Chapter Text
You stood next to the man you saw as the most charming and handsome man in the nine realms, your prince, as he stared at the most beautiful woman the kingdoms had ever seen. That’s when you knew. You were struck once more with the knowledge that all of your daydreams were actually delusions.
He would fall for her.
And you would support him.
You would have no choice.
He was your prince, the crown prince of the kingdom, and you would serve him no matter what happened to yourself. That was what it meant to be a loyal servant to the royal family.
“Ask her to dance, My Prince, she will surely agree,” You told him, smiling as if you didn’t feel the pain of sending someone you were in love with into the arms of another. You were a lady of the court, trained to hide your true thoughts in case you one day entered into a strategic marriage. Taught to conceal your thoughts and opinions from those who determined your fate. To please. Smile, sit, look pretty, play the harp, embroider tapestries, act demure and helpless to attract suitors.
And do whatever it took to serve the royal family and ensure their continued reign.
“You think so?” Prince Taehyung asked, still watching her with awe.
“I know so, she’s glanced this way at least three times and you are the prince. Any woman you chose to dance with would accept.”
“Not you.”
“No,” You agreed, blinking back the truth. “Not I. I do not dance as well as I would wish to if I were to dance with Your Majesty.” Lies. All lies. You dared not dance with him for your heart’s sake. For his sake. For the sake of the kingdom.
“Y/n,” He said with a look that told you just how much he cared about whether you were a good dancer or not.
“My Prince,” You returned calmly, keeping up the formality. He had to go to her. For the good of the country.
He almost looked hurt.
“You’d best hurry if you wish to secure a dance with her,” You urged him, lightly tapping his arm with your fan.
“What about you?” He asked, looking around.
You’d never quite fit in with the other ladies of the court, instead tending to his younger sister as her ladies maid since she loved you plenty. You’d also been helping him learn some of the finer arts, such as painting, for the past four years which meant he talked with you quite often. This also didn’t earn you any favors with the ladies of the court (the prince was ‘swoon-worthy’ as demonstrated by them swooning if he so much as looked in their direction) who saw you as some sort of fortune hunter.
Thus, you were usually alone at balls and parties.
“I thought I would talk to some of the ladies from the visiting princes’ party,” You told him, smiling. “Go win your fair maiden’s hand.”
He grinned at your dramatic words, then slipped into the crowd, heading toward the woman who must have been a princess.
“You are close to Prince Taehyung, then,” A man asked from behind you.
You turned, dropping a curtsy the moment you recognized the younger of the visiting princes. “Prince Jungkook.” You curtsied as fit his status automatically. “I am his sister’s ladies’ maid, we’ve crossed paths before. We speak on occasion.”
“You hit him and were teasing him, something which usually is reserved for friends, not occasional conversation partners.” He looked amused.
“Your Highness must forgive me for asking if there was a goal or question behind this line of inquiry you are pursuing? Or do you question my relationship with the prince to alleviate your own discomfort with the large crowds?”
His eyes widened, smile a little stunned.
You smiled and looked away. “Your discomfort will not have been noted by the royal family, I assure you. I do not think they could even fathom a person being uncomfortable in such situations as they thrive in. However, you, in a new place surrounded by strangers, tend to stick to the walls and corners, avoiding the thick of the crowd and sticking relatively close to those that you know. I have the luxury of too much time on my hands to observe those around me along with more education than my father deemed good for a woman,” You explained, seeing his face relax into a sort of puzzled smile.
“Is it unusual for women to educated here?”
“That depends entirely on what they are educated in. My mother insisted that, along with the tradition education a lady in my position should receive, I should be taught strategy and logic, along with arithmetic, and politics. Books were my teachers, and I was given leave to read as many as I would. It’s unusual for a woman to be well-read.”
“You possess the air of a queen,” He said, looking completely genuine. The weight of his words making your stomach flip-flop.
“But I am not, nor am I likely ever to be anything more than I am. Behind you,” You replied, nodding over his shoulder.
He turned and the ladies pounced on his weakness like a cat pounces on a mouse, leaving you to escape through the crowd that you weren’t fond of but could tolerate after far too many social gatherings.
His older brother, Prince Hoseok, was the one to stop you, bowing slightly. “May I have this dance, Lady y/n?”
You smiled and accepted, knowing it would be frowned upon more were you to refuse than if you were to accept.
Prince Hoseok was an exceptional dancer, light on his feet and fluid in his movements. Dancing with him, his friendly conversation and the brightness in his eyes and smile, was most agreeable.
“You are by far my best dance partner of the night,” He said, grinning at you after having guided you off the dance floor following the completion of the song.
“You flatter me, Your Highness,” You replied, but you were smiling genuinely.
Until you saw Taehyung looking at you with an alarming amount of sadness.
“I asked you to dance to make up for my brother’s…quite possibly rude behavior. He sometimes doesn’t know how to behave around others, especially ladies. However, I am very glad I did. I’ll remember you for another dance, yes?”
You curtsied. “I’d be delighted.”
He bowed and slipped away to find his next dance partner.
“You said you weren’t a good dancer.”
“Go back to her, My Prince. She will get the wrong idea if you abandon her to speak with me,” You kept your face neutral.
“She’s dancing with Duke Redford. Why did you lie to me?”
“To release you from the idea of duty to me to dance, that you might go dance with her, the woman who catches your gaze even now. I am inconsequential. She is a princess, is she not?”
“She is. Princess Rose of Vareliath,” He answered. “She’s…incredible.”
“That is excellent, Your Highness. I wish all works in your favor.”
He frowned at you.
“Lady Y/n, may I have this dance?” Prince Jungkook appeared from the crowd.
You blinked in surprise, your body automatically dipping your head and taking his hand in agreement when your head was scrambling for a reason to say no. Unfortunately, between trying to get away from Taehyung and refusing a dance to the prince of a neighboring kingdom, getting away from Taehyung was far more important.
Jungkook was as good of a dancer as his brother. But he seemed uncertain of how to talk to you, which took away from the dancing experience.
“Do you often interrogate ladies of the courts you visit?” You asked, breaking the awkward silence. It came out light, thankfully, teasing.
He looked a little sheepish. “I apologize. It was…the wrong way of starting a conversation. I just desired to know what possessed Prince Taehyung to…” He seemed to struggle to put his thoughts into words. “I do not mean to…you’re a lady of the court, yes, but he speaks to you with ease. As though you were a trusted adviser and friend. I wanted to see why, and you did not disappoint. You’re a delight to speak with.”
You were a little stunned, turning your gaze away from him casually, keeping a soft smile on your face. “How so?”
“Your wit and ability to move the conversation. I’ve always been a little clumsy with conversation but you seem to know exactly what to say and how much to say.” He guided you closer with slight pressure to your shoulder.
You lifted your chin, meeting his gaze boldly. “Is that why you said I had the air of a queen?”
He met your gaze steadily, seeming to come even closer. “It’s one of the reasons. But your intelligence, your knowledge of what is best for the Prince,” He said, gaze sliding past you.
You turned your head slightly, seeing Taehyung dancing with the Princess again. You looked away from them. “It is my duty to serve the royal family as best I can.”
“And what if your duty were to become princess of another kingdom,” He asked, voice soft.
You looked at him in surprise and watched him smile softly at your reaction.
He guided you to the wall, the song having ended. “As the second son of a king, I could marry you. My father would approve. My brother would surely approve. You told me you were given more education than most women, and though you may never be queen…you could help me help my people.”
You looked away from the intensity of his gaze. “We’ve only just met.”
“I know, but I want you to know that I’m courting you. I want things to be as clear as possible. I am courting you, Lady Y/n.” He brought your gaze back to his with a feathery touch on your chin, his thumb lightly grazing your lips.
You’d never felt more terrified or thrilled.
“It doesn’t hurt that you’re the most beautiful woman here.”
You shook your head. “She is far more beautiful.”
His nose crinkled cutely. And not that you were looking at him, you could see both the cute and the manly features that created his regal figure. Chiseled jaw, round eyes, cute nose, and a quiet sort of confidence. “She is nothing compared to you.”
You tilted your chin down, looking up at him through your eyelashes as you tried not to let him know how excited and flattered you were. After years of telling yourself to stop feeling something for Taehyung, after searching for purpose for years, here he was, offering you everything you could ever dream of.
“I know it’s a bit sudden. I’ve been watching you ever since we arrived, but this is the first chance I’ve had to talk to you,” He said, looking at his shoes.
You dipped your head, acknowledging the truth of his statement. You both had been busy since his arrival, which would prevent both of you from interacting too much. “Your highness has not been here very long as of yet, we were bound to converse eventually, though it is likely that it would have been more limited in topic. The crowd helps with secrecy.”
“May I court you, then?” He drove the conversation back to it’s true start.
You let your gaze sweep the ballroom, unfazed by almost every face you saw. But his face…his personality…it was the personality that your friend always used to say you would fall for. A little awkward, but regal, charming but shy. Someone important.
You hated when she was right.
But you didn’t hate his attentions. There was no harm in allowing him to court you, after all. If you felt it was unwise, you could simply turn him down or perhaps he would turn you down. Harmless flirtations.
“You may,” You replied before you could change your mind.
He grinned. “Then shall we dance?”
You took the offered hand, smiling in return and allowing him to lead you to the floor.