Hold My Hand - A Taekook Love Story.

14 - This Is What You Chose..

“I'm in love with him.”

A pin-drop silence followed that declaration. A minister gasped loudly, a second too late to cover his mouth to stop due to being shocked. The crown prince gripped his seat so tightly, that his knuckles were turning white. Jimin closed his eyes momentarily, before opening them up again with a resigned look.

But the three people who are at the core of that declaration, didn't react in the slightest. The king and Jungkook were staring at each other, neither showing any sign of backing down, while Taehyung kept his head hung low. He was silently praying for all this to be a nightmare created by his wandering mind and was hoping to wake up, any minute now.

“Prince Jungkook.” The king had never addressed Jungkook in such a cold manner, no matter what mischief he was up to. “Do you understand the gravity of what you just said?”

“Forgive me, father. But it was you who forced my hand.” Jungkook's answering voice didn't betray any of the turmoil he was feeling in his heart. “It was a secret that I would have taken to my grave. It was you who didn't leave well enough alone.”

“Is that so?” The King's response was calm and even, before he raised his hand to command the guards standing near Taehyung.

“Take him to the dungeon.”

“Father, please-” Jungkook panicked and took a few steps towards Taehyung, to block the guards from approaching the latter. “He is not at fault. I did this, it's me-”

“Quiet!” The King raised his voice to his younger son for the first time. “Unless you want to join him there.”

“Father-”

“What are you waiting for?! Take him away right now!”

Taehyung didn't struggle as the two guards grabbed his forearms and lifted him to his feet. If anything, he was grateful for the support, for his legs had lost all their functioning power and was resembling two noodle strings. His heart was yearning to look at Jungkook, but he didn't have the courage for the same. So he just let himself be dragged away.

Jungkook watched helplessly, knowing very well that there was nothing he could do at this moment to help Taehyung. But he would be damned if he didn't go down without a fight.

“Father, please. What are you gonna do to him?”

“You tell me, prince! Is there anything that I can do that will not result in this death? If what you said about not intending to pursue anything with him, then I suppose it won't make much of a difference whether he is dead or alive, don't you think?”

“You can let him go. Let him continue with his simple life, as he would if I had not crossed paths with him!”

“I'm afraid that's not possible now. I can't let him become a threat to you or the royal family?”

“Is that all you care about?” Jungkook hastily wiped a trail of tears that was running down his cheeks. “The royal family? You would kill an innocent man, just to eliminate a threat that has not even occurred yet?”

“Yes, I would.” The King answered with a nod. “You matter to me. My family matters to me.”

“Then I would rather not be part of such a family.”

For the first time, the carefully crafted mask of indifference slipped out from the King's face. “W-what?”

“I don't wanna be part of a family which would so easily disregard the value of a human life.” Jungkook's hands were shaking but his voice was steady. “Remove me from the family. Banish me, exile me, do whatever you want! But please know this, father. The moment you take his life, I will join him in the afterlife too.”
  
    
  
   
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Taehyung was tossed into the furthest cell in the dungeon. It was dark, with no windows for sunlight. The air felt suffocating a bit, indicating that there isn't a good ventilation process either. It didn't look like that this particular part of the dungeon was used regularly. He was not given any food or drinks, even after a few hours passed, nor he had seen anyone else after the guards left. The only way to measure the passing of time was the gradually increasing cold. And with the way his body started to shiver a bit, Taehyung was sure it was night time now.