Dear lovely readers, Here is the new update for all of you. Many things are happening together, read slowly to embrace all of them💜.

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Lady Pyuhani's face looked devoid of emotions when she entered inside the guarded chamber. Her angry eyes sharpened when she found her daughter lying on the bed carelessly, the upper shirt of hanfu halfway open, hair thrown around the sheets as she looked out of the window. Contrary to that, Mooshin looked close to fainting with her heavy cries and her angry presence overcrowded the maid's fear whose head lulled to the right as she fainted on the floor.

The sudden silence which was vibrating with hurried cries of her friend confused Gyuri so she tilted her head towards the wall only to find her sleeping on the floor. But when she noticed the towering presence of her mother over the threshold of the chamber, her back moved as she sat on the bed and quickly stood beside it.

“What have I told you about staying away from the celebrations tonight?” Her mother's cold voice pierced the silence of the night as she stepped inside the chamber and soon the door got closed behind her.

There were tears in Gyuri's eyes when she looked down, “I just wanted to see the Royal Alpha but then I watched how they received the blessings for their offspring. How would I have survived that, mother?”

“So you decided to choose death for your own and for your family as well.” The finality in her voice made Gyuri's eyes wide in threat. She shook her head violently but couldn't say much as her mother asked another question, “And why? Why can't you survive seeing them together? Perhaps you are forgetting that they are fated mates and if you get the fortune, which you will never now, you could only be a mere concubine.”

“And I accepted that! I have… I know that all I could ever be is a mistress of his Empire but I prayed for that place too. I was insane before I hadn't seen that… seen the Empress. He is irreplaceable. His aura, the way the crowd folds around him and the way Royal Alpha looks at him, will never give me what I've been begging for all these years!” The dam of brimming tears broke and the quiet sobs started to fill the chamber.

Pyuhani looked at her daughter and all she could do was feel pathetic to watch her crumble down on the floor. She didn't approach her and sat on the armchair instead, “Rumours say that you both were accompanied with a Beta. Who was that? And where do you find wormwood at such dark hours?”

The sobs became light but the answer didn't come, igniting the fury inside Pyuhani's head, “My patience is shortening, I am very close to calling all the guards and confessing all of your deeds. I don't care what it would do to me. So choose wisely before lying.”

She wiped the tears while putting away her arms down to her waist before confessing, “You know that Beta, he is not unknown to us. You can pretend to forget about him but he was always there for me. And once again he proved how special I mean to him.”

Pyuhani was prepared for the names Gyuri could utter, from the soldiers to folks, from the maids to nobles but her heart raced to her lungs when she pictured the probability of knowing that man, “You can't…”

“My father. He is the Beta who accompanied me.”

~

The Commander moved the bucket by clutching its handle by his fist and let it sit on the different place and started to mop the floor diligently. Every once in a while his eyes lift off the floor and witness the Royal Omega sleeping on the mattress placed in the middle of the chamber. His lips forced out a concerned sigh and let his gaze follow the mop on the floor once again.

The previous night, the servants had already cleaned the floor thoroughly, expertly cleaning all the bits of vomits and gargles the Royal Omega had to take. But as the new day arrived with the hope of turning his omega more strong and healthy, the Commander stood on his feet to clean it again.

After all, everyone knows about the sensitive nostrils of the Royal Highness. He does not want to provide a single discomfort to the omega after he fought off a painful battle all night long.

The night had tormented all of them equally where they shared that pain. However, the dawn comes with a sense of duty as well. Even though the sky was pouring all night, court should be held at its specific time because punishing the culprits is as important as the healing behind their deeds.

As the Commander of Eclipse, the duty resides on his shoulder to prepare the court, send notices to the folks and finally present the sinners in front of the Royal Alpha. But when the dawn arrived, Yoongi read the reluctant eyes of the Commander right away.

So with misery dripping out of their eyes both of them made a pact that they won't be leaving the omega alone or under anyone's care. They decided to separate the load of their duties and shared them together.

True to their decision, the red-haired Beta went to organise the court while the Commander remained behind to take care of the Royal Omega. But now the Commander was regretting their decision because the more he stared at the sleepy omega, the more he found himself drowning in pain. A pain that he had never felt before, A pain that was above the hundreds of wounds he bore on his body, above the countless times when he had seen death in front of his eyes.

His hands squeezed out the clear water from the woolen cloth and scrunched down to cleanse the stairs of the chamber once again. Yesterday night, when the sky was about to fall on the land… the red-haired Beta requested the folks to provide them a house made of wood or bricks because the Royal Highness was burning in high fever and the cold slaps of the storm was increasing his temperature rapidly.

The folks gladly gave them one of their own and went to call the healers to inform them about the new location of the Royal Omega. The Prince was successfully moved by his mates before the lightning could shatter the sky along with their pavilion.

Healers came by and made different medicines and soups for the omega but the Prince threw out everything after a few moments. It was Yoongi who came up with the mindful stories that he used to divert the omega's disturbing thoughts and the Commander was finally able to feed him something.

The fever has subsided now but it's still there and the helplessness of the moment has left such heaviness inside the Commander that he couldn't look longer towards the sleeping omega. He left the bucket and mop outside the chamber and came inside to open all the windows so that fresh air could enter and swept off the smell of moist wood along with it.

He decided to take a bath when the same smell came out of his clothes but before going inside the bathhouse the Commander came around and tucked the blanket all over the omega's body. He picked his outfit for the court and went inside to clean himself.

When Jimin opened his eyes, he could only see a white figure moving from the mirror to bed again and again as if wandering in the chamber lostly. He blinked his heavy eyelids and brushed past his hazy gaze to get a clear vision of his mate.

The rustling of the anklets against the mattress caught the Commander's attention instantly, making his feet move towards his mate. He found the omega looking at him with his beautiful but swollen feline eyes, “How are you feeling right now?” He asked using his one hand to hold the omega's cheek delicately.

The Royal Highness leaned into the palm and sighed as he noticed a comb in Commander's other hand, “It's better than last night. Should we leave for the court now?”

Hoseok couldn't help himself but moved down and placed a peck on the omega's forehead when he finally heard the omega's clear voice instead of painful whimpers and short puffs. His thumb moved against the omega's upper cheek as a small smile started to form on his lips, “ I will be. But not before making sure that you know some of the things that we have decided for you.”

“For me?” The confused frown was a given that it won't be easy to convince the omega but the Commander is not known for his diplomatic skills in vain. He would go to the heightened volumes of strength, power, fear and emotions to make the omega realise the importance of his health at the present moment.

Jimin's hand reached Beta's wrist and used that hold to push himself against the mattress till he was sitting and resting his back over the headboard, “What happened? Where is Yoonie? Is everything alright?”

The Commander left the comb on the bedside table and squatted closer to the omega and cupped his face with both hands, “Shh. Everything is alright. Healers are looking after the omegas, the soldiers are taking care of the folks of Chinra and the culprit omegas will be presented in the court today. His Majesty informed us that the Empress will be attending the court so I'm assuming that the Alpha allowed it because Luna is sufficiently healthy to hold a court. Everything is alright but I still haven't found my peace because you haven't recovered yet.”

The frown melted away from the omega's temple as he heard about the good updates around him and clutched the commander's arm more tightly, “This fever will subside in a few days. It's nothing more, trust me.”

“You are not looking towards the bigger problem here, Your Highness. We don't have days in front of us to fully immerse ourselves in the cure of our bodies. You know we are in the middle of a battlefield. Anything can happen at any moment and we will be needing you as the leading healer and advisor from our side so if you didn't take the healing more earnestly then I don't think I'll be able to take part in the field.”

The words made the omega's grip loosened around the Commander's arm and arched his back straightly. His lips parted to shake off the fear that started to spread on his mate's features but the Commander hadn't finished yet, “Moreover, Yoongi and I have decided that you should not take part in the court activities till your body gains enough strength. One of us will remain around you to cater all of your needs and you won't force us to do otherwise.”

Hoseok's hands slipped away from the omega's cheek and found a place on his lap and entwined around his small fingers urging him to say something, “I'm not the only one who got injured, Hoseok. I accept your worries and the aspirations to stay beside me in this condition but we can't look past the condition of the folks around us. I can understand the first decision and I'll opt out from a few hearings as well but the second one seemed unnecessary to me.”

Unnecessary.

The letters of the word pierced the Commander's chest one by one, leaving a chaste pain and anger in his eyes, “Why would it be called unnecessary if one of us wants to take care of our mate?”

“Because you both are major assets of Eclipse and important for the soldier's advisory in this crucial time. A row of servants and maids could be planted in front of my chamber who would take care of me. It will bring solace to my concern when I'll be sure that both of my mates are out there to help our people.” Jimin tried to explain while holding the tangled knots of his heart which jumbled painfully when the commander looked away from him.

“And what about us?” His whisper held the restraints that the omega had never heard before.

So he asked again,“What?”

“If you want the servants and maids to carry the grace to cater your needs then what should I do with my brain that stops working when I'm not able to witness your well being, what should I do with my necessities to be around you when I know you are struggling in pain? If simply servants and maids can provide the comfort that I crave to shower upon you then what should I do with myself?”

The frustration was evident in his words and the Commander didn't feel any shame while acting with such annoyance in front of the Royal Highness. He knew that it won't be easy to persuade the omega but how can he compare their presence with other people like this? No significance at all.

Jimin was too stunned to speak at this point, he didn't expect the commander to take his words in the wrong way. He didn't mean to reflect his words in a way that may hurt his mates, “I didn't mean it like that. But the importance laid..”

“And you are not important?” His gaze held the omega captive and spoke again, “I am not saying that we both will be burdening the space around you. But for the sake of our sanity, one of us will be here and this decision is not up for the negotiations anymore.”

He stood up from the mattress and turned towards the door only to halt in his steps when he found the red-haired Beta standing at the threshold with a tray occupying his hands. Yoongi looked at him briefly before his eyes moved past to look at the omega who had one hand in the air… in an effort to stop the Commander.

When both of them went silent momentarily, he walked inside the chamber and stopped beside the mattress to place the tray on the table. He turned towards the other beta and said, “Sit down,” before moving past him to extract two cotton towels from the closet.

He smiled when he found the commander sitting on the previous spot, adorning disturbing features but still facing the omega who had folded his hands around his stomach once again.

He stepped towards them and covered the Commander's head with the towel. He brushed out the excessive moisture and looked at the omega, “The court is about to start. The preparations are done and I have sent the notice to the folks and informed His Majesty as well.”

He looked down at the Beta who was avoiding his eyes and said, “You need to retrieve the culprits from the house arrest before presenting them in the court.” His eyes found the omega and pointed his eyebrow towards the comb that was lying in front of him. Jimin folded his legs immediately and scooted closer to the commander while gripping the comb tightly in his hand.

Yoongi moved to stack away the towel for drying and Jimin raised his hand to start combing Hoseok's hair simultaneously. The red-haired Beta noticed that both of them were not talking, yet their eyes were holding each other's emotions perfectly well. He moved towards the bed and rolled the blanket out from the middle to let it slide to the corner.

He picked the tray again and settled it in between their bodies before taking a seat in the middle of the bed. He waited till the omega made the Beta's hair and then raised the glass of water upto his lips. Jimin drank the warm water and finished it halfway while mumbling a small gratitude to the red-haired Beta.

Yoongi smiled at that and twirled the clay spoon in the thick soup, “His Majesty had informed one more thing.” He stated while presenting the spoon in front of the omega's lips. Jimin parted his lips and let the bland warmth spread inside his mouth when he heard, “The Empress is recovering well.”

Jimin's eyes brimmed with tears when he looked at the tray and found three bowls of the same bland soup or maybe it's not bland and it's just his taste buds ruining his taste under the impact of fever. He can not tell the difference between spices at all. He blinked his eyes clean and accepted another spoonful with a forced smile.

He gulped down the soup and brought his hand down when the combing of the Commander's hair got finished. He was ready to eat another spoonful of the bland soup when he noticed that it wasn't pointed towards him this time. His enlarged eyes looked at the red haired Beta who was holding the spoon in front of the Commander's lips.

Hoseok accepted the food with his barely parted lips but his eyes turned towards the other Beta when he heard him speak, “You have been vigilant for a good amount of time. Don't be concerned anymore, I will be here till you come back from the court. Although I have only one condition before your departure…”

“The culprits should get a taste of their own deeds. Precisely.” The bone shattering smile of the red-haired Beta made Jimin squirm while the commander nodded his head in unison.

“But His highness doesn't agree with the…”

“Don't worry. It might not be comparable to you but I own enough anklets to keep our omega chained to this mattress.” The next spoon moved towards the omega whose lips were puckered in a small pout as if he was getting ignored from the entire conversation so swiftly.

At this point, he didn't have any choice but to accept the food and looked down while chewing the bits of some vegetables. The Commander eyed the omega and then the red-haired Beta as he sighed and moved from the bed. His face hovered above the omega's head first to seal a promising kiss over his hairs before doing the same to the Beta.

Jimin didn't look towards the commander when he heard his waning footsteps and then the screeching of the closing door. He pulled his knees against his chest and looked away from the red-haired Beta as well. However, he heard the hustling on the bedsheet and from his tilted gaze he saw the Beta moving the tray before leaning closer to him, “You have to finish this bowl, Your Highness.”

At first, the omega didn't look towards him but soon he felt a hand around his waist and all of his weight became a feather when he felt himself hoisted up by the hips before settling over the Beta's lap. His urgent eyes bored holes to the red-haired Beta's skull who was looking back at him with merciless eyes, “And I'm not as respectful as the Commander. You know me, right?”

~

The Empress was moving, his breezy legs moving across the floor so hastily that the skirt around his feet flared to the fullest before quenching around his ankles. He stood in front of the mirror while his hands were occupied to fix the crown above the veil. Fingers adorning the special rings as he lowered his hands to wear earrings starting from one of the loops.

His look was completed as he fixed a silky white sash around his waist that went in absolute contrast with his green hanfu. When he felt ready for the court, he made himself sit on the ottoman and brought the glass of water to his lips which was placed in front of his dressing table.

It was the third glass that he had found in front of his eyes since he woke up from his deep slumber. The first one was placed beside the mattress that he gulped almost instantly while eyeing the Royal Alpha who was sleeping beside him. The second one was placed at the threshold of the bathhouse when he stepped out after washing his face… he drank it while eyeing the empty room with a frown supporting his eyebrows. And now this one, that he couldn't resist but drink with a shy smile on his face.

He wasn't surprised as he found the pavilion empty when he came out of the bathhouse because he knew after the destruction of the night, the dawn will need the inspection and the cunning observation of the Royal Alpha. So when he received the notice from the red-haired Beta about the court, he started to get ready without performing any delay.

He took a moment of sigh when his eyes fell on the extinguished fire of the furnace. However, the white ashes gave evidence of the burning night. His fingers pressed the glass tightly in between when his gaze travelled across the creases of the mattress. Each crease has woven a different story to whisper among the cleaners for later.

Before indulging further in the alleys of deep hushes and gushes of his thoughts, Jungkook stood up from the ottoman and left the glass on the table. He believed that Alpha will be joining him in the court but how and when, he wasn't sure about the process.

The thought didn't bring any sadness in his steps as he pulled away the thick curtains of the pavilion to walk outside. The washed scenery of the Western land brought a grounding feeling to the pit of his stomach as he suddenly got reminded by the gardens of Eclipse, the misty smell of earth mixing with the early spices of the breakfast.

He greeted the soldiers who were waiting for his arrival and accompanied the Empress to the court. Jungkook was observing all the folks who seemed to be rushing towards the court as well, everyone was eager to see the culprit and the awaiting justice. He just hopes that he will be able to bring that justice in court without any inconvenience.

He moved past a group of folks who greeted him profusely but what made his ears perked was the conversation happening among them. He slowed down his pace and let his ear pick up the words to know the ambiance of the surroundings.

Can't you walk fast? We need to reach there before the Empress. How embarrassing it would be if we entered after Luna. As a responsible citizen, we should be present there to greet him with our folded hands, lazy folks!

Yes, walk fast. I need to see the face of that inhuman omega who dared to perform such a heinous act.

My knees are not young like yours. You all can go. Considering my age, I think the Empress won't mind if I became a little late.

You are 22. Shut up.

And? This is old enough to get a shelter under my mate's thick shoulder.

Goddess bless when you find one.

Speaking of mates, I heard that our Royal Alpha disappeared last night after reciting the arrest to the culprits.

Have you heard of the Alpha after that?

I assume he must be finding the different methods to make these omegas’ punishments an example to the folks.

Then who took care of the Empress?

I think you are not listening yourself. The previous night was a nightmare for all of us, Ofcourse, the Alpha went to his mate and took care of him. I'm the oldest for no reason.

You are still 22.

And I will pop out a grey hair if you repeat that sentence again.

Ladies, I have brought my vanilla pies for the sessions. My mother said the hearing could stretch longer, what did you bring for yourself?

Nothing would fill my stomach more than the crying face of that lunatic.

Oh. Do you know about those omegas?

No. Their names are not out yet but whoever those omegas are, their life will be ruined from today onwards.

Jungkook didn't look away from the soldiers and kept pretending to hear their instructions till he heard the gushed voices of the folks turning into several gasps eruptly. He didn't stop in his steps, kept walking ahead towards the court with his head held high. However, the resting blush on his cheeks had surely spread around his neck when the gushed voices returned.

Both of them look so good together.

Oh my heart.

Look at them.

He stood on the threshold of the court and watched how the whole courtroom bore a sheet of silence with their heads bowing in greetings. Instead of stepping inside the courtroom, The Empress moved his chin towards the right, barely looking above his shoulder.

His glistening lips spread against its edges when his peripheral vision changed the clear scenery into a black shadow adorning a pair of sharp eyes. The Royal Alpha’s body emerged from behind the omega's back, shoulders brushing with a bare movement as he graced the space beside him.

The folks who had picked themselves up from the ground after greeting the omega were stunned to see the Royal Alpha appearing from behind the Empress. Thick black locks doing a poor job to hide the serene eyes piercing around the courtroom, once again, pushing the folks on their knees to greet the Emperor.

They lifted their heads and found themselves steady on their feet when the Royal couple crossed the threshold of the court and stepped inside simultaneously. The crowd kept segregating themselves to show the path that led straight to the throne placed at the back of the courtroom. There were soldiers standing on both sides of the throne to manage the crowd behind the standing line of the room.

Jungkook spotted the Commander first and moved his head in acknowledgment when he received a polite bow in return. He pretended to set the lapels of his hanfu and let the Alpha walk to take a seat on the chair that was wide enough to share by two people. However, the space became congested when the Royal Alpha sat comfortably and spread his knees to let his one foot supported by the ottoman and the other remained flat on the ground.

It was the moment when the omega finally embraced the presence of the Royal Alpha in its full glory. From the crisps of his black pants to the enchanted edges of the black suit, from the tight waist coat to the shining black shoes, Jungkook absorbed everything but couldn't look at the face because his gaze zeroed on the hand that was stretched towards him.

Jungkook pushed his hand forward even before he climbed that one stair and merged his palm on the spread one. He used his other hand to bring his trailing veil closer towards the back of the Alpha's left knee and with sheer elegance dripping down from his presence, he took a seat on the Alpha’s left thigh.

His torso was facing the crowd in front of him just like the Emperor but one of them wasn't quiet looking at the folks. But there wasn't a way where Jungkook would be able to see how the Alpha's gaze hadn't left his face. How those serene eyes were focused on the side profile of the omega, wouldn't it be considered as disrespectful to provide attention elsewhere than the present folks in the courtroom? Maybe it would. But is there anyone who would actually voice it out, who would actually go to heights of bravery to gain his mere attention.

None.

So. Nobody could really stop the Royal Alpha from looking at the omega. And when this realisation dawned upon the Alpha’s shoulders, he placed his right elbow on the armrest and supported his chin with his two knuckles before submitting his eyes to the calming glow wafting off the face present in front of him.

Something is really wrong… The Alpha could sense in the way the calm arc of the omega's eyebrow turned down sharply while focusing his eyes at someone. He noticed the way those round cheeks flattened and created a sharp streak around his jaw, lips pressed in a grimace but leaving traces of small dimples.

Taehyung blinked slowly and when his eyes opened again, he couldn't stop how his pupils dilated when some of those short tresses『that the omega always kept hidden behind his ears』 peeked out from the thick bun and covered a small span of the omega's shoulder. Their edges still seemed sharp but much longer than before. He watched how those tresses stick to the omega's neck instead of coiling around his shoulder.

And much to his expectancy the edges created the undeniable itch, making the omega move his hand and twirled his fingers to tuck those traitors behind his ears again. The Royal Alpha looked down when those edges got wrenched from the omega's neck to leave it bare. His moving eyes maintained the gaze once again when the veil came forward to secure its place once again.

With the way the omega's lips were moving, he could assume that the court must have started. From the distance, very distantly he could hear the voice of the Commander as well but he didn't find anything more enchanting than the omega whose lips once again dipped in a grimace before speaking something harshly.

The Alpha's knuckles caressed under his own chin and his thumb came forward to stroke a half circle around his jaw and earlobe when his thoughts drifted and acknowledged the morning when he was awakened after receiving a thing that he was not able to receive from centuries.

A dream.

In the first few hours of the dawn when the Alpha drifted to sleep, his thoughts woven a dream in his mind. The images were blurred but important enough to engrave the notions in his memory. He remembered himself watching from afar, the fields of Eclipse attaining the ripening crops and several faces of eclipsers who were eagerly harvesting and collecting the crops in storages. In between all the chaos, he watched a figure roaming in between folks with overbearing fists carrying the seeds.

The figure made a run towards him and with the decreasing distance, the blurred face came closer and attained a shape of a widely smiling Empress who opened his fists in front of his face to show how the crops have ripened the grains fully. Isn't it beautiful? He remembered those words too that the dreamy Empress asked.

The Royal Alpha blinked his eyes when he remembered that he couldn't reply at all when the closing door of the bathhouse pulled him out of the maze. A person who struggled to sleep for centuries is now weaving dreams in his slumber, isn't it inappropriate? Unnatural? So it wasn't his fault when the first thing he does after waking up is diving in Lavin and then taking a stroll around the Western Land.

His eyes diverted towards the omega's hand which was stretched forward to point a finger towards someone. He followed the pointed finger and found Lady Pyuhani standing at the end and that's when other court noises started to fill his ear.

“I may not recite the responsibility of a mother in this crowded court but as a parent of your daughter, you should be aware of the fascinations she held in her mind. Won't you?” The voice of the Empress held the finality instead of a mere accusation.

And the crowd gasped when the lady lowered her head in shame without response. The folks were already stunned when they found out that the lady of the Western land and her servant were indulging in such an outrageous act. The whispers weren't stopping at all, some angry and some full of surprises.

Jungkook raised his hand in the air and the hall fell silent once again, just staring at the eyes of the folks weighing down the shoulders of the culprits with sheer disappointment. The Empress glanced at Lady Pyuhani's daughter at once and gulped the boiling anger down to his throat.

When he first saw her, the first emotion his eyes might have reflected was pity. The lady looked young, almost innocent to hide behind her mother's shoulder but her wandering eyes around the courtroom and uncomfortable stares towards the Alpha didn't quite match with her innocent face. His jaw clenched when he reminded himself that she hasn't just injured so many omegas with her act but also tried to throw disrespect towards the Royal Alpha.

With a small gesture he let the commander move the lady Pyuhani aside and faced the culprit fully, “Do you or do you not accept your wrongdoings in front of the court?” He gave a fair chance to the lady so that she could explain her deeds to the entire court.

Gyuri was looking towards the Empress with fearful eyes, her planned thoughts didn't work when the Royal omega recognized her last night. The only hope that she crossed in her heart was the prayer of this court adjournment. If the court hearings would have extended, she could have had enough time to weave another theory but now she stands with bare red hands and has nothing to protect herself.

Her gaze switched from the omega's dominant eyes to the Alpha's submissive ones. However, they weren't submitted to the court or to the folks or towards her… whom she is fooling now… there isn't a moment when the Royal Alpha moved his gaze away from the Empress. It's the utter humiliation that she had to face in her life. Even after doing so many things, crossing the limits of her own persona… she couldn't even get one gaze from the Royal Alpha.

It was a strike on her esteem and before it could leave a deep scar on her heart she squared her shoulders and stood in front of her mother. Eyes holding the thunder and ready to face death when she spoke, “I met Royal Alpha before His Empress arrived in his life. I…”

All of her confidence shattered on the ground when the stiffened silence of the courtroom reached her ears. The folks were staring at her with fearful eyes, as if she dared to say something forbidden, something disgusting enough to make them cover their mouth with their hands.

But she can't cower down right now, if fate has brought her in front of her death then she will engulf it with happiness but not before clearing her wants and beliefs, “I met His Majesty three years ago. He had saved us from those monsters who wanted to molest us in the worst way. When we lost our last hope, he came to us like the blessing of the moon goddess. How would my heart not feel defeated at his feet?”

Jungkook's toe ploughed deeper on the carpet and his heel was about to twist to stand up from the Alpha's lap to give this lady a better reason to cry but then he felt the fingers digging in his waist. He didn't look towards the Alpha and wished that his mate didn't notice his blood boiling inside his veins as he kept sitting with his back straight and eyes solely focused on the mere excuse of the omega that was spewing nuisance in front of him.

The Commander stepped ahead and asked with a frown, “In the long years of my service as the Commander of Eclipse, I haven't noticed a day where His Majesty hasn't saved his folks or contributed towards his people. And folks do express their gratitude in various ways but none of them supported an act as vicious as yours.”

Gyuri bowed down to the Commander and attempted to wipe her tears before thick trails took another place to slide down her cheeks, “I apologise but I wish to explain the whole truth. Yesterday night, I visited the hill just to see the Royal Majesty but after the celebrations when I decided to come back along with my friend, there was a man. He was struggling to pull his cart so when we helped him settle in a clean space, he requested us to help him sell his products.”

Jungkook didn't let it be ignored how the Lady Pyuhani glared at her daughter before pressing her lips shut and looking down. Lies. A group of lies is what she is telling in front of the court. But the Commander was more than capable to counter her excuses, “And you decided to help a stranger instead of going back to the safety of your home?”

Gyuri hid her trembling hands and ducked her face down to cover the sweat that starts to form on her forehead, “I took the risk because…. I wanted to see the Royal Majesty one more time.”

The Royal Alpha can say that whatever the words that were being said in the court, were leaving a distaste in the Empress's mouth because he could see those doe eyes sharpening after each sentence. This sheer torment of the omega, such struggle, such anger, such sharp eyes were filling a rejoicing pit inside his heart that never existed before. Not that he was aware of.

Do the words hurting the omega same as they do to his pride? Maybe they do, because with the force he was grabbing the omega's waist to secure him on his lap was enough to leave an imprint from the upper layer of his hanfu.

Kenji was standing a little far from all the dramatics but he couldn't stay silent when a series of laughter left his lips. The crowd turned towards him as he walked toward the Commander and stood beside him before asking, “So this fine omega risked her safety in order to see a courted man in the middle of the night. I wouldn't word out what it says about your character but you served the drinks to so many people yet didn't like to drink it yourself? Any more excuses about that?”

Gyuri doesn't have anything else to say so she moved her body towards the crowd entirely, “I didn't carry any coins to buy such goods for myself. Please believe me. All of us have carried a respectful spot for the Royals in our life and I apologise that I let my respect develop into admiration. My love for His Majesty was fated to worship from afar and I accepted that too. However, sometimes the heart decides for itself and makes us feel defeated. I'm ashamed that I went to the hills even after my mother denied. But I didn't plan, or foresee the incident that happened with the omegas. I can never…. Please believe me.”

“Let's presume that I believe you and all your words but what would you like to call the acceptance that your friend did while being in the armory. She was continuously apologising if I remember it correctly.” Kenji said as he tilted his head towards the lady.

Gyuri fidgeted with her hands under the lapels of her hanfu and sniffled softly before looking towards the crowd once again, “My friends had always held a fragile heart. When I got abused yesterday, she must have felt frightened for me and herself. She has been crying continuously and couldn't attend the court due to her lack of consciousness.”

Abused?

What happened?

The whispers started to disperse in between the crowd and once again Jungkook felt how people could normalize disrespect by relating their own insecurities with others. He could clearly see how the lady was trying to manipulate the crowd, how cunningly she was changing the subject from her accusation to the slap she received oh so rightfully.

“An abuse you receive in the form of a single slap after disrespecting the Royal Highness. What are you trying to do here, lady? You were already fuç- *cough* invited trouble when you uttered your first sentence in the court.” Kenji brushed away his anger and decided to take a breath as he looked around the crowd to collect his thoughts, “Not to mention the jealousy you dare to feel towards the Empress. I don't think anyone here will accept such behaviour at any cost.”

Gyuri fell down on her knees and cried for mercy. She was looking pitiful as she addressed the crowd once again, “I'm ashamed of my behaviour and will accept my punishment gracefully but I refuse the accusation of building any conspiracy against the Royal Empress or the pack omegas. I wasn't involved in any of it.”

The crowd was ready to feel apathetic for the lady and asked to give another merciful chance of her survival. They were ready to weave a handful of punishments for her but what they weren't ready for was the mellifluous voice that pierced through the walls of court and assembled all the attention at the entrance.

“Is this the moment where I should surpass this threshold and enter the courtroom?”

The Royal Alpha’s head moved towards the door with a sudden jolt, wide eyes shining gold as he tapped the fingers lightly on the omega's waist. Jungkook felt that light touch and lifted himself up from the Alpha's lap to stand beside the throne. He looked down at his mate whose eyes were fixated on the entrance.

Jungkook tried his best to look towards the person that stepped inside the courtroom, he even raised his heels and stood on his toes but nothing was visible from the mass of the crowd. But he noticed how Kenji moved in an instant to help the soldiers and made a clear path for the person to walk through the crowd.

The Royal Alpha stood up from the throne and took a step ahead but didn't cascade the staircase. He clasped his hands behind his back and waited for the person to come forward. Jungkook moved to stand beside the Royal Alpha, both of their eyes were fixed on the people when he finally noticed…

A goddess walking towards them.

Jungkook wasn't exaggerating as the abbreviation formed in his mind on its own once he set his eyes on the walking goddess. The woman had long white hairs that were braided to her knees in the most beautiful way, he had never seen such art before. The head ornament, a crown mixed with several dangling diamonds that fell around her upper cheeks and her chin, doing a perfect work to provide a shine to the mature lines of her face.

He noticed the tips of her eyelashes were white too, pillowy lips stretched in a wide smile created a crease around her eyes. She was wearing a long red hanfu, he could see her skirt trailing behind her feet where two of her attendants were walking beside her.

However, the woman's gaze fell on the Royal guest Kenji first who didn't waste a moment before kneeling on the ground and bowing down to her. Her smile widened as she stretched her hand to caress the Alpha's shoulder, “May the goddess brings you maturity. May she end your misery and shower you with life soon.”

Kenji laughed as he grabbed the hand from his shoulder and reverted back on his feet. She was taller than the majority of the women but her head comes out comparable to the Kenji's shoulder when they stand in front of each other. Kenji bows again to leave a fleeting peck on the woman's wrist before leading her towards the throne.

By now, Jungkook had an institution about the identity of the woman but when her eyes fell on the Royal Alpha, all of his doubts got cleared right away. Her smile dimmed a bit and the shiny glaze was replaced by a melancholic wave of emotions. However, the lady was expert in dropping her white lashes to hide the sadness before raising her head towards his mate.

Her hand adorned a few stones that were carved perfectly for her bony fingers and as she walked on the carpet, her feet were leaving imprints of some addictive melodies that were coming out of her anklets. When she stood in front of the Royal Alpha, Kenji left her hand and went back to stand beside the Commander who held sheer confusion on his face.

Jungkook looked at the Royal Alpha and found his mate avoiding the eyes of her Godmother. If he wasn't staring at his mate so profusely, he wouldn't have noticed the small bow of his head towards the woman.

But the woman ignored his little notions and didn't shower him with the blessings that she used to do every time someone bows to her. And the time comes, when her bright black iris moved to the left of the Royal Alpha and fell upon him. He noticed how her eyes dilated as she studied his face and let her gaze raked down to his entire body.

Her eyes were shining more, smile stretched more and legs were about to move towards him when Jungkook's vision got covered by the Alpha's broad back. To the crowd of the courtroom, it looked as if the Royal Alpha was presenting his throne to the new Royal guest but Jungkook knew. He knows that his mate just blocked the path for her Godmother to come closer to him.

Jungkook remained rigid on his feet and didn't move away from the Alpha’s back, if his mate has decided that there should be a barrier in between him and his Godmother then he won't oppose it. But being the Empress of the Eclipse, he ought to bow down to the soul who have raised such fine gentlemen in the Royal family.

So Jungkook took a step back but remained behind the Royal Alpha as he kneeled on the floor and bowed down to the woman. He couldn't see her expressions but when he raised his head, there were blessings showering upon him, “May the entire Europe kneel down before your glory. May the prosperity of your state reach the moon in your governance. May the moon goddess give you strength and power to lead your pack. May your womb carry the strongest heirs for the Empire. May the love of your people surround you from all directions.”

The Empress remained stunned in his position as the woman moved and brushed past his mate to take a seat on the throne. Her attendants came forward to manage the flares of her skirt that spread at the opening of the throne and segregated them beautifully. The curious crowd had also gone down to their knees along with their Empress and was silently waiting for the woman's introduction. They received it when the mellifluous voice spread around the court evenly.

“Be at ease. Before disturbing the Royal court, I should have introduced myself but nonetheless, fate doesn't do things before it's time. I'm Valerie Ella, the Godmother of the Royal family.” The diamonds around her wrist clinked together as she placed her hand under her chin. She won't be giving her true identity, true livinghood for people's good so she comes up with new ones, “I'm blessed by the moon goddess with a healthy body which kept me alive for so long. I ought to use such health to serve my people all around the world. Passing by the Western Land, I heard about the Royals' arrival and couldn't stop myself from meeting them. However, the name Pyuhani left a different kind of ring in my ears.”

It was absurd how every eye present in the court moved towards the Lady Pyuhani who had become pale beside her daughter. The stretch around Ella's lips spread into a chilling smile as she spoke forward, “Two years back when I was hiding my identity and working under a witch, I recognized this lady visiting her along with her daughter. Forbid my words but she talked about a potion that can lure a strong Alpha towards her omegan daughter. The witch made the potion and prescribed it to use once a day.”

The horrified gasps travelled all around the crowd and Taehyung wanted to sigh in utter annoyance. Lies. She is telling lies. There wasn't any other witch. She made that potion herself.

“However, when they left for the western land, there was a man who accompanied them named Beom Myung.” Jungkook moved from behind the Royal Alpha and stood beside him, both of them shared a glance before looking at the crowd.

“General Dae,” Ella said, making the man flinch in between the soldiers, “Do you recognize any male with a name Beom Myung.”

The General bowed and nodded his head, “Yes, Your excellence. Beom Myung was Lady Pyuhani's mate, Gyuri's father.”

“Was? Is he dead now?” She asked again while pressing one of her short nails to the dangling diamond around her chin.

“No, Your excellence. He was a butcher and used to provide meat for the pack kitchens but one day, I found him butchering animals from the Gigeré forest, an entire cave filled with blood and bones. He got banished from the western land due to that massacre.” General Dae informed while looking down in concern.

“Banishment. A word that always makes me wonder about its existence. Do people really disconnect their relations under this word's shadow or it's just a pawn for people to bury their unsolved emotions?” The Empress was understanding very well for whom those words were directed to. And It wasn't necessary to scrape the wounds of the Royal Alpha like this. His feet moved as he stood a bit closer to the Alpha when he heard the voice of the woman again, “Nonetheless…Have you discovered his locations after his banishment? Where did he leave? Which pack did he join? How did he live?”

General clasped his hand in front of his waist and shook his head anxiously, “I apologise. However, the duties towards the western land and interruptions from the Strays kept me occupied.”

She waved her hand in the air dismissively as if she knew that the General wasn't prepared for such questions and hid behind the mere excuses, “How about we ask from Beom Myung himself?”

Gyuri's trembling hands reached towards her mother to clutch her arm in urgency. The fear in her eyes was swirling more prominently, the hair sticking to her neck by excessive sweat. Chapped lips were whispering constant prayers to the moon goddess but that didn't stop the woman's attendants dragging an injured man inside the courtroom.

Jungkook's lips parted astoundingly along with the whole crowd when the man stumbled over the carpet with wobbling legs. His entire face was filled with clawing marks, sore wounds were still leaking blood which was landing on the carpet drop by drop. His arms were hanging loosely around the shoulders of the attendants, legs twisting in different directions while walking. Someone has beaten up the man brutally and he doesn't see anyone more countable than the Godmother herself.

Gyuri enclosed her mouth with her hand and cried silently after seeing the condition of her father. She had never imagined that her love would bring such consequences one day. She looked at her mother for some consolation but the lady was staring at the man with wide horrific eyes.

Ella smiled once again, “Myungie, won't you tell the court where you lived after being banished by your people?”

The man fell on his knees when the attendants removed their support and stood beside him. His painful whimpers didn't agitate mercy in the crowd, instead their confidence thrived to see such a result of disloyalty. They called out the man and threw many profanities till the noise started to hurt Beta's head.

“I… I lived with other banishers.” His voice came out harsh as if someone had crushed his vocal cords before dragging his body inside the court.

“Do you mean Strays?” The Commander asked.

The man cried heavily while looking towards his daughter but remained dejected on the floor as he nodded, “They accepted me with a condition If I could give them enough information about the secret routes of the western land.”

“You traitor!?!” General Dae takes out his dagger to plunge a scar in between his brows but the Commander's experienced hand stops him in the middle, “Let him complete, General.”

He lifted his both hands and waved them in denial, “I accepted the condition but I swore to not give them such information but my love for my family ruined everything. They start following me around and find out that I always cross Pither and use caves of Chinra to meet my daughter.”

The General looked wickedly towards the man and pressed his lips in disgust, “So you gave away the protection of thousands of daughters to meet your own?”

The man bowed on the carpet and begged for mercy, “I apologise, Your Majesty but I couldn't stop them any longer. They found the path and started planning their attacks by making several caves for their soldier’s benefit. When the Chinra mountain collapsed, all of their routes were destroyed.”

Kenji kneed the man to the floor when he started to lift himself on his arms, “ Then how do you manage to step into this land during the autumn moon festival? How do you manage to carry wormwood with you and plan such atrocious strategies.”

The man looked at his daughter once again, his eyes carrying the pitiful emotions when he started to cry again. He couldn't even look towards his wife but he could see her fearful gaze holding concern for him.

“Now now now… we don't have all day to listen to your sob story. Speak before my patience ran thinner than my blade,”Kenji urged and the man started to speak again, “I knew my daughter's infatuation towards the Royal Majesty and used to deny her thoughts when I was still living in western land but she and my wife used to count several benefits if Gyuri managed to become a concubine or a mistress of Royals. After a moment of time, I started to believe them. I started to imagine myself in an upper cadre than my comrades and started to do things that shouldn't be done by a normal butcher. I started to break the rules, a strange feeling of pride filled my brain that didn't go away even after my banishment.”

His shaking shoulders were proof of how much pain the man was holding inside him but he didn't stop the words tumbling out of his mouth, “Before the destruction, I came to visit my daughter. She told me how she could make a space beside the Royal Majesty–” He plopped on the floor when he felt another knee kicking his back harshly. It was the Commander who was taking a circle around the man while listening to him. The man choked on the painful wounds and moved on his arms to speak further, “... if we manage to vacant the position of the Empress of Eclipse.”

Several swords left their sheaths and the sharp noises of clinking metals reverberated all around the room. The man felt a cold metal pressed under his chin and he witnessed the anger dripping down the Commander's face when he lifted his head towards him. He gulped the blood that choked around his throat and cried out, “We didn't mean to harm His Grace. She just proposed to use a medicine that can make him weak. Weak enough to…” His mouth mumbled out some words but they proved to be just a noise when no one could pick up that voice.

Kenji grabbed the man by his hair and pulled his head towards the ceiling, “Speak again.”

The veins were evident around the man's temple, the way his head was struggling to provide enough blood to his brain, “Weak enough to not bear a heir for the Kingdom.” The Commander's lips twisted in disgust as he dragged the sword above his throat. The metal penetrated the skin, pushing out a line of blood that trailed down to the man's collarbones.

The man accepted his fate and closed his eyes after looking at his family one last time, “Finding wormwood wasn't hard. I had always used that herb to deworm the animals to produce healthy meat. I swam across the Lavin during the heavy rainfall and came to help my daughter. She prepared the drinks and invited other visitors to taste it. I told her to mix that herb in small amounts but blinded by the rage, she didn't listen to me. I-”

“Down, Commander.” The mirthless voice of the Royal Alpha called the Commander of Eclipse and soon…Kenji was left with the head of the man while his torso fell on the ground with a heavy thud. Gyuri screamed to see her father's head hanging by Kenji's fingers who didn't waste to drop that head and stomp on it.

Jungkook heard a little tsk from the Godmother and a little mumble that goes, Always so impulsive. We could use him to drag information about the Strays. Alas! But he ignored her words and wrapped his fingers around the Alpha's wrist which felt warmer than normal. He bit his lips and hid his fingers under the cuffs to let his thumb leave a little caressing around it.

His heart became heavier when he realised that yesterday night he tried to save this family, this lady who supports such vile thoughts in her mind. He wished he wouldn't have stopped the Alpha, he wished he would let him ruin their faces who dared to speak so much nuisance today.

The falling head of the man didn't bring any pity inside the Empress but the raising screams of his daughter and wife were making his blood run faster in his veins. The reason wasn't pity. No. The reason was the foolish thoughts they believed upon. Having such a kind of audacity to dream about making space in his mate's life.

Suddenly, the sword in the Commander's hand looked more captive and the hunger to spill that blood once again increased to no end. But then Ella discarded the throne and turned towards him with a smile, “I need to visit my little Highness as well. So the decision of their fate must lay in the hands of the Empress.”

Jungkook took his one foot behind and let the toe touch the ground before bowing with his head only. The woman looked at him for a longer period of time before her attendants started to flow the flares of skirt around her feet. She walked forward then, stepping straight into the messy blood, red flares of the hanfu leaving long streaks of blood on her wake.

His fingers loosened around the Alpha's wrist and faced the crowd. The entire court was waiting for his decision and he didn't want to make them wait any longer because as prideful as the scene looks in front of him, their mere presence was disgusting him to the core, “Admiring the Royals from afar is what people generally does, many of them likes to worship the path the Royal Alpha walks upon. But there is a difference between all and the lady standing in front of us.”

“Difference is respect and disgust, difference is pride and shame, difference is wisdom and idiocy. I would have understood if you wanted to have my position beside His Majesty. Many do. But you made to image him out like an object that you can get if you behave in specific ways… ways of dramatic gestures to manipulate your parents, ways to use witches to lure the wolves… which will remain unbearable to me.”

Gyuri was holding her crying mother's shoulders who soon fell to her knees and cradled the head of his mate. In between choking noises and thick tears, she saw the Empress walking towards them. His face held the anger to kill them in the next fleeting moments and she would accept it. After all, there is nothing that she could ask for more than death right now.

However, the harsh voice of the Empress says otherwise, “Throw them in dungeons to mourn for a week and then execute them in front of the entire western land.”

Gyuri joined her hands and begged on her knees, “Please, Your highness. Please kill me. Us. I wish to not live any longer. Have mercy on me, punish me with your own hands.” When she started to drag her knees towards the Empress to touch his feet, Kenji stepped on her hairs to stop her movements.

“Witness the result of your actions, see the happiness that you brought upon your family. Mercy will come afterwards.” Jungkook said and the rest of her cries became a distortion when the people from the crowd started to throw their hands in the air. He felt a warm hand coiling around his waist and closed his eyes to let his feet follow the lead of the Royal Alpha.

~

Ella walked ahead of her attendants and smiled widely when she saw Yunhee scolding her mate while standing in front of the Royal Highness's chamber. She clapped her hands once and the attendants spread around the western land to leave her alone. Her feet took him towards the couple who looked shocked to see her presence.

Ella loves to give surprises.

Both of them bowed down to their knees and greeted the woman with pure gratitude, “Mother, You are here?”

“May the different world awaits for your togetherness. May the moon goddess bless your bond for eternity. I was leaving for Eclipse to see my son but Namjoon informed me about the attack on the omegas. On his request, I came here to see Jimin's recovery first. I knew he would be struggling the most.” The diamonds on her head weren't twinkling on such a cloudy day but they brought different kinds of energy to her face where everything looked calm and composed.

“Oh. You are right but I'm afraid you will find one of his mates with him.” Sang gushed while pulling his mate under his shoulder.

“No wonder but Lunar boys seemed to have obedience in their nature so it won't be hard to distract him with duties.” Her clear eyes shone with mirth as the couple laughed while walking away from the chamber.

The door opened on its own as Ella welcomed herself inside the chamber only to find a red-haired Beta polishing his sword, “Pardon Milady, your presence wasn't announced for the Royal Highness.”

Her smile faded when she noticed the dull figure of her great grandson laying on the bed, “You must be Min Yoongi.” She blinked her eyes when the man gave a hesitant nod towards her, “ I am Jimin's Godmother, Ella and I have arrived from afar to cure his pain. If you don't mind, would you please leave him in my care for a few moments.”

Yoongi looked down at his mate who responded with a dull blink of his eyes and accepted the caressing of his mate's hand with a small smile. The red-haired Beta bowed and greeted the woman but didn't expect, “May the world recite the story of your lovely bond for ages. May the moon goddess strengthen this bond with love, faith and intimacy. May the blade of your sword shine sharper than the moonlight.”

The blessings left a lightness in his heart and all of his hesitation washed away with that small smile he received from the woman. With a final nod towards his mate, he grabbed his sword and stepped out of the chamber.

“Your habit of giving excessive blessings doesn't fade away even after centuries, mother.” Jimin muttered while laying in the same position.

Ella scoffed and pushed the small hairs away from her ears before pointing her finger towards a chair. Her lips moved to chant a spell and the chair got dragged on the floor swiftly before stopping in front of her feet. She took the seat and huffed angrily, “You don't look surprised at all.”

Jimin blinked his eyes tiredly and pointed his forefinger towards the window, “He's been sitting on my window since dawn. His presence gave away the information of your arrival.”

Ella's face moved towards the window and settled with a sigh when she found her owl sitting on the windowsill. Scooper. His claws were clutching the wood tightly while the eyes were focused on the Royal highness as if fixated to notice his every action. The bird has unique eyes… If one could ask the people who got the blessing to see him and appreciate his beauty, they will tell about the dark black pupils covered with red elongated circles. His body was covered with brown speckles with little shades of tan and black.

“Doesn't your mate notice him?” Ella asked while waving her hand to free the bird to take a stroll around the new area.

“He did but when I said that he looks like my Godmother's pet and his presence gives me comfort, he didn't say anything further.” His back was supported by the headboard, pale cheeks looked too dull to keep that surging blush on his face.

Ella smiled at that and placed her one foot over the other while looking at the omega, “I met your fierce one in the court. I don't know what anger his veins held but he brought death to one of the culprits.”

“Hoseok?”

“Mhm. The Commander. The red one seemed more innocent to me.” She said while stretching her finger on the omega's mattress to leave a little caress on the sheets but Jimin coughed at such observation of his Godmother and brushed the blush away from his warm cheeks.

“Maybe I'm the one who made him angry.” His voice was tiny, a mere shake of his plush lips which left Ella more annoyed than before, “Stop whining and greet properly.”

The Royal Highness pushed himself up and folded his legs before rolling into a kneeling position on the bed to bow down to his Godmother. His eyes spilled out the tears of happiness when the blessings started to fall out with her mellifluous voice, “ May your brain start functioning before your funeral. May the moon goddess bless you with the thoughts that help you to make the right decision.”

The Royal omega didn't expect such blessings and groaned before sitting on the bed dejectedly, “Why such blessings? Have I made a mistake?”

From the vast centuries of her life, Ella has learnt one thing that she has written in all of her books as well. The value of time. So without wasting the passing moments, she grabbed the warm hand of the omega in her cold ones and said, “Jimin, my child, why are you stopping your mates in between intimate moments? Why are you rejecting all of their efforts that they want to measure to cure your pain? Don't you feel the intimacy or there is any other reason? You were aware that the poison could be melted away only if you let them come closer to you, aren't you?”

Jimin was shocked to hear about all of his fears from the woman and shook his head habitually. But her plumpy lips gave away the lie when they started to quiver in pain, “I do feel the intimacy, they are my mates, mother.”

“Then what's the reason that you are still rotting in the mattress instead of slithering the throats of those culprits?” She knows the reason very well and she knows how unreasonable those reasons are. But she wanted to hear them from Jimin, in his own voice laced with emotions.

“I feel guilty when they come closer to me. Both of them are aware that I have swore to remain unmated till my brother accepts His Empress. I don't want to come out as a selfish brother in this.” Jimin said while pushing the blanket up to his shoulders to hide his body inside it.

“Your body doesn't have to be mated for your cure.”

“I know but their close presence makes me hyper aware of their touches and due to that I often flinch, twitch in their arms and I feel their scent souring afterwards. It makes them think that their touches somehow made me uncomfortable.” The heavy sadness brought his shoulder down in defeat as he blinked his watery eyes before matching his eyes with her.

“You must not make them feel like this. My son, you have received them as a blessing after centuries. I thought that you will be rejoiced to feel the merriness of romance that love brings in one's lives but instead of doing that you have made your life even more miserable.” She patted his small hands and pulled her hands back to clap them together.

The door opened as one of the attendants entered with a bowl of water in his hand. He handed over the bowl to the woman and walked out of the chamber after bowing to the Royal Highness. Ella dipped her forefinger in water and chanted another spell before pushing that bowl towards the omega, “Here, drink it and listen to me closely.”

Jimin took that bowl without any hesitation and drank the sweet water with large gulps. Ella waited till the omega placed the bowl on the bed and said afterwards, “The time has come where you should break your pledge.”

Jimin stopped himself from wiping his chin as he stared at the woman with wide eyes, “What?”

“Yes. Your brother has accepted his mate. You don't have to stretch your words any longer than this.” Ella expressed his concern and assured the omega that he can still fix everything.

“But I thought I should wait till they mate….”

“Jimin.” The Royal omega noticed the edge in her voice and spared himself from the wrath of an angry witch by muting himself immediately, “Your brother was… is… and will be enough to give me white hairs for the rest of my entire life. You don't have to contribute your part to it. Don't take your mate's affection for granted, these wars always uproots the oldest trees of faith.”

The Royal omega noticed the underlying warning of her Godmother and it sowed a seed of concern in the pit of his stomach. However, Ella didn't let him dwell on his anxious thoughts when she said, “ You are Madelyn's first born. Do not forget the pain he carried to bring you to this world. After uncountable unborns, you were the first one to fight destiny and fill the throne of Eclipse. But all of us know that along with all of these, you are the carrier of a weak heart too.”

The truth sheared a part of the omega that he had long buried under the responsibilities of his position as the Royal Highness of Eclipse. His mind revoked the thoughts that recalled any memories where he fell severely ill, where his parents roamed from one healer to another to keep their first son alive. He was a Royal, an immortal so it was safe to say that he wouldn't be dying with a failing heart but according to his father, Death is much better than a life surrounded by illness.

“Does your mates know about it?” She asked.

But the words couldn't fall under the vicinity of Jimin's hearing when his own thoughts were wandering down to the lane of his life's darkest moments. Ella brushed the vines of her hair away from her shoulder as she leaned forward and tugged the omega's arm, “Jimin, does your mates know about your weak heart?”

The omega shuddered in his position and squared his shoulders in a defensive manner, “There is nothing to tell. Elder Chung Hee had healed me during my childhood. He said that I won't be suffering from it anymore.”

“Your body has served you for centuries, son. It remained compact because you didn't have any bond to share with anyone. Elder Chung Hee proved to be right with his philosophy because you didn't get your mate during all those centuries. But now you do, now your heart feels things, makes bonds and shatters as well when you fight with them. When Namjoon summoned me yesterday, all he could babble were his worries about you. Instead of finding reasons to stay away from your bond, strengthen it, son. Don't let the past haunt you down with a mere excuse of a stubborn pledge.” The omega's watery eyes blinked rapidly as he pulled his arm away from his Godmother.

Being the grand healer of his own Empire, Jimin knows that werewolves can heal their illness by using healthy pheromones of their mates. The stronger the bond, the lesser the possibility of being consumed by any illness. He has seen younglings glowing with happiness just after mating seasons, has seen them wafting strength and pride.

“How… how could I use them in such a way?” He whispered while pulling the blanket closer to his shoulders again.

There was one difference between the hanfu she wore and the traditional ones. Her hanfu doesn't contain wide lapels attached to her sleeves. Instead of those, she adorned narrow sleeves that had taken the shape of her arms and seemed fitted around it perfectly. Ella's eyes turned passive as she leaned back to the chair and placed her hands in her lap delicately, “Well… if you want to be trained in celibacy than I think-”

“I do not want to be trained in it. I… I'm not saying that. All I'm saying is… wouldn't it be selfish of me to use the closeness of our bond to cure myself?”

“Jiminah. My child. Are they pretending to be centuries old now? Listen to your words again?! If you won't benefit from your mates’ bond then should I invite my attendants for it? They will happily devour your mates and definitely leave a good word for you afterwards.”

The water would have made wonders inside the omega's stomach because the Royal omega was moving more restlessly on the mattress as he pushed the blankets down and sat a bit more comfortably on the bed to ask, “How do you know that brother accepted Jungkook as his mate?”

“Isn't it enough that I am the one who's saying it?” She asked where one of her eyebrows heightened enough to hide behind the dangling diamonds.

“It is. And it sounds like a happy moment to me.” His crinkling smile surfaced with feline eyes relaxing under his Godmother's gaze. “Have you met Jungkookie?” He asked.

“I did.” Ella removed her gaze from his son to the windowsill before locking her eyes on the door of the chamber. Her throat seemed to contract a bit as she gulped before speaking further, “I would have embraced him too but then your brother came and stood in between us. Same as your father, he thinks that everyone other than him will harm his mate. Pathetic wolves.” She muttered some more profanities but it remained out of the omega's reach.

Jimin looked down when his smile dimmed a bit, fingers coming forward to fidget over his lap, “His past didn't leave good memories in his mind. You were closest to… to Hwan so now he must be cautious to have you around his mate.”

“Believable. Therefore, I didn't make a scene in the courtroom. However, it should be taken into account that I'll be meeting my great grandson-in-law soon.” She kept nodding while moving her gaze back to the omega who was hiding her lips to bear a yawn, “You should take some rest now, son. My attendants must have prepared my pavilion for my sleep as well. Nowadays, the burden of this skin needs constant rest.”

Her hands went down to pull the flares of her skirt as she stood up from the chair and walked towards the door. Her waning back ignited an ugly emotion inside the Royal omega. He had missed her dearly, missed the way her talks brought peace to his anxious thoughts. Ella was always present at each of their downfall, she came without bearing any scent, without a trace or trail to follow her steps yet she left more prominent memories in their lives, “Mother,” Jimin spoke.

She halted on the threshold to look above her shoulder and heard the soft voice of the omega, “Would you like to stay with us for a few days?”

Pearly white teeth peeked out as she let out a series of laughter, the omega would have surely said something funny if he took out such expressions from Ella, “No wonder, son. I had planned to rest in the Western Land for a night but the air of this land is capturing my interest more and more.”

~

Jungkook was following the Royal Alpha mindlessly, his eyes focused on the ground and the back of the black shoes that his mate was wearing. The more they walk further from the courtroom, the more those cries die down in the surroundings. It's demented how the duration of one day was enough to change his perspective about the intentions of people around him.

He doesn't miss the oppressive behaviour of the crowd towards the culprits, the same crowd who went silent once the lady started to victimize her actions. If he wouldn't be in such an annoying position, it would be laughable to see the changing opinions of the folks. No wonder why the Royal Alpha often choose to not include them during such important judgement. Instead he invites them to the court and lets them see and hear how a final judgement works.

He thoroughly understood why the Alpha never entertained a chain of ministers around him because one can never presume the mindset of the other at certain moments. He remembered all the conversations of the court once again and the frown around his temple appeared on its own.

The silence was necessary to evaluate his thoughts in one lane but he didn't think that same silence may bring questions for him, “What are you thinking?” The voice seemed closer to him so when his gaze moved upwards to follow the black creases of the Alpha's suit, he caught him staring back while walking beside him.

He wasn't meant to feel embarrassed due to the lack of knowledge about the changing decisions of the folks. Maybe it will come with upcoming years of experience but he was grateful that the Alpha let him execute the hearings, “I'm trying to assimilate the reactions of the crowd. You were right about how people like Gyuri can easily escape for the sake of manipulative talks and how the crowd will run to normalize everything. I can imagine the scary outcome if no measures would have been taken today. Ella's presence made everything easier.”

He watched how the Alpha nodded while looking forward as they walked together, “ She didn't come here for the sole purpose of participating in the court. There must be another reason behind her visit.”

“It could be about the cure of the omegas. In the morning, Nami informed me that many omegas are still suffering from indigestion, and the vomiting hasn't stopped.” It brings the Alpha in a halt position as he turns sideways to face the omega, “Are you still in pain?”

Are you still in pain?

The sentence was similar to the previous night and it made Jungkook contract his shoulders to press his lungs for working regularly, “ No. I'm feeling better today.” He didn't mean to take a step back when the Alpha moved closer to him. He shouldn't feel the shivers when the flowing breeze wasn't cool enough around him. But the Alpha tilted his head and took another step towards him, “Are you sure?”

It shouldn't be this easy to lose his voice but all Jungkook could do was deliver a nod towards the Alpha who brought his thumb above his temple and brushed the frowns away, “I request you to not carry pressure on your intestines today. You can take long strolls around the borders or visit the omegas but refrain yourself from doing heavy work.”

There wasn't a chance where the omega could argue because his heart raced when the thumb slid down from his temple and caressed his eyebrows. Jungkook's heavy eyelids used a blink to absorb the comfort as he agreed, “ What are you going to do today?”

Both of them continued their walk and Jungkook cursed himself to miss that touch on his face. The cloudy day was turning dark and the heavy breeze from the east was indicating the arrival of another storm. He clutched the skirt of his hanfu while walking when the flares started to flow with the wind.

“The man mentioned his last route to barge inside the Western land was the river. Before the Strays think about doing the same, we need to make half bridges around the Lavin's shore and appoint soldiers on them. I should remain around the river today.”

Jungkook gasped in sheer interest, “After visiting the omegas, can I guide the soldiers around the river? I have never seen the making of a bridge, I won't be loading the logs or touching the armors, you have my words.” It's fascinating how the Alpha thinks about such things so instantly and has enough courage and knowledge to implement his ideas into reality.

The sudden excitement of the omega caught the Alpha's attention who nodded while gesturing to a group of soldiers to move towards them, “Your Grace should hurry then. We will be climbing the mountain to bring down the fallen trees shortly.”

Jungkook picked up the pace and turned towards the chambers of healers, “After changing into a bit more convenient clothes, I shall meet you at the river.” It was endearing how the omega turned around while balancing his skirt and gathering his veil.

Be careful.

~

Five hours passed within blink and when Jungkook stepped out of the healing chambers, the sky was pouring down in torrents. He bit his lips and released the lower one to cover his upper one. He didn't measure the time period while talking to the healers and injured omegas. He could hear the thundering clouds and then light showers, could smell the wafting fragrance of soil but didn't know that he would be late to join the soldiers.

He didn't have any time to change his attire now and with such overflowing lapels, flares and trailing veil, he certainly can't take part in the activities. Whatever, he will just look from afar and witness the Alpha's strategies to build a bridge. After leaving the crown in Nami's possession, he walked right into the pouring rain and was surprised to find the soldiers who were still bringing huge logs down from the mountain.

The empty shores of the river now have large piles of logs of different sizes. He chuckled loudly when he saw Sang diving into the river to measure the depth of the river. The method was quite unique as well, the children of the pack were sitting on the stumps around the river and after each dive they were getting fishes that Sang was throwing on their faces. Their giggles were loud and brought a big smile on Jungkook's face as well.

Kenji was teaching those children how they can dive during the rain without dying and the whole chaos brought excessive curses out of his mouth. But the pups could only laugh at his expressions because they couldn't understand the meaning of those words.

The omega's shoulders shook with laughter as his eyes looked around to find the one he was looking for. The Alpha was nowhere to be seen so Jungkook changed his route and decided to walk towards the mountain. He will surely find him weighing the heaviest length on his tough shoulders. Yes. He will find a nice place to hide and just look over the Alpha till his heart feels content with it. He can't do anything else other than this so his feet didn't stop and thrived on the path that leads to Chinra.

The showers of the rain were striking on the soil, leaves, stones and wood to create several melodies. Jungkook walked with his eyes closed to absorb the moisture in his skin, he hadn't seen such watery winters before. Maybe it could be his new favorite season.

He blinked his eyes open and stepped aside when he saw a row of soldiers coming down with heavy logs placed on their shoulders. They couldn't bow to greet the Empress so all of them made a fist and knocked their chests two times.

Your Empress.

The ground is slippery ahead, please be careful.

If you wish we can drop the logs and help you to ascend the mountain.

His majesty has been clearing out the fallen trees for us.

Do you wish to see him?

You will find him towards the north with a large double-edged axe in his hand.

Axe? I thought it was a sword.

No. Only you can cut trees with swords, remember?

*loud mocking laughter*

His Majesty can do anything, that's why I thought so.

Nu-uh he doesn't like fake appreciation.

Why don't you walk ahead instead of replying to me. Don't you feel tired?

Tiredness is for cowards. We are the warriors of Eclipse.

They passed the road all while bickering with each other and throwing smiles and knocking their fists. Jungkook smiled in response and waited till they turned around the corner to walk again. The ground has somehow taken a steep edge due to the continuous rain so he discarded his shoes along with the socks and left them on the road to walk more freely.

The hem of his green skirt was drenched in mud and the chillness of the ground was sending bits of happiness to Omega's heart. He didn't know walking with bare legs could be so much healing. He turned towards north and finally saw the destruction that was done by the earthquake and the previous night's storm.

The omega has folded his veil around his arms so it won't get spoiled under the rain and is holding the skirt with his one hand. The trunks of the fallen trees have left sharp edges, so Jungkook remains careful while walking one step at a time but when another row of soldiers started to passby, he stopped beside the path in green grass to receive their greetings.

However, the soldier at the back smiled widely and was about to make a fist when his foot slipped and tumbled the entire row like weightless straws. The falling logs scatter the mud in all directions and some of it spread around the Empress as well. It wasn't any problem but when the forefront soldier became the victim of that tumbling force, his two heavy logs rolled out of his shoulder and skipped on the ground while toppling towards Luna.

Jungkook was about to move, he was urgently about to move aside and ran towards the other side to find a secure position. However, in reality… his eyes remain fixed on those logs and feet remain rooted to the ground.

The wood was closer to touch his head when his feet got swept off the ground as a strong arm lifted his body and twirled him to the right. Jungkook's eyes were closed to bear the impact which never came, he recognized the moist sandalwood but the sudden movements of their bodies just kept his head buried in the Alpha's neck.

His arms wrapped around the shoulders of the Alpha instantly, legs bent backwards to leave the flares of the skirt swirling around the Alpha's feet in a full circle. They come to an abrupt stop and the omega finds himself hoisted from the middle by Alpha's one arm. When the omega opened his eyes, the scenery was changed entirely. The path wasn't visible to the sight anymore, just long trees standing tall on his head and muddy grass sticking on the ground.

When his body pulled back and lowered his chin to focus his gaze on the man who was looking up at him, he was left completely speechless. Maybe while working with the axe, the Alpha tore down his own shirt and waistcoat or maybe the termites have eaten the whole fabric because there is no other sane explanation as to why the Alpha was roaming around in this forest half naked.

His fingers trembled against his bare shoulders which were spreading dangerously closer to the Alpha's shoulder blades when he heard, “At this point, I think you are purposely trying to harm yourself.” The voice came out a bit laboured as if the Alpha had to make a run to grab the omega at the right time, “Am I right?”

Jungkook shook his head slowly, pupils not moving away from the Alpha, “I didn't think that the soldiers could slip in such a way.”

“You were walking mindlessly.”

“No. I'm… How do you know?” The fear was back in the omega's eyes, leaving his eyes more vulnerable for the Alpha to see.

“I was watching you.” The Alpha said, “Nowadays I can't seem to divert my gaze.”

The definition of nowadays includes the days where his vision is filled with the notions of the omega. He doesn't know when this had started but he is sure that he doesn't want it to stop anyday. The words swooned the omega's heart and let it flutter in the middle of the forest or maybe it was just the rattling of leaves under the pouring sky but his heart was thumping too dangerously.

“I didn't mean to distract your attention.” Jungkook looked in between them, his waist pressing against the Alpha's chest as he gazed down at him.

“You weren't distracting it.” Jungkook felt two fingers pressed over his cheek and slid towards his right ear to wipe off the mud that would have splashed on his face, “You were intentionally walking towards me to destroy it.”

The omega's eyes were reluctant between denying all the accusations or accepting them with a prideful chest because he had finally gained that attention, didn't he? So he won. But he won against what? It's not like Alpha was ignoring him purposely or ignoring at all but whenever those grey orbs hide from his own, why do he feel as if something is missing.

The Alpha cleaned the omega's cheeks and brought his hand down to grab the hem of his skirt which was hovering over the Alpha's knees, “These…” He moved his wrist and collected a handful of flares in his fist, “... are banned till we defeat the Strays in war. I need your hands and legs fully functioning during your tasks.”

When the Alpha completed his sentence, he started to lose his grip around the omega's waist, letting the body glide down to his chest. Before the omega's feet could touch the ground, Jungkook squeezed his fingers over the wet skin of the Alpha's shoulders in urgency, making the latter grab his hips more strongly in return.

“And after that?” The omega spoke slowly, gathering the dripping bits of rain from his lips.

“What?”

“Can I wear these hanfus once the war gets settled?” Jungkook's legs were still folded backwards, unwilling to touch the ground until he found the answer to his question. His arms were wrapped around the Alpha's shoulder, chest pressing together but gaze wandering only around each other's face. The Empress doesn't mean to…no…he never meant to focus his eyes on the tongue that peeked out to swipe under the Alpha's lower lip.

“How can I decide that? Do you not want to wear them at all? Are you uncomfortable with it?” Too many questions but none of them held the words that the omega craves for.

“No. I want to wear them. But this is not what I'm asking from my mate. What I'm asking is, "Does he want me to wear them?” If his body didn't go absolute constant then the Alpha would have slipped just like those soldiers on the ground. There is an omega in his arms who is asking for his choice about his own clothes.

His face felt warm under that fearful gaze as he replied to the omega, “ You can wear according to your wish.”

The stubbornness hid his fear as Jungkook shook his head frantically, “ Again, not the answer of my question.” His face came closer to the Alpha, pleading with his eyes to not torment him any longer.

“Are you asking my choice about your clothes?” Taehyung asked because he needs to know that his ears are working properly and it's not any intervention done by pouring water on their heads. He needs to know the omega who is placing him forward to decide for him… does mean things more than one.

“Yes.”

Taehyung's chest spasmed to inhale the breaths of the omega. He doesn't even know what he is doing to him, does he? Black enormous eyes and wet lips pleading with constant whispers.

Since the beginning of his childhood, Jungkook had very few people around him to tell him what he should wear on what occasions. The first one was his Ajumma and then Yoongi but after coming to Eclipse, the position was taken by the Royal omega who guided him through many festivals. However, now he wants his mate to take this position permanently. He wanted to be seen by these eyes, wanted to know what these eyes love to look him into, wanted to wear his choice.

“You can wear the hanfus once the war ends. You carry them elegantly, it makes them look beautiful on you.”

The serene eyes of the Alpha held honesty and it reflected on the omega's face in the form of a red hue, “Which colour do Alpha like the most?” The thread couldn't be thinner than the Alpha's patience where the questions weren't the problem but the omega's gaze is. Because those eyes were fixed on his lips adamantly.

“Don't look at my lips.” The Alpha mumbled, a voice that remained in between them, “Look into my eyes.” Whatever it was… an order, a demand, a phrase, a wish, a need, a plea… Jungkook had to follow it so he raised his head, however, his eyes were still persistent over his lips.

The fall happened suddenly when Taehyung removed his grip from the omega's hips. Jungkook gasped and landed on his stumbled feet which further pushed him into Alpha's arms, invading his space entirely.

“There you are…”

Their eyes matched and Taehyung pulled away after catching a little breath for his own heart, “We should go back before dusk, shall we?” His hand grabbed the omega's wrist but instead of getting pulled behind the Alpha, the Empress stood his ground and stopped the Alpha.

His gaze raked down the Alpha's body and asked with wide eyes, “Are we going to go down like this?”

Taehyung threaded his fingers in between his lush hairs and pushed them back to rest on his shoulders as he looked down at his body. The tight pecs were glinting with excessive moisture, regular bridges on ribs that glided down to his stomach and then came the fine abdomen where a scarf was tied around his hips. He understood the cause of the omega's wide eyes and he even has a solution for it.

“You are wearing many layers, Your Grace. Lend one to me so that I can hide behind your scent.” Teaser. This is what he was in Jungkook's eyes. And he is going to remain the same teaser as he walked towards him with a pointed eyebrow towards his arms.

“My veil?”

“Yes, your veil.”

“You want to wear it?”

“Only if Luna wants me to.”

The wide smile on the omega's lips felt sweet when the cold breeze passed them scattering freckles of blush all over his face. Jungkook untucked his veil from his head and collected it in his arms and walked closer to the Alpha. He held the veil horizontally in his hands and sprawled his arms behind the Alpha's head to bring the veil at the centre of the chest from both sides. The veil covered his chest and back entirely, Taehyung grabbed the veil and draped one of its lapels at his shoulder.

His free hand entwined with the omega, “Shall we, now?” He asked. Jungkook moved his head in a shy nod and walked beside the Royal Alpha. They descended the mountain while talking about the quantity of woods and metals that would be required for the making of the bridge.

Taehyung explained that they are not going to make a single bridge but ten ports around the bank of the river where soldiers could navigate and guard the army when it is needed. This way they will be taking advantage of these bridges from both sides.

It was impressive of the Alpha to think like that, to always touch the enemy at mutual grounds but still remaining two steps ahead of them.

Jungkook had to bid a small farewell to the Alpha when they reached the shore of the river and the Commander called for the Majesty. He could have followed his mate but when those soft eyes turned into stoic glares he knew he should go to his chamber to change his drenched attire.

The Empress neither asked about the veil nor the Alpha returned it. Their ways got separated by individual duties but their scent lingered around each other. Jungkook can't seem to wait to join them on the river once he changes his clothes. The rain has stopped and the soldiers have arrived to start melting and welding the metal parts around the woods. There was one more thing that he was unable to stop and it’s the blinding smile spreading on his lips that keeps becoming wider and wider as he walks towards his chamber.

~

Jungkook wanted to declare the day as the baddest of all because nothing happened the way he had imagined before. When he reached his chamber and changed his clothes, the servants knocked on the door with a few loaves of bread and a bowl of soup. He ate them obediently and sat on the bed to wear the white socks to cure his freezing feet but he doesn't even remember when the pillow lured his hair and then his head and then his face which became immobile after absorbing the softness of the mattress.

He slept like a little child who was suffering from food slumber. When his body revived to feel alive once again, the time was pushed towards midnight. His veins were filled with anger, frustration and too much sleep that he felt himself falling asleep once again but he fought it off by pushing himself away from the mattress and walking to the bathhouse.

He took a warm bath and wore his night gear which includes the white cotton pants that he usually wears under his skirts, wider hemline and comfortable around his legs, and a cotton robe that goes down to his knees. The robe was tied in the middle with a sash, creating a simple demeanour around the omega.

When he stepped out of the bathhouse, Jungkook noticed a glass of water placed on his dressing table with an envelope under it. He sat on the ottoman and combed his hair while staring at the closed envelope. He sniffed the air swirling around it and smiled when his nostrils welcomed the faint sandalwood. He wondered what the Alpha had to say that he chose to leave a letter instead of waking him up.

His hair remained open around his shoulder as he drank the water fully and retrieved the letter excitedly to read its content. However, His smile dimmed a bit when he read the first line and got lost in between the written sentences of his Alpha.

The crisp edges of the paper dug in between the omega's thumb as he read the letter again and again to understand the meaning of it. He blinked his eyes rapidly and focused on each word but no matter how hard he chewed his bottom lip or read the lines, the letter wasn't speaking to him.

Something didn't settle right in the omega's heart, his stomach churned in anxious thoughts when he decided to take his wolf's help. He folded the letter neatly and tucked it inside his pocket before folding his legs on the ottoman in a criss-cross cross position. He closed his eyes and imagined the persona of his wolf howling inside him to locate the links that he wanted to send to his mate.

Alpha?

I read your letter.

Alpha?

He tried to convey his words but they didn't find any direction because the voice was echoing inside him instead of finding a route to escape. How is this possible? The mindlinks can never be broken until….until the Alpha blocked his voice away from his reach. But… why!? Maybe he is visiting a place that resides in another dimension? Or… or maybe he is visiting the elders to seek blessings before the war?

What?

No.

It doesn't sound like his mate's best decision. His feet moved frantically on the floor to step inside his shoes and ran outside the chamber. He just hoped that Alpha didn't think that a mystic letter would be enough for him to not worry and not ask about him and he prayed that he found a soul that knew about the Alpha's whereabouts or he would lose his mind right at this moment.

Kenji laughed. Laughed at his face while hollering how it served the omega right after making him suffer the other day. Jungkook stopped himself from punching the Alpha across his face because he needs to save his energy to find his Alpha.

The Commander recited the same words of the letter but in a more formal way. The Royal omega was asleep in his chamber. Byungs exchanged worried glances while shaking their heads in togetherness. The grounds were empty with only a few soldiers occupying their designated position to guard the land. Nami looked too confused to even know the answer to his questions.

Yoongi shook his head with a frown on his face and tried to assure his brother that if his Majesty had mentioned about his sudden visit then he would surely come back soon. But nothing, absolute nothing, brought peace to Jungkook's palpitating heart that was squeezing his brain in tender thoughts. When he showed his back to his brother, Yoongi stopped him, “You can visit the new Royal guest, Godmother Ella. Angel mentioned that she is the powerful one. She would know or try to find His Majesty if you requested her. Would you like me to accompany you?”

Jungkook denied with a sad sigh, “ I must visit her alone to ask about the Royal Alpha. I don't want her to get mad by thinking that maybe I don't trust enough to see her alone.”

“Jungkook,” Yoongi grabbed him by his shoulders and looked into his eyes, “ Stop overthinking and overanalyzing all the things that's happening around you.”

The omega felt his strong appearance withering under the Beta's heavy gaze, making his shoulders shrink under the warm touch, “He knows. He knows all about my worst fears and one of them includes his disappearance then why didn't he wake me up? This is so unfair.”

“And I stand beside you in this. However, I genuinely think that there must be some reason behind his secrecy. Maybe he didn't wake you up because you would have persuaded him to let you follow him which is not good for your current condition or maybe there could be another reason entirely.”

“And what could be that reason!?”

“Doesn't matter how much I want to answer your questions, you are asking from the wrong person.”

Jungkook sniffled lightly and pulled away from his brother, “I should visit Ella as soon as possible then. Or the demons of my head would eat me alive.” Yoongi wanted to stop the omega until he composed himself enough to meet Ella but Jungkook had already turned away from him so all he could say was, “Her chamber is located at the borders of Gigeré forest. You should take Artax with you.”

Jungkook listened to his hyung and went to the periphery of Western land along with Artax. The cold reins indicated the night thickening with the mist but the horse was running while piercing the fog with his front legs. A sliver of moon was appearing in the sky and it was enough for the omega to navigate around the borders till he saw the gigantic doors of a palace?

He pulled the reins of Artax and let the horse trade slowly towards the mansion. Is this some kind of sorcery? How could it be possible to make such a grand mansion in the span of a few hours? Made with brown marbles, it was hard to see the boundaries of the mansion during the night. But he recognised the attendants that were emerging out of the door with a few trays in his hands.

Jungkook climbed down the horse and tied the reins to the nearby tree absentmindedly. He was watching those attendants who were quick on their feets to transport those trays to somewhere, he couldn't see what those trays held because of the lids covering the ingredients carefully.

Nobody stopped Jungkook when he stood in front of those open doors, he stared at the ground where a red carpet was spread all over the grass. He crunched down to fidget with his shoes which have turned muddy due to walking on the moist soil after the rain. He couldn't make himself ruin the carpet so he left his shoes outside and stepped on the carpet to enter the mansion.

His feet stopped at the threshold as he watched another attendant come outside upholding another tray in his arms. He bowed to the Empress in greeting but didn't ask or stop him at all. It made Jungkook more nervous as he looked inside the mansion. The walls were illuminated with burning logs, drowning the whole mansion in yellow light.

He shouldn't have come here. The Royal Alpha have opposed their small interaction during the court. If he got to know that Jungkook came here to ask about his whereabouts then he will clearly, certainly, undoubtedly be angry at him. But what do he do with his heart that was burning in scorching heat ever since he woke up from his sleep?

Jungkook felt the coarse material of the carpet under his sock-clad feet as he walked inside the mansion. His wide eyes looked up to see the majestic ceiling of the mansion, his head raised high making his open hair accumulated around his hips. He had taken only ten steps inside when he heard her. The small but sharp whispers lured the omega to take a turn towards the left hallway.

He saw the long white hairs first, braided beautifully behind her back. The heels clanking on the floor as she moved haphazardly around the chamber which looked similar to the room of healers. An attendant was kneeling before her, a tray spread on his palms as if waiting for the woman to place the respective medicine on it.

The woman grabbed two bottles of different colours and took out a needle from the pouch sprawled on the table in front of her. She dipped the tip of the needle in one bottle and let the red liquid coat it slowly. When she took out the needle, she waved it in different ways before finally settling it down on the tray. She did the same thing with another needle, just this time she dipped it inside the blue liquid. After covering the tray with a similar lid, the attendant left the chamber without asking anything from the woman.

Jungkook was standing at the entrance with a sinking heart inside his chest, he gave a faint nod to the attendant who passed by him silently. He flinched out of his skin when the lane of his thoughts broke up by the shrill voice of the woman, “Questions often bring curiosity in one's life. And curiosity is something that I hate the most. Nonetheless, if this same curiosity can bring my great grandson-in-law to my threshold then I would play nice to welcome him.”

The magnificent woman walked towards him and Jungkook's brain started to fill with the manners that he should show to his mate's Godmother. He kneeled on the ground and bowed to the woman whose eyes softened up immediately and spoke with a smile, “May your heart find peace in your mate. May the path you chose tonight will lead you closer to your destiny.”

Jungkook gathered himself on his feet once again and looked down when he felt the woman's gaze studying him closely. In front of her sparkling diamonds, he found himself majorly underdressed in his white night robes with overflowing hairs in all directions. However, His eyes widened when he heard new words falling out of her lips after looking at him.

“Such a gorgeous soul is blessing my child with his affiliation, I'm honored. Filled with virtues, values, veteran and vulnerability, you have graced our land of Eclipse.” Her eyes were glinting with fondness but the omega couldn't look at it. Jungkook could have compiled the words of appreciation if he wasn't moments away from bursting in fresh tears.

“I have a few questions…”

“And the answers solely depend on who is asking questions from me. Is it the Royal Empress of Great Europe or the mate of your lost Alpha?”

The entire cells of the omega's body were screaming at him to leave this chamber and ran outside as far as he could when the woman started to walk towards him. But the word lost kept his feet rigid as he faced the danger with a prideful chest, “Both. I need answers for both of them.”

“Very well then. Let me sit for a moment, I have been standing for a while now.” She walked behind the omega, surpassing the little porch where a lavish chaise lounge was placed. As she crossed the omega, Jungkook noticed how absurd it was that the omega didn't contain any scent around her. Ofcourse, she didn't. She isn't a werewolf but a witch that lives far from the reaches of these tribes.

The woman took a hold of her skirt around her hip and twirled it around while turning toward him before taking a seat on the lounge. She rested one of her legs on the other and let the rest of the space be occupied by the flares of her skirt. Her eyes pointed towards the second lounge that was placed right in front of her, “Have a seat, my child.”

In little scurried steps, Jungkook came forward and stood behind the lounge instead where his cold hands found the mahogany wood of the backrest and clutched onto it. If he sits anywhere at this moment then the choking noises of his throat will throw up the soup that he had before falling asleep.

“Why? Did your mate warn you to not come closer to me?” She picked up the omega's little hesitancy immediately.

“No. He didn't say anything to me.”

Ella's eyes squinted on the omega and she inhaled the sourness of the lies, “I refused to believe that he didn't utter a word about me. So would you or would you not like to lie to me any further?”

“I'm.” Jungkook swallowed a thick gush of air as he freed his throat from the restrictions of emotions and replied, “I'm not lying. He speculated that your purpose of coming to Western land couldn't be only visiting for the injured omegas. Nothing else.”

“Ah…” With her raised eyes, she completed a half circle with her neck and babbled out, “So I have been so insignificant to him that he ignored talking about me and only talked about his ideas and theories? Ungrateful man! I should have stopped sending him medicines long ago.”

“Medicines?” Jungkook asked with a confused frown.

She waved her hand to not worry towards the omega and sighed a bit deeply, “ About his speculation, of course I didn't just come here for the omegas. I had a hint about the culprits behind it, so sensing it as my responsibility, I thought to invade the courtroom with valid proofs.” Lies. But sometimes lies are not bad. Right? Hypocrisy of Ella is well known by the world… She meant the old world. The new one just confuses her or she confuses them a bit more regularly.

“Well… My answer to the Royal Empress of Europe is that you must remain in your position in the absence of your mate. We have barely a week before the talks of war could surface with cruel objectives. His absence wasn't suggestive but compulsion. He ushered to leave by his own instincts.”

The grip around the wood became too tight, turning the omega's finger white at some point. His shoulders blazed in pride as he listened about the duties but his heart was sinking in the pool of sourness which was leaving his eyes burning with flames.

“And the second answer?” He was looking down at the lounge, composing every bit of his body to just hear the words of the woman and leave this chamber before swearing to never come back.

Ella looked at the omega and studied his features as she contemplated her next words. She can't lie to the omega but her grandson wouldn't like her to meddle in his life once again. Her mind was working on the excuses that she could endure to tell the truth when she heard the slowest sniffle from the omega. She staggered on her feet so quickly that she felt a cramp over her neck, “He was working around the river when he felt the changes in his body. Your mate is suffering from his regular rut.”

She jumbled out the words oh so simply as if they didn't break apart the soul of the omega. Jungkook looked at her with wide red eyes, terror of the unknown settling in his mind just by thinking about the condition of the Royal Alpha. He stumbled backwards when his fingers slipped, his head turned towards the exit and started to walk towards it without saying another word to the woman.

He flinched back in his steps when he found the woman standing in front of her with her hands spreading wide to stop him, “You won't find him this way. Trust me, son.”

Jungkook couldn't speak, he couldn't retaliate the actions of the woman, couldn't oppose her hands which landed on his shoulder in a little pat, “He decided to embrace isolation till his rut ends for good. You won't be able to smell him, won't be able to convey any message. I'm afraid we have to wait till he comes back healthy.”

Wait.

Wait.

Wait?

Jungkook is so good at waiting. However, the omega shook his head in denial, he couldn't wait anymore to see his mate. No. Nothing can stop him from seeing him. He will sieve out the soil or drown in the depths of water but he will find him. He will find his mate, “ Why did he do this? Why didn't he tell me about his condition? Why did he choose to leave a letter laced with vagueness? Don't I deserve the truth? Don't I deserve to know his whereabouts? Don't I deserve to serve my mate when he suffers with sheer vulnerability?”

In her bizzare expressions, the surprised one looked most unnatural. Her hands laid lifelessly around her hips, eyes oozing sympathy,“You deserve them all, son. And I may not be able to answer all of your hurt but I can imagine why he chose to not tell you. Isn't it clear that he wanted one of you to be here with the folks? If he had informed you about his condition then…”

“Then I will whine to follow him? Is that it? Is this what he fears the most? Then I must follow him. He shouldn't be proved wrong.” He moved to surpass the woman who didn't budge from her position but tilted enough to block his path.

“His rut can make you weak, son. And it goes way back to the anatomy of Alphas and omegas that can't be halted by taking any suppressants or medicines. He doesn't want to be a hindrance at this precarious moment of battles. You must understand that your interest comes first to him.”

“What if my interest resides with his well-being? How can he decide for me in such a selfless way? During my heat, he helped me survive the worst two days of my life. Why didn't he choose me to do the same?”

The questions were turning hurtful and Ella didn't have answers to any of them but she was sure of one thing, “Fear of hurting you could be one reason or saving you from the hardships of treating an Alpha could be another. There is no precisement about his decisions. I suggest you ask your mate once he returns back to Western land.”

“I will find him.” The sourness of the omega's heart ignited into the slow burning of his eyes, “I will find him soon.”

Defeated under the omega's determination, Ella's eyes turned remorseful, “I would love to let scooper help you find your mate but before that I want you to hear some of my advice. It's a bad habit of mine to recite advice even when nobody likes to hear it.”

With whatever time Jungkook had in his palms, he clutched it tightly in his fists and waited for the woman to recite him a list of all the doable and non-doable things while searching an Alpha who doesn't want to be found. But what he heard completely left him speechless.

“Your mate doesn't love,” Jungkook noticed the glazed eyes of the woman that couldn't stop from twinkling as she completed her sentence, “He worships.”

The omega's eyes raised from the middle, concerning gaze, enlarging orbs lifting the brows and asking the woman so innocently to… stop talking any further. Ella smiled at the little omega and continued, “In this grand Empire of Europe, you may find countless people welcoming you and thanking you for coming in their Emperor's life but before doing the same, I must warn you about some things.”

Jungkook looked in between their bodies to catch a whiff of breaths just so he could calm his nerves a bit to listen to her words carefully.

“At any moment of life if he seems unbearable to you… do tell him. Do tell him that his expectant eyes are staring too much, do tell him that his attentive ears are hearing too much, that you don't want to give answers to his absurd questions anymore. Because if you don't tell him then he won't stop asking about you, won't stop taking love from you. So before you feel drained by him, stop yourself. Stop yourself before he drains you from all the affection you have gathered inside you.”

The omega's eyes brimmed with tears unnecessarily as he stared at the woman and replied persistently, “What if I don't want him to stop? What if along with his questions, I want to add mine too? What if I admire his attentive ears that know about my presence before my arrival? Should I tell him this too?”

He couldn't hear the words that the woman muttered under her breath but he saw how two diamonds finally shone but they weren't the ones scattered around the woman's head but the ones which were looking towards the omega with so much admiration.

Ella wanted to whisper out her emotions but it was natural of her to caress the omega's cheek instead, “Certainly, my child, you should.” She brought her other hand forward and placed it above his heart, “You are the purest carrier of his emotions, son. His soft heart will live inside you with utmost care. Few months back a mother had surrendered his son to you. Now, his Godmother accepts her defeat as well and with her wide open arms, she invites you to receive her heartiest blessings…”

Jungkook couldn't move, accept or deny the embrace his body got engulfed into but his choking breaths liberated streaks of flowing tears when his face was tucked above the shoulder of the woman. She patted his back slowly while blessing him with the unknown words because the omega couldn't hear her at all. His soul was too occupied by the pain that his heart felt when he knew about the reason behind the Alpha's absence.

He sniffled a bit to hide his tears and unclench his fist to wipe his face once he got pulled away from the hug. He watched with silence as the woman stretched her hand towards the ceilings of the enormous mansion. He didn't expect to hear fluttering of wings at this hour of the night but he had to blink out the tears when he saw a beautiful creature flying down from the ceiling before landing on the woman's wrist, “This is scooper, my pet owl. He will guide you to your destination.”

“But promise me one thing, son.”

“What?”

“Promise me that you won't lose yourself while serving your mate. An Alpha's genes are made to make omegas weak in their knees. I have seen plenty who lose their calm and perform malpractices so refrain yourself from indulging in your omega's interest.”

“I promise.” He bowed to the woman one last time and raised his head in gratitude, “ Thank you for easing my thoughts. I promise I won't let you down. I will use my mind to navigate through my mate's hardships, not anything else.”

Ella gave the owl a high fly and nodded towards the omega, “Go, follow him. May your affection win over all the restrictions of that stubborn head.”

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So The Empress is on the way to find his mate. But will his mate accept him inside his chamber?

I hope you like the chapter💜.

Good night, lovely readers💜

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