ACT I

“Aaaaahh!” Ten yawns, stretching his arms over his head and kicking his gold slippers off his feet. His eyes are a bit swollen from sleep and there are blotches of ink all over his hands and robe.

“There you are!” Yuta calls from a few feet away as he skips along the blades of grass glistening brightly under the afternoon sun. He smiles softly. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Ten stares at him with heavy-lidded eyes. “You always know my hiding places,” he says.

The Crown Prince of Japan’s Chrysanthemum Throne laughs heartily. “Of course I do. I’m not your best friend for nothing.”

Ten laughs and the sound mixes with the rustling of leaves above his head. It’s two hours past noon, and Ten’s writing class has just ended. He hates practicing cursives and writing on parchment because the ink just gets everywhere whenever he tries to perfect the . Ten likes drawing, but he hates writing as it requires stricter forms, conflicting with his carefree spirit. He always leaves class with ink all over his hands and robe, and Yuta never misses a chance to laugh at his messy state.

“So what brings you here, Crown Prince?” Ten asks, closing his eyes and allowing the gust of wind from the trees to relax his senses. Their school is just a couple of miles away from the Grand Palace, and it is one of the first few universities around the continent to foster nobilities from different cultures and foreign lands. The students are princes, dukes and sons of generals in the most prestigious armies and from the highest nobilities around the world. Your family needs to have a distinctive rank in the nobilities for you to get admitted.

“Johnny is leaving next week. He’s going back to the United States.” Yuta finds a comfortable spot beside Ten, just below the shade of the trees. “The headmaster got a letter from General Seo this morning. They expect him to be back before the month ends.”

Ten sits up, his eyes now wide awake upon hearing the news. “Did they say why?”

Yuta shrugs. “They’re not telling us anything, but you and I both know this has something to do with all the things that are happening within our lands and territories. I wouldn’t be here too if this school wasn’t the best to prepare me for the throne. There are a lot of talks recently, and a lot of fighting. You’re lucky no one’s ever bothered to touch Siam.”

Ten nods. It’s too much news for an already tiring day. “We should throw him a party then. I can have people prepare it for us.”

Yuta smiles, resting a hand on Ten’s puffy black hair and dusting off the stray grass clinging to its ends. “Don’t be sad. I’m sure he’ll come back soon. Once everything gets fixed and people are less violent, I’m positive the General will send him back.”

Ten smiles hopefully. It’s so like Yuta to be this gigantic bubble of positivity. He’s thankful to have him as his friend. Ten hates how people can easily read through his expressions. His face is like a mirror of his true feelings; he could never hide his real self. “I hope so too,” he finishes with a sigh.

Yuta pumps a fist into the air. “Now let’s talk about that party. I’ll get Hansol and the kids to join in on the fun… and hmm, maybe Jaehyun?” The Crown Prince of Japan looks at him inquisitively, a mischievous smile plastered on his face.

Ah, yes, Jaehyun. Ten can almost hear the voice of South Korea’s Crown Prince singing in his head. “Sure, why not?” Ten says, and he can feel his face flushing and a smile creeping up from his lips to his eyes.

“I can’t believe you are still head-over-heels in love with him. It’s been what, five years??” Yuta’s hands are flailing and Ten can’t help but laugh.

“Yeah,” Ten croaks. “It’s been five years.”

Ten has been a student in the university for a total of nine years now, but it was only during his fourth year when Jaehyun moved in to study in the same school. Jaehyun’s father is the Emperor of the South and he is next in line to the throne as the nation’s Crown Prince. Jaehyun, needless to say, embodies everything a perfect Crown Prince should have – killer looks, a g