Royal (Jeon Jungkook)

One

Antoinette, named after her mother, never knew why her name was so different from Korean names, or why she looked different from the kids she went to school with.
After all, in the Kingdoms of Unity, it was uncommon for someone like her in the crowds of the Kingdom of Korea, or anywhere else than where she belonged. Or, where she felt she belonged.
Throughout her life, this was normal for her, so she never questioned why she would get odd looks on the way to school, or why students would giggle amongst themselves as she struggled to read a Korean paragraph.

No one could ever pronounce her name, either. It was long, complicated and hard to explain to Korean speakers.
Until one day, Antoinette found a way around this.

"Yah... can I sit with you?" A girl asked. She sounded meek, like Antoinette would toss her aside like everyone else in the school had done. It was supposed to be quiet time, in a library to encourage reading. Antoinette glanced up from her book, Kings & Queens of South Korea, and pushed herself to sit up.
No matter what, Antoinette would always gravitate toward things that were royal. Whether it be books or movies, the girl just could not get enough of the romantic lifestyle.

Even though many in Unity already lived it, showing her it wasn't as romantic as she thought, her eyes would still cast toward a crown, or occasionally she would catch herself learning how to waltz or act like a proper princess at dinner. All of this was her imagination, unbeknownst that she was destined to reign.

Antoinette nodded to the girl, who sat happily beside her on a bean bag, opening up the book, The Mysteries of Paris Catacombs.
"I'm Cho, by the way. Thanks for letting me sit here." The girl, Cho said with a smile. Antoinette returned it instantly, relieved to have someone to read with for once. Despite her quiet personality at school, Antoinette most definitely loved talking.

"Antoinette... sorry if it is hard to say." She said, her eyes now only skimming the book in her hands.
Cho's brow raised. "Ant...wa... could I just call you Ani?" She asked.

The French girl's eyebrows furrowed. Ani? I have never been given a nickname before... "I don't see why not... I never would have thought of shortening it." She said.
Cho grinned, then shut her book like quiet time was merely a suggestion now. "So tell me, where are you from? There's no way

Just as Antoinette opened her mouth to respond, a sharp smack of plastic on wood echoed in the mostly silent room. "Yah! Who is talking back there?" The teacher scolded. Antoinette looked down, hiding behind the book she had previously lost interest in.

Cho only giggled and leaned back. "We'll talk more later~"

That was ten years ago. Now 21, Antoinette still went by Ani to her friends, and she still felt out of place.
The beautiful Kingdom of Korea had been her home for so long, Ani learned Korean, become comfortable. Until she eventually forgot where she really was from.

Antoinette knew for a fact she wasn't Korean, from the age 10 and onward. Whether she was from The Kingdom of America, or of England, she didn't know. Either way, she knew she resembled people from those kingdoms, and that's where she started.
From searching what girls usually looked like from each kingdom, to almost buying a DNA test.
Until her guardian, Soo-bin caught her.

"Aish, Antoinette! You're only going to hurt yourself if you look into that!" She had lectured. The woman had a point. If the girl looked into her past, chances of her going home were slim. Antoinette knew that, and as usual she kept her eyes downcast, mostly to hide the fact that she had gotten an Ethnicity test already.

Sure, she wouldn't find out who her parents were, but she'd know where she belonged. She would finally know. And eventually, that day came. The letter arrived in an all but discreet envelope, but Antoinette had torn it apart before anyone could catch it. The empty envelope fell onto wood shavings, which were from her recent woodwork of a rocking chair for Soo-bin. She still hadn't finished it, even though it was halfway there.

"France...? I'm from France?!" She shrieked, a hand slapped over her mouth to keep from waking Soo-bin. But the attempt of silence was broken when a knock came to the old, rickety door. That door had seen a lot. From planks of wood to protect against hurricanes to Antoinette accidentally sawing through it with her jigsaw during one of her projects.

The knocking echoed louder in the workshop, until Soo-bin came barreling down the creaking hallway to answer it. "Is it that time already?!" She gasped. Soo-bin rummaged through the calendar, that was a month behind. The date was circled in red marker, a crown drawn sloppily in the middle, April 7.

Antoinette had been awake overnight working on the chair, she hadn't even realized her own birthday had arrived.

"Kim Soo-bin... It's time." A deep voice said from the door.
"I beg your pardon but... time for what?" Antoinette asked, as if they would answer with an enthusiastic: "a surprise party! Here's your cake! We bought you that new tool kit you were wanting!"

But instead a man walked inside, hair grey and wrinkles more prominent than Antoinette had seen before. He was all too familiar, but older now. Antoinette knew she knew this man.

After what felt like a lifetime of staring back at each other, the memory appeared, then faded just as quickly. But it was enough. Enough to tell Antoinette she wasn't crazy for thinking she didn't belong in Korea. She belonged in France.
This is... my father's advisor... Pierre. My father was a king. How could I have forgotten?
"Madame Antoinette... it is time to proceed with your engagement"

"I'm sorry... my engagement?" Antoinette said, her legs backed up as far as she could until she reached the table that still held half sanded wooden rods for her chair.
The chair she would finish for Soo-bin to finally relax.

"You haven't told her?" Pierre whispered in a short growl toward Soo-bin, who could only stare down at her hands.
"I wanted her to have a normal life... until the day came. I lost track of time, or else I would have."

"You will answer to the prince, I'm afraid..." he trailed off, almost like this thought pained him.

Antoinette realized upon their conversation, that the day she would finish her rocking chair would never come. Soo-bin would never get the thank you she deserved for her hard work of raising what seemed like an orphan girl for over fifteen years. The young princess seemed to be lost in thought for what felt like hours of silence, until Pierre spoke.

"Upon your birth, you were engaged to marry Jeon Jungkook, prince of The Kingdom of Korea"