TYRANT || Taekook || ✓

.*⊹.9✧.✺

Jeongguk did wake up the next morning and drank the horrible soup but he was grateful.

Taehyung would come there every second day to check up on him and change his bandages after Jeongguk had fallen asleep not wanting to meet him.

The raven-haired man would wake up and always ask who was treating him but always get the same answer - " the village doctor" the young girl would always answer before leaving.

Jeongguk didn't know why but he badly wanted to meet this mysterious doctor that was restoring him to health.

He was surprised that /he/ didn't wake up when someone was sneaking up to him at night and treating him.

He was never a deep sleeper, so he didn't drink the medicine he always does before going to sleep today and his guess was right, it was what made him sleep.

So he pretended to sleep when the doctor walked in and kindled the lantern in the room.

Jeongguk waited for him to be done with his checkups and bandaging before he made any move and as soon as the person washed their hands in the bowl and stood up to grab their bag to leave, he grabbed their wrist.

The person froze, from what Jeongguk could see from their back- they were wearing a shirt, pants, and a hat.

Taehyung's blood ran cold the moment his wrist was grabbed.

Why was Jeongguk awake?

He didn't want to turn around, he didn't want Jeongguk to see him.

The wrist in Jeongguk's grab seemed- felt too familiar. His hands slid into the others, even though they were a little less soft now, he would still recognize them.

"Taehyung..." choked out Jeongguk, voice stuttering as his emotions spilt.

-"Let go, Jeongguk," Taehyung struggled not to cry as his voice wavered.

-"Not now, not anymore. I'm so glad that I finally found you," Jeongguk cried.

Why was he crying?

Why was he looking for Taehyung? Why was he crying?

"Let go, Jeongguk,"

-"Please let me explain Tae," Jeongguk pleaded, letting go of Taehyung's hand.

-" And what will you explain? That you didn't mean to marry someone else?

That you didn't mean to promise your return? I'm sorry your highness but nobody has been waiting." Taehyung cried and threw away the hat he was wearing.

His hair, he had cut off his hair. It was small, just like his, but it had grown into mullet.

"... please," a tear went down Jeongguk's cheeks as he looked up into his eyes.

On the day of the wedding, Jeongguk had gone down to his knees before King Min, apologizing for not being able to marry him.

"Okay," the King had said unimpressed "I like Knight Jung more anyway but don't think you are getting off the hook so easily Sir Jeon. You will be given 150 lashes of the iron-tipped whip in the royal court two days from now for humiliating me and shall be imprisoned. Guards!!" The King ordered the guards to drag him to the dungeon.

Jeongguk was punished.

He was sentenced to a year of confinement and thrown into the dungeon for the dishonour he had caused the King.

The King had asked him to prove his loyalty to the throne if Jeongguk wanted to go live freely with his lover and Jeongguk did by conquering and handing over the kingdom of the west, that's where some of his new scars had come from.