The new beginning
"What do you want?" I hissed, stepping back while trying to keep calm on the inside.
The man looked even more intimidating than those few days back. With his pale skin, dark hair in a great mess and obvious dark circles under his eyes, he looked like he went through a lot lately, not that I was pitying him or anything.
"Let's not be rude little girl," he threatened with an unsettling scowl, "I believe you owe me something." his words caused cold shivers to run up my back, my cool composure slowly crumbling to pieces.
"What?" I muttered, circling my arms around myself tightly, "I don't owe you anyth-"
"Because of you, I lost my post in the advisors' group!" he snarled loudly, nearing me now at a quicker pace, "They lowered my pay and I'm not getting benefits anymore! All because of you!" he roared, my breath hitching in my throat at his sharp exclaims. I felt the temperature of my body lowering rapidly, alarming me of the situation I was in.
I gaped at him in shock, feeling my body begin to shudder in terror.
I thought the king took care of this guy already.
"I-" I sputtered quietly, not knowing what to do nor say to get myself out of this.
"Karma is a bitch, now you're going to pay back you little slut." I grimaced at the insult he threw my way, my fingers already digging into my skin painfully.
"Nothing's my fault, you brought this upon yourself!" I yelled, my high-pitched exclaim resonating around the soulless corridors loudly.
I could only hope someone had heard me.
"Shut it!" he hissed before pushing me against the wall harshly, my breath getting stuck in my lungs from the sudden force. I yelped once my head made harsh contact with the wall behind me, Mr Cho already standing only a few inches away by now.
"S-stop it! No!" I shrieked, feeling his chest push against mine. Struggling, I tried to get myself away from his hold, however, he already pinned my arms above my head with one hand, the other already roaming up my legs towards my abdomen.
I closed my eyes shut, still wriggling around, desperate to get away.
I felt so disgusted I felt like vomiting, his hand roaming my body burned every single place he touched.
"Don't touch me!" I cried, my eyes already stinging with unshed tears of anxiety and pure panic.
"I bet you aren't this disobedient with that little boy, so why now?" he snickered darkly, "I'm sure I could take much better care of you than he can." I gulped dryly, shuddering as his face neared my neck.
"The king knows how to respect women, unlike a pig like you!" I fumed in anger, attempting to push myself against the wall behind me to get as far from him as possible.
I shrieked in pain as he grabbed me by my shoulders tightly, pushing me against the wall harshly with a roar.
"You're going to regret saying that soon, darling," he growled repulsively before pulling at the neckline of my dress suddenly, tearing the fabric apart till the middle of my abdomen.
I gasped, looking down at my exposed skin with fear.
"P-please," I whispered in defeat, first tear already rolling down my cheek as I closed my eyes tightly, not being able to look at the man in front of me any longer.
I felt so weak and helpless, unable to do anything as the stranger proceeded on feeling me up, the repulsive feeling of his body against mine making my head ache.
I was too weak against him, too weak to protect myself. But I needed to stand up for myself at least! I needed to try as much as I could!
I cried loudly once his lips met my skin, the unsettling and nasty feeling forcing me to move around even more.
"Let go of me!" pushing myself farther away I raised my knee quickly to kick him away, however to my shock he caught it immediately, pushing it back down even against my protests.
"So troublesome," he grunted into my skin before pulling me closer to him, forcing a desperate cry out of my lips once his mouth neared my chest.
God, I'm begging you, send someone for help!
Moving around, I refused to give up even though I felt exhausted from all the struggling already. He was just too strong.
"Goddammit!" he cursed before detaching himself from my skin, grabbing me by both hands with fury. "We will have to finish this up somewhere else." my eyes widened in horror as he pulled me along, dragging me towards the back staircase on the other side of the corridor.
The little hope I had left slowly disappeared, seeing as he was obviously dragging me where no one else would find us. Realizing the situation I tried to tug myself away even more violently, my sight already blurry from all the salty tears.
"N-no!"
Why in the hell was the palace so empty! It was the middle of the afternoon and there was literally no one around!
Sobbing and trembling I staggered after him clumsily, his pace being too quick for my disoriented self to keep up with.
No, this can't be it! This can not happen! This can't be right! I'm begging you, someone, anyone...
"YOU BASTARD!"
After that, it all happened too quickly for me to register much.
All of a sudden, I was sitting on the floor with my back against the wall, sobbing, my whole body trembling in shock. Someone was sitting next to me, holding my hands but it wasn't the man from before. These hands were much warmer, much more comforting.
I heard grunts and yelps of pain, the sounds bouncing off the walls, creating an eerie echo around us.
Looking up with my lips still trembling, another tear raced down my cheek as I noticed the king holding Mr Cho by his neck, pushing him with force against the wall across from me.
I couldn't see his face, however, the dent on the wall behind Mr Cho was enough of a proof that the king was raging. The red parging of the wall was chipping off, the force the king used causing the wall to crack slowly and gradually, the cracks spreading across the wall like a wallpaper pattern.
I watched the scene unfold in front of me in a silent shock, my body still trembling.
Was this the true strength of a Saint?
"Chaeyoung, honey you hear me?" I slowly turned towards the person holding my hands, my body feeling too paralyzed to do any bigger movements.
"Oppa..." I muttered weakly, watching Seokjin's concerned expression in a daze.
They came...
"God, you're so pale." I gulped, looking away from him as I felt my heart slowing down from the adrenaline inside. "You're okay now, you're fine. We're here. No need to be scared anymore." he sighed heavily, placing his hand on top of my bare shoulder.
I flinched at first from the sudden contact, but once I noticed his touch was gentle and unharmful I calmed down again, breathing deeply.
They really came...
"That's enough! Taehyung stop, you'll kill him!" I jumped a little at his sudden exclaim, glancing back up at the two males in front of us.
Mr Cho looked like he was close to stopping breathing any time soon, his whole face ruby red from the pressure on his neck. However, the king held him still, breathing heavily as if not intending on letting the other go. I watched as his fingers turned white from the strong hold around the man's neck, pushing him harder against the wall with each second. At this rate, he'll kill him for sure...
"What do you think I'm trying to do?" I clutched at my chest tightly, my insides trembling at the sound of his terrifyingly fuming voice.
I wasn't scared of him, but I never guessed the king could be actually this terrifying. The way he was that night he attacked me was nothing compared to his state right now. As if all the sanity left him for good, as if he had no control over himself anymore.
"He's not worth it Taehyung, let him go," said Jin now more calmly, looking at his friend pleadingly.
The king held the man for few more seconds before throwing him to the side harshly, causing Mr Cho to fall down in violent coughs and wheezes.
Turning around slowly, he looked at the two of us who were sitting by the wall, his dark expression softening immediately once his eyes locked with mine.
Sighing shakily I felt the comforting warmth spread around my body, the familiar expression he held making me calm down.
They came, I was safe now.
A single, last tear rolled down my face slowly, the exhaustion overwhelming my body in waves. I just wanted to rest. This was all too much.
Leaving the coughing man behind, the king quickly walked towards us. He took off his jacket to wrap it around my bare shoulders before taking me in his arms, gently lifting me up from the ground.
Sniffing I leaned my forehead against his chest, closing my eyes shut as he enveloped me in a tight embrace.
"It's okay now," he whispered soothingly, leaning his head down to nuzzle my hair. "Seokjin, go and take him to the cells. I'll deal with him later," he said in a calm voice before scooping me up into his arms, causing me to hold onto him tighter.
"Will do," said Seokjin with a little pat on my head before the king took off in the direction of his chamber.
The soft scent of musk mixed with cotton was by now so familiar it didn't fail to calm down my raging heart after the occurrence that happened earlier. It was like the subtle scent invading my being was a clear sign that I was safe now, that there was no danger near. It was calming.
After the king brought me to his chamber, it took a few minutes for him to actually calm me down from the shock that remained. It took him at least half an hour of constant cuddlings and cooings before my body stopped shivering and my skin regained its color once again. After that he allowed me to take a long shower and landed me one of his shirts, considering my white dress was completely torn.
His caring nature surprised me at first, but now that I was finally calm, huddled in his warm embrace, I realized it shouldn't be all that surprising. After all, I believed he was a good person deep inside. And the way he treated me these last days were nothing but a proof of the fact. No matter what anyone else thought, what Sueji, Lisa or even Jungkook thought, I was going to trust my heart with this one. I was going to believe that underneath all the acts and disguises, he was a good guy.
I inhaled his scent deeply once again, smiling to myself at the sensation of his hand caressing my back up and down, the other playing with my hair gently.
I was hesitant at first, knowing he supposedly wasn't a fan of cuddles. Yet we stayed in this position for over a half an hour now, and to say I was comfortable was an understatement. After all that happened today, I couldn't feel better than how I felt right now.
I opened my eyes slowly, the heavy sigh coming from him catching my attention.
"I'm really sorry, Chaeyoung." I chuckled softly, detaching my cheek from his chest to look up at him with an amused smile.
"You apologized exactly seven times already." I mused with a shake of my head, "and besides, I already told you it wasn't your fault." I muttered, bringing my palm up to cup his cheek. The king sighed again, looking away as leaned into my touch.
"I should have done much worse than cutting his pay-"
"Please," I whispered with a sigh, turning his face to look at me, "let's not talk about it m'kay?" I raised my eyebrow with a smile, hoping he lets the topic go.
I didn't want him to blame himself for what happened and I didn't want to talk about it also. I just wanted to forget something like that even happened.
He watched me silently for a while before nodding his head. He cupped my hand on top of his cheek and held it, kissing the inside of my palm softly. Biting my lip I smiled, not able to get enough of his sweet gestures.
The warmth spreading through my abdomen once his eyes locked with mine was enough to send my mind into a frenzy. I wondered, how a single sight of this man could make me so weak and vulnerable. Like it was magic.
The way I felt with him was magic. So overwhelmed with feelings but also serene and calm.
Nevertheless, I knew the serenity of today's evening was bound to disappear soon.
It seemed like ever since I entered the palace, I could never catch a break. My life turned into one massive hurricane of emotions and troubles, one day I took care of one problem, the other I was already dealing with something else. And no doubt, soon I will be engaged with a number of other troubles again.
Therefore, I decided it was pointless to drag the matter with Juhyun any longer. I made up my mind and I was going to ask the king about it now. Besides, it looked like this moment was the closest to 'the right time' it could ever get.
"What is it?" the king must have seen the war I had with myself in my head. Chuckling at my disoriented state he inched closer, leaning his forehead against mine with soft 'thump'.
I scrunched up my nose at the gentle impact, smiling once I noticed his amused expression.
For someone who doesn't even like cuddles, he sure likes to act all lovey-dovey sometimes.
Sighing I slowly inched away before escaping his embrace completely, the king throwing me a confused look at my actions.
"I need to ask you something," I said flatly, knowing very well I could not back out now. It was now or never.
Raising his eyebrows the king sat straight against the headboard, a curious look adoring his face.
"Go on."
Throwing my legs around the edge of the bed I sighed, looking down at my lap.
Just don't beat around the bush and get over with it Chae. The shorter you make it, the less painful it will be.
Biting my lip I was about to begin when the sheets beneath me rustled, causing my mouth to close shut once again. The king wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, leaning his cheek on top of my shoulder.
"Whatever it is," he muttered quietly, tightening his hold around me, "I don't like the sight of you being scared of me." I closed my eyes shut, taking a deep breath, "So don't be scared to ask." I nodded, trying to compose myself.
It's just a stupid question Chae, don't be a coward! He's right, there's no need to be scared, not of him!
"Okay," I muttered, looking down at my lap as I began playing with my fingers. "Yesterday, Sueji told me and the other girls about something that happened six years ago." I began steadily, choosing my words carefully, "She told us about this girl named Juhyun and about what happened to her." I felt his head slowly retreating from my shoulder however I didn't dare to look back at him, I needed to get it all out first, "She said Juhyun was a bride you used to fancy a lot, but then something happened." I took a deep breath, his arms around my waist limping slowly. "She said she was cast out of the palace. In a horrible way," I frowned to myself, remembering the story Sueji told us.
I slowly turned around to face the king, meeting his empty, glazed eyes.
"She said you cast her out. Without any explanation for your actions." I said quietly, watching as he tightened his jaw, looking away.
It was obvious he was fighting inside for his emotions to stay hidden. His face hardened and his eyes glazed with emptiness, he was shutting himself in.
"I guess it isn't so surprising you got to know about it as well in the end," he muttered, looking down at the messy sheets beneath us.
Tilting my head I tried to understand his state, his emotions, however, he was hard to read. Just like he was a few weeks back.
I didn't want this to happen but I guess it was expectable.
Sighing I cupped his cheek, bringing him to look me in the eyes.
"I heard the whole story Sueji had to tell." I said softly, brushing my thumb across his cheek, "But I want to hear your story as well." the king looked taken aback for a second, not saying anything before bringing my hand away from his face, not looking at me.
He sat down next to me with his elbows on his knees, his dull eyes concentrating on the wall in front.
"Why do you have the need to hear my part of the story as well? It wouldn't be much different from what you already heard."
"But it would be different, wouldn't it?" I pushed, looking at him expectantly.
Yet he stayed quiet again, making me bite my bottom lip from the nerves.
"Your Maje-"
"Why is it so important to ask me for the same story you already heard?" he grumbled, finally looking my way.
He was annoyed but not angry. He clearly didn't want to talk about it, making me feel a bit bad. But we already started the conversation and I was not going to give up.
"Because I'm sure your story will explain all the doubts I have about it," I said truthfully, his forehead creasing at my words. "I just," I sighed, messing up my hair, "I just know there's something wrong with what Sueji said. Like something's missing as if it wasn't the whole truth." I admitted, boring my eyes into his in hopes he believes what I say. "And also," I added, tightening my fists in my lap, "I simply can not believe you would ever do such a thing to a person you care for." I bowed my head, glad the truth was finally out.
Whatever way I thought about it all, I just couldn't imagine him doing something like that to someone he cared about. Even Seokjin- they may not be in the greatest conditions now- but I know he still loves and cares for the king. He never said something against the king, always sticking by his side even if the king angered him and vice versa. A man like him simply couldn't be so cruel.
"Maybe," I glanced up at him, awaiting his next words, "maybe it would be better for you to just believe what you've heard." I looked at him in shock, disbelief clouding my mind.
"Why?" I asked, shaking my head, "Because it's easier to understand?"
"It's safer for you to know the half-truth instead." I scoffed in disbelief, glancing away.
"I don't care!" I exclaimed, placing my palm against my chest, "I'm not ever going to believe something just because it's the easy way out." I stated seriously, looking at him. "I'm not going to believe you did such a thing. Not unless you admit it on your own, not unless you show me a proof." by the end of my speech my voice was nothing but a weak mutter as I felt myself calming down after the little eruption of rage.
The king seemed to search my eyes for a bit before sighing, bowing his head.
"You don't understand anything."
"Then explain it to me." I pushed, sitting closer to him. I bend down as well, trying to search his eyes with mine. He chuckled, shaking his head in defeat.
"You're not going to give up, are you?" I gave him a tight-lipped smile as an answer, staying silent as he clearly knew that in fact, I was not going to leave this be.
He sat up straight with a heavy sigh, looking up at the ceiling in silence before talking.
"First you need to understand that this palace is not as united as you would think." I furrowed my eyebrows, confused.
"United?"
"The second thing you need to know is," he paused, looking down at me, "even if you rule the palace, there will be still people against you in this place." I stayed silent, thinking his words through.
"You mean," I fidgeted in my place, trying to put the two and two together, "we have traitors in the palace?" he chuckled at my words, making me frown.
"You could call them that, yeah." he sighed, looking ahead, "As long as my father is alive, he'll rule the kingdom with me. I'm not the only one who's in charge for now."
"What does the retired king have to do with this?"
"My father is a-" the king faltered, probably looking for the right words, "-manipulative person. One that can get people on his side really easily." he glanced at me, causing me to nod in acknowledgment, "Me and him never had a good relationship. We have different opinions on almost everything, whether it is about insignificant things or the management of the kingdom. We used to disagree with each other about things often and so, we don't work together anymore. That's also why he doesn't live here in the palace." I nodded once again, finally starting to understand what the king was implying.
"After I was crowned as the new king, the kingdom's mighty families and aristocrats divided into two groups. The people who refused my leadership and stayed as my father's loyal followers, and the ones who actually accepted me as their new king and leader."
"So," I frowned, pinching my chin in between my fingers in thoughts, "you now work with only the people on your side or..."
"That's the funny thing," he cackled in a bitter amusement, looking at me sideways, "I do not know who's my follower and who's not." I gaped at him in surprise, the new information roaming around my mind in circles.
"Then-" I pursed my lips, "-how do you know who to trust?" I widened my eyes in realization, looking at him, "Can you perhaps read their minds? As a Saint, I mean-" the king erupted in a fit of small laughs, making me pout softly in confusion. "I guess not..." I muttered to myself.
"I may be a Saint but I can't read minds, sweetheart," he calmed down from his little outburst, still chuckling quietly from time to time, "We're not that great."
"Then how can you work with those people if you don't know who's on your side and who's against you?" I wondered, tilting my head. The king sighed, looking down.
"The people who are on my father's side keep themselves a secret. They're good at it, I can't distinguish who's who, they know how to pretend well." he said, pursing his lips, "I work with those people every day but I do not let them make important decisions. I'm trying to be careful around them, the only person I can trust is Seokjin. It's mostly the two of us who take care of the important deals and stuff." I 'aahed', nodding my head.
It must be really difficult, having to work in such an environment, not being able to trust just anyone. I can only imagine how stressful it must be, constantly being scared of messing something up. Just a little slip could get him into big trouble.
"What-" I faltered, frowning as I looked up at the king, "-what does this have to do with Juhyun anyway?" I asked quietly, the king's face hardening immediately once her name left my lips.
He was obviously sensitive to the topic which made me realize, the two must have been really close.
"You might know this already, but I was away from the palace when it all happened. A week-long herefare to the south." he hung his head low, watching his hands that squeezed around each other tightly, "Only when I returned back I found out what happened to her." I heaved a sigh as I already expected his words.
"What happened then?" the king scowled, his empty eyes glued to one unparticular spot.
"My old man cast her out in my name." I widened my eyes in shock. Hearing the truth was more painful than expected. "He was in charge of the palace at that time since I was away. He gave out an order in my name, but no one except his followers knew how it really was. They all think I gave out the order before leaving for the herefare."
It was hard to understand how a father could do such a thing to their child. Disagreeing with each other was something I could understand, not every parent-child relationship could be all flowers and butterflies. But going as far as purposely hurting their child in such a way was too much.
"W-why would he do that?" I sputtered, not able to wrap my head around it.
From what I heard about the retired king here and there, I knew he was an intimidating and sticky person. But this?
"One of his little minions must have told him about her." the king sighed, his words sounding heavy to my ears.
It was obvious he was fighting really hard not to let himself go right now. He looked like it was really difficult for him to talk about it. Talk about her.
"They must have noticed I spend a lot of time with her." looking at him I noticed his eyes weren't even present anymore. Like he was somewhere far away by now, far away in the past. "We used to be always together, all day all night. For four months. By the end of it, we were almost inseparable." I bit my lip, his words colliding with my chest painfully.
I wasn't prepared for his words to hurt this much, but it was expected. Sueji already told me they liked each other. But hearing him say it felt completely different. It hit harsher.
But this wasn't the time to be jealous.
Seeing him slipping out of reality I slowly placed my hand on top of his, causing him to jerk out of his trance, looking at me a bit disorientedly.
I watched his eyes, hesitating.
"Did you two-" I faltered, searching his eyes, "- date?" I asked quietly, the king looking at me as if in little trance before looking down, pursing his lips into a thin line.
"No," he shook his head, his fingers playing with mine gently, "it didn't manage to go that far. We didn't have much time."
Each word felt like a pang into my heart.
I felt horrible, how could I be jealous of the girl if he was hurting so much right now? I felt so disgusted with myself but I couldn't help it. My emotions were everywhere, and by now, I knew my emotions could be way more powerful than my rational thinking.
Pushing the stupid jealousy aside, I did feel bad for both of them. I really did.
"Why did he do it?" I whispered carefully, wanting to get over with this conversation already. It was obviously paining him to talk about it and I didn't want him to struggle any longer.
"My father was always of the idea that we should get rid of all possible distractions getting in our way of work. Once he found out why I canceled so many meetings, why the stacks of papers on my table were getting bigger and bigger, he decided he had enough of my slacking. He never told me what he planned to do, he simply did it."
I looked away from the king, heaving a deep sigh with my mind still in a mess.
I sure do hope I do not meet that father of his anytime soon. No doubt he was a terrible person. The king didn't deserve a parent like that.
"After I found out, I was looking for her for days. I looked everywhere, however I could. But it was like she disappeared into the ground. Not a single sign of where she could be." I tightened my jaw, trying to keep my emotions at bay.
My chest clenched with the vulnerable sound of his quiet voice. It was difficult listening to his pain without showing any of mine.
Slowly, I inched closer, cupping his cheek with my palm while my other hand stayed in his feather-light hold.
"I'm sorry I made you talk about it." I apologized sincerely with a sigh, "But I'm sure you two will see each other one day." I said, ignoring the heavy pain of my own words.
The king looked at me for a longer while before chuckling half-heartedly, detaching himself from my hold completely as he sat a bit farther away.
"It feels better to know that you're aware of the truth now." I pursed my lips into a thin line, "but be careful around the palace, alright? Now that you know the truth about how it really was, you need to watch yourself even more." I nodded determinedly, straightening my back.
"I will, you don't need to worry about me spilling something out. I will be careful." he smiled a little to himself, bowing his head.
The silence in the room was stiff. At least it seemed so to me, considering the king looked like he was too busy with his own thoughts to notice that.
One last question, Chae. Just this one and you will leave him be. You need to ask this.
"Do you miss her?" I piped up, looking at him expectantly but also afraid of his answer.
Deep down, I already knew what he was going to say, but I needed to hear it. I needed to be sure.
The king looked my way a bit startled, obviously taken aback by my sudden question. After a moment the corner of his lips lift up a little, but his eyes stayed as dark as before, the fake smile never reaching them.
"I do, sometimes. Yeah." nodding, I looked down at my lap, clutching my hands together.
There it was, the answer I awaited. Nothing to be surprised about.
I gulped dryly, the loud ringing in my ears interrupting the silence in the room.
I finally knew the whole truth now, I was feeling relieved, knowing that in fact, the king wasn't the cruel man the other brides had him for. Yet, after listening to his part of the story, the doubts were replaced with an unexplainable pain and uneasiness.
Hearing him talking about another girl so fondly and lovingly, I knew I could no longer hide the fact I was attached to this man. In every way possible.
I really fell into the trap I promised myself I would never get caught into. I had feelings for a man I had no right having any feelings for. Not only because of who he was, but now also because of his heart, which belonged to someone else already.
"Get some rest, you need it. Don't wait for me." I didn't manage to say anything nor stop him from leaving before he stormed out of the room, leaving me sitting in the dimly-lit chamber alone, confused and aching.
There was no denying it now, I fell for someone who was too distant for me to ever reach.
3. person
"Got yourself into great dirt now, didn't you?" snickered Seokjin, sitting down on the wooden chair in front of the rusty bars.
The beat-up man behind them glanced up at the young visitor before scoffing, looking away.
"Don't be so cocky young man," Seokjin raised his eyebrow, smirking as he crossed his legs in the cockiest way he could, making himself comfortable, "once I'm out of here I could get you into pretty big trouble." Seokjin laughed, craning his neck to look up at the ceiling in amusement.
"Tell me, old man, what do you think you'll be able to do once you're out, hm?" Seokjin quirked up his eyebrow, awaiting the older man's answer.
"More than you could know," snickered Mr Cho, his face embracing the nastiest pride Seokjin ever witnessed. His face darkened at the older's word. He went silent for a bit to observe the man hunched against the wall.
Seokjin leaned to the front, leaning his elbows on his knees, not looking away from the man in front of him.
"You're one of them, aren't you?" he scowled, all the pieces coming together finally.
To do such thing Mr Cho did to Chaeyoung, he had to be one of his men. He knew such a disgusting bastard could be under the guidance of only one person.
Mr Cho cackled, giving Seokjin an arrogant look.
"Aren't you a clever boy?" Seokjin clicked his tongue at the cockiness seeping from his words, cringing at the old man's antics.
"I would wipe that stupid grin off my face if I was you, you have no reason to be so cocky with me in the situation you're in right now."
"I'm sure I'll be fine," Seokjin lifted his eyebrow in amusement, the old man's never-ending confidence making him want to laugh.
"Trust me, the old fart will not get you out of this situation no matter how much you beg," Seokjin smirked internally, seeing how the man's arrogant expression fell visibly, "you're not that much of importance to him."
"You dare to say that now, but once I get out-"
"Once you get out," Seokjin interrupted, "you won't even have the chance to see the retired king before you get kicked out." the older man's face paled immediately, Seokjin's words frightening him to the bones.
"What the fuck are you tal-"
"What? You expected the king to let you go off the hook after the stunt you pulled today? Dream on old man, getting kicked out of the kingdom is the most pleasing punishment he will be willing to give you."
"B-but what about my family?"
"Who said anything about your family? You're the one who tried to rape his bride, not them." Seokjin hissed, glaring daggers into the old man's fearful eyes, "He's not a cruel bastard like his disappointment-of-a-father is."
This left Mr Cho in stunned silence, his shoulders sagging against the stone-cold wall behind him in defeat.
Satisfied, Seokjin stood up from the wooden chair, hiding his hands in his pockets.
"If I were you," he begun, already walking towards the door leading out of the cells, "I would be already praying for him to cast me out as a definite punishment," turning around for the last time, he added: "If it was my choice, I would let you rot here for the rest of your pathetic life." and with that he walked off, closing the heavy metal door behind him shut.
"You've got to be kidding me." Taehyung sighed, rubbing his temple in defeat. He glanced at the tipsy girl again, only to get a playful wink his way in return. "I leave for one hour and this is what I come back to?" he asked in disbelief, looking at Seokjin who was wearing a ridiculous paper-hat on top of his head with red, bold letters saying 'happy birthday'. He raised his arms in defense, shaking his head.
"Don't look at me, it wasn't me who gave her the bottle." with that, Taehyung looked at Chorong, raising his eyebrow. The girl smiled at him nervously, scratching her head.
"I didn't know she was such a light-weight. I'm sorry." sighing again he looked at Juhyun, the girl already lost in her own world as she watched the alcohol in her glass in concentration, giggling every time the liquid splashed around the glassy walls.
"I swear to God, from now, all the brides are banned from drinking." he huffed, already walking towards the drunk girl who was close to sprawling down on the table in front of her, "Drunk women are the last thing I need running around this place," he muttered before grabbing Juhyun's hands, pulling her up to her wobbly feet.
Once she noticed who was the person holding her, Juhyun grinned widely, throwing her arms around his neck immediately.
"Taehyung-ah~, you're late for the party, we all already gave Jinnie his presents," she muttered, pouting at the end of her sentence.
Taehyung chuckled with the shake of his head, scooping the girl into his arms as she was obviously not able to walk on her own.
"I'm sure Jinnie doesn't mind. And as for you, the party is over, we're going to bed," he said before bidding Seokjin and Chorong a short goodbye, already leaving the small ballroom.
"Awh, but I'm still not sleepy," she whined, making Taehyung chuckle once she yawned after finishing her sentence.
"Sleepy or not, it's time for bed."
"Yah," she pouted, poking his nose with her finger, "do not talk to me as if I was a kid."
"Aren't you one, though?" she glared at him as he smiled, pretending to bite off of her finger. She hissed, quickly pushing her fist into her chest.
"You're being too violent." Taehyung shook his head, amused by the girl's drunk antics.
Entering his chamber he stepped up the few steps before placing the girl on top of the silky sheets.
"I'm not going to sleep alone," she grumbled, crossing her arms on top of her chest with another cutesy pout.
"Who said you're going to sleep alone? I'm going to bed as well." the girl peered up at him from behind her messy locks before turning around, huffing playfully.
"But I don't want to sleep with you," she muttered, her back facing him. Taehyung smirked, catching on the way she played around with him.
"Oh, you don't?" he hummed, slowly dipping down into the mattress with his knee to approach her, "And who would you like to sleep with then, my love?" he mused, raising his eyebrow.
"I don't know but not with you!" she announced, sounding too much like a kid for him to at least try and take her seriously. Taehyung stifled his laugh, nearing the girl who still pretended to sulk.
"But there's no one else around so you will have to settle with me," he said, smiling once she peeked around her shoulder at him, her eyes sparkling in mischief and giddiness. Noticing him looking at her she turned back around immediately, her cheeks dusting with rosy pink.
"But I don't want you," she muttered under her breath, still playing along.
Smiling softly at her lovable acting, not able to hold himself back anymore, Taehyung embraced her from behind suddenly, causing the girl to squeal in shock as they both fell down on the mattress, laughing with each other stupidly.
"That's a shame because I want you," he whispered into her ear, nuzzling his nose into her hair as he hugged her closer, as close as he possibly could. "I want you so much you break my heart with your words," he muttered, smiling as he felt the girl getting comfortable in his embrace.
Chuckling, the girl turned around in his arms, burying her face in his chest with a content sigh.
"Let's sleep then."
Scowling, Taehyung placed the glass of alcohol on top of the counter with a clash, wiping his lips with his sleeve afterward.
He hoped to abandon this poor coping mechanism of his, and it worked for a while, but tonight it seemed like he returned back to his old habits.
It was a long time since he drowned himself in alcohol like this, four years or so. He could still remember clearly, those countless nights he spent in this exact same room, dawning one bottle of alcohol after another. Hoping to numb the pain, the mind. Hoping to get so intoxicated he wasn't able to think straight, wasn't able to remember a single thing.
Luckily, he did escape that part of his life somehow, however, tonight was one of those times he needed to return back to his old habits.
He again had the need to get so numb he couldn't remember his own name. That was the only way for the uninvited ache to fade away.
"Taehyung?" his ears registered the voice, however, his head didn't turn around as he knew exactly who it was. He was still only on his second bottle, he could still think straight, unfortunately.
Seokjin walked in front of him, looking disapprovingly at the bottles stacked on top of the counter.
"You were supposed to be with Chaeyoung, what are you doing here?"
"She's in my room don't worry," he muttered without looking at his friend before dawning another shot, the bitter liquid feeling unsatisfyingly tasteless. He needed something stronger, something that would help him pay attention to the burning of his throat, making his thoughts fade away for at least a while.
"You can't be serious." Seokjin sighed, shaking his head. Seeing as his friend was about to take another gulp he snatched the glass away from him, sending a scolding glare. Nevertheless, Taehyung stayed still, his face indifferent as his dull eyes met with Seokjin's. "After what happened to her today, you left her alone just like that? Are you crazy?" Taehyung gulped dryly, looking away in silence.
Noticing that something was wrong, Seokjin frowned, waiting for his stupid friend to start talking.
"She asked about Juhyun," Taehyung muttered suddenly, the unexpected name causing Seokjin to raise his eyebrows. "She asked me whether it's true I cast her out." Seokjin sighed, looking down at the ground.
"And?"
"And I told her the truth." Seokjin pursed his lips into a thin line.
"You did the right thing." he said quietly, before glancing up at his friend, "But Taehyung, you're making a big mistake right now." Taehyung raised his eyebrows, looking at Seokjin blankly, "You're ditching your future for your past. In the most unhealthy way possible at that." Taehyung watched him in silence before scoffing, looking away.
"Keep talking with me in that alien language of yours, see if I understand."
"You're drinking away your sorrows because you refuse to let go of the past." Taehyung tightened his fists, looking away, "You refuse to forget something that's already long over while you choose to be blind to something new that's awaiting you."
It was only subtle, but Taehyung felt the little pang in his chest at Seokjin's words.
"You know it too, don't you? With Chaeyoung, you have a whole new chance of getting your life together once again. If you let her, she can be your new beginning." Taehyung looked down at his lap, tightening his jaw, "But what you're doing right now is not a way of starting anew." Seokjin sighed, leaning himself against the counter, "So you miss her. We all do. That's understandable but it is not something to drown yourself in liters of alcohol for. Accept what happened and let it go."
It was annoying how right Seokjin was. But it's not like Taehyung never tried. It seemed like he was alright, yet every time someone mentioned the past, Taehyung could feel the darkness and cold embrace him once again. Like it never vanished in the beginning.
"If you stay stuck in this state of yours for any longer, it will be more difficult for you to escape. But you still have a choice now. Don't waste it Taehyung." with that Seokjin tapped his friend's shoulder, leaning away from the counter. "Let Chaeyoung be your new beginning. You deserve it and I'm sure she will be more than willing to be that for you."
She was frustrated. It has been hours since he left the chamber and Chaeyoung couldn't sleep no matter how much she wanted or tried. She needed rest but she was too much of a great mess to close her eyes.
Everything was so tiring. She was exhausted of everything, everyone. She just wanted to go back home. To Jungkook, where all she had to care about was the pharmacy, Jungkook, and Mrs Lee.
She missed the sweet comfort of their home, where she could afford feeling at ease. Where nothing else mattered but her work and the two people she held dear.
Yet she knew that was impossible. Even if she was allowed to return back without looking back at this place, she knew she wouldn't be able to do so. Not now, not after everything. And that was frustrating even more.
Chaeyoung sniffed her nose, hugging the pillow closer to her as she huddled into a little ball on her side of the bed.
As much as she didn't want to talk to the king right now, she didn't want to be alone also. It felt cold without him, as much as she didn't want it to be that way.
The images of everything that happened these last days forced warm tears down her cheeks, making her bury her face deeper into the pillow.
She could feel Mr Cho's hands roaming her body, she could hear the king saying how much he admired another girl, she could feel his hands clasping around her neck with force.
Shaking, she shut her eyes, breathing heavily while trying to calm down.
She needed to sleep or else she'll go crazy.
The sound of the door opening caught her attention, the slow quiet steps coming from the antechamber making her panic.
She quickly wiped her wet cheeks with her sleeves, closing her eyes as she huddled closer to the pillow, scurrying to her side of the bed as much as she could.
The king stepped up the few stairs, his eyes going immediately to the girl lying in his bed. The stifled sobs coming from her made him sigh, clenching his fists as he bowed his head down, feeling terrible.
He really was an idiot for leaving her alone after everything, he felt ashamed for his friend was the one who had to force some sense into him.
With his chest feeling heavy, Taehyung walked towards his bed before laying down, sighing softly as he looked at the ceiling.
It was obvious the girl next to him was trying to hide the soft sobs escaping her, it was obvious she was trying not to cry and that made him worry. He didn't mean for that to happen, he didn't mean to make her this tearful.
Not being able to listen anymore he turned around slowly, taking her in his arms gently with a soft sigh. Pulling her against his chest from behind he buried his face in her neck, closing his eyes shut.
"I'm sorry for leaving you," noticing the girl's sobs dying down he pulled her even closer, feeling a desperate need to feel her warmth, "I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere."
He waited for her to calm down, his body washing in relief as her sobs quieted down completely. Feeling her calm down in his arms he nuzzled his face closer to her skin, pressing a single kiss just under her ear.
And with that, the two fell asleep soon, relishing in each other's comforting warmth.
***
another loong chapter, hope you enjoyed it!!
also I'm really happy so many of you enjoy this story, I just wanted to say that your sweet comments make my day and they encourage me to keep on going so THANK YOUU~
I love each and every one of you guys so so much <3