The embarrassingly long chapter is here... You can days to finish it, I don't know. But don't skip any detail because I have revealed much important plot in this update.

Some questions from the past got answered.

Grab your water bottles and blankets, here we go.

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Jungkook's feet were still floaty when he reached the entrance gate of the palace, two carriages were standing there. One from which Yoongi was already unloading the trunks with the help of soldiers and from the other, The commander was holding the doors open to help Jimin step out first. 

Jimin strides out easily, having years of experience doesn't require him any support. He let the commander help his mother while throwing a concerned glance at Jungkook as if asking about the hindrances his brother caused.

But Jungkook smiled at the Royal omega and nodded in peace, it came as a shock to Jimin but he quickly composed himself when his father assisted out of the carriage.  

Jungkook watched a man in white hanfu stepping out of the carriage while holding his mate's hand in his. Eyes were sharper, face holding the lines of maturity as a blue oval stone was dangling down his neck. The Former Royal King of Europe and the father of his mate. 

The person standing in front of him looked like a divine entity that stepped down on earth to pursue the morality of people and lead them to the ultimate power. Madelyn and Mio, both looked exquisite together, he had read stories of them while growing up and now he is witnessing their bond with his own eyes.

It felt surreal.

The Imperial Alpha was looking at the surroundings as if he was seeing it for the very first time in his life, maybe seventeen hundred years has changed many things. His long white hair matched the length of his mate's black ones. However, his eyes were really expressive with his white persona. There are white strips wrapped around his neck and wrists to avoid any infection to his wounds. 

But the Alpha stood proud and composed on his feet. He looked pleased after seeing the palace, his eyes holding the colour of deep green…matching perfectly with the veil Madelyn carried around his arms. 

His gaze was roaming around to study the environment in sheer detail till his eyes met with the omega standing beside Jimin. 

The Imperial couple walked towards the omega and Jungkook couldn't help the surprise his features held when he saw the former Alpha smiling at him. 

It's his first meeting with his father-in-law so he swerved down on his knees and bent forward on the ground to bow to the couple," My deep greetings, Your Imperial Majesty." 

Madelyn came forward and hugged Jungkook after helping him to his feet," Thank you, son." 

Jungkook knew why he was gaining this kind of appreciation from Madelyn, so he smiled back as well. 

"This time… change actually brought happiness with it." Jungkook whispered back and Madelyn pulled away to caress his head in affection, "I'm glad."

"So, you are finally here." The voice was authoritative, reminding Jungkook of someone very familiar.  He looked at the Imperial Alpha whose eyes were holding a peace of eternity as if his old soul had gained the strength to breathe again.

The words left Jungkook in confusion, does he look like Hwan to the former Alpha as well? It's possible, right? He looked at Jimin subtly who was busy glaring at his mates. 

Jungkook smiled slightly," I apologise but I'm not Hwan. I know my features give out his looks but.." He stopped to find the correct words but the Alpha beat him into it.

"I know, dear Empress of Eclipse. It's a fortune that you are not him. Thank you for choosing my son, Your Grace." 

Jungkook was speechless because he didn't understand the context behind the Imperial Alpha's words. His wide eyes showed concern but when he looked at Madelyn, his big smile comforted him instantly. 

Jimin finally regained his concentration and grabbed his father's arm from the other side," We have prepared the left wing for you, we shall go. I need to change the strips with new ones. My healers have prepared remedies that we need to experiment with."

Those green grateful eyes finally changed focus from Jungkook, letting the omega sigh in relief. No wonder from where his Alpha carries this dark gaze. 

They crossed the warehouse as Jungkook guided them to the left wing of the palace. It was situated in the left region from the main palace, a two-storey building with all necessities. The omega had taken care of each minute detail in briefing the servants but he couldn't be there to supervise, now he just hoped that they had listened to him well.

~

'Look at the lake, it's so beautiful. You think we can come here every day?' A beta maid asked as she tightened a thatch over the swing. They were ordered by the Alpha to make a canopy on the swing. The difficult work was done, they installed iron parts and made a good shelter. But now thatching is important because of the rainy season and the black clouds in the evening were predicting the rain tonight.

'His Majesty hasn't prohibited anyone from roaming here specifically, we just leave this place because Alpha visits here often and made a pact to inform others as well to not dwell into his privacy. Then it became a kind of rule among the folks.' The male Beta replied.

'Hmm… In this large packhouse, we can leave one place where the Royal Alpha can find relief.' She agreed with the male Beta with a smile while knotting the ends with her skillful fingers.

'Have you seen the Empress? I was away to eradicate the pests in crops, I heard Luna was sick?' The male Beta asked, face contorting in genuine concern. 

'Oh? You don't know? No one saw it but we heard that there was a fire in the palace and Luna got caught inside it.' She replied, both of them totally engage in work.

'Oh dear Goddess, What happened then?' The male Beta stopped working but continued when the maid shook his head in nonchalance.

She looked in different directions subtly and spoke in a very hushed voice,' People have seen Royal Alpha carrying Luna to his chamber. It's a secret though, no one was allowed inside due to fire.' 

'Ahh what a relief. His Majesty rescued Luna.'

'I don't know who saved whom but I saw Luna in the garden court today. Our Empress was glowing as brightly as always.' 

The male Beta coughed in embarrassment, hiding the rising blush against his ear with more palm leaves and bundles of straws. To him, the Empress was the epitome of a perfect partner that a man could ever dream of. He won't dare to compare the characters with each other if the moon goddess will ever bless him with a mate. Till then he wants to worship their Empress with all his being.

'Stop right there before you receive a punishment that no one has seen before. Your red face could be taken as an offence besides your heinous thoughts' She murmured but there was an edge in her voice that pulled male Beta's eyes out of their sockets. 

'W-what do you mean? I don't mean something bad. How could you project my thoughts being harmful without even knowing them!' 

The female Beta rolled her eyes, a deep disappointment lingering on her face," Young Betas like you have your heads buried deep in nasty things. It doesn't take a special power to recognise that look on your face.'

'What in the nightmare are you even speaking??' He jumped off the small canopy as it was almost done but he just couldn't afford to listen to this lady more. ' As if the omegas and many Betas don't see the Royal Alpha as the Role model of their partner! So why only am I being targeted?'

He huffed and walked away. The maid completed her work and jumped off as well, wiping his dress a little bit too loudly,' Maybe because my little omega sister has found an absolute fool of a mate in you.'

She glanced at the hiding figure behind one of the palm trees across the lake. Her sister raised her hand in excitement, wanting to know what specialties her sister concluded in her mate. 

Her shoulders sagged in a worked sigh as she waved back to her sister towards the entrance of the lake. Both of them met but before the maid could fill up her sister's ears the clouds reverberated in heavy rolls. 

The Royal Alpha stepped inside the Lake at the same time and both the ladies bowed simultaneously. He nodded in acknowledgment and passed their stiff bodies easily. 

The omegan lady glanced back slowly before picking up her pace with her sister,' Tell me what type of man is Seomin. Sister…  you said you will tell me.'

The maid was about to tell him how perverted her mate came out to be when she witnessed the same blush and nasty look on her sister's face as well. And the way her eyes were going back and forth between the Royal Alpha and the lake. 

She clenched her fists and walked away from the lake, mumbling something beneath the words of Pervert teenagers. 

In the left region, the chamber of the Former Alpha was filled with visitors. The healers had changed the strips with new ones and left the Alpha to rest on the bed. Madelyn was sitting beside his mate, hand caressing the corner of his shoulder once in a while. Jungkook and the Royal omega were sitting on the Davenport, a concerned look was evident in his eyes.

The commander was there to ask if the Imperials required anything for their humble stay when Jimin quipped his worry. 

His father was resting on the bed, eyes closed while his white hairs were folded into a bun over the opposite side of the burns. 

"You said it's an after-effect of a war but these wounds aren't natural, father. Natural burns don't create voids in bones! It's like your skin is eating on you, they were about to fracture your collarbones! What kind of war was that? Who poisoned your skin so deeply?" Jimin felt a hand on his wrist when he noticed his voice surpassed the range of a scream. He looked at the omega beside him, Jungkook's concerned eyes held empathy for him.

But both of them noticed how the Beta Commander's features became rigid. 

Jimin approached his mate slowly," What happened?" He eyed the commander who was looking at the Imperial Alpha with an unreadable look, his father had opened his eyes when Jimin set out his worries in open. Both the males looked as if they were conversing silently and it evoked something very evil inside Jimin.

"If the High Almighties have finished their important discussions then please grace us with your humble thoughts as well." He spoke with gritted teeth.

Jungkook's eyes were wide, he hadn't seen the Royal omega talking disgracefully before. Jimin didn't want to but the past few days, things were surely taking the trials of his patience. He is getting tired! Tired of being left out and alone in the middle of all the spectacles. 

The commander looked down, breaking the gaze with the Imperial Alpha after getting an acknowledging nod from him.

"Imperial Majesty was with me. During my visit to western land, he joined me when the Strays boosted a war against us. We had tackled the issue together and steered them far away from the western territories." 

Jimin grabbed his mate's arm in a breath," Are you hurt too? Are you carrying these burns as well? Tell me. No! Show me!!" 

Hoseok was quick to dwell the Royal omega's worries away," No. I'm not hurt. I mean, my injuries were more on the side of bone structures as I fought in my wolf form. But Imperial Majesty fought in his human form and at that time, these burns looked much more natural than now." He didn't leave Jimin's hand when the Royal Omega tried to pull away, instead used his fingers to etch that soft skin in a tight hold.

"My wolf is healed. But I agree with you, these burns don't look realistic anymore." 

Jungkook strolled to the bed," War? Does the Imperial Majesty remember the primal source of these wounds?" He asked the Former Alpha directly. He had seen those wounds when the healers were plucking away the burned dead skin with peelers, the shape of the wounds was more of a spiral than a circle. 

And Jungkook has seen these wounds before. 

"A whole crowd of werewolves was attacking each other, I can't specify the exact source."  The chamomile tea mixed with herbs was showing the effect as the Imperial Alpha's voice became deeper and slurred. 

Jimin didn't want to keep standing beside the commander, wanted to pry away his hands with a harsh yank but an arm around his waist was failing his every restraint. And He is so… so weak. 

But he didn't give a breath of satisfaction to his mate as he completely ignored his manoeuvres and focussed on Jungkook. 

"Jungkook… Son, what do you want to know? Do you know something about these kinds of wounds?" It was Madelyn who had tears visible in his eyes. He knows that his mate won't be dead due to his immorality but witnessing him in such a state alone was contorting his all soul strings. 

Jungkook called a maid immediately," Would you please bring a book from the Royal library? It's placed on the third shelf of the second row with the name 'Spells of Spara'." 

When the maid bowed in assurance and left the room, Jungkook turned to the Imperials," I have seen these shapes before, the burnt wounds and their unnatural depth. This book contains knowledge of spells done by a sorcerer named Spara, I think they have used the same gimmicks on the Imperial Alpha."

"Spara? The Goddess of my Godmother Ella. Ahh… she had gifted me some books during my Royal decree. Taehyung still has them?"

The Former Alpha asked with his closed eyes but didn't get any response. 

Jimin couldn't break away from the comforting hold of his mate when he asked," Does Taehyung know about your union on western land?" 

Although the Royal omega didn't expect a low laugh from his father as an answer," He knew. Have you ever seen a son like him? A son who despises his father but doesn't stop me from serving my people." 

Madelyn's tears trickled down his cheek when he matched his forehead with his husband. 

"You have raised him well, Jinnie. You had given our sons the lessons of harbouring morals during misfortune times. I'm happier that they have taken over the masterships of their Mother." Because from their father, they would get nothing… as he couldn't bear any lessons in his own childhood. 

"We... We have raised them together and I won't listen to any argument over this. I want you to heal for me, Alpha." Madelyn accepted the small kiss on the top of his head and wiped away his tears before facing their children. 

Jimin had similar expressions as him but he looked composed while sticking around half of the Commander's torso. Madelyn knows his son wasn't aware of the grip his fist had on Hoseok's chest but he chose to ignore it. 

He found Jungkook immersed in a thick book, rolling the pages in between his fingers before the omega flipped the header and showed it to the room," Here." He pointed his index finger on the left page," Doesn't this look exactly like the wounds Imperial Majesty has on his neck?"

Jimin was out of the commander's arms in an instant, he took the book in his hands and read about it in detail," A spell of Spara's burn occurs when three ingredients mentioned will be mixed in prefixed ratios. These burns will enhance their diameter on the infected skin and will get its feed. In impact, the wound will only expand instead of closing." 

The Royal omega was shocked, he looked up when he heard his mother," Read it fully, Jimin-ah. If the cause is pointed out then its remedy should also be written in it." 

Jimin became silent as he read the whole paragraph in detail. The paragraph turned into a chapter but the Royal Omega didn't find any information but," These witchcraft can be driven or destroyed by witches only."

Madelyn stood up from his seat, his eyes holding divine determination," We need to call Ella. She can help Alpha better than our healers." 

"But the query is, Will Godmother accept our invitation after everything happened in the past? She had vowed to not stride her feet in Eclipse when Taehyung decided to banish the Imperial Alpha. Things are still the same, Mother." Jimin's worries were valid, Madelyn knows but no one can alter his decision now.

"I will take my mate to her then! Prepare the carriages, we will leave right this instant. I can't bear to see him in such pain. Not anymore." 

Jungkook stopped Madelyn from crossing the boundary of the bed and held his hand in between both palms," Mother, Please. We should give it a try first. If I'm guessing right, Godmother decided to abandon this place in the absence of Imperial Majesty. But right now, you both are here…in Eclipse. We can raise a fair attempt to invite her to Eclipse… I can send a Royal invitation and we can send it to her. With such wounds, travelling shouldn't be an option." 

The omega looked to Jimin for help and the Royal Omega came forward, "During the past centuries, she had kept changing her location, Jungkookie. There is no confirmed address to send a Royal invitation."

Jungkook's eyes turned miserable," Is there no passage by which we can invite her?"

His attention was grabbed by a defeated sigh of Madelyn, " If Namjoon calls, she will come." 

Jungkook looked at the Imperial Alpha who was sitting very silently in the discussion, lost in his own thoughts. He lowered his voice when he asked the Imperial Highness," Isn't it good then? Imperial Majesty can call her and She will help him to recover from this poison." 

Madelyn looked at his mate and shook his head," I wish it could be this simple." 

The Royal omega and the Empress both were confused at this and Madelyn had to explain," After we departed from Eclipse, Your father fought with her. He wanted her to stay in Eclipse with our children but she chose Namjoon. They hadn't met after that, only I have met with her a few times." 

No one really stayed beside the Royal Alpha.

Jungkook quickly diverted his mind when Jimin started to say," Mother, Please talk to him. He needs to swallow his pride now." 

"Oh… he definitely will. I just need a bit of time to pursue him." 

Madelyn tapped their hands in assurance before taking his previous position beside his Alpha. However, the Former King looked deep in his thoughts but when he felt his mate's presence beside him, his hand clasped onto his open palm. 

"The primary concern is… Strays have achieved the power of witches." His fingers brushed over the blue pendant that was gleaming on his white attire," But during the war, My stone didn't shine."

When Ella had slipped this stone around his neck, she had promised his child version that no witch in the world could harm him. When she had taken Namjoon under her wing, she knew that he would be the fresh target of his enemies. So taking in the accord of the situation, she had made this stone.

A beautiful blue stone that glows in the presence of witches and sends them a message to not trouble the son of Ella.

His eyes matched with the Commander again and Hoseok knew what should be done," I will inform His Majesty during the morning court time. Till my next visit, I wish you a restful night." He bowed to the Imperials and looked at Jimin, wanting to have a moment with him.

But the Royal omega turned away from him fully. His eyes roamed around the windows, the night had already spread its roots in the sky.

"I wish to stay with you tonight, Mother. If it doesn't cause any trouble." He expressed his words with a tinge of anger in his voice. 

Jungkook's mind was full of questions but he couldn't control his smile when he saw the pitiful eyes of the commander. He bit his lips to stop himself from smiling in the intense situation but Madelyn's laugh defeated his purpose," Forgive me, my child. But I can't spare you from your mates' companionship furthermore. The palace is bigger than this left wing, I'm sure you all can play this hide and seek without disturbing your Father's sleep." 

Jimin's expressions turned impassive and Jungkook covered his mouth when it matched with his Alpha….oh so correctly. The Royal omega moved and flicked his skirt before moving past his mate," Have a good night then, I have more chores to do. I will let healers know to watch over every hour." 

The commander took some steps back to follow the Prince but before he could turn away, the Imperial Alpha called his name. 

He opened his eyes for a brief moment," Jimin has a sweet tooth. Tell the redberry boy to make something."

Madelyn nodded his head in affirmation," He is taking every account of your mistakes. You both can mess with his numbers with a warm hug." 

Jungkook saw with a bated breath as the Commander's eyes shone with gratefulness. The Beta bowed once again and left the chamber in a hurry. 

Madelyn gestured for Jungkook to come closer and the omega nodded from the position where he was standing in the middle of the room. But before he could raise his feet in the direction of the bed, a melodious humming spread around the entire palace. 

Jungkook's heart stopped beating inside his chest, lips parting a bit when he recognized the mellifluous voice of his Alpha. He was holding his breath at the bay of his lips as he saw Madelyn looking back at him in shock. 

The Imperial Alpha had also opened his eyes and looked towards the open window of the chamber, his lips wobbling out a smile, dipping his lower cheeks beautifully.

After how long did his ears get blessed with the singing voice of his son? Too many. His hold on his mate's hand tightened and Madelyn was quick to drop a kiss on their combined hands. 

The harmonious sound soared high in the blank night, taking shapes of words as if etching the phrases in the waves of wind. 

The line of stars shows me your walks…

Namjoon inhales sharply, filling the empty corner of his heart with the rhythmic voice. He had missed this voice… missed his son and now these waves of harmony were blessing his aching body with immense peace. 

"What a melodious night to fall into a slumber. I have missed this." The Former Alpha whispered to his mate. 

He could hide it from the omega standing far away from him but he knew that his mate would catch the poured beads of moisture around his eyes. Madelyn wiped them carefully," Me too." 

Jungkook was standing there like a puppet, body flushed in bright pink. His blue hanfu was doing poor work in hiding the high blush on his cheeks. This… what is this?

He exhaled slowly before composing his features in front of his parents-in-law. His heartbeats were sprinting at a tough pace while his soul was gaining peace from the whole deeper voice. 

"I guess it's time for your night walks. We won't keep you for long, Son." Madelyn spoke as he adjusted the blanket around his mate. 

Jungkook's tongue was attached to his upper palette as he bowed his head. He watched the ground underneath with sheer concentration as if wanting to dive into the floor after stacking away the marbles. 

He straightened up to his height and turned back as swiftly as he could without making any noise for two reasons. One… he didn't want to get more embarrassed in front of the Imperials. Two… he didn't want to disturb those melodious waves in any way. 

The sound took him out of the left region as he entered the area of the warehouse. Soldiers were standing at each corner of the palace bowing to the passing Luna in respect. Jungkook's breath hitched again when the words sheen as a moon in the sky. 

The line of stars shows me your walks…
My light and lost steps crave your talks…
Deep and dark someone is gazing at you…
Why is it me? Why am I the hawk?...

Jungkook clutched the lapels of his wrists tightly in his palms. The melodious sounds matched perfectly with the roars of the clouds, a musky breeze halted the omega in his steps. He savoured the moment with open eyes, letting it engraved deep into his soul.

Taehyung was walking around the shore of the lake with his hands combined behind his back. His black hairs were untied today, the curls falling onto his shoulders and tips kissing the edges of covered collarbones.

His long fur coat was placed on the left backrest of the swing, the torso supporting only a waistcoat that ended right over the loops of his belt. 

The Royal Alpha knows that he had failed his first task in the morning but he doesn't want to lose this second task so easily. After comparing the countable nights when he had taken walks with the omega, Alpha knows that it's the right time to raise a voice.  

Although the Royal Alpha was aware of his indulgence in the Former Alpha's recovery routine, his wolf could sniff that familiar scent of daffodils in the air. He chooses to ignore the presence that raises the suppressed pain in his scar pouch and starts humming an outstretched tune. 

The humming was simple, no particular rise or fall, just a bit of rumbling of cords against his throat. He led on the precious tune till the harmony started forming words on his tongue. 

The verse was nothing but the words his emotions formed on the tip of his tongue while he gazed at the stars in the sky, aligned in different directions but still connected. 

The memories of the long walks around the field were untouched in his mind, his feet encircled him around the shore as he eyed the silent water in the lake. 

The water looked absurd tonight, something was missing as he saw only one shadow in its reflection. The words crashed on his tongue once again when his feet led him toward the end of the shore;

Concerning eyes left me in an illusion…
Us is where lies the confusion…
The water remembers your presence like its stream…
Asking me questions on my seclusion… 

The small lake was surrounded by short green twigs, holding down the ground together in one place. The Alpha didn't hear any movement around him, no response of any presence. So he continued his little walk all by himself. 

Jungkook gulped down the bubbling lava of emotions and stepped forward, unfreezing from the spot of the warehouse where he was standing. He found his way out of the warehouse and turned to the palace when he heard again.

I could ask the reasons from your sudden halts…
Can impress the twigs before getting caught…
Making me a liar, it's all your fault…
You should be punished, you have done an assault…

The clouds thundered above Jungkook once again and the omega was struck on the spot. He could see the Alpha from afar, strolling around the lake. 

So who is missing him now? Water? Twigs? Or…

He would not dare to think otherwise. Jungkook blinked his eyes slowly when the image of his Alpha got cleared in his vision. It became difficult to control his steps now, they were tumbling forward without any pause.  

Now rain reminds me of you and what you yearn for…
I have accepted too, this is what I burn for…
It's still not late for your arrival…
Let me learn you, guess what you concern for…

There should be a prohibition on mate's tongue, Jungkook realised. His mate doesn't need instruments after all, his voice was enough to jumble out each and every fibre of his body. Then words do that last work of God to stab the nail right into his heart. 

Taehyung looked down when he heard the hustling of steps on the grass and the sweetness of pines spreading around the grounds of the palace. The small steps show the hesitation of the omega so the Royal Alpha didn't turn around at all. He kept facing the lake till he felt the Empress in front of the entrance of the lake.

The line of stars is now blurring in the sky…
Erasing your walks and talks of eyes…
Come to me, even if the heart denies…
Join me here where our soul lies…

The Royal Alpha keeps standing there with his back facing the Omega, waiting for the decision the Empress will make. 

The astonishment was clear on Jungkook's face but if someone dug deeper, his insides had melted and taken the shape of a small puddle. It would take time to circulate the air beneath his feet up to his thighs, stomach and heart. No…that's not how human breaths work, that's not how the heart raced after losing enough air around him.

All of the knowledge he had collected throughout the years felt negligible when he couldn't find out the reason why his feet had taken them inside the ambience of the lake. 

He just kept walking as if the melodious waves were calling him to hear from closer. 

Jungkook stopped when he was standing right behind the Royal Alpha, his eyes stuck to the broad shoulders. He looked around and couldn't help the surprise in his eyes. Just why and when he came here? 

But then the Royal Alpha was turning around and Jungkook wasn't ready to face the amusement swirling in those grey eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, although his tongue was still glued to the upper palette.

Taehyung beat him into it though," Will this be considered as your affirmation for tonight's walk?"

Jungkook had to blink the haziness back to hear properly, his ears were still ringing the rhythmic phrases without any uncertainty. He let himself huff on the situation and turned around to approach the swing. 

"I would rather like to sit down." 

Because the goddess knows that his legs have loosened the ability to walk properly since the morning. He won't be going to take any risk and face embarrassment on any chance when he would stumble and fall in front of the Alpha. 

No… He would like to sit on the swing and compose the blood circulation that had faced a sudden hike without any reason. 

He took a seat on the right side of the swing, eyeing the coat subtly in his peripheral vision. When the Alpha followed him after, Jungkook expected him to lift the coat and sit beside him. But he tilted his neck around when Taehyung crossed the swing and stood right behind him.

He heard the unlatching shackle before his feet swooned away from the ground. Jungkook grabbed the armrest in one hand, composing his body naturally in motion. 

He didn't expect in his wildest dreams that the Alpha would sway the swing for him. But here he is… holding the nervous waves of thoughts in his fists, swinging on the swing while the sky thunders over them. 

He lets himself relax on the backrest when the body becomes habitual to the small pushes on the swing. 

He needs to talk or he will explode in tiny drops of rain and submerge into the ground after adapting as much as the soil inside him.

He contemplated on telling Alpha about the witchcraft used in the Western war but then he decided against it. He doesn't have full knowledge on the topic so he would rather have the Commander explaining it in detail than confusing the matter just for the sake of talks. 

"Imperial Highness wants to meet you in the morning." 

He mumbled out the words, checking the corners of his mouth to pour out his emotions. When he heard the acknowledged humm in the back, Jungkook continued," Imperial Majesty has some really bad wounds. The cure was found though… only treatment remains. He will get better soon." 

Jungkook knows he was touching a sensitive and awkward topic to begin with but he needs to get these thoughts out of his body as soon as possible. He wasn't disappointed when he didn't get any response from behind. 

"When the Imperials came to the palace, the Former Majesty reacted differently to the pack house. He looked awestruck and I couldn't understand. Has Eclipse changed so much?"

Jungkook matched his feet in the air, his skirt supporting the swing with slow swirls. He gazed at the rumbling sky, the dark clouds had swallowed the stars, hiding them behind the quarrels of rain. 

"The vast period of centuries brought this change along with it. Packhouse didn't look like a packhouse back then." The Alpha replied.

Jungkook craned his gaze over his shoulder, burrows rising in interest," How come? Do you still have memories of the ancient pack house?"

The Alpha diverted his eyes from the blue aura around him and looked around," I have lived on this land for a long time. I remember some snippets of old places, however, I can only recall the people as faceless entities now. I remember their names and advice that I learned from them but the vision is not clear anymore." 

Jungkook looked back in the front and nodded his head," How was the ancient Eclipse? How was it different from now?"

The Alpha was pushing the swing with both of his hands, scrunching below to shove when the wooden plank struck back onto his palms and straightening his body after that. He repeated the cycle without any difficulty as if his hands already knew how much strength they needed to deliver.

"Instead of a packhouse, we used to live in colonial huts. We had over 1500 huts at that time, Alpha soldiers were assigned with each bunch of fifty huts. The ruling of the Former King was different, people were more comfortable in their wolf forms. They didn't use the lands to sow and grow food but marking the territories against the invaders. We used to eat raw meat, going on hunts was more popular than waiting for the Blue Moon." 

Jungkook was imagining a really different Eclipse, his Alpha's voice was filling details as he kept creating pictures in his mind.

"When Jimin converted to his wolf form and started to revolt against all kinds of raw meats, Mother had to try human food. Things changed for good after that. When I reached the age of my ruts, I remember people were comfortable in both types of bodies. Then revolts happened, Ella was here to strengthen the borders."

"She is your godmother, right? The Imperial Highness said that." Omega asked.

Taehyung hummed in agreement, accepting the cold breeze of heavy clouds," There is a long history behind her. I'm not sure if the Empress would like to listen?" 

Jungkook furrowed his brows, biting his upper lip for a moment in thought as he folded his feet on the wooden plank. The omega folded his legs and tucked them beneath the lying fur coat, his body twisted as he lay on the swing comfortably. His eyes were connected to the Alpha now… till the time he was again pushed back in the air by him. 

His upper shoulders and neck were supported by the armrest of the swing. When the chains hauled back the swing into his Alpha's palm, Jungkook chose to answer," I'm eager to hear everything from you." 

This time the Royal Alpha took his time to stare at the laying figure before he took a step back and pushed the swing again. He wants to speak… then he needs to focus and if he wants to focus… then he needs to look away from those black orbs which were twinkling so earnestly for…

For what?

Him.

The Alpha pressed the thought in the farthest corner of his mind and continued," This story also includes my great-grandfather, his nature was disastrous from the start. Boon Ella is her full name and she was my great-grandfather's fated mate." 

Jungkook's wide eyes were fixed on his Alpha, urging them to continue the story," But back in time, People were more obsessed with physical needs rather than owning values for the pack. He had harems full of omegas but there was a rule among Elder Alphas' that once you find your mate you need to stop spending your time on consorts and signify your mate as your only one." 

"But the great-grandfather already had pups from harem omegas when she stepped in Eclipse. She was an outcast for all the werewolves, a witch in nature. No one accepted her and she was rejected by that vicious man. However, to enact the rules of decree he had to give her some part of the land. She accepted her fate and started to live far away from humans and werewolves." 

"My grandfather was the first Alpha son of my great-grandfather. He got chosen as the next king of the hierarchy, my grandfather had learned to not keep harems as he had seen his own father getting wasted behind the lure of omegas. He chose to live away from the luxurious packlife with his mate and when my… the Former king was born, he was destined to be the next heir."

Jungkook was counting the characters and their deeds on his fingers in sheer concentration, not even the increasing roars of the clouds were able to distract him.

"However, Before the Former King's birth, my grandfather died in the war of demons and deities. Grandmother gave birth to her son with the help of folks and followed his mate to heaven. The folks brought the heir of Royals to my great-grandfather who refused to accept him because he was born outside the premises of Eclipse. He declared the newborn child as an illegitimate stain on their crowns and gave them back to the folks." 

"He was four when Ella found him in the forest. She kept him under her care for sixteen years and when he turned eighteen, both of them conquered the main palace of the Eclipse." 

"Great grandfather had to leave the premises due to protocols because when the new Alpha heir defeats the older one, it was the choice of the winner to keep or drop the identity of the older Alpha. The Former king chooses to banish him and demolish the entire palace with his pack. They made small hut colonies and tree houses at first and with time, it expanded with people and resources developed by nature." 

"Woah…The Royal family has a wide expanse of characters. Each generation had very different morals and rules." Jungkook concluded in deep thought. He had pictured the whole family tree of Royals.

"When the Former Alpha demolished the buildings of great grandfather. Many of his subordinates revolted against the idea as they supported the adulteries of great grandfather. They wanted to draw some conditions that included the availability of the harem and the rights of lower and upper classes but the former king declined their conditions. Being the new king of Eclipse he passed strict orders like… one man one mate, omegas getting similar opportunities like other ranks and allowance of more human culture in werewolf societies which was easily adaptable. Those who accepted the orders remained in Eclipse as its inseparable part."

"And what happened to those who didn't agree with the order?"

"They followed the banished great-grandfather out of the Royal territories. And now they are known as Strays. Their ancient name was Banishers but nowadays they call themselves Strays, to them it's a symbol of Independency, power and other ruthless things." 

Jungkook could hear the annoyance in his voice and he couldn't help but feel uneasy about it," These are the ones who created chaos on western land, right?"

The Alpha hummed in assertion, looking up when he felt a small drop of dampness on the bridge of his nose. It hasn't started raining yet but the sky will pour its heart out soon.

He looked down at the Empress who was clearly thinking something out of his senses. His eyes were sharp and fingers were tracking the edges of his red tresses over his shoulders. Taehyung hooked his fingers in one of the chain loops, the plank halted in mid-air as the omega looked up in sheer urgency. 

His eyes went wide seeing the Alpha leaning closer from above," Ask away. Don't you always have tons of questions in your mind?"

Jungkook pressed his lips in a thin line and craned his face away from the direct gaze of the Alpha," I was thinking…as the great grandfather was already killed then who is leading their war? There must be someone behind all the chaos who is supporting and investing their life resources."

The Royal Alpha pulled back his fingers and the swing started swinging again," I haven't visited that place yet. The commander didn't specify the presence of any leader. I have my suspicions as well, I will need to visit that place sooner." 

He noticed the omega's declining eyes when he started to elaborate on the details of Hoseok's work over the Western Land. He talked about the war that concluded in two weeks of attacks and defence meanwhile the swing didn't stop even for a moment. When the first raindrop fell on the ground, Luna had fallen asleep on the plank. 

Taehyung took a step back and let the swing cease at its own pace. His back was drenched in rain as he stared at the sleeping Luna over the backrest. 

When the swing stopped, the Alpha latched the shackles back onto the wooden plank once again. The canopy was covering the ceiling of the swing perfectly, wiping out the heavy downpour. He used his fur coat to cover the Empress upto his waist and tucked the falling edges of the skirt beneath it before walking into the rain. 

The cold drops of rain felt gentle on his warm skin, his fingers worked on his waistcoat…slowly unbuttoning it to feel the rain deeper in his bones. 

He pulled the waistcoat down from his shoulders and walked to the swing to hang it over one of the hooks. He drizzled out the moisture of his hair and let the wet fringes fall on his forehead. 

He recalled the memories of the first rain, a laughing Luna standing beneath the downpour with his arms spread wide and tongue stuck out to taste the rainfall. He moved his head backward and closed his eyes. 

The rain was soaking his bare upper body and Taehyung could feel each fallen drop on his skin. The peace in between those flickers of water was penetrating him layer by layer. He exhaled deeply as he stretched his arms beneath the fallen sky to catch the harmonies striking his soul. 

He felt them all, gliding behind the back of his closed eyes, touching the soles of his cheeks before dipping down over his throat. Some drops were mischievous enough to latch onto his lips and roll down onto his tongue when the Alpha inhaled openly. 

Taehyung forced his tongue out in the open and when the drizzling downpour found a home on the plush muscle, his stretched shoulders defeated in a sigh. 

Nature wrapped its arms around him as if it found its lost son once again, accepting him under the branches limb by limb. The wind was caressing his hair back and night was hiding his poured-out sensations. 

His fingertips itched to hold back the warmth that was taken away by the downpour, it was sweeping away from his body… leaving him with empty thoughts and turning him into a vessel once again.

However this time… the vessel got emptied of pessimistic thoughts and was willing to get filled with ardency of companionship. 

Taehyung closed his mouth and exhaled through his nose, he was drenched from head to toe. Why? Why did this nature embrace him only now? Why didn't it accept him earlier? Was he doing something wrong all along or his misery just got visible to others?

What's the reason? 

His damped gaze fell over his stretched-out palm, watching some drops seeping into his skin while some were bouncing away just after touching. He closed his palm, tightening the hold into a fist. He watched how no matter how hard the downpour tried, sometimes trickling through cracked lines or joints…it still couldn't reach the core of his palm. Most of them were bouncing away from his skin. 

He opened the palm once again and this time…over the hugging raindrops on the core of his palm Alpha saw the sleeping face of Luna. 

His breath fell out in small retorts, someone had tried hard to reach the core of his soul as well. But it won't be fruitful if the soul won't allow that person a stay in his heart. 

He needs to open the walls of the empty vessel to let it fill with the warmth… he craved for ages. 

How though? 

Tonight the Empress ignored the words of his song, a song which he had composed after ages. However, Luna wasn't completely ignorant of his call as he graced the lake with his presence to talk with him. 

It concluded to be a good start of…their bond. 

Taehyung's eyes blazed golden as he took steps toward the sleeping figure of his mate. The golden gaze didn't hold any shine, just a gleam of gold circling the grey eyeballs. 

The Royal Alpha raked his vision all over the Empress, studying the carved sculpture of his face. His feet rounded up the swing in slow movements, eyes possessed the attainability of keep looking. 

He has counted the moments on his fingertips when he waited for a mate. A second chance to breathe. And when that said mate appeared in his life, he had to look like the venom inside his scar pouch. If it wasn't for the omega to not crack and shred into pieces, if it wasn't for the omega to hold onto the loose threads of this bond…he would have lost this second chance as well. 

The ugly toxin stirred at the centre of his chest, the falling raindrops doing a poor job of easing the pain.  

The Alpha bent down on his knees, his dripping face coming in contact with the soft sleepy one. Taehyung tried to not cross the dignified periphery of their developing bond as he inhaled the scent of sweet pines from the clear neck of the omega. 

He let his eyes fall closed to preserve the aroma deeper into his muscles as his wet nose brushed against the warm jaw. The omega must have felt the cold touch around his sensitive spot because Taehyung was sure he heard a low mewl from those locked lips. 

The Royal Alpha fisted the fur coat and raised it upto the omega's chin and his eyes glossed with golden sheen when Jungkook nuzzled in the heavy aroma of sandalwood. 

His fist trembled in a tight hold hovering over the omega's body. The words claimed the authority of his tongue, draining all of his restraints as he whispered in a hushed voice…

What kind of flames do you have? The rain is drizzling but your traits are still glowing…

He dropped the hold from the blanket as his shivering fingers traced the edges of those glowing cheeks.

What kind of glow do you have? The fire is maddening but your calmness is still pouring…

The fingers are replaced by a wet palm now, eyes losing the golden hue. 

What kind of anger do you have? The calmness is oozing but your murderous eyes are still slaughtering…

Taehyung blinked back his eyes, retaining the colour of old grey. Hand slipping away from the cheek.

What kind of sadness do you have? Such murderous eyes but moisture is still streaming…

The Alpha took another whiff of that oozing scent and was quick to flip over, sticking the back of his neck at the center of the wooden plank. His drenched hairs were touching the covered middle abdomen of the omega. 

Taehyung blinked his eyes several times after composing the rate of blood with slow breaths. 

What kind of emotions do you have? Eyes hold moisture but thoughts are still raging…

He doesn't know why this amatory poem is stumbling out of his lips. All he knows is that he was better off alone in the past, at least he had control over his thoughts and his mind wasn't going crazy over the softest mewl he ever heard. 

What kind of thoughts do you have? Soul in slumber but your flames are still torturing…

The Alpha rested his body and closed his eyes, feeling his neck buried beneath the debt of his mate's patience. A kind of debt that wasn't giving him grief for once but connecting a thread of hope around his wrist before urging him on the most hazardous path of his life.

He kept sitting on the ground while the heavy downpour quenched the thirst of earth, wishing the night to stop for a moment but when had time listened to him? He watched the fading darkness converting into a radiant wake of sunrise..oh so slowly…as if it was matching the pace to the diminishing void inside him.

~

The Royal omega was totally ignoring the steps of his mate who was following him around the palace. He huffed when one pair of legs converted into two, he was subtly glaring at the people who were falling under his vicinity. 

A deadmeat like his brother was singing to pursue his mate and here he was… getting followed by a pair of clowns who were just following him silently but hadn't uttered a single word of peace.

Jimin climbed the stairs effortlessly and moved towards his chamber. After all the tiring activities of the day, his body needs rest. When no one cares for you, you ought to do it yourself after all.

He opened the doors of his chamber and turned around to close the door when he saw the miserable expressions of his mates.

"Why are you following me? Has Artax closed his doors on you tonight?" He barked at both, nose flaring when all of his piled-up frustration started losing control. 

The commander tried to explain because the red-haired Beta wasn't raising his head from the ground. 

"We were waiting for you yesterday. We thought you would come to the warehouse at one point but we estimated everything wrong." 

Jimin's hands slipped from the door and crossed over his chest as he openly glared at his mates," Instead of coming after to find me, you both were waiting for me to wander around the warehouse? I might not have white hair but I'm very much experienced in emotions. Just accept you were ignoring me and dare to live with it."

"I wasn't in the right state of mind to gather the courage to apologise. I'm ashamed to even match your eyes." It was the low voice of Yoongi that captured Jimin's attention instantly.

However, He decided to dismiss the concern and focussed on the commander," Upto some extent I could understand the emotional burst of Yoongi but what had I done to deserve your rudeness?"

The commander was quick to surrender his hands in the air," Nothing was intentional from my side. In the struggle of managing everything, I got tangled up very badly. My preference in talking to Yoongi doesn't include the concern of our bond. It was related to barricade securities I faced during my visit."

"What securities?" Jimin sensed the seriousness in Hoseok's eyes and asked right away. 

The commander looked around briefly, he saw the servants cleaning the ground hall. While cleansing his throat slowly, he asked," May we come inside? Please."

The Royal omega turned around without saying much and walked inside the room. His mates took the signal and entered the chamber while closing the door behind them. Jimin took a seat on the bed, folding one leg beneath his thigh as his feet were aching horribly. 

"Is there anything to worry about? You had exclaimed that you left troopers behind to watch over western land. Have you got any news on that?" 

The commander and red-haired Beta, both were standing in the middle of the room with their hands combined on their backs," Everything is stable for now, Your Highness. But during the war, I noticed some really absurd things." 

"What?" Jimin was anxious now and Yoongi was noticing how those small hands were massaging the toes of hidden feet. 

The commander looked at Yoongi before continuing," Crowds of people were attacking each other and some of them had natural red hair."

Jimin's eyes flared in confusion," You mean people of Lunar? In western land war?"

"Yeah. I was confused at first too, this was the only thread I couldn't match with my theories so when I returned I tried to clear it out with Yoongi." 

"And what did you conclude about it?" This time Jimin was asking Yoongi who had finally prey his eyes away from those tiny hands and composed himself to answer.

"When the commander explained their dressing style, I knew they belonged to Lunar but I didn't understand their link to the western land. However, when he mentioned Strays, I remembered the debt the Queen carried on her shoulders."

"Debt?"

Yoongi nodded his head in confirmation," From time to time, the Queen of Lunar had signed small pacts with Strays in exchange for royalties like diamonds, gold, and rare gems. In the world of gambling winners, Starys occupies the first place. They have rare riches in their palms to feed power-hungry queens like Hyuna and throw small treaties to follow."

As soon as the Royal Alpha heard that cursed name, his eyes shined blue in anger," That foolish woman has any idea what she had done to the upcoming generations of Lunar?"

The commander was by his side immediately, taking a seat next to him," As the reason for their presence during the war is confirmed now, I will be able to deliver this information to His Majesty. Lunar comes under Royal governance now, we can easily revoke these treaties." 

Jimin waved his hair away from his forehead and nodded his head in understanding," Yeah, it will be much easier. Should I accompany you to the courtroom tomorrow?"

"You won't have to, Prince. His Majesty wants to see my reports in person. And I don't want to remind him that I made you upset." The humble complaint in his voice stretched a smile on Jimin's face.

"Why? Did he say something?"

Yoongi took the chance to snitch," He got silently punished instead, and has been writing reports for the past three days." 

The irony of the fate pushed out a giggle from the Royal Omega and the commander finally spread his limbs on the bed fully, his back touching the mattress as an embarrassing groan left his lips.

Jimin dismissed the tired commander on the bed and walked to the red-haired Beta who was still standing in the middle of the chamber. 

"Aren't you going back to Luna's chamber?" He asked earnestly. 

But Yoongi sensed the bite in the sentence," I had lost my mind that day. I could have handled the situation in a better way but Jungkook's pain triggered the worst in me. I had no right to raise my voice like that, I know. Please forgive me as my first and last chance."

The Beta looked exhausted as if hasn't slept and eaten for days. His heart tugged in misery when he stood in front of his mate," You have all the rights over me that a mate should have. But disrespect is something that I haven't given up elsewhere. You can be angry at me, even punish me for my mistakes but you won't be raising your voice at me." 

Beta's eyes became glossy as he stared at the Royal omega. He knew what significance a mate's voice held over an omega. Their inner souls are sensitive to the emotions of their mate's voice and yet he misused it unintentionally.  

Jimin crossed the last bit of distance among them and felt the slow breaths of the Beta," You understand?"

It was the sudden rush in his pulse as Yoongi breathed out a low, "Yes." 

The Royal omega enfolded his hands on Yoongi's lower waist and fisted the dress material into his palm," Call me Angel." 

The beta inhaled sharply and looked up to blink away the dampness of his eyes. His lips trembled when he cupped the supple cheeks of the omega and matched their foreheads," I'm sorry, Angel." 

Jimin was quick to wrap his arms around the Beta, snuggling his face deep into his neck. Yoongi tucked his chin over the omega's shoulder and closed his eyes in comfort. He was finally… finally able to breathe his favourite lavender without any additional effort.

"Before repeating such crime…my tongue shall fall." He murmured in all sincerity. 

The Royal omega's shoulder vibrated with giggles causing Yoongi to hug him closer. The couple kept standing there to savour the scent of each other. 

"Will you please come to the bed now? I want to sleep together after two months of waiting. My arms are so..so empty." 

The couple pulled away to see their mate slurring out the words in light sleep. He was hallway on the path of sleep but still wearing all of his gear including shoes. 

Jimin shook his head as he started to take off the commander's shoes, Yoongi going around his waist to pull out the blade he carried around.  

They soon joined Hoseok on either side and hugged his tired body with all their might. They had missed this, nestling the limbs in between the others'... hands caressing and massaging simultaneously. This is them…their home… their peace. 

~

 When Jungkook woke up the next day, he felt pain in his upper shoulder and neck. Both were strained by sleeping in the same position all night. But two rotated clicks of his joints and the omega grunted in relief. 

However, his features went pale when he realised where he slept last night. He pivoted his neck in a big circle as if imitating an owl, hissing when he felt another knot around his nape. The lake region was empty, no one was around him. 

The fur coat was still lying around his lap, Jungkook nestled his fingers into the fluffy pile before cradling it in his arms. 

He looked around while massaging his neck, the land was damp. It might have rained last night. His eyes soon caught the waistcoat of his Alpha hanging over the side hook of the swing. 

He trailed around the swing and piled the waistcoat over the fur one. Where is he? It was the first question that occurred in his barely awake mind. Jungkook crossed the lake region and smiled at the people who were giggling while watching their sleepy Luna. 

He accepted their greetings and went to the Royal hallway, it was empty too. 

There were no traces of the scent that he slept burying his nose into. Might be out for the courthall. His mind provided as Jungkook entered his chamber to get ready for the day. 

Jungkook chose a cherry red hanfu and went inside the bathhouse. His body was habitual to get prepared for the day, his trained hands moved to clean and wash without much effort.

However, his mind was occupied with other things. He remembers the last talk he heard from the Alpha was when he was telling the security arrangements the Commander ensued on the western land before his departure. But he couldn't recall what happened after that. What if he might have missed some significant details? Should he ask the Alpha? 

"Hadn't we decided to ignore the Alpha?" His wolf reminded him when the urge to see the Alpha started to rise again. 

Jungkook stared at his own reflection in the mirror dumbfoundedly. 

He flicked the wrinkles of his hanfu and wore his veil around his shoulders where one end was tucked onto his dress from either side of his shoulder, covering his neck elegantly while the other end was left to trail behind him. 

He cleared his throat specifically to drain his cheeks from shame," of course. I was just worried if I missed anything while sleeping. It's necessary for us to know what's happening on western land." 

He walked out of the chamber after having a good crucial debate with his wolf. 

He decided to inspect the left wing first, wishing to see the effects of the herbs healers used on the Imperial Majesty. He crossed the Royal hallway and went down to follow the route to exit the palace entrance when he heard the hushed gushes of people around him.

His feet slowed down subtly, fingers reaching an ancient piece of crockery to give a reason to his attempt to hear the giggly talks of the helpers.

His Majesty sang a song last night, have you heard?

More giggly chaos erupted when one of the girls replied; couldn't miss it for the world. My mate was on ground duty yesterday, he said Alpha sang for our Luna. 

Yes! I thought it too, his voice was too thick with emotions. And then Luna came to accompany him. 

Another girl took out his concern, But I heard it rained heavily yesterday. So maybe the meeting was short. 

What? I don't think so. I saw His Majesty at the entrance just an hour ago. However, He was drenched in rain from head to toe. 

And I saw Luna going upstairs to the Royal hallway but he wasn't soaked, only swaying a little due to drowsiness.

Jungkook's cheeks flushed in embarrassment, he hadn't thought that this was how his new day would start. He was changing the position of the big crockery while subtly listening to their talks.

Don't spread it around but my mate said His Majesty sat beside the swing all night. 

The Empress couldn't hear much after that…his ears reddened and a horrid expression covered his entire face. He was looking at the crockery but it wasn't clearly visible to him, he was paying attention to the talks behind him but it couldn't fall in his ears distinctly. His heart flipped and turned around before starting to pump slowly again.

When he started to walk towards the entrance of the palace, he realised his legs were wobbly enough to crush against the pavement. 

His knees were about to give out life, melting on the red carpet when the walls of the hall thundered with a loud cough. All kinds of sounds died around him as Luna turned around to face the servants. They were looking back at him with wide eyes. 

All of them knew to whom that sound belonged…but only the Empress had enough courage to follow it down to that courtroom. 

Jungkook crossed the valley of halls and entered the premises of the courtroom, his face was gnarled with worry and eyes showing urgency to a specific Alpha right away. 

However, he met with an empty court where only the fresh aroma of sandalwood was lingering in the air. He didn't need to ask the door guards as one of them replied willingly," His Majesty has gone to the stables accompanied by the commander." 

The round routes join all paths to three different exits of the palace. One path leads to the warehouse which further leads to the left wing, one to the ground premises which further leads to go towards the lake region and exit gate of the packhouse and the last one exit to the right wing where all kinds of armoury godowns, food, and aids were reserved. 

Jungkook used the first exit, his thoughts compiling with his wolf as he entered the stables with an anxious mind. 

The stables were empty too. Only two servants were washing off the hooves of horses around the well and the absence of Artax from its stall confirmed his doubt.

Jungkook gulped the sour taste in his mouth, why was his mind telling him to wait and advising him not to do something obnoxious while his heart was about to cry to see his mate once?

He dug his thumb into his wrist to calm himself down, feet diverting the route to the left wing. He was trying hard to control his jumbled thoughts, maybe the Imperials would help him to divert his attention better. 

How could he even worry though, it's not like the Alpha wasn't able to take care of himself. He is much wiser and mature to prioritise his vital needs first, he can decide for himself just fine.   

~

No one could say what time it was as the Sun had taken the shadow of heavy clouds. This rainy season was surely affecting the lives of the people where some of them were overjoyous to feel a tad bit of relief from the summer while others didn't like their work to get blown up everyday.

Jungkook was sitting beside Madelyn on the Davenport, a bowl of Apple tart in his palm. His fingers were playing with the fork, taking a few mouthfuls in between. He eyed the Royal omega who was stuffing his face with big gulps, Yoongi has his ways with sugar after all.

The red-haired Beta came a few moments ago to deliver the apple tarts and Jimin finally showed his widest smile to everyone.

"Good greetings, Your Imperior. I wish to ask for your recovery, did the herbs have any successful impact?" 

Jungkook discarded his bowl immediately when he saw the commander at the doors of the chamber. He stood up from Davenport abruptly, eyes wide, and hurried to figure out something. 

But he held himself back when the Imperial Alpha answered the commander. The herbs worked but not entirely, the healers were successful in stopping the burns from spreading further but the wounds remained the same.

The discussions went serious when the former king started counter-asking the commander about the pointers of their next plan.

Jungkook tried his best to listen to the full discussion but before the commander could reach the verge where he was explaining how they changed the border schedules today, he was out of the chamber. 

He was too anxious to focus anyway and he observed doing more practice on it. He can't let his thoughts win against his duties every time. 

All of his management shredded apart when he heard that loud cough again. Jungkook bleeped his tongue on his lower lip before marching towards the right wing. How can a person be this insolent?!? Careless! Irresponsible! A total overbearing immortal! 

Jungkook was sure the sound came from the right wing, he didn't blame the people who were throwing worried glances over his back. They hadn't seen their Alpha falling sick before, oh what a great discovery they did today! 

The omega stopped in his steps and inhaled a deep breath before blowing it out slowly. He changed his path and decided to go to the Royal cookhouse first. 

The chefs weren't surprised to see their Luna in the kitchen but the deep frown on his face made them stand in a queue.

"Please summon the night chefs to the kitchen, I want them to make something for me." He declared to the staff who hurriedly withered away to collect some chefs from the worker dormitory.

He didn't go over the covered lids to check the ingredients of the dishes for the night. Instead, he slid out a chair from beneath the table and sat on it gracefully, veil catching up the skirt closely. 

His cheeks have created two low dips, making the dimples more visible as he bit down his lower lip. He felt a headache coming through his shaken brain cells when a group of people entered the kitchen.

He greeted them back with a small smile," I apologise for shortening your rest hours but I need the recipe of the soup you made the night before yesterday."

The silence stretched in the crowded kitchen as if someone had wiped out the vocal cords of people. Jungkook observed their fidgeting legs before a beta maid came forward," I think this is some misunderstanding, Your Empress. Because on the night before yesterday, We had prepared meat pie and salami sheets with mashed rice " 

Jungkook couldn't hide his confusion when he explained," No. I have actually eaten it, there was a green pot on the stove and the soup was made up with shrimps and a kind of thin boiled strips of dough…" 

His voice died down when he saw the hopeless expressions on their faces. Still, he trails off with the last try," It was about midnight when Your Highness delivered it to me." 

At that one woman's eyes shined," Your grace can crosscheck with His Majesty, we had left the kitchen premises right after summing it up and It was way before midnight."

"His Majesty was here?" 

"That night, Yes. He was in the dining hall, going through some ancient maps." 

It doesn't need to be an intellectual to connect the loose threads around the culprit's throat. Drowning in ice would be much better than the shivers he felt down his spine. He crafted a beautiful smile on his face and requested the staff," It must be a misunderstanding then. But I request you all to take a few hours of rest before you start the preparation of dinner."

The staff didn't argue further and bowed to Luna before vacating the royal kitchen. 

The memories of that night flooded and Jungkook recalled how he came down to eat more. The dish was delicious, so warm and mouthful. His throat becomes dry to think of his mate working in the kitchen to create a recipe like that. 

Why did he do that? His heart churned into several butterflies that slipped into his blood before jumping from his lungs to his stomach and finally spreading into his bones. Only he can answer.

~

The Alpha had a deep grimace on his face as he explored the armoury to assemble the required demand of weapons. The armoury was huge, bearing different kinds of weapons that were often used in wars. While choosing a weapon, their reliability and quality come first before testing and rehearsing. 

The gigantic chests were filled with iron spikes containing small finger weapons, wrist spring shots, forepaw daggers, split knives for tails. The armoury was divided into many sections on the basis of the weapons' size and shape. 

Taehyung was analysing each armament with his hands, collecting the rough ones while discarding the rusty handles. A long chain of soldiers was picking up the weapons and loading them in the carriage cases. They were ordered to deliver them to western land as soon as possible. 

He was trying the thorny chains around his wrist when he heard that sound of norigae again as his nostrils weren't working properly today. He saw the soldiers picking up the last batch of the weapons and bowing their way out of the armoury. 

The omega stood at the threshold, nodding his head towards the workers while his eyes were focused only on him. The Royal Alpha turned around fully, eyes blinking to trace the omega covered in red hue…be it the red hanfu or the red tresses…or the flaring red eyes. 

When the Alpha turned around, Jungkook didn't expect to see a red nose with glossy eyes staring back at him. He folded his two fingers into a fist, one for a blocked nose and the other for itchy eyes. He was counting how much damage was done. 

He didn't waste a moment to greet before standing in front of his mate, close enough to ruin the peripheral boundaries between them," Is it because of the rain?"

Taehyung stepped back and cleared his throat before speaking… it made Jungkook curl another finger into his fist, counting the sore throat. 

"It looks bad but it's nothing more than a casual cold." The Alpha assured, this always threw his thoughts in fumbles on how fast the omega reacts to his health conditions. But it certainly seems like a mellow allergy from the changing season.

No..it looks like he let the raindrops run deeper into him than he should have. But he wouldn't dare to have it in another way or would like to change it anyhow. 

Jungkook put forward his feet and took another step towards the Alpha, crossing the distance between their bodies. He watched as the Alpha stared at him with startled grey eyes. Jungkook stood on his toes and brought his nose closer to the neck joint of the Alpha. The bridge of the throat was bare from the wide black pleated shirt, collars resting on the shoulders.  

The omega didn't let his nose touch the skin as he inhaled the aroma with closed eyes. 

Bad mistake. 

His canines started to ache when the forceful scent crawled into his mind, creating a fog around all of his prepared arguments. But he can't let that man win over him, could he? 

Jungkook moved a little back, eyes matching with the awaiting grey ones," Your scent is nauseous. Queasy enough to declare a holiday in the favour of people working around you." 

Taehyung knew the omega was exaggerating to make him realise how things could go wrong if the people of Eclipse got to know about it. And no. He is not willing to face a crowd with different kinds of remedies, herbal pastes, and soups in their hands. 

It was a threat. Loud and clear. And the Alpha can escape from it if he plays his excuses rightfully. However, all of his excuses washed out from his brain when he saw the omega unhooking his fingers beneath the veil and jerking it away from one side of his neck.

"Tell me mine. You can sense my scent, right?" 

Oh. He can't.

The Royal Alpha turned his head away almost immediately, practically amused at how snappily the omega killed all kinds of roles he was about to fake to show that he didn't have blocked nostrils ever since he woke up. 

But now what?

Jungkook narrowed his eyes at the Alpha before setting his veil back in its previous position. But he didn't step back like Taehyung assumed because the Alpha felt cushy fingers entwining in between his dusty ones as the Omega held his hand in a soft hold.

"Come with me." He heard the omega say before a wave of red tresses passed over his lips. 

Their combined hand wasn't the only bond by which Jungkook was dragging the Alpha out of the armoury. The actual bond was tied to their wrists, laced with faith and worry for each other. The actual bond was expressed through their bodies where one was pulling the other and the other was getting pulled without any dispute. The actual bond was conveyed by the silent eyes that know what they feel for each other.

The omega was sounding enraged while his eyes were saying… something else?

Jungkook slowed down his pace once they got out of the armoury. No matter how much he wanted to… but he couldn't just drag the king to the kitchen by clasping an authoritative hold on his hand.

Although he can walk side by side. So he slowed down till their feet matched the distance on the ground and tightened the hold on the rough hand.

He was responding to the walkers who were showering the couple with greetings so he totally failed to notice the eyes of the Alpha glued to his face. 

The soft gaze of the Royal Alpha was studying the omega from his head crown to his peeking shoes beneath the skirt. He observed how gracefully the omega had adapted their culture to his personality.  His red ambiance wafting with Royal elegance made the Alpha look down on himself. 

His shoes were dampened in the dirt, knees had a few hairs of Artax, and shirt seemed fine but he was sure he must smell of stables. 

He brought his gaze back to the flushed cheeks hiding behind the blankets of red tresses. 

"Sickness is good sometimes." Van owned up to his habit of speaking the new lessons he was learning in his life. 

The sudden declaration pulled Taehyung out of the red maze and helped him to focus better on the surroundings.

When they entered the dining hall, the Alpha had a bad intuition about the way it was thoroughly vacant. The warm fingers slipped away from his hand as the omega moved to the Royal kitchen. 

He saw the Empress taking out a few handfuls of flour in a bowl, dried shrimp from the salt pantry, cloves of peeled garlic and a few basic spices before facing him directly.

"Any other ingredients?" 

It left Taehyung in confusion and Jungkook sensed it too by the way Alpha's eyebrow raised identically, so he briefed in slow words," Are these enough to prepare the comfort soup you made the night before yesterday?"

All of Jungkook's red ambiance made a residence on Taehyung's face instantly. His grey eyes became large in such an endless way that the omega had to look away.

The Royal Alpha tried to come up with a justification," I don't do that often. It was just a thought to share something with you." 

"And I ate that soup with all my heart. It was delicious. If I ask you to make that for me again, will you make it? Alpha." 

The omega hasn't left any reason to dodge such a request. So the Alpha moved past the Empress silently, approaching the sink to wash his hands first. He unbuckled his cuffs and folded the sleeves up to his elbows, washing his hands thoroughly. His nose twitched accidently and the next loud cough resonated around the walls of the kitchen. 

"I'm sorry." He apologised while clearing his throat. Taehyung washed his hands again and turned around while wiping them nicely.

Jungkook was standing beside the table, not knowing if he should help the Alpha or just observe the recipe quietly just to steal it later or leave him alone in his privacy and go back to listening to the serious conversation of the Imperials. 

Taehyung took out a pot from the lower trunks and put it on the stove. The fire was already burning, he just added some coals in the pit. After loading up the water in the pot to boil, his attention went to the flour in the bowl. 

The Alpha turned to the Empress while removing his three rings from his fingers. The first one had a golden gem on the crown, the second a ruby sapphire, and the third one was a mixture of yellow and white diamonds. 

He held those in front of the omega and Jungkook stretched his palm to keep them secure in his fist. 

"May I help you?" Jungkook proposed breathlessly as the Alpha suddenly decided to lean over his face.

"No. It's not much, you can rest here." Taehyung pointed his eyes toward the table when Jungkook's back touched its edges. The omega ducked his head down and pressed his palms on the table to glide his hips on the surface. 

The Alpha moved back once the Empress took his seat on the table. The moments passed in a blur where Jungkook's eyes were hinged with Alpha's fingers, those fingers were loving around the counter so diligently, he had no words to explain. From cutting the garlic and peeling the shrimp, kneading the dough to rolling the sheet and finally cutting it into large strips.

Jungkook fidgeted with those shiny rings when one of the rings slipped into his finger. The size matched perfectly… he wore them one by one and a weird kind of sensation bloomed inside him. The rings have bigger stones, reflecting images of Jungkook's eyes back at him. 

He watched the Alpha working on the counter, his broad shoulders were the only part visible to Jungkook to stare at. He was noticing how he was trying to not clear his throat once in a while and even looking up from moment to moment to blink back the allergic water of his eyes.

Jungkook pinched his lips into a thin line and went to stand beside the Alpha. Taehyung was moving the ladle deep into the soup, his veins popping up in different patterns on his arm.

"It will take a bit of time. I will tell you when it's done." The Alpha informed but Jungkook just scooted closer. 

"I'm more comfortable here." 

His eyes found the glossy greys and a sad sigh left his lips. He really doesn't like to see any kind of moisture in Alpha's eyes. 

Taehyung knows what the omega is trying to do by making him prepare the soup for him. It will help his cold and clogged vocal cords, this is why hope is the most dangerous thing in the entire world. The omega was thinking of him, his health even when he was supposed to be upset. He eyed Luna and he really doesn't like to see any kind of downturn on those plush cheeks.

"Had Jimin snitched on me?"

"Eh?" 

"Did he tell you about the soup?" 

Jungkook shrugged his shoulders simply," Maybe…maybe not." 

He might or might not have asked the Royal Highness and taunted him enough till Jimin revealed their secret of the soup in detail. But the Alpha doesn't have to know that.

Their eyes challenged each other for a while before the vacant kitchen started to fill with the workers. Jungkook pulled away from the counter and brought two bowls with one tray.

"I will serve once it's done. You can wait in the dining hall, Alpha. Night chefs need to prepare the meal for the night." It was still evening outside but both of them knew that they couldn't invade someone's working hours for personal convenience.

Taehyung twirled the soup one last time but one thing still remains. He holds his arm out for the omega," Sniff it for me. Tell me if it's pungent or sweet." 

Jungkook slumped right into the stretched arm, fitting as the lost piece of the puzzle. He moved over the ladle and inhaled the pungent odour," A bit pungent." 

Taehyung mixed another spoonful of sugar and moved away, leaving the ladle in Jungkook's hands. He acknowledged the greetings of chefs and left the kitchen after washing his hands.

Jungkook smiled when the odour of soup swooned on his tongue along with his heart. He filled the bowls with soup, ignoring the knowing gazes of people around him. After stacking the cutleries on the tray, he was off to the dining hall. 

He crossed two galleries and reached the dining hall which contained hundreds of chairs and at the centre of the table, the Royal Alpha was sitting on his designated seat. If they follow the tradition then Jungkook's seat should be…

The Alpha was boring his gaze directly onto the Omega with his tilted neck. 

Jungkook drew near to the Alpha, holding the tray in his experienced hands. The screech of the chair happened as the Royal Alpha moved it away from the table. Jungkook's grip trembled on the tray when Taehyung parted his legs to sit comfortably. 

The omega's eyes sharpened when he willed himself around the table from behind the King. After placing the tray on the table, Jungkook turned to the Alpha. 

Their eyes were promising unsaid phrases when Taehyung held his hand out for the Empress. The omega was static in his position, face carrying a forlorn expression. He had accepted this hand before as well… with high hopes and yearnings of bond. He feared these gestures now but how could a mate reject the efforts of the other? Jungkook has yet to learn the tactics of using excuses every now and then.

His ring-clad fingers slid over the waiting hand and the grip of their hands was enough proof to show that the fear was mutual. Both of them were trying to gain balance in the bounded bond, owning up to their mistakes and hurt. 

Jungkook sat on his left thigh, his veil coming from behind to hover around the Alpha's feet. One hand of the Alpha secured his waist while the other was entwined in between their warm fingers.

"Is this how you are going to gain forgiveness? By falling sick?" Jungkook whispered, words holding deep sadness. 

"It wasn't intentional. I rarely feel the seasons around me." His thumb caressed the covered waist of the omega in assurance.

Jungkook's hand loosened the hold and lifted his fingers to outline the red circles on his lower eyelids, "Are they hurting?" 

The coldness of the fingers subdued the itching sensation, soothing his heavy eyelids as the Alpha let his eyelashes fall over the nails of the omega. 

Jungkook's heartbeat worsened when the Alpha heaved a relaxed sigh from his open lips. He covered the itched skin with his cold thumbs," I should ask for medicine from hyungnim. Some herbs will definitely be useful to heal this." 

The omega was about to stand but the grip around his waist was tight enough to hold him in one place. 

Taehyung was aware that someone who held the power to heal him naturally in this world, who could mend his wounds with one swipe of his saliva… was his mate. But disclosing this truth will mean knocking down the last wall he has around his spirit, it will mean demolishing the waves of fear his persona wrapped around himself. 

But those hopeless black iris were shining with worried glimpses and he had vowed to not hurt the omega further.

"You can heal me." 

Jungkook pulled back his thumbs from Taehyung's eyelids and they started burning again when the Alpha opened his eyes. He was staring into those confused doe eyes. 

"When you used your saliva on my fingers on the premises of southern land, the splits around my fingers were healed the next day." 

Taehyung always finds the truth easy to deliver but tonight he feels the ache getting worse in his scar pouch because those doe eyes start getting damp with each passing moment.

"And you decided to hide it because?" Jungkook's heart was squeezing and blooming at the same time if it's even possible to happen in a human body.

"I was afraid to accept it, to accept the agreement of nature with my fate, to finally find a place to belong, to finally let go of the hatred which I had developed during the centuries of waiting."   

"I… I can heal you?" Jungkook still wasn't able to believe he was hearing correct things. But Alpha never lies, however, he does hide things. 

Taehyung gave a nod of his head slowly and Jungkook slumped down to grope the depth of the situation. His shoulder hunched yet his eyes were roaming around the Alpha's face to catch any hint of deception. 

When he found nothing, he parted his lips to ask slowly," Does that mean I can heal your eyes?" 

"If you want to." 

Taehyung watched how the omega's forefinger trembled before he took it in between his lips. The omega licked his own finger, gathering around the gush of wetness around the lope before hovering it over the lower eyelid of the Alpha.

His breaths stuttered when his finger moved and coated the redness with shining liquid. 

Taehyung's eyes were locked with the fingers of the omega, noting every fine notion as he accepted the treatment with a bated sigh. 

Jungkook couldn't help but caress the redness for a bit more before he moved to get a hold of the bowl of noodles. 

"It's for the sore throat. Hyungnim said this will help the strained cords naturally." Jungkook swirled the noodles in the bowl and picked a few for Taehyung to eat. 

Both of their eyes were glossy, shining with the tinge of joy and sorrow but no one could point to the exact explanation of their feelings. 

So Taehyung opened his mouth and gulped the warm noodles after chewing them slowly. 

Isn't nature always playing skits with the entities living in it? How come the different parts of the body would crave different things at the same time? His eyes need frosty touches, his throat needs the warm liquid and what about the aching heart? 

What does it yearn for?

And why does the answer lie in the softness of those doe eyes?

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜.

I wish to create a Map of Eclipse where I could define all the parts and the territorial lands of it.

The meeting of wolves got postponed till the next update as some romance still remains.

I crave for your honest reviews as always. If you want to support my writing, donations are welcome.

Hope you enjoy the longest update of mine.

Good night, lovely readers💜.

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜.