Chapter Text
Felix inhaled sharply, his face blank as he stared at his father. He should have foreseen this. His hands balled into fists and he exhaled as his heart raced in his chest. There was no use in arguing about this, he knew that he had a duty to the kingdom and he had to follow his father’s decisions.
“When do they arrive?” he asked, his voice trembling.
“In a couple of days,” his father replied, the tone of his voice so cold it made Felix flinch. “When they arrive, we’ll have your engagement celebrations and start planning the wedding.”
“I see,” Felix said, trying his best to keep his voice steady. His mouth felt dry and his chest tight. “What’s… What’s their name?”
“His name is Dongyul. He’s the youngest prince of the west and around your age,” his father said plainly and Felix nodded, unable to find the right words to use. “I have discussed this with the council and we have agreed that he’s a good match for you.”
Felix nodded again, his head low.
“You must understand that this union would be invaluable for us,” his father said.
Felix pressed his lips together, not replying. He could hear the heavy sigh that fell from his father’s lips and guilt was starting to build up in his gut. He shouldn’t be acting so selfish right now. He knew how powerful the kingdom in the west was; a union between him and a prince of the west would be a great opportunity. It would protect his people.
But…
“What if I don’t want to?” Felix asked, his voice wavering and he hesitated before looking up to meet his father’s gaze.
The moment they locked eyes, Felix regretted his decision.
His father was staring at him with empty eyes, his facial muscles tense. Felix’s heart was beginning to race in his chest and he took a shuddering breath.
“You are to get married with Prince Dongyul,” his father said, voice so harsh Felix flinched. “This is not something I’m willing to discuss with you, Felix.”
So you don’t care about me, was what Felix wanted to say. But the words remained unspoken and he simply nodded. His chest felt tight and he had to focus on just breathing. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to be anywhere but here. He stared down at his feet, waiting for his father to speak.
“You are dismissed,” was all his father said.
Felix’s heart dropped like a stone. He took a deep breath and met his father’s eyes.
“You’ve changed,” he said, his voice trembling. “Ever since mother died.”
“Felix,” his father warned.
“I’ll marry Prince Dongyul,” Felix said, his voice cracking just the slightest. “But know that not even your son can recognize you anymore.” He turned around and began to leave, his steps quick. When he reached the door, he paused and turned back to look at his father. “You’re no longer the man who raised me.” He swallowed hard. “Maybe he died when my mother did.”
He slammed the door behind him.
Felix’s chest felt tight and he knew he was going to break down into tears at any moment. His footsteps echoed down the marbled hallway as he rushed towards his room. Tears were stinging in his eyes but he forced himself to keep his head high. He was the prince and he would not let himself be overwhelmed.
“Your highness,” Jeongin, one of the servants, greeted as Felix approached. As he stopped, he dusted his hands off on the dark gray apron he was wearing over his uniform, leaving faint flour marks. He shook his head a bit to get his black, curly bangs out of his face. “Are-” He glanced around the hallway. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” Felix said, his voice cracking. Jeongin didn’t comment on it and for that, Felix was thankful. “Would you call Chan for me, please?” he asked, doing his best to keep his voice stable.
“Of course,” Jeongin said, bowing his head to Felix before scurrying down the hallway.
Felix watched Jeongin’s back for a moment before he swallowed hard and turned to continue making his way to his room.
His room was neat, just as he had left it, but instead of feeling like his safe place, he felt trapped the second the door closed behind him. With his back pressed to the door, he let out a shaky breath and blinked, trying to get rid of the tears.
This wasn’t happening. He wanted it all to be a dream. Just a bad dream.
As the tears began to roll down his cheeks, he cursed himself for even thinking something so stupid. Of course this would happen. His parents had been the lucky few to be able to marry out of love. He wasn’t going to be that fortunate.
He took a deep breath and walked over to the window.
Tears were blurring his vision and he violently rubbed his eyes to get rid of them. He knew his eyes would get red and swollen, but in this very moment he didn’t care. He wasn’t planning on attending the dinner tonight anyway. He needed to gather his thoughts.
“What do I do?” he asked no one in particular, staring up into the sky. Night had since long fallen and the sky was dark, mostly clear with a few clouds lazily drifting in front of the stars and the crescent moon. His eyes wandered over the stars, studying the constellations closely and his heart ached in his chest. “What do I do?”
He stared at the sky for a moment before he took a deep breath. He turned back to his wardrobe, unbuttoning the front of his white and silver embroidered jacket. He felt trapped in the tight and regal clothing. He needed to change into something else.
As he changed into his sleeping attire, his mind kept drifting back to what his father had said. You’re engaged. Each time the thought returned, he had to pause and he took a deep breath, blinking the tears out of his eyes before he could continue.
The soft, almost see through fabric of his night shirt made it easier to breathe. He felt a bit better as he returned to the windowsill. He leaned his elbows against the cool stone, his eyes returning to observe the constellations in the dark sky.
The knock on his door snapped him out of his daze and he spun around, eyes wide. He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly tightening up and it made it difficult for him to speak.
“Your highness?” Chan asked from the other side. “May I enter?”
Felix took a deep breath, trying to speak again but he couldn’t get a word past his lips.
“Your highness?” Chan repeated, his voice louder this time. He sounded worried.
“You may enter,” Felix called out, choking on his words as a small sob slipped past his lips.
There was a pause before the door creaked open and Chan entered the room. He was dressed down in only a dark linen shirt and his usual leather bracers and gloves; clearly he was off duty when Felix had asked for him. His dark grayish blond hair was messy, as if he had ran to Felix’s room.
Felix’s hand came up to grasp at the fabric over his chest and another sob bubbled up to the surface. He lowered his head, more tears welling up in his eyes.
“Lix?” Chan asked, his voice soft and while it should have been comforting, it only made Felix’s heart hurt more. He could hear Chan step closer, his footsteps soft against the cold floor. “What happened?”
“I-” Felix took a deep breath and looked up to meet Chan’s worried, bright blue eyes. “I’m engaged.”
The silence that followed was deafening. Chan just stared at Felix as he took it in and as the words had left his lips, the reality came crashing down on Felix. He felt his knees buckle under him but before he could react, Chan had grabbed a hold of him to keep him from falling to the floor.
“I’m engaged,” Felix repeated, his words coming out stuttering and broken. Chan wrapped his arms around him, still remaining silent as Felix clung onto the front of his shirt. “I’m engaged to someone I don’t know,” he whispered, blinking more tears out of his eyes. Chan’s hands brushed up and down his back, offering him some comfort.
Chan held onto Felix, rubbing Felix’s back. “It will be okay,” he whispered in Felix’s ear. “You’ll be okay, I promise.”
“I don’t know what to do,” Felix replied, holding onto Chan’s shirt as if his life depended on it. “I don’t know what to do.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Chan said, his voice coming out unexpectedly strong and Felix pulled back, sniffling as he locked eyes with Chan. “I’ll be right here, right beside you,” he said, something sparking inside his eyes. He carefully took Felix’s face in his hands, drying the tears off his cheeks. “I’ll remain beside you, every step on the way.”
“P-promise?” Felix asked, voice cracking and he inhaled sharply.
Chan nodded, leaning closer to rest his forehead against Felix’s. “I promise,” he said, his breath puffing against Felix’s face. Felix’s chest tightened and he hiccuped. “You got a dragon’s promise on that, your highness.”
Through the tears, a laugh bubbled in his chest and he pulled back from Chan, slapping his chest. “I told you not to call me that,” he said, drying his eyes violently.
“Hey,” Chan said, fondness lacing his tone and he grabbed onto Felix’s wrists, prying them away from his face. “Don’t rub your eyes, they’ll end up red and puffy.”
Felix sniffled but nodded. His hands dropped to his side and his shoulders slumped.
“I’m scared,” he confessed, averting his eyes. “I’m- I don’t know what to- What do I do?”
Chan took a deep breath, shoulders dropping as well before he ran a hand through his dark gray hair. “I guess I can’t persuade you to run away with me, can I?” he asked, coy smile stretching on his lips.
“I can’t just abandon my duties like that,” Felix protested, ignoring the way his heart fluttered in his chest. “I have to stay here.”
“I know,” Chan said, face falling for a second before he offered Felix a tight lipped smile. “I guess there’s not much to do but wait and see.”
“But-”
“You don’t know anything about your fiancé, right?” Felix shook his head, lips pressed together. “Then we can’t do much but wait and see.”
Felix nodded, taking a deep breath. He didn’t know what to say. Chan smiled softly, in that way that always made Felix feel like everything would be alright. He reached out to brush some of Felix’s bright silver hair away from his forehead.
“I’m tired,” he whispered and Chan chuckled, his fingers dancing over Felix’s cheek before he pulled it back.
“You should go to sleep,” Chan said, the smile never leaving his lips. “It’s late anyway.”
Felix nodded, licking his dry lips and he swallowed hard before speaking again. “Would you stay?” he asked. “Just… just until I fall asleep.” He looked down at the floor, feeling his ears heat up. “I know it’s stupid and I shouldn’t but-”
“I’ll stay,” Chan said and Felix snapped his head up, eyes wide. “Remember when we were younger? I promised to protect you from bad dreams, didn’t I?”
“You did,” Felix said, his heart fluttering as Chan took his hand and led him towards the bed.
As Felix climbed under the covers, Chan began to remove his gloves. He placed them on the bedside table and sat down on the side of the bed, the mattress creaking under his weight. Felix reached out to take Chan’s hand. He held onto Chan’s warm hand for a moment, stroking his thumb over the dark gray scales that adorned the back of Chan’s hand.
“Go to sleep, little prince,” Chan said and Felix pouted.
“Don’t call me that,” he said, falling back into the soft pillows. Chan only smiled at him, reaching out to stroke the bridge of Felix’s nose, causing Felix’s eyelids to flutter. “Please don’t leave,” he whispered. “I don’t want to be alone.”
“I won’t leave,” Chan said. “I’ll be right here.”
Felix nodded, remaining silent as his eyelids were growing heavier and he could feel the exhaustion settle in his bones. He was really tired and he just wanted to sleep. Sleep wouldn’t change anything, but he wanted some rest; a quiet moment of peace to just rest.
“You can fall asleep,” Chan whispered, and his quiet words were the last thing that Felix heard before darkness finally claimed him, the claws of sleep dragging him into a dreamless and peaceful slumber.
When he awoke the next morning, his bedside was empty and his chest felt oddly heavy.
The days leading up to the arrival of his fiancé were nerve-racking and Felix spent most of that time trying to distract himself. He took long walks through the gardens, spent much time in the library reading and studying. Anything that could provide him a good distraction from thinking about what was to come.
He was sitting by the knights’ practice area, watching the young knights in training. It had been a good excuse to get out of the castle and a reason to see Chan. His father wasn’t overly fond of Felix’s attachment to the dragonguard, but Felix’s mother had adored Chan so Felix suspected that his father just didn’t mention it because of his late wife.
Chan was training with one of the other knights, one of the humans, and Felix kept his eyes focused on the practice fight, watching their every move with sharp eyes. He watched every move, trying his best to memorize it in an attempt to keep his mind occupied. He tugged at the sleeves of his linen shirt, the fabric course against his fingertips. The attire was very casual compared to what he usually wore but he preferred this over his usual white jacket with silver embroideries.
“My prince,” Jisung, one of the other dragonguards, said as he sat down beside Felix on the stone bench. “You look rather gloom today.”
Felix snorted and a smile stretched on Jisung’s lips.
“Sorry, that was a bad attempt at making you smile,” he said, running a hand through his hair. The light blond parts of his bangs seemed to have gotten even paler since last they had spoken. Not a lot of time had passed, but last time there had been a bit more yellow in Jisung’s hair, now replaced with almost white hair.
“I appreciate it though,” Felix said, shoulders relaxing a bit and he turned back to look toward the training ground. “I cannot do much to change the tapestry of fate.” He paused, glancing to Jisung. Jisung looked very sceptical, an eyebrow raised but he didn’t comment on anything. “We’re a small kingdom.”
“That we are.”
“We need strong allies.”
“True.”
“My-” Felix licked his lips. “My fiancé,” the word was sour in his mouth, “is the fifth prince of the west. The union is very valuable to the kingdom.”
“It is,” Jisung agreed. He wasn’t looking at Felix anymore, his attention turned to the training grounds below. “But humor me,” he said, lowering his voice a bit. His eyes lingered at the training grounds for a moment before shifting back to Felix. It was as if his yellow eyes were piercing through Felix’s soul. “If you were to decide for yourself, and not because it’s for the best of the country, would you accept the engagement?”
“You’re on thin ice, sir knight,” Felix said, unable to hold back a smile and Jisung chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re lucky you’re my friend.”
“Incredibly lucky,” Jisung agreed, his grin only growing wider when Felix playfully shoved his shoulder.
Then his expression grew serious, his eyes wandering the surroundings.
“No.”
“No what?”
“If it wasn’t for the kingdom, I wouldn’t accept the engagement,” Felix whispered, lowering his head. “I don’t know this prince. I don’t know what he’s like and I’m… I’m scared of the future.”
Jisung opened his mouth to speak, then promptly closed it again.
“Your highness,” a soft voice said, breaking up the conversation and the two of them turned to see Seungmin approach. He was dressed in the uniform of the servants, white shirt and checkered pants, and he offered Felix a gentle smile. His appearance was neat, his brown hair brushed to the side and away from his forehead, but there was something in his eyes. He looked almost nervous or unsettled. Whatever it was, the look in his eyes told Felix that he wasn’t going to like the news. “Your fiancé will be here shortly.”
Felix swallowed hard, his throat suddenly closing up and he couldn’t do anything but nod. He stood up and dusted off his shirt, tight smile on his lips as he gave Seungmin another nod.
“We better go and prepare then,” he said softly, glancing at Jisung and Seungmin nodded. Jisung’s expression was serious as he stood up.
“I’ll notify the rest of the guards,” he said before leaving Felix alone with Seungmin. Seungmin smiled, a tightlipped and almost sad smile before he took a step to the side, letting Felix walk past him.
As they began to walk, Felix paused for a second and looked towards the practice area. Chan and the other knight had finished. The other knight was heading towards the barracks, but Chan remained and he looked in Felix’s direction. Felix watched as Jisung walked up to Chan, informing him of what was to come. The distance between them was too great and Felix couldn’t make out Chan’s expression as he turned to look at Felix again.
“Your highness?” Seungmin asked and Felix blinked. “We should be getting you ready.”
“You’re right,” Felix said, his jaw tense and he straightened his back. “Let’s go,” he said, willing his voice to stay as even as possible.
The gravel creaked quietly under his boots as he walked, but the sound seemed to echo in Felix’s ears as he walked up towards the castle, towards a very uncertain future.
When Felix entered the throne room he was surrounded by dragonguards. Chan was walking beside him, wearing the more decorative armor with imitation of dragon scales on his shoulders. On Felix’s other side was Jisung, adorning a decorative version of his usual attire. The same applied to Changbin who was walking immediately behind him.
As they reached the end of the throne room and settled beside Felix’s father, Felix let out a shaky breath. He glanced down at himself, adjusting the deep purple sash to make sure it was in perfect place. The dark color contrasted with the rest of his white and silver attire. With trembling hands, he brushed his hair to the side.
“Stop fiddling, your highness,” Chan whispered, leaning a bit closer to Felix.
“I’m trying my best,” Felix said, taking a deep breath and he looked over the room.
They weren’t alone in the room. The members of the council were present, talking among each other as they waited. Their focus was mostly turned towards Felix and his father, their gazes flickering between Felix and the door. Felix’s chest felt tight, as if he couldn’t breathe and he had to take a moment to just force himself. He felt so small in front of everyone and his heart was hammering against his ribcage.
As the door leading into the room opened, Felix jumped in surprise and he wanted nothing more than to hide. He blinked a couple of times, feeling tears beginning to well up as their guests arrived.
They were a group of around fifteen people, most of them dressed in armor and half-capes. In the front of the group was an older woman and a man. The woman had her blonde hair pulled into neat braids and wore a leather armor with a yellow cloak over. Maybe she was the man’s personal guard, just like Chan was to Felix. The man on the other hand appeared to be around Felix’s age or maybe a bit older, dressed in fine silks and elegant embroidered fabric. The jacket he wore was a lush green while the cloak pulled over was a darker, duller green. He wore a charming smile as he looked around the room, the smile stretching further on his lips as he met Felix’s gaze.
Felix’s stomach churned.
“Your majesty,” the man said as he bowed. “It’s an honor to be here.” He turned his attention to Felix, the smile still on his lips. “You must be Prince Felix.”
“Yes,” Felix said, taking a step forward and away from the three dragons. “I’d assume you’re Prince Dongyul,” he said, his voice just a bit dry as he held out his hand. His stomach twisted and he forced a smile when Dongyul pressed his lips against his fingers.
“That would be me,” Dongyul said, straightening his back. “I’m delighted to finally meet you, my prince,” he continued.
Felix forced a smile, pulling his hand back and he took a step back towards his guards, hoping Dongyul wouldn’t take notice of the action. He took a deep breath, eyes shifting between his father and Dongyul.
“Your engagement party is tomorrow,” Felix’s father said, stiff smile on his lips as he looked over the crowd below.
“That sounds perfect,” Dongyul said, glancing at Felix. “That would give me and Prince Felix a lot of time to get to know each other.”
At his words, Felix could hear a low hiss from behind but he couldn’t pinpoint the source. He only forced the smile to remain on his lips, his hands clasped together. There was a pause and Felix’s gut twisted nervously, and when he locked eyes with his father, his father simply raised an eyebrow.
Felix cleared his throat, bringing the attention in the room to him. “I could show prince Dongyul the gardens,” he offered, his heart speeding up in his chest. He didn’t want to do this; he didn’t want anything to do with Dongyul; he wanted to be anywhere but here. “I’d bring my guards of course,” he continued, turning to his father to assure him of his safety, “but if the prince wishes, we could take a stroll through our garden before dinner tonight.”
“I’d be delighted to get to know you, my prince,” Dongyul said, bowing again.
Felix only smiled.
“That sounds like a wonderful idea, your highness,” the head of the council agreed and Felix felt anger stir within him. Oh how he hated this council right now.
“I’ll let the prince and his entourage settle before our walk,” Felix said, his face starting to hurt from the forced smiling. He let his gaze wander over the council before settling on the fifth prince of the west. “I’m sure you’d like a moment of peace after your long journey.”
“I’d hate to keep a beauty like you waiting,” Dongyul said, something twinkling in his eyes. “But I would not say no to a moment to collect myself and sort out my luggage.”
“I’ll send a servant for you later then,” Felix said with a nod before turning to his father. “Maybe someone should show my fiancé and his entourage to their rooms,” he said, his voice strained.
His father nodded and turned to the servant that stood beside him, giving them quiet instructions. The servant in question nodded before straightening their back and gesturing for Prince Dongyul to follow them.
Felix stood there, back straight and the smile never falling from his lips as he watched his fiancé leave the throne room. Right before they walked out the heavy wooden door, Dongyul turned to meet Felix’s gaze and a crooked grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
Felix felt sick.
“I despise him,” Felix said as he paced back and forth in his room. “I cannot believe that just happened.”
“I’d suggest you’d sit down for a bit, my prince,” Jisung said, eyes never leaving Felix as he paced in the room. “I believe that this isn’t very good for your heart. Maybe practice some breathing exercises.”
“Did I ask for your opinion?” Felix snapped, his voice coming out harsher than he had intended and he paused his pacing. “I’m sorry Jisung,” he said, running a hand through his bright hair. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. I am not angry with you.”
“I know.”
“I’m angry with my father, the council and with myself.”
“Why yourself?” Jisung asked, crossing his legs as he cocked an eyebrow. “What did you do in this situation to make yourself angry?”
“I allowed this to happen,” he said, massaging his temples. “I should have said no.”
“Do you think your father would have accepted a no?” Jisung fired back, not looking convinced. Felix’s shoulders dropped as he shook his head. “I’m convinced you did try to say no and get the engagement called off.”
“I did,” Felix said quietly, sitting down on the side of his bed with a heavy sigh. “He wouldn’t budge… said the decision had already been made. The council had agreed and there was nothing he could do about it.”
“This sounds more like it’s on the council and your father than you,” Jisung said.
Felix was quiet for a moment, letting out a small hum before speaking. “You’re right,” he sighed, ruffling his hair.
“Be careful, my prince,” Jisung said, glint of mischief sparking in his eyes. “You don’t want to appear disheveled in front of your fiancé.”
“You’re on my list of people I despise,” Felix said as he rolled his eyes. He paused and took a deep breath, standing up. “I suppose we’ve given them some time to unpack. I will have to follow up on my promise.”
“Yes.”
Felix’s mind wandered for a moment and he stared towards his door, dreading the approaching stroll in the gardens. His hands balled into fists and he had to take another breath to calm himself. “Do you know where Chan went?” he asked, trying to distract himself away from the impending doom. “He just wandered off after the meeting with the kingdom in the west.”
Jisung hesitated for a moment, lips slightly parted and eyes darting around. He swallowed hard before he spoke. “He said he had some newbies to train in the afternoon.”
“Have new guards arrived without my knowledge?” Felix asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m certain that Chan had finished the introduction with the new guards two weeks ago.”
“Well, there were some late additions,” Jisung said, waving his hand dismissively. There was a brief pause and the silence felt tense and awkward for some reason. Felix crossed his arms as Jisung cleared his throat. “You need a guard to accompany you on your stroll, right?”
“Yes,” Felix said, shoulders dropping a bit and his jaw tensed. “I doubt my father would be keen on the idea of me going along with my fiancé on the first stroll.”
“He would have someone’s head if anything did actually happen,” Jisung said in agreement. “And that head could be mine, so I’m taking no chances.”
Felix nodded, trying to not display his disappointment. It wasn’t that he disliked Jisung or anything, quite the opposite, but he wanted the comfort of Chan in this very moment. Jisung smiled, lips tight and eyes sad. He stood up from the chair and walked over to Felix.
“I’m sorry,” he said, placing a hand on Felix’s shoulder.
Felix shook his head. “Don’t be.” He straightened his back and willed himself to keep his head high. “I’ll get through this somehow.” He paused. “I have to.”
“Let’s head out then,” Jisung said and he moved over to the door. “Are you ready, your highness?”
“I am,” Felix said with a short nod. Jisung hummed and pushed the door handle down, holding the door open for Felix.
“After you, my prince,” he said with a bow and Felix took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself. There was something in his gut that told him that it wouldn’t matter. No matter how much he tried to prepare himself, he was going to be caught off guard by something.
The weather was nice. The garden was beautiful as always and the birds were chirping happily. It was the type of day that Felix would enjoy. But today was another story. He felt trapped. He hated every moment of his stroll. He just didn’t like Dongyul. Not at all.
“Are you always followed by…” Dongyul trailed off as he glanced back at Jisung. “A dragon?” He raised an eyebrow before the signature grin stretched on his lips again. “Dragons are not very common in the west, so I must say that I was surprised when I saw you with three.”
Felix studied Dongyul’s face for a moment, brows furrowed. He was an attractive man, Felix wasn’t going to lie, but there was something about him that made Felix uneasy. Maybe it was the unwavering confidence that bothered him, or the fact that they were forcefully getting married. Felix wasn’t sure.
“They’re my appointed guards,” he finally said and Dongyul hummed. Felix glanced back to Jisung who looked just as happy as Felix. He looked over Dongyul’s shoulder, to the woman who had walked right behind him yesterday. She was staring at Felix, her gaze so intense that Felix immediately averted his eyes and turned to Dongyul. “Dragons here are a bit more common.”
“I don’t know if it’s true but in the west, dragons are regarded as dangerous and the royal family has deemed them too unstable to be knights. According to the tales the dragons cannot control their shift if angered and my father thought that was unfit for a civilized court.”
Felix had to bite his tongue to not snap at Dongyul, opting for a forced smile instead.
“I’d say that is false,” Felix said, trying his best to keep a smile on his face. “Dragons are individuals, just like humans and I don’t think calling all of them dangerous and unstable is fair to them.”
“You’re right, of course,” Dongyul said, smile never leaving his lips. “My apologies, sir…” He trailed off as he looked towards Jisung.
“Jisung,” Jisung replied, voice strained and trembling ever so slightly. He was upset and Felix didn’t blame him. “Just Jisung, my prince.”
“Jisung,” Dongyul said, bowing his head to Jisung. “My apologies, Jisung. My intention was never to offend you.”
“Apology accepted, Prince Dongyul.”
Felix took a deep breath. “Shall we continue our stroll?” he asked and Dongyul nodded.
They continued down the dirt path for a while, just walking in silence before Dongyul spoke up.
“Tell me, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time, my prince?”
Felix turned to him, blinking as he processed the question.
Dongyul smiled. “I figured we might as well get the small talk out of the way.” That smug glint in his eyes returned. “With the engagement party tomorrow night and hopefully the wedding not too far away.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Felix said, strained smile on his lips. His skin was crawling and he looked towards Jisung, hoping his guard would be able to offer him a way out. “I enjoy the arts. I spend most of my spare time in the library or drawing if I can.”
“Not training with weapons?”
What an odd question, Felix thought as he shook his head. “I am trained to defend myself, but I do not enjoy practicing with weapons.” He paused, glancing back to Jisung again. “We have a trusted army and I believe that I do not need to constantly work on my fighting skills,” he said with a smile. “I assume you’re interested in weapon training then, Prince Dongyul.”
“I am,” Dongyul said, his smile softening in a way that Felix wasn’t prepared for. Gone was the smug and confident grin, replaced by a small but genuine smile as his eyes grew distant for a second. “I’m the youngest prince. I have a younger sister but also four older brothers,” he began to explain, staring off into the distance. “When I was young, I used to join my brothers in weapon training, even though I may have been too young to be holding a sword.” He chuckled and ran a hand through his black hair. “It was a way for me to enjoy my brothers’ company. They were quite busy when we grew up and weapon training was one of the few times I could be with them for longer stretches of time. Maybe I enjoy the memory of weapon training more than the actual activity.”
“That’s… that’s an awfully sweet reason behind it,” Felix said and Dongyul’s smile stretched wider, still remaining genuine. “I will admit that I may have been a bit too quick to judge you there, Prince Dongyul.” He bowed his head. “My apologies.”
“No apologies needed, my prince,” Dongyul said, looking over the gardens again. He paused as they reached one of the benches that lined the dirt path. “Would you mind sitting down with me for a moment?” he asked, gesturing towards the bench.
“Not at all.”
There was a moment of silence as they sat down. The silence felt a bit too heavy and awkward for Felix’s liking. He twisted a bit uncomfortably as he sat there, a bit too close to Dongyul for comfort.
“What’s it like being the only child?” Dongyul asked, breaking the silence. He wasn’t looking at Felix, only staring out over the garden.
Felix thought for a moment, studying Dongyul’s face as he thought. “It’s lonely,” he said and Dongyul faced him. “But I was fortunate enough to have servants and squires of the same age around me.”
“So you’re friends with your guards and servants?”
“Should I not?” Felix asked, brows furrowing as he leaned back a little. “I did not have anyone else to spend my time with. I’d say I’m friends with my servants and guards,” he continued, glancing back at Jisung. “Are you not friends with your guards?”
“I don’t think I’m as close to my guards as you are to yours. But I also had my siblings when I grew up,” Dongyul said. “But I don’t judge,” he added quickly. “It makes sense as you didn’t have siblings. I’m glad you had people around you to befriend.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Felix mumbled.
There was a pause and Felix turned his attention to his hands. He didn’t know what to say or what to do in order to lessen the tension in the air. All he wanted was to get away from here.
He couldn’t wait for the servants to call them for dinner.