Jinyoung paced outside the castle and into the darkness, frustration flooding through him. He wished Mark had agreed to run away with him, but in his heart he knew that he was right. He didn’t know what games his parents were playing, but it looked as if he was going to have to play along for the time being. 

Jinyoung walked to the stables and spent some time grooming Peaches. The stallion leaned into the brush and made contented sounds. It was only a matter of time before he knew Jaebum would come. The man always seemed to next to him whenever he had a problem.

“Let me guess. You’re upset with Mark this time?” Jaebum asked and Jinyoung didn’t have to turn around to know the man was smirking.

Jinyoung huffed as he laid his forehead into the stallions neck, “What am I to do with him?” he asked. 

“Are you talking to me or Peaches?” Jaebum joked

“Jaebum!”

Jaebum laughed, “I’m just jesting, so what happened?”

“I asked Mark to run away with me and he refused.” Jinyoung groaned

“Smart guy” Jaebum hummed

“So you agree with his choice?” Jinyoung frowned as he faced his friend.

Jaebum crossed his arms, “Jinyoung, you know no one better than me wants nothing more than to run away with their beloved. But even though there are sacrifices we’ll make for them, there are some that mustn’t be crossed.” he stated

Jinyoung sighed, Jaebum was right. “I hate it when you get all scholarly on me.”

“Pretty sure that’s not a word but whatever” Jaebum shrugged as he left Jinyoung alone with Peaches. Once Jinyoung had finished grooming the horse, he gave Peaches a pat on the neck before heading inside. It was time to find out what the next challenge was so that he could warn Mark. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mark was still standing staring at the door, when BamBam returned to the room. “Mark, is everything all right?” BamBam asked, Mark shook his head. “Is it because of Jiho?” 

“It’s a lot of things,” Mark sighed. “Jiho, my family, this contest.” 

“If you don’t mind my saying so,” BamBam began, “you’ve been wildly uncomfortable since you got here. If you want to win the prince, be true to who you are. If he cares for you, that’s what will impress him.” 

Mark closed his eyes and remembered the feeling of Jinyoung’s lips on his. “Unfortunately, it’s his parents I’m worried about impressing.” 

BamBam waved a hand. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m pretty sure they’re not as crazy as they appear to be.” 

Mark casted him a confused look, “What do you mean?”

BamBam hummed, “Well these tests all seem so ridiculous, however I think there’s something more going on than we know.” 

“Like a test within the test?” Mark questioned

“Exactly.” Mark walked over and fell back on his bed again with a groan. “Great, as if I didn’t have enough to worry about.” 

“I was trying to make you feel better,” BamBam pointed out. 

Mark instantly felt guilty during this entire competition BamBam been nothing but a friend to him even though they were rivals, “I’m sorry BamBam, it’s just this entire competition been stressing me.” He sighed

BamBam Mark’s back, “It’s okay.”

As he laid on the bed, an idea occurred to Mark, and he sat up, “Did anyone ever announce who passed the test today?” 

BamBam shook his head and sat down beside Mark on the bed. “No, the steward said we would know in the morning. Several of us were sure there hadn’t even been a test. It turns out we each had an audience with King Wooyoung. He showed us a special hairbrush, his maid began to brush our hair, she yanked one of the hairs from our head, and then the king sent us on our way.” 

“Same thing happened to me. So, what does that mean, exactly?” Mark asked, anxious to keep his and Jinyoung secret. 

“I think they were testing to see who was injured by it.” BamBam guessed

“Oh like Baekhyun,” Mark pointed out. 

“Yes. When he started making such a big deal about it, I was pretty sure that the hair pulling was the test.” BamBam said

“Does anyone have any idea what to expect next?” Mark asked hopefully but BamBam shaked his head, “So what now?” He asked, more to himself than to BamBam. 

“There is nothing we can do except get some rest.” 

“I can’t sleep yet.” Mark sighed. “I think I’ll go for a walk in the garden.” 

“Okay. I’ll see you in the morning,” BamBam said as he began to changing his clothes.

Mark crossed to the armoire and took out the black cloak he had seen in it earlier. He draped the rich fabric around himself and left the room. Mark wasn’t completely sure where he was going, but he felt the need to be free of the castle walls. Out in the gardens Mark began to walk contemplatively, breathing in the cool night air, he wandered farther than he and BamBam had explored before. 

As silence stretched around him, Mark began to feel better. What has happened to me? he wondered. His life on the farm seemed so far away. A sudden splash interrupted the quiet. Curious, Mark wandered deeper into the gardens, looking for the source of the sound. A wall of hedges rose on his left, looming in the dark. Mark touched it and it was the outer wall of the great maze that would be one of the contests during the Festival. 

Mark had thought to enter the maze contest this year. Little had he known that he would be involved in a much more strenuous series of contests, to win not a ribbon but a husband. Mark heard the splashing again, a little ways to his right. He turned and headed toward the sound. A few steps further on Mark found a large fountain. Standing in the middle of it was Youngjae. 

“Hello,” Mark said quietly. 

Youngjae jumped and spun around, eyes wild, but when he saw it was Mark, he relaxed slightly. “Hello,” he answered tentatively. Mark moved closer. Youngjae shoes were on the ground near the fountain. And Youngjae stood in the middle of the pool, his pants folded up to his knees, “I live near the ocean so I miss the water,” Youngjae said, lifting his chin as if defying Mark. 

“I’ve never seen the ocean. What’s it like?” Mark wondered

“Like freedom,” Youngjae smiled, closing his eyes and spinning around. “Imagine standing in the surf and looking out and seeing only water. No land in sight. Just the blue of the ocean stretching to the horizon until it meets the blue of the sky.” 

“You make it sound wonderful,” Mark said. 

“That’s because it is.” Youngjae smiled

“Is your mother really a mermaid?” Mark asked.

Youngjae just smiled and stretched out his hand, “Join me.” Mark knew the proper thing to do would be to decline, but what had BamBam just said, about being true to who he really was? Who he really was really wanted to jump in the fountain. Mark kicked off his shoes, took off his cloak, folding up his pants, and climbed into the fountain, gasping as the cold water hit his calves. Youngjae clapped his hands as he was dancing and spinning. “Don’t be afraid to let your clothes get wet,” he said. 

“Well it’s not technically mine,” Mark said. 

“Even better!” Youngjae laughed. 

Mark couldn’t help but laugh too. “I don’t think I’m even a real prince,” he said. 

“Wonderful,” Youngjae said, throwing his arms toward the sky as he spun. 

“Up until a couple of days ago I lived on a farm,” Mark said, playing in the water as well. He didn’t know why he was telling Youngjae this but he couldn’t help but let it all out.

“That’s amazing. What is that like?” Youngjae asked and Mark could see that he was genuinely interested.

“I love it. Hard work, sunshine, simple food, no servants or fancy clothes that I can’t get wet,” Mark said, laughing harder as he danced in the fountain. 

“Then why are you even here?” Youngjae asked. 

“Because I was crazy enough to fall in love with a prince. How silly is that?” Mark sighed

Youngjae stopped spinning, and his face turned serious, “It’s not silly at all. Love is never silly. It is beautiful, terrible, unexpected, uplifting, heart shattering but it is anything but silly.” 

Mark blinked in surprise at the sudden transition. “You really are in love with a lord, aren’t you?” 

Youngjae shrugged, “Well it’s complicated,” then he smiled, “But that’s love!” As he splashed around in the fountain. Mark stared at Youngjae wondering how he could he be so positive when he has to be through all these trails. Youngjae saw Mark thinking hard and splash him. Mark jumped feeling the water on him, “Stop thinking, let’s play.” He smirked. Youngjae’s smile was infectious and Mark couldn’t help but smile back as he ran after Youngjae in the fountain.

An hour later Mark crept back into his room, his wet clothes heavy as he tried to hold his pants up from sagging. There was a candle burning on the desk, and BamBam was sitting up in a sleepwear staring at him. “BamBam, you’re awake,” Mark said in surprise, aware that something was wrong. 

BamBam held out a paper to him. “A dog came for you.” 

“I can explain,” Mark said quickly, taking the letter from him. 

“You don’t have to explain anything,” BamBam said. “You love him; he loves you. I think that’s great.” He smiled

Mark threw his arms around him. “Thank you so much.” 

BamBam laughed and pushed Mark away. “You didn’t tell me you were going swimming.” 

“Sorry! Next time I’ll take you with me.” Mark pulled off his soggy clothes and changed into his night clothes. “So, what did Coco’s letter have to say?” 

“Once I figured out it was for you, I didn’t read any further,” BamBam said. 

When he had finished changing, Mark opened the letter and read: My love. Tomorrow they are testing the sensitivity of your skin, particularly your feet. You will be asked to walk across grass. The intended result is that the blades of grass will cut your feet. There are some berries in the kitchen that you could use to stain the bottom of your feet so it would look like blood. Forever yours, Jinyoung. 

“How sensitive are the bottoms of your feet?” Mark asked, handing BamBam the letter. 

“Terribly sensitive. My father used to tickle them when I was a child, and I would just go crazy laughing. Why?” BamBam wondered

“For the challenge tomorrow we will be asked to walk barefoot over the grass in expectation that it will cut our feet.” Mark answered

BamBam wrinkled his nose, “Who would think up such a challenge?” 

“Jinyoung parents, it would seem.” Mark shaked his head

“That doesn’t seem right to me.” BamBam whined

“Me either, but what can we do?” Mark shrugged

“We can refuse,” BamBam suggested. 

Mark sighed. “You can, but I’m not willing to give up on marrying Jinyoung.” 

“Then you better find a way into the kitchen.” BamBam suggested as he scanned the letter. 

The next morning at breakfast the royal family was once again present. The two kings, and the prince all ate quickly, Mark noted, and soon Jinyoung and King Wooyoung excused themselves. 

Then King Nickhun stood and called for attention. “I apologize for our absence last night. We do, however, have the results of the second test. Four of you are now out of the running and may go or stay as you wish.” None of the prince or princess were people Mark knew. The first one bounced up from the table when his name was called, unable to hide a grin. The other three rose more slowly, faces solemn. Mark heaved a sigh of relief, he was still in the competition. “After breakfast the rest of you may assemble in the gardens,” the king announced before he, too, left the room. 

“We’re going to be able to see each other compete this time,” Jackson guessed. 

“What’s wrong, Youngjae?” BamBam asked. Mark looked at the boy with the silvery hair, who sat by BamBam. Youngjae’s brow was furrowed and he looked troubled. “Can someone explain to me what the last test was?” he asked. 

“You had to feel great pain if a single hair was pulled,” a girl named Nayeon said. 

Youngjae shook his head. “I don’t think that was it.” 

“Why not?” Mark asked. 

Youngjae looked at him. “I talked with the king like the rest of you, and his maid brushed my hair, but I never noticed him pulling a hair.” 

“Are you sure?” Mark asked sharply. 

“Yes,” Youngjae replied. “She brushed my hair for about five minutes, and I didn’t feel anything.” 

“There must have been some mistake then,” BamBam said slowly. 

“I don’t think there’s a mistake,” Youngjae said. “I think they don’t want us to know what the real tests are.” 

Mark glanced over at BamBam. “We were thinking the same thing last night,” he said. 

“This is ridiculous,” Jackson countered. “Why would they go to such lengths to hide what they were doing?” 

“Maybe so no one could cheat,” Mark said guiltily and BamBam patted his arms. 

“But how? I mean, none of us are likely to tell each other what we’ve discovered. We are all competing against each other. I mean, I think I was the first one to take the real gold ring test, and I didn’t tell any of you that the real gold rings were right, right, right, left,” Jackson said. 

“You mean right, left, left, right,” Mark corrected. 

“You’re both wrong. It was left, right, left, right,” Youngjae argued. 

“Actually, it was a trick test,” BamBam stated. “Every single gold ring was real.”

Mark looked sharply at him. “Really?” BamBam nodded.

“Is it possible that they changed it each time, so we couldn’t get the answer from each other?” Jackson asked. 

Mark shook his head. If that was true there would have been no way for Jinyoung to accurately predict how the rings would be when it came his turn. “How many of you have currency lessons or handle gold?” 

“Not me,” Jackson said. 

“Or me,” Youngjae answered. 

“You know I do,” BamBam said. 

Mark thought for a moment, “So you were the only one who could have possibly told the difference between the real and fake gold ring.” 

“What does it all mean?” Jackson questioned. 

“It means we have no idea what the real challenges are testing us on,” Mark whispered. There was silence for a moment as the four let that sink in. 

Jackson spoke first and sighed, “That changes everything,”