Taehyung watched the parade from the tower’s topmost floor, the horses and men appearing as small as tiny insects. The binoculars could only magnify the sight so much, and being sick of holding the heavy apparatus in front of his eyes, he lowered it and laid it down on the windowsill. His stomach felt uneasy after the day passed in absolute lassitude, testifying that even after years of imprisonment, he was still not used to the solitary, eventless life.

Yeti didn’t show up today, which inevitably meant that there was no sparring session that morning. The physical inactivity made him somewhat antsy, and he turned away from the window, sick of watching a parade from this altitude. Brandishing the wooden practice sword, he began practicing basic moves when the door opened wide, revealing Luna, the maidservant.

Her thin, pretty face remained as stoic as always. Her tone of voice was just as void of emotions as her face when she declared she was returning the stack of thick books on the table. Luna gathered the books she brought him last week without any questions regarding whether he was finished with them. Partially out of irritation and partially out of desire to make conversation, Taehyung called out to her.

“Luna, could you perhaps leave the book of Diyalin History?”

A quizzical expression formed on her face at the interruption. Taehyung knew that Luna suffered from a special sort of mental disorder because she was bothered by the slightest routine changes. Somewhat disturbed, she asked, “Are you not done?”

“I am. I wish to reread the book.”

“But you have never done that before,” She protested, her voice sounding somewhat strained.

“I wish to do so today,” Taehyung’s reply was short to the point.

Luna didn’t show any indication of following orders, so Taehyung stepped forward, taking out the book from the stack she was holding.

“Now you may go back to the library.”

Clearly Luna was beyond uncomfortable with the occurrence, and Taehyung smiled amiably, hoping he hadn’t pushed her too far. “Pretend nothing had transpired, and carry out your day.”

Despite her discomfiture, she left the room. Taehyung mindlessly tossed the book on his bed, no intention of rereading what he called  monotony etched on paper. He found his spectacles and sat down in front of his desk, beginning the study of a new topic. It wasn’t interesting at all. But it was better than trying to make out tiny silhouettes of paraders in the distance or practicing swordplay alone.

Nowadays, he wondered more than ever why he was locked up so strictly. This wretched tower had been his home for as long as he could remember. This was where he spent his childhood and adolescence, barely coming in contact with people his age. The only regular human interaction he had was with Yeti, the giant guard who was in charge of the tower. The nickname was obviously given because of his physical stature.

The teachers who taught Taehyung were like machines, mechanically educating him on matters he came to grow fond of. His former governess, the one who taught him during his early teen years, was a middle-aged, elegant lady nearly six feet tall who always carried around a staff that magnified her already intimidating presence.

Taehyung knew that she wasn’t scared to put that staff into action.

The servants, those who looked after him, always had some sort of disability.

Luna was antisocial and mentally insufficient for conversation, the manservant who was here before her was mute, and the maid before him was deaf. It was as if somebody wanted him to not have any connection with humans, as if he, himself would cause harm. Every person, save for Yeti, was tense after stepping into the room, alert as if Taehyung was a predator ready to pounce. Upon desperate pleading, Yeti would sometimes take pity on him and take him outside into the garden, though never straying further than a foot away from him. Taehyung didn’t mind. Starved of human company, he loved Yeti’s presence.

Sometimes, once every six months or so, an elderly woman would come to visit him. She would scrutinize him from head to toe, ask him some questions about his studies and sometimes request outlook on general things like the lives of people and society. She’d disappear then. Taehyung didn’t enjoy her presence. Her movements were calculating and she acted as if she could peer into Taehyung’s soul. The questions caused him great disturbance and frustration. He’d never been allowed to have any form of liaison with humans. How was he expected to answer questions about his outlook of courtship, kinship, marriage, fatherhood and the like? There were times when she would ask him about governance, lifestyle and the sort, and Taehyung would simply answer using what he read in books written by people dubbed as great philosophers.

He remembered lashing out at her for asking such ridiculous questions once, which resulted in a severe punishment he didn’t wish to recall.

As he grew older, the number of people he saw became more and more limited. As he grew older , the more difficult it was to convince Yeti to take him out on a stroll.

He wasn’t even finished with the first chapter of a new book Luna dropped off when he heard a knock on the door. The only one who knocked before coming in was Yeti. The knowledge caused excitement to flow through his body and he stood up hurriedly, permitting the visitor to enter.

The giant man entered, and Taehyung all but jumped on him, gathering as much of Yeti as it was possibly for his arms. With anybody else, he wouldn’t dare to do this, but Yeti was an exception. The man laughed, his deep, masculine voice resonating in Taehyung’s ears, as his thick arms encapsulated and lifted up Taehyung’s smaller frame.

“Where were you all day?” Taehyung all but whined, fully aware that he was coming off as somewhat demanding, and Yeti had no obligation to visit him. In fact, if anything, Yeti was probably prohibited from visiting Taehyung so frequently.

“Sorry, kiddo, had work to finish.” Yeti spoke, letting Taehyung down on his feet.

Taehyung made a show of rolling his eyes before tugging on Yeti’s sleeve, “Let’s go sparring.”

Yeti shook his head, “Not today, kid. There is a banquet, a giant one at that, being held at the Westfield Castle.”

From Yeti, Taehyung gained the knowledge that the tower he was locked up in was a part of a castle. He wasn’t sure if it was the Westfield Castle, however. It probably was, since a lot of banquets were held in the castle he lived in.

Taehyung exhaled, his dejection from earlier coming back, “Is that why there was a parade?”

Yeti affirmed the question, an eyebrow raised at how impressively perceptive Taehyung was, “Yes. The parade was to inform the nobles of the banquet. Invitation letters were sent to their doorsteps.”

Taehyung nodded understandingly and walked back till he was seated on his bed, eyes fixated on the floor. Banquets meant extra security- more stoic faced guards who would regularly come in to check whether Taehyung was there, but also refuse to talk or answer any of his questions. Last year, one of them even wolf whistled at him, which had almost resulted in Taehyung breaking the guard’s jaw. Yeti had to come in and pull Taehyung away from him.

“Don’t look so down now, boy. I have good news!”

“Female guards this time?” Taehyung asked, an unamused drawl in his voice, hinting that whatever Yeti was about to say had no appeal to him.

“Nope. Even better. You’re invited to the banquet.”

Yeti looked down at him with a toothy grin, an ostentatious  golden card held out before Taehyung. The sequins were definitely unnecessary for the decoration, and the cursive letters were so shiny that they could rival the sunlight.

Taehyung felt a surge of mixed emotions, the prominent one being that of excitement. Banquets meant people, and he would probably not be restrained the entire time. Probably.

The probability was enough to make him scream out of excitement, “Really?”

Yeti nodded, “Yes, yes you are. I asked Hyerin to bring your attire. Be ready by dusk.”

“Will you be there?”

Yeti shook his head, “Sadly, no. You’re on your own there.”

That was like pouring cold water over his excitement, but he decided that he shouldn’t be too greedy. After Yeti was gone, Taehyung began thinking of the banquet and nervousness suddenly crept inside him. Sure, he was happy to meet people, but without Yeti, he wasn’t confident that he could socialize with them. He didn’t know any proper banquet mannerisms, save for the knowledge that dancing was involved. But at the same time, he didn’t know how to dance.

He was on the verge of throwing up out of discomfiture when the attire arrived, making him even more unsure about himself. The clothes were unlike anything he’d ever worn before. The glitter hurt his eyes, and the process of dressing seemed so intricate that he was sure he was going to make a fool out of himself. Taehyung was sure there were more buttons than he could count, the silky midnight blue fabric seemingly too delicate for practical usage. At this point, he didn’t feel as if human interaction was worth going through such hassle.

Hyerin, possibly a maid from the castle, noticed his nervousness and voluntarily spoke to him, “I’ll be here to help you put on the garb, rest assured.”

Before he could muster out the courage to express his gratitude, she disappeared.

The more time passed, the more suspicious he grew of the event. Why, after all the years of being locked up without human company, was he being allowed to attend a public event? And why was he not notified beforehand or educated on the basic mannerisms of banquets? Was there any ulterior motive behind such a scheme? Who was throwing the banquet anyway? Who even owned the castle where he was imprisoned in the name of ‘protection’?

He cogitated while staring at the ceiling, feeling his thoughts tangle together. To find his inner calm, he decided to run himself a bath when he saw the outline of a figure behind the window’s curtains. Precipitating out of his bed, he sprinted towards the window and pulled the curtains back, revealing the figure lurking behind them.

The person behind the curtains was beyond surprised at the sudden exposure and lost his balance, almost tumbling backwards. A fall from such a height would mean a sure, instantaneous death, but Taehyung was able to catch him by his shirt collar just in time, pulling him inside the room.

The man rubbed his neck with a groan before his head shot up to make eye contact with Taehyung, countenance seemingly frightened. The man was attractive with a slender build and pretty eyes, his high cheekbones and angular features giving his face a masculine charm.

“I won’t call the guards,” Taehyung assured him and saw the man visibly relax.

But the relaxation was only temporary. The man stood up again, slightly shorter than Taehyung at his full height. He scrutinized Taehyung’s face before his eyebrows scrunched.

“You’re not a princess.”

Taehyung was somewhat baffled at the sudden remark, “Obviously?”

The initial mixture of excitement and fear wore off, and he was suddenly able to see the danger of the situation. The man got in through the window, which was hundreds of feet above the ground. He obviously climbed up the tower, guessing from the rather strange device planted on the window.

The reminder of why he was locked in the tower came back to him and he felt that the one man could be the source of all danger. He was most likely armed, since it would be sheer stupidity not to bring any form of weaponry while climbing up a tower illegally. He was probably here to take Taehyung’s life, and his own sword was on the wall far behind him. The man was only scrutinizing his surroundings curiously, as if he was simply here for a casual visit. Taehyung contemplated screaming for the guards, but it would probably result in a cancellation of the night’s banquet, where he could possibly have many of his questions answered. That and he didn’t think he could handle tighter security.

Self-defense seemed like the most appealing option. The sword was on the wall, less than a few yards away. If he could just go and grab it-

The sound of friction between two metallic objects caught his attention, and he realized that he was too late when he saw that a dagger was pressed against his throat, the stranger having wielded it out of seemingly nowhere.

“I understand now!” The intruder spoke, “You’re the bad guy.”

“Excuse me? You’re the one barging into my residence and I’m the bad guy?” Taehyung exclaimed, finding the notion laughable.

“Where is the princess?” The intruder gave the blade a little push, probably to emphasize that he wasn’t joking around. The sharp object probably nicked his throat a little, if the sting was anything to go by.

“Princess? How am I supposed to know?”

“I know there is a foreign princess in this tower, guarded by a shapeshifting dragon. You’re the dragon, aren’t you? Where’s the princess?”

Taehyung took a moment to process the information, finding himself at a loss for words at the speculation of the man standing before him. Sure, princesses probably existed somewhere. But… dragons? Then again, it wasn't as if Taehyung knew what existed and what didn’t. He barely ever stepped foot outside the castle, thanks to the castle owner’s definition of protection. He wouldn’t be surprised if a princess really was in this castle.

It felt somewhat wrong to crush the man’s hopes of possibly finding the princess, so Taehyung decided to remain neutral.

“I don’t know? Maybe search the tower? Also, I’m not a dragon, much less a shapeshifting one. Do you see scales anywhere?”

The intruder scrunched up his nose, “I expect no less than a lie from a vile monster!”

“A vile monster? Excuse me, but I was being nothing short of nice to you all this time and you disrespect me like that? I even saved you from falling! How ungrateful are you?” Taehyung took hold of the man’s thin wrist, bringing the dagger down as he dropped the man’s hand and walked to fetch his own sword without any protest from the intruder’s part.

“Someone who locks up a pure maiden has no right to speak to me about morals.” Haughtiness exuded out of the man, and Taehyung felt almost tired of dealing with him. Almost.

“For the last time, I do not know what you are talking about. If you want to explore the tower and find your princess, go right ahead. Beware, there are guards lurking everywhere. I’ll just go take my bath, if you will excuse me.”

For safety measures, he carried his sword to the bathroom, feeling the intruder follow after him. “Who are you and why are you following me to the bathroom? Are you a ert?”

“Because I know you are keeping the princess hidden. And I’m Hoseok, but you can call me the dragon slayer.”

Taehyung nearly rolled his eyes, exhaustion weighing down on him. It seemed like he wasn’t about to get a relaxing bath today.

The intruder strode out of the bathroom and opened the door to Taehyung’s room, jumping back inside with a loud curse when he saw guards outside.

“I am not well equipped to fight them all today, and I will not kill you until you have repented for your crime. Be warned, evil dragon, I will be back.”

Taehyung was three seconds away from using Yeti’s infamous method of punching sense into people, but refrained since he wasn’t violent by nature. When the man was about climb down, however, Taehyung had a sudden epiphany.

He realized that there was a much better way of getting a taste of freedom than attending the banquet. The banquet was a suspicious enigma Taehyung was unsure of whereas leaving with the help of this man might promise a long-lasting freedom.

He thought of Yeti for a brief moment, but decided to repudiate all thoughts as he walked over to the window, “Hey, Hoseok!”

Hoseok was held onto an object protruding out of the windowsill, his entire body level with the exterior of the tower. “What? Changed your mind, Dragon?”

He stopped and pushed himself up, seating himself on the window sill in between the place where Taehyung pressed his palms.

“I’m not a dragon, but can you please help me escape from here? I want to leave this tower, but I can’t do it without your help.” He saw the skeptical look on Hoseok’s face and quickly spoke up, “I’ll pay you back any way I can. I don’t have any money, but I’ll surely find work outside or even work for you if I have to.”

Hoseok eyed him suspiciously before he let out a chuckle of disbelief, “You know you’re still in the form of a human male, right?”

Exasperated, Taehyung spat, “When did I claim to be in the form of a human female?”

“Isn’t that what you’re trying to do? You were trying to shift into a female and trick me by posing as if you were vulnerable, then strike when my guard is down. Don’t play damsel in distress, monster.”

The urge to slap Hoseok was strong, but Taehyung had to remind himself that Hoseok was probably his only means of escape. So he suppressed his annoyance and said, “No. I was simply trying to induce you into helping me leave this place in exchange for a reasonable price.”

“The princess,” the answer was curt.

“How many times do I have to tell you that I do not know of any princesses? I’ve been here all my life and the only person I really know is a guard that is around six feet, eight inches tall. Is he your princess?”

The stranger pursed his pretty lips before peering up at Taehyung through arched eyebrows, “Why do you need my help in leaving? Isn’t this your residence?”

Hoseok made a show of making air quotes, rendering Taehyung speechless for a while.

“I’m… not allowed to leave.”

“What? Strict parents don’t want their baby boy to catch rays of sunlight in fear that he’ll melt?” Hoseok’s tone was obviously condescending, and Taehyung ignored the satirical remark. He needed Hoseok to get out. He could deal with Hoseok’s irritating personality later.

“I don’t know why they don’t want me to leave.”

“Then go ask mommy for permission, and go out like a normal, functioning human. Oh I forgot, you aren’t a human, let alone a normal, functioning one.” Hoseok shrugged, a smirk on his face Taehyung felt tempted to wipe off.

Helplessness and rage almost overwhelmed Taehyung, but the urge to escape was too strong for him to lose his mind., Even though he really, really wanted to.

“I can’t. Look, you can make fun of me all you want but please, just take me away from here, I’ll do anything in exchange.”

“Acting helpless won’t work with me. Even if you aren’t a dragon, you’re probably a bad guy. Why’d they lock you up otherwise?”

Taehyung froze. His governess had called him names before. He’d brushed it off as simple insults then, but at this point, it didn’t feel like this was anything simple. Perhaps he was the catalyst for the life he had to live now. Was it his fault? Was everyone really telling the truth when they said he needed to be protected?

All the questions he’d been asking himself for a long time came back to him, but the timing was horrible.

“What? No more comebacks, goody-two-shoes?” Hoseok snorted, breaking Taehyung out of his trance.

Taehyung shook his head, feeling the blood drain from his face. He stepped back, too immersed in his own fears to even turn away. Hoseok probably noticed the change as he stepped forward and took hold of Taehyung’s wrist, keeping him in place.   

“Hey, tell you what? You go check the tower for the princess since there are guards, and I’ll help you leave, okay?”

When Taehyung didn’t answer, Hoseok spoke impatiently, “Alright! There’s no princess, I get it. I’ll take you away, just pay me a thousand bucks later.”

Even so, Taehyung didn’t respond. “Are you mute all of a sudden?”

“Just… leave, please.”

“Hey now, did I offend you with all my talk? You’re the one who said I could make fun of you. Don’t take me seriously, man. Come on, I know it looks scary from this height, but I’ll make sure you don’t fall down,” Hoseok reasoned, patting Taehyung on the head as if he was a child.

Taehyung smiled, his facial muscles feeling heavy, “It’s okay. I didn’t need to leave anyway. Forget I ever asked anything of you. Good luck finding your princess.”

Taehyung made motions as if to shut the window, hoping that Hoseok would take the hint and leave. Hoseok did take the hint and started climbing down again, murmuring something that sounded suspiciously like, “Whatever man, you’re weird as hell.”

Taehyung shut the window as well as his one chance of escaping anytime in the near future.

A.N: Thank you for reading! This was slow, almost agonizingly slow. Yikes.

My disappointment aside, don't hesitate to let me know of your opinion in the comments, they're great motivators.