Labyrinth of Love

The Second I Met You

The five men arrived at the garden, each one shining in their glory. All of them were handsome in a breathtaking manner. Gasps of shock and surprise could be detected among the crowd. It was safe to say that King V and his friends impressed the crowd. King V was at the front leading the others who were just one step back, following the king diligently. 

From the very end of the garden, Diya was observing the five men. True, that from her position, she saw JungGuk first. The young knight was looking so handsome and dashing that Diya found herself going speechless. But suddenly, Rini pulled her in an open space from where she could get a clear view of all the men.

Then, she saw him. The man who was an enigma and gave birth to so many speculations among his subjects. It was Diya's first time seeing that man himself, the king. Rini whispered from her side and pointed to the king, to introduce her but it was not required. V screamed royal. He was absolutely gorgeous. His eyes were blue like the deep blue ocean. His skin looked flawless. He had a certain aura which made him distinct although he looked very young. If JungGuk's appearance had earlier made Diya speechless, King V surely made her breathless.

The king greeted the crowd soon after that. "I welcome all the ladies who have graced the royal palace with their presence. I give you my word to protect you and care for you if you serve me loyally. Hope you all enjoy this party as we will get to know each other here.

V not only had great looks, Diya concluded, he had an equally great voice. His voice was very deep as if originating from the depth of his soul and had a soothing effect on the listeners. Smooth yet rough to an extent, V's voice could melt the listeners' insides. It was as if he casted a spell and lured everyone towards him with his baritone voice.

"Diya, remember to breath," Rini added with a smile, knowing well that the girl was attracted to V's charms.

Pulled out of her trance, Diya blushed madly and looked down, suddenly finding the carpet very interesting. Rini chuckled seeing her flustered state.

"You already knew JungGuk and now you have known his majesty, King V. I think I should tell you about the other three following the king."

Diya looked up, curious to know about the other three men. But deciding to know more about the one she liked, Diya said, "I've only seen Sir Jeon. I don't know much about him."

Rini smiled knowingly and nodded. "Hmm... Then let me tell you. Jeon JungGuk is the youngest royal knight of Bangtan. Exceptionally skilled in archery as well as hand-to-hand combat, he trained alongside with the king and the imperial general, Hoseok when he was young under the supervision of Crown Prince JaeJoong. He is the only child of one of the richest families in Bangtan. It is said their family fortune comes only second to the royal family."

Diya found it admirable.

Rini then, pointed out slowly to the others, "The guy dressed fully in black with a good height is Jung Hoseok. He is the imperial general, a very able fighter and he is often called the hope of Bangtan's army. That's why the soldiers call him JHope."

Diya took a look at the general and found him immensely attractive and obviously his fit stature and broad shoulder gave away the signs of him being a warrior.

Rini continued, "Hoseok is single but he is quite a playboy. He has nobody in his family except an elder brother but his brother, Jung Yunho is the imperial general of Dong Bang empire. So, Hoseok practically stays alone with his flings."

Taking another breath, Rini pointed to the next man, "Now watch the guy with silver hair who is shortest among them. He is Lord Park Jimin, the son of the Prime Minister. He is the king's best friend. He knows things about V which no one else does. He is married to my cousin who is absent now since she is heavily pregnant."