The Star of My Wishes

✾7✾

To Hongjoong's surprise, the three princes are going to stay in the castle for the rest of the week. Not that he was complaining, in fact he became friends with the princes' guards and servant.

Jongho, Prince Yeosang's personal guard. Mingi, Prince Yunho's personal guard, and Wooyoung, Prince San's personal servant. The four just seemed to click when they got to know each other yesterday. So spending a few days with those three didn't sound all too bad.

"Hey hyung, do you think we could get a chance to ride some horses later?"

The sun has blessed the kingdom with bearable heat these past few days, so Seonghwa wanted to take advantage of it. And in doing so, he got the other princes in his favour by joining him on a little horse back riding session before they would go back in the castle for the day.

So while the four princes were doing tricks with the horses or just trotting around, Hongjoong and the others were seated on the sidelines watching them and were conversating with each other.

"I'm not so sure Wooyoung. I mean I could ask for permission but it also depends if your prince allows you to, same goes for Jongho and Mingi" Hongjoong doesn't know why, but when he faced the younger he had a pink tint across his face. Did he say something wrong?

"A-ah really? Then I'll ask San for permission, it's just that it has been so long since I've ridden a horse. I want to know what it feels like again"

Wooyoung closed his eyes and faced the sky, imagining what he would look like riding the steed. Hongjoong who listened to what the younger said, wondered why he called Prince San by his name.

"Why did you call Prince San by his name?"

Jongho and Mingi who were having a conversation of their own, somehow overheard the question. Considering how the three looked at the older like he had just asked a dumb question, Hongjoong knew he should have just kept quiet and kept the question to himself.

Wooyoung giggled at the question."Hyung, I don't just call him by his name like normal
Of course I call him with his title too but that is only if we're with other people, especially with those who have status or have the same position as him. Though it was around my second week working for him that he allowed it. But other than that he allows me to call him by his name along with the other princes."

"Same thing for me with Yeosang hyung, it took us about three weeks to call each other's names without our titles"

"Me too, although it only took me and Yunho a few days"

"What about you hyung? Do you call Seonghwa hyung by his name?" Wooyoung asked.

Hongjoong tried to search in his memories if he was allowed to call Seonghwa without his title, but his mind came up with nothing. The closest thing was that the prince telling him that he was allowed to get called 'Prince Seonghwa' but that still has a title, and Hongjoong didn't even bother calling him that either. It was only Seonghwa who called for Hongjoong's name, and every time that he would it sounded heavenly to the blond. Yet, it made Hongjoong think that they weren't so comfortable around with each other after all.

"No, I don't call him by his name"

He felt his chest become a bit tight for some reason. Why did he feel so sad, so frustrated, so disappointed? It was just too much for Hongjoong that he decided to leave.

"E-excuse me" Hongjoong ran. He didn't know where he would go but he just needed to be alone.

"Hyung!"

"Hyung come back!"

"Hyung where are you going!?"

The three were confused why the blond had just ran off like that, it was so sudden. But their yelling for the older to come back got the attention of the four royals.

"What's going on?" Seonghwa and the other three came closer with the horses.

"Hongjoong hyung just ran away, we don't know why but he just left" Wooyoung looked back to where the older went, hoping for him to come walking back.

"I'm sure he had a reason why he left. Did any of you say anything that may have angered him or got him riled up in any way?" Yunho theorize.

"Yunho's right. Hongjoong hyung is Seonghwa hyung's personal servant, he can't just leave his post without permission unless it's really important" Yeosang added.

"I don't think we said anything wrong, we were just talking and then he excused himself and he took off running" Jongho explained.

"Then, what were you guys talking about?" San asked, getting off from the horse like the others.

"Uh about how we call you guys by your names and without the titles?" Mingi said unsurely.

"Really? That's it? So what about it?" Yunho asked.

"Hyung said something about how he doesn't call Seonghwa hyung by his name"

That made the six if them become weirdly quiet. They then looked at the mentioned prince who was feeding his horse a carrot and was minding his own business. Seonghwa noticed the stares and looked back at them with a questioning face.

"What?"

"You don't allow hyung to call you without your titles?" Yeosang pointed out.

"No, I call him by his name but he doesn't call mine" Seonghwa shrugged, he doesn't get why the others are making it such a big deal.

"Why? Have you ever let any servant of yours call you by your name?"

Seonghwa froze. He did, there was one servant who called him by his name, and at most he even had a nickname from that person. But he cut all connections with that person years ago, he even despises that person with every single nerve in his body.

"There was one servant. But she used me only for her own selfish benefit" At the memory he clenched his fist as tight as he could, the knuckes turning white.

"Is that why you're so harsh with your servants?" San asked slowly. The others wanted to ask the same question but were afraid if the older would lash out on them. To them, Seonghwa looked like a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode.

"Yes, and I don't regret it. Until now"