- kyungsoo x reader, royalty AU, prince!kyungsoo
warnings : swearing, mature themes, arranged marriage, i don’t know anymore at this moment
chapter two or masterlist
The atmosphere of the large ballroom was nothing but joyful. There were hundreds of people inside the stunning room, all dancing or cheering for those who were dancing. Their cheers were almost deafening combined with the noisy sound of the music playing in the background. A live band played enthusiastically as their eyes flickered back and forth between their instruments and the crowd before them. It was a royal celebration, therefore everything was extravagant and significantly closer to perfection than any regular celebration. There was no one in the universe that did not wish to be attending this party - except for the two people the party was being held for.
They were dancing together. Their sweaty palms pressed together while their bodies unwillingly swayed in synchronization. Large smiles were plastered on their faces as they stared into each other's eyes. It appeared they were madly in love to the outside world, but they knew the truth. Every touch, every glance, every little whisper was nothing but one giant lie. It was all a facade to protect the truth and the truth was the prince and princess could have wanted nothing more than to be light years away from one another. It wasn't that they hated one another. In fact, their personalities meshed together perfectly and in another lifetime they could have been great friends. They couldn't stand to be near one another because it only reminded them of the cold reality that they would be stuck together for the rest of their lives. It was a choice that they had not made. Their parents had come to an agreement two weeks ago and since then they had been forced to spend every moment of their day together.
"Please don't lower your hand too much," The princess spoke quietly to the prince as she gave his shoulder a warning squeeze. She felt his breath tickle over her ear as he scoffed in disbelief.
"Don't flatter yourself. I wouldn't be touching you at all-"
"If you didn't have to. Don't worry, we're on the same page," The princess finished for the prince with a small sigh. The prince looked down at the woman with a smile that was almost sad.
"The night is almost over. You won't have to be with me much longer," he told her in a quiet voice. The princess leaned back and let her head raise so she could look him in the eyes. The prince was a handsome man and anyone who said differently was wrong. She watched his features soften as the fake smile on his face vanished gradually. His eyes were her least favorite trait of his. They were a deep, warm shade of brown that seemed like liquid gold in the right lighting - breathtaking, really - but every time she looked into them she saw the disappointment swimming within them. What she saw as disappointment due to their forced engagement was really disappointment that he could never love her. The prince wanted to, her really did, but he couldn't no matter how much he tried. He was terrified of sharing the rest of his life with someone he couldn't love and even more terrified that she would come to love him. The princess was far from worried about falling in love with the man.
It wouldn't have been such a problem. He was handsome, kind, and funny but he wasn't the man for her. He was too outgoing for her. He loved being the focus of everyone's attention. His views on the world were different from hers. They were so different that there was hardly anything for them to talk about when alone, aside from the devastating situation they had been pushed into. Most of the time they sat in silence, sharing shy glances whenever they thought the other wasn't looking.
"Prince Sehun!" Called a voice full of cheerfulness. She recognized it as that of Baekhyun. Byun Baekhyun was a close friend of the prince. Together they would practice in combat and sports, sharing whatever time they could with one another. The princess found him to be humorous but overly enthusiastic about everything. He found something to say about everything and often teased her for things no one else did. He was exciting all in all. He approached the pair with Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo was the prince's younger brother. Though their parents pretended the young prince didn't exist most of the time, all of Sehun's friends had accepted him with welcoming arms. The young prince was more reserved than most of them. He was quiet, observant, and extremely intelligent. He spent most of his time alone in the library or with his closest friend, Jongin. The princess found him to be mysterious. Unfortunately, this sparked a flame of curiosity inside of her that she wished she could put out.
A wide smile was formed on Baekhyun's face as he looked between the prince and princess. Kyungsoo stared at them with his usual blank expression. Both of the men were dressed elegantly. They wore matching suits that were colored like the deepest part of the ocean, paired perfectly with the black shoes on their feet. Prince Sehun was dressed in a royal purple and it went so well with his dark hair color. They were each overwhelmingly handsome and it wasn't hard to tell that the rest of the party thought so too. Women shared lingering stares at the men, their lips parting slightly as they danced by the men. They were all oblivious or simply ignoring the burning stares.
"Ah, Princess Grace... it's wonderful to see you, as always. You look ravishing," Baekhyun greeted the princess. He held out his hand for her to place her own in and she allowed herself to separate from Sehun so she could. He kissed her soft hands with a gentleness that she had never known men to possess. She felt her face flush as the feeling of his warm lips against her skin.
"Baekhyun," Sehun warned in a low tone. The man pulled his lips away from the princess's skin and she retracted her hand away from his hole. He raised his eyebrows at the eldest prince and released a laugh.
"Relax. I'm well aware she is all yours. It's just too fun to watch her grow flustered," Baekhyun grinned. The princess looked away from the man at his words, no longer wanting to participate in his flirtatious game.
"Brother, you look nice tonight," Sehun complimented his brother as he let his hand reach out to run along the collar of the young prince's suit. Kyungsoo smiled a small smile and nodded his head.
"You look well put together for once," Kyungsoo told his brother. It was as close to a compliment as the older sibling would get from the quiet man.
"Do you know where my father is?" The princess interrupted their conversation. She looked at Kyungsoo, growing intimidated when his stone-like eyes met hers.
"Is it wise to leave my side?" Sehun asked her before his brother could answer. She glanced up at her fiancé and sighed in annoyance. Perhaps it wasn't wise to leave his side but she was willing to gamble five minutes of her time to visit her father.
"I wouldn't let you leave my side," Baekhyun commented, laughing at his own joke once it had rolled off of his tongue completely.
"Your father was near the balcony the last time I seen him," Kyungsoo finally spoke. She found his eyes again and nodded her head at him.
"Thank you, Prince Kyungsoo," she said quietly before she turned on her heels and began to push through the sea of dancing guests. The balcony was located near the long tables of food that had been prepared for the night's guests and it wasn't hard for her to find. She pushed the doors open, welcoming the cool night air that brushed against her exposed skin. Her father stood under the moonlight with his head raised towards the dark sky. They had been staying at the northern kingdom for the past week and she knew he missed his home. She missed their home.
She approached his side quietly. He leaned against the cool, metal railing that enclosed the balcony and she copied his pose to do the same. They didn't speak when she first arrived but they didn't need to say anything. The atmosphere automatically felt far more welcoming here than it did when she was inside the ballroom.
"I was wondering if I would get to see my daughter tonight," The king finally spoke. His voice was scratchy and shaky tonight, but then again it had been the same way for the last few months. On the better days he was able to speak like he used to when he was healthy but his illness made it hard for him to do anything he used to do. He was dying. It was something that she had caught onto before he told her. When she had confronted him he had cried and told her it was true. She had never seen her father cry before. They had spent the day lying in bed together with misty eyes and broken hearts. Since then, they had come to understand that their time together was limited so they refused to spend it being heartbroken over the inevitable. It made most days easier for the princess.
"I would have caused an argument with someone if you didn't. I'm not used to being away from you this much," The princess's voice was soft as she spoke. She stared out at the bright moon with distant eyes. There was nothing she wouldn't give to return to the time when things were normal. Her father reach over and took her hand in his, causing her to look away from the moon and into her father's honey colored eyes.
"I do not like seeing you so sad. You don't smile anymore," he told her with a deep frown on his face. She felt as if she had committed a crime as she watched his eyes wash over with shame. She placed her free hand on top of his and gave it a tight squeeze.
"I'm fine dad. You shouldn't worry about me so much," she told the man with a small smile. He couldn't resist the smile that formed on his face at the sight.
"It's my job to worry about you and I will always worry about you," he told her quietly. The princess grew sad at his words. Today was not most days and it certainly wasn't easier.
"Not always," she breathed out in a shaky voice. Her father placed his unoccupied hand against her cheek. She leaned into his hand and let her eyes close. She didn't want to live in a word where she could not spend time with her father like this.
"What are you doing out here? The prince will grow lonely," a high pitched voice filled the night's air. The princess's eyes snapped open almost immediately, wishing she never had to hear the sound again. Her father's hand fell from her face and he turned to look at the moon again.
"I'm spending time with my dad. Is that a crime?" The words were falling from the princess's lips before she could stop them.
"Don't speak to your mother like that. She's right, you should head back inside," the king told his daughter. The princess wanted to argue but she didn't want her father to grow upset with her. She slipped away from his side, his hand falling away from hers. She shared a sharp look with her mother as she brushed by. Entering the ballroom after spending time on the tranquil balcony was like entering hell; hot, stuffy, and far too loud. The princess guided herself through the busy crowd until her eyes met the prince's. He was smiling brightly at something Baekhyun had said. The princess noticed Kai and Jongdae had joined the men she had left on the dance floor. When the eldest prince noticed her return, his smile faltered. As if reading his mind, his friends turned to look in her direction. She felt shy under all of their stares but she still made her way towards them.
"Hi everyone," she greeted them in a shy tone. Sehun's hand found her waist as soon as she stepped back into her place beside them. Kai and Jongdae bowed in her direction with kind smiles plastered on their faces.
"That's not necessary," she told them with a small sigh.
"Of course it is. You're our future queen after all," Jongdae replied. She smiled at him and didn't say anything else. She knew it would be an endless argument.
"How is your father?" Prince Kyungsoo spoke towards the princess. She looked at him with wide eyes, hoping she hid the surprise she felt inside. His expression was one of genuine concern. His eyes locked with hers, his stare as intimidating as ever.
"He's fine. Thank you for asking," she replied. Though she had lied, a genuine smile formed on her face for the first time that night.
"We're stealing too much of the couple's time! You guys should be dancing the night away, unless you have places to dance the night away later tonight," Baekhyun ruined the lightened atmosphere. Jongdae laughed lightly at the man while Kai and Kyungsoo shook their heads in disbelief. The princess looked up at Prince Sehun with flustered cheeks. His eyes met hers for a second and he found himself ready to escape his friend's' company with her. He bid a goodnight to the four boys and led her deeper into the crowd.
"I am sorry for Baekhyun's behavior. He makes this harder," Sehun told her once he had her in the heart of the ballroom. His left hand rest against her hip and his right hand was intertwined with hers.
"It's not his fault. I think he senses that there is something off between us and he tries to lighten the mood," The princess replied lowly.
"It would make sense. Baekhyun is a smart man, much to everyone's surprise," Sehun hummed as he spoke, almost as if he were voicing his thoughts as they came. The princess nodded in agreement. Without anything left to say, she pressed her face against the prince's chest. She could hear his racing heartbeat even through the fabric of his suit. She wished she could bring him comfort but she knew she only did the opposite.
It wasn't until around midnight that the celebration came to an end. It was one of her duties to stay until every last guest had gone home for the night. She stood beside Sehun with a smile on her face. Everyone complimented her appearance for the night and wished her with in her future marriage. They said similar things to Sehun as they went on down the line. When they had all gone, it was time for the royals to head to bed.
The prince and princess were silent as they walked up the stairs together. Sehun's hand rest against the small of her back as they walked. It wasn't much but it was enough to comfort her a little bit. She felt overwhelmed with several different emotions, something she was growing familiar with. She had been raised to become a queen but as time ticked on she felt herself doubting whether or not she was fit to be queen. The only example of a queen she had ever had was her mother and she was certain that the woman was only an example of what not to be when it came to ruling a kingdom.
"Goodnight Prince," The princess whispered when they came to a stop in front of her chamber doors.
"Try to not dream about me too much," Prince Sehun attempted to joke with the princess but she was so emotionally drained for the night that she could only laugh half-heartedly.
"Only if you promise to do the same," she told him. He held up his pinky finger and she eyed it with disbelief. Still, she let hers wrap around his before she pulled away and entered her chamber without another word. He watched as her doors closed with a gentle thud. The guards standing at the doors wore masks but he could feel their eyes boring into his face. He turned and made his way towards his brother's room for the night.
The lights were completely off when he entered the room. Sehun checked to make sure Kyungsoo was in bed and laughed gently when he heard his young sibling curse at him for disturbing his sleep.
"The princess is okay?" Kyungsoo asked quietly as Sehun prepared to climb into bed.
"As far as I know. She's a hard one to read," The prince answered his brother. Kyungsoo hummed in response. Sehun climbed into bed with his brother and the two bid each other a goodnight.
a/n : this is one of my first attempts at writing a serious fanfiction, so i’m sorry if it sucks. also, i apologize for the weird spacing. i’m not entirely sure how to work tumblr yet. any feedback is appreciated. thanks for reading!
