The Dark Prince

The Dark Prince pt. 4

The king entered the dark tavern in the middle of the night, not a soul awake to bear witness to the act of betrayal he was about to commit. His wife followed behind him, her disdain evident, but he couldn't care less. He had a mission to fulfill whether she accepted it or not.

"You highness, may I present the boy you asked for. He is elegant in stature, handsome in appearance, and could easily pass for a prince." The sketchy merchant presented the young man to the king, his knapsack already full with the coins given to him for his silence.

The king eyed the young boy, all the shame and fear of what he was about to do mounting higher, but he had no choice. His son could not marry, could not bear an heir- It just didn't make sense to even let him try. The past made it clear how these cursed men would never be able to have love...never be able to look upon the eyes of anyone other than a Jeon. It's been a burden to their blood line for centuries. He had to do this...he just had to. Making a final decision, he walked around the countryman admiring how he truly did display several qualities that could easily fool the masses. His people would be none the wiser. All would assume that the remedy had been found and that now they would have the prince they always wanted. He glanced over to his wife who was looking elsewhere, her annoyance a clear indicator that she hated him even more now. He tried to love her, he really did, but she couldn't stand to be in his sight and it killed him. If he could do one thing right, it would be to reestablish his kingdom, continue his line...and break the curse to his family name by bringing in a replacement. The young man's bloodline was surely clean and even though he was no royal, he could certainly pass for one. The king had no choice. Jungkook was supposed to be his only chance, but that chance was ruined the moment he'd been born.

"You do know what I am asking of you? You must leave everything behind, deny that you know of this ploy, keep this secret until death. You will be a Jeon, which in turn will make you responsible for the happiness of my people, and the continuation of my monarchy."

The man looked scared, but deep within he was flooded with excitement. The opportunity for him to finally leave the hard life of being a peasant behind was too great. He's been farming on the land since he could remember, but this only came once in a lifetime , and if all he had to do was lie...then so be it.

"I promise."

"Good, then gather your things. We have much to prepare."

+++

It was the next morning when Jungkook woke up in the best mood he's experienced in a while. The sun was shining, his body felt relaxed and his breakfast was already cooking on the stove. He loved that you could cook so well, food was his guilty pleasure next to you, of course. Hurriedly he got ready to face the day and welcome another with you by his side. The day before had been a jumbled mess of emotions, but now that the dust was settled, he wanted to spend his time with you happily.

When you brought him his food, he waited for your greeting, but there was none.

"______? Are you alright?"

"Yes, your highness. I just wanted to give you some space so that you would not be overburdened with my presence?"

Jungkook had never heard anything so foolish. How could you say something like that? He could never get tired of you, if anything, he wishes he could have more of you. "Do not ever say such things. I am not overburdened, nor will I be. I miss your voice. I miss you. I know you are here with me, but...I cannot help but want to spend every moment with you. Is that childish?"

You smile, disarmed by his innocent words. He really was so inexperienced, even in relationships with those around him. You wondered if maybe his words were truly sincere and not just the ramblings of an infatuated boy.