Hold My Hand - A Taekook Love Story.

01 - An Adorable Prince.

  
The King tapped the armrest of his throne with his fingertips. He had his eyes closed and forehead wrinkled with distaste. All the ministers present glanced at each other with worry. The king is fair and just, but even he loses it once in a while.

"Y-your majesty-"

A minister tried to speak but the King raised a hand to stop him. He opened his eyes and looked at the set of guards and palace maids kneeling in front of him.

"So you can't find him anywhere?"

A guard, who looked little braver than the rest, dared to answer. "Apologies, your majesty. We looked everywhere. His highness is definitely not in the palace."

"What the hell did all of you do, while he slipped past your fingers?!" Despite having slightly raised volume, the King's voice was still rather calm.

Because even with the worry and anger he felt, he knew very well it's not exactly the guards fault. His son has an exceptionally creative mind, when he wants to get something done.

"We were waiting outside the chamber, your majesty, while his highness was having breakfast." The guard looked at the maid this time, making the King focus his attention on them.

The maid looked close to tears but the King knew it was more from the worry about the Prince than from the fear of the King.

"His highness asked for honey pastries, and I left to bring them, your majesty. It took some time to prepare and w-when I came back, his highness was n-not in the room."

The King rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingertips. Of course, this situation is not a new one for any of the people present. They should have known better by now than to fall for the Prince's charms. But they do, every single time.

Prince Jungkook, the younger son of the King, has all the staff in the palace nicely wrapped around his fingers. The officials, guards, maids, everyone. He only has to inquire about the heaven's elixir of immortality, and the people in the palace will ask whether he wants it in a gold or a silver chalice.

They can't be blamed.

King sighed once more, deciding to have a talk with his son once he returned from his latest adventure.

"I assume Jimin is with the Prince?"

"Yes, your majesty. Park Jimin is not in the palace either." It was the head of the palace guards, Jung Hoseok, who answered. "He will not let the prince out of his sight."

The King nodded his head in agreement. Yes, Park Jimin was one of the best swordsman in the county and he has been the prince's trusted guard for a long time now. If there is anyone whom the king trusts to keep the prince safe, it's Jimin.

The kind nodded with a note of finality, and Hoseok bowed his head in acknowledgement. And with a flick of the head from Hoseok, the maids and the prince's guards left. It was time to start with the daily procedures of the King.
 
 
  
 
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A man, barely of age, was laying on the ground at the riverbank. His clothes screamed wealth, something that should not be placed on grass. But the man seems to be paying no attention to that at all.

His face, which was glowing with the morning sunrays, looked as if it was carved by the gods. A soft breeze was caressing him, making the fabric of his clothes move gently.

His eyes were focused on a flock of birds that seemed to be circling over the river. A mildly fascinated smile danced over his lips, making him look even more ethereal.

"Hyung." The man called in a soft voice, as if he was afraid to disturb the birds, even though they were too far up in the sky to even hear it.

Another man, dressed in more toned down clothes, opened his eyes in response to that call. He was sitting a little away from the first one, his eyes closed but one hand on the hilt of the sword on his hip, ready to pull it out with a moment's notice.

The first man didn't wait for a response, he knew he had the other's undivided attention with that single word.

"What do you think they are doing?"

The second one followed the gaze to see the circling birds. "I don't know, my prince. Maybe they are looking for fish to eat."

"From that high up?"

Park Jimin shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe they have excellent eyesight. Apologies, my Prince, I have very little knowledge of nature. Why don't you ask about it from your teacher?"

That seemed to have put a frown on the Prince's face, but he quickly replaced it with a pout. "No need. I was just curious."

They stayed in silence for a few minutes, listening to the sound of the flowing river. The birds seemed to have finished whatever they were doing too, and the whole flock flew away into the distant sky. The prince watched them until they were out of sight. Then, a soft sigh left his mouth.

"Hyung?"

"My Prince?"

"How do you think the birds know the way to come back to their nest, after they fly such a long way? All trees must look alike from the sky."

Jimin didn't answer. For one, he had no clue. He was never one for nature and wildlife. Two, he had been with the prince long enough to know that the question is hardly about the birds.

"I wish we could fly too. It'll be fun to roam the sky freely."

That gave Jimin a little idea about what might be going on in the prince's mind. "You want to fly away?"

"Maybe? Just for a little while. I'll come back." The prince turned to look at Jimin and gave a soft smile. "I will always come back."

Jimin held that gaze for a few seconds before getting up from the ground. He vigorously brushed his back to get rid of the grass and dirt on it, before offering his hand to the prince.

"And that's exactly what we should do now. Or his majesty will have my head."

Jungkook laughed merrily before pulling himself up with the support of Jimin's hand.

"Oh please, my father thinks so highly of you. He will never let such a talent go to waste like that."

Jimin helped Jungkook to remove the grass on his backside too, very much gentler than he did for his own. He then fixed the Prince's clothes, tied the piece of cloth around his lower face so that the Prince will not be recognisable by anyone.

As they walked back their horses, Jimin couldn't help but think how pure and good the prince was. His heart is filled with love and kindness for the whole world.

And Jimin sent a quick prayer to the gods above, for the Prince to always have happiness in his life. This angel deserves nothing less than that.