Jin was fussing with Jungkook’s hair as we stood right outside our gate. Jungkook had made good on our deal, agreeing for a stupid publicity photo-op just a few days after the radiator installation. Namjoon had gone to fetch The Chairman early in the morning, leaving the rest of us to awkwardly fret around the compound. Yoongi, Hobie, and Taehyung had opted to remain inside of the building. It seemed as though there was a prejudice against those who were not deemed fit for breeding- those three boys included. Jin, Namjoon, and Jungkook were the only three that kept their vas deferens intact since The Reclamation, and thus they were viewed with more respect. Given how I had seen Namjoon practically kicked around at the government compound, it made me dread the idea of how the three sterile boys would be treated. Chairman Rho had taken the news of the photograph idea surprisingly gleefully. He was exceedingly pleased with the idea of taking a photo with both Jungkook and I, but he seemed even more excited just to speak to Jungkook again. From what I heard, the two of them saw each other on a regular basis, but Jungkook was typically silent, no doubt seething behind a fake smile. The two of us had not made a public appearance together since the warehouse renovation my first week in Korea. "Why is it that your hair is always lopsided, Kookie?" Jin lamented as he let his arms fall to his side in defeat, his normally plump lips pressed into a disapproving line.

"Because I cut it that way, mom," Jungkook snapped back, a little smirk playing at his mouth. He flicked his eyes over at me to give me a little wink as he jerked his head to undo all of Jin's hard work. Standing next to him, I simply rolled my eyes at him, though my own smile was not suppressed at all. We waited for a while longer in the cool, crisp air. Winter was on its way- the leaves turning shades of orange and brown before dropping from their branches. More noticeable than that was the lack of sunlight. My usual trip to the MedLab in the mornings often began before the sun was even up. Thankfully, we were mostly shielded from any bitter wind by the mountains on either side of us. Regardless, I wasn't looking forward to the inevitable first snowfall. Growing up in southern California, I never really had to live with snow. It was a novelty that grew old in a matter of hours; I couldn't really imagine what it would be like to have to coexist with it in those conditions.

The sound of footsteps brought my thoughts to an end, turning my attention to the pathway where I could vaguely distinguish Namjoon's long, lanky silhouette. Close behind was the unnaturally round figure that could only be Mr. Rho himself. Jin, Jungkook and I fell still and silent, lining up against the fence. Once they had arrived, Rho's frog-like face broke out into a wide, pallid grin, his arms extending out, as if he were incredibly pleased with himself. A few paces behind him were two men I had not seen, but I did note the tripod in one of the man's hands. They must be the designated photographers. "Seokjin," Rho greeted Jin curtly, clearly respecting the age order, though his disinterest in the eldest could not have been more obvious. He stepped towards Jungkook and I, his smile spreading, "And here they are," he spoke as he reached out to touch my right shoulder and Jungkook's left. We were already side by side, but at the touch, we squeezed even closer, Jungkook's hand gripping mine. It was very reminiscent of the first time I met The Chairman. Hopefully Jungkook and I wouldn't have to bruise each other's hands in frustration. Namjoon had promised this meeting would be brief.

"Good morning, Chairman," I finally responded with a little bow, my ribbon-bound ponytail draping over one of my shoulders. I felt Jungkook mirror my movements beside me, his hand still loosely gripping mine. I gave it a little experimental squeeze, and was pleased when I felt his fingers tighten just slightly around mine. It was a simple gesture, but it helped me to retain my genuine smile when I righted myself to look back at the still beaming Chairman.

He gave a loud, but wheezy laugh, looking between the two of us. "No need to be so stiff, children. This is a joyous occasion!" he finally let us both go, stepping back to allow his two companions get into place. From behind the assembling tripod, Rho's already beady eyes narrowed as he inspected us, a handing reaching up to cradle one of his chins. "Now, we'll get a couple of pictures of just the two of you, and then I might just have to intrude and take on with you." He paused, thinking to himself, "Because who doesn't want a picture with royalty," he concluded with another greasy smile.

It was always strange to me to be called princess royalty. What girl didn't want to wake up one day to find themselves a princess? Hell, what person wouldn't want to find out they were suddenly somehow a royal? The only problem was that despite the title, I certainly didn't feel like it. And I was sure Jungkook felt the same way. In anything, the title was a heavy burden for him- defining his life in a way he never would have wanted. While I had somewhat weaseled my way into the position, Jungkook's had been decided for him, without his consent or opinion. When I thought of a princess, I thought of beautiful castles, new and clean clothing, and luxury. Instead, here we were, locked away in a concrete box inside of a fence, in the pit of a valley in North Korea. Isolated from the rest of the developed world. In The Reclamation, North Korea had proven itself to be a competitor in military might and scientific advancement, but from my perspective, I was living in the third world. I knew better than to judge the new government as a whole on my living conditions, but it was still a strange contrast to wrap my mind around. Jungkook and I allowed ourselves to be micromanaged by the unfamiliar man behind the camera, moving and rotating every which way to best catch the light or to better frame ourselves in the photo. We did our best to look genuinely happy, a challenge I knew Jungkook would struggle with. "You owe me big time," he managed to growl through his clenched teeth as he maintained an unnaturally wide smile.

"Warm and cozy," I reminded him under my breath, trying not to move as the director continued to bark orders at us. Thankfully, Jungkook was forced to let go of his vice grip on my hand as Chairman Rho squeezed between us for his personal group photo. Unfortunately, that meant we had to end our snarky exchange, remaining silent for the remainder of the shoot. Thankfully, it ended rather quickly.

Rho seemed genuinely disappointed when his photographer called it a wrap. "Ah well," he said with a sigh, leaving Jungkook behind to turn and face me. His face was uncharacteristically warm, and it made me feel uneasy. On the one hand, it was good that Rho felt attached to me, but on the other, the way he looked at me was certainly not comforting. His expression varied wildly from paternal to possessive, and I welcomed neither sentiment. “Don’t worry about Shin, Seoyeon,” he spoke quietly, giving me another uncomfortably heavy pat on the shoulder, “he’ll come around.” At the mention of Mr. Shin, a shiver went down my spine. The day prior, he had lectured me on my place and the meaning of authority. Thankfully, despite his superficial anger about my humiliating his warehouse manager, he almost seemed just a little bit grateful. Apparently Hobie wasn’t the only victim of the taunting and teasing. But the overall tone of the lecture was certainly angry scolding. I could sort of empathize with the frustration. There I was, untouchable, messing with his chain of command, intimidating his employees while he couldn’t do anything about it except for verbally slap me on the wrist. And even with the reprimands, Hobie came home with at least double the supplies we used to get and a smile on his face on a daily basis. The one thing I did fear going forward was the awkwardness of the meetings with Shin. A part of me just hoped he would avoid me like he usually did.

I remembered that The Chairman had spoken to me, and I noticed his grin begin to fade, his wide brows lowering slightly. I quickly stammered, “O-of course, thank you, sir.” I accompanied it with another little bow, and I was thankfully rewarded with a little approving nod from the wide man.

“Very well, then,” he announced matter-of-factly before standing up just a little straighter, his short hands resting on either side of his protruding belly. “I’ll leave you to the rest of your day. Good day Seoyeon,” he dismissed me with a little chuff through his smile. Turning to Jungkook, he gave a small nod of his head, “Jeon Jungkook.”

“Chairman,” Jungkook responded, sliding over a step to return to my side, slipping an arm ar