Seneschal || jjk (Part 1)
➥Pairing: vampire!jungkook/reader, former prince!jungkook/reader
➥Summary: Having been burned by the rest of the world, Jungkook was content to watch it go up in flames. Or, at least, he was until you gave him hope for something new. As plans are set in motion to unite your rival kingdoms, unforeseen circumstances arise. In the midst of the chaos, Jungkook is sure of one thing: he’d be damned if he let you get burned, too.
➥Genre: strangers to lovers, angst, slow burn, (eventual) fluff, (eventual) smut, royalty au, supernatural au
➥Rating: 18+
➥Words: ~6k
➥Content Warnings: a bit of angst, no smut in the first part but there is a little bit of nudity mentioned, blood and violence are mentioned, vampire lore(?), swearing, this is more of an intro chapter than anything else so there isn’t a whole lot that happens
A/N: so uh…it’s been a while, yeah? I haven’t updated any of my BTS fics on this blog in over a year due to a lot of life things (you can read here if you’re curious as to why), but I finally had a little time to sit down and dedicate to this idea I teased back in November 2021. As mentioned in the content warnings, this is more of an intro chapter so there isn’t a whole lot going on…definitely will be more happening later.
Anyways all that to say thank you to everyone who has supported/is still supporting me and my writing even during my hiatus. It means the absolute world to me 💜
(Also special shout-out to @dntaewithluv for listening to me ramble off idea about this for a literal year, I love you so much and appreciate you immensely ❤️)
seneschal [sen-uh-shuhl] (noun) an officer having full charge of domestic arrangements, ceremonies, the administration of justice, etc., in the household of a medieval prince or dignitary; steward.
Otherwise known as Jungkook’s consolation prize when he was coerced to step down from the throne.
It had been 2 years since the…incident occurred, but Jungkook could still remember it as if it had just happened.
Which is exactly what he was reflecting on as a vial was being thrust into his vision.
He blinked rapidly a few times before staring up at the person holding the vial out for him, their face a mixture of excitement and mild impatience.
“Well? We don’t have all day. Drink up, Jeon.”
Jungkook glared.
“My apologies, please drink the potion, Mr. Jeon.”
“Jimin, you know how I feel about you and formalities-”
“It just so happens that my manners come out more as my patience grows thin.” Jimin teased. “So,” he tried once more, “drink it.”
Jungkook sighed and shook his head, knowing it was better to leave well enough alone.
“Are you sure this is safe,” Jungkook asked as he stared hesitantly at the vial filled with blue liquid just inches away from his face.
Jimin rolled his eyes before grabbing Jungkook’s hand and closing it around the vial. “Yes, for the billionth time I wouldn’t give you something I thought might harm you.” He took a step back and crossed him arms, waiting patiently for Jungkook to do something.
With a sigh Jungkook carefully brought the vial to his lips, swallowing the liquid without putting too much thought into it. The taste was bitter, but not wholly unpleasant, and a few more moments passed before either of them spoke.
“And the verdict is?” The genuine curiosity in Jimin’s voice was something Jungkook had always found to be endearing.
Jungkook chuckled. Jimin may have still been a wizard in training, but he always had Jungkook’s best interest at heart.
“How am I supposed to know if anything happened? You tell me.”
Jimin blinked before the realization set in. “Oh, right.” He stepped forward once more, peering into Jungkook’s eyes as best he could in the dim lighting of the room.
Jungkook already knew the results before Jimin could confirm them. The way his face dropped said it all.
“They’re still red. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, I’m following all the rules-”
“Jimin.”
“Maybe the spellbook is outdated, you know? This is the only one I’ve ever seen anyone else use, it must be centuries old at this point-”
“Jimin,” Jungkook stated more firmly this time, clapping his hand on the other’s shoulder to keep him from pacing around more. “It’s fine.”
Jimin groaned. “But it’s not fine, what kind of a supposed ‘wizard’ am I if I can’t even do a simple eye color changing spell.”
“You’re one that’s trying and that’s what matters.”
“Yeah, but,” Jimin broke off, pout prominent on his face. “you shouldn’t have to wear contacts all the time.”
Jungkook offered a gentle smile to his downtrodden friend. “There’s lots of things I shouldn’t have to do, but I do them anyway. It’s only a slight inconvenience, not a big deal.”
Jimin didn’t seem convinced. “I don’t know why you need to wear them in the first place, does it really matter if people see-”
“Yes,” Jungkook cut him off with a tone of finality. “We’ve been over this. It’s best for everyone if they don’t figure it out.”
“So you’re honestly fine with everyone thinking you did something horrible enough to make you step down from the throne? You’re ok with letting people drag your name through the mud constantly?”
Jungkook shrugged. “It’s just better this way.”
Jungkook could swear he heard Jimin growl. “It’s not right and you know it. You’re just too set in your ways about not wanting to bring dishonor on your family. Which, by the way, not sure if you noticed but they aren’t the most honorable people.”
“Don’t.” Another statement with a stern tone. This time, Jimin obeyed.
Jungkook ran a hand through his hair, letting the dark curls fall at their own leisure. “I need to get going or I’ll be late.”
If he left now he had just enough time to stop by his room and grab his contacts he’d left behind on his way to see Jimin, as per Jimin’s request.
“I’ve got it all figured out, so you won’t even need them this time!” Jimin had promised.
Jungkook had hope that one of these days Jimin would be victorious in all of his spellcasting endeavors, and he’d be there to support him the whole way through.
Right now, however, he had bigger matters to attend to.
On his way back to his chambers he saw Seokjin, who he figured was en route to go check on Jimin, seeing as he was the appointed court wizard and Jimin was his apprentice.
Jungkook nodded at him as they passed by each other, but Seokjin calling out for him had him turning around.
“Yes?”
It was then that Jungkook could see just how tired Seokjin looked. “Lord Jeon requests your presence before your meeting with the king.”
Jungkook raised an eyebrow. “Did he now? He bother to tell you what it was about?”
Seokjin shook his head, brows somewhat furrowed. Jungkook sensed that he seemed tense overall, and Jungkook didn’t like it.
“He didn’t. He just said it was important and had to be done as soon as possible.”
With a deep sigh, Jungkook relented, mumbling a thank you to Seokjin as he changed the direction he was walking. His brother’s chambers were located in a completely different wing of the castle, but he still had enough time to stop by his own room afterwards if he played his cards right.
He could hear the noises before he even approached the door, faint enough to go unnoticed by other passerby, but due to his heightened senses he had the unfortunate luck of not being able to remain oblivious. Jungkook knocked on the door despite the urge to just barge in; protocol was a big thing here and it was best for him to keep that in mind.
When he got no answer, he knocked once more before he squared his shoulders and turned the knob to open the door.
Without waiting for a greeting, he walked in, fully prepared for what he might find, seeing as it’d happened before.
Sure enough, the sight he was met with was exactly what he expected.
“Ah, so you finally came,” a snarky voice called out to him, slightly muffled. Jungkook rolled his eyes as he waited for the other party to get situated.
“What do you want, Yoongi?”
The blonde man in the bed not far from Jungkook smiled as the sheets fell around his waist. The woman next to him had even less shame, not bothering to cover her naked torso.
It wasn’t like Jungkook had never seen it before, anyway-
“Now is that anyway to address your superior?”
Jungkook gritted his teeth. “It is when my ‘superior’ is my younger brother.”
Yoongi tutted disapprovingly. “If you recall, you’re still only 24 years old-”
“Yoongi.”
“Which makes me the older brother now since I just turned 25.” he flashed a grin and the woman beside him snuggled up to his arm, still not completely covering her breasts. Jungkook looked away.
“So,” Yoongi continued, “you care to try that again?”
“I don’t, thanks. What do you want?”
Yoongi huffed, clearly unamused. “What I want is for you to tell our father what my requests are for the event we’re holding.”
This intrigued Jungkook enough to turn his sights back to his brother. “You’re not attending?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Yoongi feigned remorse. “I have more important matters to attend to.”
Jungkook watched in disgust as Yoongi grabbed a hold of the woman’s chin to turn her face so that he could kiss her. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.
“So you’re not coming then?”
“Oh he’s not, but he will be,” the woman ran her hand up Yoongi’s arm. Long, teal hair covered her shoulders, reminding Jungkook of when it was first dyed. He’d been there with her after all, so of course he’d remember it.
She giggled at her own joke while Yoongi laughed boisterously, 2 sounds Jungkook wished he’d never have to hear again.
He’d never been that lucky.
“I don’t have time for this,” was his only remark before he turned on his heel to exit the room.
Jungkook ignored Yoongi’s calls for him to come back, instead taking longer than necessary strides to put as much room between him and his brother as possible.
A low growl died in his throat as he pulled on the edge of his chain dangling from his neck. It looked like an ordinary chain necklace to the untrained eye, but it was long enough to where the end of it could fit in Jungkook’s pocket. From his neck, the rest of the chain disappeared beneath his shirt, covering the length of his chest.
It was a safety measure more than anything, something Seokjin and Jimin had helped him come up with following the ‘incident.’
⊱─────✧༺✧༻✧─────⊰
“Silver has been known to cause excruciating pain to vampires,” Seokjin had explained, “but this is a special chain, charmed with a spell that dulls that effect.”
“It doesn’t get rid of it completely?” Jimin’s confusion was evident alongside his concern for his friend.
Seokjin shook his head. “It won’t, only because that was Jungkook’s request.”
Jimin’s worried stare shifted to Jungkook, who was sitting on one of the tables in Seokjin’s chambers. His shirt was shredded, and his chest was stained scarlet: souvenirs of his most recent outing.
He went out to feed, traveling several towns over, and ended up failing miserably. Jungkook maybe got a few seconds of satisfaction before he was being ripped away from his willing victim and promptly beaten by 3 other men.
He absolutely could’ve taken them, but he was already ashamed of what he was doing in the first place. He figured that this was punishment that he had coming in one way or another.
That night when he stumbled into Seokjin’s room, bloodied and defeated, they put together a plan straight away.
Jimin asked to sit in and observe, since he was still unfamiliar with certain spells, but he missed that part of the conversation when he was fetching supplies.
“I don’t understand, why do you want the chain to still be able to cause pain?”
Jungkook sighed, wrapping part of it around his fist and noticing instantly the slight burn the metal singed his skin with. “Because the pain will hopefully be enough to stop me.”
“Stop you from doing what?”
Jungkook slowly raised his eyes to look at Jimin, a small, sorrowful smile stretched across his face.
“Something I regret.”
⊱─────✧༺✧༻✧─────⊰
The familiar sting of the chain branded the inside of his palm with invisible marks, and he kept it curled inside his hand until he was in front of his own chamber doors. He was really pushing time now, close to being late for his advisory meeting, but he’d risk a slight delay in the start of the meeting versus having to explain why his eyes were crimson colored.
Once he had his contacts fixed, he all but jogged to the large meeting room down the hall. A few guards and his father were already there, waiting on him as it seemed he was the last to show up.
“You’re late,” the king greeted, a hint of disappointment in his tone.
Jungkook was used to that by now.
“Sorry, Your Majesty, I had to run a few errands first. Shall we start?”
The king cleared his throat and nodded, holding out his hand to the guard nearest him. A scroll was placed into his large palm before he quickly unraveled it.
Jungkook watched his eyes flit across the parchment, and when he deemed it satisfactory, the king handed it back to the guard so he could pass it down to Jungkook.
“You’ll find the agenda there for tomorrow’s event. I’m entrusting you, as usual, with all the planning so you can make sure everything is taken care of.”
Jungkook hummed as he read through everything. It all looked to be in order: designated time for the other guests to arrive, instructions for what catering needed to be prepared, an outline of what was required for Yoongi’s meeting with the princess-
Jungkook read that line again. And another time. He ground his teeth together as he looked back up at the king whose eyebrow was raised as he waited.
“Well? Is something the matter? You look perturbed.”
“Father-”
“This is an official meeting, boy. No informal titles allowed.”
Jungkook’s jaw was clenched. “Your Majesty,” he tried again, “what is this last portion here about a meeting with a princess?”
“Ah yes, that.” The nonchalant answer made Jungkook’s anger rise even further. “The meeting between their princess and our prince is what will be the defining moment for the entire event.”
Jungkook had known there was some sort of event happening that was supposed to – hopefully – demolish the rivalry between the two neighboring kingdoms. There had been bad blood for far too long, and it sometimes made it difficult to retrieve supplies from other areas without conflict arising.
Jungkook had been tasked with planning everything for the guests arrival, as his job required him to do. Despite being kicked from the royal lineage, he was allowed to stay a part of the royal court and act as a steward of sorts. It wasn’t always the best, but he figured it beat being exiled from the kingdom entirely.
He worked tirelessly over the last several months to ensure that all boxes were checked for this gathering. But this new information blindsided him, and now it suddenly made sense why his father and Yoongi both seemed so cocky and sure that this would work.
“And no one thought it pertinent enough to tell me that this would be happening?”
Of all things he could’ve done in that moment, the king had the audacity to shrug. “You won’t be present for that bit of it, so we didn’t feel it was necessary to tell you.”
“Then why isn’t Yoongi here for this instead of me,” Jungkook tried to keep his tone respectful, but even he couldn’t stop some of the malice from slipping through.
“The prince” the king put heavy emphasis on the title, “is busy carrying out other affairs, so it didn’t seem important to bother him with this.”
“Yeah, affair is certainly one way to put it,” he mumbled, crossing his arms as he looked to the side.
“I beg your pardon?”
Jungkook exhaled through his nose. “Nothing, Your Majesty.”
The king stared at Jungkook for a few more moments before he dismissed the other guards in the room.
“Gentleman, if you’d kindly take your leave for a moment – I need to have a discussion with my son. Two of you may remain posted at the door in case you’re needed.”
The guards obeyed quickly, bowing as they exited.
Jungkook scoffed. “So now I’m your ‘son?’ I’m surprised that word still exists in your vocabulary where I’m concerned.”
“Jungkook, be quiet!” The king raised his voice as a warning and slammed his fist against the table, stopping Jungkook’s jabs in their tracks.
“Regardless of your faults and any heinous acts you may have committed, you are still my son. Whether I like it or not.”
Jungkook hated how those words caused a dull ache in his chest.
“And because you are my son, that is why you are still allowed to be here in the first place. Do you ever think about how easy it would’ve been to toss you on the street like some mere commoner,” the king spat, his own outward frustration mirroring what Jungkook felt on the inside.
“You only tell me every chance you get, how could I not?”
“Watch your tone with me, boy. I am not above throwing you in the dungeon for insubordination.”
Jungkook was well aware. At this rate, he had his own personal cell with how often his father (and more so his brother) felt the need to send him there.
“Can we go back to what this ‘meeting’ is supposed to entail? Why is their princess involved?”
The king squared his shoulders and smiled. “They’ve offered a marriage proposal.”
Jungkook’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry, a what?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. The king’s eldest daughter, Princess Mina, is being offered as a marriage candidate for Prince Yoongi.”
“And Yoongi agreed to this?”
The king frowned at Jungkook’s continued lack of formality before he nodded. “He’s been preparing for it for a while now.”
Jungkook clenched his fist under the table.
“Fucking unbelievable,” Jungkook muttered, a few seconds from leaving the meeting altogether in order to give the prince a piece of his mind.
“Language,” the king reminded him sternly.
“Look, fa- Your Majesty. With all due respect to you, I think this is a terrible idea.”
“Please do enlighten me as to why you feel that way.”
Jungkook sighed as he rubbed his temples. “Arranged marriages amongst royals never seem to work out well from what I’ve seen. Arranged marriages amongst anyone just seems like a poor idea.”
“Your mother and I married as part of an arrangement, and we turned out fine.”
Jungkook would beg to differ, but that was an entirely different conversation for some other time.
“I just think it’s odd that he would accept this proposal when he’s already involved with someone else.”
Finally, it was the king’s turn to look taken aback. “Whatever do you mean?”
‘He doesn’t know,’ Jungkook realized.
“Don’t worry about it, I just assumed he already had someone in mind is all.”
“Unlike you, the prince seems to be able to keep his mind off of finding love amongst the common rabble outside the castle walls.”
Jungkook winced.
“Additionally, if he did already have someone in mind, I’m sure I would’ve heard about it by now.”
“You know better than I would,” Jungkook lied. He knew that Yoongi kept many, many secrets from their parents, which is why he’d always been the favorite. They never got a glimpse of his true nature, but unfortunately for Jungkook, he got to see all of it.
“Indeed,” the king said with finality, marking the end of that conversation. “Now, back to the preparations for the event-”
“I’ll handle it,” Jungkook sounded much more deflated than when he entered the room. Animosity exhausted him.
“Good. I expect nothing less of you. I don’t expect much from you to start with, but I at least anticipate you will do your job.”
Another mindless insult. Jungkook stopped keeping count of how many times his father shamed him years ago after the scandal first broke.
If anyone asked him, he’d even go so far as to say his father’s love for him died the same day his human life ended.
“Now if you’ll excuse me, the queen and I have other matters to attend to before tomorrow.” The king got up from the table and walked off, not even bothering to see if Jungkook would also make way to leave. Before he exited through the door, he turned back one last time to look at Jungkook.
“Don’t make me regret letting you stay here. This is the most important thing the kingdom has faced since you were a child, and if you mess it up somehow, being exiled will be the least of your worries.”
Jungkook received the threat with a solemn stare, no more words spoken as he was then left alone in the large room.
On the way back to his chambers, Jungkook had a lapse in judgment. He turned and let his feet carry him to his new destination, landing three hard knocks on the door before it opened quickly.
“What?” An annoyed tone filtered through the open doorway. “Oh – it’s just you.”
Yoongi’s hair was less disheveled than it had been earlier, but it was clear he was now trying to get himself ready for later activities in the day.
“What do you want?” Yoongi crossed his arms as he leaned against the doorframe, not allowing Jungkook any space to enter the room.
Not that he really wanted to, anyway. He just needed to know one thing.
“Does she know?”
Yoongi blinked in confusion. “Does who know about what? You gotta be more specific, I can’t read your mind-”
“Does she know,” Jungkook interrupted, more sternly this time. “What’s happening tomorrow. Does she know?”
He had to ask. As much as he loathed her now, he still thought she deserved better than to be cheated on and discarded like she was nothing.
Even if that’s exactly what she’d done to him.
Jungkook watched as Yoongi’s eyes sparked with amusement when he finally understood. “Aeris? Yeah, she knows. She actually just left by the way; sorry you didn’t get to see her again.”
Jungkook’s eyebrows furrowed.
“So she knows and she’s fine with it?”
“Yeah, I mean – she gets it a ‘thing’ I have to do. It’s completely transactional and I’m only doing it for the betterment of the kingdom.”
Yoongi was lying through his teeth and Jungkook wanted to wipe his smug grin off his face. His entire life Yoongi had been selfish and only looked out for himself, so this idea that he was doing it to help the people living in the kingdom?
Absolutely preposterous.
Jungkook needed a fucking break. He needed to get away, clear his head before he had to come back and deal with everything else tomorrow.
He walked off without another word, something he knew Yoongi hated – which is most of the reason why he’d done it.
“You know,” Yoongi shouted after him, “I think bitterness suits you. It’s a good look since it matches the rest of your miserable demeanor!”
Jungkook ignored him and continued walking, not stopping until he reached his favorite spot in the entire castle.
He would often come up to the highest balcony, somewhere he could be alone with his thoughts and not have the added stress of other’s opinions for a short while.
The balcony was all but abandoned as he was the only one to frequent it. The only crime he’d ever say he committed was stealing the key to the door that granted access up here. After a while, everyone else forgot about it, so he was able to keep this spot hidden. A place of his own, where he didn’t have to worry about being found.
A place of his own where his thoughts could run wild. A place of his own where his demons continued to follow him despite his best efforts.
A place of his own where he could just be alone.
After all, that’s what was best for everyone, right?
Jungkook couldn’t help but wonder, as he’d done many times before, what his life would be like now if he hadn’t been attacked. His entire life – as a prince, as an official royal family member, as a living, breathing human – was cut short in the blink of an eye. His humanity as he knew it was gone in an instant.
If it hadn’t happened, though, where would he be now? Would it be him getting ready to marry someone for political gain instead of his brother?
He shook his head as he let out a humorless chuckle. He knew he’d fight that decision with everything he had, and for he first time since it had been stripped away from him, he was relieved he wasn’t in that kind of position anymore.
The thought of sharing his life with someone he didn’t truly care about, whether it was for the greater good or not, just didn’t seem right, nor did it seem fair. Not to mention the fact that it didn’t just include him: someone’s else’s life would be affected just as much as his.
It dawned on him then that he was standing here, genuinely putting thought into how he would handle such a situation. He wasn’t some cold, heartless being. He still had the ability to care for others, and that alone gave him some sort of hope.
He looked up at the moon, admiring how the light spilled through the branches of the tree overhead.
“Maybe I still have some humanity left after all.”
lady-in-waiting (noun) a woman of noble birth who serves a female monarch as a member of the royal household.
“Please hold still, Your Highness,” you huffed with thinly veiled frustration as you tried to lace up the corset you were currently working on.
You made a mental note to go shopping later in order to find better dresses for the princess. They still would be ones that were just as extravagant, but hopefully didn’t give you a blood pressure spike to assist with.
“Oh please, what’s with the formal treatment? It’s just us right now, you don’t have to do that, you know.”
“Yes, but,” you tugged once more, finally letting out a sigh of relief when the strings worked how you wanted them to. “With the event happening soon, it’s better for me to get back into the habit.”
Being best friends with the princess granted you some privileges that you were grateful for. When it was just the two of you, you didn’t have to uphold this extra formal, fancy attitude and instead you both got to be much more laid-back. You knew she appreciated it just as much as - if not more than - you, since she was held to a higher standard and scrutinized more heavily.
However, by the kingdom’s definition, you were first and foremost her lady-in-waiting, which ranked above any and all other duties you had in the royal court. Which, unfortunately, meant that at certain times your role took precedence over your friendship, and that was just the way it had to be.
“Ugh, I can’t wait for all this stupid royal relations stuff to be over.”
“Mina-”
She held up a hand. “Let me get it out, then you can scold.”
You waited patiently, fixing the other parts of the dress while she rambled on for the umpteenth time about her dislike for the event happening soon.
“…I mean this is a rival kingdom, we don’t even like them, so why bother. You know?”
“Mhm,” you hummed as you agreed honestly. It did seem like a stretch for your kingdom to try and force relations with one who had been a long-standing rival. The way you saw it, if after all these years and prior failed attempts had yet to work, what made the king think this would be any different?
Of course, there was now the added factor of a new bargaining chip: the king and queen were offering one of their daughters as a potential marriage candidate for the other kingdom’s prince.
Mina, being the oldest princess in line, begrudgingly accepted for the sake of the kingdom.
The plan had been set in motion months prior, but it was all finally happening tomorrow – both you and Mina were on edge, anticipating the worst but hoping for the best.
What was supposed to happen seemed simple enough: the king would accompany the princess on her visit to the other kingdom, escorted heavily by guards and with you at her side, as you always were. She would meet the prince officially for the first time, and both kings would try to strike up some sort of arrangement.
You figured this would actually be more beneficial for them, seeing as their kingdom was still recovering from a huge scandal that happened a few years ago. You remembered it vividly, taking note of how the abruptness of it all never sat right with you.
The eldest prince stepped down from his position as next in line for the throne, following some sort of act that was only described as ‘utterly disgraceful’ and never really elaborated on in the public news.
Before the news broke, the kingdom was well known for its power and influence all over the land, and the downfall from it all landed a huge blow to their standing. It aided your own kingdom in rising above them in their rivalry, but it appeared that now your own monarchs wanted to put everything behind them and unite for…whatever reason.
You tried not to get too deeply involved in the politics. Your duty was to serve Mina, and the royal family as a whole – this didn’t leave you much room to voice your own opinions.
Mina’s soft calling of your name pulled you out of your thoughts.
“Yes?”
Any frustration you had left from the dress fiasco quickly evaporated when you saw her face. She was biting her lip, and in that moment she looked very meek, small. Very unlike the exuberant, confident young woman you knew.
“I’m scared.”
You sighed at that, pulling her into a hug that she gratefully accepted. This was this first time she had outright said it, but you could tell she was terrified from the moment she was first told about this arrangement months ago.
“I know,” you patted her back. You wanted to tell her everything would be alright, that it would all work out, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it.
Lying to someone to provide them comfort was never something you could get behind, and you didn’t plan to start now.
“I promise you, though, that whatever happens, we’ll get through it together.” You didn’t feel bad saying that because it was the truth; you were ready to face anything when it came to Mina, and you’d do anything for her.
She was basically the most important person in your life, and you’d be damned if you let anything bad happen to her.
Well…anything short of letting her go through with a marriage to a man she’d never met.
Just as your duty to her came first, her duty to her kingdom came first. You knew it and respected it, even if you didn’t always like it.
Mina giggled, her frame shaking slightly in your hold. “It almost sounds like you’re the one I’m supposed to be marrying,” she teased.
You joined in her laughter. “I mean, I don’t think it would yield quite the same results-”
“We both know we’d be arrested before we could even say ‘I do.’” Mina joked, despite her dark attempt at humor having a level of truth to it.
“A princess marrying her lady-in-waiting?” You covered your heart and pretended to be appalled. “Imagine the scandal!”
Mina shoved you lightheartedly, her laughter echoing off the walls. She looked miles happier than she’d been a few minutes prior, and you were relieved to see it.
“C’mon, help me with my hair or we’re gonna be late.” Mina collected her hairbow from her dresser and handed it to you so you could tie up her hair in the back. When you were done, she glanced quickly in the mirror and nodded, pleased with the result.
“Is there anything else you need to do?”
You gave yourself a once-over in the mirror as well and decided that your outfit would have to do. It wasn’t bad by any means, but if you had a little more time, you probably could’ve spruced it up some more.
“All good here. After you, my Lady.” You made a grand gesture out of letting her go first, which earned you another light shove.
“Cut that out! We still have a few minutes of freedom left before we have to be formal.”
You chuckled. “You got it.”
✧───────⊱✧⊰───────✧
You accompanied Mina to her final etiquette training before the big day. Everything she learned was more of a refresher than new material, but her nervousness kept her from doing her best, which led to her being reprimanded by the queen.
“How can you expect to marry someone if you can’t play the part of a prim and proper princess?”
Mina bit her tongue, as she usually did with her mother, and you expected to get an earful from her later about the situation. To your surprise, instead of venting, she was quiet and calm upon returning to her chambers.
Before she was ready to sleep for the night, you checked in one her one last time. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
With a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, she responded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
✧───────⊱✧⊰───────✧
You had never woken up more stressed out in your entire life.
All your training had culminated in this moment. You were to make sure that the princess arrived safely along with her appointed guards, and it was also up to you to make sure that everything went off without a hitch.
Such a small responsibility, right? What could possibly go wrong?
Well, for starters-
The castle you found yourself in was much larger than you anticipated, which was saying a lot considering the castle you lived in was already rather large.
Also, you weren’t the best with directions, but as long as you and Mina didn’t get separated, that shouldn’t be a problem.
And it wasn’t a problem…until it came time for her to meet the prince.
“We’re sorry, miss, but only high-ranking royal officials can be present for this meeting.” A guard held out his arm, blocking you from following Mina into the room. She frowned and tried to protest on your behalf, but her father wasn’t having any of it.
“She’ll be fine, we need to get a move on.” He grabbed a hold of her elbow and ushered her along, and you got one last look at her worried countenance before the doors closed.
Now was when the panic set in.
“I-I need water. Or just- something.” You said it aloud but didn’t really know if anyone would hear you or help you for that matter.
Thankfully, the guard who had just cut you off was kind enough to give you directions to the kitchen and dining area. You’d been there not too long ago when everyone was eating the meal that had been prepared, so surely – you thought – it wouldn’t be an issue to stop by and get a drink to calm your nerves.
That plan worked for all of about ten minutes before you re-entered the hallway from the dining room only to find nobody was around. No guards, no passerby, nothing.
It didn’t help that, from what you had seen, most hallways looked nearly identical.
You were officially lost. Alone, panicking, and lost in a castle you’d never been to before with no one in sight to help. Unsure of what else to do, since walking around aimlessly definitely did not seem like a good idea, you did what any normal person would do.
You sat down on the floor and wrapped your arms around your legs, resting your head on top of your knees.
This had to be your worst nightmare. You were separated from Mina, the one person other than yourself who you were responsible for taking care of, and you were also stuck in unfamiliar territory which was one of your biggest fears.
None of your training ever prepared you for this-
“Are you alright, miss?”
A soft voice filtered through your thoughts, making your head snap up. Your breath got caught in your throat.
There was a man kneeling down in front of you, his hand extended as he offered you a gentle smile.
Suddenly, your situation didn’t seem like such a nightmare anymore.
A/N: thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!
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