tw: none???

2834 words

- linden

For as long as you can remember, the back wall of your closet has been a secret doorway to a place of magic. As a little kid, your visits there were often at night when you should have been sleeping. Your regular memories are interspersed by playing with unicorns in the stables and watching Forest Elves grow pink and purple blossoms in a few seconds. Since you were tall enough to reach the countertop with a stool, you've been helping around in the Common Elf-owned bakery that your closet wall opens up into. Sometimes elves would come just to observe you. A plain human person, fascinating to them. Shorter than the average elf, rounded ears, less acute hearing and sense of smell, not an ounce of magic emanating from you. Even a Common Elf can find a way to manipulate the world around them, move a chair across the room with a flick of their fingers.

To enter the magic world, a kingdom known as Penina, you place both hands on the back wall of your closet. The wall slowly melts away, you step in, and then out through a small door about the height of your legs when you're fully standing. The door opens into a back room of the bakery where the elves store rising dough. You grab an apron from the hook on the wall beside the door and tie it around your waist. "Baylea I'm here!" You call. A small elf, around 5'6 or 5'7 peeks around a corner and grins at you. Her hair is pitch black and her skin flaxen brown, her nose upturned like a bat's. The smooth skin of her hands warps into small black claws that she files down from time to time for safety.

She squeals, a high pitched echoey sound, and runs to hug you. The tiny dud wings sprouting from her shoulders flap with excitement. Baylea's not a Common Elf, but a Night Elf, born with the impaired characteristics of a bat. You've known other Night Elves, born with the characteristics of a cat or raven who can employ those characteristics to jump unimaginable heights, land always on their feet, and even fly. Baylea would have been a magnificent flier if not for her wings, but you both know she's more content with you and the Common Elves in the bakery.

Next to greet you is the Common Elf Reya, owner of the bakery and a second father to you of sorts. His greeting is more of an acknowledgement that you're there. He waves in passing and calls as he moves down the hall, "Take orders for me at the front, okay? Baylea, check the pastries in the oven."

"Okay!" You both chime. You release your friend and scurry off to uptake your tasks. Waiting already at the counter when you arrive is a green toned Nature Elf. She must be the oldest elf in this town, her eyes circled by spools of wrinkles and her mouth creased by smile lines. Elves don't usually show age past their prime until around three or four hundred years, the average elven lifespan being around eight to nine hundred. She exclaims your name the moment she sees you and clasps her hands around yours. "I assume you haven't heard!" She gasps. "The prince has come to visit! I recommended your bakery when I dropped my bread and he helped me up!" She titters like a school girl.

You raise your eyebrows. "You've dropped your bread!?"

"Oh but it's all worth it!" She grins. "He's around your age."

You stare at her for a moment. Your age could imply quite literally your age- or one hundred years old.

"Well, Fauna Sage-"

"No, no, dear. No worries. He is your age, not thirty, not fifty. I promise."

"And this is significant, why?"

"Well, even Baylea's got a girlfriend and you don't seem to have any promising prospects as far as I know!"

You bark out a laugh. "Fauna Sage, he is a prince, I am human. You know what the nobles think of humans." You sigh slightly, "Would you like new bread?"

Sage frowns slightly but nods, "Alright I'll settle for a Moss Loaf." She smiles slightly as you scribble it down on a slip of paper.

"I'll go check if we have any in the back," You start, "I don't see any out on the shelves here. If there is not one then you should wait for a new loaf if you intend to get one, Fauna Sage."

"Child, how many times would i tell you to drop the honorific and call me Sage?"

Your face goes slightly warm. "Simple Reya will have my hide if I don't." You proclaim, "You know how he is about these things."

Sage laughs, "Alright, alright, I jest with you." She smooths down her apron and raises her eyebrows. "No other costumers as of now, but I'm sure the prince will be along soon."

Sage's green face is moon shaped with a smile and cratered by wrinkles. You sigh but your lips turn up at the edges, "Thank you, Fauna Sage."

She waves a hand and goes to take a seat nearby, cooing to a stray hummingpup. You turn to check for Moss Loaves in the back, but stop short halfway to the employee door. Through the front walls of the building you can hear fanfare and a cacophony of excited shouts. Your heart increasingly speeds up and your eyes widen. You open your mouth to call for Baylea but she's already at your side, Reya and a few other Common Elves trailing him.

"Prince Sunoo!" One Elf shrieks. He is younger than you even and wide eyed with adoration as you all race out the front door.

You don't see the prince at first, you see his guards riding along beside him, hear the tap of unicorn hooves on the cobblestone. It appears they're coming from the town meeting place, where the Head in Honour had likely welcomed him. The prince stops directly in front of your shop, stares down at you all with warm golden eyes. His cheeks are pink, lips hinting at the wisp of a smile. His pointed ears are adorned by golden jewelry, a single ruby dangling from his earlobe. The prince removes his riding gloves, revealing the Sun Elf marking crawling up the backs of his hands.

When he slides down from his unicorn it whinnies, a guard that was walking alongside grabs it's reigns. Other guards surround the prince. Your ears are buzzing with static and you can't focus on whatever he's announcing to the townspeople around you. Laughter fills the air, children rush forward to receive gold coins that he presses into their palms. He tucks a red flower behind the ear of a little Common Elf girl. You can't tell where he's produced it from. He says something about wanting to try street food and local cuisines. Vast as his kingdom is, all regions have variants on their food. The crowd is still watching their prince with wide eyes but some begin to disperse, allowing him some personal space. Cries of joy are all around, a street musician begins to play music. Confetti falls from somewhere above your head.

Baylea shakes you. "He's looking this way!!" She hisses. Her wings flap frantically, disturbing the short hair that hangs around her neck, "Don't be awkward" she tells you. You are rather skilled at being awkward. As the prince glances around he takes in the big sign declaring your shop to be a bakery then glances at you. You lock eyes. Your heart does a flip. He raises his eyebrows. He starts to walk towards you. Oh no, oh no, oh no.

You grab Baylea by the arm, spin on one foot and sprint into your shop. You shove her behind the counter and crouch down, hiding.

"Why are you hiding from him?"

"I'm human! You know what those noble Elves think of me."

"Just!" She grabs your wrist, "Talk!" She heaves you up, "To!" She places you behind the counter, "Him!" She releases you and leaves. The bell at the front door jingles and the prince walks through. You clench your fists. He approaches, glancing around at the shelves of bread and pastries, his armoured guards clicking as they walk behind him.

"Morning..." He furrows his eyebrows, "Simple?" He searches your features for an Honorific. No, you are not a Common Elf. In fact, you are not an Elf at all. You bow towards him, "Good Morning, Prince Light Sunoo."

"You're human." He whispers. Your head jerks upwards, eyes wide. "I- yes. I am. My apologies, Simple Reya is not present at the moment and ah, Dark Baylea has- has gone..."

"No it is alright, be at ease, Human. What is your name?" He smiles peacefully.

You force out the syllables of your name, eyebrows pressed anxiously together. The prince tilts his head at you, "Fascinating. I have never met a human before. Some say that you are dirty. Drained of magic." He reaches out a hand as if to touch you. You recoil. His eyes widen, realizing his action, and he pulls back. "It is true that I feel no power from you, but you are not dirty. You are normal."

"Thank you...Your Highness." You lower your head. "Is there anything you would like to purchase or sample?"

He smiles. "Do not be so anxious, Human. What is your best selling item?"

"Oh- oh well, many appear to enjoy these firebird egg pastries. As for sweets, these pomegranate and cream tarts are widely enjoyed. Moss Bread is also a good seller as it's a good everyday food staple."

"You are good at your job." He glances back at his guards, who retreat slightly. One of them is staring at the cakes.

"Thank you." You smile. "The butcher sells good caramelized meat that is amazing in Moss Bread sandwiches, I suggest that to be your next stop."

Sunoo laughs softly. "Thank you for the suggestion. I had never thought a Human would speak our language."

Your cheeks fill with warmth. "I've been here a long time."

"You live here?"

"I visit often."

"I am curious of you." Sunoo says. You smile slightly, "I can tell, Prince."

"I want to know your stories."

"Me?" You raise your eyebrows. "I don't think it is appropriate for a Prince to be engaged in conversation so long with a commoner, let alone a Human."

"That is true." He muses. "Tell me, have you ever wondered what it would be like to be an Elf?"

"Many times."

"I have wondered what it would be like to be Human."

"Truly?" Your eyes widen, "Have you?"

"I have. Would you exchange a word with me tonight? I will come meet you."

"Ah, Prince Light Sunoo, I don't think that would be-"

"Appropriate? Something only my personal guards know is that I am a rule breaker." He giggles. Your heart swells. You allow yourself to smile, he's grinning.

"If you please. I will waiting." You say. Sunoo is glowing. "Great! I will purchase one loaf of Moss Bread please? And one pomegranate cream tart."

You let out a small laugh and get the items for you, wrapping them in tissue paper and placing them into a bag. He spills gold coins into your palm. His fingers are warm. He leans towards you. You still, your heart speeding up at the proximity.

"I have not seen an Elf as beautiful as you are, Human. You fascinate me." He pulls away, smiles, waves, and is gone.

———

You tell Baylea everything. She gushes about how you were like the main characters in the books she read then went off at closing to meet her girlfriend. This night, you stay after closing rather than escaping back through the little door. You sit outside on the steps of the bakery, tapping your fingers on your thigh. You aren't there for long because a royal guard comes by to pick you up. You go with him cautiously, fidgeting with your fingers.

He leads you to the outskirts of town where the prince is leaning against a tree, staring up at the stars through the branches. There are no other guards in sight. The one walking by you grabs your arm just before you enter earshot of the prince, he leans in to whisper by your ear. "I don't know why the Prince is so enthralled by you but if you so much as look at him wrong don't expect to ever be allowed in this kingdom again. You'd better get yourself back to the human world and never come back."

Your lip curls in disgust at his words; A chill runs through your body. You shake off the guard and glare at him. You resist saying something that would immediately get you kicked out and approach the prince. He drops his gaze towards you as you sit down beside him. His crown is crooked, golden eyes glowing slightly in the moonlight. "Good evening, Human." He smiles.

"Good evening Prince Light Sunoo."

"Just Sunoo, please."

You frown slightly and nod. He continues staring into the sky. "So, what's the human world like?"

"Well...similar? We have less kingdoms, more democratic governments, we're more technologically advanced- sorry, not sorry, and-"

"No, I mean, what's it like? Do you like it better? Or worse than here?"

You pause, follow his gaze up to the stars. "No. I hate it there. All my friends are here. My parents don't care when I disappear." A breeze rustles the leaves above you. "But there are good things. Hot chocolate, christmas lights, hot summer days, april rains, tulips. But...our society slowly falls apart. There's so much hate there. Even if people don't love Humans here, i don't witness as much hate or prejudice. Everyone is welcoming. Everyone is kind."

"That sounds lovely."

"What?" You turn to look at him.

"Hot chocolate, christmas lights." He echoes. "I don't know what either are but they sound lovely. Hot chocolate sounds delicious. Christmas lights sound beautiful." He turns his head towards you, smiles. "You are wrong about everyone here, though. There is plenty of hate even in the Elven world." His sentence trails off as if he's pondering something.

"May I tell you a few things?"

"Of course, my prince." You hesitate. "Sunoo."

"First, I have never been in love." He cracks a smile, you giggle. "Me neither." You say. This leads him to laugh. He slides his gaze away. "Second, I was born without power."

The night seems to quiet around you. "What?" You whisper. "But..."

"How is it possible?" He reaches out, his hand brushing yours and smiles. "It's rare, but it can happen. A defect in the womb. I have always wished to live in the human world for this reason. I feel I would blend in more. The people are convinced I simply choose not to show my powers in public. The truth is that I have none. My personal guards know this, and now, you. That is all."

You let your body twist so you are fully facing him. You watch him take his crown off and set it in the grass nearby. You frown, "You are too kind and too beautiful to fit into the Human world."

"I could say the same of you." He smiles.

"You flatter me." You swallow bubbly laughter.

Sunoo turns and sits up. You follow suit. He looks at you. His gaze traces your face, your eyes, your nose, your lips. Down to your body, back up. "It is a wonder to have met you."

"And you, prince."

"There is something I wish to do."

"I first have something to ask." You tug at your bottom lip with your teeth. Sunoo tilts his head. You glance down. "Why me?"

You feel fingers lightly touch your chin. He forces you to look back at him. He's gotten closer. Your heart tears up into your through. Your mouth goes dry. Sunoo smiles. "Even I do not know. My heart demanded it." He leans towards you, hesitates just before his lips touch yours. A silent question, can I?

You answer his question by meeting his lips with yours. The kiss is short and sweet and warm. His lips are soft. One of his hands is pressed to the small of your back. You both pull away barely an inch.

"Thank you." He mumbles. "I wish to see you again."

You shake your head. "And I do not wish to tarnish your reputation."

"I already have no power, how much worse can it be that I exchange affections with a human?"

You let one of your hands shakily drift up to cup his cheek. Your pinky and ring fingers brush against his warm neck, your thumb pressed to the corner of his mouth. "As you said. There is plenty of hate even in the Elven world."