⇩⇩ THIS NOW IS ITS OWN CHAPTERED FIC! ⇩⇩

Golden Roses, Silver Thorns

Pairing: SeKai     Minor KrisKai

Summary: Sehun is a bound alpha who can't help taking a second look at the King's new wild omega, after all, it's a bound alpha's duty to look after the King's concubines while he's away.

Notes: Failed attempted , ABO verse, possible soul mate AU, and WARNING: Graphic depiction of violence ahead, read at your own risk 

Sehun sighed as he came out of the steamy tiled room. He felt much better now that he’d gotten a chance to wash away the grime on his skin and before he washed it off, the poultice had healed up his cuts so that they were no more than light scratches and freshly healed pink lines.

“Come back here anytime Sehun.” The old lady running the bath house said, the pipe hanging from billowing smoke with every breath.

Sehun smiled and he felt good enough to wink cheekily at the old woman’s granddaughter. The pup giggled and waved back, yelling out bye as he walked down the paved way to the inner courts.

He wasn’t allowed to leave the palace in general, but it had an inner and outer court that could be freely traversed. Humming a little under his breath, Sehun passed the gate and he actually took a moment to admire the small garden located within the middle of the courtyard. The balconies of the upper level of the palace over looked the garden and Sehun knew that the concubines usually flocked to the place, set on comfortable cushions and eating fruit and delicate desserts the cook made every day.

‘I wonder where all the little leeches are.’ Sehun thought, glancing up at the empty balconies. By noon, everyone was out here, gossiping and waiting on the side while their mates or partners did some sort of political business inside the palace. ‘Am I missing something?’ As far as he knew, today wasn’t a holiday.

Little footsteps rushed past Sehun and he turned his head to see the pup from Yixing’s room earlier running around frantically with red cloth bunched up under his little arms.

“Hey!” Sehun called and his deep voice made the pup jump.

“Y-yes alpha!?” He answered, stopping and rushing in front of him, bowing down quickly. He looked flushed and tired.

“Uhh, do you know what’s going on? This place is empty.”

The boy nodded and his too long fluffy hair bounced in his eyes before he blew it out of his face. “Yes alpha, the prince is expecting a new concubine today!” He said and he looked around before he leaned closer to Sehun and dropped his voice to a low whisper. “Mama said he’s a wild omega from Kita! And the prince is only accepting him ‘cause their King threatened a war with us if they didn’t at least bond and be family.”

Sehun laughed and he fondly ruffled the pup’s hair. He was really bright and he seemed to have a happy disposition. “The land of Kita huh, didn’t the prince celebrate their downfall last night?” He asked, leaning down to whisper the last part in the pup’s ear like a secret.

The boy laughed and he giggled at the silly alpha. The other adults never really bothered to talk to him, they just ordered him to do stuff. “Heh, Mama said that the prince likes to talk a lot when he has spirits in him. I don’t think anyone haunted can speak, but Mama don’t believe me.” He said with a huff, looking confused for a moment.

Sehun chuckled and he stood back up. “Your Mama knows her stuff, though I think she meant the prince talks a lot when he drinks too much wine.”

“Wine? Is that the one that smells really sweet and strong?” The pup asked, tilting his head and looking up at Sehun curiously.

“The very one,” Sehun replied gravely. “But only fools and rich men drink it, so be a good pup and stay away from it.”

The boy nodded vigorously and his hair flopped back into his face. “Yes alpha!”

Sehun smiled genuinely. “Well thank you for talking to me, I think I’ll leave and see what all the fuss is about.” He said and the pup waved at him before he turned and ran off again, looking a bit more cheerful than before.

‘A new concubine, huh?’ Sehun thought idly, leisurely strolling past the garden and into the halls of the palace. ‘I’m not surprised, the bastard likes collecting pretty things and he likes keeping a collection that he can’t even take care of properly alone.’ He snorted and he thought of all the omegas Yifan kept around in his pleasure quarters. Luhan was a famous beauty in the courts and he appeared to be a favorite of the greedy prince’s. Though occasionally Yifan did have a few others by his side, they all varied and had their own charm and beauty.

Some of the other Bound Alphas were envious of him for taking care of Yifan’s harem, but it took a lot of stamina and Sehun sometimes wished that Yifan hadn’t caught him. It was hell when more than one omega went into heat at the same time.

Walking past a room full of frantic maidservants, Sehun turned down a familiar path leading to his room. It wasn’t his specifically, though the room was one given to him so that he could perform like a good little Bound Alpha. He had snapped his teeth at the guard who said that and he’d had his fangs filed down the next day. Wild alpha bites were apparently harder to treat than the tamed clean ones of the courts.

Standing in front of the curtained room, Sehun roughly pushed aside the curtains and the familiar stifling scent of incense filled the room. Silk cushions littered the floor and Sehun let the sheer curtains fall back into place over the doorway. A modest trunk was lined against the wall opposite the open doorway and Sehun made his way to it with practiced ease. Lifting the heavy lid, soft fabric spilled out and Sehun picked the least decorative one. He hated that most were gifts from the people he had to entertain, and the silken dyed fabric and servant embroidered clothing were things he often pushed aside.

Dressing quickly, Sehun looked up and his reflection was staring back at him from the mirrored ceiling. Dark hair swept across his forehead and he pushed it back. It fell into his face again and Sehun scowled at his reflection, deciding to leave the room.

Out in the hall, things were mostly quiet though an occasional rushed servant or slave brushed past him. However, that all changed when he drew nearer to the grand hall that he was forcibly removed from the night before.

Hordes of court nobility were impatiently waiting to be arranged around the table that the prince and the king were to sit at. Yifan’s concubines were already spread out and arranged near the seats that have yet to be vacated by the prince or his father.

‘Good, looks like the toy prince isn’t here to stop me.’ Sehun thought as he entered the room from the servant entrance, taking care to keep his face angled away from the busy guards. He sat in a secluded corner and he watched the dining hall slowly fill with people. Occasional serving girls passed by and Sehun helped himself to the delicate foods arranged on trays meant for the main table. He had learned his lesson now, he would indulge on all the food he could get his hands on before he pissed off Yifan again.

Eventually the hall was filled to the brim with people and the barrage of different scents and perfumes was cloying and thick. It nearly made Sehun want to gag, but he focused on other things, mainly how he would take his time killing Yifan slowly and running triumphantly into the sun with his freedom and a pretty omega at his side, preferably the one from his dreams. 

Suddenly the whole hall fell into a hush and from where Sehun was seated, he could see the countless guards walk leisurely into the hall, their ornate swords were very blatantly hanging from the thick silken sashes at their waist, though they were in all neutral bronze and olive green colors.

A small figure walked in the middle of the entourage and the stark white and beaded silk of their headdress caught Sehun’s attention. Under the silken veil, the person’s features were covered and the silk ran down to the floor in a slight train, though Sehun didn’t have to see under the white silk to notice that the new concubine had walked into the room with bare feet. Every time he took a step, small toes peeked out from under thick gold cloth and the sight alone brought a smile to Sehun’s face, the new concubine seemed like someone unconcerned with their appearance or reputation if they stuck to their own natur