the switch

;

 

The next morning, Luhan got out of bed, feeling jittery and anxious. He had stayed up all night with Baekhyun (thus the reason for his very serious eyebags) to discuss their plan. Admittedly, they weren't very efficient because every ten minutes, Baekhyun would get distracted. But in the end, they did hatch a plan and Luhan was determined for it to succeed. He decided that it would be wise to make the king and queen happy first before he brought out his request. And so, plastering a fake smile onto his face, he walked slowly into the dining room.

 

Just as he managed to sit down on one of the plump cushioned armchairs from across his parents, the butler entered the room, quick sharp steps from his polished leather shoes resounding in the dining room (the acoustics were extremely good). He was holding in his hands a mysterious saffron red box which was not much bigger than the queen's mouth when it was fully open.

 

"A messenger brought this and said it was for the prince, Your Majesties," explained the butler, placing the box onto the dining table.

 

"Oh! An engagement gift," exclaimed the queen in delight, eyes sparkling, as she opened up the intricate gift box to reveal one shiny golden ring. Luhan nearly choked on his muffin. He grabbed his cup and took a big gulp of coffee (steaming hot coffee to be exact) and it was no wonder that a second later he was panting madly like his tongue was on fire. 

 

"Look at this. Luhan," the queen beamed as she took over the box and removed the ring, turning it this way and that, "isn't it simply beautiful? Amazing? Perfect? How thoughtful of Jongin." Luhan cast a wary glance over at said ring, which was now carefully clasped in the queen's palm. 

 

No, mum, I do not think it is "beautiful", "amazing", or "perfect", thought Luhan. He however chose to keep those thoughts to himself. 

 

"Why don't you try it on, son?" suggested the king. Luhan slid the ring onto his left ring finger, dazzling smile never even faltering for a moment. 

 

"It fits perfectly! And it looks good on you," said the queen, tilting her head back to admire the ring on Luhan's finger. "Do you like it?" she asked, bright eyes twinkling with hope. Luhan wondered how it could be possible that his mum would be more excited about the engagement than he was.

 

"Yeah, I like it a lot," he lied. He proceeded to look closely at the ring, tracing out the curves engraved on it with his finger. To be honest, it was quite pretty, but then it reminded him of his unwanted engagement so he didn't like it per se. He figured, though, that if he wanted his plan to actually work, making his parents happy was a must. 

 

"Seems like you're opening up to the engagement idea! I hope you're not as averse to it as you were before."

 

"Of course not, mum. I thought more about it, and realised that you were right all along. You did have my interests at heart, and I was blind not to have seen that. And I was being extremely childish for throwing a tantrum yesterday. I'm sorry." His answer was perfect and the king and queen grinned, obviously delighted. 

 

"That's wonderful to hear! Well now we know that you won't be terrible to Jongin when he arrives tomorrow," said the queen, as she sipped some more of her tea.

 

"TOMORROW?!" yelled Luhan. 

 

No.

 

No.

 

No no no no.

 

He wasn't ready for this. Not yet. He knew that Jongin would come eventually, as necessary to begin the customary 'courtship', but he thought that it would be at least a week later. Not this soon. This meant that he didn't have the luxury to refine his plan even further. He had to carry it out now.

 

"What, that excited already?" teased the queen, and Luhan felt like spontaneously combusting into a ball of fire. 

 

"No," he groaned, as he stared murderously at the piece of bread he was eating. The queen twittered and whispered something to the king, who chuckled in response. Luhan thought it highly embarrassing.

 

He took a deep breath, and spoke. "Actually, mum and dad, I have a little request to make." It was a part of the grand plan that he and Baekhyun concocted yesterday. Luhan didn't expect to have to come to this so soon, but desperate times called for desperate measures, after all. 

 

"And what might that be?" asked the queen, still lost in her own little bubble of happiness.

 

"I'd like to leave the palace and go to town one last time." The queen opened , but Luhan cut her off.

 

"I promise, just this once. I won't leave the palace any more after that. I just thought, you know, that since I'm going to be staying in the palace for the rest of my life it'd be a pity not to breathe some fresh air for one last time. And please, don't send anyone to spy on me this time. Please?"

 

The queen sighed and shook her head. Luhan's face fell, hopeful eyes dimming. This was it. The whole plan was going to fail terribly. He was going to marry a prince whom he didn't even know, and rot and die in the palace—

 

"Actually," the king broke in, "I don't see why not." 

 

Both Luhan and the queen were surprised. The king usually chose to stay clear of domestic matters between his wife and his son, but since he had said it was fine, the queen couldn't exactly disagree. 

 

"Well, so since your father has agreed, we'll let you go then."

 

Luhan's heart started beating at a scarily fast rate. He couldn't stop the corners of his lips from breaking into a wide grin.

 

"Thank you so much, mum and dad!" shouted Luhan, jumping up from the breakfast table. "I'll go out now if you don't mind!" And before his parents could object, he ran to his room, grabbed his cloak, and ran out, hair flying in weird directions.

 

-

 

Luhan spotted the very person he wanted to find curled up into a ball beside the grocer's, munching on a pear. Luckily, Sehun didn't look as thin as last time. 

 

"Sehun! Sehun!" he called out, and Sehun looked up, dazed expression quickly transforming into a cheeky grin.

 

"Hey, Xiao Lu!" he waved. Patting the ground beside him, he motioned for Luhan to sit down, which he did.

 

Xiao Lu. Luhan flinched a little at the name. It was time to tell Sehun the truth. If he wanted Sehun to help him, he had no choice but to reveal his identity. 

 

He bit his lip, and spoke. "I have something to confess, Sehun. I lied."

 

"About what?" Sehun asked nonchalantly through a mouthful of pear. 

 

"About my name. My real name isn't Xiao Lu, it's Luhan," Luhan said, letting the information sink in.

 

"Luhan?" Sehun furrowed his brows. "Wow, you have the same name as the prince—" he paused, noticing the sheepish smile on Luhan's face. His eyes widened in realisation.

 

"Wait, you are the prince, aren't you?" Sehun asked incredulously, eyes as big as saucers. (Not as big as Kyungsoo's eyes, Luhan thought, but close enough.)

 

"Yeah, why, totally speechless, are you?" Luhan teased. Sehun felt like killing himself. For all this time, he had been talking to Luhan, and he had behaved inappropriately. He was cheeky, he was blunt, nothing like what one should be when speaking with the prince. Sehun immediately knelt down and greeted him, to Luhan's consternation.

 

"You don't have to," he whispered furiously. "Doing that will only bring attention to me, and I don't want anybody else to know I'm here. Me coming here is supposed to be a secret, you know."

 

"Oh, right," Sehun apologised, getting up and brushing the dust off his knees. "I'm sorry, Your Highness."

 

"It's alright, just call me Luhan. We're probably around the same age anyway." 

 

"Well, what brings you here today, yo—I mean Luhan?" Sehun caught himself in time.

 

"Actually, I have a favour to ask..." said Luhan quietly. 

 

"A favour?" Sehun asked dubiously. "What can I possibly give you with that you don't already have? You are the prince, after all."

 

Luhan sighed. "Sometimes I really envy you, Sehun. I don't have many things that you do."

 

"Really? Like what?" Sehun couldn't imagine anything in the world that was not in Luhan's possession. He could imagine even less what he had that Luhan didn't. 

 

"Freedom."

 

"Freedom?" Sehun repeated, aghast. "But you're the prince! Don't you have the freedom to do anything you want?"

 

"Not at all. It may seem so but actually I'm really under the control of the palace and my parents. Because as the prince, there are a lot of things that I can't do," Luhan explained. He promptly told Sehun everything, from the queen banning him from leaving the palace, effectively confining him, to his engagement with Prince Jongin of Lyria. Sehun listened, tutting sympathetically from time to time. Somehow, Luhan felt a lot better after telling Sehun. Baekhyun was his best friend and all, but sometimes Luhan thought that he didn't really understand the implications of things. Sehun did, Luhan knew, and since he had grown up as a street rat all along, he was more mature. 

 

"So how do you need me to help you?" asked Sehun, after Luhan finished recounting his tale. 

 

"It may be kinda shocking to you, so be prepared."

 

"Uh-huh."

 

Luhan took a deep breath, and placed his hands on Sehun's shoulders. "I need you to take my place for two weeks."

 

Sehun's jaw dropped. "Y—You mean pretend to be you for two weeks? Me? Pretend to be the prince?" 

 

Luhan nodded. "That's the gist of it."

 

"But... but I can't! I'll get busted within two days! And this is a Grade A offence, so if I get found out I'll be thrown into prison for life!"

 

"You're the only one who can help me now. Because you look exactly like me, that's why only you can replace me. If you wear my clothes and I wear yours, no one can tell."

 

Sehun nodded slowly, but then thought of something and began vigorously shaking his head. "What about Prince Jongin, then? So you mean I have to marry him for you?!" 

 

"No no no, definitely not," reassured Luhan. "The marriage will take place in about a month, I guess. You'll just be taking my place during the beginning 'courtship' period."

 

"So you mean like," Sehun narrowed his eyes, "he'll try to woo me and all?"

 

"Probably," admitted Luhan. "Just play along, and you'll be fine."

 

"What if," Sehun widened his eyes, "what if he tries to kiss me? Or do funny things?"

 

"Um." Now Luhan was stuck. "Just do what you deem fit, I guess. Because you'll be the first one to see him so it depends on how fast your relationship progresses. Relax, I won't hold a grudge against you for it," Luhan winked, and Sehun groaned.

 

"I feel bad for him. He probably has no idea that he will be courting and marrying two entirely different people."

 

Luhan shrugged. "Well that's too bad for him, then. But if you don't lose your cover and nobody tells, no one will know. " 

 

"Wait... but how does this help you? If I take your place for two weeks, and you get freedom for those two weeks, you'll still have to go back to the palace in the end. And marry Jongin."

 

"And marry Jongin," Luhan intoned. "But at least I'd go back without any regrets, knowing that I have enjoyed a full two weeks of freedom without the chains of the palace on me." 

 

He gazed steadily at Sehun. "You really have to help me. If not, I'll just rot in the palace, becoming a living skeleton. I just want to enjoy my last taste of freedom before I stay in the palace. Forever."

 

"And what do I get out of this?" asked Sehun dubiously.

 

"Nothing except my eternal thanks and gratitude," said Luhan.

 

"I still think that we're both taking an unnecessarily big risk. I can't afford to get found out."

 

"And neither can I," sighed Luhan, "but I deem it necessary. And are you sure you don't want to be able to live like a prince for two weeks? With heavenly-tasting food and a nice comfy bed and servants to do your every bidding?" 

 

Sehun scrunched his nose and considered, but he couldn't exactly say no, what with Luhan staring at him with those pleading eyes and mouthing "Please". 

 

"Oh, fine then," Sehun agreed, albeit reluctantly.

 

"It's settled then!" Luhan in a fit of joy hugged Sehun tight, squeezing the boy's slender waist.

 

"Luhan—cannot—breathe—" gasped Sehun, and Luhan automatically released him, sheepishly biting his lip. 

 

"Come with me to the palace now, we're gonna give you a makeover and you'll be Luhan in no time!" 

 

"'We'? You mean somebody else knows about this?" Sehun's forehead creased in worry.

 

Luhan smiled. "Only Baekhyun, my closest friend and personal stylist. Other than him, not even my parents know."

 

Sehun heaved a sigh of relief. "Okay then, let's go." 

 

Luhan almost flew back to the palace, dragging a breathless Sehun behind him.

 

-

 

They snuck in through the back door. Sehun was infinitely paranoid that someone might discover them, to which the daredevil Luhan just smirked and spoke a little bit louder. Sehun almost had a heart attack by the time he reached Luhan's room. Baekhyun was already in there waiting. Upon seeing Sehun, he let out an unmanly shriek and jumped up to fawn over the slightly lost male. 

 

"So you're the Oh Sehun that Luhan's been telling me about," exclaimed Baekhyun, "You really are the splitting image of Luhan!" 

 

Luhan rolled his eyes ("Lame, Baek!") and Sehun chuckled shyly. 

 

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Luhan said, bringing his hands together and rubbing them. "Let's begin."

 

-

 

Luhan ended up teaching Sehun loads of things—how to greet the king and queen, how to dismiss a room, how to eat properly with the array of cutlery that was commonly found on a royal dining table, how to wear a princely tunic, and much much more.

 

"Whew! That was one heck of a day," remarked Sehun, as he removed the last of ten books from the top of his head. 

 

"I can't believe you broke my record by three whole books," complained Luhan. He had been teaching Sehun how to walk properly with a straight back and proper posture. At the end of an hour, Sehun could proudly balance ten books atop his head, smashing Luhan's previous record. Sehun just chuckled as he flopped down onto the bed, tired but content. 

 

"Now, you're almost ready to become a prince," announced Luhan proudly. "But there's still one more thing." 

 

-

 

"Is that you, or is that me?" asked Luhan, eyes wide in amazement. He was standing beside an exact replica of himself, both of them looking into the mirror in wonder, while Baekhyun stood behind them proudly admiring his own handiwork.  

 

"To be honest, I can't tell either," said Sehun. After an hour long makeover by Baekhyun, Sehun now looked exactly like Luhan. His hair was perfectly coiffed, face unblemished, body scrubbed of all the dirt and grime that had accumulated over the years. From head to toe, Sehun looked exactly like Luhan, without one inch of difference. 

 

"I feel like royalty," he confessed, eyes scanning the whole of his body in the mirror.

 

"That's good," replied Luhan, sitting cross-legged on his bed, "because you're going to be one. I'm going to leave now, Sehun. I leave you in charge of my room and clothes and ten fluffy chickens for two weeks." Luhan narrowed his eyes. "If you damage anything, you'll have to pay."

 

Upon seeing the shocked expression on Sehun's face, the older male laughed out loud, clearly enjoying himself. Baekhyun too couldn't hide the grin that was spreading across his face. "I'm kidding, Sehun! I trust you won't spoil anything. And anyway, I'm the one who owes you a really big favour so," he broke into a genuine smile, "thank you."

 

"I'll have to wear your clothes, by the way. I hope you don't mind." Sehun widened his eyes, clutching at his tattered clothes protectively. 

 

"But why!"

 

"I'd look really weird in my own clothes," Luhan explained as he shifted closer. "If I put on your clothes I can probably blend in and become a street rat."

 

"Oh," Sehun uttered. "Makes sense." He handed Luhan his clothes, a set of worn shirt and pants which would offer him no comfort in the cold weather. Sehun had gotten used to it, but when he saw Luhan wear his own clothes, a sliver of doubt crossed his mind.

 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Sehun. "You've been living in luxury your whole life. How can you get used to living without a roof over your head? How are you gonna get your nourishment and meals?" 

 

Luhan slowly walked to the window, gazing at the bright crescent moon hanging in the sky. He thought for a moment before answering, "I'll just go to the orphanage. They provide homeless children with food and shelter and I'll just bear with it for two weeks until I get back." 

 

Baekhyun hopped off the armchair he was sitting on and went over to Luhan's side by the window. "But what if something happens to you? What will you do?"

 

"Well, it's just a risk I'd have to take." He turned around to look at his two good friends.

 

"Goodbye, Baekhyun. Goodbye, Sehun," Luhan said solemnly. 

 

"Goodbye, Luhan. And good luck," Sehun said, patting him on the back. 

 

Biting his lower lip, Baekhyun hesitantly reached out a hand, to which Luhan clasped with great force. "Goodbye, Lu," he whispered. 

 

Luhan nodded. Slipping on his cloak, he disappeared into the shadows.

 

---

A/N:

I'm so proud of myself this chapter was 3000 words long the longest chapter I've ever written applaud for me please. (My word count is gradually increasing every chapter D:)

On a separate note I went to do this test and I turned out to be 50% male whut. Trolol. 

Hope you enjoy this update. Comments are loved! <3