Ubi nunc es ? Somnium alterum ?

The nights got colder now that the winter was quickly approaching . He usually finds the chilly weather better than the extra sunny one they get during summer . After all , it is a lot harder to fight with sweaty hands . He saw with his own eyes chariots crashing into each other because the charioteers could not control them due to excessive sweat caused by the scorching hot weather . He loves the colder weather but that is just too much . Britannia is just much too cold for him . He hates the fog and the constant rain and ... everything about it . Born in Rome , the city blessed by the gods , the heart of the greatest empire the world has ever known  , Jungkook can't bear with anything else . Not with the sandy scenery of Egypt , the barren creeks of Greece , the infinite woods of Tracia let alone the gods forsaken lands of Britannia . Yet there he is , fighting alongside his men under the emperor , his father , orders .

He reasons with himself that it could have been a lot worse . Being a praetor , a rather worshiped one by his people , is better than being dead . He is the oldest son of the emperor , the first in line of succession and he already got to the age of nineteen without his own relatives trying to kill him more than thrice . He should consider that a blessing not complain about his situation ; but the weather is so insufferable he can't stop his nasty remarks about it .

" Praetor , we found this one lurking around ! " Jimin , one of his most trusted soldiers and childhood friends , son of a rather popular consul , says distracting him from his musings .

He is holding a man that is at least a head taller than him , lean yet muscular , dressed in furs , his gaze wild . A Briton , he realized . The interruption is much welcomed .

" What were you doing here ? " Jungkook asks curious and slightly amused . After all , entering a roman camp alone is , the least to say , stupid and suicidal . The barbarian was lucky to be found by the kind natured Jimin and not one of the more ruthless soldiers .

" Obviously not lurking around like this midget assumes . " the Briton responded looking at Jimin with such distaste that one could think the young Roman had brought shame upon his family .

" The what were you doing if you were not lurking ? "

" I was straight up marching towards here . I wanted to see you . I do not know about your ways, Roman , but we never walk in the shadows like traitors . We are men of our words . We have courage . We are born from wolves ! We are not going to bring shame and dishonor upon our names by acting like slaves . "

The man 's answered intrigued him . Back home in Rome he heard about barbarians . While there was a general knowledge that their courage was beyond measure it was said that they were nothing more than uneducated brutes , barbarians that needed to be civilized by them ; yet there was this young Briton contradicting everything he thought he knew about he's kind . The other could speak Latin as good as him , not a wrong word or accent ; not a stutter . While his clothes were made out of thick fur , they were made by a skilled tailor , accentuating the other's wild appearance . He appeared as royal as the roman emperor himself with his head held up high and his gaze unnerving .

" And why would you come to see me ? "

" Because you invade my lands , Praetor ... and while I tolerated your disrespectful way of coming here without requesting my permission out of the kindness of my heart , I will not tolerate your brutes of soldiers cutting down the trees in my wood . "

Jungkook wanted to respond with something , anything but he was interrupted by Namjoon , his second in command :

" We are under siege . Whatever you have done ... undo it . They are too many . They will wipe us up ! " he looked like he wanted to say more but then his gaze fell upon the tall Briton that was looking at him with a smile on his lips .

" They are your men ? " Jungkook asked looking at the other one .

" Of course they are . What ? You thought I was foolish enough to come here by myself ? My , my , Praetor , you were awfully wrong by assuming that . " the man said smirking . " In fact , they should have arrived here by now . " he said and , not more than a few second later two tall men dressed in furs as well accompanied by four grey wolves appeared next two them , a dozen of Jungkook's men following them but not daring to attack them .

" My king , are you done yet ? " one of them asked , his deep voice shocking Jungkook for he was not used with such tones .

" Yes . I will take my leave now ." he said and turned around .

Jungkook praised himself for being a composed man but , obviously , that was not the case right then and there .

" Wait , what's your name ? "

" Hoseok . " the other said without turning .

" I am ... "

" Don't bother , he already knows who you are . " the second one of Hoseok 's men saying , before taking his rightful place next to his king and heading towards the exit of the camp .

Ergo nullo modo , nullo modo , cecidi

Jungkook couldn't sleep . The image of the your Briton king corrupting his thoughts and keeping him awake ; how the other looked so regal in his grey furs . How his gaze was challenging Jungkook , challenging the Roman Empire itself . How handsome he was , like the marble statues of Apollo in the temples back in Rome .

When the first rays of day made their ways into the woods , Jungkook could not bear sitting any longer . He did not care that he was too poorly dressed for the weather , he just left the camp , quietly , as to not attract any unwelcome attention . He just needed a few hours to breathe properly and erase the thought of the other one from his young mind . After all , like every veritable Roman , Jungkook was easily impressed and swayed by handsome men and Hoseok was by far the best looking man he had ever seen , despite having quite a big share of good looking slaves warming his bed before .

He quickly reached the river where he hoped to bath in order to clear his mind when he was met with the baked of a tall man, the water only reaching the other's knees .

" How dare you invade my private space in such a way, Roman ? " the man asked , his more than attractive back facing him, and Jungkook immediately recognized the voice .

" King Hoseok ? " he asked tentatively .

Hearing his name spoken made the other turn around . The sight of , toned skin instantly made Jungkook's blood run a tad bit wilder and it seemed that the other noticed that :

" Control yourself, Roman , for I am not one of your slaves . " he said but the fierceness in his gaze seemed to be replaced by amusament .

He clearly knew what power his body held upon the other .

" I would not even dare dream of you being one of my slave . "

" Flattering , yet you still trespassed my land in such a rude way ."

" My most honest apologies but it was nothing more than a mistake cause by my people's poor knowledge of you . "

" How so ? " the other asked intrigued and still stark making it hard for the easily impressionable Jungkook to focus on what he was saying .

" Well back in Rome everybody seems to believe that you , Britons , are nothing more than uneducated brute . They are awfully wrong and I am absolutely ashamed of believing their words . "

" Is that so , Jungkook . " Hoseok said and Jungkook was delighted to hear his name spoken than the other .

" Certainly . "

" It appears to me that you know embarrassingly little about us . "

" That is indeed true . "

" Perhaps I should be kind hearted and show you a little bit more ? "

" It would bring me great pleaser if you would be kid enough to do so . "

Hearing his words made Hoseok laugh, his eyes glistening with unshed tears of amusement .

" It would indeed bring you great pleasure . That I am sure of . "