Not Quite a Prince || Eric Sohn

~ 37 ~

Dayeong had just finished getting dressed when she heard a knock at the door. She glanced at her clothes, which had arrived in a suitcase prior to her own arrival.  

"Just a moment!" she called, quickly shoving her clothes into random drawers. She'd worry about organizing them later. Now, she had to focus on meeting the Prince. "Come in!" she said after a moment, smoothing down the covers on her bed to make sure they looked presentable. She heard the door open and then close, and she spun around, the skirt of her dress swinging with her, making her feel light and happy for some reason. 

When she'd heard a knock at her door, she wasn't sure what she'd been expecting. But it most certainly wasn't Juyeon, holding a vase with yellow roses. 

Her eyes brightened, a giant smile coming to her face. "Are those for me?" she asked excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. 

Juyeon bowed. "Yes, Your Highness. You mentioned roses helping you calm down... and I thought today would be a pretty stressful day and you might be nervous, so..." he trailed off, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "I hope the color is alright," he said after a moment. 

"It's very pretty," she said, reaching forward and taking the vase from him. Their fingers brushed, and she felt her heart skip a beat. "But... When did you get them? You stayed with me awfully late last night, and it's really early now..." she trailed off, placing the vase on her nightstand. She touched the soft petals, unable to stop the giddy smile from coming to her lips. 

"When I left your room, I went to find them." 

Dayeong turned around in surprise. "In the dark?" 

He nodded, not looking at her. "Yes, Your Highness. I used a flashlight to try and see the colors. I figured this soft yellow might be kind of calming." 

"It's perfect," she whispered. "Thank you. Really, thank you so much," she said, hoping he knew how grateful she was. Grateful beyond words, she wanted to do something for him in return but knew she probably couldn't. "I wish I could take one of these with me now," she sighed, picking one up, being sure to watch out for needles. She lifted the flower to her nose, the scent making her happy. "You know, I was really worried about changing security teams," she told Juyeon. "But I'm not scared anymore. Thanks, Juyeon. Thanks for making me not scared."

He smiled shyly, looking down at the floor. His smile melted her heart, though he'd quickly made his face serious and almost emotionless again, the way a guard was supposed to be. 

"Your Highness, are you ready to meet Prince Eric?" he asked, looking up and meeting her eyes. His were gentle, reassuring, and they chased the last of her nerves away. She nodded, and he held his arm out to her. "I was told to be your escort." 

She nodded again, scanning the room. "Let me just find my shoes!" she said, spotting them on the other side of the room and starting to run to get them. But she tripped, of course, she did. 

Juyeon caught her before she could even blink. 

Dayeong looked up at him, trying to ignore the pounding of her heart. "Sorry!" she exclaimed, brushing off his jacket and straightening it for him since she'd messed it up. "I'm so clumsy," she said, laughing at herself. "It's another thing you'll have to put up with," she joked. "I told you I'm a pain.

Amusement danced in his eyes, but he didn't laugh. "I'll go retrieve your shoes for you," he said, gesturing to the chair by her bed. "Please wait here." 

She sat down, watching as he went over to get her shoes for her. He came over, crouching down in front of her and placing the shoes in front of her. 

"I can do it!" she exclaimed when it looked like he was going to help her put them on. "Please, don't work any harder than necessary," she laughed. "I can do most things for myself. I know it didn't seem that way yesterday, but I promise you that I can." 

"I don't doubt that, Your Highness," he said, and there it was again, that shy smile, disappearing again so quickly that it could have been a figment of her imagination.

She smiled up at him, quickly fixing the straps of her shoes, and then she stood. He held out his arm to her and she took it, feeling steady and secure by his side. 

She'd been a Princess her whole life, but never before had she felt so much like an actual Princess as she did now, as he escorted her through the halls. 

***

A/N

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I forgot to update on Tuesday, so I figured I'd make up for it by posting two chapters today☺️