Knights of the Sky

Chapter 21: Highness

The air turned cold as the words hung in the air, Taehyung's eyes searching his as he stared him down. Jeongguk felt his entire body tense, tongue becoming heavy in his mouth and able to form a sentence.

The parchment was clasped in Jeongguk's hand, trembling a bit as Taehyung gestured towards it. "I am right, am I not? That is you, isn't it, Majesty?" Taehyung asked, voice biting and cold, an air of mistrust swirling around his head.

Yoongi was suddenly in his human form, coming down from his rock perch while Hoseok was staring wide eyed between, the grip on his hilt causing the skin on his hands to white. Panic was worming its way between Jeongguk's breathing, eyes flickering towards Jimin who looked equally as panicked, silver orbs large.

"What are you talking about Taehyung-ah?" Yoongi asked, deep voice lower as he stops next to Hoseok, stepping in front of the human to offer a form of protection, eyeing Jimin and Jeongguk wearily.

Jeongguk swallowed roughly, meeting Tae's dark eyes as he pleaded in his head to not say anything, but Taehyung pressed his lips together, narrowing them coldly as he gave a cold bow, hand across his waist and leg out as if he was bowing to the King himself.

Bile rose in his throat as Jeongguk shakily opened up the parchment, revealing in beautiful hanja, a sign of being wanted, along with a painted picture of his face. A loud exhale whooshed from his lungs at the words.

Wanted for betrayal of the crown and attempted murder of the King of Seoul, releasing a hostage, a Dracki, he is to be punished by death. Prince Jeon Jeongguk, Crowned Prince of Seoul wanted: Dead or Alive.

Gasping a bit, he dropped the parchment as Taehyung easily picked it up, holding out so that his own face, painted with fine black ink, was staring back at him. He turned his head away, unable to look at it.

"You aren't just Noble. You're the Prince of Seoul."

"Was. I was the Prince," Jeongguk bit out past the lump in his throat. He clenched his hands into fists, needing the feeling of something other than the hammering of his chest, the way his lungs felt too tight and his vision tunneled.

"What?" Hoseok breathed, shock washing across his face as he stared in horror towards Jeongguk, brown eyes large. Yoongi let out another growl, eyes hardening as he jerked his eyes towards Jimin who moved to stand in front of Jeongguk, but the other shook his head and touched his shoulder.

Taehyung was unwavering, holding up the condemning paper. "You are offered a good price- plenty of gold pieces," he stated, voice careful and empty. Jeongguk breathed out slowly, not even bothering to look at the price on his head.

"Taehyung hyung, I can explain..."

"Explain the fact you had lied to us? Of the fact it was your Abeoji that has started all of this? That he is one of the main leaders who bring Dracki to their knees," Taehyung snapped, but a flash of hurt was glittering across his brown eyes. Jeongguk's stomach cramped at the words. "Do you even know how fucking many you have killed? Dracki being bound!"

"Taehyung, listen," Jeongguk begged. Yoongi snarled low, crystal eyes seeming to glow as he took a step forwards, hands opening to make a lunge for his throat but Jimin intersected him, a snarl of warning taunting the air as the two Dracki stood toe to toe.

Yoongi's face darkened. "You would stand up for this human? For everything that his Abeoji, his King has done?" Yoongi spat, words mangled with hatred. Jimin winced at the words, knowing the weight of them that they bare.

"He isn't like that," Jimin snapped back instead, knowing it was true. What kind of Prince would disobey the King, defending a low life such as himself and revealing the truth branded across his wrist? "He will not follow in the King's footsteps."