Out Of The Castle (Soobin X Reader)

  "My lord, you really must find some other arrangement when you wish to accompany your fiancée. As much as I wish to serve you to the best of my abilities, I fear that the knights are soon going to eat me alive," Kai sighed, resting his forehead against the wall of the castle.

  "I'm sure Sir Jeon would be glad to take over training. As a matter of face, I am certain that he would be too glad. I'm not sure I would ever get a say in what happened with my knights ever again. That's why I need you," the prince told him, inspecting a small hole in the castle wall that was noticed by one of the staff that took care of the landscaping. The staff who took care of the storage room had been complaining of varmints so Soobin had sent someone out to look for anywhere they could've used to enter the storage rooms. He was absolutely certain that they were getting in through the small hole. Once word had been sent that they'd found the varmints entrance to the castle, Soobin went out immediately to check it out for himself and fix it.

"I respect your decision, my lord, however, all of the knights seem to think it is strange that I am teaching them when they should instead be teaching me."

"My friend, you are only a page by mere formality. Should my father relinquish his power, you shall immediately become my royal Steward."

"I care not about my position, I simply care about finding someone who is qualified to train the knights. I simply do not enjoy their constant ridicule, though one might think I do considering the fact that I return every day," Kai whined, pouting down at Soobin who knelt examining the hole at the bottom of the castle wall. It was big enough for a raccoon to squeeze into.

  "Alright. I shall look into it. Just know that my fiancée will now remain unaccompanied around the castle and it is all your doing," Soobin hummed, thinking about how he could fix the wall.

  "You of all people know how diligent Hiyyih is to ensure that someone accompanies the princess everywhere she goes. Hiyyih says that it still feels like the princess is a guest in our home," Kai mumbled running his finger along a seam in between stones.

  "You're right," Soobin murmured, standing abruptly, bringing a finger up to his chin. "We must do something to make her feel like she belongs. Something that makes everyone feel like she belongs."

  Soobin stewed over the issue, pacing at the foot of the castle. He thought for several minutes, trying to find a way to make the princess feel as if the castle was her home. As he intensely thought it over, he failed to notice a small mouse squeaking about the field.

  Kai watched as the mouse approached the two, assessing the situation. He watched the mouse eye the hole into the castle.

  "My lord," he started, pointing at the mouse, but Soobin was facing the other direction, deep in thought. "My lord," he began again as the mouse inched toward the hole. "Soobin!" He gasped as the mouse broke out into a sprint.

  Soobin whipped around in surprise at Kai referring to him so informally, not that he had any issue with it, and managed to see the mouse as it scurried away into the hole, disappearing into the walls.

  "I suppose I should worry about one thing at a time."

-

  Soobin returned from fixing the hole in the castle wall and he headed straight for the princess's room. As he patched up the hole, he had come up with a brilliant idea.

  He knocked on the door, and stood patiently outside until he heard footsteps approaching the door quickly. When the door was opened, he was greeted by the princess, looking slightly surprised to have a visitor. He could see through the door that she had been drinking tea whilst enjoying a book. He wasn't sure whether she was studying, or simply reading for entertainment.

  "My lady," he greeted. "May I come in?"

  "Why, of course," she answered with a smile, opening the door wider and ushering him in.

  "Do you find yourself well acquainted with the castle yet?" Soobin asked as he entered the room.

  "I still find myself lost if I am unaccompanied, but I always find where I need to be. The staff around the castle are so friendly," she hummed, returning to her coffee table where she was previously drinking tea.

  "I still feel as though you aren't get comfortable with living in the castle. It seems as though you are a guest, only leaving your room when you have a meeting to attend," Soobin explained, sitting in a chair beside the coffee table so that he sat perpendicular to the princess.

  "I suppose you are right. It does not seem as though I shall soon be queen," she nodded, fiddling with her fingers.

  "We shall soon have a ball in order the celebrate the autumn equinox. I believe that you should plan it," Soobin suggested, leaning forward in his chair.

  "Are you sure, my lord?" The princess asked, her face dropping and paling.

  "I am certain. Namjoon, Bahiyyih, and Kai shall give you all the help that you require. You can ask them any questions you need to ask. They shall aid you with whatever troubles you."

  "I..." she paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. "I am not sure if I will be able to do it. I've not even been here more than a couple weeks and to take on something so important... My lord, I'm not even sure why the autumn equinox is celebrated."

  "Autumn is the time where the trees begin to shed their leaves. The leaves and the grass begin to die. It is a season of death. However, in the East, death is not a loss, but rather it is a rebirth. The leaves come back in the spring, and the grass becomes green again. Here in the East, we like to think the same of our deceased. We like to believe that our loved ones shall come back again. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but eventually come back just as beautiful as they once were. Perhaps they will become a rose or a tulip or a small bush, or maybe they will come back as themselves again. Maybe they're a raindrop falling from the sky, or perhaps they are a cloud. No one knows. All we know is that once someone is gone, it doesn't mean they're gone forever. It simply means that the cold weather has hindered their ability to thrive and they will return soon once the conditions are favourable."

  Soobin's explanation piqued the princess's interest. She'd never heard of such beliefs and she was intrigued with the way of thought and how it came about. She thought that it was a wonderful way to think, yet she found herself reluctant to say yes to planning the party.

  "Questions like that can be directed towards Namjoon. You must grow used to directing the flow of the castle. Not only that but you must have experience with making purchases for the castle. When I am away, it will be your responsibility to ensure that we have enough supplies in the castle at all times." Soobin's explanation was thorough, as if he thought out this plan for hours, which he did.

  "I don't know, my lord..."

  "That is a good place to start," he nodded, moving to kneel in front of the princess and taking her hands in his. "You are my fiancée. To hear you say 'my lord' makes it seem as though you are my servant. You should call me Soobin," he told her, gently rubbing the backs of her hands with his thumbs. He saw the princess's face gently flush as her hands gently retracted, but he moved his hands with hers.

  "You have not called me by my name either," she told him nervously, avoiding his intent gaze.

  "That is true, I have not. I have only referred to you in a way that shows others that you are near and dear to my heart," he explained with a small smile.

  "Def-Idelis," she nodded, the phrase rolling off her tongue perfectly with ease.

  Soobin felt his heart jolt as she spoke. He could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage as he looked at the princess, positively stunned with her pure confidence as she said those words. He felt his cheeks flush against his will and he gently retracted one hand to press the cold back of his hand against his flaring cheek. He could feel his heart arrhythmically beating, and his breaths became unsteady.

  "Def-Idelis," he started, taking a big breath to try and calm his fluttering heart. "You have no clue how beautiful those words sound when they leave your lips."