(A/N- Disclaimer - Geek alert!!)

"Uncle Kook! Uncle Kook! Uncle Kook!!" a loud high pitched voice resonated in the room right after the slam opening of the almost battered wooden door.

"There's my big boy!!" Jungkook jumped in thrill forgetting for a moment about his neck, blessing him with an instant regret that had him sitting back down on his bed.

The little boy who stood, barefoot in a long chemise and briefs under it with his hair standing in directions like a crazy compass, big round eyes still trying to rid some sleep off them, looked up at his said 'uncle' in a taut confused mien.

Namjoon pendulum-ed his head between the two and reckoned that if someone puts a hand on Jade's nose and lips, he can be mistaken for a shruken Jungkook.

The aforementioned kid puffed his cheeks out cupping his face, just like his mother did, to control his laughter before bursting in melodious giggles, just like his mother did.

Namjoon couldn't help but laugh as well. Jungkook rolled his eyes- "Tri told you to laugh at me, didn't she?"

"No, I'm laughing because you have pillows tied to your front and back. Uncle Koo looks like a pile of hay!" he slapped his hand on his thigh and laughs throwing his head back again.

"Hello Jade!" Namjoon chimed in. The kid instantly thwarted his travesty and hid behind the see-through curtain, poking his head from behind.

"H-hello."

"Needn't hide, little one. I aren't scary, am I?"

"Don't fret, Namjoon. He is a little timid at first. He'll be all over your head by the time you leave."

"Oh. Pheww.. Well, that's alright. Atleast I'm not scary." he sat back down as the kid quietly sat beside Jungkook with his hands tied on his lap. "Some might even say I'm adorable!"

"They call me adorable too!" he gasped now eyes glittering in interest.

"Oh? Do you wish to go outside and talk about what all we might have in common?" extending his hand again, Namjoon offered with a soft voice and had it accepted this time.
Just in time as both of them walked out, Trisha peeked out of Taehyung's room nodding at the other to come in.

"How do you feel, Tae?" he tenderly asked touching the wrist enclosed by hardened clay cast. Taehyung nodded in return with a smile.

"He is good. The wounds have been recleaned, breakfast has been eaten, lovers have been united, everything is dainty. Now begin with the story before I'm compelled to hit you." Trisha insisted while disposing off the dirty dressings and tidying the room.

Taehyung nodded at Jungkook again and this time the other could not resist as he slowly bent down and pecked his cheek causing an excruciating pain to shoot from his neck to the back. He winced and got up cursing under his breath which caused the other to giggle and then whimper at the pain that bolted along his own abdomen.

Trisha shook her head chuckling "You both are a wreckage."

Jungkook rolled his eyes sitting on a chair beside where Taehyung laid after adjusting his pillows. "So remember when I stopped by to acquaint you and Jade with Taehyung?"

"Ofcourse." she smirked through the rim of the glass she sipped water from.

"We were on a run then." she choked on the water.

"However the morning before the night we ran away I was at the palace with Taehyung and.. "

{Scene to a flashback}

Morning before the run away.
(The day Taehyung accepted the marriage proposal.)

Reaching the window the thief turned to land a long peck on the prince's head. "See you tonight." And with that he jumped straight out of the window making Taehyung widen his eyes.

However whilst his flight his eyes landed on the silhouette behind the big oak tree gawking at the scene unfold and he felt his heart drop to his gut.

Trisha gasped placing a hand on over her mouth. "Oh my! Who saw you?"

"S-sir Yoongi." Taehyung retorted with a hand on his stomach to assauge the pain he feels while talking. "I c-couldn't n-notice. I'm n-not sharp like that."

Trisha cooed pinching the prince's, no, ex-prince's cheek that made his nose wrinkle while Jungkook smiled in adoration before continuing.

"Landing down I waited mere seconds to be ordered to surrender. However when I wasn't, I sprinted out. Taehyung had asked me to give in to our fate and I shall never meander a path he wouldn't wish me to."

"That is what the kids these days call 'Lovesick', are you aware?"

"Alright if you're going to pursue with this deride, I'm not telling you anything."

"Ease, brother-in-law. I missed witnessing your story flourish, teasing is all I have."

Jungkook sighed rubbing his temples and continued.
"So like I said, we almost gave up on us. However that good-man playing with Jade outside alongside two others gave me a little left-right-and-centre which made me realize all this is a bigger labyrinth than just our love story."

"What do you mean?"

{Scene to a flashback}

Two days after the runaway
(The day Yoongi saw Hoseok smirking at the instruction of heading north to find Taehyung)

His head pounded with throbbing ache of betrayal and a haze of delirium.
Did Hoseok have Taehyung kidnapped? Why must he? Did yoongi's eyes oversight Hoseok being power hungry?

No matter how much he tried to persuade himself to doubt his subordinate, he couldn't and that embittered him furthermore.

A knock on his door crashed down his resentment like a fragile glass as in peeked his guard. "Sir, a gentleman wishes to speak with you. He arrives with guards of his own."

"Send in. The guards stay outside."

Another feeble knock followed by the door open ajar with a long creek revealed a face that had Yoongi jump to his feet and bow.

"Your highness. Had you informed your arrival to our land, I would have arranged a welcome-"

"Exactly why I didn't. I wished my visit to be as enigmatic as possible." he took a seat in front of Yoongi's chair as did the elder. "And please call me Sehun. I have done nothing to deserve that honor from an illustrious knight like you."

Yoongi chuckled with a shake of his hand denying the sudden compliment and started pouring his renowned bergamont tea into two cups.
"So what makes you grace us with your 'enigmatic' visit, Sehun?"

"The second prince."

There was an undeniable flinch in the flow of the tea just the moment the name was mentioned as Yoongi curiously looked up handing the other the cup with an urge to continue.

"Are you perhaps aware of the kingdoms named Walli and Kaint?"

"Indeed. Two of the many kingdoms conquered by the great Daratian flag."

"Ofcourse. What you must not know, however, is that these happen to be the kingdoms that both of my father's wives were once princesses of."

It may have taken a few seconds for Yoongi to catch on to the implication of this information yet once he did, his eyes widened massively as he slammed his hands on the table. Sehun smiled a detrimental smile that held an unsaid apology.

"That's my father for you. You presumed the man who disowned his own two sons just to cut down the strife for his throne just wishes to help your kingdom and also take away the rumored notorious prince? I suggest you think again."

"I must inform the king-"

"Another aspect to rethink." Yoongi raised his brow at Sehun's retort "Your king has been ruling for more than three decades. You think he doesn't know? There is a bloody lot of wealth involved, I'll let you know that."

"And he was right. The king indeed knew everything about the intentions and emanations. He just wished to put this all on stake to merely go down in history who saved the kingdom feom starvation without anyone discovering that he commerced his own kingdom." Jungkook spoke gently wiping with the back of his hand the tear that slid from the side of Taehyung's eye approaching his temple.

"And this Sehun decided to help you out of nowhere for no apparent reason?" Trisha inquired resting her chin on her palm with elbow digging on the thigh as she sat one leg crossed over the other.

~

"What is in it for you, Sehun?"

"Fair question. In a few months I shall be coming of the age and wish to take down my father for the throne. However if he has Arauna under him, I must also have a hand with you to reconquer which you and I both know I will loose. I just wish to cut down the number of oppositions."
~

"Meanwhile we were taken in by a lady who reckoned we stay with her a few days since we did not have a shelter. How kind, right?"

"Right." she nodded back

"Wrong."

Taehyung let out a breathy chuckle and then winced in pain again. Jungkook gently caressed his head in a tender whisp of adoration making the woman smile at this state-of-the-art softening of Jungkook's personality around the other.

"A day or two were still scarcely believable but who would gratify two strangers at their house for a week and ask nothing in return? We wish the world worked that way, however we know adamantly that it doesn't."

"Did she wish for something in return?"

"I had already grown suspicious of her disposition and when one night I saw her sneaking out of the cottage late when she 'thought' me and Tae have fallen asleep, I bet even the Gods above could not have stopped me from following."

"The real question however is.. Why weren't you two asleep?" she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively making Taehyung dig his face in Jungkook's hand that was resting on his head. The older merely rolled his eyes.

"Anyways... So I tucked my baby in and followed her only to find her aggressively talking to a man who I could have sworn I had seen the face of."

{Scene to a flashback}

"Listen boy, we only had an agreement for a few days and it is almost going to be a week! You take me for a fool?"

"No I swear the army is approaching right this way, I have gathered. We just have to wait a few days before I throw myself at them."

"Why can't you go to them and simply tell that that's where their prince resides? That kid gets on my nerves. More and more everyday."

"That is exactly what I can't do! I absconded from the guardship. I'm basically a falon that they are looking for." the man rubbed his palms on his face exasperated.

"If I approach them, I will straight away be exiled. I must victimize myself and then ask for freedom in exchange for the information they must be desperate for."

Jungkook smirked with head cocking to the side in beguilement. It instantly clicked him it was the man he collided with while Taehyung and him were jogging away from the cowshed.

He must be Jiwa, the run-away guard that Jungkook now owes everything to. I might as well let him have this. Little do they know.
~

"Little did we know that the one going to unmask us would be Sir Yoongi, not Lt. Hoseok."

"Who is Lt. Hoseok?"

"One of three who pushed us to elope." Jungkook finished but was immediately followed by Taehyung.
"H-he is m-my friend. H-handsome. Bachelor. Y-you should-"

"Me? Oh no no. Getting abandoned by Jungkook's cousin was enough for me to swear off men." Trisha raised her slender hands with voice full of acrimony.

"Anyways... So sir Yoongi found us. I did have a presumption that he wasn't completely against us, considering he had enough time to arrest me that morning and he didn't. However the follow up we had on being caught is certainly not what we expected."

{Scene to a flashback}

On the way back to Arauna after being caught.
(Yoongi, Jungkook and Taehyung are travelling in one closed cart while other soldiers follow on their horses)

"WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU TWO THINKING HUH?" He yelled as soon as the curtain was closed and the clicking of horseshoes against the ground began. "What world are you two living in? Were you feigning that you would elope to a world of your own and live amongst flowers and butterflies and NEVER BE FOUND?"

He was absolutely livid and he had every right to be. He may be less than a decade older than Taehyung but he had heartily authenticated every single one of his milestones by his own two eyes.

Now witnessing him progress to a cul-de-sac, attesting stupidity on top of stupidity without analyzing the causatums rendered him incensed.

The fear of losing Taehyung spoke that it may be too close to the pain of losing his child; and he was not curious to dig into that fear to the least.

Both the boys had their heads casted low. While Jungkook worried what they may do to Taehyung on the revelation of the prince being a 'heathen', the prince had remorse eating him alive on the consequences his lover may have to have to face because of him.

Taehyung sniffled lightly to hold in the sob that threatened to escape, especially when a cold shivering clammy palm gripped his hand in a failed attempt of assurance.

"I-I love him, Sir. I have never loved anything more. I found myself when I found him. I b-beg you sir let him go, t-take me back-"

"What? Absolutely not! I did not promise to stand by you only to break it when the time comes! We're in this together." Jungkook tries to keep his voice steady as far as he could as he gripped the other's hand tighter.

A pair of observatory eyes scan the two before sighing "It was Hosoek's idea, wasn't it?"

Jungkook nodded "and Sir Seokjin and Namjoon and Yerin mayhaps"

Yoongi looked back at Taehyung with a hinch of disappointment- "You seeked all of them out for a help but couldn't talk to me? I'm aware we drifted apart but we still floated on the same river, didn't we? It's disheartening."

"No, sir. Don't blame him. We never revealed to anyone. They found out on their own."

Taehyung poked his index fingers towards each other, sheepishly biting his lip to which Jungkook frowned and spoke "Is there something I don't know?"

"I.. Perhaps.. May have.. ToldJoonieHyungI'mreallysorry."

Jungkook sighed out loud pinching the bridge of his nose. "That's okay." he whispered.

"However sir, it was only in a moment of grief that I did. They surmised to help themselves."

"Well, they are habitual of taking spontaneous decisions. Go-With-The-Flow is not a universal solution. You all should know better."

"I understand, sir."

"Now you better carefully listen to what is supposed to happen..."

~

"At first we decided it would be only us three who know about the ongoings. Yet slowly we needed them all. First, prince Jongha had to play along, then Lt. Hoseok was involved, the culinarians involved for smuggling stuff to the dungeon. And at last Lt. Park who just caught on to all the commotions and offered to help."

"I-it also wouldn't h-have been f-fair." both the other nod.

"Challenging the combat was firmly the plan. However the question that lingered was 'how'?" Jungkook spoke looking down at his lover, watching him lean into the touch with eyes closed when he moves the back of his fingers on his cheeks.

"First plan was that I pretend to be Taehyung underneath the armour and somehow win. Which, even if we assume that everyone is an imbecile to not notice the conspicuous difference in builts, I had to take the helmet off if I won."

Trisha snickered. "Second?"

"Second was the one we were adamant on, even till three days before the fight. I was to oppose Taehyung and loose purposely. That was until I visited him and we concluded that he may still be sucked into a hell-hole regardless of winning."

"So all of us covertly met up two nights before the day and that is where my little prodigy stepped in." Jungkook bent down again to peck his baby who was smiling in serenity (then winced at the pain).

{Scene to a flashback}

Two nights before the combat
(Yerin's servant quarter)

"I couldn't be more greatful to you Sehun-ssi for arriving at this short notice." Jongha interrupted the heated confab between Hoseok and Jimin on how the plot must be molded.

"No please, we are working on something together. I shall be a miscreant to not arrive. Do you have a solution in your mind, though?"

"I'm afraid I don't-"

"I do." a deep yet hesitant voice piped in drawing everyone's attention to the corner of room where the little prince sat holding hands with the other boy who spoke as less as the other.

Everyone looked at him curiously and an encouraging nod from Jin had him continue stutterlessly.

"Everything comes to an instant halt if I'm not there. If I die during the combat." Angry gasps and a few scoffs filled the room as everyone turned back continuing whisper yelled arguments.

"The least we could do is not be inconsiderate and let him finish." Jungkook sternly spoke that had the attention drawn to Taehyung again.

"I don't mean I actually die. I mean if we maneuver them into thinking that I am." this seemed to peak all the interest and had everyone shifting to face the prince in order to listen to him more attentively.

"How do you suggest we do that? There are going to be two whole kingdoms, one of which happens to be humongous." Jin spoke up softly.

Taehyung chewed on his nail, a habit he seemed to have developed since his stay in the dungeon and then shook his head as if disapproving his own thoughts. "Nevermind. It is a ridiculous idea."

"Well, discussing a ridiculous idea is better than having none at all." Yerin meekly spoke and smiled when all the men nodded in agreement.

"Um.. Well okay then. What if.. What if a sword is built that does not pierce me, rather circles my body and comes out."

All the faces were the definition of confused until Jongha sarcasticly spoke up "You were right, little brother. It is a ridiculous idea."

"Petal, it sounds astounding. However I don't think that could be plausible."

"It is. It fairly is. The only boundation is time." Taehyung sighed looking up to the other helplessly.

"I'll make it happen if you insist on the possibility. I'll give my everything to. Just enlighten me 'how'."

A spark seemed to build in the brown orbs as he frantically looked around "A paper and ink?"

Yerin hastily pushed forward a bowl of red sauce while Jimin took his white cardigan off and spread it in front for Taehyung to write or draw on.
(The girl pouted wishing it was Jin who had to take off his cardigan)

A smile like never before gleamed on the rosy skin as if this was the moment of his life and Jungkook concluded he would call it 'the glitter'.

"When a metal collides with a metal of very high tensile strength, it bends.
Gold, if used of an intermediate carot, can seem like a tough metal but is actually quite malleable."

He dipped his finger in the sauce and started dancing the now red finger on the georgette cardigan.

"If we somehow prepare a belt that is made with a metal with much higher, perhaps the highest tensile strength, the sword shall be guided into it and come out from the slit at the back."

"But wouldn't it come out all distorted and misshapen?" Jimin rubbing a finger on his chin, curiously asks.

"Yes, that is where the second metal comes in. Nickle."

"The one that cheap jewelry is made of?" Hoseok was to speak. Yerin looked around and hid the chain she was wearing inside of her blouse bashfully.

"Yes. Nickle combined with other nobel metal shows a property called 'shape memory'. The shape that you give it while heating is what it retains. And if you manage to bend it at room temperature, it springs back to it's original shape."

There was a silence unimaginable. So much so that crickets from two floors below were heard loud. All before Sehun spoke up-
"Pfft.. I'm so proud I'm a part in extirpating my fathers intentions. This brain does not belong in my kingdom."

"Or any." Yoongi smiled proudly.

"A query?" a meek voice interrupted.

"Yes, Joonie go ahead."

"The belt. What must that be made of?"

Taehyung pouted looking distantly before he mumbled. "Do any of you know where to find a metal called 'tungsten'?"

Everyone looked at each other having never even heard of the word, let alone know the whereabouts.

"I have read it is the strongest. However next to it is titanium so I suppose that must do too."

"That can be arranged. However if it doesn't work-"

"It's a trial and error solution, hyung-nim."

[The slit in the front is where the sword enters, a pathway inside the belt guides the sword and the slit from the back helps it out.]

~
{Scene to a flashback}

"Now put this on such that this slit is right above your belly button and buckle it tight thereafter."

"Alright. Could you do it for me, though." Taehyung turned around to hand the back buckle to the general who readily did. "Is this titanium?"

"Tungsten." A blush rose to Taehyung's cheeks and he smiled at the resourcefulness of his man, quite ironical given the situation he was stepping foot to.

Yoongi chuckled and neared his mouth adjacent to the prince's ear, obscuring his words from the guard who stands outside the door.
"Both you lovers have blown my mind away."

~

"Then how did you end up piercing this poor soul's little tummy?" Trisha gave a woeful eye to both of them.

Jungkook's breathing began to fasten again, however it was a cinch for Taehyung to bring him back merely by a kiss on his hand.

"I.. I, being the illiterate I am, wasn't aware that I'm supposed to insert the sword at an angle for it to enter the belt. I just jabbed it in with all my force. It was Taehyung who guided it back to the loop. Hence the c-cut hand and torn a-abdomen." the lump in his throat made his voice grogier than actuality.

If he had been reminiscing all this in the confines of Arauna, he would have had an abhorrent panic attack. However now sitting next to his lover, his heart finds a correct rhythm to beat in, knowing the certainty of their future after all.

"When I saw his blood on my hands I lost consciousness thinking I had killed my own lover and refused to believe anyone who said otherwise."

"I-It was g-god's plan, l-love. We had c-completely forgot t-that the sword n-needs to h-have blood on it when i-it comes out."

"He is right. That would've raised suspicions. However, I'm confounded about this second part of the plan you all were discussing."

{Scene to a flashback}

The same night of planning
(Yerin's servant quarter)

"No." Jongha deadpanned cutting the persuasions short.

"Your highness, you must do this for your kingdom. We know it isn't ethical but niether is what your father is doing. He will find another way anyhow." Jimin's worrisome concern made everyone nod.

"I understand. However I will not kill my own father, no matter what. No offense Sehun-ssi, I don't suppose I have it in me to do that."

Taehyung observed the contemporary conundrum and piped in. "What if he hands you the throne himself."
Jungkook glances sideways at his baby, smiling. By now everyone knew better than to not listen to this little genius.

"How?" was all Namjoon said.

"I must be burried alongside mama, obviously. What if my last wish bars 'the king' from ever visiting the family graveyard?"

Everyone seemed a little unconvinced, except Jongha who starts laughing like a demon with widened eyes placing a fist in front of his lips.
"Oh.. OH.. OH!! He would die!! He would absolutely absolutely absolutelyyy die!!"

Jongha crawled on his knees towards Taehyung and landed a violent jerky kiss on his forehead before turning back to the others.

"Mama was and is my father's one true love. He visits the graveyard first thing in the morning and last thing at night. On days when he has to leave the kingdom he comes back and spends hours at the grave in compensation." he explained.

"In sickness or in health, there has never been a day father skipped visiting the grave. He would lose his mind if he is prohibited from that. It is again a trial and error solution." the younger prince spoke.

~

"But, but, but, the person who was hanged in place of you?"

"Oh that was a child's play. It took Sehun half a minute to convince a lunatic murderer of Darata that one of his victims was the prince of Arauna. However we couldn't hang him in Darata because king Lee had visited the training grounds a couple of times to see my eligibility."

"All this brainy brains is bouncing around the walls of my empty head, if I'm being honest." Trisha uttered with widened eyes. "What happens after this.

"After you, our great nurse of Glandit infirmary, heal us - we shall be moving to Brena, where indeed like any other place homosexuality is looked down upon but atleast is not against the law. Taehyung will have a new identity with his similar golden persona of course."

(A/N- Trisha was mentioned in chapter two where she sends a letter to Kook about his mother's condition. In case you forgot.)

"W-we opted on k-keeping our relationship behind the w-walls of our house t-to not have undesired e-eyes o-on us."

Trisha nodded "Being an abdicated mother who's husband abandoned on us, trust me, I'm sadly aware of how important shying from the eyes is."

After a minute of silence from the three, she suddenly perked up like a curious puppy "Tae! I heard about a research centre on new illnesses and their treatments being constructed on the outskirts of Brena. They may kill to have a prodigy like you work for them!"

Both the boys exchanged their signature grins at each other. One with the proclined incisors like a rabbit, other with the display of entire set of teeth and squished cheeks like a marshmallow.

"I'm comprehending I may end up loaded with dough if I pen down the story of you two! Hmm.. What could I possibly name it?" she tapped a finger to her chin looking into infinity and then snapped her fingers "How does this sound- 'Tae-tae and Koo-koo'? "

A vivid cringe settled on the face of both boys who shook their head in disapproval.

"It's a given the book must be named 'The beauty and the beast'! " Jungkook spoke with a grin hands moving as if pasting a billboard.

Taehyung and Trisha rolled their eyes "It's a shame you're such a thief that you even steal the title of your original story from another!" she exclaimed.

Both the other smiled when Taehyung finally spoke up.

"H-how about naming it the p-place where it a-all began?

'The theft' . "

================================

S

o the nerd in me jumps out any chance it gets.

Idk how many times I must have mistyped this for my phone to save "Namjoom" and "Namjoono" as frequently used words. I feel sorry for you all.

This was second to the last chapter! Ah :'( I'm going to miss writing this story.  However I also have another idea I can't wait to shareee 💃

Byeeee