“I'm in love with him.”

A pin-drop silence followed that declaration. A minister gasped loudly, a second too late to cover his mouth to stop due to being shocked. The crown prince gripped his seat so tightly, that his knuckles were turning white. Jimin closed his eyes momentarily, before opening them up again with a resigned look.

But the three people who are at the core of that declaration, didn't react in the slightest. The king and Jungkook were staring at each other, neither showing any sign of backing down, while Taehyung kept his head hung low. He was silently praying for all this to be a nightmare created by his wandering mind and was hoping to wake up, any minute now.

“Prince Jungkook.” The king had never addressed Jungkook in such a cold manner, no matter what mischief he was up to. “Do you understand the gravity of what you just said?”

“Forgive me, father. But it was you who forced my hand.” Jungkook's answering voice didn't betray any of the turmoil he was feeling in his heart. “It was a secret that I would have taken to my grave. It was you who didn't leave well enough alone.”

“Is that so?” The King's response was calm and even, before he raised his hand to command the guards standing near Taehyung.

“Take him to the dungeon.”

“Father, please-” Jungkook panicked and took a few steps towards Taehyung, to block the guards from approaching the latter. “He is not at fault. I did this, it's me-”

“Quiet!” The King raised his voice to his younger son for the first time. “Unless you want to join him there.”

“Father-”

“What are you waiting for?! Take him away right now!”

Taehyung didn't struggle as the two guards grabbed his forearms and lifted him to his feet. If anything, he was grateful for the support, for his legs had lost all their functioning power and was resembling two noodle strings. His heart was yearning to look at Jungkook, but he didn't have the courage for the same. So he just let himself be dragged away.

Jungkook watched helplessly, knowing very well that there was nothing he could do at this moment to help Taehyung. But he would be damned if he didn't go down without a fight.

“Father, please. What are you gonna do to him?”

“You tell me, prince! Is there anything that I can do that will not result in this death? If what you said about not intending to pursue anything with him, then I suppose it won't make much of a difference whether he is dead or alive, don't you think?”

“You can let him go. Let him continue with his simple life, as he would if I had not crossed paths with him!”

“I'm afraid that's not possible now. I can't let him become a threat to you or the royal family?”

“Is that all you care about?” Jungkook hastily wiped a trail of tears that was running down his cheeks. “The royal family? You would kill an innocent man, just to eliminate a threat that has not even occurred yet?”

“Yes, I would.” The King answered with a nod. “You matter to me. My family matters to me.”

“Then I would rather not be part of such a family.”

For the first time, the carefully crafted mask of indifference slipped out from the King's face. “W-what?”

“I don't wanna be part of a family which would so easily disregard the value of a human life.” Jungkook's hands were shaking but his voice was steady. “Remove me from the family. Banish me, exile me, do whatever you want! But please know this, father. The moment you take his life, I will join him in the afterlife too.”
  
    
  
   
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Taehyung was tossed into the furthest cell in the dungeon. It was dark, with no windows for sunlight. The air felt suffocating a bit, indicating that there isn't a good ventilation process either. It didn't look like that this particular part of the dungeon was used regularly. He was not given any food or drinks, even after a few hours passed, nor he had seen anyone else after the guards left. The only way to measure the passing of time was the gradually increasing cold. And with the way his body started to shiver a bit, Taehyung was sure it was night time now.

The only source of light came from the fire torch hung on the wall. It was not exactly near his cell but the faint glow was enough for him to make the shapes of things.

His mind hadn't stopped running all this time. There were so many things to wrap his head around and he was clearly doing a terrible job at that. Firstly, the man he knew as Kookie, turned out to be the prince of the country. And if that wasn't shocking enough, the said prince had openly declared his love for Taehyung, in front of the King himself.

Taehyung couldn't understand the reason why the prince did what he did. These kinds of feelings are never meant to see the light of the day, or be heard by another living soul. Maybe the prince meant to protect him, but Taehyung was sure that it would have the opposite effect.

He was doomed. The only question remains whether he would get a public execution or a sword through his heart in this dusty dungeon. Taehyung's bet was on the latter. There was no way the king would let him see another sunrise.

Suddenly there was a noise. A set of footsteps, or maybe a dozen, coming his way. Taehyung quickly got up from the floor, and pressed himself against the wall at the corner.he knows it's a fruitless attempt, but why should he make it easier to execute him?

He thought he was prepared for what was about to come, but was soon proven wrong.
  
   
    
   
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Jungkook was pacing up and down in his room for the past few hours. After he was ordered by his father to return to his room, Jungkook was not allowed to come out of it. There were two guards posted outside his chambers, even more around the house, and they had strict instructions to not let anyone in.

Jimin was called to the head of the royal guards office. Even though Hoseok is a level headed and fair person, he had no choice but to follow the King's command, regardless of what it might be. Jungkook hoped against all odds for his guard to be unharmed. He could never forgive himself if Jimin suffered anymore repercussions for his stupidity.

Jungkook's mind wandered to Taehyung also. He didn't mean to say what he said, none of it. Hell, he didn't even know what he felt for Taehyung was this strong. He knew he liked the painter but love.. It was the first time Jungkook accepted it to himself too.

And as for asking his father to disown him… Well, that was simply a panicked reaction. When he heard the threat to Taehyung's life, his heart completely took over his brain. Jungkook would do anything.. And everything.. to protect Taehyung.

A knock on the door was followed by a request to enter his chambers. Once inside, a guard informed him that the king had asked for him. Jungkook looked outside his window, where the night was brightened by the fire torches. If his father wanted to see him now, in the dead of the night, it can only mean one thing. Whatever Jungkook's and Taehyung's fate was, it couldn't wait for the daylight.

Guess it was time to face the music.
  
  

  
  
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Taehyung found himself in the same place, in the same manner, but with a much heavier heart. Earlier when he was kneeling in the King's courtroom, he had no clue why he was there even. But now, he knew way more than he ever imagined. The weight of the knowledge, and the secrets he was asked.. no, ordered to keep, was crushing his mind.

He didn't lift his head to see who was there in the courtroom in addition to the king. Probably the crown prince, and maybe some ministers. Taehyung wasn't sure who would be chosen to keep this secret, but he knew there won't be many. The king had said it himself, he wanted it to be done immediately, shielded by the darkness of the night.

The sound of approaching footsteps made Taehyung break away from the heavy thoughts in his mind. The newcomer was not announced, so it could have been only one person.

Prince Jungkook.

Just as Taehyung assumed, the footsteps halted next to him. And a clear voice rang through the courtroom.

“Did you call me, father?”

“Yes, I did.” The King sounded like he had aged by a decade in a few hours. “It seems like we have a matter to settle and I want it to be done immediately.”

“Yes, father.”

The King let a few minutes pass, letting the court hold their breath in silence, before he spoke up again.

“As the prince in this country, and as my son, you have been given abundant freedom. Unheard of any other royalty. All in the hopes of keeping you happy. You never had rules to keep up, never had restrictions imposed on you, and never had to answer to anyone about your actions, as long as you didn't put yourself in danger. I now see that it was an error in my judgment. I should have kept a tighter rein on you. I should have never let you take a step out of this palace. If only I had done that, I would have been able to spare you from this heartbreak.”

“Now, since things have already come to a point like this, whatever I do will cause you hurt. No matter what I do, you will suffer the consequences. Why did you put me in such a position, Jungkook? Have me and your brother not loved you enough, that you had to seek that elsewhere? Have we made any mistake in bringing you up, that you had to risk your life and the reputation of this family?”

“The crown prince begged me to not break your heart. He said he had to honour a promise he made to you. A promise to help you be with the person of your choosing. It's unfortunate that this is what you chose.”

A muffled sob and a weak voice made the king stop what he was saying. “I'm s-sorry, father.”

Taehyung wanted to raise his head. To look, to comfort.. but he knew that was not a luxury he was allowed.

The King sighed, before he started to speak again, with a softer voice.

“What should we do now, prince. I can't take this unfit piece out from your life, as you had so fiercely let me know what would happen if I tried that. Nor can I let it be added to your life here, as it would only make things unbearably difficult for you in the palace. People would undermine your authority. They would ridicule you behind your back, call you names, and use any and every means they could find to bring you down. And that would most likely include this man and his family. I don't think that's something you can tolerate.”

Jungkook shook his head vehemently, letting the tear drops clinging on to his eyelashes fall down. His heart was paining so much that it was hard for him to even breathe. He wanted this to be over, and the time to return to a place where he had not met Taehyung yet. A place where he was not made aware of how beautiful it was to lose his heart. And how terrifyingly painful the heartbreak that follows.

But the King was not done talking yet.

“So the only solution I have is this. Think carefully and choose, because once you make your decision, there is no reversing that.” The King waited till Jungkook raised his head and looked at him properly. “You will leave the palace, prince Jungkook. You will live as a commoner, with the person you chose. To ensure your safety, you will not have anything linking you to the palace or the royal family. Apart from the people who are present here today, no one will know where you went or what happened.”

“You will simply disappear from the palace and the royal family.”