Eonjin

"Yes. I think that's a great proposal, Jungkook. We shouldn't have to decide on a definitive soldier count per castle...rather-" 

"Each castle should start with volunteers to meet the standard quota...then if needed we conscript," Florian cut Eonjin off. 

Jungkook watched the two around the circular table, nodding at their suggestions, "It sounds good to me...when shall we enact this new legislation?"

Eonjin tilted her head towards Florian, her cheeks puffed out in thought, "Well...the Stone Castle should have defense as their number one priority...you know, just in case of another northern attack..."

"Agreed," the Oak Prince moved around the map on the table, pointing to the castle they were holding the meeting in, "This new Stone Castle is terribly understaffed. Florian, you should enact this rule tomorrow...Eonjin a bit later, and myself..." the ravenette chewed the inside of his lip, "Well, I already have a good-sized and well-trained army...you can attest to that, Florian."

Florian's eyes lit up, nodding at the Oak Prince's statement, "Yes. Commander Park trained them so well I'm afraid the Laurel Castle won't be known for its victories anymore..." Florian winked at Eonjin and chuckled. 

"We'll see about that..." Eonjin chimed, nudging the brunette with her shoulder, pushing past him to stand by Jungkook, "Perhaps I'll have to ask Taehyung to stay with me for a little and help train my soldiers..."

Jungkook immediately tensed up at that, "No...firstly, he can't hear and I'm not letting him do any form of combat again. Secondly, no. I'm not letting him leave my side so he can train soldiers when he should be focusing on his own health...and..." the Oak Prince trailed off, as if he had more to say but didn't want to say it. 

"And you're afraid to lose him like Jimin?" Eonjin put it out there bluntly, watching as Florian's and Jungkook's lips flattened out into frowns. Perhaps her choice of wording could've been better...especially since the ravenette was still on shaky grounds whenever Jimin was brought up in any of their conversations. But...

"That's exactly it," Jungkook spoke back instantly, face expressing nothing but responsibility, "I'm not going to risk losing Taehyung after what happened, Eonjin. I almost lost him once...never again. You have to understand, you're his-"

"Sister...yes, Jungkook. I didn't really mean it when I said that, y'know..." Eonjin lightly put her hand on his shoulder before returning to Florian's side, where she felt more comfortable. 

The three rulers of Noirwood had grown amiably close during their first couple months of rule, holding regular meetings to discuss the state of the kingdom. It was something that the previous three rulers never did before, but Jungkook insisted on the close communications, telling Eonjin and Florian repeatedly that they would not make the same mistakes of the past. 

So...here she was, in the new Stone Castle, talking defenses with the other two.

Well, that was until she hit a sore spot with the Oak Prince. 

But Jungkook seemed to recover well, carrying on the discussion with the other two royal members until they had formulated the finishing touches of their plan. 

When the meeting had just about wrapped up, Florian lightly tapped her wrist twice. It wasn't noticeable to the Oak Prince, who had his back to them as he rolled up the map, tapping his foot and briefly glancing at his pocket watch. 

Probably counting down the minutes until he got to see Kim Taehyung. 

Eonjin smiled at the sight, happy that her brother had such a caring partner to take care of him. It was heartwarming to see how joyous the ravenette made the blonde male, even if Taehyung couldn't hear him speak. 

"Eonjin," suddenly a voice broke through her thoughts, "You coming?"

Florian gave her a glance that was becoming all-too-familiar to the blonde girl. His pushed his brown bangs out of his face as he waited for her response. 

"Yep," Eonjin chirped as her heels clicked against the stones of the floor after the Stone Prince. 

When the two were finally outside of the meeting room, Florian turned towards her excitedly.

"So...outside? Want to see the new statue going up in the back?"

Statue?

"Oh, um..." she gave him a small grin before she glanced over her shoulder. No one was in sight. She grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers, "Sure Florian, I'd love to."

Florian squeezed her smaller hand in his and the pair made their way to the front gates of the Stone Castle. Outside it was chilly, the sun setting in the west giving them just enough light to see where they were walking. The Stone Prince lead her down a gravel path towards a figure standing at the far end of several rose beds. 

In the dimness of dusk, she squinted her eyes, trying to make out the figure. However, she didn't really need to, knowing deep in her heart who the person was before they came into focus. 

"Wow..." once the pair was close enough to clearly view the massive structure, Eonjin was breathless. The accuracy of the masterpiece was terrifying. 

"I got the best artisans in Noirwood to sculpt it for me," Florian took the chance to wrap his arm around her shoulder as she peered up at the artwork in front of her, "Isn't he...beautiful?"

Beautiful was an understatement. 

Eonjin's eyes ran along the smooth gray stone of the replica of Park Jimin, tracing his every feature. The statue was quite simple; the late Stone Prince was standing on a pedestal, sword pointed high in the air. His crouched position reflected his dancer-like agility on the battle field. Wearing no armor, Jimin was dressed in his normal attire, with a few roses etched into his outfit. 

Jimin would've loved to see this. 

Carved into stone was not a cold or scary face, but a determined one. It was a look that screamed respect...Eonjin felt as if she could stare at it all day. Jimin's sharp eyes were glancing west towards the setting sun, his face painted in a nice splash of orange from the sunset. His jaw was set in a ready look, as if the man on the statue could jump off and start fighting at any time. Most importantly, his gray stone hair was dramatically pushed up on his head, as if the wind was blowing directly at him and tousling it. 

It was so grand...so...Park Jimin. 

Jimin looked healthy, powerful...how Noirwood should remember him. 

Before she knew it, tears of awe were rolling down Eonjin's cheeks.  Florian reacted quickly, reaching over and gently wiping them away with the back of his hand. The new Stone Prince glanced at the statue one last time before focusing all of his attention on the Laurel Princess. 

"Are you alright? I-"

"It's...perfect," she whispered between shaky breaths, clinging to Florian's hand tighter. 

The brunette pulled Eonjin into his chest for comfort, her eyes still glued to the masterpiece that sat in its respective place among a plethora of roses. Jimin's statue stared into the distance, his sword cutting through the sky. Eonjin thought he looked quite content. 

Florian rubbed her back softly as she calmed down. Eonjin enjoyed the warmth of his body next to hers against the cold evening air. Then, the Stone Prince said something to her. 

"The plaque is still being constructed so it's not out here yet...but," Florian sighed before running a hand over Eonjin's long blonde hair, "Do you want to know what it says?"

"Yes," without hesitation. 

Eonjin could feel Florian smiling into her hair. Comforted by his presence, she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him. He gently rocked them back and forth. 

"The plaque...it says..." Florian paused for a few seconds as he recalled the message word-for-word.

"Love is like a rose. The fullness of the petals will bring nothing but bliss to the bearer. Tend to the flower dutifully and keep an eye on the petals, lest they wilt and all that is left is a stem full of thorns."

Eonjin was taken aback. It was poetic and splendid in a way...but for...the plaque of Jimin?

"Why...why is-"

Florian pressed his lips into her hair to quiet her down. He spoke in a low, calming voice. 

"Apparently love was what killed Jimin...more than fighting did..." Eonjin felt as the boy's heart rate increased underneath her cheek, "Even though he seemed all tough and admirable to all the cold-blooded soldiers out there, his struggle was internal. Love was what killed him. He got the...the thorns in the end..."

Eonjin pursed her lips, still not quite understanding. Florian appeared to sense her remaining confusion, taking a deep breath before explaining more. 

"The message is meant to be hopeful, yet realistic...some people don't realize what they have until they lose it. For Jimin, escaping his fate was impossible given his DNA and condition at birth...but for normal people like us," Florian bent down, quickly pecking the side of Eonjin's cheek, "Love is something to hang on to...it's what makes us complete. We have to nurture it before it can help us...or destroy us"

Eonjin giggled at Florian's repeated pecking to her cheeks, understanding then why the message was so important. 

"So..." she reached up to squeeze his head in both of her hands, "Are you saying that we should hang on to what we have?"

Florian spoke through his squished face as the blonde girl played with his cheeks, "Yes, Eonjin...oh, thanks for the idea!"

Before she knew it, Florian was lifting her up bridal style, making to run away from the statue as if he had stolen an expensive piece of jewelry. 

"Hey! HEY! FLOR, PUT ME DOWN!" Eonjin was laughing hysterically as Florian nearly tripped in the dim lighting. 

"No way! I'm not letting go of what I have! I can't lose my love yet!" the words were out of his mouth before he could take them back. 

"L...L-love?" Eonjin squeaked, feeling her face heat up at the mention of it. 

The truth was, she had never fallen in love before. She'd always been working, too busy to even consider a relationship with anyone, let alone a prince.

Florian suddenly stopped in his tracks, panting lightly as he ingested what he had said. His shocked face turned into an embarrassed grimace after a few seconds. 

"Oh...um," Florian was at a loss for words as he held the blonde girl in his arms.

Eonjin took the chance to give him her answer. Maybe she hadn't been in love before and perhaps she was a little rough on the edges when it came to relationships...

But she knew a good person when she met them. 

And Florian was way above that to her. 

Even though they'd known each other for only a few months, the blonde girl shined whenever they were together. After meetings they would always spend hours together like this, talking about everything and nothing. The two hadn't shared more than pecks and hugs because both were too shy to do much else. 

However...

"Hey Florian," Eonjin bit her lip as she turned towards the man carrying her, eyes alight, "I don't want to lose my love either."

Then she pressed her lips onto his. 

Still holding her close, Florian's lips moved across hers with curiosity and relief. It was as if both had wanted the kiss  for so long, but never got the opportunity to do it. 

When they pulled out of the kiss, Florian set the Laurel Princess down gently on the grass and smiled brightly at her. 

"I...thank you, Eonjin," Florian wrapped her hand in his and they turned back to the Stone Castle, the statue of Jimin at their backs. 

The beautiful silence of an autumn night in Noirwood wrapped around the pair, but it wasn't awkward. Eonjin was beaming from the encounter the two had, and she felt refreshed. Alive. She finally felt energized and hopeful for the coming days of ruling. 

Perhaps love was more powerful than she first imagined. 

The new and improved Stone Castle grew in their vision as they approached it. Eonjin could very faintly make out a shining window on one of the upper floors, knowing that her brother must be in it with the Oak Prince. The thought made her smile. 

Soft grass sunk under their every footstep in the peaceful air as they sauntered to the castle, until suddenly Florian stopped in his tracks.

"What the-" the Stone Prince reached down under his foot, fingers wrapping around a tiny silver object. 

Eonjin leaned in for a closer look, "What is it?" 

In the dim light, it was hard to make out the details of the small object. Florian brought it up to his eye, trying to make out the fine details. 

"Oh. Oh wow!" Florian's teeth flashed in a large smile just as the sun swooped under the horizon in the west. 

Eonjin watched patiently as the new Stone Prince rubbed the object off on his shirt before placing it delicately on his finger. 

"It's a beautiful ring...with the Stone Banner on it! What a shame..." he sighed, yet at the same time he glowed with the satisfaction of finding a new piece of jewelry he happened to stumble over. 

"Jimin must have lost this sometime in the past..."

FIN.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE END.

DID ANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT LAST SCENE?

IF NOT, REREAD THE FIRST CHAPTER :)

Alright...now here comes a long message from me:

I, honestly...wow. I'm so happy to have finished such a heartwarming story not only for all the readers out there but for myself. It genuinely feels good to finish an idea that came to me in the middle of me doing my homework one day. I've spent hours writing and mulling over this story, crying and picturing myself in the princes' shoes...and I can't believe it's over! I was thinking of maybe writing up another chapter of my original ideas or the different ways I planned for the story to go...if anyone was interested? Otherwise I was thinking of maybe answering any questions any readers might have about the characters, plot, or writing process?

So if you have any questions, feel free to ask! I might answer them personally or make a new chapter for them in the future. 

Finally the good part: So...I want to thank all the readers out there who have made it this far with this crazy-ass story and all of its ups-and-downs. The ones who have stuck it out 'til the end, kudos to you! I know a lot of readers are still mad with me for killing Jimin off, but I'm not one for perfect fairy-tale endings...I'd rather have a more memorable ending that speaks different volumes about the message I want to deliver. 

The message of this one was obviously love. Don't be someone you're not. Please! Love yourself and love others passionately. Don't take that stuff for granted, because it could be taken from you at any moment. 

Okay, sorry. I'll stop my lecture. Thank you to all my readers who have finished The Three Bannermen | Vminkook...it meant so much to me to see all of the views, comments, and upvotes for my first story. :)

With love, 

IZZY 

Oh and btw I'm working on another story so...stay tuned!

EDIT 1/17/20-- book 2 is out!! It is called Under Noirwood and it is one hell of a ride. ;)



BEAUTIFUL FAN ART SENT TO ME FROM A STONE PRINCE FAN ;(

2023 Update: check out my website!! Link in bio ♡