In the Middle of the Night [BANG CHAN FF] ✔️

1. New recruits

The month of October still had its warm and beautiful days. However, since autumn was approaching, days were getting shorter and the evening has quickly fallen. Houses, stores, and streets in the town were lit up with warm light from the street lights and oil lamps just like the castle on the hill and its premises. Fridays were always busy in the town yet this one was special: new royal army recruits will be presented to the townspeople tomorrow in the big parade and everybody was looking forward to it: merchants were eager to sell their products to the visitors who came to the capital for this occasion and children, especially boys, wanted to see new soldiers. Young girls and noblewomen were also looking forward to the parade, wishing to find potential love interests among those young men.

Behind the royal castle and tall trees stood the royal army's dormitory with its training ground. The building was lit up with large kerosene lamps and all of the army members were gathered in the large dining room. They all stood perfectly still and silent as the royal family entered the room. The old army commander led the family to the podium while talking to the king and his son, the prince. Behind them followed the queen and the princess, all of them dressed in their formal attire.

"I must say..." the commander started, "I put all my hopes in this group. They are around the age of His Highness, Prince Alec, with some of them a bit younger, but that would only mean that they're at their best age. As His Majesty is aware, a lot of our soldiers had to retire but the Academy provided us with new blood..." the commander continued to talk, the king and prince listening to him closely unlike the young princess whose blue eyes looked over the heads of young army men, her attention elsewhere. She felt a small pinch on her upper arm - it came from her mother who noticed her absent-minded stare. The queen didn't need words, just a quick look at her face was a warning to the princess to straighten up and fix her gentle smile. Her ears filled with the commander's words again and she followed what he was saying.

"In front of you I present the top eight Academy students who proved, not just with their excellent grades but with their abilities, that they surely belong to the royal army, with recruit Bang being the leader of the group as the very best in his class." commander's voice, full of pride, introduced the eight young men before them. They all bowed deeply, the princess noticed, and when they straightened up she had a good view of their young faces. Her gaze stopped at the "best in his class", a young black-haired man with a strong jawline and broad shoulders whom the commander just praised. Her smile widened just a bit and she raised her chin up as their eyes met. The soldier quickly averted his eyes back to the front which the princess found very interesting.

After a few more words from the commander about the new recruits and the king's welcome speech, the family exited the room and entered the carriage which waited for them to bring them back to the castle for dinner.

Once they've settled in the carriage, the king let out his bottled anger on the princess: "Yona! What in the world was that?"

"What?" the princess asked right after, her short answer angering her father more.

"The whole time of the welcoming you weren't attentive. What were you thinking about, exactly?" the king asked, not trying to hide his anger in the slightest.

"To answer your question, father, I was thinking about puppies," the princess replied, not even trying to be sarcastic. "Father, you know that these kinds of events are not my type of interest. The future of our kingdom and army are in my brother's concern so why should I--"

"You can at least look interested and listen to people when they're talking."

"I was. When the commander introduced the top students I heard and memorized their names. If it's of any help, I find them all interesting," she smiled through her lie. Other than their faces, she didn't remember their names, not one.

King gave up on scolding her and turned the conversation to his son, the prince, which continued all the way through dinner.

Royal army soldiers were also having dinner so the whole dining hall that was silent during the royal family visit was now filled with dozens of voices. "Can you guys believe it?!" an exciting new recruit named Han Jisung shifted everyone's attention at the table to him with his loud voice. Every one of his class friends noticed the excitement he had in his big eyes.

"What is it, Han?" his friend Lee Felix asked, spreading butter over the piece of bread.

"The rumors from the Academy were so true: Princess Yona is even more beautiful in person. Oh, I'm so glad I'm the top eight - I've got to see her up-close," he continued talking about the princess, his dinner still intact. A few minutes in Han's endless bragging about the princess were enough for his colleague Lee Minho so he nudged the loud one with his elbow. Han recognized that move and pain in his ribs as a sign to stop talking but he still squeezed in one question for a man sitting across him: "Wh-what do you think, Chan?" Han asked his colleague but he just shook his head, his mouth full of food. And it was a true gesture - top-of-his-class recruit Bang, who his close friends called Chan, didn't have any opinion on the princess or the royal family - he simply came here to show his loyalty and serve the kingdom. Yet... something in her blue eyes and in that moment their gazes met seemed pretty interesting - that was the current thought on Chan's mind as he ate the chicken drumstick that was for dinner that evening.

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Author's Note:

The names of the royals are completely random, they're not associated with any figures, as well as the kingdom which doesn't represent any real country - it's fiction. And right away I'll tell you that I won't be writing about other boys much (just mention them at times), this story will be focused on the relationship between Chan and the princess (reader).

This first chapter was supposed to be longer but after thinking about it, I'll write short chapters, easy and fast to read through.

enjoy~