Royal Pain | PJM • slow updates

Chapter 14

A day had passed in a blur of haste and scrambling. The castle staff had been working frantically from dusk til dawn to combat the incessant storm; what was believed to be a simple rain shower had become a low-grade hurricane. Strong winds had blown open improperly-latched windows, allowing for the castle interior to become soaked and soiled.

All hands had been on deck in an effort to restore the castle's conditions after ensuring all windows were locked and sealed, which meant that Eunjae had had no time to see Jimin after their last encounter to begin her new duties. Even guards had been busy assisting the inner staff in any way they could, lugging heavy debris away amongst other tasks. After the long day of work, Eunjae and Chaeyoung had collapsed from exhaustion in their shared room and immediately passed out.

They woke the next morning to less brutal winds, thankfully, and the rain had lightened up as well. The pair had volunteered to be up early to scope the remaining damage and give others a chance to rest. Quickly, they readied themselves and head out.

Most of the hallways, they surveyed, seemed clear for the most part. Save for some leftovers piles of dust, the castle staff had worked rather diligently the other day. Eunjae and Chaeyoung rounded the next corner expecting a similar sight.

What beheld them was shocking.

A painting of Jimin sat in a throne, his mother and father each standing behind him with a hand on his shoulder, was slashed relentlessly. The painting itself now lay on the floor in its torn state beside a pool of red substance—blood?—while the words 'SURRENDER THE CROWN' were scraped into the wall where it previously hung. Chaeyoung cupped her hands over her mouth as her eyes widened.

"Who could have done this?" She wondered with a shuddering voice.

Eunjae shrugged as she moved closer to inspect the scene. She tested all of the windows and confirmed they were all still tightly shut. There were no signs of breaking and entering anywhere else they'd examined, and she was confident that guards would've been on top of any intruders.

"I don't know, but whoever it was was already inside the castle." Eunjae concluded.

Chaeyoung nervously fiddled with a strand of hair. "What makes you say that?"

Eunjae's eyes continued along the corridor before landing on Chaeyoung. "There are no signs of a break-in, there was no commotion from any guards, it was all too easy. This must have been planned for a while, and whoever it was used the mess from the storm to their advantage."

Chaeyoung hummed. "So, they snuck in while the guards were busy helping us?" She questioned.

Eunjae bit her lip and shook her head. "No, I think this must've been in the works before that. No one could have predicted that storm."

Chaeyoung nodded and fell silent for a moment. "So what now?" She wondered worriedly.

Eunjae met her gaze with a hard one. "Now, we tell Jungkook and alert the castle. Whoever it was could still be here."

=*=

Back in Eunjae's hometown, one young woman was plagued with worry. She was troubled on what to do and how to assist her friend.

Lisa had thought that maybe, by some miracle, Eunjae could have escaped, but surely if she had been able to her friend would have returned home by now. Immediately after she'd fled the scene, Lisa had waited the rest of the day for Eunjae's return. When it hadn't happened, she had to visit Sungjae to fabricate some falsehood so as not to panic the young boy. She'd spent her time gathering enough provisions to last Eunjae's family for some time, as well as her mother, so long as they consumed them sparingly.

Now days after the incident, Lisa was distressed and stricken with concern. Her options were very limited, and knowing how heavily guarded the royal castle was she knew a possible heist was beyond her capabilities.

She had come up with one plausible option, one that would most likely prove successful.

Lisa wandered up the lengthy dirt path leading to the rather large building, clutching her cloak tightly around her as she battled harsh winds and pelting rain drops. The building was simple, with only one window and a false door. It was merely a decoy, that didn't actually open, to throw people off the radar. She'd only been here a handful of times before, but she knew her situation was out of her hands.

Lisa rounded to the back of the building, walking up to the metal bulkhead doors that protruded out of the ground. She slid her hands against the damp back wall of the house, feeling for the desired panel. Once she felt it, she flipped it open and tugged on the string, knowing it would sound a bell within the building to send someone up.

Not a minute later, the bulkhead doors were thrown open and a tall man emerged. Once his gaze fell on Lisa's sopping form, he smiled.

"Long time no see."

The handsome man then turned back around and descended the stairs, knowing the young woman would follow suit. Lisa made sure to shut and lock the doors before entering the space.

A woman greeted her at the bottom of the steps and Lisa immediately rushed over to her to pull her into a quick hug, not minding her dampened state.

"Lisa, what's the matter?" The woman asked, since Lisa's visit was quite unexpected.

Lisa's determined eyes burned into the other woman's.

"Unnie, I need your help."

=*=

wowow i expected this update to come out a lot sooner than it did so i apologize