Royalty Above All - Kim Taehyung ✔︎

#13 - Stay Alive

I'm dead either way.

If I stay in Daegu, I'll either be killed by the people of Daegu or the King himself. And if I go back to Seoul, I'll be killed for betraying the Queen.

So either way, I'm screwed.

The shivers get worse to the point where I can't control them anymore, and they take over my body. My hands cling to my arms and I slowly stand to my feet.

Turning around and staring at the palace, I groan a little and turn my back to it once again.

Well, looks like I'm not going back in there anytime soon.

I get weird looks thrown at me by the people as I begin to take steps forwards. They can see I'm freezing and yet ironically pull their warm clothing further around their bodies, as if I'm a reminder that it's freezing cold.

I don't know why I expected the King to believe a word I said. To him I hurt his little brother and nothing will change that. Nothing I say will ever change that.

Because to him I'm just a useless protector of the Seoul Queen, who isn't even a protector anymore. He doesn't know that I've properly been abandoned by the Queen.

Instead, he has abandoned me too.

Walking into the town is quite scary once you get a proper glance at the people's expressions. They look disgusted to see someone like me walking in their town.

They more or less know that I'm not from around here since I look nothing like them. They know I'm not from Daegu.

But I'm not going down that easily. I can't afford to die, especially not now. I'll put up a fight if I have to to survive. To stay alive.

So that one day I'll confront Yoonhee myself.

***

"What is she wearing?" Comments about my lack of clothing get thrown in my direction from all directions, as they eye my dress from the palace.

Rolling my eyes I fold my arms across my chest and carry on walking through the town.

My shoulder accidentally bumps into another, and a yell of protest sounds from behind me.

"Watch where your walking girl!" The older man sniggers, looking me up and down when realising that I'm wearing a dress.

Makes me want to throw up.

"Look at me like that again and I'll break you." I simply say back, not daring to break eye contact because I'm really not in the mood for this today.

"You'll break me, will you?" This makes him even more amused. "Go ahead, darling. Break me."

The commotion has attracted a crowd of people, intrigued in the sudden entertainment.

"You heard me. Or are you regretting your pathetic bluff?" He tries to get closer to me, tries to lay his hand on my back to draw me closer.

It makes me laugh.

With a smile still on my lips I grab his arm, twisting it round to slam onto his back. And I do it so hard that you hear a little 'click'.

The man screams out at the top of his lungs in pain, attracting more people.

"A bluff, huh?" I scoff, the smile on my lips growing even more. "I can break it more if you want. Your choice."

"Get off me!" He growls, clenching his teeth from the pain.

Rolling my eyes I let go, pushing him to the ground. He grabs his shoulder in pain, looking up at me with an angry look in his eye.

"You're insane." He spits.

"Ah, really? That's what I was aiming for."

Shaking his head in dismay he staggers to his feet, his hand still clinging onto his shoulder.

"Maybe that'll teach you to never underestimate a woman next time." I say which for some reason makes him more annoyed.

"And did your parents teach you nothing about manners?" A woman speaks up from the crowd. "You disgusting girl! Your parents should be embarrassed to have a daughter like you!"

I raise an eyebrow. Clearly from my statement of 'not underestimating a woman' I did not mean this...thing that's speaking.

"Am I supposed to be offended?" I question. "Because that was a really lousy attempt."

The woman scoffs, stepping closer towards me. She raises her hand to connect it to my cheek but I spot it coming from a mile away. Her reflexes aren't exactly fast.

With my hand I grab her wrist mid air, preventing her from slapping me.

"Listen lady, I am having a really crap day. And it does not need to be ruined even more by some grubby little hand on my face." I throw her wrist away from me.

Groaning a little to myself I shove past the crowd of people who yell comments at me as I go. I don't look back once, not exactly proud of what I did but it had to be done.

If there's one thing that I hate, it's the feeling of being alone. With no-one by your side to make you feel like a someone. Instead, you feel like a no-one.

And not only have I been abandoned by the King, I've been abandoned by someone who I thought I trusted.

Yoonhee has a lot of explaining to do.

***

Author's POV

"Well? What happened?" Yoonhee's impatient voice asks the single guard stood in front of her sitting self on the throne.

"We made it look like she was the one who administered the crime." The man chuckles. "They'll kill her in no time."

Nodding in approval, a smirk appears on Yoonhee's lips. Her plan to take over the throne is falling into place nicely.

"Good work. Where is your companion?"

"He's still in Daegu to make sure to hear word that she's been killed in the palace."

Watching from behind a doorway in the hall, Ayeong listens in on their conversation closely and quietly. When she's heard enough she walks away, down the hall and out the back entrance of the palace.

"She sent someone to Daegu to do something to Kyungmi." Ayeong repeats what she heard. "It sounds like these people framed her for.. something so that she'll be killed?"

"You're saying that Kyungmi's still alive?" Namjoon whispers with a little hope in his voice.

"Yes, it sounds like it. But I'm not so sure anymore." Ayeong quietly replies.

Raking a hand through his hair, Namjoon sighs in worry. Kyungmi is one of his closest friends
and he wants to help her. He just doesn't know how.

"I hope she's escaped somehow." Namjoon says. "She won't go down so easily without a fight. She'll do anything to stay alive."

"I hope you're right Namjoon." Ayeong nods, listening to his words. "Because it sounds as if Yoonhee is willing to also do anything to get rid of her."