^{Hello! I didn't abandon this story I promise :)} 

^{Thank you for all the feedback you guys gave for the last two chapters. I love reading your thoughts on this au and the storyline. This is slowly becoming my favorite out of the stories i'm writing right now <3} 

^{Enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think afterwards ^___^}

That night, Taehyung was plagued with terrible nightmares.

He dreamt of his sisters’ betrayed faces, approaching him and calling him a “traitor!”

The rest of his family followed soon after, coming up to him one by one and spitting the word at him, like he was nothing but dirt at the bottom of their shoe.

“How could you do this to us?” his sisters asked in unison, their voices multiplying and echoing all around him.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Taehyung tried to cry out, but it was like his mouth was sewn shut.

He lifted a shaky hand towards his lips.

But there was nothing there.

“AHHHH!!!!”

Taehyung bolted up in bed, immediately running shaky fingers along his mouth and breathing a sigh of relief when he felt sharp breaths hitting his hand. His lips were still there, trembling as he felt the softness of them.

Before he could even fully catch his breath his door was being ed open, and he squinted against the sudden light of a torch in order to make out the figure in his doorway.

“Is everything alright?!

It was Jungkook.

Taehyung clutched his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yes, Sir Jeon, I'm fine. It was just a bad dream.”

Jungkook nodded, brows still furrowed and eyes still alert.

“Very well then, goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Taehyung waited until he closed the door before flopping back onto his bed.

He stared up at his ceiling and wondered if Jungkook ever slept like a normal human being.

_+_

ONE WEEK LATER

As the days flew by, Taehyung was getting more and more used to living in the castle.

After that first nightmare he didn't have anymore, surprisingly enough. His heart was still heavy with worry over his sisters, but his new tutoring sessions helped distract him a little.

Junmyeon, his tutor, was one of the kindest people Taehyung had ever met. He had the patience of a thousand saints, and never made Taehyung feel stupid for not knowing a certain word.

The past week had been full of Taehyung mostly learning the alphabet, but now Junmyeon had him learning small words here and there.

“Why did you become a tutor, sir?” Taehyung asked one evening.

Junmyeon paused his review of Taehyung’s writing and glanced up with a thoughtful expression.

“Well,” he softly began. “My father was the royal tutor before me. In fact, he tutored Prince Yoongi. I’ve always loved teaching others so I decided to follow in his footsteps.”

“He didn't force you?” Taehyung impulsively asked.

Junmyeon smiled warmly. “Not at all.”

Their session continued with Taehyung learning more small words that Junmyeon felt he would comprehend easily.

Taehyung loved having their sessions in the royal garden. The smell of roses and gardenias helped to keep him focused on the letters and words in front of him. He also liked to watch the butterflies flit through the sunlight, and hear the birds chirp above his head. It was like a sanctuary for his troubled heart.

“Onward!”

Startled by the shout, Taehyung turned his head to peer over at what was causing so much commotion so early in the morning. He was surprised to see an army of knights leaving the castle and galloping out of sight on their large horses. Taehyung almost feared that a war could be going on, but then he noticed how Junmyeon continued to calmly look over his paper.

“Sir Jeon,” he called out to the boy standing at attention a few yards away from him. “Do you know where they’re going?”

Jungkook nodded once. “Their venturing outside of the castle to train today. It’s an overnight excursion.”

Taehyung’s eyes twinkled at the mere thought of leaving the castle walls. He wasn’t used to the cooped up life he was now living.

“Don’t you want to join them?” he asked Jungkook.

The knight shrugged. “I can’t really guard you from hundreds of miles away now can I, Taehyung?”

Taehyung mentally slapped himself for asking a question with such an obvious answer. If Jungkook didn’t think he was an idiot before, he definitely did now.

The brunette started to think back to the night the prince tricked him. He needed to know what Yoongi was going to do now that he had the names of his sisters.

“Sir?” Taehyung hesitantly spoke up, right when Junmyeon was handing him back his paper.

“Yes, Taehyung?”

“Where would I find the prince at this time of the day?”

Junmyeon stared at him questioningly for a few seconds before replying.

“Well, one might find him practicing his swordsmanship in the great hall, or he could be entertaining Prince Jimin…”

“Why is Prince Jimin here and not in Busan?” Taehyung asked. It was something he’d been wondering since he first heard that the prince was residing in the castle. Everyone seemed to agree that he was a hassle to deal with, so then why did they put up with him?

“It’s nothing you have to worry about, Taehyung,” Junmyeon assured him while ruffling his hair. “Just boring politics.”

“Politics…” Taehyung mumbled. He felt like his tutor was leaving something important out, but he didn’t push further.

“I think you’ve done more than enough work for the day,” Junmyeon announced. He started to stand up and gather all of his scrolls together. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

“Yes, sir.”

Junmyeon left and Taehyung immediately headed back inside the castle. Jungkook wasn’t far behind him, but he didn’t dare tell the knight what he planned on doing. All he’d get is a lecture on why his plan was stupid and uncalled for.

“I know what you’re doing.”

Taehyung stopped walking and turned completely around to face his bodyguard.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t give me that,” Jungkook scoffed. “You’re looking for Prince Yoongi and you plan on seeing him unannounced. Which is just asking for trouble, by the way.”

“That’s why I didn’t tell you,” Taehyung quipped. “I knew you would--”

His words were cut short when a group of girls knocked into his shoulders. The hallway was wide, and they could have easily stepped to the side, so Taehyung knew the harsh gesture was on purpose. He rubbed his sore shoulder and looked up just in time to see one of them glance back at him with a condescending smirk.

“What was that for?” he grumbled to himself.

“Some people aren't too happy to have you here,” Jungkook informed. He glared down the girls until they gasped and ran off, tittering amongst themselves. “Those were the prince’s concubines. They were gifts given to him by royalty from other kingdoms, but he never uses them. You’re at the top of their hit list.”

“Why?” Taehyung asked, truly confused.

“There’s a rumor going around that you're the prince’s new concubine and that he brought you here himself. The girls think you are their permanent replacement.”

Taehyung felt his face go hot. “But-- But i’m not--”

“Yes, I know. But they do not know that.”

Taehyung sighed and looked down the empty hallway in the direction of where the girls ran off to. They were just one more thing he would have to worry about.

_+_

He found the great hall with relative ease.

Peeking inside, he could see that the prince was in the middle of a sparring match with an instructor. Jungkook tried warning him one last time about showing up without being called, but Taehyung was getting to to the point where he didn’t care anymore.

He just wanted to know his sisters would be ok.

The guards at the door announced his presence once he stepped into the room.

“Kim Taehyung of the Southern Clan and sir Jeon Jungkook!”

The loud clashing of metal on metal came to a complete stop. Taehyung bowed as soon as Yoongi’s eyes landed on him.

“I don’t remember requesting your presence, Taehyung,” the prince commented. He lowered the sword in his hand and regarded the brunette through his mint green fringe. “Raise your head and explain yourself.”

Taehyung obeyed and took in the sheer vastness of the great hall. The prince and a taller man were standing in the middle, both holding weapons, while various other residents of the castle lounged about. There were a couple of servants walking around, tending to a table up against the far wall that held fruits and pitchers of water. A man wearing colorful garb and a weird hat was sat at the wall to the left of the sparring duo. He seemed to be juggling a trio of multicolored balls in front of a couple of concubines, making them giggle behind soft hands.

“I know you said I shouldn’t show up unannounced but… but I…” Taehyung swallowed his nervousness and pressed on. “But I would like to know what you did to my sisters, your highness.”

Yoongi raised a single brow. There was an amused glimmer in his eyes.

“You’ve gotten rather bold over the past few weeks, haven’t you?” he commented.

Taehyung swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn’t know what to say to that so he said nothing. It felt like every pair of eyes in the room were on him, now that he had the prince’s full attention.

“Forgive me, Zhoumi,” Yoongi apologized to the tall instructor across from him. “I need to have a word with my consultant.”

Zhoumi slightly bowed his head in acknowledgment. There was a warm smile on his face. “Of course, my prince. Go right ahead.”

Taehyung tried not to visibly shake as Yoongi drew near, but it was hard not to feel even an ounce of nervousness in the pale male’s presence. There was something about the prince that always made a person feel intimidated. He could probably even scare a man in his sleep.

“So, Taehyung,” Yoongi drawled. He lazily passed the hilt of the sword back and forth between his hands, all while making slow circles around Taehyung. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t punish you for blatantly disobeying me.”

Taehyung in a breath and timidly shrugged a bony shoulder.

“I… won’t do it again?”

Yoongi stopped his circling and finally came to a halt right in front of him. He analyzed Taehyung from head to toe before turning on his heels and walking towards where he’d been sparring.

“Follow me.”

Taehyung was frozen to the spot for a few seconds, but Jungkook quickly nudged him in the back and motioned for him to listen to the prince’s command. The brunette propelled his feet forward and followed behind Yoongi, all while trying to ignore the intense stares from everyone else in the room.

Yoongi stopped at his initial spot in front of Zhoumi and motioned Taehyung over with a tattooed hand. “Come over here.”

Taehyung nervously glanced around at all of the curious faces and jealous scowls before slowly walking over to the prince. It seemed like he was always finding himself in this situation. With the prince making demands and him shyly carrying them out.

“Stand in front of me,” Yoongi ordered, once Taehyung was within reach.

The boy bit his lip and shuffled over until he was standing in front of the prince, facing him.

A smirk curled the edges of pink lips. “No, not that way, Taehyung. Turn around.”

He said it so gently that Taehyung found himself turning around even before he could process the action.

Now he was facing the swordsmen, Zhoumi.

“I’m sorry, your highness, but I would still like to know about my sis--”

Without warning, Taehyung felt a warm chest meet his back and cold hands place the hilt of a sword into his palm.

Absolutely no sound could be heard all throughout the great hall. Everyone sat and stood stiffly, wondering what this interaction between their prince and a lowly stray from the southern clan could mean.

“It’s… moving?” Taehyung whispered in awe as he wrapped his fingers tighter around the hilt of the sword. Moving probably wasn’t a good word to describe the sensation he was feeling from the object. More like… vibrating? Yes, that would do. Junmyeon would be proud.

“It’s enchanted,” Zhoumi spoke up from where he stood. There was an impish sparkle in his eyes. “The magic in it is what brings it to life.”

“Wow,” Taehyung breathed, unable to take his eyes off of the shining metal. It wasn’t until Yoongi placed a hand over his own that he even remembered the prince was behind him.

Or how close they were standing.

“Swing at him,” he commanded, and Taehyung’s eyes widened.

Zhoumi didn’t look offended at all though. He immediately readied himself into a defensive stance and raised a single brow at Taehyung. Almost as if to say “show me what you’ve got”.

“I’ve never- I don’t know how to use a sword,” he whispered to Yoongi.

The prince pressed the palm of his other hand into Taehyung’s abdomen, and used his foot to pull back one of Taehyung’s own, until the brunette was in a somewhat proper fighting stance.

“Let the sword do most of the work,” he whispered into the younger’s ear. “It’s enchanted for a reason.”

“Strike at me, Taehyung,” Zhoumi encouraged. His smile seemed playful, and it allowed Taehyung to calm down a bit. “Go on. Do it!”

Taehyung took a wide step forward and brought the sword down to swing at Zhoumi’s left side. The man easily blocked the strike while also managing to hit the sword out of Taehyung’s hands and send the weapon flying to the ground.

Taehyung’s cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. He had been defeated so easily, and by the time he looked in Zhoumi’s direction again the point of a sword was aimed at his throat.

He gulped, his adam’s apple grazing the sharp edge, but then he breathed a sigh of relief when Zhoumi lowered the weapon with a smile.

“Not bad, but I can clearly tell you’re not much of the fighting type, are you Taehyung?”

Taehyung sheepishly scratched his arm. “No, I suppose not.”

“That sword,” Zhoumi continued, “feeds off of the desires of it’s wielder. If a powerful, forceful person who knows what his goal is wields it then, well, the sword will have no problem striking down its opponent.”

“But you, on the other hand,” Yoongi spoke up from where he stood a few feet behind Taehyung, startling the boy. “You are soft, therefor the sword was dull. It had no will to kill because you had no will to kill.”

“Of course I didn’t, Prince Yoongi,” he said with a frown. “Why would I want to kill him?”

Zhoumi shared a look with Yoongi before letting out a warm chuckle. “I think the spell books would be a good fit for you kid. Weapons? Not so much.”

Taehyung pouted and Yoongi clapped him on the shoulder. It almost felt surreal to have the prince touching him so familiarly, but then he remembered it was a lot more formal than the intimate way his back had been pressed into the prince’s chest a few minutes ago.

“I think being humiliated in front of everyone here is punishment enough. Right, Zhoumi?”

“You’re never wrong, my prince.”

Taehyung walked away with his face still burning red and his heart beating a little harder than usual. He decided to distract himself with the colorful man who was still watching him from where he sat. The balls he had been juggling earlier were now sitting forgotten at his feet, and the concubines he had been entertaining got up with disgusted faces as soon as Taehyung came near.

“That was awful brave of you,” the colorful man commented. He popped a grape into his mouth and smiled widely. Taehyung could only compare it to staring directly at the sun.

“I lost,” the brunette muttered.

“No, no, no, I mean you walking in all unannounced to the prince. I've seen people get thrown in the dungeons for doing such a thing. Yet you get a little slap on the wrist… I wonder why.”

Taehyung glanced away from the colorful man to stare over at Yoongi as he slashed through the air with his enchanted sword. Unlike Taehyung, he was giving Zhoumi quite the workout.

“It’s nothing,” Taehyung shrugged, unsure if he was trying to convince the sunny man or himself. “He probably just feels guilty about my…”

Taehyung trailed off as the man stared up at him curiously, that wide grin never leaving his face. The former thief didn’t think it was wise to divulge anything about his life to this stranger, so he closed his lips instead and focused on the match before him.

“Don’t feel like sharing, huh?” the man observed. “That’s fine. Everyone’s got their secrets around here.”

The words made Taehyung squirm, but he nodded anyway.

“The name is Jung Hoseok, by the way. I’m the court jester,” the man suddenly introduced. His colorful clothing and funny hat now made sense to Taehyung. “Everyone in the castle mostly calls me Hobi.”

“N-Nice to meet you,” Taehyung nodded in his direction. “I’m Taehyung.”

“So i’ve heard,” Hoseok said with a questionable grin.

Before Taehyung could ask him what he meant by that, the great hall was being disturbed by yet another person showing up without an invitation.

It was prince Jimin, and Taehyung felt a chill run down his spine upon seeing him. He’d been avoiding the young prince ever since his first encounter with him.

The guards at the door started to open their mouths but Jimin quickly waved them off with a scowl on his pretty face.

“Must you do that every time? I'm sure everyone here knows who I am by now.”

The guards snapped their mouths shut and Jimin directed his attention to Yoongi and Zhoumi’s match.

Unlike when Taehyung showed up, Yoongi kept his focus on the fight and didn't take his eyes off of Zhoumi’s form even as Jimin barked at him from the sidelines.

“Prince Yoongi! A word, please?!” Jimin shouted over the sound of swords clashing.

“Sorry. Can't talk now,” Yoongi grunted out, barely dodging a strike to his shoulder.

“I think you can!” Jimin shot back. “Why haven't you signed the papers yet?!”

“Papers? What papers?” Yoongi casually asked. He almost managed to knock Zhoumi's sword away and laughed in amusement when the older man kept a firm grip on the hilt.

“Do you take me for a fool?!” Jimin snapped. “You know exactly which papers I speak of! My Father, who is the king of Busan if you’ve suddenly forgotten, doesn't like that I've been here for so long with nothing to show for it!”

Yoongi finally took a step back from the fight and motioned for Zhoumi to give him a moment. He wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to Jimin with an uninterested expression.

“Are you done putting on a show?”

Jimin huffed and stubbornly crossed his arms. Despite the crown on his head he looked small in comparison to Yoongi’s authoritative presence. Like a spoiled child demanding attention.

His eyes flitted around the room when Yoongi’s direct gaze became too much, and Taehyung jolted when he spotted him.

“Kim Taehyung?!” Jimin called out to him. “Oh what a pleasure to see you again!”

Just like that, Prince Jimin was the sweetest person again. He beckoned Taehyung over and the brunette had no choice but to oblige.

Taehyung bowed once he was in front of the prince, doing his best not to make a wrong move and anger him. Despite Prince Jimin’s chipper change of attitude, there was still a thick cloud of tension hanging in the air.

“How are you, my friend?” Jimin asked, as soon as Taehyung stood up straight again. “What brings you to the great hall at this time of day?”

“I… Um… W-well I…” Taehyung struggled to give a proper response. He didn’t know how Jimin would react to his story of showing up unannounced and demanding the whereabouts of his sisters.

“I called him here,” Yoongi spoke up.

Taehyung let out a sigh of relief.

“I have important information I need to discuss with him.”

Jimin let out a very un-prince-like snort and rolled his eyes. “So… is this information more important than the papers you have yet to sign, Prince Yoongi?”

Yoongi stiffened, but Taehyung could see the gears turning in his head.

“Yes, actually. It is,” he stated bluntly, right before grabbing Taehyung’s wrist and tugging him towards the exit. Taehyung glanced back at Jungkook in a panic, only to see that the Knight was already following close behind.

Prince Jimin stared after them in shocked disbelief. “Prince Yoongi this is ridiculous! I know you are avoiding me!”

“It was nice chatting with you, Prince Jimin!” Yoongi called back to him with a smirk, before turning the corner and walking out of sight.

Taehyung stared at Yoongi’s back as he was pulled through the halls. He couldn’t tell where they were going since he never had much of a reason to go to these parts of the castle. They only ran into a few servants along the way, and Taehyung worriedly stared after them whenever they ducked their heads and giggled into their hands.

The last thing he needed was more rumours about him and the prince.

Yoongi finally stopped walking and Taehyung was grateful for the opportunity to breath again.

“I think we lost him,” Yoongi said, looking in the direction they just came from. “You’d be surprised how far Prince Jimin has followed me when i’ve ran away from him in the past.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, Prince Yoongi,” Taehyung slowly spoke up. “Why was Prince Jimin so mad? Why are we running from him?”

Yoongi looked at Taehyung, and the boy flinched when the dark eyes landed on him.

“Prince Jimin is angry because he is used to getting what he wants when he wants it, and I’m fairly certain you know why I wish to run from him.”

Yoongi did have a point there. Prince Jimin was quite the handful.

“But… why here?”

Yoongi looked around where they now stood as Taehyung’s question echoed off of the stone walls. They were in a small hallway located towards the back of the castle, standing in front of a window that showed a clear view of the mountains in the distance and the stream that ran through it. The sight was breathtaking, to say the least, and Taehyung wondered why he never stopped to enjoy the landscape of their Kingdom before.

The prince shrugged. “My subconscious brought us here I suppose. I used to come to this side of the castle a lot when I was a small boy. No one ever bothered me over here.”

“It’s a beautiful view,” Taehyung whispered, unable to drag his eyes away from the window.

The prince nodded in agreement. “It is… but I didn’t lie to Prince Jimin. I do have something very important to discuss with you.”

Taehyung looked away from the window to face the prince. Would he finally get answers about his sisters?

“I want you to attend a war meeting with me tomorrow.”

In the end, the younger should have seen something like this coming. He had been spared from losing both of his hands in order to be an asset for the prince after all. But he was still disappointed to know nothing about his sisters’ whereabouts. He just wanted to be able to sleep a little more soundly at night, without their voices hissing in his ears and calling him a traitor.

“Why would you want me there, Prince Yoongi?” Taehyung asked carefully. “How would I help in a war?”

“As I’ve said before, Taehyung, you are a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for.”

Taehyung felt his cheeks warm.

“I’ll be expecting you at noon tomorrow. Invited, this time,” the Prince added. Even though he sounded like he was simply teasing, the comment made Taehyung realize the magnitude of what he did. He had barged into the great hall and demanded answers from the prince, and did not even receive much of a punishment in return.

Almost as if they were equals.

“I trust that you’ll make sure Taehyung fulfills my request. Won’t you, Sir Jeon?”

Taehyung startled out of his thoughts at the sound of Jungkook’s name coming from Yoongi’s lips. He completely forgot the knight was there, and he didn’t know if it was because he had gotten used to his presence, or if it was because everything else seemed to fall away when the prince stared directly at him like that.

“Yes, my prince,” Jungkook answered back with a deep bow. “I shall.”

“And my sisters?”

As soon as the question left Taehyung’s lips a silence blanketed the hallway. The rustling of trees and the soft chirps of birds nesting in their foliage could be heard from the window, and these sounds were about the only thing keeping Taehyung together at the moment.

Why is he so quiet?

Have I played a part in the execution of my own sisters?

Are they--

“Don’t look so disheartened,” Prince Yoongi finally spoke.

Taehyung held his breath when a pale hand reached forward and pushed a piece of hair behind his ear.

“I have not harm them, if that’s what you’re thinking. I needed their names for a potion, is all.”

“What kind of potion?” Taehyung croaked.

The prince raised a brow at this and respectfully returned his hand to his side. “You still don’t trust me, it seems.”

“I do, but--”

“The simplest way I can put it is that your sisters have had a ‘change of heart’. I have made it so that they will never want to steal again. No torture, no removal of limbs and no imprisonment. Just good old fashion magic.”

“And all you needed was the person’s name?”

Yoongi nodded. His eyes held a proud glimmer to them. He looked happy to be asked about his work, and Taehyung realized he never looked like this when Seokjin approached him with papers on politics and war. Taehyung wondered if Yoongi even wanted to be a prince.

“If I… If I were to give you the names of everyone else in my clan… Would you be able to--”

“To concoct a potion for them like I did with your sisters?”

Taehyung nodded.

Prince Yoongi thought it over for a minute, the cogs in his brain working towards the idea of performing magic on such a large scale.

“It may take me some time, seeing as how I’ve never casted a spell on so many people before, but I believe it can be done. I’ll have to consult my mentor.”

“Then i’ll tell you as many names as I can. Whenever you’re ready.”

Yoongi smiled then. It wasn’t as wide as the one Taehyung had seen when the prince brewed a truth potion, but it was there and it was bright. It reminded Taehyung of soft sunlight peeking through a storm cloud, and he wondered how he could have ever thought a face wearing such a smile would be able to harm his sisters.

“I’m looking forward to your company tomorrow, Taehyung,” Yoongi said with a slight nod of his head. “Goodbye for now, and to you too, Sir Jeon.”

Jungkook bowed again as the prince passed him, and Taehyung felt a little frozen. He knew he should probably start venturing back to his quarters. Maybe practice some of the words Junmyeon taught him that morning, and prepare for the long day ahead of him tomorrow, but Yoongi’s smile and the light touch of his fingers grazing his ear left him behaving like a statue in the middle of the hallway.

“Do you intend for me to carry you back to your room?”

Jungkook’s voice woke Taehyung from his daze, and he turned around to pout at the knight. If the younger boy was one of his friends from back home he would have punched him in the arm for teasing him like that, but Jungkook always made it clear that he was a knight through and through, so Taehyung decided to not push his buttons.

“I was just thinking,” he offered as a terrible excuse.

Jungkook saw right through it and started to lead the way back to Taehyung’s quarters.

“Let’s get you back to your room before you cause more trouble.”

^{Yay! Ok so we got some more Prince Jimin for the people who liked his character in this, and we also got an introduction to Hoseok! I think a court Jester fits him perfectly, lol. Watching him in that flower headpeice during the V-live broadcast this morning only confirmed that :D}

^{Also, did you guys like the edition of Junmyeon (aka. Suho) from exo and Zhoumi from Super Junior? Tae is friends with Suho in real life and Yoongi is freiends with Zhoumi in real life so I decided to add those two :3} 

^{I love writing dark, intimidating, magic weilding Prince Yoongi who has a soft spot for sweet and innocent theif Tae. It's great :)}

^{Thank you for all of the support so far, and I hope you all liked this chapter. I'll try to update soon but please rememeber that I have other stories as well <3}