Use Your Mouth as an Anchor
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who?: soonyoung/hoshi x (f)reader
genre/s: fluff, humour, social media!au
warnings: some course language
genre: social media!au, princess diaries II !au, humour, romance, mild angst
warnings: none, as of yet
**please ignore the timestamps - they are not accurate**
a/n: queen haneul f*cking it uppppp.
Your stomach drops at the abrupt summons via text from your uncle that weekend - you’d barely had breakfast! So you drive down the coastline and then up the long gravel drive to the estate. The promised roofing company is all over the place, appraising the damage on scaffolding between broken shingles and overgrown, flaky lichen. But the front door is open so you let yourself in, tightening the knot of your overshirt round your waist like straps on armor. Your uncle Fred greets you warmly and you get whiplash in the foyer.
“Thank you for your prompt arrival! I appreciate you making the time on your weekend, outside of the regular luncheon.” He says.
You frown at him, shoulders turned away. “No worries? I didn’t have any appointments today, just housekeeping. What is so urgent?”
He walks in line with you, guiding you towards the backdoor to the patio you wished he used more. You lived on Amaide, land of seaside sun and lemons, for goodness sake. If you have the view, use it!
“You were seen at the event at the Genoa Palace earlier this week.”
Your heart plummets like a stone to your stomach and you realise luring you out to the patio was a way to lull your rightful caution. You stall in the entry, only a step out.
Uncle Fred smiles, faint and blithe. “You were not mentioned by name in any publications or…social media? But you were mentioned by members of the court - you were seen! What a shock, a member of the Chon family was let in the front door by the naive Queen Haneul. Let the wolves right in.”
“I - yeah, sure. It was just work stuff, Uncle. I am the Royal Correspondent, after all.” You turn your lip back to bare your teeth in a snarl. “And you know I don’t like being your lackey.”
Uncle Fred turns cold - ah, there was that nice familiar disappointment with a side of superior fury. Maybe your wording didn’t help. But you couldn’t resist!
“Perhaps not, but you knew where you were going and neglected to inform any of us. If anything, you lied. The advantage your presence may have had for Minhwan’s progress with parliament would have been appreciated.” He says, low.
You roll your eyes and draw yourself to your full height. Uncle was shorter than you by a good few inches, so anything to get something over him, pardon the pun. His head tips upwards to continue to glare and you smirk savagely.
“Uncle, you know I would have been no help there. I don’t partake in your schemes.” He starts going red and you decide to barrel on and twist the knife. “Besides, isn’t my job just a frivolous tabloid column? Barely worth anything.”
Now you can see the steam burst from his ears. “I - Chon Y/N, watch your mouth. Your mother isn’t here to protect you.”
“I don’t need protection. Never have. Is there anything else?” You’re haughty.
“No. But, in future, remember who you are and where your loyalties lie. As much as you deny it, you are a Chon. Keep your head on straight and don't forget it.” He rolls his shoulder back and turns to face the slowly mending garden, thus dismissing you. “There is no need for you to make an appearance at the luncheon tomorrow. I’ve seen enough of you.”
You clench your teeth so tight you might have cracked a tooth. “Yeah, well, the feeling is mutual, uncle.”
With that, you spun on your heel and marched out of the estate, swiping a random heirloom off the mantle on the way out, purely out of spite. If you knew he was looking, you would have flipped the bird to top it off. But Uncle never gave you that kind of satisfaction - somehow he got the last word, spoken or not.
You floor it out the drive, kicking up gravel and your back wheels losing traction for a moment with how hard you press on the accelerator.
You spend the rest of your weekend stewing, but only after dropping the dress back with Joshua.
He lit up at the sight of you in the boutique and you can’t help but return his beam, squeezing tight with the one-armed hug.
“Hey! You looked beautiful! I saw photos.” He says - you frown deeply and he waves you off with a wink. “I have my own sources. We had other clients there as well.”
“Oh. Thank you again, Joshua, I really appreciate your help.”
He takes the garment bag from you, depositing it on a random railing then giving you a tight hug and squeeze. Some of the residual bitterness from earlier in the day melts away.
“Not at all! Please, give me a call if you ever need my help again - or even a coffee. I’d love to catch up properly.”
You shoulder your purse - actually a matcha latte had been on your agenda next. “Me too. I’ll call soon.”
Amaide is blessed with holiday weather almost year round so you spend your weekend out in your slightly overgrown garden in the cool breeze and crystal clear sunlight working on your article for the Gala. Fanta and George roam the grass that’s gone to seed, little pink noses sniffing tipped to the sky. Despite the slight chill to the air as winter starts to rear its head, you still sun yourself in denim cut offs and flimsy camisole, eyeing your rotting dining room window frame - you’ll need to save up for that once your car has been serviced, you note idly.
Wonwoo since the Gala had wisely not mentioned any of it in person - you wouldn’t have been able to front up to it maturely if face-to-face. The texts were enough and you had met your deadlines for both the newspaper website and weekly paper requirement after a chat with some of the kitchen staff at the palace.
So when Monday comes around again, you had thought that was the end of that, back to life as you knew it, dodging your delusional family and waiting for news about Eunbi’s baby to finally pop. You and Wonwoo walk into the office, in step, critiquing the new girl at your regular matcha haunt.
“You know, for a newbie, she’s pretty good. Solid 7/10.” You comment, waving lazily at Minhyuk as you pass.
You lick the last of the froth from the hole in the plastic lid of your paper cup. Wonwoo adjusts his scarf, loosening it in the heated office.
“Agreed. But nothing like Lily’s. God, when is she back from leave?”
You dump your laptop bag on your desk quite unceremoniously. “Just before New Years - who knew hospitality had such good leave benefits?”
Oh wait, the cabinet had brought in those new laws in July for low income workers. Damn, if only. It’s all dry conversation between the two of you, having no further updates over the weekend that wasn’t work related. Your phone bings with a specific ringtone and you scramble - shit, it was from Chaeyeong, your main contact in the palace. It’s a photo of some palace document. This had to be confidential! What the hell?
You call her and she picks up second ring. “What the hell, Chae? You can’t send shit like this? You’ll get fired and it’s a criminal offense.”
Wonwoo is looking at you, wide-eyed and silent, trying to make sense of your words. You wave him off to wait.
“No, no, you don’t understand, this is worth it. You were right on Thursday - the Gala was a front for a meet-and-greet for Soonyoung. They’re announcing it today!” She hisses.
She squeaks too as you hear the click of shoes in the background walking over marbled hallways.
“Okay, thank you for the intel, but be careful!” You murmur. “When is Soonyoung announcing it?”
“10:30am, same as always.”
You grab your notebook from your bag pocket, frantically scribbling notes, 10:30am in a big circle. “Do you know why this is happening?”
“Not fully. Something about the Constitution? But I only heard that, I haven’t seen any official reason.” She’s quick with her words and you realise she’s probably in a very exposed spot.
“Okay then. Thank you again. Talk Thursday?”
She hums affirmatively and hangs up. You sink for your desk chair and huff - it’s not even 9am.
“What did she say?” Wonwoo is at your shoulder.
“Big, big announcement today by the royal family. Our hunch about the gala was right. But I don’t have time to read through the whole Amaide Constitution before 10:15.” He frowns and you add for him, “Chae heard it has something to do with it, but she didn’t know what.”
Your laptop is open and you’re on the government judicial website, searching for a PDF with the Constitution in it and a search function that isn’t from 2017. The executive office assistant is doing the mail rounds again, petite but rowdy. Another heavy magnolia textured envelope lands on your keyboard with the same wax seal as the first one. You swear, loud and long as you rip it open. The handwriting in this one is different, messier. It’s from the Queen, personally. You read it multiple times, the matcha a sudden bad aftertaste gritty at the back of your tongue.
“Holy shit, Wonwoo.” You breathe, handing it to him.
Wonwoo, not one for harsh expletives, says the same thing in his low timbre. “What are you going to do?”
You slump in your chair and glare up at him. “Well, first I’m going to find this article in the Constitution, and release this damn leak before 10am. Then I’m going to call in sick for the rest of the week - I have packing to do.”
Thank you for your attendance to our event last Wednesday - it was such a lovely surprise. I’m glad you weren’t scared away, despite our mutual family history.
As I have heard you surmised, the ball was a front for a preliminary match making session for my cousin, Kwon Soonyoung. He did come out of it with all ten toes intact, despite what you may have seen. I was blessed to have found a partner based on love in South Korea. Unfortunately, due to Constitutional constraints involving female heirs and linage, Soonyoung cannot be afforded the same kindness.
We have six months to find him a wife and secure his place in the royal succession. If we do not, this does leave us open to insurgence within parliament and the other aristocratic families, such as your own.
With this in mind, I would like to graciously offer you a live-in position at Genoa Palace for the duration of Soonyoung’s courtship and marriage. This short term role will include accommodation and all other necessities required for your stay, as well as an additional salary as a contractor of the royal family. Your cats will be permitted to stay as well, for your comfort and convenience.
You are Amaide’s leading and most reliable source for royal news and I trust that you will handle this ongoing situation with the tact and professionalism you always have. I also expect you to maintain secrecy and continue distance from your family, so as to protect the personal matters of the family and state.
Should you accept this position or have any further logistical queries, please contact our Head of Internal Affairs, Mrs. Rossi Soyeon, who is across the situation.
I look forward to hearing from you.
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