As Yoongi takes quick strides towards the main quarters, he notices how colorful and extraordinary every nook and cranny of the Gyeongbok Palace is decorated with shiny gold and emerald green ribbons. It was fit for someone as beautiful and much grace like the Empress. His eyes landed on his father and step-mother sitting at the top of the staircase with civilians coming in and out of the palace's gates giving their blessings and gifts to the imperial family.

"Hyung! You made it!"

Yoongi whirls around to see Hoseok, also dressed in the same burgundy red, marching towards him with his personal attendant Yugyeom right behind him. He senses the Emperor and the Empress's eyes settling on him, but he shrugs it off and focuses on his little brother in front of him.

"I guess I did," Yoongi replies, his eyes wandering around. "Has the celebration started?"

Hoseok shakes his head. "It's only the prelude. Guests are still arriving."

Then he sees Namjoon talking to General Ravi in the corner. Yoongi smiles to himself. Namjoon had grown into a fine young man, and the blue, embroidered four-toed dragon design of the Mandarin square suited him well.

"Good," Yoongi sees Namjoon walking towards them. "I suppose we still have time for a short brotherly reunion?"

Hoseok blinks and looks in Yoongi's direction, and smiles.

"Of course."

 

♔♔♔

 

Jimin is nervous.

He never felt quite like this before. He can feel a headache coming in, and his muscles were tensed, and Jimin doesn't know why he is getting the jitters. Of course, it isn't his first time performing; he had loads of small gigs before. Maybe it is the fact that Jimin had been hand-selected for the Empress's birthday party. He is thrilled when he found out that he is one of four who would be exclusively performing for the imperial family. He was also elated to find out the others that were performing with him were Seokjin, Jungkook, and Taehyung, his only three closest friends.

He hears the thin paper doors crinkle open and Jimin whirls himself around, clutching on his white underclothes.

It is Luhan, the senior flute players. Jimin breathes in relief.

"Thank god, it is you."

Luhan grins.

"Same."

 

Jimin closes his eyes and lets Luhan take control. The Chinese boy runs a wide-tooth comb through Jimin's long chestnut hair, gently untangling the knotted mess and humming softly to the melody of an old folk song, and carefully separates the hair into three sections and begins braiding and knots it with an embroidered yellow daenggi. Jimin flutters his eyes open and takes a good luck at the vanity mirror.

The hairstyle is only temporary; Jimin has to bundle it up in a bun for a professional look. Jimin shy away and tugs the sleeves of his sheer jeogori.

"I'm nervous, hyung," he says softly.

"Don't be," Luhan encourages, working around to dress Jimin up. "Our Emperor and Empress are nothing like the other malicious empires."

Like many of the older servants, Luhan has grown to know the troubles of other empires. Being brought into any palace meant two possibilities: accepted and serving the imperial family in all matters till death or the rejected and forced into of serving the men in the tea houses.

 

Fortunately, Jimin had been lucky enough to be one of the few people that were selected for the imperial family's entertainment quarters.

When Jimin had first entered the palace for selection, he is immediately put under Luhan's care with Seokjin, Taehyung, and Jungkook, who welcomed Jimin with accepting arms. Seokjin, the eldest, has been in the palace longer than any of the peers in their generation and is known for his looks and skills in playing musical instruments especially the gayageum—his specialty. Jungkook and Taehyung were a package deal, both sold into the palace a few years earlier than Jimin and were known for their harmonized voices, often booked together for parties. And Jimin, sweet little Jimin had proven himself worthy of one of his first dances.

"I know that," Jimin says. "But I can't help it. It's a once in a lifetime performing in front of the imperial family themselves."

Luhan smiles and fixes the tinkling ornament onto Jimin's hair. "You can get many more experiences if you perform well. And who knows, maybe one of the princes can take you in as his." Jimin froze, his cheeks burning red. It was the talk of the century; the princes, including the crown prince, does not have a preference. He lets out an embarrassed "hyung!" and Luhan crackles at his friend's horrified expression.

"I'm just speaking out from a similar experience, Jiminnie," he says, his rosy lips smiling to himself as he ties the otkorum. "Besides, you never know if one of the princes would want someone as beautiful and graceful like you."

 

Jimin knows what the elder is talking about. Luhan and four other senior performers had been rescued out of a ion ring in China under the order of the Emperor years ago. One of the generals, Sehun, adores Luhan, and although Luhan had refused to marry him because of their age differences, Sehun is persistent. Up until this day, Sehun had been trying to woo Luhan.

"Well, I guess," Jimin finally says. "But what prince would want to take someone who is considerably a e?"

Luhan furrows his brows.

"Don't say that about yourself."

 

Luhan steps back and takes in his completed masterpiece. Jimin doesn't realize it, but he is indeed the epitome of beauty. He has a straight nose and soft doe eyes that practically sparkles, thick lips, and a sculpted jaw that contradicts with the round cheeks; his skin is the definition of perfection and has a naturally raspy voice of an angel.

Luhan turns around. "How does it look?" he asks Seokjin.

Seokjin, who had been helping Jungkook and Taehyung with their hanboks, blinks over in Jimin's direction. A small smile graces Seokjin's lips. "Beautiful," Seokjin compliments as he ties the white otkorum onto Jungkook's and Taehyung's matching sheer jeogori. "Jimin will surely be the talk around the villages."

"I think Seokjinnie hyung will also be the talk about town, too," Jungkook pipes in, the ornaments lightly clashing with one another as Jungkook moves his head. "Don't you agree, Taehyungie?"

"Jin hyung plays the gayageum good," Taehyung adds. Seokjin laughs, smoothing out his royal blue skirt.

"Please," he says, eyes twinkling in humor as he comes up to the younger boys. "I have been playing since I entered the palace."

Jimin giggles, fingers flying up to cover his smile. "Pretty, too."

Luhan watches the four boys interact with one another. Epitone of Aphrodite, he thinks as he excuses himself out. They certainly live up to their unannounced name, the Four Beauties of Gyeongbok; they surpass everyone around the world with talents, looks, and personality. And Luhan can't help but smile with pride.

 

♔♔♔

 

"Goodness gracious, is that His Highness Yoongi?"

Yoongi figures he would be the talk at the ceremony. He ignores the hushed whispers around him, Hoseok had long abandoned Yoongi for the golden seat next to the Empress and Namjoon and walks to his father and step-mother with his head held high. He stops at the bottom of the stairs and kneels down on one knee in front of his father before going up and taking the Empress's hand and kissing the knuckles, an act of respect and gratitude. It had been a while since he had last seen Empress Kim, still beautiful as she was in her prime.

"Happy birthday, Mother," he says before looking up at her. "May you live long and stay as beautiful as you are now."

He stands up, and his eyes landed on the soft smile that graced her lips.

"Take a seat, Yoongi."

She knows, Yoongi notes and does what he is asked on the left-hand side of his father, an empty seat with his name engraved on the chair. The Emperor shares a small smile with Yoongi, just between the both of them before he holds up his hand, and the rowdy room settles down.

 

"Today," he hears his father begins. "We are to celebrate the fiftieth birthday of my wife, your Empress of Gyeongbok."

His father drones about how the Empress is a good woman, always there when the people need her the most; of how she is the reason why Gyeongbok is flourishing with prosperity at this moment. Yoongi hears his father say "Thank you and enjoy!" and the party commences once the Emperor had given his heart-warming speech about the Empress.

There were plenty of guests from neighboring empires that Yoongi have not seen before. They were all fancied, dressed in expensive colors of silk from head to toe and Yoongi tries hard not to make a face.

He hears cheers and swings his gaze on a band of figures wearing a transparent silk cloth covering their nose and lips approaches the platform. They are dressed in a sheer jeogori and mismatched pastel chimas of lilac, salmon, teal and yellow, adorned with intricate golden patterns at the hem up.

Entertainment, Yoongi guesses, and proceeds to eat alongside with his family. He knew Hoseok would be interested in this piece of artwork; he'd danced all day and all night if it weren't for top-notch security. Yoongi and Namjoon, on the other hand, has no desire to meddle with such affairs; dancing is something noble men and women should not be interested in.

 

Of course, despite his disinterest in the art of music and dancing, Yoongi believes that the people behind the thin fabric are absolutely beautiful and stunning in their own ways.

The grounds become quiet as the one in yellow, the dancer Yoongi presumes, moves to his starting position; the others off to the side. Then, the mellow sounds of a gayageum and shrill bamboo flute pierce the air, and first subtle movements of the dancer have Yoongi frozen dead in his actions. Yoongi beckons Jackson over; the young boy leans downs, enough for eldest prince lean to the side.

"Yes, Your Highness?" Jackson whispers.

Yoongi's eyes follow every breathtaking move, never breaking eye-contact with the dancer. He leans to the side. "Who is the boy in yellow?"

Jackson looks up, watching the scene unfold in front of him before bending down.

"Park Jimin."