the princess pouted when jaemin told her that he'd be going to the base alone that night. she missed hanging out with the princes, seungcheol and also the garden.

"i'll be back soon, princess." he said, ruffling her hair. as usual, she didn't give the response jaemin wanted, but instead, she grabbed his hand and placed something on his palm.

"here are some medicine and dressing. just in case you are injured on your way there." his heart felt warm. he told her he was thankful and immediately jumped off the balcony. he didn't want to leave the princess on her own even if there's taehee. but he had to meet the princes about his discovery from the recent meet with the king.

yuri's eyes followed jaemin until his silhouette disappeared from her sight. her mind then wandered off to the moment that happened in the sewing room. and then again, that odd, unfamiliar feeling she had came. her heart thumps rapidly and cheeks heated up at the thought of jaemin getting closer to her face without explaining why. she never felt this way before.

and she wants to find out what it is.

she was so lost in her thoughts that she jumped when taehee barged into the room without knocking.

"sorry, princess. i forgot to knock." yuri's soul almost escaped out of her body. taehee felt bad.

"is something wrong, taehee?" taehee quickly searched into a hidden compartment in her gown and took out a small bottle to show the princess.

"what's this?" yuri's eyebrow furrowed. she opened the bottle and smelled it. it's familiar but more robust. the colour of the liquid in the bottle is dark but glittery.

glittery means pollen, which means...

she recalls all the scents that she could remember from all the flowers that she knew about. the closest she could recognise is the...

"yes, it's from the flower that's all over the castle's garden." yuri disliked that flower. out of all the flowers, this is the gloomiest on of all. because of this, she didn't even bother wanting to know more about it.

taehee took the bottle away from the princess and unexpectedly, drank it. "let me show you something." as she said that, yuri saw taehee's brown eyes turned dark. the princess had yet to process what she saw, but taehee instructed her to close her eyes. she trusts taehee, so she listened but also scared to experience the mystery.

"alright, open your eyes." yuri didn't know what to expect, but she definitely didn't expect herself to be at...

the base?

"h-how did you...?" yuri let herself walk around the base's garden. it's as though she is there within a short amount of time. however, when she tried to touch the flowers, it seemed to ripple like water and dissociate, before returning to its original state.

"unfortunately, princess, all of these are just an illusion."

"so, is that the cause of this?" the princess pointed to the bottle that taehee drank from. taehee nodded.

"i crushed the flower and mixed it with water, leaving it for one month, to make a potion." that's new. taehee didn't mention about flowers turning into potions. she guessed it's finally time for her to know about it since taehee showed her the new trick.

"only the flowers that are of a darker colour can be made into potions. the black dahlia at the base's garden can provide levitation. however, these flowers are poison to the royalty when consumed." yuri felt delighted as she finally learnt something new that might be useful in the future. she's curious how much knowledge taehee has about flowers and has yet to tell her about it. yuri knows that she's a slow learner so it's understandable that taehee would add more information after yuri fully comprehends another fact of the flowers.

"it's hard to get the dark-coloured flowers. that's why the books barely mention about it; only the common ones like the black dahlia. the royalty would plant these flowers; especially those deemed dangerous, away from their kingdom. some of their people might use the potions against the royalty. i was curious about its hidden power, so i experimented it." so even knowledgable taehee doesn't know what's the name of this flower. yuri realised the rarity of this flower at her garden is. and that placed a question in her mind.

why is it here when the royalty wants to get rid of it?
____________________________________________

"what do you mean by you didn't feel royal energy from my father?" jeno spoke. all the princes, including seungcheol, have gathered to discuss the plan. the plan that might fail because of this new information.

"i don't know, jeno. i'm just as lost as all of you." all of them equally want to pull their hairs out, trying to think of possible ways why he might be feeling that way.

"maybe you are weaker than we thought." mark hit the back of donghyuck's head, hard.

"don't be violent, mark hyung. donghyuck could be right about that. i'm still learning how to control my abilities too." donghyuck glared back at mark. as usual, the smallest things can cause them to fight.

"you might be thinking of princess yuri too much that you lost focus at that moment." being the straightforward and honest prince he is, jisung didn't even try to control his thoughts to himself.

"n-no, t-that's definitely not it. i was being a professional throughout my duty." jaemin stuttered as he kept looking at jeno, hoping that he wouldn't catch anything.

"why did you look at me like that?" damn it.

"just so you know, jaemin. all of us know what you feel about my sister."

"what i feel about your sister? what do you mean? i'm not feeling anything. i'm just protecting her because she's your sister."

"see, you're blabbering. means you do like her," the green-haired prince finally spoke.

"renjun found yuri hidden in your heart and cloud your mind during that battle you had with jeno hyung." chenle did it again. exposing everything. jaemin immediately crossed his arms and glared at renjun who was trying to look away.

"that explains why i lost to this loser." jeno felt offended but still happy that he won with the help of renjun. despite jaemin's habit of teasing people, especially him, it didn't really bother him. he knew jaemin is a very selfless person, caring about other people more than himself. that worries jeno and the other princes because he likes to sacrifice himself first. it's as though his life doesn't matter. that's why jeno wouldn't mind if yuri is by his side. they could help and support each other with their opposite but matching personalities.

"jaemin, you know that i wouldn't mind if both of you got together, right?"

"w-what do you mean together? i-i wouldn't want to do anything to or with her." jaemin's mouth says this, but his heart says otherwise. he's secretly happy that he wouldn't need to worry about jeno killing him as he tries to get close with his sister. close as in close friends. right?

the princes started to blabber to each other even more. seungcheol was behind them, witnessing the cute interactions between the princes.

"alright, your highnesses. sorry to interfere, but we have to get back to the topic." all of them stopped immediately and got back to their professional self.

renjun had an outrageous thought in his mind about the king situation. outrageous but possible.

"what if the king, isn't the king?" everyone turned their head towards renjun.

"i already lost you, injun." jeno exclaimed.

"i don't know how it is possible but, what if the king that is currently at the castle, isn't the king we knew? what if he isn't your father? then that would've explained what jaemin felt during the report session. and that might explain the sudden change in his character in the first place."

the princes and seungcheol thought through for a moment before mark decided to speak.

"but if it's another person, how is he able to beat jeno's father, who not only has an ability but is from the emerald kingdom? a powerless person wouldn't be able to beat someone like that. and also, if that isn't jeno's father, then where is he?" it all went silent again.

in jeno's mind, he had hopes in renjun's assumption. if it's true, he didn't need to be enemies with his father anymore. his father who he looked up to when he was little. he missed him. however, his negative thoughts came by.

if that isn't father, where is he? is he... dead?

"there's only one way to know if he's the king." the rainbow-haired prince uttered. he then flexed his right wrist to everyone.

royal imprint.












 

a/n: to anyone who's reading, thank you for reading till this far T.T this is my first a/n of the story because i felt awkward talking to myself with no audience in the first place. now that there's more, i'm so happy T.T

i have a few questions:

1. how is it so far?

2. is it boring or lengthy?

3. is there any parts that might have confused all of you?

4. other comments :)

thank you so much for the votes toooo <3 see you all in the next chapter :)