Not Quite a Prince || Eric Sohn

~ 9 ~

"Why'd you make me rush when we literally have a private plane?" Eric grumbled, glaring up at the giant machine in front of them. "It's not like we had to catch a flight. It's right... here." 

"It's a private jet," Chanmi corrected, trying not to laugh. When she'd been assigned as the prince's bodyguard, she hadn't been sure what to expect from him. Even if he was raised as a normal child, outside the palace, she hadn't known what kind of person he'd be. But even though she'd only spent a few hours with him so far, he seemed sweet. He seemed kind and genuine, and she sensed he'd be a pleasure to work for. "And we do have a schedule, you know. The royal family wants us there by-"  

"Okay whatever," he sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He gave her an exasperated look. "This has been a hard day," he whined, pouting. "I hope there's food on this jet." 

"There is," she assured him, trying to kill her smile. "And it's very good, trust me." 

"It better be, if I'm the prince," he said, half-joking. His lips held a smile but she could see the worry and sadness in his eyes. 

He was leaving behind everything he knew. 

One day he was a normal boy, now suddenly he's a prince, with a new family and a new life. 

She stopped looking at him, worried that he might see the sympathy in her eyes if he looked at her. He wasn't supposed to see her emotions. She was supposed to stay cool and stoic. No emotions. She couldn't get close to him, and they most certainly could not be friends. Not if she wanted to keep her job. 

They walked up the stairs to the entrance of the jet, Eric letting out a small whistle as they entered. 

Because yeah, it was huge. And gorgeous. Fit for royalty. 

"You have to sit next to me," he ordered, grabbing her wrist and leading her to a pair of seats. The gesture caught her by surprise, and she quickly pulled her hand away. 

"Sorry," Eric said, looking at her sheepishly. "I forgot that we're not friends," he added dramatically, rolling his eyes, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "But sit next to me," he said, patting the seat beside him. 

She nodded, not saying anything as she sat by his side. 

"So, you have to tell me about the kingdom. First... the name. I can't believe no one told me the name yet."

"Kingdom of The Boyz." 

Eric made a face. "Who came up with a name like that? Do only boys live there or something? Why would they name the Kingdom something like that?" 

"During the revolution-" 

"What revolution?" 

"Nevermind. There was a revolution, a while back. Anyways, during the revolution, there was this very powerful group leading it. They were called The Boyz, and thus the Kingdom was named after them."

"Okay... who are our allies? Who do we trade with?" 

"Mostly... NCT Nation and Stray Kids Commonwealth. NCT Nation is really powerful nowadays, and we mostly trade with them. Stray Kids Commonwealth is one of our closest allies though, and the royal families are very close."

"What's my family like? Are they nice? Or are they mean royal people?" 

Chanmi bit back her smile. "You do realize that even if I didn't think they were nice, I'd have to say so, right? You do realize that I could be fired if I don't, right?" 

"So... are they nice? Tell me honestly." 

"I only receive orders from them. I just follow orders. Next question." 

"When will we get there? And when's the food coming?" 

"We didn't even order yet," she said, unable to stop herself from sighing in exasperation. She was tired, and she wanted him to stop asking questions, no matter how endearing they may be. She reached under her seat and pulled out a menu, handing it over to him. "Here, order. And then take a nap. It's a long flight," she told him, putting her headphones in her ears and closing her eyes.