no wonder that merchant street was called wonders alley.

donghyuck felt like he was in the middle of a dream, lost somewhere between heaven and paradise, surrounded by riches and royals, and mostly treated as such as he was by the future king of aes' side.

the alley was tremendous, spreading across hundreds of meters, with an impressive number of shops on each side, selling a variety of stuff, going from jewels to fabrics and passing by dinnerware, flowers and furniture. the alley was also quite full of people, all of them being dressed in beautiful clothes, adorned of golden and silvery details, and being followed by a servant in much simpler clothes, pulling a small carriage in which the items previously shopped had been tossed.

everything was definitely new for the tanned male who wasn't aware of the existence of such things, and who hadn't stopped bombarding mark with questions ever since they had reached the place.

"do you think this is real gold?" the tanned male questioned as he glued his face to one of the windows behind which were displayed a few golden pieces of jewellery.

"it is." the royal replied without even looking. "what would be the point of having it golden if it wasn't real gold?"

"woah..." donghyuck simply let out, his eyes diverting between each of the pieces that were worth more he could even imagine.

mark stared at the boy for a while, being amused by his constant amazement.

"we probably should start shopping if we want to be back on time for dinner." the future king informed.

"start shopping? are we shopping there?!" the tanned male couldn't help but ask surprisingly – which shouldn't have been a surprise for him since mark had deliberately told him they were coming here to shop, but now that he could see what kind of shopping they were talking about, he couldn't help but think this had to be the wrong place.

"why else would i have brought you there?" mark chuckled at donghyuck's cuteness before taking a few steps forwards. "follow me, i know where we could get you a nice fit."

donghyuck obliged, trying his best to stay focused on the royal who skilfully slalomed his way between people, not even slightly interested by the shops surrounding them. donghyuck was exactly the opposite of that, his eyes widening a bit more at each shop, and his head lowering in sorrow each time his shoulder brushed against a royal's.

"here." mark pointed a shop on the right side of the alley before immediately darting that way, followed closely by the peasant who was scared to lose his guide.

the two young males walked in the shop in question, donghyuck letting an amazed 'woah' slip past his lips as he stared at the inside of the store.

"good afternoon, your highnesses." the old merchant spoke clearly as he bowed. "how may i help you."

"good afternoon." mark answered immediately, taking a step closer to the rack on which a few beautiful robes were hung. "we were looking for a casual diner dress. lumen style."

"of course, your highness." the merchant scanned the two males from head to toe, as if to judge which size would fit them best. "would you like them matching or...?"

"it won't be necessary. we only need one for him." mark informed, focusing back his attention on the robes.

"alright, please wait an instant, your highness."

that being said, the merchant walked away towards the back of the store, leaving mark and donghyuck in a comfortable silence.

the royal fiddled with the various clothes hanging on the racks, tugging on them to check them out before skipping to the next one. on his side, donghyuck stood in the middle of the shop, his mouth still ajar in bewilderment.

"the shopkeeper won't believe you're a royal if you keep looking amazed by such simple things."mark declared after a while, glancing over his shoulder at the peasant.

donghyuck's eyes shot-up wide in realisation before he shut his mouth and straightened his back again, earning a small chuckle from mark.

"this is nothing extraordinary, you know? just regular royal clothes."

"but they're so different from what we usually wear..." donghyuck said barely above a whisper, glancing down at his own body that was covered with mark's clothes.

mark couldn't deny that. it honestly pained him to see donghyuck arriving every day wearing the same worn-out clothes. they were so simple, without any ornament or embroidery, without any personality or any style. they were just functional, but that was because peasants were so different from royals, they couldn't afford having something esthetical over something functional.

before mark could speak further, the merchant walked back in their direction with a few sets of clothes on his arm.

"here at the different possibilities, your highness." he informed, placing the three robes he had brought on a half-empty rack nearby. "is there one you would like to try on? or perhaps would you rather see another batch?"

despite the fact the merchant was looking in his direction, donghyuck stayed silent, blinking a few times before glancing at mark. the royal didn't need to be told to walk to the rack and check carefully the different possibilities.

the three pieces were mostly cut in a pitch-black fabric, but made livelier thanks to the silvery embroidered pearls and sequins all over them. mark couldn't deny it was pure lumen style, very dark and put up to light with silver details, quite contrasting with aes style which is much brighter and enhanced with metallic tones.

"he will be trying these two." mark announced, grabbing the two sets he judged the most interesting.

"of course, your highness. this way please."

the merchant directed mark and donghyuck towards a cabin in which donghyuck would be able to try the clothes. mark handed him the two robes and closed the curtain to give the boy some privacy so that he could change before dismissing the merchant who left the two of them alone.

"mark?" donghyuck's shy voice called after a while, making mark's head perk up.

"donghyuck?" he called, approaching from the cabin without opening the curtain. "did you call me?"

"y-yes... i can't really figure it out..." the peasant admitted. "c-could you... help me?"

mark blinked a few times; not sure he understood what donghyuck meant by that. "h-help you?"

"yes. c-come in and help me, please."

the royal stayed frozen for a second before glancing at the merchant who was busying himself with something at the desk.

"i'm coming in." he informed, pulling the curtain open enough for him to slip inside and closing it back behind him. mark then lifted his head to look at donghyuck and find a way to help him, his eyes unwantedly staying stuck on the parts of donghyuck's body that were bare of any fabric.

the tanned male had his lower body covered by the dark fabric fully, but somehow, the clothes hadn't been wrapped correctly around his torso, leaving the upper part of his chest and one of his shoulders completely visible to mark's eyes. the boy was somehow mesmerised by the peasant's glowing tanned skin under the light of the cabin.

"sorry..." donghyuck said sheepishly, looking at the royal through the reflection of the mirror in front of which he was standing. "i-i feel stupid..."

donghyuck's words woke mark up from his daze – it seemed like the peasant often caused him to get in a daze these days – and made it divert his attention to the boy's face.

"h-huh..." he let out. "i think you put your arm in the wrong place." he was quick to add, checking the clothing situation as rapidly as he could.

"o-oh..." donghyuck looked down at himself. "s-should i remove it?"

"i-i guess." mark nodded.

that being said, donghyuck reached with one of his hands for the fabric that was wrapped around one of his shoulders, surely to pull it down and allow him to wear it correctly. mark immediately turned around when he understood the male was about to undress, not wanting him to feel watched by doing so.

"h-how do i wear it now?" donghyuck's voice rang inside the cabin like a soft melody.

"well..." mark thought for a second. "you have to wrap it around your chest from the side with the opening on the back."

there was a short silence, soon followed by the sound of fabric ruffling and then a desperate sigh.

"can you help me, please?" donghyuck asked shyly.

"d-do you mind if i turn around?" the royal questioned hesitantly, not wanting the other male to feel uncomfortable.

"i don't." donghyuck answered simply.

"a-alright." the future king gulped before turning around slowly, his eyes immediately falling on the other male's half-bare body, and being once again completely mesmerised by the sight.

it was no secret that donghyuck's skin was beautiful, glowing under the sunlight in the most pleasant ways. mark saw his tanned face on a daily basis, and he had caught a glimpse of his arms and shoulder just a few seconds ago. and now that his whole chest was on display, the clothes only covering his body below his bellybutton, mark could confirm that donghyuck's skin had to be the most shimmering he had ever seen.

but aside from the ethereal beauty of the boy's smooth skin, mark felt the physical impossibility to divert his eyes from the boy's body because of its flimsiness.

never in his whole life had mark seen a stomach that was this flat, a waist that was this thin or ribs that were this showing. and yet, donghyuck combined all three of those in a way that should be alarming, but that only made him look more beautiful to mark's eyes.

"mark?" donghyuck spoke so gently, making mark lift his head to look at the male in the eyes.

"y-y-yes?" mark fully stuttered, gulping down the lump that had formed in his throat as he tried preventing himself from looking down again.

"how should i wear it?" the tanned male tilted his head to the side, motioning to the chest part of the robes he was trying on, that were still loosely hanging around his hips.

"o-oh, yes." mark cleared his throat before taking a step closer to the tanned male, and reaching for the piece of clothing that he needed help with.

it didn't take too long for mark to help donghyuck pass his two arms through the armholes and wrap the fabric around his torso, hugging the boy's slim frame so perfectly. mark couldn't help but gulp again at the sight of the tanned male in the royal robe, his waist and chest being snatched by the expensive fabric, and his arms being fully visible as the jacket part of the outfit hadn't been put on his shoulders yet.

"here." mark stated, handing donghyuck the jacket and forcing himself to stop looking at the tanned male, something that seemed impossible right now.

donghyuck wore the jacket, letting mark place it properly on his frame before turning around to look at himself in the mirror of the cabin.

"woah..." the tanned male let out. "it looks so beautiful..." he added, lightly swirling around to make the robes flow. mark had to bite on his tongue not to voice out 'beautiful is an understatement'. his eyes once again travelled up and down donghyuck's body taking in every detail for a few seconds before he shook his head vigorously, catching donghyuck off-guard as he was studying his reflection.

"okay, we're buying it." the royal declared, his hand reaching for donghyuck's wrist and pulling the boy out of the cabin towards the merchant.

"wait, where are we going?" donghyuck questioned, letting himself being dragged around.

mark ignored the tanned male's words as he met eyes with the merchant. "could you make an adjustment on these robes for me?" the royal immediately asked.

"of course, your highness." the man nodded. "please follow me. what kind of adjustments might you need?" he continued, leading the two males a bit further in the boutique, on a small stage surrounded by a variety of sewing tools.

"mostly around the waist. the robes should stick closer to his body." mark informed.

"alright your highness." the merchant took note of the information before inviting donghyuck to stand on the small elevated stage.

that being said, the merchant grabbed a variety of tools before standing next to donghyuck that was still on the stage, looking at him with curious eyes. the older man walked around donghyuck, his hands delicately grabbing the loose fabric around donghyuck's sides and pinching it to stretch it out and make it fit donghyuck's body better.

the peasant stood still, almost looking tense, as he was manipulated, asked to raise his arms or turn around multiple times to adjust the sizing of the robes. it felt weird, having someone doing that stuff for you. in donghyuck's world, there was no problems such as clothes not fitting. you took the clothes that were available, whether they were running too big or too small, and you contented yourself of the way they were. eventually, you could cut them if their length became problematic when working, but there was no such thing as someone doing it for you, and tailoring them perfectly to your body shape.

"could you please remove the top part, your highness. it will be easier to work on the waist part that way."

mark had to clear his throat and catch donghyuck's attention for him to understand that the merchant was addressing to him. "your highness"; how could he even recognise himself in this denomination.

"o-of course." the tanned male stuttered, carefully peeling the expensive fabric off his upper body and revealing his smooth skin.

once again, mark's eyes unconsciously fell on him, admiring for the nth time the boy's bony body and getting lost in his beauty.

the merchant's eyes widened slightly at the sight of donghyuck's body, as if he wasn't expecting to see these many bones appearing on a royal's body. he couldn't voice his concerns out, but the first thing he thought about was whether the royal ate or not – in fact, neither was donghyuck a royal, nor did he eat as much as he should.

"please stand straight, your highness." the older man stated, donghyuck obliging immediately.

mark eyed carefully the merchant as he worked with his hands around donghyuck's waist area, pulling on the fabric and having his hands brushing against the male's tanned skin from time to time. the future king tensed at that sight, but kept his mouth shut, not wanting to appear like he was paying careful attention to it. so, mark swallowed back his words, only letting his annoyance be seen through the way his eyebrows had furrowed as the merchant turned donghyuck around by placing both hands around donghyuck's slim waist.

"ahh!" donghyuck exclaimed after a while as one of the needles the merchant was manipulating poked donghyuck's side, startling him.

mark – who had previously been holding back from saying anything – immediately rushed to the boy's side, glaring at the merchant.

"be careful with your instruments." he spoke sternly. "or i'll make you pay the damages."

the merchant who seemed to have forgotten about mark's existence gulped and nodded. "yes, your highness."

mark could only hum, head high in pride. "and watch your hands." he added throwing the merchant one last glare and smiling at the peasant.

and well, donghyuck could only smile back, mouthing a small 'thank you' to the royal who seemed to have understood his distress without him needing to say it.

♕

"how did you find the day?" the future king of aes questioned, looking above donghyuck's shoulder as the tanned male was seated on the horse right in front of him.

"it was amazing." donghyuck answered immediately, his eyes gleaming as he recalled everything they had done.

the two of them were on their way back to the kingdom of aes, riding argenti on whom their different purchases of the day had been charged, and mentally preparing for a dinner with the regent queen – well, for donghyuck at least, because for mark, this wasn't much more than a regular dinner. 

"do you have places like wonders alley as well?" mark questioned, somehow wondering how donghyuck could find this place that amazing when it was just a regular shopping street – plus, it was nothing much compared to the shopping alleys they could have in the northern kingdoms.

"we don't." donghyuck shook his head.

"you don't?!" mark exclaimed. "but like... how do you purchase clothes? and jewels? or even objects?"

donghyuck let out a clear giggle at mark's astonishment, causing the royal to be even more lost.

"we just don't." donghyuck answered simply, turning around slightly to look at mark, only to see that the royal couldn't understand his words. "we don't have jewels or objects hanging around. each time we have one, we exchange it for money or food, or anything that could help up live." the tanned male explained. "as for clothes, we make them with what we have, and re-use them for an eternity."

mark stayed silent after those words, letting the information sink in – such things happened awfully often these days, and each time, they followed something that donghyuck said that utterly shocked him.

never had anyone told him that this was the way people lived on his lands. he was aware of the existence of the peasants on their lands, he knew they were at their service and that they lived for the sake of the kingdom, but he had no idea their life was this hard and painful.

all of those things he had taken as granted since the beginning of his life were in fact far from being granted for people like donghyuck. the poor boy had barely enough to live, and yet, he seemed to always be happy and contented with what he had.

"why are you so silent?" the tanned male questioned, turning around a bit more and trying not to fall from the horse's back.

"i just... i'm sorry for asking about that..." mark replied hesitantly, not exactly knowing what tosay.

"what are you sorry for. that's just the way things are." donghyuck replied as if it was logical. and yet it didn't appear as logical in mark's mind.

there was a short silence between the two males, the sound of argenti's horseshoes clicking against the stoned road being the only noise surrounding them for a while.

"i can try to change that." mark assured; determination visible in his eyes.

"what for, everything is perfect that way." donghyuck replied confusedly. the royal couldn't help but sigh again, not understanding how donghyuck could be so positive when he faced so many problems in his life – at least what mark would call problems.

"everything would be much better if you could all live like royals." the future king stated.

"i'm not so sure about that."

these words from donghyuck marked the beginning of another silence between the two males. donghyuck sat back correctly on the horse, straddling it and facing forward, looking at the beautiful scenery of the sun setting behind the hill. mark stayed in his thoughts for a while, replaying donghyuck's words in his mind, and trying to find a way to persuade him that it would be better for everyone.

"you'll see tonight." the royal declared after a while, catching donghyuck's attention again.

"what will i see?"

"how living like a royal is." he replied. "you'll see how amazing it is, and you'll understand why i want to change the way things are for you."

and so, donghyuck could only keep his response to himself. because how could he tell mark that if he had entered this castle in the first place, it was to see how awful royals truly were, and why they should be taken off their throne?