Crowned in love and snow ӏ Yoonmin

En garde of the heart

The morning sun bathed the castle in its bright yellow hues, the hours of the early morning still too cool to combat the cold breeze that lingered from the previous night. While the crown slowly awoke from the deep sleep of winter nights, the town people's labor had long begun. The smell of fresh bread mixed with the crisp, frosty air, drifting up to the castle's grand stone walls.

Each day the layer of snow thickened, preventing the coaches to roam the roads as they would in order to distribute the weekly rations or to deliver the mountains of fabric to the tailors and dressmakers, both overwhelmed by the change in season. The ladies of the crown had already redone their closets with hoses and cloaks, leaving the rest of the townspeople to brave the cold of winter until more supplies arrived.

Grand wagons filled with wood trundled into town, a small contribution to help the people warm their houses at night as they battled the cold season. A stark contrast to the grand towers where the crown chambers resided, enjoying a warm hearth burning day and night.

Yoongi exited the cozy breakfast hall, stepping into the brisk air that swiftly reminded him that winter had come. The cold breeze and grey stone courtyard clashed sharply with the inviting atmosphere he had just left behind, where thick carpets and heavy drapes shielded him from the elements. A shiver coursed through the ravenette as he exhaled, watching his breath form visible puffs in the frigid air. He descended the stone stairway, making his way to the courtyard where his weekly fencing practice was held.

The rhythmic clash of swords echoed around him, the cold metal glinting in the early light as Hoseok, the skilled fencing instructor, sparred with an eager apprentice.

"Your highness" he greeted, bowing to Yoongi.

"Hoseok! I see you're well warmed up already"

"Unlike you, your highness. Take your sword and practice with Taehyun" stepping aside, Hoseok observed the fight, shaking his head every time the prince let his guard down, which seemed to be a regular occurrence this morning. "Taehyun, you can go now"

The boy nodded his head and promptly left. Yoongi looked at his teacher, he could see he was disappointed. The prince was known to be an agile swordsman, having been trained since his early childhood, he took pride in knowing he could defend himself against any and all attackers, he had trained with several weapons such as swords, bows and even spears.

Two years ago, after an attempt on his life in closed quarters, Yoongi had demanded to train in knife fights and better his agility and velocity. Hoseok was brought from the Kingdom of Crimsonvale to be the prince's personal training master. Along with training Yoongi in knife fights, Hoseok had also taken on the more traditional art of fighting that was fencing and dueling.

In silence, the master positioned himself in front of Yoongi.

"En garde!"

They both lifted their sword.

"Pret, allez!"

The clashing of the swords resumed, accompanied by the sound of the boots swiftly moving around the hard surface on the stoned courtyard. Hoseok was as agile as ever, executing his moves flawlessly, however, it was easy to see that today, the prince's mind was elsewhere.

After an underwhelming bout, Hoseok dismissed Yoongi, sitting on the edge of a stone border. The prince knew his performance had been poor, each move sloppy and each attack obvious, as his master pointed out throughout the bout. Sighing, he looked at Hoseok, who wore his spirited personality on his sleeve and used his prowess as a swordsman as a shield.

The first session the two had shared had gone incredibly wrong, Yoongi had judged him based off what he saw; someone that was too happy, too bright and too silly to ever be a teacher or a valued opponent. He had bluntly told Hoseok his thoughts, yet the other's big smile never faltered. Hoseok challenged him to a duel, and within seconds, had drawn first blood.