Calm before the storm

Chapter 2

As the day's slowly crawled by and turned into a week and weeks into a month, Jimin slowly managed to fall into a steady routine which consisted of waking up just before sunrise and having a breif conversation with Namjoon before rushing down to the bustling kitchens to bring a tray of food for the Prince who never appeared to be resting in his chambers, the bed already made as perfectly as the day before. The rest of the day would be doing whatever chores were assigned to him by Jinyoung until it was time to draw the Prince's bath and retire back to his own living quatres.

The only time his routine changed was when Namjoon wanted him to go collect herbs from the nearby forest, sending him on his merry way with a long list written out neatly with black ink on fresh white parchment. Usually he would then spend the whole of the day wandering around the forest, only just making it back to Namjoon before nightfall came upon the lands. Most wouldn't enjoy the thought of spending such along time away from poeple, but for Jimin it made him feel as close to home as he could get in this place.

He tried to avoid thinking about his old home because that would spiral into other thoughts he would rather not stray towards. He didn't want to think about how much he missed his small cabin in the 'Forest of the lost' nor how much he yearned to spend even a few hours speaking to the mermaids about nothing and everything as they sun bathed on the rocks next to the crystal blue waters of the lake. He missed it all so very dearly but daren't attempt escape since the last servant he had seen leave without permission, intending never to return, had been locked away in the castle dungeons for two weeks, living off nothing but small bread rations that were barely enought to have fed a mouse!

Today was just like any other day, fourty moons had passed by since he had been forced into the castle and he was once again on his final chore of the day, darkness beginning to taint the clouded sky, a sign that not a single star would be visible from below.  He placed the now empty water pail down beside the wooden tub, the steam rising from it warming up the room, when the sound of someone loudly clearing their throat from behind him made him hastily jump to his feet.

"I would ask you what on earth your doing in my chambers, but I fear you would become a stuttering mess just like the last." Came the distantly familiar voice of none other than Prince Yoongi himself, however this time there was no bite hidden behind his words or sense of anger at Jimin being near him but more of a fond sort of amusmant.

Jimin whirled around, to find the Prince leaning casually against the four post bed pushed against the wall to the left of him, deep red cutain draped closed around it. Jimin stared at him for a moment, the Prince looked almost relaxed in comparison to how Namjoon had once described him. "Well, I did feel feel rather put on the spot during our last meeting. Its hard to think straight when someone is shouting at you as though they despise your very existence."

The prince raised an eyebrow at him before shaking his head in disbelief, a short, breathy noise escaping from the back of his throat as he took a step forward and disdainfully eyed Jimin and sneered. "You think you can speak to your prince that way and get away with it?"

Jimin glanced towards the door, momentarily wondering if he should just make haste back to Namjoon, who would surely still be in his quaters, meddling around with his little laboratory, but quickly decided against doing as such since the Prince was clearly blocking his path to the rooms only exit. With a quiet huff Jimin muttered. "I wouldn't have to speak to the Prince in this way if he wasn't such a complete and utter clotpole, Your highness."

The princes eyes visibly widened at his words, obviously having not expecting such a comment to come from the mouth of none other than his man servant, and he pushed himself upright, slowly but menacingly stalking forwards until he stood right before Jimin, his stern, dark eye boreing straight into Jimins, making him feel light headed from the proximity between them or lack there of. "What. Did you. Just say to me?"