"Could you contain yourself please?"

Jin's exhaustion and disappointment was amusing. I was honored to earn it so early in the day.

I shrugged. "I've done nothing wrong."

Not yet, anyways. But it was on my to-do list. 

Jin sighed. "If you cause any more trouble in this castle, I swear –"

"What's the big deal?" I asked, ripping the fencing gear off me. "It's normal for princesses to have arranged marriages. Just tell her you're engag—"

Jin slammed his hand over my mouth. "Not. One. Word."

I removed his hand from my face. "You're seriously not going to tell her?"

"I will when the time is right," he huffed.

"Pretty sure immediately is the route you should take to let a girl she's getting married."

Jin's head shot back to the doorway then back to me. "What did I just say?"

I chuckled. He got so worked up about things. It made the side of his mouth twitch in funny little ways.

"So what are you going to do then?" I asked. "Wait until the night before the wedding and spring it on her? Not very courteous of you."

"I'll find the right time to tell her," he said. "So keep your nose out of it. Understand?"

I would... but then that wouldn't be any fun. 

"You need a wingman?" I asked. "I could give you plenty of opportunities to come in and be the knight in shining armor."

"Don't you have your own responsibilities to worry about?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I paused. I knew what he meant. Or, really, who he meant. I wasn't interested in his lectures today.

"At the moment I have nothing but myself. I'll enjoy it for as long as I can."

Jin clicked his tongue. "To think you'll be married before any of us..."

"That's still up to Lady Luck," I said. "Maybe she'll take pity."

"Wouldn't bet on it. Lady Luck is probably pissed off at you, too."

"Probably," I replied, shrugging.

I put away the gear, including Jungkook's. Such a messy child. He was younger than me and at a lower status, yet constantly trying to rule over me. I had enough problems. I didn't need his sass on top of everything else. 

I left the room, almost running straight into him. He turned to me, frowning, then turned back to look up at the staircase.

Taehyung's voice echoed, Y/N's close behind. 

"Spying, are we?" I asked.

He held a finger up to tell me to wait. I was about to grab his finger and bend it back until I heard a horn echo down the hall.

BWAAAAAAA!

There was a girly scream... but I wasn't sure if it was Y/N or Taehyung, to be honest.

Jungkook chuckled.

"Already?" I asked. 

He shrugged. "I just wanted to welcome her into the family."

"By pranking her? That's not how you treat a lady, Jungkook."

His eyes went cold as he turned to me. "And what would you know about treating a woman?"

I pinched his cheek. "Stop trying to beat me up with your face. No matter how hard you stare, I won't bruise."

He shook me off, glaring at me. There was no hint of playfulness in him anymore when it came to me.

There hadn't been for a long time.

I sighed. "Maybe I should check on her. Someone should have some manners in this castle."

I started to walk forward, but Jungkook pulled the back of my shirt. 

"Don't be stupid," he said. "Just take care of your own responsibilities. Stop crossing the line."

My hands tightened into a fist. It seemed my cousins were obsessed with my responsibilities, with little acknowledgement of their own. 

I looked over my shoulder.  "Since when have boundaries ever been something you cared about?"

I walked past him, not letting him get the last word.

~~~~~~~~~

Jin's indoor basketball courts weren't as good as mine, but they would suffice. I wasn't in the mood for going back home.

It had been past ten in the evening when I started shooting hoops, but I had no idea what time it was now. All I knew was that it hadn't been long enough to clear my head. 

"Do you always play basketball in the dark?" Taehyung asked behind me.

I turned towards the sound of his voice. I hadn't bothered with the lights. My head hurt too much. 

"Only when I'm feeling romantic," I replied.

He hummed in annoyance. "Should have known you'd want to play by yourself in the dark."

I laughed. "Taehyung, was that a joke? It was a joke! I'm so proud of you."

"I wish I could say the same," he replied. "When are you going home?"

I dribbled the ball and went for a 3-point shoot. I missed. "You know, you're not very a hospitable assistant."

"I worked in your castle for six months. We both remember what happens when I'm hospitable to you."

"I already told you! I didn't know hairspray was THAT flammable." I said, bending over to pick up the ball. 

"You have responsibilities to your own kingdom," Taehyung continued. "You should attend to them. After all, you're a future king."

I laughed at the title, going for another shoot. "Why don't you go in my place? You can wear one of those red sashes like in a Miss America pageant ..."

"Is this because they changed the wedding date?"

The ball hit the hoop and shot sideways. All I could do was watch it bounce away. 

"What are you going to do?" Taehyung asked. "Are you going to keep running away?"

I turned to him, able to make out only half of his face. Even if the dim lights, I could feel him waiting for a real answer.

But I didn't have one.

I walked over to the side of the court, picking up the ball again. I faced him, smiling.  

"Maybe I'll just find a way to run to something better," I replied.