Something was brewing, and you could feel it in the air. The last three days, the princes had thankfully left you alone. You were grateful for the opportunity to explore the now clean east wing in silence. You had even managed to locate the small library on the top floor, which still held some ink and parchment.
Despite the peaceful silence and time to relax, you were still slightly uneasy. You didn't like not knowing what was going on, especially when seven murderous princes were involved. You shuddered every time you thought of them. Even your skin still burned in the spots where Hoseok had held you while he kissed you.
In your time alone, when you weren't exploring your new home, you were in your bedroom practicing your acting. You were nearly finished with perfecting your serene smile, and you had practiced smiling and acting like you were in love in front of a dress that you pretended was Hoseok. You steeled yourself and pushed away the depressive thoughts, focusing on the end-goal: feed them the potion and escape.
On the fourth day alone, your quiet environment was disturbed by the sound of two pairs of footsteps, which were rapidly approaching the library that you were lounging in. A few seconds later, and Jungkook burst through the door with Jimin directly behind him.
Their eyes scanned the room quickly until they landed on you, and their faces lit up with excitement. "Y/N!" Jimin cried, pushing past his younger brother. You shook the shock away quickly and put up a happy facade, allowing the slender blonde to pull you into a tight hug.
"Jimin, what brings you both here?" You asked into his shoulder. He smelled faintly of fruit and spices, the smell not yet overpowering although it was beginning to make your nose itch. Jimin pulled you in impossibly tighter and sighed in contentment.
"Namjoon finally gave us permission to visit you." He mumbled into your hair. "Jin wanted to go first, but we distracted him with Lady Woong instead. I'm pretty sure he's going to try and kill us when he finally manages to escape from that witch's claws."
Jungkook snorted at that, before he pulled Jimin away from you. He embraced you in a hug that was just as tight as Jimin's, his thicker arms feeling strangely more comforting. "I'll just tell him that it was your idea, Jimin." He joked, ignoring the hard slap that his older brother delivered to his side.
"Well, I'm afraid I'm a bit of a bore..." You mumbled awkwardly. While these two weren't as terrifying as the others, you were still nervous around them. They seemed easy to manipulate of course, which meant that it would be beneficial to get close to them...however, they were still related to the other, sick and twisted brothers. The messed up mindsets had to run in the family...
Just make the best of it. You groaned to yourself. It could always be worse. It could be Taehyung and Namjoon alone in a room with you instead of these two...you shuddered at the thought of the two princes who obviously didn't trust you. They'd probably kill me if they were given the chance to.
You gently pushed Jungkook away and straightened out your pale green dress, your face burning under their heavy gazes. "I'm a bit boring...however, I could ask Isabella to make us some tea?" You offered, moving towards a small table near one of the large windows.
The view wasn't very spectacular, with the sky being overcast and the greenery still being dead from the winter chill. However, you had managed to practice pushing forward a brighter, sunnier version of yourself that would surely draw the two brothers even deeper into their love for you. The more distracted and in the clouds they were, the easier it would be to use them.
"Why would you ask for your maid to make you something?" Jimin asked, plopping down in one of the softer-looking blue chairs. "She serves you, you should be ordering her. Her service is satisfactory, right?"
You nodded quickly, waving your hands in front of you. "Y-yes, of course! She's great! I just-Manners?" You stuttered out. The last thing that you wanted was for one of the brothers to lay their hands on Isabella next.
Jungkook plopped down on the sofa across from Jimin and pulled you down next to him. You barely managed to miss his lap, although judging by the disappointed expression on his face you assumed that's where he wanted you to go. "Wow, you're so kind-hearted." He said, smiling at you. "I'm so glad that my future wife is so sweet."
Jimin grinned, his eyes turning into crescents. "Yeah, it's a whole lot better than Lady Woong, huh?" He asked. He and Jungkook both laughed at his statement, confusing you.
"I'm sorry, but isn't Lady Woong engaged to Seokjin?" You asked. "Is she not a good person?" You had never encountered the Lady, so you had no idea what she was like. Judging from Jungkook and Jimin's reactions however, she must not have been very enjoyable company.
Jungkook pulled you closer to him and sighed. "Lady Woong is a snake. She wants to be Queen so bad, it's obvious she'd do anything for the title." He said. Jimin nodded, his face full of disdain.
"She doesn't even know how to run a country." The blonde said. "She just wants to be Queen for the riches and fame, not because she knows what she's doing. Joon nearly lost his mind when he first met her and realized just how stupid she was."
So Namjoon likes smarter women then? You thought to yourself. That was one way that you could win him over...study books, become more educated...Jungkook began to laugh loudly, startling you.
"Remember when she cornered Namjoon and he kept looking across the room at us?" He wheezed, tears forming in his eyes. You moved away slightly to give him more space to jerk around, Jimin joining him in obnoxious laughter.
"The faces he was making!" Jimin cried, a huge smile on his face. They continued to reference moments from a night that you obviously hadn't been present for while you sat and waited awkwardly.
Even though you knew that you would never be able to love the two men in front of you, you couldn't help but to admit that they were quite handsome. Of all the men who could have been connected to you, you were given younger men with straight teeth and pretty features. It was most definitely better than smelly old men who gave you slimy, sickening smiles.
Your soulmates were handsome. However, they were not necessarily the best possible companions. Namjoon and Taehyung hated you and both would most likely want to kill you if left alone. While you were still trying to formulate a plan to win them over, they most likely were deciding how to kill you without getting caught by their brothers.
Hoseok was terrifyingly obsessed and had already proved that he would commit unspeakable acts without any remorse. Even though he was obviously attempting to spoil you with good food, pretty dresses, and your own wing, he still had blood on his hands.
Jimin forced you to watch the murder of those who you cared about, and even considered it a "suitable" punishment. Of course, he was kind to you on the way back to the palace, and the way that he looked at you now as he giggled at his brother's jokes filled you with a slight warmth that you couldn't explain...
Seokjin, you barely knew anything about. Apparently, he had joined forces with Hoseok to bring you back to the palace, which meant that he knew that the people who you were close with were murdered. But the way he spoke to you at the ritual made you feel like he was less dangerous and more easy to be around compared to the aforementioned siblings.
Yoongi had tried to maul you on sight during your first meeting, but then had given you his precious music box shortly after in order to comfort you. He had been willing to give you information about Alice, and had also avoided heavy physical contact after the attempted stabbing.
Jungkook was the only sibling to not murder anyone, hurt you, threaten to hurt you, or threaten to hurt another person over you. Of all the brothers, Jungkook was the one that you felt the most comfortable with. But Isabella's warning at the Winter Ball, which felt like years ago, reminded you that he was more dangerous than he looked.
Your gaze moved from the faces of your soulmates over to the window. You stared at the gray scenery as your mind began to drift. Your plans were going too slow, you needed to see the head healer as soon as possible. If you knew when the next blood moon was, then you could figure out how long you had to win over the other princes. You didn't know how many blood moons occurred in a year. You didn't want to risk missing the first one just to find out that the next one would be whole year away. You wouldn't be able to handle it. The princes had only been in your presence for less than a half-an-hour and you were already tired of the comfortable facade that you were putting up.
You weren't just worried about your own sanity, either. The last thing that you wanted was for one of the princes to hurt Alice again just to force you into doing something. Or for them to use Isabella as leverage in case you finally lost it and started to act out.
You tore yourself from your thoughts and interrupted Jimin and Jungkook's conversation. "When can I see the head healer again?" You blurted out. Both men looked at you in confusion, causing you to realize your mistake. You didn't have a solid reason as to why you would need to see her that didn't revolve around getting rid of them.
"I was unaware that you needed to see her in the first place." Jimin said, leaning forward. He touched your forehead lightly, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Are you feeling unwell? Your head doesn't feel particularly warm."
Jungkook gently grabbed your chin and tilted your face towards him, and examined you closely. "You don't look sick either. Don't tell me one of my brother's told you about her fortune telling abilities?" He sighed. "If that's why you want to see her, then don't bother. I went to her a year ago and she told me that I'd turn out like Tae; with an unquenchable thirst for blood."
Jimin rolled his eyes at that. "Yeah, she said the same to me. If she wanted to insinuate that the royal family truly are just blood-thirsty monsters than she should have just admitted it plainly." He grumbled. "Either way, you may not go to the head healer. If mother and father see you out and about..." He shook his head. "It's just too risky."
You racked your brain for a quick excuse. "Well, I - uh, it's not because I want my fortune told." You began, cringing at how uncertain your voice sounded. "I wanted - I needed to go b-because she - well usually head healers know about - they know when a woman can have - " Your face burned as you tried to get the words out. You were embarrassed and reluctant to put any ideas in their heads, but it seemed to be the quickest solution to get your way. "I want to know when I'll be most fertile." You finally said.
Jungkook's face turned redder than a cranberry as he gently pushed you away. Jimin's cheeks also turned pink, however his face split into a huge grin. "Y/N..." He said softly. "You're thinking ahead...why didn't you say that in the first place?" He asked.
You looked away, trying to pass your disgusted embarrassment off as shyness. "If I can't go now, then when?" You asked. "What if I'm already close to passing that time?"
Jungkook was still flustered, and barely able to get a single coherent word out. But Jimin was all for the idea. Whether it was because he truly wanted children or because he just wanted to have sex, you didn't know. He came to sit next to you and pulled you into his side comfortingly.
"Soon." He said softly, stroking your hair. Soon? What about the King and Queen? You thought to yourself in confusion. You asked Jimin what he meant by that, and he stiffened. "Oh, don't worry about it sweetheart." He said quickly, pulling you closer.
"Maybe we should j-just tell her." Jungkook spoke up, finally managing to speak clearly. "After all, we're doing it for her in the first place." Doing what for me? You were beginning to grow frustrated.
"No, we shouldn't." Jimin said firmly. You pushed yourself away from him and stood, turning to face the brothers. You crossed your arms and let your kind mask slip away slowly.
"Tell me what?" You asked, giving them stern looks. Jimin and Jungkook looked at each other first, before looking back to you. A smirk spread across Jimin's lips as he looked you up and down, further irritating you.
"Wow, Y/N. I like seeing this side of you too. I wonder how long it would take to break you when you're in one of these moods." He said. A shudder ran down your spine at his statement. Break as in torture? Or as in... You shook your head, holding down a gag.
Jungkook wasn't in the mood for his brother's taunts either. He stood and gave one last look at his brother before he sighed. "Y/N, there's only one way that we can ensure that you stay at the castle with us, safely." He began. Dread began to pool into your stomach.
Jimin stood and smacked his brother's arm roughly, but it didn't stop Jungkook from taking a deep breath and explaining to you their plan. "We've agreed that it's time for the King and Queen's reign to end. We're going to kill them and allow Namjoon to take the throne."
The shock struck you like a bolt of lightning. Your arms fell to your sides as you stared at the youngest prince in horror. "Y-you're going to murder your parents?" You asked incredulously. That was the wrong reaction to have in Jimin's presence.
His lip curled immediately as he glared down at you. "They're awful people. You have no room to judge us for getting rid of the very people who would kill you on sight if they found out that you were here." He said to you. "So maybe you should wipe that look off of your face and replace it with gratefulness."
Jimin's complete change of attitude threw you off, and you backed away. Shit. You groaned to yourself. I messed up. How do I fix this? You bowed your head slightly. "I'm sorry..." You murmured, trying to push aside the horror that you felt. "I didn't mean to seem ungrateful."
Jimin was silent for a moment, before he scoffed. "Jungkook, I'm leaving. Hopefully the next time we visit, Y/N will have learned just how much we're doing in order to protect her." He said, before he turned and exited the room. Jungkook placed his hand on your shoulder gently, causing you to flinch.
"I understand why you may be shocked, but please understand that we're doing this to keep you safe." He mumbled. "This kingdom also needs change, something that Namjoon can bring. He's smart and rules fairly, something that our father never learned how to do. Please understand."
He leaned forward as if he wanted to plant a kiss onto your head, but changed his mind at the last second. He left the room a few moments later, leaving you in the silence once again.
Your mind was reeling at the thought of yet another killing because of you. You collapsed onto the sofa and ran your hands through your hair. "God, I need to get the hell away from these men!" You groaned to yourself. You didn't know how much more you could take.
You could only act for so long before you slipped up majorly. You didn't want to imagine what they would do to you if they found out that your love truly was an act the entire time.