Empire of Storms

Chapter Five

Taehyung wasn't crying. Jungkook thought it would be reasonable for him to cry. But he didn't. He didn't look anyone in the eye nor smiled and joked either, of course. Jungkook met the prince about three days and before that he hated his guts, but someone like Taehyung was hard to dislike. He talked a lot and could be annoying, but he was very bright, smart and ambitious. Seeing him serious and numb felt wrong.

"We'll have his burial next to that laked he loved, after the mountains." Taehyung said, low and quietly. He didn't hear anything after someone said they found his father's body hanging on a tree. He heard every noise inside that room as a muffled sound.

The first thing he heard before bursting out of that place was Jungkook calling for his name. He walked for a while until he got to his room.

Taehyung supported himself on the bed. There wasn't anyone in the room. Mr. Park woke up a while after Yoongi escaped. Taehyung will never know he was there.

"Sir" Jungkook called quietly behind Taehyung. "I am aware that I am in no place to talk about this, but I..."

Taehyung didn't let him finish. He wrapped his arms around Jungkook and cried over the knight's shoulder. Jungkook touched the prince's back with both hands.

"I loved him."

"I know. It's okay."

"It's not okay"

"No... but it is what it is"

It was sunrise.

Taehyung got into the carriage after glancing to the coffin in the carriage behind. Jungkook was heading to the front, to sit next to the driver. The prince called him with a whistle and pointed to the seat in front of him. Jungkook obeyed.

"Let's go then" Jungkook suggested.

"We're missing someone" Taehyung responded.

A dark haired man stepped into the carriage. He had a black eye and full lips.

Jungkook recognized him fast although he looked quite different with closed on.

"Hello" He greeted sitting next to the knight "My name's Park Jimin, I'm in charge of the flowers"

Jungkook hesitated before holding his hand.

"Hello, I'm Jeon Jungkook".

"It's an honor to meet you" Jimin responded "Sir" he turned to Taehyung and bowed "I'm very sorry for your loss"

The prince looked like he could explode at any given time. He became angrier than sad over night. He was still sad, of course, but the thought of someone taking from him the only family he had left was enraging. Jimin seemed to noticed that and held his hand. Jungkook had the sudden feeling to throw him out of the window. He wasn't sure if Jimin remembered him from that brief moment of awkwardness the three of them had together. Jungkook hoped he didn't.

They got out of the carriage.

It was sunny.

Taehyung didn't feel like waiting and filling his mind with thoughts about his dad. He decided to help with the funeral to distract himself.

"Can you help me, knight?" Jimin said standing in front of enough flowers to fill an entire carriage.

Jungkook walked towards him, hoping the other wouldn't start a conversation.

"I'm not a prostitute, you know."

Jungkook looked at him briefly and shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't say anything"

"I know. I just thought I would explain"

"There's no need to"

"I'm a florist, actually. Well, I'm-"

"I don't care" Jungkook interrupted. He also felt conflicted with the entire situation. He didn't want to talk.

Jimin didn't say anything else. He looked over to the woods and saw him. A man with a beige coat reaching his feet, but the clothes below it were black and green.

The thief.