Underwater: Brave - Taekook

18 - Scheming before the crown

Dreamcatcher ~ Paradise

*

Taehyung was fetched from his cell early in the morning by Hoseok who had a lot to say to him. Taehyung was surprised by how sorry the man was for everything, apologizing one too many times.

"I regretted it so much... but I want to compensate for it. Jimin has a plan", Hoseok whispered as they went up the stairs.

"What plan?" Taehyung asked, a bit unwell from not having drunk blood in a while.

"One that aims to get you away from here. We will do it when everyone is busy celebrating the coronation."

"What about you and Jimin? Will you be okay?" Taehyung wanted to know but Hoseok didn't answer as they had just reached the right room.

"You will get a bath here and get dressed. I asked my sisters Yerin and Eunha to get you in shape."

***

Taehyung couldn't remember the last time he had taken a proper bath. It felt soothing and way too nice as he knew he might not have a chance to have one again in a long time.

He was playing with the small lavender flowers floating in the bath water when someone opened the door. There was just a curtain between him and whoever had just come in.

"Are you finished soon? You have to start dressing up or we won't have enough time to doll you up."

Taehyung supposed it had to be either Eunha or Yerin. He hadn't even known Hoseok had two sisters before this morning.

"Wait just a minute", he replied and hurried up.

After drying himself and wearing the clothes someone had left for him, he stepped out and saw the curious looks of the two siblings.

"Wow, you really are handsome."

"Smell as good as they say too, I wish I could have a bite."

Taehyung chuckled awkwardly at the reception.

"You tied the bow in a wrong way though", one of them laughed and proceeded to fix it.

"Are you seeing his hair, Eunha?" the other, who must have been Yerin, asked.

"What about my hair? It's still wet..."

"It's too long. We either have to tie or cut it", Yerin said and Eunha nodded.

***

Kim Namjoon was rarely nervous. This day was very exceptional, its main event something he had always expected but never fully been able to digest. It was the day his childhood friend Yoongi would be crowned as a king.

Namjoon had been Yoongi's advisor from the very beginning, far before the official position. He knew everything about the older, had known everything. That was before Yoongi started to shut him out and keep things to himself. Namjoon had been so thrown-off that he didn't know what to do. He kept saying 'yes' to everything the prince wished for, all until that day when the prince told him that he wanted to make Taehyung, a human, his queen.

There were various reasons why Namjoon couldn't support that wish. Firstly Taehyung was a human and not a vampire. Added to that a man, which meant he couldn't carry children, couldn't birth a new successor to the throne. And finally, the thing that mattered the most was that Taehyung didn't want Yoongi.

The issue with Taehyung ended up snowballing so much that a new war was about to begin just the following day. But it was alright. Why? Because Namjoon had a plan.

But as the coronation ceremony went on, he noticed that he wasn't the only one with a strategy in mind. Jimin wasn't in his assigned place which automatically rang the alarm bells in his head. When Namjoon scanned the row of royal knights, he noticed another person missing: Hoseok.

What is Jimin planning?

He didn't have to think for long because just as the crown was placed on the head of their new king, Namjoon's eyes set on Taehyung. The blonde man was looking at Yoongi intensely, flames in his eyes visible even to Namjoon. He knew about Jimin's fondness for the man and suddenly the pieces locked into place.

Was he going to stop it?

Call him a traitor, but no he wasn't. He was going to act like he had no idea of what was going on. Because he had already betrayed his friend.

***

Taehyung kept his eyes trained on the man who this whole ceremony was held for: the new king. Min Yoongi, the man who first confessed with a beautiful rose and then took his very humanity away. He really was like a rose, soft petals and sharp thorns. Thorns that made Taehyung bleed, much like the way the other literally consumed his blood.

The person he was facing, standing proudly in front of his people, was a foolish man. A clown with a crown. The beautiful headdress didn't suit the kind of man who was now wearing it.

Taehyung scoffed and turned to his friend.

"Can we go now? I don't want to look at that face anymore."

Jimin smiled a bitter smile and took his hand, leading him to where Hoseok waited with a pre-saddled horse, all ready to go. Taehyung stared at the horn for a full minute, not quite believing his steed was an actual unicorn. He thought he was already used to seeing what he had before thought to be only fairy tale beings but apparently he wasn't.

"Although everyone should be focused on the celebration, some might still notice that all three of us are absent. You better hurry", Jimin said, helping his friend to get seated on the saddle.

"Got it. Just... are you two going to be okay?" Taehyung worried.

"Worry about yourself first. You have someone to get to", Hoseok smiled.

"We'll handle ourselves. Go and get your wolf boy", Jimin said.

"Bunny boy", Taehyung corrected and grinned, "I will."

Hoseok and Jimin waved, the former leaving soon so that he wouldn't be away from his place for too long. Jimin however stayed to watch his friend ride away. Before they were too far apart to hear each other, Taehyung turned his head to call him one last time.

"Let's see each other again! We're friends after all!"

And if Jimin shed a tear or two, no one would have to know.

***

A/N: This chapter was supposed to have a good title but I saved it for later

Namjoon is a mysterious character and I'm thinking of writing a short three part story of him, you'll understand why he's important soon.