.thirty.

Minji was taken off guard by his proposal. This was Wang Eun, the tenth prince of Goryeo who hated her from the start. He also knew that she liked Jung and that they intended to get married in three years. It made no sense for him to suddenly spring a question like that onto her now. The fifteen year old laughed and blurted the first thing that popped into her mind, given that it was also not a very well thought out response. "You've clearly had way too much to drink and you don't know what you're saying." She said to him, trying to get up while simultaneously trying to pull him up to standing as well.

But he shook his head, suddenly going serious. "You're wrong. I do know what I'm saying."

Minji had been trying to pull him back on his feet, but at that point she was just about ready to give up. Plopping herself back onto the ground next to him, she heaved a sigh. Her response took about a minute to find its way out. This time she was trying to find the right words to ask him. "Why would you pick me? You clearly have hated me from the very first moment we met." She recalled back to the very first day, at the private baths. The two had been fighting and bickering with each other ever since. 

He shook his head drunkenly, pointing out matter of factly, as though his words would help the situation. "I didn't hate you when we were kids. I just thought you were annoying." Her eyes which had been shining with a glint of hope dropped instantly when she heard what he had to say.

Her eyes narrowed into thin slits, forming into a glare. Although when she thought about it, that wasn't her that he found annoying back then. That had been the real Park Hak Soon. On the negative side, that meant that if he was annoyed with her as kids, he really started disliking her until after she arrived in Goryeo. Minji wasn't sure how she felt about that. She always had mixed feelings about the tenth prince. Sometimes she liked him, sometimes she didn't. Right now she was actually in a point in time where she liked him. 

"I still don't understand." She gave a shrug of her shoulders.

"Well, I can't marry Soo-yah." He informed as he gave his explanation. His voice sounding slurred still, but every bit like there was some actual thought behind it. Like he had thought about it before. "She was going to be the King's wife until she scarred herself. And I don't want to marry some woman I've never met before. If I have to get married, I'd rather marry someone I know. That's why I will pick you when his majesty asks me again if I've thought about it."

"So I'm your second choice." She said, and then added sarcastically. "Thanks."

One person coming into her mind, she pointed out a flaw in his plan. 

"What about Jung?" She asked. "He and I are getting married when we turn eighteen. I can't marry two princes."

That was true. In Goryeo, a prince or a royal could have many wives if he wanted to. But a woman could only marry one man. If Minji were to marry Eun, she wouldn't be able to marry Jung later on. 

"Jung-ah will find someone else." Eun said sadly, his head dropping low in something of embarrassment. "I can't. No one will want to marry me. The best I can do is get his majesty to force a friend to marry me."

The tenth prince had always felt like his brothers were better than him. He wasn't the brightest of them, he wasn't as tall as any of them, he wasn't good at martial arts like Jung and Han, or he wasn't good at music like Baek-ah. He wasn't good at academics like Wook. He could never quite find something that he was good at. His older brothers Yo and Won constantly teased him growing up because he didn't understand many things. But he never concerned himself about it until now because he was happy. Now that he would have to marry, he thought no woman in Goryeo would want him.

"I know someone who would marry you." Minji informed, placing her hand over his. When the prince lifted his eyes to look into hers, she continued. "My sister Soon Deok has been in love with you since we were kids. Why don't you give her a chance?"

Eun crinkled up his nose. "She's really weird. Besides, I think Han really likes her."

So he's not willing to take Soon Deok from Han, but he's totally willing to take me from Jung, Minji thought to herself bitterly. Maybe it was the fact that he and Han were full blooded brothers, while Eun and Jung were half-brothers. They shared only the same father, while Eun and Han shared the same parents. That had to count for something, and it seemed like it did.

"Let's not think about this now." She told him, trying to give him some encouragement with a small hint of a smile. "We have to get back to the party. We have some good presents for you."

He said nothing, but when she tried to get him back on his feet, he actually cooperated with her. She threw his arm around her shoulders for support and wrapped an arm around his waist. The two walked back to the party together. The conversations stopped, and everyone looked to the two teenagers with surprise and curiosity. Before anyone could say anything, Mu stood up from his chair with excitement written all over his face.

"Eun-ah," He started with a proud smile. "Your friends and I planned something special for you outside."

The tenth prince nodded, the alcohol in his system having passed slightly. By now he was able to stand on his own without Minji. Mu walked past them and everyone followed behind him outside. 

-

Outside where they normally had their meals together on a nice day was Hajin. She was waiting for them with the place decorated. There were drawings of the tenth prince, paper flowers, lanterns, and a cake in the middle. As the group arrived, Minji went to stand by her friend with excitement and the two started singing him the happy birthday song, which Eun really liked. 

When they finished, the two girls went to give him a hug.

"Its unfair for hyung to be enjoying this by himself, even if it is his birthday!" Baek-ah said teasingly as the other boys walked up to stand next to their brother.

Jung nodded his head in agreement and Minji took her usual place by his side. 

"Will you sing to me for my birthday too?" Jung asked Minji with a small smile playing on his lips as his arm made his way around her waist. The other boys liked the surprise celebration that had been planned for Eun. Jung wanted the same for himself if Minji could plan it and surprise him just the same.

Minji smiled at that. "I promise I will sing for you on your birthday, even though I have no talent." She looked to her best friend who was standing by herself, all eyes on her. "Hae Soo's the one who's always had talent for that. Why don't you sing us a song?" She encouraged.

Jung nodded his head with excitement. "Yes. Please sing for us."

Hajin froze in her spot nervously. But upon seeing the warm smiles of encouragement from most of the other princes--Yo and Won were uncaring, since they didn't get along with her--she cleared her throat and thought of a song to sing for them. It was a song that she used to sing with her friends Gayoung and Minji when they were children. It was about their friendship, and she thought that it could even apply to Eun and the other boys now, since they had all gotten close in the past couple of months. Minji recognized the song and hummed along by Jung's side.

The group returned inside the palace afterwards, ready to open the rest of Eun's presents. By now, the tenth prince was more sober and more excited to see what his brothers had gotten for him. 

He opened presents from his brothers one by one, until he got to Minji's present. It was in a wooden box which she had decorated with flowers and ribbons. He opened it happily to find a new sling shot inside. He grinned as he brought the toy out for everyone to see. "This is my favorite kind of toy!" He announced.

Minji gave a nod of her head. "I know. Jung told me."

He looked at the toy more closely and squinted his eyes when he caught something carved into the side of the handle. Minji smiled to herself, thinking herself clever for what she did. 

Eun shot her a playful glare. "It says Property of Shrimp Prince."

His brothers laughed at that. But Yo immediately came in with a mean comment for his younger brother. "You're officially an adult now. You shouldn't be playing with toys."

It was just then that Minji noticed her sister was nowhere to be found. She had invited her the previous night, but she was hesitant because Eun hadn't invited her himself. Still, Minji thought she would show up, if even to see him for a little bit. Han was there, and he hadn't brought the bear fur with him, which meant that Soon Deok was probably intending to show up any minute now. 

Just as she was thinking that, someone walked up behind the tenth prince with a bear skin draped over their head and shoulders, blocking their identity from view. But the fifteen year old knew exactly who it was. 

Feeling someone behind him, Eun turned, and let out a shout at the top of his lungs. 

He had managed to startle Soon Deok too, the bear fur falling off her shoulders. She quickly picked it up and offered it to the prince. But the prince instead slapped it out of her hand, making it fall onto the floor again. "Why would you ever think I'd want something like that?" He asked her, his voice still sounding loud and startled. 

"I just wanted to give you something nice for your birthday." Soon Deok said in a small voice.

Minji was quick to jump to her rescue, cutting the space between them and picking up the fur which still had the head of the bear on it. With a smile on her lips, she said to the tenth prince, "I think its cool, Eun oppa. We could use it as a costume, or something, to play." The moment she said that--the keyword play--the tenth prince seemed to grow interested in the object which had been repulsive and weird to him just moments earlier.

"That's true..." He said as he thought about it. Taking the fur from Minji, he looked to Soon Deok, "On second thought, I think I will keep it. Thank you, Soon Deok-ah."

Minji could practically see her sister swooning right then and there.

Soon Deok gave her a grateful smile and walked away to stand near the back with Han. He was the only one of the other princes who actually talked to her. She felt most comfortable with him at that moment, or with her sister. But she knew that her sister would probably go back to standing next to Jung. 

Just as they were getting done with opening presents, Yo walked up to Eun and whispered something to him. Minji knew it was something bad when she saw Yo smirking. Eun lit up with excitement though as a suggestion was given to him by his older brother.

"You think so?" Eun asked innocently.

Yo nodded his head.

Eun nodded, agreeing to whatever it was Yo had asked him to do. Then, turning to fourth prince Wang So, he started with an innocent smile. "Brother, you're the only one who did not give me a present."

So nodded, knowing that. But he didn't know what to give him. He didn't know his younger brother all that well and it felt awkward getting him a present which had no depth or meaning to it. Though seeing himself empty handed at the moment, he made an offer which opened way for what Yo had been planning. "Ask me for anything, and I will grant it for you because it is your birthday."

Without thinking it any further, Eun said, "This is a gift only you can give me. I've always wondered what your face looks like underneath your mask. Would you...take it off for me?"

"Eun-" Minji started, hoping to stop him.

But Yo, who was standing nearby, placed his hand on her arm to stop her.

Wang So heaved a sigh, but nodded, submitting to his request. He lowered his head, and untied the string that held his mask in place. As he slowly removed the mask from his face and lifted his head, many averted their gaze. But Yo let out an amused laugh, knowing that he had managed to humiliate his brother.

Eun immediately regretted his request when he saw the tears forming in his brother's eyes. But it was too late. The deed was done. 

-

a little update for you all and then i'm going to try and update other stories right now. at six im going to the park with my cousin for a jog. that's the reason why i've been so inactive on here lately.

not because i've stopped liking kpop or writing. its just that i go to work for eight hours. then i get home and rest for about three hours before i go to the park. then i get home around nine and just shower and relax before going to bed. then i get up in the morning and do it all over again.

it leaves me with about three hours of free time in a day. but i find myself usually taking a nap in those three hours because im so tired.

thank you for still reading and supporting me.

-clary