Chapter Text
Eight years had passed by and before Taehyung knew it, his official engagement ball with Eunsil was commencing. Taehyung had learnt a lot about Eunsil over the past few years. He knew that she thought the bouquets of peonies that the maids chose out as gifts from him were beautiful and that she was overjoyed at the gold jewellery that he had gotten his butler to pick out from the most expensive boutique in the kingdom. That information was more than enough. He was treating her exactly the right way a to-be fiancée should be treated. He made sure the most expensive gifts were always mailed to her residence in fancy, elaborate packaging and he sent the best doctors in the kingdom to her side whenever he caught word of her catching the seasonal flu.
He had given her everything money and power could possibly buy. This was just his duty as a husband to the future queen that would bear his heir.
Despite this, Taehyung’s feelings toward her had remained unchanged. He had not come to cherish her or reciprocate her affection towards him. Whilst she viewed this arrangement as a fairytale ending, this simply was no more than a contractual obligation signed in ink by both their fathers. It was the last of the commitments that his father had bespoken him to fulfil.
His father had now become bedbound, withering away little by little, able to utter barely a sentence. It was ironic – the man whose presence had been mountainous and fearful among all was now reduced to a small, unseemly thing, with an inhumanely pale complexion and almost appeared to be collapsing further and further into himself. The royal doctor had reported it as a rare heart disease, the type that had only been found among the poorest of commoners until now.
A commoner’s disease!
The powerful king was slowly being eaten away by a commoner’s disease.
Back when he was slightly more able-bodied and had first heard the diagnosis, he had been outraged. He had rebuked the doctor’s analysis and had demanded him to rerun the tests. The doctor had reluctantly run the test again, with the same outcome. The king, still in disbelief, made him run another test and another and then on the tenth test that came back positive with signs of the disease, he gave up. He had then turned towards ordering the doctor to provide him with the cure immediately, threatening him with revoking his doctor’s license and removing him from his post. When the doctor had bowed his head sincerely and told him that this disease was incurable, he lost his composure entirely. He had erupted into a fit of rage, swearing vile words at the doctor’s incompetence and demanded he make sure that he created a cure. Before the situation had escalated any further, Taehyung’s father had choked on his words and was coughing violently, fingers grasping thin air as if that would help him breathe. His knees had buckled and both the doctor and Taehyung were quick to catch his fall. He had been put on immediate bed rest and from that day forth, his condition had worsened day by day.
It had been two years now. His father was dying very slowly in the most painful way one could. Everyday he was growing weaker, yet he still had a long way to go before he died. He would feel the power seep from his bones and the smallest of movements would feel more laboured. Power was what made a king, but now he was only a king in title alone.
Taehyung was still a son who had yet to see his father sincerely feel proud of and congratulate him. Whilst he had always seemed to appear unfazed by his father’s disregard for him, he secretly longed for his affection, a smile, a pat on the shoulder. He had convinced himself that it was but a sign of approval he needed. A sign that he could be a suitable king. However, it was much more than that – it was a desire to feel like a human.
Perhaps putting a stamp on his engagement would finally complete the puzzle pieces, and his father would finally see him beyond a dutiful prince. Perhaps he would get to hear his father whisper his real name and not his title. Perhaps this was all but wishful thinking for someone who supposedly was immune to love.
Taehyung had grown beautifully. He was tall with a lean but toned physique from his years of horseback riding and swordsmanship – all long legs and soft, honey-kissed skin. His eyes, although large but unreadable, oozed a sultry gaze that was further accentuated by the smokey makeup his aides always insisted on applying. His hair fell in golden rivulets, framing his face like a painting that was worth bidding millions for. People from nations far and wide had heard stories of his beauty, which was revered by men and women alike.
A maid held open a burgundy, crushed velvet overcoat that Taehyung shrugged on. The piece was embroidered delicately with the finest gold silk at the lapels and beneath he wore a silk blouse tapered by a corset that highlighted the slight curve of his waist. He was adorned in layers of golden necklaces studded with rubies and dangling earrings to match. What topped the look off was the crown that followed the same gold and red theme. The crown was settled firmly in his slicked hair, almost declaring that it was meant solely for him. A spritz of bergamot and cherry fragrance to his neck and he was almost entirely ready.
He eyed himself in the full-length mirror of his room, head held high and acknowledged he looked good. Dressing up wasn’t just about enhancing one’s appearance; it was about displaying your own importance in society, and Taehyung was already very aware that he was important so he needed to look the part. He tucked a loose strand of hair back into place and tampered with the buttons on his blouse, unbuttoning them, allowing a peek of his collarbones through.
This would do, he thought.
One last breath to compose himself, and he confidently strode out through the doors of his bedroom. He walked over towards the opposite end of the corridor, to the room that currently boasted a hustle and bustle of maids flocking in and out with handfuls of rouges and cases of earrings.
When they saw Taehyung approaching, they immediately gave way, allowing him to pass by. He cocked his eyebrow at them, silently asking if they were done and they were all quick to nod their heads and bow to him. Only then did he tap his knuckles to the door, knocking for permission to come in. A soft ‘come in’ came from inside the chamber and he took this as permission to walk in.
The first thing he saw was the silhouette of the girl in front of the mirror. Her hair was pulled back into a delicate bun and the frilly dress she had on matched Taehyung’s own outfit despite its softer, less intense shade of red. Undeniably she looked gorgeous, something Taehyung knew already. This wasn’t what pleased him about her. This look symbolised their relationship. She was his queen, but he was not her king. The contrast of the softness to his boldness showed that he was the one who held all the power. What he liked about Eunsil was how docile and easy to please she was.
“You look lovely!” He smiled at her, all fakeness hidden behind the persona he so easily put on around her.
At this she blushed furiously, unable to hide the shy smile that graced her features. Stammering, she had replied with a compliment about how dashing Taehyung had looked, spending an unnecessarily long time babbling. Once she had finished, Taehyung had held out his arm for her to clasp onto. He then escorted her down the grand staircase that led them to the ballroom.
As the beautiful couple bounded down the staircase arm-in-arm, the guests, who had already filed in a while ago, eagerly gawked at them descending the stairs. A chorus of whispers resounded around the ballroom as they all made comments on the grandeur of the engagement party. The room accommodated the wealthiest socialites and businessmen in the nation, yet they were all astonished by the scale of the celebration. If this was just for the engagement announcement they, could all but wonder what the wedding ceremony would look like.
Taehyung, holding Eunsil by the waist, took to the stage, bowing in greeting to the attendees.
“Good day to everyone, I thank you greatly for coming tonight. Unfortunately, as you all know, my father is currently not in the best condition, so I shall heed his place for the night and make an announcement that truly warms my heart. I, Prince Kim Taehyung of the Vesilios Empire, have found the one whom I truly cherish and love. My adoration for this woman has far surpassed what I could have ever imagined, and that is why I have decided to marry the wonderful Lady Baek Eunsil. In celebration of our soon-to-be union, I have arranged this ball and I hope that you can all find joy in the joining of our hands.” He makes a show of bringing Eunsil’s hand closer to him and stroking her palm in encouragement. “I hope all of you feel free to enjoy this splendid night.”
With that, Taehyung gives the crowd a dazzling grin and then leans forward, kissing the back of his fiancée’s hand. The crowd erupts into whoops and cheers as the two of them saunter off the stage and towards the floor.
Soon the room was abuzz with drunken chatter and people prancing around. The smell of champagne and expensive perfumes intertwined, overbearing, almost leaving Taehyung with a headache. Currently, he was holding Eunsil by the small of her back, her hands on his shoulders, twirling along with the jazzy music. The pace of the music grew more intense and so did their steps. At some point, Taehyung lost his footing and stumbled backward into another pair who were swaying to the music. Before he tumbled to the ground, the muscled torso and strong arms of the male surrounded his frame, holding him up. He could smell a faint, almost natural smell of musk and sandalwood on the man, which felt refreshing amongst the strong ambers and vanillas the other guests wore.
“Careful there, Little Prince.” Spoken in barely a whisper, just so Taehyung could hear. His voice was rough at the edges and his breath felt hot on his skin, leaving a prickling sensation behind.
Taehyung, dumbfounded, briefly looked up and was met with round dark eyes. Dark eyes full of malice, but they shone with a playful glint.
Before he knew it, he was being twirled around again, straight back into Eunsil’s arms. He was quick to veer his head to the side and try to catch another look at the stranger, but he had already started walking away. All he caught was the trail of his black cloak and the slight clinking of the silver jewellery he was adorned in.
Taehyung had apologetically told Eunsil that he was starting to feel parched from all the dancing and was going to go and get a drink. He started to hurriedly follow the boy with the dark eyes. He tried to push past all the people flailing around, drunk on expensive liquor, but at some point he had been unable to pass through, leaving the man dressed in pitch-black velvet to disappear into the crowd.
Only then did Taehyung question what that person had called him. Little Prince. How dare he! Who did he think he was? The unnecessary adjective had a patronising, condescending tone towards it. Taehyung would make sure that the next time he encountered this man, he would have respect for his title drilled into him, whether he had to force it out of him or not. He scoffed slightly, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
Who was he anyway? Taehyung had only invited the most astounding figures in their society, so why did he not recognise this man? Surely, he should have recognised him by some sort of notable accomplishment or generational wealth that had been passed down. But no, Taehyung was drawing a blank. His endless research into the elite upper class of his kingdom had no arrows pointing towards this guy, leaving Taehyung all the more stumped. An unknown seriously had the nerve to speak down to him! What a pity Taehyung wasn’t very forgiving.
He swore he would find out who this man was and bring him down a peg or two. He would stop at no means. Of course it was because he wanted to see the man bow down to him and not because he was curious about what lay beyond those pools of darkness in his rounded eyes.
Tonight had marked not just the start of his engagement but the start of his hunt.