Royal Bonds | Y.Jw

| 4 |

Age 17

I sighed as mom handed me my apron while we stood in the staff room. I stared it for a few minutes before wrapping it around my waist, letting it lay over the black dress I had been provided with for my work. Carefully tying it in my back.

"The queen asked for me to take you to her, for you to be assigned a job," mom stated making me nod as I tied my hair over in a ponytail and following her out of the staff room and up to the Queen's quarters. A few of the strands that once was bangs was too short to stay put in the hair elastic I had used for my ponytail, so that had all fallen out of place by the time we had gotten up on the second floor.

On the way we passed the old playroom, where Jungwon and I had spent so many days of our childhood. It was completely empty now, all the toys had been donated to charity years ago. A small smile dawned on my face as I recalled the memories before mom opened a door to the Queen's quarters and stepped inside with me trailing behind her.

"Ah... Jiyeon-ie," the Queen cooed out at me with a wide smile on her face once she saw me. Making me shyly smile back at her as I bowed my head towards her, "you look prettier day by day."

"Thank you, your Highness," I spoke making her just smile warmly at me.

"I want to congratulate you on your birthday," she stated making me smile slightly at her, "and I know there would be better ways to celebrate it than spend it at your new job. So I have decided that for now you would be working around Jungwon, I'm sure you would enjoy still being in each other's presence."

"Thank you," I bowed my head to her once more.

"Now... I do believe that you can go to the kitchen and pick up his lunch," the queen stated and I nodded.

I quickly excused myself and walked down to the kitchen, picking up the tray that has been set forward as Jungwon's lunch.

For some reason I did feel quite nervous about bringing up the lunch. I wasn't even sure if Jungwon was aware that I now was a maid at the castle.

I had to suck in a deep breath as I stood outside the door to his bedroom. Usually I would just waltz in like I knew the place, but I knew that would be inappropriate by now. Instead I raised my hand and knocked three times on the door.

"I know it's you Ji! You don't have to knock!" a voice called back out to me.

I let out a small smile, even if I knocked he knew it was me. I carefully opened the door and stepped inside making him happily turn to me with a grin as I placed his lunch on his desk.

"I have the best idea for your birthday!" he happily exclaimed at me, "we'll go to the gla- why are you wearing that clothes?" he stopped himself before frowning at me making me look down at myself.

"Why? It's my work uniform," I stated and flattened out the skirt of my dress, making a small amused smile grow on his face.

"Very funny, Ji. Now go out to the bathroom and change into your normal clothes, we have to go celebrate your birthday. The sun is shining and there's literally no clouds in the sky," he happily gestured out towards the windows behind him.

"I'm not joking your Highness," I calmly stated making him look back and frown at me.

"Why are you acting like this? It's making me feel weird," he complained at me before walking over and tugging on my arm, making me just pull it back, "Ji! It's not funny!" he whined at me.

"I'm not trying to be funny," I simply shook my head at him, "I suggest you eat your lunch, your father wished to have a meeting with you later today. I believe you would need the energy."

"Stop it! Why are you acting like a maid?" Jungwon complained at me with a small smile.

"I am a maid," I calmly stated.

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"So you just decided to apply for the job of a maid?" he snickered making me cock my head to the side and frown at him.

"You don't know?" I questioned him making his smile falter, "daughters of maids begin working as maids as well once their 17th birthday comes around."

"That's not true," Jungwon let out a small laugh of disbelief and I just nodded at him.

"You didn't know?" I whispered making him just shake his head.

"But does... does that mean you have to treat me so formally now? What about school? Won't you go to school anymore?" he widened his eyes at me making me nod towards his door that still stood open. He quickly got the message and closed it before locking it as well, "answer me."

"Yes, I have to speak formally to you from now on. Children of castle workers stop going to school once they turn 17," I replied to him "you know the new guards?" I questioned and he just nodded at me, "they're all 18, because they have to work like their dad when they turn 18... it's to ensure someone who would betray the monarchy won't be working at the castle. We won't be raised with an opposition to the royal family."

"But... why didn't I know?" Jungwon muttered to himself.

"How would I know?" I snorted at him, "I thought you knew this."

"Then... would you work as a maid until you die?" he questioned and I just nodded at him.

"I would have to get married and, as they call it, deliver a descendant as a present to the royal family," I shrugged making him frown at me.

"Married to who? Do they decide that for you too?" he questioned.

"Partially," I shrugged and his frown just deepened, "it has to be a worker at the castle."

"So technically... it could be me?" he questioned making me let out a small laugh at him.

"Technically... if you weren't already betrothed," I nodded making his eyes widen at me.

"How much do you know that I don't?!" he exclaimed at me making me immediately glance to the door.

"You mean to tell me you didn't know?" I hissed at him as he just shook his head furiously.

"How long have you known?" he questioned as he slumped down on his bed.

"Since we were like... five," I stated making him look to me. His face just screamed devastation, "I was told so I wouldn't end up falling in love with you."

"But... if I am the one that's betrothed away to someone," he spoke to himself, "then I should be able to call it off."

"Well yeah... as far as I understood, you should be able to," I nodded at him, "but only if you had found someone of higher class that you've fallen in love with or if your dad approves of it."

"And if it's of lower class?"

"Absolutely no chance," I shook my head at him making him let out a small sigh before flopping back on his back, "I'm sorry to be the one telling you."

"Rather you than my dad," he assured with a small laugh, "I just can't believe I didn't know."

I stared at him for a while, he seemed down but for once I didn't know how to cheer him up. I let out a small sigh and glanced towards the door out of his room.

"I think I better go... I probably have to clean somewhere," I excused and walked over towards the door.

"Before you go," Jungwon spoke making me look back at him as he pushed himself up to sit, "promise me... whenever you have to work around me, you won't treat me like some fancy dude. We're equal."

"We're not," I shook my head at him with a soft smile.

"We're equal because I say we are," he stubbornly shook his head at me, "and if anyone tells me otherwise I'll make sure they see us as two equals."

"You're gonna be overworking yourself," I remarked before simply exiting his room and letting out a deep sigh.