y'all wanted another one so...

here ya gO

—

          3RD PERSONS VIEW。

a shocked expression fell on jihye's face as she watched the prince run up to jaeyoung and engulf the girl into a hug, exclaiming, "haera! i finally found you!"

"what the heck?" was the only thing that left jihye's mouth as she clenched her fists, not caring if the piece of jewelry she held in her grasp hurt her.

"this isn't supposed to happen." jihye whispered, shaking her head as her eyes couldn't seem to leave the two figures that were hugging. her plan failed.

miyeon giggled, a smirk creeping up her lips as she watched jihye stand there embarrassed for accusing the wrong person. her eyes trailed down, catching something shine from one of jihye's hands.

that's when she noticed. a gasp escaping her lips, this liar.

an angry expression plastered on her face, miyeon marched towards jihye and grabbed the girl's wrist, pulling it up as the pendant necklace fell from her grasp.

everyone had a look of shock as the true thief was actually jihye.

"no... you ruined everything!" jihye yelled and tried to push miyeon away but she back away before jihye's hand could even touch her.

"i'm so disappointed at you, jihye." the said girl flinched, her body freezing at her father's voice. "you're coming with me." and with that, jihye left without another word, tailing her father who was a leader of the mountain clan.

jaeyoung stood there, eyes wide as her mind went blank. the hug felt so gentle yet tight, as if the prince didn't want to let go of her again. she heard sniffing noises, it came from hyuwon.

"i'm so sorry i let go of you– haera–"

the girl was out of words to even say anything. she looked down, her arms around hyuwon as she gulped. "i-i..."

hyuwon patted her back softly, "haera..."

"my name is jaeyoung... at least it is now..." she said in a low voice as hyuwon slowly let go of her, but his hands still loose on her shoulders.

"let's talk privately."

• • •

jaeyoung sat on a chair, her eyes roaming around as she faced hyuwon. the prince had a wide smile plastered on his face, "haera... do you remember me?"

the girl, a frown on her face, shook her head sadly, "i'm sorry... i feel like i've seen you... like personally before."

"i'm prince hyuwon of district valfield. i am your brother, haera."

jaeyoung bit her lip, looking down as she fiddled with her gown, "i can't be a princess."

hyuwon blinked; confused to why the girl said that. "haera..."

"i understand. i guess i am haera. with all the evidences and proof... but why..." she felt tears slowly trickling down her cheeks, "why a girl who doesn't even care about the royal family? what good can i even contribute–"

she felt a hand on top of her head and she looked up, stopping her words. she met eyes with taeyong who looked down at her, "you are the good, jaeyoung-ah."

"but i'm just a normal village girl."

"you're not just a village girl, jaeyoung." jaehyun walked up to the gazebo they were in, "you're actually everything to us."

"did you know...?" she croaked out, looking at jaehyun and taeyong.

jaehyun sighed and nodded, "we figured after piecing it all together."

taeyong rubbed her back, "did you know, jae?"

jaeyoung shook her head, "i didn't want to believe it. i– i dreamt about it... but still!"

her shock doubled, even tripled when miyeon told her everything she knew.

"being a royal won't hurt you, jaeyoung."

"but being a royal could hurt others." she frowned deeply making taeyong tousle her hair.

"you can choose not to act like one, jaeyoung." taeyong said softly, bending down to her level, "you know, i'm quite glad i met you. you're the only one that had guts to talk back to me, and even say that you'd treat me normally, because you knew i hated my title."

jaeyoung chuckled, "i don't even know what to do– i don't know how royals act– how they walk– heck how they even eat!" she said, huffing afterwards. "i'm not suited to be a princess."

"you can be your own princess." hyuwon told her and stood up. "i promise, i'll be with you along the way." he said and held out his hand for her.

jaeyoung pressed her lips together, contemplating hard about it. soon, her hands touched hyuwon's and the prince pulled her into a hug.

"haera–"

"please, call me jaeyoung."

"but," hyuwon lets go of her, "you're..."

"okay, maybe call me whatever you like to call me." she chuckled and the boy smiled at her.

"seeing you all grown up, it kinda makes me cry..." hyuwon admitted and scanned her features, "you look just like mother."

he then gasped, "you need to go back to the palace!"

taeyong felt his heart stop. go back?

"you have to meet mother and then father! they would be so happy to see you!"

jaeyoung nodded slowly, "that sounds nice, hyuwon. but for now, i'll rather stay here."

hyuwon tilts his head, "are you sure?"

jaeyoung nodded again, "after all..." she eyed the rest of the princes who were watching them from afar, "...this is where i found home." she chuckled and made eye contact with her brother.

"ahh... i think i understand." he giggled and turned to look at the boys.

jaehyun suddenly cleared his throat, earning the siblings attention, "actually... we might have a problem."

jaeyoung knitted her brows together, teeth biting the inside of her cheeks as she grew nervous again. her mind flashed a memory of what happened a few days ago. the gunshots.

"jaeyoung is in great danger." he revealed, a sad expression rested on his face as he looked down. "it's not safe for her to go out just randomly..."

the girl curled her fingers into a fist, her stomach churning at the sudden news. she felt scared and just wanted to escape everything by running away, but wouldn't that just make everything worse?

"as much as you hate it, jaeyoung..." taeyong mumbled, "you need to stay in the palace."

"what?!" she shrieked and stepped back. "what do you mean?"

hyuwon nodded, "i understand. haera– you need to stay with them."

"what kind of great danger am i even facing?" she muttered, her shoulders dropping.

taeyong glanced at jaehyun before speaking, "the seven scimitars."

her heart dropped in an instant. she knew quite a lot about the seven scimitars, all thanks to miyeon who would ramble things about them. they were apart of this eastern tribe that queen hera defeated a long time ago, they've also been defeated again during the early wars of the during the 1990's.

all the color in her face drained quickly. "they're back?"

taeyong deeply sighed, nodding as he ran his fingers through his hair, "yes. and one of them is after you."

"in order to ensure your safety, you need to be at the palace."

"but doesn't make that the palace an easy target?"

jaehyun chuckled, "i guess. but, in order to get to you, they'll have to go through tough security, plus us."

"you'll be safe here in the palace, jaeyoung." taeyong assured her.

hyuwon agreed with taeyong, "you'll learn a lot about royalty with them, doesn't that sound great?"

jaeyoung let out a bitter chuckle, "royalty... definitely great." and that made them all laugh.

after their little talk, jaeyoung made her way back, earning a few hugs from the princes.

mark giggled and pinched her cheeks, "i told you, pretty princess."

"yeah, no." she scrunched her nose and pouted at him.

"i guess you're a princess now, daisy." doyoung uttered from behind her.

"i'm still jaeyoung, you know that bunny."

"princess jaeyoung or princess haera?" donghyuck hummed.

renjun smacked the back of his head, "i think she prefers no princess at all."

jaeyoung laughed, nodding at renjun, "that's true."

miyeon gulped and looked at the girl nervously. jaeyoung tilted her head, "why do you look so nervous?" she chuckled and pulled miyeon close.

"aren't you mad at me?"

"why would i be mad at you?"

"i kept a secret from you... for a long time!"

jaeyoung smiled softly, "you did it for a reason though?"

"yeah... to protect you of course..." miyeon mumbled.

"then that's all that matters."

miyeon flinched, "what?"

"i told you. i'll forgive you no matter what." jaeyoung said and engulfed her friend in a hug.

"thank you... prin–"

"don't even dare call me that." jaeyoung uttered making miyeon laugh.

mark poked the girl's arm, "do you want to go meet prince?"

"i'd love to!" jaeyoung nodded.

mark chuckled and grabbed her hand, "then lets go meet him."

"can we come?" chenle questions.

jaeyoung chuckled, "of course."

and with that, mark, jaeyoung, chenle, jisung, the twins, jaemin, renjun, and lucas ended up at the pet garden to meet prince.

"guess you're best friends now." mark pointed out as he watched jaeyoung stroke prince's orange fur.

"well isn't he just a fine prince?" she joked, "my favorite prince actually."

jaemin frowns, "stop talking about favorite prince, i'm the first one you met."

jaeyoung chuckled, "oh i know."

renjun pursed his lips, a smile tugging up his lips as he watched the girl talk freely with his brothers. he certainly didn't want these moments to end.

"i guess you weren't an assassin after all." he let out a chortle and rest back onto the tree trunk.

"my lady! look at this!" lucas exclaimed as he finished his handmade flower crown. he stood up and walked towards her, placing it gently on her head.

"wah! pretty!" lucas grinned and sat in front of her.

mark eyed the flower crown, "wait– that's actually so cool, how did you do that?" he questioned lucas and that's how they ended up making more flower crowns for themselves.

"now this feels like home." jaeyoung said and patted prince's head, hearing the boy's distinct laughs in the background.

—

cue seventeen's home

uM so... here's the tough question ;-;

who do you want her to end up with... or nah?

see her end up with miyeon...

:0

here are so far the uM members who LIKE like her (?)

MARK

TAEYONG

DOYOUNG

RENJUN

DONGHYUCK

JAEMIN

JISUNG

uM who else... i kinda see jungwoo and jaehyun as a protective brother towards her... while chenle is like a little brother kinda vibe. jeno is like this supportive twin yet he kinda saves donghyuck from being too much?

lucas, is that innocent and playful prince isnt he? while sicheng is that softie who tends to go by the rules.

taeil and kun sounds like a mom honestly while yuta– i made him a the flirty typa prince and hoping for future ten, youngho, and jaeyoung interactions :>

this could be a free ship too soooOo if y'all want interactions with some members then... letz get ittTtt!!!

loTs of love,
     jibin