ELVEN | K.TH

15

TAEHYUNG

My brother.

Of course.

"Jaerim." My father repeats, voice cold. "Tell me again. What did you see yesterday night?"

I stare up at him, entire body tense. My hands are bound behind my back, and I'm on the ground with my knees. Jimin is next to me, his head hung low. His light hair fall in front of his eyes.

My brother gives me a smirk.

"Father, I saw Taehyung leave towards the Western border of the Elven Forests." He says. "So I followed him. Because I remembered how angry you were with him last time, when he did that."

Bastard.

My teeth bares, jaw flexing so tightly I feel that I might tear the skin. How much had he seen?

Jimin, as well?

Rinei?

"I saw him with an outsider."

My father bursts up to his feet. The room is empty, except for the four of us. And I hear his steps approach me quickly, until I feel rough fingers take a handful of my hair.

My head jerks backward. My eyes meet my father's, and I take the first blow without a stutter. I sway, hushing my breaths.

I would not make a sound.

"An outsider."

His whips his hand across my face. Then he wraps his fingers around my throat, nails digging into the line of my jaw. I can feel the sting of blood.

Behind my father's shoulder, I see my brother.

"An outsider, Taehyung?" He whispers, and I kneel there in silence as his grip tightens. "Is it that outsider, from seven years ago? Tell me. Is it her?"

I stay silent.

For the next five seconds, the room is still.

He raises a hand, bringing it down on me again. I take it, but then I hear a soft, sharp gasp. My father instantly turns his eyes towards Jimin, who freezes the moment he meets his hard gaze.

No.

Why. Why did you...

"Oh, that's right." My father breathes, getting to his feet. "I forgot about you, Park Jimin. I put you next to Taehyung to report every move he made to me, didn't I?  Yet you took me for a fool."

Jimin's eyes are fixed on the floor, hidden behind his undone locks. I can see his figure tremble, his fists tightened and pressing deeper into his sides as my father shifts closer to him.

My voice echoes harshly through the room.

"Father. I left the Palace without him aware. That was solely my decision."

"He should've known. I am punishing him for his incompetence, as a guard to the Prince."

"I was recovering from Jaerim's magic. He couldn't have known if I'd left." I say. "The healer had thought it best for me to get rest, alone."

"It isn't his fault."

"The healer's orders?" My father echoes. And a faint hope sparks in my mind when he starts to draw away from Jimin.

Just a little more. I needed to distract his attention from him, turn all of his anger onto me.

"Yes." I whisper. "The healer's orders are absolute."