^{I loved all of the positive feedback from last chapter! Thank you for always leaving the kindest and most enthusiastic comments :)} 

The sun was high in the middle of the sky when Taehyung ventured out to the front gate with Jungkook beside him.

There was already a small gathering of knights there, waiting with their horses to the prince to the border. Being so close to another Kingdom’s territory was dangerous.

Taehyung’s slumped over figure from the heat straightened a bit when he saw Advisor Seokjin approaching him. The man seemed to have been checking a wagon that would be holding all their supplies. The trip was an overnight one.

“Good afternoon, Taehyung!” Seokjin greeted cheerily from behind his round glasses. He often checked up on Taehyung over the past few weeks. “Are you excited for the trip?”

Taehyung wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded with a smile. “Yes, it's been awhile since I've seen the kingdom, and I've never been to the border before.”

“There really isn't much to see but I think you'll appreciate the open landscape. A lot of farmers live out there.” Seokjin glanced at one of the horses that was being calmed down by a knight. “Have you ever ridden a horse before?”

Taehyung flushed red with embarrassment. “No, I have not. Some of the older men in my clan had horses but I wasn't allowed to ride them.”

“Oh dear,” Seokjin muttered with a frown.

Jungkook shook his head in amusement. “My thoughts precisely.”

“We'll be sure to have lessons scheduled for you when we return,” the advisor reassured a nervous Taehyung. “For now you can ride with--”

“For now he can ride with me.”

All three of them turned around to see Prince Yoongi trotting towards them on his own horse. It was a midnight black steed with one white back leg, and a white patch over its right eye. The coat practically glistened in the sun as Yoongi came to a stop in front of them.

Taehyung marveled at the beautiful creature before directing his gaze up at Yoongi. The prince smiled down at him and swung a leg over his saddle, in order to hop down off of the tall animal.

“Of course with you being taller you’ll have to ride behind me instead of in front of me, but you should be fine as long as you hold on tight,” Yoongi explained as he the side of his horse’s neck.

“You didn’t think much through when you invited Taehyung on this trip, did you your highness?” Seokjin scolded with a tilt of his head.

Yoongi ignored him and reached out to hold Taehyung’s wrist. He tugged the brunette closer to the horse, encouraging him to reach out and pet it. Taehyung was very hesitant at first, but feeling Yoongi’s fingers on his skin was somewhat reassuring. Slowly, and carefully, he was able to smooth his hand over the horse’s hairs without feeling like he should pull away.

“Her name is Tip,” Yoongi explained. He had a fond look in his eyes as he helped guide Taehyung’s hand along the horse.

“Why Tip?” Taehyung asked in a hushed whisper. He was doing his best not to startle the peaceful mare.

“After she was born, as soon as she could stand up properly, she immediately broke out into a happy trot. We didn’t see anything abnormal about it, but then she started to trot everywhere. Never walking, cantering or galloping, just trotting…”

Taehyung listened with all of his attention. Yoongi’s voice had an incredible way of completely him into whatever story he was telling.  

“Because of this, it always looked like she was walking on the tips of her hooves, so I started calling her Tip. She is trained now, of course, and doesn’t trot if I don’t want her to, but the name lingered.”

“I like it,” Taehyung said with a definitive nod. “It’s cute.”

Yoongi smoothed a hand down the bridge of Tip’s nose, and smiled when she nuzzled into his palm. “Yes, I suppose it is.”

“We should proceed now, Prince Yoongi,” Seokjin spoke up from behind them. “This is an overnight trip and we already don’t have much time left.”

Yoongi playfully rolled his eyes for only Taehyung to see, and the younger boy did his best to suppress his laugh.

“Yes, yes Seokjin. We leave now.”

Seokjin seemed satisfied with that answer for the moment. He looked to Taehyung again and eyed the sack he was carrying. “You can leave your things in the wagon Taehyung. It will be hard to ride with Prince Yoongi while carrying it.”

The advisor called over a servant before Taehyung could even say, “ok” and had them take Taehyung’s bag and place it in the horse drawn wagon.

“I’ll go up first. Watch what I do closely,” Yoongi said, and Taehyung gave him his undivided attention.

Yoongi lifted one foot to fit snuggly into the stirrups while holding onto the saddle with both of his hands. He then hopped up with his other foot and swung that leg completely over the saddle in order to sit down. After all of that, he looked down at Taehyung with an encouraging nod of his head.

“Your turn,” he said. The look of apprehension on Taehyung’s face amused him. “I’ll even help pull you up if you need me to.”

Taehyung gladly accepted the offer. He pushed his foot into the stirrups like he saw Yoongi do, but instead of holding on to the saddle, he held on to Yoongi’s out-stretched arm. It wasn’t until that moment that he truly understood just how strong the prince actually was.

Although Taehyung attempted to swing his leg over like he had seen Yoongi do, it didn’t get very far. It was Yoongi who held up all of his weight, eventually making it possible for Taehyung to finally settle into the saddle right behind him.

Their bodies were pressed together this way, and Taehyung wondered if it was the heat from the sun that caused sweat to start beading at his temples.

“Make sure you hold on to me tightly,” the prince ordered. “I don’t need you falling off.”

“Yes, Prince Yoongi,” Taehyung answered back with a gulp. The thought of falling off and being trampled by somebody else’s horse scared him, but not as much as the fact that he would be wrapping his arms around the prince’s torso for an extended amount of time.

Taehyung was so busy mulling over everything in his head, he didn’t even notice that they had started on their journey until he felt Tip go from a trot to a canter. It was going to take his some getting used to, and he knew he was going to be sore the next morning from all of the jostling.

He took the time to observe his surroundings, no matter how quickly they were passing them. He hadn’t been outside of the castle since that night he was caught. It was nice seeing the sprawling landscape and busy villages again.

Craning his neck, Taehyung caught sight of Jungkook following close behind on his own white horse, as well as all the other knights surrounding them in formation. The horse drawn wagon was a little slower than the rest, but that was to be expected, considering how much stuff it had to carry.

Taehyung faced forward again and stared at the back of Yoongi’s head. His mint green hair was blowing wildly in the wind, and his back somehow seemed broader from this angle. Maybe it was the way he leaned a bit forward to make Tip go from a canter to a gallop. Or it could have been the way his white shirt outlined his back muscles when the sweat made the fabric cling to his skin.

Either way, Taehyung felt his breath leave him. He didn't know the nape of a neck could be so pretty.

“Everything alright back there?” Yoongi called to him, probably noticing how quiet Taehyung was being.

“Yes, Prince Yoongi!” Taehyung assured him. He leaned a bit closer and tightened his hold around the prince. There probably wouldn't ever be another opportunity like this to be so close to him.

But why do I care about that so much?

“There's a stream up ahead!” One of the nights called out to the entire group. “We'll stop there to let the horses drink before continuing!”

“Understood!” The others called back, and Taehyung noticed that their course shifted a bit in order to reach the stream.

Tip was brought down from a gallop to a canter again, and Taehyung couldn't wait to get off and give his legs a chance to stretch. As much as he liked riding so close to the prince, it felt like his was going numb.

~+~

They were traveling through a forest now, and the horses were required to simply walk until they reached the stream. It was much more peaceful than the fast paced riding they were just doing, and Taehyung found that he liked the calm swaying that Tip's strolling created.

He startled a bit, when the feeling of Yoongi’s hand on top of his own suddenly registered to his brain. One of the Prince's thumbs were gently rubbing over the back of his hand that was wrapped around his  abdomen, and Taehyung felt his mouth dry up instantly.

“Have you fallen asleep?” Yoongi whispered. The forest was quiet except for the dull thuds of hoods stepping over leaves and twigs.

Taehyung soon realized that Yoongi's reason for asking that was because the brunette was leaning fully on his back now. His cheek was even pressed into Yoongi’s hair, and how he never realized he had completely melted against the prince? He would never know.

“Oh!” He sat up straight and loosened his grip on Yoongi a little bit. “Sorry, I--”

The prince pinched the back of his hand, effectively getting him to quiet.

“I will ban the word ‘sorry’, if only to make you finally stop saying it.”

Taehyung pressed his lips together, the urge to say sorry again warm on his tongue.

“We stop here,” Yoongi announced to everyone. He didn't want them to venture too far into the forest, and that section of the stream seemed clean enough.

Everyone obeyed the order and got off of their horses. Yoongi hopped off with ease before reaching up to help Taehyung get down a little more gracefully.

At first it felt weird to have the Prince's hands so firmly on his hips, but Taehyung didn't want him to let go even after his feet were safely on the ground.

“You're surprisingly light despite your height,” Yoongi commented.

Taehyung gave him a sheepish grin. “My sisters used to always say I would float away in the slightest wind.”

“All the more reason for you to be careful on the back of my horse then,” the prince teased.

“Your Highness,” a servant who came with them greeted, effectively snapping Taehyung out of whatever trance Yoongi’s smile had put him in. “Would you like me to tend to your horse?”

“No, that won't be necessary,” Yoongi gently answered back as he gathered up the reins in his own hand and cupped Taehyung’s elbow in his other one. “I'll tend to Tip myself.”

The servant bowed. “Yes, your highness.”

Taehyung let Yoongi guide him closer to the water, still not entirely used to being on the receiving end of the mint haired man’s complete attention.

Yoongi let go of the reins and let Tip venture a little closer to the water. She lowered her head and started to drink, appreciative huffs occasionally leaving her nose.

“She must be so tired, carrying the both of us,” Taehyung murmured while observing the way Tip guzzled down the water.

“She will be alright,” Yoongi shrugged. He affectionately patted the side of the horse's neck. “Isn't that right, Tip?”

Tip swooshed her tail in agreement, and Taehyung giggled.

“We should drink too,” Yoongi said. He leant down on one knee and filled up a waterskin container, much like the ones the rest of the knights were filling up. Taehyung could see Jungkook handing one to Seokjin a few feet away.

Taehyung accepted the cool liquid from the prince and took two big gulps before wiping his mouth and handing it back. It didn't fully register to him who exactly the container belonged to until he saw Yoongi putting the same spout to his own mouth.

Taehyung's eyes widened before he quickly looked away.

“We’re almost at the border,” Seokjin said as he walked up to them. “I forgot how uncomfortable riding can be.”

“Taehyung hasn't complained one bit since we set out,” Prince Yoongi pointed out.

Seokjin smirked. “That's because our dear Taehyung here doesn't ever complain, Your Highness. Even when his bottom has lost all feeling.”

The prince and his advisor continued to banter back and forth, meanwhile Jungkook came to stand next to Taehyung.

“Red from the heat? Or something else?”

Taehyung glanced at Jungkook before looking down at the floor. For someone who was so keen on being taken seriously as a knight, the younger seemed to love teasing him lately.

“From the heat of course, Sir Jeon.”

Jungkook didn't look so convinced.

“There is an update on those men who attacked Taehyung a few weeks ago,” Taehyung heard Seokjin say. He kept his eyes on the ground, but strained to hear what was being said. Seokjin was talking in a low murmur now. “We think we might know who it is, but accusing them of anything will be hard if we don't have any solid proof.”

“Find whatever you can,” Yoongi ordered without hesitation. He too was talking low now, and Taehyung almost didn't hear the last thing he said. “I’d rather they not go another day without being punished for their actions.”

The brunette's brows jumped up, a little surprised by the anger in Yoongi’s voice. He honestly thought the prince had forgotten all about the attack.

“Yes, your highness,” Seokjin answered back with a bow, and Taehyung quickly looked up at Jungkook to make it seem as if he were talking to him.

“Sir Jeon!” Yoongi called over to them, and Jungkook immediately stood up straighter. “Taehyung will be riding with you for the rest of the journey. The closer we get to the border, the more of a target I become.”

Taehyung visibly deflated at the prince’s words. He was looking forward to riding on Tip’s back some more, and feeling Yoongi’s soft hair tickling his cheek. Feeling Jungkook’s tough armor beneath his hands just wouldn’t be the same.

But who was he to protest an order from the crown prince himself?

“Yes, your highness!” Jungkook dutifully replied.

A few minutes later everyone was back on a horse and trampling through the forest again. They broke out into the open land after a few yards and continued onward. More villages were passed, and for a moment Taehyung thought they would pass his clan as well, but their journey had them going slightly westward, so he was still in the clear.

The trek lasted until the sun was a fiery, orange ball at the bottom of the sky, nearly dipping out of sight in the horizon.

The border patrol camp greeted them with lifted spirits at the sight of their prince. Taehyung could only think of how hard it must be for them to be so far away from the castle.

As everyone dismounted from their horses and took inventory of the supplies, Taehyung felt a little out of place. Having Jungkook hovering close by helped somewhat, but he didn’t know what to do with himself as people rushed back and forth past him. Even Seokjin seemed to be caught up with something, as he spoke with a fellow advisor who was stationed at the camp.

“It is a lot to take in.”

Taehyung spun around to see that one of the knights had just addressed him. He quickly bowed out of respect, and stood up fully to face him again. It was kind of disconcerting to have the man talking to him so directly. None of the knights, aside from Jungkook, usually tried to interact with him. To them, Taehyung might as well have been invisible.

But clearly he wasn’t to this particular knight.

“It is, Sir… Sir… um,” Taehyung stumbled over the rest of his words, unsure of the man’s name.

The knight smiled cordially. “It’s Sir Choi.”

Taehyung smiled back apprecietivly. “Do you think there is anything I can do to help, Sir Choi? I feel strange just standing here.”

Sir Choi seemed to mull the request over for a bit, his dark brows furrowing over handsome brown eyes. “I think dinner is to be served soon. I can see if any of the servants need a helping hand.”

Taehyung nodded enthusiastically, glad to be of some help. “Yes! That sounds perfect!”

Sir Choi seemed surprised at first, that someone was so eager to do a servant’s job, but then his smile broadened. “I shall lead the way then.”

Taehyung happily followed after the knight as they made their way through the camp. There were random fire pits spread out here and there among the tents. Knights gathered around them as the sun continued to disappear from view. A lot of them were laughing and telling stories, as if there wasn’t a threat of war looming over their heads.

“So what work has his highness been putting you up to?” Sir Choi spoke up. “I’ve heard of you around the castle. I know you are his informant, but it most definitely isn’t like our prince to have someone in his inner circle who can not defend themselves.”

Taehyung nodded his head with a hum of confirmation. “Yes, he has me training with Master Namjoon in the art of wizardry.”

“Ah, yes. Magic,” Sir Choi sighed. “I suppose knighthood was of no appeal to you?”

Taehyung shook his head with an apologetic sigh. “Truthfully, swords scare me.”

A snort from Jungkook could be heard behind him, but Taehyung ignored his personal bodyguard and jogged forward a little to keep up with Sir Choi’s long strides.

The knight was starting to explain to him the typical daily routine the patrol had been following each day. It was a lot of hard work, composed of a knight shift and a day shift. Taehyung felt bad for some of the men who looked especially tired as they took off their helmets and ran shaky fingers through their sweaty hair.

He wished he could be walking through the camps like this with Yoongi. He loved hearing the Prince’s thoughts and concerns about things, but Yoongi had been immediately swept into a world of royal duty as soon as he dismounted his horse. Taehyung probably wasn’t going to see him again until tomorrow morning.

“This is the main tent where food is prepared,” Sir Choi announced. They had stopped at a tent that was a little bigger than all of the others. “Think of it as a kitchen.”

Taehyung peeked inside to see servants on one end wrapping dried foods into small parcels and setting them aside. On the other end a group of servants were chopping up ingredients before bringing them to a large pot that was over a fire pit outside. They were all working fast and efficiently.

“I think you would do well helping the parcel makers,” Sir Choi suggested. “They make sure all of our food that we will need to have on our person while patrolling is ready to go. It only requires wrapping up the dried meats and bread.”

Taehyung nodded. “I can do that.”

“Very well then, I’ll leave you to it. Dinner starts in an hour’s time so try not to miss it.”

“I’ll do my best, Sir Choi.”

The man chuckled quietly to himself and patted Taehyung on the shoulder. “I see now why his highness is so fond of you.”

Taehyung felt his heart leap into his throat. Before he could question the knight further about such a statement, the man was making his way through the row of tents again.

The former thief sighed and turned to Jungkook. “I’ll be inside helping, Sir Jeon. Care to join me?”

Jungkook gave him a withering look. “I’m ordered to watch over you, not be a servant in training.”

Taehyung raised his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. Don’t bite my head off oh noble knight of Daegu.”

He quickly ducked into the tent before Jungkook could quip back.

~+~

The hour flew by like a bird in flight for Taehyung.

Helping the servants was surprisingly fun. Over the last few months he had spent in the castle, he only ever had Jungkook, Prince Yoongi, Seokjin or his tutors to talk to, and Jungkook barely counted because the boy only said a few words at a time. But working with the servants had Taehyung laughing happily at their jokes every few minutes, and smiling more than he did even when he still lived with his family.

They were such kind and humble people, who held a genuine love for Prince Yoongi. Most of them had known the prince since he was a baby. Even the newer ones, who started working at the castle when he was a teenager, held a certain respect for the heir to the throne. They told Taehyung numerous stories about Yoongi, in both his childhood and adulthood, and Taehyung felt like he was seeing the mint haired man in a completely new light.

“...One time, he helped me catch a hen that escaped from the castle’s chicken coop...”

“...I still remember the day he was only four years of age and came stumbling into the castle’s kitchen, demanding warm milk...”

“...You should have seen the look on his face when he received his first concubine. He asked me if there was any way I could smuggle her back to the kingdom of Gwangju, but I explained to the poor boy that it wouldn’t look polite in the eyes of Gwangju’s king...”

Taehyung soaked up all the of the stories with eager ears and bright eyes. Many of the servants also told him about how confusing Taehyung’s presence was in the castle at first, but that now that he was here and helping them, they could see that he was a good person at heart.

“Is it true that the southern clan steals stuff?!” one of the younger servant girls suddenly blurted. The woman standing next to her, possibly her mother, quickly scolded her for asking such a question.

Taehyung did his best to smile in her direction, but it came out tight. “N-Not exactly. We--”

“It’s alright, Taehyung,” the woman quickly assured him. “You don’t have to explain yourself. My neice can be too curious for her own good at times.”

Ah, so she is her niece.

“Say sorry to the nice man, dear.”

“Sorry,” the younger girl mumbled, before ducking her head and continuing her work.

“It’s fine, really,” Taehyung quickly said.

“There you are!”

Everyone in the tent looked to the entrance to see none other than the advisor, Seokjin standing there.

“We were looking all over for you Taehyung! It’s a good thing I spotted Sir Jeon standing watch out here. You had his highness worried sick!”

All of the servants stared back and forth between Taehyung and Seokjin in quiet awe. They had never heard of their prince showing so much concern over someone before.

A slow heat traveled up Taehyung’s neck, and to the tops of his cheekbones.

“S-Sorry, Advisor Seokjin! I was helping with the parcels.” Taehyung quickly handed off the parcel he was in the middle of wrapping to a kind old man standing next to him, and waved goodbye to the rest of the servants there.

“How do you expect the councilmen to ever take you seriously if you are to be caught working with the servants?” Seokjin scolded on their way to wherever dinner was being held.

“The servants are… nice,” Taehyung meekly supplied. He really did enjoy the time he spent with them.

Seokjin sighed and led him towards a larger fire that had been set up in the center of the camp. “I won’t hold this against you. You still have a lot to learn.”

Around the large fire were sporadic groups of knights sitting and eating in the firelight. One of the older ones had even taken to shaking some sort of tambourine, his gravelly voice singing ancient hymns as the shadows from the flames flickered across his weathered features.

“We will be sitting with Prince Yoongi, over here,” Seokjin informed, and Taehyung nearly tripped into the fire. He had never been invited to eat with the prince before, and although this wasn’t a formal setting, he was terrified.

Taehyung followed close behind Seokjin as they approached one of the group of men sitting and eating. He instantly recognized Yoongi, and his heart did it’s own little dance again when the prince’s eyes immediately latched onto his own. There was a great amount of relief swimming in his dark orbs.

The next person Taehyung recognized, with a visible startle, was Sir Choi. He smiled and waved in Taehyung’s direction, causing the prince to stare between them in surprise as well. He clearly didn’t expect for them to have already met eachother.

The third man among them was a stranger to Taehyung. He looked to be older than the prince, Sir Choi and Seokjin, and the longer Taehyung looked at his face the more he started to recognize him as the man Yoongi had first spoken with when they arrived. The knight who was put in charge of the border patrol.

Seokjin sat down next to Sir Choi and Taehyung hesitantly followed his lead. It put him a few feet away from Yoongi, and the prince didn’t seem satisfied with such an arrangement.

“Taehyung,” he called, the sound of his voice completely transporting Taehyung’s mind again. He didn’t think he could ever get tired of the way Prince Yoongi said his name. It held the same lilt one might have when saying ‘Isn’t the weather lovely today?’.

“Sit beside me,” Yoongi instructed, straightforward and to the point.

“Yes, Prince Yoongi.”

Everyone in their small circle stared curiously at this small exchange between the two, making Taehyung feel even more self conscious as he scooted closer to his highness.

“Sir Jeon, you may sit and eat with us as well,” Yoongi added.

Taehyung looked up to see Jungkook leave his rigid stance a few feet away and  take a seat next to Seokjin. He wondered if the knight ever did anything without the prince’s permission first.

“Did you enjoy helping out with the parcels?” Sir Choi spoke up, clearly directing his question towards Taehyung.

Once again, Yoongi looked confused, and it was somewhat amusing to Taehyung to see that the prince wasn’t used to not being aware of every single thing Taehyung was up to.

“Yes, it was a lot of fun actually,” Taehyung answered truthfully. “The servants were all very nice to me. I… I could help them again tomorrow, before we leave… if that’s ok?”

“No, that is not,” Seokjin piped up, quickly putting an end to anymore ideas Taehyung might have of aiding the servants. “Do you not remember what I just told you?”

Taehyung opened his mouth to protest, but Seokjin gave him a ‘look’ and placed a bowl of food in his hands. “More eating. Less foolish questions.”

Taehyung sighed and did as he was told.

“I didn’t know you were helping the servants,” Yoongi mumbled, sounding somewhat betrayed. If it were just the two of them Taehyung might have been brave enough to about it.

“He wanted something to do while he was here, and seemed eager to help,” Sir Choi explained. “I hope I didn’t overstep, your highness.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Yoongi quickly assured him. “Just… a very unexpected occurrence is all.”

“Choi Minho,” the older knight in charge of the patrol muttered with an exasperated smile. “Ever the congenial knight when it comes to greeting newcomers. He’ll have you polishing everyone’s sword and thinking you’re enjoying it if you’re not careful, Taehyung.”

Taehyung laughed at that. “No, it really was nice working with the servants! And Sir Choi was very kind to me.”

“Don’t worry too much about Sir Sung,” Minho said with a spiteful grin, as he swallowed a spoonful of soup. “He’s always going on and on about how I use my nice smile to persuade others.”

“Well, it is true,” Sir Sung shrugged, and Taehyung couldn’t help but laugh again.

In fact, the younger completely forgot he was sitting next to the crown prince until he felt someone nudge him with their elbow. He looked to his right and nearly reeled backward at how close the prince’s face was. He didn’t realize there was that little space between them this whole time.

“When you are done, follow me to the edge of camp,” Yoongi instructed, and it was then that Taehyung noticed that the prince had set down his empty soup bowl.

“Yes Prince Yoongi,” Taehyung whispered back. Yoongi then got up and walked off first, probably to not draw too much attention to the fact that they were both leaving at the same time.

The back of Taehyung’s neck felt prickly and hot as he discreetly tried to finish his food quickly. He could see Jungkook’s eyes glancing at him every few minutes, as if he had caught on to what Taehyung was trying to do, but then Seokjin had him wrapped up in some sort of debate, and Taehyung considered that his only moment to get away undetected.

He gently set his bowl down and got up without a word, hurrying in the general direction he saw the prince go in. If it weren’t for Yoongi’s bright hair he might have never found him, but sure enough, at the edge of camp, Taehyung found Prince Yoongi laid out on a blanket from their supplies.

“P-Prince Yoongi?” Taehyung called in an unsure tone, as he slowly came a little closer.

Yoongi glanced up at him through his fringe, and the corners of his mouth quirked up into a warm smile. “I was beginning to think you would never finish that tiny morsel of soup.”

Taehyung nervously bit his bottom lip. “My apologies, your highness. I… I didn’t want it to seem like--”

“Like you were following me?” Yoongi finished. A puff of air left his nose as his smile widened a bit. “It was my order, therefore it does not matter what conclusions others draw from it.”

Taehyung felt the tips of his ears warm over.

“Come lay down next to me, Little Flower,” Yoongi said.

The brunette felt his stomach swoop strangely. “L-Lay? Alright, um--”

Today was full of firsts. He had never laid with the prince before. The prospect of doing such a thing was somewhat exhilarating, and his heart was even more confused now than it had ever been before.

Taehyung cautiously lowered himself onto the small blanket, and tried to ignore the jarring fact that his arm was brushing the Prince’s.

“You always follow my orders so unquestioningly,” Yoongi stated suddenly. “You are a lot like a knight in that way, I suppose.”

Taehyung stayed still and quiet as the prince spoke. For some reason, this felt different from their talks by the window in the castle.

“But with the knights it feels right, nice even, to have them obey my every word so unflinchingly. But with you… with you, Taehyung, it makes me feel like a tyrant.”

Taehyung’s eyebrows furrowed at that. “I don’t see you as a tyrant, Prince Yoongi.”

Yoongi hummed in acknowledgement of the statement. “That’s comforting, in a way. But I still… Is it too much of me, I wonder, to ask for you to treat me like you would a friend? To tell me if you wish to not do something, and to scold me if you feel I am wrong? To sit and eat with me when we are both hungry, and to lay with me beneath the stars like this?”

Taehyung’s eyes danced across the night sky, as his heart thumped loudly in his ears. It was indeed easier to see the stars on the outskirts of the camp. There was less campfire to dim their natural brilliance.

“I… I…”

Taehyung didn’t know what to say. The Prince’s words were beginning to sound like a confession of sorts. But to what? The brunette didn’t know.

“You and Sir Choi seem to get along well,” Yoongi ventured. He must have noticed that Taehyung was at a loss for words, and decided on steering their conversation in a different direction. “When did he find the time to speak with you?”

“When we first arrived,” Taehyung breathed out, relieved that they were on a topic he could answer clearly. Speaking about his day with Yoongi was something that always came easier to him. “I told him I wanted to help, so he showed me to the servant’s tent where they prepare the food. I helped wrapped parcels. Spending time with the servants was a lot of fun.”

“I see you’ve grown fond of them,” Yoongi chuckled softly.

“Yes,” Taehyung nodded with a smile of his own. “They had many amazing stories to tell.”

Yoongi raised his brows comically at that. “Oh really? None of them involving me, I hope.”

“You are most definitely out of luck then,” Taehyung giggled, and the sound of the Prince’s exaggerated sigh made him laugh a little harder.

When he finally calmed down his pink cheeks grew darker at the sight of Yoongi staring at him with a softness he could not explain. It reminded Taehyung of the looks one of his sisters used to give an older man in their clan. He was one of their top thieves, and she was constantly peering out their window to catch a glimpse of him. It was the only time Taehyung thought her normally harsh eyes looked beautiful.

“I wish I could have been the one to help you today,” Yoongi spoke, breaking the heavy stillness.

“You are Prince Yoongi. You have a duty to all of the people in this kingdom,” Taehyung reasoned with a shrug of his shoulder. “I knew you would be busy. You even told me so.”

“Yes, but seeing how you--” Yoongi stopped himself. His eyes blinked rapidly, as if realizing what he was about to say, before fluttering close. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. You and I are here now.”

You and I… Taehyung hated the way such a simple phrase made his soul float away from his body.

Yoongi suddenly rolled over onto his stomach instead, and Taehyung looked up at him out of the corner of his eyes, only to see one of the Prince’s pale hands reaching over to tuck something behind his ear.

“Even out here, flowers can be found,” Yoongi said with a sweet smile.

Taehyung plucked the flower from his ear so that he could get a better look at it.

It also helped to distract him from the way Yoongi was staring down at him so intensely.

“A daisy?” he whispered, slowly twirling the white flower between his tan fingers. It reminded him of the first time Yoongi ever gifted him something like this. “My favorite.”

“I know,” the prince grinned. The markings on his chest peeked through the dip of his tunic's collar as he leaned on his elbows. “Picked it just for you.”

Taehyung put the flower back, tucked safely behind his ear again, and closed his eyes.

He didn’t want Yoongi to see the way they began to water. He didn’t want Yoongi to know that he knew the prince was lying. That he noticed daisies didn’t grow in this part of the region. That he could sense the magic thrumming lightly in the flower resting behind his ear, and that he knew it had to have been conjured.

That he was going to cry… because no one had ever gone so out of their way to make him this happy before.

^{Yoongi may seem intimidating and scary at first, but he is just a precious bean of a prince who, at the end of the day, has just as little experience in the love department as Taehyung :)} 

^{I hope you guys liked this chapter! I promise to try and add Hoseok more in all of this as well. He mostly stays in the castle tho so I can't at the moment, but as soon as they head back you guys will see more of him :D} 

^{Tell me what you think!} 

^{Did you like the addition of Shinee's Minho? Also, Sir Sung is actor Sung Dong Il who was in Hwarang with Taehyung :)}