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nose-bandaid · 4 years

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camellia

Prince! Shinwon x Princess! Reader | royal kingdom AU fluff | 3.8k words

synopsis: you were never big on parties, the loud music, dancing, unwanted attention from the hundreds of guests. they were simply not your thing. when you find yourself forced at yet another masquerade however, you meet a masked stranger who shows you that maybe you can find something enjoyable at these gatherings.

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The bells chimed loudly, its grand sound resonating in the vast halls to signal the start of the royal ball. The castle you stood in was located in a far away forest and you were told that it was one of the Ko family’s many properties. Though their name wasn’t the most popular of all time, you had to give kudos to them for being able to invite almost all of the royal families to the ball — on a Monday no less. Behind you, an endless number of masked people rushed into the spacious ballroom, excited to meet new people and maybe even find a special someone to take home with them. You too, as the eldest amongst your siblings, were tasked with the responsibility of searching for a possible candidate to marry and strengthen your family’s name, as per your father’s request. It was a grim responsibility as you weren’t really sure how you felt about having to chose someone that very night — you’d much rather meet them naturally, as opposed to the forced dances you’re bound to go through in the next few minutes. Taking one last glance at the mirror you stood in front of, you had to admit that you were stunning in your outfit nonetheless. The colours of the dress complimented your features perfectly and your hair was done to create a lavish charm to your appearance. You made a note to thank your maids for dressing you up so well. With a final adjustment to the sparkling mask resting on the bridge of your nose, you turned to enter the ballroom yourself.

You were instantly met with glaring lights from the chandeliers above, and laughter and chatter danced in the air from every direction. All around you were people of all ages dressed to the nines in almost every colour imaginable. It was a breathtaking sight and you had no idea where to start. There were so many people out there, how could possibly select just a single person out of the hundreds milling about? As you stood around in a daze you felt a tap on your shoulder and turned around to face a man dressed in royal blue bowing down to you. When he rose back up, you held back a small gasp, even with a mask on, you could tell he was extremely attractive.

“Feeling a little lost, princess?” His honey-like voice questioned. “You look beautiful tonight, I would be grateful if I was able to accompany you for the next few dances. You can call me Kino, by the way.” He finished with a hand reached out to yours, which were frozen in midair out of a mix of awe, confusion, and surprise. You really didn’t know how to respond to his advancements, it would’ve been so much easier to judge his intentions if you could’ve seen his entire face. At least, you would’ve felt a little more assured when it came to the dances and inevitable kisses later in the night as everyone got a little bit more tipsy.

Kino seemed to have noticed your hesitation and glanced up from his slightly bowed position to see you meekly staring back at him. “Not feeling up to it, my princess?”

“N-no, I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m really ready yet. But you look very handsome tonight, Kino, I’m sure it’ll be easy for you to find another partner.” You replied as you watched him stand up straight and dust off his outfit a little bit, showing no signs of embarrassment. You feared that he would’ve been upset about your rejection, but instead, he shot you a dazzling smile.

“Understandable, and thank you for the compliment. May you have a wonderful night.” And with that, he and his royal blue suit disappeared in a wave of people. Feeling a little fazed by that encounter, you made your way to the buffet tables as discreetly as possible. The smell of sweets filled your mind and you wandered towards the long table filled with almost every single dessert imaginable, and you happily found your favourite in a flash. You made a beeline towards and was just about to grab one when a hand slipped underneath yours and grabbed it right from you. Sure, there were almost hundreds of the same dessert laid out right in front of you, but you still looked up in shocked at the thief’s audacity to take the precious food from you.

The man in front of you had his orange dyed hair brushed back and was wearing a matching orange-toned suit. His plump lips smiled cheekily as he shoved the dessert into his mouth, all while staring straight back at you. You felt your eyebrows twitch as you stared back at him, appalled. He was the first to speak, and you were at most, grateful for that, because you weren’t sure what exactly you would’ve said to him if you had the opportunity to speak first.

“I’m sorry, were you planning on eating that?” He held his hand out after carelessly wiping it on his pants. “I go by Hui, though Lee Hwitaek might sound more familiar.” It did, the Lee family was a household name, especially when it came to riches.

“Well, Hui,” you started, putting your hands on your hips childishly, refusing to shake his hand. As high and mighty his family may have been, you were still going to give him a piece of your mind for stealing your beloved dessert. “That dessert was supposed to be mine until you stole it. How are you going to repay for that?”

Hui smirked and smoothly maneuvered around the table towards you, wrapping one arm around your hip as he pulled you closer. “How about I repay you with a dance or two? I promise you’ll have an amazing time and it’ll make up for my little mistake.” He whispered into your ear.

Your ears burned as you tried your best to remain polite when you pried his arm off your body and shimmied away from him. “I’m going to have to decline that offer, thank you very much.” And with that, you scurried away to another table, trying to find peace in the covers of the crowd.

Letting out a sight in relief, you leaned on the wall near you. Why does finding partner have to be so difficult? And how in the world am I supposed to do this all alone? You thought to yourself, looking at your empty hands disappointedly. I didn’t even get to eat some good food in peace.

The burning feeling of someone staring at you brought you out of your trance and you tilted your head up, making eye contact with a very tall man staring back at you, drink in hand. Is it just me, or is everything unsettling in this atmosphere? You shuddered to yourself as you once again, ran away, but this time to the gardens which you knew would be much quieter than the loud music that was being blasted to cover the entire hall.

You finally found solace in a little rock garden in the midst of some trees (though the definition of ‘little might be skewed, it was ‘little’ in comparison to the rest of the Ko’s massive gardens). Taking a seat on one of the benches, you looked back wistfully at the bright lights coming from the palace. As much as you wanted to have a good time, you couldn’t help but feel so alone and misunderstood in the unfamiliar environment.

“Is this seat taken?”

Oh god, here we go again.

You faced the unfamiliar voice, “I’m sorry, but if you’re looking for a dance partner, you’re not going to find one here...” you told him defeatedly, sinking your head into one of hands supporting it.

“O-oh, I was really just asking if I could sit here, but if you don’t want that, then that’s alright too, I can find another place.”

Genuinely surprised at his reaction, you took another glance at the person in front of you. He was dressed in all white, a red camellia propped in his chest pocket, and had a fluffy mullet falling down to his neck. His shoulders were noticeably quite broad and he looked manly, though his hunched, polite posture urged otherwise. You shifted in your seat for a moment as you considered you options, before finally shifting over to your side and patting the seat beside you.

“No, no one’s sitting here, you can go ahead.”

He shot a small smile at you and gratefully took the seat, stretching his long legs immediately afterwards. “This party is quite something huh?” He sighed. “I don’t know if it’s just a me thing, but I can never find the appeal of events like these. I’d much rather sit outside and watch the stars with some friends. Though, I’ll agree the food is probably worth it though.” He rambled quietly.

You didn’t plan on saying another word to him after the initial reaction, but his attitude towards the party intrigued you. If you were to solely judge based on his appearance, you would’ve thought he was some sort of player that enjoyed parties. His features would’ve definitely attracted a lot of people towards him.

“Is that so? I didn’t even get to try the food because of the commotion there.” You sulked childishly back. You were already so tired out from the party, but this stranger seemed to be feeling the same way, which was a nice change, and you felt a little more spirit enter your body.

His mouth curved into a small ‘O’ as he looked up at the sky, deep in thought. “The buffet tables will probably be clearer towards the end of the night, when everyone’s more focused on dancing, so you could try going then, if you’re up to it.” He speculated.

“I guess so, I’ll try again later then, and if it doesn’t work out, you know where to find me.” You chuckled.

“And maybe,” he added “I could accompany you there? People will probably avoid you if they see that you had me, er, a date already.” He put air quotations around the “date” and you examined him curiously, he looked a little shy from his offer and it was a little difficult to tell with the mask on, but he seemed sincere.

“I’ll take up on that offer, actually.” You decided, putting your hand out for a handshake. “I’m Y/n from the L/n family, may I know your name?” The mysterious man took your hand but simply shook his head. “How about we save that introduction for the mask reveal?” He smiled, and your heart melted at the sight. Though you really wanted to know his name, you knew you couldn’t force him to spill and just went along with it.

The two of you sat in the cool night talking about this and that, from what it’s like at your towns to the way the formal clothing made you feel constantly uncomfortable to ranting about your identical distaste for these balls. The chirps of the crickets and the hums of the cicadas accompanied your quiet conversations that were filled with laughter. You’ve never bonded with someone so easily in a setting like this, and you felt yourself falling for the masked man with every word he said. You talked until the moon shone brightly above the little rock garden and the bells chimed to signal that it was midnight — meaning that the final dances and mask reveals were happening very soon.

The man took notice of that and got up from the bench, stretching his tall body from the hours of sitting. “Shall we leave now, m’lady?” He turned to you, who was still seated, and offered a hand to help you up, which you gratefully took. Your hand lingered in his for a while once you were up, and a part of you wished that you could hold his hand for a little longer. Unfortunately, he was the one to let go first and began heading back towards the palace. With a quiet sigh, you followed behind him.

Wait... what am I sighing for? Am I actually falling for a man who hasn’t even told me his name? But at the same time, he understands me... and he’s undoubtedly very handsome. You shook your head, trying to sort out your thoughts in vain.

When the two of you returned the ballroom, you were met with the loud music once again and it was a disappointing contrast from the quiet of the garden. Clearly, the party was just as lively as it was when you left, if not, livelier. The man in white was right though, the buffet tables were quite empty as everyone was busy preparing for the final dance, and you spotted the last few servings of your favourite dessert sitting in a tray nearby. You gasped excitedly and rushed over to the food, unknowingly pulling the man with you by the arm. Upon arrival, you looked up to him and smiled brightly, “Would you like some? We can split what’s left in half.” You offered happily. All you got in response was a slight stutter with a nod and you saw his cheeks were tinted red, like the flower in his pocket. You looked down to see that your arm was still tightly hooked in his. Realizing your actions, you were quick to detach yourself from him. Soon, he wasn’t the only one who was blushing as you felt your cheeks burning in embarrassment.

“I’m so sorry about that, I have no idea what went on in my mind when I decided to —” You were cut off with the sweet dessert being plopped into your open mouth. Chewing slightly you looked up to see his familiar bight smile looking down at you, and you couldn’t help but return it with a little laugh. You felt an unusual sense of comfort from him as the two of you gladly finished up the last few pieces of the dessert. By then, almost everyone had already gathered to the centre of the ballroom, eagerly waiting for the music to begin. You felt a slight pang of jealousy in your stomach at the number of happy couples you saw. You wished you were able to enjoy these events the way they seem to, but you always ended up plagued with the feeling of unwelcomeness. As your eyes continued to scan the crowd, they locked onto a pair that was staring straight back at you. Taking a closer look at the person, you recognized the fluff or orange hair and immediately turned back to your masked friend.

Why is Hui staring at me again?? You frantically wondered to yourself. Do I look unpresentable? Is it because he’s going to ask me to dance with him again?

A white glove entered your vision, tilting your head back up to face that comforting smile once again. “Is everything alright, princess? Is there someone that’s bothering you?”

You blushed and looked back in Hui’s direction, head still resting lightly on his fingertips. The orange haired man was nowhere to be seen. “No, just people I may or may not be trying to avoid. I rejected a couple of dance requests before I met you.”

This time, it was his turn to look away. Rubbing his head sheepishly, his eyes moved back to you “Actually... I was going to ask you if you wanted to perhaps be my partner for the final dances. But from what I’m getting, you might not be interested in that, so I’ll gladly back down from that offer if that’s what you prefer.”

The blush never left your cheeks as you thought of your reply. “Well, if it’s with you, I think I’ll be up to it.” You answered, luckily sounding much more confident than how you felt on the inside.

He beamed at that, and swiftly grabbed your hands into his, pulling you into a less crowded section of the ballroom. He maneuvered between the dancing people bumping into him from left to right as if he’s done it many times before and it made you wonder just who this mysterious man really was. When you reached your destination he gently placed on hand on your hips and clasped the other into your hand.

“You know how to dance?”

“Well of course I do,” you shot back playfully, easily falling into position. “I’m a princess, it’s not like I can avoid the ballroom lessons, as much as probably would’ve liked to.”

He laughed at that and the two of you danced gracefully on the golden floors. You would’ve been lying if you said it didn’t feel nice to dance in your luxurious dress with such a handsome man. As if you two had met long ago, your moves matched each other perfectly with every step and spin you took. By the time the current song finished, you found yourself leaning slightly into his firm chest, smiling to yourself. The band quieted and the people around you began to whisper to each other in hushed tones as the Kings of each kingdom, your father included, gathered on one of the balconies, ready to make a statement. Cheers arose from the crowd as they looked down upon you guys and raised a glass of champagne.

“I would first like to thank you all for being able to make it to this lovely night. From the preparations to the actual partying, a lot of effort was put into making this night go wonderfully.” One of them, who you recognized to be head of the Ko family, said. Another round of loud cheers emerged from all around you.

“I’ll keep the speech short,” he continued, “because I know all of you are eager to get to the unmasking, and to finally see your partners face in all its glory.” You glanced up at the mysterious man at that, but he kept his eyes glued on the Kings, face set with a serious gaze.

“We will have one final dance after the unmasking, but please, feel free to stay longer, for the night is still young and does work really need to be done tomorrow?” He joked. “Music will continued to be played, food will continue to be served, and of course,” he raised his glass, “more booze will arrive to be drunk!” You thought the cheers couldn’t get any louder before, but the cheers that resonated in the ballroom at that statement proved you wrong.

“I will thank you one last time for attending this event, it means much to my family and I’m sure it means a lot to yours too. Why, some of you guys might have even met your future partners! And what a lovely thought that is. So now, we will begin the unmasking!” His voice boomed over the chatter of the dancers. Gasps were held back and even a scream or two could be heard from across the room as partners unmasked themselves one by one.

Nervously, you turned to face your own partner who once again, was only offering you a smile. “Would you like to take it off on a count of three, Y/n?” You nodded, and began to count.

“1... 2... 3...”

You closed your eyes as you slipped off your own sparkly mask and when you opened them again, your jaw almost fell to the ground. He was stunning, his features were all so perfect in your eyes and you almost couldn’t stop yourself from wanting to stare at him all night long. As your eyes scanned his face one more time, something clicked in your mind.

“You-you’re—“

He bowed deeply introducing himself. “I am Shinwon from the Ko family, it’s a pleasure to meet you tonight.”

You were at a loss of words from his reveal — you were dancing with the host’s son the entire time? You’ve heard many rumours of him before amongst the maids and townspeople who just loved to gossip about his beauty and popularity. But the masked man you met today was the complete opposite of what you’ve heard. Minus, of course, the beauty part. That, you were able to confirm was very true and his beauty probably surpassed the way it was described by others.

Shinwon rose from his bow and looked around nervously at your lack of response. “I’m sorry... was it wrong for me to want to hide who I was at the beginning? I just wanted to get to know you without having the burden of my status. It was really nice to have company that actually enjoyed me as who I was.”

You shook your head in denial. “No! It was just, it was just very surprising.” You replied sheepishly. “I would’ve never imagined that I would end up dancing and shoving desserts into my mouth with the King’s son of all people.”

The music began playing and you both naturally ended up swaying softly, hand in hand. “Tonight actually ended up becoming really fun,” you admitted. “And I don’t think anything has really changed, now that I know who you really are. Though, I guess it’s a little easier to address you.” You giggled.

Shinwon sighed in relief. “I am so glad to hear that. Do you know how worried I was about the reveal? At my own party, even.”

“Hm... you’re even more handsome without the mask, I can give you that.”

“And you look fascinating, with or without the mask.” He smiled and pulled the red camellia out from his pocket to rest it on your ear, decorating your hair. “But I think I prefer without the mask — I like seeing your eyes.”

The music grew louder and you held each other even tighter. “I know we’re already half way through the song, but are you alright with me taking this last dance?” He asked, a sliver of doubt still hinted in his voice.

“Yes, of course.” You squeezed his hand. “I don’t think I would’ve wanted to have this last dance with anyone else, but you.”

“That’s good to know.” And with that, he swooped down and softly placed his warm lips into yours. You returned the kiss, leaning further into him. It felt like everything around you had melted into a mix of colours. All you could focus on was the feeling of his lips on yours and his hands grasping you tightly. You would’ve kissed him forever if you could.

As you broke for air, you found a smile painted on both of your faces. “I hope this isn’t the last time we will see each other.” He said breathlessly.

“After all that just happened, plus the kiss? I think there’s going to be an issue if we don’t get to see each other again, Prince Shinwon.” You exaggerated his title jokingly.

“Then I’ll make sure to send another personal invite to you sometime soon, Princess Y/n.” He smirked back. “Do you know how happy I am to have found someone who dislikes these formalities just like me? You’re amazing, Y/n.”

“Says you, you looked like a sun amongst stars when I first saw you. It’s like you came to save me.”

“Well, you’re like the most beautiful flower I’ve ever seen. And I don’t plan on letting you go anytime soon.” He replied, pulling you closer to spin you around.

When you came to this party, you had no hopes or plans on finding a perfect partner the way you father wanted you to. Even though the party had an uneasy start, meeting Shinwon definitely turned things around for the better. And now, maybe you can find a bit more happiness in events like these, if it meant that you would have him by your side.

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i’ve honestly never been the biggest fan of kingdom AUs but for some reason the idea for this plot just came to me one night and i had to write it out.

i hope you enjoyed it! it was a joy to write.

~tiny

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