When Royalties Clash | JJk ff

17

Author's pov:

Castle of Ulsan

Taehyung followed the trail of his father's footsteps, unsure of where he was been led. The King had ordered to see the young prince and now was taking him somewhere deeper into the castle, some place he'd never been before or even knew that it existed.

Kim Sehun's personal bodyguard walked upfront with a wooden log whose tip was covered with a cloth and burnt with hell fire. The light from the flames illuminated the congested walls of the passage.

A passage.

They went deeper into the castle, lower.

An underground dungeon.

He has never been to that part of the palace. This was the very first time he saw it, the famous, the almost mythical dungeon. There were many stories related to it. None were good.

Now that it was real, a question arose in his mind.
Why is there a need of a dungeon when the Central Prison exists?

"This way." his father's voice echoed through the concrete walls and reflected back. The narrow passage abruptly ended into a wide room divided into segments.

Taehyung's eyes widened realising what it was.

Jail.

Two guards stood outside each segment whose openings were enclosed by thick iron bars. The fire burning in lamps on the walls was the only source of light while there was no sight of a window. The people inside would never know the difference between day and night.

"What is this place?" he whispered as his eyes wandered off here and there to wrap his head around it.

"As your Coronation begins next week, you need to know some things that have been hidden from the rest of the kingdom." Taehyung absent-minded listened to his father as he walked to a cell to see whats inside.

A figure of a man lay on the floor, weak, old, dirty and almost gone. The only signs of life that came from his body was the very minute rise and fall of his chest.

His face twitched with grief at the sight.
"And those are?"

"This is The Underground Dungeon, where we keep the prisoners that we can't at the Central Prison."

"And why can't you keep them in Central Prison?" His voice was thick with an emotion that was too hard for him to decipher. He didn't like where this was going.

"Keeping war prisoners in that place will lead to more wars, Taehyung." His father said it so nonchalantly that his belief shook.

These were Army men........of other kingdoms.....held captive.

His head snapped to the length of the place, eyes widening to witness a never ending row.
How many of them are here?

"Is their Kingdom aware?"

"How can you ask such a stupid question? Of course, not. That is the reason they are kept hidden. Not even the people of our own kingdom are aware."

"And why do you keep them anyway?"

"Intel, Taehyung. They'll give us information, very crucial and sensetive information about their kingdoms." The king sighed, as if tired." But none of them have opened their mouths yet. Its been years since the last war yet they dont cave in a bit."
They're loyal. Taehyung thought.
"Fourteen of them lost their lives in the process of keeping quiet and for what? A kingdom that doesn't even realise their absence?"
A sting was felt in his chest making it hard to breathe. He suddenly didn't want to be there anymore.
"I failed but thats fine. I know when you'll take over, you'll be able to break this cycle and we'll finally get something out of this. Our men here work very hard to protect us, hm, Taehyung." He kept a hand on his shoulder and gave it a firm press. The cruelty in his eyes betrayed the understanding in his words.