CHAPTER FIVE
DUTY

"One more time," the king instructed his son.

Jimin stopped out of pure exhaustion and let his sword fall limp at his side. "Father, I can't..."

"You aren't going to dinner until you get the move down. Look at Chanyeol, he's already finished with his training, and he's not even going to be king!"

Jimin bowed his head in shame. Being compared to his cousin daily was something he felt he would never get used to. He wasn't like Chanyeol. He wasn't a strong and mighty warrior. He couldn't fight an army of men by himself, that's not how he was made.

Unfortunately, Jimin's father could never see that.

"Again!"

Jimin sighed in defeat as he brought his sword up once again and repeated the move he had been taught.

By his tenth try, he finally accomplished what he had set out to do. Now exhausted and drenched in sweat, he shuffled over towards his father and picked up a towel set out for him.

As he wiped his face, his mind travelled to Enya, and he caught himself wondering if she had dinner yet.

"Father?"

"Yes?"

Jimin cleared his throat. Now's as good a time as any.

"Why do I have to marry Enya?"

His father's head shot up and he watched his son suspiciously. "It's the law."

"But why is it the law?" Jimin pushed, "I don't understand."

The king stood up, towering over his son. Then I'm a low and terrifying voice, he threatened, "Don't ask questions you don't want to answer to."

Jimin bit his lip, thinking he should've kept quiet. "Yes, Father."

.

Enya sat upon a soft pink cushion as Minah served her large dish. "Fresh squid from the market, cooked the way the prince likes it."

Enya paused, her utensils in hand, "Will he be joining me?"

Minah wrung her hands together. "I'm sorry. The prince has special appointments and can't eat with company."

"Why not?"

"The king says it slows him down. He says we mustn't let Jimin eat with others–"

"Minah!" Jeongguk's voice barked from behind the door. "Cut it out."

Minah bowed her head. "I fear I've said too much. Don't worry about him. When you two get married, I'm sure the king will let you two eat together."

Enya munched bitterly on the delicious squid. Only I need to eat with him soon for my plan to work.

Her plan was simple: get the prince drunk enough to tell her a few secrets about him and his father. Then, she could use them against the pair and retrieve her money in no time.

"What do I do here?" Out genuine curiosity and boredom, Enya glanced up at Minah. "I can't stay in this room all day, can I?"

Minah seemed relieved that the future princess had changed the subject. "We'll begin preparing for your wedding in a week, just so you can get used to everything first. Until then, you can accompany me on my duties, or you can make Jeongguk take you on a tour of the castle."

"I would like that," Enya mumbled.

"It's settled then!" Minah cheered.

Enya finished the rest of her food, mentality thanking the prince for having such good taste in cuisine.
After Minah cleared the table, she helped Enya prepare for her first royal bath.

Used to bathing in an old bucket behind the inn, Enya was alarmed when she felt the water and found it warm. A soothing aroma wafted through the air as Enya sat in the large bath.

"It's lavender," Minah told her. Enya watched lazily as her maid picked a nightgown from one of the wardrobes and draped it over the dressing screen.

"And the bed pans have just been removed so your sheets will be toasty as you fall asleep." Minah said, bowing.

Enya blushed in embarrassment (she wasn't sure she liked being served by others) and said, "Thank you, Minah. I appreciate it."

"Of course. I will be back in the morning to dress you and prepare you for breakfast."

She bowed before leaving, and Enya watched her go. This life definitely wasn't for her, she had decided quickly. Luckily, it wouldn't last. She would figure out where any jewels and documents were on her tour with Jeongguk, then she would befriend the prince and get him drunk. In his drunken state, he would confess the weaknesses within the kingdom. She would be in and out in no time.

Of course there was the little problem that the prince seemed to always be busy.

Enya pursed her lips in thought. One night to make him drop his guard and give her the information. That was all she needed. Then she would be with Hoseok in their little debt-free inn.

With that positive thought inside of her mind, Enya washed up and put on her nightgown. She slipped under the warm covers and fell into a comforting slumber.

.

Jimin stared at his clock in despair.

It read two in the morning, eliciting a yawn from the exhausted prince. Right after he had washed up and prepared for bed, his servant had barged into his room with an apologetic smile and a stack of papers.

"What's this?" Jimin had placed his glasses upon his nose and scanned the papers. "Repossession forms?"

"Yes, Sir," his servant had said. "Many businesses in Krull have failed to pay their due, and we need your signature to go and repossess them."

"Why can't my father do it?" Jimin asked, a slight whine in his voice. Honestly, he longed to crawl into his warm blankets and sleep for the few hours he could.

Again, a sympathetic smile grazed the servant's face, "He has ordered me to pass it onto you."

"Alright. Thank you."

That was four hours ago. Finally, Jimin was on the last form. All he had to do was copy the form word for word and write a declaration of repossession. He sluggishly lifted the paper under the little candlelight he had to work with.

He began to read it, "Under the authority of King Park and Eden, The Jung's Inn is to be repossessed into the property of the king..."

Jimin squinted at the form. Wasn't that the place Enya's friend lived?

One thing kept replaying in the prince's mind, and that was the sadness in Enya's eyes when she had to leave the inn. No matter how shabby it seemed, it must have been important to her. It must've been home.

Folding the paper into a neat little square, Jimin placed the form into the bottom of his desk drawer.

They would never know it was missing, and Enya's inn wouldn't be taken away.

With a satisfied smile on his face, Jimin blew out his candle and prepared for the sleep he desperately needed.

.

King Park  stood on his balcony the next morning, observing his kingdom.

With a permanent sneer on his face, he witnessed the guard Jeongguk showing Enya around.

He hated that guard. The guard his wife personally choose for their son when he was an infant and the prince was a toddler.

If Jimin wasn't already so suspicious, the king would've banished Jeongguk to Krull already. Far away from the castle and the king. To the land of Krull where the rest of his family lived. Not that the guard knew that.

The king's servant entered the balcony at this time and bowed to his king. "Your Majesty, the board has requested a meeting regarding... the law."

"Ah," the king grinned devilishly, "Excellent. The sooner the good law is fulfilled the better for me and my son."

.

a/n:

this is dedicated to -hyungnim bc she's a great friend and spammed my previous chapters :,)