“How could you do this!? Just give away one of your sons for an alliance we don’t need!” Jongin shouted at their father. “There are other things to offer! Why would you offer up an omega royal to appease them?”

“They have agreed to the same terms. An alliance like this will make our kingdoms inseparable. You have a duty to your kingdom.”

“Think clearly, Jongin.” Baekhyun said with urgency in his voice. “It’s for the better.”

“Not for you. Not for us.” Jongin snapped.

“Jongin, if Baekhyun is OK with this you shouldn’t interfere.” Junmyeon said in that argument-ending voice he had to use so much. Just because Jongin was the crown prince--the only alpha--didn’t mean that the King would put up with his impertinence.

“Why am I the only on who’s angry about this!? Trading sons like recipes!? This is ridiculous!”

“It doesn’t matter now, because your brother has agreed and will be sent to the Mountain as soon as possible. And you will be given a mate by our sister kingdom, to be your future queen. These are terms everyone had agreed to.”

“Everyone but me.”

“Jongin,” Baekhyun snapped. “The last thing a scared omega being sent to a foreign place needs is someone arguing with their decision to comply. My friend is going to be here hoping that you won’t be too bad. Don’t treat him like this.”

“Baekhyun hyung,” Jongin just about whined.

“You’re just making things worse, Jongin.”

~

“Why am I the one that has to go?” Kyungsoo demanded. He was trailing behind his alpha brothers as they made plans for his departure.

“A future queen for a future queen. That was the deal, Kyungsoo.”

“Why do Baekhyun and I have to be part of a deal? We’re people, not livestock.”

“What would you have me do, Kyungsoo?” Chanyeol rounded on him. “The last thing I want is to uproot your friend and send you off to the wolves, but their father is relentless. He’s the one who offered up Baekhyun and demanded I match his price. What would you have me do, Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo clamped his mouth shut. He knew all of this. He knew that Baekhyun’s father knew Chanyeol had a weakness for Baekhyun. He knew that offering his son was a strategic ploy to get Kyungsoo. If he had allowed Chanyeol to court Baekhyun naturally his others sons would follow into their kingdom behind him. They held no true allegiance to their King, being from different mothers of different areas. They agreed to ‘a future queen for a future queen’ to cement his alpha son’s place behind him.

“You know we’ll take care of him, hyung. We’re trying to do what we can to keep you safe.” Sehun told him.

“Junmyeon will be there. I’ll be OK.”

“You don’t know Jongin, hyung.” Sehun said. “He’s a lot sometimes.”

“He’s a good person. But he can be feral just like the rest of us.”

~

Both intended alphas and omegas would meet halfway to ‘exchange’ and hold a pseudo marriage ceremony. Baekhyun tried to think about seeing his friend again even if it was only for a short time. He tried not to think about his friend’s brother or what it might feel like to be bitten by him.

For a long time foreign relations had been Baekhyun’s job specifically. When his father visited neighboring kingdoms he went as well with the job of making friends. Many people felt that the second prince was the soul reason their kingdom was safe from others.

Although it was Baekhyun’s job (originally) to secure relations with the new king he spent more time with Prince Kyungsoo and Prince Jongdae. This seemed to be sufficient until the King of the Valley, Baekhyun’s father, went to settle peace treaties. Which is how they came to be in this situation.

~

Baekhyun rode silently beside his younger brother thinking much to intensely about things he can no longer control. Then something came into his mind that he know he could control.

“Jongin,” he said just so his brother could hear, “please protect my friend.”

Jongin didn’t reply, didn’t give any sign that he even heard Baekhyun. But he knew the alpha heard him loud and clear.

In another few hours they arrived at the trading point. Royal flags already adorned the border post. Baekhyun swallowed his fear and prepared to play his part. The part of the dutiful prince. And eventually the part of the perfect queen for his alpha.

Their party was greeted by the King and his non-alpha brothers. Both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun wanted to run to each other but they held back. After Baekhyun and Jongin dismounted they were welcomed by the party from the Mountain. Everything was very formal until the alpha’s lead them up to the meeting tent. The omegas lingered back until they could take each others hand and walk together.

The meeting was all for show. This was a done deal and everyone knew it. After the ceremony and the meeting they would bed down for the night and go their separate ways in the morning. Baekhyun tried not to think about leaving his home. He was certain King Chanyeol would allow him to return when his niece or nephew was born, which would be sooner rather than later. But when the winter set in it would be impossible for him to go anywhere.