*Another story with a second part, and I'm sorry in advance for the stories here that doesn't have the second part yet.

*Thank you for all those who subscribed! I hope these stories fill your daily needs of myungjong in your life.

‘’Your majesty, the prince is coming out of his chambers anytime soon. I’ve also finishend preparing the azalea in the garden for the meet-up of the royal children. The tea would be earl gray, to fit the liking of the princess of the Jung kingdom.’’

‘’Thank you for being efficient as usual Hoya, it was really the right decision of choosing you as the royal minister.’’

‘’Well, it’s my pleasure.’’

‘’You can go back to what were you doing right before I pulled you here. Thank you for the updates.’’

‘’Yes, my king.’’

After the door to his chamber was closed, he immediately threw his strong composure away and slumped on his throne. With his robes and crown filled with jewels and ornaments, he gives off a respectable aura, yet all the pressure’s starting to drown him, especially now that he had lost his wife after the birth of his second son, Myungjoo. Behind the kingdom’s walls, away from the eyes of his citizens, he’s not the powerful king everyone knows, but just a plain husband grieving over a great loss and a father of two princes he wants to spend more time with.

The scented candles and the soft lights beaming from the intricately designed chandeliers doesn’t help at all.

It just made him felt more hollow.

--

‘’Your father was the head architect in building this castle, right, so why can’t you help me.’’

‘’I know I’m your bestfriend, but the best I could do for you right now is to cry for your boring fate and not snatching the blueprints from my father’s workhouse to help you escape. And if ever, ever, it crossed my mind to pity you and actually help you for real, I would be slashed into pieces before I get hold of those papers. You know how my father’s been obsessed with creating traps lately. He still thinks, well he actually believes that he has a chance of being the head of the army despite of failing over a hundred times now.’

‘’But Seungyeol-ah-’’

With his face scrunched, he inched closer to his best friend, in hopes of changing it’s mind.

‘’What’s that, the face to scare the enemy away?’’

‘’Wae, what’s wrong my aegyo?’’

‘’Oh, that was your aegyo, I thought you have stomackache or something.’’

‘’Aish, seriously, and I thought you were my only bestfriend in the whole kingdom.’’

Seungyeol, Myungsoo’s bestfriend just simply shook his head. As much as he wants to ease the now frowning guy’s burden, he knows he can’t. His father is a really good man who’s willing to help anyone who needs help, yet he is just and righteous as well, so the taller boy knows that if he became his friends accomplice, he’ll end up in jail just like anyone who’s broken the law.

Before he could make his escape, he felt his coat being tugged.

‘’Wait, Seungyeol-ah, who’s the man in ragged suit?’’

‘’What is it now- oh.’’

Their eyes are now glued to the wagon who has stopped in front of a food shop. Well, everyone’s eyes are focused to it as well. Although the two boys of higher rank who are quietly passing the roads along with their guards are supposed to keep on moving, they seemed frozen in spot.

The wagon was attached to a black bear with a metal hind, acting as a replacement for horses as a form of transportation. It is unusually large yet it seemed calm and trained and is scratching behind his ears like a pet dog. About 15 black crows are perched on top of the vehicle, on metal poles that surround the roof of the wagon. Their eyes are gleaming under the sun, looking alert as if on watch, ready to attack anybody who means harm.

The man who is in ragged suit, the one who has caught Myungsoo’s attention, is currently looking for something on a large black pouch, and suddenly, a petite looking person came out from the wagon’s front, carrying round eyeglasses and handed it to the old man.

‘’Well, he said he is a merchanr who happened to pass our kingdom, and he’s interested in showing what he has to offer to you, my lord,’’ one of the guards answered.

‘’Then, who’s that skinny girl beside him.’’

Seungyeol who’s beside him started to shiver, coveing his mouth as if to stop a laughter from erupting and annoy the prince.

‘’What’s so funny? Yah!’’

His bestfriend then pointed to the guy who answered to explain the reason behind his snickering.

‘’That’s a boy my lord. He’s the son of the merchant. Stories about them has reached far and wide. It is also rumored that the merchant is actually a witch, with all the weird items, toys, and jewelries he’s trying to sell in every city they have traversed.’’

‘’Weird? Well everything about them look weird. And are you sure that’s a guy? Be-‘’

His words are cut, feeling his breath hitched when he saw the boy he’s pointing at smile genuinely, his slender hand covering his face to hide his blush starting to creep his feminine looking face.

‘’So cute!’’ Myungsoo cooed, but a frown replaced it when he realized that the reason for the sweet smile is a piece of yellow orchid given to him by one of the black crows.

Before he could walk towards the wagon, he was pulled by Seungyeol, and signalled the guards to keep on walking back to the castle.

‘’Wait, Seungyeol-ah, I need to know her name!’’

“You already know that that’s a boy yet you kept on insisting he’s a girl, seriously. Let’s go, you should not let your future queen wait.”

He kept on whining and Seungyeol kept acting deaf.

Yes, the day seems usual. Or maybe not.

--

The atmosphere is romantic, with the serene image of two royalties sipping from jeweled tea cups and looking elegant. With her blue and silver gown, golden tiara, black hair and blue eyes, she’s a dream girl of every guy wishing to marry a princess. Of course there’s always an exception, and that is the prince clad in blue and silver robes to make them look like a couple. Might as well call them a forced royal couple.

‘’I heard that you really like bamboos, it that true? That’s quite interesting about you!’’

‘’Isn’t it obvious with all the bamboo srouts in this garden. And what’s so interesting with that? You can stop acting so kind and prim now that it’s just the two of us.’’

‘’What’s wrong with you? I’m trying my best here ‘cause I got no other choice but to marry a pea-brained guy like you! Do you think you’re the only one suffering here!?’’

‘’I know, were both not pleased with our parents’ decisions, but we must follow them, for the betterment of both kingdoms, blah-blah-blah. But you know what, I got a better idea.’’

“And that is?”

--

‘’What kind of plan is this Myungsoo?!’’

“Sshhh, do you want us to get caught this early? Just talk to the guards so their attention would not be on me. It would seem that they neglected their duty, and then just act as if you’re actually shock about my escape. Ok? Let’s get working.’’

After escaping from the garden, he slipped off from his princely clothes and changed into a poor man’s robe, he had prepared for this day, and slowly walked straight to where the wagon was placed.

He knows that the bear might rip his throat, or the crows would scratch his eyeballs, yet he kept on walking near and quickly slipped inside.

It’s funny that it seems that the usually savage to strangers pets of the merchant ignored him.

Finally, freedom!

The scent of mixed flora and citrus made his head swirl, his eylids heavy, and before he could say a word to the shadow approaching his form, he drifted to dreamland.

He didn’t hear the giggle nor felt the shaking of wagon due to the unstable wheels.

Nor he never felt a sleep this calm.

*I think this is unedited and was the result of me not feeling well yesterday. I'm sorry if it's kind of lame (bows down)

*I'm giving free hearts! (throws hearts like how Woohyun does his aegyo)

#myungjong.is.love