Laurel Prince

"NO!"

Taehyung sat up in bed with a shriek, bandaged hands coming up to grab the air in front of him. He chest rose and fell rapidly, sweat beading at his brow. 

"No...no...no..." Taehyung puffed out softly as he regained his composure. A sour feeling filled his gut and spread to the rest of his body. Although it was only a dream, it felt real to Taehyung somehow; it felt as if he could reach out and grab Jimin in that moment. 

He blinked his groggy eyes a few times as his breathing finally calmed and gazed at the grandfather clock in the corner of his room. It was 10:00 A.M.

He had been asleep for three hours instead of one hour as he had planned. His fatigue must've gotten the better of him. He squirmed off of the side of the bed too fast, bumping his knee on the side of his nightstand. 

"Fuck!" Taehyung was angry that he was late...and still a bit gloomy from his dream. "Fuck you. Fuck!"

Storming to his large walk-in closet, he realized that he wouldn't be able to get dressed until his casts were removed. He let out a groan of irritation and pounded over to his wardrobe. His impatience prompted him to act in a fit of thoughtless rage. He brought one bandaged hand up to his mouth and bit down hard on the white material.  Tugging it away from him, the bandage began to tear and unravel. 

Taehyung pulled harder, wanting to be free from the confines as soon as possible. Any outsider would call Taehyung's behavior animalistic, almost like a tiger tearing the skin off of its prey. Soon, patches of Taehyung's skin could be seen from underneath the torn white strips of material. His fingers wiggled, desperate for fresh air. 

His hand throbbed where the stitches were embedded in his flesh, but it wasn't unbearable. Taehyung was sure that with gloves on, he could clutch onto the hilt of a sword. 

When his hand was in the open air, he clutched onto the bandage of the other hand and worked at yanking it off. He whimpered slightly as his wound started leaking droplets of blood from the effort used to twist and move the bandage. His other hand eventually escaped its white prison and he let out a exasperated sigh as his other hand began to dribble blood. 

With bloody hands and a pile of torn bandages at his feet, Kim Taehyung looked toward his closet with relief. He had the perfect outfit in mind for his meeting with Jihoon. Taehyung kicked the bandages to the side and started stripping himself with sore hands. 

When he was in nothing but underwear, he located each piece of clothing he wanted to wear. For more of a war spirit, he wanted to dress darkly. He decided on a black silk blouse under a sparkled black vest that would allow him a wider range of movement. His pants were jet black and clean cut, made of the finest leather in the kingdom. The pants outlined his legs nicely, showing off cords of muscle. He wrapped a black belt around his waist to tuck his undershirt into and to hold his pants up.  

But his look was missing something...

A choker. 

Taehyung walked over to his vanity and shuffled through his jewelry, coming upon a thick black leather choker that screamed power. With sore fingers, Taehyung adjusted the choker around his tan neck and tightened it. Taehyung brushed through his hair carelessly with a diamond studded comb and applied his favorite musky oil to his neck. Eyeliner and some leather gloves finished the look, giving the blonde a domineering appearance. He thought it was the perfect outfit to kill Jihoon in. 

And he would kill Jihoon. 

But first he had to meet with the Laurel Generals to assess their strategy for handling Jihoon's soldiers on the battle field. Taehyung knew that Jihoon and his men stood no chance up against his trained and experienced army. Even if he was outnumbered, just one of Taehyung's men could take out ten of the north's best soldiers. Taehyung snickered to himself in pride, thinking about this. In a comforting way, the nerves he felt on the ride up to the Laurel Castle had turned into waves of confidence. 

Soon his thoughts would turn into actions. 

He gave himself one last smile in the mirror before exiting the room, gliding down the white marble stairs towards the strategy room. When he entered, his best Laurel Generals stood at attention and watched him carefully. Taehyung took a seat at the front of the high table, looking down on all of his staff with a serious glare in his eye. He waited for his generals to speak. 

"Sir, Prince Kim, what happened to your...bandages?" One general worried from a chair in front of him. "You aren't planning to-"

"Fight?" Taehyung finished the man's question. "Of course I am. Naturally. Yes. I have to stop Jihoon."

The general stood up from his chair with clear disapproval spread across his weathered face. "Sir, I don't think that's a good idea...we can take him prisoner and bring him back to the castle for you to kill, but I don't think you should be in the field--it's too risky." Taehyung rolled his eyes at the words. "...and we still don't know how large Jihoon's army is."

Taehyung mulled over this, but only for a moment. "General, what you say is true...however, I am confident in my soldiers' ability to keep me protected from all sides as I hunt for Jihoon. I will fight today. I will kill him today. I must." Taehyung's mouth drew into a line then, jaw clenched in determination. 

The general glumly nodded his understanding and silently took a seat. A different general raised his head to speak. "Prince Kim, the arrangements will be made for an elite squad of soldiers to go with you...they will keep you protected. No one will so much as lay a finger on you. My word."

"As expected." Taehyung nodded his approval and clapped his hands together. "Now, let's hear the strategy you have for the attack, yeah? I need to be briefed." Taehyung leaned forward, waiting for an in-depth update from his court. 

As the time on the clock ticked down and he received the firsthand report of his generals' plans, Taehyung felt more and more comfortable with the way things were going. The castle was going to be on full lockdown, with plenty of guards lining the paths entering and exiting the place. No one would be able to enter or exit the Laurel Castle vicinity. Meanwhile, his entire army was heading straight towards Jihoon, with a promising battle formation in mind. 

Taehyung smiled at his luck, feeling over-joyous that he would get sweet revenge in no time. 

His mind was so preoccupied with the coming army that he didn't he stop to think about the other princes. He didn't stop to think about what he would do if his first plan failed. He didn't even stop to think about what he would say to Jihoon before he got to killing the bastard. 

Murder was the only thing on Taehyung's mind. 

Oak Prince

Jungkook and Jimin rode for hours to the Laurel Castle, speaking very little as they passed by small towns. Their last heated encounter left many things in their minds to think about. Jungkook's mind drifted back to the gray-haired male so much that at times during the ride he forgot where he was going. What he was doing. 

Right, the Laurel Castle--to help Taehyung. 

Even with this goal in mind, Jungkook couldn't help but steal several glances over at Jimin bouncing on his horse in the solitude of his own mind. The entire trip, Jimin was absent of any head pain, which made Jungkook feel at ease. Watching the older male made him feel a warmth under his skin that he didn't even know he was capable of. Jimin's affirmation of his liking for Jungkook made the ravenette ecstatic. He only thought that Taehyung liked him more than a friend. 

I guess I was wrong.

The best part was, Jimin was okay with Jungkook's crush on Taehyung as well. Jungkook didn't know how such a seemingly disciplined prince could accept the idea of having two partners but...he wasn't complaining. 

Now wasn't the time for complaining anyway. He should be focusing at the task on hand. 

"Hey, Jimin?" Jungkook broke the hours-long silence with a raspy voice. "I just checked my pocket watch, we have about an hour left until the Laurel Castle will come into view."

Jimin looked around at his surroundings as if he had woken up from a dream. The gray-haired male must've been daydreaming pretty much the whole trip. Either that or he was planning out attacks he might need to execute in the coming hours. Jimin pulled his horse slightly closer to Jungkook's and swallowed before speaking.

"When we get there, will Jihoon's army already be there?" Jimin paused to think, counting something on his fingers. "If my castle is six hours away from-"

"Yes Jimin, Jihoon and his army will be at the castle by the time we get there. That is, if they left the Stone Castle right away..." Jungkook dragged his tongue along his top row of teeth. "Well, actually he might not-"

Jimin shook his head. "No...I think he'll be there by the time we get there. I just have...a feeling." Jimin watched as tall oak trees slid past his vision. Jungkook examined Jimin's face for any sign of fear or sadness, but he saw none. Jimin was trying to be strong. 

"Taehyung's army can handle them." Jungkook tried to be encouraging. "You just wait and see."

Silence grasped the two princes riding quickly for the Laurel Castle. The sun rose up high in the sky, hit its peak, and started to fall. By mid-afternoon, clouds started moving in and the temperature began to decrease. A storm was coming. The wind picked up enough to hinder the two princes who held up hands to block the dust whipping at their faces. Their visibility was marred as they rode north, so they had to slow their pace down. 

"Damn this wind!" Jungkook said as a stick from a nearby tree flew into his face.

Jimin squinted against the blowing dust and grit his teeth. He held tight to his reins, hoping his horse would maneuver the path accordingly. "We're almost--therree!" Jimin raised his voice to be heard over the wind. A sudden whip of wind pushed the hair into his eyes. "Fuck this wind!"

Jungkook would laugh at the cute irritation on Jimin's face whenever his hair flapped into his eyes, but the wind took the air out of his lungs. Plus the knowledge that they'd be at the Laurel Castle soon weighed heavily upon him. 

After a half hour of mumbled curses at mother nature, Jungkook spotted something in the distance. "Look, Jimin! The Laurel Castle!"

Jimin snapped his head up and gaped at the sight. "The Laurel Banners are raised high today..." Jimin lightly kicked his horse to speed up. "Let's make sure that they aren't raised in vain!"

Jungkook followed suit, matching the pace of Jimin's horse in a matter of seconds. By increasing the speed of their mounts, the raging storm winds disrupted them more. However, the wind ruffling their hair and clothes wouldn't be the worst setback of the trip. 

Ahead of them, with meticulous spacing and perfect posture, were Laurel Guards. 

At first, Jungkook was happy at the sight. He felt confident that Taehyung's guards would revel in the sight of the two other princes. They would be thankful that the two were coming to support their lord, Kim Taehyung the Laurel Prince. 

But he was wrong. 

When him and Jimin approached the line of guards, he was so tired and wind-burned that he was a bit curt with his introduction. 

"Hello. If you don't already recognize me, I am the Oak Prince and this is the Stone Prince. We are here for the Laurel Prince. Please allow us through." Jungkook then proceeded forward with his horse, Jimin following close behind him. 

The guards pulled close together, blocking the two princes from entering by holding their arms up. The one Jungkook assumed was in charge halted them and spoke in a loud voice. 

"Your highnesses, I'm afraid we cannot let you pass. We have strict orders from the Laurel Prince to keep out all passersby, regardless of state or rank. As a leading member of this guard, I recognize your authority and understand your purpose here, but orders are orders." The leader bravely stood his ground.

Jimin sighed next to him. "Listen, I know you answer to the Laurel Prince, but us three princes are all united together. We share the same rank, position, and authority throughout the kingdom. As the Stone Prince of the north, I demand you to let us pass."

The guard looked a bit uncomfortable at Jimin's words but maintained eye contact. "Stone Prince, I acknowledge your authority in the north, but in the Laurel domain I'm afraid I'm bound to Prince Kim's words. We cannot let you pass. Please understand. Prince Kim and his army have the situation under control-"

"Control MY ASS!" Jungkook snapped. "Tae--Prince Kim will make a hasty decision in the battlefield and he needs us-"

"Prince Jeon." Jimin spoke up then, giving Jungkook a side glare that shut the younger up. "Leave this to me."

The line of guards watched as Jimin gracefully hopped down from his silver beauty of a horse, landing in front of their tense figures. He took a step toward the one in charge. Although the one in charge was taller and larger than Jimin, he took a step back with slightly widened eyes. 

Everyone had heard stories about the swordsman of the north. The entire line of guards brought their hands to their belts, where their swords rested. Jimin lifted his head up and let his piercing gray eyes do the intimidation. It wasn't long before the leader spoke. 

"P-prince Park, I'm s-sorry but we cannot let you p-pass..."

Jimin scrunched his nose and cracked his neck, taking a step even closer to the leader of Kim's guard. He seemed unfazed and kept his cool, which amazed Jungkook. 

If it were Jungkook down there, every citizen near the castle would be able to hear his angry yelling and cursing. Not to mention Jungkook would've probably offended the Laurel Court in some form which would leave a bad mark on his image. Because when Jungkook got angry, he was a force. 

But looking at Jimin now--with an almost nonchalant expression and a calming demeanor--Jungkook understood why he liked Jimin so much. He watched as Jimin gave the one in charge a nod before speaking. 

"Well, if you won't let me pass, maybe my sword will convince you."

Jimin whipped his sword out in a heartbeat, lunging forward until the point of the glimmering blade was a centimeter away from the guard's Adam's apple. Other guards didn't even have a chance to grasp the hilts of their swords. The guard in charge slowly lifted his hands up and cleared his throat. Other members of the guard were confused at whether they should go after the threat or back down, since it was one of the princes of Noirwood himself. 

Jungkook smiled, sitting proudly atop his horse. He could hardly feel the constant tugging of the wind at his sides as he gazed down upon the scene. 

"Uh...um, Prince Park sir, I apologize greatly f-for my thoughtlessness. You two may pass." The guard eyed Jimin's sword with a sort of reverence mingled with fear. The line of guards separated, creating a window just wide enough for the two princes to pass. 

Jimin sheathed his sword just as fast as he got it out and walked up to the guard in charge. The guard's flinched when Jimin brought his hand up, but relaxed when he realized that Jimin only wanted a handshake. The guard's shaky hand rose carefully to meet Jimin's hand. The two shook hard, Jimin bowing slightly. 

"I appreciate the change of heart. Noirwood won't regret this." Jimin's hand unclasped the guard's and he swiftly turned around, pulling himself up onto his horse. Jimin's confidence radiated into the air, his movements sure and-

Attractive. He's really fucking attractive.

Jungkook's heart sang a sweet melody of harmonious notes, all written to the tune of Jimin. The ravenette winked at Jimin with a victorious smile, and Jimin gave him a thumbs up. 

As their horses trotted through the opening, the guards kneeled, showing their respect to the two princes that passed through. Immediately after they were on the other side, the opening disappeared. The Laurel Guards took up their usual stiff positions. Jungkook laughed in relief. 

"I can't believe you sometimes, Park..." Jungkook's giggles flew out from his mouth. "What did you eat this morning to act like that?" 

Jimin gave him a smirk, pushing his horse faster toward the huge castle in the distance. "Hmmm what did I eat?" He pursed his lips in mock thought. "Oh yes! That's right! I had a taste of Jeon lips earlier today."

Jungkook's face turned beet red, remembering the time they shared together in the stables. "Shut it, Park. Now's not the time."

Jimin laughed and rode alongside Jungkook's pouting self. The wind had died down a bit by then, but they could hear rumbling deep in the valleys to their left. A few raindrops began to sprinkle down. Jungkook frowned. 

"It seems like Jihoon even pisses mother nature off." Jungkook glanced up at the ominous gray clouds that were rolling in. Jimin scoffed and rode faster.

"I can't fucking wait to see Taehyung. I swear to everyone in the Stone Court..." Jimin paused, remembering that his court didn't exist. "I...uh, mean your court...um, the Oak Court, if that guy is thinking about doing something dumb-"

"Jimin." 

Jungkook suddenly paused then. The two had ridden to the top of the hill leading down to the main entrance of the magnificent Laurel Castle. Servants bustled in and out of the castle's front doors, transporting supplies, securing gates, and performing other important tasks. The Laurel Banner flew high, displayed clearly with each push of wind. The sight was grandiose, elegant almost, and Jungkook felt a sense of awe at the scene before him. His palms started to sweat and his eyes shone with adrenaline. The rain picked up, flecking Jungkook's cheeks with their cool kisses. Soon, Jungkook's hair was dripping wet.

Jimin stopped as well, but not because of the pre-war atmosphere. It was because in the distance, his eyes found a band of men. A large band of men. 

An army. 

And it was approaching the area north of the Kim Castle. There weren't as many in number as he thought there would be. If he had to guess, he'd put them at 5000, tops.

With the sheer experience and large number of Kim's soldiers, taking down Jihoon's army would be a piece of cake.

But wouldn't Jihoon plan for this? Why would he bring so few troops if he planned to win the battle? Why was he still advancing even though the battle-trained Laurel Army was keenly ready to intercept him?

Neither prince knew, and it put a bad taste in their mouths. 

"It's..." Jungkook suddenly spoke up. "Beautiful. There's no way the castle can lose this battle in this state. I'm so happy we made it. We get to witness the end of the war. Right here. Front seats."

"Jungkook." Jimin pointed to the mass of men marching north of the castle. "We have company."

Jungkook's eyes followed Jimin's finger to the gray blob of northern men advancing toward the Laurel Castle in the distance. It would likely be another half hour before Jihoon's crew met with Taehyung's soldiers who were already positioned in front of the castle 10,000 strong. 

Jungkook smiled inwardly at the realization that Jihoon was no match for the strength of the Laurel castle. He pulled at his reigns with a jolt of eagerness and rode closer to the towering structure. Jimin followed suit, frowning at the thoughts racing around in his head. 

The two princes weren't going to make it to the Laurel Castle before the two armies met, but it was alright, since the first collision would buy the two time to locate Taehyung. Jungkook held tight to his horse and prayed that Taehyung was in the rear of the platoons, waiting for his chance to strike Jihoon when his soldiers had already put down a majority of northerners. 

Jungkook crossed his fingers as thoughts of the blonde rushed into his mind. He felt a strange dismay come over him as he imagined an injured Taehyung surrendering to Jihoon. If Jihoon somehow hurt Taehyung, it would be all over. 

"Hey uh, Jungkook?" The urgency in Jimin's voice snapped Jungkook out of his daze. "Please tell me that the person on the lead horse in the front doesn't look like Taehyung. Please tell me that's not him. That's not him...is it? No, no...it can't be him."

Jungkook scanned the Laurel army, eyes heading to the front lines. His eyes traveled further, where he thought he saw a hint of blonde-

Oh no. 

Taehyung was there. In no armor. Sitting proudly atop a gallant horse. 

"WHERE ARE HIS BANDAGES!?"

Surrounding him was a personal squadron of about fifty heavily built and trained men, in full body armor. They wielded large, shining swords.

"WHERE IS HIS ARMOR?!"

Laurel Banners waved violently in the whipping rain. Soldiers pounded on drums to bolster the soldiers' bravery and contribute to the tense atmosphere.

"WHY IS TAEHYUNG IN THE FRONT?!"

Taehyung held a longsword himself, speaking casually with the commander on his left. Jimin could tell by the Laurel Prince's body language that he was radiating energy, ready to kill. Enthusiastic, almost.

"Damn it Jimin, this is terrible! We're never going to make it!"

A loud war horn blared from Jihoon's gray army marching in unison. It's cold, clear cry echoed throughout the valley and bounced dangerously off of the castle walls. It was as if Jihoon was daring the Kim army to move first. Taehyung rolled his neck and pulled out his sword. Jungkook's heart was beating a million miles an hour.

Then, Jihoon's soldiers suddenly stopped in their tracks.

They reached for something underneath their armor...and placed the objects carefully across their faces.

Jungkook watched in stunned silence, mouth widening in horror. Jimin was beside Jungkook, confused at the sudden action by Jihoon's men and alarmed from the Oak Prince's negative reaction. 

Why are they all wearing masks across their faces?

"No no no NO NO NO! This is BAD, this is BADDD!!" The screams of Jungkook shocked Jimin to the core; he had never seen Jungkook in such a panic.

"What's wrong Jungkook?! What's-"

The yells of angry soldiers rushing at each other flooded both sets of princely ears. Clad in all black, Taehyung broke into a sprint on his horse, sword pointed high in the air. Jungkook watched in horror as Taehyung and his army walked right into the trap laid out for them. 

Jihoon's army catapulted capsules filled with a clear liquid across the battlefield to the Kim side. When the capsules hit the ground, they burst open like bubbles, splattering their contents everywhere.  Kim's soldiers were confused at first, but not fazed by what only appeared to be water.

"NO!! DON'T MOVE TAEHYUNG!" 

Jungkook watched as the Laurel Soldiers suddenly collapsed one by one. Like flies. His eyes fell upon the blonde prince that he cared for so much. 

"STOP! NO!!!"

Jungkook could only scream alongside Jimin when Taehyung's body suddenly slumped over on his horse, slipped off the side of his mount, and landed unconscious on the battlefield. 

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

AUTHOR'S NOTE

TAEHYUNG!!! AHHHHHH :((((

nONONONONONO

why why! WHY!!!

This is kind of misplaced, but ironically so! Wear YOUR MASKS KIDS, DON'T LET THE POISONOUS GAS OF THE CORONAVIRUS GET YOU! Please and thank you.

Iz >_>