Constant Bickering

“Fetch me a pillow.” Yoona commanded. She lay on her hammock enjoying the summer heat but more so enjoying commanding Luhan. Luhan raised an eyebrow at the command. Last time he checked he was a bodyguard, not a butler. Were bodyguards even meant to do this? But nonetheless he nodded without complaint and went off.

Luhan was looking around the palace for a free maid but they all seemed to be pretty busy. Finally he managed to catch the attention of one of them.

“What’s going on?” he asked, curious as to why the maids were all frantically moving.

“Oh you must Luhan ssi!” the maid gasped. “Internet famous and the princess’ bodyguard!” Luhan blinked a few times, unsure what the maid was going on about. He shook his head. He didn’t have time for that.

“Why is everyone so busy?” He tried again. The maid’s smile disappeared.

“It’s going to be the late Queen’s death anniversary soon. Since it's such a huge event everyone is preparing early.”

“Ohh…” Luhan nodded. He didn't know that the Queen was dead. Then again he never knew anything. “Oh wait!” Luhan caught the maid again before she was about to run off. “Could you just get a pillow? The princess’ requested for one but I can’t exactly leave her.” The maid eyed her watch nervously but then nodded with a smile.

“Don’t worry Luhan ssi. I’ll get it.”

Luhan returned to the palace gardens shortly after. Yoona was sleeping on her hammock.

“What the heck…” Luhan trailed. “She sure does love to sleep.” Luhan looked around for a blanket but couldn’t find one. After all he was in the garden. Where on earth would he find a blanket? Sighing, he took off his blazer and draped it over Yoona. “You’re like a cat.” He commented to an unconscious Yoona. “Always napping.”

He looked around for a place to sit himself. Standing up all day was quite energy draining (and this was only his first day). The palace garden was very much different from the rest of the palace. The actual palace looked modern whilst the garden looked like it had jumped straight from the Joseon era. Luhan liked the garden more than the palace. It made him feel like he was living in another time. He seated himself on a rock near the pond. The pond had two koi fish swimming in it: one orange and one black. They were exceptionally beautiful and radiated a peaceful aura. They harmonised each other perfectly as they weaved their way through the waters.

“They’re beautiful, aren’t they? Best part of the palace really.”

Luhan looked up to see Yoona staring at the sky. She was awake? He turned back to the koi fish. Indeed they were.

“My mother bought them here.” Yoona said. An edge of melancholy was evident in her tone. She seemed to be talking to herself rather than him so Luhan kept quiet. “She said the rowdy palace needed something like this: something calm and tranquil. It needed something that didn’t think of positions and power but viewed everyone as equal.” Luhan looked at the fishes. They were just fishes no matter how hard he looked at them, simple fishes, yet it seemed her mother thought of them as more. Luhan squinted at them. Could fishes even think in the first place? Nevermind think about position and wealth...

“Where is my pillow?!” Yoona suddenly snapped. She got up from her hammock with glaring eyes. Luhan suddenly remembered the pillow. The maid still hadn’t bought it.

“I ordered a maid to fetch one but it seems she hasn’t.” he sighed.

“I thought I told you to get the pillow.” Luhan raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. If the princess thought she was getting her way around him, she had one thing coming.

“Last time I checked, bodyguards are meant to guard, not do odd jobs.” He challenged spontaneously. Yoona scoffed with a dirty look. Who did he think he was speaking to?

“Last time I checked, bodyguards don’t have opinions in front of royalty.” She clicked her tongue. That should get him!

Luhan smirked. “And last time I checked, we’re in a garden where everyone is viewed as equal.” He pointed to the koi fish. Yoona heated up bright pink.

“You!” she pointed her index finger at him once again. This was a sight he had gotten familiar with. “You were listening!” she accused. Luhan blinked a few times and then burst out laughing. Yoona looked enraged. “Why are you laughing?!”

“I’m sorry I have ears.” Yoona seemed lost for words. “Cat got your tongue?” Luhan grinned.

Yoona grabbed Luhan’s blazer and chucked it at the pond. Luckily Luhan caught it just in time.

“For your information,” she started. “I didn’t need that.” The words were spat out. She walked up the stairs that lead back into the palace. Just before she went through the doors, she turned to Luhan. Pointing her slender index fingers at him again, she glowered at him. “I don’t like you Luhan.” Luhan just smiled. Yes, this was the way it was meant to be.

“And I feel the same too princess.”

Yoona her heels till she faced Luhan. “Why are you following me?” she snapped. Right now she wanted some peace and quiet. Having someone be so outright rude to her had exhausted her and all she wanted to do was sleep.

“I’m your bodyguard. Or have you forgotten that already? If the princess has this bad of a memory how on earth can you rule this land?”

“What?” Yoona was absolutely flabbergasted. Who did this guy think he was?! And too think she thought he was the one! “I can rule this land perfectly fine. You should just worry about your duties sir.” She turned to her right to face the door to her nap room. “I’ll be going to sleep now!”

Luhan flinched as the door slammed. “Sleep?” he scoffed. “You just slept five minutes ago!” This princess was crazy. How on earth could someone sleep so much? He had gotten her wrong. She wasn’t a cat, she was a sloth. A lazy sloth that never does anything apart from sleep!

“Good morning sloth.” Luhan greeted Yoona when she awoke.

“What did you say?” Yoona growled.

“Sloth. You’re a lazy human being that doesn’t do anything apart from sleep.”

“Oh really?” Yoona smirked. “Well then you’ve gotten sloths all wrong.”

Luhan watched in awe as Yoona jumped fence after fence with her gorgeous white mare. She was in perfect control of the animal and she completed each jump with such elegance.

Luhan gulped as Yoona discussed strategies with her politics teacher. She was saying some gibberish he would never understand. But it seemed she was doing well as the teacher clapped with a huge smile.

“Princess I’m so glad you’re finally taking classes again! It’s always such a pleasure to teach you!”

Luhan was amazed by the way Yoona swooshed across the dance floor with her partner. They waltzed complicated moves with utmost ease as if it was the most natural thing to know these.

And finally she finished a ton of pro fencers with her simple but powerful strikes. Luhan stared blankly and blinked a few times. Yoona came over to him, taking off her helmet and shaking her hair back to perfection. A grin played on her lips as she eyed the speechless Luhan.

“Do you agree you’ve had sloths wrong all this time?” she laughed with a glint in her eyes. Luhan looked away.

“Maybe.” He pouted stubbornly.

“The princess sure is amazing.” Luhan commented to the workers. He was having his lunch and frankly couldn’t even eat properly because of what he had just witnessed.

“What?” Hwayoung almost choked on her food. “Did I hear you right?” Kwangsoo giggled to himself in the corner. It was funny watching Hwayoung loose hope on her dream man.

“I mean she can do everything…” Luhan trailed. “Does she even need a bodyguard?”

“No matter how good she is at fencing, it's nothing against real assassins” Jinwoo commented. “Hence the reason you're here.”

“Why does she sleep so much?” Luhan questioned. All the workers looked at him.

“Why are you talking about the princess so much? Could it be…” Kwangsoo trailed, eyeing Hwayoung. “You like her?” This time Hwayoung did choke on her food and she threw daggers at Kwangsoo.

“Yah! Why on earth would he like the princess?!” she shouted a bit too loud. Kwangsoo bit back his laugh. Jinwoo didn’t hesitate to laugh however earning a punch on his arm from a furious Hwayoung. Meanwhile Luhan just stared at his rice.

“She really is crazy…” he whispered.

A/N: Yo guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I've rewritten it a lot of times but I think I'm happy with it now. Thank you to all new subscribers. I hope you enjoy this fic. Also drama shoutout here- watch the nightwatchman's journal. It's soooooo good.