Thanks you guys for all your wonderful comments, thanks to subbers, and of course, to silent readers for reading!~~

I'm completely exhausted but really happy to post this up just in time for Xiuminnie's birthday!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DUMPLING CHEEKS! <333

and I hope you guys all enjoy this first  chap.

*runs around and falls onto bed*

Disclaimer: I do not own EXO.

This chapter is rated K.

~~~

Xiumin tries to not let his eyes wander around too much when he enters the palace, but everything is beautiful and intricate and carefully set, as if being placed in one of those doll palaces that Sohee loved so much. His curiosity gets the better of him, and he stops to admire the elaborate design of the temples, the red lanterns floating from the ceiling, and the statues of gargoyles guarding the main entrance.

"Princess!" a eunuch calls, jolting Xiumin from his daydream.

He glances nervously at the servant, dipping his head and mumbling a quick apology, to which the servant seems surprised to hear. The emotion is quickly rid from his face as he motions for Xiumin to hurry up the white steps.

"Ah, uh, uh-huh- I'm comin─" Xiumin gasps, attempting to catch up with the servant's quick pacing.

He pulls at his long, heavy dress, silently cursing himself for picking the worst possible dress to move in. He accidentally steps on the front part during his way up the steps, stumbling back a bit before regaining his footing. The servant peers back, his eyes widening as he watches Xiumin wave his arms frantically, finally regaining balance.

How cute, is this really a princess?

The servant hides a silent smile, making sure to subtly advance slower so that Xiumin could catch up. The small, unladylike grunts of frustration that Xiumin makes causes the servant to bite the inside of his cheeks, stifling his own laughter.

"What?" Xiumin snaps, an obvious pout on his face.

"What?" the servant replies smoothly, earning a glare from Xiumin.

You just laughed at me! I'm not that blind, you know!

With an annoyed grumble, Xiumin picks up the front of his dress and hurries up the stairs, the pendants on his headband thumping against his forehead with every move he makes. The servant chuckles, fixing his hat and following close behind.

This should be interesting.

~~~

"Princess Sohee has arrived!"

Xiumin's nudged gently into the Inner Court by a servant, and the boy nearly yelps, biting his tongue at the last moment before stumbling in before the Emperor and Empress Dowager. His eyes flit nervously between the two rulers of the kingdom who watch him carefully, as if analyzing his every move.

He quickly falls to his knees, hands folded in front of himself as he politely greets the two.

"My name is Sohee, it is my pleasure to be of service to the kingdom."

The Emperor Kangxi smiles, clearly satisfied with the greeting.

"You are just as beautiful as the rumours say, a perfect wife for Zitao, don't you think so, my queen?"

The Empress remains silent, her painted lips pressed into a thin line. It's only when the Emperor clears his throat that she blinks from her trance, peering at the Emperor, then focusing her eyes sharply on Xiumin.

"Your entrance was most entertaining, princess. Are you not aware that to live in this kingdom, you must abide by the customs?"

"But, but that was only because I─"

"Silence! How dare you talk back to me in such a way!"

Xiumin immediately bows his head, silently cursing himself for being too brash. His palms are sweating, and he feels his cover slipping.

"M-my sincerest apologies, Empress. Please forgive my foolishness, I promise to show a better side of me."

The Empress sinks back into her throne, an unsatisfied expression plastered onto her face. Xiumin whispers a silent prayer, swallowing the bulge in his throat.

Grandmother, this is it. I'm going to be exiled on my first day...

"Get up," the Emperor suddenly orders, and Xiumin hurriedly wobbles to his feet. His bright eyes meet those of the Emperor's, and for a moment, he feels a sense of reassurance. The Emperor nods slowly, motioning for him to come closer. Xiumin obeys.

"Princess, the journey here must've been hard on you."

"It is of my own decision, and I am most delighted to be here."

"Are you, really?" the Emperor smiles, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he draws another breath.

"Very well. Before you go, there is something I'd like to ask you, a challenge. Would you be interested?"

Xiumin's eyes flicker with newfound curiosity.

"Of course, Emperor."

"There are many ships that reach our harbours daily. Will you tell me, princess, how many ships there are in total?"

Xiumin ponders this, the sparkle in his eyes glinting brighter as he thinks. Suddenly, a smile graces his lips and he stares confidently at the Emperor.

"There are only two."

Hushed whispers overwhelm the Court, finally drowning out into pure silence. The Empress is the one who breaks the silence, her fake laughter sending goose bumps down Xiumin's skin.

"What a joke! The Emperor had asked you a very serious question, how can you reply with such─"

"Empress," the Emperor cuts her off sharply, then his tone softens.

"Princess, please explain your answer."

Xiumin nods, looking directly into the Emperor's eyes,

"There are only two boats. One is called 'fame', and the other 'profit'."

There's another brief moment of silence before the Emperor laughs, clearly satisfied with Xiumin's answer. His laughter echoes throughout the silent Court, and Xiumin doesn't know whether to feel safe or nervous. The Empress flushes with embarrassment, her bony fingers tightening on the throne.

"It's my pleasure, princess, to welcome you to our kingdom," the Emperor smiles, taking one of the Empress' hands in his. The Empress blinks, clearing as she straightens up in her throne.

"Chanyeol, please lead this princess to her chambers. I suddenly feel unwell."

Xiumin bows slightly, raising his head to glance at the Empress, whose icy glare makes his heart drop to his stomach. There's some light footsteps behind him, and Xiumin turns around to see the earlier servant, beckoning him to gently follow. Excusing himself finally from the Court, Xiumin follows behind the young eunuch, his nose bumping into his back when the eunuch suddenly stops in his tracks.

"Wha-"

"Yah!" the eunuch scolds, swivelling around and glaring at the horrified princess.

Xiumin stutters a few apologies, all the while thinking, 'Well, you were the one who stopped for no reason! Why should I be apologizing, wh─'

The frown dissipates and the servant suddenly bursts out in laughter, clutching his stomach. Xiumin watches him with an embarrassed frown, the frown growing deeper as the eunuch wipes tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes. Finally, he grins, clearing his throat and straightening up.

"You're really something, Princess Sohee. I've never... seen anyone, who dares defy the Empress," he confesses, the grin still evident on his face. Xiumin rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, unable to find the right response.

"And you don't seem like a birdbrain either, princess," Chanyeol winks, tilting his head just so slightly for the sun to illuminate his face.

He's actually... pretty handsome.

Chanyeol must've caught him staring, because the next moment, Chanyeol's face is only centimetres from his own, the large doe eyes curved into little crescents.

"You've already fallen for me, haven't you?" he teases, and Xiumin laughs, pushing his shoulder. The eunuch stumbles back, falling on his .

Xiumin blanches.

, , ! Xiumin, you idiot! You're a princess now, remember? Princesses don't push with so much energy, heck, they don't do brash things like pushing! Now, look what you did. He's going to tell that Empress on you and you're going to get ex─

"Haha, I didn't know I made you that angry. It's nice to see princesses who can stand up for themselves, too.

Xiumin blinks.

This guy... seems okay.

Chanyeol swivels around, mumbling something like 'don't trip', and continues on his way. It takes a while for Xiumin to finally break from his trance, running after the eunuch. They manage to reach the Imperial Garden without anymore hiccups, when suddenly, Chanyeol stops in his tracks. This time, Xiumin doesn't bump into him.

Chanyeol seems to notice someone standing in front of them, and Xiumin peers from behind the taller eunuch, spotting a beautifully-dressed young woman surrounded by her rosy-robed servants.

"That's Ling Yu, the daughter of one of the Emperor's closest confidants," Chanyeol whispers, "which means that you really shouldn't disturb her, if you want to live peacefully."

Xiumin gulps, nodding slightly and follows Chanyeol through the longer path around the Garden. He makes the mistake of peeking at the girl out of curiosity, catching her gaze in the process. There's a sharp intake of breath as Xiumin immediately looks down, but he's already caught.

"A moment of your time, princess," she calls, her words shooting through the air like an arrow and piercing Xiumin in the back.

Chanyeol halts, turning around to reply before Xiumin's able to open his mouth.

"Lady Ling Yu, I don't mean to sound rude, but we are in a hurry."

The young woman smiles, her eyes slowly wandering up to meet Chanyeol's. A cool breeze flutters the fake flower petals on her head, drawing the sweet scent of her perfume towards Xiumin.

Xiumin chokes.

Chanyeol raises an eyebrow, reaching towards Xiumin before retracting the hand. With one final cough, Xiumin blushes and straightens up. He peeks apologetically at Chanyeol, who shoots him a quick smirk, then turns his head towards Ling Yu.

He stiffens when he sees the cold glare under the young woman's soft features.

"You must spare me a moment, eunuch. I haven't welcomed this adorable princess to the palace yet," Ling Yu smiles, stepping towards Xiumin.

She stops when she's right in front of him, reaching out to set a porcelain hand on his shoulder. Her grip seems to tighten just slightly, but Xiumin pushes away the thought as a figment of his imagination. Chanyeol though, is anxious.

"Lady Ling Yu, I must repeat─"

"Shut up," she cuts Chanyeol off icily, the glare evident on her face. A second later, her eyes curve into little crescents and she pats Xiumin's shoulder.

"'Aren't you a pretty thing, princess? You must be the one they call Princess Sohee, aren't you?"

"T-that's right," Xiumin croaks, attempting to stop his voice from cracking.

Ling Yu's silent, her eyes hooded as she stares at the ground, unmoving and emotionless. Xiumin feels goose bumps rise on his skin, and he opens his mouth to ask her if she's okay, only to be cut off by a sudden jerk of her head.

"Don't you dare come near my Prince Tao," she snarls.

Xiumin blinks, confused at where the sudden anger came from.

"Prince... Tao? O-oh, you must mean... Zitao...?" he attempts, remembering the words of the Emperor.

"You are just as beautiful as the rumours say, a perfect wife for Zitao, don't you think so, my queen?"

Ling Yu fumes, her eyes flaming as she grabs a fistful of Xiumin's collar, yanking the 'princess' towards her.

"How dare you call him Zitao, as if you know him!" she snaps, leaning forward so closely that Xiumin could feel her warm breath on his cheek, "he's already told me he loves me, so unless you want to be his toy, remember to stay away from him."

She glares into his eyes for effect, then finally draws away. With a small gesture to her servants, Ling Yu pushes past Xiumin, knocking him in the shoulder as she stalks past. Suddenly, there's the thumping of distant footsteps, and a eunuch rushes into the Imperial Garden, quickly turning around and bowing his head.

"The Empress Dowager has arrived!"

Xiumin's startled as Ling Yu suddenly whips around, her large eyes flickering, as if something important had just crossed her mind. It happens all too quickly, in a matter of seconds perhaps, but when Ling Yu raises a hand and slaps herself harshly over the cheek, throwing herself to the ground ─ that's when Xiumin senses that something's wrong.

"A-ah!" she cries dramatically, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Wait, wait, what just happened?

Xiumin bends down towards her, rummaging in his pocket for a handkerchief. His head is swimming with confusion, but he attempts to help her out of impulse.

"Ling Yu, where does it hurt?"

Immediately, his hand is seized by Chanyeol, who shakes his head frantically and attempts to pull him away. Xiumin snatches his hand back from Chanyeol's grip, in a state of utter confusion. The eunuch's babbling nonsense, something about 'we have to hurry' and 'I'll explain later' but Xiumin remains rooted to the ground.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

A cold shiver runs down Xiumin's spine as he turns hesitantly to look at the Empress. Her eyes are piercing, and she immediately rushes to Ling Yu, pulling her up from the ground and tilting her chin to look at her face. She quickly turns her head to Xiumin, her eyes narrowed and tone furious.

"Were you the one who did this?"

Xiumin's confused. He opens his mouth to inform the Empress that perhaps Ling Yu just wasn't feeling well, but when he sees the red handprint on Ling Yu's cheek, he suddenly understands.

He had been framed.

"I-I... Empress, please─" Xiumin stammers.

"Ohh!" Ling Yu interrupts with a series of wails, "Oh Empress, what did I do to deserve this? All I ever wanted was to be accepted in this kingdom, be a wife that Prince Tao would be proud of!"

Oh no, oh no...

"─ please forgive me, Empress, for acting this weak and..."

No, no, no...

"... and I know I could never be as beautiful and talented as Princess Sohee, but please, Empress, spare me."

The Empress hushes her, soothing her gently, then whips around to glare at Xiumin.

"Answer me! You were the one who did this?"

There's a brief moment of silence, and Chanyeol steps up quickly.

"No, Empress, it was actually me who─"

"No!" Xiumin interrupts, eyes widening at how he suddenly found his voice, then clears his throat and lowers his tone, "No, I am the one at fault here."

The Empress slowly gets up from the ground, stepping forward towards Xiumin. Her eyes are still icy, and she studies his face for the longest time, then steps back.

"You think that just because the Emperor favours you, that you could bully around Lady Ling Yu like that?"

A pause.

"You are worthless. After all, you were the one sacrificed by your country to serve as an imperial prince's bed partner, were you not?"

Xiumin swallows.

"You'd better learn your place here, if you know what's good for you. But for your actions today, you will be punished."

"Empress, please," Chanyeol pleads, knees on the floor.

The Empress smirks, peering slyly at Xiumin.

"It's not even been one day, and you already have a eunuch wrapped around your little finger? How impressive. Nevertheless, you have to be taught a lesson. Your knees on the floor, now."

Xiumin clenches his jaw, refusing to budge. Suddenly, he's forced down by two servants and the Empress glares at him with distaste.

"You will kneel here until the next sunrise to reflect on your previous actions."

Looking around, she remembers to eye all the servants, finally stopping on Chanyeol.

"And you, I hope I never find you near this princess. You should know the consequences very well."

Chanyeol's eyes flicker worriedly to Xiumin, but after receiving a half-reassuring nod, he reluctantly leaves. The Empress turns around and leaves the garden without a second glance back, followed by her throng of servants.

Don't waste your energy on her, it's not worth it.

Xiumin finally focuses his eyes on Ling Yu, who brushes dirt off her robe and is helped up by her servants. She shoots Xiumin a tight-lipped smile, small dimples wedging in at the pink-tinted cheek.

"Shall we go, then?" she asks nobody in particular and walks off, the overwhelming scent of her perfume still lingering in the air.

Xiumin bites his lip.

~~~

So hungry...

Xiumin rubs his sore thighs, trying to get rid of the numb feeling. He shakes his head, the pendants slapping onto his head as he attempts to stay awake. It feels like hours that he had spent kneeling on the ground in the same position, but time passes slowly when all one can do is wait for sunrise.

Stifling a sleepy yawn, he peeks around subtly, realizing that the guard on duty was half-asleep. 'It's probably close to dawn,' he thinks, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and slapping his cheeks lightly. Suddenly, his stomach grumbles again as if to remind him that he was starving, and he pouts.

"Yeah, yeah, alright. It probably wouldn't hurt to hunt down a bun or two and sneak back before the guard wakes up."

Finally deciding that his plan was pretty much foolproof, Xiumin wobbles to his feet, nearly collapsing at the loss of feeling in his legs. He manages to catch himself, and slowly straightens up, releasing a sigh of relief. Peering once more at the guard, he tiptoes out of the Imperial Garden, wandering down the path towards a series of palace rooms.

This must be the Outer Court, where the servants live. Maybe if I can find Chanyeol again, then...

Xiumin smiles, crosses his fingers and knocks lightly on the door. When there's no response, he quietly slides open the door, poking his head in. There's not a person in sight, but that's not what surprised Xiumin.

That smell!

His mouth waters and his eyes wander around the room frantically, finally landing on a steaming plate of dumplings.

Oh... Oh God, thank you so much, you really do love me!

Xiumin nearly races towards the dumplings, staring at the fat, little perfections. He spends a few minutes simply relishing the delicious smell, and he feels genuinely happy for the first time during his stay in the new kingdom. Tentatively picking up the bamboo chopsticks, he picks up one steaming dumpling, dipping it into the plate of soy sauce and brings it up to his lips.

He feels tears forming in his eyes and he almost laughs, amazed at how he could cry over one dumpling. Sniffing slightly, Xiumin pokes out his tongue, lapping at the salty soy sauce, then sticks the whole dumpling into his mouth.

 A rainbow of flavours and spices burst in his mouth, and his cheeks bloom, happiness radiating from every chew. He picks up the dumplings one after one, stuffing his cheeks with so much food that he could barely breathe. It feels so nostalgic because the dumplings taste just like the ones his mom used to make and he already misses her.

While in the midst of shoving the tenth dumpling into his mouth, there's suddenly a shuffle behind him and Xiumin immediately swivels around, eyes wide. When he sees the stranger, he nearly drops the dumpling inside his chopsticks, choking on the mouthful of food.

"What the hell─"

A tall, handsome but moody-eyed stranger glares at him under his hooded eyes. He tousles his mess of raven locks with one hand, and pinches his temples with the other. Fixing his glare back onto Xiumin, he shoots him a look of utter annoyance that almost makes Xiumin regret devouring the dumplings.

What the hell is she doing here? And after all that hassle of begging Chanyeol to sneak in some dumplings...

"Out," he orders, and Xiumin cringes but remains rooted in place.

How mean. You're giving to a good cause here, you know?

"How rude. Y-You know that... I'm a princess, right?" Xiumin tries, placing his hands on his hips for emphasis.

The stranger rolls his eyes. Slowly, he advances towards the wide-eyed Xiumin, who backs away into the table. He gulps.

"And what's a princess doing in the Inner Court?"

Xiumin gawks at him.

The Inner Court? This is the Inner Court? Xiumin, you idiot! How could you have mixed up the Inner Court with the Outer Court?! Then... then this guy... he must be a─

Xiumin fidgets, his mind whirling and attempting to find an excuse ─any excuse─ to get him out of the situation. Soon enough, he realizes that he's completely screwed, so he thinks 'oh, what the hell' and pops the last dumpling into his mouth.

Ugh, it's cold.

He peeks sheepishly at the stranger, and if looks could kill, Xiumin would be dead.

He swallows again.

"W-well, whatever you're going to do to me, do it now. I-I regret nothing."

I regret everything!! Mom, dad, grandma, Sohee-jiejie, I'm going to die because of a dumpling! Why did I eat it?! Why?!

He squeezes his eyes shut and braces himself. Suddenly, there's the rapping of knuckles on the door and Xiumin's eyes flicker open. The stranger looks startled too, and Xiumin spots the slightest confusion in his dark eyes before he glances around furtively, finally deciding on a hiding place. He fixes his glare onto Xiumin and Xiumin sees the obvious annoyance in his eyes.

"You didn't see me here, you hear?

With that, he slides behind the drapery and leaves a dumbfounded Xiumin rooted to the floor.

"Prince Tao, are you in here?! Please open up this instant!"

Xiumin's face blanches.

The Empress. It's the Empress!

Immediately feeling sick to his stomach, he swivels around, attempting to find an adequate hiding place. He contemplates hiding inside the bed covers, but that seemed too risky. Behind the plant was a good idea too, but when Xiumin scurries behind, he realizes that he really shouldn't have eaten all the dumplings.

Your stomach's too fat! I told you to lay off the dumplings, idiot!

"I'm coming in, Zitao!"

Xiumin panics, nearly tearing his hair out at trying to figure out what to do. He ends up pacing back and forth along the room, trying and searching and pleading but failing. The Empress fumbles with the door and he's almost reduced to tears, unable to find a good hiding place. Having no choice at all, the boy bites his lip and lunges for the curtains, flinging himself behind the long cloth.

The door slides open.

Xiumin feels the curves of something solid and warm, and when he looks up meekly, he almost squeaks in embarrassment. The stranger glares down at him with slightly widened eyes, his shoulders tensed and breathing unsteady. He opens his mouth and Xiumin immediately covers the stranger's lips with both of his small hands, shaking his head furiously.

No, no, no! Please don't say anything!

The Empress stalks into the room, her footsteps heavy against the wooden tiling. Xiumin scrunches closer to the tall stranger, their chests nearly touching as he attempts to flatten himself out as much as possible.

"Zitao, are you really not in here? I heard that you just came back from your journey. I missed you so much, my son."

The stranger's breath hitches, and Xiumin immediately covers his lips again, causing the taller man to glare down at him. Suddenly, as if finally reaching an epiphany, Xiumin realizes.

Zitao... Zitao... wait─ this is Prince Tao?!

Xiumin forgets how to breathe, and makes a small noise at the back of his throat when he realizes that this stranger was indeed, the man he was betrothed to. The moment he opens his mouth though, Tao's strong hand is clapped onto his lips, immediately silencing him.

Xiumin tries his hardest not to burst out in laughter.

There's a few shuffles as the Empress searches the room, and Xiumin could almost feel her presence beside him. Biting his lips and scrunching his eyes closed in embarrassment, he inches even closer to Tao, their chests touching. There's a comforting warmth that radiates from the intimidating-looking Tao, and Xiumin flushes.

"He must be with that troublesome eunuch again..."

After what feels like an eternity, the Empress is gone.

Xiumin lets out a shaky breath, attempting to calm down his racing heart. He suddenly feels a firm but gentle grip on his wrists, and his hands are pulled down from Tao's lips. There's a moment of silence, before Xiumin laughs awkwardly and pulls away.

His cheeks are flaming and he feels like an idiot and it's not supposed to be like this because he's not even gay, but─

"Idiot."

Xiumin gawks.

"You-you-you-"

"Flat-chested princess, don't get in my way next time, alright?"

Xiumin gawks.

"Now, out."

Xiumin flees.