Donghae wakes up to a nightmare. The moment his eyes opened, his attendants surround him like a flurry of bees, working to dress him according to what is fitting for today’s events. He notices that he is wearing one of his best outfits, and he was quickly ushered to a carriage. Heechul hands him a scroll, embedded with the king’s stamp. He opens it up, reads it quickly, and almost dropped it.

The king wants him to marry. His father wants him to arrange a date soon, so he is tasked to meet this girl’s parents. Today.

“What does it say?” Heechul questions, leaning over in curiosity.

Donghae stares at his cousin with a blank look. His eyes are swimming, staring at nothing and everything at once.

“What?” Heechul probes. He grabs the scroll with impatience.

Heechul re-reads the scroll again, his eyes going to Donghae and the scroll several times. Then he starts to laugh. “You’re not ready to get married.”

“Hyung, it’s a royal command.”

“And what do you know about women?” Heechul queries, raising a pretty eyebrow. Donghae doesn’t say anything. He keeps his eyes trained on the small window. “Exactly.”

Donghae sighs heavily. He does not want to get married to a person he doesn’t even know. He wants to get married for love, and be happy with them. Not for political reasons, where he knows that the person who is suppose to accompany him all his life would only see him occasionally. He is not ready for such a life. It sounds even lonelier than his situation now.

“How about you tell me more about women?” Donghae suggests.

Heechul smirks at him. “Are you sure you’re ready to learn from me?”

~

Heechul watched Donghae the whole ride to this mysterious girl’s house. He notices that he grew even more troubled after the spectacle in the streets. His younger cousin has a deep frown in his face, and his hands are crossing and uncrossing themselves. Is he nervous? Is his mind somewhere else? Heechul is starting to suspect that Donghae’s heart or mind-but especially the heart since he always thinks with that organ-is somewhere else. To where, to whom, he doesn’t know.

But he does know it when a person is falling for another.

Was it Eunja? Heechul thinks. Donghae couldn’t take his eyes off of her at all. He even visited her room.

Heechul shakes his head. Of all people, why would he fall for a person like that? Doesn’t he know what Eunja does for money? Donghae is really clueless about these things.

Donghae boards the carriage after a little while. He slumps in his seat, his mouth set into a pout.

“When?” Heechul asks.

“A year and a half,” Donghae replies monotonously.

“A year? And a half?” Heechul repeats, his eyes getting bigger with each word. He can’t believe this boy.

“She’s younger than me. Also, I want to get to know her first,” Donghae defends. He doesn’t really want to get to know anyone but that one person.

Heechul rolls his eyes. “You know what, it’s your marriage. You do you.”

The carriage moves along.

“Hyung, I don’t want to get married,” Donghae whispers.

Heechul is suddenly reminded of a younger Donghae, the one whose eyes were so bright and so fearful at times. The younger Donghae who wore his sleeves past his short arms. “I know.”

~

That night, Heechul doesn’t stop Donghae when he packed a few clothes and sneaked out his window. He lets him run away, knowing that Donghae will come back. He would have to carry out his responsibility as a prince. It doesn’t make Heechul feel any better. He loves his cousin like a real younger brother, and would always wish him for happiness.

However, happiness is not always common inside these suffocating walls.