#got7 scernarios

[kpopfanfictrash]

The First Prince

Author: kpopfanfictrash

Pairing: Jaebum / OC

Rating: PG

Word Count: 3,224

Summary: A land under a curse. Seven mysterious princes. A decision that will make or break the Kingdom. (idea from this post here, by @cyjsgirl​). This is a side story off my fanfic, The 7th Prince .

Please enjoy - happy birthday @katbeom​ !

Katherine. The loudest, most annoying soul I’ve ever had the misfortune to come across.

Jaebum meant this, meant it with every fiber of his being. Or at least he thought he did, which at eight years old was nearly the same thing. He had never been as certain of anything before, which seemed a positive indicator in that direction. When Jaebum’s father informed him he was getting a new tutor, he merely rolled his eyes in reply. Sinking lower in his chair and nodding.

Legs curled beneath him, Jaebum reread the same sentence until his father left the room. Then he exhaled, a tiny sigh leaving his otherwise serious lips. Jaebum had always been that way – a miniature man, his mother used to call him. Of course, this was before she became ill.

Now Jaebum is even more taciturn. Before her death, his mother was the buffer between him and his father. Now Jaebum never knows what to talk about. They’re both quiet, both only speaking when the situation requires - for absolutely no other reason. Besides, his father tends to see everything in black and white – especially when it comes to Jaebum. There’s duty and nothing else. Everything else is a waste, everything else is a distraction.

Jaebum doesn’t necessarily agree, but Jaebum has been able to win an argument against his father so he doesn’t want to start now. Even before his mother died, Jaebum wasn’t a very sociable boy. Really he just has Youngjae, and this is only because Jaebum’s mother was born in Quattor. Youngjae has been a part of his life for as long as Jaebum can remember.

Returning to his book, he flips another page.

“What’re you doing?”

Lowering his novel, Jaebum peers over the spine. Dark eyes stare back at him – dark, dancing eyes. Katherine’s smile turns to a frown and she tosses long hair over one shoulder.

Slowly, Jaebum sets his book down. “I’m reading.”

“Duh,” Katherine snorts, crossing her arms.

Even for a girl their age, Katherine is small. It makes Jaebum nervous to be around her, like he might break her by saying the wrong thing. Which is, of course, ridiculous. More often than not she’s the one breaking him. With her witty banter and sharp retorts – Jaebum often finds himself at a loss for words when talking to Katherine. This is fine though, since she never seems to run out of words for him.

“I only meant,” she says, tilting her head to one side. “Why are you here all alone? Don’t you have friends?”

Jaebum blinks, only once. “I have friends,” he frowns.

“Youngjae doesn’t count.”

“Why not?” Jaebum asks, sitting straighter. “He’s a person. He’s my friend. Why doesn’t Youngjae count?”

Considering for a second, Katherine nods. “Fine. Youngjae counts. I more meant, why won’t you be my friend?”

When she continues to smile, Jaebum frowns. The impropriety of her suggestion just serves to show how naïve she truly is. “Because,” he sighs. “I’m not supposed to play. I’m a Prince.”

Katherine arches her brows. “Really? Being a Prince must be a horrible thing.”

Jaebum snorts, a most unbecoming sound, which he quickly stops. “I – uh. It’s considered honorable by most.”

“Well, being honorable sounds awful as well.”

Smile on his lips, Jaebum is once again reminded why Katherine is so terrible. She makes him forget, if only for a moment, the man he’s supposed to become. She does it so easily, too. Jaebum shakes his head once more, opening his book.  “I can’t be friends, Katherine.”

She merely shrugs, unperturbed by his announcement as she walks away. Jaebum pretends not to watch her leave, pretends not to see, but he does.

“We’ll see,” she sings, turning around at the door. When she catches him staring, she grins. “You just wait, Im Jaebum,” Katherine declares. “You’ll be my friend, I swear.”

“Not likely,” Jaebum grumbles, flushed as he looks back down.

The door closes behind her.

It opens again several years later, when Jaebum is being taught algebra by Katherine’s father. He stares down at the problems on his sheet, Katherine’s father patiently explaining each one but for some reason, it’s just not sinking in. Jaebum stares at the page, squiggles looking to him less like solutions and more like art. Jaebum secretly wishes they were art.

That would never happen though, since the King disapproves of Jaebum studying the humanities. Disapproves of Jaebum studying reading and writing and composing – something which Jaebum now only does to do in secret. Staying up all hours of the night to compose, notes of his music bouncing off castle walls to echo down lonely corridors. Jaebum is thirteen – almost a man, as his father likes to remind him.

In just a few years he’ll be in the army, and then its leader. This is the path Jaebum’s father walked, and which he’s expected to follow as well. Soldiers must learn math and logic, more than art and reason. As his tutor leaves for the day, Jaebum lowers his head against the parchment. Hitting himself gently while the door creaks open.

Freezing mid-hit, Jaebum winces when a high laugh meets his ears.

“What odd behavior, from the Prince of Unum.”

Katherine closes the door and slowly, Jaebum raises his head to look at her.  “Hello.”

She smiles back at him. “Hi.”

Over the past five years, Katherine has grown. She’s softened, but only in the ways which make him want her more. Because that’s exactly what his hatred was – Jaebum realized this last year. His intense fixation, his burning desire to be near, all of this surmounted to more than pure antagonism. Jaebum’s thirteen year-old self considers the idea that he might just be in love with her.

“Why are you here?” he asks, busying himself by arranging his pencils. “Your father just left for the day.”

Nodding once, Katherine crosses the room. “I know. He told me you’re having trouble with algebra.”

For some reason, Jaebum blushes. “I haven’t… Not trouble, exactly.”

“He said you didn’t know an acute angle from a cute angel.”

Jaebum’s lip twitches in response. “Angles are geometry.”

Grinning, Katherine claps her hands. “Aha! You’ve passed. Now that I know you’re not a dolt, I can help you.” Arranging her skirts to one side, she sits on his bench.

Jaebum recoils. “What are you doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” she asks. “I’m saving your ass. Now open your algebra book.”

Jaebum obeys, too taken aback to do anything else.

“When there are multiple variables in an equation, you’ll…”

Her voice drifts in and out, Jaebum concentrating that much harder on the sound of her words. He doesn’t want to miss a single one, mostly because it’s her speaking. Sometimes the nape of her neck is distracting, sometimes its the pane of her cheek, but for the most part Jaebum manages to push these thoughts away. He tells himself that he needs to do well – for her. For Katherine.

The next week, even his tutor is amazed. “It’s remarkable,” he gapes, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Looking at these scores, it’s like you’re a completely different person.”

“It feels like I am,” Jaebum murmurs, glancing out the window.

“What was that?” his tutor asks, flipping another page.

“Nothing. Just nothing.”

Three years later, sixteen year-old Jaebum is sent to war. He takes part in his first ever patrol on the northern border, father riding steadily by his side. During the patrol, a traitor is found and brought before them. The King demands he be beheaded on the spot. Jaebum is sick behind some bushes, a fact which greatly displeases his father – lips tightening into a thin line before he turns his horse around. “Let’s go,” he intones, voice clipped. “We ride for Unum.”

Jaebum follows him silently, red-stained memories flowing through his subconscious. He can’t stop thinking about the force necessary to kill that man. The grunt the executioner uttered, the heave of his arms. It was shocking, the messiness of it. The traitor’s knees didn’t buckle, like he imagined they might. No, instead he stood there – an empty, swaying body before collapsing like a sack of potatoes.

Just the thought makes Jaebum queasy. His horse’s hooves make a steady clip as they ride into Unum’s courtyard. Jaebum dismounts, sliding from his saddle to land before his father, whose horse is already in the hands of the stablemaster.

“Come,” is all the King says, turning and striding into the palace. He leaves Jaebum to follow, as always.

Jaebum is uneasy walking into the throne room – with good reason, it turns out. The second the doors shut, the King slaps Jaebum firmly across the face. Breathing heavily, Jaebum stays looking at the ground for a few, agonizing seconds before glancing up. Cold, dark anger coils in his stomach.

“Angry, boy?” his father nods. “Good. Take that and use it. Hate me, if you like. Hate our enemies. Do whatever is necessary to turn yourself into a weapon. You were weak, throwing up at the sight of war. War is inevitable, like breath or power. How will you lead,” his father asks, stepping before him, “if you don’t have control over even yourself?”

Stomach sinking, Jaebum looks down again. Suddenly he agrees with him – the lingering shame of bile in his mouth indicating he is, indeed weak. “I don’t know,” Jaebum admits. His fingers curl to fists at his sides.

After a long moment, his father nods. “We ride tomorrow at dawn.” With that, the King sweeps from the room, door falling shut with a thud behind him.

There’s a long silence. A silence where Jaebum looks first at the floor, then up at the dais. There are two thrones there – one for a King, and one for a Queen. Jaebum stares at the two, hands slowly loosening. His stomach lurches, since he’s just beginning to understand what the curse means to him. What it means to the land of Morsus. Jaebum will have to marry you – you, the Princess of Senary. The last Princess of Morsus.

If he cannot, he will not be King.

It’s then Jaebum notices the sleeve of a dress peeking from behind the throne. Ruby red and still, he frowns as he takes a step closer. Then another, until –

“Katherine?” he asks, forehead creased.

Katherine’s face peeks from behind the throne and, for the first time since Jaebum has known her, she isn’t smiling. “Jaebum,” she manages.

“What?” He takes another step, sinking down until he’s eye level. “What’s wrong? What are you doing here?”

“I was cleaning,” Katherine admits, lip trembling. “When your father came in, I was startled. I ducked behind the throne before he saw me, not really thinking. But then I saw,” she stops, shaking her head. “I heard…”

Jaebum winces. “Ah. You did?”

“Yes.” As Katherine speaks, her eyes darken. Clarifying that yes, she saw him be hit. “Why do you let him speak to you so?” she asks, nearly a whisper.

“As though I have a choice,” Jaebum muses, with some bemusement. It’s then that he realizes they’re very close. “He’s the King, Katherine.”

“He’s your father.”

“Yes,” Jaebum nods. “I suppose he is.”

Katherine sits there, staring up at him before slowly, pushing to stand. Jaebum takes a step backwards, allowing her past. He fights the urge to touch her as she goes, it would be so easy to take her hand. Jaebum wishes he would, he’d like to have someone’s hand to hold.

Almost as though she knows what he’s thinking, Katherine turns to look at him. “He’s wrong,” she says, her voice soft – for once.

“Wrong about what?”

“You’re not weak.” She stares, as though seeing him for the very first time. “You’re actually the strongest person I know.”

Katherine slips out the door.

When Jaebum turns eighteen, he at last comes home from war. Leaving the front lines where he’s been fighting for the past two years. He walks through the palace with newfound arrogance, projecting confidence and pleased to see that people believe it. He hasn’t thrown up once since that first day, though he’s wanted to many times. He’s worked hard to conceal it, pushing further and harder than anyone else – all for the sake of his people.

He almost doesn’t recognize Katherine when she passes him, but then – it doesn’t seem she recognizes him, either.

“Jaebum?” She blinks before realizing who he is – what he is. Dropping down in a courtesy, she inclines her head. “Prince Im. Apologies for my informality. Lovely to see you back in our humble abode.”

Laughing once, Jaebum observes the sweeping archways and marble that surround them. “Right,” he nods, walking forward until he’s inches away. “It’s odd, hearing you be so polite.”

Katherine looks up, shrugging. “It’s not every day you find yourself in the presence of a war hero.”

Wincing, Jaebum rubs the back of his neck. “It’s not – I don’t.”

He shuts his mouth. A few months ago, he got lucky. He was in the right place at the right time and somehow managed to keep his head long enough to lead his troops into battle. He gained them a neat victory against the witch, the first time he can recall his father admitting to being proud of him. Jaebum hated how much he craved that.

Katherine arches her brows. “You don’t? Then who did?”

Jaebum groans, facing her. “Still as annoying as ever, I see.”

Katherine laughs, moving past him. “That’s me,” she says, voice cheerful. “Annoying, loud, obtuse, petty –“

She’s cut short when Jaebum’s hand wraps around her wrist. Slowly, she looks up at him.

Jaebum stares back, slightly out of breath. “I,” he starts, before pausing. Slowly, he lets go of her skin. Trying to ignore the blush which stains her cheekbones. “I should go.”

He leaves, cursing himself while Katherine stares after him.

That night Jaebum lies awake in his bed. He stares up at the ceiling, tormenting himself with the events of the day. It’s not so different from other nights, since Jaebum is the kind of person who is always hard on himself. This time is different, though – this time it isn’t words or things which torment him. It’s is this sweeping, churning emotion he can’t contain. The way his body coils whenever he thinks of her, the way her questioning and somewhat hesitant stare made his blood boil.

Jaebum throws his covers abruptly to one side. Heart pounding, he throws on the first tunic and pants he sees. Staring for a long moment before eventually forgoing his candle, since right now he doesn’t want to get caught. Jaebum moves stealthily down the halls, twisting and turning until he finds the door he wants.

He stands there, waiting several minutes before gathering the courage to knock.

There’s a rustling of sheets from beyond, a flutter of footsteps and then the door opens. “Jaebum?” Katherine asks, stunned by the presence of the Prince on her doorstep.

Jaebum doesn’t speak, stepping inside to gather her face in his hands before he kisses her. He gathers her face to his, fingers moving into her hair while her lips open against his. His thoughts swirl, fading in and out of coherency as she moves against him.

It’s everything he thought it would be, even more than that. The softness of her, the warmth in her touch. It all comes together to somehow makes sense – each separate thing is magnificent but put together, she’s indescribable. This is indescribable.

Breaking free, Jaebum touches his forehead to hers. “Katherine,” he sighs, loving her name on his lips.

Katherine laughs, somewhat shakily. “Took you long enough,” she answers.

Jaebum pulls back to look at her. “What do you mean?” he asks.

Her eyes dance just looking at him. “Don’t you remember?” she teases, poking his side. “I told you you’d be my friend, Im Jaebum. Eventually.”

“Ah,” Jaebum smiles, pushing hands through her hair. Pulling her closer and brushing her nose with his. “That’s where you’re wrong,” he murmurs, placing a kiss on her temple. Another at the curve of her jaw. “I want to be so much more than just your friend.”

The next few months are filled with silent bliss and sunshine. Stolen kisses in shady corridors, laughter heard into the evening. Katherine is on his mind, in his thoughts and more often than not, in his room. Jaebum can’t get enough of her, so happy he might drown in it. She’s so different from the war-torn expectations he’s known – so different from the only life he’s ever seen.

Katherine gives hope, a want for something more.

Hope which proves to be as easily taken away as given.

One morning Jaebum wakes and finds her gone. Not in her rooms, not in her father’s room. The tutor’s rooms are bare, hastily so – as though someone packed and left at the last minute. A half-used razor lies discarded on the counter, like the inhabitant left partway through his morning shave.

Touching the piece of cold metal, Jaebum attempts to wrap his mind around what he sees. Then his stomach sinks.

The doors to the throne room bang when he enters, striding forward with purpose in his eyes. Jaebum’s distinctive, red cloak flaps as he walks. His father and advisers are in the middle of a meeting but Jaebum orders them all out. 

“Leave us,” he demands, tone ringing through the chamber.

His father seems surprised when, one by one, his councilors obey. They pack up their things as quickly as they can. Perhaps its Jaebum’s tone or maybe it’s that look in his eyes. That wild, half-crazed look which says he’s lost everything and will do anything necessary in order to get it back.

As the doors fall shut behind them, Jaebum lays both palms on the table. “Where is she?” he asks, anger seething below a calm surface.  

His father doesn’t gloat, doesn’t scoff. Maybe that’s the worst part –  he seems completely calm about the whole thing. This is nothing personal, just business between father and son. Some of Jaebum’s anger fades, leaving only sadness behind. 

“She had to go,” his father says. “Had to. You have a duty to this nation, Jaebum and she was getting in the way of that.”

Jaebum closes his eyes. “Duty,” he laughs, the word soft. “Do you know the word, father?”

“I assure you that I do.”

“No.” Jaebum’s eyes open, tense and furious. “You understand pain and power and perseverance. You know nothing of duty, father. Nothing of duty, family or love.” 

With that, he turns. Striding across the foyer and exiting into the hall. While he leaves, his father remains silent.

The door falls shut behind him and Jaebum slowly buries his face in both hands. He doesn’t care that he’s in public, doesn’t care that one of his soldiers might see. They would think him weak – well, let them. Without her, he is. Without her, he is nothing.

Jaebum looks up, allowing that cold, kernel of anger in his stomach to harden to something else entirely. He won’t give up. Placing one foot softly in front of the other, his jaw sets against the pain.

No – for Katherine, Jaebum won’t give up.  

[The 7th Prince Master List]

[staytheb]

happy new year!

hello everyone! happy new year. hopefully 2021 is well for all of us! also i hope to write a lot more this year, too, as well as with other groups... hoping so xD other than that, i’ma try to write some thing before this month ends lol so yeah, take care!

~Admin Lia