The door to the great hall opened and three figures wrapped in a thick cloak walked toward the projecting screen. The figure in the front quickly took off his cloak and adjusted his clothing. The two other figures quickly followed and unraveled the boxes from inside their bags. They worked in a silent hurry as they swiftly set up a table with the boxes all lined up. The first figure who seemed to be of higher rank than the other two quietly paced back and forth while muttering incoherently. He grabbed a handkerchief and dabbed at his face to wipe away the sweat.

“Don’t mess this up……….don’t throw up.” He whispered to himself.

“You can do this. Just tell them straight out.” He encouraged himself with a fist bump to the chest.

“They’re young, how scary can they be?” He smiled unsurely to himself. Suddenly the lights flickered and the screen illuminated to show nine figures. The young man jolted out of his monologue and quickly rushed towards the screen. The two assistants rushed toward the walls away from view.

“Good morning, m-my majesties.” He quivered as he bowed to the nine shadows. A silence fell in the room and so he glanced up at the still princes. He couldn’t see what they looked like but he could make out the outline of their bodies.

“Why must you call us at 6 in the morning?” One of the shadows asked with a deathly aura. He could feel his knees tremble at the obvious rage. Why does a twenty-year-old man scare me so much?

“I do apologize for interrupting your morning but my king has called upon for your audience. This meeting has to do with our princess and her future.” He said frantically while rising from his bow. Another silent minute passed in the hall. The figure on the far left quietly raised his hand. The man turned his head to his direction.

“May I ask who you are?” a surprisingly smooth voice came out of the one with their hand raised. The man quickly scurried over and bowed quickly.

“I am this empire’s attendant and I have been called upon the king to-”

“And what empire is this?” An annoyed voice intervened.

“Th-this land belongs to the Romanian hearts.” the attendant answered quickly. He had a sense of pride when uttering the name. The Romanian hearts kingdom was known to be very wealthy and had control over most of the continents natural resources and raw materials. He stood a little straighter and held his head higher after having a surge of confidence from announcing his kingdom. I can literally swim in a pool of gold after I retire.

“I see..you may continue.” The soft voice commanded. The attendant quickly reached into his pocket and retrieved the letter of notice from the king.

“The king has requested an audience with the young rulers of tomorrow. He wishes to grant the happiness that comes with his daughter to whoever can satisfy their kingdom and her heart. With this achievement, the one who her princess will accept will be given vast amounts of resources and land from the Romanian Hearts.” The attendant announced while nervously looking at the reaction of the nine shadows. The tallest shadow scratched his head and yawned but could be seen nodding his head as a sign of attention.

“So in simpler terms, we get a chance at the princess. And with the princess comes land and money,” said the tall shadow. The other shadows were starting to shift and move after considering the profits.

“Alright. I agree to the terms and conditions. I accept and now let’s move on.” Said one shadow. Other voices could be heard agreeing. The attendant quickly pulled out a piece of paper and began writing the names of the ones who agreed. But before he could write anything he froze.

“Um….I never got your names….” He said awkwardly.

“Can’t you tell who I am?” One voice said while cocking his head to the side.

“Ri-right now you all are just shadows that are really blurry.”

“What? Why? Oh….shoot, the lights….where’s the switch?” He quietly fumbled around until the screen lit up. A forehead could be seen with messy hair that had a sharp undercut. The rest of the body quickly rushed into the screen and soon the attendant could see the whole person.

“Can you see me now?” asked the young man in the screen. The attendant nodded while staring at the man in a trance-like state.

“You are….Kim Jongin, prince of the blood isles.” He whispered underneath his breath. A smile appeared on the prince’s face.

“See, I knew you would know me.” Kim Jongin said. The attendant quickly jotted down the prince’s name.

“If you know him, you should know me.” A light switch could be heard and on another screen appeared a young man who was staring intensely into the screen.

“Yes, of course, Oh Sehun of Mount Trona.” The man could be seen nodding.

“All of us have agreed to your terms, I have business to attend to so if you have any more questions relay them to my soldier.” The screen in the middle announced.

“But wait, sir, I still never got your name.” He frantically shouted.

“Land of the inferno. Figure it out yourself.” And with that, the screen went black.

“I too also have matters to attend to, good day.” One by one, each screen went black as the attendant felt defeated. He only got two names down and the rest were unknown.

“I’m so dead” He muttered while turning to go out.

“You never got my name.” A voice said behind him. The man the lights and showed a gentle smile.

“Prince Lay of the eternal grounds, I am so sorry, my deepest apologies sir.” He quickly scribbled his name down. The attendant expected the prince to shut off his screen after announcing his name but the man continued to smile gently while looking at him.

“Would you like the names of the other men who wish to participate?” He said while slowly leaning his head in his hand.

“That would mean the world to me. Please do!” His eyes shook as he felt relief rush over him. The man’s smile turned even gentler. He looks like a frickin angel.

“Then you must do me a small favor. It’s quite simple. I will tell you when I arrive at the palace. Goodbye now~” The screen shut off and the room turned black. The attendant sighed. Maybe I should get a new job. I heard the new inn is hiring.

Three days passed and the castle of the Romanian hearts was busier than ever. Maids scrambled to finish the decorations in the halls. The kitchen was packed with chefs. The butlers ran around making sure everything was clean and the events were ready. In a room buried deep in the castle’s heart was the chambers of the princess. She sat on her bed while scrolling through her phone. Cute. Hot. not hot. Not tall. Not cute. Very cute. Hot. She continued scrolling through her classmates and judged every single one.

“Vivi, where’s my coffee?” The princess hollered while not looking up from her phone. A maid opened the door to let another woman in. Vivi briskly walked across the room with a piping hot cup of coffee on a tray. She stopped right in front of the princess and lowered the tray so she could hold it. The princess ignored her and continued scrolling through the list. After holding the tray for a few more minutes she decided to set it on the table and start choosing what the princess should wear. The princess sprang from her bed and hurried over to where Vivi was.

“What are you doing? This dress was handmade by DaVinci. I don’t want your dirty hands all over it.” She yanked the dress away from her and pushed her away.

“All I asked for was coffee, I can get dressed by myself. Wait outside for me. Now go.” And with that Vivi silently walked out of the room. She stood in front of the door and stared at her hands. Her nails were a bit chipped and there was a scab from the cut she got a few days ago. She quietly put her hands in her pocket and waited for the Princess to get ready. She watched as the other maids bustled about holding expensive antiques and carting away old furniture. Everyone was doing something. Everyone except her. She looked around to see if anyone needed help. Across the room was a young maid who had trouble lifting up a vase that was the size of her own body. She silently walked over and tapped on her shoulder lightly. The girl turned her head towards Vivi and smiled.

“Good morning miss. Did you need something?” She asked while trying to balance the vase in her arms.

“I…..can help you.” Vivi said while extending her arms to wrap around the other side of the porcelain antique. A shocked expression appeared on the maid’s face and she quickly pulled away from Vivi.

“Miss, please don’t, you are a lady of this castle. I can handle this.” She scurried away while rolling the vase onto her cart. Vivi was left standing there with her arms extended at nothing.

I don’t want to be a lady. She slowly walked back towards the princess’s room and leaned against the wall. She fixed her skin tight jeans that hugged her waist and adjusted her heels. Even though she was wearing a loose t-shirt it was hard not to notice her slim and modelesque physique. Her friends at school always told her that the princess was only jealous of her figure and that was why she was so rude to her all the time. But she knew better. The princess hated everyone, especially her. She had spent more than ten years of her life with the Princess and not once did that girl warm up to her. That Tiara wearing slowpoke better hurry the up. After ten minutes passed with no sound of movement in the room, Vivi got sick of waiting and barged through the doors.

“Why are you still sitting on your bed!? You have to get ready to meet the prince’s today!” The Princess’s look of annoyance turned to shock as she remembered what today was.

“Oh my god! Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Hurry up and call Sasha so she can pick up an outfit for me. Tell her to get her over here before 10.” She quickly scrambled around while trying to apply her makeup and fix her hair.

“Why do you need another outfit. You already have two rooms filled with your clothes, just pick one from there.” Vivi said while pointing at the two double doors that led to a walk-in closet. The princess did a dramatic eye roll and turned to a mirror to apply foundation.

“And this is why I can’t deal with you. Listen up stupid. I’m going to meet my future husband today and I am not going to be seen wearing something I’ve already worn. You should change too. Whenever I look at you I see disappointment. For real, change your color, you feel dead.” Vivi looked back down at her all-black ensemble and couldn’t say no.

“But I’m not going to meet my future husband so it shouldn’t matter what I wear, princess,” Vivi said while picking up the tray with the now cold coffee. She didn’t even drink it.

“You still have to be next to me. Actually, don’t change. Your outfit will make mine look so much better. Try not to look at any one of my men. Oh, right. Since father will be there make sure to call me Jessica.” Vivi nodded while handing the tray over to the maid.

The sun was already high in the sky when the cars that carried precious jewels pulled up in front of the castle gates. In the cars were the prince’s who had come to participate in winning over the princess. The first car was a silver Lamborghini that had streaks of blue on the hood. Out stepped Prince Kai who was holding a puppy that was asleep in his arms. He turned around and was greeted by the flashing of cameras and interviewers. Let’s do this. It’s just you and me buddy. Kai gently patted the puppy and walked towards the gate. The gatekeeper began pushing open the gates but Kai signaled him to stop.

“I’m good.” He said right before disappearing and reappearing on the other side. He continued walking away from the loud noises of the paparazzi and entered the room that was made of reflective glass. The room was dangerously bright and it reminded him of the lights that blind him during photoshoots. He tried looking for the source but could only find the sun in the sky. He stumbled over to what seemed like a chair and settled down.

Chen rolled up in his Jaguar and looked down at his present. This is gonna be a long day. He reached over to grab the box and walked out blatantly ignoring the nonstop flashes and screams. The gates were now open so he walked briskly to where he was directed to go. The second he stepped in he covered his eyes and cursed. I’m gonna cut this place’s electricity if they don’t turn this ty light down. He grumbled around while searching for a chair. He slouched into one and noticed a figure to his left. He couldn’t make out the face but he could care less. I’m gonna go blind.

Sehun was checking his hair in the rearview mirror while looking over at the basket of perfumes and lotions. This is gonna be heavy. He decided to leave the basket in the car and give it to the princess later. Besides, the color of the ribbon wasn’t going to match with his black suit. He quickly stepped out of his car and walked with a model- like composure. He made sure the wind was blowing in his favor so the cameras could catch all of this gloriousness. What even is a bad side. He proudly walked into the room with a stern, poker-like face. The minute he walked in the only thing he could do was blink rapidly and try to adjust to the light while simultaneously looking for a chair. His hand fell on someone’s shoulder.

“Excuse me but do you know where I can find a chair?” He asked while trying to see.

“Just a few more steps and you’ll find a seat.” Said the shoulder.

“Alright, thanks buddy.” Sehun smiled and patted the shoulder. He reached over trying to feel the chair and got comfortable. He quickly pulled out the shades in his inner pocket and put them on. Thankfully he could see a bit better but the light still hurt his eyes.

A black and white Bugatti pulled up behind Sehun’s. Everyone anticipated who was inside and tried to look through the tinted windows. Lay was in the passenger seat and was trying on different watches. His all-white attire was paired with a simple leather watch and his hair was brushed in a refreshing manner. His driver opened the door for him and he quietly stepped out while waving to every single camera. He kept his calm demeanor even after entering the blinding room. He silently found his seat and relaxed. Sehun could see a figure expertly walk in the blinding light and sit next to him. How’d he do that?

Xiumin sped into a parking spot with his silver Ferrari and grabbed the silver bouquet. Forgot my damn coffee. He quickly got out of his car and rushed into the building not giving the cameras the chance to take decent pictures. The minute he stepped in his eyes felt like they were going to burn through his skull. The whole room got chillier as Xiumin’s annoyance spiked. He tripped his way over to his seat while stubbing his toe on the chair’s leg. Why am I even here? He questioned his very choice in coming here and was about to start ripping at the flowers until he felt a soothing hand on his back.

“Does your foot still hurt?” A man’s voice asked. Xiumin wiggled his toes and there was surprisingly no stinging pain. He shook his head and thanked the man.

“Your welcome.” The man said with a relaxed tone. Xiumin tried to see who was next to him but his eyes couldn’t stay open for long. I swear I can hear the smile in his voice.

Kyungsoo had already arrived in the parking lot but was patiently waiting for his present to arrive. He had forgotten that he had to bring a gift to the princess and hurriedly purchased jewels. After his assistant appeared with the gift bag he opened the door and walked through the gates without a single change in expression. He hoped no one noticed how tense he was and hurried into the building. His head hurt from the enormous amount of light that entered into his pupil. He didn’t know where to go and so he decided to go straight. The minute he started walking his arm hit the chair closest to him.

“I apologize, I seem to have turned blind by the lighting in this room. Can you direct me to the closest available seat?” He asked the person in the chair.

“Yeah sure, I think the one next to me on the left is still open. And don’t worry, I’m blind too.” The voice said reassuringly. Kyungsoo quickly got into his seat and covered his eyes. I think my eyeballs melted.

Baekhyun peered out of his window to watch the paparazzi swarm around the entrance. Damn it. Why can’t I be invisible? He cursed as he fumbled with the car door and stubbornly walked closer to the entrance. I’m gonna get trampled. But to his surprise, the sea of cameras and screaming fangirls immediately parted for him to enter. He tried hard not to let out a shocked face and politely entered the palace. He headed toward the reflecting room and saw how bright the interior looked. Now that’s what I’m talking about. He excitedly pranced towards the entrance and slipped into his seat. He looked around at the other boys who showed up. One was wearing shades and trying hard to see what was around him. The one dressed in all white seemed to be sleeping upright while the one next to him was muttering something while poking at a bouquet of flowers. The others were trying not to look up at the lights and Baekhyun could understand why. Only the people from his Kingdom could actually enjoy the intensity.

Greet her, give her the present, done for the day. Suho repeated to himself. He grabbed the box and walked straight into the crowd. He could feel the gaze of many as he continued walking so he decided to focus on his destination. 100 feet…………..80 feet…….60 feet... As soon as he walked past the threshold he let out a sigh of relief but it was cut short as he stumbled back from the blazing lights that threatened to destroy his senses. He quickly dove toward the closest empty seat and rubbed at his eyes. I didn’t come here to get blinded by this crappy room. He set his head on the table and tried to fix his eyes. As he was applying water droplets into his eyeball he could hear someone joyfully humming. Why is he so happy?

It had already been an hour since the first prince’s arrival and the crowd was still jam-packed near the gated entrance. A low rumbling hushed the crowd as they watched a Yamaha pull up. A man dressed in a simple tank top that was covered by a thin leather jacket got off and grabbed a chest from inside a backpack that he left on the seat. He was about to take off his helmet and walk in but he looked at where he had to go and saw the obnoxiously bright lights that were bound to murder his eyes. This better be worth it. He decided not to take off his helmet and instead used it as protection from the crazy lights. He barely noticed the crowd and ignored everyone. I miss home already. He slowly walked into the building and sat in the only seat left. He peered over to his right and saw a man who had settled his head on top of the table while the dude next to him looked rather comfortable. His left had a quiet- looking guy that seemed to be trying to see if his eyeballs still worked. This is my competition?

Almost immediately after he sat down the lights began to get dimmer. The princes were positioned around a roundtable with a center opening and a figure lifted from the very center. A girl wearing a delicate lace dress that revealed a little too much of everything posed while the platform she was on continued to lift her up. She stopped elevating and gave slight bows to everyone. Should have worn a longer dress. Sehun thought while giving her bow a solid 6 out of 10. The others silently watched with mild interest as the girl tried to get off the platform. Kyungsoo got annoyed at how slow she was and reached out his hand to help her. She gladly took it and hopped down. The minute her heels touched the ground, Kyungsoo let go and sat back down in his seat. The awkward atmosphere lingered as she quickly sat on her throne and smiled excitedly at the group.

“Wasn’t that amazing?” She asked while expecting only positive reviews. After all, she is a princess.

Sehun wasn’t sure what she was talking about. Everything that happened in this room was mediocre at best. Unimpressive. He didn’t feel like taking off his shades as the princess might see how bored he looked. He crossed his arms and looked around the room. Everyone’s face seemed unamused besides the one wearing a helmet. Why is he wearing that to a formal meeting? He silently judged the leather jacket with a loose shirt underneath.

The princess realized that the princes didn’t seem to be impressed. They are so hard to please.

“I was talking about the lights. This is the brightest building in the palace and its where I take my best selfies. I wanted you all to get used to it as I plan to take a lot with each and every one of you!” she explained while trying to get a reaction out of them. Sadly they didn’t seem too pleased with this idea.

“I’m pale so I don’t think I will even show up in the picture,” Kyungsoo said.

“O-oh. No matter, we can also take pictures elsewhere where you will show up.” She tried to reassure him. She could feel her anxiety build up but she suppressed it. They are here for you. She pasted on a smile and began to introduce herself.

“My name is Jessica and I’m the first Princess of the Romanian Hearts. I have chosen the nine of you to become my future king.” She walked towards Kai. “I have chosen you because you are the first prince of the Blood Isles. They are the biggest traders on our side of the world and have strong connections with powerful members of the council. Also, you're super hot. Kai gave a slight head bow while continuing to focus much of his attention at the puppy.

She continued walking until she stopped in front of the Chen. “You are Chen, Prince of the Tarletons. Your people have secrets that are valuable to the government. And you're really cute. Chen nodded and gave a subtle smile.

She waltzed over to Sehun who still had his sunglasses on. “Prince Sehun of the Gales line. Your family is known to have tamed the deadly winds that run rampant. Also a long line of beauties. Sehun swiftly took off his sunglasses and smiled.

She turned and laid her eyes upon a rather calm Lay. “You are the sole heir to the Eternal Grounds. Your Kingdom is mysterious but your land is vast.” Another hottie. Lay quietly smiled at her.

She directed her gaze to Xiumin. “You’re the eldest prince to the Glacies throne and the strongest at your ability.” Also looking like a fine snack. Xiumin gave a small wave which produced fleeting crystals of snow.

She slid past the enchanting snow and approached Kyungsoo. “You are the second son to the Gennos family and one of the best gladiators.” Also 10/10 for cute. Kyungsoo gave a firm nod but showed a warm smile. She returned his smile with an even bigger one and walked to Suho who looked a bit nervous.

“You are Suho, the acting king of Dew Mountain and promising scholar.” I could get lost in those eyes. Suho gave a polite bow and showed a somewhat timid smile. Jessica reassured him by smiling again and continued down the table.

She walked towards the man with the motorcycle helmet on but she didn’t need a face to tell who he was. “You are the second son to the powerful infernos family. Park Chanyeol of the inferno lands.” The cute mysterious one. He took off his helmet the second his name was mentioned and extended his arm to shake hers. He gave a passing smile but stayed silent. Jessica silently nodded to herself but continued on.

The last man was already smiling at her and began to get up from his seat. “Hi, I’m Baekhyun. World class gamer and all- around critic. I’ve been sitting there this whole time and just wanted to say how grateful I am to be able to be here.” He said quickly and excitedly. He gave her a warm hug and almost blinded her with his genuine smile. But she quickly regained herself and shined her own flashing smile. He is a definite keeper.

After the formalities were over with Jessica quickly led the group into the main buildings. “I want all of you to be here on the weekends as much as possible. That way I can get to know all of you more and see who you really are.” She said while playfully winking. The boys followed in a uniformed line and stared at the decorated walls. The ceilings looked like it touched the sky and the walls were pristine and plated with a silvery metal. The windows that appeared every few meters were spotless and gave a great view of the inner garden.

Kyungsoo leaned toward the glass and admired the scenery. He reached out to place his palm on the surface of the window but his hand slid right through. He jumped back but stayed silent. He glared at the glass one last time and caught up with the rest. He was glad that he didn’t make a noise. Bringing attention to himself wasn’t on his agenda.

The group stopped in front of two massive doors that reached all the way to the ceiling. The princess swiftly raised her arms which caused the doors to start with a low rumble. Seconds later the doors opened and Jessica led them to the two people who were sitting on the throne. They each had proud smiles on their faces and quickly got up to greet them. “My apologies for not celebrating your arrivals but morning duty’s held me back.” said the king who had begun shaking everyone’s hand. The mother and daughter excitedly whispered to each other while glancing constantly at all the men. After the formalities were over and done with, the king led the princes to the other side of the room where a roundtable appeared out of nowhere. Servants immediately entered carrying trays of food and beverages. The king hoped that he had impressed the young men with one of the most extravagant brunches in the country. He urged them to take a seat while he too sat down next to his queen. “I hope you like what I recommended. They were made by my personal chef and already tested for any your allergies.” The covers were lifted and the moment the prince’s looked down at their food a wave of nostalgia washed over them as the bright lights from the previous room came back into their memory. Each plate had at least two things dipped in what seemed like gold and it was decorated with what seemed like diamonds.

Sehun stared at his plate and wondered if someone accidentally chucked a jewelry box into his plate. He was about to ask when he glanced over at the king who was chowing down on the diamond-encrusted meal. The slight pops heard from his mouth made Sehun push the plate a little further and grab the glass of cider. He placed his lip on the rim of the glass and took a sip. A burning sensation rippled throughout his body and he spat the drink back out. After wiping his mouth and tidying himself up he decided not to eat. I have a photoshoot next week anyway, might as well start dieting now.

The rest of them dug their spoon in and nibbled at the edges. A variety of expressions surrounded the table and yet each one still showed distaste. The only ones that finished their meal were the family sitting together. They calmly crushed the diamonds and gulped down the burning liquid. Sehun couldn’t help but cringe at the bone-crushing sounds coming from the calm and pleasant faces so he tried to get some water to calm his nerves. He looked around to see if there was anyone around to help him but the room was empty. He whispered to Kai telling him that he had to go to the bathroom and silently walked out of the room. He was still unfamiliar with the palace and so he randomly chose a direction and began walking. He took a series of turns and went down a flight of stairs that led to a darker but still elegant room. Now the hallways were decorated with floating lamps and tiny fairy lights. This is awesome. He gently patted one of the lamps that were floating near him and watched it spin away slowly. He continued walking while snapping some pictures of the alluring room. His mind was so focused on his phone that he didn’t realize there was a person right in front of him. But before they could bump heads a powerful force pulled him back and landed him ten feet away. He stumbled back a few steps before catching his balance. He glared up at the person who decided to seemingly him away but he was met with a girl who looked just as shocked as he did. Her body was covered head to toe in black but her hair was a snowy white that fell down to her waist. She was carrying a tray full of treats that actually looked edible. Sehun relaxed his body and walked closer.

“Sorry if I scared you. My mind was somewhere else and before I knew it you were about to bump into my tray.” She said while trying to bow as an apology. She let the tray float while she did a formal bow. Sehun watched as her hair slid down her back and revealed a slight mark on the back of her neck. He wanted to look at the mark more clearly but she had already gotten up. She smiled at him one last time and reached for the tray. Sehun watched as she silently walked away and couldn’t help but want to talk to her some more. He lightly jogged to catch up to her while making sure his hair didn’t get messed up.

“My names Sehun,” he said point blank while walking next to her. She looked at him with an amused smile but never stopped walking. “My name is...Vivian.” They walked in a comfortable silence however Sehun wanted more than just a name. “Why are you carrying the tray when you can just float it around?” He asked while tossing his phone up and down.

“It is not my place to chat with a prince,” Vivian said while walking even faster toward the great hall. Sehun was baffled with the polite words but the condescending actions.

“Then why are you avoiding this prince by walking away while I’m talking to you?” This made her stop and turn around. “This power is not a blessing that I want nor need. If I can make do without it then I will.” She turned around again and continued to bustle down the hallway with silent footsteps.

Her words weighed heavily on Sehun’s mind. She doesn’t use her powers unless necessary? Where’s the fun in that? He had stopped following her and was again roaming around the castle. He twirled his fingers and created a gust of wind that danced around him. He stretched his arms and closed his eyes to let the winds engulf him until he was surrounded. Sehun could never imagine life without his power. It was the only thing that kept him safe. No one could get through the speed of his winds and he couldn’t hear what they had to say. The only sounds he could hear were the rapid movements of the gusts. I should probably head back. He quickly got rid of the winds and straightened himself out. You’re here for a reason. Focus.