Free // BTS AU //

Chapter Sixteen

Everyone sensed the tension between Taehyung and Hye back at the campsite, no one dared question it. It even had Hoseok anxious to come near either of the two, and Hoseok had dealt with scarier creatures than two humans before, there was just something there that bugged him a little too much and made him uncomfortable.

"Seokjin." Hye spoke up after eating her meal. "Can you help me carve a bow? I want to be of more use to all of you." 

"You're already doing a lot for us, you and Jimin bring in money for us so we can replace the torn clothes, get proper food without scavenging..." Seokjin spoke softly but saw the look in her eyes and nodded and stood up. "Let's go get some wood then." Hye nodded and stood up, following Seokjin into the woods.

Once Hye and Seokjin had left, everyone had turned to Taehyung.

"What's with the sour look on your face Taehyung?" Hoseok asked, being the first to speak up. Taehyung simply just stood up and stretched.  

"I'm going to call it a night. I'm tired." He spoke quietly, walking to where he usually slept and put his back to the boys.

Hye and Seokjin had walked deep into the woods and found a thick enough piece of wood to carve into a bow and Seokjin hesitated. "Are you sure you want to use that one?" He asked softly. 

"Of course." 

"But it's special wood, a lot of religious beliefs are behind it." He spoke quietly.

"Precisely." She smiled softly. "It'll keep me protected. Plus, it's not like I took it from the tree." She whispered and he nodded and gathered enough pieces of wood for arrows. 

"How can you shoot so well?" He asked quietly.

"I... I was taught from a younger age." She spoke quietly. "I... I'm the Princess those that wear the dove on their armor are looking for. Once the bowman saw my interest in it, he gave me secret lessons." Seokjin studied her face and only then did he realise that she did look like the Princess. But the Princess had much longer hair. "Please don't tell anyone. Only you and Hoseok know."

"I can assume Namjoon already knows." Seokjin spoke. "But I promise you your secret is safe with me." Hye smiled softly and bowed her head as a thank you. He smiled softly. "Why is there some sort of tension between you and Taehyung?"

"I don't know. He seems mad at me." She spoke quietly as they headed back towards the campsite. "We took a tumble when we were running away from the village, after that he didn't speak to me." Seokjin furrowed his eyebrows, it was very strange behaviour for the boy. 

"Well whatever it is, it should resolve itself soon." Seokjin smiled softly at the Princess. "I assume you wish to be called Hye instead of Princess?"

"Please." She smiled brightly up at the knight. Seokjin nodded as they broke out of the forest and into the campsite.