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Being a middle child .
It’s only his eighteenth year in the world but this amount of time was enough for Jongdae to figure this out.

When his older brother, Jonghyun, wanted to attend the party his good old’ friend Prince Kibeom organized their parents let him go without a word of protest even though they know that Kibeom lives two days away and that Kibeom is hardly even a friend. When Jongdae wanted to go to Kyungsoo’s for an afternoon in the neighborhood he couldn’t even bring up a good reason to go and their parents were already shaking their heads so strong their crowns almost fell off.

And then there is his younger brother, Jongin, who is barely sixteen but their parents let him dance whenever and wherever and most importantly whatever way he does. Jongdae has only seen Jongin dance once but it was so shocking that Jongdae swore not to disturb his brother during practice ever again and close his eyes and think of Nanny Wart’s many warts when he had no choice but attend Jongin’s performances… But that’s beside the point. The point is that whenever Jongdae brings up that he wants to do singing, their parents voice out things like “my dear honey cup, that’s so not prince-like” and “you have so many other things you have talent in, try something better for dad” and really what is this? Jongin can dance all… scandalizing for his heart’s content but Jongdae can’t flaunt his clear and pretty voice once in a while?

Life is not fair for a middle child.

But apparently life for a middle prince is even worse because one day when Prince Jongdae, second child of the King and the Queen of Far, Far Away hops down onto his seat to spend a nice lunch with his family, he meets those kind of looks which can be interpreted the best as “your parents have something to say you will so not like”.

“Am I late?” Jongdae asks uncertain. He told Teacher Suho to send him off earlier on purpose. Is the clock in his room wrong?

“No, you’re on time, son.” The Queen answers and Jongdae knows he did something wrong. Son? What happened to my sweet pumpkin and vanilla chocolate honey with a cherry on top?

“Although you’re still the last one to arrive.” Jonghyun pipes in with a smug face and twirls his fork between his fingers leisurely. “You have a lot to learn, Dae-dae.”

I might have but not from you, you goof, said boy curses in his mind.

The King sighs and turns to his wife.

“Is it really the time we discuss this, my Queen? Let’s have a nice lunch and then in three –“

“We’ve waited long already… and Jonghyun and Jongin will know it anyway.”

Jongdae squirms uncomfortably. He tries to think of anything wrong he did the past weeks but nothing comes to – okay, maybe it wasn’t really nice to say or actually scream that THE ROOF IS ON FIRE to Head Guard Kris because he broke a leg as he hastily ran up two hundred stairs but how could he believe such thing when there was no smoke and even so, Jongdae used a different voice on purpose so his parents can’t suspect him.

But then what’s going on?

Jongin seemingly can’t deal with the tension in the air so he drops his spoon and says:

“Father, Mother, can we get over it then now? It’s midday and I’m hungry.”

Or he’s just hungry.

The King and the Queen exchange looks then the former clears his throat and announces:

“Our dear Jongdae-a, me and my mother would truly appreciate if you found your path in life.”

“What do you mean by found –“

“We want you to move out of the palace and live your own life.”

Well, that came unexpected.

Jongdae slaps a hand to his heart, mouth agape. It’s just a nightmare and his ear parents didn’t say ‘get out’ nicely, did they?

Jonghyun and Jongin are so stunned they can’t even move.

“Please, don’t misunderstand our intentions, my son.” The King continues. “We love you and want to keep you close but you’re eighteen. You’re all grown up. It’s the time you should decide what you want to do with your life and moreover, you should start thinking about grounding a family.”

Jongdae narrows his eyes.

“So you want to marry me off?”

He heard how his parents spoke when they announced they found the perfect match for Jonghyun years before. They weren’t like this.

“It’s one of the opportunities.” The Queen nods gracefully. “You can go and find a suitable princess like Jonghyun did… but you can also enter a monastery like Auntie Zhang’s second son, Yixing did.”

The three princes around the table shudder simultaneously. Yixing visited the palace once he was allowed out. Yixing sounded happy and content (too happy and too content) but it’s surer than death that Jongdae will not feel like that if he enters a monastery.

“Can’t I stay a little longer?” Jongdae tries hard not to sound whining but his state is at risk, it’s hard not to. “I’m still getting lessons from Teacher Suho and Vice Head Guard Zitao just pulled out the nunchuks yesterday I –“

“You’re ready.” The Queen interrupts his supposed-to-be “favorite son in the entire universe and even far, far away from that” coldly. “Don’t be a nag, my sugar rush, and listen to your caring parents like a good boy does. We want the best for you, don’t you know?”

Jongdae sighs. It seems he really doesn’t have other choice but do as they want. What does he want? He wants to stay in Far, Far Away; wants to get singing lessons and perform at his friends’ weddings when their time comes, and maybe even wants to find somebody who he likes and who likes him back and lets him sing but not now. Jongdae feels it’s not the right time for that. But what else can he do?

“Okay.” He speaks up once they get over with lunch. His parents look so expectant it hurts. “You can marry me off.”

The King smiles.

“We’re proud of you, Jongdae-a.”

The Queen giggles.

“What time do you want to depart, sweety?”

Jongdae can’t help on his smirk.

“Oh I won’t leave for a while. I’ll hold a ball next week.”

It can be practically heard as the expectations of his parents shatter on the floor but Jongdae can’t care less. They want him to get out? He will but not as easily as they think.

One of their cousins, Prince Siwon got his princess through a ball years ago. Although Sooyoung wasn’t a princess, she’s as pretty as one and since she had a fairy grandmother (what luck) she looked so gorgeous that Siwon snatched her away at a glance. And they live their fairy tale ever since.

Jongdae believes his case can be helped just that easy.

Too bad he’s the only one who thinks this way.

“Dae, please.” Jonghyun snorts. “Just because Siwon hyung succeed with it, it doesn’t mean you will as well.”

“Where do you get a pair of glass shoes? And even if you got one, why are you so sure your girl will leave it behind too?” Jongin is sometimes too smart. “It doesn’t sound like a foolproof plan to me, hyung.”

“Your brothers are right.” The King agrees with trembling lips. Jongdae knows it’s because he hardly can contain his laughter and it hurts. “You can’t wait for love to come, Jongdae-a. You have to go and look for it.”

“Not to mention, a ball is off-budget.” The Queen comments. “We’re paying enough for your tuition and mini zoo, honey-boo.”

Jongdae clenches his fists under the table. That’s it. He tried to be nice, he tried to be a good boy but now it’s over.

“Why are you doing this to me?” He explodes seconds later. The grand hall echoes his cry. “I’ve never said no to you, bore every order of yours and you saying no to every wants of mine, I practically lived my life the way you wanted me to live and you can’t let me decide what to do with my life without you? You’re being bad parents, mom and dad. I’m officially disappointed.”

Jongdae marches off without looking back. He faintly hears The Queen gasping for air and Jonghyun’s jaw drop but doesn’t care.

If they want to live without me so much, it’s time for them to learn how that will feel, he thinks and purposely don’t let tears fall when he exists the hall.

♛ ♛ ♛ ♛ ♛

“Are you serious?”

“I am, unfortunately.”

Kyungsoo hums, not knowing what to say.

Hearing such devastating news, Jongdae couldn’t stay crying in his room alone. He called for his all-time-favorite friend Kyungsoo (who also lives the closest but it has nothing… much to do with that) and they settled down in the enormous garden with the animals, or in the mini zoo as The Queen described it.

Jongdae grounded the zoo when he was five. He picked up an abandoned kitty from the streets and cried to his parents to keep it. The King and The Queen said yes after some more persuasion (and sea of tears) because it was only a little kitty, a very cute kitty for that matter. Jongdae named her Ribbon, bought her ribbons in all kinds of color and he was happy.

But not long after that Kyungsoo’s dachshund, Molly, gave birth to six freaking cute mini dachshunds (even smaller than normal seized dachshunds, it was an unbelievably adorable sight) and Jongdae had to get one of them. Or two…. Three at the most. The King and The Queen weren’t as supportive now but then Kyungsoo pulled out his better-than-average acting and said “my poor Molly can’t raise this much babies, she’s still a young girl, we can’t let her waste her young life or worse risk her health and what about the kids? They’re too young to die alone”. And the parents agreed to take in two gloomily. (Tweedledum and Tweedledee.)

And as Jongdae grew and realized how many beautiful and most importantly lonely animals are in the kingdom, he had made a garden for them and took in as much as he could. It’s actually the only argument he could win over in with his parents. (When he took in a black bear and a Bengal Tiger, The King and The Queen didn’t speak to him for days. It was worth though, Baloo and Shere Khan stayed.)

Jongdae scratches the back of Ribbon’s ear with a sigh.

“What should I do? It’s either monastery or some journey. I can’t stay here.”

“Journey, obviously.” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. Molly the palm he’s petting her with. “You can’t stay still longer than ten seconds. You’d do an awful job as a monk.”

That’s true.

“And what if I found a job?” The sudden idea comes. “I heard Teacher Suho needs an assistant. And you said the other day that the children in your neighborhood wants to learn some –“

“Kim Jongdae, you’re a prince. You can’t work.”

“I’m a prince. I can do whatever I want!” Said boy sulks but then saddens once more. “Mom and dad are being so mean this time. Why don’t they pester Jonghyun or Jongin?”

“Jonghyun got married last year and he’s the heir of the throne. And Jongin is sixteen, he’s practically a kid.”

Jongdae glares at Kyungsoo.

“Are you my friend or theirs?”

Kyungsoo smirks.

“Both.”

First their parents betray him, now his dearest friend Kyungsoo… Prince Kim Jongdae’s life is officially over.

“Marrying someone is not that bad.” Kyungsoo says comfortingly once he realizes Jongdae’s mood is at the bottom of a well. “There are plenty of beautiful princesses in the nearby kingdoms waiting to be rescued.”

“I don’t want a damsel in distress! And on top of that… why would a damsel in distress want me?”

Jongdae vividly remembers the times princesses visited their palace and they all pointed at him while giggling not to mention he even heard one of them say “look at that midget”. Yeah I’m not a tower so what? My heart is definitely bigger than one and that’s all what matters – he comforted himself back then but now that it’s about his future and family, he can’t clutch at this straw.

“There is somebody for everyone out there.” Kyungsoo says in his listen-to-Master-Kyungsoo-boy-he-has-wisdom-of-centuries voice. “You just have to go and find them.”

Jongdae lets Ribbon go to drink from the pond on the side. Kyungsoo can be right – it’s not like there really is someone who only waits for Prince Kim Jongdae to come and shower them with love but there are as many kinds of people as many ribbons Ribbon has (at least). He can find somebody who likes his presence – or his status – enough to get married with him. Maybe they even fall in love with time… just like Jonghyun and Princess Taeyeon did. (Although it’s still painfully obvious how Jonghyun looks at a certain good old friend… but let’s not talk about sad things anymore.)

“Okay. I’ll go and find them.”

“Good luck.”

Jongdae watches Kyungsoo playing with Molly. What about him? Well, somebody has to take care of garden while he’s away but on a second thought, Jongdae will be lonelier than ever if he goes for the journey alone.

“Good luck to you too.” He blurts out in the silence of the garden.

“With what?” Kyungsoo replies absent-mindedly.

“With the journey. You’re coming with me, Do Kyungsoo.”

…

“Hah you’re funny. You’re not funny most of the time but this –“

“I’m not joking.”

Jongdae takes the branch Tweedledum and Tweedledee were playing minutes ago and stands in front of his dumbfounded friend.

“I, Prince Kim Jongdae, 2nd Prince of Far, Far Away appoint you, Do Kyungsoo, dutiful commoner and greatest friend…“

Fire of rage lights up in the dutiful commoner’s eyes.

“Kim ing Jongdae, don’t you dare –“

“YOU CAN’T INTERRUPT THE PRINCE!” Jongdae shrieks because seriously Kyungsoo has just given the Advice of The Century he can’t back out now then clears his throat to go back to his official voice. “… I appoint you to be the 2nd Prince’s greatest help and dutiful caretaker while he’s on the journey to find his own fairy tale. It should be much appreciated if you continued being an awesome friend too. It’s a royal appointment which you can’t decline.”

Jongdae finishes his speech by hovering the branch over one of Kyungsoo’s shoulders then over the other one just like his father does when he knights. Teacher Suho would be so proud of him if he was there.

But the only one who’s there beside the clueless animals is Kyungsoo who is far from being proud.

“You’re nuts.” Kyungsoo is actually seething. “I’m not travelling lands to find you a girl who’s willing to live her life with you; I have a family to take care of, studies and dreams to fulfill and most importantly, above all of that, I WON’T BE YOUR ING SIDEKICK!”

Jongdae pouts.

“Kyungsoo-ya~”

“SHOULD I REPEAT MYSELF?!”

Kyungsoo’s so angry his eyes are almost popping out of their sockets and since his eyes takes over ½ of his face the sight is frightening enough to make Jongdae less royal and more pleading.

“But I didn’t appoint you to be my s-sidekick. You can be my henchman.”

Most of the fume probably left through Kyungsoo’s ears because he looks a tad bit calmer hearing this. (And Molly is willing to climb back into his lap after running scared seeing his owner raging.)

Kyungsoo mumbles something incoherent. It sounds something like ‘knight’ but that…

“I can’t hear you.”

“Only if you name me your knight, I’ll go with you.”

Jongdae quickly reaches for Ribbon and nuzzles his face into her thick, red fur to muffle his laughter ready to explode.

If Jongdae is a midget, Kyungsoo is Midget Number 2. He’s so little in stature that the owner of the bakery where Kyungsoo works got punched in the face by a customer for overworking children. (The assumed child was of course Kyungsoo.) He also has a youthful face and though eighteen-year-olds don’t look that adult Kyungsoo could mingle with a bunch of pupils on a field trip without getting questioned what he’s doing there.

A knight? Oh please.

“You’re my knight, Kyungsoo-ya.” Jongdae agrees in the last second of Kyungsoo’s patience. He needs a sidekick- excuse my mistake, henchman through the journey and aside from Kyungsoo there’s no other possible participant so. “You’re my knight from now on, Knight Do Kyungsoo.”

Jongdae said with the intention of teasing but seeing the badly-hid satisfactory smile on his friend’s face makes his heart fill up with warmth.

If I find The One, I’ll seriously make father to knight him, he decides on the spot.

A/N: It's only the 1st chapter which meansit was a kind of warm-up to what is ahead but I still hope you don't mind it. What are your thoughts? Don't hesitate to share. ;)