Kingdom

61. Truce (19)

Jungkook stumbles down the garden path unsure where he is going or for how long he is being rooming around the Palace grounds. The last thing he remembers is drinking with Seokjin. How many glasses did he get - three, four, ten?

He doesn't know. He lost count after the fifth.

Something is familiar about the garden around him. The sky above is turning grey - is it morning already? Jungkook is unsure about the time. But he is more and more convinced he knows where he is going; this place is familiar. It is the place he was looking for.

Soon he reaches the door of a residence. He shivers. It is cold, too cold for a summer morning. But Jungkook's cheeks burn hot, no matter the cold.

The door of the residence opens and a figure comes out.

"Jungkook?" Mira asks, started. "Are you lost?"

"Maybe..." Jungkook smiles, or he thinks he is smiling. Judging by Mira's expression Kook probably looks quite dashing right now. She can't stop staring at him.

"Or maybe I somehow found my way here..." He winks at her and swings in place."I live freely and passionately now."

"Yes, I can see you found a new passion for alcohol..." she says, crossing her arms.

Is this a compliment? Kook is not sure. His mind got lost for a moment. He doesn't know why he came here.

"Why are you up so early?" he asks.

"I couldn't sleep all night, so I wanted to go for an early walk. I was thinking to... "

He kisses her. He presses his lips into hers and pushes her backwards until she hits the wall. He kisses her as he wanted to since he saw her: devouring her every breath. He wants her. It's crazy but he does. Yet, the ground behind his feet is moving and he needs to go to sleep.

He pulls back.

"Good morning and good night" he bows low and stumbles down the road, leaving Mira stunned at the door.

------

Nori wakes up by a ray of sunlight tickling her eyes. She extends her hands forward disorientated. There is no one next to her. The King is gone.

Nori raises up, blinking the light away. She hasn't slept so deeply in weeks. Her mind is still dazed, yet somehow cleared and recharged. Slowly her brain awakes and all memories from the previous night return. Her eyes shoot wide open.

"What in the name of Ilsan's Sacred Gardens, was I thinking!" she exclaims, burying her face in her palms. Waves of embarrassments wash over her one after the other. "Why did I run after him like a fool! Why did I agree to do such things with him?"

She jumps to her feet and starts circling the room. "He must think I am a crazy, obsessive, annoying, pathetic, lovesick person who still can't get over a man who left her three years ago. Which is all true, but maybe I could have found a better excuse. Ah! I am so stupid! And he is so stupid." Nori stops and grabs RJ from the top of the chest. "Your King is a maniac, did you know? He thinks sex solves everything!" Her face softens and she places RJ back by Koya's side. "No, he was just confused...Of course he was. I acted so foolishly. We both acted so foolishly... "

She drops down on the bed. "I should run away, go back to Ilsan. Yes. I should tell him I can't do this. Maybe I can act badly in front of his magistrates, then he will send me back. But what would Namjoon think of me!"

She jumps to her feet and starts arranging the bed. "I kissed him. I kissed the King. I did it myself. No one asked me to. I didn't have to. I wanted to. I enjoyed it. I am crazy. Am I a pervert? Doing all this with the man I hated only a day ago? I might be a pervert, many Royals are..."

She throws the bed cover in the air and turns around. It's impossible to put anything else in order, when her mind is in chaos. Yet, she needs something to do. Her hands need something to grab on.

Nori heads for the dresser and sits in front of the mirror to brush her hair.

"He is nothing like what I thought he would be." She drops the comb and stairs in the mirror. "He stayed with me. He ... "

Nori puts her hand over her heart. It is beating so fast.

Her whole body trembles as he remembers the King her leading into the tree house; being there when she woke up by the pool; bearing his skin to allow her to spread medicine on his wound. Kissing her, holding her, telling her all about his past lover... touching her.

She presses her hand harder over her chest. It seems that if she removes it, her heart will just fly out.

"He deserves better than me..." she mumbles. "This man. He ... He is damaged and fucked up but he deserves better than me."

Nori drops her hands into her lap and stares at her fingers. She can still sense his magic. It is all around, in every corner of this Palace. He is all around. Her hands start to shake. She opens all the drawers and small boxes, taking jewels out and spreading them all over on the table; then pushing them back into the boxes, completely out of order.

"I..., I don't know...what to do ... How to make this work." She sees the ribbon Park Jimin gave her and takes her in her hand. It is soft, so nice to touch. "I feel all that weird magic around. His magic. It is so strong! What am I supposed to do with it? How can I prevent myself from summoning another vision?"

She twists and turns the ribbon in her hands. "What shall I do? What shall I do..."

The ribbon glows and warms up, sliding through her fingers on its own and then closing around her wrist. Faint shining letters appear over the soft fabric: "Come and find me."

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a/n: Thank you for reading! 😊Please, let me know what you think of the new updates. I am so, so curious to know your opinion! 

Next update will probably come out in Spring ( in 3 to 5 months). I am sorry for the longer pause, but there are a lot of plot points and scenes I need to figure out so I just need more time to do it. Think of this pause as a mid-season break.

 I wish you to be healthy and happy in the new year!

✨Future Chapters TEASER:

Next few chapters will be a bit more light-hearted. We will meet Jimin, learn more about the magic, dine with the magistrates and get out of the Palace on a little adventure. There will be ups & downs in Yoongi and Nori's relationship as they learn more about each other.

Jungkook will be making some changes about his life. Yona will be stirring the waters and causing troubles. We also have the Busan Ambassadors coming soon to create more challenges in front of Yoongi. 

And there are other things to be revealed that might turn things around.

Plus - Shooky is finally getting the bath he deserves :)