#Royal Guard Namjoon

[riphobisbraces]

The Lucky Seven | BTS ot7 x reader

Hybrid/Royal AU

~ chapter 3 + lore ~

[word count: 3650+]

❀ genre: dark royal core, hybrid au, royalty au, hybrids/knights!ot7 x human/ princess!reader, afab (she/her) reader, polyamory (mostly ot7 × reader), strangers to lovers, daddy dom, smut and sexual sometimes. tiny bits of horror

❀ warnings: smut, swearing, murder, death (not the reader or ot7 though, l'm not evil), mentions of inbreeding (not between reader or ot7) some unsettling horror depictions, it won't be every chapter though or the whole story, just little bits here and there. (I'm willing to re write chapters for you to read if you can't do horror but still wanna follow along, just ask! 🖤 )

——— summary ———

In a world of hybrids and humans, following each other closely to extinction, you are one of the last full humans, Princess y/l/n of the emerald nation. humans are essential for the survival of hybrids so why are assailants hunting you and your family down? because of this, the court has decided it’d be best for you to be guarded at all times by the nations strongest knights, you’ve only ever heard of them but have never seen their faces. What will happen once you come face to face with the infamous “lucky seven”?

[ chapter 3 + lore ]

You swallowed loudly, Namjoon’s words ringing through your head. Stood before you were seven knights, as attractive as they were intimidating. They were clad in dark iron armour, long swords strapped to their sides.

“Princess, I introduce to you, the lucky seven.” Your father promptly stated, therefore queuing the men to kneel before you. “Your highness” they all spoke in unison whilst looking down in respect. This made your heart slightly jump at the sudden submission from the domineering looking men.

Standing up, the men turned their sight to your father as he continued “the lucky seven are our nation's most powerful and capable knights. They are of full hybrid, all seven being a pack.” Taking in your father's words, their pack name finally rang a bell. You’ve heard of them before. You’ve heard from whispers of servants that the pack is strong enough to take out dozens of assailants at once.

You had no idea that the two men that had saved you the night before were part of the infamous pack. With Namjoon’s kind and gentle smile you could have never imagined that he was apart of such a daunting pack. “Now. These men are to guard you in and out the palace at all times. You are required to have at least three knights by your side in the palace, all seven if you wish you leave the palace.” Your father ordered.

“Sir Kim Seokjin” he called. The man from the far left stepping forward, “My lord” he replied. “This here, is Sir Kim Seokjin, the pack’s oldest. He is a hamster hybrid.” your father declared gesturing to the man.

A hamster? He was tall and had broad shoulders, contrasting a small waist. You would’ve never guess that the tall and muscular looking man was a hamster hybrid. He was staring forward, head held up high.

Examining his face, you took note of his lips immediately. They were strikingly plump and glossy. Making your way up his face, his eyes were the colour of chocolate, the same as his hair. You found yourself in awe of the man’s attractiveness, you’ve never seen anyone so radiant, other than the two hybrids you had just met last night of course.

Without warning, the man’s glance turned from your father to you. Startled, you glanced away, embarrassed. Looking down, you closed your hands together and started to fidget with your thumbs. The man smiled at this. ‘how cute’ he thought to himself before turning his glance to your father once again.

“Sir Min Yoongi” your father called, saving you from your embarrassment. “My lord” answered the man, stepping forward. You looked back up to see the knight.

This man was shorter than the others, almost petite, with long black hair swept over the top of his head. He was just as ravishing as the hybrid before him, feline-like eyes and a downturned mouth. His jawline was less sharp than the others, giving him a soft look.

“Sir Min Yoongi here, is the second oldest of the pack. He is a cat-hybrid” your father spoke. ‘Of course’ you thought to yourself, even in his human forum he resembles a feline. You nodded to your father to continue.

“and I’m sure you’ve already been acquainted with Sir Kim Namjoon and Sir Jung Hoseok.” the two stepped forward, “my lord” they replied in unison before both turned their sights to you, making you unconsciously clear your throat. “Sir Kim Namjoon is the third oldest of the seven, a wolf hybrid as you may already be aware of. He is the pack’s leader.” stated your father, looking to Namjoon causing the knight to smile proudly, dimples displayed while straightening his posture somehow even more so.

Your fathers eyes then moved to whom you knew as Hobi. “And Sir Jung Hoseok is the pack’s fourth oldest. A dog-hybrid, specifically of the golden retriever species” your father gestured to the man. So he’s a golden retriever? You can’t help but smile at the thought, it suits him. His smile was wide and bright, truly like a golden retriever.

“And now I want to introduce the pack’s three youngest” decreed your father, resulting in the last of the three to step forward “my lord” they replied in unison, just like Hobi and Namjoon did. “Starting from the left, this is Sir Park Jimin, the third youngest. His hybrid animal is also a feline like Sir Min Yoongi” you turned your sight to aforementioned the man.

‘Woah’ you thought to yourself. He was a pretty man, face adorned with plump and pillowy lips like the hamster hybrid before him. His eyes were feline-like, almost seductive. The man was smaller than the others, a slim waist also like the hamster hybrid’s but you could tell that he had a strong figure.

“The middle knight is Sir Kim Taehyung, second youngest and a lion hybrid” your father motioned to the knight. This knight was equally as attractive as the rest of his pack, having an alluring look. The man having thick brows, making him look serious.

Upon further examination, you took note of his facial moles, one being above his lip and another on top of his nose. He also had both a monolid and a double lid. The knight had a structured face paired with a sculpted body, much like his other pack mates, only difference being his hands, as they were a bit larger than the others.

“And last but certainly not least, the pack’s youngest, Sir Jeon Jungkook, a bunny hybrid.” spoke your father. The last and youngest knight was ironically the second tallest of his pack. You could see that he was also most likely the most buff, coming to a close tie with Namjoon.

Contrasting his bulky frame, was an innocent appearing face. His eyes were wide, doe like, accompanied by lips with a sharp cupids bow. The combination was very charming. Enticed by the man before you, you also took notice of a little scar across his left cheek.

Your father cleared his throat, taking you out of your mesmerization “you are dismissed until dinner” he declared. You curtsied your father before turning to walk out the room. Followed behind you were multiple steps pattered against the floor, causing you to turn around, the steps to coming to a halt.

Behind you, stood the seven knights ready to escort you. “Oh, you meant starting now?” your voice rang through the courtroom.

-

The sounds of numerous footsteps clacked against the marble floor behind you as you made your way through the corridor back to your chamber. You couldn’t help but feel uneasy with the amount of eyes you felt on your back. The men were in a line, taking up the whole hallway while following closely behind you.

Each step you took, felt calculated, as if you would trip from the burning stares. You decide to stop, the footsteps behind you also stopping, mirroring yours. Acknowledging this, you started walking once again, footsteps following suit.

You stopped one more time, the steps halting once more. This is when you turned to face the men “can you guys at least walk beside or in front of me, you’re all making me very nervous.” you stated whilst rubbing your wrist. You were used of a servant or two following you around from time to time but certainly not 7 very attractive men.

“Why are you nervous? We’re your guards, we are supposed to protect you after all.” The knight named Jin spoke with a sly manner while moving to stand in front of you. The man bent down to match his height with yours, cocking his head with a smile. This made your stomach do all sorts of flips.

Startled, you took a step back and swallowed dryly. You weren’t used to such close eye contact, especially with a man who wasn’t your servant. You could feel the sweat beads quickly forming behind your neck when Namjoon stepped forward, wrapping his hand around Jin’s shoulder.

“Alright hyung, be mindful of the princess. Remember, she’s never been around anyone other than her parents and servants until the night before..” the wolf hybrid reminded the hamster hybrid. Jin clicked his tongue against his teeth “I guess you’re right…” he reluctantly admitted. “so? can you guys please walk in front of me….” you spoke quietly, causing the men to turn their attention back to you.

They could all feel their hearts warm at your timidness. Hoseok abruptly spoke up, stepping forward “Namjoon and I will walk beside you, the rest will walk behind you” he happily volunteered, much to the other hybrids chagrin. They wanted you walk beside you.

“okay.. thank you..” you breathed out. Namjoon and Hoseok walked up to your sides, the wolf-hybrid taking your left and the golden retriever-hybrid your right. The rest of the knights lined up behind you.

“better?” Asked Namjoon looking down at you. You looked up the at the wolf-hybrid, feeling a bit more comfortable than you did before. “Yes.” You replied and with that, you continued making your way to your room, the hybrid knights by your side and behind, following closely along.

-

As you finally made it to the oh so familiar tall white doors of your chamber, you couldn’t help but notice the gasps and whispers that came from your servants and maids as you were walking through the palace. Usually you’re kindly greeted and approached in the palace by your servants but with the intimidating looking pack that followed you, they all seemed to scatter away. It was as if they were avoiding you or more accurately, the pack.

This saddened you a bit as you already don’t have any friends. As pathetic as it may sound, your servants were the closest things you had to friends. Sighing, you were about to open your doors when you were cut off by a pair large arms.

“Please, allow us. Wait here.” Contended Hoseok. He turned the knobs, opening the doors as he and Namjoon stepped inside while the others waited outside with you. After the two deemed the room safe, they called out to their fellow pack members.

“it’s clear” signalling for you and the rest to walk in. ‘Is it going to be like this every single time I walk into a room?’ you questioned to yourself.

-

The sound of your clock filled the silent room, with the occasional turn of a book page from Namjoon who was reading by the seat near your windowsill. You were sitting in front of your vanity, braiding your hair while the men were scattered across your room. When your father said they were to be by your side at all times, you didn’t think he meant it literally.

Swinging your head back and groaning in frustration, you started to mentally berate yourself. If you hadn’t snuck out, you wouldn’t be in this predicament. 'You should’ve just stayed home' you thought to yourself.

Suddenly a light bulb went off in your head. Would the attack even still have happened if you weren’t there? How did the assailants even know that you were the princess? Was it the same way Hoseok did? Did they know you would be there that night? And if so, how?

Millions of questions ran rapid through your head. Your head started to feel heavy and sore. With sudden pangs of pain shooting through your mind, you decide to put your head down on your vanity, arms wrapped around underneath for cushion.

You shut your eyes and tried to do the same with your mind. You inhaled through your nose deeply before exhaling slowly through your mouth, as though if you controlled your breathing, your mind would soon follow suit. Much to your surprise, it did. Your mind slowly started to go blank, instead, focusing on the ticking of your room’s clock.

tick..tock..tick..tock..tick..tock.. you find yourself start to yawn as your body began to sunk even more into your vanity, relaxation running through your body. With the recent events that had transpired, you would think you wouldn’t be able to get a blink of sleep out of fear or paranoia.

Instead you felt safe. Knowing deep down, it is because of the hybrids that currently reside in your room. The ticking of your clock is getting quieter and quieter, before you succumb to your inevitable slumber.

-

It doesn’t take very long before the youngest hybrid notices that you had fallen asleep. Cautiously, he began walking towards your sleeping figure on the chair. You were facing down on your vanity table, head wrapped around with your arms.

Unexpectedly, you moved your arm to scratch your head, placing it back down away from your face. Jungkook slowly bent down and moved toward you to examine your face. Upon closer inspection, the hybrid noticed a little bit of drool on the corner of your mouth. This made him chuckle in endearment.

Slowly backing up, he cleared his throat “Guys? I think the princess has fallen asleep” he whispered with a smile. Quickly, the men turned from whatever they were doing and fixed their sights upon you. Their faces softening as they took in the sight before them.

Your hair was half braided, baby hairs sticking to your forehead from sweat. Mouth slightly parted as you breathed in and out. “She looks so… peaceful.” Jimin spoke. “You’re right” Taehyung agreed.

They all continued to stare at you in silence whilst you slept, only the clock ticking and your soft breaths filling the silent room. What after seemed like an eternity, Namjoon finally spoke up. “We should get the princess into her bed.” The men uttered courses of agreement before Jungkook quickly offered “I’ll do it!” while standing up.

Everyone nodded and made their ways back to their spots, secretly a bit jealous that they didn’t think of Jungkook’s offer first. Quietly, the youngest made his way to your sleeping body, carefully picking you up out of your seat as to not wake you. Lifting you up, he laid your head on his shoulder, causing you to unconsciously wrap your arms around his neck, the action warming his heart.

He then wrapped your legs around his waist one by one. Cautiously, he started walking, making his way to your bed careful not to drop you. Slowly, he began to put you down on your bed but much to his surprise, you wouldn’t let go, your legs and arms still wrapped around his body.

“Um, Hyungs….” Jungkook quietly spoke. The rest of the pack turned their attention to their youngest, eyes widening at the sight. Jungkook wasn’t even holding onto you, yet, you were wrapped around him like a spider monkey.

“She won’t let me go…” Jungkook continued. The sight made them envy the youngest. Jin stood up “are you sure? try leaning down on the bed” ordered the hamster hybrid. Jungkook nodded and did what he was told.

You were still holding on tight but now you were whining. Your whines tugged at the men’s heart strings. “shit…” Namjoon said, holding his chin while thinking. “Well… just let her sleep on you.”

Jungkook’s heart raced. He swallowed dryly “ar-are you sure?” asked the youngest. “yes, I’m sure” affirmed the leader. Namjoon couldn’t lie, he was envious of the youngest but your safety and well being came first, that included your sleep. So alas, he would just have to deal with his jealousy.

Slightly shaking, Jungkook softly sat down on the bed before putting his legs up and laying down on his back with you still wrapped on him. ‘The princess of the emerald nation is wrapped around me’ he thought. Looking straight up to the ceiling, he was nervous.

He didn’t want to make any wrong move so he just laid there, stiff, not even breathing. Suddenly you yawned and your grip on him became even tighter. This turned his gaze to you. You looked so comfortable. This subconsciously made him follow suit, his body relaxing at the sight and finally breathing.

Once he inhaled, he caught your scent. You smelt of vanilla and shea butter, causing him to decompress even more. He looked over your face and noticed your baby hairs, still stuck to your forehead. Slowly, he raised his hand toward your head, lightly moving them to the side. This made you sigh in content, the sound making the hybrid’s cheeks heat up.

'You were really cute' he thought to himself. The hybrid laid his head back down, closing his eyes. Your scent, the sound of your breaths and the weight of your body, all combining together to create a deadly melatonin for the bunny-hybrid. He soon followed suit you, falling into a slumber.

-

Night time quickly fell. The hybrids stared at Jungkook and you, begrudgingly. You were for sure going to be scented by the bunny hybrid by the time you woke up, and they all each wanted to be the first one to do so. You looked like a little pup compared to Jungkook’s large frame.

Although envious, they enjoyed the sight in front of them, their pack mate and their princess looking so comfy sleeping together. A knock brought them to their senses followed by a door creak. “Your highness?” spoke a servant.

They all immediately shushed the servant, startling him and almost causing him to jump. Looking around, he noticed that they were all sat around your bed, you still being wrapped around Jungkook. The servant nervously cleared his throat “apologies but uhhh, is princess y/l/n going to make it to dinner?” He questioned in a hushed voice.

“I don’t think so” answered Jin while turning to look at your sleeping figure on Jungkook, in a complete dead sleep. “okay well just so you’re aware, only three of you need to be here over-night so if the four of you wanna go back to your den then you ca-“ “no.” Namjoon abruptly cut the servant off. “we’re okay here.” The wolf hybrid affirmed, looking back to you.

“thank you, that will be all” finished the leader, turning back to give the servant a courteous, but fake, smile. “oh okay. I’ll be off then.” replied the servant before he made his exit, the sound of the doors shutting gently behind him. “So how are we gonna do this?” Asked Hobi.

“I guess the two of us can try and fit on the bed with Jungkook and y/n while the others can sleep on the floor” answered Namjoon. Jimin immediately stood up “I am not sleeping on the floor” making his way to the bed, laying down beside jungkook and you.

Jimin stretched his arms and yawned. “So who’s sleeping with us? There’s one more spot” questioned the feline. Suddenly a body jumped onto the edge of the bed, causing it to slightly shake. The pack members angrily shushed in unison. “sorry, I couldn’t help it” Hobi smiled, making himself comfortable on the bed. Namjoon sighed “I guess it’s you guys and I on the floor tonight, huh?” he concluded to Jin, Yoongi and Taehyung, nudging the youngest one.

“aishhhh.” Yoongi exclaimed while throwing his head back. “alright whatever” the lion-hybrid defeatedly said throwing his hands up before he started to make his way to what he assumed was your closet, looking for any sort of extra blankets. Taehyung wanted to sleep with you but he guesses that his three pack members will do for tonight.

-

-

[ LORE ]

Hybrids:

Hybrids are a humanoid species who can shape shift. They require the blood of humans in order to survive. Without it, they can lose the ability to shape shift back into humans. If hybrids stay in their animal form for too long, they can lose their humanity and minds before ultimately, dying as a rabid animals. Not all animals in this world are rabid, just hybrids who lose their humanity. This becomes a problem as humans become more scarce and classism rises in the nations. Needing twice as much as blood from a half human then you would a full human. Poor or small hybrid villages are often overlooked, deemed unfit for survival.

Humans:

Humans. What can we say about humans.. except everything. They are seen as gods, saviours, supreme beings and everything in between. Their yearly blood sacrifices that nourished their hybrid minds and bodies were seen as the most noble act. For this, they were and are forever in their debts. Human blood wasn’t seen as something to have to regulate or worry about since there were so many humans. Before the disaster that is. There was a huge unknown catastrophe hundreds of years ago that wiped out only and nearly all humans. Since then, humans and their blood have been regulated, only the richest villages in the nations being sub-stained while others, perished, turning into rabid animals forever before finally succumbing and dying. The fall of a hybrid village is something no one should ever witness. The scent of a human can also help a hybrid thrive and become stronger, kind of like a boost.

Emerald nation:

This nation was formed hundreds of years ago along with dozens of other nations following the catastrophic disaster that took almost all humans. The fateful surviving human families of that day were sent over all the nations, one family for each one. Over the years the nations capital villages that the human families resided in soon turned into kingdoms, the families also turning into what we know as royal. The humans served and provided for their respective kingdoms alongside hybrids alike. The humans also courted fellow humans from other nations royal families to keep the human blood line going but as time went on, there were no more other humans to court. This caused a proposal, a proposal for selected hybrids to court and mate with royal family members. This went on for years, resulting in half hybrids and quarter hybrids before only one full blooded human family remained. Your family.

a/n; hello again everyone! it’s currently almost 7am where I live. I stayed up to finish and proof read the chapter and I’m soooo tired but I really wanted to finish and share with you guys :)) anyways I’m gonna try and sleep for a bit. I’ll start a bit of chapter four tomorrow but I’ll be sure to have it finished and posted by Wednesday night or Thursday morning (my time zone is EDT) thank you for reading! 🥰

[tag list🖤🖤🖤: @strxwbloody @exfolitae @thebisexualonesworld @skyys-universe ]

*tag list is open, just ask 🖤*

previous chapter:

[btsfests]

𝔞𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔩𝔰 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔡𝔢𝔪𝔬𝔫𝔰 𝔣𝔢𝔰𝔱 𝔪𝔞𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔱

Yea, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil: for these stories art with us. Let our prophets share their written word with you, and may you find yourself peeking into Heaven or Hell!

Fables coming your way January - February

♡ Title: After Dark ♡ Pairing: Ceberus! Maknae Line x Demon! Reader ♡ Rating: 18+ ♡ Genre: Fantasy, Drama/Angst, Smut ♡ Summary: Jungkook, Taehyung, and Jimin are your guard dogs, willing to do anything for you. You run an elite casino within the human world, disguised as a human, but you can only get in if you've been invited. Seokjin and Hoseok have been thorns in your side for years, witches hellbent on sending you back to the afterlife.

As scripted by @jmvore

♡ Title: Carry It With You ♡ Pairing: Human!Taehyung x Guardian Angel!Jimin ♡ Rating: 18+ ♡ Genre: Fantasy, Hurt/Comfort, Mental Health, Angst, Smut, Fluff ♡ Summary: Broken beyond repair, Taehyung is convinced that the Heavens have forsaken him. It’s Jimin’s responsibility to show Taehyung that there really is someone out there who cares.

As scripted by @gimmethatagustd

♡ Title: Celestial Ruin ♡ Pairing: Fallen Angel!Yoongi x Angel!(f)reader x Angel!Namjoon ♡ Rating: 18+ | Dead Dove ♡ Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural, Angels and Demons, Angst, Smut, Corruption ♡ Summary: Just being in his proximity made my skin crawl. As if his tainted wings were contagious and I was putting myself at risk just being near him. Yoongi was corruption incarnate. Once revered upon his throne and now cast aside for the sins he committed. Inky wings replacing the beautiful gold they used to be. The sign of the Fallen. And the way he looked at me said he wouldn't be sinking alone.

As scripted by @remedyx

Read Now

♡ Title: Cursed ♡ Pairing: Demon reader x new demon Namjoon ♡ Rating: 18+ ♡ Genre: supernatural, crack, smut ♡ Summary: You manage to royally piss off demon lord Seokjin and he punishes you by giving you the assignment no one wants - shaping hapless IT guy Kim Namjoon into a freaky deaky demon.

As scripted by @hamsterclaw

♡ Title: Did It Hurt? ♡ Pairing: FallenAngel!Taehyung x LostSoul!f.Reader ♡ Rating: MA ♡ Genre: Fallen Angel AU | Angst, Smut, Mild Fluff ♡ Summary: Cast from the Heavens and forced onto the mortal plane for breaking his Oath of Holy Divinity, Taehyung only has one way to regain his wings after his exile is up or forever be cast into the 9th Circle—save a lost soul seeking absolution. As his one-hundredth year in exile approaches, his desire to return starts to wane and the kiss of Hellfire grows nearer.

As scripted by @colormepurplex2

Read Now

♡ Title: Fall from Grace ♡ Pairing: Demon!Seokjin x Angel!Jimin ♡ Rating: 18+ ♡ Genre: Romance, Smut, betrayal ♡ Summary: The rules for angels and demons are simple and straightforward and can be summed up as don’t interact. It’s not Jin’s fault that he’s mistaken for an angel.

As scripted by @downbad4yoongi

Read Now

♡ Title: Help! An Angel has Fallen and She Can't Get Back Up! ♡ Pairing: Human!Namjoon x Angel!Reader ♡ Rating: 18+ ♡ Genre: Idiots to lovers, angel summoning, fluff, humor, smut, crack ♡ Summary: Namjoon is satisfied with his life. He has great friends, a promising career, and feels confident he can face any challenge the future may bring. However, when he accidentally summons an angel while doing his dishes, he realizes he might be in over his head.

As scripted by @blog-name-idk

♡ Title: Lead Us Into Temptation ♡ Pairing: Demon!Hoseok x Human!Reader ♡ Rating: 21+ ♡ Genre: established relationship, demon possession, corruption, speculative horror, fluff, angst, smut ♡ Summary: Hoseok is as devout in his faith as he is dedicated to you, and the two of you live by a moral code of remaining pure and perfect �� free from sin and temptation. But after Hoseok is stricken with a strange illness that changes him entirely, you wonder if the life you had before is truly the life you desire.

As scripted by @theharrowing

♡ Title: Mist of Chaos ♡ Pairing: Demon!Yoongi / Angel!Taehyung x f! Reader ♡ Rating: 18+ ♡ Genre: Supernatural, Demons, Angels, Angst, Smut. ♡ Summary: The tales told in the night, that 'it is hard to find the light'. You learn that what you see isn't always quite right. You find yourself soul-torn in a mystic valley after an unexpected incident. Alone, however, you were not as an angel and demon cling your shoulders.

As scripted by @taegicity

♡ Title: Reborn In Sin ♡ Pairing: demon!jimin x fem!reader ♡ Rating: 18+ ♡ Genre: dark, supernatural, fantasy, angst, smut ♡ Summary: for years jimin was your constant and loyal companion in the church, he was a shining example of humility and compassion. but when he was tragically taken from the world before he could experience life, his heart was filled with anger and resentment. and so, in a moment of weakness, he struck a deal with the devil, trading his soul for a second chance at life. but when he returned, he was no longer your kind and devoted boy you once knew.

As scripted by @hoseokshobagi

♡ Title: Shadow of Mine ♡ Pairing: Demon!Taehyung x f. Reader ♡ Rating: 18+ ♡ Genre: Supernatural, Angels and Demons, Angst, Smut ♡ Summary: As one of the few humans in the world without a guardian angel to protect you, you’ve learned to take care of yourself - until you realize that perhaps you haven’t been as alone as you always thought.

As scripted by @sailoryooons

♡ Title: Talk to My Angels ♡ Pairing: human!taehyung and angel!reader, platonic ♡ Rating: 18+ ♡ Genre: Fantasy, humor i hope?, angst ♡ Summary: What should Taehyung pick for breakfast? Which shoes should he wear today? Should he accept the job or look for something better? No matter the significance, Taehyung always turns to his angels for answers. So when he finds you - a real-life angel - the surprise isn't that he can see you or that he accepts your existence. The surprise is that he makes it his mission to send you back where you belong.

As scripted by @daechwitatamic

♡ Title: The End Of All Things ♡ Pairing: Fallen Angel!Jungkook x Human!Namjoon, (Past Taekook) ♡ Rating: 18+ ♡ Genre: Fantasy, Alternate Universe — Angels & Demons, Slow Burn ♡ Summary: He moved with a silent sort of rage that could be felt in the air. There was no mistaking what he was at this moment, entirely unearthly and terrifying. It wouldn't surprise Namjoon if the very ground broke under his feet, Jungkook's very being screaming, look at what I've become, look what you have made me.

He made his way through the crowd, cutting down his foes with precision because he did not move in unblinded rage, — it was grief.

or a story about what it really means to be human.

As scripted by @jknoah

♡ Title: Touch of Hell ♡ Pairing: Devils son!Jimin x m!reader ♡ Rating: 18+ ♡ Genre: Fantasy, Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort ♡ Summary: Finding himself exiled to the human world by his own father — the Devil himself, Jimin is stuck in a dilemma. Will the boy who stole his heart love him forever, or will he push him away after he finds out the monster he is ?

As scripted by @leohatter

♡ Title: Wish ♡ Pairing: Angel!Jungkook x Human!Reader; background Angel!Jin x Demon!Jimin ♡ Rating: PG-13 ♡ Genre: Fantasy, Fluff, Angst, Slow Burn ♡ Summary: When Jungkook's mentor goes missing, he travels to earth in search of him and when he gets into a spot of trouble, a kind human helps him out. Determined to pay them back Jungkook insists on granting a wish but…

How do you grant a wish for someone who doesn't have one?

As scripted by @madbutgloriouspond

[mapofthemazeinthemirror]

📖 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐱

𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐚𝐧 🖋️

Home Invasion Series - Yoongi / Jungkook / Namjoon / Hobi / Jin / Jimin / Taehyung (semi hiatus)

Ex boyfriend series - Namjoon

Yoongi's birthday fluff

playing Animal Crossing with you (OT7)

𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐱 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 🖋️

𝑺𝒐𝒐𝒃𝒊𝒏

Cursed Prince Soobin

vacation with Soobin

girl dad Soobin

Soobin late to his baby's birth

apple picking with Soobin

dad!Soobin + baby hands

𝒀𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒋𝒖𝒏

Yeonjun suggestive fluff

mafia-dad Yeonjun

Yeonjun determined to be a girl dad

Yeonjun - on camera, off camera

protecting mafia boss Yeonjun (e2l)

girl dad Yeonjun

ex-boyfriend Yeonjun voicemail

new dad Yeonjun

royal reader x nobleman Yeonjun

Bound - princess reader x royal guard Yeonjun

Three Cursed Princes (Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Kai)

wild fae boy finds you in the snow forest

𝑩𝒆𝒐𝒎𝒈𝒚𝒖

Between the Pages (prince Beomgyu)

yandere!Beomgyu

med student Beomgyu x coma patient reader

Boy dad Beomgyu / more

Beomgyu aquarium meet-cute

Beomgyu + your parents

werewolf Beomgyu x kitsune reader thought

Moulin Rouge Beomgyu (suggestive)

Three Cursed Princes (Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Kai)

𝑻𝒂𝒆𝒉𝒚𝒖𝒏

witch reader x witch hunter taehyun

royal stablehand Taehyun

famous soccer player Taehyun

Raven Prince

Taehyun who sees visions of the future

Taehyun as Pokemon

Cursed Prince Taehyun

𝑯𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑲𝒂𝒊

boyfriend Huening Kai + plushies

betrothed Prince Kai

prince!huening kai

Three Cursed Princes (Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Kai)

𝒂𝒍𝒍/𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔

Playing Animal Crossing

tucking you in before they leave for a night schedule

hybrid!txt protecting their human partner

husband!txt trying to be a handy man

taking you to Build-a-Bear

when you’re sick

hybrid!txt when you smell like someone else

dad!txt + Christmas

toxic ex-husband txt

"don't marry him"

when he thought he'd moved on

university Taebin love triangle

hybrid ot5 thoughts

Txt x vampire reader

Three Cursed Princes (Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Kai)

Txt in the Hunger Games

Txt as Animal Crossing villagers

Sci-fi/fantasy one-shot series: Bound (Yeonjun) / Salvaged (Kai) / Smuggled (Beomgyu) / Changed (Taehyun) / Shouldered (Soobin) in progress

𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦

[minisugakoobies]

ME AND NAMJOON AND HIM PINNING ME AGAINST THE WALL PLS 👀👀👀🙈

I combined these requests because they worked so perfectly together! Hope y'all don't mind 💕

Title: A Dangerous Game Pairing: Royal Advisor!Namjoon x Queen!Reader Genre: smut, forbidden romance, Royalty!AU Rating: M(18+) Warnings: groping, making out, a little light fingering, infidelity (reader has been forced into marriage with a horrible King)

"Quiet, love, or they'll hear you."

A shudder rolls through you as Namjoon whispers in your ear. He's right, of course. If you're any louder, the guards standing outside your chambers will hear and come investigate. They'll barge right through that door, swords swinging, not knowing that the tiny whimpers falling from your lips are cries of pleasure, not pain.

They won't care, either, if you're caught with the king's most trusted advisor's hands beneath your gown. It's a dangerous game the two of you are playing right now. And Namjoon appears to be winning, given the way he smirks at you while his dancing hands caress your breasts, thumbs flicking over your pert nipples.

"That's better," he sighs in relief when you fall silent. "Now, my Queen, tell me what you want."

What you want is for him to tear the nightgown from your body, throw you on your bed, and have his unholy way with you. That's not just what you want, it's what you need. But a lifetime of holding your tongue and doing as you're told, not as you please, makes it difficult to voice these desires.

"I - I want…" you begin, but falter when his palm skims over the swell of your bare belly. It's so wrong, the way he's touching you as if he has any right, any claim to your body. You belong to the King, that miserable old wretch who keeps you locked away in this room day and night, only ever allowing you to leave to perform your royal duties.

Fuck the King, a quiet voice in your mind hisses.

"Come, love, no need to be shy," Namjoon purrs. You love the way he looks at you. While the King views you as a duty to be done, no matter how much he repels you, Namjoon sees you as a person - and one to be treasured, at that. He's told you often enough that your presence in this palace and this realm is a gift - and now, as he smiles at you, you know he means it.

He steps closer, backing you towards the wall, trapping you against it. He dares to lower his lips to your bare neck, hot kisses blazing against your cold skin. Your room is always chilly this time of morning, but you don't care, basking in the heat of Namjoon's strong body as he leans into you.

"Do you wish to hear what I want?" he asks, bringing your hand to his mouth to kiss your knuckles, one by one. Relieved, you nod. "I want to explore your body… if you'll let me."

Despite your firmly pressed lips, another whine escapes you. Swiftly, he kisses you, hastily swallowing your noises. You fall into him, eyes closing, lost in the sensation of his wet tongue as it glides along yours. His left hand is still drifting lower, lower….

With a gasp, you break the kiss and glance down, watching as his hand disappears between your legs. He traces a finger through your sodden folds, back and forth, and you can't stop your hips from canting forward, seeking more of his touch.

"It appears that you want this too, my Queen. But I need to hear you say it." You're so distracted by his left hand that you don't even notice the right one is gripping your chin until he tips your head, forcing you to meet his gaze. His dragon eyes smolder as he licks his lips. "Words, love. I need to hear you say the words."

"T-take me. Namjoon." His expression darkens. It ignites a fire within you. "Now."

"As my Queen demands."

Masterlist 💜 Find me on AO3 💜 

© 2023 by minisugakoobies. Crossposted to AO3. Please do not copy or repost.

[thedoctorsthings]

Power to the King teaser

summary: in the capital city of a small Nordic kingdom in the 10th century the king is slowly descending into madness. His wife recently died and he remarries. His sons Yoongi and Jungkook desperately try to keep his destructive tendencies in control while dealing with their own destructive romances.

featuring: crown prince Yoongi, second born prince Jungkook, royal guards Hoseok and Namjoon, druids Taehyung and Seokjin and farmer boy Jimin.

this series will be 7 parts divided into chapters. One part for each member. We'll follow them into their journey of meeting the love of their lives in a 10th century viking settlement. beneath you'll find the trope of each story

Jungkook: Prince x chambermaid (forbidden romance)

Taehyung: Druid x forest nymph (friends to lovers)

Jimin: farmer boy x princess (forbidden romance)

Namjoon: royal guard x barmaid (no idea what trope this is except for king being a destructive dick)

Hoseok: royals guard x druid's apprentice (promised to another)

Yoongi: Crown prince x noble girl (forced marriage/enemies to lovers)

Seokjin: Druid x king's wife (forbidden love, my personal favourite)

disclaimers: angst, smut but only implied never explicitly described, historical inaccuracies (i'm not an expert and i don't have time to do excessive research), lot's of dramatic typical period drama stuff, people getting wounded, war, yearning etc

coming somewhere in february probably cuz i got exams now

[bonny-kookoo]

if your doing drabble for Lacrymariaolor i was wondering if you could perhaps write one where someone tried to take/kidnap the mc and jungkook saves her<3 i luv u

We love drama

As he walks back into the throne room, where you're supposed to be still waiting for him on the comfortable and royally decorated spot where you sleep most of the time, it's empty.

But what makes his mind spiral instantly, is the faint smell, and the sight of drops of blood on the marbled floor in front of him. You've been taken.

Someone's a snake.

Jungkook immediately opens the main doors, finding the nearest guards to pull closer- but both who were supposed to be on duty are gone, not found as he looks around the halls.

But it doesn't matter.

He doesn't need any help to find you.

Running down the halls and out of the back gardens, he spots you being carried like nothing but a lump of flesh over the shoulder of someone he doesn't know- the man turning, before he realizes he's been caught red handed.

But even as he starts to run, there's no chance of him getting away. There was never a hunt to begin with.

The man let's you slip off his shoulder, having you fall harshly to the ground and earning nothing but heightened anger and growing aggression from the king now openly charging at him. He doesn't need a sword, or any other weapon other than his own body to attack- blind rage not even letting him ask why he did what he did, or who he is, or who he did this for.

All he knows is that he's got his hand around the man's throat, grabbing harshly before he lets go for just a second.

The scene is gruesome just moments after, both the anger ebbing down slowly and the exhaustion of his body after ruining every bone and muscle of the body underneath his boot catching up to him as Jungkook turns to see you still unmoving on the ground, large dark birds equal to those having tried to enter your bedroom many nights before curiously circling around you, hopping closer and closer the more time you're staying there without anyone else around.

It angers him. You're not dead. You're not ready to be taken yet.

And it seems as if they know, because the first step Jungkook takes towards you forces all to scramble away in haste, leaving you alone for him to lean down and turn you over.

There's a wound on the side of your face. Scratches, and as he touches your head, he notices the warm dark red liquid staining your hair and his hand.

But you're not dead. And you won't be.

He will fight death until it tries to take him as well.

He will look after you from now on, making sure you don't lose anymore blood, and won't ever be left out of sight again. There is just no way he will let anyone take you from him.

He carries you in his arms into the palace again, walking past a very concerned Namjoon who tries eagerly to help him with you- but he ends up just silently following, well aware that Jungkook won't be able to properly listen for a good moment or two anyways.

Without much regard for your blood staining the white sheets and blankets in your shared bed, he lays you down, curls up his body around you. It doesn't matter much to him what Namjoon is doing while he holds you. All that matters is that he does hold you.

So he doesn't notice the way your wounds are treated, skin cleaned and inspected before Namjoon leaves to fetch more supplies.

And when you wake up, you feel pretty miserable- but alive.

"Jungkook.?" You wonder quietly, and he just holds you a but tighter, nose running from side to side in the back of your neck as he quietly holds you.

"He's a bit out of it at the moment. It will take a bit for him to be more aware again." Namjoon quietly explains, sitting across from the bed on a chair. "You've been knocked down, have taken a bit of a hit to the head, and lost some blood. I believe he doesn't know that you gain it back over time."

"Doesn't.. don't you?" You wonder, your voice making Jungkook behind you squeeze you a bit tighter.

"Not the same as a human body. You make it out of nothing it seems like, while our bodies need specialized help to replenish our blood." Namjoon explains. "More as to.. well, we don't really have blood. It's similar, but not the same. But to make it simple to explain, we'll just keep it at that."

You adjust your position a bit, and Jungkook behind you moves one of his legs over yours as if to stubbornly keep you close.

"He'll be fine." Namjoon reassures. "And you'll be too. He has to learn first that your body is stronger than he believes." He chuckles, before he leaves the room. "Though, I doubt that once he does, he will protect you less." He jokes on his way out.

All before you decide to simply turn around in Jungkook's arms to hold onto him as well-

And sleep where it's safe.

[foxymoxynoona]

To Kill A King (Chapter 15)

Banner and linebreaks by the talented @awrkives

Summary: What’s more charming than Prince Seokjin? Nothing, obviously. Except maybe the rotating palace guests who each smile and bow and charm in an attempt to hide their true motives. Fortunately Seokjin has a close circle of friends (well, servants) who watch his back and endure his humor and help him navigate the tumultuous seas of heartbreak, love, and an arranged marriage, not necessarily in that order. If only they had helped him keep a closer eye on his bride-to-be’s handmaiden, who arrives with her own agenda… or maybe it would have been better if he had noticed her less? One thing is certain as this royal drama of the heart plays out: there are many people competing to kill a king.

Main Pairing: Prince Seokjin x Female OC Genre: Historical Fantasy World, political conspiracy, romance Rating: 18+ Content Warnings & story tags: includes explicit sex (mxf, fxf), possibly graphic violence/injury later, love and sex triangles or uh quadrangles?, sort of e 2 l, sort of bodyguard trope, sort of arranged marriage, a lot of plotting murder (it’s literally in the title), maybe character death, grief, pining, angst, love, oral (f & m receiving), public sex, I don’t know everything yet as the story is long and still being written

PREVIOUS | MASTERLIST | NEXT

NOTE: check out the Character & Setting Cheat Sheet for a refresher on who’s who

Nasimyu stopped beneath the towering archway built of dark-eyed yellow sunbursts woven together. It was magnificent. Actually as lovely as Seokjin had made it out to be –which he seemed to read from her face as her hand in his elbow forced him to stop too. He only glanced briefly up at the arch and then gave her a close-lipped smile that made his cheeks puff up. He looked ridiculous, like a child, not like her soon-to-be-husband of a future king. 

She drew in a deep breath and looked away from him. She needed to stop letting her mind run away with annoyance over stupid stuff. Everything was going as planned and Seokjin, she was beginning to suspect, might not be the selfish villain her father had led her to believe, and now silver threads shot through the fabric of her future. Things were looking less bleak. Seokjin might look and behave ridiculously, but he was good in bed, and he was potentially willing to just let her do the ruling she wanted to, and the day was bright and hot and only a little humid, just the way she liked it. And everything was so yellow, golden, perfect. 

Behind them, their guards stopped. The entourage of servants stopped. Mindeulle and Namjoon –whom Nasimiyu was icily tolerating for the day– stopped. 

King Dong-gun did not. He stepped around them, striding through the arch as if it had been set up specifically to welcome the royals (perhaps it had), his beaming face turned up as he waved at the townspeople who cheered for him. They tossed petals down from upper stories of the buildings, a hailstorm of clumps of yellow petals that made her laugh. It was a romantic idea, at least.

Obviously they must put the folks who licked the boots of the monarchy at the front. Nasimiyu was shocked to see so many pretending to adore the sight of the king. A woman fanned herself when King Donggun bobbed his head in her direction. Two men guffawed and shared a grin after the king slapped them on the shoulders as he passed. Hands reached for him until his guard nudged him safely to the center of the road and they carried forward through the shower.

“They love him?” Nasimiyu murmured to herself, baffled. It was a pretense. Most people in the kingdom, she knew for a fact, despised him. King Donggun and his excesses, his complacency, his casual cruelty.

“They don’t see him often,” Seokjin said as he gently tugged her forward. “He rarely leaves the palace these days, unless it’s to hunt in the caves. Brings the fun to himself usually but for this he comes out. I suspect he’s rather… pickled.”

“Pickled?”

“Er, drunk,” he clarified.

“Right now?! It’s mid-morning!” There, that seemed more in-line with what she expected of the King. 

No, this wasn’t the time nor place. She quickly adjusted her expression from scowl to instead a broad, open smile. People were watching her and Seokjin. This was, after all, their first public outing together.

It was very important she impress her people.

She waved and almost missed Seokjin’s explanation, “Well, it’s my mother’s birthday tomorrow.”

“Shouldn’t you smile and wave?” she whispered back. “People are seeing us together for the first time.”

“Oh right.” His face, thoughtful for a moment, shifted quickly into a broad grin. It was inspirational how quickly he dropped the obviously sad topic. She recalled vaguely the Sunflower Festival was something his mother had loved but forgotten it under the stress of this first outing. She’d had a special gown made for this, and woven sunflowers into a crown across her hair, and was appeased now to see she had not overestimated and overdressed.

Music murmured in the distance, louder as they traveled down the main street. Temporary stalls had sprung up, townfolk selling flowers and roasted nuts and sausages on a stick and glass pendants and leather satchels and anything else you could think of. Side streets showed similar, branching away from this main thoroughfare. And everywhere, sunflowers. Everywhere. They reached a square and the fountain in the center was absolutely buried, the water nothing but a pool of sunflowers rippling as small children grabbed at them. 

Nasimiyu felt the eyes on her and loved it. She held her chin high and the prince close, sporting the soft smile of a benefactor, eager for everyone to see how compatible she was with the royal family. Seokjin certainly played his part, pointing out things to her as if she didn’t have eyes of her own to notice, but at least it gave the impression of a man eager to please his adored. She nodded encouragement –yes she saw the man playing the accordion (a little grating, shouldn’t he go down a side street?), yes the children in their frocks were adorable, yes the dog wearing a giant fabric sunflower around his face was so funny. Seokjin laughed, delighted at it and leaned forward, trying to coax the dog close. The owner was beside himself at this attention and practically melted at Seokjin’s feet while Seokjin laid his praise of the dog on so thick Nasimiyu thought the man would realize how fake he was. It had to be fake. No one was that enamored by a dog in a costume…

“Do you want a sausage?” Seokjin asked and at first Nasimiyu thought he meant the dog. But he rose quickly and touched her arm and his whole face glowed with joy. “Or roasted peanuts? Or do you like candy floss more?”

Nasimiyu realized with shock that Seokjin was offering to get her food from one of the roadside stands. Anything could be in that food! The meat could be undercooked or the peanuts could be infested with bugs, you wouldn’t even know. It wasn’t that they didn’t have street vendors in Marvono but she certainly wasn’t eating from them.

But he looked so hopeful about it she almost felt bad to crush his enthusiasm with, “I don’t think I do. Thank you.”

Behind him, Namjoon let out a sigh, “Ah the fried chicken is back, I can smell it. Where is it?”

“Is that the only reason you came?” Mindeulle tittered.

“If you’re going right to the candy floss, have someone take you– no, just wait, we’ll get that first and then go find the chicken,” Namjoon said.

Seokjin craned his neck before nodding, “It’s over there. I think it’s the same family as last year.”

“Do I get a beer first and let it get warm while I get chicken, or get chicken and then it’s cooled off by the time I get a beer?” Namjoon sighed. 

Seokjin looked pensive and then dubious –playfully so, mouth twisted into a pucker, eyes narrowed– and then sighed with a smile of surrender, “If you have an idea just say it. Don’t play like a flirt around me.”

“I’ll get beers if you get the chicken.”

“Don’t you have people who can… fetch these things for you?” Nasimiyu pointed out, gaze sliding to their servants standing uselessly behind them. Her own maid might not be very knowledgeable here but surely that Jimin could figure it out. 

“It’s good for the people to see us among them,” Seokjin countered. She didn’t think that had to mean waiting in line like a nobody. He gestured across the square where, to her utter disbelief, King Donggun stood in line for a mead barrel, hands resting on his belly, fingers twitching impatiently.

“Impossible,” Nasimiyu gasped, giving Seokjin her look of disbelief.

It was Mindeulle who giggled, “Isn’t it crazy to see the king standing in line? But it’s because of the Queen, isn’t it?”

“Yes, he loved my mother so much he was willing to stand in lines,” Seokjin laughed, then elaborated, “This whole festival was for my mother. She loved sunflowers and she missed being…” He searched for the word before suggesting, “Ordinary.”

“She was never ordinary. She was a noble from birth,” Namjoon countered. “From Rinsk.”

“Yes but she was raised very simply,” Seokjin said. “Riding horses, gardening, camping for fun. She had to make her own bed once a week –my grandmother insisted on it, that it was the foundation of being a good queen.”

“And did that get passed on to you?” Nasimiyu tried to tease.

Seokjin nodded, “Oh yes, I’m very good at making a bed. Clean sheets are one of the greatest feelings in the world. Don’t you think that?”

“Well… yes. I think so too,” she admitted. Couldn’t argue with that. At home servants would fan the bed so when she’d slip into it naked at the end of a long hot day, it felt like the coolest caress across every inch of her skin. 

King Donggun let out a happy laugh that reached them across the square as he found himself at the front of the line for mead.

She pressed, “Does he really pretend to be a commoner for the day?”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Seokjin laughed. “You see his clothing and his entourage. He’ll have patience for exactly three lines, I bet. It was more when he had my mother to stand in line with. They’d go around all day eating the food, drinking mead and beer, listening to music… I got to run wild for the day too. My brother and I were nearly street urchins for eight hours except for our pockets full of silvers. We ate ourselves sick.” He sighed at fond memories she did not poke at. 

“You could be the kind of king who does this all the time,” Mindeulle pointed out and Seokjin gave her such a fond smile that Nasimiyu almost felt jealous of it.

“I suspect I’ll be too busy once I’m king… but who says I don’t lead a secret double life as a commoner already?”

Namjoon sighed dramatically and teased, “Do you really still spend all your time reading those picture-books? That’s who you mean, isn’t it?”

“Kalamouche?” Mindeulle asked. “They’re charming. I’m glad you still find moments of joy, Prince Seokjin. Nasimiyu will need to as well, though I don’t think it’s the food here for her. Why don’t you go get your chicken and beer, we’ll find something else to do.”

Nasimiyu hesitated. The whole point was to look besotted with Seokjin, to exude an air of calm and benevolence and wisdom as a future ruler. No one would think oh look at our future queen, we’re so relieved if she was just running around with Mindeulle.

But now Seokjin and Namjoon were making a gentleman’s agreement to divide and conquer –apparently Seokjin could tolerate Namjoon after all, once there was food involved– and in short order they and their entourage were gone, and Nasimiyu had only Mindeulle and her own entourage for company.

“It’s all right not to trust the food,” Mindeulle assured her. “Though some of it is very good. I usually let my brother be the tester before I try anything but let’s go that way and we can look at the flower statues. Maybe you’ll see a pastry that catches your eye.”

“Is it a competition?” Nasimiyu guessed as they wandered down a side street. Statues of dancing women and galloping horses and curly seashells lined one side of the road, all carefully constructed of beautiful blue and pink and white blooms. It felt oddly off-theme considering the sunflowers everywhere else but pretty all the same. Where did they even get these spring-looking blooms at this time of year?

“These come in from Therepin. The summers are cooler there so the blooms last longer, especially far to the south.”

“Not near the border,” Nasimiyu murmured, thinking of marching soldiers crushing the buds underfoot.

“They’re the most beautiful there, I hear. I’ve never been anywhere close of course. I’m sure these are very expensive to bring here but no expense is spared for the Sunflower Festival.”

“I can see that.”

“It’s romantic, isn’t it?” Mindeulle pressed. “I think for one day, the King tries to pretend that his queen is still here, maybe just down another side street…” They both stopped to look over their shoulders because Mindeulle had a wistfulness in her voice. The pause let Nasimiyu realize that her guard were doing such a marvelous job at keeping a perimeter around her that it let her forget just how bustling the streets were. No ghosts of queens, just hundreds of townfolk gawking at her as they passed around her bubble of space

“People sure do stare,” she pointed out. “I don’t have anything between my teeth, do I?”

She knew she didn’t, and Mindeulle only beamed at her, “I think they’re surprised at how beautiful you are.”

“You don’t need to flatter me,” Nasimiyu said, instinctively insulted by such a compliment from the lovely Mindeulle. Her long, shiny black hair caught the light, cascading around her shoulders and down her back, all dark ink instead of the warm hues hidden in Dulce’s long waves. Her heart-shaped face was without flaw or blemish save for one beauty spot beside her nose that managed to be the loveliest imperfection. Nasimiyu had no doubts about her own beauty, but felt suddenly self conscious if Mindeulle felt like Nasimiyu needed comforting.

Mindeulle actually covered her mouth and laughed, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you with a compliment! I only meant that you look especially goddess-like when you have sunflowers in your hair, their color against your skin and hair is just… breath-taking, that’s all I meant,” she rushed out. “You already look like a queen.”

“Without the prince by my side, no one knows who I am.”

“I think they know,” Mindeulle insisted, then nudged Nasimiyu up the street with a gasp of, “Oh, but you should try those. Will you?”

“Will I try what?”

Mindeulle cheeks dimpled on either side of her smile as she leaned around the line at a stall that smelled so strongly of sugar that Nasimiyu wrinkled her nose. She was not big on sweets, even when the sweets weren’t hawked on a street corner like spoons or boots or whatever it was people typically bought from street vendors. But Mindeulle practically vibrated in place as she dug coins out of the purse at her waist and purchased four skewers of candied fruit.

“Grapes or strawberries?” she asked as they stepped aside. Nasimiyu glanced over her shoulder at her guards who looked stoic and alert and maybe like she was stupid for coming here. Her maid watched with open curiosity, as Nasimiyu’s food preferences were well known among her staff. Mindeulle must know she didn’t prefer sweets, she thought she must have said so before, but had clearly forgotten in her own enthusiasm.

“I suppose… strawberries,” Nasimiyu chose, only to correct, “No, grapes.” Sometimes grapes were sour and that was a little better than the cloying sweetness. She could pretend like she was drinking sweet wine maybe. No, she didn’t even like sweet wine.

“Have one of each,” Mindeulle insisted, handing her two sticks, like she had planned this all along. She took hold of a candied grape between her teeth and slid it right off the stick. Nasimiyu’s eyebrows raised. Wasn’t Mindeulle usually so proper and careful? Surely Namjoon would have something to say about his little sister biting and sliding fruit just right there on the street. 

By Mindeulle’s grin, Nasimiyu wondered if she had the same thought. There was something to her smile as she chewed, giggling,

“Listen, you can hear the sugar crack.” She opened her mouth and bit down. The sugar did audibly crack, and juice flooded Mindeulle’s mouth, and Nasimiyu couldn’t hide her shocked laughter.

“Mindeulle!”

“Don’t scold me like my mother,” she tittered. “Try it.”

Nasimiyu did, goaded into it by Mindeulle’s brazenness. She tried a strawberry first, trying to be a little less salacious as she bit the fruit off the thin stick. The sticky sweetness in her mouth made her lips pucker and her cheeks suck in. 

“That’s… very sweet,” she admitted.

“Isn’t it wonderful?” 

Why was she eating this? But Mindeulle’s enthusiasm convinced Nasimiyu to try a grape too and agree with Mindeulle they were really something remarkable. 

Just as Nasimiyu was trying to figure out how to subtly chuck the fruit away, a familiar voice called, “Princess Nasimiyu!” Lidmila floated to her side, admitted there by the guards at a nod of Nasimiyu’s that was probably not necessary. “Oh, I love those.”

“Try them,” Nasimiyu quickly said and thrust them into Lidmila’s hands. A loud street band wandered past so she couldn’t hear whatever Lidmila or Mindeulle shouted next, but Lidmila quickly popped the remaining fruits into her mouth and Mindeulle didn’t even seem to notice. Nasimiyu needed something to wash her mouth free of that sugar –solved when another divine intervention sent Seokjin and Namjoon their way, each holding fried chicken on a stick and a mug of beer.

“Is all the food on sticks?” Nasimiyu asked, followed immediately by, “May I have a sip of your beer, Seokjin?”

“Yes, of course, I’m sorry I didn’t get you one. Do you… like beer?” he asked. She did not particularly, and after only a sip wondered if the fruit hadn’t been the better lingering taste. He chuckled as she handed it quickly back and instead held the skewer out. “Chicken?”

“No thank you, I’m quite full.”

“Oh let’s walk down that way and see if there’s a play on,” Mindeulle suggested.

Namjoon snickered and teased his sister, “A puppet show?”

“Or a comedy.”

“The comedies won’t start until later, it’s only puppet shows right now.”

“You don’t know that.”

“It’s not even noon yet.”

“There’s one way to settle this,” Seokjin suggested and forged ahead. Namjoon and Mindeulle followed, and Nasimiyu found herself shockingly left behind with Lidmila.

“Did he just forget me?” Nasimiyu gasped.

“No, he looked back for you!” Lidmila assured her. “He sees you’re with me. Probably he’s trying to keep Namjoon from bothering you.” 

This placated Nasimiyu, who didn’t mind walking with Lidmila anyway. 

“Do you want me to suggest something else to eat?” Lidmila asked. “I think you don’t like candied fruit much or beer.”

“I don’t but I don’t think I’m brave enough yet for anything else.”

The crowds spread out further as they returned to a main street, walking vaguely in the wake of the others. They passed a balcony with a woman singing opera, which surprised Nasimiyu; she hadn’t considered there was any opera to be had here. She asked Lidmila about what the theater was like, what was popular here, and Lidmila enthusiastically explained all the entertainment to be found here.

“We can attend any of it you like,” Lidmila assured her. “I wonder if it’s very different in Marvono?”

“We shall find out. Oh, Lidmila, before I forget and while I have you alone…”

Lidmila’s face turned up to her, very open and curious, almost fearfully so, as she pressed, “Yes? What is it?”

“I wonder if I might ask for a favor.”

“Of course you may.”

“I would like to see the letters that Namjoon allegedly sent to Çiğdem.”

“Oh.” Lidmila’s eyes widened. 

“I’m familiar with Namjoon’s hand from letters he’s written to the King which were shown to me. I’m curious if a simple comparison might tell us whether it’s a match or not,” Nasimiyu explained.

Lidmila pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, adorably suspicious, and asked, “Did Mindeulle put you up to this?”

“I act on my own accord,” Nasimiyu assured her.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you! Only I know Mindeulle has doubts which you didn’t share about the truth of his character, seeing as what happened with...” She didn’t need to say it. Your maid.

“Yes well I’m trying to understand what exactly did happen with my maid, and what Lord Namjoon Kim’s character is, seeing as he proves difficult for the Prince to shake.” They came into view of the stage and a seated audience of almost entirely children, and standing behind all the children were Seokjin, Namjoon, and Mindeulle, all three equally enraptured by the puppet show. 

Lidmila only glanced at the puppets before admitting, “She may not wish to part with them. Çiğdem, I mean.”

“Will you try? For me?”

“Yes, I can at least try. Hopefully I can do better than try. I’ll see if I can get at least one,” Lidmila assured her.

“Thank you, it means a great deal to me to have your help.”

Lidmila positively glowed, her wispy brown curls framing her face so sweetly that it struck Nasimiyu what a blessing it was that Lidmila was so good-hearted. Such an innocent face would be hard to say no to. She could do wonders with it, if she were someone with a sharper mind or harder heart. But then she wouldn’t be gentle, bubbling Lidmila.

“It’s a story about King Donggun and Queen So-yeon,” Lidmila told her after a loud noise from the stage made them both glance over. “He loved her so much he made this whole festival for her.”

“So I hear. How tragic that she died.”

“I wonder what Prince Seokjin will do to show his love for you?”

“Whatever it is, I intend to be around much longer to enjoy it,” Nasimiyu said without thinking that it might sound crass. 

Before she could correct herself, Lidmila agreed, “You will be. And don’t worry, I’ll make suggestions if it seems like the Prince needs some… proper good ideas.” Nasimiyu smiled at her appreciatively, she did seem quite adept at managing things. Her confidence that Nasimiyu would live a long time was also sweet, though arguably unfounded based on how long women seemed to last in the royal family –Zselyke notwithstanding. Which was, perhaps, curious and suspicious. She wondered what Dulce would think of that question–

If only she could ask Dulce, who could no doubt make sure she lived a long, safe life here, if she cared to. She trusted no one more with her safety. It was unfortunate Dulce could no longer be trusted with her confidence, or her intimacy, or… was it her heart? No, that would be pathetic.

She glanced back at her maid who was not Dulce, and her guards who were also not Dulce. A backdrop of sunflowers loomed behind them. Really, Dulce ought to have come to this, even if they were mad at each other right now. As beautiful as Mindeulle and Lidmila both looked around the blossoms, as beautiful as Nasimiyu looked with them in her hair, she was aware these were the flower for Dulce. Something about them… 

“Nasimiyu,” Seokjin greeted, suddenly by her arm. “I found you a seat. Come watch the show.”

“The puppet show?”

“It’s got romance and tragedy, and the puppet for my father looks shockingly accurate. Come on,” he insisted, practically dragging her along.

Nasimiyu decided she was probably going to develop a headache soon. Maybe. She kind of liked it here too, although maybe not watching a puppet show for children. Well, she supposed it was a good look though for her and Seokjin to watch an unobjectionable performance together. She perched on the bench he had claimed for her with Mindeulle and Lidmila on either side, and tried to look queenly with her chin high and shoulders, Seokjin stood behind her, hand pressed to her shoulder. Eventually he dropped his hand and she was glad.

“Do you like puppets?” Mindeulle leaned in and whispered.

“No,” Nasimiyu whispered back, and both girls giggled as if she, like the puppets on stage, was doing something remarkably romantic by being here. Instead she let her mind wander. How long were she and Dulce going to be angry with each other? Would Dulce have liked the candied fruit? Would she have slid the grape off with her teeth like Mindeulle had? 

Namjoon’s chuckle reminded Nasimiyu he was there and she felt her heart harden again. It was good Dulce wasn’t enjoying the festival. Hopefully she was enjoying doing the laundry instead.

What few footsteps remained seemed to echo around the palace, a combination of clipped, angry steps by those annoyed not to be off at the Sunflower Festival and slow, heavy slides of those who did not feel intrinsically compelled to get their tasks done quickly.

Dulce tried to make no sound at all as she moved through the near-empty halls, a load of laundry perched in her arms and an oversized canvas bag looped over her shoulder with feathers and lightweight wooden rods poking out, and secretly a lantern. To any casual observer, it would hopefully look like a bag full of hat-making things –not that Dulce knew the first thing about making hats, but the bulky decorations were the best disguise she could envision for what would soon hopefully be several stolen paintings. She didn’t plan on being seen afterwards, but you still had to think through these things.

Already she’d had to reroute twice and was just about to make up her mind that she should take the long way out back and down the mountain to the external entrance hidden behind the ivy after all. It would waste time though, was the problem. She had a lot to do in a short amount of time. King Donggun had left the palace, which she understood to happen only for hunts, but his reason for leaving was to attend the Sunflower Fest in honor of his late wife whose birthday was tomorrow. She might not understand their relationship but she fully expected him to visit the Queen’s rooms in the near future, possibly even today, and she needed to be long finished by then. 

The only obstacle was fucking Hoseok, that damn nosy tutor to the prince! Despite his loud enthusiasm about the festival for the past week, he sure seemed unbothered to be one of those left behind to tend to matters around the palace. He strode along as if it were any other day, delivering letters and notes around the palace, checking that the throne room was clean, and even apparently doing a headcount of the guards! The palace had both a castellan and butlers supposed to be doing those things, but no one seemed surprised to see Hoseok doing it instead. They just scurried to dust the corner he’d looked twice at or rushed to reassure that the new table linens were on the way and would be pressed and laid out before dinner. Perhaps he was the sort of work-dedicated person who cherished a well-run palace even more than a festival.

His diligence was going to cause a problem for Dulce though because she was not the sort of work-dedicated person one would expect to see passionately going about her tasks without Nasimiyu around. Everyone knew Nasimiyu was pissed at her. They’d all probably heard Mirta shrieking at her about the laundry she hadn’t done when she’d gone to sit on the seawall and enjoy the sunset instead. With the Prince.

The problem about Hoseok wasn’t only that he was busybodying around the palace, but also that repeatedly seeing her would embed her in his memory. When someone eventually discovered the Queen’s rooms were ransacked, Hoseok would run through the list of people he knew were in the palace and Dulce would top that list if he saw her so many times. 

It led her to doing suspicious things like darting out of the hallway every time she heard footsteps in case they were his –and she hated doing suspicious things. 

One more try she decided, and balanced her linens and the canvas bag and set off for the Queen’s wing with a determined step. Her whole body was on alert listening for anyone who might see even just a glimpse of her, listening for the obnoxious click of Hoseok’s books on the tile floor, hell even the skitter skitter of an escaped pet of the Prince’s.

But nothing came, and the guards in the wing were ambling down the hall and around the corner at just the right time so without even a heartbeat of hesitation Dulce opened the door and slid quickly inside. 

For a moment she stood there with her back to it, waiting as she had last time to make sure no one had noticed after all. She was met with only silence. This time too she made a brisk survey of all the rooms, checking the wardrobe to make sure no one followed Taehyung’s tricks. How mortifying to have been caught that way. She was no smarter than the man who’d been killed in the inn and suddenly realizing the hypocrisy of her judgment at his lapse made her feel even stupider.

Well she wasn’t here to self-reflect, even though something about the preserved rooms made it feel like the time to do so. Now that she was sure she was alone, she set the linens and bag near the door hidden in the back of the closet and walked more thoughtfully through the rooms. Her plan was set –trash the rooms, take the painting and a few other things, make it look like a burglary– and yet when it came time to execute, she felt an unfamiliar hesitation.

Maybe it had to do with Seokjin’s mother staring down at her from the wall. She stared back up at her and noticed once again how much Seokjin looked like her. He had her cheeks, which was not something she’d ever considered a son inheriting from his mother before. He had her eyes too and her nose, her faceshape… did he actually have anything at all from King Donggun? Her hair was lighter, there was that. Maybe his eyebrows were more like his father… She tilted her head–

No, this wasn’t what she was here for. She needed to get the job done and go. 

She reached for the painting and hesitated again.

Seokjin was going to be sad about her wrecking his mother’s room. There was no way around that. She hadn’t let herself think about that part of her agreement with Taehyung. King Donggun was treating Taehyung unfairly by not letting him have even a copy of the painting, but Seokjin hadn’t done anything to deserve the destruction of this shrine to his mother. 

Would Taehyung tell Seokjin? Why hadn’t Taehyung gone to Seokjin with this request since they were so close? Why hadn’t Seokjin helped him? She regretted now not having asked Taehyung before why Seokjin wasn’t in on this. Plausible deniability with the king? She liked having the full picture but it was too late to ask for more now. 

She wouldn’t destroy anything though, and anything she took could make its way back someday, either once Taehyung got a copy of his painting made or enough time passed that the one missing painting wouldn’t be suspicious. 

Carefully she lifted the painting with Taehyung’s mother down, and two others beside it from the wall in the bedroom and carried them to the closet to wrap in linens and tuck into the canvas bag after setting the lantern to the side. They were so much bigger up close and just barely fit into the bag, she wouldn’t be able to take as many as she had planned. She took several off the walls in the painting parlor and set them down so it would look like she’d been planning to take them too and been interrupted. 

Then she braced herself and pushed over the easels. The paints had long ago solidified but scattered across the floor with the brushes, one of the easels collapsed on itself while the others rested awkwardly, legs in the air. It looked silly. It wasn’t truly careless or destructive the way a thief would be as she cleaned out the place. 

She tried to do better in the bedroom. She pulled the blankets off the bed as if she’d been digging for jewels and pulled the drawers out of the nightstands. It wouldn’t make sense for someone to steal paintings but not the jewels, so she swiped several pairs of earrings, a necklace, a bracelet and a tiara, avoiding the reflection of herself in the mirror. Her insides twisted as she slid the things into her bag. She had no way of knowing if any of these were sentimental, if Seokjin would be gutted for them to go missing. He liked pets and flowers and books, he seemed sentimental enough to be attached to specific jewelry. 

Did she have to take everything of value? She paused and looked at the vanity and closet, stuffed with riches. A proper thief would take as much as they could carry, pearls and rubies streaming from their pockets and shoes and hat. A proper thief would certainly take the most valuable things, and jewelry was a better prize than paintings, more valuable, easier to fence. If she was truly trying to stage a burglary, she should do the same, drag away as much as she could, prioritize the small and easy to smuggle things. But she thought of Seokjin entering the room, looking around with horror at what had been done to his mother’s rooms, and felt like someone was physically holding her back.

The painting of the family, of Seokjin and the late prince Seok-ho as boys, caught her eye through the mirror’s reflection. She turned and looked, wondering if the family had been happy. It was a complicated question to answer. Happy? Or at least happier when they weren’t half of a whole? She didn’t know how much Seokjin came in here. Did he come in here and look at the painting and pretend? 

She tugged the locket out from where it nestled deep in her bodice. The intricate floral pattern embossed on the front was nearly worn smooth by years brushed under her thumb. She opened it and tried to remember the portraits that had once hidden in the hollows. She would never have considered herself a sentimental person. She wasn’t. If she needed to shed the locket –and on several occasions she nearly had– she would. But looking up at the painting of young Prince Seokjin, she knew she had to leave that particular painting, even though part of her wanted it. For why? It wasn’t like she could put it anywhere. She already wasn’t sure where Taehyung was going to keep the big painting of his mother. It was over half her height, he couldn’t stow it in the bunkhouse where the yard boys slept!

Taking too long, she scolded herself and promptly swiped everything from the vanity onto the floor. Not every thief would destroy the room as she went but she wanted it to look like someone careless or thoughtless or even possibly hateful of the royal family. These things would divert suspicion from both her and Taehyung. She was none of those things, a truth that clinched in her belly as she flinched when the late queen’s combs and cheek powder and lip stain hit the floor. The ornate flowers popped off a particularly beautiful comb that Dulce regretted not taking for her own personal stash, if she was someone who could be so selfish and collect stolen things. The queen was wearing it in one of the paintings. It was beautiful and now it was broken and shame made Dulce sweaty.

Had she done enough damage to move on? She slipped into the queen’s closet and found herself stunned once again. The volume of clothing and jewelry here was overwhelming, even beyond Nasimiyu’s closet in Marvono. By comparison, Nasimiyu was practically impoverished with how few gowns she had here, fewer than two dozen until her new ones were made. Dulce had three sets of clothing to her name, not including the shift she slept in.

She took a couple pieces of jewelry –two rings and a bracelet– and slid them into her pocket, then simply tugged clothing from the hangers, again to look like she had meant to take things, or pilfered through for secret valuables. Even though she was leaving many valuables just sitting right in the open. Hopefully no one would find these things too odd but even if they did, at the very least it wouldn’t point to her. 

Dulce surveyed her work. It didn’t seem like enough but she couldn’t bring herself to do more. There wasn’t anything personal for her in destroying this sanctuary, though she suspected Taehyung might have done significant damage. Or maybe not, since the Queen had been kind to him. But now these were the King’s rooms, not hers. 

Hoisting the canvas bag was significantly more cumbersome now. Dulce, on the small side, had to clumsily shuffle along with it in front of her, the straps digging into her wrists so it wouldn’t drag on the ground, the lantern wedged in at the top. Wrangling the secret door open and closed behind her was a feat, though a sense of relief came over her once it was closed and she was alone in the pitch black. There, it was done, she hadn’t done too much harm, and she was out.

Dulce was used to moving through the dark, but this dark was so total it made it hard to breathe. She should have lit the lamp before closing the door but her gut had said to hurry, that she was going to be late or caught. She dug the flint and steel from her pocket and made sure her back was to the paintings before she struck it. It took a few minutes of feeling around before she could send a spark in the right direction, and the whole time drawing steady, measured breaths to keep her mind from drifting away from her in this total void. She hadn’t known it was possible to drown in darkness. 

The wick lit and her shoulders released. 

As tempting as it was to leave the things right by the ivy door, she had to expect that the first thing the King would do was charge down the secret passageway to see if the thief had entered that way. Instead Taehyung had drawn her a map to get to a particular hidden spot in the caves where he would retrieve the paintings and from there supposedly take them to a secret and trustworthy painter who would make his copies. That was beyond Dulce’s job.

The map was difficult to follow in the dark with the lantern and the canvas bag and Taehyung’s unskilled linework. Several times she took wrong turns, felt it in her gut, and had to backtrack to make sure. The caves were a maze, and the first time she accidentally stepped into one of the massive caverns gave her a scare like nothing ever did before. It felt like a death sentence to be down here alone. Trapped. By and large helpless. Weighed down with stolen goods. The dark creeping close behind.

She paused to let her body acclimate to the rush of fear and gazed up at the fake starry sky for what comfort it could give. It was beautiful, like nothing she had ever seen, somehow so like and yet so alien to the actual night sky. Personally she thought Paloma’s broad open blanket of night was even more beautiful but maybe that was because it reminded her of freedom and eternity all the time she had slept beneath it and this here was oppression. To never be able to leave this, to always amble through the dark for generations, to not even know you were missing the sun…

Hell might look like this. Dulce followed none of the minor religions that had taken root in Yeonhalbi and yet she thought hell might look just like this.

At last she felt certain she’d found the spot. Instead of wondering how much time Taehyung had spent here to notice and even map this spot, she quickly unburdened herself of the paintings, after fishing the jewels out of the bottom of the bag and shoving them into her pockets. The tiara wouldn’t fit and she held it awkwardly in her hands, not sure what to do about it. 

Noise behind her made her dive for shelter behind the stones hiding the paintings, tiara clutched to her chest, preventing her from dragging out the blade instinct told her too. Likely just an animal, but still she waited, crouched, breath steady and quiet.

Footsteps padded closer, paused, then shuffled closer again, then another pause. She glimpsed a blue directional light bouncing off the wall against the yellow glow of her lantern and realized it was a person. Shit. She had hoped not to cross paths with any of the gamekeepers down here; she didn’t know how many there were or what habits they kept, but Taehyung said there were only a few and not to worry about it. 

Well she was worrying about it now as she listened to the crunch of slow, careful footsteps. Obviously footsteps now. Inspecting the light she had foolishly relied on. She’d been caught, shit! 

She fished the dagger out from her thigh, annoyed still that she’d lost the one Nasimiyu gave her, usually easier to grab from her boot. Then she crouched, waiting, ready to pounce if the person did indeed discover her.

The figure stopped. She could only make out the rounded shadow moving closer to her abandoned lantern. Nothing else was left out there, she was sure of it –but then why did the figure pause so long beside the lantern and crouch down? Damnit, she should have extinguished and hidden the lantern as soon as she had light to see by. These were the sort of mistakes that got you killed.

“It’s dangerous being in the caves alone,” the man said, a weak and aged voice that evaporated in the heavy atmosphere as soon as the words were spoken. “To get out from here, put your right hand on the wall and take every turn you meet, never take your hand off. May the gods have mercy on your soul.”

With that he ambled away, his blue light rocking with his steps. Dulce remained tucked away until she was sure he was gone and only then slid out from the cramped space. Gingerly she picked up the lantern and looked around for any sign of who it was or any evidence of what he might have been looking at. Was it just the lantern? There was nothing else she could see. He was gone, her lamp left where she’d set it.

May the gods have mercy on your soul. Was it a threat? A warning? Sympathy? Did he know who she was or what she’d done, or was this how he handled anyone who wandered into the caves? It had sounded like Master Boutros, the game master she had met in these caves on the hunt so many weeks ago, but she couldn’t say for sure. Maybe everyone sounded like that when you made them live in an underground cave. 

She took the tiara and tossed it as far into the cavern as she could. It disappeared quickly over the lip of the cliff she didn’t go anywhere near; she’d turned her back before that and let her right hand lead her out, just like he had said. She had no reason to believe it wasn’t a trap except her own gut at this point. She let some of the jewelry fall from her pockets on the way. Not to the ivy door though, to a different one she learned as she stepped through it, this one further down the mountain path than they had gone for the hunt. Just how turned around had she been in there?

Aware she had been gone a long time and that her thieving may already have been discovered, Dulce hurried back up the path to the palace, slowing when she neared the yard so she could make sure no one was in view before sliding through the gate. Her heavy pockets tugged with every step so she held them down and continued her steady gait through the yard, into the palace, through quiet halls until she reached Nasimiyu’s room. If anyone saw her at this point, she didn’t care; her scowl likely put them off. 

She only grabbed a parasol from Nasimiyu’s wardrobe so she’d have a reason to make her way to the Sunflower Festival and meet up with Nasimiyu, –or rather with Taehyung, who was supposed to make sure he was visible to all and easy to find. From Nasimiyu’s window she tossed several of the jewels into the bushes far below, then set off again. On the way she took a detour through the hallway that ran near Prince Seokjin’s room and let one of his mother’s rings fall from the window into his courtyard. A bracelet joined it from another window. It wouldn’t make any sense why a thief would drop the jewelry there, but obviously Seokjin wouldn’t have taken it. Confusing was ok. Better than making a mistake while trying too obviously to throw people off your scent.

There were only a few things still in her pockets now and for a moment she contemplated hiding them in Mirta’s bed. But no, Dulce wasn’t someone who sought petty revenge on her own account. Instead she took a walk through the Queen’s garden to reach the front of the palace, and along the way pressed a ring and a bracelet into the dirt beneath a sweet statue of a little dancing girl.

The empty pockets should have left her feeling light as she set off for the Sunflower Fest, but she still felt weighed down. She’d tried to not take anything too sentimental looking but what did she know? No way was that tiara ever getting found. Once the things in Seokjin’s courtyard were found they’d probably scour the palace and find some of it but maybe not the things in the cave, which Master Boutros would probably find and thrift. Who would think to look under the statue in the garden?  

Shit, what was wrong with her though? As if the royal family actually needed so many jewels, or specific jewels. How fortunate was it to own things at all? She’d barely made a dent in the queen’s rooms. There was so much there, if she hadn’t made a mess they might not have even noticed anything but the paintings were gone. If all of this was in service of Taehyung getting the painting of his mother, then so be it. The King and Prince could cry into their remaining riches.

The strong scent of wilting sunflowers had snuck up on her, the noise of the festive town kept back by her thoughts until she reached the main road and its bright yellow glow. She paused to stare up at an arch made completely of flowers reaching far over her head. Probably it had been beautiful hours ago but now the leaves were curling, the petals starting to tumble from the heavy, sagging stalks. 

People crowded the main roads so densely it was difficult to move through, their feet trampling any flower that broke free from where they’d been tied to every surface, strung up rootless for the spectacle. So many of them it almost hurt to look at, second only in awe to actually walking through a field of living, growing sunflowers. Actually, pushing her way through people was not that different than stalks, trying not to trip on the children who darted past like energetic rabbits, avoiding the bumps and tugs of folks nudging past on their way to food or music or spectacles. A man juggled flaming torches, one of which landed too far and crushed a statue of flowers, impossible to tell what it had been, while the crowd shouted and laughed. Musicians tried to get a group to dance but there wasn’t space. A baby in her mother’s arms reached out a hand and poked delicately at the center of a flower, enraptured until a man jumped around it and shouted to scare the child, who promptly burst into tears while her mother scolded the man. 

But Dulce couldn’t appreciate these little moments because it was too busy, too crowded, and she had somewhere to be. She wound her way through the maze of townsfolk, following the main roads as she suspected Nasimiyu would. She kept her eyes peeled for Nasimiyu’s tall dark head, or the uniformed guards, or a wave of people who might be circling around the King. Would Naimiyu and Prince Seokjin stay near his father or wander off on their own? Taehyung had promised to be near Nasimiyu and Nasimiyu would be…

Dulce had no idea. She’d never been to this sort of thing with Nasimiyu. She didn’t know what Nasimiyu would be drawn to. Nothing, was her guess.

So where would the Prince go? Food. But food was everywhere. Maybe music, which he seemed to like even though he claimed not to like dancing. But music was everywhere too. It seemed to usher forth from the flowers themselves, there was so much of it. Everything was so loud and bright and everyone was so happy and Dulce wondered if she had always been different or if life had made her different, to feel so incapable of joining this outpouring of community.

She moved away from the nearest knot of musicians. She wished she could find that cafe the Prince had shown her and hide in there but they were in the wrong part of town. Her stomach rumbled at the scent of delicious food but there wasn’t time. She needed to tell Taehyung the job was done so she could wash her hands of this and forget she’d been involved at all. Maybe she’d bum some coins off him and get something to eat.

A curtain of sunflowers swung across the walkway and somehow not been torn down yet. She walked through to see the fountain too overflowed with them, and children crowded around poking at them –except for a young woman who sat on the edge, and a man knelt before her, asking a question that made her shriek and throw her arms around him, and someone nearby grabbed a flower and ripped the petals off and made them rain down on the couples’ heads as they kissed.

Dulce couldn’t decide if the Festival was tragic or beautiful. Part of her envied the folks who could afford to bring whatever they wanted in the world right to their doorstep, and part of her despised the ruin of something when the flowers could have been left where they were instead of brought here to die, and part of her didn’t care at all. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered –flowers or jewels or tiaras or nice dresses. All these people who would enjoy the fair today and then back to lives of lonely drudgery tomorrow. The food they would eat and shit out, the beer they’d vomit up, whatever cheap goods they were scammed into buying. At best the children would remember the day as magical and then someday find themselves chasing an impossible joy before confronting the reality that it was only the glow of childhood that had made reality seem so lovely.

She didn’t regret that this was not something she could connect with, that’s just how it was. 

On a whim she reached for the chain of her locket. The locket was the stupidest, most sentimental thing about her. She’d nearly tossed it many times to prove a point, only to keep it after all. It was a weakness, finding comfort in rubbing her thumb over the embossed face, she knew that. She would never risk her life over a piece of jewelry, and yet she still had it–

Had. 

It was gone.

“Nothing matters,” she quickly, defensively reminded herself. A woman’s scream interrupted her, timed in such a way she thought it was in her head. Still, she instinctively spun as people suddenly bolted, and in the cleared space not two yards away, she watched a man leave his knife in Seokjin’s chest.

It hadn’t occurred to Seokjin until just now what a terrible meeting place the fountain was. It was right there, right in the middle of everything, and everyone was watching him, every step he took. He’d noticed it the second they walked through the sunflower arch, him with his bride-to-be on his arm. He knew the people would be curious about their future queen, but he hadn’t expected them to stare at him so much. He was just the same ol’! Did they think he was undergoing a transformation now that he had a fiance and was only weeks away from being a husband?

August now. November 1st they would marry and the woman loosely holding his arm would become his wife for the rest of his life.

Seokjin turned his attention to thinking about what food he might like to eat today. The smells flooded his senses, leading him by the nose along the street. He wanted to see all his options and choose carefully; he also wanted to buy everything that appealed to him and eat until he had to be rolled home, like he hadn’t since he was a child. 

It would not endear him to Nasimiyu, that was for sure. He didn’t think she’d eaten a single thing since they arrived, certainly none of the things he had offered. It almost left him glad that Namjoon was hungry and eager to trawl the food vendors, just so he wouldn’t do it alone. Not that he minded being alone, but sometimes it was fun to do something not alone, even if just to discuss whether that peppered fruit had been spicy or if the chicken skewers were too chewy or if the takoyaki had too strong a flavor. Not that he really cared whether Namjoon enjoyed the food or not but it was something. Dulce would have understood and appreciated the food, he was sure of it. He didn’t think she would agree with him on everything but it would have been fun to learn. He wished he knew her well enough to predict.

Was he just going to think things like that now and pretend like it was normal? Maybe. He didn’t feel in the mood to be scolded right now.

“Do you want to wander that way?” Nasimiyu asked. She didn’t want to sit still for any of the shows or eat any of the food and yet she seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself and he couldn’t figure out why. He couldn’t decide whether to take it at face value or accept it was faked and play along.

But Seokjin couldn’t wander that way because he needed to meet with “K.” She hadn’t given him a time, only told him to meet her by the clock tower, which loomed down over him now from the nearest corner of the square. He also didn’t know what “K” looked like, only that she was someone who had known his brother closely –close enough to know that Seok-ho had broken a vase when they were children for which Seokjin had been blamed. Not just any vase, but one their father’s mother had made with her own hands. The men in their family were nothing if not sentimental. Seok-ho had let him take the blame, and though he didn’t make a habit of that sort of thing it had always lingered with Seokjin, that early lesson that his blessed, beloved brother could be selfish too.  

He glanced around, expecting someone to approach, but probably K realized the difficulty as well, that it would be impossible to get him alone for any sort of private conversation. 

Nasimiyu still eyed him expectantly and he felt he had no choice to nod and follow. Lidmila and Mindeulle wound around them and though he reached for Nasimiyu’s hand, she didn’t seem to notice and strode ahead, confident he would follow. It was nice to see her forming such good friendships with the other women, even if it felt strange to see her so close with Mindeulle. He wouldn’t have expected that. But hey, great! Wonderful. Probably Nasimiyu would want Mindeulle to stay and Namjoon would use it as an excuse to stay and Seokjin would never be rid of him. 

He watched her duck under a curtain of sunflowers to follow Nasimiyu and was struck by the realization that any special fondness he’d ever held for Mindeulle had settled so peacefully into brotherly affection that it was hard to recall if any actually had existed or if his father had only put that thought there. He wouldn’t have even called it a crush, but whatever it was, it was snuffed out entirely; at most maybe it had been a distant affection of childhood. Had Nasimiyu entering his life really taken over his senses so profoundly?

Music suddenly struck up behind him, making him startle and spin. Marks and Jungkook were close on either side and remained stoic but Jimin grinned and Seokjin pretended not to know why. There was something familiar about the band though, and it took him a moment and a few steps forward to recognize them. It was the band that had played for the wedding he and Dulce wandered through that day in the city, when he’d almost asked her to dance, he was sure of it. It amused him to think about what she would have done if he had. Her agreement at the ball had surprised him, so maybe she would have surprised him that day too, but he thought it more likely she would have stared at him with those wide dark eyes –the same color as the center of a sunflower. Or maybe it was more like her hair, with that hint of reddish glow. 

No wonder it felt like she was everywhere today despite being nowhere. If she’d come to the festival at all, he sure hadn’t seen her. Nasimiyu had brought other attendants. He’d seen Yoongi drinking a beer earlier and Taehyung was lurking nearby, pretending not to be visible, but since Dulce wasn’t with either of them, he thought that meant she hadn’t come. Or she was avoiding him. Probably it was for the best either way.

“Why are you grinning like that?” Jimin asked, sidling up to him. “Is the scent of the flowers going to your head?” He reached up to fix Seokjin’s collar and the braided trim looping from his shoulders. Wouldn’t it be a lot more fun here if he hadn’t needed to dress up? But Hoseok and Jimin insisted, and Nasimiyu would have been disappointed if he’d stepped out with her for the first time in a vest with no jacket. Still, he was just waiting for someone to spill something on his white trousers.

“Hmm yes, it’s that,” Seokjin joked, wafting the air towards his nose only to playfully cough. “Yes, still smells like Priva under there.”

“Did you mean to let the Princess leave you behind?”

“Ah, no… oops,” Seokjin admitted.

Jimin circled him, as if checking that nothing else was amiss with his outfit or maybe enjoying the clear ring of space the bodyguards maintained for him.

“You seem distracted today. What’s got into your head?” Jimin pressed.

“What do you mean? It’s the Sunflower Festival! Which means there’s absolutely nothing going on up there,” Seokjin assured him. He couldn’t understand why Jimin eyed him so suspiciously, even leaned close to peer into his face.

“You didn’t sit up all night reading, did you?” Jimin guessed.

Seokjin laughed –guiltily, truth be told– and cried, “What do you scold me, is that your place? Where’s Hoseok or Master Jung, that’s their job, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know where he is so I’m taking it over today. Where do you want to go now? Chin up, shoulders back, look your best.”

“Don’t speak so familiarly to me in public,” Seokjin teased. “People will think I’m a lenient prince. Where’s my fiance? Take me to her now!”

To Seokjin’s confusion, Jimin paused for a moment and looked at him in a way that felt pointed, or curious, or suspicious. Something that wasn’t the normal way Jimin would look at him and it made Seokjin self conscious. He wiped at his face in case there was something there but felt nothing.

“Is that what you’re worried about? I don’t know, you don’t tell me what you’re thinking these days, so how can I serve you? All right, I will take you to your princess,” Jimin said, suddenly animated again. He turned towards the curtain through which Nasimiyu had passed now some time ago and Seokjin took a step after him.

“Excuse me, do you want your fortune read?”

The voice reached him across the space and general noise of the festival, cut right through as if his ear marked it familiar, though it wasn’t. Seokjin turned to see the woman who had approached to address him, though no closer than Marks would allow. 

“Your fortune read, Your Royal Highness?” The woman looked vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn’t quite recall where he’d seen her before. Her long face was pretty, though her dress was simple, her dark blond hair pulled back in a low ponytail. She reached up to touch her face and then tugged at the neckline of her shirt, where a heavy ring hung on a string, her only adornment. A moment longer than he would have admitted it, he realized the ring was a signet ring –his brothers, most likely, and that this woman might be, must be “K.” 

“You’re a fortune teller?” he asked, wondering if that was true. He worried now he might be falling prey to a scam, or maybe this woman believed in whatever warning she read from the cards he didn’t believe in– but how had she got his brother’s ring?

“I have my tent only here,” she said and motioned behind her. It was almost a tent. Barely one. A couple heavy dark curtains were tied up, creating a small private space right beside a bustling side street.

Seokjin could feel the distrust rolling off Marks as the bodyguard nudged her back and tried to move Seokjin along, but he simply stepped around the bodyguard and agreed, “Yes, let’s see what my palm has to say.” 

“Wha–” Jimin began but Seokjin ignored him and reached for the tent. He could see Marks thought this was absurd but he had no right to tell Seokjin no, and only motioned for the woman to wait as he stepped into the tent first, clearly with intention to stay.

“I’ll get my fortune told alone,” Seokjin announced. “You can all wait outside.”

“But Your Highness–”

“But Ser–”

“Do you think she’s going to slip poison into my mouth from across the table?” Seokjin demanded, gesturing to her as she waited at the opening. 

“It’s not safe for you to be out of sight and alone,” Marks insisted.

Seokjin knew he was wasting time and decided, “Fine, Jungkook can come in with me. I guess I’ll be less embarrassed for him to hear if I’ve got a rotten fortune.” Anyone could have seen Jimin was hurt by this exclusion, so Seokjin pointed out, “It’s too small and Jungkook’s the bodyguard. I’ll tell you anything juicy over snacks tonight.” He didn’t wait for an answer but slid through the opening of the sheets after Marks had stepped out and Jungkook in. The woman came in last and tugged the curtain closed, then sat on one of two stools in the cramped space. There was a small table, but no cards or anything, only a single candle that put off an outrageous amount of heat as it burned low.

By it Seokjin saw her glancing warily at Jungkook, so he started in a quiet voice, “Are you K? You may speak freely in front of him, he’s both a bodyguard and a trusted friend.”

“I… if you say so…”

Jungkook’s brow scrunched in confusion and he opened his mouth to ask something but Seokjin tapped his lips with his finger and Jungkook stayed his tongue.

“We won’t have much time without seeming suspicious,” Seokjin told her, sitting on the stool and leaning close. He was already beginning to sweat in the trapped heat. The drapes did an eerily good job of muting both light and sound from outside but for all he knew Marks and Jimin were listening close and while he trusted at least Jimin, it was clear the woman was nervous.

Suddenly it struck him where he’d seen her before and he asked, “How are your children?”

“Oh. You do remember me?”

“Yes, it was you with your sons. Is he all right, the one who was hurt?”

“Yes, he’s all right. They’re with my mother right now.”

“So you can work? You’re a… fortune teller?”

“I’m not actually. Is this really so convincing? It’s the only way I could think to get time to speak with you.”

Impressed, Seokjin studied her concerned expression and asked, “What is it you want to talk to me about? Is that why you came to court that day? And why do you have my brother’s ring? Who were you to my brother?”

“His wife,” she breathed out, the word so airy and impossible that Seokjin thought he must have misheard.

“Pardon?”

“I am the wife of Seok-ho,” she said again, a little clearer. 

“Um…”

“And those children you saw are his,” she added. 

“That’s not possible,” Seokjin said as he racked his mind to see if it could be.

“I wish I had time to tell you everything, to tell you our entire love story,” she said. “It distressed him not to tell you but of course, I was secret. It wasn’t you he didn’t trust but everyone else.”

“How could he have a secret wife and children?” Seokjin argued. “It’s not possible.”

“We met here in the city. He used to visit the tavern I worked in–”

“My brother didn’t visit taverns.”

“He did,” she insisted. “In secret. I didn’t know who he was, he was always dressed as a commoner –handsome though. So very handsome.” Seokjin couldn’t say anything. It was impossible. It didn’t sound like his brother at all. “We fell in love. He bought us a house outside the city we met at sometimes, other times we stole time together in secret here. We married and I had our children and then… then he went on a military campaign he never returned from.”

Seokjin didn’t hide the confusion from his face. How else should he look when meeting a woman who insisted that his brother the royal prince had led a secret double life?!

She tugged the string over her head and handed him the ring.

“He gave me this and told me that if anything ever happened to him, I could contact you if I felt in trouble. He was certain you would understand and help his wife and children.”

“Yes of course I would but…” Seokjin looked at her, looked for any hint in her face she was crazy or lying. But she looked sincere, and the ring was real, and her story, as outlandish as it was… well, there was a flicker of belief among the doubt. He had always suspected his brother had a secret affair but he’d been thinking penpal, not commoner wife in the country. “But what did he think was going to happen? What did you think? He was going to have to marry as king.” 

“I don’t know, to be honest. It’s not that I liked the secret life but a barmaid can’t become a queen and he was afraid for my safety if I was known. Your father never would have let him marry me. Sometimes he thought he would run away with me but he didn’t want to leave the crown to you.”

“Astonishing faith in me.”

“I meant– he said because you didn’t want it, and he wanted to protect you from the expectations and let you be free,” she corrected. “I didn’t explain it well. I don’t come from money or nobility or education or anything like that. But I loved your brother with everything I had, and he loved me back. I knew it every day, whether we were together or not. I would have lived my entire life his secret if I had to. We both knew something might have to change as the boys got older. My older one looks so much like him but he died before anyone could notice.”

Did he? Seokjin couldn’t remember at all, he hadn’t been paying attention except to the injured one. He certainly hadn’t been looking for traces of his brother. 

“Why did you come to court if you wanted to stay hidden?”

“Your father knows about me,” she said. “And the boys. I don’t know how, but Seok-ho was certain and after that day in court, I’m positive as well. I think he even recognized me before I spoke. His whole face changed when he saw me and then my elder son. It wasn’t until my younger wandered up to the throne that he… well.”

“He’s sentimental about the chair that belonged to my mother.”

“I understand but you see, the reason I risked it, I had sent him a letter and I wasn’t sure he received it, or if he dismissed it. I think my life and that of my children is in danger.”

Seokjin didn’t dance around the truth and admitted, “If anyone knows about you, that’s probably true.” He paused, then added, “Technically your sons are in line ahead of me for the throne.”

“I don’t want that for them. That’s not why I sent you or your father notes,” she insisted. “The complete opposite. I just want to go far away and raise them in safety.”

“Why don’t you?”

“Money,” she said. “That’s the simple truth. Seok-ho meant to leave us with everything we would ever need, but the account he set up for me was suddenly empty one day and the bank wouldn’t tell me why. I wanted to know if your father emptied it. I can only think of a few people who would have the authority.”

“Who besides my father? We can’t just demand a bank account be turned over to us,” Seokjin argued. “And besides I don’t know why my father would do that.”

“I sent him a letter… I told you that. I’m sorry, I’m so nervous,” she admitted and only now did he realize her hands were trembling on the table. He reached forward and covered one with his own. Did he believe her or not? He didn’t want to. He wanted to remain suspicious. And yet he found himself believing her more with each word she spoke. If he accepted that he hadn’t known his brother very well at all –which was honestly, very true– then maybe this all sounded exactly like something his brother could and would pull off. It was why he would have made a good king. He knew what he wanted and made it happen. He couldn’t be swayed or coerced. He could do the impossible.

“I understand but you’re the safest you’ve ever been right now,” he found himself reassuring her. “Nothing gets past Jungkook.” The space was so cramped, it was more true than ever; Jungkook was practically resting on his back, hanging on to every word is disbelief, no doubt.

“Good. That’s good, that’s very good because I think you’re in danger too– sorry, I should say first, I don’t think Seok-ho’s death was an accident.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t, he was the king’s son in a war.”

“No, I mean– I mean I think he wasn’t killed in the battle, I think he was killed because of what he saw,” she said. 

Seokjin was so heated by this point he thought he might faint but kept his hand on hers and asked, “What did he see?”

“I don’t know except that it had something to do with your uncle. He sent me a letter within a letter and asked me to make sure it was delivered to your father. The letter to me only said not to read it and that your uncle needed to be held accountable, that he had seen things he wasn’t meant to see, and that if anything happened to him, it would be even more important the letter reach your father.”

What was in the letter?! The need to know was going to drive Seokjin crazy but unlike Dulce, this woman seemed to not read other people’s letters. 

“You really don’t know what was in the letter?”

“I wish. I wish I did. I should have read it… I did what he asked and brought it to the palace and put it right into the hands of… I don’t know his name but he’s always by the king. Dark hair, big nose, always dressed very nicely–” 

“Could be anyone,” Seokjin muttered.

“Maybe Master Jung,” Jungkook murmured and Seokjin thought that could be true. 

“If so it would have reached my father, that’s as close as you could have got.”

“I should have insisted on handing it to your father myself but… but I was so afraid of him, and I didn’t know how to get to him anyway, and I was very tired with child… so many excuses now!”

“You did the best you could. You did what my brother asked,” Seokjin tried to comfort her. She pulled her hands away to brush her hair back, though it was all still in place. 

“I waited for another letter but none ever came. I had our second son. Hoya never saw him. I learned he’d died alongside everyone else in the city when it was announced.” She covered her face and drew a deep breath, shoulders shuddering.

“Everything all right in here?” Jimin asked, head suddenly poking through the flap.

“Ah, my fate is so tragic, it’s moving her to tears!” Seokjin called back. “Leave us be, it’s a rather good story.”

Jimin sighed and let the flap closed, but Seokjin heard him mutter to Marks, “It’s too hot in there, he’s going to faint and you’ll have to carry him home.”

“I’m sorry,” Seokjin said. “I… I wish I had something better to say.”

“Your uncle did something and Seokho wanted your father to know and he died for it. But what can I do about it? If I’m found out, he’ll kill me and our children too.”

“Yeah,” Jungkook thoughtlessly said and Seokjin tried to subtly elbow him. He needed to be less wrapped up in this tale and more alert to any danger.

She didn’t seem to have heard him anyway and continued, “Maybe your father wants us gone too, I don’t know. These are his grandchildren but– is it true, what you said? That they could have a claim on the throne?”

“Yes.”

“We don’t want that! But it makes it more dangerous for them, doesn’t it? If someone thinks that’s what we want?”

From me, Seokjin almost pointed out. He was the one whose claim was threatened by their existence and she had come right to him. And yet he would never have risked even a hair on one of their heads over the throne. His brother must have known that, too. Seokjin felt embarrassed with pride that his brother would put so much confidence in him. If only Seok-ho had ever seemed to think so highly of him while he lived, their relationship could have been so different…

“It does and you can’t help that,” Seokjin assured her. “I can give you all the money you need to disappear. That’s easy. I can give you enough for your journey and send notes ahead to wait for you and I won’t tell anyone in the world where you are –only I will know. If you need more help you can send me a letter.”

“That’s… thank you. It feels wrong to ask…”

“It’s not wrong,” Seokjin said. “We’re family. As for what my brother saw and my uncle… my father…” He sighed and gave a sharp shake of his head. “I don’t know what to do about that.”

“Do you believe me?”

“That my uncle is doing something nefarious and killed my brother to cover it up? I don’t doubt it at all. I wish I knew more. The best I can do is ask my father but I’ll have to figure out how to do it without making him suspicious I’ve met you… I’ll figure it out,” he assured her, sounding more confident than he felt.

If his brother had been murdered by his uncle, there was justice to demand. But Seokjin had never been very demanding, and didn’t know how to start now. How was he supposed to investigate, or convince his father there was anything to investigate? Did his father really know about Seok-ho’s secret wife? If so, was he protecting her or ignoring or, or did he not know after all? Sentimental about his grandchildren or ignorant? He’d adored Seok-ho, surely he wouldn’t let his murder go if he had suspicions. His father and uncle disagreed politically all the time, but his father didn’t replace him which said a lot. He didn’t think his father would be involved in the same business but… but what did he know? Nothing. Seokjin Kim knew nothing about anything. 

He handed the ring back to her and said, “Go to Paloma. Go to the biggest town in Paloma. Here, I’ll give you all the money I have –Jungkook, give me all your money.”

“What? Hyung,” Jungkook complained, forgetting himself and being familiar. 

“Oh, no, it’s–” the woman tried, but Seokjin insisted, “Money is one thing neither of us is short on. Take this. If you tell me where you’re staying, I’ll send Jungkook with more and then you should set out right away, as soon as you can hire transport.”

“Paloma?”

“The biggest town,” Seokjin said again, because he did not actually know which one that was.

“And you’ll find out what happened to Seok-ho?” she asked, naked hope in her eyes. “It feels wrong for his death to be swept away like that. He wanted to fix something and… and I don’t even know if my letter got to your father.” 

“I’m sure it did and he just didn’t know what to do about it or whether it was really my brother, but I’ll lend my doubts to Seok-ho’s and find out the truth,” Seokjin assured her. Realizing he hadn’t asked, he did so now, “What’s your name?”

“Kanna,” the woman answered.

“And my nephews?” The words sounded fake. He had nephews? He felt hungry for family in that moment, for more than just his depressed, eccentric father and cruel uncle and Taehyung who seemed to taunt death constantly so that Seokjin was afraid to love him too much.

“Masao and Yori.”

He repeated the names and wished there was a way to meet them. There wasn’t that he could see, not that wouldn’t endanger them and their mother. Seok-ho had loved this woman. His dead brother had trusted Seokjin to take care of them after he was gone, and that touched Seokjin deeply.

“Why did you wait so long to contact me?” Seokjin asked.

“I… I didn’t think you’d believe me. I didn’t want to risk our safety but it’s getting hard without the money, and I can’t sleep at night worrying that I failed Hoya. It’s just been weighing on my chest that he was murdered and I didn’t do anything.”

“There’s nothing else you can do,” Seokjin insisted. “Will you take on my uncle all by yourself? You’ve told me and now I’ll take care of it.”

“Maybe I’ve put you in danger by telling you, but maybe you’re already in danger. Your brother worried so much about you. He spoke about you all the time.”

“Flattering things, I’m sure,” Seokjin snorted.

“He said you were the most admirable and infuriating person he’d ever met,” she told him. “He said you were too good to be king, that only someone as selfish as him could handle it but that… that because he was selfish, he couldn’t give me up either… He spoke so unkindly of himself like that sometimes. He was so haunted by letting you take the blame for breaking that blue vase!” she laughed.

Seokjin found himself laughing too, “He told you about that.”

“He said if I told you about it, you would know I was telling you the truth because I’m the only one he ever admitted to that he broke the vase.”

Seokjin shook his head and sighed and blinked back the tears as he muttered, “Damn him.” His brother had loved him so much after all? Seokjin had known him so little after all. And now he was dead and they would never get to share their love stories or let their children run wild together at the Sunflower Fest or watch their wives… do whatever it was sisters-in-law did together, he didn’t actually know.

“Your Majesty,” Marks called from the flap and Seokjin understood he had lingered too long now. 

He took Kanna’s hand to squeeze as they both stood and insisted, “I’ll send you the money later tonight and the bank notes will be waiting in Paloma. Promise me you’ll go quickly.”

“I will. I feel much better having told you, having met you. I’m sorry we couldn’t know each other more.”

There was nothing to do but agree with that, and then let Jungkook lead him out of the tent where Marks stood alert. Jimin had grown bored and wandered over to join Taehyung and flirt with some pretty girls, but they both came over as soon as Seokjin was clear of the tent. He felt like he’d sweat out a tenth of his body weight.

“You look…” Jimin trailed off and looked around for something to fan him with.

“You were getting your fortune read?” Taehyung asked. “I want mine read.”

“Not here you don’t. It didn’t exactly seem… legitimate,” Seokjin said quickly, as if he didn’t want Kanna to hear. “Good for a laugh but I’m not sure she actually knows what she’s talking about. I’m supposed to get stomped by a horse before the next full moon, so mind you keep those beasts away from me. Ah, there’s Nasimiyu,” he said as she strode back through the sunflower curtain with a determined look on her face, clearly looking for him.

“And Namjoon,” Jimin added as he made a beeline for them at the same time.

“Well I know which of those two I’d rather talk to,” Seokjin laughed. “Taehyung, go.” He used the moment of everyone shifting around to lean close to Jungkook and whisper, “Stay here for a moment and make sure no one bothers her.”

“You got it,” Jungkook said and took a step back as Nasimiyu reached him.

“Where were you? I thought you were right behind us,” she accused.

“I’m sorry, I got distracted. I’ll follow you anywhere now,” he promised. He did not point out she had left him behind some time ago. Had she only noticed?

“There was a little dancing monkey,” Mindeulle gushed, all giggles with Lidmila. 

“Oh you saw the monkey?” Seokjin asked, before adding, “He’s here every year.”

“He was very polite,” Nasimiyu grinned. “Shook my hand.”

“You… like monkeys?”

“Yes, I like monkeys, if they’re clever or funny. Some of them are rather mischievous…”

Seokjin would never have expected this. It left him speechless, and unfortunately open to Namjoon successfully reaching them.

“Seokjin, your father is uh– I think he could use you right now,” Namjoon told him, leaning in but doing a poor job of lowering his voice.

Seokjin’s suspicion was immediate as he argued, “What could he possibly need me for? He doesn’t need me.”

“Just come on.” Namjoon beckoned. Seokjin knew exactly what his father would be up to today –running around like the most cheerful man on earth until he’d drunk enough for it to turn into longing for his dead wife, at which point he’d sink into despair and his guard would foist him away to the palace. No Seokjin needed. He felt no inclination to go now. He had a lot to think through. His was going to get indigestion.

But Nasimiyu followed Namjoon, which left Seokjin in the awkward position of having to follow as well. He did make one pitiful effort to distract her by pointing out a nearby shop with jewelry if she’d like him to buy her something nice instead of forging ahead to see whatever embarrassing thing his father might be doing. Not that Seokjin was embarrassed by his father in general, nor did he embarrass easily, but that was exactly it, that whatever his father was doing that Namjoon found so inappropriate Seokjin needed to rush to his side was in fact just the way his father was. 

“He was right here…” Namjoon said, stopping short and looking around. They’d stopped beside a tavern that had set up tables and several beer kegs on the sidewalk to let the celebration spill over. Namjoon craned his neck looking around while Seokjin counted his blessings and turned to Nasimiyu to suggest they wander like she’d said. He had a lot of trying of things bouncing around his mind and it would be better to just walk dumbly beside her for a while until he could reconcile the fact that he had a sister-in-law and two nephews who he would never see again. That his brother had hidden this from him, but also known he could count on Seokjin when needed, without explanation. 

“Oh there he is,” Nasimiyu said –or maybe it was actually Lidmila, but Seokjin wasn’t paying attention until Nasimiyu nudged his arm and Namjoon gestured for him to lead the way.

Confused, Seokjin pointed out, “He’s fine.” In fact his father the king seemed more than fine, one arm thrown out while he laughed around a deep mug of beer.

“He was on the verge of something just a minute ago,” Namjoon insisted. 

“On the verge of what?” Nasimiyu pressed and Seokjin found himself fond with gratefulness that she was taking his side. Not that there were sides between him and Namjoon in this but kind of there were.

“He was waving his sword around and beer in the other, shouting about love and death,” Namjoon said. Seokjin was not sure he believed him. His father’s sword was safely tucked away in its scabbard, not even a hand on the pommel, and he seemed perfectly in control of his emotions.

Until he saw Seokjin and let out a shockingly cheerful shout, “Ah, my boy!” Maybe that was a little suspicious, for his father to be so openly cheered by the sight of him. “Let me tell you, my son could never hold his alcohol, but this boy can!” the king added to the folks nearest him around the kegs. Seokjin suppressed a sigh. Was he proud or backhanded? He shouldn’t be calling Seokjin this boy to the people he would rule someday.

“Let’s escort him home?” Nasimiyu suggested. “We can come back.”

Seokjin gave her a look. As if he could escort his father anywhere. What an absurd idea. King Donggun would go where he wanted, when he wanted.

“Seokjin, Namjoon, come drink with me,” he shouted. “Nasimiyu, will you drink? I will gather the ducklings just like your mother would have wanted. Mindeulle, who are you here with, my son and other ladies? Time you met someone…”

Mindeulle inhaled sharply enough that Seokjin did step forward, interrupting, “Father, what, you want a drink with me? I’ll drink you under the table, old man. Your men there will have to carry you home.”

“You brat, I’ve been drinking beer since before you were a tickle in my balls.” 

“You should have stopped before you tickled, old man, I’ll unseat you,” Seokjin countered, and tried first to take the beer out of his father’s hand before simply accepting the one someone else handed him. He was trying to end this, not join the drink. 

“What other ducklings have we got around here? Everyone’s mothers are dead, isn’t that a joke of the heavens? Why is that? It’s not right. Our worlds revolve around them even after death, but they would forget us. Little Lidmila, I see you hiding there, your mother is still alive,” he called. “And can drink with the best of them!”

Lidmila looked like she wanted to slip beneath a table and evaporate. She practically dove behind Nasimiyu.

“Stableboy, I see you. Have a drink on me!” the king called and Seokjin didn’t know if it was paternal, or taunting, or if he was so drunk he’d forgotten about his own progeny.

“Why do you want to drink with the children?” Seokjin asked. “Where are your own friends, father?”

“Damn them to hell, I don’t know. Sleeping late I should think, or hiding from me. What’s wrong with them on a day like this, eh? It’s beautiful, beautiful, your mother will love it,” he said. 

Will.

“Yes, the flowers are beautiful,” Seokjin said and his father’s head lolled to the side and he grinned and sighed.

“They are. They are beautiful today. They’ll be gone by tomorrow. Their beauty never lasts.” He trailed off as he said it and for a moment Seokjin feared he was slipping into one of his stupors, which would make him nearly impossible to move home. Then he realized his father had forgotten himself and stared at Taehyung. Likely it wasn’t only the queen his father mourned today, but Seokjin wasn’t worried his father would let something like that slip. After all these years, King Donggun hadn’t drunkenly tattled on his own affair.

“They’d go running around together here, those girls,” King Donggun sighed. “Both of ‘em pretending to be commoners for the day. Sukdheep thought it was horrifying but she’d humor her, humor her anything. Are you as full of humor as your mother, Little Lidmila?”

“...Yes, sir?” Lidmila guessed, clearly not sure what to say.

“Where’s your mother today?” the king asked. “I was never as close to her… but I look around and everyone is gone but the two of us. Just me and the ducklings left. I’m the last one who should be left with all the baby birds. Two clumsy hands, I’ve got!” He waved the mug of beer and some sloshed over his hand and splashed onto Seokjin’s shoes and across the trousers of one of the king’s guards, who stepped back in surprise. “What’s wrong, afraid of a little beer, you coward?” King Donggun laughed and flung the rest of the beer directly onto the guard.

“Father, that’s rude even for you,” Seokjin scolded, trying not to sound shocked in case it just egged him on further. The guard stepped back, stoic but whole body stiff with obvious anger. Seokjin didn’t even know the man’s name, he must be on the newer side and maybe hadn’t understand what he was signing up for.

“Who do you think you are?” Donggun demanded, then suddenly softened as he looked at Seokjin and admitted, “You look so much like her, it makes me love and hate you.”

“Is that so?” Seokjin said. He’d meant to say something funny but his mind had betrayed him. He didn’t want to be near his father anymore, not today. His father was just drunk and vacillating between bitter and nostalgic. Seokjin and Nasimiyu didn’t need to be here to witness it. His father had taken care of himself for this long and didn’t need an loved-but-hated son tidying him up. Namjoon knew that by now, Seokjin didn’t see why he’d been fetched, unless Namjoon felt like Seokjin should be up for some emotional torment –not that this was much of anything. It barely registered. Hadn’t his father just said he loved him? That was nice.

“Her eyes were always laughing too but she was kinder about it,” Donggun said just as Seokjin began to turn, to lead Nasimiyu off to something more fun than this. The complaint made Seokjin hesitate –his father could be painfully, cleverly cruel when drunk, but his voice sounded almost hurt. 

“Wha? I’m unkind? What can–” you possibly mean by that Seokjin had begun to say, turning back after all to demand his answer, just as a man slid into the space left by the guard who’d turned to dab the beer off his suit. Just as this man raised the knife. 

It wasn’t that he thought about whether to act or not. Honestly, it was stupid of him, wasn’t it? How embarrassing, that despite nearly twenty-five years of training, Seokjin’s instinct was not to disarm or even attack the man. He did in fact grab the man’s wrist as he dove between his father and the assailant, but failed to shove the weapon safely away. Instead he noticed how surprised the man looked as the blade sank into Seokjin’s chest, sliding in his left side with little resistance until the blade scraped against bone. Seokjin didn’t know a blade could skewer a body that gently. He had never dreamed how obvious the scrape of blade against his bone would be.

Things happened very quickly but they felt slow to Seokjin. Someone screamed. Multiple people screamed. Someone knocked the assailant away and Seokjin looked down at the knife protruding from his body when there wasn’t supposed to be something sticking out of him like that. Someone grabbed his shoulders and spun him around and his father shouted at him,

“Are you stupid?!”

“I think so,” Seokjin mumbled as more people grabbed his arms, he wasn’t even sure who, but it felt like he was falling. Nasimiyu looked worried, that was nice. Where had Dulce come from? Had she always been here? He was falling –no, he was being eased back onto something. Someone reached for the blade, or their hand was close, and he shouted because everything in his body told him that something wasn’t supposed to be there and it burned but it would be worse if it wasn’t there anymore. He didn’t want anyone touching it. He didn’t want anyone touching him either but Jungkook’s face was over his and he could hear Jimin’s voice shouting for people to get back. At least he thought that’s what the urgency meant.

Seokjin shouted as it felt like he was thrown into the air but he was only lifted. The board was hard beneath him and didn’t let his body curl in around the pain the way he wanted to. Without meaning to he reached for the blade, maybe it needed to come out after all, but a hand grabbed his arm and pressed it down to his side.

“Don’t let him take it out.” He recognized Dulce’s voice, or maybe she’d said that before, everything was all out of order right now. It was Nasimiyu’s hand holding his arm down. Jimin held the other arm down. He didn’t like being held down like that and complained but no one seemed to care, or maybe he wasn’t quite saying words. It didn’t hurt the way he’d expected it to but it was impossible to breathe or move. Maybe that had more to do without everyone moving so quickly around him than the injury. It was just a small knife. Wasn’t it not a big deal? It went in so easily, it could come out so easily too.

“Hey, hey,” he called to any of them that would listen. It didn’t feel right to be lying on his back on a plank as Jungkook and Marks carried him. “Don’t you know I have an image to uphold? I’m not dead, let me walk!” Everyone was being way too serious and it scared him. Was it worse than he thought? 

“Stay still,” Jimin scolded.

“At least carry me on your shoulders like a king, let me sit up.”

“Just be quiet right now, hyung,” Jungkook said. “You’ll be ok. You’ll be fine. Just let us get you all to safety. You won’t die.”

“Yah, why don’t you sound sure?” Seokjin laughed, then winced. He didn’t want the people around him to panic but damn. Something was wrong. It was suddenly so cold, and wasn’t that someone thought right before they died? What if the blade had gone right into his heart and he was bleeding out…

“Ok fine run faster, I’m tired from doing heroics,” he said, wincing as the board jostled.

“What?” Nasimiyu asked, then, “What did he say? He’s so quiet…” He appreciated that she sounded worried. She did, didn’t she? That was good, for his future wife to be worried about him when he got stabbed in the chest. But where was she? She wasn’t holding his arm anymore, Taehyung was, and Nasimiyu was gone, and Dulce was staring down into his face –no, it was sunflowers overhead as the board was loaded into the back of a wagon. So many people were shouting still and Seokjin only just realized it because it hadn’t stopped so he’d tuned it out. 

He cried out as the wagon jolted into action, and beside him Jimin rubbed his hair and soothed, “It’ll be fine. It’ll be fine. You can’t die yet so you won’t, everything will be fine.”

“I’m not going to die,” Seokjin agreed. “This doesn’t seem like a good day for dying. I just need to lay down for a while.”

“You’re already laying down. Seokjin? Seokjin?”

Nasimiyu couldn’t bear to be next to Seokjin in the wagon –not that his guards wanted her there anyway. His manservant Jimin practically bodied her away as the wagon began to roll, but when King Donggun called for a horse, she echoed his demand, and so the two rode in the dust of the wagon with half their guards mounted around them, half running alongside to shout people away from the path. It was panic and chaos, between the people who didn’t know what was happening except it was something terrible, Lidmila and Mindeulle who both fluttered around like trapped moths as she left them behind, even in her own heart that couldn’t believe what she had just seen and didn’t know what it meant. Seokjin couldn’t die yet. This wasn’t her doing. Neither of them were supposed to die until she was securely married, so who had done this?! He must be in so much pain.

She reached the palace yard and let the horses be taken control of and didn’t spare a second thought about it. They were slowly lowering Seokjin from the wagon to carry inside but he wasn’t making any noise and she didn’t know what that meant. If he’d been stabbed in the heart, he would already be dead. She couldn’t tell. Even though she saw the knife slide into him again each time she closed her eyes, she wasn’t sure where it hit, and she found herself too afraid to draw close. Instead she looked around, trying to figure out who did this, and whether she was in danger too. She took steps towards Seokjin, then back towards the yard to look for Dulce, then towards the palace because Dulce would tell her to get somewhere safe, right? That’s what she should do. Where was safe when she didn’t know who had just attacked the King and Seokjin, or why, or if she was next?

“Go to your room,” a voice commanded, as clear to her ear as if it had been whispered there. She looked back as Dulce appeared on a horse behind Mindeulle, Lidmila and her mother on others, Namjoon as well. Apparently more houses could be found after all, and in a way Nasimiyu felt like the true guard had just rolled in. They were in the palace and these people would keep her safe. 

Dulce slid from behind Mindeulle –what a place for Nasimiyu’s maid to ride! She wondered how that had come about but was too frazzled to ask. Instead she waited for Dulce to approach, and urge again,

“Go to your room with your guards in with you until we know what happened. Unless you already know?”

“I don’t know,” Nasimiyu insisted. “This wasn’t…”

“So go,” Dulce said again. They both watched as Lidmila’s mother went racing into the palace, where Seokjin and the King had already gone. Dulce looked like she planned to run after them.

Nasimiyu grabbed her arm, “Come with me too. Please.”

“I’ll come with you,” Lidmila said, leaping from her horse to Nasimiyu’s side in no more than three steps. Mindeulle and Namjoon were arguing in hushed whispers several yards away as the stablehands ran around shouting about whose fucking horses were these? As if that mattered right now. 

“Yes, both of you,” Dulce agreed. “Go. I’ll find out what’s going on.”

“No, come with us,” Nasimiyu argued. “What if there’s someone…”

“There’s no one–” Dulce began but was cut off by a woman’s shriek from within the palace. It was not the direction the others had gone. Nasimiyu’s instinct was to jump back onto the horse and ride far away but Dulce dashed without hesitation in the direction of the scream. Mindeulle and Namjoon ran after Dulce, and Nasimiyu’s feet carried her after them without meaning to. Lidmila grabbed her arm to hold her back but Nasimiyu felt tethered to Dulce and Mindeulle and Namjoon; she took Lidmila’s hand and pulled her along, too. Nowhere was safe but these people she was following were probably the ones who could protect them best. Everything Dulce had taught her about self defense had left her mind.

It wasn’t clear who had shrieked, but the why would never be forgotten. Seokjin’s bodyguard –the young one, not Jungkook but the other young one whose name Nasimiyu didn’t know– hung by the neck from the balcony, his bloody body swaying at the end of a velvet sash. A piece of paper was pinned to his chest though no one could read it from below.

“Don’t cut him down!” Dulce shouted at the servants rushing around the balcony. “Pull him up gently.”

“She’s right! Don’t disturb anything that could be on his clothes!” Namjoon yelled. “Don’t do anything until I’m there!” To those close, he muttered, “For all we know they’re fucking in on it. Nobody can be trusted right now– All of you get to Nasimiyu’s room and stay there with the guards– Dulce, you go with them.”

“I need to–”

“You need to get your mistress and these ladies to safety,” Namjoon ordered. “I’ll deal with this. Go!”

“I’ll help,” Mindeulle offered her brother.

“No I can’t keep arguing with you, all of you go and hole up until we know who’s doing this.” He gave Mindeulle a rough shove towards Nasimiyu and set off at a run for the stairs, shouting again at the servants not to do anything until he was there. 

Dulce looked furious, conflicted, but not afraid and Nasimiyu wanted to wrap around her. In the chaos, of course Dulce would be calm and sure of what to do. Nothing would get past Dulce. If Nasimiyu hadn’t sent Dulce away, maybe Dulce would have even stopped the blade before it got to Seokjin. Nasimiyu was sure of it.

“Dulce,” she called, reaching for her, accidentally bumping Lidmila, who had her hands over her eyes. 

“Go to your room. I’ll be there after I see what’s happening with the prince.”

“But Namjoon said–”

“He doesn’t give me orders and neither do you. All three of you go now, I’ll be there soon, you know my knock.”

That order given, Dulce took off. If Mindeulle and Lidmila were shocked by this behavior between the two of them, they said nothing, just looked to Nasimiyu for the first step forward. Nasimiyu tried to pull herself together despite the sick feeling of helplessness. 

“All right, both of you with me. Guards, follow close. We’ll set up a safe space in my room for now.” Her voice sounded shockingly stable as she led the way, fists balled to hide the shaking of her hands. This was no time to fall apart. Just because someone was hunting the royals and their guards for sport, didn’t mean she was next. She wasn’t part of this royal family. Yet. 

Why the fuck wasn’t Dulce with her?

The palace was in chaos but they cut through it, not slowing their steps until all three women and several extra of Nasimiyu’s trusted guards and a couple of her maids were inside her room.

“Brace the door,” she ordered. “No matter what, don’t let those doors open until I say.”

“What do we do? My mother is out there!” Lidmila cried.

“I think she went to be with the King and Seokjin so she’ll be surrounded by guards. For now we… wait,” Nasimiyu said, looking around at those sheltering with her.

“For what?” the maid Bab whispered to Eula.

“Until I say so,” Nasimiyu said, loftily. Unwilling to say the real answer: For Dulce. 

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[caelesjjk]

to love a monster collab

Things are not always as they seem.

A bump in the night. An eerie feeling creeping down the back of your neck. A cold chill blanketing your skin in goosebumps. All things that make you think you may not be alone.

Mythical creatures and dangerous monsters walk among us without us being aware. Supernatural beings with abilities beyond our comprehension. Some with mind boggling magic. Some with an intense thirst for blood.

But what happens when you fall in love with these beings? How do you continue to navigate through a world you thought you knew now that it’s been turned upside down? Hosted by Sarah @caelesjjk and Sav @jeonjcngkook , Our magical collab participants are here to show you how to give you heart, mind, and body…to a monster.

Posting of the works will tentatively be in the early months of 2023.

✧ What Lies Beneath ✧

➳ written by: sarah @caelesjjk

➳ pairing: bogeyman!seokjin x f. reader

➳ genres/aus: supernatural au, smut, romance

➳ summary: Seokjin has been gone for awhile. People have forgotten who he is.

And what he is, is the monster in the shadows and beneath the bed. He walks through dreams and turns them into nightmares. It’s more of a curse than anything else.

But when he finally returns to the town he once called home, nostalgia for the girl he once loved making him seek out her home, he finds you instead. And you know all of Seokjin’s secrets, the ones he hoped would never surface again.

✧ Wicked As They Come ✧

➳ written by: sarah @caelesjjk

➳ pairing: vampire!yoongi x reporter! f reader

➳ genres/aus: supernatural au, vampire au, fake dating au, ceo au, romance, smut

➳ summary: you’ve been undercover at one of Min Yoongi’s many hotels in the city for the past week. you’re there because of the rumors that have been spreading regarding his vampire employees feeding off of his human guests. what you don’t expect to happen, is Min Yoongi discovering your true intentions in his hotel and offering you a very interesting ultimatum. pretend to date the vampire CEO to help appeal to his human guests or quickly find out just what kind of monster he can really be.

✧ The Wood ✧

➳ written by: hali @sailoryooons

➳ pairing: Witch!Hoseok x human!reader

➳ genres/aus: 18+, strangers to lovers, modern-day southern gothic, smut

➳ summary: From the moment you step foot in Kill Devil, you know something about the town is off. Determined to find out exactly how your sister went missing in such a small town, you receive unlikely help from the man staying in the motel room next to yours. But there is so much more than what meets the eye with Hoseok and the citizens of Kill Devil.

✧ Read Between the Lines ✧

➳ written by: sav @jeonjcngkook

➳ pairing: ceo incubus namjoon x erotica novalist human reader

➳ genres/aus: supernatural au, incubus au, office au, forbidden romance, smut,

➳ summary: after the success of your first novel, a place on the New York Times Best Selling Authors list and multiple book tours, it's now time to write the sequel to your highly anticipated series. But with success comes mind numbing writers block. Unable to shake yourself from the rut, no amount of research seems to aid your issues. That is until someone gives you a more hands on approach to help your troubles.

✧ Safe Haven ✧

➳ written by: maggie @kth1

➳ pairing: royal guard werewolf!jimin x princess!femalereader

➳ genres/aus: 18+, royal au, semi-modern day au, forbidden love au, smut

➳ summary: When your families castle becomes overrun by ruffians on your niece's birthday celebration, you (the youngest princess of your family) are seized in the crossfire of the outrageous invasion. Caught at the wrong place and wrong time, you are taken for ransom as you protect those of your family. With the rebels holding you captive, hoping to exchange you for their own diabolical agenda, your most regal and trusted royal guard takes on the task of bringing you back no matter who or what stands in his way.

✧ Love You for Infinity ✧

➳ written by: jai @gimmethatagustd

➳ pairing: ghost!taehyung x human!reader

➳ genres/aus: 18+ | supernatural | strangers to lovers | fluff | smut | angst

➳ summary: Kim Taehyung and his ex-fiancée met their untimely deaths when they were young and in the midst of heartbreak. When he's doomed to roam the earth as a ghost with unfinished business, Taehyung is convinced that finding the soul of his true love and righting his wrongs will set him free. You, on the other hand, aren't easily convinced that you're the reincarnation of Taehyung's true love, and you have no intention of being haunted for the rest of your life.

✧ Only When You’re Lonely ✧

➳ written by: lati @jjkeverlast

➳ pairing: human!jk x succubus!f.reader

➳ genres/aus: supernatural au, demon au, college au, frat party au, humor, smut, sub!jk and semi strangers to lovers

➳ summary: jungkook has never dated anyone, because of you and you're soft touches that bring him to orbit. it's all it's ever been, just sex between you. although, it brings an unexpected turn when jungkook accidentally blurts you out as his girlfriend to his college friends which results in them expecting you at the upcoming frat party. what jungkook doesn't know is that you're much more than just someone he meets when he's lonely.

[explicit-tae]

Pride & Gluttony

Pride; a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements. Gluttony; over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or wealth items, particularly as status symbols. Upper level demon Seokjin - known as the deadly sin of Gluttony - follows alongside Namjoon - known as the deadly sin of Pride- returns to Earth 50 years after their demonic counterparts to wreck havoc on a new generation of sinners.

Lust - Envy - Wrath & Greed - Sloth

Warning: voyeurism, threesome, oral (m receiving), degradation,

Word Count: 1,427

Alternate Universe

Time passes through realms differently. Earth was fairly slow compared to Heaven and Hell. Time doesn’t necessarily exist outside of Earth, so it’s safe to safe that when nearly 50 Earth years passed, it was as though a few hours had passed through Hell. The scenery has changed much - especially the castle Namjoon visited with his counterparts. The castle appeared much higher than before and expanded a few hundred miles out. Next to the castle stood the cemetery grounds where the former rulers laid to rest - majority of them in Hell where he resided.

Namjoon’s eyes and ears expanded throughout the land - the townspeople complaining of their lives living within such a place. The tax skyrocket year after year and the pay was less and less each few months. The townspeople often complained about the way they lived - working to fund a lifestyle of the non-working class (the royal family) while their own family barely made it day by day.

“My roof is collapsing.” Murmurs a man as he takes a bite of his sandwich served on moldy bread - yet that was all he could afford.

“You’d think the amount of taxes we pay they’d fix our homes.” Says another man - not too loud enough for the guards to hear, they had eyes and ears everywhere.

The words of the people caused Seokjin to snicker. The former Queen had fought long and hard to regain the trust of the townspeople - even killing her own sister who was ruling in order to do so. All of her work had long went down the drain. People adored the former Queen right up until her timely death. However, her daughter - the eldest child - has ruined her mothers good deed. She didn’t take after her mother but instead her aunt, a women she never met. Maybe greed was in their blood.

The current Queen, Y/N, wasn’t as diabolical as her aunt. Did the townspeople hate her? Sure - yet she had a lifestyle to live by and guards and knights to pay. Her castle needed renovating and the cost to open new business around the land wasn’t cheap. Her mother wouldn’t be proud of her for doing what she does, but her mother’s disapproval no longer lingered ove her head. She was proud of herself, after all. She stepped up after her mother’s death and did what was needed to be done. She brought extra reinforcements in from outside sources to assist in building multiple warehouses and storefronts.

You sit with your arms crossed. The throne chair was tall, even towering over your figure and nearing the ceiling. Your sister sat besides you, eyes scanning the crowd before her with such lack of interest. It was unbearable to sit alongside the Queen and pretend to be interested in whatever politics was spewed out.

“This is my kingdom!” You hissed, nails digging into your thrown chair and you uncrossed your legs. Your eyes squinted at the rowdy crowd yelling and spewing out their hatred for the Kingdom.

“You all will bow to my word or…” you shrug, leaning back into your throne chair. “…burn.”

Gasps erupt through the Kingdom; along with several murmurs. “You all will do as I say or die.”

You hear your sister snicker then sigh. She leans back into her chair further and turns to the side to look at someone.

The scene freezes, the shouts of protests coming from townspeople emerges to a complete silence. Seokjin raises a brow while Namjoon hums. Yoongi shakes his head as the three figures shine before their eyes.

Humility shakes their head.

Temperance grimaces.

Diligence wrinkles their nose at the scene.

“Obviously,” Seokjin crosses both arms. “you’ve requested our presence for this reason.”

It wasn’t taboo for the sins to meet their opposites, capital virtues, nor was it taboo for them to join forces for, as their opposites put it, “the greater good”.

“We’ve been dealing with this problem for years.”

“50 to be exact.” Temperance shakes their head. “And we believe-“

“For the greater good we eliminate the sinners.” Yoongi murmurs word for word - the same words he’s heard time and time again; for centuries.

Diligence scoffs.

“You know,” Namjoon hums. “for beings that are supposedly high, mighty and virtuous…you sure need our assistance with eliminating those who you deem unworthy.”

It’s no secret that those who resided in Heaven are not against asking those who reside in Hell for assistance. They’ve asked countless times before and would even after this situation. However, it didn’t come without a price.

“What do we do? Drag them to Hell with us?” Namjoon glances to the frozen face of the Queen.

“We’d have to ensure the rest of the Kingdom is in mint condition before we do anything.” Humility insists.

“If we handle this problem,” Seokjin waves his hand to the frozen Queen and Princess. “The bloodline will be wiped out.”

“And this Kingdom will fall.” Yoongi hums, yet he couldn’t are less.

Temperance tilts their head, defeated.

“Unless,” Namjoon snaps a finger. Below them, a large portal opens and fire engulfs.

Temperance, Diligence and Humility stammer back with wide eyes. “What in Gods name-“

“Wrath.” Namjoon nods. “Hobi.”

“I was busy.” Hoseok rolls his eyes and snarls at the three heavenly figures.

“Lemme guess, you need our help? Again.”

You scream at the top lungs, arms thrashing to side to side while your legs kicked. The pain was excruciating - until it wasn’t. Your ears rang in realization that you were the only sound you could hear - no longer the equal screams of your sister; nor the shouts of the townspeople.

Your eyes snap open, unsure where to focus on. You begin to tremble with the realization that you weren’t alone - and you weren’t clothed. Your arms go to wrap around your body the best you could.

“You’re finally with us.” A voice calls. “That means the townspeople have killed you.”

Your voice gets caught in your throat. The last memory you had was the townspeople rioting. A few glimpses of breaking out and the pain you felt when the flames hit you - yet everything remains fuzzy.

“W-Where’s my-“

“Dead.” Another voice says - but your eyes can only stare straight head at the sea of people - creatures to be exact. “Welcome to Hell.”

Your reaction doesn’t come. Not because you weren’t utterly shocked by the mans words - but because you’re unsure how long you’ve been with said men (and the crowd of creatures). Hours? Days? Years? It was as though time didn’t exist in this realm. One moment you were greeted to Hell - and the next, possibly an eternity afterwards, you’re entangled with both men.

They were beautiful, you note. You can make out their appearance even with blurry eyes. Tall, dark hair with piercing dark eyes to match. Lips plump and flushed pink and facial features sculptured by Gods - but these weren’t godly men.

You cough when Seokjin releases himself from your lips. You gag, air finally reaching your throat.

“Once a prideful Queen, now a whore for the Underworld to see.” Namjoon snickers.

Your mind swirls, but you’re remained uncertain just how much time has past until the faces of the creatures are blurry; unrecognizable. Your fear turns to excitement and now you’re more than willing to be used by these men; to be fucked for however long they’ve desired.

When Namjoon ordered you to be for him; you did, nearly crying for him to make you cum.

When Seokjin told you to swallow all of his cum he shot into your mouth, you complied without a second thought.

You gladly complied riding Seokjin all the while Namjoon watched, calling you degrading names; but you enjoyed each second of it.

You’re covered in cum - the question (you stopped wondering) was how long you’ve been on Hell, but you no longer care. Centuries could have past and here you laid complacent in utter bliss.

Seokjin hums, tilting his head. “It’s been 20 earth years. When are we taking her out of hypnosis?”

Namjoon shrugs. He watches the way your body jerks on the crowd, eyes rolling in pleasure - pleasure you’re not receiving, but in your hypnosis state of delirium, you believe you are. “This is her punishment, after all.”

Your punishment indeed, to break you down and make you - a once gluttonous and prideful being, now completely torn down and complacent for the very demons that made you his way.

@juju-227592 @silversparkles11 @iheartsvt @seokjinkismet @bloodline1632

Next

[cherrysoulth]

ᴍᴀᴅɴᴇꜱꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 2: ᴀ ɴᴇᴡ ʙʀᴇᴇᴢᴇ

💕Pairings: Female reader X Daechwita! King AgustD-1 // Female reader X Daechwita! AgustD-2

📝Summary: When the sound of Daechwita vibrates in the internal battle between the royal family twins. A king and a lover. Lust, Love and Betrayal are on rampage. You need to make a choice- Love or saving the trust. And your choices will have consequences...

✏️Genre: angst and fluff 

✏️Rating: PG-18

📝Word count: 3493

⚠️Warnings: Mentions of sex, violence, cheating/affairs

Hii! Welcome to my work. I'm new in this platform but been posting my writing for four years now in AO3. English is not my first language, so please if you find grammar mistakes, let me know. :)

Big thanks to @moonleeai 💚

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The hot breeze makes its way through again as you fan yourself, and you take a shallow breath, already done with the weather. Although the shade of the trees next to the lake protects you from the sun's merciless rays, the heat is in the air like a furnace. Inside the palace's walls, the rooms are more chill and there's barely anyone outside who knows any better but you find yourself coming here every day, today too, regardless of the temperature, looking at the water's reflection mirage. The same your memories have seemed to turn into.

One of your ladies-in-waiting comes over with a servant to take the task, apologetically, having missed your leave, now that you can roam around almost freely. She's genuine, new, but growing fond of you by the day. The other ladies, full grown women, and some already married, seem to find her endearing, although they scold her into learning the manners of her status. You know the oldest, the prime minister's wife, has to have sent her after you when she went to the sewing room without you.

A little scrunch marks your nose as you give her a naughty expression and she looks at you with her doe eyes. She definitely takes after her brother and you can't avoid smiling at the thought. Far too early to tell but you are sure she'll have lots of suitors when she comes of age. Boys already look at her, taken by her beauty.

Unable to stand the heat any longer, despite the servant's efforts to make wind around you, you stand, startling the youngster slightly. The image of the water had her captivated as much as it did you; just for very different reasons.

You motherly caress your slightly swollen tummy over the white and red hanbok again, uneasy now that you are on your feet. But it's starting to become a common thing as the days go by. This pregnancy feels different, you feel like your belly has started to swell too early. Everything feels odd around it but you can't really place why.

The walk back to the centre of the palace is quiet, as servants surround you to cover your head with an umbrella and fan you from different directions. You enter the rectangular patio leading to the throne room and walk inside as the guards on sight open the door for you.

Yoonsuk raises his eyes from the scripts and stands at your sight, your two boys run to you from their place next to him where they are being taught some of their ancestor's history by their tutor. Although you know they are smart, Yoonguk, who is only three, is probably not learning much in this class. However, Yoonhyung, at the age of six is already able to write in Hangul the simplicity of thoughts he can have at his age. You are proud of them, such good and well-behaved kids deserve it.

"How is the little one behaving?" Yoonsuk wonders, approaching as you do, leaving your ladies at the other side of the open door, as they to the kong. "Ladies, you may retire, thank you. Kim Namjoon-nim, you shall continue the lessons in the library. The Queen and I have matters to attend." he orders as you stand from hugging your sons and the tutor politely bows to the both of you before leaving with the two beautiful boys. The guards close the door and you hear the metallic sound of their spears as they get in front of it.

The King hugs you from behind, breathing on your neck. "I've been sweating a little bit, dear husband. You may not wish to do that," you warn him, caressing his hands over your stomach.

"Nonsense," he says, kissing at the crook of your neck, leaving a soft bite that makes you turn around. "Guards! Make sure we are not disturbed!" he orders before pushing you by the same shoulder down; a nonverbal order you know way too well now. He seems to get off on the fact that you do it in this room, somehow. You reach into his pants to free his shaft, stroking him when it springs out. "I don't fancy you doing that now, get on your back," he says, grabbing your wrist and not letting it go as he gets on his knees, kissing you as you obey.

His hand sneaks under the hem of your skirt until he places it over your stomach, able to see the little swelling on your belly. He caresses the area that he can only watch with pride. "This is the last time I'll ask you to do this here. It has been fun but I owe you the comfort of our bed now that you carry for me again," he says as he lowers the fabric creating a cushioned form covering your stomach before his thumb circles on your bud. "You've been so obedient these last couple of months … Being my beloved wife, my queen… my lover… my concubine… So obedient, yes." The rubbing is the only one to blame for the way you start to get wet since the words only imply his ratification of his ownership over you. "My love," he whispers as he leans over, fingers working into sliding slowly into your depths.

You remembered that was exactly how you conceived the new crown prince or princess. Just like this, he leaned with his body over yours pulling out his fingers and pushing himself slowly in, as he had the habit of. It was never a warranty of him being soft or gentle, just that he didn't want to hurt you.

When he slid in, you wrapped your legs around his waist raising your hips as he thrust in you carefully, you felt his weight and warmth. That time he leaned over your body completely, now he’s careful and uses his elbows to make sure he doesn’t crush you. He feels good inside of you and although you had been stepping away from him emotionally before your affair was broken, now you feel even more conflicted than before.

He ignored you for the length of seven weeks, or mostly so since he would still sit down to eat with you. The bedroom was your prison, feeling the coldness of the bedsheets as he wouldn’t even step foot inside the four walls.

He spoke to you in short sentences and didn’t share any information with you as he used to. You felt for the first time, despite how he had been so sexually inactive months before, how it must have felt to be in an arranged marriage in which your husband didn’t want you. Missing the comfort of Yoongi’s words and love, drove you insane. You had never felt so lonely, even with the company of your ladies.

After that period, when the doctor corroborated that there was no pregnancy since you had bled twice. He had shooed your ladies out of the room, he had ripped your clothes and fed with your body his lust.

He made you moan and cry in all the ways he had learnt to love you for the previous seven years. All, while muttering all the changes that would be made in your lives to sort whatever had been breaking your marriage in the first place. Followed by a death threat on any chance you could take to have a lover again, right after he had spurted his seed inside of you, with the first lights of the sun turning the sky purple.

Since then, and without chances to know if Yoongi was alright or even breathing, you adapted and assumed your destiny. Yoonsuk is right, you are the perfect wife, even if you miss Yoongi. Even on the nights, you don’t share a bed with your husband, you cry in silence for the sorrow of losing him.

“Your Majesty!” shouts one of the servants at the other side of the door when Yoonsuk tries to angle better and starts hitting your sweet spot, making you moan against his collarbone, at the same time eliciting a grunt from him.

“How do you dare to disturb me!” growls Yoonsuk, before rising on his thighs and putting your knees against his chest, closing your legs and angling in a way that makes you have to muffle your sounds with your sleeve.

“Your Majesty, it’s important!” says the servant with a cracked voice.

“Speak!” Yoonsuk growls as you get closer to your orgasm. He forgets your knees raising you by the hips, still thrusting, raising your lower back from the floor.

“Your Majesty. There’s a group of bandits making their way down to the capital… But… But they-” the servant doubts to speak.

“They- what?” he growls once more giving the last thrust that sends you over the edge with the muffled sound of a scream against his palm.

“They are raising a rebellion, Your Majesty…” the man says and you can hear the tremble of his voice through the sense of your own body shattering, making it stop suddenly.

You feel Yoonsuk start to soften while he clenches his jaw, eyes locked on the door. He lets you down carefully and arranges your skirt before putting his wet member back inside his slacks. He stands and helps you up gently before holding you in a hug, kissing your forehead and you surround his well-formed abdomen with your arms.

"Tell the councillors to come here. We'll discuss this," orders Yoonsuk. "Take a seat with me, my queen," he offers, pointing with his hand to his throne where there's another one slightly lower for you.

You walk your way to it while correcting your hanbok, and as you sit down you feel your own drip staining the inner layer of it. Which makes you shift in your seat a second enough for Yoonsuk to guess why and smirk at you as he sits too.

“I’m not done-” he says facing the other extreme of the room but side eyeing you.

“I know. After this, in my room?” you question, tilting your head his way, but then he tilts his to look at you.

“My room. Tonight,” he says and you suddenly feel a weight lift from your chest, although you hadn’t realised it was there at all.

Being truthful to yourself and stopping to excuse his behaviour, he’s been truly using you when it comes to that matter. He has been taking you anywhere, any time, for the last three months, like a haunt does a bitch and you have let him. Yoonsuk is a generous lover and sleeping with him isn't a sacrifice, but the humiliation of being treated like that has probably been something you’ve taken for the sake of repaying for his damaged pride. Maybe because you know the consequences of your transgressions, your betrayal, should have ended with your two sons being motherless. Instead, your husband whom everyone, including you, thought crazy; gave you a second chance and has used your body to show you where you belong; at his side, like it always was. You feel like even if your inner self has wanted to tell him otherwise at the beginning, your acceptance has made things easier for everyone.

Those two sentences, what he’s said right before taking you on the floor of the room that represents his power, means he’s finally moved past your punishment and you two are one again. The image of Yoongi looking at you with his smile hits you for a moment and you have to push him away once more, not without your feelings betraying you in the form of a tear falling over your left cheek.

“Does that make you happy?” wonders Yoonsuk, tilting his head to look at you again as the guards open the door and you dry off the tear.

“Thank you,” you whisper and you feel the bile rise in your throat, from your lie. You don’t feel thankful, that's not it. Internally, you still wish you could get out and find your way back to Yoongi but there’s simply nothing you can do to change your circumstances. You see he’s raised his eyebrows in surprise and presents you a gummy smile, a second after, when you look at him from your position. Something in his smile makes your stomach bubble and you feel the butterflies of the love you thought lost.

Maybe you should really, truly, accept that this is your life now. That you can still love the man you used to, even if he’s a monster. What else is there for you to do?

When the ministers and counsellors take their places, some look at you, though just a second. You know it's a second guess to having seen you as they entered, probably surprised.

Your affair was shut down to anyone who had knowledge of what was going on that night. The fear of the king is bigger than their need to gossip. But the lack of your presence in the throne chambers and the lack of either of you visiting your sleeping ones soon raised discomfort.

What in the past was looked forward to; the king losing interest in you (in order to gain favour through their daughters becoming the king's concubines), was now feared.

Taehyung, the prime minister and long-time friend, had openly asked his wife about the matter. She dared then to translate the discomfort everyone who was highborn had with the events, but you were unable to answer. Feeling shame for the first time.

However, the king waited, not taking anyone publicly to his bed. The idea he could mortified you so much, that you dared to speak it out loud during one dinner, where you ate alone.

Aware of your appetite's lack of appearance while the matter rounded your head, the king spoke: "Is that all you are going to eat?" his eyes were on you like daggers. Four weeks into his distancing could mean this was the first sign of you carrying what he was sure would be his brother’s child, not his. Although he had slept with you too. "Not feeling your appetite I see," he mentioned taking a sip of his drink, "feeling nauseous maybe?" The vile raised in his throat as much as it did in yours.

"I have things on my mind. That is all," you said, not daring to keep your eyes on him longer than to acknowledge what he was starting at.

"And what is that then?" he questioned, placing the cup over the table with a clang. If he thought you were missing or even thinking about Yoongi his blood would boil immediately.

You dared to stare at him longer, after watching the motion and he raised an eyebrow, "what do you care?" you hissed. The solitude was finally weighing on you and your well-hidden resentment towards your husband decided to show.

"What do I care?" he chuckled humourlessly. "What about my wife, the mother of my children, who I have loved dearly, yet decided to betray me but still has her head? What about that?" he pointed, slamming his palm over the table, standing.

"How fair is that when you can go around court sleeping, unpunished, with everyone's daughters or wives?" you muttered, vile in your words. "And I, just the wife, have to look away."

His eyes were bulged and his lips parted too, then his face composed as he gripped one edge of the table. His eyes showed lust. "Is that jealousy?" he asked with what seemed like a purr, you got flustered. "So it is true. You did it because..." his eyes bulged again, "you thought I was sleeping with another," he instinctively surrounded the table when you looked away. There was a partial truth to it, just as you confesed the night you got caught, though you don't know if it was just what gave you the courage. Would you have done that if you never suspected him? Or was it truly because he was making you grow distant in the heart through his actions? Or both? He kneeled next to you and grabbed your chin for you to look at him. "As I already told you, I never did. Not once." His face was the one of the man you bowed to spend your eternity with, sincere but also hurt, staring at you, the woman he loved and a tear rolled down to soon be followed.

His lips were on yours, forgiving, loving, intense, and soon your back was against the cushions you were sitting in. He was feeling you against his body differently, unguided by lust but tenderness, yet you could feel him hard against your thigh.

Soon the kiss escalated and he was breathlessly trying to remove his clothes and yours, unorganised, a knot from you, then his, a naked shoulder, a raised layer of your skirt, then he seemed to look at the moon through the window and think, stopping abruptly. He then separated from you and put everything in your clothes back into place, doing the same with his before going back to his seat to eat in silence. Leaving you completely stunned. You didn't, however, dare to ask why and somewhere between hurt and horny, you stood to leave the room. He didn't say a thing or looked at you.

He kept even more distance after that and with that prospect, you were sure he would never take you back as his wife. That you had even given him the idea of taking concubines to hurt you, which froze any hopes you had to have at least some sort of comfort at his side.

Then a second period came and the doctor discreetly notified you and him that would ensure there wasn’t a baby to be expected. Yoonsuk nodded and dismissed him.

He then grabbed your head softly and planted a kiss on your forehead, "Thank the goods," he whispered and then walked out of the room. In the days following, you caught him staring at you constantly when you shared the same rooms or came across at the patios. So did the whole court, like the prime minister confided in his wife.

After that week, in the afternoon, before the sunset, your husband, the king, walked his way to your rooms with his servants at his talons. With everyone at court that day seeing it. Then you got to know and understand the truth.

He placed a hand over your belly in his bliss and pronounced, "I'm sure my seeds will flourish soon," with a smile as he looked at the moon again, almost full, and you could only stare at him. "It has worked twice," he added, kissing your forehead. Your eyes bulged as he looked at you from above. "If I had slept with you the other day, a month ago… I wouldn't have trusted anything growing in you," he muttered, sincerely.

Your new baby was indeed conceived in that moment although you hoped it didn’t. Not after the things he had muttered between growls.

"I'll kill any man who dares be less than two feet away from you."

The voices around you seem to quite abruptly and your husband's hand on your arm sends you back to reality. You realise everyone is looking at you, and meet his eyes.

"Are you feeling unwell?" he asks, worried in his tone.

"Uh? Oh, no, no, I'm all right. What were you asking?" you respond, having overheard the punishment for following the bandits should be thirty whips at the centre of the traitor's town, to make an example.

"I asked if you needed anything?" He keeps his tone low, only for you to hear and the others keep their respectful silence. "The prime minister eloquently pointed out that you look affected by the heat. Do you need something to drink or eat?"

"Just a fan and some water." he gestured for one of the servants waiting against one of the columns to approach and gave the order.

"Let's continue."

"If I may," asked Chancellor Jung Hoseok. The King nodded for him to speak. "I know maybe now won't be the best time but reducing the taxes and making things a little less tight has always worked to keep the people content and loyal… Maybe we can prom-"

"Your Majesty," interrupted the chancellor's words as Captain Kim Seokjin rushed into the room and bowed humbly.

"What is it, Seokjin-ssi?" Yoonsuk speaks with more patience than he shows to any of the others.

"I have news of who is leading the rebellion." You can automatically tell Seokjin doesn't want to say it, that it's going to anger the king.

"Go on."

"It's the traitor, Min Yoongi, Your Majesty," Seokjin says, looking at the floor instead of the monarch, probably as scared as anyone else.

The whole room gasps, including you, and you can feel the eyes of your sovereign on you.

Thank you for taking the time to read my work. I would really appreciate if you let me know if you liked it, either with a kudo or a comment. It encourages me to keep writing!

[star-my]

born as a tiger

Pairing: Min Yoongi (Mad King) x OFC (Lee Hoyeon)

Rating: T | WC: 5.8k | Ao3 | My Fics Masterlist | Masterlist |

AU: Daechwita AU, Arranged Marriage AU, Historical AU, Royal AU

CW: implied unhealthy/abusive parental relationship, OFC has Trust Issues & implied C-PTSD, Yoongi & Yoonji star in this fic, Namjoon cameo, Jackson Wang shows up (does not throw a party but is cause for one), Jackson goes by Gayi, empty threats of violence but as a love language, sword fighting but friendly, I think that's it, lmk if I should update this

Summary:

Lee Hoyeon trembled at all the thoughts flashing through her head as her carriage pulled up in front of the infamous Changdeokgung palace. Peering out through the window, she was unsettled to see how clean the stone courtyard was, the cool taupe a far cry from the dripping red she’d half-expected after tormenting herself with thoughts of her fiance’s atrocities. All the gossip she’d heard from the maids and guards back home in Dongjak Kingdom was now front and centre in her mind.  The carriage slowed to a gentle stop and the door opened, courtesy of the footman. Hoyeon took his hand, hoping hers wasn’t trembling too noticeably, and took her first step on the grounds she would be empress of in three weeks.

A/N: - this idea lay dormant for a year and a half and suddenly resurrected in the middle of reading a webtoon at 10 pm so here I am answering the author’s call of nature 😭 (*spongebob voice* fOuR mOnThS lAtEr: bless the ATZ hyperfixation for me wanting to get something out of my brain to make more room for the ot8 brainrot and this WIP was the sacrifice it chose)

I did some research for this fic, such as the Changdeokgung palace truly existing (of which I used in my moodboard), the chrysanthemum tea vs plum tea debate, and Yoongi’s sword apparently being called a hwando, etc. Any inaccuracies are mine and I apologize. Please feel free to point them out :)

There was supposed to be some smut but the muses refused. I may add it in the future or post it in a second chapter.

Thanks to the lovely @lunarelles for betaing! Any remaining mistakes are my own <3 Enjoy! 

D-22

Emperor Min Yoongi of the Dalseogu Empire was a force to be reckoned with. His subjects trembled in fear when he was whispered about–even his fellow rulers kept a wide berth around him when they met at diplomatic events. He’s a monster, they said. His reign was written with the blood of his subjects. He was nicknamed the Mad King for a reason–not that anyone would say his unofficial title to his face.

The day after the seventh emperor of the Dalseogu empire was crowned, he killed half of his court. Only a select few officials remained unscathed from the Mad King’s bloodbath. Even the families of the officials he killed were not all exempt – wives, concubines, and children being wiped out by his sword. The Dowager Empress and the Second, Third, and Fourth Prince had all died that day, making it the second most bloody day the Empire had seen since its inception.

Lee Hoyeon trembled at all the thoughts flashing through her head as her carriage pulled up in front of the infamous Changdeokgung palace. Peering out through the window, she was unsettled to see how clean the stone courtyard was, the cool taupe a far cry from the dripping red she’d half-expected after tormenting herself with thoughts of her fiance’s atrocities.

All the gossip she’d heard from the maids and guards back home in Dongjak Kingdom was now front and centre in her mind. 

The carriage slowed to a gentle stop and the door opened, courtesy of the footman. Hoyeon took his hand, hoping hers wasn’t trembling too noticeably, and took her first step on the grounds she would be empress of in three weeks. 

A contingency of guards marched out from the front gates of Changdeokgung, a swish of brightly-coloured silk in their midst. Bowing to Hoyeon, they stepped aside, revealing the silk as the crown princess, the Mad King’s twin sister, Min Yoonji.

“I’m glad you made it here safely, Princess Hoyeon,” greeted Crown Princess Yoonji familiarly, as if this was their hundredth meeting and not their first. “The emperor was out often the past couple weeks ensuring the bandits would not attack the carriages. I imagine you’re rather thirsty and tired. Would you like some tea?”

“Tea would be lovely, thank you, Crown Princess.”

“Please, call me unnie, we are to be sisters in a few weeks.”

“As you wish, Crown Princess.” Hoyeon followed the princess to the quarters prepared for her stay before she wed the emperor. 

This whole situation was most bizarre. The crown princess had been rumoured to be a fierce warrior–much like her brother, the maids had gasped as Hoyeon eavesdropped. Yet here she was, dressed in silks like any other respectable lady of the court and pouring the fragrant tea with a natural elegance Hoyeon had practiced for days to attain.

“So, are you excited for the wedding?” asked Yoonji, refilling their cups with the most delicious blend of tea Hoyeon had ever drunk.

Hoyeon nibbled on her lip, debating how much would be prudent to tell the crown princess. She was lovely and welcoming, but she was also the emperor’s sister. How was she supposed to say she was scared out of her wits and had been for the past several days, since her father had announced her engagement to the Mad King at a state dinner with no warning whatsoever. That she’d tried to learn what she could about her new empire and husband-to-be, but all she had gleaned was that she would be lucky to survive six months as the empress? What could she say, I almost looked forward to this when my father first announced this, so that I had a chance to finally be free from his tyranny, but now I wish I was back with the devil I know?

Deciding the last train of thought had the most truth she could pluck from and spin into a plausible half-truth, she replied, “I was surprised when my father mentioned the alliance to me, but I am pleased to be able to support my kingdom in this way. I will do my best to be a good empress to Dalseogu. I noticed the absolutely beautiful scenery as I made my way here, and it is a lovely empire.” Just ruled by not-so-lovely people, she thought, then ignored the stab of guilt at the mental insult to Yoonji, who’d been rather good so far at calming her nerves.

Yoonji smiled at the compliment to her empire. “I’m so glad you think so! I know it can be a bit…sparse, to some, but I think there’s a wild beauty to the land.”

One of her maids stepped forward to whisper in her ear. Yoonji looked at Hoyeon apologetically. 

“Duty calls, I’m afraid. I’ll leave you to rest now. I know my brother was looking forward to greeting you, but something came up that he couldn’t ignore. He’d like you to join him for tea tomorrow afternoon.”

“Of course, I will be there. Thank you, Crown Princess…unnie.”

Yoonji’s glare softened at the casual honorific. “Lovely! Rest well, Princess Hoyeon.”

The crown princess and her entourage left, leaving only Hoyeon and her maid, Jina. 

“That seemed to go well, Miss,” offered Jina as she began to unpack and brush out Hoyeon’s nightclothes.

Hoyeon groaned, collapsing onto her bed with her hand flung over her eyes. “Appearances can be deceiving, Jina. I can’t afford to trust anyone here, no matter how nice they are–especially the emperor’s sister!”

“I hope she can be a true friend to you here, Miss.”

“Thank you, Jina.”

D-21

“It’s a pleasure to serve you, Princess Hoyeon,” bowed the maid provided by the palace, named Sora. 

“Thank you. I’m sure Jina will appreciate your help in navigating the palace until she becomes accustomed to our new accommodations.”

“I’ll do my best, Princess.”

Sora and Jina chattered away, becoming fast friends, as Hoyeon chewed anxiously on her thumbnail in the corner. 

She learned that Sora had a younger sister, Soha, whom she was very proud of for having recently become a full-fledged palace maid. The head maid was tough but caring once a maid proved herself, and Sora was sure Jina would win her over in no time. There were a couple guards who were insufferable flirts, but they were still respectful. Jina’s best course of action would be to ignore any flirtations and not respond to the provocations. 

Hoyeon finally jumped up from her seat, startling the maids from their conversation. “What time should I be prepared to go for tea with the emperor?”

“If we start now, you should arrive just after the emperor’s meeting finishes, Princess,” replied Sora. 

The maids did their best to dress Hoyeon up in her favourite hanbok, pinning her hair with a gold hairpin the emperor had gifted her via her father, and using cosmetics to accentuate her features.

“You’re a little pale,” commented Jina as she patted some pink onto Hoyeon’s cheeks. 

“Do you blame me?” she retorted. “Sora, is there anything I need to be aware of when I greet the emperor?”

Sora paused from folding a discarded robe. “I don’t think so. Emperor Min doesn’t insist on many formalities if it’s not a formal event. I believe Soha will be serving the tea, so if you need anything, you can ask her to find me, Princess.”

“Thank you, Sora.”

Jina and Sora fell in behind her, Sora quietly directing her through the maze of corridors to the room the emperor was waiting in for her.

She smiled at the guards outside the doors. “Is the emperor available?”

“Unnie!”

Hoyeon turned to see a girl bearing a tea tray. She bowed to her before turning to Sora.

“Unnie, the emperor is still occupied.”

“Do you think he will be long?”

“I don’t think you will wait long,” reported the girl, who Hoyeon assumed was Soha. “Princess,” she bowed again before entering the room.

A loud voice escaped the open door, followed by the distinctive sound of a slap.

A minute later she ran out, tears flowing down her face as she passed Hoyeon and her maids.

Hoyeon stared in trepidation at the girl. What had happened to make the emperor slap her? She’d barely had time to do anything. This didn’t bode well for her.

“Show Princess Lee in,” called a voice. The guards opened the door.

Hoyeon took a deep breath and stepped forward, keeping her eyes on the next step she was taking.

She paused when she reached a low tea table, droplets of tea scattered across its surface. She could see the emperor’s robes across from her and a tea set shattered on the floor to her right.

So that was why Soha had run out. Why was it broken?

“Your Majesty,” she bowed, hoping it was low enough.

“Your Highness,” he greeted in response. “You may stand.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Her eyes flicked up to his face quickly, then back down to hide her surprise.

He had a scar across his right eye, from his eyebrow to his cheek. She’d thought the rumours were just that–rumours. Who had ever heard of a king with a scar?

She supposed with a reputation like his, he didn’t have to worry about naysayers attempting to depose him.

She’d been so surprised at the scar and hadn’t wanted to be caught staring that she barely remembered his other features.

She chanced another glance and found him staring at her.

“You can look at me, Princess Hoyeon.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” She peeked up under her lashes.

Was it possible for a scar to heighten his appeal? He had shockingly blond hair pulled back into the typical sangtu, thick brows, a nose that she couldn’t believe the first adjective she thought of was ‘cute’, and pouty lips. Overall, he was rather attractive. 

The benefit to marrying a young emperor was that he was surprisingly handsome, but it also meant he was less likely to die soon. In all honesty, Hoyeon expected him to outlive her.  

She hadn’t met his eyes–his look had been far too calculating. If there was one thing she knew about court politics, it was to never show your fear when someone was around. 

“You arrived much quicker than I expected, Princess Hoyeon. I hope your travels were smooth.”

“Yes, thank you. We had no trouble at all. My father said it was better to arrive sooner lest we be waylaid and made late.” He was just thrilled he could finally get some use out of his useless only child.

“Crown Princess Yoonji said that you were an interesting companion at her tea yesterday.”

I knew she’d tell him about me.

“As was she, Your Majesty. I look forward to getting to know her–and you–better.”

“Good,” said the emperor, clearly pleased. “The crown princess is pleased to be able to help you become accustomed to the Dalseogu Empire. I will be busy with all the things that must be finished before the wedding, so I imagine you will be seeing her often.”

“I’m pleased to hear that, Your Majesty. May I ask you a question?” Better to find out now how lenient he will be towards my impertinence.

“Go ahead.”

“Why did you approach the Dongjak kingdom for an alliance?” Why me?

“It is advantageous for both our lands to have the trade deals this alliance will forge. Dongjak and Dalseogu have not always been at peace, so this was a good way to cement it.”

Slightly surprised that the emperor had actually given her an answer, she nodded. She hadn’t had the slightest shred of hope that he would give her some secretly romantic explanation, such as he’d seen her at some event and been so taken by her that he had to have her. All she was good for was strengthening her kingdom’s ties as one of its most important representatives. 

The guards opened the door and let in Sora, carrying the replacement tea set.

She poured the tea quietly and served their cups to them, then retreated to the side, assuming an at-ease position.

“Please sit,” directed the emperor, settling himself on his cushion. Hoyeon followed his example, making herself as comfortable as she could sitting opposite an unknown volatile man no one could rebuke.

The tea was delicious, stronger than what she was used to back in Dongjak, but she found its tart flavour pleasant. 

“This is exquisite tea, Your Majesty.”

He inclined his head. “It is plum tea. I believe Dongjak more commonly uses the chrysanthemum flowers for their tea.”

“You are correct, Your Majesty.”

Tea with the emperor went fairly well, although Hoyeon caught his considering gaze upon her several times. It unnerved her, wondering why he was taking so much interest in his political bride. 

She didn’t like it.

D-20

Hoyeon giggled, finally somewhat relaxed around the crown princess as the older girl spilled stories about her maids’ and guards’ dramatic dynamics and relationships. 

“Don’t tell the head maid I told you this,” Yoonji leaned forward, finger to her lips. 

Hoyeon’s eyes widened as she bit her lower lip, nodding quickly in agreement. She knew that the maids were one of the biggest and best ally teams she could have on her side in the palace, and she wouldn’t dare do anything to harm her chances of gaining connections.

“So, what do you think of my brother, after your tea with him yesterday?” Yoonji relaxed onto her cushion, pouring herself another cup of what Hoyeon wasn’t completely convinced was just plum tea. 

Her teeth dug further into her lip as she considered how to answer. The siblings appeared fairly close for being possible throne rivals–especially considering that Yoonji had survived the Mad King’s bloody beginning–and she couldn’t speak freely. The princess was a skilled politician, however, and would surely catch on if she lied and began praising the man.

“I find His Majesty…intimidating,” she said slowly, gauging how Yoonji took that ambivalent opening.

Yoonji nodded, motioning to continue with her finger. “He certainly knows how to make himself understood.”

Understatement of the dynasty, thought Hoyeon. 

“He’s…rather good looking. I was surprised,” she mused. Realising Yoonji had raised her eyebrow at her, she went on hastily. “Just that I hadn’t heard anyone speak about that when they discussed the emperor! I had very little information on His Majesty to go off of. I suppose the men that met the emperor were more focused on his character than his countenance,” she snorted, a little self-deprecatingly, glancing up to see if Yoonji would take the bait and either consider her a little simple and romantically-minded or expound upon her open-ended question to know more about her fiance’s personality. 

“Well, I suppose I agree that my brother is rather good-looking,” Yoonji mused, sipping her tea. “I’ve been told often that we appear quite similar.”

“Indeed, that was one of the first things I noticed. You’re both attractive and there’s certainly a family resemblance between you two. By the way, is there anyone you think is good-looking, unnie?” she asked curiously, hoping she wasn’t overstepping.

Yoonji shook her head. “There are several tolerably handsome ministers and princes around, but their personalit-”

A knock sounded at the door to the crown princess’s tea room. Yoonji nodded at Hoyeon in apology, excusing herself to speak quietly with the maid waiting at the door, bringing a message from the emperor. 

Yoonji’s brow furrowed slightly, then smoothed as she turned back to Hoyeon. “The emperor has requested an audience with me, and he wishes to see you after my visit. Would you like to come with me now?”

Hoyeon nodded, setting her tea down and getting to her feet. She still wasn’t entirely sure she had the palace layout memorised, and Jina was currently being interviewed by the head maid, leaving Hoyeon friendless and ally-less if Yoonji also left her behind. 

“I’d be honoured to join you, Your Highness.”

The two young women headed as briskly as nobles could to the emperor’s throne room, where he remained after a meeting with his ministers earlier. 

The guards saw the duo’s approach and opened the tall doors in anticipation of Yoonji’s entrance. Hoyeon chose to remain outside, though the doors remained open, giving the siblings privacy and taking advantage of the moment to prepare her nerves to see her fiance again. She’d relaxed in Yoonji’s quiet company, but reverted to her stiff princess behaviour on their walk here. 

Shaking her head at her rapid closeness with the princess, she straightened her skirts anxiously. For all she knew, the siblings were in there right now discussing her pathetic surface-level attraction to the Mad King and how quickly she’d come to confide in the princess.

Shifting on her feet, she cursed her father once again for removing anyone who’d appeared close to her, making her a prime target for spilling her innermost thoughts when she met someone who appeared to listen. Reminding herself it had only been two days and Yoonji had not yet proved if it was safe to trust her, Hoyeon twisted the jade ring on her finger as she waited.

A loud cry came from Yoonji, giving her deja vu. With an inner sigh, she inched forward, straining her ear to make out what the siblings were arguing about. 

Silently, she watched Yoonji, who appeared unafraid to talk back to the emperor. Was it because she was his sister? He wouldn’t retaliate? Something else? She needed to know everything she could.

“I’m getting married?!” cried Yoonji, clearly. “In two weeks?! Without you telling me first?!”

Hoyeon froze. Her newest ally and possible future friend would be leaving the palace? Was it because they were becoming close? Had Yoonji done something warranting being sent away? No, it was probably just another business transaction, like her marriage was to be. 

Calming her anxious thoughts, Hoyeon shuffled a little closer, wondering who the groom was.

“No, you are leaving Dalseogu in two weeks. You are getting married in a week to Emperor Wang Gayi.”

“You arranged a marriage for me? With the Wang Emperor?!”

“Yes, I did, and you will marry him. That’s an emperor’s order, Min Yoonji.”

“You gave me no choice? I’m so mad that you interfered with my relationships,” Yoonji said flatly, turning and exiting via the hall behind the throne area. 

“Your groom will be here by tomorrow morning,” the emperor informed her, barely raising his voice. Facing forward once again, he motioned Hoyeon to approach him. 

“Good afternoon, Princess.”

She bowed. “Good afternoon, Your Majesty.”

“Good afternoon, Your Highness. Would you like some tea?”

“No, thank you. I just came from having some with the crown princess. I suppose she will be busy now with her wedding preparations, so I am grateful that I could have these past few days to get to know my sister-in-law.”

“I apologize if you feel that my sister’s wedding takes precedence over ours,” the emperor said, surprising Hoyeon. “I wished her to wed soon and thought that now would be best since most of the preparations for ours are already complete and can transfer to theirs. Emperor Wang has to return to Kowloon soon and I wanted him to take Yoonji with him.”

“I am not slighted at all, Your Majesty. I wish the royal couple all happiness and longevity. May I ask why you requested to see me after the crown princess, Your Majesty?”

He stretched languidly, rising to his feet and sauntering down the steps to his throne. “Am I not allowed to wish to see my fiancee?” he asked, approaching Hoyeon. 

“Y-you are, Your Majesty.” Biting her lip, she forced herself to remain standing tall and not move back.

He paused two arm lengths away from her. “I would like to see you every day before our wedding, if you are available.”

“I believe I will be, if that is what you wish.”

He tilted his head, scanning her head to toe. She lowered her gaze to his feet, hoping she hadn’t mussed her clothing since Jina left her at Yoonji’s tea room. 

“You seem rather nervous.”

Who wouldn’t be, being the focus of one of the continent’s most dangerous men?! Hoyeon shrieked internally. Well, it appeared the emperor was more perceptive than her father, so lying was off the table. “I suppose I am. We have only met once, and I am unchaperoned. I do not wish to cause any damage to either of your kingdoms if there were negative repercussions from this event, Your Majesty.”

He hummed, taking a step back so that his black-clad feet were no longer in her vision. “The doors are open and there are plenty of guards and other staff around, Princess. But, if it would make you feel better–Chief Advisor Kim!”

Barely repressing the flinch at his sudden shout, Hoyeon turned to see who the emperor had just summoned. A tall, handsome man rushed in, arms full of scrolls and books, a pair of spectacles sliding down his nose. He pushed them up, a scroll fluttering from its precarious spot under his elbow. 

Hoyeon stooped without thinking, catching the runaway parchment and handing it back to the man, who flashed a thankful smile at her, dimples appearing in his cheeks. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Princess Hoyeon, this is my most trusted advisor, Kim Namjoon. He will be our chaperone,” the emperor said shortly. 

“I’m honoured to meet you, Princess. Congratulations on the wedding.”

“Thank you,” she nodded at him and turned back to her fiance, not wanting to spend his patience with her over another man. Still, his behaviour was unlike anything she was used to. The Mad King was her enigma, and she only hoped it wouldn’t take too long to figure him out. 

D-17

The sound of metal hitting metal drew Hoyeon’s attention from the flowery bushes she was admiring, turning towards the walled courtyard ahead of her.

Jina stopped by her side, both somewhat behind one of the pillars by the entrance, watching the two men in front of them slash at each other, silver swords glinting in the sunlight.

The emperor’s distinctive blond hair gave his identity away, and Hoyeon watched his graceful power with an open mouth, seeing first-hand her fiance’s prowess with a blade.

The other man was about the same height, with short brown hair and a slimmer sword than Yoongi’s. He held it with a careless ease that belied years of training, evenly matched with his opponent. 

Their blades clashed, sun rays reflecting off their entwined blades and blinding Hoyeon. She sneezed unexpectedly, interrupting the men’s moment. They bowed to each other, sheathing their blades and walking in different directions–Yoongi towards her and the other man towards Yoonji, whom Hoyeon just noticed was standing at the other side. 

Hoyeon bowed, greeting the emperor. He nodded back at her, taking the damp cloth his attendant held out to him and wiping his face and neck down. The neckline of his black robe gaped a little, affording Hoyeon a glimpse of smooth pale skin and subtly defined musculature. She blushed red, glancing away quickly to watch Yoonji, who had attained her own sword. 

The emperor followed her gaze, leaning his hand carelessly on his hwando pommel. “That’s Emperor Wang,” he confirmed her suspicion carelessly. “Would you like to make a bet with me?”

“A bet, Your Majesty?” Hoyeon flicked her gaze to him in confusion.

He nodded towards the couple. “On who will win their spar, Yoonji or Gayi.”

“They will spar?” Crown princess versus emperor, fiancee versus fiance?

The two moved towards the now-open sparring area in the middle of the yard, raising their blades to the opening position. 

“They have both trained for years. I’m curious myself about the outcome. So, what do you say, Princess?” The emperor leaned towards her, breath brushing her cheek. “Will you bet with me?”

“Very well, Your Majesty. What are your terms?”

He leaned back, studying her in mild surprise. “Hm…you must answer three questions I ask of you fully and truthfully, when I wish.”

That’s all? Like I could lie to you anyways. “Alright. I will hold the same terms, for the sake of fairness. I bet that the emperor will win.”

Hoyeon felt the weight of his gaze on her. “Not my sister?”

She shook her head. “I saw some of the emperor’s prowess when you two were fighting. I have not seen the princess fight, and the emperor surely has more experience, being on the battlefield.”

“But he will be tired since we were fighting before this,” Yoongi pointed out. “And I have fought with the princess. So, our bet. We each bet three complete, truthful answers about any topic we are asked about by the other if they win–you if Emperor Gayi wins, myself if Crown Princess Yoonji wins.”

“I agree to your terms.” Hoyeon shook the emperor’s hand, feeling his long fingers and calloused palms against her bare skin for the first time. He was warmer than she had expected; somehow she’d anticipated a cold-blooded, rigid man. 

He let go of her hand and she swiftly tucked her hands into her sleeves, feeling the ghost of his palm against hers. Focusing on the duo facing off in front of her, she did her best to ignore the warm presence brushing against her side. 

Yoonji was better than Hoyeon had expected, never having seen a female warrior before. Some of her moves looked similar to the emperor’s, but some were distinctively hers. She seemed to be having fun, however, a large gummy smile forming on her face as she parried the emperor’s strikes and danced into his space, making it more difficult for him to evade her attacks. 

Her opponent also seemed to be having fun, a smile growing on his face as they sparred. 

Hoyeon was glad the two were getting along, albeit in a more violent way than she was used to. Given what she knew of the crown princess’s personality, she was curious how the couple’s relationship would progress.

“The princess is quite good,” she said without thinking.

The emperor hummed in agreement. “I trained with her often. She is one of my best generals.”

Hoyeon whipped around in surprise. “The crown princess is your general?”

He nodded, dragging his eyes from the fight to her face. 

“Then why–” Hoyeon bit her lip, realizing her curiosity could be taken as insolence.

“Continue,” the emperor prompted her curiously. 

“Then why are you marrying your general off to the Kowloon Empire?” she asked quietly. He still appeared to have heard her, as he replied.

“The emperor and my sister have been in love for a while now. I will be saddened by my best general, advisor, and companion’s absence, but it is beyond time for her to have her happiness.”

Hoyeon blinked. Was the emperor…sentimental? And what was that about the marriage argument the other day?

“But…I understood the princess was against the marriage?”

“Not at all, she was being sarcastic. ‘How dare you marry me to the love of my life? Alas, I am ordered to spend time with the only man who makes me happy.’ Like that.”

“Oh.”

“Are you slandering me behind my back, Your Majesty?” Yoonji approached the two, her fiance behind her, carrying their swords.

“Is it slander if it’s true?” he retorted. “It seems my bride has not yet grown accustomed to your strange sense of humour. Now tell me, who won? I have a bet on the line, here.”

Realizing she’d been too distracted by the emperor to see who won, Hoyeon looked to Yoonji, who had what she now realised was a faux-betrayed look on her face. 

“You had better have bet on me, brother.”

“Of course I did,” he replied smugly. “So, I won the bet?”

Yoonji’s fiance spoke up. “No, your lovely fiancee did. Congratulations, Princess.”

“Damn, I should have bet on Gayi.”

Yoonji smacked her brother’s arm for his comment. “You are lucky I’m leaving the palace, Your Majesty.”

Hoyeon watched the siblings banter with wide eyes. The emperor was so relaxed and unlike his Mad King persona today. Which was the real one?

“It’s okay, Princess,” commiserated Emperor Gayi. “No one understands these two’s strange relationship, either.”

“I can behead you, you know,” threatened Yoongi. 

“You better give me his empire if you do,” Yoonji poked his stomach.

“Not if you keep touching me, I won’t!”

“OR,” interrupted Gayi, “you can not behead me and Yoonji can begin her reign over my empire peacefully as my empress!”

“But then I’d still have to hear you talk about my sister,” pointed out Yoongi. “It would be a lot quieter if your head was removed from your shoulders.”

“Say something!” Gayi looked at Yoonji, who sighed.

“Yoongi, don’t kill my fiance. It wouldn’t be a lot quieter because you’d then have to hear your sister talk about how much she missed her dead fiance instead…and your fiancee wouldn’t like you to kill her new ally, I guess.”

Yoongi looked at the bewildered Hoyeon. “Hm. It’s better to remove two nuisances at once, I suppose. I shall endure this next week for the princess’s sake, I suppose, since she won our bet.”

“How generous, Your Majesty,” Gayi and Yoonji bowed formally after the emperor, who left with an eye roll at their antics. 

Yoonji straightened once he was gone and turned to Hoyeon with a smile. “Do you want me to show you to the archery range?”

D-13

The wedding of the Emperor of Kowloon and the Crown Princess of Dalseogu went off without a hitch, which relieved some of Hoyeon’s worries. It was exactly the same as it would be for her and Yoongi, so she had a chance to mentally prepare. There wasn’t too much that could go wrong, thankfully, so as long as she didn’t faint next week, she should be in the clear.

Spending time with her fiance the past week and a half, as well as with his sister and her fiance, helped relax Hoyeon. He was courteous, surprisingly soft-spoken in private, and less menacing than she had been prepared for. Slowly, she began to wonder if the rumours had been exaggerated, as royal rumours tended to be, and if she might in fact be safe in the Dalseogu empire. 

Then came the day of her wedding, and all Hoyeon’s nerves returned full-force. Yoonji had left for Kowloon with Gayi, unable to stay for the wedding, and only Jina was there as someone she could rely on.

Her father had sent a witness to his only child’s wedding, too concerned over possible attacks to come himself. Hoyeon snorted as she read the letter his delegate had handed to her, dropping the paper to the table carelessly.

So he could send his daughter to live in the empire, but couldn’t come in person to celebrate her nuptials, the entire reason he would be safe visiting? Well, it wasn’t like she’d expected anything from him, but it still pinched in her heart. 

Jina brushed her robes out smoothly, stepping back and giving her a reassuring nod. “It’s time, Your Highness.”

D-Day

The entire ceremony was a blur, Hoyeon too focused on not making a mistake to take in anything else. She had the vague sense that the atmosphere was overcast, but nothing more than that.

The celebration feast was similarly unfocused, for slightly differing reasons. Yoongi, her new husband (what a strange thought), was right beside her at the head table, paying rather unnerving attention to her. 

Small bites were all she could choke down under his scrutiny, though he did his best to keep her dishes full. Hoyeon was a little confused when he kept adding delicious-smelling dishes to her immediate reach. Any other day, she’d be happy to try the new and intriguing dishes, but with the nerves in her stomach and the eyes on her chopsticks, she couldn’t choke down more than a few bites, something she bemoaned.

Toasts and cheers were continually offered by the celebrating ministers and nobles filling the hall, gallons of alcohol flowing freely. 

Hoyeon grabbed her goblet, draining the dregs in a couple gulps, coughing a little at the afterburn. Yoongi’s scrutiny became heavier, his warmth overwhelming her as he leaned even closer to whisper in her ear. “Are you alright, Your Majesty?”

Hoyeon hiccuped. “I’m perfectly fine, thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Just thirsty.”

His expression told her he didn’t fully believe her, but he leaned back, letting her breathe easily again. She turned away, patting her burning cheeks with the back of her hand. 

It really should be illegal for someone to look that handsome up close. She considered her previous fears that he would behead her within six months and revised it to worry that she’d be overcome by his beauty within six months instead. 

A sudden weight on her hand made her look down from picking up individual grains of rice with her chopsticks.

Yoongi’s hand rested on hers, his thumb caressing her pulse point. Her heart skipped a beat at the simple touch. He didn’t look at her anymore, thankfully, but his hand stayed on hers the rest of the feast.

Her eyes darted between his profile and her chopsticks several times. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad being his empress. 

General taglist (open): @bangtanwritershq @kayleefriedchicken @otome-wandering + (@moni-logues you seemed intrigued when we sprinted so I hope this is okay :] )

Divider by @bunnysrph | Moodboard photos from Pinterest/Google, edit is mine :]

[riphobisbraces]

The Lucky Seven | BTS ot7 x reader

Hybrid/Royal AU

~ chapter 2 ~

[ word count: 3400+ ]

❀ genre: dark royal core, hybrid au, royalty au, hybrids/knights!ot7 x human/princess!reader, afab (she/her) reader, polyamory (mostly ot7 x reader), strangers to lovers, daddy dom, smut and sexual sometimes. tiny bits of horror

❀ warnings: smut, swearing, murder, death (not the reader or ot7 though, I'm not evil), mentions of inbreeding (not between reader or ot7) some unsettling horror depictions, it won't be every chapter though or the whole story, just little bits here and there. (I'm willing to re write chapters for you to read if you can't do horror but still wanna follow along, just ask! 🖤)

——— summary ———

In a world of hybrids and humans, following each other closely to extinction, you are one of the last full humans, Princess y/l/n of the emerald nation. humans are essential for the survival of hybrids so why are assailants hunting you and your family down? because of this, the court has decided it’d be best for you to be guarded at all times by the nations strongest knights, you’ve only ever heard of them but have never seen their faces. What will happen once you come face to face with the infamous “lucky seven”?

[ chapter 2 ]

chapter content warnings: possible emetophobia warning: mentions of needing to throw up (character doesn’t actually throw up though) and unintentional self-harm.

The cold night’s air trickled between Namjoon’s thick fur. Millions of thoughts ran through his mind, faster than the paws carrying him and the princess. What was the princess doing outside? Why did she look so familiar and most of all, are his pack mates okay?

Growling out of frustration whilst running into the night, he shakes those thoughts out. For now he has only one thing he needs to focus on. Getting you to safety and he knows exactly where you’ll be safe.

-

Multiple hurried footsteps and panicked screams filled the room. It was chaos. What was a joyful and merry evening turned into absolute havoc.

The once golden room suddenly having turned cold and blue, its warmth having completely washed away. Hobi quickly ran and tried to push through the crowd looking for any of his pack mates. It seemed impossible with the sea of people engulfing him.

Just as Hobi started to feel hopeless, he found two of his pack members, Jin and Jimin, spotting them from across the room. Hobi used his hands to cup around his face before yelling desperately “JIN! JIMIN-AH! “ The two instantly recognized that voice.

They both quickly snapped their heads into the direction of where it came from, spotting their fellow pack mate trying to make his way through the wave of people. What after seemed like forever, they all finally reached each other, Jin grabbing onto Hoseok’s hands.

“Where are the others” Jin quickly questioned. “I don’t know, you’re the first two that I found” replied Hoseok. Jimin starts glancing around, running his hand through his hair as he pondered.

“Well wherever they are, they can handle themselves. For now we have to neutralize the threat.” Jimin asserts before turning to his fellow knight and pack member, Hoseok. “Hobi, you were the one who alerted that the princess was being attacked, where did the arrow come from?” Questioned the knight.

Hobi doesn’t waste time in answering, “Follow me, I know what direction it came from. Possibly even the shooting location” briskly, Hobi starts making his way to where he suspects it came from, with Jin and Jimin following closely and quickly behind.

-

The temperature around your body is warm. You feel snug and drowsy. Hearing the crackle of fire wood just makes you want to fall back even deeper into your slumber.

The smell of cedar filling your nostrils, comforting you furthermore. Shifting around and moving your legs, you start to feel the softness of blankets underneath, gliding against your skin as you moved. You start to wonder when was the last time you felt this pleasant..

Alas the sudden realization of what had just transpired abruptly started streaming back into your head. Quickly, you sat up, instinctively backing up and grabbing onto whatever was underneath you which happened to be the same blanket that had just brought you so much comfort.

“Your highness, you’re awake” a deep voice suddenly declared, making you shoot your head into the direction it came from. Letting go of the blanket in defense you realized it was the same man from before, the wolf hybrid. He was sitting beside your bedside in a wooden chair.

You didn’t get to have a good look at him before due to the havoc but now that you are, you realized that he’s a gorgeous man. He had tan skin and dark siren-like eyes. His hair was dark, adorned with an undercut.

You found yourself studying his features, they were soft and welcoming. As you sat in silence, taking in the man before you, the same voice suddenly interrupted your admiration. “your highness? are you alright?” his face contorted into worry.

How embarrassing. “y-yes, I am alright.” You answered before quickly looking down to avoid the man you had just been in awe of. Feeling his gaze burn into you, you can’t help but look back up, taking in your surroundings instead, trying to ignore the man obviously examining you with his eyes.

The room was lit with an orange hue from the fire, the room being much smaller than any you’ve ever been in before. Instead of the white walls and golden accents you were accustomed to, you were surrounded by walls of bark.

The walls simply decorated with some little paintings here and there. Looking around some more you noticed this room had no windows, how peculiar you thought to yourself. You noticed some bookshelves hung on the wall above the fireplace across from you, filled with old and torn books much like your own books.

Once you felt you’ve taken in enough of your surroundings and felt more at ease about the man that was studying you, you looked back down. Examining the sheets you were covered in, you realized they were a maroon shade. the colour was dull but you could tell it had been a vivid maroon at some point, or even red.

You decide to finally ask the questions that had been on your mind since you woke up. “Where am I? Are my parents okay?” you asked feebly, ashamed and feeling as though these circumstances were all your fault. Still looking down, you grip onto the sheets once again awaiting his answer.

“You’re at my pack’s den. Kings orders were to get you away from the chaos until it was deemed safe. Unfortunately I don’t know about the well being of your parents but as you might know, your mother didn’t attend the ball, just your father. Last I heard, he was being led to safety.” He replied with a gentle voice, as to not stress you out anymore than you already are. Sighing you let go of your grip to hold your face. covering your eyes, you just sit there, not wanting to cry in front of a stranger especially as princess.

You were to be queen one day and queens cannot show weakness, especially to their subjects. Your heart filled with rue, you decide to let go of your face. Turning to the man once again. “Your name…. It’s sir Namjoon.. right?” you inquired. His eyes widening from the sudden question and the fact that you knew his name.

You must of heard it when Hoseok was talking to him. His face quickly turns from surprise to a gentle smile “yes your highness, my name is Namjoon. Sir Kim Namjoon.” he confirmed.

He then got up from his seat to bow, before gently grabbing your hand with both of his. Softly, he brought it to his lips, you could feel his breath against your hand before he bestowed a kiss of respect upon it, his lips ever so slightly brushing against it. You’re used of servants bobbing you a curtsy or kissing your hand out of respect but this feels different.

You could feel your face start to get hot at the contact, stomach contorting into a ball of what feels like butterflies trying to fight their way out. Taking your hand back, you glance back at the man, met with the same warm smile you had been examining before.

Scratching the back of your neck, you quickly turn your head to face the other way, an attempt at looking at anything but the beautiful man in front of you. You knew your face was probably the colour of crimson so this was as an attempt of hiding that. Glancing around, you remembered how there were no windows, what time was it?

The last thing you remembered was riding away from the palace on top of the wolf hybrid. Had you fallen asleep? You looked for a clock in vain before briskly turning back to face the very man you were just trying to avoid eye contact with. “Ummm… how long was I sleeping for? What time is it?” You questioned, fidgeting with your hands, a bit embarrassed that you had fallen asleep on the hybrid.

“Oh! I apologize, it is the next day. it’s….” he looked down at his watch “09:37” looking back up at you he continued “speaking of, my pack should be back soon, along with your servants and a carriage to escort you back to the palace” he smiled. It’s the next day? You slept for so long, and he had to watch you the whole time.

Your guilt growing, you look down at your hands. Your chest weighing you down, you uttered “I’m… I’m sorry.. I fell asleep on you...” you sniffled. Surprised by your own unexpected moment of weakness, you really didn’t want to cry but you just couldn’t fight the tears.

Oblivious to the man’s sudden worried expression, you continued “and you had to watch me… all night… it’s all my fault, I-I put your pack in d- danger-“ you tried to continue as the lump in your throat fought to take over. But before it could, abruptly, your vision is covered.

Large arms are wrapped around you. They feel warm and comforting. You’re being gently pressed against a broad chest before you realize, he’s hugging you. His scent and warmth instantly calming you down.

Your muscles relaxed and you went loose while you breathed in his scent, closing your eyes. Slowly breathing in and out to calm yourself down, you just sat on the bed, letting yourself be embraced by the man. The embrace is cut short by the realization of what Namjoon had just done.

Gently pulling away, “Y-your highness…” he stammered, clearly embarrassed and quite frankly, scared of what he had just done. Standing up straight, he explained “please forgive me, that was out of line. it’s just… you looked so sad..I felt…” he continued, letting go of your arms to run his hands through his hair but before he could finish, the sound of horses and footsteps cut him off, making the both of you stand up.

-

“thank you once again sir Namjoon, to you and your pack for keeping the princess safe and your services” Your father’s servant said to Namjoon, bowing gratefully to the wolf hybrid. “ it’s really no problem, we are glad to be of service to the king” the hybrid replied, returning the bow.

Your fathers leading officers and servants had come to pick you up from Sir Namjoon’s and his pack’s den. Sitting in the carriage, you stared at the man who had saved you the night before. Pondering of what had transpired just before your father’s men had arrived.

You’ve never been held before by anyone before but your parents and governess. It felt nice. the different body type holding you, way bigger than your parents or governess’ body. It made you feel at ease and protected.

Suddenly your stare is met with his, his head turning to face you. He flashes you a smile before you quickly look down in embarrassment, fiddling with your hands. How rude of you, this man had just saved your life and you repay him by staring?

Footsteps interrupt your mental self beating, realizing they belong to the wolf hybrid that had saved you the night before. He’s coming this way, why do you feel so nervous? “Your highness?” he inquires.

“yes?” You answer with a small smile. “Im very sorry about… what happened in the den. I was out of line and I can only hope you and your father could forgive me for crossing such boundaries” all he did was hug you. You knew it was only a problem because you were the princess but what if you weren’t… would he….

You cut your own thoughts off. You can’t be thinking like that. “oh.. yeah.. please pay it no mind, I really didn’t mind… I actually.. quite enjoyed it.” You admit, mentally slapping yourself as soon as you said so.

A flush quickly took over his face, heart skipping a beat before he started smiling widely. “well.. me too.. you’re highness.” he also admits. You’re both looking at each other, smiling in silence.

Rubbing your hands together nervously, no one’s ever looked at you for this long before and neither have you ever looked at someone for so long. You didn’t want to admit it but for some reason, you wanted to be held by him again, to have his arms around your body, keeping it in a cocoon of safety and maybe… maybe even love-

“WE’RE OFF IN TWO MINUTES” the sound of your fathers men startled you from your thoughts, maybe for good reason too. “well, I guess I’m off.” The hybrid proclaimed with a half smile. “Me too I guess” you responded.

He then reached into the carriage to grab your hand, gently brushing a kiss against it once more just like he did inside, making your heart flutter. He then bowed and said “goodbye Princess. I hope our paths cross again one day” he smiled. You felt your stomach do flips as you looked down.

You uttered a shy “goodbye sir Namjoon… so do I” before looking back up. Looking into each others eyes, you smiled at each other one last time, the hybrid giving you a nod before reluctantly turning away. “MEN, WE’RE OFF” and just like that, the carriage started to move, finding that your eyes never left the man and the direction he was going.

While watching him, you notice his figure was suddenly accompanied by 6 other ones, all walking into the den you had just vacated in. Who were they? Looking back into the front of the carriage, reality started to sink in and your circumstances.

Realizing your parents were waiting for you back home, a sinking feeling settles in. You are in so much trouble.

-

Sitting in the plush chair in your room, you can’t help but think about the men from last night. Hobi, was it? And Namjoon. They were both very attractive yes but truth is, that wasn’t the only reason you kept thinking about them.

Who were they? What were they doing at the ball and why did they seem to know you? Sitting back on the chair, you brought your legs up, holding them against your chest.

Most importantly, how did Hobi know you were the princess? Sure he said you smelt of human but don’t other human hybrids do too? You are a full human though you thought to yourself. Maybe that’s it. You were missing the hybrid scent and perhaps he put two and two together, you and your parents are the last full humans in the nations after all.

Groaning, you slightly swung your head back in frustration. You need to see them again, you thought to yourself. You need answers. Knocking brings you out of your rumination, “your highness?” A voice spoke behind your doors.

“yes?” You replied. “your presence is requested in the courtroom by your Father” Shit. You knew your father would be livid about all of this but the courtroom?

What was he up to? Was he going to send you away? All of these worries ran through your head before you stood up. Turning toward the door, you croaked out a pathetic “I’ll be there in five minutes”.

-

Your steps echoed the hallways, shoes clacking against the marble. Hugging yourself while walking, you can’t help but tighten your grip around your arms the closer you get to the courtroom. Your eyes trailing the passing paintings hung alongside the hallway, a feeble attempt to keep your mind calm.

Alas it’s futile as your thoughts keep running your mind rapid. What if father sends me to a nunnery you think, you’ve never been away from your parents your whole life so this frightens you. Or worse, what if he decides to keep you locked up in one of the dungeons for the rest of your life.

You find your nails starting to dig into your skin, you need to throw up. You stop and kneel. Coughing as you hold on to your stomach. Nothing is coming out.

You can’t throw up but you need to. Tears started beaming through your eyes before you quickly got up. You dusted yourself off and wiped your tears. You need to do this. You need to get it over with.

As you continue your way down. The doors of the courtroom finally come into sight, making your heart drop. ‘This is it’ you think to yourself. You feel as though you’re not in control, you just want to run away but your body is calmly walking toward the doors with no hesitation.

Reaching for the handle, you gently turn it, using your weight to push it open. Why can’t you run, you just want to turn back. Entering the room, the discussion within it instantaneously became quiet. All eyes turned to face you.

A large L shaped table sat in the middle of the room, your Father at the end of the L. The courtroom had high ceilings and tall windows, velvet red curtains draped over them. You cleared your throat, ignoring the eyes on you, you held your head up high and calmly began to make your way to the end of the table, where your father was.

The once clamorous room, was now filled with nothing but the clacking of your shoes against marble. All you could feel were dozens upon dozens of burning gazes, almost making you trip as you walk. Once you made it to the end, you looked at your father.

Meeting eyes with his, his face is filled with sadness but somehow also solace. Without warning, something overtakes you. You thought you could do it but your Fathers’ face had made you weak. You were guilty.

You sank to the floor almost mimicking the way your heart felt. Kneeling down, you placed your forehead to the ground, hands placed side by side. Gasps and muttering quickly filling the courtroom at the spectacle, silencing as fast as they started at the wave of your Father’s hand. His sight never leaving you, “Father…” you weakly whispered.

“Please, forgive me… I can’t-“ you were about to finish when you heard a chair being pushed back. You looked up, your father was walking briskly toward you. You were scared but then you noticed his eyes were glossy.

He quickly picked you up from off the floor, embracing you like he never had before. “Daughter…” you hear your father choke out. your eyes were wide when they suddenly filled with tears at the realization and relief.

Feeling safe, you quickly wrapped your arms around him. Oh how you loved your father. After a few minutes, your father pulls away from the hug, wiping your tears. “a future queen should never cry in public” he reminded you, smiling.

You chuckled at the joke “yes father” looking down as he pushes your hair behind your ears. He was so glad that you were safe, he didn’t even care about the disobedience. One thing was made clear to him though, he could not stop you. So if he couldn’t stop you, you would just have to be protected at all times.

“Daughter, I know I cannot stop your desires to leave the palace, I can see that clearly now..” he admits shamefully while looking down. “and because of last nights threat, you will have to be guarded at all times, even more so than before” your heart began to palpitate in excitement. Wait… does this mean.. you can leave the palace?

Looking into your fathers eyes with anticipation, you spoke up “what are you saying father?”. Your father sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose “you may leave the palace from time to time, but you must be guarded by all seven while doing so.”

all seven? You cocked your head in confusion before your father registered your questioning look, clearing his throat before continuing “because of last nights threat, the court and I have decided you need to be guarded at all times” guarded? Like, a babysitter? “by whom?” You inquired.

Your father snaps his fingers, signalling to one of his servants to bring whoever it is, in. Hurriedly, the servant runs to the other door connecting to the next room, opening it. The men who came waltzing in, made your breath hitch.

It was seven handsome knights, two of them being the same men from the night before, Hobi and Namjoon. After quickly scanning them, your eyes met with Namjoon’s. A smirk appearing on his face. “I bet you didn’t think our paths would cross again so soon, your highness.”

A/N: OOOOOOOO cliffhanger! I know I said we would meet the boys this chapter but I didn’t want to rush things, howeverr I PROMISE we will meet the rest of them in the upcoming chapter :) anyway what did you think of the chapter? Any notes are deeply appreciated, especially comments. It makes me so happy that people are actually reading this, I promise I’ll do my best to deliver! Have a good rest of your day/night everyone, I’m gonna get started on chapter three once I wake up tomorrow ☺️

P.s I was asked about a tag list, so if anyone is interested, just ask! I’ll be putting the tag list on the next chapter xx

Next chapter:

[hamsterclaw]

Royal Pain

Crown Prince Hoseok has had his kingdom taken from him, and you're going to help him take it back, with a little help from your friends.

Pairing: Hoseok x F! reader

Rating: 18+

Genre: Fantasy AU, royalty AU, smut, angst

Word count: 7.6k

Warnings: Sex, swearing, magical themes, mentions of blood and killing, references to fire, Namjoon on a dragon

Hey there @xjoonchildx and @hobi-gif -- sorry about the blue balls!

Hoseok’s back muscles glisten with rivulets of water from the stream. Fully dressed, he looks lithe, slim. It’s only when he’s like this, naked that it becomes obvious that he’s dense with muscle.

The mark on his shoulder blade, high up, is pale in the bright sunlight. He’s had it since you were children. You’d always planned to ask your parents about it but then the invasion had happened.

Hoseok had been with you in your chamber when the treacherous Halians had stormed the palace, and it’s the only reason you’d both managed to get away without being killed.

No one would have thought of looking for the crown prince of Daranthia in the quarters of a servant family.

You were training to be a royal guard, but no one ever let you forget you were descended from peasants.

Now you’re both in Eosul, a coastal city far enough from Daranthia that you both feel safe, but close enough that you can keep abreast of the turmoil the invasion threw your city into.

Hoseok turns to face you, and you know he’s only done it to show you more of his beautiful body.

Your eyes travel from his shoulders, down his torso, to the hint of darkness just below the water level of the stream.

‘Done preening, my prince?’ you ask, voice heavy with sarcasm.

You and Hoseok played together as children. There were other children living within the palace gates, but none as close in age as the two of you.

The Queen had doted on you like you were her own daughter.

‘Why don’t you join me?’ he asks, smile inviting as he gestures. ‘The water’s perfect.’

You enjoy Hoseok’s easy flirtatious charm. You’ve seen him use it to great effect on the ladies and men in the royal court, and he’s flustered many a servant girl with his beautiful manners and equally dazzling smile.

Perhaps the servants’ quarters were not such an unexpected place to find the crown prince of Daranthia.

The Halian army’s lack of intelligent strategy was your and Hoseok’s gain. You’ll never be caught off-guard again.

You keep your thin chemise on as you enter the stream, and modestly turn your back on Hoseok, which is why you miss the way his eyes linger on the curve of your ass and the line of your straight spine.

You’re nearly done washing when Hoseok asks, ‘Did you ever find out about the mark?’

The reason why you’re so curious about Hoseok’s mark is that you have an almost identical one on your own shoulderblade.

‘Maybe they did it so you couldn’t be swapped with another baby,’ you speculate. ‘All babies look the same, after all.’

Hoseok snorts. ‘I was a very regal baby.’

You laugh and climb out of the water. ‘You’re regal now, my prince,’ you say, teasing. Hoseok’s still wearing the plain garments he wore when he came to see you that day. You’d planned on going hiking in the mountains, just the two of you.

Hoseok doesn’t answer immediately, and you realise he’s looking at your front. The wet chemise hides nothing.

You give him a look to show you’ve noticed his lapse in decorum, and turn pointedly to gather your clothes from the grass.

‘It’s as beautiful a view from the back,’ Hoseok remarks, and he sounds so much closer than before you take a big step forward and look back warily.

Hoseok’s on the bank of the stream with you, but he’s already turned away to get dressed himself.

You don’t want him to have the last word.

‘Same to you, my prince,’ you call.

Without turning around, Hoseok says, ‘If I thought you meant that, I’d take my comfort from you right now.’

You finish getting dressed in silence.

***

You were born with elemental power but you’re by no means good at magic. You can spark a fire if the kindling’s dry enough and there’s no humidity in the air.

As far as you know, Hoseok has no magical abilities.

Both of you combined can’t hold a candle to the man you’re watching juggle fireballs without using his hands.

Hoseok rolls his eyes at you. ‘Come on, we have a lot of things to do. We need food, and lodgings, and a means to make money.’

‘Very practical of you, my prince,’ you say, approvingly.

‘Stop calling me your prince. We’re incognito,’ Hoseok complains. There’s a spark of something in his eyes. ‘Unless we’re in bed, then you can worship this royal ass all you like.’

‘You certainly are a royal ass,’ you agree, ducking the arm he tries to put around your shoulders.

Hoseok turns to go, and a fireball zips past his head, singeing the edges of his hair.

You step in front of him and turn to face your attacker.

The man who’d been juggling fireballs is approaching you quickly.

‘I’m sorry!’ he says, raising his hands up as you square up to him.

This close, he looks more a boy than a man, wide-eyed and worried.

Hoseok nudges you out of the way, and you step aside reluctantly. You haven’t finished your royal guard training, but it’s always been your instinct to protect Hoseok.

He is the prince, after all, and he’s shit at protecting himself.

‘I’m sorry,’ he says again. ‘I got distracted and my fireball went wild.’

‘It’s fine,’ Hoseok says, magnanimous. ‘We’re new to the city, do you live here?’

‘My whole life,’ the man-boy says, beaming at you.

You can’t help melting at sweetness of his smile. ‘I’m Y/N,’ you say.

‘Jungkook,’ he replies. You smile at each other.

Hoseok clears his throat. ‘I’m Hoseok, if anyone was interested,’ he says, dryly.

You roll your eyes. ‘Sorry, he’s had a tough week,’ you say to Jungkook.

Hoseok snorts. ‘We need help. Can you show us around the city, Jungkook?’

***

Your new friend Jungkook knows the city like the back of his hand, eats like it’s his last meal, every time, and is able to control fire almost effortlessly. You’re both in awe of how powerful he is, and flummoxed by how ridiculous he is otherwise.

Hoseok and you are watching Jungkook form fireballs as you train, using sticks Hoseok’s carved from waste timber. You hadn’t realised he was so skilled.

Hoseok’s thrust hits you right in the middle of the chest as you lunge towards him and slip in the mud.

Thankfully the point of his stick isn’t enough to impale you. Neither of you have healing powers.

Jungkook comes running, fireballs extinguished. ‘Are you ok, Y/N? he asks, breathlessly.

He pulls the stick out of Hoseok’s loosened grip and tosses it away, like Hoseok would use it on either of you.

‘I’m fine, Jungkook, we’re just training.’

‘I want to learn to fight too,’ Jungkook says.

From the look on Jungkook’s face as he crouches next to you on the ground, Hoseok’s a little worried about his motivations.

Also, the kid’s obvious strength is mildly terrifying.

‘I’ll train you,’ you say to Jungkook, smiling sweetly at Hoseok.

‘You’re a good fighter aren’t you, Y/N, you swore an oath to protect your people,’ Hoseok reminds you. ‘All your people.’

Jungkook and you spend the rest of the afternoon training whilst Hoseok thinks about how he’s going to reclaim his kingdom and protect his people.

***

You stare at the barmaid who’s just escorted you and Hoseok to your rooms.

Except there’s only one room, not two, and there’s only one bed.

You say immediately, ‘I’ll sleep in the stables.’

‘We don’t have a stables,’ says the barmaid. ‘This is all we have.’

‘We’ll take it,’ Hoseok says smoothly, paying her.

‘I’ll take the floor,’ you say, begrudging.

‘You can have the bed,’ Hoseok says.

‘You’re the prince, I can’t take the bed.’

‘Want to share it with me?’ asks Hoseok.

‘Can you keep your hands to yourself?’ you ask.

Hoseok raises a brow, as though he’s taken aback by your forwardness.

‘I’m a royal prince,’ he says, huffy. ‘Of course I have no impulse control.’

You groan. ‘I’ll sleep in the forest.’

Hoseok says, ‘Don’t be ridiculous. We can share the bed, of course.’

‘I have no desire to be -‘ you break off, trying to find the right phrase.

‘Mounted in your sleep?’ suggests Hoseok.

You stare at him in horror.

‘Ravaged like a siren?’

Your mouth opens, but no words come out.

‘Robbed of your virginal innocence?’

You glare at Hoseok.

‘Have you ever considered that we have matching marks on our backs because we might be blood relatives?’ you ask sweetly.

‘Like siblings?’

Hoseok’s face fills with profound and deep horror.

‘Don’t be disgusting,’ he snaps.

‘Why is that disgusting?’ you ask, voice dripping with honey. ‘Have you had thoughts about me, my prince?’

Hoseok’s getting paler by the second.

He’s muttering to himself. You can’t make out much of it apart from ‘but your ass,’ and something about ‘lush lips’.

You strip off, and to your satisfaction, Hoseok can’t even look your way.

You’re between the sheets and asleep long before he calms enough to go to bed.

***

You’re snuggled against a warm chest, a long leg thrown over your hips.

You turn your face right into Hoseok’s beautiful one.

His lashes make pretty fans on his cheeks, his heart shaped lips are slightly pursed. He looks adorable.

Then he opens his eyes.

‘Good morning, wench,’ he says, affection in his voice.

‘Wench? I was almost part of the royal guard,’ you protest.

He still hasn’t moved his leg off your hips.

‘You look beautiful,’ he tells you.

‘I could be your sister,’ you tell him.

‘I thought about this before I got into bed with you, whilst you were dreaming.’

He pauses, ‘What were you dreaming, by the way? You sounded delectable.’

Your face warms all over.

‘We can’t be blood related. We wouldn’t have been able to have our naming ceremonies if we were.’

He’s right. Each of you had had a naming ceremony with your mother, and they’d been within less than six months of each other.

Hoseok’s father had died within months of his birth, and your father was the most honest, upstanding person you’ve ever known.

The timings can’t possibly line up.

‘Thank Jaesu for that,’ Hoseok says. ‘Now I can go back to my fantasies about-‘

You cut him off.

‘I don’t wish to hear about your lurid fantasies,’ you say, as haughtily as you can.

Hoseok just smiles. ‘When you’re ready I can share them with you.’

He slips his leg off your hips, and your traitorous body mourns the loss of his warmth.

You try not to let it show on your face. 

Hoseok’s already half dressed, muscles im his back rippling as he slips on his loose linen shirt over his breeches.

You step out of bed and gather your clothes.

‘That lacy contraption makes your breasts look delectable,’ Hoseok remarks, ‘but it must be uncomfortable to sleep in.’

‘If you were a gentleman you wouldn’t be staring at my breasts whilst I’m asleep,’ you retort.

Hoseok’s soft boots pad on the wooden floor as he approaches you.

He lifts your hair out of your cloak with gentle hands, barely tugging.

‘Lucky for you, I’m not a gentleman,’ he says, and the smugness of his smirk is almost too much to bear as he reminds you, ‘I’m a royal prince.’

You groan and stomp out of the room.

***

To defeat the Halians, Hoseok has to raise an army. 

He’s never been a stickler for the right way of doing things, in fact, he’s always favoured a dirty shortcut if he can find one.

‘You want to what?’ you half-shout.

Hoseok winces, and Jungkook’s mouth opens slightly in what can only be described as a confused pout.

‘The dragon-riders of Eosul are our best bet for defeating the Halians, fast,’ Hoseok says, reasonably, he feels.

‘The dragon-riders can’t be trusted,’ you argue. ‘What if they turn on you?’

‘I have a plan,’ Hoseok says, reassuring.

There’s a beat, two, of silence.

‘I will come up with a plan,’ Hoseok amends. ‘It takes two days to get to the summit of Mount Halji. I’ll have a plan by then.’

You groan and put your head in your hands. Jungkook pats your back, trying to be reassuring. 

‘My fire power’s been getting more accurate lately,’ he tells you, smiling sweetly.

‘Accurate enough to defeat a dragon?’ you ask grimly. 

***

The hike up Mount Halji starts off easy enough. You’re taking a break even though you’re the only one who seems to need one.

Hoseok’s quiet today, you guess he’s still thinking of a plan.

You spark tiny fires to entertain Jungkook whilst you and Hoseok speak.

‘Do you really think the dragon-riders will help us?’ you ask, quizzical.

‘I used to train with one of them,’ Hoseok tells you.

‘Ah you didn’t say you had a dragon-rider friend!’ you say. This is looking hopeful.

‘We aren’t really friends,’ Hoseok says. There’s a scowl on his face. ‘He’s kind of annoying.’

‘How annoying can he be, if he helps you?’ you point out.

‘Namjoon’s just — annoying,’ Hoseok grumbles. ‘You’ll see when you meet him.’

You light another little fire to lure Jungkook back from the edge of the mountain path.

‘Your frenemy is our best option right now,’ you remind Hoseok.

‘I know,’ grumbles Hoseok. You realise he’s staring hard at your chest. You cross your arms.

‘Sorry,’ Hoseok says. ‘Just trying to see what undergarment you’re wearing today.’

You scowl at him. ‘I don’t ask you to drop your breeches to show me yours.’

‘I wish you would,’ sighs Hoseok, wistful. He smiles at you faintly, then calls to Jungkook to stop running and join you both to continue your journey.

***

The dragon-riders of Eosul live in a well-guarded enclave at the top of Mount Halji. 

You’re a little unsettled as you approach the forbidding-looking gates, and beside you, Jungkook’s fallen silent for the first time. 

Hoseok, with his lifetime of confidence as the Crown Prince of Daranthia, walks right up to the gates and calls, ‘Is this such a savage place that it doesn’t recognise royal blood when it sees it?’ 

You step next to him hurriedly. ‘It’s the Crown Prince of Daranthia, Jung Hoseok. Open the gates, please.’ 

Hoseok eyes you like you’re the crazy one. 

‘Do we need some fire?’ Jungkook asks, timid. 

Thankfully, the gates swing open. 

The group of men standing beyond the gates look just as forbidding as the gates themselves. 

The leader, a man so tall you have to look up to see him properly, steps forward. 

‘Crown Prince Hoseok,’ he says, inclining his head in the slightest of bows in greeting. 

The disrespect! You’ve never bowed to Hobi in your life but he is a royal prince after all. 

You’re already stepping forward, ready to tear him off a piece of your mind, when Hoseok says, ‘Commander Namjoon.’ 

Commander Namjoon’s eyes fall on you and Jungkook. You straighten up and try to look intimidating. Beside you, you can sense Jungkook doing the same. You hope he’s not smiling. 

The rudeness of these people rankles. 

Beside Namjoon, a shorter man with blond hair and a scar along his neck tilts his head. 

‘The Great Hall is ready for our guests, Commander.’ His voice is light, musical, with a silvery quality to it that makes you think of bells. 

He smiles at you. ‘My name is Jimin. I’m Namjoon’s second in command.’ 

His smile is so pretty you find yourself smiling back. ‘I’m Y/N, and this is Jungkook.’ 

‘Allow us to lead you to the Hall,’ Namjoon says, his deep voice resonating through the emptiness of the entry compound. 

As you follow the group, you look around you, awed despite yourself at the scale of the dragon-riders’ enclave. This high up, there’s nothing but mountains to see, a cool mist blanketing the more distant peaks. 

The air’s fresh and sweet. 

There’s a distant reverberation, a rumble, and you look at Hoseok, worried. 

‘The dragons,’ Namjoon says, and you realise he’s been looking at you. ‘There’s a patrol around the periphery every hour.’ 

‘Who’d want to fuck with a bunch of dragons?’ Hoseok mutters. 

‘You’d be surprised,’ Namjoon says. He smiles at you, and you’re surprised by the appearance of dimples in his cheeks. 

He’s still as tall, broad and forbidding looking as he was, but the dimples make him look almost attractive. 

He moves past Hobi to stand next to you. ‘How did you get saddled with the job of protecting a liability like Hoseok?’ he asks. 

His question startles a laugh out of you. ‘He’s my oldest friend,’ you say, loyal. 

You’ve reached the entrance of the Great Hall, and Namjoon offers you his arm to climb up the stone steps. 

You take it, and he presses your hand into his side as he leads you up to the entrance. 

You wait for him to let you go, but he seems content to hold your hand tucked into the crook of his admittedly strong arm as he guides you into your seat at the huge, round wooden table. 

He looks at you as you thank him, and the intensity of his hooded gaze makes you feel warm. 

Hoseok slides into the seat next to yours. ‘I told you he was annoying,’ he says to you in a too-loud stage-whisper. 

You don’t think Commander Namjoon is annoying at all. 

‘His arms are bigger than Jungkook’s,’ you say, stupidly. 

Jungkook, next to you, lets out a petulant half-whine, half-growl.

‘But I’m sure you’re much better at fire,’ you say, reassuringly. 

Hoseok mutters something disgruntled as he turns back to the table. 

Namjoon looks piercingly at Hoseok. ‘What do we get in return for helping you?’ 

Hoseok holds his own. You rarely ever see him serious, but as he faces off against the serious dragon-rider leader, you see shades of the king he was about to become before your kingdom was invaded. 

‘How about freedom?’ Hoseok says, so casual you almost miss the meaning of what he says. 

Jimin glances at Namjoon. 

‘I was most of the way through drafting an agreement with the Emperor of Eosul recognising Mount Halji as an independent state,’ Hoseok says. His voice is still light, but his eyes are intent on Namjoon’s. 

‘Help me reclaim Daranthia, and I’ll make Mount Halji an independent state as my first ruling on the throne.’ 

A muscle ticks in Namjoon’s jaw. 

‘The Halian army is huge in numbers, and they have unlimited gunpowder from the caves of Ijil,’ Jimin points out. ‘Defeating them won’t be as easy as summoning our dragons.’ 

‘I also plan to invoke the Flames of Daranthia,’ Hoseok says.

Your eyes snap to his. 

The Flames of Daranthia are a legend every Daranthian child hears about growing up, a mythology passed down to every descendant. 

The Flames haven’t been invoked in your lifetime, or in your parents’ lifetimes either. 

The legend goes that all full-blooded Daranthians are descended from the fire gods, and that the true royal family of Daranthia are blessed with the power to invoke the flames and lay waste to any enemies of the kingdom. You know Hoseok’s been taught the incantation, it was part of his training as Crown Prince, but you’ve never seen him so much as light fire to a candle without a match. 

Beside you, Jungkook looks confused. 

For the first time, you find yourself as confused as Jungkook. 

***

Hoseok’s stripping out of his clothes, getting ready for dinner. 

You turn your back on him to afford him privacy even though he’s insisted you can watch him. 

‘Can you invoke the Flames, Hoseok?’ you ask quietly. 

He sighs. ‘I know how. It’s never worked for me before,’ he says, and for the first time, you can hear bitterness in his voice. 

You turn, wanting to see his face. 

He’s shirtless still, breeches low on his hips. 

His body is beautiful. He’s beautiful. 

He looks at you, and his pretty mouth twists in a smile. 

‘Why do you always look at me like that?’ he asks. 

‘Like what?’ you ask. 

‘Like you’re enjoying what you see,’ he says. 

You laugh and turn away. 

‘Don’t worry about looking away,’ he says, and there’s a rasp now to his voice that wasn’t there a moment ago. ‘I like it.’ 

Your eyes fly to his, and he’s taken a step forward, closer to you. 

‘Do you need to get dressed too?’ he asks, voice low. 

You try hard to keep your voice steady as you reply. ‘I think there’s a dress in my chamber.’ 

‘Let’s go. I’ll give you a hand.’ 

‘I can get dressed on my own, Hoseok,’ you say, dryly. 

He’s already slipping a shirt over his shoulders, shrugging into it carelessly, letting it drape over his razor sharp collarbones. 

‘But I want to help you,’ he tells you. 

He follows you to your chamber, down the corridor from his. 

You look worriedly at the dress that’s been gifted to you. ‘I’ll just wear what I have on,’ you say. 

Hoseok smiles at you. ‘Come on. Live a little. Our kingdom might be a fiery wasteland tomorrow.’ 

You snort as you take the dress from him. ‘Pretty confident in your ability to invoke the Flames for someone who can’t even light a candle.’ 

Hoseok laughs, sounding like his usual self for the first time since you arrived on Mount Halji. 

You motion for him to turn around and slip the dress on. 

‘Ready.’ 

Hoseok turns, already holding his arm out for you to take. 

He stills as he looks at you. The look in his eyes makes you feel like you’re burning up from the inside. 

He laughs softly. ‘I can’t light a candle, but looks like I can make you burn up,’ he says, mocking. 

‘I’m getting changed back,’ you say. 

He takes your arm and slips your hand into the crook of his. 

‘You look beautiful,’ he says, with such sincerity your heart does a funny double beat. Then, ‘bloody Namjoon. If you’re going to be on anyone’s arm it’s mine.’ 

You mull over his words as you head to the banquet hall, wondering why they make you feel all fluttery and molten inside. 

***

The dragon-riders of Eosul fight like warriors, swear like sailors and apparently party like it’s their last night on Earth. 

You press a little closer to Jungkook as two large men come barrelling down the hall, narrowly missing you. 

‘What the fuck is in the mead?’ you ask. 

Jungkook hiccups. ‘No idea. But it’s potent.’ 

You look up at him and realise his eyes are glazed over. ‘Jaesu, Jungkook, how much have you had to drink already?’ 

‘Just —’ Jungkook tilts his head to one side, open-mouthed, counting out loud. 

You stop listening when he gets past five. 

‘Come on, I’m gonna get you some water.’ 

You’re half-carrying Jungkook to the water fountain when a warm arm slides around his waist from the other side, taking his weight off you. 

You look up to see Namjoon, still dressed in the black chain-mail of his armour. 

He smiles at you. ‘It looked like you needed a hand,’ he says, holding Jungkook up effortlessly. 

You smile gratefully at him. ‘I was just going to get him some water,’ you say. 

Jungkook’s smiling to himself, oblivious to you and Namjoon holding him up. He sings a raunchy ballad as you get him to his chamber. The sweetness of his voice somehow manages to temper the fact that he’s singing about fucking. 

Namjoon gets him into bed and you pull the covers over him. 

Jungkook falls asleep promptly, tucking his hands under his face like a child. 

Outside his chamber, you turn to Namjoon. ‘Thank you for helping me,’ you say. 

Namjoon tilts his head to one side. A dimple flashes in one cheek. 

His chain-mail clad arm rests on the wall beside your head, and he’s standing so close to you, sandwiching you between his broad frame and the wall, that you can feel how warm he is. 

The man radiates warmth, both from the sheer size of him, and the intense, fiery look in his eyes. 

‘You look very beautiful, blue suits you,’ he tells you. 

You can feel yourself melting under his gaze. 

A tremendous crash reverberates through the castle, shaking the walls. 

Namjoon swears. ‘It’s the dragons,’ he tells you. ‘When everyone gets merry like this, sometimes the dragons get worked up.’ 

You stare up at him, wide-eyed. 

‘You’ll be fine,’ he says. ‘Stay here where it’s safe.’ 

He’s already turning, running down the corridor, fast despite his size. 

You check in on Jungkook, who miraculously, is still asleep. 

Then you run after Namjoon. 

There’s no fucking way you’re missing a chance to see the dragons in action. 

***

You can’t believe you’re watching a dragon fight. 

You’re on one of the castle balconies, watching in awe as Jimin wrangles one of the magnificent beasts. His skin glows in the moonlight, and with his light hair, he looks ethereal. Well, he would look ethereal, if it weren’t for the fact he’s inexplicably shirtless, muscles rippling in his back as he leans forward over the neck of the dragon, graceful and deadly. 

Next to him, Namjoon, regrettably still dressed, has mounted a dragon with scales as black as his armour. They’re a striking, incredible pair, the size of his beast bigger than the rest of the creatures in the fray. 

A flame licks out metres from where you’re standing, and you step back quickly. 

Beside you, a throat clears. ‘May I?’ 

You’re nodding without clarifying, and an instant later, the man who’s asked permission mutters, ‘Force field.’ 

The air shimmers around you. 

‘It’s safer to watch from under a forcefield,’ he explains. 

‘Oh, thank you,’ you say, grateful. ‘I’m Y/N, from Daranthia.’ 

‘Min Yoongi,’ says the man. He looks at you, eyes sharp and penetrating.

You wonder what’s in the water on Mount Halji that makes all the men who live here able to fluster you with their gaze. 

‘That mark on your back,’ he says, casual. ‘It looks familiar.’

You’d forgotten that the gown gifted to you is backless, cut almost to the curve of your ass. 

You turn away from the dragons clashing in front of you and look at him curiously. ‘Have you seen it before?’

Min Yoongi isn’t in armour like the other men you’ve met so far, in fact, he’s dressed simply, in a velvet jacket and shirt.

He nods at your curious look. ‘I’m a sage from Ijil, across the gulf.’

You’ve never been to Ijil, but that’s not unusual. Ijil’s residents are descended from enchanters and wizards, the whole place teems with magic and wisdom. Or so you’ve heard. Ijil protects its borders by being difficult, almost impossible to find.

He hasn’t answered your question. 

‘What brings you to Eosul?’ you ask.

‘This and that,’ he says, vague. 

Seeing your incredulous look, he laughs. ‘I’m friends with Jimin.’

A flash of heat licks along the forcefield he’s conjured over the two of you, and Yoongi grimaces. ‘It’s getting hot. Should we go inside?’

You glance at the magnificent beasts flying above you. The conflict seems to be dying down. 

You follow Yoongi into the castle and run into Hoseok, panting like he’s run a marathon.

‘Where were you?’ he asks. He runs a hand over his face. ‘I —-‘ 

He doesn’t finish his sentence because Namjoon strides up to your group. He’s sweating, large chest heaving as he looks at you and asks, ‘are you all right?’

Yoongi stands apart from your little triangle and snickers.

You say, very firmly, ‘I’m fine. Yoongi conjured a forcefield to keep us safe. Good night, boys.’

You turn and walk down the corridor to your room. 

You feel eyes burning into your bare back as you go. You’re not sure who you want them to belong to.

***

Jungkook’s eaten his way through most of the breakfast spread by the time you’ve finished nursing your mug of arabica.

He offers you a tangerine he’s just peeled, proudly.

You accept and are rewarded with a boyish smile. 

‘Should we practice with our lances after this?’ he asks.

‘Sure,’ you agree. ‘Let me just check on Hoseok and I’ll meet you in the courtyard.’

You knock on Hoseok’s door and push it open when you hear his voice.

He’s on the floor by the bed, stretching. There’s a light sheen of sweat on his skin.

‘Just wanted to check you were ok,’ you say. ‘Jungkook and I are going to do lance practice in the courtyard.’

‘I’ll be down in a moment,’ Hoseok says.

His smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes, and it’s so unlike him you stop. 

‘Are you ok, Hobi?’ you ask. 

‘What kind of prince would give up on his kingdom?’ he asks. 

He looks at you, his beautiful mouth twisting into something that’s more a grimace than a smile.

‘We’ll get Daranthia back,’ you tell him. You kneel in front of him so he’ll look at you. 

Quickly, you kiss his cheek, near his mouth. 

‘Don’t lose hope, Hobi.’

He’s still staring at your mouth. ‘Y/N,’ he says, husky.

You’re already up, heading for the door. 

***

You’re sparring with Jungkook, working up a sweat because although you’ve trained him, he’s taken to it like a duck to water.

Your lances clash, the wood vibrating under the force of your blows. 

As you whirl, you realise you’re no longer alone. 

Namjoon and Jimin are on the edge of the courtyard, watching. They’re out of armour, dressed simply like you and Jungkook.

Jungkook’s swing would have hit you on the head if you hadn’t leaned back at the last instant. As it is, it catches your hair, flipping it into your face.

You dive for his feet and he stumbles. You lunge the point of your lance against his chest, pinning him to the ground.

‘Can I spar with you?’ Namjoon asks. He’s much closer than before.

You can’t help it, the flirt in you snaps, ‘why? Do you wish to see me impaled on your stick, Commander?’

He laughs, voice so deep it’s like a rumble in his chest.

‘Plenty of time for that later, my lady.’

‘If anyone’s doing any impaling, it’ll be me,’ Hoseok says. He reaches for your lance. ‘Let’s go, Joon.’

You watch apprehensively as Hoseok and Namjoon circle each other, lances braced. 

‘Wow,’ comes Yoongi’s dry voice. ‘A clash of manhood.’

You laugh. ‘I believe the other name for lance is penis extension.’

‘Size never matters as much as attention to detail,’ Yoongi murmurs. 

His dark eyes flick to yours, and the heat in your face makes his lips curl in a smirk. 

‘You could at least pretend to be watching, princess,’ Yoongi says. ‘They’re fighting for your favour, you know.’

‘I’m not a princess,’ you say, rolling your eyes. 

‘Aren’t you?’ muses Yoongi. 

He jerks his chin to Hoseok and Namjoon, grappling like a kingdom’s at stake. 

Namjoon’s stronger, bolder in his strikes, whilst Hoseok’s quick on his feet, pressing any advantage he’s given. 

You’d say they’re evenly matched.

The lances clash up in the air, and you watch, worried, as the cross starts listing towards Hoseok.

There’s a sharp crack, a blinding flash, and the smell of burning fills the air.

Both lances are on fire. They fall to the ground.

Hoseok looks up. ‘Jungkook?’

‘It wasn’t me,’ Jungkook pipes up from the edge of the courtyard.

You glance at Yoongi, but he just nods to himself and walks off.

Namjoon glares at Hoseok. ‘Did you just invoke the Flames because you were losing?’

‘Firstly, I wasn’t losing,’ Hoseok replies, a picture of innocence. ‘But also, that wasn’t me.’

Namjoon looks unconvinced. 

‘We set off at mid-day,’ he says. He glances at you. ‘You can ride with me, if you wish.’

‘I can ride my own steed,’ you reply, ‘but thank you, Commander.’

You bow politely as Namjoon leaves.

***

You were silly to not take Commander Namjoon up on his offer to ride with him. 

The big man looks as magnificent on a horse as he does on a dragon. 

You’re starting to think he’d look good mounting anything. Including you. 

Jungkook and Jimin are riding ahead, playing a ridiculous but deadly serious game involving low-hanging branches and acrobatics that seem to require boundless amounts of core strength. 

Yoongi’s up ahead with Namjoon, reading a tome that looks like it smells of witchery and mustiness. He’s cleverly conjured a leather strap connecting his steed to Namjoon’s stallion. 

Hoseok pulls up beside you. 

‘Remember when we used to ride in the forests of Paitin,’ he asks. 

You smile at the memory. You’re not much of a rider, but Hoseok is. He used to drag you along with him, following the path of the Juran stream that runs through Paitin. 

The sunlight filtering through the canopy had always flattered Hoseok’s beautiful profile. 

You remember finding an abandoned cottage in the woods once. 

You’ll always remember the way Hoseok had held you that one time, the breathless kisses you’d shared. The way his golden skin felt under your hands. 

You glance at him, and he’s looking back at you, a smile on his face. 

There’s no mocking in it, not that you can see, anyway. 

You’re distracted by loud shouting from up ahead. 

‘Get the horses to shelter,’ Namjoon commands, doubling back to you and Hoseok. ‘It’s fire demons.’ 

God damn it. 

Fire demons are deeply irritating in so many ways, with their stony bodies and penchants for shooting firebolts. Horses are terrified of them. 

You’re already on the ground, taking the reins Hoseok’s slapped into your palm, curling them around your fist with your own. 

Namjoon tosses you his reins, and he and Hoseok take off to help Jimin and Jungkook. 

Namjoon’s huge stallion stamps its foot restlessly. You put your face against its nose, trying to calm it. 

Beside you, Yoongi’s murmuring what sounds like a calming incantation, his deep voice low and melodic. 

You lead the horses away from the fray to a clearing. 

Moments later, Jimin and Jungkook run into view, flanked by their horses. 

Namjoon’s right behind them. 

‘A forcefield would be good right about now,’ he bellows to Yoongi. 

Yoongi looks at him and raises a brow. ‘Say magic is better than muscles.’ 

You laugh despite yourself at Namjoon’s face. 

‘Muscles are better,’ mutters Jungkook. 

‘Where’s Hobi?’ you ask. 

‘Magic is better than muscles. Forcefield us, Yoongi, or I swear to Jaesu –’ 

Hoseok barrels into the clearing, a fire demon hot on his tail. A bolt flashes past his arm, and you grab him. 

‘Get back!’ Hoseok shouts. He tackles you to the ground. 

You land hard on your back, Hoseok’s body covering yours. 

‘Forcefield,’ Yoongi finally says, casual. 

The air shimmers above you, halting the firebolt that would have landed on Hoseok’s back. 

Hoseok buries his face in your neck. 

‘Am I dead?’ he asks.

‘Not yet,’ you reply. 

‘Really?’ he asks. He lifts his head to smile at you. ‘Because it feels pretty fucking heavenly being on top of you like this.’ 

You don’t want to encourage his bad pick-up lines but you do find him pretty fucking funny, you’re not gonna lie. 

***

You’re helping Hoseok tend to the wounds he got in the fire demon attack, in a small brook near the clearing. 

He’s trying to convince you that you could have been injured too when he tackled you, and that he needs to check your ass. 

You laugh when he makes a big fuss over a small graze near your elbow. 

He runs a finger over it gently.

The late afternoon sun makes the water in the brook look like it’s liquid fire. It’s how your insides feel when Hoseok’s touching you like this. 

‘Can I see your mark?’ he asks quietly. 

You turn and he tugs gently at the neck of your loose top. His lips on your mark make you shiver. 

‘I want you,’ he says, simply. 

You turn in his arms for the kiss you’ve been waiting for since you started on this journey. 

He’s the royal prince of Daranthia, but even if he were just Hobi he’d still be everything you ever wanted. 

***

There’s something about Hoseok’s height when he’s got you like this, pinned against a tree, that makes you feel weak at the knees. He’s solid, strong, just tall enough that you have to look up at him to meet his eyes. 

You press a kiss to the line of his collarbone, and he huffs out a breath against your cheek. 

‘What if someone walks in on us?’ you ask, breathlessly because his lips are tracing your cheekbone, heading south to your mouth. 

‘Then they’ll get to see the crown jewels,’ Hoseok says, straight-faced. 

You burst out laughing and shove at him. He doesn’t budge an inch. 

‘When did you get so strong?’ you murmur. 

‘I was always this strong,’ he replies. ‘I just let you protect me because it’s cute.’ 

You want to slap the smirk off his face, but damn it to hellfire, you want to kiss him more. 

Hoseok’s lips are firm, warm like you remember them, and the feel of them on yours makes your toes curl. 

‘Hobi,’ you murmur, and he rolls his hips against yours, knowing, ready to give you what you’re asking for. 

He slips a hand under the waistband of your cotton breeches, cupping you, fingertips pressing against you. 

‘I’ve been thinking about you, like this,’ he tells you, voice raspy against your ear. 

‘Against a tree?’ you ask, trying not to moan as his fingers explore. 

‘I’ll get Yoongi to magic up a bed right now if you want one,’ he says, and you know he would if you asked, shameless freak that he is. 

‘But honestly, any surface will do as long as you’ll let me fuck you into it,’ he continues. 

‘Romantic,’ you tease. Your hand slides down his front, over his flat stomach, over the bulge in his breeches. He hisses as you stroke him over the soft material. 

‘I’m gonna make a mess if you don’t stop,’ he tells you, hand covering yours, making you still. 

His thumb circles your clit slowly, purposefully, like he has all the time in the world despite the urgency you can hear in his voice. 

‘Do you want romance?’ he asks, quietly, against your ear. ‘I’d give up my kingdom for you, my love. I would take you right now and run, abandon my people and my responsibilities, if I could guarantee you the life you deserve.’ 

His voice, low in your ear, raspy with want, coupled with his skillful fingers, makes the moan you’ve been holding back spill from your lips. 

‘Do you want that?’ he asks, and there’s a note in his voice now that makes you look at him closely. 

‘I want you, Hobi,’ you say, honestly, and he groans then. 

‘Stop looking at me like that, my love. It makes me want to give you the world.’ 

‘Why don’t we start with your cock?’ you ask. 

Hoseok’s still laughing as he enters you. He stops talking then, and for a long time, the world’s reduced to his body against yours, the feeling of his cock filling you, the touch of his lips against your skin. 

He picks up the pace as you sigh into his ear, body taut like a bow. You marvel over his control, the strength vibrating through him as he takes his pleasure from you and gives you yours. 

Afterward, he lays you on the ground with him. 

‘Did you mean what you said?’ you ask. 

‘That your cunt makes me believe in miracles?’ Hoseok asks, idly tracing a finger over your bare shoulder. 

‘Did you say that?’ you ask, horrified. 

‘It does,’ Hoseok affirms. ‘But I suspect you’re asking about me giving up the kingdom for you.’ 

You meet his gaze. 

‘In a heartbeat,’ he tells you. 

There’s footsteps in the brush, you sit up quickly as Jimin comes into view. 

‘We’ve got to go. They’ve got Jungkook.’ 

***

‘They’ are the treacherous Halians, who’d kidnapped Jungkook whilst you and Hoseok had been cannoodling in the woods. 

Namjoon eyes you and Hoseok as you approach but doesn’t say anything. 

‘If we take the dragons and fly all night we can be at Daranthia by first light,’ Jimin says. 

‘And then we fight?’ 

‘Then we fight,’ Namjoon says, grimly. He glances at Hoseok. ‘You’d better be ready to invoke the Flames.’ 

‘Don’t worry,’ Hoseok replies, determined. ‘I’ll do my part. Let’s get Jungkook.’ 

Namjoon and Jimin exchange a look. 

‘The dragons are up on the ridge, waiting,’ Namjoon tells you. 

Yoongi looks the most animated you’ve ever seen him. ‘Let’s get the kid back.’ 

You raise an eyebrow at him. 

‘What?’ Yoongi asks, defensive. ‘He’s too muscle-bound for his own good, but he’s a nice kid.’ 

You, Yoongi and Jimin climb onto one dragon whilst Hoseok and Namjoon mount the other. 

Jimin looks over his shoulder at you and Yoongi. ‘Ever ridden a dragon before?’ 

***

It’s first light when you land on the cliffs overlooking Daranthia. The dawn is stunning, the blanket of night giving way to the pinks and purples of early morning. 

To the west lies the sea of Arahi, and to the east, the mountains of Eosul. 

Sandwiched in between is Daranthia, the most beautiful city this side of heaven. 

Namjoon, now dressed in full battle gear, imposing and terrifying in his all-black armour, looks at you and Hobi. 

‘I’ll lead the first wave,’ he says, calm. 

The stillness of the air around you is broken by the arrival of the army of dragon-riders. 

Dozens of dragons, each topped by a dragon-rider in battle gear, get into formation above your heads. 

The thundering of wings is enough to strike fear into your heart, even though you know they’re not here for you. 

For the first time, you feel a modicum of pity for the treacherous Halians. 

They haven’t got a chance. 

‘I’ll see you on the other side,’ Namjoon says. 

He mounts his beast, and raises his arm above his head. And then they’re off, swooping towards Daranthia. 

Jimin’s already on his dragon. He tosses you a wave as he flies off, tasked with finding Jungkook. 

‘It’s just us left,’ you say quietly. 

Hoseok nods. ‘Time to invoke the Flames.’ 

‘In case you haven’t figured it out yet,’ Yoongi says. 

You both turn to him. 

‘The mark on your shoulder blade. It’s the brand of the royal family of Daranthia.’ 

Hoseok furrows his brow, perplexed. 

Yoongi tilts his head at you, almost exasperated. 

‘Invoking the Flames of Daranthia is an inherited talent passed on to those of the true royal family,’ Yoongi says, rolling his eyes. ‘That’s you, princess.’ 

Your head is spinning. 

‘What? Hoseok’s the royal prince.’ 

‘Call him whatever you want in the bedroom, I don’t care. But there’s only one person here of royal blood, and it’s not him,’ Yoongi tells you, gently. 

‘What’s my mark?’ Hoseok asks. 

‘It’s the mark of the one who serves the royal princess,’ Yoongi says. ‘It’s ingenious really, swapping you at birth like that.’ 

Hoseok’s nodding, and you’re struggling to keep up. 

‘It wasn’t me who invoked the Flame when I was sparring with Namjoon,’ Hoseok says, awed. ‘It was you.’ 

‘As much as I’d like to give you time to process,’ Yoongi says, sounding like he’s thinking the exact opposite, ‘there’s a war that’s just begun, and you’ve got the power to stop it before too much blood is shed.’ 

‘Come on, princess. Let’s get the kingdom back,’ Hoseok says. 

He takes your hand, and you repeat the words of the incantation after him. 

Moments later, the Flames of Daranthia scorch a path across your kingdom, laying waste to the treacherous villains within it. 

And then, the world implodes in the inferno. 

***

You, Yoongi and Hoseok have made it to the Daranthian palace. 

Jimin’s the first to arrive, landing gracefully in the courtyard with his beautiful, sleek dragon and a sweaty but unharmed Jungkook. 

He runs for a hug, and you swipe your thumb over the soot on his cheek. ‘You ok, Jungkook?’ 

‘I’m good,’ he replies, trying to pull Yoongi into a hug with you. Yoongi ducks under his heavy arm with a muttered, ‘no thank you.’ 

Next to arrive is Namjoon, sweeping into the courtyard like he belongs here. There’s blood trickling down his sweaty brow, but it only adds to his overall appeal. 

Damn, his arms. 

Hoseok nudges you. ‘Close your mouth, princess.’ 

You check to see if he’s bothered by this, but he just smiles. 

‘Good job, Hoseok,’ Namjoon says. 

‘It was Y/N, actually. Turns out she’s the real princess of Daranthia.’ 

Namjoon absorbs this and turns to you. 

He drops to one knee in front you, all six feet of him, and bows his head. ‘My queen.’ 

Hoseok rolls his eyes and steps in between you. ‘So fucking annoying,’ he mutters. 

Hoseok turns to you. ‘Now that it turns out I’m not the actual royal prince, all I have to offer you is my pretty face, my beautiful body and my cheeky but irreverent charm. Will you still have me, my love?’ 

You look up at Hoseok, the man you’ve always loved. His eyes are steady on yours. 

‘Yeah you’ll do,’ you say. 

His smile is bright like the sun. 

©hamsterclaw 2022

[sweetestofchaos]

Blackthorn Ch 6 | M.YG

Pairing: Crown Prince Dragon!Yoongi x Crown Princess Impundulu!Keena  Genre: Soulmate AU | Arranged Marriage AU | Fantasy AU | Fluff  Word Count: 4.5K Warnings: Talks of Reincarnation | Use of Magic | Daechwita Yoongi’s Outfit Rating: PG16

Dream of Me - Namjoon discovers something about himself and Ceyeh enjoys her time in the palace.

a/n: Huge thanks to @theharrowing​ for offering to beta this on such short notice. Thank you @sailoryooons​ for making the banner. Credit to @colormepurplex2 for making the Namjoon edit. a/n 2: I apologize for the short update. I broke this up because a few major events will be taking place soon and I don’t want to rush it.

Taglist: @thickemadame

Series Masterlist | Masterlist

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Outside of the butterfly house, Namjoon stood with the royal carpenter and compared the blueprints to what was in front of him. A six foot wall made of stone enclosed the new and improved butterfly house within a large rectangular barrier that was split into five sections within. The outside would be guarded by the royal guard while inside Aga, Mingi, Minho, Chan and Jooheon would rotate stations. Thick oak doors with intricate artwork of phlox, lupine and a rock cress were carved into the wood. Mother of pearl and opal butterflies were made to be the knocker as well as detective accents embedded through the length of the walls.

The courtyard inside was large with its own koi pond and a wooden bridge to cross over to the main house that followed a stoned pathway. The main house was a large hanok with flooring that was able to be heated during the colder months. Latticework windows and support beams added a little flare to the building and Namjoon was impressed. The majority of the butterfly house was complete and it didn’t take long at all. The only thing left to do was add art and homely items.

The courtyard needed a garden and the servant quarters, kitchen and personal hot spring were being built. Namjoon thought it best that the Princess have her own bathing chambers so that she wouldn’t have to walk the distance or be carried by a gama just to bathe in the palace.

Namjoon nodded his head in delight; things were coming along nicely. He was sure that the butterfly house would be finished by the end of the week, at the latest a day past. Namjoon turned around with his back facing toward the butterfly house and pointed towards where old Monie used to be. He had envisioned another lily pond with a beautiful statue in the center surrounded by pretty flowers. A wooden splint was on his ring finger, the same finger that got a splinter, and it hurt a lot. Namjoon couldn’t bend his finger without a sharp pain shooting up his arm, so he had Doctor Hyungwon stabilize it.

“When can we start on the pond?” Namjoon glanced over at the carpenter as they looked at the empty space. A bird house would look really cute…maybe it could hang from the statue.

“My men wouldn’t need much time. It’s a simple enough project, would you like this finished before the rest of the house?”

Namjoon turned his head to look at the seventh garden that was nearly finished and he flexed his jaw. “It would be beneficial to have it finished at the same time as His Highness’ gift to the Princess.”

“As you wish, Namjoon. I will work on the drafts later and send them for your approval.”

Namjoon nodded his head and winced as his head started to throb, “I will take my leave for now. I have another matter to attend to.” Namjoon bowed his head to the carpenter and started his way back into the palace. He had one artist in mind to help complete his vision for the butterfly house and it would take his friend two weeks to reach the palace. Namjoon had sent a messenger bird to his dear friend and he had noticed that the bird had returned when he was discussing the pond.

Namjoon hurried his way to his chambers and grinned that deep dimpled smile once he saw the cornflower blue bird sitting at his window. Namjoon walked over to the bird and held out his bad arm. The bird jumped onto his outstretched wrist and Namjoon tickled underneath the bird’s beak.

“Thank you for coming home safe, Koya.” Namjoon carefully unlaced the small canister from Koya’s leg and released the bird. He sat on the edge of his desk and smacked the note out before he unrolled it. The uneven and slightly slanted handwriting on the note in Namjoon’s hand put a smile on his face. He knew the handwriting for he had seen it a million times. Namjoon looked down at the message and his stomach knotted in excitement.

His friend had accepted the commission and would start his journey to the palace tomorrow before sunrise. Namjoon quickly scribbled out a reply, he was far too excited to see his friend after so long and thought it would be nice to spend some time with him before he got sucked into his own creative mind. Rolling the message and slipping it into the carrier, Namjoon placed it back onto the bird’s leg and tickled under its beak.

“Have a rest and set out in a few hours.” Namjoon set the bird free and watched as it flew over to one of the many bird feeders within the palace walls.

Namjoon took a step away from the window and he felt himself stumble before his hand shot out and caught the edge of a table. He blinked his eyes quickly to clear his vision and placed a hand on his forehead. That sharp pain from before was back and it started to drum behind his eyes. Carefully, Namjoon made his way to his bed and stripped himself of his outer layers before he laid down. He had clearly overworked himself within the last few days and this was his body’s way of telling him to rest. As he closed his eyes, Namjoon muttered a soft prayer for himself before the pain pulled him under.

The next time Namjoon opened his eyes he was in a lush forest of green vines that wrapped together to create a shabby yet beautiful home. The ground was covered in moss and fallen yellow ginkgo and unknown leaves, and large trees with thick branches created a scattered overcast as diffused sunlight poured down from above. It was a beautiful sight and in the center stood a tall wooden figure with yellow-brown eyes and rich green oak leaves on its head for hair. Small twigs stuck up from the being’s head that resembled a crown, and where tiny chunks of wood were missing moss filled in the gaps.

Namjoon stood frozen before the being; he didn’t recall ever seeing it before yet the familiarity that flooded his heart was strong.

“Namjoon, son of Junghee. Next in line for the title of royal gardener…my dear boy. Look how much you’ve grown.” The being’s voice was strong and warm, it soothed what little fear clung to Namjoon’s mind. “Do you know who I am?”

Namjoon bit his lip, he did not know the being in front of him and he feared that would anger the creature.

Namjoon was sure that the being smiled, though it was hard to tell since it was wood. The being beckoned Namjoon forward with one long splintery arm and Namjoon found that he could not ignore the silent command. He stood in front of the being and craned his neck back as he stared upwards.

“You called me Monie.”

Namjoon’s eyes widened, “Monie? O-Old Monie…t-the mongolian oak from the seventh garden?”

“The very same -'' Monie smiled and squatted down in front of Namjoon so that he didn’t have to look up, “I am the eldest son of the guardian in the Irotra forest. Two millennia far into the past, when the Min Empire was but a dream, my home was being destroyed by greedy bandits who wanted to use our wood for their weapons and profit.”

Namjoon had heard this story from his father. Old Monie was a gift but Namjoon never knew who the gift was from.

“A young general of the army had passed through with a small group of armed soldiers and when he saw what those bandits were doing, he killed them all. My father at the time ordered me to keep the animals from the area while he went to deal with the humans. The general and his men prayed to the trees and at the time my father had heard their prayers. They prayed for the souls of the trees and asked for a cleansing rain to wash away the sin of those bandits.”

Namjoon felt his mouth drop. They prayed for the souls of the trees…he had thought that only his family and a select few knew of that. It was their belief that everything in the world had a soul and it was only right to pray for the soul when it passed on.

“My father at the time was impressed by the humanity that the general showed along with his men. As a show of gratitude, I was gifted to the general and it was my duty to oversee the gardens of the Min empire. One of the soldiers, a Kim of your lineage became my friend and that is how the Kims came to be royal gardeners.” Old Monie placed a hand on Namjoon’s shoulder as he spoke again.

“My name is Esrym and I am a hamadryad. I was unable to leave the Mongolian oak tree that my soul was placed in, that was the deal I made with my father. Through your blood, and your blood alone, I was able to escape death. However, it is your choice to allow me refuge in your body.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you allow it, our souls will fuse together and you will become the new guardian of the Min gardens as well as the forests of the Min Empire.”

Namjoon’s stomach lurched as goosebumps broke out on his skin and he took one step backwards at the offer. “I won’t be human anymore?”

Esrym shrugged his shoulders, “What is human to you, Namjoon?”

Namjoon opened his mouth and closed it. What was it to be human? What did it mean?

Esrym continued to speak in place of Namjoon’s silence. “Your looks will not change nor will your heart or mind. I will give you my strength and power to do more for those you love and hold dear.”

As Esrym’s words sunk into Namjoon’s mind, the faces of his parents and friends flashed before his eyes. A single set of large brown doe eyes struck his heart and Namjoon nodded his head. “I offer my body as refuge.”

Esrym grunted and held out his hand, “Give me your hand Namjoon.”

Namjoon lifted his right hand and Esrym motioned for the left, the hand with the finger splint. Namjoon rested his left hand in Esrym’s palm and he inhaled sharply when a small light glowed from the tiny hole in his finger. He remembered getting a splinter and now he understood that was Esrym entering his body. Namjoon’s finger started to warm and he felt Esrym’s power seep into his bloodstream, it was heavy and featherlight all at once. A blissful feeling that muddled the mind with a silky overcast. Namjoon felt his eyes flutter and his balance waver.

“Thank you for saving me, Namjoon, son of Junghee.”

Namjoon jumped up right with a gasp. He was in bed, covered in a cold sweat. He looked around his room as he breathed harshly and stared down at his hand. His finger was no longer in the splint, the wooden contraption was broken on the bed and Namjoon squinted at his hand. There were no markings, no heat…was it a fever dream? Namjoon slowed his breathing and wiped at the sweat on his brow with the back of his hand.

“What a crazy dream,” Namjoon muttered to himself and he turned his head to glance out the window. The sun was high in the sky, so it was a little past midday. He needed to get up and check on the gardens. Carefully, Namjoon slid from his bed and redressed himself into a fresh hanfu. The robes were a dark yellow with grey undertones, white mismatched sized clemati covered the robes and a yellow cream sash was wrapped around his waist. Namjoon wasted no time as he pulled on a pair of grey boots and pulled his hair into a messy ponytail at the back of his neck with a grey ribbon.

The dream was fresh in Namjoon’s mind as he stepped outside of the palace and started to walk through the gardens. The plants around him looked brighter, the colors so vivid and blinding that Namjoon had to step away. He hid away in the shade of a gazebo and sat with his head in his hands. He felt fine, his finger and head no longer hurt but something felt off…different.

“Nammmmmjoon. Nammmjoon!”

A tiny voice rang in his ear and Namjoon flinched at the sound. He picked his head up and looked around, there was no one around.

“Nammmjoon! Excuuuuse meeeee!”

Namjoon flinched again and when he turned his head towards the sound of his name he came face to face with a bumblebee. Namjoon blinked once, twice…no. No….Namjoon raised an eyebrow and glanced around.

“A-Are you talking to me?” Namjoon whispered as he leaned closer to the bumblebee.

The bumblebee buzzed around his head and landed on Namjoon’s upturned palm.

“Yesssss! Nammmmjoon!”

Namjoon stared at the bumblebee with wide eyes, this couldn’t be - the dream flashed in Namjoon’s mind and he bit his lower lip. His jaw tensed as he thought about what Esrym had told him, what he had agreed to in his dream.

“Yoooou, Nammmjoon are the neeeew proteeector!”

Namjoon raised his hand up to his face and he almost went crossed eyed as he stared at the bumblebee in his hand.

“What did you need, little one?” Namjoon whispered as he silently accepted that what took place in his mind with Esrym really had happened.

The tiny bumblebee fluttered its wings and crawled around in Namjoon’s hand, “Neeeeed? Nothiiiing! Jussssst cameeee to sayyyy heeeello!”

Namjoon grinned and bowed his head in thanks. “Should I expect others to say hello?”

“Theeeeey willlll nooow! Theeeey weeeere scareeeed of the neeeew proteeector.”

Namjoon looked out at the garden before him and he could feel every plant watching him. A weight in his chest shifted and he felt lighter.

“You may tell everyone that I look forward to meeting them again. Properly, this time.”

The bumblebee seemed to wiggle its butt in a tiny circle in Namjoon’s hand before it zoomed up into the air and dashed off to deliver the message. Namjoon shook his head with a laugh, his dimples dug into his cheeks and his eyes sparkled as he took in the new world around him. He was the guardian of this beautiful garden and every garden in the empire. Namjoon rose to his feet slowly and inhaled deeply. The air was fragrant with tiger lilies and he paused in his steps. Jungkook! He had to tell Jungkook the wonderful news.

In the palace, Ceyeh sat in front of the vanity motionless. Her silver eyes watched as Wheein and Hyejin worked on unbraiding her hair. They took careful steps to not ruffle any of the feathers on Ceyeh’s ears; they learned very fast that they were sensitive and put the bird spirit in a foul mood. Fatsani stood close by to make sure the two women were okay and had no questions as they chatted with each other. Today was wash day since Izaso wanted to make sure that the new handmaidens would be able to rebraid the Princess’s hair afterward. They had done very well on the dolls they were giving but Izaso was still skeptical.

Ceyeh’s cycle wasn’t as bad as everyone feared. The hamerkop spirit kept to herself and only grabbed someone's attention if the pain in her stomach was too much. She stayed by the window most of the time and listened to the birds that dropped by to sing of their travels. Other times, Ceyeh was found with the new handmaidens as she taught them basic sign language based on the Laibic alphabet.

“That was the last braid!” Wheein announced and Byulyi stepped up to lead the Princess into the washroom.

Ceyeh stripped herself and carefully stepped into the heated water. Her eyes closed as the warmth engulfed her sore body. The cramps were mild at best, but the constant squeeze made Ceyeh thankful that she was able to protect the Princess. Byulyi washed the Princess’ body twice before Yongsun entered the room with Fatsani beside her.

“Do not be afraid to work section by section. The Princess has a lot of hair.” Fatsani smiled as she handed Yongsun a wide toothed comb and a special elixir that helped to detangle the hair.

Together, Yongsun and Byulyi sectioned the Princess’s hair and started to detangle the sections. The Princess did have a lot of hair, it was thick and coily, unlike the pin straight hair both handmaidens had. Once they were finished washing the Princess’ hair, Fatsani double checked and she was impressed. She asked if Ceyeh had felt any pain and when the Princess shook her head, Fatsani motioned for them to move on.

They helped the Princess from the bath and patted her dry with the softest of towels. Fresh out of the heated water in her wash room, Ceyeh stood in silence as Byulyi rubbed oils and creams into her skin. A dark greyish violet silk robe was placed around her naked body and she was led back in front of the vanity where Wheein and Hyejin waited. Oils, combs, pins and fabric ties were laid out on top of the vanity and Ceyeh watched in the mirror as the two handmaidens thought of how best to style her hair.

“Take your time,” Izaso instructed as she watched from the side. “Why don’t you try the style we practiced while the Princess was bathing?”

Wheein and Hyejin nodded their heads and started to work on the Princess’ hair. They used two different magic stones to help dry the Princess’ hair. A cemetan stone (a pale green and white streaked stone the size of a lime) that pulled the excess water from the hair and an aeninic stone (a murky green stone carved into a comb), that helped minimize frizz. A zigzag part down the middle, two long fishtail braids on either side with golden string woven throughout and two smaller braids draped across the forehead like a crown finished the hairstyle and Izaso was pleased.

“Beautiful job ladies. Ceyeh, do you like it?” Izaso asked and Ceyeh nodded her head.

The hairstyle was simple enough and she appreciated that they didn’t try to force her hair to be pin straight more than it had to be. There were still a few waves from the slicked down coils and Ceyeh was grateful. She stood from the vanity and allowed Hyejin and Yongsun to dress her. The outfit was simple, a grey and magenta collarless dress with wide trumpet sleeves. Dark grey and pink cichlid fish lined the hemming of the dress and sleeves while golden thread ran in thin bold vertical stripes of the skirt.

Ceyeh slipped her feet into a pair of greyish magenta slippers and bowed her head in thanks. She grabbed the chalkboard off the bed and requested to be escorted to the cherry blossom garden where she knew the Empress was waiting to have their morning meal together. It had only been three days since the Empress had first come to visit Ceyeh. The Empress had requested that the bird spirit spend some time with her in the mornings before the Empress’s day became hectic.

Chimika walked over the main door and stepped out to inform Aga that the Princess was ready to start her day. Aga entered the room with a bow as he crossed his arms over his chest and Ceyeh rolled her eyes. She knew that the man before her had angered her host and it was not her place to forgive him. Ceyah allowed for Aga to lead her out of her chambers and she smiled politely to Chan and Jooheon as she left. Mingi and Minho were behind as she walked side by side with Aga.

“What are your plans for today, Ceyeh?” Aga glanced down at the Princess as he spoke and Ceyeh fanned her hand outward which made Aga laugh. “It is for your own safety that you stay in the room as much as possible.”

Ceyeh raised an eyebrow at Aga’s words and clicked her tongue.

“What would happen if you were taken? How would we-”

The sky above started to darken and Aga sighed.

“Yes, the weather…how did I forget?”

The blue skies came back and Ceyeh patted Aga’s arm as they walked. The gazebo in the cherry blossom garden came into view and Ceyeh spotted the top of the Empress’s head. She wore her hair up in elegant loops with golden dragon pins to hold it in place while large gold and diamond clips were scattered throughout. As Ceyeh approached the gazebo she saw more of the Empress’s face and today she wore bold blue and gold eye paint with a light pink lip tint. Her robes were black with a blue and gold lotus flower pattern. The sleeves of her dress were lined with golden leaves and she sat with her hands folded in her lap.

“Your Majesty,” Aga greeted with a low bow as he offered Ceyeh his arm to help her up the steps.

“Thank you Aga.” Empress Min nodded her head and turned her attention to Ceyeh. A large smile took over her face as the Princess sat beside her. “How are you feeling today, my old friend?” Empress Min placed her hand on top of Ceyeh’s making sure to leave one free so that she could write on her chalkboard.

Ceyeh smiled and knocked her shoulder into the Empress’ which made Empress Min laugh as her eyes crinkled.

“I believe your cycle is almost over correct?”

Ceyeh nodded her head and started to pick at the breakfast cookies that were in front of her.

“Should we spend some time in the library? There is a beautiful spot where the sun spills in and warms the soul. It makes for wonderful leisure.”

Ceyeh’s eyes shined bright, the silver started to shimmer and Empress Min nodded her head as she understood.

“Very well. Let us enjoy our meal and then we shall depart for the library.”

Seokjin laughed loudly as he used Hoseok’s shoulder to hold himself upright. Hoseok sighed but his lips quivered slightly as he tried not to laugh. The joke was in extremely poor taste but Seokjin’s laugh was contagious and Hoseok struggled not to laugh. Prince Yoongi stared at his friends from his seat behind one of the two desks in the royal advisor’s study and rolled his eyes. Leave it to Seokjin to make the Prince lose his place in his reading.

“Are you done?” Prince Yoongi questioned as he placed the papers in his hand on the desk and folded his hands together before he rested his chin on his fingers.

Hoseok pushed Seokjin off of him and cleared his throat, “Did you need something, Yoongi?”

Seokjin straightened up and wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes before he inhaled and coughed. “S-Sorry.” Seokjin pushed his hair from his face and the butterfly sleeves of his navy blue duster danced around him. “Did you want to head to the library now, Your Highness?” Seokjin offered and the Prince gave a single nod of his head.

Seokjin smoothed his hands down the length of his torso, the navy blue knot shank buttons of his frog closure duster were rough against his finger tips. He cleared his throat and spared a glance to Hoseok who just sighed and clicked his tongue. Hoseok was back to his everyday hanbok, now that the Prince was up and moving around the palace. A simple black robe with golden leaves stitched along the cuffs and collar with a deep plum changui on top, the same golden leaves stitched on the collar, down the center and hem. A wide black belt with matching gold leaves was tied around Hoseok’s waist and a plum colored jumeoni sat at his right hip.

Seokjin and Hoseok both wore similar hairstyles today, a ponytail with two sections of hair framed their faces. Seokjin wore a high ponytail with a silver donggot to hold it in place with a navy ribbon flowing freely while Hoseok wore a low half ponytail with a single gold bead on each section of hair that framed his face.  

Prince Yoongi rose from his seat and held his head high. His hair was piled onto top of his head, the golden sangtugwan covered with beautiful quartz stone while a golden dragon with emerald eyes was carved into the donggot. A black headband kept any flyaways out of the Prince’s face while his ears and neck were dressed in thick gold jewelry. As he walked around the desk, the Prince’s black robes caught the light and the golden four toed dragon in the center of his torso reflected against the wall. Dressed in a more simple hanbok, the Prince’s rank stood out with the gold dragon that sat on each of the shoulders of his jacket and the gold brocade fabric on the collar. Hoseok and Seokjin weren’t sure why the Prince had decided to dress that way but they knew better than to ask.

Hoseok chalked it up to Prince Yoongi wanting to put any negative rumors to rest. In his current dress he looked powerful and Hoseok knew that no one would say any different. The Prince clasped his hands behind his back and raised an eyebrow as he stared at the closed door. Hoseok moved first to open the door and he stepped out of the room. Seokjin motioned for the Prince to exit and once he was out of the room, Seokjin followed behind.

The three men walked the halls and ignored everyone who bowed low at the sight of the Prince. Hoseok kept his eyes open for any sign of disrespect while Seokjin openly chatted with Prince Yoongi about a book he felt the Prince would enjoy. As they got closer to the library, Hoseok noticed a small increase of guards. He squinted his eyes in thought as he passed another guard that he usually would not see in this section of the palace. Hoseok’s eyes widened as he realized why. There guards belong to the Empress and if they were around then that meant -

“Your Highness!” Hoseok spun around on his heels and held out his hands. “T-The garden! Namjoon requested that you meet him. He had a question!” Hoseok kept his face neutral as he spoke and the Prince’s smile slowly dropped from his face.

“We can go later,” Prince Yoongi stated and Hoseok shook his head.

“It sounded pretty urgent to me, Your Highness. In my haste to forget Seokjin’s horrible joke-”

“Hey!” Seokjin stepped back and threw a hand over his heart.

“I forgot about Namjoon,” Hoseok prattled on quickly as he ignored Seokjin’s dramatics.

Prince Yoongi frowned and then pressed his lips into a tight line as he tried to figure out what Namjoon could possibly need so badly. He sighed and nodded his head, “Very well. Let’s not leave him waiting any longer.” The Prince turned on his heels and started to walk off.

Seokjin shot Hoseok a confused glance and Hoseok jerked his head towards the guards, “The library is closed,” he whispered to Seokjin and hurried to catch up to the Prince.

[thedoctorsthings]

Power to the king | Seokjin Ch. 1

here is the first, short introductory chapter of Seokjin's story in the power to the king universe. I fear that for the next chapter you will have to wait a while; I'm a camp counselor and almost all of July is taken up by that, so you might have to wait until begin August, i'm sorry.

wc: 1K

warnings: forced marriage, awkward people, one (1) swearword

It’s a hot summer day, but you’re trembling anyways. You’re sitting on your bed, and you’d do anything to never have to move from this position.  Getting up and stepping out that door would mean stepping into his life, into the life of the most feared man in the kingdom. A month ago, the king had decided to remarry. His wife had died two years ago, and he decided it was time. You had been at the wrong place at the wrong moment. Your father was one of the king’s advisors and he had taken you to an event at the castle. The king had let his eye fall on you and made his decision without a second thought. You had been sent a letter saying you were to marry in a month. That was that. The king was a man, and the most powerful one in the kingdom at that. You were a woman and would do as you were told. Your father had barely batted an eye, but your mother was devastated. You were too young to be taken away from her to a place where she could not protect you. At night, when you closed your eyes, you could still hear her cries after she had gotten the news.

At first you had been confused. Why did the king have to remarry? He had two healthy heirs; he didn’t need another child. However, once you arrived at the castle hours before your wedding, a friendly guard named Namjoon explained it to you. The king of the neighboring kingdom had just produced a daughter, and rumour went around that the queen would no longer be able to conceive. It had taken the royal couple years to have this one daughter. The king hoped to produce another son soon so he could marry him off to the neighboring queen to be. This way his son would inherit the crown.

Now you were sitting frozen in the room where they had helped you get into your wedding dress. The dress was beautiful. The atmosphere at this castle was horrible. Every servant seemed docile and scared at all times. The guard that led you to this room seemed to be filled with dread and compassion for you. The servants that helped you get dressed behaved the same way. They were overly nice and careful with you. When they left, one of them said she would pray for you with something that looked like tears in her eyes.

There was a knock at your door. “Come in”, you said. The door opened slowly, and a beautiful head appeared, careful not to make too much noise. She smiled at you and then entered the room gracefully. You knew who this was, everyone did. The queen to be, and the crown prince’s wife was known far beyond the borders of this kingdom for her grace and beauty. “Your highness”, you hastily stood up and took a clumsy bow. “Oh, leave that. In less than an hour you will be married to the king, making you higher in rank than me”. The young woman, who already exuded the aura of a queen, took your hand in hers. It was cold. “I wanted to come here to wish you luck, but more importantly to tell you that you will always have an ally within these walls”. All you could do was nod with a watery smile. If you had spoken surely your voice would have trembled.

You were married. It was your wedding day and you had never felt worse in your life. The whole ceremony had gone by in a haze. You barely remembered any of it, except for the exchange of family swords. The king had taken yours from your hands to roughly and it cut your hand. Something told you that this was an omen for the rest of this marriage. You also remembered the look in the king’s eyes. There was certain craze in his gaze. The man was bewildered. While you were walking down the aisle you saw the princess. She was a beacon of light in between the other wedding guests, who had all seemed exceptionally gloomy for a wedding. She seemed to be the only one who had not allowed the king to steal the light surrounding her. When you passed her, you could have sworn you received a wink from the princess. Such a gesture was extremely inappropriate, but the princess had a reputation of interpreting rules and laws more as guidelines.

Now you were sitting on your bed, alone and waiting. Dinner had passed and you had barely eaten anything. It was time for your wedding night, and because the sole purpose of this marriage was to produce an heir you were now waiting for the head druid. They told you you would be visited by him often. He had to ensure you got pregnant quickly, by closely monitoring your physical state.

This time, when the knock on your door came, you stood up to open it yourself. There stood maybe the most beautiful man you had ever seen. Both of you seemed to freeze for a moment. He looked into your eyes, astonished, but just for a moment. “Your highness”, he bowed: “I’m here for your check-up”. “Uhm yes, come in”, you stuttered while ushering him in. He seemed incredibly flustered while explaining what he was going to do, and you were only listening with half an ear. You were sweating for some reason, although the heat had long left the city. In this kingdom it never stayed warm for long.

First Seokjin asked you a couple questions about your general health. Then he nervously said he had to feel around your belly area to know how ready you were for a child. He looked bright red when he clarified: “You can stay fully clothed, don’t worry”. You smiled reassuringly although you were nervous too. He gestured for you to lay down and after you did, he got to work. His touch was incredibly soft yet firm. You could sense that he knew what he was doing. You could feel through the thin cloth of your wedding dress that his hands were warm and calloused from many years of fiddling with all sorts of herbs. The druid seemed to be void of words. Many times, it looked like he was about to say something, but he always swallowed whatever it was. This was strange. You didn’t know the man personally, but he was famous among the people, and you had seen him perform the ritual every year at the festival. He always seemed to have something to say, and he was known for his witty personality. You also knew that he could hardly ever be thrown off his balance. Two years ago, at the festival, the sudden outburst of black flames had only left him surprised for mere seconds. You remember vividly how he collected himself almost immediately, and calmly instructed the royal family to come back with him to the palace. Since that moment you had admired him.

When the druid named Seokjin left, you felt a bit shaky. Why had he been able to make you so nervous?

When Seokjin shut the door of your chambers behind him, he stood still for a moment and uttered one word: “Shit”.

Taehyung was sitting at his desk in the druid’s hut. A few years ago, he became a full-time apprentice and moved in with Seokjin, druid respected in every corner of the kingdom. He was working on a new recipe when the door swung open, and an incredibly puzzled looking Seokjin walked into the hut. “What’s up with you?”, Taehyung asked. “Odin hates me”, was the short answer he got before Seokjin slammed the door of his room behind him. Being used to his master’s antics and sudden outbursts, Taehyung merely lifted and eyebrow and got back to work.

@lifeless-firefly @emerald-notes @viankiss @jjkwifestyle @daisies-and-dandelionpuffs