𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙖~ 𝘽𝙏𝙎 𝙃𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝘼𝙐

XVIII

A White King who dreaded being a king and would much rather be a queen.

A queen had less authority. Why would Hoseok prefer that title?

"He loved to be seen as elegant and amiable. He wanted people to seek out for him, not fear him. Much like people did with their kings. Yes, many queens held the same fear from their people, but Hoseok wanted to keep away from that." Namjoon shuffled behind a counter to explain Hoseok's pursuit to Jimin.

Not that Jimin even asked.

"Then why shed a bloodied figure?" The smaller toyed with a deck of cards.

Whether or not he did ask, he appreciated the sought out answers coming from Namjoon.

"Well not all queens are kept from punishment." Namjoon stood back, wiping down the counter.

Frankly, Namjoon found Jimin to be more tolerable. So it was easy to answer him, now that he was willing to listen and interpret what he was being told.

But Jimin was always going to be ignorant. His insanity gave him that.

"What has he done that may be deemed as punishable." Jimin's query was not ignorant though. It was very reasonable, and to any thoughtless person, they would have no answer.

He had seen Hoseok to be the kindest and most giving, so really, why was he sent through with punishment?

Especially since Jimin had seen Hoseok exactly how he wanted to be seen.

"Hoseok was not entirely innocent. He had done unspeakable things. To himself, rather." And Namjoon was very easy to talk to, likewise.

Mostly, in comparison to the others.

He did not argue.

"Things like what?" Jimin set the deck down.

Namjoon watched the settling of the cards, picking the deck up himself to pull out a queen of spades, and a queen of hearts.

He wanted to look at the cards, nothing more.

"Well he was obsessed with his game. Chess, yes. So it appeared so. But it was a game within himself. He was damned with nobody to play with. So he learned every skill, every trick, and every cheat to win. He didn't want to lose against himself. He did once. That one time is very... Prohibited. It was a horrible time." Namjoon's throat had gotten dry with his sorrowful speaking.

Or maybe he was just tired of speaking so much.

Namjoon had never meant to feel. So when he did, he had always gotten ahead of his recollection and would trouble himself.

"Horrible time." He repeated, eyes teetering at the queen of spades.

"What did he d-"

"It is prohibited. I just said that, yes?"

Namjoon harshly scolded Jimin for mindlessly asking for something he had known was very harmful and forbearing.

Jimin nodded.

"I'm sorry." He looked down, fiddling with this fingers.

The taller sighed.

He was disappointed with his irrationality. It had made him insecure.

"No no, excuse my ill-manners."
Namjoon shook his head.

"He had just become so unbeatable with his game of... 'Chess."

Jimin looked up, yearning for the furthered explanation from Namjoon.

"None of us could beat him once he was given the ability to play with others again. Except one time, when Seokjin did. And it almost resulted in Hoseok's second departure. But, thanks to the Taehyung you find to be so unkind, he had aided him to serenity. And now recently, I imagine... I imagine that Hoseok had lost to himself. Again." Namjoon's eyes sunk.