^{Hello everyone! Thank you sooooo much for keeping up with this story! I really love y'all and I hope you enjoy this chapter <3} 

Taehyung’s eyes flew open as he rushed to sit up.

His brain protested the sudden action, and soon his entire world started spinning. He clutched his head and groaned, desperately trying to shake the dizzy feeling away. No matter how hard he tried to look straight ahead, everything was showing up in doubles.

Two wooden chairs sitting in a corner.

Two tables with two lamps sitting on top of it.

Two buckets holding water to the right of a doorway.

Two windows letting in bright sunlight.

He guessed that it was morning, and even though the room resembled his own in a lot of ways, he had a strong feeling that he was no longer in the castle. He could hear running water outside and birds chirping from trees nearby.

Swinging his legs over the side of the cot he was laying in, he tried rubbing at his eyes again. It was difficult getting them to focus on anything.

“You're awake.”

Taehyung looked up, and Seokjin's familiar face slowly became clearer and clearer. He could see everything now, but there was still a light throbbing in his head.

The adviser was standing in the doorway of the room with his arms crossed and his expression contemplative. His parted lips told Taehyung that there were so many things he wanted to say, but his hesitation proved that those things were going to be difficult to explain.

“I had the strangest dream last night,” Taehyung whispered. He tried to stand up but another dizzy spell struck, so he quickly sat back down. “There was a feast… and Prince Jimin was there… and the seer!”

Jin was giving him a weird look, but Taehyung pressed on. Something urgent suddenly pushed to the forefront of his mind.

“I-I have to speak with Prince Yoongi immediately!” he exclaimed, eyes wide. “Prince Jimin is trying to—”

“That wasn't a dream.”

Taehyung froze. His heart caught in his throat and he quickly swallowed the thick feeling. “It... wasn't?”

Seokjin sighed before making his way across the room and taking a seat next to Taehyung. As soon as he sat down, the younger noticed the difference in the advisor's attire. His well crafted tunics and colorful garb were switched out for garments that looked to be made from the same material as a burlap sack.

“The Kingdom of Daegu has fallen,” Jin said, and Taehyung clutched the scratchy sheets beneath his hands to ease the panic rising in his chest. “Prince Jimin has successfully taken the throne, and it's only a matter of time before a battalion of Busan knights are sent to further fortify the area.”

Taehyung's memories slowly came back to him as Seokjin talked. Yoongi ordered Jungkook to take him to safety and Taehyung had been forced to leave everyone behind.

“Is Prince Yoongi…?” He couldn't get the rest of the words out; a part of him feared that saying it out loud would make it true.

“His highness will be alright,”Seokjin quickly assured him, probably noticing the devastated look on Taehyung's face. “He hasn't woken yet, but we're hoping for the best. The wounds across his torso and shoulder were severe.”

“Wounds?!” Taehyung gasped. “W-where is he? Is he here? I want to see him.”

The haggered advisor placed a calming hand on his arm, and it wasn't until then that Taehyung noticed Seokjin’s wrist was wrapped in bandages.

“You will, Taehyung. I promise you will.”

Taehyung nodded, his eyes welling up with emotions. “How did you all manage to escape?”

Seokjin slid his hand down to rest on top of Taehyung’s own, gently clasping them together. It was the brunette's first time seeing him be so vulnerable, and he didn't know how to feel about it. Whatever happened after he and Jungkook left must have been terrifying.

“It was all thanks to Prince Yoongi and Namjoon,” Jin answered with a heavy sigh. “Wise One was much stronger than they anticipated, and she even tried to use me to prevent them from hurting her. It worked, for a moment. Both his highness and Namjoon didn’t know what to do, but then I managed to grab one of the knives that were still on the table, and I stabbed at the hand Wise One was using to hold onto my wrist.”

Taehyung glanced down at Seokjin’s wrapped up wrist again, suddenly understanding how it ended up that way.

“Prince Yoongi used up almost all of the energy he had,” Jin continued. “I have never seen his markings glow so brightly before. It was nearly blinding. He managed to hold Wise One and some of the knights back, and then Namjoon quickly performed a spell that transported us just outside of the castle.”

“I couldn’t feel him anymore,” Taehyung murmured, vaguely recalling the storm that surged around him when Yoongi’s aura seemingly vanished off the face of the earth. “It was like Prince Yoongi no longer existed. I thought… I thought Wise One succeeded.”

Seokjin nodded with a somber expression. “I can see why you thought that. We think that Prince Yoongi’s magic might have been temporarily depleted from the battle. He may not wake up until it fully returns.”

Taehyung slowly shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't fathom what was happening in the kingdom he always saw as being strong and protected.

“Come with me,” Seokjin commanded, rising to a stand and nodding towards the door. “I will take you to his highness. Unconscious or not, maybe your presence will do him some good.”

“A-Alright.”

Taehyung shakily rose to a stand and followed Seokjin out of the room.

The place they were in resembled that of a cottage. The living room, dining room and kitchen all shared the same area, with nothing to separate them from each other. Almost everything was made of wood, which was a big difference from the stone detailing of the castle, and it reminded Taehyung of his childhood home back at the Southern Clan.

“This is one of many safe houses we have set up for the royal family in case of an emergency,” Seokjin explained, as they walked along the creaking floorboards. “This one is located farthest away from the castle, so we knew it would be the perfect place to hide us in this situation. Very few people know about it.”

Taehyung took everything in with an impressed raise of his brows. He knew the royal family would be prepared for situations like this, but it was still surprising to see in person. The cottage looked as if it were already lived in. There was wood stacked and ready in the fireplace and oven. He could see sacks of rice and flour piled high by the back door, and pots of various sizes sitting on the counter.  

“His highness is this way,” Seokjin said, leading Taehyung towards a door near the living room area. The cottage didn’t seem to have many rooms.

Seokjin pushed open the door and Taehyung saw that this room was very similar to the one he just came from. The only difference was that there were two beds.

“I thought it would be best to put him here so that I could keep an eye on him during the night,” Seokjin informed, referring to the set up of the room. Taehyung looked over at the other bed and noticed that the sheets were still rumpled. “Sometimes I hear a small sound from him and I think he’s going to wake up, but then he just… doesn’t.”

Taehyung’s wandering gaze finally landed on Prince Yoongi, and when it did he nearly felt his knees give out.

The prince looked sickly pale. His eyes had deep and dark circles beneath them, making them appear hallowed out. Even from the doorway, Taehyung could tell his breathing was shallow. There was a thin layer of perspiration glistening on his forehead, and the front of his hair stuck to the moisture.

“He looks…” Taehyung whispered, unable to properly articulate the emotions coursing through his veins upon seeing Yoongi like that.

“I know,” Seokjin mumbled, before turning away and squaring his shoulders. “I will give you two some privacy for a few minutes. When you’re done come join us for breakfast. Sir Jeon and Namjoon should be up soon.”

Taehyung was a little startled to hear that the other two were in the same cottage as well, but before he could ask Seokjin about it, the advisor was walking off in the direction of the kitchen.

Looking into the room again, Taehyung worried his bottom lip before stepping further inside. He closed the door behind him and gently walked over to Yoongi’s bed. He was unable to tear his gaze away from the stuttering rise and fall of the prince’s chest.

A feeling of uselessness pierced Taehyung’s heart. He wished he could instantly help Yoongi, but the older man’s problems extended beyond a quick remedy. The prince needed his magic back, and there was no elixir that could help him with that.

Hesitantly, Taehyung reached out a shaky hand and placed it on top of Yoongi’s. The tattoed fingers were ice cold, lacking their usual warmth, and the brunette quickly cupped them between both of his hands. No matter how much he tried to rub some life back into them, they remained as cold as stones.

“You have to wake up, Prince Yoongi,” Taehyung whispered, lowering himself on to the edge of the bed, so that he could study Yoongi’s face better. He hoped to see even a brief flicker of emotion. “Your kingdom needs you. I… I need you.”

Yoongi’s face remained placid. Not even a twitch could be seen.

Taehyung released a shuddering breath and looked down at the bandages wrapped around Yoongi’s shoulder and torso instead. They would need changing soon, and in that moment he silently vowed to help Seokjin as much as he could in taking care of the Prince. The past few weeks with him may have been charged with tension, and there was a part of Taehyung that still felt hurt by him, but he cherished Yoongi in a way that he couldn’t possibly explain.

In a lot of ways, The Prince of Daegu saved him.

Now it was time for Taehyung to do the same.

~+~

As soon as Taehyung exited Yoongi and Seokjin’s room, the smell of food caressed his nose and made his stomach gurgle. He didn’t realize just how hungry he was, and his feet carried him over to the kitchen in a hurry.

Seokjin was standing at the counter, mixing flour, water, salt, yeast and honey to make bread. Meanwhile, Namjoon was at the cast iron stove,feeding it wood every few minutes and doing his best to roast the meat they had present. It was strange seeing everyone dressed so plainly, and Taehyung didn’t know if he would ever get used to it.

“It smells amazing so far,” he complimented. “I had no idea you could cook, Master Namjoon.”

“Magic is not the only thing I’m well versed in,” the wizard answered with a dimpled smile. “Go have a seat at the dining table. We’ll be done soon.”

Taehyung nodded and ventured over to one of the wooden chairs. He was surprised to see that Sir Jeon was already sitting at the table. The knight had been so quiet, Taehyung didn’t even know he was there. It made him wonder if Jungkook still felt bad for what happened at the castle. Taehyung had wanted to stay and fight, but Jungkook followed Yoongi’s orders and carried him out of there. Then there was thunder, lightening and so much wind…

Whenever Taehyung tried to think about the finer details of everything that happened, he found that it was difficult to do so. Where did that storm come from? And why did he pass out?

“Good morning, Sir Jeon,” Taehyung greeted, deciding that starting with small talk would probably be best.

Jungkook simply nodded back at him, but for some reason he wouldn’t meet Taehyung’s eyes.

“I had no idea you and Master Namjoon were here as well,” Taehyung prattled on. “This cottage seems small at first, but it has a lot of room.”

“We were in the third room,” Jungkook supplied, only a little louder than a whisper. “It has two beds like his highness’ room.”

“Ah, I see.” Taehyung glanced over to the other door not too far from Yoongi’s. Seeing that the five of them were the only ones in the cottage, he wondered what happened to everyone else back at the castle. There were still servants and knights who were loyal to the Daegu royal family. And speaking of the royal family, what became of King Yejun? Had someone managed to get him out of there too?

“Don’t mind Sir Jeon’s stiffness,” Seokjin teased from where he was kneading the dough. “The guilt of knocking you out is weighing heavily on him.”

Taehyung’s eyes widened. “He’s the reason why I fainted?!”

Jungkook glared at Seokjin and the advisor threw him a sheepish grin. It seemed like everyone had thought Taehyung’s memories were fully intact.

“I had to,” Jungkook sighed, looking at Taehyung again. “Your powers… You were losing control and fast. I didn’t know what else to do.”

Taehyung’s brows furrowed as he opened his mouth, but Namjoon beat him to it.

“You did the right thing, Sir Jeon,” the older man commended. “Magic can be very dangerous when it is not wielded properly. Taehyung could have accidentally harmed both you and himself if you didn’t intervene.”

The former thief frowned, suddenly realizing how much damage he almost caused. He felt bad for putting that kind of burden on Jungkook, and he felt even worse about the fact that his master knew about it.

“You were scared for Prince Yoongi’s life and that is understandable,” Seokjin spoke up, quickly coming to his rescue. “A bit more training and you will soon learn how to contain those emotions during dire situations.”

Taehyung looked down at the table and lightly scratched at the worn wood. “I really hope so,” he whispered.

Suddenly, a plate of meat was placed in front of him, and he looked up to see Namjoon smiling encouragingly.

“I’ll make sure to train you well,” the wizard promised.

While waiting for Jin’s bread to bake, everyone sat down at the table and dug into the meat available. There was a small feeling of guilt settling over all of them— knowing that they were currently feasting while their prince was sick— but no one spoke on it.

“We should try visiting the market for some fresh supplies today,” Seokjin suggested. “The Kingdom of Busan will soon have complete control of these lands, but until then we have a small window of time to stock up and formulate a plan of action.”

“Where exactly are we located?” Taehyung asked. He knew they were far from the castle but that was about it.

“Near the border connecting us to the Kingdom of Seoul,” Jungkook answered, after wiping grease from his lips. “We already made contact with Sir Sung and his men. Thankfully, none of them have been corrupted by Prince Jimin. They are still loyal to Daegu.”

“I’ve been to the nearby market with Sir Choi!” Taehyung piped up, feeling good about knowing something for once. “Please take me with you when you go, Advisor Seokjin. I can help you find everything quickly.”

Seokjin agreed and Taehyung felt some of the heaviness on his heart lift away.

“I don’t think we’ll have to worry about relocating for another three weeks,” Namjoon guessed. “The first thing they’ll send is an army, but the King of Busan won’t show up himself until later. That is when we will have to worry.”

Speaking of kings… Taehyung wondered if this was an appropriate time to bring up King Yejun. He seemed to be the only one left out of the loop in regards to everything that happened during the battle.

“King Yejun…” he started, causing three heads to turn and stare at him. “Is… Is he okay?”

Seokjin glanced down at his food with a pained expression, and Namjoon gave a somber shake of his head. Surprisingly, Sir Jeon was the one who finally spoke up.

“King Yejun is dead,” he flatly replied. “May he rest in peace.”

“May he rest in peace,” Seokjin and Namjoon repeated.

Taehyung just stared at them all in shock. If what they were saying was true, if the King of Daegu really was dead, then that meant there was only one person left who rightfully deserved the throne.

The very same person who now laid unconscious in bed.

~+~

The first couple of weeks weren’t easy.

Taehyung spent most days at Yoongi’s bedside. He talked to him about everything and anything, all the while looking down at the Prince’s sleeping face. At first it bothered him that Yoongi couldn’t speak back, but eventually he got used to it. Oddly enough, it was easier to address him this way. He didn’t have to think about the fact that he was talking to the future king.

Taehyung kept the promise he made to himself, and helped Seokjin take care of Yoongi in any way that he could. They wiped him down, changed his bandages, and combed through his green locks daily. Sometimes Taehyung would read to him, and by doing so he was able to remember everything Junmyeon taught him. Other days, he would bring Yoongi flowers from outside, and whisper the name of each one while softly their soft petals.

On the more stressful days— when Sir Jung and Sir Choi came over to discuss strategies in the living room and everyone was high strung with worry— Taehyung would disappear into Yoongi’s room to just curl up at his side. He would tuck his face into Yoongi’s neck and wrap his arms around him, quietly hoping that maybe the warmth of his body heat would miraculously wake him.

Despite being smaller, Yoongi used to seem so much more powerful and strong compared to Taehyung, but now that the younger was slowly witnessing his body deteriorate with his own two eyes, he couldn’t picture Yoongi being strong enough to take on anything. Silent tears would slip down Taehyung’s face, and he’d just hold Yoongi tighter, because in the end that was the best he could do.

“Please wake up,” he cried against the hollowed out cheeks of the prince one morning, after waking up to see that he was still unconscious. “I can’t wait any longer, Yoongi.”

Yoongi’s eyes stayed shut, and Taehyung let out a distressed sound before leaving the room all together. He didn’t think he could stomach spending a lot of time with Yoongi today. It had been two and a half weeks of the same thing, and it physically pained him to know that he may never hear the man call him  “Little Flower” again.

“Seeing him like that will never get easy.”

Taehyung looked up and saw Jungkook sitting by the window in the living room. He had a small blade in his hand, and was cutting an apple piece by piece before popping each slice into his mouth. Taehyung walked over and stole one from him.

The knight shot him a withering look, but Taehyung ignored it to take a seat at his feet.

“What if he never wakes up?” he whispered, finally voicing the question that had been eating away at him since the first week. “What will we do?”

“Prince Yoongi—” Jungkook stopped himself, and seemed to think hard about his next few words. “King Yoongi is a lot stronger than you think. I have witnessed him fight off enemies twice his size. I have watched him wield magic as easy as breathing air. If there is anyone who can come out of this alive, it’s him.”

Taehyung picked at the floorboards with a sigh. “He’s wasting away.”

“His highness is resilient,” Jungkook argued. “He will pull through.”

Taehyung quickly wiped at his eyes and nose before standing up again. He didn’t want to keep talking about this. Thinking about Yoongi’s condition only made him feel worse, no matter how many optimistic phrases Jungkook threw at him.

“Where is Advisor Seokjin and Master Namjoon?”

Jungkook vaguely gestured towards outside. “Namjoon went to go visit the border patrol. Apparently he woke up with some grand idea, and wasn’t patient enough to wait for them to come to us.”

Taehyung was surprised by that. He didn’t even hear Namjoon leave the house.

“And Seokjin?”

Jungkook stopped cutting the apple for a moment. He looked towards the room door leading to his and Namjoon’s, and furrowed his brows in a way that expressed his frustration. Taehyung couldn’t understand the complex emotions flickering across the younger’s face, but he patiently waited for an answer.

“Seokjin has been pushing himself too hard,” the Knight murmured. “Some nights he barely sleeps, waiting for any sign of his majesty waking up. I noticed he was looking paler than usual, so I told him to go rest in my bed. I hope it helps.”

“That’s probably for the best,” Taehyung quickly agreed. He had been doing everything he could to help Seokjin, but he had no idea the advisor hadn’t been sleeping. “His loyalty is admirable, but he needs to take care of himself.”

“You too.”

Taehyung startled for a second, but Jungkook continued on without looking at him.

“Don’t think I have not noticed your puffy red eyes every day.”

The former thief wanted to protest against the observation, but he knew there was nothing he could say. Jungkook was right. Seokjin may have been physically exhausted, but Taehyung himself was mentally drained. Every day he walked into Yoongi’s room and still saw him lying there his hope would dwindle.

“I will be outside,” was all he could say in the end, and Jungkook nodded to let him know he was heard.

Taehyung walked out the front door and let his feet take him wherever they wished. His mind was racing with a lot of different things, but he found that being in nature helped a lot. When he told Namjoon this last week, the wizard explained to him that it was natural for people with a knack for magic to be drawn to the elements.

His quiet stroll took him down the bank of a creek that was only a few yards away from the cottage. Taehyung often wondered if it was the stream that connected to the river they used to pass on their way to the border. Thinking of those trips, Taehyung prayed that Tip was okay in her stall back at the castle. Not only her, but everyone else he had grown fond of. Junmyeon, Hobi and all of the kind servants. They didn’t deserve Prince Jimin’s wrath.

Taehyung sat on the rocky bank and stuck his feet into the running water. His thoughts turned to Namjoon, and he hoped the wizard was being safe. Even though the border patrol was still on Yoongi’s side, they had decided to pretend to be allied with Busan for now. That way they could glean as much information as possible until a proper plan was formed. Taehyung knew there was a high chance of Jimin, his knights, or even his father popping in on the men at the border, so if Namjoon went to tell them something he would have to make sure he was in and out quickly.

Glancing back at the cottage, Taehyung bit his lip and frowned. In his heart he knew things would have been going much smoother if Yoongi were awake. It was only a matter of time before the Busan army found their little safe house. They were sitting ducks and that frustrated him.

A gentle breeze blew through his hair and he looked up at the sky. He took a moment to breath in his surroundings and clear the negative energy crackling around him. It was something Namjoon had been teaching him about. He said it would help him reign in his powers whenever they were slipping out of his control.

A featherlight touch brushed against his foot, and Taehyung peeked his eyes open to stare down into the water. A flower had been washed downstream, but it stopped after hitting his ankle, freely bobbing in the water.

It was a daisy.

“He will wake up,” Taehyung told himself, and he couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his sun kissed face.

“I know it.”

^{If you want to yell at me in the comments I completely understand :')} 

^{So what did you guys think of this chap? I feel like it was information heavy, but I wanted to smoothly transition into this new problem our characters now have to face. Tell me what you think in the comments! I would love to discuss it with you all.} 

^{Do you think Yoongi will wake up?} 

^{What plan do you think Namjoon came up with?} 

^{Find out next chapter!}

^{curiouscat: @taedayz}

^{twitter: @taedayz}