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“What do you mean you have a concussion?”

“I mean that I hit my head and now I’m concussed.” Shrugged Sakura from where she laid on her bed. She had already been attended to by the royal nurse and had been given strict orders to stay in bed.

“Well, what the fuck are we gonna do? You’re supposed to be on a flight to Aldyria tonight!” Cried Taehyun frantically. This was exactly why he should have never allowed himself to get roped into his sister’s antics all those years ago. It was all just a butterfly effect; everything had been leading up to this one catastrophe. The universe probably planned this…

Sakura gave him a funny look. “What do you mean?”

Taehyun wanted to pull his hair – well, wig – out. This could not actually be happening.

“Well, we can’t tell them the truth! We’ll both get in so much trouble.”

It may be necessary to provide little backstory as to why Taehyun was freaking the fuck out. Taehyun and Sakura were twin siblings – children of the King and Queen of Valerona. They were practically identical, almost indistinguishable right up to their silvery hair. The only true difference between them was the fact that Sakura’s hair was long.

Their uncanny resemblance had meant that even from a young age, it was incredibly easy for them to… switch places.

When they were children, of course they only did it for a bit of fun and games, but as they got older, it became incredibly helpful in their stressful daily lives as royals. Sakura would dress up as Taehyun in order to attend parliamentary meetings that she couldn’t join just because she was a woman and their parents were stupidly old fashioned. Taehyun would dress up as Sakura so that he could get out of attending said parliamentary meetings. It was a win-win.

Of course it was risky. But Taehyun had always been a very logical man and he made up for Sakura’s spontaneity and rashness with his thoughtfulness and reason. They had never been caught doing a switch in all of their 23 years of life.

Last night, they had switched because Taehyun’s father wanted him to go to dinner with some snotty politicians to discuss something important or whatever. Sakura was going to attend in his place.

It had been snowing extremely hard recently due to the arrival of winter and the attendants had forgotten to check the palace stairs for ice. As a result, Sakura had slipped the moment she stepped out the door and plummeted down the stairs, hitting her head quite badly. Needless to say, a few people got fired.

Nevermind that getting a concussion was generally just sucky, the real problem was the fact that Sakura had been dressed as Taehyun when this happened. So everyone now thought that Taehyun was the one with the concussion. The royal nurse had ordered Sakura to stay in bed and was hell-bent on keeping a close watch on her. This meant that it could be weeks until they would be able to switch back without anyone finding out.

That wasn’t even the worst part of it either! Sakura was due to go to Aldyria to spend Christmas with her fiancé. But Taehyun was currently Sakura which meant-

“You’ll just have to go in my place,” Sighed Sakura as she shifted her pillows around. If she was going to be stuck in bed, she was going to be comfortable.

“You’re joking.”

“Well, what else are we supposed to do? You said it yourself, we can’t tell them the truth.”

Taehyun bit his bottom lip pensively. “But… isn’t it risky?”

Sakura frowned. “Not any more risky than usual. Besides I’ve never officially met the guy so he wouldn’t even notice if you did mess up.”

She had a point. Sakura’s engagement to the Crown Prince of Aldyria was completely arranged – it was just a way to secure an alliance with a neighbouring country. You’d think that in the 21st century, arranged marriages were no longer a thing, but nope! Sakura was not at all happy about the situation, but at the end of the day, she didn’t have a choice. Their parents were very small-minded and believed that a princess’ only role was to be married off in the name of politics.

The purpose of the stay in Aldyria was to meet the prince and get to know him before the marriage. A date hadn’t been chosen yet but their parents, along with the Queen of Valerona, were pushing for it to be soon.

“We don’t have any other choice.”

Taehyun sighed as he sat down on the bed, next to his sister. “Why’d you have to go fall down the stairs and make things difficult?” He chuckled.

Sakura only rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry that my injury is such an inconvenience.”

Taehyun laughed at that, ducking down when his sister tried to swat at his head.

The palace was decorated beautifully. A little over the top if you asked Taehyun but beautiful nonetheless. With twinkling lights framing every window, ribbons of green and red twisting around the columns and luscious wreaths hanging from the eaves. The most magnificent part was the giant Christmas tree that stood front and centre in the courtyard. It was dripping with sparkling gold and silver, impressive ornaments hanging from every green branch. At the top of the tree was a glittering star, shining so brightly that it gave the whole scene a magical glow.

If that was just the outside of the palace, Taehyun couldn’t even imagine the decor on the inside.

“Woah.” Taehyun whispered under his breath. He had just arrived at the palace in Aldyria where he would be staying. He had to admit that although he was literally faking his identity, he was quite excited to be spending Christmas in such a festive atmosphere. It was well known that Aldyria took their holiday traditions very seriously.

Although Valerona and Aldyria had the same climates and Taehyun had seen snow many times before, the snow in Aldyria was on a whole other level. Something about the magical atmosphere of the palace and the bubbling Christmas excitement made the sight of snow suddenly that much more amazing and Taehyun was mesmerised.

“It’s so pretty,” Commented Kai as he helped Taehyun out of the car. Huening Kai had not been an attendant for Taehyun for long but the two had known each other all their lives. As the son of the head of staff in the palace at Valerona, Kai had practically grown up with Taehyun and Sakura and was one of their closest friends. He was also one of the only people who knew about the twins’ secret. Of course he never told anyone and he even helped them out every now and again to make sure that nothing ever went wrong.

Kai had come with Taehyun to Aldyria because he was his attendant and he sort of had to, but he was also there to ensure that Taehyun would be able to pull off impersonating his sister for such a long time.

Was it absolutely crazy? Yes.

That’s it. It’s crazy. There’s seriously nothing else to say about the whole ordeal. Taehyun was so screwed.

“Stop worrying. I can hear the cogs in your brain turning.” Laughed Kai as the two made their way up the steps of the palace.

Taehyun nodded and took a deep breath, trying his best to stay calm. He could see the Queen and the Crown Prince waiting at the top of the stairs to greet him.

However, just as they reached the top of the stairs, Taehyun placed his foot down upon a layer of pure, slippery ice and immediately lost his balance. Oh. Now where has he seen this before?

Winter was seriously out for his family this year.

He flew backwards, throwing his arms forwards to try and grab onto something. But there was nothing there to hold onto and the stairs were so wide that there was no railing in sight. Just as Taehyun began to accept his fate and join Sakura in the concussion club, he felt two hands grip onto his own and pull him forwards.

“Are you okay?” Asked a deep voice as Taehyun did his best to steady himself with the help of the person.

He was a little dizzy from the shock but he was okay. “Yes, thank you. I’m-”

Taehyun’s words got caught in his throat when he looked up and realised who had saved him. Standing right in front of him was the Crown Prince of Aldyria himself. The man was still gripping tightly into Taehyun’s hands and was staring at him with genuine concern.

“I’m- I’m okay.” Stuttered Taehyun as he pulled his arms away from the prince. He felt his cheeks grow warm and he could barely tear his eyes away from the other man. “Sorry about that.”

“Nonsense!” Said Queen Yeona, “It’s our fault, we should have had someone double check the stairs for ice.”

Taehyun heard the queen speak but he was far too focused on the prince to process what she said. He couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Taehyun suddenly felt his heart beating quickly in his chest as he gazed at the prince. He was so pretty, with warm honey skin and a sharp jawline — handsome and defined features and fluffy golden hair that fell into his face. His eyes were rich and brown and sparkled with a hint of mischievousness that mirrored the smug curve of his lips.

Taehyun was pulled out of his trance by an elbow in his side. He turned to see Kai smirking at him with a knowing glint in his eyes.

“It’s- uh, it’s a pleasure to meet you, your highness,” Taehyun stuttered, leaning forwards to bow but quickly switching to a curtsy at the last minute. He almost forgot that he was supposed to be impersonating his sister for a second.

The queen giggled at that and leant forwards to greet Taehyun with a hug. It was more official to shake hands so Taehyun was a little shocked at the action but he returned the hug as best as he could.

“It’s so lovely to meet you too, my dear. I’m so happy to have such a lovely young lady become a part of our small family.” Beamed the queen as she leant forwards for another hug.

Taehyun’s eyes widened. Wow. Okay. Queen Yeona was clearly big on hugs.

The queen finally let go and Taehyun tried his best to act cool and collected. No one was going to find out. He was in the clear. He heard a snort from beside him and he glanced over at Kai who appeared to be barely containing his laughter. Taehyun resisted the urge to strangle him and instead sent him daggers with his eyes.

Beomgyu suddenly spoke again and Taehyun immediately snapped his attention back to his smooth and silky voice. “Princess Sakura, I am very much looking forward to us spending time together and getting to know each other.”

Queen Yeona grinned, “I personally made sure to absolutely pack your schedule with a variety of activities so that the two of you would have plenty of time to talk and have fun.”

Oh dear god. There was no way he wasn’t going to be discovered if he was going to be pretty much spending 24/7 with the prince.

“I can’t wait…” Taehyun tried his best to smile but it came out a bit more like a grimace. He suddenly wished that he had fallen down the stairs. At least then he would have been set free from this torture.

“Let’s not stand out in the cold any longer,” Spoke the Queen again as she led everyone into the palace. “I’ll have someone show you to your room.”

Taehyun paced around the room frantically. It was only the morning of the first day and he was already about to be found out.

The queen had organised for Taehyun and the prince to go horseback riding. Horseback riding!

Taehyun could not ride a horse. But Sakura could! So therefore Taehyun should be able to!

He hadn’t seen the Queen or the Prince since yesterday. Since they had arrived quite late, they were taken straight to their rooms and were served a small something to eat before bed. This was the first time that Taehyun was going to be properly interacting with the prince after their meeting and it was already all going to shit.

“I’m so screwed!” Cried Taehyun as he continued doing laps around his room. Kai was sat on the bed, watching with an amused expression as Taehyun babbled to himself. Taehyun was never usually this much of a mess and Kai was finding it very entertaining. “He’s gonna know. He’s so gonna know.”

“Can you chill out?” Laughed Kai when Taehyun almost walked straight into the wall from not paying attention to his surroundings.

“Chill out? Chill out!?” Squeaked Taehyun, swinging around to face the other man.

Kai decided to take that as a no. He got up and started gathering the things he would need to help Taehyun with his makeup. Prince Beomgyu would be coming to pick him up in only 30 minutes and he still hadn’t even started getting ready. Taehyun was seriously frazzled.

“You’ve pretended to be your sister thousands of times before. Why are you suddenly so nervous?” Asked Kai as he finally managed to get Taehyun to sit down in front of the vanity and stop pacing around like a maniac.

Taehyun paused at that, mulling over the other man’s words. Why was he getting so worked up about this? It wasn’t like it was any riskier than all the other times that he’d pulled it off. But this time he was in another country, full of people he didn’t know. He was already out of his depth and he wasn’t even experiencing it as himself. Before, he’d had no remorse lying to his parents and the Aldyrian government officials, but he didn’t know Queen Yeona or Prince Beomgyu and what he was doing almost felt immoral. Nevermind the fact that it probably was extremely immoral either way…

“I don’t know,” Taehyun chose to say in response. He left it at that and just allowed himself to relax in the chair as Kai fussed over his hair and makeup.

About half an hour later, there was a knock on the door. Taehyun squeaked in surprise and started rushing – he had been in the middle of putting his shoes on. Kai ran over to the door and, just as Taehyun finished pulling on his boots, he opened it wide to reveal the man standing outside.

Prince Beomgyu smiled at Taehyun as he stepped into the room. “Good morning, your highness.” The words rolled off his tongue as he leant forwards to take Taehyun’s hand and kiss the back of it gently.

Taehyun felt himself flushing and looked down at his feet, unable to make eye contact with the prince. “You can call me Sakura,” He said meekly.

“Then you may call me Beomgyu,” Replied the prince, flashing a handsome grin.

Taehyun wanted to swoon. The prince was so charming and Taehyun almost felt jealous that Sakura was the one who would get to marry him. Oh yeah, great thoughts to be having about the fiancé of your sister. Your sister that you are currently impersonating! Taehyun wanted to slap himself.

“Shall we get going then?” Asked Beomgyu, looking towards Taehyun expectantly. The younger man nodded stiffly, and started heading out of the room. Taehyun glanced over his shoulder just as he walked through the door to see Kai mouth a quick ‘Good luck!’ and give him a thumbs-up.

“Oh, that’s a big horse.”

Taehyun winced the moment he blurted out the words, avoiding Beomgyu’s gaze as he turned to him. The elder was probably staring at him with some mixture of confusion and plain judgement.
But, to Taehyun’s surprise, he heard a soft chuckle. “It could be,” He laughed lightly, “I’m afraid I’m not aware of the average size range of horses.”

Taehyun blinked, a little shocked, yet he couldn’t stop the smile that formed on his lips.

“So, I hear that you’re a competitive rider.” Stated Beomgyu. Taehyun’s smile immediately disappeared.

“Well, I’m a little rusty-”

“Nonsense!” Grinned Beomgyu, “I saw you compete only last year. You were incredible!”

Taehyun’s eyes widened, “Well- not really. I mean-”

“You won first place!” Cried Beomgyu excitedly. If Taehyun wasn’t so preoccupied with his internal breakdown, he would’ve taken a moment to admire how much Beomgyu resembled a puppy, bouncing a little in his excitement.

“Ah.” Taehyun let out a small, resigned sigh, “That I did.”

“Wonderful!” Beamed Beomgyu, “Then let’s get going.” Taehyun could only watch as Beomgyu bounded towards his own horse and started getting ready to mount it. Aldyria had quite a large stable and Beomgyu had claimed that the horse Taehyun was borrowing was one of their finest.

That had done nothing to calm the younger man’s nerves however, mostly due to the fact that Taehyun had never actually ridden a horse.

His parents had made him go to riding class once when he and Sakura were kids. While his sister had immediately taken a liking to the horses, young Taehyun had been absolutely terrified of the damn things. He ran away from the stables crying and had refused to ever come back.

Taehyun hesitantly stepped towards his own horse. One of the attendants was holding it by the reins so he wasn’t too frightened but that didn’t mean he was keen either. He looked over to see that Beomgyu was already seated upon his own horse and watching Taehyun with an unreadable expression as he waited for him.

Hesitantly, Taehyun placed both of his hands down on the horse to steady himself and lifted his left foot onto the stirrup. Then he paused, bracing himself for the next step. The next step never came however. Taehyun couldn’t bring himself to do it and ended up just sort of standing there, half hanging off the side of the horse in terror.

“Are you alright?” Came Beomgyu’s concerned voice from right behind him. The prince had gotten off his own horse so that he could come over and check on him.

“I-” Started Taehyun, feeling his throat clog up slightly, “I don’t think I can do it.”

“That’s okay,” Beomgyu uttered and Taehyun felt two hands gently wrap around his waist and pull him off the side of the horse. Beomgyu slowly spun him around so that they were looking at each other, faces close together as he spoke. “If you don’t think you can ride, you can sit on my horse and we’ll go together. If you want.”

Taehyun’s heart stuttered in his chest at their close proximity. His mouth felt dry and he was already so anxious about being around horses that words appeared to totally fail him. He nodded weakly, agreeing because he wasn’t sure how to communicate anything else.

Beomgyu carefully took his hand and led him over to the other horse. He guided Taehyun’s hands and helped him place his foot securely on the stirrup before once again holding his waist to hoist him up onto the horse. Beomgyu wasted no time swinging his own leg over and seating himself right behind Taehyun.

Taehyun felt Beomgyu reach around his sides to grab onto the reins. The elder shifted a bit to ensure that the two of them were seated comfortably.

“Are- uh, aren’t we both too heavy?” Asked Taehyun. His voice was back but still a little shaky. He wasn’t used to anything close to riding a horse but the longer he stayed not, well, dying, the more he found himself adjusting.

“We’ll only ride for a little bit. She’ll be okay,” Beomgyu whispered next to his ear and wow- Taehyun had not realised how close they were.

Beomgyu tightened his grip on the reins and began riding, leading the two of them out of the stables. Taehyun tensed a bit as he felt Beomgyu’s warm chest press against his back, gently rubbing against him with the movement of the horse.

It was a crisp and clear day – blankets of white covered everything as far as the eye could see. Although it wasn’t snowing, the remnants of the snowfall from the night before had left a magical feeling in the air. Taehyun took a deep breath, feeling much more comfortable as the two of them rode slowly down the path. The cold air filled his lungs and he felt his head clear as he took in the wonderful view.

Winter was undoubtedly Taehyun’s favourite time of year. Everything just looked so serene and peaceful – from the dusting of snow that fell upon tree branches like a sprinkle of sugar to the glassy ice of the lake that gleamed like the sweetest icing. Winter was a delightful treat that could only be enjoyed at that special time of year.

“You alright?” Whispered Beomgyu and Taehyun shivered at the hot breath against the shell of his ear.

“It’s very beautiful,” Mumbled Taehyun, never removing his eyes from the magnificent sight before him.

Beomgyu laughed softly and hummed in agreement. Taehyun smiled brightly, unable to stop himself with all the happiness he was suddenly feeling. Being out in the open air, conquering his fear and bearing witness to such gorgeous scenery made him want to grin ear-to-ear. It was a fantastic moment, enhanced by the joyful and festive atmosphere and Taehyun suddenly felt all of his other worries float away. He was at peace.

Taehyun was brought out of his thoughts when Beomgyu spoke again.

“Whenever I’m stressed, I come out here to clear my head. There’s something really serene about it that I can’t explain.” The prince sounded so carefree; something about his voice was calm, almost floaty, as though going out there had truly drained all the tension from his body.

“I know exactly what you mean,” Replied Taehyun because it was true. He did know what the prince meant as he too was experiencing that magnificent tranquillity.

It was silent for a few moments until Taehyun opened his mouth again. He wasn’t sure why he did. He wasn’t sure what pushed him to ask or why he suddenly wanted to know. “Do you feel stressed a lot?”

Beomgyu didn’t respond for a moment and Taehyun began to worry that he’d overstepped. They barely knew each other, for goodness’ sake!

Taehyun was startled when he heard Beomgyu’s deep voice once again. “It’s not that I don’t like dealing with affairs of state. I love my country and I’m very happy that I’ll be its king one day. It’s just-”

“A lot of pressure,” Interrupted Taehyun without even thinking.

Beomgyu huffed out a laugh. “Yeah,” He breathed out a little confusedly, “That’s exactly what I was going to say. How…”

Taehyun turned as best as he could to look at Beomgyu, which turned out to be very difficult on a horse and sort of ended up just talking to the side of the prince’s face. “Trust me, I know the feeling.”

Beomgyu hummed again but didn’t say anything else as they began to head back to the stables. Taehyun felt a weird feeling that he couldn’t name bubbling in his chest. He decided to just chalk it up to his first time riding a horse.

“You owe me big time for this,” Taehyun growled into his phone. It had been three days since he’d been impersonating his sister and it’d felt like he’d spent almost every waking second with Beomgyu. Queen Yeona wasn’t joking when she said she’d totally packed their schedule. Just that day they had gone to a tea-party charity event and Taehyun had almost blown his cover once again when he tried to order strawberry cake before Beomgyu reminded him that it was common knowledge that he (Sakura) was very allergic to strawberries. That one had been a little difficult to just awkwardly laugh off. How did Beomgyu even know that?!

“Don’t be so dramatic. You’re doing fine,” Replied Sakura from the other end of the line.

“I hope your head still really hurts,” Hissed Taehyun, mainly because he was just mad and didn’t know what else to say.

“Yes, I’m doing much better. Thank you, my dear brother.” Sakura giggled and Taehyun was tempted to just hang up on her.

“Yesterday I had to sit through an entire game of cricket just because it’s your favourite sport.” Taehyun continued to grumble into the phone as flopped down onto his bed. “I didn’t know that sport could be so boring!” He cried.

“Ooo!” Squealed his sister excitedly and Taehyun winced at the sound so close to his ear, “Who won?”

Taehyun frowned, “What- why- I don’t know! Who cares?!”

“I do,” Huffed Sakura, “You’re just an uncultured swine that doesn’t understand good sport.”

“Oh piss off-” Taehyun was interrupted by a knock on his bedroom door. “Someone’s here. I’ve got to go,” He whispered into the phone, saying goodbye and quickly hanging up the call.

Taehyun went over to open the door and was surprised to see Beomgyu standing there.

“Uh, hi,” Said Taehyun a bit awkwardly. He still felt nervous whenever he was with the prince and honestly didn’t know how to act around him.

“Hi!” Greeted Beomgyu with a shining smile. Taehyun felt his heart flutter a little at how handsome the other man was. “I was wondering if you’d like to join me for a walk in the gardens.”

Taehyun blinked. Well, he wasn’t expecting that. In fact, over the last three days, Prince Beomgyu seemed to be full of the unexpected. The prince was kind, and easy to get along with. He was funny too and Taehyun felt himself enjoying his company quite a lot, often easing a bit of the tension and nerves that Taehyun couldn’t get rid of.

“Of course! Let me just get my coat.”

Beomgyu smiled to himself as they walked through the garden. The cool night air was refreshing and the sound of snow crunching under his feet grounded him. He briefly closed his eyes and tilted his head towards the night sky, basking in the chilly wind as it brushed against his face.

“So, why’d you want to go for a walk?”

Beomgyu opened his eyes and looked to his side to see Sakura looking up at him with a soft curiosity. There was something about her that made him enjoy her presence greatly.

“I feel like we’ve been spending so much time together and doing all of these activities but we haven’t really had a chance to get to know each other.” Sighed Beomgyu, kicking at the snow a little as they walked. They probably shouldn’t be out so late without any escorts but Beomgyu just wanted to speak to Sakura alone.

He heard a soft hum from the woman as she responded. “I would like to get to know you more,” She agreed.

“Well,” Laughed Beomgyu, “We’re probably going to be married so it would be good idea.”

Sakura grinned at him as they continued their stroll through the gardens. “Well then,” She giggled, “Tell me about yourself.”

The two ended up talking for hours, walking around the gardens until way too late into the night. Sakura listened so intently when Beomgyu spoke about himself, never interrupting or losing interest. It made Beomgyu’s heart warm with something he couldn’t quite explain.

When Sakura spoke, Beomgyu couldn’t tear his attention away. He loved hearing about her likes and dislikes and all sorts of random little things that made up who she was.

After a while, they stopped walking and sat down on a bench in one of the gardens.

“Sakura.” Beomgyu spoke, suddenly very serious. He had been waiting for the right time to bring it up – there was something important he needed to say.

The woman hummed to show that she was listening.

“If our marriage is going to work, I think there is something I should tell you.” Beomgyu was quite nervous but after the last few hours, he felt that Sakura was someone he could trust.

“Okay,” She responded, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, “What is it?”

Beomgyu took a deep breath before letting it out. “I’m gay.”

The woman just blinked at him for a few moments, and then, “Oh.”

Beomgyu internally cringed. Maybe he should’ve kept his mouth shut. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything. Maybe-

“That’s okay.”

The man whipped his head up in surprise. Sakura was looking at him with a kind and honest smile and Beomgyu felt relief wash over him.

“It’s just…” Sakura trailed off and all of Beomgyu’s panic immediately returned. “Then why are you marrying me?”

“We need the alliance,” Stated Beomgyu simply because it truly was as simple as that. Aldyria was getting close to a political crisis and they were under possible threat of invasion from more hostile neighbouring countries. His mother was desperate to form an alliance with Valerona and if that meant having to go through with a strategic marriage, Beomgyu would do it. It was his duty to his country.

“But you’re giving up so much,” She continued, a pained expression forming on her face.

“Not really-”

“No.” Sakura interrupted him, a serious tone in her voice, “You’re giving up being true to yourself and your sexuality. You’re giving up a chance at love.”

“I love my country,” Sighed Beomgyu, “Isn’t that enough?” Though he knew it wasn’t. Sakura was right and deep down he wished that he wouldn’t have to give so much up. But it was his duty and that had to come first.

Sakura didn’t speak again but Beomgyu didn’t fight it when she leant forwards to wrap her arms around him and bring him into a tight hug. Though she didn’t say it, Beomgyu knew that she understood.

When Taehyun got back to his room, Kai was lying on his bed, flicking through some random magazine.

“Don’t you have your own room?” He asked, removing his coat and kicking off his shoes. His toes were so cold from walking around in the snow.

“Yes but I was bored so I came to visit you,” Kai rolled over to face Taehyun, chucking the magazine somewhere behind him. “But you weren’t here so I thought I’d wait for you.”

Taehyun pursed his lips. He made his way over to his vanity to begin taking off his wig and his makeup.

“So…” Drawled Kai from somewhere behind him.

“So what?” Asked Taehyun as he fiddled with the packet of makeup wipes.

Kai stood up and walked over to Taehyun, snatching the packet out of Taehyun’s hands. “Give me that.” Kai rolled his eyes and easily pulled out one of the wipes. “So, where were you?” He asked.

“We went for a walk,” Replied Taehyun.

“You and Beomgyu?”

“Who else?” Snapped Taehyun. He winced a bit when Kai rubbed the wipe a little too hard against his face. “Ow-”

“Don’t be a baby.” Hissed Kai, “Now tell me about it.”

Taehyun was quiet for a moment while he thought. He couldn’t tell Kai about what Beomgyu had told him. That was private information that he’d trusted Taehyun with and it wasn’t his place to speak about it. Even if he was kind of happy to hear it.

Overall he had mixed feelings about what Beomgyu had said. On one hand, he was excited because it meant that he did have a chance with Beomgyu, no matter how small it was. But on the other hand, Beomgyu seemed adamant about marrying Sakura. Taehyun might not ever get a chance to meet Beomgyu as… well, himself. Beomgyu would never know the real him.

That was a horrible thought.

“We just talked,” Taehyun settled for, ignoring Kai when he whined and tried to press him for more details. It was better if Taehyun just forgot about it, lest he start getting his hopes up too much.

After his makeup and everything was removed and he had gotten into his pyjamas, Taehyun grabbed his phone to check his messages. He hadn’t even realised he’d left it in his room when he was out with Beomgyu.

He opened it to see that Sakura had sent him a text and he clicked on the chat. His heart froze at what he read.

Kura
Taehyun
Tae
Tae!!!! Answer
We have such a big problem
The doctor said my concussion is much better so mum and dad have arranged for us to all to spend christmas with you
In Aldyria
We’re getting a plane tomorrow

Well shit.

The moment his family arrived at the palace in Aldyria, Taehyun barely greeted his parents before grabbing Sakura and pulling her to the side.

“When can we switch back,” He whispered because the others were still close by and might hear them. If anyone found it now, it could be disastrous.

“Hello to you too,” Laughed Sakura as she pulled her arm out of Taehyun’s grip. He had been holding her a little too tightly in his frantic state. “You’re really desperate to switch back, hm?”

“Yes, I am! Now answer my question!” Hissed Taehyun. He quickly glanced over to where his parents were talking to Beomgyu and Queen Yeona.

“Will you calm down?” Sakura exclaimed in a whisper. “We can’t swap back yet.”

“What?!” Snapped Taehyun a little too loudly and both siblings whipped their heads towards the group to see if anyone had noticed. Luckily they hadn’t.

“My concussion isn’t gone yet so Mum made us bring one of the nurses to literally watch me 24/7. We won’t be able to get away long enough to switch without her getting suspicious.”

Taehyun wanted to scream. Just when he thought things couldn’t possibly get anymore difficult. “But-”

“We’ll work something out eventually.” Sakura assured her brother, “But, for now, just keep the act up.”

Taehyun was about to complain some more when his sister elbowed him in the ribs. He turned his head to see Beomgyu approaching the two of them. “Act cool!” Sakura hissed.

The man scowled. “I have been acting cool. For the past 4 days I’ve been-”

He was cut off by another jab, this time in the stomach. “That’s not what Kai told me,” Sakura sing-songed just as the prince approached. “Prince Beomgyu, hello!”

“Hello, Prince Taehyun,” Chimed Beomgyu, his usual charming smile taking place on his face, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Oh, no-no,” Drawled Sakura, taking hold of the prince’s hand and making a show of kissing the back of it, “The pleasure is all mine.”

Taehyun had to put in serious mental effort to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Sometimes Sakura was so silly and performative when she was pretending to be Taehyun – it was almost insulting. Taehyun would never be so corny… he thinks.

He glanced towards Beomgyu to gauge his reaction and was surprised to see that the older man wasn’t disgusted. In fact, Taehyun swore he saw Beomgyu’s eyes widen and his pupils dilate a little.

“Uhm,” The prince coughed a little and… was that a faint blush on his cheeks? “I was wondering if you’d like to have some tea. The- uh. The three of us. To um- We might all be family soon so we should get to know each other.” Beomgyu barely managed to stutter out his words and Taehyun held back a soft chuckle. The prince was cute when he was flustered.

“Sounds like a lovely idea,” Grinned Sakura, turning to her brother who also nodded in agreement.

Taehyun breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that nobody was in the kitchen. It was the middle of the night but he was seriously craving some hot chocolate and couldn’t sleep. So, although it was extremely risky, Taehyun snuck downstairs to the palace kitchen in his pyjamas — without his disguise.

He tip-toed over to the cupboards and started rummaging around in the hopes of finding cocoa powder. He grinned when he came across a completely unopened tub of hot chocolate mix – even better! Taehyun made his way over to the fridge to grab some milk when-

“Taehyun?”

“Holy shit!” He screamed, immediately clamping his hand over his mouth. Wake the whole bloody palace up, why don’t you, he thought to himself. Taehyun glanced over to the doorway to see Beomgyu standing there, looking a little bit sheepish. Taehyun’s eyes widened. Oh no.

“Yes!” He suddenly cried, once again far too loud for such a late hour, “It is me. Taehyun. The one with a concussion. Taehyun is who I am.”

Beomgyu just stared at him for a beat before he stepped further into the kitchen. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you… so much,” The prince’s face contorted with a mixture of confusion and amusement and Taehyun hoped that the low light in the room meant that the elder couldn’t see his blush.

“It’s uh- it’s alright,” He stuttered, “What are you doing here?” Taehyun asked, even though it was literally Beomgyu’s palace. For goodness’ sake.

“I was thirsty,” Beomgyu replied blankly. Taehyun frowned at that. Usually Beomgyu would have more to say, a joke to make or at least a teasing smile in response to Taehyun’s quite stupid question. The older man was suddenly acting unlike himself – just standing in front of the entrance awkwardly with an unreadable expression.

Taehyun hesitated, unsure of what to say. He cleared his throat a little before he spoke up. “I was just about to make some hot chocolate. Would you like some?”

The prince’s face morphed into a small smile. There it was. “You can make hot chocolate?” He asked softly, finally stepping further into the room.

The younger grinned proudly, “Of course. It’s easy.”

“I’ve never made hot chocolate…” Beomgyu trailed off, almost like he was embarrassed. Taehyun understood though. When you grew up in a palace, it was easy to have everything done for you and never get a chance to learn the simple things in life. It just so happened that Taehyun had always made quite a habit of sneaking into the kitchen at night to make snacks for himself, so he had learnt how to cook a few things.

“I’ll show you. Come here,” Taehyun grinned as he opened the fridge to grab some milk. He went back over to the counter to grab two mugs and waited for Beomgyu to slowly waddle over too.

“Are you sure?” He asked quietly.

“Of course, don’t be silly,” Taehyun responded matter-of-factly, “Now go get a pot.”

Beomgyu did as he was asked and came back with a pot which Taehyun took and placed on the stove. He then showed Beomgyu exactly what to do, step by step. He poured the milk into the pot and set it to simmer gently until it was heated to the right temperature. He got Beomgyu to put three spoonfuls of hot chocolate mix into each mug. When the milk was hot enough, he poured it into the mugs and then quickly instructed Beomgyu to mix his mug while Taehyun mixed his own.

When the hot chocolate was finally ready, Taehyun watched as Beomgyu brought his mug up to his lips to take a sip. The elder’s eyes widened and a huge smile lit up his face.

“It’s delicious!” He grinned and to Taehyun, it was like the man was glowing. “Thank you,” He said.

“It’s no problem,” Replied Taehyun with a fond look in his eyes as he watched Beomgyu take another sip. A strand of hair fell down into the man’s face and Taehyun gently reached up to tuck it behind his ear without even thinking.

Beomgyu froze, slowly glancing up at the younger man. Once again, he had that unreadable glint in his eyes and Taehyun felt something ignite inside his chest.

Before he could stop himself, Taehyun lunged forwards and pressed their lips together. It was only for a second, nothing but a soft press of their lips but it was so sweet and Taehyun’s heart soared aa butterflies filled his stomach.

He pulled away, eyes wide as he realised what he’d just done. He watched Beomgyu carefully, waiting for a reaction. Would he be mad?

Beomgyu slowly placed his mug onto the counter next to them. He stared down at it without saying a word and Taehyun began to panic. Oh no. What did he just do? Beomgyu was engaged to his sister. Even if he knew he didn’t like Sakura that wa-

Taehyun’s thoughts were completely cut off when he abruptly felt a hand curl around the back of his neck and a pair of lips pressing harshly against his own. Beomgyu kissed him. Was kissing him. Taehyun brought his own arms up to cup Beomgyu’s face as the elder deepened the kiss, pressing into Taehyun’s body gently as his tongue swiped across his bottom lip. Beomgyu nipped it gently, asking for entrance and Taehyun gladly gave it, whining softly as a warm tongue slipped into his mouth. The kiss was hot and sweet and Beomgyu tasted like delicious chocolate as he sucked on Taehyun’s tongue, eliciting many sounds that were very improper for a prince.

They eventually had to pull away for air, gasping for breath as they locked eyes. Beomgyu’s pupils were blown wide and filled with lust and Taehyun’s whole body felt hot and heavy.

Beomgyu’s voice was deep and gravely when he spoke and Taehyun would’ve found it hot if his heart didn’t stop at the elder’s words, “I- I should go.”

Taehyun barely had a chance to process the words, let alone stop the man before he was turning around and dashing out of the kitchen without another word.

What the fuck just happened?

Taehyun just stood there in a daze, trying to wrap his head around everything. He knew what they did was wrong, he knew he never should’ve done that while Beomgyu was engaged. He understood why Beomgyu would be a little shocked but why had he run away? Also, why had Beomgyu kissed him. And the kiss that Beomgyu initiated was far more… heated than anything Taehyun started. So why, then, did the elder react like that?

Taehyun seriously wasn’t going to be able to get any sleep after that.

Beomgyu was a mess. He was stressed and overwhelmed because of all of the preparations for the Christmas Eve ball the next night. Many of his family members were arriving at the palace to stay the night before the ball and for Christmas Day and he had the role of greeting them all. And on top of that, he was still completely frazzled about what had happened the night before with Prince Taehyun.

He hadn’t even had time to process it, but he didn’t even know what there was to process. He should have just run away the first time Taehyun kissed him, he never should have kissed him back. He’d only made everything so unbelievably complicated.

It was true that he’d been undeniably attracted to the man since the moment he first saw him, but he barely knew Taehyun. They’d only just met! And yet, when Taehyun was in the kitchen, talking to him and showing him how to make hot chocolate, Beomgyu felt like he knew him. It wasn’t the cliche thing where he felt like he’d known Taehyun his whole life, but the man definitely felt familiar. Comfortable in a way, like they’d already made it past acquaintances and become good friends. Perhaps he was just going insane. Besides, even if he did feel that way, none of it justified kissing him!

Maybe he should tell Sakura. She was his fiancé and it did seem like the right thing to do…

“Beomgyu!” The prince was tugged out of his thoughts by a raucous voice echoing through the foyer. “How have you been, man?”

Choi Yeonjun, his cousin and a duke of one of Aldyria’s states, and his husband Soobin. The two of them were Beomgyu’s closest friends in all the world and he honestly couldn’t have been happier to see them.

“Hey,” He grinned, immediately launching forwards to wrap the two of them into a hug, “I’ve missed you guys.”

“Woah. No ‘I hate you’ or ‘You’re ugly’?” Laughed Yeonjun as he and Soobin returned the hug, “What’s wrong?”

Beomgyu sighed. That was the worst and the best thing about his friends; they always knew immediately when something was bothering him.

“It’s a long story…” He mumbled as the three of them pulled apart.

Soobin smiled softly and placed a reassuring hand on Beomgyu’s shoulder, “We’re listening.”

“Taehyun!” Sakura hissed as he jumped up behind her brother. The man startled, swinging around with an annoyed expression on his face. He had been walking towards his room when she suddenly appeared.

“I hate you,” He growled, looking around the empty hallway curiously. “Where’s your nurse?”

“I’m on the run,” His sister responded simply and stepped closer as she lowered her voice to a whisper. “I gotta be quick before she finds me but I know when we can switch back.”

“Oh thank god,” Taehyun groaned but Sakura just slapped him on the arm.

“Shut up and let me speak.” Taehyun just rolled his eyes at his sister but didn’t say anything else. “As of tonight, I no longer need to have the nurse following me around all the time, so you can come to my room tomorrow morning before everyone wakes up and we can swap back.”

Taehyun nodded. “Okay. That’s the plan. I’ll get there at around 4am?”

His sister agreed and turned to leave before she suddenly stopped. She had a mischievous grin on her face as she spoke. “Oh my god. You’ll never guess who’s here.”

Taehyun tilted his head questioningly, “Who?”

“My ex.”

Taehyun’s eyes widened. “What? Chaewon? No way.”

“Yeah,” Replied Sakura, “She’s one of Beomgyu’s cousins so she’s here for Christmas. Anyways, I’m gonna go talk to her.”

“What- Sakura-” Taehyun huffed as his sister disappeared around the corner. He hadn’t realised that so much of Beomgyu’s family was arriving early for the ball. But if Chaewon was there, it could spell trouble since she was actually another person who was aware of their whole switching trick. And Sakura had just gone to talk to the damn girl while dressed as Taehyun. Dear lord.

Taehyun stepped into his room and closed the door behind him. However, not even a second after it clicked shut, he heard fast knocking on the hardwood. He swung it back open and was surprised at who he saw.

After talking to Soobin and Yeonjun, Beomgyu had come to the conclusion that talking to Sakura as soon as possible was the right thing to do. He knocked on her door, albeit a little frantically, and waited nervously until it opened.

“Beomgyu?” She said curiously and the man instantly relaxed. Sakura was his good friend now. She was kind and sweet and she would understand. Maybe be a little grossed out since it was literally her twin brother, but she would understand.

“Can we talk?” He asked. She nodded and let him into the room, closing the door behind him. Beomgyu had never been in one of the guest suits, since he’d never had a reason to, but it looked quite cosy. He busied himself with taking in his surroundings while Sakura sat down on her bed.

When Beomgyu turned back around, she was watching him intently. It kind of scared him actually, like she knew exactly what he was about to say. “What did you want to talk about?”

Beomgyu cleared his throat and made his way over to sit down beside the woman as he spoke. “I kissed your brother,” He blurted without even thinking. Ah. He had actually hoped to be a bit more tactful, but at least it was out there already.

Sakura just stared at him. She blinked, and then stared at him some more.

“Oh,” Was all she said after a few more moments of silence.

Beomgyu frowned at her weird reaction. He scrutinised her and saw no sign of surprise or shock or even horror on the woman’s face. “Did he already tell you?” He asked hesitantly.

Sakura’s eyes immediately widened and she sat up very straight, “Hah! You caught me,” She laughed awkwardly and Beomgyu only became more confused. She suddenly halted her laughter and looked at him seriously. “Yes, Taehyun already told me.”

“And… you aren’t mad?” Beomgyu spoke slowly and softly as though he was afraid of the answer to that question. Because he was.

“No?” Sakura replied, sounding a little unsure. Beomgyu tensed at that.

“You are mad-”

“No!” She cried, throwing her arms forwards to grip Beomgyu’s hands in her own. “I’m not mad, I promise. It’s okay-”

“It’s not okay!” Beomgyu suddenly yelled, standing up. Sakura’s eyes widened at his outburst but Beomgyu didn’t notice. He was just so mad at himself. “It’s not okay because I didn’t just kiss him!”

The woman’s face scrunched in confusion as she watched him. “What do you mean?” She asked softly.

“I- I think-” Beomgyu stuttered out, not even sure how to say the words that had lodged themselves in his throat. “I think I’m in love with him.”

Sakura did that thing again where she stared at him with her wide eyes; completely blank and unblinking. Beomgyu was starting to get really panicky, wondering if the woman was coming up with some sort of plot to murder him and hide the body – probably with the help of her stupidly perfect brother.

Suddenly, a large smile spread across her face and Beomgyu genuinely began to fear for his life.

“This is perfect!” Sakura squealed, grinning brightly as she jumped up from where she was sitting. Beomgyu just blinked at her in shock.

“What?” He breathed.

“I said, this is perfect! You can marry him instead! Then you can keep the alliance and be true to who you are and who you love. Plus, it would mean that Sa- I mean, I won’t have to marry you- uh, no offence.”

Beomgyu couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Sakura was absolutely insane, “You’re absolutely insane! I can’t just walk up to him and randomly tell him I love him and propose!”

“Why not?” Asked Sakura, beginning to sound just as worked up as Beomgyu.

“Because! He doesn’t love me. He barely knows me!” He cried out, turning around and pressing his hands into his face in frustration.

“Yes he does!” Sakura practically screamed.

It was silent as Beomgyu slowly turned around to look at the woman. Her face was red and her eyes glistened with unshed tears; she was clearly angry and frustrated and Beomgyu wanted to cry.

Without another word, he stormed out of the room. He could hear Sakura calling after him, yelling something incoherent as he sped down the hallway.

He ran all the way through the palace, down the stairs and into the gardens. A few tears had trickled down his face and the moment the cold air hit the wet patches on his skin, he winced. But it was grounding and he closed his eyes and breathed deeply as he let the icy feeling fill his lungs and bring him back down to earth.

He just needed to get out, to get away. Everything was getting too overwhelming, too much to handle.

It was only the afternoon so it was still bright out as Beomgyu walked through the garden. He tried to admire the shimmer of the snow and the scatterings of little flowers that resiliently bloomed during wintertime. But it didn’t make him feel better.

His mind kept wandering back to what Sakura had said. Taehyun loves him? She might not have meant that…

None of it made sense either. The way she reacted, the way she got so worked up. Why would she care so much if she wasn’t mad at him? That had to be why; it was the only explanation.

Beomgyu felt as though he’d been treading on thin ice and the whole surface had finally cracked. He’d been plunged under into the freezing water, gasping for breath with no escape as he was swallowed by the hole that he’d dug himself.

His gaze drifted around the garden, stinging with the mix of his tears and the cold air. His mind felt numb; empty and spent – frozen like he could no longer form a single thought. His chest felt cold, hollow, bitter.

He kicked snow under his boot as he dragged himself down the path. He didn’t even know what he was feeling, he was just confused. It was like the world around him had stopped as he drifted through some sort of ice-cold limbo.

Movement in the garden caught his eye and he immediately flicked his gaze towards it with no thought. Beomgyu was the only person other than the gardeners who frequented the garden so he was surprised to see his cousin Chaewon.

He considered going to say hi but he’d probably end up just bursting into tears so he reconsidered it. After a closer look, Beomgyu realised that Chaewon wasn’t alone – good thing he didn’t go over there.

It took him a few moments but Beomgyu eventually recognised the other person. It was Taehyun…

Beomgyu couldn’t even stop himself from stepping closer. Maybe it was to get a better look; maybe it was because he wanted to eaves-drop. He didn’t know. He just saw Taehyun and reacted.

But his heart stopped at what he saw next. Taehyun leaned forwards and kissed Chaewon, right there in the middle of the garden.

It felt like an icicle had pierced through his heart. It felt like he’d stepped barefoot into a glacier. It felt like someone had filled his lungs with water and frozen his throat shut. It hurt.

Of course Taehyun didn’t love him. Taehyun didn’t know him.

Yeonjun laid down on the bed, letting out a large sigh as he did so.

“What’s wrong?” Asked Soobin, leaning over his husband to place his palm over his cheek lovingly. “Are you worried about Beomgyu?”

Yeonjun nodded and Soobin pressed his lips together. He sat down on the edge of the bed as Yeonjun shuffled up a bit to press himself into his side. Soobin wrapped an arm around Yeonjun’s waist and opened his mouth.

“I think-”

He was cut off by the sound of loud giggling. It was coming from the hallway outside of their room. Both men jumped a little in surprise but shook it off. Soobin was about to continue speaking when they heard the people on the other side of the door start talking.

They didn’t mean to listen in, really they didn’t. The people were speaking so loudly that they couldn’t help but hear every word they said.

One of the voices, which was definitely feminine, spoke, “So, if you’re pretending to be Taehyun, where is he?”

Soobin turned to Yeonjun to see that his husband had an equally shocked look on his face. What the fuck?

The words were followed by more loud giggling and both men got up to get closer to the door to hear what was said next. But the people must’ve started walking again because their words began to get muffled and they couldn’t hear anything else.

“Did she just say-” Soobin started, unsure if he’d even heard it right. There was no way…

“Oh my god,” Breathed Yeonjun.

Taehyun had never been a big fan of attending balls. He’d always found them a little archaic – steeped in far too much tradition. Having to stand around, looking all prim and proper and pretending to be polite to the countless assholes that only spoke to him because they wanted something was not his definition of a good time. But it felt even worse now. He hadn’t spoken to Beomgyu since the day before and he knew it was his fault.

When Beomgyu hadn’t shown up to dinner the night before, Taehyun knew something was wrong and he knew it was to do with the conversation they’d had. He hadn’t meant to get so upset; he just wanted so badly to tell Beomgyu that he loved him too. He’d had an idea that he did but hearing Beomgyu say it made something inside of Taehyun completely burst into flames and made him realise that he did. He did love Beomgyu.

It felt so simple after that.

Let everything else fade way. Untangle the horrible mess that they had built around themselves. Untie all the knots and flatten it all out and it really was simple.

Because Taehyun loved Beomgyu and he knew that Beomgyu loved him too.

That was all that mattered.

He was finally back in his own clothes. Taehyun was himself again and he was ready to talk to Beomgyu as himself. He’d snuck over to Sakura’s room in the early hours of the morning and the two of them had finally been able to switch back.

Taehyun stepped into the grand ballroom and gasped. The whole hall was decorated beautifully, from the wreaths and ribbons lining the walls to the large tree sat next to the opposite wall. Even the chandelier was decorated with red and gold beads that dangled down and twinkled magically. Strings of glittering fairy-lights stretched across the whole ceiling – they were gold and gleaming like stars in the night sky. The whole scene was absolutely enchanting.

His heart tugged at the beautiful setting – it was so perfect and romantic and he wanted nothing more than to find Beomgyu as soon as possible.

Taehyun’s eyes drifted towards the crowd and his eyes immediately landed on Sakura. He quickly made his way over to his sister, skillfully dodging anyone who tried to talk to him.

Sakura was standing next to the buffet table, talking to Chaewon. The two seemed to be having a wonderful time and Taehyun smiled at the sight. He honestly couldn’t remember why they’d even broken up but Chaewon had always made his sister happy so he was glad to see her making Sakura laugh again.

“Kura!” He called when he finally reached them.

His sister turned around with a bright grin on her face. “Hey, Tae.”

“Hi, Taehyun,” Smiled Chaewon, “How have you been?”

The man returned the smile, “Fairly okay, I’d say. Have either of you seen Beomgyu?”

Sakura looked at him with a knowing glint in her eyes before she pointed somewhere across the room. “I think he’s over there.”

Taehyun nodded in thanks and began to walk away until Sakura called after him. “Oh, and Taehyun?”

Said man hummed in response.

“He’s all yours,” She giggled and winked at him, “He never even gave me a ring anyways,” And with that, she was turning back around to talk to Chaewon.

Taehyun felt a blush rising to his cheeks but he shook his head, snapping himself out of it as he turned around and continued his search for Beomgyu. He headed in the direction that Sakura had pointed and that was when he finally saw him.

Beomgyu stood all alone beside the giant Christmas tree. He looked so lost in his own mind, almost sad, and Taehyun felt his heart clench. With big strides, he made his way up to the other man until he stood right in front of him.

“We need to talk.”

Beomgyu glanced up at him slowly, an expression lacing his features that was totally foreign to Taehyun. “Yeah. We do-”

“No!” Someone screamed from the middle of the room, “Don’t talk to him, he’s an imposter!”

The whole room went quiet, everyone at the ball turning to face Beomgyu and Taehyun and the two new faces that had appeared next to him.

“What?” Said Taehyun as he looked at the two men. He didn’t know either of them but they were both staring at him as though he had six heads.

“You’re not the real Prince Taehyun. You’re someone impersonating him!” One of the men yelled.

“Yeonjun, what are you talking about?” Beomgyu finally spoke, looking just as confused as Taehyun felt.

“What’s going on?” Said another voice and Taehyun turned around to see Queen Yeona standing there, both of Taehyun’s parents right next to her.

“We heard him!” Cried Yeonjun, “We heard him outside our room!”

The other man, the one who was presumably not Yeonjun, stepped forwards. “We heard this person talking to a woman outside of our room. She said that they were pretending to be Prince Taehyun and asked where the real Taehyun was.”

Taehyun was quick to realise what was going on and he looked towards Beomgyu in panic. The other man was staring at him with a mixture of hurt and confusion and Taehyun felt his heart start to crack.

Suddenly, his own father stepped into his view. “Taehyun, explain this.” He said with a gruff voice.

“I think I can explain,” Said someone else and Taehyun turned to see Sakura standing next to Chaewon. His sister walked over and stood in front of Yeonjun and the man next to him. “The person you heard in the hallway was me. Chaewon here was the woman I was talking to.”

“What?” Said their father and Sakura turned around so that she was facing him and Taehyun instead. She looked at her brother, a silent question in her eyes. She was asking if it was okay to reveal the truth. To finally reveal their secret of almost 20 years. There was no way they could get out of this without being honest. But maybe it was time to start being honest. Maybe it was time to start being truthful, not just to their parents but to themselves too.

Taehyun nodded and Sakura smiled before looking up at their father.

“Me and Taehyun have been switching places.”

Their father frowned, “What?”

“I’ve been dressing up as Sakura while Sakura dresses up as me,” Taehyun responded – he wasn’t going to let his sister do this alone.

Their mother, who suddenly appeared next to their father, stared at them with wide eyes. “Since when?”

“Since forever,” Sighed Sakura, “We’ve been doing it since we were 4.”

The entire room was utterly silent by this point, everyone just watching the scene playing out before them. Taehyun wished that he could see Beomgyu and his reaction to all of it, but his father was still standing in the way.

“But, why?” Asked their dad, his voice suddenly a lot more quiet and hesitant — nothing like the commanding king that Taehyun was used to hearing.

Taehyun saw Sakura scowl a little as she responded, facing her parents with a strength that she’d never shown them before. “Because you never gave me a chance to prove myself,” She said, “You only ever invited Taehyun to parliamentary meetings, you only ever brought him to important business dinners. You never even gave me a chance. So we started using the switch so that I would have a chance to be a part of that.”

Their mother and father turned to him, faces both overtaken by shock. “Is this true, Taehyun?” Their mother asked weakly.

Taehyun simply nodded.

“It’s not Taehyun’s fault. He was just helping me. I wanted to be useful! But all you guys seem to think I’m useful for is being married off to form alliances.” Sakura was starting to get quite heated, the volume of her voice rising and her commanding words echoed all around the room. “But I’m telling you now that I will not marry Beomgyu. In fact, I’ve barely ever spoken to him.”

There was a collective gasp from everyone in the room and that was when Beomgyu finally decided to speak up.

“What are you saying?” He asked. Taehyun’s father finally stepped back out of his view and he immediately locked eyes with Beomgyu.

“She’s saying,” Started Taehyun, taking a step forwards, “That the one you’ve been with all this time wasn’t Sakura. It was me.”

Beomgyu continued to stay silent, thousands of different emotions flashing in his eyes as Taehyun took another step closer. “The tea parties,” Another step, “The horse ride,” And another, “The walk in the garden.”

They were close, Taehyun only had to reach out and he would be touching Beomgyu. He would finally have this beautiful boy in his arms – his own arms.

“But-” Beomgyu’s voice was low and gravelly and Taehyun could see him beginning to blink back tears, “I saw you with Chaewon in the garden-”

“That was Sakura,” Whispered Taehyun. He brought up a hand to wipe away a tear as it fell down Beomgyu’s cheek. “Don’t you see, Gyu. I love you.”

Beomgyu’s lips curved into a small, sad smile and he blinked up at Taehyun with beautiful shiny eyes. “You sure?”

Taehyun huffed out a small chuckle. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” He murmured the words against Beomgyu’s lips before finally pressing them against his own. He was so warm as Taehyun wrapped him in his arms, leaving soft, gentle pecks against his lips over and over.

“Uh,” Said a hesitant voice and both men turned to see Queen Yeona standing awkwardly a few metres away. “I hate to break this adorable scene up but… we still need a way to secure the alliance.”

Beomgyu glanced back towards Taehyun and smiled at him softly before pressing another light kiss to his lips. He suddenly pulled away and Taehyun momentarily worried that he’d done something wrong, but then Beomgyu was getting down on one knee and Taehyun felt all of the air immediately rush out of his lungs.

“Prince Kang Taehyun of Aldyria,” He started with a goofy smile on his face and Taehyun wanted to scream in happiness. “I give you my heart. It’s yours to keep and do with what you will.” Beomgyu grinned as he gently held both of Taehyun’s hands in his own and gazed up at him with palpable fondness.

“In a year's time, if you still love me, if you still want my heart… Taehyun, will you marry me next Christmas?”

Taehyun felt his whole body melt into a puddle on the floor. His heart was so overloaded with joy and warmth that all of his insides were gooey. He threw himself into Beomgyu’s arms, leaning down on the floor with him and engulfing himself into the elder’s cosy embrace. He had never been so happy.

“Yes!” He cried, “I’ll marry you! Yes!”

Beomgyu giggled, standing up off his knees and bringing Taehyun with him. Gently, he held his fiancé’s face and leant forwards to kiss him deeply. The crowd around them erupted into cheers and clapping but Taehyun was too focused on Beomgyu to pay attention. The elder man leaned away to place his head next to Taehyun’s ear. He kissed the shell softly before whispering gently, his breath tickling the younger ever so slightly.

“Merry Christmas, my love.”

One Year Later:

Taehyun grinned as his husband twirled him across the dance floor, hands wrapped tightly around his waist as they swayed to the music. He leaned his forehead against Beomgyu’s, heart exploding with joy like a display of colourful fireworks as the two of them had their first dance as a married couple.

They finally had their wedding — a wonderful celebration that took place on Christmas Day, exactly one year and one day since Beomgyu’s proposal.

It had been a hectic year since then; working out the terms of the alliance, planning their wedding celebrations, Taehyun moving to Aldyria and taking on new duties as he was to be married to the future king. But no matter how difficult it was, the two of them got through it and, with every single day that went by, Taehyun found himself falling in love with Beomgyu more and more.

Their parents were angry at first but they got over it in the end. They were really happy for Taehyun and totally supported the marriage. On top of that, Sakura finally got the chance to be a proper part of meetings and decisions as herself. She was bonding with her father greatly as he started showing her the ropes and training her to become the Queen that she was born to be.

Everyone was happier than ever. After all that had happened, Taehyun had almost believed that it was all too hard a knot to untie and he had feared the very worst. But in the end, everything was resolved so perfectly!

Taehyun smiled to himself as reminisced, swinging gently from side to side in his husband’s embrace. It must’ve been a Christmas Miracle, he thought.