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Sometimes his mind wonders if he would be the next target of Kim Taehyung. A guy who killed two Kings and defeated many others,gaining kingdoms after kingdoms under his belt. The most feared man in the entire continent right now is the one and only Kim Taehyung.

With the nicknames like 'Panther King' because of how fast he is to be named the 'the Kings of the Kings' it was all genuinely quite unbelievable. The fact he could be next felt more like a fact than an assumption. They are used to going to battles with kingdoms as everyone wants to rule over the biggest kingdom in Asia but with the King like His father it has been quite impossible to win.

Now that this new wave of battles have started as everyone is starting to fear the protection of their kingdom, there are more battles happening and instead of his father, it's Jeongguk who is representing Elestial. He decided it's best to get out of the training rooms to forget about a certain someone and actually do something for his kingdom as he can't sit and watch.

Jeongguk brought victory to his kingdom over three different battles with other moderately powerful kingdoms.

Each battle was different to the other, he realized how much experience means in things like this. You get to see new techniques the others use and who they prioritize, who is incharge of their kingdoms, mostly It's the king but other times it's the generals and some Crown Prince's like himself. He even fought against a Queen in a battle that was shocking for him to see as he has never seen a woman on the battlegrounds. What was more surprising was that she was a great warrior, better than the late Kings he defeated. Despite being so powerful, she still lost and her Kingdom, Colarlia, was now one of the territories under Elestial .

It has been six months since everything went down and Jeongguk has changed. His physical appearance has gotten buff, with his muscles being bigger to his abs being prominent. His jaw a bit sharper and his once longer hair that reaches his waist were now cut shorter into a mullet. He still is more used to just tying them. All this training and going to battles consistently had taken a toll on him. All to avoid the thoughts of the man who singlehandedly ruined him despite not showing his face in six fucking months.

He knows how he has gotten colder than everyone in his life. When his father pats his back to tell him he's proud of him for becoming so strong, the Jeongguk from before would have felt like he had achieved everything as his father's approval meant the world to him but newer Jeongguk doesn't feel a single thing.

From rejecting his food every time the servant brings them to him, scolding them for bringing it to him when he had mentioned he doesn't want to eat anything for the day. They even try to explain how it's the Queen's orders but Jeongguk throws a tantrum. Making the tray fall off their hands, forcing them to clean up the mess in the tense situation. While the King calls his new behavior 'becoming a man', The queen worries over him because after all she is a mother.

She tries to caress her son's face but the man flinches away, refusing her touch. It feels cold inside him, nothing and no one around him is giving him the warmth he needs. The look of pity in her eyes is something he despises, her glance is like she has lost her son just like she lost her husband to the Kingdom. He's his father's son after all. The more he's asked what's wrong the more emotionally closed he becomes. There's no saving for him.

"Jeongguk, you need to eat. Eating one meal a day is not healthy for you, for someone who is as active as you, you should be eating five times a day!!" Jimin explained, putting his tray of food on the table in front of him.

"We have had this conversation one too many times for me to keep repeating myself, Jimin. I don't need to eat, I have lost my appetite. Now excuse me, I have Archery practice to get to." Jeongguk was going to walk by Jimin but he grabbed his arm and pulled him right back.

"Don't you dare leave this room. I am not fucking dealing with you and your tantrums again. Jeongguk, are you even looking at yourself right now? do you even recognise yourself when you look into the mirror?" Jimin exclaimed, pointing at the mirror on the wall.

Jeongguk just stared, his jaw clenching tightly not being able to respond because he knew the answer all too well.

"How long will you ignore your health? your feelings? you have changed. Your attitude is fucking shit now, excuse me for cursing infront of your royal majesty but god i am so tired of this behaviour, Jeongguk. You treat everyone like shit as if it's their fault what happened. What is your issue? Is this all because Kim Taehyung left??" Jimin questioned him and Jeongguk glared at him.

"Don't say his fucking name infront of me. I don't give a fuck about him. I am just doing my duty to my kingdom, maybe I was always like this. I am the future King of Elestial and I need to act like it. I won't apologize for not showing my emotions to you. Fuck off for all I care!!" Jeongguk cursed at Jimin. Not even feeling any sense of regret. Jimin scoffed at him.

"You are a coward, Jeongguk. You are not only facing your emotions but also your fears. You fear him but not in the way everyone else does. Others fear they might get killed by him while you fear if he never even loved you. It's time you start to face it, Go face him if you are going to act like this all the fucking time."

"Are you being serious right now? If I ever see him again it would be with my sword on his throat. I have simply stopped caring about those childish feelings that I used to have. I only have hatred for me. He didn't care about me, he left and betrayed me. I could have looked past that but now he's killing the people of my kingdom, the innocent people who did nothing. I won't let that go." Jeongguk stated, he could feel his entire body heating up.

"So what do you want huh?"

"I want to kill him. He has decided to make us enemies then so be it. I will kill him but I need more information on him. Do you know anything?" Jeongguk asked him and Jimin sighed.

"...why would I?"

"Min Yoongi, he's an accomplice in Taehyung's plan, isn't he? I heard you still contact him."

"I don't keep in contact with him anymore. Last time I asked him, Why did they do all this? Why did he not tell me? and he just told me that Taehyung is like a brother to him and there's no one else he trusts more than him and he will support him in everything he does. That's it, I didn't write anything back because I felt like I was betraying you." Jimin said to him, Jeongguk raised his eyebrow and then chuckled.

"Brother, my ass. You sure they are not fucking eachother on the low and were just playing with us from the start?" Jeongguk's assumption was so ridiculous, Jimin felt offended on the other two behalf.

"I know you are out of your mind right now but Don't say stupid shit like that. I don't know about you both but me and Yoongi hyung really did like each other genuinely. What we had was real. I don't even doubt him for a second there. Don't make your issues personal. That would complicate everything."

"Whatever you say. Keep writing to him, I might be a jerk but I am not brutal. If you two really like each other that much then you can do whatever you want with him I don't care. My fight is with Taehyung, not your Yoongi. There's this other person, his name has been going around along with Taehyung's of him being super strong. What was it? Kim something, Kim namwoon?-"

"Kim Namjoon, the new general of Xethens."

"Yes, I want to know more about him so ask your Yoongi about him too."

"Should I also ask what relationship he has with Taehyung?" Jimin teased him and Jeongguk's glare was enough to throw him back. "Don't try me right now while I'm still being nice."

"Sure, I guess. Now shall we get you to eat? you really need to eat, Guk."

"No, I am sorry but I really have no appetite. You know I-" Jeongguk stops mid sentence. his voice doesn't come out, his throat feels sore. He looks away from his friend who is staring at him.

"You what,Guk?"

"It's nothing."

"Jeongguk." Jimin said in a more convincing tone, making the Prince sigh.

"I…I kept the ring for him." Jeongguk shared with him. Jimin's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "You did what? What ring?"

"You know how I had to choose the ring to put on Iseul. I was presented with three rings, I chose one for her and I kept the one I liked the most for him. When I looked at that ring the only hand I imagined wearing it was his. I kept it, in stupid hopes of a future together. A future where he gets to be betrothed to me. Where he is mine, mine to love. Where he didn't betray my trust and took advantage of my feelings." Jeongguk explained it to him.

Swiftly, he turned around to the other side. He can't face Jimin like this. He feels embarrassed and humiliated. He feels his head hurt again, that has been quite common for him ever since…everything. Jimin doesn't say a word. He only comes behind him and gives him a hug.

"I'm sorry. I wish there was a way I could help you."

"I am the Crown Prince yet I can't do much, how would you help me? it's alright though. Not your fault. It's not his fault either, it's time to stop being a fool and wanting to get involved with unnecessary feelings." Jeongguk replied, moving away from Jimin.

"Just because he did what he did doesn't mean you should lose trust in love, Gukkie. It's an amazing-"

"It's a curse!! the most fucked up curse of them all. Besides, I'm done with this. I have heard enough about him. I have to leave now and do my duties to my kingdom. You shall focus on yours too,Jimin." Jeongguk exclaimed, pacing towards the door and closing it shut loudly once he's outside.

About a handful of soldiers are dead. There are people near the borders that have been the victim to the Xethens. His people are dying by hand more and more each day and he can not sit still not anymore. He had thought of different ways, how he would deal with this but there's only one solution and he finalized it when the woman fell on his feet.

The woman who was middle aged, probably in her late fifties. With her gray hair peeking out underneath the scarf over her head. Clothes all dirty as tears fall down her eyes. She grabbed his feet in the middle of a crowded street. Everyone stared at her and his guards immediately ran to get her off him but Jeongguk signaled them to stop and get away from her. He looks down with a straight face and she cries again.

"P-Please!!! save me from my m-misery, your majesty!" She cries out loudly. "My sons!! my sons have died to honor the kingdom, they died from the hand of those pigs, those cold hearted s-soldiers from Xethen. I have received two dead bodies of my sons, I can't have my last son gone too!! please your majesty do something!!" She yelled out, breaking into a sob.

Jeongguk felt anger more than he has ever felt. He got down and put his hands on her shoulders, making her stand up from her feet. He gave her his handkerchief to wipe off the tears.

"I will avenge all the death my people went through. I can't express how saddened I am to hear about your loss but I won't let your son die. Not this time. Someone please escort her home safely." Jeongguk said to his guards. One of them immediately nodded and went ahead to help the devastated woman walk.

He turned around to the rest of them. He might regret this, he might not but he has to make this decision. So he clears his throat to make the announcement.

"I am going to Xethen. I will go alone, I don't want this news to reach the King, I will be back soon. If he asks about my whereabouts, tell him I'm at the training camp and will be residing there for a while if I am not back by tomorrow." Jeongguk said to his guards who were exchanging confused glances.

"But your majesty, we can't let you go into the land of the enemy all alone. Your life could be at risk and if something happens to you, we will be the one punished." the guard said to him and Jeongguk scoffed.

"Are you doubting me?"

"No, your majesty, how dare I? you alone can take down armies, your strength is incomparable but it's not the same Xethen as before who knows what tricks they have up their sleeves?" He had valid concerns Jeongguk would say that but he has to go, it's now or never.

"That's my problem. Prepare my carriage, I will leave as soon as possible."

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