A Night-Long Lament

confusion

(Your POV)

No matter how many times you replayed that deep, intimidating, hovering voice, you couldn't get yourself to remember. It bothered you. It's now been a few days since the attack, and you just wanted to get out of bed.

This is how Yoongi must feel... But ten times worst.

Frowning, you grab something to post yourself up and walk down the grand stairs to the dining room. The object supporting all your weight was a crowbar you had stolen in your early days at the castle.

The crowbar was rather small compared to crutches, but it worked for the time being. Though, it did pain your armpit quite a bit.

Suddenly, the crowbar slips off the waxed quartz floor, making you slip and fall. As soon as you lose your balance, it feels like a sharp needle stabbing into your wound.

"Ah--" You yelp but as you sink to the floor, Hoseok swiftly catches you, careful to evade your injury. Hoseok looks down at your with worried, but stern eyes.

"What are you doing Y/N! You're supposed to be in bed!" He exclaims as he continues to hold you.

"I just wanted to have breakfast with all of you." You say sheepishly. The warmth emits from the palms of his hands practically makes you melt into his shining aura.

As he stares at you, his eyes befall on the crowbar. Hoseok glances at it for just a moment, and snorts. "What were you doing with a crowbar? How on earth did you even obtain that." He laughs.

"Back at the beginning of this whole thing, I really just wanted to leave. So I somehow found a crowbar lying around." You shrug. "Haha, I guess I'll just use this to fend off that culprit now." You joke.

Hoseok laughs, but you can tell it was a fake one. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to fend them off for you."

Eyes turning down to your gash, you slump down. "They were so close, Hoseok. I could've gotten them... They seemed so familiar. I could almost remember hearing that voice from somewhere."

Hoseok's face stiffens. "I wish I was there for you. I could've helped... I..." He closes his eyes and looks off to the side. "But they got away. And they got away with hurting you, Y/N."

The seriousness in his voice you knew translated into care and worrisome. Not thinking, you gently grab a strand of his hair and proceed to run your hand through it. His hair was soft and silky. Nothing compared to your ragged hair.

"I'm ok, Hoseok." You whisper. Backing away from your face, he stutters.

"O-Ok-!" He shouts unexpectedly. As you search his face, you realize that it was burning with pink.

Understanding what you did to make him that way, you develop a pink tinge on the apples of your cheeks. "S-Sorry! I wasn't thinking!"

Hoseok shakes his hands as well as his head. "N-No, it's fine. But I don't think Jin wouldn't like it if you were out here with that injury of yours, so we can just eat together." He suggests.

A smile finds its way onto your face. "That would be lovely!"

The both you travel to your room with two plates of food in Hoseok's hands. You proceed to sit back down on your bed but making sure to pull up a chair for him next to you.

He hands you your food and chopsticks. "Was it scary?"

You exhale. "It was."

"What did he say to you?" Hoseok whispers.

"They seemed really torn. They were shouting things like 'Flee from here for good, I don't want to do this to you' and 'I don't want to hurt you'." You shift your seating. "Now that I'm thinking back to it, they seemed so sad. I feel a bit guilty."

"Telling you to leave the castle?" He mutters quietly. "Did... Did you want to?"

Shaking your head vigorously, you reply, "No! I told them that I didn't want to leave."

His face brightens at your response but quickly darkens as he remembers the weight of the situation. "Y/N, this... person, how did you recognize it?"

Cocking your head, you reply, "I don't know. In the heat of the moment, everything seemed to fly so fast that I only remembered the sentences that stood out to me."

"Why would they want you to leave if they were attacking you?" Hoseok inquires.

"That's what I was questioning. I can't wrap my head around it." You sigh.

Hoseok sighs with you but quickly composes himself. "It can't be one of us, right? None of us would do such a thing. It has to be Father." He hisses.

You're skeptical of his allegation, but you see where he's coming from. "He could be a possibility..."

A maid suddenly bursts in as Hoseok was about to reply to you. "Prince Hoseok, Namjoon requests your presence." She bows and swiftly leaves.

Hoseok slumps down. "He's been so needy ever since your attack. I guess I'll see you later then, Y/N. And please, stay safe." He waves goodbye and exits your once warm room.

As you begin to relax and melt down into your bed, someone else creaks the door open to your room.

"H-Hello?" You call.

When you call them, they slowly enter through the ajar door. "King?" You utter.

His eyes lower to your level and a smile creeps onto his face. "My, my, you left quite the puddle of blood out there. We may not be able to get the stain out." He tsked.

"I-I'm sorry."

He slinks closer to you. "Your wound." He murmurs. "That must've hurt. I feel bad for you." His words don't agree with his expression. It was grim, it was frightening. You didn't want him to come any closer.

"I hope you don't get hurt anymore, Y/N." He stares at you dead in the eyes as you attempt to back away from his gaze in hopes of escaping.

"I-I thought you didn't like me, sir." You begin to say.

The king bursts into laughter. "You weren't wrong, miss." He mocks.

"Then what's the purpose of visiting me if you're just going to taunt me?"

"Still feisty, just like a flame, even when hospitalized and bedridden." He smirks. "I see why they're fond of you."

Suddenly, his eyes turn dark and dull, like the depths of a cave, like the skin of a black widow. You begin to quiver.

"The water will come soon enough."