Taemin was wringing his hands as he stood at the Palace gates, waiting to be let in. 

He felt so awkward standing there in clothes that Kibum had hand-picked for this very occassion. Everything was happening so fast. He couldn't believe that he was at the Palace to see the Prince.

Security didn't believe him either. They had asked for multiple identification cards and Taemin had to wait a while until everything checked out before they had given him the time of day. Everyone seemed quite surprised that the young man, who had secured a rare visit with the Prince, had arrived there on foot. Jonghyun had refused to leave his side until everything was sorted out and Taemin had never been so thankful for his company. It was only until Special Agents had triple-checked the young man's identity that he was finally allowed to enter the premises--but not without an , of course.

It was strange to have an armed guard follow him around. Taemin tried to strike up a conversation with his new companion but the five-minute walk to the front door of the Palace didn't give much leeway for quality bonding.  

Nothing could have compared to the feeling of coming in through the doors of the grand foyer for the first time. He had seen pictures and videos throughout of it his life but the Palace was more beautiful than Taemin had ever imagined. Its ceilings were high, and natural light filled the space with its grand windows. His eyes are filled with wonder looking at how everything was impeccably decorated with holiday cheer, and it was when he took his first steps inside that he had first noticed that something was terribly wrong. 

AAHHHCHOO!

Before even a word was said, Taemin's allergies had already made an impression made for him. Everywhere he turned, there were wreaths and pinecones and holly, and it was irritating the young man's allegies beyond belief.

Oh please, oh please, oh please... Not now.

AHCHOO!

"God bless you."

A handkerchief suddenly appears beside his face and he sheepishly takes it in his hand. 

"Th-thank you," he says, immediately bring the cloth to his nose and his watering eyes. 

"Hello, Lee Taemin. Your allergies are acting up today, aren't they?" The man suddenly standing beside him was the same man that he had seen with Prince Jinki twice before. Taemin never realized until now just how tall the man was.

"Yeah... I mean, yes... I mean... Nice to see you again--AH-AHCHOO!" Whether his face was red from allergies or from embarrassment, he didn't know. He couldn't believe that this could be happening in one of the most important moments of his life. Taemin hides his face in the handkerchief, suddenly wishing that he had never come.

He feels someone tap on his shoulder, and the young man slowly looks up. The well-dressed man was joined by a woman in uniform with a glass and some medicine on a tray.

"I do apologize for this inconvenience. I noticed that a pine tree caused you to sneeze back at the hospital and, because of the holidays, the Palace is filled with pine trees at the moment. I thought this would happen, so we prepared for the inevitable," he says, gesturing towards the array of anti-allergy medicines in front of him. 

Taemin sees his go-to medication and shyly reaches for it, also taking the glass of water to wash it down. He had been so used to taking care of himself that it seemed completely odd to him for someone else to do so. It's been years since anyone had paid enough attention to him to know what he needed even before he asked. 

"Th-thank you, uh..."

"My name is Choi Minho, and I am tasked with making sure that the Prince has everything he needs. It is a pleasure to meet you," he says, reaching out his hand towards the visitor for a handshake.

"Hello, my name is Lee Taemin."

The woman with the tray leaves them and is replaced by another woman in uniform gesturing to take his coat, which Taemin hands over as quickly as he could. Minho is watching carefully if there is anything else that he could do for the young man to feel more comfortable. "Of course, Sir. We have been preparing for your arrival. The Prince regrets that he is not here to greet you himself but he is currently on the phone with his father discussing the crisis at the Siruliane border."

"Wow... I mean, that's awesome. Siruliane border. Super important," Taemin says, shaking his head at himself. He had absolutely no idea what the crisis was about, or that there even was one to begin with. If he's going to be spending time with the Prince, he guesses that this is something that he needed to learn about.

"Yes, well, I do hope you're feeling better," Minho says.

"It's gonna take a few minutes for the medicine to kick in, but I'm sure I'll be fine..." he says, still looking around at all the portraits and exquisite decor around the Palace.

"If you could come with me to the tea room, you could wait for Prince Jinki more comfortably." Minho gestures his hand towards the direction they would be walking.

"Sure," Taemin says with a smile. He is still sniffling and sneezing each time they walked past a pine tree, but it wasn't as bad as it was when he first arrived. He felt the medicines already starting to work, and relief came over him. He didn't want to sneeze all over the Prince again.

"So, Mr. Minho, how long have you had this gig? It must be fun following the Prince around," he says, his eyes wandering around the Palace walls with each step. 

"I have been working for the Prince ever since I completed my studies aborad. I'd like to think that I contribute more to the Prince's life and work than to just 'follow him around'," he says with a smile on his face.

There was something playfully adorable about Taemin. He could understand why the Prince would be so enamored.

"Oh, I didn't mean it that way... I just meant that it must be fun... I'm sure your job is, like, super, super important... You know... Vital... To... World peace," Taemin says. 

Minho has to hold in his laughter at the young man. He knows that Taemin is trying his best to adjust to the serious air in the Palace, but he had no idea that his lightness brought a refreshing atmosphere to its stuffy walls.

"I do hope so, Sir... I try my best," he says. "Here we are." The older man stops in front of a beautiful double-door entrance and turns the handle to open the tea room. 

Taemin could feel his jaw drop at the sight of the room before him. It was a cozy room with a fireplace that was crackling warmly in this chilly afternoon. Around the room there a few couches which looked plush and heavenly to sit on. In the far corner of the room there was a baby grand piano covered with velvet draping. The cherry wood floors were beautifully accentuated with the most beautiful Persian rugs that went with the creme, red and gold color scheme of the entire room. Off to the side, there was a small table filled with every cake and pastry appropriate for high tea. 

The room was beautiful, and it suddenly reminded Taemin who exactly he was that he was meeting.

"Please make yourself comfortable. The Prince will be with you shortly. If you'll excuse me, I have a few matters to attend to. It was lovely to see you," Minho says, starting to make his way out of the room.

"Wait--Mr. Minho?" Taemin asks, with a worried look in his eye. "I don't really know what I'm doing here... I don't know anything about the Siruliane border or anything important like that... I mean... I'm not really used to all this. I might be wasting his time," Taemin says, looking down at his feet.

Minho is taken aback by the young man. He is obviously quite nervous about being alone with the Prince for an extended amount of time. If Minho was on the fence about him before, he most certainly liked Taemin for the Prince now. In all the teatimes he had prepared for Prince Jinki, this is the first time that he had seen anyone worrying about the well-being of the Prince, rather than worrying about how they would make a good impression. 

The older man's face softens as he smiles. "Sir, I am quite certain that the Prince's real interests lie far away from matters of national policy. You both have a big heart for those in need. I wouldn't be worried if I were you," he said with a wink.

Taemin is relieved to hear that. He smiles back at Minho. Maybe he's found a new friend. "Thank you..."

Minho makes his way out of the room and closes the doors behind him, leaving Taemin alone.

At first he sits at the tea table, but he soon needed to get up because all the pastries that were staring him in the face were making his mouth water. He had never seen so many different kinds of scones and cakes ready for him to eat--not even at the cafe. Nothing would be more inappropriate than the Prince walking in to find Taemin starting tea without him. The young man paces around the room to distract his grumbling stomach.

He had meant everything he said to Minho... He had absolutely no idea what he was doing there. 

Ever since the Prince made his suprise visit to the cafe, he had been trying to convince himself that this was nothing but an interest in some advocacy. His mind drifts back to just how hard his friends tried to convince him to show up.

"You're not making sense, Taeminnie," says Jonghyun. "You're telling us that the Crown Prince found out your name, where you work, and went to you PERSONALLY to invite you to the Ball and to the Palace for tea because he's interested in your charity work?"

Taemin takes a deep breath as he realizes exactly what Jonghyun is trying to say. "Well, if you put it that way, it does seem kind of..."

"Ridiculous." Kibum says. "It's ridiculous. Taemin, sweetie, why is it so hard to believe that he was here because he likes you? Everyone knows he's on the hunt for a spouse! Oh my God... You could totally marry him and become the Duke of something and you could hire me as your Chief-of-Staff, and I could finally get out of this cafe!" 

"Let's not get carried away. He was asked to have tea, not to elope," Jonghyun says, rolling his eyes. "But he likes you, Taemin. I could tell."

"He is the Crown Prince. He can literally take his pick from the entire country. You can understand why it's hard for me to believe that he would have eyes for me, don't you?"

"So? He can take his pick and he picks you! Why not? You think so little of yourself, Taemin. You wouldn't be my friend if you weren't gorgeous. I refuse to have ugly friends," he says, checking his nails for dirt.  

"Wow. Classy," Jonghyun says, laughing.

"What are you upset about? I consider you my friend too, Jjong, and being my friend is a compliment, duh?" Kibum says, walking away from Jonghyun to sit beside Taemin. 

Taemin laughs heartily at Kibum's antics. "Sometimes I wonder why we put up with you..."

"What Kibum is trying to say is that you're a great guy... There's a million reasons why he should like you," the eldest man says. "It wouldn't hurt to try. I can go with you if you want company." 

"Really?" Taemin says, grateful for his friends.

"Let Jjong take you. I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think it's going to be," Kibum says, hugging Taemin's arm.

"Thanks, guys..."

Being here didn't seem real. Taemin walks by the piano and touches the soft velvet sheet covering it. It's been years since he'd played, and he wonders if he still knew how to. He looks around, and when he was sure that the coast was clear, he lifts up the cloth and opens the cover, sitting in front of the most beautiful instrument he had ever laid eyes on. 

Soft melodies filled the room as Taemin gets lost in the music. He had absolutely forgotten how good it felt to be one with the notes, and he let all his feelings be expressed with every press of the keys. He didn't even notice the clacking of footsteps from Italian leather shoes that made its way closer to the tea room.

Jinki was coming from the other side of the Palace, annoyed at himself for making Taemin wait. He had been looking forward to this meeting the entire day, and he hated that his duties had interfered. The Prince just hoped against hope that Taemin wasn't too upset at him. His heart was pounding with nervousness as he turns the handle of the door.

The Prince was greeted by beautiful music coming from the baby grand piano that sat forgotten in the corner. Suddenly, the older man remembers that he and his mother used to play simple tunes on it every day when he was younger. Today, Taemin had brought it back to life and all the memories that came with it. 

Jinki stood there in awe, watching the young man sway to and fro with the rhythm of the music. As the song ended, he remained completely captivated. This was more than just a spark now. His heart skipped a beat when Taemin finally noticed that the Prince was in the same room. 

"Your Highness..." Taemin says, immediately standing up and bowing towards the young Royal.

"Please... Call me Jinki."