A Queen and Her Seven Servants {BTS}

Chapter Fourteen ~

"I've never understood the concept of corsets," Jungkook murmured as Taehyung braced his foot on the wall and pulled the ribbons on my dress tight.

"Is that good?" he asked, holding the silk ribbons tightly in his grasp.

I nodded and then Taehyung began tying them off, Jungkook watching his hands as the ribbons twirled around them.

"Back to your comment," Taehyung started, "they're just good, okay? You don't understand and probably never will."

Jungkook rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, they just make a woman look bustier than normal."

"No," I shot back. "They make one skinny and short of breath."

"Are you ready to be escorted down, your Highness?" Hoseok asked, rising from his seat on the bed made nicely just for me.

"Yes," I responded.

"No," Taehyung whined. "I don't want to go back down to the basement."

I narrowed my eyes at him. He could act like a child at home, but he must remain orderly outside of his normal habitat. "Why not?"

"I don't like it down there," he replied.

"Me either," Namjoon agreed from his spot by the door. "It's eerie down there."

"There's probably demons, your Majesty," Taehyung continued. "My room was nice, but there's no windows"

Jungkook burst out laughing. "Tae, it's 'cause you're in a basement! Of course there's not going to be any windows. There's not any at home either."

"Will you hush?" Taehyung pouted. "That wasn't a good example, but still. I'm uncomfortable down there."

"I'll talk to Blaine about it," I cut in. "Now, Hoseok, let's head down to dinner."

***

"That's Queen Veronica from the Isles of Garveet," I whispered, discreetly pointing to a woman laughing with a man who looked rather awkward. "She's rules over her husband. Can't tell her a single thing, either. Her lips are looser than the threads on my old nightgown."

Hoseok nodded. "Didn't she try to start something with you? She called you a liar or something?"

I nodded. "Poor thing couldn't state her reasons, though." I sniskered. "Her kingdom is going down fast. I'm sure there'll be a rebellion, soon."

"We didn't hear it from you, though, huh?" Hoseok smirked.

I looked at him, artificial question lingering in my brown eyes. "Hear what?"

Hoseok grinned. "Nothing, your Highness. Uh, who's that man over there?" The male he pointed to looked about my age.

"That's Prince Taeyong," I answered. The boy playfully hit an older man's arm while smiling. His blonde hair was messy and the black roots made the dye job look tacky. "He's from Cheliyan. He's a partier. Drinks and gambles. He's already engaged." I looked around the tables that were set up everywhere with delicate centerpieces placed on each of them. I laid my eyes on a young girl who looked sad and lonely. "Her. It was a forced marriage. Where he's from they're rather common."

I felt a tap on my shoulder and I looked up to see Jeon. I furrowed my brows. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be with the other guards by the wall."

"Look straight ahead of you," Jeon muttered, his voice low. He wasn't even looking in the direction he was telling me to. He was looking off to the side. "Near the curtains of the stage, there's a man with glasses on and gray hair. He's been watching you closely."

I followed Jeon's instructions and made eye contact with a male. He looked like what Jeon described and I realized I didn't recognize him. The eye contact lasted for a few seconds before the guy seemed to disappear.

"I would keep your eye out," Jeon said. "I just thought I should tell you. I didn't think anything about it but one of Blaine's guards pointed it out."

"I'll see," I replied. "Now run off. You have a job to do."

After Jungkook had gone back to his spot, Hoseok sighed. "Are you sure I should be hanging around you? No one has a servant by their side."

"That's because they trust everyone," I quipped. "I don't. I'm not naïve and will never trust anyone other than my servants."

"Blaine is an exception, though," Hoseok snickered.

I glanced over the brown haired male as he smiled and talked with a good friend. His suit was fitted and a lovely color that brought out his eyes. "As much as I would love to, I'm afraid I can't trust him with much."

Hoseok nodded, understanding what I was saying. "I personally don't trust many people, myself."

"You can't," I responded. "You know, it's quite easy to betray someone. It's also quite easy to kill someone." I looked at Hoseok beside me who looked at me, his chocolate brown eyes reflecting the bright lights from the chandeliers hanging around. "Some people act upon that capability, others choose not to."

Hoseok nodded once again. "I've never thought about it that way."

"No one ever does," I said. I turned away. "You are one of those that has acted upon that capability."

Hoseok's eyes shut, his lids falling over them. "You're right, your Highness."

"That's fine, though," I uttered rather quickly. "Makes you more of the soldier you were made to be." And I walked off into the crowd of laughter and gossip.

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