The princess really was strikingly beautiful.

The entire ballroom went silent as she made her grand entrance.  I couldn’t help but stop and stare, and a collective gasp went around the room.  I watched in awe as she descended down the grand staircase, the king and queen trailing behind her with proud smiles on their faces. 

She was petite and slim and her copper hair flowed to her waist in thick waves.  Her face was soft, and her features delicate.  Her eyes were wide and fringed with thick lashes that cast shadows on her milky skin.  Her heart shaped lips were a pale rose and when she smiled, her whole face seemed to glow.

The Head General stood at the foot of the stairs and as she reached the last step, he announced,

“I present Princess Sungmin!”

The room erupted into joyous applause and the princess blushed prettily and curtsied in thanks.  King Hangeng and Queen Heechul stepped to either side of their daughter and the king spoke out,

“Today marks the joyous occasion of our beloved daughter’s return.  Tonight my wife and I can sleep, knowing that for once, our baby is with us safe and sound.  I know countless brave men have given their life to rescue and protect her, and I would like the world to know that their sacrifice was not in vain.  They have given my wife and I something that we can never pay them back for, they have given us hope”

The king stopped there, obviously too emotional to continue to speak, and the ballroom erupted into loud applause.  The king and the queen embraced their daughter before the crowd, and even I felt my eyes welling with tears.

King Hangeng steadied himself and once again addressed those present,

“I would also like to honor the man who was responsible for not only returning my daughter, but also for ending this accursed war.  Commander Cho, please step forward!”

Kyuhyun, who was standing close by my side, gave my hand a firm squeeze before letting go and walking towards the royal family.  Once again the room gave way to joyous cheers and animated applause.  When Kyuhyun approached, he kneeled and bowed deeply, touching his forehead to the ground to show his utmost respect and loyalty to both the royal family and the kingdom.  When he stood, the king pulled him into a warm hug and the queen followed suit.

“This man, has proven not only his brilliance, but also his resilience and bravery.  I will forever be in his debt for the part he played in my daughter’s safe return”

Kyuhyun bowed his head in a show of humility as the king continued to praise him.  I hid a proud smile, knowing that Kyuhyun was just as great as the king proclaimed him to be.  I noticed with a hint of smugness that a bit off to the side, the Head General stood watched with a resentful scowl on his face.

My attention went back to Kyuhyun and the royal family when the king clapped loudly and announced,

“So to reward him for his valor, I’d like to bestow the honor of escorting the crown princess in her first ever royal ball!”

The crowd let out an enthusiastic cheer as the king led his daughter over to Kyuhyun by the hand.  I felt a lump form in my throat and I suddenly found it rather difficult to look away.  I bit my lip and looked around, trying to find a way to slip away so I could save myself from the consuming feelings of jealousy and dread.

Unfortunately there was no way for me to get away and I was forced to stand there as Kyuhyun bowed and the princess curtsied before they joined hands and Kyuhyun led her towards the dance floor.  The guests parted like the Red Sea and the beautiful pair strode to the center of the floor.  Almost immediately, a waltz started to play and Kyuhyun and Princess Sungmin swept across the floor in a breathtakingly elegant dance.

I looked away, my chest feeling heavy.

A princess’ first ball was a momentous event.  It signaled her debut to the public, her introduction to the entire kingdom.  Needless to say, the privilege of escorting the princess on said day was an honor reserved to the most promising suitor in the kingdom.  Normally the man the king and queen chose to the princess was the man that they would later wed her to.

I turned away from Kyuhyun and the princess, and walked away from the dance floor that all the guests were crowded around.  I wondered idly why I was even there.  I had come after Kyuhyun’s insistence, even though I was certain there was no place for a servant at a grand ball.

I was dressed in finer clothes than I had ever worn before, and I knew no one would have ever guessed that I was a slave, but I had never felt more awkward or out of place in my life.  I contemplated the idea of simply leaving and leaving Kyuhyun with the princess, however, before I could make a decision, my thoughts were interrupted by a hand on my shoulder.

I glanced up, startled, but relaxed and gave a half-hearted smile when I saw it was only Donghae.

“Hello Lieutenant Lee” I greeted with a polite bow.

“Wow Ryeowook-sshi, you look great” he complimented with one of his warm smiles.

I blushed slightly at his compliment, and looked down at the clothes that Kyuhyun had custom designed and fitted for me.  When I looked up, his eyes were trained towards the dance floor where several other beautifully dressed couples had joined Kyuhyun and Princess Sungmin in the waltz.

“Are you okay?” he whispered to me, his eyes meeting min with concern.

I smiled and nodded, but my movements were stiff and robotic and I knew he could tell I was lying without him having to say anything. 

“You know Kyuhyun would have loved to refuse the king, right?” he assured me, his voice firm and sure.

I laughed,

“Yeah, I know he would, but still.  You have to admit that they’re a beautiful couple”

We both looked over in time to see the conclusion of the first dance, and more specifically, in time to see Kyuhyun give the princess a graceful twirl.

Donghae wasn’t one to lie, and no one with eyes could tell me that they didn’t think the two were suited for each other. 

“Ryeowook-sshi-“ he began, but he never did get to finish what he was trying to say to me.

The presence of another person halted our conversation as Donghae bowed deeply and I turned around to see who it was.  There was a split second of paralyzing shock before I bowed deeply and greeted,

“Good evening Master”

When I straightened up from my bow, I found Yesung smiling down at me in a friendly manner.

“Hello Lieutenant, would you mind if I borrowed Wookie?”

Donghae nodded and smiled tightly.  While Kyuhyun could disobey my master and get away with treating him as an equal, Donghae was not in a similar situation.  I could tell that Donghae didn’t feel comfortable with leaving me alone with my master, but he had no choice but to bow and take his leave.

“How have you been master?” I asked, feeling bad that I was only asking him now.

“Fine.  I was with the sniper team so there was little chance of me getting hurt”

I nodded and stayed quiet, waiting for him to tell me the reason why he wanted to talk.  Luckily I didn’t have to wait long.

“So the war is over and our alliance with King Hangeng’s kingdom is set”

I nodded again, my heart starting to beat harder when I realized where he was going. 

“We’re returning home in a few days, and I just wanted to remind you of my proposition”

“I r-remember” I replied softly, averting my eyes.

“Good, I would like to know your answer before we leave, okay?”

I found myself searching for Kyuhyun, hoping he could somehow get me out of this situation.  However, when I finally caught sight of him he was twirling the princess through the sea of dancers, a small smile on his face.  I gave a small smile as well, but my was tinged with bitterness as I murmured,

“Yes master”

Update ^^

Progress is slow I'm sorry to say, but I am working on this >.<

Thank you guys for your endless patience and I hope you enjoy :3