You knew you should never have trusted Jimin.

Still, it was too late to do anything but smile now. Although you'd have liked nothing more than throw a few choice words at your brother or even deliver bodily harm, the man standing next to him was preventing you from acting on your raging emotions. The only thing you could do was the exact opposite of what you felt like doing, but you did it anyway; you smiled. "Why did you summon me here, dear brother?" You addressed Jimin, lips in place but with eyes shooting daggers towards him, emphasising the last two words so that they came out saccharine sweet.

"I happened to mention the small problem that you are struggling with to Namjoon when Prince Taehyung was in attendance," Jimin said, clearly trying to keep himself from laughing outright. He knew exactly how angry you were with him. It only served to fuel the playful side of him, relishing it as he gestured to the person in question. Prince Taehyung's warm expression, on the other hand, was polite and didn't seem to be hiding any mischievous intent. A tool of Jimin’s scheme, unsuspecting in the part that he was playing in this. You weren’t sure if you were more sorry for the guest Prince or yourself.

You followed Jimin's gaze to look at the Crown Prince of Delphina. It wasn't hard to guess the reason he was here, but the expression you showed him was of polite curiosity regardless. "I inquired about the possibility of teaching you to dance. That is why your brother brought me here; so I could ask you myself," he answered your unspoken question.

Of course Jimin would talk about something like that when Prince Taehyung was within earshot. You wondered if he'd said anything else to get the guest Prince to make such a suggestion. Really, you wouldn't put it past your brother to do just that. It wasn't a gesture that you appreciated — does anyone like having their weaknesses revealed to someone they hardly know? — but there was nothing else you could say now. "If Your Highness don't mind, it would be my pleasure."

"Well!" Jimin exclaimed suddenly with a clap of his hands, causing you to jump a little and catching Prince Taehyung's attention. "There is no time like the present. If I recall, Your Highness, you do not have anything scheduled this morning, am I correct in saying so?"

"Yes, I am quite free," Prince Taehyung confirmed.

"Then I'll leave you to it," Jimin said chirpily. The speed at which everything progressed and settled blew you away, and you couldn't think of anything to say. Your flabbergasted state gave Jimin the opportunity to make a quick exit, but not before flashing a wink your way. As the door to the hall closed behind him, you decided that you could take up your grievances with him later, and make the best of the situation for now. The sound of the heavy mahogany door echoed in the large space that was empty except for you and your suddenly appointed instructor. Taking a deep breath to steel yourself, you turned to him, mind racing to come up with something to say.

"I'm sorry about that." In the end, an apology was all you could think of. For your brother's behaviour and for your own lack of abilities that had landed Prince Taehyung in this situation. However, he shook his head, disagreeing with you. Wordlessly, he extended his hand for yours. You obliged, allowing him to place your hand on his shoulder, his own on your back, and took your other hand in his.

He started to move slowly, taking you with him, and only then did he start talking again. "I'm glad to be given the opportunity. As Prince Jimin pointed out, there is nothing else that requires my attention this morning. It is a happy coincidence that the opportunity presented itself to me, as I'd like nothing more than to be able to personally talk to the princess that the two Princes of Amaryll speak so highly of."

Hearing that your brothers had spoken about you to the Crown Prince that you admired shouldn't have been surprising, but having him tell you so was still unexpected and pleasant. Suddenly you felt bashful and unable to say anything more than a soft, "thank you."

As if sensing that you were uncomfortable with the news of your brothers' praises for you, Prince Taehyung didn't pursue the subject. Instead, he made a note of your movements aloud. You were rusty, and you'd never been good at dancing in the first place, but some of it were slowly coming back to you after all these years of not practicing or learning. There was no music to accompany you, but Prince Taehyung made up for it by counting with every step, helping you keep time. In a way, you found his deep baritone voice to be just as pleasant as an orchestra, a simple, repetitive melody that served as a guide as he led the dance.

You were far from being an expert, but you could tell that the Crown Prince was an accomplished dancer. It was relatively easy to follow his lead; the way he moved, the subtle yet seamless transition from one step to the next helped you advance with him in the way that he intended. Still, you didn't find the activity very enjoyable. It was impossible for you to relax when you were constantly afraid of stepping on his foot.

“I hear that you are the reason I am here,” Prince Taehyung said out of the blue, causing you to snap your head up at him.

“I beg your pardon?” You asked, confused.

“Although we haven’t caught them yet, you are the one who found the culprit behind the people’s disappearances, aren’t you?” He clarified, and you could see something in his eyes that you rarely saw in anyone else’s save your family members and Jin. It was admiration and respect. Just by exchanging one look, the Prince made your heart swell. You’d always been convinced that you were more capable than most people gave you credit for, but to be constantly brushed aside and ignored was discouraging. Even though Namjoon was always proud to boast of your achievements and gave you credit for your contributions, you’d always felt that the acknowledgement you’d received from the nobles were grudgingly given. They would rather sing praises of your brothers’ feats, just because you were a woman.

Yet here was a nobleman, the Crown Prince of a prospering country, no less, who not only acknowledged your contribution but brought up the topic for discussion as well. It floored you, and not in a bad way. “Yes,” you managed not to stumble on your clumsy one-word answer. Truth be told, your discoveries that led to finding the threat behind the disappearances had much to do with luck and timing. Still, it didn’t take away from the fact that you were the instigator of the current state of events, and his note of it flattered you. “It was more of a coincidence, Your Highne