What You Never Had

Chapter 12

Thunk.

The dull sound of an arrow hitting the mark dissipated into the open air. What followed was a soft sigh of satisfaction from you, right before you reach for another arrow. The exhalation of breath next to you was quicker in speed, producing an entirely different sound; a hmph that was unsurprised with the tiniest bit of exasperation.

"Why are you, of all people, absurdly good at this?" Jimin asked, but you knew the question was rhetorical, so you answered with a smug smirk.

"You mean better than you?"

"Just shoot," he grumbled in response to your taunt.

A giggle was hard enough to suppress, so you allowed the smug grin to remain in place as you nocked an arrow and readied yourself to do just what he'd asked you to do. Archery was a good workout after lunch, and you were glad that Jimin sought you out for this even though he ended up simply watching you do it, unwilling to be shown up by his little sister. You and Jimin had the sprawling field on the side of the castle all to yourselves, and the tranquility despite your current activity was wonderful. Hours passed in a blink of an eye, and the shadows of the trees had grown long, eclipsing the now cold tea that had been set on a table behind you.

In your opinion, the comfortable silence that you shared with Jimin was a mark of how close you and your brother were. The quietude was only occasionally punctured by expressions of your feelings, like the snort of derision from you when Jimin finally took up his bow, only to miss the center by less than two inches, and the softer chirping of birds returning to their nests, overlaying the subtler rustle of the leaves in the gentle wind.

"I should have known that the Princess' talents are not only limited to extensive knowledge and thinking abilities."

You had just let loose another arrow, which was fortunate, as the unexpected comment caused you to jump in surprise. Turning around, you saw Prince Taehyung smiling genially in the shade provided by the leafy branches. On the other hand, you, bathed under the light of the late afternoon sun, felt blood rise to your cheeks, and immediately blamed it on the non-existing heat. Jimin was the one with a smirk on his face now, as he asked the other prince, "care to pit your skills against her?" The younger prince's intentions were obvious, and it took all you had not to roll your eyes. Your superior skills at archery has always been a bit of a tender spot for Jimin, and he took pleasure in throwing unsuspecting opponents at you when he could — which wasn't often — so he could watch other men fail where he did. However, you didn't think that showing up the visiting Crown Prince was a very good idea.

Thankfully, before Prince Taehyung could either answer or reject the challenge, another prince joined your ranks. The look on Namjoon's face was ominous; a clear sign of impending bad news, and all in attendance steeled themselves for it almost visibly. Once within range for him to talk comfortably, he didn't waste time with pleasantries. "A messenger has just come with new information. Although the exact location is still unknown, several trusted sources have confirmed that the pirates have a hideout in Zinnis." With a swift glance at you, he continued, "as the Princess suggested, this may very well be the place where they are keeping the people they have kidnapped before transporting them to their final destination. I have also received word that the next shipment is intended to happen before the end of the month, so it is imperative that we prepare to leave immediately."

Efforts to unearth a possible location had been underway for a while now, so you shouldn't have been surprised about this sudden turn of events, but you were rendered speechless for a few moments regardless. Any cheerfulness that had been present had disappeared; all three princes made to move indoors immediately, and that was when you found your tongue again.