Happy anniversary to this iconic live~

Now, onto Kaatru~

"What do you mean by 'he hasn't come yet'? " Ryejin asked, flitting her eyes between Min hyung and jang wook.

"Isn't it negligible of the king to disregard the courtroom rules? " Minister Han scowled, raising a brow.

"I am sure you must revise your memory, minister," Min hyung gave an overly-sugary smile, "I think you have been late to the courtroom enough times to not raise questions on the king, who has never been, until now"

"And you wouldn't know how exhausting uvagai can be on the king," Ryejin added with an equally sugary smile, "would you, minister Han? "

She didn't let him reply before turning to Min hyung, "I will check go on him, min, take care of the general grievances till then"

"Rye, inform me if it concerns anything about his health," He muttered, "he didn't look good yesterday either"

She nodded in agreement before running towards the door.

Panting as she reached his chamber, she knocked thrice-their signature code-awaiting reply. Receiving none she knocked again, worry clouding her senses when none responded.

As she moved forward to knock again, she noticed the door slightly agape. It's open?

Sighing, she tip toed her way inside, expecting a burglar or worse, a rogue. A messy couch in Taehyung's living quarters almost made her roll her eyes, well aware of whose artwork would that be. The room was too silent, and she wondered if Taehyung had overslept. But he has never before-

Then a trembling figure in the bed caught her eyes. "Taehyung?" She whispered, breathless.

Wrapped in a thick blanket, despite the weather, his audible teeth chatters caught her attention. Ryejin shuffled over to the bed as quite as she could, heart tugging at her chest at his crouched form.

Sweaty locks stuck to his forehead while chalk white lips quivered quietly. His teeth chattered unceasing with low broken whispers leaving them. Taehyung's natural tan looked like it had been sucked out of him, replaced by a sick pale. She stuck her hand out, softly placing it over his forehead. A shiver running down her spine, at the temperature, her hand quickly drawing back in reflex.

She gasped, mumbling a small, "oh, Taehyung" before getting to the task at hand. As she ran towards the cupboard, aware of the whereabouts of the herbs casket, she linked min hyung informing him to dismiss the court, since the king was unwell. Dodging his questions for later, she decided against waking up Taehyung, knowing it was better for him to rest for now. And wasting not a moment, she ran towards the palace kitchen, deft hands ready to prepare samgyetang- a soup just right to fight fever.

A panting Min hyung barged into the room, catching his breath for a moment before speaking. "The fuck happened to him! You just said he is unwell and asked me to dismiss the courtroom and-"

"He's. . . sick, min, " She sighed, chopping a few vegetables, "high fever"

"Fever? " Min hyung enquired, "but he has never before-"

"He is now, " She cut him off, "uvagai must have took it's toll on him"

"He is in his chambers, right? "

"Hmm, " She hummed in affirmation, "sleeping"

They stayed in silence, Min hyung not leaving the kitchen despite having a choice. Utensils clattered and when a sizzling hot samgyetang wafted in the air, she decided it was time to wake him up.

Grabbing a bowl of cold water with a white cloth and the bowl of soup, she reached his chambers, sighing heavily to a still trembling and teeth chattering Taehyung.

"Taehyung, " She called out, as quietly as she could, afraid of startling him. "Tae, wake up"

No response.

"Tae! " She tried again, louder this time. Only to be replied with more chatters.

"Taehyung!" She tried shaking him and probably it worked because blinking an eye open, he croaked out an almost inaudible " Rae? "

"Wake up, I've brought you some soup-"

"Fuck, what time is it?" Taehyung croaked out, pain scrunching his features as he tried getting up. "Am I late to the c-"

"It's been dismissed, " She cut him off, blowing at the soup.

"The fuck! wh-"

"You're sick, idiot!" She cried, placing the soup aside, "do you have a death wish? "

"I can manage, Rae, " Taehyung tried convincing. But his rasped words, drawn out in exhaustion proved otherwise. "I'm fine. A bit tired maybe-"

"You're burning, " She interrupted, taking a darker tone, "and shut up before I shove this soup down your throat. Try leaving the chambers today," She added with a grave pause, "and I promise you won't ever be able to leave again"

"But-"

"Here, drink, " She cut him off again, holding out a spoon of luke warm soup before his mouth.

"Rae-"

He couldn't complete his sentence for she shoved the spoon, grabbing her chance, glaring back at him as he did.

She fed him the soup in silence, until Taehyung broke it-

"That's enough, rae, " He rasped, "am full"

"Full, my ass! " She snapped, "you haven't drunk even half a bowl yet! Stop being a whiny baby, and drink up!"

"No am full, trus-"

"I said drink up, dumba-"

"Please rae, no, " He begged, and it sounded foreign. Not once had he heard him plead her for anything before. Now this concerned her to the point where she chose to quietly comply.

As Taehyung wordlessly went to lean against the bed board, she placed a wetted cloth over his forehead, sighing heavily as she did so.

She had never seen Taehyung like this before. It pricked tears but she blinked them off wondering of how many of his 'am fines' and 'just tireds' were true.

"You liar, " She mumbled, blinking back more tears.

She was looking around waiting to replace the cloth, when the messy living quarters drew her eyes. She was just glaring at the couch, like she were glaring holes into the missing alpha when-

"If you're looking for him, he's not here," Taehyung rasped out, "stop glaring at that poor couch"

"Am not glaring, " She argued, "and why would I care about some random rogue killer slash intruder?"

As Taehyung shrugged to that, she removed the cloth on his forehead, wetting it before placing it back again.

They stayed in silence for next few moments, with Taehyung leant over the bed board, eyes lidded and her beside him scanning his features as she waited for the cloth to dry.

Dark rings decorated his eyes, an almost invisible line of red coating his eyelids. The pale of his skin ran a shiver down her spine forcing a question out of her lips. "I don't think it's normal fever, Tae, should I call the healers? "

Taehyung absently hummed to it, eyes lidded, like he didn't have enough energy to open them before mumbling a small 'no'. It was almost lost within the howls of wind from the window but she managed to catch it.

"Your temperature isn't reducing, Tae, " She continued, regardless, "And I don't think the cold is either" She added noticing his quivering lips. Atleast the chatters stopped.

An absent hum again. She waited, expecting anything else, but receiving none she sighed continuing, " Shall I call mother? Am sure she would know something-"

"No! " Taehyung interrupted, eyes blown wide. "I mean-not now, let's-let's wait and see "

She wanted to ask why not but noticing him leaning back onto the bed board, eyes falling shut like they can't hold up any longer, she decided against it. What now?

She didn't know. But it hurt her to see him like this or to think of how many 'I'm fines' of his she would've bought. Liar liar liar liar!

"Why do you hide things from me? " She didn't expect to say it out loud, let alone think of it to come off as a waverly whisper. But neither did she expect a reply, more like a question, in return.

"What did I hide now? "

"Why do you say you're fine when you're not and hide things like that?" Ryejin wasn't one to beat around the bush, " You think am not capable of caring for you-"

"No rae, " Taehyung rasped, sitting up, "It's not that. It's just that I don't think there's any point in worrying you like now, or mother. Her health is already on a decline, and oh-I forgot calling the healers! Can you call them? To attend to mother? She-"

"Would you start caring for yourself first!? " She knew she startled him when he flinched to that, knowing it isn't a usual Taehyung to handle her dramatics. "Sorry. . . it's just you don't-you don't care. . . care for yourself, " She mumbled, head hung low.

Silence. Ryejin never liked them. Not like they brought anything from the past or hung in the air like a knife at her neck. She just didn't like them. No reason.

"I will, " Taehyung spoke, fortunately breaking it, " I promise. Now call the healers to attend to mother "

She sighed, before linking Min hyung to send for the healers. She decided against calling a few to check on Taehyung, because firstly she hates going against his words and secondly he hated being vulnerable before unknown people. They can wait a little longer, she decided.

But the decision didn't stop her from removing the cloth on his forehead to replace it with her palm, checking his temperature.

"It's getting better, rae, " Taehyung interrupted, barely opening his eyes, "belie-"

"Shut up, " She swatted his hand that he tried bringing up to remove her palm, "And no, it isn't! Am calling the healers now!"

"Just lemme rest, " Taehyung rasped, crouching back into a ball on the bed, "I promised you, right? I will ask for them if it's really that bad-"

"Tae-"

"Ryejin, " He never called her by her name, and now that he did it shut her up, "just let me be"

She sighed in annoyance before turning around to carry the unfinished bowl of soup, water and the cloth and exiting the chamber. But not before a last worried glance at an already asleep Taehyung.

"Stubborn asshole, " She mumbled, before shutting the door and heading back to the palace kitchen.

♛┈⛧┈♛

"Uvagai carnival always has something new in store, our king leaves no complaints! "

"Kim Taehyung becomes the first among the rest clan kings to introduce fine arts into uvagai celebrations! "

"Thanks to the bridge, trade is now flourishing in our kingdom! All hail our King Taehyung! "

Taehyung Taehyung Taehyung.

Well, he wouldn't blame them either. Not when all he could think of was Taehyung too. His messy hair, tear streaked cheeks, red raged features and purple eyes black rimmed. Still he was beautiful.

When Taehyung smashed the mirror, mortified of himself, a 10 year old himself resurfaced and watched in horror. When the king fisted the wall aimlessly, all he could feel were the hot tears rolling down his own cheeks. Funny how the chosen were never given a choice.

His cheeks felt soft, when Jungkook held them in his palms. His eyes when they came back to their brown and leaked hot tears, he shed a few of his own. As awful it was, those were all he could offer. Because he too, was chosen and the chosen never had a choice.

So when the king returned and gave him one, his first in lifetime probably, he chose him in return. He had his special privileges anyways. And it proved worthy, when their lips met and tongues danced, like war but in silence. Here tongues replaced weapons and drool replaced blood, but the battle for dominance stayed. Battle that Taehyung gave into, without a complaint.

Later, after the kiss, they both sat leaning against the wall. Their shoulders, knees and fingertips brushing. It felt nice. The silence, discreet glances at the red of his cheeks, the butterflies. Soon after, the king's soft snores. And the pleasant weight of his head on his shoulder.

Jungkook didn't rush. He took his sweet time to admire his features, tracing his fingertips over them in a feather light touch. It felt nice too. But deciding against giving the king a stiff neck, he carried him to his bed, tucked him in warm blankets and left with a longing to stay and admire longer.

It was almost strange when he saw him crouched into a ball on the bed, when he left the palace before the first lights of dawn. Taehyung usually woke up quite early into sunrise and returned late at evening or night. But thinking of all that he had to go through the previous night, Jungkook decided not to wake him up. And it felt nice too. To care for him.

Currently he was wandering the streets of Kaatru, curious of this uvagai carnival Taehyung declared in the courtroom. He had to sneak out of the palace for this, since he wasn't sure if he was allowed to freely roam around. But Jeon Jungkook being Jeon Jungkook decided he can and he will.

And true to his citizens ceaseless praises, the uvagai carnival was. . .

"Spectacular"

"Yes, spectacular, " He repeatedly, dumbly. Taehyung's grin was worth it all.

Right, spectacular.

The sky was clear and the air was young when he curiously watched homes being painted anew. Not just one or two but all of them. While painters went on with their work, streets brimmed with candy shops, mouth watering eatables, eye catching beverages, vividly coloured kites and lanterns, earthen lamps, and so on.

Bright smiles everywhere accompanied shrills and shrieks of children. Right when he decided it was a perfect morning, an exceptionally loud shrill caught his ears. Perfect.

"How dare you grab my candy!? Do you know who I am!? " He turned in the direction of the voice just to meet with a little boy of probably 9 with flaring nostrils and flushed cheeks. He's angry?

"I am the crown prince of Gandhara!" The boy continued and Jungkook choked on some random fruit drink he had bought a while ago, receiving a death glare from a passerby.

"Crown prince? " A girl piped in suddenly curious, deserting the cotton candy she was previously munching on.

"Yes, crown prince, " The boy confirmed, quite firm of what he was saying, like it wasn't a lie. Interesting.

"You mean the pampered prince? " The girl asked exchanging a look with the crowd of boys, one among whom he assumes would have grabbed his candy. Pampered prince? As if the look she gave was a cue, they began laughing at the boy who now adorned a big fat frown. But the pout didn't last long, when his features flushed the darkest shade of red they could achieve as he interrupted them with a loud "Hey!"

They halted their snickers to raise a brow at the young man, who waited until he was sure he had grabbed all their attention. Glaring at them for a moment or two, he continued, "don't laugh! My mother said, the pampwred prince has a lot of powers too! He can lift a tree! Kill bad people! He can also fly in the air! " Sorry what-

"No! You're lying! Your mother just said that to make you eat!" The girl sniggered, sending another cue for the crowd of boys to laugh along. It was now that he noticed the candy in her hand. So it's her who took his candy?

Another pout accompanied, the boy stomped on his feet crying a shrilly "no!"

"Okay then, tell me have you seen him lift a tree? " The girl asked towering over the boy, taking advantage of their height difference. When he shook his head in denial, the pout turning bigger she continued, "Have you seen him kill bad guys? " The boy shook his head again. "Have you seen him fly? " And this time before he could shake his head she added, "have you ever seen him at all!? "

When he flinched at her tone, pout almost as big as the candy, Jungkook was pushed to his limits but before he could interrupt, the boy did, a new found confidence in his tone, "My mother won't lie to me! Now give me back my candy!"

"I won't, " The girl smirked.

"Give. Me. Back. My. Candy, " The boy enunciated his words with a grave pause after each. Taehyung does that too. It would've been intimidating alike the said king, if at all the boy weren't this small.

"You want it right? " The girl mocked snatching away the candy from his reach, "then take it for yourself"

He tried jumping for it, but each time he got closer, the girl would lift it higher. Now that's bad.

The little boy looked like he was almost on the verge of tears. Jungkook had had enough, so he strode forward grabbing the candy from her hands and giving it to the boy patting his hair.

When the girl looked up to him, flushed red in rage, the boy ran to him hugging his torso mumbling a string of "thank yous and you saved the crown prince" Ironical.

"Who are you, now?" The girl lifted a brow, "and why did you just grab my candy? "

"It's my can-"

"I am jung hyuk," Gotta keep that imposter, sadly. " And the last time I checked, it isn't your candy, it's his" He dragged the 'your' with an overly-sweet smile, smirking to himself when he saw her flush a shade darker.

But before she could speak, he interrupted, "Nice meeting you, and here's a candy if you want one, " Fortunately he had grabbed a few for himself when he entered the carnival. "Don't grab others, that's bad. And your welcome"

With that he left her, red in rage, holding the little boy's hand to wander deeper into the carnival. The boy tugged at his robe, and it was so endearing that Jungkook had to lift him in arms and ask, "what's your name, young man? "

"Hansung," The boy gave a proud grin before adding, "crown prince of gandhara"

"I have a name for a reason, and it's Kim. . . hansung"

Sure, Taehyung was all he could think of.

"So you know the crown prince of gandhara?" He asked in faux surprise.

"I am the crown prince of Gandhara, " The boy corrected. "And don't laugh! Pampwred prince has powers too! " His lisp tugged a small curl of his own lips.

"Pampered prince? "

"You don't know the pampwred prince?!" Hansung's eyes grew wide, flitting over his features like he were searching for some truth. Taehyung did that t- goodness! What's wrong with him?

"No, " He mumbled, almost feeling small for not knowing something a nine year old (he assumed) knows.

"It is the crown prince of gandhara, "The boy explained, "he is the pampwred prince" Him?

"Why? " He asked, voicing his thoughts.

"Because he is pampwred! " The boy exclaimed, flailing his hands like it was obvious. And obviously he knew that too. So rolling his eyes, he repeated, "but why!? "

"Why? Because mother says he never left the palace after his birth," The boy whispered like it was a secret, "and that he eats on gold plates and drinks from gold glass and got all that he wants "

Oh, sure he did.

"Mother also says, he is also very powerful," The boy whispered, coming closer to his ear and then glaring into the distance he whined, "But no one believes me! "

"Why don't they? "

"Because no one has seen him, " The boy mumbled playing with the candy in his hand, "nobody knows his powers. My father too says he is powerless and that's why he is hidden"

Powerless, of course. Over his fate.

"Do you think so too?" He asked, sure of a frown painting his lips.

"No!" The boy cried out, "I don't even know what pampwred means, do you?"

He laughed to that, maybe his bunny smile because the boy laughed along too. And as they did, he choked out a "no" to his question, deciding that for once, lying didn't hurt.

Later when their laughter had died out, and they had wandered quite into the carnival with the increasing crowd, he finally spoke, "Hansung? "

"Hmm? "

"Don't call yourself the crown prince," He said, smoothing a smile on his lips.

"Why not?" The boy looked offended.

"Because he can't fly, " He answered, looking up at the roundabout with sparking eyes, "he can only run"

"But my mother-"

"You will fight," He looked at him in the eyes and ruled out, "Don't run or fly, fight"

"The prince doesn't? "

"I am afraid not"

"How do you know?" The boy raised a brow, "you didn't even know his nickname"

"Even he doesn't, baby, " He brushed his hair, smiling when the boy swatted his hand away.

"Everyone knows their nickname, " The little man defended.

"Only when you tell them, " He pinched his little nose, "that they have one "

"He doesn't know? " He looked like a deer caught in headlights, and Jungkook couldn't help but smile.

"He stays in the palace, right, " He asked the boy who pondered a while before eyes going wide in realisation, "so he wouldn't"

"Shouldn't we tell him?" He asked, genuinely concerned.

"No"

"Why not? "

"Because someday he will, " He calculated his words, amused that the someday was his today.

"How do you know? "

"Because I am his only friend, " That wasn't a complete lie.

"He doesn't have any other?" The concern in his eyes almost had Jungkook trip on his feet.

"He doesn't," He shook his head in emphasis, going to stand in the queue for the roundabout.

The silence made him turn to Hansung who looked like he was seriously weighing down his life decisions at nine. Isn't that too earl-

"Then tell him I would like to be his friend too!" Jungkook had to fight back his tears before asking a small "why? "

"Because I don't know what pampwred is," He exclaimed, "And he doesn't know that he is the pampwred prince! We both don't know something"

If he was fighting back tears before, he had to control his chuckle now because Hansung looked quite serious about it.

"Sure, baby, " He surrendered to the power of the nine year old's words, "whatever you say! "

"I'm not baby! " Hansung argued, folding hands and turning his head away with a dramatic pout but not before, "I am the crown prince! "

"You just said you want to be his friend, right? "

"Yes, I did"

"Then how can you call yourself the prince? "

"Because he won't know and I will apologize when he does, " He whispered at his ear before giggling to himself.

"But he can't fly-"

"It's okay, " The boy assured, "I will learn and teach him how to"

As much as he tried he couldn't control the hearty chuckle that ripped out of his mouth. When Hansung glared at him, he showed thumbs up mumbling "I'll say that to him"

And when the boy smiled nodding excitedly, tugging at him towards the roundabout, Jungkook smiled to himself for the fact that the first friend he makes for himself (past his sunshine of a cousin) is a nine year old. And that didn't sound bad too.

♛┈⛧┈♛

"Y'all had one job, " His voice was too calm, almost like they hadn't just failed their mission, "Now why would that be hard? "

His green eyes surveyed the crowd, ready to bore holes into their souls. They can, and that sent a shiver down our spines. His question was quite rhetorical, almost mocking (he is unreadable). But someone among them just had to be dumb enough to not understand that and open their mouth.

"He's too powerful for a mere ome-" And he dropped dead on the floor, irul's manic laughter following right after.

"Irul, stop that, " A voice followed by a figure wound in black gown entered the room, white eyes scanning through the crowd, "This isn't gonna work-"

"Did I call for your useless advice, shruga?" Irul interrupted, green eyes glowing under the dark. It was always dark here in the dark desert, Irul's kingdom.

"But isn't it my duty to give you one, my Lord? "

"Ew, gross, " Irul made a face that wasn't obviously visible since he was just a dark figure with no definite shape or features, except the green eyes. "Drop that"

"Why don't we wake up sina?" She suggested, staring at the chained doors of the forbidden chambers, "besides he has been sleeping for more than a decade anyways"

"Why do you wanna do that now? " Irul asked, a tone sharper, colder than before, "I am still gaining my powers, remember? I can very well do it myself. We're just running out of time-"

"Irul, you think you're the only one getting stronger?" She asked, white eyes forming black cracks beneath, "those useless protectors are too! I don't know why it's okay when they destroy shit and not us" The last line was almost a mumble, but we all caught it because it is always silent in here.

"Shut up, " Irul interrupted her rant, "you're giving me a headache"

"You can't get them," She rolled her eyes, almost sounding bored. "Don't know why I haven't quit yet," That was a mumble too, but again it was always silent here and she didn't bother even if we heard them. Not like we could say anything against her without dropping dead the next moment.

"Fucking shut up, " Irul interrupted again, irritated, "and tell me what's the plan"

"Well, why don't we discuss that over some tea? " She grinned, eyes sparkling.

"Argggh! " Irul groaned, but he always complied like now, "is tea more important now? "

"Undoubtedly, " She replied unhesitating, as she blew at the tea in her hand, almost mockingly. She always got what she wanted.

"Fucking bitch, " Irul mumbled but didn't bother to hide it because yet again, it was always dark and silent in here. And not like they wouldn't know what they were to talk over a tea, like it was a show. Because to them, it certainly was.

♛┈⛧┈♛

A/n: so yeah, meet irul (means dark in tamil) and his lovely advisor, shruga (means fox in sanskrit)

The previous chapters had a lot of tk content, but this chapter will be setting the background to bring more~

Never forget the power couple of Korea crashing vlive an year ago, today-

I Am Positively Dead ⚰

The pwetty kims 😌~ ft. Jimin
(Gets in the soop flashbacks)

8 years already~ and my second festa!!
Hate that time flies, sometimes wanna catch and cage it in my palms :(