spellbound [taekook] ✓

twenty-nine: love and war

Jeongguk held onto the grips around his pegasus tightly. He wondered if his father felt this nervous before every battle or if he thought he'd survive his last.

"Look!" he heard amongst the mutter of the soldiers. Jeongguk looked around. The shield was healing.

"He did it," Jeongguk mumbled, a smile making way to his lips. Jeongguk sighed and shut his eyes tightly then brought his closed hands to his face.

"Alert! Arms up!" he heard their leader yell and Jeongguk eyes shot up to the sky. The shield that was becoming one again just a few seconds before was falling apart. He realized he let out that breath of relief too soon. Who's he kidding? Jeongguk knew none of this would end easily. He didn't even try to process what had just happened as his body automatically got into the position.

Maybe it was his damned luck but standing right at the edge of the shield with a victorious smile was none other than Zorock. Of all the places around the edge, he had to be directly in his sight. Maybe he would die in his hands after all.

Or not. The shield disappeared completely and so did Zorock. Unfortunately, Jeongguk knew just where he would be.

•—•—•

"Why the hell did you do that mother?" Taehyung heard Jin yell but his focus was on the falling flower petals. Its glow had subsided and slowly, the fire consumed it all and the shield came down with it.

He slowly turned his head to see Linda struggling against the guards trying to take her away. "Stop!" Taehyung yelled and walked up to the woman.

"Explain yourself," he demanded, doing his best to not just burst out in tears then and there. Linda scowled and turned her head away towards her son.

"For you, you naive idiot! You were supposed to be King, you were supposed to save us all. Do you know how much I've given up? How much stress and pressure from Taewon– sorry, Zorock, I had to endure? I can't let this child who came two months ago take everything I've worked for!" she yelled then turned back to Taehyung. "All you had to do was put the shield down or die. Zorock would've let my son and I have our freedom, we would've all ruled together. If I can't have this, neither can you."

"You fucking imbecile, I can't believe I called you my aunt," Taehyung muttered. He couldn't even look at her. "Dungeon," he said to the guards. "Isolated."

Linda continued to struggle and call out her son to help, who only stared back with watered eyes as if he was about to burst any second.

Taehyung turned back to the dying flower and all the council members arguing and confused on what to do. Taehyung gulped and formed him orb only to look into a void of darkness. There was nothing he could do.

They all witnessed the last petal fall and the shield was completely gone.

"Everyone, to the safe room now!" he ordered and no one tried to argue with him as they all rushed back inside the palace, except for Namjoon and Jin. He then signalled for Mage and she was instantly by her side.

"Prince Jin, you're not in the right state of mind for a battle," Taehyung heard Namjoon say as he quickly got onto Mage. He turned back to see Jin on his pegasus, wiping away angry tears with the back of his hand. Taehyung didn't even suspect if Jin was a apart of this all, but he knew by that fiery look in his eyes, he was the one that was most affected by Linda's betrayal.

"Let's go, cousin," Jin shouted and Taehyung nodded. Namjoon didn't try to stop them, he only wished them good luck and went inside. They both flew up and shared one last look. Before they could order their pegasi to go, a black cloud appeared and Taehyung knew exactly what it was.