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quokkacore · 1 year

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kyoto [h.js]

summary: a few months after you and jisung break up, your friends rope you into going on vacation. the only issue? they forgot to mention they invited your ex-boyfriend too. (part two of the punisher anthology series)

pairing: ex-boyfriend!jisung x reader

warnings: infidelity, toxic friendships, skz (and twice, girlies im SO sorry) are huge assholes here srry :(, peer pressure, emotional manipulation, codependency, language, hurt no comfort, reader has low self-esteem, covid era, “good for her” ending, exes-to-strangers, maybe ignore the fact that japanese borders have been closed irl?, jisung at one point thinks the reader is going to hit him, suggestive content, making out

word count: a little over 6k

listen to the song here, or here for maximum devastation

a/n: this song is actually about phoebe’s relationship with her dad—but when i first heard it i misunderstood and thought it was about an ex-partner. regardless, here’s what i came up for with jisung. that being said, i do not believe the irl skz or twice would act this way and i certainly don’t condone the way jisung, skz, or twice act here.

main masterlist

june 24th, 2021

day off in kyoto

got bored at the temple

looked around at the 7/11

"Hey, come on, there's a lot of stuff we haven't seen yet, where are you going?" Jisung ran after you, eyes wide as he leaned towards you.

"I'm going back to the hotel," You mumbled, stepping out onto the street, "I'm not feeling very well. I think... the onigiri we got made me sick."

Jisung looked down, before smiling through his mask. You could see it through the way his eyes crinkled and the tops of his cheeks puffed up. "Come on, I'll help you get back! I'll buy you something from that corner store over there, they probably have stomach medication."

You resisted the urge to groan. You didn't want to miss out on the wonder that was Kiyomizu-dera, a temple over 1300 years old (and a UNESCO world heritage sight, thank you very much), but having to be followed around by the ex-boyfriend you hadn't seen in months up until two days ago was… not what you’d imagined.

Even worse when it was very clear to you that you weren't over him, and he wasn't over you. Made very evident by how nice he was being to you.

Seeing him at the airport, with his travel pillow and packed suitcase, tumbled your stomach so badly that you almost ended up making use of those barf bags they had on the plane once you were on the flight a few hours later.

"What is he doing here?" You hissed quietly at Dahyun, who had driven here with you. She continued walking towards the group, and shrugged as she flashed you a quizzical look. As if the topic were about a close friend. Not the ex-boyfriend you'd spent months crying over because he'd cheated on you.

"Oh, Minho invited him," She answered, "Just chill. It'll be fine."

"Dahyun, I don't think I can do this," You mumbled, shaking your head. You could feel your heartbeat picking up, your voice turning watery. She stopped a few feet away from them. Her smile disappeared, replaced with a warm, comforting gaze.

"You'll be fine, okay? We just want what's best for you," She explained, adjusting her face mask, "You have your friends here with you, Y/N. It'll be okay, trust me."

the band took the speed train

went to the arcade

i wanted to go, but i didn't

Some friends they’re turning out to be, you thought as you trailed behind Jisung into the konbini. You had initially insisted on staying far, far away from him. That proved to be very difficult once you'd landed in Kyoto.

It started on the bus ride to the hotel. There was no airport in Kyoto. No, the closest one was Osaka International, which was just about an hour away from the city via bus. A tired, cuddly Jisung sat himself right next to you.

“I’m so jetlagged,” He said, pulling his face mask up when he yawned. You avoided pointing out that the flight lasted less than two hours. When the bus began to move, he started to lean his head toward your shoulder. “That crying baby on the plane drove me nuts, can I maybe—”

“No,” You snapped, leaning away from him. His face dropped, and he seemed to realize his mistake. The rest of the drive was agonizingly awkward, you stewing the entire time.

Your friends always conveniently left room to sit next to Jisung, rarely anywhere else. The first night at a restaurant, all of you crammed into a round booth. The idea of sitting next to the man who’d said he loved you and then promptly stuck his dick somewhere he definitely wouldn’t have if he was being honest gave you too much anxiety. So, instead of sitting on the left edge of the table, next to the man in question, you adamantly sat on the edge of the right, right next to Chaeyoung, where there was barely any room.

And despite half of your ass hanging off of the seat the entire time, at least you got to avoid conversation with Jisung.

This morning, you’d awoken later to a text from Dahyun.

we went to go check out namco. ik u didnt want to go so i didnt wake u up

The thing is that you did want to go to Namco Wonder Tower. You have no idea where she’d gotten the idea that you didn’t want to go, because you’d explicitly told her a few days ago. The idea of a seven story tall arcade sounded like one of the coolest things ever.

Y/N: i did want to go to namco tho??

Dahyun: oh. srry! jisung told me youd changed ur mind :(

Y/N: …..

Dahyun: srry :((

And so, you’d decided to go to breakfast at the hotel alone, and that later you’d go on your own to a place that no one in your group except for you was really interested in seeing: Kiyomizu-dera.

Or at least, you had planned on going on your own.

That was until...

you called me from a payphone

they still got payphones

it cost a dollar a minute

dont answer: hey where are u going today?

Y/N: what?

dont answer: hold on i’m gonna go to your room the roaming rates are crazy hahah

Oh no. Oh no, no, no—

A knock at the door made your blood boil and your heart splinter. You knew who was at the door, there was no pretending you hadn’t left. He knew you were likely still here.

And besides. You couldn’t run from him forever. You’d have to face him eventually.

You put down the laptop you’d been using to look for directions to the temple from the hotel, before getting up. When you opened the door, Jisung was standing there rocking back and forth from the balls of his feet to the tips of his toes. As if he hadn’t a care in the world, as if he wasn’t getting ready to face the person whose heart he’d torn out and stomped on months ago.

“Hey,” He said, smiling once he saw you.

“Hey.” Your tone held none of the affection or cheer his did.

He picked up on this immediately, and his smile disappeared. “So… Can we talk?”

You looked him up and down, heaving a deep sigh. You had half a mind to slam the door in his face after what Dahyun had just told you. On the other hand, you could finally get some insight as to why. Why Jisung decided to do what he’d done. Why he’d decided to seek comfort in someone else.

Truthfully, the whole thing had done a number on your self esteem (as if it hadn’t been bad enough before this). It left you wondering why you couldn’t be enough.

You chewed on your lip nervously, before opening the door a bit wider. “...Five minutes. You get five minutes.”

to tell me you're getting sober

and you wrote me a letter

but i don't have to read it

He nodded solemnly, and stepped into the room before you closed the door. “It… I’m a complete idiot. I don’t want to blame you,” He mumbled before continuing anyway, “But… you were so focused on finals, and the past year sitting at home had been so isolating, I… I just felt so alone, and I—”

“You cheated on me because you felt alone,” You scoffed, “Do… Do you hear yourself, Jisung?”

His eyes were dark with sadness. “You won’t even call me Sungie anymore,” He whispered.

“I called you Sungie when you were my boyfriend. You’re not my boyfriend anymore. You broke my heart, Jisung.”

He didn’t reply, staring at his lap in silence. You gnawed on your lip.

“How many times?” You said hoarsely. His head shot up, and he shook his head.

“I don’t want to hurt y—”

You scoffed in a brief moment of strength. “Oh, now you don’t want to hurt me. That’s rich. I’m gonna ask again, Han Jisung, and you’re gonna tell me. I at least deserve that. How—many—times?”

Jisung’s eyes squeezed themselves shut, and he took a deep breath.”

“Six times.”

You shot out of your seat. “Six times!?”

“It was a mistake!”

“Bullshit. It would have been a mistake once. Maybe. But six times? You’re—you're disgusting, Jisung. Really.”

“Let me make it up to you, Y/N.” He reached to grab your hand. You couldn’t find it in you to yank your hand out of his grip. “Let me take you around the city today. We’ll have fun, just like old times. Please, baby, let me do this for you. For us.”

Your eyes squeezed shut, and you let go of a sigh so deep it must have been locked away in a part of the body yet to be discovered by doctors. Your mind flashed images of him in your mind.

The smile on his face after your first kiss, on your fourth date. How he looked falling asleep in your lap. The way he’d look at you when the two of you were naked, cuddling in bed. And finally, of him on top of a girl you’d seen a few times around campus, in the bed the two of you had bought together, in your apartment.

You wanted him so bad. How your hands ached to turn back the hands of the clock, to be there for him, to be better. To smack some sense into him and to prove that he needed you just as much as you needed him.

“...I don’t know.”

“Come on,” He insisted, “I-I’ll take you to…” His eyes darted back and forth nervously, thinking of something to say.

“Kiyomizu-dera,” Jisung declared finally, eyes widening and a smile gracing his face. “You’ve always wanted to go, I know you have. We can go there.”

You chewed on your lip, heart skipping a beat at how he managed to remember. “I was already planning on going there today,” You admitted with a soft laugh. His smile grew, seemingly proportional to how hopeful he was feeling.

“Perfect,” He murmured, “Let’s go now.”

You could do this, right?

i'm gonna kill you

if you don't beat me to it

dreaming through tokyo skies

You definitely couldn’t do this.

You almost choked on your tired sigh when you saw the car coming down the street, just as Jisung was beginning to cross.

“Jisung, look out!” You cried, pulling him back by the collar. He let out a strangled gasp as the car came barreling past, horn blaring. You pushed him gently towards the sidewalk, and shook your head, looking at him as if he had gone mad. He rubbed the front of his neck, having been choked by the fabric of his shirt.

“What were you thinking? That guy could have killed you!”

“I’m sorry!” He cried, cringing, “I’m still not used to them driving on different sides of the roads.”

You shook your head, “Jisung… Oh my god. My heart just fell out of my ass.”

He didn’t answer. The silence was tense, before you heard him awkwardly clear his throat. You could tell he was holding back a laugh. And despite your pounding heart, you found yourself holding back giggles as well. Soon enough, the both of you were cackling hysterically in the middle of the sidewalk,

“You idiot,” You said, between gasps of breath, “I swear to god—”

“Yeah, but I’m your idiot, right?” He answered, with a muffled laugh. Your face froze, and he seemed to realize what he’d said. He took a deep breath, looking down at the floor and shuffling his feet awkwardly.

i wanted to see the world

then i flew over the ocean

“I’m sorry.” He fiddled with the zipper of his black jacket, and you shook your head, but didn’t say anything.

The silence that permeated the space between the two of you left your ears ringing. You remembered when he used to say that, back when you were still together.

You glanced at the road. All of the cars were now lining up in front of the crosswalk, and you cleared your throat. “We can cross now. Come on.”

When you were still together.

then i changed my mind

december 17th, 2020

The night you’d first declared your relationship over was just before winter break at your university was about to begin. Junior year was no walk in the park. And finals week was definitely not a good time to be dealing with too many personal issues.

So of course, you found out your boyfriend was cheating on you halfway through finals week of junior year.

You’d just gotten back from campus to your boyfriend’s apartment. It was cold, snow had been falling all day and the tip of your nose was still cold and a bit runny from walking through the winter air. It was nearing 11PM, you wanted to just lay in Jisung’s arms and that you didn’t have another killer exam the next day. Your entire morning had been spent going over your notes for one exam. Once you had taken that exam in the afternoon, it was off to studying for the exam the following day.

Your eyes were heavy. Your head hurt with both the uncertainty of how you’d done on the test earlier and how tired you were. All you wanted was Jisung.

Instead, when you knocked on the door, Chan opened it. When he saw your face beneath your face mask, his eyes grew a bit wide—as if he didn’t know what to do now that you were here. In hindsight, you knew now why he looked so panicked. But at that moment, it didn’t really register. You just wanted to be let in to see your boyfriend.

“Oh. Y/N,” He mumbled, mouth pressed into a flat line, “Jisung didn’t… tell me you were coming.”

You shook your head, pulling your mask down. “I thought I’d surprise him, I guess. I brought some food in case he needed a little pick-me-up.”

He shook his head, glancing behind him at something in the corridor that led to the two bedrooms. “Uh… he’s sleeping, I think he’s pretty tired, maybe you should just head on home—”

A soft, distinctly feminine, moan burst through the air, muffled from distance and a wall. You raised an eyebrow, out of nowhere feeling anxious.

“What was that?” You tried to look into the apartment, but Chan pressed his body between the door and the frame. He had an uneasy smile on his face, shaking his head quickly. Alarm bells were going off in your head.

“Oh, uh, Changbin has his girlfriend over. You know how he and Jooah get,” He mumbled with a soft chuckle.

Suddenly, you felt a lot more awake, and your heart sank. “Jooah’s visiting her mom in Busan. I spoke to her an hour ago. There’s no way she could get from Busan to Seoul so… oh my god.”

You pushed past Chan, ready to give Changbin a piece of your mind. Jooah didn’t deserve this. Chan followed after you, rambling quietly about how this isn’t a good idea and I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Y/N, really—

But as you approached the bedrooms, your stomach dropped when you realized that the soft grunts and moans weren’t coming from Changbin’s room, and the grunting didn’t really sound like Changbin at all.

No, you thought, turning around towards Jisung’s room, he wouldn’t. He couldn’t, could he?

And when you pushed the door open, you had an egregious moment of epiphany. He could. He most definitely could.

sunset's been a freakshow on the weekend

so i've been driving out to the suburbs

Of course, as every cheating son-of-a-bitch ex-boyfriend says, it wasn’t what it looked like. He could explain. The only feasible explanation you could come up with was that Jisung just so happened to slip and fall, and landed penis first into the girl’s vagina.

And even then that still wouldn’t account for the fact that he had met her on Tinder of all places. You really couldn’t be angry with her, because once she realized what was happening, she turned pale and yelled, “He told me he was single!”

Which sort of pissed you off—some deep form of internalized misogyny wanted so badly to place all the blame on this nameless girl, for enticing a man who had a girlfriend. But if she hadn’t known, the only person squarely responsible was him.

Han Jisung.

The man currently scrambling to pull on some pants as you turned, wordlessly walking towards the door. You walked past Chan, who was dead silent and staring at the floor. Your vision was blurring, and you could feel your grip on the plastic takeout bag trembling.

“Y/N, love, I’m sorry, listen to me, please! I’ve been with you so long, I don’t want to lose you now—” Jisung pleaded, running after you as you headed for the door. It’d been left wide open after you’d pushed past Chan, so you didn’t find any resistance until you felt someone grip your free wrist. Even though you were wearing a thick winter coat, the second you registered it as Jisung’s touch, the coldest temperature you’d ever felt seemed to sweep over your body.

When you turned to yank your wrist away, Jisung immediately stepped back, eyes wide in shock. You wondered what your face looked like, but you could never truly know. Back then, you could register it moving, contorting, but your body was so numb out of nowhere, you couldn’t feel to what degree. It seemed to be enough to shock him into silence, brows raised and mouth gaping.

You didn’t recognize your voice when you spoke. This odd mixture of despair, of rage, of bitterness came somewhere deep within your subconscious, to the point where some nights you wondered if you’d been possessed. The strangest thing was that while your voice was small, shaky and almost monotone, all of these emotions were somehow still palpable in the last words you spoke to him, before walking out the door, and not seeing him for six months.

“All I ever did was love you,” You told him, “And this is the thanks I get.”

You didn’t block his number. Looking back, you should have. Despite all of his texts and calls, he didn’t come to see you. You supposed he was also tied up with finals and everything else.

sungie<3: baby please

sungie<3: i love you please pick uo

han jisung: i swear i can explain

han jisung: its not what it looke d like i promise

han jisung: plaese come back

dont answer: ill wait for you. you love me right?

dont answer: y/n please

By the time finals were over you were a bleary mess. You spent every night the rest of that week crying over your class notes, staying up and running on barely any sleep and way too many coffee cups and energy drinks to be safe.

And by the time finals were over, you were already on your way back home, far, far away from Jisung. Right before you boarded your flight home, you texted him once.

Y/N: we’re done. don’t text me ever again.

to park at the goodwill and stare at the chemtrails

with my little brother

december 23rd, 2020

“So, he just… cheated on you?” Your younger brother asked, sitting on the porch next to you. Heaving a sigh, you nodded.

“I’m done with him. I don’t ever want to speak to him again.”

He frowned, before looking at you. “You guys really loved each other, though.”

You nodded, but then shook your head. Yes, you wanted him to hold you and tell you everything would be alright. But you knew that it never would be again.

“That’s sort of true. If he really loved me he wouldn’t have cheated on me. And even if he managed to convince me that he did… I don’t know. I could never trust him again. I would get paranoid every time he talks to another girl. I don’t want to live like that.”

He didn’t say anything. You didn’t really expect him to fully understand. He was still a teenager and hadn’t really gone through the whole relationship thing completely yet.

he said you called on his birthday

you were off by like ten days

but you get a few points for trying

“He still talks to me sometimes.”

You froze. “What?”

“Yeah,” He answered, “He called me last week to tell me happy birthday.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Your birthday isn’t for another week.”

He nodded, then shrugged. “Thought that counts, I guess. But he was cool. He was funny.”

Frowning, you shook your head. “Well, don’t… talk to him. He’s a dick.”

“Maybe, but I had a good drive learning to drive with him.”

You thought back to the time Jisung had helped you teach your little brother to drive—Jisung even let your brother use your dad’s old truck, after helping to fix it.

With a scoff, you looked down. “...It was pretty fun, wasn’t it.”

remember getting the truck fixed when you let us drive it

25 felt like flying

july 29th, 2019

“OH-kay,” Jisung exclaimed from the backseat, body lurching forward as your brother slammed on the breaks, “Maybe we should practice breaking a little bit more before you actually head out onto the road.”

You chuckled, before nodding. “You’re lucky this is just an empty parking lot,” You said, looking at your brother. He looked like such a kid, pimply and scraggly, and here he was being put in the driver’s seat of a giant hunk of metal with wheels.

You sighed. “If this were an actual road someone would have called an ambulance right now.”

“Oh, come on,” Jisung said, “He’s still learning! He’s got plenty of time.”

“Thank you!” Your brother raised his eyebrows as he began to maneuver the car again. “Someone’s gotta be on my side.”

december 23rd, 2020

“God-fucking-dammit, whose side are you even on?” You snapped, giving the younger boy a glare. “I’m your sister. He cheated on me.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” He reasoned, watching you get up from the porch. “Y/N, wait—”

You slammed the back door shut, before blinking back tears furiously.

you love me right?

You did. You absolutely did. And you couldn’t stand it.

i don't forgive you

but please don't hold me to it

born under scorpio skies

Maybe you could do this. As you got onto the train, you nearly stumbled, but Jisung caught you before you fell. Your eyes met, and yours turned wide in surprise. “Oh,” You murmured, “...Thanks.”

He let out an awkward laugh, which sounded more like a loud exhale than anything. “I mean, you did the same for me earlier,” He answered, before hurriedly adding, “E-except I might have died if you hadn’t pulled me back, y’know?”

“I would have died too. But more out of embarrassment than anything else.”

This time, his laugh sounded more genuine. “That’s the [zodiac sign] in you.”

You froze as the train started to move. Suddenly, you were flooded back to times that you had read Jisung his horoscope, before he’d roll his eyes and say something along the lines of, “Oh, that’s so vague! It could happen to anyone!”

And every time, you’d reply something like, “Well, if you don’t like it I won’t read them to you anymore.”

But every single time, every beautiful, cruel time, he’d fire back, “No, it’s okay. I like how into it you are. It’s cute.”

He put up with it because he thought it was cute, because he loved seeing your reactions. Because he loved you. Or at least you thought he did.

Did he still love you?

“I-I thought you weren’t into horoscopes.”

He scratched the back of his head, before shrugging. “I, uh, I got into it after you left.”

When you didn’t say anything, he took that as his cue to continue.

“Would it be horrible of me to say that I got into it because I missed—”

“Yes,” You snapped weakly, “It would.”

Jisung’s eyes looked at the ground. The silence between the two of you was filled by the train around you. From the sound of the rails, to the man in the corner who sneezed suddenly and gave everyone a bout of anxiety when they heard the noise, to the two schoolgirls whispering excitedly to themselves a few seats away from you.

“I’m sorry,” He murmured, “But it’s true.”

The train slowed into a station, and you did the mental math. After this stop, you could get off and walk three blocks before reaching the hotel.

“Even if it is, what does it fix?” You murmured as more people piled into the train, causing you to force your body closer to your ex-boyfriend’s.

“Nothing,” He admitted, eyes sad, “But I needed you to know.”

i wanted to see the world

through your eyes until it happened

During the rest of your time on the train, neither of you spoke. Those next ten-ish minutes where you were just about pressed up against each other felt unbearable. His wide, dark eyes found yours and you couldn’t seem to pull away. If it weren’t for the face masks, you would probably be able to feel his breath on your face.

The pair of you gripped the same pole for support, and over the course of time, Jisung lowered his hand towards yours. First, his pinky brushed your index finger. The contact set your skin alight and suddenly your skin felt dry. Then, his hand grew even closer and he intertwined your pinky and your index fingers.

Pull away, you told yourself, wherever this is going it won’t end well.

The train pulled into the stop, and you lost your balance. You tumbled into Jisung’s chest, and he planted a foot behind you to stop the both of you from falling.

When you pulled away, both from his chest and his hand, your face felt like it was on fire. You didn’t know where to look.

“Are you okay?” He asked, sounding concerned.

“Yeah,” You said hoarsely, not really meeting his eyes.

Stepping onto the platform, you exited the station with Jisung on your heels. The entire walk home was silent once more, your body tingling with a mix of anxiety and excitement that you couldn’t quite place the origins of. Your body sped up of its own accord, first into a brisk speedwalk and then a light jog. Why you were doing this, you didn’t know.

“Y/N?”

Did you want to get away, or did you want to know if he would chase after you?

“Y/N!”

Once inside the hotel, you pressed the button to call the elevator. You swallowed dryly once Jisung caught up to you, panting slightly.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked again, breathlessly. The elevator dinged, and you stepped in without answering. Jisung followed after you, watching anxiously as you pressed the button to the seventh floor several times. Your body was trembling. You felt like a live wire, but you weren’t sure what emotion was charging the sensation.

Emotions?

Anger. You ruined everything. Despair. I never want to see you again. Love. I need you. Hate. You disgust me. Bitterness. Why did you do this to me?

“Y/N,” Jisung murmured as the doors slid shut, “Are—you—okay?”

Desire. You were the last person who touched me—and the only one who ever did it right.

You pulled your mask down, agitated. The automated female voice said, “Going up,” in Japanese, and you lost it.

“No, I’m not.”

Your hand found the collar of Jisung’s shirt, gripping it so tightly your hand cramped. Jisung’s eyes widened and his shoulders scrunched up. It occurred to you that maybe he thought you would hit him, likely due to your erratic behavior. But that was the last thing on your mind as you yanked the mask off of his face, and pressed your lips to his.

He froze for a moment, before cradling your cheeks in his hands. His body reacted a second later, pressing himself into you. A moment later, your back was pressed to the wall of the elevator and Jisung was slotting himself in between your legs. And you let him.

“I missed you,” He gasped in between desperate kisses, “So much.”

Your chest clenched, and your hands wrapped themselves around his narrow waist, coming up to fist themselves in the fabric of his hoodie.

A sensation in your lower stomach, spreading between your legs made your body feel even warmer. You wanted him so bad. You needed him.

But did he need you? Did he want you? Or did he just want you to need him?

You pushed him away as if he’d burned you. For all intents and purposes, he basically had. Jisung caught himself before he could fall against the wall, face perplexed.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” You whispered, eyes welling with tears, “I’m sorry.”

And just in time, “Seventh floor,” the automated voice said.

then i changed my mind

Maybe you couldn’t do this, you decided as you launched yourself out of the elevator. Jisung didn’t follow you this time. You wondered if you were making everything too complicated. Rounding the wrong corner, you found yourself at Dahyun and Chaeyoung’s door.

No, the little voice of reason in the back of your brain insisted, he doesn’t get to complain about that.

After a few knocks on the door, Dahyun opened the door. Her hair was damp, as if she’d just finished showering.

“Hey,” She said, “You look like shit. What happened to you?”

She ushered you in, and you wiped away a tear as you sat down on her bed.

It all just sort of… came out. Dahyun listened, nodding along every few moments to make it look like she was listening. You told her everything that had happened that day—the texting, the trip to the temple, the ride back, the elevator. The goddamn elevator.

“I don’t even know what came over me when I did that,” You mumbled once you were finished. “I don’t know what’s going on with me anymore.”

“Do you wanna know what I think?” Dahyun asked, leaning forward. You nodded.

“You clearly still have feelings for him,” She said, “I think both of you guys still do.”

“It wouldn’t work.” You shook your head. “Not after what he did.”

“Haven’t you punished him enough?”

You made a face. “What the hell are you even talking about?”

“Come on, Y/N,” Dahyun sighed, “It’s been six months. We gave you your space, but… you guys love each other. Jisung loves you, and you still love him, right? We’re all rooting for you guys.”

“Dahyun, I… I don’t think I could ever trust him again.”

“Oh, come on. It happens to everyone at least once. You love each other! I think it’s a testament to his love that even after his mistake—”

“It wasn’t a mistake—”

“—and after the way you treated him, he still loves you. Right?”

You froze, and your mouth fell open. “After the way I treated him? Was I supposed to react differently to my boyfriend cheating on me?”

She stared at you, before huffing. She seemed annoyed at the fact that the conversation was still going. “That’s not what I mean and you know it.”

Standing, you crossed your arms. “No! I really don’t, Dahyun. You really think that I was an asshole to him after everything he did to me—”

“Maybe he did it because you’re so fucking uptight about everything,” She grumbled, “Jesus.”

You took a step back, and your heart cracked. “Wow,” You muttered, “Nice one, Dahyun.”

Turning on your heel, you ignored Chaeyoung stepping out of the bathroom with damp hair. “What is it now?”

“Y/N,” Dahyun called, “Y/N!”

But you didn’t turn around. You slammed the door shut on the way out, and when you got back to your hotel room you locked your door. As you sat down, you felt like you probably should have felt hurt at the fact that you didn’t hear Dahyun chasing after you in an attempt to apologize to you.

guess i lied

You pulled your phone out of your pocket as it began to buzz. When you saw the name on your screen, your eyes grew misty.

dont answer: come to the rooftop balcony later tonight. i want to fix this, i really do

dont answer: we can get a nice dinner just you and me

dont answer: and then after we can just tall

dont answer: talk

In a fit of rage, you typed out with shaky hands. You knew it was wrong. But just once, you wanted him to hurt.

Y/N: ok. ill be there :)

dont answer: really?

dont answer: ill make it up to you i promise

dont answer: thank you baby

You couldn’t do this. Not anymore.

i'm a liar

You realized now just what an idiot you’d been. You’d poured so much into these people, these relationships that you’d been holding on to them because of some sunk cost fallacy logic. I’ve been with you for so long, I don’t want to lose you now.

You opened your laptop on the table, eyes brimming with tears as the monitor lit up to your earlier google search - the results displaying your previous search for Kiyomizu-dera.

And suddenly, your entire day came crashing down even further. Your eyes shot to where Jisung had sat that morning. He’d looked so panicked when you had gotten angry with him, fidgeting and gripping your hand, eyes looking anywhere and everywhere.

Closing your eyes, you conjured up the moment in your mind. The way his eyes stopped on the table and then…

“Kiyomizu-dera,” Jisung declared finally, eyes widening and a smile gracing his face. “You’ve always wanted to go, I know you have. We can go there.”

Of course he didn’t know. Or at least, he didn’t remember all the times you’d gushed about it. He lied. And you couldn’t stay here any longer.

Pulling up your flight information, you clicked at random looking for the option you wanted, wiping away the stray tears that ran down your cheeks.

Confirm return date change? You will be charged an extra fee for flights booked less than 24 hours before departure.

[x] Yes [ ] No

who lies

No, you couldn’t do this, you realized as your finger hovered over the mouse before finally clicking yes. As if your body had a mind of its own, you were packing your suitcases before you fully realized what was going on.

You were wrong. If you were being completely honest, running away from Jisung sounded like the best course of action. But until that happened, he would continue to eat away at you, to chain himself to you until it dragged the both of you down and make you feel bad for letting the both of you sink.

He cheated on you. And then when he said he didn’t want to blame you, he blamed you anyway. You were so busy. I felt so alone. Zero accountability, you realized as you pulled your suitcases into the elevator. The same elevator you had kissed him in. When you stepped into the lobby and handed them your checkout card, you knew there was no turning back.

dont answer: im already here, i’ll just wait for you

dont answer: baby?

[dont answer] calling…

one missed call from [dont answer]

dont answer: y/n?

Jisung still had your heart gripped in his hands. You needed to snatch it out of them and glue it back together.

How you would do that, you didn’t know.

But you knew it wouldn’t happen if you allowed him to hold this power over you, you realized as you stepped into the shuttle bus. With shaky fingers, you tapped a few options on your phone.

block “dont answer”?

You hit yes. You ignored the tear rolling down your cheek.

'cause i'm a liar

And when the shuttle bus began to move, you didn’t look back.

taglist: @iwishihadabettername @doderyscoffee @chanluster @laylasbunbunny @emobeomgyu @always-wishing-for-rain

#stray kids x reader #stray kids au #stray kids angst #han jisung x reader #han jisung au #han jisung angst #skz scenarios #stray kids scenarios #han jisung scenarios #punisher series

316 notes · View notes

quokkacore · 2 years

Text

king and lionheart II [k.jm]

summary: joy has come to your kingdom of oceansforte. your prince, junmyeon, is betrothed to the princess of avilux, and the wedding is quickly approaching. while the kingdom rejoices, you, his knight, are secretly in shambles; your dedication to your prince is not simply out of duty, but out of love as well. but as you begin to unravel secrets of the royal court—hidden alliances, forbidden romances, and a deadly plot against your kingdom—you steel your resolve: you must keep junmyeon safe no matter what, even at the cost of being ripped away from his side forever.

pairing: prince!junmyeon x knight!reader

warnings: fem pronouns for reader, language, “period typical” sexism (even though this isnt rlly historical but yall know what i mean—sebastian is the in-world equivalent of an andrew tate fanboy), toxic masculinity, so much jealousy, junmyeon (and all of the kim bros) has/have daddy issues, the exos are younger than they are irl, implied underage drinking in a flashback, classism, y/n has impostor syndrome, handling of weapons, mentions of food

genre: fantasy!au, royalty!au, childhood friends to lovers, angst, a mix of unrequited love and mutual pining

word count: 17.2k

chapter playlist: red velvet - in my dreams // abba - when you danced with me // the oh hellos - soldier, poet, king // abba - fernando // series playlist

a/n: OH BOY did this take me a hot minute. i’m not the biggest fan of this chapter, but please trust the process—although i do love the way the members interact with y/n and each other when they’re not yelling at each other. also happy chanyeol came-home-yesterday-day <3

fic masterlist / main masterlist

CHAPTER TWO: ANDANTE

The blooming patch of rose bushes they were currently in front of reminded you of them. You seemed to be more the single lotus floating in the garden pond, which was wilting. It seemed to be mocking you.

While they had been walking through the royal garden for almost an hour, they’d been standing in front of those bushes for a few minutes now. As much as you wanted to distract yourself and think of something else, somewhere else, you knew that focusing on them and your surroundings was paramount.

“So… all of this will become mine once we’re married?” She sounded awestruck, breathless almost. “And I could change whatever I’d like?”

Your eyes trailed across the garden, but you could still hear the smile in Junmyeon’s voice. “It’s royal tradition, dating back to Queen Boram of House Do—first queen of Oceansforte. She gifted this space to her husband as a wedding gift, and their son did the same when he married his wife. Every heir to the throne has since gifted the garden to their spouse as a wedding gift ever since. When we marry, you’ll be able to do whatever you’d like with this space.”

“It’s beautiful as it is,” Mariana murmured, “I don’t know what I’d do with it.”

Your eyes landed on them as Junmyeon sighed wistfully, not taking his eyes off of her. “It is beautiful, isn’t it?”

As his friend, you almost wanted to laugh, to playfully gag and poke fun at him. He looked like a lovestruck moron. As his knight, you hated to admit it, but you were happy for him. He had been so angry and worried that this union would be painful and awkward, and the two of them had clicked into place immediately, like gears with grooves cut perfectly to fit each other.

As far as these past few days had gone, Mariana had given you no reason to hate her. You felt bad for your feelings toward her when she seemed to think you were amazing, if her behavior towards you were any indication.

When she spoke to you, she seemed kind enough, soft-spoken. She was a bit shocked when Junmyeon had introduced you as his knight, the member of the royal guard assigned to him. She’d seemed to regard you with wonder.

“Forgive my gawking,” She’d said after a curtsy, “In Avilux, women are not allowed into the military, much less the royal guard. It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Y/N.”

“No offense taken, your royal highness,” You’d told her, “And believe me, I can assure you I am more than honored to serve.”

But still, as someone in love? You couldn’t find it in you to hate her, but you did resent her. Jealousy bubbled in your stomach whenever he offered her his arm, even more so when she linked hers around his. Every laugh, hushed whisper, prolonged stare seemed to build up an invisible wall between him and you, and you weren’t sure how to break through it—you were hesitant to even try.

It wouldn’t bode well to meddle in their affairs.

“Still, you could do whatever you’d wish. Say, I don’t know…” Junmyeon turned his head to you. “Y/N, what would you add to the garden if you could?”

You blinked, unsure of what to say. Doing your best to ignore the implication of the question, you offered the princess a small smile. “In truth, my prince, I have so many fond memories in this garden, there’s practically nothing I’d change.”

“Fond memories?” Mariana’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, do tell, Lady Y/N! You must.”

You managed a small smile. “Oh, they’re mostly of me and the other members of the noble houses play fighting when we were children. I believe I was exceptionally skilled when it came to knocking your betrothed off his feet with toy swords.”

Junmyeon’s ears grew red at the reminder, and Mariana’s head tilted curiously. “So you both grew up together?”

“I lived in the castle from a young age.”

Junmyeon nodded. “Y/N is nobility as well. Our mothers were very close. And Y/N’s father was also a member of the royal guard, so his family was allowed to move into the castle.”

She seemed quite impressed. “Continuing on your father’s legacy, I presume?”

Your smile grew. “I would hope so. My father served as the king’s ward, and captain of the royal guard until he retired last year. His highness’s brother has taken the helm, but I would still hope to serve as Junmyeon’s personal guard when he becomes king.”

Mariana nodded. “Lady Y/N, my admiration for you seems to grow by the day. Are you as good with an iron sword as you were with the toy sword?”

Junmyeon stepped toward you, and she followed. “I’d say she’s even better. Y/N has always been the best at dueling amongst our friends. She’s a pro.”

“Amazing. You must teach me once I’ve moved in. Oh, Father never allowed me to learn—”

“And with good reason,” Another voice said from across the garden. The three of you turned to face Prince Sebastian, who was walking toward your trio.

While you didn’t dislike Mariana, you detested her brother. Sebastian was haughty, entitled, clearly spoiled as the heir to the Aviluxian throne. Still, out of duty and respect, you managed a bow when he got close enough.

He raised an eyebrow at your gesture. It was clear he didn’t like you, either. “Father was right. Women should not handle such objects.”

Junmyeon cleared his throat awkwardly. “Your highness. What brings you here?”

“I was in this wing of the castle when a servant informed me it was time for dinner. I decided to tell the both of you since I was so close already.”

“Thank you, brother,” Mariana said, “But it would do you well to respect the customs of this nation. Just because Lady Y/N would be deemed unfit back home does not mean she’s unfit everywhere. She’s a perfectly capable fighter. Dare I say, an extremely skilled one.”

Your chest warmed at Mariana’s defense, but it waned when Sebastian bit back a scoff. “Honestly, with a woman holding the weapon it’s a miracle His Royal Highness has not been killed yet. Still, I would love to see her try to convince me.”

You looked at the other two, wondering if they would say something. Mariana was red in the face, as though she were holding back a few colorful insults for her brother. Junmyeon was looking simply at the ground, not meeting yours or Sebastian’s eyes. You let out a soft tsk, before letting out a quick sigh.

“I would love to convince you, your royal highness.” You flashed him a smile that was cordial enough, but likely didn’t reach your eyes. “It’s a shame you and your family are leaving in the morning. I would have loved to invite you to spar with me.”

The prince’s smile grew, but you didn’t find it comforting. “During our next visit to the kingdom, then. I accept, Lady Y/N.”

You bit down on your tongue to avoid saying anything snarky, and maintained your smile. “Very well, then. Thank you.” Your eyes turned to Junmyeon and Mariana. “I shall take my leave then, your highnesses. I hope the rest of your evening is as lovely as this past day has been.”

The princess offered a curtsy in respect, and Junmyeon nodded. “Thank you, Y/N. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

You wordlessly watched them leave the garden, discussing something you didn’t quite pick up. When they were gone, you heaved a deep sigh, shoulders slumping, before heading off in the opposite direction, towards your own quarters.

Throughout the past week, as always, you were tasked with guarding Junmyeon. This was, of course, not as enjoyable with Princess Mariana around.

The three of you had gone for a stroll in the Common, a large public space filled with gardens, fountains and swaths of land for all to enjoy. You watched them from behind, a member of Mariana’s royal guard in front.

The people that passed by all seemed to do the same thing: they would spot Junmyeon, their eyes would widen, and as he and Mariana passed by, they would offer bows and curtsies, and give pleasantries to the prince and princess. And when they saw you, they would grin and greet you as well.

Of course, the kingdom knew that the royal family of Avilux was visiting. They still didn’t know the pretense of the visit, as it had only been publicly announced that it was a diplomatic visit and not the initial planning stages of a royal wedding.

You watched as the two of them spoke softly to each other, occasionally laughing. You were grateful you had to focus more on your surroundings than them. It gave you the ability to push away your questions. What was so funny? Why were they acting like they’d known each other their entire lives?

“Your highness!” A voice called out to Junmyeon and immediately your head snapped to the direction of the sound. A woman was walking slowly towards your small cohort, a little girl in tow. The both of them had their heads perched down, and while you didn’t register them as an immediate threat, you didn’t lower your guard completely. They could be in disguise, they could be a distraction.

“Good afternoon, Miss,” Junmyeon said, giving a friendly smile. He looked down at the little girl, who was hiding behind the woman’s skirts.

“Hello,” He murmured gently. Her eyes widened and she gasped when he acknowledged her, burying her face into the fabric. She couldn’t have been older than five.

“Brigitte,” The woman chastised softly, “Don’t be rude. One day, this man will be king. Be kind and greet him.”

He laughed gently. “It’s no problem, Miss…?”

“Treegrove,” The girl’s mother said, “My name is Elisa Treegrove. This is my daughter, Brigitte.”

“Miss Treegrove. There’s no need for all of that! Not with me. I would, however, ask that you extend such a pleasantry to the Princess.”

Elisa Treegrove curtsied deeply, and Brigitte copied her with the clumsiness of a five year old. Watching the interaction, you thought the little girl seemed quite sweet. The girl and her mother introduced themselves to Mariana and she smiled, kneeling to shake little Brigitte’s hand.

“Hello, Brigitte,” She said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you,” Brigitte murmured, “...You’re very pretty.”

“I think you’re even prettier,” Mariana answered, “Your hair looks very nice today.”

Brigitte smiled bashfully, reaching up to tug at one of her braids. She seemed to not know what to say next, eyes looking at Mariana, then Mariana’s guard, Junmyeon, her mother.

And then her eyes landed on you, and her smile turned into the widest grin you’d ever seen on a child.

“Lady Y/N!” She exclaimed, letting go of her mother’s hand to run up to you. Your eyes widened. You hadn’t been expecting her reaction. You looked up at the people in front of you, who obviously felt the same way. Mariana’s eyes were wide. Junmyeon looked very amused. Miss Treegrove was openly gawking.

“I’m going to be just like you when I’m big!” Brigitte proclaimed, jumping up and down. “I’m going to be strong and brave and I’ll protect the kingdom, just like you!”

That made you smile, and you kneeled. You bristled at the thought of speaking, but smiled nonetheless. “Going to be?”

She nodded, and you shook your head. “If you’re ready to protect your home, you already are.”

Brigitte smiled, big eyes sparkling. “Th-thank you,” She said finally. You flashed one final smile at her, before nodding at Miss Treegrove.

“I think your mother needs to get going,” You told her, before offering her a small bow, “I’ll see you again someday, Lady Brigitte. Hopefully, it’ll be the day you go into training.”

She nodded, seemingly mystified, before walking back to her mother. Miss Treegrove gave a final goodbye, saying she had to leave to visit a sick relative, and both Junmyeon and Mariana bid her farewell.

Mariana looked surprised once they were gone. “I had… no idea you were so popular, Lady Y/N,” She said genuinely. You shrugged.

“The people love Y/N,” Junmyeon explained, “Her father as well. He wasn’t born into nobility but was knighted by my grandfather, so he’s seen as a sort of bridge between the common people and the crown.”

“I wouldn’t say they love me,” You muttered, “That’s a bit much.”

“You’re very admirable.” Mariana straightened her posture. “I have no trouble believing that the people of Oceansforte… care for you so much.”

Junmyeon put his hand on her upper back, trying to get her to keep walking again. He’d already turned his back to you when he began to speak again. “And I have no trouble believing that my people will grow to care for you just as much.”

Heading up to your quarters now, you rolled your head on your shoulders. Yes, standing up all day left your lower back stiff as all hell. However, this particular week you seemed to have been tenser than usual.

When you awoke in the mornings, your jaw would hurt. You only realized one day after sitting down and forcing your body to relax that you’d been clenching your jaw the entire time. Which meant you had to have been grinding your teeth in your sleep. When you’d asked Minseok, he’d answered with another question.

“Well, are you particularly stressed?”

You’d gnawed on the inside of your cheek. “Having to protect Junmyeon along with a member of a foreign royal family is not exactly the most stress-free of tasks.”

He nodded, but didn’t ask whether it was due to the responsibility or the emotional taxation. Either way, he knew it was both.

Junmyeon hadn’t made it easy, either. To a degree, you were slightly frustrated at him. Within the palace grounds, him and Mariana had made several attempts to ditch you, be it by slowly drifting away when you crossed with another member of the royal guard and stopped to chat, or tiptoeing quietly away from you in the castle library, or even riding a bit too fast when he showed her the palace’s private beach.

You knew you’d have to speak to him on it once you managed to get some alone time. The whole week had been hectic. Between visits to the Aviluxian consulate, private meetings planning for the wedding, or even things as simple as Junmyeon showing Mariana the Common, you felt like you’d barely had time to breathe during the past week.

Once you’d trudged up the stairs and had found yourself within your quarters, you began the long and grueling task of taking off your armor.

This was nowhere near as formal as the armor worn for major ceremonies, like military events or royal weddings. Even before you’d realized your feelings for Junmyeon you’d dreaded the idea of his wedding—the silver armor was large, clunky, and much too flashy, paired with excessive fabric and a ridiculous red cape. You hated the idea.

You much preferred the slightly less formal version, like you’d worn the day the Salazares had arrived, as well as all week in their company. Even better was the middle ground between the two, worn very, very rarely, on the nights where members of the royal guard were invited to take a night off and enjoy the company of the royal family and other noblemen. You’d be wearing that on the night of the engagement.

Removing the pieces on your own was hard. Your arms reached for the clasps of the armor, fumbling and eventually flaring in discomfort when you held them in place for too long.

Each clasp served as a reminder: you are alone. Completely and utterly alone.

“So he challenged you to a duel?” The tall man’s voice wavered as his sword clashed with yours, two days after your agreement with Sebastian.

“Precisely.” You sidestepped, thrusting your sword in the direction of his torso. He barely dodged, letting out a rough, “oomph,” as he did.

“Is he a fool?” Called another voice, leaning back in his chair while watching you and Chanyeol spar. “You’ll chop his balls off with your sword before he can even whip it out.”

“‘Before he can even whip it out’ sounds so very wrong, Baekhyun,” Sehun muttered, not looking up from his book.

You stepped back from Chanyeol, but stumbled on your final step. You tumbled onto the ground, landing on your butt and somehow still managing to hold onto your sword. He grinned down at you, walking towards you at an almost leisurely pace. The air of the small courtyard was hot, leaving your chest heaving.

“I’m not sure, Y/N. I mean, if you can’t beat me, maybe Prince Sebastian does have a ch—agh!”

You caught him off guard, using your feet to kick at the side of his shin. He lost his balance, tumbling to the ground with you. You took the time of him falling to pull yourself up onto your knees, effectively straddling his chest as you knocked his sword out of his hand. You held your own up to his throat.

“If Sebastian Salazar is anywhere near as prideful as you, Park Chanyeol, then I can assure you he doesn’t.”

Chanyeol scowled, before tapping the floor twice—the sign that he was conceding. You’d won this round, and now you could gloat and watch him pout all day. You stood, offering out your hand for him. Apparently, he wasn’t that prideful. Although his scowl deepened at the sight of your hand, he still took it anyway.

When you both stood, you were met with applause. And if it were just Baekhyun, some guffawing as well.

“That was lovely,” He said, “Do it again!”

“Do what?” You stretched, moving your neck back and forth to loosen the joints. “Spar, or humble our good friend even further?”

“He could use some humbling,” Jongin muttered, “Bedding all of the women in Boram’s Bay fawning over him hasn’t done his ego many favors.”

"I do not bed all of the women in Boram's Bay!" Chanyeol cried in protest.

"That's true," Yixing agreed, "Give him some credit."

Chanyeol's face brightened. "Thank you, Yi—"

"He doesn't bed the married ones, right, Chanyeol?"

Something in Yixing’s tone didn’t sound quite right.

Chanyeol crossed his arms in indignation, rolling his eyes. But you couldn’t deny the redness of his ears. Before you could ask any questions, Jongdae spoke.

“You know who else could use some humbling?” He huffed, crossing his arms. “Prince Sebastian.”

You nodded, wagging your finger in agreement at the suggestion. “He’s an ass, that one.”

“Junmyeon,” Baekhyun muttered, taking a sip of water, “You’ve been awfully quiet.”

You wiped the sweat off of your brow, turning your gaze towards your prince. He was sitting in the seat across from Sehun, next to Jongdae and Yixing. His arms were crossed as he flashed Sehun a disapproving look.

“I cannot simply speak ill of my future brother-in-law, much less the future leader of an allied nation,” He said uncomfortably.

“Oh, please,” Jongdae scoffed, “We know you can’t stand him! Especially not when you know what he thinks of Y/N!”

Junmyeon huffed. “I disagree with him deeply, yes. But for propriety’s sake, I can’t bring myself to offend him. Father would skin me alive if I did.”

You let out an internal sigh. Yes, Junmyeon was the future king. But would it have been so bad if he’d just slapped Sebastian around a little? Even better, give you his approval as future king and let you slap Sebastian around a little?

But in all seriousness, it hurt. Even disregarding your affections toward him. The fact that he didn't see fit to defend a childhood friend, when it was quite literally your life's work to defend him, felt like a slap to the face.

“How lovely of you to defend me, Myeon,” You muttered pointedly. Chanyeol raised his eyebrows and gave you a sideways glance. Jongin let out an awkward cough. Sehun finally looked up from his book, glasses glinting in the sun. He looked expectantly at Junmyeon, who flashed you a quizzical look.

“Y/N, I—”

“I can understand you not wanting to curse the man or anything of the sort. But you were there when he made those comments. Every time I was in a room with him, he’d say something, and where were you but burying your head in the sand? You wouldn’t even look at me—”

“It would be inappropriate to intervene. If you were to—”

“Has anyone been to the new tavern down in Fairview?” Baekhyun said, trying and failing miserably to diffuse the situation, “I've heard their chicken is lovely—”

“If this is how you’ll practice diplomacy as king, then you’d concede everything to everyone else and leave nothing for us. He disrespected not only me, but also you and your father by implying that your judgment is wrong, and our entire country for letting a woman take the oath of knighthood. Quite frankly, my prince, I find it infuriating that you would stand aside and let a foreign prince do all of that, simply for the sake of propriety.”

You spat out the last word, crossing your arms. When you finished your rant, it was as if all of the air was sucked out of the room. Everyone was staring either at you or Junmyeon, whose face was unreadable.

You realized almost immediately you’d spoken a bit too harshly. You shouldn’t have said anything about him being king or how he’d rule the country. That simply made everything after your point moot.

You looked around the table, everyone's faces now awkward. No one dared to challenge you, but no one dared to say anything to your prince. Scoffing, you turned away.

"Y/N," Chanyeol said, "Wait—"

You tossed the wooden practice sword into the storage bucket, and promptly left the courtyard.

When you were gone, everyone turned to Junmyeon. He refused to meet anyone’s eyes.

"Well, you can't blame her." Jongin elbowed Jongdae at his words, but the older prince flashed him a nasty look. "What!? She does have a point, Junmyeon."

"Even if she was a bit crass," Yixing agreed, "Y/N made a fair point. Him insulting our way of living is undermining the sovereignty of what will soon be your own kingdom."

Junmyeon heaved a sigh. "I can't just—"

"Can't just tell a foreign prince to fuck off, we get it,” Sehun muttered, “But you should have found a way to put a stop to it the second it started.”

“Sehun!” Kyungsoo frowned at him. “Don’t say it like that.”

“I’m right,” Sehun insisted, “And all of you know it.”

Junmyeon got up from the table. “I’ll see you all some other time,” He said emotionlessly, “I have other matters to attend to.”

And then there were seven left sitting around the table, one standing a few feet away.

“So…” Chanyeol coughed, trying desperately to change the subject, “Baekhyun, you said there was a new tavern in Fairview?”

You were undoing the clasps in your armor again when you heard a knock on your bedroom door. With a huff, you turned your head. “Who’s there?”

“A jackass,” Junmyeon’s voice said, muffled from behind the door, “That’s who.”

You sighed, standing. Your armor was hanging haphazardly off of your chest, half of it still clasped together. Swinging the door open, you met his eyes with a glare. “What? If you want me to apologize—”

“No.” He shook his head. “May I come in?”

You stepped to the side, silently answering his question. When you closed the door, you turned to face him.

“I should be the one apologizing to you,” Junmyeon mumbled quietly. “You’re right. He’s disrespecting our customs and our way of life. The next time he does that, I’ll put a stop to it. If our families are to merge, he should learn to respect my culture as I respect his. A-and even worse—he’s disrespecting one of my closest friends, and one of the greatest warriors this kingdom has ever seen.”

You huffed, trying to reach for another one of the clasps. “Now you’re pushing it.”

“I’m right on this one. You simply refuse to admit it.”

Smiling sadly, you shook your head. “Fine. Apology accepted... I should apologize as well. I shouldn’t have said that thing about how you’ll be king. I know how worried you are about it and I just… let it slip. I didn’t really mean it. I’m sorry.”

He nodded in acceptance, before tilting his head as he noticed your leather breastplate. His lips quirked up timidly. “Do you want help?”

You slumped with a pout. “Yes, please.”

You held your hair out of the way as he undid the remaining clasps. Here, standing so close to you, in the hidden air of your bedroom, was Junmyeon. In this proximity, you could feel his breath against your neck. You just knew that if you were to turn and look at his face, you’d see his eyebrows furrowed in concentration and lips pursed into a small frown.

You swallowed, wondering what would happen in any other lifetime. Where neither of you were bound by royal duty or sworn fealty to the crown. Where social ladders and caste laws didn’t exist, and arranged marriages were not something in store for either of you.

Would things have been different? Would you still have been as devoted to Junmyeon as you were now?

You knew the answer to the second question was yes. In every life, every death, every universe, every breath and promise, it was all for Junmyeon.

But you weren’t so sure if he felt the same.

When all of the clasps were undone, you opened your wardrobe and stored it carefully inside. Once you were done, you turned to him.

“You’re my closest friend,” You admitted, “If I’m quite honest, I’m scared things will change once you’re married and you’ve become king.”

He looked down, before sitting on your bed. “Things will change,” He said, “It would be improper of me as a wedded man to be so close and informal with you, an unmarried woman. Besides… I—you’ve heard the whispers.”

The whispers. The royal court loved a good story, whether it was real or not. Rumors that you and Junmyeon had fallen into bed together at least once, because of how close the two of you were. That you were secret lovers, that any second now despite the laws, Junmyeon would publicly proclaim his love for you.

And if all of those were fake… most of them at least believed that the two of you were deeply, madly in love, but simply too afraid to admit it to each other.

“Yes,” You mumbled, not meeting his eyes. “...All completely ridiculous.”

He laughed nervously. “Precisely. You understand. So… Daresay, our relationship will have to become more formal.”

“I understand. We’re grown now. No more… no more playing around.”

He nodded sadly. “Y/N, no matter what happens, I’ll always cherish you as my close friend. Everything you do for me and for my family, for the crown… don’t think it goes unnoticed. I was born with the privilege that I would always have someone willing to give their life to keep me safe. Every day, I’m grateful that it’s you.”

“I took an oath, Myeon. For king and country. I intend to keep it.”

You sat down next to him and leaned your head against his shoulder. Your eyes fluttered shut, and you sighed. Knowing that soon, it wouldn’t be appropriate to be in such proximity to him.

The two of you sat there quietly, for god knows how long. You wondered if the silence said everything you wanted to say.

The week before the Salazares returned to Boram’s Bay, the 12 Nights Festival began. The weeks prior to that were filled with Junmyeon and Mariana exchanging letters as fast as the messenger birds could deliver them. You escorting Junmyeon around the city so that he could attend preparations for the festival. And at least twice a week, crying yourself to sleep.

The idea of everything changing so quickly was daunting. Already, Junmyeon was beginning to distance himself from you. He joked less, and seemed more serious. When you were with your friends, things felt more or less the same. With them, you caught him acting more genuinely. He allowed all of you to make fun of him and of each other.

He seemed relaxed. He seemed himself.

Other times, he was stern. Serious. The times you cracked jokes he would let out one of those exhales through the nose that let you know he found it amusing, but not enough to actually laugh.

Already, more pressure was being placed on his shoulders. You would stand by when Junmyeon sat in on audiences between the king and his subjects, listening to their requests and issues and how King Ilseong would negotiate to facilitate a solution.

By the time the first day of the festival rolled around, he seemed exhausted, dead on his feet. You wondered how he managed.

“How do you do it?” You asked him the day before the festival began, while you were walking him back to his quarters after one of these audiences. “You look like the next strong breeze will knock you down.”

He smiled, face turning warm. “If I’m being honest, it’s the thought that by this time next week, Mariana will be back. She said she’s bringing even more people for us to meet. Her cousin Cesar and her ladies-in-waiting. I’m excited—I can’t wait to see her.”

You gave him a tight lipped smile that likely didn’t quite reach your eyes. “That’s very sweet. You seem quite taken with her.”

Junmyeon nodded, grinning. “She is… exceptionally charming. You don’t understand, Y/N… One night, after you were dismissed, we stayed up for hours, just speaking. She’s brilliant. Easily one of the most intelligent women I’ve ever met. I-if we could talk about it, we did. It felt as if—as if—”

You watched him fumble with his words. The so elegant, composed crown prince of Oceansforte, left speechless by one woman. You couldn’t believe it. Oh, how the mighty fall.

The 12 Nights Festival rolled around, and you welcomed it with open arms. It was easily your favorite time of the year. Summer was hitting its peak, the streets were lively and bustling. The festival made it just that much better.

The Festival included parades around the country, parties and speeches, all at night, to commemorate the 12 Nights Siege which the founders of Oceansforte had survived some 406 years ago.

Every night a new celebration was held. Speeches were held at different places throughout the country, parties were thrown, every night the streets of Boram’s Bay were lit up with dancing, singing and street markets. Everything around you was lit up beautifully, and was a huge reminder as to why you did what you did.

You loved your home. Nothing could beat it, and although it had its flaws, it was ingrained in you. Always had been, always would be.

The night before Mariana returned, two days before the end of the festival, three people planned to address the people of Boram’s Bay from a balcony while the rest of the royal family watched from the side. You were to stand guard the entire time, pointedly watching the crowd piled into the Queensquare.

A few minutes before the door was set to be opened, everyone stood in front of the door, speaking with each other. You were stood with Jongin and Junmyeon.

“Are you nervous?” Jongin said, to which Junmyeon shrugged.

“It’s nothing I haven’t done before. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

You looked him up and down. He was clad in the colors of House Kim: a black, ceremonial military suit, with a red sash over his shoulder and chest. Gold tassels decorated his shoulders, the buttons on the coat embellished with House Kim’s coat of arms. All very nice, except for one detail.

“Your crest is upside down,” You murmured, stepping closer to adjust it.

He chuckled, studying your face. The proximity made your face feel hot. “It’s so heavy. It does that sometimes. Drives me mad.”

Jongin bit back a smile. “Are you sure that’s the only thing?”

You sent Jongin a vicious glare, but he simply smiled in return. Another painfully obvious reminder that everyone you were close to just knew—but somehow, Junmyeon was none the wiser.

You knew this, because then Junmyeon said, “Well, this coat does feel a bit loose. Maybe I’ll have Cora tighten it around the waist.”

Now that the pin was straightened, you pushed it slightly against his chest to ensure it was pinned properly, before smiling. Out of the corner of your eye, you noted King Ilseong approaching your small group, Minseok following behind him.

You cleared your throat, stepping away. “There you go, Junmyeon. Hopefully that should be all set.”

“Thank you, Y/N. I d—”

“It would do both of you good to keep your distance,” The King interrupted, sending you a particularly nasty glance. You took another step back, shame pooling in your gut. “Especially you, Lady Y/N. An unmarried woman of your stature—”

Your head ducked to look at the ground. Suddenly, the room was dead silent.

“Father.” Minseok’s voice was gentle. “I think that’s enough. There’s no need to be so—”

“I don’t think it is, Minseok. Junmyeon hardly knows the meaning of enough.” He faced both you and Junmyeon. “You two are to stand within an arms’ distance. L/N, remember your place. Junmyeon will be your king. Not your little—”

“Minseok was right, that is enough. You will address Lady Y/N with the respect she deserves and the title she earned fairly,” Junmyeon hissed, stepping in front of you. “After everything her and her father have done for you and this kingdom, I believe she’s entitled to it.”

King Ilseong took a deep breath, and took a step towards his son. “You are my son, and I am the King. If there is anyone who deserves respect, it is m—”

You sidestepped Junmyeon to place yourself between them both and faced the King. “My deepest apologies, Your Majesty.”

Dropping to one knee, you looked at his shoes, not wanting to meet his eyes. “I have overstepped. It will not happen again.”

“Y/N,” Junmyeon said, “You don’t have to—”

“If the King feels I am out of turn, then I have acted out of turn,” You insisted, looking up at him. You turned back to the king. “It will not happen again, my King.”

The King looked down at you. He hummed in approval. “I care about you, Lady Y/N. Junmyeon is correct, both you and your father have served the kingdom greatly. But the law is the law—your House remains Unvalidated, and Junmyeon’s engagement is soon to be announced. Be very, very careful with your behavior. Your House’s reputation depends on it.”

You clenched your jaw at the mention of your House. Your father had worked hard to get your House instated, and you weren’t about to ruin all of his hard work.

“Of course, Your Majesty,” You answered, voice small. “I will do what is right.”

When you stood again, you moved to join the ranks of the Royal Guard. You were hyper aware of everyone’s eyes on you, the King’s outburst having drawn their attention to you.

Minseok stood next to you. You focused on taking a few deep breaths, hoping to calm your nerves. During that time, everyone else lined up into their positions, and a few moments later, the servants opened the doors, and you poured out before the Royal Family did.

The Queensquare was relatively small—but it was beautiful. Tonight, it was decorated with banners and triangular flags along the lampposts, flower arrangements placed in windows and above doorways.

The first to speak was Kyungsoo. Although not a direct descendant of Queen Boram, he was still the heir to House Do, and his house still received tribute during the festival. He was dressed in the colors of his house, a white and gold military uniform with the crest of his house, a dragon holding a sword embroidered into his chest. His hair was slicked back, and his eyes glittered with pride.

“I thank the people of Oceansforte for holding my family in such high regard, even if the reign of the Do dynasty ended 212 years ago. That you still place your trust in us. We are a people strong in courage. I believe if she were alive today, Queen Boram would be greatly proud of the nation we have grown to become.”

He smiled at the applause, the cheering. “Our nation celebrates over 400 years of independence after over 800 years of Aviluxian rule, and some 88 years of rule under Paimonsvale. Here’s to double that, triple that, many dynasties more!”

The crowd in the Queensquare below erupted into even more applause and cheers of agreement. He waved at a few of the people, before stepping to the side. Junmyeon took his place at the center of the balcony.

He looked breathtaking, and there was only so much you could do to let loose the quietest heartfelt sigh. Next to you, another guard, Jaehyun, raised one of his eyebrows at you.

“My people! People of my father, and of my grandfather, and of his father before him. We live in an ever-changing nation,” He said, somehow managing to project his voice over the crowd. “Customs change, people change. In the past year, our kingdom has lost much. The difficult harvest season, flooding in Grathport and its surrounding area… the loss of our queen.”

The air turned melancholy, and Junmyeon’s eyes turned downcast for a second. It wasn’t every day that anyone in the royal family mentioned the passing of Queen Yerin. The illness that took her had been sudden, and within less than two weeks she was gone.

“Kings and queens… they come and go. One day I shall rise to the throne. I shall remain there for as long as I am physically and mentally capable, and as long as the people will have me. But this kingdom…”

He spread his arms, smiling as he gestured back at the Queensquare. “This kingdom will, if the gods have it, stand forever. Even if the gods disagree, we will fight until the end! We have carved out our destiny for as long as this kingdom has been an independent, sovereign nation. Let us continue to do so, and let us prosper!”

Everyone in the Queensquare cheered, and his smile grew even bigger.

“Long live the nation!” He declared.

Long live the nation!”

You raised an eyebrow. You knew this speech in and out—you’d watched him practice, day in and day out. This was new.

“Long live the people!”

Where was this going? Or so you thought for the next few seconds, until Junmyeon roared, so loudly even you could hear the strain in his voice;

“LONG LIVE THE KING!”

Even after all your training to keep your face still, you found it incredibly hard to hold back the gasp in the back of your throat. Out of the corner of your eye, you watched Jongin and Minseok’s eyes snap in their brother’s direction.

For most, this would be a show of loyalty and love to his father. To those who knew, especially when this was unplanned?

Long live the king—the longer his father lived, the longer he could put off his duty as heir. The sarcasm couldn’t be missed.

And yet… was this because of what had just happened? You forced the thought away. It was too much to think of everything and ignore the crowd in front of you.

The Queensquare’s reply was so loud it was deafening even from atop the balcony. Junmyeon grinned, expression nothing short of ecstatic at the response—sarcastic in intention. Your heart skipped a beat, but your gut felt like it was made of lead. When he stepped away a moment later, you noticed the sweat on his brow.

This isn’t going to end well, you thought.

He stepped to the side, his father stalking up to the center of the balcony. Junmyeon exchanged a glance with his father, whose thin-lipped smile gave you no pause that he was secretly fuming.

“My father wishes to address his subjects,” Junmyeon declared, “Thank you, my people. Let us all rejoice!”

He stepped to the side, and King Ilseong stood at the center. He held out his hands, quieting the crowd. Once the silence had died down, he began to speak again.

The king’s speech was a bit longer than Junmyeon’s. He went on about his duty to the kingdom, the people’s duty to their nation. You zoned out, eyes scanning over the courtyard. There in the distance, towards the back of the crowd, you saw a familiar face.

Or at least, you were rather sure it was a familiar face—from here, it was a bit hard to tell. Your memory was a bit fuzzy, but the blonde mop of curls was distinctive of little Brigitte Treegrove.

She’d climbed up onto an oil lamppost, and was watching the king speak with wide eyes. Every few seconds she’d turn to say something to a man you hadn’t seen before.

He didn’t look like the girl’s father, but you tried to pay it no mind—maybe he was, maybe he was a close family friend, maybe it was none of your business. But you didn’t like the way his eyes would change every time he looked up at the balcony. When he looked at Brigitte, his eyes were warm and kind. But the second he turned, eyes settling on Junmyeon, his gaze turned smug… hungry.

You didn’t know how you knew he was looking at Junmyeon at this distance. But you just knew.

It alarmed you so much you kept your eyes trained on him the entire time. Towards the end of the speech, he looked over Junmyeon one last time, and then… his eyes landed on you.

For a moment that seemed to last an eternity, you locked eyes. His gaze didn’t falter, and from here, his smirk seemed to grow. Your face remained stoic, and he broke away a few seconds later.

As the king concluded his speech, the man gently tapped on Brigitte’s shoulder. She looked at him and jumped off of her place on the lamppost into his arms. The Queensquare erupted into cheers and applause, but the two of them headed down the dark street behind them.

You forced yourself to focus. There had to be some logical explanation to it. But you couldn’t shake the strange feeling brewing in your gut.

Next to you, Jaehyun straightened. You mirrored his movements, recognizing this as the sign to escort the royal family back inside. The guards entered last, and the doors shut with a final boom.

“Everyone who is not a personal guard to members of the royal family, you are dismissed.” King Ilseong’s voice was dripping with disdain. His eyes softened when his eyes landed on Kyungsoo.

“Kyungsoo, my boy,” He said, voice softer, “Thank you. Tell your mother I bid her well.”

“Of course, your highness. Thank you for having me.”

When everyone else had been ushered out of the room, King Ilseong snapped his head at Junmyeon’s direction.

“You fool of a prince,” He seethed, “Why would you even—“

“Is it such a crime to wish my father a long life?” Junmyeon asked, “Especially after so soon after losing my mother?”

The King’s eyes flashed in anger. “How dare you. You know what you said, you know what you meant by it.”

Jongdae huffed. “Could both of you calm down and stop being such—”

Jongin crossed his arms. “Jongdae—”

“Yes,” Junmyeon answered, glaring at his father, “I know what I said. So do you, and so does everyone else in this room, now. The people outside, down in the Queensquare do not. And they likely never will. What they see is completely different from what you or I would, father. I don’t know why you can’t recognize that.”

The king scowled, before glancing around the room. He took a deep breath, before looking back at his second oldest son. “Perhaps it is good that I live long. Then your disgraceful rule will be a smaller stain on our nation’s history. Your disrespect tonight tells me everything I need to know about how you will rule once I am gone.”

He stormed out of the room, Minseok following after him. He was staring at his father with great disdain.

The doors slammed shut, and Junmyeon shook his head. “Horrible old man,” He muttered, gnawing on his cheek.

“I don’t know what Mother ever saw in him,” Jongdae grumbled.

“Enough,” Jongin snapped. “This is supposed to be a happy night, but no. Apparently no one in this family knows how to behave. Not him, prideful bastard,” He jabbed a finger at the door, “Not you, you nosy buffoon,” He pointed at Jongdae, “And certainly not you,” He scowled as he pointed at Junmyeon, “With your—your theatrics. And you all call me the childish one.”

There was a beat of silence, and then suddenly both Jongdae and Junmyeon were in his face, cussing him out. This had happened before—House Kim was a prideful one, and none of the men in the Royal Family were good at knowing when to back down.

So you did what you usually did when this happened: You, Jaehyun and Sicheng placed yourselves in between the siblings, each of you hoping to separate your assigned sibling from the fray. Your eyes met Junmyeon as you stepped in front of him, and you felt terrible; his voice was angry, but his eyes were misty. Once you got closer, you could tell his lip was wobbling slightly.

You looked at Jaehyun, who raised an eyebrow in question. With Minseok gone, you were in charge. You nodded, silently answering his question. With difficulty, you maneuvered the brothers away from each other. Sicheng pulled Jongin out into the hallway, Jaehyun pulled Jongdae into a room adjacent to the one you were in, and you kept Junmyeon inside of the room.

Once the other two were gone, all of the fight seemed to leave him. He crossed his arms, shaking his head.

“Don’t listen to him,” You said.

“Who?” He asked, giving you a sad smile, “My father or my brothers?”

You shrugged. “Whoever bothered you the most. Come, I’ll take you to your quarters.”

He agreed wordlessly, letting you pull him out of the room. Sicheng and Jongin were gone, hopefully in the other direction.

“I… would like to ask,” You said a few moments later, “Why did you say it?”

Junmyeon was silent, before sighing. “I’m… not quite sure. I think I just… wanted to make him angry. It was immature of me, I know.”

“Is it because of what he said about me?”

He said nothing, but his silence told you everything you needed to know

You looked at him. “Junmyeon…”

“I know, I know.” He shook his head. “I’m turning 24 soon. I’m grown. But all of this, it—it’s stressful. It’s bad enough that his ego takes up the entire space in the room… I don’t need him insulting the people I care about.”

With a soft tsk, you huffed. “I can take him reminding me of my ‘place’. People did it all the time when I was still an active member of the court.”

“Still,” He grumbled. “It’s humiliating. He did it in front of everyone to shame you.”

You didn’t tell him you didn’t disagree.

The two of you walked in silence for a few minutes. You tried to focus not stepping on the cracks in the stones beneath you to try and avoid telling him that he was right. There was no need to possibly fuel any drama between the King and the Crown Prince.

“Remember when we were younger?” You asked, voice quieter. “When everything didn’t seem as… set in stone?”

You thought of all of the times you chased each other with wooden swords through his mother’s garden, of running away from parties to look for rooms with enough couches for all of you to sleep on because Yixing was tired and he was too afraid to sleep alone and insisted all of you come with him. You were all so young, so naïve.

All of that was gone now.

He laughed softly, nodding. “I do. I definitely do. I… there are so many things I would have done differently, knowing now.”

“Like what?”

His smile grew sad, before glancing at you. “I would have… hugged my mother more. She used to nag, saying that once I got older I stopped hugging her or kissing her like I did when I was a boy. A-and she was right. I stopped because Father would… say things. You know how he is.”

You hummed. Junmyeon’s father was a good king. But he wasn’t a good father. He tried to keep up the appearances in front of the greater courts. But in smaller, more personal circles… He was less than inclined.

“I… I don’t think it’ll do you well to continue dwelling on what-ifs, my prince.”

“What-ifs are all I’ve been thinking about as of late, my lady.”

You swallowed at the title. You knew he was just poking fun at how you addressed him, but… the sound of him calling you his lady. You liked it, a little too much.

You smiled at him, hoping the heat of your cheeks wasn’t too evident in the dimly lit corridor.

“What other what-ifs have been plaguing you, then?”

“Do you remember when we snuck out to that tavern in Allunya?”

Your eyes widened. Yes, you remembered Allunya.

You and Junmyeon were 19. It was late summer. On a trip for some Allunyan duke’s wedding, the ten of you had snuck out of the keep and into a village tavern. You’d drank common ale for the first time, and you’d all danced until your feet cramped. It was one of the best nights of your life… and the same night you realized your feelings for Junmyeon.

“How could I forget? Baekhyun drank so much he threw up on the horse on the way back.”

Junmyeon threw his head back, letting out a laugh—a real laugh, not one that felt forced or fake entirely. “Well, it was his first time—I don’t blame him. But… that was some of the most fun I’ve ever had. I would have asked you all to do it more often if I’d known we wouldn’t get caught.”

“We were two day’s travel away from Boram’s Bay,” You countered, “I feel we would have gotten recognized if we did that here.”

“Maybe,” He said with a nod, “But I remember dancing with you and never wanting it to end.”

You froze for a second, before swallowing the lump in your throat.

“...Oh? Is that so?”

He laughed, shrugging. “For the first time ever, I’d never felt so free. I felt lighter than a feather. I—just for a moment, I had no… responsibilities. I didn’t know Minseok didn’t want to be king yet. Hell, I didn’t even feel like a prince at all. I felt like… well, like a boy, who was out having fun with his friends.”

The swirling in your stomach came to an abrupt stop. Of course that was why.

“Oh. Yes, I can imagine.”

His eyes were warm as he recalled the memory. You wondered how he’d have reacted that night if…

“Junmyeon.” Your voice was shaky, and not because of the staircase you were going up.

He raised his eyebrows. “Yes?”

“I—” You thought of the implications of it all. If he didn’t reciprocate, he’d treat you differently. You’d lose him even sooner than you were bracing for.

But if he did…

Then what? You had three months until the wedding. Mariana was likely already in Oceansforte, set to arrive in the morning. When you reached the top of the stairs, you gave him a tight-lipped smile.

“I just think… Tonight, you don’t feel that good. But by this time tomorrow, you’ll be with Mariana and I think you’ll feel a lot better. Don’t dwell on the past, my prince. The future will come before you know it, and… I think it’ll suit you.”

He was silent until you reached his door. “I… Thank you, Y/N. I don’t know where I would be if it weren’t for you.”

“You’d probably be in the infirmary,” You joked, “Jongdae packs a pretty punch.”

He chuckled, rolling his eyes. “I mean it. You’re the greatest friend I could ask for.”

You smiled, ignoring the small stab in your chest at the word friend. “You would do the same. Now, go get some rest. Your beloved will be here in a few hours.”

He grinned. “I intend to. I’m exhausted.”

You watched him enter his chambers, eyes warm. But your face fell the second he was gone, and you turned away without looking back.

That night, you dreamed of Allunya.

The music from the live band—which consisted of a fiddler, a drummer and two singers playing a mandolin and a fiddle respectively—was heartful and cheery, with just a touch of melancholy. They sang of winning battles with friends, spotting former lovers with their new lovers, and old lovers reuniting after years of being apart.

The ale was going to everyone’s head. Chanyeol and Baekhyun were play-fighting, Kyungsoo watching and drunkenly laughing as they did. Jongin was dozing off at the table. Everyone else was either drinking or dancing, but you and Junmyeon were dancing together.

You were drunk, so by no means were you two the most graceful couple dancing. But despite being so unaware of your surroundings and everything else going on around you, you seemed so fixated on Junmyeon’s face. He was laughing along with you as you got every step wrong and stepped on each other’s feet.

“Mother would be distraught if she—” He hiccupped, “—saw me now. All those years of ballroom dancing classes done away with a few pints…”

“I’d like to see her try to do the Allunyan Four-Step after three pints of ale, Myeonnie,” You slurred, “I d-don’t think it’d go too well for her—ah!”

You stepped back, slipping on something someone had spilled onto the floor. Your eyes clenched shut, hoping any bruises you’d get wouldn’t be visible to your parents. But a moment later, a hand caught your waist and another the back of your neck.

When he caught you, you were met face to face with him. Your lips parted. Under the warm lights of the tavern’s fireplace and lanterns, you could make out a bright shade of pink spread across his cheeks. The ale had clearly gotten to him. He looked so…

“Pretty,” You mumbled as he helped you stand.

“What?” He asked, “I didn’t hear you. ‘S too loud.”

“I said, ‘that scared me’,” You answered, a little too quickly.

He stepped even closer, gripping your waist. You swallowed at the proximity—your chests were touching now.

“I-I don’t think the Allunyan Four-Step is danced so close.”

He shook his head, eyes hooded. “I don’t care about the Allunyan Four-Step.”

You gasped when he led you through the crowd, dancing as if he hadn’t a care in the world. Your boots were sticky with spilled ale and other mystery substances spilled on the floor, and you had to lift your skirts with one hand to ensure they wouldn’t get dirtied or that you wouldn’t trip over them. Your free hand fastened itself around his neck for leverage, and the two of you went about skipping—stomping?—about the dance floor.

Some of the older couples stopped to watch and laugh, but not maliciously. You could tell they were happy to see two young persons, so cheerful and carefree and in love—

You stumbled again, but you caught your balance before anything could happen. In love? Where had that come from?

Junmyeon simply laughed, tossing his head back. Your face softened at his expression. He looked so… beautiful.

You dropped your skirts, reaching to cup Junmyeon’s cheek. He seemed a bit startled, but relaxed into your touch a few moments later. He grinned at you, and you matched his expression. Just a pair of young, drunken fools, laughing and dancing, holding each other tighter… faces leaning forward…

Your eyes fluttered shut. You almost felt alarmed at how right it felt. At this proximity, you could feel his breath fanning your cheek.

Until a split second later, when Chanyeol drunkenly yelled, loud enough for it to echo across the tavern, “That’s not true, you stump-sized bastard!”

You both jumped in each other’s grips, and when you opened your eyes, an alarmed gaze met yours.

“Time to go?” Suddenly, Junmyeon sounded a lot more sober.

“I think so,” You said without hesitating. A moment later, Baekhyun slurred, “I’m just—calling it as I see it!”

He tugged you toward the table by the hand. You ripped your hand out of his. Not just to hold Baekhyun back from Chanyeol. Suddenly, your hand felt like it was on fire.

You jolted awake in your bed. Swallowing dryly, your eyes fluttered shut again. Your hand came up to your forehead, rubbing away the cold sweat that had accumulated while you slept.

“Fuck,” You croaked.

As the envoy of three carriages and three wagons rolled up to the main entrance of the castle, you stood at attention. Parallel to you stood Minseok, who was eyeing the rest of his family nervously. You weren’t sure what had happened in the hours after you left. All you knew was that Jongin seemed to have calmed down, now eyeing Junmyeon, Jongdae and his father nervously.

There was no time for the dramatics—now was the time to concentrate on the task at hand. One of the carriages opened, a guard stepping out and announcing the Aviluxian royal family and their company.

From the first carriage emerged King Adriano. When the other two opened, Sebastian and another young man emerged from one, and Mariana and three young women emerged from another.

The servants took to unloading the carriage, and the Aviluxian guests walked up the castle steps to meet the royal family. They greeted each other with bows and curtsies, King Adriano and King Ilseong embracing briefly.

“Adriano, welcome back.”

“A pleasure to return,” The King said, “I bring more company.”

“Yes, I see,” King Ilseong answered, “Come, enter, let’s force the pleasantries out of the heat.”

Prince Sebastian laughed softly. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, this is nothing in comparison to summer in the Aviluxian desert.”

He nodded, “Yes, I suppose you’re correct. Still, you’ve traveled far, I assume you’re all tired.”

Your group of guards escorted the large group inside. Mariana turned her head to look at the guards, and when she saw you, she grinned in greeting. You acknowledged her with a small smile and quick nod of the head.

Once the gates were shut, she could no longer contain herself. She practically threw herself at Junmyeon with a quaint laugh, who embraced her with a face that looked like he was in heaven.

“I’ve missed you,” She said.

Junmyeon pulled away. “As h-have I.”

“You’ve grown so fond of each other,” King Adriano said, “It warms the heart.”

The two nodded, but said nothing further. You took a deep breath—this is going to be a long, long week.

“I was saying.” King Adriano turned back to King Ilseong. “You remember Mariana and Sebastian. This is my nephew, Cesar. He is second-in-line for the throne after Sebastian.”

Sebastian looked proud at the statement, but Cesar’s face remained passive. “The greatest honor, King Ilseong,” Cesar murmured, bowing again.

“The pleasure is mine,” King Ilseong replied. “Is it your first time in Oceansforte?”

“No, Your Majesty. I’ve been once before but as a boy, to visit a friend of my mother’s on Magpie Island.”

“Magpie Island, yes. A lovely place.”

Prince Cesar nodded in agreement, and then King Adriano introduced Mariana’s ladies-in-waiting and closest friends, Montserrat of the House Cipriano, Isadora of the House Leon and Lisette of the House Peralta. They spoke less, seeming to be the most timid of the Aviluxians.

They were all served lunch, you watching from behind them as you stood guard. Your lower back was beginning to ache from standing up straight for so long. You were forced to watch Junmyeon and Mariana’s every interaction from feet away, and it killed you. They sat next to each other at lunch. Every now and then, one of them would lean over and whisper to each other, then laugh quietly to themselves as if it were the funniest thing in the world.

And oh, how you burned. How you ached to push yourself between the two and demand they let you in on their little jokes. It felt like a stab to the heart every single time.

You forced yourself to focus on the servants instead, and the Aviluxian guards the family had brought along with them.

When that was done, you were dismissed to allow for them to discuss entrances in the ballroom for the celebration tomorrow night.

Minseok caught up to you as you exited the room. He nudged you gently with his shoulder.

“How have you been?”

“As alright as one can be,” You answered. He started to open his mouth and you held up a finger. “I don’t want to talk about it, Min. There are more important things than whatever I have going on in my personal life to think about.”

“Alright,” He conceded. “I won’t say anything.”

“Thank you. Now, who’s coming today?”

“The usual rascals,” Minseok said. “I think everyone wants to meet the only girl that makes Jun nervous.”

You chuckled. “No one’s ever rattled him quite like she does,” You agreed. “The great Prince Junmyeon of House Kim, stuttering because of a girl.”

The two of you waited at the steps of the main entrance, waiting in the meantime.

“You know more than I do,” You murmured, “What happened after the fight last night?”

“I know Jongin and Jun made up,” Minseok answered, crossing his arms. “I doubt anything of the sort happened between the rest of them. Father is… well. You know how he is.”

You nodded, face burning. His words from last night still felt like scratches on your skin.

“Jongdae is just as proud as father is. Junmyeon definitely doesn’t want to bend with either of them. Jongin is more forgiving, at least. More willing to compromise for the sake of the family.”

“And you?” You raised an eyebrow. “I know you were angry last night.”

“You’re my best friend and my second in command. Hearing Father treat you that way made me see red, and reminded me of another reason why I didn’t want to be king. It goes to your head if you’re not the right person. Father was the right person to be king, yes, but not the right person to… be anything else, I suppose. It’s gone to his head and he thinks himself better than anyone in the nation. And because he is king, there’s not much we can do to convince him otherwise.”

You nodded, but didn’t answer. Minseok frowned. “I think you’re the person who’s shown the least amount of emotion regarding the whole thing, even though he was cruel to you. How are you?”

A deep breath left your chest. “I… Sometimes I think I’m used to it. The whispers, the fact that some people think that my House isn’t ever going to actually be Validated. And most of the time I am. But when it’s said to my face like that, and by the king, no less…”

You bit your lip, blinking a few times and trying to ignore the sudden burning in your eyes. With a huff, you faced away from Minseok.

“It hurts. I hate to admit it, but I—it makes me feel so small.”

“You can cry if you want,” He said softly, “I’m not gonna judge you for it.”

You shook your head. “No,” You insisted, voice watery, “I don’t want to.”

Minseok sighed. “Y/N—”

“Please don’t.” You wiped your eyes, leaning against the wall. “I’ll be fine.”

He said nothing, but looked upset at your denial of him. A few moments later, the gates opened, and a carriage rolled past it.

When Baekhyun exited, he strolled towards you both with a grin. It faded when he saw your expressions.

“What’d I do?” He asked with a pout, “I haven’t even said anything yet.”

“Nothing, my friend.” Minseok forced a smile onto his face. “Y/N just has an issue with her emotions.”

Baekhyun furrowed his eyebrows. “Is this about Junmyeon again? Gods, woman, I don’t know why you don’t just—”

“Keep your voice down!” You hissed, “Do you want the whole kingdom to know!?”

“Oh, they already do,” Chanyeol said, popping his head out of the carriage. “Junmyeon’s the only idiot who doesn’t.”

You scowled. “All of you vex me so,” You grumbled, “You idiots.”

“What brings the two of you together?”

“I invited Chanyeol for lunch to have a… conversation about some choices he’s been making,” Baekhyun mumbled.

“Do—not—tell them.” Chanyeol made his way to your little trio, staring Baekhyun down.

“Is this about the Allunyan duchess you’re bedding? The married one?” Minseok asked, picking at some dirt underneath his fingernail. He sounded very uninterested in the whole thing.

Your jaw dropped open. “You’re sleeping with a married duchess?”

Chanyeol looked at Minseok as if he was planning on stomping on him. His ears were a bright red. “How did you know?”

Minseok rolled his eyes, before lowering his voice to mimic Chanyeol’s, “The whole kingdom already knows.”

“Not me,” You mumbled, confused at the whole situation. Evidently in your time away from court, it had been very eventful.

“Nor does her husband,” Baekhyun said, as if it were any consolation, “Just… most of the court.”

“Why?” You asked Chanyeol, still in disbelief, “Chanyeol, of all the women to stick your c—”

“It’s complicated,” He insisted, before grumbling, “Her husband’s an ass.”

Another carriage entered the gate, and Chanyeol held up his hand. “Not a word of this to anyone else. Understood?”

“I suppose,” Minseok answered, “Doubt they don’t already know.”

Chanyeol huffed, but said nothing.

As this carriage rolled up to the steps, another entered as well, which was followed by a third. Out came Yixing, Sehun and Kyungsoo, respectively.

When the three of them greeted the group, Yixing looked around all of you. “Everyone looks like they swallowed a lemon.”

“Chanyeol’s just told us all a terrible joke,” You said, glaring at him, “Not funny in the slightest.”

Sehun raised an eyebrow. “Is it the one about the Allunyan du—“

“Oh Sehun.” Chanyeol looked just about ready to strangle him. “Not another word out of you.”

“Gods, you’re right,” Kyungsoo groaned, rolling his eyes, “He’s not funny at all.”

Chanyeol looked as if he wanted to burst into flames then and there, but you all chose to ignore it. You and Minseok led the men to the courtyard, where you’d all agreed to wait for the members of the Royal Families until they were done.

Baekhyun strode next to you as you did, and he offered a sympathetic smile. “You should tell him.”

“I should not tell him,” You said, side-eyeing him, “Not when he’s getting married.”

“You’re thinking of this all wrong.” He shook his head. “You’re thinking that if you tell him he’ll be forced to reject you or accept you—which realistically, isn’t going to happen. Not because he doesn’t like you, but… You know. Because he’s getting married and the law wouldn’t allow you two to be together anyway.”

You gave a deadpan stare. “Thank you Baekhyun. You are so helpful.”

“I don’t mean it like that. I’m willing to bet my money that Jun does love you. But because of the circumstances he can’t give you what you want. Listen, what I’m trying to say is don’t tell him with the intention of giving him your love. Tell him with the intention of letting go of it.”

When you didn’t answer, he took that as his cue to continue. His eyes turned overly wistful, and he put a hand on his chest. Ever the thespian, he began to speak in a bad impression of your voice.

“Junmyeon, I care for you more than a knight should care for the prince she’s been assigned, and more than a best friend should care for their best friend. I’m not expecting anything—you’re engaged, and it wouldn’t be allowed anyway. I simply need to get it off my chest, so that I can heal faster.”

Ignoring his theatrics, you mulled over his words. Did you really even want to heal? You loved Junmyeon and you loved loving him, it was what kept you so dedicated to him. And you weren’t sure what you would do with his rejection, which was inevitable.

“I… I’ll think about it. It doesn’t sound like such a terrible idea.”

You all sat at the long table you’d sat at the last time—when you’d snapped at Junmyeon. That seemed to have been forgotten as you all sat. Minseok leaned against the table, crossing his arms.

“This is a foreign royal family. Not just Princess Mariana, your future queen, and not just Prince Sebastian, the future king of an allied nation—”

“The jackass?” Kyungsoo asked.

“The jackass,” You confirmed.

“—I’d better not hear that word once he’s around,” Minseok snapped, sending both of you a stern glance, “This is also their cousin Prince Cesar and Mariana’s ladies-in-waiting. Those four have nothing to do with any slights we might have against the two. We’re all adults here. We’ve all been brought up properly, no? Please just play nice. Mariana and her ladies will be apart of our circle and the royal court from here on out. Please be welcoming.”

Nodding, you looked around the circle. You sighed upon seeing everyone staring at you, waiting for a response. “Everyone here… knows about how I feel. Do not hold that against her. It is my problem alone and not anyone else’s. She is kind and treats Junmyeon well. I do not want her feeling unwelcome here.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“We wouldn’t dream of it.” Sehun patted your back.

“Well, we did dream of it, but now that you’ve asked us not to, we will not,” Baekhyun said, beaming proudly.

“You’re terrible,” You mumbled, laughing.

“What makes them so terrible now?”

Everyone turned their attention to see Junmyeon arriving with his brothers and the younger members of the Aviluxian envoy. He had his arm around Mariana’s waist.

“Nothing in particular,” You said, standing out of respect, “I just asked them not to embarrass me in front of our guests.”

Your friends around the table stood, offering bows and respect to the newcomers. They offered their seats, opting to stand around the guests. When you stood next to Baekhyun, you noted his shocked face. His eyes were wide, lips parted in awe. You followed his gaze, eyes landing on Montserrat, who was speaking quietly to Mariana, Caterina and Lisette.

Apparently all Oceansforte men look at Aviluxian women like that, you thought, remembering how similar Junmyeon’s face looked to Baekhyun’s. You had to stop yourself from rolling your eyes. Instead, you rolled your shoulders back and stood up straight.

“Esteemed guests,” You began, smiling, “Today, apart from the brothers of House Kim, my friends and I join you. We are all close friends of the princes and the Royal Family. For those of you who have not met me, my name is Lady Y/N, of House L/N. I am Prince Minseok’s second in command for the Royal Guard, and Prince Junmyeon’s personal knight. It is an honor.”

After a bow, you went around introducing your friends. Each one of them offered the same pleasantries: a brief greeting and a bow. When Baekhyun gave his, he kept his eyes trained on Montserrat the entire time. And when she met his eyes, she bloomed a shade of red and looked down to her lap.

When you were all done, Sebastian leaned back in his seat—the one you’d just been sitting in. He smiled smugly, before looking at his sister.

“So, Junmyeon, you’ve invited us to spend the afternoon with your friends. Shall we be partaking in any activities?”

“Oh, I hadn’t had time to actually consider what we’d be doing,” Junmyeon admitted, “I left that mostly to them.”

Kyungsoo raised a finger, smiling at the guests. “Jongin and I were thinking of what to do a few days ago, actually. He made a wonderful suggestion. Since we’re in such a large group, we thought that playing Boram’s Triad would take up the entire afternoon and show the guests a side of our customs.”

You grinned at the idea, and saw Chanyeol and Minseok nodding in approval.

Mariana nodded. “I think we’d love to learn. How do you play—what did you say it was called?”

“It’s called Boram’s Triad. Most people call it S.W.S—Skill-Wits-Strength,” Jongin said.

“Skill-wits-strength?” Cesar asked.

“It’s a set of three games that’s played by eight different teams,” Kyungsoo explained, “The first round eliminates four teams, the second two, and the final round determines the winner. It’s always the same three games in the same order. Archery, to test skill, chess, to test wit, and finally, a sword fight, to test strength. Whichever team wins all three wins the Triad.”

“Isn’t it usually played in teams of three? Each person in the team participates in a different activity?” Junmyeon asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kyungsoo shrugged. “We figured it would be better to play in pairs for the first round and then choose who would play each round better.”

Cesar grinned, nodding. “It sounds like good fun,” He said. “Shall we team up now?”

Jongin nodded. “It’s customary for guests to choose first. Please, choose whomever you’d like.”

Immediately, Mariana stood. She looked excited, which you found endearing. “Junmyeon?”

The prince grinned in agreement. You tried to ignore the clenching in your chest as she strode towards him.

“Well, sister,” Sebastian said, standing from his chair, “All well and good for choosing your beloved, but if you wish to win you must choose strategically. Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol’s head snapped into his direction. He seemed caught off guard, almost surprised that the prince was addressing him. You did your best to resist cackling at his wide eyes.

“Yes?” He asked, voice teetering on uneasiness.

“I’ll play with you. We both seem to be strong, smart men—“

“Strong, maybe,” Baekhyun mumbled next to you, “Smart, I could tell you otherwise.”

You didn’t know what would’ve happened if Chanyeol or Sebastian had heard him, but thankfully that didn’t happen. Instead, Sebastian continued to speak.

“—So I hope we shall win together.”

Chanyeol hesitated. He glanced at Minseok, who raised an eyebrow in a manner that could only be described as threatening. Less than a second later, Chanyeol had put on the fakest smile you’d ever seen him wear, walking towards Sebastian.

“Of course, your royal highness. It’s an honor.”

Cesar opened his mouth, but Montserrat beat him to it. She pointed at—

“Baekhun, that was your name, yes?”

“Baekhyun,” He said gently, “Me, my lady?”

Montserrat nodded happily. “Yes, please.”

He grinned, and the two stood to the side, speaking in hushed tones to each other.

Lisette and Isadora exchanged glances, and Lisette chose first. Her eyes landed on Kyungsoo, who seemed indifferent—but you knew he probably would have preferred to be with Jongin. Isadora chose Yixing. Ever the gentleman, Yixing gave a bow when he was chosen and expressed how flattered he was.

Cesar was the last to choose. He was silent for a moment, but you didn’t have to think too hard on who he’d choose. Not if he was anything like Sebastian, at least.

His eyes landed on Minseok, and you resisted frowning. You would have loved to be able to choose Minseok, but then—

“Lady Y/N?”

All heads snapped in his direction. You blinked.

“Your highness?”

“Mariana has spoken well of you. You seem pragmatic and capable, may I please join you?”

“Why listen to Mariana?” Sebastian scoffed, “Oh, cousin, you should know by now—“

“I’d rather listen to Mariana than to you, cousin.” The fake smile on Cesar’s face did little to hide the disdain for his cousin, and you slapped yourself mentally for holding prejudice against him. Sebastian’s jaw dropped open, as if no one had ever spoken to him like that before. Given that he was the heir to the throne, that was likely true.

Cesar turned back to you, paying Sebastian’s gaping mouth no mind. “If you wish to choose someone else, my lady, I’d take no offense—“

“No,” You insisted, “Not at all. Please, I’d be honored.”

Cesar’s shoulders relaxed, and you heard Sebastian scoff as you stood next to his cousin.

The rest of the selections went by with a breeze. Sehun chose Jongin and Minseok and Jongdae were left with each other.

Jongin was nice enough to ask the servants to prepare a set of four targets, plus bows and arrows for each pair. The targets had ten circles, each circle representing a set of points. They were set up in the field between the castle and the castle’s private beach, where you and your friends would chase each other when you were all children.

“So the way we’ve planned it is every two teams get a target, each team gets four shots total—in turns of two,” Kyungsoo explained once you’d left the courtyard and were in front of the arrows.

“How will we decide turns and who plays against who?” Sehun asked.

“I wrote everyone’s teams down on the way here,” Jongin said, “I’ll just draw them from a cup.”

First up, were Minseok and Jongdae against Yixing and Isadora. Minseok and Jongdae made a formidable pair—Jongdae was fairly skilled, and while Minseok as captain of the Royal Guard was more skilled at close combat, he was decent enough when it came to archery. In the first round, Jongdae scored an 8 and Minseok a 7. In the next one, Jongdae scored a 9, much to Minseok’s delight.

“That’s it!” He said, slapping his younger brother on the back. You laughed from where you were watching, clapping for the loudest prince.

“I take it you and Minseok are close?” Cesar asked curiously.

“I’m his second-in-command, and I’ve been friends with the princes since I was a girl. He’s a good friend.” You nodded, watching Minseok take up the bow. This time, he had a little less luck. He scored a 6—their total added up to 30. He pursed his lips, evidently slightly disappointed.

You cupped your hands around your mouth, so that you’d be heard over the wind and the small distance. “Don’t fret, Min. It was a good shot, it’s just a bit windy.”

He shrugged you off. “It’s fine.”

Next up were Yixing and Isadora. The two of them were evidently a bit awkward around each other, and the minute she picked up the bow, you knew she’d likely never picked one up before. As you watched curiously, Yixing gave her a brief explanation on how to use it, and she was able to score a 3.

You nodded in approval. Without much experience plus the slight wind, it was impressive.

“Is it common for women in Oceansforte to train with weapons like you, Lady Y/N?” Cesar spoke again, leaning towards you. “Please forgive me if I’m intruding. I don’t mean to pry.”

“Not at all, your highness. I’d say it’s a bit more common now, but it wasn’t very commonplace when my father started training me. And please, just Y/N is fine.”

“Likewise—please just call me Cesar. How old were you?”

You thought for a moment, clapping gently when Yixing scored a 5. “I was about 8. When he wasn’t looking after the king and I wasn’t in class or off with my friends, he was teaching me the basics of close combat and the honor code of the Royal Guard.”

“That’s quite admirable,” He said with a nod, “I take it Mariana has told you of our customs back home in Avilux?”

You bristled. “Yes, but I ask that you respect my country’s customs if we do disagree—”

“Disagree? Nonsense. I think it’s perfectly sensible for everyone to at least have a slight idea how to defend themselves.”

You smiled. “There’s a bit more to it than simply self-defense.”

“What do you mean?”

You thought of the looks you got at court when it was announced you’d be joining the Royal Guard, the judging stares, the probing questions. “Plenty of things that frankly, I’m not looking to debate at the moment. Too much of a migraine. If you wish to read on it yourself, there’s a lovely book in the castle library that—”

“Oh! Isadora, do be careful,” Sebastian exclaimed as Isadora misfired, her arrow landing in the grass just below the target, “You’ll take someone’s eye out.”

She said nothing, staring at him expressionlessly. And despite not knowing her at all, you could just tell on the inside she was fuming.

Call it women’s intuition.

Yixing scored a 5, making their score a total of 13. Still, they took it with ease. “I don’t think either of us wanted to sword fight anyway,” He said softly. Isadora laughed, nodding.

“Quite true, my lord.”

The next time Jongin drew names, Baekhyun and Montserrat were placed against Junmyeon and Mariana. It was very apparent that both pairings enjoyed their respective pairs quite well.

Montserrat raised her bow, but instead pointed one of the tips of it towards Mariana, who raised an amused eyebrow.

“With all due respect, your highnesses,” Montserrat said, scrunching her eyes shut in a dramatic manner, “Baekhyun and I are simply much too skilled for either of you to best us.”

“Watch how it’s done, princey.” Baekhyun grinned cheekily at the prince, and suddenly you understood why they liked each other so much.

“I won’t watch then,” Junmyeon said teasingly, “Because whatever you do, I’ll do it better.”

You bit back a laugh. Junmyeon was loads better than Baekhyun had ever been at archery.

“He’s so obnoxious,” You mumbled, softly.

“She’s a menace,” Cesar said at the same time. You both met eyes, before laughing softly together.

You liked Cesar, you decided. He wasn’t rude, nor was he overbearing in order to gain your approval. Plus, he’d told Sebastian off earlier, which had Junmyeon and everyone else here beat in that category so far.

Montserrat fumbled with the bow, which caused Mariana to laugh quietly.

“Your mind games will not work on me this time, my princess,” Montserrat hummed happily. You blinked.

“Mind games?” You asked quietly, glancing at your partner.

Cesar tsked. “Oh, Aviluxian women—especially at court—are exceptionally good at getting into your head. I suspect it has something to do with the fact that being expected to simply sit still and look pretty grows rather boring eventually. My cousin is quite good at it,” He murmured. You raised an eyebrow as he lowered his voice.

“...Sometimes, you don’t even realize she’s there.”

When Montserrat let the arrow fly, you all watched it fly into the 1-point circle. Still, her and Baekhyun squealed as if they’d just struck gold. It was amusing to watch, but it did little to dissuade the sudden uneasiness in your stomach.

A minute later when Baekhyun fired his first shot, his arrow embedded itself into the 7-point circle. He nodded approvingly.

Montserrat, again with Baekhyun’s help, lifted her bow and aimed towards the arrow, arm shaking slightly with exertion. She took a deep breath, and Baekhyun leaned in to whisper something into her ear. She glanced at him, smiled, and the next thing you knew, the arrow landed in the 3-point circle.

They both celebrated accordingly, making you smile. As much as Baekhyun—and by extension, the rest of your friends—could get on your nerves, you really did care about them. Seeing him happy made you happy, even more so when he was playing up his antics.

Baekhyun scored a 9 this time, causing him to flex his muscles, despite them being covered by his several layers of linen. When you looked around the group, you saw your friends laughing at his dramatics. Mariana and her other ladies-in-waiting seemed amused, but Sebastian looked to be rather unamused by the display.

Their final number of points was 19. Neither of them really seemed to care.

“At the end of the day,” Montserrat said happily, “I’m content to just learn new customs and meet the members of Mariana’s future court. All good fun.”

“I’m glad you feel that way, Montserrat,” Mariana answered as she and Junmyeon stepped up to their spot, “But as much as you love fun, I love to win.”

Everyone chuckled. You thought back to what Cesar said, wondering how much of it was true.

He’s second-in-line for the throne, you thought, probably just resentful that his cousins are more likely to rule nations than he is.

Junmyeon was up first, and my, what an impressive archer he was. He rolled his head on his neck, before holding his bow up in a way that showed: he knew what he was doing. From his stance, to his steady breathing, to the unadulterated confidence rolling off of him in that moment. He nocked an arrow against the bow, and aimed, before letting go.

You watched as the arrow, almost effortlessly, landed in the center of the target. A seemingly perfect bullseye—the first 10 of the game. A stunned silence engulfed the Aviluxians for a brief moment, while the rest of you erupted into applause. To your small circle, it was nothing new. A second later, your guests joined you in applause.

“Perfect as always, Jun!” Yixing spoke loudly over the wind. “I’m glad Isadora and I weren’t up against you, it would have made our loss look even worse. Good thing it was just Jongdae and Minseok.”

“Hey!” Jongdae’s head snapped to glare at Yixing, but Yixing paid him no mind.

Junmyeon shook his head, laughing as he did so.

He handed the bow off to Mariana. When he approached her to help her into her stance, she shook her head. “I think I know how to do it, I want to try on my own.”

“Are you sure?” Junmyeon asked, to which Mariana nodded.

She straightened her posture, grabbing an arrow before nocking it into the bow. She furrowed her brows in concentration, and you leaned your head forward to watch in concentration. While you weren’t the best, you knew the basics. Just from simple observation, Mariana seemed to have learned them all. Her stance was right, she was holding the bow correctly.

And when the arrow landed in the 7-point ring, dangerously close to the border of the 8-point, you realized she might have learned even more than the basics.

Your eyebrows shot up in surprise. She seemed equally as stunned, but proud nonetheless. When she turned to Junmyeon, he was beaming. The group erupted into applause.

“Lovely, milady!” Isadora exclaimed.

“You’re a natural, princess,” Montserrat said.

Your eyes spared Sebastian a glance. He was applauding, but he seemed disinterested. He was probably thinking something along the lines of beginner’s luck.

Junmyeon took his turn again, and to no one’s surprise, he shot a 9. Everyone applauded politely, but you’d be lying if you didn’t acknowledge the slight disappointment in your prince’s eyes.

When Mariana took the bow from his hands, she took her stance again. Cesar seemed to share your curiosity.

“Now we find out,” He murmured in a deep raspy tone, leaning closer towards you, “Is she a natural, or is she just lucky?”

You raised an eyebrow, glancing at him. This was the first time you actually took his appearance in. He was about the same height as Junmyeon. His dark hair was on the longer side. He had a complexion similar to that of his cousins, but his eyes were a piercing hazel green. And unlike Sebastian, who kept a closely shaven face, Cesar sported well-maintained stubble.

Suddenly, he felt too close, and you took a step back with an uneasy chuckle. “Your cousin is smart,” You said, voice resolute. “I don’t doubt her talents.”

Your eyes shifted back to the couple, and you stiffened when you realized Junmyeon had been carefully studying your interaction. You locked eyes with him, expression unreadable.

A second later, when the arrow landed, it scored Mariana an 8. Junmyeon’s eyes snapped to his betrothed, and he plastered a smile onto his face as she grew excited.

Your shoulders relaxed. “The princess is a natural,” You mused, smiling nonchalantly at Cesar, “I expected nothing less.”

Together, the pair had 34 points, easily leaving Baekhyun and Montserrat in the dust. This meant that they’d advance onto the next round, and that left four more teams to compete.

The next names that Jongin drew were Chanyeol and Sebastian, up against Kyungsoo and Lisette. Mariana and Junmyeon made their way next to you. Montserrat and Baekhyun stood further behind, murmuring excitedly to each other about anything and everything.

Kyungsoo and Lisette’s turn was slightly embarrassing to watch. While it was evident that none of the Aviluxian ladies had ever handled weaponry, Lisette was much more anxious about the idea of handling sharp objects, which made you want to look away from the interaction as Kyungsoo, who was by no means the warmest person ever, did his best to reassure her.

“Cesar,” Mariana murmured, leaning her head past Junmyeon, “Can I speak to you?”

The prince blinked, before nodding and standing next to his cousin. You nudged Junmyeon. “She was amazing,” You said quietly with a smile. He grinned.

“A total natural. Even I was shocked.”

There was a quick lull in your conversation as Lisette shot, her arrow landing not even halfway to the target. She didn’t seem to be enjoying herself at all, practically tossing it to Kyungsoo as if it were burning her.

Kyungsoo sighed, before looking at Lisette and saying something too quiet for anyone else to hear. He turned to Jongin after she answered.

“I’ll be shooting for her ladyship,” He declared. No one seemed to protest.

Until he fired once—ten points. Twice—ten points.

Sebastian raised a hand, “I don’t think this is completely fair—”

“Sebastian, be quiet!” Mariana hissed.

“Just let him do it,” Chanyeol groaned, causing Sebastian to glare.

Kyungsoo let the arrow fly a third time, and to no one’s surprise, he landed the arrow into the already crowded bullseye a final time. 30 total. The group was left in stunned silence, but it was moreso the Aviluxians.

He turned to Lisette with a smug smile. “I do hope you’re good at chess. I don’t think you’d be the best in a sword fight.”

Lisette, who evidently hadn’t been expecting Kyungsoo to be so good, was silent. A moment later, her mouth fell open, before beginning to laugh.

“I-I am not the best,” She said eventually, “But I will do what I can.”

And when the pair stepped to the side, the two whose turn it was meant to be were left. One looked incredibly bored, the other was red in the face.

“Would you like to take the first shot, your highness?” Chanyeol asked, sounding ready to end it all.

“I…” Sebastian bit back a scoff. But after a moment, his glare faded and was replaced with his signature smirk. “Yes. Of course.”

The prince immediately rolled his shoulders back before taking his position. From the get-go, it was evident that the prince had been trained well. He seemed even more confident than Junmyeon, but that didn’t surprise you one bit.

He kept his eyes trained on the target, furrowing his eyebrows in focus. His fingers tightened around the bow, before…

thwap!

A perfect 10. If his head weren’t so far up his ass, you’d have commended him. But since it was, your compliment would have been muffled and he probably wouldn’t have heard you at all.

Still, his expression grew even more smug. “That is how that’s done.”

He traded off with Chanyeol, who took his stance calmly. Nothing to prove and his desire for competition seemed rather dim, which was strange for Chanyeol. You wondered if he thought Sebastian was bad enough. He probably did.

Chanyeol lifted his bow towards the target, and you watched him take a deep breath, correcting his posture. The initial discomfort in his stance and gaze cleared into an expression of focus, stretching the hand holding the arrow, pulling the arrow taut, until…

“Ah-choo!”

The loudest, fakest sneeze you’d ever heard Sehun sneeze seemed to echo across the open field, causing Chanyeol to gasp in surprise, body jolting. He let the arrow fly—although probably not on purpose—and it landed dangerously close to the 5-point circle, but still in the 6-point range.

Next to you, Junmyeon stiffened, and you pursed your lips, but it was futile. Both of you erupted into giggles. You hid your laughter by hiding your face behind Junmyeon’s shoulder, and he leaned closer to you to do something similar.

Chanyeol’s eyes grew wide, and he turned to Sehun. “You little—”

“What?” Sehun asked, trying and failing to hold back a grin, “It’s allergy season. Do forgive me, Lord Park.”

Chanyeol sighed, and briefly looked as if he was considering murder. Both you and Junmyeon took deep breaths, trying to hold back another round of laughter. But before he could say anything, Sebastian broke out into raucous laughter.

“Sehun, my friend,” He said, causing Sehun’s smug grin to fade, “You are too funny for your own good. You’ll make Chanyeol’s head explode, I fear.”

Sebastian took the arrow, and managed to score another ten—his smug grin was just as unbearable at the death glare Chanyeol was giving Sehun. A few moments later Chanyeol scored a 9, but not before mouthing something in Sehun’s direction. You couldn’t make out exactly what he’d said, but it was safe to assume that it was something vulgar, because Sehun rolled his eyes mockingly.

With totals of 35 against 30, Sebastian and Chanyeol advanced onto the next round.

That left Sehun and Jongin, against you and Cesar.

Jongin and Sehun went first, for which you were grateful. As much as you loved the two youngest of the group, they could be a bit of a bumbling pair—which was exactly what you needed to calm your nerves before your turn.

“Nervous?” Junmyeon asked, sensing your anxiousness. You shrugged.

“I’ve never been the best at archery,” You mumbled, “You know that very well.”

“I do.” He nodded, watching Sehun splutter as he missed his first shot, arrow lodging itself several feet behind the target.

Behind him, Chanyeol roared with laughter. Kyungsoo sidestepped him to avoid being his during his flailing laugh. Sebastian didn’t, jumping in alarm when the taller man slapped his shoulder. He looked at your friend as if he had gone mad.

“Do you want tips so you don’t end up like that?” Junmyeon asked, and you nodded urgently.

“Yes, please.” You watched as Jongin aimed, fired, and scored a 5. “I’ll probably end up more like that, but as long as I’m not making a fool of myself like Sehun.”

Junmyeon hummed in response. “Alright. What I’d recommend—”

“Junmyeon, my darling,” Mariana called. Junmyeon whipped his head in her direction. She and Cesar were walking back towards you.

“Yes, my angel?” He asked once she was by his side, and you let out a quiet sigh at how quickly she had his attention. As she pulled him slowly away from you, Sehun scored a 4, much to Chanyeol’s amusement.

“How are you at chess?” She asked, and Junmyeon shrugged.

“I’m not the best. I was going to suggest that you play.”

Cesar’s arm brushed against yours, and you turned your head in his direction. “Are you ready?”

You sighed gently. “I mean—”

Thwap! Your heads snapped in the direction of the target. You felt your hands suddenly grow clammy when you saw it embedded in the 7-point mark.

It’s not that you were afraid you wouldn’t beat Sehun and Jongin. Cesar seemed calm enough, which gave you the impression he was better than both of them. You were mostly just nervous about making yourself look bad. If you looked bad, maybe they’d think you weren’t worthy. Maybe you’d be cast aside, and then what?

“Lady Y/N,” Cesar said, snapping you out of your thoughts. Your eyes widened at the realization that Sehun was holding the bow in your direction. There were several eyes on you. Sehun looked like he was gearing up to snap his fingers in your face just to be annoying.

“My apologies.” You smiled nervously, shaking your head. “I was thinking about something I needed to talk to Minseok about later.”

Minseok raised an eyebrow, and in that moment you remembered the man you’d seen last night. In the spur of the moment, you’d pulled that out of your ass. But you were right. Even if it was nothing, you wanted to at least let him know you’d seen something strange.

“I’ll speak to you later. It can wait.”

Cesar took the bow from Sehun, and you watched him take his stance. He puffed his chest out, stretching his shoulders. Pulling an arrow out from the quiver, he took a different stance from the rest of those that had stood before him. He stood with his back facing away from you as he nocked the arrow.

“You’re left handed?” You asked.

Cesar glanced at you for a moment, before giving a single nod. “Yes, milady. My father tried to have it corrected, my mother insisted I be left alone.”

He didn’t seem bothered by your interruption, and a second later he let the arrow fly. You stood in shocked silence as it landed perfectly at 10. When he handed you the bow, you felt a bead of sweat forming on your forehead.

“Oh, your highness, how am I supposed to follow that?” You chuckled nervously.

He shook his head. “Oh, you’ll be fine.”

You gripped the bow the best way you remembered, and put an arrow into the groove of the wood. Clearing your throat, you did your best to stand the way you knew. Your hand was definitely sweatier than it should have been. You were breathing through your mouth—gods, why did you have to think about breathing? Now you were thinking about breathing instead of the proper way to pull the string back. How many fingers? Were you supporting it right?

In your peripheral vision, you saw Mariana whisper something to Junmyeon, lifting her hand to cover his ear. Junmyeon bit back a smile, but did exhale through his nostrils and look down.

They’re talking about you, you know, a little voice said in your mind.

It couldn’t be true. You knew Junmyeon would never laugh at you, never allow anyone to disrespect you so blatantly… right? Right? Your hand trembled, and the arrow flew. You frowned watching it land in the 3-point circle. 13 points so far, in comparison to Sehun and Jongin’s 20. With Cesar’s help, you would easily pass them. But it wasn’t about that.

Your heart sank, and you sighed. Behind you, a deep voice laughed.

“Prince Junmyeon,” Sebastian gasped between laughter, “You let that defend you!?”

“It’s the wind,” You muttered, too quiet for anyone to hear.

“Oh, come on, now, cousin,” Cesar said as you handed him the bow. “Don’t be that way.”

You looked down, ashamed. Rubbing your palms against your pants to dry them, Sebastian began to speak again before he was interrupted by Junmyeon.

“With all due respect, your royal highness, I must agree. Lady Y/N is my friend. I would appreciate it if you did not treat her so callously.”

Your head snapped up to look at Junmyeon, who flashed you a sympathetic smile. Mariana nodded furiously in agreement. “Quite right, Junmyeon. Sebastian, it would do our family well if you did not treat my future husband’s closest guard and friend the way you do.”

Sebastian scoffed, but said nothing further.

“And besides, Sebastian.” Cesar drew the bowstring back. “Just because you are the better archer, absolutely does not mean…”

He let the arrow fly, once more landing in the 10-point circle. Cesar smiled, before turning to his cousin. “...That her ladyship will not best you when you duel later.”

Cesar handed you the bow. “Would you like help?”

You offered a small smile. “A few tips would be nice, Cesar. Thank you.”

He watched you stand, and handed you an arrow. A few moments later, he stepped behind you. You took a deep breath. Mariana and Junmyeon weren’t talking about you, you thought, now that you were calmer, otherwise they would have laughed with Sebastian. You can do this. No one’s laughing at you. No one that matters, anyway.

“Here, your posture should be a bit straighter,” Cesar murmured into your ear, correcting the curve of your back by putting his hand on your lower back and pushing gently. His deep voice and accent along with his touch left goosebumps wherever he went. “Draw the bowstring back to your lip. Raise your elbow a little. No, no, not that high. Like this…”

He took your elbow, lowering it gently. Cesar stepped back, before crossing his arms and smiling proudly. “There. Go ahead.”

You took one last deep breath, before letting the arrow fly. The second it flew, you closed your eyes out of fear. What if you messed it up again? What if you embarrassed yourself even further, what if this time your friends didn’t defend you—

“That’s it!” Chanyeol roared.

“I told you!” Cesar exclaimed.

“Amazing, Y/N!” Minseok yelled.

“Dammit, why did we have to go up against them,” Sehun grumbled.

Your eyes flew open at the applause erupting around you. Everyone except Sebastian was clapping. After looking around, your eyes landed on the target. There, just below Cesar’s two bullseye shots, was your own arrow. Yes, a 3 followed by a 9 was by no means as impressive as the two consecutive 10s your partner had pulled off. But after the rush of emotions…

“I knew she could do it,” You heard Junmyeon say. A smile bloomed on your face. When you glanced at him, he didn’t meet your gaze. He was too busy staring at Cesar, at your proximity.

You turned to the prince who had helped you. He was grinning.

“I hope you’re good at chess.”

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