Chanyeol hummed a tune to himself as he slid out of his jacket and took off his hat. He scaled the stairs two at a time, hurrying to the dining hall. Chanyeol doubled back to check himself out in the mirror, eyes tracing his clean-cut suit to his stylishly messy hair. He ran his fingers through his locks, shot a wink at his reflection, and smiled as he raced down the hall.

Due to his speed, he crashed into his brother who was exiting his room at the same time. All long limbs and pain, Chanyeol tasted blood on his lips as he stared at his younger brother on the ground. He reached a hand out, to which Sehun ignored. Chanyeol retracted his hand back awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey, Sehun," Chanyeol greeted. Sehun nodded and the two brothers ended up walking to the hall together.

"Where were you?" asked Sehun, with the usual lack of interest.

"Visiting Jongdae."

Sehun side-eyed him. "Someone might recognize you. You can't just run around Seoul anymore."

"Not in that area." Chanyeol hummed again, thinking back to the intriguing and undeniably beautiful boy he met. "Plus, I get to hear about what's happening in town and interact with our citizens."

"You - be careful."

"I know,” Chanyeol replied lightly. The bounce in his step was not missed by Sehun's sharp eyes. His younger brother stared at him strangely, coming to a stop in front of the two large wooden doors separating them from the dining hall.

"What happened to you?" Sehun asked, narrowing his eyes. "You just smiled."

"What, am I not allowed to smile in my own kingdom?" Chanyeol scoffed.

"No, it's just-" The doors opened, announcing their entrance and interrupting Sehun's sentence. Chanyeol ruffled his brother's hair, much to Sehun's annoyance, and slid into his seat to the right of his father, across his mother. The seat he sat in for as long as he could ever remember.

As Chanyeol was distracted by the long line of girls entering the room, Sehun's finishing words were not heard.

"-you never smiled."

¤¤¤

Luhan fidgeted and tugged at the hem of his dress. He stared at the lack of his chest. Is it obvious? Playing with his lock of hair, he took a deep breath and tried to calm down his nerves, for he was minutes away from meeting the Prince and possibly getting thrown in jail. I won't get caught. Hopefully. Maybe. Oh god, I'm going to be executed for treason and deceit.

"Stop worrying. You look amazing," Luna whispered to him with a smile, her breath ghosting on his bare, pale shoulders. He looked to some of the girls she pointed to, who were glaring at him. The rest of the girls were sporting dark shades bringing out their fair skin, and only Luna and him were dressed in contrasting, bright colours. Maybe it was a sign.

Luna herself was wearing a light green, low-cut dress framed with frilly black lace hugging her curves in all the right spots. It would have looked tacky on anyone else, but on Luna, it became elegant. The Luhan from years back would have stammered and tripped over his feet at the sight.

She held his hand and squeezed, and Luhan categorized the butterflies in his stomach as worry, not anticipation.

¤¤¤

Baekhyun dumped his measly bag of belongings - pitifully small - onto the floor. Sinking into the skin-coloured couch, he leaned his head back, trying to separate his thoughts from alcoholic influence. Jongdae was taking a shower, leaving Baekhyun alone to think about just what exactly he was doing with his life. And surprisingly enough, Baekhyun had never felt happier.

Back in his hometown, his parents monitored his every move. He always felt like if he were to slip even just a little bit, he would be sent tumbling down the hill into the depths of Hell. All that pressure and stress built up eventually, leaving him to explode and scream at his parents. He was planning to confess about his uality before - he knew he swung that way ever since the preteen Baek kissed the prettiest girl in school and didn't like it - but it all boiled down to them rejecting him.

Now he had no one to chase after him. It was just him, and Baek felt like flying.

It was a huge bonus as well that the first person he met in Seoul was an attractive, kind stranger who Baekhyun wouldn't mind kissing a few times. Maybe more than a few.

"Yeol? He's a childhood friend of mine," Jongdae had replied to Baek's question regarding the kind stranger. "He visits weekly."

"How old is he?" Baekhyun played with his frayed sleeve. He should really get new clothes.

"Twenty-two."

"What's his job?"

Jongdae shot him a curious look before returning to table top cleaning. "Are we playing Twenty Questions?"

Baekhyun didn't know how to reply, but Jongdae cut him off as a knowing look slid over his sharp features. "Ah, so you're interested."

“Why would you assume such a thing?” Baekhyun scoffed, trying to play it cool. He was used to running back into the closet at the slightest sign of discrimination that it just came naturally, even though Jongdae’s body language was anything but judging.

Jongdae just chuckled. "No need to deny it. I have to admit, Yeol's pretty handsome. And his little Prince Charming act didn't help much. He's normally not that nice or thoughtful.”

Baekhyun felt a sense of relief flow through his body in waves. And as he recalled that moment when he drifted into sleep, Baekhyun decided running away was the best thing to happen to him, next to meeting Luhan.

Meeting Prince Charming on the first day I left home, Baekhyun thought to himself. Even if things don’t work out with Yeol, it’ll at least make a wonderful story to tell.

¤¤¤

It was just his luck, really. Of all the twenty-four seats at the table, Luhan was given the one right across the Prince. Having never seen Prince Sehun's face before, Luhan imagined him to have a sickly pale complexion and be all skin and bones. He was surprised to meet a stunningly handsome jawline and sharp cuts and edges. Not to mention the muscles. Needless to say, Luhan gulped down his third cup of water in the first five minutes since dinner started.

Luhan stabbed at his chicken with his fork, wondering what Ji-eun would say to this precious meat. His village only got to eat chicken during the special holidays (a.k.a. the royals' birthdays). Luhan scarfed down the plate, wanting to ask for seconds, before realizing that none of the girls had even eaten half of their meal yet. He glanced up in embarrassment to meet the Prince's blank stare and Queen Krystal's amused laughter.

"Eat up, Ji-eun! Don't be afraid. It's nice to see young girls these days eating so well. We need a healthy queen, after all." Maybe it was just Luhan but he swore he saw Sehun stiffen. He sighed, knowing fully well he would probably be the first girl to get sent home. The sooner the better.

"Prince Sehun, I'm curious, but what's your ideal type of girl?" A rather bold, striking girl - her name was Hyuna, Luhan recalled - donned in all black asked over the clinking of glasses and cutlery.

Sehun stared at her before lazily observing all the girls seated at the table. He finally stopped and landed on Luhan. Not moving his gaze, Sehun responded monotonously, "Someone who looks good in pink."

Luhan gulped before glancing down at his own light pink dress. He took another sip, hiding behind his cup, as he noticed all the girls who were within earshot glower his way. Putting his glass down, he briefly made eye contact with the Prince, which sent lightning bolts down his spine. Luhan shivered.

Probably because of all the attention he was receiving that night, Luhan felt a sharp kick to his shins under the table. He bit his lip, holding back the cry of pain. Luhan stared at all the girls' faces, trying to find any sign. There were none.

Glancing at Luna who was seated beside the Prince, Luhan was surprised to find an unreadable sheen in her eyes before she quickly switched to her normal, breezy smile. The crinkles at her eyes were gone.

Luhan sighed and clenched his fists. He wished he could just go home, where there were no jealous Barbies and unnerving stares from terrifyingly attractive princes, no mouth-watering chicken and fancy water. Never had Luhan felt so out of place, dressing up as the very thing he despised to be.

¤¤¤

Luhan trudged back to his room, trailing after the giggling girls whispering about their craving for the Prince's dashing looks. All Luhan craved was the soft linen after that embarrassing meal. Can't I just leave?

"Girls!" Luhan turned to see Miss Bom approach them with a wide grin and flailing hands. "How was the meal?"

"Amazing, thanks for asking." Luhan watched as Luna bowed. He followed her lead. "How was your night?"

"Fabulous, fabulous. You are such a sweetheart." Miss Bom all but purred as she patted Luna's head. Everyone always liked Luna. "Well, I hope you have a wonderful night's rest!"

Luhan shrugged away the uncomfortable feeling, letting it leave with Miss Bom's nauseating perfume.

Jongin slipped through the kitchen's swinging doors to be introduced to the delightful mixtures of smells all wafting into the air. He let out a sigh and couldn't help but feel right at home. He danced around the flying food and waving cooking utensils, ducking past an open oven door and waving at everyone he met with a bright grin. But his eyes always strayed, searching for that one special person he needed.

Then, Jongin spotted him.

Picking up a metal tray from the side, Jongin made a beeline towards the oblivious cook mixing some batter. The butler only paused a few feet behind the young cook, letting himself take in his old friend. It had been weeks since he last visited the kitchen, too busy with the Prince's little game involving his future wife. His eyes trailed the short, slim frame, the subtly muscular arms stirring steadily, until his eyes landed on the large eyes, fair skin, and all too familiar heart-shaped mouth.

"Kyungsoo."

Jongin let the syllables drag out, tasting them on his tongue. It had been so long since he spoke that name, his lips curving naturally around the sound. He briefly fluttered his eyes closed, and opened them to find Kyungsoo staring at him with what was neither surprise nor delight.

Kyungsoo let out a tired sigh, and Jongin swore he saw him deflate. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you." Jongin took a closer step and froze as Kyungsoo flinched. "Are - are you okay?"

"I’m," Kyungsoo took a moment to collect his thoughts. He’d rather be slow in responding than blurt out something he didn’t mean to, Jongin knew. Kyungsoo's eyes darted around, trying to find somewhere to stare at that was not Jongin. The cook knew all he would see would be a concerned frown. And he really couldn't deal with that right now. "Stuff's been happening and piling up. And now having to cook twenty new portions isn't helping."

"Oh. Should I come back at a better time or-"

"No, stay." Jongin widened his eyes. "Stay."

He took a step closer to the cook, reaching out a wavering hand. When Kyungsoo didn't move, Jongin took that as a go ahead and wrapped his arms around Kyungsoo's small frame. When had he been so skinny? Kyungsoo's head was tucked into the crook of his neck so he couldn't see the cook shut his eyes, creases forming. The bustle around them kept moving, just like life itself, but the two stood rooted to that spot in each other's arms. In a way, time was frozen just for them.

"I'm sorry," Jongin whispered into Kyungsoo's dark locks.

Kyungsoo hummed softly before replying quietly, "It's fine. You're busy. Thanks for coming."

Jongin let out a chuckle, and he could feel the cook shake with silent laughter as well. "You say that every time."

"It's not like I can tell you to just quit and stay here in the kitchen 24/7." The butler could almost feel Kyungsoo roll his eyes in exasperation. "So why did you visit boring ol' me anyway? Now that the ladies are here, you probably have more work to do."

That set off a tangent from Jongin about the same old topics that they always seemed to arrive at during their conversations. Their jobs were to work for the royals, and Sehun was one of said royals. In the end, it was always Sehun they talked about. But Kyungsoo could never get bored of Jongin talking. Even if the butler were to just recite the alphabet or read a calculus textbook aloud, Kyungsoo would never tire of listening to his soft, golden voice.

¤¤¤

"So how have you been, Kyungie?" Kyungsoo hid a smile behind his frown at the nickname.

"Not much changed." The cook looked up into Jongin's dark eyes and wondered what changed for the boy he had known so well, like the back of his hand, for him to be a complete stranger now. Even though they were side-by-side, Kyungsoo couldn't help but feel Jongin was really a million miles away, in his fantasy land with Prince Sehun. "I, I missed you-"

"Jongin, twenty mugs of hot chocolate on counter!" The command startled Kyungsoo back into reality, but the words were already out in the open before he could bottle them up. A wave of relief flooded him as he realized Jongin didn't hear him over the loud chaos, but that relief quickly turned into disappointment when he connected the dots. Jongin. Random visit. Kitchen. Twenty mugs.

Of course he didn’t come for only Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo shut his eyes and rubbed at them with the balls of his hands to erase the image of Jongin's retreating back. He had seen that picture so many times in his life - Jongin always walking in front of him, away from him - it was etched in his memory. But now he could feel hot tears stinging, threatening to spill past his closed eyes, at the fact that he was just a side stop along the road to Jongin's real destination.

This wasn't a surprise. Nothing was about Jongin. The butler was stone, the only constant in Kyungsoo's pandemonium he called life. And that was one of the main reasons why he waited for Jongin, because he knew the butler would always drop by for a short visit. That brief moment where they hug and talk, when Kyungsoo could pretend the gap between them was bridged, that moment was enough. It was enough to just be a side stop, to just be a forgotten thought popping up out of the blue.

But just because it was enough, didn't make it hurt any less.

¤¤¤

After ducking into one of the many empty storage rooms dotting the castle, Jongin slid out the container of sleeping pills and poured some into the twenty mugs. It wasn’t hard getting his hands on them; the issue was if he managed to acquire enough. Only half of the mugs received a pill, but that was alright because he had time. He watched as the white pills dropped, swirled, and merged into the steaming cocoa.

He knew if he got caught, he could very well get thrown in jail for screwing up the test. But Jongin wasn't scared. He would do anything for Prince Sehun. It was part of his job description; he was just going above and beyond now.

Keeping that determination in mind, Jongin managed to reduce the amount of guilt he felt, though it multiplied every time the girls thanked him with a sweet smile rivaling the sweet drink he handed them.

When he reached the last door, it flew open to reveal the girl Sehun said was one of his favourites. The butler raised his eyebrows as he took in her appearance. Her usual long hair was now chopped short and she carried a stuffed bag in one arm. Her clothes were chosen for comfort and not style, as the stains and dirt were prominent. She stared at him in horror, and Jongin was, suffice to say, confused when she yanked him inside.

Jongin set the mug down before it spilled and stared, even more confused, at the wig on the vanity table. He watched as the girl sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands. Piecing the clues together, Jongin cleared his throat to ask, "Were you trying to run away?"

The girl nodded. Jongin furrowed his brows. "Why?"

"Don't tell anyone." The girl finally raised her head. With her short hair and calm appearance, Jongin had a nagging thought he saw her before. "I just don't want to be here."

"What?"

"I don't want to marry the Prince. Is that so hard to understand?" The girl huffed.

"Well, actually, yes." Jongin narrowed his eyes, slightly insulted. "Why are you even here then? And what about the wig?"

"I... have a twin sister." She looked away. "Prince Sehun chose her, but she already had a fiancé so I ended up here. The wig was just so I would look more like her."

"Twins? So you're not Ji-eun?"

"I prefer to be called Lu." Lu stood up and retrieved the wig. She ran her fingers through the silky dark locks and frowned. "We don't look exactly alike, but I can pass off as her well enough if you've never seen her before."

Jongin ran his fingers through his hair and bit his lip. "I can send you to jail for fraud and deception."

It seemed as if Lu reached that consensus before and looked at him wearily, not even pleading with her large, doe eyes. She scrunched up the wig in one hand and said, "It's fine if you throw me in jail or behead me, just don't drag my sister into this."

"Don't worry."

Jongin didn't know why he said that. Maybe it was because Lu looked so alike with that child, or maybe it was the way she looked up at him with her shining, hopeful eyes. All he knew was he didn't regret it. "You don't want to marry Prince Sehun, so it's fine. As long as you aren't our next Queen. I don't want to just throw a lady in the dungeon for a mere reason like this."

Lu faltered before she wrapped her slim, cold hands around his and beamed gratefully up at him. "Thank you so much, Mr. Jongin. You're very kind."

¤¤¤​

After Jongin wished Lu a good night, all thoughts of sleeping potions mixed with hot chocolate vanished from his head and were replaced with questions about the connection between the child he saved years ago and the girl he met today. She looked like the exact older version of that boy, except the female version. They couldn't possibly be the same person, could they?

He tilted his head to the side, brows furrowed in thought. It had been fourteen years since the drowning incident, and he still couldn't forget the shivering boy he held in his arms. It was terrifying how close that kid was to dying, all because of a couple of heartless bullies. Little Jongin was struck by how protective he felt, as if the kid was Prince Sehun.