Crimson Crown

⌠43⌡

Jackson barely registered how long it took to get back to the palace. Each moment felt like forever, yet he couldn't recall most of what happened after Jinyoung had been attacked. All he knew was that he had patched the latter up with a torn piece of cloth as best he could before jumping on his steed and rushing to get help.

Jinyoung laid in his arms, blood coating himself and Jackson, the sweet scent intoxicating the vampire to a startling limit. He should never smell this much blood from a living person; else, that means they were losing too much of it way too fast. Jinyoung only stayed awake due to the rough ride of the horse, his lids low on his unfocused gaze. Jackson looked down at the man in his arms every 10 seconds, ensuring that he was still breathing. 

The wound was pretty bad, and Jackson was scared out of his mind.

They finally arrived back at the gates im record time where those two knights guarded the entrance, heaving full speed toward the palace.

"Let me in!" Jackson screamed from afar.

"It's you again?" One of them retorted.

The other squinted in the vampire's direction, frowning in confusion. "His eyes are red--"

"Wait, in his arms." The other one pointed out as Jackson jumped off the horse, cradling Jinyoung.

Both knights were stunned when they finally recognized Jinyoung's pale face. 

"The prince has been injured! Let me in!" Jackson demanded, refusing to take no as an answer this time. He had nowhere else to go, and this would be the safest place for the prince anyway.

"D-Did you harm him!?" The first guard asked.

"Would I be bringing him help if I did!? Open the damn gates!" The vampire urgently replied.

The second guard shoved the other toward the tall silver entrance. "Open the gates, and tell the interior guards to rush a doctor."

The first guard quickly did as he was told, the gates opening swiftly. He motioned for Jackson to follow, all three of them running toward the palace.

"We need a doctor; the Prince has been injured!" The guard exclaimed as they approached the building, the other staff in pure shock upon seeing Jinyoung's state.

Within seconds, the entire palace was buzzing with staff rushing here and there relaying the message that royal blood had been spilled.

"Follow me to the infirmary!" A voice, one of the maids, instructed.

Jackson swiftly followed as he was told, his focus solely on Jinyoung. He didn't care about the big hallways and fancy golden fixtures; he needed to get the prince somewhere he could safely be treated.

"Jinyoung?" A shrill voice screamed, footsteps rushing toward them from Jackson's peripheral. He glanced over, recognizing that servant he met not long ago, Youngjae. "Jinyoung!"

The latter erupted into shrieks upon seeing the state of his childhood friend, tears rushing down his cheeks as he followed the crowd to the infirmary.

"A doctor is being rushed; should be here any moment!" A staff member informed.

Jackson entered the infirmary, finding the nearest table and setting the prince down. He ignored how his muscles burned from carrying the latter and how his entire front was soaked red-- none of it mattered. Only Jinyoung.

Youngjae rushed to the other side of the table, mindlessly cradling Jinyoung's face. "What the hell happened!?"

"I-I tried to stop him! He wouldn't listen--" Jackson let out a hoarse breath as he ran trembling fingers through his hair. "...the idiot never listens..."