MOON || JIKOOK ✅

9.

JUNGKOOK POV

It was too late to catch his parents in the morning room,
so he instead had to pass on
his request to speak with them through his father's attendant.

He did his best to stress the urgency without being explicit
as to why it was urgent.

Luck was on his side and an
hour before dinner, he joined both his parents in the king's study.

"Now son, tell me what's so important it couldn't wait until tomorrow?" The King asked as
Jungkook took a seat opposite him.

His omega father stood behind the king's chair, resting a hand on his shoulder.

His gaze was on Jungkook, a little furrow in his brow suggesting he had some sense that Jungkook wasn't here to
talk about trivial matters.

"It's about the wedding ball."

Both his parents broke into bright smiles but Jungkook wasn't finished.

"I think it would be wise to postpone."

Their smiles fell, almost
identical looks of confusion
on their faces.

"Postpone?"

"What nonsense." The King
said.

"Newlywed jitters, that's all
this is—"

"Hear him out, dearest." his omega father said.

"It's Prince Jimin."

"He's... unwell."

The King straightened in his
seat.

"Unwell? Have you sent for
the doctor?"

"Doctor Tam has seen him and I've spoken to him several
times about Jimin."

"Then what is his remedy?"

"Whatever medicine he
needs, we'll see he gets it."

Their concern heartened him, even though at least part of it was fear of what might happen to the treaty should anything befall Jicheol's nephew.

"It is not as simple as that."

"It's not a physical ailment,
as far as I understand it."

"It's a wound of the spirit."

"A wound of the spirit." The
king repeated slowly, his brow creased.

"I think you'd better tell us everything." His omega said, patting his husband on the shoulder before taking a seat next to him.

So Jungkook did.

He spoke about his intention
to give Jimin space to settle
into his new home before
making more overtures to get
to know him, only to find the omega quickly succumbing
to a strange lethargy.

He barely spoke when they
did meet, more absent than present and Jungkook's few invitations did not seem to
have even been heard.

And then there was everything the servants reported to him.

That Jimin slept twice as many hours as he spent awake
each day.

That he barely touched his
food.

That he never left their little annex, even to step into the open air of the courtyard.

"I thought I was doing the
right thing by giving him solitude, that he just needed time but now I don't know
what to think."

"This afternoon, I went to
speak to him about the ball."

"He seemed more like an
empty shell than a person."