Chapter 7

Taehyung and Seokjin sit at the cushioned floor tables in Taehyung's chamber. The younger had finally gotten the opportunity right after breakfast to drag his hyung for a private conversation with Jimin's help.

"Hyung, I'm going to be straightforward with you. Explain yourself. Please. I've been worried sick why you- the person that has wholeheartedly believed in finding someone to love for years- suddenly decides to accept an arranged marriage proposal from the Crown Prince of the Southern Isles." Taehyung lets out his feelings and worries.

Seokjin eyed Taehyung's concerned expression for a moment, he eyed Jimin who sat beside Tae and was looking at him with the same gaze. He sighed.

"Ok.. I'll tell you." He begins.

"I think I already found the person I truly love. We didn't know each other for long, just a few weeks but he felt so right. Remember when I visited our southern border for business with the local minister? I met him then. He said he was a nomad who was only travelling and would leave soon. After I left, I tried to find him again but of course to no luck. Assuming he had travelled elsewhere, I thought I would never have the coincidental chance of meeting him again." Seokjin described the moment, his eyes wandering upwards as if remembering memories.

"He..he felt perfect, Tae. I don't even know how to describe the feeling. Love isn't meant to be immediate but it doesn't take years either to know how you feel around someone. I barely knew him. Hell, I didn't even know his name. We met as strangers and parted as strangers.. nothing more and nothing less.." Seokjin drifted off. Tae listened attentively, trying to understand Seokjin's perspective.

"So I did what I thought was right" He sighed, looking back at Tae. "I tried to move on after a few months instead of dwelling on the slim hope of meeting him again after I got His Majesty's proposal. I told myself I'd try to be a good husband to His Majesty and maybe have the hope of falling in love eventually after marriage." Seokjin faintly smiled, meeting Jimin's eyes that seemed teary. He wasn't an emotional wreck - so he claimed - but both princes knew how soft-hearted their royal guard was inside. Jimin lightened the mood a little, earning a giggle from the brothers but looked at them awfully confused like he didn't know the reason for their sudden outburst.

"Don't worry Tae, I'll be ok...I'll- I'll move on." Seokjin tried to give his brother a reassuring smile, taking his hands into his. "His Majesty will treat me well, from the way King Yeon described him so far, he seems like a simple, loveable and admirable man."

Tae wanted to believe his hyung, he really did, but remembering last night's events with the royal guard and the feeling in his chest whenever he thought about the Crown Prince (who he assumes is Jungkook) with anyone else, even his hyung troubled him.

[I hope I'm wrong about the guard. I hope it's not true. Just tell me that my goddamn brain is drawing conclusions without properly knowing anything!]

[I hope.. I hope he'll accept Seokjin hyung and make him happy...]

Taehyung thought, mind lingering to the image of the Prince and him last night. Trudging closely together, hands over shoulders, bodies so close in proximity, the moment came back to him slowly and his heartbeat palpitated, increasing drastically as a blush formed on his cheeks.

↜•↬↫•↝

Soon a head maid arrived with two rows of maids and butlers behind her, all dressed in palace uniform accordingly. The maids wore simple white and pink hanboks, their hair tied smoothly back in a braid with a red ribbon running through and a white apron on top to complete the look. The butlers wore long green hanbok and black headwear, with a square sash resting around their waist.

They had come to call the Northern Royals for the official and more appropriate meeting with King Yeon and Prince Namjoon. They were also informed that the Second Prince would not be attending due to some urgent serious situation that occurred.

At the mention of His Majesty's name Taehyung remembers the face of the strikingly handsome man from the night before again. He blinked his eyes, all flustered with a blush creeping onto his face. But soon Taehyung's heart sank, he didn't want to face the prince again and give rise to his indescribable, strange emotions again or watch Seokjin confront the prince.

Taehyung walked to the Queen's side, lowering his head to whisper into her ear "Mum I'm not feeling the best after yesterday. I'm going to rest with Jimin. Appa, hyung and you should go ahead of course, I don't need to be present anyway."

Queen Lilianna turned to face her son, her dangling jade hairpin glinting majestically. "Of course, Tae it's alright. You should rest but you have to come this evening during dinner, it's important for you to meet your brother-in-law too." She replied, her eye smile forming.

As King Hyun, Queen Lilianna and Prince Seokjin leave being escorted by the head maid, Jimin's luscious plump lips formed an adorable pout. He felt strangely bummed that he wouldn't be able to see the attractive General he had talked to yesterday. Yet at the thought, he immediately got confused, what was he feeling? Could it be that he's got a liking for General Min?

↜•↬↫•↝

Soon Taehyung and Jimin found themselves outside in a large grass clearing beyond their chambers that was lined with bushes of various flowers against the stone walls and had a pavilion off to the further right corner. Mellow orange-leaved trees were planted in the clearing, adding to the calming aesthetic of the scene. It was a sort of personal backyard for the owner of the chamber to use as they wished and so the prince and his guard decided that conversing whilst sparring was better than talking below the curved roof of the pavilion.

Their bodies united beautifully with their swords as they magnificently clashed in a heated match, the sharp sound of striking swords filling the air between their light conversations.

Taehyung told Jimin about his encounter with the Crown Prince last night, how His Majesty was injured and how he was worried for Seokjin hyung. "I hope he- he treats hyung well, Chim." He spoke between the grunts of their fight. Taehyung intentionally didn't mention anything about the Prince's guard and their relationship which he was also concerned about.

Meanwhile, watching the mesmerising and impressive clash of the two fierce boys were Prince Jungkook, General Min and Royal Guard Yeonjun who were seated on the wave-shaped ceramic roof tiles of the chamber building.

The Prince had wanted to see the younger Northern Prince and so had planned to creep out of his strict 'rest' that was enforced onto him by the General and his guard but was caught by them both as he was sneaking through the palace buildings. In the end they all ended up on the roof, the General and Prince admiring the younger Prince and guard whilst Yeonjun sat between them, observing from a distance the growing atmosphere between the two pairs. A giddy smile teasing his lips as he bite his lower lip to control it.

It seems like I should visit the seaports soon. Two romantic yet amusing ships are becoming ready to set sail, Yeonjun thought.

Though even the biggest and strongest of ships are devoured and destroyed in the roaring waves of the endless, unfathomable ocean…