Chapter Text
Salty sea air fills Jungkook’s lungs, and he looks out and over the horizon line. The sun is setting, and he sighs, because the sight of it is purely symbolic and almost ironic. The candescent hues of the sun fading into the tones of the night mean more to Jungkook than the end of a day. It’s the end of something more, and he hopes… the start of something better.
“Your highness, are you quite alright?”
Jungkook startles, looking behind him to see his loyal guard – Namjoon, standing at the threshold of the quarterdeck.
“Quite fine. Admiring my first sunset out at sea,” Jungkook smiles, turning his gaze back towards the water.
For twenty five years, Jungkook has not known more than the walls of the palace. Never seen past the sea walls that surround the kingdom, and now, by some twist of fate, he finds himself sailing the very seas he was shielded from. The very waters that are the setting of many of the childhood stories that he had been told before bed. Ones he had heard as he was held captive behind the stone cold walls of the kingdom of Salacia. These stories had been crafted to make him fear the sea, but they did the opposite.
They fuelled his curiosity, and the growing hunger to meet with it.
Now, those stories may be the same ones that will save him from the tumultuous life that has been set for him. His entire hope lies in one story in particular – a tale of a certain pirate. A tyrant he has been told, known to take a man’s life and make it his own. There have been whispers of his name in the palace halls, and his name has been at the tip of every scullery maid and butler.
Kim Taehyung.
The tales painted a picture of a rugged man. Poorly groomed, and incredibly rough around the edges. A man who smelled of cigars and liquor, and spoke with a husky tone in his voice. An image that is sure to strike fear into the heart of any sane individual, but Prince Jungkook is not just anybody, and ‘sane’ is not exactly the most appropriate word to describe him. For maybe, just maybe, Jungkook might be insane enough to go hunting for this man. A pirate who could stow him away from the life he is fated to live.
“Your dinner has been delivered to your quarters. Will you remain here for long?” the guard asks.
“You need not wait for me, Namjoon. Go and eat. I shall eat momentarily. There is no need to be so attentive when we are out at sea. I see no immediate danger, nor threat to my life out here,” Jungkook replies with a smile, and he leans against the wooden rails of the ship.
“But your highness…”
“My father is not here, we need not be so stiff with such matters like meals. Off you go,” Jungkook urges, looking behind his shoulder and nodding the guard away. It’s with a reluctant bow that the guard retreats, leaving Jungkook alone once again. The captain of the ship stands silently at the wheel, and Jungkook turns to face the kind faced gentleman.
“Has there been any recent word of pirates in these parts of the sea?” Jungkook asks, turning so that he stands facing the man with his complete attention.
“Pirates? They are out there, your highness, but it is in our best interest that we do not summon them by speaking about them. It is said that the waves listen and carry word to them,” the captain replies, sharing a new piece of superstition that Jungkook has not yet heard before.
“But pray tell, have you heard of a particular pirate by the name of Kim Taehyung?” the prince presses more, and his curiosity is doused and set ablaze by the expressions that consume the captain’s face. The elderly gentleman’s face has drained of all colour at the sound of that name, and his grip on the wheel has grown tighter. There’s a sickened look in his eyes, one laced with worry.
“We do not speak of him, your highness. He is not a man to be messed with. Though I wish to indulge in your curiosity, I believe it is best that we save talk of said pirate for another time,” the captain says, tipping his hat politely before calling for his first mate to take over his post.
Taking that as a sign, Jungkook walks down to his quarters, hungry. Starving for more information. From the moment that they had left the docks of Salacia , Jungkook’s mind had been churning, and spinning with possibilities and an abundance of hypotheticals. With the nets of his life all twisted, he wishes for nothing more than to find a way of escape. After all, he never wished to be born into this life. He’d much rather chart his own waters than to sail seas that will carry him to places he does not wish to be.
The sea grows tumultuous. It had already taken a great deal of time for Jungkook to fall asleep, and it had only seemed like a few moments before he began to feel something jolt at his body lightly. The prince is rocked in his sleep, and he stirs at the movement that is seemingly caused by the waves. It takes a moment for him to realise that it is in fact not the waves that shake him, and he opens his one eye to look up and peek at the worried expression on Namjoon’s face.
A lamp is held over the prince, and the doors of his chambers are held closed by two other royal guards. It takes a moment for Jungkook to register what is happening, still dazed with eyes bleary from sleep.
“Your highness.”
“Namjoon? What is the meaning of this?” He says, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
“Pirates. Pirates have boarded the ship and we must leave,” Namjoon hurriedly says, and Jungkook stops all movements at hearing that single word.
“Pirates, you say?” He asks in clarification, unsure if his ears were deceiving him.
“Yes, your highness. So please, make haste and let us go!” Namjoon urges him, already stripping the blanket away from the prince. Jungkook watches him as he fights the urge to pull the prince off the bed, but decides against it when he sees Jungkook getting up.
The noise starts then. There are shouts on the upper deck of the ship, and the sound of metal clashing against metal hits Jungkook’s ears. He wonders as he dresses himself what they could possibly want, and what has made them board their ship. Then again, they are pirates after all — they need no rhyme, or reason, to board and ransack a ship.
“Where do you propose we go? There is water on all sides,” Jungkook asks, quickly slipping his boots on. There’s an internal battle that rages within him, one that is separate from the fight that continues outside the safety of his quarters.
“If we are quick, we will be able to abandon ship and slip into a life boat,” Namjoon says, and he clasps the handle of his sword tightly where it still remained sheathed at his hip.
“We will never make it.”
“Your highness, I can assure you that we will. You need only trust and follow me,” the guard says, and it’s clear that he is growing frustrated at the lack of faith and urgency on the part of the prince.
What others see as something to run from, Jungkook sees as an opportunity. One that he has been praying for since he had been issued with a command that he could not disregard. The very thought of it makes him sick, and he sees no other way than to run straight into the arms of danger itself.
“No.”
“Your highness?!” Namjoon’s eyes fly wide open, and there’s a look of betrayal on his face. “Whatever do you mean by that? We must hurry, it will only be a matter of seconds before they find you, and I will not allow you to be harmed.”
“No, Namjoon. I will not run. For in doing so, I am running back into the arms of my tyrannical father. All my life, I have been subjected to each and every little whim of his. Ensnared by all his merciless commands, and shackled by the duties that he had placed upon me. So, no. I will not run. I am much more than a mere boy that runs back to his father at the sight of danger and unease,” Jungkook says, his breathing hard and his heart rapidly beating in his chest. It seems that over the course of the past few days, Jungkook has found a footing to his confidence — the same confidence that his father had tried desperately to quench.
“If you do not run, then what will you do? There are no other options, your highness. We will all die at the hands of these criminals,” Namjoon replies, seemingly one step closer to getting on his knees and begging the prince to reconsider.
“I will surrender,” Jungkook says without any quiver in his voice. The sound of footsteps descending the stairs reaches their ears, and the royal guards in the room grow stiff when they hear them just outside the door.
“Your highness, it is not too late. We can still es-”
“Open the doors,” Jungkook instructs.
“Your highness!” Namjoon yells, and it is sure to have been heard by those who linger outside.
“Open the doors.” This time he says it firmer, and with shaking hands the two guards stationed at the door open them. The only thing separating Jungkook from a different fate, the final obstacle to hopefully finding a new life is now gone.
The doors open with a creak at their hinges, and Namjooon is quick to turn around and draw his sword. Jungkook had expected to hear the sounds of struggle louder, and more clearly than before upon opening the doors to his quarters. He is surprised to find, instead, there is nothing but silence. As his eyes adjust to the dim light outside, three silhouettes come into view. The prince squints, trying to make out more than what he can already see. It’s then that he hears him for the first time.
“Your highness, is it?”
He wonders… Could the owner of this deep and resonant voice be Kim Taehyung? The tone of his voice is sonorous, and enticing. It calls for attention, and it commands there to be silence. It’s a voice that needs to be heard and listened to, and not one drowned by the voices of others. The question still rumbles in Jungkook’s ears as he finally clears his voice to give an answer to the caller.
“It is. And who might you be?” He asks, not a single ounce of fear is found in his body. Jungkook attempts to mirror the confidence of the tone, and he hopes he has succeeded.
“I believe you have heard of me. Kim Taehyung.”
Footsteps, slow and steady, are made towards him, the silhouette moving closer to the lamp light in the room. The boots come first — black, clean and tidy. Followed by long legs clothed by black petticoat breeches which are tucked into the boots. As his gaze lifts, and the individual comes to sight, Jungkook feels a lump lodge in his throat. He recollects the descriptions given to him by men in the palace, and he tries to find those in the face that he currently beholds. The more he stares, the more he realises that their words do not come close. Kim Taehyung is nothing like the rugged man that they had sold to him with their stories, and hand-spun tales. Kim Taehyung possesses a different sort of lethality.
Those sharp eyes are tempting, in the sort of way that they would make anyone sell their soul to him. The smug look on his face tells Jungkook that Kim Taehyung knows of the power he possesses. Staring Jungkook down, the pirate runs an eye over the dishevelled prince. Jungkook does not doubt that he has never looked as unkempt as he does in this very moment, and he feels the sleep drying at the corners of his eyes. Under the pirate’s gaze, Jungkook has a growing need to shrink and disappear… and it intensifies by the second. But no. He can’t cower under the eyes of Kim Taehyung, too much rides on this man whom he has never met.
He has yet to open his mouth to say more, but it is clear by the way he carries himself that Kim Taehyung holds a silver tongue – the cunning and convincing kind, with slippery words sitting at its tip.
“If one were to step into the room, your highness, they might think that I have already rid you of your tongue. You are awfully silent for someone who was proclaiming their plans of surrender so boldly behind closed doors,” Taehyung smirks, and Jungkook gulps.
As a prince, Jungkook was raised to be nothing short of the best in all skills. He mastered instruments, was a faithful student, and a fine swordsman. But Jungkook has always fallen short in the area of speaking gracefully. Under the scrutinising eyes of others, his brain malfunctions, and he always draws a blank. This moment is no different, but he wracks at his brain desperately, not wishing to portray himself as the prince who was without a backbone.
“I am simply surprised,” he manages to conjure up, though there are much better words and comebacks that could have been given.
“Surprised?” Taehyung raises a brow, and he huffs to himself amusingly. “Whatever has surprised you, your highness.” He taunts.
“You are not as I had thought you would be,” Jungkook responds, subtly moving to adjust the way he carries his shoulders, and hoping he had not been caught slouching.
“May I ask what you thought I would be?” Taehyung asks, raising his brow and placing his hands behind his back as he paces in front of the prince.
Namjoon catches Jungkook’s gaze, and the royal guard still has his hand firm around the hilt of his sword. There has never been anyone more loyal and protective as Namjoon. From a young age, Namjoon had been trained specifically for the purpose of protecting the crown prince. Taught never to leave his side, Namjoon has been a constant presence in the prince’s life, and perhaps the very thing that had kept him from falling into the depths of loneliness and insanity. If there is anyone that Jungkook can count on, it is Namjoon.
“More rugged on the edges, perhaps. Older, more intimidating to the eye,” Jungkook begins, and his words elicit a chuckle from the pirate.
“Old and rugged,” Taehyung laughs. “It seems pirates truly have it bad for them on the shores. It is rather presumptuous of you to say this when you have not seen me.”
“I had nothing else to go by other than the words of those who have claimed to have seen you,” the prince shrugs.
There truly was nothing else to go by. Many of the tales that he had heard had been blown to rather unrealistic proportions by the time they had reached his ears — a feat that can only be achieved by the twisting of words during the passing of information. He had always doubted the reliability of their words, for palace staff tend to be the gossips, but he had supposed there were still nuggets of truth in their words. Small nuggets, as it appears to be.
“You are not afraid of me?” Taehyung asks Jungkook then, and the pirate eyes him carefully as he anticipates a response. There’s a hint of pride in the glint of his eyes, or perhaps it is merely an illusion made by the light of the dim lamps in the room.
“Afraid? They had been entirely wrong about your visage, and now I am beginning to think that all other information I have heard is also erroneous. Maybe you are not one to fear after all,” the prince remarks, and the pirate grows exceedingly amused by his words. Little does the pirate know that inside Jungkook’s chest, his heart thumps heavily — fuelled by fear and nervousness. There is no telling what lies behind the appealing exterior of Kim Taehyung.
“Perhaps I am not, but I shall allow you to be the judge of that,” Taehyung nods, and he pauses in his pacing to stand in front of the prince. He cocks his head to the left, then to the right, as he examines the prince.
Jungkook, on the other hand, gulps. The pirate seems to be searching for something, or trying to figure him out. With Taehyung’s gaze so firmly fixed on the prince, Jungkook has to use every ounce of his remaining resolve to keep himself from crumbling beneath the weight of Taehyung’s stare. Suddenly, Taehyung lifts a hand and snaps his fingers. The two individuals who had remained veiled by the shadows at the door suddenly mobilise.
It all happens so quickly — a blur of blonde and platinum as the royal guards are disarmed. Both guards are left unconscious on the floor, nothing but two puddles of royal blue. The sound of Namjoon’s sword being unsheathed echoes in Jungkook’s ears, and the prince reaches out a hand as he screams for the guard. Taehyung is quick to reach out for his outstretched arm, and hold it down as he wraps an arm around the prince’s waist, holding him back from running for the occupied guard.
“They will not hurt him,” Taehyung says, as Jungkook tries to fight against Taehyung’s hold.
“Let him go!” Jungkook screams as Namjoon’s sword is thrown to the ground, and the guard pinned to the wall. The blonde who holds him there is smaller in stature, but agile and clearly stronger than he appears to be.
“Your highness, they will not hurt him. I simply wish to speak to you in private,” the pirate says softly against Jungkook’s ears. He nods at his two men. Namjoon is ushered out, still wriggling in the arms that hold him, and the unconscious guards are somehow carried out one at a time by the other pirate. The doors to Jungkook’s quarters are slammed shut behind them, leaving the prince alone with the pirate.
It is only then that Taehyung lets him go, and Jungkook is fuming. As the pirate steps back, he attempts to lunge forward, his fist in the air and aimed ready to land against the pirate’s face. The punch never lands, for the pirate is swift to dodge it and step to the side.
“I apologise for the use of violence, but I did not know how easily we could have asked your guard to leave,” Taehyung says, taking a seat on the settee in the room so casually. He leans back, crossing his legs while resting an arm against the arm rest.
“You could have simply asked! Namjoon may be protective of me, but he follows my commands,” Jungkook grits his teeth, and narrows his eyes at the scoundrel. “I had not yet formed an opinion of you, but that has not worked in your favour.”
“I would be very careful, if I were you, your highness,” Taehyung says, lifting the forearm of his resting arm to trace his own fingers along his chin. “By the sounds of the discussion that you were having behind closed doors, it seems you might need me more than you are leading me to believe.”
Inhaling deeply in order to find some sense of composure, Jungkook closes his eyes and clenches his fists at his sides. As much as he dislikes Taehyung at this very moment, the pirate is right. Jungkook needs an out, and Taehyung might be the only person who can give it to him.
“What is it, your highness? Have you been looking for me?” the pirate raises a brow in question.
It is all just mere superstition, the notion that the waves carry the calls for Kim Taehyung, but the coincidence lines up far too well, and the thought causes the hairs on Jungkook’s arm to raise. He sighs, then looks at the pirate who gestures for him to take a seat on the armchair across from him. Ironically, this is the prince’s quarters, and yet he has been made a guest in his own space.
“I have not been looking for you. Rather, I had hoped that we might cross paths on my voyage to Valoria,” Jungkook begins honestly. There is not much else for him to lose. It is either he surrenders honestly, or he is made to walk the plank — like the many tales of Kim Taehyung have spoken of. “It is all a work of fate that you have crossed paths with us on this night.”
“In truth,” Taehyung begins. “I have been eyeing this ship since its departure from the docks of Salacia. There were whispers of it holding precious cargo. Now I have learnt that said cargo is the crown prince himself. A rather valuable shipment indeed. Though it has led me to many questions. Why have you been sent to venture to Valoria with a crew of misfits, and only a mere handful of soldiers?”
Sitting down on the armchair, Jungkook looks down at his hands that rest on his thighs. He fiddles with his fingers, and wrings his wrists. There is much more to the story, and he does not know where he should begin, or if he should begin, to tell it at all.
“I am not as valuable as I am being made out to be.”
“Ah,” Taehyung raises his brows. “I see. The question remains, however. Why do you seek me?”
“I had hoped,” Jungkook begins, finally looking up to meet Taehyung’s eyes. Whenever they make eye contact, Jungkook can feel his mind quivering. The thoughts that he has overthought are nowhere to be found, as he stumbles because of Taehyung’s deep and unnerving gaze.
“You had hoped?” Taehyung prompts, and he turns his head ever so slightly, with his ear pointed in Jungkook’s direction.
“I had hoped rather foolishly that you might take me away.” The request finally makes it past his lips, and at the sound of them Jungkook closes his eyes and winces. It had all seemed to make sense in his mind, the idea plausible, but hearing it be said outloud… it sounds almost laughable.
“Take you away? You wish to board my ship and sail?” Taehyung asks, his deep voice growing steeper still as he asks these questions.
“Not only to sail, but in hopes that you might keep me.”
“This is a rather peculiar request for one to make,” Taehyung holds his chin with his fingers. “What has planted the notion in your head that I am one to take others onto my ship?”
“It is said that many wish to sell their lives to you. They are indebted to you, and their return comes in the form of loyalty and service,” Jungkook recalls one story that the royal cook had passed onto him. “Is what has been said of you untrue?”
“There is truth, though I hold no expectation for others to repay me. They choose to stay out of their own volition. I am not one to keep people against their will.”
“Are you not holding the very crew of this ship against their wills, at this very moment?” Jungkook points out the discrepancies and hypocrisy of his words.
“It is a temporary arrangement,” Taehyung shrugs. “We need not venture into the technicalities.”
With a sigh, Jungkook makes an attempt to steer the conversation back on course. “But will you? Will you take me aboard your ship, and sail me far away from all the problems that I have yet to face?”
The pirate falls into a silent contemplation, one that seems to drag for far too long. On his chair, the prince can feel himself growing restless, he has to place a hand above his knee to keep his leg from bouncing in impatience. Jungkook takes to counting the nails on the planks on the wall across from him, for he finds that looking at the pirate spikes his already elevated levels of anxiety.
It’s gruelling, and almost torturous the way Taehyung takes his sweet time in giving Jungkook an answer, but when he does Jungkook’s ears perk up, and his eyes immediately dart in his direction.
The terms for the agreement are laid out, and Jungkook stands from his armchair, the pirate’s eyes trailing after him as he does. Each clause in said agreement seems favourable to both parties, but Jungkook is not stupid. He has to safeguard himself somehow.
“What are you doing?”
At his desk, Jungkook opens a drawer, pulling out a blank piece of paper, his feathered quill, and a bottle of black ink. Returning to the sitting area of the quarters, he sits on the ground, placing the things on the low table in front of Taehyung. He begins to write, outlining everything that has been said in the walls of his quarters, not wanting to miss a single thing. Glancing up at the pirate, Jungkook extends the parchment in his direction.
Warily, Taehyung eyes the piece of paper. Jungkook supposes that it is not every day that the pirate has been given a written contract. The formality must be foreign and scarcely used by such people, hence driving the pirate into a moment of quiescence.
“Are all things correctly recorded?” he asks, Taehyung taking the paper out of his hands and beginning to skim the words that have been written on the page.
“It will suffice.”
At his response, the quill is passed to him and the prince nods to the bottom of the page as he urges the pirate to write. Taehyung takes the quill between his slender fingers before scribbling a signature of sorts at the bottom of the page. Retrieving the signed document from Taehyung, the prince adds his own to the paper. The signatures sit side by side, reminding the prince that he has effectively signed his life away.
“It is settled then,” Taehyung stands with a groan. “We shall leave in the morrow.”
“And what of the crew and the ship?” Jungkook asks, scrambling off the floor to stand in his way.
“Your highness, though it seems that I have a reputation which has preceded me, I had no intention of harming anyone on the ship. All my men and I do is disarm, and apprehend when needed. There have been new tales spurred to life by the gossip of others. Let us set the record straight at this very moment,” Taehyung says, tone low and motivated by a conviction. His eyes lack the mirth they had glinted with when he had first entered the room, and it is evident that the pirate means every word that he has said. Jungkook, however, knows not to trust the weight of one’s words too easily, and decides in his own heart that it will be something that he will need to see to believe.
“So they will be spared?” Jungkook asks, not knowing what else to say.
“Of course. I will, after all, be leaving the ship with the precious cargo that I was searching for to begin with.” The glint in his eyes returns with these words, along with the lighter tone of his voice.
Jungkook’s black boots scrape across the waxed floors as he steps to the side, allowing the pirate to walk past. He follows quietly, Taehyung leads the way out of the room and walks out onto the main deck of the ship. It is then that Jungkook sees the state of the crew. They are, as Taehyung had said, unharmed as they sit huddled together on one side of the ship whilst Taehyung’s men stand in watch.
“Your highness!” he hears Namjoon yell. The guard’s path is being blocked by the same blonde-haired individual that had led him away.
“You must tell them what has been decided. It will make for a more peaceful end to this night,” Taehyung turns to Jungkook to say. “Be honest, and remain calm.”
As much as Jungkook despises having to speak openly, there is truth to Taehyung’s words. A proclamation from the pirate himself will only bring uproar, and make room for questions and contempt — when that is far from what Jungkook wishes to happen. The whole ship grows silent, save for the sound of the waves that beat around its exterior. Slowly, the prince finds an empty wooden pallet — one that had held vegetables no doubt, placing it in the middle of the main deck much like a soap box.
Stepping up onto it, Jungkook’s heart begins to palpate with nerves. There had never been an intent to declare his plans, yet here he is.
“I understand that you all must be frightened. Confused even,” Jungkook begins, scanning the crew, and meeting the eyes of the captain, before his gaze finally falls on his loyal guard. Namjoon is mouthing the word ‘no,’ and shaking his head at the prince, clearly making one last attempt to dissuade him.
“I am here to assure you that all is now well. They apologise for the mess they have made, and any pain they have inflicted,” Jungkook adds, despite the fact that Taehyung had not asked him to pass on such sentiments. He turns, consciously, in Taehyung’s direction, and the pirate sports a light frown before it morphs into an amused expression.
“Captain Kim Taehyung, along with his men will disembark the ship… and I will be joining them.”
A chatter ripples through the crew, before it morphs into shouts of protests and questionings. Jungkook holds up a hand to silence them.
“I am going of my own free will.” Jungkook looks down and sighs. “I wish to go with Captain Kim and his crew, and in doing so, I will divest myself of the title, Prince of Salacia.”
“Prince Jungkook…” Namjoon’s voice once again rings loud and clear in the throng of people.
“It is a choice I have made, and have arranged for myself. Do not search for me, neither tell any soul of where I am. This is all I wish for you to honour,” Jungkook finishes his words calmly. He steps down from his makeshift soapbox, turning to face the pirate captain. They exchange a nod before Taehyung whistles into the air.
At the sound of his whistle, his men leave their assumed stations and begin to leave the ship from where they had entered. Whilst the pirates board their own ship that is anchored close beside them, the crew immediately make a rush for the prince. Questions are hurled about into the air, all of which Jungkook has shut his ears off from understanding. Instead he simply walks back to his quarters, not willing to engage in more conversation about a matter he has already settled in both his head, and heart.
“Your highness, this truly cannot be?!” The captain of their ship says as they reach the prince’s room. With a deep inhale, Jungkook turns, his face holding a flat expression — too tired from the events of the past hour, and needing some time alone to finally accept what he has done.
“You must accept it, for it is to be. Allow me the remainder of the night to indulge in some respite. I wish to be alone before I leave in the morning,” he says to all that are gathered round him. Without a need for a response, or an acknowledgement of his orders, Jungkook steps into the room and takes hold of the brass knobs on the door. He glances at the many faces he will be leaving behind before shutting the doors behind him.
Turning his back, he allows himself to slide down to the floor. Burying his face into his hands, the first dose of regret hits him. The first wave of questions washes over him. The first bout of doubt arrives. In the silence of his solitude, his mind is loud and unrelenting.
Despite the clamour in his head, Jungkook knows. He knows that the dye has been cast, and the decision made. He has made his bed, and now he must lay in it. This will be for the best, he tells himself. There simply is no other way.
“Your highness, do not go. I beg of you,” Namjoon begs, and his eyes speak for him too. Sparkling with tears, the royal guard has a calloused hand wrapped around Jungkook’s arm — the prince standing ready with his things to cross over to the Twisted Trident.
A plank has been laid across both ships, the very same one that Taehyung and his men had used to infiltrate them. Said pirate waits on the other side, one of his legs up on the plank, while the other planted on his ship’s deck. They wait patiently for Jungkook to cross over. Looking behind him, Taehyung throws him a small smile, and a quick nod.
“I have made my choice, Namjoon, and none can stop me. You mustn't worry. I shall be in good hands. I have been promised food, clothing, and protection.”
“There must be another way! Return home, and plead with the King. This is no life to be lived by a prince,” Namjoon attempts to reason with Jungkook, but he has already moved past the point of reasoning. In his head, he has decided that this is the only way, and there is none other.
“From today, I am no longer the Prince of Salacia .” Jungkook looks out at the ship’s crew, at the royal guards, and at the captain. There have been far too many witnesses to account for his departure, but there is not much else he can do about the matter. “Continue to Valoria. Proclaim to them that I have been taken, but no one is to speak of the truth.”
“Prince Jungkook…” Namjoon says, his voice now growing defeated.
“My father must never find out who I am with. This is the freedom I have been yearning for, the very solution to all my problems. Allow me to live.”
“And what if that pirate goes back on his word?”
“Though there may be reason to believe that he might, I truly think that he will follow through and make good on the agreement we have made,” Jungkook replies, thinking back to the words that had been exchanged between them the night before.
“Treasure?”
“I know of a place. You will be able to fill your loot’s worth.”
It’s a small price to pay for freedom, Jungkook knows. From this day onwards, he will have no need for such things after all. There’s a hatred in his heart for his father, one that he is more than happy to feed. It runs so deep, that there’s an unsaid desire, one that will never be fulfilled — a wish that he had never been his father’s son to begin with. If only the monarch knew of what Jungkook has done, of the information he has given away, and the title that he has happily shed in exchange for freedom.
“I must go. We mustn’t keep them waiting.”
Kim Taehyung had been gracious enough to allow him to bring his chest of belongings. Now, however, as Jungkook stands ready to make the cross over, he stares down at the finery that he possesses. The gold trimmed chest, with all its ornate detailing, seems far too out of place for life at sea. But as he ponders on it, he realises that even with those things and within the palace walls… he never fit in as he should. Like a puzzle piece being squeezed into a spot that it is not meant to go, Jungkook never truly felt as if he belonged in Salacia. In leaving, he hopes that he will find a place to belong.
“My final request,” he suddenly says, and Namjoon looks at him with eyes filled with expectation. “Fetch me my satchel instead.”
“But you are to bring your chest, your highness.”
“I do not wish to bring this heavy thing. It would also arouse suspicion if it were to be found missing,” Jungkook explains logically, though his main reason for his change of mind is that he wishes to start anew. A clean slate.
Namjoon, practically drags his feet in disappointment as he disappears, then reappears with the requested satchel. With a quiet word of thanks, Jungkook opens it and swings the lid of his chest. He rummages around for the simplest of clothes — which he folds and fits inside the satchel. With his fingers, he traces the trims of his coats and fancy cravats before taking his hand away and slamming the chest—closing that chapter of his life.
“I will not be needing anything else,” Jungkook smiles.
“Farewell, Namjoon. You were the only true friend I had. I wish you the best, and I hope you do not forget me,” the prince says tearily. Namjoon’s own eyes are moist, and Jungkook catches the way they shine in the sun before he turns away. He does not wish for the last memory of him to be one filled with tears.
He steps up onto the plank, and begins to walk across it. Daring not to look back, Jungkook only looks forward. Taehyung has a hand extended to him, ready to help him on board the ship. Taking the hand offered to him, Jungkook grips the warm and calloused hands of the captain as he steps on board the Twisted Trident. Almost immediately after he steps onboard, a scraping sound fills the air — the wooden plank connecting the two ships being pulled away. There truly is no going back now.
He still does not allow himself the luxury of looking back. Instead, Jungkook takes in the new environment that he is on. Every crew member is working the station, and there are laughs and chatter that fill the space. It is not a shabby ship by any means, more or less spruced up after every successful raid.
White sails, bleached to a cream colour by the sun wave in the wind. The decks have been waxed and sealed with a darker stain, but are clean nonetheless. It is nothing like the type of ship that Jungkook had envisioned. In his mind he had expected to find a ship that was falling apart, not maintained and untidy. He is glad that he has found it to be otherwise.
“Welcome aboard.”
Jungkook almost jumps as Taehyung suddenly appears by his right shoulder.
“We are setting sail for a nearby township. Load up on supplies, and perhaps find time for leisure. It will be a week’s journey. That should surely be enough time for one to grow accustomed to sea life,” Taehyung explains, just as the ship is beginning to move.
“What am I to expect from life at sea, Captain?” Jungkook asks. He had not planned to call Taehyung as such, but saying it out loud… he finds that it rolls rather seamlessly off his tongue.
“Taehyung. The name is Taehyung.”
“What do your crew call you?” Jungkook asks with a raised brow.
“Captain, but you need not do the same.”
“I will be a member of your crew from this moment onwards. I ought to address you as they do,” Jungkook remarks back.
“If that is what you wish to do, then I suppose that it cannot be helped,” Taehyung chuckles, his pride and perhaps overinflated ego shining through by the smirk-filled expression on his face. The captain watches him as he stands there observing the goings on around the ship. Jungkook feigns interest in the way the masts are being lowered, and the riggers who are at work, but it is all just a distraction. He doesn’t want to look back, doesn’t want to be pulled towards what he has left.
As the ship gains speed, and creates a substantial gap from the royal ship, Jungkook finally dares to look back. He steps close to the edge of the ship, leaning on the gunwale as he looks out to sea, and eyes the royal flag of Salacia that grows smaller by the minute. He feels a presence join him at the railing, and it only takes a second for him to register the warm musk scent that permeates the air.
“Are you harbouring regrets?”
“Do you not have a ship to sail, Captain?” Jungkook quickly responds, for the answer to Taehyung’s question comes to him too quickly, and it scares him.
“My first mate has it all under control. Do not worry yourself over such a thing,” Taehyung’s deep chuckle reverberates through his chest. “So do you?”
With a sigh, seeing as the pirate captain will be unrelenting in finding the answer to his question, Jungkook responds. “Naturally, yes. Regrets are inevitable, and I do not doubt that throughout my time at sea that I will have many. Whether or not I choose to dwell on them is the true test. There are things I am running from that I do not wish to return to – this will be my sole motivation.”
Looking to his side, Jungkook sees the way that Taehyung stares at him, clearly invested in the words that he says. There are many things he has not told the pirate, neither is he sure that he ever will, but it is clear that Taehyung is holding his tongue from asking more – from pressing too hard for information. There’s a furrow at Taehyung’s brows, the pirate thinking deeply, and most likely attempting to figure the prince out.
Jungkook, in turn, looks at him with the same intensity of curiosity. There’s something about Taehyung, something different. Having met many types of people, or rather observed from a distance, the prince senses that there is much more that lies beneath Taehyung’s prideful exterior. There’s a story that has not been told, and Jungkook is beginning to grow curious how such a handsome face could become a pirate of all things. Surely, there is more…
“You are curious.” The prince nods at the pirate.
“I am, but I will not prod.”
“You are unlike what I had ever imagined pirates to be.”
“There are others, whom I am sure, will fit the image you have in mind quite perfectly,” Taehyung shrugs, also turning to look out at the sea.
“Misfits, unkempt and entirely violent in nature?” Jungkook lifts a brow.
“Quite right. They are rather uncivilised in their behaviour, very rough. I, on the other hand, like order in the way I deal with my business.”
“Ah, it is evident in the way the ship is kept,” Jungkook gestures at the place.
“You have not seen the half of it,” Taehyung winks, and Jungkook is taken aback by the gesture. “Come with me. I shall help you get situated.”
Taehyung takes him around the ship, showing him where everything is kept and stored. True to his words, the pirate runs his ship with extreme order. Everything has a place, and everything is as tidy as he had said it would be. Jungkook admires the passion in his eyes as he looks at the place, the pride that he has over the things he owns and manages. The tour is given with extreme detail that Jungkook now knows that the sleeping quarters are kept away from the kitchen, for the reason of avoiding scents from sticking on clothing and blankets. Such a simple thing, but yet the pirate seems very particular about it.
It hits him, just as Taehyung has finished showing the ship’s storage compartment. No ordinary sailor could be this organised, nor have such a refined eye for detail. It simply did not make sense.
“You were not always a man of the sea, were you?” he asks, and Taehyung pauses. His back is turned, and Jungkook sees the way he visibly tenses. “Perhaps from a rich family, or one of nobility?”
Slowly, Taehyung pivots on his heel and eyes him seriously. “What makes you say that?”
“You seem far too orderly for a man who was raised out at sea. And your habits and systems of doing things, they seem akin to the way that households are kept,” Jungkook voices his thoughts.
“I did not pry, nor did I assume, when it had come to you and the secrets of your past. It would be much appreciated if you too could do the same,” Taehyung replies, his eyes dead serious, all the initial merriment having faded at the sound of Jungkook’s question.
The prince gulps, having seen the way those eyes narrowed, and the tone of his voice dip gravely low. He did not mean to offend, but the pirate is right. There had been no pressure to reveal his past, or the personal issues of his life, he need not be so forward about his assumptions – ones based on rather rocky evidence. But the reaction proves his assumptions to be somewhat true. There is definitely much more behind the shell of the man of Kim Taehyung.
“I’ll show you to the sleeping quarters,” Taehyung calls for him. Jungkook had been too lost in his own thoughts to notice that the captain had already begun to walk ahead, climbing the stairs up to the main deck of the ship. He jogs after him, and finds him already on the other side and entering another pair of doors leading to yet another room below deck.
As he descends, there’s this mild smell of skin and sweat in the air. It’s barely noticeable, but still very much there. Evidently the product of having so many bodies sharing one space. Jungkook scans the room, both sides of the room have portals looking outwards, a few of them are open – welcoming in the salt scented breeze. Hammocks hang from the large beams on the ceiling that support the upper decks, three layers of them at three different heights. This is certainly vastly different from what he is used to, but there is no room for complaining when you are in such a place. It has already far exceeded Jungkook’s initial expectations.
“This is not exactly royal quarters, by any means, but it will have to do. I apologise in advance for our snorers. Hans and Phineas are the worst of them, but I am sure that someone will offer you some tufts of cotton to stuff your ears with,” Taehyung explains. He walks deeper into the room, and stands at the far end, reaching up to touch a hammock. “This is a free bed for you. I will ask Hoseok to fetch you a blanket, but you will have to find something else to use as a pillow.”
Jungkook hoists his satchel onto the hammock.
“It seems… cosy,” is all he can reply.
Taehyung lets out an amused breath. “I shall ask you about that thought in the morning. It will certainly take some getting used to.”
“I am sorry that we cannot offer you anything better, your highness,” Taehyung says, and his tone resounds with genuinity.
“Call me Jungkook. I left that title on the ship. I should be the one thanking you,” Jungkook says, twisting his hands together nervously. It is so hard for him to keep composure when Taehyung always looks at him with great intent – those deep brown eyes boring into him, seemingly interested in every word that he says. He has seen the way that Taehyung speaks with others, it’s not a look that is only reserved for him by any means, but it has this strange effect on him.
“You have given me what I have greatly desired. A chance at a new life.”
“You are not the only one who has boarded this ship seeking a fresh start, Jungkook. Many of those here joined for the self-same reason. I hope that you find it,” Taehyung says, and he smiles. It’s a small smile, but a smile nonetheless. “I must take to manning the helm, but I shall send Hoseok over to introduce you to your duties.”
Taehyung, with one final nod, leaves Jungkook in the berth deck. The young prince ducks under the hammocks and peers out the open portal.
There is only blue, as far as the eye can see. He is left with simply no choice but to embrace this new life.
“This is where you will be stationed.” Hoseok, a platinum haired man, stands beside an intricate web of pulleys and ropes. Scanning the system, Jungkook follows the ropes upwards and finds them fixed to the masts and sails of the ship. The prince gulps, for this task seems far too important for someone with no skills in this area to man.
“I understand that it seems rather daunting, but it is much easier to work than it looks. You will have me, and two others to help you out, of course. We would not station you here alone – no, no, that would be far too cruel for one person to undertake,” Hoseok explains. “You are tall, seemingly sculpted, and rather lithe. You will be perfect for the job.”
“Now, come along, let’s show you the basics.” There is no time to protest before Jungkook is swept into action.
Hoseok speaks quickly, and enthusiastically, but he is an exceptional teacher. Under the heat of the noonday sun, Hoseok has Jungkook pulling ropes and tying knots – knots he had learned to tie but had never put into practice.
“I have many questions about you,” Hoseok says as he rolls a bundle of rope, and Jungkook wrangles his own.
“I am sure you do. It is not everyday a crown prince decides to sail away with a bunch of pirates,” Jungkook says, looking down at the threads of the rope and avoiding Hoseok’s observing eyes.
“No, no it is not at all. We all have a story to tell. Some of us choose to share it with others, sparing the finer and more delicate details. While others,” Hoseok pauses, and Jungkook looks up to see him staring at the stern of the ship. Following his gaze, Jungkook spots the pirate captain. Taehyung speaks with another crew mate.
“While others?” he urges.
“Others keep it to themselves, and take it to their graves.”
Intrigued by the remark, Jungkook raises his eyebrow in question. “Is that what you believe will happen to the Captain? That his story will follow him to the grave?”
“He is a private person, as personable as he seems. There are things that not even the quartermaster knows about him, though I have heard that it was not for lack of trying. He is a kind gentleman. A thief? Yes. But his heart? Kind,” Hoseok says with a smile. “He is unlike any other pirate you may meet, and I wish you will not have to meet any other.”
Jungkook looks over at Taehyung. He stares in wonder, a myriad of questions in his mind about the infamous Kim Taehyung. Who is this man? What is he doing on this ship?
“Those stories of him back on land?”
“Yes, what of those?” Jungkook asks.
“He has his fair share of enemies. Other pirates, namely the Kwons, hate him for the nature he possesses. Taehyung, when he can, avoids violence. He never kills, has never lifted his sword over a man, and never struck a man down. Because of this, many have come to him for mercy, betraying and abandoning their masters. They hate him for that,” Hoseok explains, and things begin to make sense in Jungkook’s head. Jealousy is a sickness, one that can breed vile things, and push people to make such choices as this.
“They spread lies about him…”
“Quite right, and suddenly he is responsible for all the counts of robbery and murder on the high seas. When Taehyung would never truly hurt a person.” Each word that Hoseok utters about Taehyung only brings about more questions to Jungkook’s mind.
Jungkook is about to ask something when a scream ends the conversation, stealing Hoseok’s attention away from him.
“Hoseok!” The same blond man that Jungkook had seen Namjoon be held down by calls out, and is walking in their direction.
“Something a matter?” Hoseok asks, securing the rope he is tying to a hook.
“Soobin has been taken ill, so it will be you and the prince on the rigging alone for the next few hours. I am sorry if that is any trouble,” the blond explains.
“We should be just fine, Jimin. Soobin checked the masts earlier so there should be no need for-”
“Hoseok!” A yell breaks the conversation, and the three of them turn to find another sailor running in their direction.
The young man is red, panting, and clearly in distress. “A yard on the main mast has come loose. It is beginning to swing!”
“What?!”
Jungkook has only begun to learn all the names and parts of the ship, and has no clue what the young man refers to. But if the tone of urgency is his voice is anything to go by, it is clear that it is no laughing matter.
“Prince, come with me!” Hoseok calls and begins to run. Jungkook follows blindly behind him, unsure of what he is supposed to do in such a position. They come to a halt in front of the main mast of the ship, and the two of them look upwards. The yard in the middle is tilted, the mechanism that holds it clearly loosened and ill fit to hold it upright. With the sails lowered, they are beginning to weigh it down and throw it out of balance.
“Shit,” Hoseok says beside him, and Jungkook has no time to express his surprise for having heard the first filthy word said out at sea, when Hoseok throws him some rope. “Tie this around your waist.”
“What?”
“Around your waist, Jungkook. I am going to need you to climb. You have already climbed a number of things today, what’s one more?” Hoseok grins. “Quickly now!”
Jungkook is stunned, he fumbles with the rope but ties it around his waist nonetheless. He chants prayers in his head. This is not what he has signed up for. He had thought he would die under the hand of his father, but it seems this might be the way he goes. Hoseok is rummaging around, already working at the ropes at the foot of the mast. There are footholders that run up the side of the mast, evidently where Jungkook will need to climb.
“I will yell instructions for you when you are up there. You need only follow them and you will be fine,” Hoseok says as he secures Jungkook’s rope that is already secured above them.
“I do not know what I am doing!” Jungkook finally voices out.
“Follow my instructions, and there is simply no going wrong. It is vital we secure it quickly, or it could fall and create unrepairable damage,” Hoseok explains, whilst ushering Jungkook to the mast. “You will be perfectly safe.”
Looking up, Jungkook feels ill. He has climbed many trees before, but none could come close to this – a tall pole atop a swaying and moving vessel. With a deep breath, the prince begins to climb. He is about a third of the way up when he hears a familiar voice below.
“Hoseok, why did you send Jungkook there?!”
Exactly, Jungkook thinks so. Why me?
“He will be fine, Cap’n.”
Being so high up has its set of perks. The view, for one, is phenomenal, and unlike the one you could get from the deck. Seagulls chirp and fly past him as he climbs, and he doesn’t wish to look down. Once close to the loose yard, Jungkook stops and hears the first of Hoseok’s instructions. His words, however, are not clearly audible and Jungkook instinctively looks down.
“Pardon?” he yells, and he feels himself sway once he sees everyone below. Some of the crew have gathered below, evidently there to watch him fail. Quickly, Jungkook looks up, already feeling his stomach churn at the sight. He grips tightly to the footholds.
Hoseok yells once again, but it is not any better. The prince strains to hear the instructions, and is standing in the air, face to face with a mess of ropes and dangling pulleys. He isn’t sure what to make of it, and his understanding of how it all works is still very much foundational. Panic starts to creep in, and Jungkook is beginning to feel queasy with anxiety.
“Jungkook!” he hears Kim Taehyung yelling. “Come down and I will manage it.”
Taehyung’s voice bellows, and rings loud and clear – unlike Hoseok’s. Jungkook can make out his words, and there’s a sense of relief at hearing them. He knows nothing about how to fix a yard to a mast, or what rope to place where, and which pulley to tighten. To him, everything looks like a foreign mess, a language of ropes he can’t understand. Hoseok had too much faith in him sending him up here like this.
As Jungkook begins to lower his first foot onto the next wrung, the tip of the sole of his boot slips, and he only manages to catch himself with his right arm. He clings, desperately onto the silver wrung, while his heart clamours in his chest.
“Be careful!” Taehyung calls him from below.
Moving slowly, and steadily, Jungkook attempts to lower his right foot once again. He smiles to himself when he feels it against the sole of his boot, but the joy of momentary safety does not last for long. A cry to ‘watch out’ fills his ears, the prince looking down, before looking up at the sound of creaking. His eyes fly wide open when he sees the yard swing in his direction. With nowhere to go, Jungkook simply watches and accepts his fate as the tubular wooden yard grows comically closer and closer to him. As it swings with enough momentum, it effectively hits him square on the side of the head, throwing him off from where he is perched.
The last thing Jungkook sees before he falls into unconsciousness is a seagull perching itself on the uppermost yard.