The preparation for banquet was excruciating. After Hoseok left, Taehyung decided to tune out his own thoughts by proceeding with his bath. He was only half-dressed when the female guard from before came in, much to his chagrin. With an indifferent face she instructed him to put on the silk shirt of his banquet attire, which he scurried to the bathroom for.

It was somewhat humiliating to have a woman help him clothe, but he assumed that all of the male guards were spent from the parade and were now resting. Being locked up nearly all his life, he wasn’t accustomed to interacting with people, which made situations such as this ten times more awkward, much to his chagrin. Let alone a woman he wasn’t told to bow his head before. Which intensified his awkwardness, making him jump every time her fingertips would come into contact with his skin.

Hyerin, however, bore the same indifference as any other previous servant. She regarded Taehyung with an icy nonchalance, refusing to speak save for instructions such as turn around or raise your arms.

He hesitantly asked for instructions for the banquet: whether he would need to hold eating utensils in some special way (in his defense, that was what the pauper had difficulty doing in novels) or speak in a certain manner or perhaps. He needed to have some sort of idea mapped in his head so he wouldn't make a fool of himself by his strange way of walking.

Perhaps it was simply his imagination, but for a moment he thought he was able to see a glint of amusement flash in her eyes. Her stony expression was back as quickly as it had appeared and with the shrug of her shoulders, she simply informed him that he would not need to worry about anything but his outfit. She spent a considerable amount of time on his shoulder-length hair before disappearing, telling him to wait patiently in his room.

As if that isn’t what I’ve been doing for God knows how long.

Yeti knocked on his door hours later, entering with a massive grin on his face. Giving him an appreciative once over, Yeti nodded, “You look quite different, kiddo.”

Taehyung shrugged. Yeti was right, he did look different, but he couldn’t say he was too fond of his transformation. The clothes were uncomfortable, and he missed the familiar feeling of his hair framing his face. “Come on, kiddo. Let’s get you to that banquet.”

Taehyung swallowed nervously, “I’m… not particularly certain about attending the banquet. I am uncertain of the etiquettes and…”

Yeti rubbed his temples in apparent annoyance. Even though all he was told to do was show up, he couldn’t help but worry about the smallest of matters. He was so nervous that he would slip up and speak informally to people that he spoke formally to the one person he had no barriers with.

“You’ll be fine. I’m telling you, kid, just show up and all eyes will be on you. The belle of the ball will have nothing on your dashing face. You may even have all the ladies chasing after you.”

Taehyung felt his face go warm at the statement, feeling as if Yeti was being somewhat patronizing. He was only a boy locked up in a tower with the promise of safety; he was awkward and not at all sociable. At the moment, he wished for nothing but the chance to retain his dignity in the banquet and find answers to the questions he’d harbored for so long.

Yeti was still in his room when he heard knocks, and with a shaky voice Taehyung allowed them permission to enter. Three guards, dressed differently from those Taehyung was accustomed to seeing, entered the room and bowed. The action perplexed Taehyung, given how no one had ever done that before.

“We’re here to you to the castle, my lord.”

Yeti nudged him with his elbow and feeling unsure, Taehyung spoke surprisingly clearly, “Lead the way then.”

Yeti handed him his sword and Taehyung exited the castle, following the guards. He was ushered into a horse-drawn carriage, the door locked and heavily curtained. He was about to remove the curtains and take a look outside, when the only guard inside the carriage spoke, “I must advise against that, my lord, the commoners needn’t see you.”

Taehyung let go of the curtain, confusion increasing with each word spoken. Pursing his lips, he waited for the carriage ride to end so he could finally understand what was really going on. He didn’t need to wait that long, however, as the coachman announced their arrival. Just as Taehyung stepped foot on the ground, nearly ten guards came rushing in, surrounding and creating an impermeable barrier. This action was probably meant for his protection, but it robbed Taehyung of the freedom to look around, and he couldn’t appreciate that. But he did as his mind forced him to keep going by walking on the smooth concrete of the ground and ascending the marble stairs.

Most of the guards scattered after a while, however two of them still led Taehyung ahead. He was already inside the castle. The ceilings were so high he felt like he’d shrunk in size, and the corridor seemed almost endless until he reached a hall, a giant one at that.

The guards bowed, one of them speaking up, “I hope you enjoy your time here, sir. Help yourself to anything in the room, though I would dissuade you from getting inebriated.”

Taehyung promptly agreed, dismissing them as he walked inside, feeling the curious eyes of the inhabitants in the room. He scanned the crowd somewhat discreetly, so he wouldn’t have to make eye contact with anyone. Inevitably, he didn’t find a familiar face. Not that many familiar faces existed to him.

He hoped he didn’t look half as awkward as he felt as he strode over to the other side of the room, conscious of each and every eye scrutinizing him. Taking comfort in the shadows right below the staircase, he accepted a familiar-looking drink from a passing servant. He took a sip of the sweet liquid with the hope that it didn’t contain any intoxicating substances.

The hall became more crowded as time passed, making Taehyung part of a large crowd. He didn’t receive the attention he did upon entering the room, though there were still some people from earlier still hovering around him. He tried his best not to openly acknowledge them, scanning the faces of people who were too immersed in their conversations.

“You appear rather uncomfortable, boy.”

Taehyung shifted his attention toward the speaker: a tall young man with a subtle yet friendly smile adorning his striking features. Taehyung didn’t know if he was being overly sensitive, but he thought the arrival of the man only pulled in more attention towards himself. One thing he was aware of, however, was that the person who just approached Taehyung was scrutinizing him quite scrupulously. The knowledge only made Taehyung shift his weight on his other leg out of self consciousness.

“Perhaps it is because I do feel rather uncomfortable, sir.”

He hoped he wasn’t being too formal with his way of speaking, since the man did nonchalantly call him boy. But Taehyung knew that such mannerisms were often due to high social status or self-importance, so he decided to play it safe. If he was to be honest, he was actually quite proud of his ability to speak at the event. He unleashed conversational skills he didn’t know he possessed.

“Why?” The man’s eyes were still but observant.

Taehyung wondered if it would be wise to expose the vulnerability of his situation but quickly decided against it. The man might be polite, but Taehyung had known him for barely two minutes.

“I am not accustomed to the banquets held in this region,” He answered, hoping to sound more confident than he actually felt.

The man’s smile stretched wider, plump lips thinning with the stretch. With a charmingly strange nod, he said, “So you are foreign, after all. I suspected that from your features.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Taehyung cocked his head to the side, staring at the man in the eyed challengingly.

“There is no way to say this subtly, so I’ll simply state it as it is,” the man held out his hand, motioning to the people populating the hall, “Your decision to lay low is wise. Think of what would happen if you walked into a pack of wolves. A foreigner like you is considered novelty here, yet you walk in with only a sword. And I’m sure that’s for the sake of display.”

Taehyung bit his lower lip, wondering what exactly the man was insinuating. Running his fingers through his long hair, he brushed the strands away from his eyes and looked ahead.

“I doubt I’m in any imminent danger in such a crowded place. Besides, if the situation here is like the one you described, I should be wary of you, too.”

The man smiled, “Indeed, you should be wary of me. After all, I am the first person to show an interest in you after beholding your magnificent appearance.”

A brief moment of silence ensued and Taehyung tried to think of a way to excuse himself, extremely taken aback by his implication. The man spoke again before he could do so, much to his disappointment.

“Anyhow, the people you should really be wary of are the royal children- called heirs around here. They settle for nothing but the best and the rarest, as is typical of royalty. It doesn’t matter whether a good weapon or a potential lover is in question. Someone like you would definitely be much coveted.”

Taehyung felt his jaw tense, the same anger he felt when he tackled the guard down to the ground coming back to him. He seldom felt anger, which was why it felt quite intense when he did.

“Do the royal children think that it’s completely alright to look upon anyone but themselves as if they were inanimate objects crafted for their luxury, sir?” He realized he sounded harsher than he intended, but he had no intentions of taking his words back.

The man smiled, “Call me Jin. And to answer your question, I’m afraid I have to say yes. The heirs are taught to be strict towards commoners and regard themselves higher than the rest. I know it feels dehumanizing, but I can do little to change the ways since the beginning of time.”

The curious stares thrown their way made more sense as the situation clicked in Taehyung’s mind.

“Are you, perhaps…?”

“If you want to know whether I’m one of the heirs, I am indeed Kim Seokjin of the Kim House,” Jin said, uncomfortable with Taehyung’s incisive discovery.

Taehyung thought the situation over quickly, wondering whether it was a wrong move on his part to speak so harshly of the heirs. Jin didn’t seem to mind, so he pursed his lips and pondered over whether it would be wise to push Jin for more answers.

“Is this banquet held for the heirs' sake?” He decided to ask anyway, since Jin probably knew something.

“Yes. This year, three of the heirs turned twenty two. Today is the youngest’s birthday among the three. The royal children are given the freedom to choose their partner in marriage at twenty-two. So, all of  the kingdom’s men and women of status and qualifications have gathered here. I believe you’re considered among them.”

Men and women of status? I do not even know who I am save for my name.

Jin smiled almost patronizingly at Taehyung, making him feel somewhat mortified.

“I would suggest refusing proposals if you’re uncomfortable with them, but my cousin, Princess Minji, doesn’t take well to rejection. Prince Jaewan doesn't either. Therefore, not appearing before them at all would be best.”

Taehyung knew he exposed too much of himself to the Prince by mistake. So, naturally he decided to make amends by asking, “Isn’t it an honor to be proposed by one of the heirs? Why should I be uncomfortable?”

“Multiple reasons. The simplest one would be because you won’t receive only one proposal. I know the three heirs well, and I can tell they will all take a liking to you. Rarest and finest, remember?”

Taehyung didn’t say anything for a moment, not appreciating whatever it was that made him so special. He had never felt as slighted as he did in that the moment, not even when he was struck by his tutor. After a moment, something came to his mind. Jin had mentioned a Prince Jaehwan. Why would a prince, a male, take a liking to him?

“Even a prince?” Taehyung asked, feeling somewhat stupid at the laugh Jin let out.

“Even Jaehwan, yes. Do you wish to know the other reason why I think you’re uncomfortable?” Jin took a step towards Taehyung, as if the reason required secrecy. “I know each and every candidate here, and according to the invitation list, everyone in this hall is either a candidate or their legal guardians. However, I’ve never seen or heard of you. It is true that a foreign prince was to arrive, but I can tell you aren’t a prince. Nobody knows you and you’re walking around like a lone wolf. And you don’t seem to know why you’re here. There’s probably more to you, but I am not currently in the mood to analyze you. However, be warned that I will be, soon.”

Taehyung froze. Was he that translucent?

“I’ll be leaving you alone now. If you do not wish to end up in a sticky situation, I suggest taking your leave now. If you choose to linger behind, I will take it as your acceptance of my proposal."

Jin walked away after smiling slyly, leaving Taehyung baffled. As soon as his broad back was out of sight, Taehyung decided to leave at once. He didn’t know if he would be allowed outside easily, so he lied to the guards in front of the castle gate that he only wished to breathe comfortably in the garden, given how the hallroom was suffocating. The guards eyed him suspiciously but let him outside.

As Taehyung expected, the guards near the main gate was obstinate and wouldn’t let him outside till the banquet ended. He roamed around the garden, simply to appease to the guards he’d just lied to and thought about how he could get out. He had to escape one way or another, and he had to escape today.

“I should have gone with Hoseok,” He said to himself, mourning his decision.

“Your wish is my command, then.”

He heard a familiar voice, though he was unsure of where it was coming from. Turning his head around, he looked for the owner of the voice when someone tapped his shoulder. Abruptly turning around, he came face to face with Hoseok.

“Wanna get outta here, dragon boy?”

Hoseok smiled cheekily as he pointed behind him with his thumb. Feeling somewhat indignant, Taehyung nodded as Hoseok cautiously began to lead the way.

The garden was nicely decorated: every now and then they spotted a bird bath, topiaries, the occasional statues nicely occupying space between flower beds, a bunch of cycas, other decorative trees with colorful leaves, some potted plants as well as a fountain. The brilliant, light blue lighting colored the garden in a pleasing hue, almost creating a dream-like trance.

Hoseok led him to the edge of the garden, passing by a small pond on their way. Out of sheer curiosity, Taehyung walked over to the pond to look at the swans, assuming that the ducks would have returned to land since it was already nighttime. Hoseok noticed him falling behind and trudged back towards him, taking hold of his elbow and pulling him towards the wall again.

“I would love to entertain your curiosity for the wildlife any other time, boy. But now, you should really worry about whether you can climb a wall or not,” Hoseok spoke, his voice hushed.

As they neared the wall, it appeared to be that it was around twice Taehyung’s height. He his lips nervously.

“How do I climb this?”

Hoseok brandished two metallic spokes and stabbed the wall with one.

“You use this as leverage, and climb as if it’s a mountain.”

Hoseok demonstrated and Taehyung felt a genuine pull towards the task, seeing the man seemingly defying gravity with how fast he climbed up five steps. Hoseok pulled out both of  the spokes while he was already halfway up and landed beside Taehyung.

“Try it.”

Taehyung eagerly took hold of the spokes, but he failed to climb further than three steps, falling ungracefully on his rear end. Hoseok clasped his hand over his mouth and tried controlling his laughter, clearly failing miserably.

“Is there a more buttock friendly way of climbing a wall?” Taehyung asked, feeling somewhat embarrassed after the clumsy show of climbing.

His sentence only ignited Hoseok’s laughter to the point where the man placed his hands on his knees as he doubled over himself. For a moment, Taehyung was almost scared that they would be discovered.

They successfully crossed the wall after a while, the process turning out to be not entirely friendly towards the aforementioned body part but rather effective in getting them across. They were a mess of limbs on the ground until Taehyung extricated himself and stood up, asking Hoseok about their destination as he tried to shake off the embarrassment from being so close to the strange guy.

“Why’re you here?” Taehyung asked to divert his attention elsewhere.

Hoseok brought his knees close to his torso as he looked up at Taehyung, “Oh, I don’t know. I was supposed to get you out of that tower, but you didn’t come with me. I felt somewhat guilty because of your sullen expression, so I went back but found you being escorted to here, so I ended up following you. I don’t even know why I did it, but it appears you needed me after all. So, we’ll go where you want to.”

Taehyung pursed his lips, “I’m genuinely lost at the moment, so… can you accommodate me for some time?”

They reached an agreement, one that involved Taehyung carrying Hoseok on his back till they arrived at a local inn. Hoseok was already asleep, so instead of waking him up, Taehyung reluctantly rented a room for minimal price, laying the man down on his back on a cushion.

Taehyung was surprised how easily they  let their guards down around each other. Hoseok had broken into his room once and had followed him all the way to another palace. That, in itself, was suspicious. Just as it was vice versa, Hoseok had looked upon Taehyung with unmasked skepticism and claimed to help him escape out of sheer guilt.

It was strange how Hoseok had fallen asleep, limbs encircled around Taehyung’s frame as if he trusted Taehyung to lead him anywhere. And there he was, eyes shut almost peacefully as he breathed in and out softly.

It was a hasty, possibly dangerous decision to run off with someone in the manner Taehyung did, but scrutinizing Hoseok’s soft features glimmering in the dim lamplight, Taehyung felt certain that no matter what sort of danger awaited him, the source was not going to be this man.

When Hoseok woke up, he didn’t know whether he should feel delighted or horrified at the assortment of food laid out on the table situated in the middle of the room. He fumbled out of the bed and stood in front of the table, discovering that all the foods were expensive delicacies. Hoseok would bet his lucky charm that the grilled squid cost more than his great grandfather’s precious emerald sheathed sword. The whole room was filled with the aroma coming from the salmon, and the vegetables appeared to be cooked so well that even children wouldn’t be opposed to eating them. He didn’t know where these dishes were considered “breakfast”. but he was pretty sure nobody started their day with such a feast.

Of course, while he was fast asleep that dragon boy had dragged them to what looked like the most expensive inn in town and asked for an entire room for themselves. Hell, Hoseok couldn’t even see the other end of the room from where he was standing. One night spent in the place was bound to cost a fortune and without considering the situation even a little, the kid decided to indulge in luxury.

He was annoyed and, at the same time, very hungry. Yesterday  he exerted himself to the point of passing out in order to search for the dragon boy. It appeared that he did need some help getting to the inn but Hoseok still had no idea whether dragon boy was just toying with him or not. The entire town was sure that there was a princess in the tower, and dragon boy insisted he didn’t even hear of one. Liar.

Not to mention, dragon boy was nowhere in sight. A sense of dread filled Hoseok. Did dragon boy ditch him while making arrangements to pillage his money? But the food was ordered already, and they couldn’t take it back. So, it would be wise to make good use of it.

If only he could clean up somewhere-

Hoseok became distracted when he caught a whiff of sweet vanilla scent, and naturally, he began looking around for the source. Following the noise of feet padding across the room, he heard the creak of windows being opened, sunlight filling the room up to the brim. In the sharp light, Hoseok caught the sight of long, dark hair glowing in the sun.

Is this like that tale of princess Fiona where she is cursed to live in the form of a monster during the night until finding true love? Is dragon boy the princess?

He was inevitably disappointed when the silhouette was clearer, the broadness of the structure opposing any notion that it could have been a woman.  Soon, dragon boy approached him and smiled broadly.

“Hey, you’re up!”

Hoseok felt like mentally slapping himself for his previous thoughts because double checking, dragon boy was still the same as yesterday and was still very male. Except for the luscious threads of black hair cascading down to his shoulder and the somewhat feminine scent emanating from him, dragon boy was no different from the same old dragon boy. And calling him a monster during the nighttime would be rude, since he looked like a human after all. Not to mention, he did see him more than once during daylight so Hoseok didn’t even know why he got that ridiculous idea that this was similar to a fairy tale Yoongi told to put him to sleep when they were younger.

“You smell like a girl,” Hoseok blurted out, and dragon boy laughed, his eyes crinkling due to the stretch.

“I do, don’t I? I read in a book that women tended to lean towards these types of scents but the inn only provided one particular brand of toiletries so I had no other alternatives.”

What did he mean by reading in books? Wasn’t it common knowledge that milder scents were considered more feminine? But then again, this was dragon boy in question. He was definitely strange.

“I’m hungry. Freshen up so we can eat,” Dragon boy spoke, bringing up his towel to rub vigorously, causing the strands to become instantly messy.

Oh, right. The food.

The reminder was like a slap in the face and Hoseok at once strode towards dragon boy at once, gripping his shoulders harshly. Giving him a light shake, Hoseok demanded, “What have you done?”

Dragon boy had the goddamn audacity to look dumbstruck.

“What have I done?” He asked, tilting his head to the right. The action was innocent and would be quite endearing if Hoseok currently didn’t feel like slapping the boy across the cheek.

He exclaimed, “Do you know how much this place costs? Did you know that I could sell myself(,) and we still wouldn’t be able to afford the food you just bought? I don’t care if you were locked away from sunlight all your life, how are we going to ever pay this back?”

Dragon boy visibly relaxed, inciting Hoseok’s rage even more.

“Oh, that’s what you’re worried about,” He said with a smile.

“This isn’t funny-”

There was a melodious laugh before dragon boy was free of his grip. “Do not burden yourself with worry, I’ve taken care of the cost. Just freshen up and eat to your heart’s content. I can feel myself salivate at the sight of food made from such fresh ingredients. I’m sure we can discuss more as we eat.”

Perplexed, Hoseok was about to ask more questions when dragon boy pushed him towards the washroom, “Take your time cleaning up, I need to change into something substantial myself. The bathrobe is rather comfortable, but wearing it is a poor example of retaining my modesty.”

Hoseok only raised an eyebrow, because the inn’s bathrobe was far more modest than the casual clothing style of his town.

After Hoseok freshened up, he returned to his room(,) finding dragon boy sitting in front of the tea table, the food untouched. He dropped on the seat opposite from Taehyung ungracefully, murmuring a let’s dig in already.

Dragon boy didn’t argue, and they began to eat. The food, as expected, had turned cold, but the impeccable taste hadn’t faltered even a bit.

“Now, tell me exactly how you managed to pay for all this as well as buying new clothes?” Hoseok said, pointing towards the overly-modest clothing Taehyung was wearing, making Hoseok’s skin itch at the sight. The view of the turtleneck was enough to make him feel like he was sweating, and Taehyung wore it with no apparent discomfort. He’d also tied his dry hair up, stray black locks framing his face.

“Well, it isn’t as interesting as you make it sound. I simply traded the headband I was wearing yesterday as well as the jacket I wore last night.”

Hoseok’s mouth hung open. “Those… were enough for all this?”

Dragon boy chewed the food in his mouth slowly, and Hoseok couldn’t see any signs of him trying to answer as soon as possible. It was only after they were done that dragon boy answered, “Those two items indeed were. The jacket was made of quite a rare sort of silk. As it isn’t winter yet the material I wore wasn’t too heavy. The headband held a few precious gems, so the cost is all covered, and we can also stay here for one more night, though I do suggest making haste. I am not entirely sure whether I will be pursued or not.”

Hoseok raised an eyebrow, “Who exactly are you, dragon boy?”

Dragon boy laughed, making Hoseok realize that he quite literally called him dragon boy out loud.

“You can call me Taehyung. It’s rather ironic how you’ve helped me come all the way here, and I did not even tell you my name.” Taehyung brought a bowl to his lips and drank a small portion of the broth before setting it down on the table, the entire action elegantly noiseless. Hoseok felt almost uncomfortable in front of such mannerisms.

“To answer your question, Hoseok, I do not know much about myself either. I grew up isolated from my family, my residence being the castle where you first met me. The only person I could call family was a palace guard. I was taught all I know by several tutors and stoic natured governesses.”

Hoseok felt food getting stuck in his throat, “Were you not allowed to step outside?”

“If I felt suffocated inside the tower, I would tell the palace guard, Yeti. He would sometimes take me outside if he was permitted to do so.”

“Don’t you know about your family?”

The question felt invasive and insensitive, taking a lot of effort on Hoseok’s part to utter out. Taehyung looked somewhat unfazed by it, though Hoseok did refrain from examining his expression too closely.

“I do know their names and that they’re alive, but I’m afraid I don’t know their whereabouts. My intuition also tells me that they are in an unreachable position for me.”

Hoseok looked outside and saw the sun getting brighter. The carriage from the capital to his village left shortly before noon, so they really did need to make haste if they wanted to leave before meeting any of their pursuers, if there were any.

Rummaging through his satchel, Hoseok brought out a sunhat and tossed it towards Taehyung, who threw him a bemused look.

“Your hair makes you stand out. I want to stay inconspicuous.”

Taehyung put it on and smiled widely, asking how he looked in a cute, high pitched voice. Hoseok scoffed, telling him that he looked nothing short of ridiculous because it was absolutely unnecessary for a grown man to think that he actually looked kind of adorable. But he did.

Seokjin pressed his elbows against the marble of the balcony’s railing, coolness seeping in through the silk sleeves of his garment. Despite the lighting being rather dim, Seokjin could easily make out the silhouettes quickly approaching the edge of the palace’s garden.

“Kim Taehyung, huh? Quite interesting,” He mused, earning the uplift of a delicate eyebrow from his cousin, Minji.

“What is so interesting about the most desirable candidate of the night fleeing the venue? He’ll be brought back by the guards in no time.”

Seokjin shook his head, “I might have instilled some fear in him or sparked the fire of rebellion. I’m not sure which.”

Minji shrugged, the action making her short, fluffy blond hair bounce,“Probably the former.”

“I believe it’s the latter and so do you. He’ll make it outside today, but we’ll surely cross paths with him again,” Seokjin looked at Minji, an undecipherable smile adorning his features.

“Rather uncharacteristic of you to be so invested in a pretty face,” Her expression was as stony as her voice, though if anyone could see through her superficiality, it would be Seokjin.

“Rather uncharacteristic of you to play the part of nonchalance in order to conceal your genuine interest as well,” Seokjin threw back, rendering Minji speechless for a moment. The recovery on her part was quick, much to Seokjin’s disappointment.

“The boy’s hiding something. Someone with such regal appearance can’t be a commoner and a high born wouldn’t be so unsure in his demeanor. I simply intend to find out. It might be a vital information for our kingdom. I only wish to find out what his secret is,” Minji retorted, although Seokjin knew that she was aware she fooled no one with the last sentence.  

A.N: Surprise?

Let me know what you think x)