theillustratedwriter

[theillustratedwriter]

Sunlit Moonrise | Daechwita Min Yoongi/Agust D x OC (Royalty/Fantasy AU)

Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

Chapter 1

<Previous Chapter

!!SUNLIT MOONRISE IS A MULTI-CHAPTER STORY AND NOT A ONE-SHOT SO IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE IF YOU READ SINGLE CHAPTERS OUT OF CONTEXT. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PLEASE READ PREVIOUS CHAPTERS LINKED ABOVE TO UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE STORY!!

Chapter 9: The Fox, The Owl and The Rat

King Min is restless, now more than ever, without Advisor Hwang beside him to whisper exhortations to entice the snarling fox he keeps locked deep within. Advisor Hwang represents the emotions he cannot and will not express. He paces away in the confines of his chambers, cowering, almost, in his den, as Caylus Sampson continues to soar around Coimeach Pass, cornering him with the simple threat of what an owl's wings could bear. His scar begins to sear- a tell-tale sign that his cold demeanour is fading, fast.

Lord Highmarch returns with Sir Conall, Sir Davys, Dowager Queen Min Chinsun, and Preacher Elisedd, the Head of Holy Affairs in Vulstis. 

Sir Conall clicks his heels in greeting, as is the custom of all men in the Vulstis Guard, before addressing King Min. "Your Grace, we could not locate Advisor Hwang. None of us have seen nor heard from him since the Council meeting."

"None of you?" King Min asks pointedly, raising his eyebrows at Sir Davys, the man who has eyes and ears everywhere.

"The five of us here have not, Your Grace," a cheeky smile graces Sir Davys's lips as he continues, "as for the people in Skulk Square and in the northern Nnidhal District, however, they spotted him riding towards the coal mines." 

King Min sucks on the inside of his cheeks in a futile attempt to keep all his amounting emotions under wraps. He decides to check the first concern off his exceedingly long list. 

"Sir Conall, you told me you put your best men on Coimeach Pass. Why was Caylus Sampson able to take it so easily? You should've had the upper hand, it's a stronghold after all!" King Min leans on his writing desk, finger nails scraping deeply into the polished oak. He stares at his commander from beneath long eyelashes, dark eyes swimming with menacing emotions ready to come crashing out. 

"That's what's odd, Your Grace. I questioned the survivors, and they all said they were sleeping. No one was assigned to the night watch, even though my Generals' records show the rotas and which men should have been awake. Caylus Sampson and his men essentially walked in unchallenged." Sir Conall informs, unwavering but internally petrified under the scrutiny of his King. 

"It is almost as if there is a rat messing with us." Lord Highmarch chimes in, everyone in the room chilling at the possibility that Vulstis could be in imminent danger, and Caylus Sampson is the least of all their problems. He checks King Min's second concern off- though he hates to suspect his most loyal charge, could Advisor Hwang be that rat? 

"Both of us." Sir Davys adds gravelly, each of them turning to look at him quizzically. "As much as we don't like to admit it, we know Caylus Sampson well. He used to be one of us. I know he wouldn't have even thought about invading Vulstis territory, let alone Coimeach Pass, unless someone had assured him that Prince Jimin and Verectias wouldn't reprimand him for doing so. He is a man of honour, and would not want to endanger the entirety of Patrinis. The last thing he would want is a confrontation with the Protector of the Future."

It is silent for a moment as Sir Davys's words are digested. King Min hates that he is right, but he knows that Caylus Sampson is the most honourable man in all of Patrinis. 

"I have not yet had any word from Verectias Palace." King Min says apprehensively. Could Advisor Hwang have told Caylus Sampson that he had the King of Vulstis's permission to obtain Coimeach Pass despite having no such thing, and now the coward is running in the complete opposite direction? If so, King Min would rather pretend he thinks the rat is someone else, rather than parade the fact that Vulstis has been played the fool in front of both Nocriam and Verectias. 

"I did not raise you to be this stupid, boy!" Min Chinsun snaps. "Honestly, it takes doves two days just to deliver mail from Verectias Palace. It's all the way up in those wretched mountains, for crying out loud! Caylus Sampson wouldn't have received a warning yet, and as soon as he does, I'll bet my corset he'll retreat immediately whether he has his daughter or not."

The mention of the fiery-haired woman distracts King Min from the fact that his mother is too honest and logical for her own good. Aine Sampson. The perfect person to play the part of the rat. 

"Aine." he spits through gritted teeth.

Ever since he brought her to Vulstis, everything has gone wrong. She is everything wrong in his life, and yet wherever he goes, whatever he does, she is there. At this point, her existence is just to mock him, and the cold King's resolve is starting to crack. Whether these occurrences are purely coincidental or due to her actually having divine powers and enacting her wrath on him as promised, he does not care. He just wants her gone, to stop following him so he can once again live in peace as the Protector of the Past. She is the perfect scape-goat. The perfect rat to avoid Vulstis's embarrassment.

"Your Grace?" Preacher Elisedd questions calmly, having been an observer up until now. His skills in Holy matters not being much use.

"Aine Sampson. I want her gone. Forever. Preacher Elisedd, mother, you will find her guilty of being the rat." King Min commands.

"But, Your Grace!" Sir Davys attempts to protest. 

Sir Conall's jaw slackens at the King's verdict but, unlike Sir Davys, he does not attempt to vocalise his thoughts. Lord Highmarch smiles silently to himself. Min Chinsun stares blankly at her son, trying to recognise the man that stands before her.

"Your King commands it." King Min states.

Preacher Elisedd nods in perturbed acknowledgment. "I will do as the Gods see fit."

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"Well, I'm exhausted." Rian breathes, placing his sword back into the stack.

"And that's why you have a scar on your face." Aine quips, twirling her sword proudly in her hand. The sheen of sweat on her forehead and messy hair betray her, though, as Rian had definitely put her through her paces. 

"Careful, now, I still don't know whether I'm willing to forgive you for that." Rian teases, caressing his scarred lip.

"Seriously?! You were the one that wanted my help to pull your wobbly tooth out! It just went a bit wrong..." Aine pushes back, crossing her arms. 

"I'm just kidding. Besides, now I look more badass!" 

Aine rolls her eyes, noticing how dark the sky is becoming in the process.

"I best go and pray in the Royal Chapel before it becomes too late. You should, too." Aine almost commands. 

Rian scoffs, going to retrieve the neglected bow he had been intending to fix earlier. "Nocriam sure has rubbed off on you. Us of lower station in Vulstis pray in our houses in the mornings. We are not allowed in the Royal Chapel." As a child, Aine used to complain about prayer, but since going to evening prayer like clockwork in the Holy Kingdom of Nocriam, it has become a habit. It is also another excuse to avoid going back to her room where she'll be suffocated by memories of her mother. 

Aine winces, shooting her friend an apologetic glance for her ignorance. Rian shakes his head, unbothered, and waves her off.

"You might want to clean up!" he yells after her.

Aine deadpans, but soon realises that her painfully uncomfortable up-do from this morning has fallen completely loose and her hair is freely flowing down her back once more. Random pins stick out of it in obscure directions. Her dress has scuff marks and some fraying threads from where Rian's blade had caught the long sleeves a few times. She simply huffs, bringing her hair forward to shield the plunging neckline from any more prying eyes. She is only going to pray, Preachers are not supposed to judge. 

The Royal Chapel cannot hold a torch to anything in Nocriam, which is to be expected. Where Nocriam uses white marble, Vulstis uses charcoal covered stone. Where Nocriam uses architecture that gives the impression that one is walking with the Gods, Vulstis uses gothic architecture that grimly reminds one that they are very much still on Earth. Vulstis keeps one grounded, whereas Nocriam puts one's head in the clouds. The only things that are the same are the grand statues of the Sun God and the Moon God at the end of the aisle as well as the Holy Scriptures. 

"Welcome, my child." Preacher Elisedd greets with open arms, grasping the Holy Scriptures in his left hand. His robes are a simple brown and held together with a single gold rope. 

"Hello, Preacher." Aine replies, her eyes travelling back over the aisle. Her heart stops when she spots The Dowager Vixen in all her royal glory bent over in prayer before the statue of the Moon God. Her eyes dart back to Preacher Elisedd, who offers her a kind smile as they begin their stroll towards the statue of the Sun God. 

"My name is Preacher Elisedd, I am the head of this chapel. Are you here for evening prayer?" 

"Yes, Preacher Elisedd." Aine confirms, ignoring Min Chinsun beside her and putting her faith first, kneeling on her hands and knees and thanking the Sun God for all that is good and bright in her life. 

She rises after a while and kisses the hand of the Sun God's statue, manoeuvring over to kneel before the Moon God. She repents for all the bad and dark things that the Moon God has decided just punishment to plague her life with. As she goes to stand once more, The Dowager Vixen stops her.

"Did you help your father invade Coimeach Pass, child?" 

Aine turns slowly, eyes wide. Did I mishear?  

"What?" Is all she can manage. 

"I know you are not hard of hearing. Confess. Here, before the Gods." Min Chinsun orders, fierce and unmoving as ever. 

"My father is in Vulstis? Why would he...?" Aine whispers. She tries desperately to find the fearless warrior within her, but the little girl who would cradle in the safety of her mother's lap presides. And so, helplessly, she collapses to the ground beneath the magnificence of the Moon God's statue, its silver eyes boring into her soul. 

Staring back, bottom lip quivering, Aine monologues. "Why would he do that? He knows that Verectias will come for him. If I lose him, I don't know what I will do." She bows her head. "Oh, Holy God of the Moon, spare me this injustice, I beg of you!" 

"Come, dear Aine, stand." Preacher Elisedd offers, pulling Aine off the floor. She looks at the elderly man and the Dowager Queen with glossy eyes. Pleading eyes. Anyone but my father.

"She didn't know." Min Chinsun states.

Preacher Elisedd nods sweetly.

"Forgive me, girl, but both your father and Vulstis have been played for fools. My son thinks you're the rat that's been playing us and let your father in. Your confession just now confirmed my suspicions: it's not you. Preacher Elisedd and I now need to figure out a way to convince the King." The Dowager Queen explains, a smile of respect gracing her hardened features. 

Aine's worry does not ease- King Min's thoughts are usually set in stone. 

"Leave it the hands of the Gods." Preacher Elisedd suggests. Aine is perplexed as that could go any way, but Min Chinsun seems to pick up on a different meaning. "Follow me." 

Preacher Elisedd leads the way to a secluded crypt full of the previous Kings of Vulstis, overlooked again by a smaller version of the Sun and Moon God statues. Preacher Elisedd stops right before the smaller Moon God statue and clasps its hand, twisting it to the left three times. The floor beneath Aine lurches before giving way to reveal a staircase and a well-lit corridor. 

"The answers lie below, my child."

Does Aine entirely trust these people? No. Does she have any other choice? No. If she runs now, she'll look suspicious. With that, she plods down the staircase and watches as the trapdoor closes behind her. Only onwards now. 

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A/N: Well then, a lot happened there! King Caylus makes his return hehehe. I wonder what's at the end of the corridor? Do you think Preacher Elisedd and Min Chinsun are on Aine's side or do you think it's a trap? 

Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

Chapter 1

<Previous Chapter

[theillustratedwriter]

Sunlit Moonrise | Daechwita Min Yoongi/Agust D x OC (Royalty/Fantasy AU)

Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

Chapter 1

<Previous Chapter

Next Chapter>

!!SUNLIT MOONRISE IS A MULTI-CHAPTER STORY AND NOT A ONE-SHOT SO IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE IF YOU READ SINGLE CHAPTERS OUT OF CONTEXT. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PLEASE READ PREVIOUS CHAPTERS LINKED ABOVE TO UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE STORY!!

Chapter 8: Swords and Skirts

Aine has been perusing the dreary castle for a while, desperately avoiding her room. She wishes to do anything but sit in that room and bask in memories of her mother. Braelyn's unexplained absence makes the whole situation more frustrating. 

No one is shadowing Aine, she figures it is because Vulstis Keep is the most heavily guarded place in the kingdom, and finally decides to sneak off to the armoury despite Sir Davys's earlier warning. His wink makes it seem like the worst that could happen if she gets caught is a scolding from him. That is just embarrassing more than anything. She has not picked up a sword in what feels like an age, and fulfilling that urge to practice swordsmanship is worth the embarrassing lecture.

Aine bustles along the corridor, the vast emerald skirt billowing behind her, swerving around the servants and squires as she navigates down a familiar spiral staircase and exits onto the courtyard. She pauses for a moment at the sight of the large statue of foxes fighting that used to feature in many of her childhood nightmares. Their emerald eyes are barely visible in the pale light of the day but their bared, pin-like teeth are still as menacing as ever. The flowing water feature beneath them retains their hind legs in a constantly wet state. Not many plants grow in this courtyard as the weather in Vulstis is much colder and harsher than in Nocriam, which begs the question as to why the Vulstis Court insists their Ladies wear such revealing outfits. As if on cue, Aine feels a chill crawl up her spine and jumps back into action, instinctively taking the path to the left of the statue.

The armoury is just as she remembers it. Bullseye targets set up to the right. Sword stacking stations to the left. Aine almost giddily skips towards the swords, failing to notice the young man exiting the main armoury shed. 

"What are you doing here, m'lady?" he questions, gently placing the broken bow he was fixing on the floor.

Aine turns around in surprise, eyes wide like a deer in headlights. Someone has not snuck up on her undetected in a while. She frantically grasps behind her for a sword handle whilst scanning the man's face. His features are gentle, giving the impression of a child, but the thick angled eyebrows, scarred upper lip and scruffy hair tied lazily into a low ponytail are a giveaway that this is definitely a grown man. She stares into his hazel eyes and immediately pieces everything together.

"Rian?" she asks, still cautious.

"Yes?" he confirms, confused. 

Aine smirks, finally securing a sword and swivelling it around to point it at his throat. Rian's eyes widen.

"Rian Davys, we meet again. Looks like I'm still better than you at...well, everything." Aine teases.

"Aine?!" 

"Obviously. Who else around here has hair as red as mine? Honestly, do you live under a rock?" She lowers the sword and uses it to lean on. 

Rian sniggers. "My father tries to make it that way. The further away I am from King Min, the better. Although, he's a bit of a hypocrite considering he's now Sir Davys of The Royal Council." 

The two laugh at the irony of it all, old friends enjoying the moment as if no time has passed between them. Aine, even for a second, is allowed to be the young adult that she is. The world feels slightly less lonely as she recounts childhood memories of Sir Davys overseeing duelling lessons between Rian and Aine as Ciar Highmarch, Lord Berach Highmarch's eldest daughter, cheered both of them on. Aine would tease Rian everytime she won a duel, but Sir Davys would always remind her to be honourable. Ciar would be the peacemaker and compliment both of them on their performance. Vulstis may not be perfect but King Min really did ruin what was good.

"What happened to Ciar? I haven't seen her around." Aine enquires.

Guilt and sadness carves itself onto Rian's features, and to Aine who is used to seeing this man as nothing but energetic and happy, it is discomforting. "Her father was concerned she was spending too much time with me, a man without status, so he married her off to some Belltorian Lord General. He's trying to do the same with her sister."

Aine's jaw slackens. The elegant and kind Ciar in the military state of Belltoria? They would have eaten her alive by now. But what could Rian and Aine do for her? "Poor Ciar. Her sister? What was her name? She was so young when I was here, and her mother insisted on keeping her at Arionnach Hill." Aine inquires, mind blanking at the youngest Highmarch child's identity. 

"Braelyn. Lord Highmarch is trying to marry her to King Min." 

Aine feels sick to her stomach, but it makes sense. She has been suspicious of Braelyn for a while, and now she knows the reason why. Hopefully marrying King Min will be her karma- that man is incapable of being anything but cold which will make her nothing but miserable. 

"Your father warned me against coming here, by the way. So are you going to at least pretend you tried to protect the armoury?" Aine swiftly changes the topic, challenging Rian to a duel to distract herself from the revolting thought of Braelyn Highmarch being Queen of Vulstis. 

Rian chooses a weapon from the stack and their swords clash, both of them grinning. 

"Bring it on!" 

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King Min had overseen the entire interaction at the armoury from the grand balcony in his quarters. He continues to peer at the two as the clanging of Aine and Rian's swords echo across the courtyard. He would allow himself to admire Aine's skills if he did not despise her so, especially as she does not seem to let the restrictive dress bother her. If anything, it makes her movements more elegant, as if she is doing some kind of dance. 

King Min sucks his teeth, reprimanding himself for allowing his mind to think something so positive about his enemy. 

"Your Grace." Lord Highmarch announces his presence, to which King Min accepts without even turning to address.

"What is it?" 

"I have come to talk about the situation with my daughter, Braelyn." Lord Highmarch begins.

King Min sighs, glaring from over his shoulder at Lord Highmarch through his scarred eye. Lord Highmarch cowers a little. 

"What about it? She did her job well, we learnt about Caylus's plan to tell Aine to treat me like King Ailill Olom and wrap me around her little finger. She's relieved of her duties as Aine's maid." King Min states nonchalantly, as if that is the end of the issue. 

"She is grateful for your praise, Your Grace. But there is something else I wish to discuss regarding Braelyn..."

King Min raises a questioning eyebrow.

"She has long admired Your Grace from afar but has never been able to get close enough to truly express her affections. With the current conflict with Nocriam, Vulstis is in need of an heir to secure its future. I would like to suggest a marriage between yourself and my daughter, a true Vulstis Lady." Lord Highmarch proposes, bowing at the end for good measure. 

It is silent for a beat, then King Min simply tsks. 

"I do not need nor want a Queen. Tell me, what do you think Caylus Sampson would do once he hears that I have a Queen? It is one more thing that makes me weak, one more thing that can be used against me. That is not what I need right now." King Min sneers, pain flickering behind those dark eyes. Those are not just the words of a King, but the words of very hurt man- the words of Min Yoongi. 

"But, what if, Gods forbid-"

"Your Grace!" Lord Highmarch's reparation attempts are interrupted by a squire bursting into the King's quarters unannounced.

"WHAT IS IT?!" King Min yells, rounding on the squire.

"Caylus Sampson...he's taken Coimeach Pass! The flag of Nocriam flies over its turrets!" the squire informs, out of breath.

King Min stares in disbelief for a moment before taking to pacing the length of his quarters, rubbing his temples. "Get Advisor Hwang."

"I tried...but no one can find him." 

"What? What do you mean no one can find him?! Go again and look harder! Lord Highmarch, make yourself useful and fetch Sir Conall." King Min spits. 

Both men scurry out of the room. This is bad. Caylus Sampson is home, and he is out for blood. He wants his daughter back.

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A/N: King Min is getting too cocky! He's so focussed on Aine that he forgot about her dad! 

It's starting to go down now ho ho ho! Sorry about the wait for this one, I got a new job this week so I've been trying to settle in! I wonder if the other kingdoms will get involved now that King Caylus has actually invaded Vulstis? 

Next Chapter>

<Previous Chapter

Chapter 1

Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

[theillustratedwriter]

Sunlit Moonrise | Daechwita Min Yoongi/Agust D x OC (Royalty/Fantasy AU)

Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

<Previous Chapter

Next Chapter>

!!SUNLIT MOONRISE IS A MULTI-CHAPTER STORY AND NOT A ONE-SHOT SO IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE IF YOU READ SINGLE CHAPTERS OUT OF CONTEXT. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PLEASE READ PREVIOUS CHAPTERS LINKED ABOVE TO UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE STORY!!

Chapter 7: The Dowager Vixen

The final approach to Vulstis Keep makes Aine sink in on herself. Her white and gold dress to honour Nocriam feels more like a flag of surrender for one about to enter a den of angry foxes. The weathered turrets and coal-soaked walls force the vast castle to emulate the appearance of a looming storm cloud that never goes away. A storm cloud that haunts Aine's nightmares, no matter how shiny her father commanded the white marble of the Hall of Witnesses be kept. Braelyn observes Aine closely, strawberry blonde hair pulled back into its convenient bun so she can easily trail every line of Aine's face for an inclination of the red-haired woman's mood. 

Aine may be a fantastic warrior, but she lacks the art of lady-like subtlety. She cannot mask her emotions well under ridiculous flattery or false smiles. As she drives a sword through her enemy's heart on the battlefield, there is no need to play pretend. Braelyn, however, would sweetly convince you she is your most loyal friend whilst shoving a knife through your back. 

Braelyn is chuffed that she has trumped the heir to the great Sampson name at yet something else. A trait much more favourable in the Vulstis Court, too. 

"What are you so happy about?" Aine snaps, screwing her face up in contempt. 

It seems Braelyn is so chuffed that she let her precious facade slip. Her father, Lord Berach Highmarch, would have scorned her to the high heavens if he had just witnessed that. 

The carriage comes to a halt and the horses whinny, signalling they have finally arrived at the stables of Vulstis Keep. 

"Just that we are finally here, I was beginning to get motion sickness." Braelyn lies smoothly, offering Aine a reassuring smile. 

Aine sneers at her like a wild cat. She cannot quite place it, but from refusing to say what her father had discussed with her, to the sinister look she was giving her when she awoke with a splitting headache, to the way she lightly glazes over everything as if it is fine, Braelyn is becoming rather sickening. 

A guard opens the door, a strong smell of manure wafting in courtesy of a chilling breeze. "This way, m'lady."

Well, at least they're not calling me Goddess now. Part of King Min's sudden 'be nice' plan, perhaps?

Before Aine can delve deeper into the twisted mind of the man she hates, she's traipsing through a mix of mud and horse poo into what appears to be a service entrance to the castle. 

Be nice, but not that nice, she remarks in her head, taking note of how the mess on the floor has completely desecrated the colours of Nocriam represented on her dress. She has waded through pools of blood and piles of amputated limbs, and yet some mud feels significantly more offensive. 

Though weathered from the outside, Vulstis Keep sports grand gothic architecture and design on the inside. The only similarity is that the inside is still coated in coal dust, no matter how many scullery maids are scrubbing away. Aine remembers that much from her days at Court and the long hours her and her mother would spend promenading with the other ladies whilst her father and the men flexed their egos in the Council Room. The only woman allowed in the council meetings back then was the previous queen, Min Chinsun. She is now known as The Dowager Vixen because of her sharp tongue and blatant honesty.

After climbing a vaguely familiar spiralling staircase and being guided to a door at the end of a sprawling corridor, the Vulstis guard clicks his heels together, dismissing himself. As the door swings open and Aine examines the grand fireplace and the elegant canopies that encapsulate the large bed, memories of her mother plaiting her hair and singing her folk songs flash before her eyes. This room. This very room is where she used to stay when her father was called to Court. 

"M'lady?" Braelyn asks, wondering why Aine is frozen at the threshold of a seemingly normal-looking room. 

"Leave me." Aine commands blankly, almost falling into the room as her steps are weighed down with memories of her mother.

"Yes, m'lady." Braelyn says, swiftly turning and rushing off to inform her Vulstis connections about Aine's saddened state upon seeing the room. It's all she can do to contain the smirk threatening to form on her lips. She's a proper lady, and must contain herself.

Meanwhile, Aine runs her fingers along every ledge, crevice and crack in the room. Instead of seeing the extravagant gothic architecture, she sees the windowsill as her mother's favourite spot to sit and recite her morning prayers to the Sun God. The cracked floorboard just to the right of the fireplace is not a malfunction, but instead where she used to cradle Aine in her lap as her fingers expertly wove Aine's hair into an intricate up-do. A single tear escapes the corner of Aine's eye, paralysing her cheek as it falls. Paralysing her face. She does not know what to do, she has not cried in so long. 

"Excuse me, m'lady, we have come to prepare you for the induction meeting with the Council." an unfamiliar voice announces.

Surprise, then frustration. They are emotions Aine is used to. Swiping underneath her eyes and swivelling around, she comes face-to-face with a band of Vulstis servants carrying things ranging from a dress to makeup to gold jewellery. Braelyn is nowhere in sight. 

"Right. Come in." 

Surprisingly, the dress she is shoved in is not black nor gold, but emerald green. Aine's instincts tell her that is not much better considering Vulstis's stone is the emerald. Although a Lady's role in the Vulstis Court is much more conservative than in Nocriam, their dress code certainly does not reflect this as the dress's suffocating corseted top and plunging neckline leave barely anything to the imagination. Aine's hair is wrestled into an elaborate plaited up-do to reveal the contours of her neck and collarbones and compliment the angles of her face and jawline. The servants are not as gentle as her mother used to be, yanking so hard to the point where Aine is convinced they are trying to rip the red right out of her scalp. Multiple gold jewellery pieces are draped from her neck, ears and wrists. 

She no longer looks like Princess Aine Sampson of Nocriam, the fearless warrior who sliced the skin clean off King Min's forearm. No. She looks like an object of desire. An emerald to be admired and gawked at. And now she's walking into the Council full of men who probably set this whole thing up to boost their egos.

For the first time in her life, Aine will see the Council Room. To say it is underwhelming is an understatement. Aside from some tapestries depicting the history of Vusltis on the walls, it just has the same interior as the rest of the castle. A glossy wooden table paired with some gem-encrusted chairs to flaunt their trade of coal and gemstone mining is placed in the middle, and that about sums up the furnishings in the room, excluding the essentials such as candles and draping for the window.

As for the people, they stare at her like six hungry foxes whilst taking leisurely sips from their wine cups. Aine recognises each and every one of them, either from her time at Vulstis Court when she was younger or from recent encounters. Lord Berach Highmarch, a highly ambitious man who was always after the reputation and acclaim the Sampsons had in Vulstis. Looks like he finally got it. Sir Caim Davys, a wise old man of the people, a sly swordsman, and Aine's first ever combat and archery teacher. Her heart aches a bit at the sight of him. Sir Mermin Conall, Vulstis's Head of the Royal Guard and known charmer, no matter how much he ages. Aine has had a fair few duels with him on the battlefield. And of course, Advisor Hwang, The Dowager Vixen, and King Min. 

"Ah, so this is what you look like without all your weaponry and I'm-going-to-kill-you get up! Not bad." Advisor Hwang says teasingly, that fake smile back on his face.

Aine's lip twitches and she considers strangling him with one of her necklaces, but after eyeing Sir Conall and Sir Davys, she decides against it. 

"I've already got a headache and we haven't even started yet, at least let the girl sit down before hurling your insufferable egos at her." a voice cracks through the air like a whip, as if you have to listen and obey or else. 

"Yes, ma'am." Advisor Hwang mumbles, tottering off to his seat beside King Min with his tail between his legs.

Aine takes a seat the furthest away from anyone else, partly because she does not want to be near any of these people, and partly because her dress is so big it does not allow her enough room to sit near anyone. She glances up at the owner of the voice, Min Chinsun, aka The Dowager Vixen, and notices her grey hair is fixed into a similar hairstyle as hers. Granted, she is wearing royal ornaments in it, whereas Aine is not. However, she is not bothered by it. She is wearing it with such dignity and fierceness, despite sitting at a table with men she just deemed have 'insufferable egos'. The wrinkles on her face only add to her prowess, painting her as wise and all-knowing, making her opinions valued, rather than weak and ageing. The makeup around her eyes is dark and dramatic, meaning anyone who meets her brown-eyed glare is facing off with an even more intimidating sight. It is enough to make anyone second-guess what they are saying. Considering King Min's silence up until this point, he dares not to question his mother either.

"Welcome, or should I say, welcome back to the Kingdom of Vulstis, Aine Sampson, Goddess of the Land." King Min says, raising his cup. 

Aine furrows her brows. 

"I didn't fix Coimeach Pass. What if your people go there and find out it's still ransacked? I don't think they'll be too pleased." Aine points out, hoping a revolt of Vulstis's common people will be her ticket out of here and the key to Nocriam's victory.

"No...but we did." Sir Conall perks up, smirking. 

I'm being used. Just like the emerald I'm dressed up as.

"You expect me to just sit back and be your pawn? That arrow was a warning, but rest assured you shall end up like King Ailill Olom- maimed by the Goddess you kidnapped!" Aine yells, slamming her fists on the table. 

King Min flinches, his reaction taking Aine slightly aback.

"For such a disciplined warrior, you sure do have a short fuse. Emotions will be the death of you, child, especially when there are so many vultures waiting to feed off of that." Min Chinsun assesses, sighing. 

Aine's eyes widen at how right she is, but in a moment of bubbling emotion continues on to vent her reasoning. "Maybe because the same kingdom that took away my mother and forced me into warfare is now trying to take me away from my father! All I can think about is how the Goddess Aine got her revenge- why can't I? Why must I be the one to continue to suffer losses at the hands of a man that has seemingly hated me from the moment I was born?" 

Something that somewhat resembles guilt and sympathy flashes across King Min's dark eyes, but it's gone before Aine can fully examine it. 

"Regardless, the world is cruel. People will use your emotion whether that is love, or the people you love, to get to you. You have to get that under control if you want to survive. Dying won't help your father. Maiming my son certainly will not." Min Chinsun says more harshly than before. There's no sympathy in her eyes, only openness. Telling you she's being nothing but honest, a complete contrast to her son whose eyes are nothing but closed-off. 

"Besides, what you just insinuated against our king is treasonous, you ought to be sent to the dungeons for such words!" Lord Highmarch accuses.

"Oh, do shut up, you old fart. We all know why you really want her in the dungeons." The Dowager Vixen shuts him down, Aine catching her meaning immediately. He hates the Sampsons because he envies them. She's surprised he hasn't asked for Coimeach Pass yet since it's been restored. He constantly complained to Aine's father that Arionnach Hill (pronounced Ah-ree-oh-nak), the Highmarch residence, was too far away from Vulstis Keep. 

"It's not like I was going to let the girl anywhere near the armoury, anyway. I may be old, but I'm not stupid." Sir Davys scoffs, sending a wink Aine's way. 

"Well then, I'd say that's that for this introductory meeting. I do have other things to attend to. Or do you men have some dick measuring to add onto this, because I'd much rather skip that?" Min Chinsun says curtly. 

King Min looks a little put out that his mother ended the Council meeting for him. Or was it that she mentioned his nether regions? 

As for Advisor Hwang, well, the smile is long gone and his expression finally matches his eyes. It is one of loathing, but who it is directed at, Aine cannot tell. What she can tell, though, is that she can rely on The Dowager Vixen to get things done, and in a brutally honest way at that.

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A/N: I can't tell you how much I enjoyed writing this chapter! Min Chinsun's introduction was SO fun...for someone as cold as King Min, I felt like he had to have a mother that commands attention and respect, no matter who is in the room. 

Hope Aine and Sir Davys can reconnect, too! 

I also want to thank you for all the likes and reblogs on Sunlit Moonrise so far, it means a lot! I am the 'Gardener' type of writer, as G RR Martin coined it, so I tend to build the story and world alongside the characters, rather than planning everything ahead from start to finish. 

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Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

[theillustratedwriter]

MASTERLIST

Sunlit Moonrise | Daechwita Min Yoongi/Agust D x OC (Royalty/Fantasy AU)

Chapter 1: The Country of Patrinis and its Five Kingdoms

Chapter 2: The Fabled Five

Chapter 3: The Parish of Patrinis

Chapter 4: Goddess of the Land

Chapter 5: Coimeach Pass

Chapter 6: A Masquerade of Mercy

Chapter 7: The Dowager Vixen

Chapter 8: Swords and Skirts

Chapter 9: The Fox, The Owl and The Rat

Chapter 10: Coming soon...

-

❝I am the Sun, and you are the Moon; if one of us rises, the other must fall.❞

The Country of Patrinis and its Five Kingdoms look peaceful enough from the outside. However, when King Min Yoongi of Vulstis is led to believe King Caylus Sampson and his daughter, Aine, of the neighbouring kingdom, Nocriam, are the cause of all his problems, conflict ensues. The Sampson family already have a history with the cold King of Vulstis, so this only makes Aine despise the man even more. As Nocriam and Vulstis continue to battle one another while the other kingdoms watch on in opted neutrality, Aine realises that King Min is not the embodiment of evil she once believed him to be. She and King Min are both victims of deceit and are just puppets in a grand scheme to cause Patrinis's downfall. They must work together to find out who is pulling their strings before the country falls into ruin.

-

A fantasy story set in a fictional universe featuring the BTS members and many original characters. While this story does use the names and faces of BTS members, it in no way reflects them as real people- their characters in this story are very different to how they are in reality. If you can't distinguish reality from fiction, then please do not read this book. This is NOT a reader insert.

This story is also published on AO3 & Wattpad.

[theillustratedwriter]

Sunlit Moonrise | Daechwita Min Yoongi/Agust D x OC (Royalty/Fantasy AU)

Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

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!!SUNLIT MOONRISE IS A MULTI-CHAPTER STORY AND NOT A ONE-SHOT SO IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE IF YOU READ SINGLE CHAPTERS OUT OF CONTEXT. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PLEASE READ PREVIOUS CHAPTERS LINKED ABOVE TO UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE STORY!!

Chapter 6: A Masquerade of Mercy

Aine, for a noble of war and battle, falls asleep far too quickly and easily for one staying in her enemy's encampment. An enemy who she has now enraged rather than manipulated to her liking. Her soft snores fill the tent as Braelyn watches over her carefully, those hazel eyes yet to reveal their true intentions. 

King Min is seething with anger rather than cowering in fear as Aine had intended. Advisor Hwang eagerly feeds these flames, muttering the most inhumane and outlandish suggestions, hoping King Min will consider them reasonable in his state of fury. The Protectors of the Past rarely let their emotions overcome them, but when Aine's arrow almost carved another scar into his face, Min Yoongi could no longer remain stoic. As the red-haired girl sleeps soundly, the King of Vulstis plots to become the subject of all her nightmares. 

"What if we chop off her father's head and stick it on a spire outside her quarters at Vulstis Keep so she can watch as it rots?" Advisor Hwang cackles, enjoying the thought a little too much. 

"As grotesque as that is, I have a better idea." King Min interrupts his advisor's disturbing ideation for his stomach's sake. 

"What do you suggest, Your Grace?" Sir Conall, Vulstis's Head of the Royal Guard, asks, side-eyeing the king's advisor. 

"We act the fool. Make her think she has all the power. Act as though nothing is wrong, even though we are playing her. It starts here, with Coimeach Pass." King Min smirks, a cruel and brilliantly manipulative plan formulating in his mind. 

Sir Conall is intrigued, leaning forward so that the flickering candlelight accentuates his high cheekbones and quirked eyebrow. Advisor Hwang remains silent, unreadable, and allows the rest of the conversation to pan out. 

"The people did not ransack this stronghold beyond repair. Whilst that wretch sleeps, get your men to tidy up this place and keep the Fox of Vulstis flying over the castle. Once we ride through Skulk Square to Vulstis Keep, the people will want nothing but to see her dead. We will show her an act of mercy by telling them that she used her powers as the Goddess of the Land to restore Coimeach Pass. She will have no choice then but to play into our hands." King Min explains, and the further he delves into the plan, the more he morphs back into his stone-like self. 

"Understood, Your Grace." Sir Conall bows, waves of chestnut brown hair cascading over the creases on his forehead before exiting to gather up his troops for the castle clean-up.

King Min turns to Advisor Hwang, observing the way his confidant's shaggy black hair casts even heavier shadows upon his already dark-circled eyes. "Oh, Mr Hwang, be sure to inform Lady Braelyn Highmarch of this new plan. We must ensure Aine does not wake during the night." 

Hwang smiles knowingly before leaving the tent and allowing the king some peace. He must remember not to become emotional like that, the last time he did, he almost lost an eye. Protectors of the Past cannot show emotion. Just thinking about it forces the scar across King Min's eye to throb. 

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Aine rises with a searing pain right between her eyes, as if she had shot that arrow at herself and actually hit the target, rather than at King Min. The soft songs of sparrows and bluebirds that she usually seeks comfort in sound like a thousand deafening crows screeching right into her ears.

"Ugh..." Is all she can muster upon the sight of Braelyn staring at her like a hungry fox from her perch on the opposite bed. Aine naturally attempts to furrow her brows in confusion at her maid's expression, but it hurts. She must be seeing things. 

She swallows, and, with all her might, tries again.

"Has something happened?" she croaks, her voice hoarse but clear enough. 

"We were both tired after yesterday's events, and you insisted on eating the portions of a horse, m'lady! I think, perhaps, some of Vulstis's delicacies don't agree with you." Braelyn clarifies soothingly, a sympathetic smile forming on her lips. 

But when foods disagree with you, they give you stomach problems. You don't get headaches unless...

"Braelyn, someone poisoned my food." Aine states bluntly, not leaving any room for her maid to sugarcoat it with sweet smiles and comforting talk. 

"That can't be! King Min ate from the same batch that you did. Vulstis food has a lot of wine in it, so you're probably just not used to that." Braelyn offers hurriedly, tucking her shaking hands behind her back as she senses Aine becoming more and more agitated. 

"If that's the case, then where is my bow and arrow? If someone wanted to poison me, they would also want to disarm me. If it was purely the food, then they would've left me here with my bow and arrow without a worry in the world." Aine pushes, the pain in her head subsiding.

"Why would anyone want to poison the lady they believe to be the Goddess of the Land?" Braelyn says in a hushed voice, helping Aine sit up. 

Once upright, Aine brushes off her maid's hands. Partly because she does not like to be seen as weak and partly because, as a supposed citizen of Nocriam, Braelyn does not seem to be taking her Lady's claims seriously enough. And as a Sampson, their family values honesty above all else. 

"Leave me." Aine commands.

Braelyn's lips form a thin line before she retreats and disappears outside. Aine dresses herself, purposefully omitting her maid's usual fussy accessories and hair ornaments. Her bow and arrow are nowhere in sight, and she can only imagine King Min did not take lightly to being shot at. Whether Braelyn has anything to do with it going missing and her splitting headache, she has yet to decipher. Whether she is being scared into submission, willingly going along with her enemies or completely clueless, she has yet to find out. 

Aine and Braelyn are escorted to their horse-drawn carriage under the shroud of darkness, the Sun yet to reveal itself over the horizon. The hearths and torches surrounding Coimeach Pass have been extinguished, leaving the castle indistinguishable against the inky black sky behind it. Aine assumes her childhood home has served its purpose in riling her up, and there is no point in burning coal and wood supplies to keep it lit up. Sighing almost sadly at the defilement of the Sampson stronghold, Aine steps into the carriage, mentally preparing herself for the remainder of the journey to Vulstis Keep. 

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The trip to Vulstis Keep is long and tense, with Braelyn attempting to act like everything is normal by complaining about Aine's choice of clothing and how it is not 'noble enough'. She is only met with silence as Aine continues to glare at the scenery through the window. 

She soon perks up, though, once she recognises the gothic, pointed gate that marks the entranceway to Skulk Square. There is a commotion already as many of the townsfolk crowd around the gates to catch a glimpse of the procession, the Vusltis Guards aggressively yelling and pushing them back. The guards finally create a path of passage after drawing their swords, and the carriages begin moving through Skulk Square towards the looming shadow of Vulstis Keep. 

"Look, it's her!" 

"I'd recognise that disgusting red hair anywhere!"

"The traitor!"

"The one who cut our King and betrayed our kingdom!"

"She deserves the same fate as her mother!"

"Red-haired witch!"

Yells of 'traitor' and 'witch' blend into one as townsfolk overwhelm the carriage and begin rattling on the door and hammering on the windows, demanding retribution. In going to help Nocriam at King Jung's request, Aine has never truly thought about how she has hurt the common folk of Vulstis. Her unselfish motives in going to aid Nocriam became selfish the moment she abandoned Coimeach Pass and Vulstis, and her stomach churns uncomfortably at her ignorance towards her self-righteousness. And now those she left behind are here, thirsting for her blood.

"My people!" comes the calculated voice of King Min, and silence befalls the street as everyone stops to listen. "I understand your frustrations at Lady Sampson, but that is not why I brought her here."

There are murmurs of confusion.

"She has the powers of the Goddess of the Land, and these can be used to benefit the Kingdom of Vulstis. With the approval of the Parish of Patrinis, I brought her here to do just that. She has already proven such powers, having repaired our stronghold against the south, Coimeach Pass, to its former glory! I believe she means to appease her former sins! May the Sun God be on our side!" King Min monologues, followed by surprised cheers from the crowd. 

"May the Gods bless you, your Majesty!"

"You are so wise, your Majesty!"

"All hail, King Min!"

Aine's eyes widen. He just saved her from an angry mob- but at what cost?

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A/N: Well, Aine, that didn't go as planned...maybe don't fire an arrow at the King's head next time?

And Lady Braelyn Highmarch? Uh oh...she's surrounded by Vulstis nobles!

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Sunlit Moonrise | Daechwita Min Yoongi/Agust D x OC (Royalty/Fantasy AU)

Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

<Previous Chapter

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!!SUNLIT MOONRISE IS A MULTI-CHAPTER STORY AND NOT A ONE-SHOT SO IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE IF YOU READ SINGLE CHAPTERS OUT OF CONTEXT. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PLEASE READ PREVIOUS CHAPTERS LINKED ABOVE TO UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE STORY!!

Chapter 5: Coimeach Pass

Braelyn dozed off as soon as darkness touched the sky. Aine glares at the Moon as if it is at fault for her current state of boredom and lack of answers. It may well be- the Moon God is responsible for all that is dark, sinful and bad on Earth. Aine wonders if Braelyn is simply pretending to sleep so she does not have to deal with her line of questioning; it is odd that a lady's maid who is used to working well into the night suddenly falls asleep as soon as the sun sets. 

Their carriage jerks to a stop, and the volume of the men's voices outside increases, as does Aine's guard. They have not travelled long enough to have arrived at Vulstis Keep. She listens out for any signs of swords clashing or flesh ripping. Any signs that an outside threat is attacking the procession. Instead, she tunes into unwarranted complaints about boils on armoured feet and whines of desperation about visiting brothels. Wrinkling her nose in distaste at the soldiers' conversations, she surmises this stop must have been planned.  

As torches and hearths are lit, the jutted, deep grey basalt silhouette of Aine's childhood home reveals itself. Coimeach Pass (pronounced Koy-meek). Aine hollows her cheeks in anger. King Min has made this a stop on purpose; whether it is to soften her up or test her patience, she does not know. What she does know, though, is that Coimeach Pass is but a skeleton of what it once was. Not waiting for one of the good-for-nothing Vulstis soldiers to give her the all-clear, Aine bursts through the carriage door and stomps up the winding cobbled pathway now overwhelmed with weeds and thistly bushes. Aine's aggressive exit effectively wakes Braelyn up, who is now hopelessly calling after her. 

Fighting off one final persistent branch of thorns, Aine Sampson now faces off with the grand entrance to Coimeach Pass and, by extension, the aftermath of her father becoming the King of Nocriam. The Sampson family banners that had once hung proudly are flung disgraced, defaced and disregarded on the boggy floor. They have been maliciously burnt, dragged through the mud and painted vividly with the word 'TRAITORS'. The rest of the castle seems to have suffered similar treatment, much of the walls sporting signs of charring and the same word being painted repeatedly like an incantation. Eyes darting to the watch tower and spotting the King's fox being flown; it is almost as if Min Yoongi is signing his name on this destruction. 

The Sampsons were the first family to follow Lord Vulstis to Patrinis after he had fled in fear. They served him loyally, so he returned the favour by rewarding them with a title, a place in his royal court and Coimeach Pass, the southern-most castle in Vulstis, which acts as a stronghold against Nocriam. If you want to get to Vulstis Keep, you have to get through Coimeach Pass first. Without the Sampsons and the ransacking it has suffered, it is essentially useless now. King Min may miss King Caylus more than he wishes to admit. 

"It is odd how quickly anger morphs into regret," states a cold yet smoothly articulated voice. 

Aine does not have to turn around to know who it is. His voice alone chills her down to her very core. 

"I sincerely hope you're talking about yourself." Aine snaps back, seething. Her eyes have not left the fox sigil bearing down at her from atop the watch tower. 

"Of course I am. It is human nature to feel that way. The people of Vulstis felt the same anger you feel towards me towards you and your father. So they did this in my name, thinking they were doing me a favour. They felt regret once they found out I was disappointed because it meant we no longer had a stronghold against Nocriam. I wonder, do you regret being angry at me knowing now that I was not to blame for all this?" As he poses this question, a small, condescending smile plays on King Min's lips. 

Aine glances at him, decoding his words. There's an ulterior motive: whatever she answers here determines King Min's future actions. He's trying to feel her out. And trying to psych her out, he seemingly disapproved of that glare she had sent into his carriage before leaving Nocriam.

"No, I do not. Because I have a lot more to be angry at you for than the destruction of your own lands by your own people." Aine lays out, narrowing her eyes at him.

That flicks the switch. Aine sees the King Min she knows once more. His face morphs into nonchalance, but the flames from the flickering torches make it seem much more sinister. He's like a Weeping Angel, harmless at first glimpse, just a simple statue, but lower your guard, and he becomes a demon ready to feed on your soul. 

"Oh?" he coos eerily. 

Aine cannot make him hate her as she has been because he will stop believing she is a Goddess, and she will lose the chance to take advantage of him for the sake of Nocriam. At the same time, if she plays too much into the Goddess role, she will become his doll to manipulate and use however he wants. In this situation it is take advantage or be taken advantage of. Aine must find a balance between playing the Goddess role and being herself, and she knows the answer lies in how Goddess Aine maimed King Ailill Olom. However, at this moment, as King Min's coal-like eyes continue to bore into her, awaiting a response, she panics and retreats. 

"Must a Goddess speak all her truths to a mere mortal?" Aine chastises.

He quirks a satisfied brow at that, but Aine walks off before he can say anything else. She has a destination in mind: the armoury. The Vulstis procession is preoccupied with setting up camp outside Coimeach Pass, as the castle is uninhabitable. Now that King Min had already bothered her for the night, she gathered that the only person out looking for her would be Braelyn. Besides, the armoury is a secluded room around the back of the castle, so it is doubtful anyone would have wandered that far. 

As expected, Aine comes across no one on her way to the armoury. The door is completely gone, likely from the people's siege after she and her father took off, and she only hopes they left something behind she could use. All the large pieces of weaponry and armour are either destroyed or missing from their places, which is to be expected. But there, in the corner, lies a bow and arrows, seemingly too common and insignificant enough to destroy. Aine would never miss her weapon of choice, even when everything in the room is coated in coal dust and cobwebs. Scooping up the bow as if it is her best friend, she grins maniacally. 

"Perfect."

Stalking back through the long, boggy grass, Aine surveys the camp from a small distance. The King's tent is distinguishable from miles away with its grandeur, but the complete lack of guards surrounding its perimeter is a tell-tale sign that King Min is not currently in there. Aine crouches down, spotting a convenient silver birch tree just outside the tent entrance. Its trunk is her target. She swiftly looses two arrows from her bow into its trunk, landing perfectly next to one another. She smirks at her skill. 

Now, it is a waiting game. 

After what seems like an age, King Min's platinum blonde hair comes into view, flanked by half a dozen guards and Advisor Hwang. Aine draws her arrow back, exhaling deeply as she hyper-fixates on the space between her arrow, King Min's face, and the silver birch trunk. Time slows as everything aligns, and Aine lets the arrow fly. It goes whizzing past King Min's face, fluttering his long hair, missing the bridge of his nose by half an inch before lodging itself in the tree alongside the other two arrows. Everyone seems stunned for a second. 

The guards jump into action, unsheathing their swords and turning every which way in search of the arrow's source. 

Aine emerges from the grass, brazen and smirking. King Min and his flank whirl around to glower at her, and she spots the slightest crack in his resolve. It disappears as soon as it appears, though.

"No need for the theatrics. It's not my fault you walked straight in front of my target. Did you not see the other two arrows? Now I have to go and find another target..." Aine announces exasperatedly, flaunting her bow. 

King Min takes no time to strut into his tent. Aine's smirk grows. This is her warning; it looks like it's been heard loud and clear. Now the cold king thinks that Aine is the Goddess, but she will not be so to the extent that she's at his and Vulstis's every beck and call without the fear that he will end up like King Ailill Olom. 

"M'lady! W-where...w-what-" an out-of-breath Braelyn finally locates Aine and latches onto her arm, stressed eyes darting between the bow and arrows.

"Let's just say I gave the King of Vulstis a bit of a fright." Aine grins innocently as if she has just pulled off a childish prank.

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A/N: They're playing mind games with each other now! Poor Braelyn has just been running around the entire Vulstis camp for this whole chapter- that's what happens when you fall asleep on Aine. You take your eyes off her for a few minutes, and she's off somewhere! 

I wonder how Yoongi will respond to this?

Thank you for reading!

-illustrated

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Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

[theillustratedwriter]

Sunlit Moonrise | Daechwita Min Yoongi/Agust D x OC (Royalty/Fantasy AU)

Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

<Previous Chapter

Next Chapter>

!!SUNLIT MOONRISE IS A MULTI-CHAPTER STORY AND NOT A ONE-SHOT SO IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE IF YOU READ SINGLE CHAPTERS OUT OF CONTEXT. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PLEASE READ PREVIOUS CHAPTERS LINKED ABOVE TO UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE STORY!!

Chapter 4: Goddess of the Land

Aine is under house arrest in her chambers, sneering up at the Guards of Vulstis who peer down at her from beneath their visors. She eyes their crossed spears hungrily, her feet ready to launch her forwards and tackle one out of their grasp. Braelyn, ever-the-observant lady's maid, discreetly kicks Aine in the heel to discourage her from this idea, causing the hot-tempered noblewoman to glare at her through the corner of her eye. Braelyn offers her a pointed look in return. 

"Do you plan to watch me die of old age in here?" Aine spits snarkily at the guards, her patience waning by the second, "Because, if so, I'd rather just put my life in the hands of the Moon God and jump out that window." 

The guards remain unwavering so Aine makes a break for the large glass window to the right side of her room. Braelyn gasps dramatically. The guards soon spring to life, the sound of wood on wood echoing off the marble walls as they drop their weapons to the floor in a panic. As one of them reaches out to grab Aine, she pivots around to face them, ducking below their charcoal black armour and rolling on the floor. She retrieves one of their neglected spears, kicking the other under her bed. Grabbing a stunned Braelyn, she backs up towards the door, all the while keeping the spear directed at their throats. 

They approach her cautiously, hands on unsheathed swords at their hips. Just as Aine grasps the golden door handle, someone opens it from the other side. She whirls around, aiming the stolen spear at her newest threat. But, as her ferocious eyes examine the wrinkled lines and sad grey eyes of the face of her newest opponent, all her defences drop. 

"Father?" she queries softly, worried that this might be some cruel trick. 

"What did I tell you about playing with pointy things? They're dangerous, you know." King Caylus jokes, but Aine can tell it is all he can do to keep from breaking down. 

"It's not my fault that they gave it to me." Aine states sarcastically, gesturing to the Vulstis Guards who rudely snatch the weapon back out of her hand. 

King Caylus sighs sadly, placing a large hand on his daughter's shoulder, guiding her to sit beside him on the edge of her bed. 

"I hate this as much as you do, but you can't be fighting this. You can't fight against the ruling of the Parish of Patrinis. You'd not just be fighting against Vulstis, but against Nalentus, Verectias and Belltoria, too." King Caylus explains, and it is clear that he does not entirely agree with himself. 

"How do you expect me to go quietly with the man I hate? To live with our enemies? We escaped that place years ago, all for me to just go back there because he simply asked me to? What they did to mother-"

Caylus Sampson is a good and soft-hearted man, but at the mention of his wife, he becomes an entirely different creature. Perhaps that is the problem with soft-hearted people: when something happens to someone they love deeply, it affects them more and in ways that it would not others. He sucks in a long breath before standing, rising to his full height, towering over everyone in the room. 

"Aine." he warns.

Aine lowers her head and swallows. There is silence for a moment.

"Braelyn will be there with you." King Caylus reassures, having composed himself. Aine looks up, and catches her father and Braelyn exchanging a look. A look she can't quite decipher. Although wanting to decode the meaning behind this, Aine knows the walls have eyes and ears, so simply nods and takes her father's calloused hand. He pulls her up and into a bear hug, his vice-like grip indicative of a father that does not want to let his only child go. Aine reciprocates this, not knowing the next time she will feel this warmth and smell his comforting aroma of cedar wood and apples. 

"Time to go." a voice announces, interrupting the comforting moment. 

Aine is escorted mercilessly from the sweet confines of cedar wood, apples and her father's sad smile to the muddy, scorching, lay-bys of the Strato Gate. The Kingdom of Nocriam's boundary is encapsulated entirely by a manned fifty-foot high wall, with a total of four gates allowing passageway in and out of the kingdom. The Strato Gate is the exit to the north and is mainly used for travel to and from Vulstis. It sports an elaborate statue of the Moon God standing atop the archway of the gate. Horses whinny and harnesses jangle as Vulstis's congress finalises preparations for the journey. Aine and Braelyn stand off to the side, not interacting unless absolutely necessary. Aine has been slightly more cooperative since the talk with her father so the guards allow her a bit more breathing room. One is currently watching the two from afar whilst overseeing the haul of goods being loaded into a carriage. He was too far away to overhear anything.

"What did my father ask you to do?" Aine interrogates her lady's maid. Braelyn is such a stickler for the rules- lords and ladies must act and dress a certain way- so what had her father made her agree to?

A knowing smile flashes over Braelyn's face. It does not linger longer than a second as she spots a guard marching over. 

"Goddess, your carriage awaits." he informs.

Aine snorts. "Lady Sampson will do." 

"I-I see, yes, m'lady." the guard blanches, as if he had never been reprimanded by a noblewoman before. Knowing Vulstis's conservative practices, probably not. 

Aine and Braelyn are led to a horse-drawn carriage positioned behind the grandest-looking one. No doubt King Min is scrutinising her every move from behind its golden drapes. His cold, dark eyes attempting to burrow down into her soul and feast there until she becomes just like him. No matter how much gold draping, extravagant emeralds and intricate carvings of foxes there are on the outside of this carriage, they cannot mask the monster within. She panders if Advisor Hwang is in there with him still smiling, to spur on his predator-like behaviour, or whether he has finally dropped the act. 

Aine turns around, taking in the white marble walls of the Hall of Witnesses and its Wings of Residency. Her home. There, in the highest turret, stands her father gazing down at them all. With his broad stature he resembles a vigilant owl observing its prey. Long hair, fur cloak and beard softly swaying in the wind offering the illusion of ruffled feathers. Aine swells with pride, a smug smile playing on her lips. 

That's right, she thinks, the Owl of Nocriam. Owls are not just wise, but apex predators. They sit at the top of a food chain.

Just as she has been fighting King Min on the battlefield sword to sword, arrow to arrow, this was just another fight. This isn't predator versus prey, this is predator versus predator. This is still owl versus fox. Nocriam versus Vulstis. King Min's surprise attack had made her falter for a moment. Her father and only her father could remind her that she may be leaving Nocriam, but Nocriam will never leave her. King Caylus Sampson, the truest Owl there ever will be. Aine Sampson, Protector of Nocriam and the fearless warrior was back.

As she steps into the black-and-gold furnished carriage, Aine ensures to smirk hungrily into the concealed windows of the King's carriage in front of her. As if she is the owl, and her next meal is coming from King Min's carriage. It may well be, and she contemplates preying on Advisor Hwang first. 

The carriage lurches forwards, indicating that their ride to Vulstis Keep has begun. The guards are preoccupied with protecting the procession from outside threats and the black drapes over the windows are concealing Aine and Braelyn from prying eyes. 

"Are you parched, my lady? You keep licking your lips. Here, wipe your mouth with this." 

Aine absentmindedly accepts Braelyn's offering, but after touching it to her face she realises it is too coarse to be a handkerchief. Looking closer, Aine confirms that the material is instead paper and after shooting a questioning look at Braelyn, unfolds it. It is a passage of text ripped from a book that reads:

'The Celtic Goddess Aine and King Ailill Olom

King Ailill Olom believed whoever had Aine symbolically controlled the land because of her power over crops and animals, so in turn forced himself upon her. In revenge, Aine maimed him by biting off his ear.'

Aine grins after reading that last part. 

"You wise old owl." she chides at her father. He may not be able to hear, but she says it all the same. Braelyn chuckles. 

King Caylus Sampson may not be book smart but he sure is battle smart. King Min should be well aware of what happened to King Ailill Olom so would be sure to treat Aine with respect and care once they arrive at Vulstis Keep, which Aine can play to her and Nocriam's advantage. Perhaps the ruling of the Parish of Patrinis could be Nocriam's ticket to victory in this war after all. 

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A/N: King Caylus may be a big softie but he's also a big smartie! The question is is King Min already prepared for this? I mean, Aine's already tried to slice his arm off once!

The depiction of the legend of the Celtic Goddess Aine is not 100% accurate in Sunlit Moonrise, the stories and accounts differed depending on the sources I researched so the one I use is really condensed down for ease of comprehension in the context of this specific plot. I don't mean to offend anyone!

What do you guys think Vulstis Keep is going to be like? Light and fancy like the Hall of Witnesses in Nocriam? Or like a dusty stone castle that a dragon used to live in? Or possibly a bit of both? 

Thank you for reading!

-illustrated

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Chapter 1

Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

[theillustratedwriter]

Sunlit Moonrise | Daechwita Min Yoongi/Agust D x OC (Royalty/Fantasy AU)

Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

<Previous Chapter

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!!SUNLIT MOONRISE IS A MULTI-CHAPTER STORY AND NOT A ONE-SHOT SO IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE IF YOU READ SINGLE CHAPTERS OUT OF CONTEXT. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PLEASE READ PREVIOUS CHAPTERS LINKED ABOVE TO UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE STORY!!

Chapter 3: The Parish of Patrinis

Aine's lady's maid, Braelyn, has many complaints come morning. All of which go through one indisposed ear and out the other. Aine glares into the mirror as if her reflection is her sworn enemy, whilst Braelyn flaps around her. 

"Lady Sampson, I wish you would care more for your hair. It is ever so knotty. It is such a beautiful colour. If I had hair as beautiful as yours, I would do everything to ensure it was well-kept." Braelyn compliments, but Aine sees it for what it is: a chide. Stop horse riding, archery and sword fighting as they are not lady-like. And they make her hair harder to brush.

What am I supposed to do? I am defending both you and this entire realm! I would sacrifice a few knots to ensure Nocriam is protected. Aine bites her tongue before these thoughts leave her lips, knowing Braelyn is only trying to do her job. Besides, after partaking in all three activities subsequent to finding out who had called the Parish of Patrinis yesterday, Braelyn had to somehow transform a tired mess of a girl into a lady. 

She is doing a good job. Aine's red hair cascades down her shoulders in smooth waves that reach the small of her back. The front sections of hair are expertly twisted to meet at the crown of her head, elegantly framing a gold mistletoe-shaped tiara. Aine is jolted out of her stupor when Braelyn attempts to attach an emerald necklace around her neck.

"What is this?!" Aine demands, swerving out of the maid's way the best she can in her heavy attire. Emeralds. Never emeralds.

"A-accessories, my lady. They match your eyes perfectly. I'm sorry, is it not to your liking?" Braelyn looks confounded, genuine confusion lacing her features and tone. 

Aine lets out a shaky breath. "We never use emeralds, Braelyn. They are Vulstis's stone. Use something white or gold." 

The realisation sinks in, and Braelyn immediately disposes of the emerald jewellery, fishing around for some pearls instead. 

"I do apologise. I just wanted to accentuate your eyes. They are so much like-"

"My mother's?" Aine finishes the sentence, having heard the sentiment many times before from her father, "I know. Now, Braelyn, explain to me how I am supposed to move in this thing." 

Aine motions to the multi-layered, embroidered gold dress she had been wrestled into with its corseted waist, excessively long train, flared sleeves that reach the floor, and white fur trimmings that are likely to match with her father. What she detests most is that the corset pushes her bosom far too much into the public eye, and the pearl necklace Braelyn added does not help disguise this. She is just thanking the Sun God that she is not being forced to wear heeled slippers.

Aine and Braelyn exchange a playful smirk, knowing any tension about emerald necklaces is long gone. 

"Well..."

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Unfortunately for Aine and King Caylus, the Kingdom of Vulstis's party is the first to arrive for the Parish of Patrinis. Although all the kingdoms border Nocriam for easy passage to the Hall of Witnesses, Vulstis Keep is still the closest. Considering King Min Yoongi called the Parish of Patrinis, it would be doubtful he would be late. 

"His royal majesty, King Min Yoongi of Kingdom Vulstis." proclaims King Caylus's usher as the guards swing open the grand entrance doors to the Hall of Witnesses and reveal a sea of black and gold. The sight is familiar yet dangerous to Aine. 

Bannermen proudly march the sigil of the fox into the room, closely flanked by armed soldiers who stand vigil as their king sweeps haughtily over the threshold: his most trusted advisor, Mr Hwang, a few paces behind him. 

King Caylus and Aine receive their guest through gritted teeth. 

"King Min." King Caylus greets, taking him by the hand. 

"Your Grace." Aine acknowledges, curtseying before the man she hates most. 

He surveys the both of them, dark eyes lingering on Aine but never divulging anything more than that: looks. His skin is as pale as the marble behind him, and if he did not have a grotesque scar over his right eye, Aine would have mistaken him for a statue. He certainly acts as such: cold and unfeeling with eyes like two black holes- you would perish before you found any life in there. 

Mr Hwang, however, offers a smile that is almost as bright as the room. Keyword: almost. Aine notices that the smile doesn't reach his eyes, making her feel uneasy as the cold king's advisor gleams down at her. 

"Caylus." King Min finally addresses, solemn, uninterested. 

Rude, thinks Aine, he's a king. Oh, how she wishes she could swap this ridiculously constricting dress for her bow and arrow right now.

"Yoongi." King Caylus politely claps back, an irked smile playing on his lips.

King Min is completely unfazed by this and glides past King Caylus and Aine towards his wooden throne beneath the marble fox, Mr Hwang tottering off after him like a loyal dog. Aine and her father exchange displeased looks and prepare to greet three more parties, none of which they are particularly fond of. 

King Jungkook of Belltoria acts like an arrogant child wearing a grown man's armour, putting on a show of swordsmanship in an attempt to put King Caylus 'in his place'. Aine is sure one duel with him would cut his ego down to size.  

King Seokjin of Nalentus is boastful and unserious, cracking the most awful jokes at Nocriam and Vulstis's expense, showing both his ignorance and terrible sense of humour. His step-brothers' encouraging laughter only enrages Aine more, knowing how intelligent High Prince Namjoon is. Aine wonders if King Seokjin would be making the same jokes if Vulstis declared war on Nalentus instead and their precious crops began dying. 

King Jimin of Verectias is as elusive as ever. He ignores everyone and makes an immediate beeline for his wooden throne as if this whole event is beneath him. Infuriating. 

Aine breathes a sigh of relief once she finally takes a seat, registering too late that the man beside her is Grand Duke Taehyung of Nalentus—a renowned flirt who shares the same boastful tendencies as his older brother, King Seokjin. Whilst trying to subtly angle herself away from the man to avoid engaging with him, someone else enthusiastically plops themselves down next to her. Aine recognises that darned smile- Advisor Hwang. 

She can't blank him; she's practically facing him due to her Grand Duke evasion tactics. Because the man is, for some reason, still smiling widely, Aine offers her best grimace in response. 

"Lady Sampson, I must say, you are looking absolutely radiant today." he accolades, bowing his head in appreciation. 

"Thank you, Advisor Hwang." Aine replies stiffly. This is weird. Why is he being so nice, especially when his king called this Parish? Her eyes dance over the five men on their thrones, willing her father to stand and commence the Parish as quickly as possible. 

"Yes, I am rather impressed. From what I have heard, Lady Sampson, you are usually covered in dirt and mud like some peasant girl. And for what? Arrows and a sword?" It takes no genius to guess who threatened Aine's hot temper with such a wisecrack. 

Aine narrows her eyes, hoping her father can feel her gaze on him. Not even bothering to glance at the Grand Duke, she states calmly, "I was led to believe people in Nalentus love the dirt and mud, Your Grace. It is, after all, where Patrinis's precious crops grow from. Your use of it as an insult tells me you lack the skills needed in both Nalentus and the warfare here in Nocriam." 

This is met with a mocking chuckle from behind, which Aine deduces can only be one of King Jungkook's subordinates. Grand Duke Taehyung cowers into silence, not daring to fan the flames further. 

"My good people!" King Caylus bellows, his voice carrying to all corners of the hall as he stands to address everyone, "Thank you all for gathering here today. King Min Yoongi of the Vulstis Kingdom has summoned us here as a matter of utmost importance. By the God of the Sun and the God of the Moon, we shall hear what he has to say with candour and benignity." 

King Caylus extends a hand to the chair in the centre, atop the floor painting of the Sun and Moon Gods. All eyes follow the King of Vulstis as he rises from his wooden throne and coasts towards the speaker's chair, the black robes billowing behind him starkly contrasting with the white marble. He is like a haunting shadow. His long, silky, platinum blonde hair flows freely behind him, creating an unsettling contradiction to the steely expression on his face and the exceptionally pointy gold and emerald crown atop his head. 

Finally, Aine hears the subject of her loathing speak more than a sentence. She compares his voice to the rumbling of thunder. It is low and grumbly yet commands attention without needing to yell. 

"Preacher Nocriam and his holy kingdom have taught us for many years that there are only two Gods: The God of the Sun and The God of the Moon," he begins, "however, I am led to believe there is another God living among us. Benefiting Nocriam's newest ruler, Caylus Sampson." 

This declaration is met with a chorus of gasps and murmurs. This man dares to come to the holy kingdom and challenge the religion, its king, and its history.

"I am certain I do not know what you mean, King Min." King Caylus comments, followed by a chortle from King Seokjin, who observes the King of Vulstis as if he has gone insane. 

"You would deny it when you are disguising the Goddess of the Land as your daughter, wouldn't you?" King Min challenges calmly, his long, veiny finger pointing out Aine in the crowd. 

What? Goddess of what? Aine furrows her eyebrows, her lips forming a scowl. Is this all a political ploy to defame the Sampson name so that Nocriam falls?

"King Min, what is this nonsense?" King Jungkook spits from a lounged position on his wooden throne. He looks bored, fed up, ready to be anywhere but here.  

"King Caylus has been harbouring the Celtic Goddess of the Land, Aine, as an advantage over Vulstis. Aine's powers allow whichever land she favours to flourish and the ones she does not to feel her wrath." King Min Yoongi rolls up one of his sleeves to unveil a recognisable scar. Two months ago, Aine had caught him off-guard during battle and sliced the skin off his forearm with her sword. Eyes widen, some cover their mouths and court ladies gag at the sight before the king finally readjusts his sleeve. "If that were not enough evidence for you all, she looks exactly as the legends describe. Hair as red as flame and eyes as green as the emeralds I wear on my head. They even have the same name. Who else in Nocriam looks this way? Her father certainly does not." 

Aine's eyes dart desperately around the hall as the murmurs and whispers become louder and more intense. King Min seems to successfully be riling everyone up. Are they buying into this? The people Aine fights tooth and nail to protect day in and day out, and they believe the enemy because it is an exciting piece of gossip. The God of the Moon sure is working his magic. 

"Skill with a bow and arrow and a sword is completely different to having divine powers!" Aine's father reasons, but to no avail. All watch the red-haired girl as she rises from her seat, staring down the King of Vulstis with wild eyes. 

"Let's test that, then. Have her live in Vulstis for a period of time and see if you still have your military prowess." the cold king states simply, dark eyes flitting to each of the three other kings for their verdict since Nocriam's answer would obviously be no.

As King Caylus, the largest and strongest man of the five, pleads with watery eyes for the safety of his only child, he is met with an aloof silence. When Aine hears King Jungkook's spiteful snigger at her father's predicament, she knows her fate. None of these outlying kings care about the conflict between Nocriam and Vulstis in the first place, so what does it matter if Aine Sampson has to live in Vusltis instead of Nocriam? It's all part of a war they have nothing to do with. King Min's stone-like nature and his advisor's persistent smile adds up in Aine's mind: they knew the other kingdoms' lack of concern about this matter would amount to their agreement with Vulstis on this matter and there would be nothing Nocriam could do about it. No one can go against the ruling of the Parish of Patrinis. After this morbid realisation, Aine runs. Like hell is she going back to live in that dark, insipid kingdom. 

"Seize her." King Min sighs, unamused but unsurprised that Aine is not coming quietly.

Aine tries to run, she really does, but her heavy dress combined with Advisor Hwang latching onto her as soon as she attempts to, results in her being captured by the guards of Vulstis. King Caylus is chomping at the bit to get to his daughter's aid, but a mixture of guards from different kingdoms hold him back. The ruling of the Parish of Patrinis does not stop him from hollering after Aine like a wild boar. Aine screams back with the same ferocity. 

Aine would be more frightened of the men restraining her if she did not glance at King Min Yoongi's face. He no longer looks like an expressionless statue but something much more sinister. He is wearing a cruel smirk on his lips.

Aine does not like that. She does not like that at all. 

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A/N: The Hall of Witnesses and the Parish of Patrinis may be a place and meeting of neutrality, but neutrality does not always equal peace. Especially not when the Kings making the final verdict don't care about issues that do not affect them or their kingdoms personally.

Wow, this was a long one. (For me, anyway, as this is something I am doing for fun alongside work!) I hope you enjoyed it! 

I wonder why Yoongi has been reading about Celtic Gods and Goddesses? 🤔

Which King do you think is the best at ruling? Who do think is the worst? Let me know!

-illustrated

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Chapter 1

Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

[theillustratedwriter]

Sunlit Moonrise | Daechwita Min Yoongi/Agust D x OC (Royalty/Fantasy AU)

<Previous Chapter

Next Chapter>

Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

!!SUNLIT MOONRISE IS A MULTI-CHAPTER STORY AND NOT A ONE-SHOT SO IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE IF YOU READ SINGLE CHAPTERS OUT OF CONTEXT. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PLEASE READ PREVIOUS CHAPTERS LINKED ABOVE TO UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE STORY!!

Chapter 2: The Fabled Five

Whether one lives in the tallest turrets of Verectias Palace or a humble miner's abode in the shadowy Vulstis kingdom, all can recall the tale of The Fabled Five word-for-word. Whilst someone living in the lush, warm confines of Fort Belltoria may be lulled to sleep by a lady in silk robes holding the tale in a leather-bound book form, another living in the distant fields of Nalentus would be guided into the land of sleep just the same through word-of-mouth and the warmth of a single candle. The Fabled Five is the story of Patrinis's beginning, expertly spun into a mellow children's bedtime story.

Mothers and nursery maids puff out their chests in pride- almost as if it is a tradition to do so- as they begin the story of how five men, so very different in class, stature and expertise, bravely traversed the Promise Sea together in hopes of starting anew. A jeweller, a farmer, a preacher, a knight, and a clerk- a most unlikely crew, and yet they founded the now flourishing land of Patrinis. Preacher Nocriam, the holiest of the men, knew no amount of travelling would allow them to escape the eyes of the Gods. And so, upon asking for hope and goodwill from the Sun God, with his necklace clutched tightly between his hands, this virgin land would now be baptised forevermore as the Country of Patrinis. With the four other men watching on, they agreed to set up camp at what is now known as the Hall of Witnesses in the Kingdom of Nocriam. 

After camp was set up, Mr Nalentus began rifling through his satchel for his golden trowel, securing the tool in his hand as his eyes danced across the landscape for any sign of vegetation. Catching a glimpse of green far off in the southeast, Mr Nalentus set off. The Kingdom of Nalentus was born.

Sir Belltoria's gaze remained trained on the Promise Sea, hand tightly bound to the sheath at his hip that housed his trusty ruby sword. He would be prepared if anything dared to rear its head over the horizon or the natural borders he had also duly noted. Therein, the vast Kingdom of Belltoria and its ports were formed. 

Meanwhile, Lord Vulstis vaguely fiddled with the emerald ring on his finger, showing immense interest in the geology surrounding him. A knowing smirk flashed across his face as his hand scrutinised a specific area of sedimentary rock. Here, the Kingdom of Vulstis would be built. 

Mr Verectias remained at base camp with Preacher Nocriam, listening vaguely to the holy man as his prayers to the Sun God morphed into ones for the Moon God as darkness consumed the land. Verectias had been insouciantly observing the others as they wandered into the unknown, noting everything down as it occurred so we could tell this tale today. He would take frequent glances at his pocket watch to acknowledge what happened when. He had also considered how the look of the secluded and peaceful northern mountain range brought him comfort. 

As Patrinis began to thrive, more people migrated there to form the vast populations of its five kingdoms that we know today. From mountain to forest, sea to sky, past to present to future, the lands of Patrinis will prevail.

Reading the Patrinis mantra at the end of a children's story finally makes Aine slam the book shut, scoffing at the irony. The last time she had been told this watered-down version of The Fabled Five was when she was a young child- her mother had been plaiting her hair into a suitable updo for a Lady of the Vulstis Court. Now, here she stands, sneering at a book encapsulating her childhood ignorance, in the neighbouring Kingdom of Nocriam. 

The truth is that the five founders were cowards. They sailed across the Promise Sea to escape their previous lives. Their statuses did not matter to one another because fear had stripped them bare and scrutinised them under its most robust magnifying glass. Fear does not care about class, status or expertise- humans are humans. To avoid fear's clutches completely devouring their every breath, thought, and whim, they fled to Patrinis, hoping this barren land would shield them from fear's relentless talons. But Mr Verectias, the conniving little man, decided to write a version of events where the founders are perceived as heroes. This version of The Fabled Five is told to children who are the future of Patrinis. Mr Verectias was always thinking of the future. And King Park Jimin is the same, which makes him just as unbearable. 

"Yet the meticulous idiot never actually told us what caused this fear. Selfish cowards." Aine mumbles under her breath, taking her frustrations with the founders out on the book by shoving it back on the shelf with such force that the leather cover tears a little. 

"Didn't know King Min could turn into a book." a gruff voice quips, causing Aine to whirl around. 

"You're not funny." Aine deadpans, crossing her arms.

King Caylus lets out a hearty chuckle, his fur cloak swaying, and his greying shoulder-length hair bouncing in time with his strides as he approaches his daughter. His enormous stature takes up the entirety of the space between bookshelves; it is a surprise he does not become stuck. 

"I am. Your mother said so," he announces, placing a large hand on Aine's shoulder as if trying to confirm that his wife did, in fact, exist once, "what are you doing in the library, anyway? I didn't take you for a reader." 

Aine rolls her eyes at her father's one-track mind. "I was trying to see if there is anything about the Kingdom of Vulstis here that could be useful. It's not just all fighting, father. Then I stumbled across the children's version of The Fabled Five, which annoyed me even more." 

"My daughter, don't you think I would have told my people to search the pages of this library countless times for answers already? If there is one thing I did not teach you well enough, it is patience." King Caylus reprimands, playfully hitting Aine on the back, causing her to stumble forward. She meets his grey eyes with a look of disapproval, to which he snorts, motioning for her to follow. 

Walking through the familiar halls, guards and preachers bow to Aine and her father. Aine can't help the unsettling feeling when wading through the west corridor towards the Hall of Witnesses, even though the strongest man she knows is right beside her. Portraits of the Jungs- previous rulers of the Nocriam Kingdom- line the walls, their painted eyes following and dissecting Aine's every movement as she passes. Although the late King Jung appointed King Caylus as ruler and protector of this realm, Aine has a feeling that the rest of the Jung ancestors may feel betrayed. Not wanting to be intimidated by oil on canvas any longer, Aine scurries into the Hall of Witnesses after her father. 

The Hall of Witnesses has to be the finest work of the founder, Mr Nalentus. With windows from floor to ceiling, the hall is bright. The lighting reflecting off the white marble surfaces from which the structure is made provides the illusion that everyone is elevated high in the sky, within earshot of the Sun and Moon Gods. Five pillars are curved in a semi-circle shape, each with an elaborately carved animal representative of each kingdom's sigil. Beneath each sigil are five identical wooden imitation thrones. In the centre of the semi-circle is a singular chair atop an intricate floor painting of the Sun and Moon Gods. This is where the speaker sits to engage their pressing issue before sitting back on their wooden throne. The rest of the hall is built like an auditorium where relevant lords, ladies, knights, advisors, preachers and civilians can sit, listen and witness the proceedings of the Parish of Patrinis. 

Aine has been tempted many times to vandalise the fox carving and the throne beneath it, but considering the Hall of Witnesses is a place of neutrality, she has had to show her utmost self-restraint despite the image of King Min Yoongi sitting upon a broken throne at the next Parish of Patrinis being hilarious. 

"We have the Parish of Patrinis in here tomorrow. Be on your best behaviour." King Caylus reminds, half-joking, half-warning his hot-tempered daughter. He has his back to Aine, admiring the wooden throne below the marble owl, which is currently being cleaned and polished to the nth degree by servants. The other thrones are getting but a quarter of the attention. Aine quirks a brow at the observation. 

"Sit still, look pretty, don't say anything offensive. Who called it?" Aine questions, hands on hips. She does not much care to interact with the insufferable rulers of the other kingdoms, so had not bothered to ask her father before this point about who had called the Parish to meeting. 

King Caylus turns to peer at Aine over his shoulder, looking her dead in the eyes. "King Min Yoongi." he reveals gravely. 

Aine's eye twitches and her jaw clenches. Suddenly, she feels the need to go out for some archery practice. 

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A/N:

Yoongi: *breathes*

Aine: 😡🤬

I hope you all enjoyed this! I haven't written in a while, so Sunlit Moonrise is really challenging me to get back into it and express things the way I want them to be expressed. It's harder than I remember, but I am sure as the story continues and I grow to know and love these characters more, I will get into the flow of it. 

Which of the five founders do you find most interesting?

Thank you for reading!

-illustrated

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Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

[theillustratedwriter]

Sunlit Moonrise | Daechwita Min Yoongi/Agust D x OC (Royalty/Fantasy AU)

Next Chapter>

❝I am the Sun, and you are the Moon; if one of us rises, the other must fall.❞

The Country of Patrinis and its Five Kingdoms look peaceful enough from the outside. However, when King Min Yoongi of Vulstis is led to believe King Caylus Sampson and his daughter, Aine, of the neighbouring kingdom, Nocriam, are the cause of all his problems, conflict ensues. The Sampson family already have a history with the cold King of Vulstis, so this only makes Aine despise the man even more. As Nocriam and Vulstis continue to battle one another while the other kingdoms watch on in opted neutrality, Aine realises that King Min is not the embodiment of evil she once believed him to be. She and King Min are both victims of deceit and are just puppets in a grand scheme to cause Patrinis's downfall. They must work together to find out who is pulling their strings before the country falls into ruin.

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A fantasy story set in a fictional universe featuring the BTS members and many original characters. While this story does use the names and faces of BTS members, it in no way reflects them as real people- their characters in this story are very different to how they are in reality. If you can't distinguish reality from fiction, then please do not read this book. This is NOT a reader insert.

This story is also published on AO3 & Wattpad.

-

Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

!!SUNLIT MOONRISE IS A MULTI-CHAPTER STORY AND NOT A ONE-SHOT SO IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE IF YOU READ SINGLE CHAPTERS OUT OF CONTEXT. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PLEASE READ THE NEXT CHAPTERS LINKED ABOVE TO UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE STORY!!

Chapter 1: The Country of Patrinis and its Five Kingdoms

A Map of Patrinis, its Isles and the Surrounding Promise Sea

Once a barren land with nothing more to offer than the waves of the Promise Sea lapping at its coastlines, Patrinis is now a resilient, self-sufficient country. Five kingdoms have their part to play in ensuring Patrinis's past, present and future is perpetuated. Of course, the human ego points and laughs at issues such as these, painting itself as the court jester, as each kingdom peacocks their trades and customs in front of the other, believing they are the ones most beneficial to the upkeep of Patrinis's believed immortality. Although guilty of partaking in these festivals of flaunting, the Holiest Kingdom of Nocriam reminds the rulers of this country's origin: fear. If the five rulers ever forget about that fear, Patrinis will fall. 

The Kingdom of Nocriam

The Kingdom of Nocriam, historically a holy and peaceful kingdom, was founded by Preacher Nocriam. Their sigil is an owl, and their signature colours are gold and white. Their prized possession is Preacher Nocriam's sun and moon necklace. The Parish of Patrinis takes place in the Hall of Witnesses in Nocriam, where meetings are held between the kingdoms' leaders to discuss matters of high importance. However, since the late King Jung died and all his sons abdicated from the line of succession, Nocriam was left without an heir when they were being threatened by their neighbours, the Kingdom of Vulstis. In a desperate bid to protect Nocriam, the dying King Jung made a deal with a traitor of the Court of Vulstis: Lord Caylus Sampson. The now-warrior King Sampson and his daughter, Aine, stand as the last line of defence, protecting the once peaceful Nocriam from the relentless onslaught of soldiers from the north. 

King Caylus Sampson

King Caylus Sampson, the stalwart guardian and sovereign of the Kingdom of Nocriam, was once a respected Lord in the Court of Vulstis. His principled nature led him to betray Vulstis when he disagreed with King Min's aggressive assault on Nocriam. Fleeing with his daughter, Aine, who shares his prowess in combat, King Sampson's valiant act of defiance saved them from the clutches of Vulstis. Tragically, his wife was not as fortunate, falling victim to the darkness of Vulstis and paying the ultimate price for her perceived treachery. 

Aine (pronounced Awn-ya) Sampson

Aine Sampson is King Sampson's only child and second in command, but with her fearless and relentless attitude toward protecting Nocriam, one could easily mistake her for Nocriam's true leader. Her pure hatred towards King Min of Vulstis runs deep, so when he perceives her as Aine, the Celtic goddess of the land, and uses this for his benefit, nothing stops her from letting her arrow fly. 

The Kingdom of Vulstis

The Kingdom of Vulstis is a monotonous place, founded by the meticulous jeweller, Lord Vulstis, who had been the first of the five founders to uncover the copious amounts of coal in Patrinis. Vulstis's gloominess may be due to everything being coated in a layer of coal dust, or it may be due to their rulers having a reputation for being exceptionally cold. Many agree it is the latter. King Min Yoongi is the coldest yet. Their sigil is a fox, and their signature colours are black and gold. Their prized possession is Lord Vulstis's elaborate emerald and silver ring. On the surface, the Kingdom of Vulstis's role in Patrinis is mining and producing luxury items such as jewellery, but on a deeper level, it is to protect Patrinis's Past. Under Vulstis Keep lie the vaults of Patrinis Past, where each kingdoms' prized possession is locked up and protected: Preacher Nocriam's necklace, Lord Vulstis's ring, Sir Belltoria's sword, Mr Nalentus's trowel and Mr Verectias's pocket watch. 

The Kingdom of Nalentus

The Kingdom of Nalentus is vibrant and bright, filled with wildlife, plants, nature and unique architecture. Founded by farmer, Mr Nalentus, who was the first of the five founders to discover the dense forest along Patrinis's south-east coastline and knew it would be a useful resource. The Kingdom of Nalentus is the second-largest in terms of land mass; its sigil is a stag, and its signature colour is emerald green. Their prized possession is Mr Nalentus's golden trowel. Their current ruler is King Kim Seokjin, and his two step-brothers, High Prince Kim Namjoon and Grand Duke Kim Taehyung, who aid their older brother with the nourishment of Nalentus. With their extensive knowledge of architecture and vast fields of crops and agriculture, Nalentus is one of the two kingdoms responsible for the care and protection of Patrinis's Present. They erect buildings and provide food for the entire country- if Nalentus dies, so does the rest of Patrinis. This is why they chose to remain uninvolved in the conflict between Nocriam and Vulstis: they must remain focussed on protecting Nalentus, for if Nalentus becomes neglected or damaged, they are no longer protecting Patrinis's Present. 

The Kingdom of Belltoria

The Kingdom of Belltoria is a military state filled with jousting, knights, and soldiers. It was founded by the knight Sir Belltoria. It has the largest land mass in Patrinis, enveloping all the country's borders and coastlines, and is the second kingdom charged with protecting Patrinis's Present. Its large landmass was purposeful—as soon as the five founders discovered Patrinis, Sir Belltoria surveyed the land for enemy entryways. He ensured his kingdom would be the first line of defence against those parts. Their sigil is a lion, and their signature colour is red. Their prized possession is Sir Belltoria's ruby-encrusted sword. Although the current King Jeon Jungkook's pride is hurt that there is another warrior king in Patrinis, as that title has belonged to the rulers of Belltoria for centuries, Belltoria does not become involved in the war between Vulstis and Nocriam. Belltoria's job as guardians of Patrinis's Present is to defend the lands from external enemies and not waste their men, energy, and resources on internal conflicts. 

The Kingdom of Verectias

The Kingdom of Verectias. Very secretive and mysterious. Only gets involved with other kindgoms' affairs if absolutely necessary. So, of course, they will never have anything to do with the conflict between Nocriam and Vulstis. And rightfully so, being the smallest kingdom and secluded atop the northern mountain range, Verectias is the sole protector of Patrinis's Future. Overshare or become overly involved, and Verectias could turn the future into a weapon to destroy the past and the present. The Kingdom of Verectias was formed by Mr Verectias, an intelligent clerk who worked in international relations. He continued in international relations following his arrival in Patrinis to ensure its future, but who and what these relations were with would never escape the walls of the Verectias Palace. King Park Jimin upholds these practices with his natural nonchalance. The Kingdom of Verectias reflects its individualism through its sigil, the snow leopard. Their signature colour is ice blue, and their prized possession is Mr Verectias's silver pocket watch. 

From mountain to forest, sea to sky, past to present to future, the lands of Patrinis will prevail. 

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

A/N: Please note that while this story does use the names and faces of BTS members, it in no way reflects them as real people- their characters in this story are very different to how they are in reality. If you can't distinguish reality from fiction then please do not read this book. 

The plot, places, world, and characters aside from the BTS members were all created by me. The idea came to me while rewatching the Daechwita MV! 

Please do not re-distribute or copy Sunlit Moonrise. 

This story does also contain deep and mature themes, so please do not read this if you are under the age of 18. 

With that out of the way, dear reader, which kingdom would you like to live in if you were from Patrinis? 

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Sunlit Moonrise Masterlist

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The Kingdom of Nocriam

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King Park Jimin of Verectias

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King Jeon Jungkook of Belltoria

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King Kim Seokjin, High Prince Namjoon and Grand Duke Taehyung of Nalentus

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King Min Yoongi of Vulstis

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Aine Sampson

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King Caylus Sampson