note: queen + royal guard

tw: nun ✝️ (this is a joke i was tryna make a pun on the word "none" 🤡🤡 it has nothing to do with the story)

- linden

"Jeongseong!" You snapped.

"Darling please call me Jay. My full name is unnecessary." Jay sighed as he entered your room from the parlor. A slow smile crept onto your face. "I'm trying to be more queenly, my dear. I'm no longer a princess. Is it working?"

Jay slid his arms around your waist from behind and cuddled his face into your neck. "Maybe to the general public." He kissed your cheek, his features lifted gloriously with an expression of joy. "Just don't smile at me too often when people are watching."

You turned around in Jay's hold and cupped his face, touching the tip of your nose to his. "But you're just so...beautiful. So hard to resist."

Jay laughed and let go of you, the minimal armor pieces he was required to wear clanking against each other. He lay a hand on the sword in its sheath at his side. "And I am also your protector." He bowed at the waist. You frowned and smacked Jay's head, earning a groan. "And my lover!! Don't act all this when we're alone." You lifted his chin up as he watched you with sparkling dark eyes. You brushed his hair out of his face as he smirked. "Yes, my queen."

"I hate you." You mumbled.

"You don't, my queen."

"Shut up." You rolled your eyes playfully. "Can you braid my hair for me? My maid is off on a silly errand that she doesn't realize is meaningless. I love her but she's too much of a chatter mouth with the other maids." You giggled as you sat down at the chair by your vanity. "She would accidentally give away too much about us."

"Is that so?"

You nodded. Jay laughed and gently sectioned your hair off, starting at the top of your head and gathering more hair as he went down to form a more intricate braid. Once he was finished he tipped your head back to place a soft kiss on your forehead then lifted your crown from the vanity where it sat gleaming. He fixed it carefully on your head so it wouldn't fall. "How do you feel?"

You sat up a little bit straighter as you watched yourself in the mirror before turning your gaze towards Jay. "Powerful."

———

You sat in court, elbow rested on the armrest of your throne listening to some advice that the woman of your court spewed.

"You should get married soon, your highness." One suggested. You felt your heart stop at the suggestion but could only smile because you'd known her since you were very young and knew she only wished the best for you. Or so you hoped.

"Marriage is not in my best interest at this moment." You mumbled. "I'd rather be more focused on the threats of war from the east neighboring kingdom."

"You could marry their prince." One women suggested. You hummed, your gaze sliding to Jay who stood idly at your side. "I don't...I don't think he would be interested in that." You uncomfortably chewed your bottom lip and fixed your gloves. Watching Jay's hand fixed permanently on his sword, ready to unsheathe it and fight for your life at any moment, you had an odd itch to reach out and hold his hand in yours.

"He's only a couple years older than you and very handsome." One of the court ladies gossiped. You scanned the women who sat in front of you. Most of your court was made up of women and you'd sent all your men out for the day after you're daily discussions were over, so now you sat here pointlessly waiting for it to be tea time.

"His name is Prince Yeonjun! Oldest of the family." One said.

You sat up straight. "If you're so interested in the son of the kingdom that threatens war you might as well get married to him yourself." You gritted your teeth. The lady eyed you in shock, a delicate hand over her round mouth. "You're highness!"

Jay sighed, his gaze drifting to the large roman numeraled clock on the far left wall. "Alright." You heard him say quietly. He stepped in front of you, a hand out. "My queen, it's time for tea." He bowed. You felt your lips twitch, a strong urge to grin stupidly at him rising in you. Instead, you took his hand so he could help you down from your throne and gripped it for a moment before considering the women in your court. "You're all dismissed for now. And do remember. Not every queen needs a king." You smiled. "And I'm sure there are other ways to show a kingdom where it's boundaries lie. This is a queendom and no one messes with this queen."

You let your skirts flare as you turned and walked yourself out, Jay following behind and fighting a smile.

———

"That was great." Jay tilted his head at you as you treated yourself to a private tea in your parlor.

"I know!" You grinned. Jay blushed, scrunching his nose slightly with his smile. He approached you to slide his arms around your shoulders, toying with a ribbon on your bodice as he kissed your head. "I'm not letting anyone take you away from me."

"I know." You took a sip of your tea. Jay nuzzled into your shoulder affectionately. "Are you up for a stroll in the garden after this?"

"Always." You reached up and brushed your fingers across his jawline. You giggled when you felt his breath hitch. "You're terrible." He mumbled.

"Yes, cause i'm a scary horrid queen." You rolled your eyes as you grinned.

"Yes, for what you do to me." Jay ran his fingers over the neckline of your gown, tapping on your skin. You picked up his hand. "Alright, alright. Let's go."

———

The weather had been having swings lately. The past couple of days it had been so warm the stray cats around the castle had come into the garden to play with each other, but suddenly today it had turned to cold again. There had been light snow in the morning and now the air hung with a chill almost like it was on the edge of cracking and sending you into a dark abyss. That was what the weather felt like. Even so, the garden was still incredibly pretty and the flowers were exceptionally glistening with the frost coating their petals.

Your hands were smothered in gloves and an expensive fur scarf was thrown around your neck, halfway pulled up above your hair to cover your ears. "Aren't you cold?" You mumbled to Jay.

"You forget..." Jay seemed to be omitting a pet name as he took a pause in his speech. "You forget that when I was first casted to be a soldier when when I was eighteen, the first thing they did was send me into war in the middle of the coldest winter we've experienced in years." Jay laughed. "It's a wonder I returned with all my fingers and toes."

You smiled thinly but then as you glanced at him, your smile turned warm and fulfilling. "But you're here with me now."

"That's true." Jay mumbled. He was fiddling again with his sword belt, his eyes fixed on the horizon and flickering with light as if they held precious dark chocolate embers. You paused, touching Jay's arm. You glanced around but the only guard nearby were the ones high up in a guard tower. "Jay." You slipped your hand down his arm and interlaced your fingers. "I love you."

There was something remarkable about Park Jeongseong. Jay, your Jay.

There were his funny smiles and his corny jokes and the way you knew that if it came to it, he would give up everything he had if it meant he could lay in your arms.

Jay was the most gorgeous, the sweetest and the most wholesome human being you'd ever met. Even being the queen of a vast and powerful kingdom, just one touch or one look from him could cause you to melt.

Jay also glanced around before leaning close to you and barely touching the tip of your cold nose. "And I love you." Jay almost leaned in for a kiss but instead diverted it to a hug where he clutched at your clothes to bring you as close to himself as possible. You laughed lightly. "What was that?"

"I can't kiss you in public, what if the other guards are watching?"

"You're hugging me anyway." You relented. You reached up with one hand and unclipped his helmet before pushing it so it fell off his head and onto the ground. You ran your fingers through his dark hair for a moment, listening to him sigh into your ear.

"I was thinking the other day." You carefully maneuvered yourself, holding Jay's hands and taking off his gloves then taking off yours before tucking then in your pockets. You fell to your knees.

Jay gasped, his hands grasping at your arms as gently as he could. "My queen! Are you alright? Your dress.." His eyebrows were furrowed in utmost worry. You only smiled and gently shook off his grip. You took one of Jay's hands, kissed the back and leaned it against your cheek.

"I would like to make you my king."

Slowly, Jay's expression changed, cycled through various emotions and then the final expression he was fixed with was one of utter awe and happiness. He dropped to his knees as well in front of you and pulled you in again for a hug. "Forever yes." He promised. And you were sure you must look odd to the guards watching down from the towers, but you couldn't have been happier in your life.