There was silence in the courtroom as Taehyung was forced to his knees in front of the throne. 

Jin sat on the throne, staring at his brother with wide eyes. Neither of them knew what to do. And honestly, Jin was struck dumb with the information being called out for all to hear. 

He had not a clue about how someone had found out. It was one of the most closely guarded secrets of their kingdom, only four people knew in all of the world. Well, probably five, because Taehyung had probably told Jungkook by this point. 

But now the whole court knew, and soon, the whole kingdom. And then...the whole world. 

How had it come to this? How had someone found out?

Thoughts were racing through Jin’s head, panic rising as well. He’d never wanted to be king, he’d never wanted to sit on this throne, but with the revelation of this secret, it was looking like he would have to sit on the throne and kill his brother. 

For by the reactions of the men and women around him...they’d want him to be trialed for treason. And treason was punishable by death. 

Jin didn’t want to do that. He couldn’t. Taehyung was his brother, and even if they didn’t share the same father, they were brothers in every other aspect. 

But here his brother was, kneeling at his feet, three royal guards holding him down as he glared at the man standing beside Jin.

Hanuel. 

Who was smirking and smiling like he’d found the most precious gem in the world. 

Jin felt his hands clench into fists as he too, turned to the man standing beside him. When the man who was spewing off crimes that Taehyung had committed, the man stepped forward, standing straight. 

“Ladies and gentlemen of the court, I present to you, your rightful king, Kim Seokjin.” Jin was about to stand and give the man a piece of his mind, when a gentle hand found its way to his. He turned, his eyes softening at the sight of his wife, Kim Hana. She shook her head gently, signaling for him to sit. 

Their son, Kim Desung was sitting at her feet, playing with the hem of her skirts. “Now is not the time.” The woman whispered to Jin once he’d leaned closer to her. Jin didn’t want to wait until whenever the time was right, but he nodded, listening to his love. 

He turned back to the court, listening as Hanuel began to give a long speech to his people. 

“This man has sat on your throne for so long, changing your laws, enacting taxes, declaring wars. Good men have died fighting wars for a man who didn’t even have a right to send off your sons, your brothers, your fathers, your friends…”

Taehyung grit his jaw, shouldering off the grip of the royal guards and standing. “I have done nothing but lead this country with the best intentions for the past six years!” Taehyung declared. “When have I ever declared war when it was not needed? When have I ever treated lives as if it were nothing? When have I ever enacted a cruel tax, taking from the poor, the rich? When have I ever changed a law that did not benefit the people! I took an oath, the same oath every ancestor of mine has taken before me, and I vowed to protect the people, serve them and make decisions in their best interest. And have I failed to do that yet? And yet you shame me because some old man suddenly claims I have no blood ties to the Kim family? I AM A KIM!”

Silence was the only thing he was met with throughout the court. Then, whispers. 

Taehyung was forced to his knees once more, told to be silent. 

“Taehyung Of Daegu, you are hereby placed under the custody of Daegu.” Hanuel declared, forgoing any titles, any respect for the man. “You will be placed into a cell until your trial, in which you will be tried for treason of the highest degree, punishable by hanging.”

Gasps went through the room. 

No man had been tried for treason in over a hundred years. 

Yet now the king of Daegu was going to be tried? It was almost unheard of, something that didn’t sit well with the people of the court. But the man had said that Taehyung was a bastard. He had been falsely sitting on the throne and should be punished for it, right?

But a few stood forward, voicing their complaints. 

“He is our king!”

“We have never had a traditional monarchy, the first born sons are not always kings!”

“It does not matter, he has been a good king since he took the throne!”

But the arguments were all quickly hushed. Hanuel flicked his hand and Taehyung was dragged from the room before he could voice out his argument once again. 

Jin was left stunned by the proceedings, unable to process what had happened. 

Why everything was falling apart.