He slips out of his room and admires the architecture. There are chandeliers that hang from the ceiling every few feet down the corridors. There are paintings hung on either side and a carpet that drapes the floor upon which he walks. The corridor takes him to staircase that leads him down to a grand hall with well-furnished flooring.
He can't believe his eyes. He slides across the floor, his laughter ringing out loud in the empty hall. The luxuries he could never enjoy in real life are those he gets to enjoy in some kind of an alternate universe. He is a prince in this world of his own for crying out loud. What could be better than this?
"You haven't grown at all, have you?" comes a male voice and Jungkook finds the King watching him with a fond expression on his face. The Queen stands beside him, hand on her chest, eyes all teary.
"Let him be, Arang. I wish you always remain this happy. What wouldn't we give to see you like this always?"
"You'd drench him in your riches and drape him with expensive fur coats every opportunity you get," excalimed the king, with a shake of his head but the smile on his face said he would do the same.
Jungkook chuckled, suddenly feeling giddy.
"Are you not going to take Ebony for a ride today?" asks the King, shifting his gaze to Jungkook.
"Ebony?" Jungkook echoes.
"Goodness. You had too much wine last night, didn't you?" laughs Aera, "your horse, darling. Ebony."
"Oh," comes Jungkook's response and his parents chuckle, "I'll do that right away."
"Have fun," says the Queen, leaning against her husband, lips curled into a fond smile.
Ebony turns out to be a magnificent black horse, a real beauty. He finds her in the royal stable and the horse nudges him with her muzzle, rubbing her face against his cheek in greeting.
"Let's go for a ride, girl?"
The horse neighs and Jungkook takes that as an affirmative. He climbs over the horse and once he's seated, Ebony takes off. Her hooves hit the ground and the wind whips across Jungkook's face. It's surreal.
He feels like he's soaring through the air. He spreads his hands out and shuts his eyes close. The feeling so familiar to him. A feeling that satisfies his craving.
"I'm flying," he shouts, gleefully.
The cool wind ruffles his hair. The horse runs through the meadows and shows Jungkook a world he's never seen before. He could get used to a life like this, he thinks to himself as he leans forward and hugs the horse, his hands wrap around its neck.
When he gets back to the stables sometime at noon, there are servants that stay back to greet him on his arrival.
"My prince, I've prepared a bath for you," says one of the maids and helps him out of his horse riding gear.
"Come, my prince," says another maid and leads him over to a bathtub filled with warm water.
He strips out of his clothes and steps into the bathtub. With a soft satisfied sigh, he sinks in and rests his head on the bath pillow. There are fingers in his hair, massaging his scalp as he closes his eyes. The fingers skillfully rub shampoo in his hair and he isn't sure when he falls asleep, tired out from the horse riding he did earlier.
The servant signals for a maid to get in with a dry towel, letting her know he's done tending to the Prince. The maid shuffles in and eyes the sleeping prince in the bathtub.
"I'll ensure that his dinner is prepared," says the servant and the maid nods.
After Jimin exits the bathroom, the maid shakes the prince gently by the shoulders to wake him up. Jungkook stirs awake and she presents him with a dry towel as well as a fresh set of clothes for him to put on.
"His Majesty awaits your presence in the grand hall. He would like to have your company for lunch," she informs the prince.
"I'll be there."
——
30 May, 2023
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𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 • ᴊɪᴋᴏᴏᴋ
Fanfiction"Addiction is a family disease." Jungkook's life is taken over by his addiction to substances and Jimin tries to fix the cracks on their ship single-handedly; tries to keep them afloat. Bound by the chains of addiction, Jungkook is blind to the havo...
