“My prince,” Jimin's voice had an unmistakable pleading in it. “This is the 3rd day you're asking your tutor to be turned away. I don't think I can keep him from tattling to his majesty this time.”

Jungkook slowly lifted his head up from where it was buried under bed covers. It took all of Jimin's willpower to stop himself from reacting as he looked at the reddened eyes of the prince.

Guess it was another sleepless night.

“Can't you threaten him?” Even the voice of the prince sounded hoarse. “You're a very scary man, when you want to be.”

“You really don't care much for my life, do you? Threatening the high scholar of the Lim family will surely be a quick way to lead me to my death.”

Jungkook sighed. Yes, he knows that he can't avoid his teachers for much longer. But he really doesn't have the mindset to learn about literature or philosophy right now. All he wanted to do was to sleep, but the nights have not been kind to him lately.

Ever since his last encounter with Taehyung, which was roughly about 2 weeks ago, Jungkook had been in a constant war with his mind and heart. And neither had been kind to him. Jungkook blamed himself for misleading Taehyung, making the elder think that there could be anything more than simple friendship between them.

Guilty for keeping his identity from the painter. It was no secret that they were getting closer. Jungkook should have stopped it. He should have put some distance, some boundaries between them.

He should not have let his heart make decisions.

After another minute or so with his depressing thoughts, Jungkook got up from the bed. Jimin quickly called the maids to prepare the prince's bath. Once he was done, Jimin helped the prince dress, as well as apply some ground rice powder to hide the dark circles under his eyes. They were getting more prominent by the day.

The prince was supposed to eat before his lessons, but Jungkook refused, saying he feels like his stomach would not accept anything right now. Even the tearful pleading of his maids were not able to convince Jungkook to take a bite.

The lessons passed in a blur. If he had to recite what he learned today, he would not be able to. His mind was far away from the palace. To be precise, It was at a modest house on top of a hill in a rural village.

And a beautiful boxy smile..
  
 
  
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“Where is prince Jungkook?”

Crown prince Junghyun turned his head towards the king at that whispered question.

“Jungkook wasn't feeling that well, father.” Junghyun answered equally quietly. “He is resting in his chamber.”

“Hmm… he's been sick a lot lately. What did the royal physician say?”

Junghyun gulped nervously. To tell the truth, he did have a conversation with the royal physician. Junghyun had been increasingly worried about his younger brother, as Jungkook refused to come out of his bed chambers almost entirely now. He didn't play his gayageum or visit the stables in days. His merry laughter hasn't been heard in so many days and it had made the palace and its inhabitants gloomy.

When the crown prince questioned the royal physician about his brother's condition, he only got a vague answer. As far as medically concerned, Jungkook was fine. Maybe a little weak due to not eating properly. After the royal physician prescribed sleeping medicine, Jungkook's sleeping troubles were reduced. He still spends a considerable amount of time tossing and turning on the bed, but now he's able to close his eyes for at least a few hours a day.

The King took the silence of his elder son, before making his mind.

“I want the royal physician in my court, first thing in the morning tomorrow.”

   
 

____________________________
  
  
  
  
   
“What are you saying?!” The King's voice thundered throughout the courtroom, making the royal physician tremble from the floor where he was kneeling.

“H-have mercy, your m-majesty.” The royal physician was having trouble speaking even. “I must have made a mistake.”

“So you're saying that the prince of this country is suffering from heartbreak?” The king stood up from his throne and walked towards the royal physician. “Who would dare to hurt him?! I will have their heads!”

The King looked around the courtroom. There were only two ministers, his most trustworthy ones, and the crown prince. He quickly dismissed the royal physician, before calling one of his guards.

“Get me Park Jimin.”
  
  
 
_____________________________
   
      
   
   
  
Jimin expected this day to come, so it wasn't a surprise when he got summoned to the king. He was sitting in front of Jungkook's outer chamber, when a soldier conveyed the King's command. After making sure that Jungkook's chambers had sufficient protection, Jimin quickly went to the king

The King tapped the armrest of his throne a few times, before looking up at the standing figure in front of him. when it came to prince Jungkook's protection, Park Jimin had always been his trusted man. He knew that they were friendlier than a prince and a guard, and he also knew that Jimin would protect the prince with his own life, from everyone and everything.

Even from the king of the country.

“So,” the king had a strange edge to his voice. “You're playing ignorant, as to the reason of prince Jungkook's mood change? Am I getting it right, Jimin?”

Jimin didn't even dare to raise his head. “Forgive me, you're majesty.”

He knew he was playing with hellfire here. The king could sever his head from his body with a flick of a finger. But Jimin could never betray Jungkook by revealing his secrets. As terrible as it sounds, Jungkook would be devastated to a point of no return, if anything were to happen to the painter.

So Jimin kept his mouth shut, no matter the impending doom on his head.

“Very well.” The King raised his hand to call one of the guards. “20 lashes for Park Jimin. See to it that it's being carried out immediately.”
  
   
      
  
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Jungkook was reading, as he does for most of his day now, when the guard outside his door announced that a maid was seeking permission to enter his chamber. When Jungkook granted permission, the maid all but dashed in to the room. She had a hard time breathing, as if she had ran.

“Y-your highness..”

“What happened?” Jungkook was on alert immediately, as the maid looked close to tears even. “Is something wrong?”

“Y-yes.” The girl wheezed. “G-guard Park-”

“Park?” Jungkook quickly got up. “What happened to Jimin?!”

“The King ordered 20 f-floggings for him, your highness-”

Jungkook was already dashing across the room. “Now?!”

“Now.”
  
    
      
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Jimin tried to turn his wrists but they were bound too tightly. The rope was kind of cutting in to his skin and making his fingers feel a bit numb. He was stripped down to his pants, his hands stretched above his head and tied to a poll. Even though he knew it'll hurt like hell, 20 lashes was not really a big deal. With the way he blatantly disobeyed the king, he actually expected to be executed. This is nothing.

That's what he thought, till he heard the commotion.

“Stop this!” Jimin tired to look towards the sound behind him but his movements were somewhat restricted by his tied up hands. “Release him!”

Jungkook swiftly glanced at Jimin mid stride, his heart aching as he took the state of his gueard. He walked straight towards the crown prince, who seemed to be overseeing the flogging procedure.

“Hyung, what's going on? Why do you have my guard tied up like that?”

The crown prince looked troubled and apologetic. Same was evident in his speech when he answered his brother's question. “Father ordered it, Jungkook.”

“But what for?! What did he do?”

The crown prince didn't answer, making Jungkook more angry.

“At least tell me what his crime is!” Then, a thought came to his mind. “Is it.. because of me?”

Jungkook watched as the crown prince turned his head and walked away, probably to command the flogging to start. He quickly walked closer to the crown prince, and grabbed him hand.

“Please, hyung. Please don't do this.”

Junghyun's heart ached at the pleading. All his life, he had never purposefully saddned his younger brother. Jungkook happiness mattered a lot to Junghyun. But this time, things were not in his control.

“Please, hyung.”

“I'm sorry, Jungkook. I can not disobey father's orders.”

First drop of tear dropped from Jungkook's eyes at the sound of the whip, flinching when the noise of it made contact with the skin rang through the ground

“One.”

The whip danced again.

“Two.”

Jungkook turned around when the count was 6. He couldn't even raise his head and look at Jimin, who was silently taking the punishment for Jungkook's mistakes. So he stared at the ground instead, wishing he could block out the sound too.

“Twenty.”

Jungkook stood still till it was over. He stood still even after Jimin was removed from the poll and taken towards a chamber. He ignored everyone who tried to talk to him, including his brother. He didn't move at all. Not even when it started to rain. A guard ran to him and tried to hold an umbrella over Jungkook's head but he dismissed it with a gesture from his hand.

Jungkook stood in the pouring rain for a long time. He was not exactly aware of the passing time. It could have been a few hours or merely a few minutes. His mind was processing about a hundred thoughts at the same time. Good ones, bad ones.. and sad ones.

Tears ran down his face freely, and it strangely made him feel relieved. As if a weight that was pressing his heart for the last three weeks were reduced a bit. The pain of heartbreak was still there. But it was little easier to breath.

And he cried. Silently, as he was still out in the open. It won't do well to show his weakness, no matter how vulnerable he was feeling. The rain anyway did a perfect job covering his tears. No one would know he cried.

Suddenly there was a sound of footsteps. They were light and unhurried. They stopped a few feet behind Jungkook. He waited for the person to speak, but the newcomer didn't make any sound. And Jungkook knew exactly who it was.

“Your wounds will get soaked.”

A clearing of throat sounded before the reply. “Actually, rain water will be good for them. It will clean the wounds properly. I think.” The last line came out bit unsure.

They stood in silence for a few more minutes.

“I am a bit cold though.”

Jungkook couldn't help his lips curving upwards in to a small smile. “You like the cold.”

“Not today.” Jimin walked closer and stood next to Jungkook, before shivering dramatically. “Today I feel like sitting next to a fire place. In dry clothes, preferably.”

“Then you should consider moving indoors.”

“I'm your guard, my prince. How can I rest, when you're like this?”

Jungkook sighed. “Let me be, hyung. This is what I deserve for the mistakes I made. And for hurting people who are important to me.”

“Hmm… you're the boss, I guess. Then we will stay with you too.”

“We?”

“Look around, Kookie.”

Jungkook looks around. Most of his guards and maids were standing in the rain. They were a little far from Jungkook, that's why he didn't notice their presence till now. And by the looks of their fully soaked clothes, they had been out in the rain for a long time. Maybe from the very beginning.

Jungkook couldn't help but smile softly at that. He felt incredibly loved and cared for. Not wanting to trouble his people anymore, he let Jimin lead him towards his chambers.
    
  
  
  
__________________________

The King moved away from the window, when Jungkook and his entourage left the grounds. He had been watching his younger son's sigil all this while, and it had been troubling him for no end.

He knew punishing Jimin would make Jungkook upset, but he didn't think it would be for this extent. To be honest, he didn't want to punishment Jimin, as he knew Jimin is not to be blamed. But still, he couldn't ignore the fact that the guards disobeyed him. It had to ve punished, however lightly. And also, the king fully expected Jungkook to barge in to his room, and demand answers. He wouldn't yell, Jungkook was too well-mannered to do that, but he definitely would put up a fight.

The King didn't expect Jungkook just to take the punishment of his guard. For Jungkook, seeeing the people he care about be in pain is much worse than himself getting hurt. It's almost as if he accepted the blame for some wrong doings.

And that didn't sit right with the king at all.

He raised his voice and called for a guard.

“The commoner prince Jungkook befriended... Find him. And bring him to me.”