"Will Hamin make it by tomorrow? What if the weather worsens?" Jungkook worried, completely ignoring the beautiful man beside him. An onslaught of jealousy towards the silvery ash-haired man was newly found, but Jungkook hadn't met anyone in his life who was better than him in any aspect, whether it was looks or fortune. Seeing someone who managed to carry himself like how Jimin had so effortlessly without a hint of makeup on his face, he couldn't help but feel threatened by him.

"He will make it, Jungkook. I know how much you were expecting him and I showed up alone. I am sorry for the disappointment," Lee Geon chuckled, taking the napkin and mirroring how Jungkook was delicately wiping the corner of his lips after each bite.

Jimin watched and heard everything with a keen sense.

"Jimin will be coming with us too, everyone. I hope you welcome our guest with warm hearts," the king's voice was now regal, feeling the humiliation that Jungkook wanted to send the guest's way by completely sidelining him from the conversation.

"I am so glad I get to spend more time with you, my lord. I promise I am good company." Jimin answered without paying heed to Jungkook's maneuvers.

"How so?" The prince asked now.

"Forgive my immodesty as it isn't my intention in saying this, my prince, but I am rather a strategic player of Jegichagi and chess. I can interest you in fencing too, if you fancy it anytime. I hear you are learning kendo these days. I can be of assistance with it."

"Hmm," the prince took a moment to narrow his eyes and look up and down at the counselor. "Please don't stress yourself." He said, shaking his head a little.

"How do I address you?" Jungkook continued to ask, turning his frame a little towards the guest and the dangling necklace on his chest blinded the man sitting beside him.

"You can call me by my name, my prince. I am fine if you call me Jimin." The counselor coaxed, wanting the conversation going for some time. 

"Jimin? That's not very noble of a prince to call a man by his name, although no-royal. I will refer you as the counselor if you don't mind me as it is what brings you here." Jungkook counter proposed, knowing that he couldn't be desisted or opposed. 

"As you please, my prince."

**

Jimin was strolling in the grand hall along the beautifully carved walls, deftly stroking his fingers against the etching. "Mr. Park," the king's voice stirred the man's concentration, so he turned towards him and bowed at the royal figure before standing straight. 

"You don't have to do this every day, Mr. Park. Just once as you see me the first time in the morning will do."

"Your majesty, it's very kind of you," Jimin honestly answered with a smile, fixing his clothes in case he wasn't presentable. "And you may call me Jimin."

"No," the king now began to stroll out with an understanding that the young fellow would follow. "You are kind for being here and to bear my son's wiles. I sincerely apologize for whatever may come. He isn't himself these days."

"You need not ask forgiveness, my lord. I am after all here for the job." Jimin convinced the royal figure and walked out into the castle's ward, under the open sky. The rain had subsided, but the ground was wet, the trees were whisking softly, drizzling down what remained on the surface of leaves. 

"As a father, I worry about his emotional health, and as a king of the kingdom, I worry about the future of my people. The prince is due for a coronation in three years and if he can't be a good man himself, he can't possibly become a selfless king. I know I have been putting a lot of pressure on you from day one, but understand that I don't doubt your caliber. Take your time, however long it takes. Do whatever needs to be done, I am with you in anything, but help my son."

"I am here at your service, sir. Please stand convinced that I will do my best." The counselor urged the king to trust his words. "What kind of a man has the prince been in his life? It would help me to understand him better from a perspective."

"Jungkook has always been kind, funny, and considerate. He used to play with royal guards, commanding them to seek him as he hid. Lately, whenever he came home on holidays, we found changes in his behavior, but they were no more than physical attributes," the king sighed calmly, feeling the silence around them and the air nipping his exposed skin. "He learned new things from his friends every time — a new language, or the accent, a novel dish, or the funny table manners. It was all fine because we knew he was at a young age when he learned a lot and practiced it. Over the years, he turned more whimsy and temperamental. When he hardly screamed, something began to fester in him so that he burst into fury multiple times a day, unable to help it."

Jimin was all but focused on each expression and so he gathered the words to ask his next question. "Are you aware of any incident that took place at his school, your majesty?"

"As far as I can say, he has never been the one to fall prey to the bullies as they came to know he was royalty. There isn't anything specific to him. His friends from the city were all from renowned families and I have met them personally. If I may intrude myself because he never said anything about it, he had no girl trouble."

"It is enough for now, your majesty." Jimin kept his words limited. 

"Thank you for waiting up until late to talk to me, Jimin. You may now rest as we leave early tomorrow. I hope you liked your chamber." The king's worry displaced a warm and welcoming smile as he put an arm over Jimin's shoulder. 

"I certainly did." Jimin bowed his head. 

"Have a good night, Jimin."

As the king turned away, Jimin stayed put, looking around everywhere. He could see the lights on in one of the chambers on the left portion of the castle. He reckoned it was the prince's room and the speculation was confirmed when he saw the crown prince walking out on his veranda, slowly taking off his necklace. As the man stood staring at the piece of jewelry on top, Jimin couldn't help but stare at him. 

"Sir, your chamber is ready now." The maid jostled Jimin's concentration when she reached him with her head bowing low, in alignment with royal protocols. "We apologize for the tardiness. The chandeliers were taken down and cleaned today so it took some time for the handymen to put them back up."

"It's quite alright, good lady. Have a good night." 

Jimin's legs trudged him back inside the castle and they halted at once as he spotted Jungkook in his robe, his chest exposed through the deep neck of his loose, silk fabric. Although what fascinated the counselor was, the prince's steely resolve was nowhere to be found and he acted as though the deer was caught in the headlights. 

"I-I was coming to get water," the prince felt the need to immediately explain himself to the guest, which made Jimin think. 

"Have a good night, prince." The counselor kept a soft smile and bowed his head before beginning to ascend the same stairway via which Jungkook was descending. 

Getting into his chamber, Jimin could see that the bed was near the window, freshly made. The said chandeliers were squeaky clean and lit. The counselor knew that this type of cleaning only happened once a month and, since the month had barely started a week ago, he wasn't sure why the chandeliers were being cleaned?

Regardless, a quick stroll toward the bathroom made him see the big tub situated in the middle of the room filled with water and garnished with rose petals. He took the temperature of it by dipping the finger, feeling the warmth of it. The mirror on the sink was life-sized, which allowed him to see his reflection. Combing up his hair with fingers, he was making his way towards it when he heard the voice of someone giggling. 

Knowing that it couldn't have been anyone other than a royal himself, he considered that it must be the prince. His room door was slightly ajar, so he walked over to close it first before taking a bath. 

The knots in the muscles relaxed after the long journey. When the castle was being built, he was just a child and would see the laborers carrying stones from the quarry with difficulty as the royal manor was situated on a hilltop. He wondered why the king didn't opt to stay in the mansion they had on the plains, but now he was well aware that this position wasn't a plateau, giving an advantage to the Beomsan dynasty in case of attack. The enemy would lose a considerable amount of strength if they were to attack the castle, and the view from here had an added advantage that helped the royal guards to monitor many situations. The only drawback was that if someone had to come to the castle, they could only do so if the king sent the royal carriages or cars.

The silvery ash-haired male pulled out his notebook and set it on the table before he scribbled— Jeon Jungkook, the crown prince.

The heading didn't suit him very well, considering the worst-case scenario if anyone stole the notes and he couldn't afford to risk the privacy of royals. Tearing apart the parchment, he crumpled it before throwing it in the fireplace. The paper burned crisp, little flames doused into bright sparks before it disappeared entirely. 

His hand moved again on its own, writing down what came — Moon. 

Suspected disorder, post-traumatic stress syndrome. Investigate the past and monitor the present. 

Moon is fragile and angry. They need to be taken care of with the utmost sincerity. The identity crisis signs show some dissociation. Moon needs to open up first. Task one is to make friends with them. The subject seems jealous and threatened.  

Jotting down his exhaustive analysis, he went to bed, at last. The comfortable bedding engulfed him in sleep almost instantly, but past midnight, his eyes turned open with something banging at the door.

Quickly fixing his robe, he sauntered towards the door in case the king had summoned him. When he peeked outside, the corridor was empty and he could see a little light filtering through a creak from the prince's room. He immediately turned his head towards the clock to see it was thirty-five past three. Not wanting to stalk, he returned to his table and immediately opened the page with the subject, Moon.

There seem to be signs of insomnia- 

His hands stopped before he could finish the sentence as something struck his mind. Running back to the door, he pulled it open and his eyes fell on a small button. He picked it up and closely looked at it for a few seconds before sliding it into his pajama pocket.

He knew they were supposed to be up in an hour and leaving the castle, so he couldn't go back to sleep, and now, he made peace with his suggestion that he offered to the king before they started dinner — this contingency plan of accompanying Jungkook to the congregation. 

The congregation used to be among the royal families from different kingdoms many years ago, but gradually, it has come down to family only, with a few exceptions of friends, and now Jimin has also made it to the list of exceptions.

He cleaned up quickly and still had a few minutes left when he heard the trollies being propelled throughout the corridor. Not wanting to be rude, he stayed in to give privacy to whoever it was, but the trip had commenced.

Not before long, his door was audibly knocked and he answered it in an instant to see a housekeeper. "The cars are ready, sir. You are expected by the king. I will take your bag." The attendant offered and Jimin allowed him inside, filing away.

His steps were careful while he trudged across the hallway, imagining what could have been the noise in the night, observing which lights on the ceiling were turned off, and then finally stealing a glance at the prince's chamber.

No one informed him that it indeed was a brown-haired male's room, but with the amount of luxury present inside, he was confident. From the wine spot on the rug to the solidified wax of the candles on top of the chandeliers, Jimin noticed everything he could at that moment before continuing his walk.