BTS - Blood Sweat & Tears

’’Baby, don’t be mad at me please. This angry

face doesn’t suit your pretty features. Come on,
let me touch you. Let your daddy take care of
you. ’’

The young prince takes two more steps

cautiously towards his baby, holding out his
breath while trying to reach Visi with his hand
heavy with rings and tattoos. When Taehyung is
sure that his baby had forgiven him for his
ignorance in the past days due to the prepartions
for the grand trip and will allow him to caress his
neck, the baby dragon blows out two circles of
fire, burning the plate of meat that Taehyung
placed in front of him. Without waiting for the
outcome of his actions, the dragon stretches his
wings and flies to his brothers that watched the
interaction with curious eyes from the tower
above them. The prince falls down because of
 the flames that Viserion ignited with an
agressive force, looking at his baby in shock.
Viserion was the naughty one of them. Drogon
and Rhaegal were more reserved and respectful
to him, to their master. Vise, opposite to his
brothers, needed a lot of affection and love
every damn second and when he didn’t receive
that, he’d become a flying bomb ready to
explode. Good thing is that it takes him a couple
of minutes to calm down. So Taehyung will wait
till then. He didn’t want to go on the trip
knowing his baby dragon is mad at him.

"Tae, you think you're immortal," suddenly yells a

young boy that run towards Taehyung and kneels
before the young prince "you know your mother
forbade you to approach the dragons without an iron
guard or a castle soldier near you. Do you have a
death wish?’’
After letting out his frustrations, the young boy takes
the prince’s hands in his and searches worriedly for
any trace of scars. Taehyung stands up and brushes
the boy’s hands of him, glaring at him with disgust.
” Firstly, I am always to be called master, young
master. Address me formally, peasant. Secondly, you
need to deserve the right to talk to me. Kneel before
me and maybe I’ll spare you the punishment.”
The young prince says roughly, throwing glares at
the innocent boy with doe eyes, with a tag name on
his chest that read ‘’Jungkook’’.

For a few minutes, the atmosphere seems to freeze,

the tension could be cut with a knife. Their battles
stares were tense all the time. Jungkook was always
the one to look away, Taehyung would keep his eyes
on the pale face of the boy never minding the
surroundings or the circumstances for whole hours.
After what feels like an eternity, Jungkook stands up
as well and speaks with a serious and authoritative
voice.
”Is that another kink of yours, Tae, to call you
master?”
Taehyung, the young prince, the master of 3 dragons
and the heir to the throne of Targaryens, one of the
largest kingdom among the four big houses, bursts
out laughing at his Jungkook’ boldness. Jungkook
who is formally his right hand and advisor but
informally his best friend who perfectly knows when
Tae performs one of his so called genius acts. Even
his mother bought a lot of his sketches, not being
able to tell whatever his son was genuine or was just
acting. Jungkook always knows. They became
friends around the age of 7. Taehyung still
remembers every second of their meeting like a bitter
dream covered in a sweet nightmare:

11 years later

Taehyung is screwed. He’s sure his mother will kill him. The waiting is more
excruciating than what lies ahead the iron door. Possibilities of punishments
move chaotically in a circle in his head, each one more terrifying than another.
When a maid opens the door for him with pitiful eyes and tells him that the
queen is ready for him, Taehyung straightens his composure, clenches his small
fists digging his perfect nailed fingers into them till he feels an agonizing pain
surfacing through his veins. The young prince buries deeply his fears and
walks confidently with his head held high towards the iron throne where his
mother is currently sitting, drinking from a large glass of white wine. Wine and
blood are her religion. There she is with her violet eyes, pale skin and long
silver-gold hair with a slender of frame and small breasts. Eleanor is a beautiful
and terrifying woman, Taehyung feels small and powerless under her
scrutinizing eyes. She gestures for the maid that is currently kneeling in front of
her to take the glass and after a couple of seconds, she suddenly clasps her
hands and smiles brightly at him. Even her smile is devilishly scary. He prefers
being beaten or caged or yelled at rather than this. Uncertainty is the biggest
torture and the most stressful feeling. He remains silent, watching cautiously his
mother’s moves. Body language will always show you more than words do. But
even her body movements are uncertain and mysterious. He’s startled when she
finally rises from the seat and starts to speak with her bossy tone.
“ You surprised me today, I should give it to you. But even if I appreciate your
courage to openly speak your mind, it is not wise to tell the king of Lannisters
that his attempt at being adulatory at asking help when they didn’t help us in the
battle for Dragonstone fails miserably and that he’s a snake in disguise of a
shrivelled toothless creature, a feeble that walks with a can. Your mistake could
cost us a war. I deeply appreciate your ability to discern lies from truths and
snakes from the lions but next time try to keep your opinion to yourself.
Diplomacy is the main trait for a ruler.” The boy keeps his gaze fixed on the
throne and nods his head at his mother’s advice. He was indeed reckless at the
meeting. But the queen was to be blamed too. Who lets his 7 years son to be
present at a table with snakes that could cause a war because of an honest
remark? The queen continued:
“Now, I didn’t bring you only for this. Turn to you right” the boy snaps his
head from his mother’s gaze and directs his eyes to the right where 5 slaves
caged in handcuffs sit on the floor with their heads held low down, the sight of
slaves at this point in his life is normal, something usual in the castle like the
grand statues in the halls and the golden furniture in all the rooms ” these slaves
will either remain in the castle to serve us or will be brought to the market to be
sold to the Elites. I think you’re old enough to pick yourself a servant, your
right hand that you’ll trust with your life, you know it’s our family tradition.
Remember what is the 6-th lesson I taught you, a slave without an identity, like
an empty vessel is the best to shape in what you need, so choose wisely my
son.” Taehyung observed the scared faces that looked now at him hopefully,
they were dirty, probably hungry, with ravished hair and rags that failed to
cover their body. His eyes caught a glimpse of a young boy that kept his eyes
closed, playing with a small bunny in his hands. The young prince pointed a
finger at him without much hesitation. He trusts his instincts. His guardian
angel told him to confide in his inner feelings yesterday so he does exactly that.
The queen dismisses the rest of the slaves that are being dragged out of the
large room by two guards. Once he cried at the sight of them, now it causes
only a little discomfort in his stomach. The young slave opens his doe eyes at
the queen’s command and Taehyung is sure that he resembles the bunny toy in
his hand. With a square shaped face, a jawline too prominent for a rat,
expressive low set brows and thin lips, the young boy is quite attractive for a
slave. Taehyung despite his young age knows what destiny awaits boys like
him once they are sold to the Elites. He’s somehow relieved that he chose him.
“ From now on, you’ll be always by your master’s side, your life purpose is to
make him happy, strong and invincible, no matter what he asks you to do,
you’re in not position to decline it. As a tradition at our castle, you have a wish
before you’ll sell yourself to the young prince. Think wisely and when you’re
ready, tell me.” The queen looks at the slave after speaking the rules that he
heard for thousands times, then she turned to him with a devilish smile
plastered on her ethereal face.
“ And before you go, one more thing, my son. Bring the maid here” she ordered
the guards. In a matter of 5 seconds a young girl is being dragged to the front
and thrown in front of him. Taehyung is dumbfounded. “ Lesson number 19-th:
your every action and step will affect your people. The maid will be punished
for your immature behavior at the meeting, Taehyung. “ Her eyes darkens at
the sight of the innocent maid knelt before her. With a nod of the head from the
queen, the guard rises his strip of iron cord and whipes the maid’s back. “Look
at her pain, engrave it in your little head and other time when you’ll want to
speak openly your mind in front of the snakes remember this scene.” His entire
body is shaking and he feels like his breath is caught in his throat at the second
whip. The maid sobs quietly but doesn’t voice out the pain. They’re train to
endure her mother’s cruel punishments. The young prince puts a hand on his
chest to stop his heart from racing like crazy, he senses a feeling of numbness
in the hands and fingers, he’s sure he’ll collapse after the third whip on the
maid’s back. He can hide his feelings from his mother when he knows what
will happen to the slaves or to the maids that made her angry or simply were
unlucky to be at the wrong time in the wrong place, but seeing it in person hits
differently. The prince is ready to kneel before his mom and ask her for
forgiveness when a husky voice catches his and the queen’s attention. The
young slave with doe eyes gets on his feet and adresses the queen through
gritted teeth:
“I’m sorry to intrude but I’m ready to voice out my wish.”
“If it’s about the punishment of the maid, it won’t be cancelled. “
“It’s not what I wish for.” He pauses “ Can I hold prince’s hand during the
punishment, please?”

Taehyung snaps from his memories when Jungkook

grabs his hand and directs them both to a wooden
bench with a genuine smile on his face. That day he
didn’t collapse because a young bunny was by his
side, holding his hand as a silent promise to walk
with him every step of his life. And he did exactly
that, standing by his side since their first meeting.
Taehyung stares at his best friend and at his doe eyes,
he still looks like a bunny.

“Viserion is quite the trouble but what to be expected

if his father is troublesome as well. “
Jungkook always knew how to make him smile
or how to ease his nerves especially in times like
this. For a minute, he almost forgets about the
grand trip that is supposed to take place in 2
days, almost. He’d rather die then to attend it. In
two days in the north kingdom of Starks will be
held a meeting with all the houses, all snakes
will try to set apart their disgust and hate toward
each other for the sake of a brighter future.
Taehyung knows that all this is bullshit. He is
sure it is a trap. He still didn’t figured who is the
one that thinks he can clown them and
overpower all houses, but what’s better than to
gather all 4 Big powers in one place and then
strike them killing everyone by a bullet. These
thoughts have clouded his mind for days now.
He can’t trust anyone that disguises his purpose
under a lame excuse for a peace making. He sits
with Jungkook on a bench in the Aegon’s garden
near the castle watching the dragons playing and
almost burning a tree. Within grow tall dark
trees, wild roses, towering thorny hedges,
cranberries and a pleasant piney scent, the
garden have been a hidden place for them both
for a while now when something troubled their
mind.
“I still don’t know what’s the purpose of this
trip. Mom is a bitch like always, long live the
queen and may she excuse my atrocious remark,
Jin ignores me, my precious baby dragon hates
me and almost burnt the tree, for dragon’s sake
I’m so frustrated of this life!”
“You’re fuStatRed.” Jungkook mimicks in a
husky voice earning himself a pinch in the
shoulders from the prince. Beyond them, the Sea
Dragon Tower, shaped like a dragon gazes
serenely out across the sea. It’s a hot and sweaty
summer day and Taehyung unbuttons his white
silk shirt that felt too tight and uncomfortable the
entire day, closing his eyes and letting himself
get lost in the fresh breeze coming from the sea,
his babies noises and the warmth that his best
friend radiated. When he finally opens his eyes,
he catches Jungkook staring at him, more
precisely at his chest. For a second he imagines
taking Jungkook’s cold hand and putting it on his
chest but he quickly averts his eyes from the
tempting sight.
“Stop digging holes in my chest, it’s infuriating.”
“You like the attention you get because of your
damn hot body. Let me touch your chest.” The
young boy asks in all seriousness.
Jungkook was possibly the most innocent and
shy person he’d ever knew. Once when Tae
jokingly put his hand on the boy’s thigh and
started to caress it, Jungkook nearly
hyperventilated blushing all day around him. But
that was a long time ago. Now the young boy is
quite the flirt, confident and arrogant and Tae is
tired of ignoring his attempts at flirting or
rejecting his touches. Before he could throw a
cheeky remark at his boldness, someone or more
precisely something large and rough lands on his
chest and entire face, throwing him completely
of guard. Viserion was always the worst of them
at landing. The dragon climbed from Taehyung’s
chest to his shoulder, sitting proudly on it for
what seemed like hours. In this garden, in this
moment everything feels so peaceful. Standing
near the sea with his babies playing around him
and with Jungkook by his side he is at ease and
he ensures himself that everything will be okay.
For dragon’s sake, how wrong he is, he still
doesn’t know that the fate placed a bet on him
with the death, who’ll be the fastest to destroy
him.

After some hours, they decide to go back to the

castle and order some food and wine in their
room because nothing is better in a stressful day
like then a glass of wine and a game session with
his friend. Before reaching their room, a guard
approaches them with worried eyes, bowing
down in front of the heir before speaking “My
young master, the guests that will go with you
and queen in the grand trip came: the princes and
princesses of the 2 kingdoms are in the grand
hall. Your mother is quite disappointed that you
weren’t there to meet them. Should I escort you
to grand room now? “
“I have important business to deal with. Tell my
mother I’ll join them in the morning tomorrow at
the dinner. “ Without waiting for a reply, he
shoves Jungkook in his room and closes the door
in the guard’s shocked face.

“Business, you say?” Jungkook teases him with a

cheeky grin.

“We need to establish and to calculate how many

glasses of wine do I need to relax. What business
is more important than the well-being of the
young prince?”
“She’ll whip another maid for the stunt you
pulled, you know?” Jungkook sits on the bed,
looking worriedly at the prince. Suddenly the
playful atmosphere shifted to something
dangerous and insecure. There is something in
his friend eyes but Taehyung can’t exactly
understand what’s that. Maybe annoyance,
maybe frustration, or something else he is still
not ready to acknowledge. Sometimes his mind
wanders in dark places and he thinks about the
possibility that Jungkook will soon realize how
cruel his mom and this world is and will leave
him.
“At this point I am sure she just find excuses
every damn second to hurt someone. She lives
from others pain, didn’t you understand it by
now? Yesterday she hurt a guard because the
curtains that she chose weren’t shiny anymore.”
He tries to dodge the discussion with a playful
smile on his face and a sip of sarcasm, but his
friend is still not convinced. His face betrays his
worries and doubts.
“What do you expect me to do, Kookie? Kill my
mother? I thought about that but the Elites trust
her and fund her with gold, I may have two
secret weapons in my favour, but it’s early for an
attack. I planned it for years, I can’t screw it
because of a few maids. They’re train to enjoy
pain, they don’t know anything else.” The young
prince continued now frustration slightly sliding
in his voice.
“You know, Tae, sometimes at nights, I allow
myself to dream about the two of us escaping
this island and flying with the dragons
somewhere, just the two of us but then I wake up
and reality hits me badly.”
This is the biggest fear Tae ever had. That once
he’ll understand that this world as cruel as it is is
part of Tae’s heart and he’ll leave without him.
“Let’s ends this discussion now before we fight.
Also, I need to escape the castle for 4 hours at
the night. I’m going in the mountains. I need to
speak with them before the trip.”
“Are you kidding me, Tae? Last time, you were
there you won a broken arm and a not so cute red
make up for your pretty face.”
“It was a challenge I couldn’t decline. If I won’t
check up on them, I risk to loose their trust, my
first secret weapon.” Tae straightens his back
and unbuttons the rest of the shirt, letting it fall
to the floor innocently. “Let have a deal, I let you
to touch my collarbones again, even to kiss and
bite them if you let me go there.” Taehyung
knows his power and his best friend weakness.
He pats the bed and Jungkook sits beside him
with a heavy sigh. “Tae, I’m tired of hiding from
your mother, of our love being a secret. I’m so
tired.” The hurt in his voice cuts his chest in
pieces but he forces his mouth to shut up before
he’ll say something he’ll regret later. He sighs
heavily and after a couple of seconds he feels his
friend getting closer. Instinctively, Tae lowers
his head, exposing his collarbones for a better
view. His breathing becomes heavier, everything
slows down and he feels like a bomb waiting to
explode. Jungkook moves his face closer to his
neck, his breath tickling his skin. At first, the
prince senses a slight breeze of thin soft lips. He
is too mature to be turned on by a simple kiss,
he’s 18 for dragons’ sake but there he is enjoying
a brush of lips across his chest that feels like
someone making love to him. For a second, as
the kisses get heavier, slower, he lets himself get
lost in the feeling. His best friend’s soft lips take
an eternity until moving along his collarbones,
putting pressure on the skin, biting him like a
strong wave of water that hits aggressively the
granular sand. Tae sticks his fingernails in his
hand and feels the blood dripping on his skin,
forcing himself to push Jungkook and take two
steps toward the window, making distance
between them. With a heavy groan, Jungkook
storms out of the room without a glance at the
prince. That evening Tae drowns his bitterness in
a few bottles of wine, his eyes being open all the
night waiting for his guardian angel to come to
him, to tell him what to do. Another sleepless
night with his heart broken and his soul rotted.
The angel didn’t came.

In the morning, his head throbs stronger than

other drinking nights. He hears a light knock on
the door that sounds for him more like a
powerful thud of a cannon. One of the guards
lets him know that his mother is waiting for him
in the throne room and that she expects him to
dress in specific clothes fitted for the dinner with
the royals from the 2 kingdoms. Tae decides to
wear a silver silk shirt and a pair of jeans that
accentuate all his curves. With his soft silver hair
and silver button-up he gives both angel and
demon's vibes. When the prince is finally
satisfied with his appearance, Taehyung leaves
his room to meet the queen. He couldn't afford to
think about Jungkook all night, but now all
thoughts hit him from all sides. His lips, the
breath that tickled his skin, his sad look after
what happened, everything is engraved in
prince’s stoned memory like the one memories
that his mother forced him to remember of maids
being beaten because of him. He couldn’t get rid
of them no matter how much he tried. His
mother once again proves him that she is a
shameful woman when he sees her wearing only
two strips of pink silk covering her nudity. She
truly outdone herself this time. This land wasn’t
called the shameful kingdom for nothing. Once,
when a kingdom visited them she ordered as a
surprise for the dinner a literal orgy. It was quite
uncomfortable for everyone except his mother to
eat at a table while some women and men fucked
in front of them.
“What’s with the pale hickeys on your chest,
finally got laid?” Asks his mother with a
satisfied smirk.
“Not sex, if it’s what you asking.”
“What a disgrace you are to me in this area.
Look, you can fuck everyone, you have an entire
kingdom at your legs. Sex is like art, is a strong
weapon, once you master it, you’re powerful, it
can solve a lot of problems and inner frustrations
too. Do you know how many secrets were spilled
or how many wars were caused because of sex?“
“I have other weapons myself, sex isn’t an
option, but I graciously thank you for the mother
son talk. Have you punished a maid for my
atrocious behaviour already?”
“Not yet. Wouldn’t want to make a bad
impression on our guests, Tae.”
“Oh, because they think so highly of you now.
What could have already made them question
our behaviour? Maybe the orgy you served them
2 years ago or the accident of the servant that
spilled wine on you and was beaten that they
witnessed last year?”
“Quite sassy today Taehyung, someone bite your
ass in the night?
“
Taehyung laughs off the question and takes his
mother’s hand entering the grand dinner room.

“ What do you think we will be blessed with this

time? Another orgy or perhaps a circus with
psychopath clowns?” Speaks Hoseok, the prince
of Baratheon not noticing the Queen and prince’s
presence in the room.
“ Glad for the ideas, maybe other time, this year
I have quite the surprise prepared for you.”
Every eye in the hall fixes on the queen, getting
bigger at his mother’s clothes, or perhaps at their
almost absence. Then he feels them staring at
him, someone with awe, others with curisioty or
hesitance. He had quite the image being
discussed in all the kingdoms: carefree, sly,
crafty, dangerous. “Be afraid of him more than a
snake”, they say, rightfully so.

He lets his mother sit at the table, while he

approaches a guard that stood beside the iron
door:
“Did you see Jungkook today, Kai?”
“Yes, my prince, he’s in your hidden place,
playing with your puppies. He seemed troubled
with something.”
“Kai, can you send him a message for him.”
The guard nods. Taehyung shoves a folded paper
in his pocket, winking at the man before
returning at the table, dismissing the guard with
a finger.
He wants to assure his best friend that
everything’s okay, the later having the
monstrous habit of overthinking everything till
his mind literally explodes leaving him with
depression or numbness for days.
When he started to enrol guards under his wing
secretly from his mother, having their trust
conveniently because of the queen’s monstrous
behaviour, Kai was the one that caught his eye,
the only one he trusted with the secret about his
dragons.

“Did I heard puppies you mentioned to the

guard?”
His attention is brought by the oldest and the heir
of Lannisters, intelligent, critical and overly
confident Kim Namjoon.

“ Perhaps, he meant his dragons.”

For a second Taehyung freezes, his tongue teeth
biting his cheek from inside strongly before he
feels the sweet taste of blood lurking in his
mouth.
“This fucking stupid legends and rumors people
spread just to make us fear you, it’s indeed funny
to hear them. “ Taehyung breaths a sigh of relief
when Namjoon disregards his latest remark with
the rumours that indeed circulate through
kingdoms. Of course, no one believes them.
“The non existent dragons are not the only
reason you should fear us.”