Off With Her Head (A Yoongi FanFiction)

Chapter 7

Juno couldn't keep up with the time anymore. It's been a while since she arrived on the strange timeline, and she's still held captive by the king. The king asks for her presence every night. The palace staff always keeps an eye on her, making it harder for her to escape.

She's starting to get bored of the place, spending most of her time alone in her room while thinking of a way to get back to the present. No one, except the king, is allowed to enter her room.

While staring out of the window, a silly idea popped into her mind. It can get her killed, but she doesn't really care anymore.

Juno looked around and saw no one. She attempted to climb out of the window but failed due to her outfit. She kicked off her shoes and wore her sneakers; she hid them while the maids were disposing of her modern clothes.

Once again, she climbed out of the window and sneakily made her way out of the palace.
 
Surprisingly, she made it out alive and without getting caught!

She ducked and tried to blend in with the busy crowd. Despite her best efforts, she still stands out due to the expensive clothes that she's wearing compared to the poor citizens who're wearing rags and dirty clothes.

Juno started to notice something. The majority of the people that she sees are poor and skinny, almost looking like walking skeletons. A fair number of beggars are sitting down at the side of the road, asking for money from rich aristocrats who pass by.
 
"What happened here?" she thought, still analyzing her environment.
 
She didn't notice the small child in front of her. She bumped at him, causing the child to trip before landing harshly on the ground. The boy started wailing, making some people stop in concern before giving her a nasty glare.
 
Juno panicked as she saw some guards making their way towards her to see what the ruckus was all about. She picked up the crying child before scurrying off.
 
"I'm sorry, little one; I didn't mean to cause you harm," she apologized while carrying the child in hopes of calming him down.
 
"I want my mommy!" the child cried.
 
"Okay, okay! Tell me where she is, and I'll take you to her," she replied.
 
The child stopped crying before pointing in a certain direction. Juno followed it, and it led to a small cottage. She saw a woman, who looked like she was in her early 40s, sitting outside.
 
"Oh, goodness! Nehru, what happened to you?" the lady asked in concern after seeing the child's bleeding arm.
 
(Author here: Everyone, I swear that the boy's name was just a coincidence. I never intended to mention a person that exists in real life.)

"I'm truly sorry. I accidentally bumped into your child while I was walking. He led me here," Juno explained, carefully passing the child in the woman's arms.
 
The woman slowly places her child down before looking at her.
 
"There's no need to apologize, young lady. I'm glad that you brought him here."
 
The lady asked Juno to watch the child while she fetched some clean water and a rag inside the cottage.
 
"I'm sorry, Nehru," she apologized once again.
 
"It's fine," he replied, taking out a piece of bread from his pocket. "What's your name?"
 
"Juno."
 
The boy smiled and continued eating the piece of bread before his mother returned with a basin of water and a clean rag.
 
"Nehru!" the woman suddenly shouted. "Where did you get that?! Did you steal again?"
 
Nehru frowned and lowered his head. "I'm sorry, mom."
 
"You never learn," she replied in a disappointed tone before tending to her child's wound.
 
After cleaning Nehru's wound, she offered Juno to stay for a while to chat. She served her some hot tea while they talked.
 
"That kid never learns," the elderly woman sighed and took a sip of her tea. "He learned how to steal from his father."
 
"Where is his father now?" Juno asked.
 
"He was recently executed by the king for stealing."
 
"Oh no! I'm sorry for your loss." Juno felt sad after hearing the news. The woman continued to talk about her deceased husband.
 
"He attempted to steal the king's jewelry, but he got caught in the act. I tried to convince him so many times to stop, but he didn't listen. Now, I have to raise our child on my own."
 
Juno felt sympathy for the woman. Raising a child on her own is difficult, and losing her husband is tough, but she didn't give up on life. She admires the woman's determination.
 
"I noticed that the majority of the citizens are suffering from poverty," Juno said, changing the topic.
 
"Yes, this village has no hope. The king never cared about us."
 
This intrigued Juno, so she asked a question.
 
"What about the king? Does everyone despise him?"
 
"He's the worst ruler to ever rule the kingdom. He's an evil man who sees nothing but violence as a solution to everything. He kills everyone who he thinks is a threat," the woman answered.
 
"Does he not see me as a threat?" Juno wondered while listening to the woman's ramblings. The king hadn't killed her yet.
 
"What happened to his family? Where did he get the scar?"
 
"Well, no one knows where his scar came from," the woman replied after taking a sip of her tea. "As for the former king and queen, they were killed during the war. His highness inherited the throne after their passing."
 
Juno felt bad about Yunki's tragic past, but she couldn't help but wonder why he'd been treating his people like garbage.
 
"You're not from here, are you?" the woman suddenly asked. "Every citizen knows what happened to the former king and queen."
 
"Yeah, I'm an aristocrat from another land," Juno lied before taking a sip from her cup.
 
The two drank their tea while having a nice little chat.