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sweetestofchaos · 11 months

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Blackthorn Ch 7 | M.YG

The Announcement - As the Princess' envoy leaves the Min Empire, the young royal is blindsided with shocking news.

a/n: As always thanks to @sailoryooons for betaing (you're fucking awesome for doing this so last minute) and making the banner. Credit to @colormepurplex2 for making the Namjoon edit.

Taglist: @thickemadame

Series Masterlist | Masterlist

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The night before the warriors and the rest of the Princess’s envoy were to travel back to Escistan, Ceyeh knew that the Princess’ cycle was over and she coaxed the sleeping soul to come to the forefront and take control. When Byulyi entered the Princess’ chambers to wake her the next morning, she gasped in surprise to see that Princess Keena was wide awake, perched on the windowsill to watch the sunrise. Wheein quickly told the other handmaidens about the Princess’ awakening and Yongsun was quick to send word to the Empress.

“It is good to have you back, Princess!” The handmaidens all gushed as they rushed around to get the Princess dressed for the day. Since the Princess was seeing a part of her heart off, Yongsun thought it best to dress the Princess in the traditional Iro ati Buba. The colors were bold and the material was a mix of soft satin, cotton and textured brocade. A deep red buba with coral pink and ruby red hexagonal designs started the outfit while a simple burgundy wrapper was tied around the Princess’ waist. The pele around her hips was the same coral pink from the buba and the iborun - the scarf that was draped over the Princess’ left shoulder - was soft and delicate pink that tied everything together.

As Hyejin braided the Princess’ hair, she wrapped it into a tight bun that sat a few inches from the base of the Princess’ neck and carefully situated the soft pink gele - the head piece - on top of her head. Byulyi started on the Princess’ makeup when Hyejin was finished and focused on the Princess’ eyes. Red, pink and gold was patted and swiped on the eyes with a thin line of black to pull it all together. The Princess’ lips were painted a glossy red while golden dust kissed her cheekbones.

Ropes of pink baroque pearls hung from around the Princess’ neck in different lengths, matching elongated golden earrings with pink pearls dangled from her ears while thick golden cuffs with red and pink diamonds sat on the Princesss’ wrists. The ring finger of her right hand was adorned in two rings with thin gold bands and three white scolecite gems on each - the Prince’s gift - while simple chunky gold rings covered the other fingers on her left hand. She was a vision of strength and grace, both soft and powerful as the red embraced the pink.

Yongsun led the Princess to the main door of her room and knocked three times. The door opened and Princess Kenna was greeted by Aga’s wide eyes as he took in her appearance.

“Princess-” Aga cleared his throat and bowed with his arms crossed over his chest, “It is good to see you again.”

Princess Keena eyed Aga as he rose to his full height and clicked her tongue. "Li bon wè ou, Aga." Princess Keena inclined her head as she crossed her arms over her chest and Aga fought the twitch in his lips. “Her Majesty is waiting, lead the way.”

Mingi, Minho, Chan and Jooheon all bowed to the Princess and welcomed her back with smiles. Princess Keena bowed her head in thanks and fell in step with Aga beside her while Mingi and Minho took up the rear.

“How are you feeling, Princess?” Mingi questioned and Princess Keena kept her eyes forward as she spoke.

“I feel as though I have just woken from a very short sleep. My mind is at ease yet my heart is heavy. I do not wish to see my family leave me so soon.”

“You are with a new family now, Princess,” Minho offered and Mingi glared at him.

The Princess’ lips twisted into a sad smile, “Yes…I suppose I am.”

Aga cleared his throat once again and spoke clearly, “I will remain by your side, Princess.”

Princess Keena turned her head and looked at Aga’s profile. He was starting behind? “And what of Izaso? Is she okay with this arrangement?”

Aga grunted and clasped his hands behind his back as he thought of what best to say. “Kèy rayisab yo se renouvèlman lanmou."

Princess Keena smiled softly at Aga’s words. The quarrel of lovers is the renewal of love, it was another saying that her parents often spoke of. Izaso would be hurt but she would take this next chapter in stride.

“The time apart will pass quickly, I am sure. We will not be here for much longer once everyone leaves.”

Again Aga grunted and his hands tightened around each other at the Princess’ words. The rest of the walk to the Empress’ outdoor chambers was silent. Princess Keena took in the sights around her that she missed while Ceyeh protected her. Dark herringbone wooden floors led to the Empress’ outdoor chambers where she was seated with three other women, two of which were very familiar to the Princess. Aga, Mingi and Minho all bowed before they took their leave and blended in with the other guards. Princess Keena bowed before the Empress, like she had learned in her etiquette class and the women all smiled.

“It is wonderful timing on your part to join us, my dear. Are you feeling better?” Empress Eunkyung stared at the Princess and took in her colorful outfit. The Empress wore a plum colored seukan chima with two thick gold bands wrapped around the skirt from the center and the hem. A cyan dangui with dark yellow ribbons and trim completed the outfit as golden dragons rested stitched onto the shoulders.

“I apologize for my sudden absence and I am better now. Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Join us for breakfast, dear.” The Empress smiled up at the Princess and motioned for her to sit beside her.

Princess Keena bowed her head and carefully walked over to the table and sat beside the Empress.

“I am sure you remember your tutors? However, you have not been introduced to one of these ladies before you.”

The Empress motioned to a woman with taupe colored skin with a pale pink overlay that seemed to shimmer even when she sat still. Her eyes were round and large like a horse. Lined by thick, dark eyelashes that made the purple, green and pink specks shine brightly in her black galaxy eyes. She had a wide and long face, with plush lips framed by deep laugh lines. Pink hair was twisted into many braids and wrapped into two elongated buns on each side of her head. Eight braids from each bun hung free from the center and grazed the woman’s shoulders while square cut bangs hid her forehead and eyebrows.

Princess Keena bowed her head after the woman bowed her head, “I am Saina and I will teach you civics once your lessons resume. ” Saina raised her head and the Princess noticed that in the center of Saina’s forehead hidden behind her bangs, a two inch circle peaked out. Saina noticed where the Princess’ eyes went and she touched the smooth circle.

“Have you ever seen a unicorn, Princess Keena?” Saina’s question shocked the Princess. A unicorn? Princess Keena remembered reading in a book that the unicorns were slaughtered in ancient times for the power that they held within their horns. She didn’t remember if the book said they were extinct.

“I am one of the few survivors from the Sovurika tribe. We are but a few hundred in numbers and mostly keep to ourselves. Some, like myself, left home for a new life.”

“I am honored to accept your knowledge.” Princess Keena smiled and Saina grinned with a closed mouth.

With introductions out of the way, Princess Keena took a moment to take in Saina’s outfit. It was nothing that she had seen in her time spent in the Min Empire and she wondered if it was from the south or north. Saina wore a silk sky blue jacket that was mixed with cream and gold brocade fabric and had long, wide sleeves that reached just past her knuckles. A wide leather golden band was wrapped around her waist with a sky blue velvet belt and gold buckle over it. The skirt was the same shade of sky blue silk that pooled around her ankles with cream colored lace overlay. It was a fun outfit and the Princess admired it very much.

“Now then, let us eat before the meal gets too cold.” The Empress motioned for breakfast to be served and conversation was light as the morning meal was set out.

The Princess laughed and enjoyed her time with the women before her. Zarrin, Ellarian and Saina were a joy to interact with. They had different opinions and their jokes were different. They were all older and filled with priceless stories of their past. Princess Keena listened to their words and etched them into her memories, she would remember this day always. As breakfast started to be wrapped up, the Empress rose to her feet and the other ladies followed.

“Thank you all for joining me this morning, it was a simple pleasure that I tend to miss.” The Empress bowed her head as she spoke again, “Please enjoy the rest of your day. Princess Keena, it is time for us to depart and say farewell to your envoy.”

Princess said her goodbyes to her instructors and followed a step behind Empress Eunkyung as they made their way to the main courtyard in front of the palace. Servants and warriors alike were lined up to leave for Escistan and the Princess noticed her five handmaids closer to the back. As Empress Eunkyung stood beside Emperor Chungho, who wore his red and gold gonryongpo, on a raised platform. Princess Keena noticed Prince Yoongi as he stood off to the right of his parents. She took in his appearance and her heart beat excitedly in her chest. Prince Yoongi wasn’t dressed in his gangsapo or gonryongpo like she thought he would be.

Prince Yoongi wore black hakamam - wide legged pants - with a black fitted blouse and on top he chose to wear the red and gold silk kenta that the Princess had gifted him. The fabric wrapped around his right shoulder and hung loosely like a toga. It looked wonderful on him and the Princess smiled.

The Prince had his hair piled high on his head, the sangtu replaced with a sleek ponytail that reached just below his shoulder blades. The black manggeon around the Prince’s forehead kept any flyaway hairs from his face as he stared at the people below him. Hoseok walked over to the Princess and motioned for her to follow him as he led her to stand beside the Prince on the platform. Prince Yoongi turned his head toward the Princess at her arrival and bowed his head while the Princess copied his action.

“You should wear Escistan garb more often, it’s very becoming of you.”

Prince Yoongi’s ears flushed red but he gave nothing away of his embarrassment on his face as he stared at the Princess. The smile on the Princess’ face started to fade the more Prince Yoongi looked at her silently and she raised an eyebrow.

“Do you not like it, my Prince?”

Prince Yoongi shook his head. “I like it very much, Princess. Thank you again, for such a thoughtful gift.” Prince Yoongi’s eyes softened as he gazed at the Princess and he licked his lips. “...I have missed you.” His voice was rough, softened by the meaning of his words and Princess Keena looked down at the ground. The Prince’s fingers twitched as he fought the urge to lift her face and force the Princess to look into his eyes. “You look beautiful, Princess.”

Hoseok cleared his throat from behind the two young royals and the Prince turned his attention to the men and women who were bowing before him. Princess Keena crossed her arms over her chest and as she started to bow, from the corner of her eyes she noticed Prince Yoongi had followed her movement. Emperor and Empress Min watched from the corner of their eyes as the Prince and Princess together with their arms crossed over their chest bowed to those lower in rank. Prince Yoongi waited for the Princess to rise before he followed her movements once again and stood tall by her side.

Princess Keena felt her eyes burn as she watched her envoy shift row by row into their bird forms. Those who were not of the Escistan army started to climb into sixteen men litters carried on the backs of giant flying turtles. Aga left his post and the Princess watched as he cupped Izaso’s face between his large hands. Tears were spilling down Izaso's face as they said their goodbyes. Aga kissed her tears away but it was no use as more and more kept falling. The sky started to twist from blue and yellow to many shades of gray as the Princess tried not to cry. They were really leaving and she would have only Aga by her side. The Princess flinched when fingers brushed against her own and she bit the inside of her cheek when Prince Yoongi grabbed her fingers with his own.

They stood by each other, side by side, holding hands as they gave each other silent support. The sky slowly melted into a dull blue with faded white clouds as Prince Yoongi squeezed Princess Keena’s hand every once in a while. Aga stepped away from Izaso and she shifted into an openbill stork. Princess Keena held her head a little higher and as silver bled into the brown, she started to chirp loudly. Aga’s pale yellow eyes burned bright as he answered the Princess’ call and those in her envoy joined in. The air was filled with a heavy promise of hope as the bird song subsided and they took off into the air.

Aga shielded his eyes as he watched them depart into the sunny sky. He brought his hands down to his mouth and shouted loudly, “Zèklè a pral frape!”

“Princess…” Prince Yoongi ran his thumb over the rings on Princess Keena’s fingers and smiled faintly knowing that she continued to wear his gifts. He turned to face her and licked his lips; the Princess’ eyes were slowly shifting back to their warm brown. “Would you like to see one of my favorite places in the palace?”

Princess Keena nodded her head and Prince Yoongi noticed his parents as they watched him from over the Princess’ shoulder. Emperor Chungho waved his hand for the Prince and Prince Yoongi sighed. He started to remove his hand from the Princess and his father shook his head which made the Prince eyebrows pinch together. Princess Keena giggled and poked at his protruding bottom lip without a second thought. Prince Yoongi turned his attention back on the Princess and narrowed his eyes.

“Pallas!”

The smile on the Princess’ face was worth it and Prince Yoongi shook his head. He hadn’t even realized that he had started to pout. “We are being summoned by the Emperor.”

Princess Keena nodded her head and Prince Yoongi tightened his hold on her hand as she turned to stand by his side. Together they walked over to Emperor Chungho and Empress Eunkyung who was at his side.

“Would you hatchlings care to join us at the lotus pond?” Emperor Chungho glanced down at the young royals’ connected hands and held out his own hand for his wife to take. Yoongi stared at his parents confused.

“A new brood of lemming ducklings have hatched and they have made their home in the pond,” Empress Eunkyung further explained as she noticed the confusion and weariness on her son’s face while the Princess’ face lit up. Lemming ducks were only of the Min Empire and she wanted to see if they were as cute as everyone had said. Prince Yoongi looked between his parents and ran his tongue behind his teeth. They were hiding something and he wasn’t sure what it could be. He looked to his side and Princess Keena’s eyes were wide as she silently begged for him to come with.

Prince Yoongi scratched his nose with his thumb and index finger and squared his shoulders, before he motioned with his free hand. “After you, your Majesties.”

The Prince and Princess kept a few steps behind the Emperor and Empress as they followed them farther away from the main entrance of the palace. The lotus pond was located in the northwest section, it was part of the Gildows lake that the Empress had requested to be blocked off. The lotus pond was also part of the fourth garden, better known as the wisdom garden, which housed a botanical garden and one out of three of Namjoon’s arboretums.

Stone pathways were laid out to create an intricate maze in between iris, daylilies, yarrow and cornflower among many other flowers. Five, seven foot arch ways, bloomed with vivid apricot and pink mandevilla and bright white wisteria with deep pink bleed heart flowers tucked along at the bottom, that led to the small peninsula that had the lotus pond at its edge.

Princess Keena's eyes grew brighter and wider as the colors and floral scents around her came together. It was breathtaking, the seamless harmony of the garden around her. Soft quacks caught the Princess’ attention and Prince Yoongi chuckled as he felt the quicken of the Princess’ pulse.

“Come on,” Prince Yoongi tugged at the Princess’ hand and hurried past his parents. Princess Keena easily kept up and once at the water’s edge she squatted down to get a better look at the small creatures in the stone pond. Four lemming ducklings wadded in the water while their momma rested on one of the falter stones. They were tiny, only a little bigger than a tangerine with tan and black fuzzy bodies and cute rounded ears; that’s what made them lemming ducks afterall.

“Oh, they are so sweet!” Princess Keena leaned into the Prince’s side as he squatted beside her and continued to gush about their cuteness.

“Would you like to feed them?” Prince Yoongi offered and the Princess’ smile grew ten times in size. The Prince stood and eyed the Princess as he started to back away but her attention was right back on the ducklings. He turned on his heels and noticed that his parents were sitting in the gazebo enjoying the shade. He clicked his tongue but kept his thoughts to himself as he walked over to the feeding box. It was a four-by-four box that was attached to a wooden post in the ground that held special feed just for lemming ducks. The Prince grabbed the wooden spoon and poured two scoops into his hand before he headed back to the Princess.

“Here you are, Princess.”

Prince Yoongi squatted back by the Princess’ side and motioned for her to hold out her hands. The Princess cupped her hands together and the Prince smiled. Were the Princess’ hands always so small?

“Be careful,” Prince Yoongi spoke softly as he instructed the Princess on how to hold out her hands. Princess Keena did as told and allowed for the Prince to support her cupped hands in his free one and watched as Prince Yoongi closed his fist and started to funnel some of the bird feed into her hand.

Hearing the soft tinkle of the dried fruit, flowers, oats and seeds the lemming ducklings started to paddle towards shore as quickly as their feet would take them. They started to crowd the Princess and she laughed that chime-like giggle that carried on the breeze as one of the ducklings waddled on to her skirt.

Another duckling settled on Prince Yoongi’s shoe and he dropped backwards onto his butt with his knees bent. Together the young royals started to feed the ducklings. They laid down the feed and Princess Keena couldn’t stop smiling as another of the ducklings nipped at her fingers. At some point, Prince Yoongi lowered his knees and stretched out his legs, the duckling on his foot moseyed along farther up his leg until it was tucked away in the folds of his kente.

Carefully, Princess Keena scooped up the duckling that had nipped at her finger and held it up to her face. The duckling stared at her, tiny ink black eyes, unchanging and the Princess smiled once again.

“Hello, sweetheart. Have I upset you?” Princess Keena questioned the hatchling softly and it quacked quickly, its wings flapping at its side as the tiny baby stomped in her hands.

“Can you understand him?”

“Her,” the Princess corrected the Prince softly as she nuzzled her nose on top of the ducklings head before she kissed its beak.

“How do you know it is a female?”

Prince Keena glanced at the Prince and softly jerked her head in the ducklings direction. “She told me.”

The Prince’s eyes widened and Princess Keena laughed. “I can understand all birds, it is the gift of the impundulu; in turn they can understand me as well.”

“That’s-” Yoongi stared down at the duckling in his lap and stroked the top of its head, “Incredible, simply incredible.”

A loud quack filled the air and the ducklings all responded with their own smaller quacks. “Time to go sweetheart. Be good for your mother, all of you.”

The Princess lowered her hands and the duckling toddled off back into the water. She looked beside her and the duckling in the Prince’s lap was sound asleep. Prince Yoongi looked at the Princess unsure of what to do, so she reached out and scratched the top of the ducklings head to wake it up.

“Your family is waiting for you. Hurry along,” she whispered as the duckling shook out its feathers. The tiny thing looked confused and quacked in alarm before it nuzzled its beak into the Prince’s thigh and hurried off into the water as the Princess watched. When the Princess turned around with a smile on her face she startled at the sight of Prince Yoongi staring at her with the softest of smiles. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

The tips of the Prince’s ears heated as he cleared his throat, “Come on, I can feel my parents watching us.”

Prince Yoongi jumped to his feet and held out his hand to help the Princess off the ground. They dusted themself off and again the Prince offered his hand. Princess Keena gently placed her hand into the Prince’s and both of them felt their faces heat from the neck up. Prince Yoongi cleared his throat once more and started to tease the corner of his lips with his tongue as he led the way to the gazebo where the Emperor and Empress waited.

Inside the gazebo, two zabuton mats were on the wooden floor in front of the Emperor and Empress with enough space between them to fit a small table. Empress Min smiled at the young royals and extended her hand towards the seats.

“It looked like you two enjoyed yourselves. Come sit, tell me all about it.”

Emperor Min looked off in the distance and clicked his tongue, the refreshments he had requested were arriving. Prince Yoongi helped the Princess sit first before he took his place beside her and sat with one leg tucked under his thigh while the other was bent. He frowned as the Princess sat with both legs folded underneath her butt.

“You can relax my dear,” Empress Min cooed softly as she reached out and placed her hand over top of the Princess’. Princess Keena bowed her head in thanks and shifted so that her feet were no longer under her but folded off to the side at a slight angle. “I saw you both made some new friends.”

“I think his Highness made a new friend,” Princess Keena teased and Prince Yoongi rolled his eyes. “The duckling went right to sleep in his lap.”

“Oh my!” Empress Min covered her mouth with her hand while Emperor Min smiled. “I knew they would take a liking to you, my son. I was surprised their mother didn’t come say hello.”

“She sensed the impundulu,” Princess Kenna started to explain, “Most birds know I am not a threat to them and those around me are the same unless I say otherwise.”

“What a useful skill to have. Is that due to your bloodline?” Emperor Min questioned and the Princess nodded her head.

“Those with the blood of the impundulu have an affinity with birds of all kinds. It is useful while traveling long distances. The wild birds around us tend to help protect us and warn of any unseen dangers that are around.”

Emperor Min hummed as he clasped his hands together and sat up a little straighter. “It truly is a blessing from those above to have you with us, Princess Keena. We are forever honored by your presence.”

Empress Min copied her husband’s posture and they both bowed forward lightly with their heads lowered. Princess Keena sat frozen while Prince Yoongi’s eyes widened. His parents bowed to no one but the ancient dragons before them.

Before Princess Keena had the chance to recover from her shock, Emperor and Empress Min both sat upright with little to no emotion on their faces. Prince Yoongi heard the footfalls of the servants and he waited to see what would be placed in front of them. He sat with a frown on his lips and it only seemed to deepen once the food was placed in front of everyone.

Matcha cookies, purin, mooncakes, agar agar jelly, candied dates, and other fine desserts were laid out on beautiful hand painted dishes with golden dragons. Four white plates were passed around and the Prince’s brows pulled together as he stared at the Peruvian fire lily that was painted on the plates. The words of the Empress echoed loudly in the Prince’s mind as he watched his parents speak and joke with the Princess. They smiled and laughed, leaned into each other in a way that he had never seen after he turned of age. The sweets in front of him were colorful and perfect, too perfect.

More dishes came out. A bowl of chestnuts and freshly made pear blossom wine caught the Prince’s attention and he raised an eyebrow as he watched his father, the Emperor pour some into four small bowls that had gold and blue fish painted on them. Princess Keena laughed into her hand and turned to face the Prince with a smile on her face but it dropped quickly when she saw the dazed look in his eyes.

“Your Highness?” Princess Keena carefully placed her hand on the Prince’s arm and gave him a light squeeze. The laughter at the table died down and Princess Keena tried again just as softly, “Prince Yoongi?”

The Prince flinched and shook his head as he tried to clear the thoughts in his mind. His mother’s words echoed loudly again in his ears as he looked at everything in front of him. It was used to celebrate one's engagement.

Warmth from the Princess’ hand seeped through the material of the blouse he wore and burned him. His skin started to overheat and sweat collected underneath the headband around his head. His tongue felt a million times too big for his mouth and made of lead. Slowly he forced himself to gaze upon his parents and he saw the way their faces were blank, expressions schooled to not show what they were thinking. True royalty at its finest.

“You are trembling, my Prince. Do you feel unwell?”

The endearment of the Prince’s title wasn’t missed by the Emperor or Empress. Prince Yoongi gulped, his throat dry and scratchy as his parents stared at him with unforgiving eyes.

“When the time comes, I will fulfill my duty to the throne. You do not have to worry yourself with that thought.”

“Promise me Yoongi.”

“Pardon?” Yoongi stares at his mother confused. Promise her?

“When the time comes, you must promise me here and now that you will fulfill your duty to the throne.”

Prince Yoongi carefully situated his legs underneath himself and sat up straight. He turned his head to the Princess and offered her a hand as he forced his lips to curve upward into a tight smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“I am fine, Princess. However, I do believe my parents wish to discuss an important matter.”

Princess Keena placed her hand into the Prince’s open palm and she turned her attention back to the Emperor and Empress who were now looking at their son with the same emotion she saw in her parent’s eyes before she left Escistan. She hadn’t been able to discern that look and even now she still could not. Emperor Min turned his gaze to the Princess and he spoke with power and poise.

“The war with the west has started. Our forces will join those on the battlefield soon enough. We have faith that this will be a victory, however for the sake of Escistan’s future, we formed an alliance with your parents, the King and Queen as you know.” Emperor Min folded his hands inside of his sleeves and continued. “During negotiations your parents stressed that it was of the utmost importance to ensure the survival of the impundulu’s bloodline.”

Princess Keena understood the Emperor’s words, it made sense that her parents had wanted the impundulu bloodline to thrive and survive. Princess Keena did not understand why the Emperor felt the need to discuss it at greater length. Princess Keena glanced over at the Prince and he looked ill. What little color he had to him was replaced with a pale gray green hue. The Princess rubbed her thumb across Prince Yoongi’s knuckles and he squeezed her hand lightly.

“As agreed upon by the Escistan Kingdom and the Min empire,” Empress Min spoke for the first time in a while and her eyes were now golden which put the Princess on edge. Whatever was to be said was important. “First Princess Keena and First Prince Yoongi are to be wed-”

Princess Keena’s body stiffened up while the Prince felt all the air leave his body. Both the Empress and Emperor spoke but their words fell on deaf ears. Suddenly the weight of the Prince’s hand in her own didn’t feel right to the Princess and she pulled her hand into her lap. Prince Yoongi’s hand hit the floor and the priceless rings on his fingers smacked into the wood. The thump was so loud that it cut through the words of the Emperor as well as the Empress and echoed in the air. The warmth of the Princess’ touch had faded the moment she let the Prince’s hand go and goosebumps rose on his skin from head to toe.

The Princess folded in on herself and bowed her head. “Forgive me your Majesties…I am feeling...I-I need-” the Princess didn’t know what she needed but she couldn’t stand to be in the presence of the royal family any longer. She rose to her feet, bowed once more and hurried out of the gazebo.

“Aga!” The Princess’ voice was aghast; it quivered with an unheard of tone full of alarm and disbelief.

Aga rushed to her side having noticed the heavy storm clouds that were formed over the gazebo. He fought every fiber of his being to not pull the Princess into his arms like she were a mere child and hide her away from the world. He longed to ease her mind and see a smile on her face but he knew that would take time. He knew what the royals had spoken about, it had been planned this way before they came to the Min Empire. Princess Keena was betrothed to the First Prince of the Min Empire, Prince Yoongi; it had been this way for over three years since talks of war had first come about. It was a horrible secret that Aga swore to protect until the very last moments when it all was revealed.

“Come Princess, let us head back inside.” Aga waited for the Princess to move forward and when she wouldn’t, Aga picked her up in his arms and carried her into the palace with Mingi and Minho behind him.

Small tremors made the Prince grit his teeth as he pulled his hands into his lap and glared at the sweet treats before him. His parents had yet to speak after the Princess walked off and he wasn’t sure if he wanted them to. He had questions, so many questions but he knew that now was not the time. He was not in the right state of mind and needed to leave before he said or did something he would come to regret later on.

Prince Yoongi forced himself to his feet and bowed his head before he left the gazebo without a glance back at his parents. Hoseok was by his side and remained silent because he had heard everything. The storm above the gazebo was gone but the Prince smelt the lingering scent of heavy rain. A storm would come at some point to answer the impundulu’s call.

“Spar with me.”

It was a sudden request that Hoseok wouldn’t refuse and once they reached the training grounds, he looked at the weapons rack.

“Hand-to-hand?” Hoseok had offered and Prince Yoongi grunted as his eyes started to shift from black to gold. Hoseok’s blood started to heat and his amber eyes blazed as striking carmine red flecks moved around. Prince Yoongi would attack with his all, Agust was just below the surface and Hoseok knew better than to mess around. This was going to be a brutal match for however long it lasted and he was ready. He was there for his friend no matter what.

On the way to the palace, Aga was intercepted by Hyejin who led everyone to the butterfly house. Namjoon was waiting outside of the gate, his dimples on full display and they disappeared when he saw the Princess in Aga’s arms. A guard opened the gate for Aga and Minho followed while Mingi stayed behind and explained to Namjoon that the Princess had been feeling unwell. Namjoon understood and hid his disappointment well behind a kind smile. He could always show the Princess around her new home later on when she felt better. For now he spoke with the royal doctor Hyunwon about visiting the Princess and had a soothing tea delivered to the butterfly house right away.

As the Princess’ main pillar of support, Aga took it upon himself to inform those within the butterfly house of the Princess’ engagement to Prince Yoongi. Yongsun had already known since Empress Min had briefed her on everything before the Princess arrived. Everyone else was shocked but they kept their thoughts to themselves.

Misty blue skies shifted into a whirl of orange, yellow and pink before light faded and the night enveloped the sky in a bleak, black blanket filled with tiny diamonds of despair as on and off rain soaked the ground. Princess Keena sat on the wooden engawa outside of her open window. Her hair was down and braided all together into a single braid that rested against her back and brushed against the floor. The iro ati buba from the morning was replaced by a simple lavender silk nightgown with darker purple lace trimming along the bottom hem that covered the Princess’ toes. She wore a matching iridescent silk robe over the nightgown that had tiny dark colored flowers stitched along the shoulders with wide butterfly sleeves and a two foot train that trailed behind her.

It was a cool night as the Princess leaned against one of the support posts and stared up at the moon. Her eyes were puffy and burned, each blink sent a slow tear sliding down her face. The Princess had swore that she had no more tears to cry but her eyes seemed to prove her wrong as every conversation with the Prince played in her mind. Their friendship that had meant the world to her was brought into question at the forefront of the Princess’ mind. Did the Prince know about the engagement? Had he played his role this whole time to ensure that the Princess wouldn’t fight the announcement?

Princess Keena’s low lip trembled as she pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in her knees. Her cries were muffled as her body shook. She never thought that Prince Yoongi would ever be the cause of her tears and that realization caused the Princess’ heart to pinch painfully. She inhaled sharply and choked on the snot that had caught in the back of her throat. She coughed harshly and slapped at her chest as she fought to breathe clearly. Each inhale pierced her heart and burned the lungs.

The weight of the betrothal was crushing, an unrelenting force that kept pushing and pushing at the Princess’ mind; determined to shatter all the happy memories that she had created with the Prince. The implications were very real, yet the Princess fought with herself internally as she shifted through the last couple of days.

She had been lied to before, not on this grand of a scale but a lie was a lie. The Prince's eyes were shimmering mirrors of his soul; a warmth so soft and soothing it melted away the icy fear that locked around the Princess’ mind. That gummy smile that made the Prince’s age unknown, childlike and free. His words had supported the Princess long before his hands…could she still lean on them? Could she face the Prince after tonight?

The guards all tried their best to ignore the Princess’ cries as it wasn’t in their nature to abandon someone in need. Mingi chewed at the skin of his thumb as he hid in the shadows closest to the Princess. Minho was on the south side of the hanok, Aga who couldn’t stand to hear the Princess’ cries switched posts with Chan, and Chan was on the east side of the hanok while Jooheon stood guard with Aga at the front inner entrance to the hanok. The Princess’ handmaids were all wide awake in their room, waiting for the moment that the Princess called for them.

Mingi refused to watch any longer as the Princess started to slip into a deeper and darker hole. He emerged from the shadows and his green eyes gleamed in the starlight of the night. His movements were silent as he walked over to the Princess and sat beside her. The warmth from his body broke the chill in the air and the Princess shivered as goosebumps appeared on her skin. Sniffling, the Princess lifted her head and before she could wipe the snot and tears from her face, Mingi held out a yellow handkerchief while he stared off into the distance. Princess Keena took the handkerchief and carefully wiped her face. She winced as the soft fabric touched the raw and tender skin under her eyes and nose.

Mingi chewed at his lower lip in thought before he spoke up, “Sometimes it is better to speak what’s on your mind while another is near. My mother used to say that another body is better than air when you are upset or have a lot on your mind.” Mingi toed at the grass below him and scratched the back of his neck. “She also said that not everybody needs to speak, they only need to listen.”

Princess Keena slumped against the support beam and turned her body more to face Mingi. The brown of her eyes were lined in a thick silver ring that seemed to slowly ebb away little by little. Mingi pushed his damp hair from his face and glanced at the Princess who stared at his profile silently. The Princess’ lips twitched and she clicked her tongue before she kicked out her legs and dug her bare toes under the meat of Mingi’s right thigh. Mingi grunted from the icy chill that seeped through the fabric of his trousers but he kept motionless.

“I don’t want to hate the Prince…” Princess Keena’s words were soft and scratchy as she spoke, “He’s my best friend and I-I would like for us to remain that way.” The Princess wrapped her arms around her stomach and sunk within herself as she continued to speak her mind.

“How does anyone expect me to wed the Prince? Once his parents step down from the throne, the Prince will become the Emperor and that would make me the Empress. I know nothing of this empire. I am not fit to rule beside the Prince nor shall I bear him a proper heir.”

Princess Keena fell silent and Mingi glanced over her way once again. The Princess had a hand over her stomach and a frown was set deep on her face. “I have never heard of two such powerful beings producing such a creature.”

Mingi winced at the thought of the Princess’ situation and licked his lips. “If I may Princess-” Mingi carefully untucked the Princess’ toes from under his thigh and rested them on his hands to spread more of his body heat. “I have known the Prince for a long time. I have seen him defend the weakest of creatures without a second thought.” Mingi started to twist his wrists a little to create some friction between his hands and the Princess giggled as her toes started to warm.

“I truly believe that you and the Prince alike are victims to your titles. I cannot imagine His Highness would ever try to deceive you to gain power, yet alone force himself upon you for the rest of your lives.” Mingi spoke true and sure as he kept his gaze on the tree in front of him. Princess Keena rolled her eyes with a sigh and pulled her feet free from Mingi’s hands.

“...Thank you, Mingi. Your mother was a wise woman and taught you well.” Princess Keena rose to her feet and bowed her head with a soft smile. “Goodnight, Mingi.”

Mingi scrambled to his feet and bowed deeply. “G-Goodnight, Princess!”

#yoongi fic #bts fantasy au #emperor yoongi #yoongi x oc #bts arranged marriage au #dragon yoongi #daechwita yoongi #blackthorn ch 7 #soc yoongi #soc bts #fic: blackthorn

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sweetestofchaos · 1 year

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Blackthorn Ch 4 | M.YG

On Guard - Princess Keena starts her tutoring lessons to help further her worldly knowledge. Prince Yoongi loses himself and the Princess has to deal with the aftermath.

a/n: As always thanks to @sailoryooons for be my beta and making the banner. Huge shout out to @colormepurplex2 for making the Namjoon edit below. She saw me struggling and came to the rescue!

a/n 2: Character asks are open. Feel free to ask anyone a question(s). No one is off limits.

Taglist: @thickemadame

Series Masterlist | Masterlist

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Princess Keena woke to the sound of Izaso and Yongsun arguing over what the Princess would wear for the day. The Princess sat up in bed and yawned with her arms stretched high above her head. Hyejin and Limbani smiled at the sight of the Princess and helped her into her morning robe and slippers. Byulyi and Fatsani set the table for breakfast and settled the Princess with a nice hot cup of fresh lemon mint tea. Princess Keena thanked them and sipped at her tea while she ate her breakfast quietly.

Izaso and Yongsun continued to argue in harsh whispers and the Princess smiled to herself. After her conversation with Aga last night, the Princess knew what she wanted to wear during her classes. Princess Keena ignored their bickering and ate her food while going over her schedule for the day with Wheein. It was a lot but the Princess wouldn’t shy away from it. The first class was etiquette followed by language arts. After a short break, the Princess would learn the history of the Min empire followed by music and dance. There was to be another break in between for lunch and afterwards was the last lessons of the day, civics and species studies.

The Princess wondered how different the social structures of the two nations were and she looked forward to learning. Once finished with breakfast, Alinafe and Hyejin washed the Princess for the day while Chimika and Byulyi styled her hair into a single jumbo braid that had a thin gold chain with sapphires twisted in. Princess Keena watched in the mirror as Wheein started her makeup while Alinafe overlooked the process. The eyeshadow was a mix of warm nude tones with a pop of gold and thin black liner. The Princess’s lips were painted a soft taupe with cranberry hues which tied the whole look together.

Izaso walked over with a frown settled on her lips, her dark eyes narrowed as she sighed and motioned for the Princess to follow her. Princess Keena bit the inside of her lip to keep from laughing and followed Izaso to where Yongsun stood with a blue and gold hanbok ready to go. The Princess smiled and shook her head lightly as she spoke, “I will be wearing a boubou to today’s classes.”

Izaso’s face lit up at the Princess’s words and Yongsun frowned. “I understand that my attire is not what you are used to. However, it is a part of my culture. I will respect your dress when it is needed. Outside of that, I request that you grace me with the same courtesy.”

Yongsun bowed deeply and Izaso motioned for Fatsani and Limbani to ready the Princess’s clothing. Since the hanbok was blue, they picked out a light blue silk chevron patterned boubou that had a black and navy striped neckline. Izaso and Yongsun helped dress the Princess and finished the dress with a pair of navy leather pointed-toed shoes called balghas.

“Princess.” Chimika led the Princess back over to the vanity where Byulyi was standing with light blue chevron fabric in her hands. Princess Keena sat in the chair and Chimika wrapped the braid into a flat bun a few inches above the nape of the Princess’s neck. Byulyi took Chimika’s place and started to wrap the fabric around the Princess’s head carefully while Chimika watched. Once finished, Chimika smiled and nodded her head towards Byulyi as she complimented her first ever gele.

Alinafe took over and placed five golden bracelets of different thickness on the Princess’s left arm as well as three chunky golden rings, one on the index finger and the other two on the Princess’s ring finger. A single thin golden chain cuffed around the Princess’s left arm and followed the length of her middle finger before it wrapped around like a ring; three diamonds rested in the center of the chain that linked the bracelet and ring together. On the Princess’s right hand, the two rings that the Prince gifted to the Princess rested on her index finger. Alinafe paired the thinner rings with three other golden rings that were shaped into knots and wings with sapphire and diamond jewels.

A knock at the door pulled Wheein away from tidying up the room and she hurried over. As she opened the door, Hoseok smiled brightly while Prince Yoongi stood in the distance dressed in white nagajuban with a black kimono over it that had golden ginkgo leaves and tigers stitched along the hem. A deep red obi was tied around the Prince’s waist and a red haori was on top of the whole outfit with the haori himo designed as thin ropes of black and white beads tied in the front.

“His Imperial Highness is here to escort Her Highness.” Hoseok bowed his head as he spoke and Wheein nodded her head before she shut the door.

“Princess!” Wheein hurried over to the other and grinned. “His Imperial Highness has come for you.”

Princess Keena waited as Yongsun gave her a finale once over and bid her goodbyes to her handmaidens before she followed Byulyi to the door of her chambers.

While the Princess was away, Yongsun and her underlings would have lessons with Izaso and the others so that they would be able to take care of the Princess once it was time for them to leave. Byulyi opened the door and Princess Keena smiled when she saw the Prince standing in the hall with his hands behind his back.

Prince Yoongi’s lips pulled into an easy smile as he unclasped his hands from behind his back. “Good morning, Princess.”

“Good morning, Your Highness.” The Prince offered the Princess his arm and Princess Keena linked their arms together at the elbows. “Is your throat feeling better?”

Prince Yoongi nodded his head. “Much better. I hardly feel any pain.” The Prince led the way to the Princess’s first class and they spoke softly to each other.

Aga and Hoseok walked behind the royals while Minho and Mingi walked in front. Hoseok watched as the Prince laughed at whatever the Princess told him. Aga kept his face blank as he watched the Princess walk happily beside the young Prince without a care in the world. Aga was surprised to see that the Princess had chosen to wear one of her boubou and not a hanbok. The young royals looked good side by side, but Aga wouldn’t voice his opinion out loud. Hoseok kept his amber eyes on the two as servants and guards all bowed out of their way.

As the Prince reached the first lesson of the day, he turned to the Princess and took both of her hands in his. Prince Yoongi stared down at the rings on the Princess’s fingers and his thumb brushed over the rings that he gifted. His dark eyes flickered up to search the Princess’s face for any hint of fear or hesitation and when he found none, he huffed a laugh.

“Have you no fear of today?”

“What have I to fear, my Prince?”

Prince Yoongi licked his lips as he thought over the Princess’s question. “I suppose a paper cut or an ink stain at most.”

Princess Keena’s lips twitched as she suppressed her laughter and gave the Prince’s hands a light squeeze. Hoseok cleared his throat from behind and the Prince nodded his head before he squeezed the Princess’s hands in his.

“Enjoy your classes, Princess.”

Prince Yoongi bowed his head and pressed his lips to the Princess’s knuckles as he pulled her right hand up to his mouth. The Princess felt her face heat up and she bit the inside of her cheek as the Prince loosened his hold on her hands and pulled away.

“I will be with Seokjin and the royal advisor if you need me. Do not hesitate to call for me.”

“I will be fine, my Prince.”

Prince Yoongi clicked his tongue and tapped the Princess on the tip of her nose, “Good luck, Princess.”

Prince Yoongi stepped away from the Princess and waited until she disappeared behind the sliding door with Aga. Mingi and Minho stood guard outside and the Prince narrowed his eyes at them.

“If they are not tutors or attendants, they are not granted entrance to the Princess’s classes.” Prince Yoongi growled as his eyes flashed gold. “Hoseok is the only other permitted to enter.”

“Understood, your Highness.” Minho and Mingi both bowed and the Prince walked away with Hoseok beside him.

Inside the room, Princess Keena looked around. It was decorated in neutral tones with small splashes of color and very tasteful. A chabudai table sat towards the back of the room with two cushions in front while the center of the room was empty. The dark wooden floors looked brighter from the natural sunlight that spilled in from the rounded cut out windows. Large twin vases stood four feet tall, tucked in the corners of the room with cherry blossom branches in them.

On the ceiling above, sunstones shined a soft light through the blue and green lanterns that hung in a cluster. Aga stood off to the left side of the room and watched as the Princess sat before the table. No one was present in the room so the Princess took the moment of silence and gathered her thoughts.

A knock at the door sounded throughout the room before someone stepped inside and the Princess kept her back towards the door. Aga watched as a tall woman dressed in deep green and black garb entered the room. There were no symbols or designs stitched into the fabric. The woman wore a long black tunic that stopped just above her knees and faded into green closer towards the waist. Her black pants looked to be wrapped around the woman’s legs in a style that Aga knew to be dhoti.

The woman’s black hair was coiled tightly at the back of her neck with tiny silver clips scattered throughout the neat bun. Aga took notice of the way the woman didn’t look like the rest of the people in the castle. This woman had dull grey skin and large blue eyes that bulged out of her and didn’t quite fit her face. Her face was more angular, and her chin had a strong point with a mole the size of a pea that rested above her left eyebrow.

The woman bowed to Aga and walked over to the Princess. The woman lowered herself to her knees and bowed low, the dark fabric of the grab she wore bunched around her and the Princess noticed that the woman had blue green markings on her neck.

“Welcome to the Min empire, Princess Keena of the Escistan nation. I am Zarrin Tajik of the siren tribe.” Zarrin raised up slowly and would not raise her eyes past the Princess’s nose. “I will be your etiquette tutor during your stay within the palace.”

Princess Keena bowed her head and waited as Zarrin walked around to the other side of the table. She sat before the Princess and placed her hands on the table. Zarrin’s fingers were long and boney, her nails were blue purple and the same markings that were on her neck were on her wrists.

“Today I would like to learn what you know about etiquette. Every nation is different in how they show respect with very small overlaps. It is to my understanding that the people of Escistan do not bow at the waist lower than forty five degrees nor do they bend the knee for those of royal blood.”

“That is correct.” Princess Keena placed her hand in her lap and fiddled with one of the rings that the Prince gifted her. “While the Impundulu’s blood does run in our veins, we are no different than those that serve us. To have them soil their garbs in greeting would be shameful.”

Zarrin’s lips pressed into a tight line and she nodded her head. “And the meaning being your greeting?”

“The meaning?” Princess Keena smiled as she repeated the question. “With these hands I will protect your life, that is my pledge to you. I see you, like you see me, that is our life.”

Aga smirked to himself, he had told the Princess the significance of their greeting when she was just a hatchling and asked many, many questions.

Zarrin sat up straighter and lifted her head. She stared right into the Princess’s eyes and grinned, her teeth all pointed and sharp like a shark’s. Princess Keena held Zarrin’s gaze and the older woman laughed. It was a rough giggle, smoothed over and drowned by salt water. Those large blue eyes shifted towards Aga and Zarrin clapped her hands before she turned her attention back to the Princess.

“A truly noble pledge to make. Thank you for enlightening me, your highness.” Zarrin snapped her fingers and the whooshing sound of the sea filled the room before a tea set made from water appeared on the desk before the Princess. “Let us start from the beginning!”

Time sped by as the Princess shared her knowledge with Zarrin. The older woman took notes and wrote up a solid lesson plan based on what the Princess lacked in knowledge. Zarrin stood to her full height and again lowered herself to her knees and bowed deeply before the Princess.

“I look forward to our sessions, your highness. Please enjoy the rest of your lessons.”

“Thank you, Zarrin. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

Princess Keena bowed her head and the siren left without another word. Once the door shut, Aga watched as the Princess sighed.

“So that is a siren. I never thought I would ever meet one in this lifetime.”

Aga grunted and watched the door as the Princess stood from the place at the table. “Come now, Aga. Zarrin was nothing like what I’ve been told of her kind.”

Princess Keena walked over to one of the windows and looked outside at the dogwood and magnolia trees. In the distance she spotted a young man with the softest shade of blue hair dressed in simple robes with a pair of pruning shears in his hands. He was clearly the royal gardener of the grounds, and the Princess made a mental note to find him later on.

Another knock caught the Princess’s attention and a young boy wearing a colorful outfit stepped into the room. He was short, much shorter than the Princess and had a single rose red hexagon crystal in the center of his forehead. The boy had snow white hair that was cut into a bob and framed his cherub like face perfectly. His eyebrows and eyelashes were white as well, while his eyes were a fuzzy, hazy orange-red. The boy bowed deeply at the waist towards the Princess with his arms folded outward in front of him.

“Good day, your highness. I am Wen from the Tiqto oni clan. Son of Hexer, master of languages.”

As Wen stood, the Princess took in his colorful appearance. Yellow, orange, blue and cream clashed and came together on a beautiful patterned hanfu. The cream cross collared shirt had blue and yellow swirls along the thick neckline and dropped into an orange skirt with the same blue and yellow designs down the center. A thin blue braided silk belt was wrapped around his waist. He wore a yellow open cross collared jacket over top that had blue and cream glory of the snow flowers stitched along the wide sleeves. Wen’s robes were long enough to reach the floor and covered his feet.

Wen offered the Princess a smile and she wasn’t surprised to see that his teeth were similar to Zarrin's; only Wen’s teeth were not serrated. Princess Keena bowed her head and greeted Wen with a polite smile as she introduced herself and Aga as well. Wen walked across the room and waited silently for the Princess to take her seat. He walked over to a cabinet and gathered the supplies they would need for his lesson in silence. Once seated, Wen set everything down in front of himself and the Princess. He had pointed nails that were as red as the crystal in his forehead.

“Let us get right into our lesson, shall we?” Wen questioned as he picked up a brush and motioned for the Princess to do the same. “Now, it is to my knowledge that you understand the basics of this nation's language, correct?”

“Yes. His Imperial Highness was kind enough to send me a book with the alphabet and a few light novels that he enjoys.”

“Wonderful, and you understand the basic breakdown of the letters?”

Princess Keena shook her head and grabbed the other brush from the table. “I do not fully understand the breakdown. The phonics is confusing, and you have letters that I do not.”

Wen nodded his head and tightened his hand around the brush in his hand. “Write the Eezean alphabet and the Laibic underneath. I will show you a simple way to convert the letters.”

Princess Keena dipped her brush in the black ink beside her and started to write slowly. In Escistan they used humming-quill feathers to write; the tips were sturdy and thin unlike the brushes used in the Min Empire. Wen watched as the Princess wrote, her movements were stiff and lacked grace, but he kept that thought to himself. He made a mental note to inform the other tutors that the Princess wasn’t accustomed to using their writing tools.

Wen started to write the different alphabets on his own paper in front of him and he took his time to exaggerate his strokes, so that he could show the Princess the difference between their writing. As the Princess finished her work, Wen turned his paper upside down so that the Princess could read it clearly.

“It would benefit your highness if we started from the very basics of the Laibic language. Your characters do not match my own and could leave room for misinterpretation.”

Princess Keena examined Wen’s handwriting and compared it to her own with a small frown on her lips. Wen was correct, the Princess’s letters were skewed and uneven. Compared to Wen's, the Princess’s handwriting could have been mistaken for a child’s.

“Write the Laibic alphabet again, please. This time focus on the pressure that you apply while writing. The brush is only a tool, you control its power.” Wen carefully swapped out the used paper for a fresh piece and the Princess started to write again. Her face was pinched in concentration, her brows pulled together in the middle of her forehead and her lips were pressed together in a tight line. Wen was fondly reminded of the children he had taught in the early summer days when he first came to the Min Empire.

“I would like for you to write the Laibic alphabet once more after this. You will write this alphabet every day at the start of our lesson until you can do it with your eyes closed.”

Princess Keena followed Wen’s instructions and took his criticism in stride. She knew that her penmanship wasn’t the best with a brush, and she was thankful that Wen took the time to help her perfect it. By the end of the lesson, the Princess had learned the basics of the Laibic language, and she felt better about herself. Wen bowed low and left the room in silence before Mingi stepped into the room.

“Would you like to visit the garden, Princess?” Mingi offered and the Princess agreed with a smile on her face.

“May I visit the garden outside of this room?”

“The dogwood garden? As you wish, Princess.”

As the Princess exited the large room, Prince Yoongi had just finished excusing himself from the side of the royal advisor and Seokjin. He had the time limits of the Princess’s lessons memorized and vowed to himself not to miss any of her breaks. Hoseok walked by the Prince’s side and smiled as they made their way to the room where the Princess’s lessons were held. Minho stood guard of the room and informed Prince Yoongi that the Princess was in the dogwood garden with Aga and Mingi.

Prince Yoongi found his way to the dogwood gardens, and he wasn’t surprised to see the Princess talking to another one of his childhood friends, Kim Namjoon, the son of the royal gardener. Namjoon stood with his back turned towards the Prince, his peach and honey toned robes a stark difference to his light blue hair that was pulled into a low ponytail with a white ribbon.

Prince Yoongi walked forward, and he could hear the Princess as she asked Namjoon a question about the lifespan of the dogwood trees. He smiled and spoke up before Namjoon could answer, “Eighty years but our trees are over a hundred years old.”

The Princess and Namjoon both turned around and Namjoon bowed low at the waist. The Princess had started to lower herself into the bow that Zarrin had taught her and Prince Yoongi’s eyes bled gold before he growled. Aga and Mingi were in front of the Princess instantly while Hoseok stood before the Prince with his forearm against his chest. The Princess was shocked, she had never heard the Prince growl and it sent a shiver down her spin.

“You bow to no one, treasure. No one is above you!” The Prince rasped and Hoseok took notice of the patches of black scales that were visible on the Prince’s neck.

“Get her out of here!” Hoseok snapped to the guards and the Prince’s golden eyes seemed to burn brighter while the skin under Hoseok’s hand heated up. Aga pushed the Princess into Mingi’s arms and allowed for the two of them to leave first before he shot Namjoon a look and rushed off.

“Agust-” Hoseok hissed through gritted teeth as he pushed on the Prince's chest, “-bring him back. Now.”

Namjoon saw the way the Prince’s nails had blackened and nearly doubled in length as his hand twitched. Before the Prince could lash out, Namjoon grabbed the Prince’s wrist and restrained them behind his back.

“Yoongi come back to us.” Namjoon urged and grunted as he felt the Prince fight against him.

Hoseok’s amber eyes started to glow and the veins on his hands shifted from blue to red as his own body temperature started to heat up. “Agust, I will-”

The Prince’s golden eyes snapped to Hoseok’s face, and he grinned with elongated fangs on full display as he hissed. “What will you do, bird of fire?”

“Do not test me. Bring the Prince back, now!”

The Prince growled and huffed out a thick plume of smoke before he narrowed his eyes, “He won’t have control forever.”

The Prince’s body suddenly slumped forward, and Hoseok was quick to catch the weight with Namjoon’s help. The two friends stared down at the young Prince and Namjoon sighed. “I’ll make a stronger brew.”

“I must tell her Majesty.” Hoseok lifted his face towards the sky and whistled loudly, a single high pitched note that wasn’t heard by anyone. Shortly after a black eagle flew down onto the nearest branch and Hoseok spoke up. “Inform her majesty that the Prince would like an audience with her in his chambers.” The eagle flew away and Hoseok looked around making sure that no one was around. He nodded his head towards Namjoon and clicked his tongue. “Use my route.” He dug into the pouch on his hip and pulled out a small smooth silver stone the size of a pea that had a faint glow.

Namjoon took the bead and crushed it in his hand before he scooped the Prince into his arms. The bodies of the Prince and Namjoon suddenly disappeared before Hoseok and he sighed. “I will be there shortly. Please stay with him, until I come.”

“I know. I got him.” Namjoon hurried off, his and the Prince’s body hidden by the magic of the

starstone.

Hoseok looked at his hands and was thankful that his temperature was back to normal. The last thing he needed was to lose his own control while dealing with the Prince’s dragon. Hoseok took a deep breath and walked into the palace with all emotion stripped from his face. He needed to grab Seokjin before they made their way to the Prince’s chambers to meet with the Empress.

In the palace, Princess Keena was back inside the room where her tutoring took place. Aga was on high alert, the threat of danger ever present in the forefront of his mind. The Princess waved Aga off as he tried to have her lessons canceled for the rest of the day. Aga wanted the Princess back in her room where no one could touch her. Princess Keena ignored Aga’s wishes for she understood that somehow, she had done something wrong to upset the Prince. She wasn’t sure what, but she knew that the Prince would explain himself in time.

Mingi knocked on the door and followed an older servant while they carried a tray of tea in. Aga watched the servant’s every movement as they prepared a fresh pot of tea for the Princess. Princess Keena thanked them softly and Mingi led them out the room before he shut the door. The Princess sipped at the tea and sighed as she felt Aga’s eyes on her.

“I am unharmed, Aga.”

“You could have been-”

"Nou pa rete sou te kapab genyen. Ou te anseye m sa." Aga huffed and sucked his teeth at the Princess’s words. He should have known that his wise words would be used against him one day. A knock at the door made Aga’s back stiffen and when the door slid open to reveal a man and women, Aga narrowed his eyes. They were dressed in matching sage and cream hanfu outfits and the Princess noticed that they both wore a single silver band on their ring fingers.

The woman was taller than the man, he stood at her shoulders; they were very cute together. The woman had a flawless face, too perfect and smooth to be human while the man looked no less than average with a stocky build. They reminded the Princess of yin and yang; they complemented each other nicely. The man looked surprised to see the Princess in the room as he carted a bunch of different instruments behind himself. His black hair was cut close to his head and the style made him look younger than what he most likely was.

The man smiled all the same and bowed low with the woman beside him. Her mulberry hair was pulled back away from her face and hung in a single braid that just grazed the floor. The tips of her ears were pointed, and the Princess smiled politely. A human and an elf, she was pleased to see them together.

“Good day to you Princess. I am Hue Kwangseon and this is my wife Ellarian.”

“We will take turns teaching you the joyous music and dance of the Min Empire as well as the rest of the world!” Ellarian’s voice was light and sweet, fresh cotton in a spring breeze.

“I look forward to your tutelage,” the Princess beamed as she bowed her head.

“Please allow us to set up. We were not expecting your highness to be present,” Kwangseon explained, and the Princess nodded her head.

“Take your time. I will do what I can to stay out of your way.”

Ellarian laughed at Kwangseon’s face flushed as he struggled to find a polite way to wave off the Princess’s words and failed. He ducked his head down and got to work on setting up the room with instruments while Ellarian made sure the center of the room was clear of anything that would cause harm while dancing. Aga watched as the husband and wife moved about the room, he stood his ground as the wife smiled at him and the Princess laughed to herself. Aga always had a hard time with females.

“What would you like to start with first, your highness? Dance or music?” Ellarian questioned and the Princess thought about it.

“Dance. I fear that I am not very skilled with instruments even from my own nation.” The Princess admitted and Aga choked on a laugh. It was true, the Princess could not play a single tune. Ellarian laughed softly and offered the Princess her hand to help her off the floor.

“We will start with a dance all ladies of the court learn for their coming of age. It is a mixture of a waltz and quickstep.” Ellarian explains as she steps away from the Princess. “Are you familiar with these terms, your highness?”

“I am not.”

“Wonderful! You will do well in your classes, your highness. It is much easier to create art from a blank canvas!” Ellarian raises her arms, a hand pointed out while the other is held out diagonally from her chest. “I will demonstrate the proper posture for this dance, and I would like for you to focus on how my upper body moves.”

Kwangseon sits on the floor off to the side with a bendir drum in his lap. He offers the Princess a gentle smile before he starts tapping out a beat. Ellarian speaks as she dances, counting loud enough for the Princess to hear. Her steps are elegant as if she is dancing through the air alone with just the beat to support her weight. The Princess is memorized by the dance, it looked simple enough compared to the dances that she had learned from her own nation.

The dance came to its end and the Princess clapped her hands happily while Ellarian bowed. “Now! Let us see your form.”

The lesson went back and forth with dancing and music. Kwangseon didn’t look to be put off while his wife dominated the lesson. He was more than happy to provide the music for the dances. At the end of the lesson, Ellarian was more than pleased. The Princess’s form wasn’t perfect, and her footwork wasn’t confident, but she had tried and kept at it. Kwangseon left some homework for the Princess. She was to study a simple sheet of music and play it on the drums during the next lesson.

As the couple left, the Princess felt lighter. The incident from the garden no longer lingered at the forefront of her mind. She wondered if the lessons were switched for that very purpose and if so, who called for it?

The Princess sat at the table and thought about the different people that she had meant so far that day. Escistan was filled with hybrids, species that shared their body with an animal’s spirit. Humans were commonplace as well but that was it. The Princess had only read about the other species that she had come in contact with. Elves, Oni and Sirens had always felt like a myth to the Princess and to see them in person was an experience all in itself. The Princess was thankful for the chance to widen her knowledge from such fantastic tutors.

While the Princess continued with her lessons, Empress Eunkyung sat in the Prince’s chambers with Hoseok, Namjoon, Seokjin and Hyungwon, the royal physician, a trusted witch whose family had been in service of the Min’s since the beginning of time. Prince Yoongi was put in the center of his bed, his face ashen and dull as his body struggled to recover from Agust’s sudden take over. Empress Eunkyung watched as Hyungwon moved around the bed and placed small floating tea lights around the Prince’s body. Hyungwon looked over the Prince’s body and checked for any abnormalities while he chanted a purifying spell to help soothe the dragon that hissed within.

“What happened in the garden?” Hyungwon questioned as he stepped away from the bed and turned his attention to the others in the room.

Hoseok hesitated to speak. In his mind he recalled what took place and nothing stood out to him that warranted Agust’s presence.

“I am unsure of what triggered the dragon,” Hoseok admitted truthfully, and the Empress rested her hand on Hoseok’s shoulder.

“Tell us the events that took place, Hoseok. It doesn’t matter how small or insignificant you may think an action to be. Dragons are proud creatures and clearly something offended Agust.”

“Yes, your Majesty.” Hoseok cleared his throat and motioned for Namjoon to start the story from when he first started to speak with the Princess. Hoseok took over from the time that Prince Yoongi and himself went into the garden and by the end of the story all eyes were on the Empress.

Empress Eunkyung looked at her son and touched his cheek gently. Her claws pressed into the flesh but did not break the skin. She pulled her hand away and sighed, “Seokjin.”

“Yes, your Majesty?”

“The crown Prince will be in your care until further notice. Hoseok, you will do well to keep the Prince and Princess away from each other.”

Hoseok and Seokjin shared a look before they both bowed low. The Empress turned to face the two younger men and smiled softly.

“There is no need for worry, I assure you. Agust is showing off for the Princess. He can sense the power that she holds within, it calls to him in a challenge.”

“The Prince will not like this news.” Hoseok pointed out and the Empress sighed.

“That is where Seokjin comes into play. If you keep him busy, he will not worry about the Princess.”

“And if he fights us?” Seokjin prompted as he glanced at the sleeping Prince.

“The brew you created will aid in keeping Agust quiet for the time being. If he breathes wrong, Hyungwon will step in.”

The men all bowed to the Empress, and she looked at her son once more with a frown on her face.

“I understand how meaningful their friendship is. Be prepared, for Yoongi will fight you in his down time. I will keep an eye on the Princess’ lessons myself and spend my time with her.” The Empress turned and lifted her head, her eyes sharp as she spoke, “The crown Prince will not interfere if I am present. The same goes for Agust, for my dragon is much older and has his respect.”

“Your Majesty?” Hyungwon spoke up as he started to gather his tea lights. “Forgive me if I am over stepping. However, I feel that it would be in the Princess’ best interest to move her into a separate home of her own.”

“The twilight hanok is vacant and it is close to the lotus pond,” Namjoon offered.

“If we are to keep His Highness away from the Princess, I think the butterfly house would be best,” Seokjin stated as he looked at the Empress. “It is the farest away from his Highness’ chambers and if I’m not mistaken, it is also where his Highness has prepared the Princess’ welcoming gift.”

“Is the butterfly house vacant?” Hoseok questioned.

“Since the start of his Highness’ project, the house has been vacant.”

“Very well,” the Empress nodded her head and folded her hands in front of her. “Once the Princess’s envoy leaves at the end of next week, we will move her into the butterfly house. I expect everything to be prepared for her arrival.”

“As you wish, your Majesty.”

Again, everyone bowed and Hyungwon escorted the Empress out of the Prince’s chambers as his medical bag floated behind them.

The three men stared at their sleeping friend before Hoseok spoke up, “Namjoon. Forgive me for adding more duties but I would like for the butterfly house to be under your care until the Princess is moved in.”

“Shouldn’t one of the Princess’s handmaid's take care of that?” Seokjin frowned and Hoseok nodded his head.

“They have their hands full with learning how to care for the Princess.”

“It’s fine. I’ll take care of it,” Namjoon shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “I’ve wanted to change a few things about that house. It’s a little outdated if I do say so myself.”

Seokjin and Hoseok laughed and patted Namjoon on his back as they all headed towards the door of the Prince’s chambers.

“Don’t overdo it, Namjoon. You only have a week to get everything finished.” Seokjin reiterated and Namjoon waved him off.

“I could push it for another day or two if need be,” Hoseok offered, and Seokjin sighed.

Hoseok smiled at his friends and bid them farewell before he closed the door and took his seat beside the Prince’s bed.

The Empress excused herself from Hyungwon and made a detour towards the room where the Princess had her lessons. Minho and Mingi both bowed low once they saw the Empress and allowed her entrance silently. Aga dropped into a low bow and the Princess rose to her feet before she bowed towards the Empress.

Empress Eunkyung regarded the Princess with a fond smile as she instructed the Princess to rise. Princess Keena stood before the Empress, and she cupped the Princess' cheek. Empress Eunkyung flexed her fingers so as to not scratch or knick the Princess’s face as she silently looked at her. Confusion reflected in those brown eyes and the Empress lowered her hand from the Princess’s face.

“How are your lessons, dear?”

“I have learned a lot on my first day. You have chosen wonderful tutors, your Majesty.”

The Empress nodded her head and motioned for the Princess to have a seat before she moved to the other side of the table and sat.

“Aga, have Minho call for fresh tea. Please?”

Aga walked to the door and slid it open before he relayed the Princess’s message. Once the door shut again, Aga stood against the wall and tuned out the conversation between the two royals.

“I was informed of the fiasco in the garden. Forgive my son, he is but a hatchling and the dragon within is quite strong.”

The Princess nodded her head at the Empress’ words and tilted her head in question.

“Was it his Highness’ dragon that reacted so poorly?”

Empress Eunkyung’s lips twitched as she fought her laughter. If Agust had heard the Princess speak of him like that he would have thrown a fit.

“Mmhmm,” the Empress nodded her head and cleared her throat. “Agust was the dragon reborn with Yoongi. He was one of the five dragons to rule the skies.” The Empress explained and the Princess listened to the story.

“Agust is very old and powerful. He needed a strong body and mind that could encompass all he was.” The smile on the Empress’ lips was small, hardly a smile at all. “Every dragon is destined to come back to our world many times over. As fate would have it, I was to bear the great Agust.”

The Princess watched as the Empress placed a hand over her stomach before she spoke softly. “Yoongi would have had three older siblings had Agust taken to the first. For the longest time I hated Agust but I loved Yoongi all the more because he survived. He filled every single crack in my heart with endless love and I swore from the moment he opened his eyes, I would love and protect him until my last breath.”

A knock at the door startled the Princess and the Empress removed her hand from her stomach and placed it in her lap. The door to the room opened and another servant entered with a tray of tea in their hands. The servant set the tray down and the Empress dismissed them with a silent wave of her hand.

“Allow me, your Majesty.”

Princess Keena easily fixed two cups of tea and offered the first one to the Empress with a smile on her face.

“I see your etiquette lesson went well,” the Empress teased and the Princess felt heat as it crept up the back of her neck and burned the tips of her ears.

“Do you know why I shared that story with you, dear?”

The Princess shook her head and sipped her tea as the Empress took a sip of her own.

“You are an impundulu, a bird of lightning flows through your veins. The power you hold within calls to Agust. Whether he sees you challenging his own power or as an equal, I do not know,” the Empress sighed as she set her cup down in front of her. “I do not wish for any harm to come to you during your stay here in our home. Agust is unpredictable and Yoongi can only hold him back for so long, as you saw in the garden today.”

“I do not believe that his Highness or Agust would ever cause me harm.”

“Be that as it may, your safety is one of my main concerns. While in my charge you are my responsibility and that means you are family. You are a daughter that I have been blessed with. You shall know no harm while within these walls.”

Princess Keena bowed her head, just a few inches from the table and the Empress raised her head gently.

“In one week's, time you will be moved into the butterfly house that rests within one of our seven gardens. Your attendees will go with you and your guards as well.”

Aga glanced at the royals, and he locked eyes with the Empress who openly stared at him. He understood that the young Prince was harmless but the dragon, Agust was a force to be weary of. Aga blinked slowly and turned his head forward silently. He would touch base with the other guards and finetune their rotation to the new location.

The Empress carefully rose to her feet and the Princess bowed low once again before she spoke, “Thank you for your company and wise words, your Majesty.”

Empress Eunkyung stroked the Princess’s cheek softly in passing and smiled. “It was my pleasure. Enjoy the rest of your lessons, dear.”

Once the Empress left the room, Aga crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow as the Princess looked at him. The two stared at each other for a short while before the Princess clicked her tongue and turned her back.

“Your silence is very loud. I cannot enjoy my tea.”

“Ou ta dwe pè l.”

“Fear him? What for, Aga? What has the Prince done to deserve such a change of my heart?”

“It would be wise to heed the Empress’ warning.”

Princess Keena turned away from the table and folded her arms in her lap, the tea forgotten.

“I have heeded the warning. I will move to the butterfly house without complaint. That doesn’t mean I have to turn my back on my friend!” Princess Keena narrowed her eyes when Aga took a step towards her. “Kenbe yon bon zanmi ak tou de men yo!” Her voice rose as her eyes bled sliver and the sky outside started to darken.

Aga sighed and nodded his head in reluctant agreement. “Hold a friend with both hands. Yes, Princess. That is what I have always told you.”

Aga crossed his arms over his chest and bent at the waist as he spoke, “I apologize for belittling your friendship. That was not my intention.”

The Princess blinked twice and the silver in her eyes faded away. The sky outside was once again a bright blue with cotton like clouds floating by.

“I wish to retire for the day,” the Princess’ voice was soft as she spoke. The hurt from the conversation weighed heavy on her shoulders as she struggled to stand.

Aga stepped forward to help but the Princess waved him off as she straightened herself out. “Have Minho relay my message to the other tutors, give them my apology for canceling and find a way to compensate them for their wasted time.”

“Princess-”

“Mingi will follow to my chambers. You are dismissed, Aga.”

Aga’s jaw clenched at the Princess’ words, but he kept quiet and followed orders. He watched as Princess Keena walked away with Mingi by her side and grunted. He knew his mistake had wounded the Princess deeply and it hurt his own heart to be sent away when she needed him the most. Aga swore silently to make it up to the Princess and gain back whatever trust he had lost.

#blackthorn ch 4 #soc yoongi #min yoongi fic #bts fantasy au #bts royal au #emperor yoongi #dragon!yoongi #yoongi x oc #yoongi x black oc #exqueuese me

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