Stone Prince

After having four full plates to eat for breakfast, Jimin was entirely stuffed.

In the large dining hall, breakfast was just finishing and servants were clearing the numerous tables of their leftover scraps. By the time Jimin spotted the other two princes returning from the main hall, almost everything was cleared away. Guess they aren't hungry.

Jungkook appeared to be in a much better mood now, exchanging smiles and small talk with the blonde prince. Every once in a while, Taehyung would nudge the younger's side at something funny. Jimin bet that the Laurel Prince was probably discussing something stupid. Something charming...probably. Why does that bother me...?

Jimin cracked his neck and put on a blank face before the two could see the distaste painted across his face. It wasn't because Jimin was angry that the two got along so easily, but...okay, maybe it was exactly that. Taehyung naturally possessed the ability to get along with everyone, completely opposite of him. Jimin didn't know the first thing when it came to interaction.

At least I get along pretty well with the Laurel Prince though. It's kind of hard not to.

"Hi Jimin." Jungkook's bright voice called Jimin out of his self-reflection. The Stone Prince glanced up to see Jungkook smiling kindly at him. A strange sight indeed.

Only moments prior, Jungkook had been almost disgusted with him, as if Jimin had done something to dishonor Jungkook in some way. At least that's what it seemed like to Jimin given Jungkook's awkward body language and cold responses to him.

Jimin looked to Taehyung, who only gave him a nod as if to say 'the problem has been solved, don't worry about it, Jimin.'

"Hello...Jungkook. Feeling any better?" Jimin cursed himself for sounding so cold.

"Yes, I'm feeling much better, thank you. Now, why don't we head up to the planning room so we can discuss the situation? It's quieter there." Jungkook padded off to ask a servant something and returned within seconds. "The room is clear of everyone. We can discuss Jihoon and war with our courts or it can be only us three if you guys want."

"Just us three." Jimin was quick with his response. "We need to minimize the amount of info going into and out of this castle if we are to be successful in handling the situation."

Taehyung agreed with a nod and click of the tongue. "Well then, let's be off, yeah?"

Jimin watched as Taehyung gave Jungkook a friendly pat on the shoulder as the three turned to leave. He saw how the tan hand fell naturally onto Jungkook's black coat. It irked him a bit.

How are they so close already? Why doesn't Taehyung put his hand on my shoulder?

As Jimin followed behind the two walking in front of him, Taehyung suddenly slowed his pace to walk alongside Jimin. Jungkook slowed down to see why Taehyung lagging behind, but eventually sped up when he realized what the Laurel Prince was doing. Speaking with Jimin.

"How was the rest of your breakfast, Park? I'm surprised you haven't exploded yet from all those plates you devoured." Taehyung playfully hit Jimin's stomach. He showed off a row of straight white teeth as his hand returned to his side.

Jimin tried not to show the Laurel Prince the smile that bubbled under the surface of his face (he surprisingly liked the taps at his stomach) but gave up after Taehyung mimicked throwing up all over Jungkook's back. He's quite the entertainment. I like this guy.

"It was absolutely delicious...I can eat more than people expect me to, I've been told." Jimin smiled as they began to climb up the stairs to the second floor. "At the Stone Castle they say my stomach is a black hole."

Suddenly, Taehyung glanced at Jimin's stomach with wide eyes and shuddered with overdramatic excitement. "W-w-wuh...wait Stone Prince, does this also mean that you're a heavy weight when it comes to drinking too? You should come over sometime then! Let's have a competition to see who can drink more, Park Jimin."

Taehyung winked at Jimin. The Stone Prince tutted at the optimistic fool who was Kim Taehyung. However, it make Jimin's heart flutter to hear his name spoken aloud by the Laurel Prince.

And he didn't know why.

"I'll come over so we can duel...then the winner of the fight can drink as much as he wants. How about that?" Jimin was a bit snarky back, hoping that Taehyung would catch the playful sarcasm in his voice. He truly didn't get the hang of communicating very well with his peers, and he hoped that his weak areas weren't too obvious in front of the other two princes.

"Sounds like a plan, Stoney." Taehyung hummed while patting Jimin's stomach once more. Jimin couldn't hold back the giggle that finally bubbled vigorously out of his mouth. Hah! Stoney!

It must've been pretty loud, because Jungkook turned his head back and gave the two a quizzical look before he turned back around to lead his two counterparts to the meeting room.

Jimin's cheeks were slightly tinged red in embarrassment at his break in composure. The uncalled for sound that came out of his throat made him sound like a little boy that had just won a new toy at the fair. It made him sound weak, pathetic...but the blonde didn't look at him any differently. Taehyung simply smiled at him, adjusting the collar of his shirt.

Stone. Stone. Sto-

"Alright, here we are." Jungkook stopped the two princes in front of a grayish door that for once wasn't made of oak or any other type of wood. Rather, the door was made of heavy duty plated steel. Two heavily armored guards stood at attention on either side of the doorway holding long pikes. The guards didn't even acknowledge the trio as they stood there; their faces were locked in on-duty, blank stares.

As if Jungkook knew that the other princes were going to ask about this anomaly in his castle, he spoke up. "The planning room is the highest protected room in the castle. Can't have any secrets getting out. This room and several other rooms adjoining this one are all barricaded by several steel locks and handpicked guards that will kill on command. Before we enter, I need both of you to take an oath never to share what is contained within this room to another living soul."

Taehyung and Jimin looked at each other and back at Jungkook. The youngest's jaw was clenched, serious to the highest degree. Jimin cleared his thoat loudly, stepping closer to Jungkook. His open palm faced the expectant Oak Prince, a stiff hand of oath.

"I, Park Jimin, better known as the Stone Prince of Noirwood and sworn protector of the north, swear on my life and soul that nothing I see or hear inside of the collection of rooms I am about to go into will ever leave be told to another living soul."

Then, Jimin bowed down all the way to the floor, rested his forehead on the smooth carpet of the hallway for three seconds, and straightened up to meet Jungkook's face. Why is he looking at me like that?

In Jungkook's eyes swam a strange expression that Jimin was confused to see...

Amusement?

Jungkook simply nodded his head in acceptance of the sincere pledge and motioned for the Laurel Prince to do his part.

"I, Kim Taehyung, pledge to Jeon Jungkook that I will keep all his secrets safe for him. I won't gossip about his rooms to anyone I know or haven't met yet." Taehyung reached out his hand, but instead of a hand of oath, he waited for Jungkook to take his hand in a handshake. "I pledge on the entire Laurel Castle and all the caskets of wine in my cellar."

Jungkook was surprised but didn't hesitate to grab Taehyung's hand and give it a good shake. The younger grinned while shaking his head softly. Taehyung's playful antics never failed to make everyone smile. Jimin noted that whenJungkook smiled, his teeth bowed out a bit, giving him a youthful look.

Giving him a...what was it Taehyung said before?

Cuter look.

The two princes exchanged some sort of telepathy between each other during the handshake that Jimin couldn't put his finger on. He crossed his arms, waiting for the prolonged handshake to end. Finally, the other princes released each other's hands, and Taehyung spoke with a hint of mischief in his voice.

"Hey boss, that was good enough, yeah?"

Jungkook rolled his eyes in a mock annoyance with a smile still dancing on his lips. "Yeah yeah Taehyung, you were believable. But I think Jimin did it with more finesse."

Taehyung clicked his tongue. "Finesse? That's called kissing up."

Jimin huffed and pushed Taehyung a little, getting a happy laugh out of the blonde male.

"So immature." Jimin commented as the guards allowed them to pass through the large steel doors and into the inner chambers of the planning room.

Oak Prince

As the two guests of the castle followed Prince Jeon into the planning room, Jungkook felt a pang of pride. Despite his younger age, Jungkook was technically the one calling the shots in this situation. He felt a bit empowered, which also came with the fear of failure, but after Taehyung's small talk with him in the garden, he felt more reassured of himself.

His confidence was restored for the moment.

Jungkook directed the other two princes towards a long table in the back of a large room that had the entire map of Noirwood stretched across it. In a large black region on the very top of the map was a region simply titled 'off limits.' Jihoon's land. Jungkook pushed his index finger into the black cloth that laid over this area and sighed, looking up at his counterparts.

The Stone Prince and Laurel Prince were standing next to different parts of the map, near their respective kingdoms. They were both studying the intricacies of the map with fervor, noting the details that were put into the vast sheet with awe. The Oak Prince spent a lot of time piecing different aspects of the kingdom into this single map, and it showed. There wasn't another map of Noirwood out there with equal detail.

"How do you know where my summer getaway is located?" Taehyung asked with a sort of accusatory tone. "Nobody should know where that is! It's a family secret...or at least, it was. Do you have spies set up in my castle, Jeon?"

Jungkook shook his head, snorting quietly to himself. "No, Taehyung. Based off of reports of certain members of your court who...leak things here and there...my intelligence deducted that the location I have mapped would likely be where you retire to in the colder months. Simple deduction. But alas Taehyung, stop pouting at me like that! I don't have time to explain where my sources come from. You'll just have to trust me."

Jimin was silent. Taehyung petted the area on the map that housed his winter getaway with a sad look in his eyes. "I guess I'll have to relocate..."

Jungkook ignored Taehyung's whining and began to lay out his plan as he walked around the table, tracing his finger along the paths that slithered between regions of Noirwood. He made little gestures with his hands to help clarify his thoughts to the other two princes who were standing patiently at opposite ends of the table.

"Before we do anything, we need to secure the Stone Castle. This is our first and foremost priority. The Kim Castle has ample reinforcements, so we need to get a messenger out as quickly as possible out to put in the troop order. Based off of what we know of Jihoon's territory, I'm guessing a few thousand troops should be enough to at least stave off his army for a while."

Jungkook brushed past Jimin, who was standing near his own castle on the map. Jimin's hip jutted to the side as he considered what Jungkook said about his castle. The Stone Prince's gray eyes studied the miniature replica of his castle on the page, intensity (and bloodlust?) in his gaze. Jimin looks really scary like that.

Jungkook went on, averting his gaze from the Stone Prince's troubled face. "Once we secure Jimin's castle and Jihoon's army is at an impasse, he'll probably try to reach out to me somehow...whether it's luring one of us in or claiming that he wants to negotiate, he'll make a move for some kind of reconciliation."

Jimin seemed satisfied with the idea that the reinforcement of his castle was the top priority, but to Jungkook he appeared a bit hesitant where Jungkook was going with his plan. Even Taehyung licked his lips in doubt at the word reconciliation.

"At that point, when his troops are in our hands and he's on the brink of collapse...I think I can go there and talk him out of full war. I can get him to pull his troops out of Noirwood-"

"No." Taehyung snapped his head up and rushed over to the northern portion of the map where the other two princes were standing. "Nuh-uh, no Jungkook. I do not stand by that. Sending you to your uncle who's tried to kill you before? Blasphemy."

Jungkook was taken aback by the strong opposition coming from the man who had just joked around with him in the garden moments ago. Taehyung's dark eyes were piercing into his own, as if trying to freeze Jungkook and his plan in place. Jimin positioned himself next to Taehyung, arms crossed. Jimin licked his lips before speaking.

"I'm on Taehyung's side with this one, Jungkook. I know you are a great orator and might actually be able to convince your uncle to stop, but we can't risk it. Too dangerous."

"Jimin's right. The stakes are too high...I mean, he tried to murder his own nephew! Randomly! Out of the blue! I don't think reconciliation with a man like that is optimal. He should pay for trying to kill a royal." Taehyung shook his head in incredulity, rage twisting his features.

"I understand all of that, I really do..." Jungkook began tracing his finger down the paths that his uncle's huge army would probably stream down in the coming days. "But I at least want to try to postpone this war before it gets out of hand. If we hurt or capture Jihoon, his army will attack Noirwood. At least if I try to work it out with him verbally, he might stay away for a while-"

"Jungkook." Jimin placed his hands flat on the map and stared at the mini gray walls of the Stone Castle. "Jihoon won't relent until he gets what he wants, which is this kingdom...and you dead. Even if you did break the pact, it was because he wanted you to, don't you get that? He set this up. He did it on purpose to wage war. No amount of talking will change that...even if you do send him away for a while, it's just postponing the issue. He'll be back eventually."

"Exactly." Taehyung nodded aggresively, glancing over at Jungkook with no sign of his bright smile anywhere on his face. Jungkook flinched at the sight. "If Jihoon wants a fight, I say we give him one."

Jungkook began chewing his lip as the words of the other two princes sank into his skin. He knew that they were right, that a fight was inevitable. He just didn't want the kingdom to be thrown into wreckage. He hated death, hated fighting...the body count would skyrocket because of him--the Oak Prince--and the people of Noirwood might criticize his handling of the situation. I don't want this to come to war, but the others do...it's two to one, but I technically still have say over it. I'm his nephew...I own the largest portion of Noirwood...ugh.

Taehyung came up to Jungkook's side. He pulled his rings off, setting them in key places on the map as makeshift symbols.

"Before we think about war though, you'll need your intelligence sources, right?" Taehyung shifted the rings around to three separate locations around the top of the map near the path that led out of Jihoon's northern empire. "If you place your three best spies here, I can send three squadrons out from the Laurel Castle on camouflage duty to keep your men hidden from Jihoon's scouts."

Jimin tilted his head and turned to Taehyung. "Camouflage duty? You train your soldiers on blending in? Stealth is an important part of battle. That's smart."

"There's nothing my soldiers can't do, really." Taehyung bragged proudly. "They haven't lost me a fight yet and I don't expect them to any time soon."

Jungkook finally opened his mouth to respond to the suggestions of the two princes. He made up his mind. "I..." Jungkook sighed. "I'll agree to the spies and the squads...but at least let me write Jihoon a letter if you won't let me meet with him when the time comes."

Jimin scoffed. "You really think a letter will get through to that asshole's head? He'll just think of you as a coward for not meeting him in person and tear it up on the spot. It would probably be more to your advantage to declare war now than try for reconciliation later."

Jungkook glanced up at Jimin and nodded once, eyes trailing in rapid patterns along different parts of the map. Taehyung picked the rings up off of the map and placed them back on his long fingers when Jungkook turned on his heel and walked south along the table to the Oak Castle, talking to himself.

"Jihoon...do you really want the kingdom of Noirwood...or do you just want me dead to spite your brother?"

Jimin and Taehyung followed Jungkook down the side of the table, listening to Jungkook's words with growing unease. Jungkook hummed to himself as he thought. After several moments of lip biting and small sounds coming from the younger prince, he finally turned to face the Laurel and Stone Princes.

"Alright, Jimin, Taehyung. I'll agree to your suggestions. But I will not declare war yet. By no means am I declaring that at this moment...and Mr. Kim, you will NOT have your army think that this battle is the beginning of a war. I want them to think of it as subduing the threat and nothing more." Jungkook pointed his finger at the blonde prince as if to discipline him. Taehyung nodded silently, his eyes piercing into Jungkook. The Oak Prince looked away, not able to handle the intensity of the look he was getting from the older male.

"And Mr. Park." Jungkook started, looking at the solemn gray-haired male. "You will command Taehyung's army when it arrives at the Stone Castle in a few days."

Jimin blinked at him. "Pardon? Did you just say-"

"WHAT! No!" Taehyung was aghast, pushing right up next to Jungkook. He frowned deeply. "You don't have the authority to tell me who can and cannot command my troops, Jeon. I get you have more say in this than we do, but my troops are mine. You're overstepping the line there, telling Jimin he'll command the Laurel Army." Taehyung's voice was filled with something sharp and Jungkook didn't like it one bit.

"Listen Taehyung." Jungkook kept his voice concentrated and steady so the older male knew he meant business. "It's Jimin's castle that will be the target of attack. Jimin knows the ins and outs of the land much better than you do and he has more experience in battle. Jimin is the better candidate for commanding the troops whether they're his or not Taehyung...you have to understand that."

Taehyung pointed his finger into Jungkook's chest and lightly stomped his foot on the wooden floor. The sound echoed throughout the room. No longer was the kind, outgoing Taehyung there, but an angry and fearsome Laurel Prince.

"I know the limits and capacities of my soldiers better than that northern stick wielder, Jeon. I've also been in lots of battles before and I'm highly qualified to do the same task that you're ordering Jimin to do." Taehyung's pupils were filled with flecks of red.

"I don't doubt that, Taehyung. But-"

"Oh, but let me guess...you think that Jimin is the better fighter based off of exaggerated rumors?" Taehyung seethed now, brown eyes shaking with the sudden mood change that scared both of the princes in the room. "Well well, Oak Prince. Have you ever been in battle? Seen good people die in front of you when you least expect it?" Taehyung leaned in further so that Jungkook could smell the oil that the blonde had applied that morning.

"Taehyung, you're taking this too personally." Jungkook pushed the older prince away lightly with his hand. "This isn't about who is better. This is about who has the right of command-"

"Let me have some input in this." Jimin quickly stepped in between the two princes and separated them. Jungkook watched as the gray-haired male turned toward Taehyung and stood up tall to meet his dangerous gaze. "You really ticked me the fuck off with that stick-wielder comment. Plus, those 'rumors' about me aren't exaggerated. But of course you wouldn't know that, blondie."

Taehyung pushed at the Stone Prince's chest, brows raised in agitation. "This isn't fair Park, and you fucking know it!"

"How about we duel it out then, make it fair? That battle we've been discussing about the better fighter...let's make it happen." Jimin raised his voice and his jaw was set in stone. "Whoever wins the duel wins the right to command the Laurel Army." Oh my god, these two...

Taehyung was huffing by then, trying extremely hard to keep his calm. After several seconds of silence, the Laurel Prince seemed to consider Jimin's words. Jungkook winced as the blonde opened his mouth.

"Deal."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHORS NOTE

Yo yo yo yo what is up!!?

The sky is up. The ceiling is up. Also! My love for y'all is up. <3 (had to go all cheesy on ya there, you know?)

Who do you think will win the duel, the Laurel Prince or the Stone Prince?

I'm betting on the swords to win. Good point. Get it? Good point of the sword. Owchie...

Also, here's a super super super! (did i say super?) cute fanart of the Stone Prince that Wondering_Music has beautifully created. <3 I adore it so so so much!!! What talent! I could NEVER! (:

(Ahhhhh help! I'm IN ABSOLUTE LOVE 💜💜💜)

izzy