The whole land was grieving. Even the sky was.
Darkness painted the land of Kwandae, having lost its promised heir. A long line had formed following the grande coffin, figures in woe, unminding of the torrential rain that poured over them.
The royals, dressed fully in black, followed the coffin in their horses. Taehyung stared down at the ground, soil soaked with rain, smudging in mud at horse's hooves. He slid down, abandoning the horse, and standing on the wet earth himself. Servants were calling him from behind, alarmed that the prince was on dirty soil while rain poured over him, but they didn't reach his ears. He's still staring down, watching as his black boots got splattered by mud, blending them into one. He hoped he could sink in like that, let the ground swallow him whole.
People die. There was no what ifs or buts, and it was just an inevitable faith, the proximity a breath away with life in a palace.
People die, and everyone knows that. But it didn't seem like anyone was prepared for it, whether they are the ones who leave or the ones being left.
Everyone looked shattered, and Taehyung almost looked like he was going to dust away in night air under pale starlight.
It wasn't a coincidence you found him on the veranda of the Bureau, knowing he came here when he wanted to be alone. And maybe you should have let him be, alone, mourning, aching. But before you knew, your legs walked here, and before you knew, your mouth opened.
"Taehyung...," you called, but you didn't know what to say. Of course you didn't, you've never lost your family member, and never in such a tragic way, right before your eyes. What was there that you could say?
But you didn't want him to be alone, shattered. It was only natural that you wanted to return what he had given you when you felt lost, and more. No, it wasn't returning a favour, if it were to make Taehyung's pain ease even slightly, anything was worth it.
You didn't know what to say, so you silently sat next to him. Your heart was pounding, mentally preparing yourself to leave if he did mention you to, but he didn't. You felt a warm hand wrapping around yours, and anxiety being replaced by relief. You instantly held back, assuring him you're there. You'd always be there to hold his hand. Every night, every day, every moment he needed, you'd be there. And you hoped that that resolution could wordlessly flow through the warmth you were sharing.
Taehyung watched you from a distance, sunbathing on the veranda of the Bureau, watering the potted plant. He felt like it had been a while since he saw you under warm sunlight instead of cold starlight, and he thought the picture suited you better.
It had been a week since the incident, and it had been a week since you've not once let his hand go every night. The pain is still there, undoubtedly, maybe it will never fade, but the warmth he had felt through his palm swelled and stayed close to his heart as nights went by.
What he had realised quite brutally was that people die. Eventually, yes, but unexpectedly too. He had been through that once with his mother, and he should be well aware of it, but the second time hit him harder.
You were watering the pot, because you were hoping to see it sprout in the near future, because you believed in tomorrow. But who's there to guarantee anyone a tomorrow? Taehyung knew it by now that many things could go unsaid before losing someone from their reach. And that many regrets had tugged on him. He must be a fool if he had experienced it once, to think he would always have a chance to deliver his feelings, oblivious peaceful thinking, just for it to get easily snatched away with a guffaw from the heavens.
Mother, thank you for giving me birth. Thank you for loving me, and I'm sorry I couldn't be the one to save you. I wish I could've grown up with you, and return all the love you gave me. I miss you.
Hyungnim, thank you for accepting a stranger that had suddenly become your brother. Thank you for being the righteous man you are, that I looked up to. Thank you for looking after me and Jungkook so dearly. I miss you.
And...
"Y/n."
You turned your head around to finally notice a figure standing at the threshold. It startled you to see him in broad daylight, and he seemed to look a little less ghostly and a little more lively. You stood up and walked to him briskly, unconsciously holding his hand, almost too unnatural not to do so.
"Taehyung, I didn't expect to see you now," you gave him a soft smile.
He didn't reply, not even a smile, but instead stared at you with an intensity that made you swallow. You couldn't really make out what was behind those eyes—it wasn't that of shattered glasses which had been resting in them for several nights, but more of a longing, more of burning devotion, but that probably was your wishful thinking.
Before you could ask if there was something on your face, he dropped.
"I yearn for you."
And you felt like your heart had stopped beating.
A/N:
I yearn for cliffhangers :D
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An Ode to Maehwa | kth
Fanfiction"I'll make an oath. That even after 700 years, I'll find you." Lee Y/n was a university student who found history was the least thrilling subject. But who could have guessed that she'd go back in time, trapped in a historical turmoil? She was lost...
