A/N: Hello readers! Welcome to the first story of my 3rd Markjin fanfic writing anniversary! I can't believe I've been doing this for 3 whole years! And whether you're a new reader or one who's been around since my first story, A Man's Jealousy, I'm grateful to all of you for going on this journey with me!

To celebrate, I'm posting 3 fairytales, since they're a genre I really enjoy writing (if you couldn't tell from my previous fics, The Prince and the Glass Hill or The Boy in the Tower). This is the first, here is the second and third. I hope you enjoy my remix of the sweet and silly tale, the Princess and the Pea!

 

 

Once upon a time, on the first minute of the first day of the ninth month, two princes were born on opposite sides of the continent at precisely the same second.

 

In the North, a quiet, pink cheeked boy was delivered into the arms of his weeping mother, brown eyes blinking and studying his surroundings curiously. He was her firstborn and had come to her after years upon years of wishing and praying for a child but never having one come to her. His mother and father considered him a miracle, a living gift from the gods, and vowed to make sure he had everything he could possibly want in life and would always live in comfort equal to the comfort he brought them. They named him Mark, and their kingdom celebrated him for months to come, their long awaited prince.

 

In the South, a wailing, wriggling boy shrieked his way into the world, little legs and arms struggling against all the new and overwhelming sensations flooding him. His two older sisters studied him critically, deeming him rather strange and wrinkly looking, but his mother reminded them that they had looked very much the same when they were born. She gathered up the boy in her arms and declared he would make a very fine prince one day, and a very good little brother to the first and second princesses. She named him Jinyoung, and though his eldest sister would inherit the crown rather than him, the kingdom was pleased with the newest addition to the royal family.

 

Around the continent, heralds announce the concurrent birth of two princes, and the priests declared it a fortuitous omen for both the North and the South. The princes, they declared, would one day form a new union between the two kingdoms and lead them into an era of prosperity. Luck and blessings would shine upon them, and they would be beloved by all they served.

 

The Queen of the North and the Queen of the South were old acquaintances, and sent each other letters a few months later, congratulating each other on the birth of their children and promising to visit each other next year in order to formally introduce the two princes. The meeting was held with great ceremony and feasting, and little Mark and little Jinyoung played together for a good two hours before growing fussy and needing naps to liven them up again. By all accounts, the two of them got on quite well, though of course no one could be sure since neither of them could talk.

 

Following that, the royal families went back to their own kingdoms and became swept away in their busy worlds of politics and child-rearing. Other meetings were suggested between the Princes of the North and the South as a way of nudging along the prosperity promised, but were never followed through with due to complications in timing, carriage routes being ripped up and replaced, and wild summer storms which prevented safe travel. And so it was that Prince Mark of the North and Prince Jinyoung of the South never laid eyes on each other again in the next eighteen years of their lives and the omens connected to them were forgotten in the bustle of everyday life.

 

---

 

The nineteen years of Jinyoung's life were very much a product of having two very stubborn and sly older sisters. The first princess and second princess were easily bored and enjoyed amusing themselves by toying with their very impressionable younger brother. They would have him steal wigs off of visiting dukes and model them for their amusement even though they itched and it got him in trouble. They would force him to join in their dance lessons and learn both the male and female dance parts, including both bowing and curtsying with a small stack of books on his head. When princes from other kingdoms came to visit and attempt to woo either of the princesses, they would have Jinyoung challenge them to a dance-off using the skills he'd learned, which never amounted to much since the challenge itself confused the other princes enough to get them to back off.

 

Then, when Jinyoung was fifteen, his two older sisters were sent off to finishing school and he was able to enjoy a year of freedom, which he mostly spent in the palace library to improve his mind and learn the languages, arts, and politics his sisters had distracted him from learning in the past. He enjoyed himself immensely, but since he loved his sisters very much, he was still happy when they came back a year later after his sixteenth birthday. Up until they announced their latest scheme for him, that is.

 

“Finishing school is a terrible, terrible place,” the first princess said, fanning herself dramatically. “You wouldn't have survived a day, little brother.”

 

“Who knew there were so many requirements to being a proper princess,” the second princess added. “Making perfect stitches, having perfect posture, serving the perfect cup of tea, throwing the perfect party, executing the perfect signature...”

 

“Really, you would have failed in a heartbeat, Jinyoung.”

 

“It would have been absolutely impossible for you.”

 

“You're lucky I will be the one to inherit the kingdom since you absolutely cannot do it.”

 

“I bet you couldn't have perfect posture with three whole years of finishing school.”

 

Jinyoung, who hated being looked down on, immediately flared up. “I'd be able to do it with no problem at all!” he said sharply. “I bet I could pass finishing school in half the time it took you!”

 

“Wanna bet?” the first princess immediately challenged. “I'll sign you up, and we'll see about that!”

 

“Well...I don't know about that...can't I just show you what I can do here in the palace?”

 

“No, no, no, that's not anything like finishing school. You have to be formally passed and certified by the finest instructors in the kingdom for it to count.” The two sisters shared a conspiratorial smile. “We'll sign you up, little brother. If you can pass in six months, we'll do something unbelievably kind for you.”

 

“We'll give you the most generous gift that has ever been given,” the second princess concluded. “But if you fail, you'll have to be our servant for an entire year.”

 

“So you'd better do your best and make yourself a proper princess, Jinyoung. We'll look forward to seeing the results in six months.”

 

Jinyoung had been less than thrilled to find himself trapped in this ridiculous arrangement, but his pride would not allow him to fail. Six months later he returned to the palace with certifiably perfect skills in dancing, etiquette, posture, penmanship, riding, tea service, courtly flirtation, stitching, and lawn tennis. He had graduated top of his class, and his instructors, nearly tearful with pride, had signed off a certificate which deemed him the finest and most proficient princess who had ever graced the Southern kingdom.

 

His sisters were nearly beside themselves with delight when he handed them his certificate. “Of course our little brother would exceed us, just look at him!” the first princess said, squeezing Jinyoung's cheeks. “Was there ever anyone as perfect as you?”

 

“Thank you for taking all of this pressure off of us,” the second princess said. “Now we can just have you sub in for us whenever we're tired at a ball or with our suitors.”

 

“What about that unbelievably kind and generous gift you were going to give to me?” Jinyoung asked stubbornly.

 

“Oh, you are much too young for that now,” the first princess said. “Wait a few years and we'll give it to you.”

 

“You'll be really grateful for it when you get it, so it'll be worth the wait,” the second princess said.

 

“What kind of gift is it?” Jinyoung pressed, still a little skeptical that they actually meant it.

 

“True love,” the first princess said with a wolfish grin. “When you're old enough, we're going to help you marry the one person in the kingdom who you were fated for since birth.”

 

---

 

Meanwhile, the nineteen years of Mark's life were very much a product of having no brothers and sisters at all. His parents fulfilled their vow of giving him everything he could possibly want from a stellar education to fine horses and the best sword training to delicious foods shipped in from all over the world. Mark was never in want of anything, but at the same time he felt incredibly empty. All of his friends were his friends because his parents wanted them to be. All of his successes came from his parents' efforts to make him successful. No one he talked to talked to him genuinely because they knew they had to treat the sole heir to the throne with utmost respect and caution because his parents would never stand for him to be treated improperly because he was far too important and precious to them to be insulted.

 

The older Mark got, the less his parents were able to determine what he wanted and what they could give him. He largely kept to himself in the palace, and when he wanted to get away, he would take his horse and ride for hours in the woodland paths or else retreat to the private cottage they had built him within the sprawling gardens and shut himself in. He never asked for anything anymore from them or anyone else—he'd distanced himself from most of the people he'd used to spend time with, from old “friends” to the noble girls who'd used to show an interest in him before he'd become so withdrawn.

 

But since he was nineteen, his parents could only conclude one thing: it was about time for him to start considering marriage. They determined that that would be the next gift they would give to him: the perfect bride to share his precious life with him.

 

At first, they addressed the situation with Mark to see if he had anyone in mind for himself. “Didn't you used to like the Grand Duke's eldest daughter?” his mother tried with him over dinner. “Lady Tessa?”

 

“Maybe once, but once was enough,” Mark said shortly.

 

“Or the earl's daughter?” his father suggested. “Olive, wasn't it?”

 

“Nope. The only thing that one is interested in is my gold.”

 

“Then how about we arrange for you to meet one of the princesses in the South?” the queen offered. “I've heard they're very beautiful.”

 

“I don't want to get married,” Mark sighed. “There is no one in the world who would marry me for being me instead of for being a prince. Forget about it.”

 

But this declaration only made the king and queen more determined. It showed that their son was despairing of love, which proved to them that what he needed most of all was to be shown a true and pure love in order to be happy. They set about trying to determine exactly what kind of woman would be capable of showing that manner of love to their beloved son.

 

“She must be very intelligent,” the queen decided. “Just like our son. She must be well read in both prose and nonfiction and show a broad understanding of politics and commerce if she is one day to be queen.”

 

“She must also be artistic,” the king added. “A capable dancer and musician who will help Mark lead our balls as happily as he used to.”

 

“She must also have a very delicate attention to detail. Our son is simple, but in many ways complicated, and it would be good for him to have a wife who is very sensitive to his thoughts and moods, even when he does not speak them aloud.”

 

“And above all, she must be a very interesting person,” the king concluded. “No one dull and colorless for our son. I did very much like the Grand Duke's daughter, but she was always so...”

 

“Pretty,” the queen finished for him. “Pretty and nothing else. Whoever we find for Mark ought to be pretty and so much more.”

 

With that decided, the two monarchs drafted up a missive to be sent to the nobility of their kingdom and the royalty of the neighboring kingdoms, inviting the eligible young women to make a trip to the palace and be tested for their worthiness as a suitor to the young prince. We seek one who is intelligent, artistic, skilled in a large variety of social and household arts, diligent, kind, and above all suited to the deep and unquestionable goodness of our son, they wrote. We intend to find a true and proper princess who will give our son the happiness he so longs for and deserves, so we ask those who feel themselves capable of providing that happiness to step forward and submit themselves to our rigorous testing.

 

“I do so hope one of those lovely Southern princesses will come,” the queen said longingly. “It is such a shame we haven't been able to see them in so long. Perhaps if they come, they could bring Prince Jinyoung with them. Mark could benefit from having such a quality friend with him, since he's been so alone recently.”

 

“I think that would be a truly wonderful gift for him,” the king said solemnly. “Let's see if we can't make it come true for our boy.”

 

---

 

“Ohhhh, little brother~!”

 

Jinyoung tensed as both of his sisters came dancing into his room, holding up a rather stately looking letter in their hands for him to see. He loved them just as much as he always did, but they hadn't relaxed their games with him in the slightest. He was always on high alert when it came to them, hoping that one of their schemes wouldn't lead him to cause an international incident or they wouldn't force him to use his princess training for embarrassing purposes.

 

“What is it?” he asked guardedly. “Have you been invited to a ball?”

 

“No, a competition,” the first princess said with relish. “The Prince of the North is in the market for a bride, and his parents are seeking only the most proper of princesses for him.”

 

“You know what this means?” the second princess asked.

 

“That one or both of you are going to try to become his bride?” Jinyoung guessed.

 

“Oh, heavens no!” the first princess cried. “We won't be able to have this much fun anymore when we're married, so we'd like to delay it for as long as possible. And besides, one of us marrying Prince Mark makes for an incredibly dull story. Do you remember him, Jinyoung?”

 

Jinyoung shook his head. “I remember hearing about him, though. Wasn't there something special about him?”

 

“He shares your birthday,” the second princess reminded him. “All the priests thought your births were an important omen that year, that the concurrent births of two princes in the North and South would one day unite our kingdoms and lead them to prosperity. The North and South are close, but I wouldn't say that we've seen this promised prosperity yet. So we've decided you will be the one to go meet Mark and give fate a little nudge here.”

 

“Me?” Jinyoung repeated.

 

“What better way to prove your worthiness as a princess than to win the most eligible prince in the continent?” the first princess asked. “Your certificate is just a piece of paper. This would be a crowning achievement beyond anything we've ever seen before. Besides, the two of us promised you we'd help you find your soulmate, didn't we?”

 

“And you think this Mark guy is my soulmate?”

 

“We don't know. He could be. It's more likely he's yours than ours, so better for you to go than us. Even if he isn't your soulmate, we're sure he'd make a very good friend. You guys did seem to get along incredibly well when you were one, after all.”

 

Jinyoung still felt incredibly skeptical of all this for several reasons, first and foremost because he highly doubted he would be allowed to enter such a competition based on the fact that he wasn't actually a princess, and secondly because he remembered absolutely nothing about Mark and didn't have much of an interest in winning his hand in marriage for laughs. What if he actually won it? Would he have to go through with the wedding, or could he foist the guy off on one of his sisters since they would have been the ones responsible for the whole thing to begin with?

 

“I was top of the class in finishing school,” Jinyoung said slowly. “Assuming they actually let someone like me compete, I could actually win, you know.”

 

“That's the confidence we like to hear from you, little brother,” the second princess said approvingly.

 

“But what if I shouldn't win? What if by winning I'm stealing someone else's chance for true love away?”

 

His sisters exchanged a brief glance. “No one will force you to marry him, you know,” the first princess said at length. “We just think this would be a good opportunity for you.”

 

“Get out of the kingdom, meet some new people, put your skills to the test,” the second princess continued. “You'll never make any friends or fall in love yourself if you wallow here forever. Just give it a chance. It may wind up surprising you.”

 

“And if for some reason or another you really don't want to win? Throw the last challenge. We'll accept second place as proof enough of your superiority.”

 

Jinyoung sighed in mild annoyance. It would be fun to visit the North after all this time, and it would be rude if the South didn't send a single representative at the North's request. Perhaps it would be worth it for that alone, and perhaps a little, tiny part of him was also curious as to whether or not he was worthy enough to win the challenge. He had learned so much that he'd never yet gotten to use.

 

“Very well,” he said finally. “I'll do it. Just one thing.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“If I get second place like you're requesting, neither of you are allowed to make me do anything crazy like this ever again. Do we have a deal?”

 

“Deal!” the sisters said in unison. They shared another smirk as they shook hands on the matter, but this time Jinyoung didn't notice or see.

 

---

 

Mark surveyed the courtyard grimly from his perch in the towering oak tree that looked over the palace grounds. He hadn't wanted any of this. When he'd found out about the letter his parents had issued to the nobility, he'd almost run away from home for good, stopped only by how heartbroken his parents would be if he left. He hated the idea of being married. He hated the type of people who wanted to marry him. He was so sick of people viewing him as a prize when all he'd ever wanted to feel like was a person.

 

But there was nothing he'd been able to do to stop it; the letters were already sent. Little by little, they came streaming to the palace to try their hands at whatever tests his parents had dreamed up of. Foreign princesses he'd grown up hearing about from the East and the West and even the isles and distant continents Mark had never been to. Ladies and Duchesses and Countesses from here or there wanting to add more gold to their wallets or prestige to their names. Beautiful women and plain women and tall women and short women and women with fine dresses and women with very simple ones. Women as far as the eye could see. Mark supposed there were some people in the world who would envy him that, but he didn't want hundreds of women and he didn't care what a single one of them looked like or how princess-like they were.

 

All he wanted was a person who would look at him and treat him like a person instead of a prince. A person who would neither shower him with things he didn't want or hadn't asked for nor take from him only his material charms and ignore everything else. He did want love, but not love defined by the terms of what he was supposedly owed and what the other person was supposedly worth.

 

With a little sigh of frustration, Mark leapt down from the oak tree and into the courtyard. The competition hadn't formally started, and the first day was supposed to be for the ladies to mingle under observation and for the most obviously unsuitable candidates to be eliminated outright. Mark's parents had wanted him to dine formally with the Princesses of the East and the West, and ideally the South though there was no word of them arriving yet, but Mark had faked a stomachache and instead disguised himself and slipped from his room. He wanted to meet the ladies who would be competing for him and see for himself if there was anyone truly worthy among their number.

 

Wandering among the throngs of women, he immediately encountered some familiar faces. Lady Tessa was sitting on the lip of the courtyard fountain, fanning herself as she watched the other women going to-and-fro around her. Mark scowled as he walked past her. He had genuinely thought he'd liked her many years ago, and had been bitterly disappointed when he'd found out she'd frequently boasted to the other girls about how skillful she had been to catch his eye, turning their silly flirtation into a means of making everyone jealous and affording herself higher standing among her friends. He stopped contacting her after that, but there had been others who had tried to fill her gap. Lady Olive, who had at least been refreshingly upfront about wanting him for his money. Lady Wilma, who was a fervent believer in the omens that had surrounded Mark's birth and thought marrying him would bring her good luck. All of them danced in and out of his life, and he had long ago learned to stop caring or expecting anything meaningful from them.

 

He eavesdropped on a few conversations here and there, but no one was talking about him. They were talking about Prince Mark, but not a single one of them seemed to have any thoughts on what he would be like or what they intended to do to at long last make him happy. All they talked about was the crown and the kingdom and his looks and their own looks and the looks of all their rivals. Money and power and looks over and over again.

 

Maybe there really is no choice, he thought in despair. Maybe I really do need to run.

 

Before he could convince himself otherwise, he bolted off in the direction of the stables. He'd grab his horse and go somewhere else, maybe South where it was warm and no one would immediately recognize his face.

 

He quietly slipped into the stables in case the stablehand was around, stepping silently towards the back of the stable where his horse was kept. For a few blessed moments, he convinced himself he was alone, but then he heard it: a voice from one of the stables, soft and cooing.

 

“You did a good job taking me this far by yourself,” the voice said. “Let's rest now. We may be in a strange place, but let's do our best from here on out.”

 

It was a man's voice, presumably one soothing a horse after a long journey to the castle. It must have been the manservant of one of the visiting princesses, most likely the Southern princesses based on his accent. Whatever the case was, Mark wouldn't be able to run away now. He'd have to turn back and wait for the man to leave. He took a step backwards. Right into a metal bucket of hay, causing the buckle of his boot to clang loudly against it.

 

Immediately, a head poked out from one of the stable doors. It belonged to a young man, a very handsome young man with a face straight out of a romance epic. He stared at Mark in frozen surprise for a moment before hurriedly stepping out from the stable, a bit clumsy for someone so handsome. He was dressed very simply for a manservant in a blue gray tunic and a pair of dusty riding trousers and boots. “P-Pardon me,” he said, executing a nearly flawless bow. “I was just stabling my horse. Which is your job as stablehand, I know, but you weren't around so I thought I'd do it myself and I hope I caused no offense.”

 

Stablehand?, Mark wondered in surprise. Then he looked down at his disguise of an equally dusty tunic and cloak and understood exactly why the man would confuse him for such. He decided it would be best to go with it rather than reveal who he actually was. “Think nothing of it,” he said. “There are refreshments for all attendants and servants in the kitchen, if you'd like a drink after your long journey.”

 

“Servants?” the man echoed blankly. He looked confused for a moment before snapping himself out of it. “Ah, yes. I should go.” Still, he stood there as if rooted in place, staring at Mark with an odd expression on his face.

 

“Something you need?” Mark asked, staring back. It was a very nice face to look at, and the more he studied it, the more familiar it felt. He knew he didn't know this person, but it felt almost like he should.

 

“Do I...know you?” the man asked, tilting his head. Mark's face was half-covered by a scarf, but apparently this stranger was feeling the same nagging sense that he was just by looking into his eyes.

 

“Don't see why you would,” Mark said casually. “I've never been South.”

 

“Yes...and I suppose I've never been North. Hmm.” Still, the man kept standing where he was, showing no signs of leaving. “May I ask your name?”

 

“Marius,” Mark lied. “And yours?”

 

“Jinyo—Jin. Just Jin.” He cleared his throat. “There are so many women in the courtyard.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“It's impressive that so many people are interested in marrying the prince,” Jin said. “You work for him, so you must know. What's he like?”

 

“Oh, you know,” Mark said a little bitterly. “Handsome and rich. What else matters?”

 

“Everything else matters,” Jin said earnestly. “What kind of person is he? Is he clever? Does he read? Do the people in the kingdom love him, and is he kind enough to have deserved that love? Is he good at politics? Are his manners proper?”

 

Mark was shocked by this onslaught of questions, all of which he was certain no one had ever asked about him in his life. He'd been born with everyone's good opinion, so he'd never been judged for his qualities and had never been quite sure what his qualities even were. He assumed he was good at most things since his instructors told him so, but he had no idea what in particular he was best at or even what kind of king he might one day be. It never mattered before because he was the only choice for king, and everyone trusted in his family enough to trust in him. Who he was outside of that had never been questioned of anyone, much less him.

 

Until now.

 

“I...” Mark said, swallowing hard. “I'm...not quite sure.”

 

Jin sighed a little. He'd probably wanted to gather intelligence for the ladies he'd accompanied. “Well,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “I hope he is kind. I've heard he is. And out of all qualities, I think kindness is the one that is most important.”

 

“Yes,” Mark said slowly. “I think so.”

 

Jin smiled then, a smile that in a romance epic would make the heroine's heart start to ache. Mark felt something similar, though in his case he suspected it was the result of having eaten too much for lunch in his bad mood.

 

Suddenly, another impulse struck Mark. “Jin,” he said. “Since you're new to the North, would you like me to show you around my favorite parts of the palace grounds?” He thought it might be an enjoyable way to pass the time away from the swarm of ladies, while also getting to know the person who'd actually seemed interested in knowing the important things about him.

 

“Are you sure that's all right? I thought there was supposed to be a feast tonight for all the guests?”

 

“It's nothing the two of us have to be at. Don't worry, I'll make sure you get something to eat.” He gestured his hand. “C'mon. With all these people here, it's your one chance to have a tour that's just for you.”

 

“All right,” Jin said. “But if we get thrown out for being in the wrong place, I'm blaming you.”

 

Mark knew exactly where he wanted to take Jin first: the maze garden. This was the one gift from his parents that he'd actually requested, back on his sixteenth birthday. After a lifetime of servants and attendants following him around, he'd been so desperate for privacy that he'd begged for a getaway where no one else would be allowed but him. His parents had responded generously (and with their usual extravagance) by building him a private cottage and then constructing an elaborate hedge maze around it so that anyone who tried to reach him would get hopelessly lost in the process. Mark knew the path to the center by heart, but it had thus far proven too difficult for most other people who tried.

 

Jin gasped in shock when he saw the neatly trimmed hedges looming in front of them as they got closer. “It's beautiful,” he said. “In the South, it's too hot and there's not enough rain for things to grow so green. I've never seen anything like it.”

 

“It gets even better. Come on.” He led Jin to the entrance and turned towards him. “Let's see if you can take me correctly to the center.”

 

“Me? I thought you were the one giving me the tour.”

 

“I know the solution already. Wouldn't it be boring for me to just give away the answer? Where's your spirit of adventure?”

 

Jin squared his shoulders—clearly, he didn't like his abilities to be questioned. Mark smiled to himself. He had a feeling this afternoon together would be incredibly enjoyable.

 

“So,” he said as Jin led them down the first path, “what do you think of this whole competition nonsense over the prince?”

 

“I wonder if it's what Prince Mark truly wants.”

 

“It isn't.”

 

“Then I think that's a shame. But maybe he'll find someone unexpected from this whole thing. Or maybe the winner will realize this isn't what the Prince wants and forfeit.”

 

“Doubtful,” Mark said. “I can't imagine who would say no to a crown being handed to them.”

 

“Someone who knows a crown isn't the key to happiness. Or someone who realizes being perfect doesn't necessarily make you perfect for someone else.”

 

“What would you do?” Mark asked suddenly. “If you were a king?”

 

“Something I doubt I'll ever have to worry about,” Jin said with a wry smile. “But I have thought of it before. I think I'd want to give people more freedom. I don't think it's fair that so much of our fate depends on who we were born to, not who we are.”

 

Mark agreed immediately, but he wanted to hear Jin's thoughts. “How do you mean?”

 

“Princes and Princesses have to have so many accomplishments like dancing and horseback riding and hosting ceremonies, but what if they're better suited to things they're never allowed to do because of who they are? And commoners...why should a baker's son have to be raised to be a baker if he wants to be a painter? What if a washer woman would have made the finest writer in the world but she never learned because she doesn't have money to go to school? Why should commoners never be able to be anything else but commoners and royalty nothing else but royalty?”

 

“Yes,” Mark said, grabbing Jin's arm in excitement. “I've always thought the same. Universities are filled with nobles who use what they learn only to advance themselves, but think of what would happen if anyone could go! There would be so many ideas in the kingdom—ideas that would make things better not just for a few people, but for everyone. We'd be able to discover and grow so much.”

 

“And think of all the books,” Jin sighed in longing. “If anyone can write, we wouldn't just have war epics and courtly romances. We'd have stories about everyday life from perspectives we've never been able to hear before.”

 

Mark looked at Jin, feeling a strong pull inside him. All of a sudden, he wanted to pour out everything that had been raging inside him for all these years—the loneliness, the sensation of drowning in things but never really having anything, the bitterness of having never truly experienced love for who he really was. He wanted to map out their plans for changing the world with a sense of faith that they could actually do it, that the world and the people in it were open to be changed. He thought Jin would understand. The pull inside him felt that Jin was the same as him, unfulfilled and looking for the key that would lead to something different.

 

But he knew he had to be careful. Jin was being open with him now, but if he knew he was in the presence of a prince, wouldn't he change and be all polite and deferential, just like everyone did?

 

“What would you do?” he asked again, staying on the subject they were already on. “With your freedom?”

 

Jin considered. “Teach, probably. There's a lot of things I can do, but I think I may never have a real need for a lot of them. I'd like to pass them on to people who would really benefit from them. And while I taught, I'd also want to learn the things I haven't been able to study before. Philosophy and trade and the different ways people live and survive. I want to learn everything. What about you, Marius?”

 

“To have people in my life,” he said softly. “To give happiness to and share happiness with.”

 

“Yes,” Jin said, gazing at him with a gentle look in his eyes. “That, too. The most important thing.”

 

The pull nagged him again. This time it wanted to grab Jin and take him down a wrong turn so they would get lost in the maze forever and never have to leave and face the reality waiting back outside, the competition, all the ladies and princesses, the lonely castle, Jin's inevitable trip back to the South, everything.

 

But before he could, Jin took them down another path and they emerged to the sight of the cottage at the center. Mark turned to Jin in amazement. “Y-You didn't make a single wrong turn,” he said.

 

“You said you knew the solution,” Jin said with a shrug. “I just followed your eyes to the correct turns, that's all.”

 

Clever, Mark thought appreciatively. But I really wouldn't have minded getting lost with you.

 

Jin stepped inside the cottage, glancing around him curiously. It was a simple building, and too small to fit much of anything. There was a little bed squeezed to one corner, a bookshelf, a fireplace, and a small table where Mark sometimes read or studied or whittled when he was bored. There were still some wood shavings there, and a poorly constructed little bird he'd attempted to make a few days ago.

 

Jin went straight for the bookshelf, examining the spines of all Mark's books. “Who do these belong to?” he asked.

 

“M—the prince,” he said quickly, relieved that he'd corrected himself before he said 'me'. There was no reason for a stablehand to have a cottage in the middle of a gorgeous maze.

 

“Is it really OK that we're here?”

 

“He wouldn't mind. I think he'd actually be happy if a big reader like yourself looked at his books.”

 

“I wish I could stay and read them all,” Jin said, running his fingers along one of them.

 

“The prince won't come here today. Why don't you pick one and read for awhile?”

 

“I'd rather talk to you.” He turned back to Mark. “Why does the Prince have a cottage? Doesn't he have rooms in the castle?”

 

“Yes, but...he's a little solitary.”

 

“He doesn't like people?”

 

“He...doesn't know how to connect with them. He's the heir. The king and queen's only son. To everyone around him, he's never been anything else but an heir, and it gets tiring for him to only be that.”

 

“I see. You seem to understand him well. Are you friends with him?”

 

“I...I suppose you could say we're close.” The same person, even.

 

“I feel sorry,” Jin said, glancing around the cottage once more. “I can tell this place is like a home to him, a comfortable place. And I can't match the person who lives here to the person at the end of all the fanfare of this competition. I wish they wouldn't go through with it.”

 

“Yes. Me too.” Mark cleared his throat. “Here, let me make you something. The prince has some food and tea here, and you must be hungry.”

 

Mark made them a light meal, and they sat down at the table to eat it together, talking about anything and everything all the while. Mark had never felt so comfortable in all of his life. Jin was a smart and educated person filled with so many thoughts and feelings, and he could be surprisingly funny and playful as well. And when Mark spoke, Jin actually listened to him, joking sometimes and sympathizing others, and all of his own thoughts and feelings became so much more real when at long last acknowledged by another person.

 

Eventually night fell and Jin regretfully rose to his feet. “I really should get back,” he said. “My, um, ladies will be expecting me. To help them get settled wherever they'll be sleeping, things like that.”

 

“I'll you back to the courtyard,” Mark said. “I'm sorry I didn't extend the tour to other places. Perhaps we can meet again tomorrow? While the competition is going on, maybe?” The content of the contest itself was being kept secret from Mark, so he was supposed to stay out of the way, anyways.

 

“Um, I'm sorry, but I have to be on hand during the competition,” Jin said, for some reason looking a bit embarrassed. “But...but in the evening. I'd be happy to see you again.”

 

“Thank you,” Mark said. The pull tugged him again, and before he knew what he was doing, he was taking Jin's hand and kissing it. Typical behavior for a prince, but very unusual for a stablehand. Jin seemed shocked, but he didn't pull his hand away. He simply looked at Mark in amazement.

 

“I feel something,” Jin said in a very quiet voice. “Like I know you, like I've always known you. Like something in me...is being yanked towards something in you.”

 

“Me, too,” Mark said, holding his eyes. “I wonder what it is.”

 

“I don't know.” Jin squeezed his hand. “But I know I'll be waiting all day tomorrow for evening to come.”

 

---

 

In the morning, Jinyoung and hundreds of women were herded to the throne room for the start of the competition. The sight reminded him of seeing a pasture full of bleating sheep wandering around, with one glaringly black one among the mass of white wool. Here, he was the black sheep. All eyes were drawn to him, wondering why he was there.

 

Jinyoung wondered that a little bit himself. He was tired from his late night, and would have much prefered staying in the warm bed he'd been given in the castle to being subjected to whatever tests the royal couple had in mind. Thanks to spending most of the afternoon and evening with Marius and needing to change out of his riding clothes before entering court, he'd presented himself incredibly late to the king and queen. They'd been pleased to see him after so long, and had even ordered the remains of the earlier feast to be brought to him so he could eat and drink. Jinyoung had technically already eaten with Marius, but he couldn't explain that to them, so he'd accepted it anyways.

 

“We wish we could summon Mark to come see you, but no one knows where he is,” the queen said. “It's been far too long since you've seen each other. Far too long! You two should have grown up as close friends, and I regret so much that I didn't do my own part in bringing him to see you or inviting you here. But tell me, where are your sisters, Jinyoung? We've really longed to see them, too, and we would be so pleased if one of them would win and join our family as our daughter-in-law.”

 

“Actually,” Jinyoung said, feeling incredibly awkward. “I'm the one who will be competing.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

He produced his “princess certificate” and let them look it over, his feeling of embarrassment only increasing.

 

“Well...you certainly are very accomplished,” the king said tactfully. “And I don't doubt that this is authentic. It gives you the right to compete if you so desire, but...we truly were expecting female entrants for something that will end in a marriage.”

 

“We do so want Mark to be able to have many children after we were almost unable to,” the queen said anxiously. “We do not mean to offend.”

 

“But perhaps...should you win, you would win on behalf of one of your sisters?” the king suggested.

 

“Perhaps,” Jinyoung said vaguely. If he won, he would release Mark from any obligations and beg the king and queen to give their son his freedom, but he wasn't about to tell them that.

 

“In that case, we would be happy for you to compete,” the queen said, sighing in relief. “Given how gifted you are, you may very well even win!”

 

And thanks to Marius, Jinyoung now felt a very pressing motivation to win, if only to rescue Mark and set him free. Marius had seemed so sad for Mark, and that sadness had reached out and touched Jinyoung deeply. He wanted to take that sadness away, not just from Mark, but from Marius himself.

 

Marius. Jinyoung's heart gave an agonizing tug. He wanted to see him again, not this evening, but right this minute. It was very rare for him to be free of his constant compulsion to be perfect and to be the dutiful and biddable little brother, but he had let all of it go with Marius. For the first time in a long time, he felt wholly himself, a person who was more than just a sidekick to those who would have real influence. Marius had understood him, and he had understood Marius, and he had loved the feeling of understanding and being understood so much that his body felt half-starved without it.

 

But doing a kindness for Mark felt like it would also be doing a kindness for Marius, so he decided it was best to stick to his original intentions. All the same, it didn't make him any happier to be in the castle when he would have much rather been in the cottage at the center of the maze.

 

The king and queen had them all sit down at one of the tables set up in the throne room, and a handful of servants came in wheeling tea carts to each table. They set up a tea pot and tea cup in front of each of the ladies (and the one prince) assembled.

 

“Our first task is simple,” the king said. “A proper princess must both pour and sip her tea without spilling a single drop. Show that you can do this and you may move on to the next task.”

 

This was so simple that Jinyoung could have done it in his sleep. As a servant looked on, he confidently poured himself a cup of tea and drank it down (with a proper delicate touch, naturally) without spilling any of it.

 

Out of everyone assembled, thirteen women failed and were dismissed from the room. One of them left quite tearfully, a Grand Duke's daughter who the other ladies whispered had been courted by Mark a long time ago and had been desperate to win, but the king and queen remained resolute. Spilled tea was simply unacceptable for a princess.

 

Next, they set down menus in front of each of the competitors. “This is a sample dinner menu for a feast with the Kings of the South, East, and West,” the queen said. “Find the mistake to move on to the next task.”

 

Jinyoung surveyed the menu. It had them serving his father salted beef, his favorite, so that definitely wasn't the mistake. After a little more examination, he spotted that the menu had the King of the East's meat served in wine sauce, and alcohol was forbidden in the Eastern religion. He circled the error and handed the menu back to the servant examining him. Easy.

 

However, it perhaps wasn't so easy to many other, since thirty more women were removed for failing to spot the mistake. There were still plenty left, but it seemed as if the royal couple intended to chip off the weak links first before moving on to more difficult tasks.

 

They had a few more tasks related to navigating dining etiquette which Jinyoung passed with ease. He was able to gather peas on his fork without them flying off the plate, he could eat soup without scraping his spoon or slurping, and he knew perfectly which silverware went with which course. The peas were the downfall of many a competitor, but still, the room remained quite crowded when the king and queen declared they were satisfied.

 

Next, they moved on to the ballroom. The first task there was one Jinyoung was familiar with: executing a curtsey with a stack of books on their heads. They went in groups of ten, and Jinyoung's group went first. Once the books were balanced, the ten of them dropped low, fanning their real or imaginary skirts. Right away, the sound of tumbling books filled the air.

 

Jinyoung raised himself back up again. Only two others in his group had survived the curtsey without incident. He had a feeling this task would thin the competition quite nicely. But at the same time, he didn't want his “rivals” to drop out too quickly. The fewer there were the sooner the competition would end and the sooner he would be going back to the South, away from the presence still nagging at his heart, pulling at him to stay. As tedious as he found them, he wanted the tasks to continue on to the next day.

 

When the books were cleared away and the dismissed competitors politely expelled from the ballroom, they next had to dance three different dances without misstepping or crushing anyone's toes—a waltz, a tango, and the traditional dance from the North which involved a lot of leaping and twirling. Jinyoung had mastered all three long ago, both the male and female parts, and executed them with his typical flawlessness with one of the dance examiners. He was passed with good marks and was given permission to go to the courtyard to enjoy a small lunch with everyone else who had passed the task.

 

Jinyoung was given a table with the princesses from the East and West. He wondered if they would be anything like his sisters, but they were much more formal and polite. Even so, he was eager to talk to them about politics and books and culture since he'd never had much chance to meet with the royalty from other parts of the country, but when he asked, both simply got a sad look in their eyes.

 

“We didn't study those things,” the Eastern princess said. “We're younger children—our older brothers will inherit the kingdom. We just need to get married.”

 

“I was told my smile would be more important to finding a good husband than my opinions,” the Western princess said. “I still have opinions, of course, but I truly envy those who can give them freely.”

 

This is another thing that will have to change, Jinyoung thought. He wondered what Marius would think if he heard this. He was lucky to have been able to be so educated as a stablehand, but surely he would be angry to hear two young women were denied the opportunity simply so they could focus more on getting married. Even Jinyoung's own sisters had divided much of their education on being ladylike and marrying well when they didn't even have much of an interest in it.

 

After lunch, the queen announced that the rest of the afternoon would be taken up in a very special task. They would be taking care of a guest individually, and would be passed or not based on whether the guest was satisfied with their hospitality.

 

A few minutes later, several carriages came clattering up the courtyard, the doors were thrown open, and many young children came streaming out. They were from the nearby orphanage where, according to the king and queen, Mark spent two days a week playing with the children and reading them stories. Today, they would be the ones playing with the children and showing if they were capable of keeping them entertained and winning their affection.

 

Jinyoung felt a rush of both excitement and nervousness. As the youngest of his family, he had no real experience with children, and they surprisingly hadn't taught much about child-rearing in finishing school, assuming that most of the ladies there would have nursemaids to take care of the difficult parts. But at the same time, he really did like children and was happy for the excuse to play with one.

 

He was assigned to an adorable but somewhat grumpy three year-old named Yugyeom who enjoyed yanking his ears and saying “Don't wanna!” whenever Jinyoung suggested something. It took quite a lot of coaxing to get him to open up, but eventually Jinyoung discovered he liked to dance, so Jinyoung had him show off several of his cute and hyperactive little routines while cheering him on wildly. Jinyoung then repeated his earlier performance of the traditional Northern dance, this time tossing Yugyeom into the air whenever there was a special leap, much to Yugyeom's delight.

 

With that, Yugyeom's grumpiness completely vanished. When Jinyoung asked him if he wanted to listen to a story, he dutifully crawled into Jinyoung's lap and listened to his tale of a brave young orphan who grew up to be a soldier who saved the kingdom.

 

“You're good at stories,” Yugyeom said, snuggling into Jinyoung's chest. “Just like Mark.”

 

“You really like Prince Mark, hmm?” Jinyoung asked. He was still very curious about him since the prince hadn't made an appearance today yet either.

 

“Mmhm. I want Prince Mark to adopt me.” His voice suddenly got small. “But if he marries a lady, he has to have his own baby. That's what the big kids said. But you're not a lady, so maybe he can marry you?”

 

Jinyoung felt a strange, hollow feeling inside of him at that. He wanted to help, but he couldn't just agree to marry someone he didn't know, someone who didn't even want to get married. And the insistent pull inside his chest kept thinking of Marius, but that hurt just as much because he knew that even though his parents loved him very much, they would not be happy with him ending up with a stablehand because that was not the kind of person a prince was supposed to fall in love with. Yet another thing that needs changing, he thought. Why is there so little freedom in the world? Why are there so few paths we're allowed to take?

 

All he could do was ruffle Yugyeom's hair and hug him tightly. “I hope Prince Mark marries someone who loves him so much that he'll never know a moment of loneliness again,” Jinyoung said. “And that you find a family that loves you so much you'll have more love than you'll know what to do with.”

 

Jinyoung passed the task, but his heart felt heavy. His sisters had wanted him to see and understand more of the world by coming here, but it hurt a little at the same time to know how many beautiful things there were in it that he would never be able to have.

 

---

 

Mark paced around the banks of the lake, his body restless. I want to see him, he thought. I want him to be here right this second, I don't want to wait anymore. The day of waiting had been agonizing. He'd spent the night and morning in his cottage, hoping that being in the comforting surroundings would calm him down, but it didn't work and only made him think more of Jin and the beautiful time together they had spent the day before. Maybe having someone he liked this much in his life wasn't a good thing after all. Previously he'd just been bored most of the time, but now he just felt outright in pain with his heart tugging nonstop and his entire being begging him to go to the person he wanted to be with. And Jin wouldn't be staying in the North for good—wouldn't it only get worse?

 

Still, this realization couldn't hold back the burst of excitement that exploded in his heart when he at last saw Jin in the distance, running towards him. The pain was worth it if he could experience this kind of feeling that he'd never felt before and to have it brought to him by someone as incredible as this.

 

Jin at last reached him, panting and out of breath.

 

“Marius,” Jin gasped out in between his shuddering breaths. Mark wished he'd given himself a better fake name, or wished he hadn't had to give one at all. He wanted his real name to be on Jin's lips, he wanted to hear how it would sound.

 

“Jin,” he said. “I've been thinking of you all day.”

 

“Me too. I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner.” He lifted his eyes to Mark's and smiled. “But I'm here now.”

 

“Yes. I'm glad you could come.” He gestured to the lake and the little dock protruding out into it where he'd docked a rowboat for them to use. “Shall I give you a tour?”

 

“Do you know how to use one of those things?”

 

“No, I'm planning on waving the paddles like a madman and hoping for the best. Yes, of course I know how to use one.” He laughed a little. “I won't let you fall in the water, all right? And if you do happen to fall in, I'll rescue you. You have nothing to worry about.”

 

Mark helped Jin into the boat and sat down across from him, taking the oars and launching them away from the docks. Jin looked a little nervous at first, but the further out they got without incident, the more relaxed he became.

 

“How was your day?” Mark asked as he rowed. “Did you see any of the tasks?”

 

“Yes, I got to see most of them. They were tests on manners and dancing, mostly. Quite a few people were already eliminated.”

 

“Huh. I highly doubt either manners or dancing are high up on the list of what Prince Mark wants in who he marries.”

 

“And what does he want?”

 

“What all of us want, I think. Kindness and companionship and understanding, someone he can talk to. And love, most of all.”

 

“If only it was so easy to find all of those things in a person you can actually be with.” Jin sighed a little. “By the way, have you seen the prince at all? He seems to have disappeared.”

 

Mark shifted uncomfortably. “I'm sure he'll come back when it's necessary. I wouldn't worry about it. He tends to do this a lot.”

 

“I suppose with everyone distracted, now's a good time to do it. Anyways, it doesn't matter. I'm not sure why I'm talking about that when I have so many other things I want to say.” He laughed, a little nervously. “I want to know about you. Tell me anything.”

 

Mark was relieved that the command was so general rather than “tell me about your upbringing” or “where did you study?” since all of that would be a dead giveaway that he was no simple stablehand. If he could say anything, he could pick out some little detail that had nothing to do with being royalty and everything to do with just being a person.

 

“I can talk to birds,” Mark said, settling on something silly. “When I was younger, my parents told me I didn't talk enough. They used to throw me parties with other children my age to get me to speak more, but the more they wanted me to do it, the more stubborn about it I got. I'd run off and find some robins or crows instead and start squawking at them, and when my parents scolded me, I'd say 'But I am talking! I'm having a long and serious conversation with the birds'.”

 

Jin chuckled. “But you couldn't really understand them, could you?”

 

“You don't believe me?” Mark put his fingers to his lips and whistled, a robin's song. A minute later, one dropped low from the sky and landed on Mark's extended finger. Mark whistled to it, and the bird whistled back.

 

“What did it say?” Jin asked eagerly.

 

“It said that I'm doing a bad job of steering the boat in a straight line.” The bird whistled again. “It says it would help if I would stop looking at you so much and started focusing.”

 

Jin turned a lovely shade of pink, dropping his eyes in embarrassment. “Would it help?”

 

“Perhaps. Should I stop?”

 

Jin lifted his eyes again. “...you don't have to.”

 

Mark whistled to the bird and let it whistle back one more time. “I told him that I'd rather take the boat in a crooked line then stop looking at my beautiful companion, and he says the other birds will laugh at me. But let's not be bothered. Their laughter also sounds like a song.” He lifted his finger and let the bird fly off it again. “Now. Tell me anything about you.”

 

“I have two sisters,” Jin said. “They like playing jokes on me and tricking me into doing ridiculous things, and have been doing it ever since I was little. Sometimes it drives me crazy, but other times...I'm a little bit envious of them.”

 

“How so?”

 

“Because they're always laughing. And like your birds, their laughter sounds just like a song.” He smiled to himself. “I don't let go enough and laugh like them. I don't know how to have fun in that natural, easy way.”

 

“Some people can find happiness in the littlest things,” Mark said gently. “But for others of us, it isn't so easy.”

 

“It feels easy now,” Jin said earnestly. “Which is strange, because I was thinking about so many things today, and everything just seemed so impossible. But now that you're here...it just doesn't.”

 

Mark in his breath. “You still feel it, don't you? The pull?”

 

Jin nodded. “It feels like...like I've always been waiting for this. Like this is where I'm supposed to be, here with you. But I don't know...I don't even understand how it's going to work in the future when this whole thing is over and I have to go back, but I can't even worry about it now because just being here with you makes me feel like nothing in the world could go wrong.”

 

“I know. I feel it too.”

 

They fell silent for a moment. It was getting darker and fireflies were coming out, bringing a light glow around them, made even brighter by the reflection in the water. In the trees, birds were singing sweetly, as gentle as the water slowly lapping against the sides of the boat.

 

“Are they laughing at us?” Jin asked. “The birds?”

 

“No,” Mark said. “They're serenading us.”

 

“With what kind of words?”

 

“To let go. To just...” He reached out to touch Jin's still flushed cheeks. “To just let it happen.”

 

Jin's eyes fluttered closed, and they both leaned in to each other, their lips meeting in a soft kiss. It felt like coming home to a fire just beginning to crackle in the fireplace, warm and familiar and homey. Jin was in many ways still a stranger, but Mark felt he knew him as surely as he knew the path to his cottage. They shared some of the same hopes and the same pains, and somehow the very same building spark of love as well. It felt like they were two separated halves at long last rejoined.

 

Mark pulled away, meeting Jin's eyes. “Is...is this OK?” he asked. “Too soon?”

 

“Not enough,” Jin said, pulling him back again. The slow burning fire was stoked into a flame, increasingly wild and heated. Mark wrapped his arm's around Jin's body and held him close, feeling his heartbeat. The pull inside him finally felt satisfied, or at least mostly. It would demand more later, probably, but for now it was growling in triumph at having gotten what it wanted at last. Don't let him go. Hold on to this happiness as tightly as you can.

 

They pulled away, Jin still clinging tightly to him. “What do we do?” he asked in a low voice.

 

Run away with me, Mark wanted to say. A place far away from here, a different kingdom, a different world. But he knew what Jin didn't know: he was a prince, the only prince this kingdom had. There would be no running that wouldn't end with him being chased wherever he went. And as long as being prince would one day give him the power to change the world, he couldn't run away from it either.

 

“I don't think it's in our hands anymore,” was all Mark could say. “Because if you go, I don't think the pull is going to let us stay apart.”

 

“Good,” Jin said. “If it's inevitable, no one will be able to stop us.” He linked his pinkie finger with Mark's. “But you know how I told you that I had learned so many things that weren't really useful?”

 

Mark nodded.

 

“Well, the reward for doing that was a promise that I would be able to be with the person I was fated to be with since birth. So maybe all of that will finally prove useful after all.” He gave Mark's finger a gentle tug. “I'm including you in that promise, now. It has to be you.”

 

“Because the universe chose me for you, or something?” Mark asked lightly, though the idea troubled him a little. If he wanted someone chosen for him, he would have gone along with the stupid contest. He wanted to be chosen through someone's free will, not forced upon them by an inexplicable pull or by a royal decreee or anything like that.

 

Jin shook his head. “No. Maybe the universe did choose you, but I'm looking at that choice and saying 'Yes, this is exactly as I would have chosen for myself.' I'm choosing you, too.”

 

Joy flooded through Mark, a feeling so different from the loneliness and emptiness he'd lived with before, and he kissed Jin with the full force of that joy, tears slipping from his eyes and his entire body shaking. My choice, he thought. You are everything I wanted for myself, the only thing big enough to fill the holes all the nothing in my life left before.

 

He knew then what he had to do. Whoever won his parents' ridiculous princess test didn't matter. He would be marching up to their throne hand in hand with Jin and announce proudly “I don't want the Southern princesses, I want their attendant. You can take back any gift you ever bestowed upon me. This is the only one I want.”

 

---

 

By time Day 2 of the competition rolled around, Jinyoung had made a choice. He wasn't going to win the competition. He wasn't going to save Prince Mark. Prince Mark wasn't his battle—Prince Mark was either going to have to put his foot down and refuse whoever won on his own or he was going to have to live with whatever ideal princess his parents' efforts had yielded him.

 

Marius was Jinyoung's battle now. As soon as the competition was over, he was going to have Marius saddle up their horses, and they were going to go to the South together. There, Jinyoung would cash in on his sisters' promise and say proudly “This is the one fated for me, this is the kindest and most generous gift you could possibly help me to have. I know he's just a stablehand, but to me he is so much more than that.”

 

Still, he was going to make it to the last task before quitting, just like he told his sisters he would. He still had his pride, of course, and reaching so near to the ending would probably give him a chance to see Prince Mark himself before he left to give him whatever kind of words of encouragement would help him. Maybe he'd even get him to promise to adopt poor Yugyeom who loved him so much, even if he wound up marrying a woman and having a child by blood. He and Mark were born under the same omen, after all, at the exact same minute and second of the same day, and that connected them in some way even though they had never gotten to know each other.

 

Jinyoung was relieved that the tasks on the second day were at least more reasonable and pertinent to Prince Mark than all the manner tests on day one. They started off the day by handling mock diplomatic conflicts, amending a flawed trade arrangement between the West and the North, and settling minor disputes between the locals. They were quizzed on basic philosophy, science, and music, and had to showcase their writing and reading skills by transcribing poetry and then reading it aloud.

 

Jinyoung was sad to see that the princesses from the West and East didn't survive these tasks. In fact, the pool thinned quite considerably until they were left with just three: Jinyoung, some earl's daughter named Lady Olive, and a Princess from one of the impoverished kingdoms across the sea who had probably come out of sheer desperation since whenever the subject of actually marrying Mark came up, she looked as if she would start crying.

 

The king and queen sat them down in the throne room, which felt eerily empty without the presence of all the ladies that had been there before. “You've done very well to have made it this far,” the king said, smiling kindly at them. “You've proven yourself capable, attentive, mannerly, and intelligent, all qualities we feel would contribute greatly to the happiness of our son.”

 

“However, we would like to move forward to the final task with just two,” the queen said. “And we feel that no matter how qualified a contestant is, if it would be an unsuitable match for our son and we were aware of it ahead of time, we should be obligated to put an end to it before it progresses.”

 

I guess this is the end of me, Jinyoung thought grimly. I almost won my sisters' bet, too.

 

But to his surprise, the queen turned to Lady Olive. “I'm sorry, my lady, but Mark told us himself that he feels you're more interested in his money than in him, and he has no wish to marry you.”

 

Lady Olive lifted her eyebrow. “I'm pretty sure we could say the same of the other two, Your Majesty.”

 

“I don't care about money,” Jinyoung protested. “I've got just about as much of it as Prince Mark does.”

 

The other princess kept her eyes fixed on her feet. “I have never met His Highness, but I am sure his fabled kindness will charm me more than any other quality he may possess.”

 

“Our son has not expressed feelings one way or another for the other two,” the king said to Lady Olive. “While he has in regards to you. We will abide by his words in this matter.

 

Lady Olive snorted, but rose to her feet. “Very well. The Prince has skipped town anyways, and probably won't be around for either of these two to win. This whole competition was a farce.” She swept from the room regally, her head held high.

 

“Is the Prince really gone?” the foreign princess asked in a whisper when Lady Olive had left.

 

“N-Not at all!” the queen sputtered. “Why, we saw smoke coming from his cottage's chimney just the other day! He simply doesn't like crowds and has been keeping to himself for the time being. He'll be there when the victor is announced, I swear it.”

 

Jinyoung knew that the chimney smoke had been from Marius using the fire to cook them dinner, but decided against confessing to this. He didn't want to cause trouble for Marius or reveal that he'd been running around with palace staff when he was supposed to be in his rooms in the castle.

 

A servant entered the room and leaned down to whisper a message into the king's ear. The king nodded, then dismissed the servant with a wave of his hand. “And there we have it,” he said. “A servant encountered the prince this morning, and he has promised to be there to announce his intended partner to the kingdom. In the meantime, we will prepare the final task. You two may head to the feasting hall to enjoy your dinner, and the servants will draw you a bath afterwards. Thank you both for your hard work and patience until now, and we wish you well.”

 

Jinyoung grimaced at the idea of being kept in the castle longer when he'd promised to meet Marius at the prince's cottage one more time that evening. He'd have to find a way to slip out. He had to see him, there was no choice about that. He didn't know if he was ready to tell him about being a prince and his plans to take him South yet or if he would do that tomorrow instead, but there was one thing he did very much want to do. Something that the pull within him had been insistently nagging for all throughout the day when he'd been trying to focus on the tasks at hand.

 

Just a little longer, he reminded himself. Just a little longer and you can be with him forever. Your sisters promised you, and everything you did for them will at long last pay off. You'll have a lifetime of happiness and laughter waiting for you if you just hold on a little bit longer.

 

---

 

As soon as Prince Jinyoung and the foreign princess left the room, the king and the queen of the North turned to each other in apprehension.

 

“Well, now that we determined that our son is still in residence, I suppose we should decide what the final task should be,” the queen said.

 

“But we've already tested all the qualities we were looking for,” the king said. “Propriety, talent, intelligence, musicianship, grace, political acumen...”

 

“I would so very much like Jinyoung to win,” the queen sighed. “Can you think of an advantage he might have over the other princess? Strength, perhaps?”

 

“Now, now, my dear. We can't fix the competition, that wouldn't be honorable.”

 

“I know. But you know something, my dear? I've thought and thought, and I think if Jinyoung wins, we shouldn't demand one of his sisters as the true bride. What if Jinyoung has made it this far because it's part of the fortunate omens the priests spoke of at Mark's birth? Didn't they speak of a tie between those two which would lead our kingdoms to prosperity?”

 

“That is true,” the king mused. “And I do think they would rather like each other if Mark would deign to show up and meet him. There's a kind of cloud over them both, but I think a similar brightness shines through in their spirits. And that poem Jinyoung chose to transcribe today?”

 

“That was Mark's favorite, wasn't it?”

 

The king nodded. “Perhaps that means Jinyoung will win no matter what task we pick. If that's the case, I say let's do something fun. Something they'll be telling stories about for years to come.”

 

“I'm listening.”

 

“We never tested for sensitivity, did we? So let's see if they can feel something impossible. Maybe a single pebble in a feather pillow.”

 

The queen laughed. “If you're going for something memorable, you'll have to aim higher than that.”

 

The king considered. “A single drop of Southern fire sauce in their morning oatmeal? No, that would be too easy for Jinyoung.” He snapped his fingers. “I got it! Now this is—this is truly one for the legends if either of them can pass.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Imagine a bed. A bed with twenty mattresses. And underneath those mattresses? A single frozen pea!”

 

“Would it even be possible to feel such a thing?” the queen wondered.

 

“Perhaps not, but it would prove our little theory about Jinyoung while making for a humorous tale. You know what, I think Mark would even have to smile at that.” He kissed his wife on the forehead. “If not, we'll have to apologize to him. I don't think we've made him any happier.”

 

“I know,” she said quietly. “We always try so hard, but choose all the wrong ways. But I believe it so strongly. There is someone out there who won't even have to try to make him happy, and we'll need to learn from that. That maybe we don't have to try so hard, but can just let go and let him be. It'll be hard to do. I still want to cling tightly to him for dear life. But maybe that's what he needs.”

 

“So I suppose if neither of them can feel the pea, the competition will be over with no winner,” the king said resolutely. “And we'll put his future happiness back into his own hands. But I have a good feeling about this.”

 

“Yes,” the queen said, smiling. “I can feel it. In our kingdom, sunlight is breaking through the clouds.”

 

---

 

After Jinyoung's bath, the servant insisted on taking him to his bedroom for the night, even though Jinyoung kept claiming he wasn't tired. “You need to rest well for the final task tomorrow,” the servant said. “Their Majesties have prepared you a special bed that will help you relax and build your strength.”

 

Jinyoung sighed, deciding to go along with the servant and slip out to see Marius as soon as she was gone. He was on the ground floor of the castle, so it was an easy leap out the window and to the hedge maze as soon as the bedroom door was shut behind him.

 

But the sight that awaited him in the bedroom literally froze him in place. Right before his eyes was the strangest bed he'd ever seen towering over his head, one about twenty mattresses high with a ladder leading up to the top.

 

“What is this?” Jinyoung asked blankly.

 

“Your bed,” the servant answered. “Do not worry, Your Highness. This bed is the softest you will ever sleep on in your life. You will spend a good night here, I promise.”

 

“But what if I fall?”

 

“If you do not have a history of falling out of beds, there's no particular reason you would be at risk for falling from this one.” She gestured to the ladder. “Please ascend, Your Highness.”

 

“Now!?!”

 

“Yes. The queen has asked me to remove the ladder so it can be used to help the other Princess into her bed, Your Highness.”

 

But how am I supposed to leave to see Marius if I'm stuck in a dangerously high bed with no ladder?, Jinyoung wondered. However, there was no time to think of it. The servant pushed him to the ladder and he obediently climbed up until he was on the topmost mattress. She then pulled the ladder away, curtseyed, then shut the door behind her.

 

Well, Jinyoung thought, looking towards the ground. He'd break most of his limbs if he tried to jump off. What now?

 

If there had been a bed post, he could have used the sheets to make a rope and climb his way down, but there were no such posts to use. There was a wardrobe on the other side of the room he could have leapt on to had it been closer, but it was too far from where he was now. The only thing he could think of was pushing down one of the mattresses and using it to cushion his landing, but that would be a hard thing to do while he was sitting on it.

 

Still, he didn't really have a choice. He moved to the edge of the mattress and slowly started scooting it out from underneath him. As soon as a piece of the mattress underneath it was revealed, he little by little began moving his body to the second mattress so he wouldn't fall off. It took some time, but at long last he was able to push the top mattress off the bed and onto the floor.

 

The jump still looked daunting, but he wasn't about to leave Marius waiting for him in the cottage all alone. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and pushed himself off the bed.

 

The mattress, which was luckily just as good as the servant promised, cushioned enough of his landing, though his knees took the brunt of it and were throbbing when he tried to stand up. It didn't matter, though. He was free. He ran to the wardrobe and found his commoner's clothes, throwing them on and pushing open the window to slip out into the night and to the arms of his love.

 

---

 

Mark whittled absently at a block of wood as he waited for Jin, his heart throbbing in anxiety. Where is he? It was getting late, long past the time Jin had come to see him the night before. Had he or his ladies been held up by something? Or had he reflected on what he was doing with Mark and decided it was impossible and ridiculous after all? Mark prayed that it was anything but that. He couldn't bear the thought of Jin changing his mind and leaving him lonely after having found someone he cared about after a lifetime of waiting.

 

He was about to leave the cottage to make sure Jin hadn't gotten lost in the maze, though he'd promised the night before that he remembered the way perfectly, when the cottage door burst open and Jin arrived, clothing and hair mussed and completely out of breath. “I'm sorry,” he said, panting. “There was...something came up.”

 

Mark's entire body slumped in relief. “Don't worry,” he said, waiting for his heart to calm before getting to his feet. “You're here.”

 

“Yes.” He half-stumbled into Mark's arms, pressing a hungry kiss onto his lips and wrapping him into a hug so tight he could hardly breathe. “I missed you.”

 

“Me too.” Mark kissed the skin of his neck, tasting the salt of his sweat and feeling him swallowing deeply beneath his lips. “Are the tests finished?”

 

“First thing tomorrow. There are only two people left in the competition.”

 

“One of your ladies?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“So you'll be at the castle tomorrow?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I'll come for you,” Mark said. “You'll wait there for me?”

 

“Yes.” Jin hauled him up for another kiss, this time reaching for the collar of his tunic and tugging it. Mark was a little surprised—he could feel the fire pulsing in Jin and knew what it meant, just as surely as he felt it and knew it in himself, but he hadn't anticipated them giving into it so soon.

 

“Jin?” he murmured, wondering if it was at all possible he was interpreting this wrong. “Are you sure?”

 

“Yes,” Jin said again. “I want you, Marius. I can't bear it anymore.”

 

Mark felt his body responding in agreement, but he couldn't take hearing the wrong name anymore or having Jin calling out to someone who wasn't actually him. “No,” he murmured, pulling Jin even closer to him, nuzzling their foreheads together. “Not that name. Give me a better name. One that's just for you.”

 

“My soul,” Jin said immediately. “I want you, my soul's other half.”

 

“Yes,” Mark whispered into his lips. “Everything inside me has been waiting for this, my soul. Let's at last rejoin.”

 

---

 

Jinyoung was mostly in shambles when he stumbled back to his room at four in the morning. His body was throbbing in both exhaustion and bliss, and everything both hurt and felt entirely sated. His mind was in a complete haze, and he knew he needed to sleep so he could potentially function for the last task even if he was intending on throwing. He also needed to get to the top of his mattress pile, but that simply wasn't going to happen. He got out of his clothes, found the robe he'd cast off hours earlier, and collapsed onto the single mattress on the floor to fall asleep with his soul's other half waiting for him in dreams, ready to cover him in kisses and love him all over again.

 

He was found in the morning by the servant, who woke him up with her loud gasp at finding both him and the mattress on the floor. “It's okay, it's okay,” he said quickly, trying to stumble to his feet and failing miserably as both his sore hips and bruised knees forbid him. “I didn't fall. I didn't hurt myself. It was just...the bed was uncomfortable?”

 

The servant's eyes widened, and Jinyoung couldn't tell if it was in horror or something else. “Y-You must get dressed,” was all she said. “Their Majesties await you in the throne room.”

 

Getting dressed hurt. It had taken awhile for his body to register, but his knees had really not been able to endure his jump the night before as well as he'd thought. His hips were a little more bearable in comparison—or at least, the memories themselves were easing the burden—but he knew it would not be an easy limp to the throne room, and the king and queen would be able to sense something was wrong if the servant didn't go ahead and tell them as much.

 

Both monarchs were seated on their thrones when Jinyoung arrived, and the foreign princess was already seated in front of them, looking far more presentable than Jinyoung did. The king and queen were looking at Jinyoung in frank amazement as he hobbled up to him, his usually flawless bow executed with uncharacteristic wobbliness.

 

“Well,” the queen said, clearing . “I've already had a word with the servants, but I would like to ask the both of you: did you sleep well in the beds we'd prepared?”

 

“Very well,” the foreign princess said in her quiet voice. “As you said, it was the most comfortable bed I had ever rested on in my life.”

 

“And you?” the king asked, turning to Jinyoung.

 

It all clicked. This is a test, Jinyoung realized. Of course, a true princess would be able to sleep on such a terrifying bed because she knew her hosts would never put her in harms way. That was what they were checking. This was the test that Jinyoung would need to lose—he would have to be ungracious and insist that it was terribly uncomfortable. It wouldn't even quite be a lie.

 

“No offense to Your Majesties, but I did not find it comfortable at all,” Jinyoung said, taking a breath. “In fact, after a night in that bed, I feel terrible. My hips are sore, my back aches, my knees are bruised, my head hurts, and I can barely walk. The only way I could get comfortable was pushing a mattress off and sleeping on the floor, just as the servant found me this morning.”

 

The king and queen exchanged a wide-eyed look. There, Jinyoung thought triumphantly. I'm done. A tidy second place. I can find Marius and go home now and take what was promised me.

 

“I can't believe it,” the king said in a hushed voice. “It must actually be fate's hand intervening.”

 

“To think that you would actually feel a single pea to that extent,” the queen said tearfully. “It must be a miracle!”

 

“What pea?” Jinyoung asked blankly.

 

“The pea under the mattresses. That was the test—being able to feel a single pea under the mattresses and being unable to spend the night peacefully due to being sensitive to it...and you felt it, you truly felt it!” The Queen leapt to her feet. “We must fetch Mark. Prince Jinyoung, you have hearby won the honor to pursue his hand in marriage!”

 

Jinyoung's mouth dropped open, completely stunned by this turn of events. “But I—”

 

It was already too late to protest. The servants were pulling open the main door to the throne room, and someone was striding through...

 

But it was not just someone. It was Marius. Marius dressed in fine clothing and wearing a crown on his head. Jinyoung stared at him in confusion. What was he doing here, dressed like that? Marius stared back in equal confusion, freezing in his tracks.

 

“Come forward, Mark!” the king boomed. “We've found you a life partner kind, smart, talented, and above all highly, highly sensitive: Prince Jinyoung of the South. The omens of your birth should have clued us in that you should have been reintroduced long before this, and we are ashamed to have failed you. But fate has brought you back together now, so come! Know what an amazing person has proven himself worthy of you.”

 

“P-Prince Mark?” Jinyoung stammered.

 

“Prince Jinyoung?” Mark echoed, trembling where he was standing in place.

 

The two of them stared at each other in silence for a long minute. And then, at the exact same moment, their faces parted into grins. Everything at last fell into place. They'd been such mirrors to each other this whole time that they'd even gone as far as trying to hide their true identities from each other in the exact same way. What silly, ridiculous, completely perfect-for-each-other fools they had been right from the very beginning.

 

His pain forgotten, Jinyoung rushed towards Mark and Mark rushed towards him and they threw their arms around each other, laughing and spinning and kissing, their joy unable to be contained. He knew in the depths of his heart that they would have been together if they had been a prince and a stablehand or a prince and a manservant, but how much better it was to be together with blessings showering over them and without having to hide or to fight or to run.

 

“You'll marry me, right?” Mark asked in between their kisses.

 

“Of course. You don't even have to ask!”

 

“But you'll let me court you first? To win you over properly before we get married?”

 

“Unnecessary, but yes. I'll look forward to it.” He kissed Mark again. “And we'll live our dreams together, won't we?”

 

“Whatever world we see in our dreams, I'll build together with you. I promise.” They kissed again, crushing each other in their embrace.

 

The king and queen awkwardly cleared their throats from their thrones. “Well, we were hoping you'd be happy, but we weren't quite expecting this,” the queen said, fanning herself. “You should at least be reintroduced before, er, succumbing to the needs of the flesh.”

 

“No need,” Mark said. “We've already been reintroduced.”

 

“It's a long story,” Jinyoung said guiltily.

 

“Although, I suppose I would like to get to know you fully, true identity and all. And we still have much of the grounds to tour. Shall we?”

 

“Yes, let's. But only for today. I will need to report back home and explain this to my mother. I'm pretty sure my sisters already knew this would happen.”

 

“Shall I accompany you there? I should present myself to my future in-laws, after all.”

 

“Of course you'll accompany me. After eighteen years away from you, I'm not about to separate again so soon.” He reached down to take Mark's hand. “Let's never again be apart, from now on. We can lead our kingdoms to prosperity, you and I, but let's lead ourselves there first.”

 

---

 

And so it was that after eighteen long years of separation, the princes of the North and South reunited, fulfilling the omens of their birth and heralding in a golden age of prosperity and unity for their respective kingdoms.

 

Following the announcement of their engagement, Prince Mark and Prince Jinyoung retired for a year to live in the cottage at the center of the maze, taking time to reacquaint themselves further and enjoy solitude together before stepping into their royal duties. At the end of the year, they reemerged and had their wedding feast with the blessings of both the North and South. As princes of two realms now bound together, they used their influence to reform and expand education, making it at last possible for commoners to receive the expansive education of a noble and for women to be taught as thoroughly as men. Their reforms brought many drastic changes to their kingdom, and it took time for people to adjust, but in time their arts, research, military, and trade flourished so strongly that the East and West soon adopted their practices, and the citizens of all four nations were free to dream and spread their wings just as their princes had always longed to do.

 

For their part, the two princes lived a very happy life together. They adopted Yugyeom and raised him lovingly, and continued to visit the orphanage to read to the children as much as they could. When the time came for them to step into the role of the kings of the realm, their reign was remembered as just and nuturing, and under their care, the nation grew stronger than it had ever been. Jinyoung's sisters in the South, who decided they really didn't want to be queens when there was fun and adventures to be had elsewhere, passed control of the South over to their brother and his Northern husband, and the kingdoms were united as one as foretold.

 

And whether by destiny or free will or both, Mark and Jinyoung loved each other deeply for all of their lives and were never again separated from each other. Though both were hard workers, it was not rare for them to retreat often to their cottage to be alone together, loving and dreaming just as fiercely as they had in the days when they'd hidden who they were from each other. Neither knew a day of loneliness at the other's side, and though their nations were blessed to have them, they were far greater blessed to have been given each other.

 

And, needless to say, the two lived happily ever after for all the rest of their days.