Out Of The Castle (Soobin X Reader)

  "I offer sincere apologies. I suppose if you were expecting the Choi family of the Western Kingdom, this must've been a shock to you," the Prince apologized as the carriage began to move through the forest.

  "You mustn't apologize. It is no fault but our own. We should have had further communication with you."

  "I suppose I should introduce myself if you know nothing of me. I am Soobin. Only son of the Eastern Choi family," he bowed his head gently in greeting.

  "Pleasure to meet you," she smiled gently.

  The princess watched out the window as the forest grew thicker. She watched the trees pass by the window, smiling at the wildlife that she spotted. Her eyes were wide as she attempted to take in every sight.

  "You seem to be enjoying the view," the Prince commented, his eyes on the window that the princess stared out of.

  "I've never been this far from the kingdom, nor have I been in a forest like this. It is almost thrilling," she told him, her voice wavering in excitement.

  The two stared out the window at the scenery that passed until the sun began to fall in the sky. The carriage stopped for everyone to eat a meal. It was something simple, a fruit and a piece of bread. The princess was grateful nonetheless. After the two royals stretched their legs, they ended up back in the carriage, facing each other.

  "May I ask you something?"

  "By all means," the Prince responded.

  "Why did you ask for my hand?" The princess asked him with genuine curiosity.

  "Well there were many reasons," he started. "First of all, you seemed to wish to put in a great deal of effort. I heard you speaking to Prince Beomgyu the night of your sisters marriage and I was immediately drawn to your immense effort. Secondly, as you talked to Prince Beomgyu, I found myself more and more drawn to you. I felt that I needed to offer a bride price for such a fine princess. Finally, my father is unwell. Should he pass, I shall be king, though I feel vastly unprepared for such a responsibility. I felt I should be a little more prepared should I have a Queen by my side, and if I am going to have a Queen, I wish for my people to be acquainted with her before she becomes their ruler. For these reasons, I felt a need to offer a bride price as soon as I could before anyone else could ask for your hand first."

  The princess was speechless. To think that someone could have this much interest in her was a foreign thought, especially after all she had heard from her family members to that point.

  "I must apologize. Had I known that I was betrothed to the Eastern Choi family, I would've studied the history. I was under the impression that I would be marrying Prince Beomgyu, so I have only studied the history of the West." The princess seemed to be on the verge of tears, her voice wavering.

  "Allow me to teach you our history. Perhaps it will make this carriage ride feel shorter," Prince Soobin joked, offering the princess a comforting smile.

  The princess nodded in response. She wasn't with the family she expected to be with, yet she was glad. Though she hadn't quite processed the fact that she would be the queen, she could think about that later. For now, she listened to the Prince explain the history of the East with great interest, in hopes that she could gain the trust and affections of the people in the East.

In a single evening, she found herself infatuated with Eastern history. Prince Soobin's great grandfather had fought in a war against the south during times where the south attempted to oppress all other nations. She had heard of this war before, but never the Eastern side of it. The North participated in the war to display that they should not be threatened. The West participated over a land dispute. The East joined the war because an eastern citizen was held hostage for ransom. According to Prince Soobin, the Eastern kingdom tended to lean towards neutrality, but at that time it was impossible. The Eastern kingdom seemed to be citizen oriented, something that differed from both the North and the West.