Black Swan (Kim Namjoon x reader)

Chapter 27

Outside the ballroom was just as glamorous as the inside. The ceiling reached the sky and was painted with the same scene of heaven. Etched on the walls were not only the faces of the Queen, but also full statutes of her. Once again, you felt as though her eyes were following you and perhaps she used those statues to surveil those in the palace. Footsteps echoed throughout the hallways. Yoongi kept his eyes straight and his head high. Even from the back, he exuded the confidence and stature of a prince. Servants and anyone who passed the two of you would stop walling and bow until you passed. Despite the respect and admiration from others, it felt like Yoongi was still burdened by something.

You reached the entrance of the archive. Two guards stood in front of it, their swords crossed in front of the door. "Your Highness," they bowed together.

"Leave at once," Yoongi declared, "I want to study in peace."

"But sir, we have direct orders from the Queen to not let anyone in."

Yoongi gave them a glare and they both shuddered. Their eyes began to glow. "You will leave and tell no one about this."

"Yes," they said in unison. "We will leave and tell no one about this." And just like that, they shuffled away. Yoongi held the door for you to enter. Living up to its name, the Archive had books stacked up to the ceiling. It was bigger than any library you've ever been in. With no time to waste, you began scouring through the books. Yoongi stared at the ceiling for a while.

"Are you okay?" you asked quietly.

Yoongi nodded, "I should be asking you that."

"Why does everyone say that? I'm okay."

He chuckled, "Well, it wouldn't be crazy if you were freaking out. You're in the home of the woman who wants you dead, for more than one reason. So I wouldn't blame you for wanting to run away from all of this."

"What about you then?" you asked in return. "This woman is your sister. Her blood runs through you as well. Do you want to run away?"

You hadn't expected him to answer, "Everyday of my life. Sometimes I wished we weren't related, other times I wished we weren't born with royal blood. It's our titles that ruined her. Maybe one day, it'll take me with it."

"Don't say that,"you urged. "You'll never turn into someone like that. I can see that you care about the people around you. That's so much more than her already."

He smiled, it was bittersweet. "When I was younger, I begged my parents to let me attend the academy like all of the other children in Etherio. I didn't want to be homeschooled like my sister. I craved real and genuine friendships. It was a miracle that they agreed. I was so excited on my first day of school. After the royal attendants dropped me off, I knew right away it was a mistake. The other kids wouldn't even look at me. I sat alone during lunch and recess. But I could hear them talking about me, about how I could control them if they were to look at me. That's why they stayed away. Everyday after school, when my parents would ask me how it went, I would lie and say I had the best time ever and that it was everything I've ever wanted. And I would cry myself to sleep."

"Yoongi, that's awful, I'm so sorry."

"And just when I hated myself the most, he came along and started to annoy me to no end," Yoongi smiled fondly at the memories.

"Namjoon?"

The prince nodded, "One day, he took the empty seat next to me during class, offered me some clementines, and I haven't been able to get rid of him ever since. He for sure heard the rumors about me, but he didn't care. He talked to me everyday and introduced me to his group of friends. When other kids asked him why he was friends with a dangerous person like me, he told them he could probably do more damage to them than me. In a way, he was my first friend. If it weren't for him, I'm sure I would have turned out exactly like my sister. So I'm grateful for him."

"Well, it looks like we both owe him," you observed. "Now, let's not waste this chance." You botched stopped chatting and got to work rummaging through the archive. There was one wall in the far back that looked out of place. It was enchanted with magic. You held out your hand and concentrated. The layer of magic slipped away, revealing a secret door. Yoongi went in first to check for any booby traps and found none luckily. The room was no bigger than your room. A table sat in the center with a cloth covering the surface. Yoongi peeled it away and saw a blueprint rolled up underneath it. He quickly opened it. As he scanned the word, the colors were drained from his face.

You noticed that he stopped moving and took a step forward, "What's wrong?"

He pointed to the words on the page, and you held in a gasp. Alongside the blueprint was a map of all the realms with x's marked as clear as day. There were specific instructions and underneath was the crest of the Queen. Yoongi exhaled, "Now I know why she needed you alive."

***

Taehyung roamed the hallway aimlessly. He was only at the ball to enjoy the classical pieces but it was getting repetitive. So he decided to take a stroll instead. As he approached the familiar archive, he noticed two figures running out of it. They seemed to be in a hurry. A flower from the girl's dress fell. He bent down to grab it and inhaled the fresh floral scent. He kept on walking. He reached his destination, his guest was already there, standing under the moonlight in her garden. "It seems they found out about our plan," he said.

The Queen turned around, she was unamused. "Then I guess we will have to expedite the plan."

"What will you do with my brother?"

"Since he won't join me, I suppose he's no longer of use. I'll dispose of him like the rest. Do you have a problem with it?"

Taehyung tucked the flower safely in the pocket of his coat, "No, of course not, Your Majesty. All I care about is the prize you promised me."

"Don't worry," she laughed, twirling her dress around. She had it made specifically to look like blood. "Once I'm done with that Deflector, you can do whatever you want with her."