Royalty Above All - Kim Taehyung ✔︎

#5 - Leverage

When my eyelids fling open, I find that my head is pounding. Groaning my hand presses on my forehead whilst trying to sit up. My limbs feel limp whilst they try and get back feeling in them from being unconscious.

As my eyesight becomes more clearer, it appears I'm not looking at much. Darkness surrounds me, with only the flickering of a couple candles keeping the room slightly visible.

It doesn't take me long to realise where I am. The term of being 'locked up' only has one definition.

Standing to my feet my hands grasp at the cold, steel bars. I try looking around, seeing if anyone is here.

"Ah, you're awake!" A delighted voice inrerrupts the silence.

It makes me confused and I look around to see where the voice came from.

"Uh...hello?"

"Over here, to your right!" The voice calls out again. My eyes travel in the direction the voice is telling me to go in.

There's 2 cells opposite mine, and the voice is coming from the one not directly opposite me, but in the one next to it on the right.

I can also see the outline of man sat on the ground leaning against the wall in the cell, looking at me.

"There you go!" He says, giving me a little wave.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Hoseok, citizen of Gwangju. And I gotta say, it's nice to see another face in here." I can't really see his face properly, but what I can see is a bright smile on his lips.

Another face?

"I'm literally right in front of you!" A different voice yells at Hoseok, who sounds a lot closer to me than Hoseok does.

"I see your face every single goddamn day, I need a change!" Hoseok fires back, his gaze adjusting to stare at the cell next to mine.

"This is Seokjin, citizen of Gwacheon. His cell is next to yours and opposite mine, hence why you can't see him." Hoseok notices my confusion growing, and answers my question before I can ask it.

I see a hand extend from the right of my cell next to me, and the hand belonging to Seokjin gives me a wave.

"How long have I been down here?"

"Well, the King's protector brought you down here on a Monday I'm pretty sure." Seokjin's voice attempts to calculate. "And it is currently Tuesday night. So if my assumption is correct, you've been here for nearly a day."

"It's been a whole day?" My mouth gapes open.

"Yep." Hoseok nods.

I've been missing from Seoul for nearly a whole day. Yoonhee is going to kill me. She's probably freaking out since I told her and Namjoon I'd be back by nightfall.

"I need to get back." I pull and shake the bars on the door, attempting to be free. "I need to get to the Queen!"

"Uh, which Queen?" Hoseok questions.

"The Queen of Seoul. I'm her protector!"

"If you're her 'protector', what the hell are you doing down here?" I hear Seokjin attempt to hold back a laugh. If only I could see his face to glare at him.

"I was trying to negotiate with the King, but as you can see it didn't end well."

"So...what's your name?" Hoseok then wonders.

"I'm Kyungmi."

"If you're the Queen's protector, why hasn't she come for you?" Hoseok tilts his head in a puzzled manner.

My mouth opens to answer, but instantly it closes. Because I don't really know why Yoonhee hasn't tried coming to Daegu. If I really have been here for a day, she should know that I'm in trouble.

And out of all people, she should be the most worried. Because she knows who I really am.

"She probably thinks I'm dead." I settle for an answer. "Like the King, for example. If he sent Yoongi to go somewhere and he didn't come back for a day, he'd assume he's dead and would've gotten a replacement straight away."

"Yeah...I don't think that's how it works." Seokjin comments. "You're her protector. She would've come for you by now, or atleast sent someone."

I'm trying desperately to convince myself that Yoonhee is looking for me, but now I'm doubting my own thoughts.

"She wouldn't take that risk. By me not coming back, she knows now that coming to Daegu is dangerous." I shake my head.

"Oh, it definitely is."

A different voice catches our attentions, and my head snaps towards the main door. The outline of the arrogant King himself casually strolls inside, followed by his protector.

"I see you're awake. Good. It won't take long before the Queen scurries here to save you, and then I'll have her right where I want her." His smooth and calm voice rolls off his tongue whilst standing right opposite my cell.

"Wait, that's why I'm here? You're using me as leverage?" My face scrunches up.

"Correct. I wanted the Queen and instead I got you. You can imagine my disappointment."

Wow. That's nice.

"And so I plan on keeping you here for as long as I want, until she gives me what I want."

"You know she won't," I say through gritted teeth. "You're wasting your time and you know you are."

The King steps forwards, not breaking eye contact and harshly grasping at the metal bar with one hand.

"We'll see." He whispers, his open lips turning into a smirk.

"Hyung?" A quieter voice now enters the room.

The King's face instantly drops and he swivels around to look at the door. All of our eyes settle on a young boy. He shares similar features to the King, however looks a lot younger and innocent.

"Wait upstairs, I'll be there in a second." To my surprise, the King's voice comes out softly. That's the first time I've ever heard him talk like that.

With a nod, the boy glances at me a final time in curiosity, before turning his back and walking out of the room.

The King turns around and resumes looking at me. His gaze is less harsher now, after the encounter with the young boy.

"My word and decision is final." He speaks. Then he strides out of the room, with Yoongi closely following behind.

"Who was that boy?" As they exit and the door closes, I look back at Hoseok.

"That was the Prince of Daegu; the King's younger brother." Hoseok stands to his feet.

My eyebrows jolt up. I didn't even know he had a sibling. A younger one too.

"The King is very protective over him." Seokjin's voice says. "And I mean very protective. If anyone is to lay a finger on the boy he'll practically rip you apart."

I guess that makes sense, especially with a younger sibling. As the eldest that response is automatic. It's like with my younger sister. Even though she has no idea who I am I still worry about her every day.

What I would do to see her now.