Chapter Text
The morning he was to be taken to the palace, Namjoon filled his bathtub with steaming, fragrant water and dressed him in the new suit of clothes that the king had sent him as a gift. It was indigo brocade, with silver threads and lined with snowy silk. Yoongi had helped him tie the loops on the doublet, which was beautifully cinched around his narrow waist.
Jungkook felt that the clothes had given him a stately look that he did not sympathize with at all. It had been a long time since he had dressed in such expensive clothes.
"What's the matter, Kookie?" asked Yoongi, who was looking at him from the door frame. " Do you not like it?"
Jungkook turned to look at him.
"No, no, the suit is very beautiful, hyung. The king has been very kind." he enunciated, and Yoongi smiled at the boy's characteristic sweet politeness. "I just don't know if it's quite right for me. It makes me look like a..."
"Like a prince."
Jungkook grimaced.
Like a prince, indeed.
He turned to see his reflection in the mirror and smoothed the fabric on his abdomen anxiously. Namjoon walked over to him and pulled his raven mane back in a low bun with a blue silk ribbon.
"Don't make that face, cub. There's no reason to feel nervous." The young prince shrugged slightly. He had never been good at hiding his gestures. "Don't let this situation intimidate you, little one. The king is kind, and he will take good care of you."
Jungkook sighed.
"I don't want to stay there on my own."
"It won't be for long. A couple of days, at most." Yoongi told him. "We must attend to important matters, verify that you're absolutely safe. After that, we will come with you.
"You're going to love it, Kookie." Namjoon said. "You're going to learn a lot of new things. You are going to have proper tutors. And besides, we'll be spending more time together."
"I can't even remember the castle, and I don't know anyone there "
"But you're going to adapt very easily. You're going to be adored and welcomed. Everyone is surely going to love you. " Namjoon tucked him a lock of hair behind his ear as Jungkook groaned.
"But how are you so sure he is going to receive me? I'm not..." The boy stopped short at the bitter memory, found it knotting his throat, and swallowed the heaviness before it broke his voice. " He shouldn't want me there."
It was Yoongi who approached and stood before him, patient and stoic, with the unflappable serenity of an upright magician as he was:
"And why wouldn't I want you there, little one?" The question was simple, but Jungkook still lowered his gaze. He knew how much Yoongi abhorred hearing him flog himself for things beyond his control, but he couldn't help the rough feeling that planted itself in his chest.
"I am..." Jungkook hesitated, as the syllables danced awkwardly in his throat. When the words found their way to his tongue, they came out hanging by a thread. "I am a son of traitors."
Yoongi lowered his eyebrows, shocked and displeased. Fingers cupped the boy's chin and lifted it slightly upward. Jungkook had to force himself to meet the wizard's snowy eyes.
"Listen to me carefully, prince." He spoke softly, but still his tone was firm. "I don't want to hear you take responsibility for your parents' mistakes again. You were a victim of them too. You were barely a child when I had to take you out of the palace." He told him. "You have the same right as Seokjin to rule. The royal house is your home too."
Yoongi had lost count of all the times he and Namjoon had had to repeat such lessons. Too often his young protégé would babble insecurities about his position. Short-lived woes with which the noble boy was overwhelmed.
Jungkook needed many reminders that his blood was not impure and that there was not a single drop of evil in him.
His guardians were always happy to serve him.
"We would never leave you somewhere dangerous, cub." Namjoon told him. "We fully trust his majesty to protect you and take care of you."
Jungkook lowered his thickly lashed eyelids. He was still not entirely sure of the king's convictions, but he had full confidence in his guards. The prince would be able to willingly venture into a field of war if they so desired.
"I understand, hyung." He said at last, because he found nothing else to add. The counselor flashed him such a reassuring smile that Jungkook almost felt himself relax.
It was when they got into the carriage that nervousness soaked through him again. He felt his hands sweating under the white gloves, and the velvety cloak Namjoon had pinned to the collar of his doublet felt suffocating.
The remoteness of the palace would have caused most travelers to stop for an inn, huddle around a fireplace or stop for something to fill their stomachs. Theirs was not the case.
They, the three of them, remained in the carriage for many hours.
The clouds had thinned and the blazing sun rose among the peaks, flooding the high autumn plains with flaming hues of gold and crimson. As the carriage churned, it seemed to Jungkook that a sea of flames washed over the earthy roads, and he became excited, inventing stories and fantasizing about a sun too big to cover the entire sky.
But the sunset ended, and there was nothing left but the lonely silence of the road. Silence and too much time to think, to wonder again and again what his new life would be like, what new events would accompany him. Would the king really be kind to him? Would he really be welcomed at court?
Namjoon's gentle touch on his back had reassured him mildly, but he still could not stop wondering nervously if he would be found fit to reing.
«Don't be alarmed.» Yoongi had told him once, when that very question escaped his lips. « You're not ready yet. It will be a couple of years before you are trained to the monarchy. Seokjin will teach you. And us, naturally. You don't know much at the moment, but you'll learn. There's no hurry, little one. »
Jungkook sighed. His stay in the cottage he had lived in until then had certainly not been fruitless. Namjoon and Yoongi had educated him well. They had plied him with royal lessons, education worthy of a monarch. Jungkook had spent much time preparing himself.
But his nerves still gnawed at him. Jungkook dared not blame himself for it.
Moving into the palace of a king was not to be judged as ordinary. Much less if such a king had been the direct descendant of the lineage that had killed his tyrannical parents.
The young prince was terrified.
Despite the many good things he had heard from the monarch, the young prince still feared that carrying the cursed blood of his progenitors would put him in unfavorable situations in front of the sovereign and his court. Jungkook did not want to be thought a hapless enemy of the crown.
He had been very young when his parents had perished at hands of the Kim family. Jungkook barely remembered the faces of his vile ancestors. His mother had been too mentally ill to realize his existence, and his lord father had mistreated him so much and so painfully that Jungkook had never been able to love him. He had been many times on the verge of death at the sadistic man's hand. The merciless deceased had made his tender childhood miserable.
And Yoongi, his now guardian, had also been one of the many unfortunates who had directly resented the man's dangerous insanity. The then-king had forced him into his court after discovering that powerful, magical blood ran in the boy's veins. He had made Yoongi his personal servant, and had executed anyone who bore his family name.
The monarch had thought that in this way Yoongi's magic would acquire prestige. Having the only magician in existence had certainly granted him the privilege of political strength.
The magician had mobilized after that. Motivated by rage and rancor, he had secretly armed himself with revolutionary men and a powerful family to occupy the throne. He had made alliances and convinced the royal court to join his cause. All under the nose of the petty oppressor, who never once doubted the loyalty of his sorcerer.
Three years later, the king had been overthrown and executed by the Kim family at the palace gates.
It was a very quiet revolution, Jungkook recalled.
He had been only about seven years old at the time. His tender youth had deprived him of understanding the serious political affairs in which his family had become entangled. The young prince had spent most of his childhood in the royal gardens or hidden away in his bedchamber. Yoongi visited him often, with a gentle smile and compassionate eyes. The young sorcerer would play with him and perform little visual magic shows for him, much to his delight.
The bond between the two of them had been so strong, that Yoongi refused to let him perish in the palace, and, on the day of the revolution, wrapped him in a long black cloak and mounted him on a brown horse ridden by a bureaucrat-looking stranger. That cold night, Jungkook had galloped alongside the stranger, under the cold patter of the rain, shocked and frightened. With confused tears staining his cheeks. Jungkook had cried a lot that night.
The strange man he had ridden with had taken him to a shabby, corroded hut, wiped away his tears and tried his best to distract him from his growing confusion. He tried to explain to him in kind and patient words that from then on Jungkook would no longer live in the palace. And that what he would call home was now that battered cottage in which he would live for the rest of his young age.
He would later discover that the gentleman's name was Namjoon, and he was an advisor to a powerful family with the surname Kim. The man had sheltered him for a full week before Yoongi appeared through the door of the hut, and enveloped him in an anxious and gentle embrace.
The rest was history.
Suffice to say, Jungkook never set foot in the palace again after that day. Yoongi and Namjoon had placed him under their guardianship and had conditioned the cottage to raise him there. They had showered him with protection, love and care worthy of a prince.
They had not allowed him to forget his legacy. They had cultivated him with the promise that he would reign over all of them when he acquired a proper education. Seokjin would be regent while the child gained maturity and experience. That had been the agreement Yoongi had made with the royal courtiers.
And there he was, then, riding in a carriage, on his way to the palace. "No maturity, no experience." He thought. Jungkook recognized that there was still a sea of knowledge he had yet to learn. And with his better judgment he vowed to himself that he would strive to be the sovereign everyone expected him to be.
Jungkook fell asleep with that idea planted in his mind.
When the night turned particularly cold, Yoongi had covered him with an unnaturally warm blanket that kept him snuggled and docile.
"Kookie, wake up" Jungkook blinked, disoriented. It took him a couple of seconds to regain his fuzzy senses. " We are almost there."
"What?" his voice came out hoarse, and the blanket fell off his legs as he sat up. He poked his head out the window and visualized a path adorned with smooth rocks and foliage leading toward a colossal castle. "So soon? Oh" Jungkook was startled when the march of the royal guard reached his ears. The soldiers marched alongside the carriage, dressed in insignia of the Kim house; a salmon red with pearly stripes was painted over their uniforms. Jungkook turned to Namjoon, anxious.
"These are just real guards, little one." He explained. "They're here to protect you. They're escorting you to his majesty."
Jungkook felt oblivious at the formality. So much disuse of his title made him forget that he too often had royal blood in his veins.
Yoongi sat up and held out a small glass bottle with a mysterious liquid inside. "Here. Take this. It's for your nerves."
Jungkook didn't hesitate to swallow it. Lavender and peach soon flooded his tongue. He was already used to the sorcerer giving him potions to help him with his upsets.
"Don't be afraid anymore. You will be fine."
Jungkook nodded. The carriage made an elongated turn and then stood very still, his heart hammering hard against his chest.
"Come on, Cub." Namjoon climbed down after Yoongi. He held out his hand and offered him a reassuring smile.
The prince swallowed saliva.
He put one foot in front of the other and stepped down from the carriage, buffeted by a wave of warm breeze that ruffled his mane. He crossed the elongated carpeted aisle before planting himself in front of the three young bureaucrats who watched him from the palace gates, lined up side by side. One of them with a golden crown on his forehead.
"It's him" he thought, and felt his legs tremble. He looked at him with big beady eyes and shifted nervously. "He is the king."
The monarch in front of him looked nothing like Jungkook imagined him to be.
He was a tall, graceful young man with brown hair, falling like waves over his forehead. He had smooth skin, a fine jaw and full lips. He wore an expensive-looking suit that clung beautifully to his torso and white gloves that hugged his elongated fingers.
Jungkook stood up straight when his eyes reached the monarch's deep ones. He must have lingered for a long time admiring the young king, because Yoongi gave him a slight nudge that made him startle slightly. Then he bowed. The sovereign sketched a slight smile, and bowed as well.
"My prince." He said. And the voice came out so softly that Jungkook felt his heart pump. "What a joy to have you back."
"Thank you for receiving me, your majesty. I am very happy to be here. "Jungkook was aware of how nervous his voice had come out, but it didn't seem to faze the king at all. He gave him a kind smile and spoke:
"Allow me to introduce you. These are my most trusted courtiers." he turned to the boy with golden mane and fine features. "Park Jimin."
The aforementioned planted a kiss on his hand and offered a warm smile.
"My prince."
"... And Kim Taehyung." The other boy was taller than Jimin. His hair was a lighter, sandier brown. Curly and with ringlets that looked like waves.
The courtier repeated Jimin's action and offered him the prettiest of smiles. Jungkook returned it.
He remained silent as his guards greeted the king, with closeness and familiarity. The monarch drew them close to him, encircling them both with kind and eager arms.
Jungkook would have been surprised by such closeness, were it not for how much Namjoon and Yoongi had told him about the king. Always employing an affectionate tone, always with loving gestures.
"Take care of him, please." Yoongi asked him. The king nodded. "We'll be back in a couple of days."
"Are you leaving already?" Questioned the king. "Won't you join us for dinner?"
"I'm afraid not." Namjoon said, and adjusted his cloak. "They should be waiting for us by now. We'll be back as soon as we're done. Kookie, my cub." He turned to the boy, who was looking at him with large afflicted eyes. "Take care of yourself. Remember to behave." He smiled. "We'll be back soon."
Yoongi approached the boy and caressed his head.
"Obey his majesty, will you? Don't give him trouble."
Jungkook nodded. The men bowed to the king, and gave him one last smile before mounting back to the carriage.
Jungkook watched them walk away, very still in place and wringing his hands nervously, under the watchful eye of the king at his back. It warmed the monarch's heart; the boy looked lost, very small, and uneasy at the thought of being abandoned in a new world. Seokjin approached him and laid a gentle hand on one of his shoulders.
"My prince." Said the king, and Jungkook turned to him with wide eyes. "The journey surely must have been tiring. Surely you must be hungry. Please, let us go inside.We have prepared supper for you. We can take it on the balcony."
"Thank you, my king." Jungkook said in a soft voice. The taller courtier walked up to him and grabbed one of his wrists, excitedly.
"Yoongi and Namjoon have told us a bunch about you." He told him, as they walked.
The prince was not surprised; his guardians themselves had come to him many times with stories of two tender lords who shared about his age, both equally mischievous and charming , he had been told.
"They have told us about your favorite foods, because we have wanted my prince to eat only the most delicious things." He enunciated.
"I appreciate it greatly, my lord."
Taehyung replied with a smile.
"We have asked the kitchens to prepare peach tarts. Namjoonie has told us that those are your favorite!" the boy exclaimed. Jungkook opened his mouth to respond, but the courtier had already resumed his speech. "We have also asked the servants to have a medicinal bath ready for you. Your caretakers have told us that you like baths very much, and you will surely be very tired from the journey."
"Just a little, my lord."
"Good. After the supper Jiminie and I will guide you." He exclaimed, as he gently tugged on his wrist.
"Don't pull the prince, Taehyung." The king scolded him.
"Oh." He said, and let go."I'm sorry, your grace."
"It doesn't bother me, your majesty." Jungkook said, shaking his hands. The prince had never quite gotten used to the touch of strangers, but the young courtier's energy was distinctive. More affectionate, warmer. Very far different from any he had ever sensed before.
Taehyung's smile grew at his statement. After that he did not stop. He talked, and talked, to the prince's attentive enthusiastic gaze and Jimin's occasional comments. Jungkook wandered his glowing orbs over the palace walls as he listened to both boys; all elegantly decorated with sophisticated colors and paintings. He retraced his walk as vague memories settled in his head like ghosts.
Many times before he had crossed such corridors in his tender childhood, shy and withdrawn,—more so than then.—
The feeling had not changed. Jungkook had always felt an inordinate detachment for those walls that locked him in for so long with his perverse progenitor.
Even then, he still felt uncomfortable. That place he had never been able to call home, and he highly doubted he ever would.
They wandered the carpeted corridors for a couple more minutes, before passing through the last door of the wing. It gave way to a lounge with a lovely set of wood table and chairs, overlooking the gardens covered in foliage and colorful flowers. Jungkook smiled. The table was filled with dishes, bathed in a golden glaze, brimming with food that gave off delicious aromas. Colorful drinks the prince had never seen before, and desserts with showy and elegant ornaments.
"Forgive me. I have prepared nothing grander for your grace. Your guardians thought it would be dangerous to alert the court before their labors were finished." Apologized the king. Jungkook downplayed it with a gesture, sitting back in the velvety chair as one of the servants pulled it back. He was relieved that he didn't have to face so many strangers. "When Yoongi and Namjoon return to the palace, I will summon the court to introduce you properly and as my prince deserves."
"Please don't worry, your majesty. This is perfect." He told him, and Seokjin smiled, and sat down as well.
The servants, on the king's orders, did not stop filling his plate until Jungkook could eat no more. The prince happily savored the peach tarts, and the lemon cookies, joyfully pecking at the food and letting out little contented sounds when a morsel became particularly delicious. The noblemen's looked at him with a smile, all eating quietly: except for Taehyung, who was still dishing out random facts with him. Jungkook listened to the whole thing very attentively.
"We have a meadow, too." He told him. "It's near the palace wall, by the groves. It's lovely. The prince is surely going to like it very much. We'll take you there someday."
Jungkook smiled happily.
"I can't wait, my lord." He told him.
The young courtier let out a chuckle.
"No. Not my lord; we will be spending a lot of time together, from now on, so, unless we are at court, you can call me whatever my prince pleases. "
Jungkook raised his head in shy surprise.
"May I call you by your name?"
"It would be my pleasure."
"Won't it be inappropriate?" That time the prince turned to the monarch. Seokjin shook his head.
"If my prince wishes, you may release the titles. No formalities are necessary in intimacy, your majesty."
"Taehyung and I will be pleased to receive such treatment." Jimin told him.
Jungkook blinked.
"No discomfort, really?"
"None."
"Jimin and Taehyung?"
"And our nicknames, if my prince wills. Tae and Jiminie."
"Tae and Jiminie." He conceded, obediently. Taehyung rewarded him with a wide smile.
"Then." Continued the courtier. "If my prince agrees, we can arrange a picnic there. In the meadow." The courtier gave a little jump. "Oh, we can even take him to the lake, near the forest!"
Jungkook's eyes flashed with sparkles.
"There's a forest?"
Taehyung nodded excitedly.
"Oh, yes, a very big one. Full of flowers and animals that my prince will surely find charming." Suddenly Taehyung became excited, stood upright on his seat and began to gesture. "Had my prince ever seen herbs that glow when exposed to moonlight? Or a whole field full of colorful fireflies? These are strange things indeed, but all of them wondrous! Oh, my prince will surely be amazed!"
And Jungkook already was; luminous sparkles shone in his eyes and an innocent thrill settled in his chest.
Would all that be possible?
Jungkook had seen Yoongi bring all kinds of herbs and rocks to the cottage —the boy marveled whenever the sorcerer taught him his potions, and spells —but the prince had never heard of such a thing as colorful fireflies or magical herbs.
Because that definitely sounded like magic.
"Would you take me?" he asked, with such a pretty smile that Taehyung was about to nod his head yes.
But it was Seokjin who spoke first.
"No." He said shortly, and Jungkook blinked.
"Uh?" The prince tilted his head. "No...?
"So I said, my prince."
Jungkook looked confused, not quite prepared to receive such a denial. The emotion fizzled in his chest and the smile died on his face. He searched Seokjin's eyes for some sign of derision, but there he found only unforgiving, honest eyes.
"Why not...?" he ventured.
"It is not a proper place for your Grace." He stated, in a calm voice. "The ones there are certainly wonderful creatures, but also incredibly dangerous. There are many poisonous herbs that my prince would certainly not recognize as such. The forest is not there to be casually visited. Nothing in there should be of interest to his majesty."
The black-haired boy frowned slightly at that. He turned to Taehyung for help, but the courtier boy had already averted his gaze.
"B-But Jimin and Taehyung..."
"Jimin and Taehyung are experienced, they know herbalism, and biology." He explained patiently. "And whenever they must go into the forest, they do so with proper company. Never alone. It is dangerous even for them. I cannot expose you to such danger."
Jungkook frowned slightly. He wouldn't have wanted to declare himself whimsical, but that forest sounded wonderfully magical. Too wonderful to ignore its existence. He couldn't afford to miss the opportunity to visit it.
"M-My guardian Yoongi, has taught me a lot about herbalism and biology." He wasn't lying. The sorcerer had filled his head with lessons on herbs of medicinal, or magical properties that Jungkook remembered very well. He hoped that such teachings would be enough for the king not to refuse his request.
But, alas, they were not:
"And I do not doubt the magnificent education with which your two tutors surely provided you; but the fauna and flora of the forest are certainly different from any you have had at home.” He explained. "I ask you not to be impatient; you will acquire the same studies as Jimin and Taehyung. We will arrange appropriate instructors for you. And once you have acquired such knowledge, I will gladly take you to the forest myself. In the meantime, it is out of the question.
"But..."
"I hope I have made myself clear." He cut him off, and his voice darkened slightly. The king bore both stern eyes into his. Such a look was enough to sadden Jungkook's own. The boy lowered his eyelashes and shrank back into his seat.
"Yes, your majesty." He said, in a dissapointed whisper.
"Oh, my sweet prince." Jimin told him, and reached up to smooth his hair back. "Don't be upset, please. There are many other wonderful places we can take you. Besides, my prince is surely smart, you are certainly going to learn very quickly and won't have to wait too long."
Jungkook had a pout on his face, but nodded slightly, not looking up from the floor.
Seokjin softened his features at the sight, smiled lightly and turned to his courtiers, who looked incredibly depressed and guilty at seeing the boy so crestfallen. The king restrained himself from rolling his eyes. His boys could be overly noble and protective of helpless cubs.
"Remember that I must ensure your protection, little prince." He told him. "You may not fully understand my orders, but I beg you to trust them. They are all to keep you safe."
Jungkook nodded quietly, and Seokjin gave a nod before rising in his seat and turning to his courtiers.
"The prince must be tired." He said to them. "Jimin, Taehyung, beloved, have him prepare a hot bath, and a tea of Valerian leaves. It will help him with his sleep."
Jimin sat up, and held out his hands to the young prince. The boy didn't look too happy about being sent to bed so soon, but he didn't say anything. After all, he did feel incredibly tired, and a bath sounded wonderful. The boy sat up and let himself be led out of the room.
"My courtiers will show you to your bedroom, your majesty. I hope you have sweet dreams, if you require me, you may call them, or the servants, and they will guide you to my bedchambers." Said the king.
Jungkook turned to the king with big jet eyes. He still looked self-conscious and mildly embarrassed at being "scolded" by the king, but he still spoke in a sweet voice:
"Thank you for the hospitality, your majesty. The meal was delicious. Please rest well." He said to him, the voice coming out so tenderly that Seokjin couldn't help the smile that broke out on his face.
" Such a sweet child." he thought.
"Thank you, my prince." He replied and Jungkook turned away.
As promised, his bath water was scented and delicious. In the tub floated suds with borage, rosemary, and various chamomile flowers that tickled his knees. Jungkook hugged his legs while sinking his head between his arms, sketching a relaxed smile.
He liked baths very much. He liked to lie back, wrapped in warmth and sweet smells. He liked to sing and have the melody bounce off the walls like an echo.
Back to his days in the cottage, he remembered when Namjoon helped him wash his hair while telling him stories of his many adventures in the palace.
That time it was not Namjoon who massaged his scalp, but Jimin instead. Jungkook felt self-conscious at first, but soon relaxed at the touch and leaned his head back into the gentle and skillful hands.
"You have beautiful hair, my prince."
"You are too kind, my lord."
"Jimin. Not my lord."
"Jimin." Granted the prince.
"Close your eyes, your highness. " The auburn-haired courtier told him. The sweet floral scent assaulted his nose as Taehyung approached with a bucket of warm water and carefully poured it over him, his hair straightened like waterfall down his back, and his cheeks flushed red from the scalding water.
Jungkook smiled happily; settled, with all his dismay being washed away. He thought he could willingly stay like this forever.
The boy closed his eyes as he allowed the courtiers to fill his ears with delightful stories. He lay there, relaxing in the tub until the water cooled, and the foam disappeared. Then the courtiers turned as he wrapped himself in a soft, white cloth.
Jimin pulled him lightly and dried his legs and clumps of hair. He smoothed his hair back with an oil that gave off a wonderful scent. Jimin also put a few drops on his fingers and rubbed it behind his ears, on his chin and his neck.
"It's sandalwood oil, my prince." He explained to him. "It will keep you relaxed and bring you sweet dreams.
He was then put into comfortable cotton slippers and taken out of the misty air of the bath chamber and into his bedroom. The room was large and decorated with wood furniture and a bed so wide and comfortable that Jungkook had to resist the urge to throw himself into it.
Taehyung spread the soft silk blankets over him while Jimin smoothed his feather-filled pillow . Then, both courtiers stood beside him, with satisfied smiles.
"We hope my prince gets a good night's rest."
Jungkook offered them a smile.
"Thank you for your attentions, Jimin, Taehyung. Please rest well, too."
"We will. Tomorrow we'll talk about that picnic I promised you." Taehyung told him. Jungkook nodded from the bed.
He said nothing more as the boys turned their backs on him and blew out the candles in his bedroom. Jungkook settled on the bed and let out a sigh.
He thought of Seokjin; how stern he looked, but how kindly he treated him as well. He reminded him of Namjoon. Of Yoongi. All three of a protective and loving nature. Jungkook smiled at the memory of his guardians.
He wondered how they were doing; and the thought brought a wave of loneliness that he could barely contain. He tried with all his might to sleep, for his weariness was begging him to do so; but the prince was restless. His head was flooded with thoughts, the kind that fill one's head when spending the night away from home.
The prince turned against the cold bedclothes. He turned and stirred uncomfortably, sitting up at last when his efforts to settle himself were fruitless. Jungkook rose, lowering his bare feet to the marbled tiles, and wrapping himself in the warm robe Jimin had left for him on the coat rack.
Jungkook walked over to the glass windows and opened it, because he found nothing else to do, he let his senses soak in the sound of nature; the branches of the bushes danced in the wind, and a scent of oak and earth assailed his nose.
Jungkook leaned back against the window seat and stood there, watching the blackness of the night gently bathing the palace, trying to ignore his faint feelings of loneliness.
The boy glimpsed the landscape intently; moving his black eyes anxiously, counting each dry leaf that blew in the wind. From there, at his window, Jungkook could see almost the entire field. In the distance were tree groves, of scattered trunks that grew closer and closer together.
Jungkook tossed his sleeping robe anxiously, crossing his arms against his chest.
"I could go for a little walk." He thought, turning to the window.
It didn't feel quite right to give in to his urges; it was late and he should be asleep by now. But Jungkook was erring on the side of stubborn and impulsive; Namjoon had told him so many times before...
He pulled on the leather boots left for him by the bed, and pulled a thick cloak over his shoulders.
"Just a short walk." He said to himself, and then left the bedroom.