Taemin squirmed in his crisp new clothes, trying to get used to the feeling of the shirt and vest around his torso. The queen had had an outfit made for him without his knowledge; a long-sleeved, crisp white shirt with a golden-trimmed vest over it, a pair of black trousers and shiny, leather shoes, and a beautiful royal blue coat that hugged the boy's body perfectly.

"Oh my, you're absolutely gorgeous, darling," the queen praised. "Isn't he, Minho?"

Taemin looked up from his new shoes and at the prince who was standing alongside the queen, waiting for his verdict. 

There was a hint of red in Minho's cheeks as he agreed with his mother's opinion. "Of course, he's beautiful no matter what," he said with no hesitation. "You've chosen his colors well, mother."

The boy supressed a stupid smile from overtaking his lips; what was an initial reaction whenever the prince said something nice to him. He stepped off the small podium that was in front of the full-length mirrors and bowed to the queen. 

"Thank you for your efforts, your highness. There was no need," he said humbly. "But I do appreciate this. I love it!"

"I told you you would love it, my mother has a great eye for these kinds of things," Minho followed. 

"Well, we're not done yet," the queen said. "I still have to prepare Minho's clothes."

"I can just wear something I wore before, mother. It's completely un--"

"Nonsense, Minho. I have to make your and Taemin's clothes match," she interrupted.

Minho's eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

Queen Jinah turned her regal self to her son, and she smiled as she said, "Because I want to."

Eventually, the ball was organized and prepared in only two days. The invitations were sent out and everyone invited sent a letter of confirmation of their attendance. Kibum, who had shouldered almost every task, had the grand ballroom decorated with blue and gold, such as the curtains that were replaced with said colors, as well as the carpet leading to the thrones and the cloths covering the table for food and drink. And lastly, by the queen's request, forget-me-nots and yellow roses were displayed in white vases all around the ballroom. 

Everything was ready by the day of the ball. Taemin, although nervous for his appearance in front of so many people, tried to help with the finishing touches to alleviate his anxiety for the night. Kibum let him spray the flowers with water when the boy practically begged.

When the sun finally set, people from noble families and middle-class families alike filed into the palace for the ball. Taemin watched from his bedroom window as carriage after carriage dropped off people in elegant dresses and suits at the entrance of the palace, his heart feeling heavier and heavier with each passing minute. There were so many people; so many eyes to judge him, so many mouths to speak horrible things about him.

The clock hit seven and it was finally time for the royal family and their guest of honor to make an entrance. Taemin heard footsteps approaching his room, and he suddenly felt a strong urge to run and hide in the closet.

There was a single knock before the prince himself, decked in a suit quite similar to his and a crown on his head, welcomed himself into Taemin's bedroom.

"Taemin-ah, it's time to go downstairs," he announced, smiling warmly at the terrified boy. "Come, everyone's waiting for us."

"I don't think I can go down there, Minho. I told you a ball wasn't necessary, if anything it must be in the king's honor, not mine. I shouldn't have to go--"

Minho sighed and he stepped forward to clutch at Taemin's slumped shoulders. "Please, I need you to be strong for me. Everything's already prepared, you don't want it to go to waste, don't you?"

That made Taemin even more nervous. He didn't want anyone hating him, he was hated more than enough.

"But what if they don't like me?" he whimpered, letting his eyes water freely. "I'm just an orphan; banished and hated and disgusting..."

"They aren't allowed to hate the one who saved their prince's life," Minho said simply as he tucked a tuft of Taemin's hair behind his ear. "Everyone is thankful for you. I am thankful for you. You shouldn't have to worry."

Thankful for him? Either Minho was lying or he was sugarcoating to make it sound better. They were just tolerating him, weren't they? 

Taemin forced himself to nod. He couldn't back out of it now and he knew it, although all he wanted was to sit in his room as the festivities went on downstairs. He didn't belong there anyway, the people there were... normal.

"Okay, le'ts go," Taemin finally said, forcing a small smile on his still strained face. He straightened his coat and vest and Minho took him into his arms, wrapping him in a soft embrace. Taemin wasn't surprised at the sudden gesture, but the butterflies in his stomach still returned.

"I'll make sure everything's okay," the prince spoke softly, carressing the back of Taemin's neck. "Let us enjoy this night, shall we?"

Reluctantly, Taemin pulled away from the embrace and he smiled up at the tall prince, nodding in agreement. And he was just so beautiful up close, so very near to the prince's face, that Minho couldn't help himself but take a taste of the soft-looking lips.

Taemin gasped when he felt a sudden pressure upon his lips; he didn't even notice that Minho was drawing closer and closer to him until their lips finally touched. His hands instinctively went to the man's chest, as if getting ready to push him away. 

The kiss was brief, ended with a soft sound of their lips separating. Taemin opened his eyes and saw a shocked prince, the latter's wide eyes staring into his own.

"Oh my god, Taemin, I apologize--"

What was supposed to be Minho's ramble was cut off when a messenger knocked on the already open door. The prince stepped away from Taemin, utter embarassment enveloping his whole body. Where was his discretion? His shame? How could he give in to temptation and take away what was probably the boy's first kiss?

Minho couldn't help himself. Taemin drew him in like a magic spell, and it was hard to break from it, hard to still ignore the way his heart beat around the young boy who saved his life. 

"Shall we go now, your highness, master Taemin?" the messenger asked.

Minho, still flushed, nodded and led Taemin to the ballroom by his hand. The boy let himself be dragged through the hall, down the grand staircase, and through the large doors of the grand ballroom. His lips still tingled by the time they reached the party, and Taemin was sure his face was still red.

Why did the prince kiss him? Out of pity? For support?

The king and queen were already seated in their respective thrones at the end of the grand ball, surrounded by servants and armed guards. On their side was Kibum, the army's general Jinki, and Minho's trainer Jonghyun.

Taemin kept his head down as he and the prince traveled through what seemed like hundreds of people. He only tore his gaze from the floor when they reached the thrones, and that was where he looked at the king and queen, both sporting outfits of blue and gold. 

"Sit, Minho-ah. I shall start the speech soon," King Minhyuk said, gesturing to the smaller throne beside his. Taemin was ordered to stand beside Minho's chair, and he did so without question. 

The boy kept silent, his gaze on the floor as the king did his speech. King Minhyuk announced that he was free from illness and would be returning to work in a few more days, and in joint honor of the ball, he introduced Lee Taemin to the kingdom. A banished child who the prince was fortunate of meeting when in dire need of shelter.

Everyone seemed shocked; gasps and murmurs from here and there. Taemin could feel the audience's eyes on him; scrutinizing, judging, picking apart his flaws. He shrank back until he hit Kibum's chest, but the latter put a hand on the small of his back so that he couldn't move any farther.

The speech didn't last much longer, and the king declared that everyone was free to dance and drink from then on. He rose from his throne and  the queen did the same, and together they went to the floor to dance. 

The crowd dissolved and went into pairs; old and young alike moving to dance to the music. Taemin looked at Minho, and the prince stood up to dance with him, to explain himself for his excessively forward behavior earlier, but a young woman suddenly approached the prince.

She was pretty; long black hair and powder blue dress. "Excuse me, your highness. May I have this dance?"

Minho turned to look at her, and not even sparing a second glance at her beauty, he turned back to Taemin. But the young boy said, "I can wait, Minho. Let the lady have a dance."

Minho nodded and left Taemin alone, but ever so reluctantly. He bowed to the young lady and she gave her his hand, delighted to have a prince dance with her. They strode to the dance floor, leaving Taemin to fend for himself as the boy wandered the room with no other choice but to do so. 

He was still so bothered about the kiss and what it meant, that he didn't notice he had slipped away from the crowd and out to the balcony. He closed the glass doors behind him before turning away from the dancing couples and rude stares. The warm evening air welcomed him into its arms. Taemin breathed a lungful of fresh air, feeling relief of his refuge.

He thought he was free, but then, three new figures joined him in the balcony. Without even asking permission, three beautiful young women came in and crowded around him, trapping him against the marble railing. Taemin shrank away from them, resisting the urge to scrunch his nose at their strong perfume.

They were all fairly tall, or he was just too small for his age. Either way, Taemin felt tiny as the girls prodded him with questions. 

"Who are you to the prince, peasant?" one of them, the tallest girl with rich brown hair demanded, poking a sharp manicured nail into his chest.

"I-I am a friend of his," he stammered. 

A friend? But friends don't kiss each other. 

Taemin shook away the thought. Of course, Minho was just confused. He probably didn't even mean to kiss him; he just tripped or some other plausible reason.

The third girl, a beauty with black hair and a golden dress scoffed. She glared at Taemin, spitting venomous words into his face, "You are a bastard child, don't think you can fool us! How shameless of you to come here and contaminate the royal family with your sins!"

A rock fell into Taemin's stomach, the familiar word 'bastard' ringing in his ears. The king hadn't said the reason why the boy was banished in his speech, yet this girl knew it. Everyone probably knows. Everyone hates me. 

Minho lied to me.

"I... I..." 

Tears started to pour from his eyes, and he wiped them away harshly with his royal blue cuffs. I don't deserve this. I don't deserve these clothes. I don't deserve anything, like my father always said.

"You don't deserve to be here, you filthy peasant," the second girl echoed his thoughts. She tugged at his collar and another girl slapped him hard across the face.

It was just like what the older girls did to him at the orphanage. And just like before, he had no choice but to endure it.

"You may be wearing noble's clothes but you remain as scum!"

"Saved the prince's life? Anyone could've done that! You're just lucky he came to you."

"And now you're leeching off the king and queen as if you deserve anything, like all other peasants do! Your kind disgusts me, always so needy, always begging, always off of the rich!" 

Taemin turned away from their horrid words, his sobs no longer kept at harbor. They slapped him once more as if he weren't a human but a dog that they could kick around. 

"Listen," the biggest girl seethed in his face. "You can do the prince a favor, if you really respect him, if you disappear right now. He hasn't got time to deal with a burden like you; he has to find a bride soon and you can't be here to mess that up for us."

Burden.

The word was all it took to convince Taemin that the girls' words were true. They were all true, and he needed to get out of there.

Still with tears like rivers on his cheeks, Taemin escaped from the girls and went as fast as he could from the ballroom without making himself suspicious. Heads turned to stare at him, but he kept walking. Murmurs and harsh whispers started from behind him, but he ignored them. He already knew what they wanted him to do.

Minho was a kind prince, but if people would hate him because of his presence, then it wasn't worth staying in the palace at all. Taemin didn't want to cause him any trouble after all the prince had done for him.

"So the palace is a charity now? How could King Minhyuk take in this... feeble little creature."

"They should've just given him money for saving the prince. Obviously, the child is a leecher."

"Prince Minho should think about it more thoroughly. Taking this boy from the city is suicide for his reputation."

Taemin wasn't spared of more harsh words before he was finally free from the ballroom. The guards didn't spare him a second glance when he passed through the doors, through the entrance and finally through the gates. They let him through, thinking that he was another guest wishing to leave early. 

Not knowing what else to do, he ran to the secluded route in the forest that they had taken. He would go home, Taemin told himself, then it would all be over. He wouldn't feel like a burden anymore; everything would go back to how it was. Minho would be happier without him; relieved of the responsibility of housing an adopted peasant.

"It's okay," Taemin told himself, wiping away his tears. "Everything's gonna be okay."

The only thing he felt bad about was leaving Minho without a goodbye, but that too, he thought, was considered a better thing. And Taemin walked through the woods without a lamp, feeling his way through the darkness, wishing that he could've at least returned the clothes he was wearing.

I'm so sorry, Minho.

"Have you seen Taemin?" Minho asked for what seemed like the hundredth time, yet another guest shook his head. No one seemed to have seen his friend, it was like the boy had disappeared.

Minho wanted to blame himself. If he hadn't accepted that girl's dance, he wouldn't lose Taemin. 

Another girl offered to dance with him but he declined politely. Rushing outside the ballroom, he called a servant and ordered him to check in Taemin's bedroom if the owner was there. The servant returned with empty news.

"He left the palace, your highness," one of the guards spoke up. "I believe an hour ago, at most."

"What? Where would he go?" Minho asked frantically. 

"We don't know, your highness. We haven't received orders to keep him inside. Although, I must say that he left quite upset."

"Upset?" Minho echoed.

"He was in tears, your highness," the other guard spoke. "We don't know why. We haven't seen anyone speak to him."

A certain feeling of dread wrapped around Minho's heart. He thanked the guards, dismissing them, before he went to Jinki for help. The general of the kingdom's army would surely help him.

Taemin, where have you gone?