Princes in Love

✾6✾

"Come on prince, you can do better than that"

Hongjoong was now twenty four. Meaning that it has been approximately ten years since he last saw half of Ateez. During those past years Hongjoong changed, he became more distant. At first he became a prisoner in his own room, keeping himself locked up for a couple of months. The maids tried giving him food but whenever they came back to grab the tray, it was left untouched, even his own mother would try to feed him, but he would only eat a few bites.

Over time he soon came out of his room. But he didn't even interact with anybody, only nodding to his parents when they tried to have a conversation with him, but when it came to the castle staff or other guest that were not is friends, he would only shrugged them off or sometimes not even acknowledge their presence.

He was no longer the playful and smiling prince everybody knew. It wasn't until his eighteenth birthday, his parents threw him a grand ball in celebration. He thought that it was just gonna be another ball just like his past birthdays ever since his friends separation. Greeting guest he's never met and will never meet again, dancing with girls and boys in hopes of gaining his attention and all that, but that was not the case.

Within the crowd of people at his party, were half of his friend group. Yunho, Yeosang, and Wooyoung got an invite to his party. He wondered how on earth they were able to be at his ball. According to them, their parents - more like their fathers- made some sort of an alliance between them.

To his surprise the three princes under went some changes in their appearance. Yunho, was now taller than the older, his features became more adorable, making him look like a giant puppy, Yeosang grew as well but not as tall as Yunho, just about at average height, his face became more statue-like, giving him a bit of a colder look. Wooyoung on the other hand, was taller than Hongjoong by atleast a couple of centimeters, he lost weight but not a lot, just enough to make his features more sharper. But what Hongjoong found more interesting was there hair color, both Yunho and Yeosang had black hair, while Wooyoung also had his hair dyed black but with streaks of blonde.

He was happy that he got to see the three princes after some time, but Hongjoong had someone else in mind that he wanted to see. And that special someone was Prince Seonghwa. When Hongjoong saw the older for the last time that day before he left along with the rest of their friends, he felt as is he lost a part of himself.

Words couldn't describe how Hongjoong missed and needed the older. He wanted to see or at most come near Seonghwa, he would often cry himself to sleep, he would write poems and create lyrics to try and express how he felt, or he would mostly just think about the older prince. Just like how he was now.

"Argh"

"Focus prince, you're blanking out again"

"Sorry Eden"

Eden, Hongjoong's personal trainer, just sighed at the prince as he knew what or who the prince was thinking about. Eden became the princes' trainer two years after the attack, the princes' father thought that it was about time his son knew how to weild a weapon. During their time of training, the trainer and student got to know each other. Which is why the older knew why the prince was acting this way.

With one last clash of their swords, the trainer decided that they were done training for the day.

"You were doing well prince, but you let your mind wandering back to him didn't you?"

"Yeah, but you know me. I can't stop myself"

"True, but that's just how we are. We always go back to the thing or person who has a special place in our heart, no matter how distracting it can be"

"Sometimes I wish that I could stop thinking about him. But knowing that forgetting a person who I used to have a connection with, go to ashes hurts me, I mean he was my bestest friend"

"You are both getting wiser and senseless at the same time"Not understanding what he meant, the prince decided to just shrug his trainer's statement, and just followed the older inside the castle.

Hongjoong was now in his bedroom, fixing his damp hair after a nice relaxing shower after his training session with Eden. Finished getting his hair tamed, his stomach wanted its dose of dinner. As if Maddox knew the prince was hungry, he entered the bedroom.

"Dinner's ready Prince Joong"

"Just in time Maddox hyung"

The prince soon caught up with Maddox, who was the prince's personal servant. Like Eden, Maddox got to know Hongjoong and that he knows about what happened ten years ago. Trying to make use of their time walking through the castle hallways, the older decided to tell the prince some news he overheard from the king.

"Your friends and their parents are coming over in two days, along with some other guests"

"Really? That's great, but why? Are they having another meeting about the farming situation in the village or the band of thieves, or perhaps getting connections with the other kingsoms for more resources?"

"I'm not sure sire, but maybe they'll speak to you about it" as they reached their destination, their conversation ended as well. Maddox opened the two grand decorated doors and bowed signalling his and the prince's arrival.

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I have my exams next week as of posting this, so I'll most likely will not be posting until exams are done.

But chapters are in the works so, as soon as exams are done (which is only two days) I'll post a chapter.

~🧡