Ways to Say I Love You  series #1 - Prince Taehyung au

Y/N grunted as she sliced through the head of the dummy with her sword, the head falling to the mat with a thud. She moved her right arm at lightning speed, executing sharp and precise movements; her blade slicing through the air swiftly.

It was 2 a.m. and the palace was quiet apart from the sound of knights’ iron footsteps echoing through the brick walls every now and then as they made their nightly rounds. The training room was empty as well, as it should be at this time, considering it was not the time for combat training but sleep.

But Y/N had been bothered all night, unable to close her eyes and find rest; feeling a bubbling frustration deep within her.  She thought perhaps it may have something to do with the ball earlier that evening…

The moment the thought surfaced, she shook her head and let out a growl before slicing through the dummy once more, removing its right arm.

Fighting and training had always made her feel better, which was the probably why she had found herself going to the armoury and training hall in the middle of the night; hoping to cheer herself up. Being one of the kingdom’s top trainers and the only child of the kingdom’s General, Y/N had been born to fight. She had learned how to wield a sword before she could learn to read. She rode horse back when she was only three and mastered the art of jiu-jitsu and archery at age ten. Combat was something she had been trained to do from when she was very young and it had always been something she was just…good at.

However recently, Y/N began to wonder what it would have been like to be trained as a proper lady instead of a fighter. What it would be like if she were to become like those girls in pretty dresses? Attending royal balls and dancing with…

Y/N’s shoulders slumped at the thought of familiar brown eyes, causing her to be off balance and losing her stance instantly. She stood there in the middle of the room, staring down at her hand gripping the sharp blade and wondered if it was ever too late to—

“When they said you slept with a sword at your side, I had thought they were only kidding. I can see now that they were not.”

Y/N jumped at the sound of a deep voice, turning around swiftly with her sword pointed towards the intruder. The first lesson her father ever taught her was to never let your guard down, and she couldn’t believe she had let herself be deaf to the steps of her current visitor.

However, Y/N’s gaze softened and she relaxed the moment she realized who had walked in.

“Sorry, I did not mean to frighten you.” Prince Taehyung stood tall by the entryway with his hands up in surrender, wearing only a white ruffled shirt and dark trousers. His handsome face was a mask of curiosity; dark hair slightly tousled, and feet laced in boots which made Y/N wonder where he had gone to at this time.

“Your highness!” Y/N immediately bowed and lowered her sword. “Forgive me, I did not—“

“What are you doing up so late, Y/N?”

Y/N snapped up at his words, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. It wasn’t the first time the prince had addressed her so casually. In fact, he had called her by her name every chance he got, but Y/N never got used to it. And she wasn’t sure why she lets him do it, considering they weren’t exactly “friends” or in the same tier of the hierarchy to be addressed as such. He was royalty and Y/N, although had an important role in the kingdom and lived within the premises of the royal villa, was but a mere commoner.

A chortle echoed through the room, snapping her from her thoughts, and Y/N realized that the melodious sound came from the prince himself.

“Is Y/N not your name?” He smiled, amused. “You look a little…shocked.”

“Oh. No, I just… I’m sorry, your grace—“

“Taehyung,” he sighed. “I told you, you can just call me Taehyung. If you won’t call me that outside, then perhaps you can oblige my request to address me informally when it’s just…us.”

Y/N felt herself a little breathless at his words, unsure why the mere sound of “just as” made her feel a little woozy.

“As you wish, your—“ she paused when the prince gave her a sharp look. “Taehyung.”

The prince—Taehyung smiled then, that adorable grin (although Y/N wouldn’t admit it out loud) that literally lit up the whole kingdom. Saying his name without the honorifics was still quite foreign to Y/N’s tongue and yet it also felt familiar…and she felt an undeniable longing to say it once more.

Taehyung, she thought. Taehyung.

“So… what are you doing up?” He asked, taking a step further into the room.

“Oh… I… well… I just couldn’t sleep.” She said and Y/N wanted to reprimand herself for stuttering so much. Taehyung must think she was an illiterate.

If he did, he didn’t show it and merely shrugged. “Same. I actually left to go out riding.”

“At this hour, sire?” Y/N exclaimed. “But…Tae! You can’t just waltz out of the palace without guards! You could’ve been mobbed out there; kidnapped or—are you… laughing?” Y/N looked at the prince incredulously, seeing a bright smile on his face. His eyes sparkled against the moonlight that shone through the large windows across the room and Y/N averted her gaze, the sight a little too much for her. “This is no laughing matter, Tae—“

“You called me Tae,” he interrupted, grinning. Y/N stopped, realizing that she had accidentally called him that and immediately blushed.  

“I’m sorry, I—“

“No…no…” Taehyung waved his hand. “I uh,” he cleared his throat, looking away. “Liked it.”

Y/N was speechless at his words and she wasn’t sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her but there was a slight blush coloring his cheeks.

They were silent for a while; just standing there, unsure how to continue the conversation.  When the awkward silence got a little too much, Y/N turned from him and cleared . “Aren’t you tired though? That was some ball this evening…”

Earlier this evening, a grand ball had ensued in celebration of crown Prince Namjoon’s, Taehyung’s older