A Right Royal Mess [Chapter 6]
Title: A Right Royal Mess
Chapter: 6/?
Pairings: Joongki/Gwangsu, Jihyo/Haha
Genre: Romance, humour, mediaeval!AU
Rating: PG
Summary: In which the Song siblings are royal, Jihyo runs away from an arranged marriage, and Joongki is left to deal with the situation
“I’m glad you decided to come along, hyung.” Joongki says guilelessly, and then lowers his voice. “I wouldn’t want to be alone with these men.”
Lord Gary nods, his face impassive as always. “Your father the King seemed to be pleased with the idea of me looking out for you. And since I’m more familiar with the area than Jongkook-hyung is, it’s my responsibility to make sure he doesn’t go the wrong way.”
Joongki admires how Gary’s words are perfectly innocent and yet he understands the implied meaning behind them: their mission is to keep Jongkook and his men away from Gary’s lands at all cost.
--
“Where were you last evening, Lizzy?” Jihyo asks as her handmaiden arranges her hair neatly.
“Oh, I was just out in town looking at the night markets. It’s really amazing what a large variety of things are sold there!” Lizzy exclaims cheerfully, waving a brush around with one hand.
Jihyo inadvertently smiles as well - the younger girl’s merry nature is infectious. If Lizzy wasn’t there to keep her company, she would probably have given up and gone home by now, and killed Ha Donghoon in the process for being so infuriating. “Who did you go with?”
“Some of the soldiers offered to show me around, so I went with them!” Lizzy ties up the end of Jihyo’s hair and gives the top a satisfactory pat.
Jihyo turns around immediately and grasps Lizzy’s arm in concern. “You went alone with those guards? At night? Without any other girls?”
“Yes?” The younger girl replies uncertainly, puzzled at the princess’s alarm. “I asked some of the other maids here but they weren’t keen on it-”
“Listen to me.” Jihyo puts on her best I-am-your-Princess-and-you-better-pay-attention face. “I don’t want you to be gallivanting off with those men by yourself, okay? These guards aren’t necessarily as nice as the ones in the Palace. Who knows what might happen to a young and pretty girl like you.”
“Okay, Your Highness.” Lizzy squeaks, the formal title slipping from her lips as a reaction to how serious the other is. “But the guards I went with seemed really nice. And Donghoon-oppa told them that if anything happened to me, they would have to answer to him for it.”
“I believe what I said was, if she had so much as a hair out of place, I would use them for target practice for the next three years.” A familiar drawling voice interrupts, and the two women turn to see Donghoon leaning against the door. “Isn’t that right, Joon?”
“Yes, sir.” The guard at the door replies promptly, and Lizzy giggles.
“I’ll go and fetch your breakfast, my lady.” She beams and curtsies slightly to Donghoon, who moves aside to let her leave. Jihyo feels a little like she’s been abandoned.
“I wouldn’t let anything happen to her, you know.” Donghoon’s expression mirrors the seriousness that was in Jihyo’s half a minute ago.
“Thank you.” It comes out almost like a sigh of relief, and Donghoon blinks, having expected some sarcastic remark about how trustworthy he is from her. “She’s like the little sister I never had.” Jihyo explains quietly. “I don’t know what I’d do if some harm were to befall her.”
It’s the most honest and vulnerable he’s seen her before. It makes her seem less like the proud princess she’s supposed to be, and more human instead. Donghoon wonders if perhaps he’s misjudged her character all this while. “You’re welcome.”
--
“How is the search going on, Your Majesty?” Gwangsu asks the Queen, though from her expression he can tell that they haven’t been successful.
“Sir Tony has tried questioning some of Jihyo’s friends - discreetly, of course - but to no avail.” The Queen sighs. “None of them seem to have any idea of her whereabouts, though I’m sure some of them would feign ignorance even if they did.”
Gwangsu wholeheartedly agrees with the last statement. Like calls to like, and the Princess generally made friends as strong-willed and opinionated as herself. He never ceases to marvel at how she managed to find genuine friends among the limited nobility who aren’t just after her favour.
“I just wish both my children were here with me.” She continues forlornly, and then clears her throat. “Not that I don’t consider you one of my own, Gwangsu-yah.” The Queen assures him. “You’ve been like a son to me all these years.”
Gwangsu bows slightly, smiling in gratitude to his benefactress. “I miss them too.”
--
The search party finally stops to rest for the night, though Joongki suspects that Jongkook could keep going for a few more hours. He grimaces as Jongkook decides on a rather seedy looking tavern to spend the night at.
“Why can’t we stay at a nicer tavern?” He endeavours to sound as whiny as possible. “It’s not like we can’t pay for it.”
“We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves, Your Highness.” One of Jongkook’s men replies smoothly. “It wouldn’t do for the ruffians of this town to know that they have the princes of two kingdoms here with only a small force to protect them.”
“Well, this looks like a tavern that such ruffians would be lurking around.” Joongki huffs and strides into the small room he has been designated to share with Gary.
“He’s a real charmer, that one.” Another of Jongkook’s men mutters in annoyance at the prince’s prissy attitude throughout their mission. A few of the others grunt their assent.
“I wouldn’t worry about him, Taecyeon.” The first guard smiles disarmingly.
“That’s easy for you to say, hyung.” Taecyeon retorts. “You didn’t spend the first day listening to him complain nonstop about how uncomfortable his saddle was or how the food wasn’t to his liking or how his outfit was getting grimy from the dust from the roads we were riding on! Am I right, Minjong-hyung?”
“Yeah, I thought princes were supposed to be tougher than this pretty boy.” The oldest guard chimes in. “I feel sorry for that little kingdom of theirs - imagine having to follow a king like that!” The others laugh heartily at the thought.
“Prince Jongkook would make a better king, wouldn’t he?” The first guard muses thoughtfully.
“That goes without saying, Taehyun-ah.” Minjong chuckles. “Let’s just hope his sister isn’t as difficult as he is.”
“Well, I don’t think he’ll be much of a problem once he gets better acquainted with us.” Taehyun smiles again.
**
As always, comments are greatly loved!
Chapter: 6/?
Pairings: Joongki/Gwangsu, Jihyo/Haha
Genre: Romance, humour, mediaeval!AU
Rating: PG
Summary: In which the Song siblings are royal, Jihyo runs away from an arranged marriage, and Joongki is left to deal with the situation
“I’m glad you decided to come along, hyung.” Joongki says guilelessly, and then lowers his voice. “I wouldn’t want to be alone with these men.”
Lord Gary nods, his face impassive as always. “Your father the King seemed to be pleased with the idea of me looking out for you. And since I’m more familiar with the area than Jongkook-hyung is, it’s my responsibility to make sure he doesn’t go the wrong way.”
Joongki admires how Gary’s words are perfectly innocent and yet he understands the implied meaning behind them: their mission is to keep Jongkook and his men away from Gary’s lands at all cost.
--
“Where were you last evening, Lizzy?” Jihyo asks as her handmaiden arranges her hair neatly.
“Oh, I was just out in town looking at the night markets. It’s really amazing what a large variety of things are sold there!” Lizzy exclaims cheerfully, waving a brush around with one hand.
Jihyo inadvertently smiles as well - the younger girl’s merry nature is infectious. If Lizzy wasn’t there to keep her company, she would probably have given up and gone home by now, and killed Ha Donghoon in the process for being so infuriating. “Who did you go with?”
“Some of the soldiers offered to show me around, so I went with them!” Lizzy ties up the end of Jihyo’s hair and gives the top a satisfactory pat.
Jihyo turns around immediately and grasps Lizzy’s arm in concern. “You went alone with those guards? At night? Without any other girls?”
“Yes?” The younger girl replies uncertainly, puzzled at the princess’s alarm. “I asked some of the other maids here but they weren’t keen on it-”
“Listen to me.” Jihyo puts on her best I-am-your-Princess-and-you-better-pay-attention face. “I don’t want you to be gallivanting off with those men by yourself, okay? These guards aren’t necessarily as nice as the ones in the Palace. Who knows what might happen to a young and pretty girl like you.”
“Okay, Your Highness.” Lizzy squeaks, the formal title slipping from her lips as a reaction to how serious the other is. “But the guards I went with seemed really nice. And Donghoon-oppa told them that if anything happened to me, they would have to answer to him for it.”
“I believe what I said was, if she had so much as a hair out of place, I would use them for target practice for the next three years.” A familiar drawling voice interrupts, and the two women turn to see Donghoon leaning against the door. “Isn’t that right, Joon?”
“Yes, sir.” The guard at the door replies promptly, and Lizzy giggles.
“I’ll go and fetch your breakfast, my lady.” She beams and curtsies slightly to Donghoon, who moves aside to let her leave. Jihyo feels a little like she’s been abandoned.
“I wouldn’t let anything happen to her, you know.” Donghoon’s expression mirrors the seriousness that was in Jihyo’s half a minute ago.
“Thank you.” It comes out almost like a sigh of relief, and Donghoon blinks, having expected some sarcastic remark about how trustworthy he is from her. “She’s like the little sister I never had.” Jihyo explains quietly. “I don’t know what I’d do if some harm were to befall her.”
It’s the most honest and vulnerable he’s seen her before. It makes her seem less like the proud princess she’s supposed to be, and more human instead. Donghoon wonders if perhaps he’s misjudged her character all this while. “You’re welcome.”
--
“How is the search going on, Your Majesty?” Gwangsu asks the Queen, though from her expression he can tell that they haven’t been successful.
“Sir Tony has tried questioning some of Jihyo’s friends - discreetly, of course - but to no avail.” The Queen sighs. “None of them seem to have any idea of her whereabouts, though I’m sure some of them would feign ignorance even if they did.”
Gwangsu wholeheartedly agrees with the last statement. Like calls to like, and the Princess generally made friends as strong-willed and opinionated as herself. He never ceases to marvel at how she managed to find genuine friends among the limited nobility who aren’t just after her favour.
“I just wish both my children were here with me.” She continues forlornly, and then clears her throat. “Not that I don’t consider you one of my own, Gwangsu-yah.” The Queen assures him. “You’ve been like a son to me all these years.”
Gwangsu bows slightly, smiling in gratitude to his benefactress. “I miss them too.”
--
The search party finally stops to rest for the night, though Joongki suspects that Jongkook could keep going for a few more hours. He grimaces as Jongkook decides on a rather seedy looking tavern to spend the night at.
“Why can’t we stay at a nicer tavern?” He endeavours to sound as whiny as possible. “It’s not like we can’t pay for it.”
“We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves, Your Highness.” One of Jongkook’s men replies smoothly. “It wouldn’t do for the ruffians of this town to know that they have the princes of two kingdoms here with only a small force to protect them.”
“Well, this looks like a tavern that such ruffians would be lurking around.” Joongki huffs and strides into the small room he has been designated to share with Gary.
“He’s a real charmer, that one.” Another of Jongkook’s men mutters in annoyance at the prince’s prissy attitude throughout their mission. A few of the others grunt their assent.
“I wouldn’t worry about him, Taecyeon.” The first guard smiles disarmingly.
“That’s easy for you to say, hyung.” Taecyeon retorts. “You didn’t spend the first day listening to him complain nonstop about how uncomfortable his saddle was or how the food wasn’t to his liking or how his outfit was getting grimy from the dust from the roads we were riding on! Am I right, Minjong-hyung?”
“Yeah, I thought princes were supposed to be tougher than this pretty boy.” The oldest guard chimes in. “I feel sorry for that little kingdom of theirs - imagine having to follow a king like that!” The others laugh heartily at the thought.
“Prince Jongkook would make a better king, wouldn’t he?” The first guard muses thoughtfully.
“That goes without saying, Taehyun-ah.” Minjong chuckles. “Let’s just hope his sister isn’t as difficult as he is.”
“Well, I don’t think he’ll be much of a problem once he gets better acquainted with us.” Taehyun smiles again.
**
As always, comments are greatly loved!