The day of the wedding had come. Yeosang couldn't believe that his little brother was getting married before him. At least now he knew why. Yeosang's pink silk hanbok felt heavenly on his skin. It had contrasting black detailing all over it that the seamstresses laboured over for days.
The cosmetician did his make-up very naturally, as Yeosang preferred, and the hairstylist trimmed his hair slightly before styling it simply. He liked the way he looked in the mirror, though he wished he wouldn't be dreading the event he'd dressed up for.
For weddings, there were no special entrances for any members of the royal family except the bride and groom. Everybody gathered in one of the castle's banquet halls, of which there were several.
This one was not too big. Only the elite guests were present for the ceremony; Yeosang and his parents along with visitors from other kingdoms and high-class citizens of Aurora. The grandest room was reserved for the reception, where any citizen of Aurora was invited to attend as long as they were able to make themselves sufficiently presentable.
Chairs were set out in neat rows with special ones reserved for the royal family. Yeosang's mother raised her brows upon noticing that Yeosang had come alone, taking his seat next to the King. He wasn't sure whether she was pleased or not for as soon as she leaned forward and opened her mouth to speak, the ceremony began.
Yeosang had never attended a wedding, so he didn't have anything to compare it to, but he supposed it was as beautiful as a ceremony could be. Yuna was especially gorgeous in a flowing, light purple gown, while Jongho looked regal in his black hanbok and slicked-back hair.
When the couple sealed everything with a kiss, Yeosang watched intently. He'd never had much exposure to kisses. When they pulled away, both of their eyes were filled with so much love. Yeosang wanted that. He wanted to kiss someone he truly loved at his wedding, yet was reminded that would never happen.
And then, the reception began. As expected, the crowd was much larger, but even the village folk looked lovely. Everybody was eager to impress at such a rare event as a wedding in Aurora.
Yeosang scanned the room over and over again. There were so many people; perhaps he'd simply missed him. But after his fourth attempt, Yeosang resigned himself to the fact that Wooyoung did not come. Guilt ate at him; it was his fault.
San was there, though, chatting easily with fellow servants of the castle. He sure made friends quickly. This time, if Yeosang hadn't known who San was, he wouldn't have thought that he'd be a servant. He looked every bit the knight he had once been, and it was a struggle for Yeosang to look away.
Though he was glad his eyes hadn't lingered for too long when he felt his mother staring at him. Watching, probably, to see whether Yeosang would take a partner to dance.
Before, he danced with girls to pass the time. Now, he felt that he had something to prove. His eyes locked on who he thought to be one of the prettiest girls there. Her beauty was unique, and she didn't seem to have a partner.
Checking to make sure his mother was still watching, Yeosang traversed the room until he reached her. He took her hand and kissed it, as a gentleman should. "May I have this dance?"
She didn't blush and giggle like most girls did when he invited them to dance, just gave him a small smile and let him lead her to the dance floor.
Dancing with girls-- or even kissing their hands--didn't disgust him. But it didn't necessarily excite him, either. Not like that moment he'd shared with San. So short, yet he couldn't stop thinking about it.
It didn't help that the Queen wasn't the only one watching Yeosang dance. Too aware of his presence, Yeosang caught San watching them too. Glaring.
After two dances, Yeosang felt that was enough to show his mother that he was still interested in girls. And maybe he couldn't stand the intensity of San's eyes, either. He kissed the girl's hand again and bid her goodbye. He never got her name; not that it mattered.
The servants did a better job of preparing refreshments at the wedding than they did at Yuna's welcoming ball. Plenty of glasses of water were available for the taking, and Yeosang gulped one down eagerly.
"Were you doing that to make me jealous, prince?"
The voice was so deep, talking softly right in Yeosang's ear. Yeosang shivered as he struggled to swallow that last sip of water. "No." Not entirely.
"I never took you to be a liar." San was so close that his teeth grazed Yeosang's ear as he spoke. Yeosang's eyes darted around to make sure no eyes were on them. Only, there were. Yeosang locked eyes with Princess Yuna from across the room. He sucked in a breath, but the princess only gave him a small wave before looking away and greeting the next well-wisher to come her way.
"W-we cannot do this here," Yeosang stuttered out.
San backed away. Despite everything, Yeosang felt disappointed. "Somewhere else, then?"
Yeosang shook his head vehemently. His mind was running in all sorts of directions. He forgot he was supposed to be staying away from San.
"See, this is the only place I can speak to you without you running away."
"I could run away," Yeosang argued. "I could leave right now and nobody could stop me."
"But you wouldn't." Yeosang hated that San was right. He wouldn't leave without dancing with at least one more girl to appease his mother, and he still wanted to congratulate his brother.
"So," San leaned casually against the table beside them. "Have you given any more thought about my offer?"
"What offer?"
San's eyes flicked to Yeosang's lips. "You know what offer."
Yeosang's chest fluttered. "You act as though you would be the one doing me a favour. I remember, you said you wanted to...you know, for a while."
"I'm sure it would be mutually beneficial."
"I-" Yeosang didn't know how San could speak about this so casually, especially in front of other people. He wished he could make San as flustered as the servant made him. "Perhaps I don't need you anymore. Perhaps I have found someone to help me discover my preferences."
San's smile faltered. "Your guard?"
"What?" Yeosang didn't think San would actually believe him. Let alone think Wooyoung would want to kiss him. "Why would you think that?"
San gave an enigmatic shrug, then his eyes trained on something over Yeosang's shoulder. He suddenly straightened his posture and bowed, a full 90 degrees. "Have a safe trip, Your Highness. I will be awaiting your return."
Yeosang watched him retreat in confusion. San had never bowed to him before. And he'd never spoken to him so respectfully. It almost made him uncomfortable.
"I am pleased that you did not end up bringing the guard." Yeosang hadn't even noticed his mother approaching. San certainly had.
Yeosang was not well-versed in lying, but he tried his best. "I realized it would be inappropriate. You were right, mother."
If anything, Yeosang regretted not going with Wooyoung. He'd been regretting it the whole night. Even if the guard didn't say a thing, Yeosang felt more comfortable navigating these social situations with Wooyoung around.
But now he knew why his mother was so opposed to it. He wondered if his mother suspected that his preference was not towards women. Now that he knew that was even a possibility, thanks to San, Yeosang needed to work harder to convince his mother that he was normal.
"Who was that young man you were just speaking with?" The unspoken accusation was evident in her tone. Yeosang wondered exactly how much she had seen of their conversation.
"You did not recognize him? He is Princess Yuna's personal attendant."
His mother flicked her hand dismissively. "I do not worry myself with paying attention to servants. You would do well to do the same."
"I would," Yeosang agreed, just so his mother would leave him alone. "I will go congratulate my brother and the princess now."
A smile came across the Queen's face at the mention of Jongho's marriage. There was a two-month period in which either Jongho or Yuna could still call off the marriage, but Yeosang couldn't see either of them doing that. And after the two months, they would be bound together until death.
Yeosang bid the Queen goodbye, said his congratulations, ate some cakes, and danced some more. Somehow, he ended up with Yuna. When the dance was almost over, she said, "I always thought you did not get along with my attendant," she remarked. The music was loud enough that nobody could hear their conversation.
"We did not get along at first," Yeosang admitted. "But I have come around to him."
The song ended. "Just be careful." She smiled, but there was a warning behind her eyes. Yeosang nodded, somehow feeling as if he'd just been scolded.
After that, he tried to have fun, but really he was just killing time until it would be acceptable for him to leave. San didn't glance at him for the rest of the night, and Yeosang tried to follow his lead.