"Jimin-Ah, wake up," Yoongi lightly patted his face, attempting to wake up the fading lord.
Jimin's eyes fluttered, light peeking through before his lips curled into a smile.
"Hey handsome"
"Aiiish Jiminnie not now, His highness," he groaned, side-eyeing Namjoon, "is upset with me for following you and listening to the conversation."
Namjoon rolled his eyes, beginning to open his mouth before getting a sharp elbow to the side from his husband.
"Ow!" He rubbed his hip, grimacing, "What was that for?"
"So you didn't say anything stupid. This is a sensitive moment. Jimin needs time and we have to respect that," Jin chided him, slapping his shoulder lightly.
Namjoon frowned, whispering, "I haven't even started talking about the treaty. Yoongi isn't supposed to know yet. We were on our way to go look at it and he goes and faints."
Jin clamped his hand down on Namjoon's wrist, "I swear Joon, you have no common sense sometimes. Be a little more observant. The boy was just told he was going to be offered up to the prince of the ENEMY kingdom. It can wait for a few minutes."
Namjoon laid his head on Jin's shoulder, sliding his hand upward to clasp Jin's and rub his thumb over it.
"You're right, I'm sorry. Just a little stressed."
"This probably isn't a good time, but I'm here too," a cheerful voice sounded, Hoseok's head popping out from behind a pillar.
"I may as well not have even removed Jimin from the room," Namjoon's frustrated voice gave up, running his free hand across his forehead.
Hoseok was not smiling, clearly frustrated about something.
"Why in God's name would we ever have to do anything for the kingdom that attacked US?! I didn't give up good men fighting last night just to send Jimin to marry the son of a bitch!"
Namjoon sighed, standing up straight again, shrugging his shoulders and looking down at the marble floor. Yoongi had never seen the brilliant man look so confused and- defeated. He did not expect such an outcome from WINNING a fight.
Jimin was still smiling upward at Yoongi, who was glaring at the kings, confused at even the possibility that they would have to give something like that up.
"Just.... Well why don't you come and read it yourself," Namjoon pleaded, leading the five of them to his study, the room that saw more of the King than any other place on earth.
Their steps echoed down the hall, Jimin's slightly less bright, due to them being held up by Yoongi's temporarily strong grip.
"Jimin, I can't drag you like this, are you conscious yet??" Yoongi groaned, starting to struggle to hold both him and the young lord up, straggling behind the large strides of the much taller kings.
"I kind of hope that this is just a dream," Jimin finally spoke, his weight slightly lifting from Yoongi's aching shoulder as he began to take his own steps, finally coming back down to earth.
"Sorry babe," Yoongi breathed, instantly regretting the latter word, blushing quickly and avoiding contact with Jimin after his slip of the tongue.
They finally reached the study as Jimin regained his ability to function like a human, and Namjoon practically tossed a crisp letter at Yoongi as he collapsed in his chair, still holding the hand of his husband.
The serious lord scanned a scribe's handwriting, the Anti royal seal plastered at the bottom of the ostentatious letter, followed by the large, unmissable signature of King Taemin.
Damn Taemin was giving up a lot.
Not only would the Antis give up the Diamond mine, but if any of their people chose to attack it again, they would take full responsibility and repay the Kim Kingdom tenfold for any damage. They also gave up any right to own it ever again.
It seemed too good to be true.
One sentence however, jumped out to him, reading,
"We only request the presence of a representative of the Kim family at our Prince Jeno's selection ceremony. As the Prince Taehyung is already betrothed, this duty would pass to the next eligible noble in line for the throne. For this treaty to take full effect, we request that this be complete before any relinquishing of the rights to the mine."
Everyone on the planet knew that the Park family, the most powerful and largest estate in the Kim Kingdom was next in line, leaving the bachelor Park Jimin to take up the duty as representative of the Kims.
"You can't be serious. Jimin is ALL THEY WANT. What the fuck do they want with him. It make NO POLITICAL SENSE," Yoongi started yelling without realizing, his tightening grip wrinkling the curling letters on the page.
"Yoongs..." Jimin interrupted.
"I mean, THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ATTACKED US! What gives them the right..."
"MIN YOONGI SHUT UP FOR TWO SECONDS," the now conscious lord spoke firmly, effectively silencing the other four in the sun streamed study just before Hoseok opened his mouth.
Jimin breathed deeply, four pairs of concerned eyes staring him down.
"If it is better for the kingdom that I spend a mere 6 months in the Anti kingdom in a stupid ceremony that I probably won't get selected in then.... I... I wouldn't mind."
The four closed jaws opened in sync, and Yoongi's heartbeat could be heard by someone a mile away.
"Well, that was unexpected. We will discuss with you parents of course, Jimin, but this certainly makes it easier. It's not set in stone yet," Jin finally spoke up, his calm voice bouncing off of Yoongi's ears.
Jimin would be gone for 6 months.
And potentially betrothed to another prince at the end of it.
He shook his head, trying to clear it of intrusive thoughts not appropriate for such a delicate situation.
Jimin was not his to claim.
No strings attached.
He returned to his military stature, his mind closing off the part of him that would beg Jimin to stay, plead with him to reconsider, and pour his heart out to the man of his dreams. He tore his eyes from the figure next to him and steeled his mind to become the practical man he once was.
"So what do we offer Taemin instead?" Lord Min asked coldly, Hoseok tilting his head, sensing the change in Yoongi's behavior and tone.
"I don't know. I really don't know what can replace our presence at a selection ceremony. It is tradition, and the last time there was a choosing ceremony for Prince Yuta, Taehyung was too young to participate. Why do you think we pushed so hard for Tae to find a partner at his 21stbirthday? Chances are that Taemin has already chosen who he wants Jeno to wed anyway. It's probably Prince Jackson or Prince Jaebum from JYP anyway. I don't think we should worry," Namjoon rambled, sounding like he was trying to convince himself that Jimin would not be wandering into a political pit of snakes, offering himself up to the twisted palace of the Antis and the requests of a ruthless, cunning king whose only goal was to further the success of his kingdom.
"Your highness, it's fine, really. It's not like there's anything really keeping me here," Jimin sighed, not daring to make eye contact with Yoongi, "It'll be fun. A new environment will be good," he weakly smiled, looking down at the ground.
Knives.
It felt like knives were piercing through Yoongi's heart.
Jimin truly felt nothing when he said no strings attached.
Yoongi coughed, turning away so that in case he revealed his disappointment, no one would notice. He quickly raised his hand to wipe the wetness leaking from his eye.
"It's settled then," Jimin said definitively, before stalking out of the study, practically dashing to his room before his courageous façade broke down and fear overcame him once again.
.............................................
(A/N): I'm sorry it took me so long to update! This story is much more complex than the last one and we have to get through all this boring stuff first! We'll get there eventually ;). Thanks for sticking it out w/ me. ~ KM ❤️