^{Thank you for showing an interest in this so far! :D}

^{Please note: Even though this is a medieval au it's also a fantasy au, so that means everything might not be 100% accurate to how the medieval times were. I'm still doing some research on that era but i'm not an expert ;)}

^enjoy!

Taehyung sat on a lumpy cot in a small room, patiently waiting for Seokjin.

After releasing him from the cell, Yoongi explained to Taehyung that his advisor, Kim Seokjin, would bring the proper documents for Taehyung soon. After that he lead him down a narrow hallway, towards the servants quarters.

Taehyung barely had enough time to look around or fully grasp the situation. His brain was sluggish, due to the little food in his system and the crash after experiencing so much adrenaline.

Yoongi placed him in a small room that was barely wide enough for Taehyung to spread his arms out at his sides. There was a tiny cot in the corner and a small, round table adjacent to that. A wooden chair was placed in front of it, and the little window above it let natural light filter into the room.

It wasn't much, but it was an upgrade from the damp and moldy dungeon.

A maid suddenly scurried in, holding a small parcel in her hands. Yoongi took it from her and immediately gave it to Taehyung.

“What…?” the brunette mumbled, unable to form words.

“Food,” Yoongi answered.

Taehyung devoured the morsel of food so fast he didn't even have time to be embarrassed.

So now Taehyung sat on the cot, shoulders hunched and fingers nervously rubbing his sore wrists. Some of his energy had returned to him after eating, but it still felt like there was a bear clawing at his stomach.

“Knock, Knock.”

The young thief's eyes darted up to look at the figure standing in the doorway.

It was Seokjin, the prince’s royal advisor.

“Good evening,”he greeted, round glasses slipping down his nose. “The prince explained everything, I presume?”

Taehyung hugged himself. “Yes but… n-not really.”

Seokjin sighed and made his way over to the table in the corner. He placed the parchment down and set a quill with an ink pot next to it.

“The prince is always doing things like that, but luckily I'm here to explain things to you, right?”

Taehyung nodded shyly. He only just met this Seokjin guy, but he already felt like he could trust him. There was just something about the man’s soft features and warm presence.  

“Come over here and take a look at this.”

Taehyung slowly rose to a stand, knees buckling. It was still a little hard for him to walk properly, but he made it to the chair and took a seat. He tried not to think of the chair he had spent three days strapped to in the dungeons.

He stared down at the letters on the paper, nervously biting his lip and wondering how he was going to explain to Seokjin that he couldn't read.

“This is a document that will secure your ties to the royal family and keep you from being punished as a criminal,” Seokjin explained, noticing Taehyung’s struggle to understand the words. “The prince wants you to join his court and become an ‘informant’ of sorts. He thinks you’ll make a good ally for the upcoming war.”

Taehyung stared at Seokjin, slack-jawed.

The prince’s court? Informant? Ally? War? This was all too much to handle in such a short amount of time. Taehyung felt like his head was going to pop off of his shoulders and roll out the door any minute now.

“Of course,” Seokjin continued, “if you don’t sign and agree to be of service, you will receive the typical punishment for a that of a thief.”

Taehyung’s fingers trembled.

He didn't want to lose his hands.

“W-What are the other… um… terms?”

He felt proud of himself for using such a mature word.

Seokjin flipped through the pages one by one, going over the main points.

“Well for starters, you are not to leave the castle unless given permission by the prince. Also, you are to go to him whenever he requests your presence, no matter the time of the day…”

All of the ink blurred together in Taehyung’s eyes, as Seokjin breezed through the pages.

“You will be assigned a personal guard, who you will be meeting today, and it will be his duty to watch over you. You hold a lot of information that will be very important towards the war, which makes you a target for our enemies. You’ve also essentially betrayed your clan by providing us with all of their access points, so they might come after you…”

Taehyung gulped.

“Have you met your maid yet?”

The brunette almost shook his head no, but then he remembered the small girl with the honey colored hair who had brought the parcel of food.

“Yes,” he whispered.

Seokjin nodded and pushed up his glasses. “She will be at your service for the duration of your stay. At the moment your rank is higher than that of a servant, which essential gives you the right to give her orders.”

Taehyung’s brows furrowed at the statement. Ranks were never really a big thing in the clan he was from. It was either you were a good thief or you were a bad thief, simple as that.

And if he really was above the servants, why had he been placed in the servants quarters?

Seokjin was really good at reading people, because he quickly explained himself when he noticed the confused look on Taehyung’s face.

“No matter what title you are given, we can't forget the fact that you were raised by thieves and nearly robbed us. You will stay here, in the servant’s quarters, until the prince feels he can trust you completely.”

Taehyung nodded. That was understandable.

“Any questions?”

Taehyung had plenty.

What made him so special? How did simply confessing a few sneaky ways to get inside the castle land him a spot in the prince’s court? How long would he be living there?

He felt like a baby bird who had been pushed out of his nest too early.

But instead of asking the many questions that plagued his mind, Taehyung shook his head.

Seokjin grinned. “Excellent!”

He dipped the quill in the ink pot, and held it out to Taehyung.

“Do you know how to sign you name?”

“Um… Yes?”

Taehyung may have been illiterate, but he was taught how to write his name from a young age. He clutched his pendant in one hand and took the quill with his other one. He slowly scratched the letters of his name into the coarse parchment, furrowing his brows in concentration.

It looked like chicken scratch, but at least it was something.

As soon as he was done, Seokjin took the paper from him and stared down at the name curiously.

“Taehyung,” the advisor muttered under his breath. “What a handsome name.”

Taehyung blushed and scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

In the end, he supposed working for the royal family was better than losing both hands.

_+_

TWO WEEKS LATER

“Slow down Taehyung!”

Taehyung ignored the clinking of Jeon Jungkook’s armor as he tried to keep up with him. There was so much of the castle he had yet to explore, and he didn't feel like waiting on the young knight to guide him.

After two weeks of being kept in that small room, regaining his strength, and being visited by Seokjin, Taehyung was finally allowed to get out.

On his second day of confinement he’d been introduced to Sir Jeon Jungkook, a young knight who was to be Taehyung’s personal guard for as long as he was there.

At first it felt weird to have someone constantly watching over him, barely speaking a word, but Taehyung eventually grew used to it. Now he felt strange whenever Jungkook wasn't around, and he even made it his life’s purpose to make the younger boy laugh.

“Keep up, Jungkook! There’s still so much of the castle i’d like to see!” Taehyung called back happily.

“How many times do I have to tell you? It’s Sir Jeon to you!”

Taehyung came to a stop and turned around, watching with a faint smile on his face as Jungkook jogged up to him.

“You’re still just a kid, Kookie.”

Jungkook’s left eye twitched. “Kookie?”

Taehyung shrugged. “I thought it sounded like a cute nickname to have. Don’t you--”

“I’m a knight, Taehyung,” Jungkook quickly interjected. “I don’t need a cute nickname. I'm sorry if I didn’t make this clear before, but you’re technically still a commoner and i'm the son of a noble, now a part of the King’s Cavalry. Have some respect.”

Taehyung shrunk a little at the sound of Jungkook’s harsh tone. He did kind of get too comfortable, and he only had himself to blame for that. It was just so easy to forget about ranks whenever he looked at Jungkook’s kind face.

“Sorry Sir Jeon. It won’t happen again.”

Jungkook nodded in content, but before Taehyung could run off again, a servant was approaching them from down the hall.

“Kim Taehyung, of The Southern Clan?” the aged man asked.

Taehyung glanced behind him and then pointed at himself, wide-eyed.

“Who? Me?”

Jungkook rolled his eyes.

“You are Kim Taehyung, are you not?” the servant insisted, looking absolutely done with the entire ordeal.

“Ah, Yes!” Taehyung blurted.

The servant blinked against the loud boom of the brunette’s voice and continued after clearing his throat.

“Prince Jimin of Busan invites you to join him in his chambers.”

“H-His chambers?!”

The servant sighed. “Please follow me.”

Taehyung looked to Jungkook for help but the boy was staring straight ahead, ever the perfect knight.

Swallowing thickly, he decided to follow the elderly servant. If anything, he at least had Jungkook to protect him. Although he didn't know if the knight could actually do any harm against a prince.

“Keep your guard up,” Jungkook whispered. “Prince Jimin may appear sweet, but he’s been known to have some scary mood swings.”

If Taehyung wasn’t nervous before he definitely was now.

They approached the west wing of the castle and found themselves in front of a large door with two guards stationed outside of it. They weren’t wearing the usual colors that Daegu knights did, so Taehyung assumed they must be Jimin’s own personal guards from Busan.

“Who wishes to see Prince Jimin?” one of them asked in a deep, gravelly voice.

Jungkook nudged Taehyung to speak, instead of staring with such a slack-jawed expression.

“Oh! Um, K-Kim Taehyung… of the Southern clan.”

Both guards nodded and pushed open the doors at the same time. They let Taehyung and Jungkook step through the doorway before belting out his title.

“Kim Taehyung, of the Southern Clan and…”

“Sir Jeon Jungkook,” Jungkook mumbled.

“And Sir Jeon Jungkook!”

Then the doors were being slammed shut behind them, and Taehyung and Jungkook were left to take in the chaos.

A short young man with raven black hair was standing among clothes of all different colors and textures. His muscular physique contrasted greatly with his baby face, but in a way it was charming.

Several servants were running around the man like chickens with their heads cut off, holding up different colors to the Prince’s fair skin and tittering over his hair and face.

“Welcome!” the man chirped. He had a melodic voice that Taehyung wasn’t expecting. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Kim Taehyung. I’m Prince Jimin, of Busan.”

Taehyung bowed and mumbled his greetings. He stayed there, not knowing if he even had the right to lay eyes on the prince.

“Enough of that now,” Prince Jimin tutted. “Come over here so I can get a good look at you. I’ve heard some talk about you throughout the castle over the last two weeks, and I really wanted to meet you.”

Taehyung lifted his head and shyly stepped around all of the expensive cloths to get to Prince Jimin. He felt like a needle in a haystack.

Jimin was nothing short of enchanting up close. His smile was both sugary and seductive, making him a double threat to anyone who stared at him for too long, and there were stars twinkling in his eyes. His fair cheeks looked permanently flushed, and Taehyung didn’t know if it was natural or put there by the maids scurrying all around them.

“Don’t mind the mess. I’m preparing for a very special event that’s going to be happening in a few months,” the prince explained, noticing Taehyung’s nervous glances towards the servants. “So, Taehyung, tell me about yourself. How old are you?”

“I’m approaching my nineteenth year, your highness,” Taehyung whispered.

“Oh, how amazing!” Jimin suddenly blurted, making Taehyung jump two feet in the air. “So am I! Wow, we were truly destined to meet, Taehyung. I knew from the moment I saw you that we’d be good friends.”

The more Taehyung stood in Prince Jimin’s presence, the more he couldn’t understand why Jungkook felt the need to warn him earlier. Jimin seemed like a genuinely kind person, despite being royalty, and he didn’t treat Taehyung rudely at all.

Taehyung looked back at the door and saw that Jungkook had decided to stay posted there, not even attempting to venture further into the room. The brunette had a feeling the knight and the prince had already met eachother once before, and maybe that encounter hadn’t been a pretty one.

“So what type of work do you do around the castle?” Prince Jimin questioned even further. “Surely the king of Daegu wouldn’t allow a peasant into his home unless they were of some use, right?”

Taehyung felt like he was supposed to be offended, but Jimin’s smile was so disarming it was hard to even get mad.

“I’m an informant,” Taehyung answered. A part of his agreement was that he wasn’t allowed to give too much information about why he was there, just enough to satiate someone’s curiosity.

Prince Jimin nodded slowly, deep in thought.

“Hmmm,” he hummed. “How intriguing...”

One of the maids circled around to the back of the prince and reached for the small crown nestled in his hair. Jimin caught her arm before she could take it, and pulled her into his line of sight to stare down at her.

Taehyung gaped.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Prince Jimin asked quietly, eyes narrowed.

The maid stared back at him, unblinking. “Taking off your crown, your highness.”

“And why is that?” Jimin demanded.

“W-We thought it would be easier t-to asses the state of your hair if we were to t-take of your crown, your highness.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

The maid frowned. “But your highness, we--”

“I said,” Prince Jimin interrupted, grip tightening. “That. Won’t. Be. Necessary.”

The poor maid frantically nodded and let out a soft whimper when her hand was released. She ran her fingers along the bruised skin as she stumbled over to the other servants, who were still discussing which cloth suited the prince best.

Taehyung stared at Prince Jimin like he was seeing a completely different person, and flinched when the dark brown eyes landed on him once again.

“Sorry about that!” Jimin apologized cheerfully. It was like a switch had been flipped and he was back to being the kindest soul. “Now where were we…”

They talked for a little bit more, even though it was mostly Jimin talking and Taehyung trying to keep up with his numerous questions. He was still trying to process the incident with the maid.

“There are rumors that the Southern Clan is made up of nothing but criminals… is that true?”

Taehyung stiffened. “C-Criminals?”

Prince Jimin nodded. There was something brewing in his gaze.

“Yeah, like thieves and whatnot.”

“No… not really,” Taehyung vaguely answered.

“Is that so…”

Before the interrogation could continue any further, Taehyung felt the light touch of a hand on his elbow, and turned around to see Jungkook standing right next to him.

“Sorry to interrupt, Your highness, but Prince Yoongi has requested Kim Taehyung’s presence, and the request can not be denied.”

Jimin blinked at Jungkook, a tense feeling traveling between them. It finally snapped when the prince clapped his hands together and smiled.

“Alright! I suppose i’ll see you around the castle Taehyung. It was a pleasure to speak with you!”

“Uh… yes, your highness,” Taehyung hesitantly agreed. After seeing the way Prince Jimin’s mood could flip he didn't think he would want to see him again any time soon.

Jungkook escorted Taehyung out, and the former thief finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“I warned you,” was all the knight had to say on the matter.

~+~

“Come in.”

Taehyung quietly walked into the large room lined with books and scrolls. There was a fireplace burning in the far left wall, and a large table to the right holding vials of all shapes and sizes.

Prince Yoongi was behind the table, sitting with his feet propped up and a scroll in his hands.

As soon as the prince’s gaze flickered over to him, Taehyung stumbled into a deep bow.

“Your highness!” he squeaked, still somewhat afraid of the intimidating man.

“Get up,” Prince Yoongi ordered with a bored sigh, and Taehyung shot up so fast he felt dizzy. “Leave us.”

Taehyung looked towards Jungkook with a hint of worry in his wide eyes. He didn’t want to be left alone with a scary prince.

“Yes, your highness,” the dark-haired knight said with a bow. He barely met Taehyung’s pleading gaze before turning away and walking out the door.

The brunette gulped.

“Taehyung.”

Said boy whipped his head around in surprise, not expecting to be addressed so directly.

“Come sit.”

“O-Ok, your highness.”

Prince Yoongi sat up straighter in his seat, dark eyes watching the boy as he tried to find a seat.

“You don’t have to address me as such every single time. ‘Prince Yoongi’ is fine.”

Taehyung nodded, and then after realizing how rude that probably seemed, he mumbled a quick, “Yes, Prince Yoongi.”

The prince internally fought to keep the edges of his lips from quirking up.

“I received word that you’ve met Prince Jimin.”

News must travel fast around here… Taehyung thought in amazement.

“Yes, he wanted to talk to me.”

Yoongi nodded thoughtfully. “What do you think of him?”

Taehyung actually took his time to think about the question. He didn’t want to accidentally say something offensive.

“He was…. intriguing,” he finally answered, using the same word Prince Jimin had used earlier.

“That’s a nice way of putting it,” Yoongi snorted.

Taehyung flushed red. “I didn’t mean to--”

“He’s crazy, Taehyung,” the prince said in a matter of fact tone. “You don’t have to feel guilty for thinking it.”

He stood up and started picking out certain vials from the ones in front of him.

Taehyung visibly relaxed into his seat. He didn't know why he was called here, but he liked how calm the prince was being. Watching him concentrate on each colorful liquid, mint hair falling into his eyes and black tunic hanging loosely on his frame, made him seem less intimidating.

Prince Yoongi didn't constantly wear his crown like Prince Jimin did, and that simple fact was a loud testament to how different the two were.

“Do you believe in magic, Taehyung?”

Instinctively, the boy reached for his pendant, rubbing the smooth stone between his fingers.

“Back in my clan, everyone has one of these. We’re told from young that it contains magic. Magic that makes us quick and lucky. So y-yes…. I think I do.”

“Didn't have that quick luck when I caught you, I suppose.”

Taehyung ducked his head in embarrassment.

“Would you like me to check?” Yoongi asked.

“You can do that?”

The prince nodded. “You see, magic is a living, breathing thing. It has a pulse just like you and me. So when I…”

Yoongi walked around the table and stopped right in front of Taehyung. He reached out and hovered his hand over Taehyung’s chest, where his pendant hung.

Taehyung was mesmerized by Yoongi’s tattoos, now that he could see them up close, and found himself drinking in every mark he could see.

“I'm afraid your pendant has no magical properties,” he announced, dropping his arm.

“It’s ok,”Taehyung sheepishly replied. “I still like wearing it... Reminds me of home.”

Yoongi stared at the pendant for a second longer, before turning on his heels and picking up the scroll he’d been holding earlier.

“Do you miss it?” he asked, barely loud enough for Taehyung to hear. “Do you miss home?”

“A lot of the times I do, but sometimes… I don’t. I love my family, I really do, but I was always the weak one in their eyes. They probably don't even miss me.”

Yoongi poured a red liquid into a thick blue one, creating a dark purple concoction that fizzled.

“Taehyung, you know enough secret entrances into this castle to single handedly overthrow us from the inside out,” he said. “You are far from weak.”

Except for when Seokjin said he had a handsome name, no one had ever complimented Taehyung before. He wanted to say thank you a thousand times over, but something told him Yoongi would scold him for doing so.

“Do you believe in magic, Prince Yoongi?”

“I don't just believe it, I live it.”

Yoongi twirled the thick liquid around before holding it out to Taehyung. He had an expectant look on his face, so the brunette reached out and took the vial with a shaky hand.

“Magic saved my life,” the prince went on. “Without it I wouldn’t be standing here today. I owe it everything, so i’ve dedicated myself to it since a very young age. I studied under the tutelage of a very respected wizard. You’ll probably see him around the castle every now and then... Drink up.”

Taehyung stared down into the vial and looked up at Yoongi again.

“If you don’t mind me asking, Prince Yoongi, what is this?”

A smirk lifted one side of the prince’s mouth.

“What? You think I would poison you?”

Taehyung’s eyes widened. “N-No! I just--”

“Then go on, drink it.”

The brunette sighed before bringing the glass to his trembling lips. He stared over the lip of the bottle, trying to read Yoongi’s face, and when he didn’t see any malicious intentions in his eyes he knocked back the liquid fast.

It tingled on the way down his throat, but other than that it wasn’t so bad.

Fruity, actually.

“I don’t feel anything,” he whispered.

Yoongi’s smirk turned into a full smile. The action was so foreign to see on the older male’s face, Taehyung couldn’t help staring in shock. Even before meeting the prince in person, portraits around the kingdom never depicted him with that gummy smile. They never showed him looking so pleased and outright delighted.

“This potion isn’t as obvious as most,” Prince Yoongi explained. He pulled a chair over so that he could sit in front of Taehyung, and sat back with a smug expression.

Taehyung was beginning to wonder if he had unknowingly signed himself up for being the prince’s test subject for magical experiments.

“Who were those girls that were with you the night I caught you?”

Taehyung frowned. Why would Prince Yoongi try to ask him that again? Didn’t he know Taehyung wouldn’t--

“My sisters.”

Taehyung’s eyes flew open as he slapped a hand over his mouth. How could his lips betray him in such a way? It was like he had no control over what he wanted to say. The words flew out of him like vomit.

“Why did I…?” He was both scared and confused, but Yoongi just continued to stare at him with the most amused expression.

“What are their names?” he asked.

Taehyung pressed his lips together, afraid he would say more, but his mouth started to shake and a burning sensation crawled up his throat. He choked against the clawing feeling.

“Kim Sumi and Kim Sunhee!” he blurted out.

Yoongi’s eye smile was practically radiating now. He swiped up a quill pen and scribbled the names down quickly.

Taehyung felt ashamed. He whimpered and kept his hand over his mouth, silently pleading for Yoongi not to ask him another question. He hoped and prayed that the potion would wear off soon.

“Don’t worry, it isn’t permanent,” Prince Yoongi assured him, noticing the frantic look in his eyes. “And all I needed were their names, nothing else.”

“What are you going to do to them?” the brunette demanded. He was on the verge of tears now.

Yoongi didn’t say a thing, and Taehyung was growing more and more worried by the second.

“Sir Jeon!” the prince called.

Jungkook entered the room again. Despite waiting outside for a long time, he didn’t look all that tired.

“Please Kim Taehyung back to his room.”

“Yes, your highness.”

Taehyung wanted to protest, but one look from Yoongi had him cowering into Jungkook’s side.

“Y-You said you wouldn’t poison me,” he mumbled instead.

Yoongi raised a brow at that. “No, I asked you if you thought I would, and besides, I didn’t poison you. Are you dead?”

“No, but--”

“Then there you have it,” the older man quipped. “I didn’t keep you here to poison you, Taehyung. I kept you here to be of use to me. Didn’t Seokjin read the agreement to you?”

Taehyung froze up. Seokjin told the prince he couldn’t read?

“And about your little problem,” Yoongi continued. “I’ve arranged for you to meet with a tutor every morning. You’ll need to know how to read if you’re going to be in my court.”

“Y-Yes, your highness.”

Taehyung felt Jungkook’s hand on his elbow, leading him out the door. For a split second he had been able to forget that Yoongi was a prince. It was almost like he was back in his clan, hanging out with one of the older boys and learning new pick-pocket techniques from them.

“Let me guess,” Jungkook spoke up, once they were out of the room. “Truth potion?”

Taehyung kept quiet and pouted all the way back to his room.

He really hated Jungkook for being right all of the time.

^{Tell me what you think! <333}