An hour later, Taehyung was in the royal library, trying to distract himself from the morning’s events by exploring into a pile of books that he selected carefully. Silence engulfed the region as he leaned against the wall and let his eyes stay at the end of the page vulnerably, his mind unconsciously drifting off to the previous night’s happenings.

The soft sound of footsteps approaching stirred him out of his daze; he lifted his head and forced a weak smile at his brother. “Namjoon-hyung, what brings you here?”

“Are… Are you curious as to why I am in the library? Am I not always here, wandering through the world of books lying around untouched?”, Namjoon asked with a chuckle.

He noticed the gloom painted over the other’s face, to which he settled himself on the floor, grabbing a book off the nearby table out of instinct, before examining his brother’s distressed expression.

“Taehyung, is there something you wish to tell me? Whatever seems to trouble and cloud your mind, do tell, as I am here today as your brother and not a prince.”

Taehyung sniffled and shook his head, the smile falling from his lips. “I would not feel any better even if I were to reveal it all… I sit here powerless, hopeless, helpless, unable to bring about a change because what has happened cannot be reversed, not now…”

Namjoon hesitated for a moment, not wishing to touch this seemingly personal matter, but attempted to lure out an answer anyway. “Taehyung, do be clear about your worries. I shall listen to all your concerns. Do you not trust me?”

“Oh, do not doubt my trust in you, hyung. I shall tell you, but it will take a while, for I fear my heart may shatter as I speak. This pain, it is different from any other grief I had to endure! Life and its mysterious ways never fail to bring about obstacles, especially when it regards love…”

“Love?”

“Yes, hyung.”, Taehyung paused to inhale a deep breath. “These days in the royal gardens with Jungkook has proved our connection to be a strong friendship, but we both were aware of these hidden feelings lurking around in the dark, and upon one dark night did we turn to lovers. He was my fervent fire, and I was his wise wind… It was unfortunate that he would leave, but my heart beamed at the thought of exchanging messages through letters and gifts, and I would patiently wait till I would hold his hand again but… Now, a royal princess will hold his hand instead, and there would be no one to hold my own, because how would I find a love so true again?”

“Taehyung…” Namjoon was surprised to hear of his relationship with the already departed prince, but he placed a hand on the other’s shoulder, his face contorting with pity. This untold story of his brother’s affected him heavily, for he believed he failed to be a reliable brother.

“It is alright though, for we shall remain to be friends and we shall proceed with the idea of exchanging letters. Indeed, while his heart would beat with the princess’s, mine would hammer against my chest alone. Nonetheless, I should be thankful that at least we shall continue to be close associates.” Though Taehyung’s voice was steady and collected, his mind ached to numbness.

“Taehyung… I am sorry about what happened, but there is a point I do not exactly understand yet. Why did you refrain yourself from at least attempting to change things for the better? Was it not wrong of you to let him slip out of your hands so easily?”

“Oh, how could I? When we reveal our love to the world, would his reputation not be tainted despite being accepted by the public? That would flood his path to being a king… Moreover, if we were not welcomed, would we run away? How could I leave you, father and the kingdom here? How could J-Jungkook abandon his dreams?”

Namjoon kept the book beside him, inching closer towards his brother. “His dreams?”

“An unappreciated prince he is in the eyes of his family, yet he strived to meet their expectations, constantly working hard at every stage of his life. His dream is to be a king and to see his father’s sincere smile, how shall I hold him back? I cannot, I would never… This marriage brought out a smile, and would be significant towards his reign. Thus, I let go. I let go before it was too difficult to do so!”

Taehyung bit his lower lip, stifling a wail as he tightened his fists around his hanbok. A shaky breath struggled to leave as he recalled all their conversations in the garden. “Our friendship and our love of a few days cannot compare to his ambition of his entire life!”

Namjoon frowned at his brother’s worsening state of mind; he rose to his feet and looked at the crying prince. “I shall talk to father regarding this.”

“No!” Taehyung scrambled to his feet, eyes widening in response. “You cannot talk of this to father, please… He would not understand me, nor would he approve, especially with the unification at hand… Namjoon-hyung, I am a prince in love with another prince, and no one will accept us! I do not wish to put our lives at stake, not when Jungkook is about to chase his dream!”

“Well, how are you to smile again? What about the wedding? What will you do upon receiving the invitation? Would you see him and force a smile?”

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