Marriage of Royal Inconvenience [Jimin x Reader]

Ch 32 - Jimin POV - Threats

"You've got to be kidding me."

I threw the newspaper down. Were people insane?

"Why would they demand Y/N be taken from the throne?" I asked Suho. "She was shot."

He shrugged. "According to the headlines, they think she's a danger to the royal family."

"That's a joke! It's insane!"

"That's the internet for you."

I grunted and ran my fingers through my hair. I knew I was supposed to be looking out for my people, but they were making it difficult.

"Do you want me to call the stations again, Your Majesty?"

"Of course I do. We need to put this fire out before Martin sees the smoke."

"You'll want to know that he came to the security room this morning, threatening to have his own men come in and take over the investigation."

I cursed under my breath.

I needed to find my father and see what he had to say about this whole mess. I wasn't getting anywhere on my own.

As I wandered around to find him, I caught eye of Pastor Lee, shaking his head at Martin. He held his hands up.

What did this bastard want now?

"I don't have any type of authority," the pastor said.

"Of course you do," Martin returned. "You're the royal priest and advisor. You have plenty of influence."

"I'm afraid I can't help you."

I cleared my throat to get his attention. "First my guards, and now my pastor? You don't know when to quit, do you?"

He turned back to face me, then rolled his eyes. "Watch the attitude, boy. I'm not in the mood for it."

"And I'm not in the mood for my guest to insult my attitude. That doesn't seem very proper."

"Ah, doesn't it?" he asked. "Maybe it's proper then to have poor security, slow investigations, and assassination attempts?"

I ran my tongue against my teeth.

"If I had known that this was going to happen," he continued, "I would have never put Y/N in your care. I trusted your father to be an honorable man. I guess I was wrong."

"My father is honorable," I replied. "It's my father-in-law that I'm not too sure about."

His eyes flashed.

"Now, now, gentlemen," Pastor Lee interjected. "In reality, we all want the same thing: for Y/N to be safe."

I shook my head, not looking at the pastor. "But that's not what we all want, is it?" I stepped forward, staring straight through Martin. "You want Y/N to be controlled. To be manipulated. To be ordered. That's easier to do back home, isn't it?"

"What an outrageous accusation!"

"It is, isn't it? But it's the truth. You want what's best for you, not her."

His eyebrow raised. "Those are strong accusations, Jimin. I'd be careful. Wars have started over smaller ideas."

"Is that a threat?"

"Y/N will return home," he said, avoiding the answer. "Once this mess has resolved itself, she might return to you."

Might?

"Pastor," I said, "isn't there some verse in your Bible? Something about leaving your mother and father, and belonging only to your spouse?"

"That's a loose translation," the pastor replied, "but yes. There is."

"Ah, what should I do?" I asked, putting my hands in my pockets. "Even God is on my side."

"Are you so sure that He'll be on your side when it comes to war? Are you that confident?"

"I'm confident that if you take Y/N off this property there will be war."

"Jimin," the pastor warned. "A word."

He started to pull me away. "Don't do it. Don't pull me aside like a child, Pastor. Not in front of him."

"You're not a child, but you still have a lot to learn. You don't want blood on your hands over this."

I held my hands up. "These hands were covered in Y/N's blood only a few weeks ago. I'd do anything to keep that from happening again."

He smiled warmly, nodding. "As you should. But if you're not careful, there will be the blood of a thousand innocent people on those fingertips as well."

I huffed. "Then what am I supposed to do? Let him take her?"

"No, but there's more diplomatic ways to –"

"Priest Lee?"

We both turned to a feminine voice. A feminine voice surrounded by armed guards.

"Sydney?" I asked. "What's this?"

"Priest Lee," Sydney said again, "We would like a word with you."

"What can I help you with?" he asked.

I didn't like the feel of this. "Why do you need to talk to the pastor, Sydney?"

Her eyes shifted to Martin, then back to us. "We found traces of gun cleaner in his room. Not to mention a stray, single bullet under his bed that matches the same gun Y/N was shot with."

I looked back at Pastor Lee, who had gone pale. I was worried the old man would have a stroke right then.

"Are you insane? Pastor Lee wouldn't shoot anyone!"

"Oh really?" Sydney asked, stepping forward and turning to Pastor Lee. "Do you want to tell Jimin what your job was fourty years ago before coming to work as a priest in the castle?"

The pastor's head dropped. He rose it back up again. "I was a sniper in the military. In my twenties. Before I understood the real weight of death."

My mouth dropped open, hoping it would help me breathe better. "Pastor..."

"I wouldn't hurt, Y/N, however." he quickly said. "You can take me in, Sydney. I have nothing to hide."

She nodded. "I thought you wouldn't."

I stepped between them. "You can't be serious about this. Even if he was a sniper, he –"

"Let me do my job, Jimin." Sydney returned. "Whether you believe it or not doesn't make any difference."

I clenched my jaw. "You really have no honor, do you?"

She sighed through her teeth. "Don't talk to me about honor. I have a job to do."

I stepped in closer. "I can fire you from that job."

She leaned back in. "Actually, you can't." she returned. "You're not the one who hired me."

She waved her hand, leaving me to watch the pastor be taken away.