a/n: reminder! don't be a silent reader <3 happy reading! 😚

taehyung pov:

"a-are you sure, your highness?"

"yes." i give a firm nod, as jimin stares at me and so do the council ministers. "tell all the trial participants to be ready for a jousting round. the opponents will be randomly selected with only a single ground rule."

"pardon me, prince, there are no events scheduled for today." a minister speaks up. i present him a small smile, nodding my head.

"i'm aware of that, sir namjoon. our recruits must be ready for every challenge we throw at them during the selection proceedings. the jousting will be a part of the trials and the combatants must take it with a high spirit, unless they wish to get their names down from the trials. we want the best minds and bodies in the royal army. or am i wrong, sir?" i walk up to the man, seeing him nodding slowly. "very well. then commander min is requested to get all the necessary arrangements done. thank you, for your time and presence, excellencies."

everyone except jimin leaves the chamber, and i, too, am about to head out when my brother's voice stops me. "why are you doing this?" he asks, "jousting? seriously?"

"it's nothing new, jim. it's been over three weeks since the trials have begun. we've filtered about a hundred candidates out of two hundred and forty people who came initially. i'm certain we shall go down to forty or even thirty all by this jousting event today." i give him a smile, while he frowns at me as if i were some lunatic man. well, i do want to get jungkook standing in the battleground in front of me.

"you're not just recruiting people." jimin grits out, "you're ruining innocent families out there, taehyung! how can you do that?! this your kingdom, your people!"

"you're wrong, jimin." i say calmly. "this is your kingdom and your people. i serve the throne. anyone who means harm to the throne, to the realm, is my enemy."

"those innocent people are not your enemy!"

"i know. but we have to make sacrifices, isn't that right? to get something, we have to pay the cost."

"what are you trying to insinuate?" he hisses.

"jungkook. i want jeon jungkook. he's the biggest threat to you and his majesty. it's my duty to catch him and make sure he's punished right for his actions."

"what actions, taehyung? he's not even here." jimin says, holding me by my shoulders as his eyes soften, "please stop being so ignorant. i know these trails, this jousting event out of nowhere, and your recent odd behaviour, it's all pointing in one direction. i've told you before, but i still repeat it for you, tae, if you know anything about our brother, please do me a favour and inform me first."

"you're too good, jimin." i sigh, shaking my head. "you don't see the evil in people. i know jungkook, believe it or not, he's after the throne. he's back for revenge of his dead mother."

"she was the queen!" jimin raises his voice. "do not forget your father married her and she treated us like her own blood. speak with respect when you mention her."

"i'm sorry."

"i know you're not anything like sorry." jimin scoffs, "just listen to me and—"

"i might come off rude, jimin, but it looks like all you care about is jungkook." i look away from him, pulling myself back from his hold and pick my sword up from the shelf, sliding it back in the holder attached to my belt. "maybe you need to look around and realise that his majesty doesn't treat everyone the same, nor does he let some of our mistakes slide. some people are left cut open in a fucking forest with nothing to protect themselves. some of us have had to stitch ourselves up, find herbs and whatnot to cure our wounds on our own, survive without food and water until we passed out, some of us were dragged behind a horse when they made a mistake.

"trust me, jimin, some of us have seen life like a sweet served in a dish, brought closer and taken away whenever the king wished. i've seen death up close;" i stare at jimin dead in the eyes, "and believe me, jungkook must have lived that way, too. how do you think he survived being a prince and nobody has any knowledge about him. he also had the princess with him. he has killed people, gone down bad to save himself and that child. if there's anyone whom i think has faced sufferings as much as me, i'd say it's him. so, stop seeing him as a helpless boy now. he's grown up in the shadows, lurking in the hides, waiting for his opportunity to pounce up here. we must not underestimate him."

jimin nods gradually, sitting down on his chair and leans back, heaving out a deep breath. "i still think it's not his fault, whatever happened. i just want you to tell me if you find something about him."

"jim—"

"just for my contend, tae. i can't bring myself to believe that kid went through so much— i've seen you struggling here and the same thing happening with him, just... it makes me want to turn back time spare the two of you some pain. think about the princess, tae. she must be... around six-seven years old."

"yes." i mutter, earning a confused look from jimin, and i exhale deeply, taking the seat across him. "look, i've heard jungkook has a young girl with him. but what i've seen is... it seems untrue."

"you saw him?" jimin gasps, "why did you hide it from me then?"

"because i'm not sure yet. that man has the same, same remnants of past... i could see our boy from seven years ago in him, yet there was something different. the man i met happens to be married and has two children."

"now what? jungkook can't be married, and even if he did get married, two children is hardly believable. how old are they?"

"the younger one looked around six."

"it's not him." jimin sighs.

"or they could be pretending to be a family." i shrug, "i've seen slummers club together often times to save themselves and stay hidden."

"save themselves from who?"

the question makes me smile sadly, "me. our imperials. slummers are a disgrace and ever since the first day of the training, we're taught to not show any mercy to their kind."

"so you just...?" jimin frowns, choosing to restrain his words as if i cannot slip past them.  but i don't. not with jimin.

"it's not your fault that you don't know the extremities we have to go to, to ensure and enforce the king's law and order in the kingdom. slummers are notorious people, their inflexible personalities lead most of them to be killed by the elites and the royals. if they can live by the lines and accept the flaw in their fate, they could save themselves a lot of trouble. but all of this doesn't concern you, his majesty wants you to be ruler. your regin is meant to be the greatest one in the history, jimin. you're not just going to be the king of schionberg but the emperor of this entire nation."

i send him a smile and pull him with me, "i know i say things that differ with your thoughts and might be against your righteousness. however, please know that i'm bound to the throne. i really want you to be a better ruler than our father, jimin. a lot of people will be happy if you manage to rule with your ideology, instead of what the king taught you."

"i don't know, tae..." jimin looks down, "when i listen to you speaking of the slums, of the people out there, i feel like i barely know anything about my kingdom and the people who are going to be my responsibility. don't you think i have the right to learn about them?"

"of course you do." i nod, "a king who knows his people is the king who can work for their betterment."

"i want to go out of this palace and have a look around. even if it's just for one day." i hum listening to his wish, thinking for a moment until an idea hits me.

"we can go tonight if you want. but we'll have to get completely out of this look," i point at his silk shirt and neat pants, "we will dress up like the slummers and then we're free to roam about all we want."

"you're right. we can't have people know who we really are."

"exactly." i smile, "alright, then. let's sneak out tonight."

"yes." jimin looks excited, so ready to go out of the palace without any guards, a royal carriage and a lot of other complications.

jungkook's pov:

dying in a jousting game will be a poor death.

i've never really played this before, but i sure have experience of sword-fighting while riding a horse. that's the most i rely on, although it's still very different. first of all, the lance is not a sword and who knows my opponent could be someone who has knowledge of this sport.

all i know for now is that i can't let my lance fall off my hands, nor can i stumble down from my horse, and lastly i can't die. thankfully, i'm not the first one of the contestants, so i get some time to observe and learn all i can. there's an elite and the other man is from a poorer part of the society, i can tell by the gap in their confidence and skill. elites often join these sports and other tournaments held at the palace, even participate in them. however, slummers have no luck with that.

the elite in the pit has successfully pushed his opponent down, earning a loud roar of cheers from the audience and applauds from the royals. the round doesn't end here, and that makes me frown, quickly turning my head to find the king in his balcony with both his sons, kings of the neighbouring states and council of ministers. the king smiles with satisfaction as the elite beats up the slummer, his firm voice breaking through the cheers as he walks around with his arms open, asserting his dominance with the adrenaline rushing in his veins.

this game is to eliminate. they've already removed plenty of people on the basis of weaponry, skills like archery, sword fighting, combat and others. some were told to leave in the very beginning because they did not fit the physical criteria required to be here.

this man, who managed to come till here, is not in the race anymore. the elite, whatever is his name, digs the pointed end of his lance into the slummer's stomach, ending him right in front of hundreds of people. this is common here, and is meant for the entertainment of the royalty.

next man who enters the pit on his horse, is an elite. he shares the same leve of skill and excitement as the previous one, maybe a little more than him for he defeats him and spares his life. the audacity of people to shout at him for not ending a life there. it's fine, if i'm sent next, i'll make sure to put on a show for everyone present here.

with more brutal deaths and the people around enjoying, a guard approached me from behind, whispering in my ear that now it was my turn to go down into the pit. sighing softly, i stand up from my seat among other contestants, walking through the aisle, feeling their heavy gazes burning me down. they must be scared, counting their chances of making it out alive today.

one thing i know is that i have to survive. nothing else matters. i have to return home, complete fixing the door and the windows that are halfway done, bring the kids their favourite sweet bun as i promised in the morning and some flowers for areum. i also must finish the trials and get the licence to stand face to face with the royals, show the king the consequences of his mistakes.

today is an awful day to lose.

i'm soon clad up in an armour, which i quickly catch on is barely strong enough to protect me; or anyone for that matter. so, it's all planned indeed. way to go, your majesty. scoffing, i break off the armour, picking up the lance, which earns me some frowns and confused looks from the imperials around me. some even laugh, probably finding my courage funny. it's not even courage yet, but still something is funny to them.

my name is raised up on a banner before i let my horse run into the pit. some people cheer, while some gasp, probably surprised with my decision of showing up without anything to protect myself from my opponent's hit. one thing that i've managed to learn from watching the past contestants is that no one here is excellent in this sport, they're just trying to be better than their opponent. i'm going to put that to my use.

they know this game just as much as i do. not less, and certainly not more.

cracking my neck as i reach at the end, near the poll, i stare in my opponent's eyes, watching him smirking with the previous victory. he's holding his lance tightly in his right arm, just like me, letting his body lean closer to the centre. his free hand is wrapped with the horse's ropes. oh. when he's close enough, i steal the opportunity to my use, striking his tangled arm, making him twist in pain and tug the ropes of his horse. the animal neighs loudly, standing on it's hind legs, and the man falls off.

everybody cheers for me and i slow down across the balcony where the royals are sitting. taehyung keeps a straight face watching me, only smirking when he makes an eye contact. glaring at him, i move towards my opponent, tugging the rope of my horse, making it stand on his hind legs too, only for it land back on the man's chest, tearing out a pained scream from his throat.

he passes out followed by cheers for me, but i don't entertain them, nor do i scream and yell like a mad man. some guards come and drag the unconscious person out, one brings me another lance, seeing that mine had fell somewhere soon after my attack. i get back up on my horse, patting it's side for being such a great partner to me.

another man comes in the pit, triggering cheers from the audience, but soon after i snatch them all for me. he was easy, with zero experience in the game, which makes him get stabbed in the chest by my lance. he screams in pain, gradually feeling the life draining out of him until the horse itself throws him on the ground.

the next man is an elite with more knowledge of jousting than i gather. with one attack he has successfully made me bleed and also make my lance fall on the ground. now i'm disarmed on my horse. a lot of people gasp and cheer for this person, which is when my eyes fall on taehyung. up from his seat, he's standing near the railing watching this particular match closely.

i'll make it worth watching for you, prince taehyung.

my opponent pulls my attention back, with a harsh hit on abdomen. thick, warm liquid flows down my torso, staining the side of my pants, making me lose balance and land on the ground. okay, he's actually good. i can hear him laughing and the audience getting silent, waiting for me to either surrender or stand up. as far as i know there are no rules that i was told beforehand. so, i decide to stand up, cracking my neck, dodging his lance and run after the horse soon after it passes me, grabbing the man's leg, pulling him off the horse's back.

"you bastard!" he yells.

"don't talk. fight me." i growl.

both pumped with adrenaline and the need to be the one standing tall at the end. he launches forward at me, throwing a jab, which i manage to dodge and grab him in a headlock, twisting his arm around his back, to make him kneel down. my knee meets his nose, and i hear the roars. he doesn't give up, for the next thing i know is the taste of soil in my mouth, and my eyes blurring with the hard impact of my body hitting the ground.

"fuck..." i curse, spitting out some blood due to continuous punches to my stomach. i kick him off, roaring in anger as i grab his hair, smashing his head on the ground, and position myself on top of him. he rolls around, making me smirk for i get him in a chokehold, clenching my fingers with no mercy.

his limbs thrash around with each second passing that he struggles to breath, that's when i feel a sharp pain on my other hand, seeing a dagger dug into my flesh. my own dagger.

this man needs to be killed. he's amazing.

"damn, impressive." i grit out, lifting my stabbed hand, tossing the dagger out and put it in his mouth instead, deep until it pierces through his throat. fucking bastard.

his eyes widen, blood flowing from his neck and mouth too, but i scoff at his state. twisting my dagger, before pulling it out to drag it down his chest and abdomen, cutting him open right there. his body twitches for a few seconds before lying still in the pool of his own blood as i slowly get up to my feet, breathing heavily.

there's blood all over me too. the gash on my stomach hurts like a bitch, my hand is bleeding too, and i've got my mouth filled with the disgusting liquid, tasting iron more than anything else. ignoring the cheers, i walk out of the pit, not sparing anyone a glance, focusing on not falling down and breathing through my nose.

"jungkook!" sir namjoon runs up to me, along with some guards and healers, who assist me to the healing chambers. "you didn't have to fight this way." he presses on, while i cough out some more blood, tears making it hard for me to see clear.

"i... i had to..." i manage to get the words out, more like gurgle then out, groaning when something burning touches the open gash on the side of my stomach. i glance down, licking my lips, tasting more iron. "i've to go..." i mumble, "leave..."

"you're not leaving like this." sir namjoon insists, holding my arm, but i shake my head. "jungk—"

"no. my family is waiting for me..." i let him know with a small smile, "there's a good news, sir. i've— i've found a nice girl for me..." sir namjoon watches me with a frown, and i straighten up slowly, biting back a groan. the healer is holding a white bandage, which i take and nod, "i can keep this. thank you." is all i say, wrapping it the best i can around my abdomen and then on my hand, before heading out of the chamber.

i had to do a lot of walking to reach home, but i'm happy i could make it before it gets too late. with sweet buns and flowers. and maybe some wounds to panic them all? but i feel much better than i felt immediately after the fight. it still hurts and my body feels sore, yet it's not something unfamiliar. i've been through this plenty of times.

when i enter through the door areum's happy face turns into a horrified one within a second and she rushes to help me, settling me down and running to grab anything that would help me with the wounds. all this while she keeps asking me what had resulted in such a bad condition. lily and suho stop with their bickerings too, staring at me with wide eyes.

my little girl runs up to me first, tears already rolling down her cheeks at the sight of her koo hurt. "i'm okay... i just had a tough day at the trials. that's all." i tell her with what i assume is a smile. lily sniffles lightly, sitting down next to me as i take a spot on the floor.

"areum, do your thing, baby." i hush out, "it's uncomfortable..."

"hm, yeah." areum clears her throat, visibly gulping the lump in her throat, for her eyes too hold a thick layer of tears. her hands work faster than normal, gathering all the things she needs to treat me.

once she has found them all, she helps me lay down flat on my back, tears rolling down her face, despite her hands doing their work, making me hiss and grunt as the bandage that i had tied messily around my abdomen is being pulled. i feel more blood dripping down from my side, and areum bites in a sob, closing her eyes in the process.

"i'm fine..." i whisper softly to her and my lily too. daring to chuckle, my eyes glance at lily, holding her hand, "hey, stop crying. do you really think i'm that weak?" lily shakes her head, leaning down to hug me, however her hands just cup my face, probably scared to hurt me anywhere.

"i've got my little princess rooting for me. i can deal with anything." i assure her, kissing her cheek, "now i don't want to see you crying over this, okay?" lily sniffles, rubbing her eyes and turn to areum, "you too, darling. stop crying. i need to heal as quick as you can make it heal. nobody gets to shed tears over me."

"what were you doing?" she asks, wiping her cheeks, eyes fixed on the gash on my abdomen as she starts cleaning it up, then comes the worst part. areum's herbal paste. doctors need to come up with an alternative to this deadly thing.

"the king called all the contestants for jousting today..." i trail off into a hiss, "god— areum, be gentle!"

"i'm sorry, i'm sorry." she gulps as i look down at her hands, applying the green-ish brown paste slowly over the cut. "so, you got hurt in the game?"

"that's what he wanted, areum. he randomly called for such a sport and made sure all those who didn't participate were disbarred from the trials... those who joined had to fight to make it forward."

"what does that mean?" areum frowns.

"between the two opponents only one could survive. the other had to die."

the disgust in areum's face is clear, but she says nothing and focuses on my wounds. the paste is done now, and she presses on the healing leaves of the night glory plant, before wrapping it up nicely with a clean cloth. then she takes my hand, sighing softly at the bad condition.

it takes her about half-an-hour to fix me all over and clean up the small stains of blood from the floor. lily never leaves my side, sitting beside me with a wet piece of cloth that areum gave her, along with a bowl of warm water. she's supposed to wipe off my face and arms, until areum comes and takes over.

"careful, lily, it tickles." i say, hoping to make her smile, however my attempt keeps going in vain.

she looks at me with a pout, putting the cloth away and lays her head down, resting her forehead against mine. a tear slips from her eye, making me smile sadly. "i know you're worried, baby. but please trust me, i'm fine. i'll be walking by tomorrow and playing with you again."

"a week." areum speaks up. "you need uninterrupted rest for a week. you're not even moving before that."

"hey, that's not fair! i have work an—"

"it can wait." areum sighs, sitting beside lily, patting her back and makes her sit up, "go and eat with suho. i've served for both of you."

lily shakes her head, holding my hand and i clear my throat, glancing at areum, "she'll stay here. can you please feed her? i would do it if i were allowed to sit, but—"

"shut up." areum scolds me, but her eyes remain soft when she looks at lily. "please eat with suho today. i'll feed your brother till then. and after that we'll let him rest."

lily nods to that, taking me by surprise as she leans down to kiss my forehead just like i did to her, before she gets up and goes to suho. "thanks..." i hush out, staring at areum, while she takes the cloth and starts wiping off my arms. "areum, hear me out."

"i will. but this is not right, jungkook. we all know the purpose of jousting for the royals. you didn't have to enter the game. you promise lily every night that you'll stay with her, and then you do things like this."

"i wouldn't die." i chuckle. "imagine dying while entertaining the king and his sons? isn't that an awful way to die?"

"i'm serious." areum huffs.

"so am i. i promised you and lily that i'm not leaving you, i remember that by heart every moment of the day. with every breath that i exhale, areum, i am reminded of the promises i've made and how important it is to fulfill all of them."

she pauses for a while, staring at me with teary eyes, before leaning down, pressing her lips on mine. i close my eyes, feeling the delicate, trembling kiss she has to offer, talking through the fragile movements of her lips and her tears that fall on my face. "you better keep your promise, jungkook."

"kill me if i don't." i whisper back.

she pulls herself straight, wiping her tears away and takes a deep breath, bringing a bowl of porridge, "alright, you need to eat now." she says, blinking her tears away as if they weren't in her control. something keeps making her cry ever since i arrived.

a few more minutes pass with me being forced to eat the porridge and, lily and suho are now put to sleep by areum. she returns after doing the dishes soon, wiping off her hands, before finally joining me to sleep. i don't have to ask today, she just quietly lays beside me tonight on her own. do i need to be hurt more often?

"you must to be tired, right?" she whispers, laying on her side, facing me.

"a bit." i hum, "i got you flowers. did you see them?"

"yeah," she chuckles, shifting closer, staring into my eyes. "never thought i'd say this to a man ever again, but i think i'm starting to love you, jungkook. please, try not to get hurt..."

"i'll try." i smile, "although i'm starting to question if all this special treatment for me is because i'm hurt. should i not be doing this more?"

"this is not a joke, jungkook. think about your sister. she's so young and if... if something—" she sighs, lowering her gaze, "please, if not for anyone else, think about her."

that makes me chuckle, nodding gradually as i drape my arm over areum's body, "if there's a reason i've kept myself alive to this day, it's only for her. i'm all she has, and i don't trust the world with her. god knows how long i'll be able to carry on like this, but what i'm sure of, is that i will fight for my lily until my last breath. for you and suho too now."

"you don't have to." she hushes out, cupping my face and leans closer with her eyes closed, pecking my lips. "i'll try to understand if you leave me someday... just know that- that i'm going to cherish these moments with you. a lot of men came in my life and added on my reasons not to live, but you're different. you came like a blunder and now i feel like this world is not so bad after all."

"it is." i look away. "i'm not willing to change your perceptions, areum. the world is as cruel as you've witnessed. for everyone."

"tell me, then." she smiles a little, "tell me about you and your sister."

her request makes me scoff, turning to lay straight with my arm folded under my head, and my eyes closed. "sleep. it's getting late." i mutter.

i'm afraid she'll be scared of me if i tell her who i really am and what my motive is. any normal person will be. so, i wouldn't blame her for that. she will hate me. her trust on me will be broken. how can i tell her the truth?

"hm, you should rest..." she mumbles, her hand holding mine over my stomach, earning a glance from me. she smiles softly, resting her head against my bicep, "good night, jungkook."

jimin's pov:

"who was that man?"

"which man?" taehyung asks as casually as father tries to bring the seriousness into him.

"you know who i'm talking about, taehyung. stop playing this useless game of yours and buckle up. we don't want people to think there's someone stronger than our own blood."

"he's not even a compitition." taehyung scoffs before my eyes, although i notice his knuckles turning white against his hard grip on the armrest. he doesn't like being challenged or threatened of his power and position. that's how he has always been conditioned.

father laughs at his affirmation, standing up from his chair and walks behind taehyung, placing a hand on his shoulder, making him go stiff. "you know that's not true. he could mean threat to us, and i'm certain you are aware of your duties towards the crown, aren't you, enforcer?"

"i am." taehyung mutters, "my duties and responsibilities lie in the protection of the crown. must i die protecting the realm, only then is my death justified."

"very well." father smiles, sparing a brief glance at me as well. he walks up to the side of the room, where fire burns in the stands to light up the room along with some scented candles. he tilts one the torch stands, spilling some oil on the floor, then drops a set of burning candles over, unbothered the fire that smothers up with its flames raising up till his hips.

"father—"

"it's alright, son. your brother has always been the one needing me to put a foot down. i do that." he assures me, gesturing taehyung to come over to him. i stand up as well, frowning as taehyung stands straight in front of his king, glaring with a similar fire bring in his eyes.

"pledge your loyalty to the throne, taehyung. pledge your loyalty towards the future emperor of schionberg dynasty, taking this fire as your purest witness." father orders him, and i quickly step forward.

"there's no need to do all that." i pull taehyung back, shaking my head. "we know he's loyal to his kingdom and family, father. i'm sure you can talk it out, whatever is the matter."

"there's nothing to talk about, jimin. i'm afraid about our enforcer making some irresponsible decisions that might ultimately affect you. we cannot have that."

before i speak to counter him, taehyung pushes past me, standing close to the flames rising up with rage, mimicking taehyung's burning gaze fixed on father. he extends his arm over, letting the fire lick his skin as he swears his loyalty.

"tae! stop it!" i hold his hand, trying to pull him back, but he eyes me not to interrupt him. "are you out of your mind?! you'll burn your hand!"

"let him, jimin. that's your brother's duty. he must live by it."

"this is not his duty!" i raise my voice, glaring at the man who's supposed to be our father. "he is already doing enough for the kingdom, for you and me. stop treating him like this."

"jimin, don't stop him, son. if you were in his place, you'd have to do it too." he says.

"then i must do it." i declare.

"jimin!"

"what?!" i yell back, facing father. however, he says nothing and motions his head for me to get out of taehyung's way. "no— taehyung, please don't—"

"move, jimin." taehyung mutters, keeping his eyes low as he talks to me, waiting for me to step aside. however, when i don't listen to him, his jaw ticks in frustration, fists clenching beside him. "please, let me do this. don't make me suffer more." gulping thickly, i glance at father, who has found a reason to smile on hearing taehyung's last words, making silently move. i don't want to make anything worse for taehyung.

"taking the sacred flames as my purest witness... i, kim taehyung, solemnly pledge my loyalty to the crown, to my brother and the empire of schionberg... any harm towards the crown must pass through me first. i shall die as the first servant and protector of my emperor." taehyung voices out firmly, only lowering his hands when he has made sure father has heard him all loud and clear.

"brilliant." is the praise he lets fall out of his mouth, "please look into that man. find him and make sure you deal with him right, or i will have to search my ways."

"i will." taehyung bows his head.

"you have to be the best, taehyung. you're born with the noble blood and powers. we must not let anyone else outshine you."

"your grace." he nods as i watch him with soft eyes, slowly moving down to his burnt hand that i'm sure hurts him way more than he cares to show. father sends a formal smile towards us, finally heading out of the chamber, making me sigh with a series of curses lining my lips as i call for the servants to attend taehyung.

"leave it, jim. i'm fine." taehyung heaves out, "let's go now. it's time."

"time for what? you've to heal your arm or it might get worse."

"we don't use powers to heal burns from holy pledges and oaths, brother." he emphasizes  and steps forward with a hug, "i'm not mad at you. it's just something that the king does to me, makes me really furious."

"i've grown to know." i hum, "are you sure we should go out tonight? shouldn't you rest?"

"this is nothing." he chuckles, "not to boast, but i've survived in erbos with a broken rib and no weapons. so, you can trust me with wounds, jim. we must go out tonight, or i'm not sure when i'd get an opportunity like this to accompany you outside the palace."

erbos is a dense, widespread spread north-east of our palace. from the posterior side of the palace, on the cliff, you can see a vast spread of greenery, starting from the northern most karvon mountain range. the woods are known for it's mysterious nature, mystic creatures and divine rule of dark arts. no human populations have ever existed, other than the periphery of the land. taehyung's trainings sometimes had him being abandoned there, not too deep inside for sure, but still in enough for most warriors to die.

i say nothing as taehyung leads the way out from the hallways, sneaking past guards up till the training grounds and then to the stable, we make successfully so far. we decide not to take our horses, instead we stopped by to steal some old clothes from the keeper. the palace is huge and despite being guarded on every corner, we did not face much difficulty getting past them, gushing with the wind that i'm blessed enough to have powers over.

taehyung often roams around at night too, even goes out for his missions and other things, however, i was never allowed to leave the palace to just look around my kingdom. it was always in a chariot with guards backing me up, for buisness reasons when i could go out, that is. still the slums have been nowhere close to my reach. the most i've seen of my people is restricted to the elite society, who are pretty wealthy considering they are invited to the palace for celebrations and tournaments.

i look back, seeing the lights of the palace that we have left behind tonight, walking in the cold night, under the open sky, lined by houses and shops. the cobblestone even though, the same one from the royal gardens, feels so different and free here. the nights are quiet in the urbans as taehyung tells me, dark streets only lightened up by the moonlight. this is beautiful.

"hey, we need to get changed. slums aren't so quiet even at night." taehyung says, gesturing towards an alley. "there, we'll change."

"alright." i hum. we both quickly get rid of our shirts, putting on the weird, stinky ones, making me nearly gag as they reek of horses' excreta and the person's sweat. it's a deadly combination threatening my nostrils. "does he ever wash his clothes or what?" i mutter and taehyung sniggers quietly, not complaining and just puts on the clothes, ready to get going as if he's not bothered by the smell.

"done?" he asks.

"smells like it." i mumble.

we start our journey for here, taehyung walking his hands tucked inside his pockets, causally walking down the street as if he has all the turns and spots memorized. i wish i did too. as we walk for a few more minutes, some people catch my attention, making me stare curiously, almost going to enter the place when taehyung grabs my arm, "that's the pleasure house. we're not going inside."

"why?"

"because people recognise me. since i don't have the longest beard and a wrecked hairstyle, they're going to know it's me. and secondly, they might also know you, for most of the people who come here are wealthy elites. slummers and lower middle class men cannot afford to be in a pleasure house, unless it's only for taverns."

"oh," i nod, looking back one last time at the door that leads to the biggest sins.

we continue down the lane, watching the quiet atmosphere gradually turning into chattering and flickering lights. there are street venders packing up here, people closing their shops, some normally sitting and talking, while others a few seem to be hiding. "see them?" taehyung asks, nodding towards two boys who are hiding himself behind a pillar, his eyes pinned on a fruit seller, pushing his cart forward. "they're looking for the right opportunity to steal from that vendor."

"why steal?" i frown.

"poverty isn't pleasant, jim. it forces a person down to commit crimes, small or big." he says, "if right now i wasn't dressed this way. they would run for their lives, slummers."

"why do you hate them?"

"i don't." he sighs, "i just can't have roaming around freely for the imperials to catch. those are filthy men ruling the slums with the power that comes with their uniform. none of the king's rules and regulations, decisions, schemes include the lives of the lower ranking commoners, particularly speaking of the slums. they're neglected and well, let's say considered a disgrace to society. they fear me is important for their own good."

"but that's cruel." i look at taehyung, watching as he shrugs his shoulders.

"the world is, jimin, cruel." he admits, inhaling deeply, "come this way—"

"hey, wait. those kids." i interrupt him when my eyes land on two children, holding hands, walking in the same direction as us. the boy looks a year or two older and taller than the girl, who has her arm supported by layers of bandages and a cloth going around her neck to keep it in a fixed position. she's the one i saw in the palace, if i'm not wrong.

"they must live nearby." taehyung ignores them, while my eyes remain fixed on them, watching the little boy talking, but the girl never replies back. she's so quiet and listens calmly, nodding her head once in a while in response to him.

"come with me. i've seen them before." i tell him, already on my way towards the two kids. it only takes a few large steps for me to catch up with them across the street.

"jimin, we're not here to make friends!" taehyung jogs up behind me, pausing when his gaze falls on the children. they have noticed us too and stopped walking, looking too scared to move.

"i... uh we- we're going home..." the boy mumbles, glancing at taehyung, holding the girl's hand tightly in his. "let's go, lily." he whispers, pulling her harshly behind him, not even caring that she finds it tough to keep up with him.

"lily?" i repeat. the name making my stomach churn, as i stare at the young girl, who's called lily today. she's beautiful, making me wonder if our princess would be just as pretty as her. smiling softly, i crouch down near the same child who wasn't scared of me that day, even though the imperials had made her cry. her eyes remain still at mine, scanning my face, tilting her head with a slight frown. "lily..." her name rolls off easily from my lips, making me smile more and hold my hand out for her.

she moves back with a pout, turning to the boy with her, who looks cautious of me and taehyung as well. "who are you?" he asks, unsure of his next words, but lets them out anyway. "you— you are the prince..? you look like prince taehyung." he points at the prince himself, taking taehyung by surprise, although he soon replaces it with a smirk, bending down to the boy's height.

"do i, now?" he asks, amused by the kid, earning a hesitant nod. "well, have you really ever seen prince taehyung before?"

"yes. he came to my ho— no, i mean, appa and eomma told me..." he mutters, "now we have to go, mister. good night."

"why does your sister not speak?" taehyung insinuates. i wish to know too, if this pretty little angel is actually that shy or something else is the matter.

"she doesn't talk to strangers. you're strangers."

"if you say so." taehyung hums, "where's your father?"

"home." the boy replies, pulling the little girl with him as he has already started walking forward, and we follow too, having no other direction to head to. "don't follow us, mister. go to your home."

"we're out for a walk tonight." i tell him, "i'm new here. so, this, my brother, is showing me around."

"oh... uhm but why here? it's not even pretty here in the slums." the boys asks.

"i like this place, you see. uh what's your name?" i ask. "you didn't tell us your name."

"suho." the boy says, "and you are?"

"jimin..." i let out softly, and suho hums casually. "so uh, where do you live? is it too far?"

"no. just— oh, lily!" he gasps, quickly turns around at the tug on his arm. lily's on the ground, pout moulding her lips as she struggles to get up with just one hand. i help her up instantly, kneeling down in front of her to make sure she's not too hurt.

"are you okay?"

tears roll down her cheeks, head turning back as she pulls away from me, holding suho's hand, pointing across the street. i stand up next to taehyung, watching the boy comforting her, making their way towards a small house. it must be where they live. when my gaze lands on taehyung, i'm surprised to see him stiff in his spot, staring at the children with an unsettling stare. it's almost like he knows something about them that i don't.

"let's go from here." he mutters.

"no. we have to make sure they get home safely."

"they are safe, jimin. we should—"

"mister jimin!" suho's voice calls out, waving at me when he climbs up a step, before opening the door. with a small smile, i wave back, which is when i catch a man stepping out. he drops to his knees as soon as lily comes in front of him, and hugs her tightly. that must be her father.

suho tells him something and he glances down at lily's knee, patting her side, sending her inside, before standing up again, now fixing his gaze on us. i hear taehyung sighing beside me, stepping ahead as the man approaches. instead of a shirt, the man has bandages surrounding his torso at various places. he's the one from the game today...

"is he..." i whisper.

"yeah," taehyung cracks his neck, "go back, jungkook. you're in no state to be standing in front of me."

"how perfectly oblivious you are, prince taehyung. i do not care enough about what you believe." jungkook growls, pushing forward against taehyung, clasping the collar of his shirt. "what did you do to my kids?!" his voice comes low with a grit of anger, glaring dead at taehyung.

"nothing, as you might've ensured. although, i don't make promises, you see."

"i'll fucking kill you if you lay a finger on them..." jungkook threatens, "your bloody father isn't getting away with his deeds either. and now you," he scoffs, pushing taehyung away, now glancing at me. "oh look who we have here. the future king, himself. how do you do, my lord?" the tone is full mockery, while all i can do is observe and wonder if i'm mistaking him for someone he's not.

"he's having trouble, taehyung-ssi." jungkook smirks. "can't recognise me after seven years, is it, jimin hyung?"

"jungkook..." stepping closer to him, i reach my hand out, which he rolls his eyes at, scoffing at my attempt to get to him. "is this really you..?"

"unfortunately." he smirks, eyes moving up and down my attire, then taehyung's. "so, now you've now stepped down on dirt to come find me? and you're risking the crown, eh taehyung?"

"stop being so delusional." taehyung scoffs. "just look at yourself. do you really think you can—"

jungkook, with a chuckle, cuts taehyung in the middle, glancing at his bandaged hand, "do i really think i can fight you with these..?" he says for taehyung, gesturing towards his bandages. "are you sure, prince taehyung, that i can't?"

taehyung thinks for a moment, not saying anything, so i step forward, "what is wrong with you, jungkook? why are you talking like that? i'm happy that you're fine and you've returned."

"that's new to hear. i consider it pleasurable, prince, though, i'm not very certain if your brother shares the same feelings about this. you know, me returning. alive. craving blood and death." jungkook's eyes harden gradually along with his words, glaring at me, his hand moving to his back slowly, and taehyung punches him, getting in between us.

"if you want me to end your life, i'll do it within a second, jeon!" taehyung growls, pressing his knife to jungkook's throat. "touch my brother and mark my words you'll be begging for death. i know no boundaries, your house, wife, kids, all that filthy excuse will burn in my rage. don't even get me started on you."

"you've a vivid imagination, taehyung." jungkook smirks. "go on, kill me. why stop now? i give you another chance to save your brother, your father, the entire kingdom. use this fucking knife and slit my throat right now. but know if you fail, i'm coming for everyone related to you and your father."

"fucking bastard!" taehyung yells, about to stab him, when i pull his arm back, dragging him away from jungkook.

"you can't hurt him! he's your brother, tae!" tears blur my eyes, when i turn to face jungkook, catching a knowing smile, more to an evil end than the innocent one he used to adorn when he was younger. "what do you want from us, jungkook? the crown— the throne? power? what is it that has changed you this way?"

"what i want from you or what i want from your father?" he arches up a brow, circling around me and taehyung, slow like a predator. "from you, i wish to have silence. not a word about this ever again. when someone asks you, prince jimin, you're going to tell them that you're absolutely fantastic. everything is perfect."

"fucking dog...!" taehyung mutters, next to me then glares at me, "you wanted to save this douche, right? this is what i was talking about."

"save me?" jungkook laughs, "really? so thoughtful of you, prince jimin. i'm flattered."

"please, don't do this, jungkook. i promise we can sit and talk." i tell him.

"oh yes, we will, sit and talk, as you say." he nods, "but first, i will make sure your father pays for his mistakes. i want him on my feet, praying to me, begging me to give him the gift of death. only then will i be his lord and grant him death, torturously slow with maddening ache. and i'm going to make that you and your brother get to watch every second of it."

"why are you—"

"he killed my mother!" jungkook yells and the next moment, i'm turned towards taehyung, watching as he hisses, holding his ear. there's a throwing knife stuck to the bark at taehyung's height and a grinning jungkook in front of us. "next time if i find him anywhere near my kids, i'm not sure if i'll be able to miss my target."

"i'll be your death, jungkook." taehyung growls, throwing his knife, aiming to kill the younger at once, but jungkook catches the knife right before it digs into his chest and discards it aside.

"alright. i fancy the game." he hums, "i was going to wait until the coronation, but realising you're so desperate to see your father's downfall, your kingdom's downfall, i cannot be so heartless to keep you waiting. as the deal had it, your brother didn't let you kill me now, so i will start with my hunt. be the hero, try to save as many people as you can. i promise i won't touch the king unless i've ended each and everyone else of your kind. protect him all you can while i come as the grim."

"jungkook..."

"yes, jimin hyung?" he looks at me, smiling for a brief second before going back to a straight face, "let's see if you make it to your own coronation. good night, now."

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a/n: please vote if you enjoyed the chapter, if you're enjoying the series. don't forget to comment either, it makes me really happy to see you gaving fun as you read 😚

another reminder, Q/A is still open, and i see a lot of new questions coming up after each new chapter. so go on, leave your questions there. i'm so excited to plenty of fun questions to answer! 😌👍