When Seokjin woke up on the day of Jungkook’s wedding, he did not, in the least, expect the events of the day to unfold the way they did.

The kingdom had always been on the more peaceful side; Seokjin’s mother, the late Queen, had never liked the wars and bloodshed and the King had always valued the opinions of his mate, so by extension, that dislike for war was always reflected in the various decisions taken up by the King. Even on the verge of a war breaking out, the King would always find one way or another to settle the disputes without violence. Sometimes, it would involve surrendering some of their kingdom’s territory as a peace offering to the antagonistic party which would cause the council to judge the King, often calling His Majesty a pushover behind his back. The King had never cared though, as long as his family and citizens were content – to him, the happiness of the people has always mattered more than the opinions of a handful of old men on the council who only craved personal gain.

There have always been small battles and skirmishes, especially with the Royals of the Fey Land and the wolves of the Yellow Kingdom. There had never been a situation in which the Kingdom’s existence had been threatened, though. Hence, it had never even crossed the Crown Prince’s mind that he could lose his father so early on in his life, considering that the King has always been in good health too.

Having his father die right before his eyes, ending up becoming separated from Jungkook – his only living family - and being ousted from his own home wasn’t how Seokjin imagined his life would turn out.

Something else the prince had never considered was the fact that in the days that followed, the only person he could rely on would be someone he could barely stand being in the same space with. He would have also never been able to anticipate that he would actually find himself sympathizing with the alpha or that their wolves would be so compatible with each other.

But the most difficult thing to imagine happening would be the occurrence of their current predicament.

Namjoon’s alpha had officially recognized Seokjin’s omega as its mate.

The prince had known for a while now – the extreme compatibility between their wolves, all starting with his reaction to Namjoon’s comforting real scent that seemed to constantly put Seokjin’s omega on edge, especially since after Namjoon’s rut, when the pungent scent of seaweed disappeared completely, giving way to the alpha’s true scent. Seokjin had been perplexed at first but then he had time to think during the extent of the rut. It was extremely rare, but not unheard of – there were special brews that worked much like the prince’s own suppressors, but instead of waning a shifter’s scent, their purpose was to modify it. To the extent of the prince’s knowledge, Namjoon’s court assignments often included missions where stealth was of high importance and Seokjin’s seen the vials the alpha carried around. It was the most logical conclusion, therefore, that Namjoon had been using scent modifiers.

However, compatibility itself would never be the sole factor when considering a mate. It was just the first step in the process – compatibility between wolves, compatibility of scents, feelings and emotions, courting and only then mating.

For a wolf to accept another as its mate, at least the first three would have to be fulfilled. And this was what confused Seokjin, because, since when did they have positive feelings between them, much less something with a semblance to romantic ones? Sure, the prince was coming to understand the origins of the alpha’s attitude better but he’s always been of the opinion that Namjoon, if not hated, then at least strongly disliked him.

The prince tried to focus on the alpha crouched before him, his hand still placed gently over Seokjin’s cheek as his eyes wandered over the younger’s features. Was he even aware of what was happening?

“Namjoon?” he called, hoping to draw out the other’s human side.

“Y-Yes? What is it?” The alpha’s voice was a little hoarse, as though his throat was constricted. The words sounded distant, like they weren’t spoken with consciousness.

“Your eyes are red.”

“Oh?” Namjoon blinked and a split second later the red started ebbing away. Seokjin could literally point out the exact instant Namjoon was back in control. “Oh…sorry.”  Namjoon tensed and turned to the side – away from the prince’s direct, scrutinizing gaze. He must have comprehended the situation at hand because the alpha’s scent changed, turning bitter and practically swimming in apprehension. “Sorry.” He mumbled again, still not looking at Seokjin. However, Namjoon did not look as befuddled as Seokjin was.

To the prince, something about the reaction felt incredibly off.

A question was beginning to form in the depths of his mind, the logical part of Seokjin’s brain working overtime to connect the different bits he had. The prince thought back on all their moments together, how Namjoon was always verbally harsh but never actually did him any harm, instead putting his life on the line to protect Seokjin. When Hoseok had put Seokjin’s hand in his, Namjoon could have simply refused, asked the General to take care of the prince himself. But no, besides often using hurtful, derogatory language, Namjoon hadn’t once voiced any complaints about having to protect him.

Jin thought back to all the small kindnesses. He recalled Namjoon giving away part of the day’s ration to the prince during those first days in the forest when they had limited supplies. Sometimes, Seokjin would wake up in the mornings tucked in under Namjoon’s robe, the alpha sleeping a distance away and shivering slightly from the cold.

The large, outstretched hand that would always be there to steady him or pull him up whenever Seokjin tripped or fell; The protective stance the alpha had taken the day of their encounter with the group of rogues – the way Namjoon had put Seokjin’s safety first before his own.

Seokjin had thought that he was just doing his duty, following an order because it was from Hoseok - someone of higher rank. But…

“This has happened before, hasn’t it?” the omega said finally; A statement rather than a question. The alpha was quiet as his body went still for a brief moment. “Namjoon, talk to me, please?”

The elder’s shoulders slumped, drawing a little inwards as Seokjin felt the alpha’s internal discord, felt him struggle to form words and then give up. Three simple words slipped almost soundlessly from the alpha’s mouth, hesitantly.

“Yes, it has.”

Seokjin’s eyes went wide. He recalled what all he’s read in books about this – how difficult it is to control your wolf in the presence of one’s chosen mate unless both the human and canine sides are completely in tune with each other. Looking back to the time when the prince had been in love with Hoseok, Seokjin remembered just how exhausting it had been on him – to have his wolf, his heart and his mind all wanting three different things. He can’t even begin to imagine the amount of mental strength Namjoon must have and the amount of stress he must have constantly been under in order to not let his wolf reign.

A lesser alpha might have already claimed the omega in question by now and the fact that Namjoon had managed to control his instincts for so long made the prince’s respect for the alpha’s determination and sheer willpower soar. But…for how long has this been going on? When exactly had the alpha realized that their wolves had bonded and why had Seokjin himself not experienced the phenomenon yet? Or is it that he had experienced it but just not recognized it for what it was?

“How long?” Seokjin questioned, still not sure what this meant for the both of them. “W-When was t-the first time?”

Namjoon finally turned to face him, looking unsure and defeated. It was incredibly startling – to see such an insecure expression on the face of a man who’s never been anything but confident.

Wait…that was wrong, was it not?

Namjoon did not look confident when Hoseok delegated to him the task of protecting the Crown prince. Namjoon did not look confident when he chose to stay back and urged the prince to run away and save himself from the rogues. The alpha wasn’t his usual sure self when Seokjin watched him converse with Chanyeol.

The alpha’s silence only cemented Seokjin’s assumption that Namjoon had already known about it for a considerable amount of time. But in the end, this revelation did not manage to prepare him for what the alpha said next.

“It was the day I first met you, Your Highness.”

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

They kept quiet while on the way back to the mansion. This time the silence was heavy and overbearing.

Namjoon kept a slight distance between them, walking a few paces behind the prince but still unwilling to let Seokjin out of his sight so soon after the younger had had a panic attack – even if it had been a very mild one.

The bitterness of Namjoon’s scent had started to attract curious glances from the townsfolk in the square and the questioning stares were becoming rather unnerving so they had wordlessly decided to head back, not even stopping to look for Yeonjun and Huening Kai. Their problems were theirs alone and there was no need to spoil the younger alphas’ fun.

The doors closed behind them with a screeching creak as they entered the mansion and proceeded to the living area; Neither left for their own rooms - both of them just standing in place, the only audible noise in the room being the faint crackle of the burning torches and their shallow breathing.

“I’m sorry.”

Seokjin whirled around, brows furrowing as he examined Namjoon’s expression - or what he could see of it in the dimly lit room; some of the torches must have burned out.

“This is the third time now.” Seokjin stated. “Why have you been apologizing?”

“I don’t know myself, to be honest.” Namjoon shrugged, a hand going to rub at the nape of his neck. “But probably for making you uncomfortable.”

“I’m…not uncomfortable, though. “ Seokjin said, surprising not only himself but also Namjoon who looked at him incredulously. “Perhaps somewhat astounded but that is all.”

“You are not making any sense to me right now.” The alpha sighed. “I was almost ready for you to start screaming at me about how much you hate me and how my wolf’s bond with yours disgusts you-“

“What?!” Gee…maybe his outburst back at the Moon village had much more of an effect on the alpha than Seokjin had originally thought. “You cannot be serious, Namjoon. I may not exactly like you or some of your opinions but I am an open minded person. There is absolutely no reason for me to be disgusted with you – as you say – when all of this is completely instinctual and out of our control.”

“Thank you…” Namjoon whispered into the room after probably coming to the conclusion that Seokjin’s words were genuine. “This makes all this a little easier.”

Seokjin has been dying to ask, so he does when Namjoon falls quiet again. “Um…you know how wolf bonding is, uh – how it is never one sided?” the alpha nods, probably already realizing what it is that Seokjin was implying. “I-I…is the bond incomplete then? Because I don’ remember my wolf, well, you know.” He just gestured a little wildly with his hands, not knowing how to phrase the last part.

Namjoon gave a slight nod, affirming that he, indeed, understood what Seokjin was meaning to ask.

“Honestly, I don’t know either.” The alpha answered while trying to stifle a yawn. It was only then that Seokjin let himself acknowledge just how tired he was after all the running around he’d done at the festival and since Namjoon had tagged along, the alpha must be in a similar state of weariness.

“Mhm…” Seokjin mused, “Maybe we should talk more about this tomorrow. Let us get some rest first.”

“Okay, sure…g-good night then.”

Seokjin acknowledged the alpha’s words with a nod before turning around and heading for the stairs. However, a low growl from behind startled him to a stop.

“Uh…Um, s-sorry,” the elder sputtered, his scent starting to become bitter again. “It’s just, um – before in the square, when you just started trembling like that so suddenly, uh…my wolf sort of started panicking and-“

“And now it doesn’t want to leave me alone because it’s worried.” The prince concluded with a sigh. It wasn’t only the wolf panicking though, since Namjoon seemed to be in a similar state of distress – whether it was because of the prince’s panic attack or their little situation he could not tell for sure but Seokjin knew it wasn’t wise to leave the alpha alone in his current state. He huffed and walked back to stand right in front of the alpha. “You are tired, I am tired –terribly so, and right now I want nothing more than to get a few hours of good, peaceful sleep but we shall speak more about this tomorrow.” Seokjin stressed, suddenly feeling marginally less confident about what he was about to do. “For now just, uh…stay still for a moment, alright?”

With a slightly perplexed but affirmative nod from Namjoon, the prince closed the distance between them so he was now basically in the alpha’s personal space.

Namjoon tensed visibly, but followed instruction and stayed stock still. Seokjin unclenched his fingers which had formed a nervous fist and his hand moved to circle around Namjoon’s wrist. With a gentle grip, he raised the alpha’s arm and brought his own hand, the one that wasn’t holding Namjoon’s, closer. By then, the alpha must have realized what the prince was about to do because when Seokjin looked into his eyes he could see not an ounce of protest in them. He was still tense though, judging by how taut his body was and how he bit his lower lip when Seokjin finally rubbed his own wrist over the alpha’s, scenting him.

It was a different kind of experience from the one when Seokjin had scented him while they were in their wolf forms. The direct skin on skin contact made the light dusting of hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stand up and a barely concealed shiver ran down his spine, making him blush and turning the tips of his ears red. Since the torches were at the alpha’s back Seokjin could not clearly see whether Namjoon was also flushed in a similar manner, but the heat of the elder’s body was enough to tell him that the other was just as affected by this as the prince was.

Seokjin steeled his nerves, however, and continued scenting the alpha. He brought his hand higher so it was on the level of Namjoon’s shoulder and after contemplating for a second, he shyly tugged at the collar. Namjoon’s hands were shaking a little as he nodded and pulled back the collar of his shirt with one of his own hands.

The two of the shut their eyes tight, trying to reign in their wolves as they practically howled in delight at such a direct scenting.

Seokjin drew back his hand and turned around, swiftly bounding up the steps. He chanted to himself to stop feeling so embarrassed – that he was only scenting Namjoon to help him, to calm his alpha.

“Jin.” The elder called just as the prince reached the landing at the top of the stairs. Seokjin stopped and hummed in question, not turning around. “G-Goodnight.”

Well, at least he wasn’t the only nervous and embarrassed one.

“Goodnight, Namjoon.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

The morning came fast with Seokjin having gotten much less sleep than he would have liked.

After finishing his morning routine, the prince headed down for breakfast. He found Yeonjun sprawled on the lavish chaise lounge in the living room, looking bored and half asleep. The alpha perked up at Seokjin’s scent in the room and sent him a friendly smile.

“Morning.” He chimed. “My brother already left with Namjoon a while ago. Breakfast is in the kitchen.”

Seokjin just hummed in reply, a small pang in his chest at hearing that Namjoon wasn’t in the mansion. Was this just a coincidence or was the alpha actually trying to avoid him now? Seokjin let out an exasperated huff, prompting a raised eyebrow from Yeonjun as the alpha followed him into the kitchen. Seokjin was thankful for that – for the companionship - because right now he did not feel like eating alone.

As the prince settled himself at the table and began eating, Yeonjun pulled out a small dagger and busied himself by polishing it with a cloth. Only a few seconds in though, Seokjin sensed the other’s gaze on him so he raised his head only to see Yeonjun’s narrowed eyes as he not so subtly sniffed the air.

With the amount of time he’s been spending around Namjoon it wasn’t so surprising that some of his scent would linger on the prince but after the scenting yesterday the brown-haired alpha’s scent on him must have been much stronger – even after the long bath he’d just taken – for even Yeonjun to question it. Seokjin forfeited gracing the alpha with an explanation, instead opting to finish his food, and sensing that the prince wasn’t about to provide him an answer to his unvoiced but clearly implied question Yeonjun snorted and went back to polishing his dagger.

“Do you, perhaps, have any idea as to where they were headed?” he questioned, long after he was done eating and they walking towards the mansion’s front door.

“The arena, probably,” Came Yeonjun’s reply, “I heard my brother saying how he wanted to get some pointers from Namjoon.”

Seokjin had already memorized the path to the arena from his visit there the other day so he did not need Yeonjun to point out the way. Instead, they chatted about the previous day’s celebration and the other events that were scheduled for the current day’s evening. The walled perimeter of the training grounds was low in height and Namjoon sensed him just as the prince reached the gates. Yeonjun had been right, as Namjoon was clearly in the middle of explaining some particular stance to Huening Kai but both alphas lowered their swords as Namjoon slowly turned around to face the new arrivals and, after a brief moment of hesitation, jogged up towards them. His eyes didn’t meet Seokjin’s but the prince was glad that at least the alpha wasn’t avoiding him like he’d suspected the other would.

“Good morning.” The brown-haired spoke softly after Yeonjun had successfully dragged his brother away.

“Mm…morning.” The prince replied, still trying to catch Namjoon’s eye. “Has your wolf calmed down a bit?”

“It has,” the other said with a nod. “What about you, um…?” he left the question hanging.

Seokjin smiled, waving away the elder’s concern. “I am fine. I’m guessing that it was my dream from the other day that affected me somehow, bringing up memories from the day of the attack on the castle.”

The alpha hummed in understanding but did not pose any further questions, perhaps thinking that it would only bring up more bad memories.

“Jin?”

“Yes?”

“I, uh…I wanted to thank you, for yesterday and also for before, so if there is something I can do or something you might want, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Jin snorted in a not-so-omegan way. “You don’t have to thank me. Besides, you’ve stuck by me all this time and helped me get to the Pale King’s Realm safely. I think that’s more than enough for a simple scenting.”

Seokjin did not point out that Namjoon’s wolf would have probably forced him to seek out the prince amidst the chaos anyway, even if it wasn’t for Hoseok, since the bond had already long formed by then. He also ignored that scenting wasn’t actually that simple of a matter as he’d just claimed it was. Scenting has always been sacred, but unlike the wrist scenting which was mostly used to open up telepathic links, the scenting of neck and shoulder glands was considered very intimate and no omega allowed an alpha near their glands that easily.

The prince also did not mention how he felt safer with the alpha now, since realizing the nature of the bond. Be it as it may, Namjoon, despite his current duty as the prince’s protector, was still an alpha and the prince has always been on guard to some extent. Now, however, he was sure that no harm would come to him by the alpha’s hand because no alpha would ever willingly harm their official or bonded mate. 

“Just indulge me this once, would you? I don’t think I’ll feel better unless I do something to make it up to you, even if just marginally.” The elder said, mouth forming an unconscious pout that Seokjin tried his best not to smile at.

“Mhm…” Seokjin looked over at the arena and the shifters practicing their craft as he mused on this. He saw Yeonjun sparring with his brother; the omega whose name he still didn’t know was throwing daggers at a target; a couple of shirtless alphas and betas were doing pushups on the dusty ground.

An idea struck his mind, making his whole face light up and Namjoon’s brows shoot up into his hairline at the sudden shift in the prince’s mood.

“I’ve got something in mind.” He called to the alpha, jogging backwards in the direction of the weapons rack and trying to skillfully avoid accidentally bumping into anyone. “I hope you are a good teacher!”

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

“I still don’t understand why you are so adamant about learning the sword.” The alpha huffed as he examined the sword Seokjin had selected for himself from the training ground’s choice of weaponry. “You are good with a bow so shouldn’t that be enough?

“The bow is useless when your enemy is ready to slice you up into pieces like an expert chef would. It is a long distance weapon, essentially, and I have been wanting to learn the sword for ages anyway. Besides, I wasn’t the one who insisted on repaying non-existent debts so you better keep your word.” The prince scowled.

“Alright, alright!” Namjoon’s hands were raised innocently, palms open as he gave up trying to convince the prince out of his request. “Just don’t assume I will go easy on your training just because my wolf has a soft spot for yours.” He mumbled under his breath, clearly not low enough for Seokjin to miss. The prince grinned at the exasperated groan the alpha let out when Namjoon’s brain had registered what he’d just said. Seokjin also did not fail to notice that Namjoon was much more expressive than usual – which was, honestly, a little endearing.

The border wall’s Eastern Gate was just on the outskirts of the city and Seokjin had somehow managed to convince Yeonjun to let them go into the forest beyond the wall. A healer from the local apothecary had requested Yeonjun to get a few herbs from the forest so they parted with Yeonjun and Huening Kai at the edge of the forest, both parties going separate ways. A little over a mile into the thicket of trees they finally found a clearing large enough so that they wouldn’t have to worry about branches hitting them in the face if they made a wrong step.

The clearing wasn’t as vast as the one the prince used to practice his archery in but it still brought a small sense of familiarity with it. Moreover, it was nice to finally see some life in the forest. It wasn’t much – just some insects and butterflies, a couple rabbits that jumped back into the shrubbery as soon as they saw them – but it was reassuring nonetheless, making the forest seem a little less eerie and dead.

Namjoon beckoned him closer, handing Seokjin his weapon. It was a simple longsword with a two-handed metal grip that felt rough against the palm of his hand. Well, it was time for Seokjin to get some more calluses.

“So first, before anything else, how much experience do you have with swords?” the alpha inquired, drawing his own sword from the scabbard at his hip.

“None at all, unfortunately.” Seokjin replied honestly. “I’ve tried learning the techniques the same way I did with the bow – by observing and then trying it on my own – but I didn’t have the same luck with the sword as I did with archery.”

The alpha’s head tilted to the side, an almost impressed expression gracing his features. “That’s…unexpected. I was of the opinion that either your brother or General Jung must have thought you.”

“Oh, please!” Seokjin chuckled, “I doubt they even know I can read, much less wield a weapon better than they do.”

“Mhm, your skill certainly was on par with some of the best archers I’ve seen.” The alpha admitted, much to the prince’s delight. “Wait, did you say you could read?”

“I can, and write too. Basically, I’ve educated myself in almost everything that was mentioned on the learning plan that was assigned to Jungkook.”

“Huh,” the elder took a deep breath and let it out through his mouth. “You are one sneaky prince, Your Highness.”

“And I’m proud of it,” The prince beamed, not caring in which manner the alpha meant the words. “Look where my sneakiness got me? Do you think I would be alive and well right now if I just went along with everything the court dictated?” He shook his head, “But that’s enough of that - shall we start? I want to head back in time for lunch?”

The alpha rolled his eyes but made no remarks. “Alright,” He began and started explaining on how to properly hold a sword. “A longsword isn’t too heavy but balance is the most important thing here, so make sure to always choose a sword that feels comfortable in your hand.” The prince nods, already aware of that bit because the same thing was paramount even in archery.   

“The way you grip the sword generally depends on your stance and the sword-style you use but the dominant hand always goes just under the quillions.” Namjoon holds his sword in his right hand, grip just below the crossguard.

“The pommel at the end helps with balance during strikes.” He continued, pointing at the round knob at the lower end of the hilt.”

“Okay, balance is key.” Seokjin re-iterates, holding the sword with both hands as Namjoon shows him next.

Namjoon proceeded to correct the prince’s hold on the sword, fingers brushing and curling lightly against the omega’s as he readjusted them. “Don’t grip it so hard, else it will be a bit difficult to maneuver it around when you rapidly change the direction of your strikes.”

Seokjin followed the instructions with as much precision as he could, trying to not react to the little touches. He wished he had as much control over his omega as Namjoon had over his alpha. Namjoon’s fingers were long, warm and calloused from years of wielding different weapons and the gentle, almost imperceptible touches only made it that much more tantalizing to his inner wolf.

They moved on to footing and basic strikes next, with the alpha explaining what the best distance to maintain between one’s feet was and how you shouldn’t strike head-on but rather from the side.

“With a two-handed sword, the blade is not only your weapon – it is also your shield.” The elder man easily blocks a trial strike from the prince. “When you strike this way, the crossguard will help block your opponent’s sword to some extent. But in the end, it still depends on you. You must have enough strength to hold off the enemy because if you cannot push them off then even the crossguard becomes useless.” He then surges forward with more strength than he’d been previously using and Seokjin’s blade is pushed towards his chest, preventing him from attempting to retaliate and making him stumble back a few steps from the sudden increase in force.  

Namjoon was a patient and detailed teacher. Seokjin made a multitude of mistakes but the alpha was always there to readjust his grip or fix his stance. The instructions were unhurried and easy to follow as the elder further taught him how to dodge and parry, explaining it in a way he himself had been taught when he’d been younger and then adding a few tips and tricks he’d learned from his personal experiences.

By the time they finally decided to take a break, a small sheen of sweat had formed on their skin and Seokjin’s muscles were a little sore. It was good kind of sore though, and the prince was in an exceptional mood. They settled down with their backs against a trunk of a tree and Namjoon closed his eyes, dozing off slightly. Seokjin snorted and chuckled to himself when the alpha started snoring lightly. He didn’t do it every time he fell asleep, just sometimes, but the prince’s always found it somewhat funny – how the alpha sniffled occasionally in his sleep and the way his mouth parted a little.

Seokjin himself was tired, but he wasn’t sleepy so he just settled for staring into the thicket of greenery all around him, hoping another rabbit would jump out of the shrubs and let him pet it.

What caught his eye a while later, however, wasn’t cute and fluffy by any means.

The prince’s gaze had been aimlessly drifting left and right as he waited for Namjoon to rouse from his nap and he in a breath when his eyes fell upon it. For a moment, he just blinked, a bit confused as he wondered if he’d just missed it before or if the deer had been so silent in its steps so as to manage to escape Seokjin’s incredibly sensitive ears.

He’d just been wanting something to show up so he could admire the animal and possibly ease the boredom that had started to build with the lack of conversation and movement. When he noticed the deer’s head poking from behind a tall berry bush and looking straight at him, he swore he wouldn’t be able to look at another deer the same way ever again without being reminded of his current sight.

The poor animal was clearly very sick and perhaps already had a leg on the other side. The usual tawny fur coat was patchy and mottled and the skin that was revealed was a sickly grey and it looked rotten and decaying. The eyes were yellow and rimmed with red, disgusting-looking pus dripping out of the corners of its eyes. Seokjin’s heart hurt just imagining how much pain the animal must be feeling.

He got up and walked over just as the deer turned around and started to walk away at a slow pace, seemingly not scared of Seokjin’s approach. The rustling of leaves and branches as he trudged past the copse of trees that were blocking his view of the deer seemed to alert Namjoon and the prince heard the alpha stir awake.

“Jin?” he called, voice sleepy as Seokjin watched him scan the space around him in alarm upon not finding the prince beside him.

“I’m here.” He called back, walking further in so he wouldn’t lose sight of the sickly animal. “Come on.”

Namjoon joined him, appearing at his side mere seconds later even though Seokjin hadn’t stopped to wait. At the other’s questioning look, he pointed ahead of them, gesturing to the animal that was slowly making its way deeper and deeper into the forest.

“It’s a deer.”

“It’s a sick deer.” Seokjin deadpanned. “Did you even take a proper look at it? I can’t even envision what the poor creature must have gone through to end up that way.”   

“It might be a disease, Jin” the alpha warned but still indulged Seokjin by following along.

“We should take it back with us then.”

“To the healers, you mean?” the alpha questioned, receiving an affirmative nod from Seokjin. “I don’t think they would be pleased about that.”

“Why study medicine at all then if they can’t even take a look at a poor animal.” The prince scowled and walked off ahead, ducking under low branches and stopping over gnarled roots that poked out of the soil.

He gasped, taking a step back and bumping into Namjoon’s chest. The alpha’s arms automatically came up around to steady him but their gazes were fixed on the clearing before them.

The enormous patch of land they came upon bore no semblance to the lush forest at their backs. The soil was too dried up and cracked in some areas while in other places it was boggy and wet. Much like the deer’s skin, the soil was also of a deep grey shade with blackened stumps and twisted, withered trees poking out of it at intervals. Seokjin’s hand flew to his nose as he almost gagged behind it at the pungent smell that emanated from the land, huge flies and mosquitoes flying above the swampy and blighted expanse of it. He noticed the deer then, as it finally collapsed on its front legs and then flopped sideways, being partially into the swamp. Instinctively, he moved forward, wanting to pull it out, but Namjoon’s arms around him kept the prince in place as the alpha sadly shook his head.

“It’s too late.” He spoke in a quiet voice. “We can’t help it.”

Seokjin gulped down his nausea, slowly disentangling himself from the alpha’s arms to crouch down. He took a handful of the soil and let the coarse grains fall from his fingers as he examined it. They stayed liked that for quite a while, each immersed in their own thoughts.

Seokjin perused his memories for any such documented occurrence he might’ve read about before. The first thought that came to his mind was that it might be a plague, but then, the land before them was essentially dead and plague didn’t affect the land as much as it did humans and animals. A few minutes later another thought invaded his mind, but before he could speak it aloud he heard Namjoon’s voice from beside him, confirming the prince’s suspicions.

“Their King is dying.”

Seokjin didn’t reply, choosing to just nod so the other knew he’d been paying attention.

The Fey King was on the verge of dying – that was the only explanation.

“I don’t understand.” Seokjin said, perplexed. “Why rage war with our race when he is about to die anyway? Or is it his heir who is giving these orders?”

Namjoon sighed and extended his hand so he could pull the prince up from where he was still crouched low to the ground. “Might be.”

A sudden whistling noise and a sound that was sort of between a screech and a caw distracted them and they turned their up to the sky where a large bird was circling the air around the blighted land. It swooped in and Namjoon was about to step in front of him but Seokjin put out a hand to stop him.

“I’ll be damned.” He cursed, praying that the falcon doesn’t scratch him with his talons or poke him in the eye just for the fun of it. The bird has always seemed to enjoy antagonizing him.

Thankfully, Claw landed on his shoulder, making the prince wince just slightly as the sharp talons dug into the material of his robe and the skin beneath his shirt. He would never actually admit it to either the bird or Hoseok, but he was just a tad bit glad to see the creature.

He beamed, excited as he saw the small scroll of paper tied to the falcon’s leg. He let the bird hop onto his other arm as he used his free hand to untie the roll of parchment. As expected, Hoseok’s neat penmanship greeted him as he unrolled the paper and Namjoon leaned in to read with him.

There wasn’t much to read though, just a single line of pretty cursive in black ink that still smelled fresh, and the General’s name signed below.

 

I’m at the Pale King’s palace.

-Hobi

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Yeonjun and Huening Kai had apparently spotted Claw earlier and were already waiting for Seokjin and Namjoon at the entrance of the Eastern Gate. Seokjin just shoved the scroll into Yeonjun’s hands and sprinted through the guards, running as fast as he could towards the castle gates in the distance.

The pretty houses were just blobs of blurry, pale shades as he ran past and he was distantly aware of the startled and curious glances sent his way as he barreled down the street. He couldn’t maintain the speed for long, however, and slowed down only halfway through, panting heavily as Namjoon and the other two caught up with him.

“Slow down, Jin!” Namjoon laughed at him. “They will still be there even if you don’t run so hard.”

The guards must have already been informed, because the gates swung open just as he’d reached them, closing with a screech behind the three alphas. He hadn’t had the chance to explore the Pale King’s palace yet so he stopped just inside the vestibule, not sure which direction he was supposed to head in.

He didn’t have much time to ponder on it because a huge black wolf bounded up the steps outside and ran straight into him, toppling him over so he fell painfully on his bum, ending up with a face of dirty fur. He didn’t complain though, as he nuzzled his face into the soft warmth - because how could he, when it was Jungkook?

“Jin! You are okay!” Jungkook’s voice passed through their mind-link, making Seokjin laugh at how whiny it sounded even in his mind. “Jiiin!!!!”

“I’m all good, pup.” He reassured his brother, drawing back and taking the wolf’s large head between his hands so he could properly look at him. “How have you been doing?”

The black wolf did not reply, only nuzzling further into the prince’s neck as Seokjin hugged him tighter. Two familiar scents made him raise his head and Seokjin smiled as Jiwoo and Hoseok approached him on either side. He literally screeched as Jiwoo up the side of his face, leaving a line of slobber across his cheek, but the she-wolf only playfully yipped at him when Seokjin groaned and tried to clean the slobber off of his face using the sleeve of his robe. He finally directed his attention to his best friend who had his snout in Seokjin’s hair. The prince pushed everyone off of him as he spoke to Hoseok.

“You, Sir Jung, have a lot of explaining to do.” He deadpanned, making the large wolf huff.

“And you need to take a bath because you ing reek of Kim Namjoon.” Hobi stated and Jiwoo snorted in a very unlady-like manner - even for a wolf - while Jungkook, having also heard the comment, curiously jerked his head back and forth between his brother and the tall, brown-haired alpha in question. Meanwhile, Namjoon, Yeonjun and Huening Kai were only able to hear Seokjin’s side of the conversation and all three just looked at the group sprawled on the floor in confusion, not comprehending what exactly was going on.

“Yah!” he pulled Hoseok by the ear, making the other playfully snap his canines at him. “Don’t you dare go there, Jung Hoseok. I knew the scent was familiar when I first met Governor Min but unfortunately, I couldn’t make the connection. Then I chanced upon your bedroom at the mansion and as you say, it reeked of you both.” He countered with a victorious grin, noticing the surprise in the other two wolves’ eyes.

He had to admit though – Hoseok’s found himself a truly exceptional mate.

He got the three wolves in a loose group hug that was full of fur and got to his feet just as Soobin arrived at the chambers, carrying three folded pairs of garments.

Seokjin let out an impressed noise as he watched Soobin lead the three to a line of two doors in the wall to the right, which turned out to be rooms for changing when one wanted to shift. Seokjin felt that it was really practical and thoughtful, making a mental note so they could perhaps implement it in the Lupa Kim’s castle once they manage to retake it from the Royals.

The prince’s brows furrowed as Hoseok padded into one of the rooms while Jiwoo and Jungkook entered the other. Something was a bit off there because he would have rather expected the boys to share while Jiwoo got a room to herself. But it all made sense to him as Jungkook stumbled out of the room barely a minute later, still trying to properly adjust his shirt and robes.

There was a mating mark in the juncture of his neck and shoulder, just over the scent gland as all official mating marks usually were. Seokjin sniffed the air in disbelief and indeed, Jungkook’s scent didn’t smell simply as if Jiwoo’s had rubbed off on him – it was perfectly blended in.

“Oh.”

Jungkook sensed the change in atmosphere and seemingly realizing what it was about, the younger looked sheepishly at his brother as he nervously scratched the back of his head.

“Ah…I’m guessing I forgot to mention one tiny, little detail?” Jungkook tried and yelped as Seokjin strode over to him in two long steps and gripped the back of his neck just as the Jung siblings stepped out of the dressing rooms, now human and fully clothed. Hoseok smirked and sauntered off to lean against one of the walls, tilting his head towards Namjoon, both in greeting and gratitude at keeping the prince safe.

“Holy Luna!” Jin exclaimed, looking from one to the other of the now mated couple. “Jiwoo, I always knew Jungkook was a little too wild but I would have thought at least –“

“Aish, Jinnie!” she cut him off, “Don’t be so hard on him now. If you must know, I was the one who initiated this. I went into heat the previous week, you see, and besides we’re practically married so I thought – why not?”

The prince gaped at them open mouthed, not knowing how to respond to that. He put his head in his hands and sighed, “At least tell me you didn’t do it out in the open, please. That would be so ing irresponsible.”

Jungkook looked scandalized, and maybe a teensy bit offended. “We did not! There was –“

Seokjin raised a hand. “That’s all I need to know for now, thank you very much. And what are you ing grinning at?” he directed the last part to Hoseok who raised his hands in mock innocence.

“Nothing.” The man smirked, “Just nice to finally see you in your element. It’s fun to see you get so riled up that you start cussing like a ing sailor.”

“You are impossible.” The prince palmed his face in exasperation. “You now, Hobi, we could have avoided a lot of the mess if you had actually told us anything before the attack.”

Hoseok’s eyes narrowed at him. “Don’t go there, Seokjin. I had my reasons to keep the investigations into my father a secret. I admit that I was overdue in delivering my findings to His Majesty but I couldn’t say anything unless I was absolutely sure since it involved treason and war. Besides, it’s not like you ever tell us everything about yourself either.” He ended, pulling a gasp from the prince.

“I’m with brother Hoseok on this one - don’t look at me, Jin. You are mean, you know, for not sharing things even with me. Do you know how that makes me feel? I know that I may not be the responsible one out of the two of us but I would’ve done my best to help.”

“Jungkookie, you know it’s not like tha –“

“Now, now, gentlemen – and lady,” Soobin interrupted them, shooting Jiwoo a polite smile, before the drama unfolds further. “It looks like all of you need to sit down and be honest and share things with each other, but for now, our King is awaiting your presence in the throne room.”

Hoseok smiled, detaching himself from the wall and sprinting ahead of them, clearly excited. Everyone else apart from the quintet of young guards seemed to have no idea behind the reason of the General’s excitement though, as they followed him at a slower pace.

Seokjin himself was b with anticipation of finally meeting his inspiration and he knew for a fact that Namjoon must be at least a little eager too because if there were ever any omegas the alpha actually held respect for, then the Pale King was indisputably one of them. Seokjin smiled to himself, thinking back to how it was during a discussion about the omega King that he met Namjoon and Jimin for the first time.

“Hey,” the tall alpha was at his side now. When did he even get here? Wasn’t he walking at the back? Seokjin looked up to find that he’d been distracted enough so as to end up at the rear of the group with Namjoon.

“Mhm?”

“Are things going to be alright with your brother and the General? It seemed to be getting a little too intense…”

Seokjin rolled his eyes, giving the alpha a fleeting look out of the corners of his eyes. “It will be fine. I just think that Jungkookie might be a little hurt that I hid things from him.”

“But you hid it from everyone else too, right? You were just doing your best for the future.”

“As much as I appreciate your understanding and compliments, Namjoon, I think Jungkook is so upset because we are supposed to be family. We are really close, you know, and he tells me every little thing so he must’ve been expecting me to do the same.”

Namjoon snorted at that, his expression suddenly hardening. “People never tell each other everything, even if they are family.”

The sudden shift in attitude towards one of evident animosity made Seokjin wonder, but before he could probe the alpha some more he realized that they had reached the throne room.

The hall was inside a domed structure at the highest level of the castle, the interior just a slight variation from the banquet hall he’d seen in his dream. The walls and pillars were identically pale colored and gilded as the ones he’d seen in the dream. The room was evidently not the same though, as there was an enormous marble throne erected in the centre of a raised platform with half a dozen pearly white steps leading up to it. The floor was fully black, only interrupted by the design of a white rose in the center of the room – stem, a couple of leaves and thorns. The rose was a delicate flower, especially the white rose that spoke of purity and innocence. But any rose handled with carelessness would result in one getting hurt by the thorns. It was fitting, the prince mused – the white rose for the omega king. After all, something unfair must have happened to the omega for him to retaliate so strongly that he ended up eradicating the previous monarchs. Hell hath no fury like an omega scorned.

The prince’s eyes finally drifted to the pair currently embracing in front of the throne, completely ignorant of the audience they had. It was a very intimate kind of embrace, not one to be shared between simple friends, especially if one of them was the King of a country.

“Um…Your Excellence?” Soobin called, looking amused by the spectacle. “May I remind –“

“No, you may not, Soobin-ah.” A raspy but melodious voice hissed, sound slightly muffled against Hoseok’s chest. “All of you lads are dismissed; you may take the day off since Hobi is here.” The voice addressed the quintet. It was a voice Seokjin had come to associate with Governor Min but-

Could it be?

Seokjin had no time for an explosive reaction, however, because Min Yoongi, Governor Min – the Pale King – finally pulled away from Hoseok and adjusted his robes. He inclined his head to Seokjin as Hoseok stepped sideways to stand on the omega King’s right.

“Seokjin.” He greeted him with a friendly smile, actually remembering to forgo the titles and honorifics as the prince had requested during their meeting only days earlier.

“Your Majesty.” Seokjin returned the greeting with an incline of his head, still stupefied at the turn of events. Min Yoongi was the Pale King. Ming Yoongi was Hoseok’s intended. His best friend’s intended mate was the Pale King and Hoseok might have forgotten to mention that in all these year, on purpose, of course.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness Jungkook, sister Jiwoo.” The King proceeded to greet them.

“Not possible.” Seokjin heard a low voice choke out from beside him. He turned to see Namjoon staring holes into the omega King. He realized then that he’d never actually spoke that much about Min Yoongi to the alpha, he was pretty sure that Namjoon never even got the Governor’s full name out of him. It was always Lord Min, Governor Min or simply The Governor. This was essentially the first time Namjoon was meeting and seeing Min Yoongi – the King.

The alpha’s reaction was nothing like he’d expected, though. Seokjin thought he would see amazement, respect. Instead, the look on Namjoon’s face spoke of horror, sadness and pure anguish.

Seokjin’s eyes widened at the single syllable that escaped the alpha’s mouth; A name, “Yoon?”

The Pale King’s gaze finally landed on the tall alpha who stood at the prince’s side, trembling slightly.

“Oh.” The King was already moving towards them with quick precision but he wasn’t fast enough to hold up Namjoon as he fell to his knees, a wretched sob tearing out of him and shocking everyone in the room into stillness, even the guards who had still not left despite being dismissed.

Seokjin’s eyes found Hoseok who was watching his intended with a perplexed expression of his own, not moving an inch. The prince turned back to see the King kneeling before Namjoon as he whispered soothing words of apology.

“I’m sorry.” He repeated softly, over and over again. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Namjoon choked again, not being able to utter anything else as the moisture that had built in his eyes slipped down his cheeks. One look towards the King and Seokjin realized that Yoongi was also in the same state – crying.

“I’m so sorry. It’s okay. You are alright. I am alright.” Yoongi chanted through quiet sniffles of his own. “I’m so sorry, Joonie.”

 

 

***

 

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