His Knight | Taegguk

6| Attempted Murder

Jeongguk tossed and turned, but sleep did not come. Perhaps the excitement of finally having come out to his parents was still coursing through his veins. However, the thrill was gone- he just wanted sleep at this point. He didn't know what time it was, but it seemed like it had been years. A glance at the clock told him otherwise; 1:30 AM.

"Well, looks like I'm not going to sleep tonight," He muttered to himself.

Getting up, he snuck out of his bedroom and headed downstairs. The palace was always really quiet at night, which made him nervous he might wake someone up as he placed his feet softly. Even though his footsteps were light as feathers, the noise seemed to echo.

He took a side staircase and made his way into the main corridor. A few guards stood by the door, keeping watch. Jeongguk nodded to them as he slipped outside and they bowed, a general understanding passing between them that no words were needed seeing as others were sleeping.

The stars lit his path as he stepped into the courtyard, crickets singing in the background. Nighttime was, in Jeongguks opinion, the most peaceful time of all. The dark indigo sky lit only by the pinpricks of stars and the ethereal glow of the moon, the cricket song lulling the world to sleep.

Stepping out of the courtyard, Jeongguk made his way down the path into the city. He smiled to himself at how different the town looked before him. The lights of lanterns hanging from strings over the streets illuminating the buildings as the night owls- or as Jeongguk liked to call them, the sleepless drunkards- made their way down the streets. A few shops were still open, their warm light flooding the air.

The sudden sound of rustling made the prince stop in his tracks. When it came again his attention was directed to a thicket of trees a few meters away. In the darkness, he could see nothing but a mass of tangled leaves, but he could feel the burn of eyes against his skin. Suppressing a shudder, he squared his shoulders towards the thicket.

"Show yourself," He commanded, voice strong and sure despite the fact that he was slowly getting more freaked out. After all, he had no one with him and nobody knew where he was.

In a flash, his worst fear made itself a reality. A man came charging out of the shadows, wielding a sword above his head. With a startled cry, the prince dodged out of the way. The man spun and pushed Jeongguk to the ground. For a millisecond the tip of an iron blade hovered an inch from the prince's nose. But in a heartbeat, it was gone, a battle-cry accompanying its departure. Metal swords clashed, awakening the nearby civilians. Looking up, Jeongguk recognized Taehyung. Perhaps this was not the time to moon over someone but in a breath, the prince admired Taehyung's determination- his face scrunched up with the force of his blows and his movements were as sharp as the weapon he fought with. An underhand swing struck the attacker's leg, followed by a skilled duck from Taehyung, then metal clashed again. 

Suddenly, Taehyung's face contorted in agony and he reared backward, blood oozing from the side of his neck. He brought a hand to his neck and touched the wound, glancing at the scarlet liquid. Then he grasped his sword again, eyes alight with anger. He was seething.

"Son of a-"

Jeongguk was already on his feet. In a flash, he punched the attacker in his temple. The man fell to the ground, unconscious. After a moment, when both of them had processed what happened and the adrenalin was seeping away, Taehyung kneeled before Jeongguk, leaning on his sword.

"Your Highness," He panted.

Jeongguk stood for a moment, taking in the view. Taehyung was breathing heavy, hair messier than it was earlier, face towards the ground with sweat dripping off his nose and eyes closed. That was when he remembered the knight was bleeding.