Stars & Golden Feathers

Chapter 17

Jisung's P.O.V

"Come on, let's go." Minho smiles and takes Jisung's hand and leads him down the hallway.

They arrive at a large door with guards on either side, they nod at Minho and open the door.

The room is surprisingly small compared to all the other rooms Jisung has seen in the castle. There are bookshelves on three of the walls and a large chair in the middle of the room, the chair is facing away from the door toward a fireplace, located on the wall without books.

"Who's there?" A deep voice says from behind the chair. Jisung feels Minho squeezing his hand tighter, he looks at Minho and sees the older boy biting his lip nervously. Jisung doesn't know what's happening, but he steps a little closer to Minho and puts his free hand on his arm to comfort him.

Minho clears his throat and answers, "It's me, Father" He takes a deep breath and continues, "I have to talk to you about something."

Jisung expects the King to turn around in his chair, but it never happens. Minho doesn't seem to mind, as he keeps talking, "I have decided that I won't become the King," Jisung head snaps toward Minho, and he looks at him with wide eyes. What?

This also seems to get the King's attention, as his chair quickly spins around, "You what?" Minho flinches at his tone, but quickly straightens his back.

"I've decided to be with Jisung instead of becoming King," Jisung's jaw drops.

"And what makes you think you can do that?" The King says in an almost mocking way while smirks condescendingly.

Minho's P.O.V

"Mom said I can do it," Minho cringes internally after saying the sentence. He feels like a little kid begging his dad to let him have a sleepover, but this is much more serious.

The look his dad gives him reminds him of the way he was looked at when he told his dad about the monsters under his bed when he was a child, disbelief and humor clear on his face.

"She did? What other lies did she tell you?" The mocking is still present in his voice as he speaks, Minho's stomach drops, but he keeps his composure.

"She- she didn't tell me any lies," He silently curses himself for stuttering, "I read it in the letter you gave me."

The King's face drops, "The letter?" Minho nods, he squeezes Jisung's hand unconsciously. "He's getting fired." He mumbles while looking away, Minho almost doesn't catch it.

"What? Who's getting fired?" Minho questions.

"Nothing," His dad clears his throat and looks at Jisung acknowledging his presence for the first time, "You've ruined my family."

"I'm s-sorry your Highness," Jisung says with a shaking voice, Minho quickly pulls him behind his back.

"Do not talk to him like that," He says through gritted teeth, "I'm sick of you talking to people like you're better than them. The fact that you're the king doesn't give you the right to treat people like they're trash," Minho shouts the words at his dad who is looking at him in shock. "I'm not gonna become the King, I want to live my life how I want to."

A few seconds pass without anyone saying anything. His dad's lips curl into a smirk, "Fine." Now it's Minho's turn to look at him in shock.

"Fine?" Minho echoes, something tells him there's a catch, his dad has never agreed to anything this easily.

"Yes, fine," He smirks and looks at Jisung for a second, "Marry him then. If you're so in love with him that you can't even do your duty as a crown prince, then marry him." A short laugh escapes his lips.

"What?" Minho whispers.

"Oh you didn't know?" The mocking tone is back in his dad's voice. "You have to marry someone who's not Royal to have the choice to pass the throne to someone else."

Minho feels Jisung pull his hand and he turns his head to look at the boy behind him. They lock eyes for a moment before Minho turns back toward the King.

"Fine."

"What?" His dad and Jisung say in unison.

"I'll do it. I'll marry him." He says while looking his dad straight in the eyes.