A SEALED FATE: Emeralds and Blood (BTS)

Decisions

Jin had never been so exhausted in his life. Not even when he had spent two entire days and nights awake when he was a child, paranoid that his father would hold true on his threat to slice his head off in his sleep, was Jin this tired.

It had only been two days since Lady Woong's execution. The events following had been a nonstop flow of spring-ball planning, redecorating, and aiding Namjoon with his royal duties. In the gaps between his numerous tasks, he barely even had time to visit you.

When he did have time, he had to be sure that it was out of view of the castles guests. After all, none of them were supposed to know of his or his brother's romantic feelings for you. Or at least not yet, Namjoon had said.

But his younger brother had called for a meeting in his study between the seven of them, and had promised that it was finally about you and what they were to do about claims. It had been a brewing argument between them, despite the happiness and familial aura that had surrounded them since they had finally gotten rid of their mother and father.

Jin was the first to arrive at the study, excited and nervous at how this meeting would go. You, of course, would not be in attendance. You wouldn't get to choose who you wanted first, at least not after all of the lying that you had done.

After cutting your finger off as punishment, Hoseok had mentioned that it seemed as though you had had a slight change in character. You seemed to be a little less defiant, and more willing to cooperate. When Jin watched you though as you spoke and moved, all he could see was a half-dead soul with a tiny twinge of fight left in it.

He didn't think that you were fully broken, and he knew that Taehyung and Yoongi felt the same way.

As Jin sat on the soft sofa in Namjoon's study, lost in his thoughts about you, Jungkook quietly arrived. He barely murmured a proper greeting to Jin before he plopped down in a chair near the wall.

"Tired?" Jin asked, his voice rough from days of nonstop speaking. He examined his youngest brothers posture, concern tugging in the back of his mind.

Jungkook may have experienced the same kind of abuse that the rest of them had, but Jin knew that he was still the most innocent. He loved their mother the most, even though in the end he was still willing to kill her to benefit their plans.

Everything that had happened since the night they had discovered their mother had no doubt been slowly eating away at the younger man, and Jin noticed that it was finally showing on Jungkook's face.

Jungkook sighed and stretched his long legs, a heavy frown on his lips. "Yes, I'm very tired." He mumbled, his eyes glassy as he stared down at the floor. "Namjoon's new court is wearing me out. All they want is to gossip with me about any future wives I'm planning on taking, or any business ventures with my 'vast wealth'. It's so bothersome."

Jin nodded at his statement, his mind flashing back to before he was betrothed to Dasom Woong. The previous court had been obsessed with trying to win his favor. They were desperate for a way in to the royal family, and tried to achieve that by attempting to pawn off their prettiest daughters.

Now Jungkook was experiencing the same thing and would continue to until he became engaged. Namjoon calling this meeting would hopefully clear things up for all of them, and then maybe they could find a solution for their youngest brother.

The offers were already coming in again for Jin too. While they were in fewer numbers, they were still there. "It's alright, Kook. There's always a way out of those kinds of conversations. Next time someone traps you, just excuse yourself with the excuse that you're about to soil yourself." Jin said, his voice nonchalant.