Eonjin

"What...what do you mean...I don't understand..."

The blonde girl working the front desk at the inn was at a loss for words. A messenger had burst through the door seconds ago with an "urgent message from the Oak Prince."

What would the Oak Prince want with her? 

"I mean, I have an important message from the Oak Prince, if you'll care to listen," the messenger's eyes flitted back and forth...which to Eonjin wasn't a good sign of anything. She knew there had been a large battle in the south a few days ago...maybe this meant...

Was her brother okay? 

"I'll listen. Yes, follow me. Any customers that come here will just have to wait."

The blonde girl led the messenger into the interior of the inn to her personal quarters, nerves bustling around in her stomach. It reminded her of when she led Jimin into her room a while back, for his makeover. An image of the gray-haired male in one of her white dresses flooded into her mind, bringing a small smile onto her lips. 

Had Jimin told Prince Kim about her?

"You can take a seat," Eonjin motioned to the armchair in her room, sitting politely on the edge of her bed. Her foot bounced repetitively back and forth as she watched the man's face grow uncomfortable. 

"Well..." the messenger sighed and bowed his head, "You must have heard about the battle that took place two days ago, yes?"

Eonjin nodded, twirling her fingers around anxiously. The air suddenly seemed a bit too stuffy. 

"During that battle, many great people were lost...One of them," the servant paused, adjusting his collar. 

"One of them was the Stone Prince."

A small wave of sadness passed through Eonjin. She nodded her head solemnly. She didn't know the Stone Prince, but losing one of the three princes of Noirwood was a bit deal. She responded politely, still not sure why the man was telling her this. 

"Oh...that's...that's horrible."

The messenger gave her a strange look, as if she hadn't reacted the way he'd expected. After a few seconds, something passed over his face, and he rubbed his forehead in exasperation. 

"You...you know that the Stone Prince is Park Jimin, right?"

Park...Jimin?

Jimin?!

The Jimin who she had dressed up...was the Stone Prince?! 

Eonjin's face fell, her hands tangling their way into her blonde locks. Her lips began to quiver as she spoke softly, eyes tearing up. 

"J-Jimin? He...he was so nice...I," A tear slipped out of Eonjin's eye, "No wonder he had connections to my brother...I didn't know he was the Stone Prince..."

Then she broke down sobbing. The messenger awkwardly walked to her side, placing a comforting hand on her upper back. 

Why did Jimin have to die? She missed him, wanted to see that nice man again...

"Why...Jimin," she mumbled as she struggled to breathe steadily. Her hands shook in their loose grasp and the messenger cleared his throat. 

"I'm deeply sorry, Eonjin...I'm also here to let you know that the Oak Prince will come to pay his respects and meet you officially, not just as a guest at the inn like last time he was here. He told me to tell you that the Stone Prince is sorry...and that you are..." the messenger bit his lip. 

Eonjin noticed his hesitancy and looked up. A stray tear slid down her cheek as she opened her mouth to ask. 

"I'm...?"

"You are the next heir to the Laurel Throne."

Eonjin's gaped, not fully comprehending what he had told her. 

"WHAT?"

"Kim Eonjin," the servant knelt down, raising his head to meet the girl's frightened eyes, "I'm here to officially declare you Laurel Princess...the induction ceremony will be in a few days."

Eonjin blinked, not understanding. 

"A-are...are you saying my brother's dead...t-too?" Eonjin's face twisted into a horrified expression, "It- it can't be, he CAN'T BE DEAD TOO-"

"No," the messenger reassured her, putting his hand on her shoulder, "He survived the battle...It's just..."

"He's not fit to rule anymore..." 

Eonjin's sighed in relief, but felt a pang of worry in her gut at the messenger's choice of words. 

Not...fit to rule?

"What do you mean not fit to rule?"

The messenger looked at her, then at the ground. 

"I think you'll see what I mean when both princes come up to visit."

Laurel Prince

Silence. 

Silence...

Everything was dark for the Laurel Prince. The blonde opened his eyes, met with a very dim light. As his eyes adjusted to the room, his head pounded with fervor. 

Was he inside? Where was-

Then Taehyung noticed the white walls of a room that he was very familiar with. The infirmary...of the Oak Castle. 

He blinked a few times, drowsy from something in his system. Was he drugged?

His lazy eyes fell to his body. His entire body was wrapped up in thick bandages, to the point where he couldn't move. It was as if he had broken every bone in his body. He winced as he shifted to sit up, letting out a small noise of pain. Well, at least he thought he made a noise. He could feel the vibration in his throat...but he couldn't hear hardly anything. 

Then, ever so quietly...another muffled voice entered his consciousness. 

"T a e h y u n g!"

Was that...

Jungkook?

"JUNGKOOK!" Taehyung screamed...or, he thought he was screaming...he couldn't tell. 

His blonde head turned slowly, painfully, to look for the ravenette. In the dim light, he could barely see around him, but he thought he just saw...

Black hair!

Suddenly, a figure walked up to him, gracious tears streaming down his face. Taehyung blinked a few times at the person. The Oak Prince looked...different. There was a bandage on Jungkook's arm, his face had a few cuts on it; the man's eyes looked lost, his cheeks were hollowed. 

As if he hadn't slept or eaten. 

Jungkook's hand came up to rest on the Laurel Prince's cheek. Taehyung knew that something had happened that was terrible...but there were hazy spots in his memory that he couldn't recall. 

All he remembered was falling...and hitting the ground while on top of someone...

Who was it? How long had he been out? Who...who was missing? Jimin...

Where was Jimin?

Taehyung opened his mouth to speak, but closed his mouth when he realized nothing was coming out. Or was it? The Oak Prince was looking at him with a confused expression. 

"I...Jimin...why can't I hear...c-can you hear me Jungkook??"

The ravenette nodded, opening his mouth. Taehyung couldn't hear Jungkook's words, but he knew that the other said yes. Why couldn't he hear? 

Oh no. 

No...no...

"No," Taehyung tried to say, holding his bandaged hand up to his throat. He could feel the vibration, but all he heard was a muffled sound.

Jungkook bit his lip before leaning in and pressing a kiss to the elder's cheek. He seemed to understand something as the blonde frowned, mouth opening in disbelief. The ravenette's mouth moved as he leaned back, watching Taehyung's face closely. 

What was the younger saying?

"J-Jungkook? I-I can't..." He took in a shaky breath, "I can't hear you...I can't hear anything."

The ravenette's eyes widened. Taehyung's lips were trembling as he thought about what this meant. What did this mean? His brain was too jostled to think straight. For now he would focus on regaining the missing pieces of his memory. 

More tears fell out of Jungkook's eyes, but he nodded nonetheless, as if accepting it. Although Taehyung didn't remember how he ended up in that bed, he knew that it was by some miracle. Jungkook was just happy that the blonde was alive...if Taehyung was deaf-

The ravenette would have to accept it. 

"Is...is Jimin okay? W-where is he?" Taehyung raised his eyes to meet the other's, frowning when Jungkook's face stilled. It was as if the mention of the Stone Prince's name pushed him over an invisible barrier that the other did not want to cross. Jungkook's head fell to his chest. 

Why couldn't Taehyung remember? Did...something happen?

Taehyung glanced up, waiting for the other prince to say something. The Laurel Prince watched the other's lips, hoping to read them when Jungkook decided to speak. 

"Jimin..." the ravenette's eyes welled up, tears falling onto the infirmary bed. 

This couldn't be good...Taehyung waited for the other male to continue. 

"He's...gone."

The Laurel Prince blinked a few times, unsure if he registered that right. Gone? Gone as in...he left? Or...

No, it couldn't be...but why would Jungkook be crying so hard? 

"G-gone?" Taehyung tilted his head in confusion, "Gone? What...I...I don't remember anything, Jungkook...what happened?" he saw as Jungkook shook his head solemnly, biting his lip until blood leaked out. Taehyung's skin went cold as the Oak Prince pantomimed something for him to explain. 

Jungkook's hands went out in front of him as if he was holding a sword...he then mimed the sword going into his chest, crying the entire time. Taehyung watched in horror, in denial by what the Oak Prince was suggesting. His eyes starting tearing up. 

"No...Jungkook...don't tell me-"

"Jimin is dead." Jungkook mouthed the words to him slowly, the Laurel Prince catching every one. 

The blonde's stomach dropped. The tears unleashed upon his bruised face as he stared at the Oak Prince sobbing there in front of him. The Laurel Prince's entire body started shaking. 

H-how...

"How...it's not possible...he c-couldn't...no JUNGKOOK PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE LYING! JIMIN CAN'T BE DEAD!!!"

The Oak Prince just stared back at him sadly. Taehyung was bathed in despairing silence, wishing more than ever that he could hear the man's voice in front of him. He wished that Jungkook would just smile and tell him it was a lie. All a joke. That the Stone Prince was alive and well. 

Instead, the Oak Prince stood there, fighting back tears. Taehyung didn't even try to fight his, balling loudly and sniffling as his entire body pulsed with pain. He couldn't hear himself, and frankly, he didn't want to. 

It felt as if a piece of his heart had been ripped right from his chest. A void took up shop there, eating away at his hope. The Stone Prince couldn't be gone...he was...everything. 

Everything. All gone. 

"J-Jung...kook..." the blonde whined, thankful that the Oak Prince came to his side, "I...Jimin-" the blonde couldn't finish, overcome with painful sobs that wracked every broken bone in his system. 

The Oak Prince made a motion up to the sky, pointing and mimicking a watching entity with his hands. Through the blurriness of his tears, Taehyung understood what Jungkook was trying to say. It didn't help the situation, but it gave the blonde a bit of comfort. 

The Stone Prince was watching over them. He would never leave their side. 

"Jimin...was...sick," Jungkook mouthed at the other. Taehyung nodded, his mouth pressing into a thin line. 

Taehyung cried harder, remembering the gray-haired male's final days. How he had cried. How he seemed a bit nervous and avoided the other two. Taehyung always wondered if something was wrong with the other, but he wanted to keep the mood light so he pretended not to notice. 

If the Stone Prince was sick that entire time...

Just thinking about it made Taehyung's heart ache. The gray-haired male must've suffered so much. He hoped Jimin was okay where ever he ended up after death. 

After several minutes of the two hugging each other close and sobbing, Jungkook pulled away. His eyes glistened in the dim light, and he mouthed some more words slowly for the blonde while motioning with his hands. 

"The...funeral...will...be...up...north...in...two...days."

Taehyung hung his head, letting out another sob. He didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to the other male. Now he would get to see the Stone Prince...in a casket. 

At least now Jimin would rest in peace...far from his sickness, free of suffering...free of-

"Jihoon?" Taehyung suddenly asked the ravenette. Jungkook gave him a small nod before giving him a look of approval. 

"You...killed...Jihoon."

"Oh..." then it made sense to the blonde. 

He was falling...with Jihoon. And he landed on Jihoon. That's how he survived. 

A life for a life, yeah?

Taehyung sighed in relief. The war was won, then. Noirwood was safe. It made him joyous...but at the same time the Stone Prince had sacrificed so much for the greater good. 

Jungkook wiped his tears away, heaving a large breath. Taehyung watched as the ravenette leaned in, pressing a kiss to the his forehead. The blonde whispered something as the ravenette's lips were on his head. 

"I'm sorry, Jungkook. If only I could've stopped Jihoon sooner-I, I could've saved Jimin and not ended up like this-"

The Oak Prince cut him off with a kiss to the mouth. As their lips wove together, the melancholy and pain of a loved one passing drove them to tear up again. The ravenette was careful not to put any of his weight on the other, who was broken all over. Salty tears fell between their intertwined mouths, both males ignoring the fact that their breathing was becoming shakier from crying. 

Eventually, the Oak Prince pulled away, a sad smile on his lips. 

"It's...okay...Taehyung...it's...not...your...fault," the ravenette held up both hands, as if to stop the blonde from countering him, "I'm...happy...you...are...alive..." Jungkook paused, taking Taehyung's tan hand in his own, continuing to mouth slowly so that Taehyung could understand him, "I...love...you...Taehyung...please...get...some...rest..."

The Oak Prince bit his lip before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss on the bridge of Taehyung's nose. Taehyung let out a puff of air before speaking. 

"I love you too, Jungkook...I'm sorry I can't hear your voice right now...or maybe ever again," Taehyung's face scrunched up as the realization hit him. He would never be able to hear the Oak Prince's laugh, hear Jungkook's smooth voice call out his name, listen to music or even bird calls...

But he wasn't too upset...as long as Jungkook was by his side. 

"I'm happy that the war is over, Kook...Noirwood is okay now, yeah? And...you are here by my side...and Jimin's somewhere close by, even if he's not...n-not here..." the last comment made the Laurel Prince cry again. He sniffled before continuing, "I...don't...I'm so broken, I don't know if I'll be able to move again, much less rule...I-"

Jungkook suddenly raised a hand, getting the other's attention. The ravenette mouthed one word. 

"Eonjin."

And then another word which he wasn't familiar with. Did he interpret it right?

"Fourteen."

The blonde titled his head, mulling over the words Jungkook had said, "I got Eonjin...but 'fourteen'? What...?"

Jungkook shook his head, moving closer and enunciating the word more. 

"F L O R I A N," he exaggerated each part of the name, his teeth glaring in the dim light. 

"Florian..." Taehyung thought for a bit, the name reminding him of someone, "Is that...did Jimin know him?"

The ravenette nodded vigorously, hand rising to mimic the height of a man. It was pretty tall, taller than both of the two princes. Then, Jungkook moved his lips again. 

"Next...Stone...Prince."

Taehyung understood the woods perfectly clear, but he paused visibly. Registering the words "next Stone Prince" hurt his heart. He pulled himself together before speaking again. 

"We'll have to welcome him in...them both in...I can't wait to see my sister..." the blonde bowed his head as his eyes fanned shut for a second, "When is the induction ceremony?"

Jungkook swayed on his feet a bit, obviously sleep-deprived and dreadfully sad. 

"Same...day...as...funeral..."

The blonde bit the inside of his lip, a few sobs threatening to break out. Although he had never met Florian, he was sure that the boy was a good person. Jimin wouldn't suggest him as the next Stone Prince for no reason. Thinking of Jimin made him drowsy, as if his depression was weighing down upon his eyelids. The drugs in his system must've also had an effect, as it was becoming harder and harder to maintain eye contact with the younger. 

"Jungkook...I'm tired, I think I'll see you lat e r."

The blonde passed out after his statement, watching Jungkook's grief-stricken face before his eyes finally closed. 

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

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I'm SORRY SDJFHSPF

But if any of you were wondering, I planned for Jimin to die since the beginning...

Yet surprisingly, it hurt me immensely when he died...ahhhh how it still hurts!

I hope you aren't too angry with me. Sometimes, in death, there is beauty. Y'know?

Thank you for reading and supporting my crazy ideas.

See you in the next chapter? :')