Desert • Flower | TaeJin || BOOK 3#

XXXV. The nymphs of the forest do not cease to play

"Why are there deer here?"

"My lord was very convinced that it would help me be calmer to have pets to take care of" Jimin gives a light kiss to the nose of the deer that approached them. Curious. Unlike his mother who watches from a safe distance. "As if having to take care of the emperor wasn't enough."

Jin shakes his head, pursing his lips. It's frankly, a shitty situation. Jimin became the "emperor's snake" or treasurer of secrets. It's a position that can only be held by those with a water dragon. Even they don't tell you the reasons, you can assume that the trust for that information must be earned. However, the point is that Jimin has a position as vital as the main army general -Jungkook-, and the royal conselour -Namjoon-.

Even more so. He is in charge of keeping an eye on possible traitors, on those who are traitors, and thus to betray them, to keep in the shadows. In general it's very complicated... but hey, take deer so you can have some peace time! Sometimes Namjoon is more devious and cynical than anyone can believe. Considering he was the one who recommended the matter and who, secretly without Jimin's understanding, had been preparing him for the job.

"Do you want to go to the river? Namjoon bought me a horse a while ago, we can both go on it." proposes Jimin. Soo jumps along the garden, hoping that Jin will say yes. Jin mulls it over for a while.

"Yes, I would like to. I haven't seen a river for a long time."

"You've seen the sea."

"Not really. I hardly ever leave the house."

"Oh, then it's not much different than usual."

"No. Not at all."

Jimin laughs through his nose and pats the deer's head before it leaves with its mother. He takes Jin by the arm as he offers and they walk towards the stable of the house. The caretaker greets them and prepares the horse to leave. Jin caresses the animal's head, calm and affectionate. Jimin goes up first and then Jin.

. . .

"It's huge! Why did it grow so much!" he asks surprised and happy about it. Before it was a creek barely big enough to get in. Now you can sink in no problem. Jimin ditches his shoes and socks, leaving them on a rock far enough out of the way so they don't get wet. Jin mimics him.

"I don't know. Since I've been coming here it's been like this. It was a pleasant surprise."

"I can feel it."

Jin shivers with his feet stuck in the water. It's terribly cold. He squeals as water splashes on him, finding Jimin laughing. Jin lets go of his skirt and uses Eunji to hit the water with her tail, raising a lot more that hits the blue kisaeng. Jimin falls back, that was more of a wave than a splash.

Jimin pulls back his hair and Soo gets a mouthful of water. Jin runs to get away from the small water shots, ends up falling into the river and when he gets up, he is soaked from head to toe. They both start laughing themselves silly, Jin takes off most of his clothes to dry on a rock, Jimin doesn't bother to do so. He can dry it with a wave of his hand.

"Look at this."

Large bubbles of water rise up and Jimin jumps one at a time until he sits on the one floating highest among the trees. Jin whistles and causes huge plants to spring up to help him go the same way up. Attempting to step on a bubble, he falls in. He releases air and a bubble forms around his head.

"Sorry, you should have warned me what you would do that." says Jimin stepping in with him.

"You breathe in the water?"

"Something like that. I don't really know what I do, I just do."

"I know whatever, it's not fair, the flowers drown too."