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The second Jeongguk woke up that day he felt a strange energy around the Palace. He had breakfast alone in his room and when he set his foot out of the room,he noticed how the guards had their faces fallen. It wasn't a good look, something happened and no one has told him yet.

He hasn't seen Taehyung or Iseul either. He didn't see them the entire morning. Jeongguk decided he had enough and he would just go into their rooms to check on them. Jeongguk walked towards Taehyung room first for no reason at all. Yes,there's no reason why he chose to go into his future brother in law room rather than his future Queen.

Walking down the hall, he stood in front of Taehyung's room. "Alert Prince Taehyung of my presence." Jeongguk commanded the guards.

"Sorry,your Majesty. Prince Taehyung isn't in his room yet. He was called to the throne room by the King." The Palace guards alerted Jeongguk about Prince's whereabouts.

He raised his eyebrow in curiosity, what kind of emergency was it, that he was called to the throne room. Nodding to the gourds before he turned around. He's too curious for his own good so he decided he will just stop by the throne room. He is a part of this Palace now,he deserves to know what's going on.

The hallways were empty besides the usual guards. He did notice how there were more guards than usual. Taehyung did say they had increased the amount of guards after the intrusion so it makes sense.

Jeongguk was going to move left to the hallway to the throne room when he suddenly felt a hand on his arm,turning him around. He came face to face with the Princess he hadn't seen the entire day.

"Iseul, Where were you? I was looking for you." Jeongguk asked her, staring at the nervous looking girl.

"In my room. Where are you going? don't tell me you were going to the throne room?"

"I was, Why?"

"Because it's just not a good time. Father is in horrendous mood right now, I wouldn't advise you to head there right now. He isn't very kind when he's angry." Iseul warned him and it didn't help at all.

"That makes me more curious. Did something happen? the guards told me
Prince is there too."

"More reasons why you shouldn't go. Jeongguk,I don't know how you still don't know but Xethens looted us. Not us specifically but our carriages, they were filled with expensive materials and weaponry. This was one of our most important packages that Xethens took away from us. Father is losing his mind out there and it's all my brother's fault." Iseul blamed her brother for this tragedy.

He wasn't even able to question her more because before he could, they heard a loud noise of something being broken, followed by a bunch of loud voices arguing.

Jeongguk's feet moved on their own, he couldn't even hear Iseul shouting out his name telling him to 'stop' and 'don't go'. The curiosity got the best of him, Jeongguk's brain wasn't able to comprehend and he was running towards the door and entered without any warning.

All he could think about was the fact Taehyung was there and he didn't want anything happening to Taehyung. With doors opening, he entered inside the throne room. Seeing the scene in front of him.

He saw a bunch of officials standing by the wall, with their heads held down and disappointment flashed all over their faces. His eyes fell on Taehyung who was the same as them but instead of his head down, he was looking straight at his father with rage in his eyes. He could see the heavy tension that surrounded the room.

The king was the most angry of them all, his skin went red and standing with his arms on his waist. His eyebrows furrowed into an angrier expression. His jaw clenched tightly as he stared at his son with hatred in his eyes. Yelling at Taehyung and then suddenly looking at who came inside.He saw a broken vase near Taehyung so he wondered if the King threw it…at him.

"Prince Jeongguk! what are you doing here?!" The king asked him with a straight face.

"I heard a loud crashing noise and decided to investigate, I didn't know it was coming from here. I heard about what happened, I'm sorry for your loss. It's truly unfortunate Xethens are attacking Arothia like this, how did this even happen?" Jeongguk asked the King who scoffed.

"See, Taehyung? he cares. You never fucking did. Ask Taehyung, he was the one incharge of this one simple task and couldn't even complete it. Do you have any idea how much of a loss we are in because of you? a quarter of kingdom funds goes into purchasing those materials and weapons, all because of your irresponsibleness it's all gone." King exclaimed in anger.

"It's not my fault, I told you how I put Kang in charge of the carriages, it was his duty to make sure it gets to Arothia safely, not mine. My job was just to make sure the right type of weapons and material are being loaded in. It was Kang's duty to look through the people who got appointed to guard the carriages."

"Kang, you appointed Kang. He's a mere assistant to the general and you think he can do such an important job and you want to be the king? You are a fool, Taehyung. How will you manage Arothia if you can't handle one task." King moved towards Taehyung, laughing in his face out of anger.

"I think you should hear Taehyung out, I believe so it's not his fault how things turned out." Jeongguk tried to give his advice only to get a glare from the King.

"Since you are our guest I am not going to argue with you but I would advise you to not get into our kingdom affairs, Crown Prince."

"I am not just a guest but also the person who is courting the Princess of this kingdom. I believe I have every right to intervene." Jeongguk came to his defense, standing confidently as he is not scared of anyone in this room right now. If anything he is with the highest power.

"You are only not listening to him because he is coming for my defense-" The whole room suddenly fell silent when Taehyung was cut off by a loud noise.

A hand slapping him across his face. King has had it enough and slapped his son without any care of anyone else in the room. There were few gasps heard and murmurs around the room but there was not one cry that left Taehyung's mouth.

He had his head turned to the left, still comprehending what just happened. There was a crimson red handprint on his now swollen cheek. "Don't you dare talk when you are not supposed to." The king said to his son whose eyes were now filled with tears,not daring to escape.

Taehyung wasn't crying because of the pain, he was crying because of the disrespect he felt. The way he got humiliated in front of the Palace guards, in front of the High officials of the Court, in front of his own father, in front of…Jeongguk.

"I am sorry,father. I should have known my place. I will take my leave and reflect on my actions. I am sorry for bringing all of you trouble." He bowed to his father first and then turned around to bow to the officials.

Turning his heels towards the door,starting to walk towards it. He made eye contact with Jeongguk who was staring at him in shock at what just happened. There was pity in Jeongguk's eyes for him and that made him want to let those tears fall. He immediately looked away, he can't look the boy in the eyes after he got disrespected like that. Opening the door and going outside to cry in peace.

Jeongguk couldn't move for some seconds until he fully realised the situation. He felt a rage burning inside of him. Seeing that pretty face looking so...pitiful was the worst thing he had to witness today. He walked towards the King and stood infront of him.

"You can't slap your son because of a simple mistake,Your Majesty. He's the prince of Arothia, he deserves more respect than that. I feel disgusted by what I just saw. You are the king, I understand your anger but you are also that man's father and I am not here to tell you how to lead your kingdom but I can tell you that what you just did was unacceptable. Instead of pushing your anger to your son, you should be focused on which one of your men was the reason Xethens found out about the carriage location in the first place." Jeongguk came to Taehyung's defense,he felt for Taehyung.

He saw the look on his face, the dejected look and something inside him broke looking at him like that. He couldn't let anyone get away with it, he doesn't care if he has to lecture the Arothian King for it.

When Jeongguk suggested finding the culprit, it looked like the king hadn't even thought of that yet, which is shocking because that should be your first priority.

"I know how it looks that you had to see me act that way but Taehyung has been getting away with many mistakes,it's not his first. He needed to get disciplined. However, you do have a point." The king turned towards the guards. Jeongguk didn't like the tone the king was using.

"You, bring me all the men who were given the duty to protect the carriage, also the one who was leading it and driving it. I need all those men who were involved, bring me kang too. All of you can leave. Prince Jeongguk, you should leave too, Princess Iseul must be waiting for you." The king told Jeongguk in monotone.

Jeongguk rolled his eyes and turned around to head out. He didn't need the king to tell him that he was leaving either way. He has had enough of this shit show. He decided to put meeting Princess Iseul on hold. For now he has to find Taehyung,

Jeongguk has been trying to find Taehyung for the past half an hour but he just can't seem to discover him anywhere in this Palace. He went to his room,no one was there. He even visited the garden, specifically the gazebo where they were sitting yesterday but nothing still. The dining room, the training center, The different balcony sitting areas but he was nowhere to be found.

His stress level was increasing by every minute he wasn't able to find the boy because where could he have gone? He hasn't checked the other wings of the Palace because it's too big of a place to be searched but something inside Jeongguk doesn't want to give up.

The second he saw Taehyung running out,he wanted to run after him. In such a short amount of time, Jeongguk has created this bond between him and Taehyung that he cares so much about him. Seeing him distressed brought pain to the boy.

After another ten minutes of roaming around aimlessly, Jeongguk was almost thinking of giving up. He stopped as he was now near the entrance. Sighing in disappointment. Jeongguk was startled by a voice calling his name.

"Your highness, are you looking for someone?" A deep voice came from behind.

He immediately turned around to face the short boy who hangs out with Jimin and even Taehyung. What was his name again? Youngmin? Youngjae? Yoonji? Yoongi!! Yes, it was Yoongi.

"Yes, I am looking for Prince Taehyung, have you seen him by any chance?" Jeongguk asked the boy, who seemed very chill,leaning against the wall without any care in the world.

"Did something happen?"

"I doubt that's any of your business. He stormed off, that's all you need to know." Jeongguk answered with confidence too. He was the Prince and he had to maintain that image.

"He's my best friend,I should know what he's up to,I guess you don't owe me answers but I am nice enough to tell you. He's probably on the opposite wing, second floor, take the third hallway and all the way to the end there's a door to a library. He might be there." Yoongi gave him directions.

Those were oddly very specific directions as if this isn't the first time something like this happened. How does Yoongi even know? He has so many questions but he has no time to ask them.

"Thank you, Yoongi-sshi. I'll go to him." Jeongguk said to him, Yoongi bowed to the Prince before Jeongguk ran off to the opposite side.

He hasn't been to that side of the Palace yet for obvious reasons that he has no business being there at all. Since this wing is for the officials and the servants and even concubines, the royals only come here when they have a purpose…if you know what I mean. 

So going up the stairs when he reached the second, he saw some servants staring at him in shock, with Palace guards surprised too that why the crown Prince was on their side of the Palace. They immediately ran to the Prince, asking him if he needed anything and how can be of service to him.

Jeongguk just asked the directions to this library Taehyung is supposedly at and nothing else. They immediately told him the directions, even offering that they could lead him to the place but he rejected the offer. He wants to go there alone preferably.

After walking around to the end of the certain hallway, he finally reached the last door of this place. He knocked before entering as there were no Palace guards standing outside. When he got no response from inside, he grabbed the handle and entered the library.

The room was quite dim, with big shelves filled with books in all corners, and a big shelf in the middle of the room too. There was a sitting area at the back of the room you could see behind the shelf. There were tables with chairs and some candles on it for light. His eyes fell on the boy he has been looking all over for.

Sitting with his head down on the table. Jeongguk walked towards the boy, reaching to see Taehyung was fast asleep. Jeongguk took a seat next to him quietly,not wanting to wake up the Prince. He noticed how there were dry tears on the latter's cheeks, it saddened him to think that Taehyung fell asleep while crying. He must have been so exhausted mentally.

If anything, The Prince looked so innocent and harmless while sleeping like this. His soft features were so defined now that he is staring at him without feeling like a creep. Even though staring at someone while they are sleeping is a little creepy, he would not think about that.

His cute button nose, those pink plump lips that looked too luscious, the long eyelashes on his hooded eyes. His face was a work of art if he said so himself. How can anyone even think of raising their hand on this beauty? The king was an evil person for harming his Taehyung.

Jeongguk didn't even realize how he was getting so lost in the Prince's looks that he had to snap out of it for a second. What is he doing? Why is he here? Why does he care? so many questions yet there was no answer to any of them.

He should go, he has no reason to stay here and be next to the prince, when they are barely even friends. Spending five days together doesn't make you best of friends.  He might be crossing a line that he isn't aware of. He saw Taehyung in a vulnerable moment. If anything, Taehyung might not even want to see him here.

Standing up from his seat, he turned around, ready to leave. He doesn't want to see Taehyung when he is leaving because he fears he might stay if he looks at him more. Just when he was about to leave, he felt a hand grab his wrist, stopping him from leaving.

"So you are leaving after staring at me with such an intense look,my prince?"

The deep voice sent chills down his spine. He felt something churn inside him. Gulping it down, he turned around to face the now much awake Prince, with his eyes widened. He sat back down.

"You were awake?"

"No, but when you sat down I woke up. I am a light sleeper, my prince. A slight inconvenience wakes me up. I acted like I was asleep to see what you do but you are too nice,you just stared and were going to leave." Taehyung chuckled, leaning back in his chair,facing it towards Jeongguk. With their legs now bumping into each other.

"What did you expect me to do to you?" Jeongguk asked him in curiosity.

"I think we both know how you can take advantage of a defenseless sleeping person. So let's not get into that."

"Can't believe you think I would do something like that without your consent, I am better than that." Jeongguk defended himself and Taehyung shrugged.

"I have stopped judging people regarding how they act in front of me because you never know who they are once they walk away from you and start doing exactly the opposite." Taehyung spoke like he has gotten betrayed or has just lost faith in people in general.

He doesn't blame Taehyung for it, he is so much like that too but not with Taehyung, he feels like he knows Taehyung despite not being that close, he believes this man can do no wrong. With the way Taehyung's own father treats him, he doubts this man trust's anyone.

When the person who is related to you by blood acts like this to you,how can you expect anything good from strangers?

"How are you? What your father did was terrible-" He was immediately cut off by it.

"It's okay, this wasn't the the first time. I overreacted because he hadn't hit me in a room full of people before, this was the first time." Taehyung avoided Jeongguk's gaze, he didn't want to see his pitiful eyes.

"It's not okay, your father shouldn't hit you for something that you weren't even in charge of, he was in the wrong for that. Besides that, hitting you in front of all the officials and Palace workers is such a low move for a king to hit the crown Prince like that. I can't believe you said he has done this before, I am so sorry you have to go through that. I never thought that Arothia's king was an abusive man." Jeongguk passed his comments, putting his hand on Taehyung's shoulder,rubbing it to comfort him.

"I know,he's not the greatest but he's still my father. If you are worrying this much because you think he hits Iseul too then don't worry, he doesn't lift a hand on her. Whichever fucker decided to betray us and leak our information to Xethens will pay because I don't even blame father for being angry, we suffered a huge loss."

"Yeah,please don't hesitate to reach out to my father for help if you need it. He knows I am here and he will help. Besides I'm not worried about Iseul but you only. It's good to hear he at least doesn't hit women but doesn't excuse him slapping you,he made you cry for god sake." Jeongguk said to him and Taehyung was confused for a second.

"How- I am not crying because of the slap, my prince. I told you, I am used to it. These are because…." He sighed before he continued. "My mother, this library was her go to place whenever she felt suffocated in this big Palace. She loved to read and get lost in the books. After she passed away, this place became very special to me too because it brought comfort to my mother in her hardest times."

Taehyung talked about his mother with a genuine smile on his face. Jeongguk hasn't seen a prettier smile on his face before, you could tell he really loves his mother so much. She was definitely a special person for him.

"Do you mind telling me why she passed away?"

"Got sick, she contracted this deadly disease around that time, there was no cure and the doctors did their best but no outcome or at least thats what they told me. So she passed away after dying from pain slowly. She didn't deserve it, she didn't deserve such a painful death. My father just moved on, as if my mother was nothing to him. It was upsetting because he scolded me for not being able to move on when he was the strange one who didn't even shed a tear. I miss her everyday. It's so lonely without her,Jeongguk." Taehyung said his name, a teardrop falling from his eyes again.

Jeongguk caressed his cheeks, wiping the tear away with his thumb. "Don't cry, She must be so proud of you right now. You have grown up so much and you are so strong for still holding out. Despite your father and sister barely being there for you. You are still here and that's amazing, you are really strong Taehyung."

Taehyung leaned into his touch, Jeongguk's body froze. The soft expression on the boy's face with his eyes closed,as he leaned into Jeongguk's hand on his cheek was tugging on his heartstrings.

'Sorry for crying. I don't cry unless it's about her. Sorry for calling you by your name too, I didn't mean to be informal with you,my prince." Taehyung immediately moved away when he saw how Jeongguk's gaze on him changed.

"Don't apologize for anything, especially for calling me by my name. As much as I like you calling me 'my prince', I think I like hearing my name better. So please call me by my name, Taehyung." Jeongguk emphasized Taehyung's name so it's clear that it's alright.

"Okay,I will do so, my pr- Jeongguk I mean."

"See so much better." Jeongguk grinned.

"Anyway, lets talk about something ekse i dont want to be upset anymore."

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?"

"Um...Oh yes I just remembered. before all of this went down. I was talking to my father about you and he said since you are a man, you have your needs and being around my sister might lead to having some…sexual urges. So he told me to tell you that you have access to his harem too because you can definitely not touch my sister before the wedding." Taehyung managed to say that it was awkward to talk about how your sister might make this man horny.

"What? His harem? what about yours?"

"I don't have one and I don't want one either. I am not interested in those, I would rather just go out of the Palace to find someone at a pub or somewhere like that. Besides since you were talking about male concubines the…last time, we don't have those if you want,those can be arranged too." Taehyung said, with his cheeks heating up a bit as he remembered their conversation. Jeongguk chuckled at everything he was saying.

"I was joking about all of that. Besides the male concubine thing because I do have that but none of you have to worry, I am not that horny, I don't need to go to harem here, I am fine. Besides, why find male concubines to entertain me when I have you, Taehyung-sshi?" Jeongguk joked with the guy.

"What?" Taehyung exclaimed,taken back by what the crown Prince was saying.

"Just kidding,sweetheart. Your sister doesn't turn me on like that, so that's not a problem for me,about my sexual urges regarding her,they simply do not exist" Jeongguk told Taehyung, whose eyes were locked with the latter's. So many unsaid words being said through eyes.

"Then is there someone else who you have sexual urges for?" Taehyung asked suggestively. Jeongguk bit his lip,raised his eyebrow and then he smirked at the guy.

"I don't know, is there someone, Taehyungie?" His hand went from his arm to down to Taehyung's thigh, placing it there to tease him.

"You are playing a dangerous game, my prince." Taehyung shared, his eyes narrowing and the air around them feels thicker. Then tension was getting worse.

"Jeongguk, call me Jeongguk." Jeongguk leaned closer to him,his gaze falling on Taehyung's pink lips. They were calling for him.

"It will take some time for me to not call you my prince,Jeongguk." His name rolled off Taehyung's lips too smoothly, Jeongguk can't contain his thoughts, he wants to hear his name but in other situations he feels are too inappropriate to say out loud.

"You are tempting me,Taehyung. You say you are not but you are doing something to me."

"It's all in your head,my prince. I'm not doing anything." Taehyung got up from his seat,giving Jeongguk one last look before he left the library, running straight to his room.

♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎
If anyone was confused as to why Jeongguk thinks he's straight if he has slept with men, it's because Jeongguk doesn't think his sexuality determines on who he has sex with, rather it determines from who he is romantically involved with. So far, he hasn't been romantically involved with anyone so he has no idea where he falls on that radar. Though now that Taehyung is messing with his mind,he might know soon.
We are talking about the older times so sexuality wasn't really a much discussed topic back then.
-K