Engagement Party
Cupid at Heart“Hm?”
The king of Heart squinted his eyes, staring at the person in front of him skeptically. He did not remember giving out a command for cupid to be here, and yet here he was in the Diamond kingdom.
“For whatever reason have you followed us here?” He asked, folding his arms. His eyes continued to observe the god, seeing a smile break out on his ethereal face.
“I am the princess’ knight. It is naturally my duty to stay with her at all times,” Woohyun answered boldly. The declaration was a valid statement for a knight and no one could argue against it.
Hyunmi, who was standing next to him, quickly faced the marbled floor. Her lips stretched wider into a bashful smile no one was allowed to see.
“I requested his presence,” Hoya suddenly spoke in his usual monotonous voice. “In case an incident were to occur, my priority is to protect you, your majesty. It would be better to have someone else look out for Princess Hyunmi.”
The king pursed his lips, rubbing his chin with his fingers. The other siblings watched from behind; the sisters smirked, anticipating an upcoming storm. But to their greatest surprise, the king burst into a smile, easily convinced of their reasoning.
“You are as intelligent and thoughtful as your mother gave you credit for,” the king told cupid with a hearty chuckle. “I hope you won’t mind accommodating one room with Sir Hoya.”
“No, Your Majesty,” the two men chorus in sync.
“Then please get ready. The engagement is about to start soon.”
It was then when Hyunmi noticed her brother’s absence as he was getting ready. The castle’s hallway seemed different from the way she left it that morning. White satin banners hung over the ceiling, arching majestically to give the palace a more heavenly feel. Bouquet of roses decorated the walls in shapes of hearts and diamonds to symbolize the unison of the two kingdoms.
“Cupid,” her older sister’s voice interrupted her thoughts. Hyunmi frowned. When Soonkyu and Hyoyeon surrounded Woohyun, linking their arm around his, she felt something burn inside.
“It’s quite unfair for the youngest sister to have you all for herself. We need a dependable man to look after us too,” Soonkyu said, her voice cooing in an attempt seek his sympathy, batting her eyelashes and all. Her finger began trailing down the sleeve of his arm.
“Besides, Prince Sunggyu will look after her when they are married. You shouldn’t invest too much time on her,” Hyoyeon added, pushing herself closer to him.
Hyunmi should’ve been bothered by the mention of the arranged marriage, but instead, her chest constricted at the sight. She felt her heart about to rip, or rather, like she could rip someone else’s heart. Their physical intimacy crossed the boundaries.
“You should be more careful, dear sisters. Do not become hormone raged women throwing themselves against a man. Even es possess more dignity than such behavior,” Hyunmi spoke harshly, glaring at them with the gaze of a stranger. When they didn’t release their grip from him, she pushed forward and grabbed him by the arm.
The two sisters were rendered speechless at her action, repeating the words of insult she had spoken in a lulled mumbling. It was very different from the submissive little sister they had known.
However, Hoya’s lips formed the slightest resemblance of a smile. As usual, he admired the two for their exemplary relationship. The sight of Lady Biah in the arms of another man would anger him too.
“I believe the king commanded you to get ready for the engagement party,” Hyunmi mumbled, pulling Woohyun away by force. She couldn’t hold his hand without arising suspicion. So she paced quicker towards her room upstairs as he followed.
Woohyun was dazed for a second, but then resumed his smile, looking at her cheekily as he returned beside her. “Are you jealous?” He asked playfully.
The princess flinched. “I- I have only recently learned what it means to be in love. I do not need lectures about feelings of jealousy,” she made up an excuse, throwing her gaze away.
“Ah, so you’re admitting you are in love with me?” Woohyun continued teasing her. His smile grew wider as hers folded into a pout.
She thought she had made it perfectly clear. She never rested her eyes on any other men for longer than three seconds. Her heart and affection were always reserved for him alone and she hoped the same from him. “I simply don’t want you too close to them. It annoys me.”
He grinned and his dimples settled in. “Your wish is my command, love.”
That one term of endearment was able to wash away whatever rage she had been feeling inside. Paired with his adorable eye smile, she no longer remembered the reason for her anger.
“Careful with that, cupid. You’d be surprised at the things I’d wish for,” she gave him a playful warning.
“Enlighten me,” he challenged, cocking his head sideways to read her expression.
Hyunmi stopped in front of her room and turned to him, meeting his eyes. She briefly scanned the hallway, making sure it was empty before she grabbed him by his clothes and tiptoed on her feet to plant a chaste kiss against his lips.
It was a quick peck, a faint lip to lip brush, but Woohyun was completely flustered when she pulled away. He stared at her with wide eyes, feeling a mixture of amazement and heated desires he could drown in forever.
“One of my many wishes,” Hyunmi said, unable to meet his stare. Her face blushed furiously at the one act she did not think through. Without looking at him, she quickly bid him farewell and escaped into her room.
Woohyun chuckled to himself, feeling the warmth blossom in his chest. He’d certainly have no problem granting the rest of her wishes too. As he headed back down, he noticed the leaf of a nearby plant move on its own. Almost as if another person ran past it earlier.
Was someone watching them?
The dining hall was decorated to fit the festive atmosphere. More balloons and flower bouquets were placed around the room. The long dining table was adorned with red and pink colored fabrics, extending down against the marbled floor.
Dongwoo stood on one side of the table, talking to Hoya. The prince looked more mature when he had his hair combed back. His outfit was pristine white in color, resembling the angelic persona he was known for. Anyone could tell he was part of a royal family by the golden embellishments.
“Nervous?” Hyunmi’s voice interrupted their conversation. She chose to directly approach the two men, certain her sisters would rather stay away from her.
“Does it show?” Dongwoo asked, gritting his teeth together in an attempt to smile charmingly.
“Not until you have mentioned it,” Woohyun suddenly spoke, calmly joining the empty spot next to the princess. She was still avoiding his gaze, he noted. Probably remembering what she had done earlier. He chuckled again, adoring her weird antics.
Dongwoo was no fool and saw his sister’s face turn red simply by cupid’s presence. Knowing the things she had told him thus far, he easily put two and two together and reached a new conclusion—one that strengthened him to walk down the path he had set out for himself.
“I have no reason to be nervous. I know I am doing this for the right reason,” he told them with a wink.
A reason which Hyunmi did not agree with. “What if you don’t love her?” She asked with a plea, trying to stop her brother from any future regrets once again.
Dongwoo sighed, releasing the tension from his shoulder. “You already know the answer to that, Hyunmi,” he whispered in his usual friendly, but exhausted tone. No matter how many times she repeated the question, his answer remained unchanged.
The siblings grew silent. Woohyun and Hoya exchanged a look with each other. At this point, both men did not know what it would feel like to be with someone they did not hold dearly in their heart. For that reason alone, Dongwoo’s decision was an admirable one they could never coher to.
As Woohyun looked sideways, he noticed Hyunmi finally staring at him, a painful longing in her eyes. It made him wonder, to what extent would they have to fight for their relationship?
No matter what, they would keep striving.
He offered her a small smile. Oh, how he wished to hold her that very moment, lavishing her with compliments about the red dress befitting her curves, or offering her words of assurance that it would be alright. But time did not permit him, for their moment got interrupted by marching men in matching uniforms, blowing golden trumpets.
“Welcoming the King of Heart,” Kihyun’s loud voice announced, holding a large piece of semi rolled up parchment in his hand to read from.
The King of Heart entered the room majestically, though he did bounce a little with every jolly step he took. He resumed his position next to Dongwoo and Hoya, standing at the side of the dining table. He was b with pride, lips curled in such a way no one could tell he was sick.
“Welcoming the King and Queen of Diamond,” Kihyun continued announcing.
The tall and slender king walked into the room accompanied by a woman of grace and elegance. Her posture was very poised, like she had been raised by the best noblemen. Their pink colored outfit blended perfectly with the rosy interior.
They stood next to the King of Heart, exchanging a polite smile out of common courtesy. Then their attention remained on the closed doors, anticipating the next entrance. The moment of truth.
The large doors opened once again and everyone naturally applauded for the main character about to pass through. The one princess they had never met before, yet already knew of.
When the female passed, her elegance extruded in every step she took. Her aura radiated with softness and a certain kind of fragility. She was the type of woman who made others want to protect her.
Her big doe eyes scanned crowd and met the prince’s. It prompted her plum lips to display a smile so genuine, men would fall for her at first sight. Her long white gown swept across the floor as she approached the prince waiting for her with the knight standing besides him.
“Welcoming Princess Biah of Diamond.”
The three people who had met the girl beforehand turned to Kihyun with an incredulous look, waiting for him to correct his statement. But seconds passed by, and he hadn’t said a thing.
“Good evening, my prince,” Biah’s sweet voice greeted, and she curtsied in front of the men. Though the greeting was spoken facing Dongwoo, her eyes darted towards Hoya.
The poor knight had no idea what was going on, and his stiff lips remained a thin line. He wanted to smile at her, at the sight of his beloved maiden, but realized she was never his to begin with. Even if his maiden was held in the arms of another man, a prince at that, he’d be powerless. He couldn’t possibly stand in the way of a royal wedding. He did not have that much courage to defy orders.
“It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Princess Biah,” Dongwoo said. He grabbed her hand, gently pressing his lips against it. It was the standard procedure of a formal meeting that could potentially lead to marriage.
“The honor is mine, Prince Dongwoo,” Biah spoke with an unfaltering smile. Occasionally, her eyes continued to steal glances from Hoya, and her smile softened. She did not look apologetic at all, but appeared rather confident behind her soft demeanor.
“Wonderful. The two are getting along well. We should celebrate with a feast,” the King of Heart roared as he picked up a wine glass to propose a toast. Then again, everyone always got along in his eyes.
As everyone mimicked the toast, Hoya’s face turned pale.
“What is the meaning of this? Yesterday she spoke of her fondness towards Sir Hoya, and now…” Hyunmi gritted her teeth, enraged at the entire situation. How could she loosen the thread when everything was tangled in a chaotic web leading to devastating consequences?
“She was speaking the truth,” Woohyun interrupted her, his stern gaze fixated on the Princess of Diamond who walked hand in hand with Dongwoo towards their seat. “I read the genuinity through her eyes. She is truly fond of Hoya.”
The revelation did not enlighten the complicated situation. Considering how much Hoya had helped them, Hyunmi was compelled to help him too. But what could she do if her brother’s happiness was at stake? Her father’s happiness was at stake.
Reluctantly, they took a seat at the dining table. Dongwoo was nothing like Prince Sunggyu—some might even say he was too friendly and selfless. He spoke with such politeness towards the Diamond princess, and she replied him kindly. It was a picture perfect sight to anyone, but a second glance revealed the interaction to be a rigid form of formality.
“Excuse me. I need to go to the washroom,” Biah spoke as dinner came to an end. She gently got up from her seat, bowing to the rest.
“You shan’t go alone. Take Sir Hoya with you. He is a very dependable knight,” Dongwoo quickly spoke. It wasn’t polite for him to her himself, but he was allowed to assign the best man to protect her.
Biah’s eyes twinkled with delight as she watched Hoya approach her. “So it appears,” she said, smiling when he deliberately avoided her gaze. She nodded at him and walked out of the dining room while he followed obediently. He had never defied orders.
Hyunmi looked conflicted for a moment, demanding some sort of answers. “Excuse me, father, Your Majesty, but I also need to leave,” she spoke in a rush, offering a bow that did not possess the elegance shown by Biah earlier.
Her commotion alerted Woohyun, and in the spur moment of confusion, he also gained permission to follow after her.
“What are you doing?” He whispered when he caught up with Hyunmi outside the dining hall. She was frantically searching around, and he grabbed her wrist once the doors closed.
“I… I am not certain. I wanted to search for answers, clues, or explanations. I have thought of multiple ways to solve this, but every possibility will end with someone’s heartache. What if we fail to obtain a solution?”
Her eyes glistened with tears threatening to escape, but Woohyun smiled at the sight. He adored the way she cared about others’ problems though she had a heap of her own.
“You should stop worrying about the things you can’t control. Worrying won’t make the situation better, but it can worsen it,” he said, pulling her close in his embrace when no one was watching. His hand trailed through her hair, softly rubbing it.
The princess took a deep breath, letting Woohyun’s comfort calm her down. He did possess the magical ability to lessen her worries. She shouldn’t be caught by personal feelings. Their priority was to interrupt and demolish the marriage from happening.
They continued strolling down the hallway, hearing familiar voices near the washroom. It was Hoya, sounding overly hurt and desperate as Biah replied to him in her soft and airy quality.
“I want to be with you,” Biah spoke, genuinely expressing her affection for him. “But my father would never allow me to marry you.”
“So you chose to marry Prince Dongwoo?”
“Yes. Because by marrying him, I will have a reason to stay close to you. I’d get to see you everyday.”
“Milady, I mean, Your Highness, it is a dangerous risk you’re taking,” Hoya’s voice was laced with concern, yet placed extra emphasis on their status differences.
“No one will have to know about it. As long as I get to be with you, even if I have to wed someone else and continue an affair with you, I shall willingly take the risk.”
Biah was surprisingly stubborn and determined despite the fragile porcelain doll they had mistaken her as. She barely knew Hoya, but whatever sparked their intimacy was too strong to extinguish now.
“Please forgive me, my prince. It is the only thing I could think of to stay close to you. I can’t do this alone,” she uttered again, holding the cuffs of his outfit. He wasn’t in his shining knight armor that evening, showing a more presentable side of himself to the royal king and queen.
Hoya breathed out a long sigh, grabbing her smaller hands within his own. He did not have to make a public confession, but his silence was a form of surrender to her ways.
A knight and a princess, forbidden to be together in every way, yet trying any desperate measure to fight the status quo. Quite a familiar lover’s sonata.
Hyunmi felt Woohyun’s hand squeeze hers as he pulled her aside and out of sight. The creases on his forehead showed his confusion, trying to help her find a solution.
“I suppose we need his guidance once more,” he spoke.
“Who?”
“The hatter.”
Yuppp, as many of you have guessed.. The identity of the Diamond princess is finally revealed. Hehe.. Thank you all for reading and especially those who are commenting. So I know some people are still reading <3
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