Betrothed to the Cold Prince || Taehyung Fanfic || ROYAL AU

Chapter 20:: Pretty

Author's POV: 

The look in his eyes, the firm face and the way his hands wrapped around your waist tightly, yet making sure it wasn't too tight. Just enough so you wouldn't get up and run away.

Everything right now made your heart race. You recalled the memories from today and looked down. He got to know, after all. 

"Why did you lie?" He asked, his voice soft. He didn't seem angry but he just... looked... so. Somewhat, normal. You didn't know why. Maybe he was faking it. 
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to know that." You spoke in a low voice as he took a deep breath, "You have every right to know though." 
"Huh?" Seeing your confused face, he said, "You're my wife, the princess of this country and the family. You can know and you should. It's just that we didn't tell you."
You let your hands rest on his shoulder, slowly wrapping them around his neck. 
It was as if this was the most natural thing to do. 

"Would you share your story with me then?" You asked as he stared at you, "You want to know?" 
You hummed, smiling softly at him. You smiled at him so often, all day. Whether it was a happy or excited one, a sad or comforting one, you always gave him your smiles. And he was grateful for that. Because it was as if you smiled the smiles for you and him together. 

And it made him want to smile more, with you, beside you, together. 

He sighed, "Do you remember the night we both got drunk on the terrace?" 
You nodded, "I remember the things when I was drunk too.." 
He hummed, "There was one thing I didn't tell you. When I pestered my father too much as a child or... expressed how I felt, he thought I was annoying. He used to say my smile is ugly and fake, like the internet later on said. He said I was a pest and if they didn't have me, they wouldn't have to worry about these... political things. I don't know how that's even relevant. He used my mother to get more political influence as my mother's family was the most powerful one after the royals. But after having me and when mother refused to arrange for me to be Mr Lee's daughter, the King got upset. In the end, his true colours got revealed."

He took a deep breath amidst all the talking as you slowly drew circles on his shoulder, soothing them while listening to him. He was telling you his story, sharing a piece of his life with you. And for some reason, you felt as if you could see those moments in front of you, flashing right in front of your eyes.

"Mother was depressed once she got to know that the King had been deceiving her. Later, he started being even worse. To the point, he brought women to the palace. Rumours were created, and his actions were exposed but he covered them up with all the political help. My mother's father... himself helped the King. After all, if divorced, my mother would go through a problem later on. She'd be tainted. Though it was the King's fault. Fearing this, my granddad helped him and thus, he was saved. But he didn't bother. He kept bringing women, even though I and Jungkook saw it ourselves. Mother tried to shape him like the 'perfect King who was busy working' to Jungkook but later on, he got to know." 

He was staring at something else as you were looking at him, leaning in closer. 

"And you?" He looked at you, something sad igniting in his eyes. 

"I've grown up seeing these since I was 5." 
"Taehyung..." You felt your heart crack with every word he just spat out. You stared at him as he continued, "I didn't get it at first. I thought father had numerous wives... and I had a lot of mothers? I don't know. I just thought that way but when I was 11, I got to know about some stuff and understood the point. One day, mother was scolding me suddenly, she was just... mad about things you know, she was mentally upset again. She told me I'd turn out like my father because I didn't know how to smile. I was just as cold as him and... heartless. So that day, I thought that I'd never marry someone and ruin their lives, turn them into what my mother had turned into like my father. That's why I never wanted to marry you either. And I always distanced myself."