Hold My Hand - A Taekook Love Story.

08 - Power To Change..

Jungkook watched as his brother talked animatedly with the Princess of their neighboring country. He seemed happy, despite being set up for an arranged marriage as an alliance of the two nations.

"I don't know how he can do that.”

Jimin looked at the prince's face, which had a slight frown on it. “Do what, my prince?”

“Agree to marry someone he doesn't love.” Jungkook answered softly. “No wait. It's someone he doesn't even know!”

Jimin turned his gaze toward the crown prince again. “Well, his highness does look happy talking to the princess. And besides, getting to know each other is the whole point of meeting and greeting like this, don't you think?”

“But how can anyone expect to fall in love with a stranger in two, three encounters? That's impossible.”

Jimin wanted to tell about how Jungkook seemed to fall in love with a single look, but then decided to hold back his tongue. In the off-chance that Jungkook hasn't clued in with his heart, Jimin didn't want to make it clear for the prince.

Jungkook watched as his brother carefully held the princess's hand and guided her into the castle. And if the blush on her face was anything to go by, wedding bells for the country were not that far.

Later, at the dinner banquet, the king announced the union of the Crown prince Junghyun and Princess Nayeon. Everyone looked happy and actively took part in the celebrations that followed. Everyone except Jungkook. He had his polite smile on his face the whole time but the people closest to him were able to notice that it didn't reach his eyes.

One of those people was the crown prince.

“Kookie?” Jungkook turned around to see his brother walking towards him with a concerned gaze. “What are you doing here alone?”

“I'm not alone, hyung.” Jungkook said, jutting his chin towards a darker corner in the balcony, where only a silhouette of a man was visible. “When have I ever been alone?”

Junghyun raised his hand a bit and gestured to the guard to give them privacy, and after giving a bow, Jimin retreated inside the main hall. He stood against the glass door, out of earshot of the conversation but still close enough to come if Jungkook needed him.

“What's bothering you, little brother?” Junghyun asked in a soft voice. “Are you not happy with my marriage?”

Jungkook couldn't help but sigh. Junghyun had always been welcoming to whatever Jungkook wanted to speak about and the latter never felt uncomfortable. “It's not exactly about marriage.”

“Hmm.. is it about the Princess then? Do you have any concerns about her?”

Jungkook looked straight at Junghyun, before speaking his mind. “Do you love her?”

“Dear God! Where did love come from? I've only met her twice!”

“That's exactly my concern, hyung. How do you know whether you two will be a match? You don't know anything about her, just as she doesn't know anything about you.”

“Well, I suppose we will have to learn about each other after marriage.”

“But what if-”

“Kookie, I get what you're trying to say. But this is bigger than what my heart wants or chooses. As the crown prince, I have a duty to my country. And so does she. All of us have been born and raised to this life. And from the brief conversation I had with her, she seemed like a sensible and a polite person. I don't know about love, Kookie, but I'd be happy to settle for a companionship for now. Who knows, maybe time will bless us with something more.”

There was a silence for a few seconds, before Jungkook spoke up again. “I don't think I'll be able to do that.”

Junghyun chuckled lightly. “Well, I don't see why you have to.”

“But what if father decided to marry me off to form another alliance? What if one day he would come and say 'here, I picked this girl for you. Marry her!’, like that?”

Junghyun chuckled at the adorable pout of his younger brother. Jungkook may be past his adolescent years but at moments like these, he still seems like a baby.

“Not that father would ever dream of doing something like that, but if it does come to pass, I'll see to it that you will marry a person you like.”

“You promise?” Jungkook smiled softly. “Will you help me choose the person I want?”

“Oh dear, I hope I won't regret this promise.” Prince Junghyun laughed in mock dismay, as he raised a hand to ruffle his little brother's hair a bit. “But yes, you have my word.”

“Thank you, hyung.”

______________________________

“These lands stretch till the end of that hill, and it all belongs to lord Chen.” Taehyung emphasized what he was saying by raising his hand and pointing it towards the said hill. “He lets people work in the fields, but the pay is very less.”

Jungkook frowned at that. “Why does he not pay a fair wage for his workers?”

Taehyung shrugged. “People are greedy. They would hoard any and every riches they could possibly manage. Who cares if they do it at the expense of someone else's last meal?”

“The King would care.” Jungkook's voice was barely above a whisper.

Taehyung didn't comment on it. As for his personal opinion, he didn't think the king would give a fuck about the mere commoners like him. But he didn't want to say anything to offend Jungkook either. Taehyung didn't know the exact identity of his new friend, but he had seen enough and more signs to know that the young nobleman belonged somewhere at the very top.

While Taehyung let his thoughts wander, Jungkook gave a discreet look to Jimin, who understood it to be a command to have lord Chen in the palace soon. Jungkook will see to it that either the king or crown prince will take corrective measures for this.

“How about getting them new jobs?” Jungkook asked cautiously. “If the demand is high, lord Chen will be forced to pay a better wage.”

Taehyung chuckled at that. “There aren't jobs for all of us. People have to do whatever they can to earn a living. They would sow but people with power would reap. The world has been set like that for a long time, and it'll be like that for a long time more.”

Jungkook was deep in thoughts throughout the way back. Jimin didn't dare disturb him. He knew the harsh reality of the world would one day breach the bubble around the prince. And as much as he wanted to protect the prince from that blow, he knew it would come to pass.

True to his nature, Jungkook got the crown prince to investigate lord Chen’s mistreatment of his workers. Jungkook only had to pout and make his eyes extra big, and speak in a soft voice for the crown prince to take action against the Lord Chen. The latter was ordered to provide his workers with proper wages for their work, with a threat of banishing him from his lordship if he ever got caught with something like this.

That single threat was enough for other nobles to rethink their actions too. It wasn't much, but it was something.

When the word traveled, it reached Taehyung's ears too. It didn't exactly say who is responsible for such a change, but Taehyung knew.

He knew that whoever his new friend was, he sure had the power to make things happen.