“I’m far too young to be a father figure,” Seungcheol mumbled to himself, distressed.

 

“Excuse me?” The voice that sounded behind him was calm, but Seungcheol knew the storm that was starting to brew within the other male before he even turned around.

 

“No, Jeonghan, I didn’t impregnate anyone behind your back. Come here.” Seungcheol replied as he held out his arms. Jeonghan squinted at Seungcheol first, unsure, but he took his place into Seungcheol’s arms regardless. “The Queen has let you off early tonight, huh?”

 

Jeonghan hummed. “I think it had something to do with your meeting with the King. Which, by the way, you’ve been having quite a few of them…” Jeonghan pulled back from the embrace and looked at Seungcheol, worried.

 

Seungcheol chuckled and rested their foreheads together, but his behavior wasn’t going to placate Jeonghan in the slightest. “Do not worry, love. The King just has a rather...large task for me coming up, and he’s been wanting to assure that I’m more than ready for it. I’m not going anywhere, I promise,”

 

“Thank the Gods.” Jeonghan exhaled, finally relaxing at Seungcheol’s words. Seungcheol chuckled once again and he couldn’t help but press a quick kiss against Jeonghan’s lips. “The Queen has also been alluding to something happening soon and she’s even been praising you a lot. Usually it’s just to tease me, but she seemed quite genuine this time around,”

 

“Glad to know that the Queen has only the utmost respect and faith in me at all times,” Seungcheol joked quitely against Jeonghan’s lips. They both chuckled quietly, not wanting to arouse the attention of any of the Palace Guards.

 

“She adores you, you know that. Not more than the King does, but she truly thinks of you highly, silly.” Jeonghan assured Seungcheol in a soft voice, pulling Seungcheol over to the bed so they can finally relax and rest. “Now...I’ve let you off the hook long enough, what was that comment about being a Father?” Jeonghan cuddled up to a pillow and raised a brow at Seungcheol who was still removing bits of his armor.

 

“Ah, that...Well, it has to do with the task that the King has entrusted me with,” Seungcheol answered sheepishly.

 

“Is that something you can’t tell me about?” Jeonghan asked, not sounding offended because it wouldn’t be the first time Seungcheol couldn’t tell him anything. As much as they loved and trusted each other, Seungcheol was still the highest Knight in the King’s Court and Jeonghan was still simply a servant—even if he was serving the Queen personally, and even if the Queen adored him so, he was never told much about Kingdom affairs.

 

Seungcheol paused for a moment, staring at Jeonghan with softened eyes. Jeonghan waited patiently and stared back, a small smile growing on his face when Seungcheol flushed a light pink and looked away first. “I probably shouldn’t but...I was planning on receiving your assistance with the task anyways, so I suppose I will.” Seungcheol answered quietly, and as he finally removed his heavy armor, he slid into the bed right next to Jeonghan, moving the pillow out of the way, and pressed close. “But you have to promise to speak not a word of this to anyone .”

 

“My lips are sealed...but if they become unsealed, we both know you have very effective ways of keeping me quiet,”

 

“ Jeonghan,” Seungcheol sighed, but a few embarrassed chuckles escaped from him regardless.

 

“I’m sorry, but how can you expect me not to joke when you’re pressed so close to me in bed ?” Jeonghan snorted.

 

“Should I get up then?” Seungcheol asked while starting to pull away, but Jeonghan whined and kept Seungcheol in place.

 

“No, no. Stay,” Jeonghan pouted. “And I promise not to speak a word to anyone. You know that I do,”

 

“Of course.” Seungcheol smiled. “The task that the King has entrusted me with is that he wants me to look after the children since he and the Queen will be leaving the Kingdom for a few days to attend a meeting,” Seungcheol whispered as quietly as he could.

 

“This is a large task...I suppose Wonwoo will be looking over everything else in the meantime?” Jeonghan asked just as quietly. Seungcheol nodded. “Well, you weren’t wrong to want to ask me to help to you out. You’re the farthest thing from a father-figure,”

 

“As if you’re any better!” Seungcheol exclaimed, offended.

 

“I have plenty of experience. I have a younger sister myself, you know?” Jeonghan retorted with a scoff. “Not only do you not know anything about kids, but you’re the youngest of your family yourself. The baby ,”

 

“ Anyways ,” Seungcheol tried to move on with a huff and a pout. “They’ll be leaving in only a week’s time. The King has been preparing me with extensive booklets and even written tests, so you should start studying them from now on,” Seungcheol returned back to his quiet whispering and Jeonghan only hummed in agreement before the two of them dropped the topic completely and continued on with their evening as they usually did.

 

—

 

“Shouldn’t you...be with my dad?” Hansol asked Seungcheol once he and Jeonghan managed to locate him and sit him down for the same talk they gave his younger sister—who was more than okay with getting to spend so much time the two of them; Seungcheol and Jeonghan had never been more blessed by the gift that was the innocence of a child.

 

“In most cases, yes, I would accompany the King, but he felt it much safer for me to be with his children instead,” Seungcheol explained.

 

Hansol nodded slowly. “Okay...well, is that it?”

 

Seungcheol and Jeonghan spared a glance to each other before facing back towards Hansol. “Uh, yes, I guess it is?”

 

“Great, see you around,” Hansol stood up immediately, sent the two of them a short wave, then headed back off to whatever it was he was doing before this.

 

“The young Prince sure has the essence of an adolescent…” Jeonghan chuckled awkwardly after Hansol left.

 

“We’re not that much older than him, but I can’t help but feel like I’m well into my 20s after that exchange,” Seungcheol sighed and leaned back on the sofa the two of them were sitting on. Jeonghan followed with agreement on his lips and rested his head on Seungcheol’s shoulder.

 

“I really want to know what he was doing by the servant’s quarters, though…” Jeonghan wondered.

 

“That makes two of us, then,” Seungcheol huffed, hoping that whatever it was, it wasn’t going to make these few days harder for him.

 

—

 

“There, there, Princess,” Jeonghan hugged the young Princess close, rubbing her head and patting her back as he tried to calm her down and soothe her tears.

 

“You guys…” Seungcheol gritted out, hands swiping down his face as Soonyoung, Seokmin, and disappointingly, Seungkwan, stood in front of him with heads bowed low and hands clasped in front of them. “What were you thinking?”

 

“We’re really sorry, Seungcheol,” Seokmin was the first to speak, voice shaky and tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

 

“It was an accident, we’d never intentionally hurt the Princess!” Soonyoung raised his head, eyes wide as he explained.

 

“I’m the worst personal servant ever .” Seungkwan lamented, moving his hands and running them through his hair frantically. “I’m surely going to get killed for this, right? My life is that expendable, I’m just a servant. The King and Queen won’t even blink! ”

 

“Alright, Seungkwan, calm down.” Seungcheol sighed, going over to the younger and wrapping his arms around him. “You messed up, you all messed up, but the young Princess loves you too much to have you all over this. Just please be more careful next time, alright? And don’t forget to apologize to her,” Seungcheol soothed the three of them as they clung onto him to seek relief from their mistake. After they calmed down and apologized profusely to the young Princess, Seungcheol and Jeonghan decided that the three of them should leave the Princess with them for a little while.

 

“Are you okay now, Princess?” Seungcheol asked as he hoisted the young girl up into his arms with ease. She was getting a bit too big to be picked up like so, but Seungcheol didn’t mind spoiling her for the moment.

 

The Princess sniffled and buried her face into Seungcheol’s neck. “I’m fine…”

 

“You don’t sound too good, though...How about we go see JunJun and Gyu and ask them to make you something super yummy? I’m sure they’d love to make you that pudding that you love so much,” Jeonghan moved closer to Seungcheol and rested a gentle hand on the Princess’ back.

 

“You think so?” The Princess sniffled once again and raised her head. Her eyes widened at the idea and they glistened, but not from tears, only quickly growing excitement.

 

“Of course! They love you too much to say no,” Seungcheol added with a bright smile, it only growing as the Princess shyly covered her face and giggled.

 

“It’s settled then. Let’s go get you some pudding, Princess. We promise not to tell the King and Queen,” Jeonghan smiled wide as well, his heart melting at the Princess’ cuteness.

 

“Yay!” The young girl cheered, her legs kicking excitedly. Seungcheol set the girl down, taking one of her hands into his while Jeonghan took the other and they made their way to the kitchen while singing and skipping along to random songs that the young Princess would come up with.

 

—

 

Seungcheol and Jeonghan peered at Hansol from the young Prince’s doorway. He was granted permission to go out earlier that day, but he returned quickly and in a much worse off mood than when he left. Seungcheol and Jeonghan attempted to speak with him in order to find out what was wrong, but the Prince brushed them off and hurried off to his room.

 

“Maybe we should wait a bit longer...he really doesn’t look like he’s in the mood to talk,” Seungcheol stepped away from the doorway and turned towards Jeonghan. Seungcheol’s expression was a mix between worry and frustration—not at Hansol, but at whatever happened while the Prince was out that put him in an uncharacteristically foul mood.

 

“I know, but that’s exactly why I want to talk to him. Whatever happened was bad enough to put the Prince in such a terrible mood, and I don’t want him to have to deal with it any longer. He can yell at us all he wants, but I just want him to get it all out,” Jeonghan’s brows knitted together in worry.

 

“Alright then…” Seungcheol acquiesced after looking into the Prince’s room once again. He knocked lightly on the Prince’s door before pushing it open slowly, he and Jeonghan stepped into the room quietly, shutting the door behind them.

 

“I didn’t tell you two to come in,” Hansol spoke curtly, not looking at the two.

 

“We know, and we apologize for being so bold, but we’re concerned about you, your Highness,” Jeonghan spoke carefully towards Hansol, dialing back the previous casual nature they had been conversing these past few days.

 

“Nothing’s the matter, you’re dismissed,” Hansol waved the two of them off and turned away from them.

 

“Your Highness—” Jeonghan started but a harsh sigh from Hansol stopped him.

 

“Just leave me alone!” Hansol yelled and turned towards the two of them with tears falling down his face and that was all it took for Jeonghan and Seungcheol to wrap him up in their arms.

 

“What happened earlier, Sollie? You can tell us anything, you know that,” Jeonghan dropped the formalities, but his voice remained gentle, though there was a bit of shakiness to it now that Hansol had started crying.

 

“Is there something wrong with me? Is my existence really that abhorrent? Do I really not belong in this world?” Hansol sobbed into Jeonghan’s shoulder.

 

“There’s nothing wrong with you, Hansol. Why would you say something like that?” Seungcheol finally spoke. He ran his hands through Hansol’s hair and tried not to let his own tears fall either.

 

“So people still make those kinds of remarks about their Royal Family, huh?” Jeonghan muttered. Seungcheol looked at Jeonghan, confused, which prompted Jeonghan to continue. “Being the Queen’s personal servant, I hear the comments a lot. They’re all such rude, ignorant comments. The Queen never bothers with them, though...She’s such a strong woman. But to think they’d attack children…”

 

“Hansol…” Seungcheol deflated. He’s heard those kinds of rumors from Jihoon and Chan before after they’ve returned from doing their rounds out in the Kingdom, but that’s all that he thought they were—rumors. He didn’t think that the opposition towards the Royal Family would be real, and that people would really be so bold as to blatantly express their discontent to the family themselves.

 

“It’s scary...They were so scary...I truly didn’t understand why they were so angry. One guy, he—he dared to lunge at me...of course, Jihoon and some other Knights were nearby, so he didn’t touch me. But on the way back, there were many other people here and there glaring and whispering it was—” Hansol couldn’t finish his words, he got too choked up and Jeonghan pulled away from him so that he could take Hansol’s face into his hands, brushing away his tears with his thumbs.

 

“Listen to me, Hansol.” Jeonghan started shakily. “You and your sister are both wonderful gifts to this world, coming from a union that is filled with nothing but love. Don’t ever forget that, okay? People are cruel—they really, really are—but I know that this unnecessary animosity won’t last forever. Both the King and the Queen love this Kingdom so much, and it shows in the way they run it; sooner or later, that love will reach everyone, I know it will. Until then, though, your parents have chosen to be strong and unyielding, not just for themselves, but for you and your sister,” Jeonghan pulled closer to Hansol and placed a soothing peck to the younger’s forehead.

 

“And even though it’s scary, Sol, we know you can be strong too. We see it all the time. You’ve always been the type of kid that did what he wanted with such surety and confidence. But don’t forget, no matter what, I’ll always be by your side if it gets to be too much,” Seungcheol added softly and pressed a peck to the top of Hansol’s head.

 

“As will I,” Jeonghan grinned when Hansol flushed and shied away from their kisses.

 

“Thank you…” The Prince muttered out a few moments later when his tears finally dried and his heart was no longer heavy. “And I apologize for lashing out at you both…”

 

“Don’t worry about it, Hansol, we already prepared for the worst. You are at the ripe age of fifteen, it was getting concerning that you hadn’t had at least one tantrum yet,” Seungcheol laughed as Hansol’s face flushed an even deeper pink.

 

“Though I wish it wasn’t because of what happened earlier,” Jeonghan sighed, frowning.

 

“Don’t worry about it too much, Jeonghan. I probably won’t be going out again anytime soon, but...You two definitely made me feel a lot better. A lot stronger, even,” Hansol smiled, bright and wide, and Jeonghan and Seungcheol shared a look before taking the young Prince into their arms again and peppering his face with kisses, much to Hansol’s displeasure.

 

—

 

The King and Queen returned safely to the Palace the next evening. The Prince and Princess excitedly greeted their parents upon their arrival with Seungcheol and Jeonghan trailing behind them.

 

“Welcome back, my Queen,” Jeonghan smiled and bowed to the Queen after the children were finished with their greetings. The Queen returned the smile and gave Jeonghan a quick hug, playfully chastising him about his sudden formality.

 

“Glad to see you back safely, my King,” Seungcheol kneeled before the King in greeting before rising immediately at the King’s request. As like the Queen, the King took Seungcheol into his arms for a tight hug.

 

“How was it taking care of the children? There were no issues, correct? Though I don’t doubt you did a wonderful job, the children look better than ever,” The King inquired with a chuckle.

 

“It was quite fun looking after them. I feel like they’ve gotten even lovelier,” Seungcheol replied with a soft smile at the Prince and Princess.

 

“And bigger too; it really caught me off guard,” Jeonghan replied unconsciously, giving the children the same soft look. The King and Queen looked at the two and laughed, shaking their heads.

 

“You two are starting to make me question whether they’re really our kids or yours ,” The Queen commented teasingly, nudging Jeonghan in the process. Jeonghan blushed a deep red and sputtered, embarrassed while Seungcheol’s ears burned a bright red and he turned away.

 

The King and Queen laughed again at their right-hand men’s reactions, mentioning how they couldn’t have chosen better caretaker’s despite only assigning Seungcheol to the task, before Junhui and Mingyu called them all to dinner.