Prompt #11: arranged marriage au

Words: 2905

Also, I apologize for the lame names...

You'll see what lame names I'm talking about...

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Daehyun slammed the doors to his chamber. He stomped to his bed and sat on it. He could not- he was not going to be sold off. Okay, he was not being sold off but used as a contract. His marriage to the prince of the largest kingdom, the Northern Kingdom, would ensure that his own kingdom would always be protected. As a prince, he should willingly agree to the marriage. But he was still young. Nineteen was not the age he pictured himself getting married. His freedom would be compromised if he were to get married.

And love. He had not yet fallen in love. Had not yet experienced the dizzying fall and joys and heartbreak that comes with being in love. He was being forced into marriage not knowing his betrothed and whether he would or would not be able to love him. He did not want to marry, not yet, not like that.

A soft knock resounded through his chamber and Daehyun knew who it was, only one person ever knocked before entering. "Come in, Youngjae", he answered. Youngjae entered the room and stood in front of him. "Prince Daehyun, are you well?" Youngjae asked softly. "I am not. I am to get married within a month to a stranger. What if he is a brute? A maniac? I should feel glad that by marrying my betrothed I would ensure the safety of my kingdom but I cannot help but feel pity at my own misfortune. At the loss of my freedom", Daehyun answered heatedly at his friend, yes friend and not servant. 

"Marriage is a great responsibility and you as a prince carry a heavy burden at a young age. There is no shame in feeling dismay at the sudden marriage. If it helps, I have heard nothing but astounding and wonderful things of your betrothed", Youngjae offered soothingly. Daehyun smiled at his friend, not of royal descent but as loyal as a knight. "Thank you, Youngjae. That positive amount of information puts a sense of ease yet not enough. I'd like to sleep now. I believe my father would want to speak with me about my behavior early tomorrow", Daehyun sighed heavily. "I believe he would, Prince Daehyun", Youngjae nodded vigorously.

Daehyun bid Youngjae goodnight and fell into a restless, fretful sleep.

+

"Is it clear, Daehyun?" His father asked. "Yes, sir, it is. I am to marry the Prince and do so happily. May I go now?" Daehyun asked as politely as possible. His father gave a nod and Daehyun briskly walked out of the Great Chamber. Youngjae, who was waiting outside the doors, followed him quietly as he walked quickly out of the Great Hall and outside the castle. "Would you prepare my horse, Youngjae? I would like to go for a ride", Daehyun said as politely as possible. Youngjae gave a nod and jogged ahead to the stables.

As Daehyun reached the stables, Youngjae walked out with his horse, Darcy, a midnight dark beauty that had been his since he was six years of age. "Would you prefer to ride alone, Prince Daehyun?" Youngjae inquired knowing the answer already. "Yes, please. I won't go far, I promise", Daehyun replied kindly as he mounted his horse. 

"I'll be back before supper time", Daehyun informed before he rode away.

He took the trail that gave him the country side view, waving at the people from the village he had to cross. He needed to relax and come to terms with this marriage. Besides, it had been a while since he had taken out Darcy for a simple ride. Ten minutes into the ride and Daehyun felt at peace, he even started singing softly. His father had forbid him to sing, a proper prince does no such thing, but he still did it whenever he could.

It was peaceful and Daehyun could stay out here with Darcy forever. Except a loud growl was heard that caused Darcy to panic. "Woah, girl, calm, calm", Daehyun said as his horse started to get agitated. The growl was heard again but this time closer causing a sense of alarm in Daehyun. He had stormed out of the castle without his sword. And it wasn't like dangerous animals usually roamed this trail. It was foolish of him to leave his form of defense behind.

The coyote leaped out of nowhere making Darcy buck and throw Daehyun off. Daehyun landed harshly on his back, Darcy running at full speed the way they came. The coyote growled again and Daehyun could feel its threatening glare. Should he move? Should he play dead? Was not that for bears only? He was going to be mauled to death by a coyote in the middle of nowhere. His father would be so angry. His kingdom would be in so much trouble. All for his own stupid decision to leave his sword behind.

He might as well try to make a run for it. As quickly as possible, Daehyun rolled unto his stomach and staggered upright before pushing off the ground to gain some sort of momentum. He heard the coyote growl loudly and take after him. He wasn't going to make it far. He could feel the coyote snapping at his heels, its growls closer with each step he took. He was a dead man.

An arrow whizzed dangerously close to his head and he followed the motion. He heard the coyote yelp and saw that an arrow had lodged in its front paw. Whoever released that arrow was an amazing archer with great aim or Daehyun was the luckiest person by not having an arrow stuck in his forehead at this moment.

Daehyun searched for the source of the arrow, the coyote limping off the trail, and saw a beautiful chestnut horse riding at full speed towards him. The glare of the sun not letting Daehyun see the rider clearly, much to his dismay. The horse slowed down as he got closer to Daehyun and stopped a few feet away. The rider dismounted his horse with finesse and started his way towards Daehyun.

The glare of the sun was no longer prohibiting Daehyun from seeing his spontaneous savior but he almost wished it was. The man was breathtaking. From the way he carried himself, with confidence and grace, to the sharp outline of his jaw, to the nicely pressed clothes and the disheveled state of his dark mop of hair. The lightness of his step a contradiction to his well built form. The softness of his mouth a contrast to the smouldering eyes. The bow and arrows strapped to his back making Daehyun glad he had forgotten his sword.

"Are you feeling well? That was quite a fall you took back there", the archer wondered. Daehyun nodded mutely, momentarily forgetting the act of speech. "That's great. I also apologize for the arrow. I knew it was not going to hit you but it must have scared you in the moment", he offered with a smile. "No, there is no need to apologize. After all, you saved me from a quite terribly, painful death", Daehyun answered quickly at the unnecessary apology. The man chuckled lightly and Daehyun found the sound extremely charming.

"If you don't mind, could you point to the direction the coyote left to?" The archer asked. "What for?" Daehyun asked with a tilt of his head. "I wish to remove the arrow from its paw and wrap the injury it sustained", he stated as if it was the most common form of action. Daehyun pointed to the left side leading off the trail and when his savior went off in that direction he followed with curiosity.

"You might want to stay on the path, it is not safe here", he informed Daehyun over his shoulder. "I know that. I can take care of myself. I am not some maiden in distress", Daehyun scoffed. "You were being chased down by a coyote three minutes ago and now you have followed me into the woods to look for that same coyote. You clearly are not a maiden in distress but a maiden looking for trouble", the other responded jokingly. "Very amusing", Daehyun bit back. "So I have been told", he answered without missing a beat. Daehyun laughed softly at the ease to which the man in front of him kept up with their playful banter.

"In any case, I am not looking for trouble. I am simply curious as to why you want to help the coyote that tried to have me for dinner", Daehyun said. "Have you ever heard of the phrase curiosity killed the cat?" The man whispered. "Ah, but satisfaction brought it back", Daehyun replied quickly making him laugh and shake his head.

The man in front of him held up a hand signaling to him to hold still. When he crouched, Daehyun could see over his shoulder that the coyote was laying on its side. Daehyun held his breath as the man made his way over slowly and quietly as possible. The coyote growled once but did not move when his attacker was close to its body. Daehyun bit the inside of his cheek when he saw that his savior reached for the arrow, placing his other hand on the paw, and pulled it out gently. The coyote yelped once but let his injured paw be wrapped in a piece of cloth. Once he was done, he retreated backwards slowly, pulling Daehyun along with him when he reached him.

"That was kind of you", Daehyun said with a relieved sigh when they were back on the path. "I only meant to stop the coyote from hurting you not killing it. Had I left the arrow where it was the coyote would have died because of it", he replied. Daehyun felt admiration for the man in front of him. Most people would have left the coyote to die without giving it a second thought and would even go as far as to ask Daehyun himself a reward for saving his life. The person in front of him had not done either. Which reminded Daehyun he had not thank him properly.

"If you would excuse my rudeness, I have not yet thanked you for saving my life", Daehyun stated. "There is no need. You did not ask to be chased down by a coyote and certainly did not ask me to help you. I did it because I wanted to", he said kindly. "Well, if I may I would still like to do so. And if it is not much to ask I would like to have a name to go with your amazing skill with a bow and arrow", Daehyun asked. The man smiled and nodded. "If you wish to do so though I repeat it is not necessary. And it is no problem at all. I am Moon Jongup, at your service", he said with a small bow. 

Daehyun smiled at the introduction. "I am Jung Daehyun, at your debt". Jongup looked up at him with a smile and Daehyun felt his heart beat faster inside his chest. "Would you like a ride back to your home?" Jongup offered kindly. "Yes, if it is not a problem", he answered shyly. "Not at all", Jongup said. He whistled and his horse trotted over to them. Jongup held out a hand to help him and Daehyun rolled his eyes at him but took it. It was warm and soft to the touch and Daehyun held tightly to it even if there was no need. And when Daehyun felt a warm hand at his waist he all but blushed crimson.

When he was properly mounted on the horse, Jongup joined him and encased Daehyun within his arms as he reached for the reins. "You can lean back. It won't bother me and you won't get tired from sitting ramrod straight", Jongup rumbled. Daehyun felt his face burn up at the suggestion but slowly leaned against Jongup's chest. Once his back was flushed to Jongup's well toned chest, he relaxed, he felt safe where he was, and placed his hands above Jongup's. He felt Jongup's body shake lightly with a chuckle and Daehyun rolled his eyes.

Jongup clicked his tongue and the horse trotted forward at a normal pace. The ride was silent but it wasn't uncomfortable. Daehyun's heart was beating wildly, more than when he was running for his life, and his body felt like it was running a fever. Yet, none of those feelings were unpleasant. Especially, when the heat seemed to be radiating off of Jongup's body. It was a shame now more than ever that he was getting married. Jongup would be the person he could fall in love with. And now he couldn't or he knew his marriage would be miserable. So, he willed his heart to beat normally and his body to cool down.

They entered the village and people smiled and waved at Daehyun, he kindly smiled back but did not wave. Just because he had failed to mention to Jongup he was a prince it didn't mean his people would not recognize him. "You must be very well liked", Jongup observed. "Hopefully", Daehyun chuckled.

"Do you live nearby?" Jongup asked as they reached the edge of the village. "I do. Just continue down the path", Daehyun informed him. Jongup hummed and followed his instructions. "You must be very well off if you live near the castle", Jongup mentioned conversationally. Daehyun shrugged not wanting to say he lived inside the castle. Everyone knew of his betrothal and in all honesty he did not want to be treated different by Jongup. 

"Would you mind telling me about the prince?" Jongup asked. "Um, I would not know what to say", Daehyun replied awkwardly. How could he talk about himself to someone else? "Is he kind? Or is he a spoiled brat?" Jongup wondered out loud. "He is most certainly not a spoiled brat", Daehyun replied defensively. Jongup chuckled at his reaction. "I guess he is kind", Daehyun allowed. Well, it was not like he was cruel. He felt Jongup nod behind him.

"Well, hopefully, he is something like you", Jongup murmured. And Daehyun felt his finally subdued heart start thumping again at a thousand miles per hour. After all, he was something like him because he was him. If that made sense. "Why?" Daehyun asked shocked. He heard Jongup clear his throat softly. "Well, I forgot to mention one thing", he said slowly. Daehyun turned his head to the side to make eye contact with Jongup. He probably shouldn't have, his lips were so close to Jongup's now. "I might have left out the part where I'm the prince from the Northern Kingdom", Jongup admitted as his eyes flicked down to Daehyun's lips.

Daehyun snapped out of his trance like state and gaped at Jongup. Jongup was the Prince from the Northern Kingdom? Could this charming stranger really be his betrothed? "Daehyun, are you feeling well?" Jongup asked worriedly. "I am. Just feeling a bit shocked", Daehyun replied hurriedly. Jongup gave him a small smile. "So, that is my reason for asking about the prince. As you've probably heard, he is my soon to be husband. I came over to meet him not wanting to marry a complete stranger. If we could not fall in love then hopefully we could have a nice friendship that will make this sudden marriage easier", Jongup said with a sigh. And Daehyun nodded quietly, taking in the fact that he was talking to his betrothed. 

"Of course, if the Prince were to be anything like you, it would be a pleasure to marry him", Jongup confessed to him. Daehyun laughed softly at the situation. Maybe he should make his identity known. "Prince Jongup, there is something that I as well forgot to mention", Daehyun said. "And what could that be?" Jongup asked hesitantly. Daehyun pulled on the reins soflty, making the horse stop completely, and turned to look at Jongup. "I am Prince Daehyun of the Eastern Kingdom", Daehyun answered with a smile.

Daehyun laughed at the blush that appeared on Jongup's high cheekbones. "Oh, in that case, I should consider myself lucky", Jongup said as a warm hand cupped Daehyun's cheek. "I- I believe I should as well", Daehyun replied less than graceful. Jongup leaned forward, his lips ghosting over Daehyun's, before moving away and pressing a kiss to Daehyun's forehead instead.

Daehyun could not help the pout of disappointment that graced his lips at the change of thought. He had wanted nothing less than to feel Jongup's lips on his. His whole body felt hot to the touch, even the small press of Jongup's lips to his forehead had left behind a searing feel. Daehyun could say he now understood why passion and love were associated with the color red.

"Don't pout, my love, we have more than plenty of time for kisses and so much more", Jongup said with a chuckle. Daehyun crinkled his nose at the pet name but was happy about the promise. "We will do so much more as long as you do not call me your love", Daehyun replied with a roll of his eyes.

Jongup laughed heartily and pressed a kiss to Daehyun's cheek.

"As you wish, my angel", Jongup said softly. And okay, Daehyun was completely fine with that one.