- kyungsoo x reader, royalty AU, prince!kyungsoo
- warnings : swearing, mature content, arranged marriage, good looking men
chapter four or chapter six or masterlist
The prince and princess found themselves wasting the remainder of the day in the water. Even thought they were hungry and slowly growing tired, they did not want to accept their fates back at the castle yet. They shared stories from their childhoods, both the sad and happy. They shared secrets that they had only told close friends. They shared several kisses - kisses that they knew they shouldn’t share but couldn’t care to remind themselves until after they happened. In result, they both grew more attached to one another than they had wanted to.
“Princess, come out of the water. We need to go!” Kyungsoo called out to the young woman as she floated leisurely in the water. The sun was starting to set in the distance and he knew it wouldn’t be long until they were navigating their way back to the castle in the dark. She sighed at his words and submerged under the water one last time. She had planned to exited the water soon after but her attention was snagged by the sight of an opening in the water. Was it perhaps a cave?
She lifted her head above the surface of the water to get a quick breath and just as the prince called out for her again she ducked back under. This time, she kicked her legs and swam in the direction of the opening. It was so camouflaged by it’s surroundings that she was surprised she had noticed it. It wasn’t that big, but it was big enough for her to push herself through it. For a moment, she was afraid. What if she ended up getting stuck and drowning? She was glad when she ended up popping back up from under the water and inhaled a deep breath of air. Her eyes scanned the new environment slowly. She wanted to make sure she didn’t miss anything. Near the back of the small cave was a black box that looked like a hidden treasure. Her father had told her stories about pirates who would hide their belongings in the most random places. Could this be on of them?
She almost laughed at the thought as she pushed herself out of the water. The sound of the water leaking off of her soaking figure and returning to the water below her echoed in the small cave. It was almost soothing. She grabbed the box and shook it to see if she could hear it’s contents. She was met with a thud. Happy with her findings, she quickly entered the water again and swam through the opening to return to the prince.
When her heard emerged from the water, she was met with the back of Kyungsoo’s wet head. He was looking in the water frantically. She tapped his shoulder gently and he turned in the water quickly, creating a small wave as he did so. She had never seen someone so relieved to see her face. He pulled her in his arms almost immediately, whispering about how scared he was into the shell of her ear as he held her.
“Are you okay? Where did you go?” He asked as he leaned back to examine her for any signs of a struggle. He caught sight of the box she cradled in her arms and met her eyes with furrowed eyebrows.
“I found an opening under the water. It leads to a tiny cave. I found this box in there and I thought maybe it was something interesting,” she explained to him with excitement written on her face. His hands left her skin and traced along the edges of the box curiously. There was something strange about this box.
“I think I’ve seen this box before,” he thought to himself.
“Really?” The princess’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He averted his eyes away from the box and met her wide eyes.
“Let’s get you out of the water before you get sick. It’s starting to cool off,” he told her gently. They exited the water together this time. Prince Kyungsoo had entered the water in his clothes the second time around and the princess felt herself flushed. She hadn’t thought about how worried he would have been. She sat the box down on the ground next to Strike’s feet and allowed the prince to help her put her gown back on.
“What do you think is in it?” She asked as she picked it back up, officially ready to return to the castle.
“I’m not sure. Let’s open it back at the castle,” The prince told her.
“What if it’s gold?” She wondered aloud. He smiled slightly at her inquisitive nature.
“Then perhaps we shouldn’t tell anyone about the box,” he said with amusement in his voice. She laughed lightly but agreed with a small nod of her head. She rode in behind Kyungsoo on the way back to the castle. While she hadn’t been nervous when leaving earlier, she definitely felt nervous about returning. The two of them had been gone for majority of the day and the guards had witnessed them leave together. Her eyes closed as she held onto Kyungsoo tightly, afraid that he would be kept away from her when they returned.
The stables were empty when they arrived. The princess cradled the box in her arms as she watched the prince return all of his riding equipment back to it’s rightful place. When he finished, he turned to her with a small smile.
“I guess things return back to normal now,” The princess commented with a sad voice. The prince’s smile fell at her words but he knew exactly what she meant. Everything that had happened that day was forbidden at the castle. The princess was back to being the kingdom’s future queen and the prince was back to be his brother’s shadow. He swallowed his anger, and looked down at the box in the woman’s hands.
“Will you still open it with me?” He questioned lightly.
“You thought I would open it without you?” She replied. He shrugged, his cheeks growing warm at her words. She laughed lightly and turned on her heels to exit the stables. He watched as she disappeared, knowing he would have to wait to make his way back into the castle.
When he arrived back in his room that evening, his brother was waiting on his bed with a gold coin in his hands. He was tossing it into the air and catching it as it returned back to him. His eyes flickered over at his brother, who had mysteriously disappeared throughout the day.
“Where have you been? The moon is out,” Sehun questioned his brother as he sat up straight.
“I went to the village to visit Xiumin. He was showing me a new type of ink he’s trying out. It’s fascinating, really,” Kyungsoo lied to his brother. Sehun scoffed and for a second the prince thought his brother had caught his bluff.
“You two are so boring,” he teased. Kyungsoo laughed a small, fake laugh and shook his head.
“I’ve been waiting all day. I don’t know how to apologize to the princess. Will you do it for me?” Sehun added a moment later, standing up to approach his brother.
“Just invite her to participate in archery again and include her this time,” Kyungsoo told him. Sehun furrowed his eyebrows as he thought about his brother’s suggestion.
“Do I have to say I’m sorry if I do that?” He questioned as he pointed a finger lazily at his brother.
“No, she’ll understand,” his brother assured him. He hummed as he thought it over and then a smile formed on his face.
“You’re so good with girls, brother. If you weren’t so shy and scary you’d be covered in them,” Sehun joked, slinging his arms around the man’s shoulders. Kyungsoo rolled his eyes in response. If only he knew.
Prince Sehun found the princess just as she left her room the next morning. She was surprised to find him walking towards her chambers with a confident stride. As she looked at him, she couldn’t help but feel guilty. All she could think was his brother’s perfect lips and how happy she had been spending time in solitude with the young prince yesterday.
“Good morning, Princess,” Sehun greeted politely.
“Good morning,” she breathed out a reply. He smiled at her, causing a small smile to form on her face out of instinct.
“I was wondering if, perhaps, you’d like to join me and the rest of the guys in some archery later today?” The prince offered. She was surprised for the second time in a mere two minute span.
“Did someone write that sentence for you to study?” She asked with amusement in her voice. The prince laughed nervously but shook his head in denial.
“I’d like that,” she told him. She went to walk away from him but was stopped by his hand grasping her forearm loosely. She met his eyes again and he narrowed his at her.
“I just remembered that you disappeared yesterday. I looked all over for you and I could not find you anywhere,” he thought aloud. The princess raised her eyebrows in surprise. Had she been caught?
“Did you check inside my chambers?” She replied. Her sassy tone hid her fear well. The prince scoffed in disbelief. He released her arm and ran his hand through his hair with frustration.
“No, I forgot. I should have got one of the servants around here to check for me,” he whined under his breath. The princess laughed with relief. The prince turned and looked at her with wide eyes.
“You’re laughing?” He asked. His voice was loud and his lips were parted in shock.
“I apologize, it was just too funny to me,” the young woman replied through her laughter as she covered her mouth. She turned to leave again, and this time Sehun followed after her instead of stopping her. He went on and on about how she never laughed and if she was laughing at him, then he had to be the funniest person in the entire kingdom. His logic only made her laugh more and they entered the dining hall for breakfast together laughing loudly. The noise gathered the attention of several people but the prince and princess only continued to laugh together.
“Isn’t that lovely?” The northern queen asked as she watched her son enjoy himself with his fiancée. Her husband stared at them for a moment before he began to nod.
“They’re good together,” the king commented with satisfaction in his eyes. Prince Kyungsoo looked down at his plate and gripped his utensils tighter at both the sight of his brother with the princess and his parents’ conversation. Perhaps he had been blind this entire time and his brother truly would win the princess over. It didn’t make the lingering feeling of her lips pressed against his vanish instantly, though, and the more he thought about yesterday was the more he grew confused.
“Good morning family,” Prince Sehun greeted his parents and brother. The princess bowed slightly from beside him, but she did not speak. She felt her breath leave her lungs quickly as she sat next to Prince Kyungsoo. She had prepared herself all night to be careful around the prince but he wouldn’t even glance in her direction this morning. Had he regretted yesterday? There was an overwhelming feeling of panic at the mere thought of the prince regretting yesterday. It had been such a special day for her and she had hoped it had been for him, too.
“Eat quickly. You have a lot of duties to attend to today,” The king told Sehun as he watched his son take his first bite of food.
“Excuse me,” Prince Kyungsoo spoke suddenly. The princess watched as he placed his eating utensils against the surface of the table with a little more force than needed. He pushed his chair back and stood quickly, leaving before anyone could ask him if he were alright.
“That boy is growing moodier by the day,” the king said with a bitterness as he watched his son exit the dining hall.
“Ah, just like his father,” The queen teased.
The princess found herself hiding away in her chambers throughout the day. She wanted to go to the library, but she was afraid Kyungsoo would be there. She wanted to go to the stables, but she was, again, afraid the prince would be there. The village was an option, but she knew she would not be able to go without a guard after the incident during her first trip there. So, she sat in front of a wide window and wrote a letter to her father expressing how much she missed his company. Never in her life had she been away from him for so long. It was hard, but she knew it was something she would have to grow used to.
She had just finished her letter when a knock echoed against the stone walls of her room. She left the parchment sitting in it’s place as she went to swing the door open. Sehun stood before her, with a grinning Baekhyun right beside him. It was the first time that the sight of the pair together didn’t make her want to slam the door in their faces.
“Is it time for our game of archery?” She asked with a small smile.
“Yes,” was Sehun’s simple answer. She joined them in the hall a second later and they began to make their way towards the fitness hall. Sehun’s hand found hers after Baekhyun had teased them for hiding their love because of his presence and she felt her shoulders stiffen. Baekhyun gaped at her when she took his soft hand into her free hand.
“You weren’t lying when you said she was in a good mood today,” Baekhyun told the princess.
“I never lie,” Sehun replied smugly. The three were met with the remainder of their friends when they strolled towards the archery area. All eyes were on the three’s connected hands that the princess had been swinging happily.
“Ah, what is this?” Jongdae asked. There was amusement swimming in his eyes as he looked at the three.
“The princess has finally accepted that she loves me,” Baekhyun announced dramatically as he held their intertwined hands up proudly. She scoffed and freed both of her hands quickly.
“I was afraid they would get lost if I didn’t lead them here,” she answered Jongdae.
“Everyone you passed will already be spreading the rumor around that the three of you are involved in scandalous behavior,” Kai told them.
“If it wasn’t that then it would be some other ridiculous rumor,” Sehun responded. He paused when his eyes scanned the frowning face of his brother.
“Are you feeling bad today, brother?” He asked curiously. The princess looked at him but he still refused to even glance at her.
“I’m alright,” Kyungsoo answered quietly. The brothers shared a look and Sehun nodded. Jongdae placed his hand on the young prince’s shoulder before instructing everyone to get moving. Everyone took turns shooting. The princess was particularly impressed by the skills of Jongdae, who managed to shoot just as well as she had yesterday. Baekhyun did better today than he had previously and the victorious grin on his face was a constant reminder. No matter how well anyone did, it was Prince Kyungsoo that had earned her full attention when he went to shoot. His stance was so stiff, yet so loose at the same time. Those big of eyes of his decreased in size as he narrowed them in attempts to see the target better. Even the small movement of his fingers pulling at the bow’s string had her complete attention. He released his arrow after what seemed like an eternity to the princess and it landed perfectly in the center of the target. His friends applauded for him, offering him nothing but praise as he returned to his place. It was because of this that a smile formed on his face. Though it was only a tiny smile, it was still a smile.
“Think you can do that, princess?” Jongin questioned as he handed the woman a bow. She took it politely and shared a smile with the man.
“You know I can,” she replied confidentially. They all knew she could after what they had witnessed yesterday. She was nervous today, though. She knew Prince Kyungsoo would be watching her every move and that had started an internal war with herself. Every insecurity she had decided to creep up on her. She released the arrow with a shaky breath, grimacing when it landed a few centimeters away from the center of the target.
“I thought you were feeling good today?” Baekhyun asked her as she returned to the group.
“I don’t feel so good anymore,” she confessed as she met his eyes.
“That’s alright. You don’t have to prove yourself to us. We know you’re the best shot here,” Jongdae assured her with a warm smile.
“And second prettiest,” Baekhyun added, wrapping his arm around her shoulders comfortingly.
“Am I the first?” Sehun asked playfully.
“No, I am,” Baekhyun told him with a smirk on his face.
The group decided to call it a day after another few rounds. They all went their separate ways, probably heading to bed for the night. It was late, after all. Sehun had been away for majority of the day to attend to his royal duties, causing a delay for their plans. The princess usually didn’t mind being out so late, but today she wanted nothing more than to disappear back to her chambers. That’s where she immediately started off too when she left the fitness hall. Her footsteps were slow and her mind was racing with worries after Prince Kyungsoo’s strange behavior that day.
Just as she made it onto the stairwell, she was stopped by someone’s hand grasping her shoulder. She turned around quickly with surprise on her face. Her eyes only grew wider when she saw Kyungsoo’s big eyes staring up at her. He seemed to have done it on impulse, as his hand retracted from her exposed skin as soon as she had turn to look at him.
“What-“ she was interrupted by the prince placing his finger against her lips. She heard voice in the hallway she had come from and instantly went silent. Once they faded away, the prince lowered his hand away from her face.
“I need to speak with you,” he told her quietly.
“You’ve been avoiding me all day,” she told him as if she thought he were lying.
“I know, and I’ll explain, but please-“
“Okay. Come to my room,” she rushed out.
“The guards will see me,” he shook his head.
“I’ll cause a diversion,” she informed him.
“Sehun will be expecting me. I told him I was preparing a snack for us,” he shook his head again. She sighed in frustration and frowned.
“Was he suspicious of you yesterday?” She asked. He nodded, a frown of his own frowning on his face.
“He was of me too,” she admitted lowly.
“The library. That’s where we’ll meet. Tonight, okay?” Kyungsoo finally suggested. It was like music to her ears. She nodded quickly and he smiled.
“I have to go before I kiss you,” she breathed out. She turned on her heels and dashed up the stairs, leaving Kyungsoo to watch her with amusement on his face.
a/n : sorry for the late upload, i don’t have any internet at home right now. i hope you all enjoy the new chapter!!
