Taehyung focus

"Your majesty," advisor Min said when he greeted Taehyung in the royal office of Daejeon palace.

"Quit the antics, advisor Min. We both know that I am only a puppet of my brother. What brings you here?" Taehyung replied gruffly and put down the brush he had been writing a letter with.

"These are the plans of minister of revenue Kang," the advisor said and waved with a letter that could be considered a small book. "And your brother wants to know if there is some noble woman in Daejeon that you would consider marrying to strengthen the bond with the court."

Taehyung rolled his eyes. "Does my brother honestly think that I have time to meet women when I am busy reading things like this?" he asked and gestured at the letter in the shorthaired man's hand.

"This is not about love," the advisor said flatly.

"And I have no interest in marrying," Taehyung retorted. "But since you are here, you can take this letter to him." He handed over his own book of a letter to the advisor.

"What is this?" the man wanted to know.

"These are the spy reports of officer Woo that show that the old Baekje minister of revenue had a hand in child trafficking and the minister of justice choked several of his brothel lovers to death," he said briskly. "Now brother has the evidence to absolve Jungkook."

Advisor Min sighed, and Taehyung lost hope again. He had begged his brother in several letters to give him Jungkook's ashes to place them in the ancestor hall with his father and grandfathers but had always been denied. Now that he had proof that Jungkook had had solid ground to kill the ministers, he had hoped that he would finally get his wish. But advisor Min seemed to disagree.

"He cannot absolve him," the shorthaired said crestfallen. "He can never absolve him even if he wanted to. If he did so, he would have to admit that he killed a good king. He would become the bad man, and Jungkook did everything to make it seem like the opposite."

"But why can I not be given the ashes?" Taehyung cried. "I am not asking to make him a famous hero, I ask for a place in the ancestor hall. No one would know." Why was his brother so bullheaded regarding this matter? Taehyung only wanted to honor a loved one and have a place where he could mourn for him. A wanted painting next to an incense box was not a proper way of doing so.

Advisor Min sighed once more. Then he brushed a hand over his face, rubbing at his eyes. He looked tired. "What is it with you and your sister?" he mumbled under his breath.

"What about my sister?" Taehyung asked confused.

The advisor shook his head. "Nothing. His remains are at Donghak Temple on the mountain in the west of Daejeon," he said eventually. "Go and get them by yourself."

Taehyung's mood brightened in an instant. "Thank you, advisor Min! Thank you so much!" he said relieved.

Then he jumped up from his seat and left the shorthaired behind in the office. He wanted to find Jimin and go to that temple right now. After fighting over these ashes for half a year, he did not possess the patience to wait any longer.

Jimin was in the west yard where he tried to teach himself how to use one of Jungkook's twin blades. The other one was fastened to Taehyung's sash. It was the only thing that could remind them of their friend, the only thing Namjoon had brought home after his stay at Daejeon last winter.

"I know where he is," he called out once he saw his lover.

Jimin dropped the small blade and cursed. "Where who is?" he asked with a frown.

"Jungkook. Or rather his ashes. Advisor Min told me," he announced pleased.

Jimin's eyebrows rose. "His majesty forgave him?"

At that Taehyung had to shake his head. "Advisor Min said he will never be absolved, but he finally gave in and told me where his ashes are and told me to get them by myself."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Jimin asked and grabbed his hand to pull him to the stables.

><

"Are you sure that this temple exists?" Jimin asked skeptically after they had passed nothing but trees for half an hour.

"I am." Taehyung nodded. Why would the advisor send him to a temple that did not exist? He sure had better things to do than to fool him.

"It sounded like advisor Min told you without your brother's consent. Do you think he will get in trouble?" his lover mused.

Taehyung only shrugged. Advisor Min had done worse than telling them about Jungkook's remains and had never been punished for anything. The man would be fine.

The time of an incense later, they finally saw something like a building through the thick green and Taehyung urged his mare to walk a little faster. A small wall began to grow next to the pebbled path and stony stairs led the way up into the temple area. They had found it.

Taehyung dismounted his horse and let the reigns dangle, too excited to search for a tree to fasten it. He wanted to go inside.

"Your majesty," a youth in smoke-blue robes greeted him when he had climbed the first flight of steps. The monk was smiling at him like he had been expected. "Master Park. I am brother Tasung. Please follow me."

Taehyung and Jimin exchanged a confused look before they did as they were told and walked after the young monk.

"Where are we headed?" Taehyung asked.

"To greet the head of the temple. He will help you with what you need. We were told that his majesty and master Park would visit someday," the youth explained.

So, advisor Min had been sure that Taehyung would not give up on this matter. How very foresighted of him.

A tug on his sleeve made him turn around to Jimin. His lover was pointing at a group of monks who passed on a higher ground. They were carrying swords. What kind of monks would carry swords? He furrowed his eyebrows at Jimin, but his friend did not seem to know either and only shrugged his shoulders.

"Can brother Tasung tell us something about this temple?" Taehyung tried to dig for some information regarding these strange grounds.

"Older brother will explain everything," the youth turned him down and they climbed another stair.

The temple grounds were quite big. Several houses were scattered into the green of the forest.

"Please," the young monk said finally and gestured them to proceed alone to where one could get a glimpse of a pavilion roof.

"Thank you, brother," Jimin murmured when they passed him and walked further.

An older monk was sitting under the roof, his back resting against the low rail and his front facing the forest in front of them. He was drinking tea.

"Master," Taehyung introduced their intrusion into the quiet scene. "We were told that you could help us receiving our friend's ashes."

The hand that had been about to place the cup back on the low table halted in midair. The figure sat up straight and turned its head around to look at them.

Big dark eyes, a strong nose, and thin lips with a small mole underneath greeted them, all too familiar but all the more unbelievable. This were not Jungkook's remains, this was the hole man!

>> The End <<

I hope you enjoyed my book. Please tell me whether and how you liked it, and what you liked best.

As for Jin. I had a background story in mind, but I wanted to keep focus, so I discarded it. You can make your own story for him.