Forced Crown

𝐼𝐼

Flashback

Taehyung loved going out into the town square. The shops, the hustle. And the food... Gosh, he was a sucker for food. He loved the sweet smell of the cookies, cakes and pastries. He loved the husky smell of cooked potato noodles being mixed with spicy sauce. He loved the scent of fresh fruit and vegetables, sliced freshly for courses.

His mother was holding three year old Jihoon, wearing a blue gown. She had a servant behind her for protection. Taehyung held his father's hand as they wandered around the square, receiving bows from the passing townspeople. Suddenly, his mother spoke. "I'm hungry. Is there any food nearby?" Just as Taehyung's father was going to answer, the 12 year old Taehyung spoke. "There's a noodle stand. I can ask for something non spicy." His mother nodded. "Thank you, Taehyung, dear."

With a smile, Taehyung walked over to the noodle stand, with his parents sitting at a table nearby. The stand was small, made of wood and crafted for a kitchen. The stove was made of stone, separate from the wood stand. Taehyung knocked lightly on the wood. "Anybody here?" Suddenly, a small head shot up. "Hello. Oh, Prince Kim. What would you like?" Taehyung smiled. This boy was small and scrawny, with black hair and brown eyes. But he had a shy personality, and was kind. "Hi. Are these the traditional noodles?"

The boy nodded. "Are they spicy?" The boy pondered. "Yes, but the spice is minor. I can make it with no spice and just flavor." "Then I'll have just that." The boy nodded again. "2 silvers. That's it." Taehyung handed over the money, 3 instead of two. The boy didn't notice, as he just put the money in a bowl before moving to cook the noodles.

Taehyung watched as the boy chopped the vegetables, made the sauce, and cooked the noodles to combine them into one final dish. "Here you are." The boy handed over the bowl of steaming noodles. Taehyung smiled in thanks and gave the bowl to his mom. She tried one of the noodles, exclaiming in delight. "These noodles have flavor! Who made them?" Taehyung responded happily. "The boy at the stall!" "Did you get his name, Taehyung?"

Taehyung's expression turned to a pout. "No. I'll ask, though!" Taehyung ran over to the stall and found the boy again. The boy bowed in greeting. "Hello, Prince Kim. How are the noodles?" "I got them for my mom. She was hungry, and she loved them. Thank you." The boy smiled shyly. "What's your name?" The boy looked up at Taehyung, his brown eyes shimmering. "My name is..."

Ring.

The bell up at Taehyung's bed rang, and he woke up, groaning. He rubbed his eyes, the bright sunshine of the morning nearly blinding him. He took off his shirt, throwing it on the chair nearby and walking outside on the balcony.

That memory was the first time he had met his best friend, and his first love. And he had many more, but they were forgotten once his best friend disappeared. He didn't even remember his name. The memories were hazy, blurry. They were only vivid in dreams. Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. Grabbing a loose robe and draping it over himself, he went to answer the door.

"Yes?" he asked, leaning against the door frame. The servant, a young girl, was standing there with her arms crossed. "The King requests your presence, Your Highness. And he sent me to make you look more..." She looked him up and down, seeing how he was just shirtless, in sweats, with a robe draped over himself. "Appealing." Taehyung rolled his eyes.

"Come in, then." The girl sashayed her way in, heading towards the closet. She had long curly black hair that bounced as she walked, glowing hazel eyes the color of fresh wheat, and freckles dotting her pale face. Her lips were rosy and plump, curved in a thin line as she picked out clothes.

She came out with Taehyung's uniform, a blue cloak, a red cloak, his prince crown, and black polished dress shoes. "I believe this is what you need to wear, but I can't decide which cloak would look better. You choose. Hop up, Your Highness." Taehyung smiled annoyingly, taking his uniform and shutting himself in the bathroom. While the prince was in the bathroom with himself, the servant explored the room.