Seokjin almost laughed at the sight he saw as he entered the Council room inside the Royal Palace. Taehyung’s beautiful white hanbok stood out greatly from everyone else, although Seokjin would disagree if he were to include himself in the comparison. After all, it was hard to ignore him when he wore a red hanbok as vivid as rubies. He hadn’t expected much from Jungkook; after all, he preferred to blend into the shadows and he rarely wore anything that wasn’t black. The surprise, instead, laid in the presence of the person he expected to wore the grandest outfit of all.

Except he wasn’t.

“You look like a mortal!” Seokjin exclaimed as a smile cracked its way on his face. And he knew from the faces of the two other Council members that he was right. The aura, the brightness, the colorfulness that Jimin was known for was suddenly gone. Instead, he stood in front of them in normal clothing, his hair dark as coal and his eyes as blank as glass. It was surreal as if a commoner had stolen Jimin’s face. “I could hardly recognize you.”

“That is the point of a disguise,” Jimin teased with a bright smile and Seokjin could see the familiar glint in his eyes. He felt a sense of relief, which was strange considering that he knew that the man in front of him was Jimin. “Faces don’t really matter around here so I didn’t bother changing it. What’s important is that I’ve subdued my aura enough to pass as a servant.”

“Except to us, of course,” Taehyung added, “and the Guardians. Who, by the way, will be expecting a good explanation for all of this.”

“They’ll understand,” Jimin reassured him. “They’re reasonable beings, despite the way they appear to be. We all know that if there’s a group that’s just as concerned with all of this, it’s them.”

The group simply nodded to each other. There was a brief moment in silence before it was broken by Jungkook. He sighed before fixing his eyes on Jimin. His words were careful and slow, indicating that he was bringing up an issue that he was unsure about.

“Is it really for the best that we begin this charade the night of the songbird’s debut? You’re really not going to at least introduce yourself?”

“He has a point,” Seokjin agreed after giving the idea some thought. “She’s met all of us except you. And she's supposed to meet you after her debut performance.”

Jimin sighed. He had wished that none of them would bring it up. He knew, however, that his wish was a long shot. It was rare for things to go unnoticed or unquestioned. It was the reason why the Council had lasted for as long as it did. He forced himself to look at the others, to sound as convincing as he possibly could. “The less she knows, the safer she is. Telling her would be not just a risk to her safety but also to the issue we’re trying to keep secret.”

And although his words seemed to convince them, he knew deep down that he hadn’t convinced the one who needed to believe it: himself. Because deep down, he knew the real reason why he couldn’t meet the songbird. He knew the real reason why he was so afraid of meeting her.

He couldn’t risk being recognized, or worse, having to face the fear that he’d been forgotten.

--------

There were several things that made the songbird’s debut performance one of the most awaited events in the realm of the heavens. Of course, there was the songbird herself. There had never been a songbird who had disappointed them and did not amaze them with her gift and beauty. But a big part of the reason why everyone was excited to attend the performance was to catch a glimpse of the Guardians.

They were perhaps the most respected and powerful goddesses in the entire realm. Their reputation and beauty never failed to live up to expectations. As they began to arrive one by one, it was easy to see why.

The Council stood in front of a great waterfall located in a secret floating island right above the coliseum where the songbird was to perform. There was a general sense of impatience in the air, which was even more evident in the expressions of Seokjin and Taehyung. Despite all the good things the Guardians were known for, they were also notorious for being late.

“Every single event, I let myself expect that they’ll actually come on time,” Taehyung muttered under his breath as he shook his head. “I don’t know why I even bother. This has been happening for millennia. The day they actually come on time is the day the universe ends.”

Just as if his words were a cue, the waterfall started to part. The Council quickly recomposed themselves and prepared themselves to greet the first of their guests to arrive. It wasn’t long before a figure came out of the part and made her way towards them.

Her hair was long and flowing; it was dark enough to be mistaken as black but as the sun rays hit it, it gleamed blue. She was unmistakeably beautiful, with kind, soft, doll-like features. Her aquamarine dress seemed to fade away due to the presence of the multiple jewels on her body. She smiled brightly at them as she walked. Behind her were a small group of servants, all dressed in the same color as her. They almost looked human, if not for the scales that appeared on their limbs.

“Lady Jisoo,” Seokjin greeted with one of his charming smiles. He walked toward her first and gently bowed as he held her hand and lifted it towards his lips. “Always the pleasure.”

“It’s nice to see you again, Seokjin,” she said, her voice as bright as her smile. She turned to the others and offered a bow. “It’s nice to see you all.” She looked properly at each of them, her smile never once leaving her face until she realized they were incomplete. “The prince?”

The Council glanced at one another. “He’ll meet you a little later,” Taehyung answered with a tight smile.

It was evident from Jisoo’s face that she could immediately sense that something was wrong. But she said nothing and simply smiled once more at them. “We had quite a journey on our way here,” she started to say as she fixed the pearls hanging on her neck. “The whirlpool portals are still as efficient as ever but I just really can’t get used to them.”

“If you would like, we could arrange for a room for you and your party to freshen up in,” Jungkook suggested.

Jisoo practically beamed upon hearing this. Upon her answer, Jungkook quickly called over a servant who was standing at their sides and whispered something in her ear. The servant bowed as Jungkook turned to Jisoo.

“Follow her,” he said. “She’ll lead you the portal leading to the palace. When you’re done, simply inform her and she will lead you to the box where we will be staying for the performance.”

After a few more formalities and bowing, Jisoo and her servants left the Council alone once more to wait for the next Guardian to arrive. Fortunately for them, the waterfall soon parted once more to reveal the not just one but two Guardians. As they entered, the Council could feel the room hold a breath in awe of the beauty of the two goddesses.

The first that made her way towards them was draped in a brilliant emerald dress, flowery but also tight enough to reveal her curves. She was clad as well in beautiful flowers from head to toe instead of jewels. Her hair wasn’t as long as the others but it was impossible not to look at it as it was bright red. She had a lively face and if not for her sultry features, she might’ve looked like a young girl.

The other was less friendly looking. Her dark ebony hair was put in a loose braid, and a gold circlet was placed upon her head. Her eyes, which was fierce and sharp, contrasted greatly with the rest of her features which were soft and warm. Her black gown seemed to light up as she walked. She had a very serious and stern expression on her face and it did not change when she greeted the council.

“Sooyoung,” Seokjin greeted warmly as he matched the liveliness of the goddess. “Blooming as usual. How has your realm been? I hope your harvest has been good. It’s been a while since you brought us your famed apples.”

Sooyoung laughed a delightful sound that brought joy to the whole room. “You flatter me too much. But that’