Hoseok wakes up with the sun shining down on his face. He groans covering his face remembering that he definitely pulled the curtains over the window before sleeping and yet they are still somehow open.

“Hoseok wake up,”

It’s his mother.

Hoseok yawns, sitting up looking at the clock to check the time. It’s only 7 am.

“Why do I have to wake up so early?”

“The Princes are already up and ready training on the castle grounds,” his mother says. “Don’t you think you should show them your support?”

“But mother...,”

“It is a very nice thing to do so,” she says in a firm voice that Hoseok has no choice to get up from his bed.

“Good, I want you downstairs in half an hour okay,”

Hoseok only nods as he closes the door after his mother leaves sighing. He is still so sleepy he can barely keep his eyes open and now he has to sit and watch the Princes train something that does not sound interesting even one bit but Hoseok has no choice.

He takes a shower changing into his royal uniform. It already feels very stuffy as Hoseok makes his way downstairs.

He finds a servant in the way.

“Where is mother?” he asks.

“Her Majesty is in the castle ground and she wishes your presence,”

“Okay, thank you,”

The servant hurries away after a bow as Hoseok makes his way to the castle grounds.

He sees his mother seated on a chair under a shady tree, guards by her side. There is a spare chair next to her and Hoseok makes his way to it when all the Princes notice his arrival.

“Good morning Prince Hoseok,” they all say in unison with a bow.

“Good morning Princes,” Hoseok says before taking his seat.

His mother smiles at him.

“Look, how hard they are training,” she says.

“Yes,” Hoseok says with a polite smile.

Hoseok looks at Prince Jungkook running rounds of the grounds. Prince Seokjin is busy lifting weights. Prince Namjoon doing push-ups while Prince Jimin is busy practicing with his sword. Prince Taehyung and Prince Yoongi are together practicing archery.

“Son,” Hoseok’s mother says. “I have some duties to attend. I hope you stay here to show your support”

“Of course mother,”

Hoseok watches his mother leave quietly and no one notices her departure. They are all into their training so no one notices.

Hoseok is mostly bored by watching them practice and even the initial awe about their sweaty masculine body wears off in the prickly summer heat and he is left wondering how the Princes are able to train in such weather.

Hoseok sips his juice watching Prince Taehyung and Prince Yoongi in particular. They are both extremely good at archery hitting bull's eye each time.

And each time they move the target further. It is almost like a competition between the two of them and soon enough the others seem to take notice as well just watching them.

Prince Yoongi misses a shot for the first time. It’s too far away and Prince Taehyung can hardly stifle his laughter as he readies his bow when Prince Yoongi walks back to his position and Prince Taehyung shoots the bow barely missing Prince Yoongi but hitting the aim. Prince Taehyung grins when he is shoved back by Prince Yoongi.

Hoseok rises from his seat. He can sense a fight.

“Can’t you see?” Prince Yoongi yells.

“You walked in my path,” Prince Taehyung yells back. “It’s your fault”

“No, it isn’t,” Prince Yoongi says his hands around Prince Taehyung’s shirt collar. “You did it on purpose”

All the Princes are now watching them but neither of them makes any effort to stop them.

At this point, Hoseok knows he has to intervene. He rushes to the grounds the other Princes moving away immediately for him.

“Prince Taehyung, Prince Yoongi please stop,” Hoseok says.

Prince Yoongi takes one look at Hoseok and drops his hands away from Taehyung stepping back. Prince Taehyung straightens his collar glaring at Prince Yoongi.

“I humbly request you not engage in quarrels,” Hoseok says. “It’s not going to do anyone any good”

Prince Taehyung nods bowing.

“I am very sorry Prince Hoseok,” he says. “I was overcome by the desire to prove myself. I promise you I won’t be so reckless in the future”

“I am very sorry as well Prince Hoseok,” Prince Yoongi says bowing down.

“Its fine,” Hoseok manages to smile. “I am glad you two understand your mistake”

They nod.

“You can go back to your practice,” Hoseok says. “I am sorry for the interruption”

All the Princes bow at Hoseok as he makes his way back. His mother has returned.

“What happened?” she asks as Hoseok sits down.

“A fight broke out,” Hoseok answers.

“This early?”

“Huh,”

“It is very normal for fights to happen during such events,” his mother explains. “As a way to impress or assert dominance but only after the actual ceremony starts...I’ve never heard of anyone fighting during a simple training session”

Hoseok can’t even imagine how bad the fights would be if they are already grabbing each other by collars’ in a training session.

“Who was fighting with whom?” she asks.

“Prince Taehyung and Prince Yoongi,”

“Ah,” his mother says sitting down. “That does not surprise me much”

“What do you mean mother?”

“Don’t you know Hoseok?”

“Know what?” he asks.

“There has been a dispute between the provinces of Buk-Gu and Seo-Gu as long as anyone can remember,” Hoseok’s mother answers. “Many wars have been fought until when they signed a peace treaty and since then though the wars have stopped the bitter feelings still remain alive”

Hoseok doesn’t know what to say as he looks again at Prince Taehyung and Prince Yoongi.

Prince Taehyung isn’t practicing archery anymore instead he is seemingly resting his eyes still trained on Prince Yoongi who aims but ends up missing the target yet again.

The smug grin on Prince Taehyung’s face and the cold glare on Prince Yoongi’s face are hard to miss.

Hoseok excuses himself after a little while from the practice heading back to his room where he changes out of his stuffy uniform and lies down on the bed staring at the ceiling. He is bored out of his mind and maybe he could read a book but he is too exhausted to do it so he slowly falls asleep solely because he has nothing better than do.

He wakes up late in the afternoon practically starving. He puts on a simple white shirt and black trousers before heading downstairs to the kitchen to find something to eat.

As he walks to the kitchen he bumps into Prince Seokjin stumbling forward when Prince Seokjin catches him.

“Prince Hoseok,” he says. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, thank you, Prince Seokjin”

“Please, be more careful,”

“Um yes,” Hoseok says hesitantly while Prince Seokjin’s hands are still around him. He realizes a few seconds later and moves away.

“I’m sorry,” he says.

“It’s...okay,” Hoseok says and they stand there hesitantly for a few seconds.

There is a very awkward silence and Hoseok surprisingly breaks it.

“How did the practice go?”

“It went very good Prince Hoseok, thank you for asking,” Prince Seokjin answers with a smile. Hoseok’s heart skips a be