Royal Duty [Minjoon]

21st part

"This can't be right. He wouldn't.... I mean, I hired him. My father acknowledged him, there is no way he could have done this. Where would he even get the herbs!? When would he have the time to make this? He has been working hard and busily everyday since his promotion."

"Son, I dare you to question the princess any further." The deep voice of his father rang through the courtyard, heads from all the spectators were turned frantically at the new arrival. "Your majesty." The princess gasped, before she hurriedly bowed before him, the prince following suit. It might be a tense situation, but there was no need to further complicate it by not following common courtesy. "Father, please tell them that it's not true. It can't be. He has proven his loyalty to the kingdom before your very eyes." The king looked serious, eyes much darker than the prince had seen them lately. It had been a while since the king had been mad with him, rather he had been very pleased due to the prince's cooperation related to their arranged marriage.

"I would have loved to tell you otherwise son, but your fiancee is correct. That servant is a traitor." "Father!" The prince exclaimed, getting up from his bowed position. "How can you say that? You said yourself that he is a good worker." Confused was the best word to explain how the prince felt at that moment. Why were everybody suddenly contradicting themselves? The king sighed, almost painfully. He did look pained, the prince thought. It had been quite a while since the last time he had seen his father walk and stand continuously for such a long period before. Usually he saw the other man sitting down at any opportune moment. "You can't make such moronic accusations with no proof!" He yelled at his father, feeling no remorse despite the other man's pain.

"Jimin, I am warning you to use such a tone with me!" The king spat, eyebrows turning to those of anger. Jimin could feel the princess shift uncomfortably from where she stood next to him. "Sorry, father." He stated, bowing once again to his father. There was no room for a familial fight right now, he knew that. Namjoon was getting dragged further and further away by the minute.

"Now, if you had let me finish, you would have known that there indeed is proof of these findings." Jimin felt his eyes grow wide at his father's words. There was proof?

"There have been multiple reports of suspicious activity coming from his mother's home during his break. One report even stated that he brought flowers and plants in. It is possible that he was starting to run out of premade herb bags and that he needed to stock up." The prince couldn't believe what his father was saying. If that was true, then that really meant that Namjoon was evil? That he had been using him?

The realization of the events over the past few months dawned upon him like a thundering wave lightning, stretching its electrical fingers out to grab a hold, and entrap every part of him. When put into perspective, Namjoon had been the only person he felt that particular way about. Even if he had not previously fallen in love with women because he liked men, why would Namjoon be the only man he had ever liked? The fact that the servant liked men too.... What would the odds be? Unless of course, The prince chuckled bitterly, Namjoon indeed was the only one who liked men. There are almost no homosexual males, and for two of them to randomly meet? It was not an act of fate....Namjoon really had been a sorcerer all along. The man whom he had entrusted his heart and soul to had simply been toying with him, playing with his heartstrings all along only to rip them apart and leave him helpless at his own wish.

Jimin felt his heart break into a million pieces. Tears prickling at the back of his eyes. He had never loved anyone like that ever before, yet somehow, this love had been nothing but a scheme. Magic, and no matter how absolutely crushed he was, he could not help but feel beyond infuriated. His eyes went over the struggling man once again and despite his heart's desperate pleas of the contrary, he stared darkly into the other man's eyes, a tear running down his cheek through his fuming anger.

"Take him to the dungeons." He told the guards venomously. Never in his life before had he ever heard his own voice sound so scary, so dark, so emotionless. "He will be executed at dawn." The man in the guards' arms went limp, eyes opening wide in shock and disbelief. Tears falling down his cheeks as well in absolute hurt.

"M-my lord." The servant whimpered. "Why?" "Take him away." Jimin said, no longer managing to look at the other man any more. It was all to painful. To believe that this was the man he thought he had loved and that it had all been a plot, trickery and a scheme. His promoted servant was a sorcerer, a quisling, a man whom one should never let rule the kingdom. Kim Namjoon was no longer a man he could trust. No, he never had been.

The other man sobbed and thrashed harshly as he was forced away, and Jimin could hear him yell something over and over as their distance grew. "Goodbye Namjoon." He said lowly to himself, heart hurting in a way he never knew it could. Knowing very well that he would never look at the other man ever again.

Maybe that was for the better? He sighed, looking at the princess who still had her head down, own tears running down her cheeks. The prince nodded. Yes, it was for the better. No more distractions. He was a prince, his father's only heir and he could now primarily focus on his one and only royal duty.

(Kind of bad chapter. Hasn't really been proofread, but oh, well. Enjoy :))