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One step after another, slowly, delicately, his arms moving just as gracefully to accompany the motion of the body, he was dancing. Eyes half closed, hair falling in front of his eyelids, his half ponytail failing to hold back the black strands that also danced around his face. The young man was dancing, with an almost majestic grace, with such passion that it made his soul vibrate. He knew he didn't have much time, and yet his movements were still focused.
It was only when he heard three knocks on his bedroom door that he unwillingly stopped. He ran a hand through his hair to fix it as best as possible.
"Come in."
The large wooden door then opened, letting a young man with short brown hair walk in. He bowed politely to the dancer.
"Hello Seungmin, I was waiting for you. Did you have a good trip?"
"Come on Hyunjin, my dear cousin, not so much formalities between us!"
The cousin smiled, and they exchanged a happy hug. The two young men were almost the same age, Seungmin was only a few months younger. They were cousins through their mothers, two sisters. Seungmin hadn't inherited the same royal status as the older one, but they still remained close. The youngest was welcomed to the palace with his family, in view of the upcoming birthday of the Queen, his aunt. A big ball was organized and for nothing in the world would he have wanted to miss it. The whole castle was in turmoil for this event, the guests were gradually arriving in the city and the servants were hurrying left and right for the preparations.
Hyunjin himself wasn't too excited about all of this. Of course, his mother's birthday was a big occasion, but all the fuss in the castle made him dizzy. He was not fond of big receptions, which were however not rare; and although being used to it, he always preferred more peace.
And what he loved most of all was dancing. From a young age, the little prince had found himself passionate about this art, and he had always danced, danced and danced. His parents, the King and the Queen, did not take a dim view of the passion that animated their son, even if they would have appreciated that he be a little more involved in the activities of the kingdom.
For Hyunjin, dancing was everything. So when this high society and life in the castle became too heavy, he would escape, and he would find his little quiet place. It was a small kiosk, located at the end of the south-eastern garden of the castle. The place was quite isolated, no one ever passed by, let alone when Hyunjin was there. It was mainly in the evening that he found refuge there. When the palace became calm again, and when the stars showed the tip of their noses, he began to dance. Through his movements he let all his emotions go, all his desires, everything that he felt. Hyunjin felt trapped in this castle he had almost never left, and dancing helped him escape.
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That evening, a short, blond-haired man was walking through the gardens. He knew he didn't really have permission, but who was going to catch him at this hour? Confident in this idea, he walked quietly, letting his gaze wander over the many trees and flowers, which he had not seen for a long time. Felix had been gone from the royal city for six years now. A few years earlier, his mother, being in financial difficulties, did not have the money to take care of him, so she had sent him to live with his uncle and his aunt in another town in the south of the country. The blond had lived there for six years and had studied there. In the meantime, his mother had found a job as a servant at the castle. Now eighteen years old, he had decided to come back to live with her.
So there he was, walking around, in this place he had loved when he was younger. He had found this little passage between the walls and the high hedges which surrounded the gardens, and had entered it. The cool air of nightfall caressed his skin, causing a multitude of shivers. Since he fell sick easily, he didn't really want to catch a cold when he had just returned to the capital. He decided to go home, and, following his memories, took a little shortcut between the trees.
But as he walked along the small path, he stopped. Something had caught his attention, there, on the right. He took two small steps to the side and hid behind a tree. There, in that little isolated place, in front of this little kiosk that he knew well, a young man was dancing. And if Felix's mother would have considered it voyeuristic and would have left so as not to disturb the stranger, the blond stayed there. Motionless, completely hypnotized. The stranger's movements were unparalleled grace and impressive fluidity, even without music. It was in an almost respectful silence from the trees that the young man danced, his eyes closed, as if nothing around him existed. And Felix was fascinated, completely fascinated. So much so that he forgot the passing of time, and when he came out of the trance in which the movements of the young man had plunged him, he realized that the sky had darkened. He had to go home where his mother was going to worry. After one last glance at the stranger, he took two steps back and then turned to go back to where he had come from, not without regret at having been torn from his contemplation.
Oh yes, Felix would have liked to stay. To admire the dancer for hours and hours. To know who he was. And above all, to dance like him. He had always loved dancing too. But he had never had the opportunity to learn, or even to train seriously. He had had to focus on his studies first, and the idea of dancing had always been a sort of "maybe someday."
The following days, he went back there. Every evening, at the same time, he had gone to this same place, and to his great happiness, the stranger had never missed the meeting which was not really one. And for long minutes, Felix admired him. The young man with the raven black strands had never paid attention to his presence, too focused on his own movements, and the blond preferred that; he would have been too embarrassed for the stranger to surprise him observing him like that.
Maybe one day he would reveal himself.
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A week had passed and the Queen's birthday had arrived. In the palace there was an incredible commotion, everyone was in turmoil for this long awaited event. Guests were everywhere in the hallways and the reception hall. Felix had been hired by his dear mother to work as a servant this evening, and the blond had not been able to refuse her.
As for Hyunjin, he was a bit overwhelmed. Standing at the back of the room, he did his best to welcome the guests, to smile, and talk to them a little. People came and went, bowing in turn to the young prince, and he hid his weariness. He would just do as he was supposed to by his status, however he could only hope to have some free time to escape for a bit.
And he knew exactly where he wanted to go.
As his eyes wandered around the room, flying over everyone present from the little stage where he was standing, he caught a glimpse of blonde hair. A little smile bloomed on his face, as all his attention turned to this little man who seemed lost, crossing the room with a tray full of empty glasses. Even from afar, the piercing eyes of the dark haired boy detailed the ocean of pretty little specks adorning the face of the stranger. The same stranger who had spent long minutes watching him, every night of the past week, thinking he was invisible. When Hyunjin had indeed seen him. And if at first he had felt embarrassed to be spied on this way, the admiration he had felt in the boy's eyes had convinced him not to stop. So then, under the eyes of this stranger, he had continued to dance, and had even ended up hoping that he would come back the next day. Which he did, again and again and again.
And now this little blond man was in the same room as him. Better yet, he had casually turned his head towards him, and their eyes had met. Opposite each other, several meters away, Hyunjin had gently smiled, while Felix was confused. Was it that man? The same person? The dancer whose every move he had observed and appreciated for several days?
He was dressed in elegant black pants and a white jacket lined with gold. On his shoulders rested a sort of long cape made of a transparent white veil falling down to his knees, a ribbon was tied in his hair and he was beautiful, so beautiful. Felix couldn't take his eyes off the man he had just realized was the prince, and Hyunjin couldn't either.
He finally had to when one of the guests approached him. With the eye contact broken, Felix turned his head, embarrassment rising to his cheeks coloring them with a soft pink. He looked around quickly to see if anyone needed his services, and swiftly left the room. He needed to get some fresh air, to get away from the crowd, from this too bright universe that was not his, and above all, he needed to get away from him .
My poor Felix, you’re in such a state for someone you don't even know !
Without even realizing it, his footsteps had made him leave the castle and walk towards the same place he had been going to every evening for the past week. He sat down on the marble steps of the small kiosk, finally allowing himself to take a deep breath. The light breeze of the evening made his wheat-colored hair dance, and he looked up at the sky. Where dozens of stars appeared, similar to the ones he wore on his cheeks. He ended up leaning back and lying down against the surface, in a much more comfortable position. The same marble that had felt the prince's footsteps dance. And Felix closed his eyes, rocked by the soft melody of the breeze in the leaves. He felt embarrassed to have faced this boy, to have found out that he was the prince. He didn't think he had been discovered, but the way the prince had looked at him and smiled at him ... What if he had seen him? It was all the more embarrassing and Felix could only wince at the idea. What if the prince hadn't liked it? What if he had decided to punish him for his intrusiveness? Felix covered his face with his hands, trying to forget this thought.
He stayed like that for long minutes. Five, ten, maybe more. Lying against the marble kiosk, he let his thoughts wander. And they all brought him back to the prince. Oh how he would love to dance like him...
A noise on the side interrupted his train of thought, making him jump. He straightened up, turned towards the source of the noise, and his heart skipped a beat.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
There he was, the man who occupied all his thoughts without him being able to stop it. His black hair framing his soft face, dressed in white, he looked like an angelic vision. And he was smiling at him again.
"Am I bothering you ?"
For a few milliseconds that seemed like an eternity, Felix thought he had lost all use of speech and thought. He only succeeded in stammering a few ridiculous words.
"N-no ... not at all, no!"
Ridiculous, you're ridiculous Felix , mentally beating himself up, while the angelic boy took a few steps in his direction, until he stood right in front of him.
"May I sit ?"
Again a missed beat, and Felix shyly nodded. The boy then sat down, on his left. Looking up at the stars, the prince really looked unreal. And without even noticing it, Felix couldn't take his eyes off the full lips of the boy next to him. When he realized it, he suddenly turned away, but it was too late for Hyunjin not to notice it.
"The stars on your face are as beautiful as the ones in the sky, you know?"
And Felix thought that his heart had definitely stopped at those words.
"Th-thank you, your... your highness," were the only words he managed to stammer.
"Please Felix, call me Hyunjin."
A little surprised, the smaller boy turned towards the prince, without looking him in the eye.
"How do you know my name?"
Hyunjin chuckled, and the blonde's heart raced this time. What a sweet melody.
"Oh well... let's just say I wanted to learn a little bit about this certain person who's been a really good, albeit a little odd, audience to me these last few nights.”
Felix turned his head, blushing fiercely. So yes. He had seen him.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to bother you, I really didn't..."
"You didn't bother me. At first it was a little disturbing... But in the end it was quite pleasant... to be watched by your eyes."
In the half-light of the night, Hyunjin smiled at him again, and Felix prayed that he couldn't see the blush now very present on his cheeks.
"It's because... I've always wanted to dance like you, to have the same talent...", if he was going to be honest, might as well be until the end.
"Why don't you do it, then?"
Felix shrugged.
"I don't know... I kinda feel like that's not what I'm supposed to do, and that it is frowned upon."
At that moment, Hyunjin stood up. Standing in front of him, he held out his hand, that same smile still on his face.
"Do you want to dance, Felix?"
The blonde was dumbfounded, his mouth parted. The prince didn't move, just waiting for a reaction from the smaller one.
"I... Your Highness, I am not worthy to dance with you!!"
He remained frozen like a statue, unsettled by the boy’s proposition, and the latter did not lose his smile.
"There is no question of dignity in dance. Dancing makes your soul vibrate, more than with simple moves. If you have something to express, you can do it by dancing."
Felix's eyes widened. Surprised and above all touched by the prince's words. The latter's hand was still extended towards him, and almost unconsciously Felix also raised his hand. But he stilled in his move, and Hyunjin then didn't hesitate to come slightly closer and take his hand in his.
"Don’t be afraid."
Their eyes met, and Felix's heart raced once again as his stomach twisted in a pleasant sensation. And after a long moment of looking at each other, a smile finally lit the starry face of the blond.
"So go ahead, Your Highness, teach me. Teach me how to dance."
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