The Great Hall was elegant in a minimalist sort of way, the walls were covered with shimmering gold paper and exquisite Korean traditional paintings decorated them. The raised ceilings were painted in pure white, and in the middle of the ceiling above the mahogany table was a crystal chandelier. Down the center of the table was a runner woven in blue, red and gold, with a fine embroidery of the “Rose of Sharon” in the middle of the fabric itself. At the end of the table were floor-to-ceiling carved wooden doors, where two Imperial Guards stood at the each of the side.

 

Prince Baekhyun fidgeted in his seat. He did not even realise that he was biting his fingers, until the Queen who was seated beside him shot him a look. He was dressed in a black formal suit, that retained the traditional Korean elements, adorned with golden buttons and a red sash stretched diagonally across his chest. His jet black bangs were now pushed back and his eyes were lined with light kohl. His parents and sister filled the seats in the Great Hall, while two empty seats were awaited the arrival of the guests. His oldest brother, the Crown Prince of Korea was absent because he was still in studying in France.

 

“Your Majesty, the Crown Prince of China has arrived and is waiting by the door.”

 

The King of Korea, King Gunmo gave a firm nod to the guard. It was not long before the doors of the Great Hall opened and two men entered.

 

It was finally the day to meet his sister’s betrothed. Baekhyun felt his insides churning and his hands were clasped tightly in front of his stomach, while he constantly fiddled with his knuckles, weaving his fingers in and out of each other. He heard footsteps that were approaching closer, but he kept his eyes focused on the silver dinnerware placed in front of him.

 

“Ah, Prince Wu, welcome! I’ve been looking forward to seeing you.” Baekhyun heard the King addressing a person and he gathered up his courage to raise his head to look at the Prince.

 

He was a really tall man (He might hit the ceilings, Baekhyun thought) clad in maroon velvet suit, with a banded collar and buttons that were buttoned halfway, which revealed a white dress shirt, complete with black tapered pants. He had blonde hair that was swept upwards, and a pair of thick eye brows that framed his handsome features.

 

The Crown Prince Yifan was shaking the hand of the King and were talking about something that Baekhyun did not catch. He introduced his companion as “Sir Kai”, a Warrior that will be accompanying him during his stay.

 

“Prince Baekhyun, it’s my pleasure to meet you,” A gummy smile was flashed at Baekhyun and he feels his cheeks redden slightly. Baekhyun extended his hand to the Prince’s (Why are his hands so big?) and he meets a pair of really attractive eyes which were somewhat familiar.

 

“Prince Wu, please make yourselves comfortable, the lunch will be served shortly.” Queen Seol invites the Prince and his companion to take their seats.

 

Baekhyun tore his gaze away from the Crown Prince and shifted to his companion. Beside him stood another brown-haired man, tall but a little shorter than Prince Yifan, wearing a black formal suit with a dark grey inner shirt. He was lean but well-built, in contrast with his pair of sleepy eyes that resembled a puppy.

 

Baekhyun was hit with a sudden realisation. Wait wasn’t he the man I met earlier by the lake, who was with the masked man? The masked man who had a ‘contagious illness’, the man who was stealing from the trees, who had the same pair of eyes, the same pair as the… The Crown Prince.

 

“… Korea is a beautiful country. A lake, especially, caught my attention. It was stunning.” Baekhyun noticed that Prince Yifan’s eyes were fixed on him as the latter took a sip from his wineglass.

 

A muscle in Baekhyun’s jaw twitched. The Crowned Prince was definitely there at the lake. He finally realised the real identity was the masked man, and he definitely needed an explanation from the Crown Prince. He decided to keep silent about the matter, planning to confront Prince Yifan when he had the opportunity,

 

The lunch went by painfully, with Baekhyun trying his best to advert his gaze whenever Prince Yifan casted a glance at him. Lady Luck was definitely on Baekhyun’s side, because the Crown Prince was mostly kept occupied by the King and Queen.

 

“Yes, yes, apart from sightseeing, your visit would also mean a Royal Wedding would be in place very soon!” The King let out a loud laugh and brought up his glass for a toast. This elicited a soft sound of protest from Princess Baekhee, who was immediately shushed by Queen Seol.

 

“No rush, King Gunmo. This beautiful country still awaits me,” Prince Yifan raised his glass for the toast but Baekhyun noticed that his expression was neutral and the Crown Prince showed no signs of approval or objection.

 

…

 

“Whoa, that was the most awkward meal I ever had in my life!”

 

“Lower your voice, Jongin. Don’t forget you’re in the Byun Palace now, I don’t want to get thrown out before we reach our rooms.” Yifan whispered as he eyed the maid who was showing the way to their rooms that were located in the East wing of the Palace.

 

Jongin stuck out a tongue and mouthed a “sorry”. They continued walking in silence, passing by many corridors that were as grand as the Great Hall but had a contemporary touch. Finally, they arrived at a corridor where only a double door at the end can be seen.

 

“Your Highness, this will be your room during your stay.”

 

The room was huge, and the floor was tiled with bleached oak parquet, the walls white and grey. Equipped with furniture that was high end and bespoke, Yifan noticed that every piece in the room was hardwood as he entered. The fabrics were spotless and colour coordinated in muted natural hues. It looked comfortable and practical but by no means plush. The only compromise to comfort was the sheepskin on the floor, so clean it was hard to believe anyone had ever stepped foot on it.

 

The maid turned to the Warrior and continued, “Sir Kai, your room will be at the next corridor.”

 

“Thank you, we’ll find our way there later.”

 

As soon as Yifan dismissed the maid, Jongin made himself comfortable on Yifan’s bed where the silken mattress was covered with a thick white duvet.

 

“This room is perfect, hyung! I wonder if my room would be like this too…”

 

“You can have this room if you want, they don’t matter to me as long as I have a bed to sleep on.” Yifan settled himself on a cream-coloured couch against the wall which was covered by a gigantic mirror.

 

“Thank you for the offer but I’m not the one who’s marrying that Princess,” Jongin crossed his legs and hugged onto a pillow. “By the way, how did you managed to last through that lunch? The Princess was totally staring at you as if you owed her millions of Yuan. And that Second Prince? I bet he recognised us but it’s weird that he kept quiet about it…”

 

“To set things straight here, I’m not really here to discuss the betrothal, I just wanted a break from those royal duties back home,” Yifan sighed while rubbing his temples, he did mention the lake on purpose, hoping Prince Baekhyun would remember him because he had been lingering on his mind ever since. “Well, about that Second Prince, I guess it wasn’t the best time to bring that matter up. But he looked-” He looked so stunning with his hair pushed back and his eyes… They were beautiful.

 

Yifan snapped out of his thoughts and looked up to see Jongin still waiting for him to complete his sentence. Deciding to keep the thoughts to himself, Yifan cleared his throat, “It doesn’t matter if he did recognize us, I’ll be disappointed if he didn’t actually.” Yifan gestured to his face, “I mean how could he not notice this work of art?”

 

“Ugh please. Are you forgetting how dishevelled you looked? And you kinda lied to him?”

 

“Right…” Yifan scratched his head before grabbing a cushion and throwing it at the younger (which he managed to catch). “No thanks to you, Jongin.”

 

Jongin gave him a sheepish smile, “Come on, hyung. Let’s go out for a walk, it’s such a waste to stay inside on such a day.”

 

After trying to navigate their way out for around ten minutes (The palace is like a maze), Yifan and Jongin finally arrived at a flower garden that was situated in the Royal Courtyard. It is wide and open, a grove of cypress pines flanked on one side, with a thicket of peaceful beeches standing guard on the other. Apple trees run through the centre of the garden, casting a lake of shadows onto the pea-green grass. The flower beds planted added colours to the garden and on close inspection, they were weed-free.

 

Yifan strolled on the stone path where short, trimmed hedges stood on both sides, with Jongin following closely behind him. A bed of white flowers caught Yifan’s eye, as they contrasted from the other colourful flowers. Bending over to smell the flowers, there was a sweet fragrance that enveloped Yifan.

 

“What flowers are these? It has a nice scent.”

 

“Jongin, these are gardenia flowers,” Yifan reached out to touch the flowers. “You know, during the Victorian times, when people wanted to express their love for someone, but they didn’t want their identity to be known, the gardenia is the flower to give as a present.  It signifies a-”

 

“Prince Wu, I guess it’s your habit to go around picking things that aren’t yours, right?”

 

The Crown Prince knew that voice. He turned around to see a black haired man, face clearly showing signs of annoyance.

 

…

 

“Prince Baekhyun,” Prince Wu bowed slightly, “It seems like we have some misunderstandings, care to spare some time to hear me out?”

 

“Yes, I do think you have the obligation to explain yourself,” Baekhyun could feel his cheeks reddening from anger. “Why did you lie to me about the mask?”

 

Baekhyun felt his blood boiling. He did not know if it was because he hated the fact that this man had lied to him, or that this was the man that his sister is marrying and he may hurt his sister’s feelings in the future.

 

Keeping his distance from the Crown Prince, Baekhyun showed no intention to step closer, because Sir Kai was already in a defensive stance and he knew better to take on a skilled Warrior.

 

“Prince Baekhyun, let me explain myself. We have arrived at the Palace early so I wanted to take a stroll by this beautiful lake,” Prince Wu let his fingers run through his hair. “I had to keep my mask on to protect my identity and my state at that moment wasn’t the best time to reveal myself,” Prince Wu shot a glance at Sir Kai. “So for that little lie I made, I apologize for that.”

 

Baekhyun could sense that the Crown Prince was sincere about his apology but he refused to let his stand waver. “What about that accomplice of yours? The boy?”

 

“Right, about the boy, we certainly have nothing to do with him. Sir Kai just so happened to have caught that real thief who had been stealing from the trees and he has already handed him to you. So I presume we are even now, Prince Baekhyun?”

 

“Apparently, the boy still managed to get away so that doesn’t make us even. But that still doesn’t give you the right to lie to me! You know I could have you both jailed?”

 

Upon hearing Baekhyun’s threat, the young Warrior stepped in front of the Crown Prince, as if ready to put on a fight to defend the latter.

 

Baekhyun watched as Prince Wu whispered something he could not hear to the Warrior. The Second Prince cursed himself for dismissing his own guards before confronting Prince Wu, thinking he could handle this matter alone. To his surprise, it was the Crown Prince who started walking towards him, while the Warrior remained at his spot.

 

As the taller approached Baekhyun, he noticed that the Crown Prince was not wearing his suit jacket, but only clad in a white dress shirt, sleeves slightly folded up. Baekhyun hated himself for finding the man in front of him attractive.

 

The distance between them was shrinking and Baekhyun could feel his heartbeat starting to quicken. When the taller man finally stopped, he bent over and whispered in Baekhyun’s ear, voice low, “What can I do to make you to accept my apology?” Baekhyun’s breath hitched. “Let’s have dinner tomorrow night, I’ll try my best to make it up to you.”

 

The shorter stood frozen and words just refused to get out from his mouth. Prince Wu’s face was now inches away from Baekhyun’s and the latter cannot help but let his eyes linger on the taller’s lips. Prince Wu seemed to have noticed that, because his lips have now formed a small smirk.

 

“It was a pleasant talk,” Prince Wu’s voice was louder now, as he pulled away from the shorter. “I’ll look forward to tomorrow night, Prince Baekhyun.”

 

Baekhyun felt like he lost his ability to talk, and he could only stare blankly as Prince Yifan retreated back to the East wing with the Warrior following closely behind.

 

…

 

 

The Hanyang Academy is a prestigious institution where the royal families and children of the wealthy businessmen are enrolled in. And because most of the children from the upper class society go there for their college education, it boasts the most sophisticated, high-tech facilities, security system and even the teachers were of the best in the country.

 

Being the only one with the royal blood in Hanyang, Baekhyun is naturally one of the most talked about person in school. But that fame does not make him popular, because people were wary of being friends with him, in fear that they might do anything that will offend the Second Prince of Korea.

 

“Byun Baekhyun! Aren’t you going to tell me about yesterday?” Baekhyun earned a slap on his back from none other than, Kim Jongdae.

 

Being the son of the Dajong Group which owns a chain of hotels and resorts, Jongdae is also the self-proclaimed best friend of Baekhyun, both of them in the third year. He was the only person who approached Baekhyun during their first year and they became friends almost immediately when they realize how similar they were. Jongdae never treated Baekhyun differently just because the latter was a royalty unlike the others, so Baekhyun always hanged out with Jongdae. (He’s just really loud, sometimes)

 

“Ow! That hurt, Kim Jongdae!” Jongdae’s laughter filled the school cafeteria (It was more of a posh restaurant, Jongdae always said.) and settled in the seat opposite Baekhyun.

 

“So? How was that Chinese Prince?” Jongdae sipped on his banana milk. “Is he as gorgeous as what people say?”

 

Rolling his eyes, Baekhyun took a mouthful of the rice from his plate. “Don’t be gross, Jongdae. How could that giant be attractive? He was just a cheat!”

 

Noticing Jongdae’s confused expression, Baekhyun filled him in with his encounter with the Crown Prince.

 

“That’s all? He did explain and apologize so I guess that wasn’t a big thing,” Jongdae wriggled his eyebrows. “But the main point is, he asked you out on a date!”

 

 “Not a big thing? He lied!” Baekhyun almost choked on his food. “Why are you putting your emphasis on the wrong things? And it’s not a date!!”

 

“Come on, it’s time for you to get out of your singlehood! I can teach you how to impress him,” Jongdae reached out to his pick a rice grain off Baekhyun’s face. “Can you don’t talk with your mouth full? For goodness sake, you’re a Prince!”

 

“I can handle my own love life perfectly, thank you very much.” Baekhyun grabbed the napkin and dapped it on his lips. “And are you forgetting that he’s betrothed to my sister?”

 

“What are you guys going on about? The whole cafeteria is filled with your voices!” The bickering friends looked up to see Kim Junmyeon, a senior who’s a year older than them. He is also the son of the Headmaster of Hanyang Academy, and one of Jongdae’s closer friends.

 

“Hey, hyung! We were just discussing about the love life of the Second Prince,” Catching the napkin Baekhyun threw at him, Jongdae gestured Junmyeon to take the seat beside him.

 

“Whoa, you’ve got yourself a boyfriend?” Junmyeon looked at Baekhyun as he placed the cup of coffee he was holding on the table.

 

“Jongdae, just shut up!” Baekhyun shot a death glare at Jongdae.

 

Ignoring Baekhyun, Jongdae took a sip of Junmyeon’s coffee, “The Crown Prince of China is now in the Byun Palace and Baekhyun just earned himself a date from that man.”

 

“It’s not a date!!!” Baekhyun resisted the urge to throw his plate at Jongdae.

 

Junmyeon raised an eyebrow. “Then what about the rumors about the arranged marriage between the Chinese crown prince and Princess Baekhee? Are they real?”

 

“Yes, they’re true...” Baekhyun supported his chin while resting his elbows on the table. “The betrothal was set 25 years ago by my grandfather and the Crown Prince’s. My sister practically didn’t have a choice and no matter how much she objected to it, my parents just wouldn’t go against my grandfather’s wishes.”

 

“So what does he think about it?” Junmyeon looked at Baekhyun. “The Crown Prince, he’s just going ahead with the betrothal?”

 

That stumped Baekhyun. He realized he never asked Prince Wu about his thoughts on the betrothal. What if he disagrees too? Then they will probably have a higher chance to call this absurd marriage off. I need to talk to him. Alone.

 

Junmyeon’s phone vibrated in his pocket. “I’ve got to take this call, see you guys later!” After their senior left, Jongdae kicked Baekhyun’s shin lightly when he noticed that the latter was clearly distracted.

 

“Ow! What was that for?” Baekhyun rubbed his shin.

 

“What’s on your mind?”

 

Baekhyun knew he had to talk to Prince Wu. “I am going for the dinner tonight.”

 

…