^{Hello beautiful people! I'm so happy with the way this story has been going which is why it's been the easiest to update out of all my ongoing fics! I hope you like this chapter :)}

^{Also thank you to each an every person who always faithfully leave comments, there's a special place in my heart just for you guys! <3} 

^{WARNING: There is some light, unconsentual touching towards the middle of this chapter so please tread lightly if that is triggering for you!!} 

With Minho following close behind him, Taehyung let his parents lead the way to their house. Haneul had disappeared into the crowd after the commotion died down, but Taehyung had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last time he saw her.

The thought of seeing his family home again made Taehyung nervously tug on his hair. Even though his parents were being warm and welcoming after his little display with the dove, he knew it had a lot to do with what he now had to offer. As much as he wanted to believe his family was welcoming him back because they missed him, his heart told him it was only because of his magic.

Sighing deeply, Taehyung ignored Minho’s concerned glances and stepped into what used to be his home. Familiar smells and pieces of furniture immediately assaulted his senses, causing his breath to hitch in the back of his throat.

The table he hit his forehead on when he was five was still there.

The nitch in the floor that kind of looked like a flower when you squinted hard enough was still there.

The earthy smell of wet grass and firewood still permeated the space, and Taehyung swallowed thickly against the memories that threatened to resurface.

“We’ll hold a feast!” his father announced, smiling wide and walking into the kitchen to inspect the state of their food supply. “We’ll invite the whole clan! Everyone should welcome back my son, The Magic Thief!”

Taehyung cringed as his father’s words hit his ear. All his life he had wanted the man to acknowledge him in some way, but for some reason it felt wrong now. Technically, he hadn’t stolen magic at all. Yoongi practically offered it to him on a silver platter, and thinking about it made Taehyung remember the daisies that used to get pushed behind his ear.

His stomach turned and he looked up.

Thinking about Yoongi wasn’t going to get him through the storm he just willingingly threw himself into.

His parents probably assumed he was going to stay and break the curse, but that hadn’t really been Taehyung’s intention. The only reason why he came was because he wanted to prove to his family that he did survive. Now he was caught up in this mess.

His mothered walked further into the house, probably to go get his sisters, and Taehyung glanced over at Minho while biting his lip. There was no way they were going to let the knight stay longer than one night, and if Minho was forced to leave without him then Taehyung wouldn’t be able to make it back to the border.

He felt trapped.

~+~

Yoongi leaned forward on Tip, urging the mare to press onward despite the exhaustion in her harsh breaths. A part of him felt bad for making her continue, but he needed to get to Taehyung before the younger decided to travel even further. He was also on a bit of a time constraint. Leaving the castle for too long was dangerous. His father wasn’t in the best condition at the moment.

Thinking of his father, Yoongi clenched his jaw. The man had been old but not sickly before all of this talk of war and allies. Something didn’t seem right. He felt like it was staring him right in the face, but he couldn’t put his finger on it for the life of him.

“The forest is growing thicker, I think we are close!” Seokjin announced from beside him. “The southern clan will not be thrilled about us storming their village, we should slow down!”

Yoongi only slowed down a fraction. He looked to the other side of him to see Sir Jeon staring ahead, just as determined, and it almost made him forgive the boy for being so careless.

“If we slow down too much, we risk losing him forever,” was all Yoongi had to say on the matter, and he ignored Seokjin’s sigh as they continued to gallop through the forest like they were going into battle.

Rain water fell from Yoongi’s wet hair as he shook his green fringe out of his eyes.

He didn’t care how thrilled the Southern clan would be, he was getting Taehyung back.

And they had better listen to their prince.

~+~

Taehyung felt strange.

He felt like he was an outsider looking in on a world he didn’t belong to. He sat at the long table his father and a few other men from the village had set up outside. The sun had long since disappeared below the horizon, and fireflies were out to play. He remembered summers in which he would cup them in his small hands before letting them go with a grin. His sisters always wanted to trap them in jars, but Taehyung prefered the giddy feeling he got as he watched the firefly flit around freely.

The moon shun high and heavy overhead, lighting up their feast. There were also a few candles set along the table, dripping wax into the wood as the Southern clad dug in. After spending so much time in the castle, Taehyung could see that his people didn’t have table manners at all.

His father laughed and talked with a full mouth of meat as he waved the large turkey leg in his hand around. Some men forgot their spoons all together and put their mouths straight to the lips of their bowls. The women talked excitedly and loud, their eyes aglow with secrets and gossip.

Taehyung took in all of the commotion and sighed. He felt like he was back to the way things were all those months ago. Back to being invisible and overlooked. Even with his new title as The Magic Thief, the Southern Clan only cared about themselves. Despite what his father said, they probably still saw him as the kid who could barely steal anything.

He didn’t touch his food, and looked over to see that Minho was doing much of the same. The older man was used to the boisterousness that came with men gathered together to eat, but the Southern Clan was crass, even for him.

Looking further, Taehyung was surprised to see one of his sisters staring at him with a calculative gaze. Sumi quickly looked away though, listening in closely to what Sunhee and another women from the village were talking about, and Taehyung wondered if his sisters would ever talk to him again.

They had been giving him the silent treatment.

“If I may!” a voice bellowed, and Taehyung looked up so see his father standing, a golden chalice that had most likely been stolen sitting snugly in his hand. “Let us all give a mighty cheer for my son, Kim Taehyung, The Magic Thief! May his new power grant him the ability to free us from this curse! May the Southern Clan steal once again!”

The table erupted in cheers and applause and Taehyung felt his heart thunder in his chest. How was he going to tell them that his magic still didn’t even hold a candle to Yoongi’s?

Even with these worries, a tiny part of him was happy.

His father was proud of him.

Maybe he even loved him?

“Taehyung, what are we going to do?” Minho whispered close to his ear.

The brunette couldn’t even answer him.

He was just as lost.

~+~

After the feast, some of the children brought out instruments while the men lit a fire, and before they knew it a small party was taking place amongst the flames. Women and children danced and twirled, while the men clapped their hands in time with the jingling rhythm.

Taehyung sat on a log a little bit away from everyone. He wanted to go curl up in his old bed and just sleep, but he knew his father would be able to notice that he was missing.

Even Minho had found someone to talk to, a beautiful girl with long blonde hair that Taehyung remembered was a friend of his sisters’. If it wasn’t for the spell that Yoongi casted, he knew she would have probably just been chatting him up to try and steal something from him.

“Not one for dancing, are you?”

Taehyung startled for a moment before spinning around. It was one of the men he remembered seeing around the village a lot. Taehyung couldn’t remember his first name but he remembered the man was a Mun. They were a family that would have been the best thieves in the clan if it weren’t for Taehyung’s family.

As Mun took a seat next to him, Taehyung recognized him to be the man one of his sister's had a crush on. Being this close to him, Taehyung could somewhat tell why she may of taken a liking to him, but other than that the man didn’t look to be of much substance. His soul didn’t feel… it didn’t feel full.

Taehyung didn’t even know if that made any sense.

Deciding to finally answer the man’s question instead of gaping like a fish, Taehyung shook his head and looked down at his knees. He had been hoping to spend the rest of the party alone, so that he could maybe even think of a plan to escape in the morning, but now this man from the Mun family was bothering him.

“Me neither,” the thief shrugged, running a hand through his light brown hair. “The name is Dongwoo. You remember me, don’t you?”

“A little,” Taehyung answered truthfully. He still couldn't understand why Mun Dongwoo was talking to him, but it would be rude of him to completely ignore the man.

“So how was it being in the castle? Were you locked up?” Dongwoo asked, leaning a little closer.

Taehyung nervously glanced at him before looking away again.

“It was… It was fine, I suppose.  I had to… had to win the prince’s trust, so that I could steal the magic.”

Dongwoo stared at him for a long moment, and for a second Taehyung thought the older man had seen right through his lie, but then he was grinning wide and chuckling.

“Right, of course! You know, I think you’re really brave to do something like that. You just might be the greatest thief in all the kingdom for managing to steal something as grand as magic. It really is a better tale than all the other ones that were spun about you.”

Taehyung’s brows furrowed at that, his eyes looking straight into Dongwoo’s now.

“Tales?”

Haneul kind of mentioned the rumors but the woman had been rambling and Taehyung couldn’t keep up with everything that was said.

Now his brain was fully processing Dongwoo’s words, a sense of apprehension welling up inside of him.

“That’s right,” Dongwoo nodded. “Some people thought you were executed. Others thought you were a slave for the king and could never leave the castle again. The most realistic one I heard was that you had been locked up in the dungeon.”

Taehyung shivered, thinking of the three days he had been locked in the dungeon, strapped to a chair.

“But there were… other tales,” Dongwoo continued, a strange glint fluttering across his eyes as he scratched his cheek. “Rumors that the prince made you his personal concubine, and that you were chained to his bed, fated to spend your every waking moment at his service.”

A searing red heat flushed every inch of Taehyung’s skin, and he felt both uncormtable and angry. Why did people feel the need to talk about him in such a manner? Why were Dongwoo’s eyes racking over his body like the rumor was true?

“You know, I used to think there was something wrong with me for finding men just as attractive as women,” Dongwoo whispered, and every muscle in Taehyung’s body stiffened as the man placed a large hand on his knee. “But here you were all along, just the same as me.”

“D-Dongwoo, I don’t--”

“If you and I were to pursue this we would be the greatest thieves this kindgom has ever seen,” Dongwoo went on, completely ignoring Taehyung’s obvious discomfort and sliding his hand up the swell of his thigh. “Your father always wanted me to take an interest in one of your sisters but I find you to be more… appealing.”

Taehyung squeezed his eyes shut and felt his breath come out in sharp gasps.

The only one who ever touched him like this was Yoongi. The only person who he felt comfortable touching him like this was Yoongi.

The only person he wanted to touch him like this was…

It was Yoongi.

It had always been Yoongi. The green haired prince and the intricate markings that took up almost every surface of his skin. The brave man who went after what he wanted and wasn’t afraid to tell off a whole room of councilman for Taehyung’s sake. The one who dressed his wounds with delicate fingers, and placed flowers behind his ear with warm fingertips. The one he watched the stars with, and the one he could talk about his whole day with.

The one he kissed on the grassy bank of a beautiful lake, their flushed cheeks and laughter a permanent memory in his head.

Mun Dongwoo was not prince Yoongi, and as the man’s hand traveled up even further, Taehyung was painfully aware of that fact.

“No! I--”

“Knights! I see the king’s knights!”

All sounds of music and celebration came to an abrupt halt. For a second, all that could be heard was the crackling of the fire, and then one of the men who had been posted at the front entrance of the village came stumbling into the fray.

“There are knights here!”

A commotion of men going to grab weapons and women pulling their children into homes sent the entire clan into a panicked frenzy. Taehyung breathed a heavy sigh of relief when Dongwoo removed his hand from him and stood up with a determined glare on his face.

“We can continue this discussion later. I will help the others protect you from the king’s knights,” he declared, before running off to go join the swarm of men making their way to the front of the village.

Taehyung had little time to think of Dongwoo and his deathwish before seeking out Minho. The knight found him first and grabbed his arm so that he could help push their way to the front of the crowd. There was only one reason why knights were suddenly descending upon the Southern clan.

Yoongi found him.

“If prince Yoongi does not see you alive and alright, he could kill them!” Minho yelled back at Taehyung, explaining to the younger why he was so insistent on pushing through the crowd. “Please use your magic if you must!”

Trying his best to stamp down the fear rising in his chest, Taehyung nodded with a determined frown and started whispered beneath his breath. He lightly tapped the shoulders of people in their way, making them easy to shove aside and slip by as they confusedly shook the fog from their heads.

Finally, after what felt like too long, their was only a small barrier of men in between Taehyung and the knights that were now marching past the torches placed at the front entrance of the Southern clan. One of those men were his father, and even though Taehyung resented his father for a lot of things, he didn’t want to see him speared on the other end of Yoongi’s enchanted sword.

“People of the Southern Clan!” A voice suddenly proclaimed, and Taehyung’s eyes widened when he recognized it to be Seokjin. He peeked over his father’s shoulder to see the Knights parting and making way for Seokjin, Yoongi and Jungkook.

Taehyung felt his heart spin out of control at the sight of the prince. His hair was wet and hanging into his glowering eyes. The magic that radiated off of him was dark and frightening. Taehyung didn’t think Yoongi would care enough to come after him, much less storm into the Southern Clan looking like a raging dragon.

“Your prince has come in search of his personal informant, Kim Taehyung. We know he is originally from this clan, and we have reason to believe he is here now,” Seokjin said, keeping his voice strong and clear among the suspicious murmuring of the crowd.

“And what if he is?” Taekon spoke up, raising a large ax above his head and receiving a few cheers from the men around him. “My son was kept in your castle against his will. He only just managed to escape, and if I remember correctly, you never made a public announcement of his sentence. Therefore…”

Taehyung held his breath as his father spoke, noticing the way Yoongi’s hand twitched at his side.

He’s going to kill him.

“...your words mean nothing here, your highness.”

Taehyung felt Minho’s hand land on his shoulder and he nearly sagged into the support. Everything was happening so fast and although he felt like his leaving was justified, a part of him felt like he shouldn’t have left at all. Yoongi looked two seconds away from burning everything to the ground.

“You dare to defy your prince?” Seokjin demanded. “Have you forgotten which Kingdom you reside in?”

“You currently stand in the village of the Southern Clan,” Taekon stated proudly, puffing out his chest. “As far as we’re concerned, The Kingdom of Daegu can rot.”

Seokjin continued to go back and forth with him, their words growing even more heated and the knights putting a steady hand on the hilt of their swords, ready for a battle. Taehyung was confused as to why his father was being so brazen, but then he remembered that the man thought his son was now a powerful wizard.

He isn’t protecting me. He wants me to fight his battles for him.

Yoongi’s glare continued to scour the crowd in a sweeping motion, clearly only looking for one pair of eyes, and when he finally landed on Taehyung’s chocolate orbs peeking over the top of his father’s shoulder, something in him softened almost immediately.

But the effect was broken when Taekon pointed his ax at Seokjin.

“Get out of my village!”

Yoongi sighed.

“I’ve had enough.”

The quiet declaration from the prince made everyone go silent, and Taehyung could see every muscle in his father's back tense up. Everyone in the kingdom heard stories about their prince. About how he was birthed from magic itself, and how the craft thrummed through his veins. They knew he was powerful, and maybe seeing how short he was in person had caused Taehyung’s father to let his guard down.

Big mistake.

Yoongi took a step forward and the Southern clan took a collective step back. Yoongi’s magical aura usually wasn’t noticeable to people who didn’t have the gift, but now he was surrounding himself with the full force of it. Even the smallest child could feel it, and Taehyung's legs trembled with the weight of it.

The denseness of Yoongi’s magic told him to run in fear, but the familiarity of it made him want to run into the prince’s arms and never let go.

“I’ll give you one last chance to step aside,” the princely wizard declared, and Taehyung’s eyes widened at the sight of his markings beginning to glow a dark green. “Or I will remove you by force.”

Taekon was visibly shivering now, but he grit his teeth and held his ax in a firmer grip.

“I won’t back down. Even from you.”

Yoongi’s eyes flashed dangerously, and Taehyung knew he couldn’t let things continue as they were. He stepped out from behind his father and rushed towards Yoongi, holding his palms up with a pleading expression on his face.

“Don’t!”

Yoongi regarded him for a moment, and everyone could feel the pressure of his magic subside a little.

“He challenged your prince, Taehyung. Are you telling me I should not act on that?”

Taehyung’s hands were trembling but he kept them up, his bottom lip wobbling out of fear and frustration. “My father is not thinking straight, your highness. Please forgive him. Don’t- Don’t hurt my family.”

“What are you doing, son?!” Taekon demanded, an angry growl in his voice. “Show them! Show them what you took! Show them they can no longer control the Southern Clan with royal blood!”

“No!” Taehyung snapped, whirling around to address his father now. The man looked at him with a stunned but aggravated expression. “I-I will not be a weapon for you to use, Father!”

Taekon’s face morphed into a glare, one Taehyung was very familiar with growing up.

“You ungrateful little--”

“I think Taehyung has made his choice,” Haewon spoke up, coming to stand next to her husband and placing a hand on his arm. “And for that, he will be banished.”

A few people in the crowd gasped while others murmured their disagreements. There was finally a chance that their curse could be lifted, and now their leaders were banishing their only hope?

Taehyung’s heart dropped into the deepest, darkest parts of him. He took a step forward, tears welling in his eyes and his throat closing up. “M-Mother, I--”

“No, Taehyung,” Haewon said with a firm shake of her head. “You turn your back on this clan, we turn our backs on you. Leave our sight and never return.”

With that, his parents, sisters and everyone else from the clan started to disperse, retreating to their houses with glares thrown over their shoulders. Yoongi’s knights stood guard for a little longer, making sure no one was left behind to instigate things further. Eventually the only one left was Minho, but Taehyung kept staring at the spot his parents once stood, wondering if it was possible to feel so incredibly alone.

“Come back, Little Flower,” Yoongi whispered from behind him. “Come back home with me.”

The brunette didn’t know what he was thinking. One minute he was staring at his parent’s footsteps, still imprinted on the soft earth, and the next thing he knew he was turning around.

Taehyung walked up to Yoongi and slapped him so hard, the sound echoed into the trees.

A single dove rustled out of the branches and took flight.

^{WOOOO Ok so Taehyung's little self discovery adventure is coming to a close, but I think I like the way I tied up things with his clan. He kind of never got to say "goodbye" to them and it made him always have this small false belief that his family cared about him. Being with them after maturing so much during his time in the castle made him realize just how toxic his clan was. But of course even knowing this logically, the baby is still hurt emotionally! >.< Everyone pray for out sweet baby wizard T__T}

^{Thank you for all of the comments and support! Let me know what you think will happen in the next chap!}

^{How will Yoongi react to the slap?}

^{Do you think Taehyung is ready to forgive Yoongi?}

^{What will happen once they return to the castle?}
 

Follow me on twitter: @taedayz

^{Have an awesome and safe day loves! <3}