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sweetestofchaos · 1 year

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Blackthorn Ch 6 | M.YG

Dream of Me - Namjoon discovers something about himself and Ceyeh enjoys her time in the palace.

a/n: Huge thanks to @theharrowing for offering to beta this on such short notice. Thank you @sailoryooons for making the banner. Credit to @colormepurplex2 for making the Namjoon edit. a/n 2: I apologize for the short update. I broke this up because a few major events will be taking place soon and I don’t want to rush it.

Taglist: @thickemadame

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Outside of the butterfly house, Namjoon stood with the royal carpenter and compared the blueprints to what was in front of him. A six foot wall made of stone enclosed the new and improved butterfly house within a large rectangular barrier that was split into five sections within. The outside would be guarded by the royal guard while inside Aga, Mingi, Minho, Chan and Jooheon would rotate stations. Thick oak doors with intricate artwork of phlox, lupine and a rock cress were carved into the wood. Mother of pearl and opal butterflies were made to be the knocker as well as detective accents embedded through the length of the walls.

The courtyard inside was large with its own koi pond and a wooden bridge to cross over to the main house that followed a stoned pathway. The main house was a large hanok with flooring that was able to be heated during the colder months. Latticework windows and support beams added a little flare to the building and Namjoon was impressed. The majority of the butterfly house was complete and it didn’t take long at all. The only thing left to do was add art and homely items.

The courtyard needed a garden and the servant quarters, kitchen and personal hot spring were being built. Namjoon thought it best that the Princess have her own bathing chambers so that she wouldn’t have to walk the distance or be carried by a gama just to bathe in the palace.

Namjoon nodded his head in delight; things were coming along nicely. He was sure that the butterfly house would be finished by the end of the week, at the latest a day past. Namjoon turned around with his back facing toward the butterfly house and pointed towards where old Monie used to be. He had envisioned another lily pond with a beautiful statue in the center surrounded by pretty flowers. A wooden splint was on his ring finger, the same finger that got a splinter, and it hurt a lot. Namjoon couldn’t bend his finger without a sharp pain shooting up his arm, so he had Doctor Hyungwon stabilize it.

“When can we start on the pond?” Namjoon glanced over at the carpenter as they looked at the empty space. A bird house would look really cute…maybe it could hang from the statue.

“My men wouldn’t need much time. It’s a simple enough project, would you like this finished before the rest of the house?”

Namjoon turned his head to look at the seventh garden that was nearly finished and he flexed his jaw. “It would be beneficial to have it finished at the same time as His Highness’ gift to the Princess.”

“As you wish, Namjoon. I will work on the drafts later and send them for your approval.”

Namjoon nodded his head and winced as his head started to throb, “I will take my leave for now. I have another matter to attend to.” Namjoon bowed his head to the carpenter and started his way back into the palace. He had one artist in mind to help complete his vision for the butterfly house and it would take his friend two weeks to reach the palace. Namjoon had sent a messenger bird to his dear friend and he had noticed that the bird had returned when he was discussing the pond.

Namjoon hurried his way to his chambers and grinned that deep dimpled smile once he saw the cornflower blue bird sitting at his window. Namjoon walked over to the bird and held out his bad arm. The bird jumped onto his outstretched wrist and Namjoon tickled underneath the bird’s beak.

“Thank you for coming home safe, Koya.” Namjoon carefully unlaced the small canister from Koya’s leg and released the bird. He sat on the edge of his desk and smacked the note out before he unrolled it. The uneven and slightly slanted handwriting on the note in Namjoon’s hand put a smile on his face. He knew the handwriting for he had seen it a million times. Namjoon looked down at the message and his stomach knotted in excitement.

His friend had accepted the commission and would start his journey to the palace tomorrow before sunrise. Namjoon quickly scribbled out a reply, he was far too excited to see his friend after so long and thought it would be nice to spend some time with him before he got sucked into his own creative mind. Rolling the message and slipping it into the carrier, Namjoon placed it back onto the bird’s leg and tickled under its beak.

“Have a rest and set out in a few hours.” Namjoon set the bird free and watched as it flew over to one of the many bird feeders within the palace walls.

Namjoon took a step away from the window and he felt himself stumble before his hand shot out and caught the edge of a table. He blinked his eyes quickly to clear his vision and placed a hand on his forehead. That sharp pain from before was back and it started to drum behind his eyes. Carefully, Namjoon made his way to his bed and stripped himself of his outer layers before he laid down. He had clearly overworked himself within the last few days and this was his body’s way of telling him to rest. As he closed his eyes, Namjoon muttered a soft prayer for himself before the pain pulled him under.

The next time Namjoon opened his eyes he was in a lush forest of green vines that wrapped together to create a shabby yet beautiful home. The ground was covered in moss and fallen yellow ginkgo and unknown leaves, and large trees with thick branches created a scattered overcast as diffused sunlight poured down from above. It was a beautiful sight and in the center stood a tall wooden figure with yellow-brown eyes and rich green oak leaves on its head for hair. Small twigs stuck up from the being’s head that resembled a crown, and where tiny chunks of wood were missing moss filled in the gaps.

Namjoon stood frozen before the being; he didn’t recall ever seeing it before yet the familiarity that flooded his heart was strong.

“Namjoon, son of Junghee. Next in line for the title of royal gardener…my dear boy. Look how much you’ve grown.” The being’s voice was strong and warm, it soothed what little fear clung to Namjoon’s mind. “Do you know who I am?”

Namjoon bit his lip, he did not know the being in front of him and he feared that would anger the creature.

Namjoon was sure that the being smiled, though it was hard to tell since it was wood. The being beckoned Namjoon forward with one long splintery arm and Namjoon found that he could not ignore the silent command. He stood in front of the being and craned his neck back as he stared upwards.

“You called me Monie.”

Namjoon’s eyes widened, “Monie? O-Old Monie…t-the mongolian oak from the seventh garden?”

“The very same -'' Monie smiled and squatted down in front of Namjoon so that he didn’t have to look up, “I am the eldest son of the guardian in the Irotra forest. Two millennia far into the past, when the Min Empire was but a dream, my home was being destroyed by greedy bandits who wanted to use our wood for their weapons and profit.”

Namjoon had heard this story from his father. Old Monie was a gift but Namjoon never knew who the gift was from.

“A young general of the army had passed through with a small group of armed soldiers and when he saw what those bandits were doing, he killed them all. My father at the time ordered me to keep the animals from the area while he went to deal with the humans. The general and his men prayed to the trees and at the time my father had heard their prayers. They prayed for the souls of the trees and asked for a cleansing rain to wash away the sin of those bandits.”

Namjoon felt his mouth drop. They prayed for the souls of the trees…he had thought that only his family and a select few knew of that. It was their belief that everything in the world had a soul and it was only right to pray for the soul when it passed on.

“My father at the time was impressed by the humanity that the general showed along with his men. As a show of gratitude, I was gifted to the general and it was my duty to oversee the gardens of the Min empire. One of the soldiers, a Kim of your lineage became my friend and that is how the Kims came to be royal gardeners.” Old Monie placed a hand on Namjoon’s shoulder as he spoke again.

“My name is Esrym and I am a hamadryad. I was unable to leave the Mongolian oak tree that my soul was placed in, that was the deal I made with my father. Through your blood, and your blood alone, I was able to escape death. However, it is your choice to allow me refuge in your body.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you allow it, our souls will fuse together and you will become the new guardian of the Min gardens as well as the forests of the Min Empire.”

Namjoon’s stomach lurched as goosebumps broke out on his skin and he took one step backwards at the offer. “I won’t be human anymore?”

Esrym shrugged his shoulders, “What is human to you, Namjoon?”

Namjoon opened his mouth and closed it. What was it to be human? What did it mean?

Esrym continued to speak in place of Namjoon’s silence. “Your looks will not change nor will your heart or mind. I will give you my strength and power to do more for those you love and hold dear.”

As Esrym’s words sunk into Namjoon’s mind, the faces of his parents and friends flashed before his eyes. A single set of large brown doe eyes struck his heart and Namjoon nodded his head. “I offer my body as refuge.”

Esrym grunted and held out his hand, “Give me your hand Namjoon.”

Namjoon lifted his right hand and Esrym motioned for the left, the hand with the finger splint. Namjoon rested his left hand in Esrym’s palm and he inhaled sharply when a small light glowed from the tiny hole in his finger. He remembered getting a splinter and now he understood that was Esrym entering his body. Namjoon’s finger started to warm and he felt Esrym’s power seep into his bloodstream, it was heavy and featherlight all at once. A blissful feeling that muddled the mind with a silky overcast. Namjoon felt his eyes flutter and his balance waver.

“Thank you for saving me, Namjoon, son of Junghee.”

Namjoon jumped up right with a gasp. He was in bed, covered in a cold sweat. He looked around his room as he breathed harshly and stared down at his hand. His finger was no longer in the splint, the wooden contraption was broken on the bed and Namjoon squinted at his hand. There were no markings, no heat…was it a fever dream? Namjoon slowed his breathing and wiped at the sweat on his brow with the back of his hand.

“What a crazy dream,” Namjoon muttered to himself and he turned his head to glance out the window. The sun was high in the sky, so it was a little past midday. He needed to get up and check on the gardens. Carefully, Namjoon slid from his bed and redressed himself into a fresh hanfu. The robes were a dark yellow with grey undertones, white mismatched sized clemati covered the robes and a yellow cream sash was wrapped around his waist. Namjoon wasted no time as he pulled on a pair of grey boots and pulled his hair into a messy ponytail at the back of his neck with a grey ribbon.

The dream was fresh in Namjoon’s mind as he stepped outside of the palace and started to walk through the gardens. The plants around him looked brighter, the colors so vivid and blinding that Namjoon had to step away. He hid away in the shade of a gazebo and sat with his head in his hands. He felt fine, his finger and head no longer hurt but something felt off…different.

“Nammmmmjoon. Nammmjoon!”

A tiny voice rang in his ear and Namjoon flinched at the sound. He picked his head up and looked around, there was no one around.

“Nammmjoon! Excuuuuse meeeee!”

Namjoon flinched again and when he turned his head towards the sound of his name he came face to face with a bumblebee. Namjoon blinked once, twice…no. No….Namjoon raised an eyebrow and glanced around.

“A-Are you talking to me?” Namjoon whispered as he leaned closer to the bumblebee.

The bumblebee buzzed around his head and landed on Namjoon’s upturned palm.

“Yesssss! Nammmmjoon!”

Namjoon stared at the bumblebee with wide eyes, this couldn’t be - the dream flashed in Namjoon’s mind and he bit his lower lip. His jaw tensed as he thought about what Esrym had told him, what he had agreed to in his dream.

“Yoooou, Nammmjoon are the neeeew proteeector!”

Namjoon raised his hand up to his face and he almost went crossed eyed as he stared at the bumblebee in his hand.

“What did you need, little one?” Namjoon whispered as he silently accepted that what took place in his mind with Esrym really had happened.

The tiny bumblebee fluttered its wings and crawled around in Namjoon’s hand, “Neeeeed? Nothiiiing! Jussssst cameeee to sayyyy heeeello!”

Namjoon grinned and bowed his head in thanks. “Should I expect others to say hello?”

“Theeeeey willlll nooow! Theeeey weeeere scareeeed of the neeeew proteeector.”

Namjoon looked out at the garden before him and he could feel every plant watching him. A weight in his chest shifted and he felt lighter.

“You may tell everyone that I look forward to meeting them again. Properly, this time.”

The bumblebee seemed to wiggle its butt in a tiny circle in Namjoon’s hand before it zoomed up into the air and dashed off to deliver the message. Namjoon shook his head with a laugh, his dimples dug into his cheeks and his eyes sparkled as he took in the new world around him. He was the guardian of this beautiful garden and every garden in the empire. Namjoon rose to his feet slowly and inhaled deeply. The air was fragrant with tiger lilies and he paused in his steps. Jungkook! He had to tell Jungkook the wonderful news.

In the palace, Ceyeh sat in front of the vanity motionless. Her silver eyes watched as Wheein and Hyejin worked on unbraiding her hair. They took careful steps to not ruffle any of the feathers on Ceyeh’s ears; they learned very fast that they were sensitive and put the bird spirit in a foul mood. Fatsani stood close by to make sure the two women were okay and had no questions as they chatted with each other. Today was wash day since Izaso wanted to make sure that the new handmaidens would be able to rebraid the Princess’s hair afterward. They had done very well on the dolls they were giving but Izaso was still skeptical.

Ceyeh’s cycle wasn’t as bad as everyone feared. The hamerkop spirit kept to herself and only grabbed someone's attention if the pain in her stomach was too much. She stayed by the window most of the time and listened to the birds that dropped by to sing of their travels. Other times, Ceyeh was found with the new handmaidens as she taught them basic sign language based on the Laibic alphabet.

“That was the last braid!” Wheein announced and Byulyi stepped up to lead the Princess into the washroom.

Ceyeh stripped herself and carefully stepped into the heated water. Her eyes closed as the warmth engulfed her sore body. The cramps were mild at best, but the constant squeeze made Ceyeh thankful that she was able to protect the Princess. Byulyi washed the Princess’ body twice before Yongsun entered the room with Fatsani beside her.

“Do not be afraid to work section by section. The Princess has a lot of hair.” Fatsani smiled as she handed Yongsun a wide toothed comb and a special elixir that helped to detangle the hair.

Together, Yongsun and Byulyi sectioned the Princess’s hair and started to detangle the sections. The Princess did have a lot of hair, it was thick and coily, unlike the pin straight hair both handmaidens had. Once they were finished washing the Princess’ hair, Fatsani double checked and she was impressed. She asked if Ceyeh had felt any pain and when the Princess shook her head, Fatsani motioned for them to move on.

They helped the Princess from the bath and patted her dry with the softest of towels. Fresh out of the heated water in her wash room, Ceyeh stood in silence as Byulyi rubbed oils and creams into her skin. A dark greyish violet silk robe was placed around her naked body and she was led back in front of the vanity where Wheein and Hyejin waited. Oils, combs, pins and fabric ties were laid out on top of the vanity and Ceyeh watched in the mirror as the two handmaidens thought of how best to style her hair.

“Take your time,” Izaso instructed as she watched from the side. “Why don’t you try the style we practiced while the Princess was bathing?”

Wheein and Hyejin nodded their heads and started to work on the Princess’ hair. They used two different magic stones to help dry the Princess’ hair. A cemetan stone (a pale green and white streaked stone the size of a lime) that pulled the excess water from the hair and an aeninic stone (a murky green stone carved into a comb), that helped minimize frizz. A zigzag part down the middle, two long fishtail braids on either side with golden string woven throughout and two smaller braids draped across the forehead like a crown finished the hairstyle and Izaso was pleased.

“Beautiful job ladies. Ceyeh, do you like it?” Izaso asked and Ceyeh nodded her head.

The hairstyle was simple enough and she appreciated that they didn’t try to force her hair to be pin straight more than it had to be. There were still a few waves from the slicked down coils and Ceyeh was grateful. She stood from the vanity and allowed Hyejin and Yongsun to dress her. The outfit was simple, a grey and magenta collarless dress with wide trumpet sleeves. Dark grey and pink cichlid fish lined the hemming of the dress and sleeves while golden thread ran in thin bold vertical stripes of the skirt.

Ceyeh slipped her feet into a pair of greyish magenta slippers and bowed her head in thanks. She grabbed the chalkboard off the bed and requested to be escorted to the cherry blossom garden where she knew the Empress was waiting to have their morning meal together. It had only been three days since the Empress had first come to visit Ceyeh. The Empress had requested that the bird spirit spend some time with her in the mornings before the Empress’s day became hectic.

Chimika walked over the main door and stepped out to inform Aga that the Princess was ready to start her day. Aga entered the room with a bow as he crossed his arms over his chest and Ceyeh rolled her eyes. She knew that the man before her had angered her host and it was not her place to forgive him. Ceyah allowed for Aga to lead her out of her chambers and she smiled politely to Chan and Jooheon as she left. Mingi and Minho were behind as she walked side by side with Aga.

“What are your plans for today, Ceyeh?” Aga glanced down at the Princess as he spoke and Ceyeh fanned her hand outward which made Aga laugh. “It is for your own safety that you stay in the room as much as possible.”

Ceyeh raised an eyebrow at Aga’s words and clicked her tongue.

“What would happen if you were taken? How would we-”

The sky above started to darken and Aga sighed.

“Yes, the weather…how did I forget?”

The blue skies came back and Ceyeh patted Aga’s arm as they walked. The gazebo in the cherry blossom garden came into view and Ceyeh spotted the top of the Empress’s head. She wore her hair up in elegant loops with golden dragon pins to hold it in place while large gold and diamond clips were scattered throughout. As Ceyeh approached the gazebo she saw more of the Empress’s face and today she wore bold blue and gold eye paint with a light pink lip tint. Her robes were black with a blue and gold lotus flower pattern. The sleeves of her dress were lined with golden leaves and she sat with her hands folded in her lap.

“Your Majesty,” Aga greeted with a low bow as he offered Ceyeh his arm to help her up the steps.

“Thank you Aga.” Empress Min nodded her head and turned her attention to Ceyeh. A large smile took over her face as the Princess sat beside her. “How are you feeling today, my old friend?” Empress Min placed her hand on top of Ceyeh’s making sure to leave one free so that she could write on her chalkboard.

Ceyeh smiled and knocked her shoulder into the Empress’ which made Empress Min laugh as her eyes crinkled.

“I believe your cycle is almost over correct?”

Ceyeh nodded her head and started to pick at the breakfast cookies that were in front of her.

“Should we spend some time in the library? There is a beautiful spot where the sun spills in and warms the soul. It makes for wonderful leisure.”

Ceyeh’s eyes shined bright, the silver started to shimmer and Empress Min nodded her head as she understood.

“Very well. Let us enjoy our meal and then we shall depart for the library.”

Seokjin laughed loudly as he used Hoseok’s shoulder to hold himself upright. Hoseok sighed but his lips quivered slightly as he tried not to laugh. The joke was in extremely poor taste but Seokjin’s laugh was contagious and Hoseok struggled not to laugh. Prince Yoongi stared at his friends from his seat behind one of the two desks in the royal advisor’s study and rolled his eyes. Leave it to Seokjin to make the Prince lose his place in his reading.

“Are you done?” Prince Yoongi questioned as he placed the papers in his hand on the desk and folded his hands together before he rested his chin on his fingers.

Hoseok pushed Seokjin off of him and cleared his throat, “Did you need something, Yoongi?”

Seokjin straightened up and wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes before he inhaled and coughed. “S-Sorry.” Seokjin pushed his hair from his face and the butterfly sleeves of his navy blue duster danced around him. “Did you want to head to the library now, Your Highness?” Seokjin offered and the Prince gave a single nod of his head.

Seokjin smoothed his hands down the length of his torso, the navy blue knot shank buttons of his frog closure duster were rough against his finger tips. He cleared his throat and spared a glance to Hoseok who just sighed and clicked his tongue. Hoseok was back to his everyday hanbok, now that the Prince was up and moving around the palace. A simple black robe with golden leaves stitched along the cuffs and collar with a deep plum changui on top, the same golden leaves stitched on the collar, down the center and hem. A wide black belt with matching gold leaves was tied around Hoseok’s waist and a plum colored jumeoni sat at his right hip.

Seokjin and Hoseok both wore similar hairstyles today, a ponytail with two sections of hair framed their faces. Seokjin wore a high ponytail with a silver donggot to hold it in place with a navy ribbon flowing freely while Hoseok wore a low half ponytail with a single gold bead on each section of hair that framed his face.

Prince Yoongi rose from his seat and held his head high. His hair was piled onto top of his head, the golden sangtugwan covered with beautiful quartz stone while a golden dragon with emerald eyes was carved into the donggot. A black headband kept any flyaways out of the Prince’s face while his ears and neck were dressed in thick gold jewelry. As he walked around the desk, the Prince’s black robes caught the light and the golden four toed dragon in the center of his torso reflected against the wall. Dressed in a more simple hanbok, the Prince’s rank stood out with the gold dragon that sat on each of the shoulders of his jacket and the gold brocade fabric on the collar. Hoseok and Seokjin weren’t sure why the Prince had decided to dress that way but they knew better than to ask.

Hoseok chalked it up to Prince Yoongi wanting to put any negative rumors to rest. In his current dress he looked powerful and Hoseok knew that no one would say any different. The Prince clasped his hands behind his back and raised an eyebrow as he stared at the closed door. Hoseok moved first to open the door and he stepped out of the room. Seokjin motioned for the Prince to exit and once he was out of the room, Seokjin followed behind.

The three men walked the halls and ignored everyone who bowed low at the sight of the Prince. Hoseok kept his eyes open for any sign of disrespect while Seokjin openly chatted with Prince Yoongi about a book he felt the Prince would enjoy. As they got closer to the library, Hoseok noticed a small increase of guards. He squinted his eyes in thought as he passed another guard that he usually would not see in this section of the palace. Hoseok’s eyes widened as he realized why. There guards belong to the Empress and if they were around then that meant -

“Your Highness!” Hoseok spun around on his heels and held out his hands. “T-The garden! Namjoon requested that you meet him. He had a question!” Hoseok kept his face neutral as he spoke and the Prince’s smile slowly dropped from his face.

“We can go later,” Prince Yoongi stated and Hoseok shook his head.

“It sounded pretty urgent to me, Your Highness. In my haste to forget Seokjin’s horrible joke-”

“Hey!” Seokjin stepped back and threw a hand over his heart.

“I forgot about Namjoon,” Hoseok prattled on quickly as he ignored Seokjin’s dramatics.

Prince Yoongi frowned and then pressed his lips into a tight line as he tried to figure out what Namjoon could possibly need so badly. He sighed and nodded his head, “Very well. Let’s not leave him waiting any longer.” The Prince turned on his heels and started to walk off.

Seokjin shot Hoseok a confused glance and Hoseok jerked his head towards the guards, “The library is closed,” he whispered to Seokjin and hurried to catch up to the Prince.

#blackthorn ch 6 #dragon yoongi #min yoongi fic #bts soulmates au #yoongi x oc #emperor yoongi #daechwita yoongi

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