Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove.

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wand'ring bark,

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come;

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me prov'd,

I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd.

Sonnet 116: Let me not to the marriage of true minds by William Shakespeare

 

 

…

 

 

 

    The three-eyed crow cawed emphatically, resting on the decrepit branch it rested its claws around. It hid among the shadows of the aged oak tree, as its thick layers of leaves created a slab of moss and dirt that had accumulated for years and years without the warmth of sunlight.

 

 

Against the greyish charcoal canvas of the night sky, the gloom of the early morning dusk clouded the secluded edge of the forest that was unguarded and deeply beyond the populated, patrolled sphere of the Seven Kingdoms.

 

 

Speckles of glistening stars were scattered across the sky, surrounded by the haunting steady hums of nocturnal beings, and the crisp, brisk breeze whiffed profoundly.

 

 

“Are you sure we’re heading the right way, sister?” The chronically firm, monotone voice of Lord Jung Yunho was reduced to doubtful whispers under his breath. He tugged on his midnight velvet cloak by its hood, tucking in conspicuous locks of caramel tresses behind his ears.

 

 

Trampling on a dried, decrepit leaf on the humid, damp soil, the Queen Sooyeon frowned in disgust as her silk slippers were stained from the misty debris.  

 

 

    “I’m sure this is the right way, brother - As much as the old hag Bada has some cleaning up to do, I still vividly remember making my way here with Yoona and Taeyeon in my girlhood.”

 

…

 

 

Lady Sooyeon was hailed the most beautiful woman of the Seven Kingdoms at the time, and debated for even its entire history - her aurulent, honey blonde hair dripped over her shoulders loosely, as her voluminous curls reached her slender waist.

 

Her hazel, almond shaped eyes bewitched whoever caught the eye of her beauty and directly came in contact of her engrossing, intense stare. She was pale in colour, yet kissed with the hue of the sun, as she had been raised in the towers of Highgarden that blossomed in the spring and heated greatly in the summer.

 

The day she had reached her fifteenth name day, she was promised to Crown Prince Jiyoung, the Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Seven Kingdoms as his second wife, after his first wife, Lady Gyuri of House Blackenwood passed away shortly after the birth of her daughter, who followed shortly.

 

It was no surprise that Lady Sooyeon was on her way to be Queen - it was almost expected of her. Her mother, who hailed from House Hightower, was married shortly to a Targaryen prince less than a year before his death, before she fulfilled her duty as the mother to the Tyrell heir and lady.

 

Early in her life, she understood that marriage wasn’t necessarily used for love, but as a tool for advancement and cunning ambition. Sooyeon and her older brother Yunho were delivered less than three years within their parents’ loveless marriage, as they had never slept in the same room after the night of her birth.

 

Of course, Crown Prince Jiyoung held much promise as the future king, as the kingdoms were won over from his dashing, handsome appearance, his intelligence and well read nature, and his knightly vigour caused the Empire to hold its breath in anticipation for his reign.

 

 

Nonetheless, Sooyeon’s apprehension and excitement won over her subservient patience and meek endurance, as with anyone who shot right into the sun - one could never get too close to flying to the sun.

 

    During her family’s visit to King’s Landing, she had spent much of her time alongside Lady Kim Taeyeon of House Velaryon and Princess Yoona, the youngest child of the king.

 

 

The Velaryon blood was strong in Taeyeon’s appearance - her pale, porcelain skin and deep violet eyes made her a celestial, unworldly beauty, that was embodied in her fragile, small frame that made her seem as if she was going to break anytime soon.

 

 

On the contrary, Lady Yoona had been the splitting image of her Northern mother, with her straight, onyx ringlets coiled into a simple, braided knot, bundled by her nape, yet had the King’s protuberant, trademark aegean eyes on her young, pretty face.

 

 

If Taeyeon was quiet, introverted and extremely shy, Yoona was fiery, headstrong, rode her stallion wildly, and never succumb to defeat. The two girls were worlds apart, yet all they had in common as that Sooyeon was their dearest friend.

 

 

“My mother spoke of the forest witch Bada, who roamed the very forests that borders the Red Keep, and that she foretold the fates of all the kings that have ruled the Seven Kingdoms.” Taeyeon uttered quietly.

 

Sooyeon stared at her curiously with wide eyes and had her full attention on anything her friend would say.

 

“Then what are we waiting for? We must speak to her immediately and know of our fates.” She sets aside her unfinished embroidery, and runs over to her closet, to gather her riding cloak.

 

“I-It’s dangerous out there, Sooyeon-ah! I’ve been warned by the guards and my father that only evil shadows lurk in that forest if we go where the sun doesn’t shine!” The blonde shivered nervously, covering her thin arms with her slender, bony fingers.

 

“It’ll be okay, Taeyeon-ah - you’ll be with us! We’ll all be together and everything will go fine. If you’d like, we will take a carriage and ride to the closest road paved by where the witch is, and you can stay in the carriage with the royal knights while Sooyeon and I talk to her.” Yoona chirps excitedly, before enthusiastically making her way into the carriage. 

 

…

 

   

“You shall become Queen.” The gaunt, hunchbacked fragile framed old lady croaked weakly, as her wrinkly fingers wrapped around a lithe, pale wrist as she observed the intricate lines on her palm.

 

Lady Sooyeon grinned proudly, looking around expectedly at her confidantes who nodded eagerly at their dear friend’s premonitions.

 

Suddenly, a tense, excruciating pain stung from her hands, as an unexpected strength had been unleashed from the seemingly feeble, fragile dame. The brunette cries out in discomfort, her eyes wide in panic as she attempts to pull back her palm from the old maid’s grasp.

 

 

    “But be careful, young one - As you shall be Queen not through your marriage to the Crown Prince but marriage to the King.” The seer named Bada warned ominously, as her clouded irises turned pitch obsidian.

 

 

    “The King? I will marry the Old Man? He already has many women and bastards by his side there is no need for another- “

 

    “Not that King, but the King who will follow him - and it is not the Crown Prince, who shall become King.”

 

Sooyeon couldn’t believe what she was hearing, as this indicated that political turmoil was to occur within the kingdom that would significantly shift the current line of succession, yet the monarchy was currently the most peaceful it has been for years.

 

    

    “How many children will I have then? Will I be this King’s only consort?”

 

Bada snickered. “You fool, the King you shall marry married you for duty and he will stand by his duty for his life. He will have no other woman at his side but you, and together you will have five children.”

 

 

She was always indifferent to the prospects of having children, knowing the complications and unsettling pain that came with childbirth and the fuss of having to rear and raise them, but providing enough heirs to the kingdom meant her tenure as Queen was secure. Good. That’s the most important thing.

 

Unconquered curls sprang loosely on her thin, bony collar bones, and her locks shift slightly as the old dame looks toward the raven haired young lady by the brunette’s side.

 

“ Your friend here will have a much more eventful life, as she will have a son for sure, and it shows just from the first glance.”

 

Yoona reaches forward in curiosity, presenting her open palms for the forest witch to examine. Enveloping her small, narrow palms around the Northerner’s much wider hand, Bada is menacingly glum and reticent with a prominent frown on her wrinkled face. She wasn't looking forward to the idea of having a family of her own, marrying and having to stay home to take her of children against her will, but perhaps there is only so much she can do. 

 

“What is it, dear granny? A son, yes but who shall be my husband?”

 

“He will be from far, far away, and you shall love him dearly with all your heart, but your love will bring nothing but destruction and bloodshed throughout the Seven Kingdoms. I cannot say his name or how he looks like, but all I can say is for you to be careful. For everyone’s sake, be careful who you give your love to, or Westeros will never look the same again.”

 

Lightning strikes across the somber, foggy late afternoon sky, disturbing the peace across the lined thickets of trees and bushes throughout the hooded forest.

 

The trio spare no time for their escape, screaming and howling in fear and consternation as they run across the pouring rain to take their carriage back to the palace and never look back again.

 

 

…

 

 

“You told me you were going to never return again, sister. You promised me that you never listened to soothsayers and that you made your own fate.”

 

 

The Queen sighs tiredly, glancing at her brother impatiently as they continue their arduous, strenuous hike across the forbidden forest.

 

    “I was going to stand by that, but her predictions have always come true, and I need to know what my daughter’s fate shall be. I should have returned after the birth of each of my children, but times have changed Yunho. I feel nothing but harbingers of adversity and misfortune in the air, and I need to know at least the gist of what it means.”

 

Streaks of premature silver and grey hues from her elevated widow’s peak suddenly remind Yunho of how much times have changed and how much life has taken a toll on his younger sister.

 

 

The pressures of queenhood, running the kingdom’s domestic affairs in the absence of the King, sleeping with one eye open over the possibilities of assassinations and political coups, and raising five stubborn, headstrong children with the same smear of willful nature was no easy task. And it showed.

 

 

    “I’d be lying to say I don’t feel either, Sooyeon-ah, as it is all I can think of from day to day. Times have not been as uncertain and precarious since the War that made Yoochun king.” Yunho agrees solemnly, with a light whisper.

 

“It drives me crazy having to pretend all is well when it is clearly not. We have been preparing for Seungwan’s marriage to Min Yoongi since her birth, but I fear things will not go as planned.”

 

“No amount of preparation or caution can escape us from the destiny fate has prepared for us, and I do not wish my darling niece to have to suffer as Yoona had.”  The Jung heir pensively looks into the distance, as he reminisces the tragedies he has witnessed first hand.

 

The Queen halts abruptly, stopping by a fallen, chopped log in the misty forest, and stares knowingly at her older brother.

 

“I don’t want Yoochun nor any of the children to know we were even thinking of going here, but we are doing this for their sake. We have to protect them as much as we have to protect Yoona’s dear boy, Jungkook-”

 

The downpour of the summer rain drenches more substantially, as the gushing force of the showers storms heavily in the shadowed blankets of the haunted woodlands.

 

“I feel it is time for Jungkook to know the truth. We have no lied to him, but rather refrained him from knowing the truth, and he deserves to know. He, out of anyone, deserves the taste of the truth.” Yunho insists tiredly, as they stroll attentively as they make their way to the secluded hut where the clairvoyant resided in.

 

“He’s smart enough of a boy to have figured out Yoona was the name of his mother, but how will he react knowing he is the King’s true blood nephew?”

 

“And we have to explain the fate of his father, Changmin, before he perished in battle fighting for my camp against the -”

 

“Prince Seunghyun. The King’s son to a noble lady from the Haeyang faction who conspired her son to become King through a coup and assassination of all other royal bastards and heirs.”   

 

Chills pricked down the younger’s back in deja vu, as the landscape where her fate had been known so long ago remain unchanged and unnervingly unaltered, sans the winds of age and time from thicker slabs of moss and grime.

 

The constant, steady brushes of the straw broom were quietly absorbed from the pouring doom of the heavy summer downpour.

 

    “Ah, I see you’ve returned, my Queen - and you’ve brought your older brother with you, how nice of you to bring a companion.” Bada, the forest soothsayer of the enigmatic, cryptic forest, seemed untouched by age, sans her greyish, tangled locks that have grown in length to her hips.

 

    Yunho guards his sister defensively, blocking the sight of her with his muscular arm and raising his sharpened Valyrian sword towards her direction.

 

    “Yunho, I trust her with my life. Put that thing down.” Sooyeon tugs on the sleeve of his armour miffedly, before approaching the witch gradually.

 

“Great Seer Bada, My brother and I come humbled here to seek your vision-”

 

The old dame snorts mockedly, as she tosses aside her broom and sits on the perched stool of a chopped trunk expectedly.

 

    “You and your lovely lasses had screamed in despair over the silly story I had told you so long ago-”

 

“It’s not silly because every ounce of that tale you had told us had come true! A civil war had erupted when Prince Wooyoung claimed he was the legal heir to the throne, and all of the other royal princes other than Yoochun had called their arms in deciding which brother they would support for the throne.”

 

 

“Either brother travelled across the Seven Kingdoms in pursuit for their half-sister Yoona’s hand in marriage, in line with Velaryon tradition, to marry brother and sister together, but while Yoochun and Yunho secretly sent a camp to whisk her away from their vicinity-’

 

Yunho portentously mumbles under his breath. “Until she had fallen in love with my right hand man, Lord Shim Changmin, who was of knightly heritage, yet in the eyes of the court, was not the rightful man for the hand of a princess of royal blood.”

 

 

“And they rode up north to marry under the Old Gods, away from the madness that ensued in the capital, and bore a son shortly before his death in battle and her death in childbirth. Jungkook is the only trace left of their legacy, and we need to know what we can do to protect him, and our children.”  

 

 

The viscous roar of thunder echoed throughout the floating emptiness of the forbidden forest.

 

 

Bada turned away indifferently, before waveringly turning around with a defeated, funereal nod. “Alright, but you and your headstrong children better listen this time around and save this kingdom from burning to ashes!”

 

 

…

 

 

“Your daughter Seungwan shall marry happily, for love, and bear two children - a boy and a girl, but she will face a dilemma before she makes her choice.” The soothsayer blurts suddenly, disturbing the tense silence that had erupted in the secluded cave.

 

“A choice? What choice shall she make further, she has willingly accepted her fate as Min Yoongi’s wife and mother of his children?” The concerned mother croaked nervously, as her teeth gritted anxiously.

 

 

“Not too long from now, her heart will belong to two men who promise to bring her happiness, and this decision will plague her in indecision before she makes her choice in a flash of a moment.”

 

Yunho reaches out his larger grasp around his sister’s clammy, shaking hands, and tugs assuredly with a comforting nod to assure his younger sister.

 

    “My other children? I have other children other than my girl bride.” Tears start building up in her hazel eyes, yet she clears and raises her head proudly, remembering she is queen of the kingdom, after all.

 

 

“The Crown Prince Chanyeol shall marry twice, to very different women, yet it is not until he is King and married to the second that he shall bear a son to continue the lineage.” Wrinkly fingers with disheveled, pointed nails scratch into the delicate lines on the Queen’s palms, which make her restless and apprehensive of what the future calls.

 

Lightning flashes across the sky one more time, and the Queen closes her eyes solemnly before taking a deep breath.

 

“The other three will do better than your oldest pair, as one will prosper in further improving the Kingdoms’ local policies, one shall find himself native to the East and bring home an Eastern wife who brings more luck and wealth in her stead, and another will serve dutily as part of the Kingsguard.”

 

Sooyeon shakes her head repeatedly, mouthing mantras, and prayers to herself as she knows exactly of which sons fit the roles of each, and how she knows she cannot deny them from coming true.

 

“And for my children? My daughter Soojung? And my son Jungkook.” Yunho faintly whispers.

 

Bada examines his wider, weighteir palm with a contemplative, curious expression plastered on her seemingly lifeless face, yet her eyes widen with interest and mischief as she unearths the secrets between the hidden, fine lines of his palm.

 

 

“Soojung is one of the rare few who’s fortune will increase over time, as her seemingly loveless, fruitless marriage with Do Kyungsoo shall become prosperous and bear many children. Believe it or not, she will most likely share her news of expecting with you once you meet her again.”

 

Yunho grins in gratitude, and hums solemn prayers and hymns under his breath in the bliss of seeing his daughter fulfilling her wish of bearing children and having grandchildren of his own.

 

Swiftly, a sharp whiff of air blows through the hollow cave, and expels the burning flame of the soy candle that had been melting on the asphalt surface.

 

    “For Jungkook however? He, like his mother, has already manifested bad luck and chaos without his awareness, but it is also he who will patch this kingdom apart and bring us the well deserve peace we have been praying for.”

 

“Chaos? What has he done that he or even I am aware of?”

 

“He has helped a calamitous marriage prosper, and that love of theirs will transform the kingdom to a face we have never seen before, but it is also Jungkook who will secure conciliation to Westeros.”

 

“But how? What kind of prophecy is tied to his birth, I don’t understand-” Yunho questioned unbelievably, denying the momentous fate his stepson had been assigned to, and frustrated he couldn’t do anything to save him from his fate.

 

“Like his mother, he is a harbinger of tragedy and misfortune, but he is also the cure to solve it. As he hails from the Hanyang faction, he will have to marry a maiden from the Haeyang faction, and their union will resolve the years long conflict and put it to rest.”

 

The warden refused to accept any of the information he has been presented with, as he abruptly stands from his stool and walks around aimlessly in circles.“I don’t understand, what will happen and who will he marry.”

 

 

“He will marry Kim Yerim, brother. It’s clearly no one else but her who he will marry. Even I can see that-” Sooyeon nods glumly.

 

“Yuri’s niece? Boa’s daughter? But-”

 

“You and Heechul have refused to speak after Boa’s death, and neither reconciled either when Yuri fled to become a mistress for a merchant in Essos, but perhaps it is time for you to make peace. It is not your fault your relationship had gone so awry in the first place.” Sooyeon insisted.

 

 

“They will resolve a pain further accentuated by the death of star-crossed lovers, and conclude the gaping hole that had been left from this pair from opposite factions and end our misery. Finally.”

 

 

A flame erupts on the candle’s wick suddenly, and the crows gawk as they flee from their nests.

 

 

…

 

 

Jungkook had lost count of how long he had been travelling or for how far he had ridden his majestic golden stallion, until he felt the lingering weight that reclined laboriously on his backside.

 

 

His restraint on the leather reins tightened, as the course he travelled became rougher and disheveled, as lesser paved, concrete pavements came his way as they voyaged through the hidden bypass back to the Red Keep.

 

 

Jimin and his new wife, Seulgi, led his voyage, and the younger couldn’t help but warmly grin in the affection and pure adoration that oozed from their accord. Her pale, slender arms wrapped around his sun-kissed neck, as she giggled playfully and grazed her pointed nose on his broad, muscular shoulders.

 

 

It stung him with regret, as he couldn’t ignore the eerie sense of doom and cataclysm they emitted, yet he couldn’t find it in him to express this. It would be heartless of him to do so. He had to spare them the pain, even if he had to bear it all himself.

 

 

The loose embrace hooked around his waist tightened, which made him nearly jolt on his horse, before he was reminded who was riding behind him. Lady Kim Yerim.

 

 

Her unconquered, blonde tresses danced in the wind loosely, fluttering into the air against the howling current they battled against as they rode in the opposite direction. To some degree, her warmth was comforting and kept him occupied, and filled the sense of emptiness he started to sense from him.

 

 

It was probably his hallucinations or his delusions, as if he stopped overthinking and just things flow as they were, the faint scent of roses that she emitted remind him of home. Reminded him of what could’ve been if his mother had lived, and the roses in the garden at home had continued to bloom. They stopped blooming after the war. After she died - bringing him into the world.

 

 

Rather than indignation or contempt as he had felt earlier, Jungkook couldn’t help but briefly glance at her tranquil, resting form fondling him so despondently, and how serene she looked as if nothing else mattered to her but rest.

 

 

He shook his head as he reminded himself of his duty, and his purpose - to get to the gates of the city, and then switch to renounce any suspicion that the opposing factions had even interacted. He would return home with Jimin on his back, as he had left, and Yerim and Seulgi would ride back together from “reconciliation” as expected. Simple as that. Not.

 

 

…

 

 

“Lady Kim, you have to wake up. We’re here.”

 

 

Yerim flutters her eyes open, rubbing her eyes languidly as she settles herself awake. She blinks blankly, before letting out a satisfied, well rested yawn from her peaceful nap.

 

 

“Looks like you had a good night’s rest, Miss Yerim-” The Hanyang lord teases, as he jumps off the horse and untangles her thin arms wrapped so tightly around him.

 

 

She scoffs audibly as she realizes who she had ridden with  and tugged so closely to her. No wonder she had a good night’s rest- perhaps it was his herculean, sinewy back that was covered in well-developed muscles or his smooth, silky chestnut hair - Behave, Yerim. You’re his enemy, by the way.

 

 

The blonde ignores his offer to assist her down the saddle, skillfully relying on the support of the tan seat with her nimble fingers, and landing gracefully on her emerald, satin slippers. She was still her mother’s daughter after all - the wicked, witty eyes didn’t hide anything and she could outride any equestrian on the field any day.

 

 

 

“I can perfectly manage on my own, Lord Jeon. Although, I appreciate your hospitality for offering me a ride.” Yerim acknowledges coldly, with a simple, courteous bow strictly expressed in court protocol.

 

 

“If you’d sleep as soundly like that again, perhaps we should go riding together again.” He retorts humorously, showing his porcelain teeth as he slaps his abdomen repeatedly.

 

 

Rolling her eyes, Yerim ignores his immature comment, before meeting up with Seulgi and Jimin in front of them. Unfortunately, the two were inseparable as they were sloppily exchanging kisses and fussing over the next time they’d meet up with one another again.

 

 

“Oh my love, when will I see you again-”

 

 

“Didn’t you forget that both factions are invited to the wedding, it’s a royal event you silly-”

 

 

 

“Yes, but we are forbidden by protocol to be even found on the same side - for safety-”

 

 

“Can you two lovebirds just quit it?! The quicker we get back to our respective households, the less suspicious it will become.” The blonde complains annoyingly, crossing her arms as she watches them in frustration.

 

Surprisingly, Jungkook finds himself in agreement with the headstrong blonde for once.

 

“I’d agree. We cannot arouse suspicion that this event had even occurred, and follow the plan. We quietly go to the wedding, let things die out while everyone is distracted with the new couple, and then the two of you abscond and live happily ever after outside of Westeros. Agree?”

 

The recently wedded couple nodded in hesitation, before tightly embracing in another round of public displays of affection and promises of their reunion under their breaths.

 

“Ugh - I hate it when they do that.” Jungkook groans tiredly, before he grabs on Jimin’s shoulders to pull him away from the locked embrace of his wife. He’s always been so stubborn - from the toys they had played with as children - nothing has truly changed.

 

Ignoring the anarchy that had surprisingly remained hidden among them, Yerim scrutinizes if the vial in her pocket was still intact and in place. Perfect. Things are going as planned then.

 

 

“So do I, trust me. So do I.”

 

 

…

 

 

A piercing, stinging pain penetrates through him as he clumsily slams his shoulder into the edge of the door frame. He struggles to keep his eyes open, as the intoxicating wave of alcohol from the night before fills his entire being.

 

Seokjin yawns languidly while strolling unhurriedly towards their manor’s private dining hall. Making his way up the spiraling staircase was enough of a challenge by itself, he didn’t feel like he had enough energy or the gut to care anymore to appear presentable and interested in whatever his family called him to do.

 

 

If Junmyeon had the faction leadership to inherit and the entire estate, Taehyung had enough freedom to drift between both sides unscathed and do whatever the hell he wanted to do, and Jennie acts as a power pawn to move the family’s ambitions forward - there’s nothing for him to do.

 

 

He stumbles into the decorated room, with his platinum blond hair disheveled and sweatily  sticking to his forehead, his satin ascot hanging loose on his neck, and his wrinkled silk suit was sloppily hanging off his body.

 

 

    “Oh, hyung! You’ll be sitting here - next to me.” Taehyung gasps in excitement, giving him a friendly wave before repeatedly patting the upholstered chair next to him.

 

 

All eyes in the room were glued on him, from the poorly hidden chagrin of his father, to the pained sympathetic glance from his mother, concerned apprehension of his older brother, or the miffed annoyance from his sister - no one was happy with his behaviour.

 

Well, maybe except for Taehyung.

 

 

The Hand of the King clears his throat nonchalantly, tapping his fingers lightly against the oak wood table.

 

“Now, that we are all gathered here today- I’d like to get started with our meeting. As you know, the Grand Princess’ wedding to  your dear cousin Min Yoongi will occur tomorrow, and there are many, many things protocol wise that we need to discuss.”

 

Here we go, again.

 

Junmyeon, as expected of the faction heir, nodded with dignity and poise, from his perfect posture, pristine obsidian coat, and his equipped, anticipating handsome face - no wonder he was the favourite. Even if he looked and acted the most like his mother.

 

“The Haeyang faction shall be seated on the right wing of the Red Keep, while the Hanyang faction shall be seated on the left. As the right hand man of the groom, Seokjin shall be standing directly next to him during the royal procession. Afterwards, I shall be seated next to him as the chieftain of this faction, and then my successor Junmyeon shall be next to me-”

 

“Actually, I won’t be sitting next to you, father.” His heir interrupts unexpectedly, much to the shock of all those seated.

 

 

“My dear boy, we talked about this-” Taeyeon warns him restlessly, as her shaking, pale hands grasp on his warmer ones, but he ignores her.

 

 

“Excuse me, son? You were never one to interrupt me while I was speaking.” Jaejoong narrows his eyes suspiciously, crossing his arms in anticipation.

 

 

“I will be seated with the septas and septons of our Faith, father. I plan to give up my position and titles as heir to our house and faction to dedicate my life to the less fortunate-”

 

Jaejoong erupts into hysterical laughter, patting his stomach in amusement as his chuckles fill the empty hall.   

 

“You’ve always had a wicked sense of humour, Junmyeon-ah. You never fail to amuse me with your wit and your timing to scare me like that-”

 

The chilling silence crept into their summer skin, making it feel like the most frigid of winters due to the painful tension in the room. Not even the slightest drop nor movement could be heard, as they held their breaths in anticipation.

 

Jennie had to look away, and tightly shut her eyes from what was to come. She knew it wasn’t going to be pretty.

 

“I’m not joking, father. I am totally serious and dedicated with my decision to give up everything I have, to serve my faith and help the less fortunate. This by no means indicate I am ungrateful for all our family and kingdom has blessed me with, but if I do this, I will be eternally happy in giving back to those most in need. So, if you allow me, to relinquish my name and my titles to the Seven Gods, I would be most happy.”

 

Junmyeon kneels before his father, genuflecting and bowing his head in respect with his right palm over his left chest.

 

The Hand looked down unemotionally towards his eldest son,  his thick eyebrows raised in amusement as he continued to stare intensely at his heir below him.

 

The wrath of the Dragon had been awoken - and all hell break loose.

 

The metal on the sole of his hickory boots slammed into the younger’s chest discernibly, knocking his back onto the cold, wooden floor before he locks his arms tightly around his son’s neck and slams his fist into his nose.

 

“Who knew the kind of surprises you hid from me, son? I was afraid you’d be weak and soft hearted due to your kind, selfless nature, but who would’ve expected you to be a treacherous traitor?”

 

Taeyeon shrieks in revulsion, cold sweat forming like beads on her hairline before she abruptly passes out. Discreetly, Taehyung assists her weak, feeble frame into his muscular ones, and rests her onto the cushioned mattress on the back of the room.

 

 

“Father, we can explain-” Seokjin advances towards his direction, before a flash of a fist in his face was enough for him to halt.

 

 

“Oh, so you knew about this too? The entire family knew about this turncoat in our household before I did? You all knew he would betray me, but it looks like you supported him and protected him in his betrayal!” His roaring shouts echoed through the hall in shrill, sharp sounds that hurt the ear as much as it hurt the heart.

 

 

 

Seokjin flinches away in fear, stepping away to stand by his mother and half-brother, with nothing but pity and condolence on his countenance.

 

 

Junmyeon refused to fight back other than defending his own dignity, firmly pulling away his father’s fierce chokehold around him, before he spits out blood after he is smacked around his ribs repeatedly.

 

 

“Father, I am sure there is a better way to handle this-” Jennie voices out in a pleading tone, as her voice wavers in grief as she begs on her knees with her hands folded as if she were preparing for prayer.

 

The Haeyang leader blows a final jolt from his pointed knee towards his son’s collarbone, before Junmyeon passes out lightheaded in front of him, breathing heavily as he struggles to wavers between consciousness and incapacity.

 

 

“The only way we’re handling this is by kicking him out of his household. Isn’t that what he wanted anyway? He wants to leave us to spend the rest of his promising life instead with those old nitwits-”

 

Seokjin kneels by his brother’s battered, weakened frame, enveloping him into a warm embrace before whispering assurances of support and loyalty.

 

 

“Hyung, we’ll get through this together, okay? I won’t leave you - I won’t let father treat you like this any longer-”

 

 

Coughing weakly, Junmyeon stubbornly refuses as he cups his bruised, bloody fingers by his brother’s pale cheeks, and smoothly brushes against his smooth skin.

 

 

“Let him be, brother. I have made my choice, and my brothers would not look favourably upon revenge.  Please at least help me pack my bags, and bid me a proper farewell. Promise?”

 

 

Seokjin hated how adamant his brother has always been, yet he abhorred his ability to charm his way into convincing belief in him and assuring he has made the right choice just from the selection of the right words and the perfect smile. As expected of Junmyeon. Only Junmyeon.

 

 

“I promise.”

 

 

 

…

 

 

Slipping a decimate, fermenting copy of his favourite novel, Seokjin remorsefully tucks in the final piece of belonging his brother would bring with him - as he had asked to bring none of his wealth nor paraphernalia, but just the essentials and things most important to him. A remnance of his family.

 

He hands the drab, beige sack towards an indigo dressed maid, who bowed in respect towards him, before she wandered downstairs and placed the luggage on the rear of the golden carriage.

 

 

“Seokjin, you must see him off- as I cannot bear to see him in this much pain.” His mother Taeyeon begs destitutely, as her swollen eyes waver and her gaunt hands shake in his grasp.

 

 

“O-Of course, mother. For you.”    

 

 

Seokjin races his way down the staircase, by the front porch of the guarded household. He caught up in time for his wounded, newly bandaged brother struggling to enter the carriage with the assistance of septons on each of his side.

 

“Brother- please. If you will be away, at least make sure you write back to me from time to time.”

 

Junmyeon peers in return, with a restrained, sorrowful grin in return with his weakened frame.

 

 

“You speak as if I were to die, when I am simply going on a voyage, even if my destination is far different from yours.  I will write back as soon as I am well, and as often as I can, Seokjin.”

 

 

Tears surged from his lavender irises, drooling down his high cheekbones and trailing around his chin, yet he managed to wave back amicably with a subdued smile and a muffled chuckle. If this were to be his final memory of his brother, he didn’t want to remember it being full of tears and misery.

 

 

He watched the carriage leave and drift away until it was unseen onto the horizon, horses galloping rhythmically until it became eerily hushed.

 

“Seokjin? I want to speak to you.”

 

Seokjin achingly trudged towards his father, who emitted a serene ambience opposite from earlier, yet he held back any of his rancor or acrimony, as he knew if he played with flame - it would cause a fire.

 

 

“Yes, father?”

 

A firm, unyielding clench on his broad shoulder tightened, and he straightened up his back and tensed up as he anticipated what his father would say next.

 

 

“I want to name you my heir, my successor, the pride and the future of the Haeyang faction - Lord Kim Seokjin, the next faction leader of the Haeyang faction and head of the Kim lineage. Do you think you are ready for this position? We will announce this at the wedding, especially as the attention will be on you as his best man.”

 

Seokjin ogled bewilderedly, as his eyes were wide in dismay and his mouth was hanging in the air unable to find the right words to say or how to properly react.

 

 

“And for Taehyung, I will finally name him as my true-born son. A Velaryon heir, the future of the Haeyang faction. He will be sitting with us, as if he was a legitimate child of mine. He is still my son after all. And besides- you’ll need some help by the time all the Seven Kingdoms are in your grasp. Especially, when you become the Hand of the King. ”

 

 

….

 

A/N: You guys can't believe how excited I've been since I even thought of this story to get to this part of the plot!! This definitely unearths a lot of what we shall expect and gives some warning to you guys to the next part of the story. 

 

Heck, you figure out who Jungkook's parents really are, and their role in the war, and how Yerim's mom is sister's with Yunho's wife (they married slightly after the war, when faction ties weren't as rigid, to establish some stability and peace in the kingdom while it is most vulnerable) ;) Keep that in mind. 

 

Surprise, surprise right - Act II is cut short, hehe but I promise you- Act III will feel like it will drag on forever. This is the pinnacle of where everything happens and the true part where changes occur - so buckle up, kiddos. 

 

Goodness, I miss updating so soon, editing so quickly, and not having to worry about school or whatever, just like I did during the summer when I first started. (I updated like weekly, wow who was I - I miss her) but I am taking advantage of my spring break to the fullest. (Instead of getting a headstart for 1984, oops - hey I'm 4 pages in, I know people who haven't even thought about it all break)

 

I hope you guys are enjoying and loving the story so far - please, please do comment, subscribe, and share your thoughts on it so far, because your feedback really keeps me going and motivated. Love you guys and talk soon!! 

 

 

Song: "Double Trouble" by John Williams (Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban)