Chapter Text
Kang Yeosang always got what he wanted. It wasn't a matter of throwing a tantrum until he got his way; he simply asked, and received. Surely his parents only had the best intentions, the King and Queen wanting their crown prince to live life with the utmost comfort, but growing up like that does things to a person.
"Actually, I don't think I want to wear green to the ball," Yeosang said, inspecting himself in the mirror. Granted, he looked good. The royal seamstresses had been working on the outfit all week until it was perfectly tailored to his body, but something was off.
"What do you think, Wooyoungie?"
Yeosang's personal guard, Wooyoung, rarely left his side. Rarely spoke, either. "I think you look great in green, my prince, though blue is your favourite colour." His eyes stayed fixated ahead, not even looking at Yeosang.
Still, that was all the confirmation Yeosang needed. "I want the same thing but in blue," he told the seamstress, then squinted at the intricate detailing on the hanbok's sleeves. "And make the sleeves wider."
The seamstress' hands shook as she helped Yeosang remove his clothing. "The ball is in two days, your highness. I'm not sure we can make a new one in time," she said in a small voice.
Yeosang's mother spoke from her seat in the corner of the dressing room. Her demeanour was poised, posture perfect, but her words carried a warning. "I'm sure you'll manage," she insisted. "Work through the night, if you have to."
The seamstress dipped her head. "Yes, my Queen."
"How hard could it possibly be to sew a hanbok?" Yeosang mused to himself. The seamstress' hands paused on a button for the briefest moment, but she stayed silent as she finished undressing him.
Left in his underclothes, Yeosang perused the dressing room, deciding what he wanted to wear for the day. Quite an important day, but not important enough for fully formal wear.
"You can leave us," he heard his mother say. There was a short pause in which Yeosang was sure the seamstress bowed deeply to him and his mother before her footsteps faded out of the room. Then, he heard his mother stand up. Her heels clicked until Yeosang could feel her standing behind him, but he stubbornly kept looking forward, pretending to be very interested in a black silk shirt.
"This could be your wedding we are getting ready for."
Yeosang sighed. This conversation again? "I know, mother. But she was not the one."
"That is what you say about all of them."
Yeosang finally turned to meet his mother's gaze. "And I meant it about all of them. I will marry one day," he promised. "But not now."
The Queen's smile was tight as she pushed a lock of blonde hair out of Yeosang's eyes. "Whatever you want, my sweet boy."
She gave in, just as she always did. Yeosang parents had been trying to get him to marry for the past two years, ever since he'd turned 18. His father was getting older. He wanted to pass his crown down to Yeosang so he could spend the rest of his days in peace, but he couldn't do that until Yeosang found himself a Queen.
Yeosang ducked away from his mother's touch. "I would like to dress in private."
The Queen backed away. "Of course, my love. I will see you later for the welcoming of the princess."
'In private', of course, meant without the company of his mother. But his guard remained. Yeosang picked out two shirts and held them up, draping each in turn over his body. "Which one would look better?" He asked, facing the guard.
"Whichever one your heart calls to, my prince."
"I want to know which one your heart calls to," Yeosang whined.
Finally, Wooyoung had no choice but to look at him. He couldn't disobey a member of the royal family. He looked at both of the shirts Yeosang had picked out. "I prefer the black one, Your Highness."
The more modest of the two. Yeosang smiled. "Good job. That is the one I prefer, as well."
The guard said nothing; just fixed his eyes back on some distant place in front of him. Yeosang wondered if he needed to practice keeping so still or if it came naturally. Sometimes, the guard was so still and silent that Yeosang forgot he was there. It was like he was alone.
~~~~~~
"Now presenting Princess Shin Yuna of the Cheshire Kingdom!" The announcer declared.
Only the King and Queen remained seated; everyone else in the room rose as the princess, along with a couple of her consorts and servants, entered the throne room. Yeosang stood to his father's right, his younger brother on his other side.
Yeosang watched the princess approach. She wore a floor-length pink gown, hair pulled back into an intricate braid. She was beautiful--regal, yet Yeosang was not quite as enamoured as his brother seemed to be as he watched his betrothed princess approach.
A few steps away from the stairs leading up to the thrones, the princess stopped and curtsied. "Thank you for welcoming me into your castle and your family, your majesties."
"We welcome you gladly, princess," the King said. "Your kingdom is highly regarded by my own."
Princess Yuna dipped her head again, and even though customs maintained that her eyes should never stray from the King during this formal welcoming, she risked a glance at Yeosang's little brother. Her cheeks turned pink, and the youngest prince shifted in place.
True love, Yeosang thought. Only true love could make two royals with years of diplomatic training act like this.
Admittedly, Yeosang was jealous of his brother. How had Jongho found love after his very first matchmaking attempt while Yeosang felt nothing for any of the dozens of princesses he'd met?
A few more formalities were addressed before Jongho and the princess were allowed to go on a chaperoned visit into the nearby town. Yeosang watched them leave as the other people in the room dispersed. He wondered what he should do with the rest of his day; it was a rare occasion that he was excused from classes with his tutors.
His stomach decided for him when it rumbled. So, he bid his parents goodbye before skipping over to his guard. "Come, Wooyoungie. It is time for lunch!"
~
The rest of the royal family tended to eat in solitude, sending a servant to the kitchens to bring food to their bedroom or perhaps in the outside, private dining area. Yeosang, however, had always preferred the dining hall.
The hall was filled with long benches and a table set to one side that was always overflowing with different kinds of food. It was mostly used by the castle's employees to eat. There were hundreds of such employees, and thus the dining hall was almost always filled with dozens of people.
None of them interacted with Yeosang, of course. In fact, they all steered clear of him, aware of the fact that they were not to speak to a member of the royal family unless spoken to, but Yeosang still enjoyed eating in the presence of others. He liked hearing the conversations of the servants, the atmosphere always jovial.
Yeosang grabbed a plate and surveyed the spread of food. The other servants who were getting their food dispersed, as usual. Yeosang was used to it. He filled his plate with various fruits and cheeses along with some bread. He didn't have much of an appetite for meat. Not after, out of complete boredom, he'd visited the paddocks surrounding the castle and saw all the animals there.
Wooyoung was the only one brave enough to pick at the food table at the same time as Yeosang, though when Yeosang chose an empty seat on one of the benches, the guard took a seat on the other side of the room. Another custom. Servants were not supposed to dine with the royals.
So, Yeosang watched afar as Wooyoung ate and chatted with his usual friend, a tall servant whose name Yeosang didn't know. He didn't know any of their names aside from Wooyoung's and his tutors.
After he ate, he tried to find his brother. It seemed that Jongho was still with the princess. Yeosang sighed. He didn't want to train, not on his day off, nor did he want to study. Instead, he went to the castle's library. The fire was crackling, as it always was, as Yeosang wandered around the bookshelves in search of a new book. A long one, so it would take up more of his time.
He finally settled on a knight's adventure story and curled up on a soft chair by the fire. He looked to Wooyoung, still stationed by the door. "You may leave me, if you wish. I will not leave this spot until dinner."
Wooyoung didn't move, so Yeosang said, "At least sit down, then. One can not stand in one place for hours on end."
Slowly, Wooyoung walked to the nearest chair and sat down.
"Don't you like to read?" Yeosang asked.
"I can not both read and ensure your safety at the same time, my prince."
Yeosang rolled his eyes. "Who is going to attack me in my own castle?"
The question was rhetorical, so the guard didn't answer. Defeated, Yeosang sighed and opened his book. It was going to be a long day.