king of hearts | taegguk [ON HOLD]

♛chapter two

For a second, there was only quiet. The kind of quiet you feared because you didn't know what to expect once it was over. Taehyung's eyes got impossibly wider, looking between the king and his brother, Namjoon, like they had suddenly sprouted two heads. He couldn't believe his own ears. The Jeon royal family heading for their castle?

What kind of alternative universe was he living in?

His father had no contact whatsoever with the enemy kingdom since that horrible day he's heard all about passed. And now, after years of animosity, the Jeon's somehow decided to pay them a courtesy visit? Why now?

Hyun-woo's face turned red, if that was from anger or some other emotion he didn't let on, Taehyung couldn't tell. The young prince almost took a step back, knowing not to stand too close with an angered, vicious king. He still had the scars as proof.

"What are you saying, boy?" The king got out, his fists clenching almost imperceptibly. "That can't be true. They aren't welcome here!"

Namjoon sighed, swiping a hand through his silver hair. "The sentinels ain't wrong. They saw the House of Jeon sigil. It's definitely the royal family. Actually, they should be here any minute if I calculated the distance right," he explained, looking at the big clock on the wall.

Even if Taehyung noticed that the king couldn't be more displeased about the sudden announcement, he still watched how his father called the guards outside and gave them orders in a hushed tone. He tried to make out what he was saying, but he couldn't catch on, rapidly getting frustrated at the man's secrecy.

After the guards knew what they were expected to do, Hyun-woo turned to Namjoon. "Your brother and I are going to meet them at the front gate, you go get Hoseok and tell him to come and see me immediately. I need his advice," and then he added almost as a second thought, "The bastards. I'm sure they came for the crown! They'll get it over my dead body!" The king yelled, his voice resonating and sending shivers down Taehyung's spine.

After Namjoon threw another glance at Taehyung, receiving a single nod of acknowledgment in return, he finally bowed at his father and left the room. As soon as he was gone, Hyun-woo turned to Taehyung, his eyes blazing fire, and gripped his wrist forcefully, squeezing tightly.

"Listen here, do not even think of telling anyone that you're not my real son. They don't need to know you're adopted! There will be hell to pay if I hear you told a single soul," the king threatened and Taehyung had to suppress a whimper at the way Hyun-woo was looking into his eyes. 

His gaze was so empty, it chilled Taehyung to the bone.

And so he couldn't do anything but nod and after an "We'll finish our conversation later" from his father, he was forced to follow him out the door and to the main gate to welcome the royal family from the west. Taehyung knew his father wouldn't cause a scene and that was only because he wanted to keep his image of a great, merciful ruler.

Taehyung was grateful for the interruption. He had no intention of marrying anyone. No princess, no prince. He only said that to maybe scare his father into thinking twice about that. He wanted to marry for love, not because of duty. Although, he thought sadly, that became impossible for him the moment he was made into a prince.

The cold wind outside hit him full force and he pulled the coat he managed to snatch from one of the valets tighter around him. He started looking in the distance anticipating the Jeon family's arrival. He was curious about them. How they acted, how they looked, were they as cruel as his father made them be?

He was so deep in thought that he didn't even realize that it started snowing, snowflakes gathering in his hair and over his coat. Winter was really there. The cold season never brought anything good with it.