Seventeen Preferences & Scenarios

Prince!Seventeen - Interlude: Woozi

"We'll be at the capital city in less than half a day," Seungcheol huffs, sitting down and wiping the sweat from his forehead with his dirty sleeves. "Is everyone holding up all right?"

Jihoon all but collapses on the ground, lying flat on his back and slinging an arm over his face to block the sunlight.

"Leave me here to die," he groans.

You squat next to him, smiling. "And let Chan take all the stress of being king? Leave Seokmin juggling thirty different responsibilities on top of taking care of Chan? It's not an option."

Jihoon lifts his arm ever so slightly, squinting at you. "I hate that you have a point."

"What'll we do when we reach the capital?" Soonyoung asks from his own seat on a fallen tree.

Jihoon sits up, crossing his legs. "We'll send Wonwoo in to speak to their crown princess in private," he recites. "Then, if she's willing to aid us, she'll more than likely send for us so we can make our plans better."

Speak of the devil — Wonwoo appears from the trees, pulling a leaf from his hair. "The palace is heavily guarded, but I should be able to slip in," he declares. "Just say the word and I'll be on my way."

"Go now," Seungcheol orders. "If she seems agreeable, tell her that we'll be there soon."

Wonwoo nods and vanishes.

It's almost six hours before you make your way into the capital city, and Wonwoo is waiting for you at the gates with a satisfied expression.

"We're in luck," he says. "I'm to lead you to the palace."

You follow him, subconsciously forming a protective circle around Jihoon, as had become your custom in the past four months. Seungcheol in the back, Wonwoo in front, and you and Soonyoung on either side — you more likely than not holding Jihoon's hand.

It's been five months since you ran away, but they had been the most eventful of your life.

Jihoon squeezes your hand as you passed the gates of the castle. "We'll be okay," he whispers. "It's only a matter of time now."

The Crown Princess is nothing like you expected.

She wears pants, practical knee-high boots, and a black tunic belted at the waist, with her long hair tied back and pinned in a braid looping around her head. There is nothing about her appearance to suggest her royal status, save for the regal air of her posture and face.

She smiles when she sees you, making a slight bow to Jihoon. "Sir," she greets respectfully. "I'm glad to see you well — your spy had some fairly harrowing stories to tell of your adventure."

She gestures to five chairs. "Sit down. We should talk in comfort — I'll send for a physician to see to  your injuries."

"I can't take you in as a Prince, you understand," the Princess says pensively. "Not only would that raise suspicion, it would destroy any chance I may have had of gaining your father's trust."

Jihoon nods, eyes closed. The physician the Princess called is rubbing a salve of sorts into a long cut on his back the physician declared infected, and you can tell from Jihoon's expression that it's bringing instant relief.

"I'm unaccustomed to being a Prince by now," he grunts. "What with these past five months in the wild... I hardly remember what comfort is."

The Princess's expression freezes, and she laughs awkwardly. "Yes, well, I assure you I treat everyone in my household well."

"How do you propose you shelter us, then?" Seungcheol asks. His scrapes and hastily bandaged wounds have been tended to already, and a bandage wrapped from his middle to halfway up his chest provides the only covering for his top half.

A slightly devious smile appears on the Princess's face. "Well, if you're used to hard work by now... what better way to disguise you than as servants? People come and go all the time in the staff, after all. The only thing we'll have to do is disguise your features somehow."

The physician clears his throat gently. "If my liege is willing to hear my suggestion," he begins, and the Princess looks expectantly at him.

"I know of multiple ways to lighten and dye hair," he says. "Coloured hair will almost certainly throw off anyone — and heaven knows their country is too conservative in its values to consider that anyone raised there would dare do such an absurd thing."

The Princess smiles and looks to you. "What do you say?"

"If it will help further my goals, I have nothing against it," Jihoon says, wincing as the physician sets about bandaging his torso.

"Then once you're done, please get the necessary supplies," the Princess confirms.

Two hours later, Seungcheol's hair is red, Soonyoung's an aqua colour that fades to blond, Wonwoo's mint green, yours a silvery purple, and Jihoon's is a vivid pink.

"As a precautionary measure, perhaps you ought to have new names to protect yourselves," the Princess muses. "We never know what your father will try in order to protect his throne."

Jihoon nods, toying with his pink hair in fascination. "How on earth..." he mutters under his breath.

You can't help but laugh a little, playing with his hair yourself. "It's so bright... and not the colour I would've chosen for you."

Jihoon looks affronted, frowning at you. "What? What colour would you have chosen?"

You smile, leaning your head on his shoulder. "I don't know... maybe a blond, or brown. Not pink, for sure."

"Your highness," Seungcheol murmurs. "The Princess is talking."

Jihoon turns his attention to the Princess, an attentive expression on his face.

"You can't be Jihoon any more — we all know that's the name of the runaway boy who claims to be the Prince.

"What do you think of the name Woozi?"

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so uh,,

the Prince!Jihoon blew up like I never expected and you guys wanted a part two but I already have two scenarios planned to tie into it x'D so please accept my attempt at an interlude before Seokmin's scenario tomorrow!