^{I literally have no excuse for how long I took to update this time. All I gotta say is sometimes I lose motivation and I hope you all will forgive me for that <3}

^{Anyways, this chapter is jam packed with a lot of new things and characters so I hope you enjoy! If anything confuses you feel free to ask me in the comments :)} 

Rain clouds unfurled like dark flowers overhead as the small group of knights made their way to the village on horseback.

Taehyung clung to Minho’s back while they trotted along, letting his eyes rake over the rolling hills and smattering of farmland. He wondered if anyone back at the castle had noticed he was missing yet, and what they were going to do when they found out.

Prince Yoongi and Prince Jimin’s ceremony is more important right now, Taehyung abysmally thought. They won’t care if i’m gone.

The busy village started to appear in the distance. It was a cluster of dirt buildings and huts, all varying in size with straw roofs. The market square was the first thing they could visibly see. The villager’s huts were farther out.

The air grew pungent with the smell of fresh vegetables, fish and other various meats as they drew closer. Taehyung noticed the way the villagers looked up at the knights with a mixture of both reverence and fear. They were probably an intimidating bunch, minus little old Taehyung who meekly hung on to Sir Choi.

“We’re here,” Minho announced, more for Taehyung’s sake than anyone else. “I want three of you to get meats, three of you to get vegetables and grains, and the rest of you to follow me. We need new clothes, and elixirs for the wounded.”

“Yes sir!” the troops answered back, and quickly split up to complete their tasks.

Taehyung, Minho and the remaining four knights who were with them decided to walk through the market on foot. They guided their horses along by their reigns and Taehyung made sure to stick close so that he wouldn’t get lost.

The market felt a lot more crowded now that they were on everyone else’s level, and he felt eyes boring holes into the back of his head as they walked. Word probably spread all across the kingdom about the boy from the Southern clan who was now in the Prince’s court. Taehyung wondered if people knew who he was. He wondered if they were looking at him because of that, or because they were simply surprised to see someone from the Southern clan in their village, much less walking with a group of the King’s knights.

A light drizzle started up, and a few people clung to the edges of the square, making sure to keep under store awnings and cart roofs as they haggled with vendors. Others just walked through the rain, wishing to complete their errands and get home, their hairs damp from the mist.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen rain,” Minho remarked, while peeking at a few cotton tunics an old man had laid out. “The farmers are probably rejoicing.”

Taehyung thought back to the days when he and his cousins used to splash around in the muddy puddles left by intense rainstorms overnight. His mother always scolded him when he came home with sopping wet clothes, telling him he needed to stop behaving like a child and go out for pick-pocket runs with his sisters like a normal teenager. Taehyung took the harsh lectures with a sheepish smile and bowed head.

He wondered what his mother would say about him now.

As they ventured farther into the market, Taehyung sidestepped donkeys dragging carts of bagged rice and watched Minho bargain with sellers. The way everyone in the market spoke was pretty aggressive, but there was also a level of respect there.

“I think we’ve got a deal with this seller, but he doesn’t want everyone to know he is giving me a discount,” Minho turned and whispered to him, while the shop owner retreated into the back of his shop. “I’ll be just a moment. Wait here.”

Minho disappeared further into the cluttered store, and Taehyung stood in the doorway, patiently waiting for his return. At first he listened in on the other knights' conversations about the pretty maids they left behind at the castle, but then his mind started to wander and so did his eyes.

Taehyung observed the people walking back and forth, their tattered shoes splashing in the mud, the loud clamoring of voices and the constant smell of rain. He scanned the storefronts as well, reading signs he was never able to read before Junmeyeon’s help. The letters and symbols made him miss his teacher dearly, but he pushed the kind tutor out of his head and continued taking everything in.

His gaze suddenly stopped and landed on a dark shop with an awning that hung lower than the others. The place was cast in shadows and there were trinkets hanging in the doorway. Some of them shimmered, and some of them were just dried flowers and twigs wrapped together with twine. The scrawling letters etched into the top of the doorway read ‘Magik Shop’ and Taehyung was instantly intrigued.

He wondered if whoever ran the shop knew the same kind of magic as him, Namjoon and Yoongi.

Thinking of Yoongi made Taehyung swallow roughly, but he clenched his fists and took a step out the doorway. Just once, he glanced back to see if any of the guards noticed him walking away, but they were still huddled together and reliving old memories, so Taehyung disappeared further into the crowd.

He made a beeline for the shop, a weird, invisible thread drawing him closer and closer. It was like a tug of some kind, and he wondered if it had to do with all of the odd objects that lined the store’s walls on rickety bookshelves.

Taehyung stopped in the doorway, and looked inside before entering. He couldn’t see anyone behind the counter set up towards the back, but the door was open so he ventured further inside. The smell of incense, wax candles and old wood caressed his nose and sent a tingle up his spine. His fingers brushed the spines of ancient books, and shimmering rocks of all different shapes and colors.

He stumbled upon a tiny doll that looked to be made of straw. It had needles sticking out of it’s middle, and when his hand slowly inched toward it someone suddenly cleared their throat right behind him.

Taehyung whirled around and came face to face with a person wearing a black cloak.

He gasped and took a step back.

“I would not do that if I were you,” the person croaked, and when they tilted their head upwards he realized it was a woman with pale as the moon skin. “A tortured soul is trapped in that doll. Touching it would be… catastrophic.”

Her eyes were piercing, and Taehyung had no choice but to look away and take a deep breath.

“I-I am sorry,” he quickly replied. “I saw this shop and I was curious.”

“Most people are,” the woman hummed. She looked neither old nor young, and it kind of reminded Taehyung of Namjoon. “What brings you here, young wizard?”

Taehyung blinked in surprise, his eyes following the woman as she walked towards the counter in the back, her cloak sweeping the weathered floorboards. “How did you- I’m not--”

“But aren’t you?” she cooed, eyes sparkling with a certain energy as she regarded Taehyung again. “Magic pulsates deep within you, I can tell. You are no master yet, but you are honing it.”

Taehyung couldn’t speak so he just nodded.

“I thought so,” the woman smiled. “You may address me as ‘Wise One’. I am a seer but I also dabble in a few spells from time to time. Was there anything in particular you were looking for? Anything you wanted to know?”

Taehyung thought back to all the times he wished there was someone who could give him all the answers, but he quickly shook his head and angled his body towards the exit. Namjoon had taught him a lesson on seers before. He told him about how dangerous they could be. If one looked too far into their future, they could end up seeing some very unpleasant things, and also unknowingly change the course of their destined path.

Sometimes the change was good, other times it could be devastating.

“Like I said before, I was just curious.”

Wise One’s smirk immediately lowered, but she didn’t let Taehyung’s answer discourage her. Her hands caressed the counter as she leaned forward, and Taehyung caught sight of her long fingernails, sharpened into pointy tips.

“Well then, send my regards to his highness,” she purred, and Taehyung was surprised by that. He stared up at her ruby red lips in shock, and flinched when he looked up further to see her eyes staring holes into him. “He and I have crossed paths many times before.”

“I will see to it that he receives your greetings,” Taehyung was barely able to sputter, before walking out of the shop with quick steps and his heart pounding hard in his chest.

He was walking so fast he didn’t even notice the old lady he stumbled into.

“Watch where you’re going, lad!” the woman crowed, shawl flying off her head as she buckled on weak joints.

Taehyung quickly grabbed her arm before she could fall and started spilling out apology after apology.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah just step out of my way,” the elderly woman grumbled, but when her annoyed glare landed on Taehyung it suddenly melted into that of shock.

“Y-You…” she whispered, and Taehyung blinked at her in confusion.

He pointed to himself with a gaping mouth. “Me?”

“Yes!” the lady snapped, her brows furrowing again, and Taehyung jumped. “You are the Kim’s boy! The one who was captured a few seasons ago!”

Taehyung’s brows darted up in shock, and when his eyes scanned the woman’s chest he found exactly what he was looking for. The pendant only members of the Southern Clan wore, hung proudly from her chest.

“Everyone thought you were dead!” she continued on, taking a few steps forward and clutching Taehyung’s arms. He felt uncomfortable but his legs wouldn’t move. “But your father knew. He knew you would return someday and free us from this terrible curse.”

Taehyung was even more confused than ever before now. “Curse? What curse?”

The hunched over old woman started shaking her head and waving her hands. “No time to explain it now. You must come with me. I must take you back to your father.”

Taehyung pulled his arm away from her knobby fingers. “No! I can not just… I am not the same person I was before. I can not just go back to… to… them. To all of you.”

The woman looked shocked for a moment, but then her eyes fell on his neck and she was reaching for him again. Before Taehyung could stop her, she pushed past his collar and pulled out his own pendant that he had been keeping tucked under his shirt.

“This is who you are,” she hissed. “Whether you like it or not. Now come, you at least owe the Kims an explanation.”

“Fine,” Taehyung huffed, snatching the pendant from her. “But--”

“Taehyung!”

He spun around to see Minho pushing through the crowd and making his way towards him. The other guards were following close behind.

“We searched all over the square for you!” Minho said as he came to a stop in front of him. His face was twisted with worry. “Where did you run off to? I told you to wait right there.”

“Knights,” the old woman spat, a frosty look in her eyes, and Minho glanced at her wearily.

“Taehyung who is this? And why must she glare at me so?”

The brunette grabbed Sir Choi’s arm and pulled him over to the side so that they could talk in private. The guards kept a close eye on the old lady while she regarded them up and down.

“She is someone from my clan,” Taehyung quickly explained, getting a surprised look from Minho. “I don’t know what she is doing all the way out here but… she wants to take me back to my family.”

“No,” the knight immediately protested. “You musn’t. Prince Yoongi would have my head if I let anything bad happen to you.”

“His highness is occupied.”

“Taehyung--”

“He does not care for me!” Taehyung blurted, and he nervously glanced at the old lady and the guards who were now staring at him because of his little outburst. Lowering his voice, he whispered, “All Prince Yoongi cares about is this Kingdom. Whether or not I return to my clan does not concern him.”

Minho looked like he wanted to argue against that statement, but Taehyung pressed on.

“Besides, I do not intend to stay there. A part of me would like to see my family, but I also know that I can not stay with them. That is not my place anymore.”

“At least let me come with you,” Minho sighed. “As extra protection. What if they force you to stay?”

Taehyung’s gaze darkened as he looked at the old woman again. “No one can make me do anything I do not wish to do anymore. I can defend myself.”

Minho rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “I know, but I am still coming. We will take my horse and I shall send the rest of my knights back to the camp.”

Taehyung looked up into Minho’s warm eyes and finally relented with a nod. He could tell that there would be no swaying his new found friend.

“Excellent, I’ll go inform the others.”

Minho walked off to go address his men and Taehyung approached the old lady again. She was adjusting her shawl and covering the grays on her head once more.

“I will let you take me to my parents,” Taehyung said, “But Sir Choi comes with me.”

The woman crinkled up her nose in disgust but shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

“So, you know my parents personally?” he questioned, while they waited for Minho to return with his steed. “I can’t remember seeing you around the village much, and I thought I knew of everyone.”

“The name is Haneul,” the old woman informed. “I like to wander, which is why you probably have no recollection of me. I can’t stay within the confines of our village, unlike most people from our clan, but as opposed to you I always return home.”

Taehyung guiltily stared down at his feet. One of his deepest darkest fears had always been that everyone from his clan considered him to be a traitor.

“Yes, I know your parents. I practically helped raise your mother.”

Taehyung thought of his mother’s brazen attitude and feisty spirit. He now saw where she got it from.

“What did you mean by ‘curse’?” he asked.

Haneul looked up at him with a storm brewing in her dark eyes.

“That wretched prince of yours took away our fire.”

A sudden realization dawned on Taehyung. A memory that he had almost forgotten.

“He took away our will to steal.”

~+~

Hooves clopped along the muddy earth as Yoongi and his troops set out to find Taehyung.

They were pushing on as fast as they could, but he knew they still weren't going fast enough. If his knights were correct and Taehyung did slip away with the group that left for the border that morning, there was no telling how far ahead he could have been now.

Yoongi just prayed the younger would decide to stay put and not venture further.

The storm clouds rumbled and Yoongi grimaced when a raindrop plopped on to his cheek. If they didn't hurry the rain would just slow them down.

“We will be reaching the border shortly, your highness,” Seokjin announced, increasing his horse’s speed so that it was at an even pace with Yoongi’s. “Do you know what you will say to him once he is standing in front of you?”

Yoongi clenched his jaw, eyes trained on the beaten up trail before him. Finding Taehyung had been on the forefront of his mind, giving him very little time to figure out what he was going to say to the younger when he saw him. The advisor’s question made him think all sorts of thoughts. Thoughts of him being too tongue tied to speak, and Taehyung walking away in frustration.

“Truthfully, I’m not sure,” he finally answered. “But one thing is for certain, I will make sure he understands how sorry I am… for everything.”

~+~

The journey to the Southern clan wasn’t that long, but Sir Choi knew it would be a few hours, so he made sure his men gave him and Taehyung some of their rations before they left.

Taehyung was chewing on said rations, when the road started to get more and more familiar. The rain stopped an hour ago, leaving the knight’s horse to canter through sodden ground. The brunette felt sorry for whoever would be cleaning his hooves later.

The air was somewhat humid, and the wide open plains quickly turned into thick foliage. Much like the forest that surrounded the castle, the Southern clan was also protected by a barrier of trees.

Although, while the castle’s greenery had a light and crips feel to it, the one leading towards the Southern clan could only be described as dark and dreary. Taehyung’s sisters used to purposely throw things into the forest and then force him to go get them. Memories of ducking under crooked branches and jumping at the sound of snapped twigs flitted through his brain as the sun dipped lower in the sky. In a few hours it would be night time, and Taehyung realized with a start that his escape from the castle was successful, seeing as how no one found him yet.

“Forewarning, you might be turned away,” Haneul spoke up from where she sat in the cart attached to Sir Choi’s horse. “Us Southerners don’t react kindly to knights.”

She practically spat the last word, but Taehyung could feel Minho chuckle from where his arms were wrapped around him. “I can be very persuasive.”

They didn’t say anything else until the sight of two torches blazing warm and bright came into view. Taehyung instantly recognized it as the entrance to his village, and he sat up a little straighter behind Sir Choi. Past the torches were cottages of various sizes, made from wood and mud, scattered amongst a clearing that was bustling with activity. Women walked back and forth holding baskets of food or clothing, while children ran around on bare feet, waving sticks after eachother like swords. There were a few men here and there, but they mostly stayed confined to their porches, talking amongst themselves over tin cups filled to the brim with rum.

“So this is the Southern Clan?” Minho whispered, a low whistle escaping him.

Taehyung was too tongue tied to respond. He couldn’t believe he actually returned to the place where he grew up. No matter how poorly he was treated here, he couldn’t hide the small thrum of excitement that coursed through him. There would always be a part of him that missed the small cottages and earthy scent.

Minho meandered his horse through the entrance and kept his head held high as people started to curiously peer up at them. Some of the women grabbed their children and quickly ushered them inside, while the men intimidatingly stood up from their chairs.

“Stop here,” Haneul commanded, and barely waited for Sir Choi to bring his horse to a stop before she was hobbling out of the cart. “If you go any further they’ll see you as a threat. Keep quiet and let me do the talking.”

Just as Minho was nodding in agreement, a middle aged woman holding a cutlass in her hand walked up to them and stopped five feet away. There was a smudgy faced child with her, clutching on to her leg and hiding half of his face behind her skirt.

“You have returned, Miss Haneul,” the woman greeted. “But with who?”

Haneul situated herself in front of Minho’s horse and placed her hands on her hips.

“Now, now Chungae. Is that anyway to speak to an elder and the son of Kim Taekon?”

When her name left Haneul’s mouth, Taehyung suddenly remembered who the woman was. He sometimes saw his mother speaking with her, and he wouldn’t have been surprised if they stole together as well. Taehyung remembered a couple of nights when her kids had to sleep over and he was forced to give up his bed.

Chungae raised a single brow and placed a hand on her hip while cocking it to the side.

“Taekon’s son?” she questioned. “That’s nonsense, Miss Haneul. Everyone knows Kim Taehyung is either dead or locked up in a dungeon at the castle. He was caught. No one gets caught and lives to tell the tale.”

Taehyung can’t see Haneul’s face from where he’s sitting, but she must have smirked because Chungae now wore a disgruntled expression.

“I should have placed a bet on that,” the old woman sighed. “Come show your face child.”

Taking that as his que, Taehyung quickly hopped off of Minho’s horse and heard a collective gasp from the crowd that was beginning to form. He hesitated for a moment, sticking close to Minho’s leg, but the knight gave him an encouraging smile before nudging him to go stand next to the old woman.

in air through his nose and then letting out a deep breath through his mouth, Taehyung slowly walked forward and kept his eyes on the ground. It wasn’t until he was right next to Hanna that he decided to look up, and saw the shocked expression on Chungae’s face.

They stared at one another for a few heartbeats, and then Chungae was yelling over her shoulder without breaking eye contact. “Someone go fetch Taekon and Haewon…”

There was a spark of wonder in her irises.

“...Tell them their son has returned!”

~+~

Yoongi knew there was something wrong as soon as they reached the border.

He wasn’t worried about how deserted the place seemed upon arriving. That was to be expected considering the rainfall. Everyone was most likely in their tents. No, what worried him were the looks on the faces of the knights who greeted him. They could barely meet his eye. The guilt was dripping off of them like sweat.

The prince didn’t need his magic to tell him that they were nervous about something.

“Your highness,” one of them said with a deep bow, before staring up at Yoongi. He refused to get off his horse before he knew for sure if Taehyung was there or not. “What brings you back to the border after such a recent trip?”

“Someone from my court is missing,” he announced, looking to all of the other knights that had gathered around as well. “I’m in search of Kim Taehyung, from the Southern clan.”

A few of their eyes widened and Yoongi’s own narrowed at the observation.

“If you know where he is you must tell me immediately. We were lead to believe that he came here.”

The knight who greeted him bowed his head and went down on one knee, causing all of the others to do so well. Each of them paying no mind to the muddy ground.

“He did, my prince!” the knight admitted, and something in Yoongi’s chest bubbled up with hope. He was about to dismount from Tip’s back, but the knight spoke up again, his voice trembling.

“I-I’m sorry, your highness, but he…,” the knight swallowed roughly before continuing. “He went on a journey to the Southern clan.”

Yoongi’s blood ran cold. “He went… He went home?”

The air froze over as silence took hold of them, each of them practically feeling the prince’s dread and agitation. Seokjin decided to speak up in his stead, probably noticing how Yoongi’s hands clutched the reins even tighter than before. It was making Tip’s hooves beat the ground restlessly.

“Is he alone?” the advisor asked, directing his question towards the helpful knight who was now shivering. “A journey like that can’t be completed without rations or a horse.”

The knight raised his head. “He is with Sir Choi and an old woman they met at the market. I believe she is from the Southern clan as well. I saw the pendant swinging from her neck.

“Thank you,” Seokjin said sincerely. “You have been a great help.”

He quickly dismissed the knights, though a few of them seemed hesitant to leave without the prince’s command, but Seokjin assured them it was alright.

After they were gone, he looked back at their small group. He took in Jungkook’s exhausted but determined face, and the way a few of the other knights were yawning into their fists. It was either they stopped there to replenish their supply and energy, or they kept going on Prince Yoongi’s command.

Sighing, Seokjin faced forward again and pushed up his glasses.

“We shall move at your orders, my prince,” he called over to him.

Yoongi was quiet for a second more, before pulling on Tip’s reigns and steering him South.

“Onward!”

~+~

The sea of thieves parted as a tall man with brown hair dusted with grays drew closer.

Taehyung felt like running away, but there was also something rooting him to the spot. His parents were never fond of him, and he could only imagine how they would greet him after being caught red handed. That was the one rule they had in that godforsaken place: never get caught.

Not only that, but I betrayed them. I gave the prince the information he needed to cast that spell.

All too soon, Chunghae was now the last person to step aside, and when Taehyung’s eyes landed on his father he felt his heart jump up to his throat.

Before he could even think of getting a word out, his mother was appearing before him as well, her pitch black hair cascading down her back like it always did. She was giving him a scrutinizing look, one that he was all too familiar with, and Taehyung startled himself with how much he wanted to hug her.

No matter what, they are still my family.

Everyone watching hushed their murmuring as soon as his father opened his mouth.

“To think you’ve been alive this whole time…” he started, crossing his arms and staring Taehyung up and down. The brunette was almost drowning in the large brown cloak he wore, but it was clear as day that he had more meat on his bones now than he did before. “What have you been up to at that castle boy? You look healthy for someone who was supposedly captured.”

“Sumi and Sunhee told us everything. About how the prince caught you because you failed to run away in time,” his mother spoke up, staring at him down the length of her nose as she tilted her chin up.

At the mention of his sisters’ names, Taehyung looked around. He couldn’t see them in the crowd or behind his parents.

“They didn’t want to come,” Taekon explained, noticing Taehyung’s wondering eyes. “And I don’t blame them. Explain yourself, boy. If you got away and returned then that must mean you stole something to bring back to us. That’s the only way we return.”

Taehyung knew this. He used to hear it a lot growing up. He and his sisters were told to not come home unless they had something. When it came to the twins, they were always praised for their big finds and valuable objects, meanwhile Taehyung was lucky if he could even manage to swipe a loaf of bread.

“You said it yourself, Taekon,” Haneul spoke up, and Taehyung had to hold himself back from visibly sighing in relief. “You said the boy would return and save us all from this curse. Here he is, in the flesh.”

“You’re right,” Taekon nodded, eyes steely. “I did, but hat still does not explain his empty hands and the knight behind him.”

Taehyung swallowed thickly before holding his hands out, palms up. He had no idea if this was the right move or not, but he needed to do something before his parents grew suspicious of him. It was his fault Sir Choi had been dragged into the mess, and he didn’t want the knight to get hurt because of it.

“I did steal something,” he announced, before clearing his throat and adding a certain firmness to his words. He didn’t want them to think they were dealing with the same frail Taehyung from before. He could protect himself against their mistreatment now. He had something more powerful than their words and fists. Something they could only dream about.

Taehyung pictured the dove from Namjoon’s scroll. He imagined the white wings unfurling and flapping in the breeze, its soft feathers ruffling slightly against the wind. Keeping that vivid image in mind, Taehyung bent down to swipe up a rock from the ground. He could see Chungae tighten her grip on the cutlass, but he ignored her and threw the rock in the air.

All of the thieves looked up at the rock with a perplexed but guarded expression, ready to jump into action if necessary.

Taehyung pressed his middle finger and thumb together, foreign words tumbling from his mouth faster than he could breath.

And then he snapped, and the rock was a dove within the blink of an eye. It hovered above the startled crowd before flying off and disappearing into the trees.

A conjuring spell. Namjoon would have been proud.

“Taehyung what was--”

Taehyung cut off his mother before she could finish, his heartbeat finally settling into a comfortable rhythm as he stood before his parents with confidence.

“I stole magic.”

^{Taehyung's little self discovery arc will be continuing through out the next couple of chapters so I hope you all are enjoying it so far! Also, did you like my inclusion of the "Magik Shop"? It's a refrence to the song but I also think I might have the 'Wise One' character return again soon!} 

^{Do you think Yoongi will find him next chapter?}

^{Will Taehyung forgive him?}

^{Will Daegu still be able to win the war with Busan's help?}

^{Keep checking back for more to find out!!}

(A/N: At first I named the old woman Hanna but i'm changing her name to Haneul because I just realized I already named someone Hanna lol)