kim hyunah | park jimin

royals au

He was enjoying his leisure time walking in the forest, it was his favourite thing to do in the world, instead of hunting like his father and older brother do. Hunting sessions were nightmares to him, he never had the heart to kill things, though it made him the epitome of disappointment through his father's eyes.

Hearing the sound of moving stream made him gleam. He had his favourite place in this particular spot, he called it his thinking rock. It was nothing special, just a big boulder that blocked the river stream, changing its courses towards the west. He liked that as unchanging the boulder was, its presence had the strength to even change the river's course. Coming here would always make him feel better.

Namjoon.

The one and only sibling he had, he was every bit more superior to him. Every single thing. It does not help that he was a child prodigy in strategies, making him the King's favourite to bring along to battles. It's not like he hated his brother, he loved him a lot and wouldn't exchange him for anything in the world. It was just not fair.

"Splash!"

The sound of splashing pulled him back from his thoughts as he sprang upwards. He looked around for the source of the sound, nothing was out of place, it still was the same old forest. Maybe it was the tree branches that got old and fell into the river.

He was about to turn around and continue enjoying his quiet when again he was startled by this time, a crying voice. Chills were seeping through his bones, making him shiver. He had heard of stories about the woods, from his boyslave who heard it from his mother, it was not always safe and quiet in the woods, sometimes you came across something that shouldn't be there anymore.

Basic instincts inside him urged his body to run, to take comfort from the safety of his home but the chivalry that had been ingrained in him since he could talk told him to stay, to help. Someone must have been in trouble if he or she were to cry like that.

Nevertheless, the latter won and so the young prince made his way through the thick forest, empty-handed (for some reason he was not carrying his sparring sword today) relying only on his hearing to find the source of crying voice.

A mile away from his stone, about a few walk from the river bank, he found the source of the voice, which happened to be a maiden, in a faded pink dress cradling her legs together, still sobbing.

"Hello?"

Beneath the chocolate curls, the girl looked up, face stricken with tears, turned into panic as she tried to stand and get away from this stranger.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you"

She stopped backing away, however maintained her distance from him, complete distrust was mirrored from her eyes.

"Why are you crying? Are you lost?"

"Why do you always assume that someone was crying because they're lost?"

She said, 'as-a-matter-of-fact'ly.

"And I'm not crying!"

Sure, sure

Jimin said, internally.

"I'm sorry about that. What's the matter?"

His eyes looked around for any signs of danger when it darted towards the girls' left foot which was missing its slippers.

"Did that hurt?"

He pointed towards her body part that caught his attention.

She followed the direction of his finger, contemplating to just run, that slipper be damned,  slightly regretful that she chose to wear them out at the first place.