Rosy ashes [j.jk ff.]

s e v e n

Jungkook tried to hide from everyone the day after the incident. He didn't want to speak to anybody and he especially didn't want to see the princess, but he had no choice in that matter. He only got a few restless hours, before he had to meet her at the breakfast table. Jungkook was scared of the confrontation. He was scared that his family would look at him differently, scared that his mother would look at him like she looked at his father. 

But when the prince actually sat down on her right side, she greeted him with a smile, stroked through his messy dark hair and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Jungkook was surprised, to say the least, and his eyes immediately sought for Yeri's. Confusion swam in his big doe eyes and when the princess finally met his gaze, she just discreetly shook her head. She hadn't told anyone about the injury he had inflicted on her. 

Jungkook swallowed thickly, desperately wanting to call out to her and thank her. Also, apologize for what he did, but the princess didn't acknowledge him after that. She avoided his gaze, she avoided talking to him and he could really feel that she hated him now. It seemed like the roles were reversed now. She was acting cold and he was the one staring at her intently across the table. 

He couldn't help but notice how only minutes into the breakfast her behavior changed. She started biting her bottom lip and her face seemed more and more agitated as the minutes passed. Her right hand was shaking and a single tear slipped down her face before she let the fork fall from her hand and started eating with her left, the right one hidden under the table. Before it disappeared fully, Jungkook could see the flaming red palm with the many blisters, some already bleeding from holding the cutlery that he inflicted. 

Before the princess could excuse herself, Jungkook abruptly stood up, making the chair screech on the marvel floor and all eyes settle on him. "I am not hungry" he announced rather ungracefully, before stumbling away on shaky legs. Another wave of disgust with himself rolled through his body and he suddenly became nauseous. 

He didn't really know what to do now, he was lost with his emotions. He was lost with the horror of his actions. Somehow he ended up before the head guard then, Hoseok's bright smile calming him a little. "Already here to fight? It's not even noon yet, my prince" the young man chuckled, but when Jungkook desperately clutched his shoulders, the smile vanished. "Jungkook?" he asked softly, worry dripping from his question. 

"You need to help me, hyung" the prince whimpered almost and Hoseok nodded immediately. He carefully led the boy out of the castles and in the rough direction of the stables, as if he could feel that Jungkook simply couldn't walk through the flower garden right now. They were walking in silence for a few minutes before Hoseok removed the calming hand from the younger's back. "Now spill" the head guard announced as he deemed the prince stable enough to talk. 

"I did something unforgivable, hyung" he whispered, but Hoseok did not respond at all. "I hurt Yeri. Badly" he continued, but there was still no response from the older. The lack of response from his friend made Jungkook anxious and a second later he caved, spilling all his deeds from yesterday. He didn't leave anything out, didn't try to make him look better in that situation and he even recalled her hand from breakfast. When he finally ended, he was out of breath, as if he just ran a marathon. Hoseok was still silent. 

"Please say something, hyung" the boy whispered, staring at his hyung with hope swimming in his eyes. Hoseok let out a sigh as if he had held his breath for the entirety of the rant. "Honestly, if you weren't my future king, I would punch the hell out of you" was the final answer. Jungkook almost laughed at that, but only almost. "Help me" he pleaded instead. Hoseok nodded at that. 

"First, we have to send Jimin to her, the wound will only get infected and we don't want that now, do we?" Jungkook hastily shook his head. Never does he want to see scars that he inflicted on anybody's body, not like his father. "And after that, what are you willing to do, Jungkook?" The question took the prince off guard. What was his intention exactly? Soothe her pain or was it more? Her words still echoed in his mind and when he was totally honest with himself, he didn't want Yeri to hate him. 

Hoseok seemed to see the distress over the question in the younger's face, so he smiled slightly. "I'll leave you time to figure that one out then" he murmured and then he left the boy, just when they were about to reach the stables. "Tell Jimin" he added, before disappearing in the opposite direction. He had work to return to. 

After Jungkook sent Jimin up to Yeri's chambers, he returned to his own, falling on his fluffy mattress with a sigh. He stared at the boring white ceiling deep in thought, reliving every moment with the princess until now to find something that he could do to make it up to her. He finally remembered the roses that he burned yesterday. The pink roses she risked her health for. And he remembered what she told him. He burned the last gift of her mother that she probably wouldn't see for a  very long time. 

He finally found a way to apologize and that was by giving her at least one of her flowers back. Of course he couldn't put them back together from the ashes, but he would raise his own little flower to give back to her. How hard could growing a single flower be? He was confident he could do it, but after countless failed attempts when he gave them too much or too little water and when his impatience grew, Jungkook had to admit to himself that this was not an easy task, just like getting her to forgive him. 

I updated! I would write a long speech now normally, but it's wayyyy after midnight and I need to sleep. Maybe I'll add that later xD Good night, lovelies!