Royal Bonds | Y.Jw

| 13 |

I quietly balanced two trays in my hands as I walked up towards Jungwon's room. He had been forced, by his dad, to eat breakfast with Taehee this morning, so I had to bring both trays up at once.

I used my foot to knock on the door and soon enough heard rushed footsteps and the door opening for me. Jungwon smiled softly as he saw me struggling a bit with balancing the trays.

"You good?" Jungwon questioned as I glanced up at his face and the look immediately screamed that he was desperately trying to surpress a laugh.

"Yeah, I got it," I mumbled quietly as he closed the door behind me, after I entered the bedroom.

"Jungwon-ie, how come you help such an irrelevant handmaiden as her?" Taehee's voice spoke up from his small balcony and I could see him momentarily bite back a reply before he let out a deep sigh.

"How easily can you get me out of this?" Jungwon whispered and I just shrugged, "by any means help me if you can."

"Of course," I hummed before walking past him and out to the balcony.

I immediately sent Taehee, who sat by a small round table, a small smile as I placed down the tray with her breakfast and Jungwon slowly followed after and sat down across from Taehee. It reminded me of when we were younger and would sit and eat watermelon in those chairs while we would watch the sunset, rambling and joking around with anything that came to our minds.

"If you need anything just call on me," I smiled as I folded my hands in front of me.

"Miss?" Taehee spoke up and I lifted my eyebrows as I turned to her, "Jungwon here tells me that workers at the palace can only marry other workers at the palace, and that their kids has to work at the castle as well, to ensure safety."

"That's right," I nodded at her.

"So you're the outcome of incest?" she questioned and my mouth opened slightly as I glanced to Jungwon, who just looked down at his breakfast while poking his tongue out into his cheek, folding his hands tightly in front of him.

"Oh well... if I may explain it to the princess," I spoke and looked to Jungwon who slowly glanced at me and just nodded to let me explained, "you see princess... the regulations of the families working in the palace has only been in place for the past four kings. Which equals to about six generations of workers at the palace."

"So you won't live that long?" Taehee spoke and I hesitated a bit before glancing at Jungwon, who had turned his head to look up at me.

"It's rare for workers at the palace to live past 40, most cases they only live long enough to just watch their kids start at the castle, which usually is around the age of 38, since most are forced to get children at 20," I carefully explained as I grew more and more uncomfortable with the stare Jungwon was giving me, "so when we start working at the castle we get a list of families we can't get romantically involved with to avoid incest. There's about 247 families working at the castle, so a lot of time will pass before they'll have to look at an incest problem."

"Oh... well... is there certain families you won't talk to then?" she questioned and I smiled softly before shaking my head.

"Well, if I'm not allowed to get romantically involved with them they're my family," I reminded her and she slowly nodded before I turned to Jungwon, who had quietly been eating his breakfast, "now if you don't mind princess, I need to use the prince briefly for a quick fitting of his blazer for the engagement party."

"Mhm," Taehee hummed as she turned to her food and Jungwon immediately stood up and walked into his room before I did.

I quietly followed after him and picked up the blazer I had been asked to work on in my free time. It was a dark navy blue, as Jungwon preferred his blazers, so I didn't get why he needed a new one, but his seamstress said his shoulders was too wide to fit in the old one.

"What the heck do you mean you probably won't live past 40?" Jungwon hissed as I put the blazer on him and he turned around to look at me, meanwhile I just focused on getting the collar to lay properly.

"Have you ever seen an older person work at the castle?" I quietly commented and he just stood still.

"How old is your mom?" he whispered and I glanced up at him in confusion, my hands immediately stopping their work over his chest.

"37," I calmly spoke.

"And they expect you to get pregnant in three years," Jungwon continued and I quietly nodded, "but who is the father?"

"Whoever that's not in my forbidden groups," I shrugged and he raised his eyebrows at me, making me sigh before answering him, "Cho, Park, Ahn, Lim, Oh and Choi," I listed and he quietly hummed, "it seems my mom is a big fan of getting into the Shim or Kim family. They're both related, so mom is trying to pitch any of the boys from those families to me."

"Would you accept them?" Jungwon continued as I had begun working on his collar again. I sucked in a small breath before I nodded, "you would?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?" I shrugged, "but it's fine. Jaeyun is very kind and Sunoo is quite the soft boy, terrific piano player."

"What about me?" Jungwon whispered and I looked up at him with a frown, "I told you I loved you, and you told me you loved me."

"You have to marry Taehee," I pointed out and he quietly shook his head.

"I'm working on finding a way out for me... and I'm sorry to say, but right now I might have a sollution before the week is over," he grinned widely and I just glanced up at him, "so if... if I'm able to- would you still accept them? Jaeyun or Sunoo?"

"If I could choose myself I would let you take me in a heartbeat, as long as I could go without the royal duties," I corrected and he frowned down at me, "I'd rather work myself to an early grave than to have to show myself from the best side for the rest of my life."

"That can be changed," he assured and I glanced at him as he just nodded, "I'll change it."

"How about you focus on your engagement before you try to get the key to my heart?" I questioned him in amusement and he let out a small laugh at me.

"I already have that key, don't I?" he questioned in amusement and I froze before letting out a small whine.

"Don't tell me you-" I started and he easily pulled out a necklace that was hiding under his white shirt, a single key charm hanging in it, "oh my god," I breathed out and leaned my head against his shoulder.

"Told you I'd never get rid of it," he pointed out and I abruptly lifted my head to see his self-satisfied smirk.

"We were 7!" I exclaimed at him and he just grinned even wider.

"Yet I still have access straight to your heart... don't try and tell me you don't wear that lock anymore," he warned and I stayed silent, knowing very well that the lock hung in a chain around my neck.

"I knew it."

"Shut up."