The Prince was all smiles as he watched Taemin get down from the car.

He couldn't believe that just happened. He held the spot on his cheek where Taemin's lips had just been and felt his heart race. There was just something about that young man that made him happier than he had ever been. 

The royal convoy pulls away and he stares out the window, still enchanted by the events of the day.

"Your Highness?"

Minho snapped Jinki out of his lovestruck stupor.

"Yes, Minho?" he says, not being able to wipe the smile off of his face.

The younger man turns back to look at the Prince from the front seat of the car. "I apologize, but I could not help but overhear... I was unable to see you after you went into one of the rooms, but... You spent the afternoon with children?"

Jinki was stunned by the question. "It never even crossed my mind... You're right... I did..."

The two stare at each other, wide-eyed. Anyone who knew Jinki well would know that children was one of his biggest fears. The Prince had always thought that he wasn't gentle enough to care for such tiny beings. Their mere presence was usually enough to intimidate the young Royal, so it was quite a big shock to learn that he had spent his free time amongst them. He not only spent time with children, but he spent time interacting with them. Jinki had no reservations about playing with them and reading them a story, as long as Taemin was there by his side.

 He had never thought it could be possible, but the young man had brought him out of his shell. 

"I see that Taemin really does have an influence on you."

Jinki smiles at the realization and thanks the stars that he had found something so special.

"Indeed he has."

*****

Jinki finally gets back to the Palace, a smile still plastered on his face when he is told that his parents have been waiting for him to get home for some time now. He sighs and trudges reluctantly to his father's suite. 

"Father?" the Prince says, slowly entering the room.

"Ah, dear, there you are. Your father and I were just talking about the Ball..." the Queen says, rising to greet her son with a kiss on the cheek. 

"We've been waiting to see you, Jinki. I was under the impression that we would be having afternoon tea. I trust that whatever made you late in coming home was worth it," the King says quite coldly.

 Jinki thinks about the way that he had made those young children smile. "Yes, Father. It certainly was."

There was an awkward silence between the three of them as the King and Queen exchanged knowing looks. Jinki knew that the talk was finally coming, and there was no stopping it now. His father clears his throat before he speaks.

"I hear that you cancelled all your scheduled meetings with, well, everyone," he says, looking straight at him. "Have you finally made a selection?"

Jinki looks at his mother for some sort of assurance as he nervously touches his forehead. "I hadn't really expected to talk to you about this so soon, Father..."

"It's a rather simple question."

"I guess I have found someone," he says, suddenly finding his shoes very interesting.

"I see. From which family did you choose?" 

Another awkward silence followed as the Queen shifted uncomfortably in her seat, both mother and son desperate to cut the tension in the room.

"Sweetheart, I think that there could be a better way. Instead of Jinki just telling us about who he picked, why not find out for ourselves? How about dinner?"

Despite the misgivings that she had expressed earlier, the Queen had enough faith in Jinki to even bring something like this to the table.

"Dinner then. Tonight. I'm leaving for the border in the morning and won't be back until the Ball," the King says.

"Tonight?" Jinki asks, troubled by the sudden appointment. 

"As I said, Jinki, I don't have any other night to spare. Certainly you don't have anything better to do than spending time with your mother and I?" the King asks nonchalantly, leaving absolutely no room for Jinki to renegotiate.

"Very well, Father." 

*****

Taemin is still daydreaming about the time he had spent with the Prince. The way that he had been so warm and open to the children at the hospital only made the young man like him even more. He saw a soft side of Jinki and it warmed his heart. In no time, the butterflies in his stomach were going wild.

Suddenly, his phone rings through the air and cuts through the silence in his apartment. He almost jumps when he sees Jinki's name flashing on the screen. "Hello?"

"Hello, Taemin. I'm so sorry to bother you... Is this a good time to talk?" The Prince sounded so formal, but the young man could almost see his baby face in his mind's eye.

"No, no, it's not a bother at all... It's so nice to hear your voice again."

"It's nice to hear your voice too..." Jinki is taken aback by Taemin's unexpected comment, and he almost forgets why he was calling in the first place. Almost. "I was actually calling to see if you were available for dinner tonight."

"Dinner? I didn't really have anything planned... Okay... Dinner sounds nice," he replies, his face turning crimson at the invitation. He couldn't believe the Prince wanted to see him again so soon.

"Thank you, Taemin... There's something else I need to tell you..." He could hear the worry in the Prince's voice.

"What is it, Jinki? It's okay..." Taemin says, as assuringly as he could.

"My parents will be joining us... They want to meet you."

His heart falls to his stomach, and it takes a moment before he can speak again. "Really? Th-The King and Queen?"

"I'm so sorry... They really want to meet you. But if you don't feel up to it, I can always--"

"No! It's okay. I'll be okay. I can do it. I would love to meet them, Jinki. What an honor," Taemin says, meaning the last sentence with all his heart.

He hears the Prince sigh with relief on the other end of the line. "I really can't thank you enough. I hope you won't feel nervous about anything... I promise to be right there with you. Minho can pick you up in an hour."

"Okay... I'll see you soon, Jinki. Bye."

He dials another number as soon as the line is cut.

"Kibum... I need your best suit, ASAP. Guess what? I'm meeting the King and Queen tonight."

*****

"Are you ready to go, Taemin? There's a really long line of black cars waiting for you on the street," Jonghyun says. The older man had made his way to Taemin's apartment armed with clothes to help him get ready and calm down, but time had passed too quickly. Minho was already there waiting to pick Taemin up and he had never been more nervous in his life. 

"I'm ready but--could you give just one more second," he says as he runs to his room for the nth time. He grabs the coat that he had on five minutes before and puts it on before looking in the mirror. "Okay, so maybe I'm not that ready. Do I look stupid? I totally look like I'm trying too hard, right?"

The older man smiles as he stares in amazement at how quickly Taemin can zip back and forth from his room to the full-length mirror in the hallway. "Taemin, you look fine!"

"I look dumb." He raises his hands in the air out of frustration. "This is my own fault for not owning a proper coat. I can't pull any of these off. Kibum is much more stylish than I am. I wish he was here."

Jonghyun smiles and puts his hands on Taemin's shoulders. "You know he can't leave the cafe, but this was the exact outfit that Kibum prepared for you, Taemin! He wanted you to wear exactly what you're wearing now and it looks great! You look ready to take on royalty. Besides, you don't have to impress them. I'm sure Jinki likes you for you, so what you have on doesn't matter. Your personality is what counts, and you have that locked down. They'll never know what hit them."

"Really?"

"Really. Now go out there before they send the marines to get you!" he says, smiling. 

Taemin's spirits are lifted as he heads towards the door. "Thank you, Jonghyun..."

"Bye, your highness! Have fun!"

*****

The Palace looked entirely different in the night time. The lights seemed to make everything more regal, and more festive. He was trying to convince himself not to feel so out of place, but he did feel like he didn't belong. He had never in his life been in a place that was so sophisticated. He almost didn't know what to do with himself, and took great comfort in the fact that he wasn't alone. 

"This way, Sir," Minho says, leading him to a corridor that he had never been to before. There were portraits of past Kings and Queens and the young man was mesmerized by their sheer size. He sees one of Jinki and his parents, and it makes him smile.

One of the things that he liked most about Jinki was his smile. It always seemed to brighten up his day, and make everything better. This moment was no exception. Even without actually seeing him yet, Jinki had already comforted the young man immensely.

They kept passing one ornate pine tree after another, and it was a good thing that Taemin didn't forget to take his allergy medicines this time. Of all the times to keep the sneezes at bay, this was it.  

They come to the end of a long hallway and he was led in front of a door with beautiful and intricate wooden carvings. Minho ushers Taemin in to find that Jinki is already there waiting for him.

"Your Highness," Taemin says, almost automatically while bowing towards Jinki. 

"You really needn't do that every time you see me, Taemin..." he says with that warm smile that makes Taemin's heart melt. "Thank you for joining us on such short notice."

"It's an incredible honor. Thank you for inviting me..." he says, walking over to take his seat.

Taemin walks in to have a better sense of the magnificent dining hall, where a table was laid out especially for the evening. The room was not too large that those dining would have difficulty seeing one another, but it also wasn't small by any means. Taemin's entire apartment could fit in it, and then some. The table was arranged to perfection, with lovely flowers to match the red and gold motif of the china. The young man's heart panicked a little bit at the sight of four place settings. It is not lost on him who it is exactly that he is about to meet.

Jinki immediately picks up on his discomfort and does everything he can to assure Taemin that his parents mean well. "I know it can be a bit daunting meeting my parents for the first time, but beneath everything they really are the sweetest people."

"Your parents are still the King and Queen, Jinki... I'm a little nervous." Taemin says, reaching for a glass of water as he sits down.

"I completely understand."

"Did they really want to meet me?" Taemin asks. 

Before Jinki could answer, they are interrupted by the doors swinging open and the two royals arriving hand-in-hand. 

"Good evening, Father, Mother. May I present, Lee Taemin," he says, gesturing to the younger man who is by now shaking in his shoes. 

"Your Majesties," he says, bowing lowly as a sign of deep respect. 

"How lovely to meet you, dear," the Queen says, immediately smitten by the young man. He looks quite put-together in his suit and tie and, from the way that his hand is shaking, the Queen can immediately tell that he is a little bit nervous. It is endearing, to say the least. 

The King nods his head without a word and the four of them take a seat to begin supper time. 

"Forgive me for asking, Taemin, but I can't quite place you... To which house do you belong?" The King says, as the first course is served. 

"H-House, Your Majesty?" 

"Taemin is not from any of those circles, Father..." Jinki says, growing increasingly nervous about the conversation. 

"Oh? Really? How did you two meet then?" The King asks, already sounding suspicious.

"I gave a speech at the opening of the new wing of the Children's Hospital and Taemin happens to be a volunteer there as well. We crossed paths, and here we are," he says, his eyes fluttering to and fro to everyone at the table. 

"A volunteer? How noble... Do you do that often, Taemin? The Queen asks, trying to cut the tension at the table that was coming from her husband. 

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty.... I spend as much time at the hospital as I can. I've been a volunteer for years. It really makes me happy to see smiles on the children's faces," he replies, relieved that he can talk about something that he's passionate about. 

"I'm sorry, Taemin... Did you already say where you were from? Your parents?" the King asks.

Jinki attempts to cut him off. "Father, he really doesn't need to--"

"No, it's okay. I grew up in the northern countryside, Your Majesty. I moved to the city for university. My parents own a chicken farm. I'm quite proud of them..." he says.

"Chicken?" Jinki says, his eyes lighting up. "That's amazing! You never told me that."

"Your parents must be so proud of you, Taemin, making a way on your own here in the city. It must not be an easy thing to do..." the Queen says, flashing a sweet smile towards the young man. 

"Farmers..." the King says, pursing his lips together. "And what do you do, Taemin?"

Taemin starts to get uncomfortable with the question. He looks to Jinki for comfort and the older man's eyes told him that he was not alone. "I... I work at a cafe downtown as a barista... I'm on break from school right now, too. I'm getting my Master's Degree..." 

"You really are quite the impressive young man," the Queen says, gently reaching out for Taemin's arm. 

"Would you excuse me. I apologize, but I need to step away for the night. It was nice to meet you, Taemin. Please enjoy your stay," he says, as he swiftly gets up from his seat and leaves the room. 

Taemin is close to tears as the doors close behind the King, his worst fear coming true. Maybe he was just fooling himself that he could have something meaningful with the Prince. Maybe he really wasn't good enough. Just as the tears start to fall, he feels hands on his shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, Taemin... Please don't cry," Jinki says.

He felt the Queen's hand clutch his arm. "It'll be okay, dear. He'll come around... Don't worry... You have us," she says with a smile.