“I do not know if any of you thought of this….” you started, feeling peculiarly tired. Maybe it was all the tea? “but, I am unable to walk.” You pointed to your leg obviously.

The six men who listened closely to what you had to say, laughed at your words as though you had told them something in jest.

“Hyuk.” Taekwoon spoke, his voice sounding bland. “Tell the guards to ready the palanquin for this evening.” though it was quite clear the third prince was giving an order, you found it endearing that the older brother used his nickname.

“Why does he always bully me?!” the younger boy huffed as he walked away silently to which you laughed much louder than expected. It seemed no matter whether you were at home or in this paradise personified, the relationship siblings shared never changed.

“You are the youngest, what else is to be expected?’ Hakyeon quipped with a roguish smile.

Seemingly not impressed by the words said in jest, Sanghyuk turned to shoot both you and his brother a glare before leaving the little dwelling.

The humorous mood you had felt soon evapourated leaving you feeling desponded.

“You seem in low spirits.” Wonshik commented, his eyes never leaving your face even among his conversing brothers.

You shook your head with a small smile; he paid you too much attention. “I was simply thinking of my brother. Prince Sanghyuk reminds me of him is all.” you recalled wistfully. You already missed him dearly.

“If your brother is anything like Sanghyuk, I do not see how it is that you miss him.” Taekwoon interjected. At first you thought his straight face and guarded eyes only added to the cold statement but the longer you looked, the more you noticed his minute facial changes. The tugging at the corner of his apple red lips gave it away.

What a strange sense of humor.

“What is he like, your brother?” Hakyeon interrupted your train of thought; his features alight with curiosity and a fondness that is only present in older siblings.

“He is like all boys his age: curious, impulsive and shooting up like a reed in water even though there isn’t much food.” you replied, feeling lost in another time when a week has barely past since you had seen him. “I am older than him by a few years but he is fiercely protective, at times to his own detriment.” you let out a chuckle, remembering times long gone when Dohyun would attempt to act like the older sibling.

“I suppose if we had a sister, I would do exactly the same.” Hongbin said, agreeing thoughtfully.

You carefully took in the prince’s appearance and attitude. You knew that if he ever were to be in such a situation, you had no doubt that would be the case.

The princes stay in your dwelling until late into the afternoon, dismissing themselves if only to ready themselves for the feast that sounded more than appealing to you. Having been conscious for the first time in three days, you were more than prepared for food – in whatever way it chose to present itself.

You laid amiably in bed, allowing your thoughts to wander in whichever direction whilst you accustomed yourself to what seemed to be your new life. For this reason alone, it was why you were startled when a kindly woman came into your room, her arms occupied by so many fine things that you did not know where to look first.

You protested weakly at the young woman, citing that you could not possibly accept any more kindness than what had already been shown and extended. The young woman, who seemed to be only a year or two older than yourself, wore the same affronted look you had seen on the king and his sons earlier that day. After recovering, your aide explained that their community observed a culture of accepting and giving consideration and to be refused did not only cause them great confusion but offense as well.

Releasing a sigh and the tinge of guilt you were beginning to feel, you nodded your head in acceptance, allowing the woman to help you from your bed. It felt strange to be vertical after a bout of unconsciousness and felt grateful for the assistance. It was also then that you noticed that your clothes had been changed to suit a material of a lighter quality. Given that you vaguely remembered your original clothes becoming vaguely filthy, you do not think you would hold it against your healer for changing you.

Your current source of help laid out your option of garments. Dresses themed with spring came in the most vivid of greens all the way to the palest of pinks. Picking the one that pleased you the most, you allowed her to help you to change into the hanbok of your choosing. As you made idle conversation with each other, your aide carefully removed the knots plaguing your hair from days of no brushing and styles it to compliment your clothes. You cannot help but feel giddy when she began to decorate your hair with colorful combs and hairpins.

Just as she finished her inspection of you, making sure that your ankle had not moved so much as a hairs-breath from its splint with various bandages keeping it in place did two well-dressed guards obediently walk in to notify you of their presence. Unable to navigate the waters of such procedures, you squeaked a reply that you were decent enough for them to enter. After a greeting had been exchanged, you found yourself effortlessly lifted by the two unknown men, their hold secure and respectful.

The palanquin itself was a thing of beauty and you were certain it was one of the best the kingdom had to offer. It was decorated with gold all over with intricate designs of flowers and dragons filling up whatever space the eye would fall on. The inside had been lined with cushions made of the reddest, softest fabric imaginable.

As you embarked on your journey, the footfalls of the two guards caused you to sway from one side to the other but not enough to jostle your recovering ankle; you gave yourself time to think of everything that had come to pass. You found it very much strange at how well you had gotten along with the princes, two of them standing out in particular. Not much time had passed since you had awoken yet speaking to them throughout the course of the day left you feeling as though you had known them your entire life. You supposed that perhaps it was because you had awoken in strange circumstances and the men seemed to pose no threat of danger. You nearly laughed at that notion; the six of them were the exact opposite, their easy laughter and heartfelt hospitality only confirming your initial thoughts.

You let out a gasp of surprise when the guards do not stop at the entrance of what seemed to be the throne room but instead, steadily march forth into the room filled with chatter and laughter. Covered by a delicate curtain, you are obscured from view whilst able to see everything. It seemed as though the entire village was present, seated at elongated tables on either side of the room, their voices bubbling with excitement at their new guest. You found it peculiar that you could not tell where nobility started or ended for everyone in the room was dressed fashionably. At that moment your eyes fell on the table nearest to the king and your breath caught. All six were dressed in rose pink jackets with a matching white ensemble underneath. There was a material attached to the front that looked as though it would float away with a simple movement. In awe, you do not realize your palanquin had been lowered onto the plush red carpet directly across from the king.

“If I may have your attention.” the king rose his voice jovially, calling for his subjects attention. “As you all know, a young lady from outside found herself here under the most unfortunate circumstances. In the spirit of our community and kingdom, I have offered her to stay until she has recovered. This evening’s feast is in celebration of her arrival and the shared need for brotherhood and kindness.” the king concluded his speech by raising his ornamental cup to you.

As though it were a signal, one of the guards lifted the curtain concealing you to help you out of your little confined space. Using his shoulder to steady yourself on one left leg, you bowed to the king as far as your body would allow.

“I am forever in your debt Your Majesty and I thank both you and your sons for saving me.” tapping your companion indicating that you wished to face the residents behind you, you bowed deeply again, placing the friendliest smile on your face. “Hello, I am (L/n)(F/n). I hope that despite my infirmed state that I will be able to get to know you all while I am here.” you spoke shyly, not used to having so many eyes on you.

You cannot say you do not enjoy their reaction of smiles and laughter. It had been a very long time since you had experienced such a community of warmth and welcome.

“You may be seated at the table with the princes. Cushions have been provided to keep your ankle elevated.” the king supplied after he had given the motion for everyone to begin dinner.

Thanking him once more, you hobbled along with the guard to the table nearby, immediately noting the seat that had been left open at the edge of the table. Seating yourself was a graceless affair and being in the presence of men who seemed to hold more grace than any princess you had seen, set your cheeks aflame.

“I hope I look somewhat decent.” you said in greeting, smoothing down your hair even though you knew your aide had done an outstanding job.

“You clean up better than I thought.” Sanghyuk was the first to reply from the other end of the table, a playful smirk on his face.

“And I thought Father taught you better manners.” Hakyeon remarked from the head of the table, giving his youngest brother a flick on his ear. “Once again, I must apologize for my brother.” the oldest prince smiled apologetically.

Though you would have, perhaps should have, felt offended, you recognized the jest and seeing his other brothers laughing rather carelessly at his plight, made you feel laughter bubble up in your throat.

“I think you look lovely.” Wonshik rumbled a sincere compliment in your ear beside you. The sheer depth of his voice caused the same gooseflesh you experienced when you first heard him speak. The nearness of the man also made your cheeks far warmer than the cool spring breeze wafting in through the door.

“Thank you.” you replied, far too shy to look him in the eye. Clearing your throat, you focused on the layout in front of you and your stomach reminded you of how long it had been since you last ate.

Besides rice, there were far more dishes than you could identify and even in your family’s most wealthiest status, you had not eaten half of what you had seen. Meats from all sorts of animals were laid out, cooked to utter perfection, vegetables that would have cost more than your clothes back home were piled high, stews, broths and soups steamed, their scents making you feel dizzy.

“Do not eat too quickly or too much, you will feel ill.” Taekwoon helpfully remarked from across, his voice low and soft.

You had not thought of that. You heard stories of people more than they were used to and falling ill as their bodies were not used to consuming so much.

“Thank you!” you exclaimed, flashing him a grin.

As everyone ate, conversation flowed and cups refilled with alcohol at a faster pace than you could keep up with. It was also during this time that people came up to your table to introduce themselves and ask you questions upon questions. What was your home like? How did you like it here? How did you get hurt? Your hair is lovely, what do you use? Rather than feeling annoyed, you felt flattered that people wished to know so much about you. You also found it completely endearing that little children would come up to you, offering little bowls of fruits or smaller desserts that their parents had sent them with.

Another distinction that made itself known was how well the princes got along with their residents. Where you came from it was rather scandalous for royalty to be so involved with commoners, but here, there was no such thing. Older women spoke to them like grandmothers, men like uncles and young women like sisters.

Currently you were chewing down on a large piece of dessert dumpling that a little boy had been far too excited for you to taste. The syrup and fruit deliciously filled your mouth and try as you might, you could not get the image of looking like a human chipmunk out of your mind. Turning back to the table, you placed the two other dumplings into the bowl in front of you, your hands shiny and sticky.

Looking at the table for a napkin to wipe your hands, you find your neck and torso pulled in different directions. Eyes wide as a deer, you find Wonshik’s thumb and index finger gently curled around your chin, lifting your face towards him as he gently wiped the stray syrup plaguing your lips and mouth. As your face drains of color before reddening for the second time that night, your eyes focused on the soft fabric of his clothing, unseeing of his gentle movements. Your hands from what you saw, or felt rather, had been taken into Taekwoon’s larger, softer and warmer ones. He treated your hands like glass, gently removing any residue from each phalange, displaying the patience of a fisherman. The dual sensation of his warm skin and the cool of the rings that adorned his fingers brought a shiver down your spine.

Once the princes had let you escape from their grasp, you swallowed the food still present in your mouth with a large gulp; your throat suddenly dry. You do not spare a glance at the rest of the table as you reach for a cooled cup of tea.

“It seems like one side of our table will be devoid of napkins sooner than expected.” Jaehwan remarked a smirk on his face as he sipped on his sweet plum wine.

A/N: I feel like at this point I should become a manga writer instead lol. The ending scene in my reminded me of something that could be a deleted scene for Ouran High School Host Club or some or other anime. Maybe I should leave Sakura Kiss here? Anyway, apologies for the late chapter, I had trouble trying to work out what I actually wanted to place in this chapter and where it will go from here. The outfits are inspired from this live and any other mention of clothes I will link to a video or gif or picture of what I mean. Hopefully this is getting interesting for you all, writing love triangles is challenging work, even more so in the inital stages. And one more thing I forgot to put in my last A/N, littleshrubby (on here) is doing a VIXX Secret Santa story exchange. I will be joining as well so if you are a writer, please check it out here. <3