Royal Flush | pjm; jjk

Chapter Twenty Seven

Dreadful silence fell over the room. Jimin kept looking at Nora, hope and fear intertwining in his eyes, while Nora simply closed hers. Tears were already forming, eyelashes fluttering and Jimin's heart started to sink. "Please don't ask me.." Nora spoke out, voice cracking and barely audible. Yet, it struck Jimin like a lightning bolt. He let go of her hands and cupped her cheeks. "Please, look at me." Jimin begged, and Nora slowly opened her teary eyes.

Jimin looked at them carefully, drinking in the ocean blue, fear of losing this gaze forever overtaking him. "Nora, please..." he asked again, feeling ashamed of his own words. He knew what he was asking of her, he hated the King for asking his mother the same. He knew to what it lead, but deep inside he hoped that their story would turn out differently. "I can't do this without you.." Jimin whispered again, but Nora turned her eyes away. She raised her hands slowly, wrapping her fingers around Jimin's wrists, pulling them even closer. "I'm sorry." Nora whispered back, closing her eyes and letting the tears roll down. "I'm so sorry, Jimin. But I can't.." voice cracking, Nora spoke again.

"I'll never get married. I'll find a way for us to be together. I'll break the royal law if I have to." Jimin started to ramble, eyes scanning her face frantically. Nora released a somber smile. "You know you can't. You know nothing of what you said is possible." Her voice was firmer now, her resolve was getting clearer. Jimin opened his mouth to protest again, but Nora was quicker. "I don't want to repeat history.." her voice, like knifes, pierced Jimin from various directions. "Do you want me to hide here? To only be there for you, when you need me? What about my needs? How do you imagine me spending my life here, in the same place, in the same room where he died?" Nora started to release her feelings on to him, trying to keep her voice as soft as possible. "Do you want to suffocate me in these four walls? Because that is what you're asking of me right now.." Nora whispered out again, still holding his wrists in her arms.

Jimin's heart felt heavy, internal turmoil making it hard to breathe. "I'd have to be locked here. I wouldn't have my own voice, I wouldn't have my freedom. And looking at you.." Nora spoke softly. "Looking at your face, I'd always be reminded of what we could have had.. but didn't." Jimin's hands fell from her cheeks, the feared reality pulling them down in defeat. Nora quickly raised hers and hugged Jimin fiercely, clasping her fingers in his shirt. "I'm so sorry.." She cried out to his neck, and quickly felt tears escaping him too.

"Don't leave.." Jimin whispered into her neck, tears now falling without constraint and Nora's stomach twisted again. She hugged him even tighter, hating herself even more. "I have to." She whispered back. Jimin was unsure what emotion was the most prominent one. He was angry, he was scared. He was heartbroken. All he wanted to do was run away with her now, leave everything behind, stop caring about everyone else and just focus on their happiness. As if reading his mind, Nora spoke again. "I can't stay here, and you can't leave."

Clasping to each other fiercely, Jimin and Nora sat in silence. Holding each other for the last time they allowed the tears run freely, there was no need to hold them in. Hearts breaking in million pieces, they made the choices they had to. Jimin understood why Nora couldn't stay, and she in turn knew he would never leave. Yet understanding didn't make it any easier, all either wanted to do was to stop time and stay like this forever.

Time, however, continued to run brutally. It didn't take long for their peace to be disturbed by Jimin's duties, and with breaking hearts they let each other go. The moment Nora stepped out of the hall, she felt her knees give in. Jin, who was waiting patiently, quickly caught her and helped her stand up. Riding away from the palace, Nora couldn't stop crying for a moment. Tears were blurring the view in front, and all Jin could do was to make sure that she doesn't fall.