“It’s a big day huh,” Hoseok hears his mother’s voice as he looks at himself in the mirror dressed in red trousers and a stuffy white shirt tucked in the pants, his hands covered by red gloves.

Hoseok just nods as his mother picks up the dark red cape that is lying on the table and stands behind Hoseok pinning it on his shoulders.

“You look so handsome,” she says. Hoseok smiles at her from the mirror as he turns around and his mother’s hands are still on his shoulder as she kisses his forehead.

“I can’t believe you are all grown up now,” she says as dabs at her eyes with a silk handkerchief carefully.

“Don’t cry now,” Hoseok says to her.

His mother chuckles a little.

“You know how I am,” she says. “Always so emotional”

Hoseok just nods smiling a little.

“Son,”

“Yes,”

“Today is very important for you and I hope you realize that,” she says.

Hoseok nods yet again.

“You have to make a decision that is wise that benefits not only you but the people as well,”

Hoseok nods. He doesn’t need to be reminded again of how important this decision is just not for him but everyone else.

“I want you to choose well,” she says.

“I will,”

His mother smiles at him as he slips her hand and holds his arm her grip firm.

“Come on we have to make an address now,”

Hoseok nods as they walk leaving his room and make their way through the corridors. Hoseok is almost glad that he has his mother to hold onto. He feels giddy his knees weak and his mother seems to sense it as she reassuringly squeezes his hand.

They finally make it on the way to the balcony and Hoseok gulps. The huge crowd makes him beyond nervous and a loud cheering noise erupts as the crowd sees them.

His mother holds up her waving at the people down. She is so fit into the role of being a royal, she is a natural. While Hoseok feels like he isn’t as much but he slowly holds up a hand and waves at the crowd because the last thing he wants is whispers of how highly the young prince thinks of himself that he wouldn’t even wave to his people.

Someone brings them both a throne-like chair to sit on.

The royal speaker taps at the microphone and an immediate hush falls over on the crowd.

“Welcome the people of the kingdom,” he says his loud voice booming. “Today we all stand here in the presence of Her Majesty and Prince Jung Hoseok”

Everyone bows together and his mother just nods in the direction of the crowd a light smile on her face.

“Today,” the speaker continues. “Is a very important day for the kingdom as this auspicious day marks the beginning of the ceremonial picking of a groom for the price,”

The applause is almost deafening everyone seems so overjoyed by the announcement, everyone except for Hoseok himself.

“Our prince is off age and ready to take over the throne,” the announcer continues. “But before he does that he must make the choice of a husband that will help him take care of the state and its people, a companion that he spends his life with”

There are loud cheers and Hoseok feels his heart sink.

“Over the course of the next eight weeks, six princes will compete in a series of competitions to prove they are worthy to marry the Prince,”

The crowd is applauding and cheering at the same time and somehow Hoseok has grown deaf to it all. A mere eight weeks is all he is given to choose his ‘husband’ a man with whom he is supposed to live with for the rest of his life. In a short period of eight weeks, he is expected to fall in love with someone. But of course, the love is all just a cover-up because this is nothing but a political decision and that’s why he has the narrow pickings of just six princes chosen personally by his mother in terms of their power and their influence.

He doesn’t blame his mother, he knows she means well. And he knows she is sympathetic to Hoseok’s situation but they have no choice. Any delay longer means that the kingdom will fall apart. Ever since his father’s death, the year before the kingdom has been in a volatile condition threatening to fall apart but his mother has been holding it all together with great difficulty waiting for Hoseok to be off age so that he could get married and take over the responsibility of ruling the kingdom.

“People of the kingdom I request you all to welcome the Princes that are here to compete for the hand of our own beloved Prince”

Again the applause echoes but falls to a hush when the royal speaker taps his microphone.

“Firstly I want you all to please welcome Prince Kim Seokjin of Gyeonggi,” the speaker’s voice roars.

Hoseok notices his mother stand up as well and he follows suit applauding for the prince. He sees the car doors open and out steps, the prince his head bowed down. He is wearing a red shirt with blue stripes over it tucked into his black pants and brown shoes. He waves at the people as they all bow and Hoseok finally catches a glimpse of his face.

Hoseok would be lying if he didn’t think he might just be the most handsome man he has ever seen. Hoseok was convinced before seeing the Prince that it was a blonde haired blue eyed boy he had seen on the train when he had gone to Germany. Their eyes had met for a brief second and Hoseok’s heart had never hammered so hard in his chest.

Prince Seokjin takes small careful steps surrounded by his bodyguards as he waves at everyone.

And when suddenly he looks up and Hoseok’s heart skips a beat when he realizes that the Prince is looking at him. He drops his gaze immediately looking at his white knuckles from holding onto the railing too hard.

When he looks back he doesn’t see the Prince which means that Prince Kim Seokjin must have entered the castle.

“Please give a warm welcome for Prince Min Yoongi of Buk-Gu,”

A man with a head of platinum blonde hair steps out dressed in a navy blue shirt and black slacks and a long flowing white cape buttoned around his neck and at first, Hoseok thinks it must be a guard but looking at his attire it’s definitely the Prince himself. Hoseok is intrigued by the unnatural choice of hair color. He has never seen a royal that has ever had dyed their hair. The Royals are supposed to represent their country and its people and anything that can put a damper on the reputation of the kingdom is never permitted. But, Prince Min Yoongi does not seem to think that way. Even Hoseok’s mother looks back at him wearing an unrecognizable expression. The Prince waves at the people for a brief second before making his way briskly walking his face looking almost bored but his lips still pressed into somewhat of a polite smile. Thankfully, he doesn’t look up and disappears into the castle.

The speaker has to tap his microphone to quieten the very loud hushed whispers among the people. They are probably already speculating taking bets about who Hoseok will end up choosing.

“We are honored to welcome Prince Kim Namjoon of Ilsan,”

The white car already stands out and so does the tall towering Prince Namjoon dressed in all white but a flowing black cape that almost sweeps the floor. He has a serious look on his face but takes his time to wave at everyone the guards that form a circle of protection around him and Hoseok realizes he is one of the richer Princes as he makes his way inside the Palace. He feels his mother’s gaze burning on him. Hoseok tries to instead focus on the next Prince.

“Welcome, Prince Park Jimin of Geumjeong,”

The Prince steps out of his shiny black limousine. He is dressed in a pale yellow shirt and khaki colored pants and he is wearing a dark red robe over it. Hoseok’s breath hitches at how ethereal Prince Jimin looks as he waves at everyone not moving forward and a wide good-natured smile on his face. He seems friendly for some reason as he slowly walks down still waving at the people before finally entering the palace.

The loud murmurs die down when another car pulls up. Hoseok’s legs hurt from standing up and his hands from clapping for each Prince. The obligatory smile that he should always wear has also worn him off but his mother is cheery as ever.

“Welcome, Prince Kim Taehyung of Seo-Gu,”

And then steps Prince Kim Taehyung dressed in a dark green shirt and black tight pants and a white flowing cape. The Prince waves at everyone his face somber and sometimes joins his hands at the people before he enters the castle. He gives off an aura of power.

“And finally please give your warm welcome to Prince Jeon Jungkook of Mandeok,”

The applause is the loudest yet and Hoseok guesses it’s probably because he is the last one to show up.

The Prince who is completely dressed in red aided in a robe that is green in color he waves at everyone a little smile on his face. His black hair falls on his forehead in waves a stark contrast to the sleek hairstyle everyone else had. Hoseok likes it. It gives the Prince a softer look. He seems approachable almost.

The royal speaker clears his throat loudly and Hoseok is glad he can finally sit down.

“And with this, we have introduced all the Princes that will be competing with each other to have Prince Jung Hoseok’s hand in marriage. The competitions will test the Princes in different areas so they can prove themselves worthy to marry our beloved Prince”

The crowd applauds and it somehow sinks into Hoseok how he has to be the one to make this very important decision not only for him but for his family and of course the entire kingdom.

“And now for some words from Her Majesty,”

There is an absolute silence as Hoseok’s mother rises from her seat and walks to the balcony her fingers that delicately wrap around the microphone. She clears .

“People of Gwangju,” she begins. “The next eight weeks mark a very important beginning for our kingdom”

She pauses a little.

“Your beloved prince my son is going to be choosing a groom from the six Princes that you have all welcomed so warmly; a man that can not only love him dearly, keep him company but als