His arm and side throbbed where they were encased by the stranger’s strong grip as he was being pulled away, even further into the gap between the two houses and onto the empty street on the other side.

 

Seokjin tried his best to free himself of the bruising grip but it was futile, his almost non-existent physical strength dwindling even further due to the lack of air, both his nose and mouth obstructed by the unknown person’s hand.

 

By now, Namjoon was completely out of sight and out of range for the other to be able to smell him, even if the prince’s scent had gotten stronger, fuelled by distress. He was being half-walked, half-dragged backwards and could distantly make out the presence of another person behind him, apart from the one currently restraining him.

 

Seokjin’s mind whirred with thoughts, briefly losing all logic and panicking before he recovered slightly as his brain registered new pieces of information.

 

He wasn’t blindfolded and his sight was not obscured in anyway way and this made him feel just a little bit better as  he would be able to know the way back, in case he managed to escape.

 

The arms around him clearly belonged to a female. The person was certainly physically strong and probably trained, but the shape and size and the bone-structure of the hands clearly indicated that it was a woman.

 

He could not tell anything about the other person behind him but Seokjin came to a  quick realization that they were definitely not faeries and in fact, were shifters, judging from the faint scents that he could smell beneath his own amplified one.

 

The woman had a sweet fragrance to her scent, flowery but not too sweet and saccharine to belong to an omega – so a beta then.

 

The other scent was musky but not very strong, belying the dynamic of an alpha but probably a young boy who had only just recently presented - the pheromones were definitely not overpowering enough to belong to an adult alpha.

 

In his mind, Seokjin went over possible scenarios that might be the cause of his current predicament. Maybe the shifters were just thieves, trying to rob him of his money. Maybe they belonged to one of those wild packs who were rumored to be involved in omegan slave trade. And maybe, but hopefully not, they were allies of the Royals, sent in search of the prince. The first two options were safer, Seokjin concluded – at least he would have a future, no matter how bleak. The last option, however, involved an almost certain death.

 

Seokjin heard the creak of a door behind him and then he was pulled into a house. The inside was dark, despite it being daytime – the widows barred with wooden planks and cloth draping over them to block out the outside and the sun.

 

He could feel the presence of other people inside the room too, shuffling and murmuring in tones too low for him to make out properly over the sound of his heart which thumped and thudded loudly inside his chest as he watched the door being closed and locked, cutting off the only visible escape route.

 

For a few minutes his mind went into overdrive – thoughts and ideas and plans swirling like a tornado and churning his brain to mush. Everything went quiet then, the murmurs around him, the sound of his heart beat and the metaphorical, non-existent ticking of his brain as all the thoughts in his head flew out, leaving only one.

 

Was today going to be the day he died?

 

 

  

***

 

 

Seokjin noticed two things as his panic subsided and his senses returned. One was that the room was pin drop quiet and two - the arms restraining him were no longer present.

 

The prince swallowed dry, slowly turning around while he simultaneously took a few small steps back towards the locked door. The sight that greeted him then, however, was not one he was expecting.

 

There were maybe around a dozen shifters in the room – men, women and children all in their human form, some clothed by way of common folk and a few clad in what seemed to be some type of leather protective armor. But what surprised him was the fact that each and every one of them was kneeling, their heads lowered and eyes not meeting his own. Well, all but one.

 

The woman was kneeling too, not along with the others but just a few feet in front of the prince, but her head wasn’t bowed and she stared right into his eyes.

 

Seokjin in a breath at the sheer power behind the gaze and almost stumbled backwards, his back hitting the hard wooden surface of the door.

 

“Don’t scream.” The voice was commanding but also gentle and the prince shut his mouth before words could escape, still feeling conflicted about the kneeling stance. The others did not raise their heads and the woman in front of him, who Seokjin suspected was the leader, did not lower hers even as time passed. No one moved.

 

At last, Seokjin took in a deep breath and spoke, “Who are you?”

 

The imposing beta woman finally bowed her head and then slowly, as if not to spook him, stood up. She was smiling. “It is an incredible honor to finally meet you, Your Highness. I am Jiwon of the Ha Clan of the North and they are my family and surviving pack members. Do you perhaps know of us, Your Highness?” she asked carefully, probably unsure of his political knowledge due to his dynamic.

 

“The city was burned down completely. Most of the shifters were either killed or captured. Lady Jiwon had managed to escape –“

 

“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 words spoken in the council room came back to him. Ha Jiwon of the Ha Clan. Seokjin had planned to meet the refugees after the wedding but with everything that happened over the last few days it just completely slipped his mind. Was the woman in front of him truly who she says she is?

 

And so he asked, directly and on point, “Is that really who you are?”

 

“I have no reason to lie to you, Your Highness. If not for His Majesty – your father – we would’ve had nowhere to go.”

 

Seokjin wondered if it as really alright to believe the woman. The few puzzle pieces that were available to him all pointed towards the conclusion that the beta woman was indeed speaking the truth. Apart from literally dragging him off the street and scaring him a little, the woman – Jiwon, presumably – and her companions have made no move to cause him harm. He decided to try his luck and trust the group.

 

“So you’re really Ha Jiwon, late General Ha’s daughter?”

 

“Yes, Your Highness, I am.” Jiwon replied politely and then gestured towards the young alpha boy and an older woman who were kneeling just behind her. “And this is my mother and my younger brother, Rowon.”

 

The two people bowed their heads even lower, if that was possible, and greeted him. Seokjin urged everyone to stand – the only time he’s seen anyone kneel and bow to him like that was during his crowning ceremony, all those years ago when he had been only ten and his mother and father were still alive.

 

“The king is dead, though. You cannot be loyal to someone who doesn’t exist anymore.”

 

 

“His Majesty may have passed away, unfortunately. But both you and Prince Jungkook are alive. So long as this is true then there is hope for the Lupa Kim’s legacy to continue. The Ha Clan’s loyalty did not lie only with the king but with your whole family. That means you, Your Highness, your brother and all your descendants henceforth.”

 

There was a small table in the room and Jiwon gestured for him to take a seat and the two of them settled down to continue their conversation. Seokjin briefly glimpsed Lady Jiwon’s mother fussing over her youngest while the alpha boy just waved off her concerns with a smile. The prince’s heart gave a little twinge as he recalled the interactions with his own mother, but he put the sentiments aside for now, focusing on the beta in front of him.

 

“Well…” the prince mused, “I have nothing left if not hope. Also, I was wondering… how did you know me it was me? I don’t think we’ve met before.”

 

‘Ah! Yes, we’ve never actually been properly introduced but I’ve seen you during His Highness Jungkook’s engagement ceremony and during the late Queen’s wake.” Seokjin nodded in understanding while his brain supplied him with a forgotten piece of information – there was currently an annoying alpha wandering the streets who was his unfortunate companion. Before Jiwon could change the topic and continue, Seokjin interrupted her.

 

“I’m actually travelling with someone right now – an acquaintance, if you will. So before we discuss anything else, I think it might be best to bring him along.”

 

Seokjin wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about journeying across the Ancestral Lands in the company of Kim Namjoon, but Hoseok had told him to find Jimin and Park Jimin was Namjoon’s cousin and Aelia city was the alpha’s home. Seokjin had never ventured as far out as the coast, mostly keeping his outings within a few hours journey time from the castle and if he is to safely make it to Aelia and find Jimin and hopefully, the Jung siblings and Jungkook, then Namjoon was his best bet.

 

Jiwon looked a little bit skeptical, wary of the unknown person who had just been added into the mix. “May I know who your companion is?” And so Seokjin told her of Namjoon. “Are you sure that he is on our side, though? We cannot take chances. The Royals will be here tomorrow and if there is any danger to you then you cannot stay here.”

 

“The Royals killed his father too. I can’t imagine how he would be able to work with them after that.” This seemed to appease her a little. “And he saved my life.” Jiwon’s eyes widened just a fraction at that and she nodded almost imperceptibly, fingers clutching at the edge of the table as she called for Rowon and requested him to go fetch Namjoon.

 

“Actually, it may be best that I go get him myself. He may not take kindly to unknown people right now and it might turn out badly if you drag him here by force.” The prince intervened just as Rowon was taking out the keys to unlock the door.

 

Jiwon lowered her head, bowing. “I apologize for how I treated you before, Your Highness.”

 

Seokjin waved her off. “You didn’t have a choice.” He said, standing up and moving to the door.

 

 

“Would you be okay with my brother accompanying you while you go search for your friend?” Seokjin almost grimaced at the use of the word ‘friend’ to describe Namjoon. Would it ever be possible for them to put aside their differences and have a decent camaraderie? Only time would tell, but Seokjin was sure of one thing – the alpha needed to put an end to his condescending attitude towards omegas first.

 

“I don’t mind.” He stated. “But it might be best for him to keep a distance. I don’t know him well enough to predict how he might react but it’s best to be cautious. ” The young alpha – Rowon – nodded in understanding and with the door finally unlocked the two of them slipped out of the house.  

 

 

 

***

 

 

Seokjin walked slowly, Rowon following closely behind without making it too obvious. The prince found his way back quite easily, ending up at the gap between two houses that he had been dragged through just over half an hour prior and with a quick look over his shoulder to confirm Rowon’s presence he entered the narrow opening.

 

He didn’t make it far before he had to stop, the rattling of the stack of wooden crates he had seen before alerting him of another presence. Seokjin took a tentative step back but stopped once again as he scented the air and the smell of salt and seaweed reached his nose.

 

Well, at least we don’t need to search for him. Saves time. Seokjin chuckled inwardly.

 

“Sir Kim, It’s me.”

 

The rattling stopped, the alley falling quiet just for a moment before the alpha finally stepped out from behind the crates and into direct view of the prince. He stood still, giving the prince a once over from head to toe that made Seokjin’s eyebrows peak. Namjoon’s shoulders seemed to sag a little then as he sighed before moving forward to stand directly in front of Seokjin.

 

“Where the hell have you been?” the alpha roared, forgoing all the titles and honorifics. His voice was still pretty low so as to not draw any attention but it still sent a slight shiver down Seokjin’s spine.

 

It had been a while since the last time an alpha openly displayed their dominance in front of the prince. The last alpha who had growled at him had ended up with a black eye and a bloody nose – courtesy of Hoseok. And the one before that had ended up on the floor with a sword at his throat after Jungkook had challenged the alpha to an open duel after the latter refused to bow to the older prince. Needless to say, every alpha working in the palace henceforth knew not to mess with prince Seokjin, lest they wanted to go up against either prince Jungkook or Genera Jung Hoseok.

 

Seokjin did not appreciate Namjoon’s tone of voice. Yes, he had wandered off without informing the other male and hadn’t returned for a long while, but still, he could’ve waited for Seokjin to explain before lashing out. Seokjin let it go, however, trying to be the more sensible and forgiving one out of the two of them.

 

“I will explain later.” Seokjin said hurriedly. “For now, you need to come with me. I want you to meet someone.”

 

Namjoon’s eyes widened as he grit out, “Don’t tell me you’ve been going around, and blabbering. Don’t you know what could happen to us if the wrong person finds out who you are?”

 

“Of course not! Do you think I’m stupid or something? Now, stop being difficult and follow me, would you?” Seokjin huffed out and without waiting for the alpha to reply he turned around and began walking in the direction he had come from. Seokjin winced in pain as Namjoon grabbed his wrist harshly, nails digging into his skin, and pulled him back.

 

“Let go!” the prince hissed. The alpha’s hold on his wrist loosened a little but he did not let go, making Seokjin bristle.

 

“Where do you think you’re going?”Namjoon asked tersely, his voice now almost a growl, “We need to return to the lodge right now before you wander off and decide to make some more bad decisions. Have you told this person who you are?”

 

“If you mean do they know that I’m a prince, then yes. Just trust me this once and come with, we need to move now. And do tone down on that aggressive scent please, before someone notices and comes asking questions.” Seokjin’s patience was waning and he distantly wondered whether this would have been much easier if he had omitted the part about meeting others until the last moment.  

 

“Like hell I will!” the alpha exclaimed angrily. “I’m not going and neither are you. General Jung may have entrusted me with your safety, and I will make sure that you can reunite with him and your brother while still in one piece but don’t delude yourself, Your Highness. If you think I’m going to risk my life over yours because your mouth is as loose as your dumb omega , then you are horribly wrong!”

 

That was the last straw and Seokjin lost it.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Seokjin did not remember how they ended up in this position: the alpha’s back pressed up against the wall with the prince’s forearm firmly against his throat, cutting off air and making Namjoon’s eyes pop from the sudden onslaught.

 

The prince’s face was mere millimeters away from the alpha’s and Seokjin looked him dead in the eyes, gritting out a venomous “Shut up!”

 

“Y-Your—“

 

“I said shut up!” Seokjin spit out again, pressing down harder on the alpha’s throat, feeling the muscles shift as Namjoon tried to speak. The prince could feel all the different bumps of Namjoon’s wind pipe and his prominent adam’s apple as it dug into the skin of his arm.

 

 

Seokjin was definitely the weaker of the two, by a long shot, but his fast reflexes and the surprise factor combined made it easy for him to pin the alpha to the stone wall of the house behind them. Namjoon struggled weakly against the hold, probably still shocked at the turn of events. The lack of proper air supply to his body was also not doing anything to aid his poor attempts to free himself.

 

The prince distantly knew that all these factors would be meaningless if the alpha had really, full on, tried to free himself but was maybe not doing so as to not hurt Seokjin. But the prince’s mind was too much of a raging mess for him to consider being thankful under the current circumstances.

 

“You can say that I’m vain. That I’m frivolous and a glutton.” All his anger bled out into his voice, his tone low and dark and menacing. His left wrist hurt a little and Seokjin wondered if he might’ve sprained it somehow, but a quick look down between them and the prince realized that Namjoon was still holding his wrist. Seokjin’s nostrils flared and more of Namjoon’s scent invaded his senses, now not only the human part of him but also his wolf protesting against the seaweed scent that Seokjin’s omega still found distasteful.

 

“Hell, you can say that I’m a stupid, weak and useless omega. And I would let it go. I may hate you for it – a lot - but I would still let it go.” The prince continued. “But if you ever say as much as a single word again likening me – or any other omega, for that matter - to a then I will make sure that your every living moment is hell for you!”

 

“My father is gone, my home is gone and I don’t even know if my brother is alive or not. I know that you’ve lost your father too but you have people waiting for you at home. I don’t have that anymore – as of now I’ve lost everything. I’m scared and angry and I have not the slightest idea about what’s going to happen to me in the future, and you being like this every second of the day isn’t helping me calm down.”

 

It’s what Seokjin desperately needed right now – to calm down. Lashing out at Namjoon might provide temporary relief from his frustrations but ultimately it does not provide him with any kind of solution.

 

“Look here, Sir Kim,” The prince said, taking in a deep breath, willing the anger to subside even if just a little. “You need to keep your attitude in check if you are to travel with me. If not – well…I’m very willing to go find your cousin on my own. So?”

 

A moment later the alpha tapped at his arm and Seokjin released him, stepping back and putting a fair bit of distance between them. In his periphery, Seokjin noticed Rowon standing at the mouth of the alley, a dumbfounded expression on his face as he fidgeted on the spot. The prince was kind of glad that the young boy had enough presence of mind not to interfere.

 

In front of him, Namjoon was slumped forward as he coughed and wheezed, trying to get enough air back into his lungs. Seokjin waited until his breathing evened out and the alpha stood up, their eyes meeting briefly before Namjoon looked away. He did not speak so the prince prompted again, “So?”

 

The alpha gave a miniscule nod.

 

“Follow me then.” Seokjin turned around and after a brief gesture to Rowon he started down the empty street, heading towards the house he was in just a few minutes before. He did not look back but judging from the shuffling sounds the alpha was indeed following right behind them, even ignoring Rowon’s presence. Seokjin felt smug about putting the alpha in his place.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

His frustrations must have been still showing on his face because Jiwon was all over him asking if anything was wrong the moment he stepped into the dimly lit abode. Seokjin waved her off and moved away from the door, letting Namjoon and Rowon step into the house as he headed for the table and unceremoniously plopped down onto one of the chairs.

 

To his mild astonishment, Namjoon greeted Jiwon by name, a surprised look over his own features. But perhaps it shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise to Seokjin, after all, Namjoon’s father was a prominent official and Namjoon himself must’ve received and carried out plenty of official tasks and assignments in the past. It was only right that he knew many important people in the kingdom, if not personally then at least by name.

 

Seokjin sighed in his seat, thanking Luna quietly, because one – he now had less explaining to do, and two – this confirmed a hundred percent that Jiwon was really who she’d said she was.

 

“So…what is it that you’re planning to do now? You wouldn’t have approached me if you did not have anything in mind.” Seokjin finally ventured after both Namjoon and Jiwon settled down at the table after a few brief words to each other that the prince did not pay attention to, while Rowon lingered nearby.

 

Lady Jiwon nodded in acknowledgement, confirming that she indeed have something up her sleeve.

 

“When our Clan was attacked, many shifters were killed but many were taken prisoner too. And tomorrow, when the convoy arrives to take people away, I’m planning to infiltrate the group of shifters that are supposed to be taken away.”

 

Seokjin sat up straight. “Isn’t that dangerous? I’ve been told that the Royals have access to the village’s records. Won’t you be found out if they check your identity against those records?”

 

Jiwon whistled lowly. ”I thought you were just chatting casually with the villagers, but you’ve actually managed to glean useful information off of them. I’m a little impressed, Your Highness. You must be pretty charming for them to open up to you like that; the people here are very distrusting especially now that they don’t know what exactly to expect come tomorrow.”

 

“Wait…how long exactly were you following me?”

 

“Since the moment I recognized as you were coming out of your lodging. You couldn’t have been thinking that I grabbed you as soon as I saw you in the street now, could you?”

 

 

“Ah, well…” That was exactly what Seokjin had assumed. “Anyway, they were relatives of one of my attendants and I found them after recalling what she’d told me about them.” The prince covered. It wasn’t a foolproof cover but it would have to do.

 

 Jiwon raised an eyebrow at him though, definitely not believing his story and Seokjin cursed inwardly. If she had been following him since the beginning then she must’ve seen him buying the herbs and most probably knew what their purpose was – and that would give rise to several questions. But thankfully, Jiwon did not pry.

 

“Anyway…back to our previous topic – Our records have already been included with those of the Moon village’s on the day we arrived here after the attack on our clan.” Jiwon clarified, “I have absolutely no idea what the Royals would need shifters for. If it is laborers that they want, then it doesn’t make sense because they don’t live above ground and have no purpose for manual labor. And why the segregation? They take some shifters away while the rest remain back in their own territories under faerie supervision. So  I thought that maybe if I get on the inside and find out where exactly is it that our people  are being take to, then it might somehow be useful to us to plan against them.” Jiwon concluded and glanced at Namjoon and then Seokjin, waiting for their opinions.

 

 “Are you sure you want to do this? You may lose your life if anything goes wrong.” Namjoon spoke for the first time since they had sat down.

 

“Well, it’s better to go down fighting than living in a society colonized by that fey scum.” Jiwon chuckled lightly and Namjoon nodded at her words, seemingly of the same opinion.

 

“Alright…but how do we keep in contact? The two of us –“The prince glared mildly at Namjoon, “are heading to Aelia. So after we go our separate ways,” Seokjin gestured between himself and Jiwon, “we will have no means of communicating with each other.”

 

“Ah, Yes, Your Highness.” Jiwon began, “That will have to wait until either one of us can get into contact with General Jung.”

 

“Hoseok? Why?” the prince asked, a quizzical expression overtaking his features.

 

Jiwon replied with a single word. “Claw.” He must’ve had a pretty disgruntled look on his face because Jiwon chuckled. “Yes, I know, Your Highness. Not the friendliest of creatures one could find.”

 

The prince scoffed, his mouth parted. “Hah! Friendly? That damn falcon cut my arm with its talons once! I still have the scar.” Seokjin wiggled his right hand a little, indicating that that had been the arm that suffered at the hands – well, claws – of Hoseok’s pet falcon. “That little beast doesn’t listen to anyone but Hoseok.”

 

“But Claw is a very reliable messenger, though. And the bird is familiar with me since General Jung and I have exchanged messages this way in the past.”

 

Seokjin wasn’t even aware that Jiwon and Hoseok knew each other. He was also not aware that Hoseok knew Namjoon’s cousin. Also, how did Hoseok know that his father had sided with the Royals? It did not seem like the alpha had just accidentally chanced upon the information.

 

Seokjin had so many doubts and questions. The prince trusted his best friend immensely, but with every new piece of information that he came upon in regard to his friend and with every new question that the information gave rise to, Seokjin wondered just how well he knew Hoseok.

 

It was true that Seokjin himself had a lot of secrets – things that no one but himself knew. But in their tightly knit group of four – Jungkook, Jiwoo, Hoseok and Seokjin – the young general was always so open and candid that at the present moment Seokjin felt a little apprehensive at the revelation that the alpha had apparently kept them in the dark about many things.   

 

All of this would have to wait, however, until the prince could reunite with his brother and friends.

 

“Just be careful then, Lady Jiwon. The kingdom cannot stand to lose another good person. We’ve lost enough”

 

Jiwon smiled then – a sweet smile that warmed the prince’s heart. But her eyes were sad and so were Seokjin’s.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

After Hoseok’s devilish pet falcon had come up during conversation, they had stayed back at the Ha clan’s temporary residence probably for around half an hour more before leaving and upon Jiwon’s insistence, little Rowon had accompanied Namjoon and the Prince back to their lodge.

 

It was late afternoon by the time Seokjin was at the foot of the lodge’s staircase, the one that would lead them to their room on the first level. The prince wished Rowon goodbye and turned around, Namjoon already being almost at the top landing. He stopped when a quiet “Umm…” came from behind him.

 

Seokjin glanced over his shoulder at the young alpha who seemed like he had something to say and so the prince turned back around, now facing the young boy.

 

“What is it?” He said in a soft voice, encouraging the boy to speak. Seokjin noticed Rowon’s eyes flicker nervously, looking behind the prince. Seokjin understood and turned to Namjoon, asking the man to head in first. Namjoon opened his mouth to speak but then sighed and turned around, climbing the last set of steps and disappearing down the corridor that led to their room. It seemed like the older alpha was still wary of speaking to Seokjin.

 

The prince once again prompted Rowon to speak his mind and the young boy took a deep breath. “About before…” he started and Seokjin sighed.

 

“Um…Yes. First of all, I would like to thank you for not bringing that up with your sister.” Rowon nodded at that, a weak smile on his lips. “I’m sorry if that startled you.”

 

 

The boy shook his head animatedly. “Not at all, Your Highness. But…you know that not all alphas are bad, right?” he ventured.

 

“Of course, Rowon. Just like not all omegas are good or innocent, the same way not all alphas are bad. It depends on the person in question.” Seokjin explained, bending down a little so that his face was on the same level with the boy’s. “For example, my brother Jungkook is an alpha – a really good one. You might think I’m biased since he is my baby brother but he really is a good person. And you will grow up to be a good alpha too, if you listen to your mother and sister well.” Seokjin patted the boy’s shoulder gently, resisting the urge to pat his head and baby him like he would do to Jungkook.

 

Rowon nodded in response. “But perhaps you shouldn’t judge Sir Kim so fast. Maybe there’s a reason why he’s acting like that.” The boy said in a low voice and before Seokjin could manage a reply the young alpha turned around and sprinted away hastily, leaving the prince to stare after him.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Seokjin had to borrow the pestle and mortar from the lodge’s kitchen to grind the herbs he had procured earlier that day. He did it in their rented room, receiving a couple puzzled looks from the alpha who still hadn’t said one word to him since their little scuffle in the alley and the recollection of the event made Seokjin regret insisting on not leasing two separate rooms.

 

It was late into the night now and the prince lay in his cot, looking up at the darkness above him, shadows dancing in the unlit expanse of the room. Seokjin’s thoughts kept going back to what Jiwon’s brother had said that afternoon as they parted.

 

 A reason for Namjoon to hate omegas? He hadn’t thought of it that way before.

 

Seokjin hated alphas - but not all of them. The prince did not hate his brother, Jungkook. He did not hate his father, the late king, or Hoseok who was a pretty aggressive alpha, but only when needed. Then there was General Song and Minister Ahn and he was pretty sure Rowon would grow up to be a good one, impossible to hate. Namjoon’s father was a kind alpha too. There were bad alphas and there were good alphas. Seokjin did not judge all alpha’s based on the mistakes of a few – no matter how large that group of few actually was.

 

So even if something had happened in the past that made Namjoon to be averse to omegas, Seokjin did not think it to be fair that Namjoon was directing that hate and abhorrence towards the whole omega dynamic. However, it made the prince ponder over what exactly might have caused such hatred – omegas were not exactly lethal, with how little power and say they had in society.

 

He reconsidered on that last account, though, because again, not all omegas were exactly powerless.

 

The Pale King was an omega and just look at what the mysterious wolf had managed to accomplish over the years.

 

Noble and wealthy omegas might not have much say in politics but they surely had power over the less fortunate omegas.  

 

And then there was Seokjin. No one knew better than the prince himself of the things he had managed to do over the last five years, since he had chanced upon the palace’s secret scrolls.

 

Seokjin his side, sighing as he pulled the blanket further up so that the edge was just below his nose. For some reason the room smelled like sand and warmth of the sun and the sea, with both Namjoon’s seaweed and Seokjin’s own scent mixed in. It reminded Seokjin of that scent he had a brief sniff of just at the start of his last heat – during the council meeting. His omega instincts were creeping up on him, urging the prince to go somewhere where there was more of this scent. The smell of soap that lingered on the freshly washed blankets helped clear his mind but he decided that it was best to try to fall asleep. He could think about Namjoon and his reason for dislike of omegas some other day, after all, it would be a while before they make it to Aelia City.

 

Seokjin was almost on the verge of falling into a deep slumber when his ears picked up shuffling from the other side of the room and a faint “Your Highness?”

 

He considered to pretend already being asleep but then sighed and hummed an “Mmmm…” to alert the alpha that he was listening.

 

“I…I wanted to apologize. For earlier today. I uh – I understand that I have severely overstepped and would like you to know that I’m sorry.”

 

Seokjin mulled over it in his head. Namjoon’s tone certainly did seem apologetic. Also the prince did almost strangle the alpha.

 

“Is your neck okay?” he said.

 

“Uhh…Y-yes. It’s fine, Your Highness.”

 

“Jin.”

 

Silence.

 

“I’m saying that you should call me Jin. We are not in the castle anymore and we can’t risk exposing our identity with you running around muttering Your Highness! Your Highness!, after every single sentence.” Seokjin was sure that he heard the alpha snort at that but he decided to ignore it. He was starting to realize that he would need to learn to ignore a lot of things the alpha would say and do if they wanted to avoid anymore incidents like the one earlier that day.

 

“Okay.” Namjoon finally whispered into the darkness between them and Seokjin closed his eyes once again.

 

A few moments passed before he heard the alpha’s voice once more - tentative and hesitant. “Jin?”

 

“Yes?” he replied sleepily.

 

“Good night.” Seokjin doubted that it was going to be one. He hadn’t slept well since the day he saw the arrow protruding out of his father’s neck.

 

Seokjin did not reply, drawing the blanket over his head. The alpha shuffled a bit but stayed quiet.

 

A few moments later the prince drifted off as sleep overtook his tired body and mind

 

 

***.

 

 

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