Mark

The throne room was huge, its big space making the group of bandits seem not so large. Endless pieces of decoration that cost more than a lifetime of food in the village. So valuable I would be terrified to touch it. The King leaned back after his sentence, shoulders falling as if it had taken all of his strength to say such a simple thing. Or as if he had just solved all the problems in the world and his job as leader was finished. I caught myself before I could let out a grunt, still having the roots in my brain to respect him.

"You're a sick piece of shit!" Jb spat out, walking confidently towards his father. The two guards moved quickly, blocking the way. Jb reached for his belt and if a swift movement pulled out his blade. Lunging, it crashed with another and Jb stood face to face with one of the royal guards,"Do you have any idea what I had to do after you kicked me out? To survive?" Even though he was speaking to his father, Jb had his eyes fixed on his opponent, narrowed, ready to start a fight.

"Jaebum why don't me have a little chat? No need for fighting." The King's son was not in the mind set to just 'talk'. Anyone could tell he had been hurt by the man in front of him, and spent years suffering because of it, spent years hating his father for it. Jb shook his head stubbornly and I could almost see the lost childhood seeping in,"I was only seven. I didn't understand what I had done." I found myself looking away from the scene as someone moved beside me. I turned to see Taehyung pushing his way in front. Jb's all to eager follower. He leaned forward in anticipation at the argument happening in front of him. Almost all the bandits stood completely still, shocked at their leaders behavior. It wasn't the anger that shock them, it was the emotion behind it. The only emotion any bandit had seen from their leader was anger. But this was different. The anger was fueled by sadness, and possible yearning for a father who hadn't ruined his life.

  "Leaders have to make sacrifices Jaebum, to show that they are meant to lead. You were my sacrifice." With a furious grunt Jb stepped away from the guard,"You think I was just a sacrifice, what would you sacrifice me for? I had done nothing wrong!" Now the King had had enough, he pushed of the hand rests on his throne hands making a loud thud as his knuckles slammed into the sides,"Im Jaebum you did everything wrong!" The King sighed,"I didn't expect you to learn so quickly, advance like that in your training. You were so young, emotions and training just clicked to instinct. I couldn't have the village know my son was a murder, a hazard to the kingdom I am suppose to protect. So I got rid of you, but joining the bandits? That's a new low son, becoming a true murder."

  Jb scoffed, slight laugh behind the sound,"You call me a murder? Why don't you tell-" His blade sliced through the air, pointing at all the bandits in the room as he spoke,"-all these people about how you found their home, and decided to burn it, killing family and friends, breaking them after that had been broken their entire lives. Who looks like the bad guy now?" In return to the question Jb's father took steps as he spoke, anger deepening every syllable,"You want to pretend you are doing this for them?" He shot us all a glare,"Your little bandits who think their leader knows what's best for them? Well, do they know that I didn't burn down the village? I know who did. It was you."

Multiple gasps echoed over the bandits, even my own jaw found itself falling. But I couldn't believe Jb had killed his own followers, what would he have gotten out of it? What pro was their to burning down your home? To see the ashes burn down on the camp you had spent years building. Besides, I can't agree with the King, no matter how much I hate Jb, I hate the King more. All of our heads turned to Jb, waiting for some sort of explanation, for him to tell the King it wasn't him. But Jb stood their expressionless, no anger filled defense, no denying, nothing. Taehyung looked around beside me, as if searching for some stability after his own had been taken from him,"Jb!" Taehyung boldly called out to his leader, voice hesitant when his idol turned to look at him,"You couldn't have killed them. Tell him you didn't kill them." The hope in Taehyung's eyes shined against the moonlight coming through glass panes.

  Jb stared at the one boy he trained, who looked up to him, and turned away without a word. The King just laughed,"Look at you son, trying to blame me for your people's deaths so they will fight with you, because you didn't have a good enough reason to kill me in the first place." Jb stomped his foot on the ground, reminding me of a stubborn child who didn't get the candy they wanted,"I have a good reason! You kicked me out for simply being a child, and I swore to myself I would kill you for it. If I had to kill bandits to get where I am, then fine! All that matters is I'm here now." Taehyung moved back, hands dropping to his side,"You burned my house down. The person I trusted, you killed my friends! All to get me to help you kill your father? For this stupid reason-"

"It is not a stupid reason!" Jb screamed, and I would be surprised if someone in the castle was still asleep,"He ruined my life, sent me off for death just to seem powerful." Jb's speech voice was back, the voice he used when he would stand in front of the crowd of bandits and convince them murdering villagers was okay,"He is not fit to rule! Can't you agree with that?" To my surprise some people nodded, Jb still having power over his people. Bandits in shock that their leader would betray them, they would truly believe anything in their broken state.

This still seemed to not make sense. Jb comes to the castle to talk with his father, the king, who kicked him out when he was a child. Jb accuses the King, his father, of burning down his bandit camp for no reason. Then the king, Jb's father, tells Jb that he burned down his own camp, and Jb doesn't deny it. Instead he talks about his life mission to kill the King.....HIS FATHER, and that if killing bandits was what got him here it was worth it. I think I need to sit down and process this information. But wait, if this is some long time thing going on between them, why am I, the newest bandit Jb has, here? And what does it have to do with the bet?

Jb's voice bounced from the walls, hands moving to emphasize his points,"If a leader, can't lead anymore, then we'll just have to replace them! Doesn't that make sense?" His use of questions slowly got bandits looking around, seeing if anyone would agree or disagree. Jb was making them confused, and then he would win them over by making them think he knew the answer when all he knew was his own selfish desires,"Isn't it time a new leader showed everyone how this is suppose to run? No more rages, no more exile. This guy can't give that to you,

  "but I can."

Jb's face lit up with a smirk, he had every bandit where he wanted them. Hitting their hearts with past pain, being abandoned, and then offering them life long shelter. It was the perfect plan, but there was still one pawn left. The King. "Though," He started, his tone telling me I was right about his next move, "what's the point in a new leader if the old one still exist?" He paused, giving the bandits a few seconds to consider everything leading up until now. But not enough time to have them come to the right conclusion. Taehyung butted his way into the one sided conversation,"But that's not how it works, they have to be given the throne, they can't take it."

  A small laugh, almost sincere, escaped Jb's lips,"Rules aren't stronger than steel, they can bend, further than people think." Taehyung tilted his head, puzzled by his leaders words. Jb sighed,"It doesn't count if I'm not the one taking it." The sentence only confused everyone more. What did he mean? Didn't Jb come all this way to kill his father because of revenge? And now he says he won't.

  "This is where every piece of the puzzle fits." Jb folded his hands together in a small demonstration,"Because two weeks ago someone made a bet. They would do anything in exchange for the freedom they oh so desire. For them self and lover." He looked up from his hands to lock his eyes onto mine, my hand instinctively fell to my weapon,"Mark, here's where I tell you what exactly you have to do." Gesturing for me to come towards him, I hesitated, knowing that I had in fact made a bet that I had to honor, and remembering Youngjae screaming in my ear that I was an idiot. I was an idiot, and he was right. I walked forward, moving until I was directly in front of him,"It's quite simple actually." Jb pretended to smile sweetly.

"In order to win the bet, all you have to do, is kill the king."

  Then it made sense. Why Jb had forced Jinyoung not to run into the house and help me before I killed that man. It was so he would have a reason to make the first bet. And when he falsely accused Jinyoung of being a traitor, after starting the fire in the first place, it was because he wanted me to make a second bet so he could use it right now. He had been planning this moment from the very beginning, and he knew exactly how it would play out.

Even after all that had happened to me, all the training and the rage and the preparation for this moment, I still found myself shocked at his request,"What?" Jb rolled his eyes, bringing his hand to my side at lightening speed he grabbed my dagger placing it against my hand and pointing it towards his father,"Kill the king and you win the bet," He leaned into my ear,"you and Jinyoung will be free."

  Free. Free from what? After the King dies, and Jb takes his place, what freedom will there be? He will only take more control over everything. Sure there will be no barrier between bandits and the village, or the village and the castle. But would that really be a good thing? Would the village welcome bandits with open arms after shunning them and being victims of rages? Jb thought he was doing the right thing. Giving people like him hope of this world where everyone lives in harmony. No such world exists. He was giving hope just to have it snatched away. He was giving Jinyoung and I the same freedom everyone else was getting, none at all. He was playing a game with us. But I'm not an idiot,"I-I won't."

  Jb took a step back, shoulder jerking as if I had thrown a punch,"Why not?" Not part of your plan was it? I unconsciously stood a bit taller, tilted my chin up a bit further, and pulled my dagger from his grasp,"I'm not a murder, and I won't become one for you." Jb scoffed, his train of thought practically circling around him as he tried to think of a back up plan, "You'll sacrifice Jinyoung's freedom for him?" Typical. Jb resorted to trying to hurt me, make me think I'm the bad person for my decision, that I was hurting someone I love. I love. Shaking off the sudden thought I gave Jb his fake smile back,"Don't act so surprised Jb, did you really think I would kill someone for you? Plan not working so well huh?"

  Taking in a deep breath Jb got into an offensive battle stance, eyes narrowed with fury,"Fine then, you both can die."

———————

Sooooo.....it's been two weeks

OKAY GUYS I WAS SUPER BUSY I HAD LITERALLY NO TIME TO WRITE

I Love you all and sincerely apologize, but from now on I will be on my regular schedule. And the good news is it cured my writers block! Btw I'll soon be sharing my new books description so anticipate that! (And some short stories on the way in my one shot book)

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I am still open for one shot ideas, give me some cause I need them. Currently working on someone's request right now but don't be afraid to comment requests and scenes!

  Btw anyone in band? If so, you probs understand my schedule struggle XD

Shits going down amiright^^^^

  RQ(random question): what was your First fandom?

Mine was banana bus crew a.k.a Vanoss gamings crew

Man guys I missed you <3