The narrow corridor was - as it always is – dark, damp and dusty. A few of the cobwebs were back in place again too, despite being brushed away only the previous afternoon.

 

Seokjin make his way down the shadowy path, a feather duster in one hand, a small burning torch in the other and a leather satchel slung over his shoulder, containing a few books and herbs.

 

It was five years ago - a few weeks after Jungkook’s presentation ball - that the older prince discovered the existence of this secret passage. The Lupa Kim Clan’s castle had an abundance of mysterious tunnels, as Seokjin had come to know since then.

 

That day, Seokjin had finally managed to slip by all the guards, successfully remaining unseen until he had reached the castle’s library which was usually reserved for the King, the castle’s scholars, alphas and the librarian, of course. Neither Prince Seokjin nor any of his attendants, including Hyejin, had access to the vast collection of tomes and documents and Seokjin did not like that in the least.

 

Hyejin had begun teaching him to read and write almost immediately after the ball, smuggling story books written by the common folk into the prince’s bedchambers, careful not to be caught by any alphas. But though the books had come from the village closest to the castle, and the dialect in which they had been written was by far the closest to the one they used in the palace, the language and vocabulary was still too simple and instead of the books that Hyejin brought Seokjin wanted to read the books that the palace alphas did, so he could be at least a little bit on par with them.

 

He had stumbled upon the scrolls by pure luck while trying to avoid the librarian who had smelled his omega scent, and in his haste to escape Seokjin had accidentally discovered a hidden compartment containing the palace’s secret scrolls; the scrolls that were supposed to be only for the eyes of the one who donned the crown.

 

Since then Seokjin had free reign over the castle’s grounds.

 

Presently, the Prince made a turn to the right and a few steps further in the passageway opened up into a small, circular room. The room had no windows and was lit up in a soft light only by the two burning oil lamps attached to the walls. The ceiling was low - barely a heads distance between it and the top of Seokjin’s head. The room smelled of floral incense and grassy herbs, permeated through by sweetened moldy undertones of a place that has not been aired out in quite a while.

 

There may have been hundreds of small secret corridors throughout the castle, but this was the only actual room and even though it was rather small, Seokjin had managed to make the most out of the space. He had a desk here, tomes stacked neatly one over the other on one side and papers spread over the rest of the wooden top, still smelling faintly of drying ink. There were three shelves too - two of which had been built by Hyejin and Seokjin himself – lined with books, herbs, quills and bottles of ink.

 

Seokjin placed the torch into one of the empty iron sconces right above the small herb table and removed his satchel, taking out the herbs and starting to grind them. The herbs were dried and thus turned into fine powder instead of a thick, wet paste; the greenish-blue granite pestle a welcome weight in the prince’s hand. He poured the powder into a small leather pouch and hid it away inside his satchel.

 

The powder would go into his herbal teas, its purpose lying in the task of suppressing his omega scent. Though the prince now had access to many hidden paths, the secret corridors often had thin walls separating them from the palace halls and it was easy to be heard from the other side if he made a loud noise, was also quite possible for alphas with a strong nose to smell his scent through the small cracks in the walls’ stone. The herbs didn’t really make his scent go away completely, just mellowing it down to be nearly undetectable unless in close proximity to his scent glands, but it was still better than nothing.

 

The prince made his way back to his chambers, retracing his steps through the dusty passageway and emerging into an empty room that was situated in his wing of the palace. He peered outside the room, making sure that no guards were in sight before swiftly walking across the hall, down a corridor and back to his own bedchambers where his attendant had been waiting for him to return. Seokjin handed the pouch containing the week’s worth of scent suppressing herbs to Hyejin who proceeded to make his tea.

 

“Any news for me, Aunty Hyejin?” the prince enquired as the beta woman handed him a warm cup of lemony tea infused with the herbs.

 

“I overheard one of the generals say that they were going to discuss the latest attack by the Royals today.” The older woman replied, proceeding to hide the herb pouch in its usual place - under a loose stone in the floor, just on the edge of the prince’s bed. “I talked to some of the villagers and from what I had managed to gather, the Royal Faeries most likely attacked one of the larger towns this time, a few days journey away from the castle.”

 

“They’ve ventured much nearer to the castle this time.” The prince mused, Hyejin giving him a small nod. He would have to ask Hoseok more about this later.

 

Where was his friend anyway?

 

Hoseok had made himself scarce over the past year and a half, going away weeks at a time, and once it had been for a whole three months! His best friend avoiding the topic like he would the plague didn’t do much in terms of lessening the Prince’s curiosity either. But he would be returning soon anyway, Seokjin knew – after all, the alpha definitely wouldn’t want to miss his own sister’s wedding.

 

“Did my brother come by?”

 

“Yes, My Prince. He did come for a visit.” The beta took away his empty cup. “I told him you were taking a walk in the gardens.” Seokjin nodded approvingly, standing up and adjusting his robes.

 

“He’s been sulking recently. Wedding jitters.” Seokjin huffed out a laugh. “I’m just glad the advisors scheduled the ceremony after my heat and not during it. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I ended up not being able to attend.”

 

“Best decision they ever made, if you ask me, Your Highness.” The beta smiled, a knowing glint in her eyes. It was times like this that Seokjin was most thankful for the beta woman, thankful that he could be his real self in front of her.

 

“Of course it was.” The prince’s grin stretched wide. “Now…I think I should go find Jungkookie. It’s time he got himself together - the wedding is just a week away.” He announced, heading for the door with Hyejin nodding and following after the prince.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

“I do not think I can do it.”

 

“Jungkook, you should have thought of this before they announced the wedding. Heck, you should have talked to her before the engagement!”

 

The younger brother’s eyes widened momentarily at the older prince’s use of a curse word, even though it was a minor one. The surprise was quickly overwritten though, in favor of a more pressing topic.

 

“It wouldn’t have mattered if I did. The council was adamant and you know that, brother. You must remember how unwilling they were to even postpone the engagement.”

 

And Seokjin did remember.  He remembered arriving at his chambers from one of his secret walks outside the palace to find the then sixteen year old boy slumped over on one of the settees, back bent forward and head in his hands. He remembered days of meetings with his father and brother, where they tried to come up with a strategy to make the council postpone Jungkook and Jiwoo’s engagement but even after days of trying, the council wouldn’t yield and the ceremony was finalized.

 

“You know, Jiwoo is not just some senseless omega. Hoseok didn’t bring up his sister in a way that she would just follow someone’s orders. If she was against the idea of marrying you then she would have said something by now.”

 

“That’s the problem!” Jungkook exclaimed. “She might not be against it but that doesn’t mean that she loves me – or even likes me, if at all.”

 

“And how would you know what she feels if you do not ask? Do you expect her to be the one to talk to you first? I thought you had more courage than this, Jungkookie.”

 

The younger prince made a defeated noise, leaning back against the cushions in the settee.

 

“I just don’t know if it is for the best – us getting married, I mean. What if she finds someone she loves later on but cannot be with them because she is tied to me.”

 

“Jungkook, do you love Jiwoo?”

 

The younger sputtered, his eyes darting all over the room as the tips of his ears turned red. Seokjin’s eyes crinkled with mirth and he was also distantly aware of a small smile playing on his attendant’s lips, but his focus remained on his brother’s reaction. Oh, how the boy was whipped.

 

“Well?” He prompted when the younger stayed quiet, avoiding the older prince’s searching gaze.

 

“Um… I li-like spending time with her.” He finally stuttered out. “She is funny, smart and beautiful.” The younger blushed even more, the red spreading over his cheeks and down his neck. “She takes care of me well, and you and brother Hoseok. And I don’t really like it when she talks to other alphas too much, especially when I am aware just what is going through their heads. I mean, she is engaged! Shouldn’t those alphas at least try to control their hormones in the presence of a betrothed omega?” the young prince huffed out the last part, voice deeply infused with annoyance.

 

Seokjin tried his best not laugh at the younger’s admission of possessiveness over his fiancé. “Then talk to her - and no buts!” he said before his little brother could protest. “You don’t have to mate immediately after the wedding. We can just give the council some kind of excuse, ask them for some time. We still have a week until the ceremony; I will try my best to think of something.”

 

 “Yes, we still have a whole week. A week most of which you will spend being in heat, brother!” the younger stressed, and well, he was right. “The only thing you will be able to think of during that time is getting knot-- Oww!“ he gave a surprised shout when Seokjin hit him harshly on his back. “What? You know…” he fell quiet, scooting away from his older brother when he noticed Seokjin’ eyes glow blue, a perfectly admonished expression settling over his features, eyes cast down and mouth in a small pout. “Sorry.” His voice was barely a whisper.

 

Seokjin knew that his brother had meant it in a teasing way, not in a disrespectful or degrading, but any talk of omegas’ base instincts during heats was never a comfortable topic for the older prince who loathed the unwelcome craving for an alpha that he got during the haze.

 

He took a couple of deep breathes, inhaling and exhaling slowly and willing his eyes to go back to their original color – a shiny black with a thin, almost unnoticeable silvery ring around the pupil. “It is alright, Jungkookie.” He said when he managed to calm down. “I over reacted.” Jungkook only gives a slight nod, not used to seeing his brother bristling.

 

There is a knock on the door before Seokjin can make any further attempt to reassure his bother and he watched as a tall beta snuck into the room. The man - Mingyu - was Jungkook’s chief attendant.

 

“Your highness, summons have been issued for the meeting. The King expects you at court soon. Yejin has asked me to inform that His Majesty wishes to speak to you in private before the council arrives.” Mingyu announced, leaving the room after an acknowledging nod from the younger prince. Yejin was the King’s chief attendant and if their father thought it fit for her to be the one to deliver the message then he must have something important to speak about to Jungkook.

 

“Go to our father. We can talk again later.” He stated just as Jungkook opened his mouth to speak and the younger acquiesced after a moment, standing up and exiting the room after a final glance back at his older brother.

 

Seokjin leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes as he silently scolded himself for not being able to control his emotions. He startled lightly when he felt a cool hand press against his forget, but it was just Hyejin.

 

“You have a high temperature, Your Highness. I think you are going into pre-heat.”

 

“What?” The prince’s eyes widen and he stares at Hyejin, contemplating her words. It would explain his heightened emotional response and his eyes were glowing too, which was rare sight even when he was extremely angry. “Are you sure you are not mistaken, aunty Hyejin?” The prince tries to check his own temperature, pressing the back of his own palm against his forget and then against the side of his neck. Maybe he was a little too warm. “It’s early by a whole day, though.”

 

“Look on the bright side, Your Highness. You will be able to have more rest after.” The beta says as she gestures for him that enough time has passed.

 

True. Now he would be able to get in another whole day of rest before he would have to attend the wedding ceremony. At least he would be in his best condition then, instead of looking like a sleepless zombie. Ughh!! How he wished that there were herbs to suppress heats too. But alas, even the scent suppressing plants were difficult to obtain and Hyejin had gone to great lengths to procure a shifter who would trade the required herbs.

 

He stands up and the two of them leave the leisure room, Hyejin heading back to oversee work and Seokjin to eavesdrop on the council meeting like he always did.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Whatever his father had meant to talk about with Jungkook must have been brief because by the time the older prince managed to slip past the guards and down the correct tunnel that ended just behind the King’s throne, the advisors and ministers had already assembled inside the court.

 

He inspected the floor and the wall, making sure there were no spiders nearby, and crouched down to look through the tiny hole between the stones that made up the wall. Advisor Jung was there, of course, and so were his closest allies Sir Lee – Seokjin’s old tutor – and minister Ma. Out of all the people inside the court the only ones Seokjin did not hate were the King, Jungkook and General Song, who he had been close to even since before his mother had passed away.

 

“We need to strengthen the palace’s defenses, Your Majesty. There have been too many attacks to ignore and we have to think about Prince Jungkook’s wedding next week too.” He heard the general’s powerful, steady voice resound through the room behind the wall.

 

“Father, how about we station the new recruits? At least until the guests leave. They can resume their training after the ceremony.” Jungkook suggested, receiving a few approving hums and words of agreement in return. The king seemed satisfied with the idea too.

 

“Let us do that then.” The king agreed. “General Song, I leave the posting decision to you.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The general bowed.

 

Seokjin clutched at his abdomen as he felt a sudden pain stab through his gut, the symptoms of his heat starting to act up. It was too soon. His heats were almost always on schedule - never off by more than a day, and during pre-heat he never felt any symptoms besides a slight fever. He moved away from the wall, sitting down so that his back and head leaned against the cool stone as he continued to listen in on the meeting.

 

“Have we received any word from Alpha Ha?” The King continued questioning the council.

 

 “A letter came in early this morning, My King. The correspondent was Alpha Ha’s eldest daughter, Jiwon.” Seokjin recognized Sir Lee’s voice as he replied to the prince’s father.

 

The king took in a deep breath, sighing heavily. “What does the letter say?”

 

“The city was burned down completely. Most of the shifters were either killed or captured. Lady Jiwon had managed to escape with her mother, younger brother and a few other families. Alpha Ha has perished in battle.” Sir Lee droned in a voice that was breathy and drawn thin with old age.

 

“Jiwon and her family can stay in the palace for now – her father was a good friend and a great leader. Arrange shelter for the other survivors down in the Moon village.” The Moon village? This was the village closest to the castle. Seokjin could go down there and speak to the refugees, gain more information – but it would have to wait until after his heat and the wedding. “And what about the Woodlands?”

 

“We have sent an envoy - just as you had ordered. But it has been over a month and we have yet to receive word.” General Song replied.

 

A booming noise reverberated throughout the room just as Seokjin’s stomach cramped up again, the older prince drawing his legs up so that his knees were now pressed to his chest.

 

There was shuffling on the other side of the wall as the price willed the pain to go away and he imagined the King’s attendant – Yejin, moving from her place below the throne and towards the heavy wooden doors of the courtroom. Seokjin waited as there was more shuffling and then muffled voices before his father’s clear “Let him in.”

 

Seokjin heard the doors creak as they were opened wide to let the visitor in but everything else became a blur as the heat intensified suddenly, his suppressors failing to hide his pheromones and his vision momentarily being tinged with blue as his inner omega surfaced briefly. The prince cursed under his breath as his senses doubled, his nose being attacked by dozens of different alpha scents. Seokjin bit down on his hand to hold back a whine as his omega cringed at the numerous overbearing and murky scents, the conversation happening inside the courtroom not registering with his hazy mind. He tried standing up to leave but then his whole body went lax as another alpha’s scent invaded his sensitive nose - Sun-kissed sand and salt and fresh air.

 

Seokjin snapped back to attention, berating his omega as he registered that the wolf inside him actually approved of the alpha’s scent. It had happened a few times before, over the years since his presentation, but he had never been in heat then and now that it was happening while he was in heat everything just felt more intense.

 

The prince heard the alarms blaring inside his head and he could feel it before he could even smell it as slick ran down the insides of his thighs. He heard a deep, low growl from inside the court room and then the Prince was scrambling to his feet, trying to not make any noise as he hurried down the passage and to his own room, hoping not to run into any alphas and for the slick running down his legs to ease up at least until he reached his bed.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

The prince sighed and submerged himself under the warm water of his bath. He stretched out once, trying to loosen up his muscles, before resurfacing again and settling in such that the water just reached his clavicle.

 

Seokjin lost himself deep in his own thoughts, trying to think of a solution to his brother’s dilemma and wondering why the heck his heat this time had been so intense.

 

Hyejin came into the wash area just as the water was beginning to become too cold for his liking and with his attendant’s help he quickly dried himself with a soft towel. He dressed in his underclothes and a robe, exiting the slightly humid room without managing to come up with a conclusion to either two of his musings.

 

He kneaded the sore muscles of his thighs as he waited for the beta to finish brewing his suppressant tea.

 

“Has there been word of Hoseok? Did Jiwoo arrive at the palace yet?” He asked as Hyejin stirred the powdered herbs into the simmering water.  

 

 The elderly woman shook her head, pouring the tea into a cup. “Lady Jung is scheduled to arrive on the morning of the wedding. As for the young sir Jung, there’s still nothing.”

 

Seokjin hummed to himself. He just hoped his best friend would be able to make it in time for the ceremony. Why hasn’t he written to him? Hoseok might have not told him just where he was going off to on his adventures but he had always sent him letters. Not hearing from the alpha for such an extended period of time caused something to itch within the prince and he just hoped that the other man was safe.

 

The prince sighed again. Just two more days and his younger brother would be a married man. And now that Seokjin was over twenty years of age his mother’s Will would no longer be able to prevent his own marriage. He just hoped that he would have some say in choosing his future mate.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Seokjin took in bits of conversation from all around him as he sat at the long table, munching lazily on a piece of lemon tart, and then another one, and another.

 

There was talk of engagements between various shifter families, trade routes, more attacks by the Royals, rumors of a pack that traded omega slaves, humans trying to breach the coast – so many different topics. Seokjin ate up all the information eagerly, in the same manner as he ate up his tart, but did not engage in any of the conversations himself.

 

“Still stuffing yourself with food, I see.” The prince heard a deep voice from behind him and was greeted with a dim[led smirk as he turned around, looking up to see one Kim Namjoon.

 

Seokjin scoffed at the alpha. “I see nothing wrong with eating something I like.”

 

The prince had seen the alpha only two more times since their first meeting at Jungkook’s ball – once during Jungkook’s official engagement ceremony two years ago and another time last year, when Namjoon had accompanied his father to a court meeting. Both of those times they had parted on bad terms, the two of them not even trying to be cordial to the other.

 

“People eat, Your Highness. You just devour everything in sight.”

 

“And why does that bother you so much Sir Kim?” Seokjin raised an eyebrow at the older alpha. “Are you jealous that you have to do all that exercise to stay fit while I remain perfectly gorgeous even with all the food I eat?”

 

“Gorgeous?” the alphas voice was colored with disbelief as he snorted at the Prince’s statement. “Please…vain is what you are.”

 

“Oh? And here I was thinking that alphas preferred vain omegas.”

 

Kim Namjoon shook his head in exasperation, his mouth stretched into a thin line.

 

“How has Sir Park been fairing recently?” Seokjin asked when he saw that the alpha – who had taken the seat across from him – made no move to leave or continue the conversation. He had seen the friendly alpha only once during all these years and even though the Prince did not know much about the short man, he could definitely agree that the other was a much better company than Sir Kim.

 

“Jimin’s back home – in Aelia City. Studying medicine. After all his escapades he finally settled down last year, declaring that he wanted to be a healer.

 

An Alpha healer? How unusual... But Seokjin thought that it suited the man well since he was always rambling on about how he would love to be able to help people,

 

“Anyhow, why have I not seen your father around? He always tells me interesting stories – unlike someone else.” It was odd when the expected reaction did not come and the Prince raised his head from his plate when he registered Namjoon’s seaweed scent starting to turn acrid. The tall man gazed at his own clasped hands where they lay in his lap. He was eerily quiet for a few moments before he finally sighed and spoke, his tone low and slightly shaking which surprised the Prince.

 

“Father has passed away. He was the official envoy to the Woodlands and we received his head in a box a couple of weeks ago. Courtesy of the Royals.”

 

Seokjin’s omega recoiled a little at the sadness emanating from the alpha and the Prince scrambled for words. But he knew that mere words of comfort would not ease the pain – the Queen’s passing has taught him that – and hence the Prince stayed quiet as Namjoon picked up a glass from one of the servers’ trays and started sipping on it, not sparing the Prince another glance.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

The day went back to its usual pace as soon as Namjoon excused himself so that he could go speak to some other officials and Seokjin rejoined the crowd. It bothered Seokjin a little that he could not offer any kind of comfort - his omega instincts kicking in for a while, but he went on about the rest of the banquet with a smile plastered on his face, greeting guests and making small talk.

 

He had been trying to locate his younger brother for quite a while now, but it proved difficult given the throng of people in the hall and the fact that he was repeatedly stopped by random alphas and omegas who kept asking him about his own plans for marriage since he was twenty already.

 

He spotted Jungkook in a corner, watching for a moment in amusement as his brother fidgeted beside Jiwoo before heading towards the pair. His brother’s fiancé spotted him first and curtsied. Normally they would forgo all the fancy bows and greetings since the three of them along with Hoseok had been friends for many years already, but since there were other people today they had to keep up appearances.

 

Seokjin greeted the omega girl and turned to his younger brother, raising his brow in question. The younger lowered his head. No. So he wasn’t able to speak to her yet. Seokjin sighed, shaking his head at the younger. 

 

“So, how are you feeling, sister Jiwoo?”

 

“Fine mostly, your highness. A bit peeved at my brother’s impeccably lacking sense of time, but fine.”

 

Seokjin laughed. Oh, his friend would be in a lot of trouble if he does not show up soon. “So I assume that you must have not heard from him either.”

 

The omega girl shook her head, a frown settling over her features. “I know he loves traveling but this is too much, do you not think so Your Highness? How could he be late to his own sister’s marriage!?” she massaged her temples.

 

Seokjin looked towards his brother as he spoke, “How about you take a walk in the garden? A little fresh air would be good and you two need a break – you will be cooped up in here entertaining guests until the ceremony at midnight and a little reprieve would help you relax.” Jiwoo seemed to consider the older prince’s suggestion while Jungkook just stood there with a blank expression until Seokjin gave him a stern look and mouthed a quiet “Go”. The younger’s eyes widened when he realized his brother’s intention in sending them away, but understanding that he could not postpone their talk any longer he took Jiwoo’s arm and the two of them slipped past the heavy oak doors and outside the hall.   

 

Seokjin headed over to one of the tables, picking up a plate and filling it with desserts he hadn’t had a chance to try yet. He leaned against a wall, nibbling at a piece of pie as he scanned the large room. The Prince smiled when he noticed the grumpy and bored expression on his father’s face. The King sat in a tall, majestic chair arranged on a raised platform on one side of the room and occasionally sipped his wine and Seokjin could tell he was very tired. “Maybe I should ask Yejin to brew father one of my special teas”, the Prince thought to himself as he continued munching on his sweets.

 

“May I have this dance, My Prince?” Seokjin jerked when he heard a voice to his left, scrambling to balance his plate and not let it crash to the floor. A tall alpha he did not know was standing to the side, hand outstretched and palm up in waiting.

 

“You could try asking once more after I finish eating.” The prince said, indicating the plate with his free hand and trying his best not to show his annoyance on his face or in his voice. Seokjin certainty did not want to dance with the man, but it was bad manners for an unmated omega to refuse when an alpha asks for a dance at a social gathering. But even if the prince could not outright refuse the alpha’s invitation, he could certainly delay it as much as he wanted to.

 

“Maybe I will l accept then, Sir…?” Seokjin realized that the alpha hadn’t introduced himself yet.

 

“Ah! I apologize, Your Highness. My name is-- “, the alpha was cut off mid speech as all activity seized and the room went still. The guards’ shouts could be heard from the corridors beyond the banquet hall and a few omegas recoiled at the angry growl that came from outside the room. Seokjin put his exceptional sense of hearing to use, concentrating on what was going on outside. The prince’s brows scrunched up in confusion at the jumble of faint screams that reached his ears, the sounds most probably coming either from the lower levels or from outside the castle.

 

The guests scrambled and screamed as the doors flew open and a large wolf with blonde and grey fur bounded inside, the palace guards inside the room making a wide half-circle around it as the wolf stopped and sniffed the room. Seokjin saw the long healed over tear in the beast’s right ear and he knew who the wolf was even before their eyes locked, the wolf jumping over the guards and sprinting towards the prince.

 

“Stop! I know who it is!” The prince motioned for the guards to lower their weapons as Hoseok landed before him, starting to transform mid-sprint amid the now well audible screams from outside. Seokjin took off his robe and draped it over Hoseok’s hunched form, ordering an attendant nearby to get the man a pair of pants as he crouched low beside his friend.

 

“What’s wrong?” he addressed the panting man just as the King and his guards reached them, his father’s face a mixture of confusion, displeasure and anxiety.

 

Hoseok head jerked up, red eyes boring into Seokjin’s distressed omega blue. “Run” he says, his voice stern and final, before looking up at the King and scrambling into a kneeling position. “Your Majesty, please forgive me for not being able to prevent this in time. It was my father – he betrayed us and cooperated with the Royals. They are here. It’s too late to fight and—“ there was a shout and a whoosh and the next thing Seokjin knows is that everyone is gasping, Hoseok’s eyes go wide and the King is clutching at his neck, an arrow protruding from it.

 

The room erupts into chaos but the Prince is still as his best friend keeps shaking him by the shoulders, calling his name, but all Seokjin can see is the arrow embedded in his father’s body – now slumped on the floor.

 

“…Jungkook….” the sound of his brother’s name out of Hoseok’s mouth is what snaps him out of the shock and he turns to Hoseok, now fully alert. His mind faintly registers Namjoon examining the King’s body and General Song’s voice calling out orders to the guards as people stumble into each other, some human and some now in wolf form.

 

“Seokjin, where are Jungkook and Jiwoo?” Hoseok asks urgently.

 

“The garden. I sent them out to talk.” He replies and Hoseok curses.

 

“You need to leave, Jin. Right now!”

 

“What? No!” where would he go? This was his home. “We need to fight back!”

 

Hoseok took the prince’s face into his hands, looking him in the eyes. “Too late, Jin. They killed your father. The Royals are in the castle already. The only way we would be safe is if escape.” Hoseok’s turned away to scan the room and his eyes landed on Namjoon.

 

“You are Kim Namjoon, right?” Hoseok enquired as he swiftly crossed the small space between them to stand before Namjoon who only nodded in response, surprised at being spoken to because the two of them hadn’t ever conversed before. Upon receiving the nod he proceeded to unceremoniously drag Namjoon towards the prince, speaking in a flurry of words. “Jimin said I could trust you, and I trust Jimin.” He took Seokjin’s hand and placed it into Namjoon’s. “Take care of the Prince until I find you. Go to your hometown and find your cousin.”

 

“What? I’m going with you, Hoseok. I don’t even know him!” the prince exclaimed while Namjoon just stared at their hands.

 

Hoseok shook his head. “I need to find my sister and Jungkook.” he put up his hand, indicating him to stop as the Prince was about to interrupt. “Please, Jin. I can’t lose you all. I will find them, I promise.”

 

Hoseok had kept all his previous promises to Seokjin - without him, the prince would have been terribly lost. He clenched his jaw and nodded, bending down a little to press their foreheads together. “Find them, and stay safe Hobi.”

 

Hoseok briefly clasped the prince’s hand – the one which wasn’t in Namjoon’s – and then leaned in to whisper in his ear. “If we don’t meet again soon, then go find the Pale King. Tell him Hoseok sent you and he will keep you safe until I come.” Then with a last glance at a still dazed Namjoon he turned around, transformed and sprinted away on all fours.

 

There was a loud crash as the window broke and a creeper plant wound itself into the room, growing rapidly and covering the walls and the floor. The leaves were a sickly shade of green and them stem littered with sharp, red throns.

 

 

The noise seemed to bring Namjoon out of his trance and he grabbed the Prince’s wrist, shouting a “We need to go!” as he dragged Seokjin behind him, outside the hall and down a corridor. They made their way down one level of the castle, avoiding ongoing fights between human shifters, wolves and faerie knights before Seokjin’s mind registered where they were  going. They couldn’t go outside! If what Hoseok said was true, and judging from the sounds it mostly likely was, then they would not be able to escape through the palace’s front doors.

 

“Wait!” he pulled on the other’s arm, making him halt. Namjoon turned to face him, his expression going from questioning to alarmed as he pulled his sword free of the scabbard, pushing the Prince behind him and stabbing the Faerie who had just emerged from a side corridor behind them.

 

“Please don’t tell me you are tired already and need a rest. We need to make it out of the castle.” The alpha said, turning back to the prince. Seokjin ignored the remark.

 

“We will die if we go that way. Follow me.” Namjoon looked apprehensive for a moment but nodded, seemingly acquiescing that Seokjin was the one who knew the castle’s layout better.

 

The alpha followed him without protest, sword at the ready, as Seokjin led them down the corridor the faerie knight had come from and to the King’s private study. He locked the door behind them moving to a tall shelf and slipping a hand behind it to find the hidden mechanism. Thre was a grinding noise as a portion of the wall slid down into the floor, revealing a narrow passage. Seokjin motioned for Namjoon to follow and the wall slid back up into its original place a few seconds later.

 

Seokjin led them down the twists and turns of the secret tunnels, finally emerging into the King’s bedchambers and then down another passageway that originated in his father’s room. A few minutes later they finally emerged in a room right outside a tower in the castle’s abandoned wings and Namjoon followed him down several flights of spiraling staircases before they reached the ground floor.

 

“Help me move this.” The prince stated before proceeding to push a large, empty bookshelf to the side, the alpha helping him as requested. Behind the shelf was a door leading outside, to the small woods behind the castle. “Let’s go.” He said, stepping through the now open door and running into the forest, turning back only once to confirm that the alpha was following him.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

“This should be far enough for now.” Namjoon said, making the prince stop in his tracks. Seokjin looked around and found one of his own markers on a nearby tree, confirming that they were almost near the edge of the forest, on the opposite side of the castle.

 

“What now?”

 

Namjoon sat down, leaning back against the trunk of a tree. “We need new clothes, something less sparkly.” He pointed at Seokjin’s attire and the prince scrunched up his nose in distaste, because yes, the clothes were terribly shiny and not at all subtle. “We need food, water and money too, if we are to travel to the coast.”

 

“I think we have enough money to last us for a while.” Seokjin fished out a money pouch tucked into the folds of his shirt’s sash. “But I don’t think we will need clothes. We will be travelling in wolf form anyway, right? It’s much faster than getting horses.”

 

Namjoon shook his head. “No turning. They will smell us out immediately. From what your friend said, the Royals have shifters on their side and they will know your scent, Your Highness.”

 

The prince sighed - horse riding was not his forte. He secretly learned to ride them but he wouldn’t be able to get through a long journey such as this on a horseback. But now, it seemed, they had no other choice. “Horses it is, then.”

 

“Unfortunately, we are going to travel on foot.”

 

“What?” Seokjin exclaimed, completely dumbfounded by the suggestion. “You cannot be serious, Sir Kim. On foot it would take at least three months to reach the coast. Let us say four since we cannot even use the regular roads too.”

 

“No choice. We can’t keep a low profile with horses and we can’t go through the forests unless we use the main roads, Your Highness. We will have to walk.”

 

 

Seokjin chewed on his lip as he pondered over this; trying not to let the tears slip as the image of the dead King entered his mind uninvited. This was not the time to grieve – he needed to get to his brother and Hoseok first.

 

Jungkook…

 

Seokjin hoped that Hoseok was able to find them and escape safely.

 

“Alright then, lead the way.” He said, taking off his rings and other pieces of jewelry and putting them away into his money pouch. Seokjin knew this area well and most of the villages until a few miles out too. But he did not know Namjoon well and he was not going to tell the man thing about himself that not even Hoseok or his brother knew. For now, he would follow and observe.

 

Namjoon dusted his pants as he stood up and started down the path leading into the nearest village, the Prince only a few paces behind the alpha. He glanced back once, seeing the tall spires of the castle towers in the distance before the thick canopy covered them from his view.  

 

***

 

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