𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 - 𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐨𝐧

(seventeen)

Princess Siyeon has changed her behaviour a lot in the past two months or so. I told her she'd have to earn my trust again, and she's been working hard to do it. She's a bit nervous and tries to make sure she doesn't cross any boundaries, but she's maybe a bit too cautious – although I'd much rather she ask and not need to, than have her do something she should've asked to do.

Rather than demanding I do something for her, she asks if I'm busy and have time to help her. She's so much better to me, but she still treats her family just as she did before, and she won't explain why. "I'll tell you eventually," she always says. I'm fine waiting for her to open up to me, I just wish I could help relieve whatever issue causes her so much animosity with her mother and sisters. I've never seen the King, he's always travelling. A diplomat for Dysuto, I suppose. But it doesn't seem like the Princess likes him much, either.

The Queen is out of town this week, so Princess Siyeon has been dragging me around the castle much more without fear of being scolded. Normally, her mother sees us together and admonishes her for spending all her time with her servant when she should be studying.

Princess Siyeon tells me she doesn't care whether I'm her servant, because she sees me first as a friend. I've never had a friend like the Princess before. She's the first person I've ever trusted enough to talk about my childhood, and she has been kind and understanding through it all. She's becoming the version of herself I wrote about in my letters to my mom. Back then, I was lying when I said I was happy. I don't need to lie anymore.

"So, Kim Bora..." Princess Siyeon walks up from behind me and holds out a hand. I grab it and lace our fingers together. "Your birthday is soon," she says, "What do you want to do?"

I hadn't even thought about it. "I never do anything for my birthday," I tell her, "So I guess I'll just do that again this year. Maybe I'll go into town and buy myself some paints as a gift to myself... it's been so long since I painted."

Princess Siyeon frowns. "You have to do something for your birthday," she says. "Don't you celebrate? Come on, let me do something for you for your birthday. Wait, let me surprise you!" She lets go of my hand to clap excitedly at her idea. Hesitantly, she cups my face in her hands and speaks to me, pronouncing each word slowly and deliberately. "I will make sure this is the best birthday you've ever had. You have my word."

I feel my face squished between her hands when I smile, and she scrunches her nose and laughs, pulling her hands away and running down the hall, calling behind her for me to chase her.

A/N: i posted a new suayeon story on ao3 if you're interested, it's called switched. bora and siyeon accidentally switch bodies
my username is cereal_and_sadness