Nightmares Come True: A BU Story Rewritten

Part 5: A Secret Exposed

"Let me go! Please!" The prince's distressed pleas resonate throughout the castle halls. There's not a single soldier he can see that he recognizes. He's called countless times for the head and high guards, but none have come to his aid. His throat burns from his cries, and his injuries have begun to swell.

"Come on." Another unknown bodyguard grabs tight to his neck from behind and gives his head a harsh thrust. "Let's go see big brother."

"Ungh!" Taehyung gets pushed back into the Great Hall. His hands are bound together in front of him. Two soldiers have a strong grip on each of his arms, squeezing tight to ensure he can't escape. He whimpers every time they force him forward. Finally, upon entering, he spots a familiar face, though not one he's typically comforted by.

The king is in no better shape than he's in himself. A nauseous feeling overpowers every sense of pain and despair he's felt until now. Seokjin, too, is bound and injured. Bloodstains soak his left sleeve, which trails down to where the liquid drips from his fingertips. Pieces of hair cling to his sweat-coated forehead. His cheeks are flushed red due to his struggling and repeated attempts at a getaway. The sword that he once bore now rests in the hands of another imposter, who uses it as his own as he torments and threatens him. Taehyung wants to call out to his brother, but the guard's booming voice dominates his strained cries.

"How fortunate we are! With a kingdom as significant as this and the way you exhibit your soldiers, we were prepared to put up a real fight. Seokjin, you're still just a boy, but I'll give you good credit. Never once have I encountered such a successfully deceitful king. Lying to your people, hiding your debt and material struggles, leading the citizens to believe there's no heir, thinking you could forever hide this young prince from the public!"

Seokjin's head darts towards the hall entrance. His eyes lock onto Taehyung, who's scared to death. He can see the tears from across the room, and the area surrounding his brother's right eye already has a dark red and purple discoloration. "No.. no... Tae..!" He whispers through his panting, then grunts, recoiling from the shock of pain as his arm is powerfully clenched.

"What's going on?!" The prince asks, fighting back more tears. "Seokjin, help me!" He's pulled back by his shoulders, causing him to have to take a step back for support. He has no control over his breathing. First, it's heavy, but then it suddenly stops altogether. His heart skips a beat as he feels the edge of a knife hit against his throat. He doesn't dare move.

"No! NO! STOP! MYUNGJUN, DO SOMETHING!" Myungjun had been positioned near the Great Hall ever since they arrived home from the meeting with Namjoon. He heard the commotion consisting of Seokjin's sword clashing with another and acted immediately, but arrived too late, finding the king forced to his knees as the invaders limited his movement by holding him down and constraining his arms. Since then, he's held his sword up, keeping it still, ready to fight if they attempt to hurt Seokjin again. Now, upon instruction, he rushes to threaten the guard torturing the prince.

"A single cut, another drop of blood, and you'll be sorry you ever laid hands on him." Anger fills his eyes as he readies his stance, vowing to protect the boys he's taken care of since they were young. However, he stops short once he hears Taehyung's quiet orders.

"..stop...stop..! ..stop it..! ..Myungjun, stop..!"

With every step closer that Myungjun takes, the more they torment the prince. He lowers his sword, then looks back towards the king. Once Seokjin takes notice of the reasoning behind his highest guard's hesitation, he shouts and begs, trying to reason with the opposing guards. "Don't hurt him! I'll do anything you say; just don't touch him! He's done nothing wrong! If you want to kill one of us, kill me!"