledge alone, he would share his experience with the spirit and Haechan could create some make-believe shenanigans based on coincidences and the facts he was fed. Not only would that guarantee him personal information about the prince but would also ensure his trust and maybe Haechan’s influence would grow. The mission wasn’t entirely lost if it followed according to what Haechan had in mind but he was too optimistic and failed to see the bigger picture. His lack of knowledge on spiritual matters would be shown when he tried to interpret the texts and in no time the queen would have the pleasure of bending his blood out of him.
Either way, the two sat side by side and opened the old books with strange writings. Prince Moon read the words for himself, his fingers tracing the line of the text and a frown always appearing whenever he found anything odd. Haechan took his eyes off Prince Moon to take a look at the material.
In the end, the book wasn’t much different than the ones Jaemin had supplied him with over the years or that he had stolen from the Forbidden Library. Through those books he understood the importance of balance and the spirit world, as well as the healing process of a spirit done with firebending. The major difference between what he had read before and the book laying before him were the main themes; while his old books were about the firebending and fire spirits, this one was about water spirits.
His eyes ran through a passage talking about the double aspect of the moon spirit, claiming it to be weaker whenever the moon was only half. Haechan was already puzzled from the start.
“The moon spirit has a counterpart with which it connects,” he read outloud his modern translation of the text. Prince Moon took his eyes off his book. “This is about your spirit connecting with it, correct?”
The prince nodded. “If you read some more it will talk about how sometimes that connection isn’t possible, causing some disturbance,” he explained further before returning his eyes to the page he was reading.
Haechan, however, asked again, claiming for his attention one more time. “Is that why you feel so sick?”
“I’m perfectly in sync, Donghyuck,” Prince Moon said, annoyed but still soft. He sighed before continuing on. “Sickness is a side effect from time to time. Constant as the moon phases.”
Haechan agreed and his eyes returned to the pages. The moon spirit and its host alike were going to be hard to understand and he needed to study as much as he could.
Days passed by and they settled into a studying routine. They’d read the text together, share passages they didn’t understand, and sometimes Prince Moon would ask Haechan to take a look at a specific passage he had read.
Little by little, Haechan picked up small details about this research. He noticed Prince Moon hid the books whenever Jungwoo knocked on the door and how he was eager to read anything that was moon spirit related only. Whenever Haechan shared about other water spirits, the prince would nod but not inquire further, leaving the matter at that.
Even if it wasn't as easy a process as if Prince Moon had simply told Haechan his entire history with the spirit and what he eagerly wanted to learn would be, spending time with the prince was already a development.
“I never quite understood this passage, Donghyuck,” Prince Moon said, pointing to a certain line in the text he was reading before sliding the book to Haechan.
“Let me see,” he said, taking a quick look at it.
The subject was how to make the moon whole again, explaining a rebirth ritual that would take place under the moon the host was first born. Haechan had some difficulty understanding the expressions but suddenly lost his frown when he understood it was a guide on what not to do to make the moon whole again.
“What is it?” Prince Moon inquired, approaching Haechan to read the book again, as if he would catch something new.
“It says that if the carrier of the moon spirit loses his life on the night the moon is the same as the one at his birth…” Haechan took a deep breath, avoiding Prince Moon’s eyes. “The moon dies too.”
The prince gasped and nothing else was said. If anyone in the Water Tribe had caught them conversing on the death of the moon, both would be subject to the accusations of betrayal. The blow was especially fatal to the prince, to which the mere thought of the moon’s death made him dizzy. Nothing more was studied that day.
☪︎
They didn’t mention it again. Haechan wouldn’t dare look too interested in it and Prince Moon would never speak such profanity and so they moved on with their research.
Through the books, Haechan learned more than he had expected, including the fact he knew more of the spirits than he originally had accounted for. Prince Moon was mostly ignorant of it and Haechan knew it wasn’t due to lack of interest, but that subject being kept from him. Haechan had always learned the most spiritual were the air nomads and the water people, though in different ways, but he saw now that his old books were indeed old for their information was outdated. So much so that Prince Moon was shocked to know there used to be spiritual portals connecting his Water Tribe to the Southern Water Tribe, but they had been closed long ago. They were still regarded as spiritual places but the information they were connected with each other wasn’t known by the people.
Contrary to what Haechan thought, Prince Moon wasn’t angry at the new discoveries. He didn't curse under his breath, complain about his sister, or even his tribe’s knowledge. Instead, his eyes sparkled and a smile curled on his lips as he thought of ways to explore a forgotten place or understood a little more of the spirit that inhabited his body. Perhaps, Haechan would be so bold to think, Prince Moon was the best studying partner there was, for who wouldn’t like listening to childlike giggles and watch a beautiful man smile?
After a particularly hard studying session in which nothing new was uncovered but much left them confused, Prince Moon decided to sit down and feed the koi fish. He invited Haechan to do so along with him, treating him with distant kindness.
“Why do you trust me so easily?” Haechan asked out of the blue, cutting through the garden’s harmonious sound of birds chirping and water flowing.
“I do not trust you,” Prince Moon reminded him, not taking his eyes from his beloved koi fish.
“Still, you allow me to stay even though you know of my nature,” Haechan retorted, finally gaining Prince Moon’s attention.
The red haired stood up, quickly cleaning the snow from his robes and walked towards his bedroom door. “Come,” he called Haechan when he was already leaving the bedroom. The firebender trotted to follow him.
They didn’t go very far, unfortunately. It’d do some good if someone from court had spotted them and spreaded dreadful gossip about the two that would most certainly reach Prince Sicheng’s ears. Instead, they remained in the royal pavilion where only Prince Moon, the queen, and specific people had access.
The sound of Prince Moon’s steps suddenly halted and Haechan stopped too. The two stood in front of a big mural that covered almost the entirety of the wall. Painted mostly with a black brush, its images of a warfield were clear against the beige backgrounds. There was a high tower and an army of dark armor fighting against two women. Both of them had tanned skins and long brown hair, but while one bended water, the other possessed light in her hands.
“Beautiful painting,” Haechan said, not sure how he was supposed to react. The mural was indeed beautiful, of that there was no doubt.
“This is my mother and her best friend,” Prince Moon informed him with glassy eyes fixed to the image. “There were rumors they were lovers but Mom confessed once that they tried and it didn’t work out, better to stay as friends.” A small smile curled his lips at the memory.
Haechan’s eyes focused on the second woman’s position. “Her hands—“
He was cut off by the prince, who continued talking as if he hadn't been interrupted. “They fought side by side for many year against the Fire Nation. They tried so hard to save any airbender they could find. In the end, Ahra was captured… After that, my mother’s health became severely affected and she slowly languished until her death, years later.”
There was no emotion in his voice, but Haechan couldn’t help but try to reach for the prince with words of sympathy. “I had no idea they had such a deep connection—“
“Ahra was a firebender,” Prince Moon said, cutting Haechan off once again but looking at his eyes this time. Haechan stared at the painting again and finally understood the ball of light the woman held in her hands. Fire. His eyes returned to face Prince Moon, who had softer features than before. “I do not judge people based on matters they had no say on. Aunt Ahra being a firebender was natural for me, she fought for what was right and my mom never doubted her.”
“I only hope to get your trust to that level,” Haechan spoke solemnly while bowing his head.
“Earn it,” was the answer. When Haechan raised his head again, Prince Moon was nowhere to be seen.
☪︎