diadem | hyunho

1. the bitchass prince

MINHO:

"We have some important visitors, Minho. Be on your best behavior," my mother says with her arms crossed as I get back inside the palace after archery practice. It was something I liked to pass time with whenever I got free time, which has been reducing as more and more royal duties pile up on me ahead of the coronation.

"When am I not?" I say in a teasing manner, earning a playful twist of my ear.

"Go get changed into something proper," she says, pushing me out of the room. I ask one of the maids to get me a fresh robe as I head to the kitchen to have some water. Unexpectedly, I bump into someone, followed by a crashing sound.

"What the hell? Watch where you're going!" The voice says. I turn and find myself face to face with a slightly taller guy with long black hair and a broad back, who was currently fuming at me. Only then do I notice his phone on the ground.

"My apologies, I should have watched my way," I say, slightly dipping my head and going to pick up the phone which thankfully did not get damaged. I wasn't exactly sorry considering the guy's attitude, but I had an "image" to maintain.

"Yeah, whatever," he responds, rolling his eyes. Who even is he, anyways?

"I'm sorry, who are you?" I ask him.

"You don't know me?" He says incredulously, pointing at himself to make sure that I didn't know him.

"The recognition on my face says otherwise," I reply with a straight face. "I think the better question would be, do you know who I am?" I knew I was getting on his nerves and I enjoyed it.

He thinks for a few seconds. "Not someone important, anyways," he says, rolling his eyes.

"Be careful, your eyes may permanently roll to the back of your head from the number of times you do it."

"Who do you even think you are to be talking to me like that?"

"I don't know, maybe the soon-to-be king?" I say smugly. He looks at me in disbelief.

"What-"

"Your highnesses, the king requests your presence at his chambers," a maid says, walking up to both of us. We look at each other for a moment before moving, with me leading the way.

I push open the door, revealing my parents standing with another family which I could only recognize half of. I knew the important people, at least. These must be the visitors Mom was talking about.

"King Hwang, it's such an honor to meet you," I extend my hand to the man with dark grey hair and thin-rimmed old fashioned spectacles. He looked just like a villain out of a Disney movie, but in person.

"Likewise. I see that you've been acquainted with my son already?" He says, motioning to the tall guy next to me. So he was the King Hwang's son.

"I wouldn't say acquainted. We don't even know each other's names," he mumbles.

"Very well then. Hyunjin, this is Minho, King Lee's son. Minho, this is my son Hyunjin. There!" I don't know if this old man thought he was running a comedy show, but I liked him better than the other kings I've met. He didn't seem to be as uptight as he appeared.

"So, you both obviously know about our kingdom merger, right? There are some...special requirements for that to happen," Dad starts and I get a feeling I know where this is going. Nevertheless, I shut up and listen, dreading to hear those words if what I thought was true.

"You both will have to get married."

I close my eyes and deeply inhale, before letting out a sigh. I had expected my marriage to come along anytime now since it is required for me to succeed him and become king, but my first impression of the boy who I now knew as Hyunjin was already off to a bad start. Said boy, on the other hand, didn't seem to have been prepared for this moment.