Prince Nothing - .WOOSAN.

.TWO.

I coughed, powder being forced up my nose as Hongjoong relentlessly beat makeup to my pale cheeks, trying desperately to cover up my beauty mark. He had been at this for almost an hour, trying to balance the product to make my face look oddly like a masterpiece. My face felt heavy, and from what I could see through the mirror, Seungmin was making me as pale as a ghost.

The festivities of yesterday had ended with nothing major happening, just normal family banter, and a couple new rumors. Everyone was happy to hear that their prince was soon to meet his wife, giving me happy looks and cheers, but almost everyone refused to look me in the eyes. I had asked my mother at one point why everyone seemed so distant, and she had told me that they were afraid of me.

Everyone thought I had the voice of someone bound to be cruel. There was no way that could be true.

"How much longer?" I whined, cringing as Hongjoong gently applied lip gloss to my small lips. Each time people outside our kingdom arrived, I was dolled up and showed up as if I was a precious specimen other than a young boy. They even covered my beauty marks because they "showed that I had weak skin".

Hongjoong smiled, "Are you that eager to get out there?" He gestured to the door where I could hear the conversations of strangers leak through the hinges, "Because earlier you told me that you'd rather jump out of your window on the fourth floor."

I was going to meet someone my family was going to make me marry, so I had complete reason to dread going to this party. She would be here, along with her family. I'm pretty sure anyone in their right mind would be scared to the point of death. This was torture.

"Well, I'm not down there yet." I pulled away from Hongjoong's hands as they fixed my hair, "Do you think I might have time?"

Hongjoong chuckled, "Over my dead body." He whispered.

"Ok!" My smile brightened as I leaned forward, pinching his cheek and winking, "But then you'll have to be the one that jumps first." It didn't seem like such a bad idea. Me landing on Hongjoong would be like his final morbid attempt to take care of me, cushioning my fall with his crushed and bloody body.

My body would fall on his with a crack, not just the crack of my bones, but his as well, and maybe the thing that killed me wouldn't be the drop, but his sturdy bones being pushed into my weak skin. My body shivered at the thought. I knew that this was just a joke between two friends, but something about it seemed to pull me in.

Maybe my family's judgment was right. Maybe my demeanor wasn't my only threatening feature. Maybe my mind was too.

Hongjoong grabbed my arm, tugging me and forcing me to stand, "You look stunning Woo." He whispered, a smile wider than I could ever imagine.

But all I was wearing was a pair of dress pants and a grey dress shirt with crimson red designs. I guess he probably did some work with my makeup as well, but there was no reason for him to be looking at me like that.

I rolled my eyes, "You're just saying that."

"No."

My eyes widened, and I noticed Hongjoong's eyes begin to grow water as he looked at me, "Wooyoung, I mean it." His voice was quivering, and he walked forward slowly, embracing me tightly and burying his face in my neck, "You are the most stunning person I've ever laid my eyes on. Just being in your presence is the greatest gift I have been given, and the fact that I'm blessed enough to be considered one of your friends... I'd give anything to stay by your side forever."

I hesitated, slowly hugging him back, "And you will always be beside me." I tried to comfort him. Hongjoong was never like this.

"Woo, you-" He faltered, stepping away and shaking his head, "You're engaged now."

He wasn't making any sense, "And what does that have to do with us?"

Hongjoong just looked to the ground, letting out a tired laugh as he rubbed his face, "I'm pathetic." He mumbled, then looked back up to me, "I'm going to resign soon."

I stepped forward, a ball of anxiety forming in me faster than when I was told the Bang family had arrived, "What are you saying?" I cupped his head in my hand, off-put by the major change in the mood.

He turned away again, starting to walk towards my door, "I can talk more later." He mumbled, putting on a face of fake excitement, his tears seeming to dissolve into thin air, "You have new family to meet." He added in a plain tone as he opened the door, bright light and voices overloading my senses.

There's no way I could do this now.

I crept out slowly, watching Hongjoong instead of focusing on the environment around me. Anxiety was ripping me part, and all I wanted to do was talk to him, work out whatever was going on, but instead I was pushed out into the sea of people dancing and laughing.

But much like Hongjoong, I knew how to put a fake face on.

And now was that time.

I walked through the corridor stealthily, trying to stay on the outskirts of the ballroom as the people around me babbled on and on about nothing in particular. Compared to yesterday, this party would end up even more intense. Yesterday I had been able to sneak back to my room after around two hours of a weak excuse of conversations. That was only a family event, but this was the real deal.

Half the people that surrounded me were high ranked members of the Choi Dynasty.

Hongjoong grabbed my hand from behind, pulling me back and forcing me to face him rather roughly, "Wooyoung, Haneul and the rest of her family are waiting for you at your throne." He whispered, pointing to a group of people wearing fancy clothing, and coy girl standing in the front.

That must be Haneul.

"What would I do once I arrived?" I wasn't good at talking with people I didn't know, plus I was already not in the right state of mind for something like this. I recognized none of the faces here, and my eyes wandered around the vicinity close to them, looking for Haneul's eldest son, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Had something happened to San?

Hongjoong sighed, "I don't know. Just introduce yourself." He gave me an odd look, and for a moment I thought he was about to cry again, but then he chuckled,

"And don't forget to smile."