HELL YEAH ES I'M BACK!!!!!!

I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update this story and its mostly because everytime I tried to write, my inspiration fled from me like a startled kitten but when I got inspiration I was too busy to write it or I'd lose where I wrote it.

So I hope that you guys can forgive me. I'm going to try to steadily update my other stories.

Please continue with the story and I hope that you enjoy it.

Junmyeon walked towards where Kyungsoo and Jongin were talking –mostly because he wanted to get away from Baekhyun and his sputtering nonsense about Kyungsoo being a self-centered harlot whilst forgetting that he himself might also be a harlot (well that’s what the others say)-, Kyungsoo is the first of the two men to notice him as soon as Junmyeon is in listening range and close enough to him to have a conversation. He bows and greets Junmyeon with a smile.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Your Highness. It’s been quite a while since the last time we saw each other, hasn’t it Your Highness?”

“As always it’s a pleasure to see you, Lord Kyungsoo.” Junmyeon smiled gently at Kyungsoo who replied with a smile of his own before he looked at Jongin who looked quite sheepish at his elder brother. “How has my younger brother been treating you? Has he managed to keep up with conversation properly?”

“Hyung~” Jongin whined, completely breaking his royal image. He pouted at Junmyeon before he seemed to have spotted something more interesting behind Junmyeon’s head. “Ah, Jongdae-hyung wants to talk. Farewell Lord Kyungsoo, I hope you enjoy the rest of the eve.”

Kyungsoo and Junmyeon watched Jongin walked away with a joy in his foot as he stood next to Jongdae, smiling when Jongdae was introducing an acquaintance to him.

“He’s very sweet with a very gentle soul as well but he seems to be quite shy, Your Highness.” Kyungsoo broke the trance that Junmyeon was dazed in with that comment. “It’s hard to believe that he’s very impressive when it comes to wielding the blade.”

“Yes, our Jongin is strong but gentle at the same time. His shyness is something that he can’t avoid but it’s very much endearing, don’t you think so Kyungsoo?” Junmyeon replied before looking at Kyungsoo with a gentle smile as he extended his arm towards Kyungsoo. “Walk with me?”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

Junmyeon and Kyungsoo walked together towards the gardens, passing by the variety of flowers that bloomed in the garden under the moonlit night.

“Has your father chosen a wife for you, Your Highness?” Kyungsoo questioned as he laid eyes on a chrysanthemum before he looked over to Junmyeon. “Or has he chosen a husband for you?”

“Not yet, Kyungsoo.” Junmyeon said with a sad smile before looking over at Kyungsoo with a smirk. “Are you hoping that my father chooses you?”

“If that’s what His Majesty desires then I shall abide by the rules of my lord.” Kyungsoo proclaimed with a sweet smile and a soft blush adorning his cheek before looking at Junmyeon with it. “However, I would not mind it Your Highness. I could be a good wife for you and you are a kind man so also I know the kind of person that you are.”

“You’re a nice person, Kyungsoo. I wouldn’t mind marrying you either but who knows what the King desires for me.” Junmyeon said as he turned to look at Kyungsoo with a tightlipped smile. Kyungsoo tried to mask the look of disappointment as he clenched his teeth before he told Junmyeon that they should head inside for the king had most likely returned to the gala. As soon as they returned to the ballroom, Kyungsoo was called by his father and as soon as Kyungsoo left his side, Baekhyun sprinted towards his side.

“What did the face mocking harlot say?” Baekhyun hissed into Junmyeon’s ear who simply stared at Baekhyun as if he was weird.

“Baekhyun, I could give you a list of people who say the exact same thing about you and it would be more than two parchments long.” Junmyeon deadpanned to his droopy-eyed companion. “Don’t speak ill of others because they will speak worse things regarding you once you find yourself in a terrible predicament.”

“I didn’t know that legendary poet Eun Jiwon had risen from his grave and come to give me words of wisdom.” Baekhyun laughed as he walked away to gossip more (also to avoid Junmyeon’s scolding words) while Junmyeon simply shook his head in disapproval for his friend.

“He’ll learn one day. Everyone learns.” Junmyeon thought as he heard the king give the ending speech for the night in which those who wanted to stay could stay while those who wanted to rest or leave could do so. Junmyeon walked away towards the main door so he could go rest, he looked from the corner of his eye and noticed that Minseok was in deep speech with the prince from Yiwen, his usually stoic elder brother was laughing at something that the prince had said. “Good, Minseok might do well with his betrothed. If they get married, they’ll be happy; that’s what I’m hoping for.”

Junmyeon walked away bowing and smiling at all who greeted him and even those who didn’t. He arrived at his room and simply decided to rest. The next morning, he rose from his bed and got dressed without the assistance of his maids, however when he was going to leave his room so he could go ride his horse for a while, he was stopped by his father’s squire.

“What’s wrong Seungjun?” Junmyeon asked the squire who was panting and was hunched on his knees.

“The king and queen call for you to meet them in the King’s solar.” Odd. The only thing that Junmyeon could think of in that moment was odd. Unlike his more rowdy siblings (Minseok included) Junmyeon was never called to the King’s solar, for he never did anything that could be categorized as wrong; if his father had something to tell him he would tell him in front of the court or when they were breaking their fast. For Junmyeon was too dutiful thus he wouldn’t do nor say anything that would displease his father. The dutiful prince; that’s what everyone would say. That he was exactly like his late uncle, former Crown Prince Jaejoong; however his duty took him to an early grave.

“Thank you, Seungjun.” Junmyeon said with a smile before turning to take off his riding coat and placed it on his bed, he later moved towards the door and closed it making his way towards his father’s solar. As he made his way towards the solar, Junmyeon couldn’t help but think on what had he done wrong that would make his father call him to his solar. Had he made a bad decision when he conducted training regimes? Was he coddling Yerim too much? Did Jongdae tattle on him for grabbing one of his mother’s orange tarts? Had he found out the truth behind his relationship with Sehun?

Once he arrived to the solar, he knocked and waited for the King´s response, he noticed from the corner of his eye that two maids had stopped in their cleaning to see which prince had gotten himself in trouble again but their jaws dropped once they noticed that it was Junmyeon who was standing in front of the door of the King’s solar.

“Come in.” With those words, Junmyeon opened the door to the solar and entered. He was in awe at the sight of the solar; the floor was a thick mahogany wood that glistened with the reflection of the light of the sun that poured through the windows behind the desk, he could tell that the desk which had various parchments and royal decrees on it was made of vintage rosewood (something that didn’t grow in Asterrania) on one side of the room, there was a large amount of shelves all filled with books varied in different topics (Junmyeon could even see some that were written in different languages) and the fireplace was on the other wall which had the royal family’s banner hung on it along with some weapons. He noticed that his mother was sitting in front of his father as she drank a cup of tea whilst she read a decree.

“Blessings Your Grace and my Lady.” Junmyeon greeted his parents before he directly addressed the problem. “Father, is there something wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong. We just want to inform you of something.” King Yunho replied with a tightlipped smile. From seeing that grimly contained smile, Junmyeon knew that something was wrong or that he wasn’t going to like to hear what his parents were going to inform him of.

“Alright.” Junmyeon said as he sat down on the chair next to his mother who leaned forward to give him a kiss of the cheek.

“We have a received a marriage offer for you and I desire to be sincere with you, my son by telling you that it’s an offer that would give you everything I’ve wanted you to have from the moment you were born.” Yunho explained slowly with a wavering voice. Junmyeon nodded his head in understanding but found himself asking who could’ve made such a good offer to his father; most of the other kingdom’s heirs were either engaged or too old for Junmyeon to marry into, it didn’t sound like it would be any of the noble houses of the country because his father (mostly his mother) has been refusing those offers ever since the first day ever since he was announced of age to be engaged.

“Who is it father?” Junmyeon asked with a soft voice while holding his gaze to his father’s.

“You are to wed Crown Prince Yifan of Yiwen; in a month’s time you and your own hand-chosen court shall go to Yiwen to meet your betrothed.” Yunho explained keeping his gaze firm on Junmyeon to gauge his reaction, Junmyeon could hear his mother sniffle which would be an indicator of her being close to crying.

The feeling that Junmyeon had felt at that moment wasn’t sadness, despair nor anger as many others (Baekhyun and Jongdae as firm examples) in his situation would feel. Why? Because he knew his duty, he knew more than any of his siblings about of his duty; he knew that as the second son he had more chances of being sent away for a marriage with another kingdom. Sure the match wasn’t horrible; he could have been matched with the prince that liked to place people’s heads on spikes for fun or even the prince who was cursed thus all of his betrothed have died in horrible ways. He knew about the crown prince of Yiwen; handsome, intelligent, strong, fierce in battle and very much adept to his birthright which was the throne of Yiwen. He just wasn’t comfortable with going all the way up north to a culture that he knew zero to nothing aside from what he’s heard from his spies and read in books.

“All the way up north, father? It’ll be cold, I’ll need to adapt to wearing furs.” Junmyeon laughed sweetly trying to lighten up the mood as he held his crying mother’s hand. “It’ll be hard to visit you and my brothers and dear little sister.

“Mother, if you’re crying like this when father is telling me of the engagement then how will you stand my departing?” He questioned his mother with a soft question before embracing her; she instantly latched on to him and cried softly in his shoulder. He felt sadness as he listened to his mother cry but he knew his duty, he just didn’t know how to break it down to Sehun.

Kyungsoo sighed as he heard his father start screaming at his spies before he returned to the dining table where his mother, half-sister and he were sitting all of them breaking their fast peacefully not minding the angered yells of his father since this was a normal occurrence in the Do household. Eventually his father either got tired of yelling at the spy or he dismissed him not wanting to see the spy’s “stupid rat” face as his father would kindly put it. His father walked in looking livid as he sat down on his chair and gulped down the glass of tea that had been prepared for him.

“What’s wrong darling? Did one of the assassination attempts go wrong?” Kyungsoo’s mother, Boyoung, questioned as she looked at her husband who had decided to demand that the servants brought him wine because apparently it was never too early to get drunk.

“My assassination attempts never go wrong, Boyoung. You know this.” Ji Sung groaned after he gulped down the entire cup of wine before gesturing to the servants to refill his cup. “And if you must know the plan went perfectly well and Lord Ki won’t bother us anymore.”

“Then what got your feathers all ruffled up?” Boyoung asked as she ate a piece of bread while looking at her husband with a pointed look. “It’s hard for someone to make you mad.”

“Our plans to place Kyungsoo on the throne has been set back once again.” At these words Kyungsoo dropped his fork that contained a bite of boiled egg and his sister choked on her water.

“What?” Kyungsoo’s mother nearly hissed, voice dripping with venom as she glared at Ji Sung. “What do you mean that our plans have been set back?!”

“I have received news from my spies that Prince Junmyeon has been arranged to marry the Crown Prince of Yiwen.” Kyungsoo clenched his teeth at the memory of the conversation that he had with Junmyeon the previous eve. “I’m certain that this agreement took place last night during the ball.”

“Well then what will we do?”

“The original plan was for Kyungsoo to marry Prince Junmyeon and eventually Prince Minseok would have an “accident” (his father clearly means murder here) and pass away thus allowing Prince Junmyeon to rise as Crown Prince and eventually King in which Kyungsoo as his spouse would be crowned as Prince Consort.” Ji Sung explained. “And even if the Emperor of Yiwen wanted his son to stay here and marry Prince Junmyeon, he would be the second prince consort to Prince Junmyeon.”

“First, the King arranges for Prince Minseok to marry that stupid bastard prince from Yiwen because he’s afraid of a war, then he arranges for Prince Junmyeon to marry that prince from Yiwen.” Boyoung hissed with clenched teeth as she gestured for a servant to pour wine in her glass. “Now must we proceed with the next prince?”

“I refuse to let Kyungsoo marry Prince Jongdae; Prince Jongdae seems capable of driving the kingdom in ruin and I don't want historians to associate Kyungsoo with that mess.”

“Then who?”

“I don’t know.”

“Should I marry Prince Jongin?” Kyungsoo commented with a bored tone as he looked at his parents who both stopped bickering to look at him. “He seems to be quite taken with me, if I’m alone with him for more than 10 minutes I can assure you that he’ll be begging me to marry him on his knees.

“Its common knowledge that if Prince Junmyeon goes up North to Yiwen for his marriage then it’s assured that Prince Jongdae will follow him. Prince Jongdae is quite dutiful to the second prince.”

“The king’s intention is to wed Prince Jongin to Lady Soojung of Kaewŏn.” His half-sister Saeron finally spoke up looking at her brother with a teasing look in her eyes. “How will you make him change his father’s mind?”

“The king loves his children too much to restrain them from something that they want so badly.” Kyungsoo replied.

“Don’t worry little sister. I’ll make him beg his father to allow him to marry me.”

SO I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED THE CHAPTER I LITERALLY KILLED MYSELF WORKING OVER THIS CHAPTER!!!

If you guys have any questions regarding the story then please do so in your reviews/comments. And pleae comment or review, I hold those very close to my heart.

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ALSO.......

HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY EXO!!!! #6YearsWithEXO. I love my 9 idiots and I also love the 3 idiots who parted ffrom the group~! Now that I think about it this chapter was a bit conmemorative despite not having much EXO members involved in the chapter.