Namjoon focus

The sight of the main gate of Daejeon palace was a sight to behold. The reports had not been lying about the heads decorating the lantern sticks. When they were close enough, Namjoon could see the rusty sprinkle on the dusty street below and smell the faint rotten stench of death. The cold had conserved the heads well, but it was not enough to stop them from withering. No wonder, no one was walking on this street. It was disgusting.

"YOU ARE?" a soldier in full armor shouted from the balustrade of the huge gate, looking down upon their small convoy.

Namjoon was fuming. Who dared to speak from above with a king? How arrogant were those soldiers to disrespect him like this?

"I am Kim Namjoon of Silla and I came to see Hwon Hye," he replied with barely repressed irritation in his voice.

Silence was his answer and he looked up again only to find the balustrade empty. "What kind of etiquette is this?" he asked Yoongi who was sitting on the horse next to him.

"What have you been expecting?" his friend replied lazily, his words forming small clouds in front of his mouth.

"Some curtesy has never hurt anyone," Namjoon growled.

"They must be stupid to greet someone who wants to end them," the advisor noted.

"How would they know I came for that? I could as well come to greet the new king," Namjoon retorted.

The shorthaired gave him a risen eyebrow for an answer, and Namjoon had to admit that this idea sounded stupid. Jungkook knew how he did things and that he could never tolerate a reign like this. The palace of Daejeon most likely had a good idea of what they came for.

The gate opened and allowed a soldier to slip through the small gap. It was the one who had spoken from above. "Emperor Kim, excuse the rudeness. We have to be cautious in these times," he apologized with a bow. Namjoon felt slightly appeased by the gesture. So, they were not total brutes.

When the soldier lifted his head, his eyes seemed to look at Namjoon with interest and a hint of veneration. But Namjoon must be imagining that.

"Pleased to meet you, officer San," Yoongi said next to him, catching the attention of the man who had greeted them.

The officer seemed confused for a moment. "I will inform our leader of your arrival," he then excused himself and the huge palace doors fell close again.

"How do you know his name?" Namjoon wanted to know.

"I guessed," his friend replied bored.

Namjoon nodded slowly. He could not quite believe that someone could guess this accurately, but his advisor had no reason to lie to him. Now that he thought about it, there were not many names to choose from. Woo, Heo, San, and Ahn were the names of the four officers who had rebelled.

Officer San took his time. Namjoon huffed annoyed. "Who lets their guests wait outside the walls?" he murmured toward Yoongi.

The few pedestrians who were not scared of coming here were looking at them strangely while they stood in front of the gate like children who had been told off. It was embarrassing.

"Someone who had numerous assassins sent after his head," was the reply of his comrade, accompanied by a gesture at the heads that swung in the sharp wind above them.

Namjoon felt himself growing pitiful at the explanation although he did not want to. He must not feel sorry for Jungkook after what the man had done. Yes, he brought peace to the south, but it was a rotten and bloody peace which Namjoon was not willing to uphold. It was a peace bought with the lives of innocent people, and it would cause innocent people harm if it continued like this.

He had to be hard against this man and his crimes.

The gates opened, this time wide enough to allow they convoy to pass through.

"Please dismount your horses," the same soldier from before asked of them. He must be a fit one to cross the distance to the palace and back without becoming short of breath.

Namjoon wanted to exchange a look with Yoongi, but his friend had already jumped down. So, they should obey. The premise seemed to do whatever would get them inside. He dismounted his horse as well and handed the reigns to a servant who took care of their ride.

"He is waiting for you in the throne hall," they were informed, and the man gestured them to follow.

The palace was not much different from the one in Daegu, but it was bigger. More side buildings for concubines and consorts, bigger buildings to fit more people. The Baekje rulers seemed to appreciate the female beauty. Namjoon snorted at the thought. They should have spent their time with cultivating the sword and disciplining their sons instead of resting in their bedchambers and bedding women left and right. Maybe then this chaos could have been avoided.

"Only one," the officer said once they had reached the hall which was also bigger than Daegu's throne hall.

"Excuse me?" Namjoon asked confused. Was it not common to welcome the whole convoy?

"He will receive only one," the San soldier clarified. "As a matter of precaution, we limit the number of swordsmen in one room." He smiled a little amused at advisor Min, before he fixed his eyes to Namjoon again. "I am to transfer the message, that he would prefer to fight with master Min."

Namjoon did not know whether he should feel attacked or amused. So, Jungkook would prefer to meet an advisor over meeting the king. But then again, Namjoon knew that the assassin had always liked to know he was the best in the room and that he had never gotten the chance to fight against Yoongi. It was quite a childish thing to ask for in such a situation.

His friend looked at him, asking with his eyes whether he should go.

It was a tempting thought to send the other. Namjoon was not at all sure of his victory. In a direct confrontation he had seen Jungkook defeating master Park who had been considered one of the best swordsmen in Silla.

Still, he shook his head. If this should end, it would have to end by his hand and not by some assistant's. He wanted to confront the assassin with what he had done and wanted to see in his eyes whether he regretted it or not. Prepared with the knowledge about the Heo technique from his days with the sword master and his advisor's tricks and feints he might be able to win this.

He stepped closer to his friend. "If I do not come back," he whispered, "help Taehyung to take care of the south."

The black eyes looked up at him with concern. "Don't you dare not come back," the smaller growled. "If everything fails, you run. Do you understand me?"

Namjoon nodded. In war, there was no place for a false sense of pride. If saving your life was the better choice in the grand picture, then you saved your life.

He turned to climb the steps to the throne hall by himself. His heart was galloping.

Stepping from the cloudy but bright outside into the dark throne hall, he needed some time to adjust his eyes. Then more and more details became clear. The throne with the figure slouched over it, the man next to the throne in the armor of a soldier, probably another officer, the red pillars that showed traces of a fight, and emptiness. There was no table or chair or cushion, only the throne. The minimalism of soldiers.

Against Namjoon's expectation, Jungkook wore his simple black clothes and not some expensive robes of a king. His twin blades were fastened at his waist. He still looked like the man Namjoon had known, just his face looked nothing like it. This was not the sweet smile of big teeth and the wrinkle on top of his nose which Taehyung spoke about at every occasion. This was the face of someone who was twisted and cruel.

"Look, officer Woo, look who has come to die," Jungkook said with a dark smile to the man at his side. "I've been wondering how long it would take for the righteous ruler of Silla to come and fight for the people."

Namjoon growled at the belittling but remained quiet. He looked for possible traps but could not find any.

"Isn't it funny?" Jungkook asked. The sinister smile was never leaving his face and Namjoon wondered how this man had been able to hide his true nature for so long. "Back then I received an order to end your life. I did it for the money and the thrill. Now you received an order to be killed by me, so that I can take your throne."

What kind of word twisting was this? Was Jungkook already so far gone that he would bend the truth into whatever he pleased? Or had the ministers lied to Namjoon and come to Daegu to lure him here for his own death? He closed his hand around the haft of his sword.

"Since you offer me your head so willingly, who am I do deny it?" Jungkook said like he was speaking to himself and rose from his seat to walk down the stairs.

Namjoon took a step back.

"Don't worry. I'll take good care of Yusin," the demon said with a crooked smile before he pulled out the two daggers at his waist and lunged forward.

Namjoon saw red. This was no longer about saving this kingdom, this had become a personal threat. He would never allow a child murderer to touch his son or his throne. The only thing this man would receive from him was a stab through his heart.

The fight had begun. Although Jungkook only had his two short blades, he was in no way inferior to Namjoon's sword technique.

"Maybe I can make Taehyung my concubine," the bastard said with a dark look. Even Namjoon's blows could not wipe that smile off his face. "He seems to like being taken by men."

"Shut your disgusting mouth!" Namjoon hissed. To think that this man had touched his brother, had been around him for years, had slept in the same bed. He felt bile rise in his throat.

Their blades were flying. There was nothing conscious about their dance, it was pure instinct and hate.

"The first prince seems a nice choice as well," Jungkook did not stop putting these awful pictured into his head. "Even better, for he can't defend himself. All he can do is beg for mercy when I mount him."

Namjoon was roaring by now so that he would not have to hear those disgusting words. He should have listened to master Heo and sent this trash back into the mountains to be confined forever. An infant that had been told such a future could not have a good soul. He must be the bastard of a demon.

A metal clatter made both of them halt in motion. Even Jungkook seemed surprised when he found one of his hands empty. His dagger was lying at the other end of the hall. And Namjoon realized that he could win. Jungkook was not invincible.

With rising hope, he wielded his sword anew, satisfied to see that the smile had left the bastard's face and was replaced with furrowed brows. Not so confident, are we now? he thought.

"Do you feel good for having an advantage?" Jungkook sneered at him while he tried to avoid Namjoon's sword with only one short dagger.

"You chose your weapon, I chose mine. Do not blame me for creating your own disadvantage," he replied, his mind calmer than before and his attacks less vigorous but more severe.

That made Jungkook snort before his attacks seemed to increase in speed and strength. Had Namjoon not been so repelled by this man, he would have been impressed by his skill. To stand against a sword with a dagger was nothing a normal man could do.

But just as he thought that, something strange happened. For the blink of an eye, Jungkook's chest was completely unguarded and in the next moment Namjoon saw how his sword pierced right through it.

Surprised he looked up at Jungkook's face. The man was smiling. Not the devious smile he had displayed the whole time. He looked happy, loving.

Namjoon turned his head to where the younger looked. There was a child.

"Royal uncle?" the boy asked and looked at them interested.

A hand grabbed Namjoon wrist and made his head snap around. Blood was running down from the corner of Jungkook's mouth, but he was still smiling. "Take care of my nephew, will you?" he asked, breath rattling.

Namjoon looked back at the child. This was impossible. The prince had been poisoned.

He looked back at Jungkook with wide eyes.

"One must be the bad, for the other to be the good," the man said weakly, but the soft smile would not leave his trembling lips. His eyes fell close as if he was exhausted. "Don't let Taehyung cry. I'm not worth his tears," he breathed out quietly. Then Namjoon felt how the weight of his sword increased when Jungkook's legs gave in.

He stared in shock when the body hit the ground, slipping of his crimson blade.

What had happened here? Why was the child alive? What did Jungkook mean by that?

"Royal uncle?" the little prince asked from behind Namjoon, causing him to turn around and hide the corpse with his frame.

The boy held a small wooden sword and looked up at him curiously. "Who is this master? Are you a friend of royal uncle?" he wanted to know, apparently unaware of what had just happened.

Namjoon looked back at the dead assassin and then at officer Woo who had stood guard but had not moved a muscle when he had killed his leader. The man smiled at him softly, bowed, and went to leave the hall.

Namjoon turned towards the child, shaken and confused by what he was encountering.

The prince was still looking at him questioningly. "Yes, yes I am," he answered the question. "Royal uncle wants to sleep. Let him be for now," he said then and held out a hand for the child to take.

The little prince accepted with a side-glance at his uncle.

Namjoon brushed his hand over the boy's head to force his eyes away from the lifeless body. Then he softly pulled him towards the door.

"Are you uncle Jimin?" the child asked him, apparently buying the lie about Jungkook.

"No," Namjoon breathed out while his mind was running. What had he seen just now? What had been real? What had been an act? Had it all been an act? The heads as lanterns, the poisoned prince, the killed ministers. Had it all been a show?

"Uncle Taehyung, then?" the child asked and pulled at his hand.

"No, I am uncle Namjoon," he replied, finally looking at the boy. He could not be older than six.

"Oh, uncle Jeon spoke about you," the little prince said with big reverent eyes.

"Did he?" Namjoon asked still breathless, trying to understand what was going on and why he was holding his enemy's supposedly dead son on one hand.

The boy nodded serious. "He says you are like a Buddha."

"I am?" Namjoon could not quite believe that. Why would Jungkook praise him like this?

But the child nodded like his uncle's words were the only truth.

"Did he also tell you about my son?" Namjoon wanted to know, forcing his erratic breathing to slow down.

"No? Do Buddhas have sons?" the boy asked curious.

Namjoon chuckled sadly. "I do not know about others, but I do have a son. He is around your age. A little younger maybe."

"Oh?" the boy seemed intrigued.

"Would you like to meet him?"

"Yes! Then we can fight," the boy said happily and waved his wooden sword.

"I am sure he would like that," Namjoon agreed and they stepped out into the cold.

"Your majesty?" Yoongi asked while he came running up the stairs. He looked nervous but when he saw Namjoon's state and the child, his look changed to shocked. "What...?"

Namjoon ignored him and let his gaze wander over the quiet yard instead. It had begun to snow. Big white flakes got caught in the hair of people around him and, in the silence of the empty palace, made soft crisp sounds when they hit the floor. The first snow of this winter had arrived.

"Why is uncle Namjoon crying?" the child asked him concerned.

Because he had killed a good man for the sake of peace. Because his hate had blinded him, so that he had not seen that Jungkook was only pretending. One had to be bad, for the other to be good. The man had started this journey of peace, fully aware of the fact that it had to end with his death. He had become the epitome of despicable, so that Namjoon could be the light of righteousness.

He brushed away the wet on his cheeks, but it was to no avail. New tears would replace the old ones. "I got some dirt in my eyes when I came here," he rasped and tried to smile at the boy.

"Oh, that is no good," the child said. "You should wash your face and hands. Nana always makes me wash my face and hands when I get something in my eyes."

"Where is your nana?" Namjoon asked quietly. He felt like someone was draining all the life from his body, creating a huge hole in his chest.

"She said she has to visit her family, but she will come back afterward," the little prince explained factually.

"I see. Would you like to accompany me until she comes back?" Namjoon asked.

"Where do we go?" the prince asked curious.

"To visit uncle Jimin and uncle Taehyung," Namjoon told him and continued to walk down the stairs and across the yard. He did not feel like staying at the palace. Yoongi would take care of everything.

"Oh! Yes, I want to meet them. Royal uncle said that uncle Jimin is very short and uncle Taehyung talks to radishes and..."

The little prince did not stop talking and Namjoon let him, waiting for his tears to dry and the joyful babbling to fill his chest with warmth. He would protect this boy with all he had. That was the least he could do to make up for his betrayal toward the man who had never broken his oath of loyalty.

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