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akiko-luckystar‌:

Akiko felt her cheeks heat up as she set the pile of papers down. “Yeah I know,” she said softly, hesitantly reaching out to comb her fingers through his hair. “But I still worry about you getting stressed over it.” 

Looking aside briefly as a thought occurred to her, she pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to one of the guards that patrolled near her room a lot, asking to have Akari brought over so she can get acquainted with the new puppy. Then once she’d put her phone back in her pocket, she settled on the floor, resting her head against Tae’s knee and smiling up at him. “Akari’s coming over to meet him,” she said, reaching up to give the pup scritches under his chin. 

“I am stressed, but I can handle it. Spending time with you--that’s all I want to ask of you. I don’t want the worries getting you down.” Tae pulled her hand down from his hair to kiss it before he released her when she sat. “Is Akari fond of other dogs? I wouldn’t want to stress her out with the travel she’s already gone through.”

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princeseojun‌:

Seojun had been spending most of the day in the library, reading up on Egyptian history. He figured that if he was going to marry Sky, he should learn more about her country. He was currently sprawled out on one of the couches, nose stuck in a book while he had his earbuds in, listening to one of his favorite girl groups from home. He didn’t hear Tae-min approach until he felt  the hand on his shoulder.

“Oh, hyung, how long were you standing there?” he asked, sitting up and pulling the earbuds out of his ears.

“Not long. I haven’t had the chance to see you since we arrived.” Tae-min bit the inside of his cheek, chewing as he looked down on his younger brother. “Have you been well?” He had never been the most present in his siblings life, and only partially due to himself. Most of it was the stress of being the first born child. There was just too much for him to learn.

“How is your fiance?”

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prncandrs‌:

“I’d turn your phone off for a few hours a day just to be able to focus on your betrothed and yourself for a bit,” Although that was always so much easier said than done when it came to parents. He knew his own wouldn’t stop trying to get a hold of him even if his phone was off.”

“Thank you for the advice.” If he were speaking honestly and transparently he would admit that with everything happening at once he was worried that he wouldn’t be able to devote enough time to the girl he was supposed to marry. “I don’t know how you seem so sane.”

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akiko-luckystar‌:

Akiko looked up, smiling softly as she felt most of her anxiety melt away. “I can help,” she offered, moving to set the pup in his lap. Glancing at the pile of papers, she tilted her head slightly. “Your parents getting after you?” she asked, moving to set some of the papers away from the edge of the desk in case Xander tried to chew on them.

“You’ll have to. Without you I might end up with a dog who hates me.” Tae took the dog, rubbing its ears with his fingers as he watched his fiance. “Always--but,” Tae reached out to bring her back to face him. “It’s nothing to worry yourself with. You still have my full attention.”

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akiko-luckystar‌:

“It’s a boy, and the people who had him before named him Xander,” Akiko said quietly, staring down at the pup. “I did some research and apparently same-gender dogs, females mostly, fight a lot, and I didn’t want that to happen with Akari so….” Sighing softly, she gave a small shrug as she scritched him behind the ears. “Should I have asked if you wanted one first?”

“What a strange name for a dog.” Tae replied and stared at the dog. For a long moment he wasn’t sure how he felt about the whole situation. “Hm? Oh--yeah.” Dogs fighting, wouldn’t be great with the two of them living together in the future. “No--no it’s okay.” The last thing he wanted was for Akiko to be upset about it. “I just haven’t cared for a pet, suffice to say I’m a bit at ends with it.” He reached out a hand to pet the dog’s head a smile on his face.

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akiko-luckystar‌:

“Don’t worry I’m sure he’ll like you,” Akiko whispered to the half-awake puppy, giggling at the lick to the face she got before reaching for the knob and turning it, pushing the door open and stepping inside. Giving her fiance a smile, she nudged the door halfway closed as she spoke. “So I was volunteering at that animal shelter across town and…well, I was planning on waiting until Akari had puppies of her own to give you one, but then…” Nodding down at the pup in her arms. “Saw this little guy and I couldn’t resist.”

She moved to lean against the edge of the desk, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach as she watched him for his reaction. Should she have asked if he’d wanted one? Or would Akari have been enough for both of them?

By the time Tae-min had the chance to look up he was already hearing her speak of her own dog. Now, Tae-min didn’t hate animals, not in the slightest, but growing up he wasn’t given the opportunity to own one. “Sorry--what?” He wasn’t prepared to see the woman holding the little golden puppy in her arms, even less prepared to hear that it was for him.

He swiveled to follow her as she leaned against the desk. “He’s...cute. Is it a he? Or a she? Does it have a name?” His questions fell out in one nearly continuous strain, his hands not leaving his lap. Not wanting to frighten her or the dog.

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Tae spent his day with books opened on his desk and sheets of paper strewn about from writing back to his parents. Many times he had considered giving up and going back to ignoring their many calls and letters. Against his better judgement he’d finally managed a decent write.

He looked up when the knock came, calling out to her through the door. “Come on in.” Tae swiveled in the desk chair and faced the door, rubbing his face with his hand.

@xfcrowns

Stepping back into the palace after an afternoon of volunteering at the animal shelter on the other side of Athens, Akiko smiled softly at the snoozing ball of golden fluff in her arms. She’d originally planned on waiting until Akari had puppies of her own to surprise Tae with one, but then she’d seen this little guy at the shelter and she couldn’t resist.

Making her way down the hall to his room, she hoped he was in as she took a deep breath, shifting the pup to one arm and knocking on the door. “Tae? Are you here? I got you something…”

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prncandrs‌:

Andras related all too well to the stress of having parents breathing down their throats. “I think we all need a break from being micromanaged even when we aren’t in the same country as them,” he didn’t bother holding back on his eye roll.

“Couldn’t agree more.” Tae-min sighed, bringing a hand up in attempt to rub the stress from his eyes. “I think they just expect me to be able to balance getting to know someone I’ve never met on top of the things they were making me work on when I was home. Even at home I didn’t have time to breathe.”

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His parent’s had sent him yet another letter, advising him--or rather demanding him to stop ignoring his personal advisor. He had been ignoring calls, getting to better know his betrothed and all that, but mostly he just didn’t want to put up with all of the problems at home. He wasn’t yet King, and he needed a break. “Let’s get out of here. If my parents call me one more time I’m going to explode.”

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akiko-luckystar‌:

Slipping her hand into his with a nod, Akiko gave him a soft smile before pulling him over to the gate and reaching through the bars to test the lock with her free hand. “Okay…almost…oh so they just wanted us to think they had it locked,” she snickered quietly as she pulled her hand back, showing him the open lock before setting it down in a patch of high grass next to the wall. “Remind me that I put it there when we get back,” she whispered before moving to push the gate  open as slowly as possible so the hinges wouldn’t squeak and give them away. 

He followed along just barely missing a trip over his own feet as she pulled him towards the gate. Tae already knew it was unlocked when he saw the lock in her hand, then memorizing where she had dropped it before they slipped out, quietly shutting the gate. “Sure, do you know how to get to the store from here?”

Tae and Akiko’s Pet Store Adventure

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hrhangelique‌:

“Well that is nice to know, it would be a crime if we are here and can’t go to the beach right?” She said smiling, trying to find as many good things about being here for the time being as she could “Imagine if we weren’t able to leave the castle at all.”

“I think I would personally go insane.” He turned, hand extending to the bench beside her. “May I?” Sometimes it was nice to sit and chat with others. It brought him out of his head and gave him a grip onto what the whole point of his being there was.

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@princeseojun

He’d never been the best brother in the world. Had never spent weekends or late nights up playing games or getting to know his younger siblings, but it didn’t mean he’d never thought about them. Seojun he’d thought about constantly, wondering if he was doing well and if he was happy. Ultimately that’s what mattered. Maybe that was why he had gone out of his way to seek out the younger prince, resting a hand on his shoulder when he had finally found him. “Dongsaeng.” Tae-min smiled.

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I don’t really know what to say right now so I’ll just say Happy Valentine’s Day!

~Akiko 

He spends a solid 15 minutes just looking at it before it replaces the watch that he normally wears. This will be a new favorite.

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akiko-luckystar‌:

Akiko fell her cheeks warm slightly in spite of everything as she stood. tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “How are you?” she asked softly, glancing over her shoulder at the gate. “I haven’t checked the gate yet, I was waiting for you,” she finished, trying to shove the sudden shyness down. “You ready?”

“I’m well,” he replied. “it’s nice to get out and stretch my legs.” Considering the majority of his time was spent at a desk answering calls or letters from his parents. His gaze followed hers to the gate. “Perfect.” He first had a glance around, making sure that anyone working at the castle wouldn’t be looking. “Let’s go.” With that he offered his hand.

Tae and Akiko’s Pet Store Adventure

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akiko-luckystar‌:

@xfcrowns

After the text exchange with her betrothed, Akiko changed into jeans, her favorite green hoodie, and a baseball cap, and made her way out to the garden to wait for him. Dropping onto the bench near the gate, she pulled out her phone and tried to distract herself with one of her mobile games she’d downloaded back in Japan. But eventually she closed out the game and sighed, sitting back and staring up at the sky as she huffed out a soft breath.

She really had not wanted to marry anyone who was going to take the throne of their country, so when she’d been told back home that she’d been betrothed to Tae, she wasn’t happy. She’d rather have been betrothed to that annoying little brother of his with the million hair colors, but there wasn’t anything she could do, so she decided she might as well make the best of it, as scared as she was of eventually becoming queen.

Adjusting her cap, she sat up when she heard footsteps, blinking when she saw who was approaching. “Oh hey,” she said with a small smile.

The exchange left Tae-min alone at his desk for mere seconds before he was dressed more casually and heading out to the garden. He’d gotten to learn the grounds over his short stay and liked to brag that he could get from one side of the castle to the other in record time. He’d never say that to someone who lived there, as he assumed they’d have their own means of moving about the grounds. But, in no time at all he was standing in the garden, watching for his betrothed.

Akiko had been different, unlike people who threw themselves at him in hopes of becoming a princess or better yet--a queen. She of course, already had what those girls wanted. When his parents had sat him down just before his flight to Athens the idea of marriage was something he had only thought of in passing. He always knew that ultimately he would have to do what was best for his country, but that didn’t mean he approved of the circumstance.

“Good afternoon.” He greeted, yanked from the memory of his betrothal announcement.

Tae and Akiko’s Pet Store Adventure

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Away from the eyes of his parents Tae-min was able to relax and let himself break out of the hand pressed shell he’d been raised inside. He decided his first stop would be to the garden in hopes of a walk clearing the stress that was pent up in his head. His feet carried him down a path, hoping that it would be endless and lead him away from the ongoing responsibilities his parents were leaving him with. A voice perking him from his entranced walk. “I know some have enjoyed nearby beaches.” He replied to the princess, stopping in his stride.

If she was totally honest she wasn’t sure how she felt about being here, the place was amazing of course and she had always liked greek history and myths but at the end of the day she was someone that would rather be in her country and well the fact that that the reality of an arranged marriage was there didn’t make things easier. Since she just arrived she decided to look around and hopefully also ran into people she knew. After a while, she just ended up at the garden and she sat down on a bench “So is this the only outside place we have?”

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Akiko: Sure, meet you somewhere?

Tae: The garden. There's a sliver of a chance the gate out there may be unlocked.

Tae: dress comfortably we may have to climb it.