Royal Duty [Minjoon]

11th part

The next morning the young prince was standing in front of the big wooden doors to his father's bedroom, his clenached fist lifted and ready to knock on the big wooden door to announce his presence to his father.

Hesitation was the reason why the fist never made it further towards the door, and that let the eerie quietness of the castle in the early morning take over instead. The prince hesitated because he did not wish to lose. He wanted to deliver the message and fix his own and the servant's problem, yet he knew that when he did, and when he told his father the reason for his visit, it would be the same as declaring a loss. If there was one thing the royal family did not like, nor admitted to, it was losing. Namjoon being the castle's only servant was like a bet after all. The prince had betted everything on that he would manage and that they would prove the king wrong. The king had betted on the opposite, that the servant would not manage the many tasks, and though Jimin had to much pride to admit it, the king had been correct. The king had won the bet.

A sigh filled the royal hall as the prince collected his thoughts and readjusted his fist before he brought it closer to the door. He was doing this for Namjoon. He was just about to knock when his action was interrupted by the opening of the huge, gold embellished mahogany door that had been in his vision for the last few minutes, and that now suddenly disappeared from view and the frame of his father replaced it.

"My lord." The prince said with a slight bow towards the king.

"Jimin?" The king asked, as he looked at his son, standing in front of the door with a raised fist. "Great, I was just about to call you." The man continued, the surprised face he had shown earlier changed into a slight smile as he greeted his son back. "Call me? For what reason father?" The prince asked as he eyed the older man in his prismarine colored robes. The man's black, slightly long hair that had yet to be styled for the day, looked disheveled on his head. "Well you see." The king said, brushing a hand through his hair, almost as if he could feel his son's gaze on it. "I was going to announce that the princess of Sarina will make her arrival in the late evening today." He told while walking trough the newly dusted golden halls that were filled with the bright light of morning sun. The shine of the reflected rays of the sun, made the halls, that roamed the royals' precense, look even more majestic than it normally would.

The prince took hurried steps, trying to keep up with his father's faster pace. "For what purpose?" The boy asked eying the taller frame of his father who showed no signs of slowing down even as his robe was draping against the tiled floorboards. A chuckle escaped the hurried kings lips, "For what purpose?" The king repeated, obviously amused by the princes' oblivious question. "Because son, you and her are destined to unite our kingdoms through your marrige." The royal spoke matter of factly, voice filled with pride as he spoke the words.

These words made the prince's steps instantly come to an end. "What?" he asked, voice not coming out as strong and demanding as his racing thoughts wanted it to. "You do know that we have had a trade convention with the country for years, right?" The king asked, looking back at the prince who had stopped behind him. The boy nodded, not making eye contact with his father. "Recently their country was flooded and many of their resources were destroyed." The king stopped as he spoke his words, looking out through the window that reflected the shining sun. "The king is devastated and the people of the country are in denial. The workers refuse to stop selling their goods to us, saying they are afraid that if they break the convention, if it continues like this our countries will wind up at war." The king sighed taking his eyes of the red light of the sun rising behind the cherry blossom trees in the royal garden.

"They just regained peace a few years ago and they fear that war will come again. Of course there will not be a war, yet the citizens refuse to listen. Instead they force more goods out of the country than what they are actually able to provide, leaving Sarina in a deficit and a tension." "Don't you get it?" The king asked his son, brown orbs meeting the other equal pair. "If we leave the workers, and the majority of the people in such a tense situation, they might start a revolution and force the war to come. That's why we have to unite, we can help them back on their feet and once they have made it, we will have an almost unlimited access to the resources, and you will be married to one of the fairest virgins that can be provided." The king smiled as he finished speaking.

"Father I don't.." Jimin started, but he was unable to finish the sentence because the king turned around and started walking again, steps quicker and lighter now. "Of course I have ordered the other servants to come back to prepare the castle. I am not expecting that lousy thief to manage it all." The king spoke, smile changing into a slight frown at the mention of the said male.

The price felt enraged by his father's words, not only had he broken their agreement without consulting him, but he had looked down on Namjoon again. It was almost as though depriving the other had become a part of his father's daily schedule. "We had an agreement." Jimin wanted to say, but he stopped himself mid-sentence, this was after all the reason why he had confronted his father that morning in the first place, so the prince shut up and watched his father walk away. Watched him as he walked through a heavy wooden door in the hall, that lead to the royal doctor's chamber.

"I don't want to marry father." The prince spoke quietly, slowly turning around and heading back to his own room, getting ready for the presence of another royal to roam.