Chapter Text
There were, in your life, very few people that you could trust to see you as you are now: unfiltered, bare-faced, and maybe a little bit drunk. You were, after all, the heir to a kingdom and the current figurehead of a small nation. As a princess, your job was to maintain a favorable reputation so that you may someday rule, and to pay attention to your studies so that you may someday rule well.
It was in the name of keeping up appearances that you were now hiding in a dark closet with a watered down vodka soda and your two personal security guards.
The problem with public appearance here wasn’t the alcohol, it was a clear drink and therefore you were granted plausible deniability if seen holding it. The problem was with the fact that someone else had spilled their red wine down the front of your dress, and one of your security guards had taken it upon himself to escort you out of the crowd before anyone was able to photograph you.
“How long are we to wait here? Until everyone else has left the party?” You ask in a huff, staring into the darkness in front of you, imagining the stoic face of the overly-cautious Agent Vanderwood.
“No, princess,” Vanderwood’s reply comes from a bit to the left of where you were staring. “Saeyoung is bringing another dress.”
As if on cue, there is a knock on the closet door. You recognize it as one of Saeyoung’s code knocks, and Vanderwood carefully opens the door.
“Dress acquired, Madam,” Saeyoung jokes, as he closes the door behind him, earning what sounds like a quick smack from Vanderwood.
Fumbling in the dark, you take the dress from Saeyoung. You recognize it by touch as one of your more comfortable party dresses, you’re grateful that Saeyoung has chosen a dress that will be easy to change into.
“We’ll wait outside for you,” Vanderwood says, their arm brushing yours as they reach for the door.
“Wait!” You reach out a gloved hand to stop them and it rests on what you assume is their bicep. “If you’re just standing outside the closet door, people will know I’m in here.”
Saeyoung laughs, “She has a point.”
“What are we supposed to do, then?” Vanderwood’s voice is terse. They’re short with Saeyoung in a way that they never are with you.
“Princess?” Saeyoung asks.
You shrug, though no one can see it.
“I’ll change fast, hold this.” You hold out your drink in front of you and a hand miraculously finds yours to take it. “And can one of you unzip me?”
You turn around, standing tall and demure in the way you’re supposed to. For some reason, you find yourself anxious as you anticipate your guard’s hands on your back.
Saeyoung, you think it’s Saeyoung, steps forward and his hand finds your shoulder.
“I don’t know if I can find your zipper…” Saeyoung says.
Wordlessly, Vanderwood flicks on his phone flashlight, which causes Saeyoung to yelp in surprise.
“Thank you,” you say, “but a warning would have been nice.”
Again, you feel Saeyoung’s hand on your shoulder and he holds it there as if to steady you as his other hand finds the small gold zipper on the back of your cocktail dress. You can feel his breath as he pulls. You are all far too close together in this damned closet and it’s making your face hot.
“That’s good,” you tell Saeyoung, he’s only unzipped the dress about halfway, but you know that it’s low enough that you can reach it yourself. “Now would both of you turn around? Or turn the light off? Or both, I suppose.”
The two guards take this order dutifully, you hear them both shuffle away from you after the light is switched off.
As you peel off the stained, probably ruined, cocktail dress, you try very hard not to think about the fact that you are undressed in a tiny closet with two men. You should be desensitized now to the presence of staff in this sort of situation. You’re used to having stylists and clothing designers dressing you, so this should be no different. But somehow, it is. There’s a tension in the air that you feel you could cut with a knife.
“Alright,” you say as you straighten the skirt of the new dress. Thankfully, this dress had no zipper to be reckoned with. “Now what?”
“I’ll leave first to make sure we won’t be seen,” Vanderwood says, “And then I’ll signal to Saeyoung when you can both leave.”
“Sounds good,” Saeyoung affirms.
“What about the old dress?”
“Leave it here, I’ll deal with it later.”
You hope that Vanderwood means that they’ll take the dress and have the stain treated, but you’re afraid it may not be salvageable.
The tiny bit of light from the outside world is almost blinding, as you realize that you’ve been in a closet for now an absurdly long amount of time.
“Sorry about this, by the way,” Saeyoung says, emboldened by Vanderwood’s absence. “I’m sure you didn’t think a so much of this party would be spent in a closet.”
You laugh, surprised, “It’s just as well.”
“You’d rather be in a closet,” Saeyoung laughs, “Really?”
“I just know that you and Vanderwood aren’t going to work every interaction you have with me tonight into a story to tell at future parties. You see me every day, so the shine’s worn off.”
“You’re wrong about that.”
“Oh so you do tell stories about me at parties?” You huff, “Figures.”
“No no! I just don’t think the shine has worn off! I don’t think it can.”
There’s a moment then of shocked silence. You realize, then, how very rare a true compliment is. Something in Saeyoung’s voice is so genuine that it strikes you to your core.
Saeyoung, ever vigilant, fills the silence quickly by clearing his throat and clarifying, “I didn’t mean to be too personal, Princess, I just mean that I really admire you.”
You straighten, surprised to find yourself slouching in the first place.
“Of course,” you say. “Thank you.”
You hear a tiny muffled voice say something indecipherable through Saeyoung’s earpiece.
“Ah,” Saeyoung says, “Vanderwood says you’re all clear. I’ll go first and block the door just in case. You should sneak past me and meet them at the end of the hall so they can escort you back.”
Following Saeyoung’s instructions, you finally make your escape from the dark closet and back into the hallway. You can hear the sounds of the party from the other room, thankfully still continuing on in your absence.
Vanderwood, as promised, is standing at the end of the hallway with their hands folded in front of them. They motion you forward with a nod as you duck behind Saeyoung’s broad shoulders.
As you arrive at their side, Vanderwood offers their arm and presses a button on their earpiece before saying, “Bluebird is headed up east wing.”