The Theft (taekook)

4. Embrace you in every form

"My heartiest gratitude for gracing our occasion with your auspicious presence, dear fellow sovereigns. Tonight's banquet is not only for the welcoming back of my eldest son, Prince Kim Jongha but also for establishment of friendly relationships with the neighboring courts.

Your comfort and well being is our priority and each one of you have the invitation to stay at our kingdom for as long as you wish to." King Kim Songdae's deep gravel voice boomed in the hall that had gathered all the royals from near and far as he stood on the podium strong, masculine and erect, not one of the imperials being able to believe that this man right here is nearing the age to hand over the throne.

"And now I want you, great array of mine, to forward a warm welcome to the paramount of the event. Returning from his training from great land of knights, Darata, the warrior, the eligible, my pride, my son, Prince Kim Jongha"

Everyone in the room stood up. The courtiers, ministers, guests from other kingdoms. All the royals of kim family stood up by their thrones. The king-queen in the centre, princess Anaya adjacent to the queen while prince taehyung stood by the king. Every person in the room could be seen smiling ear to ear as their gazes stuck to the hall enterance. where clarinets and drum rolls had begun. Everyone but jungkook.

The said guard just could not get his eyes off of the chandelier like smile that shone through the dusty excuses of teeth and lips that filled the hall. He was awestruck, to say the least. It was like his eyes restricted their field of attention only to an unrivaled combination of a box-like grin and tears in the beautiful peacock eyes on a baby-like comely face. It was unreal. He couldn't quite expound if Taehyung was crying or laughing. Maybe both. But what he did know, it was astounding. He concluded to call it the heaven.

The gates of the hall opened to reveal a young robust man about jungkook's own height, walking proudly between two royal guards. His smile a fimiliar box-kind only less pretty. He was handsome but not as handsome as Taehyung. But no, Taehyung isn't handsome, he is... Is there really no word made?

Applauses resonated in the hall when the newly arrived Prince bowed down to the audience already ruling over a lot of hearts in the hall. He then turned to bow to his family individually except to taehyung.

When it was the latter's turn for bow, the older stepped up on the stage and engulfed him in a warm embrace. The distaste on the queen's and princess's face could have been noticed by the entire gathering if they were not busy admiring the emotional union of the loving brothers. Jungkook did not miss it.

When the King got busy announcing about the Prince to the kingdom, jungkook observed how the queen construed something in taehyung's ear making the heaven replaced by the fraud in a trice.

Taehyung bowed to the audience but none of the eyes were on him and quietly climbed down the stage, making his way out of the backdoor. Jungkook being taehyung's guard, followed suit. He would have even if he was not.

******

What must have the queen said to make him depart from the hall that he seemed so happy in. The thought alone made Jungkook not think twice when he followed taehyung into his chamber and locked the door.

"Your highness! Why did you depart from the event?"

The fraud was flashed yet again. "I felt a little unwell, s-so I reckoned I rest before lunch with hyung-nim."

Jungkook looked at the boy in front of him before sighing a long sigh "Forgive me, your highness, but I myself am too good of a liar to not catch one."

"Are you calling me a fabulist, jungkook?" taehyung chuckled although humor was scarce in the tone.

"I'm a proletarian, your highness. If I call you a fabulist, I will be hanged. I will only repeat what I said. I am too good of a liar to not catch one."