This story has adapted a mind of its own. At this point I'm along for the ride.

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Li Jie's POV

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"I'm happy you've learned new hairstyles." I smiled softly at ChaoXing through the mirror as I carefully braided her hair along the side of her head, twisting it up into a cute bun formation. King Junmyeon and King Yixing were fantastic parents of course. And they did their best when she was really little. But I could sense her wanting to do some different things with her hair as she's gotten older. It was my job to comply. I kept both the royal children happy. I loved doing so. "How are things with you and my bro?" she suddenly asked. My hands stilled momentarily. "Not good?"

"No, no," I hurriedly assured. "Pretty good actually. The best it's been in awhile." She didn't need to know about our impromptu sleepover last night. Or about how we fell asleep slotted together like we used to do when we were little, ny arm around his waist, his back pressed to my chest. It was all at once so familiar it was overwhelming and now so foreign I didn't know to react. It definitely didn't helo that his room seemed to press against me last night, snuffing out my memories of this place. But the moment I breathed in his scent, comforting and intoxicating, the world seemed to shift back into focus.

I wasn't a fool. I could sense some feelings brewing under the surface I'd yet to face. But I couldn't stop the forward momentum if I wanted to. It was like my body was operating with a mind not my own, and I was left watching the show it performed. I also understood that us doing this threw Hojun's loving relationship with the prince in his face. That wasn't my intention. I genuinely enjoyed the fact that DaeHyun was hapoy even if the idea sometimes made my stomach churn.

You're jealous, you may say to me. Also isn't it unfair that now he's finally got someone of his own that you're doing this. He's moving on with his life and you're dragging him back in.

You'd be right. But I wasn't sure exactly how to stop it. I could ask pop or mom for advice, but that was also be outing the fact I harbored the feelings right back so there was little reason for me to reject him in the first place. Other than the obvious. And who even knew. Maybe pop would be angry I even remotely liked DaeHyun in any way that wasn't professional since my job had to come before all else. Even, it felt like, my own inner happiness.

"You look so pretty Xingie." She giggled as she got up, twirling in circles in her cute little pink and blue play princess dress. She had a whole closet worth kf clothes at her disposal, with more to be whisked in at a moment's notice if she so desired. But no. She wanted to wear her dress up clothes for make believe. Who was I to stop her. She had no commitments today, other than her studies in the afternoon, and frankly, all the frilly formal dresses seemed uncomfortable for long time use. She seemed perfectly content in what she currently wore. "The prettiest princess there ever was." I grabbed her hand and helped her spin some more, images of our childhood flashing through my mind in rapid session. Me at twelve. Her at seven. Doing this exact thing right before a big event to calm her nerves. A setence I had said so many times while she grew it practically engrained itself in her brain.

"You're too sweet." She studied herself in her mirrow, frowing thoughtfully. I swear to every god above otnwas like looking at a mini King Yixing. "Is it too...babyish?" she suddenly asked, her voice wobbling ever so slightly. "I don't want papa to hate me because I don't want to wear all the expensive stuff they bought me."

"Xingie, your papa is NEVER going to hate you. I promise. You mean the whole, big universe to him." She turned, her eyes comically wide. "And you're ten sweetie. No one expects you to be dressed to the nines all day every day. Sometimes you gotta be a kid." Still she frowned, turning back to her reflection in the mirror. "And if anyone says anything to you that says otherwise I will personally fight them in the streets." I punched the air a few times, fighing imaginary bad guys and eliciting some beautiful laughter from her. "Do you want me to go get you lunch?" I asked her. "It's about that time, and in a couplr hours you're going to be holed up in your school room doing who even knows what."

"I actually do know what we're doing today," she confessed, her eyes sparkling. So I knew it was going to be good. Much like her papa, she was good at keeping a stone face, but her eyes gave it away. "Papa said the teacher and I are gonna study cause and effect today. So we're making fake volcanoes." She paused. "Lunch. Yes. Lunch would be great. Something...light? I'm not super hungry." I dipped into a deep bow.

"I will see what the kitchens provide me with," I promised. "And volcanoes sound fun. I remember doing them with your brother when he was small. It was quite enjoyable to watch them explode in the end with the chemical reaction." ChaoXing studied me thoughtfully, and it felt like I was being stripped away layer by layer. But DaeHyun was such an important part in my life that it felt ridiculous to block him from it. He was practically all of my memories. I retreated before the questions could start, because I knew they would coming from her. Which was fair. I deserved it. We hid a lot of information from her. But right now ot was to preserve the friendship I'd tried to hard to cultivate again. It was fragile. I couldn't risk damaging it.

"Hey, watch where..." I collided with someone, lost in my own world, and was about to tell them off when I looked up. "Oh! Sire. Hello." I dropped into a bow. "I'm so sorry. I didn't even see you there."

"At ease Jie." DaeHyun said, sounding amused. "Where are you off to in such a rush?" I went to answer, but he held up a hand, and I stopped, as I was trained to do. "Do you mind if I accompany you? I'm...kinda lonely hanging in my room by myself. It doesn't have much personality, you know." He sort of laughed, but I could tell it bothered him nonetheless. I sinply nodded, and we fell in step side by side, descending the stairs soundlessly. I entered the kitchen through the staff door near the back, DaeHyun trailing just behind me. I scoured the kitchen for something ChaoXing could eat for lunch while DaeHyun helped himself to some steamed buns that had just come out of the oven. I decided that was a good idea and stole a few for ChaoXing.

"It's good to see you sire," I admitted as we began the trek back up to his sister's room. He sighed, a heavy sound, and I almost questioned him. But I knew better. He would tell me if he wanted to. "Do you miss Hojun?" I tried. At that he seemed to ponder the answer.

"The truth? Yeah. I do miss him. We've spent so much time together in the last few months specifically that it's very strange to be somewhere without him." My stomach twisted and turned itself into pretzel knots, but I remained calm outwardly. This was the outcome I expected. It was even my own doing. I had no right to be upset over something that was my fault. "I am happy to see you though." And just like that the qaves stilled. Instead of rocking me back and forth they gently pushed me forward. "I feel like I've gotten busy lately and you've been here more and more keeping things in line with ChaoXing that we really haven't seen much of each other. We should do something later."

"I'd like that sire," I told him. Because it was true. Time with my best friend? I would never say no to that.

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"What did you have in mind?" It was now late evening. Our favorite time together. When the sun sank below the horizon and the sky roared to life with a million pretty colors, ranging from oranges and pinks to purples and blacks, and you could just make out the fordt bright, twinkling stars. The moon was almost translucent and low in the sky, looking eerie and beautiful all at once. DaeHyun simply told me to dress emi nice, meaning a suit without wrinkles and a nice tie and shoes. When the prince tells you to do something, you did it. So I showed up in a simple black suit, with a red tie and black dress shoes. Simple and elegant. I would also be remissed if I didn't mention how I kind of liked the way his eyes roamed up and down my body. I glanced upward, takinh in the evening as the limo rolled to a stop in front of us.

"Nothing fancy," DaeHyun said. I surhed forward and opened his door, and a momentary look of annoyance flashed across his face, so brief of I blinked I would have missed it entirely. But I held firm, waiting as he climbed in ahead of me before joining him, clicking the door softly shut behind me. "Dinner. And maybe a movie but we'll see. I know our dinner dates have been few and far between anymore." Ah yes. Our dinner dates. A certain point in the month when we were eleven pushing twelve tbat we decided we would get dressed up and go to dinner somewhere. Pop would often accompany us from a distance, as King Junmyeon felt better if we had supervision at that age. A tradition we kept up until about fourteen when DaeHyun abruptly said he didn't want to do them anymore.

"King's Joy?!" I peeked up at the impressive restaurant. "With all due respect sire, this is a very fancy place. I can't afford to be here. Could we maybe..." But he held up a hand. I halted in my tracks, my insides squirming. DaeHyun swung the door open, and no sooner had we stepped out and he was greeted by several people fawning over him. Typically imteractions like this made him uncomfortable, but he basked in it this time, giving curt, short replies to questions lobbed his way. We were led inside, to an empty restaurant. "Sire..."

"Enough," he reprimanded. My turn to feel annoyed. I wanted to spend time with him, yes, but I didn't want to feel invalidated doing so. I knew he coukd afford to do all this. The likelihood is he would pay for me too. But I got a paycheck from the palace. I was capable of paying my own way. I wanted to pay my own way. But I couldn't afford this place. "This os my treat Jie. I wanted a nice dinner." Our guests moved on, and instantly his gaze softened at the edges. "I know you, and I know you're upset that I'm doing this. I'll accept it. But in return accept me paying for your meal tonight. If you want you can pay for the movie." That didn't pacify me in the way he thought it would. But I bit my tongue. I gazed around the empty establishment resentfully. He even bought thr place out so we could have some peace and quiet. But it also felt like we were sneaking around even though we weren't.

Dinner was tense and silent. The chitter chatter he thought we'd do wasn't happening. My mood soured, and I didn't want to take it out on him, because he really was just being nice in his own princely way. We ordered our food, and then sat, staring at every possible thing but each other. At one point I even debated pulling my phone from my pocket and texting Mei Zhen, simply so I had something to do. When the food arrived, the only sounds were of us consuming it. I could tell the silent treatment was getting to him. Of course I could tell. This was DaeHyun. He was filled with more anxious energy than his dad was, and King Junmyeon practically oozed the stuff (he was still a great leader all the same). He fidgeted in his seat, lifing his chopsticks to his mouth only to set them back down with food untouched, opened his mouth like wanted to say something but closed it soon after, words unsaid.

"Let's just go home," I said as he paid pur tab and we were once again outside in the limo. "I'm not feeling a movie tonight." Hurt shone in his expression but he nodded all the same, feeding the information to the driver. A quiet ride home, the only soud being the wheels on the road. DaeHyun was even more anxious in the car. At one point he bent down and put his head between his knees. I sighed. I hated seeing him like this, so I had to do something. "I know you were being nice," I started. "You don't have a malicious bone in your body. But that was embarrassing for me. We're friends, DaeHyun. We should be doing fun, affordable things together. You should know me by now, and knod I wouldn't like that."

"And you should know me by now and know that I wouldn't have minded paying for you," he snapped. I sat back, mouth agape. "I invited you out Jie. And I don't care what it would have costed. Can't you swallow your pride for two god damn seconds so we can enjoy seeing each other for the first time in what feels like forever." My eyes narrowed. "Can't you just..." He paused, taking a deep breath and sinking back into his seat, tucking his chin to his chest. All my anger fizzled immediately. I knew that pose.

"Hey." I placed a hand on his knee. He didn't look up, but that was okay. I knew he was doing his best to keep it together. "I'm sorry. I'm being a jerk. I should be grateful that you've got such a big heart and don't mind spoiling your friends with it. It's just...hard to accept sometimes. Pop always told me I'd be taking care of you. Not the other way around." I cracked small smile. I waited while he gathered his composure. It took a few minutes, which of course left me feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry as well," he finally said, lifting his face so we could see each other. He took another breath. "I should have let you know what was going on. I know you like taking care of me. But I wanted to do something nice for you in return, to show how much...how much you mean to me. How much you've always meant to me. You're my best friend in the whole world Li Jie. No one can replace you and what you do in my life." I smiled softly. I unbuckled myself so I could slide into the seat next to his. Once I was settled, he leaned his jead against my shoulder. I gazed down at him, to the top of his head. "Can we watch a movie in our private theater instead?" he asked after a few moments of quiet. "In our pjs?"

"Yeah, that sounds lovely Dae. Thank you." A small smile from him. Success. "I love you," I mumbled, hoping he wouldn't actually hear it. A few more minutes of quiet, and for a beat I thought we were in the clear. But as we pulled into the driveway he shifted in his seat ever so slightly. He snuggled into my side. Then:

"I love you too."

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This is the longest chapter for this story I have ever written. Not entirely sure what's happening but it feels kinda like when Royal Temptations hit about chapter 29-33. Where I just steamrolled through a bunch if chapters in no time.