Crowned Prince [bts ff]

i

Clutching the ends of her skirt, Haru raced down the dirt street, followed closely behind by her friend, Sooah.

Haru stopped abruptly to take in the view of the marketplace.

The lively marketplace bustled with people from all classes.

A group of yangban women wearing long, bright colored chima with black jeogori lined with gold and silver walked past Haru. Their hair was pinned up elegantly, not a single loose strand.

Behind them was a group of cheonmin men, creepily following the group of yangban women, half drunk.

Disgusted, Haru turned away from them to face her friend. Sooah leaned on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Haru grasped her hand, dragging her friend through the crowd of people.

There were more people than usual at the marketplace, which didn't surprise Haru at all.

It was the day where the king, Taejo of Goryeo, made his annual visits to every city in the country.

This year, in its rarity, the youngest prince of the royal family was allowed to come along with his father, which brought even more people.

Haru had never personally encountered the third prince, but had overheard local farmers talking about the prince before.

The prince was around Haru's age and was definitely "pleasing to the eye," as Sooah's sister said. Haru also heard he was talented in many things which was also part of the reason why he was very popular among the yangban ladies.

"Is it time?" Haru asked Sooah impatiently, looking around.

The citizens from all social classes were lined at the sides of the main road between the rows of market, anticipating for the king's arrival.

"It should be," Sooah responded.

"Hopefully Taejo remembered to visit Daegu this year," Haru sighed, taking another look down the dirt road.

Sooah ignored her complaint, jumping up and down in excitement. "Well, I don't know about you, I'm so excited! I can finally see the Third Prince! He's never gone outside the Goryeo Palace... And after all these years, I finally get the chance to see him..."

Haru rolled her eyes at her friend's ramble. What's so great about the princes?

Last year, when Taejo of Goryeo was visiting Daegu, he had brought the First Prince and the Second Prince with him. Haru thought they were too arrogant and conceited to give them the slightest interest. They always pushed past citizens and never apologized, as if they could because they were princes.

Also, Haru couldn't forget the time when the princes had taken precious items from her family's market stand. Another word for this was stealing.

What's the point in being born to the king, when you won't act like a prince? Why is everyone so obsessed wi-

A deafening cheer erupted from the crowd interrupted Haru's thoughts, making her head snap up.

There, in the center of the road, was Taejo of Goreyo, elegantly click-clacking down the dirt road on his horse.

He had the finest arrangement of clothing, glistening under the sunlight.

Following closely behind Taejo Daewang, was the Third Prince. In Haru's mind, his smile looked less conceited than his brothers'. The prince kept his expression modest and didn't show any hint of arrogance.

Haru couldn't deny it, he was "pleasing to the eyes." The white horse he rode made his face even more regal and handsome.

While Sooah fainted beside her, Haru trailed the prince down the dirt path with her eyes.

He stared straight down the road he was riding through, not even giving the slightest interest to his citizens.

"How aren't you fainting? He's beautiful!" Sooah yelled over the crowd's cheering.

"I... I don't know. I mean, I guess he looks less conceited than his brothers..." Haru trailed off.

The girl watched as the prince hopped off his steed, smiling and waving his hands at the citizens.

Hm.. At least now he's giving the citizens interest.

"Do you happen to know his name?" Haru asked.

"Jungkook," an old farmer standing next to them answered for Sooah.

"Well, Gwangjong actually. Jungkook is his birth name. It's rare for sangmin like us to call him by his birth name. Majority of the population calls him by his royal name," Sooah added. The old man didn't pleased to be corrected by a younger citizen.

"I suppose so... Anyways, I can you have been keeping an eye of the Third Prince. Many of the citizens here today are here to do that, too. I think we can all agree that the First and Second Prince aren't quite the candidates for Taejo's successor, now are they?" The old man joked.

Aside from the joke, Haru agreed with the old man.

After observing the two older princes, Haru wasn't so excited about imagining who Taejo's successor would be.

It was usually the oldest prince to be the successor, but the king could always appoint his younger sons to his successor. After his last visit, Haru despised the First Prince.

"I think Price Gwangjong would be a great successor..." Sooah said dreamily, looking up at the sky.

Haru rolled her eyes, embarrassed of her friend.

But then again, would Jungkoo- Gwangjong make a good king?

Footnote:

Goryeo: 5th dynasty of Ancient Korea

Taejo: Creator of the Goryeo Dynasty

wangjok: the royal family; related to the king

yangban: nobles

chungin: artisans, middle class men with skills (reading, writing, artistic abilities)

sangmin: farmers or peasants

cheonmin: lowest class of Goryeo society; poor beggars, sinners, exiles

Goryeo Palace: Palace in which the king of Goryeo lives