𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲•𝐣𝐢𝐡𝐚𝐧

twelve

PARTIES WERE not jisoo's cup of tea. unlike his friends who like partying their ass until it singes off, he prefers to sit on one corner until his ass is sore. have a few drinks, maybe, but that's all the fun he could have while being anti-social in a party.

plus, he will have to deal with his drunk and puking friends later, then pack up because he'd be living in the palace for a week. what a pain.

but, anyway, anything for money.

"mr. hong jisoo," minghao, the king's guard, approached jisoo unexpectedly. the latter straightened his posture and looked up at minghao with a tilted head. "the king will be present in front of you in a few minutes. please entertain him properly. stand up."

immediately, jisoo stands up. this guy is so scary! "a-alright."

"here he is." minghao tells jisoo, turning 180 degrees on his heels.

a pretty man with jaw-length hair was in jisoo's view, all of a sudden. he walks with grace, his face and body carries all the beauty. his shimmering crown was almost blinding, at the least, when accompanied with his smile. jisoo's suit looked nothing compared to what the king was wearing.

how could this man ever think of starting a war? he is pure sunshines and rainbows. jisoo had been deceived by looks. he should've agreed in the saying, 'don't judge the book by its cover.'

"good evening, hong jisoo-ssi. i see that balls and parties are not very much fun to you," jeonghan remarks, giggling. jisoo awkwardly nodded. "but, anyway, i'm here to ask you some things. my brothers; have you met them?"

"yes. they introduced themselves to me earlier." jisoo replied. can he tell jeonghan about the job that he has been given? does jeonghan even allow outsiders like jisoo to live in his grand castle?

"right. do you know anything about my childhood? specifically, anything that came out of their mouths?" jeonghan asks nicely—but it comes off a little different when you look at his rather mischievous expression. "don't be too naïve, alright? my brothers are the best jokesters in here."

no, the answer is no, right? jisoo doesn't know anything about jeonghan's childhood. anything except the memories they spent together in elementary school.  "i won't, and i don't know anything." jisoo squinted, crossing his arms. "is that all, your majesty?"

jisoo was going to break out into sweat if jeonghan keeps on asking him questions. he didn't know if he could answer them truuthfully or not! or, does jeonghan know when jisoo is lying? what if jisoo really gets exiled?! he hasn't even received his money from the lee princes yet!

the suspense builds up as jeonghan takes a deep breath, eyes widening—and then, after a breathtaking pause, he offers his gloved hand to jisoo. the king looks straight into jisoo's eyes, for the emphasis of his feelings towards the commoner. accompanied with a beautiful smile, jeonghan says, "a dance?"

me?! with all these rich and pretty people here, he chooses me?! what a joke. jisoo was blank, staring at jeonghan's hand for a given time. is this...real? it feels like an illusion!

(okay, maybe going all doki-doki for the prince is understandable.)

jisoo doesn't stare at the hand for too long. he knew that it is rude to leave the king hanging—and, the terrifying royal guard by the name of minghao was watching his every move, too. so, as soon as he got back to his senses, he takes the king's hand and nods. "one dance."

"lovely." jeonghan mumbles, majestically leading jisoo to the main hall—where bodies were dancing and laughs are roaring. some were even too close, but jisoo didn't want to address them. it would not be nice of him.

swiftly, jeonghan intertwined his hand with jisoo's, and delicately placed his other hand on his broad shoulder. jisoo carefully snaked his arm around the king's torso as well, trying not to slip-up.

and then, the music changes. such grandiose music, that it almost feels like jisoo is the heir looking for a spouse to wed in a royal ball. or maybe like cinderella, jisoo thinks.

wow. what the hell. jeonghan dances so swiftly and perfectly, poising jisoo. the younger had no idea how to dance fhe waltz properly, since he did not have an expensive education like jeonghan—yet nobody could tell that he sucked because of the way jeonghan led him into the dance.

looking into the king's eyes alone felt like jisoo was going to lose one of his shoes by the end of this evening, if you know what he means. the king was magical, loud, and proud, while jisoo is dull, unsociable and muted. getting close to such an influential person will also give jisoo the spotlight, no matter how he tries to avoid it.

jisoo did not want to be on the news.

"i have bugs in the library."

"you have insects in there?" jisoo asks, making a disgusted face. he swore he heard jeonghan snort.

"no. no. i mean, i know that you're staying in the palace to persuade me to cancel the war." jeonghan says. "i heard what you and my brothers spoke about through the... digital bugs."

jisoo feels his palms sweating. jeonghan knows. shit, what will happen now? will his reward money be gone in a snap? will jeonghan lock him away in the dungeons(that have not been used since the 1930s, but still) and execute him? will the kingdoms fall into war now, because jisoo failed?

why is jisoo always so panicky?!

"i... i want money, not war, your majesty." jisoo replied simply, avoiding eye contact. their intertwined hands were starting to feel uncomfortable. "so i accepted it."

"how much? i can give you money. when i was offering you money or any sort of reward before, you said you weren't sure. are you, hong jisoo-ssi, against me? do you despise me?" jeonghan asks, hand curling on jisoo's shoulder. it was so tight that jisoo swore he could feel his bones crushing under the king's grasp.

"actually," jisoo disparages the sharp pain on his shoulder. was jeonghan being violent? "about that reward you told me to think hardly about, i know it now. i know what i want to ask of you."

jeonghan laughs at jisoo.

what, is that too much to ask for? is that too much to ask for, when jisoo saved jeonghan from his supposed demise? what the fuck! jeonghan is messed up! what happened to the sunshine that he knew?

or, did he really know jeonghan?

"fine." jeonghan's jaw was firm, as if he hated his own words. jisoo could tell. "i don't accept your request for the reward i have promised, but i accept you into my palace. you've got one week. one week, hong jisoo-ssi, then you're out."

"i'm going to persuade you, your majesty."

"you're not."

"wow." jisoo laughed under his breath. this is going to be tough. "your duality...."

"it's not being two-faced, hong jisoo-ssi, i am sumply hiding my wrath and pain." jeonghan explained, turning around with jisoo. "anyway, hong jisoo-ssi, i must compliment your dancing. you have not stepped on my foot once."

"would i embarrass you if i stepped on your foot?" jisoo inquired, furrowing his eyebrows. "no. i would be the one who would be embarrassed."

jeonghan laughed, finally genuinely after days. jisoo was glad that the air isn't so humid anymore. "if i were to be embarrassed, i can fake-faint. do you want me to teach you how to efficiently fool others into thinking that you have passed out?"

"oh, you think fainting after getting stepped on is normal?! what the hell is that king of reasoning?!"