• Selfish Prince • || KookMin

2. The figures behind that charming prince

"My parents want me to get married."

"Having a good wife could turn out children just as beautiful as you."

"I don't want children. I want baby birds."

"Aww, how lovely, my lord." laughs one of them and Jimin hums, eyes closed and hair full of shampoo.

~ * * * ~

"You should do that." comments his older brother and Jimin rolls his eyes.

"It would be a great help-all of us would help you." assures his second brother and Jimin eats a mochi. "My wife will entertain yours."

"And I'll get you all the men you want. Older, younger, bigger, however you prefer." Insists the third and Jimin looks at them with disgust.

"I won't be with prostitutes Who do you think I am?" he reproaches offended and almost choleric. Standing abruptly and with clenched fists; he causes alarm among the five brothers present there, in a visit to convince him to collaborate. "I won't be with just anyone either and- Aw, what's the matter with you all!" he whines in exasperation at so much attack and insistence.

He does not wish to be part of this political mish-mash Why should he? There is no reason. It's one way or another, they're a very important family, they won't go broke or anything like that. Nor is it a position where he can do whatever he want.

If as a family they're a tree, Jimin wants to be the flower. Who adorns, who looks and who beautifies the place. Not a trunk or a branch that holds everything else for others to display beauty. His older brother, he approaches and just like his mother, he knows how to speak to Jimin.

He is the prince charming, the whimsical and beautiful... but also manipulable.

Why else would they give him everything? If not to use that same beauty later. The eldest of them, named Dong-Yeo, grabs his shoulders:

"If only you were closer, you could meet the emperor... and if you were this close, you could convince him that there is little or nothing wrong with a similar bit of tact... a bit of" gently takes him by the face. "Your charm." he smiles kindly and lovingly.

Jimin is the shortest of them all.

Jimin is the most delicate of all.

Jimin is the most clueless of all.

And Jimin is the most amazingly helpful of all.

"There are many rumors running around about our beloved Emperor Leeseung," comments his second brother, hiding the malice in his mannerisms and voice. "Among them, that he sneakily sees the lovers he tucked in as servants and have them so by the corridor."

"Also that his real concern is that his wife does not give him satisfaction."

"And that maybe, just maybe... One day she might be dead."

Jimin presses his lips together with restless, anxious eyes. They know they get their point across: tempting him in the right way to accept. Through the family, they won't succeed. They have no credible lie to convince him. Appealing to his selfishness is all they have.

As well as to their forcibly childish thinking because of everyone.

"Well, wouldn't you like it? That suddenly one day, it will be a man accompanying the emperor and all the luxuries he has in this great expanse."

Jimin gives a groan looking away.

~ * * * ~

"Sometimes I wish I could be like you" Jimin murmurs to the bird standing on his short little fingers of soft, delicate skin. "I could fly wherever I want, rest wherever I want and sing as much as I want" he muses sadly, "but I must be a husband, a counselor and again, a husband."

He gives her a kiss on the beak and the bird fluffs up its white plumage. He gives it a gentle nudge to fly away and smiles at the sight of it. It's a Fancy pidgeon, a curly-feathered pigeon. One of the many species in his aviary.

Jimin loves birds.

With all his being.

It's the only thing he likes to read about, the only thing he researches, and the thing he asks for the most. They are his entire fascination and maybe that's why he longs so much to be free. Or so he thinks: he just longs for the illusion of freedom they possess.

He jumps, startled by the abrupt entrance of a maid into his aviary: "My lord, your mother needs to speak with you." Curiosity sets in What could be so urgent that this girl came this way?

. . .

"Jeon-Beaumont Jungkook's exile has been annulled and he has been reinstated as heir to his family name, as well as his duty" Seunhwa announces between his teeth. "So as soon as he receives the news, he will have permission to return here and... well, continue the work of the Jeon-Beaumont." he concludes with a strained, unpleasant smile.

"Uh... Yay?" stammers Jimin and she abruptly turns to him. She walks over to cup his face with one hand. She squeezes the spoiled child's fluffy cheeks a little.

"He can't go back. The Jeon-Beaumont have too much time in command and it's our turn" Seunhwa says somewhat abruptly and Jimin breaks free from the grip. "So we must take actions. Very specific ones..."

"Like what, why can't we just go on as usual?"

"Don't you want to be next to the emperor?" Jimin shrinks back. Truth be told, no, he wants the luxury that gives him: one he already has here Why seek what he hasn't lost? "That you can be free to wallow with any male you please!" insists and Jimin furrows his eyebrows in disgust. "This is for your sake," assures Seunhwa. "For your well-being."

In part... it is.

Seunhwa had the bad luck to fall for his own trick.

Where she can't live without pampering and spoiling his charming little boy.

Be that as it may, she must put him on that throne and the Jeon-Beaumont ruin said plan.

"Jungkook was banished for being a homosexual man" says Minjoon with annoyance and exhaustion. "And you are the most beautiful man this empire has to offer" he assures caressing reddened cheeks. "It will be an easy task for you. That's for sure."

"But-but-"

Jimin presses his eyes and lips together, receives the tender, soft kiss on the forehead from his father.

This is...so exhausting.....

~ * * * ~

Jimin stretches out on the floor. Being here has been more pleasant than he thought. There are lots of little birds flitting about. Even if there is the occasional vulture, he finds that they have their particular charm. Maybe it's that despite eating rotten meat and pests...

They keep none of the smell.

They don't lose their elegant way of flying.

They don't lose even one of their feathers....

Jimin stands up and covers his eyes with one hand, a camel approaching him from the north. From the animal descends a tall man with a turban covering his face and head from the sun. His hair exposed: blond and long over his shoulder. He pulls aside the cloth covering his mouth and smiles kindly.

"Jimin?"

The whimsical, childish nobleman smiles and nods with a smile. Jimin doesn't restrain himself from hugging him. He likes tall men. Just with this, the forced mission he has to accomplish, it won't be so bad.

"I'm Kim Nam-Joon. I was already told about the favor... Feel free to do whatever you want, but us, we had nothing to do with it."

"If you give me a kiss, I promise I won't say anything."

Namjoon squeezes his eyes and nose. This boy is adorable. Jimin prances around, celebrating getting the kiss.

He climbs onto the camel and slowly rolls up the cloth Namjoon holds out to him. He can consider his work as Jeon-Beaumont Jung-Kook's assassin begun.