"So you played with his heart and now he's becoming king. He WILL have you decapitated", he lightheartedly laughed and I smacked his arm.
"I hate that you're right", I stated with doe eyes.
"Hey, but maybe you can become his queen!"
"Yeah, sure thin...
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"Noona, you can't be serious", Taehyun's eyes widened. Taeyang tried to bite her smile back, but failed to do so.
Their little cabin that resided in the Royal Palace's domains was far enough from the main building as to give them enough privacy, but close enough that sometimes she could feel Yeonjun was just around the corner. Maybe he was.
Taeyang had had an awful first night's sleep. In her dreams, Yeonjun was the main character. He always managed to crawl into her brain and play games with her heart, even in her most vulnerable states such as sleeping.
Last night, she had slept in the cabin all alone. She had stated she would test the place first by herself, and then bring her brother. It was a shame that he was being dragged into this, but Taeyang had to admit that it would be ten times harder to be here if her little brother wasn't around. Ever since mom had died, it had been the two of them, always together, always suporting each other.
"C'mon, it's not that bad", she begged with her eyes. She knew she and her brother were in deep shit. Even when the Miss Noh had stated she could say no to the job, it was implied that she couldn't really say no.
No one could say no to the King.
"I know, that's why this is fishy", he say down at the table. The cabin was a two story little house, in the first floor containing a bathroom, a living room, the kitchen and a separate dining area. In the second floor, there were two rooms, one for each, a second living room, and a bathroom. "Don't you think this is fishy?"
Yes, it was. She wasn't sure she was, at all, an addition to the King's employees. They all probably had the best universitie's titles, many studies and hours of practice. She was just a waitress and a barista.
"But we can't really say no", she sighed. She placed her hand in her hair, trying her best not to freak out then and there. Taehyun looked her in the eye and a small smile made its way through his lips.
"It's okay. At least we're here together", he said. Taeyang's lips wobbled and she could feel the urge to cry. She didn't think all the things she did in the past would bring her to this moment in life. Dammit, she had never thought this moment would ever be a part of her life at all.
"Okay", she mumbled.
"Noona, it's gonna be okay. I gotcha", he took her free hand in his and squeezed tightly. "I gotcha", he repeated.
"I know you do", she sighed. "But I wish we weren't here in the first place".
"But we are", he stated. "So we might as well just go with the flow, okay? Don't go around feeling guilty, I am going to be fine. I will literally be scholared for free", his eyes smiled the smile he wasn't showing. "And I'll be here, with dinner ready for when your day finishes".
She nodded.
"I don't really know what he wants me to do", she scoffed. "Does he want a personal coffee maker?", her eyebrow raised.
"Maybe he wants a girlfriend", he shrugged. "What? Don't look at me like that, he could literally just order you to stand and listen to all his boring stuff and you wouldn't be able to say no".
"I know", she groaned. "This is so absurd", she got up from the table. They put the leftovers from their food in a container, and Taehyun said he'd be washing the dishes. "Good night", she kissed his cheek and he smiled.
"Sleep tight, noona", and even though she wanted to, she couldn't.
She couldn't stop tossing and turning, and thinking the most ridiculous jobs Yeonjun could choose for her. She literally couldn't bring anything new to the table that he couldn't find someone to do it better than her. She literally couldn't think of anything that she was good enough at, that Yeonjun had her brought to live at the palace for.
The next morning was chaos. Miss Noh had managed to get a full wardrobe of clothes she deemd appropriate for Taeyang to wear, so she had a hard time finding, between those new clothes, something she felt comfortable in. Those weren't her clothes, of course she wasn't gonna feel comfortable wearing them for a while.
Taehyun was standing smiling, in his own new clothes, waiting for her. They had been instructed to walk to the Southwest entrance and wait there for Miss Noh, so she could give them a small tour of the areas they'd be allowed in, and take Taehyun to his classes. She didn't say enything about Taeyang or her own schedule, but she tried not to think about it too much.
"Good morning", they said in the same cheerful voice to Miss Noh. The old woman, even though was scary, smiled at them.
"Good morning to you two, too", she stated. "I see the wardrobe choises were sized correctly", she indicated before starting walking. The siblings took it as a sign to follow the woman. "The King has stated redundantly that anything you need, anything at all, be said to me. I will manage for you to get it as soon as possible", she said.
They followed silently.
"This is the dining room. You are expected to joing the King and the Royal Family, every night at eight pm for supper during weekdays", she stated.
"We will be having dinner with the Royal Family?"
"As ordered by King Yeonjun", the woman nodded.
Taeyang looked at her brother with knitted eyebrows, and he wore a baffled expression too. There was no way this was a part of her job. There was no way Yeonjun had pursposefully stated they'd both be joining his family for dinner.
"Down this hallway is the gym. You can use it as long as you're in your free time. To the left there's a sauna, and a massage room. Similarly, you can make use of the installments as long as you're in your free time".
The woman kept on with the tour, and finally came to a stop before some very bog doors, that were closed.
"There's the classroom. Prince Beomgyu should be arriving anytime soon, alongside the tutor for today. You will be assessed as to know your level and then assigned either the same tutor or a different one from Prince Beomgyu's", she said. "Have a good day"
"Thank you", Taehyun mumbled and waved goodbye to his sister. She waved back to him before waddling through the corridors, following Miss Noh.
She kept on listening to the rules. Don't go in this office, don't roam the Royal Family's room wing by yourself. Don't go in anywhere unannounced, don't talk to the guards during working hours. And on, and on...
"Okay, I need to go take care of some things. Behind this door is King Yoenjun's office. He's mainly working in there when he's not on official duties. You are to come here, every day by 9 in the morning", the woman stated. "Here's your pager, in case the King needs you".
"Oh, okay", Taeyang mumbled. Miss Noh then dissapeared, and she was left alone in a lonely corridor. She took a breath in and tried to prepare herself mentally before she opened the door.
Behind that door, Yeonjun was witing. For her.
"Hello", a voice came from behind her. His smell invaded her senses, and his body was so close to her she could feel his warmth. His hand opened the office door and pressed the other hand on her lower back to have her walk in. "It's been some time since we las meet, hasn't it, Taeyang?"
