The Spoiled Prince || WooSanSang

The Ball + First Meeting

The King and Queen of Aurora were fair in many ways. All of the castle's servants, except for the ones necessary to make the ball run smoothly, were relieved of their duties and invited to partake in the festivities. The ones who were required to work were paid handsomely for it.

So, when Yeosang came out of his room the morning of the ball, his guard was not present. He refused to feel disappointed; he could survive one day without having Wooyoung around. As usual, his first stop was the dressing room. The first thing he noticed, hanging front and centre in the room, was exactly the outfit he'd requested in the perfect shade of blue.

Later, when it was time to get dressed for the ball, the seamstress who helped him into his clothes said, "Your guard stayed with us all night to ensure that we finished in time."

"As he promised he would," Yeosang remarked, looking at himself in the mirror. Blue was the correct choice, indeed.

"Is this suitable to your taste, your highness?"

"I suppose so," Yeosang said, for there were still things he would have changed if he had the time. "You may leave me now and fetch somebody to fix my hair."

The seamstress bowed. "Yes, Your Highness."

Yeosang sat on the chair in front of his mirror and vanity, debating which style he wanted for his hair. Now that it was longer, he had so many more options.

This night was not even about him. He knew all eyes would be on the happy couple, yet he couldn't help wanting to look his best. As if he knew he was about to meet someone who would change his life.

~

In Aurora, a ball always started before the royal family arrived. However, all the dancing guests halted when the trumpet sounded, signifying the entrance of the royal family. First was the King and Queen, who walked side by side to the head of the room where their thrones sat.

Usually, Yeosang and Jongho would walk together next. Today, Yeosang walked alone. The applause for him was considerably quieter than that for his parents as he approached his usual place by the King's side. But when Jongho and Yuna entered, the sound was almost deafening. The pair smiled and waved, looking truly happy.

And then the crowd went back to their dancing and fraternizing. Jongho and Yuna did not hesitate. They danced right in the centre of the room, some patrons stopping their own dances so they could watch the royal couple.

For a few minutes, Yeosang simply watched the sea of colourful, poofy dresses and muted suits. For once, his own brother was among them. Then, he walked down the steps to join them. Plenty of female guests looked at him, eyes begging for him to ask them to dance. They must have known that Yeosang would never marry them. Could never marry them.

It was not an outright rule, but for centuries, the kings in his bloodline had only married those also of royal blood. Yeosang still danced with a few females from noble families; princesses were hard to come by.

Dancing was not Yeosang's idea of fun, yet he was good at it due to the extensive lessons he'd taken over the years. But soon he got bored. All of the girls' faces started to look the same; lips painted the same colour of red, cheeks dusted the same shade of pink.

"I am finished," Yeosang said, even though he was in the middle of a dance with the daughter of a wealthy businessman. He didn't notice the girl's look of confusion as he'd already let her go, twisting through the maze of dancers to the side of the room.

Content to watch, he picked up an appetizer from the long, overflowing table. A bite-sized cake with cream and jam on top. It was tasty enough, though he would have preferred chocolate. And the cake was too dry.