JiMina Collection

More Than Gold ~ Part 2

"But father-" 

"That's enough!" The King's voice thundered throughout the throne room. "You will  find a suitable bride and you will  marry her. You are to be crowned King in a month, Jimin. This is no time for your jokes, boy!"

"I don't want to marry!" Jimin shouted. "Why can't I not have a wife?"

"Because this kingdom needs a queen!" 

"Well, it's survived just fine without one." His voice trailed off. 

"The only reason we've flourished is because of my iron will," the King scoffed. "And yet, the kingdom has never been so sodden and lifeless. No one wants to invest in the pitiful fate of this kingdom anymore. What kind of empire fails to produce an heir? The people want to live as if all is well. They want their perfect towns and perfect castle. They want their perfect little royals living their perfect little lives. Better publicity, better trading, better economy. You  can give them that."

"So all I should care about is the money?"

"Of course, boy! You think being a King is all fun and games. That's why you have to find yourself a pretty little wife to parade around. Maybe the daughter of a nobleman or perhaps a merchant. A woman of fine upbringing will produce the most refined heirs."

"What part of 'I don't want to marry' do you not understand?"

"What part of 'You don't have a choice' do you not understand? I am the King, and you are my son! You are  doing this and that's final! Now, head to your quarters and make yourself more... presentable."

     Jimin stormed out of the throne room and made his way down the corridor. His frown only truly left his face at the crashing of the doors slamming shut behind him, upon which he felt massive guilt well up inside his stomach.

     Things had never been the same with his mother gone, even if it had been so long ago. She had run off with some merchant when he was merely a child, leaving him and his father alone. It seemed as though she had taken a part of his father with her, as the King had changed drastically ever since, turning into a cold shell of a man. Now, he seemed to barely tolerate Jimin's presence. Jimin was no longer a son, just a pet to show off to other people. Even if his father treated him so, Jimin couldn't stay mad at him. At least not entirely mad. Jimin usually just shrunk under his father's shouting and did whatever he was told to do, like a good boy. But this time, it was different.This was crossing a line.

     Jimin had long since stopped believing in love. But could you really blame him? His mother didn't care for the family she left behind, and his father refused to treat him as a human being. He spent his days in the cold, lonely castle, learning how to become like his father. Although he pledged to govern the people fairly, Jimin swore never to adopt his father's personality or way of thinking. He shuddered at the thought of one day becoming so cold, so heartless. He knew he could be a better King, a kinder King. And he didn't need a queen to do that.

     Shuffling into his quarters, Jimin flopped face-first onto the four-poster bed, groaning into his silk sheets. Stupid wedding. Why did he have to be forced into marriage with someone he could never love? He knew for certain he was physically unable to love, for he had never fully experienced it, not even within his own family. Jimin just had to accept his fate; having to spend the rest of his life with some pretentious gold-digger lady who only wanted the perks that came with the crown on his head.

"Sire?" One of the many servants in the King's castle stood at his door. "It is time for your fitting. You are to dress appropriately for the name draw tomorrow at noon."

"Alright, coming." Jimin mumbled into his pillow. 

        Three hours later, Jimin felt as though his back was about to break in half. He had tried combinations of silks in every colour available, and yet, the King's tailor was not satisfied. "You must look your best for your future bride, your highness."

"Must I?" Jimin whispered. It fell upon deaf ears.

"Almost- ah! Perfect!"

      Jimin was finally fitted into a dark blue ensemble. It might have looked wonderful, but it felt horrible to wear. Perfect indeed.

"You're sure to find a wife now, sire!"

 "Yay." Jimin mumbled half-heartedly.

       And now here he was, less than 24 hours later, standing on the elevated stage set up on the castle grounds, waiting for the duke to give him his cue; The cue to sign his life away to some random people he will soon meet. The kingdom's finest lords and ladies were gathered around the stage, watching his every move.

"The names, sire." A lavishly embellished box was laid out before him. Here goes nothing. Jimin reached his hand into the box and began pulling out names. Barely halfway through, Jimin felt the pit of dread slowly building in his stomach. Wasn't 30 girls overkill? He had probably only talked to three girls in his entire life; his mother, the castle cook, and the old maid who laundered his clothes. As he pulled each name out, he handed the slip of parchment to the duke. The dignified man called out the names for the audience to hear.  Behind him, a servant was furiously scribbling down the names as they were announced. 

     Jimin was honestly hoping some of the girls wouldn't show up by tomorrow. However, the more progress he made, the more he was beginning to seriously doubt that notion. The shrill squeals of selected girls permeated the air after every name. He was not  looking forward to this. 

     Name after name was drawn. Jimin was terribly relieved when the duke whispered in his ear. "Last one, your highness." He reminded him kindly. Jimin would finally be done with this madness. With renewned hope, he reached out to draw the final name. 

     Suddenly, the wind picked up before he could draw from the box. A lone slip of parchment escaped the confines of the embellished container, promptly smacking him straight in the face. Jimin spluttered, his ears turned bright red with embarrassment at the sound of stifled giggling from the crowd. He pulled the parchment off of his face. For once, he read the name for himself before handing it to the duke.

Myoui Mina.

      Well, that was one  way to choose. 

     The name of the final participant was shouted out to the amassed crowd, garnering mixed emotions. Most cheered at the end of the much anticipated event. All the girls were now selected and finalized, and the King's subjects were excited to hear what would become of the prince and their kingdom. More prominently, however, were the wailing cries of girls who weren't chosen as one of the 30 participants. Jimin politely bowed to the crowd, then promptly made a beeline for the castle doors. As soon as the gold-plated wood closed behind him, Jimin let out a groan and slumped to his knees. The next month would be torturous, and there was no way out of it.