sɴᴏᴡᴛᴀᴇ│ᴛᴋ [reposting]

.xɪɪɪ.

The drawing took up almost the whole page of the encyclopedia. The bird's long and graceful plumage was spread open behind it like a halo, or a crown of sorts. Jungkook would not stop staring, mesmerized by its magnificence.

"I guess its feathers make up for its behaviour," he said with a chuckle.

"What do you know of its behaviour," Namjoon asked, curious as to where the youngster had acquired the information if it wasn't from books.

"Tae called it a cocky bird."

The older read the definition printed above the illustration, mind racing.

"Hyung? What's wrong? You don't look well."

Namjoon wasn't listening as the words of the page kept dancing in front of his eyes.

Peacocks are such a rare species you will be hard-pressed to see any in the wild. They can be found exclusively in royal courtyards and gardens.

"Jungkook." The young dwarf shivered under the icy tone. He had never witnessed Namjoon so deeply agitated. "You must tell me everything you know about Taehyung. But first things first: do you know where he presently is?"

Jungkook gulped. "I — I don't."

༺ 🍎 ༻

All the way across the kingdom, a mirror shattered to pieces. "NOOOOOOO! This cannot be!"

The scattered shards were still reflecting the perfect profile of a sleeping boy, lying in the grass, a look of blissful ignorance on his face.

༺ 🍎 ༻

As the stars flickered into oblivion, the pale dawn spread across the sky. Moonshine shuddered under the morning dew. The prince stirred as a dewdrop dripped down his nose. His hands fumbled for the blanket which he pulled up over his shoulders.

Wait.

Blanket?

A pair of eyes shot wide open, looking around in confusion. The soreness in his rear for having slept on the ground brought everything back. Making sure his knife and bow — his only belongings — were still there, he got up to check on Moonshine, a little concerned neither of them had reacted to the presence of the stranger who had covered him. As expected, there was no one around.

He went to wash up and was just about finished with his morning ablutions when the sweetest scent hit his nostrils, making his stomach growl. Taehyung followed the delicious smell all the way to a small shack with a tiny smoking chimney and wondered how he had missed it the day before.

"Come in," said a quaking voice through the wooden door which he had just knocked on.

Taehyung turned the knob and stepped inside the hut. The fragrance was so strong the boy felt a little dizzy from all the sweetness in the air. Across the room, he could make out the bent silhouette of an old lady taking a pie out of the oven. "You're right on time!" she chortled.

"On time?"

"You're here for breakfast, aren't you?"

"Actually, I'm here to return your blanket. It is yours, is it not?"

"Oh how sweet of you."

"I'm the one who should thank you."

"No need. Come. Sit down and put something in that empty tummy of yours."

The young man had no reason to argue so he did as told. It did not take long for the small table to brim over with a variety of breads, pudding, beignets, steamed eggs and cottage cheese.

"Well, go on then! Dig in."

The hungry boy did not need to be told twice and took a bite out of a honey-glazed roll. "This is really good! I've never had such a feast in my life," he admitted innocently.

As he was relishing his first porridge-free breakfast in a long time, the prince thought it wise to keep this large meal to himself, not wishing Jin hyung's feelings to get hurt at the prospect of him enjoying someone else's scrumptious food.

"Do eat to your heart's content," pipped her host, placing a bowl of fresh strawberries on the already overflowing table.

Eyeing the red fruits, Taehyung smiled with his mouth full. "Ha'en't had shraw'erries in fo'ever!"

"They're in season."

"Not where I come from."

"And where is this place that doesn't have strawberries in spring?"

Taehyung looked up from his plate, slightly dazed. "It's — uh — it's over by the — lonely mountain."

"Is that so?"

The old woman poured him a tall glass of milk which he drank in one draught. "I think I'm full," he confessed, a little confused as to why the dishes were still stacked with food for he was quite certain he had just emptied half of them a moment ago.

"Very well. I'll bring out dessert."

The boy was positive he would burst if he put another spoonful in his mouth. "Really, I'm fine."

"Don't be silly. Dessert is the best part of the meal. We always have room for dessert," she insisted, placing a slice of butter pie in front of the replete young man who couldn't muster the will to protest.

"You can tell I have a sweet tooth, can you not?" The old lady started giggling, showing off her one and only incisor. "It's the only one I have left and I care about it," she added with her edentulous smirk.

Taehyung had found her rather endearing until she put her face awfully close to his. "You look like candy to me. I could just eat you up!"

That's when the boy figured he had overstayed his welcome. "I'd better get going. They'll be worried."

"They? And who would they be?"

"They — my friends — my — ." The young man rubbed in temples in an attempt to remember where he had to be. He knew someone was waiting for him somewhere — it was just a matter of recalling whom, and where.

"You could stay another day or two. That is, until you remember where it is you have to go."

The offer sounded fair enough so Taehyung agreed, having no clear reason to object. What he could not have foreseen was that the days would turn into weeks.

And the weeks, into months.

—

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