♔ Royal Pain ♔ → kth | jjk

IX

Jeongguk sat at dinner much against his will. The only thing he looked forward to was seeing his favorite girls again, but unfortunately they were having a late dinner at they could only stick around for a half hour before Jiyeon had to take them to bed. 

He now sat there silently, pushing a piece of broccoli around the glass plate with his fork. Taehyung talked on and on to the King and Queen about his life at home, his siblings, his parents. Jeongguk didn't care to listen. The last thing he wanted was to listen to Taehyung gush about his perfect life. 

"Jeongguk, honey." His mother cleared her throat and Jeongguk looked up to see all eyes on him, seemingly expecting a response of some sort. 

To what? Jeongguk had no fucking clue.

"Uh, yeah, mom?" Jeongguk set his fork down, looking around curiously.

Then he saw Seokjin standing at the corner of the table, with everyone else's plates on a tray. 

"Oh- Sorry. Here, Jin." He handed the ever so patient chef his dishes and smiled apologetically. "May I be excused to my room now?"

His parents both shared displeased looks.

"No." His father shook his head. "Your mother and I have decided we need to spend more time as a family, we though we could maybe do something after dinner. Is that okay?"

Jeongguk stared at his father like he had sprouted a third arm. The same man who had just a day earlier brushed off the single most important event in Jeongguk's life was now proposing family time? What the fuck?

"Um... Sure, I guess. What are we gonna do?" He sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

His mother thought for a moment. "I don't know. Prince Taehyung, do you have any ideas?"

Jeongguk's eyes bulged. "Why does opinion matter in this? He's not-"
"He's living here for the time being, and he will be treated as family. No further arguing." His father scolded all of a sudden, causing Jeongguk to mentally recoil. And here he thought his father was actually starting to give a shit...

"Right." He muttered, sinking back into his seat. 

Namjoon, who had quietly been sitting at the table, spoke up finally.

"Your Highness, if I may suggest an activity?" He requested and his father nodded for Namjoon to continue speaking. "The young Prince and I have been playing a game of chess lately out on the tiles of the royal throne room. We have used staff as the chess pieces and have played from there. Perhaps the King and Queen may play one another, and the Princes may assume the positions of the Chess King's?" 

Jeongguk glared at his butler, whereas the other three beamed.

"Wonderful idea, Namjoon! Wonderful!" The Queen clapped and stood. "Alright. I'll gather staff, you three go wait in the throne room."

Jeongguk groaned inaudibly as she left the dining room, but dragged himself towards the throne room regardless. 

It didn't take long for his mother to return, with the correct amount of staff in tow, all of which seemingly eager to take part in a game of chess between the King and Queen themselves. This used to be Jeongguk's favorite pass time...

Now it was his least favorite. 

Jeongguk and Taehyung both stood on opposite sides of each other, taking the roles of the King's on either side. Jeongguk was on his father's, and Taehyung on his mother's. 

Throughout the entire game, Jeongguk's expression remained a steady glare, focused on Taehyung each time he moved- which wasn't much. Jeongguk's father was the type to leave the King to the very end of the game, whereas Taehyung was moving every few turns to 'keep it going.'