As the sun settled with time, Taehyung returned to his chamber. He sat near his desk and traced his finger along the candle that waited atop the wooden surface, resting his head on the palm of his other hand. A soft sigh left his lips as he thought about the prince he was absolutely smitten for at this point; a smile forced its way to his lips as he thought back to their conversation about the candle.

“Your Highness.” A voice called out.

“Thank you, Seolhee-noona.” Taehyung nodded as his servant served him tea at the table. He muttered a word of prayer before taking a quick sip of the hot liquid.

“Your Highness, shall I-”

The prince nodded without hesitance, sure of what Seolhee was about to ask. He gestured towards the candle and watched as the other set it alight. “Thank you, Seolhee-noona.” A teasing tone laced his words, realising he repeated the same line a few seconds ago, to which the standing lady laughed at.

“Allow me to leave for a moment. I shall return immediately to have you prepared for dinner.” Seolhee eyed the room and ensured all of the prince’s materials were present and arranged, before bowing and leaving the room.

Taehyung stirred awake from his momentary daze at the soft sound of the door sliding shut. He let his eyes wander across the lines of the poem that adorned the parchment in front of him, frequently glancing towards the magnificent candle; the glorious flame danced with the gentle wind, swaying back and forth, wax dripping down the edges.

“Oh, how small you have become, dear one…”, he whispered as he continued watching closely, the candle never ending its spectacular dance.

An hour passed by, and Taehyung was being dressed into a new hanbok – a special gift from the late queen that he promised to wear someday; the light blue fabric was embroidered with white patterns, laces covering the edges. He looked at the mirror and slowly turned around, thanking the servants for their work.

He entered the dining hall and his gaze immediately landed upon the Jeon Prince – who seemed so immersed into the bowls on his table – before averting his look to the front, where the king sat with a blank expression.

“Son…”

Taehyung bowed and let out a soft sigh, his fists clenching as he awaited a possible cruel remark from his father.

“Is that… Well, why tonight of all days?”, the king asked as he gestured closely.

Taehyung furrowed his brows with confusion, before looking down at his hanbok, eyes widening as he comprehended his father’s question. A warm smile surfaced as he walked towards his seat, aware of all eyes on him.

“Today, it seems my heart is content and at peace. Brighter days are a mere touch away from us, and my worries have subsided, at least for a while, for I feel calm at the moment. What better day to wear her gift than today?”

Taehyung looked towards the king, expecting some response, but all that he received was a short nod; he let his eyes drop to his father’s table, eyeing the familiar book that sat by his side – it was what the king had been reading for the past month, which was odd, for it surely wouldn’t take a month to read that novel that somehow managed to intrigue the man who hardly found literature all that interesting. Shaking his head, he averted his gaze to the prince on the other side, a hidden smile gracing his lips. Their eyes met for a moment too long, before both of them looked away.

“Your Highness!”, an alarming voice spread through the hall, to which all eyes turned towards. It was the royal messenger, panting heavily with wide eyes.

“Yoongi, what causes this distress you express?” The king stiffened in his seat with impatience.

“One of the criminals has been found, and he is being held at the dungeon. He claims there is a team, but refuses to speak! He… He sacrificed his life and kept all information to himself!”, Yoongi pointed towards the doors while trying to regain his breath.

“A team… A team of criminals… Very well, we must investigate this, for the chances of the team, as you called it, relocating to a new area is more likely with one member being captured. Do not worry about this, we shall solve this matter as soon as possible. Have Jung Hoseok at my room after dinner, for we must discuss this matter.” The king declared before dismissing the messenger.

Taehyung found himself exiting his chamber soon after dinner, with a resolute thought in his head. Lifting his hanbok gently off the ground to avoid tripping over, he walked through the elongated hallway, nodding towards the passing servants, maids and guards.

“Your Majesty…”, he bowed as he approached the king on the throne.

“Taehyung, what is it, son?” The king closed the book and laid it on his lap, paying full attention to the prince below the steps.

“I wish to ask a question that you may not need to answer, for it isn’t of an extremely crucial matter, though it would erase a thought of curiosity off my mind.” Taehyung straightened his posture and let out a relieved sigh as the king nodded in agreement.

“Perhaps over a month it has been since you have immersed yourself into that novel, and I am curious as to what it may be. It seems to hold a special place in your heart, and it soothes me to see you in a calm and relaxed state of mind as you read through the pages of that book that you are so easily fascinated by…”

The king let out a soft chuckle, “Taehyung, my son, do not be so tense, for I am not only your king but your father.” He paused and glanced at the book below.

“Father?”

“Ah, yes. This novel is a precious gift from a precious soul. Someone who lived her life through pages and parchments of poetry and literature, deemed it suitable for her first narrative to be offered to her poor husband that neglected her and failed to protect her… The tale is nothing short of a journey of emotions, so true and real yet so distant from reality, so touching and warm to the heart, for which I cannot forgive myself for my past, nor can I ask for forgiveness, for she is at heaven and at peace, and I could never disturb her…”

Taehyung’s breathing quickened as he willed himself to hold in his tears, his fists clenching at his sides as his eyes darted to his feet. He gulped down a lump in his throat, his father’s words replaying through his mind incessantly.

“Son, oh, son… Love is austere, love is strange, love is a drug, but it holds us to the ground and keeps us from floating into nothingness… Oh, do walk away, son. Do not see me now, and allow me to retire for the night. Head to your gardens, head to your mother, speak with her in my absence.”

The prince nodded slowly and wiped away the fallen tears, bowing quickly and turning around, his feet moving forward without a thought as he let out heavy breaths. Stepping out of the palace, a heavy gust of wind blew through his hair, cooling his tears and his gloom.

He walked under the moonlight, heading into the gardens and forcing a smile as he saw Jungkook sitting on a bench. “Jungkook.”

“Is it not strange how we seem to admire a butterfly’s glorious beauty but somehow ignore the insect’s journey to achieve this magnificence? Oh, how brave it must have been to be able to give up its being as a caterpillar…”, the sitting prince suddenly said.

Taehyung tilted his head and watched the flapping wings of the butterfly carefully, the hues and colours standing out. He nodded and walked over to the bench, slowly sitting down so as to keep the butterfly from being startled.

“Perhaps the butterfly wishes us to see its joy and success, not its despairing past…”, he added in a whisper.

Before either of them could speak or react, the butterfly flew away into the clear sky, leaving the princes on their own.

“Jungkook, what are we? What are we in this vast world?” Taehyung gently leaned his head on the other’s shoulder, his words slipping out easily amid the silent night.

“We are the candle that sits at your desk, and the rose that I assume is in your chamber. We are two souls intertwining into one for our love. Is that not how you wish to describe us? Furthermore, why must we define ourselves? The world is too great to consider our definitions, for relationships bloom and wither in the blink of an eye. There seems to be no time for vivid descriptions, or so I believe.” Jungkook wondered if his words saddened the other; he turned his head, smiling as Taehyung kept his head still on his shoulder.

“Time is cruel, it truly is. Why must we have only two days with each other? Oh, the night has settled in quite well, and now we have but another day for our love. Unfortunately, I cannot wish to curse or accuse time for my misery, for it is time that eventually does heal all mourning souls, is it not?” Taehyung let out a timid sigh as he halted his words, lifting his head off the other’s shoulder and turning towards the prince with a warm gaze.

“Jungkook…”

The latter turned to the side, eyes struggling to keep at one place as he realised the close proximity in which they sat in. He suppressed a gasp that wished to leave his lips, his hands fidgeting with worry. “Y-Yes?”

Taehyung smiled at the hesitance and gently placed a hand on the other’s cheek, caressing the skin and inching closer. “I love you, my fervent fire.”

“I love you more, my wise wind.”

Silence engul