Whispers Unheard; a #taekook #taekookau Taehyung's mother blows the candle out, making Taehyung flinch. "It is me, I am just blowing the candle out so you can sleep." He gives a meek nod, "could you part the curtains to let the moonlight in? I want to see the moon."

She does so while giving him a meaningful look and whispers, "pray to her. She will listen to you when no one else does." Taehyung glances at her, blinks, "pray what to her?" She sits beside him, her hanbok rustling softly as the moonlight filters across her face, giving her a

sombre look. She brushes his hair strands away from his face, "for your marriage. Your appa is not doing well and you refused to become a warrior to become scholar- if something happens to your appa, we cannot live with the little coins you earn, Taehyung." Taehyung looks

away, his eyes stinging at the reminder of the cost of chasing his dreams, "I will pray, I will pray to her to take me so far away that you never have to worry about me again." His words come out harsher than he intends, making his mother shake her head in disapproval.

"I just wish for the best of you. I wish you were a better son to us but since you are not, I am going to bless you so that you are at least a better person for yourself." Taehyung just looks away stubbornly, catches the moon shining at him and clasps his hands together. Letting

out a prayer. A prayer of being far, far away from here. Anywhere but here where only despair and blames lay. A year passes by and his father's health deteriorates, they manage to marry his younger sister off to a merchant who lives in the village beside. Only him, his

brother and their parents remained afterwards. His brother decides to join the King's warriors troop and soon leaves him with their parents to train. Taehyung is reluctant because he knows what being a warrior means, knows the sacrifices that come with it but he has

no say in it over the chortle of his mother excitement. The taunts increased after that. It became unbearable but Taehyung remained. Unmarried and useless, in his mother's eyes. From praying to the moon once a week, he started praying to her every night, down on his knees

begging her to take him away, far far away but to no avail as another year passed by. By then, the coins almost stopped coming. His brother could not send any back home either because his wage was very less, not even enough for him to survive. Taehyung's mother grows

more desperate, trying to push Taehyung out of their house all the time as if Taehyung was sucking all their wealth in, leaving them starving. Taehyung had started crying to the moon by then, every night until the unthinkable happens. His mother agrees to sell him off.

To the newly throned Kings harem as one of his concubines. His mother committed a sin by doing so and he feels so numb that he does not complain, just gets on to packing his small amount of belongings. That night is the first night he had stopped praying to the moon. Finally.

King Jeon Jungkook had become the King after his father, the previous king, was kil!ed in an assassination. Taehyung has heard rumours about the then crown prince just like their whole kingdom had; that Jeon Jungkook was even a bigger tyrant than his dead father.

Everyone had feared him taking over to the point that some had rioted. They were silenced and after that, nobody dared to make a sound against him. Taehyung was terrified to know he would be one of his concubine- he thinks even being one of his general's concubine would be

far better than Jeon Jungkook's. But it was engraved in his fate. The harem was full of women and men, beautiful people who were sold to the King

Night passes. There is no whisper of the young King. Until almost a month later, the King comes down to the harem. It is almost like a feverish dream to him when he sees the young King for the first time, wearing the royal hanbok.

The first thing he noticed was how regal the king looked, how powerful he looked. And next thing was, how handsome he was. So breathtakingly handsome. When his eyes met his, his heart had stuttered in his chest.

Jungkook had stopped dead in his tracks too. Time seemed to stop as they stared at each other. But then, the King looked away and chose the woman standing beside him to spend the night. It went on like that. The king choosing someone who was not him every other night, as

if, as if he was repelled by him in some kind of way. It secluded Taehyung more. In his family, he was the unwanted one, the one who was sold to a /harem/, in this harem, he was also the unwanted one the King did not want anything to do even though he is forced to give his

all to him. The moon was cruel, oh so cruel. The pain in his heart increased hour by hour, increased as the nights grew longer. The others ignored him like a plague because he was what the "cultured" swine- the only educated one between them, the one who supposedly looked down

on them just because he had thrown a ruckus when he first came into the harem- angry at his mother, at his fate, he had took the anger out on everyone there using slurs. They had shouted back but he was the black sheep amongst them, because he was not /willing/.

He was better off this way he decides because this way he would get to maintain his purity, his sanity and keep himself intact. But as soon as he wished that, when the King had come down to the harem that night, he chose him. And Taehyung being Taehyung, spat at him.

Stunning the King, stunning the guards, stunning all the other concubines, before he created a massive ruckus that has everyone pulling him in anger. The king is shocked as he stands frozen.

I am going to write this snd it's going to be a drabble; the idea is just stuck in my head. I could use your thoughts . Let me know what you think? x, Ren

- But when the King gets out of his shock, he still points at Taehyung. Taehyung’s heart grips in fear but he doesn’t show it- dea*h was better than being the King’s concubine really. “Send him to me tonight,” Jungkook snarls as he turns around to leave a hallway of

people stunned to silence including Taehyung. The head of the harem lets out a breath, “I guess our King thought of another punishment for you.” Some of the harem guards talk as they guide all the concubines inside again, “I really thought he was going to have his head.”

“His highness would not let such a beauty go.” Taehyung feels sick to his stomach as another snorts, “he is a feisty one, perfect for his highness to tame.” Was he now? He feels like he is going to let lose everything inside his stomach then but he holds back, thinking he

will do so when the King comes at him that night. He would not let the King touch him no matter what- he would rather die before he did. As the night comes, the maids dress him up as he stands stiffly. He was going to bring hell to the alpha. Soon, he is been guided to

the King’s room. He has his stormy gaze down as the door closes behind him. The room is silent as the fire cackles loudly in the corner. He gingerly steps in and looks for the King, when he does not find him, he sighs out softly.

He does not know what is going to happen to him tonight but he feels queasy all the same, feels the fear, the anxiety from it all. All of a sudden, the door behind opens and he could feel the anger radiating from the King like he feels the fire’s warmth from his position.

The King walks up behind him. Taehyung closes his eyes as if in pain when he feels him breathing on his neck, exposed and clean all for the King. He gathers up the courage, when he feels his fear turning to anger, he whirls around to hold the little blade against the King’s

throat but the King is faster as he holds his wrist roughly in his hand, a condescending smirk on his face, “I could smell that metal off of you.” He says menacingly. Taehyung shakes, feels tears stinging his eyes as frustration and fear blinds him.

He meets his eyes, sees the mirth in them, thinks how unfair everything is. He just wanted to be a scholar, just wanted to live a peaceful life, but he ends up here, in such a shameful position just to entertain the King? The King seems to pause as he looks at him, looks at the

way Taehyung looks so pained with angry tears streaming down his eyes as he squeezes his eyes shut tightly as if he was trying to block the world, block Jungkook. His hold on his wrist goes lax. It seemed only the hold on his wrist was keeping him standing because as soon

as Jungkook lets him go, Taehyung falls, his knees giving up completely. He sobs with the King standing in front of him in all his glory as he almost writhes on the carpeted floor. “Please,” Taehyung begs, “please do not touch me. It- It is the only reason I have for living,

my purity. They- they took everything away from- took my freedom, took my dreams, took my will to live, please do not-” Jungkook kneels down till he is as close to the other as he could be without scaring him more. “King’s are known to serve justice, concubine,” Jungkook says

slowly. His gaze never strays away from the omega who is shaking. He watches silently, expressionlessly, as the sobs dissolve to hiccups before Taehyung is speaking again, looking at him from the floor with fierce, tearful

eyes, “when the moon goddess could not serve me any justice what would a mere human like you do, my King?” Jungkook grips Taehyung's shoulder strongly as he pulls him to sit up, “I have never believed in the moon goddess. She is not meant to be prayed to by a person like me,” he

says sardonically as a small, barely there smirk comes on his face, as if he is mocking the moon goddess. Taehyung blinks, shivers at the thought, "are you not scared that she will take everything away from you otherwise?" Jungkook takes a step away from him, “You prayed,

concubine, what good did that do you?” Jungkook asks with an arch of his brow. It makes Taehyung go silent as his hiccups subside too, seeing the King stepping away from him. “You will not,” Taehyung pauses, gulps as more tears spring up in his eyes, “you will not take me?”

Jungkook’s eyes darken as his jaw ticks, “you do not dare put me on the same level as the ones who ruined you. You do not dare put your King against fuxkers I punish, concubine, do you understand?” Taehyung nods, meekly, looking down because he does not think he can handle

the intensity the King is looking down at him with without crying again. The King walks towards him and Taehyung’s heartbeat picks up. Jungkook tilts his head towards his face with his index finger, a heavy ring with the Jeon insignia shining on it from the fire light, “Nobody

will take anything away from you anymore, understand? I will make sure of it as long as you are living in my harem. You are my responsibility and I will be damned if I let anyone ruin a flower like you, concubine.”

With that the King leaves, leaving behind the thick scent of the expensive musk he wears in his wake, leaves Taehyung shivering before he falls back down on the floor as the adrenaline of it all passes through him.

- The others do not ask him anything when he comes back in the morning the next day, but he could see all of them stealing angry glances at him throughout the next day. Some of them push past him as if they do not see him, some of them ignore him like he is not there,

so he spends his day lying down in the mattress he is given, pulling the sheer curtains around him so no one disturbs him. When the night comes, everyone waits for the King to call upon one of them for the night- if he wanted to that is, they would never know. It is almost

midnight when one of the harem guard comes running inside- startling everyone as he looks around for the head of the harem, “the King is calling for Taehyung.” It surprises him. It shocks everyone as the conversation all around dies down for everyone to stare at him as if he

committed a sin. Then he realizes, the King has never called upon anyone from this harem a second time. He blinks as the head’s eyes widen. She turns to look at him, “but he is not ready! Quick, maids, get him ready-” Everyone falls into a frenzy.

Taehyung gulps as he enters the same room as yesterday night again. This time he does not feel the same gripping fear as yesterday but the fear is there still. It has been there since he was sold by his own mother. He waits, standing still. Then just like yesterday, the King

comes in, smelling the same way he did, looking at him the same way but this time he does not bother to wait as he goes and takes a sit on the plush sofa beside the bed. Then the King looks at him.

"surprised?" He asks with an arch of his brow. Taehyung does not say anything but the King takes his silence as an answer. He sighs, "who are the ones who did you wrong? I tried to find out, but they just told me they brought you from the village- the buyer," the king winces,

Taehyung does not notice as he keeps his head down resolutely. "Is not the one they say because you have been brought with permission, he says." Taehyung blinks, his heartbeat slowing, "you, you asked for me?" "Justice is justice, concubine", Jungkook says

"and I do not go back on my words. You begged to me, I shall give you what you want. So, who did you wrong?" He whispers, stutters, "m-my mother but p-please do not do anything to her! She did me wrong but I did her wrong too, I did not become the warrior she wanted me to be."

Jungkook watches him, his gaze not straying from his face, knowing how distracting Taehyung's body could be. His face in itself was no less distracting. Honeyed, red lipped, sharp featured, too gorgeous to only be a concubine in his harem.

"then what do you want?" Taehyung raises his head, meets Jungkook's eyes, he tears up, "I cannot have my freedom, can I?" Jungkook tilts his head, "what will you do with freedom if your own mother let you go? Where will you go?"

Taehyung gives him a bitter smile, bites his lips as a lone tears falls past his cheeks, "I guess nowhere but to you my King, my life is now tied down to your feet. There is nothing I want from you. There is nothing you can do." Jungkook remains impassive as he keeps his gaze

steady on him. "Is that what you want? Nothing?" Taehyung nods, steeling his nerves so he does not break down a second time in front of the same man, "yes. You have done enough by sparing me last night." Jungkook nods finally. "If that is what you want."

Taehyung bows his head, till he is bent fully. "I will forever be in your debt." "You said," Jungkook begins, "that you did not want to be a warrior, what is it that you wanted to be? What were your dreams?" Taehyung closes his eyes. "I just wanted to be a simple scholar.

That was my dream." Jungkook hums, "very well then, concubine. Stay. I will take my leave." The next morning, Taehyung wakes up to a maid nudging him. He blinks as he gets up from the bed in the room he met Jungkook in, "what is it? I was going to come down in a bit."

She shaked her head, "it is not that, Taehyung-ssi. His highness has asked for your presence in his study for the afternoon. Yun-ssi sent me to get you ready." When he registers the words, he blinks and then blinks again, "are you sure the King asked for me?" The maid blushes

as she nods, "you have bewitched our young highness with your beauty Taehyung-ssi. This is the third time in a week. He might just make you the royal concubine." She almost squeals. Taehyung feels faint as he nods slowly. "I think- I think I want to wear a green hanbok today."

She nods dutifully. He does wear a bottle green hanbok today as he is guided to the King's personal study in the afternoon after the royal court ends. Taehyung enters the study in shaky feet. Jungkook is there, reading something with a golden quill in his hand.

The King looks up as he bows deep and nods at him to look behind. Taehyung gasps when he sees the amount of books in huge shelves all over. "You wanted to be a scholar, concubine? I am assuming you know how to read?" Taehyung nods hastily as he turns to look at the King.

Jungkook gestures at the books, "you can go ahead and read whatever the hell you want while everyone else thinks I am fuxking you deal?" Taehyung goes to nod but he hesitates, "why? Why are you doing all these for me?"

Jungkook watches him, looks at his earnest face, follows the way his delicate lashes fall on his cheeks with every blink of his eyes, "because you are a flower and I want you to bloom beautiful, like you are supposed to, not wither out because of the circumstances."

- Taehyung casts his head down as he bows again- a part of him does not believe the King but a bigger part of him wants to, so desperately as if the reason for him to live depended on the King's truth, just like the way his life was tied to his feet.

Another part of him says the King is only doing this to rid him of his boundaries so he could take him, so he could use him, so he could punish him for what he did- he did humiliate him in front of everyone. He wants to beg the King again to not let this be a dream he

would wake up from especially because the nightmare would be the King using him, his feelings and tethering being and ruining him more as a punishment for spitting on him in front of everyone. Jungkook looks away to look down at his work.

Taehyung wants to be careful but he knows with how weak he is now with all his defenses lost and anger useless, it is only a wish to hold on to. He is shaking a bit as he takes one of those books in his hand. Taehyung sits on the carpet underneath the place he took the book

from and bunches himself as if he is trying to make himself inconspicuous so it does not bother the King enough to throw him out of there. Days like those become a weekly thing and as Taehyung hides between those book, tension in the harem increases.

- Tags: VIOLENCE, main character injury, love -

“If it is not the infamous concubine, Taehyung,” one of them says as he walks in to sleep one night, weeks later. Taehyung rolls his eyes as he just goes to sit on his bed but he is yanked out against the wall as she grabs his wrist, other girls and boys crowding

around them to hold him too. “When I address you, you listen to me,” she says threateningly. He glares at her, “and why is that? You are not a royal nor are you the head.” She narrows her eyes, “you dare speak back to me?” She leans against him, “you think you are a special

little thing just because the King fuxks you one single time every week? News flash-” Taehyung tries to push her but other hold back, he snarls, “I do consider myself special because I am the only one the King fuxks, not you brats-”

“SHUT UP!” she screams as her eyes darken. Taehyung tries to spit at her but a boy holds his face tightly, “you-” “I will show you,” she grunts menacingly, “I will fuxking show you,” she brings out a small knife- much like the one Taehyung wanted to use on the King- and

inches it near Taehyung. Taehyung’s eyes widen as they sting with tears. He starts to shake his head violently but she only smirks as she cuts across his cheek and just when she goes to plunge it deeper- there is a shout, the head is here.

“Just what are you doing Mina?! Get away from him, get away from him all of you.” Taehyung does not see anything nor does he hear anything after that as everyone scatters, their are guards, the heads screaming, threatening them, she punishes them with more dining duty and then

everyone clears out. He is given a cotton ball soaked in medicinal herbs that does little to help the sting. Taehyung cries himself to sleep that night, feeling numb and alone, so alone. “We cannot send him to the King with that cut,” the head says, “inform his highness

that he is ill and we do not want to contaminate his highness so it would be better if he rests today.” And of course Mina would try to ruin his face that night before that day he is supposed to go to the King, she would know, all of them new. He looks away, he wants to

cry- cry at the unbidden ache he feels- he does not know why, maybe because he got used to spending time with the King quietly given the many weeks, maybe because he missed those books- he does not really want to name it. Mina is cackling with glee just a few feet from him

and he could only feel anger- an anger he cannot act on given that he has nothing on him to protect himself. It is sometime later the guards are announcing the King into the harem. Taehyung’s eyes widen as he hurries to hide his face underneath a scarf- he does

not want the King to see him this way-the King has seen him be weak many times already- Jungkook should not see him this way. He hides behind all the others that push to go stand at the forefront. They all bow collectively when Jungkook enters.

Jungkook stands at the front, looking over all their faces. Taehyung’s heart is beating so loudly in his chest, he hopes no one else hears given the silence. “Your highness, the one you sent for-” Jungkook raises his hand, cutting the head off as his eyes search for

something, or someone. He looks pristine with his jaw locked, eyes the usual menacing and dark. “Is he that ill that he cannot come out to greet the King?” Jungkook’s voice is cold, colder than Taehyung has ever heard, it makes many shiver, it makes him wince.

She stutters, “no-no, your highness, I-I will call him out for you,” she looks at one of the guards, “bring him out!” Taehyung squeezes his eyes shut, feels more humiliation set in at the prospect of Jungkook seeing him like this again-he has seen him cry, seen him make a mess

and yet he knew he was beautiful enough for the king to call him a flower. Now with the cut, Taehyung does not want to think till which level he would fall in Jungkook’s eyes. The guard goes to go behind, pausing when he sees him, “come forth Taehyung, the King is calling you.”

He nods shakily as he goes forward. Jungkook's eyes are on him in an instant but he has his head ducked enough for the King to not see. "Taehyung," Jungkook calls out, his voice rid of any tone, "you are supposed to come as soon as I call you, no? Even if you are ill, nobody

decides otherwise." Taehyung winces, "i-its just," he fakes a cough that he knows Jungkook gets to as the King narrows his eyes at him ever so slightly, "I did not want you to get ill from me-" "look at me when you are talking to me," Jungkook seethes as he tilts his face up

only to still when he sees the deep cut on his cheek, he grips his face with that hand so Taehyung does not get to move his face away, "where did you get that from?" His voice is stone at this point, Taehyung feels fear.

So does all the other, as the head stutters to answer for him, "he- it is just-" Jungkook narrows his eyes, as if he already knows what must have happened, he looks at the others, "who did this to him?" Some of them gasp because how did the King know? Some of them flinch.

But none of them speak up. Jungkook's eyes harden, "Yun," he calls the head, "Send whoever did this to Taehyung to the dungeon, I will deal with them later. I will take Taehyung with me and," he pauses, looking at the concubines, "if any of you ever /dares/ to touch even a strand

of his hair, you are going to face my wrath," His voice is very calm, very collected but his eyes, his eyes look dangerous as he speaks, like he would ruin anyone who does anything to Taehyung. Taehyung is just watching him with surprise at the King once again, questions

ringing in his mind. The king pulls him and he goes without any resistance as they both get out of their. They keep on walking till they are in that room Taehyung always visits him in- Taehyung's safe haven now, hell, his heaven now with him still being angry at the

moon goddess, with him giving that title to the King instead. Jungkook releases him as soon as they are their and rounds on him to cup his cheeks, gently this time. His eyes are stormy as he asks, "when did this happen?" Before he can speak, the King says, "it still looks

fresh so yesterday? Did you apply anything to it?" Taehyung is just watching him with his eyes wide, "why are you doing this?" Jungkook goes to speak but he shakes his head, "do not say it is because I am a flower and I need to be protected, please, I spat at you the first time

you chose me, you have no reason to act like this with me. That behavior itself would show how much of a not flower I am, my King, but still why? Why do you keep doing this?" The King's gaze on him never wavers as they just stare at each other and it looks like Jungkook is

reading his soul. It makes Taehyung's inside waver but he does not move his gaze away because he has already put Jungkook on a pedestal. The King's eyes are stormy, "it is because we are the exact opposites. I am the devil, you are the god. A god I want to worship because

of his beauty," he pauses, gently brushes the hair from Taehyung's eyes, trailing his fingers on his cheeks, making him shiver involuntarily, "of how pure your soul is, how kind you are, how living you are despite going through so much."

The King puts his hands on his chest- right above his heart to feel how fast it is beating, "you live with passion, something I have forgotten. I am the devil Taehyung, no man kil!s their own mother and father off-" Taehyung shakes his head and puts his hand over the King's

lip's, "you only kil!ed them to save yourself-" "Then why did you not kil! your mother off to save yourself?" Jungkook replies back sharply. Taehyung's eyes tear up at how de*d the fierce King looks then. In the weeks he has known the King, he has only seen him look gentle,

fierce, angry, concentrated, never this feeling. Taehyung shakes his head, "because I am a coward, because I do not have enough-" "You are not, you could have asked me to do it but you did not, you," Jungkook takes a shaky breathe in, "you are just full of...love," he says the

word as if it is completely foreign to him and it is, Taehyung knows. Taehyung has heard. The King has never talked to him about his life but they had that understanding in them about each other because Taehyung did and because Taehyung heard about the King.

He has heard about the torture, the starving, all the conspiracies against him- he was after all the illegitimate son of the former King. His mother was a princess from another land who took all her budding anger out on Jungkook.

Taehyung has heard about the murd*rs Jungkook had to commit to get here. And the King was two years younger than him. "No," Taehyung shakes his head, "my mother sold me off, she did me wrong but she did not leave me to get beaten up, to be starved, to be poisoned. If anything,

you are the one who has been wronged by love- which is why it is unbelievable to me, why you treat me like this?" Jungkook shakes his head, "this is not love, Taehyung. This is me trying to do a right to erase all my wrongs from my mind."

-

Taehyung is speechless after that, too stunned to even let out loud breaths. His breathe gets shakier as Jungkook irks an eyebrow and stays silent for sometime. he raises his hand to touch the mark again, "Let me avenge for you, concubine."

Taehyung nods, "you are the King, my King, who am I to determine anything?" Jungkook nods and let's go of him. He does not look back as he leaves the place. Taehyung just feels numb because at one side he feels like he is being toyed with and the other side is just overwhelmed

with everything the King is doing. "Get up,"the head of the harem says, he blinks the sleep away as he hazily gets up, "miss?" "You have been made the royal concubine so you shall be moved to your separate chamber a floor above." He does not register but when he does, his

eyes widen unbelievably. "W-what-" She is stern as she glances at him with hard eyes, "do not lose your position ever, do not get in the King's bad side- do whatever you have been doing successfully because if you lose the King's safety blanket, them above are going to

eat you alive. You are still under me- but you are now under their eyes too. The first royal concubine of the golden era's Jeon dynasty, you have too many reasons to be hated on. So do not be as clumsy- be vigilant. Now go." He looks away as he hurries to get up, the maids have

already transferred all his measly things up and he is rushed through to the upper floor- the other concubines are glaring at him as he goes. Mina is missing- he does not know what happened to her. He is a step closer to the King but still so far away.

He feels lonelier as he is left in his own way smaller chamber than the one visits with the King. Taehyung sighs. "The king will visit you here if he wants to,"the head of the floor says, "and that," he comes near him till he is only a foot away from him, "should remain

between these four walls, hmm?" He nods shakily. Taehyung does not understand what was with all of them warning him as if his life was on the line then, he does not understand until two nights later when he wakes up to see a man standing in the shadows in his room.

He scutters away from the edge, wide eyed, his heart is beating very fast now, "wh-who is it?" The man comes forward, then lights a candle and his face looks downright menacing from the point with this dark glint in his eyes, "heard you are the King's favorite," the man whistles

as he comes near, "he made you the royal concubine after all." Taehyung shakes as the man comes nearer and pulls the blankets closer to himself as if they would protect him, "I am not- I am no specia-" There is a huge scar on the man's face from the tip of his nose to the side.

"are you not? You are the first commoner he has ever taken such an interest on. Did you know he used to only have royals only before? He burned the last harem off. But you...oh my darling, you," the man comes closer to sit on his bed, his eyes darkening. Taehyung's breath

hitches when he sees the glint of something sharp in the candlelight. He gulps, "he has taken other concubines to b-bed, I- I-" "You...", he trails of, then smirks, his teeth hinging out like fangs, "you were the last one no? For quiet a while?"

Taehyung stills, meeting his eyes, before he schools his fear into numbness, "yes I was," he does not stutter this time remembering the heads' words, remembering the way Jungkook treats him, "I am. What are you going to do about it? Harm me?"

He looks away to not give his pretense away, "I am sure you have seen what my King-" "HE IS NOT YOUR KING," the man shouts all of a sudden, his cold hands pressing on Taehyungs neck tightly, suffocating him, "he is your highness, address him with respect-"

He smirks as his tries to pull the man's hand off of himself, "you-he allowed me to," he coughs, "-you have seen what my King has done right? You don't want to-" "Shut up, my /King/ would never do that to me-" Taehyung coughs more, feeling his insides flaring up from the lack

of air in his lungs, he tries to push him off- tires so hard- his eyes sting from the pain, he scratches at him, "l-leave, He is going to ki! you, he is going-" The hands leave him only to push him away violently, "he would not hurt a prince, concubine, " the prince spats out.

Taehyung coughs as he takes huge gulps of air in, fear intensifying in his guts- this is what they meant about the higher ups- this is- "I am going to kill! you next time unless you do as I say," he whispers, vehemently pulling him up to making him look at him.

"I do not see his mark on you just yet which means you can be disposed of so do something for the King to let you go back to where you were, hmm? We do not want the King to be distracted, would we? Especially when so many are after his throne," the prince throws him off

at that and leaves without looking back. Maybe that is the night, a fire lights up in Taehyung's eyes, a fire that ignites his being to live, to fight till he is get's to change the King calling him a concubine to calling him his.

- The next time he goes to see Jungkook, there is a new light in his eyes- something the King notices almost as soon as he meets his eyes. He arches his brow, "what is it, concubine?" Taehyung kneels on the carpet, his head bowed, "I agree with all the reasons you have given me

but do you remember the time you asked me what I ask of you?" Jungkook stands, "yes?" A pause, "what do you want?" Taehyung shuts his eyes tightly, "for you to not call me a concubine anymore." Jungkook does not say anything for the longest time. "Is it not what you are?"

Taehyung raises his head but does not meet his eyes, "you hate concubines, you hate them enough to burn the previous harem down, why must you put me there too?" Jungkook's face remains the same as he says, "what if I hate you?"

Taehyung feels his heart crack at that, all those moments spent with the King, all those moments he has come to live for comes forth in front of his eyes, "you do?" He whispers. Jungkook comes nearer to stand directly in front of him, looming over him, "would that affect you?"

Taehyung looks down again, "it would affect me so much that it would become my reason to live." Jungkook shakes his head, getting exasperated, "you do not want me to be the reason to live, not when I am the fuxking devil, concubine-" "Taehyung, it is Taehyung!" he shouts out.

Jungkook looks stunned with his eyes widened and instead of the fear, Taehyung feels a kind of satisfaction in him. "It is Taehyung," he whispers out, "I have lost all semblance of life, my King, I cannot bear if you were to hate me too."

"And maybe I have become one of the strands in the golden web of your admirers, but I want, I want me to belong to you. I have been casted away for too long- by my mother, by the concubines, being in your comfort has made me selfish, my King." He says, his voice breaking.

Jungkook eyes look stormy now, "do you, do you love me conc- Taehyung?" "I do not," he does not, "but I cannot deny that I see you as my everything, as my life, as my comfort- I do not have anyone else to see, only you because you have given me the safety, the

attention like no other and I am in love with those, so much that I am ready to give you everything you demand so I get to keep those attached to my otherwise useless name." Jungkook stares at him, for the longest time, "I told you I would keep giving all that to you have I not?

What is it that you want?" "Call me by my name, that is all I want." Taehyung begs. Jungkook gives a simple nod, "then that is what you will get." Taehyung breaths out as Jungkook pulls him up gently to make him sit upright, his eyebrows furrowing when he sees his neck.

He touches the red finger marks. It makes Taehyung shiver like he always does when the King touches him as the King's eyes harden, "is it another from the concubine-" He shakes his head, "I do not live there anymore. A p-prince came to my room a few nights ago." "Which prince?"

He shakes his head, "I do not know, he was there-" Jungkook pulls him up to stand on his his feet, he wobbles and the King holds him ever, his hold on him never faltering, "Can you point him out to me if I take you down there-" Taehyung shakes his head, almost panicking, "no,

no, please, my King, he is one of your cousins. The whole Jeon kingdom will come after me-" "I am the King," Jungkook says, his voice tightly, "I am the Jeon Kingdom, they cannot do sh*t to you-" "Please, my King," he whispers, tightens his hold on Jungkook's arm, Jungkook

just stares, "he cannot just do this, a prince just cannot do this to the royal concubine-" "Mark me," he says, stunning the King, "mark me please. He told me he is not allowed to touch me if I have your mark-" "But we have not done anything like that. Ever," Jungkook says,

his voice sounding hesitant. Not anything like Taehyung has ever heard him speaking in. Taehyung breaths out shakily, "It is okay. I want you to be my first, please," and my last but he does not get to say it out aloud for a long, long time.

"But there would be no going back," Jungkook speaks, his words measure, "Once I mark you, you are bound to me as per the court's rule, your life is mine. Kings do not mark up concubines- they tend to only mark up their King, or queen. Just like that, I would have to keep on

marking you because after this, if you are seen without it, you will be thrown into the fire." His voice gets grave. Taehyung looks at him, gulps, "for you to right your wrong, how long till I am thrown out of here?" Jungkook falters, watches him, "do you want a permenant

position here?" He shakes his head, "I do not. Can you mark me still? I will- I will let you take me if you do." The King's eyes darken, "you dare offer something to the King of the Jeons?" Taehyung schools his face to a fierce one, "I do, especially when the King is using

me to right his wrong, I do, do I not?" Jungkook narrows his eyes, "you are becoming to prideful, concubine-" he presses his hand tightly on Taehyung's mouth to stop the other from talking, "I changed my mind, I will only call you something else when you deserve it. I give you

respect for your purity- for your innocence, for your pure heart- but do not try to put me down by offering your virginity like I am a classless King who is dying to take to fuxk you in exchange of something as mundane as a protection you already have."

Taehyung opens his mouth and closes it again, "you are being unfair, my King." Jungkook's eyes flashes, "I-", his voice drops, "am being unfair? Concubine, you spat at me the first time we met-" "That is not the first time we met," Taehyung says petulantly and quietly, too

quietly. It baffles Jungkook as the King's eyes widen comically, "then when did you meet?" "M-my first day here, you came down to pick another for the night and our eyes met," He does not know why he feels hot all of a sudden, but he does, feels the blush high up in his cheeks.

The King has no shame- or does not realize as he huffs, "why are you getting red concubine? So I picked another for s*x-" Taehyung blushes harder, "-what is the big deal?" Taehyung shakes his head vehemently, "n-nothing." Jungkook narrows his eyes, "you will tell me what it is

right this instant." Taehyung scowls lightly, looking down still, "that was the night I got to know what s*x was, I panicked when I saw her going after you- thinking she was getting punished-" It dawns on Jungkook then, "oh so you- oh," then he smirks, "what did you

- I have to go sleep for a few hours, my eyes are so heavy rn, will be back at around 5am EST, see you loves - this book will not be that long( at least I really don't want it be) but let's seeee If you want to support me: ko-fi.com/lockedkv

- reckon it was before?” Taehyung pouts, “punishment, I thought we were there as maids or something-” Jungkook snorts, Taehyung glares at the floor, “but then the real maid explained to me. I-”, his feels so overwhelmingly hot, “have never been so disgusted in my life.”

Jungkook shakes his head, sounding amused, “it is a fun thing though. Come to me sometimes, I will teach you.” Taehyung wants to call the King an idiot so badly but he refrains as he raises his eyes just a bit to glare at him. He sobers up when he meets his eyes though, “I

didn't mean it that way, my King. I would never mean it that way. I meant it when I said my life is tied to you. It is my forever now, you determine my forever now. If you think there is anyway from here, there is none. If I go outside, where will I go? What use do I have, a

concubine cannot turn into a warrior, or a scholar- scholar needs a reputation to work one, mine has already been tarnished the moment I was sold off. I have to be here and in the weeks I have been here, getting to read parchments and books, I want to be here, under you now.”

He kneels again in front of the King, looking up desperately, “please, my King.” He tears up, “You do not have any idea how this works- I did not, not until, I was bled, I was strangled-” Jungkook’s jaw ticks. “-they are after me, like, like feral /animals/ just because I am

the King’s favorite.” The King’s eyes furrow at that, “that is supposed to save you because they are supposed to fear the King’s wrath.” He shakes his head, “no, the more privilege you give me, the more chances of you to walk in on me m*rdered. There are seven tiers to reach

you, my King. Seven floors to reach you-” Jungkook nods, he knows this, the whole castle politics are divided on to those parts in all royalties. “As a concubine, I was brought into the sixth one, as the royal concubine, I was brought into the fifth one. That was my last step,

I cannot get closer to you and everyone knows that and they want to keep the royal concubine chamber empty- which is why the will m*rder me, I need your mark for that. You do not have to give me any other forms of titles or chambers in the upper floors, your mark will

be enough to get me through and the fifth floor is the position I would not mind holding until you decide otherwise.” The King looks stony as he looks down at him, “and a mark is all you need from getting kil!ed?” He gives a series of nods, “all I need.”

Then Jungkook is nodding, “very well then, I”, he pauses to take a silver chain he is wearing from his neck and kneels down in front of Taehyung- making the concubine’s eyes widen in surprise before the King round his hands around his neck to put the chain

on him, Taehyung closes his eyes as he breathes out a shakily, feeling a drop in his lower stomach, he shakes ever so slightly as the King’s gentle touch electrifies him, “give you this, it is not a bite on your body- a bite is something I refuse to give unless you beg me for

it as a need of yours not a requirement but I am giving you this. It has the Jeon insignia on it and all the princes and princesses in the fifth level have seen me wear it, this should keep you safe.” Taehyung nods as he feels his eyes prick, this King, this King will be the

end of him. - “There is a new girl in the harem, the King has taken a liking to her- she has been up there for two times,” Jimin sing songs- Jimin is a prince, one of Jungkook’s many third cousins and someone who Taehyung has found an actual soulmate in.

Taehyung pauses sewing to look at him, feeling something drop in him, “and-and why should that affect me?” Jimin irks an eyebrow, “are you not scared someone might take your place as the royal concubine?” He is, he is terrified. Because that would also mean he would be back

to square one- to being just a concubine and be rid of his chamber, his books and…getting to see the King. But he does not say it as he looks down to resume, “it is the cycle of life,” he recites from a parchment he has read, “to be born alone, to be used, and to be

left to die alone. It is how life is. He is a King, a King I am glad has let me experience the feeling of belonging to this once in my life- it does not matter if the next step for me is to fade because technically my life has faded since I was sold.”

“Do not say that,” Jimin says, a bit angered, “the King is not the end to you-” “Is it not?” Taehyung retorts, “you are a prince, you are betrothed to a King, you are getting married in a year, I am a concubine, where do I go after this?” Jimin looks heartbroken- they have

been friends for a month now- it has been three months since Taehyung came here- “I will take you, I will take you with me as my advisor, or my maid, or my anything! I will take you with me.” Taehyung feels his eyes sting, “you will get shamed for taking a concubine.”

“I do not care, my King will not care either.” Taehyung closes his eyes before the tears could fall, “I will hold you to that then.” Jimin hugs him sideways, “yes, I promise, I will not let you fade away, not you.”

- He cannot read, the words are jumbling up as he keeps on stealing glances at the King who is bent over his own set of parchments. “Did you dream about me last night?” The King asks not looking up and startling Taehyung, “why have you been staring at me like that since you

came in?” Taehyung shakes his head as he looks down, “no-nothing-” Sometime passes. When he raises his head to look at the King again, his eyes widen because the King is staring right back at him with raised eyebrows, “are you sure that is nothing, concubine?”

He blushes, “are you not busy, my King? You do not need to worry about a concubine like me.” “I am glad you are so attuned to your title, concubine,” Jungkook rises from his seat and comes to stand in front of him, “but you are not to determine what I worry about, hmm?” He

clutches his jaw in his grip to make him meet his eyes- Taehyung as always shivers from the touch- “now tell me.” He gets meek as he stutters, “I- I was- I was just wondering about how I am keeping you from making the concubine you really want from becoming the royal one.”

Jungkook narrows his eyes, “what are you talking about, which concubine?” Taehyung cannot stop his face from souring nor can he keep the bitterness away from his tone as he speaks, “you do not need to deny, my King, everyone has heard about the concubine you have brought

here twice.” It clicks in the King’s eyes as he lets his face go, “uh, it is just sex with her, Taehyung,” the king says warily, eyeing him, “I need to have s*x to lose tension from being the King.” Taehyung bites his lower lip, it reddens and keeps the King’s gaze

on it steadfast, so much so that he misses what the concubine says, “-right?” “Huh?” The King nods, as the concubine clears his throat, a blush riding on his honeyed, golden cheeks, “can you teach me that then?” His mind blank, “teach you what?” “To- to be intimate?” Taehyung

asks, and he looks so innocent that Jungkook gets the feeling he has gotten only once before- the first time he brought Taehyung up and watched him cry- inappropriate he knows but he did not care- the feeling of wanting to wreck him to bring tears on his eyes overwhelming the

King, “you want me to teach you how to have s*x?” Taehyung looks away, mortified as he hides his face in his hand, “you did not have to say it like that.” Jungkook watches him, “how else was I supposed to say it?” Then he eyes him. “You want it?”

Taehyung matches his eyes, “I do, I need it.” The King gives a nod before he brings him closer to himself with a steady grip on his wrist, watching his eyes for any doubt. He brings him closer before putting his hands on his waist, pulling him closer till their chests touch.

Jungkook ducks his face- his eyes cautiously watching the other as Taehyung breathlessly closes his eyes before he presses his lips against the concubine’s neck, parts and keeps on pressing kisses along the whole length before he nuzzles against his neck, breathing in

the enticing scent of jasmine. He closes his eyes, revels on the slight warmth, the scent, the smoothness of the honeyed skin. He pokes his tongue out to lick him there, bites him- causing Taehyung to flinch ever so slightly, letting out the prettiest of whimpers as he

hardly grips the King’s biceps using a hand, the other gripping the alpha’s shoulder. But he does not move away, only exposes his neck more for the King to ravish. The concubine’s skin heats up as a blush rides high on his neck. Jungkook smirks against his neck as he

goes downwards, biting till purplish bruises form all over the collarbone. He pauses when he comes in between his chest, Taehyung’s sternum standing in attention. Taehyung blushes harder, “is this supposed to feel so- so funny?” Jungkook matches his eyes, “funny? How funny?”

Taehyung whimpers when the King gives his waist a tight squeeze, “my- my lower stomach-” Jungkook growls, feeling his groin tightening. He breathes out, “why are you so pure? So innocent? I want to do so much to you. But”,He presses

a delicate kiss on the middle of his chest- feels the shiver Taehyung gives before straightening up. “Not tonight, not when you are doing this only to protect your position as the royal concubine.” Taehyung does not deny, the King meets his eyes, “sleep here for the night.

Your position will never be compromised because protecting you as above lust for other women for me.” Taehyung feels his eyes sting as he tears up, “sleep with me. Please do not leave me alone, my King, I-” he gulps, “we do not have to be intimate, we do not- I am useless when

it comes to that-” Jungkook grits his teeth, ‘I am not saying ‘no’ to you because you do not know anything, I am saying ‘no’ because it is not the right reason, you did not deny that, concubine.” Taehyung closes his eyes as if in pain, “I-I am sorry I tried to use my body-”

“As you should be,” Jungkook growls, his eyes straying to the marks he left underneath. “-but p-please, stay the night with me, here be-because I feel the safest with you in this castle.” In this world. Jungkook freezes, seeing the pure honestly, the sincerity shining in

Taehyung’s eyes, “w-what?” Taehyung nods, hastily, gripping the King’s robe tightly in his hands- as if that could stop the King from leaving if he really wanted to, “I tried to be intimate with you because I did not want to be the only one taking from you but I can see now, it

will be unfair if I want it for any other reason but my own need but this- wanting to rest in your embrace- sleeping at night knowing no one will strangle me or sl*t my throat while I am sleeping because of you, where I will feel the safest, I want /this/, so much, my King.

For myself. Not to gain anything from you or repay you back or keep your attention on me I just want this, for myself” The King watches him for sometime, stony eyes going over his clear ones before giving a simple nod and pulling him onto the bed. Laying him down and

getting under the silk bedspread beside him- Taehyung grips the lapels of his robe again tightly in his grip as he puts his head right beside the King’s, making sure none of their other body parts touch because he did not want to disrespect the King even

though he just wanted to keep his head on Jungkook’s chest and lay in his embrace with his strong arms around him, encaging him, keeping him safe. Taehyung’s breath hitches when he feels the King’s hand around his waist to pull him closer, so impossibly closer, so the King

himself can bury his face in the concubine’s neck, “Is this okay?” Jungkook whispers. His hot breath falling short on Taehyung’s neck, making him shiver like he always does. Taehyung does not say anything as he just pushes Jungkook’s head more into the crook of his neck,

feeling the safest he has ever felt from the time he had lost himself. -

“Whatever you did, you did a really good job, getting the King to listen to you.” Taehyung looks up, adorably confused, “huh?” Jimin narrows his eyes at him, “his highness did not take any other upstairs.” Taehyung spoons a filling of his meal and puts it in his mouth before

humming, “but I did not do anything.” Jimin narrows his eyes, looking down at his crotch area, “you are still a virgin?” Taehyung’s face heats up as he looks around to see if anyone around has heard it in the common area, “could you not say that aloud? They are going to hate

me more if anyone hears.” Jimin shrugs, “you should be proud of the beauty you hold- something that has charmed the King even without you being naked.” Taehyung looks away, “he is doing it to right his wrongs, he says.”

“That is bullsh*t and you know that Taehyung, King Jungkook has been the best King the Jeon Kingdom has even seen in ages, he has not done wrongs- they are not wrongs if you try to save your own life, your own people from monsters,” Jimin gets a faraway look on his

face, “Jungkook was so young, is so young, he did not deserve what he went through and yet...now he is at a position where he stands completely alone.” Taehyung purses his lips, feeling an aching pain in his guts at the thought of the King being all alone. At the thought of the

things the King faced. He feels the pain as if it is his own. As if that night was a turning point, every time Taehyung was called for the King, Taehyung was attaching himself to the King’s soul bit by bit. In his mind, they were becoming one…like a pair of secret lovers.

- “What is it that is stressing you, my King?” Taehyung asks softly as he stares at Jungkook looking troubled as he dotes on a few letters in front of him. Jungkook looks up to match his eyes, “why the sudden curiosity?” “I have always been a curious person.”

He murmurs, never shifting his gaze away. When it came to you. The King relents as he sighs. “You are not allowed to say this to Jimin,” he warns as Taehyung nods. “There is a spy somewhere here-” Taehyung gasps, Jungkook’s eyes darken in warning as Taehyung puts a hand

over his mouth, “-and some of the sensitive weapons information has been leaked to some of the enemies." Taehyung shakes his head surprised, "this would let them know your strategies." Jungkook is a bit surprised as he looks so when he said that but he nods nonetheless.

Taehyung watches him thoughtfully, "that is easy to solve my King." Jungkook tilts his head, confused, “how so?” Taehyung gets up from where he is sitting to come stand beside the King, “the spy. The information that has been leaked is about weapons. Weapons are something

that is only given to a handful of people under you. Did you look into them?" Jungkook nods, "I did." "They are the only ones who can do it." Jungkook narrows his eyes, "I already looked into them-" "Let me look into them."

Jungkook looked stunned then, "what?" Jungkook tilts his head up to meet his eyes, Taehyung looks back at him squarely, "I will find them out in no time, my king, let me look into them." The King looks doubtful but Taehyung is already making his way outside as Jungkook stares

behind him. Taehyung does not wait a second as he takes a detour to go to the second floor underneath Jungkook's. He looks at the corridors, he has explored them before- with Jimin so he knew which room was where and whose. He knew most of the weaponry general lived here too.

Taehyung has never been the brave child growing up, hell he wanted to be a scholar and not a warrior ever but he knows this is something he did not need his strength for but his strategy- his brain as a scholar for.

But first he does a one over before he leaves- coming back again with Jimin on his toe as they both sneakily walked through the silent corridor, their robes futtering in the air. "I think I heard about this in the harem that day," Jimin whispers. Taehyung stares at him, "what

were you doing down there?" "the harem knows how to gossip and they always have updates about what my good for nothing fiance is up to so", Jimin shrugs. Taehyung sighs, "he is knows as the mad king, Jiminie, one of the most powerful king, why would you even say that?"

"You can never be too sure of men." Jimin says. Taehyung gets a ridiculed expression on his face- one that makes Jimin stifle a laugh, "you know what I mean Taetae." "He loves you, he has loved you since, I do not know, when you both were born or something, you do not

get to say that." Jimin blushes, looking around, "how do you know that?" Taehyung deadpans, "how do you think?" Taehyung did have the misfortune of reading some of the letters they exchanged afterall. He blushes harder, "anyways, as I was saying, they were talking about these

there-" Taehyung pauses, "but it is something that only a handful of people supposed to know. The King told me to not inform you either, I would not have but you guessed it, how do they know?"

Jimin arches an eyebrow, "I do not know." "Jiminie, the concubines, us, we are not alowed to sleep with anyone but the King right?" Jimin nodes, "otherwise you will be executed. The guard there are also rid of their hormones to not feel anything-" "How would the harem know

otherwise, if they did not know such a thing from an high official?" Jimin looks at him with wide eyes, "are you- are you saying one of them slept with a general?" Taehyung shrugs, he hated the harem but at the same time they were devoted to the King, for the King's attention,

but would they do it? "I do not know, come let us go." The snoop around for some more and pause when they hear sounds coming from one of the rooms. Taehyung turns to look at Jimin and Jimin at Taehyung, their eyes wide. They hide when they hear a door creek.

Both their eyes widen comically when they see a disheveled head of the harem limping out of their...out of the head of the weaponry department's general room. Taehyung breaths out, "oh moon goddess."

-

"I did not expect the head himself to be involved in this," Jungkook says, wringing a hand through his dark hair, Taehyung is looking down as if it was his fault in the head of the weaponry getting caught. Jungkook sighs when he looks at him, "you did a good job...Taehyung."

Taehyung feels his face heat up, "Yun-ssi is in the dungeon?" Jungkook nods, "for knowing and not telling me." Taehyung looks at his book, not really reading the book, "she loves him. People do crazy things for the ones they love," Taehyung whispers.

Jungkook watches him, watches the candle light flickering over his golden skin, the moonlight falling on him, illuminating his hair strands. He was so beautiful, so beautiful that there was really no way to bind that beauty to Jungkook. "Do they?" Jungkook asks silently.

It is late at night, it is silent everywhere. Only the moonlight and the candlelight accompany them, Taehyung's jasmine scent is ever present in the air enticing the king. When Taehyung looks up, his eyes look innocent, bright and oh so beautiful. Jungkook matches his eyes.

"The general released all the weapon making houses- I moved all of them but they got to one, thousands of swords have been sacrificed. You did a very good job, being a concubine should not have been your destiny, you, with your knowledge, with your yearning, with your beauty

should have been born in the royalty Taehyung," Jungkook says, getting up to take large steps towards the concubine. His eyes darkens when he sees the way Taehyung's eyelashes flutter, so prettily, delicately falling over his smooth cheeks.

Jungkook wants to see tears gathering in that waterline, wants to see how more beautiful he would look being pleasured, he wants to ruin his innocence, wants to bite him all over till only his marks over the golden skin remained... If only Taehyung wanted him the same way.

He grabs the concubine's cheeks in his hand gently and tilts his head, he fears he would bruise his skin with how soft he is. Taehyung shivers when their eyes meet. "Why did you have to carry such beauty and be so pure?" Jungkook murmurs the words onto his skin, breathing

lightly, "it makes me want to ruin you till nothing is left of you, till only I remain all over you." Taehyung does not dare blink as he feels his skin getting hot and the blush rising all over his skin, goosebumps littering. Oh Jeon Jungkook, he breathes out, he wants to

touch, touch the King so bad that his insides ache, that the funny feeling in between his lower stomach is back, his groin feels weird but he so wants to caress the King's skin, his eyes gets hazier by the second, "why do you not, my King?"

He matches his eyes then, "do you want to?" Taehyung's eyes are hazy, "it is crazy how you do not get it yet, my King." Jungkook holds him but does not bring him closer, "get what?" "What you mean to me," Taehyung says silently, so silently, his hand rises to hold the King's

shoulder, tightly, "it feels like I have known you for eternity, like you have known me for eternity, do you remember the conversation we have about love?" He holds the King's face, "how I did not love you, but loved what you had to offer?"

Jungkook does not confirm, but something in his eyes tells Taehyung that yes, he remembers. He brings the King's face nearer to him, raises himself up a bit so his shaking lips touch his ever so slightly, "the reverse has happened for me. Now, I love you, I do not even want

what you have to offer if you do not give me you, m safety, my comfort can go to the devil. You have become my heaven, my hell, my everything," He holds Jungkook's face in his tightly when he sees how Jungkook's eyes widen in surprise.

"This time, my King," Taehyung's eyes sting, tears flood his eyes in no time, "I am not lying, I am not playing a role for anything. I do not want your love back either, I just want you to see me as something but a fragile thing to protect."

"Even as your concubine, why would you not be mine like you are theirs?" It pains him, almost rips him apart to say it like that- tell the King about what he feels for the first time and like this but he is a King and him a concubine, they are world's apart.

- A poll as I update: do you think they will get together in the near future or no?

- Taehyung gulps, “you are free to take me.” Jungkook closes his eyes, as if he is in pain, “just because I am free does not mean I deserve taking you. Even if I have s*x with others, they will never match up to you. You are the heaven no one in this castle deserves.” "Even

if I want you to?" Taehyung presses another kiss, a firmer one on the King's lips, his first kiss, his only kiss probably. Jungkook opens his eyes, "do you really?" He gives a nod, an adorable one as he looks at the King earnestly, desperately, Jungkook grips his cheeks harder

as his eyes darken, "do you even know what is s*x?" Taehyung blushes, "I t-told you I asked-" "What do you know?" His grip on Jungkook's shoulder tightens, "that- that is something they told me, you are supposed to teach me." "What do you think it is then?"

"Touching," Taehyung whispers as if scandalously, "marking, like, like you did that night and, I do not know." He bites his lips. Jungkook rubs his thumb on the concubine's lip and pulls the bottom one out of his teeth's grip, they look delicious, bitten, so red.

- semi nsfw- His other hand goes downwards till his finds his waist and squeezes it, makes the other jump up more into his embrace as Taehyung looks at him with wide eyes. He huffs out a laugh, "hold me, Taehyung." Taehyung tightens his grip on his shoulder as the King picks

him up all of a sudden, his legs round the King's waist to grip tightly, "m-my king-" "Jungkook, you will only call me Jungkook because I want to hear you scream out my name, scream till your voice runs raw, yes?" Taehyung grips his shoulder as he gives a shaky nod, his nerves

thrumming. He is shivering all over. Jungkook holds him in the air for sometimes, looks at him and then closes the distance between their lips as he takes him into a kiss. The kiss is sloppy - it hi first time after all but Jungkook takes everything on a beat as he kisses

him more fervently, a hand steady to hold him up while the other explores his body- the robe he is wearing comes close and drops from his shoulder making a heap on the ground. He whimpers into the kiss when he feel the little bites the King give him.

He gasps when he is put down on the bed with strength, his body almost bouncing back to the king as Jungkook lies over him, putting weight over him, never stops kissing him really. His hands are all over him, Taehyung cannot really focus.

Taehyung feels his heartbeat rising at the prospect that this was finally happening, he feels nervousness rise as he feels his body reacting accordingly...he feels scared, scared that the King was not going to get satisfied by him, was not going to be pleasured like with others

What was he to do? The King parts from him ever so slightly to look at him, his heart jumping in excitement, seeing the vulnerable, trusting eyes on him, "you looks beautiful, you look so beautiful that I want to paint you with my marks all over."

Taehyung gulps, kisses the King, "I want you to, I want you." Jungkook groans, "you are going to be the death of me Taehyung. Do you want to see what you have done to me? We have no done anything and yet," he presses his lower body to Taehyung's lower stomach, makes the

concubine's eyes widen when he feels the King's hardened groin pressing so deliciously unto him, he whimpers, "J-Jungkook." Jungkook's eyes darken, "I want to eat you, can I?" "E-eat me?" He whispers, confused. Jungkook groans "fuxk, Taehyung, can I, can I open your robes?"

Taehyung gives a hesitant nod and watches as the king keeps his eyes steadily on him, his hands drifting down his inner robes to open them, string by string, never looking away from his eyes to make sure he is okay. He opens the robes completely till only his lacey underwear

remains. Taehyung blushes, Jungkook looks stunned then before he shakes his head to lift his thighs with a strong hold on both f them, raising them above his head so they rest on both sides of his shoulders, till he is nosing on the innerwear. Biting on the inner side of his

his thighs, leaving behind red bruises on the honey skin, leaving them spit stained. He avoids Taehyung's groin but holds it with his hand, presses down on the slit to let a nerve wrecking thrill pass through the other as Taehyung writhes. Jungkook mouths over his as* then,

leaving marks on the plush of it, squeezes them, then pushes off of there to come back to his groin and to completely take him in his mouth, Taehyung's mouth opens in a silent scream. Jungkook gives his groin a few suck, enough to get it completely hard before popping off and

looking at Taehyung with pre c*m stained lips, he smirks when he sees the concubine staring ta his clothes as if they were the bane of existence, "not so innocent now are we?" Taehyung shies away, "other got to see you, I want to too." Jungkook holds still as Taehyung opens his

robe hastily, his eyes catches onto the chain that is hanging from the concubine, "you still have it?" Taehyung pauses, looking down at his chest to see the chain that has kept him sane through most of the nights, "of course, why would I not?" Jungkook's eyes are stormy as he

pushes the concubine to lie down again, "you are mine, all mine, are you not, concubine?" "As a concubine I am yours," Taehyung shivers, feels the weight of the other on him, "as Taehyung I am yours." Jungkook feels the need to absolutely wreck him, wreck the innocence in him

so he nods, "I am going to fuxk your as* crack." The King takes a vial of oil from somewhere in the bed side, shudders when he notices it is jasmine scented to and kisses Taehyung while his hands work on oiling up the said as*crack.

Taehyung shudders when he feels the large groin pressing up against the inside of his as*, Jungkook's length was no joke, was it? And it was all hardened up, oiled up, it made his insides coil. He moans, screams when he feels the di*k making its space in between his as*cheeks.

Jungkook watches him attentively as he starts pushing in and out, slowly at first and then building his pace till Taehyung is writhing on the bed, screaming, moaning his name, chanting his name all over, his name echoes over the walls. Taehyung feels stimulated as his

own co*k brushes against Jungkook's hard chest every time he moves, then all of a sudden, his vision blacks out as an overwhelming kind of pleasure blinds him. He screams Jungkook's name. It leaves him almost senseless except for the di*k that is leisurely fuxking his as*crack,

it leaves his senses in over drive as he gets over stimulated- just when he feels faint, the King c*ms, painting his honeyed, golden skin with white before dropping down on him. "Fuxk why are you so incredible," Jungkook growls, Taehyung just hugs the King tightly to him, afraid

the King will leave him now that he over fuxking him. The King does get to make away but shushes him when he whines, "shh, just going to clean you up, baby." After he cleans him, they settle back on the bed and this time, Taehyung sleeps on the King's chest, hearing his steady

heartbeat with his arms around him, embracing him to the King while Taehyung's own arms hold the King as tightly as he can, afraid of letting the King slip away from, letting his love leave him. -

There is a whisper in the wind, a whisper unheard by the King. Taehyung blinks his eyes open. "My prince," a voice whispers in the dark. Taehyung looks down at the King, Jungkook is sleeping so peacefully. He bends down to press a kiss on the pink lips, holds himself up,

then bends to press another kiss. It seems he can never get enough of the King. "My prince," the voice gets a bit more adamant. Taehyung's eyes gleam as he slowly takes Jungkook's hand off of him and finally detangles himself from the furnace like embrace- it makes him shudder

is cold but then a robe is being pressed to his naked body as he takes it gladly to wrap around himself. He looks down at the King again, "I love you, I do. I truly did mean it when I said I belong to you and only you," he feels his eyes sting as his lips stretch in a smile.

"My prince," the voice calls again, "the mad king awaits." Taehyung whips around to glare at her, "I told you to wait, Yun, let me say goodbye to my King," she withers but nods as she looks at the alighted sky carefully. Time was running short, really short for them now.

— ignore the last tweet, /this/ is where the update ends, hope you enjoyed? Please don't kil! me. If you want to support me: Ko-fi.com/lockedkv

—

He looks back at Jungkook’s sleeping face, goes down again to press as many kisses as he could, “I love you.” Then he gets up from the bed and stands as Yun ties the robe around him tightly. He feels numb, ecstatic, he cannot describe how he feels as he turns to look one

last time at the King, “hand me my ring.” It is the ring with the Min insignia, a ring with a lion roaring on it, all in gold. Yun hands it to him expecting him to wear it back as it shows off his status as the prince but Taehyung merely puts’ it on Jungkook’s finger- the King’s

ring finger- it was the only one that fit Taehyung's ring ironically- he looks at him with an unreadable gaze. He does not speak anymore as he turns on his heels and leaves the room, without looking back, Yun following him silently. There is silence everywhere as they are

getting out- they had sleeping drawl mixed with the dinner last night, which was why they were so confident Jungkook would not feel him leaving. Everyone was sleeping. Taehyung smirks as he walks past all those silent room, how ridiculous, their whole kingdom was coming to doom

and yet they did not know any of it, did not realize any of it, would not until dawn rises and the moon dips. He goes down and down the same stairs that laughed at his well orchestrated misery, until he reaches the floor where his bedroom was supposed to be- the fifth floor.

Taehyung stills when he comes face to face with Jimin out of all the people, Jimin stares right back at him, confused before he looks back and sees Yun, the one who is supposed to be in the dungeon for treason. "I thought you were with the King, Taehyung?" Jimin asks, his voice

on edge. Taehyung gives him a small, shy smile, "I was with the King, Jiminie. I just had to get something from the harem's chamber for the miss." Jimin narrows his eyes at her, "how are you out?" Taehyung looks down and grimaces, they did not have the time to chitchat.

He looks at Yun and nods slightly, making Yun take out a sword from her hilt and point it directly at Jimin, "If you do not come with us silently, Prince, I will not hesitate to plunge this into you." Jimin's eyes widen comically, horrified as he looks back at Taehyung for

reassurance or for anything- but Taehyung is looking down, walking forward as if Jimin is not even there. He does not want to Jimin's face when he understand, he does not want to see the hatred in his eyes when he understands, he might be strong to betray his lover,

but he is not strong enough to betray the only anchor he had with his sanity. Yun takes Jimin in his grasp and with a sword's edge digging into his neck, there is hardly anything the prince can do except follow. His eyes tear up, he sniffles, it is aching for reason he does not

understand, maybe because he wants Taehyung to be there like he always was but Taehyung is deaf to it, his eye flood when he thinks about the King, did they kil!..Jungkook? Did they kil! everyone? What had they done, what had Taehyung done-

Taehyung walks forward and enters a room, pausing in the threshold, "is it done?" A person dressed in black robes come out from there, "strang*ed him just like he did you." Jimin's eyes fill with absolute horror at that, "you fuxking monster, who the fuxk are you!?" he screams.

Taehyung's eyes are hard when he looks at Jimin, "we do not have the time to discuss this, Jiminie-" "Do not call me that! Do not-" "Prince Jimin," he says softly, "the dawn is coming, we have to get out. Did you get them?" He asks the person coming down the same flight of

stairs they did just a while ago, the person nods hands him a cylinder container, "it is all in there. My prince, your carriage awaits." Taehyung nods, sees the way Jimin looks faint, looking at him with wide, tear stained eyes, "I think," he pauses, "I think I shall introduce

myself. I am Prince Taehyung. I am sure you have never heard of me because I am the illegitimate son of the previous King of the Min kingdom, also, your fiancé's step-brother-" "your mother, your mother was a lie-" Taehyung blinks, "oh, my mother is in her grave

peaceful, this woman was not my mother. She did not know I am a prince, only went to her as a decoy, to make this real. Told her to sell me off, fed her gold coins to do so and she acted out her part perfectly- thinking I only wanted to be with the King. Hilarious," he says,

mirth swimming, "as if I needed to go to such lengths to be with the King." "You-you- what did Jungkook ever do to you- he just became the King-" "Had to give him my congratulations myself," Taehyung counters, them smirks, "gave me him that tonight itself"

Jimin feels like screaming, in horror, hitting Taehyung but it is useless as Yun still holds him strongly in his hold, "why-why did you even come- what is in that?" His voice drops, as fear clouds his mind, something dropping in him. Taehyung smirks widens, "I am sure you will

find out by dawn itself," he holds Jimin's cheeks as the other flinches violently, "but I have to go now, Jiminie, keep my King reserved for me-" "Like hell I will-mm-" a cloth is stuffed on his face and from the fumes he starts to feels faint, but he hears the footsteps going

away from him the more he blinks, his eyes goes blurry and then he faints on the cold floor. Taehyung hurries downstairs as his robes flair behind him, it has been ages since he wore the royal robes- he forgot how heavy it was. The three follow him, "the river tide is heavy

tonight but we can expect to calm down in a few hours. His highness did not want you to come before that. He sighs when he gets into his carriage and the door closes behind him, he pauses when he sees an envelope on the seat. Taehyung smiles, it has been ages since he talked

to his brother they had to lose all contact except for the people around him. He keeps the enveloped aside as he looks outside, seeing the castle he leaves behind after five months. Feels his eyes sting as he remembers how peaceful Jungkook looked in their last moments together,

how Jungkook was so gentle, sobs wreck his body at what he had to do, he wished he could run away with Jungkook altogether, he wished he was really the concubine he was acting out to be, not the prince, Jungkook would have kept him safe. He had no other way but to do so.

The kingdoms, almost all of them, in their realm are made of Kings older than their time. Those old hogs had been /fond/ of the previous King Jeon- enough to want to rid of Jeon Jungkook, the mu*derer of the past Jeon King as a way to avenge and /right/ the wrong that came to be.

It was, of course, a plot for them to overtake the whole of the Jeon kingdom for themselves as the Jeon kingdom had the greatest amount of prosperity amongst everyone with tropical weather, good yield, good people. Anyone would want a piece of the Jeon kingdom.

They wanted a full war with all the kingdoms against the Jeon kingdom, and wanted Yoongi to join them with the Min kingdom. It was hilarious how they even got up the courage to approach the mad King. Yoongi had been betrothed to Jimin by then- their father, who still lives

in the shadows, old and evil, had agreed to it despite the decision not being on him. Yoongi had to agree because he could see the risks of finding his precious brother- Taehyung, the only one who mattered to him, the only one he considered his real kin- di*d one night like his

father had threatened- there had been many instances of Taehyung being harmed, poisoned to his dea*h bed and he had barely survived every time. It got to the point where sending Taehyung off as the concubine to the Jeon Kingdom was a safer option to Yoongi than keeping him

there. That is when the plan to come to the Jeon kingdom had rose. With a snake living in the kingdom itself, when it was his own father, there was barely anything even the mad king could do- he would not kill the father like he kil!ed his own mother because he would be

attacked just like Jungkook was being and he would not survive, not against so many kingdoms. Taehyung came to the Kingdom to take the Jeon kingdom from Jungkook- in the most docile way they could- until Yoongi could manage to gain an upper hand over the other kingdoms.

It was better than having the Jeon kingdom handed over to many kings, better than kil!ing of the only rightful King of the Jeons. He had to render Jungkook powerless, strip him off of his Kingdom as a show to appease others, to show Yoongi's loyalty while Yoongi focused on

finding an upper hand. It took Yoongi two months- it took Taehyung five months to ignore his heart that started to beat for the Jeon King. He was supposed to leave with the documents to destroy Jungkook in the two months but he could not...not when he was so so enamored

by Jungkook. Not when he felt like for the first time, he had found someone who he was made for. It took five months and yet, it was not enough, it was never going to be enough. Jungkook would be penniless for a few months and he would forget him in the flames of betrayal

he had ignited in him, it will keep on burning for the rest of both their lives, even when Jungkook would get his kingdom back, would get his everything back with Kingdoms never going after him. He would get everything back, fall in love properly with someone else while

Taehyung- He looks outside, he wonders, what was his other choices? What could he have done? If he did not come, there would have been a war- a war which would guarantee Jungkook's dea*h, if there was not a war, there would be his brother de*th and then Jungkook

dy*ng eventually. It was either dea*h or betrayal. He was not supposed to fall in love, he was supposed to be the well scholared prince, one who did not care about matters such as this, he was supposed to fall in love with his books only, was supposed to get out three months

ago. Just what was he thinking, falling in love with a person he was going to break the heart of? But did Jungkook love him enough to have his heart broken? He does not think so, he does not understand so. But would he feel betrayed enough to feel enraged out of his mind and

kil! Taehyung? Yes, he would. Taehyung was okay with it. Better leave this world with the blade of the person he loves lodged inside him than anyone he considered an enemy. It would be worth it, worth saving his brother, worth saving the one he loves. Dy*ng would be worth it.

By the time he wipes his tears, they are almost at the river dock. That is when he decides to open the envelope. He reads through it, hie eyes widening and widening in horror as his heart takes up in beat, no no, this was not happening, no

this could not be. He hits on the wood ceiling above and the carriage screeches to a halt, the door opens, "my prince?" His voice shakes as he looks at Yun, "when did my brother send this letter?" "It was with the messenger for a month because you know how upon your demand,

the contact with our kingdom was shut of-" "A month?" Taehyung gulps, his heart beating painfully fast now, "a month-", he feels faint, "how far are we from the boat?" His heart is in his throat. "Not that far, my prince, just a bit more." He nods faintly, "fast. Get me

there fast." The speed increases, the horse knees adamantly, the whip sounds echo in his mind as he tears the letter apart. Fear clogs his mind, maybe his dea*h was nearer than he thought. Then the carriage come to a halt. He waits for Yun to knock on the door but she does not,

a silent minute passes by. He scrunches his brows before moving to open the door himself. Before he could however, someone enters the carriage, shoving him inside with the strength he enters with.

"Ah concubine, were you trying to leave?" Jungkook eyes darken, flashes dangerously, "or should I say Prince Taehyung? I am not a fan of people trying to leave me while I sleep, it is not common courtesy you know? I will never let that slide especially when it comes to you my..,"

Jungkook smirks, eyes stone cold, jaw locked, "..prince." The fear that clogs him whole inside binds him as he is shaking all over, sitting in front of the King, the words written in Yoongi's handwriting flashing in his mind.

- just a little note, your quotes, your reactions, your likes are really keeping this story afloat so thank you for them—

He has his hands in a bind as he glares outside. At Jungkook. The king is riding on his horse- a majestic black one that makes the King look far more powerful than he has ever in Taehyung's eyes. Jungkook's face looks like it is set in stone with how taut it looks.

"the only way," Jungkook had said through gritted teeth, "I let you and your brother get out this alive-" he held a blade to his throat then, cutting it by a sliver, letting a drop of blo*d fall, Taehyung had winced, had watched his life flash by,

"is to bind you to me." Taehyung's eyes widened, "what?" That was not something he thought the King would ever propose, "what?" Jungkook's eyes become unreadable, "with marriage. You are to marry me in a weeks time."

Taehyung lets out a shaky breath, "you think," he breathes in, his breath hitches, "you think marrying you will be a punishment to me? I /meant/ it when I said I love you-" Jungkook raises a hand, irked an eyebrow though his eyes are still stormy, "you think you fell in love

with the real Jeon Jungkook? Are you an idiot my prince? The Jeon Jungkook who kil!ed his own parents because they were irritating him, the one who is known as the Holden hawk for poking people's eyes out in a preliminary fight would be /kind/ to a fuxking concubine who

had the audacity to spit at him?" And he sounds so condescending at the mere sound of it that Taehyung can actually hear the first crack in his heart- his eyes tear up. "You must be out of your mind", Jungkook continues, huffing slowly with a roll of his eyes. Taehyung

shakes his head adamantly, "you kil!ed them because they were torturing you, my King-" "Do not call me that", Jungkook growls, seethes, "you have lost all the right to call me that-" "So you did everything because you knew?!" Taehyung bursts, now he has the right, right to

fight with the King as he pleases, raises his voice, spit at him because he knows, he knows he is the prince of the Min kingdom now. "You treated me with such kindness because you /knew/? Then how are you the tyrant you call yourself to be?" "I knew", Jungkook says quietly, his

voice dea*hly, "oh I knew. I could not do anything because I had to know why you were there as my concubine. The precious brother who Min Yoongi never allowed out of his castle, never allowed anyone to see a glimpse of, so protective of him, was here, inside the Jeon kingdom,

the Jeon castle, my harem, as my concubine. Why could possibly be the earth shattering reason Min Yoongi lets his /only/ kin out? I had to find that out, could not do anything before that." Taehyung is stunned, nobody, nobody from any other royalty had ever seen him, none of

could ever recognize him, ever because he was simply never introduced to the world, because he never went out of the Min kingdom so how did Jeon Jungkook recognize him? "How?" He asks, his voice barely coming out, insides everywhere in the amount of emotions he was drowning in.

"How did you know who I was?" Jungkook smirks, "would not you like to know that?" Taehyung shakes his head, it dawns on him, "a spy, you had a spy amongst us, in Min kingdom-" Jungkook barks out a thinning laugh, "curious little thing, are you not, my prince?"

Taehyung fists his hand, wills the stubborn tears back, "keep that to yourself than. You knew and yet you still slept with me, your supposed-" Jungkook shakes his head, his eyes turn mirthful, "de-/flowering/ a prince has its own perks, my prince-" "That was an act! You fool,

you think I would be a virgin? I am a prince for moon's sake." "You said you loved me, was that to save yourself?" "Yes", Taehyung says without missing a beat, "yes it was. Everything was all an act because I did not want you to kil! me." Jungkook hums, "I am not going to

kil! you, you do not deserve to di* just yet, you deserve to suffer, you deserve to want your own dea*h-" "If you know why we were doing this," Taehyung pauses, his voice breaks slightly but he just coughs to cap it off, "then why do you still want me to suffer so much?"

"What I know is, you and your brother stole documents that could leave me in the streets, destroy my kingdom did you not?" Jungkook asks, tilting his head. Taehyung wants to say, wants to explain to him that there was more to it, so much more but to the answer he could only

nod. "Yes", he says silently, "yes, we did." Jungkook watches him carefully, before stepping out of the carriage altogether, "The Min kingdom will hand you over to me in marriage keeping all the other kingdoms as a witness yes? Or Min Yoongi's brother shall be hanged."

The carriage door closes behind him and gets on his horse. Taehyung does not shift his glare, Jungkook must have already known about the other kingdoms going against him, which was why this marriage will be a huge benefit to the King while it will be fatal to his brother.

He feels like dropping on the floor and crying his heart out, he feels helpless, and so so fragile. This time he was not acting- this time he was not but ironically, Jungkook would not protect him like he did everytime he acted to be like this. And it breaks him. —

He is kept in a room, a room on the same floor as the king. Hilarious, how he finally reached the king's floor at the cost of his brother's life. He has been here for two days, Yoongi has been informed and he has heard the king is supposed to dock today itself. Good. His

brother was here to sign his own doom. "My prince," a maid knocks on the door, he grimaces, "yes?" The door opens and the maid bows low in front of him, too low, "the tailor is here for your fitting for the wedding hanbok. Should I send her in?" He winces, his wedding hanbok

was going to get tailored. Against his own will. With the King he loved. He nods, "sure bring her in." What he does not expect is Jimin coming in with her, his gaze down and voice soft as he directs her inside, watches the measurements being taken silently.

"Jiminie-" "It is prince Jimin for you", Jimin says, his eyes hard as he adamantly looks at the tailor doing her work. Taehyung sighs, looks at the tailor himself, "what is the design? What design would by my hanbok?" She looks up at him slightly before looking down, gaze

shaky, fearful, "his highness ordered for two to be tailored. One with the Min kingdom's symbol and other the Jeon Kingdom." Before he can say anything, Jimin speaks, "you will wear the Min kingdom one officially as you go for the rituals but after everything finishes you have

to change into our one as a symbol that you now belong to the Jeon kingdom, you do not have anything anymore with the Min kingdom except your kin. You would belong to our King. It is the tradition the Jeon kingdom follows", Jimin pauses, "to keep the vows strong and in place."

Taehyung gulps when he sees the gravity in Jimin's eyes. "You believe in the moon do you not?" Jimin irks an eyebrow as he comes to stands facing him, "or was the a lie?" Taehyung shakes his head, feeling the sting, "the symbol of the Min kingdom is a wolf, we worship the moon."

"we do too,"Jimin says, then frowns, a sliver of emotion seeping in his eyes, "not as much however. But we do believe in the binding ritual the moon has. After you official bind yourself to Jungkook, he becomes your only truth."

Taehyung's heart shakes. He bites his lip, not wanting to ask the question but he wants to, he so wants to. He holds it in however, till the end of measuring session. He waits for the tailor to bring up the design, "does it- does it go both ways then?" Jimin merely glances

at him, "does what goes both ways?" "The binding," he whispers shakily. Jimin watches him so he clarifies further, "would I become Jungkook's only truth too then?" "Do you want that?" He narrows his eyes, "do you?"

—

He blinks, hopes he hides the pain in his eyes well, "I am a prince too, Prince Jimin. I believe in marriages staying forever. So excuse me for-" "Kings are not known for their loyalty, Prince Taehyung, they have their harem's all their life right-" Taehyung stills, Jimin

watches him carefully, "you cannot expect a fairytale when you yourself acted to be in love with him just to betray him." Taehyung bites his lips, the pain intensifies in his guts, "I-I understand." He puts his hand on his stomach to try and control his breathing, "you are done

Sorry for disappearing there, this book now has a moodboard(!!!!!) made by the sweetheart @/Rimi_verse. I am so so thankful. twitter.com/Rimi_verse/sta…

- tailoring my fit yes? Could you please leave? I feel a headache coming up." He says, as politely as he can, feeling nauseous. Jimin narrows his eyes, "Prince Taehyung? Are you alright?" He gives a close lipped smile, "as alright as I can be", Jimin looks suspicious, "you know

I am strong. Not the fragile concubine. Go." Jimin grits his teeth, "right, I will be on my way then." Taehyung watches them leave, as soon as the door closes behind him, he falls on a heap. Everything hurts.

But he does not get to dwell on it when he hears the conch horns blare. Taehyung's eyes widen, Yoongi was here. His heart slows, he feels faint. His brother, the only kin he has left, the one who has protected him through every single thing, he has always supported him,

backed him up and yet here Taehyung was, putting a noose around Yoongi's neck and suffocating him, till he watches with horrified eyes as they took his life. He shakes his head, he has to do something, Taehyung nas to do something to save his brother, even if it meant he needed

to sacrifice himself. He rises up, his knees are shaking as he whirls around and runs out of the door. Jungkook's eyes harden as he sees him entering, everyone in the throne room startled. A silence falls over them.

"Prince Taehyung-" one of Jungkook's minister says. Taehyung squares his shoulders, "I have something to say to my King." They look surprised, "but my prince, according to the rituals, you are not supposed tp approach the King-" Jungkook raises a hand, silencing him, "King

Min is here right? The ministers should go greet them. I will look at what my prince has to say." The ministers nod as they leave one by one, eyeing Taehyung warily as the latter stared resolutely towards the king, never taking his eyes of.

"what is it?" Jungkook asks. Taehyung gulps, "my brother- they are going to kil! off my brother if you do this." Jungkook tilts his head, "I would say so yes, what about it?" Taehyung bites his lip, it was like he was talking to a stone wall. His words were echoing off without

doing anything, he feels helpless. He watched Jungkook with desperation seeping in his eyes, "this marriage cannot result into my brother being kil!ed, it simply cannot. You can kil! me instead, please kil! me! He cannot die for something I did. Just punish me!" Jungkook barks

out a laugh, it is so cold, so brittle that it grates against Taehyung's ears, makes his insides ble*d. Be watches helpless, "it is hilarious. You think kil!ing you is enough? No, I have to watch the Min kingdom fall, just like the Mins wanted the Jeon kingdom to fall. It is only

fair right?" Jungkook asks sardonically. Taehyung gulps, "he was going to give you your kingdom back, you would at least liv-" "It is not living", Jungkook thunders, Taehyung flinches, "it is not living when the very reason you were birthed on to this world for is taken away."

"when you have to suffer so much to come here and sit on this throne." Taehyung gets this devasted look on his face, "you said you kil!ed them because they irritated you, everyone except Jimin thinks you got rid of them because of that, they tortured you. Tortured you enough to

kil! them because it was getting unbearable, did they not?" Something in Jungkook just blinks out at his words, "being a King is what living means to me. The ones who tried to take that away from me shall be rid of their reasons to live too."

Taehyung shakes his head, "punish me then. I was the one who came up with the plan, I was the one who planned your destruction. Destroy me the-" Jungkook stands up, and takes a step towards him, "destroy you?", Takes another, "what is there to even destroy you, Prince Taehyung?"

Taehyung eyes sting, "nothing. There is nothing." Jungkook watches him. Taehyung fists his hand, "but I cannot let you destroy my brother. I cannot, I cannot, I-" he falls on his knees in front of the King, bows his head low, tears flood his eyes, "I cannot."

Jungkook looks down at him, his eyes get stormy, "give me a solution then, my prince. You are to bind to me, there is nothing I can change, I will change in that fact. How do I save your brother then?" Taehyung looks up, tears stream down his face. Jungkook's heart waver as he

looks away, keeping his gaze upwards, "you will save him if I give you a solution." "If you give a solution yes. You are right, you are the one who betrayed me, Min Yoongi shall be spared," Jungkook says. His voice steady, heart beating fast.

Taehyung’s voice drops to a whisper, he wants to ask why, why was it that Jungkook listened to him still, a part of him whines in him with obvious affection but he ignores it to nod slowly, “a-a solution, a solution-” “I will be the solution”, another voice comes in, his voice

resounding around the throne room, startling Taehyung while Jungkook just looks up to stare at Jimin, standing there, on the entrance with his head bowed low. “Jimin-ah”, Jungkook calls out, slight confusing seeping in his voice, “I do not want you to get into their mess

again-” “I cannot but to”, Jimin says, “I was to marry him for years. Min Yoongi is the only religion I followed for years. I cannot just let it go.” Jungkook’s sets his jaw tightly, “I know, I understand, but he never planned to marry you-”

“And you are going to let him take the easy way out? Just because of his brother?!” Jimin thunders all of a sudden, looking up with tears shining in his eyes. Jungkook shakes his head, “letting you marry him might be a punishment for him, yes, but it is going to be a prison

for you. I cannot let you do that, can I?” “But you must,” Jimin says, his throat bobbing, “you must, your highness. If my destiny is to be stuck with him, I will do so.” “You are doing this to save him, we are looking for a solution to /save/ him, Jimin, you do not, are not

in any way required to do so, understand that.” Jimin shakes his head, looks down, a tear drops from his eyes, “I am required to do so, your highness, I am,” he closes his eyes tightly, “I have fallen in love with him, and not saving him would kil! me so I would,” he breathes

out, “rather be unhappy my whole life, caged, than bear the pain of him dy*ng.” Jungkook breathed out, “will you be able to bear the pain when he sleeps with concubines in front of you? Brings in other prince and princess to spend the night with-”

“Is it not what you are going to do with Prince Taehyung?” Jimin asks, silencing the King. Taehyung looks at Jimin with wide eyes. “Okay, how pray tell are you going to save him from the other kings by marrying him? How are you a solution?” Jungkook asks, shifting the topic

completely. Taehyung does not stop staring at Jimin with shock, his eyes watering anew. Jimin looks resolute, "how am I not? I am trained, I am vigilant, nobody can harm him as long as he is with me." "There could be poison attacks," Jungkook pinches the bridge of his nose.

“We will have someone taste it before we touch the food, your highness. This is something I have to do, it is my duty now. I am not going to change my mind. No matter what you say.” Jungkook goes to say something but Taehyung beats him to it, “then I will make sure,” he gulps,

“that you have him all too yourself, that you punish him whichever way you want, you have the right now. I will make sure of it.” Jimin nods, looking at Jungkook before bowing and making to leave. The King looks down at the prince, “small mercies, I believe,” he snorts before

whirling around to sit back on his throne, “leave, my prince. I have Min Yoongi to greet.” Taehyung nods shakily before stepping out of there. His heart shaking painfully in his chest and his knees wobbling. - Jungkook watches the other king enter, his eyes glinting in the

maddening way it does. Jungkook eyes harden in anger, "long time no see, King Min." Yoongi gazes at him like he is reading him over, he looks chill. The man smirks, making the nerves in Jungkook ignite in rage, "I would believe so, King Jeon, you have been busy after all."

Jungkook's smirk freezes, he grits his teeth, "I believe so. I hope you have brought the wedding carriage? You are to wed in a few days after all." Yoongi narrows his eyes to slits at that, all mirth swiping right out, and Jungkook feels this win igniting his guts. His smirk

widen, "and I am to marry Prince Taehyung next week. You will give us your blessings, would you not? I will give my blessings for Jimin." "you are not marrying my brother Jungkook," Yoongi says, his maddeningly powerful aura coming back as all the mirth from his eyes seep out.

"I will marry Jimin, I will marry whoever but you cannot marry my brother." "That is not up for you to decide, Yoongi. Your brother belonged to me from the moment you let my men buy him off of the market." Yoongi grits his teeth, "he is no concubine, get out of the fuxking

delusion. You know the plan, you knew how it is. I am not going to let you have him, even if I have to go on a war against you I am not going to let you have him." "You think you will win?" Jungkook's voice drops. The maddening glints gets back in Yoongi's eyes, "I know I will."

"When all the Kings are against you, Jungkook, I /will/ win." Jungkook grits his teeth, "rage a war against me and your brother is going to have my sword lodged on his heart." He smirks, watching the anger shining in Yoongi's eyes, "you must have forgotten where you stand,

but do not worry, I will make sure you remember, I will make sure to give your brother the perfect dea*/h-" "You will not dare lay a finger on him-" "I will if you rage a war," Jungkook roars. Yoongi breaths out, "I should have kil!ed you first and never should have listened to

Taehyung. But what is done, is done. I will talk to him before I agree to this however, because I will not let my brother be unhappy, or be tortured, it will only happen over my de*d body-" Jungkook snorts, this brotherly love amuses him so much. "You can talk to him, but I will

marry him." "Let me see my brother." Jungkook nods at the guards then, "sure, but Prince Jimin shall be present in between." "You-" "My kingdom, my rules," Jungkook says menacingly.

—

You guys are invited for their wedding tomorrow, see you tomorrow (bring gifts you guys!!!!! I am joking lmao, unless...) Hehe, anyways, see you!!—

- Taehyung has his gaze downwards as they put the hanbok on him. The Jeon insignia burns his back- it signifies his marriage with the King, it signifies his golden cage, a cage where he is trapped inside with the big bad wolf.

He cannot meet Yoongi’s gaze as his brother is urged to take his hand in his and put it in Jungkook’s hand. A sign that Taehyung was not his brother anymore, not more than he was Jungkook’s husband. The King grasps his hands tightly, too tightly, in a vice-like grip.

In a suffocating way, not the warming one. His eyes burn as Jungkook shows him off to the whole Jeon Kingdom spread over acres and acres of the Jeon land. A trophy, Jeon Jungkook makes him feel like a used trophy, something he /bought/ only to show off, only for his face

and not for who he is, not for love like Taehyung considered Jungkook to be. Taehyung loves Jungkook, he could not deny that, he should not, not when he is getting to marry him but at what cost does he have him?

In all the months he spent as a concubine, he did not feel it. Did not feel insulted by the things that was thrown at him because as a concubine he expected to be treated like that. But the way he was getting treated now, breaks him because he never expected he would be

tossed aside while he is married. He expected to be treated like a King and that was his worst doom. Jungkook does not let his hand go as people greet him, bow towards him specifically, throws flower petals at him.

He does not notice Jungkook watching him from time to time. Taehyung looks radiant in the hanbok he is wearing, Jungkook's chosen insignia looks like a force to be reckoned with- he had refused to carry his ancestor's mark for his kingdom- he had it changed from a lion to a wolf.

The wolf seems like it is growling at everyone, wrapping around Taehyung. Jungkook smirks, because it looks like his own wolf would protect Taehyung from /him/. He loosens his hold on Taehyung only to wrap his hand tightly around his small waist, pulling him to himself.

Taehyung belonged to him now, in papers, in religion, he belonged to him. He bends his head ever so slightly, eyes gleaming as his lips press against Taehyung's ear, "should I revert back to calling you a concubine again, Prince Taehyung?" Taehyung stills. Jungkook squeezes his

waist, Taehyung flinches but he hardens his eyes, "treat me like a concubine as I am married to you, I dare you." "Getting feisty now that you are tied to me?" Jungkook watches his side profile, "but are you not my personal concubine now? You belong to me, only me now."

"Just like I don't know the real you, you don't know the real me either, my King. Do not just assume." Taehyung says. Jungkook hums, "but you will pleasure me, won't you, my prince?" Taehyung shakes his head, "No, I do not feel for you anymore-" Jungkook's eyes flashes.

"-I do not want to pleasure you." "You are wedded to me, it is your duty to do so. Just like you listened to your king and bent on your knees to pleasure me as a concubine, you will listen to your King now." Jungkook seethes at the very idea itself. Because Taehyung has really

gave his virginity away willingly for his kingdom, as if his purity was worth nothing. It is ironic that he had called Taehyung a pure soul despite being a concubine but he had given his purity up just for the sake of their land. Jungkook was so in the wrong for calling him

that. Taehyung turns to glare at him, "I gave it away to you because I fell in love with you. I did it purely out of what I felt for you." "You did not," Jungkook says adamantly, nodding at the minister that come to greet them with a bow, "you did not. You only did so that night

to distract me. You know what you have done, I do not see any point in debating about it." "No," Taehyung says desperately, "no I did not. Hyung would never want me to be intimate with you, or with anyone. Not until I chose to." "Then you chose to, to distract me enough to

steal those parchments-" "For moon's sake, my king, she already took it as soon. I was supposed to disappear into thin air without even seeing you that night," Taehyung pauses, his voice breaking, "I was just supposed to leave but I could not." He breathes out.

"because," his eyes tear up again, "because I fell in love with you." It does not faze Jungkook even though a part in him feels the pain. He knows Taehyung is not someone to trust, he knows he is only saying these to appease Jungkook's anger. So he does not care about it.

"I do not believe that. Anyways, if you were so willing to have s*x with me at your king's wish, why could you not do the same thing for your this king's wish?" Jungkook asks, voice on the edge of anger. An anger that frustrates Taehyung, "and why do you not? I am telling you-"

"I do not know how it works in your book, Taehyung," Jungkook says, words slowly rolling out of his mouth, measured, "but in my book, you do not leave the one you love behind. You do not leave them bare." A fear grips Taehyung's heart, "but you did not love me, my king." Doubt

flutters in his mind because he realized he never even stopped to consider about the king's feeling then, he never- "I did not," Jungkook says, stilling Taehyung's heart in disappointment, "but if one claims to be in /love/, they ought to live up to it don't they?"

"Not in my situation, no. Not in a situation where my hyung was on line, Jungkook." "Do not call me by my name, concubine. I am your king, address me as that. This marriage," Jungkook's lip twitches in a smirk, he is getting tired of the excuses Taehyung is spewing, he has

no reason to believe as of yet. "Is nothing, means nothing to me. It is only for name, if s*x could come with it, it would have been better but if you are going to be this fussy then we could go without it too, there are plenty of concubines in the harem." With that the king

looks away purposely, missing the look of utter pain in Taehyung's eyes. Jungkook pauses, "if you are to deny having s*x with me, deny it logically not with excuses such as love, you do not know what love means. Leaving the one you love with the ring marked with the insignia

he abhors is a punishment not a confession of love, prince Taehyung. Your ring shall be sent to your room by tonight. You do not get to wear it anymore however, we do not want the ministers thinking you are going to betray again, can we?" Jungkook breathes out and bows his head

to leave the prince alone. - The ring does wait for him, kept on the exact middle of his satin bedsheet. From the time he came, he held himself by threads but seeing the ring, the threads around the seams of his sanity comes undone. His eyes sting. He starts sobbing into his

hand, his insides shriveling up inside. What had he done, what did he get himself into. As a concubine, he had the King all to himself. For him to love, for him to demand. As the prince, the royalty /married/ to the same king he has nothing, not even the King 's attention

on him. His worst fear of having another concubine with the King comes back in full force; and he is left terrified. Terrified of being left alone, like his real mother left him, like the times his own father tried to kil! him. He is a man. Jungkook is a man, a king allowed

to have other people, but why he, an underserving prince, was seeking it to this extent where it even hurts for him to live? "It is because King Jungkook is your first love," Jimin says from behind him. Taehyung whirls around in surprise, he had said that aloud? He wipes at

his eyes furiously- Jimin had never seen him actually cry before and he was not going to et it change. "Is he really?" he tries to smile, "Did you really believe the act?" Jimin watches him and for the first time since he left, something akin to worry floods his eyes, "I did.

You might have considered me as a stepping stone to win something, but I always did consider you as a friend, so I know you, know how much in love you really are with him." Taehyung's eyes tear up again as he looks at Jimin emotionally, "You do not know, that was all acting, I

was doing so to make being married to him easier-" "No," Jimin shakes his head, "no, you, Taehyung, you love him and you know why I know that?" Taehyung stares, eyes wide. Jimin nods, "because eyes never lie.

Your eyes show how in love you are, Prince Taehyung. So much that you would have willingly sacrificed your kingdom if it was not your hyung's life on the line." Taehyung presses his lips tightly together, not letting out a sound. "I know you would," Jimin is saying, "he

is your first love, he is your first everything. His name is attached to your soul no? You dare deny that if, at this moment, I were to kil! him because my husband, your brother, told me to, you are not going to go rampant?" Taehyung is shaking his head, "I would not, I would

not, it is-" Jimin's eyes darkens in anger as he narrows his eyes, he listens to him rant for a few sentences before he shouts, "yes you would! For your moon's sake, Taehyung, Jungkook is not impossible to fall in love with, is he?" "No," Taehyung whispers, stunned because he

did not ever see Jimin get so angry, "no ofcourse not. Just because his parents were like that-" "See you care, you care enough to know that he was never loved by his parents, you know where the problems in this kingdom started, why do you keep denying it!?" Jimin shouts loudly.

"Fine! Fine, yes I love him, yes I am in love with him. Yes I would do everything you accuse me of, I would but it is not that easy Jiminie, not when I am Prince Taehyung and he is King Jeon Jungkook of the Jeon Kingdom. I am not a concubine anymore. He would never, ever love

Prince Taehyung back," his voice breaks, "I did not want to admit it because I am bare, I have nothing to my name anymore, not even respect, pride is all I have, pride is all I carry so why must I keep on saying I love him when he himself does not believe it?" He is shouting too,

his voice feels like its running raw, like it will bleed out any second but he knows if he does not say this now, he would never get to say it again because tonight, on the day he got married to the person he loves more than his life, to the person who will never love him back,

he decides it will be the last time he ever admits ever been in love. This was it. Because their lives were parallels. They were to go forward together, but never to meet in between. Taehyung betrayed him because the hyung who would give his life for him was going to get

kil!ed if he did not. And Jungkook? One thing Jungkook hates more than getting his kingdom taken away was being betrayed. Taehyung knows, because he loves him. To love someone, you need to know them, he does and he knows it was the end when he decided to leave that night.

He would not expect anything less from the King. But it hurts all the same. Jimin knows that as his own eyes shine in tears when he sees the way Taehyung breaks down in sobs and curls into himself. He goes to hug him, shushing him softly, "it is going to be okay.

Everything is going to be just fine, Tae." It was not. But tonight, the night of his wedding, a night he was supposed to be with his husband but is sobbing so hard, Taehyung will take it. Only for tonight. -

- "It is sad is it not? The King actually chose someone from the harem on their wedding night" "Serves the prince right." The whispers haunt him everywhere. Everywhere he goes so he has stopped going out of his room. Taehyung just sits on his window sill and stares outside,

stares at the acres of lands the Jeons has as gardens. Stares at strangers tend to them. He used to love gardening when he was back home but recently he liked to watch the things he love from far away, where he could not tend to them. It was for the better afterall.

-I need to go study for now, but I will be back to update again so see you, xoxo ko-fi.com/lockedkv