SKZ Writing prompts

Prince Charming - Hyunho

What makes a great manipulator?
~Charm~

~

Lee Know stalked into the Great Hall of the Hwang Palace, scanning the large space that he had just graced with his presence. Tilting his chin upward, his gaze landed on a platform hovering over the entire room. A person atop that platform would have a full view of the room, in a 360 angle.

The Crown Prince was nowhere in sight. Smart. The clever man was probably observing the guests from afar, not at the center of attention. If the prince was sharp, he would've already noticed Lee Know's keen interest in the platform. 

Mildly frustrated by the lack of the prince's presence, Lee Know stalked about, eventually reaching the side of an attractive woman. She held herself well, probably a woman of stature. Her gaze was captivating, her breathtaking sky blue eyes reflecting the light illuminating the Great Hall. Her noticeable freckles highlighted her features and Lee Know found himself admiring her for not covering them. Her dress was adorned with opulent jewels, decorated with the purposing of dazzling males.

Lee Know smirked, tapping her shoulder lightly. Her attention was drawn to him and instantly, her focused stare softened with an emotion Lee Know had no business interpreting.

He swept into a bow, "What a pleasure to meet you, fine lady."

The lady was hardly younger than him, by a mere year or two. When he resurfaced from the bow, she dipped into a slight curtsey, mirroring his gesture. "A pleasure to meet you as well. My name is Leep Feather, what of yours?"

"Lee Know, nice to meet you, Le- how's that spelt? L-E-A-P?" Lee Know cut himself off to question. Feather's smile broke from it's restrained tightness and bloomed into a grin.

"L-E-E-P, Lee Know. I shall assume your name is the usual spelling?"

Lee Know mirrored her grin, "Quite so, Miss Feather," his attention got diverted as the throng of guests around them began to turn their gazes skyward. Feather followed his gaze and fixed her stare on the platform. 

See, the platform was constructed with glass, so it wasn't a difficult task to make out the prince himself. 

Feather whispered in reverence, "He's so majestic in real life..."

Lee Know held back a snort as he noticed her expression shift to one of total adoration out of the corner of his eyes. 'Women will be women, especially with such a charming face to glimpse.' 

But charm was a dangerous asset to play around with.

He made his way further from Leep Feather and hid amongst the shadows in a far corner. The platform was low enough for the Lee Know to notice the prince trailing his location, faintly. Did he notice something amiss with Lee Know? Did it unsettle him? Good.

A smile, lacking joy, carved his mouth delicately.

The prince now spoke, voice strained, to accommodate the spacious area (or was it an emotion akin to...fear?), "Welcome, all esteemed guests, to this event. There is no particular reason, except for the fact that I wish for us all to have fun and interact with one another! Let this night be unrestrained and full of fun!" 

Cheers erupted from the guests, glasses raised and clinking noises drowned out the cheers. The prince smiled down at the people, his smile reaching his eyes. But there was some apprehension in his eyes as he gazed around as if searching for someone to pinpoint his attention on. 

Lee Know stepped out of the shadows surreptitiously, raising his eyebrows in surprise as the prince's stare shot straight to him. Lee Know smiled predatorily. He was definitely unsettled. A flash of fear darted in the fleeting gaze of the Crown Prince and he retreated, talking to his bodyguard.