Taehyung carefully sneaked inside his chamber. Sure that he was going to soundlessly get in without anyone noticing – he flinched astonished when someone’s hand suddenly grasped his collar.

“Where were you?” Taehyung sighed relieved after hearing Namjoon’s voice and smiled when his face came into the light of candles. He could see that well known wrinkle of concern showing right between Namjoon’s eyebrows.

“Aye, hyung – I was only getting some fresh air~” the young prince tried melting his friend’s heart with fake innocence, but Namjoon was not buying any of it.

“Aish...” he released the grasp on Taehyung’s clothing and shook his head in disbelief. “Don’t do that ever again. How could you go out alone at night? If anything happened to you… I hope that you have in mind that your father ordered us to keep our eyes on you. If you’ll get into danger – all of us are going to be lost as well.” he added clearly worried.

“I know that well, but c’mon, what could’ve possibly happen to me here? We’ve came to the most boring and idyllic part of out kingdom.” Taheyung stretched his arms and yawned loudly.

“Sowing and harvesting are probably the biggest attractions in this area. What’s more – Minister Oh is not only my father’s pledged attendant, but also his greatest friend. He wouldn’t let a single hair to fall off of the prince’s head.” Tahyung replied before looking at Namjoon and the other three sleeping at the mates set in the middle of the room.

He felt as if his chest shrunk suddenly. Leaving him suffocating under the feeling of guilt which damped his heart with an overwhelming strength.

Looking at their faces made him think. He was supposed to treat them as his guards only. Like cannon fodder, which would protect him at any cost. With any assault aimed at the prince, even if it meant their bodies getting fatally injured – Jimin, Namjoon, Hoseok and Yoongi were Taehyung’s human shields.

The young crowned prince never wanted to be a burden to any of them. Through years they grew to be his most faithful friends. How can one sacrifice lives of people the most precious to him? Taheyung asked himself every time he faced each of the four.

Every single scratch or bruise covering their bodies made him feel guilty, and he didn’t want that.

All his life, Taehyung wanted to be treated just like any boy his age and they gave him that opportunity. They were the ones to show him how colorful life could be. Got him out of the palace he spent his whole childhood in and showed how to have fun with other people.

His life started to matter when they appeared.

“Yes, but not everyone in this house know that you’re not just a simple guard, but the crowned prince – Kim Taehyung himself.” Namjoon touched his temples which left Taehyung rolling his eyes.

“V (sounding like *bui ^3^), that’s my name right now. Don’t forget that while we stay here.” Taehyung snapped at his friend.

“Yes, right… seems like the V person is the only dangerous one in this house. Not only causing troubles to himself and his friends but also… ” Namjoon smiled dimly and placed his hand on Taehyung’s shoulder. “You don’t deserve her while being like this, my friend – she’s too pure to be played with this way.” he added.

“What, w… why so sudden? What was that supposed to mean?” Taehyung stuttered and shoved Namjoon’s hand off him. “What right do you have to say so? Aren’t I the only one she belongs with in here? Do you even know anything about her?” he added and walked away to find himself a place to sleep.

“She’s not just another toy of yours.” Namjoon pointed out, making Taehyung feel his blood almost boiling up inside. “I hope that you’ll remember my words every time you’re going look into her eyes.”

“Aish! Give me a break~” Taehyung laid down in a corner, quite far away from the others. Loneliness was always his only way of coping whenever his feelings got a bit too messed up.

If she’s truly destined to me – just like my father told me ever since I started being interested in girls, we’re going to end up being together in the end. No matter what, she’s going to be mine? Taehyung thought.

… but isn’t deceiving her in such way too much? An angel on his shoulder seemed to whisper.

“You already have your lady, Taehyung-ah.” His mother said every time, he confessed to her about seeing a random lady who has caught his attention, either if she was a servant or someone passed by at the streets. What was he supposed to think after hearing that?

Years of puberty and rebellion were rough to him. Whenever he openly opposed to his father’s decision – “My own son wants to put me into shame so willingly?” Taehyung heard in response. “Not only me, but also his mother and the whole Kim family. Minister Oh willed to give out his life for me on the same battlefield. I owe him a lot.”

Even your son’s happiness? Taehyung never said it out loud in front of his father.

Few minutes passed before he could finally relax his clenched fist and let the white ribbon he kept there to fall out. Taking it into his fingers and looking at the crumpled texture of the material left him thinking. Is that you in my hands Oh Miran?

He grasped one of the ribbon’s ends and carefully started rolling it around his finger. The material was thin and soft under his fingertips. Taehyung could still pick up a soft and sweet scent of her hair coming from it.

I don’t wish you any harm – Oh Miran. I only wish to have as much impact on your life as you had on mine. The fool you’ve made of me...

Was I the only one imagining my life with you? Was I the only one hopelessly rioting against it and then trying to get used to the fact of our bonded future while you stayed unaware? He thought with gritted teeth.

What did I even imagine? Miran thought while blowing water bubbles inside the bathe her maidens prepared before sleep.

She kept quiet while the two girls, who were basically her age, kept scrubbing her back and arms. Miran glanced at each of them and at the head maiden standing near – wondering if they noticed her clothing smelling with a horse. Or anything else what could give out her turned out to be a great failure escape.

Nervous, she kept her lips pursued tightly, but minute after minute – no one seemed to see anything outrageous either in her clothing or in the way she acted.

Right after the head maiden left Miran alone with the two young and closest to her girls – “Wasn’t the prince handsome?” Hyejin asked not too loud.

Hearing that made Miran sigh into the water. This time the water bubbles came out of way more soundly.

“His stoic face was kind of scary at the beginning, but with time – I have to say that he seems to be harmless, doesn’t he?” Eunha whispered so no one except Miran and Hyejin could hear.

Hearing that made Miran roll her eyes in disbelief “He’s too cold.” she mumbled with pouty lips.

“He does seem to be an introverted type, my lady – but with that face and body of his, he could as well not talk at all.” Hyejin said and bit onto her lower lip, which left both Miran and Eunha speechless.

Eunha touched her flushed cheeks, embarrassed. “Oi~ it’s not you, who’s going to be his wife. The head maiden would’ve ordered to lash the life out of you for saying such things in front of our lady.” the girl smacked with her tongue.

Miran saw Hyejin looking at her anxiously and “Don’t worry… Other than by father’s will, I’m not bounded to that man.” she replied with a fair smile on her face and curled up inside the bathtub.

She looked at the slightly visible in the dimmed candles’ light, red bruises on her left thigh. Her face blushed with crimson red after remembering how the prince’s man, the one she didn’t even know a name of, grabbed her there. The first ever stranger who dared to touch her in such way.

“I’m so sorry, my lady. I know that I’ll have my tongue ripped out once for talking too much.” Hyejin sighed and started brushing Miran’s hair.

However not even ten seconds passed when “Then how about the princes’ guards?” Hyejin continued. “If the capitol is truly full of such beautiful men, I should be reconsidering moving there before I come of age to get married easily.”

“The capitol?” Eunha got immersed in her own thoughts “…and the palace?~” she sighed dreamily.

“You must be feeling extremely happy to be able to go there in the near future, my lady.” Eunha’s words made Miran cringe inside. Every time someone told her about how she should be feeling, a part of her soul permanently left her body.

Not knowing how to answer, she caressed her bruised thigh gently. Seeing that their words saddened Miran more and more, maids looked at each other worriedly and in the end both decided to stay silent for the rest of the time spent in their lady’s chamber.

Miran couldn’t sleep that night. She knew that her weariness was clearly going to be seen on her face the next morning and could already hear the head maiden scolding her for being so reckless. Knowing that didn’t help her to fall asleep either.

Imagining how she would feel at the boisterous future wedding, attached to a man who sees nothing but a burden in her. Maybe even an enemy? She thought and bundled herself even tighter in the blanket.

Is there any way of stopping this madness? She asked herself with a single tear rolling down her cheek, which next fell down on the pillow and sunk into the material without a trace, as if didn’t even ever exist.

Among being embarrassed by her senseless actions and the ridiculous attempt of escape from home, she couldn’t stop thinking about the prince’s man with kind eyes. Remembering the warmth of his body and words about all of it remaining as the secret only between the two of them, she felt her stomach turning upside down.

What can he possibly think of me? That I’m a mad woman? He’s going to tell everything about what happened to the prince and his buddies, doesn’t he…? Miran thought frustrated. Because of such thoughts, she wasn’t able to calm down her heart’s beating and fell asleep slightly before dawn.

Her eyes smarted in the morning, making it hard to even look straight, but indifferent to everything, Miran listened to the head maiden’s scolding.

“What are these?” the elder woman asked while pointing at Miran’s dark circles. “If lord Oh were to see them, each one of us – your maids, would’ve ended up without food for weeks.” Miran sighed after hearing that and kept her hands tightly on both sides of her body.

Miran was always good at staying polite towards the elders. No matter what happened inside her mind – expressing herself to others was never an option. That’s how she prevented herself from getting hurt by questionable gazes or even more harsh words.

“To face the crowned prince while looking like this?” the head maid ranted and gestured at her subordinates to clean the mess Miran was in after sleeping for maybe two hours last night.

The women put her hair into another, tangled masterpiece and even added something looking like white dust onto her face, to make the dark circles less visible. After finishing her hairstyle with golden hairpins in variously sized orchid shapes, Miran was ready to get dressed. However “What’s this?” she asked curious when someone aimed at her lips with a thin paintbrush dipped in some red substance.

“It’ll make your lips look fuller and more appealing, my lady.” one of the maids said, which left Miran frowning.