Out Of The Castle (Soobin X Reader)

21

The air hung thick on the battlefield as the Queen advanced towards the men of the West. The king wished to close his eyes and deny that his beloved was walking towards possible death, yet he felt that if he took his eyes off his wife for even a moment, that he would live to regret it.

The anxiety swelled in the stomach of the Queen. She had told Soobin to trust her, yet she wasn't entirely sure what she would do in the first place. She just knew that Soobin would not be able to solve this.

"Tell me, my lord. Why have you resorted to war?" She asked Beomgyu as she became close enough to speak so that only he would hear her. The two were too close for comfort.

"I have stated it before. You were promised to me. How could I possibly let this error slip past unpunished?" Beomgyu asked. His anger reflected in his tone and in his eyes.

"There is nothing special between the two of us. I am sure you did not fall hopelessly in love with me over a single meal. This is not a fairy tale," the Queen scoffed despite her situation with prince Soobin being that exact situation.

"Perhaps I had not fallen for you, but at least I had someone who understood," he seethed, glaring at the Queen.

"I am sure there are many more who understand your situation. You need not dwell on me," she encouraged.

"I had been given hope and it has been torn away. I have been made a fool of. I do not intend to continue being a fool. I am doing this to show that I am no mere prince who shall never achieve anything," he explained, his frustration and anger reflecting in his voice.

"You would lead innocent lives to their graves simply to display your power?" The queen asked, disgust dripping from her tongue. "Have you no shame?"

Beomgyu took a moment to think about his situation. He had realized the moment he declared war how stupid and childish it was, yet it would seem to petulant to rescind his declaration, so he marched forward. He had thought long and hard about how to end this without spilling blood. It just wasn't possible. He looked to the Queen in that moment and made a decision. Her words had showed him that he would be shamed no matter the decision he made.

"Alright! You have convinced me. My people shall return to the West! There will be peace!" He called out so Soobin could hear him. "But I will not be made a fool of," he growled under his breath as his men turned and marched homeward.

He looked to the reason for his humiliation and without hesitation, he pulled a dagger from his belt and whilst the Queen looked to her husband in celebration of a hard won peace, he pressed the dagger into her back, holding her shoulder to ensure that he stabbed her.

The King watched as her smile dropped and her face paled, she let out an unfiltered sound, a sound of primal pain before she collapsed to the ground, Beomgyu already walking away from her.

Soobin was quick to move to one of his archers, ripping the weapon from his hands, pulling an arrow from his quiver and aiming at the assailant. He would have hit Beomgyu had he shot. But if he shot Beomgyu, war would start. As much as he wished to see the life drain from that good for nothing village idiots eyes, watching him beg for mercy, he knew that as the king, he was not allowed to hold personal grudges. So instead, he simply dropped the weapon and rushed to his wife who lay face down on the grass, blood seeping from her back.

He panicked for a moment, unsure of what to do, but once he got his bearings, he lifted her off the ground, careful of the knife sticking out of her back, and he moved as swiftly and smoothly as he could. His breaths were erratic as he approached the gate, screaming for it to be opened. The blood that soaked his hands and his armour made the air feel thinner. His voice grew hoarse as she begged for the gatekeepers to open the gate faster and once it opened enough for him to slip through, he did.

The staff of the castle were bustling around, unknowing of what had happened. As soon as they saw the state of the King, they all rushed to aid him in making it to the hospital wing unhindered.

Once he was there, he laid the Queen down, listening for her shallow breaths and whilst his apothecaries and doctors worked, he was escorted out. He fought with everything he had left in him to stay by the side of his wife, but he lost the battle. He was left sitting outside the hospital wing, looking at his hands, soaked with blood that was drying as he waited. He could not allow himself to leave without knowing about the condition of his wife.

  As he sat on the floor, armour thrown to the side, leaning against the wall, looking at his blood soaked hands, he wished he had shot that arrow. Perhaps it was his need for revenge or just a petty anger that he would hold onto. He wished he saw the light fading from Beomgyu's eyes. This was something he would not forget. But it was not something that would cause him to endanger the lives of his people. As the king, he knew that he was not allowed to act purely for himself, for he represented the population of his kingdom and anything he did could get them killed.

  He was frustrated with his power. If his father was still alive, he would have been able to shoot that arrow because he was just a silly little prince like Beomgyu.

  The raked his hands through his hair allowing his head to fall between his knees for a moment. The dried blood on his hands flaked off and into his hair. He was unsure of what he would do if his beloved did not make it. First, he had lost his father, and now the only other person he had left? He was not sure if he could handle it.

  This had gone through his head for hours before the doctor exited the room. Soobin was quick to stand and the doctor was quick to bow to his king.

  "Please tell me. Is she alright?" Soobin asked, grasping the doctors shoulders desperately.

  "She is alright for the moment," the doctor began. Soobin let out a sigh of relief and brought his hands to his face. "The dagger missed any important organs and whilst it struck deep, we were able to stitch up her back. She will not able to have visitors until she is healed enough to leave the hospital wing. We must ensure that her wound does not get infected."

  "You are to let me know as soon as I am able to see her," Soobin demanded.

  "Of course, your majesty. I implore you to go wash. The blood on your hands may startle some of the young villagers children within the castle. If all war is over and done with, you should be preparing an address to the people, allowing them to return to their homes once the people of the west had retreated far enough."

"You are right," Soobin sighed again, looking at his hands. "I am not in my right mind at the moment. I must find Kai."